A Treatise of the Affections, Treatise · Sermon 12
The XII. Sermon.
Col. 3. 2.
Set your affections on things that are above, &c.
IT may be demanded,Means to make us zealous. what means may we uſe, to make us to be zealous? I anſwer briefly.
Firſt,1. Frequent Meditation. 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▪ Hier. Ep. ad Deme triadem.ſayes Hierom, they are the incentives and igni…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,2. A conſtant practiſe of godlineſs. Philoſ. 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, 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,Seneca. 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,Pſal. 119. nine times in one Pſalm, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, Ver. 154.and quicken thou me in thy way, Pſal. 119. 37. Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy Word, in one verſe.Ver. 156. Quicken me according to thy iudgements, in another verſe.Ver. 149. O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement, in another verſe.Ver. 159. Quicken thou me according to thy lovingkindeneſs. Ver. 88.Again, Quicken thou me after thy loving-kindneſſe. Again,Ver. 107. 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 deadhearted 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,4. Shunning the occaſions of ſin. 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 ſhoelatchet 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,Gen. 14 23 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,Nemo diu tu…us periculo proximus. 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, Terent.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,5. Means to eſchew the beginnings of ſinne. 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? Vigilandū eſt maximè tentationis initio. Greg.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 obſta, ſet thy ſelf againſt the beginning of ſinne; if thou ſuffer thy heart to begin once, it will be ſure to go farther. The Spirit of God hath a good phraſe, fall into ſinne. He that ſtands, let him take heed leſt he fall: A man that ſtands upon a high rock, if he do not look to the beginning of his fall, he cannot ſtop himſelf till he is quite fallen down to the bottom, and if not by meer hap he catch hold ſomewhere, which it's a thouſand to one if ever he do, if he do not, I ſay, it is a wonder if he break not his neck. Thou canſt never have the life of grace in thee, unleſſe thou take heed of the beginnings of ſin.
Be exhorted all ye that fain would fear God,Exhortation to be zealous. to be zealous.
Firſt conſider, Ye can never be revenged on your worſt enemies, 1. Elſe you can never be revenged on your worſt enemies.unleſſe ye be zealous; ye would be glad to be revenged on your ſworn enemies. Sampſon begged hard of the Lord, that he might be revenged on the Philiſtims for his two eyes; but thou haſt worſe enemies then the Philiſtims were to him. Sin, the World, the Fleſh, and the Devil, theſe are the worſt enemies that ever mortall man had, it is good to be revenged on them; thou canſt never be revenged on them, except thou be zealous; there is no enemy beſides that it is lawfull to be revenged on, but only upon theſe, on theſe thou mayſt lawfully: theſe have done thee much ſpight, they have brought thee into the eſtate of wrath and damnation, they have made thee accurſed, and liable to hell-torments for ever, they have pluckt out the two eyes of thy ſoul; now if thou wouldeſt be zealous, thou mayſt be revenged upon them. The Apoſtle puts zeal and revenge together, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge, 2 Cor 7. 11. If thou beeſt zealous, thou mayſt be revenged upon ſin that hath done thee ſo much miſchief: it hath troubled thy peace, defiled thy conſcience, diſabled thee from worſhipping of God, hindred many good things from thee. Never hadſt thou any hurt, or any ſorrow, or any evil, but thou mayſt thank ſinne for it: Juſt cauſe haſt thou to be revenged upon ſinne, there is an imbred deſire of revenge in a man upon thoſe that wrong him: the Heathen could ſay, Eſt vindicta bonum vitâ jucundius ipſâ.
Revenge is ſweeter then life it ſelf:Iuvenal. Sat. 13. Here it is true, and no where elſe. All other revenge is a damnable premunire againſt God, vengeance is mine, ſayes he, and who is he that revengeth himſelf to intrench upon Gods right? but here revenge is commanded, yea, it's ſweeter then life: here revenge and ſpare not, and this is the way: get zeal, and be as hot as a furnace in anger againſt ſinne, and beat it as Moſes did the Iſraelites calf, into duſt and powder; hath thy filthy couſening heart deceived thee ſo often? hereby thou mayſt be revenged on it, be zealous to ſearch it, and curb it, and tame it; have thy luſts been greedy, and proud, and ſenſual; this humour they muſt have, and this faſhion they muſt follow, and this pleaſure they muſt take, and this liberty they muſt uſe. O if thou wouldeſt be zealous, thou mayſt eaſily be revenged on thy luſts, hereby thou mayſt be revenged on the devil, and ſpight his kingdom to advance Chriſts; hereby thou mayſt be revenged on thy fleſh, that hath played the traytor ſo often with thee, thou mayſt afflict it, and maſter it, and block it, and ſubdue it; hereby thou mayſt tread upon the world, that hath ſo often enſnared thee, thou mayſt ſcorn it and contemn it, and all the glory of it, and count it as droſſe and dung in compariſon of Chriſt: hereby thou mayſt trample Satan under thy feet. It is a ſtrange thing how little men ſtudy to be revenged on theſe enemies; let our own brother give us but a croſſe-word, we are at daggers drawing to be revenged; but the devil may baffle us, and the devil may tempt us, and beguile us, we put it all up; Let a ſervant but anger us a little, and offend us but in a peece of ſervice, or an errand, O we are ſo revengefull, and ready to make them ſmart for it! but ſinne may croſſe us in our ſouls, and rob us of Chriſt, and deprive us of grace, and mercy, and peace, and all; yet we are good friends with it, we take nothing amiſſe; alas! theſe men are monſters and mad men, one day thou ſhalt ſee that ſinne, and thy luſt, and Satan, whoſe temptations thou haſt been led by, &c. they are the worſt enemies in the world; and if ever thou deſireſt to be revenged upon them, O endeavour to be zealous.
