176 DEATH OF 6E01= 1. are mingled with this awful dispensation, that we May raise ou souls to a delightful and grateful sense of- them." I. That a princerof so many excellent qualificationsreigned so long over us, and that we enjoyed the blessing of his wise and peaceful government for such a number of years. And here it becomes us on this occasion to call to mind the former years of our distress and clanger, and the surprising pleasure of our first deliverance. Blessed be the name of our God that he raised up such a successor to the British throne, such a defender of the faith ; such a glorious deliverer of the nation from the imminent perils under which we lay, whereinproperty and religion, "liberty . and life, were all exposed. Blessed be the hand ofour God that interposed in so signal a season, and confounded all the devices of our enemies ; he blasted their presumptuous hopes at once, and overwhelmed them with a huge and fatal disappointment : The snare was broken and we escaped ; Ps. cxxiv. 7. The pro- testant succession obtained, and King GEORGE was raised to his appointed throne, and all that is dear to us was rescued from the hands of popish tyranny, which was ready to in- vade us. Let us recollect with pleasure the mercy of our Lord, who inspired his predecessor KingWilliam, ofglorious memory, to lay the foundation of the protestant succession to the crown of these kingdoms. Then he prepared a healing balm for the wound 'which he received at the deathof our late sovereign, and madea happyprovision against a thousand distant dangers. Let us give glory to our God, who prolonged the life of our late king, and made him the author of numerous blessings for almost thirteen years together : 4 large space of the life of man, wherein we enjoyed our civil properties in peace, and our religious privi- leges were confirmed to us by the constant favour of our prince ! Though in the beginning of his reign, the enemy made their utmost efforts against us, by lifting up axes and hammers against our places of worship, because of our invio- lable attachment to his interest, yet his wise and steady con- duct soon suppressed those riots, and the law secured us against future fears. 2. It must be acknowledged as an instance of divine mercy that ourking was not taken from the earth by the hands of vio- lence. A bloody death had been a much more formidable ap- pearance. This would have filled our hearts withdisma', lest a secret train of mischiefs shouldhave been contrived and broken out to our great confusion. Blessed be the name of our God that guarded his precious life from day to day, and continuedhim to a good old age, though he had such a multitude of enemies on earth and in hell. 'l'he agents of Rome are never wanting to
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