{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_16423/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_16423","id":"gutenberg_16423","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16423","summary":null,"tags":["Bible. Revelation III, 19 -- Sermons","Category: British Literature","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christianity","Piety -- Sermons","Sermons, English -- 17th century"],"text":"Produced by Jordan Dohms and the Online Distributed\nProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA COAL FROM THE ALTAR,\nTO KINDLE THE holy fire of _Zeale_.\n\nIn a Sermon preached at a generall _Visitation at Ipswich._\n\nBy SAM WARD Bach. of Divinity.\n\n_The third Edition, corrected and much amended._\n\n[Greek: Theo kai humin]\n\n_LONDON_,\n\nPrinted by _E.G._ for _Joyce Macham_, widow; and are to bee sold in\nPauls Church yard, at the signe of _Time_, 1628\n\n\n\n\n\nTo my reverend Friend Mr. SAMUEL WARD.\n\n_Sir, your Sermon which I copied partly from your mouth, and partly from\nyour notes, I have adventured into the light; encouraged by the\napprobation, and earnest entreaty of such, whose judgements you\nreverence, and whose love you embrace: who also have made bolde heere\nand there to varie some things, not of any great consequence, if I can\njudge. I was loth to smoother such fire in my brest; but to vent it, to\nenflame others. If you shall blame me, I know others will thanke mee.\nWhat I have done, is out of Zeale to God and his Church._\n\nYour affectionate friend,\n\n_Ambrose Wood._\n\n\n\n\n\nRevel. 3. 19. _Be zealous._\n\n[Sidenote: Mat. 24. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1 Kin. 1. 1.]\n\nThis watch-word of Christ, if it be not now a word in season, I know not\nwhen ever it was, or will bee: Would he now vouchsafe to bestow a letter\nupon his Church heere on earth; should hee need to alter the tenour of\nthis? which being the last, to the last of the seaven Churches, why may\nit not (saith an Ancient, upon this text) typifie the estate of the last\nAge of his Churches? the coldnesse whereof himselfe hath expressely\nforetolde. And if God should now send through he earth such surveying\nAngels as _Zacharie_ mentions, chapter 1. Could they returne any other\nobservation of their travailes then theirs; _The whole world lies in\nlukewarmnesse?_ which makes mee often in my thoughts proportion these\nends of time, to the like period of _Davids_ age, when no cloathes were\nenough to keepe heare in him. _Faith_ I grant is a more radicall,\nvitall, and necessary grace; but yet not so wholly out of _grace_ with\nthe times, as poore _Zeale_; which yet if by any meanes it might once\nagaine be reduced into favour and practice, before Time sets, and bee no\nmore; I doubt not but Christ would also yet once againe in this evening\nof the world, come and _Sup_ with us; A favour including all other in\nit.\n\n[Sidenote: 2]\n\nMy desire especially is, that this our Iland might take it to it selfe,\nas well as if it had by name beene directed to it; what would it hurt us\nto make an especiall benefit and use of it? Some of our owne, have so\napplyed it; (whether out of their judgements, or affections, I say not.)\nLearned _Fulk_ marvels if it were not by a Propheticall spirit penned\nfor us: others more resolutely have made it a singular type of purpose\nfor us. Their warrant I know not; especially if it bee true which all\ntravellers tell you, _That they finde more zeale at home then abroad._\nWe are I grant in sundry respects equall to _Laodicea_: Even the very\nnames thereof, as well the first and oldest in regard of the blessings\nof God, [Greek: Dios polis] Gods Darling, as the later in regard of good\nLawes and Civility, _Laodicea_, How well doe they become us? As rich as\nthey, and that in the very same commodity of woolls; _Abounding as they_\nwith many learned _Zenoes_ & bountifull _Hieroes_; _Parallel_ in all\nregards; I would I could say lukewarmnesse excepted. But I must bee a\nfaithfull and true witnesse, and yet this is all I have to say; It was,\nas I conceive, _Laodicea's_ complexion and not her constitution, her\npractice not her orders, personall lukewarmnesse not legall, which\nChrist strikes at. That fault I finde in my text, the same I finde in\nour common Christians, whose spirituall condition, and state is too\nlike the externall situation of our Country, between the Torrid, and the\nFrigid Zones; neither hot nor colde: and so like _Laodicea_, that if wee\ntake not warning, or warming, we may, I feare, in time come to be spued\nout of Gods mouth.\n\n[Sidenote: 3]\n\nFor this present assembly of Ministers, could all the choice and time in\nthe world have better fitted mee then mine ordinarie Lot? If fire bee\nset upon the Beacons, will not the whole Countrey soone be warned and\nenlightned?\n\n[Sidenote: 4]\n\nFor my selfe also, mee thinkes it will better beseeme my yeeres to heat,\nthen to teach my Ancients; to enkindle their affections, then to enforme\ntheir judgements. And whereas _Paul_ bids _Titus_ preach zeale with all\nauthoritie; though in mine owne name I crave your patience, and\naudience, yet in his name that is the first of the creatures, and\n_Amen_, I counsell him that hath an eare, to heare what the Spirit saith\nto the Churches;\n\n[Greek: Zeloson], _Be Zealous._\n\n\n\n\n\n_A Coale from the Altar._\n\n\nRevel. 3.19. [Greek: Zeloson]: _Be Zealous._\n\nZeale hath been little practized, lesse studied: this heavenly fire hath\never beene a stranger upon earth. Few in all ages that have felt the\nheat of it, fewer that have knowne the nature of it. A description will\nrake it out of the embers of obscurity: and it may be that many when\nthey shall know it better, will better affect it.\n\n2. Zeale hath many counterfets and allies. There are many strange fires\nwhich having sought to carry away the credit of it, have brought in an\nill name upon it: from these it would bee distinguished.\n\n3. Zeale is every where spoken against it hath many enemies and few\nfriends: the world can no more abide it, then beasts can the elementary\nfire, the rebukes of many have falne upon it, the Divell weaves cunning\nlies to bring downe the honour of it. Oh that wee could raise and\nmaintaine it, by setting forth the deserved praise of it; and challenge\nit from the false imputations of such as hate it without a cause.\n\n4. Zeale hath in this our earthly molde, little fuell, much quench-coale,\nis hardly fired, soone cooled. A good Christian therefore would bee glad\nto know the Incentives and preservatives of it, which might enkindle it,\nenflame it, feed it, and revive it when it is going out.\n\n5. Zeale in the worlds opinion, is as common as fire on every mans\nhearth, no mans heart without zeale, if every man might be his owne\njudge; If most might be heard there is too much of it; but the contrary\nwill appear if the right markes bee taken, and the true rules of triall\nand conviction bee observed, and the heart thereby examined.\n\n6. Zeale generally handled will break as lightning in the aire, and seize\nupon no subject: Application must set it on mens harts, and exhortation\nwarme this old and colde age of the world, chiefly this temperate\nclimate of our nation.\n\n\n_First Part_.\n\nIt was sayd of olde, that zeale was an _Intension of love_: of late,\nthat it is a compound of _love and anger, or indignation_.\n\nThe Ancients aimed right, and shot neere, if not somwhat with the\nshortest. The moderne well discovered the use and exercise of more\naffections, then love, within the fathome and compasse of zeale; but in\nhelping that default, went themselves somewhat wide, and came not close\nto the marke: which I ascribe not to any defect of eye-sight in those\nsharpe sighted Eagles; but onely to the want of fixed contemplation. And\nto speake truth, I have oft wondered why poore _Zeale_, a vertue so high\nin Gods books, could never be so much beholding to mens writings as to\nobtain a just treatise, which hath beene the lot of many particular\nvertues of inferiour worth; a plaine signe of too much under-value and\nneglect.\n\nHee that shall stedfastly view it, shall finde it not to bee a degree or\nintension of love, or any single affection (as the _Schooles_ rather\nconfined then defined zeale) neither yet any mixt affection (as the\nlater, rather compounded then comprehended the nature of it) but an _hot\ntemper, higher degree or intension of them all_. As varnish is no one\ncolor, but that which gives glosse & lustre to all; So the opposites of\nzeale, key-coldnes and lukewarmnesse, which by the Law of contraries\nmust bee of the same nature, are no affections, but severall tempers of\nthem all.\n\n[Sidenote: Acts 26. 7.]\n\n_Paul_ warrants this description where hee speakes of the twelve Tribes.\n_They served God with intension or vehemency_.\n\nThe roote shewes the nature of the branch. Zeale comes of [Greek: zo],\na word framed of the very sound and hissing noise, which hot coales or\nburning iron make when they meete with their contrary. In plaine\nEnglish, zeale is nothing but heate: from whence it is, that zealous men\nare oft in Scripture sayd to burne in the spirit. [Greek: zeontes\npneumati].\n\nHee that doth moderately or remisly affect any thing, may be stiled\n_Philemon_, a lover; he that earnestly or extreamely, _Zelotes_, a\nzelot; who to all the objects of his affections, is excessively and\npassionately disposed, his love is ever fervent, his desires eager, his\ndelights ravishing, his hopes longing, his hatred deadly, his anger\nfierce, his greefe deep, his feare terrible. The Hebrewes expresse these\nIntensions by doubling the word. This being the nature of zeale in\ngenerall, Christian zeale of which wee desire onely to speake, differs\nfrom carnall and worldly, chiefly in the causes and objects.\n\nIt is a spirituall heate wrought in the heart of man by the holy Ghost,\nimprooving the good affections of love, joy, hope, &c. for the best\nservice and furtherance of Gods glory, with all the appurtenances\nthereof, his word, his house, his Saints and salvation of soules: using\nthe contrarie of hatred, anger, greefe, &c as so many mastives to flie\nupon the throat of Gods enemies, the Divell, his Angels, sinne, the\nworld with the lusts thereof. By the vertue wherof a _Zealot_ may runne\nthrough all his affections, and with _David_, breath zeale out of every\npipe, after this manner for a taste;\n\n[Sidenote: Psalme Love.]