be accountable to God too Remember that You must one day come to your Redde rationem Give an account You must appear before that exact and unavoidable and unappealable Tribunall of the Judge of all the world and he 'll heare all over again and judge the Cause and judge the Iudge Iudge you and judge all And would you give any sentence now that should then be reversed Would you give any sentence now you would then be ashamed to own Consider that you must give account to God Not only to Gods Deputie that little God in your bosomes Conscience which will sentence you severely if you doe amisse but to the great God the judge of all the World and Iesus Christ the Iudge of quick and dead God will bring to judgement every work with every secret thing whether it be good or evill Take heed therefore what you doe You will never be able to give up your account with joy else Again The nature greatnesse and waightinesse of the work you have to doe The easinesse of miscarrying in it The exceeding great danger if you do miscarrie All these call upon you to take heed what you doe 1 The nature greatnesse and waightinesse of the worke you have to doe 1 It is Gods work and therefore requires your utmost circumspection I have provided with all my might says David Why The house is not for man but for the Lord 1 Chron. 29.1 2 It is a great worke A worke of the greatest and mightiest concernment and importance that ever did or ever can come under your hands 3 It 's a perplex intricate difficult worke So many knots many Cases so intricate ô what a Labyrinth you will be in sometimes Your thoughts how they 'll be perplext twisted as it were intwin'd one within another how you will be troubled to discover your way to finde your rule to know what to do 4 It is an excellent work 5 An important work too Your eternall salvation lyes upon it Your and our temporall salvation also Lawes Liberties Lives Gospell Religion Church State Kingdome all lyes upon it According as you manage your work even so may it fare with England for ought I know and the children that are yet unborn will have cause either to stand up and blesse you or to stand up and curse you 2 The easinesse of miscarrying in the work Take heed what you doe A thousand to one but you will miscarry else For why First you are but men Gods indeed but yet but earthen gods Men weak men frail men flesh and bloud You have the same carnall principles in your hearts that are in the hearts of others You have a principle of pride in you a principle of self-love in you a principle of base slavish fear in you a principle of ambition a principle of covetousnesse c. 2 You have the same Devill and the same World to draw forth those principles too Such temptations from Satan such solicitations from men such evasions in offenders to avoid justice friends intreatie enemies obloquie such a world of snares so many respects to worke upon your affections so many occasions to turne you out of the way so many impediments to justice This relation and that relation kindred acquaintance feare favour hope of reward frownes smiles If they be rich ones and great ones that offend ô they must be spared they will sit upon my skirts else another time they 'll be even with me And if poor ones yet if great ones become suitors for them ô I must gratifie such a great man c. Oh how hard it is for a Iudge to deale justly uprightly impartially Take heed therefore what you do You will certainly miscarrie else 3 And if you doe Oh how dangerous it is that 's the third thing The exceeding great danger if you doe miscarrie Danger to your selves danger to others First to your selves To erre in judgement especially wittingly and willingly Oh it is a fearfull sin Called a manifold transgression and a mighty sin Amos 5.12 And you are said herein even to exceed the deeds of the wicked Jer. 5.28 How many dreadfull woes stand registred in the book of God against this sin See Esay 5.20 c. No sin more sharply threatned no sin more severely punished in persons in Nations It 's a sin that makes you guiltie of other mens sins A man may be guiltie of other mens sins not onely positively when he consents to them councels them incourages them countenances them and the like but privatively also when he indulges them connives at them c. In this case all the wickednesse others doe it 's You that doe it you be the murtherers and you be the Saboth-breakers and you be the swearers and you be the drunkard c. It 's not they that doe it it 's you that doe it it 's the Court of justice that doth it It 's a sin of bloud The sin of bloud oh it 's a fearfull sin if you erre in judgement if you condemne whom God would absolve or absolve whom God would condemne you pull upon your selves the guilt of bloud you take the bloud that lies upon others and lay it upon your own heads Because thou hast let goe a man whom I appointed to destruction therfore thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people sayes the Lord to Ahab 1 King 20.42 2 Danger to others too to the State to the Kingdom Take heed what you doe you 'l indanger the whole Kingdome else involve the whole Kingdom in bloud be State murtherers Kingdome-destroyers And whereas if you had carried your selves religiously piously sincerely in your worke you might have quenched the fire of Gods wrath Psal. 146.31 you will kindle it more And whereas had you executed judgement you might have removed the judgements that are upon the Land you will pull down yet heavier and sorer judgements It 's a dreadfull place that Amos 5. Yee who