The Legislator's Right, Charge and Duty in Respect of Religion

Resolved by this Assembly,

THAT ROGER NEWTON Esq; and Mr. JOHN HALL, be appointed to return the Thanks of this Assembly to the Reverend Mr. SAMUEL HALL, for his Sermon preached before this Assembly on the Eighth Day of Instant May, and desire a Copy thereof that it may be printed.

George Wyllys Secr.

An Election SERMON.

2 CHRONICLES XIX. 6.

—Take heed what you do: For ye judge not for Man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the Judgment.

ALTHO' civil Government be of divine Right, yet the various and different Forms of it, are of humane Right: And among the various Forms, one is calculated for a People under such and such Circumstances; another for a People under different Circumstances. Israel of old was a while under the government of Judges, and then under a kingly Government: And their Happiness or Misery was not so much owing to the different form of Government they were under, as to their Governours or Rulers: When they had wise, prudent, skilful and religious Rulers, they were very Happy; but when they had Rulers p. 2of another Character, they were Miserable. Upon which account the wise Man king Solomon, thus declares, in Eccl. 10. 16, 17. Wo to thee, O Land, when thy king is a Child, and thy princes eat in the Morning. Blessed art thou, O Land, when thy king is a son of Nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength and not for drunkenness. Among the good Kings of Judah, stands on sacred Record Jehosaphat, concerning whom it is said, That he walked in the way of Asa his Father, and departed not f◊◊m it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD. And altho' he missed it in some things; as in joining with Ahab against Ramoth-Gilead; for which the prophet Jehu sharply reproved him in these words, ver. 2. Shouldest thou help the Ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? Yet there were good Things found in him: He had taken away the Groves out of the Land, and had prepared his Heart to seek the LORD: He was a religious King, and took care of the religious, as well as civil Interest of the Government; as appears from his going out from time to time among his People from one end of the Kingdom to the other, to bring them back unto the LORD God of their Fathers. Three things are taken noticé of,

1. His bringing back the People from their Idolatry, false Worship and wickedness of Life unto the LORD God of their Fathers.

p. 32. His appointing Judges and placing them in all the Cities of Judah, to whom the People might go for Justice and have all their valuable Enjoyments secured to them.

3. His charging his Judges to be Faithful in the great & important Trust reposed in them; saying to them, Thus shall ye do, in the fear of the LORD, faithfully & with a perfect heart.

And here in the Text, that good King Jehosaphat is brought in as giving Instruction & Caution to those Judges he had plac'd in Judah, Take heed what ye do, for ye Judge not for Man, but for the LORD, &c. In which words are three Things observable.

(1) The Instruction and Caution given, Take heed what ye do. The form of Speech was most suitable to wake up their Fear, the most wakeful Passion GOD has planted in the children of Men: As if he had said, Ye Judges whom I have plac'd in Judah, Consider and be afraid; for ye have somthing to do which calls for your greatest Care and Circumspection in doing of it: Enter upon your work & business with the greatest Caution that you may'nt do amiss.

(2) The Grounds and Reasons of the Caution, For ye Judge not for Man, but for the LORD. As if he had said, You are not to aim at the pleasing of Men, as the mark and scope of your Judgment; but of GOD, whose Cause p. 4you have undertaken, in the indispensible measures of Right and Truth.

(3) The Argument or Motive to enforce this Care and Caution in the Judges, GOD is with you in the Judgment. As if he had said, Ye Judges, if ye take heed what you do, Judge for GOD, He will be with you, assisting and enabling of you to judge Aright; for GOD standeth in the congregation of the Mighty.

DOCT. That the Judgment is for the LORD, is a Consideration of great Importance, to make civil Rulers act as they ought in that great and important Trust reposed in them. Or in other words, All men that are invested with civil Power and Authority, should take heed what they do; because they Judge not for Man, but for the LORD.

Such should enter upon the Business with serious Thought and Consideration, judge and determine with Caution and Care, for the Judgment is for the LORD.

p. 4I am sensible that these words were spoken to the executive Authority, the Judges in Judah, and not to the Legislature; but the grounds and reasons of the Instruction and Caution given to them, hold good, are equal, if no◊ greater with respect to the Legislature of a Government, and so to all others in proportion to p. 5the share they have in the Administration of public Justice; and accordingly I shall Consider them. And here,

I. I shall Inquire what we are to understand by this, That the Judgment is for the LORD. Or, What it is to Judge for GOD?

II. Shew what a weighty Consideration this is to excite and stir up civil Rulers to act up to their Character and Obligation in that great and important affair of Judgment.

I. What are we to understand by this, That the Judgment is for the LORD? Or, That Rulers Judge for GOD?

And by Judgment which our Text saith is for the LORD, we are to understand the great, weighty and important Business which this honourable Legislature, is by and by to proceed upon, viz. the Administration of Justice in all its Acts and Offices; this is the great civil Affair, yea, the most weighty & important Affair & Business of the Government: And our Text let's us know, that it is a religious Affair, and the very Business of GOD; Ye Judge for the LORD. And these things are intended in it,