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power, and to think, that the higher and greater they are, fo much the greater privilege they have to be more extravagantly bad than others: but if the matter be really confidered, the argument runs the other way; and he that reafons wifely, will certainly conclude, with Tully, in maxima quaque fortuna minimum licere; "that they "who are in the highest station and greatest power, have "of all others the leaft liberty to do what they lift." Their power, fuppofing it never fo uncontroulable and unaccountable, would be fo far from being in reafon a temptation to them to do what they ought not, that in truth it would fet them above the temptation of doing an ill thing; because they would stand in awe of no body, and there would be nothing that could hinder them from doing what is beft, if they had a mind to it and every one ought to have fuch a mind; and nothing can be more mifbecoming, and more directly contrary to the nature of their office, and the power wherewith they are intrusted, than to give an example of breaking those laws which they are to fee put in execution.

God himself, because he hath all power, is therefore all goodness; and is therefore holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works; according to the reafoning of the author of the book of Wisdom, who argues thus with God: It is not (fays he, chap. xii. 15. 16.) agreeable with thy power to condemn him that hath not deferved to be punished; that is, it is not agreeable with infinite power, to do any thing that is unjuft. For thy power (faith he to God) is the beginning of righteousness, and because thou art the Lord of all, it maketh thee to be gracious unto all. Infinite power is the foundation and principle of goodnefs and righteoufnefs; and an all-powerful being is good and righteous, not only from choice, but from a neceffity of nature.

And this is the true ground and reafon of that faying of St. James, that God cannot be tempted with evil; becaufe his infinite power fets him above all temptation to it for what reafon can be imagined, why he that hath all power, shall have any inclination to be otherwise than good? What can tempt him thereto ? fince he that hath all power, can neither have any hopes of being greater than he is, nor any fear of becoming lefs: and all temM m 2 ptation

ptation is founded either in hope or fear; and where neither of thefe can have any place, there can be no occafion, no poffible motive or temptation to evil: for to be evil, and to do evil, is always an effect of weakness, and want of power.

The fum of what I have faid upon this argument, and the defign indeed of it, is, to fhew, that the greater power and authority any one hath, the lefs liberty he hath to do any thing that is bad. And I have been the larger upon this, because I would fain imprint upon the minds of perfons whom the providence of God hath invested with great power and authority, that as they have great opportunities of doing more good than others, fo they have greater reafon and more advantages of doing it; and are more inexcufable if they do any thing that is bad; not only because their actions are of a more publick influence and obfervation; but because their temptations to evil, how great foever they may seem to be, are in truth and reality much less than other mens. Happy are thofe princes, that wifely confider this, and make their power and authority over others, an argument to be fo much better themfelves, and to do fo much more good to others; and because they are lefs fubject to the coercive power of law, do for that reafon think themfelves fo much the more obliged to be a law to themselves. Bleffed be God for the happiness which we enjoy in this refpect; and let us earneftly befeech him, that he would be pleafed to beftow fuch a plentiful meafure of his grace and Holy Spirit on our moft gracious King and Queen, as may effectually both engage and enable them to use their power to the best purposes for the publick good.

And thus I have briefly gone over and explained to you the feveral particulars in the text; the duty of prayer here injoined; for whom we are to pray, in general, for all men; and for whom more efpecially, and in the first place; for kings, and all that are in authority; and upon what confiderations we are to pray for them, and to praise God in their behalf; because of the great benefits we receive by them; and because, both in refpect of the dangers and difficulties of their condition, they ftand in need of our prayers above other men; befides that

in praying for their welfare and profperity, we pray for our own peace and happiness.

And now to apply this to ourselves, and to the occafion of this day: By all that hath been faid, we cannot but be convinced what caufe we have to blefs God for that happy government which we live under, that excellent conftitution, under the gentle influences whereof we enjoy more liberty, more plenty, and more fecurity from all manner of injury and oppreffion, than any nation this day on the face of the earth. Therefore with what thankfulness should we this day commemorate the happy restoration of this government to us, after the miferable diftractions and confufions of twenty years, by the restoration and return of our banished fovereign, in fo peaceable, and yet fo wonderful a manner, that a remembrance of it, even at this distance, is almoft still matter of amazement to us!

