•■^-•*»n»K»»«ii«(;rA'-S-:«-.v'.-k;::*tiii;„^«,ASiSBSJ' 
 
 fHiicrtlairp. 
 
 StEtS9BZX« 
 
 FOR THECENTISEL. 
 
 rT!i; fo'ilcj vin;^ Ltr.ty was wrote auJ piihlifl'.eJ imrne- 
 ♦Viucly aftei' the .rrc.it fiie, March 20, 1 ';6o, and is now 
 rei)u^h!h:il as a;).>licJibie to il)e late Coufl^gratiou] 
 
 T.iE imcert^iiiity of h'ursan life, the tranf.tory nature 
 a'lJ coiuiniral /icifiiMJes otthis pref^nt Hate of bei-aj; 
 niul of all cn;oy^.lsav^ :\nd poireUions in it, are truths io 
 well known 10 every tlioug' tfvil pcrfi)n,anii have {o ofu'a 
 Veen the fuhjecls of j'.iuicious wi'itrrs i'l all ages, that the 
 rtro-!t;iftiavtinticn c^n perhaps foarctfi 'id any thing novv 
 po vW'iVy am! a m'^v'.el^ Mdfe vvith reludiance u;u!ertakes 
 the ihc^ne : Vet fich is the fr.iiUy* of huinan nature, that 
 wiicn a fuJUcii Cutaftrophe l"urroui-5.ls us themintl isfint- 
 tereJ an.l vlirco;ic«rteil, and lIocs not r-'aJily collefl th.)fe 
 rcfiet^inns fuiiablc* tt> the occafjon, or elie by Jiasnng 
 been nf^tl to r.egiedl fuch refi?(?Vi;)ns, froTi a coii^feptiun 
 that they mnft needs flo-.v naturally f'ro.ii fvscU calamities 
 a-. Ihould prcducc thenV, the rr.i-iJ throi^jh ujriife^ may 
 not immeJiateiy conceive them wlieti v.-cintjd. It is 
 tru;, ilie voice of naturt has ah^ays hsen the fame, 
 is continually founding, and ur.uerftood by nil ; yet 
 Aran^.'^ ^" f-'iy> what we hear t!ic ofteneft, v\'e attv-nd to 
 the leafl, and what wc are fhe moft cert.iia of, wa g;ive 
 the l^^aft heed lo ; but there are times when g>) >d proti- 
 detice fends a loader Aimmonsby th.' flrnj;;les of na:ti.]rer' 
 nnu prjclaims thofetriiths, which thov^gh they could not 
 operate-; by :he inip.Trtancc of tlvelr nature, yet inay force 
 their effeil by io.iziii^:^ the palfio'is ; l)ut here fraiky a- 
 jrain takes, place; from extreme tlmushtltfihefs, t'-.e paf- 
 fions b;ing rouzod, wc rt?ni oa to confufuni and <rrrar ; 
 like pilots jrowing-.carelcfs by a long calm,we llesr by the 
 jrafl (vf paffion, iiiftjad of the cnmpjfj of underllanding, 
 liccdief:; of the port of ttuth, and negligent of thofe du- 
 ties to v»'hicb. the paiTi )ns were only defigr.ed to urge c . 
 
 To ]ioint foith and fimiU irife thefe tni'.Ii'jhasbcen tlie 
 \yfQ\\ h.indlod fubjefl of tlie bel^ writeis ; but v^-hile na- 
 t.irc contiiijes to firtj.-non, and t!ie wifdoin of her voice 
 remains in any nieafure n.cgleded, ths tlieme cannot be. 
 truly exbaaft^d, nor the rer>etition of it neiJIefs. 
 
 For tliefe ends, this EiFiy is prefented to tire public 
 vi nv, if it prifs u:id^r the ju Igment of al^lc miiuls, they 
 will acfjuiefce in any truth, and at le:'.fl rr.ny Tron hence 
 take a hint for nobler thougIit5.7 befijc-;, r'lrre is a fat- 
 ijfaiftion wc all feel in giving vent to tlie tlirobbings of 
 the bofom,^nd in C()lIe<Sli)ig to fome ord^r, thofe t,ho-:ghts 
 wliich fioal through the mind on fuch .occafiflns* 
 
 L'it this then be the apology; but if ftifl ar.y one 
 fhnul.l cenfurc rm for treading in this unaccul^oinjd path 
 of v/;:ting, I mull nnit the difpute and rcreera mvfclf be- 
 /icalh the horroi-s of that never to be forgotten nitrht,Hhen 
 the flaniJ^ bro'ce loafs on our hcufe-^j and laid fo large a 
 part of our capital in ruins: I am fcnfible that p.aintcd 
 t-irrorr; ill-hecoTTi re i! {.n-zow, and are never to be ufej 
 Iv.it wlien tlie pafTnns r.re fluggifti ; and therefore 'p:i^- 
 fiMg over that ample fieM for defri-iptLon, which the late 
 unliappy cataftrcphe afToris, fiiall confine myfelf to thofe 
 l'>ber f:i(?ils which no body Hiould he igiornnt of, and 
 vvith wliich every body muft needs be affedtcd. 
 
It ivas tnsn in 
 !!■ I)')d!es were fn 
 
 P, that 
 
 he firft vvatchis of the morn-ng, 
 tft fit.tered v.icii foii;ul;:ft flee 
 the ftre wa> firil difcoveret', and the town r.l.u-med with 
 ?A\ oiit-cfv ; the inhahitants were fpeedily colledled, and 
 thoagh the fire was foind in the cell.lr of a brick, hottfi;^ 
 yet it fojn eat through its prifon ; tlie wind I>lovviiig 
 frefli nrgsd on the fiamei, and witli fari^rlfing fury tl\ey 
 ravaged ill fpite of all oppofition or means to fiipprefs 
 them ; the cinifers and burninr; ruins were carried to the 
 leeivardmofl part of the town, by means of vvhich fome " 
 who thought tliemfelves in noda:<ger, were tlje fconeft 
 confumcd, and tlie inhabitants of them being tjnthcreil t«> 
 affiil at the heid of the fire,faitered the greatcfliolTcs at 
 thsir own hDufes ,• the like evil happened to niiaibcrs of 
 tradefmen, whofe fliops werefo quick fuel foi"th^ flames, 
 tiiat their tools and ftock. were all confumcd before they 
 could repair to rhem ; in fome pLices we heard tlic I 
 ihrieks of mothers and children rouzed from their beds 
 i)y the furrounding flimes, and no man to l^elp ; h-^rc 
 \vi might behold thaageif, thefick and the bcd-rid, whofc 
 cUd'ancc fyom the feat of th^ fire i^ave them iiopes of fe- 
 rurity, driven forth CO the inchmeneies of the wearl:)er,not 
 knovs'in; where to fttalter; there we miglit fee tiiofs 
 whofe !eart-tho::v:htS were placed on their fuoib.nce, 
 , and whofe greateft anxiety w^as to fave their lives: Thus 
 laged thi? fire, forcieig its way at the windows of brick 
 Iioufes, whofe fiatsd roofs were tlionglit a fujfi.-ient de- 
 fence, thui aJding burning to burning, till it left no 
 building nnconfjir.ed where the wind would let it pa f<:. 
 The natural horrors of the night r.odcd terror to this 
 cataftrophs; and at once rendeied it more difnial to the 
 eye, mure grevious to be born, and more difRcutt to be 
 fiipreffsd, till the odious nigh.t wore out, and with it 
 vanifhsd the height of our fc;ars ; hut not f^ ;he reality 
 of our f.irrow, tlie rifen fun aXTuaged the glosm of the 
 night, but gave vis a difmal |M-ofj.ccl of its havock ; a 
 fjieftacle (hocking to fenfibility ! Like the blafted trees 
 of fammer, or the fkeleton of fome deiightfui body j ycf 
 far lefs ungrateful to the figlu than forrowful to be rc- 
 f.efled on. Take a furvey tiien of thefe e:ttended ruins , 
 here once llvej the loyal fubjecfl, the tender father, 
 t.he obliging friend, awd a go»d common\vealths-man ; 
 but their habitatioris, as with one fweep .of a fcy:!ie, are 
 alt cut off, and they thrown on the charity o'f their 
 friends : And is this all ? Alas thereaie ilill morehean- 
 }>iercing-fceries ; walk through the ruin?, and take a 
 n-.ore particular account ; here lived the laborious tradef- 
 tx\\n, on whos's daily induftry depended the fuftenance 
 of a iiumsrous family ; there lived one wliofe ciicum- 
 Itances were f^raitened with poverty, and diftrefled by 
 ficknefs : hcrQ livesl one jhR: enic-iging fiX>'Ti indigence, 
 ,atld reaping the firfl fruits of honeft liidufvry ; tlierelivdd 
 thofc whofe comfci table circumltances afvwrded a refuge 
 for the needy, and an habitation for t!ie friendlefs ; htrc 
 lived th>fe whofe fubfiflence depended on their fltuation i 
 for bafi-.iefs ; There lived thofa whofe all vvas ip their 
 ■houfes, and here thofe who are ftill unhappily aafwera- 
 %\ei for all they loll ; there lived, and there v.-as the fub- 
 fiftcnce of th« agfld and infirm, whofe frugal inuufcry in 
 voutli, had procured them the merited fupport of eafy 
 old age,whea the body unflrnng for labor can no longer fup- 
 port vtrelf— But all cut off, their ihduftry appears nomor^, 
 and the fatigues of youth ovortakes them,'A'hen a^^e (hould 
 1>e at reft ; the children muft bdg, and ti-.«e indafliiuus 
 niuft be dependent, the forehanded repeat liis toil anew, 
 and the debtor lay at mercv ; the friendlefs rnufl feck 
 for otUer p:itrons, and they who pitronizcd implore com- 
 panion ; the affluent a»ed mart forget ih?ir eafe, and 
 too foon lofe the hcnetit uf that fubilancs which they 
 could not carry hence. 
 
