THEY are the Words of Ezra in an Address to GOD in Behalf of the delivered Remnant of the ancient Israelites: Wherein He (1) owns their peculiar Relation to Him as their GOD in Covenant, their unworthy Carriage towards Him in their evil Deeds and great Trespass against Him, his having righteously chastized them therefor by various Judgments, and yet his Exercise of Mercy in punishing them less than their Iniquities [Page 6] deserved, yea, his wondrous Goodness in giving them a most undeserved and inexpressibly Great Deliverance; and then (2) He by Implication or awakening Questions owns, that after all This, for them to brake his Commandments again, and join in Affinity with the People of these Abominations [i. e. of impious Idolaters] would be a most monstrous, aggravated and provoking Sin, which might justly move Him to display his Anger in their utter Ruin.

And how exceeding applicable are the same Histories and Reasonings to the British Nations and their depending Colonies?

But as the MOST HIGH has lately given us such a Great Deliverance in the happy VICTORY over the Pretender's Party in the North of SCOTLAND, and we are especially called this Day to adore and Praise our DIVINE DELIVERER therefor with the liveliest Thankfulness and Admiration; it seems highly proper to consider these Four Particulars—

• 1. Who this dangerous Person is, and who are his Adherents and Abettors.
• 2. The mischievous Consequence of his obtaining his Designs.
• 3. The great Danger of his succeeding in his late Enter­prize.
• 4. Some of the signal Appearances of GOD for us in this great Deliverance.

Great Deliverance is a General Term which comprehends a great Variety and Number of Particulars; both all the Evils delivered from, the Causes & Danger of them, and the Way and Means of our Deliverance. But General Terms affect us not so much as the mention of Particulars. As the Term— Redemption by CHRIST would neither move nor enlighten, unless we consider the particular Evils we are subject to and redeemed from, together with the particular Author, Way and Means of our Redemption. And He thinks not deeply in Religion, nor is duly engaged in it, who contents Himself with General Terms, without viewing the Particulars included [Page 7] in them wherein He is greatly concerned: His Understand­ing is neither duly clear, nor can his Heart be suitably affected.

And in the important Case before us—How can we be duly Thankful to or admire and praise our DIVINE DELIVERER, unless we are duly Sensible of the Greatness of our Danger and Deliverance? And how can we be duly Sensible of these, unless we take a particular View of the mischievous Consequence of the Head of our Enemies succeeding, or the dreadful Mise­ries we are delivered from? And how can we be apprehensive of those, unless we consider his Education, Principles, Interests, Adherents and Abettors?

We should be as particular therefore as the Hour allows, and view each Particular as a Part of the wondrous Chain of Providence comprehended in our Great Deliverance, and as a particular Motive of our pious Admiration, Thankfulness and Praise: Especially considering every Instance is under the Government of the SON of GOD as Mediator, made subservient to his glorious Purposes, is a Fulfillment of his Will and Word, and a Means of displaying his adorable Perfections; yea my intire Subject will be a Part of the Execution of his Kingly Office among the Sons of Men.

In short, they act too much like Atheists who view these Things as a meer Piece of News, or the meer Operations of created Causes, to please their vain Curiosity, and don't religiously behold them as the Works of GOD in Providence: And they don't act like Christians who don't in the Exercise of Faith behold them as the Providential Works of our exalted SAVIOUR in the Rule of the World.

With such believing and religious Views as these, let us then consider,

I. Who this dangerous Person is, and who are his Adherents and Abettors, which the righteous GOD has raised up to molest and threaten us.

Now, He is called the Pretender, not so much because he pre­tends to be the Son of King JAMES II; as because he pretends in [Page 8] Opposition to all the Rights, Laws and Constitutions of the British Nation, to be their Sovereign.

In 1623, his pretended Grandfather Prince Charles after­wards King CHARLES I, solliciting a Match with a Spanish Papist, Sister of the King of Spain; in his Letter to the Pope declared, ‘He would never so vehemently desire to be joined in a strict and indissoluble Bond with any Mortal whatso­ever whose Religion he hated:’ And tho' the House of Com­mons represented the mischievous Influence of a popish Match, and the great Importance of marrying a Protestant; yet two Years after, coming to the Crown, he forthwith married a French Papist, Sister of King Lewis XIII of France, which was the pernicious Fountain of almost all the Miseries of the British Nations ever since. Of this popish Match, in 1630, was born Prince Charles, afterwards King CHARLES II; and in 1633, the Duke of York, afterwards King JAMES II: And by the Articles of Marriage they were educated by their popish Mother 'till they were ten Years old; and then the civil Wars between the Parliament and their Father, beginning in 1641, 2 and ending in 1646, they followed their popish Mo­ther into France, where they chiefly sojourn'd with her 'till 1660: When King CHARLES II being restored, he two Years after married a Portugese Papist, Sister of the King of Portugal. About 1670, the said Duke of York declar'd Him­self a Papist, and appear'd the Patron and Head of their Party; in 1673, in Opposition to Two Addresses of the House of Commons, He married an Italian Papist, Daughter of the Duke of Modena; and in Feb. 1684, 5, He succeeded his said Bro­ther to the Throne. And thus the British Nation had none but Popish Queens for above Sixty-three Years together: Nor had ever any King of the House of Stuarts a Protestant Queen, except King JAMES I.

When King JAMES II. came to the Crown, He publish'd his Brother's private Papers to show that He was a Papist also: But to quiet the People and rock them into Security, He first to his Privy Council and then to the Parliament Promised, and Printed his Promises, to maintain the national Liberties, Properties, Laws and Constitutions, and prove Himself a merciful and tender Prince: Yet quickly broke them all; [Page 9] in Defiance of the Laws, making Papists both Officers in his Army, Superiour Judges, and Privy Councillors, taking even a known Jesuit, Father Peters, into his Privy Council; wholly following their Advice; and, as the British Histories and Par­liaments have told us, by numberless arbitrary illegal and cruel Actions, spreading Popery, Slavery and Destruction; was not only ruining the Protestant Interest, but even de­stroy'd the very essential Ends of Government, forfeited his Crown, made his Reign intolerable: And having but two Children living and they Daughters and Protestants, the one the Princess MARY married to William Prince of Orange, the other the Princess ANN married to Prince George of Den­mark; in order to entail, increase and compleat the national Misery, his Popish Queen was said to bring forth this Pre­tended Son in June 1688: Tho' the Nation for many weighty Reasons had both before, at the same Time and after, a ge­neral Suspicion of Forgery therein: And at his Baptism, the Pope Himself, represented by his Nuncio, was his Godfather, and the Popish Widow of King CHARLES II. Godmother; it being highly improper that any Protestant Princes should be Sponsors, for one who was design'd to be the Great Main­tainer of the Popish Interest in the British Empire.

Upon this, many of the Heads of the Nation, in the Pro­spect of their universal and total Ruin, inviting over the Prince of Orange, under GOD to come and save them; the Prince in Nov. 1688, landed with an Army in the West of ENGLAND: And many of the Chief of the Kingdom re­pairing to Him, King JAMES sent his said Popish Queen with this Pretended Son to France, and soon after followed. On this happy Revolution, the Prince of Orange being under GOD the Saviour of the Nation, was righteously made King and his Princess Queen by the then different Parliaments of ENGLAND and SCOTLAND, by the Name of King WIL­LIAM and Queen MARY: And Queen Mary dying with­out Issue in 1694, and the Princess Ann's Issue dying in 1700; King WILLIAM by an Act of the English Parlia­ment, got the Descent of the Crown, upon the sailing of Her Issue and of his own, settled on the Protestant Princess SOPHIA Electress Dowager of Hanover Grandaughter of King JAMES I, and her Protestant Off-spring; she being the [Page 10] next Protestant of the Royal Blood of ENGLAND. King WILLIAM reigned gloriously to March 1701, 2: When dying, the said Princess ANN became our Queen and reign'd to Aug. 1714: And then deceasing, as the Princess SOPHIA had in June before, the ELECTOR of HANOVER her eldest Son succeeded by the Name of King GEORGE I: Who reign'd to June 1727; and then HIS ONLY SON, our present King succeeded.

