Sermons Upon Romans 11:2-8, Title page – Dedication
Certaine Sermons vponupon the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Verses of the eleuenth Chapter of S. Paule his Epistle to the ROMANES.
Preached in the Parish Church of Northiham, in the County of Sussex, in the Moneths of Iuly, August, and September, this last yeare, 1611.
By IOHN FREWEN the ordinary Pastor there.
Esay 30,1,10.
¶ Wo to the rebellious Children, sayth the Lord, that take Counsell, but not of mee; and couer with a couering, but not by my Spirit; that they may lay sinne vponupon sinne.
¶ Which say to the Seers, see not; and to the Prophets, prophesie not vntounto vsus right thinges: but speake flattering things vntounto vsus; prophesy errors.
LONDON Printed for Richard Bankworth, dwelling at the signe of the Sunne in Paules Church-yard, 1612.
To the right worshipfull, Thomas Couentrey Esquire; of Hill, and Croome Debitat in the County of Worcester; Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God our gracious and Heauenly Father, and from our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ.
AS about the space of sixe and twentie yeares since (Right Worshipfull and right deare in the Lorde) I dedicated to your worthy Father (that iust & vpright Iudge (as a testimony of my thankefulnesse for his manifolde fauours, and for some other respects which I then remembred) certaine fruitful instructions (as the first fruits of my study and paines-taking in the ministry of the Gospel) which hee wel esteemed and accounted of: So now, for the reasons heereafter expressed, hauehave I presumed to present to your selfe, (though a little, yet) a liuely image of my progresse and growth in the mayne duties of that calling, which no lesse then your godly Father, I am wel assured, you do affect. But yet, from a priuate & perticuler respect and consideration of your selfe, the principall motiue (as I freely confesse) for the divulging of these Sermons, did not spring at the first, but euen as the Lord God (according to his mercifull prouidence and mighty power, for the good of his children) dooth oftentimes fetch light out of darkenesse, good out of euil, honour, and glory, out of that which in it selfe is loathsome and dishonorable; euen so, from the verie corrupt affections of some of the hearers, traducing & reproaching, wresting and peruerting them, hath beene deriued the especiall cause of their publication. Whereas otherwise, as a broken voyce sounding in the Ayre, woorthy of no regarde, they had clearely fleeted and vanished away. Many of the particuler cauils and obiections of such detractors, in an Apology, directed to some of the principal Knightes and Gentlemen, and to all others truely fearing God in the East part of our Countie, both Ministers and people, I hauehave alreadie discouered and confuted at large. Which Apologie, howsoeuer (by some others wel affected, and by my selfe at the first) it was thought fit to be published in as common and general a maner as the Sermons themselues; yet vponupon later cogitations, I resolued otherwise. For when I hauehave done my best endeuour for the clearing of mine innocency, touching both Doctrine and life, in the Consciences and experience of such, who dwelling in our Coasts, might be induced by the secrer whisperings and backbytings of the contrary-minded, to iudge amisse, and so to speake euill of the way of saluation; it is enough for mee, though the whole world besides remayne ignoraunt of my condition, and that for euer.
As the Lord God decreed from euerlasting, that there should bee a difference betweene man and man; and that out of one lumpe or masse there shoulde spring two seedes: The elect contained vnderunder the seede of the Woman, and the Reprobate or maglignant Church comprehended vnderunder the name of the Serpents seed. So if it may please you to take a serious view and consideration of these ensuing Sermons, you shall clearely discerne, that in teaching and discouering the seuerall notes and markes of this difference, as they are distinguished in the word of God (a Doctrin most vnsauoury and vnpleasant to the Naturall and vnregenerate man, and that the people vntounto whom they were preached, might be directed & retained in the good and right way that leadeth vntounto life, and hauehave their steppes turned from by-wayes and crooked pathes which tende vntounto death, consisteth the maine scope and drift of them al; & that there is not so much as one sentence bending it selfe to the reproach or disgrace of any other: but onelyonly of such, who by continuance in euill dooing doo disgrace themselues. According to my measure, which your worship knowoth well enough to be but weake and smal, you shall finde our Lord Iesus Christ in euerie Sermon discouered and pointed out (though nothing so learnedly, eloquently, or methodically as many others of greater gifts & graces vse to do, yet) so truly, sincerely, and faithfully, I trust, to bee the way, the truth, and the life, that you may hauehave cause to conclude & to rest resolued, that howsoeuer through the malice of the Deuil, in the slaunderous tongues, and despightful endeuours and attemptes of his instruments, the course of my ministery be much interrupted, and verie often returned into mine owne bosome agayne, without any good effect in some that hear it, yet doo I vnfaignedly desire the good and saluation of eueryevery one, without difference and respect of personnes, and that I apply my selfe for the furtherance thereof, to the vttermost of my power.
