L'exhort therefore, that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

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Need not tell any here, that this day is appointed by authority for an anniversary folemnity, in a grateful commemoration of the great mercy of God to thefe 'nations, in putting an end to the inteftine wars and confufions of many years, in reftoring to us our ancient government and laws, and in bringing home, as upon this day, the rightful heir of thefe kingdoms, to the crown and throne of his fathers. And though the glory of this day hath been not a little fullied and obfcured by many things which have happened fince that time, fitter now to be buried in filence and oblivion than to be mentioned and raked up; yet it hath pleased God, in fcattering thofe black clouds, which not long fince hung over us, to restore this day to its first luftre and brightness: fo that we may now with great joy look back upon it, as defigned by the wife providence of God, to make way for the happiness which we now enjoy under their prefent Majelties; by whom, under God, we have been de-. livered from that terrible and imminent danger which threatened our religion and laws, and the very conftitu-. tion itself of our ancient governinent. And to this occafion, no kind of argument can be more proper and fuitable, than that which the text affords to our confideration, in this injunction of St. Paul to Timothy, to

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take care, that, in the publick worship of God, fupplications and thanksgivings be put up to God, for kings, and fer all that are in authority. I exhort therefore, &c.

In which words there are four things confiderable. First, The duty here injoined; which is, prayer; expreffed to us in feveral words which seem to denote the feveral kinds or parts of prayer: I exhort therefore, that fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men for kings, and for all that are in authority, &c. Some of thefe words are of a very near fignification; and yet there feems fome difference betwixt them, moft probably this.

:

1. By Jenoes, which we render fupplications, is probably meant that part or kind of prayer wherein we fupplicate God for the pardon of our fins, and for the averting and removing of evils, whether temporal or fpiritual, from ourfelves or others.

2. By apoodya's which we render prayers, seems to be meant petitions for bleffings and good things from God; and thefe are molt properly called prayers.

3. By sus feems to be particularly meant pleadings and interceffions on the behalf of others.

4. By suxapsis is certainly intended praifes and thanksgivings to God, for his bleffings and goodness to ourfelves and others. This feems to be the difference between them; which, whether it be exactly fo or not, is not very material, fince these are unquestionably the feveral kinds or parts of prayer. All these several forts of prayer St. Chryfoftom, in his comment upon this text, tells us were publickly used in his time in the daily fervice of the church. "This (fas he) all communicants do know is done every day, morning and evening; how that we pray for all the world, for kings, "and for all that are in authority."

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Secondly, For whom we are to pray; in general, for all men. Our prayers are one of the greatest and best expreffions of our charity, and therefore ought to be as large and extenfive as our charity is. We are bound in common charity to love all men, and to with well to them; but our bare wishes fignify nothing, unless we direct them to God, who is able to confer upon them the bleffings and good things which we wish to them.

And

C

And this is a charity which God hath put into every man's power, and which the poorest man in the world, as well as the richeft, is capable of exercising at all times, and upon all occafions: for the ear of God is open to the prayers of the poor, as well as of the rich, and they are every whit as prevalent with him; nay, the fcripture feems to fay, that God hath a more particular regard to the prayers of the poor. So that we may be liberal and bountiful in our prayers to those to whom we are able to give nothing else; and when our hands cannot reach to relieve them, we may pour out our hearts to God for them; we may pray for their fpiritual and temporal good, and we may praise God for the good which befals them, though it was out of our power to be any ways inftrumental to procure it for them.

Thirdly, For whom we are more especially, and in the first place, to pray, viz. for those who have the greateft and moft publick influence of all others upon the peace and happiness of mankind; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that is, for the fupreme magiftrate, and for all inferior magiftrates, who derive their power and authority from the fupreme.

