bow far its fway extends. Fortune pretended ne- ceffary to remove the impediments of virtue. Every man the architect of his own fortune. Fondness for the world Springs from infidelity and fenfuality, and the folly of both. Competency what, and the use of it with reference to our happiness. The tendency of wealth examin'd, with reference to the mind, the body, the outward ftate of man. The admiration of wealth arifes from falfe and gaudy appearances. The notion of fate ftated. Man's fondness. Fate from Spiritual pride and loofenefs. Fate impugned; 1. By authority: Various opinions about it, and its caufes. The extent of its empire. The mind exempt. The true difference between the Pythagorean and Stoick fate. Different opinions about the neceffity imply'd in fate. Chriftian fate worse than pagan. 2. By reafon and revelation. Fate cannot derive it self from matter, nor from God: 'tis repugnant to fenfe and experience. The confequences of fate. Scripture clear'd from coun- tenancing fate. Demonftrated from the nature of God, bis declared will and government. The plea of incapacity, fuppofes virtue a fufficient foun- dation of happiness. Incapacity threefold, natural, moral, penal. There is no natural incapacity of hap- pinefs. Grace and nature reconcil'd. The ftrength of each examin'd, and demonftrated in fact, with re- ference to custom and fashion, pain and pleasure. 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 af fiftance, how far they influence the prefent fubject. 3. Of penal incapacity. Chap. 7. Religion no enemy to our present happiness. doctrine of the cross not inconfiftent with happiness : nor that of mortification. Chap. 8. Of matter of fact, or experience. The fate of the poor. The gay and the filly. The bufie. Princes. The learned, whether happy. The happiness The caufes and remedies of man's unsuccessfulness in his Chap. 1. The general cause of ill fuccefs. Deviation from reafon, the general caufe of man's ill fuccefs. The effects of which are, 1. The propofal of falfe ends. 2. Coldness in pursuit of our true end. Page 211 Chap 2. The particular and immediate cause of ill fuc- cefs. Three more particular and immediate caufes of ill fuccefs affigned. 1. The frame and contexture of human nature. 2. Vicious education. 3. Vicious converfation: The natural effects of which are, 1. Inconfideratenefs; 2. Falfe notions ; 3. Ungovernable- nefs and impotency of will; 4. Infincerity; 5. Le- vity and inconftancy. The whole exemplify'd p. 216 Chap. 3. The cure of the former maladies. Conformity to reafon the general cure. This confor- mity must appear in two things: 1. In the propofal of right and true ends; 2. In the pursuit of them with zeal and conftancy. Inferr'd from all, how we AN An Enquiry after HAPPINESS. SECT. I. Of the motives to this enquiry, and of the objections which may be form'd against it. CHAP. I. The importance, the neceffity of it. T The impor enquiry. tance of this HE defire of happiness is the first, most powerful, an and most univerfal principle of human actions: this moves the prince and peafant, the learned and the ideot: revelation and reafon take this for granted; all laws, both divine and human, propofing our happiness as the fole and fufficient motive to our obedience. is But all this while, tho' all forts of religion and government do unanimoufly confent in the propofal of this one general end; yet fo great the diverfity (I may fay contrariety) in the methods in which they purfue it, that it feems to imply the discovery of happiness, a matter of no less uncertainty than importance; there being neceffarily as great a variety in the opinions B of of men about it, as in their lives and actions, or in the forms of religion and government in the world: fince all these feem, according to the different judgments of men, fo many different paths which lead to it. Ande yet till I have fix'd the notion of happinefs, and found out what it confifts in, 'tis impoffible I fhould live rationally: how fhall I fteer the course of my life aright, when I know not what port I would make? how fhall my actions tend to any wife or noble purpose, when I have no mark prefix'd 'em? till then I must live extempore, and act at random, I must abandon my felf to wind and tide, to time and chance. Quo me cunque rapit tempeftas, deferor hofpes. Horat. Toft by a form, for my retreat I take Whatever bore th' unguided bark can make. In a word, till I have fix'd this notion, and know what to aim at, business will be but a mechanic drudging out of life, and study but a vain amusement of my mind: whereas, when all the inclinations of life and foul fhall have one uniform bent and tendency; when every defire of the foul, and every action of life, shall be a step advancing in a direct line towards happinefs; when the vigour and activity of my mind fhall not be fufpended and fruftrated by incertainties and fluctuation, nor deluded and loft in wandring errors and deviations, but fhall ever carry me ftreight forwards towards my journey's end; then certainly all my labours will thrive and profper, and my progress will be great, tho' my motion fhould be but feeble and flow. Thus plants, whofe native vigour mounts ftreight upwards, tho' their bulk be lefs, yet their height and beauty is greater than theirs whofe luxuriant nourishment waftes it felf in gouty knots, and distorted branches. Having confidered this, I refolv'd, that I could not spend my time more manly and philofophically, than in an enquiry, what the happiness of man is, and how attainable: every advance towards this, is an acceffion to my life and being; and all travail, which doth not lead me on towards this end, is but fo much of life mifpent and loft: what a fillinefs were it to load my memory with terms and words, with numerous inftances of matters of fact; to marfhal up in order lines and figures; to talk of unknown feas and diftant fhores; to tumble over each page in nature's fyftem? what trifling cunning to skill the gainful myfteries of trade? what folemn and laborious foppery to penetrate into all the fubtilties of government, and arts of converfation? if after all, I have no receipt for a troubled mind, no cure for distemper'd paffions: if I have no principle to fupport my mind under a finking fortune, or govern it in a rifing one; if I have nothing to arm me against my fears, or to difperfe my griefs; would any one think I had spent my time well, or ftock'd my felf with useful knowledge? But to find out what would make me happier, to find out what would free my mind from the flavery of uneafy paffions; what would B 2 |