Theopolis Americana.
AN ESSAY ON THE Golden STREET Of the Holy City: Publishing, A TESTIMONY against the CORRUPTIONS of the Market-Place.
With Some Good HOPES of Better Things to be yet seen in the AMERICAN World.
In a SERMON, To the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the Massachusett-Province in NEW-ENGLAND. 3 d. 9 m. 1709.
BOSTON: Printed by B. Green: Sold by Samuel Gerrish at his Shop. 1710.
To the HONOURABLE Judge SEWALL.
DEDICATIONS use to be Adulations. Flattery has, for the most part, so depraved them, that they are become a trifling and an useless Formality. Yea, the Epistle sometimes is, A Troubled Fountain, and a corrupt Spring.
I address you with a SERMON; but my Address will not have the least Alloy, of that Common Evil in it.
I mention your Name on this Occasi [...] ▪ 'Tis for Two Reasons; And if I were on the Rack, I should confess no more.
First; I am sure, You are willing to appear with me, in a TESTIMONY against all those Ways of INIQUITY, against which my SERMON has [Page] Testifyed. And if this Faithfulness Procure any Obloquy, You will Rejoyce to Share with me in That, as well as in the Consolation.
Secondly. My Pray'rs and Hopes for America, are Yours; and I must Acknowledge, that you first gave me some of the Hints, which my SERMON brings for the Grounds of them.
Tho' our, Fe del Christiano, and our, Religion Pura, cannot y [...]t have its Operation in the Spanish Indies, nor our, Vrai Patron des Saines Paroles, in the French; yet let us Bait and Wait; and in the mean time do all we can for, the English; and Scatter into all Parts of it, Instruments of Piety, by w [...]ich the State of Religion therein may be from time to [...] [...]ccommodated. May H [...] that Kn [...] your Works, graciously Accept of them. I am,
Pure Gold IN THE MARKET-PLACE.
GLORIOUS Things are Spoken of [...] O thou City of God [...] STREET be in [...] O NEW-ENGLAND; The Interpretation of it, be unto you, O American Colonies.
The Invitation, sounds Angelically; But my Hearers must have it now given them; Come hither, and I will show you, an admirable Spectacle! 'Tis an [Page 2] Heavenly CITY, descending out of Heaven, from GOD. There is an Heavenly CITY, which the Great GOD, has Prepared for them, to whom He will be a God: A CITY to be inhabited by an Innumerable Company of Angels, and by the Spirits of Iust Men made Perfect by a Resurrection from the Dead, with JESUS the Mediator of the New Covenant shining upon them: A CITY; where God shall dwell with men, God Himself shall be with them, and we shall Inherit all things. There will be a Time, when that Holy City, will be nearer to this Earth, than it is at this Day; and the Saved Nations of the Earth shall after a wonderful manner Walk in the Light thereof. The Thoughts of the Primitive Christians and Chiliasts, represented by [...] Martyr, concer [...]g that City, [...] very Remar [...] Passages about it, more partic [...] in Tertullian, are known to them that have Studied the Mystery of God. This is not a Time & Place to offer them. And, I Suppose, a great part of the Auditory, are not yet come to the Thoughts, into which I am compelled, [Page 3] on this Noble and Sublime Subject of c [...]templation; and into which, 'tis o [...]ervable, that Men of Thoughts upon [...], now more generally come, As th [...] [...] [...]ppro [...]ches. I must say, and so say [...] more, and yet many more will say, with him, whom God made a [...]eat Instrument of reviving the true Doctrine of the Chiliad in the former Century; Postquam alia omnia frustra t [...]tassem, tandem Rei ipsius Clarit [...]di [...] perstri [...]tus, paradox [...] succ [...]u [...].
But shall we not imagine, that ther [...] will be then to be seen on the Eart [...] ▪ some sweet Reflections of the Light, which the City of Glorified Saints will sh [...]d down upon it? Yes; Tis not ill done by those Interpreters [ Provided alw [...] ▪ they do not Exclude th [...] [...] ▪ which they are [...]] I say, Tis [...] Ill don [...] [...]y [...] who in the Vision that is now [...] us, look [...]o find the State of t [...] Church [...] Earth, after th [...] Approa [...]hing Fall of Antichrist. We have a world of Reason to Believe, That the Second Wo is past away; and that we are entring into the Sev [...]th [Page 4] Day of the Romish Iericho, [...]nd that b [...]ck, [ But, Oh! Let i [...] be Brief!] Time, wh [...] the Uials of the Wrath of God, [...] the most Woful Plagues that ever [...] heard of, are to be poured out [...] the Antichristian World. When [...] fearful Dispensation is over, then ▪ th [...] comes on that State of th [...] Church on Earth, which will answer the Description, that is here given us, of a New Ier [...]s [...]l [...]m. There has been a Time, when the City of R [...]me, so extended her Pri iledges and her Obligations that — Orbis erat; People all over the World, were the Fre [...]-men of that mighty City. There will b [...] a Time, when I [...]rus [...]lem shall be Literally Rebuilt, and People all over th [...] [...] shall be under the [...] of [...] Holy City. — Orbis erit. [...] C [...]URCH [...] God, all over the [...] s [...]all in some sort be the City.
One incompara [...] Glory [...] City, is now singl [...] out for our present Meditation. The Street o [...] the City is Pure Gold. I concur with Peganius, and conceive, That the Street here means, and so it [Page 5] m [...] be translated, The [...]rket- [...]ce; the Pl [...]ce where th [...] Affairs o [...] [...]ade bring tog [...]th [...]r a Co [...]cou [...]se [...] [...]ople. The meaning is, The [...] [...]f the CITY, shall be managed by [...] Golden Rule. The Thing [...] [...]hat [...] to be done in [...] M [...]rket-Place, [...] without C [...]ruption. T [...]re s [...]ll be no Base D [...]ling in it. [...] is added, It is as it were Transp [...]r [...]nt Gl [...]. Th [...]t is, The Dealing [...] be so [...], that it sh [...]ll be [...]r to be L [...]k'd into▪ it shall be so Sincere, that men shall be willing to have their very Hearts Look' [...] into. There shall be no False-De [...]ling: All shall be done with all possible I [...]tegrity. And tho' Grotius b [...] the last m [...]n I would advise [...]thal, upon the Prophesies of the Ap [...]cal [...]pse, [...] will here take in a Gloss of his [...] tis a very Good one; V [...]ve [...]t [...] [...]t in Dei Co [...]spectu; M [...]n shall [...] Live and Act, as Remembring, that the Great GOD looks upon them.
O Happy CITY! O [...] ▪ no where, no where to be [...] but in a City o [...] God
[...] Thing which I a [...] to O [...]s [...]rve [Page 6] is, That in a CITY of GOD, th [...] Street will be Pure Go [...]. The Bus [...]ness transacted in the Market-Place of an Holy City, will ha [...] a Golden, that is to say, a Gra [...]i [...] Character upon it. Golden Proc [...] ings, that is to say, Godly ones, will [...] found in the Market-Place of [...] CITY, which the Son of God, has [...] favour for.
