By THOMAS PICKERING, D. D. LONDON, Printed for JOHN CLARKE, under the Royal 22855 € T 2 SAM. i. How are the Mighty fallen! HERE is a Pathos and Sublimity in this Lamentation of David, over Saut and Jonathan, that never was equalled by any human Pen-What approaches nearest to the Excellency of this divine Compofition is the Eikon Bafilike, the Royal Image of the great and good Heart of that moft virtuous Prince, whofe Murder we are met this Day to deplore-where, in the most moving, but withal the most majestick Strains, he laments his own undeserved Calamities, and the certain Confequences of them, the utter Ruin and Defolation of his People. Beauty of Ifrael! how art thou flain in thy high Places! And with thee fell thine ancient Nobility-thine hofpitable Gentry-the Rights and Privileges of thy free born Citizens! Our Altars are broken down!-Our Temples are polluted! Our Priefts are flain in the Sanctuary! Where is now the happy Constitution of thy well-tempered State! Where is now the decent Worship of thy pure, peaceable, orthodox Church! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the Streets of Askelon, left the Daughters of the Philiftines rejoice--left the Daughters of the Uncircumcifed triumph! How How infupportable is the Shame and Infamy of thefe Nations! What a deep WoundWhat an indelible Reproach has been fixed upon the Name and Religion of Proteftant, by the villainous Tranfactions of thofe Times of rebellious Confufion! The Reformed-the thorough Reformed the Reformed of the pureft and straighteft Sort, after the Example of Mabomet, propagate Religion with the Sword! They confederate they enter into Covenant against the Anointed of the Lord, and have outgone the Pattern that was fet them, in the holy Catholick League, by Popish Bigots. And, to prevent the People from returning to their Loyalty and Duty, they have destroyed the established Worship, and fet up Calves in our Temples, after the Example of Jeroboam, the Son of Nebat, who made Ifrael to fin, and who faid in his Heart, If this People go to do Sacrifice in the Temple of the LORD at Jerufalem, then fhall this People turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam, King of Judah, and shall kill me. From the Blood of the Slain-from the Fat of the Mighty, the Bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the Sword of Saul returned not empty. He was lovely and pleasant in his Life, and in his Death how great! how illuftrious! By bowing his Neck to Difcipline from his Youth, and by defpifing the low Gratifications which are fo eagerly purfued in Courts, he improved proved and adorned a fine natural Understanding to the utmost. His Tafte in Painting, Architecture, Sculpture, and all the politer Arts, of which he was a munificent Patron, was remarkable and exquifite. He was acquainted with the History and Laws of his own Country-He was learned in the ancient Languages, and spoke the Modern perfectly; and that he was a thorough Master of his own Tongue, is evident from his Declarations, and the rest of his Works, which are as much fuperior to the Writings of the Rebels, in Dignity of Language, and Weight of Reason, as their Royal Author was in Birth -in Virtue-in the Goodness of his Caufe I wish I could add, the Succefs of it too-But at last enthusiastick Frenzy prevailed over true Courage. Such was the Will of God! And to thefe ornamental Parts of his Character, if we add his moral, his royal, his religious Endowments-if we confider him as a Man-a King-a Chriftian we may pronounce him to have been the most accomplished Prince, not only of his own Time, but to have been in no Refpect inferior to the best and greatest of his Predeceffors or Succeffors. In the Day of Battle his great Heart was undaunted, and incapable of Fear; and never did the World see a more noble Proof of paffive Valour, than at that Time, when, under the thousand ftudied Indignities that were offered to him by the meanest Enemies, he never did, or |