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SERM. Proteftant Nation, in the Hands of a Popish
XII. Prince who at length took Poffeffion of the
Throne, to which He was thus called.

Nor had he enjoyed the Power long, before He obliged His Friends with frequent Trials of the Sincerity of their Profeffions. For, as it appears, He had fo much better an Opinion of their Integrity, than his Predeceffor had, that He really thought them in earneft; and refolved to hazard all, with a Dependence upon the Honefty of their Solemn Promises of Unbounded Submiffion. This, indeed, proved fatal to Himfelf in the Event: But, in all human Appearance, was much more likely to have prov

ed fatal to the whole Nation.

If We ftop a little here, and confider this Unhappy Prince, poffeffed of all the Power our Laws could veft in Him, and flattered with a Power above all Laws; and armed, in all human Appearance, with a fufficient Force to put his Refolutions in Execution; We may afk any Proteftant in the Nation, if He will but put himself into that Pofture of Mind, in which every one felt himself at that Season, What was then become of the Blessing of this Day? And, what would it now have availed Us, that our Forefathers faw their Legal Confitution reftored to them, and rejoiced to fee it; if the very Refloration of it had proved, in

the

the Iffue, the Ruine and Deftruction of all the S ER M. Legal Rights of their Pofterity.

it

But the Grand Defign of Providence extend

ed much farther. There is a Principal Part of yet behind: And this was, to make it a lafting Bleffing. And the Way was laid for this, in a Method, if you confider it in itself, the most easy and natural; as Providence always loves to work by human Means: if you confider it in that great Variety and Viciffitude of Circumftances attending it, the most inftructive and useful to a Nation: And if you confider it with regard to the many Probabilities that feemed to weigh against the Succefs of it, little less than miraculous. When it was fixed by Providence to bring about the Restoration of the Royal Family, and the Legal Constitution of this Kingdom; and to continue it a Blessing to the Generations to come; it was neceffary, in order to this, to make fuch a Difpofition of Affairs, as might be fuitable, and adapted, to the Accomplishment of it. But firft, the Nation was to feel many and various Trials; many Viciffitudes of Hope, and Fear; many Conflicts between the Attempts of Popery, and Slavery, on the one hand, and the Strugglings of true Religion and Liberty, on the other; before fo great a Work could be concluded. And then, at length, the Embarraffments of Hu

man

XII.

SER M. man Madness were to be disentangled, and all the Plots and Efforts of Cunning and Power,

XII.

united, in order to intail a Curfe upon all Pofterity, where God defigned a Bleffing, were to be diffipated, and scattered into Air.

With a View to this, a Prince was born Some Years before the Restoration, that He might be ripe, both in Age, and Abilities, for the performing the great Defign, just when those Attempts fhould be ripening into Execution: And was afterwards, by a kind Difpofition of Providence, to make the Way the eafier, married into the Same Royal Family, from which He defcended. And accordingly, when the Scene of Ruine was opened fo plainly, that no Eye was then too blind to fee it, He appeared in all the Maturity of Wisdom, and Vigor of Action: A Prince, inured to Labours and Hardfhips from his Birth; prepared for the great Work, by his perfonal Accomplishments; directed to it, by his Defcent, and his Marriage; and qualified for it by his Intereft and Authority Without, as well as by an Uncommon Greatnefs of Soul Within. Such a peculiar Conjunction of every thing defirable in the Perfon to Undertake a Work, hazardous enough, one would imagine, to deter the Greatest Minds from thinking of it; and Such a Disposition of the various Interefts of the States and Kingdoms

of

of Europe, as both required and supported the SER M. Undertaking; muft appear very furprizing, in XII. fo critical a Moment of Time: When, if we fpeak within the compafs of Human Views, nothing but fo unparalleled a Combination of Circumftances could have afforded even the least hopes of Success.

The Event of this was happy beyond Expreffion: And the Madness of Popery and Arbitrary Rule, was stopped in the Vigour and Warmth of all its Power, and Hopes. But even yet, Something farther was wanting; and That was, to fix the Succeffion to the Crown, in fuch a Manner, as the Experience of Feeling, and Common Senfe in Judging, of neceffity directed the Nation to do. This Day must have been marked with fomething very different from a Bleffing, if the Revolution had stopped where it began; and, after a little present Refpite, had delivered the Nation back again, into Popish Hands. And where indeed should We now fearch for the Blessing of the Reftoration; if We did not fee it, and feel it, in the Bleffing of the Proteftant Succeffion?

This was the Great View of Heaven, in its firft Defign. And, therefore, We fee with Pleafure, that when it was refolved by Providence to make this Day memorable, by the Reftoration of the Royal Family, and our Legal Conftitu

SER M. tion, it was refolved by the fame good ProviXII. dence, that, in the very fame Year, upon the

very Day before this Great Work was to be accomplished, a Prince should be born, in Whom that Restoration, should in due Time centre, and to whom alone it should be reserved to compleat the Bleffing for Us, and to tranfmit it down fecure, to our Pofterity, in his own Illuftrious Houfe.

This, I fay, is the whole Scene of Providence which this Day opened; and which, taken in one View, can alone be said to make it a Bles fing to Us, or to our Children after Us. If you view the Restoration, without the Revolution, and the Proteftant Succeffion; it leads you directly to a Popish Prince, holding an Arbitrary Hand over all your Liberties: tearing up the Fences of all your Laws; fixing all Right in his own Will and Power; and perfecuting all his Subjects into the Exercife of his own, Superftitious, Idolatrous, and Cruel Religion. And this is the whole of the Blessing, in which you would fee it end at laft. A Bleffing, which may be a fit Reward for the Slavish Bigotry of Papifts! But for Proteftants - fit only for Thofe of them who deserve it. And They deferve it, who chufe it; whom no Experience, no Confideration, no Miracles of Providence,