by their respective pastors, be no lefs reprefented and inforced, As, therefore, your inftruction becomes more immediately our province, it is hoped we will be forgiven, in the prefent Effay, through grace, to point out the new duties, which, to us, arife from this new relation. Nor, in doing fo, can the fervants of Chrift be faid to fide from their proper fphere, fince the apostle of the Gentiles, in this letter to an eminent minifter of the gospel, gave it fo particularly in charge. And if it was the duty of paftors fo to teach, and of Chriftians to practife, when kings and thofe in authority were mostly Heathens, what a forcible argument to it must neceffarily arife from the important confideration of our king, and thofe now in authority, being, by profeffion at least, Christians.

Though the letter is addreft to Timothy alone, you'll eafily fee, that the duties in our text were not recommended as incumbent exclufively on him; but as equally and indifpenfibly binding upon all to whom the knowlege of this Epiftle fhould come. Without any critical remark upon the words at all, this conclufion might be justly formed; but it will appear with greater evidence, if it's obferved, that the huper pantoon may be rendered of ali men, as well as for them. In that point of light, the univerfal obligation of thofe duties will bear no difpute, Paul being, thereby, reprefented as exhorting all men, to make fupplication, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, for kings, and for all that are in authority.

Befides, if the benefits arifing from a well conftituted government, are diffufed through all the different orders of men, it must follow, by a most natural confequence, that the proper returns of duty, should, from all quarters, terminate in fuch

governors.

If this appears to be the cafe, from the light of nature itself, can the confequence, with any tolerable grace, be denied,-when the authority of a divine revelation is put into the fcale? There, as a duty to the Prince of the kings of the earth, Chriftians are enjoined to comply with the defign of this text.. The nature and importance of the duties under view, are vastly mistaken, if men confider them as appendages only to the Chriftian practice, what may be neglected with impunity, or flightly dif charged with approbation; for our inspired author, in his exhortation to Timothy, fets them on the very front, makes them lead the van, and, by, calling for the performance of them firft of all, infinuates, that, in the estimate of heaven, they are duties of the highest confequence, and cannot be neglected, nor performed with indifference, but at the peril, the highest peril, of the unhapy delinquent,

The different terms ufed, by our apostle, in expreffing this comprehenfive duty, ferve to fhowthe great extent, as well as neceffity of it.

Supplications may imply the deprecation of evil,penal, moral, and natural. Deprecating penal evils refpects deliverance from the guilt of fin, and from all the wrath incurred by it, due to it, and confequent upon it, whether as to foul or body, as to time or eternity. Moral evil confifts in the difconformity of the heart and practice to the image and law of God, in the pollution and dominion of fin, in what renders men unlike God, unmeet for enjoying, incapable of ferving him; and deprecation, in that view, has the removal of that evil as its proper fubject. Natural evil, again, which may only be deprecated, in as far, as to infinite wifdom and goodnefs feems beft, takes in all the afflictions and difafters of life, all that is paining to the body, a that is perplexing to the mind, all that is diftreffing F

in a perfonal or relational regard, and, in one word, it takes in adverfity in its whole breadth and length, under whatever colour, of whatever kind, to whatever degree, for whatever duration, and with whatever circumftances, common or peculiar, known or unknown, it may be attended.

Prayers may imply the more direct exercise of, imploring or petitioning;-which is fo extenfive, according to their circumstances whom it refpects, that we cannot poffibly candefcend on all the particulars of it.-All fpecial and fpiritual bleffings; all purchased and promifed good; all common and diflinguifhing favour; all outward and inward profperity; all perfonal, ftational, and relational mercies; grace here, glory hereafter, and every good thing; all these are comprehended in the fubje& of prayer. Without excluding those for temporal benefits, petitions for benefits of a faving kind, feem, from the following context, to have been more efpecially in the apoftle's eye; where we are told, as an argument for inforcing this exhortation, that God will have all men," i. e. men of all forts, kings, and thofe in authority not excepted, 66 to "be faved, and to come to the knowlege of the.. "truth," verf. 4. If we take up the matter in this point of light, then, prayer is to be made, more particularly, for converting, renewing, perfevering grace; for light and life; love and liberty; peace and pardon; accefs and acceptance; fpiritual riches and righteoufnefs; furniture for work and warfare; ftrength and comfort; fealing and establishing influences; with whatever elfe may be wrapped up in the bofom of the gospel falvation, as enjoyed or expected by the heirs of promise.

Interceffions may be applied, with equal juftice, to deprecation or petition, that term fignifying properly the interpofition of one perfon for another. According

According to this view, Chriftians are called to make the intereft of others their own, to intereft themselves in it, to exercise a generous concern about it, and to deprecate evil, or implore good, with the fincerity and earnestness the particular cafe does, or may, require. This view of the term is juftified from the expletive argument ufed by Paul, to recommend the duty; "for, (fays he) there is one "God, and one Mediator between God and man, "the man Chrift Jefus," verf. 5. and, therefore, would he have faid, it is indifpenfibly binding upon all Chriftians, to make interceffion for kings, and for all that are in authority.

Giving of thanks, as it ftands in this paffage, fays, that Christians are not only to bear the burdens of others, but to feel with them in their joy and happiness, and to feel in fuch a manner and measure, as proper fentiments and expreffions of holy gratitude fhall have place. There is, perhaps, fomething more noble, fublime, and difinterested, in giving thanks for others when in profperous circumstances, than in exercising a concern about them when in adverfity. Adverfity is fome how naturally productive of pain, wherever it is obferved; from what principle in the irregenerate we will not now fay; whereas profperity, discovered in the lot of others, frequently in all, always in moft, begets envy and difcontent: but the Chriftian virtue here recon. mended, will, according to the vigour and exercife of it, be expreffed in grateful returns to God, for what excellencies, natural, gracious, or acquired, have place in others, for what happiness is beftowed upon them, for what good is done by them, for what advantages they enjoy, for what usefulness they are capable of, and for every thing, that, to fuch perfons themselves, is a proper ground of thankf giving and praife.

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These duties are not merely to be thought of, in their propriety, value, and excellence; nor only to be set about, in way of purpose or promife; but, if the apostle's words have any meaning at all, they are to be actually performed,-performed inftantly, refolutely, and conftantly: for the exhortation bears, that "fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giv

ing of thanks be made." As Paul was directing Timothy how to act in the difcharge of his miniftry, it will scarce be difputed, that public worship is particularly intended. The obligation upon every Christian, in his perfonal capacity, to make confcience of these generous duties, by no means fupercedes the neceffity of Chriftians their performing them, as families, focieties, or churches.-So far from fuperceding that neceffity, it infinuates, proves, and highly corroborates the important truth.

The apostle was no less in earnest himself, than he would have Christians to be in this matter: he did not exprefs the obligation of thefe duties with the coolness of a philofopher; but with all the warmth, the pathos and addrefs of the faint, as well as the dignity and mein of a public teacher: "I exhort therefore," faid he. In the preceding chapter he had touched on his favourite theme, the exceeding riches of grace toward his own foul; declared the distinguishing efficacy the death of Christ might have on the chief of finners; and delivered a folemn charge to Timothy, enforced by the apoftacy of Hymeneus and Alexander from the faith; and, to these interesting facts he refers, now, as a poignant argument, by the particle therefore. Secing in me, would he have faid, there is an example of a blafphemer, a perfecutor, and an injurious perfon, obtaining mercy; feeing the death of Chrift lays a foundation of hope, refpecting finners, the chief of them not excepted; you need not de

ípair