But letting these things passe, & neyther to trouble your worshippe, nor to grieue myself any further in discoursing of them, I wil now briefely, through your patience, shewe the Reasons that mooued mee to the Dedication of these my poore Labours, vntounto your selfe, which are in number foure.
First, because I hauehave founde by long and sure experience, that as you hauehave succeeded your good Father in all the rest of his Vertues and good Qualities; so also, in vnfaigned LoueLove and kindnesse towardes mee and mine: Nay, if (vvithout note of Flatterie) I may bee bolde to speake, what I hauehave alwayes found to bee true, the LoueLove and Fauour which I did enioy in your Fathers dayes, sustayned no ebbe by his decease, but beecame rather freshly renewed, and verie comfortably flowing with encrease; yea, and (wherein it resembleth the LoueLove of our Heauenly Father, and much swarueth from the ordinarie LoueLove of most mortall Men:) it deminisheth not, but dayly groweth more and more with the time. For the ordinarie feeling and experience whereof, what shall I render? Nay, what can I render in any competent measure? Siluer and Golde hauehave I none, and although I had, yet (God bee praised for it) you neyther neede it, nor expect it (I am sure) at my hands. Well, such as I hauehave, I heere make tender of. Accept therefore (I beseech you) these fewe Meditations, as our Sauiour Christ did the poore Widdowes Myte; How meane soeuer it either bee indeede, or may seeme to bee, (beeing compared with some other Workes of Learned men) yet is it a great part of the best of such Riches as I possesse: And if it were much better then it is, yet should I as willingly bestowe it vponupon you and yours.
A second Reason is, because that the whole summe and substaunce of two or three of the first of these Sermons heertofore hauehave sounded in your Worships eares: at what time they found such kind entertainement, that although they now come accompanyed with diuers others, yet do I fully perswade my selfe, their welcome therefore will bee no whit the lesse, but rather so much the better; yea, and so as henceforth they shal hauehave a resting place, not in your house alone, but euen in some part of your very heart, and that for euer.
Thirdly, that by this meanes occasion and opportunity may bee offered to adde some little helpe for the furtherance of the peoples saluation in that my Natiue Countrey. From which though I bee seperated in person and habitation, yet not in affection and good will: and the good whereof, in the best things that are, I cannot but vnfaignedly wish and desire. Which wish and desire of mine, by the commending of this to your Worships patronage and protection, wil bee greatly furthered and holpen forward, I know, to a good effect. And last of all, which yet is not the least of all, that vnderunder your Name and Title, I might expresse some thankefulnesse to the right Christian and vertuous Gentlewoman your wife, and to her Godly and Religious Parents, who now louelove mee, not for your sake alone (as I clearely discerne) but for the truth, yea whose LoueLove and Fauour, whose readynesse and chearefulnesse (euer since I knew them) by all good meanes, by themselues and by others, to do me good, hath beene, and is so exceeding great, that as I freely confesse, I hauehave not onelyonly admyred it, but beene in some sort astonished at it, considering howe free it is alwayes from all desert. But to conclude, if I for my part, see verie good and sufficient cause to reioyce and praise God, as I doo indeede, for your daily growth in fauour both with God and men, for the Riches of Gods merciemercy and bountifulnesse bestowed in plentiful measure vppon both your bodie and minde in heauenly and in humain Wisedome and Knowledge, and in manie other fit and necessary guifts and graces; for your Health, Peace, and Prosperitie; for Gods Blessinges and Fauour in your louing and faithfull yoake-fellow, being a chearefull and faithfull helper, as I am wel assured, aswel in matters of Religion, as of this life; and for that godly Stocke and generation from which shee is discended (the fellowship and society whereof, to your very great comfort you do inioy.) As also, for diuers other particular respects which I might remember, & that aswel in your little Oliue braunches, as otherwise; and if there bee good and sufficient cause for mee, to pray vntounto God to blesse and sanctifie these, and euerie of these, to your ioy and consolation; yea to multiply his mercies in them, and in euerie of them, as your dayes and years: How much more cause you your selfe then hauehave to reioyce and praise God, for such special louelove; and how much more zealously and feruently it behooueth you to pray vntounto him, to sanctifie them for you, and your selfe for them; that so in your selfe, in them, and eueryevery of them, the Name of God may be glorified, and your own soule and Conscience strengthened and confirmed by them, in the vndoubted hope and assurance of eternal life. I neede not vrge it, as being out of doubt, that with godly Wisedome and Consideration, you do daily remember, and take it to heart. And thus crauing pardon for this boldnesse, I now take my leaue, and commend your selfe, and al yours, to the Grace and Fauour of God, in Iesus Christ.
From Northiham in Sussex, this fiue & twentith of March. 1612. Your Worships in each Christian dutie to be commaunded, Iohn Frewen.