never true Use 1. How opposite are they to godliness who cry down zeal and count it a Religious phrensie They are for the light of knowledge but not for the heat of zeal When Basil was earnest in preaching against the Arrian Heresie it was interpreted folly and dotage Religion is a matter requires zeal the Kingdom of heaven will not be taken but by violence Mat. 12. 11. Object But why so much fervour in Religion what becomes then of Prudence Answ. Though Prudence be to direct zeal yet not to destroy it because sight is requisite must the body therefore have no heat If Prudence be the eye in Religion zeal is the heart Quest. But where is moderation Answ. Though moderation in things of indifferency be commendable and doubtless it would much tend to the setling the peace of the Church yet in the main Articles of Faith wherein Gods glory and our Salvation lie at stake here moderation is nothing else but sinful neutrality It was Calvins advice to Melancthon that he should not so affect the name of moderate that at length he lost all his zeal Object But the Apostle presseth moderation Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known to all Answ. The Apostle speaks there of moderating our passion the Greek word for moderation signifies candour and meekness opposite to rash anger and so the word is rendred in another place Patient 1 Tim. 3. 3. By moderation then is meant meekness of spirit and that is clear by the subsequent words The Lord is at hand As if the Apostle had said avenge not your selves for the Lord is at hand he is ready to avenge your personal wrongs but this doth not at all hinder but that in matters of Religion a Christian should be zealous 2 What strangers are they to godliness who have no zeal for the glory of God they can see his ordinances despised his worship adulterated yet their spirits are not at all stirred in them How many are of a dull lukewarm temper zealous for their own secular interest but have no zeal for the things of heaven hot in their own cause but cool in Gods The Lord doth most abominate lukewarm professours I had almost said hee is sick of them Rev. 3. 15. I would thou wert cold or hot any thing but lukewarm but because thou art neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth A lukewarm Christian is but dough-baked just like Ephraim Hos. 7. 8. Ephraim is a cake not turned To keep up a form of Religion without zeal is to be like those bodies the Angels assumed which mooved but had no life in them I would ask these Tepid neutral professors this question If Religion be not a good cause why did they undertake it at first if it be why do they go so faintly about it why have they no more holy ardours of soul these persons would fain go to heaven in a soft bed but are loath to bee carried thither in a fiery Chariot of zeal Remember God will be zealous against them who are not zealous he provides the fire of hell for those that want the fire of zeal Use 2. As you would be found in the catalogue of the godly labour for zeal as good bee of no religion as not to be zealous in religion Beware of carnal policy This is one of those three things which Luther feared would bee the death of Religion Some men have been too wise to bee saved Their discretion hath quenched their zeal beware of stoth which is an enemy to zeal be zealous and repent Rev. 3. 19. Christians what do you reserve your zeal for is it for your gold that perisheth or for your lusts that will make you perish can you bestow your zeal better than upon God how zealous have men been in a false religion Isa. 46. 6. They lavish gold out of the bag and weigh silver in the ballance The Iews did spare no cost in their idolatrous worship nay Ier. 32. 35. They cause their Sons and Daughters to pass thorow the fire to Molech They were so zealous in their idol-worship that they would sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to their false Gods how far did the purblinde Heathens go in their false zeal 〈◊〉 the Tribunes of Rome complained they wanted gold in their Treasurâ—es to offer to Apollo the Roman Matrons plucked off their chains of gold and rings and bracelets and gave them to the Priests to offer up sacrifice were these so zealous in their sinful worship and will not you bee zealous in the worship of the true God can you loose any thing by your zeal shall it not bee super-abundantly recompenced what is heaven worth what is a sight of God worth was not Jesus Christ zealous for you he sweat drops of blood hee conflicted with his Fathers wrath how zealous was hee for your redemption and have you no zeal for him is there any thing you your selves hate more than dulness and slothfulness in your servants you are weary of such servants do you dislike a dull temper in others and not in your selves what are all your duties without zeal but non entia meer fancies and nullities Do you know what a glorious thing zeal is it is the lustre that sparkles from grace it is the flame of love it resembles the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 2. There appeared cloven tongues like fire which sat upon them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Tongues of fire were an Emblem to represent that fire of zeal which the spirit powred upon them Zeal makes all our religious performances prevalent with God When the iron is red hot it enters best and when our services are red hot with zeal they soonest pierce heaven SECT XVI 16. A godly man is a patient man Iam. 5. 