face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Such, then, are the motives for cultivating a cheerful disposition, which reason dictates to us as men, and religion prescribes to us as Christians. You would wish perhaps to know, by what means this happy temper may be acquired and preserved. his attention is engaged all day, and the performance of it secures to him an uninterrupted repose at night, according to Solomon's observation, "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet." From all which we may venture to conclude, that happiness consists in employment, and that to be idle is to be wretched. A second thing to be avoided is guilt. We must not only be employed, but we must be well employed. To every station Providence We have before had occasion to mention has annexed its proper offices and duties. We the influence which the mind hath on the shall always find the discharge of these to be body. It is necessary here to take notice of one source of cheerfulness, and the consciousthe influence which the body sometimes hath ness of having discharged them will always on the mind, and to observe that melancholy furnish us with another. They are pleasant is not infrequently constitutional, taking its not only in the act, but in the remembrance. rise from some distemperature of the blood They are labors which will have their reward and juices. This has, perhaps, a share in the from the hand of our Master in heaven. production and increase of what is called re- They are labors which will end in rest eterligious, but should rather be called irreligious, | nal, and will make that rest be sweet indeed. melancholy, much oftener than is generally But what title can that man have to cheerfulimagined. That the effect, therefore, may ness, who has done those things only which cease, the cause must be removed, and application must be made to the physician, rather than to the divine. When this is not the case, but the disorder lies originally in the mind, many useful directions may be given for its removal. Three things more especially are to be avoided by him who would possess a cheerful spirit. he ought not to have done? Guilt and cheerfulness cannot dwell under the same roof. It is not fit they should. The consequence of guilt unrepented and unexpiated, is the wrath of God. And he on whom the wrath of God abideth, has no reason to be cheerful. It is folly, it is madness in him to be so, as it must argue an utter ignorance and insensibility of his condition. The Psalmist tells us, that for the upright in heart; " and therefore he adds-" Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." The first of these is idleness. The mind of man being an active and restless principle," light is sown for the righteous, and gladness must have some matter given it to work upon, or it will turn its force inward and prey upon itself. When grief proceeds from a real cause, and not from one that is imaginary, it admits of no remedy more expeditious and efficacious, than that of diverting the thoughts from the subject which occasioned it, by providing for them some other employment; as we are told of a famous Roman general who had lost his son, that he found a cure for his sorrow in the heat and hurry of war.* And it is obvious to observe, that the sedentary and inactive, they who are retired from business, or they who were never engaged in any, are the persons that suffer most by the incursions of melancholy, from which, they themselves will tell us, they have never failed to be relieved, as often as, by any extraordinary call, they have been roused from indolence and forced upon action. The malady which destroys so many constitutions, and and makes such numbers miserable who have nothing else to make them so, is unknown to him whom necessity obliges to toil for his bread. With the sun he rises, full of life and vigor, to his apppointed task; upon that Agricola-"In luctu bellum inter remedia erat." Tacit. in Vitâ. See the first lines of a Poem styled the LIBRARY, printed for Dodsley, 1781. A third thing to be avoided, as capable of for ever excluding cheerfulness from the breast in which it has fixed its residence, is infidelity. Take from man the expectation of another world, and you render him at once the most miserable creature in this, as having by his superior ingenuity, contrived for himself a great variety of racks and tortures to which all other animals are strangers. Present cares and present calamities would fall heavy upon us indeed, were they not sweetened and alleviated by the prospect of future joys. So delightful did the glimpse of such a prospect appear to the great Roman orator, that he declared, if it were a delusion, he desired and had determined to live and die under it.