corner of the Land that impenitencie for our old villanies both of Idolatry and whoredome and blood the blood of Prophets and the blood of just men and the unprofitablenesse under great meanes that unthankfulnesse for late mercies that breaking out into new rebellion such terrible divisions in Church matters in State-matters in Parliament in Citie every where as if we were divided in minutula frustula into the least bits that we could be cut into so many new crying sinnes found in every corner of the Land that if a man could with a spirituall eye looke upon them hee would with Ezra sit him downe astonished and with renting his heart as well as his haire cry Lord though thou hast wrought all sorts of deliverances for us wee deale so with thee that wee feare thy wrath will breake out so hot that there will bee no recovery for Gods sake bee not too confident that you may the better with feare and reverence attend to the helpes that I shall give you afterward Hee that would have said three yeares agoe to England that before two yeares at an end they shall see England in the miserablest condition that ever had beene in these 100. yeares hardly a man could have imagined whence the plague should come our land in peace flourishing with wealth a Parliament called oppressors broken all our neighbouring kingdomes either our friends or else themselves plunged in warre and blood whence should the enemy come that should bee able to mischiefe us yet you see that from above God hath sent a fire downe and kindled it in our owne bowells which hath eaten and devoured into every corner of the Kingdome and beloved God hath new Magazines new treasuries of judgements still that if hee please to take us in hand and deale severely with us when wee are taking possession of all the mercie that our soules could desire our owne wickednesse may find us out and ruine us you see had it not beene prevented it had beene the condition of this people at this time These things I onely name it is the remedy of this evill which I desire to spend an houre in and there are three things in it First who the Physitian was that cured them and that you have in these words Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest hee was the man that did it Secondly what the cure was that he wrought for them that you have in these words Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest hath pacified my wrath that was the cure hee wrought hee did pacifie Gods wrath Thirdly the meanes whereby hee did it and that you have in these words While hee was zealous among them for my sake sake Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar hath pacified my wrath while hee was zealous for my sake I will begin with the first of them and that I will onely name because there are but two lessons that chiefly I intend to insist upon 1. Who it was It was Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest this man did it God telleth all the world hee was the onely man that did it here were a million of people or more who seemed to bee condemned to destruction and some 24. thousand of them executed in one day and the rest going on as fast as might bee one man doth one excellent act that saveth all the rest of them from ruine the lesson that I commend to your thoughts from it is this That as it is possible for one man to destroy a great deale of good As Salomon saith one sinner destroyeth much good One Jonah may helpe to sinke a whole Ship one Achan indanger a whole Army So one man may save a whole Kingdome one man one Phinehas is the onely visible meanes which God owneth to pacifie his wrath so as to save a whole kingdome frome ruine a million of people had died without it and you have a great many of examples of the like in the Scripture what one man hath beene able to doe in that kind how often did Moses save them all that when the Lord had even seemed to sweare that hee would destroy them Moses hath come and tried it out hand to hand body to body with God and turned him backe againe that hee could not destroy them as you have it in the 106. Psalme v. 23. so hee said hee would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood in the gap and turned away his wrath driven it back againe And one innocent man may deliver a whole Iland a whole Iland as big as England may bee delivered by one man and the Lord himselfe professeth in the fifth of Jeremiah when hee came downe with a purpose to destroy them Runne saith hee through the Land and find mee one man there hee describeth him and I shall describe him afterwards what kind of man hee shall bee but finde me out such a man and I will spare all the Citie for him And in the 22. of Ezekiel toward the latter end when the Lord said that hee wondred that the people were so set on ruine I sought for a man that might have stood in the breach if hee could have found but one hedg-stake left the Lords wrath would have kept out still This I onely name and I name it to this end that it might bee an incouragement to every one who hath a good heart to the cause of God and to the safetie of England that hee would prepare himselfe to receive the instructions that shall bee given him and resolve the grace of God assisting him that hee will follow it for I am confident if the Lord helpe mee to open what I have prepared for you when the Sermon is done you will bee ready to say could all England bee such