zealous otherwise he hath no faith If he have no faith he cannot be saved 3. That man is in the state of damnation that loves not God He that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha that is let him be accursed and accursed for it is the greatest curse in the world it is the curse of the Gospel Let him be accursed and double accursed that loves not Christ Now a man never loves God if he be not zealous qui non zelat non amat He that is not zealous in love does not love love is termed zeal in the Scripture Iehu indeed the truth was he had no love to God he thought he had though and therefore when he would tell Iehonadab he had love to God he tels it in these words Come and see my zeal I have to the Lord of Hosts 2 King 10 16. That is see the love that I bear to the Lord of Hosts Zelus debet esse non modò in affectu verumetiam in intellectu is a saying zeal must be in the minde and zeal must be in the affections both are required to this zeal that I speak of If thou beest not zealous it is most certain thou hast not a jot of true love Zeal is more seen in that affection then any if there be any and therefore if there be no zeal in thee to God and his wayes there is no love thou art yet under wrath 4. That man is in the state of damation that was never taught of God Christ promises that all that are his shall be taught of God taught of God to be holy as he is holy taught of God to love one another taught of God to walk in all newnesse of life Every man look what he is taught in therein he is zealous Paul before he was converted he was taught in the ceremonies and his Fathers and therefore therein was he zealous I was traditions of taught sayes he according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers and was zealous Act. 22. 3. Alas poor soul had he been better taught he had been better zealous I doe not speak of the outward teaching of the ear only but also of the inward teaching of the heart his very heart such was the policy of Satan his very heart was taught in those things and therefore he was zealous of them The covetous mans heart is taught to be earthly therefore he is zealous for the world The proud mans heart is taught to be proud therefore he is zealous for his credit and esteem The voluptuous mans heart is taught to be vain therefore he is zealous of his pleasures Alas such were never taught of God The devil teaches them and their lusts teach them and the examples of others teach them Alas if thou beest not taught of God how to walk in newnesse of life thou canst not be saved it is better to be unborn then untaught and this as you see cannot be without zeal unto God 5. That man is in the state of damnation that cannot yet be pitied If thou beest zealous for the things of this life and not zealous for heaven zealous for thy pleasure and not for Gods glory thou art not to be pitied and thou wilt have pleasures take them and thou wilt to hell goe who will pity thee Deformitas sceleris aufert misericordiam It is true it would pity a mans heart to see a poor soul weeping and howling for his sinnes and yet go to hell It would pity a man to see a blinde Papist whipping himself praying on his Beads giving all his goods to the poor confessing his sins to his Confessor fasting and afflicting his body zealous in his blinde superstition and all to save his poor soul and yet go to hell it would pity a mans heart I say to see such a man goe to hell as how can he otherwise yet it would pity a man because he is zealous for God in the blindenesse of his zeal As it pitied the Apostle to see his brethren go to hell that were blindely zealous for God Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved for I bear them record they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 1 2. It pitied him that such as were blindely zealous for God should perish But whom will it pity to see thee go to hell thou hast no zeal at all that way No no thou art zealous after the things of this life and after thy lusts as God told Ierusalem Who shall have pity upon thee O Ierusalem Thou hast forsaken me sayes he Ier. 15 5. Who will pity our drunkards and our whoremongers who will pity you that are zealous in your sins and abominations ye are not so much as the objects of pity Is it so that the zeal of our affections is due only to God Is it so that God does demand it and that we are bound upon pain of death and damnation to give it to God Is it so that we never repented we never beleeved never were in Christ never loved God never were taught of God never can be pitied unlesse we give the zeal of our affections unto God Then O then let us consider the lamentable condition we are in as long as the zeal of our affection runs otherwise I beseech you consider these eight things which may convince you what a woful condition ye are in First Zeal is the fire of the soul Look what thou art most zealous upon that sets thy soul in a fire Every man and woman in the world is set on fire of hell or of heaven Now if heaven have not set thee on fire hell hath set thee on fire thou art set on fire of one of these two As it is the blessedest thing that can be to be set on fire of heaven to be zealous for the glory of God and the saving ones soul zealous for the getting of grace and zealous in the duties of religion so on the contrary it is the cursedst thing that can possibly be to be set on fire of hell Thou which art a swearer a lyar a filthy speaker whose mouth talketh of vanity thy tongue is set on fire of hell the tongue is set on fire of hâ—ll sayes the Apostle Iam. 3. 