A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 1 · Sermon 14
THE TRUE ZEALOT. A Sermon preached at the Archbiſhops viſitation in Saint Dunſtans. THE FOURTEENTH SERMON.
JOHN 2.17.
The zeale of thine houſe hath eaten mee up.
THe parcell of Scripture whence I have taken my text is a ſacred ſculpture or Hieroglyphicke, conſiſting of
1 An embleme or impreſe:
2 A motto or word.
The embleme preſenteth to us the Temple with a kinde of Faire in it; and a man (which is the ſonne of man) with a ſcourge of ſmall cords, driving out all the buyers and ſellers, and powring downe their money, and overthrowing their tables and ſtalles. The motto, word or ſentence, is that which I have already ſpoken in your hearing, viz. The zeale of thine houſe hath eaten mee up. The exemplification of the embleme I commend to him, to whom our Saviour hath left his whip to void, & cleanſe this temple, and to diſcipline all ſorts of bad merchants in it. The motto or word belongeth properly to them to publiſh & proclaime it, whoſe ſtile is vox clamantium, the voice ofaMat. 3.3. cryers; not the ſweet voice of ſingers to lull men aſleep in ſecurity, with melodious ſtreines of time-ſerving & eare-pleaſing Madrigals and Fancies: but the ſtrong and loud voice of Cryers, to call all men into the Court, and ſummon them to the barre of Chriſts judgement: hee that promiſeth his Apoſtles and their ſucceſſors to give them abLuk. 21.15. I will give you a mouth, &c. mouth, hath given mee at this time both the mouth and the Motto, the Motto of the embleme, viz. the words of my text, Zelus domus tuae devoravit me. In the uttering whereof if ever, now I need to pray that the Lord wouldcEſay 6.7. touch my tongue with a coale from his altar; with a coale, that I may ſpeake warmely of zeale; with a coale from the altar, that I may diſcourſe holily of his Temple. SaintdHomil. 3. Utinam daretur mihi de ſuperno altare, non carbo unus, ſed globus igneus offeratur, qui multam & inveteratam rubiginem poſsit excoquere. Bernard made the like prayer upon the like occaſion: O, ſaith hee, that there were given unto mee from the altar above, not one coale, but rather a fiery globe, a heape of coales, to ſcorch the abuſes of the time, and burne out the inveterate ruſt of vitious cuſtomes. By the light of theſe coales you may behold in this Scripture,
1 In David as the type, Chriſt,
2 In Chriſt, as the mirrour of perfection, zeale,
3 In zeale as a fire,
1 The flame,
2 The fuel.
The flame, vehement, conſuming, or devouring, devoravit.
The fuel ſacred, me, mee.
No divine vertues or graces like to Chriſts affection:
No affection in him like to his zeale:
No zeale like to that which hee bare, or rather wherewith hee was tranſported to his Fathers houſe, which even eat him up; and may deſervedly take up this golden moment of our moſt pretious time. May it pleaſe you therefore, Right, &c. to ſuffer your religious eares to bee bored at this preſent with theſe ſacred nayles, or points, which I humbly pray the holy Spirit to faſten in your hearts:
1 The vertue or affection it ſelfe, zeale.
2 The object of this affection, thy houſe.
3 The effect of this object, hath eaten up.
4 The ſubject of this effect, mee.
1 In figure, David.
2 In truth, Chriſt.
foreign; and who is ſufficient for theſe things? or able worthily to treat of
1 An affection moſt ardent, zeale.
2 A place moſt ſacred, thine houſe.
3 An effect moſt powerfull, hath eaten up.
4 A perſon moſt divine, mee?
Zeale is derived from foreign to burne, or hizze, as water caſt on metall melted, and it ſignifieth a hot or burning deſire, an ardent affection: and ſometimes it is taken
