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St. Paul is of this Mind, for as he was a moft zealous Interceffor himself for others, and a moft zealous Recommender of that Practice to all thofe that he wrote to, fo he alfo fufficiently declares how much he himfelf stood in need of other Peoples Prayers; tho' he was an Apoftle and an infpired Man, nay, a particular Favourite of Heaven, and confequently might be prefumed to have as much Power with GOD upon his own fingle Account, as any Man whatsoever, yet he frequently begs of the Church that they would be earnest in Prayer to God for him. I befeech you, Brethren (faith he to the Romans, ch. xv.), I beseech you for the Lord Jefus Chrift's Sake, and for the Love of the Spirit, that ye ftrive together with me in your Pray ers to GOD for me. And again, to the Corinthians, You also helping together by Prayer for us, that for the Gifts bestowed upon us, by the Means of many Perfons, Thanks may be given by many on our Behalf. Where he plainly declares, that the Grace bestowed upon him was to be accounted the Effect of the Church Prayers, and as fuch it ought to be a Matter of their Thankfgiving. Laftly (faith he), in the ivth of the Coloffians, Continue in Prayer, and watch in the fame with Thanksgivings, withal praying for us alfo, &c. You fee how folicitous and concerned the Apoftle was to have the Benefit of the Church Prayers, And if fuch a Man

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as he could be fuppofed to need them, or to defire them; How much more muft we be fuppofed to do both? And confequently how much more are we concerned in the Duty here recommended to us of making Supplications and Prayers, Interceffions and Thanksgivings, for all Men; for Kings and all that are in Authority?

And that leads me to my third and last Head.

Prayer and Interceffion you fee are to be made for all Men. But then the Apostle adds, for Kings and all that are in Authority. Which is much as if he had faid, It is our Duty to pray and give Thanks for all Men, but more particularly and efpecially for Kings and all that are in Authority. And certainly, there is great Reafon for this, that above all other Perfons in the World, Kings, and Princes, and Governors fhould have daily Prayers offered up to GOD for them; not only because we owe moft to them, as being obliged to them under God for the Peace, and Quietness, and Security we enjoy in the Poffeffion of our juft Rights, and therefore we must be prefumed in point of Gratitude to think ourfelves obliged to pray for them; not only because they moft need our Prayers, as having of all other Perfons the most difficult and intricate Poft to manage, and being to combat with the greateft Temptations

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of all Sorts; which if we do well confider, we should want common Humanity, if we were not fo far concerned for them, as moft heartily to put up our Prayers to GOD on their Behalf, to affift and direct them; but also in this other Refpect, which comes nearer to us, and which I touched on before, namely, the Influence that their Actions and Succeffes have upon the whole Body of Men under their Charge. The good or evil Fortune that happens to Princes is of an univerfal Concernment: We do all of us partake in the Happiness or in the Difafters of their Government: They cannot do amifs, but it fome way or other af fects the Community; and we private Perfons feel the Confequences of their Miscarriages. As, on the other Side, their Happiness and Profperity, their Virtue and Goodness, their attending to wife and fober Counfels, their Love of Piety, and Encouragement of the true Religion, are publick Bleffings. Every Perfon among us has a Share in the Benefits of them: So that by praying moft earneftly for them, for their Wealth and Happinefs, for their Advancement and Increase of true Wisdom and Piety, we do in effect pray for the fame Bleffings to be derived upon our Country. In praying for their Welfare, both Spiritual and Temporal, we do in Confequence pray for the Good of all our Neighbours,

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our Relations, our Families, whofe Happiness is wrapt up in their good Government, and doth, in a great measure, depend upon it.

And the fame Reasons that oblige us to pray for Kings, will oblige us to give Thanks for them alfo; which is the other Thing we are to confider in this last Part of the Apoftle's Charge, Let Interceffions and giving of Thanks (faith he) be made for all Men; for Kings, and all that are in Authority. And this is our folemn Business on this Day, wherein we are met, according to the ancient and laudable Custom of this and other Nations, to celebrate the Anniversary of her Majefty's happy Acceffion to the Imperial Throne of this Kingdom. A Bleffing without doubt this is, tho' there was no more in it than the having a lawful Sovereign quietly and peaceably fucceed to the Crown of her Anceftors; I fay, this very thing alone, though there was no Regard had to other Confiderations, is, without doubt, a great Bleffing, and must be acknowledged to be fo by all those that will compare the Benefits and Advantages we receive, by a peaceable uncontefted Succeflion to the Government, with the horrible Mifchief, and difmal Confequences, either of Anarchy, or of a Government not confirmed by the People, and therefore to be maintained by Force and Violence. And, in Truth, when St. Paul gave this Ex

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hortation to give Thanks for Kings, and thofe that were in Authority, the People to whom he wrote could have no greater Inducement to put it in Practice than this I have now mentioned; namely, that at that Time they had a Government peaceably fettled amongst them, by which they were kept from Confufion; and they had Magistrates which took fome Care of Property; but yet the supreme Governor, the King at that Time was no other than Nero, as wicked and brutish a Prince as ever fat on a Throne; and those that had Authority under him, the Roman Governors, that were fent by him into the Provinces, took generally more Care of themfelves, than of the People committed to their Charge; and all of them to a Man were Oppofers and Perfecutors of the Chriftian Religion. Yet even at fuch a Time, and in fuch a Juncture as this, did the Apostles order that Interceffions and Thanksgivings for Kings and all in Authority fhould be, put into the publick Liturgies.

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O how ought this Confideration now to prevail with all Chriftians, moft devoutly and chearfully to offer up their Prayers and Thanksgivings to God for virtuous and good Princes; Princes that are in the fame Interefts, and of the fame Religion with their People; when, according to St. Paul's Rule, they are bound to pray and give Thanks for any Prince, even fuch a Prince as Nero!

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