The book of nature translated and epitomiz'd. By George Sikes.

SECTION. III.

Two principal parts of self-love.

MAn, having two principal parts in his con∣stitution, a soul, and a body, has distinct de∣sires in reference to each; but all centring in self∣interest. The soul desires praise, honour, and the like, in reference to itself. In reference to the bo∣dy, it desires and affects sensual delights. Self-love then puts a man upon the seeking and looking af∣ter his own honour and bodily pleasur's, as his two principal goods. And from these two princi∣pal branches of self-love, do arise the secondary loves of all other things, as tending to the en∣crease, defence, or preservation of his own honour and sensual pleasur's. On these accounts, he must needs love, desire, and seek after outward riches, as conducible both to his honour and pleasures. He will also desire and seek after humane scien∣ces, offices, and dignities, as tending to the ad∣vance of his honour.

Thus from self-love do arise these vicious, evil, corrupt loves in man; pride, which is the love of his own honour, with a glorying in it; luxury and gluttony, which is the love of bodily delights; co∣vetousnes, which is the inordinate love of out∣ward things. And he that loves his own honour and pleasur's, does by necessary consequence hate

every thing, that tends to the diminution or de∣struction thereof. Hence arises anger, which is a love and desire of revenge against those that en∣deavour to diminish his honour or bodily plea∣sur's. Hence also spring's up another monster, en∣vy, which contein's in it a hatred of any other's good, as it tend's to the obscuring or diminution of his; as also a love of and delight in another's evil, if it diminish not, but rather tend to the en∣crease of his good. From the love of bodily plea∣sures, do arise negligence, sloth, intemperance, incontinency, and the rest. Thus may we se, how that all vices do arise and spring up from self-love.