 
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all. V/here (ball i!'.e mifer befiow his hoarftK^r t^e ex- 
 rorrioner his ill coaen ciin?, or how f-iall the worLlly 
 ' m^n feciiic liis hn-piiicl"s when flames furronnd them ? j' 
 I The huge i>i!lars()'f I'mcak. which v/e beheld floating to 
 - the llcy were at onceemM .n a iral (»f our poireffions ;uul 
 <lecl;'.rr.tivev';f their lofb: but wh.at Uy thefe mishty ru- 
 in^ r they <h.ew ur. rt how uncei tain a tenure we liold our 
 '■ncnts, foi- next ur/Jer a fov-ereign providence we 
 .1 indc!-t;J even to tlie llahilicy of the wind that it did 
 noi vr.ry :ind roll tlie fiames f)ver ilie whole town. Witii 
 hoiv nuiclj eafe then can we fhifc the fcene ana fuppofe 
 ourkhes in the fituation of t'le prefeiU diftrcfled ; was 
 il onr ?o)-loef>, or vi&ilaiKC that protcdcc-i us ? And if 
 beiiiE dv-ftroycd, we fliould have felt foi row; hemg (o 
 narrouly favcd can we fail to me't witli fympaihy ? and 
 if ever the go'dsn rule was capable of a benevolent appli- 
 cation th: molt infer.fiblc mull now feci it, at;d the rwoii 
 hardijricd put it in praifuce ; and he who on this octa- 
 fi'in i}oct not biftovv bjantifnlly to the relief of tlie imme- 
 diate fiiff.?rers, muft eithei flatter himfelf with foir.e pe- 
 culur infail.ble protection, or being defnerate in 
 gidJinefs, bid a bold de/iance to all calamity. Nor 
 can nny one, thourrh nut immediately expofed to this 
 deflrn'^iorj, r;rrno' cliftant from tliis capital, furmif© that 
 cliey h ive no pyt in its general admonition ; 'tis nature's 
 voice, tliat well known herald of the Almis'ity wt^ich 
 tiio' it b^ now uttered liere, yet echoes every where ; 'tis 
 but one \\'a\ of that amazinj fcourge, brandifhed by tlie 
 hand cf vcngoaicr, againft a guilty world ; the fame fire 
 may parch up that land wtiicli it does not confumc, and 
 ' eat tliq.iakes make [is dtfolation vVorfc than t!)e j^refer.t; 
 I if theiefore we are common tenar^ts of a fl^ats variegateji 
 I with joy and forro\\', merhiaks '^is natural v.e fhould in 
 i fonr.':- meafurc lliare tlie good of it which we all want, 
 ; feeii^.g we are equally expofed to the evils of it, under 
 I which we all dcfue to be i tUeycd. 
 
 I O, rr.y foul, whnt a tliought arifes ! can it v/ith truth be 
 ' faid, th^t any in lii'^n^" l^i^TC. though their d;;;I} fiipport 
 v/ere robbery, fhould lark for thr canfufionof a public calam- 
 ity, and plunder live property of the difti el'ed.; or that any 
 after cool df liberation, upon wh itioevcr pretence, (bould ci- 
 tSer pnbliclciy or priv:vt ly difcountJnnnce that relief to the 
 ' diftrelTed vKich we rr.r; all atfo-ne time want, and which hu. 
 , inanity fugjcft*; ? forbid it hccV,",-n ! ,. ^ 
 
 Ala5, we fojourn in a vile of tears, forrow on every fid? 
 
 'furrounds us, and tails fsr thofe duties wh.ich v/e ftcl im- 
 
 'prcned in out natures, daties fo endeliably crp,raven, th 't a 
 
 lu-at!ien fail. " In nothing do we more imrr.iiate the ir'mor- 
 
 ' tal Gods, than in doing adls of Irir'dnefs," ths voice of rcve- 
 
 I lation is ftill mere explicit, and fo plain, that ha who nm? 
 
 rR*7 read. PofTcfiions take to themfelvcs wines; to what 
 
 f purpolc is it then, that \vc dillrefs, perplex and corrupt our 
 
 minds in trcttiag v.'cahh, the pofllHion of which is fo preca- 
 
 \ riotis ? With what f<ice can w; fwell with the conceit of riches 
 
 j and aflame air? of irftportante, difdain, opprefs, ind tyran- 
 
 ' nite over iholc bcp.esvh us (perhips only) in fortune, when a 
 
 few hours may fet us all on a level ? Hew much does it become 
 
 ' us while in effluence to demean outl'elve* with li'f.b honef^y, 
 
 humanity and beneficence, as that if calnmily Ibould over- 
 
 ', take u:, x'.'c may ftand ccn'cfTcdly the worthy objedts of nred- 
 
 I I'-il relief? Mclhinks this cncdlrophc is big with inftrucftion, 
 
 (couid any me f^e'.he dire havock produced from fo fmall a 
 
 r( fire, and not feel the obligatioR? v/e owe to the community in 
 
 our of.rnromy of this neceirary but devouring ele.Tj-nt, and of 
 
 erefy thing that is cpt fncl for the farhC ? for as our pof- 
 
 "efTiop.s are not fccuied by ourovvr finzle carelulneliB, the duty 
 
 hcrcforc becomes general ; and may I be permitted to take a 
 
 hint from thi$ dreadful defolation, and point it forth as an 
 
 emblem of that deftrudion, v/hich the pafli'-.ns -.vhcs lr.i Icofc 
 
 odiicc in huo'an min»ls 5 when the firft cxccfs is r\ot (up- 
 
 preffed, like the htt ^ re they ravage, incrc ifc by running, and 
 
 may deltroy every t!^ jg valudbie in the mind ; .nay entirely 
 
 ■p us of that real t^ al'urc which only can fVand us in Itead 
 
 when a greater conflagration diall fciie this earth, when wc 
 
 fhall be as little ansi-) 1-; to fave our lives, i.s many lately 
 
 were to favc their worldly pcJTefT'ons. 
 
Dr. Mayhew's 
 
 ■■T*^.t 
 
 DISCOURSE 
 
 ON THE 
 
 SDcatI) of K. George II. 
 And Acceffion of K. George III. 
 
A 
 
 DISCOURSE 
 
 Occafioiied by the Death of 
 
 King George IL 
 
 AND THE 
 
 Happy Acceffion of His Majefty 
 
 King GEORGE III. 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Imperial Throne of 
 
 G R E A T-B R I T A I Ni 
 
 Delivered Jan. 4th I'jbi. 
 
 AND 
 
 PuWillied at the Defire of the Weft Church and 
 Congregation in Bojlou, Nezu-England, 
 
 By Jonathan Mayhew, D. D. 
 
 Paflor of the faid Church. 
 
 m^^^^mmsim^m 
 
 BOSTON: N E W - E N G L A N D. 
 Printed and Sold by Edes & Gill in ^esn-Sir$stf 
 
em^m^mi^m^^mm 
 
 To the Chriftian, the Truly-Pro- 
 teftant, and very Loyal Socie- 
 ty, who attend the public 
 Worfhip in the Westerly Part of 
 Bofton, 
 
 This Discourse, published at 
 their Delirc fignified by their Commit- 
 tee^ is now gratefully inscribed, with 
 the fincereft Wiflies for their tempo- 
 ral and fpirltual Welfare,and with due 
 Acknowledgments of the many Ob- 
 ligations by them laid vipon 
 
 The Author. 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom 
 
 of Men, 
 
 
 DANIEL IV. ]8. 
 
 T/je mofl High ruleth 
 
 Kingdoin of Men-^ 
 
 t?i 
 
 the 
 
 HE prefcnt iinufLial and gloomy appearance 
 of the place ^ in which I now (land, may 
 fecm the natural prefage of a difcoiirfe re- 
 plete with gloomy ideas, with lamentation 
 and mourning. But yet m.ethinks this is a reafon 
 adapted to awaken various, and even contrary pafTions 
 in onr breads; a Tea fon wherein we almofl: unavoida- 
 bly mingle fome of the tears o'i joy with thofe of 
 forrow ; and wherein wholly to indulge, or wholly to 
 reprefs either of them, would hardly be innocent ; 
 at leaft: not very congruous. On one b.and we juftly 
 mourn the death of an excellent king, uhom every 
 good Britifli fubje<S}: was habituated to confider rather 
 under the amiable and endearing character of afither, 
 than the more awful one of a fovereign. And where is 
 the heart fo hard, fo unfeeling, fo devoid of all 
 fentiment, as to remain untouched, unaffecled, at the 
 death of fuch a king, the common fatlfbr of his peo- 
 ple ? What bofom does not heave ? What eye is not 
 ready to overflov/, on fo melancholy aji occadon '^^ 
 
 BuTi 
 
 * la aHuHgn to the palpit hurg ^Iib ropurnin^ on this ocpijon,. 
 
8 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men^ 
 
 But, on the other hatid, have we not caufe for 
 gratitude, that heaven fpared him to us fo long ? 
 and for joy* that his royal grandfbn and fucceflbr is 
 peaceably afcended the throne ? And this at fuch a 
 mature age, and adorned with fo many royal quali- 
 ties, as give us the reafonable profpedl of fitting 
 under his ihadow with great delight ; and, in a Word, 
 of enjoying under his reign the continuance 6f all 
 thofe numerous blelFrngs, which we fo long enjoyed 
 under the aufpicious reign of his late majefty. The 
 fame object has often both a bright and a dark fide ; 
 and, by being turned round, gives relief, or even 
 pleafure, to the pained eye of the fpe£lator. As our 
 felicity is never pure and unallayed in this evil 
 world ; (b neither is our forrow ever, or hardly ever, 
 unmixed ; but ufually attended with fome circum- 
 ^ances, which, being duly confidcred, may adminifter 
 comfort to us. This is our pefent cafe : That fb- 
 vereign hand which gave the wound to our hearts by 
 the death of his late majefty, has almoft healed it the 
 lame hour, and turned our mourning into joy ; or 
 if not into joy, has at leaft miniflred the beft con- 
 solation that the nature of the cafe would admit of. 
 For the lofs of a good king cannot be any way fb 
 effectually made up, or remedied, as by another, wor- 
 thy to fucceed him, reigning in his ftead -y efpecially 
 one de (bended, from him, and in whom he may be 
 coniidered as, in fome fort, ftill living and reigning. 
 Such is the confolation that gracious heaven afford-s 
 TO us, and to three kingdoms, at this feafon of out 
 common mourning. And both rea (bn and religion 
 as much require that we gracefully receive the con- 
 folation ofFer(?d, as that we humbly lay to heart 
 that event of pi'ovidence, by which we camc to 
 
 need ic. 
 