\n\n_How doe I love thy Law (O Lord) more then the hony or the hony-combe,\nmore then thousands of silver and gold!_\n\n[Sidenote: Hatred.]\n\n_Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred._\n\n[Sidenote: Joy.]\n\n_Thy testimonies are my delight: I rejoyce more in them, then they that\nfinde great spoyles, more then in my appoynted food._\n\n[Sidenote: Grief.]\n\n_Mine eyes gush out rivers of teares. Oh that my head were a fountain of\nteares, because they destroy thy Law._\n\n[Sidenote: Hope.]\n\n_Mine eyes are dimme with wayting: how doe I long for thy salvation?_\n\n[Sidenote: Feare.]\n\n_Thy judgements are terrible, I tremble and quake, etc._\n\nLook what pitch of affection the naturall man bestowes upon his dearest\ndarling, what unsatiable thirst the covetous worldling upon his Mammon,\nthe ambitious upon his honour, the voluptuous upon his pleasure; the\nsame the Christian striveth in equall, yea, (if possible) farre\nexceeding tearmes to convert and conferre upon God and his worship.\n\nIn briefe, to open a little crevise of further light, and to give a\nlittle glimpse of heat: Zeale is to the soule, that which the spirits\nare to the bodie; wine to the spirits, putting vigour and agility into\nthem. Whence comes that elegant Antithesis in the Scripture. _Bee not\ndrunke with wine wherein is excesse, but be filled with the Spirit._\n\n[Sidenote: Ser. 41. in Can. 49.]\n\n[Sidenote: Acts 2.]\n\nChrist is sayd to lead his Spouse into the wine-cellar: which Simily\n_Bernard_ delighting oft to repeat, in two or three Sermons interprets\nof a speciall measure of zeale inspired into his Church. Thus (saith\nhee) Christ led his Disciples into the wine cellar on the day of\nPentecost; and filled them, and the house with such zeale as they came\nforth like Giants refreshed with wine, and seemed to the people as men\ndrunke with new wine.\n\n[Sidenote: Heb. 1. 7.]\n\nIt is to the soule, as wings to the foule: this also is a Scripture\nembleme to picture the Angels with wings, as in the hangings of the\nTemple, and in the visions of the revelation, in token of their ardent\nand zealous execution of Gods will: whence also they have their name\n_Seraphim_; hee maketh his ministers a flame of fire.\n\nTo this fire and these wings, which we in the Lords prayer desire to\nimitate, there is nothing in us answerable but our zeale; as wheeles to\nthe charriot: which makes us not goe, but runne the wayes of Gods\nCommandements, and so runne that we may obtaine. As sailes to the ship,\nand winde to the sailes, to which alludes the phrase so frequent in\nScripture, _Plerophorie_.\n\nAs courage to the souldier, mettle to the horse, dust to the ground,\nwhich makes it bring forth much fruit, yea an hundredfold: vivacity to\nall creatures. To conclude this, this is that celestiall fire which was\nshadowed out unto us by that poore element in comparison, and beggarly\nrudiment, the fire (I meane) of such necessary use in the law, which\nrather then it should be wanting, the Lord caused it to descend from\nheaven, that it might cause the Sacrifices to ascend thither againe, as\na sweet incense unto the Lord, without which no burnt offering was\nacceptable.\n\n\n_The Second Part._\n\nBut now, as then, there are certaine false fires, abhominable to God,\nodious to men, dangerous to the _Nadabs_ and _Abihues_ that meddle with\nthem, bringing thereby coales upon their owne heads, & ill favor upon\nall their services; & not onely so, but that which is worse, an ill\nreport and surmize even on those that offer the right fire, & serve the\nLord in spirit and truth: yet for their sakes is the name of zeale\nblasphemed all the day long.\n\nAgainst these, as then, so now severe caveats and cleere distinctions\nmust bee laid, lest such as have not their senses exercised to put a\ndifference, mistake poysonfull weedes for wholesome hearbes, to their\nowne destruction; and for the sake of the one, revile the other to the\nwrong of God and his Saints.\n\nIt fares not otherwise with the soule then with the body: besides the\nnative & radicall heat, the principall instrument of life, there are\naguish and distempered heats, the causes of sicknesse and death.\n\nTo discerne of those, requires some skill and judgement: yet a good\nEmpirick, a Christian of experience will give a shrewd ghesse at them,\nthe easier & the better if he marke these following signes and\nsymptomes, common to all the kinds of false zeale, here also following.\n\n[Sidenote: 1 Ostentation.]\n\nFirst, they are deeply sicke of the pharisaicall humor, they love to be\nseene of men, and say with _Jehu, Come and see how zealous I am for the\nLord of hosts_: they proclaime their almes with a trumpet, paint their\ngood deedes upon Church windowes, engrave their legacies upon tombes,\nhave their acts upon record: Thus, Comets blaze more then fixed Starres.\nAguish heats breede flushings, & are more seen in the face, then natural\nwarmth at the heart. Schollers count hiding of Art the best Art: the\ngodly man studies by all meanes how to conceale the one hand from the\nother, in doing well; hiding of zeale is the best zeale.\n\nSecondly, of _Ahabs_ disease exceeding in externall humiliation,\naffected gestures, passionate sighes, lowdnesse of voyce, odde attires &\nsuch like: These know how to rend the garment, hang the head with the\nbulrush, to whip and launce their skinnes with _Baals_ Priests; and yet\nstrangers to a wounded spirit: not but that true and hearty zeale doth\nlift up the eyes, knocke the breast, dance before the Arke. Therefore\nthis character may deceive the unwarie; Let _Ely_ take heede of judging\n_Hanna's_ Spirit rashly by the mooving of her lips: yet hypocrites so\nusually straine nature and without a cause exceed, and that in publique,\nand upon the stage, that for the most part, their actions and affections\nare palpable: as _Jesuites, Cappuchins_, &c. yea in many histrionicall\nProtestants: Horse-coursers jades will bound, curvet and shew more\ntricks, then a horse well mettled for the rode or cart.\n\n[Sidenote: 3 Complementall.]\n\nThirdly, you may know them by their diligence and curiositie in lighter\nmatters joyned with omission and neglect of greater, wise in\ncircumstance, and carelesse in substance, tithing mint, straining at\ngnats, &c. In all cheape and easie duties, prodigall: niggardly &\nslothfull in the waighty things of the Law: these have at command good\nwords, countenance, yea teares from their eyes, sooner then a farthing\nfrom their purse, having this worlds goods, and see their brother want;\nthese sticke up feathers for the carcasse, beguiling the simple,\ncouzening the world, but cheefly themselves.\n\n[Sidenote: 4 Pragmaticall.]\n\n[Sidenote: 5 Censorious.]\n\n[Sidenote: 6 Cruell.]\n\nFourthly, these fires cannot keepe themselves within their owne hearths,\nthese spirits cannot keepe themselves within their owne circles. True\nzeale loves to keepe home, studieth to bee quiet in other mens Dioces:\nfalse zeale loves to be gadding, is eagle-ey'd abroad and mole-ey'd at\nhome: Insteed of burning bright and shining cleere; like brinish lights,\nthey sparkle & spet at others, or like ill couched fire-workes let fly\non all sides: onely out of their wisdome they know how to spare _Agag_\nand the great ones, and bee sure they anger not their great Masters, and\nmeddle with their matches: whereas it is the property of fire that comes\nfrom above, to spare the yeelding sheath, and melt the resisting\nmettall, to passe by the lower roofes, and strike the towred pinacle, as\n_Nathan, David; Elias, Ahab; John, Herod; Jonas, Ninivie; &c._ Note\nalso in all their proceeding with others, in steede of wholesome\nseverity (which rightly zealous men never come unto but by compulsion,\nand not without compassion of the offender, weeping with _Moses_ and\n_Samuel_ over the people, beeing sory with the Emperour, that they know\nhow to write sentences of condemnation) These delight in cruelty, the\nbrand of the Malignant Church; feede their eyes with Massacres, as the\nQueene-mother. No diet so pleasing to these ravening wolves, as the\nwarme blood of the sheepe. These are they that cry fire and fagot, away\nwith them, not worthy to live, their very mercies are cruelty:\nespecially in their owne cause, they heat the fornace seaven times\nhotter then in Gods.\n\n[Sidenote: 7 Variable and inconstant.]\n\nLastly, these Meteors and Vapours have no constant light, or continued\nheat (as the fixed starres ever like themselves) but have onely their\naguish fits, & lunatick moods; sometimes in adversity they are good\nunder the rod, as _Pharaoh_, againe in prosperity like the fat kine of\n_Bashan_, ingratefull and forgetfull: sometimes in prosperity when the\nsunne of peace shineth on them, & the favourable influence of great\nones, they shoot foorth their blade with the corne on the house top,\nrunning with the streame, & sayling with the winde; sometimes their\nzeale depends upon the life of _Jehoiada_; sometimes on the company of\nthe Prophets: commonly in the beginning they blaze like straw-fire, but\nin the end goe out in smoake and smother; whereas in their entrance into\nprofession, they galloped into shewes, and made some girds at hand, they\ntire, give in, and end in the flesh, whereas all naturall motions are\nswiftest toward their end.\n\n[Sidenote: Be not over just hath 7. expositions heere 2. or 3. more\nhereafter.]\n\nThe vestall fires were perpetuall, and the fire of the Altar never went\nout. Spices and wefts of these evills may bee found in the sincerest\nChristians: but they suffer not these dead flies to lie and putrefie in\nthe precious boxes of true zeale; of all these the Preachers caveat may\nbe construed, _Be not over just_, though it may also admit other\ninterpretations, as after shall appeare.\n\nThese are the speciall notes and symptomes of strange fires: the kinds\nalso are many, and might be distributed into many heads; but I will\nreduce them into three, which are known by their names. [Greek:\npseudozelos], _counterfet Zeale, false fire_. [Greek: tuphlos zelos]\n_blinde Zeale, smoakie fire, or fooles fire, ignis fatuus_. [Greek:\npikros zelos], _turbulent Zeale, wilde fire_.\n\nThe first, wanting truth and sincerity, propounds sinister ends.\n\nThe second, knowledge and discretion, takes wrong wayes.\n\nThe third, love and humility, exceeds measure.\n\nThe first abounds amongst subtile & crafty professours, and is to be\nabhorred and detected.\n\nThe second among simple & devout, is to be pitied and directed.