1 For foreign, or emulation, which is a commendable deſire of attaining unto anothers vertue or fame.
2 For foreign, or foreign, envie, which is a vitious affection, repining at anothers fame or fortune.
3 For foreign jealouſie, which is an irkeſome paſſion ariſing from love wronged, at leaſt in opinion. And no other fire wee finde on natures forge, or the Philoſophers hearth; but on Gods altar there burneth another manner of fire, fed with pure fuell, which like a waxe light or taper, yeeldeth both a cleare flame and a ſweet fume; and this is holy zeale. All things that are caſt into the fire make a ſmell; but the burning of ſweet odors onelyonly makes a perfume: ſo the hot and fervent
1 Deſire of,
2 Intention in,
3 Affection to the beſt things onelyonly, is zeale.
Fire is the nobleſt of all the elements, and ſeated next to the heavens: ſo zeale ſparkling in the ſoule is the chiefe and moſt heavenly of all ſpirituall affections. Some define it to bee the fervour, intention, excellency, or improvement of them all.
Heat
1 IneRom. 12.11. Fer…ent in ſpirit. devotion, if it exceed becommeth zeale.
2 InfCol. 4.13. affection, if it be improved groweth to be zeale.
3 Ing1 Cor. 14.12. deſire of ſpirituall gifts, if it bee ardent is zeale.
4 Inh1 Cor. 7.11. indignation, or revenge of our ſelves, if it bee vehement, is called by the Apoſtle zeale.
Fervent devotion, ardent love, earneſt deſire, vehement indignation, all are zeale, or rather are all zeale: for there is a
1 Zeale of good things, which maketh us zealous of Gods gifts.
2 Zeale in good things, which maketh us zealous in Gods ſervice.
3 Zeale for good things, which maketh us zealous for Gods glory.
And anſwerable to the three operations of fire, which are, to heat, to burne, to conſume:
1 The firſt heateth us, by kindling a deſire of grace.
2 The ſecond burneth, by enflaming our hearts with the love of God.
3 The third conſumeth, by drying up the heart, abſuming the ſpirits with griefe, and hazzarding our perſons and eſtates in removing ſcandals, and reforming abuſes and profanations of God his name, houſe, or worſhip, as alſo revenging wrongs done to his houſhold and ſervants.
In ſumme, zeale is a divine grace grounded upon the knowledge of Gods word, which according to the direction of ſpirituall wiſedome, quickeneth and enflameth all the deſires and affections of the ſoule in the right worſhip of the true God; and vehemently and conſtantly ſtirreth them up to the preſerving, advancing, and vindicating his honour by all lawfull meanes within the compaſſe of our calling. Rectum ſui eſt judex & obliqui: If you ſet a ſtreight line or rule to a crooked figure or body, it will diſcover all the obliquities in it. Hang up an artificiall patterne by an unskilfull draught, and it will ſhew all the diſproportions and deformities in it. Wherefore Ariſtotle giveth this for a certaine foreign, or character of a true definition, to notifie and diſcover all the errors that are, or may be deviſed about the nature of the thing defined; which are in this preſent ſubject wee treat of, ſundry and manifold. For as when there is publicke notice given of a ring found, with a rich ſtone ſet in it, every one almoſt that ever was owner of a ring like unto it, eſpecially if his owne bee loſt, challengeth it for his: ſo all in whoſe temper, affections or actions, any naturall or ſpirituall, divine or diabolicall, heavenly, earthly or helliſh fire gloweth, challengeth the pretious coale or carbuncle of zeale to bee theirs. The Cholericke and furious, the quarrelſome and contentious, the malicious and envious, the jealous and ſuſpicious, the Idolatrous and ſuperſtitious, the indiſcreet and prepoſterous, the proud ſelfe-admirer, the ſacrilegious Church-robber, the preſumptuous and exorbitant zealot, nay the ſeditious boutefieu and incendiary, all pretend to zeale. But all theſe claimers and many more beſides, are diſproved and diſclaimed by the true definition of zeale: which is, firſt, a grace, and that diſtinct from other; not more graces, or a compound of love and anger, as ſome teach; or of love and indignation, as others: for the graces of the ſpirit, and vertues of the minde are incoincident. As where divers candles or torches in a roome concurre to enlighten the place, the light of them remaineth impermixt, as the Optickes demonſtrate by their ſeverall ſhadowes: ſo all the divine graces conjoyne their luſtre and vertue to adorne, and beautifie the inward man; yet their nature remaines diſtinct, as their ſpeciall effects make it evident to a ſingle and ſharp-ſighted eye. God was in the buſh that burned and conſumed not, yet God was not the buſh. The holy Ghoſt was in the fiery cloven tongues, yet the holy Ghoſt was not the tongues. The ſpirits runne along in the arteries with the purer and refined blood, yet the ſpirits are not the blood. The fire inſinuateth it ſelfe into all the parts of melted metall, and to the eye nothing appeareth but a torrent of fire, yet the fire is not the metall: in like manner zeale ſhineth and flameth in devotion, love, godly jealouſie, indignation, and other ſanctified deſires and affections, it enflameth them as fire doth metall, it ſtirreth and quickeneth them as the ſpirits doe the blood, yet zeale is not thoſe paſſions, neither are all, or any of them zeale; howſoever the ſchooles, rather out of zeale of knowledge than knowledge of zeale, have determined the contrary.