 It 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. g 
 
 It becomes us as men, and efpecially as chrifti- 
 ans, on this occafion to look up to the fovereign 
 ruler of the univerfe, who " rcmoveth kings and 
 fetteth up kings", as feemeth good in his fight. Him 
 we are to condder as the author of thofe revoltiiions, 
 and other great changes, which take place from age 
 to age in the kingdoms of this world ; and fhould 
 make a religious improvement of the prefent difpen- 
 fations of his providence towards us. It is with a 
 view at afTifting you in fo important a duty, that I 
 have chofen the words jufl: now read, for the fnbjeft 
 of my difcourfe at this time — '* The niofl: High 
 ruleth in the kingdom of men." The words occur 
 three feveral times in this fourth chapter of Daniel ; 
 which confifts of a manifedo, or folemn declaration, 
 which Nebuchadnezzar the great king of Babylon 
 publifh^d *' to all people, nations and languages"; 
 and which the prophet, for the honor of God's name, 
 thought proper, it feems, to preferve intire with 
 his own writings, to be tranfmitted to future gene- 
 rations. Nebuchadnezzar is fpoken of in fcripture 
 as one of the greateft monarchs that ever lived in 
 the world. *' Thou, O king", faid Daniel to him, 
 *^ art a king of kings ; for the God of heaven hath 
 given thee a kingdom, pov/er, and ftrength and glo^y. 
 And wherefoever the children of men dwell, the 
 beads of the field, and the fowls of heaven hath 
 he delivered into thy hand f". Prophane hiftory 
 fpeaks of him conformably to this account ||. He 
 
 B was 
 
 f Chap. n. ver. 37, 98. 
 
 jj He is faid to have held in fabjeflion Syria, Phcnicla, Arabia 
 and Egypt. " Strabo Hkewife afTerts that this king among 
 the Chaldeans was more celebrated than Hetcu!es, and 
 that he proceeded as far as the pillars of Hercules [near 
 the freights of GiHralter] and led his army out of Spain 
 into Thrace and Pontus." Vid. Dr. Newton's Xlilth 
 D:j£rtation in Pr&phcsy, 
 
10 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. | 
 
 Was as proud and impious as he was great. And God 
 feems to have rai fed him np as he did Pharaoh, that 
 he might '* fhew his power in him, and that his name 
 might be declared throughout all the earth". It 
 feems that he was for a time much alarmed, and 
 even convinced, by the miraculous deliverance of the 
 three pious Jews from the fiery furnace^ whom he 
 had ordered to be caft into it for not woriliipping 
 the golden image which he had fct up ; and he made 
 a decree, that no one fhould fpeak againft the God 
 whom thefe men worlhipped.^ But his heart, Jike 
 Pharaoh's, rcfumed its former bardnefs ; and was [o 
 lifted up with pride, that God refolved to humble 
 him in a very fignal manner. And the main defign 
 of his manifedo, contained in this IVth Chapter of 
 Daniel, is to declare to all the world the wonderful 
 means by which God did this ; by which he con- 
 vinced him of his fupremc dominion, his power and 
 providence,and the wifdora and juflice of all his deal- 
 ings with the children of men. So that this may be 
 called the proclamation whereby that mighty, and 
 once impious monarch, recognized God's univerfal 
 dominion, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, 
 '^ 1 thought it good'V' %s he, *' to fhew the figns 
 and vt'onders that the liigh God hath wrought towards 
 me. For how great are his figns .^ and how mighty 
 are his wonders ? His kingdom is an everlafting king- 
 dom", &G. He then proceeds particularly to relate 
 what had happened to him ; the aftonifhing figns by 
 which God humbled his proud heart, and made him 
 confefs, that he indeed '• rwleth in the kingdom of 
 men^ and giveth it to whomfoever he will." What 
 thefe figns and wonders were, I nov^ forbear particu- 
 larly to mention, lefl my difcourfe fliould be drawn 
 out to too great a length. But in general^ he had 
 
 * Dan. C. III. V. 29. 
 
God ruhth in the Kingdom of Men. 1 1 
 
 a remarkable dream, or vifion, wherein, under the 
 fimilitude of cutting down a mighty tree, was^ accords 
 Ing to the prophet's interpretation, prefigured his 
 ocvn fall from his greatnefs, and his being driven 
 from men. And when the king fald, " Is not this 
 great Babylon that I have built for the houfe of 
 the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for 
 the honor of my majefty ? While the word was in 
 the kings mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, 
 faying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is fpoken. 
 The kingdom is departed from thee," ^c. And 
 " the fame hour was the thing fulfilled upon Ne- 
 buchadnezzar.*' Of which event we find the prophet 
 afterwards giving the following account to his foil 
 
 Beliliaz.zar " All people, nations and languages 
 
 trembled and feared before him ; whom he would 
 he flew, 3nd whom he would he kept alive, and whom 
 he would he fet up, and whom he would he put down. 
 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind har- 
 dened in pride, he was depofed from his kingly 
 throne, and they took his glory from him : And he 
 was driven from the fons of men — till he knew that 
 the moft high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and 
 that he appointeth over it whomfoever he will -[-." 
 
 Thus wonderfully was this great king brought 
 down, till at the end of the days appointed, he lift 
 up his eyes to heaven, and his underflanding re- 
 turned unto him. And he concludes his proclamation 
 in the flrong and emphatical terms following, which 
 difcover an heart very deeply imprefl with what had 
 befallen him for his former pride^tyranny and impiety 
 — '' Now I Nebuchadnezzar", fays he, " praife, and 
 extol, and honor the king of heaven, all whofo works 
 are truth, and liis ways judgment ; and thole that 
 walk in pride he is able to abafe". By"!: 
 
 I Chap. V. ver. 19, 20, 2;. 
 
1 2 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 But to return ; The words of the text may be 
 cohfidered as an intire, independent rentence,tho' they 
 indeed make but a part of one, as they (land in the 
 fever al places where they occur in this chapter. In 
 this light it is propofed to conHder them ; and they 
 will, I fuppofe, be a proper introduction to fome 
 reflexions on the prefent occafion, as they aflert God's 
 fupreme dominion in and over the kingdoms of men. 
 
 For the illuftration of this fubje^l, it is to be ob^- 
 fervcd firft in general, 
 
 I. That all nations, all kingdoms, are in the hand 
 of God, who has an original right, and abfolute pow- 
 er over them. He hath made of one blood all na^ 
 tions for to dwell upon the face of the earth ; and 
 has the intire difpofal of theiia. The abfolute fove^ 
 reignty of God over all nations, is reprefented in very 
 llrong and fublime language by Nebuchadnezzar in 
 this chapter, after his reafon returned to him. " His 
 kingdom"^faith he, " is from generation to generation : 
 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as 
 nothing ; and he doeth according to his will in the ar- 
 my of heaven,and among the inhabitants of the earth : 
 and none can ftay his hand, or fay unto him, What 
 doefl thou ?" The prophet Ifaiah expredeth himfelf 
 upon this fubje^l in language not lefs emphatical. 
 " Behold, the nations are as a drop of the bucket ', 
 faith he, " and are counted as the (luall duft of the 
 balance : behold, he taketh up the iilesas a very little 
 thing — all nations before him are as nothing, and 
 they are counted to him as lefs than nothing and va^ 
 nity'*. And a little after in the fame chapter — " It 
 is he that fiiteth upon the circle of the earth, and 
 the inhabitants thereof are as grafshoppers ; that 
 flretcherh out the heavens as a curtain, and fpread- 
 
 eth 
 
God rtileth in th^ Kingdom of Men. 1 3 
 
 €th them out as a tent to dwell in ; that bringeth the 
 princes to nothing : He maketh the judges of the 
 earth as vanity". [Chap. XL.] 
 
 Now, God's ruling in the kingdom of men, ex- 
 prefleth in general that fupreme power, that uncon- 
 trouiable dominion, which he exercifeth over all na- 
 tions from one generation to another : Not only his 
 right and power, but his aflual government over them. 
 For his ruling in the kingdom of men, implies his 
 continual agency and providence therein, and his 
 reigning over them as a fovcreign Lord ; not merely 
 his power and authority to do fo. And accordingly, 
 whatever befals dates and kingdoms ; their rife, en- 
 largement and prolperity, iheir fall, their declenfion, 
 and the various calamities that happen to them, are in 
 fcripture attributed to God's over-ruling providence, 
 as the accomplilliment of his fovereign pleafure con- 
 cerning them. And that thefe things are juftly af- 
 cribed to him, is evident from many confiderations ; 
 particularly from his having enabled his prophets to 
 roretel, many ages before-hand, the changes and re- 
 volutions which fhould take place among the nations 
 of the earth : Which predi(Sl:ions have been punctu- 
 ally verified by the event. 
 
 Thus the ancient prophecies refpeCling the Jews, 
 the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Ninevites, the 
 Tyrians, and many other nations, have long fince had 
 a mod exaft and furprillng accomplilhment ; as any 
 one, acquainted with the prophecies, and with what 
 has fince actually befallen thofe nations, mu(t ac- 
 knowledge j. And in this book of Daniel's prophe- 
 cies, 
 
 \ Many of thefe predidions, together with their refpeifli'-e ac- 
 complidiments, are Tct in a clear and flronj light in the Rev. 
 and very learned Dr. Newton 'sDiffertations on prophecy, Vol.1. 
 
14 God rukth In the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 des^ was foretold, v/ith an afionifliing precifion, tbo' 
 IB figurative language, what iliould come to pafs in the 
 four great fuccefnve monarchies, or empires of the 
 worlsi ; the Aifyrian or Babylonian, the McJo-Perfian, 
 tbe Macedonian and the Roman ; in, or during, the 
 latter of which, the God of heaven v^'as to fct up a 
 kingdom of a peculiar kind, which fliould never have 
 sn< end, or be left to other people : '* And the king- 
 ionir and the dominion, and the greatnefs of the 
 kingdom under rhe vihole heaven, fhall [at length] 
 be given to the people of the faints of the moit 
 High, whofe kingdom is an cverlafling kingdom ; 
 snd all dominions iliall ferve and obey him""^. Nor 
 h the prefent ftate of the Jews, or indeed the ge- 
 i?eral flate of the chriflian world at this day, any 
 thing lefs than a demonllration of the truth of pro- 
 phecy : which is, at the fame time, a kind of vifible 
 S^emondration of the truth and reality of God's rul- 
 ing in the kingdom of men. For, certainly none but 
 lie, who hath the fates and fortunes of all nations ia 
 Ms own hand, and the mod abfolute difpofal of them, 
 could poffibly enable men fo particularly and exa(^ly 
 to foretel what iliould bcfal them in remote ages, 
 ss the prophets have adlually done. And the accom- 
 plifliment of (b many prophecies already, as it is an 
 undeniable proof that the world is governed by di- 
 V\nt providence, fo it gives us an alTurance, that thofe 
 predictions in thefe facrcd books, which dill remain 
 unfulfilled, fliall alfb have their accornplifhmcnt at 
 the appointed time ; when " the mydery of God 
 IFiall be finilhed, as he hath declared to his fervants 
 ihe prophets". But, 
 
 11. God's ruling in the kingdom of men, mny 
 
 . e^'p'refs moce particularly and directly that authority 
 
 and fovercign power, which he exercifeth from age 
 
 ^a 
 
 * Chap. Vil, vcr. 27. 
 
God ruleth 171 the Ktngdvm of Men. i| 
 
 to nge over the kings and potentates of the earth ; 
 and which truly denominate hirn the King of icings 
 and Lord of lords. That being may well be laid 
 to rule in the kingdom of men, on whom all earthly 
 kings are entirely dependent ; who raifeth one to a 
 throne,andcafteth down another; who gives to all kings 
 their authority, and limits them in the exercife thcre^ 
 of ; who gives them whatever qualifications they hav« 
 for ruling ; who alio gives to their lives and reigns, 
 either a morter or longer term, as he pleafeth ; w4>o 
 makes their reign either a bleiling to the kingdoms 
 which they govern, or the contrary ; and who will 
 finally judge even them in righteoufnefs. With the 
 greaieit truth and propriety may he be faid to rule and 
 govern in the kingdom of men, who cxercifeth fucli 
 a dominion over the monarchs of the world. And to 
 enlarge a little here cannot, I fuppofe, be thougl^ 
 improper on the prefent occafion. 
 
