Conclufion and Recapitulation. 349 
granted them a longer date. Their deluhve fondnefs of mili- 
tary achievements, their impatient delire to extend their con- 
quers, and impofe their laws on mankind : their very fuccels 
in war, as well as their misfortunes in it, had a tendency to 
their ruin. What gives me hopes that heaven has mercy in 
ftore for us, is, that amidfl: our numerous vices and follies, we 
do not a£fe£t conqueft, nor have any inclination to difturb the 
repofe of mankind. Who can believe it is pleahng to a god of 
infinite mercy, to behold his creatures deftroying each other? 
Happy it has been ever thought for us, that the British em- 
pire is furrounded by the fea. We may boafl: of this advantage ; 
but whether it arife from the temper of the inhabitants of this 
iiland ; or its great fertility to tempt invaders ; no country has 
fuffered greater or more frequent convulfions. We are yet 
young in hiffory upon our prefent eftablilhment ; we have made 
vaft improvements, and bravely emerged from darkness and 
delusion. How ealily may we plunge again into misery and 
distress ! Let us look up to heaven with the mod zealous 
gratitude for all our advantages ; and above all conhder, what 
religion can fecure the temporal happinefs of a nation, on fo 
fteady a bads, as the tenets of chriftianity, being pure as we hold 
them ? Our religion is founded on a rock, againft which not 
all the powers of hell can ever prevail : if we obey its pre- 
cepts, the arm of omnipotence will be ftretched out in our 
defence! This is not a pious rhapsody : the decrees of heaven 
are infcrutable ! but when has the almighty permitted ruin to 
overtake a virtuous nation ? Great empires have funk into obli- 
vion : 
