DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0096
94 *A Serious Call to
but after such things as nature wants, and religion approves,
that was as pure from all the motions of pride, envy, and
covetousness, as from thoughts of murder; that in this freedom
from worldly passions, he had a soul full of Divine love,
wishing and praying that all men may have what they want
of worldly things, and be partakers of eternal glory in the life
to come.
Do but fancy a man living in this manner, and your own
conscience will immediately tell you, that he is the happiest
man in the world, and that it is not in the power of the richest
fancy, to invent any higher happiness in the present state of life.
And on the other hand, if you suppose him to be in any
degree less perfect; if you suppose him but subject to one foolish
fondness, or vain passion, your own conscience will again tell
you, that he so far lessens his own happiness, and robs himself
of the true enjoyment of his other virtues. So true is it, that
the more we live by the rules of religion, the more peaceful and
happy do we render our lives.
Again, as it thus appears, that real happiness is only to be
had from the greatest degrees of piety, the greatest denials of our
passions, and the strictest rules of religion, so the same truth
will appear from a consideration of human misery. If we look
into the world, and view the disquiets and troubles of human
life, we shall find that they are all owing to our violent and
irreligious passions.
Now all trouble and uneasiness is founded in the want of
something or other ; would we therefore know the true cause of
our troubles and disquiets, we must find out the cause of our
wants ; because that which creates, and increaseth our wants,
does in the same degree create, and increase our trouble and
disquiets.
God Almighty has sent us into the world with very few wants ;
meat, and drink, and clothing, are the only things necessary in
life; and as these are only our present needs, so the present
world is well furnished to supply these needs.
If a man had half the world in his power, he can make no
more of it than this ; as he wants it only to support an animal
life, so is it unable to do anything else for him, or to afford him
any other happiness.
This is the state of man, born with few wants, and into a
large world, very capable of supplying them. So that one
would reasonably suppose, that men should pass their lives in
content and thankfulness to God, at least, that they should be
free from violent disquiets and vexations, as being placed in a
world, that has more than enough to relieve all their wants.
but after such things as nature wants, and religion approves,
that was as pure from all the motions of pride, envy, and
covetousness, as from thoughts of murder; that in this freedom
from worldly passions, he had a soul full of Divine love,
wishing and praying that all men may have what they want
of worldly things, and be partakers of eternal glory in the life
to come.
Do but fancy a man living in this manner, and your own
conscience will immediately tell you, that he is the happiest
man in the world, and that it is not in the power of the richest
fancy, to invent any higher happiness in the present state of life.
And on the other hand, if you suppose him to be in any
degree less perfect; if you suppose him but subject to one foolish
fondness, or vain passion, your own conscience will again tell
you, that he so far lessens his own happiness, and robs himself
of the true enjoyment of his other virtues. So true is it, that
the more we live by the rules of religion, the more peaceful and
happy do we render our lives.
Again, as it thus appears, that real happiness is only to be
had from the greatest degrees of piety, the greatest denials of our
passions, and the strictest rules of religion, so the same truth
will appear from a consideration of human misery. If we look
into the world, and view the disquiets and troubles of human
life, we shall find that they are all owing to our violent and
irreligious passions.
Now all trouble and uneasiness is founded in the want of
something or other ; would we therefore know the true cause of
our troubles and disquiets, we must find out the cause of our
wants ; because that which creates, and increaseth our wants,
does in the same degree create, and increase our trouble and
disquiets.
God Almighty has sent us into the world with very few wants ;
meat, and drink, and clothing, are the only things necessary in
life; and as these are only our present needs, so the present
world is well furnished to supply these needs.
If a man had half the world in his power, he can make no
more of it than this ; as he wants it only to support an animal
life, so is it unable to do anything else for him, or to afford him
any other happiness.
This is the state of man, born with few wants, and into a
large world, very capable of supplying them. So that one
would reasonably suppose, that men should pass their lives in
content and thankfulness to God, at least, that they should be
free from violent disquiets and vexations, as being placed in a
world, that has more than enough to relieve all their wants.