out of Conceit with Pleasure than Greatness and Ambition calls 'em back to their former State as appears in the Case of Tiberius who after having given up the Empire to his Favorite that he might with more Quiet and Tranquillity tast the Excess of Sensuality is at length tempted to quit his Pleasures for the sake of the Empire the Cares of which he again finds fault with after the Death of Sejaâ—s being as much discontented at Rome as he was at Capreae always having an insatiable and restless Heart This Picture represents the Heart not only of Tiberius but of all Mankind who are in a perpetual and as it were necessary Tossing and Agitation whilst they fix themselves upon Worldly Objects God has endu'd Man with a Capacity proportionable to his Immortality Namely an infinite Capacity 'T is therefore impossible he should be satisfy'd with corruptible and transitory Goods what is finite can by no means fill him But perswade him once of his Immortality and give him Goods Eternal like himself and you 'll presently see him contented and satisfy'd Having endeavour'd to know the Nature Duties and the most powerful Motives or moral Force which naturally determine the Heart of Man 't will not be amiss in the next place to pass to the Consideration of his Irregularities the Spring of which we shall consider first in order to know the Rivulets that flow from it The End of the First Part. The SECOND PART Where we Enquire after the Source of our Corruption and Treat of Self-love of the Force of its Applications the Extent of its Affections and Irregularities in General and in Particular CHAP. I. Where we Enquire after the Source of our Corruption by handling the First of our Faculties which is the Understanding I Don't take the common School-Distinction oâ— Understanding and Will Mind and Heart Reason and Appetite to be proper for disentangling and clearing our Ideas but we must be forc'd to follow this too much receiv'd Custome We call Understanding Mind or Reason the Soul as it knows that is as it conceives judges reasons remembers reflects and methodizes its Knowledge We term Heart Will or Appetite the Soul as it has the Affections of Love Hatred Desire Fear Joy Hope Despair or any other of the Passions I think we shall not be much out of the Way if we define the Mind the Soul as it knows and the Heart the Soul as it loves For as Conceptions Judgments and Discourses are but different Modes of Knowledge so 't is certain that Desire Fear Hope and in general all other Affections are only Modes or different Manners of Love but this is not to be insisted upon at present Our Business here is to know Whether the Original Source of our Corruption be in the Mind or in the Heart Whether the first Spring of our Evil be in the Knowledge of our Soul or in its Affections We answer That 't is not in the Mind because then the Mind would have been order'd to conduct and regulate it self by the Dictates of the Heart whereas we see the Heart has been order'd to regulate it self by the Mind For 't would be unreasonable that what is less Corrupted should be guided by that which is more irregular and disorderly and that the Source of our Corruption should be the Rule of our Conduct and indeed were it so A Man would not be oblig'd to steer and guide himself by his Reason 'till he should have been assur'd that God had extraordinarily enlightned him and he must wait for an Enthusiasm and immediate Inspiration before he could have Right to act in the Quality of a Rational Creature Also the Holy Scripture always attributes the Offuscation and Darkness of the Mind to the evil Affections of the Heart If our Gospel be hidden says St. Paul 't is hidden to them that perish whose Understandings the God of this Age has blinded 'T is easy to conceive That by the God of this Age he means the Demon of Concupiscence And upon almost the like Account our Saviour said to the Jews How can ye believe seeing that ye seek for Glory one of another Certainly were the Mind the Original of our Depravation 't would always and in all Circumstances have its natural Obscuration and Darkness 't would be as blind in the Study of the Sciences as of Religion and 't would succeed no better in knowing such Objects as are indifferent to it than those which interess and concern it When an Eye is cover'd with a Web or clos'd up by an Obstruction 't is not in a Condition to see one Object more than another but when its Darkness proceeds from the Obstacle of Clouds Fog or any exterior Veil 't is easier for it to perceive distant Objects and 't will see very clearly when the extraneous Impediment is remov'd without receiving any Change or Alteration in it self So say we if the Understanding were in it self naturally darken'd 't would be as liable to Error in its curious and needless Enquiries as 't is in those which import and concern it for its Darkness would be Uniform and always the same But because 't is cover'd only with Fogs and Mists which rise from the Seat of the Affections no Wonder if its Obscuration ends so soon as the Heat of Passion ceases This is a common Matter of Fact One that has a Rectitude of Mind and Exactness of admirable Reason for apprehending what is most abstruse and intricate in the Sciences who knows when to doubt and suspend his Assent to things that are Dubious to affirm true Things and deny False to have a simple Opinion of probable Things to demonstrate those that are Certain who will not mistake True for False nor one Degree of Truth for another will no sooner have a Point of Interest to manage but his former Rectitude of Mind forsakes him his Reason bends to the Humour of his Desires and Evidence is confounded with Utility and Profit Whence proceeds this Darkness From the Objects No For these Objects are easier and clearer than those of the sublime and lofty Sciences which he so well-penetrated and understood Is it from any natural Defect of the Mind No From this much less than the other That has reason'd perfectly well touching Matters of Speculation and put it to Discourse of secular Concerns provided they be not its own but another Man's 't will reason about 'em with the same Exactness But if after you have carried the Mind of this Man from the Objects of the Sciences to the Affairs of Life you call it again from thence to the Consideration of the Truths of Religion you 'll perhaps find his Mind yet more obnoxious to Falshood and Illusions Because a greater Interest does also produce a greater Errour Such a Passion as Interest is of very great Prevalence and Force in obscuring the Light of Reason but yet those Passions which directly oppose Reason are more capable of producing this ill Effect For 't
corruptible Things and as they are unable to perpetuate themselves they can't be capable of eternizing their Objects This would be but to perpetuate Shadows and how should they perpetuate the Sensation Nos quoque floruimus sed Flos fuit ille caducus I think we should not be guilty of a greater Extravagance if by the Effort of our Desires we should at length be brought to doubt of our Mortality than whilst by the Seduction of our Heart we search for so vain an Immortality I know indeed that no Man seriously denies himself to be subject to the Fate of Death but yet scarcely any Man perhaps tells himself in earnest that he shall Die For tho' these two Terms have too true a Relation yet no one is willing to joyn 'em together and if we do happen to consider 'em 't is with a Design to dis-unite and part ' em We shall be apt to consider Death without considering our selves or our selves without considering Death We never love to connect those Ideas both together and certainly nothing can be imagin'd let Men think what they please of it more extraordinary and more uneasy to the Heart than the Conjunction of these two Sentiments in our Imagination Yet this is not all self-Self-love undertakes to fix the Pleasure which rises from the Acquisition of temporal Goods with this Design it seeks to have a frequent Enjoyment of the Good it possesses whether by Thought representing it to its Mind as often and in as lively a manner as is possible or by endeavouring to invent new Methods of enjoining the Pleasure whereunto it is accustomed 'T was a great Extravagance in Caligula to propose the making his Horse Consul to have him led before the Senate in Consular Robes and the Bundles of Rods carried before him But this Extravagance which so much grates and contradicts the Mind was a Feast of Delights to such an Heart as being us'd to Supream Power and scarcely perceiving it now found out a Means of giving it self an Air of Novelty by the singularity of its Gust and the Fantasticalness of its Capricio Caligula in his Folly had the Pleasure of seeing how much other Men were subject to his Dominion Lastly Self-love which one would think ought to be dis-abus'd of the excessive Opinion it conceiv'd of temporal Goods when it sees what a great Vacuity they leave in our Heart yet puts upon it self a further Illusion For finding that this Measure of temporal Goods which it has obtain'd can't render it Happy it pre-possesseth it self with Thoughts of finding that Happiness in the Quantity which it could not meet with iâ— the Quality of these Advantages Thus a Rich Man who ought to have dis-abus'd himself as to the Vanity of Riches by the Experience he makes of 'em feeds himself with a Fancy that he shall be Happy when he has made a further Augmentation of his Treasures and as the Degrees of temporal Prosperity are not limited no wonder if in what State soever he be he form a Succession of new Desires And because our Soul sees that worldly Goods are less considerable by their Reality than Fictitiousness 't is so Ingenious as to deceive it self in this too it covets the Esteem of other Men and would fain be thought happy by the Mind 's of the Multitude that it may hereafter make use of this Esteem to cheat and warrant it self of Happiness upon the Word of those that don't know us Oh! 'T is a brave and delightful Object for a Grandee to behold the covetous and interested Rabble cringing at his Heels whose Officiousness plainly shews what Opinion they have of Greatness This perswades him that he is not mistaken in thinking that his lofty Elevation render'd him Happy And if the inward Experience he has of his Condition does not suit with his Conception he suspends the sad Reflections of his Mind and says to himself that doubtless so many Persons who esteem him Happy can't be mistaken and resolves to be satisfy'd with his Condition maugre all the Sense and Experience of his Misery I very well know that Men many times discourag'd by some Danger or present Misfortune which mâ—kes a lively and deep Impression upon their Heart dislike their own Condition and envy other Men's But this Dislike is quickly over it vanishes with the Object which gave it Birth and pleasant Ideas succeeding in the place of sad and unpleasant which had struck and as it were wounded our Soul by rushing impetuously into the Mind then we see none but the best side of our Condition and re-assume the Bent of our former Designs This is what one of the most Facetious Wits of Augustus's Time express'd with a great deal of Plainness and Elegance in one of his Satyrs Qui fit Maecenas ut Nemo quam sibi sortem Seu Ratio dederit seu sors objecerit illâ Contentus vivat laudet diversa sequentes O fortunati Mercatores gravis Annis Miles ait multo jam fractus membra Labore Contra Mercator navem jactantibus Austris Militia est potior quid enim concurritur horae Momento cita Mors venit aut victoria laeta Agricolam laudat Juris Legumque peritus Sub Galli cantu Consultor ubi Ostia pulsat Ille datis Vadibus qui rure extractus in VrbeÌ„ est Sâ—â—os felices viventes clamat in Vrbe And certainly 't is not greatly to be wonder'd that other Men's Conditions seem better than our own in the Eyes of Self-love seeing that we feel the Pressure of our own Evils and Miseries but not of theirs and their Enjoyments appear without any Allay of Unhappiness and Trouble because we see but the meer surface and out-side of their Condition But lastly whether it be the Idea of those temporal Goods which we our selves possess or the Image of other Men's Goods that so advantagiously Prejudices and Bigots us to the Esteem of worldly Enjoyments 't is certain that our Conception of 'em is very extravagant and herein Men commonly place their Supream Good For to do this 't is not necessary that our Mind should expresly and distinctly judge the World to be the Soveraign Good nor yet that our Mouth should openly pronounce so in plain Terms Man is naturally too Glorious and Proud to think or speak very gross and sensible Absurdities but he loves the World so much as to say it in his Heart tho' not in his Mind But 't will not be amiss to continue our Consideration of the most general Inclinations of the Heart which proceed from self-Self-love For we shall easily know the Rivulets after we have throughly discovered the Springs CHAP. XI Where we continue to consider the general Inclinations of self-Self-love the Second whereof is a Desire of Perfection HAppiness and Perfection are the Two general Goods which Man naturally desires but not without some Dependance and Subordination to each other for he desires not Happiness for the sake of Perfection but Perfection for the sake of
ADVERTISEMENT THE Translator by thâ— Author's Advice râ—trench'd from the former Paâ—â— of this Treatise certain obscuâ—â— and Metaphysical Passages which may be seen in the â—riginal In doing which he haâ— cut off rather superfluous anâ— useless Branches than any mâ—terial or necessary Part aâ—â— has render'd it more agreeablâ— and fitted to every Capacity April 29. 1694. THE ART OF Knowing One-self OR An ENQUIRY into THE Sources of MORALITY Written Originally in French By the Reverend Dr. ABBADIE In Two PARTS OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield for Henry Clements and John Howell Booksellers 1695. TO MY MUCH Esteemed Friend Mr. HENRY LEVET I SHALL not excuse my Adventure by extolling this Author's Worth lest I should seem both Unjust and Impertinent For should I go to enumerate his Praises I might fail of rendering him all that is his Due and to repeat his Fame whom the World sufficiently knows and this very Work not a little commends would be foolishly Vain and Impertinent I hope by my pouring his fragrant Essences into a new Vessel they are better expos'd to the Sense of my Country-men and have not Lost much of their genuine Odour However I am pretty well assur'd That the Majesty of the Sense will shine thro' the Meanness of my Expression and that so whilst it gathers new Praises to its Author 't will obtain at least a Pardon for me 'T is not my Design in presenting you with a Treatise of this Kind either to Inform your Mind or Reform your Manners since I doubt not but you already understand the Rules for Knowing Your-self and carefully Transcribe 'em into Practice I offer it to you as a Part of that Homage which all Men Owe and those that Know you justly Pay to your real Merit and particularly as a Token of Gratitude to that Generous and Friendly Temper which I always Admir'd and frequently Experienc'd in you As you have hitherto even in Prosperity freely embrac'd an useful Knowledge of your Self as related both to God and the World surely the Heavens will see no Reason to Frown upon you with whom their Smiles have been so prevailing and that they never may is the hearty Prayer of SIR Your most Humble and Most Obedient Servant T. W. THE TABLE Of The CHAPTERS The First PART CHAP. I. WHere we give a general Idea of the Vileness and Misery of Man which are the first of his Qualities that occur to our Mind Pag. 11 â—hap II. Where we endeavour to know Man by considering the Nature and Extent of his Duties Pag. 24 â—hap III. Where we continue to make certain Reflections upon the Decalogue considering it as an Expression of the Law of Nature accommodated to the State of the Israelites Pag. 32 â—hap IV. Where we shew the Extent of the Law of Nature by considering it in the Gospel and with Relation to the Immortal Man Pag. 39 â—hap V. Of the Moral Strength of Man or the Motives which he finds in himself to determine him in his Actions Pag. 43 Chap. VI. Where we explain what Effect the sense of Immortality is capable of working upon our Heart Pag. 4â— Chap. VII Where we continue to shew whaâ— the Sense of our Immortality can work upoâ— our Heart Pag. 6â— The Second PART CHAP. I. WHere we enquire after the Source of our Corruption by handling the first of our Faculties which is the Vnderstanding Pag. 9â— Chap. II. Where we continue to shew that thâ— Source of our Corruption is not in the Vnderstanding Pag. 10â— Chap. III. Where we search after the manner how the Heart deceives the Mind Pag. 10â— Chap. IV. Where we consider the mutual Illuâ—ons which pass between the Heart and thâ— Mind and how GOD alone destroys 'em by his Grace Pag. 11â— Chap. V. Where we continue to search for thâ— Sources of our Corruption by considering thâ— Motions and Inclinations of the Heart Pag. 12â— Chap. VI. Where we examine the Faults â— self-Self-love Pag. 12â— Chap. VII Where we shew that Self-love kindles all our Affections and is the generaâ— Principle of our Motions Pag. 13â— Chap. VIII Where we continue to shew that Self-love is the Principle of our Affections Pag. 147 Chap. IX Where we consider the most general Inclinations of Self-love and in the first place the Desire of Happiness Pag. 166 Chap. X. Where we consider the Cheats which Self-love puts upon it self to correct the Defects it finds in the Happiness it aims at Pag. 180 Chap. XI Where we consider the general Inclinations of Self-love the Second whereof is a Desire of Perfection Pag. 193 Chap. XII Where we treat of the general Vices which flow from Self-love and first of Pleasure Pag. 201 Chap. XIII Where we continue to consider the divers Characters of Pleasure Pag. 209 Chap. XIV Where we treat of the general Disorders of Self love and particularly of Pride Pag. 221 Chap. XV. Where we examine all those Irregularities which are Ingredients of Pride Pag. 227 Chap XVI Where we consider the Second Irregularity of Pride Pag. 237 Chap. XVII Of the Third Irregularity which goes to make up Pride which is Vanity Pag. 240 Chap. XVIII Where we continue the Characters of Men's Vanity Pag. 252 Chap. XIX Of the Two last Characters of Pride which are Ambition and the Contempt of our Neighbour Pag. 265 BOOKS lately Printed by Leonard Lichfield and Sold by Henry Clements John Howell A Defense of the Christian Sabbath Part the First In Answer to a Treatise of of Mr. Thomas Bampfield Pleading for Saturday-Sabbath Price 1 s. The 2 Edit A Defense of the Christian Sabbath Part the Second Being a Rejoinder to Mr. Bampfield's Reply to Doctor Wallis's Discourse concerning the Christian Sabbath Price 1 s. 6 d. Both by John Wallis D. D. And Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford An Essay on Grief With the Causes and Remedies of it Price bound 1 s. Poems on several Occasions Originals and Translations Price 1 s. Guilelmi Oughtred Aetonensis Quondam Collegii Regalis in Cantabrigia Socii Clavis Mathematicae Denuo Limata sive potius Fabricata Cum aliis quibusdam ejusdem Commentationibus quae in sequenti paginae recensentur Editio Quinta auctior emendatior Ex Recognitione D. Johannis Wallis S. T. D. Geometriae Professoris Saviliani Octavo The ART of KNOWING ONE-SELF Or An Enquiry after the Sources OF MORALITY MORAL Philosophy or the Knowledge of Manners is the Art of regulating One's Heart by Vertue and of rendering One-self Happy by Living well This Science which the Ancients call'd by the Name of Wisdom and which One of them boasts of having brought down from Heaven hath not always been Treated of either in the same Method or with the same Success For it seems to have taken the Tincture of the different Prejudices of Men which every Time has produc'd and of the divers States thro' which their Mind hath passed Paganism in general had taken from it its Force its Motives and its Examples 'T