11. Ye have heard of the patience of Iob. Patience is a star which shines in a dark night There is a twofold patience 1. Patience in waiting 2. Patience in bearing 1. Patience in waiting A godly man if he hath not his desire presently he will wait till the mercy be ripe Psa. 130. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord. Good reason God should have the Timing of our mercies Isa. 60. 22. I the Lord will hasten it in his time Deliverance may tarry beyond our time but it will not tarry beyond Gods time Why should not we wait patiently upon God 1. We are servants it becomes servants to be in a waiting posture 2. We wait upon every thing else we wait upon the fire till it burns we wait upon the seed till it grows Iam. 5. 7. Why cannot we wait upon God 3. God hath waited upon us Did not he wait for our repentance How often did he come year after year before he found fruit Did God wait upon us and cannot we wait upon him A godly man is content to stay Gods leisure though the Vision tarry he will wait for
into the world 4 Praise is a more distinguishing work by this a Christian excels all the infernall spirits dost thou talk of God so can the Devil hee brought Scripture to Christ dost thou profess religion so can the Devil he transforms himself into an Angel of light dost thou fast he never eats dost thou beleeve the Devils have a faith of assent they believe and tremble Iam. 2. 19. but as Moses wrought such a miracle as none of the Magicians could do the like so here is a work Christians may be doing which none of the Devils can do and that is the work of thanksgiving they blaspheme but do not bless Satan hath his fiery darts but not his harp and viol Use 1 See here the true genius and complexion of a godly man hee is much in doxologies and praises 'T is a saying of Lactantius hee cannot bee a good man who is unthankful to his God A godly man is a God-exalter the Saints are Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3. 16. where should Gods praises bee sounded but in his Temples a good heart is never weary of praising God Psa. 34. 1. His praise shall continually bee in my mouth Some will be thankful while the memory of the mercy is fresh but afterwards leave off The Carthaginians used at first to send the tenth of their yearly revenue to Hercules but by degrees they grew weary and left off sending David as long as hee drew his breath would chirp forth Gods praise Psa. 146. 2. I will sing praises to my God while I have any being David would not now and then give God a fit of Musick and then the instrument must be hung up but he would continually be celebrating Gods praise A godly man will express his thankfulness in every duty hee mingles thanksgiving with prayer Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer with thanksgiving let your requests bee made known to God Thanksgiving is the more divine part of prayer in our petitions wee express our own necessities in our thanksgivings we declare Gods excellencies Then prayer goes up as incense when it is perfumed with thanksgiving And as a godly man expresseth thankfulness in every duty so in every condition hee will be thankful in adversity as well as prosperity 1 Thes. 5. 18. In every thing giving thanks A gracious soul is thankful and rejoyceth that hee is drawn nearer to God though it be by the cords of affliction when it goes well with him hee praiseth Gods mercy when it goes ill with him he magnifies Gods justice when God hath a rod in his hand a godly man will have a Psalm in his mouth The Devils smiting of Iob was like the striking upon a musical instrument he sounded forth praise The Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord Iob 1. 21. Gods spiritual plants when they are cut and do bleed drop thankfulness the Saints Tears cannot drown their praises 2 If this be the sign of a godly man then the number of the godly will appear to bee very small Few are in the work of praise sinners cut God short of his thank-offering Luk. 17. 