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A34898 A cabinet of spirituall iewells wherein man's misery, God's mercy, Christ's treasury, truth's prevalency, errour's ignominy, grace's excellency, a Christian's duty, the saint's glory, is set forth in eight sermons : with a brief appendix, of the nature, equity, and obligation of tithes under the Gospell, and expediency of marriage to be solemnized onely by a lawfull minister ... / by John Cragge, M.A. ... Cragge, John, M.A. 1657 (1657) Wing C6783; ESTC R4552 116,039 199

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preached by such a man key-cold when more learnedly more powerfully more sincerely by another They pray after such a manner because such an one who is their Paul their Apollos their Cephas their Demi-god does so Run so many miles to hear a Sermon leaving a better at home behinde them because such an one makes conscience of such things conscience to disobey the Ordinance of God conscience to be singular conscience at the best to be zealous not according unto knowledge which is as good a conscience as a painted man is a man Now we come to true zeal true in regard of the Object Gods glory Righteousnesse Heaven and spirituall things true in regard of the measure and degree neither too cold by remission nor too hot by superstition True in regard of the means and grounds not builded upon ignorance which is blinde zeal nor upon profit or pleasure which is counterfeit zeal nor upon men our Idoll-gods which is idolatrous zeal Of this here more briefly because we stood more largely upon false zeal For as rectum curvi so curvum sui recti index in the glasse of false zeal we may judge of true zeal But that we may distinguish this true fire of zeal from many wildfires true heat from feavourish heat Amphitryo from Jupiter Juno from the Cloud Salam ●nder-like let us abide a while in these flames For what is true of conscience may be said of zeal each man each Heretick pretends a zeal the Turks die for their Mahomet it is their zeal the Jesuits stab Kings dethrone Princes it 's their zeal the Arrians go to the Stake for denying the Divinity of Christ it 's their zeal the Israelites offer their Children to Molah it 's their zeal thou leaves divine Ordinances the Sacraments perhaps thy weighty Calling it 's thy zeal Well but all that say they are Israelites are not of Israel Therefore if thou wouldest have the touchstone of tryall observe these marks well and thou maist discern true zeal by them First the matter and subject of thy zeal must be good Gal. 4. 18. It is good to be zealously affected in a good matter This is a fire that burnes in no Lamp but the Lamp of the Sanctuary a fire that feeds upon no oyle but the oyle of the Sanctuary that is kindled upon no Altar but Gods devoures no Sacrifice but Gods If the matter and subject of thy zeal be evill thy zeal is evill No fire but ignis erraticus will feed upon stinking ditches no fire but ignis lambens will feed upon thine own carnall humours If thou be zealous with Saul against Christianity it is blasphemy if thou be zealous with the Pharisees to compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselyte of thy groundlesse opinions it is diabolicall Heresie Thy zeal is a fruit that must not grow upon the forbidden tree Though thine eyes be now blinded yet hereafter they may be opened that thou maist see the blindnesse of thy zeal Secondly true zeal is zeal according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. this knowledge must be the Scriptures truly understood guiding us as a pillar of fire by night a pillar of cloud by day No fire might kindle the Vestalls Lamps but from the Sun no fire will kindle this Lamp of zeal but the Sun of Righteousnesse Christ who as Ignatius saies as he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essentiall Word by which all knowledge was created so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of life which is a light unto our feet and a lanthorn unto our steps For this cause Bernard compared knowledge and zeal to two wings knowledge without zeal cannot flie so high as to pierce the clouds zeal without knowledge is beatt back again like a whirlewinde Take with thee both wings Zeal and Knowledge if thou wouldest flie to Heaven As is fire to a Child that walks among barrells of Gunpowder so is zeal without knowledge a cause of incendiaries and combustions in Common-weales This zeal without knowledge slashed and gashed the Priests of Baal this zeal without knowledge armes the ignorant Papists to maintain that with sword and blood and persecution which they cannot defend with the Word This zeal without knowledge makes many ignorant people in our nation as preposterously as if one should ring the Bells backward at the sparkling of a Smith's Forge or fire the Beacons at the discovery of a poor Dunkirkers Vessell to be up in armes against every thing that crosses their humours This blinde zeal works three dangerous effects in the soul 1. Pride 2. Uncharitablenesse 3. Impatience of admonition First Pride that like Lucifer the morning Star they are bright in their own conceit like the Element of fire over all Elements nay as good as in Heaven in their own