New England's Duty and Interest

Afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness, the faithful City.

In Holiness and Righteousness before Him all the dayes of our Life.

Knowing this first, that no Prophesy of the Scripture is of any Private Interpretation.

All Nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord.

〈…〉 est Gens quam non fecit Deus, Non adorabit eum, nulla est autem Gens, quam non fecit Deus, quia fontem omnium Gentium Adam & Evam fecit Deus, Omnes ergo Gentes fecit Deus; Omnes ergo Gentes venient & adorabunt.

Augustin. in locum.

Make a Joyful noise unto the Lor◊ 〈…〉 ye Lands.

Jam jubilat Do◊ino universa Terra et Quod adhuc non jubilat, Jubilabit.

Augustin. in ◊cum.

The Epistle Dedicatory. To His EXCELLENCY RICHARD Earl of Bellomont, AND Lord COOTE Colooney, in the Kingdom of Ireland. GOVERNOUR Of New-England, New-York, New Hampshire; and Vice-Admiral of those Seas.

May it Please Your Excellency!

IT is recorded in the Holy Scriptures, that the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, though it was of great importance and concernment to all People; yet it pleased God that it should by one of the Evangelists be directed in a special manner to a single Person, called the most Excellent Theophilus, as in Luke 1.6. I write unto thee most excellent Theophilus, that thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. Theophilus signifies, A lover of God. It is conceived by learned and pious Interpreters to be the proper Name of an Eminent Person, who had been Converted to the Christian Faith at Antioch, where the followers of Christ were first called Christians; and the title [Most Excellent] given to him renders it very probable, that he was in a chief place of Magistracy in that eminent City, if not Governour of the whole Province; for we read not of that style [Most Excellent] given to any but such as were Governours of Provinces, such as Faelix & Festus, who were successively Governours of Judea, as in Act. 23.25. Claudius Lysias, to the most Excellent Governour Faelix &c. So, why might not this Theophilus be Governour of Syria? by the special Providence of God raised up to such a Dignity, that by the influence of his Example and Authority he might be a means under God for the Propagation and Progression of Christianity unto many others.

In like manner this Ensuing Sermon containing one great end of the Gospel of Christ, viz. That all Christians should Serve the Lord in Holiness and Righteousness before Him all the dayes of our lives, Luke 1.75. It is now presented to Your Self as to our most Excellent Theophilus in concurrence with all New England, bowing down themselves before You as to our Governour sent from God and the King. We give thanks to God for Your safe Arrival;

Per varios Casus, Per tot discrimina rerum.

Now as God hath been with those Worthy men, whom He hath graciously vouchsafed to bestow on this People, to bear Rule over them; particularly, the Honorable William Stoughton Esq Lieutenant Governour, and our Worthy Patriots assisting in Council; whose Integrity we can't but remember at all times with Gratitude: So we pray for Gods gracious Presence with Your Excellency, and His more abundant Blessing upon Your Person & Government, that the end thereof may be attained; that this People may live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness & Honesty. The good report of Your Personal qualifications, Your Publick appearing for Securing of the Liberties of our dear England, and Your good beginnings of Reformation at New York (where You first landed) have filled our hopes and raised our Expectations, that You are sent from God, and are coming amongst us in the Spirit and Power of that Excellent Governour Nehemiah, of whom it was said, He was a man that came to seek the Welfare of the Children of Israel, Neh. 2.10. Which was a grief to their Enemies, but matter of great rejoycing to that good People in their afflicted and low condition.

This People of New England are a People whom God hath Signally owned & blessed in our first & former times; our Fathers coming into these ends of the Earth not upon any Worldly design, but meerly on the account of Religion; they had much of the gracious Presence of God with them in their Planting and Building Work, and in laying the Foundations in Church & Common wealth, and in the additional blessings of Heaven & Earth, and Sea & Land; So that from a day of small things, New England in a few years was grown up to be a thriving and flourishing Plantation: But alas, we their Successors have not answered the Lords Expectation, or our own Profession, but as we have been multiplyed & encreased, so we have Sinned, and provoked the Lord to anger against us, so that of late years He hath Severely witnessed against us by the variety of His Judgments in a Successive way, and for a long time; So that we are at present an Afflicted & poor People, greatly diminished, impoverished and brought very low, through Oppression, Affliction and Sorrow: as it is in Psal. 107. from v. 33 to 42. And as yet it was said of the People of Israel, when they were in a distressed condition, that the Lord gave them Saviours Neh. 9.27. And with respect unto the latter dayes it is foretold, That Saviours shall come up on Mount Sion, and the Kingdom shall be the Lords, Obad. the last v. This hath been frequently done in these latter times in some degree as might be shewed in many instances; it may Suffice to mention Your Grandfather of blessed Memory, who was raised up under God with an Heroick Spirit to be the Saviour of Ireland, in the day of their distress in 1641. and we hope in God that He hath sent Your Self amongst us as a Saviour to New-England, bringing with You an Olive Branch of PEACE, as a good Omen, that the deluge of our Calamities is abated, and our hopes encreased, that yet New England may live in the sight of God; and that under the Shadow of Your Government we may yet be revived, and the work of God amongst us be renewed by degrees unto a more flourishing Condition than hitherto; that it may be said, the Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness; which is the Subject matter of the following Sermon.