Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A76466
|
A sermon of the Epiphany preached in the Queen Dowagers chappel at Somerset-House, upon Twelfth Day, January the 6th. 1686. By John Betham, Doctor of Sorbon, and preacher in ordinary to his Majesty. Published by Her Majesties command.
|
Betham, John, d. 1709.
|
1687
(1687)
|
Wing B2059A; ESTC R210158
|
15,308
|
38
|
temetipsum Although it be true that they too too often fail'd yet they and their Ancestors were the only people that had brought down the worship of the True God from mans creation never wanting in the height of their disorders some faithful servants of Heaven true worshippers of the only divinity as appears by the answer made to the Prophet Elias when he 3. Reg. 19. 3. thought piety at the lowest ebb so among both living and dead they never wanted powerful advocates to plead their Cause to interpose between the People and their offended Maker Some had fail'd others had still faithfully served him some blasphemed his holy Name others sung his praises day and night when there was one of the race of Jacob so weak that Maccab. 1. 2. he sacrific'd to Idols by the command of Antiochus there was a Mattathias so zealous as to immolate the unfortunate wretch upon the same Altar and so repair'd the Insolence When there was a Zimri so impious as to defile himself Numb 25. 8. with an unfortunate Midianite there was a Phineas so replenish'd with the zeal of the Lord that he could not suffer the indignity but sacrific'd upon the place the two Criminals to the divine Justice Perfodit ambos simul kill'd them both and so by his zeal sav'd the race of Israel Nay at the very time the Messias appear'd although there was a monstrous Herod then a Jew by Profession that thirsted after the Blood of this innocent Lamb there was at the same time an old Simeon replenished with the holy Ghost who expected with impatience the happy moment desiring to live for no other end but that he might only see this sweet Babe and imbrace him in his arms after which happens he ask'd for his own dismission from this world Nunc dimitte tuum servum Domine Begging his Luke 2. 29. Life might be clos'd with that Exstacy of Love with which he was wrapt at that charming passage In fine although few honoured him as Redeemer when first born yet we find within the precincts of Judaea a band of pious Shepherds a Prophetess Anna a faithful Joseph and Mary that gave him the honour and adoration due to his Divine Majesty From hence we may conclude that although the Jew's Call to believe in and adore the true Messias was an effect of God's infinite Bounty and Mercy yet it was in some measure proper and convenient After this dear Christians should I lay before you the sad condition of the Gentiles when our Saviour came to redeem the world as 't is described by St. Paul 't will appear the Rom. 1. most deplorable that unfortunate man was ever condemned to they knew the eternal Power the invisible Majesty of an incomprehensible God by the creatures he had made yet they were so sensless and stupid Stulti facti sunt as to give the supream worship due only to this adorable Divinity to Birds Beasts Crocodiles and Serpents and so prefer'd the last and most despicable of Creatures before the All-Puissant and eternal Creator Servierunt Creaturae Ver. 25. potius quam Creatori And therefore St. Paul says God justly deliver'd them over to the Tyranny of the most ignominious of Passions in Passiones ignominiae men and women 26 perverting the order of Nature by the most infamous and monstrous wayes that human corruption could invent most unhamanly revenging themselves upon one another and this as the chastisement and just reward of their Idolatryes and other Crimes Mercedem quam oportuit Erroris sui in temetipsis recipientes so â—7 abandon'd by their Maker whom they had first forsaken he delivered them over to a reprobate sence that they might act more like brute Beasts than reasonable Creatures Ut faciant 28. ea quae non conveniunt defil'd and infamous by all sorts of iniquity Avarice Impurity Pride Sedition Murder Theft envious malicious enemies to mankind and hateful to God Detractores 30. Deo odibiles void of all Sence of all Modesty of all good Nature of all Fidelity without Pity without Mercy Insipientes 31. absque faedere absque misericordia Such monsters of Vice that scarce any thing above Hell could be an Emblem of them as appears by what St. Peter saw in his vision that told him they Acts. 10. were not excluded from the Gospel they were then laid before him as brute Beasts Serpents savage Creatures as the greek Text relates it Nay they were so despicable to the Jewish Nation that God Almighty did not think any thing could more mortify the Israelites than to tell them their Crimes had lessened them so in the sight of God that the very Gentiles should be prefer'd before them Provocabo eos in eo qui Deut. 32. 21. non est Populus I will provoke them to jealousy and envy in seeing those abandoned wretches prefer'd before them who were never treated as yet but as People design'd for slaughter In Gente stulta irritabo illâ—s I will provoke them to rage and fury in seeing such Sots and Ideots become my favourites a People with whom he had never vouchsafed to treat to whom he had never made the least promise of mercy Promissionis spem non habentes Ephes 2. 