turne judgement to wormewood and leave off righteousnesse in the earth ver. 7 I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins You afflict the just you take a bribe you turne aside the poore in the gate from their right c. ver. 12. well and what follows Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts Wailing shall be in all streets and in all high places they shall cry Alas Alas and they shall call the husbandmen to mourning and such as are skilfull in lamentation to wailing ver. 16. And the day of the Lord shall be darknesse and not light even very darknesse and no brightnesse in it ver. 20. So Jeremiah 4. They judge not the cause of the fatherlesse and the right of the needy doe they not judge ver. 28. well and what follows Shall I not visit for these things sayes the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ver. 29. The want of due execution of judgement puls down Gods heaviest judgements upon a Land Take heed
not make your bowels earn God knows there are manie such families in this Citie at this day I beseech you let them be thought upon 'T was Jobs comfort in his distresse that he had relieved the fatherlesse and made the widdows heart sing for joy Job 39.13 And oh the throngs of beggers that wander up and down the streets wee can scarce crowd in at our Church doores for them Never had any Kingdome better Lawes in that respect I beseech you take care that they be executed Why should there be a beggar in London There was none in Israel Those that are able to work let them work or let them starve Those that are not throughage or lamenesse or blindnesse or the like let them be provided for Were all the penall Statutes executed upon Drunkards Swearers Sabbath-breakers common Gamsters c. Of every one that without reasonable cause travels upon the Lords Day ten shillings Of everie one that carries any burthen or does any worldly work upon the Lords Day five shillings Of everie one that 's present at any sport or pastime on that day if above the age of fourteene yeeres five shillings if under the age of fourteene years twelve pence Of everie one that prophanely sweares or curses for everie time he does so twelve pence Of everie one that 's found tipling in an Alehouse in the Towne where he dwels three shillings foure pence and of the Alehouse-keeper for suffering him so to doe ten shillings Of everie one that 's drunk for every time he is so five shillings Of everie Constable that neglects his dutie herein fortie shillings Of everie one that keeps a common house or place for bowling tennis dicing carding or the like fortie shillings for everie day Of everie one using and haunting any such house or place and there playing six shillings eight pence My Lord were all these and manie other the like penall Statutes put in execution besides the restraining of these God-provoking Land-devouring Soul-damning abominations what plentifull provision would there be for the poore Looke into the prisons too my Lord Oh the world of wickednesse that is there They are verie Nurseries of all ungodlinesse Men that once come there they learne more villanie there in one week then ever they learn'd before in all their daies Especially now Never such a serpentine generation there such a viperous brood Why what do you mean to nourish them in your bosomes unlesse you meane they shall dig out your bowels Men that have so often sought some by secret conspiracies others by open hostilities to take away all your lives Your lives Aâ— that that 's dearer or at least should be dearer to you ten thousand times then your lives The Gospell Religion Judge if they are worthie for one moment to enjoy their lives much lesse to enjoy what they do enjoy their pots their pipes their whores their games their sports their pastimes people of all sorts so freely resorting to them c. Are ours so used when they fall into their hands My Lord those that deserve restraint let imprisonment be a restraint indeed to them and those that deserve to die let them die hang them up before the Lord as the Gibeonites did Sauls sonnes 2 Sam. 21.6 'T would be as acceptable a sacrifice to God as that was and as pleasing a spectacle to all GODS people And one thing there is which if you would doe my Lord would stand upon Record to your perpetuall honour and I beseech you let me beg it at your hands That if possible you would thinke of some way whereby in everie prison of the Citie an able godly faithfull Minister may be maintained to teach them and instruct them It 's lamentable to consider that in such a place as this so famous for so manie excellent workes of Charitie to the bodies of men the souls of men should be so neglected Looke into Taverns and Innes and Alehouses and Gaming-houses too my Lord Oh the abuses and disorders that are there what drunkennesse what swearing what whoring what neglect of callings of families c. Look into the Forts too and into the Courts of guard Were some appointed to take the forfeiture of everie oath that is sworne there there would not be so manie oaths swore there in a month as are now in a day Looke into the Exchange too Scarce any difference to be seene there betwixt the Lords Day and other daies such resort of people thither to walke to talke to tell news to heare news c. And then for the Lords Day I confesse something has been done of late for the better observation of the Lords Day An Ordnance has been passed But what 's an Ordnance without execution Execution in policie it 's like elocution in Oratorie It 's primum secundum tertium the prime