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SERMON CXXIV.

(Preached on a General Faft.)

WHEREIN PUBLIC HAPPINESS CONSISTS;-HOW WE ARE TO EXPRESS OUR REGARD OF IT; AND THE ADVANTAGES WHICH FLOW FROM THIS EXPRESSION.

PSALM CXxii. 6.

O pray for the peace of Jerufalem: They shall profper that

love thee.

GOD hath planted in the hearts of men, and it is a strong proof of his goodness to us, a principle of tender mutual benevolence, which reafon enjoins us to exert on all occafions; and revelation both threatens our tranfgreffion of this rule with the severest punishments, and encourages our obfervance of it by promises of the most effectual affiftance and noblest rewards. But as all mankind is an object too large for the generality of perfons to embrace in their affections, and for the reft to think of actually benefiting; the fcripture hath very juftly appropriated our love to our neighbour; to every one who is any way brought near enough to us, to be capable of receiving any service or mark of kindness from us, according to our Saviour's most rational explication of that term*. And each nation of the world being only a more extensive neighbourhood of perfons combined together, under one head, for common advantage, the views of the feveral members of it may well reach thus far, but ordinarily fcarce farther. And therefore

Luke x. 29, &c.

therefore love to our country hath been ever confidered, not merely as an important and excellent virtue, which it always is, when genuine and judicious; but as filling the whole compass of reciprocal duty, which it usually doth, provided we proportion it rightly to the various relations, which we bear to each perfon in the fociety. Now this is the affection, which the pfalmift so warmly recommends in the text: Peace being well known to fignify, in holy writ, all sorts of prosperity ; and Jerufalem being the centre of unity of the Jewish people, both in religious affairs and civil. For thither the tribes went up, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord; and there was the feat of judgment, even the feat of the house of David *.

During the latter part indeed of the time, that their government fubfifted, they had most of them a zeal for their country, which excluded charity towards the rest of mankind. But this was a corruption, not a precept of their religion. For no law of any other nation ever enjoined so strictly both justice and mercy to ftrangers as theirs; though it did provide against needlefs intercourse with them, to prevent imitation of their evil cuftoms. It is true, they were commanded to extirpate the inhabitants of Canaan. But these were grown to fuch a height of monftrous idolatry, unnatural lufts, and fhocking barbarities, as the wifdom of God faw to be incurable. And he chofe the Ifraelites for bis minifters, revengers to execute wrath upon them t, that they might learn to abhor what they had been employed to punish. This done, their commiffion expired; for it reached to no other nation. And in fact, they were as quiet neighbours to the Heathen round them, and as dutiful fubjects to their Chaldean, Perfian and Grecian mafters, as any other people. Nor did the text more plainly require them to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, than the prophet Jeremiah doth, to feek the peace of the city, whither they were carried captives, and pray unto the Lord for it ‡.

We need not therefore fcruple to imbibe love of our country from the facred writings of the Jews; and much less have we cause to imagine, as fome would perfuade us, that this is a virtue not prescribed to Chriftians. It is true, that as the Romans had long been ravaging the world, and the Jews in our Saviour's days were evidently ruining themfelves; both of

*Pfal. cxxii. 4, 5.

† Rom, xiii. 4.

Jer. xxix. 7.

of them prompted to what they did by a narrow-minded and unjuft vehemence for their national intereft and honour: he earnestly recommended, as it was neceffary, not the particular paffion, of which they had already too much; but the general difpofition, which they wanted, of good will to all men. For that is the only fure foundation of focial behaviour; and while it restrains perfons effectually from doing any thing wrong in favour of their country, will incite them powerfully to do every thing right. In teaching this doctrine therefore, and indeed throughout his whole conduct, he fhewed the kindeft and wifeft regard to his undeferving fellow citizens; for whom, ill as he was treated by them, he fully appears to have had the most affectionate concern. Witnefs his tears and pathetic expoftulations: O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killeft the prophets, and ftoneft them that are fent unto thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a ben gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not*. If thou hadst known, or as it rather should be tranflated, O that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things, which belong unto thy peace t. Witnefs again his peremptory command, even after he had been crucified there, that repentance and remiffion of fin fhould be preached in bis name to all nations, beginning at Jerufalem ‡. The fame heroic fympathy his great apostle St. Paul expreffes, after the feverest usage, in the strongest manner, for his brethren, his kinfmen, according to the flesh, declaring folemnly before Chrift and the Holy Ghoft, that he had great and continual forrow and heavinefs in his heart on their account §. He hath not indeed exhorted the Christians, whom he favoured with his epiftles, to the love of their feveral countries: for they were all under one dominion, and defigned by providence to remain fo. He hath not exhorted magiftrates to ftudy the welfare of thofe, over whom they prefided; for there were no believing mägistrates; and it might have been deemed prefumptuous, and ill intended, if he had laid down directions for others; or foretold explicitly fo foon, that the gospel would come to have authority on its fide. But he hath fufficiently, though obliquely, intimated to rulers, what their office requires of them; and urged private

