Gods Free Mercy to England, Title page – Imprimatur 2
Gods free Mercy TO ENGLAND. Presented as a Pretious, and Powerfull motive to Humiliation: IN A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne Fast, Feb. 23. 1641.
By EDMVND CALAMY, B.D. and Preacher at Aldermanbury London.
JOEL 2. 12, 13, 14.
Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turne ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rent your heart, and not your garments, and turne unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and mercifull, slow to anger, and of great kindnesse, and repenteth him of the evill: Who knoweth if he will returne and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meate-offering, and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God?
Published by Order of the House of Commons.
LONDON, Printed for CHRISTOPHER MEREDITH, at the Crane in S. PAVLS Church-yard, 1642.
TO THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Assembled in Parliament.
AMong all the Mercies which God hath vouchsafed to bestow upō this Kingdome by your helpe, the procuring of a Monethly Fast, from his Royall Majesty (during the warres of Ireland, and the unsetled condition of England) is not the least. For by this meanes the Churches of England are set in a monethly posture of warre to fight with Prayers and Teares (which are the Churches weapons) against all the enemies of our peace and prosperity: And may very fitly resemble the Tree of Life, mentioned Revel. 22. 2. which yeelded her fruite every MonethMonth, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. I doubt not but through Gods blessing, this Monethly Fast will prove an England-and-Ireland-healing Fast, if it be celebrated as it ought to be, with weeping, mourning, and brokennesse of heart for sin, and from sin. Great is the efficacy, and omnipotency of prayer and fasting: So great, Vincit invincibilem ligat omnipotentem.as that it would require rather a large volume than a short Epistle to expresse it. And therefore I purposely wave it, as a theame in which a child cannot want eloquence, & in which I should sooner know where to begin, than where to make an end. As the Jewes had their Monethly Feast, which they called their New Moones, in 2 King. 4. 23. Amos 8. 9 Numb. 29 … H…b Antiqu…ty.which the Word was preached, their shops shut up, & special sacrifices offered up to God: And as they had their Feast of Trumpets, in which they blowed their trumpets all day long (especially in their first New Moone) from Sunrising, till night: So, Blessed be God, we now enjoy our Christian New Moones, and Evangelical Feast of Trumpets. We have not o…ely our Monethly Sacrament Feast to refresh our soules withall, in most of our congregations, (which would be as the hidden Manna, Revel. 2. 17. an unspeakeable consolation to the Religious party, if you would be pleased (most, noble Senators) to appoint by your authority some spirituall railes (as you have taken away other kind of railes) to keepe away all dogs and swine from polluting that holy Ordinance) but we have also our New Moone F…st, in which the Word is preached, trading ceaseth, and Sacrifices of prayer, praises, and almes, are tendred up to God, in the name of Jesus Christ. We have our Feast of Trumpets, in which our godly Ministers throughout the whole Kingdome lift up their voices as a Trumpet, and all the whole day▪ are either the mouth of the people to God, or Gods mouth to Esay 58. 1.the people, shewing unto England their sinnes, and to the people of this Land their transgressions, and calling them to humiliation, and reformation. From hence it comes to passe, That (if Englands just feares, and Irelands miseries should so long continue by reason of our sinnes) we are likely to be blessed by the providence of God, bringing good out of evill, with twelve Nationall, solemne, publike Fasts every yeare, which (if rightly kept) will be as the twelve Gates of the New Jerusalem, spoken of, Revel. 21. Every fast will be as a Gate to let us in, into a part of the New Jerusalem of Mercy, and happinesse promised to the people of God, here upon earth. And there is one thing more, which addes much to this new monethly mercy, and that is, That notwithstanding your most weighty and important affaires, you are pleased to keepe this Fast, your selves in your own Persons, after a most solemne and religious manner every MonethMonth. Which pious example no doubt will be a notable incouragement to all the Kingdome to follow so good a President, and a mighty provocation to the religious and solemne observance of it. It is said expresly of the King of Niniveh (though a Heathen) that he came from his Throne, laid his robes from him, and that his Nobles and people from the greatest of them to the least put on sackcloth. And, as Chrysostome well observeth, Their sackcloth prevailed more with God, then all their purple robes: Quod non poterat Diadema, id saccus obtinuit. Such a famous example doe you hold forth, who are the chiefest of our Tribes; to which I doubt not but the lowest of our people (unlesse they will bee worse than Heathens) will cheerefully conforme.
This insuing Sermon was preached at your last Monthly Fast, and it is now by your command exposed to publique view. There is nothing in it, that makes it worthy the Printing, but onelyonly your kinde acceptance of it; which is as a Royall stampe upon some inferiour metall to make it currant. It is the property as of God in Heaven, so also of all earthly gods who are truly noble, not onelyonly to give great gifts worthy of the givers, but also to accept of poore and small gifts, though unworthy to be given, when given with a thankfull heart, as of a *… Art…xes.handfull of water, a cup of cold water, a poore widowes mite, a little goates haire, and semblably of this following discourse, which now becomes publike under your Patronage. The Lord grant it may accomplish that for which it was Preached! That Englands mercies may be a motive, and a meanes of Englands humiliation and Reformation. And that by confessing our sinnes with a happy confusion of face (as the Text requires) wee may prevent that unhappy confusion, which is otherwise likely to come upon us. The same Almighty God multiply all his gifts and graces upon you, be a Sunne and a shield unto you, appearing alwaies in the Mount of straits, causing all Mountaines to become a Plaine before you, & inabling you to consummate all those good things which you have begun to doe for this Church and State.
So prayeth your much obliged spirituall Servant, EDMVND CALAMY.
Die Veneris 25. Febr. 1641.
IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons, That no man shall Print the Sermons Preached at the last Fast day before the House of Commons by Mr. Calamy and Mr. Marshall, besides themselves, for the space of these two moneths, without the particular licence and approbation of the said House of Commons.
H. ELSYING Cler. Parl. D. Com.
These are to give notice, that I appoint C. Meridith to Print my Sermon.
EDM. CALAMY.