A Persuasive to a Holy Life, Tract · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of Pleaſure.
Fourthly, I Proceed to Pleaſure, which is either Bodily or Spiritual, Senſual, or Intellectual. But firſt I ſhall endeavour to explain what is meant by this Word Pleaſure, what is the true ſenſe and notion of it.
Pleaſure is that agreeable and delightful Senſe that is excited in the Soul, either by an impreſſion or motion made upon the outward Organs or Senſation, by any ſuitable Object, and cenveyed by the Nerves to the Brain; or elſe by internal conſideration and reflection upon any Object or Action by the Underſtanding. Thoſe are called pleaſant Taſtes or Smells which are apt to cauſe ſuch a gentle motion of the Nerves belonging to the Organs of thoſe Senſes, the Tongue and Noſe; as is naturally deſtined to excite a grateful and delicious ſenſe in the Soul: Thoſe delectable Sights, which in like manner affect our Eyes, as curious Pictures and Statues, artificial Engines, elegant and regular motions: Thoſe agreeable Sounds which have a charming influence on our Ears, as Muſick and Harmony. The Touch or Feeling is gratified and delighted by various motions of thoſe Nerves which do not miniſter to the other Senſes.
To the Senſes of Touch and Taſte, appertain thoſe Pleaſures, which by the wiſe Providence of God are annexed to the ſatisfaction of our Natural Appetites.
Theſe Appetites implanted in us, and all Animals, are to thoſe Things or Actions, which ſerve either to the ſupport and preſervation of the Individuum, or each particular Animal; or to the propagation of the Kind. Thoſe which ſerve to the ſupport and preſervation of the Individuum, are the Appetites of Meat and Drink, or the Actions of Eating and Drinking: To which the Divine Providence hath not only premiſed a painful Senſe of Hunger to be a Monitor to us when we have need of Meat and Drink, and compel us to the uſe of them; but hath alſo annexed Pleaſure to the very Actions of Eating and Drinking, which otherwiſe would have been no very grateful Exerciſe.
This Pleaſure of eating and drinking abides no longer than till the Neceſſities of Nature are ſatisfied, and ſo far Religion doth allow of it. When our Hunger and Thirſt are well appeaſed, all that follows is but a faint kind of Pleaſure, if it be not rather to be ſtiled Satiety, or Glutting: Yet doth not the uſe of Meats and Drinks conſiſt in an indiviſible point; there is a more moderate and reſtrained uſe of them: When we keep within the bounds of our Appetites, foreign, as Hippocrates calls it, not feeding to ſatiety, nor of the moſt delicate Viands. This ought to be our daily practice; and there is a more free and liberal uſe of them in feaſting, which is alſo allowed us upon occaſions of Joy; and on Days of Thankſgiving; as Marriages, Chriſtenings, Victory over Publick Enemies, Commemorations of great Mercies to Mankind in general, our own Nation, or our ſelves in particular: Such are the Feſtivals of our Saviour's Nativity, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, Miſſion of the Holy Ghoſt, &c. Our Saviour himſelf was pleaſed to honour a Marriage-feaſt with his preſence: And he accepted of a great Feaſt from Matthew at his calling, Luke 5.25. But to ſpeak in general, the Apoſtle ſaith, God giveth us all things richly to enjoy. And the Wiſeman, Eccleſ. 5.18. It is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the Sun, all the days of his life, which God giveth him; for it is his portion: And in the next Verſe he ſaith, It is the gift of God. The ſame we have, Chap. 3.13. So we ſee God allows us a free uſe, and cheerful enjoyment of theſe outward Bleſſings. We are to ſerve God with joyfulneſs and gladneſs of heart, for the abundance of all things, Deut. 28.47. God doth not prohibit us the uſe and participation of theſe or any other ſenſible Pleaſures, that are agreeable to Reaſon, or our true Intereſts; but only our Miſtakes and Exceſſes, in and about them (as the Biſhop of Cheſter ſpeaks) teaching us ſo to regulate our ſelves in the uſe of them, that they may truly deſerve the name of Pleaſure.
As for thoſe Appetites and Actions which tend to the propagation and continuance of the Species and the Pleaſures that attend them, God hath not denied us a mo…erate and regular ſatisfaction and uſe of them; nay, in ſome caſes commanded it.
Now the moſt ſincere Pleaſure proceeds from ſuch a moderate, regular, ſeaſonable, well circumſtantiate uſe; ſuch an enjoyment as may be reflected upon without horror, fear of puniſhment, or conſciouſneſs of guilt, which attends the exceſſive, irregular, unſeaſonable uſe, or rather, the abuſe of them, and renders the thought and memory of them very bitter and grievous: But of this particular I have written in a former *Diſſolution of the World. pag. …90.Treatiſe.
