ire of happiness, or love of pleasure, rightly pursu'd, does oblige
us to make the determinations or dictates of Reason, and not the
suggestions of present Appetite, the Measure, and Rule of our actions
in our pursuit after happiness. Which that we might possess was no
doubt the end of our Creator in giving us Being; since he could not
stand in need of, or be better'd by our Existence. And if that we
might be happy was the end for which God made us, it is most certain
that he has neither set any such measures to our Actions, or put any
such unhappy Biass upon our Minds, as shall necessarily contradict
this his end. Whence it again appears that the love of Pleasure
implanted in us (if we faithfully pursue it in prefering always that
which will, on the whole, procure to us the most pleasure) can never
mislead us from the observance of the Law of Reason: And that this Law
enjoyns only a right regulation of our natural desire of pleasure, to
the end of our obtaining the greatest happiness that we are capable
of: so that there is an inseparable connection, or relation of Moral
Good and Evil, with our Natural Good, and Evil. To assert therefore
that our chief Good does consist in pleasure, is far from drawing
after it any such consequence as many have pretended it does, in
prejudice to the Law of Reason, that Natural Revelation of Gods Will
to us; since no Man can upon due consideration thereof Judge, That the
Gratification of his present Appetites ought to be to him the Measure
or Rule of his Actions in consequence of Pleasures being his chief
Good: experience it self, we see, contradicting such a consequence:
and that so evidently that I think we do not in fact find that even
Those, who the most indulge to their Passions and Appetites, do so as
believing upon a cool examination thereof, that to do thus is the
truest Wisdom, in consequence of our greatest Good consisting in
pleasure; but such Men indulge to their present Appetites meerly as
being strongly induc'd (contrary oftentimes to the suggestions of
their own minds therein) thro' the love of pleasure, and abhorrence of
pain, to do, or forbear whatever they find will procure to them the
one, or free them from the other at the present Time; the
Gratification whereof They prefer to that which is Future. It is
however true that such declamations as are sometimes made against
pleasure absolutely (not the irregular pursuit of it) as if pleasure
was in its own Nature, a false,