TbUtW,JH s:Hd,-ul6trit:b intMtllrlr"'. The Righteous Mammon. Whithercan yee tume your eyes to looke befide the bountyol God ? Ifye look A upward ; Hismercy re.~cheth to the heaven;. Ifdownward : The eanh is full ofhis goodnetfe, and fo is the broad fea. Ifye looke about you; What is it th•t heehath notgivell us; Ayretobreothein, fire towarmeus, water to coole us, clothes to cover us, fuod to nourifh us, fruites rorefre!h us, yea delicates ropleafcus· beafis to ferve ns, Angels to attend us, heaven tQ re~eive us, and which isabove;Jl, his owne Sonne to redeeme us. La(lly, 1fye look m to yotir felves : Hath he notgiven us a foule to informe us, fenfes to informe our foule, faculties to furnifh thatfoule? Underfianding, the great fHrveior ofth~ fecrets ofNature, and Grace: Fantafie and Invention , the mafterofthe workes : Memory thegreat keeper orMatler of therollesofthefoule, a power that can make amendsfonhe fpeedofTime, in caufinghim to leave behindehimthofe things, which elfe he would fo carry away, asiftheyhadnotbeene : Will, which is the LordParamountintheSrateof the Soule, thecommanderofouraction>, the eleCtor ofour refolutions : Judgement, which is thegreatCounfellorofthe will: Aff'el:tions,which are rhe fervanrsofthem both: abody fittoexecute the chargeofthefoule, fo wondroully difpofed, as that every part bath befi opportunity in hisownefunl:tions;foqualified with healeh arifing from ptO}Xlrtionofhumors, that likeawatch kept ingood cune,itgoes right, and is fit to ferve the foule and mainraine it le! re: an el!ate that yeelds all due conveniences for both {oule and body, feafonable times, raine, and funfhine; peace inour borders; competency, ifnot plentyofall commodities, good!awes, religious,wife,juft Governours, happyand flourifhing dayes : and above all, the liberty oftheGofpell. Caft up yourbookes, 0 yee Citizens, and fummeup your receirs, c I amdeceived, ifhe that bath leaft, !hall not coufelfe hisobligatiom infinit. There arc three things efpeciallywherein yee are beyond others, and muft acknowledge your felves deeper in the Books ofGod, then thereft ofthe world : Lee the firfi be the clearedeliverance from that wofull judgementof thepeftilencc. Oh remember thofe forrowfull time•, when everymonth fwepr away thoufands from among you: When amancouldnot fer forth his f<>?t bat into the jawes ofdeath; when pilesof . carca!fes were carried to their pits, asdung to the fields: when itwas cruelty in the fick to admir vifttation,and lovewas little betterthenmurdrous: And byhowmuch more fad and horrible tbe face ofthofe evill times looked, fo wuchgreater proclaim you the mercy ofGod, in this happy freedome which you now enjoy :that you now throng together intoGodsHoufe wichout feare,and breathe intoone ono- D thers facewithout danger. The fecond is, the wonderfull plenty ofall provifions both fpiritua\1 and bodily: You are theSea,all the Riversofrhe land run intoyou: Ofthe land? Yeaofthewholeworld: Sea and Land confpire to inrichyou. The third is, the priviledgeofcarefu\1 government : Your Charters as they are largeand ftrong, wherein the f.IVor ofPrinc«harh made exceptions from thegenerallrules oftheirmunicipalllawes; fo your forme ofadminifiration is excellent, and the executionofJuftice exemplary,and fuch as might become the mother Cityofthewhole earth. For all thefe you have reafon to alke, /fl.!!.id retribM•"', with David? Whlll fballlre"der.to the Lordfor alt hi1 bemfits? and to exciteone anotherunto thankfulnetfe, with thatfweet Singer oflfrael, 0 thai11JmD1oH/dthereforepraifttheurd forhkgooJnefft! And (asbeneficence isabinder) rhefe favori ofGodcallfuryour E confidence: Whatfhould youdoe but evertruft thatGod, whomyou havefound fo gracious? Lethimbee your God, he yee hispeople for ever; and let himmake this free and openchallenge to you all : Ifthere be any power in he3ven, or in earth , rhat can doemore fur you then he bath done , let him have your heartS and youtfelves. And thus from thatdury we<;>we to God inour confidence , and his beneficence to ns, we defcend to that beneficence which weowe tomen, expretfed in rhe varietyoffuure Epithets, Doi•gg11d; bei11g richio good "'orf<ts, ""' ' to dijlri6•t•, ,..;1/i,gto Clmmunicau;all to one fenfe;all isbut beneficence. The ScripturesoR:lod ( lefr any Atheift fhould quarrell at this wafte ) have not one word fuperfiuous: Hen: iu redoubling ofthe fame wordswithout fault of T•utology ; a redoubhn~ of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=