Vrbs Metropolis , ut sit maximae Auctoritatis , constituatur praecipuum pietatis Exemplum et Sacrarium . Aphor. Polit● The HISTORY of BOSTON , Related and Improved . At Boston Lecture 7. d. 2. m. 1698.

REmarkable and Memorable , was the Time , when an Army of Terrible Destroyers was coming against one of the Chief Towns , the Land of Israel . God Rescued the ●wn from the Irresistible Fury and Ap●●oach of those Destroyers , by an Immedi●●e Hand of Heaven upon them . Upon ●at Miraculous Rescue of the Town , and 〈◊〉 the whole Country whose Fate was ●uch enwrapped in it , there follow'd , ●at Action of the Prophet SAMUEL , ●hich is this Day , to be , with some Imi●●tion Repeated , in the midst of thee , O ●OSTON , Thou Helped of the Lord.

1 SAM. VII . 12 .

Then SAMUEL took a Stone , and 〈◊〉 it up , — and called the Name of 〈◊〉 Ebenezer , saying , Hitherto the Lor● hath Helped us .

THE Thankful Servants 〈◊〉 God , have used sometime● to Erect Monuments 〈◊〉 Stone , as dureable Token of their Thankfulness t● God , for Mercies Received in the place● thus distinguished . Jacob did so ; Joshu● did so ; and Samuel did so ; but they so did it , as to keep clear of the Transgression forbidden , in Lev. 26 1. Ye shal● not set up an Image of Stone in your Land for to Bow down unto it .

The Stone Erected by Samuel , with the● Name of Ebenezer , which is as much as ●w● say , A Stone of Help ; I know not whet●● t● any Thing might be Writt upon it : but B● ● sure , there is one thing to be now ●ad upon it , by our selves , in the Text ●ere we find it : Namely , thus much , That a People whom the God of Heaven ●h Remarkably Helped , in their Distresses , ●ht Greatly and Gratefully to acknowledge , ●hat Help of Heaven they have Received .

Now , '● is not my Design to lay the ●ene of my Discourse , as far off as Bethcar , ●e place where Samuel set up his Ebenezer . ●am immediately to Transfer it into the ●eart of Boston , a place where the Remar●ble Help Received from Heaven , by the ●ople , does loudly call for an Ebenezer . ●nd I do not ask you , to change the ●ame of the Town , into that of Help-●tone , as there is a Town in England of ●at Name , which may seem the English , 〈◊〉 Ebenezer ; But my Sermon shall be ●is Day , your Ebenezer , if you will with Favourable , and a Profitable Attention ●ntertain it . May the Lord Jesus Christ , ●ccept me , and Assist me now , to Glorify ●im , in the Town , where I drew my First ●nful Breath ; A Town , whereto I am un●r Great Obligations , for the Precious ●pportunities to Glorify Him , which I have quietly and publickly enjoy'd therein , for● Near Eighteen years together . O my Lord God , Remember me , I pray thee , and Strengthen me this once , to speak from thee , unto thy People !

And now , Sirs , That I may set up an● EBENEZER among you , there are these Things to be Inculcated .

