IN a state of Existence like the present, where there are Beings made for Im­mortality, and put upon Trial a few Years, or rather a few Days, in Order to be train'd up, and fitted for a nobler, hap­pier state of Things: and where thro' native Sluggishness, and Inattention or a contracted Stupor, those Beings too seldom think upon their Errand, the great Business, which im­mediately, and especially refers to this better State, 'tis convenient, 'tis frequently needful, that they have a solemn Memento, pointing of them forward to the Period of their Trial. The Reason of it is plain, viz the immediate, & powerful Tendency which it has, to awaken in the Minds of Men, a sense of the Worth of Time, and to beget in them the most vigorous Efforts, to do seasonably the Business assign'd them in the World. And this Reason always holds exactly proportionate both to the Em­barrassments [Page 2] attending the Duty & Business of Life, and also to the Importance of the Business itself. And hence when by Reason of an exal­ted Station, a high Trust, and the Burthens common to Government, any of our fellow Men have besides the Duties, & Intanglements common to Men, and Christians, the super­added Weight of a high Trust, the Govern­ment of the Commonwealth; they especially need to have their Eyes turn'd forward, their Minds directed to the solemn Period, when their working Time shall be over, & all present Distinctions laid aside, when Christ shall have put down all Rule, and deliver'd up the King­dom to the Father. Agreeably the Sacred Writings frequently inculcate a Truth, which all Nature loudly speaks, viz. the Mortality of Man. The frequent Instances of Mortality before our Eyes, and the constant Decays of our own mortal Frame, give us frequent Prae­monitions, of our approaching Dissolution. But as though these were little Things, the sacred Scriptures tell us, over & over again, that we must die▪ yea, that 'tis appointed for all men once to die; not only men of low De­gree, Men of little Note, or Influence, in the World; but even great Men & Princes. For he seeth that wise Men die, likewise the Fool & brutish Person perish. ^† And lest a high Cha­racter, [Page 3] a swelling Title, or the Distinction which Providence makes among Men in the World, should make such men forget the Im­portance of their Business, and forget them­selves; there are many faithful Lessons recor­ded in Scripture, to keep alive in their Minds, a sense that they are mortal, and accountable, and of the Obligations thence arising, to act in some good Proportion to their Character, and Trust; particularly that closing stroak in the Character of so many of the Kings, & Princes, and Worthies of Israel, which are recorded in the old Testament, even that finishing stroak in their Characters; and he died. And among all the Instances of this Kind, perhaps not one that speaks with greater Emphasis, than that which we are now to Consider,

And Moses, the Servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab. In speaking to these Words I purpose,

• I. To consider Moses as the Servant of the Lord.
• II. To consider him as the dying Man▪ and in both to give some Epitome, of the civil Ruler. That we may proceed,
• III. To consider those Things which the foregoing Heads will naturally suggest to us, agreeable to the Occasions of the Day.

I. To consider Moses as the Servant of the Lord. Moses the Man rais'd up for mighty [Page 4] Deeds, like Him whom he was the most emi­nent Type of; was born in very bad Times, when inhuman Cruelty prevail'd to that De­gree, that his Life was sought for. But that God who had noble Service for him to do in the World, remarkably interpos'd by his Pro­vidence, & preserv'd his Life, and so provided for his Education, that he should be well fitted for the public Part, which he was to act in the World. And immediately upon the dawning of the Day of Israel's Deliverance, God him­self called him to Action. Moses had by this Time banish'd himself from Pharaoh's Court, and disown'd his adoptive Sonship to Pha­raoh's Daughter, and was become Son in Law to the Priest of Midian, by taking his Daugh­ter to Wife; by which means he becomes the Keeper of Jethro's, his Fathers Flock.

And whil'st Moses was leading his Flock to the backside of the Desart, he came to Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God, where the Angel of the Lord, or rather the Lord Himself appear'd to him in a Flame of Fire, and commun'd with him, first reminding him of the affliction of his People Israel; and then expressing his Design of delivering them from their Egyptian Thraldom: And Commissions Moses to go upon the public, and important▪ Business, and gives him such Credentials, that whosoever disputed his Commission might [Page 5] easily be put to Silence. And since in the History of Moses he generally appears acting some public Part, so whilst I am considering of him, as the Servant of the Lord, I shall principally confine myself to the public Parts of his Service, wherein he render'd himself illustrious among his Kindred, and approv'd himself eminently the Servant of the Lord. But even among these I must confine myself to the following particulars.

• (1) His leading forth the Armies of Israel.
• (2) His giving Laws to the People.
• (3) His taking Care that the Laws were well executed.
• (4) His Friendship to Aaron, and his Sup­port of public Worship.

(1) I shall consider Moses approving himself the Servant of the Lord, in leading forth the Host of Israel. God might without improv­ing Moses have led forth the Armies of Israel, which in a way of Eminence were the Host of the Lord. Indeed their Deliverance out of Egypt was so much the Lord's immediate Work, that He is said to have brought them out of Egypt, with an high Hand, and an out­stretched Arm, and with great Terribleness, and with Signs, and with Wonders. ^‖ But He might, without using his Servant Moses, tho­roughly have subdued that haughty Monarch, [Page 6] Pharaoh King of Egypt. He might easily have broken his hard Heart, or Rais'd so much Compassion in it, as to have eas'd the galling Yoke, and releas'd Israel from his Bondage. He might by his immediate Agency, or under the Conduct of Angels, have led his Chosen safe through the Deep, and through the Desert. And even when their March was interrupted by Nations mightier than themselves, he might by the Breath of his Nostrils have devour'd them immediately, or marshal'd his Stars to have fought from Heaven in their Courses a­gainst them, & so have left Moses in the mean Time, in his former Obscurity to have fed his Fathers Flock. But GOD makes use of Men, for the Accomplishment of his Designs among Men. And as Moses was the Servant of the [...] so this was one Way, in which he was to serve Him. Israel must be led by the Hand of Moses. Accordingly Moses by di­vine Command, and with a high Commission from the King of Heaven; goes to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and with an intrepid Courage, supported by the Authority of his King; not only exposes himself to the Rage of Pharaoh, who sought his Life; but demands, & reso­lutely persists in his Demands, that Israel should be releas'd. Moses do's not threaten him that he would raise an Army, and force a Passage for Israel; but he urges the Honour, and Au­thority [Page 7] of his King, and gives Pharaoh to un­derstand, that it was at his Peril to refuse. And such were the speaking awful Arguments which he used, as pretty thoroughly convinc'd Pharaoh, that it was in vain for him to mea­sure Arms with the Almighty. So the Lord led them forth by the right Hand of Moses, with his glorious Arm, dividing the Water be­fore them; to make himself an everlasting Name. ^‖

And truly the Lord of Hosts was a great King, and his Name was dreadful among the Heathen. It is mention'd as an Instance of Roman Greatness, while Rome was in the very Zenith of her Glory, That she saved Egypt when under her Protection, and caused An­tiochus who with a vast Army had laid Siege to Egypt▪ to disband, only at the bid­ding of two or three Senators, who had no other Armour or Retinue, than a Staff, and a waiting Man. Tis a memorable Instance of the Power, and Greatness of the Roman com­mon Wealth. But what is this compar'd with the Power of the Lord of Hosts, and what was this Terrour compar'd with that which Seis'd the Egyptian King; when he whose Excellency is over Israel, & whose Strength is in the Clouds, dealt with him, by the Hand only of his Ser­vants Moses, and Aaron. Never was a proud [Page 8] hardned Man more Mortify'd: for after se­veral fruitless Shifts, he released near two Mil­lions; not meerly of his Subjects, but even of his Vassals, and all at the instance and bidding of Moses, and Aaron only, who Demanded in the Name of their God▪ and King. The Lord made to himself an everlasting Name, by the marvellous Things he did in the Land of Egypt, in the Field of Zoan—When he brought up Israel out of the Sea, with the Shepherd of his Flock. Moses was the Shepherd, the Leader of his Flock, the Captain of his Host. He had the Host of Israel at his Command: but was himself the Servant of the Lord in commanding of them. He was the leader of Israel, but was led himself by Israel's God. He kept scrupu­lously cl [...]se to the Instructions, which he daily received from Heaven. And tho' he led Is­rael several times to Battle, yet he led them no where, except where the Cloud which was a Symbol of the divine Presence led him. He had in Battle the Assurance of the Divine Pre­sence, and with it, the Assurance of Success. Thus faith the Lord to his Servant Moses, with respect to Og the King of Bashan, who went out with all his People against Israel, to the Battle at Edrei. Fear him not, for I have de­liver'd him into thy Hand, and all his People, and this Land, &c. ^* Moses the Servant of the [Page 9] Lord serv'd him faithfully, in leading forth his Armies, both from Egypt, and through the Wilderness: sometimes as the Minister of God's Vengeance; but oftner as a nursing Fa­ther, and good Captain, leading and feeding Israel. So that there was never a man whom Israel had more Reason to love; or their E­nemies more Reason to fear.

