zealous otherwise he hath no faith If he have no faith he cannot be saved 3. That man is in the state of damnation that loves not God He that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha that is let him be accursed and accursed for it is the greatest curse in the world it is the curse of the Gospel Let him be accursed and double accursed that loves not Christ Now a man never loves God if he be not zealous qui non zelat non amat He that is not zealous in love does not love love is termed zeal in the Scripture Iehu indeed the truth was he had no love to God he thought he had though and therefore when he would tell Iehonadab he had love to God he tels it in these words Come and see my zeal I have to the Lord of Hosts 2 King 10 16. That is see the love that I bear to the Lord of Hosts Zelus debet esse non modò in affectu verumetiam in intellectu is a saying zeal must be in the minde and zeal must be in the affections both are required to this zeal that I speak of If thou beest not zealous it is most certain thou hast not a jot of true love Zeal is more seen in that affection then any if there be any and therefore if there be no zeal in thee to God and his wayes there is no love thou art yet under wrath 4. That man is in the state of damation that was never taught of God Christ promises that all that are his shall be taught of God taught of God to be holy as he is holy taught of God to love one another taught of God to walk in all newnesse of life Every man look what he is taught in therein he is zealous Paul before he was converted he was taught in the ceremonies and his Fathers and therefore therein was he zealous I was traditions of taught sayes he according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers and was zealous Act. 22. 3. Alas poor soul had he been better taught he had been better zealous I doe not speak of the outward teaching of the ear only but also of the inward teaching of the heart his very heart such was the policy of Satan his very heart was taught in those things and therefore he was zealous of them The covetous mans heart is taught to be earthly therefore he is zealous for the world The proud mans heart is taught to be proud therefore he is zealous for his credit and esteem The voluptuous mans heart is taught to be vain therefore he is zealous of his pleasures Alas such were never taught of God The devil teaches them and their lusts teach them and the examples of others teach them Alas if thou beest not taught of God how to walk in newnesse of life thou canst not be saved it is better to be unborn then untaught and this as you see cannot be without zeal unto God 5. That man is in the state of damnation that cannot yet be pitied If thou beest zealous for the things of this life and not zealous for heaven zealous for thy pleasure and not for Gods glory thou art not to be pitied and thou wilt have pleasures take them and thou wilt to hell goe who will pity thee Deformitas sceleris aufert misericordiam It is true it would pity a mans heart to see a poor soul weeping and howling for his sinnes and yet go to hell It would pity a man to see a blinde Papist whipping himself praying on his Beads giving all his goods to the poor confessing his sins to his Confessor fasting and afflicting his body zealous in his blinde superstition and all to save his poor soul and yet go to hell it would pity a mans heart I say to see such a man goe to hell as how can he otherwise yet it would pity a man because he is zealous for God in the blindenesse of his zeal As it pitied the Apostle to see his brethren go to hell that were blindely zealous for God Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved for I bear them record they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 1 2. It pitied him that such as were blindely zealous for God should perish But whom will it pity to see thee go to hell thou hast no zeal at all that way No no thou art zealous after the things of this life and after thy lusts as God told Ierusalem Who shall have pity upon thee O Ierusalem Thou hast forsaken me sayes he Ier. 15 5. Who will pity our drunkards and our whoremongers who will pity you that are zealous in your sins and abominations ye are not so much as the objects of pity Is it so that the zeal of our affections is due only to God Is it so that God does demand it and that we are bound upon pain of death and damnation to give it to God Is it so that we never repented we never beleeved never were in Christ never loved God never were taught of God never can be pitied unlesse we give the zeal of our affections unto God Then O then let us consider the lamentable condition we are in as long as the zeal of our affection runs otherwise I beseech you consider these eight things which may convince you what a woful condition ye are in First Zeal is the fire of the soul Look what thou art most zealous upon that sets thy soul in a fire Every man and woman in the world is set on fire of hell or of heaven Now if heaven have not set thee on fire hell hath set thee on fire thou art set on fire of one of these two As it is the blessedest thing that can be to be set on fire of heaven to be zealous for the glory of God and the saving ones soul zealous for the getting of grace and zealous in the duties of religion so on the contrary it is the cursedst thing that can possibly be to be set on fire of hell Thou which art a swearer a lyar a filthy speaker whose mouth talketh of vanity thy tongue is set on fire of hell the tongue is set on fire of hâ—ll sayes the Apostle Iam. 3. 6. Thou which art a voluptuous man that lovest thy pleasures and delightest in vanity more then in better things thy heart is set on fire of hell thou which yeeldest to the temptations of Satan the devil tempts thee to go proudly in thine apparrel and thou yeeldest the devil tempts thee to smother thy conscience and thou consentest The devil tempts thee to put off thy better obedience till another time and the temptation takes hold there is never a temptation of Satan but it is a fiery dart the fiery darts of the devil Eph. 6. 16. Well does the Apostle call them fiery darts of the devil sayes Saint Chrysostome