Under the happy Reigns of these four Protestant and most gracious SOVEREIGNS, the British Nations have enjoyed such Civil and Religious Liberty, Trade, Wealth and Pro­sperity, as they never knew before; and wherein they have been and are, incomparably happier than any other People on the Face of the Earth.

But King JAMES II, with his said Queen and pretended Son lived in France, and were maintained by King Lewis XIV; who did his utmost, by joining the Popish Party in IRE­LAND, attempting to make Descents in ENGLAND, and Assassinations of King WILLIAM both in ENGLAND and FLANDERS, to restore the abdicated King to his tyrannical and vengeful Power over us 'till Sept. 1701, when He deceased: And then the French King Proclaim'd this Popish Pretender King of England, Scotland and Ireland, by the Name of James III, in Defiance of King WILLIAM our Great De­liverer, and the Parliaments and Laws of the British King­doms.

King WILLIAM dying in 1701, 2, and the Princess ANN succeeding; the Year after, a Conspiracy began in SCOTLAND in behalf of this Pretender, to dethrone Her: But was soon discovered and crushed. In May 1706, Queen ANN accomplished an happy Union of the two Kingdoms of ENGLAND and SCOTLAND into one, by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. And in March 1707, 8, this Pretender with a French Fleet and Troops sail'd from Dunkirk to the Bay of Edinburg to seize the Kingdom: But in a Day or two after their Arrival, were by Admiral BYNG obliged to fly and return.

[Page 11]Queen ANNE deceasing in August 1714, and King GEORGE I. succeeding; about a twelve Month after, two Scottish Marquesses, seven Earls, four Viscounts, and other Lords and Gentlemen in SCOTLAND, began a Rebellion in Favour of this Pretender; proclaim'd him King, set up his Standard, gather'd an Army of ten or twelve Thousand Ene­mies to the Protestant Succession: While Multitudes in al­most all Parts of ENGLAND were ready to rise and join them, and many in the North of ENGLAND rose: And both these Parties seem'd to carry all before them, 'till November 13; when the Rebels in the North of ENGLAND were obliged to surrender to King GEORGE'S Generals Carpenter and Wills at Preston; and the Duke of Argyle his General in SCOT­LAND put a Stop to the Rebels There by the Battle of Dum­blain. After which, in December, the Pretender landed in the North of SCOTLAND, and came to Perth: But the Dutch Troops arriving, He was by the Duke of Argyle and General Cadogan obliged in February to fly again to France, and that Rebellion ended.

In August 1715, King Lewis XIV of France dying, the Pretender was oblig'd in February 1716, 17, to retire to Rome: Where or near it He has lived almost ever since; married a Polish Papist, and had two Sons by Her, yet alive.

In the Beginning of 1717, the Government was threatened with an Invasion by the then King of Sweden, attended with an Insurrection of this Pretender's Friends in GREAT BRI­TAIN: But the Project being timely discovered, was quickly disappointed.

In the Spring of 1719, the Pretender was received at Ma­drid with all the Honours of a crowned Head by the King of Spain: Who declar'd him King of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND and IRELAND, engaged in another Invasion for Him, and on a sudden sent a Fleet and Armament for GREAT BRI­TAIN: But a mighty Storm for nineteen Days together dis­persed them. Yet three Scottish Lords with four Hundred Spa­nish and Irish Papists landed in the North West of SCOT­LAND, soon rais'd a Thousand Highlanders, who join'd them, and in June engaged King GEORGE'S Forces under General [Page 12] Wightman; who by the Help of GOD defeated them, and put an End to that Invasion.

In 1722, another Conspiracy was form'd in ENGLAND against King GEORGE I; and in 1726 another Invasion threatened from Spain: But were also timely discover'd and disappointed.

In June 1727, King GEORGE I. Deceasing, his only Son King GEORGE II. happily succeeded, and reigned several Years in great Quiet and Prosperity.

Yet in the Winter of 1743, 4, the French King in a Time of Peace with us, fitted out another Fleet at Brest and Dun­kirk, with Sixteen Thousand Troops, and vast Quantities of Arms, unexpectedly and suddenly at the End of Feb­ruary, in perfidious Breach of all his solemn Treaties, sent them to invade the Kingdom for this Pretender, to the great Surprize of the Nation, while we were too secure and un­prepared: And having sent them forth, proclaim'd Him our King and declared War against us. But just, as many of them arriv'd on the Southern Coast of ENGLAND and others were come out of Dunkirk, before they had Time to join and land; GOD was pleas'd to raise another mighty Storm against them, which dispers'd and drove 'em away, destroy'd diverse Ships, drowned many Troops, and in one Day confounded this threatning Enterprize.

But our inveterate and popish Enemies both without and within the Kingdom, are restless to enslave and ruin us.

For about twelve Months ago, the Pretender sent his eldest Son Charles in the 26th Year of his Age thro' France, with the pretended Title of Regent in his Name of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, and IRELAND, to make another Attempt to gain the Throne, and bring the British Nations to miserable Popery and Slavery in Subjection to Him. And this young Pretender appears as zealous a Papist as any of his pretended Predecessors. As He was born at Rome, He has been trained up in the Popish Tyranny, Superstition, Bigotry, and cruel Principles. He has a riveted Perswasion, that Popery is the [Page 13] only true Religion; that all Christians ought to be subject to the Pope of Rome, and that none can be sav'd without it; that all Protestants are damnable Hereticks and Separatists, no Faith or Promise is to be kept with such, and it is his indis­pensible Duty, and will be his greatest Glory and Merit, to put an utter End to their horrid Heresy and Separation, by bringing them into Subjection to that Man of Sin and Son of Perdition.

He is also fully perswaded that his Father has a divine, here­ditary, absolute, unalienable Right, by Birth, to rule the British Nations, whether they will or not, or tho' they are ever so much against Him; that no Degree or Kind of Ty­ranny can forfeit his pretended Right; that 'tis lawful for Him to destroy Half the Nation, that He may have the Pleasure of reigning over the Rest; that if his Father gets the Throne, let Him do what He pleases, and rule ever so cruelly, yet the Nation are but as Beasts of Burthen for him, they must make no Resistance, they must tamely submit, and mayn't presume to judge of Him or his Actions; and lastly, That their glo­rious Deliverer King WILLIAM and Queen MARY, Queen ANN, King GEORGE I, and King GEORGE II, are all U­surpers, and all their Actions null and void.

This is the dangerous Person call'd the Pretender: And His Adherents and Abettors are the Courts and People of France, Spain, and Rome; the English, Scotch and Irish Papists; as also many wretchedly deluded half-way nominal Protestants in divers Parts of BRITAIN.

And this leads us to consider

II. The mischievous Consequence of his obtaining his De­signs.

And here

1. We may be sure that He and his Regent would in ge­neral lay down these two Maxims as certain Rules which in all their Conduct they would in no wise vary from, but ob­serve for ever; viz. (1) To do whatever they judge necessary for their own Safety and Establishment, tho' ever so ruinous or barbarous to Protestants; (2) To do what ever their Po­pish [Page 14] and cruel Priests, the Directors of their Conscience, judge their Duty and require on Pain of Damnation, as necessary to promote and secure the Catholick Interest.

