Ebenezer, Title page – Dedication 1
EBEN-EZER A MEMORIALL OF THE DELIVERANCE OF ESSEX, County, and Committee, Being an Expoſition on the firſt ten Verſes of the third Chapter of the Propheſie of HABAKKVK In Two SERMONS.
The firſt preached at Colcheſter before his Excellency on a day of thanksgiving for the Surrender thereof.
The other at Rumford unto the Committee who were impriſoned by the Enemy Sep. 28. A day ſet apart unto Thanksgiving for their Deliverance.
The Righteous man is delivered out of Trouble, and the wicked commeth in his ſtead,
Prov. 11. 18.
By JOHN OVVEN Paſtor of the Church of God which is at Coggeſhall.
LONDON, Printed by W. Wilſon, for the Authour, 1648.
TO His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, &c.
SIR,
ALmighty God having made you the inſtrument, of that deliverance and peace, which in the County of Eſſex, we do injoy, next to his own Goodneſſe, the Remembrance thereof is due unto your name. Thoſe who Honour him, he will honour, and thoſe who deſpiſe him ſhall be lighty eſteemed. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Part of theſe enſuing Sermons, being preached before your Excellency, and now by providence called forth to publick view, I am imboldned to dedicate them unto your Name, as a ſmall mite of that Abundant thankfulneſſe, wherein all peace-loving men of this County ſtand obliged unto you.
It was the cuſtome of former days, in the provinces of the Lubens meri toque.Roman Empire, to erect Statuas and Monuments of gratefull Remembrance, to thoſe preſidents and Governours, who in the Adminiſtration of their Authority, behaved themſelves, with wiſdome courage and fidelity. Yea inſtruments of great Deliverances and bleſſings, through corrupted natures folly, became the Pagans Deities.
There is ſcarce a County in this Kingdome wherein and not one from which, your Excellency hath not deſerved a more laſting Monument, then ever was erected of Corinthian Braſſe: But if the Lord be pleaſed, that your worth ſhall dwell only in the prayſes of his people, it will be your greater glory, that being the place, which himſelfe hath choſen to inhabit. Now for a Teſtification of this, is This only intended; beyond This, towards men, God pleading for you, you need nothing but our ſilence. The iſſue of the laſt ingagements, whereunto you were called, and enforced, Anſwering, yea outgoing your former undertakings, giving Ample Teſtimony of the continuance of Gods Preſence, with you, in your Army, having ſtopped the mouths of many Gain-ſayers, and called to the reſidue in the language of the dumbe ſpeaking Aegyptian Hieroglyphick, foreign, men of all ſorts know, that God hateth impudence.page missingut. de Iſide Oſir.
It was ſaid of the Romans in the rayſing of their Empire, that they were, ſaepe praelio victi, bello nunquam; So naked hath the Bow of God bin made for your Aſſiſtance, that you have failed neither in Battell nor War.
Truly had not our eyes beheld the riſe, and fall, of this latter ſtorm, we could not have bin perſwaded that the former Atcheivements of the Army under your conduct, could have bin parallell'd. But he who always enabled them to out doe not only others, but themſelves, hath in this carried them out, to out-doe, what ever before himſelfe had done by them, that they might ſhew more kindneſſe and faithfulneſſe, in the latter end, then in the beginning. The weary Oxe, treadeth hard. Dying bites, are often deſperate. Halfe ruined Carthage, did more perplex Rome, then when it was entire. Hydras heads (in the Fable) were increaſed by their loſſe; and every new ſtroke begot a new oppoſition. Such ſeemed the late tumultuating of the exaſperated party in this Nation.
In the many undertakings of the enemy, allwhich themſelves thought ſecure, and others eſteemed probable, if they had prevailed in any one, too many Reaſons preſent themſelves, to perſwade, they would have done ſo in all. But to none of thoſe Worthies, which went out under your command, to ſeverall places in the Kingdome, can you ſay with Auguſtus to Varus, upon the ſlaughter of his Legions by Harminius in Germany, Quintile Vare redde Legiones, God having carried them all on with ſucceſſe and victory.
One eſpecially in his Northern Expedition, I cannot paſſe over with ſilence, who although he will not, dare not ſay of his undertakings, as Caeſar of his Aſian War, veni, vidi, vici, knowing who workes all his workes for him, nor ſhall we ſay of the enemies multitude, what Captaine Gam, did of the French, being ſent to ſpy out their numbers, before the Battell of Agin-Court, that there were of them, enough to kill, and enough to take, and enough to runne away, yet of him, and them, both he, and we, may freely ſay, It is nothing with the Lord to help, either with many, or with them that have no power.
The War being divided, and it being impoſſible your Excellency ſhould be in every place of Danger; according to your deſire, the Lord was pleaſed to call you out perſonally Kent. Eſſex.unto two, of the moſt Hazardous, Dangerous, and difficult undertakings: Where beſides the travaile, labour, watching, heat and cold, by day and night, whereunto you were expoſed, even the life of the meaneſt Souldier in your Army was not in more imminent danger, then oftentimes was your Own. And indeed during your abode at the Leagure amongſt us, in this only were our Thoughts burdened with you, That ſelfe-preſervation was of no more weight in your counſells and undertakings. And I beſcech you pardon my boldneſſe, in laying before you this Expoſtulation of many thouſands, (if wee may ſay to him, who hath ſaved a Kingdome, what was ſometimes ſaid unto a King) know you not that you are worth ten thouſands of us, why ſhould you quench ſuch a light in Izrael?
Sir,
I account it among thoſe bleſſings of Providence, wherewith the days of my pilgrimage have bin ſeaſoned, that I had the happineſſe for a ſhort ſeaſon, to attend your Excellency, in the ſervice of my Maſter Ieſus Chriſt. As alſo that I have this opportunity, in the name of many, to caſt in my foreign into the Kingdomes congratulations of your late ſucceſſes. What thoughts concerning your perſon, my breſtis poſſeſſed with all, as in their ſtorehouſe they yeeld me delightfull Refreſhment, So they ſhall not be drawne out, to the diſturbance of your ſelfe-deniall. The goings forth of my heart, in Reference to your Excellency, ſhall be chiefly to the Moſt-high, that being more then conquerour, in your Spirituall and Temporall warfare, you may be long continued for a bleſſing, to this Nation, and all the people of God.
Sir, Your Excellencies Moſt humble and devoted Servant, JOHN OWEN. Coggeſhall, Eſſex Octo. 5. 1648.