Gods Presence with a People the Spring of their Prosperity, Title page – Dedication
GOD'S Preſence with a People, THE Spring of their Proſperity; With Their ſpeciall Intereſt in abiding with Him.
A SERMON, Preached to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, at Weſtminſter, Octob. 30. 1656. A Day of Solemn Humiliation.
By JOHN OWEN, D. D. a ſervant of JESUS CHRIST, in the work of the Goſpel.
Printed by Order of Parliament.
LONDON, Printed by R. N. for Philemon Stephens, at the gilded Lion in Pauls Church yard. 1656.
Friday the 31. of Octob. 1656.
ORdered by the Parliament, That the thanks of this Houſe be given unto Dr. OWEN, Dean of Chriſt-Church, and Vicechancellor of the Univerſity of Oxon, for his great paines taken in his Sermon preached before this Houſe yeſterday in Magarets Church Weſtminſter, being a day ſet apart for Solemne Faſting and Humiliation, and that he be deſired to print his Sermon; And that he have the like priviledge in Printing thereof, as hath been formerly allowed to others in like Caſes.
And Major Generall Kelſey is deſired to give him the thanks of this Houſe accordingly.
Hen. Scobell, Clerk of the Parliament.
To the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with the Dominions thereunto belonging.
Sirs,
MY hope that ſome Impreſſion may poſſibly remain upon your hearts and ſpirits, of, and from the things delivered unto you in the enſuing Sermon, make me willing unto the obedience of preſenting it unto you, upon your command in this manner. Were I not perſwaded, that your peace, intereſt and concernment is expreſſed therein, and knew not with what ſimplicity of heart you were minded thereof, I ſhould have choſen on many accounts to have waved this duty. But having now performed what is incumbent on me, to render this ſervice uſeful, recommending it yet further to the Grace of God, I humbly beg that it may not in this return unto you, be looked on as a thing of courſe and ſo laid aſide, but be reviewed with that intenſion of ſpirit which is neceſſary in duties of this importance; whereby you may manifeſt that your command unto this ſervice, was grounded on a ſenſe of ſome advantage to be made by that performance of it. Sundry things I confeſs that were ſpoken unto you, are gone beyond my recovery, having had their riſe from the preſent aſſiſtance which God was pleaſed to afford in the management of the worke it ſelf. The ſum of what was provided before hand and no otherwiſe, without the leaſt addition, is here preſented unto you, with hearty deſires, that the viſion of the truth herein conſidered may be to them that love you, and the accompliſhment thereof be found in the middeſt of you. So prayes
Your humbleſt Servant in our dear Lord Jeſus: John Owen. Novemb 17.