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conscience_n knowledge_n zeal_n zealous_a 54 3 9.0872 4 false
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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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here is one salve for every soar made up by the Physitian of the Soul in this one Electuary Zeal If thy Grace be waining Zeal will increase it if thou be poor Zeal will present thee Gold tryed in the fire if thou be blinde Zeal is a Collyrium or Eye-salve to annoint thine Eyes withall if thou beest naked Zeal is a Garment to cover thy nakednesse withall if thy Soul be drowned with a deluge of carnall humours Zeal is a flame to drye it if thou be luke-warm Zeal is a fire to kindle thee if thy Heart be frozen Zeal is a heat to thaw it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous It containes an Exhortation brought in by way of illation with this Illative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous therefore God loves us therefore we must be zealous for zeal is more then an ordinary heat of love God who is infinite loved his Church infinitely the Church which is his Darling must love him fervently this fervency of love is zeal Because he rebukes us we must be zealous inkindled with zeal of anger at those sins that he rebukes us for moved with a zeal of love towards God for rebuking us with Words when he might afflict us with Swords Zealous because he chastens us with Rods and not with Scorpions sparkling with the fire of zeal at sin that chastises us but zealous of those sparks of Gods love and mercy that chastises and subdues sin in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous The word hath its name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seeth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Greek Letter Z the sound that liquor makes in seething Seething presupposes boyling boyling heating heating fire This fire is affection the seething pot the soul Knowledge the fuell prayer and meditation the bellowes these inflame the heart and soul and conscience and every faculty of the inward Man neither staies it there but sparkles out into the outward Man the tongue is tipped with zeal the eye sparkles with zeal the hand brandishes the sword of zeal the feet are shod with zeal all are zealous at once for the Lord of Hostes This heat of zeal if it be right tempered in a fit quantity as heat in the third Degree is an Antidote against vice a Cordiall in afflictions a purger of corruptions But if it be too hot as in the fourth of fifth Degree it becomes a poyson a wild-fire that no waters scarce many waters scarce the milk of the Gospell will queneh It is a fire that burnes without knowledge as Ch●ysogonus his pot at Rome seethes without any fire of knowledge at all it is an ignis fatuus a blinde fire leading us in a blinde way this blinde way is the broad way that leads to destruction In briefe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zeal generally taken is an earnest affection to any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing indifferent neither good nor bad and yet either good or bad as the thing to which it is referred differences it When it soars aloft at Heaven and the Sun of righteousnesse then it is a Phoenix of vertues for this Phineas his Sword imitating the flaming Sword of the Cherubim and blind Samuel his zeal though not blinde zeal is commended By this one of the Apostles conquered more then he that was the greatest Conquerour Scipio by conquering Africk was called Africanus but Simon by conquest of Zeal was called Zelotes this Conquest was Heaven a greater than can be imagined in somnio Sc●pionis This Simon was not Simon Peter for his Motto was not Zeal but Love Simon lovest thou me But it was Simon the Canaanite not of the land of Canaan with Caph that comes from a Root that signifies he was made vile but written with Kuph comming from a Root in Pihel Kinne and signifies He was moved with zeal But Zeal when it lookes asquint and is not fixed upon the right object when Icarus-like it towers aloft without the wings of Knowledge when like an unruly flame bursting out of the Furnace it sets our neighbours house on fire it 's vitious bitter as Colliquintida for which St. James calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter zeal The zeal here meant is in Nature true zeal in regard of the object zeal according to knowledge in degree moderate zeal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous The party exhorting was Zelotypus a zealous God out of whose mouth went a sharp two-edged Sword The parties exhorted the lukewarm Laodiceans whom neither sincerity had made hot nor hypocrisie would suffer to be cold The thing exhorted to is Zeal Zeal which when it is true drives out the distempered feavourish heat of opinion that brainsick frenzie heat of obstinacy and cures the senslesse security of that Lethargy of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Zealous It cannot be divided into many Propositions for it is but one and that implicite nor into many words for it is but one though explicite yet consisting of many Letters and that without superstition a sacred septenary which like the seven heads of Nilus meets all in one Chanell but here is the difference the heads of Nilus are scarce known the Head of zeal well grounded knowledge must be known Those that dwell near the heads of Nilus with the found thereof are made deafe and cannot hear but those in whose heads or rather hearts Zeal dwells are made more judicious and more quick to hear The word is one the Proposition one the Exhortation one the point of Doctrine it yields is also one Christians must be zealous Be zealous is as much as if he had said You Pastours you People must be zealous Though the Laodiceans Angell and Church be Christians in profession yet not spoke to them alone but to all Christians as the Oyntment poured on Aarons head runs down to the skirts All Christians must be zealous All Scriptures Prophets Apostles Saints Evangelists as so many Virgins with Oyle in their Lamps yield fewell to this Torch of Zeal by precept by practice Noah's zeal dryed the waters of the Flood which overtopped the Mountains and drowned the VVorld Lot's zeal by a more holy fire quenched the fire of Sodome and preserved his life in Zoar. The brightnesse of Moses his zeal was admirable outshining the brightnesse of his face Exod 32. 32. If thou wilt not forgive their sins blot me out of the book which thou hast written Blot me Does Moses his zeal as Eagles at the Sun flie at things impossible or does he wing his speech with Seraphick raptures to elevate his Rhetorick to Him that thunders in the Clouds Or is he rapt with St. Paul into the third Heaven where he conceives things unutterable and utters things unconceivable Or does he dart this by way of supposition that he would be contented with damnation upon condition of their salvation it is uncertain Yet this is most certain though
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