do as I wil do yet found even in this a very common person and inferior to his fellow Disciples Applic. 1. To you that are to choose a great trust is committed unto you the welfare of the most famous City in the world another Jerusalem a City inhabited by the people of God 1. Be not Carried on in this work by old Cus-TOMS and WONTS why should you depute in so great a work so blind a Guide yet we are brought to it in most Elections and thereby lose one of the choycest Priviledges that belong unto us as Citizens Moses chooseth Joshna who was ful of the spirit of wisdom Where are such to be found if not amongst your selves Covet the best Gifts lower then what the Apostle hath about Widows we may not go in placing this honor 1 Tim. 5.3 Honor Widows that are Widows indeed choose such as may be Magistrates indeed and not in shew only where Electors are thus Consciencious in this work the Properties though not the Person of a good Governor will be the same every year and so hereditary and for ever though your Election be yearly 2. Your Judgments rather than your Affections ought to be exercised in this work It 's God only that chooseth persons from the good pleasure of his wil and it 's peculiar to his ELECTION and so great a prerogative as some are unwilling to yeild it him But for us men we must choose ex praevisis operibus Qualities and Virtues rather than persons must be the most immediate object of our choyce It is no error in the Doctrine of this Election but much of our duty this day is expressed in it and accordingly I shal leave each mans Conscience under this the Apostles charge 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality 3. I need not add where there is so much Civility what might be sutable if this Election were in some hands namely that though there be a Praeterition yet there must not be a Reprobation in your Election How sadly men have suffered in their names and what advantages malicious minds have taken in such competitions to sink men under Color of Comparison seeking their revenge upon the Credit and repute of whom they please is not unknown to you You may each of you that are Electors commend your man and do it to the utmost and yet according to that old and honest phrase without Comparison Lastly having elected your person there is a special Obligation laid upon you that are Electors that you submit and yeild Obedience unto the Person you have chosen for your Magistrate and it ought to be done with such freedom and affection as that you may provoke and become examples unto others in the like Obedience for he is your choice The great God and Governor of the world put not himself upon us no not upon those of whom he expects his most peculiar and affectionate submission But as he hath chosen them so he enclines their wills to choose him and this because cause choyce is the spring of all willing and free obedience And therefore Joshua having a purpose to bring his people into a more strict submission unto God puts them upon a new Election of him Chap. 24. and having brought it to pass he makes it solemn and signal by express stipulation ver 22. And Joshua said unto the people Ye are Witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen you or for your selves the Lord to serve him And they said We are witnesses Witness against your selves if now you be disobedient having chosen him for out very Election is a choosing to serve as the phrase is there a choosing to submit to obey yea and to bring others also into obedience with you Joshua undertakes not only for himself but his Houshold ver 15. to submit where he hath made choyce do you likewise in your own persons and all your relations honor and obey whom this day you shall choose and as you of the Common Counsel of this City in this choyce go before and represent others so in your submission and assistance be Examples unto others If he be not worthy whom you have chosen it wil be your unhappiness but not dispence with your duty if he be an Idol he is the workmanship of your own hands and you that have made an Idol must be contented to bow down worship it Applic. II. to you that shall this day be chosen our Governor our Nehemiah now begin to be a God the name is coming upon you meet it with a sutable frame of Heart that you may not take his name in vaine be you holy as he is holy like minded like affected love what he loves persons things and hate what he hates yea with a perfect hatred Whatsoever your hand finds out to do do it with all your might for there is no work nor device nor knowledg nor wisedom in the grave whither thou goest Eccl. 9.10 While you are gods and in place be like your selves afterwards you become men again you are as it were in the grave and then you are like other men Moses prays that he might be able to number his days and know how long he had to live that he might apply his heart to wisedom your dayes are numbered to you you know to a day