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It is agreed, that the Moral Law requires love; and that this term expresses all that it requires. It is also agreed, that this love is good will, or that it resolves itself into choice, or ultimate intention. It must, then, consist in the choice of an ultimate end. But since Virtue either consists in choice, or is an attribute of choice, or benevolence, it is impossible to will it as an ultimate end. For this would involve the absurdity of choosing choice, or intending intention, as an end, instead of choosing that as an end upon which virtuous choice terminates. Or if Virtue be regarded as the Moral Attribute of love or benevolence, to make it an ultimate end, would be to make an attribute of choice an ultimate end, instead of that on which choice terminates, or ought to terminate.

absurd.

This is

3. Show what Moral Worth, or Good Desert is. Moral Worth, or Good Desert is not identical with Virtue, or obedience to Moral Law, but is an attribute of character, resulting from obedience. Virtue, or Holiness, is a state of mind. It is an active and benevolent state of the Will. Moral Worth is not a state of mind, but is the result of a state of mind. We say that a man's obedience to Moral Law, is valuable in such a sense that a holy being is worthy, or deserving of good, because of his Virtue, or Holiness. But this Worthiness, this Good Desert, is not a state of mind, but, as I said, it is a result of benevolence. It is an attribute or quality of character, and not a state of mind.

4. Moral Worth, or Good Desert, can not be the Foundation of Moral Obligation.

(1.) It is admitted, that good, or the intrinsically valuable to being, must be the foundation of Moral Obligation. The law of God requires the choice of an ultimate end. This end must be intrinsically valuable, for it is its intrinsic value that imposes obligation to will it. Nothing, then, can be the Foundation of Moral Obligation but that which is a good, or intrinsically valuable in itself.

We have seen in a former Lecture, and here repeat, that ultimate good, or the intrinsically valuable, must belong to, and be inseparable from sentient existences. A block of marble can not enjoy, or be the subject of good. It has also been said, that that which is intrinsically good to Moral Agents, must consist in a state of mind. It must be something that is found within the field of consciousness. Nothing can be to them an intrinsic good, but that of which they can be conscious. By this, it is not intended, that every thing of which

they are conscious, is to them an ultimate good, or a good in any sense; but it is intended, that that can not be to them an ultimate, or intrinsic good, of which they are not conscious. Ultimate good must consist in a conscious state of mind. Whatever conduces to the state of mind that is necessarily regarded by us as intrinsically good or valuable, is to us a relative good; but the state of mind alone, is the ultimate good. From this it is plain, that Moral Worth, or Good Desert, can not be the foundation of Moral Obligation, because it is not a state of mind, and can not be an ultimate good. The consciousnesss of Good Desert, that is, the consciousness of affirming of ourselves Good Desert, is an ultimate good. Or, more strictly, the satisfaction which the mind experiences, upon occasion of affirming its Good Desert, is an ultimate good. But neither the conscious affirmation of Good Desert, nor the satisfaction occasioned by the affirmation, is identical with Moral Worth or Good Desert. Merit, Moral Worth, Good Desert, is the condition, or occasion of the affirmation, and of the resulting conscious satisfaction, and is therefore a good, but it is not, and can not be an ultimate, or intrinsic good. It is valuable, but not intrinsically valuable. Were it not that Moral Beings are so constituted, that it meets a demand of the Intelligence, and therefore produces satisfaction in its contemplation, it would not be, and could not reasonably be regarded as a good in any sense. But since it meets a demand of the Intelligence, it is a relative good, and results in ultimate good.

5. Show what relation Moral Excellence, Worth, Merit, Desert, sustain to Moral Obligation.

(1.) We have seen, that neither of them can be the foundation of Moral Obligation; that neither of them has in it the element of the intrinsic, or ultimate good, or valuable; and that therefore a Moral Agent can never be under obligation to will or choose them as an ultimate end.

(2.) Worth, Merit, Good Desert, can not be a distinct ground, or foundation of Moral Obligation, in such a sense as to impose obligation, irrespective of the intrinsic value of good. All obligation must respect, strictly, the choice of an end, with the necessary conditions and means. The intrinsic value of the end is the foundation of the obligation to choose both it and the necessary conditions and means of securing it. But for the intrinsic value of the end there could be no obligation to will the conditions and means. Whenever a thing is seen to be a necessary condition or means of securing an intrinsi