\n\nThe third amongst passionate and affectionate, and is to bee moderated\nand corrected.\n\nThe first is the meere vizor of zeale, looking asquint one way and\ntending another; pretending God and his glory, intending some private\nand sinister end; first, either of honour and promotion, as _Jehu_, who\nmarched furiously, and his word was the Lord of hosts, but his project\nwas the kingdome.\n\nSecondly, at filthy lucre: as _Demetrius_ and his followers, who cried\ngreat is _Diana_ of Ephesus; but meant her little silver shrines. It\ncannot bee denied, but many such there were, who helped to pull downe\nthe Abbyes; not out of any hatred to those uncleane cages, but to reare\ntheir owne houses out of the ruines, and spoyled copes to make cushions.\n_Judas_ complained of superfluity, but greeved it fell besides his bag:\nmany hold temporalities tithes and glebes, unlawfull, because they are\nloth to forgo them: If _Jezebel_ proclaime a Fast, let _Naboth_ looke to\nhis vine-yard; If the Usurer & Trades-man frequent Sermons, let the\nbuyer & borrower look to themselves. It is too common a thing to make\nzeale a lure & stale, to draw customers; a bait of fraud, a net to\nentrap; with malicious _Doegs_, to make it a stalking horse for revenge\nagainst the Priest, thereby to discharge their gall at Ministers and\nother Christians, for the omission and commission of such things, as\nthemselves care not for; with the _Strumpet_ in the Proverbs, to wipe\ntheir mouthes, and frequent the Sacrifices, that they may be free from\nsuspicion.\n\nAll these evils, have I seene under the sunne-shine of the Gospell: but\nby how much, zeale is more glorious then common profession, by so much\nis dissembled fervency more detestable then usuall hypocrisie; yea, no\nbetter then divellish villany & double iniquity: such painted walles and\nwhited sepulchers, the Lord will breake downe. Let all _Timothies_ &\n_Nathanaels_ learne to descry them, and discard them: The cure of this\nwas deepely forelayd by Christ; _I counsell thee to buy gold tried in\nthe fire_: all is not gold that glistereth, an image of faith breeds but\na shew of zeale; many seemed to trust in Christ, but Christ would not\ntrust them: but such faith as will abide the fire, brings foorth zeale\nthat will abide the touch-stone.\n\n[Sidenote: [Greek: kakozelia].]\n\nThe second is erroneous or blinde zeale, not according to knowledge,\nRom. 10. I beare many devout Papists witnesse (though I feare the\nlearnedst of them be selfe-condemned) that they have this zeale,\nperswading themselves they doe God best service, when they please\nthe Divell most in their will-worship. The same witnesse I\nbeare many _Seperatists_; though I feare most of them be sicke of\nselfe-conceitednesse, newfanglenesse, and desire of mastership: for who\nwould not suspect such zeale, which condemnes all reformed Churches,\nand refuseth communion with such as they themselves confesse to bee\nChristians, and consequentely such as have communion with Christ? It\nwould greeve a man indeede, to see zeale misplaced, like mettle in a\nblinde horse; to see men take such paines, and yet fall into the pit.\nThis made _Paul_ to wish himselfe _Anathema_, for the sake of such; and\nyet the multitude and common people, reason thus; Is it possible but\nthese men have the right? But alas, how should it bee otherwise, when a\nblinde company will follow a blinde sect-master; This being one property\nof blinde zeale, a fond admiration and apish imitation of some person,\nfor some excellency they see in him, which so dazles their eyes, that\nthey cannot discerne their errours and infirmities, which they oftner\ninherit then their vertues; as appeares in the _Lutherans_ and the\nJewes, that would sacrifice their children to _Molech_, in imitation of\n_Abraham_: In these the Divell becomes an Angell of light, and playeth\nthat Dragon, Revel. 12. powring out flouds of persecution against the\nChurch, causing devout men and women, to raise tragedies, breath out\nthreatnings, and persecute without measure; then these the Divell hath\nno better soldiers: but when their scales fall from their eyes, and they\ncome into Gods tents; God hath none like unto them. The cure of this\ndivinely is forelayd by Christ also, to buy eye-salve of him; Angells\nhave eyes as well as wings to guide their flight: when the ship is under\nsaile, and hath the freshest way; it hath most neede to looke to the\nsterage, keep the watch, have an eye to the Compasse and land-marks.\n\nThe third kinde is turbulent zeale, called by _James_ bitter zeale, a\nkinde of wilde-fire transporting men beyond all bounds and compasse of\nmoderation; proceeding sometime of a weaknesse of nature in men, that\nhave no stay of their passion, like to Clockes whose springs are broken,\nand Cities whose walls are down. Zeale is a good servant, but an ill\nmaster: mettle is dangerous in a head-strong horse. And so the Poets\n(which were the Heathens Prophets) shadowed out the cure of this, in\n_Minerva's_ golden bridle, wherewith she menaged her winged _Pegasus_.\nThere is too much of this bitter zeale, of this _Hierapicra_ in all our\nbookes of controversies: but especially there hath been too much in our\ndomesticall warrs; some sonns of _Bichri_ have blowen the trumpet of\ncontention, trumpets of anger; the Churches of God should have no such\ncustome: Oh that our Churches understood that saying.\n\n[Sidenote: Rom. 14. 10.]\n\nIn quarrells of this nature _Paul_ spends his zeale, not in partaking\nbut in parting the fray, beating downe the weapons on both sides: Who\nart thou that judgest? who art thou that condemnest thy brother? as if\nhee should say, The matters are not _Tanti_, wee have made the Divell\ntoo much sport already; who threw in these bones to set us together by\nthe eares, whilst hee lets in the common Enemy upon us. _Charitie,\nCharitie_, is the builder of Churches: Strife about trifles, hath wasted\nmany famous ones, and placed the temples of _Mahomet_, where the golden\ncandle-sticke was wont to stand. Wee pitty the former ages, contending\nabout leavened and unleavened bread, keeping of Easter, fasting on\nSundayes, &c. The future ages, will do the like for us. Oh that the\nLord would put into the hearts both of the governours & parties to these\nquarrells, once to make an end of these Midianitish warrs; that wee\nmight joyntly powre out the vialls of our zeale upon the throne of the\nbeast.\n\nThus have you heard the errors and counterfets of zeale, through whose\nsides, and upon the backe of which, divers of the malicious world use to\nbeat those whom it hates, because their workes are better then their\nowne; injuriously concluding, that all Zelots are alike. Thus I have\nheard our Marchants complaine, that the set up blewes have made\nstrangers loath the rich oaded blewes, onely in request; this is an olde\nsophisme. True judgement would teach us to conclude, that the best\ndruggs have their adulterates; the most current coins their slipps; and\nthat vertue which so many hypocrites put on, to grace themselves\nwithall; is surely some rare and excellent jewell.\n\n\n_The third part._\n\nThe true Zelot, whose fervency is in the spirit, not in shew; in\nsubstance not in circumstance; for God, not himselfe; guided by the\nword, not with humours; tempered with charity, not with bitternesse:\nsuch a mans praise is of God though not of men: such a mans worth cannot\nbee set foorth with the tongues of men and Angells.\n\n[Sidenote: Arguments of commendation.]\n\nOh that I had so much zeale, as to steep it in it owne liquour; to set\nit forth in it owne colours, that the Lord would touch my tongue with a\ncoale from his Altar, that I might regaine the decayed credit of it,\nwith the sons of men.\n\n[Sidenote: 1. From God's excellency whom zeale only becomes unworthily\nplaced elsewhere.]\n\nIt is good to bee zealous in a good things: and is it not best, in the\nbest? or is there any better then God, or the kingdome of heaven? Is it\ncomely what ever we do, to do it with all our might? onely uncomely when\nwee serve God? Is meane and mediocrity, in all excellent Arts excluded,\nand onely to be admitted in religion? Were it not better to forbeare\n_Poetry_ or _Painting_, then to rime or dawbe? and were it not better to\nbee of no religion, then to be colde or lukewarme in any? Is it good to\nbe earnest for a friend, & cold for the Lord of hosts? For whom doest\nthou reserve the top of thy affections? for thy gold? for thy\n_Herodias_, &c. O yee adulterers and adultresses, can yee offer God a\nbaser indignity? What ayleth the world? Is it afrayd thinke we, that God\ncan have too much love; who in regard of his owne infinite beauty, & the\nbeames he vouchsafeth to cast upon us, deserves the best, yea all, and a\nthousand times more then all? Ought not all the springs and brookes of\nour affection, to runne into this Maine? may not hee justly disdaine,\nthat the least Riveret should bee drained another way? that any thing in\nthe world should bee respected before him, equalled with him, or loved\nout of him, of whom, for whom, and through whom are all things? Who, or\nwhat can bee sufficient for him our Maker and Saviour? In other objects\nfeare excesse: here no extasie is high enough.\n\n[Sidenote: 2. From his spirituall nature.]\n\nConsider and reason thus with thy selfe (O man) canst thou brooke a\nsluggard in thy worke, if thou bee of any spirit thy selfe? is not a\nslothfull messenger as vinegar to thy teeth, and as smoake to thine\neyes? Hast thou any sharpnesse of wit, is not dulnesse tedious unto\nthee? And shall hee that is all spirit (for whom the Angels are slow and\ncolde enough) take pleasure in thy drowzie and heavie service? Doe men\nchoose the forwardest Deere in the heard, and the liveliest Colt in the\ndrove? and is the backwardest man fittest for God? Is not all his\ndelight in the quickest and cheerefullest givers and servitors? Even to\n_Judas_ he saith, That thou doest, doe quickely; so odious is dulnesse\nunto him: what else mooved him to ordaine, that the necke of the\nconsecrated Asse should bee broken, rather then offered up in sacrifice;\ndoth God hate the Asse? Or is it not for the sake of the quality of the\ncreature; which hath ever among the Heathens beene an _Hieroglyphick_ of\nheavinesse and tardity?\n\n[Sidenote: 3. Effects of zeale. Revel. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: Opus operatum.]