The City Remembrancer, Title page – Dedication
The City Remembrancer. OR, A SERMON PREACHED To the NATIVE-CITIZENS, OF LONDON, At their ſolemn Aſſembly in PAULS on Tueſday, the 23 of June, A. D. MDCLVII.
By EDM. CALAMY B. D. and Paſtor of the Church at ALDERMANBƲRY.
Pſal. 87. 4, 5, 6.
—This man was born there, And of Zion it ſhall be ſaid, This and that man was born in her; and the Higheſt himſelf ſhall eſtabliſh her.
The Lord ſhall count when he writes up the people, That this man was born there. Selah.
LONDON, Printed by S. G. for John Baker, at the Sign of the Peacock in Pauls Church-yard. 1657.
TO THE Right Honourable, Right Worſhipfull, and all other Citizens of London, who received their firſt birth in ſo renowned a Metropolis, and were of late Aſſembled together for the acknowledgement of this Paſſage of Divine Providence towards them.
Much honoured and beloved in Chriſt,
IT cannot be denied, but that GOD hath bleſſed this City above moſt Cities in the world with bleſſings of all kinds, and more eſpecially, with the bleſſing of the Goſpel. And although our ſins are many, and great, and ſuch ſins may be found amongſt us, for which God hath deſtroyed other great Cities; yet notwithſtanding he hath hitherto preſerved us, and dealt with us, not according to Rule, but according to Prerogative. He hath made London an exception from his generall way of proceeding with other Cities, and hath ſpared us upon the account alone of free-grace; Even ſo Father, Mat. 11: 26for ſo it ſeemeth good in thy ſight.
O that this extraordinaryand diſtinguiſhing love of God, might at laſt lead us to Repentance!Luc. 19. 42. And thatin this our day we might know thoſe things which belong unto our peace, before they be hid from our eyes; That our Preſervationsfrom former judgements,may not prove Reſervationsunto greater, And that we may not (by reaſon of our unthankfulneſs, and unfruitfulneſs)drink the dregs of Gods wrath, and at laſt be be made a ſpectacle of divine indignation, and an exampleto others, becauſe we would not learn righteouſneſsby their Examples.
The chief deſign of this enſuing Sermon (now made publick by your intreaty) is, to perſuade the Citizensborn in this famous City, by their Prayers, Unity, Piety, Verity, and Charity, to ſeek the welfare and happineſsof it; And to be ſo holy and heavenly in their lives, that they may be accounted able,and worthy to ſtand in the gap, to hinder the Judgements of God from falling upon it.
It is not only not contrary,but very ſuitable to Chriſtian Religion to ſeek the good (in an eſpeciall manner) of thePlace where we were born,or bred up. Luc. 4. 16.Becauſe Jeſus Chriſt was bred in Nazareththerefore he preached firſt in that place. Elton upon Rom. 9.This he did (ſaith one) as a recompence for his education.Becauſe Paul was bred, Act 22. 3. foreign.andbrought up in Jeruſalem,and of the ſtock of Iſrael,therefore he was in great heavineſs, and continual ſorrow of heart; and could have wiſhed himſelf accurſed from Chriſt for his brethren,Rom. 9. 2, 3. his kinſmen according to the fleſh.
Religion doth not take away natural affection, butperfects it, it doth not extinguiſh,but order and regulateit. It is your great Dutyto ſtudy to be bleſſings andMercies, as to the placeswhere you were brought up,ſo alſo to the places where youwere born. Ariſtotelem ha…d minus quam Patrem ſuum initio dilexit, quod a Patre, ut viveret, a Praeceptore, ut bene viveret, accepiſſet Pezelius.It is reported ofAlexander the great, that he loved his Maſter Ariſtoſtle,as much as he did hisFather Philip; becauſe (as he ſaid) from his Father hee received his being, and from his Maſter his wel-being.I will not diſpute, whether we owe more to the place where we were born, or to the place where we were bred, Sure I am. We owe much to both; and it is our duty to endeavour to bebleſſings both to the one, and to the other.
