without money in the case as is generally too evident how should houses Haud facile emergunt quarum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domus is as true as if it had been domi that is it holds as certain in houses as in men It is mony must raise them But what shall they do that have it not nor can by any means procure it I know no way but one viz. they must fell their ground but there is the misery who will give them to the worth of it They that know they must or are forced to sell think to buy it as they list or at some such rates as too many have bought Debenters it may be at a Noble for the worth and value of each pound Thus poor men are bought and sold as the Prophet expresseth it for a pair of shoes Amos 2.6 A rich commodity in a poor mans hand is nothing worth so barbarously are men upon the catch taking their utmost advantages one against another which is to make a vice instead of a vertue of necessity I mean a vice to themselves out of the necessity of others For doubtless he that buyeth out poor men so cheaply selleth himself to work wickedness Well what said Ahab to Naboth 1 Kin. 21.2 Give me thy Vineyard and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard than that or if it seem good to thee I will give thee the worth of it in money He offered a valuable consideration for Naboths ground will you be worse than that Ahab If your Brethren be hungry will you take occasion thereby to purchase their Birth-right for a mess of pottage as Jacob did who was many wayes crossed afterwards in one kind and in another What blessing can be expected or rather what curse may not be lookt for upon those houses the foundations of which are laid in oppression and grinding the faces of the poor who in order to bread are forced to suffer their own faces to be ground Are no merciful men to be found who in consideration of the necessity of poor men will give them for their ground rather more than it is worth at leastwise full as much yea why should not every man be so far forth merciful sith the latter of the two is but to be just Art thou in a purchasing case buy poor mens ground at a full rate build upon it and when that is done if they be able to pay a moderate Rent and it may be a courtesie to them become their Landlord He may prove a sufficient Tenant who is not able to build his own house and his Landlord may have a blessing for his sake for blessed is he that considereth the poor Psa 40.1 Be not you discouraged if you cannot build your selves another mans house may be as commodious for you as one of your own erecting and if there happen to be inconveniencies in it they will not so much upbraid and vex you as if they had been contracted by your own misbuilding as they might have been Nam quae non fecimus ipsi haud ea nostra voco you are not chargeable with the faults of those houses which you did not make or build your selves I have one thing more to say to such as must sell their ground and are dejected at the thoughts of so doing Were you not so far undone that you could not attempt to build who knows whither you as many others have been and it is supposed will be might not be undone by building DISCOURSE XI That a strict observation of the Lords day might greatly promote the rebuilding of the City THe Lords Day is not that Sabbath which was first so called for that was the last day of the week whereas it is the first yet a Sabbath it is and doubtless injoyned in and by the same Commandment that the Jewish Sabbath was viz. the fourth for whosoever doth not acknowledge it so to be must either say that there is no Sabbath at all or day of holy rest to be kept under the New Testament and consequently that there are now but nine Commandments in the Moral Law the fourth being abrogated and expired whereas Christ hath told us That till heaven and earth pass one jot shall in no wise pass from that Law Mat. 5.18 or else they must say that the last day of the week is that which ought alwayes to be observed by Christians as it is by Jews for the only Sabbath and weekly holy day that is for ever to be celebrated in obedience to that Command Most Christians are averse from Judaizing in taking Saturday for their Sabbath chusing rather to imitate the practise of the Apostles whose manner it was to observe not the last but first day of the week which we conclude they would not have done but by Warrantie and Commission from Christ who alone was Lord of the Sabbath so to do Yet some few Christians there are who symbolize with the Jews in their Saturday-Sabbath and keep the same day as holy as they can And verily if in this case I may speak my mind freely they are much less too blame who keep a Saturday Sabbath than they who keep none at all who understand that Commandment as the Jews do than they who make as if it were abrogated and disannulled But he that shall fall into neither of the extremes aforesaid but shall confess that the first day of the week is that which was instituted for Christians by the fourth Commandment must needs own it to be a Sabbath because instituted and appointed by and under that name Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and v. 11. The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it That it was necessary I should prove there is a Sabbath yet in being and