A Caveat for Magistrates, Title page – Dedication
A CAVEAT FOR MAGISTRATES.
In a SERMON, preached at PAULS, before the right Honorable Thomas Atkin, Eſquire, Lord Major of the City of London, November the third; 1644. Being the firſt day of his coming thither after his entrance upon his Majoralty.
By ELIDAD BLACKWELL, Maſter of Arts, and Preacher of Gods Word at ANDREW UNDERSHAFT.
Publiſhed according to Order.
PSAL. 101.8.
I will early deſtroy all the wicked of the Land, that I may cut off all the wicked doers from the City of the Lord.
2 SAM. 10.12.
Be of good courage, let us play the men for our people, and for the Cities of our God, and the Lord doe what ſeemeth him good.
LONDON, Printed by Robert Leyburn for Richard Wodenothe, at the ſigne of the Star under Peters Church in Cornhill. 1645.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS ATKIN Eſquire, LORD MAJOR Of the City of LONDON.
Right Honourable,
THis Sermon had waited upon you ſooner, had not ſome interveening accidents, and occaſions hindred. At length, ſuch as it is, It here humbly preſents it ſelfe unto your Honour. And truly my Lord, you have all the reaſon in the world to own it; for it's more yours then mine. It was your deſire (which with me hath, and ever ſhall have the force of a command) that brought it, firſt into the palpit, then into the preſſe; yea ſo much as the very Text and all was your choice; which to me is a mighty rock of confidence, that you earneſtly deſire to know what it is God requires of you in your place; being willing to doe it; and I am ſure you have power. And theſe three compleat a good Magiſtrate: Skill to govern, Power to manage that Skill, & will to actuate both. Much of that bleſſed work, I was then ſuch an earneſt and humble ſuiter for, I already ſee happily accompliſhed. Your pious care for the more ſtrict obſervation of the Lords Day; Your unparalleld zeale for the ſuppreſſing of ſwearing, drunkenneſſe, and other the like God-provoking, Land-devouring, Soul-damning abominations: your vigorous activity, fidelitie, ſinceritie, for the Reformation, preſervation, good every way of this great Citie ſhall ſtand upon record to your everlaſting Honor. When I think of it, I cannot chooſe but ſay with Ezra. Ezra. 7.27.Now bleſſed be God, who hath put ſuch a thing as this into your heart. And then pray with David,1 Chron. 29.18. Keep this for ever Lord, for ever in the thoughts of the heart of thy ſervant! Iam. 5.2….To be inſtrumentall in the reformation, though but of a family, yea though but of a particular perſon, 'tis the moſt choiceſt, and moſt glorious piece of ſervice that can poſſibly be accompliſhed by the ſonnes of men: but to be inſtrumentall in the reformation of a City, and ſuch a City, ſo populous, ſo exemplary, ſo influentiall into the whole Kingdom; Dan. 12.3.Oh the heighth, the depth, the breadth, the length of this dignity!Luk. 1.16. The Lord give you an humble heart, that you may not be exalted above meaſure, through this aboundant honour he hath put upon you; which is ſuch, that truly, my Lord, were there no other end for which you live but this, yet in this you have great cauſe to bleſſe your ſelfe in God; and in his name we bleſſe you.
