to him by whom he is continually thwarted and prouoked Doth not euerie of you make choice of such coÌ„pany as wherewith he may liue at quietnes and peace How can you then expect to haue me to walke with you when as there is no coÌ„cord or agreement betwixt you and me I call one way you turne wilfully another way I command one thing and you do the contrary You prouoke me with your iniquities from day to day Therfore be ye wel assured that your coÌ„pany is not for me neither wil I haue any society or felowship with you 2 The terme of walking as it is referred to God betokeneth his gratious healthfull presence as it is applied to men it signifieth the conuersation and life of maÌ„ To make vse theÌ„ of the words wee may here obserue first the life of man compared to a walke Secondly wee are to note wherein standeth the commoditie conueniencie of this walke and that is to walke together in societie and company Thirdly what is the means to hold vs together which is concord and agreement Of the first we haue example in those exhortatioÌ„s of the apostle e Rom. 13 13. Walke honestly as in the day time f Eph 5. 8. Ibid. ver 15. walke as children of light g 1. Th. 2. 12. walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise h walke worthy of him who hath called you into his kingdome and glory But what should I need to bring many exaÌ„ples of that which in the scriptures is so commonly and euerie where to be found let vs rather consider what is to bee gathered thereof for our instruction A walke therefore importeth first a way wherein wee are to walke secondly an end whereto we walke thirdly motion in the way and fourthly proceeding or going forward therein lastly perseuerance and continuaÌ„ce vnto the waies end what our way for our walke is the Prophet Dauid signifieth wheÌ„ he saith i blessed are they that are vndefiled Ps 119. 1. in the way and addeth by way of exposition which walk in the law of the lord The law of the Lord is the way wherin we are to walke Therfore Moses wheÌ„ he had giuen the law of God to the people of Israel biddeth theÌ„ k Deut. 5. 33. to walke in al that way which the lord their God had coÌ„manded theÌ„ And hence are those phrases of l Ex. â—2 8. Deut. 9. 12. turning out of the way when we forsake the coÌ„mandements of God and m Psal 3â— 34. keeping his way when we obserue the same It is a great question in our dayes what way it is wherin we may safely securely walke many are much distracted perplexed hereabout because they see so great contention and coÌ„trouersie which is the right way But all this doubt God him selfe resolueth to them that are willing to take resolution of him the law of the Lord the word of God which hee hath deliuered to vs by his Prophets and Apostles that onely is the sure and certaine way Hee that teacheth according to this law hee teacheth the right way hee that teacheth beside this law seeme he to be of neuer so great authoritie and credit hee teacheth a wrong way In this way God hath reuealed vnto vs all the waies which he will haue vs to goe what to beleeue and how to liue what to doe and what to eschew and not onely of such duties as are common to all but also what concerneth euery man in his special state and calling what is the dutie both of Prince and subiect of the Pastour and of the fiocke of the Husband and the wife the Parents and the children the Master and the seruants the rich the poore the high and the low the word of God according to the phrase of our Sauiour Christ n Mar. 13. 24. appointeth to euery man his worke to euery man that seruice that his master requireth of him o Gregor Moral li. 16. cap. 16. By the Scripture saith Gregory Bishop of Rome God telleth vs all his will p Ibid. li. 18. ca. 14. so that if men will speake truly they must from thence receiue that which they will speake q August de vtil cre dendi ca. 6. the doctrine whereof is so framed saith Saint Austine as that there is no man but may draw from thence that that is sufficient for him if hee come with deuotion and piety to draw as true religion requireth hee should doe r Hieron in Psal 86. because the Princes of the Church saith Saint Hierome meaning the Apostles and Prophets did so write as that not a few onely but all should vnderstand so as that the scripture as Gregory saith is Å¿ Gregor ad Leand. epiâ—â— in lib. Mor. cap. 4. a streame wherein both the Elephant may swimme and also the Lambe may wade yee so as that t Origen cont Cels lib. 4. in one and the same text as Origâ—n obserueth many times are found tempered together both the things which serue for the exercising of the stronger and which minister edification to to the more weake and simple In the Scripture wee shall find that way whereof the Prophet Ieremy speaketh when hee saith u Ier. 6. 