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Page 2
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 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;
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