14© The flea/7d Sign PART III, Self-Love has a Hand in thefe Afl:-edions confeguentially, and fe- condarily only. On the contrary, thofe falle Afealions begin with Self, and an Acknowledgement of an Excellency in God, and an Affreaednefs with it, is only confequential and dependant. In the true Saint God is the lowefl Foundation ; the Love of the Excel- lency of his Nature is the Foundation of all the Affcaions which come afterwards, wherein Self-Love is concern'd as an Handmaid On the contrary, the Hypocrite lays himfelf at the Bottom of all, as the firfl Foundation, and lays on God as the SuperflruElure ; and even his Acknowledgement of God's Glory it felt; depends on his Regard to his private Interefl.. Self-Love may not only influence Men, fo as to caufe theta to be affected with God's Kindnefs to them feparately ; but alto with God's Kindnefs to them, as Parts cf a Community As a natural Principle of Self-Love, without any other Principle, may be fuffi- cient to make a Man concerned for the Interefl of the Nation to which he belongs : As for Inflance, in the prefent War, Self-Love may make natural Men rejoice at the Succef es of our Nation, and lorry for their Difadvantages, they being concerned as Members of the Body. So the fame natural Principles may extend further, and even to the World of Mankind,andmight be affe6ted with theBenefits thelnhabitants oftheEarth have,beyond thofe of theInhabitants of other Planets ; if we knew that fuch there were, and knew how it was with them. So this Principle may caufe Men to be affe6ted with the Benefits that Mankind have received beyond the fallen Angels. And hence Men, from this Principle, may be much affeéled with the wonderful Goodnefs of God to Mankind, his great Goodnefs in giving his Son to die for fallen Man, and the marvellous Love of Chrift in fuffering fuch great Things for us, and with the great Glory they hear God has provided in Heaven for us ; looking on them- felves as Perfons concerned and interefted, as being fome of this Species of Creatures, fo highly favour'd The fame Principle of na- tural Gratitude may influence Men here, as in the Cafe of perfonal Benefits. But thefe Things that I have Paid do by no Means imply that all Gratitude to God is a meer natural Thing, and that there is no fuch Thing as a fpiritual Gratitude, which is a holy and divine Affeélion They irnply no more, than that there is a Gratitude which is meerly natural, and that when Perfons have Afife&ions towards ,God only or primarily for Benefits received, their Affedtion is :only the Exer- " that preceeds the fecond Act of Faith ; and 'tis an intuitive, 44 or real Sight of him, as he is in his Glory." Shepard's?{Pa- rable of the ten Virgins, Part I. p. cite
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