Government is neceffary to the welfare of mankind; because it is the great band of human fociety, the guard of its peace, and the fecurity of every man's person and property and therefore we are concerned, as much as is poffible, both to pray for our governors, and to blefs God for them; becaufe without them we fhould be in a moft wretched condition. Mankind would be unavoidably miferable without government; human fociety would prefently disband, and all things would run into confufion. It is a remarkable faying of one of the Jewifh mafters, "Pray for the happiness of the kingdom or government; for if it were not for the fear of that, "( men would devour one another alive." And Jofephus tells us, that " when the Jews were made fubject to the Romans, [though it was by conqueft], twice a-day they offered up facrifices for the life and safety "of the Emperor." And this was very agreeable to what God had commanded that people by his Prophet, in a much like cafe, when the Jews were conquered by the King of Babylon, and carried away captives, Jer.

xxix. 7. Seek the peace of the city, whither I have caufed you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. furely the reafon is much stronger why we should pray for our natural princes and governors. I come now to the

And

Fourth and last thing confidered in the text, and which I principally defign to fpeak to; namely, the reafon or argument which the Apoftle ufes to engage us to pray for our princes, and for all that are in authority: That we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honefly. The manifold benefits and advantages which redound to us from our governors, is a fufficient argument why we fhould pray to God for them, and praise him likewife for fo great a bleffing, and that in the first place : I exhort therefore first of all, (faith the Apostle), &c. Now, the Apoftle here in the text expreffeth two great advantages of government, which upon the matter do comprehend all the reft.

1. That by government we are fecured in our civil rights and interefts, in the quiet and peaceable poffeffion of what is our own.

2. That we may thereby be protected in the free practice and exercife of religion and virtue.

These are the two greatest and most desirable things to man; and neither of thefe can be had without government. I shall briefly confider these two particulars, and then endeavour to fhew, what obligation the confideration of them lays upon us, both to pray to God in the behalf of our princes and governors, and likewife to praife God for them. And then I fhall conclude all with a brief application of this whole difcourfe to the folemn occafion of this day

I. I fhall begin with the benefits and advantages of government mentioned in the text, namely, thefe two. 1. That by it we are fecured in our civil rights and interests, in the quiet and peaceable poffeffion of what is

our own.

Without government there could be no fuch thing as property in any thing beyond our own perfons; for nothing but laws can make property, and laws are the effect of government and authority: nay, without govern

ment,

ment, we have no fecurity of our perfons and lives, much lefs of any thing that belongs to us, and is at prefent in our poffeffion. Were we not protected by laws, which are the effect of government, we could have no fafety, no quiet enjoyment of any thing; but every man must be perpetually upon his guard against all the world, and expofed to continual violence and injuries from thofe who are too many and too ftrong for him: fo that all our quiet and fecurity from fear and danger, from the fraud and oppreffion of those who are more crafty and powerful than ourselves, from endless confufions and diftractions, and from a state of perpetual feud and war with all mankind, is entirely due and owing to civil go

vernment.

And this alone is fo unfpeakable a benefit, that without it, men, of all creatures, would be the moft miferable; because all that wit and fagacity, all that cunning and contrivance, which mankind hath above the brute creatures, would but enable them to do fo much the more mischief to one another, and to devife and find out more powerful and effectual means and inftruments to harm and destroy one another.

In fhort, that we live, and that we live well, in any tolerable condition either of fafety or plenty, and that we are able to call any thing our own for one day, or for one hour; that we are not in perpetual terror and apprehenfion of mortal dangers, and that we are at any time free from the invafion of what we at prefent poffefs, by the fraud and force of others, is folely the effect of this great bleffing and divine appointment of government, to preferve the peace of human fociety, and, by wife and wholfome laws, to tie up mens hands from mutual injuries and violence. Upon this all the comfort and all the fecurity of human laws does depend. From hence it comes to pass, that, as the fcripture expreffeth it, we may fit down every man under his own vine, and under his own fig-tree, and that there fhall be none to make us afraid. So that if fecurity is neceffary to the comfort and happiness of mankind, then government is fo too: for without this the focieties of men would prefently diffolve, and fall in pieces, and all things would run into confufion and diforder.

2. Another