Thus is it likewise in the holy Scriptures; and these are the two books that the Psalmist sets open before us: the heavens, as a choice piece of the works of God instructing us, and the word of God more full and clear than they. Here is a constellation of very bright stars near together. These words have very briefly, and yet not obscured by briefness, but withal very plainly, the sum of our duty towards God and men; to men both in general, "Honour all men ;" and in special relation, in their Christian or religious relation, "Love the brotherhood ;" and a chief civil relation, Honour the King." And our whole duty to God, comprised under the name of his fear, is set in the middle betwixt these, as the common spring of all duty to men, and of all due observance of it, and the sovereign rule by which it is to be regulated. I shall speak of them as they lie in the text.

Honour all men.-Honour, in a narrower sense, is not an universal due to all, but peculiar to some kind of persons. Of this the Apostle speaks, "Render honour to whom honour is due ;" and that in different degrees, to parents, to masters, and other superiors. There is an honour that hath, as it were, Cæsar's image and superscription on it, and so is particularly due to him; as here it follows," Honour the King." But there is something that goes not unfitly under the name of honour, generally due to every man without exception; and it consists, as all honour doth, partly in inward esteem of them, partly in outward behaviour towards them. And the former must be the ground and cause of the latter.

We owe not the same measure of esteem to all. We may, yea, we ought to take notice of the different outward quality, or inward graces and gifts of men; nor is it a fault to perceive the shallowness and weakness of men with whom we converse, and to esteem more highly those on whom God hath conferred more of such things as are truly worthy of esteem: but unto the meanest we do owe some measure of esteem.

1. Negatively; we are not to entertain despising disdainful thoughts of any, how worthless and mean soever.

2. We are to observe and respect the smallest good that is in any. Although a Christian be never so base in his outward condition, in body or mind, of very mean intellectuals and natural endowments; yet they that know the worth of spiritual things, will esteem the grace of God that is in him, in the midst of all those disadvantages, as men esteem a pearl, though in a rough shell. Grace carries still its own worth, though under a deformed body and ragged garments; yea, though they have but a small measure of that neither; yea, the very lowest degree of grace, as a pearl of the least size, or a small piece of gold, yet men will not throw it away: but, as they say, the least shavings of gold

are worth the keeping. The Jews would not willingly tread upon the smallest piece of paper in their way, but took it up; for possibly, said they, the name of God may be on it. Though there was a little superstition in that, yet truly there is nothing but good religion in it, if we apply it to men. Trample not on any; there may be some work of grace there that thou knowest not of. The name of God may be written upon that soul thou treadest on; it may be a soul that Christ thought so much of, as to give his precious blood for it, therefore despise it not. Much more, I say, if thou canst perceive any appearance that it is such a one, oughtest thou to esteem it.

But, instead of walking by this rule of honouring all men, what is there almost to be found amongst men, but a perverse proneness to dishonour one another, and every man ready to dishonour all men that he may honour himself; reckoning that what he gives to others is lost to himself, and taking what he detracts from others as good booty to make up himself? Set aside men's own interest, and that common civility that for their own credit they use one with another, and truly there will be found very little of this real respect to others, flowing from obedience to God and love to men, little disposition to be tender of their esteem and good name, and their welfare as of our own; for so the rule is; but we shall find mutual disesteem and defaming filling almost all societies.

Study, therefore, this excellent grace of humility; not the personated acting of it in appearance, which may be a chief agent for pride, but true lowliness of mind; to be nothing in your own eyes, and content to be so in the eyes of others. Then will you obey this word; you will esteem, as is meet of all men, and not be troubled, though all men disesteem you.

Love the brotherhood.-There is a love, as we said, due to all, included under that word of " honouring all," and a peculiar love to our Christian brethren, which the Apostle Paul calls by a like word," the household of faith."

Christian brethren are united by a threefold cord; two of them are common to other men, but the third is the strongest, and theirs peculiarly; their bodies are descended of the same man, and their souls of the same God; but their new life, by which they are most entirely brethren, is derived from the same God-man Jesus Christ; yea, in him they are all one body, receiving life from him their glorious Head, who is called " the first-born among many brethren." And as his unspeakable love was the source of this new being and fraternity, so doubtless it cannot but produce indissoluble love amongst them that are partakers of it. The spirit of love and concord is that precious ointment that runs down from the head of our great High Priest,

to the skirts of his garment." The life of Christ and this law of love is combined, and cannot be severed. Can there be enmity betwixt those hearts that meet in him? Why do you pretend yourselves Christians, and yet remain not only strangers to this love, but most contrary to it, "biters and devourers" one of another, and will not be convinced of the great guiltiness and uncomeliness of strifes and envyings amongst you? Is this the badge that Christ hath left his brethren, to wrangle and malign one another? Do you not know, on the contrary, that they are to be known by mutual love?" By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye love one another." How often doth that beloved disciple press this; he drank deep of that wellspring of love that was in the breast on which he leaned; and (if they relate right), he died exhorting this, "Love one another." Oh! that there were more of this love of Christ in our hearts, arising from the sense of his love to us; and that would teach this mutual love more effectually, which the preaching of it may set before us; but without that other teaching it cannot work it within us. Why do we still hear these things in vain? Do we believe what the love of Christ did to us, and suffered for us? And will we do nothing for him, not forgive a shadow, a fancy of injury, much less a real one, for his sake?