2 Secondly, zeale is defined to bee, not a morall vertue, but a divine gift or grace of the Spirit: the Spirit of God is the efficient cauſe, and the Spirit of man is the ſubject; which the Apoſtle intimates in that phraſe,iRom. 12.11. foreign, being fervent or zealous in Spirit. This fire, like that of the Veſtals, is kindled from heaven by the beames of the Sunne of righteouſneſſe, not from any kitchen on earth, much leſſe from hell. They therefore qui irae ſuae ſtimulum zelum putant, they who imagine the flaſhes of naturall choler are flames of ſpirituall zeale, toto coelo errant, are as farre from the marke as heaven is diſtant from the earth. No naturall or morall temper, much leſſe any unnaturall and vitious diſtemper, can commend us or our beſt actions to God and men as zeale doth. The fire of zeale like the fire that conſumed Solomons ſacrifice, commeth downe from heaven; and true zealots are not thoſe Salamanders or Pyrauſts that alwayes live in the fire of hatred and contention; but Seraphims, burning with the ſpirituall fire of divine love, who, as Saint Bernard well noteth, kept their ranke and ſtation in heaven, when the other Angels of Lucifers band, that have their names from light, fell from theirs. Lucifer cecidit, Seraphim ſtant, to teach us that zeale is a more excellent grace than knowledge, even in Angels that excell in both. Howbeit though zeale as farre ſurpaſſe knowledge as the ſunne-beame doth a glow-worme, yet zeale muſt not be without knowledge. Wherefore God commandeth the Prieſt when hee kExod. 30.8.lighteth the lamps to burne incenſe: though the fire bee quicke, and the incenſe ſweet, yet God accepteth not of the burning it to him in the darke. The Jewes had a zeale, as thelRom. 10.2. Apoſtle acknowledgeth; and the Apoſtle himſelfe before his converſion, yet becauſe it wanted knowledge, it did them and the Church of God great hurt. No man can bee ignorant of the direfull effects of blind zeale: when an unskilfull Phaeton takes upon him to drive the chariot of the ſunne, hee ſets the whole world in a combuſtion. What a mettled horſe is without a bridle, or a hot-ſpurred rider without an eye, or a ſhip in a high winde and ſwelling ſaile without a rudder, that is zeale without knowledge; which is like the eye in the rider to chooſe the way, or like the bridle in the hand to moderate the pace, or like the rudder in the ſhip to ſteere ſafely the courſe thereof. SaintmInſer. 22. in Cant. Bernard hits full on this point: Diſcretion without zeale is ſlow paced, and zeale without diſcretion is heady; let therefore zeale ſpurre on diſcretion, and diſcretion reyne zeale; fervor diſcretionem erigat, & diſcretio fervorem regat. Diſcretion muſt guide zeale, as it is guided by ſpirituall wiſedome, not worldly policy: and therefore
Thirdly, I adde in the definition of zeale, that it quickeneth and enflameth all our holy deſires and affections according to the direction of ſpirituall wiſdome. For wiſdome muſt preſcribe zeale, when, and where, and how far, and in what order to proceede in reforming all abuſes in Church and State, and performing all duties of religious piety, and eminent charity. What Iſocrates ſpake ſometime of valour or ſtrength, is as true of zeale, viz. nIſoc. ad Dem. foreign, &c.that zeale and reſolution with wiſedome doth much good, but without, it doth much miſchiefe to our ſelves and others; like granadoes and other fire-works, which if they be not well looked to, and ordered when they breake, do more hurt to them that caſt them than to the enemie. Yet that we be not deceived in miſtaking worldly policy for wiſdome, I adde ſpirituall, to difference it from carnall, morall, or civill wiſedome; for they are too great coolers, they will never let zeale exceed the