The Necessity of Religion in Societies

p. 1An Election SERMON.

And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the Fear of GOD is not in this Place; and they will Slay me, &c.

IT is observed by the Learned, that in the earliest Ages of the World, those who had the greatest Authority Civil, had likewise the Sacred conjoyned with it: That as Civil Society's are no other than a Combination of particular Family's, so before Family's associated into those larger Society's, the Master of the Family was the Priest of it.

And that hence it is that we read of Noah, Jacob and Job, that they Sacrificed; and of Abraham's Instructing his Family. Every Head of a Family was both King and Priest in his House, and performed the respective Functions belonging to each. Afterward (as most conceive) the First-born in Family's had the possession of the Priesthood, and were p. 2exercised in it till the giving of the Law. To Confirm which Opinion, that Text (with some others) is alledged; which we have, Numb. 3. 11, 12. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the Children of Israel, instead of all the First-born that openeth 〈…〉 among the Children of Israel: therefo◊ 〈…〉 ◊◊vites shall be mine. Where we find God 〈…〉 the Levites from among the Children of Israel, instead of the First-born. But whether this was so or not, yet most certain it is, that the Civil and Sacred Powers were united in the same Persons; and that not only in the Morning of the World, before Family's (for mutual advantages) associated together; but we have instances of it also afterward, even till by Positive Laws the power of the Priesthood was restrained to the Tribe of Levi. Thus (as the Sacred Oracles inform us) Melchisedeck was both King and Priest in Salem; and upon the acount of his two-fold Office (as well as in other respects) was an Eminent Type of Christ, who is a Priest upon a Throne. So we find Moses (in like manner) exercising both these Powers, till Aaron and his Sons were Consecrated to the latter of them, Exod. 24. 5. & 29. 35. And hence is that expression, Psal. ◊9.6. Moses and Aaron among His Priests. In imitation of which, probably it was that in p. 3the Gentile World (after the dispersion) as there were Sacrifices and other Solemnity's of Sacred estimation, attended in Honour of their Gods, so the Power of the Priesthood was often possessed by those of Royal Dignity among them. Profane Story furnishes us with instances of this nature; particularly among the Egyptians, Lacaedemonians & Romans, divers of whose Emperors (even after these Powers were separated among them) are said to retain the Title of Pontifex Maximus, among the rest of their Imperial Honours.

p. 3Tis not to be doubted, but that the exercise of these two Offices by those holy Persons of old, was very agreeable to the mind of God. As for Moses, what he did in either of them, was by express Warrant from God: And altho' we find not the like as to others, yet there is no reason to doubt, but they acted by a like Divine Authority therein.

Now this Union of these two Powers in the same Persons in those Ages of the World, as its otherwise Instructive, so particularly it Suggests to us the Mutual Serviceableness of Civil Government and Religion each to other. Civil Government duly Administred, contributes not a little to the Well-being, Growth & Progress of Religion in Society's; and this on the other hand, is highly conducive to the due and successful Administration of Civil p. 4Government. Of such importance is Religion to these ends, that where it is not, there is little reason to hope for or expect them. In this case, as Government is not likely to be duly Administred, so neither to be attended with Success in its Administrations: Religion being as necessary to a due Observance of Good Laws, as to the Making and due Execution of them.

So depraved is the Nature of Man in his fallen State, and such is the mighty Power & Influence of Sin in him, that where the Powerful influences & restraints of Religion are wanting, there is little reason to hope that either Rulers or Ruled, will adorn their Places by a due discharge of the Duty's of either of them. Abraham seems to have been very sensible of the truth of this, when he reply's to Abimelech, as in our Text; Because I thought, Surely the Fear of God is not in this Place; and they will Slay me, &c.

In the first Verse of this Chapter, we have an account of Abraham's remove from Mamre to Gerar; And Abraham journey'd from thence toward the South-countrey, and dwelled between Kadesh & Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. He had dwelt in the Plain of Mamre about fourteen Years, and now removes (as is conjectured) because of the nearness of the stinking Lake of Sodom thereto. This is follow'd with p. 5an account of Abimelech's taking Sarah his Wife, thinking she had been his Sister; ver. 2. And Abraham said of Sarah his Wife, She is my Sister: and Abimelech King of Gerar, sent & took Sarah. Whereupon God appears to Abimelech in a Dream, admonishes him of his Sin and Danger in what he had done, and Charges him to restore her again, Ver.3,—8. Tis observable, that God in the Charge He here gives to Abimelech, styles Abraham a Prophet; ver. 7. Now therefore restore the man his Wife; for he is a Prophet, and he shall Pray for thee, &c. From which Text (with some others) I may observe to you by the way, its inferred by some; That the true Notion of a Prophet, lies not in foretelling future events, but in declaring & interpreting to the World the Mind of God received by immediate Revelation from Him: That a Persons receiving that which he makes known to others by immediate Revelation from God, is that which formally Constitutes a Prophet; and that its wholly extrinsecal what time his Prophesy respects, whether that which is past, present, or to come: And that therefore Abraham here has this Title given to him; and he with Isaac & Jacob are called Prophets, Psal. 105. 15. Touch not mine Anointed, & do my Prophets no harm. Not because of any Predictions uttered by them, but because of the frequency of immediate p. 6Revelations to them. Consonant to which we find, that those in the New Testament who Expounded the Scriptures by immediate Inspiration, are called Prophets, 1 Cor. 14. 32. But this by the way.