2. Under the Efficacy of these two Fundamental and dread­ful Maxims, it is to be feared that upon their Army's seizing London, He or his Regent would apprehend it necessary to em­ploy his Popish and barbarous Highlanders and other numerous Papists thro' the Nation, at once to massacre all the chief Friends of the Hanover Succession, if not of the Protestant Party in the City and Kingdom, who would be in Danger of raising any Opposition to him: Or that he would surely do so, if He should judge it necessary for his Preservation in his usurped Government; for then He wou'd think Himself to be safe from after dangerous Insurrections, and all Things else would be easy to Him.

3. As in such an horrible Scene as this, the City of London wou'd run down with Blood; so all the immense Treasures of the Protestants therein wou'd be suddenly seized: Whereby their remaining Families wou'd be beggared and ruined, as also Multitudes of wealthy Families thro' the Kingdom who have their Wealth in London, and He and his Popish Party infinitely strengthened.

Or if he shou'd not judge this to be either feasible or advi­sable at first; then

4. As he has made many plausible and promising Decla­rations, as did Charles IX, and Lewis XIV of France, with Respect to their reformed Subjects, whom they afterwards in convenient Time destroyed; so He might probably speak fair at first, as his pretended Father did when He came to the Crown, to make the Protestant Part of the Nation easy and secure, or lay 'em asleep, 'till he ripened Things for their in­tire Destruction, which He might easily and quickly do.

For,

5. While he wou'd plausibly represent the Danger of the Disaffected to Him, and as we have for the same Reason dis­armed all the Papists; He would doubtless immediately or­der [Page 15] all the Protestants to bring in to Him their Arms and Am­munition; and make it Loss of Estate and Life, for Arms or Ammunition to be found on any but by his Commission, for a Month or a Year, or any Time He should judge it necessa­ry: And thus all the Protestants disarmed wou'd lie at his Mercy, and he might easily do what He pleased.

6. He wou'd no doubt immediately seize all the fortified Places in the Kingdom, all the Naval Stores, all the Men of War in Harbour, as also all the Wives and Children of absent Seamen; that he might bring in their Husbands and Fathers to submit to his Government, which wou'd then be represen­ted as the only lawful Government: And which 'tis probable wou'd have an Influence on many; especially considering the Loss of their Estates as well as Wives and Children, and the Unlikelihood or great Difficulty of subsisting any where else.

7. As in Defiance of all the Laws and Constitutions of the British Nations, even those made by King CHARLES II, He or his Regent in his Name had listed a great Number of Papists into his Army, given military Commissions to them, and without Law or Act of Parliament raised Money, forced Arms, Ammunition, Cloathing, Carriages, Horses, Cattle, Provision, and what ever he wanted, from whom he pleased, from the pretended Reason of Necessity, of which he alone is Judge; so no doubt He wou'd continue the same arbitrary Course, from the same pretended Reason of Necessity, of which he wou'd still be the Judge, or as long as he saw good or pleased: And who cou'd presume to judge or hinder Him?

8. As those of the Church of ENGLAND who had been crying up Hereditary Right, passive Obedience, and Non-Resis­tance, yet seeing the Church invaded, failed in his pretended Father at the Revolution; and as He cou'd only trust the Pa­pists to support him faithfully; He wou'd doubtless call all able bodied Papists, first forthwith in LONDON and GREAT BRITAIN, and then after in convenient Season in IRELAND, to list in his Armies, both as common Soldiers and Officers, and put all the Arms, Ships of War and strong Places of the Na­tion into their Hands.

[Page 16]9. He would no doubt immediately declare the French and Spaniards his good Friends, and enter into the strictest Friend­ship and Alliance with them, if he has not done it already, they having declared him their Ally: Yea 'tis likely promis'd them for their past immense Expence and future Help, the grate­ful Return of their Countries, Cities, Towns and Prizes, both in EUROPE and AMERICA.

10. As 'twas a grand Mistake in Policy, fatal to his pre­tended Father, to refuse an Army of Thirty Thousand disci­plin'd Popish Troops which the French King offered Him at the threatened Enterprize of the Prince of Orange; He wou'd have Sense enough to correct this Error. And as Queen E­lisabeth had cautionary Sea-Ports delivered Her in France and Holland to secure her Stores, Troops and Ships in aiding the Parties She espoused in those Countries; no doubt the French King would require and have Portsmouth put into his Hands as a Place of Safety for his Magazines and Land and Naval Forces; and as many French Troops would be received into the Kingdom, as would be more than sufficient to keep it in absolute Subjection to Him.

11. As He has already declared King WILLIAM and Queen MARY, Queen ANN, King GEORGE I, and King GEORGE II, Usurpers, and all their Actions void; so He must declare of Consequence, that all the Patents whereby they have created so many Barons, Viscounts, Earls, Marquises, Dukes, &c both of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, and GREAT-BRI­TAIN, ever since the Revolution, to be null and void; as also all their Charters to Companies and Corporations, all their Acts of Parliaments, Proclamations, Treaties, Orders and Commissions, with all the Executions of them: And so the Union of the two Kingdoms of ENGLAND and SCOTLAND null, and every Thing consequent thereon; as also Numbers of Corporations, the Bank of ENGLAND, the East-India and South-Sea Companies and Others, and all their Estates and Stocks belonging to Him and seized by Him: And what wou'd become of the Estates of Multitudes who have receiv'd and acted on any Powers from those he calls Usurpers, we must leave his Popish Judges to determine: Or, if He should reckon all who have sworn Allegiance to any of those Princes to be [Page 17] Rebels, He might declare the Estates of almost all the Protes­tants thoroughout the Kingdoms with all their Rights of Praesentations forfeited, and He would have no need of Parlia­ments to fill his Coffers, nor Plea to fill the Ecclesiastical Livings.

12. All the Bishops both in ENGLAND and IRELAND, made by those He calls Usurpers, He wou'd declare to be no Bishops; but Schismaticks and Intruders, and all their Elections, Consecrations, Orders, and Ordinations of others, void, and all derived from them; or by his Construction of their Canons, which is but the same the Episcopal Nonjurors gave of the second Canon, for disowning his only haereditary and lawful Authority, ipso Facto Excommunicate; and so their sacred Character, Office, Power and every Kind of Pri­viledge intirely null, if not as Intruders accountable for all their received Revenues; but set in their Places others after his own Heart, unless in Violation of all their solemn free and repeated Oaths, they turn and receive new Orders from his Popish Bi­shops: And how few wou'd turn is immaterial; for He wou'd have enough of others to supply their Places, and in the mean while order their Revenues and Arrears to his own most zea­lous Clergy.

13. It seems probable also, that the insupportable Oppres­sions of the Protestant Party thro' the Nation would make ma­ny rise in Insurrections or form Conspiracies; which wou'd be rather provoked, especially in different Parts and different Times, as has been the Device of other Romish Princes, for a better Occasion to cut off the chief and most zealous Per­sons of the Reform'd Religion, 'till they were wholly destroyed or subdued: Or if his popish Priests or Politicians should think it best or safest, or the shortest Way, to fire the Cities of Lon­don, Bristol, and others, or commit a general Massacre, as have been in France and Ireland on the Protestant Party; He would have sufficient Power by his popish Arms; yea, 'tis like­ly wou'd think, his Religion, Conscience, Interest, eternal Salvation, and temporal Safety, wou'd conspire to oblige Him: He would also get their remaining Estates into the Bargain; and as He has learnt in France, order their Children to popish Priests or Nurseries; yea, for this End, the ancient Monastry and Abby-Lands wou'd no doubt be taken away from their [Page 18] present Owners, as sacrilegious Intruders, and restored to their superstitious Uses.

