Salvation in Misery, License 1 – Preface
Die Mercurii, 27 Martii, 1644.
IT is this day ordered by the Commons, Aſſembled in Parliament, That Maſter BOND, and Maſter NICOLLS. do from this Howſe give Thanks unto Maſter BOND, for his great pains he tooke in the Sermon he preached this day at MARGRET WESTMINSTER at the intreaty of this Houſe (it being the day of Publike Humiliation) And they are to deſire him to print his Sermon. And it is Ordered that none preſume to print or reprent his Sermon without being authoriſed vnderunder the hand wrighting of the ſaid Maſter BOND.
H. Elſynge Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I do appoint Francis Eglesfeild to Print my Sermon.
John Bond.
SALVATION IN A MYSTERY: Or A PROSPECTIVE GLASSE for ENGLANDS Caſe.
As it was laid forth in a Sermon preached at MARGARETS in Weſtminſter, before the Honourable Houſe of Commons, at their monthly Faſt, March 27. 1644.
BY JOHN BOND, B. LL. late Lecturer in the City of Exceter, now Preacher at the Savoy in London.
A Member of the Aſſembly of Divines.
Publiſhed by Order of the Commons Houſe.
EXOD. 3. v. 2.
The Buſh burned with fire, and the Buſh was not conſumed.
JUDG. 14. v. 14.
Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the ſtrong came forth ſweetneſſe.
LONDON, Printed by L. N. for Francis Eglesfeild, and are to be ſold at the figne of the Marygold in Pauls Church-yard. 1644.
TO THE HONOVRABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS NOW ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.
HONOURABLE WORTHIES:
THAT which by your firſt command, was in part, preſented to your eares from the Pulpit; is here at your ſecond command, fully repreſented to your eyes from the Preſſe. It is a piece, I dare ſay, as rare and uſefull for the Plot and Subject, which are immediatly the Lords; as it is plaine and homely in my ſtile and method: In the dreſſe thereof, I thought it a duty to put off Ornaments; for although it was Preached upon the yeerly day of the Kings Inauguration, March 27.yet that ſeaſon was alſo the Monthly day of the Kingdoms Humiliation; when you did endeavour to Weepe, Pray, and Faſt for the Royall Familie; whilſt others (perhaps at Oxford) did Drinke, Blaſpheme, and Debauch themſelves, to ſhew their Loyaltie to His Majeſty.
The ſubject of this ſermon, is like the two Pillars which guided (our type) Iſrael through the Wilderneſſe to Canaan by day, and night: The one was a Cloude, which might well ſignifie the Lord hiding himſelfe: The other of Fire, importing him to be the Saviour of Iſrael even whilſt he was in that Cloude.
There is much talke now a dayes of now light, and that new light as it is held forth by ſome, is nothing leſſe then old darkneſſe. I may ſafely promiſe you in this Treatiſe, at leaſt, the dawning of a light that is new Orthodoxe and certaine: By which I have endavoured to begin the diſcovery of a hidden Mine of precious Providence; though all my labours, have ſcarcely opened the uppermoſt ſurface of the ground. I ſhall leave the accurate ſearching of the veynes to more able obſervers.
I confeſſe that I did make an Eſſay upon his very Text, in my native climate, before my baniſhment; but being plundered of thoſe ſpeculative thoughts; and having, ſince that time in ſome meaſure experimented this text; I conceive my ſelfe bound in conſcience to give you ſome meate out of my Eater. Surely there is a vaſt difference betweene hearing of the Lord by the hearing of the eare and when our eyes have ſeene him.Job. 42.5.
May it pleaſe you therefore to travell over this unuſuall diſcourſe once againe; becauſe Myſteries commonly are not underſtood at the firſt peruſall. Sure I am that never any Parliament in England, had greater need of Viatica than your ſelves: You are made a Spectacle to Angels and Men; And beleeve it, you are ſet up, for the fall and riſing againe of many in England. The Lord hath cut off all bridges behind you (and bleſſed be his name that they are cut off) And now, together with you, all the Treaſures of great Britaine and Ireland are imbarqued: And according to your ſtanding or falling in this great Cauſe, muſt the preſent Generation and their Poſterities in the three Kingdoms, begin the dates of their perpetuall weal or woe; for, pure Reformation, or open Popery; ingenious Liberty, or Norman Slavery muſt now be made the ſettled Master: Nay, to allude to Caeſars ſpeech, you do now carry the whole Proteſtant Cauſe, withall its Fortunes.
For mine owne part, there is nothing upon earth, that doth more amaze mine intellectualls, then the prodigious Lethargie that doth ſtill reſt upon the heads and hearts of curſed Neuters, and Proteſtant Malignants in the Land, even now when both parties do abhor indifferency, and that the excreable Rebels of Ireland are brought over: But I might ſilence my ſelfe in this Quos perdece vult Jupiter, cos dementat. Surely the Lord hath ſmitten the generallity of the Land with madneſſe and blindneſſe and aſtoniſhment of heart, as he threatned the Iews. Deut. 28.28Otherwiſe they could never dreame of defending Parliaments by Malefactors, Property by Deſperado's, and Proteſtaniſme by Iriſh Rebels. May, we not fear leſt the Spaniſh, or Iriſh, or other Forreigners, may beg the whole Land of the King, and obtaine it, alleadging that the Nation, is not Compos mentis?
But my hope ſhall be, that after the Lord hath deeply humbled us for our old and new abominations, Dan. 4.14.and broken us as he did Nebuchadnezzer, when he hath hewen us downe, cut off our branches, ſhaken off our leaves, and ſcattered our fruits; Verſ. 25.when he hath driven us from men, and ſuffered our haires to grow like Eagles feathers, and our nayles like Birds clawes; Verſ. 33.then at the end of the dayes, mens reaſon and underſtanding ſhall returne to them againe, and perhaps, our glory alſo. At leaſt, I am confident, Zeph. 3.12.that God will leave in the middeſt of us an afflicted and poore people, and they ſhall truſt in the name of the Lord.
Meane while, it is my Petition to you, and for you (worthy Patriots) that you may hold-out through all thoſe ſeas of difficulties which are before you; Heb. 6.10.And that you may remember that God is not unrighteous to forget your worke and labour of love, which you have ſhewed toward his name: Yea, 2. Theſ. 3.3.you may take it for a poſitive promiſe. The Lord is faithfull, who ſhall ſtabliſh you, and keepe you from evill; Verſ. 4.and we have confidence in the Lord, touching you, that you both do, and will do, the things which he commands you. Verſ. 5.And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient wayting for Chriſt. This is the fixed hope, and ſhall ever be the fervent prayer, of
From my Study at the Savoy April 20. 1644. Your Humble and willing Servant, JOHN BOND.