God contemn the Injury of the Elements and the persecution of Men suffer with so great Constancy as if they suffer'd in a Body which was not their own transported with Joy in the midst of consuming Flames and triumphing to see the Dissolution of that Compound which is so preciously and carefully preserved by other Men because they are supported and encouraged by the Idea of Eternity whereof the Divine Mercy has given them a distinct Knowledge Not but the Law of Moses includes some Relation to Eternity for this Law had at least the Shadow of good things to come also it cannot be deny'd but that the Gospel supposes the Idea's of Man's Vileness and Mortality for it includes all our Remedies and Consolations against it but thus much is true that the Law of Moses regards the present Life directly and Eternity indirectly whereas the Gospel regards Eternity as its principal Object and the present Life indirectly As for Nature that is equally discover'd under both Oeconomies The Gospel if I may so speak is hidden in in Nature Nature in the Gospel but we must here understand the immortal Nature and that will put us in a way to unravel some Difficulties which might possibly intangle and perplex us Indeed it seems contrary to Nature to love our Enemies to look upon Adversity as a Blessing and Afflictions as a subject of Joy and so far to yield up the Cudgels to Justice as to render not only as much but even more than it demands which are Maxims of the Gospel I confess all this goes against the Grain of the Corruptible Nature which measures every Thing according as it stands related to this present Life but 't is far from being opposite to the Interests of the immortal Nature which values not Time and exerts all its Actions in a prospect of Eternity Our Enemies are an Obstacle to the establishment of our Fortune in the World but nothing except the Hatred we may possibly bear them is an hindrance to our Salvation and this is the Thing which the immortal Man considers he despises those little Reasons of Hating which Concupiscence suggests to our Heart and regards those eternal Relations we have to Others in God who is our common Father as the most powerful Motives of the Love we have for our Neighbour Plenty and Prosperity charm such a Heart as hath limited the utmost of its Hopes and Pretensions to the transitory World but the immortal Man finds in that State so much more subject of Fear as there is more of Sense he dreads these imaginary Goods which buisy us and never satisfy these lively Sensations which hinder the Knowledge of his real Interests He looks upon Prosperity as the Reign of the Passions which seduce and misguide us He 's perswaded that Afflictions by depriving us of these agreeable Sensations do but only chase an infinite Troop of Impostors from the Territories of our Soul And he does not think that Worldly Goods deserve our Envy and to make us rival each other in pursuing them especially when Religion assures him that these Hatreds and Contestations which are occasion'd by the corruptible World are capable of doing him an Eternal prejudice For which Reason tho' Man has a Right of demanding what belongs to him God having for this End establish'd Tribunals in Society which would be but an union of Robbers and a succession of Murthers and Villanies without the Exercise of Justice yet the prudence of the immortal Man permits him not to exact his Rights with rigour and severity when he sees but the least probability of injuring by that means the Interests of his Soul Whence we may conclude That the Morality of the Gospel is but purely the Expression of the immortal Man's Heart but we shall have an Opportunity to speak more of this elsewhere We have seen that the Perfections of Man roll upon his Immortality which alone can render him capable of Happiness and we have just now seen that this Immortality founds the Extent of our Duties and Obligations We proceed to shew that 't is this also that makes the Strength of our Soul or the Weight that can determine us to well-doing CHAP. V. â—f the moral Strength of Man or the Motives which he finds in himself for determining him in his Actions HAd God been an Enemy to Man He would have fix'd Pain to all those Obâ—ects whereunto it pleas'd Him to fix Delight â—nd Pleasure he could have done One as easiâ—y as the Other and then Man would have â—een his own Enemy whereas now he is naturally a Lover of himself For it needs must follow by an essential Consequence that he who feels Pain hates â—t and if this Pain be constant and inseparaâ—le he hates his own Being as knowing veâ—y well that unless he existed he should not â—ndure this Pain 'T is very easy to conceive That the damn'd Spirits hate themselves for â—heir Punishment and that tho' Self-love has been in this World the Source of their Corruption Hatred of themselves becomes hereafter Instrumental to their Punishment Moreover we conceive that 't is impossible to have a Sense of Pleasure without loving it and wishing the preservation of this Self which is the Subject of it Pleasure makes 〈◊〉 love our Existence because without our Existence this pleasure cannot subsist Thence it follows that 't was in the power of God when He form'd Man either to make him love or not love Himself since it depended upon His Will to affix or not affix Pleasure to certain Objects Thus the Love of our selves is in it self a natural Inclination 't is Nature that causes us to love Pleasure and hate Pain and 't is Nature that makes us love our selves This Inclination does not wait for intellectual Reflections to give it Birth in our Soul it precedes all our Reasonings The Stoicks have justly deserv'd to be scorn'd and ridicul'd by all posterity if they really held those Opinions which are usually attributed to them They pretended that the way for a Man to be Wise was to put off Humanity this at the first dash was a very great piece of Extravagance but they fail'd no less in conceiving a kind of Infirmity and Baseness in the most natural Spring of our Heart Secondly self-Self-love is an Inclination most Divine in its Original We love our selves for this very Reason because God has loved us Had God hated us we should likewise hate our selves therefore 't is unreasonable and groundless to cry down all those Actions which Self-love excites us to as if they were so many Crimes and Infirmities according to the dangerous Morality of some who have pretended to annihilate the Excellency of all the Vertues upon this principle That they all proceeded from the Womb of Self-love and were grounded meerly in Interest a very bad Consequence since Self-love is an Inclination of a most Divine and Heavenly Extraction Lastly the Love of our selves is a necessary Inclination it must not be imagin'd
that our Soul is indifferent to tend or not tend towards that which it judges advantagious and profitable these Indifferences of Free-will are the Dreams and Fancies of those who have not sufficiently study'd Nature or are not willing to have the Knowledge of themselves But God has thought fit to mingle Knowledge and Sense together that the former might regulate and guide the latter and the latter might fix the former Had Man no other Faculty but Reason we should Err in our Thoughts and spend our selves in vain Speculations applying our selves to know every thing else but what would be of greatest Concernment to us Sense is therefore design'd to fix this Intellect and confine it principally to those Objects which concern it Were there nothing else but Sense in Man he might indeed then have such propensities and desires as this Sense should produce but would fail of Light and Direction for finding out those Things to which these Desires do naturally tend and the Love of pleasure being blind and misguided would throw him down into a thousand Precipices wherefore Reason is design'd to regulate Sense Reason is the Soul's Councellor Sense iâ— as it were the Force and Weight that determines it And these Forces are greater or lesser proportionably to the Differenceâ— of Sense In the Comparison we make of them the Soul considers not only what excites in it present but also what is capable of creating to it future Pleasure It compares Pleasure with Pain the present Good with Absent the Good it hopes for with the Dangers to be endur'd and determines it self according to the Instruction it receives in these various Enquiries its Liberty being as I may so speak no more than the Extent of its Knowledge and the Power it hath of not choosing after having made a deep Scrutiny and throughly examin'd The Case being thus 't is easy to judge that 't is either present Advantage which consists in an actual Sense of Pleasure or future which consists in whatsoever can hereafter caress us with Delight and render us Happy or preserve our Happiness by preserving us our selves that makes all the Strength of our Soul for determining it self in its Designs and Conduct This Strength is very small when included within the Circle of worldly Objects The Power we have as Men for avoiding Covetousness will consist in the Fear of injuring our Honour by the sordidness of Interest the Power we have to hinder us from being Prodigal will consist in the Fear of ruining our Affairs when we aspire at gaining a famous Reputation by our Liberalities The Fear of Diseases will make us resist the Temptations of Pleasure Self-love will render us moderate and circumspect and even thro' Pride we shall appear humble and modest But this is only to pass from one Vice to another if we would give our Soul strength enough to rise above one Infirmity without relapsing into another we must excite and stir it up by Motives not taken from the World The prospect of Time may cause it to pass from Disorder to Disorder but the bare view of Eternity includes such Motives as are proper to elevate it far above the Region of all its Infirmities None but this Object touches and sanctifies because this alone mounts us high enough for totally renouncing the World We have seen some Preachers of a sublime and lofty Eloquence work no Effect because they did not well understand how to interest and engage the Immortal Nature and on the contrary we have seen a very mean Talent touch and affect all the World by inartificial Discourses because they shot the right Mark and â—aid hold of Men by the Motives of Eternity Motives which repeated a thousand ways and sometimes very grosly and unpolitely have won the most enlighten'd and purify'd Souls because they take them by what is greatest and most weighty in them and most considerable in all external Objects The Motives of Time have but a limited but the Motives of Eternity have as it were an infinite Strength which is suspended meerly by our Corruption Hence it follows that as Self-love is the general Source of those Motives which determine our Heart so 't is self-Self-love as it looks towards Eternity that makes all the strength we have to raise ourselves above the Confines of the World There is no better way to justify this last Truth than by seeing what the sense of our Immortality is capable of working in us what Influence it has upon our Motions and Actions and of what use it is in our Heart This we proceed to examine at large CHAP. VI. Where we explain what the Sense of our Immortality is capable of working upon our Heart WE certainly see that whatsoever comforts raises and satisfies us takes its Birth from this Original 't is only in the Idea and Sense of our Immortality that we find true and solid Consolations against the Fears of Death as 't is easy to shew by considering this Object every way The Idea of Death includes Six others an Idea of Desertion or Leaving an Idea of Necessity an Idea of Solitude an Idea of Destruction an Idea of Judgment and an Idea of Misery The Idea of Desertion or Leaving imports that we leave All and all leaves us This Idea mortifies and afflicts Self-love because it represents to it the rupture and disappointment of its Applications and Desires It beholds its loss of the Time present and a Curtain is drawn upon the Future and indeed I confess Man has very good reason to be afraid till the Curtain is as it were drawn back by Repentance and he can assure himself of the Remission of his Sins without which he is uncapable of any Comfort either in Life or Death but when he hath made his Peace with his God which he may know by the State of his Heart and the Sentiment of his Conscience he certainly ought to have quite different Ideas of Death what he regrets and bemoans is of very small Moment if he compare it not only with the glorious Eternity promis'd him in the Gospel but also with his own natural Excellency He ought to make it a Matter of the greatest Wonder that a Mind which by the inviolable Inclinations of its Nature flies up to Infinity should so long buisy it self with the Trifles of this Life and one may say without adding an Hyperbole to this Mind that if it has lost any thing 't is Life and not Death that ought to bear the Blame Life has involv'd it in the Loss of many precious things its Sanctity the sense of God's Love c. and to retrieve its Damage has given it nothing but Shows and Appearances but Death will advantagiously indemnify and repair its Loss provided it depart in the Lord. Death deprives us of our Five Senses whereupon Self-love makes this Resentment That if it be a great Affliction for a Man to lose his Seeing or Hearing 't is a much greater to lose all his Senses
their â—ouls to God Yet they who govern the â—ody don't for all this govern and reign over â—ouls They are Esteem'd if they deserve it â—f they are worthy of Contempt they are â—espis'd and slighted and this too with so â—uch the greater Delight and Pleasure as Men are vex'd and grated at that which subâ—ects and makes 'em crouch under So that â—o ' Fear obliges 'em to respect and reveâ—ence the Authority establish'd for their own â—nterest and Religion makes 'em regard the â—rder of God yet still there remains in the â—ottom of their Heart a secret Disposition 〈◊〉 murmur and grumble at this lawful Eleâ—ation which makes Men so precipitate and â—ash in the Judgments they pass upon their â—rinces and that they excuse not the least â—p in their Masters thro' the secret Averâ—on they have to Dependance and Command â—astly 't is certain that Empire is not soundâ—d in any natural Prerogative which some Men may have above Others for which â—eason the Custome of fixing Temporal â—randeur to Birth has been wisely and prudently establish'd this is undoubtedly done to manage the Pride of other Men who would suffer too great Mortification did all the Preferences we are oblig'd to make of Others before them for the good of Society proceed from a Preference of Merit Desert It seems in this that God has thought fiâ— to take Measures in the Tablet of his Wisdom to hinder Man from yielding to the Temptations of Vain-Glory for he was willing the confus'd Perceptions of our Nature should affix the Glory of the World to external Objects and that it should not be in the power of our distinct Ideas to revoke and call us back from this Errour and to teach us that the chief Perfection and Excellency of this Glory arises from the Womâ— of our own Essence without knowing that 't is God who immediately produces it in us We discover in the Principle we have establish'd not only the Grandeur of the Passions but also of the Vertues 'T is not necessary in order to make this out to give you an exact Catalogue of them We need but consider 'em confusedly as they occur to our Imagination Temperance is a Venue which undoubtedly elevates and raises Man but Temperance can have no solid Basis and Supports unless from the Motives of his Immortality and the eternal Felicity to which he aspires I confess Reason of it self is capable of â—eaching us to beware how we injure our Health and become our own Enemies thro' Excesses of Debauchery but this Consideration does not lead us very far since Intemperance consists not simply in Excess of Pleaâ—ure but also in making even but a moderate Use of forbidden Pleasure The only thing â—apable of raising us to this high Situation â—t which we ought to be in order to abstain â—rom unlawful Pleasure is the Consideration of Eternity for which we are made Nor has the Justice which is commonly practic'd in the World any greater Elevaâ—ion and Excellency since it imports no more but the fear of a Return of Injustice â—nd Retaliation and we are apprehensive of â—njuring Others meerly thro' fear of endaâ—aging our selves this Exercise of Justice â—s not to be blam'd in the base and limited Views of Mortality but when a Man is Just because he is fill'd with the thoughts of Eâ—ernity he 's willing to confine himself to â—uch an Interest and Concern as deserves his Care and Application we may say that he is â—quitable without Fault or Infirmity and â—hat his Vertue is Uniform and always â—ike it self Dis-interestedness passes for a Sport of Self-â—ove which takes Advantage by an apparent Renunciation of small and inconsiderable Things to arrive with more surety to a greater Utility and Profit This holds true of the