VI. attended by a religion without bishop, prieft, DISC, or deacon; without fervice, or facraments; without a Saviour to justify, or a Spirit to fanctify; in short, a claffical religion, without adoration. The external part of religion is, doubtless, of little value, in comparison with the internal; and fo is the cafk, in comparison with the wine contained in it: but if the cask be staved, the wine muft perish. If there were no Sundays, or holy days, no ministers, no churches, or religious affemblies, no prayers, or facraments, no Scriptures read, or fermons preached, how long would there be any religion left in the world; and who would defire to live in a world where there was none? It is to enable the ministers of Chrift to perform all these their functions, for the benefit of mankind, in peace and quietnefs, with due decency and dignity, that kings are by divine appointment constituted “ nurfing fathers" of the church," and queens it's nurfing mo "thers;" DISC. "thers;" nor is it more their duty, than it is their intereft, to become fuch. VI. The church, it may be faid, can subfift without the ftate, or under oppreffion and perfecution from it. True: the Chriftian church so fubfifted for three hundred years; but in the mean time, it's members of all denominations were fought out, and put to death, with all the variety of tortures, which the ingenuity of men, actuated by the malignity of evil fpirits, could devife. If it fhould ever seem good to God to bring us into a fimilar condition, he would, we truft, prepare us to endure it; but neither clergy nor laity, it is prefumed, can regard fuch a condition as a defirable one. The Greek church fubfifts, at this day, at Conftantinople, under the fceptre of Mahomet. But how does it fubfift? Like the tree that had fuffered excifion, in the dream of the Chaldean monarch, it's root indeed remains in the earth, with a band of iron and brafs, and it is wet with the VI. the dew of heaven, until certain times DIS C. fhall have paffed over it; at the expiration of which, it may come into remembrance before God, and again bud, and put forth it's branches, and bear fruit, for the shadow and support of nations yet unknown. But at prefent, it's condition is certainly not to be envied, or coveted. As Christians, let us therefore gratefully acknowlege the protection we receive. We are pilgrims, travelling through this world to another. The powers of the world must ufe us as they shall think proper, and it shall please God to permit them. Bad usage we are to bear with patience; for good usage it becomes us to be thankful. And if Ifraelites, when captives in Babylon, were enjoined by a prophet to pray for a heathen king, who had carried them into captivity, ❝ that in his peace they might have peace ;' how much more ought we to pray, in our own land, for our own prince, who adorns by his life the faith which by his office he ftands engaged to defend; that fo Chriftian ity, Disc. ity, which is the religion of peace, may vi. thrive and flourish in the foil natural to it! Continue to us, then, O Lord, we beseech thee, Him whom thou haft hitherto preserved. "Grant the king a long life:" bless him in his person, in his actions, in his family, and in his people: make his days profperous, and the clofe of them, when it muft come, honourable and comfortable; that, through thy grace and goodness, it may open for him an entrance into that kingdom, where only temptation fhall cease, and trouble fhall be known no more. DISCOURSE VII. THE DUTY OF SELF-DENIAL. MATT. XVI. 24. Then faith Jefus to his difciples, If any man will come after me, let him DENY HIMSELF. "AN N hard faying; who can hear it? "Has God then implanted appe"tites and affections in me, only that I may "be at the trouble of croffing and morti fying them? Has he spread pleasures and delights before me, for no other end than "that I may act the self-tormentor all my days, by abstaining from them? It is a "conduct unreasonable in itself, and dis❝ honourable to his nature. It cannot be. " I will K 2 DISC. VII. |