have ventured to espouse such wild opinions, as do, in elect, fubvert and deny it.

The benefits of a juft and good government to thofe who are fo happy as to be under it, like health to vigorous bodies, or fruitful feasons in temperate climes, are fuch common and familiar bleffings, that they are feldom either valued or relifhed, as they ought to be. We fleep over our happiness, great as it is, and want to be rouzed into a quick and thankful fenfe of it, either by an actual change of circumstances, or by a comparison of our own cafe with that of other men.

Few of us confider, how much we are indebted to government itself, because few of us can, or do, reprefent to ourselves in lively colours, how wretched the condition of mankind would and must be without it; how to that we owe, not only the fafety of our persons, and the propriety of our poffeffions, but our improvement in the feveral aits and advantages of civil life, and in all knowledge, both human and divine; even in the knowledge of the bleffed nature and will of God himself, and of the best ways of ferving, honouring, and adoring him. We, who are used to fee men acting under the awe of civil juftice, cannot readily conceive, what wild and favage creatures they would be, without it; and how much beholden, therefore, we are to that wife contrivance which makes use of our fear to quell our other paffions and lufts, as beafts and birds of prey are employed to hunt down thofe of their kind. The inconveniencies attending all, even the best of governments, we quickly fee and feel, and are nicely fenfible of the thare that we bear H 2

in

in them; and, though thefe be little in compari fon of thofe mighty advantages that redound to us from thence, yet we mufe fo much on the one, that we are apt altogether to overlook and forget the other.

Our ingratitude in this refpect goes further: for fome there have been, who have difpured even against magiftracy itself, as an unchriftian inftitution; or denied at least, that the power of the fword could, on any account, be lawfully exercifed by the followers of a meek and suffering Jefus. And this hath been maintained, not only by warm Enthufiaft, but by cooler and more difcerning heads, even by fome of those who style themfelves Unitarians, and would be thought to reafon better, and fee further into the fenfe of the fcripture, than any men. I think, they have given no good proof of either, in afferting this extravagant and pernicious principle; for which, after all, they have no ground or colour, but a paffage or two of fcripture, miferably perverted, in oppofition to many exprefs texts, and indeed to the whole tenor of divine writ. Strange it is, that they, who, in matters of faith, reject the plaineft fenfe of fcripture, because it feems to difagree with what they call reafon; fhould, in this cafe, reject the plaineft reafon in the world, because of a text or two in fcripture, that may be thought to clath with it. But the true reafon of their flying to this ftrange doctrine was, to be even with the magiftrate; who, they found, was against them; and they refolved therefore at any rate to be against him. However, this opinion (like fome others, that have been fince taken up by other fectaries)

fectaries) was to laft no longer than they were undermoft. For fo the event actually proved, in relation to the German Anabap ́ifts: who no fooner got the reins into their own hands, than they altered their minds in this point; and tho' they held the power of the civil word to be altogether unlawful, whilft they were to be governed by it, yet they esteemed it very lawful and very convenient, when it came to their turn to govern: The earth, now, and the fulness thereof were tie Lord's, and the meek were to inherit it. The Unitarian indeed never had, any of them, fuch an opportunity of explaining themfelves; fhould they have found one, it is very probable they would have made the fame use of it. Let us leave thefe abfurd fenets, whenever they revive, to be confuted by that power which they thus affront and deny: and let us proceed to the confideration of what I obferved from the text, in the

Second place, concerning thofe outward marks of distinction and fplendor which are alloted to the magistrate, and which the Robe and diedem, exprefly here mentioned by Job, may be fuppof ed to comprehend.

The practice of all ages and all countries (whether Chriftian or heathen, polite or barbarous) hath been, in this manner to do honour to thofe, who are invested with public authority. The rea fons are obvious; I fhall mention fome of them. It was intended by this means,

Firft, to excite the magiftrate to a due degree of vigilance and concern for the public good: that

he,

he, being conscious of the true end for which these encouragements were given, might ftudy by all poffible ways to deferve them; and to excel the reft of mankind as much in worthy deeds and atchievements, as he out-fhines them in all other advantages. The honours, and the burthens, of great pofts and employs, as they were joined together at the firft, fo were they designed never to be feparated. The magiftrate was not made great, in order to afford him opportunities of indulging himself in floth and vice; but in order to inspire him with refolutions of living fuitably to his high profeffion and calling; that," whatsoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are juft, whatsoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and it there be any praife," he might be induced to "think on thefe things," Phil. iv. 8. and to abound in the practise of them. A

Second reafon of these marks of ftate and dignity, which are annexed to magiftracy, is, for the fecurity of the magiftrate's perfon, in which the public tranquility and fafety are always involved. He, who will faithfully perform his duty in a ftation of great truft and power, must needs incur the utter emnity of many, and the high difpleasure of more; he must fometimes ftruggle with the paffions and interefts, refift the applications, and even punish the vices, of men potent in the common-wealth, who will employ their ill-gotten influence towards procuring impunity, or extorting undue favours, for themselves, or their dependents. He must conquer all these difficulties,

ficulties, and remove all these hindrances out of the way that leads to juftice; must dare even to "break the jaws of the wicked, and to pluck the fpoil out of his teeth;" Job xxix. 17. i. e. to ravith the prey from any mighty oppreffor, when he hath feized, and is just ready to devour it. He is the guardian of the public quiet; appointed to restrain violence, to quell feditions and tumults, and to preferve that order and peace which preferves the world. It is apparent, on these and many other accounts, what hazards a good magiftrate runs; and therefore the retinue of state which belongs to him, is fuch, as may at the fame time be his ornament and defence: the public justly fcreening him from the dangers which he is to incur for the fake of it. A

Third plain reafon of the public honours done to the magiftrate is, that he may not only be fecure, but had alfo in due estimation and reverence by all those who are fubject to him. "Tis by refpect and diftance that authority is upheld; and 'tis by the outward marks and enfigns of honour that respect is fecured, especially from vulgar minds, which do not enter into the true reafon of things, but are governed by appearances. 'Tis in the civil government, as in the offices of religion; which, were they ftript of all the external decencies of worship, would not make a due impreffion on the minds of those who affift at them. But a difcreet ufe of proper and becoming ceremonies renders the public fervice of the church folemn and affecting; awes the unbeliever infpirits the fluggish, and enflames even the devout worshipper. In like manner, the folem

nities