The Christian life Author:John Scott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: which the Faculties of our Natures will be indif- pofed to relifh and perceive it) there is a pofiti've Happinefi which (as I faid before) confifts in a conftant... more », free and vigorous Exercife of the Faculties about fiich Objects as are moft convenient and fuitable to their Natures. For Happinefs in the general includes Perfection and Pleafure, both which are neceflarily included nfuch an Exercife of the Faculties. For then the Faculties are Per- fect, when they are freely, conjlantly and vigor oujly employed about fuch objects, as are more congruous to their feveral Natures; when they are recovered from all indifpofitions, whether natural, or moral, to thofe proper motions and exercifes for which they were framed; and do freely, con- ftantly, and without any clog or interruption direct all their courfes towards fuch Objects as are their natural Centers. And then the Faculties are moft pleafed and delighted too -when they are moft vigoroufly exercifed about that which is moft fuitable to them ; when they are not only determined to fuch Objects as are moft agreeable to their Natures, but do alfo act upon and exert them- felves towards them with the greateft Sprightli- nefs and Vigour. Thefe things I thought meet to premife concerning Happinefs in the General, as being very needful to the clearer refolution of the prefent Enquiry, viz. Wherein confifts the Heaven or Happinefs of a Man. In fhort therefore, the proper Heaven and Happinefs of a Man, confider- cd as a rational being, confifts in the conflant, free, and fprightful Exercife of his Faculties about fuch Objects as are moft convenient to his rational NatureNature, which confuting wholly of Under/landing and Will, that is, of a Faculty of Knowing and a Faculty of Chufing, the moft fuitable Ob- jecTs of it are fuch as are m...« less