OF PUBLIC EVENTS. 5.79 hope it will soon become universal. May the God of heaven fulfil our hopes !, 6. It is a very remarkable part of ourjoy, that weare also blessed with a queen of an excellent character, and a spirit of uncommon goodness. - One who bath been trained up not only to practise religion, but to under- stand it too. One who bath not wasted her life in the gaieties and softnesses of a court, but hath pursued solid knowledge in the things of nature, and the affairs of 'morality One who bath learned the rules of virtue suf- ficient to teach them as a science, but who teaches them with more honour and success by her own daily prac- tice ; and is: not diverted by the splendid temptations of a palace from the richer improvements of the mind. Blessed be God for a British queen who bath shewn such a sincere zeal and love to the protestant religion, as to refuse the imperial crown of Germany, lest she should be entangled or defiled with popish superstition; and who takes a peculiar pleasure to train up her royal offspring in all the paths of virtue and piety. May divine mercy succeed her care ! She is a princess whom we hope the providence of God hath raised up to the royal dignity, that she may become a more powerful and extensive pattern of every virtue and every grace, and may help tocorrect the man- ners of the nation, and the degenerate customs of the times by her illustrious example. 7. Among the blessings of this day we must not forget the numerous race of young princes which, we trust, are born to secure and perpetuate our happiness. Children in a more general sense are the blessing of the Lord ; but a numerous progeny in a royal house, who shall be all trained up in the protestant faith, are a peculiar fa- vour of Heaven to Great Britain. What a happy pros- pect is it, that our late sovereign left such a large poste- rity behind him.! Had his life been single, or like that of king William, not blessed with royal issue, how, dreadful would our present case have been ? In what dangers and contests had he left the succession to his throne ? And our nation might have felt the fatal effects of it, groaning under popish darkness, and wallowing in blood. Who can review such a multitude of mercies as these Ore, but must have his heart filled with joy and. thankful- 2,
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