The serviceable man a discourse made unto the General Court of the Massachusets Colony, New-England, at the anniversary election, 28d. 3m. 1690 / by Cotton Mather ...

The Serviceable Man.

TO THE GENERAL COURT AT THE Election; 28 d. 3. m. 1690.

Nehemiah V. 19.

Think upon me, my God, for Good, according to all that I have done for this People.

THat you are this Day Assembled for a Re∣vival & a Renewal of your Anniversary Elections, is, I suppose, intended by you, as no less

a part of your Obedience to their Majesties, who up••n the Address of our Convention to Them, Declaring, That they accepted Govern∣ment of this People according to the Rules of the Charter, did in answer thereunto, Order A Continuance in the Administration thereof: than it is a part of your Deference to so great and just a Judgment, as that of the English Na∣tion Assembled in Parliament, That the Invasion of our Charters was Illegal and a Gri••van'ce, and that they ought to be restored unto us. But the Word of the Almighty God has been still one usual stroke in our Annual Solem∣nities, and something of that are you now to attend unto.

In the Words now Read, we find not only the Prayer, but also the Picture of a no less worthy than famous Magistrate, and it will be no unprofitable Meditation, to reflect a•• little upon the occasion of it. The Truth and Manner of the Return which the Jews made out of their Babylonish Captivity, had been declared in a Book written by Ezra, a great Man greatly concern'd in that Return But the Fruit and Event of it is now related, in a Supplement unto that History, written by Nehemiah a Renowned Governour of tha•• Restored People; for whom it was no mor•• improper to Record His own Acts, than it was

for the Great Julius Caesar to write his Com∣mentaries. This inspired Historian, was doubtless a very young man, when he first ap∣ply'd himself unto the more open and public service of his Countrey; for the Transactions of more than fifty years are comprized in this Narrative of his Administrations; neverthe∣less God made him a true Nehemiah to his Countrey men; that is, A comforter from th•• Lord. The good Providence of God, had made this Nehemiah, a blessed Instrument of Rebuilding and Resettling Jerusalem, which had been miserably Ruined by Chaldean Inva∣sions and Oppressions; from whence, in the twelfth year of his Government, he goes back into Persia, where he had been an eminent Officer in the Court of Artaxerxes Longima∣nus; but from thence he soon repeats his Journey of above nine hundred miles, and revisits his beloved Jerusalem, with a new Commission, by vertue of which he sets him∣self to Redress divers Disorders, under which that little Common-wealth was labouring.

The common People at this time were ve∣ry Poor and Low; for they had usually many Children in their Families that call'd for more Bread than their single hands could pur∣chase for them; and yet they had heavy Taxes which the the Necessity and Calamity of their

Affairs compelled them to the payment of. The People had no way, but the Borrowing of Money to defray all these Charges; but the Rich Lenders took them at this Disadvantage, so as not only to squeeze the cruel ••nt'rest of twelve in the Hundred from them, but also to seize up∣on their Lands which they had Mortgaged for the Principal: Yea they hook'd the very per∣sons of their Brethren into Slavery. Very loud complaints were now made, of these op∣pressions; whereupon the Governour called a General Court, and procured the Relaxation of these Difficulties; he seems to erect a Bank of Credit among them, and render Credit so pas∣seable, that the indigent people might still enjoy their Livings, and yet have Credit enough to demand from one another what their Exi∣gencies called for. In the Speech which this Honourable Person made upon this occasion, he mentions his own Exemple as one Article, for the conviction of those who did in this time of Distress Exact upon their Neighbours. They had just before been under a Governour who not only made his Domestick Expences to stand the People in Five Pounds a Day, besides large quantities of Pr••visions, for his Table; but also he had his little creatures about him, whom he used as Tools for the getting of Money, as often as he

or they found a want thereof. But sayes our Nehemiah: So did not I, because of the fear of God! No, he would make none of those great Bargains, for which he had an opportunity in the Poverty and Penury of the People; but instead thereof, He denied himself of what was his Right. He refused the Salary which was due unto him as a Magistrate; and this, tho' he spent more time than ordinary in the Af∣fairs of the Government: yea, He employed his own Servants in those matters for which there seem'd a lack of Hands; and He fed many scores above an hundred, of those that were proper Subjects for his Invitations, out of his own Estate. It was not with any Va∣nity that He mentioned these things, but he brought them as a demonstration of his Desire, to ease the People of their Burdens.

Our Text, is the Epiphonema of this Narra∣tive. No prudent Magistrate needs to be told that he ought to be a Man of Prayer: They that are to Act for God in Government should very much Be With God in Devotion. One of the greatest Magistrates that ever lived, could give that account of himself, in Psal. 1094. I give my self unto Prayer: but the Words in the Original are so ••lliptical, as to be only thus much, I Prayer, as if he had

been all made up of Prayer. Such a Magis∣trate was our Nehemiah here; every business would he both begin and conclude with Prayer; and Prayer was like his very Breath, issuing from him with a constant Respiration. Tis one of his Prayers that we are now to be entertained with: We will suppose that he Pray'd in Faith; and so there are two or three things in the Prayer.

First, We have the Declaration of a pious Ruler. He says, I have done for this people; he had been serviceable to the People of God. What had he done? Why, he had Addressed the King, on the behalf of his Ruined Coun∣try-men; he had undergone a Travel of many Leagues to promote their Safety; he had entred upon the Administration of the Government, when it would have broke the Heart of any man alive to have medled with it; he had parted with a large portion of his Riches, for the use of the Publick; he had born with great Abuses from his Enemies; and whatever he saw amiss in Church or State, he courageously set himself upon the Reformation of it. This had he done! But then,

Secondly, We have his joint Supplication and Expectation thereupon. Sais he, Think upon me, my God, for Good, according to all this.

That Expression, Think upon me, may also be Translated, Remember me. And we may not imagine, that any thing is look'd for in a way of Merit, but all in a way of Mercy here. Hence we have it in those Terms, in Neh. 13. 22. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and spare me according to the Greatness of thy Mercy.

This prayer, is the Result of an observati∣on made, upon that Goodness, and Kindness, Pitty, which appears in the usual Providence of the m••st High, towards them that are ser∣viceable to the people of God.

This then is our DOCTRINE.

The God of Heaven has Good Thoughts for those men, whose Good Works render them Serviceable to His Peo∣ple.

I. 'Tis to be taken for granted, as we go a∣long; That our God has, A People in the World; and indeed He ever had so. The World has always been Blessed with a People,

who have chosen the Lord Jehovah for their Best Good, and their Last End; a people who have chosen the Lord Jesus for the Redeemer of their Souls; a people who have Believed and Practised according to the Scriptures of Truth: 'tis the people, whose Denomination is that, in Isa. 63. 18. The people of thy Holi∣ness; or Gods Holy People. The people of Israel was once His people, but upon their Abdication from God; we have now among the Gentiles, a Surrogate Israel. Such a people, and a Church of them too, there has been upon Earth, in all Ages Visible. If the Ex∣istence of such a people were ever to be que∣stioned, it was when the barbarous and hor∣rible Darkness of Popery, had covered the face of Europe; and yet even then too, we are not at a loss to find such a people, in the very Bowels of the Papal Empire. The Po∣pish Historians themselves do confess, that the Waldenses were a people who from the ve∣ry days of Constantine had withdrawn from the conceived Corruptions in the Apostatical Church of Rome. Nor were they called Waldenses, because Waldo was their Father, but because they had their Dwel••ings in the Vallies, that are ever famous for them.

A People, implies a Multitude of men, and therewithal some Combination or Association

them. Blessed be our God, there is a Num∣ber among the children of men, who by A∣greement, may be called, His.

II. 'Tis also to be taken for granted, That every man should study to be Serviceable. un∣to the people of God. This people, in its Militant Condition here, has many things to be Done for it; and our God hath so Dispo∣sed of us, as to make us need the Help one of another. The people of God may say unto us, as in Philem. 19. Thou owest unto me, even thine own self. We owe the utmost Service unto the Great God, as our Creator and Preserver; but He has made His People the Receivers of his Rents; they have His Letter of Atturney for all the Goodness that we can extend unto them. The people of God are continually in circumstances, that call for the Assistence of all that are Well-affected unto the Dust of Zion. We cannot with any face pretend to be of them, if we now with∣hold, any of that care, or cost, or Time, with which we may be Serviceable to them. They make up, The M••stical Body of Christ; and we are worse than silver Hands, or woo∣den Legs, in that Body, if we are not so sen∣sible of, as to be Serviceable in, their Dissicul∣ties It was for the Good of this people, that the Son of God, underwent all the Troubles

and Sorrows of His deep Humiliation; and we are None of His, if we count it any Humiliation unto our selves, to do any thing that may be for the Good of such a people.