6. Thou which art a voluptuous man that lovest thy pleasures and delightest in vanity more then in better things thy heart is set on fire of hell thou which yeeldest to the temptations of Satan the devil tempts thee to go proudly in thine apparrel and thou yeeldest the devil tempts thee to smother thy conscience and thou consentest The devil tempts thee to put off thy better obedience till another time and the temptation takes hold there is never a temptation of Satan but it is a fiery dart the fiery darts of the devil Eph. 6. 16. Well does the Apostle call them fiery darts of the devil sayes Saint Chrysostome
lesse notable to others it is to be feared ye are not zealous for God The second sign of zeal towards God is to be impatient of sinne Zeal as aforesaid is the impatient part of the affections if a man do affect a thing but a little he can be patient without it but if he affect it very deep and with zeal O his affections are set on it and he is impatient if he speed not So that if thou beest zealous against sin thou art impatient of sin thou canst not suffer it Zeal is impatient of whatever is contrary to it That this is the nature of zeal you may see by the poor blinde zeal that was in Paul before his conversion he was zealous to God as he thought and thinking that the Church of Christ were contrary to all men enemies to God and man therefore now in the blindenesse of his zeal he persecutes that way unto death Concerning zeal I persecuted the Church Phil. 3. 6. It was a woful kinde of zeal to persecute the Church but yet there you may gather the nature of zeal it cannot abide that which is contrary and therefore if thou beest zealous against sin thou canst not abide sinne better journey riding studies prayers exhortations any course thou wilt use rather then abide it thou canst never abide any thing that is displeasing to God but resist it to the utmost and this resisting will be First Universal If thou beest zealous there is no sinne thou canst possibly abide Nothing is cold but the fire does resist it so nothing is sin but zeal does resist it to the utmost I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right I hate every false way Psa 119. 128. This is zeal indeed there is never a false way that a man can abide that is zealous To be zealous against one sinne and lukewarm against another this is not zeal Secondly General in all manner of persons First In a friend as well as in an enemy If thou beest zealous thou wilt finde fault with thy friends when they sin as well as observe a fault when thine enemy offendeth Men are apt to observe when their enemy sinneth O how unconscionable is he thus he hath done and so he hath done but if thou beest zealous when thy friend does transgresse thou wilt not abide it Fire will not only labour to consume the water that comes to put it out but also the wood that comes to maintain it So it is with zeal Do not I hate them that hate thee sayes David to God Psal 139 21. He could not abide to count them his friends that were not friends unto God though otherwise they were very friends unto him and may be saved his life and were patrons and benefactors unto him he could not wink at their sins because they were his friends though thy friend be a swearer or a carnal wretch yet if he be thy friend and thou dependest upon him thou canst see it and not see it but if thou beest zealous all his sins thou wilt count discourtesies to thee Secondly In ones childe as well as a servant you shall have many they are angry at every sin a servant commits but if their children do sin they connive it was no such great fault alas he did it unwittingly and what would ye have a childe do say they they can excuse it in their children and lessen it but if thou beest zealous thou canst not abide sinne in thy son any more then a servant thou wilt correct him and curb him and threaten him and counsell him and never endure he should sin if thou canst possibly help it What my son and be wicked what doe I love God and shall I suffer my loins to dishonour him Son know thou the God of thy father otherwise I count thee a bastard and no son This brake old Elies neck because he suffered his sons to be wicked when he by godly severity might have remedied it A zealous man when his son hath committed things worthy of death will not spare him Zech. 13. 3. Thirdly In ones own wife or husband or father or mother as well as in a neighbour zeal cannot abide it husband thou dost not love me as long as thou livest thus wife thy heart is not with me as long as thou dost thus how canst thou love me when thou dost not love God nor thine own soul this is the meaning of our Saviour If any come to me and hate not father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14. 26. A zealous man cannot abide to yield to sin for the best of them all Fourthly In a rich man as well as in a poor man if thou beest zealous thou canst not abide sin neither in the rich nor in the poor if poor men offend and if beggars be idle and ungodly then thou wilt complain Oh the poor are so wicked they break down our hedges who would releeve them they will not be orderly they lie drinking in Ale-houses and spend it away on the pot therefore who would releeve them But if the rich be keepers of company and vain in their pleasures thou art not so zealous against their sins alas this is no zeal but let a wicked man be as great as King Ahab Micaiah will deal roundly with him Nehemiah will not spare Lords nor Nobles when they sin Neh. 13. 