A77999:51
A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in the Abbey…A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peeres, in the Abbey…
A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in the Abbey at Westminster, the 26. of Novemb. 1645. Being the day appointed for solemn and public humiliation. / By Jer: Burroughs. Published by order of the said House.A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peeres, in the Abbey at Westminster, the 26. of Novemb. 1645. Being the day appointed for solemne and publique humiliation. / By Jer: Burroughes. Published by order of the said House.
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1645
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
When I appear before God, says Pelican, a German Divine, I shall not appear in my robes as a Doctor, but as a Christian; so when you shall appear before Christ, you shall not appear in your Parliament robes, with your ensigns of honour and Nobility, but as naked, mean as the poorest; only you must answer for your honour, your Nobility you had here, how they were improved for God. Many men of great estates & dignities, when they come to dye, would be glad to be as such and such poor men, who have walked with God in their integrity. Granatensis reports of one Eucritus, who being asked, Uter mallet esse Craesus vel Socrates, whether he had rather be Croesus, or Socrates? he answered, Vivens Croesus, moriens Socrates; while he lived, Croesus; when he dyed, Socrates. God will have glory from all his creatures; he hath sworn by himself, and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteousness, that ⟨p. 14⟩Every knee shall bow unto him, and every tongue confess his Name.
When I appeare before God, saies Pelican, a German Divine, I shall not appeare in my robes as a Doctor, but as a Christian; so when you shall appeare before Christ, you shall not appear in your Parliament robes, with your ensignes of honour and Nobilitie, but as naked, meane as the poorest; onely you must answer for your honour, your Nobilitie you had here, how they were improved for God. Many men of great estates & dignities, when they come to dye, would be glad to be as such and such poor men, who have walked with God in their integritie. Granatensis reports of one Eucritus, who being asked, Uter mallet esse Craesus vel Socrates, whether he had rather be Craesus, or Socrates? he answered, Vivens Craesus, moriens Socrates; while he lived, Craesus; when he dyed, Socrates. God will have glory from all his creatures; he hath sworne by himself, and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteousnesse, that ⟨p. 14⟩Every knee shall bow unto him, and every tongue confesse his Name.
Learn then how to be abased now; do not stay till God forces abasement; if you stay till then, God may justly refuse to receive any glory from you, in any other but a passive way.