Integrity and Religion to be Principally Regarded

Mr. Holyoke's ELECTION SERMON

THAT Anthony Stoddard & Samuel Welles, Esqrs; give the Thanks of this Board to the Rev. Mr. Edward Holyoke for his Sermon preach'd Yesterday, before the Great and General Court or Assembly, and that they desire of him a Copy thereof for the Press.

Attest. Simon Frost, Dep. Secr.

AN Election-Sermon.

—I gave to my Brother Hanani, and Hananiah the Ruler of the Palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful Man, & seared God above many.

AN excellent Pattern and Example this, (of Nehemiah the princely Governour of Judah) for the Imitation of such as are in Places of superiour, magistratical Rule and Power; and worthy to be copied, by all Kings and Princes of the World, and all that in subordination to them, have the Rule and Government over any People, if they p. 2mean their Welfare and Happiness, or would themselves sit easy in the Places assign'd unto them; for that these excellent Qualities here mention'd are equally serviceable to the Governours of the World themselves, and to all such as are subject to their Rule and Authority.

The Words read give us an Account of the appointment of some to a Place of very considerable Weight and Trust, by Nehemiah, commissioned Governour over the returned Captives of Judah, by Artaxerxes King of Persia; which Post he had ◊ollicited for, from a Zeal to the Church and People of God; for being of the Stock of Israel, he sought the Interest and Welfare of his own People with all his Heart.

He had heard while he remained in Persia, in the execution of an Office of great Dignity in that Court, (being Cup-bearer to the King) by his Brother Hanani, mentioned 1 Chap. 2. v and one of these Persons named in the Text; I say by him he had heard, That, tho' being return'd to their own Land, they had built the Temple in Jerusalem according to the Royal Mandates of both Cyrus & D◊rius yet that the Holy City lay still in its Ruins, and the Temple unguarded, and the People therefore insulted by their envious and inhospitable Adversaries, who inhabited round about them: He therefore immediately upon his entring the Government, sets about the great Work for which he was sent, namely, to rebuild the great City and fortify it, to set up the Gates, the Barrs, and the Locks thereof; that they might, without let or impediment, keep the divine Law, and be secure in the Worship of the Temple of God; that he might reform p. 3the great Abuses of the Sabbath they had been guilty of, in Buying and Selling on that Holy Day. And in this he was oblig'd to be very resolute and severe, having the Nobles of Judah to contend with in the Affair, 13 Chap. 15. and onward: For this excellent Man well consider'd, That the upholding the public Worship of God in its Purity, and according to the Law, and making a Reform of Vice and Immorality in the Capital of the Country, would have a mighty Influence upon all the People, who all of them ascended there, several Times in a Year, to attend the Temple Worship.

p. 3In this Regard the Charge over Jerusalem, which he is said to conferr upon these Persons mention'd in the Text, was a very great Trust, and if well discharged, would have an happy Influence over the whole Land.

This great Trust he commits to to Hanani his Brother, & to Hananiah, distinguished here by the Post he already held under him, and stiled the Ruler of the Palace. The Place of his Residence being justly stiled so, for that [Pool in Loc.] he lived like a royal Governour in great Splendor and Magnificence.

Upon the Expiration of his Commission, which was to continue but for a set Time, 2 Chap. 6. v. he prepares to return to give an Account to his Master of what he had done; and finds it necessary to appoint Governours over the City, which he had come on purpose to rebuild, fortify and reform.

p. 4This Charge, I say, he commits to these two Persons mention'd in our Text, and gives a very good Reason for it, For he was a faithful Man, and feared God above many. HE was, This Pronoun hath doubtless a Logical Reference to both the Persons here mention'd; but as it is singular, so can have a Grammatical Reference only to one of them, and this 'tis most likely was Hanani his Brother; because Hananiah the other, was before, one of his superior Officers, a sort of Steward of the Houshold. Whereby he had doubtless had large Experience of his Faithfulness and Integrity, and therefore could depend upon him in that Trust, he now commits to him; besides as he was a public Officer he must have approved himself to others, and so had an established Character in the City, and therefore there was no need to give a Reason, why he gives to such a Man as he▪ this important Charge: But since Hanani the other, was his Brother, Kinsman or Relative, it was necessary he should give a good Reason why he committed so great a Trust to him; lest he should incurr a Suspicion of Partiality to him, on account of his Relation, and therefore he says, He was a faithful Man, and feared God above many.

Whence I make this incidental Note, That when those who are in superiour Place of Power commit any Post of considerable Trust, to such as are related to them, it is expedient (with respect to the Reputation of their own Justice and Impartiality) that such should have those Qualities that remarkably fit them for that Station.

p. 4This Character then, as I said before, must have a Logical or Rational Reference to both these Persons mention'd, and they were both of them faithful Men that feared God above many.

p. 5The Word here translated Faithful comes from a Root that signfies to Nourish or Nurse up, and is most commonly translated as in our Text, from the Faith and Trust that is put in those, who have the Care and Charge of an helpless Babe, who cannot support and defend it self, nor to any effect complain, of the wrong done unto it; who therefore shou◊d always be such as are true, Faithful and Steady to their Charge; and such he committed the Trust of this City, who were Men of Integrity and Steadiness, as the Word is also used, Exod. 17. 12. were it is said that Moses's Hand were steady: When therefore this is given as a Character of the Mind, it denotes a Man that is not variable, a Man not easily turn'd from his Purpose; but of this I shall say more under the Doctrine.