* Who among us could be cheerful, while he entertained the thought of either not being at all after death, which must be the atheist's lot if his system be true; or of being for ever miserable, which will be his case if his system should be false On a person of this cast it should seem needless to inflict any Cicero de Senectute, ad fin. The Verses referred to in page 179, from a Where shall affliction from itself retire? other punishment, than that of leaving him and despondency to fly away. Religion to the horrors of his gloomy imagination, till would then gain by its professors that he feel himself to want those joys and comforts credit and honor which it deserves; and of which he hath labored to deprive others. the designs of Heaven would be fully anUpon the whole, may it not be ques-swered, which most undoubtedly were, that tioned, whether there be not some degree innocence and cheerfulness should go toof infidelity at the bottom of most of that gether, and the best Christian be the happianxiety and disquietude which is so much est man. complained of under the sun? For why do we grieve and lament that things are as they are? Why do we murmur and repine at what has happened? Why do we muse and disturb ourselves about what may happen? Is it not all for want of faith! Did we but attend to the instructions of this heavenly guide, she would teach us, that it is God who governs the world; that he governs it in wisdom and righteousness, and that therefore it is but reasonable we should leave the government of it to him; that he who hath showed his love towards us in the greatest instance of all, will not withhold it in others; that he who hath given his son to die for us, will not deny us anything which will contribute to our real welfare; and that we may safely cast all our care upon him, who will make all things in the end work together for good to them that trust in him. These considerations, were they but rendered habitual to our minds, and ready for constant use and application, would brighten the darkest scenes of human life, and cause solitude WHEN the sad soul, by care and grief opprest, DISCOURSE XXXII. THE DUTY OF PRAYING FOR GOVERNORS. 1 TIMOTHY, II. 1, 2. I exhort 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; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. AN exhortation from an apostle always | bear for one another, as members of Him merits attention; but more especially, when who, at the right hand of God, ever liveth he himself assures us, that the subject of it to make intercession for the whole race of is not of an inferior or secondary nature. mankind. Our prayers are united with his, "I exhort that, first of all"-The person exhorting is St. Paul; the duty to which he exhorts is a capital and leading article. It is the duty of intercession to be made by all men for all men, to manifest the love we and by him offered to the Father; his mer its, like the cloud of sweet incense from the altar, ascending with them to render them effectual. Effectual, in some manner, they must be, when rightly made; other But there is a very obvious reason why this is deemed good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. It is an acknowledgment of his providence, his power, and his goodness: of his providence, as superintending and directing the affairs of men; of his power, as being able to protect, preserve, and prosper those for whom our prayers are preferred; and of his goodness, as being willing so to protect, to preserve, and to prosper them. What the act of intercession thus implies, is expressed, with wonderful sublimity, in the daily collect for the king, when we style God, our Lord and heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who does from his throne behold all the dwellers upon earth;" and therefore "beseech him with his favor to behold our most gracious sovereign lord," who reigns over us. This is a noble con wise we should not have been exhorted to make them. The salutary influence produced on our own minds by a performance of the duty, has been sometimes assigned as the only reason for its being enjoined. That influence is great and salutary indeed, seeing it is impossible we should long bear ill-will to those, whom in our prayers we beseech God to bless with every kind of blessing in time and eternity. It is an excellent method, therefore, of softening the temper, and inducing a mild, merciful, and forgiving disposition in the person interceding. But to say that no benefit accrues to the person or persons for whom intercession is made, what is it but to contradict the whole tenor of Scripture, which shows us in so many instances the regard vouchsafed by Heaven to the prayers of men, and the favors granted in consequence of them? It is necessary for us to settle ourselves firmly in the belief of this point, because fession of the unlimited extent, the un no man will persevere in doing that which he apprehends himself to do to no purpose. As to the manner in which the Divine Being orders and adjusts his various dispensations, we can no more comprehend it, than a fly on one of the columns of the building in which we are now assembled, can comprehend the magnificence of the whole, or the proportion of the several parts. He will certainly perform that which he has promised: how he will perform it is a consideration which belongs to him, and not to us. Proceed we, therefore, to the immediate subject of the day, namely, the duty of making intercession for kings, and for all that are in authority. The reasons on which this duty is founded shall be considered, as they respect God; as they respect those who govern; and as they respect those who are governed. I. As they respect God, it would indeed be sufficient that he has enjoined the duty, even though we could assign no other reason. There is no danger lest He should be too absolute. Whenever he commands, we have nothing to do but to obey; and we shall always find our account in it. "This" -says the apostle in the words immediately following the words of the text-"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;" of God who is our Saviour, or of our Saviour who is God; for it holds either way. But what are we, sinful men, thy unworthy servants, O Lord, that we should be