his Goodneſs to that People. But, whether for theſe Reaſons or not, it ought to ſuffice us, That ſuch Memorials were certainly of Divine Inſtitution: That the Form and the End of them are Our Pattern by being ſo contrived, as not only to publiſh the great Benefactors Praiſes, but alſo to promote his true Religion: That the Jewiſh Rulers afterwards eſteemed themſelves not only allowed, but obliged, upon extraordinary Occaſions, to ordain the like; without any poſitive and immediate Direction from Heaven in the matter: That ſuch, in particular, were the Feaſts of Purim and the Dedication; the Latter whereof our Bleſſed Lord vouchſaſed to honour with his Preſence. And ſure we may have liberty to infer a Parity of good Reaſon, and good Acceptance with God, when publiſhed and important Mercies are in ſucceeding Ages celebrated by ſolemn and religious Acknowledgments. Hence have the Wiſdom and Piety of our Governours ſet a Mark of Diſtinction upon this Day. How very juſtly, I am now about to obſerve, by bringing home to our own Church and Nation the Words of my Text, and the principal of thoſe Remarks, which I have hitherto been drawing from them.
I. We ſure were of all Mortals the moſt diſingenuous and unworthy, did we not evidently diſcern, and thankfully rejoice in a lively Reſemblance to Iſrael in the Readineſs of God to ſuccour and protect us. No Period of Time, ſince Miracles have ceaſed, can produce more remarkable Inſtances of this nature, than the Engliſh Church and Nation have been bleſs'd with, ſince reſcued from the Bondage of their Romiſh Taskmaſters. The Attempts to reduce us have been not only ſo numerous and ſubtle, but ſo bloody and barbarous, and, baſe; as prove their pretended Converſions to be of a kind altogether different from thoſe laboured by S. Paul and ſuch as plainly ſeek not Us but Ours.
Yet in the Deſign of This Day, they even outdid themſelves. Biſhop Andrews, Tortua Torti. p.83 &c. A Deſign ſo ſpightful and unprovoked, ſo cruel in the Intention, ſo ſecret in the Contrivance, ſo long under debate ſo ſpeedy in the manner of Execution, and ſo
