A SERMON Preached at the PARISH-CHURCH OF St. Chad's in SHREWSBURY, March 5.1694/5 BEING THE Funeral Day of our Most Gracious Sovereign Queen Mary.  
By THOMAS DAWES. B. D Minister of the Church of St. MARY in the said Town.  
LONDON: Printed by F. C. for Gabriel Rogers in Shrewsbury; and are to be Sold by John Whitlock near Stationers-Hall. 1695.   

To the Right Worshipful Samuel Adderton Esq; Mayor, And other the Members of the Corporation; Together with the Gentry, etc. of the Town of Shrewsbury.  
WHen my Service was desired to assist on the much Lamented Occasion of our Good Queen's Funeral Day, I confess, I thought the Solemnity so agreeable to my own particular respect and Duty, that as a Son of the Church, I could not well refuse. But when afterwards, your Requests proceeded so much farther than I had reason to expect, and your Importunity would not easily admit of any Excuse; I am more unwillingly forced thus a second time to Gratify you by appearing more public than I intended; which I am sensible might as well have been spared, were it not for your Serious Regard to the common Loss, in which I own a real Concern, and, in so doing, am sure to approve myself more acceptably, as I am  
Your most Affectionate Humble Servant, THO. DAWES.   
2 Chron. Chap. 35. latter part of the 24 v. — He Died, and was Buried in one of the Sepulchers of his Fathers: and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 
COuld our Grief be always hid, and modestly concealed, we Christians need no stronger Antidote, than that of our Religion, as it teaches us Submission to all God's Providences, when they look unfavourably to our Temporal Interests. Thus we have often in silence put our hands upon our mouths, and with Reluctancy stopped th' eruption and clamour of many of our Sorrows, and would have done so now, and stooped particularly under our Fate, which is our pressure very sensible, but that our Loss is so confessedly great; and our Passions, in their resentments, more than usually high, lavish, and indeed ungovernable. All Afflictions, we find by woeful experience, are not equal, and of the same size, and magnitude. 'Tis alas! more than once, we have lost a Dear Friend, who living stood very nigh our tender heart, and when Dead, we could not but Lament; but seldom so loud as now, when we are forced to exchange our Patience for our Pious Sorrow; we Weep, and mean it so, as we think it is our Religious Duty to bewail.— I need not name th'Occasion, when I see here all Faces gather Blackness, and strive with concern zealously to augment the serious Pomp of our Funeral Lamentation. We have lost; but could our Loss be uttered! I am not able equally to express your Grief, who want Words, so many, to express my own.  
But here, this Day, when all the English Nation Mourns, as we do, and the vast Deluge of our Tears swells so universally wide, that they waft a far of our Sorrow, as they roal from shore to shore and drown our Neighbours too, as well as we; how can we refrain! Let this day pass ever then for a Day of Sorrow. Yet tho' I cannot possibly excuse your Mourning; give me leave to inquire a little into the Nature of our Common Distress, thereby to justify our Grief; as approvable to all Mankind; and to show how 'tis not only a violent, hasty Tempest of our sensual Passion, but a calm, deliberate, sound resentment (if our Sorrow be capable of so much Moderation) which has invited us hither to Condole together the Death of our Good Queen.  
To this end I have pitched upon one of the Greatest Instances in the History of the Ancient Jewish Church, Josiah by name, famous for Goodness and Virtue, with a real Zeal for the Worship and Honour of the true God; which is all indeed, besides what is less (Lustre and Magnificence) which raises, and supports the Throne of Majesty. We find here his Good Subjects of all sorts, assembled, 'tis like, as well as we, all over the Land (Town and Country) to Mourn and Lament his Funeral. He Died, and was Buried (says the Text) in one of the Sepulchers of his Fathers (i. e. in the Sepulchers of the Kings) and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.  
