mixed with the Public; Whether We tafte of SER M. its Beneficence, any otherwife, than as Mem- XI. bers of the Whole; or not: let us always remember that it is our Duty, not to measure our Obligations to Thankfulness, by any private Confiderations, diftinct from the Common Good; but to rejoice, with as much Sincerity and Zeal, for the inestimable Bleffing of Public Security, in which All partake, as God, and Justice, and Reason, require, from a People, the most happy in the whole World, if They would but know their own Happiness! Which, God grant They may, before it be bid from their Eyes! SERM. XII. The Restoration made a Bleffing to Us, by the SERMON XII. Preached before the KING, at the Royal Chapel at St. James's, May 29, 1716, being the Anniversary of the RESTORATION. PSALM CXxvi. 3. The Lord hath done great Things for Us ; whereof we are glad. I N all great Revolutions of States and Kingdoms, which We are called upon to commemorate in a Publick Manner, We must confider what Concern we ourselves have in the lafting Effects or Confequences of them; and what ought to be the real Ground of our Joy upon fuch Occafions. If we feel no kindly. Influences from them upon our own Affairs; it will be impoffible to warm ourselves into any Difpofition of Mind that can be called Thankfulness: Which must always be founded upon Something, XI1. Something, in which We ourselves have a Part. SER M. They will be only like other Hiftorical Matters of Fact; Something to amufe and entertain Us; ferving to please our Curiofity, but not to raise our Gratitude. And if We feel the Sentiments of Joy and Thankfulness, rising in our Breafts, from fuch Principles and Motives, as no true Chriftian, Proteftant, or Briton, ought to entertain: Our Joy then becomes the Same with the Joy of our Worft Enemies; and the Expreffions of it no better than the Tokens, either of our Blindness, or of our Corruption. In this Nation particularly, it is certain, that, in all Affairs which concern our Conftitution, either in Church or State, nothing can be moré abfurd, than for the Friends of both, and the Enemies of both, to have the Same Movements and Paffions upon the Same Occafions. It is impoffible for a Proteftant, if He knows what. that Word means, to raise his Joy upon the fame Foundation with a Papift. It is impoffible for a Lover of his Religion, and his Country, to rejoyce with Those who firmly believe it to be their Duty to rejoyce in nothing more, than in the Ruine of both. As our Joy, therefore, could not poffibly discover itself upon this Day, if the Providence of God had done great Things, not for Us, but for our Forefathers alone; and had permitted Them XII. SER M. to stop the Bleffing from defcending, or to convey down a Curfe inftead of it: And as Our Joy cannot, in the Nature of Things, be the Joy of our Enemies; because it must be raised upon Something of Our own Happiness, which They have hitherto always made inconfiftent with Theirs: Let Us now proceed upon this Foundation, and confider, The Great Things God hath done for Us, in that whole Scene of Providence, which this Day opened. This will naturally fix our Minds, in a more particular Manner upon the Blefings, in which We are immediately concerned. And this will unavoidably lead Us to fome Thoughts, of Importance to the prefent and future Intereft of the Nation. Now the whole Scene of Providence, which This Day opened, and which, taken in one View, can alone be faid to make this Day a Bleffing to Us, is indeed a Scene full of a long Train of Incidents, and a vaft Variety of Cir cumftances, enough to make both Prince and People, in this Nation, for ever Wife and Happy. The firft Part of it, is a King restored to his Kingdom; with his Brother in view to Succeed Him: but this, not till, on one hand, He had S ER M. seen, both by Example, and Experience, how XII. terrible in its Effects, the popular Dread of Arbitrary Power could fhew itself, when ever it was set on fire; and not till, on the other hand, his People had fufficiently felt, how great an Evil the Want of their Legal Government was. C One would think here was a plain Middle Way of Wisdom and Happiness, pointed out even by Sense it self. But there was another, and a very different Turn given to this Affair, by the indefatigable Workings, and Artifices, of our Enemies. An univerfal Madness of Loyalty (falfly fo called,) as well as of Manners, prefently took place: And the People came preffing in Throngs, befeeching to be accounted Slaves, rather than Subjects; and begging, in Words, for Opportunities of unlimited Submiffion, as if they were begging for Acts of Grace and Favour. The View in Thofe, who then had the Direction of their Paffions, was to keep that Spirit up to a Pitch, till a Popish Heir was fecure of the Throne. Nor could all the Knowledge of the Nature and Principles of Popery; nor the avowed Contradiction of it to the Religion and Liberties of their Country, engage the Hearts of many; or divert them from the Refolution of trufting the whole Concerns of a Proteftant |