furthest from their own nests and certainty it is no causelesse clamour You have excellent Laws against sinnes of all sorts Let not those Lions sleep if you would have your God wake for you But especially let your lives be a Law to your City your people will be more apt to coppy out your practice than your Precepts Then your commands have authority in them when they have that of your example for them A religious Josiah is attended by a pious Israel 2 Chron. 34.33 Acts 10.7 And a devout Centurion by Souldiers that fear the Lord. It is an usuall saying that The world would be good if every one would mend one a compendious way to effect it is by Magistrates amending themselves Many would set their Watches by such regular Sun-dials The good conversation of one righteous Lot will check a whole City of Sodomites Nobles are in the holy language called white ones and the Robes of Majesty are faced with white to put the wearers in mind that they must be innocent who condemn the guilty least the sentence reflect Matth. 7.3 and the beam censure the mote God hath honoured you do you honour him And if you would have him continue to keep your City let it be your resolution with good Joshua Josh 24.15 that you and your houshold shall serve him And let not your Religion be suited to the factious humours of any party you would favour or be favoured by but to the Word of God and those consonant or not-repugnant Canons and Laws of the Church and State you rule under And do not as the Lacedemonians who are said to dresse their Gods according to the present mode and garb of their City Magistratus indicat virum wine and power shew what is in man Let men see that as you are Gods you can be good as well as great Plato would have the Palaces of Princes seated near Temples and the Romans made the way to the Temple of Honour through that of Virtue Hic â—urus â—haeneus sto nil conscire mâ—li Jerem. 15.20 nullâ pâ—llescere culpâ Integrity and piety will be a wall of brasse to you and your City You are subordinately custodes utriusque tabulae keepers of both Tables of Gods Law be so by your example and authority You use to say Keep your Shop and your Shop will keep you I may confidently say keep your God and your God will keep you Observe you his Commandments and he will preserve your Government 2. Just to the City 2. Remember that that God who alone can keep your City is a just God and be you just as he is just The Sword of justice duly drawn and valiantly used will prevent unsheathing the Sword of War And keep you from falling not only into the hands of men but those of God too by fire 2 Sam. 24.14 Numb 25. Psal 106.30 James 1 20. famine or pestilence Which last Phineas diverts by an act of justice He executed judgment and the plague was stayed Thus though the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God yet the righteousnesse of men diverteth the wrath of God All Controversies before you are about meum and tuum what is this or that mans propriety Now justice doth suum cuique tribuere give every one their own Reward to whom reward and punishment to whom punishment is due And as piety and justice are the pillars of Magistracy so reward and punishment are the whole work of justice And therein prudent And in the discharge of this duty Job 29.16 you must exeâ—cise many virtues your prudence in searching out of causes and discerning the naturall from the artificiall white the truth from that fucus and paint which Rhetorick and interest will dawb them with And truely without this prudence justice will still be as already it hath too long been all Sword and no ballance 2 Chron. 1.10 Verse 12. It was a worthy choice in Solomon to preferre wisdom to riches long life and victory for with that he had these given as vantage in measure as a train attending on that Queen Psal 45.14 This qualified him for the Throne and by this he decided that intricate Controversie between the two harlots 1 Kings 3. And justice cannot be done without judgement They are mistaken who think piety alone qualifies for Magistracy Matth. 10.16 The wisdom of the serpent must be joyned to the innocency of the Dove Then Magistrates are Gods when as God their truth secures them from deceiving and their wisdom from being deceived As impiety alone destroyes not right of Dominion 1 Kings 18.8 Rom. 13.1 wicked Ahab continues Obadiah's Lord and Christians owâ— subjection to impious Nero. So piety alone establisheth not a right no nor single adapts for Government Wisdom is an excellent offensive weapon Prov. 21.22 Eccl. 9.15 2 Sam. 20.22 A wise man scatters the City of the mighty and defensive too A little City saved by a wise man And a great City a Mother in Israel by a wise woman And that by a pi ce of justice like that for which the Dagger is become the Armes of this City the seasonable dispatching an insolent Rebel And when the prudence and prowesse of your present Governour last year expressed in timely intercepting the repullulating head of sedition shall be duely weighed there will be found not more roome than merit for another Dagger Geese may save a Capitaâ— but it is by chance And couragious And you must annex courage to prudence in the execution of justice and this leads the Van and courage loves to do it in Jethro's qualifications for Magistrates Exod. 18.21 they must be men of courage fearing God dealing truely and hating covetousnesse You must rescue the innocent Lamb from the Lion and the Bear Job 29.17 1 King 10.20 and break their jawes too Solomons Throne was supported with Lions Courage will bear up your judgement-seats and to this you must adde impartiality And impartial not to be warp'd by the poore man's misery Exod. 23.3 not countenance a poor man in his cause if unjust nor rich mans bounty nor great mans dignity nor a friend's amity God is no respecter of persons and you are no Gods if you be You must let judgement run down like water Amos 5.24 and righteousnesse as a mighty stream free as water from a spring and not forc'd by importunity as water from a Pump And free as your Conduit-water that fills the earthen pitcher as well as the silver goblet And free as your Thames water that flowes to all that will fetch it and not as your New-River-water that is imparted to none but those that will pay for it And clear without mudding it by mixing self-interest Publick men must be publick spirited and the private is included in that Great persons that use their place and power to fill their own Coffers are like passengers in a Ship that tear
