lue Men a-right. And therefore I ftand aftonifh'd to hear Ballads against Mofes and David, fo much admir'd by fuch as confefs there is a God, that the Scriptures are his Dictates, and they the Penmen of these Scriptures, and fo Secretaries to God: Nor do fuch Scoffers make good Statesmen; for none are fuch, fave they who from a Principle of a Conviction and Perfuafion, manage publick Affairs to the Advantage of those who employ them: Whereas they who believe that nothing is worth their Pains, can never do any thing with Affection and Vigor; and fince they care not for the Things themselves, and fcorn fuch as employ them, they must never care for what Events attend them. Have we not feen fome of these great Wits prove the worst of all States-men in our own Days? and as far below the Meanest in Management, as they were above the Wiseft in Wit and Sharpness. What Friends also these prove,is fufficiently understood to those whom they have loft for a Jeft, after all the Services they could have done them: And it is very obfervable, that if Three or Four of them be in a Room, they who remain after fuch Conversations will fall on him who is gone, with all the Malice imaginable; and we very feldom fee Two fuch Wits true Friends.

I fhall end thefe Reflections with this Addition, that generally Satyrs are made up of Impiety,Malice or Bawdry; the Firft, unworthy of a Chriftian; the Second, of a Gentleman; and the laft, of a Sober Man; and in which Railers have Atheifts for their Mafters, Satyrical Wafps for their Comrades, and oft-times Fools and Mad-men for their Superiors. Unhappy Men, who do Things that they must be afham'd of, and whereof the Pleasure is leffen'd in the prefent Time by Checks of Confcience, and grows bitter afterwards by Gg 2 Fear

Fear of Torments; a quality our Saviour never countenanc'd, which his Favourites have ever zealously decry'd, in which Buffoons and Players have exceeded the greatest Kings, the moft Renowned Heroes, and the Wifeft Men; a cowardly Extravagancy,which ever attacks the Weak; and a merciless Humour, which triumphs over the Unfortunate: Upon which accounts all Men make it their Intereft to expose the Scoffer, as finding in his Ruin their own Self-defence; and because they know he cannot be pleased, except they be miferable; therefore they conclude, that they cannot be fecured till he be humbled.

I defign not by this to leffen the Efteem due to true Wit, and that Pleasantnefs in Converfation which arifes from it as Flowers from the Root. The Almighty certainly defign'd to make all Men happy, and there is no Happiness without Pleafure; and as he rejoyced, when he faw that all that he had made was Good, fo he was defirous that Man might find out this Good, both for making himself thereby Happy, and for inviting him the more to magnify the Creator, and therefore to sweeten the Miferies which naturally imbitter Human Life: God has illuminated fome with a Pleasantnefs of Humour, which rejoyces the Society into which they come, as the Sun illuminates the Room into which it enters: these are they who having Peace of Confcience at home, are are thereby allowed to be glad; and who having Wit, employ it in turning the right fide of Things to them, understanding as well to find out what is pleasant in any Object, as Artists do to find a Mine of Gold in a barren Mountain. This is the true Ufe of Wit; and if at any time they ufe it to treat Vice or Extravagancy in ridicule, it is not from Malice to the Perfon, but from

Defire to reform him, and Mankind by him. There is a Juftice in Scourging, Defaming, and Banifhing Vice; and this Jurifdiction is given by Heaven immediately to fuch as have Sense of whom, upon that account, the greatest Rulers ftand in awe; and fo much Reverence is due to them, that the reft of Mankind beftow Applaufe according to their Inclinations: Bitternefs then, and fullen Morofeness in Wit, is the Tyranny of this Jurifdiction: If it be infolent, it is the wrong fide of this delicate Picture, a flashing Light, which at first dazles, but thereafter blinds; a delicious Fruit corrupted into Bitternefs, and a beautiful Face wrinkled by fretting Humours.

The Ancients term'd Wit a Salt; and that is not fit for Food, but for Seafoning; it may be us'd plentifully in Conversation, moderately in Bufinefs, but never in Religion.

They who enter into a Faction, do not properly Reason weakly: but defert Reafon altogether, as one does who leaves his own to go into another Country, whereof the Laws, Customs and Language are different. The Design and Center of Faction is to drive on fuch a Project, and adhere to thofe who profecute it. And therefore nothing must be allow'd or argu'd but with refpect to thefe. Hence it is, that in vain. you Reason with them; for one may Tranfubftantiate as foon as Convert them; all that their Friends fay is unanswerable, and they contemn and scorn what is faid by their Adverfaries when. they cannot answer it; there is no Crime they dare not commit, for the Guilt feems but fmall when divided amongst fo many Bearers; they warm themselves by clubbing into a kind of Belief, and they vote themselves into a fhadow of Infallibility; whilft they cry out against others Ġ g 3

as

as Slaves to the Government, they become really Slaves to the Faction, their Liveries and Chains being feen by all, except themfelves: But the great Salary with which their Bondage is to be rewarded, is Applaufe from their Friends, or it may be the Mob, to whom naturally their Appeal lies, and the getting into the Government, where they will be abhorred for practising every thing they formerly decry'd, and fo have that Reputation for which they toil'd, blafted by their own old Arguments: This Extravagancy is in it felf fo unacceptable to all devout and reasonable Men, that it is forc'd to ufe Railery to baffle Religion by Bigotry, and Reafon by Railery; and I believe that Faction was the firft Introducer of the one into the Church, and of the other into the State.

My chiefest Wish then fhall be, that God who has ennobled me with right Reason, may make me happy in the right Ufe of it; that I may neither fell it for Money, nor barter it for Fame; and that it may never be dazled by the fhining Brightnefs of Favour, nor clouded by the black Shadows of Fear; and tho' the Portion beftowed upon me be very fmall, that yet I may employ that one precious Talent fo, as that I may have from my Glorious Mafter that only defirable Character, Well done, good and faithful Servant; thou hast been faithful in a few things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Matth. 25. 23.

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