Mindful of that bleffed and gracious Spirit, who now "maketh interceffion "for us with unutterable groanings,” and who shall plead our cause at the judgment-feat of Christ, the advocate will rejoice in the godlike task of patronizing the injured and oppreffed; of contributing, by his skill and industry, towards the elucidation of truth, the detection of villany, and the vindication of innocence. But he will never employ his learning for the establishment of falfehood, nor display his eloquence in favour of injuftice. Mindful of their happy lot, whom mercy fhall receive to glory, and of their fad eftate, whom juftice fhall hurry away to torments, we shall all provide against that day, which is to determine our fate for everlasting ages. Should a door of hope be opened to those unhappy wretches who are now reserved in chains, to be brought forth to judgment before an earthly judge, how eagerly would they prefs into it? Could forrow for their past offences, and unfeigned XI. unfeigned refolutions of amendment, pro- DISC. cure the royal pardon, restore them to a state of probation, and enable them to lay hold on life, how thankful would they be for the offer, how readily would they close with the propofal? This favour is graciously vouchfafed to us. For "behold, "now is the accepted time; behold, now "is the day of falvation. The judge ftand"eth before the door," but his entrance is not yet. The evangelical act of grace continueth in full force, and all are invited to partake of the benefits of it; that so having repented, and believed the Gospel, having kept the faith in a pure confcience, and kept it unto the end, they may obtain their pardon under the feal of the living God, and receive the promised reward, in the day of eternal recompence. For "there "is no condemnation to them that are in "Christ Jefus, who walk not after the “flesh, but after the fpirit." While therefore we blefs God, who preferveth to us the administration of justice in our land, let the present folemnity, by reminding us DISC. us of the trial we likewise must undergo, XI. be made profitable in things pertaining not only to this life, but also to that which is to come; that fo, when we fhall all meet again, after our feparation by the chances of life, and the ftroke of death, we may remember that we met on this day; and remember with pleafure, that we met not in vain. DISCOURSE XII. THE ORIGIN OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. ROM. XIII. 4. He is the minifter of God to thee for good. XII. T is impoffible for any one to confider, DISC. with attention, the harmony in which all the parts of the natural world conspire to act for the benefit of the whole, without feeling an ardent defire to learn, by whom and in what manner they were first framed and compacted together; how the agents were fuited to the patients, and the causes proportioned to the effects; so that the former have ever fince operated invariably in the production of the latter; and the refult hath been an uniform obedience to the laws originally impofed upon inani mate matter. VOL. II. U A diligent DISC. XII. A diligent furvey of the bleffings, for which the moral world is indebted to civil polity, and the due execution of it's edicts, must needs excite a curiofity equally earneft, and equally laudable, to enquire into the origin of so useful and neceffary an inftitution; to know, at what time, and under whofe direction, a machine was conftructed, capable, by a variety of well adjufted fprings and movements, of controuling the irregularities of depraved nature, and of ensuring to us, amidst the restless and contradictory paffions and affections of finful men, a quiet poffeffion of our lives and properties. A "state of nature" hath been supposed by writers of eminence upon this fubject, "when men lived in a wild and disorderly "manner; and though they had a princi ple of restraint from religion, and a kind "of general law, that exacted punishment "of evil doers, yet, as the administration "of this law was in common hands, and they had no one arbiter, or judge, with |