The Royal Person here spoke of, and Lamented was a King of Judah, inclusive of the Tribe of Benjamin: which were the only two, which remained whole of the Twelve; all the rest (excepting some few persons) having gone off, generally long before from the true Church of God, as than 'twas into Idolatry at the fraudulent Instigation of a wicked King Jeroboam; who made Israel to sin: and not long after, into remediless Captivity, under the Tyranny of the Heathen their Neighbours. There had been some Good and many Bad Kings, till the succession of Josiah, whose Government commenced about 385 years, after the Death of King David the second in order, but yet the first of their Religious Kings. Josiah was a Good Son, of a very Bad Father, Amon, who was the Son of Manasseh. Manasseh went off, and apostatised from his Religion, and turned a professed Idolater. He did evil after the Abominations of the Heathens, Built High places and Altars to Baal, etc. made his Son to pass through the Fire, a cruel bloody Sacrifice, or rather here a kind of Lustration, to the Idol Molech; so prevalent is Superstition and Bigotry, even to the losing the strongest Bond of Natural affection. You'll see his History more at large here (Cap. 33. & 2 Kings 21.) where 'tis said v. 20. He (Amon) did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his Father. They were both (Father and Son) immediately descended of that Good King Hezekiah, who did much for the Worship of the true God, and confiding in his Religious Integrity, and the favour, and protection of th' Almighty, he manfully withstood the Blasphemy of Sennacherib, (here Cap. 32. & 2 Kings 18) There passed 56 years betwixt the Reign of Hezekiah, and Josiah; all which time the Government was wretchedly Debauched with Idolatry, and other grievous Abominations, for which Mannasseh is driven out of his Kingdom, into a Foreign Land: From all which you will easily guests, there was more than a little for our Religious Prince to do, when he came to the Throne, and intended a Thro-Reformation; and the the truth is, He did not Delay; but set presently about it, with all his power; which will better appear, if we consider, how He came very young to the Crown (2 Kings 22. and here Cap. 34.) but what he wanted in Age, He made up in Virtue. He was (says Josephus) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of an excellent Disposition, and naturally inclined to Virtue, and good Life, which is a mighty Character of a Young Prince, agreeable to what the Ancient Scripture says of him, from whence the Antiquary took it.  
When this Godly man was but 20 years old, He began to purge Judah and Jerusalem (Town, and Country, as I said) from the High Places of Idolatrous Worship; he broke down the Altars of Baalam (in the plural) signifying the many False Gods they Worshipped; and in the 26 year of his Life, and the 18 of his Reign, He and Hilkiah the High Priest with other of his Friends and Servants, whom he trusted; purges and repairs the Temple. It appears they had Built an Heathen Altar there; as also many other in the Royal City, and Regions adjoining (as you will read here in their story) which he visited personally for the greatest part, and utterly Destroyed; not omitting the search even of their private Houses, so to root out effectually all Heathen Abominations out of the Land, the accursed object of God's otherwise implacable Hatred and Displeasure.  
Hilkiah, high a special order from the King, searching into the Ruins of the Temple, (not totally Destroyed till afterward, in Zedekiah's time, but too sadly Decayed by the many Sacrilegious abuses of the Idol-Priests) he chances to light upon an old Authentic Copy of the Law, which he found Buried in the Rubbish, in some close part of the Building which was neglected; 'tis like, that was the only true Copy they had left: probably all the rest being forced out of their hands, and Burnt, (or otherwise effectually Destroyed) by a cruel Inquisition; it being usual with the Heathen so to do, as since with a Religion, as Heathenish for so much as they, tho' called Christian and Catholic. 'Twas so before, and in the Empire of Julian th' Apostate, when the Holy Books were gathered with all imaginable Industry of the Heathen, and Destroyed, to make room for the Lying Oracles of Apollo, and their Idol Gods. But not so totally Destroyed then; nor here in Josiah's time, nowithstanding the Dotage of Haman and Manasseh.  
