guished from the rest of the nations by a fpecial Providence directing them and their affairs. If you confider this as the effect of partiality, and a weak fondnefs for one fet of men more than another, you injure the attributes of God, who acts by wisdom and justice in all his dealings, and is no refpecter of perfons. The house of Abraham was called for the fake of true religion; to preserve the knowledge of the one God among themselves, to propagate it among the nations, and to prepare the way for introducing into the world, under proper circumftances, that feed, in which all the nations of the earth were to be bleffed. As they were chofen for these great purposes, fo whenever they acted contrary to them, they ceased to be the chosen people, and were treated as enemies and rebels.

We are apt enough to boast of the purity of our religion, and our reformation from the errors and corruptions of the church of Rome; and to flatter ourselves that we alfo are a peculiar people of God, and fet up by Providence to be the bulwark of the Proteftant religion. And indeed, if we judge from the many deliverances we have had, when our religion and our liberties were in utmost danger, we have great reason to acknowledge the care and protection of Heaven over us. But remember still that we too are chofen to profess and maintain the truth of God's holy Gofpel, and to bear our teftimony against the corruptions, which have prevailed over a great part of the Chriftian world. If, inftead of acting up to this part affigned us by Providence, we grow careless and indifferent to our holy profeffion, and fuffer a spirit of irreligion to prevail over the

nation, we forfeit our title to God's protection; we are no longer the chofen people, and must expect to be treated as enemies and deferters.

Our present fituation is attended with fears and uneafy apprehenfions; and if we look back and confider from whence we are fallen, we may fee but too much reason to fufpect that our fears are well grounded. How has this nation been bleffed with the light of the Gospel! How wonderfully and how often has it been rescued from danger, when to human appearance there was no help at hand ! Scarcely had the Reformation taken root among us, but a Popish Queen, made cruel by bigotry and fuperftition, ascended the throne, and applied the only ftrong argument of Popery, fire and faggot, to extinguish the light that was breaking in upon us. Not only the civil powers of this country were in the hands that meant to deftroy the Reformation, but they were supported and united to the powers of Spain, whose prince was become a partner of the throne of England; who lived to destroy (not in this country, bleffed be God, but in his own dominions) thoufands and tens of thousands on account of religion. Such were the powers under which the Reformation here, ftill in its infancy, was to ftruggle. It is painful to think of the miseries of that time; but think of them we ought, and blefs God for the noble examples of conftancy and Chriftian courage, left by those whom he raised up to bear teftimony, at the expence of their lives, to the truth of his religion. Had this reign been long and profperous, it is highly probable that Philip of Spain had left this country in the fame condition he left his own;

where the Inquifition rules with lordly and uncon-
trollable power over the confciences and over the
fortunes of the people. But God, in whofe hands
are the iffues of life and death, made way for a Pro-
teftant Princess to afcend the throne; in whofe long
and glorious reign the Reformation took deep root,
and the establishment of this national church was
perfected. A work of great wifdom and piety, and
fo efteemed by the Proteftant churches abroad,
however unhappily fome among ourselves have for-
faken her communion.

The reign of this glorious Princefs was almoft a
continual scene of deliverances from foreign inva-
fions, and difturbances at home. And notwith-
ftanding the was diftreffed on every fide, by bulls
and curfes from Rome, by armadas from Spain, by
rebellions in England and Ireland, the left this
church and nation in peace and fecurity: fo won-
derfully did the hand of God appear in our
prefer

vation.

Peace and fecurity under a weak government
which fucceeded, produced by degrees a corruption
in principles and manners, which ended at laft in
the ruin of this church and nation, and the destruc-
tion of a virtuous Prince, worthy of a far better fate.
With him fell all our hopes of order and govern-
ment in church and ftate; anarchy and confufion
ufurped the throne; and religion was fo divided into
an almost infinite mumber of difagreeing fects, that
the true one could hardly be found in the crowd.

But whilft we are under this thick cloud, He,
who can bring light out of darkness, did, against all
the hopes of human probability, restore us to our

happy conftitution in church and state; not by force of arms, or the power of princes, but by overruling the paffions of men; fo that even they became inftruments in reftoring these bleffings, who had been greatly concerned in deftroying them.

It will be wronging the nation to say, that this deliverance at the Reftoration was not received with great joy and pleasure. The joy indeed was exceffive; and, as the cafe too often happens, left little room for fober and ferious reflections. The hearts of men being fet open to the impreffions and tranfports of joy, foon grew fenfual; and the profperity of the nation broke out into luxury, and into all the vices which naturally attend it. The fenfes of religion decayed; and the very appearances of it were suspected, as a remnant of the hypocrify with which the late times had been charged. And if we may judge by the performances of the stage, which are formed to the tafte of the people, there never was a time when lewdnefs, irreligion, and profaneness were heard with more patience.

But let us confider, what fruit the nation had of thefe things. I fhall pass over all the calamities of that time, which were many, and mention only that, which is the cause and foundation of all we fear at present. In the next reign then, see Popery once more exalted to the throne of England, and work. ing to deftroy the religion and liberties of the people; not by art and cunning, and leifurely steps, but by open and avowed attempts upon our conftitution. The laws for defence of our religion were filenced by a dispensing power; Papifts were placed on the bench, on the feat of judgment, and at the head of

colleges in our univerfities. Men's hearts funk for fear, and the torrent seemed to carry all before it. One happy effect indeed it had; it awakened men to a fober sense of themselves and their condition. When they were put in fear, they foon found themselves to be but men; and they did the only reasonable thing they could do, apply to God for protection. The zeal of the nation at that time, for the pure uncorrupted doctrines of the Gospel, in oppofition to the errors of Popery, was perhaps greater than ever it had been from the days of the Reformation. The paftors and their flocks were equally animated with a conftancy and a courage above temptation. And the clergy of the established church, under all the fears and apprehenfions that daily threatened them, maintained the doctrines of the Reformation, with fuch learning, ability, and integrity, as did them honour both at home and abroad.

Thus were the hearts of the people turned as the heart of one man: nor was it in vain they fought the Lord; for, by a wonderful series of providence, he delivered them from their distress. And we have feen for many years the crown upon the head of Proteftant Princes, the natural guardians of the religion and liberties of this country.

If we have made right use of this laft deliverance, let us fear no change; for God will not forfake us, till we forfake him. But the profpect before us, the danger that draws near to us, call upon us to act uprightly with ourfelves; and not to deceive our hearts with hopes that God will remember us,