reward us with the inheritance of his children; make us capable of partaking joys, that eye bath not feen nor ear heard, nor bath it entered into the beart of man to conceive. Even fuch a portion of the divine nature, as becometh children of such a father, and conftitutes all that can be hoped for in the kingdom of heaven.

These precious and inexpreffible delights hath Chrift purchased for us by his death. Through him only we shall obtain them; but as he hath conquered fin and death, our hope is certain; we have only to believe and keep his commandments, and furely on such conditions his commandments are not grievous.

To him then, our all-fufficient friend, (if we will apply to and depend upon him) together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, three perfons and one God in myftical trinity united, be afcribed as most due, all praise, glory, and honor, world without end. Amen*.

The vaft importance of the fubject impelled the editor to work up the latter part of this Difcourfe in the most impressive style his abilities would admit. In truth, the matter and manner of this fingle Homily in the original, (divefted of its antiquated drefs) is fo excellently chofen and managed, fo perfpicuous and forcible, and the whole fo well calculated to advance the cause of religion, and the falvation of mankind, that the editor will not fcruple to affert, it is fufficient in itself, to establish the juft character of the Homilies in the opinion of every true difciple of Jesus Christ.

DIS

DISCOURSE XXVII.

An Homily against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion.

A

I SAMUEL XV. 23.

For rebellion is as the fin of witchcraft.

More hideous picture of the crime of rebellion cannot well be given, than in the fin to which the Prophet Samuel likens it. For by witchcraft, we understand fuch an utter diftrust and contempt of the great God, who made and ruleth all things, as to incline the children of darkness and difobedience, profeffedly to own the power of the evil spirit, and to apply to him in the practice of fuch diabolical arts, as fhall prevail upon him to empower them to do all manner of fecret mischief against mankind, and which only the enemies of God and man can wish or delight to have effected *.

* We would not have it inferred from this comparison, and the definition of witchcraft, that we believe God fuffers fuch a race of mifcreants to exift in any country, in this age of the world, where the fpirit of chriftianity prevails. The coming of Chrift upon earth did certainly deftroy this power of the Devil, and other demoniacal poffeffions, which were not uncommon in the world before the light and power of the religion of Jefus became univerfak

In that Homily of our church, concerning the christian duty of proper allegiance to the lawful Sovereign of the land in which the providence of God hath appointed our worldly trial; the exhorta

* Whatever fentiments, or principles, bold adventurous characters may entertain concerning government, and which, either through a reftlefs fpirit, or rage for innovation, or prejudices of education, they may be inclined to diffeminate among the people; all ferious and good men, who have duly ftudied the word of God, will unanimoufly agree, that in this, as well as every other fubject that concerns the peace and welfare of mankind, the scriptures must be held as our rule of faith; the infallible directory by which we govern both our opinions, and outward conduct. If the precepts they contain, are wife and true, they must be as effectual and indif putable in what they determine upon the character of good subjects, no less than what they recommend to render us good chriftians. The object, therefore, of this Homily, and what may be occafionally added to enforce its exhortations, is purely to declare the fentiments of the church to which we belong, on the subject of due and christian allegiance to our lawful Sovereign; and to fubmit thofe plain arguments which fcripture affords in fupport of fo wholefome a doctrine.

The extreme length of the Homily, and the great variety of ar guments and fcriptural proofs which fo often recur in the body of the original difcourfe, added to the long, peaceable, loyal, and wife temper of this country, occafioned the Editor, at the beginning of his undertaking, to confider it at that time as almost a fuperfluous addition to his prefent work. But, as of late, such an univerfal fpirit of rebellion, and difaffection to established government in all fhapes, has fhewn itself throughout Europe. As in the deftruction of royal power, the advocates for a levelling fyftem, are for cutting off the whole chain of that fubordinate authority, which depends upon it and as unhappily, the moft ferious and pub lic efforts have been made to poifon the minds of the people; to lower their natural and just regard to the happiest form of governe ment in the world; and to wean them from due allegiance to their Sovereign, the Editor has been induced to change his defign; and doth now humbly fubmit to his readers, whether this addition may not afford fome falutary provifion, to retain and strengthen the com monalty in their duty to their lawful rulers, by furnishing them with the plain and perfuafive tenets of the church to which they be. löng, upon a fubject of fuch vaft importance to the public peace and welfare. And alfo as thefe tenets are founded on the infpired word of God (wherein reafon and religion unite to fecure the happiness of the world), whether they ought not to be efteemed fuperior to all the wild reveries of men, which at beft, may originate in vifionary ideas, if not too often in selfish, rash, and ruinous desires,