17. For a Magistrate to punish poor Malefactors and not the Gentry when they do transgresse is this zeal no it is cursed partiality Fifthly In ones self rather then in any body else true zeal is more zealous against sinne in ones self then in all the world besides otherwise sayes our Saviour it is hypocrisie and not zeal Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Mat. 5. 7. Zeal I say is like unto fire it is hot it self first before it heat others may be the fire meets with many other things that it is not able to heat it as the bottom of a kettle of water the fire cannot heat it neverthelesse the fire will be sure to be hot of it self So it is with thee if thou beest zealous against sinne thou wilt be like unto fire rather suffer cold to be in any other then suffer it to be in it self so thou wilt rather suffer sin in any body else then suffer it in thy self thou wilt not suffer sin any where else by thy good will but above all things thou wilt not suffer it in thy self This is the second sign of zeal towards God it is impatient of sin The third sign of zeal towards God is it cannot be quiet till it be assured of Gods favour and of Christ Thou art never earnest for God if thou canst possibly be quiet without assurance of Christ
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such sayes he are the sinfull lusts and affections they are all fiery set on fire of hell this is one misery and this not a small one zeal is the fire of the soul and if it be not set upon God it is set on fire of hell Secondly Zeal is the running of the soul If thou beest not zealous for God thou runnest away after the things of this world thou dost not only go after vanities but thou runnest not only go after thy pleasures and thy profits but thou runnest As the affections are the feet of the soul so zeal is the swift running pace of these feet I will run the way of thy Commandments sayes David that is I will be zealous in it It is a long way to heaven especially now since the fall it is a very long way to heaven and death will overtake us before ever we can get there unlesse we run and therefore Saint Paul commands us to run fast enough lest we never get there So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor 9. 24. Now had we not need to set our zeal right for that way we run that way our zeal stands If the zeal of our affection stand to Godwards we run onwards to heaven but if it stand to the things here below we run onwards to hell I reade of Tiberius Nero who when his brother Drusus lay sick in Germany he ran two hundred miles in twenty four hours to visit him But we may finde tanker runners then so in sinne some in drunkennesse and good fellowship as they call it others in security and hardnesse of heart others in one sin and others in another and as they run themselves so if there be any that are stricter then themselves they wonder that they run not with them to the same excesse of ryot 1 Pet. 4. 4. Mark run not with them where note themselves run into ryot May be sometimes they have sudden and violent affections to good as if they were all on a fire for the present like the young man in the Gospel he came running to Christ and kneeled down to him sayes the Text Mar. 10 17. O he was all upon the haste he does not goe to him but he runs as many men and women have very good moods and violent pangs of goodnesse now and then but alas it was nothing but a flash for by and by he was as ready to be gone as ever he was hasty to come and then he ran on in his security and coveteousnesse of minde Do ye not see how fast many of you run on in arerages with God If we could see Gods debt-book might we not there reade Item ten thousand oaths thou hast sworn Item millions of millions of filthy words thou hast spoken Item a hundred millions of millions of wicked thoughts thou hast thought Item a thousand lazie prayers thou hast made Item 20. hundred Sabbaths thou hast prophaned Item fourty Sacraments thou hast unworthily received Thus ye have run on as if ye thought every day seven years till ye are in hell Thus it is with you when your zeal is set any where else then on God Thirdly Zeal is the predominant element in the soul Look what the soul is zealous unto that is the predominant temper of the soul if thou beest zealous for God Christ is predominant in thee if thou beest zealous for the things of this world the world is predominant in thee Non datur temperamentum ad pondus sayes the Philosopher there is no temper but something is predominant You never heard of a soul that had as much of the world in him as of Christ and of Christ as of the world No as he is zealous to one thing so one thing or other is predominant in him Men-pleasing is predominant in one pride predominant in another and pleasure predominant in a third Whatsoever a man is zealous unto that is his predominant element Now if thine affections if the zeal of them be not set upon God then something or other in the world is predominant in thee O what a misery then is it to be lesse zealous for God then for the world the world is predominant in thee this is the character of one that yet is no better then a reprobate Lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. when pleasure is predominant and not God He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me c. sayes Christ Mat. 10. 