(2) Moses approv'd himself the Servant of the Lord by giving Law to Israel. The Jewish Polity, Civil as well as Ecclesiastical, was pure­ly Theocratical. God was King in Jeshurun, & gave Law to Israel. So that Moses was no other way a Lawgiver, than only a Promulger of the Law. He did not make the Law, but declar'd what was Law; and in this Character he serv'd God eminently. God might in this Case, as well as in the foregoing, have made use of the Ministry of Angels, or have spoken immediately from the Excellent Glory, with an audible voice to the People; but the People were afraid of seeing or hearing immediately from God, lest the Glory of his Vision, or the Terrour of his Voice, should be too mighty for them. Hence said they unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear, but let not God speak with us, lest we die. ^‖ But this Service God reserv'd for Moses to do. And accordingly descends him­self upon the Top of Sinai, & call'd for Moses [Page 10] to appear in the Place of Thunder, even upon the Top of the smoaking Mountain, to receive the Law at his Mouth. There he gave him that excellent Compendium of Morality, con­tain'd in the Decalogue, or a Summary of the moral Duties, which men owe to their Maker, and to one another; cast into ten distinct Pre­cepts. God at sundry Times spake to his Ser­vant Moses, & by him gave Laws, which were best adapted to the Circumstances of the Peo­ple. Some of them merely of a ritual tem­poray Nature, which if we ben't able to see the immediate Reason of, yet may rest satisfied, & content in this, that they were such as he, who knew infinitely well their Circumstances, the Temper of their Minds, their Lusts, their proneness to Idolatry, and their need of a con­stant heavy Yoke; in his Wisdom saw meet to enjoin upon them. Some of them were mere­ly typical, referring to the Coming, and King­dom of the Messiah; which of Course were to cease, when the great Antitype Appear'd: these like the Twilight of the Morning, were done away by the opening of the perfect Day. Others of them again, were lasting in their Na­ture, and of perpetual Obligation; such were the Laws refering to commutative Justice, and such were many of the Laws referring to capi­tal Crimes. Many of these have been trans­crib'd into, and now adorn the English Laws, [Page 11] and won't cease to be excellent, and useful in their Nature so long as Time lasts. These were the Laws, which Moses the Servant of the Lord received from God himself, and pub­lish'd to Israel: and which he adapted, and made in a sense his own Laws. And in so doing he did eminent Service, for his King. For in such a world as this we live in, where Pride and Passion, Corruption, and Lust, have universally diffused themselves among Man­kind, there would be no tolerable Living, unless Men were laid under the direction & restraint of Law. And that Legislator, that enacts or (being made) adapts, good, wise, and whole­some Laws; contributes in a good Proportion to the Health, & Prosperity of the Common­wealth, and deserves well of it. This did Moses: he serv'd his Generation faithfully this Way according to the Will of God. By this Service to his Generation, he serv'd his Ma­ker, who is abundantly honour'd and pleas'd with a good moral Government of the World. None of the Princes of Israel, ever distinguish'd themselves like Moses in giving Laws to the People.—Tho' he was the Servant of the Lord, he was a dignify'd one; he was admit­ted to speak Face to Face, with his Maker, to receive the Law from his Mouth, and he de­liver'd it, with some Beams of divine Glory on his Countenance. And truly, there arose [Page 12] not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew Face to Face, ^†

(3) Moses approv'd himself eminently the Servant of the Lord, by taking Care that the Laws were well executed. Laws however good in themselves, can do no Good, with­out a strict Observance of them, and the Execution of condign Punishment upon the Breakers of them. Moses sensible of this, discover'd a tender Regard for the Law, and a suitable Concern for the due Execution of it. Indeed such was the Burthen of public Busi­ness, lying upon this great Man, that he was not able to give his Attendance in executive Courts, except it was in some high, & important Cases. But he was nevertheless concern'd that Justice should be done, and the Honour of the Law maintain'd. Agreeably we find this noble Law-giver and Judge, upon the Revisal of his Law declaring to Israel, in a general As­sembly of their Tribes, as in Deut. 1. 13, & on, Take ye wise Men, and understanding, & known among your Tribes, and I will make them Ru­lers over you.—So I took the Chief of your Tribes, Wise Men and known, and made them Heads over you, Captains over Thousands,—and Officers among your Tribes. And I charg'd your Judges at that Time, saying, hear the Cause between your Brethren, and judge righteously [Page 13] between every Man and his Brother and the Stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect Persons in Judgment, but you shall hear the small as well as the great: you shall not be a­fraid of th [...] Face of Man; for the Judgment is God's; and the Cause that is too hard for you bring it unto me, and I will hear it. And this he afterwards enforces upon them, by one of the noblest Arguments, drawn from the highest Topick. For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, mighty and terrible, which regardeth not Persons, nor taketh a Reward. He doth execute the Judg­ment of the Fatherless, and Widow, and loveth the Stranger. Here's a Conduct, and here are Counsels and Commands, worthy of an in­spired Lawgiver and Judge: how equal, how disinterested; how free from party Spirit, and servile Compliance, and how every Way be­coming God's Deputy, and Viceroy here on Earth.