tion opens very naturally, with a folemn fcriptural defcription of the fupreme authority of the Great Creator himself, and from thence deduces his right to the creature's fubmiffion to his authority in all things. Thus the Pfalmift reafons (xcvi. 8, 10.), Afcribe unto the Lord the honor due unto his name; bring prefents, and come into bis courts. Tell it. out among the heathen, that the Lord is King; that it is be that bath made the round world fo fast that it cannot. be moved, and how that be hall judge the people righteouly; and to this becoming title, both prophets,, evangelifts, and apoftles, bear concurring teftimony. By him (faith St. Paul, Col. i. 16.) were all things created, both in heaven and on earth, visible and invifible, whether they be THRONES, or PRINCIPA LITIES, or POWERS. Thus they declare the end of creation, and demonftrate the original fubjection of man, by the hiftory delivered in the book, of Genefis; that though he was the chief of the creatures God had made, yet it pleafed the Creator, that he should be in fubjection to him, his, Lord; and to confirm his will therein, he immedi ately gave him a law, as a token of his incumbent duty, and to guard him at the fame time, from the danger of difobedience, by mercifully affixing a threat and punishment to the failure of it.

Further, to remind him continually of the ne, ceffary state of fubjection, from the inferior, to the caufe of his existence, God delegated an authority to man, over all the other part of the creation, which were to be fubject to his control, as long as, he remained faithful to the duty required of him, from his Maker. And in proof of the beauty and value of this ftate of fubordination, he was forewarned (in cafe of his offence) that univerfal dif-. cord would certainly take place; the power of his, rule would be diffolved, and every fpecies of misery fucceed, that is inconfiftent with a ftate of innocence, and juft obedience. In the room of plenty, health,

health, and life, poverty, disease, and death, would follow. Thus have we both the origin of all government, as inftituted in God's rule, over men and angels, as alfo of rebellion, and its unavoidable effects. And fince, as while man continued obedient in the firft kingdom of wife appointment, God difpensed all manner of happiness to his fubjects, and upheld their power over the rest of the creation; therefore it is most evident, past all difpute, that OBEDIENCE is the ruling virtue in our most perfect nature, as creatures, and the fpring whence every other comfort can be derived. And if fo, then confequently disobedience or rebellion is the fatal caufe of every evil, vice, and mifery, to which the nature of mankind is now inceffantly expofed. Now to confirm the defperate evil nature of all rebellion, we need only recollect the author of it, which was Satan himself, the first and most ungrateful rebel in all nature; for, as from his foul apoftacy, and contempt of due fubjection to the majefty of the Most High, he fell from the most exalted state of creaturely perfection, into the lowest abyss of mifery; and, of the most glorious angel, was made the fouleft and blackeft. fiend: fo Adam, whom he feduced to disobedience, became thereby degenerated from a ftate of the best perfection, of which his nature was capable, in this life, and was fubjected to the wretchedness his ingratitude had deferved.

By the fall of Satan, paft redemption, he neceffarily continues defirous to increase the very crime by which he is fo hateful to an all-pure Being. For, as we read in St. Matthew, iv. 9.,. he endeavored even to tempt the Savior of the world, when, in the perfon of Adam's reprefentative, the Bleffed Jefus defcended from the glories of his Father to restrain and destroy the power of the enemy: he falfely ufurped the power of the Supreme, and vainly made this impious promife: All these