conceit cast in the same mould with Nebuchadnezar's Image their head is of Gold but their feet of Clay Secondly this zeal without knowledge is Uncharitable censuring nay condemning all like the fire of Eliah not sparing the Elders This made the Jewes crucifie Christ for reproving their traditions the Arrians persecute the Orthodox Christians more then did the Heathen Emperours the Papists more zealous for their Canons of the Councill of Trent than for the Articles of their Creed Thirdly zeal without knowledge is impatient of admonition it is as deafe as an Adder though you charm it never so wisely be earnest and it flies with the sting in your face This zeal made the Pharisees impatient when our Saviour rebuked them for their blindnesse made Zedekiah impatient of Michaiah's admonition And for these causes a worthy Divine saies Zeal without knowledge is more dangerous in Church or Commonwealth then knowledge without zeal The third mark of true zeal is that it burnes fervently within the Furnace of the Heart before the flame burst out at the crevises of the body thy Soul and Conscience must be truly zealous within before thine eyes sparkle with zeal to affright others thy tongue be tipped with zeal to censure and rebuke others thy feet be shod with zeal to pursue others thy hands be armed with zeal to wound others Many Zealists now adaies are like the Heathen God Momus carp at all doe nothing themselves like the Flies ingendred from the wild Fig-tree provoke others to ripen but are barren themselves finde fault with every corner in the streets never sweep before their own doors are informers controulers in every Calling practises none themselves and as if they were Metropolitans of the whole VVorld they keep continuall visitations and corrections of all mens manners especially the Churches who if judged by true zeal scarce belong to the Church Zeal hath many more marks which if I should prosecute my zeal of the Subject would seem to outrun my discretion of the Time I 'le onely name them The fourth Mark is that we must be zealous in weighty matters The fifth that we must look as well to our purity within as our holinesse without The sixt
vale of tears which drawes on apace shall present it selfe you may look Death in the face without dread the Grave without fear the Lord Jesus with comfort Thus let all the saving blessings of Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity be gloriously shining upon your selves your children and posterity which is the daily vote of him who is Your Worships most humble and devoted Servant in the Lord Jesus JOHN CRAGGE Octob. 10. 1656. A SERMON Preached formerly in the University of CAMBRIDGE The Text Psalm 144. 4. Lord what is Man A Time there was before all Times when there was no Day but the Antient of Dayes no Good but God no Light but the Father of Lights Arts were but Idea's the World a Map of Providence Heavens the Book in Folio Earth Water Aire and Fire in Quarto Hell the Doomes-day pageant Men and Angells but Capitall Letters in the Margent of Gods Thoughts Elohim Bara But loe the World and Time begun the Heavens were spread as a Curtain the Sphears incircled round Comets and blazing Stars Lightnings and Tempests Birds and feathered Fowls seated in the Aire Leviathans and Fishes in the Sea The Earth infoulded within the armes of the Ocean embraces the Centre beset with Plants and Herbs and Garlands of all Flowers gives nourishment to Beasts and Creeping things Sanctius his Animal Lastly Man was made Lord Paramount of all he calls Earth Heaven and Elements Birds Plants and Beasts according to their Nature each by their names clear light of Reason makes him a Logician Stars an Astronomer Nature of all Creatures a Philosopher Earth and Paradise a Geographer Thus nothing is hid from him while he is unknown to all The Stars shine Heavens smile upon him the Aire cherishes him Fruits nourish him Lions and all Beasts couch before him all at once as with a sudden rapture admire and know not what to call him It 's thou O Lord alone that madest him that pouredst him out as Milk that curdedst him as Cheese that writst all his members in the volume of thy Book that knowes him Lord what is Man Man that was here David's mirrour of admiration must be our glasse of speculation Ignorance in not knowing the true cause of things is the true cause of Admiration in things David a man after Gods owne heart knowes Man and yet he knowes not Man he knowes him in respect of the efficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ofspring of God as Aratus said he knowes him in respect of the matter Adam quasi Adamah composed of red earth he knowes him in respect of the form his soul is spiraculum vitarum breath of lifes life vegetative common with the Plants life sensitive common with the Beasts life reasonable peculiar to himselfe temporall and eternall He knowes him in respect of the end all his thoughts words works are so many motions God is the Centre his speculations imaginations meditations are so many Lines God is the Circumference in God from God and for God is all his good in whom we live move and have our being But in this he knowes not man Reason is at a stand why God that stood in