My Doctrine is Written on the Conscience of all People, as with a [...] of Iron. I Preach no other Doctrine, than what will be defended by many more than a Thousand Preachers at this Instant in the Congregation. The Conscience in every one of the Hearers, will Oblige him to Consent unto it. CONSCIENCE, Do thou thine Office; Run thou to and fro, thro' the S [...]reet of our City, and make men to [...], If Iudgment and Truth do not [...] the Market-Place, the Holy SON of GOD, will not Favour it, or Pardon it! If [...] Scripture must be quoted on the occasion, take that One instead of a Thousand; Jer. 31.23. They [...] use this speech in the Land of Iud [...]h, [...] in [Page 7] the Cities th [...]r [...]o [...], The Lord Bless thee, O Habitation of Righteousness, and Mountain of Holiness. The Blessed CITY, is [...]hat, in the Street whereof, Righ [...]sness and Holiness has an Habitation; [...] Market-Place of Righteousness, a [...]ountain of Holiness. Oh! May such a Speech be used in this our Land! Grant it, Oh! Grant it, Thou God of our Salvation! — But the Lord calls upon us; Get thee up! Do thy part, that it may be so.
The Thing which I am then to Enquire, is; ‘ What is to be done, that the Street of our City, may be Pur [...] Gold? And, What have we to do in our Market-Place, that so our Great SAVIOUR, may Espouse us for, A City of God, and become our Saviour?’
The Enquiry shall be answered with Faithful Sayings. Oh! Let the [...] fin [...] All Acceptation.
I. Oh! That the Street may b [...] f [...]ll of Good Men! Full of Righteous & Holy Ones. It is but an Easy Metonymie, [Page 8] to make the Street, signify the Men that fill the Street. Our Street will be Pure Gold, when they that walk in it, are those [...] may be called, The Precious Sons of Zio [...] ▪ Comparable to fine Gold. There is▪ a Work of GRACE, which is wrought by the Holy Spirit of God, in the Minds of His Chosen People. Tis in one word, the Glorious Image of God revived in the Soul. A Good [...] in the S [...]ul, is the Name, which the Sacred Oracles put upon it. This Grace of God is called, Rev. 3.18. Gold tried in the Fire. Yea, Grace is better than Gold. My Friend, It is the very First Essay of Grace, to esteem it so. Oh! take up that Esteem of it; The Gain thereof is better than fine Gold; All the things I can d [...]sire, are not to be compared unto it. Of a very Valuable man, we Proverbially say, He is a man w [...]rth his weight in Gold. It may be said so of every man, that has a Work of Grace upon him. Yea, He is a man more Precious than the Golden wedge of Ophir. In the mean time, you know what you Read; Psal. 119.119. Thou puttest away all the Wicked [Page 9] of the Earth like Dr [...]ss; therefore I love thy Testimonies. Oh! will you therefore Love that Work of GRACE, to the Glory whereof, you have in the Word of God, so many Testimonies!
I will briefly Describe the WORK: Let my Hearers accompany the Description, with a strong Attention to it; a strong Affection for it!
It is a Work, which disposes a man, to see the Worth of a CHRIST, and feel his Want of a CHRIST, and fly to Him for all His Great Salvation, and Live by the Faith of the Son of God. A Work, which disposes a man, to Hate and Loathe all Sin, to Abhor that which is Evil; to Mourn for Sin, to Turn from Sin, as the very Worst of Evils. A Work, which disposes a man, to delight in Se [...]ing of GOD, and Employ his All as a meer Steward, and [...] Good one, in the Service of GOD; and make the Command of GOD the Rule of his Life, and Prize the Favour of GOD, as better than Life. A Work, which disposes a man, to Submit unto the Will of GOD in all things; and have his own Will Entirely swallow'd [Page 10] up in the Will of GOD; and bear Afflictions from the H [...]nd of GOD, with Patience, with Humility, with Resi [...] nation. A Work, which dispos [...]s a man to carry it well in all Relatio [...]s ▪ to Do Good unto all, with Alacrity, with Assiduity; to Forgive Injuries▪ and Overcome Evil with Good. A Work, finally, which disposes a man, to Despise this World, and be above the Flatteries, above the Enchantments, of it; and expect his Chief Blessedness in another, and a better World; in the Heavenly World.
O Lovely Work! O Matchless Work! A Work, which for ever changes into Gold, the Metal which it is wro't upon! There are some, who often Examine themselves, Whether such a Work be produced in them. Oh! Let every one of us do so! My Friend, Thou art yet a Stranger to the Work, if thou do it not. But the Issue and Re [...]lt of th [...] Examination sometimes is tha [...]; Job. 23.10. When He hath Tried me, I shall come forth as Gold.
And now; the Street of the CITY, is Pure Gold, when the Street [Page 11] i [...] filled with Regener [...]eChristi [...]s; with men that have the Grace of GOD, shi [...]ing in them. O Golden City; where the Angels of God may look down on the Market-Place, and say, There is a Glori [...]us W [...]rk of GOD on the Souls of the Peopl [...] that are walking there. The Ne [...]politan Poet sings of his Beautiful City N pl [...]s, It was doubtless dropt down fr [...]m He [...]ven ▪ The Inclinations of the Citizens, in so near a Neighbourhood of the [...]laming Vesuvio too; would make one fear, lest it ere long drop down into Hell! But how much rather may the Elegy of an He [...]v [...]l [...] Original be ascri [...]ed, where the Citizens are generally Bound for Heaven! Oh▪ H [...]ly SPI [...]IT of God and of Grace; M [...]e thy S [...]nctifying Work very fr [...]quent among us▪ Thou, Th [...]u art He, who Leadest into a Land of Rec [...]itude! Oh! Let our People ge [...]rally breathe after this Work; Do so [...] it; Get it; O all ye Peopl [...] [...] one of you!
But▪ if a Work of GOD, and of Grac [...], be desirable in [...]ll [...]he P [...]ple, it is mo [...] of all to be desir [...]d in those that are to Act for All the P [...]le A [Page 12] man of Bright Piety is a man of Goo [...] Metal: He will study to be a Bl [...]ssing to his People; Tis very much to be hoped, that God will make him a Blessing: Especially when he is called for [...]h into any Publick Station. Sometime [...] the Government of a Place, is Assembled in the Market-Place of the City. Oh! Most Priviledged People, [...]hose Affairs are managed▪ by Religious men, whom a Work of Grace has Ennobled, and made Partakers of th [...] Divine Nature! Nothing so Desirable! I say unto you, Nothing, Nothing so Nece [...]ary! If I were in a Church full of Kings, I would say what I do!
II. The Street must have no Dirty Ways of Dishonesty in it. I beseech you, Sirs; Let there be none but Iust a [...]d Fair Dealings in the Market-Place. Let all the Actions of th [...] Market-Place be carried on with a G [...]lden Equity and Honesty regulating of them.
I sh [...]uld be very unworthy to stand here▪ if I should be Afraid of Dealing Plainly with you. God and Men d [...] mand, [Page 13] that Plain Dealing be used, when Fair-Dealing is to be insisted on.
Sirs, NEW-ENGLAND is a Countrey, that has made a more than ordinary Profession of Religion. Our Profession is Weigh'd in the Balances of GOD. If there be any thing Defective, in the Honesty of our Dealing with one another, our Profession will have a woful MENE TEKEL Written upon it. Let a man be never such a Professor and Pretender of Religion, if he be not a Fair-Dealer That Mans Religion is Uain. A Noise about Faith & Repentance, among them that forget Moral Honesty, tis but an Empty Noise. The men are utter Strangers to Faith and Repentance; God will Reject all their Confidences, of their being, The People of God, and they shall not Prosper in them. I have a Commission that Ennables me, and Emboldens me, to say among you; Wo, Wo, Wo, to you Professors, and Hypocrites, who can make a Show of this and that Piety and Purity; but can Cheat, and Cousen, and Oppress, and Wrong other [Page 14] People in your Dealing with them!