(4) Moses approv'd himself the Servant of the Lord by his Friendship to Aaron, and his Support of the Worship of God Every faith­ful Servant loves his Master, and his Master's Friends, and seeks his Master's Honour. E­very sincere Servant of the Lord, is the Friend of God, of all good Men, & especially a Friend to the Worship of God. This was Moses: he was the Friend of God, and of Consequence [Page 14] a Friend to good Men, and very especially to Aaron, who stood not meerly in the Relation of a Child to God, but in the Relation of a Priest of the most High, and was to transact between God, and the People, in Things of the most solemn Nature, and of infinite Impor­tance. Moses sensible how much the good of Israel, their spiritual, and everlasting good de­pended upon Aaron's Influence, endeavour'd in all proper Ways to assist, & strengthen him. Sensible also how much the Increase of Vertue & Piety would contribute to the Ease of Go­vernment, and the Health, and Peace of the Community; he walk'd Hand in Hand with Aaron, indulg'd the greatest Intimacy, and gave him peculiar Marks of his Friendship & Love. Yea, God himself taught Moses thus to do, by putting peculiar Marks of Honour & Respect upon Aaron; not as a Man, or as a good Man, but as one who sustain'd a high Office, as one from whom, God expected much Serv [...]e, and as one who needed a good Degree of Influence, in order to maintain the Honour of his Lord, support his sacerdotal Character, and be exten­sively Useful to Israel. He admitted him to frequent Intercourses with Heaven, and often sent him with Moses, to do the Messages of the Lord to Israel. Hence we find upon Re­cord, so many good Laws & Counsels, intro­duced with those Words, And the Lord spake [Page 15] unto Moses and Aaron, saying. Yea, the holy anointing Oil, wherewith Moses was comman­ded to anoint Aaron and his Sons, & conse­crate them, that they might minister unto the Lord in the Priests Office, was emblematical of Love, and Friendship, the grand Cement, & Band of Unity; and Foundation of lasting Peace, & Felicity to a Commonwealth, Psal 133. 1, 2. Behold how good, and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity. It is like the precious Ointment upon the Head, that ran down upon the Beard, even Aaron's Beard, that went down to the skirts of his Garment. Moses con­ducts towards him, as one sensible of the ho­nourable Notices, which God had taken of him, as one sensible of the vast Importance of the Business assign'd him, of the Good he would hopefully do by his Ministry, and of his Need of his Brother's Help. And verily if Aaron was to Moses instead of a Mouth, Moses was to him instead of God. And as Moses was a Friend to Aaron, so was he to Aaron's Work, even the Business of the Priesthood, which was assign'd him. He was Zealous for the Worship of his God, and manifested it by the Laws which he publish'd in the Name of the Lord, and by the Punishments he inflicted upon those that pro­fan'd God's Worship and Ordinances, and by the ample Support, he made for those that at­tended upon the Altar. Thus he declares in [Page 16] the Name of the Lord. Levit. 19 30. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary. And when one was found breaking the Sab­bath, Moses by Divine Command, orders him to be stoned to Death. And as to the Support of those that attended at God's Altar, his Books are full of it, and very large Provision is made for it. Indeed Moses acted in all these Things, by immediate Divine Command; these Laws, and Appointments, issued from the Throne of Heaven. But Moses shews that his Heart was in them, & that they were as truly his Laws, as thô they had been the Result of his own cool judicious Reasoning & Reflection, and estab­lish'd upon his own wisest Observation, and Experience. He gave fully into them, and adapted them, as the Rule of his Government, and adher'd to them with an invariable Con­stancy. As to the minute Circumstances of the Life of this great Ruler, the History is al­most silent. Thô the sacred Pages, song after has Decease, speak of him with Epithets of Honour; such as the Man of God, a powerful Intercessor with God, and an intimate Acquain­tance with Heaven. But if we take a Re­view of him, only from his five Books, we may read in him the accomplish'd General, facing Danger with an intrepid Courage, meeting Hardships with an unshaken Firmness & Con­stancy, submitting to Disappointments, and [Page 17] bearing up under heavy Burthens, with Even­ness, and Meekness of Temper, and leading Israel with Skilfulness of Hand. We may read in him the divine Lawgiver, & the disinterested Judge; a hearty Friend to the establish'd Worship of God, a nursing Father to the Church, and an Encouragement, & Support to a faithful Ministry. As these are things which meet in a great Ruler, so in these several Ca­pacities of Life, Moses conducted with that Integrity & Uprightness, as to shew himself heartily attach'd, to his God, and to his Peo­ple; and that his Mind was very much attem­per'd to the Divine Mind. And in the whole he has left an Example, very well worthy the Imitation of all those, who act in the same public Capacities that he did.

But as Moses was the Servant of the Lord, and a very obedient one too, thrô the Course of his Life, so he was obedient even in Death. For according to the Word of the Lord; or at God's bidding, he went up from the Plains of Moab, unto Mount Nebo, and died there in the Land of Moab.—And is he dead? Yea, ve­rily Moses the Servant of the Lord died there, in the Land of Moab.

This brings me

II. To consider Moses as the dying Man. We have consider'd him hitherto as the Hero of his Age, the Leader of the Hebrew Bands, [Page 18] the Scourge, and Terrour of their Enemies, the Friend of GOD, and a powerful Intercessor with Heaven. But the Scene now shifts, the Curtains draw, Gloominess, and the Shadow of Death cover him. One would as soon have pitch'd upon Moses as any Man, to have out­brav'd the Jaws of Death, and gone tri­umphing Body & Soul up to Heaven. But he drags the Load of Flesh no higher, than to the Top of Nebo, where his Soul drops its Burthen, and wings her Way to the upper Re­gions. If Piety, and the Love of GOD, could have exempted him from Death, if true For­titude, & Greatness could have driven back the King of Terrours, if the greatest Useful­ness to his People, join'd with their Prayers, and Tears, could have repriev'd him from the Grave, he had not died. But, like the meanest of Men, he must pay this last Debt to Nature, & return Dust to Dust. Death, commission'd Death cuts off the spirit of Princes, and is ter­rible to the Kings of the Earth. The Angel of Death it seems had no Respect to Persons. There were thousands in Israel, that could have been better spar'd than Moses: Thousands whose Death would not have made such a Breach, as the Death of this one Man; at a Time when they were just about to pass thrô Jordan, and encounter many powerful Na­tions. At this Juncture especially, they needed [Page 19] the Assistance of this aged experienc'd, and brave General, and the Influence of his Name: They wanted his prudent Counsel, and his Prayers. But he must encounter his last E­nemy, and there could be no Discharge in that War: Israel must fight their own Enemies, and leave their Leader, and their Prince, to be vanquish'd by his, without being able to rescue or assist him. Moses sprung from the same common Stock with the rest of Mankind, and must share the common Fate with them. Pro­vidence indeed had notably distinguish'd him from his Brethren, but his Nature was but human, and the Seeds of Mortality lurk'd within it, beneath the pompous Appearance of Honour, and Majesty, unsubdu'd Power, and Victory. Moses like other Men was but Dust in his Original, and must return to it by Putrefaction. As there was a Time for him to be born, so he must find Time to die; yea, thô he was a God he must die like a Man, and fall like one of the Princes: Thò he was a God, i. e. bore some Resemblance of Him, in Honour, Power, Influence, & c. yet he was not like GOD Immortal; but like other Men a dying Creature: Thô at the age of one hun­dred and twenty his Eye was not dim, nor his natural Force abated, yet he had the Princi­ples of Mortality within him, and, like other Men, was liable to Weariness, Pain, & Disease, [Page 20] those Harbingers of Death, and, like other Men, at last gave up the Ghost. Moses, and the Patriarchs liv'd to a greater Age than is common now: But Death reign'd from A­dam to Moses inclusively, as effectually as it does now: The Robe of Royalty, the Coat of Mail, could no more then than now, screne the Prince from the King of Terrors, nor guard against his deadly Shafts; no, the Prince chang'd these for a funeral Habit, and the Dishonours of the Grave: But if his Greatness could not distinguish him from other Men in his last Moments, his Goodness could: For when he had some Praemonitions given him, of his approaching Dissolution, he is un­daunted, and shews no Concern for himself, but is very solicitous for Israel, and pleads im­mediately with God for a Successor in the Government, to be set over them: Numb. 27 12, & on. And the Lord said unto Moses, get thee up into this Mount Abarim, and see the Land which I have given unto the Children of Israel, and when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy People, as Aaron thy Brother was gathered.—And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, set a Man over the Congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, &c. As he had been illustrious thro' a troublesome [Page 21] fatiguing, but very useful Life; so he appear'd as a dying Man nobly great, and good. The certain Prospect of a speedy Departure, could not divide Israel from his Heart, nor abate his affectionate paternal Care, and Concern for them. He could not be willing to leave Is­rael, at that critical Juncture, 'till he had ob­tain'd of GOD, a Ruler for Israel, one who should have Part of Moses's Honour put up­on him, and to whom the Children of Israel should be obedient. This obtain'd, the dying Prophet sings the Majesty of GOD, in that rapturous Song, recorded in Deut. 33d. The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shin'd forth from Mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of Saints: from his right Hand went a fiery Law, &c. He also sings the Blessings of the twelve Tribes▪ and the Excellency of Israel; then climbs up the Mount to the Top of Pisgah, and dies there. Cease ye then from Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils!—

I Pass to the third thing propos'd.

