God the Judge Putting Down One and Setting Up Another, Half title – Dedication
Mr. Foxcroft's SERMON On the DEATH of His late MAJESTY King GEORGE, &c.
GOD the Judge, putting down One, and ſetting up Another.
A SERMON Upon Occaſion of the DEATH Of our late Sovereign LORD King GEORGE, AND THE ACCESSION Of his preſent MAJESTY, King GEORGE, II. To the Britiſh THRONE.
By Thomas Foxcroft, A. M. MINISTER of the Old Church in Boſton.
BOSTON in New-England: Printed for S. GERRISH at the lower end of Cornhil. MDCCXXVII.
To the HONORABLE William Dummer, Eſq Lieut. GOVERNOUR & Commander in Chief, in and over his MAJESTY'S Province of the Maſſachuſetts-Bay in NEW-ENGLAND,
SIR,
WE all very ſenſibly feel the Blow of GOD'S Sovereign Hand, in the late awful and affecting Inſtance of Mortality; which ſuddenly beheaded Kingdoms, & delug'd Nations
WAS it poſſible then for King GEORGE, the Great and Good, whom irreſiſtible Death has raviſh'd from us, to ſlide ſilently into his Grave?
WHO can forbear following Him with that mournful Cry, My Father, My Father! The Chariots of Iſrael and the Horſe-men thereof! Who can forbear this, that has in his breaſt the leaſt ſpark of Ingenuity and Gratitude, or any thing of the true Engliſh Temper, or Proteſtant Principles! Sure I am the Man muſt be abandon'd to a wretched Stoiciſm, or be under the power of a ſcandalous Indifference to the grand Cauſe of Civil Liberty, and the Reformed Religion, that does not regret the Loſs of a Prince, who has been ſo celebrated, ſo avow'd a Patron of them both, the Light of Iſrael, and the Terror of all their Adverſaries: A Prince whoſe conſpicuous Excellencies and moſt auſpicious Reign may well be the Wonder and Praiſe of all Poſterity, as they are very much the Triumph & Admiration of the preſent Day.
IMPOSSIBLE it ſeem'd to me for any one to refrain from mingling his Tears with the publick Sorrows, and adding a Voice to the Conſort of Mourners, upon this melancholy Occaſion: which for my own part I cou'd not tell how to paſs over in Silence.
SIR, THE following Sermon pretends to very little ſingular, beſides what has been already publiſh'd among us by ſome of my Brethren. I have not attempted his late Majeſty's CHARACTER; A Work fit for the beſt Orator of the Age, and vaſtly above any Talent of mine: nor cou'd any expect from the Pulpit his Royal HISTORY. I have but made a few general Touches upon things, with the Simplicity and practical Turn, that I apprehend always moſt becoming the ſacred Desk: — Humbly to expreſs my deep Senſe of BRITAIN'S & NEW-ENGLAND'S Loſs in the Death we have been call'd to Mourn; together with my loyal Concurrence in the common Joy at the happy Succeſſion of the High & mighty Prince GEORGE Prince of Wales, to the Britiſh THRONE, whereby the ſovereign Dominion of theſe dependent Provinces, and other Plantations in America, is come into his rightful and gracious Hands. Which preſages a new Scene of Glory, to enliven our Hopes, and openeth thoſe ſplendid Proſpects before us, that may juſtly correct the paſſionate Griefs of the preſent Seaſon: And we truſt the Smiles of his Royal Grace & Clemency will ſoon diſſipate all our Clouds, and intirely reverſe the gloomy Reflections of this dark Day.
