1 16 A Thanksgiving Sermon. has fhewn for his People upon this extraordinary Occafion, muft increafe the Number of his real and fincere Friends, and fix him and the Royal Family more firmly in the Hearts and Affections of all true Protellants.... And as the wicked, barbarous and ty rannical Spirit of Popery hath been fo well and justly expofed from the Pulpit and Prefs, and fhewed itself in fo many Inftances of Rapine and Cruelty, to the Ruin of many and the Terror of more, it may reasonably be hoped, that a Religion which transforms. Men into Monsters will be had in the utmost abhorrence, and that if Attempts fhould be made at any time hereafter to obtrude it upon us, we fhall oppofe it with the warmest Zeal, as it is a Religion fo contray to the glorious Gofpel of Chrift, and fo deftructive of Souls, as well as of the happy Government under which we live, and of the Liberty, Peace, and Felicity of Mankind. A Thus a wife God who brings Good out of Evil can, and we hope will, make our late Troubles and Fears fubfervient to our very great Advantage upon many Accounts; and by what you have heard, I am fure you will conclude, that our Deliverance from them is a Mercy to be highly effecmed and religiously improved. I A Thanksgiving Sermon. 17 I proceed now to the laft Thing propofed, which is, to point out the Improvement that ought to be made of the Deliverance which I have been briefly representing to you. 1. And the first thing I have to mention is, that we should have our Eyes and Thoughts raised towards the God of our Salvation. He is frequently mentioned in Scripture under that Character; fo Plal. lxviii. 19, 20. and in other Places. Give us, faith holy David, Help from Trouble, for vain is the Help of Man.-Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our Enemies. Many more Texts might be cited, which are expreffive of the fame Sentiments. So that whatsoever Infruments God may make ufe of in the Deliverances which he is pleased to work out for his People, it is fit that we should look to him as the great Author of them, and fuch as are under the Influence of religious Principles will do fo. Therefore though it becomes us to do Justice to the glorious Character and extraordinary Merit of the Illustrious Duke, whofe Services to his Royal Father, his Country, and the Proteftant Intereft, will gain him an 'immortal Reputation; and though the Bravery of the Army under his Command ought not to be mentioned but with high Applaufe; yet it fhould never be forgotten, C that A I 18 A Thanksgiving Sermon. that we are indebted to a gracious Providence for Victory and Deliverance; and we should say with David 1 Chron. xxix. 11. Thine, O Lord, is the Greatness, and the Power, and the Glory, and the Victory, and the Majefty: For all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine; thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as Head above all. 2. The great Goodness of God to us, fhould be acknowledged with Hearts full of Thankfulness. In the Beginning of my Discourse, this was taken notice of, and therefore I fhall fay the lefs about it here. Let the Language of the devout Pfalmist in the xviii. Pfalm inftruct us in, and excite us to the Duty which I am now recommending. The Lord liveth, and bleffed be my Rock; and let the God of my Salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me and fubdueth the People under me.He delivereth me from mine Enemies, yea, thou lifteft me up above thofe that rife up against me, thou hast delivered me from the violent Man.-Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Heathen, and fing Praifes unto thy Name. Such as are of an ingenuous Temper, and have any Senfe of Gratitude, will be thankful for great Benefits received; and when A Thanksgiving Sermon. 19 when we confider how seasonably and re- 3. The Defeat of our Enemies and our Deliverance from them, fhould be confidered as Matter of Joy as well as of Thankfulness. It ought indeed to excite Compaffion in us to think how many have been Sufferers by our late Troubles; and the Wickedness of those that were engaged in the late Rebellion, with the fad Confequences of their aggravated Guilt to themfelves, fhould move Pity, and the Religion of Jefus not only allows but recommends fuch a Temper; it fhould, however, give us much Pleasure that God has, in his great Mercy, difappointed them in their wicked Purposes, broken their destructive Measures, kept us from falling into fuch cruel Hands, and favoured and defended C 2 Our f 20 A Thanksgiving Sermon. our righteous Caufe, and we ought to rejoice in his Salvation, and in the Victory that he has given us. Jehoshaphat and his People, we are told, went to Jeru Salem with Joy: For the Lord had made them to rejoice over their Enemies, 2 Chron. xx. 27. And a holy and religious Joy upon fuch an Occafion as this is, undoubtedly well becomes us. 4. The Experience we have had of the Mercy and Kindness of God to us, fhould engage us to pray carneftly for the Continuance of his gracious and powerful Protection. We ought to look upon the Deliverance which we are praising him for, as an Answer to the many fervent Petitions and Interceffions that were offered up when we were in Distress '; and as we reap the happy Fruits of our Applications to the Throne of Grace, this fhould excite us, to continue them; and if we have a true Senfe of our Duty, and a fincere Regard to our own, and to the publick Welfare and Safety, we shall do fo. Certain it is that the Favour of God is our only fure Defence, and nothing else can be depended upon: And how can we expect fo great a Bleffing if we do not think it worth asking? Let us therefore remember what God has already done for us, and take Encouragement from the Kindness of his Providence to |