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be Forgot. Bleffed the Man, who thus Cultivates and Inricheth his Countrey, by his Paffage through it!

Honour is the Laft Talent mention'd in the Text; And this alfo the fame Faithful Hand hath Preferv'd without Violation, and Improved to the Utmoft Advantage; For where a Title of Honour, and an Hʊnourable Life, do reflect a Mutual and Constant Luftre upon one another, There is Honour Indeed. And yet, the Honour thus Defcended, and thus Adorned, does not stand Alone, but in a Happy Union with the Honour of Episcopacy, and That Epifcopal Honour This day rifen, in it's Duration, to the Meridian of a Century, and shining forth in it's Full Strength. Abundant Reafon have we to Rejoyce under the Benign Afpect of the Mitre and the Coronet in Conjunction, a Conjunction which hath Seldom appeared in the World. A Few Perfons indeed of Noble Defcent are recorded amongst the Bishops of the First Ages: But of Some we know Little more than their Names; and the Account of Others is, that Their Enjoyment of this Double Honour was but

Short.

Short. It Refted upon the Great St. Bafil, but a little more than Eight Years, before he followed his Noble and Pious Ancestours to the Manfions of Glory Above. May the Sun bring many Returns of This Joyful and Memorable Day, before the Like Event arifeth in This Place!

So Many and fo Great Bleffings hath Heaven beftowed upon this Honourable, and Venerable Perfon.

Indeed in That Church, which hath added Covetousness to it's Other Idolatries, and fo Aggrandized it's Spiritual Stations, that Many Mighty and Many Noble are Tempted to Prefs into Them, Epifcopacy, Secular Honours, and Vaft Treasures do often meet together. But in the Catholick Church of Christ, Before They of the Roman Communion, by Unwarrantable Tenets and Practices, Separated from it, and Since We have, by Relinquishing Them, been Re-united to it, All These Bleffings have scarce even been Found Centring in One man, and in the fame Degrees of Perfection and Duration, as in This Illustrious Perfon, whom the King of Heaven hath thus Bleffed, and the Kings

Y 3

Kings of the Earth have delighted to Ho

nour.

What then remains, but that our Praifes and Thanksgivings, on His account and our Own, fhould be fucceeded by our Prayers, that in Him may be Fulfilled All the Promises of God to Good men, and that the Happy Effects of all the Other promises may finally Terminate in the Accomplishment of This: With long life will I fatisfy him, and shew him my Salvation.

Unto God, the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghoft, be afcribed all Power, Domi-
nion and Glory, Henceforth and for
Evermore. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON IX.

National Sins Fatal to Prince and People.

I SAM. XII. 25.

If ye shall fill do wickedly; ye shall be confumed, both ye and your King.

T

HIS Important Caution was given by the Prophet Samuel to the Jews, and was occafion'd by a Remarkable Effect of these odious Qualities in them, the Ingratitude, and the Perverfeness, which ftand Diftinguish'd by the peculiar Liveliness and Boldnefs of the Figures, amongst the Images of that People, drawn in the Sacred Hiftory.

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Their Civil Government had, for ma ny Years, been adminiftred by Judges, according to the Defignation of God himfelf; who had, many a time, Dever'd and Bleffed them in an Extraordinary and Miraculous Manner, under that Administration. But they were fo far from any juft Notions of the Supreme Authority, preferibing this Administration to them; and fo far from all Due Regard to the fignal Bleffings attending it, that, with one Confent, they attempted a direct Violation of it, and obfti* All nately perfifted in that Attempt. the Elders of Ifrael faid unto Samuel, Make us a King to judge us, like all the Nations. This Audacious Invafion upon the Divine Appointment, in affuming an unwarrantable Authority, to Diffolve that Form of Government which they had receiv'd from Heaven, and to fubftitute a New Scheme in its room, being, by the fpecial Direction of God to the -Prophet, fully represented to Them, is conveyed to Posterity, under this Mark

1 Sam. viii. 4, 5

of

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