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DISCOURSE VII.

PSALM CXxii. 6.

Pray for the Peace of Jerufalem: they shall profper that love thee.

HERE is nothing places Religion in a more disadvantageous View, than the Opinion entertained by fome, that a Concern for the present 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 less his Paffions and Affections, to be engaged in fo worthlefs a Subject.

The infpired Writers have indeed, with repeated Inftructions, guarded us against the Temptations of Riches, Honours, and Pleafures, and prepared us to undergo the Calamities and Afflictions of Life, with

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Firmness and Conftancy of Mind. But what then? So does the General exhort his Soldiers to bear with Patience the Fatigues of War, to despise the Dangers of it, and in the Day of Action to prefs forward, regardless of Life itself; yet ftill Victory and Triumph, and the fweet Enjoyments of Peace, are the End of War; and the Soldier, though he must not fear to die, yet it is his Bufinefs to live and conquer. Religion 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 purfuing that End, that makes it neceffary for him to be inured to bear the Miseries 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 seek 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

God for his Affiftance, fuppofes the Ufe of our own Endeavours to obtain the Bleffing we contend for: and that we may not think, that the Chriftian 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 Reason, 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 Self-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 just Concern of every good Man. The present State of Religion in the World is such, and fo connected every where with the civil Rights of, Mankind, that there is no probable Ground to hope, that even the Religion we

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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 transmit it safe 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 Sons and his Daughters may stand up after him before the Lord in the Congregation of his Saints: if thefe be lawful Defires, and fuch as we may by our best Endeavours labour to obtain, our Religion will never permit us to be unconcerned Spectators in any Caufe 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 Saints.

The Pfalm from which the Text is taken, turns wholly upon these two Topics; the temporal Prosperity of Jerufalem, confidered as the Head of the civil Government, in the flourishing Condition of which the Happinefs of the whole Nation was concerned; and confidered as the Seat of true Religion, the City in which God had chose to dwell, and to place his Name there; upon whofe Peace consequently depended the Security of

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the holy Religion, which was there taught and profeffed. The firft Thing that gave Vent to the holy Pfalmift's Joy, was observing the Unanimity of the People in their Attendance upon the Service of God in the holy City; I was glad when they faid unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord: our Feet fhall ftand within thy Gates, O Jerufalem. From hence, he entertains himself with the beautiful Prospect of Jerusalem, as it was the Center both of religious and civil Government, in which were feated the Ark of God, and the Throne of David: from whence iffued the Streams of Justice and Holiness, to refresh and make glad all the Cities of Ifrael. Jerufalem is built as a City, that is compact together; or, as the old Tranflation reads, that is at Unity in itSelf. Whither the Tribes go up, the Tribes of the Lord, unto the Teftimony of Ifrael, to give Thanks unto the Name of the Lord. There are fet Thrones of Judgment, the Thrones of the House of David. The Contemplation of this happy State of his Country, naturally vented itself in the Warmth and Ardor expreffed in the Text, and following Verfe: Pray for the Peace of Jerusa

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