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A
SERMON,
&c.
THE
solemn
and important occurrences
of
the Iast week
callus
to
a
serious
notice
of
the
hand
of
God
in
them
s
The
death of our late
gracious
sovereign, and
the
happy
accession
of
his
present
majesty, have
diverted
my thoughts from the
subject
which
I
lately proposed,
and
have
determined
me
to
entertain
you this day with
the words
of
the
holy
prophet.
ssnraff
V.
i
?.
And
the harp and the
viol,
the
tabret
and pipe, and
wine
are in
their
feasts
:
but they
regard
not the work
of
the
Lord, neither
consider the operation
of his
hands.
IN
the reigns
of
several
of
our
former
princes,
we
had
a
just
and melancholy apprehension
of
popish
darkness
and
tyranny breaking
in
upon
us
at
their death. The peace-
ful
and
regular
succession
of
a
protestant
heir to
his
Father's throne,
is
such a blessing
as
bath not been
known
in
Great
Britain for
a
hundred
years
past
*
:
It
might
well be
expected then
that it
should
be
received
with
universal
joy
and gladness
of heart. The
occasion
for
it
is
proper
and
glorious
:
Nor
will
I
censure
the
moderate
use
of a
feast,
and
a
song,
and
instruments
of
music,
to
express
this inward
and
becoming
joy
:
Nor
doth the
prophet
in
my
text
forbid
them
as
unlawful
things
;
but
he gives
it
as
the
character of
the
profane
part of
mankind,
that
upon
all
occasions they
give
up
themselves
to
sensual
merriment,
with
an
utter
neglect
of
the
providence
of
God.
In
such events as
we
behold
this day,
the
man
of
wis-
dom
and
piety looks all
around
him
:
He
takes
a religi-
*
The
last instance
of
this kind
was
when Charles
the
First succeeded
his
father James
the First,
in
the
year
16Q5,
and indeed this
was
the only
one,
except
when
Edward the Sixth came
to
the
crown in
the
room
of
Henry the Eighth,
his
father.