37. when carnal relations are predominant and not spiritual this I say is an evident character of a wicked man for what difference is there between a godly man and wicked man both have sinne in them this is the difference a godly man hath sin in him but grace is predominant and therefore he is called a godly man A wicked man hath many good graces in him but sinne and wickednesse is predominant and therefore he is called a wicked man the denomination is from the part that is predominant The beasts of the earth because the earth is predominant the fishes of the Sea because the water is predominant a brick-house not as though there were no wood in it but because brick is predominant Mark all thy thoughts which is predominant in thee the world or Christ mark all thy speeches which is predominant earth or heaven mark all thy cares which is predominant to busie thee most O what a wofull estate art thou in when sin and corruption is predominant in thee If thou be more zealous after the things of this life then after grace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Thou canst never enter into Gods kingdom because sin is predominant in thee Fourthly Zeal is the self-cruelty of the soul If thou beest most zealous to God thy zeal is a holy cruelty to thy self Master spare thy self sayes Peter to Christ Get thee behinde me Saran sayes Christ he was zealous for the redemption of the world and he would not spare his own life Zeal is a holy cruelty of the soul it will spare nothing nor life nor credit nor living nor any thing M. Fox that was zealous in his love to the poor he was in a holy manner cruell to himself to give the very clothes off his back rather then the naked should not be covered Love is as strong as death and as cruell as the grave Cant. 8. 6. Durus sicut inferi zelus as Ambrose expounds it zeal is as hard as the grave A man that is zealous is a hard man to himself that he may be free unto God not as though true zeal were hard and cruell indeed unto his own soul but I mean to his own fleshly desires and respects he is the mercifullest man to his own soul under heaven Now then see what a woful estate thou art in if thou beest not zealous for God for if the zeal of thine affections gad any where else
3. One just man is better then a thousand others Though he be a beggar in the world he is better then a thousand wicked though they be all Lords and Nobles Because he is one of Christs redeemed and so thou wilt love him and affect him Thou wilt love him if thou beest zealous to Godwards I say thou wilt love a childe of God albeit in a leathern-coat more then father and mother wife and children friend or patron so they be not Saints I mean with more spirituall love then thou lovest them all And therefore much more the Churches of the Saints The seventh is If thou beest zealous for God then thou wilt be most zealous when the Lord threatens to be going away If ever men will buy any thing at the Fair they 'l buy when they are all breaking up standings taking up their wares and packing away If ever they 'l be forward to buy then they will God is now perchance shutting up shop-doors is now packing up his commodities and his graces to be gone The doors of his Sanctuary have been open a long time and the Shop-windows of Heaven have stood broad ope this many a year And we see plainly the dead of the market is come no body buyes almost How long hath he preached and scarse any converted How many Sermons and Market-daies have we had we can hardly see one drunkard converted one adulterer converted one worldling converted one unprofitable professour converted O that we could see it but alas we cannot our commodities stick upon our hands we can have no vent for grace nor Gospel nor Christ nor mercy nor any thing The dead the dead of the market beloved the market is dead God is now shutting up to be gone and as we may justly fear to remove away his Candlestick to take away the power of his Ordinances and to withdraw his Spirit from striving any more with us our stubbornnesse is so great We are grown to despise his reproofs to be incorrigible under his word to be malicious against his rebukes what encouragement hath he to stay Now if ever ye will be zealous now ye will now ye will come in and be wrought on or never now your proud hearts will stoop or never Now ye'l cry hard and pray hard and beg hard or never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's grievous to come a day after the Fair as we say I mean now is the last pinch in all probability it is so either now let us look to it or never It will be grievous to come a day after grace No man can repent without grace of God and therefore if he come a day after grace he cannot repent vid. Eze. 24. 