need of no Creature should create Man to delight in him so vile a creature that Angels more glorious Creatures than he should minister unto man that Heaven with all her Hosts and Armies should serve man that Christ that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both God and Man should be accursed and dishonoured for Man that Man might be blessed and honoured with God should leave Heaven and his Father's Throne that Man might live for ever in Heaven and before the Throne All Creatures confesse your ignorance in this confessing it admire admiring give God the glory Fountains clap your hands Mountaines bend your heads skip you little Hills like Lambs old men and Babes young Men and Maids Angells and Choristers of Heaven joyne in this hymne Glory be to God on high peace on earth and towards men good-will But why peace on earth and towards men good-will cease to scan and leave it to him that is the Lord of Man Lord what is Man Which words are an Epiphonema or conclusion following an Eucharistia or spirituall gratulation inforced from a soul deeply solaced with the meditation of mercy in the depth of misery The parts are two First an Apostrophe or Appellation Lord Secondly an Erotema or Interrogation What is Man There is a what of objurgation a what of interrogation a what of admiration a what of meditation David meditates of Man the more he meditates the more he admires the more he admires the more he asks the more he asks the more is his task till mirrour is changed into terrour and every glance into a trance Earth that sustaines him tell me Fruits that nourish him tell me Aire that cherishes him tell me Creatures that serve him tell me Stars that shined at his Nativity tell me Astronomers calculate Gymnosophists unfold this Riddle Angells unvail your faces and tell me Man unmask thy selfe and tell me What is man Mount up my Meditations higher pierce through the clouds towards Heavens Glorified Saints Principalities and Powers tell me If all these be silent let wretched Man be bold to ask of Him that sits upon the Throne concerning man Lord what is man Man before the Fall created Man after the Fall degenerated Man by grace regenerated Man after death glorified What in his creation What in his degeneration What in his regeneration What in his glorification Man by creation wholly pure an Angell by degeneration wholly impure a Devill by regeneration partly sanctified a Saint by glorification entirely crowned a King An Angell in Eden a Devill in the World a Saint in the Church a King in Heaven and all this but silly Man Lord what is Man First Man created before the Fall what Man was in God's decree and intention before the Creation what in his union and composition in the Creation what in his rule and dominion after the Creation Man in Gods decree and intention a creature next to the Creator that Hell envied Earth admired Heaven desired a Gemme of beauty a Pearl of vertue a Star of glory Heir to a Crown if he had not crossed himselfe What in his union and composition in the Creation The Son of God moulded by God and yet not as the Manichees dream of the Substance of God the Image of God and yet not that Image which was God a Spirit from Heaven breathed into a Body of Earth and yet not all earth Fire gave him naturall heat Aire gave him vitall breath Water humours the Fire was purified the Air clensed the Water purged the Earth refined to make up this fine complexion of Man and yet materiam superabat opus the workmanship surpassed the matter as far as Heaven surpasses its matter At the contemplation whereof Dav●d bursts out into admiration Psal 139. 14. I was fearfully and wonderfully made And Ga●en before an Atheist composes an Hymne in the
he shot at rovers Zeal bended the Bow and drew the Arrow to the head Phinehas his heat of zeal contrary to the nature of heat stayed the Plague and cleansed the aire and by the fall of two prevented the fall of thousands on his right hand and ten thousands on his left David his zeal went through his bones like the fury of a hectick Feavour and brought him into a consumption Psal 119. 139. My zeal hath even consumed me because mine enemies have forgotten thy word Mine enemies have forgotten thy word VVhat would he have done if his friends if himselfe had forgot it Psal 69. 9. The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up that is wasted me consumed me made me a Scheleton or Anatomy Come on and see Jehu's zeal against Jezabel for the Lord of Hostes whose zeal though not true if it be commended consider what true zeal would be Esay's terrible Trumpet was tipped with zeal sounding a retreat to Idolatrous Judah and Jerusalem Jeremiah's zeal did boyl more fervently then the seething pot he spyed in the North against the sins of the people Our Saviour the perfect pattern of zeal though as meek as a Lambe in his own quarrell yet zeal made him as fierce as a Lion in Gods and that sparkling in words Woe to thee Bethsaida in deeds to Peter in private Get thee hehinde me Satan to the prophaners of the Temple in publick You have made my Temple a den of theeves Zeal metamorphosed Paul from a Persecutor to a Professor a Preacher a labourer in Christs Vineyard one that laboured more then them all a Martyr indeed sacrificing his body for the truth and if wishes would have prevailed Anathema pro populo his soul also Neither could this heat of zeal be kept within him but like the fire of Aetna it burst out to others Tit. 2. 