300 Where small and great, where weak and mighty, made For Modes of Faith, let graceless zealots fight; 305 All must be false that thwarts this One great End: 310 315 And one regards Itself, and one the Whole. Thus God and Nature link'd the general frame, And bade Self-love and Social be the fame. ARGUMENT Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Happiness. I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, answered from ver. 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, ver. 30. God intends Happinefs to be equal; and to be so, it must be focial, fince all particular Happiness depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, ver. 37. As it is neceffary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods fhould be unequal, Happiness is not made to confist in these, ver. 51. But, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among mankind is kept even by Providence, by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear, ver. 70. III. What the Happiness of Individuals is, as far as is confiftent with the constitution of this world; and that the Good Man has here the advantage, ver. 77. The error of imputing to Virtue what are only the calamities of Nature, or of Fortune, ver. 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God fhould alter his general Laws in favour of particulars, ver. 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that, whoever they are, they must be happieft, ver. 133, &c. VI. That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with, or deftructive of Virtue, ver. 167. That even these can make no Man happy without Virtue: Inftanced in Riches, ver. 185. Honours, ver. 193. Nobility, ver. 205. Greatnefs, ver. 217. Fame, ver. 237. Superior Talents, ver. 257, &c. With pictures of human infelicity in Men, poffeffed of them all, ver. 269, &c. VII. That Virtue only constitutes a Happiness, whose object is univerfal, and whose prospect eternal, ver. 307. That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness confifts in a conformity to the ORDER Of PROVIDENCE here, and a Refignation to it here and hereafter, ver. 326, &c. EPISTLE 5 H HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim! Good, Pleasure, Eafe, Content! whate'er thy name: That fomething ftill which prompts th' eternal figh, For which we bear to live, or dare to die, Which still fo near us, yet beyond us lies, O'erlook'd, feen double, by the fool and wife. Plant of celeftial feed! if dropt below, Say, in what mortal foul thou deign'st to grow? Fair opening to fome Court's propitious shine, Or deep with diamonds in the flaming mine? Twin'd with the wreaths Parnaffian laurels yield, Or reap'd in iron harvests of the field? Where grows where grows it not? If vain our toil, We ought to blame the culture, not the foil: Fix'd to no spot is happiness fincere, 'Tis no where to be found, or every where: 'Tis never to be bought, but always free, 10 15 And fled from monarchs, St. JOHN! dwells with thee. Ask of the Learn'd the way? The Learn'd are blind: This bids to ferve, and that to fhun mankind; 20 Some VARIATION. Ver. 1. Oh Happiness! &c.] in the MS. thus, Oh Happiness, to which we all aspire, Wing'd with strong hope, and borne by full defire; That ease, for which in want, in wealth we figh; That eafe, for which we labour, and we die. FB Some place the bliss in action, some in ease, To truft in ev'ry thing, or doubt of all. Who thus define it, say they more or less Take Nature's path, and mad Opinion's leave; But fome-way leans and hearkens to the kind: 25 30 35 40 45 50 More |