14. As He owes great Sums to Spain for their costly Ar­maments to help Him; no doubt he wou'd restore them Gib­ralter and Minorca, if not Jamaica, ravish'd from them by a­nother great Usurper, as a just and grateful Recompence. And as He owes immense Sums to France, not only for the long Maintenance of his pretended Father and Mother as well as Himself, but also for their many expensive Enterprizes to restore them; He wou'd no doubt return them Cape-Breton, Nova-Scotia, and the western Part of Newfoundland, if not yield the whole with all the Fishery surrounding, as a reasonable Com­pensation. Yea, as he wou'd for several Years depend on France to keep him in his forced Government, both from Insur­rections of his discontented Subjects and Attempts of foreign Pro­testants; no doubt the Court of France wou'd be subtil enô and find Ways enô to keep Him and his Offspring in Dependance on them, oblige Him to be wholly at their Direction, and do whatever they order: Which would make the whole British Empire subservient to all their ambitious Views and Projects, and in Reality no more than a Province to them; to be squeez'd and drain'd and harrass'd, and broken to Pieces as they please; yea, it may be, make him only a King in ENG­LAND, his second Son another in SCOTLAND, some popish Irish Lord another in IRELAND, and divers Vice-Roys in the British Colonies, but all in Subjection to the French Empire.

15. Yea it seems highly probable that even all the British A­merica, would either by Gift, Sale, or Conquest, be soon sub­jected to the Power of France; the Trade of GREAT-BRI­TAIN translated chiefly to that mighty Kingdom, and Britons have no more than that Court wou'd please, and even dearly pay for every Branch of Trade permitted: Cruel Papists would quickly fill the British Colonies, seize our Estates, abuse our Wives and Daughters, and barbarously murder us; as they have done the like in France and Ireland: Yea, the British, French and Spanish Powers united, I cannot see but HOLLAND wou'd be suddenly overwhelmed by them, and the reformed Interest in other Parts of EUROPE soon follow the Fate of GREAT-BRITAIN, under GOD its chief and visible Supporter in the World.

[Page 19]But the mischievous Fruits of his succeeding are numberless and endless: They cannot be fully reckoned up or imagined by us. Some of these tremendous Consequences wou'd ine­vitably follow, and others seem highly probable: The very Nature of his Religion, Interest and Dependance, plainly tend and lead to them all, even the most pernicious of them: And they are such terrible Scenes of Misery as these we are by the late happy Victory delivered or preserved from.

And this brings to consider

III. The great Danger of his succeeding in his late En­terprize.

But both in This and the next general Head, for want of due Intelligence, I am sorry I can collect but a few broken Hints for their Illustration.

Yet the Great Danger of his succeeding in this last Attempt, may in some Measure appear from the View of these Par­ticulars.

1. Great Numbers in the Nation believing Him to be the real Son of King JAMES II; and the Universities and Pulpits both in ENGLAND and SCOTLAND, from the Restoration of King CHARLES II in 1660 to the Revolution in 1688, being continually filled with the slavish and delusive Cry of absolute Hereditary Right, passive Obedience and Non-Resistance: Whereby these pernicious Doctrines were riveted in the Minds of Multitudes, that nothing but the cruel Persecution of the Protestants, and Ruin of their Religion in the neigh­bouring Realm of France between 1680 and 1688 in Viola­tion of the most solemn Promises, after all they had done to establish their popish King upon the Throne—and the appa­rent Prospect of the like Destruction of the Protestant Religi­on in the BRITISH EMPIRE, cou'd open their Eyes and pre­pare them for the Revolution: Nor cou'd even these dread­ful Prospects, nor the clearest Arguments, open the Eyes of many; tho' the pretended Hereditary Right of the Stuarts is a meer Delusion; they deriving from a junior Daughter of the Royal Family, whose Son Robert Bruce was in 1306 exalted [Page 20] to the Throne of SCOTLAND for the Good of the Nation, in the same Manner as more lately King WILLIAM and Queen MARY, Queen ANN and King GEORGE I.

2. In IRELAND the Papists are much more numerous than the Protestants; and the Papists we know are almost universally inclined to Him: In ENGLAND before King WILLIAM died, when the Parliament came to settle the De­scent of the Crown on the Protestant House of HANOVER in the Beginning of 1701; King JAMES II'S Party is said to be so great in the then House of Commons that the Vote came to a Tie, and was then happily decided for the protestant Succes­sion by the Speaker only, and even a Gentleman who was rai­sed to the Chair by the Jacobite Party: And so great was his Interest in SCOTLAND, that as far as I find, the Parliament There were ever hindred from agreeing to the Protestant Suc­cession 'till the Time of the Union of the two Kingdoms in 1706.

3. I am an Eye-Witness to the following Instances—That when the Whiggish Ministry in Queen ANN'S Reign in 1710, were turned out and the Tory ^† came into their Places, the Stream of the Nation appeared plainly with the Jacobite ^‡ Party: Hereditary Right and passive Obedience and Non-Resistance was the general Cry: Dr. Sacheverel, for promoting these slavish Doctrines, and arraigning the Revolution, was almost every where extoll'd to the Skies; and wherever he went, applau­ded, crouded and almost adored by the Multitude: The Free­holders in the Counties and Corporations mostly chose those [Page 21] into the Parliament who were known to be Tories, attach'd to the Tory Ministry; and the greater Part of the then Clergy of the Church of ENGLAND joined with them, and were con­tinually crying up Hereditary Right, passive Obedience, Non-Resistance, and Down with the Whiggs ^* who zealously stood up for the Revolution and Protestant Succession: The Dissaffection of the People to the House of HANOVER grew more and more, and was plainly promoted by the Tory Ministry, who broke the grand Alliance, vastly increas'd the Power of the House of Bourbon, yeilded it the Spanish Monarchy, pav'd the Way for the Pretender, and began to quarrel with the House of HANOVER; when just before they had brought their Schemes to bear, the ALMIGHTY suddenly remov'd the QUEEN by Death, and dash'd their Projects headlong.

4. When the ELECTOR of HANOVER came to the Throne, the general Disaffection soon appeared, both among the People, Clergy and other Gentry, and even in one of the Universities: Some of the late Tory Ministry fled to France; and some others rais'd a Rebellion in SCOTLAND, which cou'd not be suppressed 'till the Arrival of Dutch Troops from Hol­land: Yea so great was the Prejudice, that for the most Part of the Reign of King GEORGE I, tho' one of the best of Prin­ces, Conspiracies were almost continually formed against Him, and the British Parliament judg'd it needful for the Safety of the Protestant Succession, to keep up an Army of about Twenty [Page 22] Thousand in GREAT BRITAIN, besides Ten Thousand Seamen to mann the Navy, and Ten Thousand in IRELAND.

5. Ever since the ELECTOR of HANOVER came to the Crown, there have been great Numbers of plainly Jacobite News-papers and historical and political Books and Pamphlets continually published, dispersed thro' and poisoning the Nation; writing just as the Jacobites, Papists and French Court wou'd have 'em;—under popular and plausible Colours, traducing the Ministry, vilifying all their Administrations, reviling the best and greatest Friends of the Hanover Succession, rendring the very Name of Hanover odious, and increasing the Disaffection of the People to that illustrious House to a very dangerous Degree & Extent; 'till it's Enemies apprehended the Nation ready to desert it, or grown indifferent to it: While the Papists increased in LONDON and WESTMIN­STER, were represented as having lost their persecuting Spirit and Principles, and being become a harmless People to Pro­testants: And then the French King sends to Rome for the Young Pretender: And preparing Sixteen Thousand Troops, with vast Quantities of Arms, in Feb. 1743, 4, even a­bove ten Days before he declares War against us, suddenly sends them forth to introduce Him into the Kingdom; tho' a Storm from Heaven, as we observed before, delivers us.

