Serm. I.Refpect it has to private Good, with the Refpect it has to publick, fince it plainly tends

as much to the latter as to the former, and is commonly thought to tend chiefly to the latter. This Faculty is now mentioned meerly as another Part in the inward Frame of Man, pointing out to us in fome Degree what we are intended for, and as what will naturally and of courfe have fome Influence. The particular Place affigned to it by Nature, what Authority it has, and how great Influence it ought to have, fhall be hereafter confidered.

From this Comparison of Benevolence and Self-love, of our publick and private Affections, of the Courses of Life they lead to, approved by the Principle of Reflection or Confcience, it is as manifeft, that we were made for Society, and to promote the Happiness of it, as that we were intend ed to take Care of our own Life, and Health, and private Good.

And from this whole Review must be given a different Draught of Humane Nature from what we are often prefented with. Mankind are by Nature fo closely united, there is fuch a Correspondence between the inward Senfations of one Man and thofe of

another,

another, that Difgrace is as much avoided Serm. I. as bodily Pain, and to be the Object of Efteem and Love as much defired as any external Goods: And in many particular Cafes, Perfons are carried on to do good to others, as the End their Affection tends to and refts in, and manifeft that they find real Satisfaction and Enjoyment in this Course of Behaviour. There is fuch a natural Principle of Attraction in Man towards Man, that having trod the fame Tract of Land, having breathed in the fame Climate, barely having been born in the same artificial District or Divifion, becomes the Occafion of contracting Acquaintances and Familiarities many Years after; for any thing may ferve the Purpose. Thus Relations meerly nominal are fought and invented, not by Governors, but by the lowest of the People, which are found fufficient to hold Mankind together in little Fraternities and Copartnerships: Weak Ties indeed, and what may afford Fund enough for Ridicule, if they are abfurdly confidered as the real Principles of that Union; but they are in Truth meerly the Occafions, as any thing may be of any thing, upon which our Nature carries us on according to its own

Serm. I. previous Bent and Bias; which Occafions therefore would be nothing at all were there not this prior Difpofition and Bias of Nature. Men are so much one Body, that in a peculiar Manner they feel for each other, Shame, fudden Danger, Refentment, Honour, Profperity, Diftrefs; one or another, or all of thefe, from the focial Nature in general, from Benevolence, upon the Occafion of natural Relation, Acquaintance, Protection, Dependance; each of these being distinct Cements of Society. And therefore to have no reftraint from, no regard to others in our Behaviour, is the fpeculative Abfurdity of confidering ourselves as fingle and independant, as having nothing in our Nature which has refpect to our Fellow-Creatures, reduced to Action and Practice. And this is the fame Abfurdity as to fuppofe an Hand, or any one Part, to have no natural Refpect to any other, or to the whole Body.

But allowing all this, it may be asked, Has not Man Dispositions and Principles within, which lead him to do Evil as well as to do Good? Whence come the many Miferies elfe which Men are the Authors and Inftruments of to each other? These

Questions,

Questions, fo far as they relate to the fore- Serm. I. going Difcourfe, may be answered by asking, Has not Man alfo Difpofitions and Principles within, which lead him to do Evil to himself as well as good? Whence come the many Miferics elfe, Sickness, Pain and Death, which Men are the Inftruments and Authors of to themfelves? But as it may be thought more eafy to answer fome of these Questions than others, though the Answer to all of them is really the fame, it may be proper to add, that there is not at all any fuch thing as Ill-will in one Man towards another, Emulation and Refentment being away, whereas there is plainly Benevolence or Good-will: There is no fuch thing as Love of Injuftice, Oppreflion, Treachery, Ingratitude, but only eager Defires after fuch and fuch external Goods; which according to a very ancient Obfervation, the most abandoned would choose to obtain by innocent Means, if they were as easy and as effectual to their End: That even Emulation and Refentment, by any one who will confider what these Passions really are in Nature *, will be found nothing to the

C 2

* Emulation is meerly the Defire and Hope of Equality with or Superiority over others, with whom we compare

our

Serm. I.the Purpose of this Objection: And that

the Principles and Paffions in the Mind of Man, which are diftinct both from Selflove and Benevolence, primarily and most directly lead to right Behaviour, and only fecondarily and more remotely to what is Evil. Thus though Men to avoid the Shame of one Villany are fometimes guilty of a greater, yet it is easy to fee, that the original Tendency of Shame is to prevent the doing of fhameful Actions; and its leading Men to conceal fuch Actions when done, is only in confequence of their being done, i. e. of the Paffion not having answered its firft End.

If it be faid that there are Perfons in the World, who are in great Measure without the natural Affections towards their Fellow

our felves. There does not appear to be any other Grief in the natural Paffion, but only that Want which is implied in Defire. However this may be so strong as to be the Occafion of great Grief. To defire the attainment of this Equality or Superiority by the particular Means of others being brought down to our own Level, or below it, is, I think, the diftinct Notion of Envy. From whence it is easy to fee, that the real End, which the natural Paffion Emulation, and which the unlawful one Envy aims at, is exactly the fame; namely, that Equality or Superiority: And confequently, that to do Mischief is not the End of Envy, but meerly the Means it makes use of to attain its End, As to Refentment, fee the Eighth Sermon.