It is true, [...] must believe, that New-England is not worse than other Places; There is more Ill-Dealing, I believe, [...] most other Places. Men will say so, that speak Unpassionately and Impartially, and that knows this Wicked World. But, O NEW-ENGLAND; There are a Thousand Reasons, why thou shouldest be Better than Other Places; A more Glorious Land of Uprightness! And it must be Acknowledged, That there have been Instances of Ill-D [...]aling among us, which have given horrid Scandal; Never, Never can the [...] People make a Reparation to their Countrey, for the Sc [...]ndel and Censure and Reproach they have brought [...] it. O All you Lovers of Truth; [...] with me this Day, in a Detesta [...] of their Evil Doings; And as the [...] of God, rent his G [...]rments, and [...] to his Knees, and s [...]read out his [...] the Lord his God, when [...] of some Evil Doings among [...] with him; Ezra 9.6. [...] am ashamed, and I blush, to [Page 15] lift up my Fac [...] unto thee, my G [...]d. If any [...]rofessors of Religion have done I [...] Things, yet RELIGION▪ What has [...]hat done? RELIGION sha [...]l wash her [...]air Hands, and Abhor your Doings. [...]e it Proclaimed unto All the Wor [...]d▪ [...]ll-Dealings are not at all Countenanced; no, they are vehemently Disallowed, by the Religion of NEW-ENGLAND. We do PROTES [...] against them, with a transporting Vehemency, and behold with Agony the Blood, and the Gr [...]ce, of our Great SAVIOUR, abused in them, with most aggravated Violatio [...]s.
But I have certain MOTIONS to make; and I assure my s [...]lf, that al [...] the Good Men in the Countrey will concur to the making of them.
The First Thing, for which I move, is, That the Golden Rule of Charity may Operat [...], in [...]ll the Dealings of the Market-Place ▪ Then will the Street [...] when every thing is done in it▪ [...] an Ey [...] to the Gold [...]n Rule o [...] [...] ▪ I am not versed in th [...] [...] Myst [...]ries of the Market-Pla [...]e. [Page 16] B [...]t I am acquainted with a Golden Rule, which, I am sure, would migh [...]ily Rectify all our Dealings there. Tis that; Mat. 7.12 All things whatsoev [...]r [...] w [...]uld, that men s [...]ould do to you, do [...]e ev [...]n s [...] to them. A Rule own'd among Pagans as well as Christians; A Rule, by N [...]ture Engraven on the mind of Man, and as readily confessed as [...]ny Principle of the M [...]th [...]m [...]ticks: A Rule, which well attended, would soon turn this forlorn World, from an Aceldama into a Paradise. Chri [...]ians, Tis a Rule for you in all your D [...]alings, To think, Should my Neig [...]bour de [...]l with me as I now de [...]l with him, would I not think my self hardly dealt withal. Don't sleight this Rule; Don't throw it by as an Useless one; You forfeit the Name of, Christians, if you do. I can tell the Name of a Roman Emperor, who would on such a Provocation have ordered▪ that you should not be called, Christians, any more.
That this Rule may have its Perfect work of Charity, Remember that Application of it; 1 Cor. 10.24. Let no man se [...]k (only) his own, but every man [Page 17] [...]other [...] Weal [...]. Cha [...]itably aim at the Benefit of Other m [...]n ▪ as well as Y [...]ur own, in your D [...]alings with them. Sir, Be willing that your N [...]ighbour should be Benefited, and Encouraged, as well as Your self. Yea, D [...]sire that he may; Con [...]rive that he may. I am certain▪ they will do so in the Street of the CITY of GOD!
I will state the Rule with one rare Circumstance. Be willing that your Dealings ever should be Transparent-Glass. Keep always a [...]ive such a se [...]se as this; The Righteous God, who Loveth Righteous [...]ess, looks into all my Dealings. Great GOD, Thou art acquainted with all my Ways. And let your Dealings be such, that if they should be laid open to all your Neighbourhood, you need not be Ashamed of them; Such, that they will bear the Touch-stone, of the Iudgment which all men of Honour and Vertue and Probity, would pass upon them.
This were Pure Gold! Were this Golden Rule generally regarded, there would need no Laws to force men to be Honest; the Courts would have [Page 18] but few Causes brought unto them. The Chris [...]ians which often, often Reflect upon this RULE, and always Conform unto it, verily, They are Golden Ones; God increase the Number of them.
The Second Thing for which I move, is, That all Frauds in our Dealings of all sorts, may be the Abomination of all that have any thing to do in the Market-Place. All such Things as by the Irregular & Inordinate Love of Gold, men are too often betray'd into! Of the various Method [...], wherein men Deal Dishonest [...]y with one another, in the Market-Place, and particularly, False Weights and Measures, we read, Deut. 25.16. All that do such things, and all that do Unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God. May they Likewise, and Therefore, be an Abomination unto you, O People of the LORD.
As now;
For men to Lye to one another, in Dealing with one another; Tis an Abomi [...]ation! It was required; Lev. [Page 19] 19.11. Ye shall not Steal, neith [...]r d [...]a [...] Fal [...], neither Lye to one another.
For men to put off Adulterated or Co [...]nterfei [...]ed Wares; or, for men to work up their Wares Deceitfully; When the Fi [...] is naught; the Car has undu [...] mixtures; there is Dirt & Stone instead of Turpentine; there are thick La [...]s of Salt instead of other things that should be there; the C [...]ese is not made as tis affirm'd to be; the Liquor is not for Quantity or Quality such as was agreed for▪ the Wood is not of the Dimensions that are promised unto the Purchaser; or perhaps, there was a Trespass in the place of Cutting it; the Hay does no [...] hold out Weight by abundance; the Lum [...]er has a false Number upon it▪ or, the Bundles are not as Good Wit [...]in as they are Without; Tis [...]n Abomination!
For men to Over-r [...]ach others, bec [...]se they [...]nd them Ignorant, or Scrue grievously upon them, only because they are Poor and Low, and in great Ne [...]essiti [...]s; to keep up the Necessaries of H [...]mane Life, (I say, the Necessaries ▪ [Page 20] which I always distinguish from the S [...]perfluities,) at an I [...]m [...]derate Pri [...], meerly because other People want them, when we can more easily spare them; Tis an Abomination!
For men to Employ others, and not Reward them according to Contract; [A Crime, not at all the less, because the Minister is not seldom the Sufferer from it!] Or, to with-hold from the Labourer his Wages, till his Cry reach up to Heaven; or break their Faith with their Creditors, and keep them out o [...] their Dues! Tis an Abomination!
To Rob the Publick Treasury, by False Musters, or any other Articles of Charge falsely given in; or, to Abett the Robbers, by any Assistence or Connivance at such things in Auditing their Accompts; This also is a thing to be Repented of, where any have been Guilty of it.
I hope, I speak to none, but those [...]hat can say; These are Abominable [...]hings▪ the Soul of the Lord hates th [...]; And, O my Soul, Do thou also [...]ate them. [...] wish, All my Peo [...]le had such a [Page 21] sense of some Other things, which I am now going to mention.
But in my way to those Other Things, methinks, I am stopped by something like a Dead Amasa, lying in the midst of the High-way before me.
I hope, the Merchant, uses all possible Caution, as well as the Lesser Dealers, to keep clear of that Blemish, Hos. 12.7. He is a Merchant, the Balances of Deceit are in his hand, he Loves to Oppress.
And so well, Sirs, do I wish to your Voyages, that I would Entreat you, that for the Man [...]ing of your Vessels in this Evil Time, there may be no such Unfair Methods used, as may Entail Disasters [...]pon them.
