hended; but who can injure the Omnipotent, or diminish his bliss?

The passion of Anger in us, according to its legitimate exercise, is implanted that we may repel some injury, or prevent a repetition by the instant punishment of a delinquent. It is sometimes a necessary protection against repeated acts of inconsideration and insult. Where this provocation is great, or the danger extreme, it communicates extraordinary strength to the corporeal system, and, by its sudden impetus, it gains a momentary triumph over the love of ease, fond partialities, and even the apprehensions of danger, in order to inflict the punishment due to an offender.

The transports of Anger are always the most violent in irritable habits, where there are no laws to protect; where there is a prevalence of selfishness and pride; and the greatest ignorance of human nature. Just laws render the irritations prompting to self-protection, the less necessary. The man who has subdued inordinate self-love, and has cultivated the social virtues, is most disposed to forgive injuries. He who knows the workings of the mind, and can make due allowances for the inadvertencies, situations, habits, the sudden impulse of a passion, and the force of surrounding inducements, will be most disposed to mo

derate his resentments, and will sometimes permit compassion to subdue them.

In these remarks no particular application is necessary. The Being whom we serve is infinitely above such sources of irritation.

If we advert to those passions, and affections, in which we discover Good, and which are most conducive to our happiness, we shall see that they are excited by the peculiarities of our state. Surprise, wonder, astonishment, manifest the feebleness and ignorance of our minds. Desire and hope indicate our wants and defects; Joy is the pleasing impulse excited by the sudden possession of Good. Contentment acquiesces in the deficiency observed: and Satisfaction is the completion of a previous wish. Respect, reverence, admiration, gratitude, confess inferiority and dependence. Compassion, sympathy, &c. are painful sensations, excited within us to subdue indolence or selfishness. They, as it were, compel us to alleviate distress, and solace the afflicted.

These also are inapplicable to a perfect Being.

In a former work we observed, that Love may be considered either asa Principle or as an Affec

tion. As a principle it was defined to be an invariable preference of Good; and an universal attachment to well-being and happiness."* As a principle it predisposes to action; as an affection it attaches itself to particular objects. Wherever there is an attachment, there is a source of happiness. An attachment is of itself pleasing, notwithstanding the imprudences. and improprieties that may surround it and where there is no obstacle to the indulgence of it, the enjoyment is complete. The more it is extended, and the greater the number of the objects it embraces, the more copious will be the sources of enjoyment.

In Complacency, love is united with approbation. This complacency may respect the conduct of those interesting to us, or our own conduct towards others. It is always produced by the perception or discovery of moral worth; of some Good attempted, produced, or enjoyed, in consequence of worthy designs, or worthy actions, performed from worthy motives. The discernment of moral worth inspires approbation in every lover of virtue. Complacency approves of motives; it approves of the choice and application of the best means of producing good; and it enjoys the beneficial result.

* See Phil. T. on Pass. p. 24.

These affections, therefore, possess the characteristics which are truly worthy of an infinitely perfect Being. His benevolent affections, with reverence be it spoken, must be inexhaustible sources of his felicity. He loves every being he has formed, or he would not have enstamped the epithet of Good upon all, at the period of their creation. He loves the wicked with the love of compassion, for they are still his offspring; and he has complacency with the righteous, as his favourites. Since he must be pleased with every object he has created, infinite and inexhaustible are his sources of bliss. He has complacency in all the plans which his infinite wisdom has formed, and in every exertion of his Almighty power, even the most tremendous, for he knows the good they produce; and he foresees that the final issue will be the diffusion of happiness.

Notwithstanding these irresistible evidences, that the immutable God is above all those .passions and affections which perpetually agitate our breasts, it is confessed, that the whole torrent of language has constantly flown in direct opposition to the doctrine. Not to mention the ignorance of Paganism, which literally ascribed

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all the human passions to the deities worshipped, without excluding the most depraved; those who have formed the sublimest conceptions of the Divine Being, still retain modes of expression which are not consistent with the acknowledged perfections of Deity. Not only has the general language of mankind, in different ages, ascribed various passions and emotions to God, but such ascriptions perpetually recur in those sacred scriptures which contain a revelation of himself

to man. They perpetually describe him as being susceptible of passions, and as being actuated by them in his conduct towards the human race. The Anger of the Lord, his severe wrath and indignation, are frequently denounced against sin. Men are said to "provoke the Lord to anger by their abominations." He is frequently represented as repenting of his conduct. It is asserted that "when God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, it repented the Lord that he made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." He is also described as repenting of his anger. afflictions of the Israelites, who were brought low for their iniquity; and when he heard their cry he repented according to the multitude of his Mercies." In some passages it is said that he is wearied of repentance. He is said to be a jea

"He regarded the