220 the Duty and lieafònfir Praying for Governourx. Vol. 1. great opportunities of doing more good than others, fo they have greater Reafon , and more Advantages doing of it , and are more inexcufable if they do any thing that is bad ; not only becaufe their Minns are of a more publick influence and obfervation; but becaufe their Temptations to Evil, how great foever they may feem to be, are in truth and reality inucli lefs than other Mens. Happy are thofe Princes , that wifely confider this and make their Power and. Authority over others, an Argument to be fo much better themfelves, and to do fo much more good to others ; and becaufe they are lefs fubje& to the coercive Power of Law, do for that Reafon think them- felves fo much the more obliged to be a Law to themfelves. Bleffed be God for the Happinefs which we enjoy in this refpe& ; and let us earneftly liefeech him that he would be pleafed to beftow fuch a plentiful meafure of his Grace and Holy Spirit on our moft Gracious King andQueen, as may Effe&ually both engage and enable them to ufe their Power to the beft purpofes for the Publickgoad. And thus I have briefly gone over, and explained to you the feveral Particulars in the Text ; the duty' of Prayer here enjoyned ; for whom we are to pray, in ge- neral for all Men ; and for whom more efpecially, and in the firfl place ; for Kings, and all that are in authority ; and upon what Confiderations we are to prayfor them, and to praife God in their behalf; becaufe of the great Benefits we receiveby them ; and becaufe both in refpeft of the Dangers and Difficulties of their Condition, they Rand in need of our Prayers above other Men ; befides that in praying for their Welfare and Profperity, we pray for our own Peace and Hap- pinefs. And now to apply this to our felves, and to the Occafion of this Day. By all that bath been faid, we cannot but be convinced what Caufe we have to biefs God for that happy Government which we live under, that excellent Conflitution, under the gentle Influences whereof we enjoy more Liberty, more Plenty, and more Security from all manner of Injury and Oppreflìon, than any Nation this Day on the Face of the Earth. Therefore with what Thankfulnefs thould we this Day commemorate the happy Reftaurationof this Government to us, after the miferable Diftra&ions and Confutions of Twenty Years, by the Reflauration and Return of our banifht Sovereign, in .fo peaceable, and yet fo wonderful a Manner, that a Remembrance of it, even at this Diflance, is almoft f1ì11 Matter of Amaze- ment to us I Bleffedbe the Lord Godof Ifrael, who alone doth wondrous Things. And with our joyful Praifes, let us joyn our molt devout and fervent Prayers to Almighty God, for the King's andQueen's Majeflies, and for all that are in Authority. And I may truly fay, that there was hardly ever greater Reafon and Occafion for it, from both our Dif'ra&ions at Horne, and our Dangers from a- broad; never was there greater Need of our earneft Supplications and Prayers, than at this Time, when our Armies and Fleets are in Motion, and when God feems already to have given us force earneft of Good Succefs ; bleffed be his great and glorious Name. We have indeed a great Army, and a more powerful Fleet, than ever this Nati- on fent forth ; but unlefs God be on our Side, and favour our Caufe, in vain are all our Preparations; for whenever his Providence is pleafed to interpofe, byflrength flail no Manprevail. Have we not Reafon then to cry mightily unto God, when the only Strength of the Nation is at Stake, when our Sins and Provocations are fo many and great, and there lies fo heavy a load of Guilt upon us ? When the perfonof his Sacred Majefly is expofed to fo much Hazard, not only in the high Places of the Field, but from the re/llefs Attempts of the malicious and implaca- ble Enemies of our Peace and Religion, that he would be graciozfy pleafed to go forth with our Armies andFleets, and not remember our Iniquities againfl us, but fave us for his Merciesfake,? We are too apt to murmur and complain of Mifcarriages, and the ill manage- ment of Affairs.; but furely the bell thing we can do, and that which . belt be- cornes us, is to'look forward, and to turn our Cenfures for our Governours and their Allions, into humble Supplications to God in their behalf, and in behalf of. the
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