Pag, 9. Certain truths current in the world, which could never have entered p. 46. lin. 13. for fhould read may not ESSAYS ON HUMAN NATURE. ESSAY I. Of Happiness and Perfection in general, abfolute and limited. APPINESS and PERFECTION are words of great fignificancy: They are in every body's mouth, H but understood by very few. Every man has fome pretenfions to the latter, and profeffes to be in purfuit of the former; and certainly is fo: but fuch different roads are taken, and these fo wildly inconfiftent, that one may with great certainty conclude, that most part know not what they are doing. The world, both philofophers and vulgar, seem to have been always agreed in the thing, however they differed in the expreffion, that happiness is something VOL. I. near the fame with being pleased: and to be perfectly pleafed, is, indeed, to be quite happy and accordingly, what contributes to pleasure of any kind, is univerfally called good; and what gives pain, or even abates the degree of pleafure, goes under the name of evil. ;; But as it may happen, that men as well as children may be pleafed with trifles nay, may be so far mistaken as to fancy evil to be good, and good evil; the enjoyment can continue no longer after the miftake is difcovered. It is likewife agreed, that pleasure must have fome folid and durable foundation, commenfurate at least to the capacity and duration of the being who is to find his happiness in it. A failure in either of thefe, muft produce great abatements even in the present enjoyment, and in the end unavoidable misery and distress. Thefe are good generals; but when we come to look into the meaning of them, and apply them to practice, what a boundlefs wildernefs are we left to wander in! What is good and what evil in the extent of the universe, or even so far as man is or may be concerned, how hard is it to fay? fay? and yet how neceffary to be thoroughly known? But even this is but a preliminary. The feveral objects which are the materials of pleasure and pain, mast be carefully weighed; and their feveral degrees of moment, one way or other, exactly adjusted. The frame and conftitution of man must be narrowly examined, his capacity, and powers thence arifing, the relations he stands in to the various objects without him, the purposes thefe objects are fitted to answer, and how they are to be procured, and improved, for raifing and maintaining the highest pleasure, muft all be thoroughly understood. Is this a task for man? What strength of understanding, what accuracy of judgement, what application and industry muft be required to fucceed but tolerably in it? Enough to discourage any fober man from fo much as attempting it; and the more fo, that the most exalted geniufes have been employed about it near fix thousand years, and, after all their researches, have left the world in greater uncertainty than, we have reafon to believe, they were at first fetting out. But there is one fingle confideration which A 2 which greatly overbalances all difcouragements; the neceffity of the thing. Man is obviously fo made, as not only to be fufceptible of pain and mifery, but to have his feelings very quick. and strong: his wants are fo many, and his appetites and cravings fo keen, that life itself becomes a burden to him if they are not gratified. They who believe that God is good, can never perfuade themselves, that any conftitution of his was framed on purpose to make a numerous order of creatures neceffarily miferable. They must fuppofe, that fome how or other relief is provided, and fuch relief as lies on a level with every capacity, if men are not wanting to themfelves; which they evidently are, if they do not carefully look after and improve all the helps and affiftances laid to their hands. It requires fcarce any attention to fatisfy one's felf thoroughly, that it is impoffible for any one man to have the full enjoyment of all the objects or materials of pleasure, scattered as they are through the universe; nay even of thofe which lie next to our hands, it is but a small pittance that can fall one's fhare. Hence, it may be prefumed, philofophers and wife men came all to any to |