16. Stand vpon the waies and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therin and ye shall find rest for your soules Wherby he instructed the people to take view of the waies of their forefathers and thence to make choice not of that way which their latter fathers taught them of which elsewhere they are warned x Ezec. 20. 18. VValke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers neither obserue their manners but of that wherein the Patriarches and first fathers walked who receiued the same from God and by the ordinance of God left the same recorded for a memoriall to their children A foolish terme there is vsed by many ignoraÌ„t persons amongst vs of the old law the old Religion by which they vnderstand the religion of Poperie as if popery were the old religioÌ„ because some ages past haue followed it and bin abused therby Indeed the Scribes and Pharisies for the very same cause called their traditions y Mat. 5. 21 27. c. the old religion but the true old religion is of ancienter continuance euen that way which the Patriarches Prophets the Euangelists Apostles haue traced out and directed vnto vs hauing themselues learned it from God by the reuelation of Iesus Christ by his appointmeÌ„t left the same recorded in scripture to our vse Of this it is that the pastours teachers of the church are instructed to say to Gods people z Esai 30. 21. This is the way walke in the same when thou turnest to the right hand or when thou turnest to the left Christ is the directour of this way of him the father hath said a Mat. 17. 5 Heare him and therefore
A VVEDDING SERMON PREACHED AT BENTLEY in Darby-shire vpon Michaelmasse day last past Anno Domini 1607. WHEREIN IS SET FORTH the Bond and Preseruation 1. The spirituall coniunction betwixt God and man 2. The Corporall marriage betwixt man and vvoman 3 The neighbourly societie betwixt man and man By R. ABBOT Doctor of Diuinitie Printed at London by N. O. for Roger Iackson dwelling in Fleetstreet neere to the great Conduit 1608. To the right worshipfull Sir John Stanhope Knight the Father of the bridegroome Knight my most louing and good Patron RIght worshipfull Knight my verie good Patron albeit I made a question of vsing your name for the publishing of so small a matter as this sermon is yet I easily resolued that sith it had pleased you to craue the copy thereof you would pardon mee to grace it with the dedication I might wel doubt to offer so little wher I owe so much but that I considered that small offices sometimes are testimonies of great affectiōs presumed that according to your wonted loue you would take the wil in good worth howsoeuer the worke seeme to bee of small import Accept it therefore I humbly pray you as a very thankfull acknowledgement of your great fauour towards mee both in calling me first to the place where now I liue and giuing me since such respect and countenance as whereby I haue with comfort and contentment enioyed the same And surely if therein I haue done in publicke any profitable seruice to the Church of God a great part thereof is to bee reputed to you who so freely and graciously of your owne voluntary accord and onely for the workes sake which I performed being my selfe wholy strange and vnknowne to you vouchsafed by your gift to free mee of that incessant labour wherein I had beene imployed before for the space of tenne yeares in reading and preaching in the Cathedrall Church and Citie of Worcestor and to setle mee in a place where I might more freely dispose of my selfe though not to withdraw my selfe from the seruice to which I had deuoted my selfe yet in some part to bestow my time to the common benefit of the whole Church which before was limited to one onely congregation Amidst which imployments either publicke or priuate if I attaine to doe any thing to yeeld you any helpe or furtherance in things appertaining to God and in Gods behalfe to answer the end wherat you aimed in your first acceptance of me I much reioyce therein and euer shal reioyce and thinke that houre or time happily bestowed wherein I shall be the helper of your ioy and 2. Co 1. 24 of that faith wherby you shall stand in the day of the Lord Iesus As for this sermon being but a countrey exercise if any shall thinke it not so well polished as that it should bee fit in this sort to goe abroad your approbation shall be my excuse and in that nature I commend it to you that haue desired it wishing with it to you and to your whole house all happines and honour and that the Oliue by my seruice implanted into your stocke may yeeld many branches to the enlarging and strengthning thereof so resting alwaies Yours in all dutie much bounden and deuoted R. Abbot A WEDDING SERMON PREACHED AT the mariage of Sir Iohn Stanhope Knight second son to the right worshipfull Sir Iohn Stanhope Knight of Eluaston in the same County to Mistres Oliue Berrisford now the Ladie Oliue Stanhope sole daughter and heire to Master Edward Berrisford of Berrisford Esquire Amos 3. 