READER concerning the following SERMON. W Hofoever shall judge it worth his time to peruse the following Dif courfe, (if it meets with any fuch) he is defired to take notice, that it was penned, and prepared to have been preached at Weftminfter-Abbey, at a folemn Meeting of fuch as had been bred at Weftminfter School. But the Death of King Charles II. happening in the mean time, the Defign of this Solemnity fell to the ground, together with him, and was never refumed fince; though what the reafon of this might be, 1 neither know, nor ever thought it worth while to enquire. It being abundantly enough for me, that I can with great truth affirm, that I never offered myself to this service, nor fo much as thought of appearing in a poft so manifeftly above me; but that a very great Perfon, (whofe word was then Law, as well as his Profeffion) was pleased mero motu (to Speak in the Prerogative Style, as best fuiting fo commanding a Genius) to put this Task upon me, as well as, afterwards, to fuperfede the performance of it: The much kinder At this of the two, I must confefs, and that in more respects than one, as faving me the trouble of delivering, and at the fame time blushing at fo mean a Difcourfe, and the Congregation alfo, the greater, of hearing it. But what farther caufe there was, or might be of So much uncertainty in this whole proceeding, I cannot tell; unless poffibly, that what his Lordship as Chief Juftice had determined, he thought fit as Chancellor to reverse. Nevertheless, out of an earnest (and I hope very juftifiable) defire, partly to pass a due Encomium (or fuch an one at least as I am able) upon fo noble a feat of the Mules, as this rerowned School has been always accounted bitherto; and partly to own the Obligation and Debt lying upon me to the place of my Education, I have here at length presumed to publish it. So that, although neither at the time appointed for that folemn Meeting, nor ever fince, have I had any opportunity given me to preach this Sermon myself; yet now that it is printed, poffibly some other may condescend to do it, as before in feveral fuch cafes, the like has been too well known to have been done. PROV. XXII. 6. Train up a Child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. W HEN I look back upon the old Infamous Rebellion and Civil War of Forty One, which like an irrefiftible Torrent broke in upon, and bore down the whole frame of our Government, both in Church and State; together with the principal concerns of private Families, and the perfonal interests of particular Men, (as it is not imaginable, that where a Deluge overtops the mountains, it fhould spare the valleys); and when I confider alfo, how fresh all this is in the remembrance of many, and how frequent in the difcourfe of most, and in both carrying the fame face of horror (as infeparable from fuch reflexions): I have wondered with myfelf, and that even |