sufficient to do anything that is good and acceptable in thy sight? What are we, if, when thou art graciously pleased to say so, we should either refuse or neglect to do it? doubted superiority of Divine Providence; a powerful argument for confidence that we shall obtain the petitions we ask; and as powerful an argument against impeding the success of our prayers, by sinning at any time in his presence," who from his throne does thus behold all the dwellers upon earth." If God be on our right hand, we should suffer ourselves to be neither seduced nor terrified. There is yet another consideration to be urged in the case before us. When we entreat the Almighty, that he would protect and preserve government amongst us, we entreat him to protect and preserve that which is his own appointment, and by all good, and conscientious men is to be obeyed as such. All power is originally and essen tially in God; from him it descends to man. Pontius Pilate, about to pass sentence on the innocent Jesus, was not making a due use of his power; but even then, that power was by the innocent Jesus recognized and allowed: "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." Accordingly by our apostle we are told, "There is no power but of God; the powers that be "the powers subsisting" are ordained of God." So far as relates to the different modes by which, in different constitutions, rulers become invested with their power-so far government is, what St. Peter styles it, 66 an ordinance of man," regulated by human laws. But when, by rulers becoming so invested, government commences and is in force, it must be submitted to " for the Lord's sake;" not only through fear of punishment, but beause God, who is the Great King over all the earth, has commanded us, for the peace | desolate whole countries, and deluge them of the world, and the comfort of society, to with the blood of the inhabitants? The inconsider our governors as armed with his struments of destruction are prepared; fleets authority, and to be subject to them as to and armies move when the word is given. himself. Resistance to them will be ac- In short, does either appetite or passion at counted as resistance to him. any time excite him to do that which he ought not to do? The means are at hand; and there are always those who will flatter and encourage him in following his inclinations. These are the plain and simple politics of the Bible; easily understood, but, like many other duties, when we are aggrieved or fancy ourselves to be aggrieved, not so easily practiced. The bias of human nature, in its present state, does not draw towards obedience. A late historian, who believed equally in the Bible and the Alcoran, has observed, that no harm can arise from the circumstance of this doctrine being preached by the ministers of the Gospel; because whenever the proper time for rebellion in any nation comes, the people will always find it out without being told: the only danger is, lest they should rebel too soon, before that time arrive. We give him credit for the observation; nothing can be more certain. Let not the most sanguine advocate of liberty, who dreams constantly of the subversion of the constitution, and in the visions of the night beholds his prince becoming absolute, and preparing to ruin and murder all his subjects-let not such a one, I say, be under any apprehensions that all the preaching in the church will prevent faction in the state: there will always be found a sufficient proportion of it: nor let any man be offended if we now repeat our position, that the consideration of government being God's appointment, affords a very solid reason why "prayers, supplications, intercessions, and giving of thanks, should be made for kings, and for all that are in authority." II. Other reasons will offer themselves respecting rulers, and the situation in which they are placed. If we are to make intercession, we are to make it chiefly for those who stand most in need of it, for those who in this life have the largest share of temptations and of troubles. Now, who upon earth is exposed to so many and powerful temptations as a king? Has he a propensity to the pleasures of sense? They are all at his command; they stand around him, only waiting for his call to return answer, "Here we are." Has avarice taken possession of his breast? It may be gratified by amassing treasures, instead of expending them in generous and noble donations. Is he disposed to pride? He has every thing the world can furnish to puff him up. Does ambition fire him to aggrandize himself at the expense of his neighbors; to seize that to which he has no right; to But suppose him manfully to resist these temptations; and now let us view that sea of troubles which threatens to overwhelm him in the discharge of his office. He must feel, day and night, the weight of that office, the various duties to be performed, and the difficulty, nay, almost impossibility of performing them all, in any tolerable manner. Deceived by others in matters concerning which he cannot inform himself, or see them with his own eyes, he finds he has done wrong when his whole intention was to do right: and perhaps bestowed his favors on worthlessness and profligacy, when he designed to reward virtue and merit. Exposed continually to the shock of parties contending, ostensibly, for the public good, but, in reality, for places of honor and emolument, he knows not, at length, whom to trust or employ; nor must he trust and employ those whom he would wish