3. Can two walke together except they bee agreed THe words are but few yet fewe as they are doe minister matter of a large discourse of the bond and preseruation of spirituall amitie and coniunction betwixt GOD and mā of corporall marriage betwixt man and woman and of neighborly sacietie betwixt man and man The locall vse and application of the words is to shew a iust reason of Gods withdrawing himselfe frō them to whome he speaketh and therefore they giue vs occasion principally to consider what is the occasion of breach betwixt GOD and vs. But the same reason being takē from the affections dispositions of men in sorting thēselues one with another do lead vs also to consider wherein standeth either the maintenance or the breach disunion of those coniunctions societies which god hath ordeined amongst vs. The Prophet hauing in the first verse of the chapter called the children of Israel to heare the word of the Lord propoundeth to them in the second verse to call to minde the great loue and mercie wherewith hee had respected honoured them aboue al the nations of the earth You onely haue I knowne saith the Lord of all the families of the earth Where by knowing he meaneth acording to the scripture phrase the taking knowledge of them in speciall loue and kindnes to be their God to do them good when as hee passed by other nations as a stranger as if hee had no respect or regard vnto them Now wheras the consideration of this great mercie should haue moued thē to all thankfulnesse duty towards God they contrariwise a Esay 5. 4. 7. in steede of grapes brought forth wilde grapes for iudgement righteousnes oppression and cruelty so as that they seemed nothing lesse thē to know or regard him who had so graciously of his owne meere and voluntarie loue accepted them Hereupon the Prophet addeth Therfore I will visit you for all your iniquities saith the Lord implying herein that rule of iudiciall proceeding which our sauiour Christ setteth downe as a thing certainly determined with GOD b Luk. 12. 48 To whomsoeuer much is giuen of him much shal be required the greater mercie the greater iudgement the higher the place the more deadly the fall c Bernard in cant ser 84. they saith Bernard who for grace receiued seemed to be the greatest for not beeing gratefull become of least reckoning with God In effect therefore hee saith vnto them as ye haue beene best beloued so ye shal be most greeuously seuerely punished somewhat may in equitie bee remitted to others but all shal be required of you I wil visite you for all your iniquities saith the Lord. And that it might not seeme strange vnto thē that he who had vndertaken d Leuit. 26 11. 12. to dwell amongst them and to walke with them should thus cast them off leaue their company in the words which I haue proposed he appealeth to themselues and maketh them Iudges whether his doing therein bee any other but what they themselues out of their owne conuersation must needes iustify and make good Can two or wil two walke together except they be agreed Will any two of you sort your selues to conuerse liue together who haue no accord or agrement each with other It is expedient to haue company on the way and there is comfort in it but will any man be companiō
father is mercifull l Ephes 5. 1 be ye followers of God as deere children and walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs m 1. Pet. 1. 15. as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation as it is written n Leuit. 11. 44. Be ye holy for I am holy o 1. Ioh. 3. 3 Euery one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure On the other side p 2. Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse sayth Saint Paul What communion hath light with darknes what concord hath Christ with Belial c. Wherefore come out from amongst them and separate your selues sayth the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I well receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord almightie This is our accord and agreement with God he is cleane and therefore will not haue vs to touch any vncleane thing What shall we say then of those parti-colored Christians and worshippers of God who will be one where cleane and another where vncleane who haue faire faces and foule feete who on the one side shake hands with God and on the other side with the Diuell yea lift vp the left hand to praye to God and throwe stones at him with the right hand who pretend by faith to knowe God by their works deny him who offer vnto Christ a sponge of hollow profession and giue him therein to drinke the vinegre of euill conuersation who as Saint Austin sayth q August in Psal 40. Worship God for the world to come and the