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Article THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. ← Page 3 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Repository.
cipally to adopt his observations . He has shewn that all the selfish passions depend upon the two of Love and Hatred , which are acquired by means of the physical sensations of pleasure and of pain ? - He has remarked , that when a person endures pain , and is able to detect the cause of it , the idea of pain is connected in his mind with that of the tiling which produced it ; , and if the object which occasioned pain be again presentedthe idea of painassociated with it , arises also . —¦
, , This idea consequently urges a person to avoid or to remove the object , and thus arises the passion of Dislike or Hatred . In the same manner , the passion , of Liking or Love is readily formed in the mind , from the association of pleasant ideas with certain objects which produce them . The passions of Plope and Fear are states of the mind depending upon the good or bad prospects of gratifying
love or hatred ; and joy or sorrow arises from the final success or disappointment which attends the exertions produced by love or by hatred . The disinterested passions are of a more abstract nature , but all arise from the selfish . Suppose that an individual has done to us many offices of kindnessand has consequently much contributed to our
, happiness , it is natural for us to seek with some anxiety for the continuance of those pleasures , which heis able to communicate . We soon discern , that the surest way of obtaining his friendly offices , is to make them , as much as possible , a source of pleasure to himself : we therefore do every thing in our power to promote his happiness , in return for the good he has conferred upon us , that thus we may attach him to
us as much as we are able . Hitherto all is selfish : we have been evidently endeavouring , for the sake of our own future gratification , to promote the happiness of this person ; but observe the consequence . We have thus , by contemplating the advantage to be derived to ourselves from promoting the prosperity of our friend , learned to associate a set of pleasant ideas with his happiness ; - but the link which has
united them , gradually escapes us , while the union itself remains . Continuing to associate pleasure with the well-being of our friend , we endeavour to promote it for the sake of his immediate gratification , without looking further ; and in this way bis happiness , which was first attended to only as a means of future enjoyment , finally becomes an end . Thus then the passionwhich was originally selfishis at
, , length disinterested , its gratification being completed , merely by its success in promoting the happiness of another . Thus is the origin of gratitude accounted for , which at last becomes a habit , and Mows spontaneously towards every man who has either been , or intended to be our benefactor . To extend this subject : —the pleasures which our country affords are numerous and great . The wish to
perpetuate the enjoyment of those pleasures , includes the wish to promote the safety and welfare of our countiy , without which many of them would be lost . All this is evidentl y selfish ; but , as in the progress of gratitude , it finally becomes disinterested . Pleasant ideas are thus strongly connected with the welfare of our country , after the tie which first bound them together has escaped our notice . The prosperity which was at first desirable as the means of future enjoyment , be
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Repository.
cipally to adopt his observations . He has shewn that all the selfish passions depend upon the two of Love and Hatred , which are acquired by means of the physical sensations of pleasure and of pain ? - He has remarked , that when a person endures pain , and is able to detect the cause of it , the idea of pain is connected in his mind with that of the tiling which produced it ; , and if the object which occasioned pain be again presentedthe idea of painassociated with it , arises also . —¦
, , This idea consequently urges a person to avoid or to remove the object , and thus arises the passion of Dislike or Hatred . In the same manner , the passion , of Liking or Love is readily formed in the mind , from the association of pleasant ideas with certain objects which produce them . The passions of Plope and Fear are states of the mind depending upon the good or bad prospects of gratifying
love or hatred ; and joy or sorrow arises from the final success or disappointment which attends the exertions produced by love or by hatred . The disinterested passions are of a more abstract nature , but all arise from the selfish . Suppose that an individual has done to us many offices of kindnessand has consequently much contributed to our
, happiness , it is natural for us to seek with some anxiety for the continuance of those pleasures , which heis able to communicate . We soon discern , that the surest way of obtaining his friendly offices , is to make them , as much as possible , a source of pleasure to himself : we therefore do every thing in our power to promote his happiness , in return for the good he has conferred upon us , that thus we may attach him to
us as much as we are able . Hitherto all is selfish : we have been evidently endeavouring , for the sake of our own future gratification , to promote the happiness of this person ; but observe the consequence . We have thus , by contemplating the advantage to be derived to ourselves from promoting the prosperity of our friend , learned to associate a set of pleasant ideas with his happiness ; - but the link which has
united them , gradually escapes us , while the union itself remains . Continuing to associate pleasure with the well-being of our friend , we endeavour to promote it for the sake of his immediate gratification , without looking further ; and in this way bis happiness , which was first attended to only as a means of future enjoyment , finally becomes an end . Thus then the passionwhich was originally selfishis at
, , length disinterested , its gratification being completed , merely by its success in promoting the happiness of another . Thus is the origin of gratitude accounted for , which at last becomes a habit , and Mows spontaneously towards every man who has either been , or intended to be our benefactor . To extend this subject : —the pleasures which our country affords are numerous and great . The wish to
perpetuate the enjoyment of those pleasures , includes the wish to promote the safety and welfare of our countiy , without which many of them would be lost . All this is evidentl y selfish ; but , as in the progress of gratitude , it finally becomes disinterested . Pleasant ideas are thus strongly connected with the welfare of our country , after the tie which first bound them together has escaped our notice . The prosperity which was at first desirable as the means of future enjoyment , be