_Britain_’s Mercies, and _Britain_’s Duty.
Preached at _Philadelphia_, on _Sunday, August 24, 1746_. and occasioned by the Suppression of the late unnatural Rebellion.
PSALM cv. 45.
_That they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws._
MEN, brethren, and fathers, and all ye to whom I am about to preach the kingdom of GOD, I suppose you need not be informed, that being indispensibly obliged to be absent on your late thanksgiving-day, I could not shew my obedience to the governor’s proclamation, as my own inclination led me, or as might justly be expected from, and demanded of me. But as the occasion of that day’s thanksgiving is yet, and I trust ever will be, fresh in our memory, I cannot think that a discourse on that subject can even now be altogether unseasonable. I take it for granted, further, that you need not be informed, that among the various motives which are generally urged to enforce obedience to the divine commands, that of love is the most powerful and cogent. The terrors of the law may affright and awe, but love dissolves and melts the heart. “The love of CHRIST,” says the great apostle of the _Gentiles_, “constraineth us.” Nay, love is so absolutely necessary for those that name the name of CHRIST, that without it, their obedience cannot truly be stiled evangelical, or be acceptable in the sight of GOD. “Although, (says the apostle) I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burnt, and have not charity,” (i. e. unless unfeigned love to GOD, and to mankind for his great name’s sake, be the principle of such actions, howsoever it may benefit others) “it profiteth me nothing.” This is the constant language of the lively oracles of GOD. And, from them it is equally plain, that nothing has a greater tendency to beget and excite such an obediential love in us, than a serious and frequent consideration of the manifold mercies we receive time after time from the hands of our heavenly Father. The royal psalmist, who had the honour of being stiled, “the man after GOD’s own heart,” had an abundant experience of this. Hence it is, that whilst he is musing on the divine goodness, the fire of divine love kindles in his soul; and, out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth speaketh such grateful and extatic language as this. “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his mercies? Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” And why? “who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.” And when the same holy man of GOD had a mind to stir up the people of the _Jews_ to set about a national reformation, as the most weighty and prevailing argument he could make use of for that purpose, he lays before them, as it were, in a draught, many national mercies, and distinguishing deliverances, which have been conferred upon and wrought out for them, by the most high GOD. The psalm to which the words of our text belong, is a pregnant proof of this; it being a kind of epitome or compendium of the whole _Jewish_ history: at least it contains an enumeration of many signal and extraordinary blessings the _Israelites_ had received from GOD, and also the improvement they were in duty bound to make of them, “Observe his statutes and keep his laws.”
To run through all the particulars of the psalm, or draw a parallel (which might with great ease and justice be done) between GOD’s dealings with us and the _Israelites_ of old: To enumerate all the national mercies bestowed upon, and remarkable deliverances wrought out for the kingdoms of _Great-Britain_ and _Ireland_, from the infant state of _William_ the _Norman_ to their present manhood, and more than _Augustan_ maturity, under the auspicious reign of our rightful Sovereign King _George_ the second; howsoever pleasing and profitable it might be at any other time, would, at this juncture, prove, if not an irksome, yet an unreasonable undertaking.
The occasion of the late solemnity, I mean the suppression of a most horrid and unnatural rebellion, will afford more than sufficient matter for a discourse of this nature, and furnish us with abundant motives to love and obey that glorious _Jehovah_, who giveth salvation unto kings, and delivers his people from the hurtful sword.