the longest day you are to govern make the same use of it meditate your duty as it hath been shewed you in Nehemiah I cannot go over all the particulars but this is a principal one and to be remembred in the first place Be of a publick Spirit there is but one Lord Major for the whole City as but one Sun for the whol world you must travail a greater compasse that you may be light and comfort to both Hemispheres to the Ministers to their people to all persons in all places to rich to poor to servants and Masters to Orphans and Widowes c. If you be an Olive tree you must not say shall I leave my fatnesse or a Fig tree shall I forsake my sweetness no though you be a Vine you must leave your fruitfulness that is to bring forth to your self which if you do you will be accounted an empty Vine Consider 1. You are men men of note and eminency before this choyce It will be for your own honor and comfort how desireable is it for any of you to have the story of his life the story of his Mairolty to end like the story of Mordecai Esth 1.1 Mordecai was next to the King great amongst the Jewes those that profess godliness seeking the wealth of his people not his own profit There is also great Equity in it for therfore he receiveth perquisites that being Gods Minister he may attend continually upon this thing Rom. 13.6.2 You are Christians as such you pretend to the most publick end as your chief the glory of God now there is nothing conduceth more hereunto then this to be of a publick spirit 1 Cor. 10.31 whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God how shall we so do vers 33. even as I please all men in all things not seeking my own profit but the profit of many Paul was able to forbear the glory of Heaven that he might be serviceable here on earth Phil. 1.23 24. FINIS
A SERMON Preached to the Honorable Citizens of London September 29. 1659. being the day of the Election of their Lord Major Wherein is distinctly shewed I. The Usefulness of a powerful Ministry to the Civil Governor II. Integrity when in Conflict is most Amiable and in its highest Glory III What Virtues are desireable in a Good Magistrate By PHILIP NYE A Servant of Jesus Christ in his Gospel London Printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole Printers and Book-sellers at the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1661. Ireton Major A special Court holden the 25. day of October 1659 in the Afternoon IT is ordered that Mr. Nye be from this Court desired to Print his Sermon at the Election of the Lord Major of this City Sadler To the Right Honorable Sr. THOMAS ALEIN Lord Major of the City of LONDON My Lord These few pages thus presented to your hand at your Command contain the message of the great God spoken from him to this Honorable City and more especially to your Lordship being then elected the Nehemiah or Governor thereof The publishing of this Sermon though thus late yet I cannot but deem it seasonable not only for that the word of God hath a season even out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 but this being the time that you give up your trust it doth seasonably serve to provoke you as from the Lord to a serious and strict account within your self how you have discharged it In the Parable of the steward our Lord Christ calleth upon all any way intrusted to give an account of their stewardship Then when they may be no longer stewards Luke 15.2 My confidence thus far is that the substance of this Sermon is such as by comparing your own heart and waies with the contents thereof It wil prove helpful to you in the casting up your present great account of this years Government betwixt God and your own soul which is required by him of you now to be done you will here see upon what terms you took this Office of the Lord and what he instructed and directed as your Lordships duty How much you have prized the assistance of a Godly ministry in carrying on your Government this year what Eminency of sincerity hath appeared in any difficulty or Conflicts with what a publick spirit with what Wisdom Piety and Courage the Government of this City hath been carried on in your Lordships hand the time is now come and God cals upon your Conscience most seriously to consider there wil be a final and great account which you as we all must give of our several stewardships but that wil not excuse the omission of this I am bold to conclude with the Apostles words I now write the things unto you that you formerly heard And did then acknowledg 2 Cor. 1.13 And I trust you will acknowledg now at the end and to the end as he there speaks And acknowledging make that use thereof I have been now insisting on My earnest Prayer unto God is that as this Sermon was by divine appointment the Early Rain at the first Spring of your Government so that now it may obtain the Blessing of the latter Rain at the Inning of the Harvest September 1660. Your Lordships most humble