is another sort of Christians who though they meane well yet are much to be blamed who doe too much trouble themselves in small matters not worthy the contending for they are too contentious about the Mint and Cummin and with Peter they draw the sword when it were farre fitter it were in the scabbard To what purpose is it either to bestow much hatred or much love about matters not worthy our consideration What is this but to call for a sword to kill a fly or to make a mountaine of a mole-hill farre better it were to reserve our hottest zeale for greatest matters for why should we put our whole strength to that which may be blowne away with a blast or moved with a finger Thirdly as those are blame-worthy that are so violent in small matters so those are as bad or worse that are little moved when great matters come in question Many there be that undertake a good cause so faintly as if they were afraid lest those words which the wench spoke to Peter should be said to them surely thou also art one of them they can be contented to be professours but they would not be accounted Galilaeans Those words which the blind man spake to the Pharisees stumble many a man Wil yee also be his Disciples His Disciples they would bee but they would not have much notice taken of them But those words of the Pharisees when once they came to be ignominiously interrogated they doe not onely stumble many but make them fall too What are yee also deceived Doe any of the Rulers or Pharisees beleeve on him When once it comes thus to be said by some kind of men What are yee also deceived are you led away by such men in such a cause I tooke you to have had more discretion doe you see any of the great Doctors of your Mind Such words as these doe for ever stop the mouthes of those who with Agrippa were almost perswaded for ever opening in such a cause againe Fourthly there is the politick Christian the reserved professour that never shewes himselfe but at halfe-lights You can have little or no hold of him and in matters of controversie he leaves himselfe without observation He never unvailes himselfe in publick but in such a cause wherein he is sure of countenance and protection He observes some rules of Matthiavel which he is resolved that the rules of Christianity shall never crosse because he will make these stoop to them He is fixed in this he will never doe any thing or speak any thing which may enterfeire with his hopes or prejudice his preferments and that he will make the best use of his Religion that is to say the best advantage Few or none can tell what to make of this man nor doe I beleeve he knowes what religion he is of himselfe But questionlesse all sides are deceived in him if they take him to be wholly theirs I found this man in the clouds and there I leave him Since there be so many deceits and impostures in our profession it concerns us to examine of what temper we are Wee must feele our owne pulse and try how it beates we should see whether our zeale be such as God will accept For we see that many set out of Aegypt and travell well on their journey yet never come to the Land of Canaan many that set their faces to Sion and Jerusalem yet never arrive there many that set out of the Port with a faire gale yet make Shipwrack before they come to the Haven many who with Orpah leave Moab with a resolution never to returne againe yet Naomi alleadging some worldly reason they do goe back few with Ruth outstand all difficulties in the passage Wherefore let us set before our eyes the examples of the best and let vs be animated and encouraged by them and the examples of the worst of Apostates and let us be warned by them and then let us set before us our owne selves and see whether we have not done our best at first If thou be advanced from some low condition to some dignity which should ever bee the seat of Vertue then try whether thy edge to Religion be not blunted whether thy zeale be not abated and whether as thou hast outstrip thy equals in place so thou dost in merit For if the change in thee be such as it was in Galba of whom it was said that he was thought to be omnium consens◠dignus temperio nisi imperasset worthy of the Empire till he had it then I must needs say that he hath purchased his preferment at too deare a rate that paid his honesty to get it But if it may be said of thee as it was of Vespasian that he was mutatus in melius made better by his Empire if thy heart be for humility lower and zeale hotter then it was before if thy advancement prove the vantage ground rather to exalt thy vertues then thy selfe then mayest thou assure thy selfe of the love and favour of God as well as thou hast honour of men But if it fall out contrary men will be apt to thinke that thou hadst lesse of the Ballast and more of the fayle and that thou madst more hast then good speed to thy preferment It is a shrewd singe of a lukewarme temper when men make some conscience of performing holy duties but they doe them as if they were about some other businesse When they come to Gods sanctuary without solemnity and preparation to meet the Lord when they heare the Word without affection and reverence when they pray without fervency and intention nay when they can without any regreat omit these duties to satisfie their lusts when they can omit the will of God and doe their owne when men take offence at their brethren because of their strictnesse and severity of life When wee see men halting betwixt Christ and Baal endeavouring to reconcile betwixt Rome and the reformed Churches joyniug the Ephod and the Teraphin and setting up the Arke and Dagon together When we heare the language of Canaan and the language of Ashdod both proceed out of the same mouth as it was in Nehemiahs time Chap. 13. 