Selected quad for the lemma: world_n
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A56694
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A sermon preached before the King, on St. Stephen's-day by Sy. Patrick ...
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing P839; ESTC R23416
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11,988
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37
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Zealots that threw away their lives for a fancy And all vice and wickedness is a constant manifest scorn and contempt of their Sanctity as the foolish strictness of those who understood not their liberty If we will honour them we must heartily believe and obey that Gospel which they preached and asserted with their blood We must endeavour as one under the name of St. Cyprian speaks Vt tota etiam vita Martyrium hoc est testimonium Deo reddat that our whole life may be a Martyrdom that is a testimony unto God Let it testifie that we own him that we remember him that we fear and reverence him and that we love him and esteem his love and favour more than life it self Let it witness how much we love his will better than our own and what a Grace we think it that he hath taught us to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in the world Those lusts called worldly because they are so common are the Persecutors which now we are to conflict withal as the Martyrs did with other Enemies Here is now the trial of our Vertue here is the proof our Fidelity these put us to the test whether we will stick to our Lord and Master or yeild to their desires Si deest Tyrannus si tortor si spoliator c. as St. Austin speaks though there be no Tyrant blessed be God in these peaceable days no Tormentor no Plunderer yet evil desires are never wanting to afford daily occasion of Martyrdom For it is a kind of death sine cruore Martyrium in the Phrase of Sulpitius a Martyrdom without blood oecultum Martyrium in the language of St. Ambrose a secret unseen Martyrdom to suppress all desires of sinful pleasures to bear with the unkind censures of the envious and the reproaches of the malicious to forbear revenge when a fair opportunity is offered to stifle all motions of anger and wrath and discontent and hatred and pride vain-glory and ambition when there are constant provocations and strong temptations to them These are the evil affections we must manfully resist and crucifie and when they are dead it will not be hard for us by the Grace of God to dye too if need be for our Saviour's sake III. And now especially which is the last thing let every one of our lives give a testimony to God and do honour to his Religion when we solemnly commemore as we do at this time of the year both the wonderful great Love of our Lord the Eternal Son of God in becoming a man for us and the love also which the Martyrs those rational whole burnt-offerings as Greg. Naz. calls them Oraet XVIII in laud. Cypr. those perfect Sacrifices those acceptable Oblations expressed to him in dying for his Service Let us now carefully avoid all things contrary to our profession all riot and luxury drunkenness and revelling chambering and wantonness foolish that is filthy lascivious talking and jesting For these things saith the Apostle are not convenient do not agree with Christianity but rather giving of thanks for God's inestimable benefits bestowed on us V. Eph. 4. Seccine exprimitur publicum gaudium per publicum dedecus c. as Tertullian speaks of the Pagan Festivities Is this the way to express a publick joy by a publick shame Do those things become our solemn days which are unfit to be done at any time Valde absurdum est to use also the words of St. Hierom velle nimia saturitate honorare Martyrem quem scimus Deo placuisse jejuniis It is extreamly absurd to think to honour the Martyr by excess who we know pleased God by fastings To celebrate his memory meerly with Plays and Sports and Merriment who we know was acceptable to our Lord by devout Prayers Praises and Thanksgivings To keep his day after the Heathenish fashion whose Martyrdom was the destruction of error as the forenamed Greek Father speaks the persecution of Vice the drowning of Sin and the cleansing of the world Not that it is unfit now to Feast and recreate our selves for it is never more seasonable nor more safe to feast and refresh our bodies than when at such solemnities we have feasted our Souls We can never be better disposed nor better understand how to use God's blessings thankfully soberly and charitably than when he is fresh in our thoughts and we have been commemorating his marvellous bounty to us all And therefore after the Psalms and Hymns wherewith they Ad Sanct. Coelum C. 12. anciently praised God for the Martyrs there followed in many places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the great Constantine speaks most sober feasts of Christian good-fellowship wherein the poor were fed and all enmities buried Nor did they think it an unfit expression of their joy to dance at the Sepulchres of the Martyrs Hom. in Barlaam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Godly and Religious dances as both St. Basil and his great Friend so often mentioned Carm. 63. expresly tell us And is it not possible for us to separate such innocent things from that intemperance and wantonness which at last robbed the Martyrs of this part of their honour and caused these customs to be abolished Let us but so devoutly attend upon the Divine Service on such days as to carry away a sense of God in our mind and the business is done That will sufficiently secure us and preserve us from danger Whatsoever we do we shall express the Character which Clemens Alexandrinus gives of his wise Christian who he says Strom. L. VII is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the same time both grave and merry in all things Grave because he remembers God and merry because of the many good things which he enjoys by the favour of God For all which his Holy Name be praised as well as for his Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus To whom with the Father and the Holy-Ghost be all honour thanksgiving love and faithful service both now and evermore Amen THE END