I. Let us Thankfully , and Agreeably , and Particularly , Acknowledge What Help we have Received from the God of Heaven , in the years that have Rolled over us● While the Blessed Apostle Paul , was , as it should seem , yet short of being Threescore years old , how affectionately did he set up an Ebenezer , with an Acknowledgment in Act. 26.22 . Having obtained Help o● God , I continue to This Day ! Our Tow● is now Threescore and Eight years old ; an● certainly 't is Time for us , with all possible affection , to set up our Ebenezer , saying Having obtained Help from God , the Town is continued , until almost the Age of man i● passed over it ! The Town hath indee● Three Elder Sisters in this Colony ; but i● hath Wonderfully Outgrown them all ; an● ●er Mother , old Boston , in England also ; ●ea , within a Few years , after the first-●ettlement , it grew to be , The Metro●olis of the whole English America . ●ittle was This Expected , by them that First-Settled the Town , when , for a while , Boston , was proverbially called , Lost Town , for the mean and sad Circumstan●es of it . But , O Boston , it is because thou ●ast Obtained Help from God ; even from ●he Lord Jesus Christ , who , for the sake of His Gospel , Preached and once prized ●ere , undertook thy Patronage . When ●he World and the Church of God , had ●een Twenty six Generations , a Psalm was Composed , wherein that Note occurs with Twenty six Repetitions ; His Mercy endu●eth for ever . Truly , there ha's not one year passed over this Town , Ab Urbe Condita , upon the Story whereof , we might not make that Note , our Ebenezer ; His Mercy endureth for ever . It ha's been a Town of Great Experiences . There have been several years , wherein the Terrible Famine , hath Terribly Stared the Town in the Face : We have been brought some●imes unto the Last Meal in the Barrel ; We have cryed out , with the Disciples , We have not Loaves enough to feed a Tenth part of us ! B●t the fear'd Famine ha's alwayes been kept off ; alwayes , we have had Seasonable and Sufficient Supplyes , after a Surprising manner sent in unto us : Let the Three last years in this thing most Eminently Proclame the Goodness of our Heavenly Shepherd and Feeder . This ha's been the Help of our God ; Because His Mercy endureth for ever ! The Angels of Death , have often Shot the Arrows of Death , into the midst of the Town ; The Small Pox , ha's especially Four Times , been a Great Plague upon us : How often have there been Bills desiring Prayers , for more than an Hundred Sick , on one Day in one of our Assemblies ? In One Twelve-Month , about one Thousand of our Neighbours , have one way or other been carried unto their long Home : And , yet we are after all , many more than Seven Thousand Souls of us , at this Hour , Living on the Spot . Why is not , a , Lord , have Mercy upon us , written on the Doors of our Abandon'd Habitations ? This hath been the Help of our God ; Because His Mercy endureth for ever . ●ever was any Town under the Cope of ●eaven , more liable to be laid in Ashes , ●ither through the Carelesness , or through ●e Wickedness , of them that Sleep in it . That such a Combustible Heap , of Contigu●us Houses , yet Stands , it may be called , A ●tanding Miracle ; It is not , because the ●atch-man keeps the City : Perhaps there ●ay be too much cause of Reflection in ●hat thing , and of Inspection too ; No , It from thy Watchful Protection , O Thou keep● of Boston , who neither Slumbers nor Sleeps . Ten Times ha's the Fire made Notable ●uines among us , and our Good Servant ●een almost our Master : But the Ruines ●ave mostly and quickly been Rebuilt . ● suppose , That many more than a Thou●●nd Houses are to be seen , on this little ●iece of Ground , all fill'd with the un●eserved Favours of God. Whence this ●reservation ? This hath been the Help of ●ur God ; Because His Mercy endureth for ●●er ! But if ever this Town saw a Year 〈◊〉 Salvations , transcendently such was the ●ast Year unto us . A Formidable French ●quadron , hath not Shot one Bomb , into ●e midst of thee , O thou Munition of Rocks ; Our Streets have not Run with Blood , & Gore , and horribly Devouring Flames have not Raged upon our Substance Those are Ignorant , and Unthinking , an● Unthankful men , who do not own , tha● we have narrowly Escaped as dreadfu● Things , as Carthagena , or Newfoundland have Suffered . I am sure , our more considerate Friends beyond Sea , were very Suspicious , and well nigh Despairing , Tha● Victorious Enemies had swallow'd up the● Town . But thy Soul is Escaped , O Boston as a Bird out of the Snare of the Fowlers Or , if you will be Insensible of This , Ye Vain men , yet be sensible , That an English Squadron , hath not brought among us , the Tremendous Pestilence , under which a Neighbouring Plantation , hath undergone prodigious Desolations . Boston , 'T is a marvellous Thing , a Plague has not Lai● thee Desolate ! Our Deliverance from ou● Friends , has been as full of Astonishing Mercy , as our Deliverance from our Foes ▪ We read of a certain City , in Isa. 19.18 ▪ called , The City of Destruction . Why so ● some say , Because Delivered from Destruction . If that be so , Then hast thou been ● City of Destruction : Or , I will rather ●y , A City of Salvation : And this , by the Help of God ; Because His Mercy Endureth ●or ever . Shall I go on ? I will . We ●ave not had the Bread of Adversity and ●●e Water of Affliction , Like many other ●laces . But yet , all this while , Our Eyes ●ave seen our Teachers . Here are several ●olden Candlesticks in the Town . Shining ●nd Burning Lights , have Illuminated them . There are gone to Shine in an Higher Orb , ●even Divines that were once the Stars ●f this Town , in the Pastoral Charge of ● ; besides many others , that for some ●ears gave us transient Influences . Church●● flourishing with much Love , and Peace ●nd many Comforts of the Holy Spirit , have ●itherto been our greatest Glory . I wish , That some sad Eclipse do not come e're ●ong upon this Glory ! The Dispensations ●f the Gospel were never Enjoy'd by any Town , with more Liberty and Purity , for ●o long a while together . Our Opportuni●●es to Draw near unto the Lord Jesus Christ , in His Ordinances , cannot be pa●allel'd . Boston , Thou hast been Lifted ●p to Heaven ; There is not a Town upon Earth , which on some Accounts ha● more to answer for . Such , O Such , ha● been our Help from our God , Becaus● His Mercy Endureth for ever .

II. Let us Acknowledge , Whose Hel● it is , that we have Received , & not Giv● the Glory of our God unto another . Poorl● Helped had we been , I may tell you , i● we had none but Humane Help , all thi● while to depend upon . The Favours o● our Superiors we Deny not ; we Forge● not the Instruments of our Help . Nevertheless , this Little Outcast Zion , sha● with my consent , Engrave the Name o● no MAN , upon her Ebenezer ! It was we● confess'd in Psal. 108.12 . Vain is the Hel● of man ! It was well counsell'd in Psa● 146.3 . Put not your trust in Princes , nor i● the Son of man , in whom there is no Help

Wherefore ,

First , Let God in our Lord Jesus Christ , have the Glory , of Bestowing o● us , all the Help , that we have had . Whe● the Spirit of God came upon a Servan● of His , he cried out unto David , in ● Chron. 12.18 . Thy God Helpeth thee . This This is the voice of God , from Heaven ●o Boston this Day , Thy God hath Helped ●hee : Thou hast by thy Sin destroyed thy self , but in thy God hath been thy Help . A Great man , once Building an Edifice , caused an ●nscription of this Importance , to be written on the Gates of it , Such a place ●lanted me , Such a place watered me , and Caesar gave the Increase . One that pass'd ●y , with a witty Sarcasm , wrote under 〈◊〉 , Hi● Deus nihil fecit . i. e. God , it seems , ●id nothing for this man . But the Inscrip●ion upon our Ebenezer , owning what Help , this Town hath had , shall say , Our ●od hath done all that is done ! Say then , O Helped Boston , say as in Psal. 121.2 . My Help is from the Lord , which made Heaven and Earth . Say , as in Psal. 94.7 . Unless the Lord had been my Help , my ●oul had quickly dwelt in silence . And , ●oldly say , 'T is only because the Lord has ●en my Helper , that Earth and Hell , have ●ver d●ne all that they would unto me .

