ΤΟ

Robert Nedham, Efq;

SIR,

ΤΗ

HIS Sermon, preach'd on the late Thanksgiving before a numerous Congregation at Topsham, and at their earnest Request made publick, craves your kind Patronage. The Author hopes you will not impute too much Prefumption to him for fheltering himself under your Name, without your Confent firft obtain'd, as he hath long had the Honour of being acquainted with your humane

and

and benevolent Way of Thinking, and is well affured, from your known Zeal to serve your Country, and your Kindred Connexions with that Great Commoner to whose wife and vigorous Measures, as Prime Minifter, we, under Providence, owe the Succeffes we have been commemorating, that a Discourse of this kind will not be altogether unacceptable from,

SIR,

Your moft obedient

and moft bumble Servant,

J. Fortefcue.

PSALM Xviii. 47, 48, and Part of the 49th Verses.

The Lord liveth, and bleffed be my Arong Helper: and praised be the God of my Salvation. Even the God that feeth that 1 be avenged: and fubdueth the People unto me. It is he that delivereth me from my cruel Enemies, and fetteth me up above mine Adverfaries.

S

EE here and admire a Great King, the most puiffant Prince that ever

fwayed the Jewish Sceptre, afcribing all the Reputation he had acquired over his own and the Enemies of his Kingdom to one that was higher than himself. The Royal Pfalmift, whose Words we have read to you, thought it no Diminution of his Honour to make himself and his People Debtors

Debtors to the God of the Armies of Ifrael for the Victory, whenever they profpered in the Course of their Wars, but rather, with great Judgment as well as Piety, concluded, that fuch grateful Acknowledgment of Divine Mercies would add Stability to their Happiness, and Dignity to his Crown.In like Manner does our most religious and gracious Sovereign, not confiding in the Splendor of any thing that is great, nor captivated with the loudeft Applauses of a redeemed People, but banishing every Thought of Self-Sufficiency from his Royal Breaft, remit us to our ftrong Helper, the God of our Salvation, whom he enjoins us to bless and praise on this appointed Day of Thanksgiving: As it is He that feeth that we be avenged of and fubdueth the People unto us: As it is He that delivereth us from our cruel Enemies, and fetteth us up above our Adverfaries.

'Tis true that God was by a peculiar Relation the God of the Children of Ifrael; that they were for many Years under his immediate Government and Tuition, and in Confequence of this their Theocracy were by a Series of Miracles fupported and main

tained

tained for Forty Years in the barren Wilderness, and were thence conducted by the Exertion of the fame Almighty Power into the promised Land. When they wanted a fecure Retreat from their pursuing Enemies, at their Approach the Sea faw that and fled. When they fought to take Poffeffion of their Inheritance, fordan was driven back. When in pitch'd Battle their Enemies were put to flight, Stones from Heaven fell upon their devoted Heads; and, to make the Victory compleat, which otherwise Night must have interrupted, the Sun made no set that Day, but stood still in Gibeon, and the Moon in the Valley of Ajalón.

These with many other miraculous Affiftances were peculiar, I fay, to the Ifraelites in the Infancy of their Political Existence, when God only might be faid to reign over them. But when they lufted to have, like other Nations, a King from among their Brethren, and were indulged in this their Waywardness, they became no longer entitled to those extraordinary Teftimonies of the Divine Favour, but were in this respect upon a Level with all other States and Kingdoms, who are governed and directed by

the