 I. God ruleth in the kingdom of men, as all 
 .earthly kings derive their power and authority ori- 
 ginally from him ; or as they reign by his permiflloa 
 and providence, and as his miniftcrs. This is in 
 etfe<5l afferted in the words immediately following the 
 text — '' and giveth it" [i.e. the kingdom] ^' to 
 whomfoever he will", in the exercife of that fov€- 
 reign dominion which he hath over all. In confor- 
 mity whereto, the prophet addrcileth himfclf thus to 
 Bellhazzar, the fon and fuccclTor of Nebuclmdnezzar- 
 *' O thou king, the moft high God ga\'e Nebuch- 
 adnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majc(iy,and gloty, 
 and honor |.'* And the apoUle Paul nilerts in a more 
 general way, and without any exception, tliat *' there 
 is no power but of God"; that *' the powers tliat be 
 are ordained of God"; and that kings, and indeed 
 other inferior rulers, are ** God's minlflers", ap- 
 pointed 
 
 t Chap. V. ?er. i8. 
 
1 6. God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men* 
 
 pointed to govern the world under him, the Lord of 
 all ; and to carry on the defigns of his providence 
 therein. So that human government, being duly ad- 
 miniftred, is in efre6l the government of God. For 
 which reafon we are admonifhed to be fubjeft *' to 
 every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake, whether 
 it be to the king as fupreme, or unto governors as 
 unto them that are fent by him for the punifliment of 
 evil-doers, and for the praife of them that do well "^Z* 
 
 God does not indeed, by any immediate acl of his 
 own, place a crown upon the head, and put a fcep- 
 ter in the hand of him, whom he has ordained to 
 reign, and feat him upon a royal throne. He leaves 
 nations (ordinarily, I mean) to the free exercife of 
 their liberty and difcretion, under the general law of 
 reafon, to chufe their own forms of government, and 
 to model them as bed fuits them refpedlively. Some 
 nations neither have, nor are required to have, any 
 kings at all. Some crowns are, properly fpeaking, 
 eledlive, by the fundamental laws of the kingdom. 
 In other kingdoms the crown is hereditary, either with 
 certain limitations and exceptions, or without any, 
 according to the various conftiiutions of different king- 
 doms ; which conftitutions themfelves are not,however, 
 abfolutely immutable. In all which refpe^ls it may 
 truly be faid, that nations are left to the exercife of 
 their natural difcretion and liberty. But ftill religion, 
 and even reafon, teaches us to acknowledge the hand 
 and providence of God in the exaltation of any par- 
 ticular perfon to a throne. In ele(51ive kingdoms the 
 thoughts and counfels of the ele(ftors are, tho' imper- 
 ceptibly, fo over-ruled, that the choice falls at laft 
 upon him, whom God had ordained to reign ; and 
 thus, without knowing his purpofe, they fulfil his 
 
 fovereign 
 * I Pet. II. 13, 14. 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men, 1 7 
 
 fovereign pleafure. And where the crown is here- 
 ditary according to the conftitiuion, God in his pro- 
 vidence often interrupts and defeats the fuccelfjon, 
 either by the death of the prefiimptive heir, or by 
 other means ; and fometimes the crown devolves 
 at lad to one, fo remote from it by blood, that ho 
 was very unlikely ever to wear it, according to hu- 
 man rules of judging ; or it is perhaps transferred to 
 another race. Thefe things- are common, and well 
 known ; by which God (liews his own fovereignty 
 in the kingdom of men, and makes it manifeft that 
 he *' gives it to whomfoever he wiir\ 
 
 2. God ruleth in the kingdom of men, as all 
 earthly kings derive from him whatever qualifications 
 and abilities they have for reigning, as well as their 
 authority. How great ? how important, is the differ^ 
 ence between a wife and good, and a weak and bad 
 king I The welfare of nations, under God, depends 
 very much upon the talents and character of the 
 kings, whom he exalteth to reign over them. Nor 
 is it lefs evident that he beftows the various gifts and 
 talents by which kings are diftinguifhed from one 
 another, than it is that they reign by his permiffion, 
 and providential ordination. Wifdom, magnanimity, 
 and other royal qualities, are the gift of God ; of 
 which none are poiTclled in any greater degree, than 
 he faw fit to beflow them, in order to accomplifli his 
 own wife and holy purpofes. And from fome thefe 
 qualities are withheld, with the fame general defign. 
 For, according to the holy fcriptures, important events 
 are brought about in nations, and in the Hate of the 
 world, as well by the folly and infatuation of fome 
 kings, as by the wifdom of others ; all in conformity 
 to the will and purpofes of heaven. And this is one 
 way, in which God manifefls his own fovereignty in 
 the kingdom of men, C 3. God 
 
i8 GcD ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 3. God nileth in the kingdom of men, by fud- 
 -tending the adminiftration of kings, and by making 
 them great public blefTings, or the contrary, according 
 to his own pleafure. Moft commonly indeed, 
 wile and good kings reign fuccefsfully, whik weak 
 and wicked ones prove rather a curfe than a bleffing. 
 This is not, however, univerfally the cafe. It is ob- 
 vious that the fiiccefs or profperity of an ad minifi ra- 
 tion, docs not folely depend upon, nor is always in 
 cxa6l proportion to, the wifdom, juftice, fortitude, and 
 other princely virtues of him that fits upon the throne. 
 The views and endeavours of the befl: kings are fome- 
 times fruRrated ; while thofe of far inferior ones are 
 crowned with fucccfs, both in peace and war. It is 
 <jod that giveth falvation unto kings, and thereby to 
 kingdoms : He it is, that bringcth them down. And 
 both the(e he does,in fuch v/ays, and by fuch means, 
 as plainly evince his fovereignty in the kingdom of 
 men ; and fhew to kings and kingdoms at once, their 
 abfolute dependence upon him for profperity. How 
 many great and common calamities are there, whicli 
 befal nations from time to time, that the vvifeft and 
 imoft powerful monarchs can neither prevent nor re- 
 move ? And how many public blefTings are there, 
 which kings have little, or perhaps no hand at all, in 
 procuring I Riches, and honor, and power, and all 
 rjational blefFings, mufl be acknowledged to come ori- 
 ginally from God, fbmetimes by the inflrumentality 
 ofkings,and fometimics without it ; and in his '^ hand 
 it is to make great, and to give llrength unto all". 
 
 4. God ruleth in the kingdom of men, as he gives 
 to the reign of earthly kings either a fliorcer or longer 
 term, as feemeih good in his fight. Mighty monarchs 
 are fometimes " depofed from their kingly thrones" 
 for their fins, as Nebuchadnezzar was*. When his 
 
 mind 
 
God ruhth ifi the Kingdom of Men. r g 
 
 mind was hardened in pride, it was faid unto him, 
 '' The kingdom is departed from thee"; and inftantly, 
 his glory was taken away, and he was *' drivea 
 from men*'. Belfliazzar his fon did not profit by his 
 example ; and therefore met with a (lill more fatal 
 overthrow. No fooner had the hand upon the wall 
 written his doom, and Daniel interpreted it, — '' God 
 hath numbered thy kingdom, and finifhed it", &c, 
 than he was flain ; " and Darius the Median took 
 the kingdom". How many other proud, arbitrary 
 and tyrannical princes, who have thought thcmfelves 
 above all controul, have fuddenly been brought down 
 to the dull: ? either expelled their kingdoms, or come 
 to an untimely end, and left their thrones to others ? 
 Nor is the fovcreignty of Qo\ in the kingdom of men, 
 lefs manifeded in depriving earthly kings of their 
 power and dominion, than in conferring ihem at firfh 
 In the language of the royal pfalmift, " Promotion 
 Cometh neither from the ea(l, nor from the welh nor 
 from the fouth. But God is the judge : he putteth 
 down one, and fetteth up another |." 
 
 Besides : It is appointed unto all men, and no lefi 
 to kings, even great and good kings, than others, once 
 to die ; and to give an account of themfelves to God. 
 Their greatnefs exempts them neither from the com- 
 mon mortality, nor from the righteous judgment of 
 God, in v^.hofe band their breath is. From fome 
 the great arbiter of life and death, foon taketh away 
 their breath, even in early youth ; fo that they hardly 
 know what it is to wear a crown, before they are 
 commanded lo refign it ; and called to appear before 
 the high tribunal of hira that '' regardeth not the 
 per Tons of princes". Other kings :;re taken away 
 in the midft of their years ; and all their devices, pro- 
 
 C 2 je£lions^ 
 
 f Pfalm LXXV. 6, 7. 
 
2 God ruleth in the Kingdom oj M^n. 
 
 j.cflions and dcfigns, whether good or bad, are at once 
 brought to liCiriUig ; fometimes to the joy, and fome- 
 times to the forrow of their fubjects \ and not only of 
 their own flibje'cls, but of other nations. To other 
 kings God is pleafcd to grant length of days, and a 
 reign of many years ; fo that they are fatisfied with 
 life, ';nd fee many happy effeds c/ their reign, be- 
 fore their days are numbered and finilhed . Now, God 
 nsanifelleth his fovereignty over the kings and poten- 
 tates of the earth, by cutting fnort, or protracting their 
 life and reign, in this manner: i\nd hereby, in part, 
 it appears, that he indeed ruleth in the kingdom of 
 men. 
 
 It may, not improperly, be added here, that a 
 great deal depends upon the time, and particular cir- 
 cumfiances, wherein kings iire taken out of this world. 
 There are, with refpe^l to their fubjefts at Icail, I 
 might fiy with refpecl to them.felves alfo, both fa- 
 vourable and unfavourable conjmifiures for them to 
 die in. As the cafe may be circumllanced, the death 
 of a king, tho' of no very eminent qualities and ver- 
 tues, may be of fatal confequence to a kingdom : As, 
 for examplcj when the fuccefllon is left doubtful, 
 different perfons laying claim to it, and each of them 
 fupported by powerful factions. In this cafe, how 
 often have nations been thrown into confufion, and 
 involved in all the calamities of a civil war : Or, 
 tho' the fucccfTion is uncontroverted, yet if the heir 
 be not arrived at cin age proper for governing a king- 
 dom, the death of a king in thefe circumflances is a 
 great calamity : For " Wo to thee, O Land," fays 
 Solomon, '* when thy kina^ is a cliild." God fome- 
 V.\w:'5> ch'il; ;;.:.:h. r.ations by renioving their kings at 
 iisch Lii-jfivourfible conv - '-e^ ^i- thcfe, and others 
 tlijr nJa.ht eafilv ■ . d tho' the death 
 
 -" ■ of 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 21 
 
 of good kings will always be (inccrely lamented by 
 good and dutiful fubje£ls ; yet it mult be owned that, 
 in certain circumflances, the death evcnot fiich kings 
 can hardly be looked upon as a frown of divine pro- 
 vidence, in any other fenfe than that, in which the 
 common mortality of mankind is fo. As, for exam- 
 ple, if they die when they are far advanced in years; 
 when they are almolt pait bearing the weight of go- 
 vernment; when their kingdoms are in flourifliing 
 circumflances; when the fuccefion is undifputed; or 
 there are no parties or factions powerful enough to 
 create public troubles and commotions ; when the fuc- 
 cedor is of mature age for wielding a fceptre, and is 
 endowed with fuch princely virtues, as naturally in- 
 fpire the hopes of great happinefs under his reign : 
 When all thefe circumliances take place, they great- 
 ly alleviate that forrow wdiich all good fubjecls mud 
 in fome degree feel, on the death of a good king. 
 And God's foyereignty in the kingdoms of men plain- 
 ly appears by the particular time and conjunfture, 
 wherein he removeth kings out of this world : For, 
 that thefe circumllances, whether favourable or other- 
 wife, together with the duration of each monarch's 
 life, and the length of his reign, are all fixed, all de- 
 termined by the mod High, no man who believes a 
 providence, can confidently doubt. 
 
