A SURE GUIDE то HAPPINESS. "Ob Happiness! our beings end and aim, "Plant of celestial feed, if dropt below, Say in what favour'd foil thou deign't to grow." POPE. F there be any truth fully ascertain ed by reason and revelation, it is this, That "Man is not but to be happy." Surely the mighty author of our being can have no selfish view in our creation. His happiness is too immenfe and too fecure to receive increase, or to fuffer diminution from any thing that we can do. "Can a man profit his Maker, or what need hath the Almighty of our fervices?" A MORE important queftion claims. our regard. Wherein confifts the happinefs of Man? In order to answer this, we must remember, that man is composed of two natures, an animal and a rational, each of which is bleft with capacities of enjoyment, and muft have its correfpondent objects of gratification before man can be happy. Hitherto we have confidered him in the first of these, in his animal capacity: We have placed before us, a creature of noble shape, erect and fair, formed of nerves and fibres, and endued with appetites and feelings.. THOUGH this his animal nature be infinitely inferior to his rational, yet fince the happiness of the latter cannot be complete, while the former is destitute of its proper goods, we have devoted the two preceding books to the best interefts of his animal nature. We have taken the liberty to fend him to Old. CORNARO CORNARO and Dr. FRANKLIN, to hear their excellent lectures on health and competence, which all allow to be two very choice ingredients in the cup of happiness. Nay, fome entertain fo high an opinion of these, as to declare, that if CORNARO and FRANKLIN could infure a quantum fufficit of them, they would be content, and ask no better happiness than what they could extract from thefe. BUT let it be remembered that this is not the language of the wife, but of the flothful, and of fuch as are pushed for money, who frequently experiencing the painfulness of being dunned, and fometimes tafting the sweets of eafe and pleasure, are ready to conclude, that if they had but money enough; Oh if they had but money enough to retire from the fatigues and vexations of business, and to fpend delicious days and nights in all the varied joys |