Government the pillar of the earth. A sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, before His Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Esq; captain general and commander in chief, &c. August 13th 1730. / By Benjamin Colman. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]

II. These Pillars of the Earth are the LORD's.

The Earth is the LORD's and the Fulness there|of; the World and they that dwell therein. All are GOD's rightful Propriety & Dominion. The Shields of the Earth belong to Him. These are the same with the Pillars of it.

1. The LORD makes these Pillars, forms fashions 'em, polishes and adorns 'em. He gifts, qualifies and fur|nishes all whom He calls out to public Service. He makes the more plain and rough, and He orders the carved Work and Gilding in his House. He, the Fa|ther of Light & Glory, gives Men their natural Powers and Excellencies; and all their acquired Gifts are from Him. He looketh upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth, He fashioneth their Hearts alike, He conside|reth all their Works. In the Hearts of all that are wise-hearted He putteth Wisdom. Both Wisdom and Might are His: Counsel is His and sound Wisdom; He is Understanding, He is Strength; by Him Kings rule and Princes decree Judgment‖ 1.1. He gave to David Integrity, and to Solomon Wisdom; and both were Pillars of His framing.

2. Both the Order & the Persons are of the LORD's ordering, constituting and appointing. Civil Govern|ment is of Divine Institution, and GOD commissions and entrusts with the Administration whom He pleases. The great King of the World has order'd a Govern|ment in it, and He raises up Governours, supream and subordinate. There is no Power but of GOD; the Powers that be are ordained of Him. He puts the Scepter into the Hand, and the Spirit of Government into the Heart.

3. The Pillars are the LORD's, for He disposes of them as he pleases; places and fixes them where He will; rears 'em when He sees fit; and when He will removes, or takes 'em down: Or if He has no Pleasure in them, breaks 'em to pieces and throws 'em away. He removeth Kings, and setteth up Kings: For Promotion cometh neither from the East, nor from the West, nor from the South: But GOD is the Judge; He putteth down one and setteth up another: He leadeth Counsellors away spoiled & maketh the Judges fools: He looseth the Bond of Kings, and girdeth their Loins with a Girdle: He leadeth Princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the Mighty* 1.2.

Thus the Sovereign GOD forms the Pillars of the Earth, prepares 'em, sets 'em up, ordains the Places and Times of their standing; takes 'em down and puts others in their Room. He calls and uses whom He will, inclines and spirits how He will, and improves to what Degree He will. They are His therefore, and His is the Greatness and the Glory and the Majesty! And to Him it must be ascribed both by the Persons endowed and raised by Him, and by Others interested in Them: 1 Chron. xxix. 12, 13. Both Riches and Honour come of Thee, and in thy Hand is Power and Might, and in thy Hand it is to make Great; and to give Strength unto all: Now therefore, our GOD, we praise Thee, and bless thy Name for ever and ever.

But to do the utmost Honour to the Civil Order among Men, and to give yet greater Glory to GOD, let us come to the third and last Part of our Text.

Notes

• ‖ 1.1

  James i. 17. Psalm xxxiii. 15. Exod. xxxi. 3. Dan. ii. 20. Prov. viii. 14.
• * 1.2

  Dan ii, 21. Psal. lxxv. 6, 7. Job xii. 17, 18.