6. To lull the honest Part of the Nation into a deep Secu­rity, the great and most dangerous Artifice of our unwearied Enemies; the Jacobites, both Writers and others as usual, laugh at the Mention of a design'd Invasion, treat it as a meer Chimera, as if there were no such Thing intended, but only a Feint to frighten us: And upon their happy Defeat, we seem to grow so secure again; as it is said in the publick Prints, that of but Twelve Thousand Troops in the Kingdom, Half are sent over in the Spring of 1745 to Flanders, and but Six Thousand left to defend the Throne.

7. In such a Conjuncture and within one Month after, while the KING is in Germany, Prince WILLIAM comman­ding the small Allied Army in Flanders, exceedingly weakened by the Battle of Fontenoy, and the vastly more numerous Ar­my of France are carrying all before them; the Young Pre­tender [Page 23] posts from Rome again to Paris: About July 5 sails in a small Ship of sixteen Guns from Brest; about the 20th lands with forty Soldiers and Officers in the North West of SCOT­LAND: By August 20 they raise Twelve Hundred popish Highlanders, use the utmost Diligence to instruct them in mi­litary Discipline, spending twelve Hours every Day in the Ex­ercise of Arms; and so secretly and subtily manage in sepa­rate Bodies, as his Landing is scarce publickly known 'till now, when they join together and set up their Standard: And then the Affair is so dispis'd at LONDON, that a Man wou'd be laugh'd at to suggest any Danger; and our Security threatens our Ruin. For

8. All this while, the Rebels grow, in one Week more, two Thousand strong: August 29 they march for Perth, and Sept. 4 without Opposition seize the City, where Mass is publickly said, most of the Army assisting, many Scottish Lords and Gen­tlemen join them, and by Sept. 6 increase to six or seven Thou­sand. Having the greater Part of the North of SCOTLAND under their Power, they on Sept. 13 pass the Forth the River dividing between the North and South, and march for EDIN­BURGH: Sept. 17 without Opposition, enter that Capital City, and proclaim the Pretender King: By Sept. 21, increase to Eight Thousand, and before Break of Day Five Thousand of them fall on his Majesty's Army, of near Three Thousand at Tranent about seven Miles from EDINBURGH, cut them to Pieces with a great Destruction, kill the valiant Col. Gardner with other Officers, threaten to march to LONDON, and spread a general Terror thro' the Kingdom.

9. Now indeed seems a Season of dismal Danger. For tho' the KING return'd to LONDON on the last of August; yet the most of our Troops with the brave DUKE of CUM­BERLAND their General, are yet over in Flanders, at a Dis­tance from the Sea; Tournay, Ghent, Bruges, Ostend and Nieu­port taken and possessed by the French, who having an Army of One Hundred Thousand, being more than double to His, lay between the DUKE and the Shoar: And as the Rebels might now get to LONDON long before the DUKE cou'd come with His Troops to save us; the Faces of the tho'tful People There are turn'd to Paleness: And 'tis apprehended that if this tri­umphing [Page 24] Army, as they threaten, shou'd in this Time of general Consternation march strait to that Metropolis, great Numbers of Papists and others would readily join them; and the more they increase, the more wou'd others join them too; the very Rumour of their increasing and triumphantly ap­proaching, which their subtil Friends wou'd by Speech and Printing magnify, wou'd encourage many, and all Opposition fly before them 'till they enter the City: Or to prevent Oppo­sition There, great Numbers of popish Tenants might in the Night Time set the City a Fire in a Hundred Places, to em­ploy the Inhabitants in saving their Families, Goods and Houses.

10. This is also in a hazardous Season on this Account; That by the unhappy Conduct of the King of Prussia, even after the Queen of Hungary had by the Treaty of Breslaw yielded Him the Lower Silesia, yet invading her other Domi­nions; whereby she was hindered from supplying her Army in the Austrian Netherlands, the French with their vastly supe­riour Armies had carried almost all Flanders before them, taken the Barrier Cities between France and Holland, and were just at the Dutch Frontiers: Whereby we lost the Ad­vantage of the Barrier Treaty, (which our Enemies well knew) our Allies the Dutch were in so dangerous a Case, that they could not tell how to lessen their Troops to help us; nor they nor the Queen of Hungary to spare the DUKE and ours, to leave their Countries open to resistless Desolations.

11. This is also a Time of Year, when the Wind in the British Channel is wont to blow from the westerly Quarter: Which threatens to hinder the the DUKE and his Troops, as well as the Dutch and other of our Friends in Europe, their Countries all lying to the Eastward, from coming over to help us in this Emergency; but at the same Time wou'd give a fair Opportunity for our French and Spanish Enemies to pour in upon us, who were also prepared and watching for it.

12. In Edinburgh the Young Pretender rules as if he were arbitrary Regent of the British Kingdoms, emits his many plausible and enchanting Declarations, disperses them in Print abroad; sends his tyrannical Orders to all the Places round a­bout, [Page 25] not to be refus'd on Pain of military Execution; sup­plies his Army with Cloathing, Food, Horse, and Money, aug­ments it to Ten Thousand; plunders and wastes the Countrey all around Him; receives Recruits of Officers, Ammunition, Money and Arms from France; and divers other Scottish Lords and Gentlemen join Him. About November 3, with an Army of Nine Thousand, He leaves that Capital, marches thro' the westerly Road to ENGLAND: Saturday Night Nov. 9. arrives at Carlisle, her northermost City, Lord's Day Mor­ning orders it to yeild, and Nov. 15 takes Possession. Thence He marches unmolested thro' the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland, as also Lancashire, Cheshire and into Derbyshire, 'till December 4, when with six Lords and above seven Thausand Soldiers He enters Derby the chief Town of the Shire and in the Heart of ENGLAND, but about a Hundred Miles North of LONDON. For tho' Marshal Wade was at the Head of near Ten Thousand at Newcastle on the easterly Side of the Kingdom; yet the Roads across are so mountainous, miry and fill'd with Snow, that he could not hinder this rapid Course of our Ene­mies on the westerly Side: And in the mean while, there are other Rebels left in SCOTLAND, others rising in the North thereof, divers Ships from France arriving and adding Succours to them, and others ready and expected.

And thus far the Danger seems to grow: And yet that which adds to all, alas, is the prodigious Luxury, Debauchery and Prophaness of the Nation, which seem to render us ripe for entire Destruction; yea, as we are told in the publick Prints, the amazing and provoking Infidelity, Impenitence and Sottishness of the Bulk of the People, even while on the very Brink of universal Ruin. How cou'd we conceive any other than of the Holy GOD as now looking down upon us with such awful Tho'ts of Resentment as in Jer. v. 9, 29. Shall I not visit for these Things, saith the LORD? Shall not my Soul be now avenged on such a Nation as this?—

But tho' we seem to be ripe, and the righteous GOD seems in Providence to be preparing correspondent Causes for our sudden Desolation; yet his Ways are not as our's, nor his Tho'ts as our's, but as far above them as the Heavens above the Earth: And when we come to tremble as a Bird out of [Page 26] Egypt, and as a Dove out of the Land of Assyria; then our compassionate SAVIOUR seems to say as in Hos. xi. 8, 9. How shall I give Thee up Ephraim? How shall I deliver Thee Israel? How shall I make Thee as Admah? How shall I set Thee as Zeboim? Mine Heart is turned within Me, My Re­pentings are kindled together! I will not execute the Fierceness of Mine Anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am GOD and not Man, the HOLY ONE in the midst of Thee, and I will not enter into the City, to destroy it.

We now therefore come in the

IVth and last Place▪ to view some of the signal Appearances of the MOST HIGH for us in this great Deliverance.

