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Kings of the Earth have delighted to Ho

nour.

What then remains, but that our Praifes and Thanksgivings, on His account and our Own, fhould be fucceeded by our Prayers, that in Him may be Fulfilled All the Promifes of God to Good men, and that the Happy Effects of all the Other promises may finally Terminate in the Accomplishment of This: With long life. will I fatisfy him, and fhew him my

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vation.

Sal

Unto God, the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghoft, be afcribed all Power, Domi-
nion and Glory, Henceforth and for
Evermore. Amen.

4

SERMON

327

SERMON IX.

National Sins Fatal to Prince and People.

I SAM. XII. 25.

If ye shall fill do wickedly; ye shall be confumed, both ye and your King.

Τ'

HIS Important Caution was gi ́ven by the Prophet Samuel to the Jews, and was occafion'd by a Remarkable Effect of these odious Qualities in them, the Ingratitude, and the Perverfeness, which ftand Diftinguifh'd by the peculiar Liveliness and Boldness of the Figures, amongst the Images of that People, drawn in the Sacred History.

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Their Civil Government had, for ma ny Years, been adminiftred by Judges, according to the Defignation of God himfelf; who had, many a time, Deliver'd and Bleffed them in an Extraor dinary and Miraculous Manner, under that Administration. But they were fo far from any juft Notions of the Supreme Authority, prefcribing this Adminiftration to them; and fo far from all Due Regard to the signal Bleffings attending it, that, with one Confent, they attempted a direct Violation of it, and obstinately perfifted in that Attempt. * All the Elders of Ifrael faid unto Samuel, Make us a King to judge us, like all the Nations. This Audacious Invafion upon the Divine Appointment, in affuming an unwarrantable Authority, to Diffolve that Form of Government which they had receiv'd from Heaven, and to fubftitute a New Scheme in its room, being, by the special Direction of God to the Prophet, fully reprefented to Them, is conveyed to Pofterity, under this Mark

1 Sam. viii. 4, 5,

of

of Divine Displeasure ftamp'd upon it; *The Lord faid unto Samuel, (and Samuel told all the Words of the Lord unto the Peo ple) They have not rejected Thee, but they bave rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

But neither this strong Admonition, nor yet the fubfequent Representation, which God commanded the Prophet to lay before them, of the many Inconveniences which would follow fuch a Change, as they were bent upon making in their Conftitution, was fufficient to give them a Sense of their Duty, or Divert them from their Impious Refolution: +They faid, Nay, but we will have a King o

ver us.

Thus did they Arrogantly engage in, Impetuously carry on, and, to Extremity, maintain a flagrant Oppofition to God; which they fo Far fucceeded in, that a King was fet over them. And foon after he had taken the Government upon him, Samuel, their Old, Faithful, and Affectionate Prophet and Judge took occafi

* Ver. 7, 10,

t Ver. 19.

on,

on, before a general Affembly, to vindicate his own Unfpotted Integrity under his Publick Adminiftration; and to give them a Juft Sense of their Past Enormities and Provocations against God; and fully to apprize them of the True and Fundamental Caufes and Reasons of their Future Hopes and Fears, in a most Excellent and Moving Oration, which he clofeth with the Words of the Text, If ye shall fill do wickedly, ye shall be confumed, both ye and your King. Which Words may justly challenge moft Attentive and Serious Regard from every People and Nation, which hath any Concern for the Profperity, or Safety of its Prince, or, of it Self; For these two Propofitions are Implied in them;

I. First, That National Wickedness, is the Juft Cause of Expecting and Dreading National Mifery: And,

II. Secondly, That the Wickedness of a People is a juft Cause of the Sufferings of their Prince.

These Propofitions are fo nearly allied to the Rueful Occafion of this Day's Solemnity, that a fhort Application of them

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