The Love of Country Author:Albert Barnes Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE LOVE OF COUNTRY. Psalm cxxxvu. 5, 6, 7. If I forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee. let my tongue clea... more »ve to the roof of my mouth ; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, 0 Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Ease it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. The love of country is an original principle or law of our nature, which can be explained only on the supposition that there is a God, and that He designs to accomplish important purposes by it. It resembles, in this respect, the natural love of a parent for his offspring, a principle or law, also, which can be explained only on the supposition that there is a Great Governor who presides over human affairs, and who intends to secure important ends by such affections, which could be secured in no other way. In the latter case, the design is apparent. It is to lead us to provide for our children; to secure for them friends before they have manifested any qualities to make us love them; and as they come into the world helpless and unprotected, to make it certain that thus helpless and unprotected, there will be those who will love them, who will labor for them, who will deny themselves for their welfare, who will run to their defence if they are in danger,who will nourish them with sleepless care if they are sick, who will sympathize with them when they enter on the great struggle of life, and who will send them out into the world under the best advantages for virtue, success, and happiness. It is to make it certain that, even if they are tempted, and are led astray from the paths of virtue, there are those whose hearts will still love them; those who will yearn over them in their wanderings, and who will throw their arms aroun...« less