Public affections, pressed in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons assembled in…Publick affections, pressed in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons assembled in…

Use. Suffer (worthy Patriots) a word of exhortation from what hath been said: Certainly, if ever, here are occasions and objects of all the graces requisite in such offices. So walk and do, that the Common-wealth may look upon you as their Josephs, their Mosesses, their Mordecaies. Humble your selves this day before God for any neglect or omission. What hath been done with public affections, and unbiased respects to God and his cause, will be incredible joy and gladness to you afterwards. Observe how much Nehemiah refreshed himself with this, Neh. 5.19. Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. So Chap. 13.14. Remember me, O my God, and wipe not out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God. So ver. 22. Remember me according to this, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy: and ver. 31. Remember me, O my God, for good. See here what comfortable encouragements he hath: Is not this more then if the King had given him many Provinces and Kingdoms to rule over? Thus Hezekiah, 2 King. 20.3. when he heard the sentence of death passed upon him, what supported him, but an upright heart in that Reformation he had begun? I know the heart set upon great things in the world, is apt to contemn these truths of God, as too pusillanimous, and emasculating their courage: But, as Dionysius, (if I mistake him not) who, being a Stoic, wrote a book, that pain was nothing, it was but an imagination; yet when he fell sick of the Stone, and felt the torture of it, he cried out, All that he had written was false, as he now felt by experience: So men, who, in their life times, have greedily pursued the great and glorious things of this world; when dying, when appearing before God, will cry out, They were but all dreams, and imaginations: And this destroyeth men, that they take these things as the words of mere men, and believe them not as the undeniable truths of God: even as young Samuel thought the voice he heard to be the voice of Eli, of a man, and no more; therefore goeth to sleep again, till he understood it to be the voice of God. Consider likewise the honour that God puts upon you, when he makes you instruments to relieve the oppressed Church and State.

Use. Suffer (worthy Patriots) a word of exhortation from what hath been said: Certainly, if ever, here are occasions and objects of all the graces requisite in such offices. So walk and doe, that the Common-wealth may look upon you as their Josephs, their Mosesses, their Mordecaies. Humble your selves this day before God for any neglect or omission. What hath been done with publick affections, and unbyassed respects to God and his cause, will be incredible joy and gladnesse to you afterwards. Observe how much Nehemiah refreshed himselfe with this,