that the day which men ought weekly to observe as holy to the Lord thoroughout all Ages is called the Sabbath to the end I might shew that the Promises made and incouragements given to such as have kept or shall keep holy the Sabbath day are not insignificant and out of date as to us who live under the New Testament Having done that it will be easie to prove what I have affirmed in the Title of this Chapter viz. that a strict observation of the Sabbath for so is the Lords day to Christians would greatly promote the building of the City witness that pregnant promise which of its self were a sufficient testimony Isa 58.12 13. And they that shall be of thee shall build the wast places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and restorer of paths to dwell in If thou turn away thy foot from my Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words v. 14. I will cause thee to ride
my self whilst I was about this work and found that saying of a reverend Divine most true that one man in a little time is many men In some parts and places of this book thou mayest lye down as it were in green pastures and be lead beside the still waters alluding to Ps 23. I mean tollerably recreate thy self if thou hast a mind so to do and in others again as in dark groves and obscure grottoes thou mayest satiate thy self with melancholy if that humour please thee better as some have seemed to me to be in love with it But I think thou wilt find the daies longer than the nights and less of darkness than of light or lightsomness throughout this whole treatise which I had no mind to make like the Fish called Sepia or Cuttle-fish which casts ink and blackness upon all the waters where it swims at least-wise so often as it self is in any trouble or danger of being taken but rather more like that more excellent creature viz. the Sun which disperseth clouds and darkness wheresoever he cometh Sic liceat magnis componere parva that is if it be lawful for us to make so unequal a comparison There are two things which I should most of all desire to meet with in the preface to any book viz. Some account of the Authour either from himself or from some other and some account of the work I would know whose book I read I mean the Genius and temper of the Authour that I might the better understand what I read ex gr If I know the Canticles to have been indited by the holy Ghost and penned by Solomon I am sure no one expression in that whole book ought to have any wanton or lascivious construction put upon it nor could be so intended the Authour considered though but for that there are several passages in that book liable enough unto being taken in an amorous sense It is an ordinary saying Cum duo faciunt idem non est idem when two men viz. of different spirits do one thing it is not one and the same thing which they do The same may be applied to writing and speaking Those passages may be well taken from persons of known moderation which coming from others might be liable to a worse construction and the sayings of moderate men should always be taken in a modest and moderate sense if the words will but bear it and whereas it is said that every thing hath two handles viz. a better and a worse what is presented to us by persons universally owned as candid and moderate should always be taken by the better handle of the two for the sayings and writings of men are generally such as they themselves are Now the Authour of this Treatise knowing that a verbal testimony given by any man to himself doth signifie nothing as Christ saith If I bear record of myself my record is not true maketh his humble appeal to all that know him whether the tenour of his conversation and practice for professions and subscriptions amount to little hath not alwaies proclaimed him a moderate man of a reconciling spirit and of a healing temper Those countries that lie near the equinoctial line are continually scorched with heat whether the Sun be moving north or south whereas those parts which are more remote from the Ecliptick line or path of the Sun go by the name of temperate zones So have I seen sober persons who by virtue of their moderation have been nearer to others whether they were such as had Northern or Southern latitude for moderation is a kind of medium participationis a participation of two extreams but of neither of them in extremity like a composition of elements which remain in mixtion but refractly I say I have seen such under greater sufferings than other men who have been violent one way or other and to fare like one that goes about to part a couple that are fighting and by that means brings them both about his own ears and whilst he would make them friends with one another makes them both enemies to himself I was about to say I my self have been a kind of Martyr in the behalf of Moderation and am not ashamed to own it It is fit that some body should do the world good even against its will and particularly by promoting that which violence would certainly extinguish I mean love and reconciliation without which the world can no more be happy than there can be day in the world without a Sun If I have any moderation to spare as some think I have I wish I could impart it to them that have little or none God was not in the wind which rent the mountains nor in