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THE LAND- 897 into the flins of ihc cjoverDore uid rulers, arhl mftsters of the people ; and, secondly, into the flins of the people themselrea; and, thirdly, en- deavouring to moTC you with a de*irc to brio; help to them in their present distress* I, If you will read the burdens of the prophets, who arc ihc true mtcrpretcrs cf Diviue provi- dence, and of national judgments, you thull find that the Lord never visiteth until the rulers and represi^ntative* of the nation have corrupted their way before him, mid tiimrd from hifi holy wor- fihip to idolatry; and from llie ends of righteous and equitable governmeri for which heentrusteth them with power, to the ends of oppression and violence : asit is said in the founhehopter of Amos^ *' oppressing the poor and crufihing ihc needy, ani^ 'laying continually. Bring, and let us drink.*' Therefore, in all inquiry into and discourse of national judginetLt«, it is most necea»ary that the preacher of righteousness should carry the caudle of the Lord into the bi^h places of the nation. And behold what I have found in my meditation tlierC' of,— That the servants of our king, with whom the reapoosibility doih lie of their screrBl ofticcA, however well they may be disposed tuwards the people, ure not well-disposed towards God and his church, by whom kings reign and princes decree justice^ Being, so far o* I can observe, wholly ignorant of any rcsponsibiUty beyond that which tbey owe tooor sovereign lonj the king, or to the people, and utterly forgetting to acknow- ledge in their acU and speeches, and in the Kpifil of their policy, the great principle? of all Christian government ; That it is for Christ they hold the 896 qod's conTftOf cRsr vrttn the land. [Ou. power, ttlid tu hini ihat l)]«y are re^ponitible for every acE ibereof. Nor are tbey in this matter checked, or set right by tbe r^preientatirea of^ the people, who, with all their doqueoce acid patriotL»Ri, can DCYOr bo brought to rctncoiber that theyalfto are obliged toUod.aiKl answerable to Chrinl. for the right pBrfomiance of all the power which the coQitUutiofi hath place*! ip their hands. So aleo of the judj^e and maf^airato, aod erery occupant of place and trufitce of power* who arc aa much vicegerents of the Lord Jcsi Christ upon the earth, for the ends of goTei and Juatiro, as the miajsters of the word and the ehlera of lite church are wil»eKK«« (or tht^ truth of the Gospel, and rulers for the whoksome dia- ciplioe of hU church. Wherefore it \m appomted of all Cbristiane to obey the power, aa being the mi