Sins Discovery and Revenge, Errata – Dedication
ERRATA.
PAge 26 line 1 for, in proving read improving. p. 26 l. 15 for, More may follow the light, r. More light is communicated, &c. p. 26. l. 17. for merits r. receits. p. 27. l. 14. for, receive r. leave.
Sinnes Diſcovery AND REVENGE.
As it was Delivered in a SERMOM to the Right Honorable Houſe of PEERS in the Abbey Church at Weſtminſter, on Wednſday, December 30. 1646. being the Day of the Monethly Publick Faſt.
BY THOMAS HORTON B. D. Reader of Divinity in Greſham Colledge, and Paſtor of Colechurch in LONDON.
Publiſhed by the Order of the ſaid Houſe.
Gen. IV. VII.
If thou doeſt not well, ſin lyeth at the doore.
I Tim. V. XXIIII. XXV.
Some mens ſins are open before hand, going before to judgement; and ſome men they follow after; likewiſe alſo the good works of ſome are manifeſt before hand, and they that are otherwiſe cannot be hid.
LONDON: Printed by F: Neile for Samuel Gellibrand, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Braſen Serpent in Pauls Churchyard. 1646.
Die Jovis 31 Decemb. 1646.
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament Aſſembled, That this Houſe gives Thanks to Mr. Horton, for his great pains taken in his Sermon Preached the laſt Faſt before the Lords of Parliament in the Abbey Church Weſtminſter. And he is hereby deſired to Print, and publiſh the ſame, which is to be Printed onelyonly by Authority under his own Hand.
Jo: Brown Cleric: Parliamen.
I Do appoint Samuel Gellibrand to Print my Sermon.
Tho: Horton.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HOUSE of PEERS At This Time Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
My Lords,
WHen Your Lordſhips were pleaſed to ſummon me to this Work of Preaching to You, I muſt confeſſe I had at the firſt ſome reluctancies in me as being privy to mine own unworthines, and inſufficiency to ſo Great a Task; But when I had recollected my ſelf, and conſider'd that in Your ſummons there was in a ſort the Call of God, I now began to be very much ſatiſfied, yea to draw incouragement from that which before was a diſ-heartning to me. Obſerving this very well, that it is the uſuall manner of God in ſuch buſineſſes as theſe are, not onelyonly to work by weak, and worthleſſe Inſtruments, but alſo ſometimes by them (to chooſe) rather then others, 2 Cor. 4.7.that the Excellency of the power might be of Him, and not of us. It is no matter what be the Tongue in the motion of ſo Admirable a Guide as his own Spirit; nor it is no matter what be the Pen in the Hand of ſo excellent a Scribe as Himſelf is. Surely the Providence of God in thoſe Imployments whereunto Himſelf cals us, does make a very Great Difference in thoſe Perſons, which are otherwiſe the ſame, either by rayſing the Actuall performance above the Habituall Qualification, in regard of Aſſiſtance, or by bleſſing the preſent performance with an efficacy beyond it ſelf in regard of ſucceſſe.
In theſe Thoughts, and Hopes (Right Honourable) have I under taken this Double Service in Obedience to Your Honours Commands; in the Pulpit firſt, and now in the Preſſe. The latter of which …ſpecially, I ſhould never have ventur'd upon *Mihiquidem ad ſcrib…ndum animus non tam eſt cupidus quam nec idoneus; Scienti noneſſe …bſ que periculo multorum Judiciis ingenium tenue & exile committere. Ruſſinus in Expoſu ſymbol, ſub Nom. cypr., if as I was warranted thereunto by the fulneſſe of Your Lordſhips Authority, Hoc ad crimina noſtra addimus, ut c…m in ommbus rei ſimus, …m bonos nos, & ſanctos eſſe credamus: ac sic in nobis cumulentur iniquitatis offenſae praeſumptione juſtitiae Salv.de Gube. Dei. lib 3. Rev. 12.12, 2 Cor. 2.11. De verb. Apli. Ser 26.ſo I had not been animated thereunto by the Freeneſſe of Your Lordſhips Invitation.
I here humbly preſent both to Your Honours, and to the World an Argument, which I conceive moſt ſutable to theſe Times, which are now upon us; Being at once both Dayes of ſin, and Dayes of ſecurity; wherein (as Salvian of old complain'd of thoſe Times which Himſelf lived in,) we do aggravate our Iniquity by the conceit of our Innocency; and are ſo much the worſe, as we think our ſelves the Better.
Indeed I know very well, that the Devill is there moſt buſie, where he thinks he has the ſhorteſt time; And Times of Reformation are for the moſt part Times of Temptation, but therefore we ſhould not be ignorant of Satans devices, but there increaſe our Jealouſies, where he ſtudies to increaſe our Dangers.
There are two things which (as Auſtin well obſerves) do make the Dayes to be Evill. MALITIA & MISERIA. Sin, and the Puniſhment of ſin. * foreign. Thucyd. Hiſtor.l. 1. ſub finem.We have our ſhare in Both at this preſent Time; And the latter as conſequent to the Former. We might ſave God a Great deal of labour, and our ſelves a Great deal of ſorrow, if we had but leſſe ſin amongſt us; Which (as Pericles ſaid once to the Athenians) is to be feared does us more hurt, then all the plots of our Enemies beſides' The work of this inſuing Sermon is in ſome ſmall and weak meaſure to lay open this unto us, and to affect us with it. All that I now take care for, is to have the Bleſſing of God upon it, to make it ſucceſſefull whtch (beſides the daily remembrance of Your Lordſhips unwearied Indeavours for the Publick Good) is the earneſt and moſt hearty prayer of
Your Honours moſt humbly devoted in the ſervice of Chriſt, Tho: Horton.