Wise and Good Civil Rulers

Massachusetts. At a Council held in the Council-Chamber in Boston, May 28th. 1726.

THAT the Honourable William Tail◊r and Samuel Thaxter Esqrs; give the Thanks of the Board to the Reverend Mr. Peter Thacher, for his SERMON Preached before the GENERAL ASSEMBLY, and desire a Copy thereof in order to its being Printed.

Josiah Willard, Secr.

AN Election-SERMON.

Thou leddest thy People like a Flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

CIVIL Government is the Life of Publick Society; a Constitution of Government formed to the just Liberties, and best Interests of human Nature, in Civil & Religious Affairs; and animated by a wise & just Administration is the Strength of that Life: And the Agency of Sovereign Divine Grace, in giving it to his Own People, spreads an incomparable Glory upon the whole; and makes a most powerful Motive of solemn Praise.

The latter part of this Psalm opens to us, with a Divine Eloquence, the Glory & Majesty of the GOD of Israel, in that Series of Wonders; Israel's Redemption out of Egypt: Verse 15th, Thou hast with thine Arm redeemed thy People—: And concludes with the Excellency of their Government, and Leaders, Thou leddest thy People, &c.

p. 2In the Words observe the following things,

1. GOD Himself was Israel's Leader: Thou leddest thy People Their Civil Constitution (as well as Ecclesiastical) was Extraordinary: There was a more immediate Interposition of GOD himself; in their Laws & Administration: therefore usually denominated a Theocrasy. GOD by Himself broke the Iron Yoke; Formed their Government for them, Executed & Administred it when Formed.

2. The Manner of the Administration: Thy People, as a Flock. GOD the Shepherd; Israel his Flock: This carrys an happy mixture of Tenderness & Authority; Power & Care; Protection & Discipline: Acted by the nearest Relations, special Propriety, and dearest Affection.

3. The illustrious Instruments used by Him; Moses & Aaron. Tho' their Government was a Theocrasy: it did not exclude Instruments: But then the Instruments first employed in this singular Government were agreable to it: Extraordinary and very Excellent Ones: Extraordinarily Called, Furnished Assisted & Supported by GOD. Moses & Aaron were the Two first Instruments used by GOD: the renowned Heads of the Two Orders, Civil & Religious. GOD raised them, furnished them, vested them with Power; and by his special, constant Presence with them, made them both, but Moses more remarkably, the most signal Blessings to their People, and Examples to all future Rulers.

p. 2How properly soever my Text would lead to it▪ as one special Branch of GOD's Government, to consider Israel's Constitution, and Rulers in p. 3Church, as well as State, I pass it; and shall be govern'd by the occasion; and confine my self to the Civil Constitution & Rulers, as a fruit of GOD's merciful Government, and give you a few tho'ts upon the Blessing of that, when wisely and justly managed. I will give you my Subject in the following

DOCTRINE.

IT is to be Notic'd & Celebrated, as an high Favour of GOD to his People; when He leads them like a Flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron; or Wise & Good Civil Rulers.

Indeed the principal Blessing of GOD, and a People's most vital & fundamental Distinction, Honour & Happiness consists in their Excellent Constitution of church-Government formed upon the revealed Plan, the holy Scriptures; and wise & faithful Guides to administer it: Churches formed by CHRIST himself, with an exact agreableness to his own most wise & perfect Rules, filled with Ordinances, and all Instituted Officers; and very particularly a learned and faithful Mininistry: These are a People's Glory and Safety, (Psal 147 20.) what they should especially value, be thankful for, be concern'd to secure & improve. But the Occasion leads me to the Civil; and that too is a very illustrious Favour of GOD. I will give you my thot's upon the important Things contained in this General Proposition; under the following Heads.

p. 4PROP. I. GOD is in an appropriate manner the Leader of a Professing People.

PROP. II. He leads them like a Flock.

PROP. III. He sometimes leads them by the Hand of Moses & Aaron; or of Wise and Good Rulers.

PROP. IV. This is to be acknowledged & celebrated as an high Favour.

PROP. I. GOD is, in an appropriate manner, the Leader of a Professing People. He was Israel's Leader; and he is the leader of every professing People. Every professing People is his peculiar People; and he leads them as such. Indeed they are not led by the same extraordinary, miraculous, immediate hand of GOD, that Israel was in their Redemption from Egypt, Conduct thro' the Wilderness, and their being put into Possession of Canaan. This is Celebrated, & Confined to to them: Deut. 4. 32, 33, 34. Ask now of the Days, that are past, from the Day that God created Man upon the earth—Did ever People hear God speaking out of the midst of Fire? Or hath God essayed to take him a nation out of the midst of a nation, by temptations, by signs, by wonders, and by a mighty hand, &c. But yet in every other professing People, there's the same Relation of GOD to them, as to Israel; the same Grounds & Principles of Acting towards & for them: and they express themselves in the same happy Fruits; tho' working after a diverse manner, viz. By second Causes. But here I will give you my tho'ts under two Heads, distinctly. (1) GOD is the supreme, absolute Lord of all Creatures. (2.) In p. 5a peculiar manner, he is the Leader of a professsing People.

p. 51. GOD is the supreme, absolute Lord of all Creatures. He is the universal First Cause; infinitely & absolutely Perfect; and therefore must have an unlimited, unalienable, perpetual and universal Dominion over all Creatures; particularly over all his reasonable Creatures; Personally, or Relatively: Singly, or in Society. No Authority can possibly be, but from GOD. …