 Upon the whole (for I mud not enlaj-ge) : God 
 does not only iliew himfelf fovereicrn in the kin<:^doin 
 
 en 
 
 of men, by the perfons whom he exalteth to earthly 
 ti^*;ones, by the various qualifications which he be- 
 ftows upon them, by profpering or not profpering 
 their reign, by fornetimes caiting them down from 
 their thrones before their lives are come to a period, 
 and by the particular time and circiim dances wherein 
 they are refpeclively taken out of this woi Id by death : 
 
 He 
 
2 2 God ruleih in the Kingdom of Men^ 
 
 He docs not hereby only Ihew his fovereign pow- 
 €f in ai)d over the kingdom of men, but he aifo 
 manifeus hereby his favor and gcodnefs towards na- 
 tions, or his righteous difpleafurc. He execureth 
 loving-kindnefs, judgment and righteoufnefs in the 
 earth, by the difpenlations of his providence towards 
 kings and kingdoms. The welfare of nations im-. 
 mediately depends, in a great meafure,^upon the kings 
 whom God piaceth over them. It is faid of Ifi-ael, 
 with reference to Saul, that God ^' gave them a king 
 ill his anger.'* After a while, he brought about a 
 Ti^^oiution in that kingdom, and gave them David in 
 Ms kindnefo, a man after his own heart, vv'ho was a 
 great blelTing to the nation. And v.'hen David died 
 in a good oki age, after a profperous reign, and when 
 he had in a manner fubdued ail their enemies, his fon 
 Solomon fuccecdcd liim in the throne, whom the 
 s^ueen of Sheba aJdreilcd in the equally pious and 
 courtly terms following : ^* BleiTed be the Lord thy 
 *' God v.hich delighted in thee to fet thee upon hi<; 
 **' throne, to be king for the Lord thy God. Becaufe 
 ** thy God loved Ifrael, to edablifh them foraver, 
 ** theref.TC m-ide he thee king over thein to do 
 ** judgment and jufiice." 
 
 It being evident then, from what has been faid, that 
 God ruleih in the kingdom of men;giving it to whom- 
 £}€yer he will ; and ah'o, that his favor and righteous 
 'Jifpleailire arci- manif.dcd towards diflerent nations, or 
 towards the fame nations at dillerent timc.^, by the 
 '*• manner of the kings ihat reign over them", and by 
 the time and circumirances of their removal out of 
 this v/orld : Theie things being evident. I fay, what 
 iliil remains, is, that we apply this fubjefl to our- 
 fclves, and to the prefent occarion, by n>^iking fomc 
 rellexions on the reign and death of his late majeiiy, 
 
 and 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom cf Men. 23 
 
 and on the acceflion of George III. to the Imperial 
 throne of Great- Britain. 
 
 And it will not, as is humbly conceived, be \m^ 
 proper here, in the firft place, to take a curfbry view 
 of the providcntkl means, by which the BritiHi crowa 
 devolved tO'the illLtflrious honfe of Hanover,aiid con^ 
 fequently to his late, and his prefent majelly. For 
 fuch a retrofpc^l on the events of divine providence, 
 at the fame time that it will be a farther iliuitration of 
 God*s ruling in the kingdom of men, and giving k 
 to whomfoever he will, may alfo {(zxv^ to efhblifh us 
 in the principles of true Britifnjiberty, and of J c^- 
 alty to his prefent majefly, as founded in, end refuk- 
 iiag from, thofe principles. Nor will yon, 1 sm per- 
 fuaded, think I go beyond my proper fphere, if, upo^i 
 fuch an occafion, I inculcate ioyalcy, and obedience 
 to the odablillied government ; and this u|)on the 
 very principles on which that government is founded, 
 in oppofition to thofe of defpotifm and tyranny. 
 
 Let me remind you then, th?.t after the death f 
 of queen Elizabeth, (the glory of u hofe reign, other- 
 wife truly great, was obicur'd and tarniflud by re- 
 jigious perfecution) it pleafed God, doubtlefs for rl^ 
 jfins of the narii^n, to raife four princes fuccefTivdv 
 to the throne, whofe reigns were all inglorious, and 
 *fome of them infamous to the laft degree ; princes 
 of great pride and vanity, of arbitrary notions and 
 praci-iccs, of litrls wifdom, policy or difcretion, and 
 Ifili lefs truth, (incerity and honor ; princes who were 
 always the dupes of our ancient, enter priiing and 
 dangerous enemies, of jefuits, popiili minillers or po- 
 pifn Vv'ives ; princes whofe reigns difgraced the nation 
 abroad, fnd were lore vKications of divine provider c^ 
 upon it. 1k£ 
 
 f In tl:e yqar 1603. 
 
24 God ruleth in the Kingdo?n of MeH^ 
 
 The laft of thefe four kings whom the moft 
 High gave us in his anger, James II, ^ was an open, 
 profefTcd and bigotted j'oman-catholic ; who (luck at 
 no nieafures in order to introduce the religion of 
 Rome, to defpoil the Britifh nations of their ancient 
 liberties, and to entail upon them the two-fold curfe 
 of popery and flavery ; which have indeed a 
 clofe connexion one with the other. The king 
 daily made prodigious flridcs towards a defpotic 
 power ; to eflablifh which on the ruins of the 
 Britifh conftitution, was his manifeft aim. And 
 he doubtlefs promifed himfelf fuccefs in this execra- 
 ble defign, by refie^ling on that feries of events in and 
 after the reign of Ijis father, from which he ought to 
 have drawn other conckifions. That unhappy prince, 
 king Charles I. by favouring the papids contrary to 
 Jaw, and many flagrant violations of the conflicution, 
 had involved the nation in a civil war; a war entered 
 into on one fide, in defence of public liberty, on the 
 otlier, in the fupportof tyranny ; and which did not 
 end but with the ruin, both of the conflitution, and 
 of the infatuated prince who had been the blameable 
 caufe of it. King James fcem'd to take it for granted, 
 that the nation would never again, at lead not [o foon, 
 have recourfe to arms, or refiilance, in defence of its 
 rights and liberties ; but rather fubmit to the moll 
 cruel tyranny,than attempt to rid itfelf of it by thofe 
 means which, however neceflary, had been attended 
 with fuch difmal confequences : Efpeciallyasthe doc- 
 trine of pa (live obedience and non-reiillance had, ever 
 fince tlie refloration, | been the eflablifhed do6lrine, 
 which no one could contradi6i: with impunity. It 
 had, however, been a more julf, as well as more fafe 
 inference, that the brave people who had lately made 
 
 fuch 
 
 * He facceeded his brother Charles II. in 1684. 
 \ la i66q. 
 
God ruleth in the Kmgdom of Men. 2 5 
 
 fucb efforts in defence of their lIberties,would not nov/ 
 tamely fubmit to arbitrary fway; but again have re- 
 courfe to fbme extraordinary means of felf-defence, 
 if driven to extremities, whacever do(5i:rincs they might 
 profefs to believe. But — Qjie?n1}eiis viilt perdere, 
 friiis deme?7tat — Thofe vi'hom God dcfigns to de- 
 llroy, he firfl infatLiatcs; fo that they reiolutcly per- 
 lift in fuch meafures, as mnft needs terminate in their 
 ruin. The king was deaf to all the remonilrances of 
 reafoii and jufiice, of policy and intereft ; and would 
 fuffer no check in his mad career to dc(iru<fi:ioii. Nor 
 was there, perhaps, ever another king, to whom the 
 words of the prophet to BelHiazzar, were more appli- 
 cable than to this prince, whom neither the fate of 
 his unhappy fathcr,nor any thing el fe, could keep from 
 deftroying himfelf — " O thou king, the moft high 
 " God gaveNebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom — 
 *' But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind 
 " hardened in pride, he was depofed from his kingly 
 " throne, and they took his glory from him. And 
 "^ he was driven from the fons of men, and his heart 
 *' was made like the beads, and his dwelling was with 
 
 " the wild alTes And thou his^ rbn,0 Belfliazzar, 
 
 '' haft not humbled thine hcart,THOUCH thouknfav* 
 "' EST ALL THIS ! But haft lifted up thy felf/'"^&c. 
 
 In this critical conjun£lure, it pleafed him who ru- 
 leth in the kingdom of men, not only to open the eyes 
 of all the friends to public liberty and the proreP 
 tant religion, to fee the common danger which threat- 
 ne^d them, but aifo to unite their hearts and counfels 
 in an extraordinary manner to guard againft ir. Party- 
 diftin<fl:ions, which had hitherto run very high, were 
 i'.ow laid afide. The illuftrious prince of Orange, the 
 king's fon-in-Iaw, who v/as known to be at once a lo- 
 
 D ver 
 
 * Dan. V. 18. 
 
26 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 ver of liberty, a true proteflantand an bero,was. fecretly 
 applied to for his advice and afTiftance, which he gene- 
 rou fly refolved to afford, to the utmoR of his ability. 
 He accordingly, after mature deliberation,and by con- 
 cert with the leading and better part of the lords and 
 commons of England, arrived there with a very con- 
 fiderable armamentf; but relying chiefly on the known 
 good-will and affe^lion of the people in general, whom 
 a fenfe of their common danger had united. It was 
 not long after his arrival, that king James, confcious 
 he had juftly forfeited, and intirely lofl, the affecli- 
 ons of all his fubje61:s,cxcept the romancatholic party ; 
 feeing himfelf forfaken, and people of all ranks flock- 
 ing totheftandard of the prince; calling to remem- 
 brance, doubtlcfs, the tragedy of the 30th o^ Janu- 
 ary 1648; and not being ambitious, it ieems, to il:are 
 with his father the glory of martyrdom;^ thought pro- 
 per to provide for his fafety by a precipitate flight into 
 France : Which court had before gracioufly oflerM 
 him her afllflance in his defign to enilave the Britifh 
 nations, f Then it was, that the glorious revolution 
 took place : For the throne being declared vacant by 
 two grand conventions of the lords and commons, by 
 means of the abdication, i. e. the running away of 
 
 king 
 t Nov 5. 1688. 
 
 * This fort of martyrdom was very common in ancient times, 
 according to that of the poet 
 
 *' Sine caede et fanguine pauci 
 
 *' Defccndunt rcges*, et ficca morte tyranni." 
 