middle temper of that*Vibius. Statesman in Tiberius Court, who was noted to bee a wiſe and grave Counſeller, of a faire carriage, and untainted reputation; but hee wouldoJuven. ſat. 4. Ille igitur nunquam direxit brachia contra torrentem. never ſtrike a ſtroake againſt the ſtreame, hee would never owne any mans quarrell, hee would bee ſure to ſave one. Such is the worldly wiſe man, hee will move no ſtone, though never ſo needfull to bee removed, if hee apprehend the leaſt feare that any part of the wall will fall upon himſelfe. ThepCic. de orat. l. 1. Tempus omne poſt conſulatum objecimus iis fluctibus qui per nos à communi peſte depulſi in noſmetipſos redundarunt. Romane Conſul, and incomparable Oratour ſhall bee no preſident for him; who imployed all his force and ſtrength to keepe off thoſe waves from the great veſſel of the State, which rebounded backe againe, and had neere drowned the cocke-boate of his private fortune. Hee will never ingage himſelfe ſo farre in any hot ſervice, no not though Gods honour and the ſafety of the Church lye at ſtake, but that he will be ſure to come off without hazzard of his life or eſtate. Hee hath his conſcience in that awe that it ſhall not clamour againſt him for not ſtickling in any buſineſſe that may peradventure reflect upon his ſtate, honour, or ſecurity. In a word, peradventure he may bee brought with much adoe to doe ſomething for God, but never to ſuffer any thing for him. This luke-warme Laodicean diſpoſition, the leſſe offenſive it is to men, the more odious it is to God, who is a jealous God, and affecteth none but thoſe that are zealous for his glory; he loveth none but thoſe that will bee content to expoſe themſelves to the hatred of all men for his names ſake. HeeqJud. 5.23. Curſe ye Meros, curſe yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof, becauſe they came not to the helpe of the Lord againſt the mighty. accurſeth all thoſe in the name of Meros that refuſe to come in their beſt equipage to aide the Lord againſt the mighty. rMagdeburg. Cent. 5. & Pomp. Laetus compend. hiſt. Rom.Anaſtaſius the Emperour for his luke-warmneſſe in the Catholicke cauſe, and endevouring to reconcile the Arrians and Orthodoxe, or at leaſt ſilence thoſe differences, was ſtrucken to death with a hot thunder-bolt. No Sacrifice is acceptable to God that is not ſalted with the fire of zeale, which guided by wiſedome quickneth and enflameth all the inward deſires as well as the outward actions, that appertaine to religion: for the chiefe ſeat of zeale is the fountaine of heat, and that is the heart; there itſPſal. 45.1. bubbled in David, there ittLuk. 24.32. Did not our hearts burne when hee opened to us, &c. burned in the diſciples, ituPſal. 22.15. My heart is dried, &c. conſumed and dryed up the very ſubſtance of the heart in Chriſt. If our zeale burne not inwardly as well as outwardly, as well upwards towards God, as downewards towards the world; if it enflame not our charity as well as incenſe our piety; if the heat of it bee cooled by age, or ſlacked by oppoſition, or extinguiſhed even by floods of bloody perſecution, it is no true Veſtall fire, nor ſuch as becommeth Gods altar: for that might never, this did never go out; ſincerity it ſelfe is not ſo oppoſite to hypocriſie, as zeale. Sincerity without zeale is a true, but a cold and faint-hearted, zeale is an eager, fierce, hot, and couragious enemy of all hypocrites, whom ſhee brandeth with an eternall note of infamy. But becauſe all fires are in a manner alike to the eye, how ſhould wee know holy fire from prophane, heavenly from earthly, that is, zeale from enraged hypocriſie; pretending with Jehu, that hee is zealous for the Lord of hoſtes? I anſwer, as a precious Diamond is valued, by three things:
