A King Reigning in Righteousness

Mr. Frink's SERMON On the Anniversary Election of Councellors, May 31. 1758.

T. HUBBARD, Speaker.

THE joyful Anniversary is now arrived, the happy Day, on which the Tribes of the Lord, the Heads of the Tribes, the Representative Body of this People, assemble in the City of our Solemnities, according to the Royal CHARTER of WIILLAM and MARY, of glorious Memory, to Elect his Majesty's Council, the second Branch of the Legislature of the Province.—The auspicious Day is come, when first our Eyes behold with Joy, the most worthy Representative of our most gracious KING, in the chief Seat of Government, and at the Head of our Tribes, directing, moderating, and ruling, in the great and important Religious, Civil and Military Affairs of the same.—And let us be glad, when they say unto us, Let us go into the House of the Lord—Our Feet shall stand within thy Gates, O Boston, the New-English Jerusalem, whither the Tribes go up, the Tribes of the Lord, unto the Testimony of the New-English Israel, to give Thanks unto the Name of the Lord: for Here are p. 2set the Thrones of Judgment, the Representative Thrones of the House of the British David—The highest Judicatory of the Province.

At the Invitation of the Honourable House, One among the least of Christ's Ministers, is drawn out of his beloved Obscurity, and stands this Day in the sacred Desk to Preach before the General Court—And after solemn Invocation of the Supreme Ruler of the World, in the Name of the Son of God the only Mediator, He humbly asks the Attention of this August Assembly to the Sermon on that illustrious Prediction of the Prophet, p. 2ISAIAH, Chap. xxxii. 1, 2.

Behold, a King shall Reign in Righteousness, and Princes shall Rule in Judgment. And a Man shall be as an hiding Place from the Wind, and a Covert from the Tempest: as Rivers of Water in a dry Place, as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land.

THERE is no Part of the Bible that more deserves the Thoughts of inquisitive Men, than the Writings of the Prophets; and Persons of very high Endowments, may find sufficient Employnemt in unfolding the Types and Figures of the Jewish OEconomy, and in searching into the Depths of the Prophetical Predictions. And the metaphorical Style of the Prophets is very proper to inspire the Minds of the Attentive, with noble Ideas of God's Wisdom and Providence, and to p. 3affect us with the most lively Image of the glorious Kingdom of God and Christ, the Happiness of those that shall have a Share in the Triumphs of it, and the Terribleness of the Punishments which are denounced against such as will not have Him to Rule over them.

The Books of the Prophets unfold the Methods of Providence in many remarkable Instances.—Such as—God's Disposal of Kingdoms and Governments, and making Use of wicked Princes and Nations to be the Instruments of his Justice in punishing others, as bad or worse—The gradual Discovery of the Coming of the Messiah, and the several Steps and Advancements by which God introduced his Kingdom into the World, and will still carry it on, 'till the Consummation of all Things.—And there is a Treasure of heavenly Wisdom contained in the Writings of the Prophets, that can never be exhausted; and 'tis most reasonable to believe that some Parts of these Prophecies reach to the End of the World; and 'tis also reasonable to expect, that in every Age, Providence should open some new Scene, which will give further Insight into the Meaning of these sacred Books.—And to extend the Prophetic Views to the End of the World, seems most agreable to that Description of God's Prescience, which is given us in Isaiah, Ch. 46. ver. 10. viz. That He declares the End from the Beginning.—So that even when the whole Mystery of God's Dispensations shall be finished, it will appear that Nothing is contained in them, but what God hath formerly declared to his Servants the Prophets; as 'tis expresly affirmed, Rev. 10. 7.

p. 4Isaiah deservedly holds the first Rank in that noble Order of Prophets; as he foretells the future State of the Church more frequently and fully than the others, and in the loftiest Language, and boldest Metaphors.—His supernatural Gift of Prophecy added a new Lustre to the greatness of his Birth, and his liberal Education furnished him with a noble Eloquence, and suitable to the Dignity of his Argument.—"His Style is great, noble, sublime & florid: He paints Things to the Life, but with the strongest and liveliest Strokes." [Dupin Can. Scrip. Vol. 1.]

It has been observed, that the Commentaries on this Prophet fall short of a full Explication of his Book, on Account of his Profoundness of Tho't, Loftiness of Expression, and Extent of Prophecy; and therefore may it not be said, that I, so inferiour in divine Knowledge, need an Apology for attempting a Sermon on so remarkable a Passage of his Prophecy as my Text, especially on this solemn Occasion, and before so great and learned and honourable an Assembly.

Isaiah lived and prophesied under four Kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah—If we suppose (for 'tis not certain) that the Prophecies &c. of this Book are put in the same Order in which they were at first written & published, the Book may be divided into four Parts or Sections. The five Chapters from the Beginning, contain the Prophecies which he made in the Time of Uzziah.—The Vision of the sixth Chapter happened in Jotham's Reign; and the following Chapters from the seventh to the thirty fifth inclusively, contain his Prophecies under the Reign of p. 5Ahaz.—And then follows an Account of Sennacherib's Invasion, Hezekiah's Sickness & Recovery, Chap. 36, 37, 38. (that History being a Key to open several Passages in the foregoing Prophecies) with a brief Prediction of the Jews Captivity by the Babylonians, on Occasion of the King of Babylon's Ambassage to Hezekiah &c. in Chap. 39.—And the 40th Chap. and those that follow to the End of the Book, do not only concern the Jews Return from Babylon, and the Restoration and Establishment of their Ecclesiastical and Political State, but also the Call of the Gentiles, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and flourishing State of the Church under his Government, and the Prophet describes the future Glories of the Church, with a Loftiness of Expression suitable to the Dignity of the Subject.