The Great Interest of States and Kingdoms Part 2, Title page – Dedication
THE GREAT INTEREST OF STATES & KINGDOMES.
The Second Part.
A Sermon Preached on a Publike Thanksgiving, on the 12th. of May, 1646. at Botolphs Alders-gate: And after (upon the deſire of ſome friends) enlarged at Pauls Church in Covent-garden, on the Lords Day, May 17th. 1646.
By SIMON FORD, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Puddle-Towne in Dorcet-ſhire.
PSAL. 105. 15.
—He rebuked Kings for their ſakes, Saying—Doe my Prophets no harme.
LONDON, Printed by W. WILSON, for Francis Eglesfield, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Pauls Churchyard, at the Signe of the Marigold. 1646.
To the truely Noble, and publike-hearted PATRIOT, SIR WILLIAM WALLER, Knight, A Member of the Honourable Houſe of COMMONS. This Sermon, and the Authors Prayers.
Honoured Sir,
THAT this plaine Sermon caſts it ſelfe, upon your Patronage; the Subject it handles, juſtly challengeth at my hands. For, (beſides that I am a debtor to your ſelfe mainly, under God, for that ranke, whatſoever it be (though of the loweſt Forme) which I have had in the Schooles, and now have in the Society of the Prophets;) it is an obligation to me, that I ſee you (among your many imployments of meerely publike importance) ſo cordially carefull of preſerving unviolated this Intereſt of Intereſts, the maine Subject of theſe Meditations.
Sir, 'tis to me, and to all thoſe whoſe glory 'tis indeed, (though it is now, in ſome mouthes, grown a name of Scorne) to be old Diſciples, that is, tried Saints, a matter of praiſe to that good God that principles & proſpers you, to behold the evenneſs of your ſpirit carryed out in all conditions to the proſecution of publike Intereſts with the ſame height of faithfulneſs & fervency. To inſtance only in a few particulars; ſeeing I know ſuch a Diſcourſe, (if enlarged as it might be) though it might be very welcome to all underſtanding, and well-affected Readers beſides; yet, to you it would reliſh ill, whoſe (in ſome ſenſe) ſupererogatory piece of worth it is, to be willing to doe well, without being deſirous to be told of it. Sir, we remember how in the Martiall part of this Ages imployment, (notwithſtanding continuall oppoſitions of the firſt Magnitude, both at home and abroad, the Lord bleſſed your ſmall inconſiderable numbers of the worſt furniſhed, and leaſt pai'd ſouldiers of any, with ſucceſſes, which the judgment of the late yeares thought ſomewhat bordering on miracles; that you were the kingdomes Wall of Braſſe (next our God) at Alton, Arundell, and Cheriton field: and (by Gods ſpeciall, never-to-be-forgotten, goodneſſe) a principall meanes of its preſervation: that you cheerfully obeyed the call of the Houſes, in a calme reſignation of your Forces and Command, and ſate downe one of the chief Self-denying Members, without capitulating for pay, or giving any manner of encouragement to, or ſo much as accepting of the deſires of the ſouldiery, eaſie enough to have been induced to follow example, and to mutiny for a diſpenſation of the continuance of your command, as the ſtirrings of many quieted by your wiſedome, and the wet eyes of more abundantly drencht by their affection, did largely teſtifie at your departure. And we hope ſhall remember to Gods eternall praiſe, & your perpetuall glory, that now in your meerely repreſentative Capacity you keep ſteddy to your Principles of Conſcience and Honour, voting and acting from an impulſive within your owne breaſt, without thoſe Springs and Wires, and weights, that only keep many mens motions regular; that in theſe dayes great juſtles of ſeverally ingaged Parties, you retaine ſtill the ſame unbyaſſed, Covenant-ſpirit, and do not promote with a politick compliance, or act with a tumultuous precipitancy, the deſignes of Jeſuiticall incendiaries, whether of the line of Rome, or of Munſter, who concur in an endeavour of ſetting a new fire on three kingdomes, ere the old be fully extinguiſhed, for no other ends (that I know) but that (like that Monſter Nero) they may ſing foreign, in the heat, &c. or ſee more new light in the flames of it.
But above all, that which renders you moſt precious in the eyes of all that hate Babel, is; your ſetled and conſtant affection to the Prophets of God (now the ſcorne of this (as * one well calls it) Chriſt-glutted, and Mr. Shepherd in his Sound Beleever.Goſpel-glutted Age, and trampled upon on all hands, as the very off-ſcouring of all things) of which, you dayly give ſuch ample teſtimony, that (I dare aſſure you,) you have a large ſhare in Prophets Prayers, and I hope will one day have (*Mat. 10. 41. according to the promiſe) a liberall portion of the Prophets reward.
And now, Sir, for the future, whatſoever diſcouragements you meet withall in the ſame good way, remember him (I pray you) who endured the contradiction of ſinners, and yet grew not weary of his worke, but carryed it on to perfection in deſpight of all the powers of darkneſſe. Go you, and do likewiſe: Tell the humorous world, that (although its experienced fickleneſſe gives you little reaſon to build much upon its conſtancy, yet) you will add one wonder more to its ſeven, to wit, that you are in this Lunatick age; the ſame man you were a yeare ſince. And I hope, when England hath recovered its wits againe, when its Platonick yeare comes about, and Errors Circle is run quite through, ſo that caſt Truthes, like ſuper-annuated factions, ſhall return. and become New-light again, (which I doubt not but it will be in time) it wil then ſee cauſe to acknowledge (to your honour, and theirs (who have with you) obtained grace to be kept faithfull) that thoſe who have ſtood to their places and Principles in all this change, have done far better then thoſe fallen Angels among us, who have left their Stations, and run the ring of apinions, and parties, ſo long, to returne at laſt, to the Point from whence they begun their irregular motion.
I have onelyonly one word more, and that concerns this homely piece of mine. Sir, in this Dedication, I hope you wil look upon my deſire to teſtifie to the world how far you have obliged me; and the maine motive that put me upon the thoughts of it; and accordingly accept it. Yet I muſt acknowledge that I have withall a plot upon your name, being perſwaded, that (for its ſake in the front of this Epiſtle) many tranſient Readers may be perhaps ſtayed and intreated to read beyond the Title-page, ſome of whom might elſe perchance lay it by for a Pamphlet ſick of the extravagancies of this Age, it being owned by ſo obſcure an Author as is,
SIR, Yours, and the Churches weake, but (to his power) faithfull Servant in the Goſpel, S. FORD.