"

put in motion will give a fhock peculiar to itself, and all together will unite in one general blow fatal to the edifice, which they had erected. A prince, by becoming an object of the admiration of the world, becomes at the fame time an object of jealoufy, fufpicion, and terror. Hence come civil commotions and foreign wars. Hence the forming of leagues, and deep-concerted plots. Hence mortality, fcarcity, and famine. Hence heaven and earth in concert against a ftate, that feemed to defy both earth and heaven. Hence an eternal example to juftify providence in all future ages, and to demonftrate to the moft obftinate the doctrine of the text, that only rectitude can procure fubftantial glory.

Thus, we think, we have fufficiently established our prophet's propofition and we will finish the arguments, by which we have fupported it, by giving you the character of that author, who bath takes the greatest pains to fubvert it.* * Ho Was ope of thofe inconfiRent men, whom the finest genius cannot preserve from felf-contradiction, and whole oppofite qualities will always leave us in doubt, whether to place them in one extreme, or in another diametrically oppofite. On the one hand, he was a great philosopher, and knew how. to diftinguish truth from falsehood, for he could fee at once a connection of principles, and a train of confequences: on the other hand, he was great fophifter, always endeavoring to confound truth with falfehood, to wreft principles, and to force confequences. In one view, admirably learned and of fine parts, having profited much by the labors of others, and more by the exercife of his own great fenfe in another view, ignorant, or affecting to be ignorant, of the most common things, advancing arguments, which had been a thoufand

* Mr. Bayle.

thousand times refuted, and ftarting objections which the greatest novice in the schools durft not have mentioned without blufhing. On the one hand, attacking the greatest men, opening a wide field for them to labor in, leading them into de vious and rugged paths, and, if not going beyond them, giving them a world of pains to keep pace with him on the other hand, quoting the meaneft geniuses, offering a profufion of incenfe to them, blotting his writings with names that had never been pronounced by learned lips. On the one hand, free, at least in appearance, from every difpofition contrary to the fpirit of the gofpel, chafte in his manners, grave in his converfation, temperate in his diet, and auftere in his ufual courfe of life on the other, employing all the acutenefs of his genius to oppofe good morals, and to attack chastity, modefty, and all other chriftian virtues. Sometimes appealing to a tribunal of the most rigid orthodoxy, deriving arguments from the pureft fources, and quoting divines of the most unfuspected foundness in the faith at other times, travelling in the bigh toad of heretics, reviving the objections of ancient herefiarchs, forging them new armor, and uniting in one body the errors of past ages with thofe of the prefent time. O that this man, who was endowed with so many talents, may have been forgiven by God, for the bad ufe he made of them! May that Jefus, whom he so often attacked, have expiated his crimes! But, though charity conftrains us to hope and wifh for his falvation, the honor of our holy religion obliges us publicly to declare that he abufed his own understanding, to proteft before heaven and earth that we difown him as a member of our reformed churches, and that we fhall always confider a part of his writings as a scandal to good men, and as a peft of the church.

We return to our prophet. Let us employ a few

few moments in reflecting on the truths we have heard. Thanks be to God, my brethren, we have better means of knowing the righteousness that exalts a nation, and more motives to practise it, than all the nations, of whose glory we have been hearing. They had only a fuperficial, debafed, confufed knowledge of the virtues, which conftitute fubftantial grandeur: and, as they held errors in religion, they muft neceffarily have erred in civil polity. God, glory be to his name! hath -placed at the head of our councils the most perfect legiflator, that ever held the reins of government in the world. This legiflator is Jefus Chrift. His kingdom, indeed, is not of this world, but the rules he has given us to arrive at that, are proper to render us hapoy in the prefent ftate. When The fays, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and bis Tighteousness, and all other things shall be added to you, Matt. vi. 33. he gives the command, and makes the promise to whole nations as well as to individuals.

