up the planks of the Vessel to build their own Cabins Remember you judge for God and shall be judg'd by him It was a condescending expression of the best of Princes to a late Parliament upon their Dissolution that during their Intervals in all his publick Resolves he should propose to himself what a Parliament would judge of them and if his actions would not bear that test it should be for want of judgement in him In every sentence you are to give remember the sentence you must receive and so pronounce that that you may not dread to undergo this Thus faithfully trading with the Talents of your piety Luke 19.17 and justice wisedom courage and integrity in the trust of the Government of this City God shall at last give you authority over many Cities 2. To the Citizens 2. To the City that is to the Citizens by a Metaâ—â—â—y of the continent for the contents Acts 13.44 the City that is the Inhabitants came together to hear the word And to you as therefore so conven'd I shall speak a word for the Lord and for the Watchmen There hath been formerly among you a great cry for truth and peace so great a cry that we lost both in the mist of that breath They are two Jewels that when gone are worth a siquis an enquiry Let us call home these banished too Let righteousnesse and peace meet and kisse each other 2 Sam. 14.13 Psal 85.10 Matth. 19.6 Gal. 5.12 And cursed be they that part what God hath put together I wish they were even cut off that trouble you in either Let me therefore exhort you to the prosecution of truth for the Lords and peace for the Watchman's sake and of both for your own sakes the safety of your City being the result of both 1. To get truth for Gods sake 1. Truth and if any shall put to me Pilate's question to Christ what is truth and hath more patience than he to stay for an answer John 18.38 that I shall give proper to our present purpose is that by truth is mean'd either the word of God thus his Law and Commandments are truth Psal 119.142 151. 2 Peter 2.2 or our conformity to that word called the way of truth That is truth of Doctrine this of life and practice Now 2 Peter 2.2 as the same Ocean takes various denominations from the severall shores it runs by so truth in cogitation is sincerity in communication veracity in conversation integrity And for these truths contend in Gods name Col. 3.16 Let the word of truth dwell plentiously in you not as a guest for a night or a servant for an Apprenticeship or a child during non-age but as the Master of the house even aeterno vestro for life Be frequent in searching these evidences for your freehold of grace and glory and so copy them out that they may be legible in your lives to him that runs Psal 51.6 Ephes 4.25 Prov. 12.19 Dan. 4.37 Let there be truth in the inward parts truth in thoughts And speak every one the truth to his neighbour truth in word called the lip of truth And let your works be the works of truth truth in deed It God's Omnipotency that he cannot lye Let it be yours that you can do nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 but for it Maxima summa est virtus neminem decipere It is the greatest chiefest virtue to deceive none Oh that all that hear me were thus Prov. 23 23. and alwayes thus virtuous Buy the truth and sell it not and never sell but bâ— it Let it as a thread in a neck-lacâ— of Pearl run through all your duties to God and man your worship let it be suited to the God you serve John 4.24 He is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth He that would not have the skin requires the heart in sacrifice And let your respect be to all the Commandements of God and all his Ordinances to the truth and all the truth and in the whole inward and outward man and this is integrity as it is deduc'd from timber that is strait without and sound within Take heed of that malicious proud sin Luke 12.1 that sowre and swelling leaven of the Pharisees hypocrisie that infectious Aguish vice first it trembles and then it burns Prov. 26.23 that potsheard cover'd with silver dross And be true in your civil contracts with men and let not Turks and Infidels rise up in judgment against you Let your Omer and Epha your Shekel and Cubit agree with those of the Sanctuary Your weights and measures correspond with those of the Standardâ— The Heathen used to chain their Gods in their Temples Fasten God by truth of holinesse to your Churches and truth of justice to your Shops and you have him a sure keeper of your City 2. Peace for the Watchmans sake 2. Having taken into your bosomes this Leah this eldest daughter of grace truth and it is fit she should have precedence Gen. 29.26 it being also not our custome to give the younger before the first born make roome too for the beautifull Rachel of peace so beautifull that she reflects a beauty on the feet of her messengers Rom. 10.15 This bigamy is not only lawfull but dutifull In the old Law the Jewes were not to take a wife with her sister Lev. 18.18 to vex her But you cannot vex these sisters nor your selves worse than by parting them He is a Jew that would do it For truth without peace is a constant persecution and peace without truth is a