The Best Wisdom Propounded, Title page – Errata
ΒΛΑΣΤΗΜΑ ΕΞ ΥΨΟΥΣ Or, The Beſt VViſdome: Propounded to the GENTRY of SUFFOLK, In A SERMON AT IPSWICH. Prepared for the 9th. of April 1660. the day of Election of KNIGHTS of the Shire for the afore-ſaid COUNTY, but Preached the Morning after.
By BENJAMIN BRƲNING, Miniſter of the Goſpel in IPSWICH.
Imprimatur,
EDMUND CALAMY.
London, Printed by D. Maxwell, for W. Weekly of Ipſwich, And are to be ſold by John Rothwell, at the Fountain in Gold-ſmiths Row, in Cheap-ſide, 1660.
To the Right Worſhipful, Sir Henry Felton Baronet, and Henry North Eſq; KNIGHTS of the Shire for the County of SUFFOLK.
Right Worſhipful,
THis Sermon lately Preached in your hearing, I now preſent to your ſight and Patronage; not doubting but it will find a benigne eye, where once it met with ſuch an eare. The appointment, and command of the Magiſtrates of Ipſwich made it my Duty, as a Servant to that Incorporation, to prepare a Sermon for the Publick Meeting of the County; which was no ſooner Preached, but your Worſhipfull ſelves, together with many other Noble and Worſhipful Perſons, were pleaſed to give me a courteous Summons, that you might ſignifie your favour towards me, and joynt deſires of reading the Sermon ye had that day heard; how much I craved your excuſing favour, as to Printing, ye can witneſs, and my conſcience witneſs, my real heartineſs in that requeſt; and ſo confident was I, that the Noble Ingenuity of Gentlemen (eſpecially ſuch as know my diſtempers, which unfit me for any work, that tye me to a Chair) would pardon the omiſsion of what is now done, that I had laid by all thoughts of penning this Sermon for the Preſs, 'till it almoſt became too late to take them up: which I had not done, had not my Sermon been miſreported, and made to ſpeak many things which were never ſpoken by me in the Pulpit.
My aime was, to follow truth in order to Peace: In this I have the rejoycing, that the teſtimony of my Conſcience affords; though it hath been my unhappineſs, in paſsing between extreams, to meet with blowes on both ears; poſsibly too much conciſeneſs, if not abruptneſs, that I was ſometimes forced upon in preaching, being crouded up into a ſtrait corner of time, might occaſion miſtake in ſome Auditors. So far as this was my fault, or rather my happineſs, I have labour'd the amendment, and remove of it, by ſome amplifications in the Printing; which I have ſo mannaged, that the Sermon may be acknowledged by all that were ingenious hearers, to be the ſame for main ſubſtance and purpoſe which they heard. I know not of a word added, that alters the ſence of any thing I delivered, nor do I remember a ſentence ſpoken in the Pulpit that is here left out.
Such as it is, Honoured Sirs, (together with a thankful acknowledgment of the obligations that your favours and civilities have laid upon me) I humbly offer it to ye, as Gentlemen moſt concerned in that meeting of the Country that gave occaſion for the Sermon. If there be any thing in it, that ſavours of unſound Doctrine, or ignorant zeal, I pray God ſhew me my miſtake; keeping both you, and others in the mean time from erring with me: But what ever is in it of Doctrine according to Godlineſs, and tending to the real furtherance of purity, and peace; my Prayer ſhall be, That it may find favour and true acceptance in your eyes and hearts; ſo ſhall ye find favour, and good underſtanding in the ſight of God and man.
The Wiſdome from above, that we hear of by St. James, is the ſame that is mentioned by our Saviour, as a mother in the Iſrael of God: Her genuine off ſpring are but few, but the children that ſhe hath will juſtifie her: She hath been groſly abuſed by ſome that have worn her childrens cloaths, and this hath brought her into ſo much contempt with wany in the world, that inſtead of abſtaining from all appearance of evil, they ſcorn and abhor the very appearance of that, which the Apoſtle terms, the power of godlineſs, and hate the garment that is not ſpotted with ſome profaneneſs.