There is one sort of Trade also, about which my way of Addressing you, shall be by Reciting the words of the Excellent BAXTER. They are these; [His Christian Directory. Part II. Chap. 14▪]
‘To go as Pirates, and Catch up poor N [...]groes, or People of another Land, that have never forfeited Life, or Liberty, and to make them Slaves, [Page 22] and Sell them, is One of the worst kinds of Thievery in the World; and such Persons are to be taken for the common Enemies of Mankind; and they that buy them, and use them as Beasts, for their meer Commodity, and betray, or destroy, or [...]eglect their Souls, are fitter to be called, Incarnate Devils, than Christians, tho' they be no Christians whom they so Abuse.’
I will go on to say; When we have Slaves in our Houses, we are to treat them with Humanity; we are so to treat them that their Slavery may really be their Happiness; Yea, in our treating of them, there must be nothing but wh [...]t the Law of CHRIST will Justify. Above all, we are to do all we can [...]o Christianize the [...]. I will again give you the Words of my Honoured BAXTER.
‘So use them, as to preserve Christs Right and Interes [...] in them. Those that k [...]ep their Negro's and Slaves, from Hearing of Gods Word, and from becoming Christians, because, they shall then lose part of their Service, do openly profess Rebellion against [Page 23] God, and contempt of Christ the Redeemer of Souls, and a contempt of the Souls of Men, and indeed, they declare, that their Worldly profit, is their Treasure and their God.’
Fidelity to the cause of Righteousness, obliges me, to take Notice of One thing more.
If there be any English People, who are concerned with our Christianized Indians, but then take advantage of their Ignorance, or their Indigence, or their unchristian Love of the Bottel, to decoy them into their Debt; and then use Indirect and Oppressive wayes, to Exact an Unreasonable Satisfaction from them, and Sell them for Servants, or Send them out of their own Country; This Trade, will be a Reproach to our Christianity, and I am sure, it will be Bitterness in the Latter End. Certainly, our Iustices will concern themselves to Rebuke and Prevent such Doings, lest the Guilt become so Publick, as to provoke the Justice of Heaven to Revenge it, by Indian Depredations.
The Third Thing for which I [Page 24] move, is; That there may not be so much as my Tendency to any thing Oppressive or Injurious, in the De [...]l [...]gs of the Market-Place. The Thing for which I bring a very pressing Exhortation, is that; 1 Thes. 5.22. Abstain from all Appearance of Evil. If any thing Approac [...] to a thing, that App [...]ars an Evil; Sirs, Beware of it! There are Some Ill Things, too frequently done among those who would count themselves greatly Wrong'd, if they be not thought Good People. But they are things which anon, I am sure, prove a notorious Wrong to many others, that really are Go [...]d Pe [...]ple.
I will be free with you. There are Crooked Things that cannot be Numbr [...]; I wish, they could be Streightn [...]d.
I conceive, There are some of them, in certain Extortions, used by some of them, who let out M [...]ney upon Interest. I mean, when they make People pay In [...]erest, for a Sum, that really never was in their Hands; As it is, when the Usurer immediately takes into his own, the whole first years In [...]erest, [...]t [...]he Instant of his Letting out the Money.
[Page 25]I will go on [...]o say. 'Tis a Thing of an Evil Te [...]dency, for People to Live [...]eyond t [...]emselves, or to take it for gr [...]nted, that they must brave [...] out with such a Tabl [...], or with such an [...]bit, tho' they have not wherewithal to bear the Expences of it; They won't take in a R [...]ef of their Sails, tho' they are on the point of Suffering Ship-wreck; tho' they must borrow, and defr [...]ud, [...]nd Whi [...]le, [...]nd [...]rt other People, to Support their Vanity. How contrary, How [...]ontr [...]ry, is thi [...], to that Poverty of Spiri [...], which must be found in all, that wo [...]ld ha [...]e a claim to a part in the Gold [...]n City!
'Tis a thing of [...]n Evil T [...]de [...]cy, f [...]r People to Run into Debt, whe [...] they know, they can't Run ou [...] [...]f it, as w [...]ll and as fast, a [...] they Run into it; so they Spend what is no [...]e of th [...] Own; They Forget th [...]t Precept, Owe nothing to an [...] m [...]n, but to Love one anot [...]er.
Tis a thing of an E [...]il T [...]d [...]ncy, for People to go from year to year, without Settling the [...]r Acc [...]t [...]; to Jog on in a blind Conf [...]sion, and not know how much they may be gone back-ward, [Page 26] or wh [...]the [...] they have any thing, they may call, Their Ow [...], or no If they wo [...]ld have done like Honest Men, th [...]ir I [...]olvency should have been ingenuo [...]sly Confessed some year; ago!
And then, sometimes People that Bre [...]k, deal not so fairly, so tr [...]ly, so justly with their Inj [...]ed Credat [...]s, as they ought to do. Perhaps there are [...]ndirect Wa [...]es taken, to Cover from other Men, what j [...]stly belongs unto them.
No man that understands the Gospel, will Justify such things. The Street is not Pure Gold, where such things are Practised. On the behalf of our Holy RELIGION, I do this day Testify against them! Yo [...] tha [...] F [...]ar GOD, will do so too; and w [...]l come forth of them all.
I m [...]t make a [...]ourth Motion. Tis, T [...]at the [...] who [...]ave Command [...]f the Street, would look upo [...] t [...]emselves, [...] concerned Above other [...] [...]o ke [...] [...]ll Dishon [...]y [...] of it.
I [...] is [...]he Actio [...] of a JUDGE; Job [...]. I [...]epared my [...] in th [...] Str [...]e [...]. [...] May yo [...]r S [...]at alway [...] b [...] upon [Page 27] Pur [...] Gold: But then, your Hand, a Stranger to it!
We are to Pray for our H [...]nourable RULERS. We should make that Pr [...]yer, That they may be alwayes, Ab [...]e Men, such as F [...]ar God, M [...]n of Tr [...]th, and hating of Covetousn [...]ss. — It was once the Unhappiness of Israel; Hos. 4.18. Her Rulers with Shame do Love, Give ye. —
NEW-ENGLAND is now blessed with Iudges in our C [...]ur [...]s of Iudic [...], of whom there is nothing Suspected, that may Exp [...]se th [...] Tabernacle [...] to be Consumed by the Fire of the Divine Indignation. But, My FATHERS, while we Bless God for His Grace to You, in that thing, We will make it our Prayer, That a marvellous Pr [...] dence, and Patience, [...]nd zeal for nothing but a God-like [...]us [...]ice and Goo [...] ness, and a particular Tenderness f [...]r the W [...]do [...] and the Orp [...]an, and for them that h [...]ve [...]o H [...]lp [...]r ▪ may always be int [...]rwoven, into all your Administrations▪ that you ma [...] have a [...] always cloathing of you▪ But [...] ca [...]e be taken, that all Officers und [...] [Page 28] you, may be Restrained from the Iniqui [...]y, which y [...]ur Souls would so much abominate: and which will Plunge their Souls into a [...]rime for which there can be no Rep [...]nt [...]ce accepted, [...]ithout Restitution, and therefore▪ 'tis rarely, rarely Repented of! You must give me leave to t [...]ll you, There may be danger, lest that Iniquity grow upon us; and lest the Sinners do multiply, whereof every man that L [...]ves his own Soul, will cry out, Oh! Let not my Soul be gathered with them! No care, I say, No care can be too much, to p [...]ocure that Felicit [...]; Isa. 60 17. For Brass I will bring Gold; I will also make thy Officers Peace, and [...]hine Exactors Righteousness.