Servant PHILIP NYE A SERMON Preached to the Right Honorable the Citizens of the City of London upon the twenty ninth of September 1659. being the day of the Election of their Lord Major The TEXT Nehemiah 6.11 And I said should such a man as I flee and who is there that being as I am would go into the Temple to save his Life I will not go in JErusalem that famous City had Nehemiah their chief Governor set over them by that Higher power under which for their sins they then were in bondage Artaxerxes appointed this Nehemiah to that trust and its more then probable Considering their then distracted Condition they would not have chosen so wel for themselves If your just rights should be taken out of your hands yet they wil be found in Gods hand for you who many times by a less pleasing way doth better for us then we would do for our selves Nehemiah was a person eminently qualified for a Governor I have chosen him to be the Pattern by which you may direct your choyce this day As the trust of Nehemiah was great and the people of God greatly concerned in his well or ill management of it so was his opposition The Stratagems and Devices of Tobias Sanballat with the great Wisdom and courage of Nehemiah in wrestling through and escaping them is the sum of this whol Chapter Their first assault begins with ver 1. which was subtile and importunate enough but defeated and is storied in the nine first verses yet ver 10. they are on again and with greater craft in their design but to as little purpose though the Temple was the snare and a Prophet the Driver yet all miscarries this Holy man will not go into the Temple How indefatigable are the Churches Enemies Good Nehemiah when got over one brunt He praies for strength against another ver 9. Now therfore O God strengthen my hands Such a praier at such a time a praier for strength after he had found strength and got the victory evidently implies either First That a Good man though he prevail in a conflict yet may be left under such feebleness in his mind and discouragement in his work as will need a recruit from above In our Militia if praier be neglected we shall not be able to stand two brunts together as at meals so in our Conflicts pray before and after Or Secondly If our work be great and we steady in it opposition likewise wil be great and constant against it The Enemy though every foot defeated yet wil rally again How wil Balaam go from place to place and try conclusions that he may find out a way to curse Israel Pharoah how oft disappointed in his designs upon the people of God yet in what a wretched Constancy is his resolution to mischief them first or last This must every good Soldier of Christ mind No sooner give fire and discharge but load again and stand in an expecting posture in a readiness to receive a second assault This latter tryal of Nehemiah by the return of Tobiah and Sanballat upon him in another shape and the blessed Issue of it is that part of the story only which is to be the subject of our present discourse in handling whereof two particulars are to be insisted upon 1. The snare or design it self and great artifice used in the projection of it 2. The blessed frame of heart in this prudent and holy man by which he works through it For the design An Apostat Clergy-man Nehemiah's affection to that tribe being generally known is hired by Sanballat and Tobias verse 12. To ffaine Nehemiah into an eminent suddain danger such as there is but one way in the world
Hook in the Nostrill the Superior and leading part of the Creature governs guides it more naturally and every limb or member followeth each other in a more kindly motion 1 Cor. 9.16 A necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel ver 17. If I do this willingly if against my wil where moved from the Woe or Wrath only there may be Obedience though against our wil but if there be also Consciencious necessity a willingness will naturally follow It is also a more sure Constant obedience Conscience hath the unchangeable word of God for its foundation a people so subdued will stick close in their Obedience Those that fear God will honor the King where there is a Conscience and thence a giving to God what is Gods there will be a giving to Caesar what is Caesars As the Lord hath granted the use of an Oath though a Worship peculiar to himself So also hath he the use of Conscience to the Civill Magistrate to oblige his Subjects in obedience to him These are additionals out of the Treasury of his Holiness and of great importance in the managing of Civil affairs both which have their edg and Efficacy by the Constant whettings of a powerful Ministry There is therefore this reason of State why Governors should much esteem the Ministry for without it they know not how to rule in the Lord nor the people to obey in the Lord that is from a principle of Conscience there will be no free subjection where there is no Conscience and respect