QUESTION I. 469 recompence, for the Judge of all the earth will do right ; Gen. xviii. 25. 3. 'Though the bulk of mankind in the present constitution of things could be proved to behappy, by their pleasures exceed- ing their pains, yet this gives no manner of satisfaction to any one individual, who suffers misery under the same constitution without any demerit. Every intelligent and innocent individual has the sameright to his Maker's regard in point of justice, as if there were no other creature but he; And the advantageor hap- piness of the majority is no reason at all, why any one innocent individual should suffer any injury or injusticeby the constitution which God has made. And therefore if God had constituted any thing in his creation or providence, which would bring the least injury, or unjust pain or loss on any individual, sensi- ble, or intelligent being entirely innocent, I think his justice would obligerhim to interpose, and to prevent that injury, or to compensate it with some superior good. If any one there- fore, whether man or child, among the race of mortals, and especially if a considerable number of them, have more pain than pleasure, they must be supposed to be involved in some guilt, or some fatal degeneracy, which may give just occasion to their misery. XII. To give a little further force to this argument, after the survey of all these pains, sorrows, and miseries, let us con- sider what poor, low, sorry pleasures the bulk of mankind are in pursuit of, to relieve them under this train of wretchedness, and then ask,;whether these are suited to a race of intelligent and innocent creatures ? Let us stoop down a moment and cast a glance at the sports of children, from five to fifteen years of age ; what have all these little toys and fooleries in them, that would be fit for young angels dressed in flesh and blood ? Would so many years of early life have been wasted in such mean and trifling diversions by a race of holy and rational be- ings ? And how much early iniquity and mischief-in thought, word, and action, is mingled with these sportings among the younger tribes of mankind, God only knows. As for the manly years of life, what are the greatest parts of the delightsof men, but either foolish and irrational satis- factions, or downright sinful ? What are the pleasures of the rich and the great, to relieve them under the common sorrows of life ? If it 'be not profuse luxury and itntemperance, which is often the case, yet is it not grandeur and magnificence, fur- niture and equipage, finery of dress and gay appearances, whereby they take a pride to shew themselves superior to the rest of their species ? And when they shine in silks of various dye, and blaze amidst the splendour of gold and jewels.; this is the vain satisfactionof most of them, to look down upon their
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