The Character of a Good Ruler, Title page – To the reader
… CHARACTER OF a GOOD RULER, As it was Recommended in a SERMON preached before his Excellency the GOVERNOUR, and the Honourable Counsellors, and Aſſembly of the REPRESENTATIVES of the Province of Maſſachuſetts Bay in NEW-ENGLAND.
May 30. 1694.
By Samuel Willard, Teacher of a … Boston.
Printed by … 1694.
Publiſhed by Order of Authority.
TO THE READER
Chriſtian Reader,
I Am not Ignorant that we are fallen into a critical time, in which it is hard for a man to look or ſpeak, without ſome odd reflection made upon… him: I was therefore far from being ambitious of appearing on the Stage in this juncture, either in ſpeaking on ſuch an Occaſion as produced the following Sermon; or in committing it to the World in Print; knowing how much I ſhould be Expoſed thereby▪ Though on the other ſide, I am not of that ſullen Humour, to ſhun a Service, wherein I may expect to meet an Affront, when called by God to it, and an advantage is Offered me of doing good. I am none of theſe Flatterers that will paint a Vice with the Vizar of a Vertue upon i… … Nor yet of thoſe Male Contents whom nothing can pleaſe, but they ſeek to pick an hole in every thing that is done. I can bleſs God heart…ly for men in Authority, who ſeek the weal of our Iſrael, making it their Study and Endeavour to Advance the Interest of Religion and Righteouſneſs among their People: and can remember that they are men, and may miſtake; and endeavour to cover rather than diſcover their Infirmities. I do therefore crave your candid Interpretation of the following Diſcourſe. I counted my ſelf bound in Conſcience …f I ſpake any thing, to Level it to the Occaſion; and to that end, reckoned nothing more proper, than to repreſent, as in a Glaſs, the fair face of a Well-ordered Government, with ſome of the advantages accruing therefrom, together with …he inconveniences naturally conſequent on the contrary; that all Ranks of Men in a Civil Capacity may be helped thereby in what they ought to purſue, and what to avoid. It is a Rule in Mathematicks, Rectum eſt index ſui et obliqui. Here may we ſee our Du…y and our Danger; the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Pſal. 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp to my Feet, and a Light to my Path. If any, whether he be in Place of Rule, or under Subjection, will try himſelf by this, and amend himſelf by the direction of it, I have all I aim at: if he ſhall improve it to Reflect upon others, the blame will be his own. I am ſenſible how unfit I was to Undertake in a thing ſo much too big for me: all that I can ſay, is, that I ſtudied to bring all as near as I could to the Unerring Scripture; and to husband a ſhort time as profitably as I might. If what is thus emitted may be for Gods Glory, and the Benefit of his People in this Province, let him have the whole Praiſe: To his Bleſſing I Commend it,
Who am the leaſt and moſt unworthy of Goſpel Miniſters. Samuel Willard.