A sermon preached upon the much lamented death of our late gracious sovereign Queen…

Her Body was the beautiful Temple of a fairer Soul: Her graceful Presence inspired Reverence and Love in those who saw her, and appeared worthy of Empire. But visible Beauty is often joined with foul Deformity in the same Person.

Her Body was the beautiful Temple of a fairer Soul: Her graceful Presence inspired Reverence and Love in those who saw her, and appeared worthy of Empire. But visible Beauty is often join'd with foul Deformity in the same Person.

I shall begin with her Piety towards God. This is the first Duty of Man in Order and Dignity, and the most considerable in its Consequences: 'tis the Foundation of all Royal Virtues. In the Public Worship of God, she was a bright Example of solemn and unaffected Devotion. She prayed with humble Reverence, heard the Word with respectful Silence, and with serious Application of Spirit, as duly considering the infinite Interval between the Supremacy of Heaven and Princes on Earth: That their Greatness in its Lustre is but a faint and vanishing Reflection of the Divine Majesty. One Instance I shall specify in this kind: When her Residence was at the Hague, a Lady of Noble Quality coming to the Court to wait on her on a Saturday in the Afternoon, was told she was retired from all Company, and kept a Fast in preparation ⟨p. 19⟩for the receiving the Sacrament the next day. The Lady staying till five a clock, the Princess came out, and contented her self with a very slender Supper, it being incongruous to conclude a Fast with Feast. Thus solemnly she prepared her self for spiritual Communion with her Saviour. When Moses was surprised at the sight of the flaming Bush, and intended to come near to it, he was warned by a Voice from Heaven, Draw not nigh hither: Put off thy Shoes from thy Feet, for the Place wherein thou standest is holy Ground. By the familiar figure of putting off the Shoes, is signified the purifying our selves from all Defilements. And certainly the Presence of the Son of God is more peculiar in that sacred mysterious Ordinance, than it was in the burning Bush; accordingly we should sanctify our selves, and approach with holy Fear.