nations God had given him power to trample under foot; infomuch that he, who was before generous, became barbarous and tyrannical. Egypt, Afia, and Macedon, held up their heads a while; but not refifting the torrent of lewdnefs that came upon them, they fuffered themselves to be overwhelmed with mifery and confufion.

Nor has this calamity been peculiar to monarchies; for feveral republicks have fallen by the fame mischief. That of Lacedæmon, or Sparta, fo fevere in her conftitution, and so remarkable for the virtue of her people, and that for many ages, at laft growing flack in the execution of her laws, and fuffering corruption infenfibly to creep into her manners, fhe became no more confiderable, but weak and contemptible.

The fame may be faid of Athens, the great school of learning; and of all the republicks of Greece, most famous for her virtue and philofophy, when that word was understood not of vain difputing, but of pious living: fhe no fooner fell into luxury, but confusion and revolutions made her as inconsiderable, as she had been great.

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Rome, as she was the greatest commonwealth, fo the greatest example of the Gentiles in virtue and vice, in happiness and in mifery: her virtue and greatnefs are commemorated by Auftin the father, and the latter made the effect of the former. God,' faith he, gave the Romans the government of the world, as a re<ward for their virtue.' Their manners were fo good, and their policy fo plain and juft, that nothing could ftand before them. And truly, they feemed to have been employed by God to punish the impious, and to inftruct the barbarous nations: and fo very jealous was fhe of the education of her youth, that he would not fuffer them to converfe with the luxurious Greeks. But careleffness, with length of time, overcoming the remarkable fobriety of her manners, who before feemed invincible, fhe falls into equal, if not greater miferies, than thofe that went before her; though the had not only warning enough from their example, but

from

from Hannibal's army, and her great enemy: for one winter's quarter of Hannibal and his army in the luxurious city of Capua, proved a greater overthrow to them, than all the Roman confuls and armies had given them. They that had been victors in fo many battles, turned flaves at laft to dancers, buffoons, cooks, and harlots; fo as from that time they never did any thing fuitable to the reputation gained by their former actions; but fell without much difficulty into the Roman hands. Nay, not long before, Rome herself encountered one of the greatest dangers that ever had befallen her, by the corruption of her own people, in the fame place, by the like means: and though this defection was recovered by thofe that remained entire in their manners, yet after the overthrow of Antiochus, Mithridates, Tigranes, fo that the riches and vices of Afia came with a full ftream upon them, the very heart of the city became infected; and the lewd Afiaticks had this revenge in their own fall, that they ruined, by their vices, thofe they were no ways able to refift by their force; like the ftory of the dying centaur. Thus pride, avarice, and luxury, having prepared Rome for deftruction, it foon followed. Virtue now grew intolerable in Rome, where vice dared not for ages to fhew its face. The worthiest men were cut off, by profcriptions, battles or murders, as if the refolved ipfam virtutem exfcindere: fhe destroyed her own citizens, and fent for ftrangers to protect her, which ruined her. Which proves, that the kingdom or state, that, under God, doth not fubfift by its own ftrength, prudence and virtue, cannot ftand: for the Goths, Hunns, and others, despised to serve those, whom they excelled in power and virtue; and instead of guarding, took their dominion from them. And truly it might rather be called a journey, than a military expedition, to go and pillage Rome; fo weak had her vices made her. Thus fhe, that was feared by all nations, became the prey of all nations. about her. So ended that once potent and virtuous commonwealth.

The

The Vandals in Africa foon became effeminate and lewd, which brought upon themselves fpeedy ruin. The Goths fet up a powerful kingdom in Spain and part of France, and by the fobriety of their manners, it flourished near four hundred years, but its end was not unlike the reft. Two corrupt princes, Vuitza and Roderic, by their diffolute example debauched the people, infomuch that men ran an hazard to be virtuous: this made their destruction easy to those whom God fent against them; which were the Moors, occafioned by the last of these kings difhonouring Count Juliano's daughter. In the time of his calamity, in vain did he expect the aid of those that had been the flatterers and the companions of his vices: his fecurity (the effect of his luxury) was his ruin. For whilft he thought he had nobody to fubdue but his own people, by abufing them he cut off his own arms, and made himself an eafy prey to his real enemies: and fo he perifhed with his pofterity, that had been the caufe of the mischief which befel that great kingdom. However, fo it came to pafs, that the remainder of the Goths, mixing with the ancient Spaniards (to that day diftinct) recovered the liberty and reputation of the kingdom by an entire reformation of manners, and a virtue in converfation as admirable, as the vices by which their fathers had fallen were abominable. But the present impoverished state of Spain can tell us, they have not continued that virtuous conduct of their ancestors; the increase of their vices having decayed their strength, and leffened their people and their com

merce.