12. The sacred History is fill'd with the formidable effects of his Justice as when the Israelites were commanded to murder whole Countyes Man Woman and Child without any distinction of age sex or condition whole Kingdoms massacred by one another the Caldeans by the Persians the Persians by the Grecians the Grecians by the Romans and this for the space of some thousands of years without any account of particular Persons for whose Salvation we have ground to hope Then if we proceed farther and cast an eye over the vast Continent of Europe Asia Africa and America we shall find all these vastly extended Countryes Infamous by all the abominations that reprobate man could invent scarce a Creature so despicable in whole nature as Crocodiles and Serpents that by some or other was not treated as a God. The detestable disorders of this nature were not only found in some corner of the World but in all nations where the Sun gave light except that poor spot of Ground call'd Palestine this not for a year or two but for thousands of years without affording any servants of the true God that might mediate for the rest verifying to the letter in whole Empires what David said of the Jews by exaggeration Non est qui faciat Psal 52. 4. bonum non est usque ad unum In innumerable Kingdoms not one that we can name and in the whole worlds of Gentiles we have certainty of none's salvation but of one poor single Job among so many millions from the days of Abraham till the coming of the Messias as for all our unfortunate forefathers near home in Britany France Germany and all Europe we cannot name one nor have any good reason
abominations his patience could not bear it but his Love was turn'd as the prophet observes not only into anger but rage and fury Iratus est furore Dominus in Populum Ver. 38. suum Fury as Philosophers observe is not a common sort of anger but a rage that is restless till it gluts its self with blood and revenge a rage that is not appeas'd but by massacre slaughter a rage which the wise man calls that kind of anger that punisheth without bounds chastises without pity or mercy Non libet misericordiam erumpens furor A rage that is Prov. 27. 3. accompanied as Moses says with a devouring fire Ignis succensus est in furore meo A fire that Deut. 32. 22. searches every corner of those melancholly infernal Caves and will burn as long as Hell shall last ardebit usque ad Inferni novissima This dreadful consequence of mans Ingratitude this unhumane return for much eminent favours made St. Peter explicate himself at large upon this point that we might be sensible of such unworthy proceedings Si refugientes coinquinationes 2 Pet. 2. 20. seculi in cognitione Domini nostri salvatoris Jesu Christi Whomsoever have been so happy as by the assistance of God's Grace to fly from the dangerous infection of this world when blest with the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus His rursus implicati superantur Yet shall be so unfortunate so ungrateful as to plung themselves a second time in their once renounced and forsaken disorders What will be the consequence of such relapses but that their present condition is much more deplorable than their former Facta est posteriora deteriora prioribus Wherefore the same Apostle concludes Melius enim erat illis non cognoscere Ver. 21. vias Justitiae They had better have remain'd in their ignorance and blindness in their abominations and idolatry never to have been blest with the Faith of the true Messtas the knowledge of the Law of God never to have known the paths that lead to Heaven Quam postquam post agnitionem retrorsum converti then to be so miserable as after such Divine Lights to return again to our wayes of darkness St. Paul in like manner told the Jews who avail'd themselves upon the account of Revelations which had been made to them that God had confided to them the secrets of his Worship the prophesies of their own and the worlds future Happiness But alas what advantage would they reap from these priviledges if their lives were not an exact observance of this Law if their lives were not squar'd to its Rules and Precepts Si prevaricator legis sis sayes Rom. 2. 25. St. Paul if you break its commands Circumcisio tua praeputium factum est your having that pledge of Gods kindness put into your hands his Divine Law your being mark't out for his peculiar people your circumcision and all your priviledges make you not less miserable than the poorest Pagan Had not the Israelites that Apostatiz'd under Jeroboam better never have known the Law of the Lord of Israel than to have turn'd his Honour to the Temples of Idols Had not Judas better have remain'd the worst of most obstinate Jews than to have heard the Law of Christ and betray its Maker Therefore our Saviour told the Pharisees who were so zealous in gaining Proselytes that if their Conversion to the Jewish Law were not accompanyed with an absolute change of Manners in such as imbrac'd that Worship Facitis Mat. 23. 15. eum filium Gehennae duplo quam vos The poor convert was more miserable than ever sentenc'd a double damnation for abusing so signal a Call. But our Saviour in St. John's Gospel comes yet more home to our present point when he told the Jews to whom he preach't before whom he wrought so many Miracles to convince them he was the true Messias the only way to Heaven as he calls Himself That all those advantages not rightly us'd would avail them nothing but on the contrary they had been more happy never to have heard of the true Messias or his Law For as our Saviour said Si non venissem John. 15. 