\n\nThirdly, this zeale is so gracious a favorite with God, that it graces\nwith him all the rest of his graces. Prayer if it bee fervent,\nprevaileth much: the zealous witnesses had power to shut and open\nheaven: by this, _Israel_ wrastled with God, overcame, and was called a\nPrince with God: this strengthned the heart of _Moses_ (as _Aaron_ and\n_Hur_ supported his hands) till the Lord sayd, Let me alone: this made\n_Cornelius_ his prayer to come into heaven; whither our colde sutes can\nno more ascend, then vapours from the Still, unlesse there bee fire\nunder it: Repentance, a needefull and primary grace, which the Baptist\nso urged: but then wee must bee zealous and repent (as my text joynes\nthem) or else no repentance pleaseth God; nor are there fruits worthy\nrepentance. Almes and good deeds are sacrifices pleasing to God; but\nwithout zeale, the widowes mites are no better then the rest; It is the\ncheerefull loose, that doubleth the gift. Generally, as some mans marke\nand name, furthereth the sale of his commodity; so zeale inhanceth all\nthe graces of God. It pittieth me for _Laodicea_ that lost so much cost;\nhad as many vertues, did as many duties as other Churches: but for want\nof this, Christ could not sup with them. Furnish a table with the\nprincipallest fare, and daintiest dishes that may be had; let them be\nrosted & boyled to the halves, or stand on the table till they bee\nlukewarme; what will the guests say? All that we can doe is but the\ndeede done, unlesse zeale conferre grace.\n\n[Sidenote: 4. Baptismus Flaminis & Fluminis.]\n\nFourthly, zeale is the richest evidence of faith, and the cleerest\ndemonstration of the Spirit: The Baptisme of water, is but a cold proofe\nof a mans Christendome; being common to all commers: but if any bee\nbaptized with fire, the same is sealed up to the day of Redemption. If\nany shall say, friend, what doest thou professe a religion without it;\nhow can hee choose but bee strucke dumb? Can wee suppose worme-wood\nwithout bitternesse, a man without reason? then may wee imagine a\nreligion, and a Christian, without spirit and zeale.\n\nThe Jesuite saith, I am zealous; the Separatist, I am zealous; their\nplea is more probable, then the lukewarme worldlings, that serve God\nwithout life. If the colour bee pale and wan, and the motion insensible,\nthe party is dead or in a swoune; if good and swift, wee make no\nquestion. The zealous Christian is never to seeke for a proofe of his\nsalvation: what makes one Christian differ from another in grace, as\nstarrs doe in glory; but zeale? All beleevers have a like precious\nfaith: All true Christians have all graces in their seedes; but the\ndegrees of them are no way better discerned then by zeale: Men of place\ndistinguish themselves, by glistering pearles: A Christian of degrees\nshines above other in zeale. Comparisons I know are odious to the world,\nthat faine would have all alike: but the righteous is better then his\nneighbour: All Christians are the excellent of the earth, the Zelot\nsurmounteth them all, as _Saul_ the people by the head and shoulders;\nhee is ever striving to excell and exceeds others and himselfe.\n\nOne of these is worth a thousand others, one doth the worke of many:\nwhich made him speake of _Elisha_ in the plurall number, _The horsemen\nand Charriots of Israel_; besides his owne worke, hee winns and procures\nothers, makes Proselytes. It is the nature of fire to multiply, one\ncoale kindles another: his worke so shines, that others come in and\nglorifie God; marvelling and enquiring what such forwardnesse should\nmeane, concluding with _Nebuchadnezzar, Surely the servants of the most\nhigh God._\n\nThese are good Factors and Agents, doing God as good service, as\nBoutesewes doe the Divell, and Jesuites the Pope, sparing no cost, nor\nlabour; and what they cannot doe themselves, they doe by their friends,\n_Who is on my side, who? &c._\n\nAs for lets and impediments, they over-looke and over-leape them, as\nfire passeth from one house to another; neither is there any standing\nfor any Gods enemies before them: they make havock of their owne and\nothers corruptions. If you will rightly conceive of _Peters_ zeale in\nconverting & confounding, you must imagine (saith _Chrysostome_) a man\nmade all of fire walking in stubble. All difficulties are but whetstones\nof their fortitude. The sluggard saith, _There is a Lyon in the way_;\ntell _Samson_ & _David_ so, they will the rather goe out to meet them.\nTell _Nehemiah of Samballat_, hee answereth, _Shall such a man as I\nfeare?_ Tell _Caleb_ there are _Anakims_, and hee will say, _Let us goe\nupp at once, &c_. Let _Agabus_ put off his girdle and binde _Paul_, let\nhim be told in every City, that bonds await him, hee is not onely ready\nfor bonds, but for death; tell _Jubentius_, hee must lay downe his life,\nhe is as willing as to lay off his clothes: tell _Luther_ of enemies in\n_Wormes_, hee will goe if all the tiles of the houses were Divells. The\nhorse neighs at the trumpet; the Leviathan laughs at the speare. They\nthat meane to take the Kingdome of God by violence, provide themselves\nto goe through fire and water, carry their lives in their hands,\nembrace faggots; they say to father and mother, _I know you not_: to\ncarnall Counsellers and friendly enemies, _Get you behinde mee Sathan._\nZeale is as strong as death, hot as the coales of Juniper; flouds of\nmany waters cannot quench it. _Agar_, Pro. 30. speakes of foure things,\nstately in their kinde; I will make bold to add a fift, comprehending\nand excelling them all namely the zealous Christian, strong and bold as\nthe Lyon; not turning his head for any; as swift as the grey-hound in\nthe waies of Gods commandements; in the race to heaven, as nimble as the\nGoat climbing the steepe and craggy mountaines of pietie and vertue; A\nvictorious King, overcoming the world and his lusts: _Salomon_ in all\nhis royalty, is not cloathed like one of these in his fiery Charriot.\n\nTo cut off the infinite praises of zeale, let us heare what honourable\ntestimonies and glorious rewards, it pleaseth God to conferre upon it;\n_Davids_ ruddy complexion and his skill in musique, made him amiable in\nthe eyes of men: but the zeale of his heart, stiled him a man after Gods\nowne heart; and the sweet Singer of Israel. _Abraham_, that could finde\nin his heart to sacrifice his _Isaack_, was called the friend of God.\nThe same vertue denominated _Jacob_ a Prince with God. _Elisha_, The\nCharriots and horse-men. _Paul_, A chosen vessell, &c.\n\n[Sidenote: Revel. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: Revel. 7. 3. Ezek. 9. Exod. 12.]\n\nNeither doth God put them off, with names and empty favours, but upon\nthese he bestowes his graces: _David_ dedicateth his Psalmes to him that\nexcelled: God in dispensing of favours, observeth the same rule, to him\nthat overcommeth will I give, &c, To him that hath, shall bee given.\nHusbandmen cast their seede uppon the fertilest ground, which returnes\nit with the greatest interest: God gives most talents to those that\nimproove them in the best banke. _Joseph_ shall have a party coloured\ncoat, of all kindes of graces and blessings: And because he knowes this\nwill purchase them hatred and envy, hee takes them into speciall\ntuition; if any will hurt his zealous witnesses, there goeth out a fire\nout of their mouthes, to devoure their enemies. A man were better anger\nall the witches in the world then one of these. If God bring any common\njudgements, he sets his seale and _Thau_ on their fore-heads, &\nsprinkles their posts; snatcheth _Lot_ out of the fire (who burneth in\nzeale, as _Sodome_ in lust) as men doe their plate whiles they let the\nbaser stuffe burne. In fine, hee taketh _Enoch_ and _Eliah_ in\ntriumphant Charriots up to heaven, and after their labours and toyles,\nsetteth them in speciall Thrones, to rest in glory; The Apostles in\ntheir twelve, the rest in their order, according to their zeale. And\nthough hee may well reckon the best of these, unprofitable servants;\nyet such congruity (not of merits, but of favour) it pleaseth him to\nobserve in crowning his graces, that the most zealous heere, are the\nmost glorious there.\n\nWho would not now wonder, how ever this royall vertue should have lost\nit grace with the world; how ever any should admit a low thought of it?\nBut what? Shall all the indignity which hell can cast upon it, make it\nvile in our eyes? or rather, shall wee not reason from the opposition,\nas _Tertullian_ did of _Nero:_ That religion which _Nero_ so persecutes,\nmust needs be excellent.\n\n[Sidenote: 1 Object. Zeale is madd, and makes men mad.]\n\n[Sidenote: Acts 26. 24 1 Cor.]\n\nIf zeale were not some admirable good, the Divell and World would not so\nhate it; Yet lest silence should bee thought to baulke some unanswerable\nreasons, let us see how they labour to be madd with reason: Let _Festus_\nbee the Speaker for the rest, for hee speakes what all the rest thinke;\nyou know his madd objection, and _Pauls_ sober answer in that place, and\nthe like, 2 Cor. 5.13. whether hee bee madd or sober, it is for God and\nyou.\n\nThis text bids us bee zealous and repent; the word signifies be wise\nagaine, or returne to your wits. The prodigall is sayd to come to\nhimselfe, when he was first heat with this fire. Wee may well answer the\nworld as old men doe young: You thinke us Christians to bee madd that\nfollow heaven so eagerly; but we know you to bee madd, that run\na-madding so after vanity.\n\n[Sidenote: Acts. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Acts. 7.]\n\nA Christian indeed is never right, till he seeme to the world to be\nbeside himselfe; Christs owne kindred were afrayd of him. The Apostles\nare sayd to be full of new wine; besides, with these the world is madd:\nthey runn with _Stephan_ like madd men; _Nichodemus_ and such as he,\nnever offends them.\n\n[Sidenote: 2 Object.]\n\n[Sidenote: A makebate.]\n\n[Sidenote: Tenterden steeple.]\n\nYou know also what _Ahab_ laid to the charge of _Eliah_; with the\nApologie hee made for himselfe. This is a stale imputation in ages.\n_Haman_ accused _Mordechay_ and the Jewes of it. The Apostles are sayd\nto bee troubles of the whole earth. In the Primitive Church all mutinies\nand contentions were layd to the Martyrs. True it is, where zeale is,\nthere is opposition, and so consequently troubles: Christ sets this fire\non earth, not as an author, but by accident: The theefe is the authour\nof the fray, though the true man strike never so many blowes: but the\n_Ahabs_ of the world, trouble Israel; then, complaine of _Eliah:_ The\nPapists will blow upp the State, then father it upon the Puritans. It is\nnot for any wise man, to beleeve the tythe of the tales and slanders,\nwhich flie abroad of the zealous: Lewd men would fain strike at all\ngoodnes through their sides.