Let our Lord JESUS CHRIST , be ●ais'd as our Bl●ss●d Helper : That Stone ●hich the Foolish Builders have refused , ●h ! Set up that Stone ; even , that H gh Rock , Set Him on High in our praises , and say , That , That is our Ebenezer . 'T is our Lord JESUS CHRIST , who in His Infinite Compassions for the Town , hath said ; as in Isa. 63.5 . I Looked , and there was none to Help ; Therefore my own Arm hath brought Salvation unto it . It is foretold concerning the Idolatrous Roman Catholicks , That together with the Lord Jesus Christ , they shall Worship other Mauzzim : that is to say , other Protectors . Accordingly , All their Towns , ordinarily have singled out their Protectors , among the Saints of Heaven ; such a Saint is Entituled unto the Patronage of such a Town among them , and such a Saint for another : Old Boston , by Name , was but Saint Botolphs Town . Whereas , Thou , O Boston , shalt have but one Protector in Heaven , and that is , our Lord JESUS CHRIST . Oh! Rejoice in Him alone , & say , That Lord is my Fortress and my Deliverer ! There was a Song once made for a Town , which in its Distresses had been Helped wondrously ; & the First Clause in that Song , [ you have it in Isa. 26.1 . ] may be so rendred , We have a strong Town ; Salvation [ or JESUS , the Lord whose Name hath Salvation in it ] Will appoint Walls and Bulwarks . Truly , What Helps we have had , we will Sing , 'T is our JESUS , that hath appointed them . The old Pagan Towns , were sometimes mightily solicitous , to conceal the Name of the particular God , that they counted their Protector , Ne ab hostibus Evocatus , alio commigraret . But , I shall be far from doing my Town any Damage , by publishing the Name of its Protecter ; No , Let all Mankind know , That the Name of our Protector , is JESUS CHRIST : For , Among the Gods , there is none like unto thee , O LORD : Nor is any Help like unto thine : And there is no Rock , like to our God.

Yea , When we ascribe the Name of Helper , unto our Lord JESUS CHRIST , Let us also acknowledge , that the Name is not sufficiently Expressive , Emphatical , and Significant . Lactantius of old , blamed the Heathen , for giving the Highest of their Gods , no Higher a Title , than that of , Jupiter , or , Juvans Pater , i. e. An Helping Father , and he says , Non intelligit Divina Beneficia , qui se a Deo tantummodo Juvari putat : The Kindnesses of God , are not understood , by that man , who makes no more than an Helper of Him. Such indeed is the penury of our Language , that we cannot coin a more Expressive Name . Nevertheless , when we say , The Lord JESUS CHRIST hath been our Helper , Let us Intend more than we Express ; Lord , Thou hast been All unto us .

Secondly ; Let the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ , most Explici●ly , have the Glory of Purchasing for us all our Help . What was it , that procured , an Ebenezer , for the People of God ? We read , in 2 Sam. 7.9 . Samuel took a Sucking-Lamb , and offered it a Burnt Offering wholly unto the Lord ; and Samuel Cryed unto the Lord for Israel , and the Lord Heard him . Shall I tell you ? Our Lord Jesus Christ , is that Lamb of God ; and he has been a Lamb Slain as a Sacrifice ; and He is a Sacrifice pleadable , not only for persons , but also for peoples , that belong unto Him. To Teach us this Evangelical and Comfortable Mystery , there was , A Sacrifice for the whole Congregation , prescribed in the Mosaic Paedagogy . 'T is notorious , that the Sins of this Town , have been many Sins , and mighty Sins ; The Cry thereof hath gone up to Heaven . If the Almighty God should from Heaven Rain down upon the Town , an horrible Tempest of Thunderbolts , as He did upon the Cities which He overthrew in His Anger , and repented not , it would be no more than our Unrepen●ed Sins deserve . How comes it then to pass , that we have had so much Help from Heaven after all ? Truly , The Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ , has been pleaded for Boston , and , Therefore , say , Therefore it is , that the Town is not made a Sacrifice to the Vengeance of God. God sent Help to the Town , that was the very Heart and Life of the Land , that He had a pitty for : But why so ? He said , in Isa. 37.35 . I will defend this Town , to Save it , for my Servant Davids sake . Has this Town been Defended ? It has been for the sake of the Beloved JESUS ; Therefore has the Daughter of Boston shaken her Head at you , O ye Calamities , that have been Impending over her Head. O Helped , and Happy Town ! Thou hast had those Believers in the midst of thee , that have pleaded this with the Great God ; Ah! Lord , Thou hast been more Honoured by the Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ than thou couldest be Honoured by overwhelming this Town with all the plagues of thy Just Indignation . If thou wilt Spare , and Feed , and Keep , and Help this poor Town , the Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ , shall be own'd , as the price of all our Help . 'T is This , that hath procured us all our Help : 'T is This that must have all our praise .