22. locutus fuissem peccatum non haberent If I had not appear'd amongst you preach't my Gospel you had not been so criminal but now since I have open'd your eyes convinc'd you with Miracles prov'd my Mission by your own Law and Prophets Excusationem non habent de peccato suo They are left without excuse This dear Christians will be apply'd to us who have been call'd before thousands who in appearance deserv'd the grace better since he has as you have heard prefer'd you before your neighbors friends and nearest relations given you a full knowledge of your Crimes provided you with infallible Remedies against them placed you in the certain way if you will walk in it of obtaining everlasting bliss Therfore such as correspond not with these Graces make not the right use of these Mercies Excusationem non habent de peccato suo will be destitute of all excuse and defence that might help to Save them We cannot answer with Heathens and Infidels that we knew not the Law for it has been preach'd unto us that we were ignorant our lives were so guilty and enormous for our crimes have been clearly laid open before us we cannot complain we wanted means to heat our sear'd Consciences for most soverain Remedies have been put into our hands we cannot complain we knew not the worlds Messias for he has publisht his coming and appearance by innumerable Miracles made known unto us we cannot pretend the paths of Heaven are still inaccessable for they have been beaten and made plain to any that does not wilfully shut his eyes you have been set in them with such certain directions that no-nothing but a wilful blindness could hinder you from walking steadily to eternal Bliss therefore if we run astray it s wholly our own fault we are deprived of all defence struck dumb by a self-conviction Excusationem non habent de peccato suo no excuse left to lessen our doom Let me therefore dear Christians conclude earnestly beseeching you as St. Paul did the Ephesians Obsecro ut digne ambuletis vocatione qua vocati Ephes 1. 1. estis to live as becomes men honoured with so merciful a Call A Call that was the most undeserv'd most signal most astonishing Grace that sinful man could ever receive from Heaven and consequently our behaviour ought to be the most humble the most grateful most faithful steady performance of all Christian duties that ever was seen in creatures Let our dayly Meditation be how upon this day by an Omnipotent Mercy after so many Thousand years Rebellion after the Crimes of so many Ages the Contempt of GOD the abuse and prophanation of all his Creatures for which we seem'd justly abandon'd for evermore to the slavery of Hell we were happily snatch'd out of the Lyons Jaws rescu'd as St. Paul sayes out of the hands of the power of Darkness Eripuit nos de Col. 1. 13. potestate tenebrarum And happily translated In Dei lumen gloriam To the Light and Glory of GOD made partakers of the light of his Divine Gospel which will if follow'd certainly direct you to the more bright and refulgent rayes of Eternal Glory Remember hourly as St. Leo sayes Memento cujus capitis corporis sis membrum Serm. 1. de Nati To what Head you are this day United and of what Body you are made happy members In a word sayes he Agnosce Christiane dignitatem tuam Own Christian man and contemplate thy new dignity Et noli in veterem vilitatem degeneri conversatione redire For shame degenerate not so far disgrace not your selves to that degree as to return to those mean unworthy Base Ways that dishonour'd the Life of Man before this happy Call and Conversion Let 's imitate the first-fruits of us Gentiles those generous and glorious Kings who were no sooner call'd to the Faith of Christ but they were rais'd above the charms of this world neither the love of ease or their own homes not all the Pomps and Magnificence of Herod's Court the greatest according to Joseph that perhaps the world had seen neither this nor the apprehensions of most imminent dangers could stop them in the search after this New-Born King nor hinder their zeal from publick adoration Nor was this perform'd in a slight manner but by an intire casting of themselves and all they possest at his Royal Feet This was fully done and signifyed as St Ber. observes by Hom. 3. de Epiph. the three Offerings they made in the Gold they consecrated to his service all the treasure and earthly substance they possest in this world In the Frankinsence which signifies Prayer they testifyed an intire devoting themselves to a spiritual life for the future for Prayer is nothing else but an ardent desire of God and Heaven By Myrrh which keeps things from putrefaction they dedicated themselves to penance and mortification which as St. Ber. observes conserves from the corruption of sin Ne diffluens in vitia putrefiat lest by the dissolution of sin the soul may be tainted perish These were emblems of their future behaviour during the rest of their lives they were careful never to return to their old ways in which they had walked before their conversion but went home as the Scripture tells us another way per aliam viam lets follow them dear Christians and never stop till we arrive as they did at the Heavenly Hierusalem Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 3. line 7. for the innocent read Innocent ibid. l. 12. f. latter r. Letter p. 5. l. 4. f. Justitiae r. Justus ibid. l. 27. f. Prophet r. Prophets f. Governor r. Governors p. 7. l. 12. f. happens r. happiness p. 11. l. 6. f. tiil r. till ibid. l. 22. f. procures r. proves p. 13. l. 16. f. Majesty r. Justice ibid. l. 27. f. superabundavit iniquitas r. Abundavit delictum p. 21. l. 2. f. saliter r. taliter p. 26. l. 8. f. supposed r. supported ibid. l. 19. f. preserv'd r. preferr'd p. 28. l. 6. f. libet r. habet ibid. l. 13. f. much r. such l. ult f. est r. sunt p. 29. l. 9. dele postquam