| OCR Text |
Show )Elii The PREFACE. The l' {{EFAC r EZLHHECC and Equality, and all other our equitablegTreatings 11:32:33, of him, in referenCe to promote our wellabeing, which. is moit ththlfnkf‘jV excellently fet forth in that (golden Rule of Retaliatton, ex- 0‘ q" " preffed b our leifed Saviour in the Crofpel, IVlmryoc-‘ucr 3e nay/r! t/gitt Mien" flaw/d do to you, dojow r0 Z/Jé'fil; And thefe without doubt are the greateit Endearmcnts of a moft fig, , nalHLove, becaufe it advanceth that inoft defirable end which was defigned by God for the accomplifliment of our ":Nature: and all other infiruments ordained for the attain, _ Xlii by a Civil Power, as 1'0 many profecutions of that great in; tendment ; unlefs where the great Law-giver hath fuperzindua The great ced fome poiitive Commands, to give a check to our unnatu4 ti‘i'gEJQL ral deiires, whereby the Natural and Civil Law of Sobriety is dopted "m" a‘the , i . . , . adopted into Religion, which is a Holy abftinence from fenfual Emmi enjoyments, either to fatisfy our unworthinefs of them, as bri%i;)inf§ merited by original and ac'tual prevarication; or in firm Rc'lyom fort to difpofe us to Religious Exercifes, ii) that the three great Natural Laws are refined by Chrifliian Philofophy, rent of this end, are fo many infiances. to pi‘olZ‘cute that in order to the Worfhip of God, Sobriety to our Perfons, "general love of Nature , attended with a third Lawl, that of Self/love, which is only tacrtely implyed in the and ]uitice to our Neighbours; The infiances of the Firfl: and higheft Law in reference to God, as prefcribed by God, immediately, or by his Deputies upon Earth, to whom as his Commifsioners, we ought molt readily to give Obedience. tianispa- ,‘Nl'oral‘ Law, and no where clearly fit, forth, becaufe eve; iiiiiiiicin‘ ry ‘Man is. fuppofed to be fo much akin to himfelf, that 3,223,333: he is fufficiently initrueted by Nature, with fuch infiru' gag?" mentslof Senfe and Reafon, as are fubfervtent'to Self-pre/ $113 mode'fervation, and will f0 regularly Treat his Body in gratifying The Second Law is directed to our Selves, which is to TheSecond Govern and preferve the more peculiar [Economy of our "Mfg" 7‘ ,. brietyre- ratecnjoy- his Appetite, in order to the enjoyment of fenfual Objects, iiiiiiiioiliiit that he will not pervert the choice Economy of Nature, gular ufe of iucli fenfual Objects, as tend to itie fupport inrointof 3533:2150, which Chriftian Philofophy calleth Sobriety, and is a mo- and llgllt recreation and refreihment of our Bodies; the 'l‘thhird Nature, by the conduct of Reafon, and bent: in the re» ""e‘ht" our Selves , bricty. tier-ate fruition of our fenfual Appetite, as far as it is perfe/ ctive of our Nature, and ferveth the ends of our Crea, tion, by nOt indulging our felves in the overafree Cups of VVine and Ptron Liquors, or the more brutiih and luxuri/ ant ufe of grofér Meats, which dwindle our briske vivide parts in a dull fottifli fiupidity; or when we debauch our . Third Law that referreth a , T, Sobriety. to ,our Neighbours, is that o $12320" Jui‘tice and Equality, which is managed by right Reafon, ‘flfifé‘c‘m felves in the deordinate ufe of Venery, and unkindly Luits ; and by Humane Contracts, and Civzi Conititutions. So that the former difcourfes, are as [0 many Premifes inferring this grand conclufion, that it'iaii was Graciomfly configned by his Creator, to a Bic-fled Efiate of Life, and was furniihed Originally with fuch natural afsiftances, as and in frequent frolicks our very Appetites grow faint in the enjoyment of Objects, which we have pafsionately defia would promote that high entendment of being made hap' Efggfvi'ég py; and as a free Agent, had power originally to render giggle? red; at lalt molt uiinaturally, propagating not our Selves, himfelf fo by his own Election, by comp ying with God's himreif but foeafes, which provetli difladvantageous to the great in; ,terei‘t and Deflgne of Nature, which is Self-prefirvation; fo that our Appetite is then irregular, when we do hurry its fatisfaction beyond the intendment of Nature, in which we difcompofe our Serene efiate of Life, by offering a vio/ lation to our Health, wherein by our folly, we HIUPC unrea, fonably act a liind of revenge, in giving our felves pain and torment, the fad confequents of intemperance, inci, dent to the breach of that Law which is deftrué'tive of our Nature, and that happinefs which is founded in the Law of Nature, propofed by fuch Cozilltitutfons, as were enacted by Maniscon- fii‘fii'; fifief‘appy Man,sa Commands, might fo obtain his Love and Grace, by obli' happy' ging his Neighbour in acts of Juitice, might purchafe his Favour and Friendihip, and being kind to himfelf in ta, king due meafure of Earthly enjoyments, it would much conduce to the preliirvation of his Health; but if Man he diiloyal, and oppofe his Makers Laws , he becomes an _ angryI judge and Avenger; and if he be unjui't in treating 32:32" his eighbour with fevere proceedings, he will make him keth him- his Eneniy, and then he mutt expect to be called to ac; $2,111?" count and profecuted as unfober to his own perion; and if SEES}? he purfuc the full fwinge of his wild irregular Appetite, gmfneisfli' an |