wicked combination Peace is the walls and truth the Guard of a City and these are a mutuall a counter-security to each other Oh that this City like Jerusalem might be called the City of truth Zech. 8.3 Psal 122.3 Isai 59.14 And like Jerusalem might be as a City at unity in it self That truth might not fall in the streets by guile and extortion nor peace be shut out of your Church and City-gates by schisme and faction Weaken not the hands of your Magistrates by your intestine divisions and strife about words and things that profit not 2 Tim. 2.14 least you loose the substance of Religion Love in your bitter altercations about the dresse and shadow of it Indifferent Ceremonies Committing an undoubted sinne disobedience to the powers in waving a scrupled duty submission to a prescrib'd Forme of Worship where liberty of Conscience is not intrench'd on for the thing still remains indifferent there though liberty of practice be as it may be confin'd for unities and which is the hedg to that for uniformities sake Let me therefore prevaile with you since God hath vouchsaf'd you a mercy as much above your expectation as your merit in giving you Judges as at the first Isai 1.26 and Councellours as at the beginning that you would prove a City of righteousnesse
a shield he cannot repell them as a Sword he must cut through them If as a breast-work he cannot bear off as a Cannon he must beat off the Assault The Centinell who is the forlorne of every Corps of Guard hath not only eyes to foresee and voice to intimate but his Muskett at a distance and his Sword at hand to resist the intrusion of an enemy And therefore is the Magistrate arm'd with a Commission that where he cannot hinder offences from a being he may obstruct their spreading by discountenancing vice in striking through the loynes of offenders And in these sences and for these ends the Magistrate is a Watchman or keeper for security of 2. City what The City The second term we promised the Explication of The word in the large acceptation of it signifies a Nation or Nations united under one Supreame Magistrate or Magistracy In the restraind and usuall sense of it It is a place encompassed with walls where men convene and cohabit for mutuall commerce security and society having particular subordinate Officers Charters and Laws of Governement The word hath other figurative senses but not pertinent here And THE City in every Nation signifies their Metropoâ—is as among the Ancient Grecians Athens with the latter Byzantium or Constantinople among the Romans Rome with us this of London and among the Jews Jerusalem suppposed to be the City intended in the Text. Though it is an universall truth and may be predicated of any whole Countrey or Kingdome and of every particular body politick Corporation or City therein that the Watchman or Magistrate thereof watcheth or waketh therefore but in vain Except 3. Lords keeping the City what The third expression needing Explication It was an antient superstition among those who knew not God Mr Gregorâ—â— in the croud of those thâ—â—â—â— thousand they worshipped for God 2 Sam. 5.6 8. The Lord keepeth the City to ascribe a Genius to every Nation and City and to build their Cities under the most propitious configuration of the Heavens which they called the Ascendent of the City Under the influence of a second constellation they erected a Statue of brasse into which they called by Magick as the Devill made them believe the Fortune of their City which so confin'd they dispos'd in some recessefull and safe place of the City and on the preservation of that Statue they supposed their own and their Cities depended Such was the Trojan Palladium and such were the blind and lame 2 Sam. 5.6 8. mentioned in Samuel wherewith the Jebusites did Garrison their Fort against David Not impotent persons as some have too lamely and blindly asserted set in scorn as defendants good enough in a place so impregnable for such Davids soul would have pittied rather than hated as he is there said to do them And their naturall or accidentall defects would not have secluded them from Verse 8. 〈◊〉 his Palace as those lame and blind were Id. which was open to Mephibosheth though conscious of one of those imperfections 2 Sam. 9 13. It was congruous to the pride of Persian Monarchs to forbid entrance into their Courts to persons cloath'd in sackcloath least they should cloud Esther 4.2 and damp their mirth and luxury But David who was a man after Gods own heart and the heart of God is compassion could not therefore so distasse them But these were Images the tutelary Gods of the place which the Jebusites call blind and lame not as intimating their own esteem of them but repeating the Israelites upbraidings of them as such suitable to the Character David gives of them They have eyes and see not blind Psal 115.5 7 feet and walk-not lame And throughout that Psalm it is therefore worth your perusall at leisure the Penman thereof sets up the Lord in opposition to all those false Gods Luke 11.22 Who by his binding that strong man arm'd in his own Palace shewed that the Devils are subject to him by their migremus hinc their