A Sermon upon tbe Death of the Qpeen. lar Difcretion is requiflte in managing fuch Subjects: Flaunting Lanouage and ) 1ioh founding Words the. more ' Poetical , are lefs Perfwafive, for they feem to procecl from a vam OO:entatwn of Eloquence. The dlfcovery of the Paint of Art in a Funeral Sermon defeats the End of it, for it leffens the Credit of the Speaker, and tl1e EO:eem of the Perfon fp.oken of. ~he fufpicion that more is f.1id than is true, induces a Thought that there IS lefs Pra~fe-wortby than there is. But when the excellent Goodnefs of a Perfon in a uniform Tenor of Life was illuO:rionOy vifible, the naked Na~rauve of her Acti?ns will be a more effectual Amplification of her Worth aud Pratfe, than the moO: lively and graceful Colours of Language can impart. Before I proceed, 'tis neceffary to confider two Acts of Divine Providerrce concerning the Queen, that are eminently obfervable, and were principal Ingredients in our miraculous Deliverance. Tl1e firO: is, That She was not early engaged in the Belief and Practice of Popery a Religion fo contrary to Reafon and Divine Revelation. Children before they come to the free Exercife of Reafon, are very Receptive of the fir([ lmpreffions : efpecially the I~O:ruction of Parents enter with Authority and Efficacy into theMinds, and more efpecmlly 1f they partake from them as the fecondary Authors, not only Life, but high Honour and Riches. There is the cleareO: Evidence of this, for in all Nations Children receive their Religion from the Quality of their Parents. Now 'tis truly wonderful, that the Queen's Father bein~ fo amorous of his Religion, did ~~~~fcee t~; i~~af~~ ~!~~f~!i~f,~\~~~!':;: ~~f~h~t thecP~\~O::i,~~~~1~[~ci:d~t~gi~1~~~~ Court, who being deeply O:ruck with SuperO:ition, are watchful to take all Advan· tages to propagate it. If fhe had been tainted with it, how unhappy had 'it been to her felf, how pernicious to others? If the Light that if in thee be Darkmfs, how great ~t:!•t rf.;;;:tr ? ~~1fe~ryJ~n~~~~~ib~e~h~r~;g~:dn,;h~arod £~~~~~~; ~~~o~~~~o~ hard to have reprefented Truth convincingly to her ? The Wool that has imbibed a dark Tincture, can uever receive a lighter Colour, The change of Inclinations that are deeply fet in the Will is very hard, and the change of Opinions concerning Religion that have firO: poffeffed the Mind, is equally if n?t more difficult. How pernicious lmd it been to others? For the corrupting the Mmd of a Royal Perfon with a falfe Religion, is like poifoning a publick Fountain, that conveys Infection abroad. How admirable was the preventing Mercy of God, that as foon as fhe was capable, fhe was inO:ructed in the knowledge of the favin~ Truth; and that her Mind: and Heart were (o firm and fixed in it, that fhe was nelther feduced nor terrified from it. This preventing Grace was an illuO:rious Mark of her EleCtion. 2. The Difpofal of her in Marriage to a Pri.dce of the Reformed Religion, raifed by God to oppofe the proud Afpirer, and che~k the current of his Fury, who ufurps the Glory of Heaven, and breaks the Peace ofthe Earth; who arrogates a Soveraign· ~~f~~~u~0~~bi~~~ hna~ ~~~~~T~~~=p~ ~~~~ ~a~~~~~bf!'d~b~~~f~~.?,;~ut~:u;"s~~~~ nity and Tranquility, the flourifhing of Peace and Truth, are from the benevolent ' Afpect and favourable Influence of thefe two bright Stars in Conjunction. of 1 :a~~r~n iC::~~fn~~t\~isd~nf~~~ffn~~~:rnfr~~t ~~l~~~n ~:tg~~~~~s ~a~1'~~;~f~ but this is only an external CircumO:ance, and derives no Moral Value to a Perfon. The Splendor of Extraction, like Varnifh in a Picture that gives more Life and LuO:re ·to the Colours, makes the Virtues or the Vices of a Perfon more confpicuous. Her Body was the beautiful Temple of a fairer Soul : Her graceful Prefenc_e infpi· red Reverence and Love in thole who faw her, and appeared worthy ofEmptrc. But vifible Beauty is often join'd with foul Deformity in the fame Perfon. I !hall begin with her Piety towards God. This is the fir([ Duty of Man in .order and Dignity, ana the moO: confiderable in its Confequences: 'tis the Foundatton of all. Royal Virtues. In the Publick Worfhip of God, fne was a bright Example of folemn and unaffected Devotion. She prayed with humble Reverence, heard the Word with refpectful Silence, and with ferious Application of Spirit, as duly confi· dering the infinite Interval between the Supremacy of Heaven and Princes on Earth: ~~)!~~.eirg~:~~nn;~~~ ;'~~vN;e~itruina~~isn~~nlvw;~~n1,~e~~~~~~~: :~:s~:":;;~ Hag11c, a Lady of Noble Quality coming to the Court to wait on her on a Saturday Jll
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