the earth quake nor in the fire but in the still small voice 1 Kings 19.12 All the four Evangelists do record that the holy Ghost descended like a dove Mat. 3.16 c. The wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousness of God I profess my self to be neither for Paul nor for Apollos nor Cephas in opposition to one another but for Christ in conjunction with all of them and to be most for those Disciples whether of Paul of Apollos or of Cephas which I judg to be really best in their practice though more remote than others from my particular judgment So far as men are of my mind they bear my image but so far as they are good they bear Gods image now I would love Gods image in men more than my own It may be a mans defect to be like me but I am sure it is his excellency to be like God I cannot bring my self to think that all persons of one or two perswasions are only godly and that all the rest of people who are not of those perswasions are carnal and wicked I think that some perswasions have fewer people of good lives adhering to them than do adhere to some others but yet there are some worse people amongst those that are generally best and some better people than many of them amongst those that are generally worse than they and that I ought to love the good people of a party more generally bad better than the bad people of a party that is more generally good Time was that Judas might have been seen amongst the disciples of Christ and Christ himself amongst the publicans Grace and Learning or solid wisdom and good nature all yea every one of these do more attract my heart to him that hath them and is not of my judgment than to be of my judgment doth or can attract it to him that hath them not If I were a Presbyterian indowed with power as some of that name have somtimes been I would more love and encourage an Episcopal man that were of good life and of good Learning and of a peaceable spirit than one that professed himself a zealous Presbyterian whose life and learning and temper were not so good to be sure than one that were of an iâ—
Prophesie but one by one and the rest hold their peace verse 31. and that the spirits of the Prophets should be subject to the Prophets ver 32. and such like things which are not arbitrary but in their own nature necessary and without which in the judgement of all men there would be meere confusion Now as in Religion from such things and such alone as are absolutely necessary there arisethâ— beautiful Order which is of great advantage anâ— applauded by the very light of Nature So I say 〈◊〉 this inferiour affair of Architecture though beautâ— and ornament as such were not at all look'd after yet if other things which are indispensably needful as safety and security is be provided for something of beauty and handsomeness will follow oâ— course and when it flows from thence ought in no case to be found fault with but to be well accepted and commended And this I take to be a just Apology for building London with Brick though that kind of building be more stately thaâ— the former was even after so sad a calamity Brick buildings as they are not the meanest and cheapest so neither are they the most curious and chargeable but of a middle sort And verily 〈◊〉 medio consistit virtus It is good to shun both extreams even in Religion it self in which as meâ— ought not on the one hand to be pompous and superstitious putting it as it were into the dresse oâ— a Harlot or making as if it came to court our seâ—ses and fancies so neither on the other hand 〈◊〉 be rude and slovenly as if the out-side of a cup 〈◊〉 platter might well be nasty if the in-side were bâ— clean When we see a City built with Brick how maâ— it serve to put us in mind of our beginning anâ— first extraction of our end and dissolution and especially of the manner of every true Believers resurrection from the dead What is Brick but Clay or red Earth burnâ— and whence had Adam his name but from Adam which signifieth red Earth Gen. 3.19 till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken Nâ— only our bodies but our souls do yet dwell in houses of Clay whose foundations is in the dust for what else are our bodies Job 4.19 Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 And God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2.7 And may not the houses of Clay Dust or Brick we dwell in mind us as whence we came so likewise whither we are going viz. to the ground whence we came Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Now we bring the earth up to us and place it about us and over our heads but the time hastneth in which we must go down to it and make our beds in the bosom of it Into this Mothers womb every of us must enter the second time and be born again at the Resurrection of the dead And of that Resurrection also may our City when it shall be all of Brick put us in mind for then after so great a death as it had by the Fire will it rise again much more handsom and beautiful than it was before So shall the bodies of Believers which having been sown in corruption shall be raised in incorruption and having been sown in weakness shall rise in power 1 Cor. 15. and shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ though before they were vile bodies c. Yet further How much we are beholden