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stopped even the Triumph of her Arms, by Peace and gave the haraffed Nations leave to refpire.

One Thing only fhe wants to complete her Happiness, to see her Subjects unite in Love and mutual Confidence; to fee those Heats and Animofities buried in Oblivion, which threaten the Peace of our Ifrael. But why do I fully the Glories of this Day, with mention of our Divifions, those Wounds of our Country, at which her beft Life flows out, and leaves her fickly in the very Seafon of her Youth, and whilft all her Honours bloom fresh around her? How earnestly has the Queen commanded, exhorted, entreated, nay even begged of you to forget your Refentments? And could you but offer up to her the Quarrels of your Country, it would be a more welcome Prefent, than should you lay the Treasures of both Indies at her Feet.

Thus happy in the Affections of her Queen, Britain must ever think of her with Joy and Pleasure and yet one Circumstance there is that often gives her Pain, always when the reflects, that her Princess is mortal; witness, her late Distraction, when uncertain Fame variously reported her Princess's Illness.

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Illness. Not Rome was more difmayed when Hannibal was at her Gates; every Thing was Fear and Confusion, and Men began to look fufpiciously on each other, as if in every Face they had feen a Foe; the Treafury of the City, one would have thought was plundering; and yet no Enemy was near, but Britain in her Disorder was preying on herself.

Bleffed be the Power, the Almighty Power, that has difpelled thefe Fears! Let every Heart be lifted up in Praise to his holy Name, who hath given Life and Salvation to his Servant, and hath not denied the Requeft of her Lips.

And yet when she requefied Life, it was for her Country's Sake, and not her own; her Mortality is what the oftener and more willingly thinks on than we do; and whenever she does, finds nothing to disturb her Mind, but the Concern for her People, who will be left behind her: a Concern that has more than once been expreffed in the most generous Regard to Pofterity, by providing for the future Peace and Happiness of these Kingdoms, in the Settlement of the Crown on the ILLUSTRIOUS HOUSE OF HANOVER. A Bleffing, for which the Nation

can

can never be thankful enough. But it raises an Indignation unbecoming this Day, to hear fome pleading their Affection to this happy Settlement, as a Mark and Diftinction of their Party; a Settlement, which is undeniably our common Good, and, I trust also, our common Care. But let no Prospect of diftant Happiness, how entertaining foever, render us infenfible of the prefent Good we enjoy; but let every Wish that looks to the Succeffion, center in this Point, that we may never fee it; that our Country may never lose it whilft we live, may this Day return (and whilft it does return, it always will) with fresh Honour: but when we are forgot; when she, who is our Glory, is called to a better Throne, may late Pofterity enjoy the Fruits of her Care, in deriving the Crown upon fo noble a Family. As long as our Wishes are confined within these Limits, there is no Reason to make a Secret of our Affections to the Proteftant Succeffion; it is an Affection which every Lover of his Country ought frankly to proclaim; which is the proper Way of keeping this common Concern from becoming a Party Cause; and stilling those Fears and Jealoufies, which are deftructive of our Peace and Happiness.

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May he, who ftilleth the raging of the Seas, and the Noise of their Waves, and the Tumult of the People, fend us Peace and Concord, and Minds capable of enjoying the Bleffings which he has fo plentifully showered on us: and to complete our Happiness, may he add Length of Days to our Gracious Sovereign, and continue her to be a Comfort to her People, till fhe shall as far furpass the oldest of her Predeceffors, in Number of Years, as fhe has already outdone the braveft, in Honour and Glory.

DISCOURSE V.

ACTS vii. 25.

For he fuppofed his Brethren would have understood how that God by his Hand would deliver them; but they understood

not.

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HE Text is Part of the dying Speech of St. Stephen, which he delivered to the High Priest and the People, just before he was offered up a glorious Sacrifice for the Truth of the Gospel of Christ. The Design of it was to fet before the People of Ifrael the Hiftory of their Redemption from Slavery and Idolatry, and to ftir them up to attend to the prefent Offers of Peace through Chrift Jefus, by fhewing them the fatal Mistakes they had often made in defpifing or abufing former Mercies. Mofes

was

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