No 5

Friday, January 6.

Omnium Societatum nulla eft gravior, nulla carior, quàm ea que cum republica eft unicuique noftrum: Cari funt Parentes, cari liberi, propinqui, familiares: Sed omnes omnium caritates patria una complexa eft: Pro qua quis bonus dubitet mortem oppetere, fi ei fit profuturus? Cic.

The ftrongest Connexion is that, which every Man has with his Country; which unites all the endearing Relations of Parents, Children, Kindred, and Acquaintance; and for whofe Service what good Man wou'd not even dare to die?

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HERE is no greater Sign of a general Decay of Virtue in a Nation, than a Want of Zeal in its Inhabitants for the Good of their Country. This generous and publick-fpirited Paffion has been obferved of late Years to languish and grow cold in this our Ifland; where a Party of Men have made it their Business to reprefent it as chimerical and romantick, to destroy in the Minds of the People the Senfe of national Glory, and to turn into Ridicule our natural and ancient Allies, who are united to us by the common Interefts both of Religion and Policy. It may not therefore be unfeasonable to recommend to this prefent Generation the Practice of that Virtue, for which their Ancestors were particularly famous, and which is called The Love of one's Country. This Love to our Country, as a moral Virtue, is a fix'd Difpofition of Mind to promote

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the Safety, Welfare, and Reputation of the Community in which we are born, and of the Conftitution under which we are protected. Our Obligation to this great Duty may appear to us from feveral Confiderations.

In the first place we may obferve, that we are directed to it by one of thofe fecret Suggestions of Nature, which go under the Name of Instinct, and which are never given in vain. As Self-love is an Inftinct planted in us for the Good and Safety of each particular Perfon, the Love of our Country is imprefs'd on our Minds for the Happiness and Prefervation of the Community. This Inftinct is fo remarkable, that we find Examples of it in those who are born in the most uncomfortable Climates, or the worst of Governments. We read of an Inhabitant of Nova Zembla, who, after having lived fome time in Denmark, where he was clothed and treated with the utmost Indulgence, took the firft Opportunity of making his Escape, tho' with the hazard of his Life, in. to his native Regions of Cold, Poverty, and Nakedness. We have an Inftance of the fame nature among the very Hottentots. One of these Savages was brought into England, taught our Language, and in a great measure polish'd out of his natural Barbarity: But upon being carried back to the Cape of Good Hope (where it was thought he might have been of Advantage to our English Traders) he mix'd in a kind of Transport with his Countrymen, brutaliz'd with them in their Habit and Manners, and wou'd never again return to his foreign Acquaintance. I need not mention the common Opinion of the Negroes in our Plantations, who have no other Notion of a future State of Happiness, than that, after Death, they shall be convey'd back to their native Coun

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try. The Swiss are fo remarkable for this Paffion, that it often turns to a Disease among them; for which there is a particular Name in the German Language, and which the French call The Diftemper of the Country: For nothing is more ufual than for feveral of their common Soldiers, who are lifted into a foreign Service, to have fuch violent Hankerings after their Home, as to pine away even to Death, unless they have a Permiffion to return; which, on fuch an Occafion, is generally granted them. I fhall only add under this Head, that fince the Love of one's Country is natural to every Man, any particular Nation, who by falfe Politicks fhall endeavour to ftifle or reftrain it, will not be upon a level with others.

As this Love of our Country is natural to every Man, fo it is likewife very reasonable; and that in the first place, because it inclines us to be beneficial to those who are and ought to be dearer to us than any others. It takes in our Families, Relations, Friends and Acquaintance, and, in fhort, all whose Welfare and Security, we are obliged to confult, more than that of thofe who are Strangers to us. For this Reafon it is the most sublime and extenfive of all focial Virtues: Especially, if we confider that it does not only promote the Wellbeing of these who are our Contemporaries, but likewife of their Children and their Pofterity. Hence it is that all: Cafuifts are unanimous in determining, that when the Good of the Country interferes even with the Life of the moft beloved Relation, dearest Friend, or greatest Benefactor, it is to be preferred without Exception,

Farther, tho' there is a Benevolence due to all Mankind, none can queftion but a fuperior De gree of it is to be paid to a Father, à Wife, or a Child.

a Child. In the fame Manner, though our Love fhould reach to the whole Species, a greater Proportion of it fhould exert itself towards that Community in which Providence has placed us. This is our proper Sphere of Action, the Province allotted to us for the Exercife of all our Civil Virtues, and in which alone we have Opportunities of expreffing our Good will to Mankind. I cou'd not but be pleas'd, in the Accounts of the late Perfian Ambaffy into France, with a particular Ceremony of the Ambaffador; who, every Morning, before he went abroad, religioufly faluted a Turf of Earth dug out of his own native Soil, to remind him, that in all the Tranfactions of the Day he was to think of his Country, and purfue its Advantages. If, in the feveral Diftricts and Divifions of the World, Men would thus ftudy the Welfare of those respective Communities, to which their Power of doing Good is limited, the whole Race of reasonable Creatures would be happy, as far as the Benefits of Society can make them fo. At least, we find fo many Bleffings naturally flowing from this noble Principle, that, in proportion as it prevails, every Nation becomes a profperous and flourishing People.

It may be yet a further Recommendation of this particular Virtue, if we confider that no Nation was ever famous for its Morals, which was not at the fame time remarkable for its Publick Spirit: Patriots naturally rife out of a Spartan or Roman Virtue: And there is no Remark more common among the Ancient Hiftorians, than that when the State was corrupted with Avarice and Luxury, it was in danger of being Betray'd, or Sold.

To the foregoing Reafons for the Love which every good Man owes to his Country, we may add, that the Actions, which are most celebrated in Hiftory, and which are read with the greatest. Admiration, are fuch as proceed from this Principle. The eftablishing of good Laws, the detecting of Confpiracies, the crufhing of Seditions and Rebellions, the falling in Battle, or the devoting of a Man's Self to certain Death for the Safety of Fellow-Citizens, are Actions that always warm the Reader, and endear to him Perfons of the remotest Ages, and the moft diftant Countries.

And as Actions, that proceed from the Love of one's Country, are more Illuftrious than any other in the Records of Time; fo we find that thofe Perfons, who have been eminent in other Virtues, have been particularly diftinguished by This. It would be endlefs to produce Examples of this Kind out of Greek and Roman Authors. To confine myfelf therefore in fo wide and beaten a Field, I fhall choose fome Inftances from Holy Writ, which abounds in Accounts of this Nature, as much as any other Hiftory whatsoever. And this I do the more willingly, because in fome Books lately written, I find it objected againft Revealed Religion, that it does not infpire the Love of one's Country. Here I muft premife, that as the Sacred Author of our Religion chiefly inculcated to the Jews thofe Parts of their Duty wherein they were most defective, fo there was no need of infifting upon this: The Jews being remarkable for an Attachment to their own Country, even to the Exclufion of all common Humanity to Strangers. We fee, in the Behaviour of this Divine Perfon, the Practice of this Virtue in Conjunction with all others. He deferred working a Miracle in the behalf of a SyroPhoenician