III. But the Main Assertion, which lies before us, is, That the God of Heaven has Good Thoughts for the men that study to be service∣able unto His People.

We are not so carnal, as to dream of a strict propriety in the Expression, when Thoughts are ascribed unto the Insinite God. The Thoughts are properly, those Conceptions or Characters of Things, which the Under∣standing fetches out of the Imagination, in our Souls. But there is no such Composition in our God, as to Admit of any such Successive or Dependent Motions in Him. He is a pure Act, and when we call Him so pure a Thing as a Spirit, it is too Gross a Name to be taken without a Figure; 'tis but by way of Analogy and Similitude. By the Thoughts of God, then are meant, only those Acts of Him, which pass upon his Creatures. When we enquire, What Aspect the Almighty bears unto us, or rather, What Aspect He makes us bear unto Him, we ask after His Thoughts con∣cerning us. Well then; The Thoughts of God about the men that are serviceable to

His people, are, For their Good; it imports, that God will favour such men as those, with such Acts of His, as may demonstrate his Good-will unto them. The Serviceable Man may say, My God will think up••n me for Good; i. e. my God will Say that of me, and will Do that for me, which will be marvel∣lously comfortable. If we would know the Thoughts of God, we must look into the Words of God; there is a Rule Revealed un∣to us, by our God, according to which He will Judge of us, and He will Deal with us all; and if we would know the Thoughts of God, it is but seeing what that Rule does pronounce upon us. To that Rule therefore we will now repair; and we shall find that this Rule will cnable Serviceable Men, to say as in Psal. 40. 5. Many, O Lord my God, are thy Thoughts to us-ward: If I would speak of them, they are more than can be Num∣bred.

Particularly,

First, The Good Judgment which God passes on them, is part of his Good Thoughts for the men that are Serviceable to his people. Our God is considered as a Judge, when Thoughts

are Attributed unto Him here. What is the Good Thought, which God has for a man that studies to be Serviceable? It is, This man is a good man. When Barnabas was endeavou∣ring to be Serviceable with a very mighty In∣dustry, there was that Thought presently en∣tred in the Book of God upon him, in Acts 11. 24. He was a good man, and full of the Ho∣ly Ghost. Every man undergoes a Trial, by that God, whose Flaming Eyes do search and knit Eyelids Try the Children of Man; and in this Trial, those men that study to Do much for the people of God, have a sentence passed on them, like that on Job, Behold, a perfect and an upright man! or like that on David, Behold, a man after Gods own Heart! or like that on Nathanael, Behold, an Israelite indeed! An Inclination to be Serviceable proceeds from such a Love to God, and such a Love to Christ, and such a Sympathy with His People, as will procure to a man, that place in the Divine Account, (1 John 3. 14.) This man is passed from Death to Life; in as much as he Loves the Brethren. When a man shall always be Doing of Good, the God of Heaven gives this as a censure of him, Behold a man that has the Spirit of the Lord Jesus in him! The Ser∣viceable man discovers a good principle Reign∣ing in him; a principle of great Respect

unto the Interest of God; ••hence our God Thinks well of such a man; His Thoughts are, Here are one of those good men that are upright in Heart. It is not only a just man, but also a good man, that shall always be seeking to make many others the better for him.

Sec••n••ly, The Good Purpose which God ful∣fils to them, is a further part of the good Thoughts, which He has for the men that are Serviceable to His People. Our God has Thoughts, that is, He has made both Purposes and Promises, to bestow wonderful Blessings ••pon the Serviceable man! The Thought of God is Transcribed into Prov. 28 20. A Faith∣ful man shall abound with Blessings. And who is the Faithful man, but one that studies to Do much for the People of God? Let us particu∣larly put into our own Language, a few of those good Thoughts, which God will have con∣cerning the men that are truly Serviceable.

First, One Good Thought in the Purposes of God concerning them that are serviceable to His People, is, I will be the God of that ser∣viceable man. Behold, the most comprehen∣sive Good that can be Thought of! When our Nehemiah could say, I have done for this People, he could also say, Think upon me for good, O MY God. Why That is the Good which God

will Think to make such a man partaker of This man shall have that Liberty and Assurance which may enable him to call me HIS God. There is that Engagement made by God in the Covenant of Grace, Jer. 31 33. I will be their God. This is that which Divines have truly called, the Head, the Soul, the Substance, and the very Marrow of all the Covenant; and men that are very serviceable unto the People of God, are most eminently concerned in it. Such men above any in the world may say, Deus, quantus quantus est; Totus Noster est; As good and as great as the Infinite God is, He is All ours. The Serviceable man com∣monly ventures the Loss of all other things he spends his Time, Saps his Estate, expose his Esteem, and runs the risque of his very Life, that the People of God may fare the bet∣ter for him; and Looks for no worldly gain, by what he dos. Well, but shall he be a Looser by it? No, The great God Himself shall b•• the gain of such a man; he shall be able to say concerning the Alsufficient God, This is my own God, and He shall Bless me; and he shall find that in God, which will Recompenc•• all the Losses which his Public Spirit runs th•• Venture of. The Almighty God says to th•• Serviceable man, as in Gen. 15. 1. I am th•• Exceeding Great Reward. He says, my powe••

shall be His to Releeve Him, and, my wisdom shall be His to Direct Him, and, my goodness shall be His to comfort Him. Such a man is wholly for God, and thereupon God will be for him; hence ever now and then in the Scripture, when a man was beginning to be more eminently Serviceable unto the People of God, we find the Lord comforting him with such a word as that. Fear not, I am with thee! Now who can wish for more than this? Here may I make a stop and say, Behold this is all my Salvation, and all my Desire.

Secondly, Another Good Thought in the pur∣poses of God, concerning them that are Ser∣viceable to His People is, I will make that Serviceable Man to be an Honourable Man.

There are no small Honours in This World, which God Thinks to confer upon the man that shall study to be Serviceable. I will mention some of the Honours and the Roses that shall be cast upon such a man; whereof the First shall be This, That Wicked Men will Tra∣duce, Abuse, Malign such a man at a mon∣strous Rate; those Vassals of the Devil, can∣not but be in a Hellish Rage at any man that shall be Serviceable unto the Flocks of the Lord Jesus, of whom they would fain make a prey. 'Tis the property of those Tories,

that as in Neh. 2. 10. It grieves them exceed∣ingly, if there come a man to seek the Welfare of the Children of Israel. Hence an Elijah shall be rail'd at as, A Troubler of Israel; a Paul shall be storm'd at, as, A mover of Sedition. They will invent all the ways imaginable to fix Reproach upon such a man; they will make Stories, and Forge Letters, and contrive a thousand shams; in hopes that some Dirt wil stick, whereof they have Cart loads to spare. Such a man shall be, The Song of the Drunkard, and those people whose Tongues are no Slander, will try whether a Slander can't be fastned on him by the venemous Tongues, which they use as, their own. An Athanasius must be called a Sathanasius; A Calvin shall be made a Name for a Dog; An Huss must be dressed with pourtraictures of Devils round about him; a Luther long since, and since him, a Voetius, may live to see horrible tra∣gical Romances printed of the Confusions befalling of them. If a Jeremiah be drawn forth into Service, notwithstanding that ex∣cuse of his, I am a Child; he shall soon have cause for that complaint, in Jer. 20. 50 I heard the defaming of many, Report, say, they and we will Report it; if you will but form some Ill-Report, say they, Let us alone to blow it all about the Town▪ Pardon me,

that I enumerate This among the Honours of a Serviceable Man. I should seriously exam∣ine, whether I had not been guilty of some great fault, if I should receive any Terms but those of Reproach from those Asps that rarely meet together but only to exchange Poisons with one another▪ And the Apostles were of this Opinion long before me, in Acts 5. 41 They rejoyced, that they were counted worthy to suffer shame.

But there is another Honour that the Ser∣viceable man is the Subject of; and that is, the Service it self, which God helps him to do: When God singles out a man for this and that Service to His People, 'tis an Honour from Heaven bestow'd upon him; the very Angels of the third Heaven do account it so. Tis a Disgrace infl••cted by God upon a man when He so layes him aside, as to accept of no Ser∣vice at his hands; very dishonourable was the Fate of an unhappy Prince, whose Name you know, in Jer. 22. 28 Is He a Vessel, wherein is no pleasure? wherefore they are cast out, he and his Seed. So tis a special and signal Honour, for a man to be remarkably serviceable in his Generation. They are the Atchievements or the Services of men, which afford unto them their only Honours. When the Honours of a worthy Person were to be recounted, we read

in Acts 9. 39. They shew'd what she had made. It is not, what we have got, but it is what we have done, that renders us truly Honourable. Now this is the priviledg of the Serviceable Man; when once the Heart of a man comes to be set upon the doing of good, commonly the good God will say upon it, w••ll, it shall be so: thou shalt e'en do what I see thy heart set upon. Tis the word of our Saviour, To him that has it shall be given.

