The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

That the whole World seemed to him as a narrow Prison, wherein he was miserable, and as it were suffocated, is true of every one. If the World was seated in the Heart of Man, it can no more satisfy it, than the Picture of a Feast can fill the Stomach. Besides, vexation is added to the vanity of worldly things. And that either because the vehement delights of Sense corrupt the temperament of the Body in which the vital complexion consists, and expose it to those sharp Diseases, that it may be said ⟨p. 61⟩without an Hyperbole, That a thousand Pleasures are not equal to one Hours pain that attends them: or, because of the inward torture of the Mind, arising from the sense of Guilt and Folly, which is the anticipation of Hell it self, the beginning of eternal Sorrows.

That the whole World seem'd to him as a narrow Prison, wherein he was miserable, and as it were suffocated, is true of every one. If the World was seated in the Heart of Man, it can no more satisfie it, than the Picture of a Feast can fill the Stomach. Besides, vexation is added to the vanity of worldly things. And that either because the vehement delights of Sense corrupt the temperament of the Body in which the vital complexion consists, and expose it to those sharp Diseases, that it may be said ⟨p. 61⟩without an Hyperbole, That a thousand Pleasures are not equal to one Hours pain that attends them: or, because of the inward torture of the Mind, arising from the sence of Guilt and Folly, which is the anticipation of Hell it self, the beginning of eternal Sorrows.

Now these things are not obscure Articles of Faith, nor abstracted Doctrines, to be considered only by refined Reason, but are manifest and clear as the Light, and verified by continual Experience: 'Tis therefore strange to amazement, that Man should search after Happiness in these things where he knows 'tis not to be found▪ and court real Infelicity under a deceitful appearance, when the Fallacy is transparent. Who from a principle of Reason would choose for his Happiness a real Good, which after a little time he should be deprived of for ever: or a slight good for ever; as the sight of a Picture, or the hearing of Music. Yet thus unreasonable is Man in his lapsed state, whose Soul is truly immortal, and capable of infinite Blessedness, yet he chooses those delights which are neither satisfying, nor lasting. And because the Humane Understanding from time to time is convinced of the vanity of all sublunary things, therefore to lessen the vexation which arises from Disappointment, and that the Appetite may not be taken off from them, corrupted Man tries;