us the most pleasure. What else then appears to
be the Rule, or Measure of Men’s actions acting
purely with respect to the pursuit of happiness as
their chief End, but the determinations of that Faculty
in them which, in reference to the different properties
and relations discernable in Things, can alone be the
Judge what will, in the whole, procure to them the
most pleasure? And thus the very desire 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, and deceitful,
not a real and solid Good, have produc’d this
ill effect, that many from the absurdity hereof are
confirm’d in an evil indulgence of their Appetites,