SIR, YOU'l pardon me that I have preſum'd to inſcribe your honourable NAME in the front of this unfiniſh'd Diſcourſe: which, I was the leſs backward to comply with the Requeſt of ſome of my Friends, in thus expoſing to View, if it might be ſhrouded under your favourable Umbrage. Altho' it mayn't appear in a dreſs altogether ſo fit to wait upon your HONOUR: Yet having had ſuch Experience and obſerv'd ſo much of your diſtinguiſh'd Candour & Goodneſs on many Occaſions, I cou'd not but flatter my ſelf that it wou'd have a kind Reception with you; eſpecially when I reflected on the Occaſion it was preach'd upon, which as it required me to put on a ſable Habit, ſo allow'd me to ſpeak with faultring Accents: And when I conſider'd how highly grateful the Deſign & Tenour of my Diſcourſe muſt undoubtedly be to ONE, whoſe inviolable Loyalty to our late glorious Sovereign, & Zeal for the Proteſtant Blood in his illuſtrious Houſe, are ſo known & undiſputed, that they leave no poſſible room to ſuſpect your candid Conſtruction of the feebleſt Effort to do Honour to the ſacred Memory of that admirable Prince, and to inculcate a wiſe & pious Improvement of the National Loſs, that ſo our GOD the Judge, may gain ſome Glory thereby.
PERMIT me now to condole your HONOUR'S particular ſhare in the common Bereavement. —
SIR, I make no doubt you religiouſly entertain the Admonition, that Heaven ſends you of your own Mortality, in this ſevere Stroke, which comes ſo near you.
I pray GOD confirm your HONOUR'S Health, and prolong your Opportunities of ſerving your KING, and your native Country: who have hitherto ſeen You, thro' the Grace of GOD (and to the glory of that Grace be it ſpoken) ſo faithful & prudent in the Conduct of your honorable and weighty Truſt; in thoſe critical & difficult Junctures you have paſſed thorow; ſo equally holding the Ballance, duly aſſerting the Rights & Prerogatives of your Royal Maſter, while yet you have been tender of the Subjects Liberty and Privilege; to your own great Reputation, & to the Security & Flouriſhing of the Public in its moſt valuable Concerns.
MAY your HONOUR be abundantly ſupported under the weight of the public Cares; which centring ſo much on your Shoulders at preſent, muſt needs ſit heavy upon you: and may a remarkable Succeſs, ſo long as you ſit in the Chair, and always in all future Capacities you may ſuſtain, viſibly attend your Counſels & Endeavours for the common Good! May you ſtill be accepted of the Multitude of your Brethren, in ſeeking their Welfare: and your Services for the Crown be as acceptable to his moſt excellent Majeſty, our preſent King (whom GOD of his mercy preſerve & bleſs) as they have been to his Royal Father, of bleſſed Memory!
MAY you alſo ever experience much of the ſpiritual and gracious Preſence of your Covenant-GOD with you, in the more private Concerns of the Chriſtian Life! May your virtuous & happy Conſort long live, a mutual Delight & Bleſſing to your Honour: and may you Both be Heirs together of all the ſure Mercies of an everlaſting Covenant, which will aſſign you a Place and a Name better than of Sons & of Daughters!
AND now, SIR, I beg Leave to recommend my Self, with my Family who are ſo much your own Fleſh, and my dear Church, where you receiv'd your Baptiſm, and which you are pleas'd to favour with your ſtated Preſence in our public Worſhip & Communion, to an affectionate Remembrance in your devout Addreſſes to the Throne of Grace; where I doubt not you are daily carrying the Caſe, not only of your Perſon & Family, but alſo of your Friends, and of this whole People, who look upon you as their common Father. SIR, We are perſuaded that you love Zion, and pray for her Peace; that you will ſeek the Good of Jeruſalem all your days; and that the Honour of CHRIST, the ſupreme Majeſty & Head of his Body the Church, by whom Kings reign, whoſe you are & whom you ſerve, lies ever near your Heart, as your governing End. You can therefore moſt ſincerely & delightfully joyn in that Doxology, with which I conclude theſe Lines: — To the only wiſe GOD our Saviour, be Glory, Dominion, and Power, both now and ever. AMEN!
I am Your HONOUR'S Very obedient Humble Servant, THOMAS FOXCROFT.