the immediate deftructive confequences, or think that any confiderations, relating to this world, can be a balance to these.

PROP. LIV.

To deduce practical Rules concerning the Hardships, Pains, and Uneafineffes, that occur in the daily Intercourfes of Life.

I HAVE already obferved in general, Prop. 51, Cor. that a regard to the precepts of benevolence, piety, and the moral fenfe, affords us the best profpect for avoiding and leffening these. I will now exemplify and apply this doctrine more particularly.

First, then, It is evident that luxury, felf-indul. gence, and an indolent averfion to perform the duties of a man's ftation, do not only bring on grofs bodily diseases; but also previously to this, are often apt to lead men into fuch a degree of folicitude, anxiety, and fearfulness, in minute affairs, as to make them inflict upon themselves greater torments, than the most cruel tyrant could invent. The complaints, which are usually styled nervous, are peculiarly apt to infeft this clafs of perfons; and I need not say to those, who either have themselves experienced them, or attended to them in others, of how grievous a nature they are. Now, though fomething is to be allowed here to natural conftitution, and hereditary tendencies, alfo to the great injuries fometimes done to the nervous fyftem by profufe evacuations, and violent diftempers, in confequence whereof it may be proper and neceffary in certain cafes to adminifter fuch medicines as are fuitable to the particular fymptoms and temporary exigencies; yet there feems to be no way fo probable of getting out

of this felf-tormenting state, this labyrinth of error and anxiety, as by prayer and refignation to GOD, by charity, and taking upon one's felf the cares and fears of others according to our rank and station in life, eafing our own burden thereby, and by conftant, laborious, bodily exercise, fuch particularly as occurs in the faithful difcharge of duty, with great moderation in the fenfible pleasures. Could the un

happy perfons of this fort be prevailed upon to enter on fuch a course with courage and steadiness, notwithstanding the pains, difficulties, and uneafineffes, which would attend it at firft, all would generally begin to clear up even in refpect of this world, fo as that they would regain fome tolerable degrees of health, ferenity, and even cheerfulness.

Secondly, Human life is in fo imperfect and diforderly a state, on account of the fall, that it is impoffible to avoid all exceffes, and hardships from heat, cold, hunger, accidents, &c. But then these may be rendered harmless and eafy to a great degree, by accuftoming the body to them; which the conftant and faithful difcharge of duty by each perfon in particular does, in respect of thofe exceffes and hardships that are most likely to befal him.

Thirdly, External injuries fall much to the share of the imprudent. Now prudence is a virtue, i.e. a dictate of the moral fenfe, and a command from GOD; and imprudence, agreeable hereto, the manifeft offspring of fome vicious paffion or other, for the most part.

Fourthly, Bodily pains are often inflicted by men, either in the way of public authority, or of private resentment and malice. But it is very evident, that the benevolent must fare better in this refpect, than the malevolent and mischievous.

Fifthly, Whatever evils befal a man, religion, and the belief of a happy futurity, enable him to

fupport himself under them much better than he could otherwife do. The true Chriftian not only ought, but is also able, for the most part, to rejoice in tribulation. And this is the genuine, ultimate, and indeed only perfect folution of all difficulties relating to the pleasures and pains, both fenfible and intellectual. For, though it be certain, that a benevolent and pious man has the fairest prospect for obtaining fenfible pleasure, and avoiding fenfible pain, in general, and upon a fair balance; alfo that the more wicked any one is, the lefs pleasure, and more pain, must he expect; yet ftill it will often happen, that a person is obliged, from a sense of duty, from benevolence, adherence to true religion, the dictates of conscience, or a gofpel precept, to forego pleafures, or endure pains, where there is no probability that a recompence will be made during this life; and fometimes it is required of a man even to feal his teftimony with his blood. Now in thefe cafes, rational selfintereft has nothing left, which can fatisfy its demands, besides the hope and expectation of a happy futurity; but the present pleasure, which thefe afford, is fome earneft of the thing hoped and expected; it is also, in certain cafes, fo great, as to overpower, and almost annihilate, the oppofite pains.

Here let it be obferved, that as this frail corruptible body must at laft return to its original duft, and lofe its power of conveying pleasure to us, which it does gradually for a long time before death from mere old age; fo it is natural to expect that the maximum of its pleasures fhould not always be attained, even by that which is the genuine rule of life. For death is a mark of our present fallen ftate; and therefore we may have this farther mark also, that the true rule, which, in a paradifiacal ftate, would have carried every thing in its order to perfection, will now do it only in the general; fhewing us, first,

by its being very general, that it is the true rule; and fecondly, by its not being univerfal, that we have deviated from our original make.

It may not be amifs to add a few words here concerning fleep. The analogy taken from the forego ing rules teaches that we ought not to indulge in this to the utmoft, but to break it off a little before the natural inclination thereto totally expires. And this position is remarkably confirmed both by the many advantages to body and mind, which refult from rifing early; and by the fcripture precepts concerning watching; which, as appears to me, ought to be taken as well in their strictly literal sense upon proper occafions, as in their more diftant and figurative one.

SECT. III.

OF THE REGARD DUE TO THE PLEASURES AND PAINS OF IMAGINATION IN FORMING THE RULE OF LIFE.

PROP. LV.

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

FOR, First, It does not appear, that those who devote themselves to the ftudy of the polite arts, or of science, or to any other pleasure of mere imagination, as their chief end and pursuit, attain to a greater degree of happiness than the reft of the world. The frequent repetition of these pleasures cloys, as in other cafes and though the whole circle of them is fo extenfive, as that it might, in fome measure, obviate this objection; yet the human fancy is too narrow to take in this whole circle, and the greatest virtuofos do, in fact, feldom apply themselves to more than one or two confiderable branches.-The ways in which the pleasures of beauty are ufually generated, and transferred upon the feveral objects, are often oppofite to, and inconfiftent with, one another; fo as to mix deformity with beauty, and to occafion an