but ordering their state in the world, Rev. xi. 15. to its behoof. In sum, there is not any one of the promises recited, but holds forth the utmost of what I intend to assert from them all; viz. that the Lord hath promised, that the magistrates whom he will give, own and bless, shall put forth their power, and act in that capacity, wherein he hath placed them in the world, for the good, furtherance, and prosperity of the truth and church of Christ. They shall protect them with their power, feed them with their substance, adorn them with their favour, and the privileges wherewith they are intrusted: they shall break their forcibly oppressing adversaries, and take care, that those who walk in the truth of the Lord, may lead a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. If then you are such magistrates as God hath promised (as, woe be unto you if you are not), know that he hath undertaken for you, that you shall perform this part of your duty, and I pray that you may rule with him therein, and be found faithful.

[2.] The second ground that I would point unto, as a bottom of your actings in this thing, ariseth from sundry undoubted principles, which I shall briefly mention. And the first is,

1st. That the gospel of Jesus Christ hath a right to be preached and propagated in every nation, and to every creature under heaven. Jesus Christ is the Lord of lords, and King of kings;' Rev. xvii. 14. The nations are given to be his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth to be his possession;' Psal. ii. 8, 9. He is appointed the 'heir of all things; Heb. i. 2. God hath set him over the works of his hands, and put all things in subjection under his feet;' Psal. viii. 7. And upon this account he gives commission to his messengers, to preach the gospel to all nations, Matt. xxviii. 19. or, to every creature under heaven; Mark xvi. 17. The nations of the world, being of the Father given to him, he may deal with them as he pleaseth, and either, 'bruise them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces as a potter's vessel;' Psal. ii. 9. He may fill the places of the earth with their dead bodies, and strike in pieces the heads of the countries;' Psal. cx. 6. or, he may make them his own, and bring them into subjection unto himself; which towards some of them he will effect; Rev. xi. 19. Now the

gospel being the rod of his power, and the sceptre of his kingdom, the grand instrument whereby he accomplisheth all his designs in the world, whether they be for life or for death; 2 Cor. ii. 16. he hath given that a right to take possession, in his name and authority, of all that he will own in any nation under heaven. And indeed, he hath in all of them, some that are his peculiar purchase; Rev. v. 9. whom in despite of all the world, he will bring in unto himself. To have free passage into all nations, is the undoubted right of the gospel; and the persons of Christ's good-will have such a right to it, and interest in it, that look from whomsoever they may claim protection in reference unto any other of their most undoubted concernments amongst men, of them may they claim protection in respect of their quiet enjoyment, and possession of the gospel.

2dly. That wherever the gospel is by any nation owned, received, embraced, it is the blessing, benefit, prosperity, and advantage of that nation. They that love Zion shall prosper; Psal. cxxii. 6. Godliness hath the promise of this life, and is profitable unto all;' 1 Tim. iv. 8. The reception of the word of truth, and subjection to Christ therein, causing a people to become willing in the day of his power, entitleth that people to all the promises, that ever God made to his church; they shall be established in righteousness, they shall be far from oppression, and for fear and terror, they shall not draw nigh unto them; whosoever contends against such a people, shall fall thereby. No weapon that is formed against them shall prosper; every tongue that shall rise against them in judgment, they shall condemn. For this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord;' Isa. liv. 14, 15. 17.

To the prosperity of a nation, two things are required:

(1st.) That they be freed from oppression, injustice, cruelty, disorder, confusion in themselves, from their rulers, or others.

(2dly.) That they be protected from the sword and violence of them that seek their ruin from without.

And both these do a people receive, by receiving the gospel.

(1st.) For the first, they have the promise of God, that they shall have judges as at the first; Isa. i. 26. Such as

in justice and judgment shall bear rule over them and among them, as the first judges whom he stirred up, and gave to his ancient people. Their officers shall be peace, and their exactors righteousness;' Isa. lx. 17. even the very gospel which they do receive, is only able to instruct them to be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord, for that only effectually teacheth the sons of men, 'to live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present world;' Tit. ii. 12.

(2dly.) And for the second, innumerable are the promises that are given to such a people; whence the psalmist concludes upon the consideration of the mercies they do and shall enjoy, happy is the people whose God is the Lord;' Psal. cxliv. 15. The glorious God will be to them a place of rivers and broad waters, in which no galley with oars, nor gallant ship shall pass by, the Lord will be their redeemer, lawgiver, king, and saviour;' Isa. xxxiii. 21. It will interest any people in all the promises that are made for the using of the church, to thrash, break, destroy, burden, fire, consume, and slay the enemies thereof: so far shall a people be from suffering under the hands of oppressors, that the Lord will use them for the breaking and destruction of the Nimrods of the earth, and this blessing of the nations do they receive by the faith of Abraham.

