A Public Spirit

as ria Et IIS —_Þ__—___—_w_H_@DO EPO ants wie | . af AC. He 55 . 85 2 > der an OCT RIC STITCH, : p ORG Gr GD CEDAR EIS The oh | Fog, Þ eee of Lo public Spirit, as express'd in praying for the Peace and seeking the Good of Ferusalem, recommended to Rulers and People. Us Preached before his Exce.Lency _ William Shirley, Esq; | The Honourable His MAJESTY's COUNCIL ̃ñ⁵ pate” 6 Ans | = il _ House of REPRESENTATIVES My, Of the Province of the | Massachusetts-Bay in NN, ew-England | | May 31. 1749. for said Province. By Millium Balch A. M.. Pastor of a Church in Brad. | | BOST O N : Printed by Order of theHonourable Hovsz or REPRESENTATIVES, 1549. | SSTSSSUUROSSSISSH0SAKSSSOESS In the House of Representatives Rdered, That Mr. Hardy, Capt Rowell, and Mr. Foster, be directed to give the Thanks of the House to the Reverend William Bulch, for his Sermon preach'd Yesterday n the General Court, being the Anniversary for the Election of Councellors And desue a * thereof for che besen. 698) CONE NE OT ISO An Election S ERM ON. Wee ene, PSAL. exxii. 6, 7, 8, 9. Pray for the Peace of Ferusalem : they shall prosper that love thee. xt Peace be within thy Walls, and Prosperity within thy Palaces. For my Bretbren and Companions Sales, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the House of the Lord our God, I will seeł 2 Good, Occasion, and - Part F of the Plalm, 1 shall immediately apply my self to the Consideration of the Subject matter contained in the Verses now read, and take Notice of the following Things. First, The Duty urged, Pray for the Peace of Jerufalem Secondly, A Motive to enforce i it, They shall prosper ghat love thee, An Elia SERMON. Thirdly, An Example of it in David, the undoubted Pen-man of the Psalm, Peace be within thy Walls, . | Projperity within' thy Palaces. And a + Lastly, The Reasons which brought him to 4 Resolution in this Respect, For my Brethren and Companions Sakes I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of ihe House of the Lord our God, I will see thy Good. Accordingly, I propose these for the Heads of the ensuing Discourse, and shall aim at as much Brevity/as the Subjot will allow. I. We may consider the Duty urged, Pray for tht Peace of Ferusalem. As to which two Things may be hinted, First, What we are to understand by the Peace af Terusalem ; and Secondly, What it is to pray for it. " First, What we are to onderstand by thePeace of Jerusalem. Now Peace as it respects a People, and signifies a State of Freedom from War, is so great and desireable a Blessing, that under that Term all Happiness is very commonly intended. | And Jerusalem, at the Time when this Psalm was composed, was a principal City in that Country, to the Inhabitants of which, the Exhortation in the Text was Siven; and they had all a very near and great Concern in it's Preservation and Welfare. It was the City of their religious Solemaities : The Ark and Tabernacle were there, and * thither the Tribes went up, the Tribes of the Lord, unto the Testimony of 1sratl, to give Thanks unto the Name of the Lord.“ + It was also the Seat of Empire & OR 1 ; and the Peo- — U Pacis Nomen generaliter accipitur pro læto et felici statu, ut latine dicimus, Prosperitas : Quia ex omnibus Bonis nullum Pace melius est vel optabilius, juxtallud, | Pax optima rerum 155 Homini novisse datum est, Pax una Triumphis Innumeris potior. Mollerus in Locum. | 7 Ver. 4 4. | 7 a An Elin SERMON 3 ple repaired thither, as well for the Administration of ustice, and Protection in their civil Rights, as for the publick Exercise of their Religion: For there were ser Thrones of Judgment, the Thrones of the - House of David. + So that by the Peace of Jerusalem, we may well enough understand both the religious and civil Prosperity of the whole Kingdom, of which Jerusalem was at that Time the Metropolis. --- And as this was to be sought, and prayed for, by all the People of that Kingdom; so the Members of any ober Community, by a arity of Reason, ought to seek and pray for the same with respe& to the Community whereto they belong. Indeed, in the utmost Latitude, according to the Christian Interpretation of such Precepts, the Peace of Jerusalem, as now to be prayed for, is the Virtue and Happiness of all Mankind ; the Good of every Nation under Heaven, more especially their Conversion to God, and the Prevalence of the Kingdom and Interest of Fe/as Christ among Men. Yet this notwithstanding, theVirtue and Happiness, or the universal Weal and Prosperity of the Community to which we belong, may and ought to be more particularly cared for, and endeavoured by us. And I shall accordingly, in the ensuing Discourse, apply it to the People, some of whose most important Affairs are transacting this Day, and with Regard to which, this present Religious Assembly is convened ; and would be understood to comprehend under that Term, both our Religious and Civil Interests ;- the Preservation of our. Natural and Charter-Rights ; the flourishing of true and pure Religion, and of useful Knowledge and Learning: among us; the due Administration of Justice and Go-_ vernment; the Practice of Virtue and Righteousness ; and in a Word, all that may tend to make us a happy People. And now, ———— — + Ver. 5. Secondly, 4 An Elflimn SERMON. …