Politick and Artificial Dis-interestedness of a Worldly Man for including all his Pretences and Advantages within the narrow Limits of this Life how can we conceive that he desires not those Goods which other Men pursue or rather who does not see that he seems to turn his Back to Fortune with a Design to meet her more infallibly another way The Case is far otherwise with a Man that considers himself in reference to Eternity if he be interested 't is with an Interest so great so sublime and lofty that he may be so far from being asham'd to own it that indeed 't is this that makes all his Glory and Perfection As he is Immortal 't is Honourable for him to take his flight towards the Coasts of Eternity and prosecute all those things with Disdain and Contempt which are capable of diverting and putting him out of that Road. In this State he resembles a great Monarch who blushes when surpriz'd in base and sordid Occupations and is cautious of seeming concern'd in trivial and inconsiderable Affairs being call'd as he is to so great and important Imploys and oblig'd to roll none but vast Designs in his Mind Liberality hath ordinarily but a meer shew of Dis-interestedness A liberal Man values that which he bestows but he has a yet greater Value for the Glory of Bestowing and is also desirous of â—btaining sacred and inviolable Rights â—ver the Hearts of those whom he faâ—ours with his Benefits The usual Libeâ—ality is but a sort of Commerce and a Genâ—eel Traffick of self-Self-love which making an â—utward Appearance of obliging Others â—oes but oblige and gratify it self by winâ—ing and gaining them to its own Interest â—ll this holds true in the Sphere of tempoâ—al Goods wherein the Worldling supposes â—imself to be in this Circle of corruptible â—bjects Concupiscence gives meerly with a â—esign to receive it ne're will go so far as â—o impoverish it self by its Gifts But eleâ—ate your selves above these corruptible Obâ—ects and you 'll discover another World â—hich rendering what you saw before mean â—nd contemptible in your sight will put you â—n a Condition to give without any hope of â—estitution from Men. You are very careful to hide the interestâ—d Views of your Heart because on one side â—ou are sensible of what you are and on the â—ther you know the Vileness of those Obâ—ects about which you are conversant Do â—ut become capable of this infinite Interest â—nd you need not endeavour to conceal it â—n Heart open'd to the Embraces of Heaven â—as no need to disguise it self all it has to â—o is to know it self to act upon that Prinâ—iple and to set out it self in its native and â—al Hue. The Shame which confounds us when Men look hard upon us proceeds not from this That we know our selves too well But that we know not our selves enough Such is Bashfulness the most polite and reasonable of all the Vertues Or rather the Artificial Disguisement of our Intemperance and Pleasure which tho' suffering us even with delight to think of those Pleasures of which we do not speak without trouble and uneasiness has the Care of regulating our Desires as if Corruption consisted rather in Expressions
Being and infinite Understanding which governs and rules the Universe In General we should not make any matter of that Ignorance which proceeds from either of these Reasons That our Nature is too finite and limited and the Object too sublime or from the shortness of our Life which will not permit us to attain the Knowledge of all Things c. For Mortality is not a Crime to our Body nor is our Soul to be blam'd for not being Infinite Neither the Ignorance of the Mysteries of Nature nor of the Secrets of Providence can be look'd upon as the Corruption of the Understanding Jesus Christ was the Modâ—l and Pattern of Perfection and yet as Man He had not the Knowledge of all Things for He was ignorant of the Day of Juâ—â—ment The Ignorance of our Duties of our Sins and of the Benefits we have receiv'd is that which makes the Corruption of our Understanding this Ignorance proceeds not from want of Light and can bear no Apology or Justification nor are speculative Errours to be thought Vices of the Understanding So far are they from it that they have often remain'd in Souls which GOD had enlighten'd by His Revelation after an immediate and extraordinary manner For it does not appear that either Moses or any of the Prophets had other Ideas of the Sun Stars Earth c. than what were obvious to the Vulgar sort and indeed 't was not requisite that GOD should make those Men Philosophers by his Revelation whom He design'd for the Instruction of the most simple and illiterate Persons It s no matter tho' the Vulgars are mistaken in apprehending the Stars like Flamboys But 't is a great exorbitance and excessive Fault for those Sages who have such exact Ideas of the Magnitude of the Heavenly Bodies yet to look upon Eternity GOD and Religion as but so many Points or rather so many Shadows and remote Appearances Our Reason may be enlighten'd tho' it has the former Prejudice but if it has the latter it must needs be blind But 't is very easy to justify the Mind and to make it appear that 't is not the original Fountain of our Corruption by examining its different ways and manners of Knowing For to begin with the simple Conceptions of our Understanding no Idea in our Soul is Evil as such or as it represents an Object to us The Objects of Pleasure Glory nay and of Sin it self have nothing Criminal in themselves seeing we are permitted to know these Objects the same may be said of the Judgments and Discourses of the Soul Nor are the first Notions Criminal seeing that they are of so clear and so easy Evidence that the Mind no sooner begins to exercise and use its Reason but it presently apprehends ' em Discourse is a kind of acquir'd Knowledge which will never deceive us unless the Heart interpose and mingle it self with it For 't is an usual saying that Common Sense never deceives to denote that Man Reason's well Naturally Yet by the way 't is to be observ'd that among our different kinds of Knowledge Ideas have more Force to determine our Will than the Judgments or Discourses of the Mind this is true Generally speaking The reason of it is because our Notices as we have already remark'd have no Force of themselves but borrow it all from the Affections of the Heart And hence it comes to pass that Men are never very successful in Perswading unless they interpose as it were a mixture of Sense among their Reason or Knowledge Now none but a remote Good can be mingled with Reasons for seeing you are oblig'd to use Reasonings and Discourses in order to make it known it appears that 't is at some Distance off Whereas an Idea or simple Perception partaking of the Quality and being either pleasant or unpleasant according to the Disposition of its Object makes you of it self actually feel and perceive that which Discourse makes you only expect and wait for But yet this is not the Source of the Evil. The Irregularity proceeds from this That spiritual Ideas don't make near so great Impressions upon our Soul as Corporeal Ideas which enter'd in by the Channel of Sense whereas by right they should make a much greater since the Perception of our own Soul ought to be more vivid and lively than that of external Objects and the experience of spiritual Things should more nearly touch and affect us than the Knowledge of the Senses which concern us only in outward Objects Corporeal Ideas seem to be design'd for no other Purpose but for the good of the Body which they conduct and guide whereas Spiritual Ideas ought to direct our Soul and lead it to the Sources and Fountains of its Happiness so that as much as the Value of our Soul exceeds that of the Body so much are Spiritual Ideas Naturally more important than Corporeal and as they are more necessary so ought they Naturally to make a greater and more lively Impression As Ideas are a kind of internal Sense being pleasant or unpleasant according to the Character of the Things they represent because they partake of the Quality of their Objects 't is no mistake to say that they belong in some sort to the Affections or Sentiments of the Soul which are either Corporeal as Sensations or Spiritual as the Affections of the Heart so tho' we say the Corruption of Man arises from hence That Corporeal Ideas make too lively and strong Impressions upon the Soul yet this does not contradict our Principle that the Corruption of Reason proceeds from that of the Heart CHAP. III. Where we Enquire after the Manner how the Heart deceives the Mind THis Imposture of the Heart which deceives the Mind proceeds from voluntary Inapplications affected Distractions beloved Ignorances from Errours occasion'd by the ardent Desire we have to Cheat our selves and from this Inclination which removes and alienates our Mind from all that is Afflictive and firmly binds it to all that is pleasing and delightful The first Thing then which the Heart does is to fill us with unprofitable Objects that it may distract and divert us from those the Consideration whereof would be more important and useful to us tho' the sight of 'em seem afflictive and unpleasant We find among Others two Ideas in our Soul which we fear and dread above all the rest which are the Ideas of our Misery and our Duty The Idea of our Misery comprehends that of the Frailty of the World of our own Mortality our Sins the Justice of GOD our Vices Infirmities and of the Shame which naturally follows ' em The Idea of Duty includes a Thousand Obligations which are painful to such a voluptuous Soul as ours troublesome and disagreeable to an Heart affected with nothing but Pleasure mortifying to Pride and intolerable to self-Self-love Hence the most trivial Occupations the most insipid Diversions the most infructuous Knowledge the most unacceptable Employments become the Object of our
consider'd the first of our Faculties and seen that the original Source of our Corruption is not in the Mind we must in the next place consider the Heart which is the Soul as it loves or the Seat of the Affections CHAP. V. Where we continue to search for the Sources of our Corruption by considering the Motions and Inclinations of the Heart AS there are first Principles or Notions in our Mind which are of an infallible Truth and Certainty and the Foundation of natural Light which is so far from deceiving that it puts us in a Way to return from our Errours so in our Heart there are certain primary and radical Affections which are necessarily Lawful Sentiments without which the Nature of Man cannot subsist and which are not only exempt from all Corruption in themselves but also serve when rightly directed to reclaim us from our Vices Such is the natural Love of Esteem and of Our-selves the Care of our Preservation the Desire of Happiness These Passions are good in themselves â—eeing they naturally relate to the Good of Man There are Two sorts of 'em the One are term'd by the School-men Prosequutivae because they incline us to Good the Other Adversativae because they remove and avert us from Evil. But yet as they tend to our Advantage by the Design and Intention of Nature thro' an Effect of our Corruption they are perverted to be instruments of our Damage and Prejudice which happens when false Goods excite in our Heart reall Affections When we are but coldly bent towards that which deserves the whole Application and Study of our Souls and on the contrary we desire with all the Ardour imaginable such Goods as deserve but a moderate and indifferent Affection For then we reverse the Order of Nature change the End into the Means and the Means into the End are rash and precipitate in our Actions err in our Conduct and a meer shadow of Good makes us lose the original Source of it and running after Appearances we miss the Truth Hence proceed all our Vices and Disorders in enquiring after which we must spend some time since 't is they that make the Corruption of the Heart Now as we search for the Source of our Irregularities we must not insist upon any particular One unless it has an Influence upon all the others 'T is evident that the Root of our Natural Evil consists not in a peculiar Disposition of the Temperament seeing that those who are of quite contrary Temperaments are corrupted for all that Nor is Interest the Principle of our Evil since that has commonly something in it incompatible with Pride neither is Pride seeing that is in some sort repugnant to Interest Yet 't is certain that there is something wherein the Vices are opposite and something wherein they agree They are in some respect opposite seeing that one serves as a kind of Remedy for the other and they agree in some respect since the Soul after it has fall'n into one has a further Inclination after another which seem'd of a quite contrary Nature This Truth will appear more plainly if we as it were Anatomize and Dissect the Heart by entering upon the Consideration of all its particular Passions Robbery springs from Injustice Injustice from Interest Interest from an Excess of self-Self-love Obstinacy is nothing but a strict Adherence which Self-love make us have to our own Fancies and Opinions Pride is a meer Drunkenness and Intoxication of Self-love which represents us to our own Imagination greater and perfecter than really we are Revenge is but a desire to defend our selves against those that hate us or to reap a kind of Self-satisfaction by punishing those who have offended us In a word Take a through Survey and Consideration of all the Vices and Passions of Man and you 'll find they terminate in Self-love 'T is this that gives 'em Birth forasmuch as all the Motives of Vice have this Foundation That we seek for every thing which flatters and relates to this Me which is the first Object of our Knowledge and Affections Upon this depends either their Life or Death for when two Passions violently Combat Fear for instance and Revenge the Soul retires into its own Tent and makes use of no other Counsel but that of Self-love to know which side it ought to take and according as Self-love judges or not judges Revenge to be necessary it pronounces in Favour either of Resentment or Moderation So that as Self-love first produc'd these two Passions so likewise it foments and causes the One to live and continue to the Prejudice of the Other Now what else can we say of that Passion to which all our irregular Inclinations tend in which all the Vices terminate by whose means they both Live and Die which stops and suspends their Career but that this general Disorder is undoubtedly the original Fountain of all the others and what we call'd the primitive Root of our Evil and Corruption And which may serve to confirm us in this Opinion at the same time we perceive all the Vices flattering and caressing Self-love we find all the Vertues unanimously opposing it Humility debases and pulls it down Temperance mortifies it Liberality as it were robs it Moderation discontents it Fortitude exposes it Magnanimity Piety and Zeal sacrifice it And indeed Self-love is so essential an Ingredient of the Definitions of the Vices and Vertues that without it we can't have a â—ight Conception either of the one or the other In general Vice is a Preference of One-self before other Men and Vertue seems to be a Preference of others before One-self I say it seems to be so Because in Effect 't is certain that Vertue is only a more noble and rational Mode of Loving One-self Now here there is a seeming Contradiction in our System For on One hand Self-love appears to be the Principle of our Irregularities and Disorders on the Other 't is certain that the Love of Our-selves is a Qualification for the Discharge of our Duties Corruption draws its whole Force from Self-love and GOD on the other side derives from it all the Motives He makes use of to incline us to the Study of our Sanctification For to what purpose would he have made Promises and Threatnings were it not with a Design to interest Self-love This Difficulty presently vanishes after we suppose the same thing touching Self-love which we have already said of the Affections of the Heart in general Namely That they have something of innocent and lawful which belongs to Nature and something of vicious and irregular which is attributed to their Corruption 'T is an Advantage of the French Tongue that it can distinguish betwixt L'amour propre and L'amour de nons mêmes the former signifies Self-love as 't is vicious and corrupted the latter denotes this Love as 't is lawful and natural Now our present Enquiry being after the Sources of Man's Corruption our Design here engages us