Hilkiah having thus found the Book, and showed it to the good King, He entertains it with great Reverence; and causes it to be read in the ears of the People, to teach 'em (what they had forgot, be sure in too great a measure) the true Worship of God. By this, and other such his Religious pious Arts, he brought back again the Holy Worship, and the People, the Worshippers to the Temple; which they, with their Forefathers, had so long forsaken: having already notoriously disgraced their Profane Altars, by Burning the Bones of their Idolatrous Priests upon 'em; (some of 'em, that were Dead; all the rest, but those he slew, having fled, and and made their escape ('tis like) upon this signal Revolution: and left thus ingloriously their Temples, and their Gods, all a Sacrifice to the Zeal of good Josiah; who put a fatal period to their senseless, tho' cruel Devotion. Manasseh and Amon now dead; their great Patrons (it having been till then the King's Religion) behold! The Idol stoops, and tamely resigned its feigned Omnipotency, and owns a Conqueror.  
Nor was this any sudden start, and heat of Passion in Josiah, (as Zeal is too apt to extravagance in unwary hands) for we find here, after He had purged, and restored the Temple, He deliberately, with the joint advise, and consent of his People, who were by this time returned to their right Understandings, in the 18 year of his Happy Reign, (already named) Josiah sends, and proclaims a Passover to the Lord; which he celebrates, on such a splendid manner, with so much magnificence, in honour of the true God, that the Tale and number of the Sacrifice is almost incredible, which made such an extraordinary solemn figure, in the Worship of the Jews, that never was the like Festivity in such Glorious Preparation, seen among them. 'Tis described at large here (Cap. 35.) there was never held such a Passover from the Days of the Judges, which judged Israel, etc. i. e. never such an one before, since the Beginning of their Government, which was a joyful sight (we may well think) at Jerusalem; where till that time, the Worship of the Temple had lain so long neglected▪ 'twas so magnificent that (I observe) Josephus their Antiquary, seems somewhat concerned at it; as tho' it reflected upon the Poverty of the Devotion of the Ancient Church; and excuses it thus (Lib. 10. c. 5. Ant.) the reason (says he) why there was no such Festivity from the days of Samuel (mentioned here, 2 Chron. 35.18.) was because in those early Times, all things were performed in exact compliance to Moses Ritual, and the Customs then on foot; tho' the Levitical Law left place for Free-will-Offerings; and such (according to Josephus) was a great part of this Celebrated Passover of Josiah. Which therefore is a singular argument of this Good Kings more than ordinary Devotion: and his Zeal in promoting the Worship and the Honour of God. And hence 'tis we read, (2 Kings 23.25.) And like unto him there was no King, before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, etc. neither after him arose there any like him.  
The truth is, Josiah was one, purposely raised up of God for this Noble Design. It was Prophetically foretold 360 years, and more (says the Jew) in the Reign of Jeroboam, that thus it should be: (1 Kings 13.2.) Behold a Child shall be born to the House of David, Josiah by name, and upon Thee (i. e. the Altar at Bethel, which the Son of Nehat had then newly set up) shall he offer the Priests of the High-Places, etc. and it fell out exactly (2 Kings 23.15, 16.)  
You see then, how for this very end, in a long course of Providence, Josiah was raised of God to Root out by his means, and to Destroy Idolatry from out of Judah, and Israel, as much as was left of the foregoing Captivity. Such, and so remarkable was this Pious Kings singular Devotion! and to the great joy and satisfaction of all his Subjects, (but some, who had little or no Religion; and others, that hankered after that He had Destroyed by the will of God) He Reigned 31 years; and Lived in the whole 40 bating one, prosperous in Wealth and Glory: and then very unfortunately, by the incessant Provocation of the Crying sins of Judah, (as Huldah the Prophetess at that time foretold) God was finally resolved to punish very grievously; as He did in the ensuing Captivity, which lasted no less while than 70 long years, under the King of Babylon (as Jeremy Prophesied▪ 22▪ years after Josiah's Death) unfortunately, I say. He makes War against Necho the Egyptian King; who was upon his March against th' Assyrian, denies him passage thro● his Country, imagining ('tis like) he was a going up against Judah, when (it seems, as he signified by his Embassaders) He intended no such thing. But Josiah listened not; and rashly opposes Himself upon the Borders, in the Valley of Megiddon; where He is mortally wounded by an Egyptian Archer, as He road in his Chariot; thereupon carried back to Jerusalem, where He Dies. This Good King, so necessary to the Happiness of his People, which Dies together with Him. Their Dreadful Calamity was only Deferred till his Death; inasmuch as his Heart was tender, and He humbled Himself before God (here Cap. 34 27, 28.) He Dies at his Royal City, and was Buried in the Sepulchers of the Kings, his Fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem (the whole Kingdom) mourned for Josiah.  