1 Inward luſtre:
2 Number of caracts:
3 Solidity of ſubſtance.
and thereby is diſtinguiſhed both from counterfeit gemmes, and thoſe that are of leſſe value: ſo true zeale is diſtinguiſhed from hypocriticall by
1 Sincerity,
2 Integrity,
3 Conſtancy: all which notes are diſcernable in holy*Pſal. 119.2. Davids zeale.
1 Sincerity; I have loved thy teſtimonies with my heart,ver. 6. yea my whole heart.
2 Integrity; I have had reſpect unto all thy commandements:ver. 34. all falſe wayes I abhorre.
3 Conſtancy; I have kept thy lawes unto the end.ver. 44.
When the face and hands and outward parts burne, as in a feaver, the heart is ſo cold that it quaketh and ſhivereth: ſo it is with the hypocrite, his tongue alwayes, and his hands too ſometimes burne,
xPerſius ſatyr.—Sed pone in pectore dextram
Nil calet.—
If you could put your hand into his bowels, you ſhould finde his heart like Nabals, as cold as a ſtone. True zeale if it bee tranſported, it is in private devotion to God (ſi inſanimus Deo inſanimus) in outward carriage towards men it proceeds reſolutely indeed and undauntedly, but yet deliberately and diſcreetly; it burneth within moſt ardently, it ſcarce ever flameth or ſparkleth outwardly; like thoſe bathes in the Pythecuſian Ilands, whereofyBalnea in Pythecuſiis inſulis fervent ſupra modum calore, & vi igneâ, nec tamen flammam emittunt. Vide Ariſtot. mirabilium auſcult. Ariſtotle writeth, that they are hot above meaſure, and of a fiery nature, yet ſend forth no flame.
Secondly, as inſincerity diſcries the hypocrite, ſo alſo want of integrity. Take the hypocrite that maketh the faireſt offer to zeale, though hee outſtrippe ſome it may bee in ſome works of piety, and duties of the firſt Table, you ſhall take him tardy in moſt acts of charity, and duties of the ſecond Table. Peradventure he will ſlay ſmaller ſinnes with the ſword of the Spirit, like the meaneſt of the Amalekites, but hee will ſpare Agag and the principall, his gainefull ſinnes of ſimony, ſacriledge, uſury, and oppreſſion; hee is never —Totus teres atque rotundas. Goe he as upright as hee can you ſhall perceive him to limpe and halt with God, or man, or both. If the point of controverſie in the Church no way touch his free-hold, hee takes it no more to heart thanzAct. 18.17. Gallio did the uproare about Saint Pauls preaching; then difference about articles of faith, are but contentions about words, foreign: but if it rubbe upon his profit or credit with his owne faction, then hee never leaveth crying out, great isaAct. 19.28. Diana of the Epheſians. You may finde an hypocrite zealous againſt Idolatry, but you ſhall finde him very moderate againſt ſacriledge: if he have a moneths minde to Rome he will ſtickle for the authority of the Church; but the ſcripture is very cheape to him, hee will deliver prayers by tale to God, the bleſſed Virgin and Saints: but for Sermons, hee holds it a kinde of merit to heare few of thoſe of his owne ſect, and none of any other. On the contrary, if hee hath beene brought up at the feete of Cartwright or Brown, then he is all for Scriptures, and nothing at all for the Church; all for preaching, and nothing for prayer, unleſſe it be an abortive iſſue of hi… owne brain, an extemporary, indigeſted, incompoſed, inconſequent ejaculation, in which he is never out becauſe he is never in. As for the premeditated, penned, adviſed, and ſanctified forme of Service appointed by the Church, it is to him like the white of an egge that hath no taſt in it. But the moſt certain and infallible character of an hypocrite and his zeale, is the ſoon cooling and abating thereof, and in the end evaporating into ayre; like a blazing ſtarre he glareth for a time, but in a ſhort ſpace playes leaſt in ſight; like fire-works of danke powder, hee never leaves ſhooting off on theſe and the like watch-towers whileſt his matter laſteth, but when that is ſpent goeth out in a fume or ſtench. True beauty beareth off all weathers, but