The Throne Established by Righteousness

THAT Benjamin Lynde and Thomas Hutchins◊◊, Esqrs. give the Thanks of this Board, to the Reverend Mr. John Barnard, for his Sermon Preach'd to the General Assembly, on the Day of Election of Counsellors, and desire a Copy thereof in order to its being Printed.

Thad. Mason, Dep. Secr.

An Election Sermon.

The Throne is established by Righteousness.

THAT the Supream Ruler of the World is to be acknowledged in all our Ways, and more especially in all the grand and important Concerns, whether of Publick Societies, or ◊f Private Persons, is a Principle that stands in the strongest Light, to the natural Reason and Con◊cience of every Man, who is not ◊unk into the lowest Stupidity, and the vile◊t A◊h◊i◊m. It was the prevailing Force of this Truth, upon the Minds of our renowned Fore Fathers, impressed with ◊ firm Belief of a God, and his governing Providence, that led them into the Religious Solemnities of this Day: they saw ◊ow necessary, the concurring Influence of the great GOD, and a steady Observation of his wise and good Laws, were, to the Establishment of their Government, both in the choice of proper Persons, to be as strong Rods for a Scepter to rule over them, to lead them into the be◊◊ concerted Laws, and afford the desired Success, unto all their mature Debates, and wise Administrations; and therefore they looked upon it as their incumbent Duty, to improve some Part of this Day of the Gladness of their Hearts, because of their valuable, and distinguishing Priviledges, in Acts of Religious Worship, humbly, and earnestly, to ask the Divine Direction and Blessing, and meekly to receive Counsel from the Sacred Oracles, as in the particular Elections p. 2before them, so in all the Affairs of the Government, thro'out the ensuing Year; that they, and their Posterity might be a People highly favoured of the Lord, and the good Land they had taken Possession of, might be as a Garden which the Lord hath watered▪

Thro' the tender Mercy of the most High to us, (whatever Revolutions have been brought upon the Form of the Government, since the first founding the British Empire in this distant Part of the World,) we are yet in the full Possession, not only of all the Priviledges which belong to Englishmen, as the happy Subjects of Great-Britain, but over & above, of such peculiarly valuable Ones, (and it may be of all that our Circumstances would bear of the former,) confirmed to us, by a Royal CHARTER, from the ever memorable King William, as sufficiently demands it of us to go on, in imitating the laudable Example of our pious Ancesto◊s, in our thus assembling to worship the Lord our God.

p. 2And since it has pleased God, by the Mouth of your Exc◊llency, and his Majesty's honourable Council, to call ◊e (the very least of the Ministers of the Lord,) to stand and wait this Day, at His holy Altar, and present your Offerings to the Divine Majesty, and set the Counsel of God before you, as collected from the Dictates of right Reason, and Revelation, I trust you will overlook my Weakness, and bear with my Liberty and Freedom of Speech; wherein, I hope, I shall not go out of my own Line, nor, while I keep within the Bounds of my Duty and Office, offer any thing that shall be just matter of Offence. I am very sensible, the Times, we are fallen into, are attended with such peculiar Circumstances, as render it very difficult to speak out some necessary Truths, with any Certainty, and Plainness, without being liable to the severe Censure of such as may possibly think themselves too nearly concerned in them, or the more feeble Exceptions of little Wit lings, who will attempt to criticize upon what they scarce understand. However I trust I shall not be so unfaithful to your Excellency, and the honourable Board, and much less so to my great Master, to whom I must be accountable, as to forbear expressing myself, upon the Subject before me, as becomes my Relation, and the Place I stand in, at this critical Juncture, p. 3according to the best Light I shall receive from the Fountain of Truth; at which I am sure no one ought to be offended.

The Words I have read, for the Foundation of my present Discourse, are enrolled among the Proverbs of Solomon, the great and the wise King of Israel. And because we have here the Sentiments of one so renowned for Wisdom, beyond all that went before him, or have come after him, we may reasonably expect to find in these few Words the true Arcana Imperii, the deepest Mysteries, and the best Policies, by which a Government stands firm, and unshaken, as a Rock, against the Roaring of the Sea, and the Dashing of its Waves.

The Throne is established by Righteousness. Tho' we are not to expect much of Connection and Dependance, among Adages, yet we may observe some considerable Relation between several verses, in my Context, in which the royal Teacher lays down his Aphorisms about Kings, and the Thrones which they sit on; wherein he rather gives Direction, than recites an History, and more truly informs them what they ought to be, than what they always are; and so places the most beautiful Picture, in full View before them, to excite a laudable Ambition in their best Endeavours to copy it.

p. 3A divine Sentence, says he, [Verse 10.] is in the Lips of the King; his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment. The Hebrew is, Divination in the Lips, &c. That is, he speaks Oracles; [A great Sagacity and piercing Judgment to discern dubious and difficult Cases. Mr. Pool. in 〈◊〉] his Determinations in Judgment should be as tho' we had enq◊ired of the Oracles of God, for the clear Discovery of the Truth, & the certain Direction in all weighty Matters, that there may be no Error or Mistake, in his Administrations; as one under the Influence and Inspiration of God; with whom is the just Weight and Ballance, (as he adds in the next verse,) that is the Power to discern clearly, and determine justly. Such, in some good measure, was the admirable Foresight, and clear Discernment p. 4of Solomon himsel◊, which 〈…〉 his admiring Subjects with the deepest Veneration, r◊◊dred his Name famous in distant Lands, and brought the Queen of the South, from her far Country, to hear, and applaud his Wisdom.