And, no doubt, a sad Mourning 'twas: The Loss of so Good a King, and at such a time, when (we must think) the Eyes, and Hearts of all his People were upon Him!  
Jeremiah, upon this sad occasion, Weeped, and penned a Mournful Elegy; emphatically a Black Book of Lamentation; in such a deep, natural, racy strain, that it weeps yet afresh to every eye that reads it; see there (Cap. 4.20.) The Breath of our Nostrils, the Anointed of the Lord was taken in their Pits, of whom we said, under His shadow, we shall live among the Heathen.  
And so famous was this Solemn Mourning of the Jews, that about an 100 years after, where the Prophet Zechary foretells of the Coming of the Kingdom of the Messiah, and the fearful Desolation, which should, at that time, befall the Jews, in the Total Devastation of their Second Temple, and their City, with their whole Government, by the Romans. He could not express their Sorrow to greater advantage; than by this Deplorable instance of the Death of Good Josiah. (Cap. 12.11.) In that day (says he) There shall be a great Mourning in Jerusalem, as the Mourning of Haddadrimmon, in the valley of Megiddon: which is the Mourning of the Text here.  
And such was the Jews estimation of their Great Loss, and Misfortune; that 'twas not only a little time, which once they set apart to this their Mourning; but they made it an Anniversary Fast, in their Generations, by an Ordinance for ever, (in the v. next after the Text.) From whence it would seem, The Book of Lamentations was the Form of their public yearly Humiliation, upon this account. So great the Loss, and so great the Sorrow of this unhappy people!  
And yet not so great, but in good sense of Resemblance, it may become a Pattern of ours now. 'Tis confessed (Blessed be our Good God, who in Judgement remembers Mercy) our Circumstances are not, in Prospect, so Deplorable, as theirs were. The proud King of Babylon, has not yet set his foot upon our Land, nor Burnt our Church, and made us his Captives; nor, we hope, ever will so long as we have God, and a Good King our Protectors; who is (as Josiah was) an implacable Adversary to his, our Church, and Nations Enemies. The Glorious Champion of our Holy War; The Greatest Patron of all the Protestant Churches, Born indeed the Son of War; whose Sword, (invincible as 'tis) glisters astonishment in the Hearts of those, who are only great in this, that they have the honour to fall under the resistless stroke of his Victorious Arms.  
His Royal Great Soul, untaught to yield to any other Adversity (to show He had an Heart of Flesh, and Affections tender as his Religion is) Wept over the Royal Ashes of his Dearest Consort, our Good Queen Mary. Nor was this any light, faint, transient stricture of his inward Sorrow. His indelible Piety, so deeply rooted in his Breast, sunk him down low in this his Affliction; as low, as 'tis possible Love and Virtue could. Behold here a Brave Glorious Constellation of the greatest Fortitude, and the greatest Love! such an one seldom, never shone before in our Hemisphere.  
How then shall we Subjects Dispense with this Free Subsidy, yet naturally a Debt of our Funeral Lamentation? unless we have in this Distance to Her much Lamented Death, spent all our Stock already, and in so doing exhausted the Fountain of our Tears! Alas! our cheap vulgar Weeping here, is not big enough at loudest to balance one single Sighs of our Josiahs Royal Grief.  
We, who had so great a part and interest in her Princely Care, and Indulgence, and might have had so still; but that our Ingratitude (that unpardonable sin, for which we, and this poor English Nation have so often smarted) our hateful Ingratitude rendered us by so many degrees unworthy of her longer Life. A Blessing so infinitely , as I believe you think; that I Despair of adding any thing to your present Information.  