paint is waſhed off with a ſhower, or diſcovered by the fire. Saint Baſil's embleme was columna ignea, a fiery pillar; fiery, there's his zeale; a pillar, there's his conſtancy. I doubt whether nature can preſent ſuch a ſtone as the name Aſbeſtus in the original ſignifieth, that is, a ſtone of fire that nothing can extinguiſh: but I am ſure grace can, and that is this jewell of zeale I have beene ſo long in deſcribing; for it burneth alwayes in the heart and can never be quenched. I would bee loath to be thought to goe about to quench the ſmoaking flaxe, or diſcourage any man in whom there is a ſparke of this fire covered with aſhes; yet I ſhould deceive them, or ſuffer them to be miſ-led with an ignis fatuus, if I ſhould not tell them that if this their zeale like a lampe or candle ariſe not up in the ſocket, and make the greateſt blaze at the laſt, it is no true zeale.bNat. hiſt. l. 37. c. 10. Chryſolampis pallidi coloris eſt interdiu, nocte ignei. l. 2. c. 103. Fons ſolis circa meridiem maximè frigidus eſt, ad noctis medium fervore infeſtatur. Pliny writeth that the Chryſolamp is of a pale colour in the day, but of a fiery in the night: and in like manner hee reporteth of the fountaine of the ſunne, ſpringing in the countrey of the Troglodites, that at mid-day it is extreme cold, but extreme hot at midnight; and Solinus the like of a Well by Debris. I wiſh I did not ſee in theſe fountains, or the colour of the Chryſolampis, the picture of our nations zeal. In the dark of ignorance, or mid-night of Popery was not our zeale for Gods truth exceeding hot and fiery? but now in the ſunne-ſhine of the Goſpell is it not of a coole temper, like fons ſolis, the fountaine of the ſun, and of a pale colour like the Chryſolamp in the day?cSolin. c. 32. Apud Debrim oppidum Garamantum fons eſt qui die friget, nocte fervet, friget calore, calet frigore. There was a time when like the Galatians the people of this City and Kingdome would have plucked out their very eyes for the Miniſters of the Goſpell, and have choſen rather to have loſt the lights of their body than of their ſoule: but now many care not how little they ſee us upon theſe or the like watch-towers. May not God complaine of our zeale as hee did of the righteouſneſſe of Ephraim, that it is like thedHoſ. 6.4. morning dew, when the ſunne groweth hot not a droppe to bee ſeene on the graſſe? It was the reproach of our neighbour nation,Primus impetus plus quam virorum, ſecundus minor quam foeminarum. That in their firſt aſſault they were more than men, in the ſecond leſſe than women. I pray God we juſtifie them not in our fight againſt ſin and Satan, and conflicts with temptation, in which we are not ſo valiant at the firſt as we are cowardly at the laſt. May we not daily obſerve many, who at their firſt entry into the miniſtry are ſo zealous, ſo frequent, ſo diligent in their preaching, that a man durſt engage himſelfe deepely for them, that they would prove trueeVide vit. Juell praefix. oper. Juels, dye ſtanding in the Pulpet: and yet ſhortly after, great preferments comming upon them, they verifie that Proverbe, leves curae loquuntur, ingentes ſtupent? Have we not Guardians of our Churches, that in their firſt yeere preſent more abuſes than a zealous Nehemiah can reforme in ſeven; yet afterwards when they are made of the Cabin-Councell, and become leaders in our Veſtries, and have learned that Demoſthenes received a greater reward for ſilence than Aeſchines for ſpeaking, they erect a Court of Faculties in their owne breaſt, and diſpence with themſelves for perjury: videntes vident & non diſcernunt, & audientes audiunt & non intelligunt; in ſeeing they ſee ſcores, nay hundreds receiving the Communion ſtanding, or ſitting at their beſt eaſe: they ſee, eſpecially in the ſuburbs, not onelyonly on other holy-dayes, but alſo on the Lords-day, Ale-houſes and Tavernes full, and Churches empty: in the City ſeeing they ſee but will not diſcerne many a reverend