24. When we see silver become drosse and wine mixed with water as God complaines Isa 1. 22. When we see the holy oyntement of pure myrthe Exod. 30. to bee compounded and the Lamps of the Tabernacle that should burne cleare to be choaked and suffocated with grosse vapours and the fine flower to bee mixed with branne and those that should handle the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of sincerity doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sophisticate the word 2 Cor. 2. 17. When we see men yoaking of the Oxe and the Asse together and wearing linnen and woollen garments using the name of Jebi and the name of Baali which is forbidden Hos 2. 17. When we see men professing true Religion and the service of one God dividing themselves some betwixt God and
nor providence enough to prevent the hatred of both Reas 4 Fourthly this middle lukewarme constitution is the worse in regard they lose the honour of their actions and the reward of all their labours What the Comaedian saith of one in love is true also here veram si incipias neque gnaviter perficias nihilo plus agas 〈…〉 quam si operam des uteum ratione insantas He that begins and doth not finish he doth little better than discover a reasonable madnes As for him that is quite cold in his Religion as he takes no paines in the service of God so he scarce lookes for any reward We shall have many lukewarme Professours that goe very farre in the profession of Religion and are very strict in the outward performance of holy duties so that it may bee said of some of them as it was of him in the Gospel they are not farre from the Kingdome of Heaven and yet for want of going further and aduancing forward and pressing toward the marke of the high calling they fall short of the goale for when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abhominations of the wicked shall hee live in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he dye Ezek. 18. 24. As enterprises especially if weighty should never be rashly attempted so if they be once began they should bee prosecuted with diligence that so they may be dispatched with successe These lukewarme men are like miserable Chapmen that have a good mind to buy a bargaine but are loth to goe to the price of it now he that bids five hundred pound for that which is worth a thousand pound shall goe without it as well as hee that bids nothing In this businesse wee should be like the Merchant in the Gospel that sold all that be had to buy the Jewell of rich price Christ is a jewell infinitely beyond all that we can give and therefore we cannot offer lesse then our whole selves all our services and performances all our labours and endeavours These lukewarme Men can be content to afford Christ a cap and a knee but they will not give him their heart nay they are very scrupulous in mint and rue and very exact in the Ceremony and as if Religion were a Comedy they will in voyce and gesture act divine duties though in their heares they renounce and in their lives deny the parts they play Give me leave to interrogate Why have these men gone so farre as to get a forme of godlinesse but will not goe one step further as to shew the power of it Why will they take so much paines to personate and act a Christian and not to be one Why did they taste of heavenly mysteries and not digest them Why doe they take on them the title of Christs souldiers and goe into the field and endure some skirmishes and yet resolve not to march on and to fight the good fight and finish their course This is to take a great deale of paines to no purpose Yee did run well saith the Apostle who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth Gal. 15. 7. Have yee suffered so many things in vaine Gal. 3. 4. Were it nor farre better to bee either hot that is having enflamed affections and ardent zeale to the truth by which a man goes on with courage and resolution continues with patience and constancy and ends with honour and so receives the crowne of his labours and guerdon of his patience or else to be cold securely pursuing irreligious affections without denying ones selfe the pleasure of any sinne by the interruption of holy duties But these tepid men who make some kind of conscience of praying but pray fainly they take paines to be denyed Qui timidè rogat docet negare He that prayes fainly begs a denyall those that doe the worke of God but doe it negligently labour for a curse for cursed is every one that doth the work of the Lord negligently He that serves God with a ceremony and complement only his service shall bee recompenced with that answer Isay 1. 