He veils in clouds the fun's meridian beam,
Sighs through the grove, and murmurs in the ftream;
For when the foul is labouring in defpair,
In vain the body breathes a purer air;
No ftorm-toft failor fighs for lumbering feas,
He dreads the tempest, but invokes the breeze;
On the smooth mirror of the deep refides
Reflected woe, and o'er unruffied tides

The ghoft of every former danger glides.
Thus in the calms of life we only fee
A fteadier image of our misery;

But lively gales, and gently-clouded skies,
Disperse the sad reflections as they rise;
And bufy thoughts, and little cares, prevail,
To ease the mind, when rest and reason fail.
When the dull thought, by no designs employ'd,
Dwells on the paft, or fuffer'd or enjoy'd,
We bleed anew in ev'ry former grief,
And joys departed furnish no relief.

}

DISCOURSE VI.

THE DUTY OF PRAYING FOR GOVERNORS.

1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.

I exhort that, firft of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and bonefty.

A

N exhortation from an Apoftle al- DISC. ways merits attention; but more VI. especially, when he himself affures us, that the subject of it is not of an inferior or secondary nature. "I exhort that, first of "all" The perfon exhorting is St. Paul, the duty to which he exhorts is a capital and leading article. It is the duty of interceffion

VI.

DISC. ceffion to be made by all men for all men, to manifeft the love we bear for one another, as members of Him, who, at the right hand of God, ever liveth to make interceffion for the whole race of mankind. Our prayers are united with his, and by him offered to the Father; his merits, like the cloud of fweet incenfe from the altar, afcending with them, to render them effectual. Effectual, in fome manner, they must be, when rightly made; otherwife, we fhould not have been exhorted to make them. The falutary influence produced on our own minds by a performance of the duty, has been fometimes affigned as the only reafon for it's being enjoined. That influence is great and falutary indeed, seeing it is impoffible we should long bear ill will to thofe, whom in our prayers we beseech God to blefs with every kind of bleffing in time and eternity. It is an excellent method, therefore, of foftening the temper, and inducing a mild, merciful, and forgiving difpofition in the perfon interceding. But to say that no benefit accrues to the perfon or perfons for whom inter

ceffion

fo

VI.

ceffion is made, what is it but to contradict DISC. the whole tenor of Scripture, which shews us in so many instances the regard vouchsafed by Heaven to the prayers of men, and the favours granted in confequence of them. It is neceffary for us to settle ourselves firmly in the belief of this point, because no man will perfevere in doing that which he appre hends himself to do to no purpose. As to the manner in which the divine Being orders and adjusts his various difpenfations, we can no more comprehend it, than a fly on one of the columns of the building in which we are now affembled, can comprehend the magnificence of the whole, or the proportion of the feveral parts. He will certainly perform that which he has promised how he will perform it, is a confideration which belongs to him, and not to us. Proceed we therefore to the immediate fubject of the day, namely, the duty of making interceffion for kings, and for all that are in authority. The reasons on which this duty is founded shall be confidered, as they refpect God; as they refpect thofe

who