Sermon 20 May 1646, Title page – To the Christian reader
A SERMON Preached before the Reverend Committee of Divines, the 20th of May 1646. At their uſuall place of meeting in Westminster. VponUpon a Text given the day before, by that Godly and learned Member of the Aſſembly Mr John Ley Chair-man.
By SAMPSON BOND Miniſter of Gods Word, at Mayden-head in Berks.
2 COR. 10.1.
Now I my ſelf beſeech you by the meekneſſe and gentleneſſe of Christ, which when I am preſent among you, am baſe, but am bold toward you being abſent.
Chryſ. in Act. Hom. 5.
foreign. ibid.
foreign, &c.
Printed according to Order.
LONDON, Printed by John Macock, and are to be ſold at the ſign of the three leggs in the Poultry. 1646.
To the Right Worſhipfull, Sir FRANCIS PILE Baronet, Sampſon Bond wiſheth plentifull increaſe of ſpirituall gifts, health confirmed, and life prolonged, &c.
IF that (much honoured Sir) I ſhould here prefix any long narration in commendation of your Worth, I ſhould of ſome be ſuſpected of flattery; of all it would ſeeme a thing ſuperfluous, ſeeing it ſufficiently commends it ſelfe? ſuch is your Worth, that who ſo readeth you throughout, cannot but entertain honourable and pious thoughts of you: your deſerts of Gods Church, your ſingular zeale, your unfained faith, your ſincere profeſsion, your eſpeciall care to advance Gods glory, and to root out Papiſtry, your conſtant faithfulneſſe to your King and Parliament, hath beene ſuch, that this Kingdome generally, but the County of Berks eſpecially (your native ſoyle) have and ſhall have great cauſe to bleſſe God for you; hoping yet better and greater things; and that their hopes may meet with fruition, they have joyntly with one heart and tongue choſen you, (being worthy double honour) Knight of the ſhiere; and which juſtly ſpeaks obſervation, no negative voice heard; which clearly proclaimes to the world, your ſenſible goodneſſe and deſerts for the time paſt; Their great and glorious hope, that the Lord will make You an inſtrumentall Bleſſing, not onelyonly to the whole Realme, but eſpecially to them ana their County, for the future. Now, that this expectation may come into their hands, you have the tongues and hearts of all; of all, except ſome few of Nadabs and Abihu's ſect, ſuch as offer often times ſtrange fire upon Gods Altar; they indeed breath out flames endeavouring to ſinge and ſearch you, your viſible goodneſſe, and apparent vertues: oh, what will not Ignorance and Malice, (eſpecially if infected with our Kingdoms new diſeaſe) dare attempt? what ſpeech of wiſedome can be ſo diſcreetly uttered, but it may by Ignorance be depraved? what action of vertue can be ſo exactly performed, but it may through Malice be miſ-conſtrued? It is not more proper to God to bring light one of darkeneſſe, than it is naturall for the Devill and his turbulent Imps out of the light of truth to endeavour to draw darkeneſſe of errour, and out of the beſt ſpeeches and actions to ſtraine and force out ſomewhat, to maintaine and nouriſh their corrupt humours and boſome ſinnes. And what marvell? ſith even in Paradiſe amidſt the ſweeteſt flowers and herbs a Serpent could live▪ and find there ſomething to feed upon, turning the … of thoſe ſoveraigne and medle ſhall ſimples into poyſon; but expelling theſe, I haſten unto that whereof I am chiefly to ſpeake.