Our Market-Place has now sitting in it a GENERAL ASSEMBLY, to whom I must bear an Honourable Testimony.
It ha [...] been asserted, That altho' our Publick Difficu [...]es and Perplexities have been Wonderful, yet there is no Plantation in the World, more careful to make H [...]nest Payments from the Publick Tre [...]sury. If they have not always b [...]en Great, yet you have been careful, as [Page 29] well a [...] could b [...], [...]o make them [...]. I Believe the Asser [...]on, and therefore I Publish [...]t. The Street is thus far Pure Gold, by your Laudable Fideli [...]y.
There is One thing more, that I may take notice of. In two or three too Memorable Days of Temptation that have been upon us, there have been Errors committed. You are always ready to Declare unto all the World, That you Disapprove those Err [...]rs. You are willing to inform all▪ Mankind with your DECLARATIONS;
That no man may be Persecuted, because he is Conscienciously not of the same Religious Opinions, with those that are uppermost.
And; That Persons are not to be judg'd Confederates with Evil Spirits, meerly because the Evil Spirits do make Possessed People cry out upon them.
Could any thing be Proposed further, by way of Reparation, [Besides the General Day of Humiliati [...]n, which was appointed and observed thro' the [Page 30] Province, to bewayl the Errors of our Dark time, some years ago:] You would be willing to hearken to it.
I have only this to add. You have Enacted Excellent Laws against th [...] ways of Dishonesty. A COMMITTEE of Wise Men, would soon make a Report, wherether there needs any more Legal Provision against them; and whether any further ACTS be needful, to Burnish the Golden Street of th [...] City. And this One thing more. Oh! Let not the Laws for Schools be Shamm'd; and the justice of a Good Educa [...]ion be witheld from the next Generat [...]on!
The Glorious LORD grant you H [...]s Direction! Sirs, If I had not thought that the Impoverishing Iudgments of God upon us, had this Loud Voice i [...] them, Learn Righteousne [...]! Lear [...] Righteousness! as much as any thing in the World, I could no [...] have prevailed with my self, to have uttered s [...]ch things in the Street of the City, as I now treat you withal. Yo [...] will see, how I am led into these things, when you have Read; Isa. 1.25, 26. I wil [...] [Page 31] t [...]rn my hand upon thee, and Pure [...]y Purge [...] thy Dross, and tak [...] away al [...] th [...] [...] I will Restore thy Iudges [...] the [...], & thy Counsel [...]ors as at [...] B [...]ginning.
B [...]t now I have begun, I must balk n [...]hing. There is a Third Thing to b [...] [...]arn [...]stly insisted on.
III. Sirs, There is a Branch of the Ri [...]r of Death, which must not Run in the Street. Ah, How will the Golde [...] City [...]eas [...] to be such, and become a very Babel; except that Flood of Iniquity be dried up! A Flood, which the Dr [...] gon has ca [...] out of his Mouth, to devour the Church in the Wilderness! A River, t [...]e Streams whereof do debauch, do de [...]le, do destroy the City of our God. Oh! If the Street of the CITY be Pur [...] Gold, there will be no R [...]eling there; no Spewing, upon all the Glory. The Bottel must not be the Grand M [...]rchandise of the Market-Place. We r [...]ad con [...]erning the City of God; Rev. 22.1, 2. There is a Pure River of Water of Life, — in the midst of the Street of it. But, Oh! Let there not be in the midst of our Street, a River that shall carry P [...]ople down into the Dead Sea, dow [...] into the Lake of Sodom.
[Page 32]In the Wall of the Holy Cit [...], we find [...] Stone, called, An Amethyst. The St [...]e, does in the Signification of the Na [...], decry Drun [...]e [...]ness. Give me leave [...] do the part of an Amethyst, or l [...] [...]he [...] [...]ut of the W [...]ll. Yea, Ti [...] th [...] Voice of the Lord th [...]t Cries to [...] Oh! Let no Tendency to Dr [...]ke [...]ss be seen among us! Let not [...] Drink make us to Perish!
You a [...]e not at a loss, What is th [...] ma [...] t [...]r, about which I make such [...] Cr [...]; Such a Rep [...]d Cry; and will [...] give over doing so▪ I am with all possible Solemnity to tell you; suc [...] Prodigious [...]uantities of [...], to b [...] co [...]s [...]med amo [...]g a Peopl [...] of our Eng [...]g [...]nt [...] [...]o be the most So [...]r P [...]ople in th [...] World, I must s [...]y, Tis an h [...]rible T [...]ing! I request so [...]e capable [...]erson, to compute the Quan [...]ities, an [...] th [...] ma [...]e the most Proper a [...]d Ob [...]ious Inferences; I am sur [...], they must all say, Tis an H [...]rrible T [...]ing!
The Golden-mouthed Father often inv [...]igh'd against the Sottish Vice of Swearing: His Hearers asked him, When [...]e would have done with his Invectives; [Page 33] He answered, When you have done Swearing. In my Importunities for a Street of Pure Gold, if I am asked, When I will have done with my Blows upon the Bottel! My Answer is, When I see it broken; When I see, tis universally counted a Shameful thing to be too free with it; When I see People take it, only When, and As, it may be useful to them.
I don't move, to have the Use of it Banished; but the Abuse and Excess of it. And I most importunately move, That all Sober People throughout the Land, would set themselves to think, What may be done, to have Rum used with more of Moderation?
The French and the Indians have sorely Scourged us; but let it not be thought a Paradox, That one of the Sorest Punishments, which ever did or ever can befall this poor Country, is the Great Esteem, which this Liquor has among us. It makes us Poor; It keeps us Poor; whole Families may curse the Day, that ever the Bottel came into them. It will soon make us a D [...]spicable Country. All our Strength will be [Page 34] departed from us. Ah, NEW-ENGLAND; Thy Street will not be Pure Gold; No, 'twill be a filthy Puddle, a nasty Kennel. Yea, the Wild-beasts of the Desert will dwell here; thy Houses will be full of doleful Creatu [...].
Instead of Propounding Laws, to retrench a Mischief, not easy to come at▪ My Proposal is; That this One Observation may be Spred thro' the Country, and awfully considered of. Tho' this Liquor may be Useful, at some time, & in some things, yet no Man that uses it constantly will ever be Good for very much. It will infallibly Stunt his Abilities; He will discharge no Office, as he ought to do; It will Besot him, or, at least very much Flatten him, and make him very little better, than a meer Good for nothing. Take him from the Bottel, for the STATE, or for the CHURCH, or for the FIELD, [...] be a Poor Tool; God will do little by him; hee'l never be Excellent. When a man stands a Candidate for any Preferment, I move, That it may be known, whether he be a Friend of [Page 35] the Bottel, or no? That which adds to the Horror, is; Tis very Seldom known, [...]hat any one Habituated unto the use of the Bottel, ever is Recovered from it; The Depraved Stomach will crave and [...]ave after it, insatiably!
Could I make my Voice heard beyond the Herald of the Temple, I would say; Sirs, Why should you be willing to have, your Estates Evaporated, your Bodies Carbonado'd, your Families wretchedly Educated: Ah, Foolish NEW-ENGLANDERS, Has the Bottel so b [...]witched you? Why, why should you Expose your Souls, to the hazard of that Lak [...], from whence the Smoke of the Torment shall [...]scend for ever and ever? All for a Bottel! A Goodly Price are they valued at!