And now, what remaines but that you gird your ſword upon your thigh, and ride on? that you advance ſtill forward, and do nobly, for your ſelfe, your people, and your God? Conſider I beſeech you, how great the truſt is, this Citie hath committed to you: It has given you the Keys, the Sword. The Safetie, the Government. They have all caſt themſelves (as it were) at your feet, ſaying, This is the man we will have to rule over us. Thus ſhall it be done unto the man, whom London will honour, and thus has it been done to you. And now, will not you honour London my Lord, that has thus honoured you? And wherein can you honour it more, then in reforming it? It was the honour of that Citie Jeruſalem, above all other Cities in the World, that it was the Holy Citie. Mat. 4.5.Oh that it might be Londons honour! To ſay London is rich, or London is wiſe, or London is ſtrong, this is ſomething: But to ſay London is holy, this is more then all.Ier. 9.23, 24. Let not the wiſe man glory in his wiſdome, nor the ſtrong man glory in his ſtrength, nor the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this that he underſtands and knows me, ſaith the Lord. This will make it honourable in the eyes of God, in the eyes of the Saints of God;Deut. 4.5, 6, 8. yea, and in the eyes even of the verie enemies of God. You cannot honour the Citie more, then by endevouring to make it a holy Citie. And my Lord, as ever you ſeriouſly minded and intended any thing, I beſeech you mind and intend this. Its the thing wee looke for at your hands. Its the thing you muſt doe, or doe what you will, what you can, you doe juſt nothing. Doe! nay, you undoe every thing. Reform us my Lord, or you ruine us. what a perfidious thing were it, for your Honour to betray the Citie? My Lord, reform it, or you betray it. And your late ſolemne Covenant; and the Oath upon Oath you have taken ſince, ô what mightie ingagements ſhould they be upon your ſpirit? The vows of God are upon you my Lord; ſo that its no arbitrary thing. Neceſſitie is laid upon you, and wo to you, if you doe it not. Yet again, reforme London my Lord, and you reforme England. If London be wicked, ungodly, prophane, how will prophaneſſe flow from it, as from a fountain, into the whole Kingdom? And on the other ſide, if London be pious, religious, well ordered, well governed, reform'd, how will all the Counties, Cities, Villages, Places round about, by its example, be encouraged likewiſe to a Reformation? Once more (and I will uſe the mightieſt argument in the world, and that which ſo raiſd the brave ſpirit, of that great Apoſtle, to ſuch invincible patience & unwearied activeneſs for Gods glorie and the Churches good) 2 Cor. 5.14Let the love of Chriſt conſtrain you. I read of holy Job, that being a man in authoritie (as you are) he was ſuch a terrour to wicked and ungodly men, that they durſt not ſhew their heads, but were glad to Iob 30.3, 4, 5, 6, 7.flie into woods, wilderneſſes & ſolitary places; and there hide themſelves in clifts, and rocks, and holes of the earth, and cut up mallows among the buſhes, and Juniper roots for their meat. It's a copie penn'd for you my Lord, by Gods own hand; write after it. I know you feare not the face of man. Your Honour knows what it is to lie in a priſon for your Countries good. Beare not the ſword in vain. Draw it and cut off thoſe that wil not otherwiſe be reclaim'd. Make wicked and ungodly men affraid of you. Let not Drunkards dare to goe reeling and ſtaggering in the ſtreets; nor Swearers dare to open their mouthes in oaths and blaſphemies in the ſtreets; nor children & others dare to be playing up & down the ſtreets on the Lords Day. Aaron may ſpeak: but it is Moſes Rod that does the wonders. Wee that are Miniſters may cry out againſt theſe things: but you have power in your hands. Let not ſin dare any longer to affront Word and Sword.
Its a pretious oportunitie God has put into your hands, improve it. You may do more good, and bring in a greater revenue of glorie to God now, in a few houres, then it may be you ſhall ever be able to do again in many yeeres. Cloſe your eyes againſt all diſcouragements. Laugh in the face of difficulties. Paſſe by with generous magnanimitie and brave contempt the deriſions of men, viler then the earth.Iob. 30.8. You are high in place and office: Be higher in affection and reſolution. To the worke in good earneſt, and goe thorough ſtitch with it. Everie eye that looks upon you, will bleſſe you. The prayers of all Gods people will be for you. And, though we will not preſume to ſay to you, as Nestorius ſaid to the Emperour, Socrat. lib. 7.29.Mihi ô Imperator, terram tu haereticis purgatam tribue; & ego tibi coelum retribuam, Give us London purged of Drunkards, Swearers, Sabboath-breakers, &c. and wee'll give you Heaven: Yet Jeſus Chriſt ſhall ſay, Well done good and faithfull ſervant. And not onelyonly wee that now live, but ſucceeding ages ſhall call you bleſſed. Your name ſhal be like a pretious ointment to the children; yea, to the childrens children that are yet unborn.
Your Honours moſt humble and obliged ſervant ELIDAD BLACKWELL.