Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A92748
|
Funeral sermon at the interrment of the very great and noble Charles late Earl of Southeske who died at his castle of Leuchars in the shire of Fife, upon the 9th. of August. And was interr'd at his burial-place near his house of Kinnaird in the shire of Angus, upon the 4th. of October 1699. By R.S. D.D.
|
Scott, Robert, D.D.
|
1699
(1699)
|
Wing S2081; ESTC R229815
|
16,859
|
28
|
the Virtues of Dorcas much talked of and the Product of her Handy-labour exhibited to her Praise in the sight of the Apostle who was allowed to raise her from the Dead The first two I shall make mention of are coupled together by our Blessed Lord and Saviour in the Eleventh Chap. of St. Matt. Gospel Verse 24. In a grand Lesson he offers unto and enjoyns upon his Disciples It is in these Words Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart And sufficiently to understand the Value of these Graces it will be fit to mention another Scripture Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy Place with him also that is of a Contrit and Humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the Humble and to revive the Heart of the Contrit Ones Where it is obviously observable That these Virtue so qualify the Soul as to make it a Habitation for God and do make up a considerable part of the Image of Christ Nor do I say that these alone can qualify Us for an Union with God but that they are two of the most considerable Virtues in the exercise of which we may hope to attain to the Blessedness of an other World For the Meekness of our Great and Noble Friend it was such as that seldom he was found to be Angry For my self I have heard his Ears provok'd but never saw his Countenance changed And if we take in the Holy St. Augustin his Description of the Meek which is in these Words Commenting upon our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount mites qui cedunt Improbitatibus non resistunt in malo He knew to bear evil Offices done him in the World with as equal a Mind as any amongst Men Nor did he take pleasure to render Evil for Evil but rather in the Meekness of his Spirit to overcome Evil with Good And without either Fondness or Hyperbole I may adventure to say that if he came not up to the Meekness of Moses in the exercise of this Virtue he was one of the Meekest Men of all the Societies where he happened to be found For his Humility it was as Signal as it was Singular He ever shunned all pompous Appearances and proud Competitions He was assable and easy in his Conversation even with these of inferior Quality and yet with his Equals setting forth a Greatness suitable to his Birth attended with all the possibly attainable Effects that his Noble and Generous Education at Foreign Courts could have been expected to produce For his Table it was ever opulent and honest and upon all solemn and singular Occasions second to none amongst his Peers but nothing Vain or savouring of Ostentation In his Apparel though he never wanted by him the richest and finest yet he looked upon himself as Great in the Virtue of his Country as in the Product of the Indies and truely he was so Whatsoever he had to boast beyond his Neighbours in considerable acquired Parts he had no itch to shew them but industriously kept them up except when the common Benefit of others did require it Nor were his Attainments only in that which we call the Gentile-Learning especially the Classick Authors whereof a Copy is extant in his Library than which there can be none found finer in the Nation but in other Sciences that are of greater Use and require closser and more serious Application And I have been witness to his modest and bashful Concealing of them when he had good opportvnity to set them forth to his Praise making good that Description St. Bernard gives of Humility Gloriari non solet contendere non consuevit it doth not Boast it useth not to Wrangle The next Virtue that shined in him was his remarkable Justice in observance of that great Gospel Precept Matth. 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do you even so to them For this is the Law and the Prophets This Virtue did he practise to a great Pitch in all the Transactions of his greater Affairs and in lesser Concerns in his State and Family still Allowing Approving and Commending upon all Occasions all Actions of that Nature And was frequently heard to say that however unjust any were to him he would be Just to all the World And in some time his Singular Justice in most Signal Acts of it may be made appear To these add his Eminent Charity and Bounty to all that were in want so necessary a Virtue in these pinching times and that likwise in obedience to a very great Gospel Precept Heb. 13.16 To do Good and Communicat forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased This is a Virtue that admits not of such publick Evidences because we are forbid to sound a Trumpet before it And that is indeed the great difference betwixt true Charity and vain Ostentation Only this I can say as upon certain Knowledge that sometimes I have been called to find out fit objects for his Charitable Distributions Now here is a short Catalogue of some of the most Excellent Christian Virtues which very eminently dwelt in him And might we stay longer upon this to highten the Morality of his Life we might call in as Auxiliaries the Cardinal Moral Virtues admired practised and recommended by the Ancients as founded upon the Light of Nature One of these is already touched to wit Justice the other three are Prudence Temperance and Fortitude of Mind Of the first of these he was Blessed with very large Measures And if we speak the Language of the Moralists nullum Numen abest si fit prudentia For his Temperance in eating he could shew himself Sober in the midst of great Abundance For the other part of it in Liquors many times have I heard him remonstrat against the use of them betwixt Meals And if at any time the corrupt Customs of the Age did impose upon his Gentle and condescending Spirit he bore both the trouble and Resentment of it to a Christian Measure For that of Fortitude of Mind which is indeed the Stay and Anchor of all the rest he was a Phaenix for it which cannot miss to be attested by all that had the Honour to Converse with him Never a more equal and immovable temper of Spirit found ordinarly amongst Men upon the Earth You ever found him where you left him and what he was he was unto the End So that Relative to all these both Christian Moral Virtues he seemed to inhaunce that Precept of the Blessed Apostle 1 Cor. xv 58. Be Stedfast and Immoveable Signal Evidences of this Fortitude of Mind did appear to a Wonder in the sight of many Witnesses at his Death his Noble and Honourable Friends whom he had called to the Christian Office of attending him at that Season There did he seem so far to Triumph over Death that the ordinar Temper of his Mind suffered no imaginable Change speakihg with