12. Who hath required this at your hand to tread my Court The truth is these men take paines to aggrauate their owne condemnation For if Religion be a good cause why doe these men goe so coldly about it and if it be a bad why doe not they wholy disclaime it For better it were either to be cold and such a one who as he hath no piety so he makes no shew of any or else to be hot that is zealous truly such as hee professeth himselfe to be farre better it is to be one of the former then to counterfeit a person which he is not and so as Diogenes said to Antipater who being a vitious man yet did use to weare a white cloake the ensigne of innocency virtutis stragulam pudefacere to put honesty to an open shame In the next place I will make a further discovery of the greatnesse of this sinne by comparing it with its contrary vertue which is included in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text which is rendred hot and is interpreted in the 19. vers by zealous I will now shew what true zeale is by which lukewarmenesse will appeare in its proper colours Zeale is a mixt Affection of love an anger What zeale is by which a man is stirred up to the profession of true Religion by doing what good he can to promote it and opposing any ill that may hinder it It hath respect both to good and its contrary and produceth effects both of love and hatred of love to the former and hatred to the contrary now this hatred against sinne if it cannot conquer it yet it begets an inward griefe and vexation of heart for evils cannot reforme Thus David did not onely keepe gods law himselfe but he shed abundance of teares because others did not keepe Gods Law Psal 119. 136. Jeremiah wished his head was a fountaine of teares that he might weep for the sinnes of the people Jer. 9. 1. Thus Nehemiah was most zealous in the reforming of the abuses of Gods worship Chap. 13. Thus did the zeale of Phineas appeare in executing the judgement speedily Numb 25. I might instance in Moses our Saviour and in Paul who were in a manner transported with sacred zeale Object But why so zealous some will say What needs all this heate A man may come to Heaven without marching furiously like Jehu Doe we not see many by their too much heate have become Phaeton's and Incendiaries to Church and State and set al in combustion It is not for every one to be carried to Heaven in a fiery Chariot with Elijah Methinks a moderation might serve there may very well be an abatement of this heate it may remit of its degrees and bee brought to an equall temper for doe wee not see in
frequently and perhaps willingly whereas indeed they doe them but not to a right end but for some colaterall respects For a command of God may concurre with selfe-respects of our owne for it is Gods command that we should heare the word preached and that we should pray but in performance of both these duties wee may have selfe-respects of our owne for wee may come to heare the Preacher as they in the Gospell did come to heare our Saviour to entrap him in his speech and to informe against him or we may come to heare him as Saint Augustine did to heare Saint Ambrose for his eloquence or we may come to heare him as some scoffers use to doe to laugh at him And we may pray as the Pharisees did to get a good opinion of men or to satisfie locall statutes or out of custome fashion or to comply with men but he doth a good duty zealously who will doe it when all selfe-respects be layd aside when a man will heare the Word though he be reproached and pray with Daniel though hee be in danger of his life He that can doe a duty when there is nothing to encourage to the duty when it is left naked nay when it is discountenanced discouraged punished it is an evident signe that it was the zeale to the end that carryed him through all the difficulties in the passage Sympt 4 Fourthly zeale if it be true is of a most masculine disengaged couragious Nature free from all base and servile feares it yeelds to no encounters but it is encreased by opposition just like heate surrounded with cold it recollects it forces and at length breakes forth with greater violence Such was Nehemiahs zeale Chap. 6. he would not flye though it were to save his life What shall such a man as I fly Julian the Apostate knew well enough the constitution of the Christians zeale and therefore at length he would not vouchsafe them the honour of an opposition for he knew well that their zeale was such as that it would triumph over all difficulties but he tooke a farre more dangerous course for he sought by flattery and faire promises to drawe them to Paganisme Wherefore a Christian should alwayes say thus Shall I that am a Christian shall I deny my cause Shall I betray my faith because it finds many persecutours Shall I alter my judgement because some men are of a contrary mind Shall I change my opinion because Hoc Ithacus velit Shall I remit of my diligence and strictnesse of life for feare of a srowne or stroke of abloquie These be base and unworthy respects farre below a Christians And it is certaine that they which stand in so much awe of men are not recti in curia with God for zeale if it be disengaged it is so bold as to attempt good environed with difficulties It was