fully move. Whilst it limits the power of rulers, it forms the mass of the people into one body, and forbids them any longer to act as detached individuals. Neither ruler nor subject, under a good constitution of government, has a right to take one step out of his own sphere. So that if either ruler or subject lifts his hand against the constitution itself, or does any thing with a design to weaken or destroy it, he acts the part of a traitor, and deserves to be treated as such. I proceed,

II. To inquire who may be said to be aiming to overthrow a good government.

There is such a great diversity in the natural abilities, acquired knowledge, local situations, and temporal interests of mankind, that it is not to be expected they should be perfectly agreed in their political sentiments. Individuals, therefore, may be good subjects of a good government, though they should really think that its constitution is not so perfect as it might be; or that those in administration do not in all cases conduct public affairs so well as they might conduct them. But we may justly consider those as aiming to subvert the government, who endeavor to alienate the affections of the people from it. This was the method which Absalom pursued, in order to take the kingdom out of his father's hands into his own. He used every artifice to steal away the hearts of the people from their just and rightful sovereign. And yet he had. the address to keep his ultimate design out of the view of the public, until he was fully persuaded that he was able to accomplish it. The two hundred men who escorted him to Hebron, where he actually seized the reigns of government, "went in their simplicity, and knew not any thing" of his treasonable designs. These he had disclosed to none but his emissaries and friends, whom he had effectually secured in his favor. But it was true, all the while he was caressing the people he carried a dagger in his heart, and was ultimately meditating to subvert his father's kingdom, and destroy both him and his friends. Korah, another traitor, employed the same kind of artifice and intrigue, to raise a mutiny in the congregation of Israel. He endeavored to detach the affections of the people from Moses and Aaron, their constituted leaders. He first inspired Dathan and Abiram with a murmuring and seditious spirit. These persons instilled the same spirit into the minds of two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation. "And all these gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?" Having heard this complaint,

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Moses called upon them to come, and refer their cause to the divine decision. But they utterly refused, and boldly said, "We will not come up. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of the land which floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?" Thus they presumed to accuse Moses of aiming at absolute monarchy, though he was the meekest man in the world, and had never, in a single instance, stretched his power beyond its proper limits. But they knew that nothing could be more directly calculated to alienate the affections of the people from him, than this false and groundless insinuation. And if they could only gain this point, they did not doubt of overturning both their civil and religious constitutions, which was really their ultimate design. Though their views were base and detestable, yet their reasoning was just and conclusive; for those who are able to detach the affections of the people from their government, are able to overthrow it. Indeed, this is the way, and the only possible way of overturning a good government, without the force of arms. Notwithstanding the means and the end in this case seem to be remote from each other, yet they are very naturally and certainly connected. Accordingly, when we find any description of men insidiously endeavoring to alienate the affections of the people from their government, we have no room to doubt of their malevolent and traitorous designs. They are certainly seeking the power of bringing about a revolution of government; and should they attain that power, we may presume they will employ it for that purpose. It is not to be expected that such persons will avow their object; but notwithstanding all their evasive language, their conduct declares them to be enemies of the government under which they live, and actually aiming to subvert it. It only remains to show,

III. The propriety of praying that God would disconcert the counsels of such designing and dangerous men. And this will appear, if we consider,

1. That the subversion of a good government is one of the greatest calamities that can fall upon a people. A good government is the security of every thing which they hold most dear and valuable in life. It protects their persons, their property, and all their civil and religious privileges. And if this foundation of their public safety and happiness should be taken away, they would be completely ruined. Hence David demands, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" It is the natural tendency of revolutions in government to involve mankind in confusion and misery. This is but too evident from the experience of all nations in all ages

of the world. But we need only turn our eyes to Europe in order to see the dire effects of civil convulsions and revolutions. How many millions have perished and are still perishing by the violent subversions of government in France and the neighboring states. Though Absalom was speedily defeated, yet his attempt to overthrow his father's kingdom filled Jerusalem with consternation and distress. Indeed, there is no temporal calamity which any people have more reason to dread, than the subversion of a good government. Whenever therefore they perceive themselves exposed to this tremendous calamity, whether by secret or open, whether by domestic or foreign enemies, they have abundant reason to call upon God for his gracious and powerful interposition. And though they may not presume to dictate to the Supreme Disposer of all events as to the manner or means of their deliverance, yet they may humbly and fervently pray that he would send confusion into the open and secret counsels of those who are seeking their ruin, and effectually blast all their subtile and malignant designs.