as you speake of or could you find a great number of such men then indeed wee should certainly bee saved and God would not destroy us In the meane time doe thou learne for one for thou canst not tell what one man or woman may doe one Paul saved all the ship and though thou shouldest bee alone as Elias thought hee was alone or as one time Moses was alone thou canst not tell how farre the Lord may looke upon many hundred of thousands for thy sake the Lord himselfe hath given you an evidence of it here and told all the world it was one man rescued them much more when thou art not alone but many thousands joyne with thee there may bee hope if ten men might have rescued Sodome and the rest of those abominable Cities of the plaine why shouldest thou not hope that the land may bee spared for your sakes however if the worst come thou shalt deliver thy owne soule But this I dare not handle I onely named it Secondly what was the cure that he wrought Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar hath pacified my wrath hath pacified my wrath Indeed the Plague ceased there was not a man died of the Pestilence
that it is the most devillish villany and double iniquity With Jesabel to proclaime a Fast to get a Vineyard to strike in zealously with the right side that wee might crush some enemy of ours which appeares on the other side is a zeale which the Lord abhorreth But if it be be true zeale for God that zeale whereof the Lord saith He was zealous for my sake the heart must be upright toward him There must be sincerity within the coale of sincerity must glow within before ever the flame of it will shine abroad in zeale That is the first thing That true zeale is alway the edge of a gracious spirit of a man who is upright to God in the truth and sincerity of whose heart the Lord and his wayes are set us as their greatest good Another thing which you shall alwaies find in true zeale is this it 's prodigall of doing good for any cause of God it 's I say a prodigall grace it spares for no cost to their strength and above their strength any thing shall goe every thing shal go if God Christ Jesus or his cause have need of it You never knew a zealous man a good husband in all your life time Jesabel in her zeale for Baal will maintaine 400. of his Prophets at her Table I mean that whatsoever a mans heart is zealous for hee ever doth his utmost in the prosecution of it never commeth to say I hope here is enough done for my share if he can doe any more Let a voluptuous man have his heart set on his pleasure let an earthly man have his heart set upon Mammon Let an ambitious man have his heart set upon preferment or honor he never saith I have done enough for it if he can doe any more If David have 1300. Cart load of silver gold he can joyfully part with every penny of it toward the building of Gods house and blesseth God that hee had it to give if Gods Tabernacle be to be built The women bring their Jewels their Lawnes and Looking-glasses and all other materials so willingly that Moses was faine to make a Proclamation that they should bring no more Exod. 36. 6. 38. 8. And in the Primitive Church when the exigents of Gods people required it they who had houses lands or other possessions sold them all and put them in the common Treasury This is a second property of zeale it is liberall bountifull for God You all know that if a man have the vanity of his heart let out about any thing Take a Gentleman that is otherwise a good husband and a provident man I meane penurious if his heart be set on the building of an house if he resolve upon two thousand pound it is ten to one if he grutch the laying out three or foure or five thousand pound to make it fit to his minde or if a mans heart be set upon his garden and flowers it is little question but hee will bee wastfull upon it the like may be said of Hawkes and Dogs and so is the zealous man for God whatsoever cost it puts him to he doth not sticke at Thirdly Zeale where ever it is true for God it appeareth most of all in greatest dissiculties It cannot be taken off with There is a Lyon in the way and I shall be kil'd if I goe out into the streets goe you first and I will see how safely you speed and I shall come in my due time after you neither doe you heare a zealous man talke so alwayes Cravens and Cowards hang backe but the best horse ever leads the way You shall have a very Samaritan if there be no danger in it if Authority be on their side he will be a Jew and be a kin to him and come and build with him but if there be danger in it Jew stand on your legs for all the Samaritan Just so now in the cause of God if there be ease and profit by it if it goeth well and no displeasure incurred many well appear as forward and frolike for a good cause as the forwardest but if any danger appeare a base heart presently tackes about or draws backe I promise you I have a great charge I have somewhat to lose I shall incurre such a great mans displeasure I know not in what blacke booke I may be written but a zealous man disdains difficulties answers with Nehemiah when they would have him flie into the Temple Shall such a man as I flie into the Temple no not I I professe if I might save my life by it So when they would have Luther goe Thinke any thing of Luther said he but running from Gods cause or recanting but never imagin if they were all devils as many devils as Tyles