it would be lefs mifchievous, than the Extravagancies of mere Appetite, Will and Pleafure For certainly Self-love, though confined to the Intereft of this Life, is, of the two, a much better Guide than Paffion *, which has abfolutely no Bound nor Meafure, but what is fet to it by this Self-love, or Moral Confiderations. FROM the Diftinction above made between Self-love, and the feveral particular Principles or Affections in our Nature, we may fee how good Ground there was for that Affertion, maintained by the feveral ancient Schools of Philofophy, against the Epicureans, namely, that Virtue is to be purfued as an End, eligible in and for itfelf. For, if there be any Principles or Affections in the Mind of Man diftinct from Self-love, that the Things thofe Principles tend towards, or that the Objects of thofe Affections are, each of them, in themfelves eligible, to be pursued upon its own Account, and to be rested in as an End, is implied in the very Idea of such Principle or Affection +. They indeed afferted much higher Things of Virtue, and with very good Reafon; but to fay thus much of it, that it is to be purfued for itself, is to fay no more of it, than may truly be faid of the Object of every natural Affection what ever. THE Pag. 39. t p. 265. THE Question, which was a few Years ago difputed in France, concerning the Love of God, which was there called Enthusiasm, as it will every where by the Generality of the World; this Queftion I fay, answers in Religion, to that old one in Morals now mentioned. And both of them are, I think, fully determined by the fame Observation, namely, that the very Nature of Affection, the Idea itself, neceffarily implies refting in its Object as an End. I SHALL not here add any thing further, to what I have faid in the two Difcourfes upon that most important Subject, but only this: That if we are conftituted fuch fort of Creatures, as from our very Nature, to feel certain Affections or Movements of Mind, upon the Sight or Contemplation of the meanest inanimate Part of the Creation, . for the Flowers of the Field have their Beauty; certainly there must be fomewhat due to Him Himself, who is the Author and Cause of all Things; who is more intimately prefent to us, than any thing elfe can be, and with whom we have a nearer and more conftant Intercourse, than we can have with any Creature: There must be fome Movements of Mind and Heart which correfpond to his Perfections, or of which thofe Perfections are the natural Object. And that when we are command.d to love the Lord our God, with all our Heart, and with all our Mind, and with all our Soul; fomewhat more must be meant than merely, that we live in Hope of Rewards, or Fear of Punishments from Him; fomewhat more than this must be intended: Though thefe Regards themselves are moft juft and reasonable, and abfolutely neceffary to be often recollected, in fuch a World as this. Ir may be proper just to advertise the Reader, that he is not to look for any particular Reafon for the Choice of the greatest Part of thefe Difcourfes; their being taken from amongst many Others, preached in the fame Place, through a Course of Eight Years, being in great Measure accidental. Neither is he to expect to find any other Connection between them, than that Uniformity of Thought and Defign, which will always be found in the Writings of the fame Perfon, when he writes with Simplicity and in Earneft. Stanhope, Sept. the 16th 1729. CON CONTENTS. |