17 where are the nine Often Leapers healed there was but one returned to give praise the most of the world are Sepulchres to bury Gods praise you shall hear some swearing and cursing but few that bless God Praise is the yearly rent that men sit at but most are behinde hand with their rent God gave King Hezekiah a famous deliverance but Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32. 25. that But was a blot in his Scutchion some instead of being thankful to God render evil for good they are the worse for mercy Deut. 32. 6. Do yee thus requite the Lord foolish people and unwise This is like the Toad that converts the most wholsome hearb to poyson where shall wee finde a grateful Christian Wee read of the Saints Rev. 5. 8. Having harps in their hand the Emblem of praise many have tears in their eyes and complaints in their mouths but few that have harps in their hand who are blessing and praising the name of God Use 2 Let us put our selves upon a scrutiny and examine by this Character whether we are godly are wee thankful for mercy 't is an hard thing to bee thankful Quest. How may wee know whether wee are rightly thankful Answ. 1 When wee are careful to register Gods mercy 1 Chron. 16. 4. David appointed certain of the Levites to record and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel Physitians say the memory is the first thing that decayes 't is true in spirituals Psal. 106. 13. They soon forgat his works A godly man enters down his mercies as a Physician his receipts into a book that they may not bee lost Mercies are Jewels that should be locked up A childe of God keeps two books alwaies by him one to write his sins in that he may be humble the other to write his mercies in that he may be thankful 2 Then wee are rightly thankful when our hearts are the chief instrument in the musick of praise Psa. 111. 1. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart David would not only put his Viol in tune but his heart if the heart doth not joyn with the tongue there can bee no consort where the heart is wanting the Parrot is as good a Querister as the Christian. 3 Then we are rightly thankful when the favours which we receive endear our love to God the more Davids miraculous preservation from death drew forth his love to God Psa. 116. 1. I love the Lord it is one thing to love our mercies another thing to love the Lord many love their deliverance but not their deliverer God is to bee loved more than his mercies 4 Then we are rightly thankful when in giving our praise to God wee take all worthiness from our selves Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies thou hast shewed unto thy servant as if Iacob had said Lord the worst bit thou carvest me is better than I deserve 2 Sam. 9. 7. Mephibosheth bowed himself and said what is thy Servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am So a thankful Christian when he takes a survey of his blessings and sees how much he enjoyes that others better than he want Lord saith he what am I a dead dog that free-grace should look upon me and that thou shouldst crown mee with such loving kindness 5 Then we are rightly thankful when we put Gods mercies out of Use wee turn our injoyments into improvements the Lord gives us health and wee spend and are spent for Christ 2 Cor. 12. 15. hee gives us an estate and wee honour the Lord with our substance Prov. 3. 9. he gives us children and wee dedicate them to God and edugate them for God wee do not
declared to be the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshy Tables of the heart Here is a golden Epistle the writing is the work of Faith the Table it is written in is the heart the finger that writes it is the spirit Now after the Spirits writing follows the Spirits sealing Ephes. 1. 13. After ye believed ye were sealed with the Spirit that is ye were sealed up to an assurance of glory What have ungodly men to do with the seal of the Covenant who have not the writing 4. The ungodly are spiritual fools Psalm 75. 4. I said to the fools deal not foolishly and to the wicked lift not up the horn If one had a Childe very beautiful yet if he were a fool the Parent would take little joy in him The Scripture hath dressed the Sinner in a Fools Coat and let me tell you better be a fool void of Reason than a fool void of Grace This is the Devils fool Pro. 14. 9. Is not he a fool who refuseth a rich portion God offers Christ and Salvation but the Sinner refuseth this portion Psal. 81. 11. Israel would none of me Is not he a fool who prefers an Annuity before an Inheritance Is not he a fool who tends his mortal part and neglects his Angelical part As if one should paint the wall of his house and let the Timber rot Is not he a fool who will feed the Devil with his Soul As that Emperour who fed his Lion with Feasant Is not he a fool who lays a snare for himself Pro. 1. 18. Who consults his own shame Hab. 2. 