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private subjects most convincingly and awfully to fuch behaviour, as will render communities quiet and flourishing.

Love of our country therefore is an undoubted Christian duty. And we shall both be directed and encouraged in the performance of it, if we confider, as the text leads us,

I. Wherein the public welfare confifts.

II. How we are to exprefs our regard to it.

III. What advantages will flow from expreffing it as we ought.

I. Wherein it confifts. Now plainly the happiness of any fociety is that which the perfons who compofe it, do or may enjoy in it. And therefore wide extent of dominion contributes nothing to the happiness of a state; for fuch unweildy bodies are feldom or never kept long in good health. Much lefs is military glory the point to be had in view, any farther than is needful to fecure a peaceable poffeffion of all important national rights.. For fuch a purpose, war is lawful; and they who hazard their lives in it, worthy of high bonour. But in all cafes it is accompanied with dreadful evils; of which we are apt to confider the heavy expence, as if it were the only one; and forget the fufferings, and miferable deaths, of fuch multitudes of human creatus, though every one of them is a murder, committed by the authors of this calamity; befides the innumerable diftreffes of relations and friends, the devaftations, inhumanities, and wickedneffes of every kind, which never fail to be its attendants. Then if the event of all should turn, as God grant it always may, to the disadvan tage of the aggreffors, here is much mischief brought on their neighbours, only to bring more on themselves. Or suppose their fuccefs be ever fo great, the injury done by them will be great in proportion: they will receive little real good from it, and have paid very dear for that, even in this world; and in another, God will take effectual care, that no one shall have cause to rejoice in having broken his laws, and used his creatures ill.

The next pre-eminence commonly imagined to constitute the profperity of a state, is that of wealth, and its ufual fource, commerce. Now, undoubtedly riches are a valuable inftrument, both of common defence, and separate enjoyment: but then they are also a dangerous incentive to luxury and de

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bauchery; by which perfons grievoufly diftrefs themselves, their families, their acquaintance, the public, in many ways, alas! but too well known. And many, whom affluence doth not immediately feduce into grofs vices, it leads, however, to indolence and ignorance, to the admiration of trifles and follies, and thence to the neglect, and afterwards the contempt and ridicule, of virtuous and prudent conduct. This wrong tafte being once formed, high honours and pompous appearánces are thought neceffary by fome; the idleft gratifications and vanities by others; the means to procure and fupportthem must be found; and when their incomes fail, as the largeft, with fuch management, will fail, they must supply the defect by any bafenefs or iniquity that they can; at least any fuch as general practice, in a time of general corruption, makes a shift to keep in tolerable countenance. This example in the upper part of the world, is followed of courfe by the lower;, their induftry leffens, their expences increase, their principles are depraved, they and their families ruined; they feck for relief in fraud, violence, or intemperance, and plunge themselves by each deeper in mifery. Even of the regular and diligent, the home labour is much of it employed on things ufelefs or hurtful; the foreign trade in importing fuperfluities. This procedure muft as neceffarily impoverish the public, as it must any single perfon, or number of perfons; for the whole number of them is the public. And in fuch circumftances, whatever prefent fhew of ftrength and plenty there may be, is fallacious; like the over-full and florid look of a difeafed body, caufed by a too indulgent regimen; and under the fuperficial appearance of redundant health, betraying to the fkilful evident fymptoms of the most fatal distempers, already begun, if not far advanced.

Another thing, conftantly and juftly mentioned as a main ingredient in political happiness, is liberty; an invaluable privilege, but often misunderstood, and ftill oftener abused. Abfolute liberty, to do what we will, is abfolute power. If one alone, or a few, have this, the reft are in flavery; if all have it, the whole muft be in confufion. Liberty, therefore, in order to preserve it, must be reftrained by law, in whatever cafes the exercife of it may affect others. And regulations by authority are neceffary, not only to prevent mutual VOL. III. encroachments,

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