 Ju7. Sat. X. 
 Few tyrants to the grave in peace dcfccnd ; 
 Abhorr'd they live, and blvr.d} is t/.i-ir end. 
 
 ♦ Ki<:g and Tyrant were a!rT>ofl fynonlmous and convertih'e 
 terms wirh the Latin poets, orators and hKlotians : For they 
 hardly knew of any kinj'^s, but what were alfo tyrants ; and 
 hwd (carcly the iJt-a of fuch a Jiniitted, legal monarchy, as 
 Bfiti(h fubjedls have ihe Ijappinefs of living under. 
 
 f France had offered him 30,000 men to Pjpport his tyranny. 
 
God ruhth in the Kingdom of Men. 2 7 
 
 king James, the prince and princefs of Orange were 
 eleBed, and invited into it ; and foon proclaimed king 
 and queen, to the great joy of all the true friends to 
 liberty. The adminiftraticn was, however, to be folely 
 in the hands of the king, during his life. In bringing 
 about which happy revolution, even many of thofe, 
 both clergy and laity, heartily joined, who had before 
 been loud and clamorous in aflerting the fenfelefs, 
 brutifli principles of pafTive obedience and non-refifl- 
 ance, in confequence of the fuppofed divine,indefeaf- 
 able right of kings by inheritance : Opinions now ex- 
 ploded by all men of fenfe. % 
 
 This was a new and memorable cera in the Engliili 
 hiftory. The declaration of rights prefented and read 
 to William and Mary, when they were invited into 
 the throne, afcertained the rights of the fubjefl, and 
 reduced the prerogative, which had been extended be- 
 yond all bounds \u many preceeding reigns, to its an- 
 lient limits. It Vv'as declared by the two conventions 
 before-mentioned, that the kings of England held the 
 crown by virtue of an " original contract," in oppo- 
 fition to the notions of an iadefeafeabb hereditary 
 right : And this was the bafis on \^ liich the govern- 
 ment was fettled. Froviuon was now made by many 
 D 2 parliamentary 
 
 \ " Mr. Hampden. It is a difgrace to our church lo have 
 taken up fuch opinions ; and I will venture te prophcry,that 
 " in future tla-.cs our clergy mud renounce them, or they 
 *« will be turned againfl them by thofe who mean their de- 
 «* ftruiflion. Suppofe a popijh kino on the throne Will 
 »» the clergy adficre to paiTive obedidence & n on refinance I 
 •' If they do. they deliver up :' eir religion toRomc ; if they 
 •* do not, their pradioe will i,\)nfute their own doctrine, 
 
 <* LorJ Faulkland. Nature, Sir, will in time bcfure to fct 
 «' right whatever opinion contradids her great lawsjet who 
 
 *' will be the teacher." 
 
 O'lalcgHes of ths Dead, Dial. I. 
 Ktputed Author, Ld, LvTTt?TO», 
 
2 8 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 parliamentary a6ls, for fecuring the public liberty, and 
 the future peace and profpcrity of the nation. To 
 which ends,amongrt other things, the fuccelCon to the 
 crown was limited to the protefiant line of the royal 
 family, and all romancatholics, however nearly relat- 
 ed to it by blood, declared forever incapable of reign- 
 ing in England. The like was done in North- Britain, 
 at that time a diftincl kingdom. 
 
 KiN'G William and Queen Mary being (Ic^d with- 
 out leaving iiTue, the princefsAnn, a proteflanr, and 
 a daughter of the then lately out-lawed king James, 
 afcended the throne in conformity to the parliamen- 
 tary fettlement of the fucoenion. In her reign the 
 union between North and South-Britain, Vvhich king 
 William had zealouily recommended before, v^/as hap- 
 pily accomplifhed. An union, which the author of 
 nature hud pointed out between two nations on the 
 fanie ifland ; both lovers of liberty, both brave and 
 warlike, both generally proteflant ; mutually (landing 
 in need of one another's afliflance againll their com- 
 mon enemies ; and whofl" -Iraation, and martial fpirit, 
 whenever they were at variance, had reiidcr\i them 
 fore fcourges to each other. Queen Ann, iho' a 
 Stewart, reigned not without reputation and glory, 
 till one or two of the lad years of her life, when 
 file had fallen into the hands of bad miniilers and 
 counfellor?. Her fon, the duke of GlouceRer, who 
 was otherwife to have fucceeded her^ died the year 
 before llie came to ihe throne. X So tliat the ele^Slor 
 of Hanover was now the prefumptive heir to the 
 prown. But the queen was furpe(^ed, and not with- 
 out fome good rcafons, of a ^Q^vTn to fet afide, if 
 
 polTible, 
 
 J He cljed in 1700, being in the iifK yertr of hi* age. He 
 was a prince of great hopes, whofe fhlhtr was princtGeorgc 
 of Denmark, the Queen's hufuarid* 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 29 
 
 pofTible, the proteftant fucceiTion in that illuflrious 
 houle, in favour of her [doubtful] brorher, the che- 
 valier de St. George ; who, whether he were or were 
 not, the (on of the then late king James, was yec ex- 
 cluded from the throne by law, as a romancatholic. 
 Some, indeed, deny that the queen had any fuch in- 
 tention ; and that, with as much confidence as others 
 allert it. But be that as it may, upon her death §, the 
 elector of Hanover (George I.) was immediately, and 
 without oppofition, proclaimed king of Great-Britain,, 
 in conformity to the parliamentary fcttlcment of the 
 fucceffion, confirmed by repeated a(fl:5 in both the 
 precceding reigns. He was a proteftant, nearly relat- 
 ed to the crown by blood ; at leall nearer than any 
 other proteftant prince, or princefs, then living -[-. 
 And he reic;ned with wifdom, juflice and clemency, 
 tho' nor without (ome dilfurbances, and one open re- 
 bellion, railed in favour of the pretender. He died 
 in the 13th year of his reign, leaving beliind him 
 the chara«5ler of one of the wifell, juffeft, and moft 
 magnanimous princes of his age. And on the death 
 of this truly great and good king, the Britiili crown 
 devolved, by the right of fucceffion as limited by 
 parliament, to his lute majedy king George IL f 
 
 By this brief Jeduclion you fee, on one hand, the 
 repeated efforts of tyranny, and on the other, the 
 glorious ffruggles for liberty, of ' wliich Britain 
 was the fcene for many years. You fee how God 
 ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to vvhom- 
 foever he will. You fee how mercifully he delivered 
 the Britiih nations from one popilh and arbitrary kin^ 
 
 at 
 
 § In 171.}. 
 -j- The mother of K. George I. v.'as a grand-daughter of K. 
 James \ A princefs of a very diftin^uifaeti duiad;r. 
 
 J Anuo 1727. 
 
30 God ruhth in the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 at the revolution ; and how he preferved it once and 
 agiiiii from another j I mean the pretender, whom 
 many perfons were defirous of introducing, to the 
 prejudice of the protcllant fucccfTion. You fee how 
 God has been the guardian of our hberties, civil and 
 ^cred. You fee that Britifh fubjedls have the happi- 
 nefs of hving under a legal and limited monarchy ; 
 snd, what are fome of the fundamental principles, on 
 which the prefent government is eftabliflicd. In fine, 
 you fee by what right the princes of the houfe of 
 Manover have afcended the Britiili throne ; not a 
 chimerical and imaginary, but a folid, legal and 
 parliamentary one : The beft and mofl indifputabie 
 right, that any king can poilibly reign by, unlefs God 
 hiuifelf (liould, by a voice from heaven, proclaim him 
 king, or require us, by a prophet, to pay our alle- 
 giance to him as fuch. 
 
 But fome may poilibly expecl, that I l"hould fay 
 iomething more particularly concerning his late ma- 
 jei^y. And indeed, tho' I cannot pretond to give his 
 juft chara^er, yet it would be hardly decent to pafs 
 over his many royal virtues in filence ; or to bury 
 fo good and venerable a king, without recolle^ing 
 fc)rne of thofc things, which ought to make us honour 
 liis memory. 
 
 His late majefly was unquefllonably endow'd with 
 a brillant genius ; with a great fliare of natural pe- 
 netration and fagacity. Nor was that genius luiculti- 
 ■vated by learning ; fuch learning efpeciaily as be- 
 comes a king. He is f.\id to have been extremely 
 well verfed in hiftury,parvicu!arly that of Europe ; and 
 to have had a very thorough undcrllandi ng of the po- 
 litical inrcrelts and connexions of all the kingdoms 
 and flares therein. Wirhouc v/hich it cvould indeed 
 
 have 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men, 3 1 
 
 have been impofTible for him to maintain his cliaracler 
 as the chief bulwark of its liberties, and of the pro 
 tcftant religion, as he actually was. As he came into 
 England at about thirty two years of age, and lived 
 there about twelve years before he came to the throne, 
 he had, during that period, an opportunity to acquaint 
 himfelf, not only with the Britifn conliiiurion, bivt 
 with the peculiar temper and genius of the people, 
 Nor could he fail to reap great advantage from the 
 in{iitution% the political maxims, and the example of 
 fo wife a king, as his royal father. And he was, like 
 him, what may be properly Called, a conlUtutional 
 king : One who well knew both the extent of his 
 own prerogative, and the rights of the people ; on« 
 who made the laws the rule of his governm.ent, and 
 whom even malice can hardly accufe of either doing, 
 or attempting to d^o^ an arbitrary, illegal thing, during 
 his whole reign. And it fhould be rcmember'd here, 
 that the Britilh conftitution and laws are (b wife, ifo 
 excellent, that he who uniformly makes them the rule 
 of his adminiflration, muft of confequence be a good 
 king ; at lealt he cannot eafily be fuppofed to be a 
 bad one. 
 
 And merely not to have been a bad king, is per* 
 haps grater praife than is due to far the moft of thoj^, 
 who have reigned from the days of Nimrod to the 
 prefent time. But to flop here, would be very in- 
 jurious to the chni after and memory of his late majeily. 
 He appeared, throughout his reign, to have the true 
 intcrelt r.nd honour ot Grear-Brirain at heart ; know- 
 ■ jng tliat kings, efpccially Britiili kings, are made for 
 the people, and not people for kings. Notwithiland- 
 ing \Q'A\<t fro usj lujiiappy, but yet neceflary and un- 
 avoidable connexions, we have reafon to think tnac 
 his niaiellv*s uniform and c^reat aim was, to proniorc 
 
 tiie 
 
3 2 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 
 
 the good of his kingdoms. He was indeed indefa- 
 tigable in his endeavours to this end ; and, in the 
 language of the apoftle, "attended continually on this 
 very thing". He was an encourager of learning, of 
 manufa(ftures and commerce ; the two latter of which, 
 I fuppofe, never fiouriflied fo much in Great-Britan, 
 as under his aufpicious reign. 
 