III. To consider those Things which the fore­going Heads naturally suggest to us, agreeable to the Occasions of the Day.

Here then,

1. It becomes the civil Ruler, the good Ma­gistrate, to whom is committed the Government [Page 22] of the Commonwealth, to protect it against their Enemies. Ever since Mankind have aposta­tiz'd from GOD, and corrupted their Way upon Earth▪ this Earth which would otherwise have been, the Habitation of Righteousness, and so the dwelling Place of Peace, has been so fill'd with Broils & Discord, with Faction, and War, and Blood; as to render it not unlike a Den of Dragons. In this corrupt State of Things, althô Mankind have been favour'd with such natural Notices of Truth, & Justice, and Equity, as to be able to discern between Right, and Wrong. And the several Divi­sions of Mankind, into distinct Kingdoms, & Commonwealths, have for themselves enacted Laws, for the settling, and securing Property, and maintaining their natural Rights: Yet these have been too weak, to prevent civil Discord, in the same Community, and much too weak, to prevent different Kingdoms from unjust Invasions of one anothers Pro­perties, & Rights. And when either of these happens, either civil Discord in the same Community, or an Invasion from a forein Power; it highly becomes the Magistrate, I mean those that are at the Head of Govern­ment, vigorously to exert themselves, for the Suppression of one, and the Repulsion of the other. Their Lives, their Liberties, their Properties, their Families, their Country de­mands [Page 23] it of them, that they appear, when Ne­cessity calls for it; either Personally, or by brave, and well chosen Generals, in the high Places of the Field, to subdue the Rebel, and drive back the invading Foe. Yea, the Case may be such, as to make it their Duty to carry War, into neighbouring Kingdoms, for the Defence of their Countries Property, & Right: As where Neighbouring Kingdoms, or States commit Robbery, and incroach upon them, and refuse Recompence. Such intestine mu­tunous Jars, such Invasions, & Incroachments, threaten the very Being of the Government where they are, and unless prevented, must Issue in the Dissolution of it. The Being of the Commonwealth requires; that such Power be lodg'd in the Civil Magistrates Hand, and the well-being of it requires, that on such special Occasions this Power be exercised. It behoves those then who set at Helm, to face the Danger, and call forth those, that are at their Command, to make a Stand against it, and save their Country.

And in doing this, they fulfil one good Part of their Character, even that of Shields of the Earth: Which is a Title given to Rulers by the Royal Psalmist, Psal. 47. 9. The Princes of the People are gathered together, even the People of the God of Abraham; for the Shields of the Earth belong unto God.—The Shield [Page 24] was a Piece of Armour, formerly used for a Defence in Battle, and as here used, 'tis a happy Figure representing the Protection, Defence, and Safeguard, which good Rulers are to their Land, against the Power, & Craft of their Enemies. When civil Discord, and Rebellion, broke out in Israel, in the Instance of Korah, & his Company, Moses immediately interposes for the Subduing of it.

And so when his People were call'd to en­counter mighty Nations, he very readily fac'd the Danger, & eminently fulfil'd the Character, of the Shield of Israel: so did the other good Rulers of Israel that succeeded him. What an Ornament, and Glory, as well as Safeguard to a Land, is the good Ruler, who in the midst of those Storms, foreign and domestick which beat upon a State, stands like a Rock in the Sea, it breaks the Waves, but remains firm and unshaken itself.

But alas the want of such Shields! After the Death of Moses, and Joshua, when there was no King in Israel, and every man did what was right in his own Eyes, tho' it was wrong in the Eyes of every Body else: Behold what Confusion! Civil War presently arose between the Tribes, and more than twenty thousand of them fell in one Day. And this, or some­thing like this, is too easily and too often the Case when a Community have not men at [Page 25] Helm, that have both Skill, and Ability, to check such Discord at the first Beginning of it.

2. It becomes the civil Ruler to make, or a­dapt good Laws, & see them well executed. In a state of Innocence and Perfection, where Light and Love direct the Way, and govern every Action; there would doubtless be no need of any other Laws, than those which are eternal, & necessary in their own Nature, which are written upon the Mind of every intelligent Creature, in Characters so deep, as never to be effac'd. But in a state of Things like this, in a world where every Thing is out of Order, & nothing more so, than the minds of men, espe­cially their wills & affections, the leading Fa­culties of the Soul there is the utmost need of good Laws guarded by well chosen Sanctions. The Safety, Peace, & Prosperity of those Nati­ons, that have been under the happy Directi­on, and Restraint of such Laws, speaks this Truth aloud; but the Rapine, Wars, & Blood, of some barbarous, Ignorant, and lawless Na­tions, speak it louder. The highland Clans, and the Crooms of Guinea, are sad Instances of this. The latter especially proves that the want of good Laws well executed or in other words, the want of a well concerted Govern­ment, makes one of the richest Parts of the Globe, a Field of Robbery & Blood; where, [Page 26] neither Property, Liberty, nor Life, is in any tolerable Measure secure. But civil Rulers, which are Ministers of GOD, for good to the People, are to attend upon this very Thing, among others, and take Care that they have a good System of Laws, grounded upon the Fit­ness of Things, the everlasting Rules of Truth and Justice; and well adapted to the Circum­stances, and State of their People. ‘Upon this depends the very Foundations of all civil Government, and of all mutual Society a­mong men; for by them the Magistrate is directed how to govern, & the People how far to obey; the Magistrate by them is set­led in the Possession of his Authority over the People, and the People too by them are secured from the arbitrary Power, and un­reasonable Demands of the Magistrate, as well as from the Fraud, Violence, & Op­pression of each other.’ ^§ And hence 'tis doubtless the Duty of the Magistrate to consult the Laws of Nature, and of Nations, to study Men, & Things, & get well acquainted with the Genius, and Interest of that People, to whom they are to give Law. The Divine Law will furnish the Magistrate with a good Model, and the general Direction of Scripture will a­bundantly help him, in drawing the Plan for a noble Body of Laws. But as the State of the [Page 27] Jews differ'd from that of every other Na­tion, so their Laws taken collectively won't suit the Constitution of any Nation under Heaven. And indeed such are the different Circumstances, and Constitutions of different Kingdoms, and Governments, that no one Bo­dy of Laws would suit any two distinct Go­vernments. And yet perhaps there is no en­lightned well inform'd common wealth, but what has some Laws peculiar to it self, that might well be adapted by another Govern­ment. 'Tis therefore doubtless a Duty, which the civil Magistrate owes to his People, to look over the Archives of the best model'd, & most flourishing Kingdoms. And having collected a good Body of Laws, it remains a Duty for the Magistrate to see that they are well exe­cuted. It will be to very little Purpose to have good Laws, without a good Execution of them. Those that need Laws most, will be least influenc'd by them, if there is nothing more in them than the Reason of Things, and the Magistrates word. The Law is made for the lawless and disobedient; but 'tis the Sancti­on, or Penalty of the Law, rather than the Fit­ness, and Reason of it, that restrains, and go­verns them. Hence it becomes the chief Ru­lers of the Common wealth, to take special Care, that the executive Courts are provided with men of strict Justice, good Improvement, [Page 28] and Penetration. The civil Government of Athens was justly esteem'd one of the best in the World. Among Heathen Governments there was none in the Age, wherein Athens flourish'd, that could claim Preesidence, if E­quality with it. And never did their Glory rise higher than under the administration of Solon, that great, and wise Lawgiver, and two or three more, who after some Interruption in the Government, succeeded him, restor'd his Laws, and improv'd upon them. But Solon was as careful to have his Laws well executed, as he was to give good Laws, and endeavour'd that his People should be govern'd by them after his Death at least an hundred Years; and bound every one of the Senate by a solemn Oath, and the Forfeiture of a Golden Statue, as big as himself, not to Violate one Statute.

There can certainly be no Safety in a Com­munity where there are not both good Laws, and a faithful Execution of them. Nor with­out these can the civil Magistrate by any means fulfil the Character of a faithful Servant of the Lord, or Father of his Country.—Indeed while he acts the Part of a true Patriot, in cal­culating, and executing Laws for the Suppressi­on of Vice, and the Promotion of his Coun­try; 'tis next to certain, that Men of perverse Minds, that hate to be reclaim'd, Men of party Spirits that are ever impatient under [Page 29] Checks, and Men govern'd merely by sinister Views, whose private Interest is the Rule, and Measure of their whole Lives, 'tis almost cer­tain that Men of this Stamp will make a Noise, and especially if they be any Thing numerous (as is too often the Case) they will endeavour to raise a Storm in the Community.

But the good Ruler regardless of this, like the good Pilot, will keep a steady Course thrô the Storm, with a steady Pace bearing down upon Injustice, and Vice, and especially upon the popular Evil that threatens the Govern­ment. And if thrô the Weakness of honest Men, or the Wickedness of others, he falls from his Seat in the Defence of his Country; he falls a noble Sacrifice, 'tis a Death worth dying, a Death more honourable than a Life preserv'd by a servile Temper, and mean Com­pliance.

