despise it; nor can he ever be made our enemy, unless we first become the enemies of virtue and goodness: What then have we to fear? There is no fates but the immutable law of God; that univerfal law which adjudges happiness to the righteous, and mifery to the wicked. There is no fortune but his providence; which is nothing but the execution of that one general law, and the application of its feveral parts in particular inftances. 'Tis plain therefore, we have nothing now to fear but ourselves: If we be but true to our own reason, and faithful to our intereft, we may confidently prefume both of the assistance and reward of heaven: There is therefore nothing left now to excufe us from the guilt of our own ruin, but only that which is wont to be objected by fuch as are enflaved to fome impious luft, and groan under the weight of those chains, which they made themselves; I mean, an incapacity of happinefs: Which is the fourth objection against the poffibility of attaining happinefs, and is now to be confider❜d.

CHAP. VI.

Of Incapacity.

The plea of incapacity fuppofes virtue a fufficient foundation of happiness. Incapacity three-fold, natural, moral, penal. There is no natural incapacity of happiness. Grace and nature reconciled. The firength of each examined, and demonftrated in fact, with reference to custom and fashion. Pain and pleafure. The force of inclination examin'd. Dulness confider'd, and a light thoughtless temper. Sect. 2. Of moral incapacity. The corruption of nature, and divine affiftance, how far they influence the prefent subject. 3. Of penal incapacity.

Tube what the poffibility of at

HEY, who urge their incapacity as an

taining happiness, do fuppofe happiness to confift in virtue, in the pleafure that flows from it, and the blifs that will one day or other eternally reward it: They acknowledge, could they but be virtuous, they fhould be happy; but they despair of obtaining fuch a conqueft over their vices, as may fuffice to render their life fmooth, equal and fteady; and preferve the peace of their confcience, by giving them an unquestionable proof of their fincerity towards God; without which 'tis impoffible that they should be fill'd

with rational joy and peace, or abound in a rational hope. This therefore must be the fup. pofition of my following difcourfe.

There may be three different kinds of incapacities fancied; which, for diftinction-fake, I'll call natural, moral and penal: each of which may be thus explain'd in the notion the ob. jector forms of them: Penal incapacity is that defperate ftate wherein man is by God immutably rejected from pardon and affistance. Moral incapacity refults from the ftrength and abfoluteness of that dominion which fin has eftablish'd over fome men, thro' a long and continued course of wickednefs. Natural incapacity confists in such an unteachable ftupidity of temper, or in fuch violent and invincible inclinations to vice, or in such a slightness, levity and inconftancy of mind, as render men utterly unfit to receive any lafting impreffions of virtue, or to make any steady and refolute attempt of attaining it.

There is no natural -incapacity of happinefs.

I'll begin with this firft: And here I defire to be excus'd, if I do not take upon me to mark out the diftinct bounds and limits of nature and grace: Thefe two fifters are not like thofe Chaldee brethren Abraham and Lot, (Gen. xiii.) that were too mighty to dwell together. No, they delight to mix in loving embraces; their wealth and power increase by being united; and, like fome plants I have read of, they never thrive when divided. I fhall not difpute what power in man is a birth-right, what a donative: For

I 4

alas!

alas! every thing he poffeffes is a grace, a favour of his prince: His natural abilities are fo many graces he derives from God, and as properly fuch, as any acceffion to 'em which is infpired afterwards: So that whenever I contend that any thing is in the power of man, I defire to be understood of all that power which God has invefted him with, whether natural or fupernatural.

Did men decry and vilify nature, to beget in themselves the more profound humility, and the more wakeful and folicitous industry; did they, like the Semnones in Tacitus (De Morib. German.) load themselves with chains as the badge of their fubjection to, and dependence upon, the Deity; did they magnify divine grace, in order to convince themfelves of the neceffity and efficacy of it, and fo to inflame their importunity and industry in quest of it: This were piety and devotion, not error. Or, however they might exaggerate the impotence of nature beyond ftrict truth, yet this would be a fafe and pious error, as all humble and modeft ones are: But when they endeavour to reprefent nature vile and corrupt, on purpose that they may the more licentioufly pollute and abufe it, when they magnify and exalt divine grace out of a most contradictious and prepofterous defign to juftify their neglect and contempt of it (for they would fain have all to be fo entirely imputed to grace, that they would not themfelves be put to as much as the trouble of feeking it) 'tis not only an error, but a pernicious and fatal one: For he that abandons

abandons the use of reafon, renders himself incapable of any heavenly aid. God gives his grace to men, not to beasts: I must therefore oppose this fancy, and endeavour to perfuade men, that it is in their power to be virtuous and happy: Nor can I think this affertion any ways injurious to the honour or goodness of God, if it be remember'd, that whatever power I attribute to man, I acknowledge deriv'd from God. I will therefore with good affurance proceed, and try whether I cannot take in and demolish this fort which ftops our way to happiness.

They, who affirm a great part of mankind incapable of virtue, forget that they dishonour God whilft they reproach their nature: For were it fo, to what end could we imagine fuch men endow'd with reafon and understanding? Not to worship, but defy their Maker. And was it not for this end, that they were made immortal too? Had God made man only to take his pastime in the world, like the Leviathan in the waves, fuch a foul as that which moves the fish of the fea, or the beasts of the earth, a sensitive foul, had been most proper for this end: Then might he have enjoy'd himfelf without reluctancy,without controul, without remorse, without fhame. What can be the proper work of a rational creature, to which you allow not a capacity of virtue and religion? Till you can fhew me this, I can never believe that God fhould endow man with a rational and immortal mind, out of any other defign than such a one as might become such a being

created