this point of service: ample manner in which our own church performs this duty.

Besides these general inducements to this duty, there are particular reasons which inforce it in the present season. Times of danger and distress, of guilt and deserved wrath, are most seasonable for recourse to the divine help and mercy in prayer: the gloomy days, the dissensions and animosities of parties, the universal licentiousness of all ranks, the general contempt of religious duties, and the heavy judgments that may be expected, dilated on. This first duty, prayer for kings, has been thus largely insisted on, by reason of its seasonableness to the present times.

II. The other, that of thanksgiving, need only be lightly touched.

For,

1. As to general inducements, they are the same, or very like to those which apply to prayer; it being plain, that whatever we are concerned to pray for, when we want it, for that we are bound to thank God, when he vouchsafes to bestow it. 2. As for particular motives, no one can be ignorant or insensible of the grand benefits by the divine goodness bestowed on the king and on the nation, which this day call for grateful acknowlegement. The recital therefore of trite stories and obvious reasons being omitted, all are requested to practise this duty, and to join in the concluding acclamations of praise and thanksgiving to God.

SERMON X.

ON THE KING'S HAPPY RETURN.

I TIMOTHY, CHAP. II.-VERSES 1. 2.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority.

SAINT PAUL in his preceding discourse having insinuated directions to his scholar and spiritual son, Timothy, concerning the discharge of his office, of instructing men in their duty according to the evangelical doctrine; (the main design whereof he teacheth to consist, not (as some men conceited) in fond stories, or vain speculations,' but in practice of substantial duties, holding a sincere faith,' maintaining a good conscience,' performing offices of pure' and 'hearty charity;') in pursuance of such general duty, and as a principal instance thereof, he doth here first of all exhort,' or, doth 'exhort that first of all' all kinds of devotion should be offered to God, as for all men generally, so particularly for kings and magistrates. From whence we may collect two particulars. That the making of prayers for kings' is a Christian duty of great importance. (St. Paul judging fit to exhort thereto πршτоν τάνтшν, before all other things;' or to exhort that before all things' it should be performed.) 2. That it is incumbent on the pastors of the church (such as St. Timothy was) to take special care that this duty should be performed in the church; both publicly in the congregations, and privately in the retirements of each Christian: according to what the Apos

1.

tle, after the proposing divers enforcements of this duty, subsumeth in the eighth verse; 'I will therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting.'

The first of these particulars, that it is a duty of great importance to pray for kings,' I shall insist on it being indeed now very fit and seasonable to urge the practice of it, when it is perhaps commonly not much considered, or not well observed; and when there is most need of it, in regard to the effects and consequences which may proceed from the conscionable discharge of it.

My endeavor therefore shall be to press it by divers considerations, discovering our obligation thereto, and serving to induce us to its observance some whereof shall be general, or common to all times: some particular, or suitable to the present circumstances of things.

I. The Apostle exhorteth Christians to pray for kings' with all sorts of prayer: with denσeis, or deprecations,' for averting evils from them; with poσevɣal, or petitions,' for obtaining good things to them; with évreugels, or occasional intercessions,' for needful gifts and graces to be collated on them as, after St. Austin, interpreters, in expounding St. Paul's words, commonly distinguish; how accurately, I shall not discuss it sufficing, that assuredly the Apostle meaneth, under this variety of expression, to comprehend all kinds of prayer. And to this I say we are obliged on divers ac

counts.

:

1. Common charity should dispose us to pray for kings. This Christian disposition inclineth to universal benevolence and beneficence; according to that apostolical precept, as we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men: it consequently will excite us to pray for all men; seeing this is a way of exerting good-will, and exercising beneficence, which any man at any time, if he hath the will and heart, may have opportunity and ability to pursue.

No man indeed otherwise can benefit all: few men otherwise can benefit many: some men otherwise can benefit none : but in this way any man is able to benefit all, or unconfinedly to oblige mankind, deriving on any somewhat of God's immense beneficence. By performing this good office, at the expense of

a few good wishes addressed to the sovereign Goodness, the poorest may prove benefactors to the richest, the meanest to the highest, the weakest to the mightiest of men: so we may benefit even those who are most remote from us, most strangers and quite unknown to us. Our prayers can reach the utmost ends of the earth; and by them our charity may embrace all the world.

And from them surely kings must not be excluded. For if, because all men are our fellow-creatures, and brethren by the same heavenly Father: because all men are allied to us by cognation and similitude of nature; because all men are the objects of God's particular favor and care: if, because all men are partakers of the common redemption, by the undertakings of him who is the common Mediator and Saviour of all men ; and because all men, according to the gracious intent and desire of God, are designed for a consortship in the same blessed inheritance; (which inforcements St. Paul in the context doth Entimate :) if, in fine, because all men do need prayers, and are capable of benefit from them, we should be charitably disposed pray for them then must we also pray for kings, who, even n their personal capacity, as men, do share in all those condiions. Thus may we conceive St. Paul here to argue: 'for all nen,' saith he, 'for kings;' that is, consequently for kings,' r particularly for kings;' to pray for whom, at least no ess than for other men, universal charity should dispose us. Indeed, even on this account we may say, especially for ings;' the law of general charity with peculiar advantage eing applicable to them: for that law commonly is expressed ith reference to our neighbor, that is, to persons with whom e have to do, who come under our particular notice, who by ny intercourse are approximated to us; and such are kings esecially. For whereas the greatest part of men (by reason of eir distance from us, from the obscurity of their condition, or or want of opportunity to converse with them) must needs slip eside us, so that we cannot employ any distinct thought or fection toward them: it is not so with kings, who by their ainent and illustrious station become very observable by us; ith whom we have frequent transactions and mutual conrns who therefore in the strictest acception are our neigh

6

bors, whom we are charged to love as ourselves; to whom consequently we must perform this most charitable office of praying for them.

2. To impress which consideration, we may reflect that commonly we have only this way granted us of exercising our charity toward princes; they being situated aloft above the reach of private beneficence:* so that we cannot enrich them, or relieve them by our alms; we cannot help to exalt or prefer them to a better state; we can hardly come to impart good advice, seasonable consolation, or wholesome reproof to them; we cannot profit or please them by familiar conversation. For as in divers other respects they resemble the Divinity; so in this they are like it, that we may say to them, as the psalmist to God, thou art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to thee.' Yet this case may be reserved, wherein the poorest soul may benefit the greatest prince, imparting the richest and choicest goods to him: he may be indebted for his safety, for the prosperity of his affairs, for God's mercy and favor toward him, to the prayers of his meanest vassal. And thus to oblige princes, methinks, we should be very desirous; we should be glad to use such an advantage, we should be ambitious of such an honor.

3. We are bound to pray for kings out of charity to the public; because their good is a general good, and the communities of men (both church and state) are greatly concerned in the blessings by prayer derived on them.

The safety of a prince is a great part of the common welfare; the commonwealth, as it were, living and breathing in him his fall, like that of a tall cedar, (to which he is compared,) shaking the earth and discomposing the state; putting things out of course, and drawing them into new channels; translating the administration of affairs into untried hands, and an uncertain condition. Hence, let the king live,' (which our translators render, 'God save the king,') was an usual form

* Privatorum ista copia est, inter se esse munificos.—Auson. ad Gratian.

Absit, Auguste, et istud sancta divinitas omen avertat, ut tu a quoquam mortalium expectes vicem beneficii-Mamerc. ad Julian.