\n\n[Sidenote: 3 Object. Proud.]\n\nYou may remember also _Eliabs_ uncharitable censure of _David_, I know\nthe pride of thine heart. So doe all worldlings measure others by their\nowne length; if they see any forwardnesse in the peaceablest spirit,\nthey ascribe it either to vaine-glory, or covetousnesse; the onely\nsprings that set their wheeles on going: but of this the knower of the\nhearts must judge betweene us.\n\n[Sidenote: 4 Object. They keep no meane.]\n\nWhen slaundering will not serve, then fall they to glavering, cunningly\nglancing at zeale, whiles they commend the golden meane wherein vertue\nconsists. But Christians, take heede none spoyle you through such\nPhilosophy; or rather Sopistry: for true Philosophy will tell you that\nthe meane wherein vertue is placed, is the middle betwixt two kindes,\nand not degrees: And it is but meane vertue that loves the meane in\ntheir sense.\n\n[Sidenote: 5 Object. Undiscreet.]\n\nOh say they, but some discretion would doe well; It is true, but take\nwithall _Calvins_ caveat to _Melancthon_: That he affect not so the name\nof a moderate man, and listen to such Syrens songs, till he lose his\nzeale.\n\nI have observed, that which the world miscalls discretion, to eat upp\nzeale, as that which they call policy, doth wisdome. As _Joab_ stabbed\n_Abner_ under a colour of friendship: Antichrist undermineth Christ, by\npretending to be his Vicar. The feare of overdoing makes most come too\nshort; of the two extreamities, wee should most feare lukewarmnesse:\nrather let your milke boyle over then be raw.\n\nFrom glavering, they fall to scoffing; yong Saints, will prove but olde\nDivels; these hot-spurrs will soone runne themselves out of breath. But\nwee say, such were never right bred; such as proove falling starres,\nnever were ought but meteors; the other never lose light or motion:\nspirituall motions may be violent and perpetuall.\n\nWhen none of these will take, they fal to right downe rayling; these\nPuritans, these singular fellowes, &c. unfit for all honest company. I\nhope the states Puritan, and the common Puritan bee two creatures. For\nwith that staffe the multitude beats all that are better then\nthemselves, & lets fly at all that have any shew of goodnes. But with\nthat which most call Puritanisme, I desire to worship God. For\nsingularity, Christs calls for it, and presseth & urgeth it; What\nsingular thing doe you, or what odde thing doe you? Shall Gods peculiar\npeople, doe nothing peculiar? The world thinkes it strange, wee runne\nnot with them into excesses, and doe not as most doe, that wee might\nescape derision: Judge you which of these men shall please: I beleeve\nnone shall ever please Christ, till they appeare odde, strange and\nprecise men, to the common sort; and yet neede not bee over just neither\nLet them that have tender eares stop them against the charmes of the\nworld, and scornes of _Michol_, unlesse they were wiser: Let him that\nhath a right eare, heare what Christ saith to the Churches, _Be\nzealous_.\n\n\n_The fourth part._\n\n[Sidenote: Incentives.]\n\nYea, but by what meanes shall a Christian attaine this fire, and\nmaintaine it when he hath gotten it.\n\nSay not in thine heart, What _Prometheus_ shall ascend into heaven and\nfetch it thence; thou mayest fetch it thence by thine owne prayer: as\ndid _Elias_ and the Apostles, men of infirmities as well as thy selfe;\npray continually, and instantly: the Lord that breathed first thy soule\ninto thee, will also breath on thy soule: I speake not of miraculous\n(which was but a type) but of ordinarie inspiration. Prayer and zeale\nare as water and ice: mutually producing each other; when it is once\ncome downe upon thine altar; though no water can quench it, yet must it\nbee preserved fresh, by ordinarie fuell; especially the Priests lipps\nmust keepe it alive.\n\nSermons are bellowes ordained for this purpose. The word read is of\ndivine use, but doth not with that motion stirre these coales.\n\nExperience sheweth, the best oration will not so much moove as the\nmeanest Orator.\n\nAfter the sparkles once by these meanes kindled, cherish and feede them\nby reading the word: Let it dwell richly in thine heart, excite thy\ndulnesse by spirituall Hymnes. Love-songs enflame not lust, more, then\nthe Song of Songs doth zeale: Reade or sing the 119. Psalme; and if thou\nbeest not zealous, every verse will checke thee in thy throat:\nMeditation is another helpe, approoved by _Isaacks_ and _Davids_\npractice: An Art lately so taught, as I shall neede onely to poynt at\nthe choyce theames, suiting and furthering this argument. I need not goe\nfar to fetch this fire: I may strike it out of every word of this\nEpistle to _Laodicea_. Behold the Lord God, especially thy Lord Christ\nin his glorious titles and Majesty; for so hee beginnes his visions to\n_John_; and his Epistles to the Churches, exciting their dull hearts. By\nsuch apparitions did hee set on fire the heart of _Moses_ in the burning\nbush; and enflamed _Stephan_, his first Martyr: answerable and\nproportionable to which, are our serious contemplations. Behold him as\none that seeth thee, and knoweth thy workes; the rouzing preface of all\nthese Letters. _Casars_ eye made his souldiers prodigall of their blood.\nThe Atheist thinks God takes as much notice of him and his prayers, as\nhee doth of the humming of Flyes and Bees; and therefore, no marvell if\nhis service bee formall and fashionable. The faithfull Christian by\nfaiths prospective sees him at home, and heares him saying, Well done\nthou good servant; which maketh him to worke out his heart. Behold him\nas the beginning of creatures, especially of the new creature. Oh! what\nlove hath hee shewed thee in thy redemption? out of what misery, into\nwhat happinesse, by what a price, to what end; but that thou shouldest\nbee zealous of good workes? Behold him as the faithfull witnesse, that\nwitnessed himselfe for thee a good witnesse, and heere faithfully\ncounsels thee to follow his patterne. Behold him as a speedie and royall\nrewarder of his followers. Take thy selfe into paradise, represent to\nthy selfe thy crowne, thy throne, thy white robes; looke not on the\nthings that are seene, but on the farre most excellent wait of glory;\nlooke upon these, and faint if thou canst. Behold also hee is a\nconsuming fire, a zealous God, hating lukewarmnesse not onely destroying\n_Sodome_ with fire and brimstone, and providing _Tophet_ for his\nenemies; but awaking also his drowzie servants, by judgements (as\n_Absolon Joab_ by firing his corne) his Israelites by fiery serpents:\nwhom hee loveth, hee chasteneth, and keepeth them in the fornace of\nfiery trialls, till they come to their right temper. Hee standeth and\nknocketh: if nothing will arouze us, a time will come, when heaven and\nearth shall burne with fire, and Christ shall come in flaming fire, to\nrender vengeance with fire unquenchable. Wee therefore that know the\nterrour of that day, What manner of persons ought we to bee?\n\nFrom God turne thine eyes unto man: set before thee the pillar, and\nclowde of fiery examples, that have led us the way into Canaan. Hee is\nbut a dull lade that will not follow: The stories of the Scriptures, the\nlives of the Fathers, the acts and monuments of the Church, have a\nspeciall vertue for this effect. The very pictures of the fires, and\nMartyrs, cannot but warme thee. If thou canst meete with any living\nexamples, follow them, as they follow Christ, frequent their company:\neven _Saul_ amongst the Prophets, will prophesie. No bangling hawke,\nbut with a high flyer will mend her pitch: the poorest good companion,\nwill doe thee some good; when _Silas_ came, _Paul_ burnt in the spirit:\na lesser sticke may fire a billet; If thou findest none, let the\ncoldnesse of the times heat thee, as frosts doe the fire; Let every\nindignation make thee zealous, as the dunstery of the Monkes, made\n_Erasmus_ studious: one way to bee rich in times of dearth, is to\nengrosse a rare commodity, such as zeale is: now, if ever, _they have\ndestroyed thy Law_; It is now high time to be zealous.\n\nConsider and emulate the children of this generation, to see how eager\nevery _Demas_ is for worldly promotion. How did that worthy Bishop\ndisdaine to see an harlot, more curiously to adorne her body unto sinne\nand death, then hee could his soule unto life everlasting. It angred\n_Demosthenes_ to see a Smith earlier at his anvile, then he was at his\ndeske.\n\nWhen thou hast thus heat thy selfe, take heede of catching colde\nagaine, as many have done, and brought their zeale to deaths doore.\n\n[Sidenote: Zeales extinguishers.]\n\nThis fire may goe out divers wayes: first by subtraction of fewell; if a\nman forbeare his accustomed meales, will not his naturall heat decay?\nThe _Levites_ that kept Gods watch in the Temple, were charged\nexpressely, morning & evening, if not oftner, to looke to the lights and\nthe fire. Hee that shall forget (at the least) with the _Curfeau-bell_\nin the evening to rake uppe his zeale by prayer, and with the day-bell\nin the morning to stirre up & kindle the same, if not oftner with\n_Daniel_; I cannot conceive how hee can possibly keepe fire in his\nheart. Will God blesse such, as bid him not so much as good-morrow and\ngood-even?\n\nHee that shall despise or neglect prophesie, must hee not needes quench\nthe spirit? have I not marked glorious professors, who for some farme\nsake, or other commodities, have flitted from Jerusalem to Jericho;\nwhere the situation was good, but the waters nought; and their zeale\nhath perished, because vision hath failed?\n\nSuch as reade the Bible by fits upon rainy dayes, not eating the booke\nwith _John_, but tasting onely with the tippe of the tongue: Such as\nmeditate by snatches, never chewing the cud and digesting their meat,\nthey may happily get a smackering, for discourse and table-talke; but\nnot enough to keepe soule & life together, much lesse for strength and\nvigour. Such as forsake the best fellowship, and wax strange to holy\nassemblies, (as now the manner of many is) how can they but take colde?\nCan one coale alone keepe it selfe glowing?