I'll not therefore now touch upon any Preliminaries; as her Royal Birth, and Descent; her Natural, and her Acquired Perfections, exceeding great; with her truly Christian Education here, under the sacred influence of our Dear Mother the Church of England. Which, in her, by plainest experiment, has taught us, the most incomparable Temper of her wise Guardiancy, and Tuition, and would make us all lovely, and beloved as She, for th' inestimable Beauty of Virtuous Christian Life; and would Teach our Docility not to shift so improvidently from under her Heavenly Doctrine, and pious Discipline; when her Spiritual Gifts are so many, and so highly advantageous, and would easily Blush, and shame all that unreasonable Prejudice, which drives some of us foolishly away, and bewilders us in a dark Superstitious Maze of a stubborn forgetfulness of our Duties, and ourselves. See here, and wonder! an Angelical Mind framed by God, and perfected into Bliss by true Religion!  
This Noble Affectionate Theme wings the highest flights of our most grateful Thoughts; I am too weak to support thus the Greatness of her Character; only wish sincerely, that the radiant Honours of the English Crown may ever Descend a portion to so Good Examples as 'twas in Royal Her, is now; and we pray, will ever be.  
Beloved, you know, how we were left before their Majesty's happy Arrival jointly in the Throne. Left so, that we were at a Loss on both sides, how to state probably the reasons of our public welfare. Behold! a Dreadful Enemy to our English Nation, Popery on one hand, and Anarchy and Confusion on the other: We could not be prevailed upon to change our Good Religion for a worse; and if not, we must part with our Property, and Establishments. 'Tis true, these things were not wrested yet quite out of our hands, but we were throughly taught what we were to expect, by a costly sad Trial of another Neighbouring Kingdom before; as well as since, by one of our own; all this, over and above to what was miserably endured in a former Reign, upon the same Name and Principles; and however we are misrepresented, we stook close enough to our Passive Obedience, to the visible Joy and Triumph of our Enemies, that hated us: this so long, till He, that should have Governed us, left us, without our fault; and what reason we should endure longer? must our Ancient Government rot, and sink into Ruin upon its own Foundations? It must certainly have done so, had not God sent us, and He came, the Defender of his own Rights, and together with them, our Protestant Faith; William by the good Providence, and Grace of God, with his Royal Consort, whose Death we now Lament.  
This Latter is my Subject more especially now: Who when she Landed from abroad upon the British shore, with inestimable Blessings in Her hands, to bestow upon all but the unthankful, & the evil, (tho' upon them too) She found the Nation tired out with Sorrow, a Leaning her weary, drooping Head on the Bosom of her Dearest Prince, who surely then (if ever any one before) bade the fairest for our most sincere Love and Fidelity. And she (kind, virtuous Soul) as she ever loved to do Good, was glad to be by at hand; an Assistant, a Counsellor, and a Witness of our Wonderful Restauration.  
She found the Nation, & that She loved the most in it (the Church of England) o' entering, in melancholy plight, the Plague of an Egyptian Darkness, the Land, from one corner to another, a swarming with Popish Emissaries; and (like the Locusts there) darkened the Sky; I mean the Nation full, and crowded with 'em. But, tho' so full, emptied much faster than they filled in well nigh six years before, in a very short time; as our day broke up again, when our Guardian Angels in conjunction, at God's immediate Direction, appeared above our Horizon, with Healing in their Wings.  
I think, 'tis owned on all hands, that Popery (especially as 'tis of late years refined by new Jesuitical Morals) is a Terror to all Protestant Kingdoms. As for us, we are not half so much afraid of St. Peter's Keys▪ as St. Paul's Sword; which of late (for some Centuries past) the New Church of Rome takes indifferently into her hand, with the other. We need not go far to have the footsteps of her Cruelty, which bleed so fresh in our own Annals; and tho' our English Courage has been far ever from being thought contemptible, yet we have always been very backward to Defend our Religion by such Material Weapons, till the time, we believed our Lives, as well as our Consciences were assaulted; which, if any thing, will prove the Justice of our Arms; when employed at the Command of our Lawful Governors.  
