Mercys Memorial, Title page – Dedication
Mercies Memoriall. Set out in A SERMON PREACHED In Paul's Church, Novemb. 17. 1644. in memoriall of the great deliverance which England had from Antichiſtian bondage by Queen ELIZABETHS attaining the Crowne.
By William Gouge.
Judg. 5.7.
The Inhabitants of the villages ceaſed, they ceaſed in Iſrael, untill that I Deborah aroſe, that I aroſe a mother in Iſrael.
Iſai 49.23.
Kings ſhall be thy nurcing fathers, and Queens thy nurcing mothers.
Hiſtoria vita memoriae, magiſtra vitae.
Cic. de Orat.
Imprimatur
THO. GATAKER. Novemb. 25. 1644.
LONDON, Printed by George Miller for Ioſhua Kirton, in Foſter-lane next to Gold-ſmiths Hall. 1645.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Thomas Atkin, Lord Major of the Honourable City of LONDON.
Right Honourable,
BY a Note under your own hand, I was appointed to preach at Paul's Church on the ſeventeenth of November. The ſeventeenth of November is a day of ſo high account with me, that I durst not make any excuſe, though otherwiſe in way of excuſe, I might have pleaded my age, my weakneſſe, and multitude of other imployments: but the ſeventeenth of November, being ſuch a day as is ſet out to be in the following Sermon, ought to be had in perpetuall remembrance. It may be that all have not that day in ſo high account as I have, and that if another had performed that duty, he would have over-ſlipt it, without any mention made thereof. Length of time makes memorable matters to be forgotten; and it is now above fourſcore and ſix yeares ſince that ſeventeenth of November. Therein England firſt received ſuch a bleſsing as never ought to ſlip out of the heart of an Engliſh man. That ſeventeenth of November was the day when unparallel'd Queene Elizabeth firſt came to the Crowne. Thorough Gods bleſsing, I ſpent eight and twenty yeares of my dayes under her raigne; and I have oft bleſsed God that I was borne, and ſo long brought up in that bleſsed time. I have been called in my younger yeares to performe publike Scholaſticall duties on a ſeventeenth of November, and me thought, I never performed any more cheerfully. The very ſubject matter put life and ſpirit into me. Since I was called to the miniſteriall Function, I have many yeares on the ſeventeenth of November made the beſt remembrance that I could of that dayes bleſsing. Being by you called to the moſt publike place of London, I could not, I durſt not paſſe over the mention of that bleſsing. I did the more willingly publiſh it to the view of all ſorts, that I may provoke others to be more mindfull of that day. And to your Honour in ſpeciall, I dedicate theſe my poore labours, becauſe you were the firſt mover thereunto. And now, my good Lord, having this occaſion in publike to ſpeake to you, give me leave, I beſeech you, to ſtirre up your honourable mind unto ſuch faithfull courſes, as, to the joy and benefit of many, you tooke, when you were Alderman of Farrington within. I have been now thirty ſeven yeares (to the praiſe of Gods good Providence and mercy I ſpeake it) a Miniſter of Gods Word in a Precinct within that Ward: in which time, there have been ſundry ſeverall Aldermen. But (to your praiſe, but not to the diſpraiſe of any of the reſt, I doe here publikely attest it) I never obſerved any more carefull of the good of their charge, more inquiſitive after the ſame, more industrious in ſearching out diſorders to redreſſe them, more pitifull over the poore, more ſollicitous about ſuch as were infected with the ſickneſſe, and that which ſets the crowne upon all, more pious in preventing all manner of profaneneſſe on the Lords Dayes, and procuring people (ſo farre as in you lay) to obſerve the holy Ordinances thereof.
Right honourable, the Lord hath now advanced you to a higher place, given you a larger juriſdiction, and put more power into your hand. You have now ten Talents in compariſon of the five that you had before. Know that God now expecteth of you an improvement of all thoſe ten Talents; Anſwerably more care, more induſtry, more diligence, more prudence, if more can be ſhewed, is requiſite: Above all, let your conſcionable care be yet more manifeſted about the Lords Day; and herein I beſeech you,Sir Thomas Middleton. Sir Thomas H…es. give me leave to ſet before you the prudent and pious courſe which two Lord Majors of famous memory, in the yeares 1613 and 1614 took thereabouts, which was this, They made choice of conſcionable perſons, who with an holy zeale were ſet againſt all profaneneſſe of that Day, and put on to redreſſe all manner abuſes thereof: ſuch they choſe, and to ſuch they gave power and authority to apprehend and bring before them all delinquents in that kind, whom, for the greater terrour unto others, they ſeverely puniſhed. Conſcience will more put on pious perſons to a thorough redreſsing of diſorders, then hire or reward. It is the due execution of Law that puts life thereinto, and makes it the more effectuall: and inward Principles will work men unto a due execution more then outward motives. Goe on in promoting Gods honour, and he will promote yours. For he that ſaid, will performe what he hath ſaid, Them that honour me, I will honour. That you may doe the one, and God the other, it is the hearty prayer of
Your Honours daily Oratour, W. GOUGE.