to trust and employ, but is often under the necessity of discarding men whom he loves, and taking to his bosom men whom he cannot love. In the mean time, a set of libertine, unprincipled writers in prose and verse are ready to exhibit him to his people as a monster, to misrepresent and traduce his best actions, to aggravate his errors, and treat him in a manner in which he himself would disdain to treat the beggar at his gate. Is a person thus circumstanced an object of envy? No; if there be any bowels of love and mercy, pity and pray for him, that God would grant him patience in suffering evil, and perseverance in doing good, to the end of his days. This all of us may do; and this is all that most of us can do. By intercession with Heaven there is a communion opened of the greatest with the least; and to the prayers of the meanest and remotest subject of the empire, who knows him only by name when he prays for him, may the sovereign stand indebted for some part of the favor and prosperity vouchsafed him, who needs the prayers of his people, because the cares and the toils of business will often scarcely allow him time and composure of mind to pray for himself. III. But it is not only a regard to our rulers which suggests reasons why we should pray for them. A regard to ourselves should it is made that it never may be realizedoperate no less. Our own interest is deeply Suppose, I say, they should come home to concerned. "I exhort that supplications, ourselves. prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, More than a century has passed, since this be made for kings, and for all that are in au- nation experienced the miseries of anarchy thority"-Why? "That we may lead a and confusion; when unhappy dissensions quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and afforded opportunity for a crafty and ambihonesty;" a quiet and peaceable life," as citi-tious upstart to murder the king, annihilate zens; "in all godliness and honesty," as one house of parliament, and, having turned Christians. the members out of the other, walk unmolested to Whitehall with the key of it in his pocket. This was LIBERTY, planted by able and skilful hands, duly watered, and full blown! Great events from little causes! Who would have thought such an event could have happened, when the dispute first began? Who could believe it ever did happen, had it? Least of all, who would wish to see it, "A quiet and peaceable life!" What a a blessing! involving in it all other blessings. Without quiet and peace, what can we pursue with pleasure, or enjoy with comfort? The Scriptures paint it under the lovely and affecting image of "every man sitting under his own vine, and under his own fig-tree ""Sitting "-a posture of perfect ease and we not incontrovertible evidence to prove security" under his own vine "-something that he can call his own, guarded and ensured to him by the laws and government of his country. Without laws, and government to carry those laws into execution, there would be nothing that he could call his own. His next neighbor, who had a mind for it and was stronger than he, must have it, and with it the life of the proprietor offering to defend it. The weak must be a prey to the strong, and the honest man be ruined by the villain, without redress or remedy. We of this nation (blessed be our God for it!) know not what it is to see government overturned by war from abroad, or insurrection at home. For years together have we been enabled to sit composedly in our habitations, and read accounts of what other countries have suffered in this way. Warm and comfortable within, we have heard the storm rage and howl around us without, waiting only for the return of a clear sky and the sun, to open our doors, and go forth again. This has rendered us insensible of the felicity we enjoy, because we have never been deprived of it; and men are ready in the wantonness of their folly, upon every trifling occasion, while serving the interests of themselves and their friends, to shake the foundations of the government under which they live, never reflecting on the calamities which must light upon all, were the fabric to fall in the contest. But the States of America can tell what they have suffered: the States of Holland can tell what they expected to suffer the inhabitants in some parts of a neighboring kingdom can inform us (in the midst of a civilized and enlightened age) what it is to have the flesh torn from their bones, or be buried alive in the earth. Of these and other transactions we now sit and read (as was observed above) with perfect calmness. But suppose-God forbid the supposition should ever be realized; For if the state be disturbed, the church cannot remain in peace; among the blessings of which this is ever to be esteemed the greatest, that religion is then best cultivated, and made to flourish in a land. Its ministers enjoy leisure and opportunity to celebrate its solemn offices, to meditate upon it, to write upon it, to preach, and to publish books upon it for the edification of their people. Of all this what can be done in the midst of war and tumults, when priests and people are flying before their common enemies, or engaged in civil commotions against each other? The Israelitish monarch, driven by rebellion from his capital, and in danger of his life, is very affecting upon this circumstance. membrance of better times occurred to his mind; of times when he went in procession with the multitude, and led his subjects into The re |