to examine wherein the Disorder of Self-love consists This Query is no less considerable for its being singular And I dare say that few Questions in Morality and Religion are more important as I hope will appear by the following Discussion CHAP. VI. Where we Examine the Faults of Self-love SElf-love can sin but only Two ways either in Excess or Direction its Irregularity must consist either in this That we love our selves too much or that we take not a right Method in shewing this Love to our selves or in both these Faults together Self-love does not sin in Excess as appears from this That we are permitted to love our selves as much as we please so it be with good and reall Love Indeed to love One-self is to desire One's Good to fear One's Hurt and to search for One's Happiness Now I confess that many times our Desire and Fear are too great or we are too eagerly addicted to our Pleasure or that which we look upon as our Happiness But you may observe that the Excess proceeds from the Fault that refers to the Object of your Passions and not from the too great Measure of the Love of our selves which appears from hence That you both can and ought to have an unlimited Desire of the Supream Good and a boundless Fear of Extream Misery And 't would be a Vice for us to desire an infinite Good but with a finite and limited Appetite Truly were Man oblig'd to love himself but to a certain Measure the Vacuity of his Heart ought not to be infinite and were not the Vacuity of the Heart infinite it would follow that he was not made for the Possession and Enjoyment of God but only for the Fruition of finite and limited Objects Yet we are taught the contrary both by Experience and Religion Nothing is more lawful and reasonable than this insatiable Desire which even after the Possession of worldly Advantages makes us still reach after the Supream Good which no Man ever found in the Objects of this Life Brutus who made a particular Profession of Wisdom believ'd he should not be mistaken if he search'd for it in Vertue but as he loved Vertue for its own sake whereas indeed it has nothing amiable and laudable but in Relation to GOD guilty of a Genteel and Spiritual Idolatry was no less mistaken then those who sought for Happiness in Temporal things and at his Death was oblig'd to acknowledge his Errour when he Cry'd out O Vertue I own that thou art nothing but a miserable Phantom c. Wherefore this insatiable Desire of Man's Heart is not Evil in it self 'T was necessary Men should be endu'd with this Inclination to qualify and dispose 'em for seeking after GOD. Now what in a Figurative and Metaphorical Idea we term an Heart that has an infinite Capacity a Vacuity which cannot be fill'd by the Creatures signifies in the proper and literal Notion a Soul that naturally desires an Infinite Good that desires it without Limits and cannot be satisfy'd till it has obtain'd it If then it be necessary that the Vacuity of our Heart should not be fill'd with created Goods 't is necessary that our Desires should also be infinite which is as much as to say that we ought to love our selves without Measure For to love One-self is to love One's Happiness And as we may be truly said not properly to love the Creature when we love it infinitely because then we place the Creature upon the Throne of the Creatour which is an Idolatry of the Mind and most dangerous of all so also may we be said not to love God as our Supream Good when we love him but finitely and conceive but moderate Desires after him for then we debase God to the Condition of the Creatures thro' an Impiety of the Heart no less Criminal than Idolatry Whether we look upon God as our Soveraign Good or represent him as a Being infinitely Perfect t is certain that our Application and Adherence to him ought to be unlimited and to this End the Creatour â—lac'd a kind of Infinity in Man's Knowledge and Affections to capacitate him in some measure for the Enjoyment of this Infinite Good I know very well that our Nature being finite is not capable exactly speaking of forming Desires intensively infinite But tho' these Desires be not infinite in this Sense yet they are so in another for 't is certain that our Soul desires according to the whole Extent of its Powers that if the Number of Spirits necessary to the Organ could be multiply'd in Infinitum the Vehemence of its Desires would encrease proportionably and that tho' the Act it self have not an Infinity yet the Disposition of the Heart has which is naturally insatiable I own if we lov'd our selves by Reason we might conceive that self-Self-love would be in a limited Measure in the Heart for we don't find in our Mind an Infinity of Reasons for loving our selves But the Author of Nature whose Wisdom judg'd it not requisite that Men should be Philosophers in order to take care of their Preservation thought fit that we should love our selves by Sense which is so true that 't is not even conceivable how we can feel Delight and Joy without loving this Self which is the subject of it so that as there is an unlimited Variety and an Infinity of Degrees in the Joy we are capable of tasting so in like manner there is not any measure or bounds in the Desire of that Happiness in the which this Joy essentialâ—â—â—â—ters nor consequently in the Love of our selves which is the Principle of this Desire I also grant That had Man been made to be a Rival of the Deity he would not be oblig'd to love himself without Measure because then Self-love would stand in Competition and interfere with the Love of God But Man naturally loves himself with so great Vehemency meerly that he may be capable of loving God The unmeasurable Measure of Self-love and these kind of infinite Desires are the only Links that tye and unite him to God since as I have already said finite and moderate Desires are capable of binding Man's Heart to none but the Creatures and we don 't properly love God but only a Chimaera which we form to our selves instead of God when our Love of him exceeds not a Mediocrity And indeed 't is a great Errour to oppose Self-love to Divine when 't is well regulated For pray what else is it duly to love our selves but to love God and to love God but duly to love our selves The Love of God is the right sense of the Love of our selves and that gives it Life and Perfection When Self love is diverted and carried to other Objects it no longer deserves the Name of Love 't is of more dangerous Consequence than the most cruel and savage Hatred but when 't is converted towards God it falls in and mingles with Divine Love And certainly Nothing is so easy as to
demonstrate beyond all Dispute what our Enquiries have taught us in this Matter I demand for instance Whether the Blessed Above who undoubtedly love themselves neither too much nor too little seeing that they are in a State of Perfection can love God with an infinite Affection and yet not perceive the Joy arising from the Possession of him I would know in the next place Whether we can feel Joy and Delight without loving One-self proportionably to this Perception Why then should we trouble our selves with such vain and contradictory Queries As whether the Saints love God better than themselves I had as live they 'd ask me Whether they love Themselves better than Themselves For these two Expressions have in reallity the same signification and not to love God is in some measure to hate One-self To let you see that this is but meer Punning and Quibling in words we must divide the Love of God into two Sorts a Love of Interest and a Love of pure Friendship as Divines call it I understand this latter to have no Intercourse at all with Self-love according to the common Notion of it but I would know which of these two Kinds of Love you mean when you ask me Whether the Love we ought to have of God be not greater than that of our selves If you understand by the Love of God Love of pure Friendship whose only Object is Known-Perfection I answer that this Love cannot be compar'd with the Love of our selves which is of quite another Nature since as I have already said we love not our selves by Reason but Sense and Corporeal or Spiritual Pleasure naturally engages us to love our selves even before we are capable of making Reflection But if by the Love we ought to have for God you mean Love of Interest which is ty'd to him as our Supream Good you don't apprehend that you oppose the same thing to it self seeing that to love One-self and the Soveraign Good is all one and does not make two distinct species of Love but are one and the same consider'd under different Respects namely in reference to its Principles and its Objects It therefore appears That the Irregularity consists not in this that we love our selves too much seeing we are allow'd to love our selves as much as we please with Relation to the Supream Good But herein lies the Evil that we take a wrong Method in exerting this Love that is we love our selves with relation to false Objects Self love simply taken is innocent and harmless It becomes corrupted when 't is diverted towards the Creatures and Holy when converted and steer'd towards God Pursuant to the fore-going Doctrine we may distinguish Three Hearts in Man the Heart of the Man the Heart of the Sinner and the Heart of the Faithful The Heart of the Man is the Soul as it naturally loves it self the Heart of the Sinner is the Soul as it loves the World and the Heart of the Faithful is the Soul as it loves God The Natural Heart is essentially included in the other Two and the natural Love of our selves which is the Principle of all our Affections the Mobile that actuates either Grace or Corruption and receives either the Love of God or the World The Heart of Man loves The Heart of the Worldling loves Vanity The Heart of the Faithful loves the infinite and eternal Good The first is the Heart of Man the second the Heart of the mortal Man the third is the Heart of the immortal Man CHAP. VII Where we shew that self-Self-love kindles all our Affections and is the general Principle of our Motions I Said before that Self-love is the Principle of all our natural Affections For all our Desires Fears and Hopes are the devoted Servants and Off-spring of Self-love I confess the Affection we have for other Men sometimes causes us to Desire Fear and Hope But what is the Principle of this Affection but the Love of our selves Do but throughly consider and weigh all the Sources of our Friendship and you 'll find they are reduc'd to Interest Gratitude Relation Sympathy and a delicate Agreement of that Vertue with Self-love which makes us think that we love it for its own sake whereas indeed we love it meerly for the sake of our selves and it wholly terminates in Self-love 'T is from hence that Relation borrows all its Rapture and Strength for kindling our Affections We love our Children because they are our Children Were they another Man's Children they would be indifferent to us Therefore we don 't properly love them but the Relation which links us to ' em 'T is true Children don't love their Parents with the same Degree of Affection as Parents do their Children tho' these two Affections seem to be founded upon the same reason of Relation but this Difference proceeds from another Cause Children see themselves Die in the Person of their Parents and Parents on the contrary see themselves Revive in the Person of their Children Now nature inspires us with the Love of Life and Hatred of Death Also Parents behold in their Children as it were other selves but other selves subject and dependant upon 'em They think it an Happiness to have brought 'em into the World they consider 'em with Delight because they consider 'em as their own Workmanship They are exceedingly pleas'd at having sacred and inviolable Rights over ' em This is their Magistracy Royalty and Empire But the same Pride which causes the Parents to love Superiority makes the Children hate Dependance Nothing lays so heavy a weight upon us as a Benefit when 't is too great because it depresses us to too great Submission We look upon it as a delicate but very strong Chain which links our Heart and constrains our Liberty This is the Mystery of that common Maxim Blood never rises But as there is a Relation of Blood Profession Religion Country c. the Affections are infinitely diversify'd according to these various Respects But woe be to Relation if it be combated by Interest For Interest will infallibly get the better That tends to us directly Relation only by Reflection Hence Interest is always more strong and prevalent than Relation but in this as in every thing else particular Circumstances very much alter the general Proposition What we commonly experience That no Hatred is more violent than that which happens between those who were formerly very great Friends is to be imputed to almost the same reason 'T is because these Persons found either Profit or Pleasure in loving one another This interested their Self-love but when they come to change their Sentiment the Motives of Love joyn themselves with the Motives of Hatred they revolt and rise up in Arms both by reason of the Idea of the Wrong that 's done 'em and of the Pleasures of that Friendship which they renounce and they suffer not only by the Hatred which is kindled but also by the Affection which is extinguish'd which
excellently confirms our System and shews that there 's no Affection kindled in our Heart independently from self-Self-love We shall be further convinc'd of the Truth of this Opinion by considering not only that Relation is a Source of Friendship but also that our Affections vary and differ according to the Degree of Relation that we have to those Persons who are the Object of ' em The Quality of Man which we all bear makes this general Benevolence which we term Humanity Homo sum humani nihilà me alienum puto 'T is certain that if there were but only Two Men in the World they would have a tender Affection for each other but this general Relation being mingled and confounded with the infinite number of those different Relations we have one among another it happens that this natural Affection which it first produc'd is lost in the rabble and throng of the Passions which so great a Variety of other Objects produce in our Heart We don't see in our Neighbour the Quality of Man whereby he resembles us whilst we see in him a Rival an Emulator and Enemy of our Welfare and Prosperity as we are of his A proud Man who esteems nothing but himself who by the Lustre of his Qualities and Accomplishments attracts the Esteem and Attention of the World and puts us in Obscurity and Dis-repute and who by his Passions is continually buisy'd in circumventing us and encroaching upon our Properties But no sooner has Death uncloath'd his Person of these odious Relations but we find in him that general Relation which made us love him never thinking him a Man till he ceas'd to be a Mortal and then at last willing to enroll him in the Number of our Friends when Death has retrench'd him from the Society of the Living The Relation of Country usually inspires Men with a kind of Benevolence whereof they are insensible whilst they dwell in their own Nation because this Relation is weakned and too much divided by the Number of those that have a Title to it but becomes very sensible when two or three Natives of the same Country happen to meet in a strange Climate Then Self-love standing in need of some Supports and Consolations and finding 'em in the Person of those whom a parallel Interest and like Relation ought to inspire with the same Disposition never fails to make a perpetual Attention to this Relation unless it be prevented by a more powerful Motive of its own Interest Relation of Profession commonly produces more Aversion than Friendship by the jealousy it causes Men to have one of another But that of Conditions is generally accompany'd with Benevolence and Love 'T is no wonder that Grandees have no great Affection for ordinary People the reason is because looking with the Eyes of Self-love they see them at a great distance off they look not upon 'em as Neighbours they are very far from perceiving this Proximity and Nearness whose Mind and Heart are wholly concern'd about the Distance that separates and removes 'em from other Men and who make of this Object the Delights of their Vanity Yet must it be granted That Relation of Blood is usually more prevailing than any other tho' it be a common Saying That a Good Friend is better than many Parents and this be true in it self yet 't is certain that Men naturally prefer their Parents before their Friends and especially upon any great and important Occasion The Reason of it is because they consider their Parents as necessary Friends that can by no means be dis-united from 'em and their Friends as voluntary Parents whose Affection reaches no farther than their Pleasure Now tho' free and unconfin'd Friendship be of greater Obligation than necessary yet 't is not regarded as such by the Eyes of Self-love It may indeed inspire us with a greater degree of Gratitude but can't so much touch our Interest The Barbarous Constancy that appear'd in Brutus when he caus'd his Children to be Kill'd before his Eyes is not so Dis-interested as it seems to be The best of Latin Poets discloses the Motive of it in these Words Vincet amor Patriae laudumque immensa Cupido But he has not dis-entangled and laid open all the Reasons of Interest which caus'd the apparent Inhumanity of this Roman Brutus was like other Men He lov'd himself above all Things in the World His Children were guilty of a Crime that tended indeed to Rome's Destruction and Ruine but much more to Brutus's If Paternal Affection excuses Faults Self-love aggravates 'em whenever 't is directly wounded Rome undoubtedly owes the Honour of Brutus's Exploits to the Love of himself and his Countrey accepted the Sacrifice which he Offer'd to the Idol of his own Affection and rather Infirmity than true Fortitude was the Motive of his Cruelty Interest is the Sovereign Empress of Souls we seek it in the Object of all our Applications and as there be various Kinds of Interest so may we distinguish a Variety of Affections which Interest causes in Society An Interest of Pleasure causes Gallant Friendship an Interest of Ambition causes Politick Friendship an Interest of Pride causes Noble Friendship an Interest of Avarice causes Profitable Friendship Generally speaking our only Motives of Loving Men are either Pleasure or Profit but if these different Interests happen to be all united together to kindle our Affection for a Person then we are presently his very humble Servants and stick to him as close as a Burr The Vulgars who declaim against interested Friendship understand not what they say Their Mistake lies in this because generally speaking they know but one sort of Interested Friendship which is that of Avarice whereas there are as many Kinds of Interested Affections as there are Objects of Desire Moreover they find fault with Men for Loving by Interest and that this is the main Principle and Bâ—ass of their Affection and Kindness not apprehending that to love by Interest is to love One-self directly whereas to love by any other Principle is to love One-self only reflexively They don't perceive that Men find fault with interested Friendship in the Heart of another but never in their own Lastly They think it criminal and blamable for a Man to be Interestâ—d not considering that 't is Disinterestedness not Interest that ruines and destroys us If Men would offer us Goods that are great enough to satisfy the Desires of our Soul we should do well to love them with a Love of Interest and no One ought to blame us for preferring the Motives of this Interest before those of Relation and every Thing else Even Gratitude it self so highly valu'd in the World and so much commended in Morality and Religion cannot claim an Exemption from this Traffick of Self-love For in the main what difference is there betwixt Interest and Gratitude No more but this That the latter is conversant about a past Good the former about a Future Graâ—ituâ—e is nothing but a delicate
