Page:Characteristicks of men, manners, opinions, times Vol 2.djvu/63

Rh nution of Piety. For whilst God is belov'd only as the Cause of private Good, he is no otherwise belov'd than as any other Instrument or Means of Pleasure by any vitious Creature. Now the more there is of this violent Affection towards private Good, the less room is there for the other sort towards Goodness it-self or any good and deserving Object, worthy of Love and Admiration for its own sake; such as is universally acknowledge, or at least by the generality of civiliz'd or refin'd Worshippers.

in this respect that the strong Desire and Love of Life may also prove an Obstacle to Piety, as well as to Virtue and publick Love. For the stronger this Affection is in any-one, the less will he be able to have true Resignation, or Submission to the Rule and Order of. And if that which he calls Resignation depends only on the expectation of infinite Retribution or Reward, he discovers no more Worth or Virtue here, than in any other Bargain of Interest: The meaning of his Resignation being only this, "That he resigns his present Life and Pleasures, conditionally for which he himself confesses to be beyond an Equivalent; eternal living in a State of highest Pleasure and Enjoyment." Rh