2. It is the prerogative of God to frustrate the most secret and destructive counsels of men. He knows their down-sittings and up-risings. He understands their thoughts afar off. He looks on their hearts and ponders all their purposes. They cannot conceive an evil thought nor concert a malignant design which he cannot perfectly penetrate and comprehend. He is able therefore to discover and disconcert the most subtile and secret counsels against the peace and prosperity of any people. This the inspired writers firmly believed and abundantly taught. Job says, "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause, who doeth great things and unsearchable, marvellous things without number. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsels of the froward are carried headlong." And again he says, "He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty." The Psalmist says, "The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought; he maketh the devices of the people of none effect." Isaiah represents the church as exulting in the protection of God, and under his protection bidding defiance to all the combinations and counsels of their enemies. "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken to pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries, gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken to pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us." And Solomon says, "There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against

the Lord." God has a supreme control over all the views and designs of men. He can either change or break any of their evil purposes. If they appoint, he can disappoint. If they concert schemes, he can disconcert them. If they take counsel together, he can bring their counsels to nought. Or if they resolve, he can cause them to change their resolutions; for he has their hearts in his hand, and can turn them, as the rivers of water, whithersoever he pleaseth. Hence it highly becomes a people to pray that God would confound the counsels of their enemies, and not suffer any weapon formed against them to prosper. And this will farther appear, if we consider,

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3. That God has often defeated the most destructive and deep-laid designs of men, in answer to prayer. David entreated God to confound the designs of Ahithophel. “O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." This prayer was graciously heard and answered. Ahithophel advised Absalom to allow him twelve thousand men, and permit him to pursue David immediately, and cut him off while he was "weary and weak-handed." This advice pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel at first. But Absalom was so infatuated, that he insisted upon consulting Hushai, who was waiting for an opportunity of drawing him into a Accordingly Hushai artfully opposed the advice of Ahithophel, and proposed to delay pursuing David until Absalom could rally all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, and in his own person lead them on to a triumphant victory over his father and his party. This foolish, romantic proposal struck Absalom and the men of Israel agreeably, who unitedly said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." The sage politician had too much. pride to brook such treatment, and therefore "when he saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat himself home to his house, and put his household in order, and hanged himself." Thus in answer to David's prayer, "The Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom." Sennacherib came against the defenced cities of Judah and took them. And in order to save Jerusalem his capital, Hezekiah made a treaty with the king of Assyria upon the most humiliating terms, and even robbed the temple to fulfil it. But no sooner had he purchased peace, at the expense of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold, than the perfidious Assyrian, in open violation of his solemn compact, sent his general with a large army to destroy Jerusalem, which he had engaged to spare. And to accomplish this design, his general attempted to detach the affections

of the people from Hezekiah, by addressing them instead of him; and to heighten the insult, sent him a most impious letter. Upon receiving this letter Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord, and prayed most devoutly that God would confound the designs of his unrighteous and inhuman enemies. And in answer to his prayer the Lord sent an angel into the camp of the Assyrians, who destroyed an hundred fourscore and five thousand men, which entirely defeated their designs against Jerusalem. Whilst Nehemiah was repairing the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonish captivity, the enemies of Zion did all they could to frustrate his design. And it was in answer to prayer, that their counsels and combinations were confounded. This is the instructive account: "It came to pass, that when Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped; then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God." Their prayer was heard. "For it came to pass," says Nehemiah, "that when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsels to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work." The Bible gives us another remarkable instance of God's confounding a deep-laid plot against his people, in answer to prayer. Haman laid a plan to destroy all the Jews at one stroke. And he succeeded in carrying on his design until he was just ready to accomplish his horrid purpose. But in answer to the fasting and prayers of Mordecai and other pious Jews, God remarkably interposed, and completely destroyed Haman and frustrated all his designs. These and all other instances of the same kind, which are recorded in scripture, clearly warrant and abundantly encourage a people to pray that God would disconcert the counsels of those who are seeking to subvert their government and involve them in national ruin.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. It appears from the political observations which have been made in this discourse, that we enjoy the best kind of civil government. The framers of our federal constitution proceeded upon the best political principle, that of the general good of the people. They took men just where Providence had placed them, and treated them according to those distinctions which the author of nature had made among them.