only ground it hath to ftand upon: for without virtue, liber ty cannot fubfist.

• Nor, indeed, without piety, can virtue fnbfift. For our good affections are fo weak, our bad inclinations fo vehement, and the temptations of the world fo numerous and enticing, that we need every poffible prefervative. And evidently, the fear of God is the most awful reftraint from doing ill; and the ⚫ love of God the moft delightful inducement to do well. True • religion therefore must be established by the authority of the legislature, but with the tendereft regard to fcrupulous confciences and upheld in reputation by the countenance and ⚫ example of the great. Its minifters must be induftrious, and their fuperiors must see that they are, in teaching and defending it, and adorning their doctrine by refpectable and amiable behaviour. Its profeffors must be affiduous attendants on its exercises in the congregation, and serious practisers of its injunctions at home.

But particularly, in both places, they must be earnest with * God for their country's profperity, and fervently pray for the peace of Jerufalem. Many can do little elfe: but all can do fo much for it. In fome of our endeavours to ferve the public we may err: in this we are fure to be right. Often we know not what is beft for it: our heavenly Father always doth. * Poffibly in times of difficulty and danger, we may be tempted to defpair of the commonwealth: praying for it will remind us, that its fate is not in the hands of men, but of the Almighty. In all times, refentments, interefts, prejudices, frequently blind and miflead us: devout applications to heaven will compose our paffions, purify our intentions, obtain us light to guide our steps, and enlarge our views. Perhaps we have been diligent enough, or more than enough, in the use of ⚫ other means, conducive, as we imagined, to public good: but have never, humbly and heartily, ufed this. And yet, if we believe a righteous judge of the world, we muft furely believe that he takes notice of the addreffes which his poor creatures, with pious affections, offer up to him. Or could we doubt it otherwife, we are fully aflured of it in his facred word. Not that naming our wants informs him, or acts of fervile sub. miffion delight him, or unfit importunities prevail on him: but that praying in fpirit and in truth, while it feems intended to influence him only, hath a powerful influence on us and by ftrengthening the fenfe it expreffes, how dependent we are on his mercy, and what qualifications are needful to obtain it, fits us at the fame time to receive it, and grow better by it: whereas beftowing his favours on thofe, who are too negligent of

him to ask for them, might neither be fuitable to the holiness of his nature, and the honour of his government, nor indeed ⚫ contribute to their final advantage. Why then fhould we not ⚫ addrefs ourselves to the Lord of All, not in outward form only, ⚫ but inward reality; not merely at diftant seasons appointed for it, like this, but every day of our lives; that he would graciously protect the community of which we are members, and inftruct and excite us to perform properly our duty towards it? • His own declaration, even after he had promifed a bleffing, is: • I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Ifrael, to do it for them. And the direction of his prophet is, Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not filence, and give him no reft, till he • establish, and till he make Jerufalem a praife in the earth.

Affectionate vigilance, therefore, to do each his part for the fervice of the whole, and conftant prayer, that God would profper the united work of our hands, are the genuine demonftrations of that regard which we owe to the public welfare. Let us now confider what advantages will flow from expreffing ⚫ it in this due manner. They fhall profper that love thee. Worldly profperity is defigned to partake of the uncertainty of all worldly things: but fo far as any thing on our part can secure it, a virtuous and pious public fpirit muft. Princes, magi* ftrates, teachers of religion, military men, private perfons of all ranks and profeffions, who thus exprefs the love of their country, will be loved by it, and love one another. Such union will give them both the highest pleasure, and the greatest poffible ftrength: nothing will be done to betray or thwart the general intereft, but every thing imaginable to promote it: they will be bold in dangers, perfevere through difficulties, ⚫ furnish mutual affiftance at any hazard: allies will know they can trust them; enemies will refpect and dread them. Indeed they will have no enemies, but fuch as oppofe truth and right: and therefore, when they are driven to war, they will confider themselves as fighting the battles of God. But ufually, they will enjoy peace at home as well as abroad, and tafte the comforts of it without allay: each delighting in the others good; each feeling the tranquility, the wealth, the honour of the community, as his own; and rejoicing with humble thank. fulness, that his fhare in the production of it hath not been wanting. If fuch happiness be feldom feen, the reafon is, that fuch difpofitions towards it are feldom general. But let them be ever fo uncommon, and affairs for want of them ever fo unprofperous, whoever facredly preferves them in himself, and faithfully exerts them when he can, his foul fhall profper, as St. John expreffes it: be filled with the confolation, that he hath meant and endeavoured well, though furrounded with • examples

• examples and temptations to the contrary; and that none of the calamities that have happened, or may happen, can be laid to his charge. Were he to be entirely deserted by other men, he would fupport himself by our Saviour's reflection: behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be fcattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. Some, however, in the worft of times, will probably bear witness to him on earth: but God will certainly look down upon him with approbation from heaven; and bless him with a pleafing consciousness of his favour, the foretaste of future reward.

