the unexpected Event: Ready, on one Hand, to charge the Mifcarriage to fome fudden Panick unaccountably spread through the Hoft; fome Mistake of Orders in the inferior Officers; fome Misunderstandings among their Leaders; or, perhaps, Cowardice in one and Treachery in another: Whilft, on the other, they are as ready to afcribe the Glory to the Firmness and Intrepidity of the victorious Army, and to the Skill and Bravery of their fuccessful Commanders. Nor is it to be denied, but that very fair Presumptions may often appear to direct Men's Judgments in such Cases. And, as the Doctrine of God's Superintendence can by no Means be pleaded in Excuse for those bad Qualities of particular Men, which He fometimes permits to operate for the Warning or Chastisement of a whole People: fo neither fhould it detract from the Praise of those Good ones, by which He is at other Times pleased to fave Communities from Destruction. The Thanks of a Community thus preserved are justly due to those Worthies of every Rank, who have not only in fuch an Exigency willingly offered themselves to their King and their Country, but in the Article of Danger played the Men for their People and for the Cities of their GOD. And, fhould a

Magnani

Magnanimous Prince, at the fame National Call, freely quitting the Delicacies of a Court and the foft Cloathing of them that are in Kings' Houfes, eagerly fly to the Battle of the Warriour with all its confused Noife and Garments rolled in Blood; and, regardless of any Rigour of Season, any Inclemency of Climate, put his Life in his Hand, on the truly interefting Occafion: We need not wonder, if He, under whofe Conduct the important Conqueft has been gained, should be the Man, whom a grateful Nation delighteth to honour. But still-We must look higher than the higheft upon Earth for the fupreme Difpofer of all Events, the only Giver of Victory. To Heaven should our Praises be principally directed; and there alone can they properly terminate. The moft mighty Man of Valour need not think it Diminution of his Greatness to be confidered as the Honourable Inftrument by whom the LORD hath given Deliverance unto His Country: And the most illuftrious Prince, far from being afhamed, may well be ambitious, of ufing the Acknowledgment of one of the greatest and most successful Warriours, King David himself, O GOD the LORD, Thou Strength of my Salvation; THOU haft covered my Head in the Day of Battle.

any

Let

Let me only add, that though Nations (as well as fingle Perfons) may, out of a prefumptuous Affectation of appearing the peculiar Favourites of Heaven, fometimes be too forward, as well as at other Times too backward, in afcribing those Occurrences in which they are interested to the Special Interpofition of Providence: Yet Circumftances, no doubt, fometimes attend fuch Occurrences, not obfcurely directing attentive Minds to the Al mighty Conductor of them.-If, for instance, the Danger has arisen from seemingly small and almost imperceptible Beginnings; growing, as in a Moment, from an Object of general Contempt, into an Occafion of almost as general Confternation: If it has approached the People threatened by it at a Time when they were, humanly fpeaking, less than ever prepared to withstand it: If in its Progress the Authors of it have been permitted to gain Advantages against that People confiderable enough to alarm them, without improving those Advantages to their Destruction : — If, on the other Side, Succours have seasonably arrived, ferving juft to support the Spirits of an astonished Nation, but not fufficient to difpell their Fears: If, after this, human Preparations, in Appearance fully adequate to

the

a

the Purposes intended, have been once and again unfuccessfully applied; and the Men of Ifrael a fecond Time fmitten before Benjamin: In short, if, when these last, upon a third Engagement, were ready to fay, "They will certainly fall before us as at the firft," Victory has declared decifively in favour of Ifrael: b Whofo is wife will ponder these Things; and will, both in the Danger and the Deliver ance, understand the Loving-Kindness of the LORD.

The Duty of Thanksgiving to Almighty GOD for National Deliverances, especially from the Hand of the Enemy, being by this Time (I hope) in general fufficiently established: Tho' I doubt not but your Thoughts are beforehand with me in the Application ; yet the Occafion, as well as my present Undertaking, calls upon me to confider a little farther,

II. Secondly, The Reasonableness of the Duty in our Particular Cafe; from a View of the late Situation and Circumstances of this Church and Nation.

any

Now the Reasonableness of Gratitude for particular Deliverance may most naturally be

a See Judg. Ch. XX.

b Pfal. CVII. 43.

made

made appear by confidering the Greatness and Importance of that Deliverance; as This again would most forcibly be illustrated by taking an Estimate of those Evils, from which the Perfons concerned have been rescued on fuch an Occafion. An Estimate, which we (of this Part of the Island at least) cannot in the present Instance, take with any Exactness; because (bleffed be GOD!) we were not left to the Feeling of them. But it may be of fome Use to us, to carry our Imaginations backward to that Period of Time, when an Armed Force of Rebels was advancing towards us with a rapid Progress, and had with an amazing Swiftness penetrated into the Heart of this Kingdom. Call to Mind, what Your Apprehenfions were at that Juncture; how hearty You were in Your Defires, (I hope, I may fay, how fervent in Your Prayers) for fuch a Deliverance as the Gracious Difpofer of all Events hath fince mercifully granted us. And let the Strength of Your Fears, and the Ardour of Your Wishes at that Time, be fome Measure for Your Joy and Thankfulness on the present Occafion.

When the late Rebellion had very unnaturally begun to lift up its Head, had received fome confiderable Acceffions, and gained fome

unexpect