But here it may be objected, That our Saviour in the Goſpel hath abridged us of ſome Pleaſures of this kind, which are not in themſelves ſinful or unlawful, as having been permitted by God to the Jews, and practiſed by the Ancient Patriarchs, and other men eminent for Piety, without reproof, I mean, the uſe of many Wives.
To which I anſwer, That granting Poligamy not to be in its ſelf unlawful, or to have any natural turpitude in it; yet is our Saviour's Prohibition grounded up on good Reaſon, viz. becauſe God at the firſt created Mankind Male and Female; that is, one Female only, as well as one Male; and in effect he doth ſo ſtill; there being as many, nay more Males than Females born into the World: And therefore it is unreaſonable that ſome men ſhould have many Wives, becauſe they cannot have them unleſs others lack.
That there are more Males than Females born, appears, by the Catalogues in all places, where accounts have been taken of the number of each Sex: And I doubt not but the caſe is the ſame in all places where ſuch accounts have not been taken.
It may here be asked why theſe Appetites are ſo vehement and importunate?
I anſwer, To ſecure the great end of continuing the Species, and carrying on the World: For had they been weak and languid, it might have come to paſs that through inadvertency, or to avoid the labour and trouble of bringing up Children, and maintaining of Families, the greateſt part of men might have abſtained from ſuch Actions, and ſo the Race of Mankind by degrees have been extinct, and the World diſpeopled.
That theſe Appetites are ſo extravagant and irregular, and not without great difficulty to be moderated and ruled, or kept within bounds, as an effect of the Ap…ſtacy of Man: That God permits them ſo to continue, one cauſe may be, that th…y may be matter wherein to exerciſe Vertue: For were theſe vicious Inclinations, and inordinate Appetites taken away, were men left in abſolute indifferency to Good and Evil, there could be no ſuch thing as Vertue and Vice, nothing praiſe, or blame-worthy, no place for Rewards or Puniſhments. For the exerciſe of Vertue conſiſts in reſiſting, and ſtriving againſt viciuos Appetites, ſubduing Paſſions, and mortifying of Luſts; and thoſe that labour herein, are Vertuous Perſons. Thoſe that are ſlothful, that lay the Reins upon the Necks of their Luſts, and follow whither they lead and hurry them away, are vicious.
You will ſay, Are not theſe Exerciſes painful and repugnant to our Natural Appetites and Inclinations, and conſequently contrary to Pleaſure? Is not the ſubduing of Luſts compared to the cutting off of Members, which cannot be done without pain?
I anſwer, It muſt be granted, that there is difficulty at firſt in the New Birth, in paſſing from one ſtate to another, all excellent things being hard to obtain, Difficiliae quae pulchra. The Heathen Poet tells us.
foreign.
The Gods have ſet Sweat before Vertue, the way to which is long, ſteep and rough at the firſt: But afterward that becomes eaſy and delightful, which was at firſt difficult; and a great deal of pleaſure and joy attends the very contention with, and conqueſts of our Luſts and Paſſions; and that godly ſorrow that is required as one of the firſt acts in the change of our condition, is always accompanied with ſecret pleaſure: And as it is ſaid of wicked men, That in the midſt of laughter their heart is ſorrowful; ſo may it be ſaid of good men, That in the midſt of their ſorrow their heart is j…yful. On the other hand, there are far greater difficulties and pains to be undergone in the ſervice and drudgery of impetuous Luſts. *Biſhop Wilkins.The trouble of being cured is not ſo great as that of being ſick; nor is the trouble of being ſober comparable to that of being debauched, and intemperate. Non eſt (ſaith Seneca) ut quib …ſdam dictum eſt, arduum in virtutes & aſperumiter; plano adeuntur. Non v…nae vobis auct…r rei venio, facili… eſt ad beatam vitam via, inite modo bonis auſpiciis, ipſiſque Diis bene juvantibus, &c. The way to Vertue is not (as ſome have written) ſteep and rough, but plain and level. Let me become to you the Author of a new, and not frivolous thing. The way to a Happy Life is eaſy, do but enter upon it with God's help: It is much more difficult to do what the [wicked men] do. What is more facile than calmneſs and quiet of mind? What more laborious than anger? What more remiſs and void of trouble than Clemency? What more buſy and toilſome than Cruelty? Chaſtity is vacant and at eaſe: Luſt is always occupied and unquiet. He that tells Lies is hard put to it to maintain and make them good: and yet for all his ſhifts, is often detected, and put to ſhame: Whereas he that ſpeaks truth is void of all fear and trouble. The like may be ſaid of other Vertues and Vices compared together: So that Vertue is in it ſelf more agreeable to Reaſon, and more eaſy and eligible than Vice; and it proceeds from the pravity and corruption of our Natures, that we do not chuſe it accordingly.
