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Rh his Goodnes to that People. But, whether for thee Reaons or not, it ought to uffice us, That uch Memorials were certainly of Divine Intitution: That the Form and the End of them are Our Pattern by being o contrived, as not only to publih the great Benefactors Praies, but alo to promote his true Religion: That the Jewih Rulers afterwards eteemed themelves not only allowed, but obliged, upon extraordinary Occaions, to ordain the like; without any poitive and immediate Direction from Heaven in the matter: That uch, in particular, were the Feats of Purim and the Dedication; the Latter whereof our Bleed Lord vouchaed to honour with his Preence. And ure we may have liberty to infer a Parity of good Reaon, and good Acceptance with God, when publihed and important Mercies are in ucceeding Ages celebrated by olemn and religious Acknowledgments. Hence have the Widom and Piety of our Governours et a Mark of Ditinction upon this Day. How very jutly, I am now about to oberve, by bringing home to our own Church and Nation the Words of my Text, and the principal of thoe Remarks, which I have hitherto been drawing from them.

I. We ure were of all Mortals the mot diingenuous and unworthy, did we not evidently dicern, and thankfully rejoice in a lively Reemblance to Irael in the Readines of God to uccour and protect us. No Period of Time, ince Miracles have ceaed, can produce more remarkable Intances of this nature, than the Englih Church and Nation have been bles'd with, ince recued from the Bondage of their Romih Taskmaters. The Attempts to reduce us have been not only o numerous and ubtle, but o bloody and barbarous, and, bae; as prove their pretended Converions to be of a kind altogether different from thoe laboured by S. Paul and uch as plainly eek not Us but Ours.

Yet in the Deign of This Day, they even outdid themelves. A Deign o pightful and unprovoked, o cruel in the Intention, o ecret in the Contrivance, o long under debate o peedy in the manner of Execution, and o Rh