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 weakness, and multitude of other employments: but the seventeenth of November, being such a day as is set out to be in the following Sermon, ought to be had in perpetual 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-slipped it, without any mention made thereof. Length of time makes memorable matters to be forgotten; and it is now above fourscore and six years 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 unparalleled Queen Elizabeth ⟨image 3⟩first came to the Crown. Thorough Gods blessing, I spent eight and twenty years of my days under her reign; 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 years to perform public Scholastical 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 ministerial Function, I have many years on the seventeenth of November made the best remembrance that I could of that days blessing. Being by you called to the most public place of London, I could not, I durst not pass 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 mindful of that day. And to your Honour in special, I dedicate these my poor labours, because you were the first mover thereunto. And now, my good Lord, having this occasion in public to speak to you, give me leave, I beseech you, to stir up your honourable mind unto such faithful courses, as, to the joy and benefit of many, you took, when you were Alderman of Farrington within. I have been now thirty seven years (to the praise of Gods good Providence and mercy I speak it) a Minister of Gods Word in a Precinct within that Ward: in which time, there have been sundry several Aldermen.
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 ⟨image 3⟩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.
