Page:The Golden Wedding Ring.pdf/17

Rh tion of that eternal marriage of the Divine Love and Wisdom, which is the wonder and delight of angels, and of all good men; but where now upon earth shall we discover such a corresponding figure, except in pure and legitimate marriage? I conclude, therefore, and I flatter myself you will agree with me in the conclusion, that the married state is more agreeable to the order of than the single state; and, consequently, that it is more pleasing and acceptable to, since  must, of course, be best pleased with what is according to Hisown order.

I wish, said Miranda, you may succeed as well in proving your second point, as you have done in proving your first. Will you have the goodness to try now to convince me, that the marriage state has the advantage over the single in being more admissive of happiness, as much as in being more accordant to the order of ?I fear, replied Paternus, that there will be more difficulty in producing conviction on this point than on that which we have just been discussing, I will not say in your mind, but in the minds of the bulk of mankind, by reason of the very imperfect and inadequate ideas which people in general form concerning happiness. For the case is, that at this day happiness is usually confounded with pleasure, and few are at the pains to make the proper distinction between the two terms. Few, therefore, are enabled to discern the proper characters and qualities of each, and how pleasure is a mere external gratification, common alike to the human species and the brutal, whereas, happiness is an internal joy, the peculiar and distinguishing property of men and angels. Pleasure is of the body and its senses, but happiness is of the mind and its affections. Pleasure, again, is enjoyed by the wicked and the profligate, as well as by the pious and the good, but happiness is the exclusive privilege of the latter. Again, pleasure is frequently unconnected with and Religion, but happiness grows in no soil on which  does not shine