Which now of these three thinkeft thou was Neighbour unto him that fell among the Thieves? And he faid, He that shewed Preached at St. Margaret's, Westminster, for promoting English Proteftant Schools Preached at St. Sepulchre's, May 21, 1719, And the People ferved the Lord all the Days of fofbua, and all the Days of the Elders that outlived fofhua, who had feen all the Preached, Oct. 6, 1745, on Occafion of DISCOURSE I. PROV. XXIV. 21. My Son, Fear thou the Lord and the King; and meddle not with them that are given to change. HE Fear of God, and of the King, TH are joined together in Scripture, to fhew the Dependence one has upon the other. The only lafting Foundation of civil Obedience, is the Fear of God; and the trueft Intereft of Princes, is to maintain the Honour of Religion, by which they fecure their own. The Advantage of Religion to all public Societies and civil Governments, is fo plain and visible, that fome have suspected it to be the only End of Religion; which they allow to be an excellent Contrivance of State, a proper Remedy for the turbulent B turbulent Humours and Paffions of Men. And though we acknowledge nobler and better Ends of Religion, which respect another world; yet we muft, with Thankfulnefs to its Divine Author, own it to be excellently adapted to the temporal Felicity of private Men, and public Societies; Righteousness exalteth a Nation, but Sin is the Reproach of any People. If we look into the Hiftory of former Times, we shall find the firft Symptoms of Ruin and Destruction have appeared in the diffolute Lives of the People, and a general Contempt of facred Things. Irreligion naturally tends to Disorder and Confufion; for all civil and moral Duties are founded in the Principles of Religion; which once overthrown, nothing remains but pure Force and Power, to reftrain the unruly Appetites of Men: a Way of governing neither fafe to the Prince, nor easy to the People; and therefore can never last long. Duties, which flow from fixed and fettled Principles, must always be the fame; the Obligation arifing from them unalterable; from the Practice of which, will follow Order and Regularity. But Interest and Paffion are in continual Motion, and liable to |