ness:* and King David said on his death-bed, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. Hence in the inaugural ceremony in which the Kings of Israel were enthroned, the Volume of the Law of God was by Divine appointment delivered to them; and they were commanded to transcribe it with their own hands, and to retain the copy so made always by their side, that they might govern according to its precepts. The BIBLE, my brethren, is, or ought to be, the Manual of Kings; and no one is qualified to govern, who in the administration of public affairs does not habitually consult and constantly obey it. This is clearly evident from God's own command to the Rulers of His people, to meditate on His Law, day and night. This book of the Law (said God)§ shall not depart from thy mouth; for then thou shalt make thy word prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. Have not I com

manded thee?

Since also the moral precepts of this Law have been confirmed, explained, and spiritualized by that Divine Prophet, the Lord of all the Prophets, Whom God raised up || according to His promise, and Who came from Heaven for this purpose; and since it is written, every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among

* Exod. xviii. 21. Deut. xvii. 18, 19. Deut. xviii. 15-19.

+2 Sam. xxiii. 3.

§ Josh. i. 8, 9.

the people,* shall we not then conclude that a diligent study of both Testaments and an implicit obedience to God's will as revealed in them is the paramount and indispensable duty of all who bear rule in a Christian land, and that without such study and obedience they cannot be fit to govern ?

Again; one of the most important parts of Righteousness is prayer. Without prayer no one can hope for true wisdom, and without wisdom no one is qualified to rule. Consider the example of the wise monarch by whom the Holy Spirit spake the words of our text. One of the first acts of King Solomon, on his accession to the throne, was to go up to Gibeon, the great high place before the temple was built, and there to pray God for an understanding heart to judge the people. And God said, in answer to his prayer, Lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise any like thee. The spirit of wisdom we know from this example, and from positive assertions of holy writ, is given to fervent prayer,‡ and prayer is an act of righteousness. Righteousness, therefore, is a cause of wisdom, and qualifies to rule; and thus, in the words of Solomon himself, the throne is established by Righteousnesss, and, Righteousness exalteth a nation.

*Acts, iii. 23, vii. 37.

+1 Kings, iii. 4-13; 2 Chron. i. 3—12.

Prov. ii. 3-5; James, i. 5.

§ Prov. xvi. 12.

On the other hand, let us now suppose the case of a Ruler who is not actuated by this spirit of righteousness. Let us imagine one who is so illinstructed in the duties of his high office, that he does not consider himself as God's minister for good* to those committed to his care, nor regard himself as their fellow-subject under Christ. What will be his career? Such a Ruler as this may perhaps be just, so far as human laws oblige him to be. He may endeavour to promote the temporal welfare of his people. He may encourage the arts of peace. Commerce and manufactures may perhaps flourish under his rule. Cities may be built and beautified. New avenues of communication from place to place may be opened. The limits of the empire may be extended. That is, he may labour, and labour successfully, for the accessories of national exaltation, which are no doubt highly to be prized in their due degree, and as subordinate and subsidiary to the Divine Honour; but all the while the real essence of national greatness will have been wasting away. He will have been treating men as no better than machines; he will never once have looked upon them in their true, their most important relation, that which they bear to his own Almighty Sovereign and theirs, the Supreme Governor of the World-JESUS CHRIST. The work of Government, therefore, in his hands, instead of being a divine function, I had almost * Rom. xiii. 4-6.

said a holy priesthood, for God's glory and the welfare of His people, will have been only a low, sordid, material, mercenary trade. He will have been a mere Hophni* among rulers, thinking of what can be drawn up by his own flesh-hook, without regard to God's service. He will have been an Ahithophel,† priding himself on his own counsel; a Nebuchadnezzar, vaunting himself of his own Babylon; a Herod Agrippa,§ not giving God the glory of his eloquence, but loving to be applauded by men with idolatrous adulation. Such a course as this may, indeed, be the temporary exaltation of the Ruler; but assuredly it will be his final degradation, and that of the people entrusted to his care.

For, my brethren, the fact, the indubitable fact, is, however it may be disregarded by men,-and alas! it is disregarded by a large number of mankind ; yet we ought not to judge of civil affairs according to the opinions of men on earth, but according to the declarations of God, looking down upon us from His throne in heaven-and the fact, I repeat, is, that Christ is King of the Earth, and that all rulers and men are His subjects. The Lord is high and to be feared, He is the great King upon all the earth; Heaven is His throne, and Earth is His footstool. || Such is His might and majesty

* 1 Sam. ii. 16, 17.

Daniel, iv. 30.

+2 Sam. xvii. 23.
§ Acts, xii. 21.

|| Psalm xlvii. 2. Isa. lxvi. 1. Acts, vii. 49. Isa. xl. 15.

that Behold to Him the nations are but as a drop in the bucket, and as the small dust of the balance; behold He taketh up the isles as a very little thing. Christ must reign (says St. Paul *) till He hath put all His enemies under His feet; all Kings† must fall down before Him, all Nations must do Him service. The Kingdom that will not serve Him (says God) shall perish. To Righteousness alone are His blessings promised; Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, and Righteousness, and Righteousness alone, exalteth a nation: and without Righteousness a State must expect punishment from him. No State can prosper which is not blessed by Him, to Whom all power is given in heaven and earth; and those (He says) who honour Me I will honour, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. No nation therefore can look for true happiness which does not honour Christ by the audible homage of its national voice, and worship Him with the visible adoration of its legislative acts.

Many are the ways in which He chastises guilty nations which dishonour and disobey Him. Pestilence, Famine, War are His ministers, standing like angels about His throne, ever ready to go forth on missions into the world to avenge the offences of men and states against His offended Majesty.

* 1 Cor. xv. 25.

Isa. lx. 12.

|| 1Sam. ii. 30.

+ Psalm lxxii. 11. § 1 Tim. iv. 8.