There is yet a further Honour befalling the Serviceable man; and that is, a precious Name▪ and Room in the Hearts of godly men. Those that are themselves the Excellent in the Earth will count this man m••re singularly excellent, and will say of him, Than art worth ten thousand of us. It was the comfort of a very Serviceable man, in Esth. 10. ••. He was accepted of the multitude of his Brethren, and seeking the wealth of his People. Now Accept∣ance among truly godly men, is the truest Hon∣our in the World; and no perfume so sweet, as a good Reputation among them that have in them the Spirit of God. Austin I remem∣ber tells us, That the Emperour Theodosiu•• reckoned this a greater Honour than his be∣ing Emperour. There is this peculiar Advan∣tage in it, That the S••rviceable man, will have many vehement and effectual Prayers o••

Righteous men, continually employ'd unto Heaven for him; of one such man 'twas said in Psal. 72. 15. Prayer shall be made for him con∣tinually. The people of old, spoke a good word unto the Lord Jesus, for a certain Cap∣tain that had obliged them by being Service∣able; said they, He is a Worthy Man, that now wants thy pitty; for he loveth our Nation. If such a Man come into a Sickness they'l pray him well again, as once they did Epaphroditus▪ if he come into a Prison they'l pray him out again, as they did Peter once; whatever Di∣stress comes upon him they'l do him the Hon∣our to meet and pray for his Deliverance. Be∣hol•• an Honour, which all the Grandeurs of a Princes Court, are not to be compared with! It was thus esteem'd, by a Person of Quality once in this very place; who having been to visit a mean but a good man in his Diary for that day left this Reflection upon it; A glorious Saint makes a mean Cottage, a stately Pa∣lace: Were I to make my choice, I would rather abide with this poor Saint in his poor Cottage than in a Palace with any one of the Princes that I know of, at this day in the World.

Th••s Honour will attend him, while he is Alive; but after he shall be Dead and Gone, his Honour shall still out-live his Funeral; with considerable Augmentations of it. We

read of one very Serviceable person, in 2 Chron 32. 33. All did him Honour at his Death; and we read of an Holy Minister, who had set himself to Serve the people of God, with great Hazard and Trouble, in the Princes Court, 2 Chron. 24. 16. They bu••ied him very Honourably, because he had done good in Israel. Men that are greatly Servicea••le, have this Honour, tha•• as ••hey Live Desired, so, they Dy Lamented. The Tears of the most Honou∣rable Peasons in the Kingdom were once dropt at the Death of a Prophet which had been the Chari••ts and Horsemea of Israel. A Serviceable Josiah, shall be Honoured at his Death, with a Mourning, bitter enough to be made a Proverb for future A••es. God causes the Names of such men to Live, after their Bodies are incinerated in their Graves; as it was said in Josh. 1. 2. Moses my Servant is Dead; so, shall Serviceable men after their Dec••ase be still m••n••ioned, as, The Servants of the Living God; and perhaps for a long while after, The Service which the man has done, shall be told as a Memorial ••f him. Yea 'tis very likely, That God will Honour the Children of such a man; and Raise Them up to Notable Improvement••, when their Blesse•• Father shall be Beholding the Face of God in glory. It is said in Prov. 20. 7. His Chil∣dren are blessed after him. A Serviceale Da∣vid

shall go home to God, but he Leaves a Son behind him, that shall do the mighty Service of building a Temple for the Lo••d▪ This Honour of his Off-spring, is an Honour still unto the Serviceable man; tho' 'tis possi∣ble, When his Sons came to Honour, he knoweth it not. It is no li••tle Honour to us, When Those that are of us▪ do build the old wast pla∣ces, and serve the Generations that come after us. But this is not all.

There are more glorious Honours in The World to come, which God Thinks to confer upon the Serviceable man. During the Day of Judgment, there are amazing Honours that such a man shall be partaker of. All the Service which is now done by him, shall then be published and proclaimed throughout the whole Church Triumphant; and as we are told, 1 Pet. 1. 7. shall it be found unto praise and Honour and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ. We have not given a Cup of Water to a Disciple of the Lord Jesus, much less have we done a piece of Service for many such, but we shall hear of it again, at Tha•• Day, wh••ch, Do thou hasten, O our God! One of the chief Things then done in the New Jerusale••, will be to recount the Services that we ••ave here been doing of; and the Lord Jesus will then make the Streets of ••hat Hea∣venly City to ring with such Notices as

these; Behold, what Services were done for my people, by this my Servant, when he was a Soul∣dier in the former World! Yea, you must per∣met me to tell you, Tha the Service which is now done, will be Requited with an Admis∣sion to a far greater Service in that great Day of God; for then shall be fulfill'd that Song of the Redeemed, Rev. 5. 10. We shall Reign on Earth! Those dear men, whose Ambition here 'twas to be the Servants of every one, shall then be the Rulers and the Judges of the World; God will make them the Angels of the New World, as a Remuneration of their Services unto this; and they shall sit down with the L••rd Jesus in his Throne. In my saying of which, I allow you to take me for such a Chiliast, as old Papias and Jrenaeus, and Justin Martyr professed themselves to be. Moreover, throughout the Days of Eternity, there are perpetual Honours to be further hea∣ped upon such a man, unto them that are Serviceable, belongs that Consolation, in Mat. 5. 12 O Rejoice, and be exceeding glad▪ for great is your Reward in Heaven. The Lord Jesus will one Day make a vast Army of them, and He Himself, as a mighty Standard Bearer, marching in the Head of them, will conduct and carry them away to those Hea∣venly Regions, where they shall be For ever

with the Lord. Says our Lord, in John 12▪ 26. Where I am, there shall my Servant be▪ He will bring the Serviceable men, into those Re∣gions of Light, where they shall be Vessels of Honour before the Immortal God for ever. And they shall have this Honour among the rest that shall betide them there; That they shall be Admitted into the Society of the blessed Angels; they shall be the Eternal Brethren and Companion of those Ministring Spirits, whom our Serviceableness is but an Imitation of.

That I choose to Rank the Good Thoughts of our God, mostly under the Head of Ho∣nour, is but an Accommodation of my Discourse unto the work of the Day before us. But▪

Thirdly, To speak summarily; There are all kinds of Gracious Thoughts, in the purposes of God for the Serviceable man; and it is easier to touch a little upon the general Quali∣ties of those Thoughts than to enumerate more specal Instances.

In short then; The serviceable man may be brought into sore straits; and indeed, whoever plunges himself into the Interests of mankind, must find himself enough perplex∣ed and entangled with them. But yet he may refresh his own Soul with such a Thought as that, in Psal. 40. 17 I am poor and needy;

yet the Lord Thinketh upon me▪ God has Thoughts for him; & what kind of Thoughts?

Briefly,

They are Fatherly Thoughts which God has for the serviceable man; the Lord says of him, as in Jer. 31. 20. He is my dear Son, he is my pleasant Child, I do earnestly Think upon him. The Beneficence of a serviceable man, renders him indeed the Genuine Child of such a Father. Hence they are also very Merciful and Bountiful and Compassionate Thoughts which God has for him. 'Tis a full Text, in Jer. 39. 11. I know the Thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord; Thoughts of Peace and not of Evil. The Lord seems to please Himself with His Thoughts for such a man; and calls him aside, as a Father will a Child, saying, Litile do you know what I think to do for you. If one would in one word speak all that we can wish for, it were Peace; but That is it which God Thinks to bestow upon us.

More than this, They are Omnipotent Thoughts. It is said in Prov. 19. 21. There are many Thoughts in a mans Heart; neverthe∣less the Counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Our Thoughts one for another are little fee∣ble insignificant things; but the Thoughts of our God are Effectual, and He sais, I will do all my pleasure.

Once more; they are Everlasting Thoughts. The Lord says, in Jer. 3••. 20. I Remember him still that is, f••r ever. The Blessed God never has cause to say, my purposes are broken off, even the Thoughts of my Heart; nor is He liable to that Mischance which befalls the ••igg••st Mo∣narch of the World, by the coming of a Day Wherein his thoughts do perish.