And here among many Others we may observe the follow­ing—

1. It was, even before, remarkable and happy for us, that when the Young Pretender was sailing, unknown to us, from Brest to the North West of SCOTLAND in a smaller Ship of sixteen Guns, but in Company with a sixty-four Gun Man of War, loaden with Soldiers, Officers, Provision, Ammunition, Arms and Money; His Majesty's Ship the Lion of fifty-eight Guns, Capt. Brett Commander, shou'd on July 9, but four Days after their leaving France, happen undesign'd, to meet them, and then so warmly engage the Larger Ship, as to dis­able Her to proceed the Voyage and oblige Her to return to Brest: Whereby the young Pretender was forc'd to go on alone in the other, and lost a vast Advantage at the first of his Enterprize; there being Arms but for Five Hundred Men in the smaller Ship, but for Six Thousand and Five Hundred in the Larger; for want of which he was much retarded; or wou'd have supplied his Men as soon as they join'd Him, and might have march'd to EDINBURGH and ENGLAND while the Roads were dry, and almost as soon as we heard of his Arrival.

2. The French Court seem'd infatuated, when they had six more Ships of sixty, and one of seventy Guns in Brest at the Time he sail'd, that they shou'd send no more Assistance with Him; and that upon their sixty-four Gun Ship returning, they shou'd not send some others with Supplies immediately: [Page 27] Whereby He might have made a much swifter Progress. Or the Tydings of our taking Cape Breton arriving at Paris about the End of the Month, the triumphant Progress of the French in Flanders, their intent Application to take Ostend which sur­render'd to them Aug. 12, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany being happily chosen Emperor on Sept. 2, might all under GOD conspire to take up their Tho'ts and hinder them.

3. When notwithstanding all—The Pretender's Army had yet surprizingly grown and gone on without Opposition, en­ter'd the chief City of SCOTLAND, increased to Eight Thou­sand, in a few Minutes beat the King's Forces, made them fly, killed many, and spread a universal Consternation thro' the Kingdom; when we had no Troops return'd nor the DUKE from Flanders, and but six Thousand at home to defend our KING and Capital; when so many in ENGLAND were at that Time doubless ready to join them, if they had then flush'd with Victory march'd for London; and the young Pretender had several zealous able Generals and politick Counsellors; — It seems a wonderful Thing to see the Infatuation upon them also, in neglecting to improve their Victory and such a fair Oppor­tunity, but returning to Edinburgh and staying there six Weeks, as if on purpose to afford us Time to prepare against them.

4. It is some Encouragement to us, that on Sept. 23, which is but two Days after the Battle of Tranent, three Batta­lions belonging to His Majesty's Foot Guards, with seven Re­giments of Foot happily arrive in the Thames from Flanders: Sept. 26, His Majesty orders several Battalions of Foot and some Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons to march directly for SCOTLAND in the easterly Road by Newcastle, under the Com­mand of Marshal Wade; and two Days after, sends for more in Flanders, some to join them at Newcastle, and others to come and defend Him at London.

5. Upon this and the happy Neglect of our Enemies, the Friends of our Protestant King in England recover from their Consternation: Even those who seemed to be disaffected be­fore, are now made sensible of the ruinous Consequence of the Pretender's succeeding and gaining the sovereign Power: GOD opens their Eyes, and they clearly see nothing else be­fore [Page 28] them but horrid Scenes of Desolation: And 'tis wonder­ful to see such a Spirit rising in the awakened People in every Quarter of England in Defence of their Protestant King and Country: The Nobility, Gentry and Populace both in the Land and Navy, awakening each other; entring into Associ­ations, and subscribing great Sums of Money for the present Emergency; raising warlike Companies; rousing each other both by Writings, Words and Deeds, to make the most vi­gorous Opposition, and the People calling for Arms and Offi­cers to teach them martial Exercise.

6. Our Men of War at Sea under Admiral Vernon and Martin, yea our private Vessels are so moved with a publick Spirit, and so exceeding vigilent, active and hardy, even in the most cold and dangerous Months of the Year; that tho' the French, soon seeing their Error, get ready in all their Sea Ports near their Army, to come to the Supply of the Rebels; yet not many of those Vessels can find Opportunities to venture out of their Harbours: Several of them with Soldiers, Offi­cers, Provision, Ammunition, Arms and Money, are happily met with and taken by us; and but few can arrive to assist our Enemies.

7. Contrary to the usual Course of the Winds at this Time of the Year from the West, which would have hindred our martial Friends in coming from Flanders, and Holland; it is very observable, that GOD orders them now to blow from the East, even for a Month together: As if 'twere on purpose to bring the DUKE and his Forces over quickly in this Time of Extremity: And they have a speedier Transportation from the Maes to England than was ever known.

8. It is also remarkable, That at this very Conjuncture, GOD should raise up even of the Children of our Protestant King GEORGE Himself, so extraordinary a Person and Soldier as Prince WILLIAM; so brave and resolute, so active and in­defatigable, so engaging and popular, so beloved of the Sol­diers, and of such wondrous Conduct for a Youth of but twenty five Years of Age, and who had seen but two Campaigns;—to act on this great Occasion for our Deliverance: That by hap­py Disappointments at Sea, he was diverted from the Navy [Page 29] to the Army: That in the first Campaign, which was in 1743, at the Battle of Dettingen, wherein He was wounded, his Ad­dress and Valour were tried and proved: That in his second in 1745, so young a Person shou'd have the chief Command of the allied Army in Flanders; when his superiour Genius for martial Affairs appeared so illustrious, as to gain the Heart and raise the Wonder of every Soldier: And thus are his British Troops prepared to come over with Him now, and under Him to spend the last Drop of their Blood in defending their King and Countrey.

9. On Oct. 18, Prince WILLIAM happily returns from Holland to Westminster: On the 25th a second Transport of his Troops arrives in the Thames, and on Nov. 4, seven Regi­ments more: So that the Rebel Army strangely stays in Scot­land, 'till this British Hero with his valiant Soldiers are come over to fight them. Upon News arriving Nov. 25 at London, of the Rebels subduing Carlisle and coming to Lancaster; the DUKE next Day sets out from St. James's to head his Army marching to meet them. And now while the young Pretender is in the Height of his Career and Hopes, arriving at Derby in the Heart of ENGLAND on December 4, and his triumphant Army bending their Course for London to seize the Throne; on Dec. 6, in the Morning, hearing that the DUKE and his Army of eleven Battalions of Foot, and six Regiments of Horse and Dragoons were arrived at Litchfield within twenty Miles, on the Evening before, a sudden Pannick seizes the Hearts of our Enemies, who had heard of the Bravery of the DUKE and his Troops in Flanders, and well concluded it would rather ex­ceed on this great Occasion: For if they had fought so brave­ly for the Defence of the Queen of Hungary's Country, how much more wou'd their Spirits rise in Defence of their Own on the Brink of Destruction? And now how joyful to see the Rebels flying before Him, the DUKE pursuing as far as Car­lisle, and at the End of the Month recovering the City.

10. Now indeed their Progress seems to be over; their Forces dwindled and divided, the Remainder an easy Conquest for the other Generals with the Troops at Newcastle: And as great Preparations are ready at Dunkirk and other neigh­bouring Ports of France to land an Army of twenty Thousand [Page 30] in the South of ENGLAND, the DUKE is recalled with some of his Troops to London, where he arrives on the 5th of Janu­ary. Upon which the Rebels rejoin, resume their Courage, Dec. 26 seize the City of Glasgow, plunder the People, de­stroy their Goods, and recruit with Money, Jan. 3, march for Stirling, on the 8th enter the Gates, increase their Numbers to nine Thousand again, receive Supplies from France, lay Siege to the Castle; and on the 17th at Falkirk attack our Army, break our left Wing, and oblige us to burn our Tents and retire to Edinburgh. But it seems remarkable and happy for us, that the Rebels don't improve this great Advan­tage and pursue our broken Troops much disabled thro' the Wetness of our Powder by a Storm of Rain blowing against us in the Time of Action, to resist them; but instead of fol­lowing us, return to the Seige of the Castle: And this is bravely defended by General Blakeney in the most critical Sea­son; it being a Fortress of vast Importance, as it is the Key or Guard to the Land-Passage between the North and South Parts of SCOTLAND.

