A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale | Page 2

neither hot nor colde: 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.
[Sidenote: 3]
For this present assembly of Ministers, could all the choice and time in the world have better fitted mee then mine ordinarie Lot? If fire bee set upon the Beacons, will not the whole Countrey soone be warned and enlightned?
[Sidenote: 4]
For my selfe also, mee thinkes it will better beseeme my yeeres to heat, then to teach my Ancients; to enkindle their affections, then to enforme their judgements. And whereas Paul bids Titus preach zeale with all authoritie; though in mine owne name I crave 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;
[Greek: Z��l?son], _Be Zealous._

_A Coale from the Altar._
Revel. 3.19. [Greek: Z��l?son]: _Be Zealous._
Zeale hath been little practized, lesse studied: this heavenly fire hath ever beene a stranger upon earth. Few in all ages that have felt the heat of it, fewer that have knowne the nature of it. A description will rake it out of the embers of obscurity: and it may be that many when they shall know it better, will better affect it.
2. Zeale hath many counterfets and allies. There are many strange fires which having sought to carry away the credit of it, have brought in an ill name upon it: from these it would bee distinguished.
3. Zeale is every where spoken against it hath many enemies and few friends: the world can no more abide it, then beasts can the elementary fire, the rebukes of many have falne upon it, the Divell weaves cunning lies to bring downe the honour of it. Oh that wee could raise and maintaine it, by setting forth the deserved praise of it; and challenge it from the false imputations of such as hate it without a cause.
4. Zeale hath in this our earthly molde, little fuell, much quench-coale, is hardly fired, soone cooled. A good Christian therefore would bee glad to know the Incentives and preservatives of it, which might enkindle it, enflame it, feed it, and revive it when it is going out.
5. Zeale in the worlds opinion, is as common as fire on every mans hearth, no mans heart without zeale, if every man might be his owne judge; If most might be heard there is too much of it; but the contrary will appear if the right markes bee taken, and the true rules of triall and conviction bee observed, and the heart thereby examined.
6. Zeale generally handled will break as lightning in the aire, and seize upon no subject: Application must set it on mens harts, and exhortation warme this old and colde age of the world, chiefly this temperate climate of our nation.
First Part.
It was sayd of olde, that zeale was an _Intension of love_: of late, that it is a compound of _love and anger, or indignation_.
The Ancients aimed right, and shot neere, if not somwhat with the shortest. The moderne well discovered the use and exercise of more affections, then love, within the fathome and compasse of zeale; but in helping that default, went themselves somewhat wide, and came not close to the marke: which I ascribe not to any defect of eye-sight in those sharpe sighted Eagles; but onely to the want of fixed contemplation. And to speake truth, I have oft wondered why poore Zeale, a vertue so high in Gods books, could never be so much beholding to mens writings as to obtain a just treatise, which hath beene the lot of many particular vertues of inferiour worth; a plaine signe of too much under-value and neglect.
Hee that shall stedfastly view it, shall finde it not to bee a degree or intension of love, or any single affection (as the Schooles rather confined then defined zeale) neither yet any mixt affection (as the later, rather compounded then comprehended the nature of it) but an _hot temper, higher degree or intension of them all_. As varnish is no one color, but that which gives glosse & lustre to all; So the opposites of zeale, key-coldnes and lukewarmnesse, which by the Law of contraries must bee of the same nature, are no affections, but severall tempers of them all.
[Sidenote: Acts 26. 7.]
Paul warrants this description where hee speakes of the twelve Tribes. They served God with intension or vehemency.
The roote shewes the nature of the branch. Zeale comes of [Greek: z?], 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