A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale | Page 7

liquour; to set it forth in it owne colours, that the Lord would touch my tongue with a coale from his Altar, that I might regaine the decayed credit of it, with the sons of men.
[Sidenote: 1. From God's excellency whom zeale only becomes unworthily placed elsewhere.]
It is good to bee zealous in a good things: and is it not best, in the best? or is there any better then God, or the kingdome of heaven? Is it comely what ever we do, to do it with all our might? onely uncomely when wee serve God? Is meane and mediocrity, in all excellent Arts excluded, and onely to be admitted in religion? Were it not better to forbeare Poetry or Painting, then to rime or dawbe? and were it not better to bee of no religion, then to be colde or lukewarme in any? Is it good to be earnest for a friend, & cold for the Lord of hosts? For whom doest thou reserve the top of thy affections? for thy gold? for thy Herodias, &c. O yee adulterers and adultresses, can yee offer God a baser indignity? What ayleth the world? Is it afrayd thinke we, that God can have too much love; who in regard of his owne infinite beauty, & the beames he vouchsafeth to cast upon us, deserves the best, yea all, and a thousand times more then all? Ought not all the springs and brookes of our affection, to runne into this Maine? may not hee justly disdaine, that the least Riveret should bee drained another way? that any thing in the world should bee respected before him, equalled with him, or loved out of him, of whom, for whom, and through whom are all things? Who, or what can bee sufficient for him our Maker and Saviour? In other objects feare excesse: here no extasie is high enough.
[Sidenote: 2. From his spirituall nature.]
Consider and reason thus with thy selfe (O man) canst thou brooke a sluggard in thy worke, if thou bee of any spirit thy selfe? is not a slothfull messenger as vinegar to thy teeth, and as smoake to thine eyes? Hast thou any sharpnesse of wit, is not dulnesse tedious unto thee? And shall hee that is all spirit (for whom the Angels are slow and colde enough) take pleasure in thy drowzie and heavie service? Doe men choose the forwardest Deere in the heard, and the liveliest Colt in the drove? and is the backwardest man fittest for God? Is not all his delight in the quickest and cheerefullest givers and servitors? Even to Judas he saith, That thou doest, doe quickely; so odious is dulnesse unto him: what else mooved him to ordaine, that the necke of the consecrated Asse should bee broken, rather then offered up in sacrifice; doth God hate the Asse? Or is it not for the sake of the quality of the creature; which hath ever among the Heathens beene an Hieroglyphick of heavinesse and tardity?
[Sidenote: 3. Effects of zeale. Revel. 12.]
[Sidenote: Opus operatum.]
Thirdly, this zeale is so gracious a favorite with God, that it graces with him all the rest of his graces. Prayer if it bee fervent, prevaileth much: the zealous witnesses had power to shut and open heaven: by this, Israel wrastled with God, overcame, and was called a Prince with God: this strengthned the heart of Moses (as Aaron and Hur supported his hands) till the Lord sayd, Let me alone: this made Cornelius his prayer to come into heaven; whither our colde sutes can no more ascend, then vapours from the Still, unlesse there bee fire under it: Repentance, a needefull and primary grace, which the Baptist so urged: but then wee must bee zealous and repent (as my text joynes them) or else no repentance pleaseth God; nor are there fruits worthy repentance. Almes and good deeds are sacrifices pleasing to God; but without zeale, the widowes mites are no better then the rest; It is the cheerefull loose, that doubleth the gift. Generally, as some mans marke and name, furthereth the sale of his commodity; so zeale inhanceth all the graces of God. It pittieth me for Laodicea that lost so much cost; had as many vertues, did as many duties as other Churches: but for want of this, Christ could not sup with them. Furnish a table with the principallest fare, and daintiest dishes that may be had; let them be rosted & boyled to the halves, or stand on the table till they bee lukewarme; what will the guests say? All that we can doe is but the deede done, unlesse zeale conferre grace.
[Sidenote: 4. Baptismus Flaminis & Fluminis.]
Fourthly, zeale is the richest evidence of faith, and the cleerest demonstration of the Spirit: The Baptisme