On tke Moral Influence of History. \W^ 



:a?piring, IJut even thou, with all thy wonderful 

 , virtues, polislied in the midst of barbarism, 

 learned in the midst of ignorance, religious in 

 the midst of superstition, and on a. throne the 

 .father and >tlie friend of thy people, art byta* 

 , tjie- bright , p^eteor, which for a moment illu- 

 minates the; dark fjice of night, ^nd isr^oon 

 .obliterated and lost in the returning glootit.u> 

 .• When, we farther observe, that the prospect 

 .9>f, the vice and misery which has at all times 

 .^xis^ed, according to the report of history, hj^ 

 le4 even men of superior discerHment and deep 

 reflection into religious doubts and sceptipisra, 

 assuredly no little danger in,- this respect is.tobt 

 apprehended to the light and superficial reader. 

 For, if any thing can make him doubt of;the 

 superintending agency of a wise and good 

 Providence^, it is certainly the vi?\v of those 

 dismal tragedies which are continually taking 

 place on the theatre of the world ^ wherein the 

 principal actors not only escape with apparent 

 impunity, butTcap the reward oftheit wick^- 

 cdness, wherein suffering innocence and virtue 

 are trampled on and insulted, while triumphant 

 villany loads it with an unpitying and savage 

 rule. 



It is true that these conclusions against the 

 moral government of the wprld, from the seem- 

 ing triumphs of vice, arid> which terminate ia 



