The Son of God Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God, Title page – To the reader
THE SON OF GOD Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God. IN NINE SERMONS Upon DAN. III. XXV. BY That Precious and Holy Man Mr TIMOTHY ARMITAGE, Late Paſtor of a Congregation gathered in the City of Norwich. Unto which is added another SERMON Preached by him, upon Eccleſ. 9. 10. At the Entrance of one of the Mayors there into his Office.
LONDON, Printed by J. Macock, for Henry Cripps, and are to be ſold at his Shop in Popes-Head-Alley, near Lumbard-Street, 1656.
To the Reader.
THe Prophets, do they live for ever? as the holy Prophet Zechariah asks the Queſtion; wherein he alſo implies the Anſwer, Surely they do not live for ever; which dayly experience doth bear witneſs unto; For we ſee that wiſe and good men dye, as well as the fooliſh and bruitiſh perſon: And 'tis no ſmall Mercy unto them (what ever it be to thoſe who remain) that they may reſt from their Labours; yet were it not great pity that all their precious Labors ſhould dye and be buried in the duſt together with themſelves? Now although that gracious and ſweet-Spirited Man, Mr.. Timothy Armitage, the late Paſtor to a Congregation gathered in the City of Norwich, is now gone to his bleſſed Reſt, (of whoſe Death it cannot be ſaid, as 'twas of that King Jehoram; That he departed without being deſired; for his abſence is ſtill very much lamented (and not without cauſe) unto this day: Yet through the Lords good Providence, ſome of his holy Labors that fell from him being taken up by the careful Hand of a Chriſtian Brother of that Congregation, who had the Pen of a ready Writer; are here preſented to the world (as ſome others alſo may, if the Lord pleaſe, in time be brought, to light) whereby ſuch as have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern both good and evil, may eaſily perceive what a good Treaſure there was in the heart of that good man, whence ſuch good things, both new and old, have been brought forth. I doubt not but ſuch a ſweet ſavour of a gracious Spirit, will ſo evidently appear all along through the Veins of theſe Sermons, to ſuch as are ſpiritual, and can ſavour ſpiritual things, as that ſhould I go about to write Letters of Commendation of Him or Them, I ſuppoſe it might be ſaid to me as the Samaritans ſometime ſpake unto the Woman that perſwaded them to come and ſee the Chriſt; Now we believe, not becauſe of thy ſaying, for we have heard him our ſelves, and know that this was a moſt choice and precious Man indeed.
And ſeeing it hath been the Lot and Portion of the Saints, even in all Ages, more or leſs to meet with manifold exerciſes, and ſharp ſufferings, in one kind or other; yea ſometimes even with Fiery Tryals: and what afflictions may alſo abide us in theſe latter Times, the Lord only knoweth: Therefore I cannot but think, that the Subject of theſe enſuing Sermons (viz) The walking of the Son of God with his Servants in the midſt of the Fire) may be very ſeaſonable and comfortable to all the Servants of Chriſt, even in theſe and the after times. What this our Dear and Reverend Brother ſpake herein, was (as it ſeems) that which he had the experience of not long before, having (as I am told) but newly come out of the Furnace; I mean a moſt violent hot burning Fever: ſo that there is the more cauſe to hope, that what came from his own heart, may (through the Bleſſing of Chriſt) go to the Hearts of others alſo.
If any ſeeming Pleonaſms, or Redundances, or deficiency in any Phraſes or words may appear to any herein, let them pleaſe but to conſider, that theſe Sermons are put forth not by the Authors own Notes, which (as it ſeems) are very hardly to be read, but as they were taken from his Mouth in Preaching. I ſhall only crave leave to mention one paſſage, leſt poſſibly any might ſeem to ſtumble or be offended at it, viz. That about the ſuppreſſing of Errors, in pag. 118, 119. as if he did abſolutely deny the exerciſe of the Magiſtrates Power in any ſuch matters, or in any caſe whatſoever; Whereas if his Expreſſions be candidly taken, as they may, viz. That the Sword or Power of the Magiſtrate is not to be exerciſed againſt any Perſon meerly for the very holding of an Error, if no more, without any manner of Civil diſturbance or circumſtances of that Nature (for he ſpeaks not at all of any ſuch holding & ſpreading of Errors) I know not any that wil, or can affirm or maintain the contrary, and ſo take any juſt offence at the Expreſſion. I ſhall add no more, but deſire that the Bleſſing of Chriſt may accompany theſe holy Labors.
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