For" her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. II. Civil, such as belongeth to kingdoms, republics, corporations, or to men as combined in such societies. Many are the contrivances of men to work themselves and others into places of government; but when all this is done, that of the Psalmist is most true, " Promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he pulleth down one, and setteth up another." And that of Daniel," He changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings." Witness this history: Anastasius a Grecian emperor having no male issue to succeed him, was desirous to transfer the throne to one of his three nephews, whom he had bred up; and not being able to resolve which of them he should take, put the thing to lot thus: He caused to be prepared three beds in the royal chamber, and made his crown to be hung within the tester of one of these beds, called the realm, being resolved to give it to him who by lot should place himself under it. This done, he sent for his nephews, and after he had magnificently entertained them, commanded them to repose themselves, each one choosing one of the beds prepared for them. The eldest accommodated himself according to his fancy, and hit upon nothing; the second did the same. He then expected the youngest should Prov. iii, 17. + Psalm 1xxv. 6, 7. +Daniel ii. 21. go directly to the crowned bed; but he prayed the emperor that he might be permitted to lie with one of his brothers, and by this means not any of the three took the way of the empire, which was so easy to be had, that it was not above a pace distant. Anastasius, much amazed, well saw God would transfer the diadem from his race, as he did afterwards to Justin. Who can read and consider such examples without saying as he did? Ludit in humanis Divina potentia rebus. That is, Divine power often dares Remember Daniel's four beasts, and the seven heads of that beast in the Revelations, conceived by interpreters to resemble the seven forms of government which Rome was to undergo successively; from a commonwealth to kings; from kings to consuls; from consuls to dictators; thence to decemvirs; thence to tribunes of the people; thence to emperors; thence to popes. Reflect upon this nation of ours, which hath been governed at first by Britains, then Saxons, then Danes, then Normans! one while in the way of a heptarchy, another while of a monarchy, and now of a republic; and, if thou canst, refuse to cry out, O the depth! § 4. III. Military, such as belong to the ma naging of wars. It is not for nothing that God is so often styled, "Lord of hosts" in the Old Testament. We find him so called no less than! one hundred and thirty times in two of the prophets, Esaias and Jeremiah. Because in the ordering of martial affairs, he in a manner doth all. Captains, and superior officers may, and do consult, but God determines. They throw the dice, he appoints the chance; they set their men as it pleaseth them, he in the issue plays the game as it pleaseth him. Hear David in that Psalm of his which he made in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, speaking of his own experiments, and celebrating God as assisting him both in the field, and at sieges," By thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall:"* giving him strength, activity, skill," It is God that girdeth me with strength. He maketh my feet like hinds feet. He teacheth my hands to war, steel is broken by mine arms. victory, Thou hast girded me with strength to the battle; thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me." In the New Testament, we seldom or never meet with that title. That which comes nearest it is, Lord God Al so that a bow of Yea, success and * Psalm xviii. 29. +Verse 32, 33, 84. Verse 39. 40. Q Q mighty; and this occurs twice in the Revelation, when mention is made of the victories which it pleaseth God to give to the reformed churches against antichrist and his adherents, once in these words, "We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned."* And again in these, “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints."+ IV. Moral, such as belong to good manners, or in more gospel terms, " To living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world."‡ The two former I well know are pretended to by men unregenerate, yea, by heathens. Socrates (they say) lived so soberly, as not to be discomposed by any outward emergency, to shew himself always the same man. Fabritius so righteously, as that it was commonly said of him, To turn the sun out of its course would be found more easy than to turn him from the way of justice. But for godliness, which is the third, it were hard, if any should pretend to that without strong impressions from God in Christ, yet the Pelagians of old did, asserting those virtues which appeared in moral men, who had not received Christ Jesus the Lord, nor known what it was to walk in him, for true graces; for which very fault, as St Revelation xi. 17. + Revelation xv. 3. + Titus ii. 12. * Austin tells us, above all others, the Christian church did most detest them; yea, a Christian minister of late hath in print dared to collect from that saying of Paul," All men have not faith,' an implication, "That men who act and quit themselves according to the true principles of that reason which God hath planted in them, cannot but believe, and be partakers in the precious faith of the gospel."+ But we have been taught, and must teach that it is not in the. power of any inferior creature so to improve its faculties, as to raise up itself to a superior rank. No tree can make itself a beast, no beast a man, no man a saint by the bare improvement of his reason, whence he comes to be a man. Moral principles prove to such as rely upon them, and seek no further, mortal principles. We believe that of Prosper, "The whole life of an unbeliever is sin. Neither is there any thing good, where the chief good is wanting,—but false virtue in the midst of the best manners."‡ V. Ecclesiastical, such as belong to the church, and the legitimate members of it. In that song of loves, Psalm xlv. 9. "Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir," is meant the church. Look as an indulgent prince, be * August. contr. Julian. Pelag. 1. 4. c. 3. J. G. Preface to the Reader before Red. Redeemed, fol. 6. a fine. ‡ Omnis infidelium vita peccatum est, et nihil est bonum, sine summo bono, ubi enim deest agnitio æternæ et incommutabilis voluntatis, falsa virtus est et in optimis moribus. Prosper sent. 106. |