CHA P. II. ON SOCIAL LOVE. This only can the bless bestow, "From one bort word all pleasures flow, "That blessed word is—LOVE.” PROUD. HE firft fruits of a creature's love THE are due to God, as to his Creator and the author of all his good; the second are due to men, as to his brethren and fellow fharers in the bounties of their common parent. Having in the preceding chapter, demonftrated the importance of loving God, proceed we in this to confider the beauty and bleffedness of focial love. To To be careffed and beloved by all around us, is one of the dearest wishes of the human heart. It is a natural, it is a laudable wifh. Great pains have been taken, and infinite expence incurred to attain this coveted honor, and yet the greater part never attain it, merely through defect of love on their own part. Let beauty, wit, gold, &c. boast and do all they can, yet will it be found in the end, that "In fpite of all the dull mistaken elves, They who wou'd make us love, must love, them"felves." LOVE is the univerfal charm. It pof feffes a beauty that wins and ravishes every heart. A fingle spark of it in generofity of dealing excites our admiration; a glimpse of it in courteous behaviour fecures to a man our esteem, and fweetly endears him to us. How charming is the countenance that is brightened by the fmiles of love! How fweet the voice that is tuned by the melody melody of love! How gladdening to the heart, the beams that sparkle from the eye of love! Indeed love, or goodnefs, which is but another name, is the only amiable thing in nature. Power and wealth may be refpected, wit and beauty may be admired, but if feparated from goodnefs, they neither deferve nor can command our love: For the worst and most wretched of beings pofsess them in a very high degree. The prince of darkness has more power, and tyrannizes over more flaves by far than the Great Turk. One devil may have more wit than all the Achitophels in the world, and yet, with all his wit, he is very odious and miferable. And fuch, in proportion, is every one who partakes in his accurfed difpofition of hatred and malice. SEE how Pandorus is beloved and careffed. Is it because of his honesty? This virtue only gains our efteem, but does does not captivate the heart. Is it because he is beneficent and friendly? Many who are so fond of his company have no need of his affiftance. Is it because he is gay, humorous, and entertaining? This would render him agreeable, only when gaiety is feafonable. No, he is more beloved than any other man in the world, only because he is the most affectionate man in it. He feems to live but to please, to oblige, and to ferve his friends. If he find out what will please you, he prevents your defires, and does it with fuch an air of cheerfulness, that, while he has no other view than to oblige you, he feems to follow nothing but his own choice and inclinations. This charming complaifance of Pandorus was not learned in the school of the world; but is the rich fruit of his genuine benevolence. Hence it renders him equally endearing and equally agreeable, at all times, and to all ranks. He is not a fycophant to the great, and fcornful or negligent of the poor; he does not treat you to-day as a dear friend, and to-morrow knows you not, but uniformly his looks and manners are thofe of the man who confiders both the rich and the poor as his brethren. If you love like Pandorus, and like him take a pleafure in contributing to the happiness of others, I will anfwer for the friendship of all who know you; this is a perfection that will engage people at all times, in all places, and on all occafions. BUT love not only renders us thus dear and defireable to others; but it spreads the sunshine of sweetest peace over our own minds. It delivers us from the tyranny of all those bad paffions which make us miferable. Like a golden curb it checks the fiercenefs of anger, that dangerous ftorm and hurricane of the foul. A man can hardly be |