cally valuable end, this perceived relation is the condition of our obligation to will it. The obligation is, and must be founded in the intrinsic value of the end, and conditionated upon the perceived relation of the object to the end. The Intelligence of every Moral Agent, from its nature and laws affirms, that the ultimate good and blessedness of Moral Beings is, and ought to be conditionated upon their Holiness and Good Desert. This being a demand of Reason, Reason can never affirm Moral Obligation to will the actual blessedness af Moral Agents, but upon condition of their Virtue, and consequent Good Desert, or Merit. The Intelligence affirms, that it is fit, suitable, proper, that Virtue, Good Desert, Merit, Holiness, should be rewarded with Blessedness. Blessedness is a good in itself, and ought to be willed for that reason, and Moral Agents are under obligation to will that all beings capable of good may be worthy to enjoy, and may therefore actually enjoy blessedness. But they are not under obligation to will that every Moral Being should actually enjoy blessedness, but upon condition of Holiness and Good Desert. The relation that Holiness, Merit, Good Desert, &c. sustain to Moral Obligation, is this: they supply the condition of the obligation to will the actual blessedness of the being or beings who are holy. The obligation must be founded in the intrinsic value of the good we are to will to them. For it is absurd to say, that we are, or can be under obligation to will good. to them, for its own sake, or as an ultimate end, and yet that the obligation should not be founded in the intrinsic value of the good. Were it not for the intrinsic value of their good, we should no sooner affirm obligation to will good to them than evil. The good, or blessedness is the thing, or end we are under obligation to will. But obligation to will an ultimate end can not possibly be founded in any thing else than the intrinsic value of the end. Suppose it should be said, that in the case of Merit, or Good Desert, the obligation is founded in Merit, and only conditionated on the in trinsic value of the good I am to will. This would be to make desert the end willed, and good only the condition, or means. This were

absurd.

(3.) But again: to make Merit the ground of the obligation, and the good willed only a condition, amounts to this: I perceive Merit, whereupon I affirm my obligation to will what? Not good to him because of its value to him, nor from any disposition to see him enjoy blessedness for its own sake, but because of his Merit. But what does he merit? Why, good,

or blessedness. It is good, or blessedness, that I am to will to him, and this is the end I am bound to will, that is, I am to will his good, or blessedness, for its own intrinsic value. The obligation, then, must be founded in the intrinsic value of the end, that is, his well-being, or blessedness, and only conditionated upon Merit.

6. Iam to answer objections.

(1.) It is objected to this view of the subject, and in support of the theory we are examining, that the Bible represents the goodness of God as a reason for loving him, or as a foundation of the obligation to love him.

To this I answer,

[1] The Bible may assign, and does assign the goodness of God as a reason for loving him, but it does not follow, that it affirms, or assumes, that this reason is the foundation, or a foundation of the obligation. The inquiry is, in what sense does the Bible assign the goodness of God as a reason for loving him? Is it that the goodness of God is the foundation of the obligation, or only a condition of the obligation to will his actual blessedness? Is His goodness a distinct ground of obligation to love him? But what is this love that His goodness lays us under an obligation to exercise to him? It is agreed, that it can not be an emotion, that it must consist in willing something to Him. It is said by some, that the obligation is to treat Him as worthy. But I ask, worthy of what? Is He worthy of any thing? If so, what is it? For this is the thing that I ought to will to Him. Why, worthy of blessing, and honor, and praise and obedience. But these must all be embraced in the single word, love? The Law has forever decided the point, that our whole duty to God is expressed by this one term. It has been common to make assertions upon the subject, that involve a contradiction of the Bible. The Law of God, as revealed in the two precepts, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself," covers the whole ground of Moral Obligation. It is expressly and repeatedly taught in the Bible, that love to God and our neighbor, is the fulfilling of the law. It is, and must be admitted, that this love consists in willing something to God and our neighbor. What, then, is to be willed to them? The command is, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. This says nothing about the character of my neighbor. It is the value of His interests, of his well-being, that the Law requires me to regard. It does not require me to love my righteous neighbor merely, nor to love my righteous

neighbor better than I do my wicked neighbor. It is my neighbor that I am to love. That is, I am to will his wellbeing, or his good, with the conditions and means thereof, according to its value. If the Law contemplated the Virtue of any being as a distinct ground of obligation, it could not read as it does. It must, in that case, have read as follows: If thou art righteous, and thy neighbor is as righteous as thou art, thou shalt love him as thyself. But if he is righteous, and thou art not, thou shalt love him, and not thyself. If thou art righteous, and he is not, thou shalt love thyself, and not thy neighbor. How far would this be from the gloss of the Jewish Rabbies so fully rebuked by Christ, namely, "Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you. For if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?" The fact is, the Law knows but one ground of Moral Obligation. It requires us to love God and our neighbor. This love is good will. What else ought we, or we possibly will to God and our neighbor, but their highest good, or well-being, with all the conditions and means thereof. This is all that can be of any value to them, and all that we can, or ought to will to them under any circumstances whatever. When we have willed this to them, we have done our whole duty to them. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." We owe them nothing more, absolutely. They can have nothing more. But this the Law requires us to will to God and our neighbor, on account of the intrinsic value of their good, whatever their character may be, that is, this is to be willed to God and our neighbor, as a possible good, whether they are holy or unholy, simply because of its intrinsic value.

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But while the law requires that this should be willed to all, as a possible and intrinsic good, irrespective of character; it cannot, and does not require us to will that God, or any Moral Agent, shall be actually blessed, but upon condition that he be holy. Our obligation to the unholy, is to will that they might be holy, and perfectly blessed.Our obligation to the holy is to will that they be perfectly blessed. The Bible represents love to enemies as one of the highest forms of Virtue: "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." mies be a high and a valuable form of Virtue, it must be only

But if love to ene

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