the main the all in all the verie life of the Law indeed And therefore Aristotle calls the Magistrate {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} A living Law Now the Lord helpe you you have more worke to doe then I can speake And Oh that you could even exuere hominem induere Angelum Even cease to be a man and become a verie Angell The Lord make my Lord wise as an Angell of God! This consider my Lord what ever sin is in your power to restrain if you do not restraine it you commit it What ever good is in your power to advance if you doe not advance it you hinder it This consider too my Lord you must be accountable Give an account of thy stewardshipâ— Luke 16.2 and what doe you know but that the Stewardship of your office and the Stewardship of your life may end together Take heed therefore now what you do lest then you crie out with him what shall I do It 's but a yeere my Lord your time is but short take heed what you doe in this little inch of time lest you crie out to eternitie what shall I doe I have said yee are gods But yee shall die like men Psal. 82.6 7. Gods But mortall gods You must die my Lord That gold chain and that scarlet robe and that magnificent attendance you must lay it all aside and stand naked before the Judge of the whole World and hold up your hand at that last and great Tribunall and be accountable what you have done how you have lived how you have laid out your talent how you have improved that power and authoritie and dignitie God has put into your hands My Lord I beseech you let it be your care It shall be our praier that you may give up your account in that day with joy and not with grief And then this consider too my Lord you have such advantages in this Worke as never man had before you Such a Parliament so godly so wise so faithfull so united together in their desires and endevours for a Reformation spending their time and state and strength and spirits and all for the
common good My Lord what can this honourable Citie suggest to them wherein they might be helpfull to you in furthering a Reformation which they would not as greedily imbrace as you can suggest Such a Ministerie too What course could you put them upon wherein they might be servicable to you in furthering and forwarding a Reformation which they would not take Doe but you tell them what you would have set up that might set up Christ and they will pray it up preach it up put to their heads their hearts their hands all they are or have or can even to the utmost to lift it up Such a mightie spirit of praier in the hearts of Gods people too It 's admirable to see how the spirits of God's people are drawn out in this service everie where God was never so assaulted The rest of the Almightie was never so broken As he said of that day wherein the Sun stood still in Gibeon and the Moon in the Valley of Aialon Never such a day as that before it nor ever should be againe after it The same may I say of this Citie in this respect There was never such a day in this Citie nor doe I verily believe will there ever be again such a day of praier A mightie encouragement You are backt with such a mightie gale of praier as never any Magistrate in this Citie was The ice is alreadie broken too The worke begun Aie and carried on a great way too What Monsters had your Predecessors to grapple with what a mightie spirit of Antipathie against a Reformation what stratagems what plots what desperate designes what insurrections what tumults All was in an uprore and wee were upon the verie brinke of ruine everie day This is all now husht and quasht in a gracious measure The Cause was then more doubtfull the malignants here in the Citie more powerfull higher in their hopes too how did they applaud themselves rejoycing and triumphing as those that put off the harnesse after victorie How did Rome triumph how did the Romish faction here in England triumph It 's otherwise now God hath taken off their charriot wheeles as I may say and though they drive still yet blessed be God they drive but heavily And what heards and droves of vitious scandalous superstitious Ministers were then in the City what a deal of unsavorie salt That 's now cast upon the dunghill And what swarms of Atheists Papists prophane persons that are now gone and what a deale of doe about a Service-Book and about a ceremonie and about superstitious pictures c Our Worthies in Parliament were at a stand knew not what to doe every one was at his wits end knew not what course to take The beginnings of reformation evermore meet with the greatest difficulties and with the strongest and mightiest obstructions and oppositions Israels greatest strait was at the red sea Indeed when they were in the Wildernes there they met with difficulties full of wants wanted bread wanted water and which was worse wanted faith wanted patience and thei 'l back again into Egypt and 't was better with them in Egypt c. Enemies came out against them too fighting enemies ploting enemies conjuring enemies Full of straits they were in the wildernesse But their greatest strait was at the red sea Blessed be God we are got through the red sea wee are in the wildernesse yea we are we hope upon the very borders of Canaan and who knows my Lord who can tell but that even You may be the Joshua that may bring us into the very possession of that good land However flag not in your attempts let your aymes be high Doe what you can Let no such But stand upon your name as we finde standing upon the names of some of the Kings of Israel who yet were good men