Thirdly ; Let the Lord be in a special manner Glorified , for the Ministry of His Good Angels , in that Help that has been ministred unto us . A Jacob lying ●n a Stone , saw the Angels of God Helping him . We are setting up an Ebenezer ; but when we Lay our Heads and our Thoughts upon the Stone , Let us then see , The Angels of God have Helped us . When Macedonia , was to have some Help from God , an Angel , whom the Apostle , in Acts 16.9 . Saw Habited like a man of Macedonia , was a mean of its being brought unto them . There is abundant cause to think , That every Town in which the Lord Jesus Christ is worshipped , hath an Angel to watch over it . The Primitive Christians , were perswaded from the Scriptures of Truth , to make no Doubt of This , Quod per Civitates distributae sunt Angelorum praefecturoe . When the Capital Town of Judaea , was rescued from an Invasion , we read in 2 King. 19.35 . The Angel of the Lord WENT OUT , and smote the Camp of the Assyrians . It should seem , There was an Angel , which did Reside in , and Praeside over the Town , who went out for that amazing Exploit . And is it not Likely , That the Angel of the Lord WENT OUT , for to smite the Fleet of the Assyrians , with a Sickness , which the Last Summer hindred their Invading of this Town ? The Angel of BOSTON , was concerned for it ! Why have not the Destroyers broke in upon us , to prey upon us , with sore Destruction ? 'T is because we have had , A Wall of Fire about us ; that is to say , A Guard of Angels , those Flames of Fire , have been as a Wall unto us . It was an Angel , that Help'd a Daniel , when the Lions would else have swallowed him up . It was an Angel , that Help'd a Lot , out of the Fires that were coming to Consume his Habitation . It was an Angel , that Help'd an Elias to Meat , when he wanted it . They were Ang●●● , ●hat Help'd the whole Pe●●l● of God , in ●he Wilderness , to their Daily Bread : Their Manna , was Angels Food And is it nothing , that such Angels have done for this Town , Think you ? Oh! Think not so . Indeed , If we should go to Thank the Angels for doing these things , They would zealously say , See thou do it not ! But if we Thank Their Lord , and ours , for His Employing Them to Do these things , it will exceedingly gratifie them . Wherefore , Bless ye the Lord , ye his Angels ; And Bless the Lord , O my Town , for these His Angels !

III. Let the Help which we have Hitherto had from our God , Encourage us to Hope in Him , for More Help Hereafter , as the Matter may Require . The Help that God had given to His People , of old was Commemorated , as with Monumental Pillars , conveying down the Remembrance of it , unto their Children . And what for ? We are told , in Psal. 78.7 . That they might set their Hope in God , and not Forget the Works of God. I am not willing to say , How much this Town may be Threaten●d , even with an Utter Extirpation . But ●his I will say , The Motto upon all out ●benezers is , Hope in God! Hope in God! The Use of the Former Help that ●e have had from God , should be an Hope ●or Future Help , from Him that is , A Pre●nt Help in the Time of Trouble . As in the Three First Verses of the Eighty Fifth Psalm , ●ix times over there occurs , Thou hast , ●hou hast : all to usher in this ; Therefore ●hou WILT still do so . O Let our Faith ●roceed in that way of Arguing , in 2 Cor. ● . 10 . The Lord hath Delivered , and He doth Deliver , and in Him we Trust , that He will ●ill Deliver . We are to Day Writing , ●itherto the Lord hath Helped us ; Let us ●rite under it , And we hope , the Lord ha's ●ore Help for us , in the Time of Need ! It ●ay be , some are purposing Suddenly and ●astily to Leave the Town , through their ●ars of the Straits that may come upon

But I would not have you be too ●udden and Hasty in your purposes , as ●o many have been , unto their After●orrow . There was a Time when People ●ere so Discouraged about a Subsistence in the principal Town of the Jews , that the● talk'd of plucking up Stakes , and flying away ; but the Minister of God came to them , [ And so do I to you , this Day ! ● Saying , in Isa. 30.7 . I Cried concerning This , Their Strength is to Sit Sill ! Boston was no sooner come to some Consistenc● Threescore years ago , but the People found themselves plunged into a sad Non plus what way to take for a Subsistence . God then immediately put them into a way ▪ and , Hitherto the Lord ha's Helped us ! The Town is at this Day full of Widows and Orphans , and a multitude of them , are very Helpless Creatures . I am Astonish'd , How they Live ! In that Church , whereof ● am the Servant , I have counted , The Widows make about a Sixth Part of our Communicants , and , no doubt , in the whole Town , the proportion differs no● very much . Now , stand still , my Friends and Behold , the Help of God! Were any of these ever Starved yet ? No , These Widows are every one in some sort provided for . And let me tell you , Ye Hand-Maids of the Lord , You shall be Still provided for ! The Lord , whose Family you belong unto , will conveniently and won●erfully provide for you ; if you say , and Oh! Say ! of Him , The Lord is my Helper , ● will not Fear !

What shall I say ? When Moses was ●eady to faint , in his Prayers for his Peo●le , we read , in Exod. 17.12 . They took a ●tone and put it under him Christians , ●here are some of you , who abound in ●rayers , that the Help of God may be ●ranted unto the Town ; the Town is ●uch upheld by those Prayers of yours . ●ow , that you may not faint in your ●rayers , I bring you a Stone : The Stone , ●s our Ebenezer ; or , the Relation of the ●elp that hitherto the Lord hath given us .