Diuell for this present world They go about a thing impossible to ioyne together those things which can by no meanes stand together heauen and hell God and the Diuell Christ and Belial true faith and wicked life What can two walke together except they be agreed Can there be true faith to saluation where there is that life to which God hath certainly threatned destruction can there be one foote in heauen with God when the other foote is with the Diuell in hell Let no man deceiue himselfe either let him make himselfe a whole burnt offering to the Lord as well in workes as in faith as well in conuersation as in religion or else God will wholly reiect him hee agreeth not with God and therefore God will haue no company or fellowship with him 10 It remaineth now to speake of humane societie wherein wee walke together one with another according to those diuerse bonds of coniunction wherewith God hath tied vs to be respectiue each to other To which societie God hath so framed the nature condition of man as that concerning temporall life it were better for a man not to be at all then to be alone Of the benefit whereof Solomon instructeth vs when he saith r Eccles 4. 9 Two are better then one for they haue better wages for their labour if they fall the one will lift vp his fellow but wo to him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a second to lift him vp also if two sleepe togither there shal be warmth but to one how should there be warmth and if one ouercome him two shall stand against him and a threefold coard is not easily broken In which words he giueth vs to vnderstand that whether we respect commoditie for wealth or help for weaknes or comfort for cherishment or defence against violēce all these benefits are yeelded vnto vs by societie and company but being alone are bereft of all Ratio oratio reason and speech which are the two things wherby the nature of māso much excelleth all the creatures of the world what vse haue they especially our speech if wee haue none with whom to reason to whom to speake Those excellent vertues of prudence patience iustice mercy fortitude and the rest what do they serue for if there bee not society of life for the emploiment thereof yea the rule of christian life which is directed vnto vs from God wherein standeth it for the most part but in precepts of charity and loue and of yeilding help comfort each to other So doth Saint Paul instruct vs ſ Phil. 2. 4. Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of other men and hereof proposeth himselfe for an example t 1. Cor. 10. 3. Euen as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saued Thus againe he teacheth vs u 1. Thes 5. 11. Exhort one another and edify one another admonish them that are vnruly comfort the feeble minded beare with the weake be patient towards all men So doth the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes x Heb. 10. 24. Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the fellowship that wee haue amongst our selues but let vs exhort one another c. And thus we see in the gospel that our Sauiour Christ at the last day shall specially recount those good workes of charitie and compassion the vse whereof is in the societie of men and which without society haue no place y Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you c. I was hungry and ye gaue me to eate I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke I was naked and ye clothed me c. Thus is sociall life commended vnto vs as the fittest course wherin to bestow our selues that we may come to God 11 The more may wee wonder that so many so great mē haue bin possessed with that superstitious admiration of eremiticall and solitarie life as the only diuine heauenly state by which notwithstāding they forsooke the fellowship which the Apostle commendeth withdrew themselues from those good offices and dueties which God requireth to bee performed to other men As if they were wiser then God in determining to themselues a more excellent kinde of life then that which God had commended in the exercise of brotherly loue As if they were better then the Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles who all liued in the societie and frequency of the Church As if it should be a good answer vnto Christ at that day to say Lord we haue not done those workes which thou speakest of but left the same as fitting men of more weake vnperfect state and went our selues into the wildernes where wee could do good to none but onely afflicted our selues and z Col. 2. 23 spared not our bodies by watching fasting and lying on the ground What we had we left it at once vowed neuer to haue any thing againe so that though thou shouldest starue for hunger and thirst or perish for cold yet we would thenceforth haue nothing to releiue or succour thee a Mat. 25.