Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/412

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232
Marcus Antoninus's

you doubled some dangerous Cape, you'l have nothing but a steady Course, a smooth Sea, and a Land-lock'd Bay to receive you.

XXIII. Every Operation that ceases in due time, suffers nothing by breaking off: Neither does the Agent receive any harm upon this Score. Thus Life, which is nothing but a Series, and Continuation, of Action, comes to no Damages, by having a seasonable Period put to it : Neither does he that lays this Motion asleep, sustain any Loss, provided 'tis done at a proper Juncture. Now Nature assigns the Term, and sets out the Bounds of Life; sometimes this Period is fix'd by particular Nature, or force of Constitution, as it happens when a Man dies of Old Age ; but let it come late, or early, Common Nature [1] has certainly a Hand in't. And thus the Parts of Nature changing from one Form to another; preserve the World in perpetual Youth, and Vigour. Now that is always as it should be, both as to Time, and Quality, which makes for the Service of the Universe. [2] From hence it follows that bare Dying can be no real Evil, seeing there's nothing of Baseness or Moral Turpitude in't: For 'tis both Involuntary with respect to our selves, and serviceable to the general Interest. Therefore therecan

  1. God.
  2. See Book 4. Sect. 23. Book 5. Sect. 8.