3. It becomes the civil Magistrate to be a nursing Father to the Church, an Encourager, and Support of the public Worship.—The Church of GOD is his choice Treasure; GOD has spoken the kindest, tenderest, and most glorious Things of Zion; of any Place upon Earth. Psal. 132. 14▪ This is my Rest, says He, for ever, here will I dwell, for I have de­sired it. And the Lord loves the Gates of Zion, more than all the Dwellings of Jacob. ^* [Page 30] And the Church of CHRIST in Gospel Time is no less the Care, and Treasure of Heaven, than it was in its Judaism, and Minority.

The Prophet Isaiah, who prophesied so much of Gospel Times, that he is by some call'd the evangelical Prophet, points very par­ticularly to the Church of Christ in the latter Day, even in its Gospel State, when the Lord should lift up his Hand to the Gentiles, and call them into Church State; he prophesies of it, and says, Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers, and their Queens thy nursing Mothers, ^‖ in very strong Terms, importing the Care, and Kind­ness which the civil Magistrate should [...]hew to the Church of God. Indeed the civil, and ecclesiastical Polity are distinct, but they are co-assistent to each other: thô the Nexcis be­tween them is not absolutely necessary to their Being, yet it is to their well-being; for they have a mutual Dependence upon each Other. 'Thô a civil Community may flourish, has flourish'd even in a heathenish Land where God had no Church, or peculiar People, yet I may venture to say, a civil Community never flourish'd without supporting, and being sup­ported, by those two great Ornaments of a Church, viz. Learning, and Moral Vertue in some of the cardinal Branches of it at least. The Church of God also has flourish'd in her [Page 31] Turn, not only without, but even in Opposi­tion to the civil Magistrate. The Church of Christ in the early Ages of it, flourish'd intire upon her own Basis; ‘And made wonderful Progress against all Opposition from the Bigotry of the Vulgar, the Power of the Great, and the Wisdom of Philosophy.’

But this was at a Time when the civil Ma­gistrate was Heathen, and when the Jewish Oeconomy, and Church State were to be set aside, and dissolv'd; and a new, and distinct Oeconomy and Dispensation to take Place in the World. A Change this, so great, and so over-bearing, to Jewish-Bigotry, and Gentile Idolatry, that nothing less than Miracles could prove such Change to be the Will of God. And doubtless the rapid Progress of the Gos­pel, and it's surprizing Spread, when Earth, & Hell were combin'd for its Suppression, was design'd as a miraculous Proof, that Judaism was now ended, and Christanity to take the Place of it. And this being the Design of its great Author, no Wonder it flourish'd in De­fiance of all the Powers that were ingag'd a­gainst it. 'Tis perhaps from this that some very weak People seem to think that the Gos­pel would flourish most, when it was most oppos'd, and accordingly have invited Perse­cution, and had rather break over the Rules of Decency, & Christianity than not be opposed. [Page 32] But notwithstanding Christianity has flourish'd without the Assistance of the civil Power, and even in opposition to it, whilst the Magistrate was Heathen, and Christianity needed Miracles for its Support, and Proof; can we thence conclude, that Christianity would be likely to flourish more eminently in Opposition to the Christian Magistrate, in a Country where it is generally profess'd; or that the Magistrates Countenance, Example, and Influence, would not serve the Cause of Christianity. Certain­ly we are to admit no such Thing.

That God that hath instituted the Christian Religion, hath also appointed civil Govern­ment: So that 'tis to make the Institutions of Heaven clash with one another, to suppose that the Christian Religion would flourish most, when the civil Magistrate most oppos'd it. In a common state of Things, where Christiani­ty generally obtains, and the Proofs of it's Di­vinity are admitted; the foregoing Suppositi­on carries in it nothing less absurd, than this, viz that the Appointments of Heaven are so jarring & inconsistent, that the Being and Life of one depends upon the Destruction of ano­ther. And althô (as before observ'd) in an ex­traordinary state of Things, the Church of Christ has flourish'd in Opposition to the civil Magistrate▪ Yet at other Times under Per­secution has been cover'd with Ashes, has [Page 33] mourn'd, & fled into the Wilderness, & seem'd as tho' she wound be intirely extinct.

Tis evident that Moses and Aaron thought they never walk'd stronger than when they walk'd Hand in Hand, and that the civil and religious Interests of the People, on one Hand, and civil and religious Discord on the other, would rise & fall together. Hence they endea­vour'd not to oppose, but to Strengthen each other; Aaron for a Mouth to Moses▪ & Moses instead of GOD, i. e. for a Head & Ruler un­to Aaron. Undoubtedly the civil Magistrate may like a nursing Father, protect, encourage, and strengthen the Church of God, and the Worship of God; by Influence, by a good Example, and even by well concerted Laws respecting the Temporalities of the Church. And this Way he is to approve himself the Friend of GOD, a nursing Father to the Church, and an Encourager of Divine Worship. In Things of a temporal civil Nature, the civil Magistrate has undoubted Right to interpose his Authority for the Church: but not to ex­ercise Dominion over the Consciences of Men, by imposing Articles of Faith, and enforcing Subscriptions with Penalties; for though the Purse is Caesars, the Conscience is God's: And Authority of this Kind exercis'd by Men, is a bold Usurpation of CHRIST's Kingly Go­vernment; and thô it might be moderate, and [Page 34] modest at first, it would probably enough end, in all the Fooleries, and Butcheries of Rome, and Spain.

Such Authority may make Fools, it may make Knaves, but it will never make Christians.

Indeed the Plea of Conscience I am sensible is a Subterfuge, where sometimes honest weak Men, and oftner wicked designing ones take Sanctuary to defend themselves from Law & Justice, and to do infinite Mischief in the World: But 'tis Conscience, & not mere Pre­tensions to it, that is so sacred & inviolable.

But whilst the civil Magistrate leaves this to a higher Tribunal; there are many things tend­ing to the Health, Peace, and flourishing state of Zion which God requires, and his Church expects from the Magistrate, viz. that he ap­pears bold and very Couragious for the Sup­pression of Vice of every Denomination, and the Encouragement of Vertue. Agreeably St. Paul in his Description of the civil Ruler says, Rulers are not a Terrour to good Works, but to the evil. ^* Yea God and his People ex­pect of civil Magistrates that they contribute their Assistance to the support and well being of the Church, by the encouragement of Learn­ing, supporting Schools the less with the great­er, but especially the Schools of the Prophets, & endowing them with those Privileges which [Page 35] are very needful to form men for Temple Ser­vice, that Zion may have of her Sons for Pro­phets, and of her young men for Nazarites. ^‖

Moreover the civil Magistrate fulfilling the Character of a nursing Father to the Church, is to add to these, the Force, and Influence of his own Example, going before the People in the Paths of Vertue, and Shining in all the Graces of the Christian Life.

And indeed these are things necessary to the well-being of the Government. Without Vice supprest, Vertue encouraged, and Learning promoted, a civil Government can't subsist long, the Foundations will sap, and the whole Frame of Government must fall.

4. It becomes civil Rulers to remember, that they are Servants of the Lord; but Servants dignify'd above the rest of their fellow-Servants. Moses that Divine Man, althô he was the Head of Israel, their Ruler and their Judge; yet was himself rul'd of GOD, and was but his Ser­vant. Indeed all are but Servants unto GOD; he makes even his Angels ministring Spi­rits: and from the Seraph down to the low­est Insect 'tis true of all, that they are Servants unto him.

The civil Magistrate is so. Thô they may be high honour'd, and rever'd as God's, yet they are Servants of the Lord, and as depen­dent [Page 36] upon their Maker and Master, as the most abject Slave.

Thô they may have thousands at their Com­mand and say unto one go, and he goes, and to another come and he comes, yet they are themselves Servants of the Lord, & must come & go at his bidding, they must serve the Lord, with Fear, & be intirely submissive to his Will. Thô they may have the Power of Life and Death, so that whom they will they kill, and whom they will they save alive, yet after all they are but Servants unto God, and there's not a Soul of them that can ransom his own Life from the Grave.

As this is the case with civil Magistrates even the most independant of them; so it be­comes them to remember it, & improve it as an Argument to Fidelity; for 'tis required of Stewards, of Servants, that they be faithful. They have a high Trust reposed in them, and many Talents committed to them, to occupy in their Masters Absence; their Work is great, their Privileges great, and their Reward, if faithful will also be great when their LORD shall return having received a Kingdom.— Be wise now therefore, O ye Kings: be instruct­ed ye Judges of the Earth. Serve the Lord with Fear, & rejoice with Trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way. ^§

[Page 37] But whilst the civil Magistrate remembers that he is a Servant, he must consider of what Class he is, that he is dignify'd above the rest of his Fellow-Servants, he must steadily bear it in mind, lest he should act beneath his Charac­ter, and forfeit the Honour which his Master has put upon him.