To say no more, God will so Think of the Serviceable man, as to Hear him, Save him, Own him, Do all for him, that his matters may require. He is one that has many Thoughts of God; and we are told, in Mal. 3. 16. There is A Book of Rememberance for him, and He shall be mine saith the Lord, in the Day when I make up my Jewels. It is reported of Tamerlain the War-like Scythian, that he had alwayes by him a Catalogue of the Services which any of his Followers had performed for him; the perusing of which, was his daily business in or∣der to the Requiting of them. A more de∣sirable Book of Remembrance, has our God, for those that are serviceable to His, People. Their Services are turned into Memorials; as 'twas said of old unto Cornelius: and accordingly, from the Hebrew word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] in my Text comes the Name of that Az••arab or Memorial which accompanied the Ancient Sacrificers. God will so Remember them, as to make them

know, that He has been well pleased with them; He will be more careful than ever A∣hashuerus was, to have a Serviceable Mordeca•• Well requited!

Application.

But it is the Transferring of this Doctrine into the state of New-England, that is the Pro∣vince at this time to be served by me; the State of the Countrey is to be as much my Text, as any Verse in the Fifth Chapter of Nehemiah. I behold a Representation of this Countrey within these Walls this day, with their Invitation, to speak unto them, in the Name of Him, that we own for our King, our Lord, our Law-Giver. But never had any man more cause to suspect his own Ability of speaking unto such an Assembly on such an•• occasion as is now before me, than that Son of yours by whom you are now Addressed. Alas I may make the complaint of the Pro∣phet, in Jer. 1. 6. Behold, I cannot speak; and add his Reason for it too, with a thousand more: But if I am a Child, you know that the little Stamerings and Chatterings of you Children are not heard without your satisf••cti¦on in them. Nor while I am thus pressing

others to be serviceable, do I dare omit what Service may be done by my Speaking here: But, O Lord God of my Master, I pray thee send me good speed this Day!

There is one Position and Three Deductions which I now expect your Attention to;

The POSITION.

The People of New-England are a People of God. There have been very critical and in∣genious Attempts made by some Learned men to find lost Israel in America; tho' it be not easie to find any other Track of them, than this; that the Tartars are the Ten Tribes, which Dr. Fletchers Dissertations have rendred al∣most evident; and the Northern Indians of this mighty Continent are of a Scythian Original which will be almost as evident unto him, that shall read the Disquisitions of the Learned Hornius. But behold, you may see an Israel in America, by looking upon this Plantation; may Peace be upon this Israel of God! It is no∣torious, That a Settlement in this part of A∣merica, was first endeavoured by some that had no designs but those of a Secular Interest: but the God of Heaven blasted all those De∣signs, and broke up one Plantation after ano∣ther

by very terrible Frowns of His Holy Providence. Until at length a number of Pious and Worthy men transplanted them∣selves into this Wilderness, with Designs of practising the Religion of the Lord Jesus here, without such Obstructions as in Europe they feared thereunto; and then, the Great, God smil'd upon the undertaking with Mercies little sho••t of Miracles. Tis the prerogative of New-England above all the Countries of the world, That it is a Plantation for the Christian and Protestant Religion. You may now see a Land filled with Churches, which by solemn and awfull Covenants are Dedicated unto the Son of God; there are I suppose, more than an Hundred of those Holy Societies among us, which would, in Luthers Judgment, ren∣der the meanest Village more glorious than an Ivory palace; in these Churches you may see Discipline managed, Heresy subdued, Pro∣phaness opposed, and Communion maintained, with a careful Respect unto the word of God in all; you may see faithful Ministers, and sincere Christians, and multitudes of Souls Ri∣pening apace for the Kingdom of God; ••ou may see proportionably as much of God a∣mong them, as in any spot of Ground which the Children of Adam walk upon; if our Degeneracies cause you not quickly to Ioose

the Sight. By our Profession a•• least, there is Holiness to the Lord, written upon all the cir∣cumstances of this People; and we do, we may speak in such a Style, as that in Isai. 63. 19. Lord, we are thine! We may look upon the Lord, as the God of our Fathers; and we still make some claim unto Him. The very Grandchildren of the good old Planters here, are every day coming in to lay hold on his Co∣venant; and they speak after that manner, in Jer. 14▪ 9. O Lord: we are called by thy Name, Leave us not.

Well then, Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this People.

The••e are these Inferences hence to be insisted on▪

Deduction I.

What will be the Thoughts of our God concerning them that shall Do all they can Against His people here? The man that shall do Service for the people of God, has this wish going to Heaven for him, Remember me, O my God, concerning this. Well, the man that shall do mischief to the people of God, is also to be Remembred; it is said i•• Neh. 13. 29 Remember them, O my God, be∣cause

of what they have done. Believe me, The Almighty God will make those Agents of the Devil know that He'l Remember them! those Tobijahs and Sanballats will not be for∣gotten▪

This people of God, is part of that Israel, whereof it may be said, His Adversaries be round about him. The Enemies of New-England have not been few or small; and it is because we are, A people of God, that we still have such Enemie••▪ We have indeed been a persecuted people, and Wars have been made upon us, for our keeping the Command∣ments of God, and having the Testimony of Je∣sus Christ. Into the List of our present E∣nemies, who would not put those, who t' o∣ther Day, let fall their cursed and cruel In∣timations, That it was convenient this Territory should be possessed by another people! and those that were so politick as to inform us now and then, That it was not for the Interest of our Superiours that we should Thrive! and those that have had the vanity to publish unto the World in Print, their Proposals, That the Re∣ligion ••f this people made it unsafe to allow them here. And with th••se, who would not reckon those Pagan and Popish Neighbours, that are making the Inroads of a Bloody War upon us? These are our Declared Enemies! But

in the same Herd, you may see many others, whose Drivers, have heretofore been in other Countries in former Ages.

Among our worst Enemies, may be Ac∣counted, in short, All that go to Destroy or Frustrate the Great Ends which this Planta∣tion was first erected upon. But what were those Ends? The Question was of••en put un∣to our Pr••decessors, in Mat. 11. 7. What went ye out into the Wilderness to see? And the An∣swer to it, is not only too Excellent, but also too Notorious, to be dissembled▪ Let all mankind know, That we came into the Wil∣derness, because we would quietly worship God, without that Episcopacy, that Common-Prayer, and those unwarrantable Ceremonies, which the Land of our Fathers Sepulchres, has been ••efiled with, we came, because we would have our Posterity settled under the pure and full Dispensations of the Gospel, de∣fended by Rulers that should be of our selves, and Governours that should proc••ed from the midst of us. Hence those are the fatal Ene∣mies of this people, that shall go to Debauch and infect the Rising Generation among us, and corrupt them with evil manners; and learn them to Drink and Dr••b, and Game, and profane the Sabbath, and Sin against the Hope of their Fathers; or, those that shall go

to Decoy them, and much more Compel them, unto those Remainders of Popery, which the first Reformers were hindred from sweeping out of the English Nation; among which, I would set a special Remark upon Superstitious Holy-days, which have too much obrained a∣mong our un••ary Children. These Ene∣mies do us the worst office in the world; for they do, like Balaam, go to make us offend our God, and ••hereby loose His Presence and His Favour; ••t was the old Roman way of Conquering Cid••s, they first used Stratagems to get their Go••ds out of them; a right Ro∣mish Policy. If the New-Englanders once forget their Errand hither, they are imme∣diately dese••ted by that God, who says, Wo to them, when I depart from them.