Paul, and hopefull Timothy forſaken of the better part of their auditory, who runne a gadding after ſome new ſchiſmaticall Lecturer, whoſe name is up; who reſembleth our late and new found Wels, that worke wonders for a Summer, and multitudes of people flocke to them, but afterwards all their vertue is gone? As in ſeeing they ſee theſe things and diſcerne them not, ſo in hearing they heare and underſtand not: they heare old hereſie new varniſhed, refined popery, yea ſometimes direct and groſſe, and yet they either doe not, or will not underſtand it: they heare Popiſh Prieſts and Jeſuites at their next doore mumbling Maſſes, and yet underſtand it not: they heare in the Pulpet our reverend Prelates, moſt worthy double honour, our zealous Nehemiahs, our Chriſtian Courts, our ſacred Canons, our decent Ceremonies jeared at or ſighed againſt in a pang of Amſterdamian zeale, and yet they underſtand it not. What ſhould I ſpeake of the people in generall, who when a Chryſoſtome firſt openeth his golden mouth amongſt them, throng and croud at the Church doores, and not onelyonly fill all the ſeates, but climbe into the windowes, and hang upon iron barres, and contribute ſo freely to his maintenance, that they need to bee reſtrayned by law, as the Iſraelites were in Moſes time; but after a yeere or two they followfEraſ. adag. Mandrabulus his ſteps, who finding great treaſure, as he conceived, by direction of Juno of Samos, offered to her the firſt yeere a Statue of gold, the next yeere of ſilver, the third yeere of braſſe? So at the firſt they offer gold in abundance, afterwards they turne their gold into ſilver, and then their ſilver into braſſe tokens, and laſt of all theſe into ayre. As a temporary faith juſtifieth us not before God, ſo neither temporary charity before men; true zeale is not a flaſh, or a blaze, but a laſting fire that burneth alwayes: it is good, ſaith SaintgGal. 4.18. Paul, to bee zealous in a good matter alwayes.
By the marks I have now ſet upon the hypocrite, you may deſcry him, and ſever him from a zealous Chriſtian: & by thoſe which follow in the definition of zeale, Enflaming all the deſires and affections in the true worſhip of the true God, the holy fire of the ſanctuary is diſtinguiſhed from all ſuch ſtrange fire as our Nadabs and Abihu's, ſuperſtitious, idolatrous, ſeditious, or preſumptuous zealots offer.
1 The lay Papiſt is a kinde of zealot; for his zeale eates up his time and his eſtate too: yet hee is not zealous, becauſe his zeale is not employed and exerciſed in the true worſhip of God, according to his word, but according to mans will and invention; viz. in praying to Saints, in worſhipping images, in ſuffrages for the dead, in ſeeing Maſſes, and adoring the hoſte, and telling out a fet number of Pater-noſters, and Ave-Maries upon hallowed beads, in making ſuperſtitious vowes, and going in pilgrimage, and abſtaining from certaine meates, and wearing haire-cloth, and whipping themſelves, and creeping on all foure to a crucifix, and the like: of all which wee demand as God doth of the Jewes by the Prophet Eſay, hIſa. 1.12. Who hath required theſe things at your hands?Who required theſe things?
2 The idolatrous heathen is a kinde of zealot: for hee is not content to offer beaſts onelyonly to God, with the Jew, but men alſo to their gods. For in ſome places they ſacrifice their children, as among the Moabites: in others their fathers, as among the Triballi: elſewhere their princes or prieſts, as among the Indians: and in ſome countryes themſelves, as among the Americans: yet for all this their throwing themſelves into, or cauſing others to paſſe through the fire to their Moloch, or Saturne, or Abaddon, they are not to bee accounted zealouſly affected in religion, becauſe what they doe in this kinde, is not done by Gods commandement, nor intended to his honour; but in obedience, and to the honour of an Idoll, or Devill, whom they worſhip in ſtead of the true God.
