thority to them. Within the compass of these lies the whole business of the civil magistrates. They must use their authority to promote godliness or religion, by preserving the free and public exercise of it unmolested, and by punishing wickedness and vice in a due execution of the laws against it. They must use their authority to maintain honesty; not only must they punish those who are dishonest, but also they must labour to remove all the occasions of it, such as places of idle resort, houses of gaming and lewdness, which are among the plentiful causes of knavery, theft, and other such kinds of villany. They must use their authority for keeping peace and quietness among the people; good order, and repressing the turbulent spirits of violent and troublesome persons, lie within the reach of the magistrate's sword, and he must not fail to use it as need requires. These are the general duties of his office, which I do but hint at, because it is my business rather to insist on the diligence, boldness, and impartiality wherewith the magistrate ought to execute his office. He must be diligent, look well to his trust, have his eyes everywhere about him, not suffer the sword to lie asleep in the scabbard, but have it always in his hand for the punishing of evil-doers. As also he must be careful to give a due measure of praise to them that do well. An indolent magistrate is a very bad one, unfaithful to God and to the trust committed to his care, and while he sleeps the guilt of a thousand sins and miseries lights upon his head. If he sleeps he bears the sword in vain. To diligence he must add boldness; he must know no man and fear no man in the execution of his office; he must not be moved from his duty by apprehensions of any future con→ sequence that may attend his doing right; he must not be deterred by threatenings, nor melted down by a false pity, nor wearied out by complaints, entreaties, or the intercession of friends. He must go on to do his duty, though the world be against him, and in defiance to all the pleadings against it he will find in himself. He must regard no opposition, but go out sword in hand against a multitude of evil-doers. He must not decline anything which the honour of God and the welfare of the people require at his hand. He must have the courage to be singular as need is in executing his trust, and must not be biassed by what shall be said or thought of him.

In short, he

must be in the State what Elijah was in the Church, very jealous for the Lord God.'* For the judgment is God's.+ Nor must he stop here. He must be also impartial; he must know neither hatred nor affection; interest must not be allowed to throw a grain into either scale; he must deal alike by all, the rich as well as the poor. The law must be his rule, and he must make no difference between those who come under the stroke of it here he must be blind. In this manner the magistrate must use his authority in the maintenance of godliness, honesty, and peace. To maintain these must be his aim in the whole exercise of his office; and such is the diligence, boldness, and impartiality with which he must behave himself in so important a trust. You see, if the honour of a magistrate be great, his labour is not less. Well may every magistrate cry out, "Who is sufficient for these things? Lord have mercy upon me!" And very reasonably may he expect the concurrence of the subject to relieve him as much as may be from so heavy a burden. This he has a right to.

For, on the other hand, God has laid it on subjects to obey magistrates in all their lawful commands and administrations. And, were this done, the duty of the magistrate would be more easy and pleasant. Now nothing can be more express than the injunctions of Scripture on this head. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates. § Let every soul be subject to the higher powers.' The point to be considered is, wherein doth this obedience and subjection consist? It consists in a conformity with the laws of the land (supposing them not contrary to the laws of God), and in a submission to the magistrate in the execution of them. To obey magistrates doth principally imply obedience to the laws of the state; from which whoever doth wilfully depart in any instance is disobedient to that government under which he is, and sins against God. Yet to obey magistrates doth also imply further, that it is the subject's duty not to resist, but to submit to the magistrate in the execution of 1 Kings xix. 10. + Deut. i. 17. || Rom. xiii. 1.

1 Pet. ii. 13, 14.

§ Titus iii. 1.

such laws; for laws are nothing, unless life be given to them by the vigilance and activity of the magistrate. So that the subject's obedience reaches to all the laws, and to the lawful execution of them. He may not transgress the laws, neither may he any way stop the course of their sanctions to render them ineffectual. Now, I say, were there this conscientious obedience in subjects, the execution of government would be a more easy matter to those in authority; indeed they would have little else to do but to go through the forms and ceremonies of their office. But, as it is, disobedience in subjects is sure to provide them work enough for the exercise of their courage and zeal. There are so many sins against God, that are injurious to the state, and therefore punishable by the laws of it, such as drunkenness, sabbath-breaking, lewdness, swearing; there are so many sins directly against the state itself, such as frauds in public trust, in payments of customs and duty, gaming, unlawful houses, cheating, oppression, theft, corruption in elections, and numberless others, by which the peace and welfare of society is so directly struck at, that the magistrate shall not want employment. Indeed there is more than he can possibly effect, and evil-workers will often escape his watchfulness and diligence: but then they cannot escape the judgment of God, who knows all, and will surely punish all in the day of account. Seek therefore after whatever you have done in disobedience to government, and repent of it betimes, calling upon God for mercy, for Jesus Christ's sake, else you shall find at last that those who have resisted shall receive to themselves damnation.*

Thirdly.-Magistrates must look to and provide for the public necessities, according to the nature of their office.—And subjects must cheerfully contribute to bear them out in so doing.