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such sayes he are the sinfull lusts and affections they are all fiery set on fire of hell this is one misery and this not a small one zeal is the fire of the soul and if it be not set upon God it is set on fire of hell Secondly Zeal is the running of the soul If thou beest not zealous for God thou runnest away after the things of this world thou dost not only go after vanities but thou runnest not only go after thy pleasures and thy profits but thou runnest As the affections are the feet of the soul so zeal is the swift running pace of these feet I will run the way of thy Commandments sayes David that is I will be zealous in it It is a long way to heaven especially now since the fall it is a very long way to heaven and death will overtake us before ever we can get there unlesse we run and therefore Saint Paul commands us to run fast enough lest we never get there So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor 9. 24. Now had we not need to set our zeal right for that way we run that way our zeal stands If the zeal of our affection stand to Godwards we run onwards to heaven but if it stand to the things here below we run onwards to hell I reade of Tiberius Nero who when his brother Drusus lay sick in Germany he ran two hundred miles in twenty four hours to visit him But we may finde tanker runners then so in sinne some in drunkennesse and good fellowship as they call it others in security and hardnesse of heart others in one sin and others in another and as they run themselves so if there be any that are stricter then themselves they wonder that they run not with them to the same excesse of ryot 1 Pet. 4. 4. Mark run not with them where note themselves run into ryot May be sometimes they have sudden and violent affections to good as if they were all on a fire for the present like the young man in the Gospel he came running to Christ and kneeled down to him sayes the Text Mar. 10 17. O he was all upon the haste he does not goe to him but he runs as many men and women have very good moods and violent pangs of goodnesse now and then but alas it was nothing but a flash for by and by he was as ready to be gone as ever he was hasty to come and then he ran on in his security and coveteousnesse of minde Do ye not see how fast many of you run on in arerages with God If we could see Gods debt-book might we not there reade Item ten thousand oaths thou hast sworn Item millions of millions of filthy words thou hast spoken Item a hundred millions of millions of wicked thoughts thou hast thought Item a thousand lazie prayers thou hast made Item 20. hundred Sabbaths thou hast prophaned Item fourty Sacraments thou hast unworthily received Thus ye have run on as if ye thought every day seven years till ye are in hell Thus it is with you when your zeal is set any where else then on God Thirdly Zeal is the predominant element in the soul Look what the soul is zealous unto that is the predominant temper of the soul if thou beest zealous for God Christ is predominant in thee if thou beest zealous for the things of this world the world is predominant in thee Non datur temperamentum ad pondus sayes the Philosopher there is no temper but something is predominant You never heard of a soul that had as much of the world in him as of Christ and of Christ as of the world No as he is zealous to one thing so one thing or other is predominant in him Men-pleasing is predominant in one pride predominant in another and pleasure predominant in a third Whatsoever a man is zealous unto that is his predominant element Now if thine affections if the zeal of them be not set upon God then something or other in the world is predominant in thee O what a misery then is it to be lesse zealous for God then for the world the world is predominant in thee this is the character of one that yet is no better then a reprobate Lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. when pleasure is predominant and not God He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me c. sayes Christ Mat. 10. 