I am, honoured Sir, as full of hope as deſire, that your countenance will helpe into the light, this baſhfull piece of my compoſure? your Affection, and more then common kindneſſe unto me hath emboldened mee to beſeech that you will Patroni…e this firſt fruit of my endeavours; as I ſhall not here remember all the favours wherewith I have been honoured, ſo can I not forget to mention ſome, eſpecially thoſe reflections and gliſſonings (which in due reſpect to you) ſhone on me, from that great ſtarre lately fallen (the able and reverend Doctor, the faithfull and worthy Prolocutor Maſter William Twiſſe) as, his laſt judicious and elaborate Book, which he ſo willingly gave me with his own hand; his thinking me Worthy (though unworthy) to ſucceed him as Paſtor of Newbury, ſigned with his own hand; his giving me the free uſe of his rich and learned Library; under the Sunſhine of theſe beams (darted on me (right Worſhipfull) for your ſake) have I lately lived; ſo that, it may be expected ſomewhat of mine ſhould be coloured with them. indeed the Argument being an Aſſembly act, might therefore claim a peculiar intereſt in a Prolocutours religious Protection; but the former cauſes have invited, nay inforced me, humbly to deſire yours: Whoſe protection ſhould I rather beg then his that hath made me happy both in affection and action? ſuch is your known goodneſſe, as that it is not onelyonly extended to me, but faſtened on all thoſe that ſincerely feare God (which makes the publick Good) with affections (like the beames of the Sun) immutable, unchangeable; marke the rayes of the viſible Sunne, how conſtant they are, being not moved at all by the motion of the object, but immoveably flowing from the Body of the Sunne, though bluſtering winds tyrannize in the ayre, and remove it a thouſand times out of his place in an houre, yet the Sunne beames keepe their object which they enlighten, and ſtirre not at all; in like manner, your affections (honoured Sir) like thc beames of the Sunne remaine unmoveable where they are once fixed, though bluſtering winds have tyrannized, and toſſed You, your Perſon, your good-name, your moſt godly, moſt humble, and devout Lady, your well-governed Family, your great eſtate, &c. yet your pious heart and religious affections have remained unmoveable; witneſſe your cheerfull conſtancy to your Chriſt and his cauſe from the firſt to the laſt; this is that which (more eſpecially) adds unto my hopes; nay, its that that makes me confident, that theſe few labours will find a gracious acceptance being humbly preſented to your Indulgency and Gentleneſſe. I conclude, fearing prolixity; the Lord of Heaven bleſſe you, and grant as you have beene heretofore faithfull, juſt, and wiſe; ſo you may continue to the glory of God, the increaſing of his Church, and the profit of his People.
Your Worſhips moſt humble and faithfull, and in Chriſt at command, SAMPSON BOND.
To the Chriſtian and Judicious READER.
THoſe ſtraines of Rhetoricke moſt take the wiſe, and affect the judicious eare, which expreſſe more by expreſsing leſſe: wherefore, that I might affect thee, I will not (though I might) ſay much (unleſſe it be in a little) of the cauſe of my writing; the truth is, I intend not to plead excuſes; I hope, I ſhall not need it in this particular. If importunitie of friends (yea, of ſome Reverend Miniſters) might have prevailed, it had ere now ſeen the light: if abundance of Tracts (upon this ſubject) might have hindred it, it had now and ever beene in the darke; in the former, I ſaw an encouragement inducing a publication; and as the former was an inducement: ſo the latter can be (to me) no impediment; for, if ſo many have gone before me, ſhould not I follow? why, ſhould I ſit ſtill and doe nothing, when others have done ſo much? I reſolve not to regard the carping Mate, or curious Reader, either of ſecret Heretick, proud ſchiſmatick, diſſembling Hypocrite, or blind Atheiſt, who never with godly reverence regard the truth of Chriſt, or the dividing the Word of God aright. But if my ſober friend ſhall urge, that the over-plus of printing, and exceſſe of Writers patronized by the greateſt men, is enough to ſilence any mean and ordinary pens. It's true; in this ſcribling age tis too common, under pretence (not practiſe) of piety, to ſend worthleſſe and empty Pamphlets abroad in great mens liveries, they know, their ſlimy Comets, although they make a great blaze, cannot move themſelves without the helpe of the Moone, or ſome greater ſtar to whirle them about the world; yet this, all this, is but vanity in Pamphlets; no tincture of good ſo much as intended. But for my part; as I dare not put my ſelfe into the ranke of the beſt deſervers, ſo can I boaſt nothing (though I have ſince completed ſome points, which the ſhortneſſe of my time then denied) of my preſent performance: howbeit, this much I will take upon me to affirme, that, as the ſubject I here preſent, is farre from all extremes, ſo mine ayme is nothing but publicke ſervice, and common good. Books that preſſe this way (the godly Reader will ſay) the more the better: no exceſse of Writers, no over-plus of printing in ſuch a caſe; it is impoſsible to ſurfeit, where it is lawfull to covet; as in theſe things wee may, nay we muſt. I much lament their ſicke and diſeaſed estate, who are cloyed with ſpirituall food; in this caſe, no man is more wofull, then hee that feels himſelfe moſt full. I ſay no more (leſt I ſay much, and not little) only this. Pray for mee in that I ſhall not ceaſe to doe for thee, that thou maiſt be enriched and made more wiſe to know, and willing to doe what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee, wiſhing thy beſt happineſſe in Chriſt Jeſus, in whom I am
Thine, ſo farre as I may further thee to him, SAMPSON BOND.