This our Lord hath provided for us in the Holy Sacrament. And as we want bread every day to fupport our mortal bodies, fo we want grace every day to fupport our immortal fouls, and to fave us from death eternal.

May he, of his infinite mercy and goodness, vouchfafe us this bleffing; and his will be done for the reft, for Jefus Chrift's fake. To whom, with the Father, &c.

SERMON

SERMON XLIX.

Before the COURT of TINWALD, 1736.

THE FOLLY OF UNDERTAKING ANY BUSINESS OF
MOMENT WITHOUT REGARD TO THE
WILL AND HONOUR OF GOD..

PROV. xxi. 30.

THERE IS NO WISDOM, NOR UNDERSTANDING, NOR COUNSEL, AGAINST THE LORD.

I Muft firft obferve to you,

how

many words are here made ufe of, by the Holy Spirit, to convince us of the folly of undertaking any business of moment, without regard to the will and honour of God. There is no wisdom, that is, no difcretion, directing men what is fit to be done; no understanding, which can enable a man to fee the iffue of things; no counsel, able to give advice; where the will and honour of God is not confulted, and his bleffing and direction is not prayed for.

And one may take it for granted, that this folemn meeting was, from the very beginning, appointed to be ushered in by proper fupplications and prayers for the bleffing of God upon this government; and by proper in

ftructions

ftructions from his ministers, how his blessings are to be obtained and fecured.

Woe unto them that take counfel, but not of me, faith the Lord. And the wisest men have found it fo to their cost and shame, when they have neglected to take God along with them in their politics.

The whole race of the kings of Ifrael, from Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who taught Ifrael to fin, to Hofhea the last king of Ifrael, who with his whole people were carried into captivity, are a known and flagrant inftance of this truth,-That no happiness is to be expected, where the glory, the honour, and true worship of God are overlooked or defpifed.

They all went by this worldly wife maxim, that it would not be fafe for them to let their people go to Jerufalem to worship, as God had exprefsly commanded, left in time they fhould be tempted to fubmit to the kings of Judah, fo they fet up a worship of their own invention, which ended in an idolatry abhorred of God, and brought upon themfelves and their people a miferable captivity, which continues to this very day.

We fhall only mention one other instance of the truth and importance of these words just read to you; and this is one of whose wisdom it is faid, That the counsel of Ahitophel was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God. And he did certainly give Abfalom fuch

Ifaiah xxx. 1.

2 Sam. xvi. 23.

counsel

counsel as would have ruined his father most effectually, if God had not turned his wif dom into foolishness.

And that men might be convinced, that it was the work of God, and that he interpofes in the affairs of men, the fcripture tells us exprefsly, That it was God who had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahitophel, that he might bring evil upon Absalom, as also upon his wicked counfellor. Thus wicked counfels, fooner or later, fall upon the heads of those that give, and upon those that follow them.

Now, this being a truth declared by the God of truth, and found fuch by experience, it follows, (let foolish men despise it at their peril) that in all our counfels we should, in the first place, have an eye and regard to the honour, and will, and laws of God, or we fhall foon fee and feel our mistake.

This, the apostle tells us, is the great end of civil power and government,-to be a terror to evil doers, and to encourage thofe that do well, that God in all things may be glbrified. And confequently, all laws should be made, and counfels taken, with an eye to these two great ends-the glory of God, and the good of mankind.

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in yain that build it, faith holy David, a king himself, and a great master-builder in Ifrael. And his fon fets this down for an uncontested truth, The throne, that is, the government of every

• Prov, xvi. 12.

every nation, is established by righteousness; that is, by righteous laws, and putting them faithfully in execution.

Now these are two things which every government should aim at:-In the first place, to have RIGHTEOUS LAWS. In order to this, let it be confidered, that God, the great proprietor of the world and all things in it, having given to certain perfons power over the bodies, goods, estates, and even over the lives of their fellow-creatures; left thefe, finding themselves vested with fuch high powers, should forget themselves and abuse their authority, as the Wife Man' faith wicked men will be apt to do, and fay, Our ftrength and power fhall be the law of justice; most nations have found it neceffary, and have agreed, to have laws to direct both those that are to govern, and those that are to obey,

Now the two great ends of these laws fhould be, as was faid before, firft, the glory of God; and fecondly, the good of mankind.

Firft; THE GLORY OF GOD.

Such are laws to fecure, as far as poffible, the honour of God, his name, his worship, his ordinances, from being made light of, and profaned, by men are who given over to a reprobate mind.

Such alfo are laws to fecure true religion and its minifters from contempt, by punishing those that, forgetting themselves and their character, make the fervice of God to be defpifed;

Wisdom ii. 11.