when you have made our Saviour's reply to the lawyer's question the rule of your life, and have joined the love of God to that of your neighbour, they will give you the firmest assurance of approbation from the Redeemer, who has both instructed us by his precepts, and encouraged us by his example to overcome the world.

636

SERMON XLV.*

JUBILEE SERMON.

1 TIMOTHY ii. 1, 2.

1 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.

THE duties inculcated in my text are founded on the principles of general benevolence, and to me they appear inore conformable to its real spirit, and more conducive to its proper ends, than systems which have recently been decked out in the gaudiest embellishments of eloquence, and have unfortunately seduced the judgments of shallow or restless men, under the imposing title of universal philanthropy. Misinterpreting and misapplying the restraints which Moses had laid on their forefathers in the infancy of their polity, and which were meant to preserve them from the contagious idolatry and barbarism of surrounding nations, the Jews, inflamed by pride, and beguiled by superstition, were accustomed to confine their social affections to those only who belonged to the same country, and professed the same religion. But Christianity takes larger and more correct views of our duty—it directs

* Oct. 29, 1807.

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us to employ intercessions, prayers, and giving of thanks for all men. It is accommodated to our real situation, because all men, whether high or low, rich or poor, may in some degree influence our happiness; and because it is scarcely possible to boundaries to the effects which our own agency may nearly or remotely have upon their well-being. From all men we may experience kindness-we may show it to all men; and, consequently, whether we confer or we receive, we should give thanks unto God. All men have wants to be supplied-have sorrows to be alleviated-have passions to be controled-have sins to be forgiven; and as Providence alone can determine at what seasons, and by what means these purposes are to be accomplished, we are required to offer up prayers for all men-more especially are we called upon to do so for kings, and those who are in authority.

Now, the Apostle, who had occasion to convey many other instructions to the church of Ephesus, over which Timothy presided, makes particular mention of praying for kings; and it may be right, therefore, for me to explain some local and temporary circumstances, which in all probability induced the Apostle to assign to this office of intercession for Sovereigns so early and so distinguished a place in the catalogue of his exhortations.

In former times the Jews occasionally prayed even for the Heathen princes who held them in captivity. Hence, when Darius, in giving effect to a previous decree of Cyrus, had issued an ordinance for advancing the building of the temple, he commands

that the Jews should "offer up sacrifices of sweet savour unto the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the King and his sons." He rests this command not so much upon his power, as upon his munificence, and it was obeyed. (Ezra, vi. 10.)— Again, when the Jews residing in Babylon had sent a book writtten by Baruch to their brethren dwelling in Jerusalem, they give this excellent counsel: Pray for the life of Nabuchodonosor, King of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son, that their days may be upon earth as the days of heaven." They found this direction, not upon any cowardly dread of his might, nor any blind admiration of his grandeur, but upon their confident expectation of his protection. "The Lord," say they, "will give us strength, and lighten our eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nabuchodonosor, the King of Babylon, and under the shadow of Balthasar his son, and we shall serve them many days, and find favour in their sight." Baruch i. 1, 9, 12.

Thus they would not have written, and thus they could not have felt, if they had experienced oppression, or presaged it. But in reality they had been favoured as men seldom are who live under a foreign master; they were sensible of favour, as men usually are, when it is conferred by those who have the means of doing injury, and loving the protector, they were more disposed to obey the King. So rooted, indeed, is this sentiment in our nature-so necessary is it for the safety of princes that terror should be attempered by some degree of affection, that they have disguised the harsher features of

despotism under mild appellations assumed by themselves. Few men could be prevailed upon in express terms to implore a blessing upon the head of Peter the Cruel of Castile; but many were found to make intercession, and prayers, and giving of thanks for the successors of Alexander, when one of them was called Ptolemy, Soter, or the "Saviour," and another Ptolemy Evergetes, or "Benefactor." So far as we learn from Holy Writ, all was well with the subjects of Darius and Nabuchodonosor. But their descendants, who at a later period returned from captivity to their native country, were less reasonable in their opinions, and less praiseworthy in their practice. Thus, when the Gospel was first preached, the inhabitants of Judea were impatient of the Roman yoke, and were ready to join the standard of any republican upstart, to take up arms against those who had dominion over them by the right of conquest. The Christian converts also had imbibed many strange and pernicious notions about liberty, as implying not merely their deliverance from the bondage of sin, but exemption from allegiance to their earthly governors. Hence the misconception of both were to be rectified by the precepts of Paul to Timothy. He says, "That we are to pray, and to give thanks for our rulers;" and here you will take notice, that while religion provides for the good order of society, it does not permit us to trample under foot the lower classes of mankind; nor does it give the slightest encouragement to tyranny of any kind, or under any disguise. Though we pray especially for Kings, we pray generally for