Englands Ebenezer, Imprimatur 1 – Dedication
Die Jovis, 13. Martii. 1644.
IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament aſſembled, that this Houſe doth give thanks to Maſter Arrowſmith, for his great pains taken in the Sermon hee preached on the 12 of this inſtant March in Chriſt-Church London, before the Members of both Houſes of Parliament: and giving thanks to Almighty God for his bleſſing to the Parliament, for their late good ſucceſs at Shrewsbury and Weymouth. And that the ſaid Maſter Arrowſmith is hereby deſired to print and publiſh his Sermon, which is not to be printed or reprinted by any, but by authority under his hand.
John Brown, Cler. Parl.
Die Jovis, 13. Martii. 1644.
ORdered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament that Maſter Solicitor and Maſter Nicholas, doe from this Houſe return thanks to Maſter Arrowſmith, and Maſter Vines, for the great pains they tooke in the Sermons they preached at the intreaty of both Houſes at Chriſt-Church yeſterday (being a day appointed for publike thankſgiving) and that they doe intreat them to print their Sermons. And it is Ordered that none ſhall preſume to print their Sermons, but whom they ſhall licenſe under their hands writing.
H. Elſynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I appoint Samuel Man to print my Sermon.
John Arrowſmith.
ENGLANDS EBEN-EZER OR, STONE of HELP.
Set up in thankfull acknowledgment of the LORDS having helped us hitherto.
More eſpecially, For a memoriall of that help, which the PARLIAMENTS Forces lately received at Shrewsbury, Weymouth, and elſewhere.
IN A SERMON Preached to both the Honorable Houſes of PARLIAMENT, (the Lord Major and Aldermen of the Citie of LONDON, being preſent) at Chriſt-Church LONDON, upon the late ſolemne day of Thankſgiving: March 12.
By JOHN ARROWSMITH, B. D. Publiſhed by Order of both Houſes.
Hoſ. 13. 11.
O Iſrael thou haſt deſtroyed thy ſelfe, but in me is thine help.
2 Chron. 14. 11.
Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power. Help us O Lord our God, for we reſt on thee: and in thy name goe we out againſt this multitude. O Lord thou art our God; let not man prevail againſt thee.
LONDON, Printed by ROBERT LEYBURN, for SAMUEL MAN, dwelling in PAULS Church-yard, at the ſigne of the SWAN. 1645.
To the right HONORABLE, the LORDS and COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
THe Glorious Temple had a beautifull gate. Hag. 1. 9.Such is a Gratulatory Epiſtle to a Sermon of Thanksgiving.Acts 3. 10. Our Eſtates and Liberties bleſſe your Honours. Religion and Learning do no leſſe: I ſhall therefore here mention a few of the many good offices done for them.
Whereas the publike worſhip of God was much embaſed,Iſ. 1. 25. you have been carefull to take away the glittering tin of ſpecious Ceremonies, together with the ugly droſſe of known Superſtition.Gal. 6. …2. Let popiſh Spirus bewaile the want of making a fair ſhew in the fleſh, which ſo many deſire; let them cry out, and ſay, There is not ſo much State and bravery in the ſervice of God, as heretofore: I dare be bold to tell the World,Vitulus aureus occidit, Serpen… aeneus ſanat. that much more holineſſe will be found in your braſen Serpent, then ever was in their golden Calf. It is not long ſince Chriſtians of the greateſt zeale were iniured by certain Sons of Levi even as of old the ſons of Eli, 1 Sam. 2. 12, 13, 14.with their fleſh-hock of three teeth, offered violence to the people, when they came to offer ſacrifice. You have wreſted from them their fleſh-book, and broken the three teeth thereof, which were illegall Canons, enſnaring Oaths, and rigorous High Commiſſion-cenſures. Not long ſince Profeſſors in England, Amnon-like, were lean from day to day, 2 Sam. 13. 4.by reaſon of the love they bare to Romiſh fopperies, as he to Tamar, (many affecting the garbe of Rome in their moſt ſolemne worſhip,Ver. 6. 7. 14. as Amnon pretended to lorg for meat of Tamars dreſſing: Others proceeding, as he did with her; to a carnall knowledge of that Whore.) But after your happy aſſembling, the hand of God wrought an happy change in their hearts,Ver. 15. 17, 18. and made them generally hate this Tamar, as much and more then ever they loved her. You have now not onelyonly turned her out, but boulted the doore by an holy Covenant, to endeavour the extirpation of Popery and Superſtition. Not long, ſince there were many pens and tongues fully employed in decrying the Lords day, and diſputing againſt the morality of the fourth Commandement. An employment to be for ever abhord;Gen 7. 2, with Chap. 8. 20. becauſe as Noah tooke to himſelfe clean beaſts by ſevens, ſix for propagation, the ſeventh for ſacrifice, which was accordingly offered up, at his comming out of the Ark: So the Lord who allows us ſix da…es for civill affaires; would have the ſeventh ſacrificed to himſelfe as an whole burnt offering. Yet, as Antiochus took away the daily ſacrifice, theſe men had almoſt taken from us the Sacrifice of days; but you have reſtored it, by a moſt pious and wholſome Ordinance,April 1644. according to the good hand of God upon you. And whereas one of the breaſts of our common Mother▪ hath been dried up of late, or rather yielded much bloud inſtead of milke; you have already made ſome, and (we hope) are about to make further proviſion for the other, leſt the coal which is left us be quenched, as the woman of Tekoah ſaid to David; 2 Sam. 14. 7.leſt Cambridge become as a cottage in a vineyard, Iſ. 1. 8.as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers.
After ſuch high and holy ſervices, be it far, exceeding far from you all to diſhonour him who hath ſaid ye are Gods, Pſal. 82. 6.by an ungodly converſation: If it be not, if any root of bitterneſſe, do ſpring up hereafter in either Houſe, I ſhall crave leave to repreſent the danger thereof as in a parable. A certain Prieſt having to doe with a great men that was reſolute in ſin, yet deſirous of abſolution, and perceiving be did not underſtand the latine tongue, inſtead of abſolving him, ſaid as followeth.Gerhard. L. C. Dominus Noſter Jeſus Chriſtus, Ioc. de Poenis. § 117.teabſolvat, ſi vult; & remittat tibi peccata tua, quod ego non credo; & perducat te ad vitam aeternam, quod eſt impoſſibile, My Lords and Gentlemen, the parable be to them that hate you, and the interpretation thereof to the ſworn enemies of Jeſus Chriſt. That not ſo much as one of you, who continue members at this day, will at anytime prove a ſtone of offence, by the errors of his iudgement, or irregularities of his life; that every one will become an Eben-Ezer, a ſtone of help, in that ſenſe wherein Joſeph is called the ſheepherd, Gen. 49. 24.the ſtone of Iſrael, is the hope, and ſhall be the prayer of
A worthleſſe but willing ſervant of Chriſt, his Church, and your Honours John Arrowſmith.