Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	bishop_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	15	3	8.6568	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50480	En oligo christianos, the almost Christian discovered, or, The false-professor tried and cast being the substance of seven sermons, first preached at Sepulchres, London, 1661, and now at the inportunity of friends made publick / by Matthew Meade.	Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.	1662 (1662)	Wing M1546; ESTC R9895	121,691	343

name of Jesus then for conformity to the life of Jesus more zealous for a holy vestment then for a holy life more zealous for the inventions of men then for the institutions of Christ This is a superstitious zeal Heathens will rise up in judgment against such men Deus non superstitione coli vale sed pietate said Cicero and usually found in men unconverted whom grace never was wrought in When was it that Paul was so exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his Fathers as he saith Gal. 1.14 but only when he was in his wretched and unconverted state as you may see in the next verses But when it pleased God to call me by his grace Gal. 1 15 16. then I conferred not with flesh and blood Paul had another kind of zeal then acted by other kind of Principles Cer. 34.14 15. comp with v. 25 26 27 28 29. Fourthly There is a selfish zeal that hath a mans own ends for its motive Jehu was very zealous but it was not so much for God as for the Kingdom not so much in obedience to the command as in design to step into the Throne and therefore God threatens to punish him for that very thing he commands him to do Hos 1.4 I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu Because he shed that blood to gratifie his lust not to obey God So Simeon and Levi pretend great zeal for Circumcision seem very zealous for the honour of Gods Ordinance when in truth their zeal was for covetousness and revenge upon the Shechemites It is storyed of Dr. Aylmer that in his young days he was very high against the pride and covetousness of the Bishops and in a book of his he thus speaks to them come off you Bishops away with your superfluities yeild up your thousands be content with a little 1 Cor. 13.11 But afterwards when he himself came to be Bishop of London then his profits and preferment had eat up his zeal and he would confess to his friends that he had been of another strain in his youth abusing those words of Paul when I was a Child I spake as a Child I understood as a child I thought as a Child Fifthly There is an outside zeal such was that of the Scribes and Pharises they would not eat with unwashed hands but yet would live in unseen sins they would wash the cup often but the heart seldom paint the outside but neglect the inside Ne appetat quisquam ultra videri quam est ut possit ustra esse quam videtur Greg. Jehu was a mighty out-side reformer 2 Kings 10.16 but he reformed nothing within for he had a base heart under all v. 31. Jehu took no heed towalk in the Law of the Lord with all his heart Though his fleece was fair his liver was rotten Our Lord Christ observes of the Pharises they pray to be seen of men and fast so that they may appear to men to fast Matth. 6.5 16. Pro. 7.11 Sixthly There is a fortasick zeal that runs out upon others like the candle in the Lanthorn that sends all the heat out at top or as the lewd Woman Salomon mentions whose feet abide not in her own house Many are hot and high against the sins of others and yet cannot see the same in themselves like the Lamiae that put on their spectacles when they went abroad but pulled them off within doors It is easie to see fault in others and as hard to see then in our selves Jehu was zealous against Baal and his Priests because that was Ahabs sin but not against the Calves of Bethel because that was his own sin Teeum babita This zeal is the true Character of an Hypocrite his own Garden is over-run with Weeds while he is busie in looking over his Neighbours Pale Seaventhly There is a sinful zeal all the former may be called sinful from some defect but this I call sinful in a more special notion because against the life and cheif of Religion it is a zeal against zeal that flies not at profaness but at the very power of godliness not at error but at truth and is most hot against the most spiritual and important truths of the times Whence else are the sufferings of men for the truth but from this spirit of zeal against the truth Iam. 1.19 Rev. 12.12 This may be called a devillish zeal for as there is the faith of Devils so there is the zeal of Devils therefore his rage is great because he knows his time is short 1 Sam. 15.3 Eighthly There is a Scriptureless zeal that is not butted and bounded by the Word but by some base and low end such was Sauls zeal when God bids him destroy Amalek and spare neither man nor beast then contrary to Gods command he spare the best of the Sheep and Oxen under pretence of zeal for Gods Sacrifice 2 Sam. 21.2 Another time when he had no such command then he slaies the Gibeonites in his zeal to the Children of Israel and Judah Many a mans zeal is greatest then and there when and where he hath the least warrant from God It is worth the while to observe how zealous men are for Ceremonies and pompousness in the worship of God when as there is not one word in all the Scripture for them I will tell you and the Scripture adjusts me in it that it is one of the surest signs of an Antichrristian spirit to be zealous for unwritten and ungrounded traditions in the Worship of God The true spirit of zeal is bounded by Scripture for it is for God and the concernments of his glory God hath no glory from that zeal that hath no Scripture warrant Now then if the zeal of a man in the things of God may be onely a blind zeal or a partial zeal or a misplaced zeal or a selfish zeal or an out-side zeal or a forensick zeal or a sinful zeal or a Scriptureless zeal then it is evident that a man may be very zealous in the matters of Religion and yet be but almost a Christian 12. A-man may be much in Prayer he may pray often and pray much and yet be but almost a Christian so did the Pharises whom yet our Lord Christ rejects for Hypocrites Mat. 23.14 Object But is not a praying frame an argument of a sincere heart are not the Saints of God called The generation of them that seek the face of God Psal 24.6 Sol. A man is not therefore a Christian because he is much in prayer I grant That those prayers that are from the workings and sighings of Gods Spirit in us From a sincere heart lifted to God From sense of our own emptiness and Gods infinite fulness That are suited to Gods will the great rule of prayer That are for spiritual things more then temporal That are accompanied with faith and dependance Such prayers speak a man altogether a Christian But