 His majefty was at once a prince of great juflice 
 and great clemency. The former was evident from 
 his care to have the laws duly executed, without re- 
 fpecl of perfons ; and his not allowing the meanefl of 
 his fubjecls to be oppreded, fo far as it was in the 
 power of a Britidi king to prevent it. Nor were 
 private property, the life and rights of the fubjefl, 
 ever more fecure perhaps, than under his adminiilra- 
 tion. His majcfty's clemency appeared in many in- 
 fiances ; but in none more confpicuouily, than in his 
 conduct tovv-ards ihofc who were engaged in the black 
 rebellion of i 745. Very ^c^ examples were made 
 of royal juflice, after that horrid rebellion was at a 
 period. But how many traitors, even obliged, and 
 therefore ungrateful ones, were made examples of the 
 royal grace 1 His majefiy had a greatnefs of minci^ 
 wi)ich made him chufe rather to reclaim his rcbelli- 
 Qus fubjcfts by his lenity, than to rid himfelf of them 
 Vy a juflifiable feveriry. And there is reafon to 
 think, that this truly god-like method of proceeding 
 had a great and happy effefl ; and was the means, not 
 only of recor.cliing, but (irongly attaching to his per- 
 lon and government, many people who had been un- 
 rcafbnably difaflecled thereto before. 
 
 His mnjefly, like his royal father, v.'q? a prince of 
 §h heroic and martial fpirit : A lover, indeed, of peace; 
 but one who would not faller himfelf or his lubiccts 
 
 to 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 3 3 
 
 to be injured, without taking up the (word, when that 
 meafure became necedary. He was a king, not only 
 of great fpirit and refokuion, and the mod undaunted 
 fortitude ; but one who well knew how to command 
 armies in the field, when there was occafion for it : 
 Of which he gave fome not inglorious proofs. 
 
 His majefty was a prince, even by the confefTion of 
 his enemies, many of them at lead, of great fmcerity 
 and truth, of drift probity and honorjn all his public 
 Iran faftions, both towards his own fubjefts and towards 
 foreign dates and kingdoms. He was far above thac 
 deceit, artifice, and low-cunning,for which mod of the 
 Stewart race were fo eminent, the royal martyr him- 
 felf not excepted. In fliort, his whole reign was a 
 confutation of that infamous Machiavellian maxim, 
 " Qui nefcit difTimulare, nefcit regnare" — He that 
 knows not how to didembie, is ignorant of the art of 
 reigning. 
 
 It was intimated above, that his majedy was a true 
 protedant. As fuch he was a friend to toleration, and 
 religious liberty ; which cannot indeed be violated 
 without violating the natural rights of mankind. His 
 majedy did not aifeft, as defender of the faith, to make 
 his own private judgment and confcience a rule to his 
 fubjefts, or to tyrannize over their confciences. Nor 
 did he, as head of the church by law edablidied in Ki- 
 gland, endeavour to dedroy the church equally eda- 
 blidied by law in Scotland ; or defire to didrefs any 
 of his good protedant fubjefts, who might, in fomo 
 rcfpefts, dilTent from them both. Some inconvenien- 
 cies and hardfliips.I m.ean legal ones,thefe latter mighc 
 indeed be fubjeftcd to; which there is ground to think, 
 a prince of fo great equity and goodnefs, v/as fo'far 
 from beitfig pleafed with, that he would have been 
 
 E giad 
 
34 Got) ruhth in the Kingdojn of MerH 
 
 glad to fee them wholly removed. Happy had it been 
 for the Britifh nations, if all his prcdecedbrs in the 
 throne had been of fuch generous and catholic prin- 
 ciples — The true church of Chrift needs not to have 
 her faith defended by any other weapons, than thofe 
 of (bber reafoii and argument,nnlefs it be againft thofe 
 who attack it v/ith carnal ones. Indeed wicked men 
 and hypocrites can hardly ever think their church fe- 
 cure, unlefs fbme other fword befides that of the fpi- 
 rit, is drawn in her defence, Tho' fhe have kings^ 
 for her nurfing-fathers, and queens for her nurfing- 
 mothers ; iho' fliebe rocked in a princely cradle, and 
 fweetly charm' d to hex repofe with royal lullabies 5 
 yet fo perverfe are fome of her children, that they 
 can take no reft, unlefs others, out of her pale, are 
 put upon the rack, or otherwife harrafled with penal 
 laws — But, blefled be God, all our royal defenders of 
 the faith, fince James II, have been content to be 
 nurfmg»fatbers to the church, by preferving the pub- 
 lic peace, toleration, and liberty of confcience i The 
 happy effedls whereof have been very apparent in ma« 
 ny refpe^ls. And confidering the known juftice and 
 moderation of the royal houfe of Hanover, and alfo of 
 other eminent and diftinguifhed perfonages in church 
 and ftatc, we "need not wholly defpair of feeing th© 
 time, when all good pr<)tefTants, and loyal fubje^ls, 
 fl^^ll have their iharein the honors and emoluments of 
 the ftate, without being fubjecl:ed to any narrow-fpi- 
 rited, and injurious tejis. 
 
 But not to digrefs. It may be faid npon the whole,, 
 that the maxims of his late majefty's government were 
 wife, noble and truly heroic. And as his views were 
 in general pure, generous and fublime ; fb it pica fed 
 God to give him a profperous reign. During his reign, 
 Inhere have indeed been fome doaieflic trouycs, as 
 
<jod ruleth in the Kingdom of Men. 35 
 
 well as foreign wars ; to prevent which, is not always 
 in the power of the wifeft and bed kings. Nor can 
 k be denied without blind nefs, or extreme prejudice, 
 that fome g^^'M and threatning evils, have been grow- 
 ing in the nation ever fince the revolution. Of which, 
 'however, diofe' only ought to bear the blame, who 
 were the criminal caufes of them. And even not- 
 withftanding thefe evils; it may be truly faid, that all 
 thefe reigns have been happy, attended with national 
 ^profperity and glory ; particularly that of his late 
 ;majefl:y. He ever exerted himfelf wifely and vigo- 
 roufly, and, by the bl effing of God, fuGcefsfully. to 
 promote the public good. The rebellion had a fea- 
 fonable (top put to it ; and the prudent meafnres fince 
 ufed, have in fome meafuro allayed old animofities, 
 and united,. parties. There has not, perhaps, been 
 greater harmony in the nation fince the days of queen 
 •Elizabeth, if then, than during fome of the laft years 
 of his majefty's reign. During which time, his ma- 
 jefty's counfels and arms have alfb been remarkably 
 profpered, not only for the defence of his own domi- 
 nions, but alfo for reducing the pride and power of 
 France. Neither of the four quarters of the world 
 is defiitute of glorious proofs hereof. Nor is it eafy 
 to mention any period, wherein the national honor 
 and profperity were greater, than at the time of his 
 majefty's deceafe : Even tho' he left his fubge£ls en« 
 gaged in a war, which we could have wiflicd him to 
 terminate with a glory and fuccefs, equal to that with 
 which it had been carried on for fome years before,. 
 This would have compieated both his and our worldly 
 •felicity ; and might have rendered the reign of king 
 George II. the moll glorious period in the Britiih 
 annals : Yea, it may, perhaps, flill be fb, nouvith- 
 ftanding this circumftance is wanting to compleac 
 ;the felicity of It, 
 
 E % G^p 
 
36 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men^ 
 
 God, indeed, blcfied his majefly with a long Iif@ 
 and reign, tho' not fo long as his goo 1 fubjefls defired. 
 lie was, I fuppofe, the oldefl reigning ynnce in Eu- 
 rope, at the time of his deceafe : And, for many ages 
 pail:, no king of England had attained to his years |. 
 HadGou regarded the fond wifhcsof his loyal fabjefls, 
 he might indeed have been immortal : For the time 
 would probably never have come, when they would 
 have parted with him without j\ny rclu£lance. But the 
 inofl: High, v^ho ruleth in the kingdom of men. hath 
 leen meet to call him out of this world. And altho* 
 we cannot refign fo good a king, our comnjqn father, 
 without a degree of forrow ; yet we have doubt left 
 far more reafon to blefs God for fparing him to us 
 fo long, than v^/e have to murmur or complain at his 
 taking hira away from us at hil:. And while we ex- 
 prefs fuch an ingenuous grief as becornes dutiful 
 and obliged fubjccTcs on this occafion, there are, as 
 v/as intimated before, many circumftances to confole 
 us under the lofs, and make i)s acquiefce in this 
 (difpenfiuion of divine providence. 
 
 It may truly be faid of his late majefly, as it vvas 
 of k'ng David, that he *' died in a good old age, 
 full of days, riches and honor ''^. He died as ir were 
 in the arms of vi(f^ory ; triumphing over his enemies, 
 foreign and domeitic ; over the former by his arms, 
 and over the ktter by his goodnefs and clemency. 
 He left the nation in as prpfperous circumfh^ices, 
 ss could well be imagined in a time of war. He 
 had not only lived longer, but done more good, and 
 iherefore acqaiicd more glory, than mod kings, even 
 good ones, had done before him. Nor, which is a 
 BK^ft material circum(tance, did he die till he faw hii 
 yoyal grandluii and heir, trc<incd up under his owu 
 
 eye, 
 
 j He was al'iiofl 77. *^ i Chron, XXIX. 28. 
 
QoB ruhth in the Kingdom of Men. % 7 
 
 sye, and that of a princcfs of very diftinguifhM merit, 
 arrived at fuch a maturity of life and judgment, as 
 qualified him for taking ihe government immediately 
 into his owu hands. 
 
 How much better has God been to us in this re- 
 fpe6l, than bur fears fometim.e fince ? not to fay, 
 than our deferts. which it were unnecefTary to add. 
 It is now ahiioft ten years (ince God, in his holy 
 providence, put us into tears and mourning, and a- 
 wakened our ferious apprehenfions, by the untimely 
 death of his royal highnefs Frederic, prince of Wales, 
 the then heir apparent, and father to his prefent ma- 
 Jefty. The late king was even then old and gray- 
 headed, and was alfo laid at that time to be infirm.The 
 next heir to the throne, he who, by the grace of 
 God, now (its upon it, was but about twelve years 
 of age. So that we had great reafon to fear, one of 
 die woes would befal us, which Solomon fpeaks o' ; 
 that of having a child, or fcarce more than a child, 
 io reign over us. His late majel^y, in his great wif- 
 dom and goodnefs, took all poffible care and pains to 
 guard againft the inconveniences and hazards of this, 
 jf it fhould pleafe God to take him away during the 
 minority, and tender age, of his royal grand fon. Bur, 
 to our great joy, it lias plea fed the mofl High to 
 lengthen out his important life, till he beheld the 
 heir of his kingdoms and dominions of full age, 
 and indeed more than full age, to govern them : 
 And it is fome time fince our jud apprehenfions 
 above mentioned, were laid afide. Thus graci- 
 oufly hath he, who ruleth in the. kingdom of 
 men, provided for our welfare. And as his pre- 
 fent- majefty is the firjl king of Great-Britain, born 
 therein, i. e. the firft born in the ifiand of Britain, 
 fince the kingdoms of England and Scotland were 
 waited, God grant he maj prove a great and equal 
 
 bleffmg 
 
3S God ruieth in the Kingdom of M^n. 
 
 bleffiHg to both : And that the fubje^ls of both, 
 being now united in one kingdom as well as under 
 one .king, may have no fufpicions, no jealoufies, no 
 .contentions among themfelves, unlefs it is a conten- 
 tion, who (hall fiiew at once the greateft loyalty to 
 ills majefty, and the fincereft love to Briiifh liberty, 
 as founded in, as eftabliOied and fecured by, the 
 Bricilh laws : Which ought indeed to be more facred 
 withBritons,than the interefl: of any particirlar perfon 
 or family whatfoever. In faying which, I truft, 1^ 
 fay 4>othing unbecoming a good fubjedl:, in contra- 
 diilindioa to a Have. 
 
