The time, manner, and instrument of this victory, deserves our notice. It was on a general fast-day, when the clergy and good people of _Scotland_ were lamenting the disloyalty of their perfidious countrymen, and, like _Moses_, lifting up their hands, that _Amalek_ might not prevail. The victory was total and decisive. Little blood was spilt on the side of the Royalists. And, to crown all, Duke _William_, his Majesty’s youngest son, has the honour of first driving back, and then defeating the rebel-army. A prince, who in his infancy and youth, gave early proofs of an uncommon bravery and nobleness of mind; a prince, whose courage has increased with his years. Who returned wounded from the battle of _Dettingen_, behaved with surprizing bravery at _Fontenoy_, and now, by a conduct and magnanimity becoming the high office he sustains, like his glorious predecessor the Prince of _Orange_, has delivered three kingdoms from the dread of popish cruelty, and arbitrary power. What renders it still more remarkable is, The day on which his Highness gained this victory, was the day after his birth-day, when he was entering on the 26th year of his age; and when _Sullivan_, one of the Pretender’s privy-council, like another _Ahitophel_, advised the rebels to give our soldiers battle, presuming they were surfeited and over-charged with their yesterday’s rejoicings, and consequently unfit to make any great stand against them. But, glory be to GOD, who catches the wise in their own craftiness! his counsel, like _Ahitophel_’s, proves abortive. Both General and soldiers were prepared to meet them. “GOD taught their hands to war, and their fingers to fight,” and brought the Duke, after a deserved slaughter of some thousands of the rebels, with most of his brave soldiers, victorious from the field.
If we then take a distinct view of this notable transaction, and trace it in all the particular circumstances that have attended it, I believe we must with one heart and voice confess, that if it be a mercy for a state to be delivered from a worse than a _Catiline_’s conspiracy, or a church to be rescued from a hotter than a _Dioclesian_ persecution; if it be a mercy to be delivered from a religion that turns plough-shares into swords, and pruning-hooks into spears, and makes it meritorious to shed protestant blood; if it be a mercy to have all our present invaluable privileges, both in church and state, secured to us more than ever; if it be a mercy to have these great things done for us, at a season, when for our crying sins, both church and state justly deserved to be overturned; and if it be a mercy to have all this brought about for us, under GOD, by one of the blood-royal, a prince acting with an experience far above his years; if any, or all of these are mercies, then have you lately commemorated one of the greatest mercies that ever the glorious GOD vouchsafed to the _British_ nation.
And shall we not rejoice and give thanks? Should we refuse, would not the stones cry out against us? Rejoice then we may and ought: but, O let our rejoicing be in the LORD, and run in a religious channel. This, we find, has been the practice of GOD’s people in all ages. When he was pleased, with a mighty hand, and out-stretched arm, to lead the _Israelites_ through the _Red-Sea_, as on dry ground, “Then sang _Moses_ and the children of _Israel_; and _Miriam_ the prophetess, the sister of _Aaron_, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her. And _Miriam_ answered them, Sing ye to the LORD; for he hath triumphed gloriously.” When GOD subdued _Jabin_, the King of _Canaan_, before the children of _Israel_, “then sang _Deborah_ and _Barak_ on that day, saying, ‘Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of _Israel_.’” When the ark was brought back out of the hands of the _Philistines_, _David_, though a king, danced before it. And, to mention but one instance more, which may serve as a general directory to us on this and such-like occasions: when the great Head of the church had rescued his people from the general massacre intended to be executed upon them by a cruel and ambitious _Haman_, “_Mordecai_ sent letters unto all the _Jews_ that were in all the provinces of the King _Ahasuerus_ both nigh and far, to establish among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month _Adar_, and the fifteenth day of the same yearly, as the days wherein the _Jews_ rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow unto joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.” And why should we not go and do likewise?
And shall we not also, on such an occasion, express our gratitude to, and make honourable mention of, those worthies who have signalized themselves, and been ready to sacrifice both lives and fortunes at this critical juncture?