11. Upon this, the DUKE inspir'd with a glorious Ardour, even in the midst of Winter, to go forth again, to ride in the most miry Roads by Day and Night almost incessantly 'till He comes to the Army; on the 25th in the Morning between Twelve and One He sets out from London, and travels the easterly Road to Edinburgh, Three Hundred Miles by the 30th at Three in the Morning: Is receiv'd with the greatest Joy; our Army is wondrously animated; and every Thing being ready, He immediately gives Order for marching: The next Morning He sets out with fourteen Battalions, the Argylshire Men, and two Regiments of Dragoons, for Stirling: Upon his advancing, GOD sends a second Terror into the Hearts of our Enemies; in Confusion they immediately brake up the Seige, and fly before Him: About Two Thousand to Aberdeen, about Four Thousand to Inverness, and the Rest to their rocky and snowy Mountains: Feb. 2, His ROYAL HIGHNESS ar­rives at Sterling, repairs the Arch of the Bridge; the 4th his Army passes over it; and the 6th arrives at Perth, lays in Magazines of Bread and Forrage, and rests his Foot after their great Fatigues in such a cold and miry Season.

[Page 31]12. At this Juncture of Time, viz. Feb. 8, it seems also remarkable; that while the Dutch are unable to help us, thro' the superiour Armies of France at their Doors, the Protestant Prince of Hesse, Son in Law to the KING, with his Troops ar­rive near Edinburgh, to help his Brother in suppressing our E­nemies: Whereby Stirling and Perth, those important Passes, are fully supplied and guarded; and so the DUKE has a grea­ter Number of British Soldiers to pursue the Rebels.

Feb. 18 the Rebels enter Inverness: And there they gather again, with some fresh Recruits from France, and soon take Fort George at Inverness, and Fort Augustus. But the last of Feb. the DUKE arrives with his Army at Aberdeen; there stays for his Cannon and other Recruits from Edinburgh and London, 'till the bad Weather is over, the Snows are melted, the Roads passable, and the Rivers fordable. In the mean while the Rebels are carefully guarded by Land and Sea, di­vers French who come to supply them are taken, they grow much straitened for Food and Money, and greatly suffer for want of Bread for two or three Days before the Engage­ment.

April 15, the DUKE compleats the Twenty-fifth Year of his Age; and the following Day goes on to the decisive Battle. And now the Necks of the Horse are cloathed with Thunder, the Glory of their Nostrils is terrible; they paw in the Valley and rejoice in their Strength, they go on to meet the armed Men; they mock at Fear and are not affrighted, nor turn they back from the Sword; the Quiver rattleth against them, the glittering Spear and the Shield; they swallow the Ground with Fierceness and Rage; they say among the Trumpets, Ha, Ha; they smell the Battle afar off, the Thunder of the Captains and the Shouting: As GOD▪ their Former represents them in Job xxxix,

And here the following among other Particulars seem re­markable: — That the DUKE advances toward our Enemies sooner than they expected — That in the very order of Battle and Way of Attack, their able Generals appear greatly mista­ken, but the DUKE and his to be guided with wondrous Wisdom — That the Enemy's Cannon shoot over the Heads of [Page 32] our Army, while each of our's well levelled and expertly fir­ing Ten Times in a Minute, do extraordinary Execution — That this provoking them to fall upon us, they brake their Order, while we by standing still keep our's with the greatest Exactness — That the Rebels drawing so near as to discharge their Muskets, our hinder Ranks first fire; upon which con­cluding we are all discharged, they throw down their Guns, and running with their Broad Swords to us, our foremost Ranks have a vast Advantage of discharging our Pieces into their Breasts as they come close to the Muzzles; whereby al­most all their foremost Ranks are surprizingly shot down at once with a dreadful Cry, and our Guns with Bayonets ready to encounter the Rest, and plunge into the Bowels of those barbarous Men who had no Mercy for others — That all our Officers and Soldiers to a Man are inspired with irresistible Ardour, Strength and Resolution, — His Royal Highness in the Right Hand of God, the animating Soul of all — That our Enemies who came on with Assurance of Victory, and a Re­solution to give no Quarter, are suddenly confounded, and soon give Way and run before us — That in the Heat of the Foot Engagement, both the Right and Left Wings of our Ca­valry flank our Enemies on each Side, disperse their second Line, and get behind their First; so that when the Remainder of their First begin to turn and fly, they find our Squadrons to confront them there, are in the last Confusion, and have only Swords to defend themselves from all about them — Now in­deed the whole Battle of the Wariour is with confused Noise, and Garments roll'd in Blood — Their Horses Hoofs are bro­ken by Means of the Prancings, the Prancings of their mighty Ones — Above Ten of their Men are slain to One of our's — And that malignant Army which just now wasted Countries and threatned the Ruin of Kingdoms, is in one Hour totally defeated and broken to Pieces — The scattered Remnants are continually yeilding in all Parts of their Country, the KING and KINGDOM'S Foes diminished and weakened more than ever; and by this great and happy Victory, the Rebellion dies, the Nation is restored to Safety, and the Throne esta­blished

‘O Thou Enemy, thou Destroyer of Cities! Thy De­structions are come to a perpetual End, and how art thou [Page 33] brought to Desolation in a Moment! The LORD arose like a mighty Man that shouteth, and smote his Enemies: They said ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the Spoil, my Lust shall be satisfied on them, I will draw my Sword, my Hand shall destroy them; but Thou sentest forth thy Wrath which consumed them as Stubble!’ Who is like un­to Thee, O LORD, amongst the GODS? Who is like Thee, glorious in Holiness, fearful in Praises, doing Won­ders! Thou stretchedst out thy right Hand, the Earth swallowed them! Thou in thy Mercy hast redeemed thy People! Their Enemies shall hear and be afraid, Sor­row shall seize them, their Dukes shall be amazed, Trem­bling seize their mighty Men, all the rebellious Inhabitants shall melt away: Fear and Dread shall fall upon them: By the Greatness of thine Arm they shall be still as a Stone: The LORD shall reign for ever and ever!’

And now for IMPROVEMENT.

Let our Victorious Prince most gratefully own to GOD with Sampson, as in Judges xv. 18. Thou hast given this great Deliverance into the Hand of thy Servant. And let Him with his Army sing, as in Psal. xviii. 1, ‘I will love Thee, O LORD, my Strength: The LORD is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer, my GOD and my Strength, in whom I will trust, my Buckler, and the Horn of my Salva­tion, my high Tower: The LORD is my Lamp and en­lightens my Darkness: By Thee have I run thro' and bro­ken a Troop: It is GOD that girdeth me with Strength, and maketh my Way perfect: He maketh my Feet like Hinds Feet, and setteth me upon my high Places: He teacheth my Hands to War: Thou hast also given me the Shield of thy Salvation, thy right Hand hath holden me up, and thy Gentleness hath made me great: Thro' GOD I have pursued mine Enemies and overtaken them, nor did I turn again 'till they were consumed; I have wounded them, that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under my Feet: For thou hast girded me with Strength unto Bat­tle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me: Thou hast also given me the Necks of mine Enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me: They cried, but [Page 34] there was none to save them; even to the LORD, but He answered them not: Then did I beat them small as the Dust before the Wind, I cast them out as Dirt in the Streets.’

Let our triumphant and happy KING continue the Song to GOD, as in the following Verses; — ‘Thou hast delivered me from the Strivings of the People: Thou hast made me the Head of the Nations: The Strangers shall submit them­selves unto me; the Strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close Places: The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock, and let the GOD of my Salvation be exalted: It is GOD that avengeth me, and subdueth the People un­der me: He delivereth me from mine Enemies; yea Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; Thou hast delivered me from the violent Man: Therefore will I give Thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the Nations, and sing Praises to Thy Name: Great Deliverance giveth He to his King; and sheweth Mercy to his Anointed, and to his Seed for evermore.’

