A Coal from the Altar to Kindle the Holy Fire of Zeal, Title page – To the reader
A COAL FROM THE ALTAR, TO KINDLE THE holy fire of Zeale.
In a Sermon preached at a generall Visitation at Ipswich.
By SAMVELL WARD, Bach. of Diuinity.
foreign.
AT LONDON, Printed by H. L. for Samuell Macham; and are to be sould at his Shop in Pauls-church-yard, at the signe of the Bulhead. 1615.
To my Reuerend friend, Mr. Samuel Ward.
Sir,
your Sermon which I copied partly from your mouth, and partly from your notes, I hauehave aduentured into the light; encouraged by the approbation, and earnest intreaty of such, whose iudgements you reuerence, and whose louelove you embrace: who also hauehave made bold heere and there to varie somethings, not of anie great consequence, if I can iudge. I was loth to smoother such fire in my breast; but to vent it, to enflame others. If you shall blame me, I knowe others will thanke mee. What I hauehave done is out of zeale, to God, and his Church.
Your affectionate friend, Ambrose Wood.
A necessarie Aduertisement from the Printer.
CVrteous Reader, I thought meet to giuegive thee notice, that one of the written sheets of this Sermon, coming to our hands, both misplac't, and without any directory either word, or Folio, to the next ensuing; the Compositor could not but set it in the same order (or rather, manner) wherein hee receiued it: whereas we vnderstand since, it was meant, that all the matter between the sixteenth line of the 51. page and the second line of the 61. page, should hauehave followed in the beginning of the 43. page, immediately after these words, will not so moue as the meanest Orator. Which I wish thee to note with thy penne.
To amend the Faults of the Press, read thus;
In the Title page, foreign. p. 9. l. 12. dung. p. 41. l. 11 & 12. derision. p. 68. l. 16. veine.
Reuel. 3. 19.
Be zealous.
THis watch-word of Christ, if it be not now a word in season, I knowe not when euer it was, or will bee: Would he now vouchsafe to bestowe a Letter vponupon his Church here on earth; should hee need to alter the tenour of this? which being the last, to the last of the seuen Churches, why may it not (saith an Ancient, vponupon this text) typifie the estate of the last Age of his Churches? the coldnesse whereof himselfe hath expresly foretold. And if God should now send through the earth such surueying angels as Zacharie Mat. 24. 12mentions chapter 1; Could they returne any other obseruation of their trauailes then theirs; The whole world lies in lukewarmnesse? which makes me often in my thoughts proportion these ends of time,1 King. 1. 1 to the like period of Dauids age when no clothes were enow to keepe heate in him. Faith I grant is a more radicall, vitall, and necessary grace; but yet not so wholly out of Grace with the times, as poore Zeale; which yet if by any meanes it might once againe be reduced into fauour, and practice, before Time sets, and bee no more; I doubt not but Christ would also yet once againe in this euening of the world, come and Sup with vsus; A fauour including all other in it.
My desire especially is, that this our Iland might take it to it selfe, as well as if it had by name bene directed to it; what would it hurt vsus to make an especiall benefit and vse of it? Some of our owne, hauehave so applied it; (whether out of their iudgements, or affections, I say not.) Learned Fulke maruells if it were not by a Propheticall spirit penned for vsus: others (in their …eare) more resolutely hauehave made it a singular type of purpose for vsus. Their warrant I know not; especially if it bee true which all trauellers tell you, That they finde more zeale at home then abroad. Wee are I grant in sundry respects equall to Laodicea: Euen the very names thereof, as well the first and oldest in regard of the blessings of God, foreign Gods Darling, as the latter in regard of good Lawes and Ciuility, Laodicea, How well do they become vsus? As rich as they, and that in the very same commodity of woolles; Abounding as they with many learned Zenoes, and bountifull Hieroes: Parallel in all regards; I would I could say lukewarmenesse excepted. But I must bee a faithfull and true witnesse, and yet this is all I hauehave to say; It was, as I conceiue, Laodiceas complexion and not her constitution, her practice not her orders, personall lukewarmenesse not legall, which Christ strikes at. That fault I find in my text, the same I finde in our common Christians, whose spirituall condition and state is too like the externall situation of our Country, between the Torrid, and the Frigid Zones; neither hot nor cold: and so like Laodicea, that if wee take not warning, or warming, we may I feare in time come to be spued out of Gods mouth.
For this present assembly of Ministers, could all the choyce & time in the world hauehave better fitted me then mine ordinarie Lot? If fire bee set vponupon the Beacons, will not the whole Countrey soone be warned and enlightened?
For my selfe also, me thinkes it will better beseeme my yeares to heale, then to teach my Ancients; to enkindle their affections, then to enforme their iudgements. And whereas Paul bids Titus preach zeale with all authority, though in mine owne name I craue your patience, and audience, yet in his name that is the first of the creatures, and Amen, I counsell him that hath an eare, to heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches; foreign Be zealous.