Evagrius telleth of one Symiones, who being a man of great Wiſdome, miſcarried in this, that to avoid the danger of vain-glory, he made it his uſual practiſe to perſonate a fool when he came in company; but is there not a generation of worſe contrivers, who behave themſelves as if they purpoſely ſtudied irreligon, and profaneneſs, that they may make ſure to eſcape the ſuſpition of hypocriſie? whilſt in the mean time, with a ſufficiency of confidence, they can condemn all as a brood of hypocrites, that have any thing in them of true Chriſtian zeal, and are of a right, godly, and ſtrict Converſation.
The Lord give ye, and all other worthy Gentlemen, to quit your ſelves like men and Chriſtians, in a faithful and couragious owning of that wiſdome that is truly pure: and among other ſervices that lye upon your hands, to uſe your beſt endeavours to rebuke and frown to death that ſpirit of profaneneſs, that, with too much daring boldneſs, lifts up his head in the land. Let all the world ſee that honourable Birth and Extract, that principles of Loyalty, Legality, and civil order, are far from being inconſiſtencies with the moſt attaineable heights of heavenly-minded Chriſtianity, of holy zeal for God, and through reformation. Be lively patterns of it in your own Perſons and Families, and vigorous promoters of it in others. Such Friends and Champions of pure wiſdome will looſe nothing by it; for ſhe promotes them that exalt her, and will bring to honour them that embrace her; to the heads of ſuch ſhe gives an Ornament of Grace, and will deliver to them a Crown of Glory, Prov. 4.8,9.
Ye have had time enough, worthy Patriots, to conſider and lay to heart the miſerable convulſions of your beloved Native Country, the woful jeopardies we have been expoſed to in all that is dear to us, as Chriſtians, and men. Ye have now, amongſt other Honourable and Worſhipful Perſons, a large opportunity, by the miraculous Providence of God, put into your hands for healing the breaches, and ſetling the foundations of the Land: and bleſſed be God, that we can now ſay, We have a Parliament that may do us good if they will: Up, and be doing, and the Lord be with you. The difficulties that are before ye cannot be inconſiderable; ye have a skein of Silk in hand, to bring to rights, of which I may truly ſay, That it hath been the work of divers years paſt to perplex, and ruffle it; if any thing be done to purpoſe, the wiſdome that muſt guide ye muſt come from above; lift up your voices for it, that ye may underſtand righteouſneſs, and judgment, and equity, yea, every good path.
O let it not be out of your thoughts, that the eyes of God, Angels, and Men, and of your own conſciences are intent upon ye; think often on us your poor Country men, who are full of expectations, waiting to ſee what God the Lord will do for us, by means of your wiſdome, faithfulneſs, and courage; and let me take the boldneſs to put you in remembrance, that ye are now the Stewards of God for us; and that it concerns ye, as ye love your own Souls, ſo to mannage all your Parliamentary actions, as if ye were aſſured at the inſtant of the Parliaments diſſolution to be ſummoned by the moſt High, to give an account of your Stewardſhip. The Lord give ye a right underſtanding of the Times, to know what ought to be done in all concernments of Church and State. If ye know theſe things, happy ſhall ye and the Nation be if ye do them: Take Hezekiah for an example, 2 Chron. 31.21. Who, in every work that he began in the ſervice of the Houſe of God, and in the Law, and in the Commandments to ſeek his God, he did it with all his heart and proſpered. That it may be thus with you, it ſhall be the Prayer; that it will be thus, it is the hope,
Right Worſhipful, Of Your Humbly Devoted to ſerve Ye in the Service of Chriſt. Benjamin Bruning.
ERRATA.
For Judges in Page 45. line 22. read Indies.