Series 1 > Journal of the Hon. John Erskine of Carnock, 1683-1687

INTRODUCTION
XXXV
those of the bodie, which preference never mises to make a
man all that he can wish; and if you can but fill your minde
when young with an eager desire of wisdome and knowledge,
nothing that is vain and empty will give you the least satisfac¬
tion : and you can never expect to please me till I see you
arrived at this pitch, that you have a treu sense of the foolish
useles pleasures of the body, which tend all to sin and cor¬
ruption (especially to those who have not their mind replenisht
with learning and verteu), and a clear sight of the advantages
a wise, pious, learned man has over all the ignorant, idle,
gawdie, gaiming, debautcht fops, which this world most
abounds with, that spend all their time in pleasing the senses,
making themselves ripe to be damned, without thinking they
have an immortal soul (more than the beasts) which their care
through Jesus Christ could take to everlasting glory, and their
neglect of, brings to everlasting misery. Now, your writing
to me that you believe this will not do; for it being trew
matter of fact, all must acknowledge it, tho’ indeed conviction
must be the first step ; but then if your practise do not demon-
strat more than your words, you will lose my affection intirely,
and ruin your poor self. But, Johnie, do not be frighted with
thoughts that a wise learned man must be deneyed all the
pleasures of the body: it is not so; he only is to furnish his
mind first, as being the most noble pairt, which deserves
greatest care, and from which all the outward pleasures receive
their trew taste and valow: for as much learning and know¬
ledge as one man has more than another, so much higher is all
that man’s pleasure than the brutish sinners, because he is
unbounded being innocent, and wishes for nothing but what
he can and may enjoy. . His wisdom also gives him a right
view, and power to improve all the delights of human nature,
as they were bestowed upon our first parents, then innocent;
but the ignorant, wild raike is never satisfied, always wishing
what he cannot obtain, and an evil conscience tormenting him
in all his enjoyments, gives him no more reall sensuall