Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A14736
|
A coal from the altar, to kindle the holy fire of zeale In a sermon preached at a generall visitation at Ipswich. By Samuell Ward, Bach. of Diuinity.
|
Ward, Samuel, 1577-1640.; Wood, Ambrose.
|
1615
(1615)
|
STC 25039; ESTC S103052
|
29,222
|
94
|
they will the rather goe out to meet them Tell Nehemiah of Samballat hee answereth Shall such a man as I feare Tell Caleb there are Anakims and he will say Let vs goe vppe at once c. Let Agabus put off his girdle and binde Paul let him be told in euery City that bonds await him hee is not onely ready for bonds but for death tell Iubentius he must lay downe his life he is as willing as to lay off his clothes tell Luther of enemies in Wormes hee will goe if all the tiles of the houses were diuels The Horse neighs at the trumpet the Leuiathan laughes at the speare They that meane to take the kingdome of God by violence prouide themselues to goe through fire and water carry their liues in their hands embrace faggots they say to father and mother I know you not to carnall Counsellers and friendly enemies Get you behind mee Satan Zeale is as strong as death hot as the coles of Iuniper flouds of many waters cannot quench it Agar Pro. 30. speakes of foure things stately in their kinde I will make bold to adde a fift comprehending and excelling them all namely the zealous Christian strong and bold as the Lion not turning his head for any as swift as the greihound in the waies of Gods commandements in the race to heauen as nimble as the Goate climbing the steep and craggy mountaines of pietie and vertue A victorious King ouercoming the world and his lusts Salomon in all his royalty is not cloathed like one of these in his fiery Chariot To cut off the infinite praises of zeal let vs heare what honourable testimonies and glorious rewards it pleaseth God to confer vpon it Dauids ruddie complexion and his skill in musicke made him amiable in the eyes of men but the zeale of his heart stiled him a man after Gods owne heart and the sweete singer of Israel Abraham that could finde in his heart to sacrifice his Isaack was called the friend of God The same virtue denominated Iacob a Prince with God Elisha The Chariots and horsemen Paul A chosen vessell c. Neither doth God put them off with names and empty fauours but vpon these he bestowes his graces Dauid dedicateth his Psalmes to him that excelled God in dispensing of fauours obserueth the same rule To him that ouercommeth will I giue c. To him that hath shall be giuen Husbandmen cast their seede vppon the fertilest ground which returnes it with the greatest interest God giues most talents to those that improoue them in the best banke Ioseph shall haue a party coloured coate of all kinde of graces and blessings And because hee knowes this will purchase them hatred and enuy he takes them into speciall tuition if any will hurt his zealous witnesses there goeth out a fire out of their mouthes to deuoure their enemies A man were better anger all the witches in the world then one of these If God bring any common iudgements he sets his Seale Thau on their foreheads sprinkles their posts snatcheth Lot out of the fire who burned in zeale as Sodome in lust as men doe their plate whiles they let the baser stuffe burne In fine he taketh Enoch and Eliah in triumphant Chariots vp to heauen and after their labours and toyles setteth them in speciall Thrones to rest in glory The Apostles in their twelue the rest in their order according to their zeale And though hee may well reckon the best of these vnprofitable seruants yet such congruity not of merits but of fauour it pleaseth him to obserue in crowning his graces that the most zealous heere are the most glorious there Who would not now wonder how euer this royall vertue should haue lost it grace with the world how euer any should admit a lowe thought of it But what shall all the indignitie which hell can cast vpon it make it vile in our eyes or rather shall wee not reason from the opposition as Tertullian did of Nero That religion which Nero so persecutes must needs be excellent If zeale were not some admirable good the diuell and world would not so hate it yet lest silence should be thought to baulke some vnanswerable reasons let vs see how they labour to be mad with reason Let Festus bee the speaker for the rest for he speakes what all the rest thinke you know his mad obiection and Pauls sober answere in that place and the like 2. Cor. 5. 13. whether hee bee mad or sober it is for God and you This text bids vs be zealous and repent the word signifies be wise againe or returne to your wits The prodigall is said to come to himselfe when he was first heat with this fire We may well answer the world as old men do yong You thinke vs Christians to bee madde that follow heauen so eagerly but we knowe you to be mad that run a-madding so after vanity A Christian indeed is neuer right till he seeme to the world to be beside himselfe Christs owne kindred were afraid of him The Apostles are said to bee full of newe wine besides with these the world is madde they runne vpon Stephan like mad men Nichodemus such as he neuer offends them You know also what Ahab laid to the charge of Eliah with the Apology hee made for himselfe This is a stale imputation in all ages Haman accused Mordechaie and the Iewes of it The Apostles are saide to bee troublers of the whole earth In the Primitiue Church all mutinies and contentions were laide to the Martyrs True it is where zeale is there is opposition and so consequently troubles Christ sets this fire on earth not as an author but by accident The theefe is the author of the fray though the true man strike neuer so many blowes but the Ahabs of the worlde trouble Israel then complain of Eliah The Papists will blowe vppe the state then father it vpon the Puritanes It is not for any wise man to beleeue the tythe of the tales and slaunders which fly abroad of the zealous Leud men would fain strike at al goodnes through their sides You may remember also Eliabs vncharitable censure of Dauid I know the pride of thine heart So doe all worldlings measure others by their owne length if they see any forwardnesse in the peaceablest spirit they ascribe it either to vaine glory or couetousnesse the onely springs that set their wheeles on going but of this the knower of the hearts must iudge betweene vs. When slaundering will not serue then fall they to glauering cunningly glancing at zeale whiles they commend the golden meane wherein vertue consists But Christians take heed none spoile you through such Philosophy or rather Sophistry for true Philosophy will tell you that the meane wherein virtue is placed is the middle betwixt two kindes and not degrees And it is but meane virtue that loues the meane in their
