' In Austin's account he was the gallantest of all the old Romans. [More exactly M. Atilius, M. F. L. N. Kegulus : Livy, £jnt. 18 ; Val. Max. iv. 4, sec. 6. — G.]
EPISTLE DEDICATORY. ' 243
A Catiline, says the satirist, a trouble of mankind, grows as the weed, almost everywhere ; but a Brutus, a worthy patriot, that bears the welfare of others, the true prosperity of his native land, upon his heart, and sets his eyes perpetually thereon for good ; such an one is a rare jewel, worthy of all honour and embraces wherever he is found.'
Men of public spirits, of all men, do most exalt the Lord, and honour the Lord ; and therefore the Lord, first or last, will most exalt them and hon- our them, 1 SanL ii. 30. In all the ages of the world, and in all the nations of the world, men of most public spirits have been best beloved, and most highly honoured. A man of narrow spirit is like the hedge-hog, that never goes abroad but to gather what he can for himself, whoever suffers by it ; but a man of a public spirit is like the pelican, that draws out her own blood for the good of others ; and therefore the light of nature, as well as the law of grace, will lead men by the hand to honour such.
4. FovMhly, Men of public spirits do most and best answer to one of the noblest and highest ends of theix creation.^ By the law of creation every man is bound to serve the public, to serve his generation. A nar- row, a private-spirited man is a shame to his creation, because he walks so contrary to the great intendment of God in it. It is a base and unworthy spirit for a man to make himself the centre of all his actions. The very heathen man could say, ' That a man's country, and his friends, and others, challenge a great part of him.' That man sins against the very law of his being who is swallowed up in his own private interests. Men of public spirits should not bear the sword of justice in vain, for by the law of creation they are bound so to handle it as to be 'a terror to evil-doers and a praise to them that do well,' Rom. xiii. 3, 4. It is cruelty to the good to spare the bad ; it is wrong to the sheep to let the wolves alone ; it. is the death of the lambs to spare the lions. ' If you will pity Cataline,' says one, ' pity Rome much more ;' let the whole have a share in your pity rather than a part. Pereat unus raagis quam unitas, Better have one injurious person sit mourning than a whole nation languishing, &c. Men of public spirits should be for the ease of all, and the peace of all, and the comfort of all, and the encourage- ment of all, and the safety of all. But this age is full of drones and ciphers, and of spiritless, lifeless men, who look at nothing, who design no- thing, who aim at nothing, and who endeavour nothing, but how to raise themselves, and greaten themselves, and enrich themselves, and build up themselves, though it be upon other's ruins. How many are there who are so swallowed up in their own interests and private concernments, that Gallio-like, Acts xviii. 17, the}^ care not whether the public sink or swim. These put me in mind of Jotham's parable, Judg. ix. 8-11, &c. The trees went forth to anoint a king over them. They go to the olive, to the fig tree, and to the vine. But shall I leave my fatness ? saith the olive ; shall I leave my sweetness ? saith the fig-tree ; and shall I leave my wine ? saith the vine, and go up and down for other trees ? This is the very temper, spirit, and carriage of many in our day. If you go to them and desire them to lay out themselves for the public
* Doth the bee gather honey for itself? Doth the sheep yield wool for itself? Doth not all creatures serve the community? Nonnobis solum luiti, said the heathen. — [Seneca. -G.]
244 A CABINET OF JEWELS.
good, Wliat, say some, shall we leave our ease, our pleasure, our profits ? and, say others, shall we run this and that hazard ? shall we lose such and such friends, and create to ourselves such and such enemies, to serve other men, to save other men, to advantage other men ? We cannot do it, we will never do it . Learned Tully was a zealous patriot and lover of his country ; he wished two wishes, though he never saw either of them eifected. One was, that he ' might see Rome settled in its just liberties ;' and the other was, that he ' might see every man's estate proportionable to his aftection and love to the public' Doubtless if Tally's wish might take place in our times, the purses of many would be more empty, and the public coffers would be more full. But,
5. Fift/tly, Of all men on earth, there are none that have such a stock of prayers going for them as men of public spirits. Men of public spirits are not only highly prized, and cordially loved, and greatly hon- oured, but they are also most upon the hearts of all sober and serious Christians, when they are in the mount with God. The lives of such are most desirable, and the deaths of such will be most lamented, who make it their business to serve their generation. Men of public spirits shall never die, as Jehoram did, undesired and unlamented, 2 Chrou. xxi. 20. Men of public spirits lie most open to snares, temptations, and oppo- sitions, &c. This all sober Christians well understand, and therefore they cannot but pray hard for such. The names, the lives, the liberties, the estates, and all the concernments of men of public spirits, always lie nearest their hearts, who lie nearest to the heart of Christ. Men of the greatest name, and of the greatest renown, and that have had the greatest stock of prayers going for them all the world over, have been men of public spirits. But,