IV. Let all that bear Publick Office ● the Town , Contribute all the Help they ●n , that may continue the Help of God ●nto us . Austin , in his Confessions , gives ●hanks to God , That when he was an ●elpless Infant , he had a Nurse to Help him , ● one that was both Able & Willing to Help ●m . Infant - Boston , Thou hast those , whom ●e Bible calls , Nursing-Fathers . Oh , Be not ●oward , as thou art , in thy Treating of ●y Nurses ; but give Thanks to God for them . I Forget my self ; 'T is with the Fathers themselves , that I am concerned .

When it was demanded of Demosthenes , what it was , that so long Preserved Athens in a flourishing State , he made this answer , The Orators are men of Learning & Wisdom ; the Magistrates do Justice , the Citizens love Quiet , and the Laws are kept among them all . May Boston flourish in such happy Order !

And first , You may assure yourselves , That the Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ among you will be Joyful to approve themselves , as the Book of God has called them , The Helpers of your Joy. O our dear Flocks ; we owe you our All ; All our Love , all our Strength , ' all our Time ; We , Watch for you , as those that must give an Account : And I am very much mistaken , if we are not willing to Dy for you too , if called unto it . If our Lord Jesus Christ should say , to us , My Servant , if you 'l Dy to Night , you shall have this Reward ; The People that you Preach to , shall be all Converted unto me . I think , We should with Triumphi●g Souls Reply , Ah! Lord , Then I 'l Dy with all my Heart . Syrs , we should go away Rejoycing with Joy unspeakable & full of Glory . I am satisfied , That the most Furious and Foul mouth'd Reviler , that God may give any of us , to be Buffeted withal , if he will but come to sober Thoughts , he will say , That there is not any One man in the Town , but the Ministers wish that man as well as they do their own Souls , and would gladly Serve that man by Day or by Night , in any thing that it were possible to do for him . Wherefore , O our Beloved People , I beseech you , Leave off , Leave off , to Throw Stones at your Ebenezers . Instead of That , Pray for us , and Strive together with us , in your Prayers to God for us . Then with the Help of Christ , we 'l promise you ; We will set our selves to observe what Special Truths may be most needful to be Inculcated upon you , and we will Inculcate them . We will set our selves to observe the Temptations that beset you , the Afflictions that assault you , and the Duties that are incumbent on you , and we will accommodate our selves unto them . We will set our selves to observe , what Souls among you , do call for our m●re particular Addresses , and we will Address them faithfully , and even Travail in Birth for them . Nor will we give over Praying , and Fasting , and Crying to our Great LORD for you , until we Dy. Whatever other Helpers the Town Enjoyes , they shall have that convenience , in Ezra . 5.2 . With them were the Prophets of God , Helping them . Well then , Let the rest of our Worthy Helpers , Lend an Helping Hand , for the promoting of those things , wherein the Weal of the Town is wrapped up ! When the Jews thought that a Defiling Thing was breaking in among them , in Acts 21.28 . They cried out , Men of Israel , Help . Truly , there is cause to make that Cry , Men of Boston , Help ! for Ignorance , and Prophaness , and Bad Living , and the worst things in the World , are breaking in upon us .

And now , Will the JUSTICES of the Town , set themselves to consider , How they may Help to Suppress all growing Vices among us ?

Will the CONSTABLES of the Town , set themselves to consider , How they may Help to prevent all Evil Orders among us ?

There are some who have the Eye of the Town so much upon them , that the very Name of , TOWNS-MEN , is that by which they are distinguished . Syrs , Will You also consider , How to Help the Affairs of the Town , so as that all Things may go well among us ?

Moreover , may not SCHOOL●MASTERS , do much to instil Principles of Religion , and Civility , as well as other points of good Education into the Children of the Town ? Only Let the Town well Encourage its Well Deserving School-Masters .

There are some other Officers ; But concerning All , there are these Two Things to be Desired . First , It is to be Desired , That such Officers as are Chosen among us , may be Chosen in the Fear of God. May none but Pious , and Prudent men , and such as Love the Town , be Chosen to Serve it . And , Secondly , It is to be Desired , That Officers of several sorts , would often come together , for Consultation . Each of the sorts by themselves , may they often come together , to Consult , What shall we do to Serve the Town , in those Interests which are committed unto our Charge . Oh! What a Deplorable Thing , will it be , for persons to be Entrusted with Talents , [ your Opportunities to Serve the Town , are so many Talents ! ] and they never seriously consider , What Good shall I do , with my Talents , in the place where God hath Station'd me ?

And , Will the REPRESENTATIVES of the Town , be considered among the rest , as Entrusted with some singular Advantages for our Help ! The Lord give you understanding in all Things .

V. God Help the Town , to manifest all that Piety , which a Town so Helped of Him , is oblig'd unto ! When the People of God , had been carried , by His Help , through their Difficulties , they set up Stones , to keep in mind how He had Helped them : And something was written on the Stones : But what was written ! See ; Josh. 8.32 . Joshua wrote upon the Stones , a Copy of the Law. Truly , upon those Ebenezers , which we set up , we should write the Law of our God , and Recognize the Obligations which the Help of our God , ha's laid upon us to keep it .

