A

SERMON

Preached before the Honourable

HOUSE of COMMONS,

A T

St. Margaret's, Westminster,

On Wednesday, March 8, 1703-4. Being the Day of Her MAJESTY'S Happy Acceffion to the THRONE.

The Duty of Public Interceffion and Thanksgiving for Princes.

1 TIM. ii. 1, 2, 3.

1 Exhort, That, first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and all that are in authority: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godlinefs and honefty: For this is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour.

HERE was nothing by which the enemies of Christianity endeavoured, and hoped fo much to retard the progrefs of it, as by repre

VOL. I.

Z

fenting

1

fenting to princes and rules, that the propagation
of this doctrine tended to fubvert their govern-
ment; that the spreaders of it, where-ever they
came, exceedingly troubled cities, and turned the
world upfile down. It behove the apostles, there-
fore, to guard against this objection with all i-
maginable care. As they knew, that the great
work, in which they were employed, was not, as
yet, to be promoted, or countenanced by the
powers of this world; fo they refolved to give
them no juft ground, or colour to obstruct it:
and wifely, therefore, took all occafions to de-
clare their abhorrence of fuch as defpifed dominion,
and fpake evil of dignities; Jude 8. frequently
preffed upon their new converts the duties of
ing honour, and fear, and tribute to the higher
powers as being the ordinance of God] and of sub-
mitting themfelves to them, not only for wrath,
but alfo for confcience fake. And, for this reason,
it may be prefumed that St. Paul introduceth his
inftructions to Timothy, the new bifhop of Ephe-
fus, by exhorting him, that, in order to a duc
discharge of his high truft, he fhould " first of
all," or, above all things, take care, that "fup-
plications, prayers, interceflions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men; especially for kings,
and all that are in authority; that we may lead a
quite and peaceable life, in all godliness and ho-
nefty: For this" fays he, "is good, and accep-
table in the fight of God, our Saviour."

pay

The exhortation hath a double afpect, on mankind in general, and on princes and rulers in particular. I fhall confider it, with regard to the latter of thefe only, for whofe fake the apoftle

feems

feems chiefly to have made it; and under this view, it fuggefts to us three heads of difcourfe, very proper to be handled on this day, and in this affembly.

I. It recommends a great duty to us, the duty of making fupplications, prayers, and interceffions, and of giving thanks, for kings, and all that are in authority.

II. It expreffes the general reafon, and ground of that duty: "For this is good and acceptable in the fight of God, our Saviour.

III. It quickens us to the exercise of it by a fpecial motive, drawn from the confideration of our own cafe, advantage, and happiness; "That we may lead a quite and peaccable life, in all godlinefs and honesty.

Thefe points I fhall firft confider, and explain, in that latitude, with which the apoftle hath propofed them; and then adapt the general argument to the particular occafion of this day's joyful folemnity.

I. The writers on this place have distinguished with fome exactnefs between fupplications, prayers, and interceffions, and endeavoured to give us the ftrict and proper fenfe of each of these words; which, I think, it is neither neceffary, nor eafy to determine. Sure we are, that by all thefe together the apostles intended to exprefs the petitionary part of our devotions; 1 Tim. iii. 15.

Z 2

and

and by giving of thanks, the other part, which confifts of hymns and praifes. These two comprise the whole of our religious fervice; and in both these ways we are exhorted to address ourfelves to God, for kings, and all that are in authority, i. e. for the fupreme magistrate, and all inferior and fubordinate governors.

Ancient and modern interpreters agree to underftand this paffage of the public offices, or devotions ofthe church: and, indeed,the epifcopal character of Timothy, to whom the exortation is addreffed; the inftructions which immediately follow, and manifeftly relate to the fame head of public worship; and the profeffed design of St. Paul in writing this epiftle, which was, to infruct" Timothy, how he ought to behave himself in the houfe of God;" 1 Tim. iii. 15. do, I think, naturally and neceffarily determine us fo to understand it Efpecially, if we confider, that the exhortation, thus understood, was agreeable to the practice of the Jewish church; the pattern, which, in matters of worship, difcipline, and government, the apoftles chiefly followed: and, accordingly, we find the earliest apologist for chriftianity reprefenting it as the conftant and known ufage of the firft Chriftians, in all their facred affemblies, to pray for the lives of their emperors, and for the profperity of their state and government.

Our church is in this, as in other refpects, truly primitive; for thus we pray daily in her liturgy. And what we do every day, we may at fome times, be allowed to perform more devoutly and folemnly; even as often as the courfe of the year fhall