I.

SERM. lick Affections too, or deftroy the good In fluence of them upon Society, and their Tendency to publick Good. It may be added, that as Perfons without any Convicion from Reafon of the defirableness of

Life, would yet of Course preserve it merely from the Appetite of Hunger; fo by acting merely from Regard (fuppofe) to Reputation, without any Confideration of the Good of Others, Men often contribute to publick Good. In both these Inftances they are plainly Inftruments in the Hands of another, in the Hands of Providence, to carry on Ends, the Preservation of the Individual and Good of Society, which they themfelves have not in their View or Intention. The Sum is, Men have various Appetites, Paffions, and particular Affections, quite diftinct both from Self-love, and from Benevolence: All of these have a tendency to promote both publick and private Good, and may be confidered as refpecting others and ourselves equally and in common: But fome of them feem moft immediately to respect others, or tend to publick Good; others of them moft immediately to refpect Self, or tend to private Good: As the former are not Benevolence, fo the latter are

not

hot Self-love: Neither Sort are Inftances of SER M. our Love either to ourselves or others; but I. only Inftances of our Maker's Care and Love both of the Individual and the Species, and Proofs that he intended we should be Inftruments of Good to each other, as well as that we should be fo to our felves.

Thirdly, THERE is a Principle of Reflection in Men, by which they distinguish between, approve and difapprove their own Actions. We are plainly conftituted fuch fort of Creatures as to réflect upon our own Nature. The Mind can take a View of what paffes within itself, its Propenfions, Averfions, Paffions, Affections, as refpecting fuch Objects, and in fuch Degrees; and of the feveral Actions confequent thereup on. In this Survey it approves of one, disapproves of another, and towards a third is affected in neither of these ways, but is quite indifferent. This Principle in Man, by which he approves or difapproves his Heart, Temper, and Actions, is Confcience; for this is the ftrict Senfe of the Word, though fometimes it is used fo as to take in more. And that this Faculty tends to restrain Men from doing Mischief to each other, and leads them to do good, is too manifeft to

need

SERM.need being infifted upon. Thus a Parent

I.

has the Affection of Love to his Children : This leads him to take care of, to educate, to make due Provifion for them; the natural Affection leads to this: But the Reflection that it is his proper Bufinefs, what belongs to him, that it is right and commenda→ ble fo to do; this added to the Affection, becomes a much more fettled Principle, and carries him on through more Labour and Difficulties for the fake of his Children, than he would undergo from that Affection, alone; if he thought it, and the Course of Action it led to, either indifferent or criminal. This indeed is impoffible, to do that which is good and not to approve of it; for which reafon they are frequently not confidered as diftinct, though they really are For Men often approve of the Actions of others, which they will not imitate, and likewife do that which they approve not. It cannot poffibly be denied that there is this Principle of Reflection or Confcience in Humane Nature. Suppofe a Man to relieve an innocent Person in great Distress; fuppose the fame Man afterwards, in the Fury of Anger, to do the greatest Mischief to a Person who had given no juft Cause of Of

fence; to aggravate the Injury, add the Cir- SER M cumftances of former Friendship, and Obli- I. gation from the injured Perfon; let the Man who is fuppofed to have done these two different Actions, cooly reflect upon them afterwards, without regard to their Confequences to himfelf: To affert that any common Man would be affected in the fame Way towards thefe different Actions, that he would make no Diftinction between them, but approve or difapprove them equally, is too glaring a Falfity to need being confuted. There is therefore this Principle of Reflection or Confcience in Mankind. It is needlefs to compare the 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 lat-. ter. This Faculty is now mentioned merely 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 course 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

SERM.

I.

FROM this Comparison of Benevolence and Self-love, of our publick and private Affections, of the Courses of Life they lead to, and of the Principle of Reflection or Confcience as respecting each of them, it is as manifeft, that we were made for Society, and to promote the Happiness of it; as that we were intended to take Care of own Life, and Health, and private

our

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 such a Correfpondence between the inward Senfations of one Man and thofe of another, that Difgrace is as much avoided as bodily Pain, and to be the Object of Efteem and Love as much defired as any éxternal 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 Courfe 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 Cli

mate,