ties, before Victory is caft on either fide? No Words can defcribe what Horror fills thofe places that are made the Seat of War; where men lofe their Property, and are in continual hazard of their Lives, have their Houfes plunder'd and then fir'd, their Daugh ters and Wives ravish'd in their view, and the difmal Groans of the Dying always in their ears. But blessed be God, we of this happy Nation are kept from fuch Diftreffes by his indulgent Providence. 6. A Victory over the Enemies of our Religion and Liberties, is greater in its Confequences than for a Nation to escape a Plague or a Famine: for neither of thefe Judgments affect the Religious or the Civil Liberties of a People; the Law has ftill its free Course, Courts of Juftice are open. And 'tis remarkable, that David chofe rather that a Famine or a Peftilence fhould be brought on his King- 13. dom, than to flee before his Enemies. What can a Proteftant Nation expect if conquer'd by Papists, whofe Refentments are deep and their Revenge high, being both excited by Superftition? What can we expect less than to be hinder'd in the Exercife of our Religion, and to be depriv'd of our Civil Rights and Properties, than which nothing can be dearer to us, both as Proteftants and Englifhmen? 'Tis remarkable, that when the Grecians were fet free by Flaminius the Roman General, their Joy was too big for their Hearts, and they could fcarce believe their own ears: For when the Cryer proclaim'd their Liberty, they defir'd that fweet word LIBERTY might be repeated again. O fhall not we, who have our Liberties fecur'd to us under a happy Con 2 Sam. 24. Conftitution, be fenfible of our Privileges, as likewife of the important Confequences of the late Victory? A Victory that has not only fecur'd and fav'd the finking Empire, and infpir'd with Vigour the whole Confederacy, but will be to us a Pledg of future and greater Bleffings, if our Sins do not provoke God to depart from us, and give us the Reverse of our prefent Happiness. But fome may be ready to fay, that we push this matter too far, and conclude the Goodness of our Cause from the Greatness of our Succefs. To fuch we are ready to grant, that Succefs will not make a Caufe good, if it be not fo before. But if to defend the Liberties of Mankind against a mighty Oppreffor, be a good Cause, ours is fo: If to maintain the Title of a Proteftant Queen to the Imperial Crown of thefe Realms, together with the Succeffion as by Law establish'd in the Proteftant Line, against the Design of impofing a fuppofititious Heir on the Nation, be a good Caufe, ours is fo; and God has own'd it from Heaven, in the late memorable Victory we are affembled to praise him for this day. But in the midst of our Praifes and Triumphs, let us be humble and modeft, let not our Succeffes render us too fanguine and confident. In a word, let us be careful that no Excesses stain the Glory of this Thanksgiving-Day.. To conclude: Let us earnestly pray that as .God has begun to humble a haughty Tyrant by the hand of a Woman, fo her Majesty may fcourge his Infolence, and lay all his Honour in theduft. .!! May Succefs attend the Counfels, and Victory the Arms of Q. ANNE; may She be the happy happy Inftrument of restoring an honourable and lafting Peace to Europe, and may Her Piety tranfcend that of all Her Predeceffors: May her Name be great on Earth, and shine in the Rolls of Fame as long as the Sun and Moon endure: May the Wisdom of God direct Her, the Angels of God encamp round about Her: May she always reign in the Hearts of her Subjects, and trample on the Necks of her Enemies; and let all the People fay Amen. |