With heaven's own thunders fhook the world below, 270 So drives felf-love, through juft, and through unjust, All join to guard what each defires to gain. "Twas then the ftudious head or generous mind, The Faith and Moral, Nature gave before; 275 280 285 Taught Power's due ufe to People and to Kings, That touching one muft ftrike the other too; 295 Where 300 Where fmall and great, where weak and mighty, made But all Mankind's concern is Charity: All must be false that thwarts this One great End: Yet make at once their circle round the Sun; 305 310 375 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. 1. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, anfwered from ver. 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, ver. 30. God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be fo, 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 confift 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 happiest, 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 conftitutes a Happiness, whose object is universal, 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 O EPISTLE IV. H HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim! 5 Good, Pleasure, Ease, Content! whate'er thy name: Where grows? where grows it not? If vain our toil, '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 afpire, Wing'd with ftrong hope, and borne by full defire; That eafe, for which in want, in wealth we figh; That cafe, for which we labour, and we die. |