We are a very Unpardonable Town , if after all the Help which our God ha's given us , we do not ingenuously Enquire , What shall we Render to the Lord , for all His Benefits ? Render ! Oh! Let us our selves thus answer the Enquiry ; Lord , we will Render all possible , and Filia● Obedience unto thee , because Hitherto thou hast Helped us : Only do thou also Help us , to Render that Obedience ! Mark what I say ; If there be so much as one Prayerless House in such a Town as this , 't is Inexcusable ! How Inexcusable then , will be all Flagitious Outrages ? There was a Town , [ T' was the Town of Sodom ! ] that had been wonderfully Saved out of the Hands of their Enemies . But after the Help that God sent unto them , the Town went on to Sin against God , in very prodigious Instances . At last , a provoked God sent a Fire upon the Town , that made it an Eternal Desolation . Ah , Boston , Beware , Beware , left the Sins of Sodom get Footing in thee ! And what were the Sins of Sodom ? We find in Ezek. 16.49 . Behold , This was the Iniquity of Sodom ; Pride , Fulness of Bread , and Abundance of Idleness was in her ; Neither did she Strengthen the Hand of the Poor and the Needy ; There was much Oppression there . If you know of any Scandalous Disorders in the Town , do all you can , to Suppress them , and Redress them : And let not those that send their Sons hither from other parts of the world , for to be improved in Virtue , have cause to Complain , That after they came to Boston , they lost , what little Vertue was before Budding in them : That in Boston they grew more Debauched & more Malignant than ever they were before ! It was noted concerning the famous Town of Port Royal in Jamaica , which you know , was t'other Day Swallow'd up , in a Stupendous Earthquake , that just before the Earthquake the People were Violently and Scandalously set upon going to Fortune-Tellers upon all Occasions : much Notice was taken of this Impiety , generally prevailing among the People : but none of those Wretched Fortune-Tellers could Foresee , or Forestal the direful Catastrophe . I have heard , That there are Fortune-Tellers in this Town , sometimes consulted by some of the Sinful Inhabitants . I wish the Town could be made too Hot for these Dangerous Transgressors . I am sure , the preservation of the Town , from horrendous Earthquakes , is one thing that bespeaks , our , Ebenezers ; 'T is from the Merciful Help of our God unto us . But , Beware , I beseech you , of those Provoking Evils that may Expose us to a Plague , Exceeding all that are in the Catalogue of the Twenty Eighth of Deuteronomy . Let me go on , to say ; What ? Shall there be any Bawdy-Houses in such a Town as This ! It may be , the Neighbours , that could Smoke 'em , and Rout'em , if they would , are loth to Stir , for fear of being reputed Ill Neighbours . But , I say unto you , That you are Ill Neighbours , because you do it not : All the Neighbours are like to have their Children and Servants poisoned , and their Dwellings laid in Ashes , because you do it not ! And , Oh! that the Drinking-Houses in the Town , might once come under a laudable Regulation . The Town ha's an Enormous Number of them ! Will the Haunters of those Houses , hear the Counsils of Heaven ? For You that are the Town Dwellers , to be oft , or long in your Visits of the Ordinary , 't will certainly Expose you to Mischiess more than ordinary . I have seen certain Taverns , where the Pictures of horrible Devourers were hang'd out for the Signs ; and thought I , 't were well , if such Signs were not sometimes too too Significant ! Alas , men have their Estates Devoured , their Names Devoured , their Hours Devoured , and their very Souls Devoured , when they are so besotted , that they are not in their Element , except they be Tipling at such Houses . When once a man is Bewitched , with the Ordinary , what usually becomes of him ? He is a gone man ; And when he comes to Dy , he 'l cry out , as many have done , Ale ho●ses are Hell-Houses ! Ale-houses are Hell houses ! But Let the Owners of those Houses , also now hear our Counsils . Oh! Hearken to me , that God may Hearken to you another Day ! It is an Honest , and a Lawful , tho' it be not a very Desireable , Employment , that you have undertaken : You may Glorifie the Lord Jesus Christ in your Employment , if you will , and Benefit the Town considerably . There was a very Godly man , that was an Inn-keeper ; and a Great Minister of God , could say to that man , in 3 Joh. 2. Thy Soul prospereth . O Let it not be said of you , since you are fallen into this Employment , Thy Soul withereth ! It is thus , with too many : Especially , when they that get a License perhaps to Sell Drink out of Doors , do stretch their License to Sell within Doors . Those Private Houses , when once a Professor of the Gospel , comes to Steal a Living out of them , it commonly praecipitates them , into abundance of wretchedness and confusion . But , I pray God , assist you that keep Ordinaries , to keep the Commandments of God , in them . There was an Inn at Bethlehem ; where the Lord JESUS CHRIST was to be met withal . Can Boston boast of many such ? Alas , Too ordinarily it may be said , There is no Room for Him in the Inn ! My Friends , Let me beg it of you ; Banish the unfruitful works of Darkness from your Houses , and then the Sun of Righteousness will shine upon them . Don't countenance Drunkenness , Revelling , & Mispending of precious Time in your Houses : Let none have the Snares of Death Laid for them in your Houses . You 'l say , I shall Starve then ! I say , Better Starve than Sin. But you , shall not . It is the Word of the Most High , Trust in the Lord , and do Good , and verily thou shalt be Fed. And is not Peace of Conscience , with a Little , better than those Riches , that will shortly melt away , and then run Like Scalding Metal down the very Bowels of thy Soul !

