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enjoying our Freedom, we fhould perish in our Licentiousness; for Liberty does not confift in being free from all Restraints; if it did, the wild Inhabitants on the Coaft of Africa might more justly boaft of their Liberty, than we do. Civil Liberty is the Child of the Law, and thrives best under the Guardianship of its Parent; and therefore a juft Prince, as he will most regard the Law, will always be the best Patron of his People's Liberty; fuch a Prince has no feparate Intereft from his Country; he looks upon himself as the Head of the Body; and if any Member grieves, he suffers with it he can never caft an envious Eye upon the Privileges of his People, which he esteems as his own, and values even as the Jewels of his Crown. How happy are the People who are in fuch a Cafe; how bleffed is the Nation whofe Prince feareth God!

For, further, the very Example of such a Ruler has a natural Tendency to promote the Peace and Welfare of the Kingdom. When Virtue fhines from the Throne, it warms the Hearts of all below it, and the Advantage of the Station gives it an Influence not to be refifted; Religion in the Height of Greatness is an amiable Sight,

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and the People will infenfibly learn to imitate what they cannot help admiring. Would it not teach the haughtiest Mind Humility, to see Majefty itself lie proftrate at the Altar, imploring the Divine Affistance with such a Senfe of its Dependence, as is but rarely found in the loweft Fortune? Muft it not fhame us into mutual Kindness and Benevolence, when we fee with how uncommon a Love the Princefs embraces all her Subjects, even the worst deserving; imitating the Example of Divine Mercy, which makes the Sun to rife both on the Fuft and on the Unjust? Can the People refuse Submiffion to fuch a Prince? Can they fcruple to follow the Law as the Rule of their Obedience, which they fee their Princefs fubmitting to as the Rule of her Government.

Laftly, There is one Thing more, which comprehends in it all that a Nation can wish for, and which always attends the Government of a juft Prince; I mean the Bleffing and Protection of Heaven. As Kings are the immediate Ministers of God, so are they his immediate Care; he ruleth both their Hearts and their Hands, and turneth them as feemeth best to his Wisdom. It is eafy for him to punish the Wickedness of a Prince H

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and his People, by making foolish the Wifdom of their wife Men, and only suffering them to choose their own Deftruction; it is as easy to reward the Good, by establishing the Heart of the Prince in Council and in Wisdom, and guiding him infenfibly into the Road of Honour and Profperity. Time would fail me to set before you the Instances of God's Judgments and Mercies. Thofe of the former Sort (bleffed be his Name) have no Relation to this Day; and for the latter, you might juftly blame me, should I fearch for foreign or for diftant Examples, when our own Country and our own Times furnish us with such ample Materials: This Day, as it is my Subject, fo fhall it be my Witness alfo; and I need call no other to prove the Happiness of a People, whofe Prince ruleth in the Fear of God.

The Virtues of the Royal Blood of Britain were never more amiably poffeffed than now, when the Majefty of the Crown is displayed in the Softness of her Sex who wears it, and feems rather to invite than to command Obedience: fo equally are the Graces mixed, that her Authority creates no Terror, her Mildnefs no Contempt; fo tender is the of the Privileges of her People,

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that the Nation muft ever praise her; fo just to the Rights of the Crown, that her Succeffors will never blame her. Her Reign in every Respect has been so just a Transcript of the Constitution, that Time perhaps may make it doubtful, whether our excellent Conftitution were not a Copy drawn from the Example of her Government.

If the State may thus rejoice in the Care of her Princess, the Church has equal Right to boast of her Protection. Our Queen was born within her Pale, and learnt betimes to know and love her: when the Fears of Popery furrounded her, and when every Prospect, wherever the turned her Eyes, was dark and gloomy; when fome who wore her Honours, forfook her Caufe, and fome filently lamented her Condition; in that Day of her Diftrefs, our Princefs mifliked her not, but followed the worst of her Fortunes, till the Wisdom of Providence has raised her at last to become the Author of her best, to be a nurfing Mother to the Church and all her Children.

Whilft Britain has been thus cherished, thus happy at Home, under the Influence of a mild Government, fhe has not been lefs glorious abroad, extending her victorious

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Arms to every Country, either to protect her Friends, or to fubdue her Foes. We had been fo long unaccustomed to Success, that it was thought a Conqueft not to be fubdued; a Triumph, to defend ourselves: the British Victory feemed to pine for her ancient Heroes, her Harrys, and her Edwards, and scarcely lived upon the faded Honours of Crefy Field and Agincourt, till the Genius of this Day arofe, and taught her once more to gather fresh Laurels in diftant Countries. To fuch a Height of Glory has this Female Reign arrived, fuch Honour and fuch Triumphs has it brought our Nation, that should any future King prove unfortunate, Britain perhaps, grown fuperftitious upon the Succeffes of her Queen, will wifh, He had been a Woman.

But great as thefe Succeffes were, yet ftill they brought a Grief with them, which eafily found its Way to a compaffionate Heart: the Queen could not hear of Victory without lamenting the Lofs of her brave Countrymen, without pitying even her conquered Foes; and fo tender a Regard has the for Mankind, that notwithstanding all these Honours of the Field, she reckons it the Glory of her Reign, that she has stopped

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