your governors and to your God, your duties as fubjects and as Chriftians, are never to be put afunder. Mark the folicitude with which they are united in the Scriptures. My Son, fear thou the Lord and the King (1). Render under Cæfar the things which are Cæfar's, and unto God the things that are God's (m). Fear God; honour the King (n). They are the fame perfons who are defcribed as denying the Lord who bought them, and as defpifing government and speaking evil of dignities (0). To be a good christian and a bad subject is impoffible. He who fears God, will honour the King, and all others by whom the laws are administered. And he who from Chriftian motives honours the King and the fubordinate minifters of the law, gives a proof that he fears God. (1) Prov. xxiv. 21. (m) Luke, xx. 25. SER. SERMON XIV. CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM illuftrated by the CHARACTER of NEHEMIAH. NEHEM. V. 15. But fo did not I, because of the fear of God. 'HE cavil which has, been advanced THE against the gospel, that patriotism is not enjoined as a chriftian duty, needs little examination to difprove it. What is patriotifm? The love of our country. But what love? The bigoted love cherished by the Jews, which impelled them to abominate every other nation as accurfed? The proud love, difplayed by the Greeks, which defpifed the reft of mankind as barbarians? The felfifh love predominating among the Romans, and stimulating them to enflave the world? No. Patriotism is that christian love, which, while it refpects as facred the rights and the welfare of every land, of every foreign individual, teaches us to manifeft, within the limits of juftice, fpecial affection to our own country, S 2 country, in proportion to the special ties by which we are united with the region that gives us birth. If our Lord then inculcated, by his own lips, or by the pen of his apostles, the univerfal obligation of juftice and love: if, in regulating the exercife of justice and love, he pronounces that wrong and fraud are the more finful when directed against the Brethren (a); that while we do good unto all men, we are bound fpecially to do good unto them who are of the household of faith (b): that affection of more than ordinary ftrength is mutually to be evinced between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and fifters: He has decided that every additional tie by which man is connected with man is an obli gation to additional love; He has established the duty of patriotism, by establishing the very principle from which the duty neceffa rily flows. If he bore with unwearied patience hatred and contempt and perfecution unto death, from his Jewish adverfaries: if He mourned with the moft tender fympathy over the impending deftruction of Jerufalem (c) if he repeated at a fecond risk of his life his efforts for the converfion of his countrymen the Nazarenes (d) by his own (a) 1 Cor. vi. 8. (b) Gal. vi. 19. See alfo Rom. ix. 1-3. (c) Matth. xxiii. 37 Luke, xiii. 34. (d) Luke, iv. 16-30. Matth. xiii. 54. X. I. xi. 14. : Mark, vi. 1-6. conduct conduct he fanctioned patriotism, by his conduct he exemplified it, by his own con-› duct he commanded it. Patriotism may glow with as pure a flame in the breaft of a peafant as of a monarch; in the fhades of retirement as in the glare of obfervation. In perfons, however, who are eminent in rank, or called to public fervices, the example is the more confpicuous. It was under fuch circumstances that Nehemiah illuftrated in his day that duty of Patriotism, which, though virtually declared in the Mofaic law, was by his countrymen little understood; and was fubfequently, as we have seen, re-affirmed and practifed by our Lord. Nehemiah was by birth a jew. His fa ther, as it should feem, had not accompa nied his countrymen into the land of Ifrael, when they were permitted bv Cyrus, after their captivity of seventy years, to return thither and rebuild Jerufalem: but appears to have remained in Perfia. For we find Nehemiah an inhabitant of the city of Shushan, the capital of Perfia; and actually a refident in the royal palace, in confequence of having been raised to the honorable fituation of cupbearer to Artaxerxes the King. While he was in this office, fome of his brethren arrived S3 rived from Judæa, with lamentable accountsof the condition of the Jews. "The remnant which are left," faid they," of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerufalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire (e). Nehemiah was grieved to the heart by these tidings: and was filled with earnest anxiety to obtain permiffion from Artaxerxes to repair to Jerusalem with power. to build up and fortify the city. But before he offered his request to the King, he addreffed himself to a higher fovereign. He fat down and wept and mourned certain days, and prayed before the God of heaven. With deep humiliation he acknowledged the tranfgreffions of himself and of his forefathers. He pleaded the ancient covenant mercifully established with the people of Ifrael and the promise given unto Mofes that if, when scattered for their wickedness among the heathen, they fhould even from thence turn unto God, they fhould receive forviveness, and should again be securely settled in their own land. And now, O Lord, faid he, I befeech Thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy fervant, and to the prayer of the rest of thy fervants who defire to fear thy name: and profper, I pray Thee, thy fervant, |