SERMON V.

PROVERBS xxiv. 21.

My fon, fear thou the Lord and the King; and meddle not with them that are given to change.

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HEN a daring spirit of anarchy and confufion feems to prevail through the world, it becomes the duty of every man, whose fituation in life gives him the opportunity, to inculcate the leffons of obedience and fubordination, contained in the words of the text; and to endeavour to extinguish that torch of fedition, which, in the hands of a few mifguided zealots, is ready to fcatter fire and devastation through the land. I need not tell you, that the Book of Proverbs, from which these words are taken, was penned by that excellent spirit of wisdom, which defcendeth from above, and is, therefore, de

ferving of our highest attention. And, indeed, were we ignorant of this circumstance, the various precepts it contains, would fufficiently recommend themselves to our esteem, by their intrinsic worth and importance; as being grounded on unquestionable truth, expressed in very intelligible language, and, by their fententious brevity, easy to be retained.

We are not, however, vainly to imagine, that all the precepts there delivered, are to be understood in rigorous strictness of speech, or in the utmost severity of conftruction. We are rather to interpret them according to that equitable confideration of circumstances and times, which every general propofition requires; which, though generally true and fitting, will always admit of fome exceptions. Thus, for example; where this wife King tells us, "Train up a child in the way he "fhould go, and, when he is old, he will not depart from it ;" we can have no doubt of the general truth and propriety of the precept. But should we from thence conclude, that no child, who has been well educated, ever deviates from the good way in which he has been trained, we should only expose ourselves

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to ridicule, by contradicting the experience of all ages. For, though the greater part of thofe, who fall under the just vindiction of the law, owe their ruin to a neglected or vicious education, yet there are too many alfo amongst them, the unhappy offspring of virtuous and honest parents, whom no precepts of wisdom could control, whom no influence of example could fway, whom no restraints of parental authority could guard from destruction. And, with the fame equitable conftruction, are we to understand that precept in the text, which forbids us "to meddle "with them that are given to change.". For, though there can be no doubt, that a meddling and contentious fpirit, which is ever hunting after imaginary grievances and caufes of difcontent, is highly to be con-. demned, and avoided, yet, on the other hand, there are occafions, where change becomes neceffary, and where the first principles of nature, and of fociety, and of reafon, call upon us" to meddle with them that * are given to change.” And, in the fame qualified fenfe alfo, are we to understand the precept here delivered, of." fearing the king." VOL. I.

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Fear

Fear is, in itself, the moft ignoble paffion that inhabits the human breaft. If we confider its origin, it is ever the child of guilt and disobedience: for, when man came from the hands of his Maker, pure and unfpotted, he was fearless, because he was innocent: but, no fooner had he forfeited that innocence, than fear fucceeded: "I heard thy "voice," faid our unhappy firft parent, to his offended God," and was afraid." If, therefore, our fear of the king should originate from conscious guilt, or the dread of impending evil, it would be flavish and abject, and, therefore, can never be fuppofed to be recommended to us by the pen of infpired wifdom. And indeed, who would wish to inculcate into the breasts of their fubjects, fuch a fear as this; except fuch monfters in human fhape as a Tiberius or a Caligula, who could willingly be content to be hated, fo long as they were feared.

But the fear here recommended, is a filial sense of love and duty; which will lead us to fhew our reverence to the king, by a strict obedience to his laws, and by a just respect to his perfon and government. In one word,

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it is what St. Peter means, when he comimands us to "fear God, and honour the te king."

Having thus cleared the words of the text from those inconvenient confequences, which would follow from too strict and rigorous an interpretation of them, I fhall proceed to lay before you,

First, The neceffity of fearing God;

Secondly, The duty of honouring the King; and,

Thirdly, The danger of meddling with fuch as are given to change.

I need not, perhaps, inform you, that the fear of God is here put for the fum and fubftance of religion; which, in fcripture language, is frequently expreffed by fome of its leading and conftituent parts. Thus, the knowledge of God and of his Son Jefus Chrift, whom he hath fent, is fometimes faid to be eternal life and again, fometimes Faith is called the only requifite for falvation; as where

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