too They did this and they did that they did thus and thus But But the high places were not taken away There was an imperfection in their reformation A Word or two to the people now and I have done And first Is this so Are Judges and Magistrates above all men in the world to be so wary and circumspect Who wonders then to see Saul running away and hiding himselfe among the stuffe when he should be anointed King To see wise and grave and conscientious men that understand the weight and charge of Magistracie willing to wave it unlesse they see a divine suffrage a vote from heaven a cleer hand of providence calling them out unto it Oh that I were made Judge says one and that every man that hath any suit or cause might come to me But who was it that said so It was Absolom a heady rash inconsiderate young man a wicked man a Tyrant a Traitor Others they cry out as Paul {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} who is sufficient for these things It 's true there 's honour in it but withall there 's burthen in it too And a burthen humeris vel Angelicis formidandum as Bernrrd sayes of the Ministerie too heavie for the shoulders of the verie Angels Againe Is this so Had Magistrates above all men under heaven need to be men of such marvellous warinesse and circumspection Oh then pitie them Christians pitie them Pray for them too Good people for God sakes let me beg your prayers this day for them whom God hath set over you in the place of Magistracie There are divers and sundry vertues and graces required in Magistrates Beg them of God for them As First beg wisdome and understanding for them Understanding in the law of God understanding in the positive Laws of the Kingdome that they may be able to discerne betwixt good and evill betwixt right and wrong How shall they be able to determine according to Law if they do not understand the Law Secondly beg valour courage fortitude magnanimitie Magistrates should be men of courage and further then God makes them so they cannot be so Thirdly Humilitie too That their hearts be not lifted up above their brethren That they be not proud haughtie c. but may behave themselves in a sweet lowly loving way to all Fourtly The true feare of God too 'T will restraine them from all evill constraine them to all good Therefore Let the feare of the Lord be upon you saith Jehosaphat That they may not only know what is just and execute what they know to be just but that there may be integrity in their executions 3 Help them Put to your own shoulders The burthen is great One man is not able to beare it alone Put we under our own shoulders therefore and help wee in our proportion everie one of us Moses was the wisest Magistrate one of them that ever was yet notable to bear the burthen of the people alone therefore hee chuses 70 Assistants or 70 subordinate Rulers and Magistrates that should beare the burthen with him He called them in partem solicitudinis His ease required it The peoples necessitie required it And so God ordered it Numbr 11.17 And such are you the right worshipful Aldermen of this Citie in your several Wards You the Deputies also You the Common-Councell men also At least you should be such you ought to be such Assistants namely to the supreame Magistrate Be so therefore Concurre as Assistants Oh helpe helpe all you can to to finde out offences To informe to reforme See you do it I beseech you heed what I say see you doe it I I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels as you will answer your neglect in that last and great day see you doe it If not beare with mee I beseech you I must speak it I cannot approve my self to God and to mine own conscience unlesse I speak it I call heaven and earth to witnesse against you this day that all the sins that shal be cōmitted in London from this very day caused by your negligence connivence indulgence they are your sins you are the Drunkards of London you are the Swearers of London you are the Sabbath-breakers of London c. Helpe therefore I beseech you and assist what you can And so let us All even every one of us in our severall stations and proportions Oh that we would doe so Oh that the hand of God might be to give us one heart as 't is said of Judah in Hezekiahs time That there might be a concurrence a confluence of desires of endevours That wee would even All of us be active vigorously active this way That so all of us in our places as so many Rivolets contributing our strength to the publike current Judgment might run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mightie streame and know no stop nor resistance Errata PAge 1. for 2 Cor. 19. r. 2 Chron. 19. p. 3. l. 2. f. percipitant r. precipitant p. 7. l. 7. f. Reges r. Regis p. 8. l. 21. f. omnicient r. omniscient p. 8 l. 20. f. language r. languages p. 14. l. 12. f. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} r. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p. 16. l. 30. f. nimus r. nimis p. 20. l. 25. f. mortall r. immortall p. 26. l. 2. f. drunkard r. drunkards Ezra 7.27 1 Chron. 29.18 Iam. 5 2◠Dan. 12.3 Luk. 1.16 Mat. 4.5 Ier. 9.23 24. Deut. 4.5 6 8. 2 Cor. 5.14 Iob 30.3 4 5 6 7. Iob. 30.8 Socrat. lib. 7.29 Doct. Doct. Doct. Hos. 6.6 Neh. 5 15. 2 Tim. 3.5 Ioh. 7.51 Gen. 18.21 Gen. 6.5 Gen. 11. Iam 1.10 Act. 25 16. Pro. 18.17 ◠Cor 55. Deut. 32.19 DIKE against covetousnes Deut. 23. Use 1. Pitts Iob 13.35 Iosh. 1.8 Rom. 16.3 5. Iob 29.14 1 Tim. 4.8 Zach. 2.5 Deut 1◠4 Iosh. 10.14 1 King 15.14 1 Sam. 1◠22 2 Cor. 2.16 Use 3. 2 King 3.9 1 Tim. 5.21 2 Chron. 30 12. Amos 5.24