 According to the larcd advices from Britain, 
 which came to town the laft evening, it fecms that 
 a >ery fpeedy peace is not now much expelled, at 
 leaft, that it is not to be depended upon. We have 
 indeed his majedy's declaration to the court on the day 
 of the late king's deatli, wherein, I think, this is im- 
 plied : A declaration conceived in fuch terras, as tend 
 to raife our expc6l:ations of great felicity under his 
 reign. You will doubtleis hear with pleafure part of 
 a fenience or two, exira(Stod from it, as it lias not 
 been made public amongft us — After fpeaking of the 
 great lofs which he and (he nation had fuftained in 
 the fudden death of the king, his majeHy proceeds 
 thus : ** But animated by the teadereft afre<ftions for 
 ^< this MY NATIVE COUNTRY, and depending on the 
 ^' advice, the experience and abilities of your lord- 
 ** fliip^, on the fupport and affiRance of every honefl: 
 ** man, I enter with chearfulnefs into this arduous 
 '* (ituation ; and ihall make it the bufinefs of my 
 '* life to promore in every thing the glory and in;- 
 '♦ tcrcR of thefe kingdoius" — A declaration truly 
 worthy a young Britiih monarch ; which we ought 
 J condvier, not as wordj; of courfcj but as proceed- 
 ing 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdcm of Men. 39 
 
 ing from the royal heart of him that made k. ^ May 
 that God, who hath the hearts of all kings, as well 
 as of their fubje(5b, in his hand, confirm his majefly 
 in thefe noble lentiments, thefe truly royal purpofes - 
 and anach the hearts of all geod men to his perfon, 
 government and family. May he cioarh hJs enemies 
 with fhamc, while the crown iiouriilies on his head , 
 and while three kingdoms with their dependencicJS, 
 happy under his aufpicious reign, Hiall with One voice 
 lay, '' Long hve king George III; and die at leafl: 
 '* as old, as profperous, as venerable, as much be- 
 '' loved, as much honoured, as George II !*' — All 
 this we fmcerely hope for ; and more than this wc 
 could not, perhaps, very modeftly defire — r— ^ 
 
 Trough we ought always to remember our kre 
 Ibvereign with the greateft veneration, our allegiance 
 muft x\o^ be, or rather is already, transferred to his 
 royal grandfon and heir ; in whom, in fbme fenfe, he 
 ilill furvives& reigns. Thefe Northern Amerieancolo- 
 laies have indeed ever diftingui (lied themfelves by their 
 loyalty, and their zeal for the proteftanr fucceilion in 
 the houfe ©f Hanover. We had accordingly a great 
 jfliare in the affed^ions of his late majefly ; tlie happy 
 fruits of whofe royal care, and indefatigable endea- 
 vours for our fecurity and welfare, we now reap jn 
 
 feme 
 
 " * since this difcourfe was delivered, we have had his m:ijc(tv*s 
 
 gracioas, an<i mofi excellent {peech from the throne jo both 
 
 lioufes of parliament : fn one paragraph of which, he rs 
 
 pleafed to cxprcTs himfeifthus ■ '' Born and educated 
 
 *' in this country, I glory in the name of Britos ; and ir.c 
 ** pecaliar happinefs of my life will ever conhft in promot- 
 *■' ing the welhsre of a people, whofe loyally, and warm af- 
 *' fedion to [vie, F conflder as the greatefl and mod perma- 
 *' nent fecurity of My throne : And 1 dou'jt not but rhfir 
 ** {kadinefs in thofe principles, will equal t!.e firmnefs of 
 *"* my invariable refolution to adhere to, and lUcngthcc* 
 ^^ skis excellent conftituiion" 
 
40 God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men 6 
 
 ome mcafure, and are likely to reap in Rill greatsr 
 abundance in future times. His royal highnefs, the 
 late prince Frederic, had alfo a great concern for the 
 prolperity of the colonies, as he well knew both 
 their loyalty, and their importance to Great-Britain. 
 And had he lived to afcend the throne, we fhould 
 doubtlefs have had in him fuch another friend and 
 proteftor, as we have loft in his late majefty. We have 
 no reafbn to doubr, but that his prefenC majefty 
 will have the fame gracious regard for us ; and, 
 perhaps, perfe£t that deliverance fo happily begun, 
 and carried on fo far, for his American rubje(5^s, within 
 ihefe few years paft. May God give us favour in his 
 eyes, as he did in the eyes, both of his royal grand- 
 father and father, that our great lofs in them may be 
 made up in him 1 This we have reafon humbly to 
 hope, if we perfevere in our accuftomed loyalty ;- 
 and dill condu61 ourfelves as dutiful fubjefls. And 
 if our late, ever-honoured king, could now fpeak to 
 us, I am perfwaded he would admonifh ustofhew our 
 regard to his memory,not fo much by fruitlefly lament- 
 ing his death, as by a dutiful and loyal behaviour to- 
 wards his fucceflbr ; as the certain way to fccure his 
 royal favour, and, by the bleffing of heaven, to pro- 
 long,or even to increafc,our tranquility and happineft. 
 I almoft imagine I hear him fpeaking toUs,in common 
 with all our fellow-fubje£ls, in (uch terms as thefe — 
 " Alas ! my children, why do you thus in vain la- 
 *^ ment my departure from you I Was not man born 
 '* to die ? I was' long happy in yonr pffe^tion, and 
 *' dutiful regard to me. You were alfb long happy 
 *' under my government, iho' lefs {o than 1 fincerely 
 *' defired to make you. The relation of king and (ub-. 
 '* je(5t no longer fubfifts between us. But death, 
 '* which has diflolved that relation, has not been able . 
 *^ to diminilli my love to you, and concern for your 
 
 '' happinefs. 
 
God fuleth in the Kingdom of Men. 41 
 
 " hstppinefs. I cannot indeed now promote it my- 
 " felf : But, behold that royal youth, whom yoti 
 " lately hail'd to the Britifh throne ! — Let all faftion 
 " ceafe ; be loyal ; be public-fpirired. And in him^ 
 ** as you have another George, expc£l alfo another 
 " friend to your liberties ; another guardian of youf 
 *' laws ; another father ; another victor over your ene- 
 *' mies,with extended empire, and increafing glory!" — 
 
 But let niehow clofethis difcoutfe with fome very 
 
 ihort reflections of a pra£licai nature -How tranfi- 
 
 ent is all worldly greatnefs and glory! Whofe death 
 is it, my brethren,that we have been meditating upon? 
 Is it not that of a king ? a great and profperous king ? 
 one, whofe fortune, whofe riches and honor, might at 
 once excite the envy of mod other monarchs, and 
 leave them in defpair of ever attaining thereto. But^ 
 alas! what is worldly felicity, wordly glory? a fud- 
 den gleam ; a meteor darting along the fky, which i^ 
 no (boner beheld,than it falls,and difappears forever-- 
 " Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." 
 
 If kings, if great and good kings, fuch as the fbve-» 
 feign of the world has dignified with the title of gsdsi 
 mujft fo foon " die like men,'^ certainly wc common 
 ttiortals (liould not either flatter ourfelves with thehopd 
 of immortality here, or place our fif)reme felicity in 
 this world. Can any of us hope ever to arrive at fuch 
 worldly profperity and greatnefs, as our late fovereii^n 
 enjoyed ? Not, certainly, if wc are in our right fenfcs. 
 But would even that fatisf y us ? Nor, unlefs we u'cre 
 more than mad. — Alas ! it is only a low ambition, a 
 fordid fpirit, that could take up contented with fuch a 
 portion, fuch an happinefs, without looking beyond 
 the grave ; For *^ man being in honor, abideih not''—^ 
 
 F V^'s 
 
4? God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men* 
 
 We ^re, moreover, admonifhed by this difpenfatioi^ 
 pf providence, lo place our chief hope and confidence j^^ 
 not in man, not even in mighty kings, and potentates, 
 but in the molt high God, who ruleth in the kingdom 
 of men, and hath the breath of all kings in his own 
 hand — •'' Put not your truitin princes, fays the royal 
 pfalmid:, nor in the fon of man in whom there is no help. 
 His breath ^oeth forth ; he returneth to his earth ; 
 in that very day his thoughts perifh. Happy [thenj 
 js he that hath the God of Jacob for bis help, whole 
 hope is in the Lord his God, which made heaven and 
 earthy the fea, and all that therein is; which keepeth 
 mercy forever." — The Lord fhall live and reign for- 
 ever : And the obedient fubje£ls of his kingdom fliall 
 be ever fecure, ever happy, in his favour and protec- 
 t'pn> tho' the kingdoms of this world are moved and 
 overturned, or both earth heaven were diflolved ! 
 
 To conclude then : Let us all be adrponifhed to 
 put our trult in the great, the eternal God ; and, in thq 
 way of well-doing, to commit the keeping of our bo- 
 dies and fouls to hiin, as unto a faithful creator. Let 
 us both fear God, and honor the king ; which duties 
 the apoflle joins together. Let us endeavour tq lead 
 quiet and peaceable lives in all godlinefs and honefty ; 
 •* as free, and not ufing our liberty for a clokc of 
 malicioufnefs, bi|Pas the fervants of God ;'* and, by 
 pacient continuance in well-doing, feek for glory, ho- 
 nor and immortality. Let us be faithful and diligenc 
 in difcharging the duties of our feveral ftations in life; 
 knowing that we are foon to pafs off the flage of this 
 world, and to give an account of ourfelves to God the 
 judge of all. And let me remind you, that in the 
 judgment of the great day, it will be of far lefs impor- 
 ranee, who has been a king, or mighty monarch, and 
 ^vhp ^ Ptj-fon of low degree, than it wil) be, who has 
 ' bcea 
 
God ruleth in the Kingdom oj Mm. 43 
 
 been a trwly upright and good, and who a difhoneft 
 and wicked man. For when the fea, death and hell 
 [hades] Ihall deliver up the dead that were in them, 
 ^nd the fmall and great ihall (land together before 
 God, they fhall be *' judged every man according to 
 '' their works." 
 
 Wherefore now unto him, the king ^eternal, im- 
 mortal, invifiblcwho hath prepared his throne in the 
 heavens, and whofe kingdom ruleth over all j unto 
 him be glory for ever and ever, A m e n. 
 
 Page 24, bottom, for 1684, read 1685. 
 
 THE END.