zeale thus tempered that lived in the hearts of those primitive Christians who were mirrours in their time astonishments to their adversaries and examples of wisedome and fortitude to all posterity of whom Sulpitious Severus speaking sayes thus of them Lib. 2. Multò avidiùs tunc martyria gloriosis mortibus quaerebant quà m nunc Episcopatus pravis ambitionibus appetuntur They did seek more greedily after Martyrdome than some did ambitiously after Bishopricks It was this zeale that caused Ignatius Antioch so earnestly desire death saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh that I might enjoy those wild beasts prepared for my death Let all the torments of the World come upon me so that I may enjoy Christ Let but our lukewarme professour compare his condition and temper with this which I have now described and then hee may see how farre short he fals of his duty though he seemes to goe beyond it In the next place I come to take a survey of divers sorts of Christians some of which will come within the compasse of this judgment of my Text. First there is the idle lazy and negligent professour who takes himselfe to be as good as he should be because he is not so bad as other men just like the Pharises who saith Lord I am not as other men I am no extortioner no drunkard no adulterer c. And I would we could all say so truly thus whilest they measure themselves by the irregularities of others they never come to know the rectitude of vertue or their owne deformities Their goodnesse much consists in negatives and they take themselves to be good enough because they be not stark nought the best that you can say of them is that which Tacitus said of Galba that he was magis extra vitia quam cum virtutibus they are rather not notoriously ill than very good But if this negative goodnesse would serve the turne than that abjurgation in the Gospell was unseasonable Why stand ye here idle these men were doing no hurt but it is hurt enough that they were doing no good Meroz was cursed and that bitterly Judges 5. 23. because they came not out to helpe the Lord against the mighty It is not sufficient to doe the people of God no hurt but wee must doe them good we must engage our selves in Christs quarrell for hee that is a Neuter or Indifferent hee is an enemy hee that is not with me saith Christ he is against me It is not this lazy professing of Christ or the title of a Christian that will serve the turne but the zealous profession is that that he lookes at A tree if it be barren or unfruitfull is cast out of the garden as well as bryer and Thornes nor will it suffice to bring forth leaves but no fruit for the figtree was cursed that had leaves but no fruit So that the glorious shew of a formall profession will not serve the turne this is to bring forth leaves but no fruit Let but those men consider whether there be the same minde in them as there was in Christ Philippians 2. 5. which should be in us all Let them but consider whether Christ would content himselfe with a negative goodnesse whether he would stand still and say nothing when he should see good duties neglected zealous professions reviled and men live in sensuality and carnall lusts Let them also consider how that God complaines Jer. 9. not of those that set themselves against the truth but that there was no man had courage for the truth I make no question but John Baptist had kept his head on his shoulders if he could have beene contented to have said nothing concerning the incestuous marriage of Herod with his brother Philips wife I doubt not but that Mordecai might have had the favour both of Naman and the King if so be he would have bowed his knee Both Daniel and Paul had escaped imprisonment if they could but have held their tongues But to the silent when Gods glory suffers is to be accessary Those in Heb. 11. that wandred up and downe in Sheepskins and goatskins being destitute
our bodies how overmuch heate enflames the blood and distempers the cucrasy of the whole Answ Answ There is no question but there is much discretion to be used in the managing of our zeale but discretion doth not abate the heat of love but direct it prudence doth not remit our diligence and zeale but guide it It is not the duty of prudence to cast water to quench or coole this affection Hee which is in a right course and goes slowly is not moderate but idle for we must not goe but run the wayes of Gods commandements Besides if we looke but upon good dnties or upon good men we shall find something extraordinary which commends them to God you shall have ever something to execude Prayer is said to prevaile if it be fervent Jam. 5. 16. We must love God but it must be with all our heart it is not every faith but faith working by love that is accepted there is a worke of faith a labour of love a patience of hope 1 Thes 1. 3. Christ will have none to follow him but him that will lay downe his life for him The Apostle exhorting the Corinthians to Heavenly and spiritual graces useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 14. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covet earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12. 