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SERMON VI.

NATIONAL PROSPERITY.

ANNUAL THANKSGIVING, DEC. 15, 1796.

AND Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 1 KINGS, iv. 25.

SOVEREIGN princes have often raised their own greatness and grandeur upon the poverty and depression of their subjects. But Solomon pursued a more just, as well as a more wise and honorable course; and raised himself to the summit of human glory by seeking and promoting the highest happiness of his kingdom. The first and principal step which he took, to reach this noble and benevolent purpose, was to cultivate and maintain mutual peace with all the neighboring nations. He never gave them any just provocation to wage war with him; nor took any unjust occasion to wage war with them. This prudent and pacific conduct promoted the prosperity of his people; and at the same time spread the fame of his wisdom and policy among the greatest princes of the earth. Accordingly, the sacred historian first informs us that "Solomon had peace on all sides round about him." In the next words we are told, "Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon." And as the natural consequence of his wise and peaceful reign, we read in the conclusion of the chapter, "There came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom." The hand as well as the counsel of the Deity was concerned in all this national prosperity. For God promised to give David a son and successor, who should be a prince of peace. "Behold, a son shall be born unto thee.

who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel, in his days." It appears from this prediction, that Solomon was only the instrument in the hand of God of promoting the peace and prosperity of his people. And taking our text in this connection, it naturally suggests this general observation :

It is God who bestows the great blessing of national peace. To place this subject in a clear and profitable light, I shall show,

I. That it is God who bestows national peace: And II. That national peace is a great national blessing. I. I am to show that it is God who bestows national peace. This, God claims as his peculiar prerogative. "I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things." Again we read, "The Lord sitteth king for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace." The voice of scripture here concurs with the voice of reason. National peace is one of the links in the great chain of providence, and of consequence comes under the divine direction. It belongs to God to determine when and where national peace shall be enjoyed. And it is easy to see how God can give this blessing to different nations, notwithstanding their native pride and selfishness. For,

1. God can make it the mutual interest of native and foreign nations to be at peace with each other. This was the case in the days of Solomon. By the instrumentality of David, God had delivered his people from their enemies, and put them in possession of all the land which he had promised to give them. This we are expressly told in the context. "And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt." The children of Israel had gained as large a territory, and secured as great advantages, as they had any grounds to expect, or even to desire. And on the other hand, their neighbors had no reason to flatter themselves, that it would be for their interest to attack the people of God, in their present state of strength and prosperity. All things, therefore, conspired with the policy of Solomon, to cultivate national peace. Just so God is able to unite the hearts of other nations, by uniting their interests. It has long been a maxim in politics, that national interest is the first principle of national policy. It is only for God, therefore, to make it the mutual interest of different nations to be at peace with each other, and they themselves will naturally seek and promote this agreeable object. Besides,

2. God is able to govern the hearts of nations, and in that way dispose them to mutual peace and harmony. It was a proverb in Israel, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever he will." There is a supreme power in every nation; and the men who possess that power, have the right of making war or peace. But the hearts of those very men are in the hand of the Lord, who has a supreme control over all their views and designs. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; and while they are deliberating upon the most important of all national concerns, he is able to turn their hearts, and voices, and exertions, to national peace. This power of disposing the hearts of nations to peace, God signally displayed, thrice every year, in his special providence towards the natural enemies of his chosen people. "Thrice in the year shall all your male children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year." On those great occasions, God preserved his people from the pow er and depredation of their enemies, by actually disposing their hearts to peace. Indeed, national peace must always be ascribed to the mediate or immediate influence of the Deity upon the hearts of men. When any nation dwells safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, they ought to consider this public blessing as coming from the hand and goodness of God. I proceed to show,

II. That national peace is a great national blessing.

So long as Solomon had peace on all sides round about him, it diffused universal happiness through his widely extended kingdom. National peace is naturally productive of the greatest national prosperity. This will appear, if we consider a variety of particulars.

1. National peace naturally tends to increase the numbers of a people. It was promised to Abraham as a great blessing, that his seed should be extremely numerous. This blessing is diminished by war, but promoted by peace. The seed of Abraham, at certain seasons, were "minished and brought low," by war and its natural attendants. But in times of peace they rapidly increased again. And perhaps they never increased with greater rapidity, than in the long and peaceful reign of Solomon. Accordingly, we are told in our context, that "Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude." National peace preserved them from the sword and pestilence, which commonly go hand in hand, and make dreadful havoc of the lives of men. It is almost incredi

ble how fast a people will increase in numbers, while they are free from public and wasting calamities. And the increase of numbers not only adds to the happiness of a people, but to the glory of their government. So Solomon thought, and so he said. "In the multitude of people is the king's honor: But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince." How valuable is national peace, which preserves the lives of millions, and adds millions to the numbers of a nation!

mon says,

2. National peace directly tends to promote national wealth. Wealth is a temporal favor to nations, as well as to individuals, though it be often perverted and abused by both. Solo"The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Peace is the parent of wealth. For peace promotes industry, industry promotes commerce, and commerce promotes the wealth of any nation. The national peace, in the reign of Solomon, promoted a very extensive and lucrative commerce, which made both the prince and the people immensely rich. This the pen of inspiration has recorded, for the instruction of all future ages. "Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents, beside that he had of the merchant men, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. The king had at sea a navy of Tarshish, with the navy of Hiram. Once in three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. So Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale for abundance." While a nation enjoys the blessing of peace, its individuals are at full liberty to cultivate the earth, and pursue every lucrative calling. Peace likewise opens the ports of numerous nations, and gives them a fair opportunity of exchanging the fruits of their own industry for the wealth of the world.

3. National peace has a happy influence upon every branch of human knowledge. Leisure and learning go together. While any people are free from the terrors and distresses of war, and are increasing in numbers and wealth, they have time and opportunity for turning their attention to mental improvements. The long and uninterrupted peace which Solomon enjoyed, was the happy occasion of the astonishing advances which he made in the various branches of science. He was no less celebrated for his knowledge, than for his wealth and magnificence. We are told, in the context, that "Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country, and

all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: And his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: And his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar-tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes." The peace and prosperity of his kingdom, gave Solomon a happy opportunity of pursuing his own studies, and of encouraging the sons of science, to diffuse useful knowledge through every part of his extensive dominions. Learning never flourished but under the united influence of wealth and power. The Greeks and Romans became rich and powerful, before they had either leisure or inclination to turn their attention to the useful and liberal arts. But, after their conquests had put them in possession of wealth and peace, they carried agriculture, manufactures, commerce, architecture, poetry, sculpture, and painting, to a surprising degree of perfection. National peace has always had a tendency to promote national knowledge. The noblest works of genius, in the most refined nations of Europe, have been brought forth, not in the din of arms, but under the calm and auspicious influence of public peace. Hence the history of ages assures us, that the friends of science have commonly been the enemies of war.

4. National peace affords a favorable opportunity for forming public designs and performing public works. Every rising nation finds, that, in order to be happy as well as respectable, it must build cities, erect churches, endow colleges, open canals, make bridges, repair highways, remove public nuisances, and perform many other expensive works of general utility. To promote such national objects was highly reputable among the Romans, in the zenith of their prosperity. Pliny congratu lates one of his friends upon being appointed a surveyor of the highways; an office to which he, and even Cæsar himself, had been promoted. It is only when nations are settled in peace, that they can form and execute public designs. One principal end which God had in view, in giving peace to Israel, in the reign of Solomon, was to afford them leisure to build the temple, and to perform other great and useful works, which should raise their dignity and glory in the sight of surrounding nations, and in the view of future ages. "And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries. Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God

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