\n\nThough it goe not out for want of matter, yet may it bee put out by\nsundry accidents; when it is newly kindled, it may be put out with\nscoffes and reproaches, if _Peter_ take not heede, and fence himselfe\nwell against them; but if once throughly growne, such breath will but\nspred and encrease it.\n\nIt is possible fire may bee oppressed with too much wood, and heat\nsuffocated with too much nourishment: over-much prayer, reading, and\nstudy, may bee a wearinesse both to flesh and spirit: but it so rarely\nhappeneth, that I neede not mention it; and yet the soule hath its\nsatiety. There be some such perchance over-nice men in this sense also,\nwho have not learned that God will have them mercifull to themselves: It\nis often smoothered for want of vent and exercise. Let such as use not\nand expresse not their zeale, bragge of their good hearts; surely they\nhave none such, or not like to have them such. If _Nicodemus_ had not\nburied Christ by day, we might have feared his zeale had gone out, for\nall his comming by night.\n\nYet this is not so ordinary, as to extinguish it by the quench-coale of\nsinne; grosse sinne every man knowes will waste the conscience, and make\nshipwracke of zeale: but I say, the least known evill unrepented of, is\nas a theefe in the candle, or an obstruction in the liver. I feare,\n_David_ served God but reasonably, till hee published his repentance;\nhee that steales his meat, though poverty tempt him, yet giveth thankes\nbut coldly: zeale and sinne, will soone expell the one or the other out\nof their subject; Can you imagine in the same roofe, God and Beliall,\nthe Arke and Dagon? Lastly, and most commonly, forraine heat will\nextract the inward, and adventicious heat consume the naturall.\n\nThe Sunne will put out the fire; and so will the love of the world, the\nlove of the Father, they cannot stand together in intense degrees, one\ncannot serve both these matters with such affection as both would have.\nSeldome seest thou a man make haste to bee rich, and thrive in religion.\nChrists message to _John_ holds true; The poore are most forward in\nreceiving and following the Gospell: as thou lovest thy zeale, beware of\nresolving to bee rich, lest gain proove thy godlinesse; take heede of\nambitious aspiring, lest Courts and great places, proove ill aires for\nzeale, whither it is as easie to go zealous, as to returne wise:\n_Peter_ whiles hee warmed his hands, cooled his heart; Not that\ngreatnesse and zeale cannot agree; but for that our weaknes many times\nsevers them. If thou beest willing to die poore in estate, thou mayest\nthe more easily live rich in grace. _Smyrna_, the poorest of the seven\nCandle-stickes, hath the richest price upon it.\n\nThe diligent practise of these courses will make easie the practise of\nthis counsell, _Be zealous, &c_.\n\n\n_The fift part._\n\n[Sidenote: 1 Object.]\n\nBut heere mee thinke I heare the lukewarme worldling of our times, fume\n& chafe, and aske what needs all this adoe for zeale, as if all Gods\npeople were not zealous enough.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nSuch as thinke they are, or can bee zealous enough, neede no other\nconviction to bee poore, blinde, naked, wretched and pittifull\n_Laodiceans_: Fire is ever climbing and aspiring higher; zeale is ever\naiming at that which is before; carried towards perfection; thinking\nmeanely of that which is past, and already attained, condemning his\nunprofitable service, as _Calvin_ his last Will: this rule tries full\nconceited Christians.\n\n[Sidenote: 2 Object.]\n\nWhat would you have us doe? wee professe, keepe our Church, heare\nSermons, as Christians ought to doe.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nAffectionate friendship and service is not onely for publique shew and\npomp, upon festivall dayes, in Chambers of Presence; but for\ndomesticall, ordinary, and private use; to such holy-day and Church\nretainers, God may well say, Let us have some of this zeale at home and\napart.\n\nAll affections are most passionate, without a witnesse. Such as whose\nfamilies, closets, fields, beds, walkes, doe testifie of their worship,\nas well as temples & Synagogues, are right servitors: God much respects\ntheir devotions; and they have strong proofe of the power of godlinesse.\n\n[Sidenote: 3 Object.]\n\nWee would you should know, that wee are such as have prayer sayd or read\nin our families and housholds; or else we say some to our selves at our\nlying downe, and uprising and more then that, say you what you will, wee\nholde more then needs.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nFirst, know that zeale knowes no such unmannerly courses, as to slubber\nover a few prayers, whiles you are dressing and undressing your selves,\nas most doe, halfe asleepe, halfe awake; know further, that such as hold\nonely a certaine stint of daily duties, as malt-horses their pace, or\nmill-horses their round, out of custome or forme, are far from that\nmettle which is ever putting forward, growing from strength to strength,\nand instant in duties, in season, out of season: and this sayes hard to\nlazy Christians.\n\n[Sidenote: 4 Object.]\n\nMay not wee goe too far on the right hand?\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nIt is true: but liberality baulkes, and feares covetousnesse and\nniggardize, more a great deale then prodigallity; so does zeale\nlukewarmnes and coldnesse, more then too much heate and forwardnesse;\nthe defect is more opposite and dangerous to some vertues, then the\nexcesse.\n\n[Sidenote: 5 Object.]\n\nWhy? are not some thinke you, too straight laced, that dare not use\ntheir Christian liberty in some recreations? sware by small oathes, or\nlend money for reasonable use? hath not God left many things\nindifferent, wherein some shew themselves more nice then wise?\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nZeale will cut of the right hand, if it cause to offend; much more to\npare the nayles and superfluities: it consumes the strongest, dearest\ncorruptions; much more will it singe off such haire and drosse as these:\nIf ought be praise worthy, it imbraceth such things; if any be\ndoubtfull, carrying shew of evill, of ill reporte, it dares not meddle\nwith them; it feares that some of these are as indifferent, as\nfornication was among the heathen.\n\n[Sidenote: 6 Object.]\n\nThere are but few such, no not of the better sort, as you speake of.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nGraunt there bee any, and zealous emulation culleth the highest\nexamples. Such as meane to excell in any Art, travell to find out the\nrarest workemen, purchase the choysest Copies; hee that hath true zeale,\nwill strive to purge himselfe, as Christ is pure.\n\n[Sidenote: 7 Object.]\n\nWill you have us runne before our neighbours, or live without example or\ncompany?\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nCowards and cravens, stand and look who goes first: souldiers of courage\nwill cast lots for the onset and fore-rank, for desperat services, and\nsingle combats. Lades will not go without the way be led.\n\n[Sidenote: 8 Object.]\n\nSo we may soone come to trouble, and danger enough.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nWhat daunger can there bee, of an honest, peaceable, religious\nforwardnesse?\n\nThe slug or snaile, puts out the tender horne to feele for lets in the\nway, and puls them in where there is no cause; so doe the fearfull that\nshall be without: but zeale either findes no dangers, or makes them\nnone; it neither feares to doe well, or to reproove ill doers, let who\nso will be displeased.\n\nSome indeed care not whome they offend, they are so harsh and fiery,\nthey can beare with nothing.\n\n[Sidenote: 9 Object.]\n\nWill true Christianity allow us to beare with any sinne?\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nCan tinne, or hot iron choose but hisse againe, if cold water be cast on\nit? can a righteous soul choose but vexe it selfe at open evill? Such\nOstriches as can digest oathes, prophane and filthie speeches, shew what\nmettle they have for the Lord of hosts; who yet will be ready enough to\noffer the challenge, or stab, for the least disgrace to themselves, or\ntheir mistresse: _Phineas_ had rather, if it were lawfull, fight in Gods\nquarrels then his owne.\n\n[Sidenote: 10 Object.]\n\nAll are not by nature of so hot dispositions, or so fiery-spirited, as\nothers.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nIf there bee such a dull flegmaticke creature as hath no life nor\nspirite in any thing hee goes about, or whome nothing will moove; hee\nmay plead complexion, and yet grace is above nature: but the best way\nis; See every man compare his devotion in matters of God, with his\nspirits and mettle in other affayres, wherein his element or delight\nlies; if the one equall not the other, the fault is not in nature: the\noldest man hath memory enough for his gold, and the coldest constitution\nheate enough where it likes.\n\n[Sidenote: 11 Object.]\n\nWell, our harts may bee as good as the best though we cannot shew it.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nFire cannot be long smothered, it will either finde a vent, or goe out;\nzeale will either finde word, or deede, to expresse it selfe withall.\n\n[Sidenote: 12 Object.]\n\nAll have not the gift of utterance.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nViolent affections have made the dumbe to finde a tongue; If it be lowe\nwater the mille may stand; but aboundance of heart will set the wheeles\non going What earnest discourses will unlearned Mariners make of their\nvoiages? Huntsmen of their game, &c.\n\n[Sidenote: 13 Object.]\n\nAll have not ability and meanes: many have great charges.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nLove and zeale are munificent, make money their servant, not their\nmaster: wheresoever the heart is enlarged, the hand cannot bee\nstraightned; where the bowells are open, the purse is not shut. _Herod_\nfor his pleasure, cares not for halfe his kingdome; what will not some\nGentle-men give for hawks and hounds? not onely the poore woman that\nspent the rich oyntment on Christ, the widow that gave all her\nsubstance, the converts that solde all, and threw all at the feet of the\nApostles, but even the bounty of the superstitious Papists shall rise in\njudgement against such as professe a religion, wil give it good words &\ncountenance; but bee at no cost with it, and know a cheaper way to save\ncharge withall.\n\n[Sidenote: 14 Object.]