Let us now, on the other hand, contemplate the effects, I do not fay of downright ill-will to the public, which few, perhaps, can be wicked enough to harbour knowlingly, but of indifference, and preferring other confiderations to its advantage. If perfons in ftations of truft, fupreme or fubordinate, regard • empire, abfolute power, profit, pleasure, indolence, as their felicity: inferiors will, in proportion, be facrificed, oppreffed, exhausted, neglected. If thefe inferiors are principally intent on their own private gratifications of any kind, even where they have no fhare in the government, they will hurt it by ferving it remifsly or unfaithfully, and be miferable by unwilJing fubjection. But where the government is mixed, and divided between the Sovereign, the Nobles, and the Reprefen<tatives of the Commonalty; as it cannot be carried on at all in that form, without profeffions, on every fide, of a patriot fpirit; fo in the degree, in which these profeffions are false, there will be a wide door open for fupine mifmanagement, fel• fish projects, corruption, treachery: the vileft of men will` fhelter themfelves under plaufible appearances, and favourite • names; and be fupported by parties which they have artfully • raifed or careffed. At the fame time, they who think they • have the tendereft love for their country, perhaps will find, on • reflection, that in truth they love only the faction in which they have lifted; or though it be their country, if they have not • had tenderness enough for it, to examine coolly what conduct its interests require, they may accelerate its ruin, by increas ⚫ing the fiercenefs of contention, and lending the reputation of their good meaning to colour over the bad defigns of others. Free nations, therefore, as they are the happiest beyond com⚫ parifon, if the general advantage be the general object; so they are peculiarly uncomfortable, and exposed to danger from within and without, if divifions inflame men one against another, ⚫or the attention of each be confined to himself.

• Still

Still the Wife in their generation may imagine, that however impoffible it may be for the whole to profper, without the mu'tual affection of the parts, they shall profper the better for throwing off a principle that will be always interfering with <their interefts or inclinations. But they cannot attempt to throw it off, or even contradict it in a fingle inftance, without feverely condemning themselves in their hours of recollection. Or if they could, they would be detected in spight of all disguise, and abhorred by others, and moft by the wor thieft; which gives the hardest hearts much greater uneasiness than they are willing to own. Befides, through the mercy of Providence, their wicked schemes often fail of anfwering their ends; and firft to do wrong, and then be difappointed of their ⚫ aim in it, is double ignominy. Punishment alfo not uncommonly overtakes even the fecureft criminal. But fuppofing the felfifh wretch to fucceed: that fuccefs will tempt or provoke many more to imitate him, in hurtful defigns and unfair methods. If they act in oppofition to him, he may fuffer, as he deferves, by the example he has fet: if they act in conjunction with him, ere long fomewhat will difunite them. Or however, bad precedents naturally produce worse, and fo they multiply continually; till at laft the authors and encouragers of mischief are in their turn involved in it. But were they to escape for life, yet their pofterity, whose advancement, perhaps, is the main point which they have in view, muft partake, it may be largely, in whatever the commonwealth is brought to fuffer: befides the hereditary difgrace of fpringing from fuch ancestors. And if ill people, of every rank, would confider what figures their predeceffors in wickedness make now in daily talk; and are likely to make hereafter in history, if they be of confequence enough; and in how very different a light men of probity are feen, when the tranfient mifts that artifice, prepoffeffion, and refentment have raised, are dispersed: furely it must have beneficial influence on their conduct.'

The above fpecimen will enable our Readers to form fome idea of his Lordship's manner of writing; and those who chufe to perufe the difcourfes themselves, will find in them many just and ftriking reflections; a great deal of manly fenfe; in a word, many proofs of a clear head and a good heart.

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The Cafe of Authors by Profeffion or Trade stated, with regard to Bookfellers, the Stage, and the Public. No matter by whom. 8vo. Is. Griffiths.

HOUGH the fubject of this original and very ingenious

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performance, must have often furnished matter of converfation to Authors themselves, as well as to those who have had frequent intercourse or dealing with them, it appears a little furprizing, that none amongst that multitude of Writers, to which the difcovery of printing has contributed, have ever, within our recollection, entered before upon a profefied difcuffion of their fituation, with regard to the Public; and more especially when we perufe fuch inftances of neglect and grievance, as are recorded by this fenfible Author to have occurred to fome of his cotemporary brethren. For, as we do not chufe to denominate those men Writers, who can write legibly enough to employ a compofitor, and then pay for, or be credited with, print and paper, in order to publish such writings as merit no readers,—either from their containing nothing inftructive, entertaining, or new, or from their having a plain tendency to vitiate or mislead their Readers, which is ftill worfe; the neglect of the Public in fuch cafes feems to indicate their wisdom and justice, and becomes a proper punishment of the perfons who have affumed a fituation and importance to which they were unequal: and who remotely injure even the fociety itself, by a neglect of fomething for which they might be qualified. Such then, feeing they afpire at diftinction, may be difcriminated as Scribblers, fince the word Author, in a public relation, and in a literary fenfe, without the addition of any epithet, feems, contrary to the former, to be juftly entitled to a favourable acceptation, and intended to invest the wearer with fome degree of refpect, as it implies a perfon capable of augmenting the public fund of useful knowlege, or improving an innocent entertainment. Thefe, we apprehend, may really be maltreated by a culpable neglect from those persons whofe eminent rank and fituation in their respective countries fhould prompt them, in true policy, to attend to all means and inftruments capable of improving, informing, or even adorning that nation, of whofe reputation their principal members moft eminently participate. The Cafe of Scribblers then, a title which too many unjustly difclaim, has no material relation to the prefent Cafe.

Our Author's ferious yet witty manner of difcuffing his fubject, has difpofed us to this grave reflection on the state of Authors, whom it has, perhaps, been too customary to confider in an over ludicrous and infignificant light; and for want, in some measure, of the diftinction we have juft premifed. This may be an effect of vanity, in fuch as find a low and selfish gratifica

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