sense Oh say they but some discretion would doe well It is true but take withall Caluins caueat to Melanchton That he affect not so the name of a moderate man and listen to such Syrens songs till he lose his zeale I haue obserued that which the world miscalls discretion to eate vppe zeale as that which they call policy doth wisdome As Ioab stabbed Abner vnder a colour of friendshippe Antichrist vndermineth Christ by pretending to be his vicar The feare of ouerdoing makes most come too short of the two extremities wee should most feare lukewarmenesse rather let your milk boyle ouer then be raw From glauering they fall to scoffing yong Saints will proue but old Diuels these hot-spurs will soone runne themselues out of breath But we say such were neuer right bred such as prooue falling starres neuer were ought but meteors the other neuer loose light or motion spirituall motions may be violent and perpetuall When none of these wil take they fal to right downe rayling these Puritans these singular fellowes c. vnfit for all honest company I hope the states Puritan and the common Puritan bee two creatures For with that staffe the multitude beates all that are better then selues and le ts fly at all that haue any shew of goodnes But with that which most call Puritanisme I desire to worship God For singularity Christ calls for it and presseth vrgeth it What singular thing doe you or what odde thing doe you Shall Gods peculiar people doe nothing peculiar The world thinks it strange wee runne not with them into excesses and do not as most doe that we might escape derisino Iudge you which of these men shall please I beleeue none shall euer please Christ till they appeare odde strange and precise men to the common sort and yet neede not bee ouer iust neither Let them that haue tender eares stop them against the charmes of the world and scornes of Michol vnles they were wiser let him that hath a right eare heare what Christ saith to the Churches Be zealous The fourth part Yea but by what means shall a Christian attaine this fire and maintaine it when he hath gotten it Say not in thine heart What Prometheus shall ascend into heauen and fetch it thence thou maist fetch it thence by thine owne prayer as did Elias and the Apostles men of infirmities as well as thy selfe pray continually and instantly the Lord that breathed first thy soule into thee will also breath on thy soule I speake not of miraculous which was but a type but of ordinary inspiration Prayer and zeale are as water and yce mutually producing each other when it is once comne downe vpon thine altar though no water can quench it yet must it bee preserued fresh by ordinary fuell especially the Priests lippes must keepe it aliue Sermons are bellowes ordained for this purpose The word read is of diuine vse but doth not with that motion stirre these coales Experience sheweth the best oration will not so moue as the meanest Orator The fift part But heere me thinke I heare the luke-warme worldling of our times fume and chafe and aske what needs all this adoe for zeale as if all Gods people were not zealous enough Such as thinke they are or can bee zealous enough neede no other conuiction to bee poore blinde naked wretched and pittifull Laodiceans Fire is euer climing and aspiring higher zeale is euer ayming at that which is before carried towards perfection thinking meanely of that which is past and already attained condemning his vnprofitable seruice as Caluin in his last Wil this rule tries full conceited Christians What would you haue vs doe we professe keepe our Church hear Sermons as Christians ought to doe Affectionate friendship and seruice is not onely for publicke shewe and pompe vpon festiuall dayes in Chambers of Presence but for domesticall ordinary and priuate vse to such holy-day and Church retainers God may well say let vs haue some of this zeale at home and apart All affections are most passionate without a witnes Such as whose families closets fields beds walks doe testifie of their worship as well as temples synagogues are right seruitors God much respects their deuotions and they haue strong proofe of the power of godlines Wee would you should knowe that wee are such as haue prayer saide or read in our families houshoulds or or else wee say some to our selues at our lying downe and vprising and more then that say you what you will wee holde more then needs First knowe that zeale knowes no such vnmannerly courses as to slubber ouer a few prayers whiles you are dressing and vndressing your selues as most doe halfe a sleepe halfe awake know further that such as holde onely a certaine stint of daily duties as malt horses their pase or mille horses their round out of custome or forme are farre from that metall which is euer putting forward growing frō strength to strength and instant in duties in season out of season and this sayes hard to lazie Christians May not we go too farre on the right hand It is true but liberality baulkes and feares couetousnesse and niggardize more a great deale then prodigality so does zeale lukewarmenes and coldnes more then too much heat and forwardnesse the defect is more opposit and dangerous to some virtues then the excesse Why are not some thinke you too straight laced that dare not vse their Christian liberty in some recreations sweare by small oathes or lend money for reasonable vse hath not God left many things indifferent wherein some shew themselues more nice then wise Zeale will cut off the right hand if it cause to offend much more to pare the nailes and superfluities it consumes the strongest dearest corruptions much more will it singe off such haire and drosse as these If ought be praise worthy it embraceth such things if any be doubtfull carying shew of euill of ill report it dares not meddle with them it feares that some of these are as indifferent as fornication was among the heathen There are but few such no not of the better sort as you speake of Graunt there bee any and zealous emulation culleth the highest examples Such as meane to excell in any Art trauell to finde out the rarest workemen purchase the choycest copies hee that hath true zeale will striue to purge himselfe as Christ is pure Will you haue vs runne before our neighbours or liue without example or company Cowards and crauens stand and looke who goes first souldiers of courage will cast lots for the onset and fore-ranke for desperate seruices and single combats Iades will not go without the way be led So wee may soone come to trouble and danger enough What danger can there bee of an honest peaceable religious forwardnesse The slug or snaile puts out the tender horne to feele for