8z A PERSUASIVE to < 



Now this fo valuable a good is the pecu- 

 liar reward of Virtue and Piety , i Sam. 

 z. 30. Them that honour me^ 1 will honour, 

 and them that dcffife me, Jhall be lightly 

 efteemed, Prov.4- 8,9. Solomon faith of Wif- 

 dom, that is the fear of God, Exalt her,, 

 and Jhe Jhall ^promote thee? and bring thee 

 to honour. She Jhall give to thy head an 

 Ornament of grace , and a crown of glory, 

 i^rov. ib. 7. Thememoryofthe jitfl is bleffed^ 

 but the name of the wicked Jhall rot, Prov. 

 3.35-. The wife Jhall inherit glory: But 

 Jhame Jhall be* the promotion of fools. Pi- 

 ety and Virtue command a refpeft from 

 all forts of Men. Good Men hold them- 

 felves obliged to give it, by the Command 

 of God, and the excellency of the thing, 

 it being a gift of God ; and wicked Men 

 though tfrey may deny that outward refpeft 

 that is due to good and righteous perfons ; 

 yet even thefe cannot but have an inward 

 veneration for Goodnefs and Religion. It 

 is very remarkable, that even the rude and 

 licentious Vulgar at Rome had fuch a reve- 

 rence of the Perfon of Cato, that though 

 fuch lewdnefs was" permitted by the Law 

 in the Feftival of Flora, yet fo long as he 

 was prefent in the Theatre, they could not 

 go on with their obfcene fports, nor have 



the 