\n\nAll have not so much leisure to spend, so much time and study, about\nmatters of religion, they have somewhat else to doe.\n\n[Sidenote: Answer.]\n\nThere are indeede many vanities, which distract and divide the minde of\nworldlings; but zeale counts one thing needefull, to which it makes all\nother veile and stand by. Is there any so good an husband of his time,\nthat will not steale some houre for his pleasure; that cannot spare his\nGod and his soule halfe an houre, morning and evening; that bestowes not\nidly, as much time as a Sermon or two would take upp in the weeke? The\nsoule I confesse hath his satiety, as well as the body; but why should\nwe sit on thornes, more at a Sermon then at a Play; thinke the Saboths\nlonger then holi-daies; but for want of zeale? If thou beest not a vaine\nand willing deceiver of thy selfe, and others; deale honestly & plainly\nwith thy soule, try thy selfe by these few rules; and if thou judgest\nthy selfe to come short of them, amend and _be Zealous_.\n\n\n_The sixt part._\n\nWhich little round fire-ball comming to hand, as _Davids_ small stone,\nby ordinary lot, knowing the insufficiency of mine owne; I pray that God\nwith his arme would scatter it farre and wide into those wilde parts of\nthe world without the pale of Christendome, which lie so frozen and\nbenummed in their Paganisme, that they feele not the coldnesse of their\nreligions; as also in those regions that being within the Tropickes of\nthe Church, have just so much, and so little heat, as to thinke they\nhave enough, and neede no more: Cheefly mine affections burne within mee\nfor the good of mine owne Nation, for which I would I had but so much\nzeale as truely to wish my selfe _Anathema_, upon condition it had heat\nsutable to the light. For I must beare it record, it hath knowledge, I\nwould I could say, according to zeale. But the spirit, knowing that\nwhich is spoken to all to bee in effect as spoken to none, directs mee\nwhat I should speake to Churches, to speake to particular Angels. Now\nthe principall in our Church, under that Archangell of the covenant, I\nmost willingly acknowledge to bee my Lord the King, as an Angell of\nlight. And why not that very Angell, who by his writing hath begunne to\npowre out the fift viall upon the throne of the beast, darkned his\nKingdome, caused them to gnaw their tongues for greefe, and blaspheme\nfor the smart of their wounds; though as yet they will not repent of\ntheir errours? The Lord annoynt him more and more with this oyle above\nall the Princes of the earth, that from his head, it may runne downe\nupon our skirts; make him shine in zeale above all other starres, to the\nwarming & enlightning of this whole Horizon; set him up as a standard\nfor his people; cloath him with zeale, as with a cloake, to recompence\nthe fury of the adversaries, that he may strike the Aramites, not three\nbut five times till they be consumed; that he may put the Ammonites\nunder the yron sawes, harrowes, axes, which have provoked him as much,\nas ever they did _David_, 2. Sam. 12. But yet as in the time of the old\nTestament the custody of the fire and light was the charge of the\nPriest; so here I observe Christ to lay it upon his Ministers,\ninterpreting his rule by his practise, _Tell the church, Tell the Angell\nof the Church_; honouring that despised office, with that stately stile;\nintimating the union betwene People and Minister, that they should bee\nas one: what is spoken to the one, is spoken to the other; not as some,\nthat ever make Clergy and Layty two members, in division and opposition;\nneither yet as some spirites that lay all level, but implying a\nproperty, especially in grace and zeale in the Ministers, whom the\nPreacher calls the master of the assemblies; that they should exceede as\nfarre the people, as Angels doe men, and that he will reckon with them\nfor the religion of the people, because colde Priests make bolde\nsinners; zealous _Jehoiada_ may mak _Jehoash_ the King zealous, so long\nas hee lives with him. Wee therefore men and brethren, or rather men\nand Angels, upon whom it lies to keepe life and heat in the devotion of\nthe world, to consume the drosse of vices and heresies, that have fallen\ninto the sinke of our times; wee that are to make ready our people for\nthe second comming of Christ, is the spirit of _Ely_ thinke wee\nsufficient for us? What manner of persons ought we to bee, burning in\nspirit, fervent in prayer, thundring in preaching, shining in life and\nconversation? Why is it then my brethren (oh let my plainest rebukes bee\nthe fruits and signes of my best love to mine owne Tribe; let them not\nbee as breakings of the head, but as precious balme to those whose\nhonour with the people, I preferre to my life) why is it that some of us\npray so rarely and so coldly in private (the evills of our times will\nnot out but by frequent fasting and fervent prayer) in publique so\nbriefly, so perfunctorily, and feebly, that wee scarce have any\nwitnesses of what wee say? Why are there yet remaining any Mutes\namongst us? Why are ther any tounges that dare speake against often or\nzealous preaching? Doth not _Paul_ adjure us before him that shall judge\nthe elect Angels, that we preach instantly, in season, and out of\nseason? Reade wee the commentaries of that text, or let the practise of\nAncients expound it; and tell mee if ever old or new interpreted that\ncharge, of bare reading, of quarterly, or monethly, yea, or of once on\nthe Sabbath preaching onely, as if that were fully sufficient, without\nendeavoring or desiring any more. If alwaies often preaching bee\nprating, what meant the practise I say, not onely of _Calvin_, and\n_Beza_ but of _Chrysostome_, _Basil_, _Ambrose_ with other of the\nFathers, preaching every day in the weeke, some of them twise in the\nweeke, none of them so seldome, as such would bear the world in hand.\nWhat meant sundry ancient Councells, (the eleventh of _Tolet_ in Spaine)\nyea even of Trent it selfe, to excite the torpor of the Bishoppes of\ntheir times, as their Canons speake, enjoyning frequent preaching,\ncalling for more then almost any man is able to performe?\n\nBut heere I may turne reprooving into rejoycing, that preaching is\ngrowne in any better fashion and grace with our times, by royall and\nreverend, both examples and countenance: only I wish that every\n_Archippus_ may fulfill his Ministery, be instant and constant in\npreaching. _Salomon_ the older, and wiser hee grew, the more hee taught\nthe people, sharpened his goads, and fastned his nails; whereas many\namongst us are so wise in their youth, as to affect the foolishnes of\npreaching; but in their dotage, Ease slayes the foole; when the doore is\noyled, it leaves creaking; they must then fall to make much of\nthemselves, till contrary with the Prophet they cry out, My fatnesse, my\nfatnesse, my belly, my belly; so favouring their lungs, that they will\nbee sure never to die of _Davids_ consumption of zeale; let such preach,\nsay they, that want livings: and if for shame they preach at all, it\nmust bee rarely and easily, for breaking of their winde (my meaning is\nnot to tax such, whom God disinables by weaknesse of body; or such as\nrecompence their rarity with industry, as _Perkins_, &c.) and yet\nforsooth these thinke they may justly challenge, and weare the double\nhonor of countenance and maintenance; I marvell with what right, or with\nwhat face, so long as there remaineth expresse Canon of Scripture,\nbequeathing it to those, that toyle in word and doctrine. Neither will\nzeale set us on worke onely to preach, or to preach often to avoyd the\ninfamy of bare readers; but it will teach us to preach painefully, and\nthat in the evidence and demonstration, not so much of art, or nature,\nas of the spirit and grace; regarding onely, that the people know Christ\nand him crucified; not caring whether they know what wee have read, how\nmany quotations our memory will carry levell, how roundly wee can utter\nour minde in new minted words, in like sounding, idle, vaine, and\noffensive _Paranomasies_; I blush to fall into the least touch of that\nkinde: yet at once to shew and reproove that childish folly, It is a\nvaine of vaine preaching, turning sound preaching into a sound of\npreaching, tickling mens eares, like a tinckling cymball, feeding them,\n[Greek: hedusmati kai ouk edesmasi], spoyling the plaine song, with\ndescant and division: what is this but to shew our owne levitie and want\nof true Art; indeede affecting such a dancing, piperly and effeminate\neloquence (as _Tully, Demosthenes_, or any Masculine Oratour would\nscorne) in steade of that divine powerfull deliverie, which becommeth\nhim, that speakes the Oracles of God. If ever wee meane to doe any good,\nwee must exhort and reproove, with all vehemency and authority; lifting\nupp our voyce as a trumpet, as the sonnes of thunder; pearcing their\neares, witnessing, striving and contending, according to our gift\nwhatsoever it bee, to manifest our affections, that wee may worke upon\nthe people; which all the Art in the world will not teach us to doe:\nonely zeale at the heart will naturally produce it, without straining or\naffecting. If God require the heart as well as the head; why should wee\nnot labour to moove the affections, as well as enforme the judgement;\nThere is a doctrinall, and as some tearme it, a Doctorly kinde of\npreaching, which is admired of some that understand it not; of others\nthat could be content with the Masse againe, because it was gentle, and\nhad no teeth in it. And such Sermons I have sometimes heard, for matter\nvoyd of exception, but so delivered, as if one were acting a part, or\nsaying a lesson by heart. It hath called to minde a song which sometimes\nI have met withall, excellently composed, full of sweet ayre, surely and\ntruely sung; but with flat and dead voyces without spirit, which hath\nmarred the musique: Of such a Sermon and Preacher, the Countreymans\nverdict did well, that said, this man may bee a great scholler, but hee\nwants beetle and wedges to heaw our knotted timber withall, our greene\nwood will not burn unlesse it be better blown; you shall sometimes see\nan excellent horse of shape and colour, having many of those markes _Du\nBartes_ describes in _Caines_ supposed horse; which yet wanting mettle\nhath beene of little worth, and lesse use. If there were no other\nPreachers then these, which hold themselves the onely profound and\nlearned Preachers, I muse what should become of conversion of soules,\nwhich they that covet; must come with the spirit of _Elias_, to turne\nthe hearts of the fathers to their children, I may in truth, and I hope\nwith modesty speake with the Preacher, that in observing I have\nobserved, and have found, that divers great Clarkes have had but little\nfruit of their ministery; but hardly any truely zealous man of God\n(though of lesser gifts) but have had much comfort of their labours, in\ntheir owne and bordering parishes, being in this likened by _Gregorie_,\nto the yron on the Smiths anvile sparkling round about. And if for this\nany bordering neighbours, whose cold labours worke not the like\nsuccesse, shall accuse them of some kinde (I know not what) of policie\nin bewitching the people; they may well reply, Behold our zealous\naffections are our charmes, and zeale all our witchcraft, as _Latimer_\nwell answered one that accused the people of partiality, for not\naffecting him that preached one of his printed Sermons, that hee had\nindeede his Sticke, but wanted his Rosen; meaning his zealous manner of\npreaching and living, without which last, all the former will doe but\nlittle good, if a good ensample of life accompany not their doctrine, as\nlightning doth thunder. For there are some (I speake with sorrow of\nheart) that seeme to have fire in their preaching, but carry water in\ntheir life; being notoriously proud, covetous, or debauched, stained\nwith odious vices. Let us heare the summ of all. Doe wee love Christ\nmore then ordinary? would wee give proofe of our trebble love to him?