37. when carnal relations are predominant and not spiritual this I say is an evident character of a wicked man for what difference is there between a godly man and wicked man both have sinne in them this is the difference a godly man hath sin in him but grace is predominant and therefore he is called a godly man A wicked man hath many good graces in him but sinne and wickednesse is predominant and therefore he is called a wicked man the denomination is from the part that is predominant The beasts of the earth because the earth is predominant the fishes of the Sea because the water is predominant a brick-house not as though there were no wood in it but because brick is predominant Mark all thy thoughts which is predominant in thee the world or Christ mark all thy speeches which is predominant earth or heaven mark all thy cares which is predominant to busie thee most O what a wofull estate art thou in when sin and corruption is predominant in thee If thou be more zealous after the things of this life then after grace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Thou canst never enter into Gods kingdom because sin is predominant in thee Fourthly Zeal is the self-cruelty of the soul If thou beest most zealous to God thy zeal is a holy cruelty to thy self Master spare thy self sayes Peter to Christ Get thee behinde me Saran sayes Christ he was zealous for the redemption of the world and he would not spare his own life Zeal is a holy cruelty of the soul it will spare nothing nor life nor credit nor living nor any thing M. Fox that was zealous in his love to the poor he was in a holy manner cruell to himself to give the very clothes off his back rather then the naked should not be covered Love is as strong as death and as cruell as the grave Cant. 8. 6. Durus sicut inferi zelus as Ambrose expounds it zeal is as hard as the grave A man that is zealous is a hard man to himself that he may be free unto God not as though true zeal were hard and cruell indeed unto his own soul but I mean to his own fleshly desires and respects he is the mercifullest man to his own soul under heaven Now then see what a woful estate thou art in if thou beest not zealous for God for if the zeal of thine affections gad any where else
thou art the cruellest man to thine own soul in very deed and in truth as possibly can be Thou squandrest away Gods mercies thou treasurest up Gods wrath thou livest in those sins which thine own conscience can tell thee are sins thou bestowest thine affections upon the things of this life which should be given to God thou damnest thine own soul That time which God vouchsafes thee to get grace in thou wastest it away upon vanity thou art more earnest for the good of thy carkasse then for the everlasting weal or thy soul thou partest with Christ rather then with thy lusts O thou art durus ut inferi thou art as cruell as hell to thine own soul Thou knowest that whosoever comes to the Sacrament unworthily or unpreparedly or not a new creature he eats and drinks his own damnation thou knowest this well enough thou knowest that the Lord sayes so in his Word Yet thou art so cruell to thy own soul that for all this thou wilt venture thou knowest that he that comes to this supper without a wedding-garment shall be cast into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth thou knowest this full well and thou canst not deny it Yet thou art so cruell to thy own soul as to come hither without it thine affections are so eager after the things of this life the very zeal of them all that thou art even cruell to thine own soul Durus ut inferi as cruell as hell it self to thy self O the cruelty of thine earthly zeal it makes thee fearlesse and witlesse to sinne against God which the Angels of heaven durst not doe for a thousand worlds It makes thee sinne against Christ and cast off his yoke without which thou canst be never saved it makes thee choak the motions of Gods Spirit and strangle thine own conscience Durus ut inferi zelus may we well say this zeal is as cruell as hell and yet it is in every one of us all that is not zealous for God Fifthly Zeal is the brand of the soul When a man is zealous in any passion whatever it be we see it sets a brand upon a man we call him a cholerick man that is zealous with anger he is very touchy say we We call him a fretful envious man that is zealously given thereunto We call him a melancholy man that is much in his sadnesse Zeal which is the Much of every affection it sets a brand upon a man So when a man is zealous for good it sets a good brand upon a man as Aemilius for his goodnesse was called Aemilius the good Antoninus for his piety was called Antoninus the pious so in Scripture one Barsabas was called Iustus the just So it should seem too that Simon was a noted man for some passionate and affectionate forwardnesse and therefore he was called Simon Zelotes that is Simon the zealous Luk 6. 15. And so we see though it be counted a mockage by the ignorant world it is observed by them which are without that Gods people are zealous Look whatever a man is zealous in that is able to brand him Now if thou beest zealous for the world or zealous after thy pleasures or any thing else in the world it brands thee in the forehead for a carnal wretch as Elymas the sorcerer Iudas the traytor It stigmatizes thee for a worldling or a drunkard or a company-keeper or voluptuous or whatever it be thy zeal is most in Every man is more zealous for one thing then he is for another either for God or something else in the world the. Question is whether art thou most zealous for if thou beest more zealous for any thing else then thou art for God it brands thee for a wretch Such an one a very worldling such an one a very muck-worm such an one a very spend-thrift such an one a very gamester and a royster such an one a very tatler such an one an Orlando