nities that encompass the magiftrate, add dignity to all his actions, and weight to all his words and opinions; producing fuch effects, as Job, in that chapter from whence my text is taken, hath thus elegantly described. "When I went out," fays he, "to the gate through the city, when I pre་ pared my feat in the ftreet; the young men "faw me and hid themfelves, and the aged arofe

and ftood up: Unto me men gave ear and "waited, and kept filence at my counfel; after "my words they spake not again, and my speech "dropped upon them: And they waited for me,

as for the rain, and opened their mouth wide as "for the latter rain," Job xxix. 7, 8, 21, 22, 23.

Finally, Thefe external maaks of honour are therefore appropriated to the magistrate, that he might be invited from thence to reverence himflf: that he may be led to remember, Whofe is mage and fuperfcription he carries; not only that of the community, over which he prefides, and for which he acts, but the image even of God himfelf, by whom the powers that be, are ordain ed, and from whom they muft ultimately derive their authority. The outward fplendor of his office, is the badge and token of that glorious and facred character which he inwardly bears : and the one of thefe, therefore, ought conftantly to put him in mind of the other, and excite him to act up to it, throughout the whole courfe of his adminstration. He who thus esteems and reverences himself will not fail to take the truest methods towards procuring esteem and reverence from others; he will exercife himself with pleafure, without wearinefs, in that god-like employ

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ment of doing good, which is affigned him; and by reafon of which even the title of God is in Scripture bestowed on him: He will do nothing that is beneath his high ftation, nor omit doing. any thing which becomes it: He will not proftitute his power to mean and undue ends; nor ftoop to little and low arts of courting the favour of the people, without doing them real fervice: He will ftand his ground againft all the attacks that can be made upon his probity; no man's power fhall scare him from doing his duty, no man's importunities fhall weary him, no man's flattery fhall bribe him, no by views of his own fhall mislead him: He will arm himself perfectly in his integrity; Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins, Ifa. xi. 5. He will know how to prife his advantages, and to relish the honours which he enjoys, as they are the teftimonies of public efteem, and the rewards of merit: but he will not fo far please himself with them, as to forget what I, under my

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III. Third, and laft general head, propofed to confider; That the chief honour of the magiftrate confifts, in maintaining the dignity of his character by fuitable actions, and in discharging the high truft that is repofed in him, with integrity, wifdom, and courage.

Some magiftrates are contented that their places fhould adorn them: and fome alfo there are, who study to adorn their places, and to reflect back again the luftre they receive from thence; so that we may apply to them what was faid of Simon VOL. II.

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SERM. III. the fon of Onias, That, when he put on the robe of honour, and was clothed with the perfection of glory, he made the garment of holiness honourable. Ecclus i. II.

To many fuch worthy magiftrates as thefe, who have thus reputably filled the chief feats of power in this great city, I am now addreffing my difcourfe: and whom, therefore, if I detain with a short account of the preffing obligations of this fort which lie on the magiftrate, and of the best means of discharging them; I fhall not, I hope, be thought fo much to prefcribe directions for the future, as to praise what is already past, and to give honour to thofe to whom honour is justly duě, for their public fervices.

To be very defirous of a good name, and very careful to do every thing, that we innocently and prudently may, to obtain it, is so far from being a fault, even in private perfons, that it is their great and indifpenfable duty; but magiftrates and minifters of juftice are in a peculiar manner o bliged to it for they have more opportunities than other men have, of purchafing public esteem by deferving well of mankind; and fuch oppor tunities always infer obligations.

Reputation is the great engine, by which those who are poffeffed of power, muft make that pow er ferviceable to the ends and ufes of goverment. The rods and axes of princes, and their deputies, may awe many into obedience; but the fame of their goodness, and justice, and other virtues, will work on more; will make men not only obedient, but willing to obey, and ready to come into every thing that is done, or defigned, for the

public advantage, by those who (they are satisfied) fincerely mean it.

An established character fpreads the influence of fuch as move in a high sphere, on all around and beneath them; it reaches further than their own care and providence, or that of their inferior officers, can poffibly do: It acts for them, when they themfelves ceafe to act, and renders their administration both profperous and eafy.

Befides, the actions of men in high stations are all confpicuous; and liable to be scanned and fifted. They cannot hide themselves from the eyes of the world, as private men can: even those, who attend on their state and dignity, and make up their honourable train, are, as it were, fo many fpies, placed upon them by the public, to obferve them nearly, and report their character. Praise therefore or blame, being the neceffary confequence of every thing they do, they have more reason to act always, with an immediate regard to the opinion of the world, than other men have ; and to refolve to make all those actions worthy of obfervation, which are fure to be observed.

Great places are never well filled, but by great minds; and it is as natural to a great mind to feek honour by a due difcharge of an high truft, as it is to little men to make less advantages of it.

On all these accounts, reputation becomes at fignal, a very peculiar bleffing to magiftrates; and their pursuit of it is not only allowable, but laudable: fo it be carried on by methods which are every way innocent and juftifiable, and with a view of making a good use of a good character when established; fo that it be not rested in, as an

end, but only employed as a means of doing ftill further good, and as an encouragement to proceed in doing it: In a word, fo honour be not fought after by the violation of confcience, or the praife of men preferred in any refpect, to the praife of God.

Now, tho' all the feveral branches of the magiftrate's duty, when faithfully performed, and all thofe good qualifications of mind, which enable him to perform it, do, in fome degree or other, tend to create a public efteem of him; yet there are fome points of duty, fome qualifications, that have a more direct and immediate influence to this purpofe; They are fuch as follow.

A good magiftrate, who would endear himself to thofe whom he governs, muft, above all things, be endued with a public fpirit, that is, with fuch an excellent temper of mind, as fets him loofe from all narrow felfth views, and makes him bend all his thoughts and endeavours towards promoting the common good of the fociety which is committed to his care. The welfare of that is the chief point which he is to carry always in his eye, and by which he is to govern all his counfels, defigns, and actions; directing his zeal againft, or for perfons and things, in proportion as they do, or do not interfere with it. To this good end he muft facrifice his time, his eafe, and his private advantages; and think all of them well pent, in obtaining it. Nothing certainly can beter become a perfon, invefted with a public character, than fuch a public fpirit; nor is there any thing likely to procure him larger returns of effeem and honour: The common acknowledg