Thô Mankind are all of one Blood, yet all don't stand upon a level; there are Superiors and Inferiors, as well as Equals among them. Civil Rulers are of the highest Order amongst Men; they are cloathed with the Robes of royalty and majesty, and in their Office bear some resemblance of the great Governour of the World; like him they are to consult the good of Men, like him to protect their People from Injuries, to punish Vice and reward Ver­tue, and shed their Kindly influence upon Man­kind. The Lord Almighty has given them the Title of Gods, has put on them some of his Honour, and made them shine with some faint Beams of his Glory, giving us in them a small Specimen of his Greatness, Authority and dis­tributive Justice. A powerful Argument must this be with the good Ruler to act up to the dignity of his Office, and never to sully those divine Features which he bears: This should be a powerful inducement to him, to resemble Him, whose Title and Honour he sustains, to be universally benevolent to mankind, and be­nificent [Page 38] to those with whom he is concern'd, to guard their Privileges, vindicate their Rights, distribute Justice with an equal Hand, shew Mercy to all Men, and thus keep up the ho­nourable Distinction which God has put upon him in the World.

The Consideration that we are Men and rea­sonable Creatures, and capable of an honourable and happy Alliance with the upper World, might well keep Men from Symbolizing with the Beast from groveling in the Dust, & mix­ing with Sensuality & Lust. Especially then the Consideration of a state of Eminence, and Superiority in Life, ought powerfully to guard the Magistrate against whatsoever is low and mean, servile and sensual, against whatso­ever misbecomes a Man, that is the off-spring of GOD.—The Remembrance, and Conside­ration of a state of Dignity, and Eminence in the World, may, and it ought to serve these noble Purposes. But 'tis sadly otherwise, when Men take Occasion from their advanc'd Station, to nurse false Conceptions of them­selves, to feed their Vanity, and think them­selves more than mortal Gods; when they grow giddy, and look down from their Eleva­tion with Contempt upon the rest of Mankind, as Creatures made only for their Service, and to bear Burthens. This Temper generally issues in a Neglect of public Interest, in Op­pression, [Page 39] and Tyranny. But there is enough in the Constitution of Mankind to qualify in the good Ruler His exalted, dignify'd State, enough in it, thoroughly weigh'd, to allay in the haughty Ruler, the Teemor which puffs him up. For,

5. Civil Rulers are dying Men. Moses thô a dignify'd Servant of the Lord dyed, and so must civil Rulers of every Order: Those that are supream as well as those that are in subordinate Places of Power, and Trust must bow down to the King of Terrours; for Gods must die. The Lord accepteth not the Person of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor, for they are all the Work of his Hands, in a Moment shall they die. ^†

The lofty Pine as well as the lowly Shrub must bow its Head. Purple and Ermine give way to the Shroud: for Death steps upon the Thrones, without an Impeachment for Treason too, and removes the Crown from the Princes Head, strips him of his royal Attire, and covers him with Dirt. The wise contempla­tive Ruler believes it, and acts under the In­fluence of such Belief, and prays with the roy­al Prophet, Lord make me to know mine End and the measure of my Days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am. ^‖ But the Man flush't with Honour, and grown giddy with [Page 40] Height, easily flatters himself that he is more than a Mortal Creature, and becomes vain in his Imagination: but the Lord poureth Con­tempt upon such Princes, and weakens the strength of the Mighty, ^* That terrible Message to Tyras is applicable to such, con­tain'd in the XXVIII Chapter of Ezekiel, Because thy Heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I set in the Seat of God,—Yet thou art a Man, and not GOD, though thou set thine Heart as the Heart of GOD,—therefore thus faith the LORD,—I will bring Strangers upon thee,—and they shall bring thee down to the Pit.

The Propet Isaiah also, bears a faithful Message to the scornful Ruler in XXVIIIth Chapter of his Prophecy. Ye scornful Men that Rule this People; because ye have said, we have made a Covenant with Death, &c.— Thus faith the LORD,— Your Covenant with Death shall be disannulled,— When the Overflowing Scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. The haughtiest scornfulest Monarch, can't make such a League with Death, but that He who holds the Keys of Death can disannul it: for he can't measure Arms with the immortal JEHOVAH, who setteth upon the Circle of the Earth,— and bringeth the Princes of the Earth to nothing, [Page 41] and maketh the Judges of the Earth as Va­nity, ^§

True Greatness, and Dignity can't save from Death, much less can any Thing that is imaginary. Death 'tho' a conquer'd Ene­my; will nevertheless conquer all the Living: for 'tis appointed for all Men once to Die, ^* It leads Princes in Fetters to it's wide Domi­nions, and binds them in Iron Sleep. The civil Ruler may appear to Day in all the Grandeur of an earthly God, with a splendid Retinue, a bright Train of Attendants: But, ah awful Death! which sports it's self with Crowns, and tramples Kingdoms under Foot: The earthly God tomorrow proves the dying Man. He quits the Chair, flings off his Robes, forsakes the Living, changes his Re­tinue for the silent Train of Mourners, retires behind the Scene, and goes to his long Home. None of his Glory descends after him, he mixes with the Congregation of the Dead, and his Body crumbles into Dust: All Distincti­ons are laid aside, the Bubble bursts, and his honourable Titles vanish to Air.

Where are the wise the great and honoura­ble that are gone before? Where are our An­cestors, the Train of Godly Rulers, who like [Page 42] Moses led this little Israel thro' the Wilder­ness? ^‖ And where? alas! where is he? who of late was the Head and Ornament of this Assembly, the Friend of GOD, and of his Country, whose Name is still dear, and whose Memory claims the annual Tribute of our Tears. Our Fathers too where are they, and the Prophets, do they live forever? Where are all those that are gone before? They live some of them in History, some of them in our Memory: but the Seats they once fill'd tell us they are Dead, and the Places which once knew them, will know them no more.

There is enough in the Thought, that the Ruler is the dying Man to prevent false Great­ness, and allay the Pride of Granduer & high Title, and this is the wise Improvement, which the Ruler should make of the Admonitions given by the Death of others, and the Con­templation upon his own Mortality, even this to abate high Thoughts of himself: not to keep him from acting in his proper Sphere of Elevation, but to keep him from over acting [Page 43] of it. For as on the one Hand, he is the dig­nify'd Servant of the Lord, and therefore is not to Settle into low Life, but to keep up the Distinction which Providence has made be­tween him and other Men, and to act with a Greatness becoming his Character. So on the other Hand, he is the dying Man, and there­fore in the great Business of Life, he is to look upon himself like other Men, Mortal and Ac­countable: and that the Distinction which Providence has put upon him in the World, is but a passing short liv'd Thing, not given him to make him absolute, but to improve for the Honour of his Master, & the good of his Fel­low-Servants. The good Ruler implies the Man & the Christian, and since, like them, he is to die; so he should always act with a proper Reference to Death and the following State, remembring that he carries about with him continually the Seeds of Mortality, and that his Life, like the Honour of it, is even a Va­pour, which appeareth for a little Time and then vanisheth away. ^* He should bear in mind, that thô he Transacts for God with Men; yet he is to Transact for himself with God, that he is a Probationer for Eternity, & acting a Part upon which his everlasting State depends, that Death will shut up the scene, and finish the Tryal.

[Page 44] As the Authority and Influence of the Ma­gistrate will give him no Discharge, in his Struggle with his last Enemy; so neither will it avail him any Thing, to have been a Law­giver and a Judge, when Christ shall come with ten thousands of his Saints to Judgment. The Inquiry wo'nt then be, who has worn a swelling Title, and a royal Robe; but who has the new Name, and who is cloathed in white Raiment, for 'tis only he whose Name will be confess'd before the Father and before his Angels. ^‖—

'Tis Time that I pass to a more particular Application of the foregoing Discourse; and I shall do it,

I In an humble Address to the Honoura­ble the GOVERNOUR, the DEPUTY-GOVER­NOUR, and ASSISTANTS of this Colony, with the REPRE [...]ENTATIVES of the Freemen of it, here present.