Return oâ— Sâ—lf-love when it finds it self oblig'd 'T is in some sort an Elevation and Advancement of Interest We don't love our Benefactor becâ—â—se he 's amiable Gratitude at least of it â—elâ— goes not so far as that We love him because he lov'd us But to explain more particularly this Comparison between Gratitude and Interest we 'll 〈◊〉 that the Affection produc'd by Gratitude is more Noble and that which is caus'd by Interest is more strong and prevalent The former respects the Time past which is no more whereas Interest hath the Future for its Object of which it would make its best Advantage Gratitude loves even without Hope but Interest hopes and expects Gratitude loves the Benefit for sake of the Intention but Interest loves the Intention for sake of the Benefit Lastly the Idea's of Gratitude having Reference to the Time past are commonly rang'd among antiquated abstract Ideas and such as have no very prevailing Influence upon our Soul whereas the Ideas of Interest respecting the present Time are sensible and lively and such as more particularly import and concern us 'T is also certain that for this very reason there is some kind of Opposition betwixt the one and the other because all Men are as naturally Ungrateful as they are naturally Interested Ingratitude is always proportion'd to Interest because the more the Soul attends to the Idea's of the present so much the more it loses of that Application and Attention which it ought to have for what is past And in this respect the same is to be said of Dis-interestednesâ— as of Gratitude Namely that it consists very often in an outward Appearance and seldom rises in the Heart of Man unless Interest it self give it Birth or causes him as sometimes it falls out to endeavour to make a Shâ—w of it CHAP. VIII Where we continue to shew that self-Self-love is the Principle of all our Affections THe lively and real Perception we have of a Benefit at that very Instant when 't is bestow'd upon us never fails to produce a kind of Gratitude in our Heart which Mark wears out by little and little with the Memory of the Kindness receiv'd because 't is repugnant and goes against the Grain of the Heart to think often of those Things which put us in a State of Dependance and Submission the Case is not the same in respect of those Favours we have bestow'd upâ—n others as they give us a Title to the◠〈◊〉 Friendship and Gratitude And in a 〈◊〉 pull 'em down to â— kind of Subjection 〈◊〉 we revolve and think of 'em with Pleasure and Delight Whence it comes to pass that we are much more inclinable to love thâ—se that are beholding to us than those to whom we our selves are beholding They who think to insinuate and creep into great Men's Favour by laying Obligations upon 'em are often frustrated in their Design For certainly the only way to obtain their Love is for them to oblige others and not for others to oblige them Their Pride which is encreas'd by the Complaisance that Men use to 'em upon the account of their Greatness applauds it self at the Thoughts of having done you a Benefaction It considers with delight the Obligations you owe it and by that means inclines the Heart to have a Kindness for you But 't is dangerous to do very great Services when our whole Design is to insinuate into the Favour of those whom we oblige I tremble to think of this great Service said a Courtier to a Noble Man who told him he should never forget the Obligations he ow'd him and he was in the right of it Great Obligations do oftentimes prove great Offences and at least it always happens so then when either we cannot or will not acknowledge ' em Shall I tell thee Araspe He serv'd me too well Increasing my Power he has robb'd me of all But tho' the Heart has its reasons to forget Benefits yet has it others for making as if it remember'd ' em Gratitude is a Vertue very highly esteem'd the Appearances of it are fine and attract Respect and a Heart accustom'd to traffick in outward shews of Vertue to make a Commerce of vain Glory at the cost of Sincerity by seeking not what is in it self Estimable but what is valu'd by Men's Opinions is diligent in affecting an Appearance of Gratitude when it can by this means lay hold of the Estimation of Men. Also Gratitude is very subservient to the Designs of Interest because 't is a Means of drawing new Benefits· 'T is a Pleasure say they to oblige such a Man he has a sense of the Kindness one do him Gratitude mounts us as it were above the Benefit receiv'd when 't is prompt active and desirous to shew it self this is a fine and delicate Policy of an enlighten'd Self-love for avoiding the suspicion of Ingratitude because this Vice is a Mark of a sordid Baseness and as it were a forc'd Homage which we do to a Benefactor Ingratitude tho' it think of him with great Uneasiness being oblig'd to confess whether we will or no that we are under his Dependance and owe him more than we wish we did Moreover 't is very natural to a Man to let People see by his Carriage towards a Benefactor that he deserves the Benefit Lastly we are very glad to be deliver'd from the Remorse which attends Ingratitude which Remorse is more biteing and more natural than that which is consequent upon the Violation of Justice for tho' Injustice be repugnant to Reason as well as Ingratitude yet certainly 't is more opposite to the Dictates of Self-love to be Ungrateful than Unjust and doubtless that Remorse is greatest which arises not only from Reason but also the Love of our selves when its Laws have been transgressed Sympathy which we observ'd to be the â—ourth Source of our Affections is Twofold A Bodily Sympathy and a Sympathy of the Soul The Cause of the former is to be search'd for in the Temperament that of the latter is to be sought among the secret Spring that actuate and move our Heart And indeed 't is certain that what we believe to be a Sympathy of Temperament proceeds sometimes from the hidden Principles of the Heart For what reason pray do I hate such or such a Man at first sight tho' I have no Knowledge of him 'T is because he resembles some Person that has offended me this Resemblance affects and strikes upon my Soul and excites an Idea of Hatred tho' I reflect not upon it How come I on the contrary to love an unknown Person as soon as I see him without informing my self either of his Merit or unworthiness 'T is because he has some Conformity or Likeness either to my self my Children Friends or in a word to some One that I have an Affection for and without my making any distinct Reflection awakens an Amour which laid dormant in my Heart You see then how much self-Self-love is
concern'd in these mysterious and hidden Inclinations which one of our Poets describes in this manner Some seâ—ret Knots some Sympathies we find By whose agreeing Tyes Souls are Conjoyn'd But if after having spoken of Bodily Smypathies we would make an Induction of Spiritual Sympathies we should find that to love Men by Sympathy implies no more but to 〈◊〉 their Conformity and Likeness to 〈◊〉 this is to enjoy the Pleasure of loving 〈◊〉 selves in their Person this charms the Heart that it can safely commend it self without offending against Modesty this Adâ—â—â—â—age Men obtain when they seem to have 〈◊〉 great Affection for certain Persons the Principle of which Love is because they resâ—mble ' em We don't only love those that are naturally like us but also those that have an artificial Resemblance of us and make it their Endeavour to be our Imitators Cato as Proud and Austere as he was took it not amiss that Favonius imitated him and perhaps the most stiff and uncomplaisant Man in the World is so weak and flexible as not to be quite out of Conceit with this indirect Method of flattering and caressing his Self-love Not but a Man may indeed hate those who don 't imitate him well No person cares to be ridiculous 't is more Eligible to be oâ—â—â—s Thus we never like those Copies â—hose Ridiculousness reflects upon the Original But if you 'd know why one Gallant does â—oâ— love another or why one Learned Man 〈◊〉 not always just to another 't is easy to give you an Answer The reason is Because a Motive of Conformity does not countervail a Motive of Interest and the mutual Hatred of Rivalâ— is proportionable to the Accomplishments which they discover in each other The Heart as I said before considers the Profit and not the Light and 't is not Reason but the Love of our selves that determines us in placing our Affections Even our Love â—f a Vertuous Man is not to be excepted from this Rule who notwithstanding fails not to be belov'd even by those who are not like him for Vice is forc'd to pay Homage to â—his Vertue they esteem and respect him Qui pectore magno Spemq metumque domas vitio sublimior omni Exemptus Fatis indignantemque refellis Fortunam dubio quem non in turbine Rerum Deprehendet suprema Dies sed abire paratum At plenum Vita c. Tu cujus placido posuere in pectore sedem Blandus Honos hilarisque tamen cum pondere Virtaâ— Cui nec pigra Quies nec iniqua Potentia nec spes â—mproba sed medius per honesta dulcia limes Incorrupte fidem nullosque experte Tumultus Et secrete palam qui Digeris Ordine Vitam Idem Auri facilis Contemptor optimus Idem Condere Divitias opibusque immittere Lucem Hâ—c longum florens Animi morumque juventa â—acos aequare Senes vincere praesta Stat. Lib. 3. Sylvar Let Men examine themselves by this Portraiture and I 'm sure they cannot choose but love the Original and upon what Principles can this Affection be founded which Men have naturally even for those Persons whom they are not careful to resemble I answer that there be very few who have bid a final Renunciation and Adieu to Vertue and who don 't think but that they shall be Vertuous one time or other tho' they are not so at present I add that as Vice is essentially Odious so Vertue is essentially Amiable to Self-love The reason is because Vice is a Sacrifice of other Men which we Offer upon our own Altars and Vertue is a Sacrifice of some Pleasure or â—â—attering Profit which we Oâ—fer to the Good of other Men. Moreover 't is observable that the Objects which act upon our Soul have a twofold Relation to Self-love certain particular Correspondences which vigorously move and bâ—ass it such is the Correspondence of Interest or reciprocal Friendship For as this reason of â—oving regards us and none but us 't is I that â—â—d an Advantage in loving this Man and 〈◊〉 Me he loves and not another No wonder then if this particular Agreement obliges me to have a particular Adherence and Application to him But besides this there are certâ—in general Relations which an Object may have to our Heart which happen either when any One does us a Kindness for the Good of the whole Society whereof we are Members or when we find our selves oblig'd by the general Inclination which a Man appears to have towards doing Good because 't is possible we may some time or other be the Object of it or when being accustom'd to love one certain Beneficence which is profitable to us in particular we also come to love Beneficence in general and all those Persons to whom we apply its Idea Only 't is to be observ'd that as particular Agreements and Relations produce lively and vigorous Affections general Agreements as not concerning or interesting our Soul but at a Distance and a great way off excite only a frozen and languishing Friendship which partakes much more of the purity of Esteem than the Ardour of Affection All the Vertues at least in this general manner favour and countenance Self-love Your finest Descriptions of Vertue are grounded upon the secret Agreements and Correspondences they have to us as may be seen from the Example of these fine Expressions in that Portraiture of Vertue which we just now observ'd Cui nec pigra Quies nec iniqua Potentia Nec spes improba These Lineaments of Vertue are Amiable because they flatter and caress Self-love There be others which are rather productive of our Esteem than our Love because they are more Dis-interested Qui pectore magno Spemque metumque domas vitio sublimior omni Vertue when it has not these delicate Agreements with Self-love is only Esâ—imable But we render it more Amiable when we represent it as interesting our Heart How should we choose but be in Love with Clemency 't is very ready to pardon our Offences Liberality to do us good Beggar 's it self Humility never controuls but submissively yields to our pretensions Temperance respects our Honour and not our Pleasure Justice defends our Rights and renders us our Due Fortitude protects Prudence conducts Moderation spares us Charity does good to us c. You 'll say perhaps what do these Vertues signify to me they do me no Good It may be they don't Benefit you at present but were you under other Circumstances they might do you a Kindness Thâ— suppose a Disposition of doing you Good when an Opportunity is offer'd have you not experienced that tho' you never expect the Succour or Protection of a Rich Man yet you can't avoid having a secret Consideration and Respect for him which proceeds not from your Mind for that often despises the personal Qualities of such a Man but arises from the Love of our selves which respects in him even the simple Power of doing you a Kindness But if Self-love makes you have
a Veneration and Esteem for a Person whom you are assur'd you shall never be the better for meerly by considering in him the bare Power of doing you a good Turn is it at all to be wonder'd at that this same Principle causes you to love One who by his Vertue is dispos'd to be Beneficent to you tho' you very well know that he cannot actually exert this Inclination Say we then that the Heart has its Abstractions as well as the Mind and as this knows how to define Good in general tho' â—t can draw more to the Life in our Imagination any particular Good So the Heart loves these general Conformities and Agreements of Objects to it self tho' particular ones do infinitely more affect and touch it and it cannot but think well of a Vertuous Man by reason of these delicate Relations Vertue has to self-Self-love This is beyond all doubt because your Love of the Vertues increases proportionably to their Relation and Agreement to you We have naturally a better Opinion of Clemency than Severity of Liberality than Oeconomy and Thriftyness tho' they all equally partake of the Nature of Vertue which can be for no other reason but because our Affection is not altogether Dis-interested and we love in it the secret Relations it has to our selves But the Vicious and Exorbitant are not to be exempted from the Number of those who are thus enamour'd with the Beauty of Vertue On the contrary 't is certain that â—pâ—n the very Account of their being Vicious they are oblig'd to have a greater Affection and Opinion of Vertue Humility levels and smooths the Way for Pride and therefore 't is lov'd by an haughty Spirit Liberality is diffusive and free in Giving and therefore can't displease an Interested Person Temperance does not rob you of your Pleasures and therefore must needs be agreeable to a Voluptuary who would not willingly have either Rival or Combatant Could one think that the Affection which Worldlings testify themselves to have for Vertuous Persons should spring from so â—thy a Source and shall I make bold to advance this Paradox That our own Vices are often the Causes of our loving other Men's Vertues Nay more than that I dare say That Self-love bears no small Part in the most pure Sentiments which Religion and Morality give us of God Divine Love is commonly distinguish'd into three Species A Love of Interest a Love of Gratitude and a Love of pure Friendship Love of Interest according to the Vulgar Acceptation falls in with Self-love Love of Gratitude as we before observ'd is deriv'd from the same Source with that of Interest Love of pure Friendship seems to rise independently from all Interest and Self-love yet if you look narrowly into the Matter you 'll find that it has in the Bottom the very same Principle For first 't is observable that Love of pure Friendship rises not all at once in the Heart of a Man whom we instruct in points of Religion The first â—tep to Sanctification is a Detachment and â—nhampering from the World the Second is to love God with a Love of Interest by giving up our selves wholly to Him because we consider him as the Soveraign Good the Third is to have a due Acknowledgment and Gratitude for his Benefits the Last is â—o love his intrinsick Perfections 'T is certain that the first of these Sentiments disposes and makes way for the Second the Second for the Third and the Third for Fourth We can't throughly consider what a great Unhappiness and Misery it is to abandon and forsake God without desiring his Communion by Motives taken from our Interest We can't love God as the Principle of our Joy and Felicity without a grateful Acknowledgment of Benefits receiv'd at his Hands 'T is natural and even necessary that he who loves God as the Supream Good and as his great and eternal Benefactour should attend with Complacency and Delight to the Consideration of his adorable Perfections that this Meditation should excite in him Joy and Satisfaction and so bring him to love God in the View of his Excellencies and Vertues Now all the previous Dispositions to this last Affection which is the Noblest of all being taken from Self-love it follows that neither the pure Friendship which is conversant about God does â—se independently from it Also Experience teaches us that among the Vertues of God we particularly love those which have the nearest Agreement and Affinity to us We love his Clemency more than his Justice his Goodness than his Jealousy his Beneficence than his â—mensity c. Of which there can â—o other reason be given but that even this pure Friendship which seems to have for â—ts proper Object the Divine Perfections derives its principal Force from the Relation of these Perfections to Our Selâ—es Were there any entirely pure Friendship towards God in our Heart wholly â—empt from the Commerce of self-Self-love it would necessarily spring from Known Perfection and Excellency and not from our own Affections As Self-love would not produce so neither could it destroy this Friendship Yet the Devils know the Perfections of God without loving Him and Men before their Conversion know the Vertues of God tho' it can't be said that they have for him in that reprobate State the Affection which we term pure Friendship and consequently there must be some other Motives of this Love besides Known Perfection if Light be not sufficient to kindle it it must rise from the Flame of some Affection of our Heart since Affections and Knowledge are the whole Contents of our Soul Perhaps you 'll say that in order to capacitate a Soul for conceiving this Love of pure Friendship 't is not requisite that Self-love should directly produce it but only that it may not oppose and hinder it But I say if Pure Friendship arises from Known Perfection and nothing else be required to produce it the Opposition of Self-love is insignificant and as the Love of our selves can't derobe God of these Perfections nor hinder our Soul from knowing 'em so neither can it obstruct the Birth of this pure Affection Whilst we consider God as a Judge as a terrible Executioner of Vengeance and as standing ready with a Thunderbolt in his Hand we may indeed admire his infinite and adorable Excellencies but can't conceive an Affection for Him And 't is very certain that could we but any ways Evade even this Admiration of God we should be very cautious in applauding him with it for in this State we regard him as our Enemy render to him no more but what we needs must And whence can this Necessity of admiring God proceed unless it spontaneously arise from Known Perfection If then we conceive pure Friendship to have precisely the same Source with Admiration that is to say if we conceive it to have no other Origine but Known Perfection we may safely conclude that pure Friendship will arise in our Soul beyond all Possibility of any