to that mean creature which we tread upon every day the Earth I mean may be brought to our remembrance when we view our houses of Brick and what is Brick but Earth From the dirty dungy despised Earth have we meat drink sauce corn wine oyl linnen which we must cloath our selves with whilst we live and amongst other things the very houses we do and must dwell in as well living as dead I write not this to make my self and others more in love with this Earth which we are apt to be too much but to the end our great dependance under God upon so despicable a creature may make us yet more vile in our own eyes and our trampling upon that which we are so much beholden to though that we may do may mind us of our trampling where we may not viz. upon the Name and Honour of God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy Can we behold those Bricks which our houses are and must be made of and not look back upon that sad trade which the poor Israelites were made to follow in Egypt viz. of making Bricks a double tale of Brick yea without straw too save what was of their own gathering and can we chuse but think of the parallel case of all such poor Citizens as have houses to build at almost a double charge but not wherewithal to do it Neither may we forget how seasonably the children of Israel were delivered when their task of Brick was doubled for then came Moses cum duplicabantur lateres But it is high time to put a period to this Chapter and wherewith can I do it better than by some such solemn wish as this that if the Lord please the new City which we expect may endure as much longer than the old did as Bricks in themselves are more durable than Rafters and that the prosperity of Londoners may be so great whilst it standeth that whensoever their Bricks shall fall they may be able to rebuild with hewen stones and when their Elms and Oaks shall be worn out they may be able to change them for Cedars DISCOURSE VI. Of ill burnt Bricks and that great care should be taken to build the New City with good Materials WIll any trash serve for the building of our new City was London so lately destroyed by the burning of its materials and shall it quickly be destroyed again for want of materials that is Bricks duly burnt Do we look for another Fire to burn our Bricks over again It is said of Ephraim Hos 7.8 Ephraim is a Cake not turned meaning not throughly baked that was spoken in a mysterious and shall the same be true of London in a mechanical sense Why do men make more hast than good speed either build as may last or not at all If they that have Bricks to sell have no more Conscience than to offer such as are stark naught you that are to buy should have more care and discretion than to accept of them Is it for cheapness sake that you make use of such unfit Commodities then are you penny-wise and pound-foolish I see no men are such losers as they that are over-saving none so prodigal though sore against their wills as are the greatest misers So some men sue at the Law for great things which they justly claim and lose their cause by starving it and others when sick neglect advice and dye as it were to save charges To such our homely Proverb is but too applicable They will lose a sheep to
go forward when a prophane activity would but hinder it Suppose the City should require seven years time to build it again some may think that doing nothing to it upon the Sabbath day is a great hinderance and would be the loss of no less than one whole year in seven but if we consider the curse which it prevents and the blessing which it procureth it will be found to be no loss at all and that the City in effect and in due construction goes up as fast or faster on the Sabbath-day than on any day in the week Whilst we are seeking Gods Kingdom and the righteousness thereof God though in an invisible way is adding to us Jer. 17.24 It shall come to pass if ye hallow the Sabbath-day to do no work therein then shall there enter into the gate of this City Kings and Princes and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and this City shall remain for ever God who had set apart a tenth for his own use gave the Jews assurance they should be nothing the poorer but much the richer for paying of it Mal. 3.10 Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it The Israelites when they were before Jericho besieging it lost no time by carrying about the Ark and sounding the Trumpets as was appointed them for it is said It shall come to pass when ye hear the sound of the Trumpet all the people shall shout with a great shout and the wall of the City shall fall down flat Joshua 6.5 The Prophet was angry with the King of Israel for smiting the ground but thrice 2 Kings 13.19 Thou shouldst have smitten five or six times said he then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice Alluding to that story I would say if we smote the ground oftner if we were more clothed with the Sun and did more frequently trample the earth under our feet my meaning is if we were more abundant in the duties and exercises of Religion than most of us are it would be no hindrance to our worldly concerns and particularly to that of building our City but rather a help and furtherance The practise of Religion both in refraining what is evil and doing what is good