weights and is then an idle spectator of its severall motions But as a skilfull Musician whose fingers assist to every Note and rellish as In him we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 Now since as in the body naturall so also in the body politick death may be let in and life out at every pore every little leak may sink the Vessel of the Common-wealth there can be no security but in one who is at hand to all dangers and such is our Omnipresent God 3. Omnipotency But 3. That which renders the other two Attributes advantageous to us is the Omnipotency of God Our Watchmen may be conscious of our afflictions present to them ready and willing to help but impotent They may see the fire consuming but unable to quench it the plague ravageing but unable to stop it famine depopulating but unable to relieve from it Milchama war devouring but unable to obstruct it Matth. 19.26 But with God all things are possible His breath that blowes up the fire can blow it out He can set limits of time number and place to the plague and fill your Bills of Mortality with empty Cyphers as blessed be his name for it he hath done for above thirty years together What doth a Watchman a padlock and a red crosse at the door dog-killers within the City and Pest-houses without and all other very prudent Cautions of our Governours signifie unlesse there be a Lord have mercy upon us too to heale those within and secure those without He only gives bread Ezek. 16.49 Lev. 26.26 and makes it plentifull Even fullnesse of bread and he gives the staffe of bread and makes it nourishing that it prove not gravel in the mouth Prov. 20.17 Matth. 7.9 a stone instead of bread He turns the edge of every Sword that is drawn against you and rebates the point of every Spear of war that is thrown among you You have found what advantage it is to have the General of a few thousands for your friend What prejudice to have him for your enemy What doth it then import to have the Lord of hosts for you or against you One Angel is Guardian sufficient for the whole City of Samaria 2 Kings 19.35 and in one night dispatcheth one hundred eighty five thousand of its besiegers How secure are they then who have him for their defender who commands more than twelve legions of such Conquerours Matth. 26.53 We presume our Nation to be well fenced with a wall of water And we thought our City well munited with a wall of earth But alas how weak is water and how frail is earth to that God who is a wall of fire The Roman Ram Zech. 2.5 an engine of battery with its iron hornes push'd down the walls of many Cities But even the breath of a few ramms horns Josh 6.20 when God inspires them blows down the walls of Iericho He works with or without by weak or contrary means His power is so great none need to assist none can resist him Rev. 6.2 c. Both the red horse of war and the black horse of famine and the pale horse of pestilence belong to his Militia And if he charge us with but one of these it is sufficient to rout us What would all three do then if he did not bind their mouths with a bit Psal 32.9 and bridle that they should not come near us No Magistrate is then such a shield as God No Tower so strong as He. No Watchman hath such knowledge to detect such an ubiquity to direct and such power to protect Therefore except c. 2. Reasons concerning the Watchman And that will yet more evidently appear if as you have considered how necessary God is to the City so secondly if you perpend that he is of as absolute necessity to the Watchman to the Magistrate too and that because 1. His abilities 1. He hath his endowments from God such as are Davids zeal for piety and Phineas his for justice the wisedom of Solomon the meeknesse and uprightnesse of Moses the valour and conduct of Joshua the strength of Sampson an unbribeable spirit as Samuel a tender care of the spiritual and civil concernments of Gods people as Joseph Nehemiah and Mordecai the impartiality of Job And which comprehends all these that vigilancy that waking in the Text to exert and suit these to their proper objects Now all these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the father of lights James 1.17 who gives every good and perfect gift Who as he is free to give Empire so also to qualifie for it And where God denies or withdraws any of these from Governours he so far and so much exposeth that Government to hazard But these are but the limnings though rich ones of a Magistrate We must have a facing to these but adapt they do not license for Government they belong ad posse not adesse of Magistracy simply considered for with these our Watchman watcheth but in vain Except c. 2. Commission 2. He hath his deputation from God from whom all must have their Commissions immediately as Kings or mediately by and from Kings as subordinate Magistrates The Prince is the fountain of honour and power But God is the Sea of both the bottomlesse boundlesse Ocean of both honour Rom. 13.1 John 19.11 and power The powers that be are ordained of God Thou couldst have no power at all against me saith Christ to Pilate except it were given thee from above All Magistrates from God whether by succession as Kings nomination as Judges or election as Maiors Aldermen Sheriffs Common-council-men c. though there is also herein much of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordinance of man 1 Peter 2.13 St Peter speaks of because proper for men and discharg'd by men and they have their congè d'eslire leave to choose from God By whom Kings reign Prov. 8.15 and Princes decree justice Now a Commission is a direction to the Commissioned for the matter manner measure and time usually of his work this thus and thus much and thus long So that Magistrates often cannot do the good they have power to do for want of authority he that transgresseth lying under a premunire Psal 78.41 The holy One of Israel in himself unlimited ha h set bounds to all dominion every Magistrate being his Minister Even Angels who are superiour to the best of men in their best condition their state of innocence wherein they were made little lower than the Angels Psal 8.5 Exod. 23.20 are prescrib'd their orders and circumscrib'd by God He sends an Angel before his Israel to keep thâ—m in the way and bring them into the place he hath prepared Psal 91.11 And he gives his Angels charge over us to keep us in all our wayes There is a great deal of difference between acting with and without a Commission either
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