on the house I will refuse to goe when God bids me goe That is a third difficulty and danger and opposition taketh not off the spirit of a man that is zealous for God Fourthly another companion of true zeale is this Zeale for God alwayes maketh a man coole for himselfe a zealous man cannot trade in both Indies to any purpose he doth not trade for God himselfe too because there can be but one chiefe one that is most highly regarded in his bed in his closet in his family in all his relation in his office where ever hee hath any thing to doe hee hath but one that is his chiefe and that is God and because the whole of his heart is given to God hee must by consequence be a man that doth not greatly prosecute his owne businesse You shall find this old observation to bee a very true one that in all the world there cannot bee found a man that is eager truely eager in Gods cause and in his owne cause too indeed cholerick and hot spirited men whatsoever they doe velle they doe valde velle they are very eager upon it from the temper of their nature But if it be a gracious frame where the grace of God hath the predominancie it layeth out all the strength and mettle so for God that there is little left for themselves thus Moses that is starke mad almost in Gods cause is the mildest man in his owne cause Nehemiah hee that can teare the haire of his head and professeth he will lay hands on any man that will prophane the Sabbath hee can be contented any man shall jeere and scorne him if it be his owne cause I would have you remember that Gods fire doth rost or boyle or bake a sacrifice but never doth hee allow it to rost our meate in our owne Kitchin no that cannot bee find me the man that drives any self end in any high degree of his owne and I will shew you the man that hath no true zeale for God It is an observation that one hath of Solomon That Solomon built an house for God the stateliest house that ever was thought to bee in the world the Temple and hee was seven yeares
not what becomes of Gods house So that Reuben may heare his owne flocks bleat and Asher keepe his owne Coasts safe let Deborah and Barack shift for themselves private interests and selfe-respects care of themselves and family have the whole of their soules and in these things they are in good earnest but no heart no spirit appeares in them for any cause of God they are like David in his old age no cloathes can warme them no motives worke upon them they drive like Jehu furiously in their owne businesse but in Gods like the Egyptians in the red Sea when their Chariot Wheeles were broken Ah beloved search and enquire whether there be not such among your selves such lukewarme Laodiceans such cold professors and if any of you be such give mee leave to tell you that your condition is wofull you not onely will be no Saviours to us in our distresses but for you and such as you are doth the Lord thus bitterly contend against us and be you assured that what ever he meane to doe with this sinfull Nation without speedy awaking and warming your hearts he will spue you out of his mouth Rev. 3. 15. The other use and so I will have done is for exhortation where I would provoke this City this Honourable City of London the Lord Maior Court of Aldermen Common Councell the residue that are here gathered together by your zeale for God to quench Gods wrath against us I confesse we have great cause to praise God for your zeale though I thinke you and others have had cause to bemoane the want of it for surely your zeale hath provoked many in the Kingdome and you have in great measure saved the Kingdome hitherto and it shall be a glory and a Crowne to you while this world standeth That in all this deplorable and forlorne condition we have beene in the zeale of the City of London for the more considerable part of it hath held up when others hearts have fallen and have stood for the Lord and his cause and we humbly blesse the Lord for it Let God have the glory It is Honour enough for you that God will accept any service frō you or kindle anything good in your hearts but I beseech you that you would abound more and more you who have done thus much already I hope are willing to save us if it lye in your power Now you heare what may save the Kingdome what may extinguish the fire of Gods wrath Zeale will doe it the laying out and drawing out the heart and affections to the uttermost for God will doe it O then lay out all your hearts and strength and affections for the Lord goe on with all your might with all your estates with all your treasure with what ever you have let God have it all in his cause if he need it and be you sorry that you have no more to part with doe it to the utmost shew your selves zealous in it and extend your zeale more against evill so farre as you can reach And you my Lord and Honourable Court and Gentlemen of the Common Councell may reach a great way this day your prayers your Counsels your Petitions and your purses may under God have any good thing done that you will put your hands to I say any thing that is good And therefore put to all your strength that Achans may be removed that all Idolatry may be rooted out that those delinquents upon whom God would have justice executed may be proceeded against doe you it upon such as are under your owne jurisdiction And by your humble Petitions if need be intreat justice may be done wherever God will have it done I am a Minister of Gods mercy and take no pleasure in pressing to such a worke as judgement and severity were it not that I am assured that if we should not doe justice where God requireth it to be done he will doe it without us and he will doe it upon us when Saul executed not Gods fierce wrath upon the Amalekltes 1 Sam. 15. he brought Gods fierce wrath upon himself when the King of Israel let goe a man whom God had appointed to dye his life went for the others life 1 King 20. 