It is the part of governors to look after the public exigencies of every kind, to provide all manner of servants for the state, to prepare everything which the public need requires, to keep the kingdom in good order at home by the wholesome and seasonable execution of laws, to maintain it against all its enemies abroad, and, when necessity is, to carry on war: in short, the management of public affairs lies on governors. They are not set up for their own ends, to fill their pockets, to gratify their ambitious

*Rom. xiii. 2.

hearts, to aggrandize their families, and vainly to seek for themselves a name and honour in their generation. God has no such design in advancing one above another. They are servants of the state; their office is designed for the public good; they are appointed by God to attend continually upon this very thing." Let them look to themselves therefore, that are looking after places of public trust, with what views they are seeking them. It should be merely to serve God and the people that offices of trust should be undertaken; with fear and trembling, because of the weight and importance of them. But is this the only aim? Is all the strife for places we hear of simply owing to a love of their country? Are men so zealous now-a-days for the public good, that they cannot endure any damage should accrue to it; and therefore are they pressing their shoulders under the heaviest burdens to serve it? Can these things be so when the means used to obtain preferments are so indirect, dishonest, illegal, and unchristian? when votes are bought for money; when the kingdom presents us with a scene of iniquity at every season of election, which makes every thinking man admire that God does not sink us a thousand fathom into the heart of the earth? Are these things so, when not merit but ability to make interest is the only road to preferment, not only in the state, but even the church? I could mention proofs without number, that ambition and covetousness rule all; sad proofs, which ought to make us all tremble in the too-probable expectation of approaching ruin. But, be all this as it may, it is still the express duty of governors conscientiously to have regard to the public, and diligently to care for the public affairs; and for their faithfulness herein they shall answer at a higher judgment.

It is the duty of subjects on their part cheerfully to contribute to the public expenses. There is no disputing whether this be the will of God. Render to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom,' are the express dictates of his Spirit. And for what is this tribute and custom paid but for the public maintenance of the state, of which every one receives the benefit? Here another common sin comes under our view; people not only pay their dues to the state grudgingly, in direct

opposition to Christ's example, who, though he was free from the payment, yet readily made it, lest he should offend them ;* but by art and contrivance withhold their dues, not paying the customs for that they buy, contrary to law, and making, many of them, a secret trade and livelihood of this ungodly gain. This may be called indeed only cheating the king, as if that were a harmless thing: but it is in truth cheating the state, that is, cheating every honest man in it, that pays his taxes duly. And methinks cheating at any rate is not so commendable a thing for one who is called a Christian. But it is easy to see where the cheat will rest at last, even upon the souls of such, who, contrary to the laws of God and man, proceed to do what they know in their own consciences to be sinful.

The fourth and last duty of magistrates and subjects is to pray for one another. I exhort that supplications be made for kings, and all in authority,' † is the direction for subjects. And you may see in all the pious governors in the Old Testament what is the duty of magistrates in this respect. Surely we have need to pray now, if ever; magistrates should pray for the people, and they should pray for the magistrates, that the Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake, will take pity upon us, and turn our hearts. By prayer we own government to be the ordinance of God, and commend the guidance of it to him. But do we pray on either part? It looks sadly as if we did not; at least not faithfully; for I am sure there are little marks of it to be seen; a praying people being always a godly people, and a people that trusts in God more than in fleets and armies. But God calls us to pray by his judgments. There were no better token in our behalf, than that our hearts were stirred up to do so. We may think as we will, but, unless God helps us, all is over with us; all our counsels shall come to nought, all our undertakings fall to the ground. And can we expect he will help us, remaining as we are? O for this prayerless people! we have not, we do not call on God in the day of our trouble.‡

To conclude: Put all together, and see our provoking sins against God's ordinance: see, each of you, the share yourself has