The Election Sermon

George Wyllys, Secr.

An ELECTION SERMON.

RIGHTEOUSNESS exalteth a Nation: but Sin is a reproach to any People.

SOON after Solomon came to the Throne of Israel, the Lord appeared unto him, and said, "Ask what I shall give thee?" Solomon, desirous above all earthly Things to be qualified for his high Station, requests neither Riches, nor Honour, nor length of Days, nor the Life of his Enemies, but rather prays for "an understanding Heart" And this Prayer "pleased the Lord." God loves to see Rulers more concerned about their Duty than about their private Interest. A benevolent, generous frame of Heart prompting them to do all the Good, in their places, that they can, is pleasing to the Lord. Wherefore God heard his prayer, and gave him a wise and understanding heart, as he desired; and long life, riches and honor besides.

God gave Solomon wisdom, p. 6and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the Sand that is on the Sea-Shore: and 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 there came of all People to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all Kings of the Earth which had heard of his wisdom: and he spake three thousand Proverbs.

— one of which was this, Righteousness exalteth a Nation: but Sin is a reproach to any People.—These words then come recommended to our most serious Consideration, as containing one of the wise Maxims of the wisest of men, a chief political principle of the greatest Politician; and they furnish us with a Subject proper for this Occasion. — Here then, Let us Enquire

I. WHAT is meant by Righteousness.

II. HOW Righteousness exalteth a Nation.

III. HOW Sin is a Reproach to any People,

And then,

IV. I will endeavour to shew that the only way for us in this Colony to be a happy Community is to be a righteous People.

I. IN the first Place, we are to Enquire, what is meant by Righteouness. And there p. 7is no doubt the word is designed to comprise all moral Vertue in general; as it was only in this large and comprehensive Sense of the word that National Prosperity and Happiness were promised to Righteousness under the Jewish dispensation.— But then still it may be enquired, what is the Sum of moral Vertue? and how does Righteousness naturally comprise the whole?

p. 7TO view Beings and Things as they are, and to be affected and act accordingly is the Sum of moral Vertue. All moral Vertue is frequently, in the sacred writings summed up in one thing, under one comprehensive Name. For, as every moral Vertue grows up from one Root, and is therefore radically but one thing; so with the greatest propriety all may be called by one Name. Thus LOVE, in fact, is the whole of moral Vertue. And thus LOVE is the Name given to the whole, in that brief Summary of the divine Law given by our blessed Saviour. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart:" and "thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy Self." Love is radically the whole of that Duty which God requires of man. "For on these two Commands hang all the Law and the Prophets," Yea, Love is the Sum of all God's moral Perfections. And of all holiness in all holy Beings in the Universe. For the moral Law is the transcript of God's moral Perfections. The divine Nature is the original, the divine Law is an exact transcript, and in a perfect conformity p. 8to this Law consists the perfect holiness of Angels and Saints in heaven, and in an imperfect conformity to it consists the imperfect holiness of Saints on Earth, and the perfect mediatorial Righteousness of Jesus Christ is but a perfect conformity to the same Rule thro' a course of the severelt Trials. For the holiness of God and Christ, of Angels and Saints in heaven, and of Saints on Earth, is of the same Nature, how different soever in Degree and in Circumstances. For there is but one kind of true holiness in the Universe: and all consists in Love God is Love, and Love is the Sum of all that Duty which God requires of Man. — "Thou shall Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy Self." — But

LOVE to God and to our Neighbour supposes that we view them as they are, and it consists in our being affected accordingly, and this affection naturally excites to an answerable Conduct. — And

TO love God with all our hearts is only to give him his due: for he deserves it at our hands. And to love our Neighbour as our selves, is only to feel them as we would have them feel to us; that is, to do as we would be done by. And therefore to love God with all our hearts, and our Neighbour as our selves is in its own Nature right.—He then who is thus affected toward God and his Neighbour is, in Scripture, p. 9called, a righteous Man. He is rightly affected. He feels as he ought to do. His heart is right. And so he is called a righteous Man. And therefore Righteousness is another Name used in Scripture as comprehending the sum of all Vertue, even as the word Sin is used to comprehend all Vice. Thus in our text, Righteousness exalteth a Nation: but Sin is a reproach to any People.

p. 9II. RIGHTEOUSNESS exalteth a Nation — as it is in itself an honourable thing — as it has a natural tendency to make a Nation prosperous and happy — and as it will be attended with the special Smiles of him, who loves Righteousness and hates Iniquity, and sitting at the head of the universe, can build up or pull down Nations at his Pleasure.