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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 128, page id 778263916:0144
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Will. since chat which is Future, ill certainty come to be prelent; and then
having che same adrantase ofnearnels, ril Me its se lF in its Full dimen-
Lions, and discover his wiltul mistalre, wrtro judsed ot it by unequal mea-
Tures. Were the Pleasure of Drinkins accompanied, the verr moment a
Nan calres ofFhis ClaIS, With thac sick Scomach, and atceing Flead, wtrien
in fome Men are lure to follo noc mans hours alter, I think no bodr,
hacever Pleature he had in his Cups, wonld, on chese Conditions, ever
let Wine couch his Lips, Wtrichr vet he paily (vallos, and the cvil side
comes to be chosen orly by the Fallaer ot a little difference in time. BuF
if Pleasure or Pain can be (o leslened ontr by a tew hours removal, hou
much more WiIl ic be (0, by a Farther distance, 102 MIan, thac will not (ly a
due consideration, do, hac time ilI, 1. c. brino ic home uxon himselF) con
sider it as present, and there calce its true dimentions: This isthe way
e usually impose on our selves, in respect ot bare Pleature and Pain, orthie
true derrees of Hlappinets or Milery: The future loses its just proportion,
and What is prelent, obtains the preference as the preater. I mention nor
here cheerons Judoment, Whereby the absent are noc only leslened, bue
reduced to persect nothing; itren Nen enjoy What ther can in present,
and malse lure ofthat, concludine amils, That no evil vill chence FoIlON:
For chat lies noc in comparing the greatnels of future crood and Lvil,
Which isthat re are here speakrins ol: Bur in anocher lort ofirons judo
ment, Which isconcerning Ciood or Fvil, as it is considered, to be che
cause and procurement ot Pleasure or Pain, that will follon tromit.
5. 42. The cause of our judgine amiss, wtien e compare our pre-
Sent Pleature or Pain with future, scems to me to De the weat and narrou
Constirutions of our Minds. We cannot ell enjoy tro eleatures at once,
much less any Pleature almost, whila Pain pollelles us. The presene Plea
sure, is it be noc very languid, and almost none ac aII, AIIS OUx narTOW
Souls, and (0talces up aII our Minds, that it scarce lcaves any thouete
Ofthings absent: Or it manr of our Plcasures arenot Arono enouxh to ex-
clude the consideration ofthings at a distance; vet re havo (o freat an
abhorrence oFlain, that a litrle of ic extinguistres all our Plealures. A litule
bitter minoled in our Cup, leaves no relimr ot the sreet: and hence is
Comes, thar at any rate re delire to be rid ol the present Fvil, which ve
ore ape to thinle vothins absent can equal; since Wvhile the Pain remains,
we find noc our selves capable of any the least deoree of Hlappinels. TTence
we sce the present Pain, any one sutters, is altrays the orst; and tis rith
anguim chey cry Ou. Any other rather than this; nothins can beso into
lerable as what Y nou suffer. And theretoro our itrole Endcavours and
Thoughrs are intent to set rid ofthe present Pvil betore all things, as the
trst necelsarr Reprowards Iappiness, let wrhar ill Follo. Nothine, a5
epassionately chink, can excecd, or almost equal the Pain e fect: and
because the abstinenco trom a present Pleature chac ofters iE selF, is a POrt
Otlain, nar, oltentimes a very oreacono, tisno onder, that that ope
rates after the lame manner Pain docs, and lellens in our Thouxhus what
is future, and so forces us, as it ere, blindtold into irs embraces. Thus
much ot chie errono Judomient ve makre ot present and future Pleature
and Pain, ivlien they are compared tocether; and (o the absent conside.
red as future.
5. 43. TI. 45 +0 thines c00d or bad intheir Consequences, and by the apt.
nels is in them to procure us 500d or Fvil in che suture, me judce amiss
severat ways.
F. When ve judse thac so much Eril does not really depend on them,
aS in Truch CherCd0CS.
L0N ACr