13. The XII Sermon Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. IT may be demanded what means may we use to make us to be zealous I answer briefly First Frequent meditation Meditate of the infinite misery thou art in by nature and by reason of sinne and this will make thee zealously humbled Meditate of thy grievous iniquities whereby thou hast dishonoured God meditate of the unutterable mercy of God that hath not consumed thee meditate of the admirable patience of God that hath spared thee thus long and not damned thee in hell meditate of the inconceivable goodnes of God in Christ that he should give up his own Sonne unto death rather then that thou shouldest perish for ever these truths are all fiery truths While David was meditating I cannot tell now what truths they were that he meditated of but it seems they were all fiery truths they set his soul all afire as he mused and meditated My heart was hot within me and while I was musing the fire kindled Psa 39. 3. The very sight of a fire will warm a man a little Let thy heart look upon God and his waies let his commandments be ever in sight they will heat thee whensoever thou prayest meditate with thy self if I pray lukewarmly God will spue me out of his mouth Whensoever thou hearest the Word meditate with thy self I must take heed how I hear otherwise my hearing is abominable Whensoever the Sabbath is coming meditate with thy self O I must call it my delight and spend it in Gods worship publike and private or else God will consume thee While I was musing the fire kindled saith the Psalmist what 's the reason thou art so lukewarm in good duties as thou art the reason is plain thou usest not to meditate thou canst be content to hear the Word at a Sermon and let the Minister warm thee for an hour thou canst talk of the Word but when thou art alone thou dost not meditate of the Word if thou wouldest put the Law of God in thy thoughts and meditate of it when thou art solitary it is a fiery law From his right hand went a fiery Law Deut. 33. 2. Gods law is a fiery Law and his Gospell too is a fiery Gospel were it often in thy thoughts it would heat thee Know it for a certain we can never have a jot of saving grace or of zeal if we be not frequent in this duty thou makest a Christ of the world if that can have more room in thy thoughts then Gods word thou canst never be zealous nor gracious at all if thou beest not used to meditation thou art carnal and earthly why because thy thoughts are of that sort the thoughts are incentiva vitiorum sayes Hierom they are the incentives and igniâ—les and the bellows to kindle sin in thy heart whereas were they heavenly they would kindle zeal in thy soul The second means is a constant practise of godlinesse Motus est causa caloris saies the Philosopher Motion is the cause of heat Be ever in action if thou wouldest be zealous be alwaies stirring in the works of religion and godlinesse you shall see men labour and toil naked in their shirts in frost and cold and be hot for all that Labour stirs up the spirits and heateth the bloud labour will not suffer a man to be cold if Peter had been rowing in his boat when he stood still in the High-Priests Hall by the chimney-corner he had had little need of that fire to have heated him and therefore if thou desirest to be zealous labour in reading of the Scriptures labour in hearing and applying the Word to thy heart labour in examining thy conscience and repenting of thy sins and labour in praying and calling upon God this will kindle the heat of zeal in thee Ask and ye shall receive that your ioy may be full Joh. 16. 24. mark that your joy may be full your comfort may be full your love may be full and your hope may be full that is that it may be zealous for zeal is the fulnesse of every affections in its kinde O sayes one I am so dull and so dead I pray indeed but my prayers are dead and I hear
private Christians that are said to labour with him in the Gospel This this beloved would cause Religion to thrive here among us Thirdly Consider I pray you thou wilt discourage us that are Gods Ministers except thou be zealous If men would be zealous in hearing and zealous proficients it would make us go cheerfully on in our callings When Titus told Paul the fervent minde of the Corinthians it encouraged the Apostle when he told us your fervent minde we rejoyced the more 2 Cor. 7. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Original when he told us your zeal Saint Paul was cheared to hear that What greater discouragement to a Schoolmaster then that his scholars should be dull and not profit What greater disheartning to a Captain then that his souldiers should be fainthearted and without life and what greater grief to a Minister then that his people should be senselesse and livelesse It made Ieremy weary of his life It made the Prophet Micah lament bitterly Wo is me I am like the Grape gleaners It made the Prophet Isay cry out I have laboured in vain On the contrary when the people are zealous and forward and drink in the words of eternal life with all greedinesse and bring forth fruit with abundance this makes a Minister go merrily on in his function Zelo Ecclesia Dei congregatur saith Saint Ambrose It is zeal that does gather a Church the zeal of the Minister and the zeal of the people the Lord quicken us in his mercy that we may encourage one another daily Let us be encouraged by you when ye are reproved be not offended You think the Minister spights you alas we have no reason to wish any of your fingers to ake much lesse to wish that your souls should perish When S. Paul commanded that the incestuous Corinthian should be delivered