is never more necessary than when some great undertaking is in hand Deut. 23.9 When the host goes forth against thine enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing and are we not as much concerned so to do when we have a City to build as at this day Our way to have another City even upon earth is to imitate those worthies we read of Heb. 11.16 But now they desire a better country that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City When Saul went to seek his Fathers Asses he unexpectedly found a Kingdom but it is to be feared that many will lose a Kingdom whilst they seek for Asses I mean for poor trifles an earthly house or City which are no better in comparison of a heavenly Kingdom It is incident to us to invert Gods method we would seek other things either in the first place or altogether and have the Kingdom of God added to us we would seek earth and find Heaven but God will not alter his method and men by going about to do it do indanger the loss of Heaven and earth both both of their interest if I may so call the world which they live upon for the present and of their principal which they expect hereafter How unreasonable a presumption is it that God should mind our concerns and we not mind his that God should regard our houses if we will not regard his Kingdom the beginning increase and perfecting thereof both in our selves and others By the Kingdom of God I mean the Kingdom of Grace which is glory begun and the kingdom of glory which is grace perfected Which being but gradually distinct as the same person in infancy and at full age I may speak of as one kingdom viz. specifically so I speak of that kingdom as Gods concern because his glory is as truly concerned in it as our good his honor as our happiness And thence it is that they who refuse to be subjects of that kingdom are so severely threatned Those mine enemies who would not that I should raign over them bring them hither and slay them before me It is said of the Hebrew Midwives that because they feared God he made them houses Exod. 1.21 But will God build houses and Cities for them that fear him not yea for his enemies whom he hath threatned to slay at leastwise can they promise themselves he will do so or hath he any where promised so to do nay in Prov. 14.11 it is said The house of the wicked shall be overthrown but the tabernacle of the righteous shall flourish The children of rich and noble persons need take no care for houses to dwell in let them but study to please their parents and they shall want neither houses nor any thing else let them be good and their parents will be as good to them as they can wish and shall not his children whose name is El-shaddai God alsufficient expect as much from their heavenly Father But ere I proceed in speaking to men let me speak a few words to God on behalf of my self and others Lord give me more faith in this promise this double promise for so I understand it that they who seek thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof in the first place shall have it and all other needful things with it for so the phrase of adding or superadding seemeth to imply And Lord give the same faith to others for hundreds need it at this day who till of late never knew they needed it or went about to make experiment of it O Lord how fearful are most men to swim when they are above their depth when they can feel no ground under them that meer sense and reason can stand upon We would fain be always in those shallows where lambs may wade but never cast into those depths where Elephants must swim but thou Lord dost sometimes try us with the latter of those give us but faith enough in that conditional promise that they who seek thy kingdom c. shall have all things added and together with that faith give us but the condition of that promise viz. hearts to seek thy kingdom as we ought to seek it and having those two we shall not doubt but to arrive at whatsoever is and shall be necessary both for the life that is and that which is to come To me it seemeth a little strang that the great God having made the promise of a Kingdom
upon the high places of the earth that is to dwell aloft in places of security and safety or the words may glance at the Land of Judea being much of it Mountainous and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father that is with the good things of the Land of Canaan gâ—ven for an inheritance to him for his posterity See Isa 56.6 7. Every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it even them will I bring to my holy Mountain that is to Mount Sion on which the Temple was scituate See also Jer. 17.24 If ye hallow the Sabbath to do no work thereon then the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and this City shall remain for ever v. 28. But if you will not hallow the Sabbath day I will kindle a fire which shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched From those Texts I infer that unto keeping the Sabbath several promises of God building and blessing of Cities and furnishing men with desirable habitations are made as on the other hand the profaning and polluting of the Sabbath is threatned with the destruction of Cities and of their Inhabitants which being true in the general or in thesi it must needs be in hypothesi or in particular that a Religious observation of the Sabbath day would help to build our City Who knows not that Nehemiah was a great and principal Agent in the building of Jerusalem after it was burnt Nehem. 