172' DEATH OF GEORGE I. tentates of the world. Yet behold he is subject to mortality and the common stroke' of death ; Ps. lxxxii. 6, 7. " I have said ye are Gods," because the power of magistrates bears some re- semblance to that of the God of heaven : Therefore they are cal- led " the children of the Most High ; but they must die like other men. It is thehand of the Lord bath wrought this, in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind ;" Job xii. 9, 10. The lesson that wederive from this view of things is, to "tato heed lestwe depend too much on the lifeof the best of princes." Though we derive many blessings through their influence, yet we must remember they are not immortal. Let God alone be the solid and everlasting rest and refuge of our souls, whose life is eternity, whose kingdom reigns over all, and his dominion is for ever and ever ;. Ps. cxlvi. 3, 4, 5. " Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in' whom there is no help; bis breathgoeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish," and all our dependencies are vain,and frus- trate. " Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lordhis God, who made heaven and earth, and sea, and keepeth the truth for ever ;" verse 6. Is. ii. 22. " Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of God alone is our immor- tal hope. 2.. We may remark in this event, the sudden death of this great man in a journey to his native land. Ile set out from his palace in Great - Britain in a state of health and vigour, with a firm constitution, and strength above theproportion of his years : But ere he arrived at the place which he designed; he was smit- ten with a mortal faintness; and hurried away from the earth in an unexpected hour : He was arrested in his journey by a fatal messenger from the King of kings, a messenger whose name is Death, and whose commission admits of no delay : amessenger who layshis cold hand on princes, and bears them away resistless through the midst of their guards, to their long home, and the unseen world. Vain was the skill of physicians in that mourn- ful hour ; the zeal and fondnessof a brother's love was in vain. He arrived at the palace of Osnaburg, the habitation of his dearest brother, and only gave him the sad opportunity to see a dying monarch, and take his last long leave of so near and so desirable a relative. What lesson shall we learn now from the suddenness of this great event but to " awaken our own souls to a constant readi- ness for a removal." Be ye always ready, says our Lord, forye know not when ye shall be called, whether at even or at midnight, or when the cock crows in themorning; Mark xiii. 35. Whether
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