Affairs, which attends them; and as this extends to the Vice of Senfuality in particular, fo this Vice may be farther excluded from that Tendency of our Natures to Spirituality, in our Progrefs through Life, which is allowed by all, and explained in the foregoing Part of this Work upon the Principle of Affociation. Malevolence is alfo excluded, because it is itfelf Mifery; and, by Parity of Reafon, Benevolence must be a proper Recommendation for thofe, whofe Example and Judgment we would follow in our Endeavours after Happiness. And it does not appear in this Way of propofing these Matters, that the ultimate Ratio of Things admits of any Limit to our Spirituality or Benevolence, provided we fuppofe, that, at the Expiration of this Life, a progreffive Scene of the fame Kind commences.

The Method of Reafoning here ufed bears fome Refemblance to, and is fomewhat illuftrated by, the Method of Approximation practifed by Mathematicians, in order to determine the Roots of Equations to any propofed Degree of Exactnefs. Farther, as it is common in infinite Seriefes for the three or four Firft Terms either to fhew what the whole Series is, or, at least, that it is infinite; fo here the ever-growing and fuperior Excellence of Spirituality and Benevolence, which the foregoing Confiderations open to View, by recurring perpetually, and correcting the immediately precedent Determination in every Step, may incline one to think, in Correfpondence to that Method of Reasoning in Seriefes, that Spirituality and Benevolence ought to be made infinite in the ultimate Ratio which they bear to Senfuality and Selfishness.

But this Method of Reafoning may alfo be illuftrated, in a more popular way, by applying it to more obvious Inquiries. I will give Two Inftances of this, the First in the Health of the Body Natural, the Se cond in the Welfare of the Body Politic.

Suppofe

Suppofe then that a Perfon intirely ignorant of Phyfic, theoretical and practical, and difpofed to treat it as mere Guess-work and Uncertainty, should, however, be defirous to know, fince he muft eat, what Diet is moft conducive to Health. The first and most obvious Answer will be, The general Diet of Mankind; because this is the Refult of general Experience, and of the natural Appetites, which are in fo many other Inftances fitted to the Objects themselves, and to the Ufes and Pleasures, public and private, of human Life. And thus the Inquirer would be reftrained from all grofs Exceffes in the Quantity or Qualities of his Diet. But if he farther obferves, that the Opinions of Mankind tend more to Moderation in Diet, than their Practice; and that both the Practice and Opinions of those who appear by other Criterions to be the beft Judges, tend more to Moderation than those of Mankind at an Average; and, laftly, that the Senfual and Intemperate ought intirely to be excluded from having any Share in determining this Inquiry; this will lead him to great Moderation in Diet, or even to Abftemiousness.

In like manner let it be asked, What Principles of * Government are most conducive to the public Welfare? Are private Virtues, or private Vices, most to be encouraged? Here indeed the Answer drawn from the Average of States will not be an exact Medium between both, fo as to difcourage all the Virtues, and all the Degrees of them, as much as the Vices, and their Degrees; and, vice verfa, to encourage both equally; but will, upon the Whole, be greatly favourable to Virtue. However, fince Avarice, Vainglory, Refentment, Luxury, &c. are, in certain re#fpects, even promoted, and the greatest Virtues fometimes perfecuted, the Practice of Legiflators and Magiftrates, in enacting and enforcing Laws, will not be intirely favourable to Virtue. But then, if we take their Opinions, especially those of the Legislators the moft celebrated for Wisdom, and leave out barbarous VOL. II. Nations,

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Nations, infant States as yet unfettled, and fuch as approach near to their Diffolution, the Average from the Remainder will give the Advantage to Virtue more and more perpetually. And it may be remarked of both these Inftances, that they prove in part the Thing to be illuftrated by them, being not mere Emblems only, but in part the Reality itself. For Moderation in Diet is one principal Virtue, and extremely requifite to preferve Benevolence in Perfection; and Health a great Ingredient towards Happiness. And the public Happinefs, which arifes from the Cultivation of private Virtues, includes private Happinefs within itself.

