n' Ito SELF-LOVE AND VIRTUE RECONCILED. world to come from that God whose will he obeyed here in this present world, bylong and constant self-denial. The same is evident also in social life. Ifthere be a God, it is evident to reason, that this God, who is the commonFather of all his creatures, did not make awhole society for the sakeof .one mast, brit every single man is rather made for the sake of society ; and the interests of a society, are of superior impor- tance to the interest of each single person. Therefore, in the -viewof God their common Father, who is wiseand just, the preservation and happiness of a whole society of crea- tures which he has made, by their steady practice of social virtue, even though it be to the detriment of any single man, is to be preferred to the preservation and happiness of any single man, with the detriment or danger of a whole society. Now a whole society would be injured by any man's wilful neglect of social virtues : Therefore the will or law of God requires, that social virtue he practised by everyman ; and that oftentimes with the neglect of any single man's present interest, where they are inconsistent*. Now an obedience to this will of God is religion, And yet this God, who is a wise and righteous Governor of the universe, and is good to all his creatures, does not forbid the rati- oral dictate of self-interest, that is self- preservation, or self-feli- citation, to exert itself in a proper manner, but only gives it another turn or direction in particular cases : For even the light of nature and reason teaches us, that the righteous and. almighty Governor may be expected to recompence present self-denial, performed in mere obedience to his will, with future life and felicity ; for he can punish or reward after death. And thus our better life, and our ultimate felicity; are secured evenby those acts of social virtue whereinwe expose, or lose our pre- sent life or present happiness. ,This trust in thedivine recom- pence isreligion. Andupon this view of things a starving or a drowning man, if he be never so much stronger than his neighbour, may deny himself of some present. advantage or comfort, or may neglect to secure life itself, in order to keep the rule ofjustice, and to obey his Maker therein. ßeason itself will dictate to him this self- denial and steady virtue; for hereby he not only obeys his Ma - ker's will, but he pursues his own best interest, and his highest happiness; even the favour of his Maker, and the reward of his o' It is not any part of my design here to adjust all the proportionable eircu.m- Lances or oppositions of single and social interests ; much less can I say, that the 1=.+st interest ofa society, is preferable to the greatest interest of a single person. All that I think necessary to be said here, is, that opon the supposition of a God, the interest ofsocieties, sOleris paribus,,is ofa superior importance to the interest of single persons, and carries in it a stronger obligation. But to adjust every single, possible case, may sometimes afford considerable difficulties, though this general rule stands firm,
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