Unto those Enemies we may Annumerate those False Accusers, who are continually mis∣representing of us, in the Court which we have so much Dependence on. There is no∣thing more easy to be demonstrated, Than that the people of New-England are the most Loyal People in all the English Dominions; our greatest pretenders to Loyalty among the Adversaries, we have seen cursing of their King, and their God, and looking upward, under not a Tenth part of such inconveniences, which yet never so much as Raised one Dis∣loyal

Thought in our selves. We that never were any Charge unto the Crown, unless when our Charters were taken from us; have yet approved our selves the most Faithful Subjects of the Crown, and been Earlier still than any of the American Plantations in Testimonies of true Allegiance thereunto. Nevertheless, as of old, when Cyrus, who had given the Jews a Charter, was gone off the Stage, and Cambyles was Enthroned after him, there were a company of Samaritans, who exhibi∣ted an Information against that people of God; said they in Ezra 4. 12, 13. Be it known unto the King, the Jews are Building a Rebellious and a bad City; if it be builded, they will not pay Tribute and Custome, and the Kings Revenue will be Endamaged. This is one of those In∣juries which have been done to us. There are some too nearly Related unto the Accuser of the Brethren, who are perpetually making against us those groundless and wicked com∣plaints, with which they first put us into Bear skins, and then themselves intend to do the Dogs part upon us. To pass by the old Stories, what Ridiculous and Extravagant Calumnies were the Last year published a∣gainst us, and laid before the High Court of Parliament? by which we had been un∣done, if God had not provided on the Spot, a

Vindicator for us. And what Petitions, wh•••• Remonstances, what impudent Lies, may st•…•… be made against us, is less known to us, tha•• 'tis by whom they are made; the men tha•• first cause the miscarriages among us, have ••s••ally been those that have Complained of thos•• miscarriages; and you know whom they tak•• for their pattern in doing so. But wha•• would they have? Are they so Foolish •••• to foresee no Consequences, or are the•• so wicked as to desire those which wer•• t'other day upon us? Forgive, them, th•••• know not what they do? While thes•• Enemies are seeking to involve our Civ•••• Concerns in Confusion, there are Sectari•…•… and Seducers that are using their Batt'rin•• ••••ms upon our Sacred O••••es. And amon•• those, the Quakers are certainly the mos•• Malicious, as well as the most Pernicibl•• Enemies. They were once in a ready way to have broken up all the Good Or¦der whether Civil or Sacred, in the Infan∣cy of this Plantation; which occasione•• the Authorlty whom they would have un¦dermined, then to turn a Sharp upon them by Laws not so severe as those in th•• Realm of England against (their Fathers the Jesuites, on the same Account: ye•• those Troublesome Hereticks, who had n••

Business here at all, but the overthrowing of our whole Government, would push themselves on the Swords point; and tho' Repeated Banishments with merciful En∣treaties to be gone, were first used unto them, nevertheless, two or three of them would rather Dy, than leave the Plantati∣on undisturbed. It is possible a Bedlam had been fitter for those Frantic people, than what was inflicted on them; and for my own part, I must profess with regard unto such Hereticks, Ad Judicium sanguinis Tar∣dus sum; nor have I the least inclinations to Hereticide as a fit way to suppress their E••∣rors; yea, since the Government has been too safe, and strong, for those Foxes to throw down our wall; we have now for many years indulged them an Entire Liberty of Conscience, nor is there (nor do l bespeak) the least prospect or intent of giving them interruption in it; but still by Writing, Rai∣ling, and the Arts peculiar to themselves, they are Labouring to Unchurch all the Lords people here; they would fain have us give up our whole Christianity, for their New Diges∣ted and scarce Refined Paganism, and have prevailed with some obscure and Remote Nooks of the Country, so to do. Especially every Shepherd is an Abomination to those E∣gyptians:

and one of some Figure among them, an Ignorant and Malignant Apostate, who has this Mark of the Unpardonable Sin upon him, that he calls those Prayers of ours, with which the Holy Spirit of God, has hel∣ped us to vanquish the very Devils themselves but so many Conjurings, and Charms, & Spells; this man has vomited more venemous Pam∣phlets against these Churches, and all the Ordinances therein observed, than any that have gone before him; only God has helped some of us lately to furnish our Churches with an Antidote. But what will be the Thoughts of our God, concerning them that are thus Doing Against His people here? I suppose there are some of them now, in this Great Assembly, come with no better Ends, than he who of old presented himself among the Sons of God. I shall for their sake, use the more Freedome, and plainly say; That the Thoughts of God about them, are not such as they can have any comfort in. I am to tell you, That New England has an Advo∣cate in Heaven, who has put in a dreadful Memorial against you all; 'tis that in Neh. 6. 14. My God, Think thou upon them according to these their works. Ye Fool hardy men; Do but look into the Scriptures, and you may know the Thoughts of the Omnipotent God

concerning you. There are Terrible Threats in the Book of God, which will discover the more Terrible Thoughts in the Heart of God agaiust men of your Complexion. It is the Thundring voice of the Great God, in Psal. 31. 21. They that Hate the Righteous shall be Desolate; and yet the Great Quarrel with New England has been, its having so many Righteous in it. Some of us may Remember when this very Pulpit had that loud and fair Warning sounded in it, in Zech. 2. 8. He that touches you, touches the Apple of Gods Eye; and who of the Auditory then present, quick∣ly and sadly found the Fulfilment of it upon themselves. As, There are Scripture Mena∣ces, thus there are Scripture-Exemples too, to strike Terrour into the Souls of them, who shall go to pull down miseries, upon a people of the Saints of the most High. Shall we speak of lesser men? The Jewish Writers tells us, of one Shebna, who tho' he Lived in Jeru∣salem, was very deep in the Interests of Sen∣nacher••h, and a secret Rotten Adversary to the people of God, tho' he were a Professor among them; but God gave that Commission unto His Prophe, in Isa. 22. 15. Go, get thee unto this Treasurer, even unto Shebna, and say, Behold, the Lord will violently tura thee, and toss thee like a Bail into a large Coun∣trey,

There shalt thou Dy! Or shall we speak of greater men? Sennacherib himself had been a Bloody Adversary to the people of God, and nothing would satisfie him, unless Jerusalem too might feel the smart of his Ar∣bitrary Government; but what came on him at last? we read in Isa. 37. 38. As he was worshipping in the House of his God, his two Sons smote him. The Jewish Rabbins tell us, That he had vowed to make a Sacrifice of his two Children, unto his False God, which they understanding were thus afore∣hand with him. But why do I descend unto particular instances? All the Bible is full of that vengeance which falls upon the Heads of those that are Enemies to the people of God. We are assured in Psal. 105. 14. He hath suffered no man to do them wrong, Yea, He has Reproved Kings for their sakes! What got the Egyptians by pursuing after the people of God into the Wilderness, whither they Reti∣red, that they might worship him? I assure you, That was the Thing that fill'd up the measure of all their sins; they were then ripe for the Last plague of God upon them. If they that wrong one Saint of God, be more undone, than a man thrown into the Sea, with a milstone about his Neck, what will be t••e Fate of him that shall wrong a whole

people that is Holy to the Lord. Some it may be set themselves against the people of God, out of Revenge; and this with some shadow of Reason and Justice on their side; but This also will not excuse them. Achito∣phel is deep in the Conspiracy against Da∣vid; why, David had abused Bathsheba, who was the Grand-child of Achitophel. Yet you know what came of him! If they be Davids, or a Beloved and Repenting people, which we are prejudic'd against; God will make it a dangerous thing to meddle with them.

But if the Scriptures will not affect you; then I pray, look upon your own unhappy Predecessors, unto whom God has made this poor People such a Burdensome Stone, as to break the Backs of all that have been heaving at it. The Observation has been a thousand times made, by more than ten thousand Per∣sons, That Remarkable and Lamentable Dis∣asters have still followed the Adversacies of poor New-England. It has been a Countrey of Witnesses or Confessors for the Lord Jesus; and it is said in Rev. 11. 6. If any man will hurt them, Fire devours them: one had as good eat Fire as go to do such a People any Harm.

What is become of those that have herero∣fore made their bitter Invectives against this

innocent People; and compassed Sea and Land, with attempts to put a stop unto the Work of the Lord Jesus here? What is become of those that brag'd Their Arms were long enough to reach us, and would have Spoil't us if they had Reacht us with those bloody Popish Arms? Were there never any Ships broken in Ezion Ge∣ber for us? yea, What is become of whole Nations that have taken up Arms for the Di∣stressing of us? their Captains and their Coun∣sellors, and their Families, where are they? Even so do Thy (and our) Enemies perish, O Lord!

I beseech you to Read the History, lest you make a part of it. Let me tell you, The peo∣ple of God in this Wilderness, have had many a Dish of Leviathans Heads to feed upon; and one would think, none but Leviathans or crea∣tures made without fear, should follow these: methinks tis a Frenzy to walk in a Track which thus evidently leads down to the Con∣gregation of the Dead The Famous Mitchel made 〈…〉〈…〉stick of that open and awful protesta∣••ion Wo to that Man, be he Church-member, or No▪ be he 〈…〉〈…〉man or No, who shall go about to destroy or basel•• Bet••ay the Liberties of this people; it were bett•••• for him, that he were thrown into the midst of the Sea; And his Words have not yet proved Rash. But what then becomes of them

that propound unto themselves no less than our Extirpation? verily, our God will Think on them with a Vengeance. How far our God may yet Scourge us, we cannot say; we have been undutiful enough to be worthy of Plagues that shall be Sore and of long Continu∣ance. Nevertheless we know what God Thinks, to do with the Rods after all; they shall be thrown into the Fire of His Ene∣mies. But now, Consider of this; ye Hardy Fighters against God, Lest He tear you in pee∣ces, and there be none to Deliver you.

