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Page 8
[Sidenote: 4. Baptismus Flaminis & Fluminis.]
Fourthly, zeale is the richest evidence of faith, and the cleerest
demonstration of the Spirit: The Baptisme of water, is but a cold proofe
of a mans Christendome; being common to all commers: but if any bee
baptized with fire, the same is sealed up to the day of Redemption. If
any shall say, friend, what doest thou professe a religion without it;
how can hee choose but bee strucke dumb? Can wee suppose worme-wood
without bitternesse, a man without reason? then may wee imagine a
religion, and a Christian, without spirit and zeale.
The Jesuite saith, I am zealous; the Separatist, I am zealous; their
plea is more probable, then the lukewarme worldlings, that serve God
without life. If the colour bee pale and wan, and the motion insensible,
the party is dead or in a swoune; if good and swift, wee make no
question. The zealous Christian is never to seeke for a proofe of his
salvation: what makes one Christian differ from another in grace, as
starrs doe in glory; but zeale? All beleevers have a like precious
faith: All true Christians have all graces in their seedes; but the
degrees of them are no way better discerned then by zeale: Men of place
distinguish themselves, by glistering pearles: A Christian of degrees
shines above other in zeale. Comparisons I know are odious to the world,
that faine would have all alike: but the righteous is better then his
neighbour: All Christians are the excellent of the earth, the Zelot
surmounteth them all, as _Saul_ the people by the head and shoulders;
hee is ever striving to excell and exceeds others and himselfe.
One of these is worth a thousand others, one doth the worke of many:
which made him speake of _Elisha_ in the plurall number, _The horsemen
and Charriots of Israel_; besides his owne worke, hee winns and procures
others, makes Proselytes. It is the nature of fire to multiply, one
coale kindles another: his worke so shines, that others come in and
glorifie God; marvelling and enquiring what such forwardnesse should
meane, concluding with _Nebuchadnezzar, Surely the servants of the most
high God._
These are good Factors and Agents, doing God as good service, as
Boutesewes doe the Divell, and Jesuites the Pope, sparing no cost, nor
labour; and what they cannot doe themselves, they doe by their friends,
_Who is on my side, who? &c._
As for lets and impediments, they over-looke and over-leape them, as
fire passeth from one house to another; neither is there any standing
for any Gods enemies before them: they make havock of their owne and
others corruptions. If you will rightly conceive of _Peters_ zeale in
converting & confounding, you must imagine (saith _Chrysostome_) a man
made all of fire walking in stubble. All difficulties are but whetstones
of their fortitude. The sluggard saith, _There is a Lyon in the way_;
tell _Samson_ & _David_ so, they will the rather goe out to meet them.
Tell _Nehemiah of Samballat_, hee answereth, _Shall such a man as I
feare?_ Tell _Caleb_ there are _Anakims_, and hee will say, _Let us goe
upp at once, &c_. Let _Agabus_ put off his girdle and binde _Paul_, let
him be told in every City, that bonds await him, hee is not onely ready
for bonds, but for death; tell _Jubentius_, hee must lay downe his life,
he is as willing as to lay off his clothes: tell _Luther_ of enemies in
_Wormes_, hee will goe if all the tiles of the houses were Divells. The
horse neighs at the trumpet; the Leviathan laughs at the speare. They
that meane to take the Kingdome of God by violence, provide themselves
to goe through fire and water, carry their lives in their hands,
embrace faggots; they say to father and mother, _I know you not_: to
carnall Counsellers and friendly enemies, _Get you behinde mee Sathan._
Zeale is as strong as death, hot as the coales of Juniper; flouds of
many waters cannot quench it. _Agar_, Pro. 30. speakes of foure things,
stately in their kinde; I will make bold to add a fift, comprehending
and excelling them all namely the zealous Christian, strong and bold as
the Lyon; not turning his head for any; as swift as the grey-hound in
the waies of Gods commandements; in the race to heaven, as nimble as the
Goat climbing the steepe and craggy mountaines of pietie and vertue; A
victorious King, overcoming the world and his lusts: _Salomon_ in all
his royalty, is not cloathed like one of these in his fiery Charriot.
To cut off the infinite praises of zeale, let us heare what honourable
testimonies and glorious rewards, it pleaseth God to conferre upon it;
_Davids_ ruddy complexion and his skill in musique, made him amiable in
the eyes of men: but the zeale of his heart, stiled him a man after Gods
owne heart; and the sweet Singer of Israel. _Abraham_, that could finde
in his heart to sacrifice his _Isaack_, was called the friend of God.
The same vertue denominated _Jacob_ a Prince with God. _Elisha_, The
Charriots and horse-men. _Paul_, A chosen vessell, &c.
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