The Fire of the Sanctuary Newly Uncovered, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
EXCELLENT and Admirable is the Nature & Vſe of the holy Fire of Zeale. No acceptable Sacrifice can be offered without it:aNullum omnipotenti Deo est tale Sacrificium, quale eſt Zelus animaru…. Greg. hom 12. in Ezek. no oblation it ſelfe ſo pleaſing to God; yet no one Grace, ſo much in diſgrace; what by ignorance of, and emnity againſt this arch enimy to ſin.
bIrae ſua ſtimulum iuſtitiae Zelū putant; & cū vitium virtus putatur, culpa ſine metu cumulatur. Greg de paſt. cura lib. 3. cap. 1. adm…n. 17.Some take the heate which their fiery diſpoſition blowes vp, to be Zeale for Religion; and let vice once bee thought a virtue; What a mountaine of euils will ſoone be caſt vp without feare of ill-doing!
Others, truly zealous, are often at a loſſe when they ſet vponupon the chace; which prophane men eſpying, thinke that warrant enough to pull downe the whole Fabricke of Zeale, becauſe indiſcreete Zeale hath ſparkled two farre. And laying themſelues in ballance with ſuch zealots, ſuppoſe that of the two, themſelues (though the worſt) be the wiſeſt men. Thus is the pretious fire of Zeale blaſphemed becauſe miſtaken.
And when more then now? How few Ieremies feele that fire in their bones, cIer. 20.9.which will not be kept in! How many, ready to cut in whole riuers vponupon that little ſparke which is in thoſe few! How few Dauids that are eaten dPſal. 69.9.vp with the zeale of Gods houſe! How many, zealous to ePſal. 83.12.take to themſelues the houſes of God in poſſeſsion, and eate them vp!
The generall coldneſſe of theſe laſt (and therfore worſt) daies benūming our ſpirits, req…ires a fire to warme them. And the malice of the world puts a danger vponupon Zeale, vnleſſe we hauehave wiſedome ſo to guide this fire as to auoid the Snares which malice will ſet before vsus, and endeauour to hunt vsus into. The more diſgrace to be zealous, the more need to ſhew zeale accompanied with diſcretion to rule this heauenly flame. Fireworkes proue dangerous to the vnskilfull. Better quench that fire which is already kindled, then to kindle that which we cannot gouerne.
It cannot then but bee a needfull and gratefull worke, to ſhew the Nature and Qualities of a Fire ſo vſefull, that he can be no good Chriſtian who is without it: ſo vnknowne, that hardly the beſt know the properties of it, and how to vſe it.
How little hath beene written on this Theame, a more able and exquiſite Lynceus, hath made report, and powred out a zealous complaint againſt the great iniuſtice offered to zeale, for that no man hath done her the right of a iuſt Treatiſe. This, I thinke, is one maine cauſe that makes the world ſo ſtrange to her, and her, to the world.
The Antients,fAmb. in Pſal. 119. Greg Naz in Laudē Heronis & alibi. August. tract. 10. in Iohn. nec n… in Pſal 69. Chriſost. hom. 62. ad Sopul. Greg. Mag. Hom. 12. in Ezek. Bern. Ser. 23 & 24. & 49. ſuper Cant. & alibi. who taught it rather by Practiſe then Pen, ſpent more lines in the praiſe, then in the deſcription of it. After them, the Schoole-men (their tranſlators) either ſpake leſſe, or leſſe to the purpoſe. For by that time, a thing, nick-named Diſcretion, had rak't out this fire. Hee now was the onelyonly man that could chop Diuinitie into ſmalleſt ſhreds, and driue it neareſt together: placing Religion rather in Contemplation then Action. No maruaile therefore if Zeale got no more rome in their Voluminous Writings; and that, as if ſhe had deſerued no better then Iezabel, there is ſcarce ſo much left her as the skull, and the feete and the palmes of her hands, to know her by.
Long after the rode of Zeale had been vntrauelled, and the High way growne ouer with the Moſſe of Key-coldneſſe, New Zelographers aroſe, who like Caleb & Ioſhua in coaſting of Canaan, began to trauell and diſcouer that Region anew; ſetting vp way-markes, and encouraging others to go vp and poſſeſſe it.
Of which firſt diſcouery, I hope it will offend no good man to ſay, that it deſerues more honour then the latter more elaborate Deſcriptions of Others, who taking direction from thoſe firſt Spyes, hauehave made the paths more plaine, and the way more direct.
Thoſe firſt Searchers of late time, gaue a good gheſſe at the Nature, and Bounds of Zeale; but drew it not in ſo large a Map as could bee wiſhed Their meditations and labours in this kind, are herein like the Obſeruations of ſeuerall Trauellers into Forraine Countries, ſome obſeruing one thing; and ſome, another; but none, all that deſerues to be noted.
It will not then bee amiſſe, out of the ſeuerall Trauells of Others, and mine owne Suruey, to compile a Compleate Treatiſe of Zeale. In perſuite of which proiect, my cheefe aime is to ſet forth to life, the Nature, the Obiects, the Grounds, the Ends, and the Qualification of this Sanctuary Fire.