Deduction▪ II.

What Thoughts then ought we to have of those who Do what they can for this peo∣ple of God? Indeed the Blessed God says unto us in Jsa. 55. 8. My Thoughts are not as your Thoughts. But yet we should be studious, That our Thoughts may be as His Thoughts. Well then, since God Thinks for Good upon them that are Serviceable to His People, pray let us have none but Good Thoughts for them, that are Doing for us.

New-England has had, and still has its Friends, that have laid us under Everlasting obligations; and now God forbid that we should be Ingrateful to any of those worthy

persons, that have been Exposed for us. Tis Folly as well as Baseness in us, to Discou∣rage any of our Public Servants, by the Ill Treats of Ill Thoughts concerning them. The Services that have been done for this people, by those worthy men that are now Dead and Gone, ought for ever to Live in our Thank∣full memories. Posterity should know, Who those were that laid the Foundations of our Heaven and our Earth; Who those were that most contributed unto the Good settlement of these Colonies; and who those were that have born the Brunt of our Day; but alas, we are so much worse than the ••ld Pharisees, that we even suffer the monuments over their Graves to moulder away without any Reparations; I pray, go find if you can, the Tomb-stones of some Venerable persons to whom New-England owes an Everlasting Re∣membrance! Even The Families of men that have deserved well should still be Reaping with us, an Harvest of Respect and Kindness, out of all the Service that they did for us in the former Generation. David could say concerning a Deserving man, in 2 Sam. 9. 1▪ Is there yet any left, that I may shew him kind∣ness for his Fathers sake? Tis particularly uncomfortable to see how meanly the Fami∣lies of Deceased Ministers are provided for;

many an Excellent Minister ha's been won∣derfully Serviceable to a people all his Days; and yet their poor Widows and Orphans are cast into a more shiftless condition than any of their Neighbours; and far from being con∣sidered, as once the Excellent Dr. Twisses were; did not that God, whose Houshold they pecu∣liarly belong unto, very strangly look after them, they would be Extremely miserable. A Disingenuity which renders us worse than many parts of the Christian world abroad. But if those that are Departed, must be Forgot∣ten, however let not the Public Spirits that are yet Alive among us be Damp'd by our Ingra∣titude. Are there any persons whose conti∣nual Thoughts are how to make us Good; let us continually have Good Thoughts for Them; even a Pagan Ptolomy, would bestow a more than common Respect upon those, by whose Interpretations the Law of God was convey'd unto him. Are there any men so Generous, as to stand in the Gaps of New-England? or to spend their whole Time and Strength, and to forego all the Delights of their Habitations, for our Service? Oh Think upon them for Good; Requi••e them not with Censure or Neglect, after all that they have done; & make none of them so sick of their Country, as to say with him of old, Ingrata patria, Ne mortui quidem

habebis ossa. I doubt lest This very Day, dis∣cover too much of our Ill Thoughts for some whom we do not know how much we are be∣holden to. O Let us Think well of all, who do not Think much of any thing, for our Good. But, Among those that I would humbly Re∣commend unto your Thoughts for Good, I would set a particular Note upon our Vali∣ant Souldiers, who are Venturing their Lives for us in the High places of the Field. Let us rather part with all we have, than leave any part of their Wages unpaid unto them; and if any of them happen to be wounded or maim∣ed, let us Extend unto them the utmost of our Charity. We cannot have too many Thoughts for Good, unto those Bone-Walls which are to receive the first onsets of our Ene∣mies. And while I mention these, I can∣not make my self to forget another sort of Public Servants that are every Day too meanly treated with us all; by those, I mean, our Faithfull and prudent School-masters. I can∣not forbear noting it as our Folly that They usually have such a Durum opus et Ingratum, as we make Theirs to be.

Ingratitude unto our Souldiers will render us worse than the old pagan Athenians, who not only did Public Honours to them that pe∣rished in their Battels, but also provided for

the Comfortable Education of their Children; or than the old pagan Romans, who gave to a Courageous Champion of theirs, besides lar∣ger presents, as much Land as a Plough could run over in a Day.

Ingratitude unto our School-masters, will render us worse than a Pagan Crito, who would never suffer his master Socrates to want; or than a Pagan Zeno, who w••uld give his master as much again still as he asked for his Tuition. God forbid, that in the Moral Vertue of Gratitude, any Pagans, in the world should out-do us that have Christianity to improve us.

Deduction. III.

But O that we may be now Awakned un∣to the Doing of those things for this People, which the Good Thoughts of our God may Re∣compence us for.

Tho' poor New-England be an Outcast, yet let her not be one, whereof it shall be said, No man has cared for her! Methinks, I see poor, shaking, sickly New-England, Stretching out her Trembling Hands unto us all, and begging of us with Deadly Groans, Have pitty on me, O yee my Friends, for the Hand of the Lord hath touched me! may our pitty effectually

b••s••eak our Service to this Distressed people of God.

There are These Questions then which the rest of my Discourse must be placed on.

Our First Question is,

What is to be Done for this People?

And the First Answer. That I should offer unto it is, We should set ourselves to Think, what we have to Do. We all have our Talents that ly by unoccu••ied, because we do no oftner Think what they be, and what is to be Done therewith. May we now like David of old, Sit down in our Houses, and Think, What is there that I may do for the House of my God? To be often contriving with our selves, What may I do for this people of God? is to have Good Thoughts in Our Hearts; and the Great God will have none but Good Thought•• in His, for the men that are much used unto such Noble meditations. Might we all be prevailed with all to Do This, we should soon see what Else to do; and I might spare all the rest that I have to say.

But if I must pass to a further Answer, it shall be This, Be sure Those things are to be Done for us, that Ill men, are most loth to have us do. The Antipathies of them that Hate us, will be a Notable Direction unto our Services: thus one of the Ancients argu∣ed,

Christianity must needs be a good thing; why? Because Nero could not endure it. Those are usually the Best men, and the best things that are most bark'd at by men of a visible Impiety. We may then make our worst E∣nemies to Do for us, whether they will or no; and feth a Treacle out of the Vipe••s that are gnawing out our Bowels. We say, Malice is a Good Informer; may we take Information from the Malice of evil men; For, Fas est & ab hoste doceri.

But if you press me to a more particular Answer still; I will in one word express the most considerable Thing that is to be done for us; Tis, Reformation! Reformation! Re∣formation! We have many and many a time confessed, That our Apostasies from God have procured unto us all the Calamities, which we are now Groaning under. And we have lately had a very large Admonition from our Ho∣nourable Rulers, to Reform our many provo∣king Evils. O that all ranks and kinds of people among us, were in earnest about the universal Reformation of our Manners. When the French recovered Calice from the Hands of the English, a French Captain insultingly asked an English Officer, When shall we see you at Calice again? but he made that wise Repartie upon him, Sir, when your Sins come

to be greater than ours. Truly so, it must be ascribed unto the Greatness of our sins, that we are brought into any of our inconvenient Circumstances: and 'tis the voice of our God unto us, Lev. 26. 23, 24. If ye will not be Reformed, I will punish you yet seven times for your Sins. We are beset with Devourers on every side of us, and the subduing of them all, would be to Do for us a great thing indeed. Behold an effectual way to Do it, in Prov: 16. 7. When a mans Ways please the Lord, He makes even his Enemies to be at peace with him. A Prince in Germany hearing that a Neighbour Prince intended a War upon him, immediately set himself upon the Re∣forming of the people under his Govern∣ment; but this Adversary of his within a while after Enquired, What Preparation his Neighbour was making to oppose him, and being informed, That his chief Preparati∣on was Refornration, He Reply'd, Nay, then, let the Devil Fight him for all me, if he be at that, he'l be too hard for me to meddle with him. O That in like manner we were all very Busy, at Finding, and Mending, whatever the Holy God may be offended at us for; tis the sigh that the Compassionate God, is making over us, O that my people had hearkened unto me, and New England had wal∣ked

in my ways! I should then soon have sub∣dued their Enemies, and have turned my Hand against their Adversaries! Believe it, we don't begin at the right End, if here be not the Beginning of our Services for our Countrey.