14. Be zealous of good works Rom. 12. 11. Be fervent in spirit fervency of spirit is but zeal dressed in other attire All those emblems in St. John's vision of a zeal-commanding Saviour are but so many motives to zeal seven golden Candlesticks burning with Lamps of zeal a golden Girdle about his Papps this Girdle as that Ephes 6. is Zeal Truth and Zeal must go together These Papps are the two Testaments from whence all truth flowes upon which altar all zeal must be kindled His eyes are a flame of fire these eyes are Knowledge this flame of fire is Zeal knowledge and zeal must go together His feet like fine brasse burning in a furnace This brasse is stability and constancy this burning brasse is zeal zeal and constancy must kisse each other In his right hand seven stars These Stars are so many Lamps giving light to others for they that have given up their names to Christ in Baptism must be like John Baptist lucernae ardentes burning lights lights burning inwardly within themselves shining outwardly to others Christians must be zealous And that this our Christian zeal may be distinguished from an ignis erra●icus or wandring fire of opinion an ignis fulminaris or frensive fire of rebellion let us examine the ground of this truth for all zeal is grounded upon truth and all truth upon Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth Hence it is that Christians should be zealous because for this cause Tit. 2. 14. Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeem unto himselfe a peculiar reople zealous of good works That Angel that appeared unto Moses in the burning bush to the Prophets in a pillar of fire as speaking from God to Man became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both God and Man that Man for the glory of God might be zealous He bought our salvation with pangs and blood and sweat that we zealous of piety and purity might work out our salvation with fear and trembling He sweat blood in the Garden he was beat with cords and whips fainted under the Crosse in the way was fastned to it with nails pierced with a spear assaulted by Satan Hell and all our sins at once that we might be covered with righteousnesse as with a roab and cloathed with zeal as a garment The Turks are zealous of their Mahomet the Sidonians of Bell and Dragon the Priests of Baal of their Idoll the Papists for their Reliques Crucifixes Images the Jesuits of their Ignatius Loyola each Sect of their own superstitions Then shal not Christians be zealous for Christ who zealous of our salvation gave himselfe for us that we might be zealous of good works Secondly Christians must be zealous because zeal is the life and soul of Christianity that which the Bellowes are to the forge zeal is to the Soul an inkindler of grace that which naturall heat is to the body zeal is to the spirit a preserver of Grace that which Heroicall vertue is to Morall vertues the same is zeal to all divine and heavenly vertues the perfection of grace Zeal is the quintessence of Graces distilled the marrow and life of Religion the height and hyperbole of Holinesse Faith without zeal is but historicall Charity without zeal is but hypocriticall Profession without zeal is but carnall Patience without zeal is but Stoicall Apathie Mercy without zeal is foolish sympathy Hope without zeal is but impudency Love without zeal but lechery VVisdome without zeal but folly Martyrdome without zeal but murder These two reasons of the Poynt we have but poynted at because zeal is a Grace that is grounded upon reason yet in the heart practicall therefore we omit any further reason and come to Application First inquiring what true zeal is Secondly the severall kindes of zeal Zeal is defined by the Philosopher to be a mixture of anger and love when we are angry at the party or thing that injures that which we love These two affections as fire and oyle met together in Moses he loved God hated Idolatry therefore he was angry at that Idoll that was enmity against God Antient Divines have described it to be a mixt affection of griefe and anger flowing from love Griefe is an affection of the heart that wounds the soul for some present evill thus Jeremie mournes for the misery of the daughter of Sion Anger is mixed of sadnesse and a desire of revenge Esau was sad for the losse of his Birthright his heart boyled with revenge against his supplanting Brother These were the territories the Antients tyed zeal to who all shot near yet missed the mark for true zea● neither consists in hatred nor love nor sorrow nor a desire of revenge alone a channell too narrow for zeal to run in which like Nilus overflowes the whole soul the higher the fruitfuller But true zeal either consists in a mixture of all the affections or is a high and heroicall pitch of any affection that makes Heaven suffer violence A high rapture of spirituall joy is zeal that like St. Paul rapes us up into the third Heaven The Scheme in Paul's Rhetorick was zeal when he said Rejoyce in the