There was a Street in the old City of R [...]me, named, [...]icus Sobrius, The Sober Street. The Reason of the Name was, because there was not one [...]rinking House in the Street Ah, my dear Country; shall we not see a [...]olden Street of Ierus [...]l [...]m in thee? But, then it must be a Sober St [...]et.
[Page 36]You must not wonder, to see the Flame, in which I [...]all upon you. The dreadful, the dreadful Dispensations of God, have brought us into fearful Apprehensions, How far this Country may come to be ravaged by Po [...]ish Idolaters. Tis with a trembling Soul, that I must Speak, what is now to be Spoken; If once this become a Country of Drunken Protestants ▪ we can have little to plead with the Holy Son of God, why it should not be so; little to plead, why we should n [...]t fall before Popish Id [...]laters; little to plead, why the Laodicean Fate should not come upon us. But, —
Gr [...]ci [...]us LORD, we put our Trust in [...], that it shall never, nev [...]r come to That▪
IV. There is a Fourth matter of Caution, which I am to leave with you; and then I [...]il [...] make an End.
In the CHURCHES of the Lord, [...] the Markets of Truth. [...] make our Supplicati [...]ns to the [...] of our Churches, That [...], things ma [...] go well.
We [...] [...]LDERS [Page 37] [...]f the Churc [...]e [...], R [...] 4.4. T [...]y [...] [...]eir Heads Crowns of Gold. ELDERS of Shining S [...]nct [...]ty, [...]o [...]n'd with rich Abilities and Accomplishments; Prayerf [...]l and Pai [...]ful Men; Zealo [...]s Lovers of CHRIST and of Soul [...]; Real Men of God; are such: They have Cr [...]wns of Gold; tho' on Temporal Accounts they may say with him, W [...]o was al [...]o [...] Elder; Silver and Gold I [...]ave N [...]ne. I must say, None but such are Worthy to walk in a Street of [...]ure Gold. In the Primitive Ti [...]es▪ the Churches of [...]en kept their Days of Supplications, to obtain from the Glorious LORD, Holy Pastors, that should be Men [...]fter His ow [...] Hear [...]. Let us a [...]k our As [...]ended LORD, That He would Bestow such G [...]ts upon us. And, Pr [...]ise the L [...]d, O NEW-ENGLAND, P [...]ise [...] God, O Americ [...]n Z [...]n, in that H [...] has Bestow'd so ma [...] such Gif [...] upon th [...]. For indeed▪ how many MINISTERS are s [...]ill to be see [...] in ou [...] Church [...] [...], Yo [...]g Minister [...] ▪ [...] [...]on [...]inually [...] in th [...]i [...] [...] ▪ and S [...]udy that they ma [...] make Improv [...]me [...]t [...] that shall [...] [Page 38] [...]nto all men: W [...]o work their S [...]rm [...]s into their own Hearts, and Fetch them ou [...] from thence, befo [...]e they Preach them unto Others; Who Mind the St [...]t [...] [...]f Religi [...] in their Fl [...]cks, and S [...]it [...], with all agreeable Admonitions; Who with Wisdom and Courage Rebuke all growi [...]g Evils among their Peop [...]e, and warn them and arm them against the Snares of the Wicked one; W [...]o set themselves to Encourage Pi [...]t [...] among their Peopl [...], es [...]cial [...]y E [...]rly Pi [...]ty, and s [...]ch Societies as use [...]o b [...] the I [...]ce [...]tives and Preservatives of it; W [...]o, bear th [...]ir Distr [...]ssing and A [...]asing circumstances with admir [...]bl [...] S [...]lf-d [...]nial, and und [...] all their Temp [...]ati [...]s, comfort themselves, with the Th [...]ughts of their precious Opportu [...]ities to Glorify CHRIST in this Worl [...], and [...]gment the Recompe [...]ces of the World to come▪ Our Gre [...]t Saviour can make many more!
But then, the Street where these Offi [...]s of Wisdom, are to Procla [...]e the m [...]xims of [...]isd [...]m, the Dict [...]tes and E [...]icts [...]f Heaven; We are to Supplicat [...] Heaven, Th [...]t as [...]t has [...]een hitherto, [Page 39] [...] still there may be, no D ct [...]i [...]es Preac [...]ed there, but what sha [...]l be, Gold [...]ilt up [...]n the Foundation. Let me Sp [...]ak [...], for your Comfort and Hon [...]ur; Th [...]re is not a Street of more [...]ure Gold upon the Face of the Earth at t [...]is day, for the GOSPEL generally Preached in the true Purity of it, than [...]he Churches of NEW-ENGLAND. [...]e Awakened, O ye CHURCHES [...]f [...] LORD, Be Inquisitive, whether in [...]his Day of common Degeneracies, [...]here be no Vergencies to An [...]ther [...]ospel: Whether the Doctrines of Gr [...]c [...] ▪ as delivered in our Confession of Faith, are not in any hazard of not being duly adhered unto. If any Pe [...]sons [...]nash their Teeth with Indignation▪ at the Watchmen, who advise you to be Sollicitous for the Preservation of this Great Interest; I must faithf [...]lly tell you, Those [...] will giv [...] you [...] Cause to be Iea [...]ous of them.
I▪ must add thi [...]; As far as the Street of the CI [...]Y, has b [...]n Scriptu [...]lly laid out amon [...] us in r [...]ard of the Order of the Gos [...]el ▪ it will [...]e [...] Ill to attempt the Alteration of [...] ▪ [Page 40] Where we have a Platform le [...]t us, that is according to the Word of our Glori [...]us [...]ORD, and the [...] in the M [...]unt, we shall be great Enemies to our Selves, if we do n [...]t keep to it. As far as the Golden Street h [...]s been measur [...] by th [...] Golden Reed, Let it not be put [...]ut of a Right [...]hape; nor let a c [...]arse and vile Rubbish, be laid in the Pa [...]ement, which ought to have none in it, but the S [...]nes of the [...] ▪ God keep us from ever being any part▪ or so much as a By-l [...]ne, of the Street of the Great Cit [...], where His Witness [...] are to be hardly dealt withal!
I happen this very Day, among c [...]tain Papers in my Study, to take up a c [...]py [...]f a Le [...]ter sent from [...] Wor [...]hy Person here, to one in [...], abo [...]t Seventy years ago; in [...]hich Le [...]ter t [...]ere is this rema [...]kable P [...]ssage; Her [...] is a T [...]mpl [...] built, mo [...] glo [...]ou [...] [...]an Solomons; N [...]t of D [...]ad [...] [Page 41] for the Rhetorick of the Passage; and yet say, The Golden Work of God in these His Churches, if we may Mend any p [...]t, in which we should go on to more of the Ki [...]gdo [...] of Heaven, let us Humbly do it. But, Sirs, Do not Spoil it. Oh! Destroy it [...]ot; There i [...] a Bless [...]ng i [...] it.