If I might go on, to a second particular a∣mong the Things to be Done for us, I would propound, Ʋnion, and applaud Union, and I would invite you with a Blessed Harmony, to sing that Song, Behold how good and how plea∣sant it is, for Brethren to dwell together in Uni∣ty! There the Lord commands the Blessing! The unreasonable Quarrels, Contentions, Animosi∣ties, that have been among us, must be apace extinguished, or silly Chickens that we are, we make our selves a prey to the Roman Eagles, and the Indian Vultures. Travel to the East or to the West, and see whether our Invaders have made any Impressions, but where the Divisions of the people had made them vul∣nerable. I remember old Austin tells us, that he came once into a City, where the people had a custome one day in a year to meet, and throw stones one at another, till many of them were killed; and yet because it was a Custome they would not leave it off. I beseech you let no such Thing be among the Customes of New-England! and let not the perverse Spirit of Egypt be found among us. 'Twas said, in

Hos. 10. 2. Their Heart is divided, now they shall be found Faulty; and upon such a Fault it will soon be added, Now they shall be found undone. It was an Ancient Remark upon Old-England, Singuli pugnant, & universi vin∣cuntur; it will be well if New-England may not imitate her Mother in it. Is there no Balm for our Wounds? Behold, The God of Heaven has been pouring Blood into them; and shall they Rankle and we Rangle still? The Romans had a Temple Dedicated Jovi Depositorio; the Senators went thither, and laid down their mutual Dissensions before they went into the Senate-house. O That we could now Depose all our own Little Hu∣mours, and Forgive one another, Love one a∣nother, Help one another, and Sacrifice all our passions to the Common Good!

There should have been at least one thing more entred into the Catalogue of our Fa∣cienda, and that is, The Regulation of our Plantations, as to several Disorders prevailing in them.

Of those Disorders, there is none more fa∣tal, than that so many of them, have Lived without the Ordinances of God among them. 'Tis probable, that a large part of the Americans are the Posterity of those Cana∣anites. who after the Wars of Canaan, did

set up their Pillars in Africa, with that Inscrip∣tion on them, We are of those that Fled from the Face of Joshua the Robber. But alas, there are found among us that are newly become Americans, Those of whom it may be said, They Fly from the Face of Jesus the Saviour; for they take pains to get where they can Enjoy Nothing of Him. God from Heaven has lately wit∣nessed against this wickedness, by destroy∣ing those Plantations, that had not His Defence, because they had not his Glory with them; and we are immeasurably sin∣ful, and absurd, if the Warnings affect us not. But is it not also possible to Settle and Endow Schools in all our Plantations; and therefore to Compact them from time to time into closer Cohabitations? Doubt∣less, men of ingenuity, might instruct us how at once we may Advance our Husban∣dry, and yet Forbear our Dispersion; and moreover at the same time fill the Countrey with a Liberal Education; the want of which, has a more Threatning Aspect on us, than the worst of our other circumstances. What more Desirable Thing is there to be done for us, than This? That our people may be, all Taught of God. And while we are thus Do∣ing for our selves, may we not leave Undone

the work of Christianity among the poor naked woful Indians, that remain in our Neighbourhood; nor forget in the first place to Civilize them▪ that so we may the better Christianize them. A no less Honoura∣ble than Profitable Thing will be Done for us, if we suffer not that work to Dy, with the Late Reverend Apostle of it; and I therefore beg, That a Committee may immediately be Or∣dered to inspect and direct and report that Affair.

There is one thing more to be Done for us; and I shall propound it in words like those of the Prophet, Deliver thy self, O New-England, from every thing that may make thee look like a Daughter of Babylon. I have the confid••nce to tell you, That the Mystical Babylon, is just entring into that Vintage, which will cause horrible and fiery plagues to im∣pend over the Heads of those that shall have the Superstitions of Popery polluting of them. We cannot more consult our own Welfare, than by such an entire and open Departure from Rome, as the Holy God will now speedily dispose the European World unto. I dare publish it, as my Humble Conjecture and Perswasion, That the last Slaughter of the Lords Witnesses, is over; and that we are got more than two years Depth, into those Earth quakes which will shake yet, until they have shaken

the Papal Empire to pieces, and shaken out the very Hearts of them, that shall not come out of her. If therefore we would be safe, at such a Time, the best thing to be Done, is this, Let us not so much as Touch the Unclean Thing, nor hide so much as a Rag or Pin of a Babylonish Garment with us. For the Children of this Countrey to maintain any part of the Romish Worship, would indeed be not only a wild Indiscretion, but also a vile Apostasie; and those persons are far from discerning the Signs of the Times, who think it worth the while for them now to forego that Great Antipapal Principle, That no party of men whatever, calling themselves, The Church have any just Authority, to appoint any parts or means of Divine Worship, which the Lord Jesus Christ has not in the Sacred Bible Instituted. Let us keep the second Command∣ment, and our God will show Mercy to us, for more than one Generation. If we cannot find that any Forms of Prayer were used in any part of the Church, until about Four Hundred years after Christ; nor any made for more than some single Province, until six hundred years; nor any imposed, until Eight hundred, when all manner of Abom••∣nations were introduced; surely it becomes Us to be particularly Averse unto such as may

have somewhat worse than their Novelty, to Create our suspicion of them; and it becomes us much more to be Non Conformists unto such other Church Rites therein advised, as were not so much as conceived, until the Man of Sin was born. Could I speak with a voice as loud as the Last Trumpet, I should not fear to tell you, The God of our Fathers will blast that Worldly Wisdom which counts it a con∣veniency for us to Dissemble our Non confor∣mity to whatever vain Worship, has nothing but the Traditions of men, to be a Warrant for it.

But is there Nothing else to be Done for us? Yea, much more, than the Languish∣ments and Anguishes, which a sharp Sickness has newly cast me unto, have left me strength enough to mention. And some Things to be Done for us, were perhaps not so fit to be mentioned by one, whose profession obliges him chiefly to the Silver Trumpets of the Gospel. Nor will I think, with Cato, That I may not make a Speech, without that Conclusion, Carthago est Delenda; or saying, A Neighbour Country must be subdued.

I shall therefore add no more, but what was required to be Done, in Isa. 37. 4. This is a day of Trouble and Rebuke, wherefore Lift up thy prayer. O that the Spirit of Prayer were

mightily Awake••ed, in every corner of the Land! If our sinning (as one says) do not make us leave Praying, our praying will make us leave Sinning; and then All is well▪ We are •••• a S••orm, wherein that call is justly gi∣ven to us, O awake, and call upon thy God: May we then awake, and be sending up that cry continually, Awake, awake, O Arm of the Lord, for our Help. May our Closets, our Hou∣ses, our smaller Meetings, and our greater Congregations, be filled with all sorts of Pray∣er; and may we with most Ardent Supplica∣tions represent the whole case of this Land▪ unto Him that is the Hope of New-England, and the Saviour thereof in the Time of Trouble! These are the Things to be Done for us.

But it is more than time to call for our Se∣cond Question; which is,

Who are to Do these things?

Now in General, Here is Work for us All▪ We ought Every one of us to Serve our Gene∣ration, before we fall a sleep, or it will be but an uncomfortable Sleep that we shall fall into. We are, in Publico Discrimine, and that man is a Wen or a Scab, rather than a member of this Body Politic, who shall decline the Service of his Countrey.

If there were a Room here for Particular Addresses,

I. I would in the first place, Entreat my Fathers in the Ministry, to Beleeve, That They have a Singular Advantage to Serve and Save this people: my Fathers, if you do but now and then ask your selves, What Service is to be done? you will soon find enough and enough to do. May That be Done; and may you contemn all the Opposition of Ill men in doing of it, what tho' you hear Hard Things? Even an Heathen counted that a comfort, Male de Te loquuntur Homines, sed Mali. And a more usefull 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••han any of us Dy'd with that Prayer, Lord Forgive, my Sins of Omission.

II. But I do with a particular Ardour be∣speak and beseech my own Generation, to be∣gin the Doing of their part, that this People might yet Flourish in the Courts of our God. Oh that the Rising Generation here, might not come behind their Fathers in Zeal, tho▪ we come after them in Age.

We are told in 2 Chron. 21. 12. There came a Writing to Jehoram from Elijah the Pro∣phet; saying, Thou hast not walked in the ways of thy Father. It ha's been by all Interpreters Commonly Judged, That Elijah was now in Heaven when this Letter came from him; and I was my self of that Opinion, till the old Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, written, I suppose, by

Eusebius, ha's Inclined me to the Contrary. But, if our Fathers were to write unto us from that Heaven, unto which they are gone, I am thinking, What they would say? Would they not write in very Disgracing Terms unto us, and say, Alas, you don't walk in our wayes: we left in your Hands, a work to be done for the Peo∣ple of God; but you have thrown by that work, & found something else to be concern'd about. We hop'd that you would have trod in our▪ Steps, & that we should have shortly congratulated your Ar∣rival to the Glorious place, which we are Triumph∣ing in; But we now fear, That we have dropt you and lost you forever: and that we shall never see you more, till we behold you wringing your Hands and Gnashing your Teeth among the Goats at the Left Hand of the Lord Jesus in the Day▪ of His Appearing.