Let us with thankful Admiration own, with respect to the British Kingdoms, as in 1 Chron. xi. 14. The LORD saved them with a great Deliverance: And with our Nation sing, as Israel of old — ‘If it had not been the LORD who was on our Side, when Men rose up against us; then they had swallowed us up quick, when their Wrath was kindled against us; then the Waters had overwhelmed us, the Stream had gone over our Soul; then the proud Waters had gone over our Soul? Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us a Prey to their Teeth: Our Soul is escaped as a Bird out of the Snare of the Fowlers; the Snare is bro­ken and we are escaped: Our Help is in the Name of the LORD, who made Heaven and Earth. In Britain GOD is known, his Name is great in the British Empire: There brake he the Shield and the Sword and the Battle, Selah: Thou art more glorious and excellent than the Mountains of Prey: The Stout-hearted are spoiled, they have slept their Sleep, and none of their Men of Might have found their Hands: At thy Rebuke, O GOD of Jacob, both the Cha­riot and Horse are cast into a [...] [Page 35] Thou art to be feared, and who may stand in thy Sight when once Thou art angry? Thou didst cause Judgment to be heard from Heaven; the Earth feared and was still, when GOD arose to Judgment, to save all the Meek of the Earth; Selah.’

And let us join with our most rightful Sovereign King GEORGE, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Duke, and all the Branches of this Protestant Royal Family, the No­bles of the Nation, the Army, the Navy, and the whole British Empire, both in Europe and America, in one universal Chorus, with the loudest Acclamations, as in Psal. xlvii. ‘O clap your Hands all ye People, shout unto GOD with the Voice of Triumph! For the LORD most high is terrible, He is a great King over all the Earth: He shall subdue the People under us, and the Nations under our Feet: GOD is gone up with a Shout, the LORD with the Sound of a Trumpet: Sing Praises to God, sing Praises; sing Praises unto our King, sing Praises: For GOD is the King of all the Earth, sing ye Praises with Understanding: GOD reigneth over the Heathen: GOD sitteth upon the Throne of his Holi­ness: The Shields of the Earth belong to GOD: He is greatly exalted.’

But yet in the midst of all our Joys, it becomes us to bare in mind our Text, as extreamly applicable to us on this Occasion. For after all that is come upon us for our evil Deeds and for our great Trespass, seeing that Thou our GOD hast punished us less than our Iniquities deserve, and hast given us such Deliverance as This; shou'd we again break thy Commandments and join in Affinity with the People of these Abominations? wouldst not Thou be angry with us 'till Thou hadst consumed us, so that there shou'd be no Remnant nor escaping?

For must we not freely own that the same glorious GOD is our's in Covenant by the most open and continual Professions and Engagements? are not many Laws, and every Baptism and publick Prayer, most evident Acknowledgments of this? Have we not been generally and clearly guilty of Multitudes of evil Deeds and great Trespasses of every Kind, against every Precept▪ too many now to be numbred? I shall only in gene­ral [Page 36] mention — Our Infidelity, Formality, Profanation of the Name and Day of GOD; our Contempt of the divine RE­DEEMER and the Operations of his HOLY SPIRIT on the Souls of Men; our Opposition to the gracious Doctrines of his Gospel, his pure Worship, his holy Discipline, the lively Practice and Power of Godliness, and the active Promoters of them; our Rebelliousness to just Authorities; our Pride, Enmities, Murders, Robberies, Impositions and Persecutions; Our Luxury, Profuseness, Impurity and Intemperance; our Avarice and every Species of Oppression and Injustice; False-swearing, Lying, Slandering, Reviling and Defaming; our Envy, Selfishness and Coveting the Things of Others.

Has not our highly dishonoured and offended GOD, by vari­ous Means, and especially the present War and late Rebellion, been justly bringing on us many grievous Calamities? Such as great Decay of Trade, heavy Debts, Plunders, Barbarities, Captivities, Loss of Estates and Lives, Perplexities of Living, and a vast Variety of distressing Troubles. Must we not yet acknowledge, that in them all, our GOD has punished us even infinitely less than our many and heinous Iniquities deserved; yea, that in his wondrous Goodness, He has by the late glo­rious and decisive Victory, given us a most undeserved and inexpressibly great Deliverance? — A Deliverance including an Infinity of Mercies!

And now, after all this — shall we be so monstrously un­grateful, base, wicked and perfidious to our GOD and SAVI­OUR, as to break his Commands again, and join in intimate Affi­nity with the People of those Abominations? Wou'd not this be a most aggravating Provocation? And cou'd we in Reason expect any other, than that he wou'd be angry with us, 'till He shou'd consume us, so that there shou'd be no Remnant or escaping?

We might easily see the just Grounds of such an Expecta­tion from the moral Excellence and Government of GOD, in Concert with the moral Nature he has given us, our Relation and Obligations to Him; and the moral Ends of his Admi­nistrations among the Sons of Men, and especially his pro­fessed, covenant and obliged People. But we may yet more [Page 37] easily and clearly see our awakening Danger, from his signal Conduct to that peculiar People refer'd to in the Text: Who for many hundred Years were highly favoured by Him a­bove all others in the Earth. He in a glorious Manner on Mount Sinai, enter'd into a special Covenant with them, gave them extraordinary Prophets and Revelations, wrought innumerable Wonders for them, and raised them, in the Days of David and Solomon, to great Power and Glory above all other Nations round about them. But they greatly sinned, and He grievously chastized; they cried for Mercy, and he delivered; they grew ungrateful, and sinned on —; 'till the Wrath of the LORD arose and there was no Remedy; He wou'd deliver them no more; but forbid his Prophets even to pray for them, and proceeded to fulfill his Threatnings to their Destruction and Dispersion, as warning Monuments, among the Nations; as the World has admir'd to see, for near seventeen hundred Years, to the present Day. And if we follow them in their Ingratitude and provoking Sins, as I fear we shall, we must expect to follow them in their Desolations.

Yea, by all that to me appears both in the divine Word and Providence, a more dreadful Time seems coming on the Nations than they have ever known, and by their growing In­fidelity, and other Provocations thence deriving, if they don't soon repent, they seem to hasten in their Ripeness for it. But I forbear to open the Scripture-Scene, least it too much damp the Joy of the present Day.

To conclude, I wou'd rather revive the Pious with the Prospect, that whenever it comes it will be short, but Three Years and an Half — And then a most glorious Time comes af­ter it: For then the loud Voice in Heaven will sound; ‘Now is come Salvation and Strength, and the Kingdom of our GOD, and the Power of his CHRIST:’ Then the Hour of his final Judgment on the papal Empire comes on: The Angel comes down from Heaven having great Power, and the Earth lightened with his Glory, and will cry mightily with a strong Voice; ‘ Babylon the great is fallen is fallen — Rejoice over her thou Heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets; for GOD hath avenged you on her — and in her was found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints, and of [Page 38] all that were slain upon the Earth:’ Then will be heard a great Voice of much People in Heaven, saying, ‘ Alleluia, Sal­vation, and Glory, and Honour, and Power unto the LORD our GOD; for true and righteous are his Judgments; for He hath judged the great Whore, which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication, and hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her Hands;’ and again they cry, Alleluia; and the Four and twenty Elders and the Four living Creatures fall down and worship GOD who sitteth on the Throne, saying, 'Amen, Alleluia:' And then the seventh Angel with his Trum­pet sounds; and there are great Voices in Heaven, saying, ‘The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our LORD and of his CHRIST, and He shall reign for ever and ever.’

AMEN.