HOW'TO DO GOOD TO MANY. 559 itspublic enemies ; that is, against any that, by his religion, or his own profeesion3 bindeth himself to destroy that nation if he can, or by open armsseeketh no less than their destruction : but as few calamities are worse to a land than war, somuch is to be endured to prevent it. It is like a red-hot iron which fools lay hold on,- thinking it is gold, till it. fetch off skin and flesh to the bones, and perhaps set the house on fire: If your cause be bad, God will not be for you ; and he that so taketh the sword shall perish with the sword ; and if you bite and devour one another, you shall be . devoured one of another. And, alas ! 'thousands of the innocent usually perish, or are ruined in the flames that furious men do kindle; no' doubt as suffering in prison, so venturing in war, is a duty, when God calls you to it ; but in itself a prison is a far more desirable sort of suffering than a war. Therefore, between the danger of the miseries of an unlawful war, and the danger of be- traying our king or kingdom, for want of necessary defence, how cautelous should all sober Christians be ! ix. If you would promote the common- good, .do your 'best to procure wis&and faithful rulers. _ Quest. Whatcan private men do in this ? Ans. 1. In cases where they have choosing voices, theyought to prefer the best with greatest resolution, and,not for slothfulness, to omit their part, nor, for worldly interest or the fear of men, betray their country, as ever they would escape the punishment of the perfidious. Woe to that Judas that sells his country and con- science for any bribe, or by self-saving'fear ! 2. In other cases1 where you have no choosing vote with men, you have a praying voice with God: pray for kings, and all in au- thority, that we maylive a quiet' and peaceable life, in all godli- ness and honesty. God bath commanded. no duty in ,vain ; do it earnestly and constantly, and hope fora good issue from God': do it not selfishly, th"at you may, have prosperityy or preferment by them, but sincerely/for their own and the common good. God is the fountain of power, the absolute Sovereign of all the world ; men are bat his provincial 'officers ; 'none, clainseth an universal government of the world but one that pretendeth to be Christ's vicar-general; 'and none believe his claimbut blinded men. There is no power but of and' 'under . God, who hath made rulers his ministers for our good, tobe a praise to them that do well, and a terror to evil doers ; that they that -will not be moved with the hopes of God's future rewards, and the fears of his punishments, maybe moved by that which is near them within the reach of . sense. And all 'men regard their bodies, though only believers are ruled by the 'everlasting interest of their souls. - Therefore, pray hard for kings and magistrates ; -for if they be
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