3 The Jeſuite, or Jeſuited Romaniſt is a kinde of zealot: for hee will compaſſe ſea and land to make a proſelyte, hee will ſticke at nothing for the advantage of the catholike cauſe, no not the ſticking or ſtabbing of Kings and Princes: his zeale is ſo hot, that it will kindle a fire to blow up whole Parliaments for an Holocauſt to the Romane Moloch; yet is hee not zealous, becauſe hee is hot and fervent, not for Chriſt, but for Antichriſt; and hee uſeth not ſanctified, but execrable and damnable meanes to promote the catholike cauſe (as he termeth it) and enlarge the territories of the Man of ſinne.
The laſt condition of true zeale is, that it keepe within the walke of mens ſpeciall calling, which they who confound, for the moſt part bring confuſion upon themſelves, as did King Uzziah, who would bee thought out of zeale to burne incenſe unto the Lord; but becauſe hee tooke upon him to doe that whichi2 Chron. 26.18. appertained not to him, but to the Prieſts of the Lord the ſonnes of Aaron, that were conſecrated thereunto, his incenſe ſtanke in the noſtrils of God,ver. 19. and himſelfe alſo: for a leproſie roſe up in his forehead before the Prieſts in the houſe of the Lord, from beſide the incenſe altar; and Azariah the chiefe Prieſt thruſt him out of the Temple,ver. 20. yea himſelfe haſted alſo to goe out, becauſe the Lord had ſmitten him. Nothing is more neceſſary or uſefull than fire, if it bee kept within the furnace, oven, or tunnell of the chimney, yea or within the barrell of the piece, and from thence orderly iſſue out; but nothing ſo dangerous if it bee not contained within the hearth, or breake out of it ſelfe, and flye abroad: ſo nothing is more commendable or profitable than well guided, nothing more incommodious and perillous than exorbitant zeale; when the Prince medleth with the cenſer, or the Prieſt with the ſcepter: when private men take the ſword out of the Magiſtrates hand, or the Magiſtrate miſ-applyeth the publike ſword of juſtice to revenge his private wrongs.
Thus have I at length defined zeale, and confined it within the limits of every mans lawfull and ſpeciall calling. Which limits ſhall be the bounds of my ſpeech and your attention at this preſent. The beſtkPlin. nat hiſt. l. 12. c. ult. Optimum quod eſt odoratiſsimum è ſemine, ac maximum & ponderoſiſsimum, mo…dens in guſtu eſt, fervenſ que in ore balſamum and moſt ſoveraigne, is that which is biting in the taſte, and burning in the mouth: ſuch have beene the obſervations upon this text, biting in the taſte, and hot in the mouth. God grant that like true balſamum they may prove a ſavour of life unto life to all that have heard me this day. I am come with our Saviours Commiſſion, to put fire among you; and what is my deſire, but that forthwith it be kindled, to purge out all your droſſe, to purifie the ſons of Levi likelMal. 3.2. ſilver, to burne up all hay and ſtubble built upon the foundation of our moſt holy faith, and laſtly, to conſume all our ſpirituall ſacrifices? But non opis eſt noſtrae, non opus eſt noſtrum; alas it is not my breath will doe it, it muſt bee the blaſt of Gods holy Spirit, that can firſt kindle, and after keepe this ſacred fire in the hearth of our hearts. To him therefore who deſcended in themAct. 2.3. ſimilitude of fiery cloven tongues, let us lift up our hearts, hands, and voices, beſeeching him to tind and preſerve this ſpirituall fire in our
1 Hearts,
2 Eares,
3 Tongues,
4 Hands; that wee may bee zealouſly affected to Godward, in meditating on him, in hearing from him, in praying to him, in doing and ſuffering for him. To knit up all in a word, His grace make us ſincerely, entirely, diſcreetly, and conſtantly zealous,
1 Of his gifts,
2 In his ſervice,
3 For his honour: to whom bee aſcribed all honour, glory, &c.