42. And certainly the Idolatry and blood and other crying abominations that some are guilty of in this Land I meane some of the chief Ringleaders in these evills who have made these wofull breaches be tween our Soveraigne and his people and thus violently promoted Idolatry and spoyle the Lord will have them reckoned with and let your zeale be laid out that way Doe it cordially and so as God may see it And to stirre you in all these things to be zealous for the Lord take these few Motives Bee you so against their sinnes I pray you though not against their persons First let me tell you That it is for a God that hath been very zealous for you So zealous that when he had but one onely sonne hee did not spare him but sent him purposely to be hanged upon a Crosse to save you it is for a Saviour who zealously redeemed you how zealously he prayed preached lived died for you to purchase you to be a people for himselfe zealous of good workes and his zeale hath preserved you and all yours all this while and all the good you have or hope for the zeale of God hath holpen you to it Secondly the cause you contend for is such a cause that lose this cause and you shall never have such another as long as you live lose your estate lose your wives lose your children lose your lives God can give you as good and better but lose this cause and never shall you bee tryed in such a cause againe while this world standeth Thirdly let me assure you your enemies want no zeale against you they have followed it what all the Popish party in Christendome could do against you hath bin done to destroy you and they want no ill wil at this day and I beleeve should the Lord for our sins but deliver London up to their hands since England was a Kingdome never was so sad a day knowne as they would make London to know such is their zeale against you Fourthly Consider as this doctrine makes it plaine this is the most certaine way to save this famous City this will preserve London this will keepe it as a Citie of God yea a few zealous men may doe it Oh that you could all be as Phinehas zealous for the Lord but if all should not the zeale of a few may doe it some Aldermen if all will not some Common Councell men if all will not a considerable number will prevaile with God yea who knowes how far the zeale of one man may prevaile therefore goe on in it to the utmost without any self-seeking Let offices goe let wife and children goe let estate goe be wholly for the Lord and say What may I doe wherein
may I be imployed and laid out what is there in my head or heart in my soule or body in my treasury shop or house which may be of any use for the Lord most gladly will I spend and be spent for such a God in such a cause for such an end verily such a frame of heart is invaluable verily such a man to the State is more worth then his weight in Gold Quest But how shall we get it what Prometheus may wee send to heaven to fetch downe this sacred fire Answ. 1. It is true that from heaven and from heaven alone it must be fetched and thence wee may fetch it as Eliah did his fire by prayer When Solomon prayed the Temple was filled with smoake and the Apostles men of like infirmities to us while they were praying were baptized with this fire so let us pray for this holy heate and that God who breathed our soules into our bodies will breath this grace into our soule prayer and zeale mutually produce one another as water and Ice doe God hath promised to give his Spirit whose onely worke this is to them who aske it the meditation of the former motives will provoke to pray and the earnest and humble prayers of faith will obtaine it 2. When this fire is come from heaven wee must bee carefull to preserve it the fire of the Tabernacle was first sent from heaven but was nourished and maintained by fewell on earth so must wee doe This coale must bee fetched onely from Gods Altar but we must preserve it with fewell such as are reading hearing and meditating on Gods Word Gods Word is both fire and fewell let it dwell in our hearts lay it in our bosomes and it will warme and inflame us 3. Sermons also are bellowes for this purpose and are of great power to stirre up these coales experience shewes us that zealous preaching makes zealous people Peter and Paul who are compared to men of fire walking among straw made the people fervent in spirit who lived under their Ministry Despise not prophesying and Quench not the Spirit are joyned together 1 Thes. 5. 