â—mpediment from Self-love as well as Admiration T will be to no purpose to make a wild and indefinite Answer that 't is the Corruption of our Heart which renders us uncapable of loving God purely for his own sake and his intrinsick Perfections whilst we suppose him not to love us This is to run into a Labyrinth of Generalities for avoiding the distinct Ideas of Things For our Corruption does not hinder the Admiration of our Soul it being certain that the Devils who far exceed us in Wickedness admire God tho' they are at the same time conscious of his being the Object of their Hatred and Aversion so neither can this Corruption hinder pure Friendship if that as well as Admiration derives its Birth from Known Perfection Nothing will better confirm this Truth than by seeing what 's the Use of Faith in Religion So long as Men live in a State of Ignorance which makes 'em imagine that God looks upon 'em with Indifferency and Disregard they in like manner seem to have but indifferent Sentiments of the Deity such were the Pagan Philosophers Whilst Men think they are the Object of God's Hatred they detest and abhor the Divinity The Romans who had already kindled the Fire of their Sacrifices to give Thanks to the Gods at the false Report of the Recovery of Germanicus run into their Temples with Fury and Rage when they hear the too true News of his Death they drag their Images in the Dirt throw 'em into Tiber and signalize their Grief by a Specimen of Impiety All Men seem to have the same inward Disposition which the Romans outwardly shew'd and the Violence which they â—s'd to the Images is an Expression of what Man would be willing to execute upon God when he thinks him his Antagonist and Enemy No sooner does the Gospel resound in the World for the Consolation of Men but as the Testimoines of the Divine Love to Mankind are every where manifested so likewise Men's ardent Love of God becomes universally Conspicuous Faith which assures us of this immense Charity of God is there look'd upon as the Key of our Heart and the first Degree of our Sanctification to this the Scripture attributes our Salvation When Faith has throughly perswaded us that we are the Objects of God's Love we are sufficiently dispos'd to affect and love Him But as our Affections essentially spring from Self-love our Hatred and Aversions proceed from the same Original We hate Men by Interest when they are our Competitors in the Pursuit of Temporal Goods We hate one that is Intemperate because he 'd rob us of our Pleasures we can't endure an Ambitious Man because he takes the upper-hand of us in Preferment and Honour nor can we love a Proud Man because 〈◊〉 contemns and tramples us under Feet nor a Miser because he hoards up the Riches that might possibly come to us nor an Unjust Man because he oppresses us We don't only hate those who actually prejudice and injure us but even those that have an Inclination to hurt us tho' they want fit Occasions or some Impediment hinder 'em from exerting their Malice Our Hatred reacheth as far as a Man's Power of doing us an Injury For which reason Power and Authority are many times the Incentives of Aversation and Ill-will and as there are few Persons in the World but meet with some who either actually do 'em a Mischief or would at least if it laid in their Power or were it for their Interest it must be own'd that secret Motives of Hatred do perpetually enter in our Heart and that nothing is more dangerous than the Temptations to which we are expos'd on this Account Indeed we are oftentimes Enemies to one another when we are ignorant of it We many times both love and hate the same Person because Self-love considers him under different Respects And it happens that we really hate those whom we think to be the Objects of our best Affection and sometimes those whom we have all the reason imaginable to love and esteem which appears from this That in all their Disgraces and Misfortunes there 's something that does not wholly displease us This unjust and unnatural Sentiment which the Vail of Pride hides from our Eyes proceeds from these two Principles Namely That we Our selves are not the Objects of this Disgrace which is a Reflection that Self-love instantly makes and that we see a Man degraded and pull'd down who in regard of his being a Man can't fail to rival us upon some Account or other a Sentiment which is chang'd into Compassion when either Death or some irrecoverable Adversity finally exempts him from the Number of those who pretend and aim at the Goods which are the Objects of our own Desire But Hatred is a turbulent Passion which puts the whole Body into a violent Commotion and all whose Effects are so sensible and obvious that 't is the most faithful Mirrour for discerning the Degree of Vehemence which attends all our other Affections If you would know how much you love Vain-Glâ—ry it may be your Heart gives you a false Intimation do but only consider the Violence of the Hatred which you conceive at One that has offended you in point of Honour this is the just Degree and Measure of it this Mirrour is your safest Guide for discovering and fathoming the Bottome of your Heart We hate by Interest Persons Things and Words If seeing an Abyss under our Feet we are put into Horrour and Consternation 't is the Image of our Destruction appearing before us that causes this trembling Motion and Reason is not so strong and prevalent as to correct and allay that Fear which a too lively Idea of our own Destruction exhibits to our Conceit Many People can't forbear swooning when they see the shedding of Man's Blood this proceeds not so much from a weakness of Temperament as an infirmity of the Heart Whatsoever represents to 'em the Ruines of Humane Nature threatens their self-Self-love and that which imbues the Fancy with Blood draws a livelâ— Picture of Death in the Soul and conducts it to that inward Recess by meer â—nt of Conceit where Reflection shuts the Doors against it CHAP. IX Where we consider the most general Inclinations of Self-love and in the first place the Desire of Happiness THe first Inclination of Self-love is a Desire to be Happy and I believe that in the Main these two Expressions do but signify the same Thing under different Ideas For what else is it to love One-self but to desire Happiness and to desire Happiness but to love One-self Truly he must be a very nice Subtiliser and Mincer of Things that can find any Difference As therefore the Desire of Happiness can't be too Great and it has always been reckon'd a Crime tâ— pursue a false and not ardently to affect a real Felicity it follows that we are not to be blam'd for loving our selves to Excess but for taking a wrong Method
ought not to look only upon that Voluptuousness which afflicts the Body as contrary to Man the same Judgment is also to be pass'd upon that which weakens or dis-composes the Mind Moreover Pleasure is to be thought Criminal either when it tends to destroy Society or disturb the mutual Order of it Such are the Pleasures which are founded upon Insincerity and Infidelity which establish in Society a Confusion of Family and Children and which are attended with Suspicions Distrusts and many times with Murthers and Attempts upon the most sacred and inviolable Laws of Nature Lastly That Pleasure is to be esteem'd Criminal which God hath forbidden either by his natural Law which he has given to all Men or by a positive Law as also such Pleasure as weakens suspends or destroys our Commerce with him by too much confining and fixing us to the Creatures Upon this Principle 't is easy to see what Judgment ought to be made of all the different kinds of Voluptuousness and to examine all their Characters In general as 't is a natural and fundamental Truth that the Corruption of the best Things is always worst so 't is certain that by how much more important and necessary any Pleasure is to Man in the natural and regular use of it so much more dangerous and criminal is the Abuse of it The Pleasure of Seeing Smelling and Hearing is perhaps the least Blameable of all because we don't destroy our Being injure any Man or offend God generally speaking either in beholding agreeable Objects in smelling delicious Odours or hearing melodious Harmonies I say generally speaking because there are infinite Circumstances which may render these Pleasures Criminal tho' they seem never so innocent in themselves A Man is to be blam'd for having such an eager Desire after publick Spectacles Smells or Musick as to neglect his own Affairs omit to fulfil the Duties of Society or lastly for being taken off by the continual Use of Pleasures from the spiritual Commerce which he ought to have with God not to mention those many dangerous Pleasures which are involv'd in the first We think many times to pursue the Pleasure of Sight in our fine Walks and magnificent Houses Yet all this while our Bent is after the Pleasure of Pride and Ambition saying almost the same thing to our selves as the Assyrian King did in his arrogant Heart Is not this Babylon the great City which I have built by the Power of my Might 'T is easy to conceive that Gluttony is a more criminal Pleasure than those we have been speaking of it destroys the Health of the Body debases the Mind calling it down from those sublime and lofty Contemplations to which it naturally tends to the sordidness of Sensuality which makes it a Slave to Banquets and Tables as if they were the Sources of its Happiness Atque affigit humi Divinae particulam Aurae But the Pleasure of Excess in Eating generally consider'd is not near so Criminal as Drunkenness which not only impairs the Body and debases the Mind but dis-composes our Reason and suspends us for some time from the glorious Character of Rational Creatures A Man by this dangerous Pleasure mortgages his Reason and becomes responsible for all the Misdemeanours which this Deprivation may occasion him to commit so that as there is no Vice in Nature but may possibly ensue upon this loss of our Understanding Drunkenness may be said to involve and comprehend all other Vices The Pleasure of Love produces not quite so sensible Irregularities but yet 't is of no less dangerous Consequence Love is a kind of Drunkenness and infatuation of the Mind and Heart of One who gives up himself to the swinge of this Passion this is the Intoxication of the Soul as the other of the Body The former is guilty of an open Extravagance expos'd to the sight of all the World the latter Dotes in reality tho' he seem to have the Use of his Reason Also the former renounces only the Use of Reason whereas the other renounces at once both his Mind and Heart Notwithstanding I must own that thus far the Disorder of Drunkenness is much more sensible and perhaps really more enormous But when we come to consider the Opposition of these two Passions to the Good of Society and our Conversation with God we find irregular Love to be in some sort more Criminal than Drunkenness because this occasions in us but a transient Disorder whereas the other is attended with a continu'd and lasting Exorbitance Moreover Love is oftner the occasion of Man-slaughter than Wine Drunkenness is sincere and open-hearted but the whole Intrigue of Love is made up of Artifice and Infidelity Lastly Drukenness is a short Fury which withdraws us from God to serve our Passion but irregular Love is a perpetual Idolatry Self-love is not wholly confin'd to the pursuit of corporeal Delights but it has a Hundred ways of mingling 'em together to highten the Gust and encrease their Relish Most Arts are the Servants of Pleasure they are exercis'd in mixing Colours to delight the Eyes Odours and Essences to please the Smell Instruments Tunes and harmonious Sounds to flatter the Ear. We make voluptuous Miscellanies of Colours Sounds and Odours these we make use of to raise and set off the Pleasure of Feasting and this with all those other agreeable Objects we make instrumental to yet more vicious Delights And this sensual Pleasure is so considerable in the Eyes of Men that when they have a Mind to raise themselves Credit and Esteem they think there 's no fitter way for it than to flatter the Senses of their Associates and Visitants They love to have rich and gaudy Ornaments to please the Sight fragrant Essences to flatter the Smell a fine Voice and skill in Musick to charm the Ear. All these are the Ingredients of Men's Esteem we confound Pleasures with Perfections and think nothing Excellent but what diverts us Tho' this Pleasure seem so much the more Criminal by how much greater space it takes up in our Soul and so much more dangerous as 't is common to all Mankind yet indeed I am not of their Mind who by Subtleties and nice Speculations would dispute the natural and lawful Use of the Creature and fancy that either all Pleasures are equally sinful or that none of 'em can be tasted without a Crime unless we have at the same moment an explicit Intention of referring 'em to the Glory of God This Opinion is extravagant there being infinite Occasions of taking honest and innocent Divertisements tho' we find no positive Relation they have to the Glory of God It therefore suffices â—hat we use 'em with Gratitude and Thankfulness to the Creatour and not desire to spiritualize and consecrate those things which are not capable of such a Refinement CHAP. XIII Where we continue our Consideration of the divers Characters of Pleasure THe Generality of Men acknowledge but one kind of Voluptuousness which is
there 's also an Interest of Hatred which creates in us the like Disposition We look upon other Men as our Enemies because we regard 'em as Competitors in the pursuit of temporal Enjoyments You 'll always be pleas'd at seeing 'em Degraded whilst you think 'em in a Condition to rival you in any thing But no sooner does this Opposition cease but there 's also an End of that Pleasure you conceiv'd in their Debasement hence it happens that Slander has for its Object not the Dead but the Living After this 't is easy to judge that the Pleasure of Conversation is not so innocent as Men commonly fancy Indifferent things are tedious to us those which concern and nearly relate to us excite a Pleasure either of Pride Hatred Impiety Ambition or some other Passion no less Criminal As there is a Pleasure of Conversation there is also a Pleasure of Thoughts which proceeds from the same Source with the former It arises from this that our Heart being prepossess'd with certain Passions can't enjoy it self but when it thinks upon certain Objects and therefore suspends all our other Thoughts and Reflections Such is the Pleasure of a Lover who forgets every thing else to think of the Object of his Love he perceives a sort of Delight in his Amorous Contemplations which is destroy'd by Passion because the Pleasure of Thought yields to that of Sense Men commonly imagine that the usual Distractions and Wanderings of those that pray to God or exercise any other Duties of Religion are the least of Faults but if they enquire into the Cause of 'em they 'll change their Opinion For indeed these proceed meerly from the too great Pleasure which the Ideas of temporal Things excite in our Minds and that as I may so speak we desire to retain those worldly Objects by the Pleasure of Thinking which escape our reach thro' the Suspension of our sensual Delights We every where seek for Pleasure just as Bees for those Flowers which afford 'em Nourishment and as they many Times find what they search for in foul and moorish places so it frequently happens that we perceive a kind of Pleasure in Affairs Dangers Labours and sometimes even in Affliction if it be not very great There 's a Pleasure which might justly be term'd the Pleasure of Complaints and Tears We take delight in lamenting the Death of illustrious Persons the Glory of those who are bewail'd signalizing in some sort even those who bewaiâ—â— ' em We take a Pleasure to prolong and eternize our Sorrow We think to give a Specimen of the Constancy of our Soul by an inconsolable Affliction Lastly we are very glad to make an appearance of the Greatness of our Loss thinking to engage the Compassion of others to reflect upon our own Worth In the last place we perceive a sort of Pleasure even in Idleness which oftentimes causes us to renounce all the rest It proceeds from a certain Effeminacy and Softness which makes us hate even the least Pain and Incommodity For our whole Business being the search of Pleasure we accustom our selves to think love desire speak and act with Pleasure to seek for such Company as delights us and to avoid all manner of disagreeable Occupations Hence the least Inconveniency puts us in Despair it being contrary to this prevailing Habit and suspending the Perception of so many different Pleasures the Thoughts whereof are always present to our Mind Wherefore we must not think to find Stedfastness and Constancy in Voluptuous Souls Pride indeed may cause 'em to affect a sort of Hardiness to support Disgraces and Calamities but certainly they never put on a real Fortitude till they are freed from the charming Idea's of Pleasure Bodily Pleasure is more sensible than Spiritual yet this appears more Criminal than that For the Pleasure of Pride is Sacrilegious which appropriates to it self the Honour belonging to God the Pleasure of Hatred is Barbarous and Blood-thirsty which is delighted in nothing but Desolation and Tears and the Pleasure of Incredulity and Superstition is as we before shew'd full of Impiety and Wickedness which is nourished and upheld by any thing that seems to debaâ—e or annihilate the Deity This shews us in the first place that Pleasure is as universal as our Corruption it being certain that they who are abandon'd to one sort of Pleasure seldom fail to enslave themselves to another It signifies but little for Instance to make great Scruples about the Use of sensual Pleasures when we are given up to that of the Mind which is far more criminal and dangerous Secondly we may reasonably conclude that 't is impossible to cure One-self of this Vice by Motives purely Temporal For when you allege to a Voluptuous Man the Considerations of Honour and Decorum of his Interest and Establishment in the World you may perhaps so far work upon him as to oblige him to prefer the Pleasures of Pride and Ambition before sensual Pleasure but this will but transport him from one Vice to another If you 'd find such Motives as are capable of withdrawing him from all kinds of Pleasure you must put the case to him of forsaking all worldly Delights if need be and to this End set him upon making this Reflection That himself shall last to Eternity and those Pleasures but for a Moment Indeed upon the Principles of a mortal and perishing Man the Cause of Pleasure seems just and reasonable for 't is natural to One that is not to be very long in a Condition of enjoying the sweetness of Pleasure to seek and pursue it so long as he has an Opportunity This Piece of Morality is prettily express'd by Horace Vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat inchoare longam Were all Man's Hopes and Pretensions confin'd to the short Duration of this Life there would be Truth and Reason in these Maxims But being destin'd to live after Death the Light of Nature teaches us that he ought in like manner to aspire at those eternal Delights whereof Religion so happily informs him To this I add that the Immortal Man or as I have already describ'd him he who believes he is Eternal and acts according to this Principle easily renounces the Allurements of Pleasure thro' his desire of an endless and unlimited Happiness 'T is impossible he should become a slave to sensual Delight which he knows the Author of Nature imploy'd purely as a Motive to engage us in the Preservation or Propagation of the Body He 's as far from placing his Supream Felicity in the Pleasure of being applauded and extoll'd by a Society of Mortals as any Man in his right Senses would be from placing his Glory in the Praise and Commendation of one that 's to see him but for a Moment He is not affected with the Pleasure of Revenge he 'll hardly look upon those Persons as Enemies who do him but a temporal Prejudice He patiently supports the short Dâ—pendances of this Life and
