Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The…

A THUS approving of actions, because we therein act as in agreement with ourselves, or as one with ourselves,—and a thus disapproving and being uneasy in the consciousness of disagreeing and being inconsistent with ourselves in what we do,—is quite a different thing from approving or disapproving actions because in them we agree and are united with Being in general: which is loving or hating actions from a sense of the primary beauty of true virtue, and odiousness of sin.—The former of these principles is private: the latter is public and truly benevolent in the highest sense. The former (i. e. an inclination to agree ⟨p. 160⟩with ourselves) is a natural principle: but the latter (i. e. an agreement or union of heart to the great system, and to God, the head of it, who is all and all in it) is a divine principle.

IN that uneasiness now mentioned, consists very much of that inward trouble men have from reflections of conscience: and when they are free from this uneasiness, and are conscious to themselves, that in what they have acted towards others, they have done the same which they should have expected from them in the same case, then they have what is called peace of conscience, with respect to these actions. And there is also an approbation of conscience, of the conduct of others towards ourselves. As when we are blamed, condemned, or punished by them, and are conscious to ourselves that if we were in their case, and they in ours, we should in like manner, blame, condemn, and punish them. And thus men's consciences may justify God's anger and condemnation. When they have the ideas of God's greatness, their relation to him, the benefits they have received from him, the manifestations he has made of his will to them, &c. strongly impressed on their minds, a consciousness is excited within them of those resentments, which would be occasioned in themselves by an injurious treatment in any wise parallel.

IN that uneasiness now mentioned, consists very much of that inward trouble men have from reflections of conscience: and when they are free from this uneasiness, and are conscious to themselves, that in what they have acted towards others, they have done the same which they should have expected from them in the same case, then they have what is called peace of conscience, with respect to these actions. And there is also an approbation of conscience, of the conduct of others towards ourselves. As when we are blamed, condemned, or punished by them, and are conscious to ourselves that if we were in their case, and they in ours, we should in like manner, blame, condemn, and punish them. And thus men's consciences may justify God's anger and condemnation. When they have the ideas of God's greatness, their relation to him, the benefits they have received from him, the manifestations he has made of his will to them, &c. strongly impressed on their minds, a consciousness is excited within them of those resentments, which would be occasion'd in themselves by an injurious treatment in any wise parallel.