quitting possession when and wherever his commands seal a Lease of Ejectment on them and that there is no sorcery against Jacob Numb 23 2â— Heb. 7.25 nor divination against his Israel He is able to save to the uttermost them that rely on him a sure repositary of his peoples confidence In his hands no danger out of them no safety No presuming then on Idols that are not so much as the Image of God no nor yet on Magistrates which are but so much Not on Idols which are the work of our hands nor on men though they are the work of his hands For except the Lord keep c. 4. The Text proved Which is the fourth and last particular and indeed the all of the Text which we promised to evidence by Precedents and Arguments 1. By instances 1. By Precedents that so it hath been And truely History sacred and prophane domestick and forreign is full of instances Take the word City in its largest bounds of Empires Nations and Commonwealths against how many of these and how often hath God writ his Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin he hath numbred Dan. 5.25 weighed divided and cass'd them The four Monarchies Assyrian Persian Grecian Roman The Histories of every Nation will assert this truth to their Readers in the many and great changes they offer to view Take the word City in its limited and usuall sense for a place encompassed with walls and the time would faile me should I insist on the particular Tradegies of those only recorded in Sacred Writ that have fallen under the displeasure of the Lord Babel Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim the City of Hamor for the rape of Dinah Jericho Ai Tyre and Sidon Gibeah Damascus Samaria Babylon a Deut. 1.28 The Cities of Canaan wall'd up to Heaven b 2 Chron. 14.14 The Cities about Gerar of Aroer c Deut. 3.4 the Cities of Og. All those of the d 1 Chron. 20.3 Ammonites and e 2 King 3 25. Moabites and f Judg. 20.48 Benjamin Ashdod Gath and Ekron of the g 1 Sam. 5. Philistims with those many that sunk under the weight of the Prophets heavy burdens And the dolefull ruines of Jerusalem we may take a view of through the holy pâ—â—spective of Jeremy's tears and Threnody And its last irrecoverable devastation described by Josephus an eye-witnesse of the fulfilling of our Saviours prediction on the Temple and the enlargement thereof to almost the whole City whereof scarce one stone was left upon another When God had empounded the greater part of the Nation within those walls at the feast of the Passeover where there was an account given in of two hundred fifty six thousand five hundred Paschall Lambs slain and at the rate of ten at least to a Lamb there was in the City then no lesse than two millions five hundred sixty five thousand purifiâ—d male Jews Jews besides strangers and
fear palls or despaire fires the procedure of these whereas he who draws his Sword lawfully can use it valiantly and sheath it safely It is undeniable that there may be many not call'd to the helm of Government as pious prudent just and valiant as those that are But as they have a moral aptitude to rule parts so they must have a civil aptitude leave to exercise those parts before they can justly exert them as Rulers He that hath the endowment without the employment like Ephraim is a cake bak'd but on one side Hosea 7.8 2 Sam. 18.23 Verse 29. 2 Tim. 2.24 compared with Rom. 10.15 An unsent Ahimaaz may make more haste than a Commission'd Cushi and more haste than good speed too for when he comes his errand is he knows not what To be apt to teach apt to rule is not enough for how shall they do either except they be sent We have sadly felt the inconveniences of having the Throne the Bench the Pulpit thus fill'd by Vsurpers The Ship cannot be safe when every Marriner will play the Pilot nor the Army secure when every Souldier will set the watch without order God keeps a City by his Providences such are health peace plenty and the like And by his Ordinances whereof Magistracy is one and a considerable one it can be no City without it Now the providences of God cannot be expected where the Ordinances of God are sleighted Then God will keep your City when you let him set his own Centinels and Watchmen over it such as are not only parted but also impower'd by him adapted and Commission'd by God Authority being the embellishment of Dignity But yet this is not all that is necessary to the preservation of a City For 3. Successe from God 3. Then God keeps the City when he blesseth the endeavours of those that do wake over it The able faithfull painfull lawfull may yet be an unsuccessefull Magistrate and Watchman The last hand therefore of God is his blessing upon their studies And this is the main purport of the Text as is evident by the next Verse the exegesis or illustration thereof It is vain for you to rise up early Psal 127.2 to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrowes for so he giveth his beloved sleep We soundly and safely sleep on beds of Down when he renders the councels of our vigilant Watchmen successefull whose Pillowes are stuffed with thornes publick cares What doth a Typhis a Palinurus at the Stern signifie when God