Sermon 17 July 1700, Title page – Dedication
A SERMON PREACH'D to the SOCIETY, FOR Reformation of Manners; AT Kingſtone upon Thames, On July 17th 1700.
Publiſh'd at the Requeſt of the Society.
By DANIEL MAYO, M. A. Minister of the Goſpel in that Town.
LONDON: Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry, MDCC.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY, To the WORSHIPFULL
Mr. Thomas Edmonds. Bailiff.
Mr. John Lambe. Bailiff.
Mr. Charles Salter.
Mr. Nathanael Brandling,
Juſtices of the Peace in the Town and Corporation of Kingſton upon Thames.
Gentlemen;
I Was the more Willing, when Deſir'd, to Publiſh the following Diſcourſe, Becauſe I thought I might thereby have an Opportunity of giving a Public Teſtimony of your Chearful Concurrence with, and Encouragement of, thoſe Perſons, who are United in a Society, in order to Aſſiſt you in the Neceſſary Work of Reforming ſuch as are Enemies, not only to themſelves; But alſo to the Town and Corporation in which God hath Placed you, for a Time, in the Higheſt Station: And alſo, that I might take this Fair Occaſion Faithfully to put you in Mind of your Duty.
'Twas the Saying of Solon, That in his Time, there were many Good Laws made; But there wanted One more, to make 'em put thoſe in Execution. 'Tis too evident, the Good and Wholſom Laws of this Realm againſt Immorality and Profaneneſs, are not put in Execution. Where the Blame doth Principally lye, I will not, at preſent, Enquire; But rather Pray, that Forreigners may have no Occaſion any more, to Accuſe our Famous Nation, of Being the Beſt in the World to …ake Laws, and Worſe than any to Execute them: And that you in particular may not be found … in this Reſpect, when you are called to Give an Account of your Stewardſhip.
Let the Cenſures of Cri…cal Readers be never ſo many, or ſevere, either concerning my Diſcourſe it ſelf, or the Publication thereof; I have this to Comfort me, That my Sincere Deſire, and Endeavour alſo (tho' never ſo mean) was to Promote the Common Good: And if you can ſay ſo, when your Publick Office is ended with the Year; or if before that, Death ſhould bring you a Quietus eſt, and ſummons you to give up your Accounts, you will do it with Joy, and not with Grief.
Tho' you have not the Sword as well as the Mace, born before you in State, as ſome other Magiſtrates have; yet you have a Sword put into Your Hands by God Himſelf, which you muſt not Bear in vain; But therewith Protect the Good, and Puniſh the Bad. The Worldly Honour and Profits that you Reap by Virtue of your Office, will only ſerve to aggravate your ſhame and loſs in the end; If when God weighs you in the Ballances of his Juſtice, you are found wanting, and it ſhall appear that you have made no uſe or a bad one, of all your Intereſt and Authority.
The Laws of the Land Oblige you, under Great Penalties, Impartially to Puniſh ſuch Crimes a… you your Selves are Witneſſes of And you can't refuſe to take the Information of Others: But if you have no Better Principle than Fear of a Pecuniary Mulct, to Influence you, The Common Good is not Likely to be much Promoted by you. Conſider therefore the Oath of God is upon you. The End and Uſefulneſs of your Office, The Wellfare of your Neighbours, and Your own Safety, are Obligations upon you to Prevent, or if that can't be, to Puniſh ſuch ſins as are Deſtructive to private perſons, and Whole Communities.
Give me leave to deſire your Serious Peruſal of the Firſt Direction, towards the End of the enſuing Diſcourſe, p. 10. Particularly, beware of ſuch ſins your Selves, that you cannot Avoid puniſhing Others for, if any Call for Juſtice. And, methinks, it muſt be with an Aking Heart, and a Trembling Hand, that a Vicious Magiſtrate Signs a Warrant for the puniſhment of thoſe Vices he Loves and Lives in himſelf.
Let your Zeal for God Provoke and Encourage Others: And as you have the Praiſe of Good Men, and, I hope, the Approbation of God, which is far greater; For the Good you, or any of you have done already: So let your Efforts againſt Vice, towards the Concluſion of your Office, be the ſtrongeſt.
That God would pleaſe to Bleſs and Proſper this Whole Town and Corporation; and, in particular, your Perſons and Families, is, and ſhall be, the Prayer of,
Gentlemen, Your Faithful Servant, eſpecially in the Work of the Goſpel, Daniel Mayo