What shall I say more ? There is one Article of Piety more to be Recommended unto us all ; and it is an Article , which all Piety does exceedingly Turn upon . That is , The Sanctification of the Lords Day . Some very Judicious Persons , have observed , That as they Sanctified the Lords Day , Remisly or Carefully , just so , their Affayrs usually prospered all the Ensuing Week . Sirs , You cannot more consult the Prosperity of the Town , in all its Affayrs , than by Endeavouring that the Lords Day may be Exemplarily Sanctifyed . When People about Jerusalem , took too much Liberty on the Sabbath , the Ruler of the Town Contended with them , and said , Ye bring wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath I fear , I fear , There are many among us , to whom it may be said , Ye bring wrath upon Boston , by prophaning the Sabbath . And what Wrath ? Ah Lord , prevent it ! But there is an awful Sentence in Jer. 17.27 . If ye will not Hearken unto me , to Sanctify the Sabbath-Day , then will I kindle a Fire on the Town , and it shall Devour , and shall not be Quenched .

Finally , Let the Piety of the Town manifest it self , in a due Regard unto the Institutions of Him , whose Help ha's Hitherto been a Shield unto us . Let the Ark be in the Town , and God will Bless the Town ! I believe , it may be found , That in the Mortal Scourges of Heaven , which this Town ha's felt , there ha's been a Discernable Distinction , of those that have come up to Attend all the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ , in the Communion of His Churches . Though these have had , as 't is fit they should , a Share , in the Common Deaths , yet the Destroying Angel , ha's not had so great a proportion of these in his Commission , as he ha's had of others . Whether This be so , or no ; To Uphold , and Support , and Attend the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ in Reforming Churches , This will Entitle the Town to the Help of Heaven ; for , Upon the Glory , there shall be a Defence ! There were the Victorious Forces of Alexander , that in going backward and foreward , pass'd by Jerusalem , without Hurting it . Why so ? said the Lord , in Zech 9.8 . I will Encamp about my House , because of the Army . If our God have an House here , He 'l Encamp about it . Nazianzen , a famous Minister of the Gospel , taking his Farewel of Constantinople , an old man , that had sat under his Ministry , cryed out , Oh! my Father , Don't you dare to go away , you 'l carry the whole Trinity with you ! How much more , may it be cryed out , If we Loose or Sleight , the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ , we Foregoe the Help of all the Trinity with them !

VI. Extraordinary Equity & Charity , as well as Piety well becomes a Town , that hath been by the Help of God so Extraordinarily signalized . A Town marvellously Helped by God , has This Foretold concerning it , in Isa. 1 26. Afterward thou shalt be called , The City of Righteousness , The Faithful City . M●●●ie E●en●zer , of this Town , rende● it , A Town of Equity , and , A 〈◊〉 of Charity ! Oh! There should be 〈…〉 Fair ●●●lings in a Town , 〈◊〉 with Heaven ha's Dealt so Favourably . Let us Deal Fairly in Bargains ; Deal Fairly in Taxes ; Deal Fairly in paying Respects to such as have been Benefactors unto the Town . 'T is but Equity , that they , who have been Old Standers in the Town , and both with Person and Estate Served the Town unto the utmost for many years together , should on all Proper Occasions be considered . For Charity , I may indeed speak it without Flattery , this Town has not many Equals on the Face of the Earth . Our Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven , wrote , unto the good people of a Town , in the Lesser Asia , [ Rev. 2.19 . ] I know thy works , and Charity . From that Blessed Lord , I may venture to bring that Message unto the Good people of this Town ; The Glorious Lord of Heaven , knows thy works , O Boston , and all thy Charity . This is a poor Town ; and yet it may be said of the Bostonians , as it was of the Macedonians ▪ Their Deep poverty hath abounded unto the Riches of their Liberality . O ye Bountiful people of God , All your Daily Bounties to the Needy , All your Subscriptions to Send the Bread of Life abroad unto places that are perishing in Wickedness , All your Collections in your Assemblies as often as they are called for ; All these Alms are come up for a Memorial before God! The Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven hath Beheld your Helpfulness , and Readiness to every good Work ; and He hath Requited it , with His Helpful Ebenezers . It was said , in Isa. 32.8 . The Liberal Deviseth Liberal Things , and by Liberal Things he shall stand . There are some in this Town , that are always Devising Liberal Things , and our Lord Jesus Christ , Le ts the Town Stand for the sake of those ! Instead of Exhorting you , to Augment your Charity , I will rather utter an Exhortation , or at Least , a Supplication , that you may not Abuse your Charity , by misapplying of it . I remember , I have Read , That an Inhabitant of the City Pisa , being asked , Why their Town so went , as it then did , unto Decay , he fetched a deep sigh , and said , Our young men are too prodigal , our old men are too Affectionate , and we have no punishment for those that spend their years in Idleness . Ah , The last stroak of that complaint , I must here Sigh it over again . Idleness , alas , Idleness , increases in the Town exceedingly : Idleness , of which there never came any Goodness ; Idleness , which is a Reproach to any people . We work hard , all Summer , and the Drones count themselves wrong'd , if they have it not in the Winter divided among them . The Poor that can't Work , are Objects for your Liberality . But the Poor , that can Work and won't , the best Liberality to them , is to make them . I beseech you , Syrs , Find out a method quickly , That the Idle persons in the Town , may Earn their Bread ; It were the best piece of Charity , that could be shown unto them , and Equity , unto us all . Our Beggars , do shamefully grow upon us , and such Beggars too , as our Lord Jesus Christ Himself hath Expresly forbidden us to countenance . I have Read a printed Sermon , which was Preached before Both Houses of Parliament , the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London , and the Assembly of Divines ; the Greatest Audience then in the World : And in that Sermon , the Preacher had this passage ; I have Lived in a Countrey , where , in seven years , I never saw a Beggar , nor heard an Oath , nor look'd upon a Drunkard . Shall I tell you where that Utopia was ? 'T was NEW-ENGLAND ! But they that go from hence , must now tell another Story .