3dly. The rejection of the gospel by any people or nation to whom it is tendered, is always attended with the certain and inevitable destruction of that people or nation, which, sooner or later, shall without any help or deliverance be brought upon them, by the revenging hand of Christ.

When the word of grace was rejected and despised by the Jews, the messengers of it professedly turning to the Gentiles, Acts xiii. 46. xxviii. 28. God removing it from them, unto a nation that would bring forth fruit, Matt. xxi. 43. as it did in all the world, or among all nations, for a season, Col. i. 6. with what a fearful and tremendous desolation he quickly wasted that people, is known to all; he quickly slew, and destroyed those husbandmen, that spoiled his vineyard, and let it forth unto others, that might bring him his fruit in due season. Hence, when Christ is tendered in the gospel, the judges and rulers of the nations are exhorted to obedience to him, upon pain of being destroyed upon the refusal thereof; Psal. ii. 12. And we have the

experience of all ages, ever since the day that the gospel began to be propagated in the world. The quarrel of it was revenged on the Jews by the Romans, upon the Romans, by the Goths, Vandals, and innumerable barbarous nations; and the vengeance due to the antichristian world is at hand, even at the door. The Lord will certainly make good his promise to the utmost, that 'the kingdoms and nations which will not serve the church, even that kingdom and those nations shall utterly perish;' Isa. lx. 12.

4thly. That it is the duty of magistrates to seek the good, peace, and prosperity of the people committed to their charge, and to prevent, obviate, remove, take away every thing, that will bring confusion, destruction, desolation upon them; as Mordecai procured good things for his people, and prosperity to his kindred; Esther x. 4. And David describes himself with all earnestness pursuing the same design; Psal. ci. Magistrates are the ministers of God for the good, universal good, of them to whom they are' given, Rom. xiii. 14. and they are to watch and apply themselves to this very thing; ver. 6. And the reason the apostle gives to stir up the saints of God to pray amongst all sorts of men, in special for kings, and those that are in authority, to wit, that they may in general come to the knowledge of the faith, and be saved, and in particular discharge the duty and trust committed to them (for on that account are they to pray for them, as kings and men in authority), is, that we may ‘lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty;' 1 Tim. ii. 1-4. It being incumbent on them, to act even as kings and men in authority, that we may so do; they are to feed the people committed to their charge with all their might, unto universal peace and welfare.

Now the things that are opposite to the good of any nation or people, are of two sorts.

(1st.) Such as are really, directly, and immediately opposed to that state and condition, wherein they closed together, and find prosperity. In general, seditions, tumults, disorders; in particular, violent, or fraudulent breakings in upon the respective designed bounds, privileges, and enjoyments of singular persons, without any consideration of him who ruleth all things, are of this kind. If nations and rulers might be supposed to be atheists, yet such evils as these, tending to their dissolution, and not being, they would

with all their strength labour to prevent, either by watching against their commission, or inflicting vengeance on them that commit them, that others may hear, and fear, and do so

no more.

(2dly.) Such as are morally and meritoriously opposed to their good and welfare; in that they will certainly pluck down the judgments and wrath of God upon that nation or people, where they are practised and allowed; there are sins for which the wrath of God will be assuredly revealed from heaven, against the children of disobedience. Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as examples of his righteous judgment in this kind. And shall he be thought a magistrate, to bear out the name, authority, and presence of God to men, that so he and his people have present peace, like a herd of swine, cares not, though such things as will certainly first eat and devour their strength, and then utterly consume them, do pass for current; seeing that they that rule over men, must be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord, the sole reason why they sheath the sword of justice in the bowels of thieves, murderers, adulterers, is not because their outward peace is actually disturbed by them, and therefore they must give example of terror to others, who being like minded, yet are not yet actually given up to the practice of the like abomination, but also, yea principally, because he in whose stead they stand and minister to the world, is provoked by such wickedness to destroy both the one and the other. And if there be the same reason to be evidenced concerning other things, they also call for the same procedure.

To gather up now what hath been spoken: considering the gospel's right and title to be propagated, with all its concernments, in every nation under heaven, the blessing, peace, prosperity, and protection wherewith it is attended, when and where received, and the certain destruction and desolation, which accompanies the rejection and contempt thereof; considering the duty that by God's appointment, is incumbent on them that rule over men, that in the fear of the Lord they ought to seek the good, peace, and welfare, and prosperity of them committed to their charge; to prevent, obviate, remove, revenge that which tends to their hurt, perturbation, dissolution, destruction immediate from heaven, or from the hand of men, and in the whole administration to take care, that the worshippers of God in Christ may lead a