31. it is not a lazy vote but an earnest coveting of them which obtaines those things at the hands of God so it is not the profession of Religion God looks at but the earnest zealous profession and Christ is said to have dyed to purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Tit. 2. 14. It is not the opus operatum that he delights in for then hee would never have said to the men of Judah When you spread forth your Is 1. 15. hands I will hide mine eyes and when you make many prayers I will not heare likewise in that Chapter he refuseth all their services for when men performe good duties doing them with a kind of reluctancy God refuseth them A Boy learnes his book but hee doth it rather for feare of his Master than for love of learning So it is commonly with men they doe religious exercises but they doe them as a taske imposed which they are loath to omit but they are glad when they are done Then look upon Christ and his Saints you shall still finde something superlative in them we should be alwayes looking upon Christ as the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12. 2. What ever was in him was most absolute you shall alwayes finde his servants indeavouring to expresse him as neare to the life as possibly they can Others may seeke to enter and faile but we must strive you shall find Jacob wrestling till day breake Gen. 32. 24. And Habakuk watching Hab. 2. 1. to see what the Lord would say unto him It was not an ordinary zeale that made David to pray and praise the Lord so often in a day or Daniel to fast so frequently or Paul to take so much paines to beate downe his body to keepe it in subjection It was more then ordinary love to Christ that made Peter and John speake what they had heard and seene concerning him Acts 4. or that made them rejoyce that they were counted worthy to suffer for his Name Chap. 5. It was a strong faith that made those Heb. 11. 35. rather to chuse to be tortured than to accept deliverance when it was offered suffering farre more willingly than the Adversary could inflict cruelly There is no thinking of a Mediocrity when we looke upon Christ the Archetypum and his Saints taking out the lessen he hath set them and imitating his Copy Object But some will say that there is much deceit and imposture and the Devill doth make men many times beleeve that they are truly zealous when indeed they are but like Comets which burne very hot for a time but at length end in a smoake and it is certaine that there is a misguided zeale which as it is very hot so it is very pernicious Answ My answer to this shall be by way of further Symptomes of true zeale discovery of the truth of zeale and first True zeale hath ever knowledge as its guide and fanctity of life as its attendant and fruit And he that hath a good mixture of zeale and knowledge so that his zeale doth quicken his knowledge and his knowledge doth guide his zeale is like a ship well ballasted that sayles with a prosperous gale Knowledge without zeale puffes a man up and zeale without knowledge is like the Devill in the possessed which casts him sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water such was the zeale of Paul before his conversion such was the zeale of the Jewes of whom Saint Paul speakes Rom. 10. 2. that they had a zeale but not according to knowledge Then true zeale hath ever sanctity as its fruit for as zeale without knowledge is frantick so without knowledge it is hypocriticall Sympt 2 2. We may know true zeale by its originall it ariseth from a heart replenished with flames of love to Christ which as they were at the first kindled by the holy Spirit so are they afterwards blowne and continued by it But there is another kinde of zeale which ariseth from a heart distempered with passion the former is a constant and permanent heate like that on the Altar or like the Vestall fire which was alwayes kept burning The other is but like a flash which ariseth from some suddaine turbulent passion which being spent it dyes The best men are sometimes subject to such distempers thus James and John when they would needs have fire commanded from Heaven to consume those that denyed entertainement to our Saviour were rebuked for their zeale by our Saviour Luke 9. Thus many doe undertake a good cause rather out of faction and humour or out of hatred to a person than love to CHRIST or zeale to the truth Sympt 3 Thirdly as you may know true zeale from its beginning so from its aime and end too True zeale ever aimes at Gods glory and the advancement of true Religion whereas if you separate the zeale of most men from colaterall by-respects from vaine-glory profit revenge and the like you shall have it faint and flagge and at length wholly desist One would have thought the zeale of Jehu to have out stript Josiah in vindicating the honour of God and yet what Jehu did it is thought was rather out of some respects of his owne for establishing the Crowne on his owne head or for revenge or the like for it is said of Jehu 2 Kings 10. 31. that Jehu tooke no heed to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sinnes of Jeroboam that made Israel to sinne this is it that deceives many they thinke that they be truly zealous because they doe good duties