As for the Truth of our Religion, we modestly conceive we have made it good, with no small advantage; and have showed abundantly, that our Church is very far from fearing any reasonable Engagement of that kind; having never been once outpowred since our Reformation, only rudely oppressed, and Discountenanced sometimes, by Brutish Cruelty, and Force of Arms.  
When a Popish King (our late Dread Sovereign) was ready with a Numerous, well appointed Army in the Field; and our Charters, and our Properties, for a great part, Seized and construed into Forfeiture, and Prerogative; and a new, fine Equivalent offered us, in exchange for our most Ancient Franchise. Our Penal Laws to be voted down, with our Protestant Test, by a choice prepared Assembly: when a Conversion to Popery was a currant Excuse to other Crimes and Illegalities, it self the greatest. Execution of Good wholesome Laws generally suspended; and a wide door set open (upon a Religious Design) to entertain all the Debauchery, Licentiousness, and Atheism of a Wicked Age; and an unlimited Liberty tacitly allowed to men's Lusts and Passions (with a very small share of Wit, and no Religion) to push on for Tumult and Confusion, as fast as they could. Besides (what we don't love to remember, but cannot so soon forget) as it supposed us much more Dull and Wretched than indeed we were) enjoin us to Subscribe (publish I mean) a large Form of Declaration, virtually to the overthrow of our Established Religion, and all whatever else is ours. We blushed at this time, to think, being Innocent, how we had so ill-deserved of our Governors, as to find so little Credit with 'em: We were (as many as observed it) extremely sorry at this; and that we could now Obey no longer, tho' threatened aloud with Penalty enough to our Temporal Undoing. We trusted in the Mercy and Compassion of our Good God, who Delivered us then, with the Rescue of those famous Confessors of our Sacred Hierarchy, Men of Renown.  
The honest, good, peaceable, Loyal Subject, all this while, nothing in his hand for his sustenance, but a Dry unsavoury Morsel of Passive Duty; which he had already chewed, and Lived so long upon, that he became every day more and more naked of all other Refreshments, and thought he was a'shipping ready for the stake of Martyrdom. When our Popish Governors were so impatient, tho' of prudent Delays; and were all for making long steps hastily to our Overthrow. And, alas! our Unfortunate Monarch so , and plainly infatuated by Jesuited Counsels, that nor the most humble modest Complaints, nor Tears of his Faithful Subjects could prevail any thing. When Altars, and Popish Habits appeared openly in the Imperial City, and Country; and began to Nest together in Societies; and in the name of a Catholic King outbraved all, even the most modest Pretences and Privileges of a Different Religion; and would have stifled, and suffocated all our Learning, and smothered our Profession, with an heavy indigested Mass of their Exploded Forgeries, and Nonsense; which turned, upon our judicious defence, so much to their Shame and Decay, which indeed was the greatest kindness they could do us, to give us opportunity thus to show our strength, on this manner.  
I would not be misunderstood all this while, as tho', in what I have said, I should seem the least inviduous, I am forced to mention a little; for that our Public Blessings received, cannot be duly prized, without some competent sense of our former unhappiness; and undoubtedly we should deserve to be construed more than Passive, could we so soon forget our own History, which is so plain, and dates so close upon our Memories.  
Briefly then, when our Reformed Religion, which we place ever before all other our worldly Comforts, was in such unquestionable, apparent Danger, that upon our most accurate Projections, all Humane means failed for our Deliverance; and our Misfortunes too inspired, and backed by so potent an Enemy, a Tyrant Neighbour; who upon his own single stake, for many years together has held almost all Christendom in Play. In this Critical juncture, (by a strange Miracle of the Divine Providence, say others what they will) came the Blessed Pair, William and Mary to our seasonable rescue; which by the same indulgent Providence they effected without one Drop of Blood; by a natural cheerful Surrender of their own Rights into their hands; after the Royal Zealot was gone; when He had so unkindly Refused a just Restitution of our Laws and Liberties; then by a general Consent of the Desolate People (for how can any Kingdom stand without an Head to Govern it)? They the next together, in Succession, are both placed in the Throne.  