But why should we overlook our own country? that whether we confider the invasion of the Romans, Saxons, or Normans, it is certain the neglect of virtue and good difcipline, and the prefent inhabitants giving themselves up to eafe and pleasure, was the caufe (if Gildas the Briton, and Andrew Horn may be credited) of their overthrow: for as the first bitterly inveighed against the looseness of the Britons, threatning them with all thofe miferies that afterwards fol

lowed;

lowed; fo the laft tells us, that the Britons having forgotten God, and being overwhelmed with luxury and vice, it pleafed God to give the land to a poor people of the northern parts of Germany, called Saxons, that were of plain and honeft manners.' God is unchangeable in the courfe of his providence, as to these things: the like caufes produce the like effects, as every tree doth naturally produce its own fruits. It is true, God is not carelefs of the world; He feeds the young ravens, clothes the lillies, takes 'care of fparrows, and of us, fo as not an hair of our heads falls to the ground without his providence ;' but if men despise his law, hate to be reformed, spend their time and eftate in luxury, and perfift to work wickedness, he will vifit them in his wrath, and confume them in his fore displeasure. To conclude, wars, bloodshed, fires, plunders, waftings, ravishments, flavery, and the like, are the miferies that follow immoralities, the common mischiefs of irreligion, the neglect of good difcipline and government.

Nothing weakens kingdoms like vice; it does not only difplease heaven, but difable them. All we have faid, proves it: but above all, the iniquity and voluptuoufnefs of the Jews, God's chofen, who from being the most prudent, pious and victorious people, made themselves a prey to all their neighbours. Their vice had prepared them to be the conqueft of the first pretender; and thus from freemen they became slaves. Is God afleep, or does he change? Shall not the fame fins have the like punishment? At least, shall they not be punished? Can we believe there is a God, and not believe that he is the rewarder, as of the deeds of private men, fo of the works of government? Ought we to think him careful of the leffer, and careless of the greater? This were to fuppofe he minded fparrows more than men, and that he took more notice of private perfons than of ftates. But let not our fuperiors deceive themselves, neither put the evil day afar off; they are greatly accountable to God for thefe kingdoms. If every poor foul must account for the employment VOL. IV.

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of

of the small talent he has received from God, can we think that those high ftewards of God, the great governors of the world, that fo often account with all others, muft never come to a reckoning themselves? Yes, there is a final feffions, a general affize, and a great term once for all, where he will judge among the judges, who is righteous in all his ways. There private men will anfwer only for themselves, but rulers for the people, as well as for themselves. The difparity that is here, will not be observed there; and the greatness of fuch perfons as fhall be then found tardy, will be fo far from extenuating their guilt, that it will fling weight in the fcale against them. Therefore give me leave, I do befeech you, to be earnest in my humble address to you: why should ye not, when none are fo much concerned in the good intention of it? Thus much for the first reason of my supplication.

M

SECT. IX.

Of the second motive to this addrefs.

Y fecond reafon urging me to this humble and earnest address, is the benefit of posterity. I would think that there are few people fo vicious, as to care to fee their children fo; and yet to me it feems a plain cafe, that as we leave the government, they will find it: if some effectual course be not taken, what with neglect, and what with example, impiety, and the miferies that follow it, will be entailed upon our children. Certainly, it were better the world ended with us, than that we should tranfmit our vices, or fow thofe evil feeds in our day, that will ripen to their ruin, and fill our country with miferies after we are gone; thereby expofing it to the curfe of God, and violence of our neighbours. But it is an infelicity we ought to bewail, that men are apt to prefer the base pleasures of their prefent extravagancies, to all endeavours after a future benefit; which, befides

the