Furioso such an one a hard man Look where thy most is that does truly brand thee before God and good men that are able to discern thee The XI Sermon Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. THe sixth is Zeal is the transportation of the soul out of it self When a man is zealous in a passion he is transported out of himself the passion hath command of him and not he of his passion As a man that is all on fire with anger or with choler it transports him out of himself and he is under the command of his anger his anger rules him it is well for him now if his anger be good but if it be carnal what a woful condition is he in If a mans zeal be good and for God he is happy As David was zealous for God he was transported out of himself he was not his own man No sayes he I am thine Lord save me for I have sought thy precepts Psal 119. 94. he sought Gods precepts with such zeal that he was not his own man he was under the command of his zeal his zeal was to God and it did captivate him to God I am thine sayes he He was at Gods dispose not at his own for his zeal transported him out of himself Himself would transgresse but his zeal would not let him Himself would be carelesse but his zeal would not suffer him He must do as his zeal would have it He had not the command of himself No he was at the command of his gracious zeal It was well for him it was good for now on the contrary if a mans affections be set upon the things of this life he must have pleasures and he must have his living and his maintenance and he must have this his affections are set on it he is zealous after them this man is not his own man he is a servant of his lusts As David said I am thine Lord so he may say on the contrary I am thine World I am thine Pleasure I am thine Satan I am at thy command and thy service As the Text sayes Paul a servant of Jesus Christ Iude a servant of Jesus Christ for they were zealous for Christ and their zeal made them not their own men so I may say of a wicked man Esau a servant of sinful pleasure and delights Demas a servant of this present world Diotrephes a servant of his own ambition for they were zealous of these things and their zeal made them slaves thereto Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin Ioh. 8. 34. sayes Christ to the Jews servant say they we were never servants we are free servants sayes he yea ye are the servants of sinne ye go about to kill me sayes he Are not ye the slaves of sinne when ye will be obedient to your lusts to doe such an ill office as to murther me I know there be two kindes of slaves and servants some that are in arctâ custodiâ close prisoners Such
Nimrod was a mighty hunter Gen. 10 9. that is he was zealous at his hunting Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine Isa 5. 22. that is that are greedy and zealous in the pursuit of their appetite in that kinde David danced before the Lord with all his might 2 Sam. 6. 14. that is he did it zealously Zeal is when the heart raiseth up its affections with all its might on a thing And therefore lukewarmnesse is called negligence in the Scripture Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently As he that fights negligently shews not all his might in his fighting so he that goes about any duty of the Lords service negligently his heart does not shew all his might in it It puts not forth all the might of its affections upon it Lukewarmnesse then is the negligence of the affection and cursed is the man that does the work of the Lord negligently sayes the Text. But zeal is the might of the affection Fourthly As zeal is with all the might so it is the putting forth of all the affections When the heart affects a thing and puts forth all its affections upon it reserving no part of its affections for any thing else this we call zeal Herod affected the preaching of Iohn but he did not affect it zealously he did not put forth all his affection upon it he reserved a main part of his affection for his pleasure And therefore he was not zealous in hearing Hence it is that the Scripture cals lukewarmnesse deceit fulnesse as Divines do observe Cursed is the deceiver Mal. 1. 14. that is cursed is the lukewarm person that offers God lesse then he hath offers somewhat and reserves back somewhat that puts not forth all his affection upon God and his Service Zeal is the putting forth of all the affection As when the heart affects God and affects nothing in competition with him this is to be zealously affected towards God When the Jews had crucified Christ and persecuted Paul and forbidden him to preach the Text sayes the wrath of God was come upon them to the utmost 1 Thes 2. 