Wisdoms Judgment of Folly, Title page – Dedication
WISDOME'S JVDGMENT OF FOLLY. DELIVERED In a SERMON at the SPITAL, In the Solemn ASSEMBLY of the CITY, on Munday in Eaſter-Week, April XI. A.D. MDCLIII.
By THOMAS HORTON, D.D.
PROV. 1 20, 21. and 8.2, 3.
WISDOM cryeth without, ſhe uttereth her voyce in the Streets, ſhe cryeth in the chief place of concourſe, in the opening of the Gates; in the City ſhe uttereth her words. She ſtandeth in the top of high places, by the wayes, in the places of the paths. She cryeth at the Gates, at the entering in of the City, at the coming in of the doors: O ye ſimple, underſtand Wiſdom, &c.
J…. 9.23.
Thus ſaith the LORD, Let not the wiſe man glorie in his wiſdom.
1 COR. 1.27.
God hath choſen the fooliſh things of the world to confound the Wiſe.
London, Printed by T. Maxey for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the BALL in S. Pauls Church-yard. 1653.
To the Right Honorable JOHN FOWKES LORD MAYOR, Together with the Court of ALDERMEN of the famous City of LONDON.
RIGHT HONORABLE,
I Here preſent you with a Sermon, which is many ways Yours, but two eſpecially: The one, as it was firſt preached upon your Invitation; and the other, as it is now Printed upon your Importunity. The Subject it treats of is WISDOME, which (if it may prove ſo in the Event, and a wiſe man may be Judg in his own Cauſe, and magnifying of his owne Perfections) is much better then eitheraEccleſ. 9.15, 16, 18. STRENGTH or WEAPONS OF WAR; and whereby (for the greater Incouragement of thoſe which are Rich) even the Poor have ſometimes been able to deliver the City. All the matter is this, What this Wiſdom is, and wherein it conſiſts. The World commonly miſtakes it, and layes it in that moſt, which hath leaſt title to it of any thing elſe; from whence it juſtly incurres the cenſure of the contrary Denomination, and that in the ſenſe of Him who is beſt able to judg of both. In this ſhort and ſlender Diſcourſe (which ye have here before you) you may perhaps finde ſomething, which may in ſome meaſure tend to the unfolding of this difficulty to you, and a right Determination of the Cauſe: which if it ſhall pleaſe God by his Spirit to ſet on effectually upon any of your hearts, (as you have cheerfully entertain'd it with your Ears) or upon the Hearts of any others, whoſe eys together with yours may be made partakers of it, I ſhall not then altogether repent me of expoſing my ſelf in this manner to publick view; which yet otherwiſe, in an Age which abounds ſo much with Sermons and Cenſoriouſneſſe both at once, I very wel might. The Lord who is the God of wiſdom, give us all the Spirit of wiſdom anſwerable to the ſeveral Services whereunto he deſignes us: And powr forth a large Meaſure of this Spirit more abundantly, & eſpecially upon Your ſelvs, for the menaging of thoſe great Affairs which theſe Times put you upon in the Government of this populous City; The welfare and happineſſe whereof, with your Own (as a part of it) ſhall be alwayes moſt unfainedly deſired by
Your Servant in and for Chriſt, THO. HORTON.