A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale | Page 3

The roote shewes the nature of the branch. Zeale comes of [Greek: zô],
a word framed of the very sound and hissing noise, which hot coales or
burning iron make when they meete with their contrary. In plaine
English, zeale is nothing but heate: from whence it is, that zealous men
are oft in Scripture sayd to burne in the spirit. [Greek: zeontes
pneumati].
Hee that doth moderately or remisly affect any thing, may be stiled
Philemon, a lover; he that earnestly or extreamely, Zelotes, a zelot; who
to all the objects of his affections, is excessively and passionately
disposed, his love is ever fervent, his desires eager, his delights
ravishing, his hopes longing, his hatred deadly, his anger fierce, his
greefe deep, his feare terrible. The Hebrewes expresse these Intensions
by doubling the word. This being the nature of zeale in generall,
Christian zeale of which wee desire onely to speake, differs from
carnall and worldly, chiefly in the causes and objects.
It is a spirituall heate wrought in the heart of man by the holy Ghost,
improoving the good affections of love, joy, hope, &c. for the best
service and furtherance of Gods glory, with all the appurtenances
thereof, his word, his house, his Saints and salvation of soules: using

the contrarie of hatred, anger, greefe, &c as so many mastives to flie
upon the throat of Gods enemies, the Divell, his Angels, sinne, the
world with the lusts thereof. By the vertue wherof a Zealot may runne
through all his affections, and with David, breath zeale out of every
pipe, after this manner for a taste;
[Sidenote: Psalme Love.]
_How doe I love thy Law (O Lord) more then the hony or the
hony-combe, more then thousands of silver and gold!_
[Sidenote: Hatred.]
_Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred._
[Sidenote: Joy.]
_Thy testimonies are my delight: I rejoyce more in them, then they that
finde great spoyles, more then in my appoynted food._
[Sidenote: Grief.]
_Mine eyes gush out rivers of teares. Oh that my head were a fountain
of teares, because they destroy thy Law._
[Sidenote: Hope.]
_Mine eyes are dimme with wayting: how doe I long for thy
salvation?_
[Sidenote: Feare.]
_Thy judgements are terrible, I tremble and quake, etc._
Look what pitch of affection the naturall man bestowes upon his
dearest darling, what unsatiable thirst the covetous worldling upon his
Mammon, the ambitious upon his honour, the voluptuous upon his
pleasure; the same the Christian striveth in equall, yea, (if possible)
farre exceeding tearmes to convert and conferre upon God and his

worship.
In briefe, to open a little crevise of further light, and to give a little
glimpse of heat: Zeale is to the soule, that which the spirits are to the
bodie; wine to the spirits, putting vigour and agility into them. Whence
comes that elegant Antithesis in the Scripture. _Bee not drunke with
wine wherein is excesse, but be filled with the Spirit._
[Sidenote: Ser. 41. in Can. 49.]
[Sidenote: Acts 2.]
Christ is sayd to lead his Spouse into the wine-cellar: which Simily
Bernard delighting oft to repeat, in two or three Sermons interprets of a
speciall measure of zeale inspired into his Church. Thus (saith hee)
Christ led his Disciples into the wine cellar on the day of Pentecost;
and filled them, and the house with such zeale as they came forth like
Giants refreshed with wine, and seemed to the people as men drunke
with new wine.
[Sidenote: Heb. 1. 7.]
It is to the soule, as wings to the foule: this also is a Scripture embleme
to picture the Angels with wings, as in the hangings of the Temple, and
in the visions of the revelation, in token of their ardent and zealous
execution of Gods will: whence also they have their name _Seraphim_;
hee maketh his ministers a flame of fire.
To this fire and these wings, which we in the Lords prayer desire to
imitate, there is nothing in us answerable but our zeale; as wheeles to
the charriot: which makes us not goe, but runne the wayes of Gods
Commandements, and so runne that we may obtaine. As sailes to the
ship, and winde to the sailes, to which alludes the phrase so frequent in
Scripture, Plerophorie.
As courage to the souldier, mettle to the horse, dust to the ground,
which makes it bring forth much fruit, yea an hundredfold: vivacity to
all creatures. To conclude this, this is that celestiall fire which was

shadowed out unto us by that poore element in comparison, and
beggarly rudiment, the fire (I meane) of such necessary use in the law,
which rather then it should be wanting, the Lord caused it to descend
from heaven, that it might cause the Sacrifices to ascend thither againe,
as a