Since his Honour's Command is all that can excuse my appearing in this Desk to Day; let it also apologize for a plain Address.

Renown'd Fathers.

I have attempted, tho' I am sensible with a great deal of Imperfection, to give some Scetch of the good Ruler, and the dying Man; [Page 45] by some Touches upon several Things in the public Parts of Moses's Conduct, wherein he approv'd himself eminently the Servant of GOD, and a dignify'd one too, and wherein he appear'd after all but a mortal Man.

Had the Character been drawn to the Life it would have been a perfect Mirrour of good Government. In it we should have seen, the able General, the wise Lawgiver, the accomplish'd Judge, the Friend of GOD, and after all, Greatness, and Goodness submitting to the irresistable Power of Death. But changing the Things that are to be chang'd there is nothing in the Character of this great Man thus consider'd, but what speaks some­thing Useful to You; my renown'd Fathers.

Was Moses Protector, and Guardian to Israel against their Enemies, so should you be to Us▪ Civil, and Military Power, are natu­rally join'd together so far, that military Power must necessarily rest in the civil Ma­gistrate. Our Eyes therefore are unto You as our Shields under GOD, to defend us against all forein Invasions, by keeping up a Number of well disciplin'd Troops, & sending of them forth as Occasion calls, and thoroughly guar­ding our Frontiers. And since we are cover'd from a perfidious blood-thirsty Enemy▪ upon the North, by a neighbouring Province, which in Time of War is at an immense Expence, to [Page 46] guard their Frontier, which indeed is ours also▪ permit me to ask, whether the Princi­ples of Self-preservation thoroughly pursued, whether common Equity, or at most, whether that excellent Rule in Christianity, of doing unto others, as we would they should do unto us, don't demand larger Supplies in Times of War, than ever this Colony has afforded them? I know 'tis natural for them to complain 'tis equally natural for us to treat that affair with too much Parsimony. At present we en­joy Peace; blessed be GOD for it: long may it last; may a good Agreement, and Friendship among the Nations cement, and flourish whilst the Scars endure. But if GOD in righteous Judgment should suffer War to arise, between us, and the Northern Tribes; what but the Lives, & Fortunes of a great ma­ny in that Province, could save us from their unhappy Lot? Most certainly the Safety we enjoy thro' their Danger, and Distress, de­mands our generous Succours, and bids our Shields, be Shields to them.

YOU, our venerable Rulers, are under GOD the Guardians of our Lives, and of what ever else is dear to us in the World. We look to You, (not expecting the civil Ruler Perso­nally to appear in the Field, if ever a forein Enemy should again assault us, but) that by well con [...]d Measures, a wise choice of Officers, [Page 47] a good Levy of Troops▪ in a Word, that by a wise Superintendency, You secure, and de­fend us against them.—

Since my Subject leads me to it, it is not too late here: no, it can never be too late for an Englishman to commemorate with Grati­tude, the Instance wherein ^† his Honour, who was then second, but now first in the Admi­nistration here▪ once distinguish'd himself in his Love, & Zeal for his Country. When in the last War, he left his Family, his Friends, and Country behind, where he had liv'd in Honour, and enjoy'd plentiful easie Circum­stances, to try the Dangers of the Sea, and un­dergo the Hardships of a Siege, in a cold Country, and an inclement Air: and all to curb the Pride, of an encroaching dangerous Enemy, and save his Country from the Cala­mities wherewith 'twas threatned. Such In­stances of Patriotism, deserve the Laurels of a Country, and their Thanks. We thank your Honour, with the other worthy Gentlemen that led forth our Troops: we thank our Countrymen all, who Engag'd in the Noble Enterprize; but above all, we thank the LORD of Hosts, who fought the Battle for us, and gave us the Victory.

[Page 48] May you our honour'd Rulers, approve yourselves the Shields of the Earth, the De­fence of your People; that under your wise Administration, the People may lead quiet, and peaceable Lives, and every Man may set under his Vine, and under his Figtree; and have none to make him afraid.

Was Moses also under GOD a wise Law­giver, and a Judge to Israel▪ so should you be to us. You can never deserve the Cha­racter which so well belong'd to Moses, that of a dignify'd Servant of the LORD, without providing good Laws, and a good Execution of them. These are such Foundations, that if they are destroy'd, or wanting, the Com­munity unsupported, must sink into one com­mon Ruine. We look to You, as our Hel­pers under GOD, to make, and adapt Laws to our Circumstances, to defend us in our natural and just Rights, against every injurious and unrighteous Claim, to encourage the most pro­fitable Manufacture, give spring to the best Branches of Trade, and suppress those that are injurious to the Commonwealth, to promote good Husbandry, and Frugality, and discoun­tenance Idleness, to provide a just Weight, and Balance, and to [...] if possible [...] the passing Medium is kept invariable; for if this vary, distributive Justice▪ and right, can hardly be kept from varying with it; and especially [Page 49] to curb the Growth of Vice of every Deno­mination, and bear down hard upon it, as that which is the Bane of Society, and which, if unsubdu'd, will prove fatal to it.

But so different are the private Interest of Men, so various and headstrong their Passions and Lusts, that good Laws and a strict Exe­cution of them, will probably bring upon you the Odium of many. But remember Sirs! that ye are the Servants of GOD, and not of Sin, that ye are to please GOD by obeying his Will in consulting your Country's Good, and not to please unreasonable Men by obeying their Humours. 'Tis the Evidence of a Mind truly great, and a necessary Ingredient in the Character of a wise Ruler, to be able to dis­cern at a Distance his Country's Interest and Safety, and beholding it, to follow his own Light, with a steady Pace, thro' all the Con­sequences which it points out to him, amidst undeserv'd Reproaches, and hard Treatment. Remember Sirs, the vast Difference between the good Ruler and the bad one. One is as the Light of the Morning, when the Sun riseth, even a Morning without Clouds, ^§ a Comfort and a Blessing to the People. But the other is as a roaring Lion & arranging Bear, ^‖ a com­mon Enemy and Plague to Mankind. In the remembrance of these Things, may you ever [Page 50] approve yourselves, wise Lawgivers and equal Judges.—

Moreover, Was Moses the Friend of Aaron, and a support to public Worship: so should you our honour'd Rulers, be nursing Fathers to the Church of God. The Subject I have been upon, would suffer me without Digression to bespeak your special Favour, to the Gospel Ministry, but I wave it; and in Be­half of my Fathers, and Brethren as well as for my self, return you our hearty Thanks, for the many Favours confer'd upon us, & the several Exemptions indulg'd us, by the legisla­tive Body of this People. We ask but the Continuance of your Favours, and in common with other Men, your Benevolence, and Pro­tection, and rest assur'd we have it.

But for Zions sake I will not hold my Peace. Such is the Tie between the civil & religious Interest of a People, that 'tis scarcely to be ex­pected that they will flourish separately. So that were it only upon political Views, you must be greatly wanting to the People under your Government, if you should not to the utmost, endeavour the Promotion of real Religion.

Whoever reads, & believes the indefinite Promises of God to his Covenant People, & his more express Promises to the Godly, touching temporal good Things, such as Wealth and [Page 51] Peace, can never doubt the Truth of this. Yea whoever considers well the natural Con­nection, which there is between the several Branches of moral Vertue, such as Temperance, Chastity, Moderation, Meekness, & c. upon one Hand; and Health, Peace, Frugality & good Behaviour, upon the other; or in a Word, whoever considers the natural Con­nection which there is between Holiness and temporal Felicity, must allow that the civil Ruler is strictly bound to encourage and pro­mote true Religion, as be consults the good of the Body politick. But this is not all, 'tis but the least Part, our all is embark'd, not only the comfort of this transitory World, but our everlasting well-being depends upon in­ward Holiness, the Religion of our Minds, which can never flourish without a good moral Behaviour; and the externals of Christianity. Here then with that deference due to my honour'd Fathers, and Superiours, but▪ with an earnestness becoming the importance of the Subject, I ask your Influence and Assistance, to encourage Religion, support the Gospel, and maintain Peace, Purity, and good Order in the Church. Zion always had her Enemies, the Children of Edom were not the first, nor the last that said, rase it, rase it to the Foun­dation. Indeed the Attacks that are made upon the Church, are generally made under [Page 52] the specious: pretence of Conscience. Con­science is a sacred Thing, and to be treated with the utmost Tenderness, but the Preten­sions to it, are often made use or to cover the basest Designs.