PEOPLE of GOD; May these be your C [...]res. Then there will be fulfill [...]d [...]nto us, that Word▪ Isa. 1.26. T [...] [...]alt be called, The City of Righte [...]us [...], The Faithful Cit [...]. A CITY of s [...]ch a Golde [...] Street, will be [...] Strong City; God will appoint Salvation f [...]r Walls, and b [...]lwarks unto it; while non [...] but a Righteou [...] N [...]ti [...]n, which keeps t [...]e Truth, inhabit [...] it. O NEW-ENGLAND, Keep such a Street; and Swe [...]p it, where it wants to be better kept. Th [...]n, there will be no br [...]king in or going o [...]t; there will be n [...] C [...]plai [...]ing in [...]ur Str [...]t. No, we shall b [...] [...]n Happ [...] Pe [...]le, I say, an Happ [...] Pe [...] ple; for th [...] LORD will be OUR GOD. I will say unto you; Joel 2.21. Fear not, O Land, be glad, and rejo [...]ce, f [...] th [...] LORD will do great things. [Page 42] God will make our En [...]mies to be fou [...] Lyars and Los [...]rs; Our Coast will be under His Protection; There will none dare go up against the Land of Unwall [...]d Villages. Our God will incline the Government of our Nation also, to Remember what a Loyal People we have always approv'd our selves, and to cheri [...]h these Colonies, as D [...]ughters to be highly accounted of. Yea, O Holy City; Thou shalt Lay up Gold [...] Dust, and the Gold of Potosi as the [...] of the Brooks: The Almighty shall be thy Defence, and thou shalt have a Plenty of all that thou desirest.
I have been Surprised at the Reading of a Passage in a Pagan Writer, who flourished more than Fifteen Hundred years ago. Tis AElian, a Grecian Writer, who sayes, That in Times long preceding his, there was a Tradition, that Europe and Asia and Africa, were encompassed by the Oce [...]; But without and beyond the Ocean, there was a great Island, as big as They. And in that Other World, there was an huge CITY, called, [...], The Godly City. In that City, Sayes [Page 43] h [...], they enjoy all Possible Pe [...]ce and [...], and Plenty: And, [...]e S [...]yes, T [...]y [...]r [...] wi [...]hout Controversy a very Righteo [...]s People; So Righteous, that they have God marvellously coming down among them. I know not what well to [...] of a Tradition so very Ancie [...], and yet having Such an American Face [...]pon it. All I will say, is thu [...] much. There are many Arguments to perswade us, That our Glorious LORD, will have an Holy City in AMERICA; a City, the Street whereof will be Pure Gold. [W [...] cannot imagine, that the brave Countries and Gardens which fill the American Hemisphere, were made for nothing b [...]t a Place for Dragons. We may not imagine, That when the Ki [...]gd [...]m of God is come, and His Will [...] d [...]e on Earth as it is done in Heaven, which w [...] had never been taught to Pray for, if it must not one day be accomplished, a [...]allanci [...]g [...]alf of t [...] Globe, shall rem [...]in in the Hands of the Devil, who is then to be Ch [...]in [...] up from decei [...]i [...]g the Nations. Has it not been promised unto our Great Saviour? Psal. 2.8. [Page 44] I will give th [...]e the uttermost parts of t [...] Earth for thy Possession. And, Psal. 86. [...]. A [...]l Nations whom thou hast made, [...] come and worship before thee, O Lord, [...] [...]all glorify thy Name. And, has it n [...] been pro [...]ised? Mal. 1.11. Fr [...] t [...] Rising of the Sun even unto the goin [...] [...] t [...]e s [...]me, my Name shall be gr [...]at [...] [...]he [...]entiles. AMERICA is Le [...]ibl [...] in these Promises. But if it be not here plainly enough expressed, [...]hat [...]an be more plain, than the Proph [...] ▪ c [...]ncerning the Kingdom of our S [...] [...]iour▪ Dan. 2.44. I [...] shall break i [...] [...], an [...] consu [...]e [...]ll these Kingdoms, [...]nd i [...] sh [...]ll stand for ever. The Kingdom of our Saviour becoming a Great Mountain▪ that must fill th [...] WHOLE EARTH, does particularly fill, and Change, and Bless those Countries, [...]hic [...] belong to the Ten Kingdo [...]s of [...] Roman Empir [...], in the Papal and Fi [...]al Edition [...]. Now, the Americ [...]n [...]ountries▪ do [...]elong to s [...]me of thos [...] [...] become a conside [...]le [...]art o [...] [...]h [...]ir Dominions ▪ And [...]erefore▪ [...]is m [...]st cer [...]ain, he Glori [...] [...] [...]ome of [...] [...]and [Page 45] in these Countries, as well as in the European. There have been Martyrs of CHRIST in America. The Blood of the Martyrs here, is an Omen that the Tr [...]ths for which they Suffered are to Rise, and Live, and carry all before them, in the Land that has been so M [...]rked for the Lord. Such men as they will doubtless have some Glorious Power over the Nations, where they have been Such Overcomers; They that are to Shine [...]s the Stars, will t [...]rn many unto Righte [...]sness; bring many to believe on the Sun of Righteous [...]ess, in these Goings down of the Sun. Tho' Austin knew nothing of America, yet no American could have made a better Descant, on the Mystery of our Lords G [...]rments, made of Four Parts, to every Souldier a Part, than his; Quadripartit [...] Vestis Domini Iesu, q [...]adripartitam figuravit Ejus Ecclesiam, tot [...] Scilicet, qui quatu [...]r partibus constat, terratum Orbe diffusam. The World, sayes he, which does c [...]nsist of [...]our Parts, will have the Ch [...]ch of our Lord JESUS, in every Part. But O AMERICA, will no Share of the Lords Garments ▪ [...]nd Glories, [Page 46] and the R [...]g [...]te [...]usn [...]ss of the Saint [...], fall to thee, who a [...]t a Part of the World singly almost as great as the O [...]er T [...]r [...]e? Yea, the Day is at hand, when th [...]t Voice wi [...]l be heard concerning th [...], P [...]t on thy beautiful Garments, O Am [...]rica, [...]he H [...]ly City! Certainly, It wa [...] never intended, that the Church of our Lord, s [...]ould be confined always within the Dimensions of S [...]rabo [...]s Clo [...]k; and that, All the World, should always be no more, than it was, when Augustus taxed it We are Sorry, w [...] are Troubled, Tha [...] the G [...]od Seed of the WORD, falling on the other Three Soyls, has brought forth so little Good Fruit, and for so little a while. But our Glorious LORD, will order that Good Seed ere long, to be cast, up [...]n the Fertile Regions of America, [...]nd it shall here find a Good Ground, where it shall bring forth Fruit unto Astonishments; and unto Perpetuity! When our Lord uttered the Parable, [...]o which I have now alluded, we read, He w [...]nt into a Ship, and from thence in [...]ructed the Multitude that stood on the [...]h [...]re. I will believe, that in this ver [...] [Page 47] A [...]tion, there was a P [...]rable an [...] a Prophesy. By Na [...]igatio [...], there will be brought the Word of a Glo [...]ious CHRIST, unto a Multitude afar off; and as the Ships cover the Sea, the E [...]rth, and thou, AMERICA, too, Shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glorious Lord. The Fall of Old Pagan Babylon, was brought about, by the Diversion of her Euphrates from her. The Fall of the New Popish Babylon, will be accompanied with the Loss of her American Interest: But when 'tis diverted from her, certainly it will then serve the City of God. I will add this; When w [...] critically Examine, the Accomplishment of the Prophecies, in the Judgments of the Seven Trumpets, whereof Six have done Sounding, we shall find, that by the Sea, was meant, Portugal, and Spain, and France, with the adjoyning Islands, from the Rhine and the Rhos [...], to the Western Ocean, and the Peninsula of Italy; all which are almost wholly Encompassed with the Sea, and mighty Rivers. I conceive, we are now entring into the Dispensation of the Seven Vials; One of the Fir [...] [Page 48] whereof, is Poured out upon the Sea, [...] it becomes as the Blood of a Dead Ma [...], and [...]very Living S [...]ul dies in the Se [...]