NATURAL THEOLOGY. 139 



to what are called physical or natural evils,) a con- 

 siderable part come within the scope of the follow- 

 ing observation : — The great principle of human 

 satisfaction is engagement. It is a most just dis- 

 tinction, which the late Mr. Tucker has dwelt 

 upon so largely in his works, between pleasures in 

 which we are passive, and pleasures in which we 

 are active. And, I believe, every attentive ob- 

 server of human life will assent to his position, 

 that, however grateful the sensations may occa- 

 sionally be in which we are passive, it is not these, 

 but the latter class of our pleasures, which consti- 

 tute satisfaction ; which supply that regular stream 

 of moderate and miscellaneous enjoyments, in 

 which happiness, as distinguished from voluptuous- 

 ness, consists. Now for rational occupation, which 

 is, in other words, for the very material of con- 

 tented existence, there would be no place left, if 

 either the things with which we had to do were 

 absolutely impracticable to our endeavours, or if 

 they were too obedient to our uses. A world, 

 furnished with advantages on one side, and beset 

 with difficulties, wants, and inconveniences on the 

 other, is the proper abode of free, rational, and 

 active natures, being the fittest to stimulate and 

 exercise their faculties. The very refractoriness 

 of the objects they have to deal with, contributes 

 to this purpose. A world in which nothing de- 

 pended upon ourselves, however it might have 

 suited an imaginary race of beings, would not 

 have suited mankind. Their skill, prudence, in- 