for the same reason tasts not any criminal Pleasure in being a Superiour regarding his Condition as a provisional and transitory State which scarcely deserves his Care and Attention In a word the Immortal Man has no Passions but what are very moderate about 〈◊〉 Objects of this Life and as his pleasure in the World is proportion'd to the Degree of his application to these Objects 't is easy to conceive that he finds himself situated above the Sphere of Voluptuousness in which certainly he cannot be said to lose any thing being advantagiously indemnify'd by the Commerce of Love Gratitude Zeal Joy and Consolation which he holds with God who by the Sentiment of his holy and unspeakable Delights raises him above the melancholly Scene of our sad and intoxicated Pleasure Wherefore Man does not escape the fond Embraces of Pleasure as 't is usually fancy'd either by Pride Interest Revenge or Ambition he that shuts himself up in the narrow limits of this Life will be Voluptuous do what he can Let the Pagan Philosophers tell us as many fine Precepts of Vertue and prescribe as many Remedies as they please against Intemperance we 'll indeed admire their Maxims because of the secret Relation they have to our natural Dignity of which we have a confus'd and imperfect Knowlege But shall never find our selves any farther dispos'd to practice 'em than as we are convinc'd of our Eternity CHAP. XIV Wherein we Treat of the general Disorders of self-Self-love and particularly of Pride PLeasure and Glory are the two general Goods which give a season and relish to all the rest They are as it were the Spirit and Salt of all the others differing in this as we before observ'd That Pleasure becomes amiable and desirable purely for its own sake whereas Glory is perceiv'd meerly upon the account of that Pleasure which attends it But tho' Glory be perceiv'd only by means of that Pleasure wherewith 't is accompany'd yet may it still be said in some sense to be desirable for its own sake at least it must be certainly acknowledg'd that 't is no easy matter to find out the primitive and ancient Reason upon which our Love of Esteem is founded This is no satisfactory Solution to say that we desire Esteem because of its appendant Pleasure For this Pleasure being a Pleasure of Reflection the Difficulty is not so easily ended since it still remains to know why this Esteem which is something forreign and remote in respect of us should cause our Satisfaction Nor is it more to the purpose to alledge the Utility and Profit of Glory for tho' the Esteem and Repute we acquire may serve to make us succeed in our Designs and procure us divers Advantages in Society yet there are Circumstances under which this Supposition will not hold good What prospect of Advantage could Mutius Leonidas Codrus Curtius and all those other Heroes propose to themselves who laid down their Lives in the Field and pursuit of Honour What Advantage could they see in sacrificing their Goods and Themselves upon the Altar of Pride Thro' what Principle of Interest do those Indian Women who burn themselves in the Funeral Pile of their deceas'd Husbands seek even in despight of Laws and Remonstrances for an Esteem which they Survive A certain Person hath said upon this subject That Self-love delights to foster and cherish an Idea of our Perfections which is as it were its domestick Idol being unable to endure any thing that opposes this Idea as Contempt and Injuries and on the other hand passionately searching after all that flatters and magnifies it as Esteem and Commendations According to this Principle the Advantage of Glory would consist in this That the Esteem which others have for us confirms the good Opinion we have of our selves But that this is not the principal Source of the Love of Esteem and Honour appears from hence That Men for the generality make more account of the apparent Merit which they obtain by the Esteem of others than of the real Merit which attracts the Esteem of themselves or if you will that they had rather have those Faults which Men esteem and value than such good Qualities as are not priz'd in the Eyes of the World and that moreover there are multitudes of Persons that seek to make themselves considerable and valu'd by such Accomplishments and Qualities as they very well know they are not endu'd with which destroys the Opinion that they have recourse to an outward and forreign Esteem to confirm the good Sentiments they have of themselves 'T is equally groundless to imagine that we desire Esteem meerly for this reason That we may be distinguish'd and rais'd above the common Rank for this is to explain the Cause by the Effect We don't seek for Esteem that we may distinguish our selves but we distinguish our selves because we would be esteem'd by departing from the Multitude and leaving the Dungeon of our former Obscurity Lastly The Love of Esteem in its general Idea can't be said to proceed from this Idolatry of Self-love which aims at being Eternal and Immense like GOD exhibiting to us an imaginary Eternity in the memories of Men to save us from the Shipwrack of Time and maugre its consuming Malignity to perpetuate our Name and trying to enlarge our Dimensions and extend 'em to the utmost limits of the World by buisying the Minds of Men with the Consideration of our Actions and Grandeur If that were the only Source of the Love of Esteem and Honour 't would follow that we cou'd not innocently desire the Esteem of other Men nor consequently be blamable for dreading Infamy and Disgrace which is contrary to Reason Tho' we search ne're so long for the Springs of this Inclination I 'm perswaded that the reason of it will no where else be discover'd but in the Wisdom of the Creatour For as God imploys the Use of Pleasure in order to preserve and propagate our Body to unite us together and make us sensible of the Good and Preservation of Society wherein we are plac'd so there 's no doubt but his Wisdom makes use of the Love of Esteem to defend us from the Debasements of Pleasure and put us upon exerting honest and laudable Actions which so well agree with the Dignity of our Nature and at the same time to unite us more conveniently one with another This Pre-caution would not have been necessary had Humane Reason acted only by it self and independently from Sense For then this Reason would be able not only to shew us what is Honest but also to prefer it before what is Pleasant But because this Reason is Partial and many times judges in favour of Pleasure tying Honour and Decorum to that which delights us the Wisdom of the Creatour thought fit to give us for the Arbitrator of our Actions not only our own Reason which suffers it self to be corrupted and brib'd by the softness of Pleasure but also the Reason of other Men
which is not so easily seduc'd Wherefore because the Author of Nature was so pleas'd that other Men's Reason should be in some sort our Law and Judge as to moral Honesty and the Decorums of reasonable Nature Upon this very account he form'd us with a natural Desire of raising an Esteem of our selves in the Minds of others a Desire which assuredly precedes the Reflections of our Mind For tho' the Utility Pleasure and Desire of finding Confirmations of the Opinion we have of our selves c. may be capable of satisfying the Love of Esteem yet we have shewn that they are not the Cause of it And here we might distinguish Three Worlds which the Wisdom of the Creatour has founded upon Three natural Inclinations The Animal the Rational and the Religious World The first is a Society of Persons united by Sense the second of Persons united by Esteem the third of Persons united by natural Religion The first has for its Principle the Love of Pleasure the second the Love of Esteem the third Conscience All these three Principles are Natural and the Grounds of 'em is not elsewhere to be search'd for than in the Wisdom of the Creatour The first of these Worlds relates to the second the second to the third and the third to the last Wherefore these things are thus subordinated to each other Esteem regulates the Love of Pleasure and Religion ought to regulate the Love of Esteem and this Subordination is no less natural than these Inclinations The Love of Pleasure may truly be attributed to Nature But the Irregularities of Voluptuousness are to be reckon'd to another Account The Love of Esteem may be said to be Natural but yet we are not to suppose that the Extravagancies and Enormities of Pride arise from the Womb of Nature To this we may ascribe the Fear of God and the Love of Vertue But we ought not to give it an Appennage of all those Superstitions which Men have been pleas'd to ingraft upon the Principles of Nature and consequently 't is necessary that the Love of Pleasure of Esteem and Conscience should have their natural Law Rules and Limits But 't will not be amiss to insist upon the Love of Esteem CHAP. XV. Where we examine all those Irregularities which are the Ingredients of Pride IT seems that hitherto we have not had a very perfect Knowledge of Pride and doubtless the reason was because we have not throughly distinguish'd its several Parts nor with sufficient Attention examin'd all its Characters Pride in general may be reduc'd to Five principal Branches Namely to the Love of Esteem to Presumption Vanity Ambition and Haughtiness For tho' Men are wont to confound these Terms and use 'em indifferently to signify the same Thing 't is certain that these Expressions have somewhat different Significations The Love of Esteem is Natural and Lawful in it self as we before observ'd but 't is Vicious and Disorderly when it rises to Excess This is the most general Irregularity of Pride for when our Desire of Esteem is excessive 't is natural to romage in our selves for some estimable Qualities and finding we have none our Imagination presents us with some in Complaisance to the Inclinations of the Heart from whence arises Presumption Moreover this immoderate Love of Esteem makes us value our selves upon any Endowment whether good or bad and for want of real Sources of Glory to aim at an Esteem upon the account of those things which are in no wise Estimable unless in our own Fancy this is properly our Vanity For this Expression originally signifies the Emptiness of those Objects wherein we erroneously seek for Esteem and which are naughty Sources of Vain-glory. From this excessive Love of Esteem arises the Desire we have to raise our selves above other Men having a Perswasion that we can't attract a publick Esteem and Consideration whilst we are confounded with the Vulgar Rabble and this produces Ambition Lastly The Desire we have to make a great Show by distinguishing our selves from the common Rank makes us despise other Men seeking all possible means to degrade and pull 'em down that we may stand upon their Heads All the Irregularities of Pride being reduc'd to the excessive Love of Esteem as their first and original Principle we can't use too much Diligence in considering this latter The two general Faults of this Inclination are Excess and Irregularity the First consists in this That we love Esteem too much the Second That we love false Esteem as well as true In order to understand what is the Excess of thâ— Love of Esteem we must consider the Design of God in placing this Inclination in our Heart He gave it to us for the Preservation of the Body the Good of Society and the Exercise of Vertue I say for the Preservation of the Body seeing that the Love of Esteem defends us from those Extravagances of corporeal Pleasure which would presently tend to our Destruction and Death For who doubts that the Desire of raising an Esteem of our selves is a powerful Motive to stave us off from that excess of Debauchery and Sensuality to which we are drag'd by the Love of Pleasure and which is of so fatal Consequence even to our Body He plac'd in us this Inclination for the Good of Sciety for 't is this Desire to obtain an Esteem in the World that renders us Affable and Complaisant Obliging and Civil that makes us love Decency and Sweetness of Conversation And yet all this while who does not know that the finest Arts the most lofty Sciences the wisest Governments the most just Establishments in general most that is Admirable in reasonable Society proceeds from this natural Desire of Glory Let us not fancy that our own Corruption and Concupiscence brought this excellent Benefit to Mankind doubtless the wise Instructions of the Author of Nature had the chiefest Hand in this Matter Lastly 't is certain that the Design of God was to steer and incline us to honest and laudable Actions by giving us for the Judge of our Conduct not only our own Reason which is oftentimes brib'd by the Enticements of Pleasure but also the Reason of other Men who are not so partial in our Favour as we our selves Indeed God may be consider'd either as the Author of Society or Religion As the Author of Society he thought fit Men should enter into mutual Commerce during some Time and with this Intent he endow'd 'em with such Inclinations as were necessary to the Good and Preservation of Society Among these are to be reckon'd the Love of Pleasure and the Desire of Esteem This latter is the Spring of Humane Vertues which ought not to be so much cry'd down as usually they are for if they are not inservient to eternal Salvation yet are they design'd for the Good of temporal Society they proceed from the Intention of the Author of Nature they are a part of his Model and Platform Love of Esteem being