will not still the raging of the Sea or a wise and just Prince in the Throne when he will not allay the madnesse of the people A Court of Aldenmen Psal 89.9 Prov. 16.33 or Common Councel may debate and conclude but as lots cast into the lap God will dispose of all their Resolves they may deliberate but he will determine and when he pleaseth use his Negative voyce against any of their orders Nay Jer. 5.6 when he purposeth to chastise a City he will do it by fasces and Swords of their own Judges and set Leopards to watch over them Their keepers shall be their Goalers Instead of Nursing-fathers Isai 49.23 their Magistrates shall prove Step-fathers Their Ministers bout-feu's and bellowes of Sedition And their Militia an Iron yoak about the neck of their liberty A Wolfe in the bosome that eats out the heart of its maintainer Separate the blessing of God from the brain of an Ahitophel and the tongue of an Herod and that wise Counsellour 2 Sam. 16.23 Acts 12.22 and this eloquent Orator shall dye with shame and horror though he counselled and this spake as the Oracles of God Why doth not the harvest answer the seed time 2 Cor. 9.6 nor that promise of God that he that soweth plentifully shall reap so Why doth not meat satisfie the hungry 1 Hagg. 6.9 nor drink the thirsty nor cloaths warm nor the wages rest in the bag the ninth Verse tells the reason The Lord did blow upon all And would you know why God blow'd thereon peruse the whole Chapter at your leisure and then consider this ruin'd house of God into a corner of which we are crep'd and your merit therefore of such a judgment and apply the remedy it is eccentrick to my Text Prov. 10.22 and I cannot insist on it The blessing of God makes rich and he adds no sorrow with it The blessing of God makes rich the curse of God sometimes doth it when he fills the bellies of the wicked with his hid treasure Psal 17.14 and entailes it they have enough and leave the rest of their substance to their Babes When men make haste to be rich and therefore cannot be innocent Prov. 28.20 Psal 17.14 When they have wealth from God not as tokens but portions but then the sting appears in the taile Luke 16.25 Eccl. 7.6 everlasting sorrow Dives last course and sad voyder here comforted and but for a time their prosperity a fire of thornes below tormented and that for ever their punishment a fire of brimstone Gods blessing is the best Charter of the City the ratification of all your counâ—ell when his fiat is to it When to you Optative he adds his Imperative Amen 1 Kings 1.36 and commands down the mercy you look up for Then is your Militia so many thousand effective when the Lord of Hosts is their General Prov. 11.14 Psal 82.1 then in the multitude of your Counselloâ—â—s there is safety when God stanâ—eth in your Assemblies and judgeth among you For Except he keep your City the Watchman Ecclesiastical Civil and Military watcheth but in vâ—in Application Now having proved the truth in the Text it remains that we improve it I find three parties concerned in the words The Watchman the City the Lord. My Addresse shall be to each with respect to the other two To the Watchman for the Lord and the City and to the City for the Watchman and the Lord and to the Lord for both Watchman and City 1. To Watchmen to be First To the Watchmen You who under God and his Vice-gerent the King have any share in the Government of this Royal City You have heard that Except the Lord keep your City your vigilance cannot be successefull in its preservation The best way then to wed your endeavours to successe is to interest God in your endeavours which is done principally in the exercise of piety and justice piety toward the Lord and justice toward the City the Jachin and Boaz the pillars of a Nation 1 Kings 7.21 these being uprightnesse and strength 1. Pious to God-ward 1. Piety And it is fit God should be first served first Give unto God the things that are Gods By the blessing of the upright the City is exalted Prov. 11.11 There is at this day a loud out-cry against prophanenesse I hope they are no hypocrites that like Lapwings make it
to that God and a faithfull City to these Judges And that as you are taught from the Text to think the Lord necessary to you be they never so able so not to think them unnecessary though God can keep your City without them He who watcheth over them hath appointed them to watch over you and though he needs them not you do and his will and not his power is the rule of your duty Would you set up a Throne to Christ do it every one of you in your own hearts Open those everlasting doores Psal 24.7 and let that King of Glory come in And think not to gratifie him by wresting the Scepter out of the hands of your lawfull Prince to crow'd iâ— into his Luke 12.14 Matth. 22.21 Chap. 17.27 John 18.36 who by his renunciation of any such Governement of the office of a Ruler or Judge when sollicited to it by his precept and practice in asserting the rights of Cesar hath convinc'd the whole world that his Kingdome is not of it and when ever if ever in the civill sense of the word it shall be Matth. 