Perhaps it may not difpleafe the Reader juft to hint, that the fame Method of Reafoning may be made ufe of in favour of the Chriftian Religion.All Ages and Nations have in general believed fome Revelation. There muft therefore be fome true one. But the Chriftian is plainly the Religion of the moft learned and knowing Part of Mankind, and is, in general, more earnestly believed, in proportion as Men are wifer and better. If we except the Mabometans, the reft of the World are mere Savages. But Mahometifm bears Teftimony to both the Old and New Teftament. If the Unbeliever will not be determined by this himfelf, let him at leaft allow, that the more Ignorant and Unlearned may be directed by it to the true Religion. But then they are not to be fuppofed capable of making Objections. Whoever has a Capacity for this, has alfo a Capacity to receive the proper Anfwers.

It is evident, however, that Obfervations of this Kind, drawn from the common Senfe and Judg. ment of Mankind, cannot carry us to great Lengths with Precision and Certainty. They are very con vincing and striking, in refpect of the firft Principles and Rudiments; but, if we would defcend to minyte Particulars with Accuracy, Recourfe muft be had to the feveral practical Theories of each Art.

SECT.

Of the Regard due to the Pleafures and Pains of Senfation in forming the Rule of Life.

PROP. 50.

The Pleafures of Senfation ought not to be made a primary Purfuit.

IN

'N order to fhew this, let us put the extreme Cafe of the primary Purfuit of fenfible Pleasure; and fuppofe, that a Perfon endeavours to gratify every Impulfe of his bodily Appetites, however contrary fuch Gratification may be to the Virtues of Temperance and Chastity. Now it is evident, that fuch a one would foon destroy the bodily Faculties themfelves, thereby rendering the Objects of fenfible Pleafure useless, and alfo precipitate himself into Pain, Diseases, and Death, thofe greatest of Evils in the Opinion of the Voluptuous. This is a plain Matter of Obfervation, verified every Day by the fad Examples of loathfome, tortured Wretches, that occur which way foever we turn our Eyes, in the Streets, in private Families, in Hofpitals, in Palaces. Whether the Scriptures give a true Account how all this Sin and Misery were firft introduced into the World'; alfo whether our Reafon be able to reconcile it with the moral Attributes of God, or no; ftill, that pofitive Mifery, and the Lofs even of fenfual Happiness, are thus infeparably connected with Intemperance and Lewdnels, is an evident Fact, that no Unbeliever, no Atheist, no Sceptic, that will open his Eyes, can difpute. And it is to be obferved, that the real In

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ftances

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ftances do not, cannot, come up to the Cafe here put of a Man's yielding to every fenfual Inclination. moft Grofs and Debauched have had fome Restraints from fome other Defires or Fears, from the Quarters of Imagination, Ambition, &c. It is evident there fore, a fortiori, that the mere Gratification of our fenfual Appetites cannot be our primary Purfuit, our fummum Bonum, or the Rule and End of Life. They must be regulated by, and made fubfervient to, fome other Part of our Natures; elfe we fhall mifs even the fenfible Pleasure, that we might have enjoyed, and fhall fall into the oppofite Pains; which, as has been obferved before, are, in general, far greater, and more exquifite, than the fenfible Pleasures.

That Indulgence in fenfual Gratifications will not afford us our fummum Bonum, may alfo be inferred from the following Arguments; viz. That it deftroys the mental Faculties, the Apprchenfion, Memory, Imagination, Invention; That it expofes Men to Cenfure and Contempt; That it brings them to Penury; That it is abfolutely inconfiftent with the Duties and Pleafures of Benevolence and Piety; and that it is all along attended with the fecret Reproaches of the moral Senfe, and the Horrors of a guilty Mind. Now it is impoffible, as will appear from the foregoing History of Affociation, how much foever a Man may be devoted to fenfual Indulgences, intirely to prevent the Generation of the feveral mental Af fections; but it is in our Power, by an inordinate Purfuit of the fenfible Pleafures, to convert the mental Affections into Sources of Pain, and to impair and cut off many of the intellectual Pleafures, fo as that the Balance fhall be againft us upon the Whole. It follows therefore from this utter Inconfiftency of the fenfible Pleafures, when made a primary Purfuit, with the intellectual ones, that they ought not to be fo; but muft be fubjected to, and regulated by, fome more impartial Law, than that of mere fenfual Defire.

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