ESSAY L 403 produce these evils, not in and of themselves, and by the original nature of things, but by reason of the endless humours and fol- lies, the errors andpassions of sinful fallen mankind, who enjoy and abuse these blessings. Again, are not a very great part of these pleasures owing to such an indulgence of appetites and sensible satisfactions, which by the corrupt and evil bias of our natures become danger- ous and fatal temptations to draw us into guilt and folly, into intemperance and shame, into painful anguish of conscience and bitter self-reflection ? And do not these very pleasures of the body prove the ruin of ten thousand souls? These pleasures might beused indeed with innocenceand wisdom ; but the unruly and vicious appetites and passions of men turn these sensual de- lights more frequently into a curse, which God in his original creation designed for blessings: I say, God the Creator at first designed them so ; but if you take them now with all these un- happy temptations, these powerful and mischievous influences, which by the folly and guilt of man are attached to them, they do not much look like the pleasures provided by a God for his innocent creature man : Scarce can they be called absolutely blessings, finless our natures were better suited to make use of them without such perpetual and prevailing danger and guilt. Think again, how short and transient are the pleasures of life ht comparisonof the pains of it ? How vanishing the sweetest sen- sations of delight ? And in many families and persons, how long and durable the days, the months, the years of fatigueor pain, or bitter sorrow ? How small is the proportion of sensible plea- sure to that of trouble, or pain, or uneasiness ? And how far is it over -balanced by the maladies, or miseries, the fears or sor- rows of life, among the greatest part of mankind ? And as for intellectual pleasures, how very few are there in this world who take satisfaction in them ? And among those few how many contentions and quarrels? IIow many crossing objec- tions, bewildered enquiries, unhappy mistakes and errors, as well as fatigues and vexations, are mingled even with intellectual enjoyments here on earth ? He that increaseth knowledge inr creaseth sorrow, saith the wisest of men ; Eccl. i. 1$. and upon the whole computation he calls it, vanity and veratzon of spirit; chapter ii. 17. And if we should add toall these evils, this most unhappy circumstance which belongs to every natural man who grows up in this world, viz. the great hazardof his livingin sin and rebellion against his Maker in Me world, and of being sent down to long misery, as a just punishment for it in another; this seems to increase the wretched condition of mankind in this present state to such a degree, that wordscannot express it, nor heart conceive. Say now, does mankind, coming into the world cc2
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