20. flie therefore like Doves to the windowes of Gods house waite at Wisedomes gate and the sparkes of grace will be blowne up into a flame 4. Communion with such as are zealous Iron sharpens Iron so doth the conversation of active zealous men their zeale will provoke others company hath a strange influence even a dull Jade will run for company a companion of fooles will learne folly and such as walke with the wise and godly will ere they be aware quickned up and their spirits fired and hearts glow as the two Disciples when they walked with Christ though they knew him not or as Moses face which shined when hee had beene with God though he were not aware of it Lastly beware of such things as extinguish zeale such as are sulstracting the fewell which should feed it neglecting attendance upon publicke ordinances omitting of family and closet duties or letting out our hearts after such things as are meere quench-coles as the study of such things as tend not to edification in truth and obedience or letting out the affections after worldly things this outward heat cooles our inward choakes zeale for God so doth the nourishing of any secret lust pride malice uncleannesse c. these wast consume make shipwrack of zeale are as a theefe in the Candle or a continuall dropping into a little fire grieves quenches the spirit Thus zeale and an unmortified lust a known sin chosen to be lived in though never so secret can no more dwell together in a heart then Christ and Belial Dagon and the Arke And bad company is as dangerous a quench-coale as any thing in the world they say he that lives with a Criple will learne to halt where iniquitie abounds mens zeale for God is in danger to grow cold Peter may warme his hands in the high Priests Hall but hee will coole his heart The time being more then spent I can onely point at these things Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Ezek 24. 14 Jer 6. 29. Isa 4 4. Nehem 3 20. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 12. 11. Hab. 97. 37. 32 Tit. 2. 14. Josh. 1. 7. Revel. 2. 10. Revel. 3. 16. with 19. 20. Introduction to the Text Deut. 3. 21. 22. Numb 31. 16. Numb. 25. 2. And Parts of it Observ. 1. Application Obs. 2. I evit 26. 4. to 41. Amos 3. 1 2. Amos 3. 12. Ezek. 16. Dan. 9. 12. Zeph. 3. 7. Vse 1. Deut 9. 14. 3. Rom. 2. 17 18. 3. Deut. 32. 6. Obser. 3. Ier. 18. 10. Ier. 18. 10. Application 2. Part of the Text Whence first observe Doct. One man may save a whole kingdome Eccles. 9. 18. Ioshua 7. Iob 22. 30. Ier. 5. Application Doct. 2. Pacifying Gods wraâ—h removes any Plague Exod â—5 â— Namb. 16. 46. Ioshua 9. 20 2 Chron. 24. 18 28 11. 32. 16. Esa. 13. 5. Dan. 8. 12. Which is demonâ—trated 1. Dan. 6. Psal. 78. 23. 27. 31. 2. 2 Kings â— 2 Sam. 24. Ioel 2. 25. Application Therefore our greatest busines is to pacifie Gods wrath Esa. 13. 41. 54. ult. Ezek. 30. 24. Ier. 37. 56. 7. c. Wayes how it may bee done 1. Levit. 26. 40. 2. 1 King 8. 33. 35. 47. â—4 â—6 Dan 9 16. 3. Psal. 106. 30. The maine doctrine Zeale against sinne pacifyeth Gods wrath against sinners VVhich is proved by severall examples Read vers. 1. 2 3. 6. 2â— Vers 7 8 9 10. Vers 20. 27 28 c. And severall promises Which is further explained shewing what zeale is And the properties and eâ—fects of it 1. 4. Numb. 25. 4. Exod 32. Nehem. 13. â—nd why reale able to doe Application First to lament the want of it Exhortation to it Motives to zeale See Matth. 19 29. Meanes to attaine it 1 King 8. Act. 2. 1 Thes. 5. 16. 20. Prov. 22. 24. 25 c. Luk. 24. 32. Exod. 34. 29. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Tim. 6. 4. 14. 7. 2 Tim. 2. 14. Titus 3. 9. Luk. â— 14. Ephes. 4. 29 30. 1 Cor. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 6. Matth. 24. 12.
after Phinehas had done that excellent act but God taketh no notice of that but the thing hee plainly layd downe was this that Phinehas had pacified his wrath hee had quenched and cooled his revenged justice which was kindled against them That was the cure And from this the lesson that I observe is this vâ—z That the pacifying of Gods wrath is the removing of the Plague whatsoever the Plague bee bee it the Sword bee it the pestilence be it famine be it wild beasts bee it what ever any people had experience of pacifying of Gods wrath is the removing of the plague the Lord himselfe saith that hee had pacified his wrath and thereby yeelds the case as granted on their side no further evill was to bee done against them now Gods wrath was pacified And I desire you that you would first see how plaine it is in the Scripture and then I hope it will bee a profitable lesson for this great Assembly That the pacifying of Gods wrath is the removall of every plague I need give you no other evidence then this That the people of God under all their judgements which at any time they have laine have never made any other suite to God but one that hee would turne his wrath away from them I might give you 40. severall examples of it when they have sometimes laine in captivitie sometimes under the Sword of an enemy pestilence hath raged c. their onely suite to God was this that hee would but turne away his wrath from them Psal. 80. 3. 7. 85. 4 5. Dan. 9. 