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النشر الإلكتروني

SERMON L.

Before the COURT of TINWALD, 1736.

THE DUTY OF MAGISTRATES.

DEUT. i. 17.

YE SHALL NOT BE AFRAID OF THE FACE OF MAN; FOR
THE JUDGMENT IS GOD's

ΤΗ

HIS is part of that folemn charge which
Mofes gave to the judges of Ifrael.-
The fame in effect did good king Jehofaphat
give to his judges; Take heed what ye do; for
ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is
with you
in the judgment; wherefore, let the fear

of the LORD be upon you.

If this charge were neceffary then, it cer-
tainly is so now, and will ever be fo, as long
as men are subject to weakness, to negligence,
to corruption, or to paffion; that is, as long
as this world lafts.

The words of the text fuppofe this: Yefball
not be afraid of the face of man; and propofes
the only effectual antidote against fuch an evil,
for the judgment is God's.

See Exod. xviii. 21. xxiii. 3. Deut. i. 16. Prov. xvi. 12. xviii.
xxix. 4, 12, 14, 25. xxi. 30. xxx. 4,5. Isaiah xxix. 21. xxx. 1. Amos
v. 10. Eccl. vii. 6. Rom. xiii. 1, 2, 6. Gal. i. 10. 1 Tim. ii. 2.

a Chron. xix. 6.

The

The words are few, but imply a great deal of inftruction.. ¡

Ift. THE JUDGMENT IS GOD'S. Why then the magiftrate's power and authority is from God.

2dly. YE SHALL NOT BE AFRAID OF THE FACE OF MAN. This teaches the magiftrate his duty; namely, that he is not to pervert juftice for any worldly confideration; no, not for the fear of death.

3dly. The fubject may here fee the fin and danger of oppofing, of difobeying, of vilifying the magiftrate in the due execution of his office. He is God's minifter; his judgment, if juft, is the very judgment which God would give, God is with him in the judgment, and will certainly avenge him if he is defpifed,

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And there are the things that I would, at this time, recommend to your confideration, in as few words as I can. poffibly exprefs my meaning.

And firft, for the authority of the magiftrate, St. Paul tells us plainly, The powers that be are ordained of God. They are, it is true, men of like paffions with ourselves; but that does not hinder them from being God's reprefentatives. They are exprefsly called in holy fcripture, God's MINISTERS." By me, faith Solomon, by me kings reign, and all the judges of the earth; that is, from God they have their power. He "therefore that refifteth, refifteth not man, but God.

• Rom. xiii. I. • Rom. xii. 6. e Prov. viii. 15.

And

And this is the magiftrate's great fecurity, especially among Chriftians, who all know, or Thould know, that difobedience to the lawful commands of a lawful magiftrate will be attended with the fevereft punishment. For they that refift, faith the apostle,' fhall receive to themselves damnation.

گلی

In fhort; God, the author of life and death, the great proprietor of all things, has given to certain perfons power over the bodies, goods, eftates, and even lives, of their fellowreatures; but then left these magiftrates, finding themselves vefted with fo much power, should be tempted to abuse it, all nations, after the example of God's people, and by his will, have agreed upon laws to restrain and direct them.

And most nations, particularly this of our's, have made the law of God, by Mofes to the Ifraelites, their pattern.

Now, if the magiftrate judge and govern according to thefe laws, that is God's will and judgment; fo that both the magiftrate and people are anfwerable to God; the one, if he make not the law his rule; and the other, if they live not in all dutiful obedience to those whom the providence of God has fet over them.

And therefore the apoftle adds, that we must obey authority-not only for wrath, 'that is, for fear of temporal punishment; but

f Rom. xiii. 2.

alfo

alfo for confcience fake; that is, out of regard to the law and will of God.

And happy it is both for the magiftrate and the people, that there are fuch laws in every fociety, that both the one and the other may have a rule to go by, a rule which does or fhould always fpeak the fame language-to the poor and to the rich; to friends and enemies; to thofe that are wife, and to them that are fimple and fee not their interest.

It was for this reafon, that the heathens represented Justice with a veil over her face, intimating that a righteous judge ought never to confider the person, but the cause, that is before him.

And certainly there is no better way for a magistraté to secure the obedience and regard of the people, than to let them fee, that they who are appointed to give the law, are themfelves governed by law, and not by their own inclinations or wills. For the laws of all nations do fuppofe, that magiftrates may be mistaken in their judgment, either through fear, or favour, or negligence, or ignorance, or through weakness or corruption; and therefore all laws have, as far as it is in the power of man, provided a remedy against fuch evils, by allowing an appeal from every inferior to a fuperior court.

St. Paul himself, than whom no inspired writer ever preffed obedience to government more earnestly, when he was most unjustly

profecuted

profecuted for a faithful discharge of his duty to God, he appealed unto Cæfar, as to the last power, and next under God, from whom he might expect a more equitable sentence.

Let us now confider the ends for which magiftrates have this great power given them by God. And these are, in fhort, the glory of God, and the good of their fellow-creatures.

It is for this reason, that in our daily prayers we beseech God, fo to difpofe and govern the hearts of fuch as are in authority, that they, knowing whofe minifters they are, may above all things, and in the first place, feek God's honour and glory; and in the next place, ftudy to preferve the people under them in wealth, peace, and godlinefs. And every magiftrate, who has not these things in his view, will have but a fad account to make to God, whofe minifter he is.

It is certain, all our laws were intended to fecure these two ends; THE HONOUR OF GOD, by punishing the breach of his laws, by penalties fuitable to the nature of the offence; and THE GOOD OF EVERY MAN, by fecuring every man in the poffeffion of his rights, till a better right appeared.

I wish one could fay the fame of all our precedents; but the reafon of the difference is very plain;-laws are generally made with good advice, and with a view to the publick good, but precedents are too often made with a view to particular interefts, and sometimes

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