2.5 and what Magistrate was ever more zealous than he if so zealous to have the Sabbath day kept holy witness his contending with Merchants and Tradesmen of all sorts yea with the very Nobles of Judah for profaning the Sabbath Nehemiah 13. from 15. to v. 22. Did not your Fathers thus said he to the Nobles and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon our City viz. destruction by fire yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath If profanation of Sabbaths procure the burning of Cities the sanctification of that day will promote the building thereof It is said Eadem est ratio loci temporis time and place are much akin if we would have regard to Gods time he would have respect to our place or places if we would mind his day would he not mind our dwellings the sanctifying of Sabbaths is the intrusting of God with the seventh part of our time even then when time is most precious with us Now God is alwayes bountiful to them that do greatly trust him Mal. 3.10 Bring all the tithes into the Storehouse and prove me therewith saith the Lord if I will not poure you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it as if God had said Do but trust me with the tenth part of the encrease and you shall see what the other nine shall amount to If we in like manner would trust God with the seventh part of our time for so our Sabbaths are doubtlesse the other six would through the blessing of God turn to a much better account I doubt not to say that one day in seven that is every Lords day we might promote the building of London much more in Churches and Closets than we could do in working upon the respective foundations for that indeed would set it back and might provoke God to swear in his Wrath it should never be brought to perfection I observe what is said of Manna Exod. 16.29 The Lord hath given you the Sabbath therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two daies let no man go out of his place on the seventh day viz. to gather Manna God made them amends for forbearing to progue on the Sabbath-day They that did as God had appointed them on the Sabbattical year viz. Neither sow their Fields nor prune their Vineyards Levit. 25.4 nor reap what grew of its own accord intirely for themselves but let it lye in common to others lost no more by so doing than a Husbandman doth by letting his ground lye fallow when it is out of heart that it may yield a greater encrease hereafter see Levit. 25.20 If ye shall say what shall we eat the seventh year behold we shall not sow nor gather in our encrease not for two years together when a Sabbattical year and a Jubile came together verse 21. Then will I command my blessing upon you in the sixth year and it shall bring forth fruit for three years He knew not what he said who derided Christians as men that lost the seventh part of their time because of the Sabbaths they kept whereas Sabbaths kept as they ought to be are no losse but the most profitable part of time But alas we so carry the matter as to lose a great part of that hallowed time which is of all our time most precious making holyday of a great part thereof in such sense as Children do understand holy-daies viz. as meer pastimes and play-daies I fear we begin our Sabbaths too late and end them too early we do not remember the Sabbath soon enough to keep it holy as we should and we forget it too soon we are not intent enough either upon preparation before or prosecution afterwards The Sabbaths which men generally keep now a daies are not only unlike to those of glorious Saints and Angels in Heaven but to such as were kept by those good Christians whom some intended to reproach by fixing upon them the honourable name of Puritans which sort of men I remember one that was none of them himself had wont to divide into two ranks saying there was the Knave Puritan that is one that was so but in pretence and for a colour and there was the Knave 's Puritan whom he confessed to be a very honest man and of an excellent sort but out of malice called a Puritan by such as were Knaves themselves because that to such as themselves the Name was odious though both Name and Person were so only for their goodness Now having heard a distinction to that effect I must explain my self and tell you that it was the Knave 's Puritan that is he and such as he whom Knaves had wont to call so of whom I affirm that he had wont to keep Sabbaths at anotherguise rate than we observe them kept now a daies such as Reverend Dod Hildersham c. and yet they were not upon their good behaviour as we are for the building a poor City lying in ashes They would have blusht to have seen our Sabbaths Oh that we could blush to think of them they would scarce have been able to think us sincere Christians observing us to have so small a regard to the fourth Commandement They would have often rebuked us sharply for our Sabbath-daies discourse and minded us of the Text that saith we should not speak our own words on the Lords day Isa 58. when in this respect shall we be followers of those worthies aforesaid who now inherit the Promises A City the