16 17. c. Their onely suite was to this effect when they lay under most heavy plagues and judgements Lord cause thine anger to cease towards us wilt thou be angry for ever wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations let thine anger and thy fury bee turned away from thy Citie Jerusalem cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate cause thy face to shine upon us and wee are safe still begging at Gods hands this one onely mercy that hee would but meerely pacifie his wrath and there is all the cure they desired You shall likewise find that in Scripture all kind of judgments are called by the name of Gods wrath and his indignation and severall plagues are called the arrones of his indignation the weapons of his indignation and the end of a plague is called the end of the indignation In the 8. Dan. v. 19. I will make thee know what shall bee in the last end of indignation hee meant the end of the plague of Antiochus but hee nameth nothing but Gods indignation end the one and you end all and this you may clearely understand if you please but to weigh these two things with me First that the wrath and indignation of God is not onely the greatest plague of all other to Gods people as indeed it is but it is the onely cause of all other plagues sinne indeed is the meritorious cause but the wrath of God is the onely efficient cause the onely worker there is nothing that is imaginable to bee a plague upon Gods people that can come out of any other spring or storehouse from any other hand but onely from the wrath of God I say there is nothing that is worthy the name of a plague or that is a plague which can come from any other fountaine or storehouse but onely from Gods wrath from God it must come that is without all question Affliction doth not rise out of the dust nor originally from any creature all the devils in hell are not able to inflict one plague without God not kill a poore hog c. This no man who is not an Atheist doubteth of now if they come from God they must either come from his favour or from his wrath there are but these two Well-heads they are indeed acts of his power and providence but are done according to the counsels of his will either his good pleasure or his displeasure If they come from Gods displeasure there is wrath if not from that they all come from his love Now this I propound to your serious thoughts that whatsoever betideth any man in the world those self-same things that are unsufferable intolerable hard things when they come not in Gods displeasure they are all good things things to bee rested in to bee satisfied in if they come but from the good will of God As for example take mâ— a man to be hanged upon a Gallowes hee is a cursed man Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Yet take that man that shall die the death of the crosse and let it bee out of Gods love and good will the crosse is the greatest blessing to him The Lord never loved his owne Sonne better then when he hanged upon the Crosse Therefore doth my Father love me because I will hang on the Crosse for my people And though it were a curse in the eye of the world it was the greatest mercie that ever God shewed to the Church to take his Son and hang him on the Crosse Take a Lions Den let but Daniel bee put into a Lyons Den let there nor wrath goe with it the Lyons Dens is a blessing Take Paul in all his whippings his povertie his banishments his shipwracks his buffetings and all that ever betided him let there be no wrath in it set him in the stocks doe what you will let there be no wrath and there is no plague in any of them All Jobs afflictions let the fire come downe from heaven and burne up his cattell let the wind come from heaven and strike the house at the foure corners and knock out the braines of ten children all at a time let there be no wrath in it and there is no plague in it There is no plague where there is no wrath I could give you a hundred evidences of this beleeve it the selfe same thing which to others are plagues though they may remaine yet as one calleth them wittily and truely they are silken afflictions plundering povertie plague sores undoing of outward estates they are all silken afflictions as they come from love and there is no hurt in them There is an imagination of some men but the world shall never see the truth of it of a certaine stone they call the Philosophers stone which will as these men fancy turne Iron into Gold Gods love doth it That will turne Iron into gold all crosses into blessings Iron chaines into gold chaines it will turne death plagues povertie imprisonments banishments it will turne any of these all of them into invalluable mercies let them but onely come from Gods love and well enough let but God say to the man whose house hee burneth I burne thy house but I love thee let him say to him whose child hee kocketh in the head I take thy child away in my love there is no plague then In a word the
that Gods vengeance should doe I say zeale in its place and for its part doth that which Gods vengeance came to doe What need God come in vengeance to cut off sinners Zeale is doing it to his hand Phinehas is slaying of them Moses is thrusting them through zealous men are endeavouring to exterminate all things that are evill and when the Lord seeth some pleading his cause and doing his worke hee will gratifie them to spare the rest for their sake As when David thought all of Nabals family against him hee would cut them all off and not a man of them should live but when hee findeth there was an Abigail that was of his side and pleaded his cause this cooleth Davids heate So is it with the Lord Jer. 4. 