Beſides, In all Pleaſures we are to conſider, whether the ſubſequent pain and ſorrow do not outweigh the preſent enjoyment; which if it do, the voluptua…y Philoſophers themſelves adviſe to abſtain from them. Now the Pleaſures of ſin, (as the Scripture calls them) as Intemperance and Impurity do often bring upon the committers of them Pain and Sickneſs, and ſometimes noiſome Diſeaſes in this Life, but, to be ſure, Eternal Miſery and diſtreſs in the world to come: Between which, and a ſhort and tranſient Pleaſure, there is no proportion. I might add hereto the Judgment of Seneca, concerning the filthineſs and unmanlineſs of theſe Vices of Intemperance and Luſt: Nulli (ſaith he) turpiùs occupati ſunt: No men are more ſordidly employed. Etiam ſi vana gloriae imagine teneantur, ſpeciosè tamen …rrant: Licet avaros mihi, &c. If men be taken with a vain image of glory, they err, but yet ſpeciouſly. Should you enumerate to me covetous perſons, or angry men, or ſuch as exerciſe unjuſt hatred, or war one againſt another; all theſe virilius peccant, ſin more manly: But ſuch as give up, or proſtitute themſelves to Gluttony, Drunkenneſs, and Luſt, eorum inhoneſta labes eſt; their ſtain is diſhon…urable and ſordid.
Of the Pleaſures of the Senſes of Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling I ſhall ſay nothing, b…t that if duly circumſtantiated, and placed upon proper Objects, they have no turpitude in them, but may lawfully be enjoyed. Of Seeing and Hearing I have ſaid ſomething in a former Diſcourſe.
As for thoſe things which we call by the name of Sports and Diverſions, Religion doth likewiſe admit of a moderate uſe of theſe: And what is beyond ſuch a uſe doth rather tire men, than recreate them: *Biſhop Wil…ns.It being as much the property of ſuch things to weary a man, when he is once ſufficiently refreſhed by them, as it is to refreſh him when he is wearied by other things.
Of Intellectual P…eaſures we ſhall ſpeak when we come to treat o… the happineſs of the inward man.
Here it may be objected, That the life of a Chriſtian is a melancholy and mournful life, and that we muſt take leave of all the Pleaſures and Delights of the World, when once we enter upon it. Doth not So…omon ſ…y, Eccleſ. 7.2. It is better to go to the ho…ſe of mourning, than to the houſe of feaſting, &c. v. 3. Sorrow is better than laughter, fo… by the ſadneſs of the countenance, the heart is made better. v. 4. The heart of the wiſe is in the houſe of mourning; and the heart of fools is in t…e houſe of mirth.
This is a great prejudice againſt a holy Life, and deters many men from venturing upon it. They are loath to part with all Mirth and Jollity and Pleaſure, which they eſteem the chief Happineſs of their Lives, and to live more reſtrained and regular Lives; at leaſt th…y deſire to enjoy them a little longer, till they are tired and glutted with them, deferring their Repentance to Sickneſs or old Age.
To this I anſwer, That innocent mirth and joy, or even feaſting it ſelf, are not abſolutely forbidden. The ſame Author tells us, That there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh: A time to mourn, and a time to dance: And that every thing is beautiful in its Seaſon; nay, Chriſtians are commanded to rejoice evermore. But in this place he compares Laughter and Sorrow, Feaſting and Mourning together, and prefers the latter, and upon very good reaſon; becauſe Feaſting is oftentimes an occaſion of temptation to intemperance and exceſs in eating and drinking; idle and vain talk; ſcurrilous and prophane jeſting; laſcivious Songs, which tend to corrupt mens Manners, effeminate their Minds, and bring them in love with ſenſual and bruitiſh Pleaſures. Where…s from ſorrow and mourning there is no ſuch danger, whatever the occaſion of it be; whether publick calamities, loſſes, death of Relations, or Friends. Thereby we are brought to conſider the uncertainty of all theſe outward Enjoyments, not to overvalue them, or ſet our hearts upon them, that ſo we may not be overwhelmed with grief at the loſs of them; to bewail our own and others Sins, which for the moſt part bring theſe afflictions and ſufferings upon our ſelves, or them; to condole with comfort and ſupport thoſe who are too much dejected and apt to ſink under their burthens.