If under such Pretensions any Number of People should apply to this Venerable Assem­bly, to have all Laws repeal'd, that refer to ecclesiastical, and religious Affairs, or only to have those repeal'd, which refer to the Temporalities of the Church,—such as respect the supporting it's Officers, and the building, and repairing a House for GOD, if any such Request should be prefer'd, I humble ask of the Honourable Assembly, in favour to the Government as a civil Community, to reject it with that Abhorrence which it deserves.

Our pious Ancestors, who made Provision by Law, for the Support of a Religion, and Worship, according to their own Consciences, in Hope of transmitting the [...]ame uncorrupt to Posterity, earned their Privileges too dear, to be given up at the request of designing Men.

Among a great many others, it is possible there may be some few honest, undiscerning, and undesigning Men, that may desire such a Thing, who would be shock'd if they see the natural Tendency, and probable Issue of it. In pity to them, in favour to their dear Off-spring, with ours, in favour to the civil & religious In­terest [Page 53] of this People; for your Country's sake, and for God's sake let them be deny'd; as the Abettors of a Scheme very inimical to Church and State, and which, if God in righ­teous Judgment should suffer to take Place, would probably in a course of Years issue, in less than the appearance of Christianity. And if for your pious Attachment to the civil or religious Immunity's of this People, you should ever be traduc'd, and malign'd by any under your Government: If the ill Treatment only affects you Personally; He who came down from Heaven, the Governour and Judge of the World, has left you a blessed Rule illus­trated by his own Example, of forgiving the Injury. Father forgive them, was his dying Prayer for the wretched Rabble, that Mock'd him, that Spit upon him, and Crucify'd him; when, if he had Pleas'd, he might have Call'd his Father's Legions to have reveng'd the In­jury. But if such ill Treatment should more than affect your Persons, and thro' you should strike at Government, and threaten the pub­lic Safety and Peace, may that Wisdom which is from above, point out the Methods of Redress.

For Zions sake, let me also ask of you, my renowned Fathers, your kind Influence to en­courage Schools of Learning, especially the College within the Colony, that it may be en­dow'd [Page 54] with the best Advantages, to form Men to Vertue, and Holiness, furnish them with the most Useful Learning, and fit them for the Service of the Temple, and the Ser­vice of their Country.

And thus fulfilling the Character of digni­fy'd Servants of the Lord, may your Days be filled with Honour, and Usefulness, and Peace, until GOD shall call you off from Service.

For verily, Sirs, ye are Mortal and must Die. 'Tis a memorable Instance of Wisdom in a Macedonian Prince, that he ordered these Words to be pronounc'd in his hearing every Day, "Remember Sir, that you are a Man." Tho' we reverence, and honour you as our Fathers and Rulers, and call you Gods, yet you are to remember that you are hast'ning over into the World of Spirits, where all present Distinction will be lost. The Habit of your Minds, but not the Ho­nour of your Names will go with you. Pre­sent Grandure and Title, wont be the Mea­sure of your future Glory. Remember that but few Days divide you from the eternal World. It certainly becomes you, my honou­red Fathers, that are in the highest state of E­levation, to look down into the dark Valley, and consider, that you, with other Men, are shortly to take a lodging with the Worms.

[Page 55] May you first like Moses ascend to the Top of Pisgah, and take a view of the pro­mis'd Rest, and then at GOD's bidding, drop your Clay, and ascend to Moses, and to Moses's GOD, and reign with Christ forever and ever.

II. I shall briefly Address my self to my Fathers, and Brethren in the MINISTRY.

As the good Ruler is the Friend of GOD and the Friend of his Country, a Friend of Aaron and a Support of the public Worship; so it behoves us especially, to wish them well, to Pray for them continually, to contribute to the utmost of our Power towards strength­ning their Hands, and increasing their Influ­ence. Aaron was a Mouth to Moses, so should we in some sense be to the civil Magi­strate: in speaking to God for them, in spreading their Case before his Throne, in pleading with him that all needed Light and Support, may be afforded them, and that they may be both faithful and successful in their high Trust. We are also to be their Mouth as well as the Mouth of GOD to the People, in warning the People of our respective Charges, against those Vices which threaten a State; as well as their own Souls, warning them against Sedition, Rebel­lion, [Page 56] a mobbish Spirit, and all groundless Murmurs; teaching every Soul to be subject to the higher Powers, and that so is the Will of GOD, that they submit themselves to every Ordinance of Man for the LORD's sake, whether it be to the King as supream, or unto Governours, &c. ^*

We have Duties to discharge both towards Rulers and Ruled, for both are mortal and accountable, both have Souls to save or loose. And as our own Comfort and our Crown, de­pends upon our Faithfulness to the Souls of Men; so we had need be Prayerful, & Studi­ous, to get a good Understanding of the Will of Christ, that we may know the Instructions that we are to give, and be able to deal out a Portion to every one in due Season: Yea, and that we may be able to confront all Heresies that spring up in the Church of GOD, and put to Silence Gainsayers. The Difficulty's, my Fathers and Brethren, with a faithful Dis­charge of our Trust, in the dispensing the Gospel, and the Seals of it, and which espe­cially private faithful Reproof, and the pub­lic administration of Discipline, will bring upon us, will call for all our Fortitude, and Strength. We need the constant Supplies of divine Grace; we shall need the Exercise of [Page 57] continual Faith in the Promises of GOD, and verily we may find abundant Support, from the Encouragements and Promises of the Gospel, peculiar to a faithful Ministry.

May we go forth in the Strength of CHRIST, and be faithful in all his House.

Let us remember, that as our Work is great, so our Time is short. We have but our Day, and with many of us it is a Day far spent; the Evening is approaching: Our Fellow-labourers, very many of them, within a short Time, have quitted their Labour, and are called Home. The Shadows of the E­vening grow long, and we must hasten, my Fathers, out of the Vineyard; we must hasten Home; neither our Office, nor Usefulness, nor the Prayers of our People, can exempt us from the common Fate. Princes, and Priests, and People, lie undistinguish'd beneath the Clods, as Moses went to Mount Nebo, so Aaron went to Mount Hor, and died there. Let us live well that we may die well; 'tis dying well, that perfects the Man's Cha­racter; let us so live, that we may look, and long for the blessed Hope, and glorious Ap­pearing, of the great GOD, and our SA­VIOUR.

III. One word to the ASSEMBLY, and I have done.

[Page 58] Are our Rulers dignify'd Servants, and dy­ing Men? You are to honour, and submit to them, but not adore them. Our Rulers are under GOD our Guardians, they have a high Trust repos'd in them, a heavy Work lying upon them. Contribute your Propor­tion, to lessen the Weight, and make Govern­ment easie, by being yourselves obedient, to every salutary righteous Ordinance of theirs, by setting a good Example, and using all your Influence to promote Peace, and Truth. Look upon them as Men set over us by the wise Governour of the World, and yet that we are all alike, and equal in this one Thing, viz. this, that we are mortal, and accountable. And accordingly be this your great Concern, to make ready for Death. See to it in Time that the Sting of it is taken out, and that you are interested in Him, who is the Resur­rection, and the Life, who holds the Keys of Death, and Hell in his Hand, and who alone can save your Souls from Destruction. Make ready for the great Day of Decision, for the general Assemblage of all Nations, and Kin­dreds of the Earth. And may we all once more have a happy Meeting at the Resur­rection of the Just, and having the Harps of God, may we join the happy Consort, and sing the Song of Moses, the Servant of GOD, and the Song of the LAMB, saying, Great, [Page 59] and marvellous are thy Works, LORD, GOD Almighty, just, and true are thy Ways, thou King of Saints, who shall not fear thee, O LORD, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art Holy: for all Nations shall come, and worship before thee; for thy Judgments are made manifest. ^†