Bleed be the Lord God of Ifrael, who alone doth wondrous things.

And, with our joyful praises, let us join our most devout and fervent prayers to almighty God, for the King's and Queen's Majefties, and for all that are in authority. And I may truly fay, that there was hardly ever greater reafon and occafion for it, from both our distractions at home, and our dangers from abroad; never was there greater need of our earnest fupplications and prayers, than at this time, when our armies and fleets are in motion, and when God feems already to have given us fome earnest of good fuccefs. Bleffed be his

great and glorious name.

We have indeed a great army, and a more powerful fleet than ever this nation fent forth: but unless God be on our fide, and favour our cause, in vain are all our preparations; for whenever his providence is pleased to interpofe, by ftrength fhall no man prevail. Have we not reafon then to cry mightily unto God, when the only ftrength of the nation is at ftake; when our fins and provocations are so many and great, and there lies fo heavy a load of guilt upon us; when the perfon of his Sacred Majefty is expofed to fo much hazard, not only in the high places of the field, but from the reftless attempts of the malicious and implacable ene

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mies of our peace and religion; that he would be gracioufly pleased to go forth with our armies and fleets, and not remember our iniquities against us, but fave us for his mercies fake?

We are too apt to murmur and complain of mifcarriages, and the ill management of affairs: but furely the best thing we can do, and that which beft becomes us, is, to look forward, and to turn our cenfures of our governors and their actions, into humble fupplications to God in their behalf, and in behalf of the whole nation; that he would be pleased to turn us every one from the evil of our ways; that he may return to us, and have on us, that fo iniquity may not be our ruin; that he joice over us to do us good, and may at last think thoughts of peace towards us, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give us an expected end of our troubles.

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Let us then betake ourselves to the proper work of this day, hearty prayers and thanksgivings to almighty God, for the King and Queen, and for all that are in authority; that as he hath been pleased, by a wonderful providence, to rescue us from the imminent danger we were in, and from all our fears, by the happy advancement of their Majefties to the throne of thefe kingdoms; fo he would, of his infinite goodness, ftill preferve and continue to us this light of our eyes, and breath of our noftrils, princes of that great clemency and goodness, which render them the true reprefentatives of God upon earth, and the most gracious governors of men.

And let us earneftly befeech him, that he would confirm and ftrengthen them in all goodness, and make them wife as angels of God, to difcern betwixt good and evil, that they may know how to go in and out before this great people; that he would give them the united affections of their people, and a heart to study and seek their good all the days of their lives.

And, finally, that he would be pleafed to continue fo great a bleffing to us, and to grant them a long and profperous reign over us; and that their pofterity in this Royal family may endure for ever, and their throne as the days of heaven; that under them the people of thefe nations, we and the generations to come, may tead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honefty

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for his mercies fake in Jefus Chrift, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords. To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour, glory, dominion and power, Amen.

now and for ever.

SERMON

LXXXV.

The love of God to men, in the incarnation. of Christ.

Preached in the chapel of Lambeth house on Christmas day 1691.

I JOHN iv. 9.

In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, becaufe that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

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Hefe words contain a clear and evident demonstration of the love of God to us: In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, (that is, By this it plainly appears, that God had a mighty love for us), that he fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. In which we may confider this threefold evidence of God's love to mankind.

1. That he should be pleased to take our cafe into confideration, and to concern himself for our happiness. 2. That he should defign fo great a benefit to us, which is here expreffed by life: That we might live through him.

3. That he was pleased to use fuch a means for the obtaining and procuring of this benefit for us: He fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Each of these fingly is a great evidence of God's love to us, much more all of them together.

I. It is a great evidence of the love of God to mankind, that he was pleased to take our cafe into confideration, and to concern himself for our happiness. Nothing does more commend an act of kindness, than if

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