to God in our obedience to men if we have nothing but Wrath and Violence to subdue a people we govern men as men govern Beasts as God governs the Devils and damned in Hell they beleeve and tremble and in a City or Nation so governed there is nothing but weeping and gnashing of Teeth misery with Contempt and indignation against the powers that are over us and have brought it upon us We come now to the second Branch and what ariseth more imediately out of the Text. And I said shal such a man as I flee c. wherein 1. The Evil he was tempted unto To flee that is to go into the Temple and so make an escape The Temple as a place of security either Natural for its strength or Moral for its priviledg The City lay open having yet no Gates or doors to secure the Inhabitants ver 1. but the Temple had and therefore more safe of this he is minded by shemaiah verse 10. Let us shut the doors of the Temple Or as a priviledg'd place Malefactors that are under guilt and fear Flee to the Temple and take hold of the Altar as a refuge and security against Death punishment so Joab fled unto the Tabernacle of the Lord and caught hold of the Horns of the Altar 1 Kings 2.28 Which to do though it be no sin or evil in it self yet in the Circumstances it was so dishonorable and unsutable to his spirit and place as he would die rather then do it There were these Circumstances would have rendred it evil to him more then to another First He was accused of Treason that he would be King and cause the people to rebell against Artaxerxes now if he had fled and taken the course usuall with Malefactors for refuge it would have implied a Guilt and strengthened the suspicion Secondly If he had betaken himself to the Temple for security only and defence yet such a fear in a Governor would have been a great discouragement to all under him this thing those that laid the design had as a Main in their eye and intention knowing if they could make him afraid the advantage they had thereby to hinder the work Compare his praier and the ground of it as both are laid down in ver 9. They all made us afraid endeavored so to do saying their hands shall be weakned from the work that it be not done Now therefore O God strengthen my hands That this was the drift and scope of their wicked design upon him and the danger he escaped cleerly appears in vers 13. therefore was He hired the Prophet that came as from God that I should be afraid and do so and sin and that they might have matter for an evil report that they might reproach me The snare was so cunningly laid that as there was the concernment of his life and the Ruines of the publick affaires depending upon it on the one hand to drive him into it so was there not any thing simply evil or peccatum inse to discourage on the other hand Some Punctilio's only of honor and Credit which to neglect is a sin in some cases only In case of life and death the nature of such omissions is much altered So that had there not been a very exquisite mould of Spirit in Nehemiah and choyce Graces and in a readiness for exercise he had been undone and the people of God with him And had not he been thus exercised the lustre of those Graces had not so eminently appeared unto us There is no posture of a man whose heart God hath wrought to himself in truth and sincerity wherein Grace and vertue appears in greater lustre and Glory then when he is found in some conflict or under some difficulties What then he is he wil appear to be and what he then appears to be he is indeed It is so with a Magistrate with a Nehemiah Afflictions and oppressions are trialls And as Gold shines and brightens most when in the fire so doth our Faith and Love and Hope and every Grace A Horse is at no time so gallant a Creature as when mounted in Battel at each Boggle fright his Eye his Ear his Nostril every limb throughout appears in a fresher perfection A Saint when his Graces become his Armour Faith when a shield Hope when a Helmet Righteousness when a Breast-plate c. Then have you a Saint in a most taking beauty A Christian cannot exercise any Grace at such a time but what is of proof and Grace indeed Grace in strength and vigor When the Church is in Conflict when as an Army with Banners then Christ as one taken with her cries out Thou art beautiful O my Love thou art comly Cant. 6.4 And how earnestly doth he beg another look while shee is in this posture verse 13. Return Return O Shulamite that we may look upon thee The Lord himself never appears in so glorious a presence as when the LORD OF HOSTS And what a Glory was that in which Christ shined when Judas with his band of men came to take him I am He saith Christ and no sooner spoke it but being astonished they fell backward John 18.6 so you that are our Magistrates our gods here amongst us whatsoever there is of true excellency in you wil at such a time radiate and shew it self And if to be steady and resolute in a matter of Justice Piety