5. Run saith he finde out a man who executeth justice and judgement and I will spare it finde mee a man who is doing the worke my justice and vengeance comes to doe and I will forbeare doing it my selfe and else-where I looked for a man to have stood in the breach to have saved mee a labour and when I could finde none I did it my selfe I then poured out my wrath upon them Give mee leave to make two or three uses of this lesson and I shall dismisse you First then if this bee so what wonderfull cause have wee to mourne and tremble before God to thinke how few are to bee found in any place or any ranke or societie of men who are to bee numbred among them whom God will make saviours unto a people who else are like to bee destroyed Verily it is a sad thing to thinke how few can anywhere bee found in whose hearts there is this grace of zeale kindled of whom the Lord may Say such and such are zealous for my sake In your owne thoughts survey almost all publike places or orders of men and think among the Nobles or the Commons in the Citie among the Aldermen among the Common Councell men among the severall Wards goe into the Ministrie the severall degrees of men and doe but thinke how few there are whose hearts are truely zealous for the Lord if this bee zeale that I have opened unto you truely if I should enter or put my finger into this Ulcer I might make your hearts sad and tremble have wee not abundance that live this day in London and about London if not in the Parliament not onely those that are at Oxford that turne Cavaliers who pretend to bee our friends who have a zeale against zeale who are with all the heat that can be kindled in them set on fire against zealous men casting all the opprobrious nicknames on them that can be branding zeale for God with madnesse with turbulencie with indiscretion with haire-braindnesse who with Festus thinke men beside themselves Act. 26. 24. who with Ahab count every zealous Eliah a troubler of Israel and esteeme of them as they did of the Apostles Act. 17. 6. to bee men who turn the world upside downward who brand them to bee Puritans Precisians factious any thing which a vile heart can thinke and foule mouth utter Yea how many are sad to see men lay out their strength and state for a good cause and with Tobia and Sanballat are grieved to thinke that any goe about to build up the walls of Gods house or any Moses or Elijah take vengeance on Gods enemies A sad thing there should bee any such among us but more sad that any among us should bee like Catiline who was all fire perdere rempublicam to undoe the Commonwealth where hee lived drive designes make factions doe any thing in the earth that Religion might not thrive These are miserable and accursed men these men are factors for hell Satans Boutefeus and as the true zealots are set on fire from heaven so these mens fire is kindled from hell whither also it carries them What abundance are there that are wholly lukewarm if not key-cold that have no mettle no heate in the world for God Ah deare friends how many others are there that are ingaged in Gods cause who make Religion a and the publike cause a meere vizard to serve their owne ends who lay out the heat of their zeale all their strength to feather their owne nests by getting some imployment in an Army in a Navie in a Commitree in such a place in the Citie And the thing they drive at is to advance themselves or their friends to provide for this child to stop such a gap c. And so out of the publike pressure of Gods people draw out that which may inrich themselves and further then that let become of Gods cause what will how little such mens zeale is like to helpe us yea how abominable they and their zeale is to God you heard before And how many are there among our selves that protest they owne this great cause that is now in hand will vow and take the Covenant and sweare too if you will give it them an hundred times over that they will adhere to this cause with all their might and yet doe no more for it then honest men may doe with a good conscience who live under the enemies quarters that is let their goods bee taken from them because it is in vaine for them to make an head if an officer come hee must have it c. part with what is laid upon them and there 's an end But to bee willing to say Let me go let my child goe here is my money my spirit my life let all goe rather then this cause sinke you had as good wring water out of a Pumice stone you may as soone wring water out of a Flint stone as bring men to that as if they were yet to seek where the truth lay or which the true cause were that God would own God knoweth there are abundance of such that with the Samaritanes if the cause thrive well on the Parliaments side they are cordiall for them but if it goe on the other side then they are casting about how they may save themselves especially if they could but settle their owne estates whether Religion should be setled whether Idolatry shall bee extirpated whether there should be any reliques of them left whether any of them should bee punished whom if wee punish not God will punish us for them and our life shall go for theirs whether justice should be executed upon any Achans or Zimries or any such should be made examples these are things they never trouble their thoughts about all matters wherin the glory of God is concerned are to them as indifferent as that Controversie Acts 18. whether Pauls Doctrine or the Jewes blasphemy prevailed whether the Greeks beat Sosthenes or Sosthenes beat the Greeks whether as the Proverbe is the Dog catch the Hare or the Hare the Dog he was indifferent Gallio cared for none of these things and so verily is it with most men so their owne houses bee furnished it matters