Patriotism Described and Recommended

GEORGE WYLLYS, Sec'y.

PATRIOTISM described and recommended.

FOR, he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

ONE objection which the enemies of christianity have made to the gospel-institution is, that it no where recommends a public spirit and the love of our country, or annexes any rewards to those patriot-virtues, which formed the distinguishing characteristic of the antient Greeks and Romans, and raised those celebrated republies to the highest pitch of power and opulence.—But whoever examines divine revelation with candor, will soon see that this is a groundless and unreasonable charge.—'Tis true, that intemperate zeal for the prosperity of a particular people,—that strong and unbridled passion for the national glory, which was what they understood by love to their country, and which, after all the encomiums lavished upon it, often p. 6prompted to great injustice to other nations, has no place in the scheme of christian morals, nor is it fit it should. Such a temper and conduct, instead of a beauty, would be really a blemish and defect, in a revelation designed to subserve the general good of society, and promote universal love and benevolence to all mankind. And had our saviour and his apostles, in the name of God, animated the Jewish nation to a warm zeal for their country and its liberties,—had they promised divine and eternal rewards to the exercise of this virtue, this, in the then present disposition and circumstances of the nation, would doubtless have been construed as a lawless attempt to subvert the constitution, and foment a spirit of sedition and rebellion in the state,—But if by love to our country be meant a well-tempered zeal for the public-good;—if an earnest desire for the welfare of the community to which we belong;—if a cordial and disinterested affection for our fellow-subjects;—if well-meant wishes for the national happiness, and the most active endeavours to promote its true interest, consistent with the general laws of charity, and the universal obligations of benevolence to the whole human race;—if this be the true notion of patriotism, and conveys the most rational idea of that truly amiable and generous virtue; 'tis no where so effectually taught as in the sacred oracles,—no where carried to so high a pitch of perfection as in the word of God.—Most certainly p. 6that charity which seeks not her own,

[1 Cor. 13.5.] will exert itself for the good of others;—that christian law of our divine master, which commands us

to love even our enemies,

[Mat. 5.44.] will not suffer us to overlook and neglect our friends;—that principle of universal benevolence which shines on millions, and incircles all mankind in its friendly embrace; will scatter its warmest and kindest influences on our dear country;—and those precepts which require us to maintain such a noble spirit of disinterested love to our brethren, as

to lay down our lives for their sakes

[1 John 3.16.] , would surely engage p. 7and animate us, even to die for the good of the community, if called by divine providence so to do.

ACCORDINGLY, there never was so glorious an instance of this noble and generous virtue, as we see exhibited in the life and actions of our blessed REDEEMER, the divine author of this institution. Warm with a generous, a disinterested benevolence to mankind; he laid down his life for their redemption: Animated by a true spirit of patriotism, he gave the most signal proofs of love to his country, and manifested the sincerest affection for the Jewish nation, from whom he sprung, according to the flesh. Hence arose that amiable concern he expressed for the miseries he foresaw coming upon them, in his moving and pathetic lamentation over Jerusalem, recorded by the evangelists. [Luke 13.34.] Hence were those kind endeavours he used to prevent these evils, by checking the tumultuous spirit then kindling amomg them, and engaging them to a peaceable subjection to the Roman government. And to this, may we not add, it was owing, at least in part, that, as he declared

he was not sent, except to, the lost sheep of the house of Israel

[Mat. 15.24.] ; so the whole of his public ministry was confined to that nation, and all those glorious and beneficent miracles he wrought, were limited to the country that gave him birth? May we not view these miraculous operations, in one respect, as so many solid attestations of true patriotism and striking evidences of love to his country? In this view, no doubt, they were considered by the men of that age: And therefore when the elders of the Jews apply to him, with a request from the Roman centurion, that he would come and heal his servant; they recommend him as one who was eminently possessed of this virtue, and as such, a very proper object of our Saviour's regard.—'He is worthy, (say they)

p. 7for whom thou shalt do this, for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

—He was a Roman officer: But as he was posted in Judea, he considered it as his country, p. 8and testified his affection to it, by public-spirited actions. [Whether this centurion was a proselyte to the Jewish church, or not, appears to me very uncertain. Mr. Pool's continuators upon the parallel place Mat. 8, rather think he was not, tho' some interpreters suppose he was. Our Saviour, in the commendation he gives of his great faith, seems rather. I imagine, to consider him as one who had hitherto lived in Paganism, and therefore his great faith in the power and grace of Christ was the more remarkable on that account "I have not found (says he) so great faith, no not in Israel." And in this view his building the Jews a synagogue will appear a more notable and striking instance of public spirit and love to his country.] And tho' he was probably educated in idolatry, yet such was his regard for his fellow-subjects among whom he lived, that he chearfully contributed to the support of the Jewish religion, and generously built them a synagogue, for the worship of the God of Israel, at his own expence. The true patriot will not abate of his love to his country, or desert its interests, barely because the religion therein professed and established, differs from his own: So far from it, that if there be nothing in such religion repugnant to the general laws of reason and morality, or subversive of the natural rights and liberties of mankind; he will look upon himself obliged to promote it, and chearfully contribute to its support. This then was the virtue, on account of which this Roman officer was recommended by the Jewish elders, as worthy the notice of our Saviour, and of which Christ accordingly testified his approbation by going and healing his servant. And in this view the words afford a proper argument for a discourse upon the virtue of PATRIOTISM, and naturally lead us to consider this noble principle in its nature,—properties,—and effects.