The Rock, Title page – Dedication
THE ROCKE: OR A ſetled heart in unſetled times.
A ſhort Diſcourſe, minding and helping Gods People to make uſe of their Faith for moderating their Feares in theſe ſad times of the ſorrowes of SION.
Being the heads of ſome Sermons, Preached lately, and now publiſhed for that purpoſe.
By William Jemmat, Pastor of Netleſted, in the County of Kent.
Pſal. 57.1.
Be mercifull unto me O God, be mercifull unto me, for my ſoule truſteth in thee: yea, in the ſhadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, untill theſe calamities be overpaſt.
London printed for Samuel Enderby, and are to be ſold at the Star in Popes-head-alley. 1644.
To the moſt Noble Patriot, and my moſt worthy Patron Sir Edward Scot of Scots-hall, Knight of the Bath; together with the Lady Mary Scot; his moſt worthy and religious Conſort: Grace, Mercy and Peace be multiplyed in our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
SAd experience telleth even good Chriſtians, how weak their owne ſpirits are in the ſore trials of theſe diſtracting times, even where their peace and comforts are continued, before they are put to ſuffer as their brethren abroad do. Fears of evill threatned doe much diſquiet them, and too often ſuſpend their faith from doing the due and proper office of it: So that they deſerve a check for their unbeliefe, in the words of our Lord; Why are ye fearfull O ye of little faith? Mat. 8.26. And yet becauſe they diſlike and ſtruggle with this unbeliefe, they deſerve pitty, and to be helped againſt it; which was the occaſion of theſe meditations at the firſt and now of publiſhing them.
And for this Dedication of them to your worthy ſelves, the cauſe is apparant: Partly I would help forward your comfort in God, after all your activity and charge in the great Cauſe of God now in agitation. Partly I would make knowne your exemplary love to the work of God, both in times of peace, maintaining a Lecture at your owne coſt, and ſpending much upon the poore, upon Ministers and others; and in theſe times of warre, exhausting your estate to buy Arms, Horſes, and proviſions of divers kinds for helping the Lord againſt the mighty; beſide your continuall cares and counſels for the publike, and for the peace of our County, which (amongst other our Worthies) oweth much to your worſhip for the ſafety of it, and repelling of the enemy. Your Martiall Family hath gained much honour hereby among all godly and understanding Christians. And partly I would hereby tell the world, that to me and mine you have bin a moſt free and loving Patron, and was the like to my Predeceſſor and his Family: The Lord returne into your boſome ſeven fold, add to your dayes abundantly, give you health take away or mittigate thoſe paines you are ſometimes ſubject unto, ſtrengthen you in the inner man by his Spirit, fill you and yours with all heavenly graces and comforts, keepe you unblamable to his Kingdome and glory, and give you (with us) to ſee the peace of Sion againe eſtabliſhed, with the utter diſappointment of all the enemies. Which are the daily prayers of
May 26. 1644. Your worſhips much obliged William Jemmat.