It is a Providence not to be ſlighted, that you are Citizens of no mean City, but this will little avail, if you be not a credit and an ornament to it. The excellency of a Cityconſiſteth in the excellencyof the Citizens; without which an excellent City is rather a Bethaven, than aBethel, rather an Hell, than a Heaven. Human ſtoriesrelate what great bleſſings ſome Perſons have been to the places,Ejus gratiâ Lacedaemonii in reliquam Baeotiam ſaevientes Thebanis pepercerunt. Ita & Alexander quum Thebas everteret, & in omnes ſaeviret ſine diſcrimine, Pindari Vatis penatibus familiaeque parci juſſit. Cicero contra Verrem. where they received their firſt Breath. The Lacedaemonianswhen they laied waſte all Baeotia, ſparedThebes, becauſe Pindar (that famous Poet) was born there; And when Alexander deſtroyed it, he commanded his Souldiers to ſpare Pindars Family, &c.
The Perſians when they waged War withall Grecia, would not hurt the Iſle of Delos, becauſe it was the place where Apollo was born, &c. O let it be your care, that you may be Noah's, Abraham's, Lots, and Daniels to the place where you were born; That God by your prayers and tears may be moved to ſpare this great city▪ & multiply his bleſſing upon it.
For this end and purpoſe, your great ſtudy muſt be towalk worthy of the Goſpel,which you enjoy with much purity, power, plenty,and liberty; You muſt not onelyonly have it with you,but in you; not onelyonly be Profeſſors,but practiſers of it; not onelyonly be fellow-Citizens of London, but of the Saints, and of the houſhold of God. Eph. 2. 19.You muſt labour to be Citizens and Freemen of that City which hath foundations, whoſe builder and maker is God. Heb. 11. 10For you cannotſin at ſo cheap a rate in London, as ſome may do in other places. When you ſin, you ſin againſt greater light, and love, againſt greater means, and mercies than others do. And therefore your ſins will more provoke theAlmighty, and bring downgreater, and more ſudden deſolations upon you; You areCapernaum-like, lifted up to heaven, Mat. 11. 23and if you ſlight the Goſpel as ſhe did, you ſhall be brought down to hell, and it ſhall be eaſier for Capernaum at the great day than for you. The great God expects, that you ſhould be like Hananiah who feared God above many. Neh. 7. 2.That you ſhould be in the higheſt for me of Chriſts School, taller by the head in gracethan men in other places. He looks that you ſhould do foreign,ſomething ſingular and extraordinary; Mat 5. 47.He hath given you more than he hathgiven to others, and he requires more from you, the Lord grant you may return more!
There were many eyes upon you, beholding what you would do (after this following Sermon was preached, in which you were earneſtly excited unto good works) at your Publique Dinner. Give me leave to tell you freely and plainly; You have not as yet ſufficiently anſwered the expectation,either of others, or of many of your own Company;There were ſome little ſpots (this year alſo) in your Feaſt of Charity; (I mean) ſome defects, and blemiſhes,not (I hope) for want of affection, but of obſerving a due Method; howſoever; Thus much I muſt publiſh to the World both for theHonor of God, and for your honor; I received a Note of theſe particulars from the worthy Stewards of the late Feaſt.you havedoubled your Charity this year, above what it was the laſt year; You have bound out 30. Boyes to be Apprentices;You have given conſiderable ſummes to Miniſters born in London, and Miniſters Widows, in diſtreſſe, and to poor Scholars in the Ʋniverſities; And my hope is, That the next year you will double the ſumme above what you have given this year.
I am verily perſwaded, that, what God ſaid of Corinth,is very true of London, He hath much people in this City; Act. 18. 10.Though there are many wicked amongſt us, yet there are many, yea, very many, both born, andbrought up in London,who truly fear God; and for their ſakes▪ God hath hitherto ſpared us. My prayers is, that God would increaſetheir number; That this City may be a City of Refuge, Zeph. 3. 1.for diſtreſſed Chriſtians; Nah. 3. 1.not an oppreſſing,or a bloudy City; but a faithful and holy Citywherein▪ God may delight to dwell, and that Salvation may be appointed to her for Walls and Bulwarks. Iſa. 26. 1.So prayeth▪
Your … and fellow ſervant in promoting the common good, Edm. Calamy.