And then, and just before the Pride of the New Catholic Religion, and its Empire utterly vanished; The Zealous Priests make haste away; and leave their Devotion (as their Saints too of both Sexes) a'starving at their Shrines: The Crafty Jesuit packs up with the first, and leaves the new Converts behind; astonished at their Religion, suddenly grown so unfashionable; and some came back to us again, ashamed now to think their Civility carried them so far, beyond the reasons of their Faith. But tho' these Holy Men left their Converts here, (too few by many to raise a Monument to their pretended Learning, and Art of Persuasion) they forgot not to take their Riches with 'em, the vast Treasure by their pious Frauds they had cheated the Nation of.  
Thus we of this National Church are happily restored to our Religion, it's free Profession; to our Properties; to our Laws; to our Liberties; to our Lives. Rid of our urgent Fears and Jealousies, all but what the Sons of Trouble studiously strive to nurse in their restless Bosoms. Our True Religion has gained much honour, by the invincible Courage and Constancy of its true Professors; which is God's Cause, as well as our own. Our Government is re-established upon its old, best Foundations; and all the slubber of our Grief wiped off (till now) as we lay a long time a'weeping, under the Cross. Popery in its insulting Greatness for ever banished our Isles. Briefly, we have lost nothing, but what we could not keep; and hope to live as contentedly as we can without; and tho' at present engaged in an expensive Foreign War, we fight Honourably in Defence of ourselves, and Confederates, thereby to lay (which must be done with time) a sure stable foundation of our Security, and common Prosperity, for the future.  
And now, upon the foot of the Account, tell me seriously, ye Sons of Wisdom, are not these I have named, Lovely great Advantages? which we own, and confess (as many as are impartial) next to the good Providence of God, to the Care and Vigilance of our Governors: and to Her (though not to Her alone) whose Obsequies we this day Celebrate. She, who planted Religion both by Precept and Example in the Court, the Head, and Fountain of our Government; and would have made it all of one piece, i. e. Religious; took great pains in her Public and Private Devotion; and by her excellent advice, and Illustrious Pattern taught others so to do, if any other, certainly a Nursing Mother of this Church of England, which we have reason to think is more indebted to two of our late Queens, than well-nigh all the Kings we have had till now, since our Happy Reformation. Good Edward lived but a while; and though He did as much, as 'twas possible for the time, being young, yet 'twas the Rudimental Beginnings only of so great and noble a Design; but what we wanted in his, was in some good measure compensated by the shortness of the next Reign; and especially by the happy Length of that which followed close upon it. She who did most, Queen Elizabeth of ever Blessed Memory; the next a Peaceable Learned Prince, but came late to our Government; succeeded by a Son Religious and Wise; who had our Civil Distractions suffered him to Live, as 'twas probable otherwise He might, had raised, and beautified, to it's best advantages, our Religious Communion, as established; but since He could no longer stand, He chose to fall a Glorious Martyr with it; and when upon our famous Restauration, our Regular Worship began again to smile upon us (as we did cordially upon it) it flourished, more than a little whise, under a Good natured King; till it was again too pitifully beclouded, in the last Reign, which left it harassed, to the more happy Success and better Government of our King and Queen; who had She longer lived, (as She did more than a little, in such a narrow stint of time) so would have done wonderfully much more for its Beauty and Prosperity. But She is, alas! untimely Dead; not as to Herself, but us; who promised (as we had great reason) every Day more and more felicity to ourselves, under the shadow of Her Government. Who, as She came with much unwillingness to the Throne; so She as willingly resigned at God's Command, the Burden of it, tho' by Her so easily born; and taught all Christian Princes, by her Illustrious Example, how 'tis really practicable, and their best Interest to be Good and Great at the same time.  
