The Prisoners Praises, Title page – Dedication
THE PRISONERS PRAISES FOR THEIR Deliverance from their long Impriſonment in Colcheſter. On a day of publique thanksgiving ſet apart for that purpoſe by the Gentlemen of the Committee of Eſſex, who for their fidelity in ſerving their Country were ſurpriſed by the Enemie at Chelmesford. In a Sermon upon the ſixth, ſeventh, & eighth, verſes, of the CXLIX. PSALM. Preached at Rumford Septemb. 28. 1648. By SAMUEL FAIRCLOUGH, Paſtor of the Congregation at Ketton in Suffolk.
EZRA. 9.8, 9.
We were bondmen, yet our God hath not forſaken us in our Bondage, but hath extended mercy to us in the ſight of our enemies, and hath given us a reviving.
PSALM. 102.19, 20.
God looked down from the height of his Sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth: To heare the groaning of the Priſoners, and to loſe them that were appointed to death: That they might declare the name of the Lord in Sion, and his Praiſe in Jeruſalem.
LONDON Printed by John Macock, for Lodowick Lloyd, and Henry Cripps, and are to be ſold at their ſhop in Popes head Alley. 1650.
To the Right Worſhipfull Sir William Maſſam, Barronet, Sir William Roe, Knight. Timothy Midleton, John Eden, Robert Smith, Col. Thomas Ayloffe, Arthur Barnardiſton, Samſon Sheffeild, Major Langley, and Robert Crane; Eſquires.
The Gentlemen of the Committee of Eſſex, that for their ſidelitie in the Service of their Country were ſurpriſed by the Enemie, at Chelmsford, and impriſoned in Colchester.
GENTLEMEN,
I Conceive it will not be accounted any preſumption to preſent that unto you, which without injuſtice, and breach of promiſe, I cannot detain from you; for howſoever when I heard you had deſigned me to this ſolemn Service; of being Gods mouth unto you, on the day of your publique Thanks-giving; the conſciouſneſs of mine own weakneſs, cauſed me to entertain the meſſage with fear: yet when you were pleaſed to give life and incouragement to this plain and unstudied Sermon: Firſt, by your cheerfull and affectionate attention in hearing, and then by your earneſt importunitie, That it might be made publick, when you had heard it: I must confeſs I was overcome (contrary to mine own inclination) to promiſe, that if my reverend Brother, who joyned with me in the work, did ſend his Sermon to the Preſs before, that mine in due time ſhould follow after: in performance whereof, and in anſwer (if not ſatisfaction) to your deſires therein, I have tendred it unto you without addition or alteration of one materiall paſſage, that was then delivered unto you. I was intended to have added a Doctrinall Explanation, of the remaining part of the Pſalm; with Scripture Reſolutions, to ſome Questions that may ſerve to be obvious therein, before this mangled and imperfect peece had come to your hand: but upon the adviſe of ſome godly judicious friends, I have ſuſpended the ſame (conceiving it better to ſpeak enough, then to ſpeak all) accept it therefore as a teſtimonie of my complyance, rather to your pleaſures, then mine own will (who am not ſo great a ſtranger to mine own weakneſs, as to think any thing of mine worthy of publike view) wherein if mine obedience ſhal appear better then my ſacrifice, yet this is my comfort, That the ſame candor of Spirit, and ingenuitie, that put me on the Service; and gave ſo undeſerved approbation, unto the weak performance; Knows alſo, how to pardon my weakneſs, and imperfection, with favorable acceptations: then which indulgence, as when I reflect upon my ſelf, I dare deſire no more; So when I look upon you I can hope no leſs: All that I would further ſay unto you, you ſhall receive at large expreſſed in the Book; which I will not anticipate by any earneſt ſolicitation of your forward mindes, to raiſe up themſelves by the reading of it to wel-grounded determinations, and conſtant reſolution, dayly to act and practiſe accordingly; only this I muſt add, That the Subject is ſo excellent, that it is as worthy of your dayly remembrance, and deepeſt conſideration; as my Pen is unworthy of ſo excellent a ſubject: and withall, That as your deſire of publiſhing of it, hath obliged me to preſent it to the world; ſo hath it engaged you alſo to walk more anſwerable to the Intents, and directions of the ſame, before the world.
The Diſcourſe is yours, the Duty therein is yours, and my uttermoſt Indeavours, Service, and Prayers, are yours; which ſhal ſpeak that unto God for you, which (to avoyd the appearance of flattery) I dare not ſpeak unto you. The moſt high God, that hath highly honored you, with his higheſt diſpenſations, enable you al joyntly, and ſeverally, with his grace and bleſſings, to honour him again, with your higheſt prayſes and thanksgivings; which ſhall be the constant Prayer
Of the loweſt and moſt unprofitable of all Chriſts Servants, SAMUEL FAIRECLOUGM