Fifth Commandment. •.45 People, and to pol~cfs rh em wir.h nothing but .Fe:ar~ and fad Apprehenlions of wnat Miferies and Suffertngs are commg upon them, through the Male-adminiftration of Affairs, and either the dcfign or negleCt of their Governours? AIJ which tends to nothing but to make the People either difdain or hate them. 1 befeech you. beware that you do not by Milinterpretations traduce the Atl:ions of your lawful Rulers, nor hearken to thofc who do; whofe Words and whofc Breath ferves only to blow up the Coals o~ Civil Diflfnti<;>n, which, if Mercy prevent no~, wi!l break forth again a into ragwgand devounng War. Beware that you fuffer none of thofe Leeches 10 fafi:en upon you, whole very Mouths will draw Blood. We have feen the fad Ex... perience of it already, and n"!ay juftly fear, when. we fee them ufe the fame Methods~ that they intend the fa m~ Effects. The Apoftle glves fuch a bl.tck brand, 2 Pet. 2. IQ. Prcfumptuous arc they, {elf-willed; thq arc not a/rftid to /peak e"Jil of DigniticJ, 3 . VVeought to Honour them with our Subftance, when the neccillty of their Affairs and publick Concernments<all for fupply: And indeed this is but a Debt we owe them, for we have fomewhat of theirs in our Hands, and it is no unjuft Demand for them to require their own. Tributes and publickPayments are theirs, when made fo by Law; for the reft is ours no otherwife than by the fame Law· ; and therefore to withhold what is thus legally beftowedon them, is noother than Theft, and an unjuft detaining of what is none of our own. Hence our S:1viour Corn· mands us to render umo C4far the things that art C.t.far.r, Matth. 22.. 2 1 . And the Apoftle, Rom. 13· ?· Render unto aU their due; 'Tribute.to whom Tribute, Cuftom to whom c11ftom, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to wlwm Honou'l' u due . And altho_ugh poffibly . fometimes the Burthen may fall heavy, yet we ought freely and chcartully to con· tribute; partly confidcring t~at fuch is the. Privilege of our King~oms, that nothing is impofed upon us by Vmlence, but g1ven by our fclves, and Is our own Act; and partly, that whatfoever we polfefs, we owe the Enjoyment of it to the Bleffing of Government. This therefore is the firft Duty we owe unto Mag.i.ftrates, viz.. Honour and Reverence. Secondly, Another general Duty we owe them, is Obedience; and for this we 2. have exprefs and frequent Commands, as for any Duty that belongs to Chriftian Converf.1tion ; .Let every Soul be fubjtfl- to the higher Powers; for there is no Power but of Rom. 13; God; the Powers that be, are ordained of God. Submit your [cJves ro every Ordinance of I. Man for the Lord's fake? whether it be to.the Ki.ng, ttJ [upream; or unto Governours, as font 1 Per. z, by him; for fo is the Wt!l of God. Neither Is there any Caufe whatfoever can fupcr- 13• fede our Ob.edience: For if. their Commands be lawful,_ we are to obey them by performing what they requtre: lf they be never fo wtcked and unlawful, we are to obey them, by futfering what they threaten. !f' But bt:cJufc I have had other *Sermon occafions largely to treat on this Subj ect. [ lhall not now farther profccutc it. on 1 Tber. Thirdlj, At,other great Duty of Subjeds, is fervent and earneft Prayer for them:; } 22 ' fo the Apoftle, 1 Tim. 2. I· I exhort therefore, that Jirft of all, Suppl.catiam, Prayers, J~~;~;:.o'# l nttrcrffions , and givmg of Thanks be made for aD Men; fir Kings, and all that are in Au- at Ch •ifl's thority l that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all GoJJmejs and Honefly. ~hurch. Bat why for Kings? It might feem more necelfary, that Prayers fhould be poured '"Dubha. out for thofe that are atRiaed and diftreffed, who have nothing elfe to relieve them belides God and Prayer: But Kings are in an high and profperous Condition; ma ny feek their Favour, and all fear their Difpleafure. Yet it is very needful to pray for them; for indeed they ftand in much more need of our Prayers than private Per[ons do. For, Firjl, The Charge laid upon them is greater, and the Burthens prcillng them are heavier than what lie upon other Men; and therefore they lhould be eaLtd and helped by our Prayers. What St. Paul faith, 2 Coy. I 1. 28. That he had the care of all rhe Churches upon him l we may fay of a King, that he bath the care of the whole Church, and of the whole State too incumbent upon him, A Crown is an heavy though a glittering Ornam,ent; and how can it be otherwife, when the Welfare at· f~ many thoufands ~epends upon them and t.heirCounf~ls.? it is their Work to pro.. Vtde for the Execution of Laws, the Exerc1fe of Rehgwn, the Reftrainincr and Pun~fh.ir~g of alllmpiety.an~ Ungodli_nefs: They mutt. fee that Right and Equity be adm1mftred, that no lnJufhce nor VIOlence be committed, but all Affairs guided: according to Law and Righteoufnefs; thefe are the conftant Cares th:~t auend Go.. vcrnment: And that which adds to all thefeBurthens, and makes them out of mea~ Qq fure
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=