\nLet us then feede his flocke with a trebble zeale, expressed in our\nprayer, preaching and living: Let us make it appeare to the consciences\nof all, that the top of our ambition is Gods glory: and that wee preferr\nthe winning of soules, to the winning of the world.\n\nThis title of Angels why may it not also be extended to Magistrates, as\nwell as that higher stile, of Gods; Sure I am, that the scarlet robe of\nzeale would exceeding well become them. _Jethro_ maketh it their prime\nand essentiall character; God and _Moses_, their onely and sole, in the\ncharge and commission to _Jehoshuah_ so oft repeated; _Onely be of good\ncourage_. And if _David_ were now to re-pen his Psalme; I thinke hee\nmight alter the forme of his counsell, and say, _Bee zealous yee Rulers\nand Judges of the world_, and not wise and politique: or rather under\nthe tearmes of wisdome, hee comprehends indeede the zeale wee call for,\nthe most now adayes being _Gallio's_, wise onely for the matters of the\nCommonwealth; not having a sparke of that spirit which was in _Phineas,\nDaniel_, and _Nehemias_, &c. for the Lord of hosts, or to his Lawes and\nCommandements; as if God had made Magistrates keepers onely of the\nsecond Table, governours of men, and not of Christians; guardians onely\nof civill societies, and not of his Church, and shepheards also of his\nflocke. Are Idolatries, blasphemies, prophaning of Saboths, no sinns?\nWhy then either have not the lawes force and strength enough in them (as\nsometime wee are answered when wee complaine) or why are they not\nexecuted for the suppressing of these raging sins? are not all they\npunished with death in the Scriptures, as well as breaches of the second\ntable? Blood I leave to the malignant Church, and admire clemency in\nRulers, as much as any; but yet I know the prophane dissolutenesse of\nthe times, requires a three stringed whipp of severity to purge our\n_Augean_ stable of the soule abuses, whipt often with penns and\ntongues, but spared by them that beare the sword (a man may say of many\nGovernours) altogether in vaine for matters of religion. Are not kings\nof the earth charg'd to render double to the bloody strumpet of Rome?\nWhy then doth the hurtfull pitty of our times imbolden and increase\ntheir numbers? _Laodicea_ it selfe, I doubt not, for matters of mine and\nthine, had (as their name imports) good civill justice and justicers;\nbut what was God the neerer for it? doth hee not threaten for all that\nto spue them out of his mouth? shall hee not curse those that doe his\nworke negligently, fearfully & partially? Our times complaine of two\nspeciall canker wormes of justice, which eat up zeale in Magistrates.\nThe first is _Covetousnesse_, which makes men of place to transgresse\nfor a morsell of bread; the zeale of their owne houses consumes the\nzeale of Gods house: The building of great houses, keeping of great\nhouses, and matching with great houses, raising and leaving of great\nhouses behinde them, makes them so ravenous, that they devoure so much,\nas choakes all their zeale; which would teach them to shake their laps\nof bribes, and scorne to accept gifts, though men would augment them for\nthe perverting of judgement. The other is _Cowardice_ and _Fearfulnes_:\nwhich how unfit, and base a quality did _Nehemiah_ thinke it for a man\nof his place? no better then shynesse in a fore-horse, whose eyes men\nfence on both sides, that they may lead the way, and goe without\nstarting; unto which, zeale is answerable in Magistrates, causing them\nonely to see him that is invisible, without casting a squint eye at men;\nto sing to God onely of judgement and mercy, without tuning their songs\nto mans eare; to walke in the perfect way, without turning, either to\nthe right or left hand for feare of favour. Oh that there were such an\nheart in our leaders; how easily would our people follow! what a spring\ntide of zeale should wee have, if the Sunne and Moone would cast out a\nbenigne aspect upon them! Doth it not flourish in all those shires and\ntownes, where the Word and Sword doe joyntly cherish it? In others which\nare the greatest number, how doth it languish and wane away, and hang\ndowne the head? where is it in diverse places of the land to bee seene?\nI had almost sayd in my haste and heat, there is none that hath zeale,\nno not one, there is no courage for the truth; but that I remember that\n_Eliah_ was checked for over-shooting himselfe in his too short and\nquicke computation. I hope the Lord hath his fifties amongst us, though\nbut thinn sowne in comparison of the swarmes of professed Recusants, and\nChurch-Papists, of prophane Atheists, key-cold worldlings, and lukewarme\nprofessors. The bodies of our many severall Congregations, yea even of\nthe better sort, whereunto have they beene likened by our separated\nadversaries; but unto the Prophet _Hosea_ his cake, halfe baked upon the\nhearth, having one side, that is, the one side to the world-ward, in\npublique service, scorched a little and browned over; but the inside to\nGod-ward, in private, and family-duties, no better then dough; many of\nthem making indeede some shew, as the out-landish fruits that are\nplashed upon our walls, but wanting heat never come to maturity. If wee\nshould make good their resemblances, how then should wee please the\nstomacke of God? who hath indeede brooked and borne us a long time, I\ndoubt but wamblingly. How neare were wee going in 88. and in the powder\ntreason? Doe we thinke he will ever digest us, in the temper wee are in?\nwhich (to confesse the truth of the fashionable Christian) what is it\nbut a state of neutrality, indifferency, or such a mediocrity, as will\njust serve the time, satisfie Law, or stand with reputation of\nneighbours? beyond which, if any step a little forward, do not the rest\nhunt upon the stop? If there hap to breake out a sparkle of zeale in any\none house in a parish; is not the whole towne in an uprore, as when the\nbells ring awke every man brings his bucket, to the quenching of this\nfire? If hell bee in an Ale-house, who cryes out of it? & as for our\nSundayes Church-service, which is all that God gets at our hands; how\nperfunctorily, and fashionably is it slubbered over; how are his Saboths\nmade the voyder and dung-hill for all refuse businesse, divided betweene\nthe Church and the Ale-house, the May-pole commonly beguiling the\nPulpit? What man would not spue to see God thus worshipped? This want of\ndevotion makes the foule mouthed Papists to spet at us: this want of\nreformation, makes the queasie-stomacked Brownists cast themselves out\nof the Church; and shall God alwayes suffer the land to beare us? But\nbehold, he stands at the door & knocks, by treasons, by plagues, by the\nhammer of dearths, discontents, fires, inundations, especially by the\nword; his locks are wet with waiting. Oh before hee shake off the dust\nof his feet against us, and turne to some other nation more worthy, let\nus open the doore, that hee may come in and sup with us; if hee love us,\nhee will purge us, and scoure us, by one chastizement or other: if hee\nhave no pleasure in us, hee cannot but unburthen his stomacke of us; If\nall the land besides should turne the deafe eare, yet let mee entreat\nand charge you of my flock to heare his voyce, & be zealous. Since my\ncomming amongst you, I have handled some bookes of the olde Testament,\nthe Epistles to the Romanes, to the Hebrewes, of Saint _James_, _Peter_\nand _John_, out of them taught the doctrine of the Law, of Faith, Love\nand good Workes: now in the choyce of this Epistle of Christ to\n_Laodicea_, my desire was to boyle up the former to their just temper:\nin which worke I can willingly bee content to spend my strength, and\ndayes, if God see it fit. I cannot be a better sacrifice then to God,\nand for you, if I waste my selfe, so you may have light & heat; what\nelse is the end of my life? God hath given you a name, your zeale is\ngone abroad, & I hope you have many names among you; the Lord encrease\ntheir number and zeale. If but one of us this day, shall open this\ndoore of his heart with _Jehoshuah_, let others chuse, I and my house\nwill serve the Lord more zealously then heeretofore; neither I nor hee\nshall have lost our labours. A lively picture casts the eye upon every\none that comes neere it: such is the word with whom, and with which we\nhave to do; Let him that is now colde, grow colder & colder; but let him\nthat hath an eare, heare what hath beene sayd to the Churches; and be\nzealous and amend.\n\nThe Lord give us not onely understanding, but zeale in all things: he\nbaptize us with fire: hee breath on us, and inspire into us the spirit\nof life & power, &c. So shall wee runn the wayes of his commandements.\n\n\nFINIS.","title":"A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale: In a Sermon Preached at a Generall Visitation at Ipswich","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":14372}