10. who loves death Pro. 8. 36. 5. The ungodly are vile persons Nahum â— 14. I will make thy grave for thou art vile 〈…〉 men base it blots their name it taints their bloud Psal. 14. 3. They are altogether become filthy In the Hebrew it is rancidi facti sunt they are become stinking Call wicked men never so bad you cannot call them out of their name they are swine Mat. 7. 6. Vipers Mat. 3. 7. Devils Iohn 6. 70. The wicked are scoria gluma the dross and refuse Psalm 119. 119. And heaven is too pure to have any dross mingle with it 6. Their Temporal Mercies are continued in Judgement The wicked may have health and estate yea more than heart can wish Psa. 73. 7. But their Table is a snare Psa. 69. 2â— Sinners have their mercies with Gods leave but not with his love The people of Israel had better been without their Quails than to have had such sowre sawce The ungodly are Usurpers they want a spiritual Title to what they possess their good things are like cloath taken up at the Drapers which is not paid for death will bring in a sad reckoning at last 7. Their Temporal Judgements are not removed in Mercy Pharaoh had ten Arrows shot at him ten Plagues and all those Plagues were removed but his heart remainiâ—g hard those Plagues were not removed in Mercy it was not a preservation but a reservation God reserved him for a signal Monument of his Justice when he was drowned in the depth of the Sea God may reprieve mens persons when he doth not remit their sins The wicked may have sparing Mercy but not saving Mercy 8. The ungodly while they live are exposed to the wrath of God Ioh. 3. 36. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him He who wants Grace is like one who wants a pardon he is every hour in fear of Execution How can a wicked man rejoyce Over his head the Sword of Gods Justice hangs and under him hell fire burns 9. The ungodly at death must undergo Gods fury and indignation Psal. 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell I have read of a Loadstone in Aethiopia which hath two corners with one it draws the iron to it with the other it puts the iron from it So God hath two hands of Mercy and Justice with the one he will draw the godly to heaven with the other he will thrust the sinner to hell And O how dreadful is that place It is called a fiery lake Rev. 20. 15. A lake to denote the plenty of Torments in hell a fiery lake to show the fierceness of them Fire is the most torturing Element Strabo in his Geography mentions a Lake in Galilee of such a pestiferous nature that it scaldeth off the skin of whatsoever is cast into it But alas that Lake is cool compared with this fiery Lake into which the damned are thrown To demonstrate this fire terrible there are two most pernicious qualities in it 1. It is Sulphureous it is mixed with brimstone Revel 21. 8. which is unsavoury and suffocating 2. It is unextinguishable though the wicked shall be choaked in the flames yet not consumed Revel 20. 10. And the Devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the False Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Behold the deplorable condition of all ungodly ones in the other world they shall have a life that always dies and a death that always lives May not this affright men out of their sins and make them become godly unless they are resolved to try how hot hell fire is 2. What rare persons the godly are Pro. 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour As the Flower of the Sun as the Wine of Lebanon as the sparkling upon Aarons Breast-plate such is the Orient splendor of a person imbellished with godliness The exceâ—lency of the persons of the godly appears in seven particulars 1. They are precious therefore they are set apart for God Psal. 4. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself We set apart things that are precious the godly are set apart as Gods peculiar treasure Psa. 135. 4. As his garden of delight Cant. 4. 12. As his Royal Diadem Isa. 62. 3. The godly are the excellent of the earth Psa. 16. 2. Comparable to fine gold Lam. 4. 2. Double refined Zach. 13. 9. They are the glory of the Creation Isa. 46. 13. Origen compares the Saints to Saphires and Christal God calls them Iewels Mal. 3. 17. They are so 1. For their value Diamonds saith Pliny were not known a long time but among Princes and were hung upon their Diadem God doth so value his people that he will give Kingdomes for their ransome Isa. 43. 5. He laid his best Jewel to pawn for them Ioh. 3. 6. 2. They are Jewels for their lustre If one Pearl of grace doth shine so bright that it doth delight Christs heart Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes that is one of thy Graces Then how illustrious are all the Graces met in a Constellation 2. The godly are honourable Isa. 43. 4. Thou