25.31 Rev. 5.11 he who hath promised to come with all his holy Angels even ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands cannot need a score or two of Blunderbusses to get him possession Since then it is both the Sword of the Lord Judg. 7.18 and of Gideon Let God have the glory and your Magistrates th fruit of your subjection Titus 3.1 Rom. 13.5 And let me put you in mind to obey them not for wrath but conscience sake Submit to their Orders where they enterfere not with Gods and passe no harsh censures on their Councels since you cannot fathom all the reasons of them Reverence their persons let them have your hats and your hearts And honour these Gods with part of your substance too Prov. 3.9 1 Sam. 10.27 They are sons of Belial that despise their Prince and bring him no presents And put some grains of charitable allowance into the scale to weigh against their frailties whose temptations are greater and as their persons are more eminent so their faults are more visible than others and themselves are but men And practice that love towards one another John 13.23 which St John Who lay in the bosome of Christ and learn'd there so frequently and cordially urgeth And manifest it in giving forgiving bearing forbearing Convincing gainsayers by strong arguments in soft expressions Matth. 5.9 Reconciling differences likâ— blessed peace-makers going between brethren of opposite perswasions as mortar to cement them though you venture being crush'd by both for it the lot of moderate spirits So shall you allay all violence and strife in the City and discover your legitimacy as the Children of God who will therefore and thereby keep you and your City and in his due time translate you and all your faithfull Watchmen to be made Denizens of that City that hath foundations Heb. 11.10 whose builder maker and keeper himself immediately is even that Jerusalem that is above the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 3. To the Lord for Having finish'd my addresse to the Watchman for the Lord and the City and to the City for the Lord and the Watchmen It remains that I bespeak the Lord for both Watchmen City Now all Application to him being by way of Petition whereunto the more hands and hearts we can get the more hope of successe since he vouchsafes to be a Isai 45.11 commanded b Exod. 32.10 c. Gen. 32.26 captivated by Prayer let us unanimously wrestle with him for a blessing on both A Prayer 1. Watchmen Civil O Lord our God our strong Tower our Wall of fire our Sun and our Shield By whom Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice Who alone Qualifiest and Commissionest for Government and blessest the endeavours if our Governours with successe We beseech thee blesse the chief Magistrate of this City and all those in Authority under him with wisdom to foresee faithfullnesse to discover and courage to encounter every danger Lâ—t them he Shields for the safeguard of them that do well and Swords for the terrour and punishment of them that do evill Men of courage fearing thee dealing truely and hating covetousness And as by particular Relation and Duty I stand bound I implore thy most gratious preservation of his Majesties Royal Tower of London and of St John Robinson his Honourable and Faithfull Lieutenant thereof Keep it from all secret Conspiracy and open Violence that the Watchmen in it may not watch in vain And Ecclesiastical Let all the Spirituall Watchmen of this City be cloathed with righteousnesse Not ignorantly blind nor negligently dumb but rightly dividing thy Word of Truth and behaving themselves as workmen that need not be ashamed Fill every Candlestick with a burning and shining Light that may lead thy people by Precept and Practice into and in the wayes of Truth Peace and Godlinesse 2. For the City And keep the Commonalty of this most populous City from all superstition hypocrisie and profanenesse schisme and faction envy hatred malice and all uncharitablenesse pride drunkennesse gluttony and idlenesse Preserve them from every evill of sinne and sorrow from fire famine sword and pestilence Lead them by thy Spirit Word and Ministers into every necessary truth and up to every duty Teach them to keep Consciences void of offence towards thee and towards men That they may give thee thy due in a respect to all thy Commandements And Cesar his in their thoughts words and deeds in their honour customes and tribute and in their chearfull subjection for conscience sake to all the lawfull commands of their Magistrates And their fellow-subjects their due in brotherly charity and honesty in bargains and sales And their families theirs in all Christian care for them and themselves their own due in a sober provision for their bodies and an earnest and faithfull endeavour after the salvation of their souls owning imploring and improving thy superintendency over all Prince Magistrates Ministers City Estates Reputations Families and Persons Guide us by the hands of thy Moses and Aarons keep us by thy power prosper us by thy blessing sanctifie us by thy Spirit and save us by thy Sonne to both whom with thy self a Trinity of Persons in Vnity of Essence be honour and praise now and forever Amen Amen FINIS