to Satan did he wish him any hurt No Deliver him unto Satan sayes he for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. sayes Chrysostome No mortal man loved that offender in Corinth more then Paul did sayes he when he would have him delivered unto Satan It was only that he might know he was a damned wretch unlesse he amended and that the devil should have him unlesse he were humbled What was his reason his reason was this that his soul might be saved in that day O the Minister preaches damation so often he is unmercifull to our souls O my brethren we intend you the greatest mercies of heaven in so saying it is that ye may not run into damnation but may repent and beleeve the Gospel Do not thus discourage us whom God hath sent to you as his Ministers to labour in the word and doctrine among you but stir up your selves to be zealous in hearing and obeying that we may give up an account of your souls unto God with all cheerfullnesse Fourthly consider You can never be excellent if ye be not zealous A Christian should strive to excell aut Caesar aut nullus nothing but the best should suffice a Christian Wouldest thou then be excellent get this same zeal zeal runnes after the best things Covet earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12. 31. The Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be zealous after the best things Wouldest thou be excellent in prayer and excellent in the duties of religion be zealous therein A Christian is like fire fire mounts up absolutely aloft and ascends above all So does a Christian he is better then all the men of this world put them all together like Iob there is none like him in all the earth Every man else fain would be excellent a worldling strives to excell others in wealth a politician to excell others in wisedom a scholar to excell others in learning a tradesman to excell others in his profession He is of a base spirit that does not desire to excell in some thing and shall not a Christian then desire to excell in grace Fifthly Consider I pray who ye may be like if once ye be zealous ye may be like unto the Angels of heaven they are spirits and flaming fire sayes the Apostle Heb. 1. 7. if thou art zealous for God thou art a bodily Seraphim though thou canst never be without sin as long as thou livest in this world yet as Gregory speaks in the mouth of zeal thou mayst swallow up thy sins nothing will devour and consume sin so well as true zeal O get a coal of this fire then from Gods Altar and heat thy heart with it and while thou mayst be like the blessed Angels of God be not like the brutish sons of the old Adam Zeal is it that maketh an Angel to be an Angel Angeli sine zelo nihil sunt sayes Ambrose the Angels are nothing without zeal If thou hadst zeal unto God then thou mightest be like unto Angels Sixthly Consider what infinite need thou hast of true zeal Suppose a great frost and a tedious cold winter were a coming and then no firing were to be had would not men buy as much fewell as they could get and stack it and store it that they might have it at their need otherwise they were not able to live nor to dresse their own sustenance they would certainly starve if they should have no firing in such a cold time Beloved I speak to such as have ears to hear there 's a cold time of religion a coming and the wrath of God is ready to break forth to plague mens souls with key-coldnesse this way because they have despised the zeal of the Lord and no firing to be had then God knows how soon the power of Gods Word may be taken from us You who love your own souls look about lay up some firing and be not slothfull in all this businesse do all diligence to store up grace for your selves this will help you to zeal not slothful in businesse fervent in spirit Rom. 12. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall zealous in spirit If ye will not be slothfull in businesse ye shall quickly be zealous in spirit O get quickly the spirit of prayer to be zealous in prayer by faith it will be the best string to your bow it will be your only thing left nothing left you but prayer in secret unto God had not ye need to be diligent for that When a poor cripple hath nothing to trust to but only his begging he will ply that When a poor day-labourer hath never a foot of ground nor any thing but only his fingers end to maintain him and his family he he will be sure to employ them alas if he should have a wound in his hands or he should lose the use of his fingers what shall he do when a mans house leans mainly upon one pillar he will
