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on foot, those very Persons, who before administer'd mutually to each other's Security and Happiness, have thrown up the Reins to Rage and Violence, have gloried in all kinds of Cruelty and Inhumanity, and made the Sword drunk with each other's Blood.

It is evident from the Make and Constitution of Man, that he was defign'd for Society; he has many Faculties wholly appropriated to this purpose; and it is as evident, that Society, but tolerably well order'd, must greatly ease the Burdens of Mankind. Weak Creatures, uniting their several Degrees of Strength, must form a compact Body capable of defending it felf; ignorant Creatures, communicating to each other their several Obfervations, Experiences and Discoveries, and this continued down from one Generation to another, must, in time, furnish out a confiderable

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Stock of Knowledge; and where each applies himself to one particular Labour or Study, each must be dextrous and skilful in that Particular; continual Improvements must be made in every Particular, and every one enjoy the Industry and Art of all; all furnishing out mutually their feveral Quota's either of Pleasure or Improvement; of fomething neceffary to Life, or ornamental, or entertaining; of fore additional Strength, or Security to Society in general. Thus you fee, that Man, who confider'd a-part by himself, in a State of Solitude and Independency, would be ignorant and unpolished, savage and brutal, weak and defenceless, miferable and comfortless, is quite another fort of Creature in Society, powerful, wife and happy : How many Reliefs has he here from his Burdens? how many Supplies for his Wants? how many Entertainments for his Appetites ? how many Remedies

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medies for his Disorders? how many Comforts in his Troubles? Our Burdens are, in Truth, the Foundation and Source of our Pleasures; our Wants, of the Plenty we enjoy; our separate Weaknesses and Ignorance, of all our Strength and Knowledge. We cannot well conceive how an imperfect Being can be happy alone. Let his Station be what it will, the Intercourse of other Beings must be of Advantage to him. The worstconftituted Government is therefore plainly better than none; and to be exposed to the Caprice or Cruelty of one, or more Men, in our Fortunes and Lives, is much rather to be chofen, than to be expofed in a like manner to every Man. It is much to be feared, that thofe Men who have attempted the Diffolution of States, have acted rather from Resentment than Reason. Be the Difeafe what it will, this Remedy is too dangerous a

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one to be apply'd haftily. A Rebellion of one Year's Continuance, is likely to produce greater Irregularities and Mischiefs, than a very bad Government in a Century. And at last, the wifeft Head in the World can never foresee, whether this Way of mending the Publick, may not spoil it ftill more, whether it may not fettle upon a worse Basis than that, upon which it ftood, before its Diffolution. What has been called the Logick of Kings, is very unfit for the Heads of other Men.

Thus we fee in a mere Civil or Political View, that bearing one anɔther's Burdens is of very great Use to Mankind, is the Band of all Society, the Source of all our worldly Happinefs; the more any Community has provided for this Particular in its Laws and Establishments, the more happy and flourishing must it be.

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But let us go on and confider the bearing one another's Burdens as a Law of Christ, as a fulfilling the Law of Christ, and we fhall fee it in a still more glorious and beatifick Light.

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Let human Prudence do what it can, its Laws can never be fo form'd to provide for every particular Cafe. Befides, the Execution of the best Laws will often fall into bad Hands. Again, the Subtle will evade them; the Great will be above 'em; and the Poor and Indigent, who most want their Relief and Protection, will often be unable to procure them; fo that let publick Matters be ever fo well-conftituted, and administer'd, there will be still great Room for the Exercise of private Goodness and Virtue. And here the Laws of Chrift come in as the most noble Supplement, not only as they teach all Inftances of Virtue in the clearest and most familiar manner, but as they

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