Will that Prince that makes other Countries a Wilderness, make ours a Paradife? Will he that haraffes and oppreffes his own Subjects, and will not endure to be controuled either by Law or Religion, be fcrupulous and tender of our English Laws, Rights and Liberties? Will he who has hitherto placed Glory in Subtility and Cruelty, Blood and Falfhood, change his Notion in the moment he overcomes us, and pursue it in Acts of Mildness and Goodness, of Honour and Juftice? These fure are Miracles fit for no Faith but that which fwallows Tranfubftantiation. But alas, if we could fuppofe even all this, our Fortunes and Treasure are the leaft Demands the Neceffity and Ambition of that Prince can ftoop to; and he will never want Pretences to make fuch Demands appear Juft and Reasonable: But if all this were not fo, our Religion, our innate love of Liberty, and averfion to a Tyrannical Yoak, much more a Foreign one, and much more yet a French one, render us incapable of being either trusted or indulged by him; he will never think his own Power and Intereft fecure while there remains any thing either of our English Courage un broke,

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broke, our Fortunes unexhausted, or our Religion uncorrupted, and will look upon himself obliged to reduce us to the lowest degree of Impotence and Tamenefs: that is, to the condition of poor, cow'd Slaves, or despicable Apostates or Renegadoes. Had not the weight and importance of the matter detained me, I fhould not have infifted fo long on this firft Branch of our Duty towards Man, but I now haften to the other, that is,

Our regard for private Rights: Various are the Rights of Men, and innumerable the ways by which they may be infringed and violated: But I'll infift only upon one, i. e. when Law is made the Inftrument of wrong; and this happens feveral ways:

First, When one Man perfecutes another with vexatious Suits; 'tis true, they run into a mad extream, who extend Christian Patience fo far as to pronounce all Suits or Appeals to the Civil Magiftrate unchriftian; but 'tis as true too, that to approve and countenance all Suits, is to run into another; if every trifling Cause may warrant our demand of Reparation, and this Demand be purfued with all the Spight, and Heat,

and

and Calumnies imaginable; If Spight and Malice commence Juftice, when profecuted under a form of Law, I fee not what Obligation Chriftian Patience does pass upon us, unless it be to fuffer what we cannot Revenge. Can this be agreeable to the not refifting evil, Matth. 5. 39. to the overcoming evil with good, Rom. 12. 21. Is this becoming the profeffed Mortification of a Chriftian, and the Patience of the Saints ?

A Second way is, When Justice is delayed, baffled, or perverted through Bribery, Perjury, Faction, refpect of Persons, and various Arts. I need not tell you how damnable a Crime any thing of this Nature is; it has been thought against the very Law of Nations to Poyfon a Fountain, of which even an Enemy was to drink: What must it be then to corrupt the Laws, which are the very Fountains and Springs of Political Life? To corrupt the Laws, and make them the Inftruments of Oppreffion and Wrong, which fhould be our great Security and Relief, is a Sacrilege next that of Herefie, which prophanes and perverts the Word of God, and turns the food of Life into Poyson. In a word nothing is more glorious and

more wholesome to a Nation, than the due Administration of Juftice, nothing more fatal than the perverfion of it: Juftice is the great Ligament of Human Society, the Security of the Rich, and Protection of the Poor; the Encouragement of Vertue, Industry, and Trade, the Terror of Wickedness, Contention, and Ambition; and in one word, the Sinews of Government, the Beauty of Peace, and the Support of the Prince's Throne, being that which charms the Discontents, and eases the Burdens, to which the happiest People are fometimes or other fubject. May God ever bless this Nation with able and upright Ministers of Juftice, Men whofe Hearts are fet upon the Work of God, the rooting out Wickedness, the countenancing and encouraging Goodness, Righteousness, and Truth: Men of inflexible Integrity, not to be warped from the ftrict Rule of the Law by the Frowns or Favour of Princes at any time, the Noife and Clamour of the People, or the Importunities and Violence of Parties and Factions, or any Inordinate Luft, Men finally Watchful and zealous to reprefs the Injustice of others within the Sphere of their Authority. That the Righteous may re

joyce

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joyce,the Insolence of Wicked Men being curbed; according to that of Solomon Prov. 29. 2. When the Righteous are in authority the People rejoyce, but when the wicked beareth rule the People mourn. have now gone through those several Particulars of the Duty in the Text, which I judged most pertinent to be infifted on, and must be forced, I cannot fay to conclude, but break off with a few words upon the two remaining Heads.

Secondly, The next thing that follows in the Text, is the Diligence and Industry neceffary to the preferving a Conscience void of Offence; Herein do I exercife my felf: to become a Saint here, and an Angel hereafter, is not the Work of a few ofcitant Wishes, a crude and unconcocted Faith, or a Laodicean luke-warm Indifference: No, no, we have Hardships to undergo, Difficulties to furmount, Enemies to conquer; and 'tis not a lazy Religion, 'tis not a lifeles and half-formed Refolution that will be able to effect this; all the vigour of our Minds is to be bent this way, this ought to take up our thoughts, and employ our time, this ought to be the great care, the great ftudy, and the

great bu

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