but my hearing is dead I see my corruptions abundance of vanity in my heart abundance of vanity in my thoughts abundance of vanity in every thing that I doe and I am so dead Lord what shall I doe Dead art thou and dost thou wonder thou art dead thou wilt not labour to be quickned thou art loth to be at the pains to be quickned thou goest idlely to work Otium mors est vivi hominis Sepultura as Seneca speaks Idlenesse is death idlenesse is the burying of a man alive Thou art idle and wilt not labour with God to be quickned When David was poring and blundring and looking upon the vanity of his minde O he was as dead as a timber-log it deaded his soul quite and clean to see his corruptions but what does he do he laboured with God against it he laboured with fasting and meditating and praying again and again that the Lord would be pleased to quicken him nine times in one Psalm Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word in one verse Quicken me according to thy iudgements in another verse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement in another verse Quicken thou me according to thy loving-kindeness Again Quicken thou me after thy loving-kindnesse Again Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word in another verse He never would let his heart alone till he had gotten life and spirit and quickning again As long as thou art lazy in good duties no wonder though thou be dead labouring and striving in good exercises will heat a mans soul and make it more zealous The third means is keeping good company as Cleopas was heated by being in Christs company Did not our hearts burn within us sayes he while he talk twith us in the way Luk. 24. 32. As the bawdy Poet said of his sweet-heart Accede ad ignem hanc Come to this fire a whore inflames an adulterer one wicked man heats another unto lust and to sinne So every childe of God is a fire for to heat thee Wouldest thou be zealous sort with Gods people keep company with the Saints and such as excell in grace and vertue Two are better then one for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up Again if two lie together saies the Wise man then they have heat but how can one be warm alone Eccl. 4. 9 10 11. Dost thou complain I have no zeal I would be glad to be zealous but I am exceedingly lukewarm do what I can so I am and so I am likely to be alas dost thou ever look to be otherwise as long as thou canst company with vain persons such as may be will talk of heaven now and then but there is no heat nor warmth in their speeches they are dead-hearted themselves and so are their speeches dead and without life O but I live in a place that is wicked and there 's scarce one godly man in the house where I dwell and I can finde none for to warm me Dost thou so so did Obadiah in Ahabs Court there was never a good Courtier to converse with and therefore what did he do he made use of Gods Prophets in private 1 Kin. 18. 4. and though he might not be seen in their company for fear of losing their lives he bid them in a cave and there he would have a bout with them in secret Thou which neglectest the society of the Saints never expect to be zealous Thomas was very faithlesse and full of his doubtings One reason was this the Disciples of Christ had meetings together and Thomas was not with them sayes the Text Ioh. 20. 24. The coals that lie together in the hearth you see how they glow and are fired while the little coals that are fallen off and lie by separate from their company are black without fire If ever thou desirest to be zealous make much of the fellowship of the Saints thou canst hardly come where two or three Saints are met together but thou shalt finde Christ in the midst of them The fourth means is Shunning the occasions of sin Moses would not leave so much as a hoof behinde him in Aegypt Exod. 10. 26. that there might be no occasion for the people to turn back into Aegypt had he left but a hoof behinde there that were an occasion to go thither to fetch it Abraham would not take so much as a thread or a shoe-latchet of the King of Sodom when he offered him lest there should be any hint to the flesh to distrust in God Thou canst never be zealous unlesse thou shun the occasions of sin If the heart have but an occasion once to be vain it 's a thousand to one but so it will be deadnesse will steal on 't upon the least occasion Give a theef but an occasion of having a booty his fingers cannot hold When David had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Lord told him he would punish him 2 Sa. 12. 14. Why because if they had but an occasion they would be sure for to take it Let no man put an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14. 13. Alas if the flesh have no occasion it will lay hold on it it is not enough to keep out of a sin but thou must go far from it not only from sin but also from all occasions of sin Keep thee far from a false matter Exo. 23. 7. One thinks I may go so farre and not sinne Thus far I may do and so far is this lawfull but let me tell thee if thou goest so far thine own heart will have occasion to go further and then thou art undone Nimiâ licentiâ sumus omnes deteriores sayes Terence We are all the worse for taking too much liberty if once it be an occasion to the flesh thou art gone Zeal cannot abide the occasions of evil the least occasions will choak it The fifth means is to eschew the beginnings of sin Peter did but begin to rebuke Christ Master spare thy self he began to rebuke him sayes the Text Mat. 16. 22. but Christ did so hate the very beginnings of that sin that he said Get thee behinde me Satan The devil was in that beginning of sin The Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason saying Who is this that speaks blasphemies And Jesus condemned these beginnings of reasonings Luk. 5. 21. Those that were invited to the Feast in the Gospel they came not but fell to excuses and were cast into utter darknesse for their labour But how came they to fall into that sinne the Scripture shews plainly because they did not eschew the beginnings of the sinne they all with one consent began to make excuse Luk 14. 18 principiis