Secondly,2. Zeal enables us to doe good unto others. Conſider thou wilt never be able to do good unto others, unleſſe thou be zealous. When men go dreamingly on in Religion, they can never do good upon others: what do others think? they think baſely and meanly thereof, as if it were a matter of nothing; but when they ſee a man zealous, this affects them indeed, if any thing will do it. When a man is zealous at a game, he laugheth exceedingly, he is as merry as he can ſtand on his legs: another man that ſhall ſee it, will be apt to demand what fine merry pleaſant game is that? ſo it is with ambitious men, when a man is zealous for a living, he rides through thick and thin, through froſt and ſnow all the night long, this friend he ſeeks to, and that Noble man he flies to, to help him in his ſuit: what will folks ſay? certainly he is going about ſome great living or other, he is ſo eager about it. So if thou wouldeſt be zealous for God, and fervent in religion, men would be compelled to conceive better of godlineſſe, and of Chriſt, then thou mighteſt provoke others to godlineſſe. Zeal is a provoking grace. Your zeal hath provoked very many, 2 Cor. 9. 2. As zeal in charity provokes, ſo does zeal in every good work provoke Where Theodoret obſerves the wiſedom of Paul, Theodoret in locum.for he provokes the Macedonians by the zeal of the Corinthians, and the Corinthians by the zeal of the Macedonians; for zeal does mutually provoke one another. O what a deal of good mighteſt thou do in the houſe where thou dwelleſt, in the Pariſh where thou liveſt, in the Countrey where thou art, if thou wouldſt labour to be zealous! I knew an old man, whether he be dead now or alive, I know not, that uſed conſtantly to go to the labouring men in the field, and catechize them, and poſe them in Religion, as they were reaping and working, he would go to mens ſhops where he was acquainted, and ſtir them up to have care of their ſouls, and by this means brought above fourty men and women to ſeek out for Heaven, that before had no more care that way, then if they had been like a company of beaſts. Wouldeſt thou not be glad to do good? thou wilt never be able to do it, except thou be zealous. Paul had women, and ſundry private Chriſtians, that are ſaid to labour with him in the Goſpel. This, this beloved, would cauſe Religion to thrive here among us.
Thirdly,3. Peoples zeal encourageth Miniſters. 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. foreign, 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:Mic. 7. 1. 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.Ambroſ. 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. foreign, &c. Chryſoſt.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,4. Zeal makes a man excell. Proverb. 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 foreign, 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,5. Zeal makes men like Angels. 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,Gregor. 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, Ambroſ.the Angels are nothing without zeal. If thou hadſt zeal unto God, then thou mighteſt be like unto Angels.
Sixthly,6. We have greatneed of zeal. 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. foreign, 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 look to that pillar. Thus it is with thee. Thou ſhalt have little elſe beſides prayer, thou muſt get it out of thy fingers ends. Now we that are Gods Miniſters ſtudy all the week long to quicken you here when ye come to Gods Houſe, while ye are thinking of other matters; but if God ſhould once take away us from you, all the work lies upon your backs, and ye have little elſe beſides Prayer and Gods Word for to help you. O therefore be not ſlothfull in this buſineſſe, get a ſure hold in Chriſt, that ye may be able to hold in the evil day. No matter though the world do deride you; for if ye have true zeal, ſayes Chryſoſtome, ye will fear praiſe or diſpraſe no more then if you were all alone in the world, and no man beſides you. If no perſwaſions can prevail with thee to the trading for this zeal that I ſpeak of, hear what the Lord Jeſus doth peremptorily threaten: It ſhall come to paſſe that I will ſpue thee out of my mouth.