powers that be, to yield to corrupt authorities that entire subjection which is only due to the Lord of all, and his clearly revealed will. He has charged us to obey God rather than man, and, in obeying man, to have chief regard to his supreme authority, as contained in His word. His word, therefore, is the only sure light to our paths, the only safe lamp to our feet.

In considering our national duties towards God, let us guard, then, against opposite dangers.

National duties are many; we will notice some of the principal.

1. NATIONAL WORSHIP.

The nation which acknowledges the faith of Christ, should unitedly, under its monarch or rulers, and as a part of its whole system of action, publicly worship God, and openly acknowledge the dependence of the nation on Him. Such national worship was rendered by the kings of Israel in their solemn feasts. It was given by Nebuchadnezzar on his repentance, and by Daniel in behalf of his people before their restoration. It is also promised that such national worship shall take place in the times of the Gospel. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. (Isai. xlix. 7.) It is promised yet more distinctly and fully,

in times to come, All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. (Ps. cxxxviii. 4.) All kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him. (Psalm lxxii. 11.) Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee. (Isaiah xlix. 23.) The sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee. (Isa. lx. 10.)

This duty is implied in the titles given to Christ. He is God over all, blessed for ever; he is the Prince of the kings of the earth; he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. Reasonable is it, then, that the united worship of governments and nations should be rendered to him who has a name given him above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This duty is also the dictate of natural conscience : to receive blessings without number, as a nation, and to return no public national united thankfulness, is a base ingratitude.

Hence we find that ungodly rulers have justly and rightly been punished, and their kingdoms with them. Pharaoh disdainfully asked, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Thus he hardened his heart; and his people concurring with him, this casting-off the Lord brought down upon his kingdom the destructive plagues of Egypt. So Belshazzar lifted

up himself against the Lord of heaven, and he and his servants praised their idols. Daniel solemnly warned him of the common danger of falling kingdoms: The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. And in that night Belshazzar was slain, and his kingdom overthrown. May we as a nation be warned by such examples of the danger of casting off God in our public measures.

Great is the beauty and glory of the united worship of a nation. In the Old Testament we may often see this. Look at the inauguration of Solomon by his father David. In that magnificent assembly of all Israel, David blessed the Lord with the most glowing praises, and called all the congregation of Israel to bless the Lord, and they united together in worship and sacrifices. In the dedication of the temple by Solomon, we behold a similar sublime and holy meeting and general worship of the nation, and God marking his approval of it by manifesting his glory in the midst of it. Similar national worship distinguished the reigns of other pious kings. Thus the examples of faithful rulers illustrate and confirm the great duty of national worship.

True it is, that there are now real difficulties in the way of general, harmonious, and united worship. But the only hindrances arise from sin, religious divisions, foul superstition, and hateful ungodliness, to be withstood and resisted by those to whom God has committed his authority, in wisdom and forbearance, with firm

ness in necessary things, liberty in things not necessary, and charity in all things. However the evils may increase the difficulty, they never can reverse the duty.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the great Monarch of all, with supreme wisdom and infinite power, is coming to take account of the stewardship that he has intrusted to each. Oh, how great the hatefulness, how besotted the folly of indifference to the national worship of God, when placed in the light of his speedy coming, and his infallible judgment !

2. RIGHTEOUS LAWS.

This is a vast subject, in which we can but glance at some general principles. The law of God, as given in his word, is the true fountain of political wisdom. It requires, indeed, that we should discern things that differ. We have to distinguish the circumstances peculiar to the early age of the world, and the political state of the Jews, from those great principles of moral and social duty, and that essential nature of social happiness, which are of universal force. With this modification, the direction given to Israel is equally applicable to us. Keep, therefore, and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and shall say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? Deut. iv. 6, 7.

To neglect the law of God in human legislation is impiety, and to seek happiness in the contradiction of its maxims, is folly and madness. There is, alas! much of this impiety and folly in modern legislation, on all the great subjects of crime and commerce, morality, and social interests and happiness.

How little yet has the nation at large, or even the ministers of the word, risen to a due estimate of the value of the divine law, as a great guide in legislation. There is divine wisdom in the maxims of righteous laws taught us in the word of God. The punishment of murder was strictly required in the death of the murderer. No laws of human honour justifying duelling will plead in bar of the divine law at the coming judgment. There was to be a firm repression of crime between man and man, and of blasphemy against God. No pretence of constitutional liberty will justify our allowance of open blasphemy in that day. The sense of national union was based on the fear of God, and the religious education of the young. No differences of religious opinions will clear us of national guilt, if this be neglected. God gave many safeguards against oppression, and the unbounded accumulation of property. His laws fostered simplicity in bodily and personal wants, and high and noble efforts for national holiness. They taught men to honour the rulers and judges placed over them, and to seek their happiness not in things without them, but in the in