My Brethren, Tho' it may be said of us, They are a Generation of Sinful men risen up in the stead of their Fathers. Yet Oh Let it not be said, They Arose a Generation which knew not the Lord. It was a pungent word used by one on such a Day as this, That the Books to be opened at the last Day, will contain Gene∣alogies in them. How, How shall we hold up our Faces, when out of those Books it shall be Read; Such an one, the Son of such an one; His Father did much for the People of God; but he, Nothing at all?

Come then, and be you concerned for the Good of the people, which you belong unto; and Oh Tremble at suffering the work of the Lord Jesus here to miscarry in your Hands, which as you may see this Day, tis coming apace into.

III. But the Things that are to be done for this people, come into no Hands either with more Opportunity, or with more Impor∣tunity, than into those Honourable Ones, which the Government of this Territory is now devolved into.

Tis to YOU, much Honoured, that I now Address my self; and I know not what better message to bring▪ you, than This; That whereas you▪ are the Ministers of God unto us for Good, He will certainly Think upon you for Good, according to all that you Do for His People here. It is more than a little that ha's already been done for us, by your prudent and pious management of our Affayrs, which we should Accept alwayes with all Thankfulness. The Pains of Governing always are such that Luther justly reckoned them among the three sorts that were Intolerable. But never were they Greater at any time, than since you have been entrusted with the Administration of our Go∣vernment. That one of your Number who can count, I suppose, Threescore years from

the Time that first he took a seat among our Magistrates, ha's not seen many such Trouble∣some years, as those that are now Running with us. But we hope that you will still be Doing for us, and that the Fatigues which you have undergone, have not so tired you, as to make you say, I will not be an Healer; Choose me not a Ruler of such a Difficult, and Unworthy people! We do this Day commit ourselves unto your Care, and we will now look upon you as our Fathers. The first Thing that we ask you to do for us, is, Bless us, even us also O our Fathers; tis that you would carry us in the Arms of your prayers, unto that God, who has made us Yours. We besech you to take a froward and a sinful Congregation into your Arms, as Moses did of old; and not let the Great God Alone, till by your means He be∣come Favourable to us. There is a peculiar Authority in your prayers; which is one of the Considerations, that makes us prefer such a M••gistracy as yours, before the Shadows of those Brambles, that would be better skill'd it Fleecing of us, than at praying for us. •• Hezekiah join with Isaiah, no Assyrians will be able to stand before them. But we do al∣so promise our selves, That while you Speak ••or us to our God, you will towards us Act for him, who has made you such Deputies and

Vicegerents of Himself, as to put His own glorious Name upon you, and who has given you, A Sword which is not to be Born in vain▪ You are this Day betrusted with an Interest as precious as any upon the Face of Gods Earth, even the Sacred and Civil Enjoyments of many Thousands, whose Names be writ∣ten upon the breast of the Lord Jesus; and we perswade our selves, That you are Thoughtful of the Account which is to be given in the Day, when a Well done Good▪ & Faithful Servant, will be worth ten thousand Worlds. The Best and the Most that you can Do for us, is vigorously, and impartially to Execute the wholsome Laws, which the Successive General Courts have Enacted for the Suppression of all Vice among us; and to Encourage all Inferiour Officers, as Con∣stables, Jury-men, Tything men, in the Dis∣covering of all Offenders against those Holy Laws. You are doubtless perswaded, That a Feeble Executor of the Laws, is more Crimi∣nal than a Direct Violater of them; and it is the Expectation of the Almighty God, that e∣very man of you should approve himself a Phinehas, for zealous Testimonies against the Sins that bring Humane Society under the Blows of His provoked wrath.

Indeed, there is but onely this one word o••

God, that I am Sollicitous now to Entertain you with; tis that in Josh. 1. 5, 6. I will not fail thee, nor Forsake thee; Be Strong, and of a Good Courage. May there be that Courage in you, as to forbear no Legal and Righteous Act, notwithstanding the Opposition of our In∣condiaries; that Courage as to be Affrighted by no little Bug-bears from the doing of what must be done for the Common safety of us all. While you are obtaining the Good Thoughts of God for your selves, you will have cause to say before Him, as in Neh. 6. 14. My God, Think thou upon those, that would have put me in Fear. But Oh let your Faith be above your Fear, in your doing of your Duty; and Re∣member that you are the Heart as well as the Head of a••l the People.

We ask you to Do Nothing for us, but what ha's a Tendency to maintain our due Dependence on the Authority of England, and to preserve and Enlarge the English Empire▪ But the Cheef Things that we Sollicit you to do for us, are such as may keep us from falling under the Displeasure of our God; so that you may reasonably expect no Distur∣bance but from such as have a mind to ap∣prove themselves, The Children without a Yoke. Methinks, there is no call that comes from the Lofty Battlements of Heaven unto you, with

more Emphasis, than that which both my Granfathers long since chose for the subjects of the Sermons they Preach'd upon such oc∣casions as that which we now have before us; that in Hag 2. 4. Be Strong, Be Strong, Be Strong, for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts. May you be so Strong, as to wa••e through all that may be formidable to Flesh and Blood, and Exercising unto Patience; and so Strong while you sit at ••ur Helm, as to Beleeve, that tho' the Divel may be so much a Divel still (for as Austin said unto the secure Chris∣tians, under the Christian princes; Let me tell you, The Divel is not turned Christian yet!) as to raise an horrible storm, for sinking of this Little Vessel, which ha's the Interests (not only of Cesar, but) of Jesus in the bottom of it, yet our Glorious Lord will sea∣sonably Awake for our Deliverance.

And at the same time also, may you Be Quick, and in all your Applications use that Expedition, which we so often miscarry by our failing in. T'was to his Expedition that Alexander of old ascribed his conquest of the world; and Expedition might yet make this place a Quiet Habitation. But here I am to Stop.

These things have I spoken in God•• Name, and the Mountains of Israel will easily Hear what has been said; but, Much Honou••ed, vouchsafe to Hear a word or two in Mans Name, and I shall have done.

The Colony has Two sorts of people in it. There is among us, first, a party of Male▪ con∣tents, who are bitter, tho' it may be secret E∣nemies to all the Good Order, which the An∣cient Constitution of New-England has moul∣ded us into. I cannot imagine that They should Entrust me to Represent them; for▪ Thou comest not into their Secret, O my Soul.

But▪ might I treat with you in Their Name, I would then broadly say!

Nothing that you do shall satisfie us; Let the Justice and the Wisdom of your Actions be never so profound, we will Calumniate all you do; All the Requital that we will make you for your indefatigable Endeavours to make us happy, shall be to Reproach you, and Expose you; whatever Disaster happen to us, we will presently say, 'Tis you Moses that have killed the Congregation; and because the Indians Lay but as quiet in the Winter be∣fore the Revolution, as they have done a∣nother Winter since, we'l say, That the co∣ming of the Government into your Hands, is the cause of all the mischief which in the Sum∣mer they saw a Time to Do▪ We'l Refuse to bear any part of the Public Charges, and yet if the Drought of the Public Treasures make it imposible for you to do many Things that you are more forward than any of us to do, wee'l Article against you, because those

things are left undone. In a word, If we could but find a Captain, we would return into any Egypt, rather than under your Gui∣dance, Encounter the Difficultes of a Wil∣derness.

But, Blessed be God, There is among us, I Judge a Greater party of Sobet•• Discreet, Re∣ligions men; men that are True. Englishmen and Right New-Englanders. Tis in Their Name, that •• presume to say,

From the very Bottom of our Souls, we Thank you, Our most worthy Patriots, for all ••our S••udies in the Prosecution of our Pros∣per••ty. We will Beleeve ••our Actions to be Just and Wise, tho our Distance at some times do not a'dmit us to see the Reason of them. We will think, that you have Un∣derstanding in the Times to know what we ought to do, and we will be at your Com∣mandment; nor will we be such Foolish and Absurd Members as to fall out-with our Vitals. We will pray to our W••••derfull Councellor for your Direction in your Arduous Affairs every. Day that comes over our Heads: and if in any thing you take •• wrong Step, we will impute it unto the Defects of o•••• Prayers. We will obey your Government while yo•• Liue, we will Emba••m your Memory when you Dy•• & we will Hope to spend a plessed Eternity with you i•• Praises to God, for the Good which by your means, H•• ha's done unto us▪ here 〈◊〉〈◊〉

These are the Things which this Great Assembly, will add their Joyfull, AMEN, unto.

FINIS.