. The most Obvious Application o [...] it, is to be trembled at! — But it is easy to draw Some American co [...]s [...] quences. I wave them; and only say, Tis thought by Some, that [...] might be intended, as a Plac [...] where the Wo [...]shippers of the Gloriou [...] [...]ESUS, may be S [...]eltered, while fearful Things are doing in the Eur [...]pea [...] World, and, [as ' [...]is foretold it shall b [...]!] T [...]e L [...]nd shall be fearfu [...]ly Emptie [...] an [...] Spoiled; Th [...] Curse will devo [...] [...]he E [...]rth, and th [...]y that dwell therein will be desplace; the Inhabitants of the Earth will be [...]urned, and few men w [...]ll be lef [...], [See the XXIV. of Isaiah.] Whe [...]her it shall be so, or no; we are sure, [...]her [...] is a Day at hand, When the L [...]rd of H [...]sts will Reign among His Ancient P [...]ple Glori [...]usly. In that Day, it will be impossible, for the Hol [...] People, and the Teachers and Rulers of the Reformed World in the other Hemisphere, to leave America unvisited. It will be impossible for a People, so inspired from [Page 49] Heaven▪ for the Propagation of t [...]ue Christianity as will then be the Stars of that Hemisphere, to be unconcerned about America, and all the Ends of th [...] W [...]ld that are to tur [...] unto the L [...]rd; all the Kindreds of the Nations that are to Wors [...]ip b [...]fore Him. It will be impossi [...]e, that the Effect of the Essayes used, by Men f [...]lled with the SPIRIT of CHRIST, and able to do more than all that was done in the Primitive Times, [For, When He gi [...]es the Wo [...]d, Great wi [...] be the Army of them that s [...] [...]blish it!] Should not be, a conquest of America, ten thousand times more glorious, than all that ever any Cor [...]ez pretended unto; The Ki [...]gdo [...] here will be the L [...]rds, and the Lord will be Governour [...]mong the Nations. When the Holy SPIRIT of God, that River, the Streams whereof are t [...] M [...]ke glad the City of God, shall, as He will, Run down into, and thorough the Worl and make the World become a Watere [...] Gard [...]n, and an E [...]en for the Lord from Hea [...], and [...]od shall dwell with me [...] ▪ by His Holy [...]pirit m [...]rvellously Poss [...] sing, and Purifying, and Enlightening [Page 50] of them; can you think, that America, shall be nothing but M [...]ery Places and Marishes, given to Salt? By no means. O wide Atlantick, Thou [...]alt not stand in the way as any Hindranc [...] of those Communications!]
Verily, Our Glorious LORD will ba [...]e Dominion from Sea to Sea. In thos [...] Days will the Righteous flourish. Then they who dwell in the Wildernes [...], & even in this also, Shall vow before Him. They that are of the City, shall have something to do here for Him. O NEW-ENGLAND, There is Room to hope, That thou also shalt belong to the CITY. Thou hast already made a Seisin of America, on behalf of thy Glorious LORD. It is in some sort His Primier Seisi [...] ▪ The Seisin in Fact, which the Son of GOD, has taken of these America [...] Territories, is, we hope, a Seisin in La [...] for all the rest. And certainly, Thou shalt not be c [...]st off, when He comes into the Actual Poss [...]ssion of all the rest. Thy Name shall then be, Iehovah Sh [...]mmah, THE LORD IS THERE. And, As [...]e have heard, so shall we see, in the C [...]ty of the Lord of Hosts, in the City of our [...]od: [Page 51] GOD wi [...]l [...]stablish it for ever mor [...] ▪
The Design of my SERMON, is, To bespeak, all possible Anticipations of this Felicity!
Appendix.
IN [...]much as we are now doubtless arrived un [...]o that Point of Time, in which we m [...]y be unde [...] a daily Exp [...]ctation, that the SE [...]ENTH TRUMPET of the Revolutions [...]oretold in the most sure Word of Prophesy will [...]egin to Sound, and the Great Trumpet shall be [...]lown, in the Ioyful Sound whereof, AMERICA may hope for a Share; it may prove an agreeable Entertainment unto Some Good Men, to have a V [...]cant P [...]ge or two, here filled with a brief Re [...]pitulation of th [...] Things that ar [...] [...]hortl [...] to come to p [...]s [...].
I. The Seven l [...]st Plagues, of the VIALS, ar [...] to be Poured out, upon the Papal Empire, These are the very N [...]xt Things to be look'd for; and very Sad Things they will b [...] to th [...] Unreformed World. The First of them, falls [...]pon the E [...]rth, or Inland parts of Europe ▪ Especially, those lying between the Danube and th [...] Adriatick. It will b [...] a Neiso [...] and Gri [...]ous Sore. Q [...]ere, Whether not a Raging & Mortal Prestilence. The Second falls upon the Se [...]; or the Maritim parts of E [...]rope; Especially▪ [Page] Port [...]g [...]l, Spain▪ France ▪ and th [...] adjacent Islan [...] ▪ The Event will be; [...]t becomes as [...]he [...]lood of [...] Dead man, [...]nd every Living Soul [...]y d in the [...]. The I [...]terpretation, if I am going to [...] must br [...]ak off; ‘O [...]st [...]pui, Steteruutque Comae, [...]t vo [...] fau [...]ibu [...] ▪ h [...]sit.’
II Now comes the E [...]d of the Tyr [...]n [...]y, or Powe [...] of the T [...]n H [...]rns, the Several Idolatrou [...] Kingdoms, in the Divided Roman Empir [...]. The Conclusion of the Forty two M [...]ths, in which the Ten Kingdoms, have Power of making W [...]r with the Saints, and over coming [...]hem.
III. Now comes the End of the Tyr [...]nny of the Little Horn, or E [...]clesiastical Hierarch [...] of which the Pope is the Head▪ The Conclusion of the Time, Times, and a Part, wher [...] in the Little Horn, was to Speak great Words [...]gainst the most High, and to wear out [...] Saints of the most High.
IV. Now is the Sanctuary to be cleansed, and the San [...]tuary and the Host, to be no long [...]r troden under foot. The Conclusion of the Forty two Months, w [...]erein the Gentiles are allowed to tread under foot, the out [...]r Court of the Templ [...], or the H [...]ly City.
V. Now th [...] Persecuted Stat [...] of the Church [...]om [...]s to an End. The Conclusion of the Tim [...], Tim [...]s, and Half a Time, or Twelve hundred [...]nd Sixty years, wherein the Wom [...]n is to be no [...] rished in the Wilderness.
VI. Now the poor Vaudois, and the Wit [...]sses of the Lord, com [...] to th [...] End of their [...]fflicted condition The Conclusion of the Twelve h [...]ndred and Sixty Day [...] ▪ in which [Page] the Two Wit [...]esses w [...]re to Prophecy in Sackcloth; and they must now he [...]r a [...]reat V [...]i [...]e fro [...] Heaven, S [...]ying, unto them, C [...]me up b [...]er; and they Asce [...]d in th [...] Sight of their [...]nemies.
VII Now there must b [...] a Great E [...]rthqua [...]e, in which the Tenth (probably Franc [...]) of the City, is to f [...]ll: with such [...]ffrighting [...]umst [...]nc [...], that the Rem [...]ant shall give G [...]ory t [...] the God of Heaven. Soon after follows, the Restoratio [...] of th [...] Israelitish Nation; and this not only of the Tw [...] Tribes, (mixed with many who are the Off [...]pring of the T [...]n,) who are dispers [...]d [...]very where, but [...]lso the T [...]n Tribes, whereof w [...] find Romains, to this Day Existing, in the v [...]ry Pl [...]c [...]s whither Salman [...]ssar so long ag [...] tra [...]sported them.