is a politick Contrivance of Pride to aspire after Glory by seeming to shun it When a Man openly professes his Desire of Esteem he meets with a great many Emulators and Rivals who observing his Designs are so much the more eager to stand in his Light with their own Esteem and more vigorously endeavour to deprive him of the Esteem of other Men with how much greater Ardour he reaches after it But when a Man seems to despise this Esteem of the World which is so much courted and sought after then as he voluntarily separates himself from the Number of those who directly aim at it he 's very well thought of Men like his Disinterestedness and would even force him to accept of that which he seems to refuse Gloria says St. Augustine sequitur fugientem Moreover Merit and Fortune have always been at Daggers-draw for the Upper-hand in the way to Glory Grandees are invested by the Priviledge of Fortune with the most illustrious Honours which usually attract the Affections of the Multitude The Philosophers maintaining the Rights and Properties of Vertue and Wisdom opposition to Fortune have rais'd as it were a Party of Confederates against Grandeur and Renown being uncapable of obtaining it they betake themselves to contemn and despise it ' They made a Show of renouncing that ambitious Desire which makes Men cringe and run after the Dispensers of the Goods of Fortune lest an eager Officiousness might be a tacit Confession of their Inferiority and because the Multitude condemn'd 'em by their interested Conduct they pretended to despise vulgar Esteem and popular Applause but let 'em once change their Condition they 'll presently be of another Mind But the Irregularity consists principally in this That our Thoughts are so much taken up with gaining an Esteem amongst Men that we don't take time to think of approving our selves to God Not but the Approbation of God seems to us in the Bottom more precious and valuable than Men's Esteem But it falls out thus because to obtain the Esteem of Men 't is not requisite that our Heart should be chang'd it suffices that we disguise our selves to the Eyes of the World whereas we can't approve our selves to God unless we change the very Foundation of our Heart Now 't is no hard matter for self-Self-love to put on a counterfeit Visage but 't is a point of Difficulty to be willing in good Earnest to become new Men. CHAP. XVI Where we consider the Second Irregularity of Pride OUr excessive Desire of Esteem inspires us with an ardent Desire to have estimable Qualities and an extream Dread of being stain'd with those Faults which do uâ— a Disparagement in the Minds of Men or oâ— betraying our selves by not raising a very advantagious Opinion of our Persons Now as we are perswaded of what we desire and of what we vehemently dread it happens that we either conceive too good on Opinion or fall into an excessive Distrust of ouâ— selves The first of these Faults is term'd Presumption the Second Timorousness and tho' they seem opposite yet they both spring from the same Original or rather they are but the very same Fault under two differenâ— Forms Presumption is a confident Pride and Timorousness is a Pride fearful of betraying it self We are inclin'd to one or the otheâ— according to the Diversity of our Temperament A predominancy of Blood usually makes Men assur'd and perswaded of what is for their Profit and Advantage hence arises Confidence Melancholly causes a Man to believe whatsoever he fears 't is the Principle of Distrusts and groundless Suspicions But Diffidence and Confidence are both grafted upon the Stock of Pride seeing they both spring from the excessive Love of Esteem which is the First-born of our Irregularities 'T is the Opinion of all the World that a presumptuous Man values himself too highly But I may venture to say against all the World that he esteems not himself enough and that his Fault lies in a Defect and not 〈◊〉 of Elevation beyond what he really 〈…〉 truly sâ—nsible that he 's endu'd 〈…〉 Excellency than the Object 〈…〉 that the Desert of the perishing Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 light and inconsiderable if weigh'd 〈◊〉 â—n equal Balance with that 〈◊〉 the immortal Man Yet t is not to be wonder'd that he had rather consider himself with relation to Time than Eternity since in the first of these Views he usurps Glory ascribing all to himself and none to the Supreme Being whereas in the prospect of Eternity he 's oblig'd to derobe himself of all his own Glory to offer it a Sacrifice to God Strange Blindness Which permits him not to see any other real Happiness but what is confounded with the Glory of God But yet I own That in one sense a Man may esteem himself too much and that 't is common to see Persons have immoderate Pretensions to Humane Glory To know this we need only call to Mind what we have already said that the Love of Esteem was engraven in our Hearts with relation to Society For thence it follows that they have a Right to the greatest share of this outward Glory who most promote the Good of Society and are most considerable in the Eyes of the Publick whether thro' their Services Offices or the Eminency of the Rank to which Providence may have ty'd Dominion Great Persons have reason to pretend to external Homages because these things are measur'd with respect to Society But they 'd be vain and unreasonable if they suppos'd the intrinsick Foundation of their Merit to be ever the greater upon this account than that of other Men and would not own that theirs is a Preference of Order and not of real Excellency for again I say that the Advantages of the mortal Man are nothing if compar'd with those of Him who subsists to Eternity Nay so far are they from this that the whole temporal Society of Men taken all together with its various Governments Power Dignities c. don't counterbalance the Immortality of one Man CHAP. XVII Of the Third Irregularity that goes to make up Pride which is Vanity THe excessive Love of Esteem does not only deceive us by perswading us that we have those good Qualities and Accomplishments which we really want But also makes us take for Sources of Glory either estimable Goods or even the most inestimable Objects The end of Vanity is consecrated by the Custome of making the same Estimate of that Man's Disposition who attributes to himself those Qualities which he truely possesses that we do of his who endeavours to build a Foundation of Honour upon false Advantages It seems that Man's Vanity commenced when he lost the Sources of his real Glory by quitting that State of Sanctity and Happiness wherein God had originally plac'd him For being unable to renounce the Desire of Esteem and finding nothing worthy of it in himself after Sin or rather not daring after that to cast a steady view upon himself when he
of our Corruption neither will we set 'em up for true Sources of Esteem For pray What is Vertue taken in this Sence 'T is a Sacrifice of the inferiour Passions to the superiour 't is to offer up One's other Affections as Victims to Pride and the love of Glory Liberality is nothing else as we before observ'd but a Traffick of Self-love which prefers the Glory of giving before what it gives Constancy is but meerly a vain Ostentation of the Strength of One's Soul and a Desire to seem above the reach of Adversity Intrepidness is but an Art of hiding One's Fear or of putting off a natural Infirmity Magnanimity is only a Desire to make an outward Show of great and elevated Thoughts Love of One's Country which made the noblest Character of the Ancient Heroes was but a secret and by-road their Self-love took to arrive to Consideration Glory and Dignities and sometimes 't was only Ambition disguised under noble and venerable Names Cicero's Revenge Augustus's Ambition Lucullus's Interest would not have been very well taken by the Romans had they appear'd in their true and native shape they were oblig'd to cover 'em with this Pretext The Love of their Country There have also been Cases wherein Men having some confus'd Sentiment of their Perfections and seeking for natural Grandeur left no Stone unturn'd to give their Actions and Conduct such an End as was worthy of what they conceiv'd of their Excellency but wanting good Direction they diverted to false Objects Brutus commends Vertue and afterwards repents of it Cato sacrifices to his Country and considers not that under the specious Name of the Country he adores he works for a Company of Robbers and Usurpers and tho' a confus'd Idea of the Publick seem so Glorious a distinct ought to cover him with Shame and Confusion In a word there 's a Falshood in Humane Vertues which is obvious to all the World and hinders us from setting a Value upon 'em without a gross Extravagance Is there any more Sincerity in the Injustice of those other Heroes who became Ennobled by Crimes and Villanies and Renown'd by their injurious Exploits They Sacrifice their Lives and Fortunes as if all were their own Alexander is a lively Instance of this Disorder One would guess from the furious Conduct of this Prince that all Things were made for his Pleasure and Glory and that Mankind was good for nothing else but to serve his Desire He Burns Cities Ravages Provinces Reverses Thrones makes other Powers the Play-game of his own as if the Nation of the Earth were but Dust and Worms in his Sight Is it tolerable that a Man should make such Sacrifices to himself as he would dread to Offer to the greatest of his Gods CHAP. XIX Of the Two last Characters of Pride which are Ambition and the Contempt of the World THE excessive Love of Esteem produces another Irregularity which is Ambition because our too violent Ardour to make our selves Considerable in the World causes us to aspire at all that may render us eminent and great upon the Theatre of Humane Life Whilst we are confounded with the common Rabble others are equally respected by the Publick if we would draw Attention and a peculiar Deference we must depart from their Company Superiority challenges the Preferences of Consideration and Esteem and for this reason we are ambitious of attaining it Every One strives to excel in his Profession be it never so mean and that not because he loves the Excellency of his Art for its own sake but because he would become more Famous and Considerable than others They that expose themselves to War are not in love with the Dangers but the distinguisht Glory But lest the Distinction which proceeds from Merit and great Actions may pâ—ssiblyly hid be subject to Contestation or not expos'd to general View our Heart ambitiously covets another kind of Elevation which is Incontestable and acknowledg'd by all Men namely Grandeur Dignities and Power as we before observ'd The Fancy of self-Self-love is particularly tickl'd when it sees those whom it fear'd as Rivals in the Field of Vain-glory court and crouch under its Superiority 'T is charm'd and mightily taken with the Power that brings them under it and loves them so much the more as it less fears the Obstacle of their Competition But the same Sentiment of Pride which excites us to love those that are subject to our Empire so much tempts them to abhor the Necessity which puts 'em in a state of Dependance that no less than an heroick and eminent Vertue on our side can force them to hide their Malignity Lastly The same Reason that makes us endeavour to mount our selves to a distinguisht Rank that we may no longerly in the Obscurity and Confusion which hinder us from being Remarkt in the World inspires us with that Inclination we have to despise and contemn our Neighbour We are not contented to stand on Tip-toe to seem Taller than other Men but must also endeavour to Trip up their Heels and throw 'em down that we may seem Greater by their Fall and Debasement The Pleasure we take in Satyr and Comedy is not only to be imputed to our Spite and Malignity but also to our Pride 'T is Nuts to us to see other Men disgrac'd and pull'd down especially those Persons who hereby become uncapable of being our Rivals in the Suit of Vain-glory we take a particular Delight to see these Ridicule'd because this Debasement seems greatest and most incurable of all Men being asham'd to make those the Objects of their Esteem whom before they derided and reproacht How comes it to pass that Men who never Laugh to see a Stone or a Horse fall down can hardly forbear it when they see a Man fall since the One is undoubtedly in it self no more Ridiculous than the Other 'T is because our Heart is not at all concern'd or interested in the Fall of a Beast whereas we are so much interested in the Fall and Debasement of other Men that even the Image of it delights and pleases us Men think their Laughing is always innocent and indeed 't is always criminal and blamable This same Propensity inspires us with the Contempt of our Neighbour which is term'd Insolence Haughtiness or Arrogance according as 't is Conversant about Superiours Inferiours or Equals We are eager to Debase those who were beneath us before thinking we shall rise higher proportionably as they fall lower or to disparage and injure our Equals that they may no longer be at the same Level with us or to slight and undervalue our Superiours because the Lustre of their Grandeur extinguishes ours Herein our Pride visibly betrays it self for if others are an Object of our Contempt why should we ambitiously covet their Esteem Or if their Esteem be so much worth as to deserve the most passionate Desire of our Souls how can we despise ' em Is it not because the Contempt of our Neighbour is
rather affected than real We behold his Grandeur and Excellency seeing his Esteem appears to us so Valuable but we use our utmost Efforts to hide and conceal it thinking we shall seem to spin our Honour out of our own Bowels Hence arise Slanders Calumnies Ironical Praises Satyr Malignity and Envy Indeed we are very careful to conceal this latter because 't is a forc'd Confession we make of the Merit or Happiness of others and an Homage we do 'em by a kind of Constraint and Violence Of all the Sentiments of Pride Contempt of our Neighbour is the most dangerous because this directly opposes the Good of Society which is the End whereunto the Love of Esteem by the Intention of Nature ought to tend and also renders Men most odious and detestable in the Eyes of the World When we see two Fellows one whereof makes an outward shew of Vanity and Presumption the other swears he can't endure this Pride of all things in the World we may boldly conclude that the latter is more dangerously tainted with this Fault than the former 't is meerly his own Pride that gives him an Idea of the Pride of others and 't is a less criminal Effect of Pride to presume too much upon One-self than to degrade one's Neighbour Presumption and Confidence are a kind of Drunkenness in the Soul but Hatred Envy Malignity are a down-right Fury and Madness Envy is an implacable Sentiment you may silence and stop its Mouth by Beâ—fits and Kindness but you 'll never bend or alter its Course 't will last as long as your Merit It may pardon the last Affronts and Abuses you offer'd or Time at least will blot out the Remembrance of 'em but 't will never excuse your Desert and Accomplishments Envy and Flattery are two very opposite Faults The former makes a shew of an apparent Contempt tho' it secretly carry a real Esteem for Envy in the bottome is an honouring Sentiment it tends to nothing but what it Esteems it lives and dies with Merit and Desert whereas Flattery cloaks a most real Contempt under the Mask of an apparent Esteem since it arises meerly from a supposition of his Infirmity and Weakness who is the Object of it And it may be said that some Satyrs are very Commending and some Panegyricks most highly Abusive Alexander intoxicated with the Fumes of his Vanity sees not that the Macedonian Strength and Vigour gains him more Honour than the Idolatry of the Persians yet he 's much oblig'd to his Friends if they won't ridicule and make sport at him 'T is easy to judge from what we have said upon this Subject how odious a Fault Pride is for all its Irregularities are most criminal and sinful The excessive Love of Esteem makes us reverse the very Course of Nature by changing the End into the Meâ—ns and the Means into the End For since the Love of Esteem as well as of Pleasure is only a Means which God imploy'd to steer us to Vertue and the Good of Society is it not repugnant to the Rules of Nature for Men to act as if they were born for no other End but meerly to be honoured and esteem'd Presumption casts a Mist before our Eyes that we may not discern what is truly Estimable in us it being certain that what we are is infinitely beyond what we think we are and that our real Perfections much better deserve the Attention of our Soul than those imaginary Qualities we falsly boast of The Vanity which applies it self to false Sources of Glory makes us lose the sight of the true and solid Foundations of Honour which are Piety and the Fear of God The Contempt of our Neighbour necessarily reflects upon our selves seeing we are not very different from Beasts if we truly differ so much from other Men and the Distinctions of Pride destroy all the Ideas of our natural Excellency But besides all these there 's a more latent and hidden Fault in Pride which exceeds all the rest for it makes us Usurp the Glory of God himself Our Perfections are Talents wherewith God intrusted us to the end we might improve 'em the Profit resulting from 'em is the Glory which ought to be ascrib'd to him as being a Rivulet of his own immense Goodness But this unjust and sacrilegious Pride which robs and pillages all it meets with has no more Respect to Divine than Humane Rights All the Reverence it has for God is That it dares not confess the Injuries and Wrongs it hath done him and that 't is tormented with so great Horrour for its Sacrileges that 't is afraid to shew 'em in open View or bring in Reason for its Accomplice and Confederate It may be gather'd from what we have here said that Pride as well as Corruption in general is almost equal and the same in all Men In some it does not shew it self so manifest as in others All are not alike sollicitous and thoughtful to raise themselves Esteem and Reputation because Poverty imposes upon many Men more pressing Occupations but all have undoubtedly the same Inclination to Esteem This Disposition may indeed ly hid and the Sentiment of it be suspended but yet absolutely speaking 't is alike in all Mankind or rather there is no difference but what is made by Grace Some perhaps will make a greater Appearance or Presumption than others but there 's no less Pride in Timidity and those punctilious Umbrages of One who is continually afraid that either himself or others will blemish his Character than in open Presumption Some Men seem civil and good-natur'd to others but yet they look to take the upper hand in the way to Glory Outward Civility being to speak the plain Truth nothing but an apparent Preference we make of our selves before all the World Again there be some who are Masters of themselves when commended but not when they are blam'd Modesty holds out against the Impressions of Flattery but is disturb'd and out of Tune at the Insults of Abuse Pride makes it self Mistress of its Joy and Satisfaction but can't command its Grief and Resentment Lastly There are some who seem elevated above the reach of of Esteem and make as if they are troubled at being caress'd with publick Approbation but search deeply into the Motives of this Philosophical Grief and you 'll find that Pride has a very great Hand in ' em One puffed up with an Opinion of his Merit thinks many times that Men don't render him his Due Till all Mankind fall down to him on their Marrow-bones he 'll not leave his ill Humour and if he be not Ador'd you 'll see him a Mysanthropist Hence in the last place it appears that Pride lives by the Errour of other Men and the Illusions it puts upon it self It has establish'd I know not what false Maxims in the World upon which all Men reason as upon true and solid Principles by Vertue whereof it endeavours to promote and put forward its Pretensions Let no Man fancy that these Prejudices can be destroyed by opposing 'em directly with Reason Men hold fast these Errours maugre the Dictates of their Judgment which tell 'em how Irrational they are because they proceed from the Disposition of the Heart The ready way to be cur'd of these Cheats is to moderate the excessive Love of Esteem which reigns in our Heart and there 's no other Means of destroying this latter but by turning the Bent of our Soul towards the eternal and infinite Good which is GOD the only Source of our Happiness and Glory This is the Summ of the Reflections had to make at present upon our most general Inclinations and Irregularities waiting till I make more particular Discoveries in the Knowledge of the Heart which is so excellent so important and so worthy our Study and Application May God by his Grace Bless those I have made in this Writing and make them Succeed to his Glory and my Eternal Salvation Amen FINIS