this petition that God would haften the completion of the prophecies relating to the kingdom of Chrift; that he would give him the heathen for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his poffeffion, that he may be his falvation to all people.

DISCOURSE VII.

PSALM CXxii. 6.

Pray for the peace of Jerufalem: they shall profper that

love thee.

THERE is nothing places religion in a more difadvantageous view, than the opinion entertained by fome, that a concern for the prefent peace and profperity of the world is fo foreign to all the ends and purposes of true religion, that a good man ought not to suffer his thoughts, much lefs his paffions and affections, to be engaged in fo worthlefs a fubject.

The infpired writers have indeed, with repeated inftructions, guarded us against the temptations of riches, honours, and pleasures, and prepared us to undergo the calamities and afflictions of life with firmness and conftancy of mind. But what then? So does the general exhort his foldiers to bear with patience the fatigues of war, to defpife the dangers of it, and in the day of action to press forward, regardless of life itself; yet ftill victory and triumph, and the sweet enjoyments of peace, are the end of war; and the foldier, though he must not fear to die, yet it is his business to live and conquer. Re

ligion is a fpiritual warfare, and the world is the scene of action, in which every good man will be fure to meet with enemies enough; and it is not the end he aims at, but the oppofition he meets with, in pursuing that end, that makes it neceffary for him to be inured to bear the miferies and afflictions of the world. Were the cafe otherwife, it would be iniquity to pray for temporal peace and profperity; fince we never ought to feek that by prayer to God, which the rules of our religion will not permit us to be concerned for. So that the exhortation in the text, to pray for the peace of Jerufalem, implies that we ought to be concerned for her peace, fo concerned as to do whatever is in our power to procure and to preserve it; fince prayer to God for his affiftance, fuppofes the use of our own endeavours to obtain the bleffing we contend for: and that we may not think that the Christian religion has made any alteration in this cafe, St. Paul has exhorted us to pray, and to give thanks for all men; especially for kings, and all that are in authority; for this reafon, That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honefty.

Upon this view then a concern for the peace and profperity of our country is not only a political but a religious virtue; a care that becomes us, both as we are men, and as we are Chriftians; which stands not upon the narrow bottom of felf-intereft, but rifes from a more generous principle, partaking of the love of God, and of our neighbour; fince, whilft we seek the public peace, we fhew our beneficence to one, and our obedience to the other.

But there is a farther confideration, which makes

the public peace to be the juft concern of every

good man. The prefent ftate of religion in the world is fuch, and fo connected every where with the civil rights of mankind, that there is no probable ground to hope, that even the religion we profefs can be faved out of the ruins of the liberty of our country. If therefore it be a care worthy of a good man to preferve the purity of religion in his own time, or to tranfmit it fafe to pofterity; if we may wish, as well as pray, that he may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honefty; or that his fons and his daughters may ftand up after him before the Lord in the congregation of his faints: if thefe be lawful defires, and fuch as we may by our beft endeavours labour to obtain, our religion will never permit us to be unconcerned fpectators in any cause that affects the profperity of our country; upon which, under God, depends the liberty we enjoy of freely profeffing the faith once delivered to

the faints.

The Pfalm from which the text is taken turns wholly upon thefe two topics; the temporal profperity of Jerufalem, confidered as the head of the civil government, in the flourishing condition of which the happiness of the whole nation was concerned; and confidered as the feat of true religion, the city in which God had chofe to dwell, and to place his name there; upon whofe peace confequently depended the fecurity of the holy religion, which was there taught and profeffed. The first thing that gave vent to the holy Pfalmift's joy, was obferving the unanimity of the people in their attendance upon the fervice of God in the holy city;