The Active and Public Spirit, Title page – Errata
THE ACTIVE and PUBLICK SPIRIT, HANDLED In a SERMON, Preached at Pauls, October 26th. 1656.
By Thomas Jacomb, Miniſter at Martins-Ludgate, LONDON.
When Sanballat the Horonite, &c. it grieved them exceedingly that there was a man come to ſeek the welfare of the Children of Iſrael,
Nehem. 2.10.
And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap, if we faint not.
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, eſpecially to them who are of the houſhold of Faith,
Gal. 6.9, 10.
Nihil habet fortuna magna majus quam ut poſſit, nec natura bona melius quam ut velit bene-facere quam plurimis.
Cicer.
foreign.
Marc Antonin.
LONDON, Printed by T. R. for Philemon Stephens at the gilded Lyon in S. Pauls Church-yard, and Abel Roper at the Sun neer S. Dunſtons-Church in Fleeſtret, 1657.
Titchborne Major.Tueſday 4. of Novem. 1656.
It is ordered, that Mr Jacomb of Martins-Ludgate be deſired from this Court to Print his late Sermon at Pauls.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL SIR JOHN DETHICK, lately LORD MAJOR, AND To the Right Worſhipfull the Aldermen of the famous City of LONDON.
Right Worſhipfull,
YOUR Order brought this Sermon ſome few moneths ſince into the PULPIT, and now into the PRESS: Might I have been mine owne Chooſer, I ſhould have wiſhed that this ſlender Diſcourſe, like David in the Text; after it had done ſome ſmall ſervice to its Generation, might have fallen aſleep, and ſeen the light no more: But obedience to your Commands muſt make me to break through all my owne private deſires.
I hope the Matter here handled, did not, nor will not, give you, or any other perſon any occaſion of offence, I know Truth is biting, where there's guilt; Veritas loquendi grande praeſagit malum: Lactant.and therefore to ſome it is very dangerous to preach it, but yet the ſound back will endure to be touch'd, Amara eſt veritas & quiſquis eum praedicat amaritudine ſatiabitus. Hieron.and there's no kicking at it.
I humbly beg your candid acceptation of this poor Mite, ſuch as it is, and your pardon for two things; Firſt, That ſo much time is runn'd out ſince your Order, before it was obeyed; which hath not been occaſioned from an elaborateneſs in the Work (as every Reader will eaſily perceive) ſuch Muſhroomes as this may grow in a very little time, and a few daies are enough for ſo mean a Birth: But partly by many occaſions interveniug; partly by ſome threatning tryals in my Relations, which have much diſtracted me in my Studies, and partly by my very great backwardneſs to appeare thus in Print, unto which (during my preſent yeares and abilities) nothing ſhould drive me but meer neceſſity. I further beg your favour in excuſing ſome variations that poſſibly you may take notice of in the Printing and in the preaching; the ſubſtance and matter is the ſame, here and there ſome expreſſions and enlargements are altered, which I have done, becauſe I judge, that which is preſented to the Eare, may with greater advantage be preſented to the Eye, when it is a little put into another dreſs.
The drift and deſigne of my Sermon was to quicken you up to an active and publick Spirit: And I pitcht upon this Subject, not in the leaſt to reflect upon you, as being ſlothfull and ſelfiſh in your places, but that I might ſtir you up yet to abound more and more in the work of the Lord,1 Cor. 35. … and in your activeneſſe for the good of your Generation: Should I ſay the former I ſhould very much wrong you, and ſhould I ſay there was no need of the latter, I ſhould very much wrong my ſelf.
It is obſerved of the Planets, the higher they are in their ſcituation, the quicker they are in their motion. God hath ſet you in very high places, a low, Monſtroſa res eſt gradus ſummus & animus infimus, ſedes prima & vita ima. Bern. de conſid. l. 2.and lazie, and un-active Spirit is very unbecomming to your places; I beſeech you therefore with indefatigable diligence lay out your ſelves for God, and the publick, trade your Talent of power to the utmoſt advantage. Let your Spirits be as publick as your Places are; Hath God ſet the Sun in a publick Orbe to give light to its ſelf? Self-ſeeing was alwaies naught, but in ſuch times as theſe, it is naught with a witneſſe: Seekeſt thon now great things for thy ſelf? Jer. 45.5.ſeek them not. Let the bleſſing of many come upon you for your zeale and ſincerity in ſerving your Generation; It is better to have the Prayers of the publick, then the Profits of the publick. Do you work for the people of God in the Court, they will work for you in the Cloſet, let them have your Power, you ſhall have their Prayer, do you rule for them, they will pray for you.
To you (Right Worſhipfull) in whoſe hands the Sword of Authoritie hath been latelie held, at the laying down of which this Sermon was preached; I hope you find the comfort of what Service you have done. Generation-work is like the gathering of Roſes, which in the gathering, may be they prick the fingers, but when they are gathered, they are very ſweet. I think he went too far, that writing the life of Anaſtatius, ſaid thus,Stella de vit. Pontif. Aquo haud quicquam habetur quod merito reprehendi queat. I am ſure I ſhould not go far enough, as to your Government; if I ſhould not ſay, much was done by you, which deſerves juſtlie to be commended, you are not yet fallen aſleep, though as to that Office you are. The Lord heighten your zeale, and make you yet more inſtrumentall for good, that your Life may be comfortable to others, and your Death comfortable to your own ſelf; Which is the heartie prayer of,
Febr. 26. 1656. Your worthleſſe Servant in the Work of Chriſt, Tho. Jacomb.
Errata.
Epiſt. p. 2. l. 16. r. any. in the Margent r. eam, ſatiabitur. Sermon, p. 13. l. 7. r. up. p. 18. l. 17. r. diſſerve. in the Margent r. temporum. p. 22. l. 13. add did.