I have excused myself already; give me leave but this once. Alas! Christians, The Lovely Ornament of our Peace, The Beauty of our Regular Devotion, A Rare Example of Virtuous Life, The Glory of Christian Princes, the Greatest of Her Sex, the Darling of all Her Good People, The Dearest Pledge of God's good Providence, our Glorious Princes is Dead, and gone. Let all our Judah, and Jerusalem weep, and Mourn for our Good Queen; as they did righteously for Josiah. 'Tis indifferent, whether we Lament Her, or our Religion; they were inseparable in Her; and how then shall we distinguish 'em? I cannot blame the profuseness of our Grief upon this extraordinary Subject, if there be any Venial Sin we Christians can commit, surely this is it, the great extremity of our present Sorrow; and tho' we reasonably conclude, this our great Concern will touch the hardest heart, in the whole Nation; yet, if there be any, who cannot weep for it, and us; I hope, without injury, we may take leave to weep for ourselves and them. 'Twere well the reasons of our Sorrow were not real, as we believe they are, upon impartial view. Tho' yet we are not in the least unthankful; but know how to prise all the Blessings we have left behind; our Good King, and Royal Family. But these all Mourn as well as we; and we humbly think we have as great a cause as any; tho' all this we know is fruitless and in vain. But how can tender hearts express themselves, and their passionate resentments, in a milder way? not that we should seem fond envy Her her Happiness above, who stood ever the fairest Candidate for an Immortal Crown: But we beg leave here thus to acknowledge, and confess our many obligations; and to embalm, and preserve her Sacred Memory to perpetual Generations, with the Dearest expressions of our most unfeigned Love.  
I fear I have held you too long in this Melancholy Scene; I have done then; only mind you very briefly of two things, to which our present Affliction seems nighest allied. The reasons, I mean, that lie uppermost to our knowledge, and are most Legible, in such an harsh Providence as this is.  
1. Either by this sort of Discipline, God in his infinite wisdom, has a mind to mean us, from an over fondness, we are too apt to create to ourselves of any Humane Help, we think stands nighest our Temporal Happiness; and than 'twill teach us Patience. Thus, we know, He exercised the People of the Jews, when under th' immediate Jurisdiction of his Theocracy in Egypt, in the Wilderness, in Canaan, and after when they were embodied, and had Kings, as th'other Nations; depriving 'em of Success oftimes by many secret methods of his good Providence; thereby to hold 'em the closer to himself in their Dependence, and the Counsel of his own Divine Will; who has many more ways for our Succour, in the unerring Conduct of his Eternal Wisdom, than we can imagine. Or,  
2. God punishes us thus severely for our manifold abominable sins, as He did the Jews oftimes; particularly here in the matter of Josiah; and then Mourning is the least part of what we have to do, which concerns us most in a speedy Reformation of our Wicked Lives; lest otherwise, upon our continued provocations, our Judgement, as it proceeds from the Divine Justice should thus conclude our Good King too, whom God long preserve, with th'other Royal Branches; this needs every good, sober Christians consideration.  
Finally: If our Grief be real upon the sense of our great Loss, it supposes we understand the worth of Good Princes; and consequently, (as we now Mourn for Her, whose Funeral Day we celebrate, so) we, from henceforth, apply ourselves with all dutiful, and Loyal Love, and Fidelity to Him who is now in the Throne; and to this good end, eat and disencourage, the most we can, in ourselves and others, all causeless Jealousies, and turbulent Counsels; which, in the effect, should any way cool, and diminish from our cheerful Obedience; and learn to submit ourselves Dutifully to our Governors, as well as to Pray for 'em; That God would grant our King a long, and an happy Reign over us: and that we, and all his Subjects (duly considering whose Authority he hath) may faithfully serve, honour, and humbly obey Him, according to God's Holy Word, and Ordinance; and that He may ever study to Preserve thy People, committed to his Charge, in Wealth, Peace, and Goodliness. Grant this, O Merciful Father, for thy Dear Son's sake Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.  
FINIS.