Fear God.-All the rules of equity and charity amongst men flow from a higher principle, and depend upon it; and there is no right observing of them without due regard to that; therefore this word that expresses that principle of obedience is fitly inserted amongt these: the first obligement of man being to the sovereign majesty of God that made him, and all their mutual duties one to another derived from that.

Under this fear is comprehended all religion, both inward and outward; all the worship and service of God, and all the observance of his commandments, which is there and elsewhere expressly joined with it; and therefore he is included in it when it is not expressed. "To depart from evil is understanding;" repeating the former words by that. It hath in it all holiness and obedience; they grow all out of it. It is the beginning, and it is the top or consummation of wisdom, for the word signifies both.

Think it not then a trivial matter to speak or hear of this subject; but take it as our great lesson and business here on earth. The best proficients in it have yet need to learn it better, and it requires our incessant diligence and study all our days.

This fear hath chiefly these things. 1. A reverent esteem of the majesty of God, which is a main fundamental thing in religion, that moulds the heart most powerfully to the obedience of his will. 2. A firm belief of the purity of God, and of his

power and justice; that he loves, holiness, and hates all sin, and can and will punish it. 3. A right apprehension of the bitterness of his wrath and the sweetness of his love; that his incensed anger is the most terrible and intolerable thing in the world, absolutely the most fearful of all evils; and, on the other side, his love of all good things the best, the most blessed and delightful; yea, the only blessedness. Life is the name of the sweetest good we know, and yet this "loving kindness is better than life," says David. 4. It supposes likewise sovereign love to God, for his own infinite excellency and goodness. 5. From all these things springs a most earnest desire to please him in all things, and an unwillingness to offend him in the least; and because of our danger, through the multitude and strength of temptations, and our own weakness, a continual self-suspicion, a holy fear lest we should sin, and a care and watchfulness that we sin not, and deep sorrow and speedy returning and humbling before him when we have sinned.

Honour the King.-It is one of the falsest, and yet one of the commonest prejudices that the world hath always entertained against true religion, that it is an enemy to civil power and government. The adversaries of the Jews charged this fault upon their city, the then seat of the true worship of God. The Jews charged it upon the preachers of the Christian religion, as they pretended the same quarrel against Christ himself. And generally the enemies of the Christians, in the primitive times, loaded them with the slander of rebellion and contempt of authority.

Now the main ground of submitting to human authority, is the interest that divine authority hath in it; having both appointed civil government as a common good amongst men, and particularly commanded his people obedience to it, as a particular good to them, and a thing very suitable with their profession; it is "for the Lord's sake." This word carries the whole weight of the duty, and is a counterbalance to the former; which seems to be therefore on purpose so expressed that this may answer it. Although civil authority, in regard of particular forms of government, and the choice of particular persons to govern, is but a human ordinance, or man's creature, as the word is; yet both the good of government and the duty of subjection to it, is God's ordinance; and therefore, for " his sake submit yourselves."

1. God hath in general instituted civil government for the good of human society, and still there is good in it. Tyranny is better than anarchy. 2dly, It is by his providence that men are advanced to places of authority. 3dly, It is his command that obedience be yielded to them. And the consideration of this ties a Christian to all loyalty and due obedience; which, being still "for the Lord's sake," cannot hold in any thing that is against

the Lord's own command; for then kings and rulers leave their station. Now the subjection here is, "be subject" to them, as it were in your rank, still in subordination to God; but if they go out of that even line follow them not. They that obey the unlawful commands of kings, do it in regard to " their God," no question; but that "their God is their belly," or their ambition, or their avarice.

But not only ought the exercise of authority, and submission to it, to be in things just and lawful in themselves; but the very purpose of the heart, both in command and obedience, should be "in the Lord," and "for his sake." This is the only straight, and only safe rule, both for rulers and for people to walk by. Would kings and the other powers of the world consider the supremacy and greatness of that King of whom they hold all their crowns and dignities, they would be no less careful of their submission and homage to him than they are desirous of their people's submission to them.

ON THE DUTIES OF THE SABBATH.

To the Editor of the " Plain Englishman."

SIR,-I send you an extract from a Sermon on the Duties of the Sabbath; one of a series of discourses preached before the University of Cambridge in the year 1820, by the Rev. C. Benson. The whole collection is of first-rate excellence; thoroughly scriptural and eloquent; in a degree we have seldom witnessed since the pulpit of the sister University was dignified by the labours of the admirable Bishop Horne.

Sir, your's, &c.

AMICUS.

Rest from labour alone is not holiness, but rest from sinning is. Rest from labour affords us only the means of becoming holy, but rest from sinning makes us so. The great foundation of the holiness of the Sabbath must therefore be laid in a thorough innocence of work, of word, and of thought; and an earnest endeavour, by influence and exhortation, to teach others to follow the example of our innocence. The nature of sin is ever the same; and any day, and every day, it is hateful to God and punishable by man. But on the Sabbath day, sanctified as it has been to the peculiar purposes of godliness and devotion, the sinfulness of sin becomes" exceeding sinful." Its guilt grows more dark, and its deformity more hideous, when contrasted with the general