Who ever carried fo far as this divine legislator ideas of the virtues, of which we have been treating in feveral parts of this difcourfe, and by practifing which nations are exalted? Who ever formed fuch juft notions of that benevolence, that love of focial good, that generofity to enemies, that contempt of life, that wisdom, that veneration for noble exploits, that docility and frugality, that devotedness to public ufe, that diftance from falfe glory, that magnanimity, and all the other virtues, which render, antiquity venerable to us? Who ever gave fuch wife inftructions to kings and fubjects, inagiftrates and people, lawyers and merchants, foldiers and ftatef men, the world and the church? We know thefe virtues better than any other people in the world. We are able to carry our glory far be yond Egyptians and Perfians, Affyrians and Medes, Lacedemonians, Athenians, and Ro

*

mans

mans;

if not that fort of glory, which glares and dazzles, at leaft that, which makes tranquil and happy, and procures a felicity far more agreeable than all the pageantry of heroifm and worldly fplendor.

to us.

Far

Chriftians, let not thefe be mere fpeculations Let us endeavor to reduce them to prac tice. Never let us fuffer our political principles to clash with the principles of our religion. from us, and far from us for ever, be the abominable maxims of that pernicious Florentine,* who gave ftatefmen fuch fatal leffons as thefe: A prince, who would maintain his dignity, ought to learn not to be virtuous, when affairs of ftate require him to practife vice; he ought to be frugal with his own private fortune, and liberal with public money; he ought never to keep his word to his own difadvantage; he ought not so much to afpire at virtue as at the femblance of it; he ought to be apparently merciful, faithful, fincere and religious, but really the direct oppofite; that he cannot poffibly practife what are accounted virtues in other men, becaufe neceffity of state will often oblige him to act contrary to charity, humanity and religion; he ought to yield to the various changes of fortune, to do right as often as he can, but not to fcruple doing wrong when need requires.-I fay again, far from us be thefe abominable maxims! Let us obey the precepts of Jefus Chrift, and by fo doing let us draw down bleffings on this nation more pure and perfect than those which we now enjoy.

The bleffings we now enjoy, and which providence beftowed on us fo abundantly a few days ago,t fhould infpire us with lafting gratitude; however, my brethren, they are not, they ought not to be, the full accomplishment of our wishes. W Such

Machiavel. Princ. xv. xvi. xvii.

At the battle of Ramilies, May 23, 1706.

Such laurels as we afpire at, are not gathered in fields of battle. The path to that eminence, to which we travel, is not covered with human gore. The acclamations we love, are not excited by wars, and rumors of wars, the clangor of arma, and the fhoutings of armed men,.

Were our pleasure, though not of the pureft fort, perfect in its own kind, we should experience a rife in happiness! But can we enjoy our vicoTies, without mourning for the miferies which procured them! Our triumphs indeed abafe and confound our enemies, and make them lick the duft; yet thefe very triumphs prefent one dark fide to us. Witness the many wounds, which I fhould make a point of not opening, were it not a relief to mourners to hear of their fufferings ; were it not equitable to declare to thofe, whofe forrows have procured our joy, that we remember them, that we are concerned for them, that we fympathize with them, that we are not so taken up with public joy as to forget private woe. Witnefs, I fay, fo many defolate houses among Us. Witness this mourning in which fo many of us appear to-day. Witness thefe affectionate Jofephs, who lament the death of their parents. Witness these Marys and Marthas, weeping at the tomb of Lazarus. Witnefs thefe diftreffed Davids, who weep as they go, and exclaim, O Absalom, my son! my son Absalom! would God I bad died for thee! O Absalom, my son, my son 2 Sam. xviii. 33. Witnefs thefe Rachels, who make Rama echo with their cries, refusing to be comforted, because their children are not, Jer. xxxi. 15.

My dear brethren, on whom the hand of God is heavy, ye forrowful Naomis, ye melancholy Maras, with whom the Almighty bath dealt very bitterly, Ruth i. 20. we fhare your griefs, we mix our tears with yours, we feel all the blows

that