VII . May the Changes , and especially the Iudgments , that have come upon the Town , direct us , what Help to petition from the God of our Salvations . The Israelites had formerly seen dismal Things , where they now set up their Ebenezer : The Philistines had no less than Twice beaten them there , and there taken from them the Ark of God. Now we are setting up our Ebenezer , Let us a little call to mind some Dismal Things that we have seen ; the Ebenezer will go up the better for it .

We read , in 1 Sam. 6.18 . concerning , The Great Stone of Abel . Some say , That Adam Erected that Stone , as a Grave stone for his Abel , and wrote that Epi●aph upon it , Here was poured out the Blood of the Righteous ABEL . I know nothing of This , The Names , I know , differ in the Original ; But as we may Erect many a Stone for an Ebenezer , so , we may Erect many a Great Stone of ABEL , that is to say , We may write , MOURNING and SORROW , upon the Condition of the Town in various Examples . Now , from the Stones of Abel , we will a little gather what we should wish to write upon the Stones of our Ebenezer .

What Changes have we seen , in point of Religion ? It was Noted by Luther , He could never see Good order in the Church , last more than Fifteen years together in the Purity of it . Blessed be God , Religion hath here flourished in the Purity of it , for more than Fifteen years together . But , certainly , the Power of Godliness is now grievously decay'd among us . As the Prophet of old Exclamed , in Joel 1.2 . Hear this , ye old men , and give Ear , ye Inhabitants ; Ha's this been in your Dayes : Thus may I say , Hear this , ye old men , that are the Inhabitants of the Town : Can't you Remember , that in your Dayes , a Prayerful , a Watchful , a Fruitful Christian , and a well Governed Family , was a more common Sight , than it is now in our Dayes ? Can't you Remember , that in your Dayes , those Abominable Things did not Show their Heads , that are now Bare-faced among us ? Here then is a Petition to be made unto our God ; Lord , Help us to Remember whence we are Fallen , and to Repent , and to Do the First Works .

Again ; What Changes have we seen , in point of Mortality ? By Mortality , almost all the Old Race of our First Planters here , are carryed off ; the Old Stock , is in a manner Expired . We see the Fulfilment of that word , in Eccl. 1.4 . One Generation passeth away , and another Generation cometh . It would be no unprofitable Thing for you , to pass over the several Streets , & call to mind , Who Lived here so many years ago ? Why ? In that place lived such an one ; and in that place lived such an one . But , Where are they Now ? Oh! They are Gone , They are Gone into that Eternal World , whither We must quickly follow them . Here is another Petition , to be made unto our God ; Lord , Help us to Number our Dayes , and apply our Hearts unto Wisdom , that when the places that now know us , do know us no more , we may be gone into the City of God.

Furthermore ; What Changes have we seen , in point of Possessions ? If some that are now Rich , were once Low in the World , 't is possible , more that were once Rich , are now brought very Low . Ah! Boston , Thou hast seen the Vanity of all Worldly Possessions . One fatal Morning , which laid Fourscore of thy Dwelling Houses , and Seventy of thy Ware houses , in a Ruinous Heap , not Nineteen years ago , gave thee to Read it in Fiery Characters . And an huge Fleet of thy Vessels , which they would make , if they were all together , that have miscarried in the late War , ha's given thee to Read more of it . Here is one Petition more , to be made unto our God ; Lord , Help us to Ensure a Better and a lasting Substance in Heaven , and the Good part that cannot be taken away .

In fine ; How dreadfully have the Young People of Boston , perished under the Judgments of God! A Renowned Writer , among the Pagans , could make this Remark ; There was a Town , so Irreligious and Atheistical , that they did not pay their First-fruits unto God : ( which the Light of Nature taught the Pagans to do ! ) and sayes he , they were , by a Sudden Desolation so Strangly Destroy'd , that there were no Remainders either of the Persons , or of the Houses , to be seen any more . Ah , My Young Folks ; There are few First-fruits paid unto the Lord Jesus Christ among you . From hence it comes to pass , that the Consuming Wrath of God , is every day upon you . New England ha's been like a Tott'ring House ; the very Foundations of it have been Shaking : But the House thus over-setting by the Whirlwinds of the Wrath of God , hath been like Jobs House ; It falls upon the Young men , and they are Dead ! The Disasters on our Young Folks have been so multiplied , that there are few Parents among us , but what will go with Wounded Hearts , down unto their Graves : Their dayly moans are , Ah , My Son cut off in his Youth ! My Son , my Son ! Behold then , the Help that we are to ask of our God ; and why do we , with no more Dayes of Prayer with Fasting , ask it ? Lord , Help the Young People of Boston , to Remember thee in the Dayes of their Youth , and Sanctify unto the Survivers , the Terrible Things that have come upon so many of that Generation .

And now as Joshua , having Reasoned with his people , a little before he Died , in Josh. 24.26 , 27. Took a Great STONE . and set it up , and said unto all the people , Behold , this Stone shall be a witness unto you , Lest ye Deny your God. Thus , we have been this Day setting up a STONE , even an Ebenezer , among you ; & I conclude , Earnestly testifying unto you , Behold this Stone , shall be a witness unto you , that the Lord JESUS CHRIST , has been a Good Lord unto you ; and if you Seek Him , He will be still found of you , but if you Forsake Him , He will cast you off for ever .