16. That is the zeal of Gods fury and anger and vengeance was on them He kept nothing back he was not angry a little nor wroth a little but he put forth the affection of his wrath to the utmost upon them So when the heart puts forth the utmost of its love upon God and the utmost of its delights upon his Word and the utmost of its fear on his Name and the utmost of its affection on his Commandments then it is zealous But if he keeps back ought to bestow it elsewhere it 's a deceiver and a lukewarm heart Fifthly As zeal is the putting forth of all the affection so it is upon a thing which the heart does absolutely affect A man may affect a thing when he does not affect it absolutely He affects such or such a thing but he affects it not absolutely He affects it perhaps with a degree of affection as far as twelvepence will go he places may be a groats worth of affection upon a quire of paper If he be askt five pounds of silver for a quire of paper he does not affect it at that rate and therefore he does not affect it absolutely But if a man have a true zeal of affection to a thing he affecteth that thing with absolute affection let it cost what it can he affects it let it cost him all charges and all pains and all difficulties yea though it cost him his life he will have it then he does absolutely affect it So that then is a man zealous for God and for grace when his affections stand absolutely that way May be he will be glad so he may get it at an easie rate but if he cannot alas he must have it he concludes upon that though it cost him sighs groans every daies strivings every daies labour praying meditating repenting parting with all his lusts although never so dear O his soul does affect it on that manner he must and he will have it rather then life This man is zealously affected towards grace and towards God because he affects it absolutely Thus Iob was zealous in affecting Gods Word he esteemed it above his necessary food Iob. 23. 12. He does not say above his daily food for so he might do and not be zealously affected therewith but he affected Gods Word above his necessary food above all food absolutely without which his life could not confist without which a man dies such food as this comes nearest of all outward things to be absolutely affected A man affects it above lands and above livings above his silver and his gold above all his pleasures and his gaming 's a man will part with them all rather then part with his necessary food Yet Iob affected Gods Word above it And therefore he affected it zealously This is the last thing in zeal It is upon that which does absolutely affect Albeit now it may partly appear by the very definition of zeal that it is due only to God a man must not be zealous about any thing nor zealously affected with any thing but only with God and his worship Neverthelesse we may yet further prove it First Because Zeal is the religious part of the affections of the soul Now the religious part of them are due only to God I profited in the Jews Religion being zealous of the traditions of my Fathers sayes Paul Gal. 1. 14. he makes zeal the character of his Religion Seest thou a man zealous then after profits and most earnest to get means and maintenance and the things of this life that man makes gain his Religion Seest thou a man zealous after any thing that 's his Religion Zeal is the religious part of the affections and therefore it 's due only unto God Secondly As zeal is the religious part of our affections so also it is the most of every affection and therefore only due unto God Zeal is the most of every act that a man does That which the minde mindes most and studies most that it mindes zealously that which the memory remembers most which the heart wils most it wils zealously That which a man fears most and loves most and desires most that it does zealously Now if zeal be the most of every act of the soul it must needs be idolatry to place it any where else but in the service of God Dost thou meditate most and think most of the world thy thoughts are idolatrous Dost thou talk most and confer most of the things of the world thy words are idolatrous Dost thou cark most and care most dost thou love most and rejoyce most in any thing of this life thine affections are idolatrous Dost thou sorrow most for crosses and losses and disgraces and the like more then thou grievest for thy sins thy grief is idolatry That 's the hearts Idol which it
doth affect most How often is God in Scripture called the most High the most High Act. 7. 48. if he be the most high then the most high of every act and of every affection must be for him The very Heathen call God Deus optimus maximus God the most good and the most great so likewise he is the most terrible and the most holy and the most just and therefore the most of our affections must needs be due unto him Zeal is the most of every one of the affections and that only is sutable to God The affections must be sutable to the thing we affect but nothing of all the affections is sutable to God besides zeal for zeal is the most of every one of them Thirdly As zeal is the most of every affection so it is the peculiar pitch of every affection There cannot be two mosts The superlative degree cannot be two Doctissimus properly is a term peculiar to one body the most learned man in the world is a peculiar word peculiar to one There may be ten learned a thousand learned there may be many learned but most learned is a peculiar title So zeal being the most of the affections it must needs be peculiar to some one thing which cannot be any other but God Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purchase to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. Those people that are zealous of good works ye see they are people peculiar to Christ They can be no other people but Christs people that are zealous of good works No people under heaven are truly zealous of good works but only his people This is peculiar to Christ to have such people because zeal is peculiarly due unto him Thou canst not possibly be one of Gods people if thou beest not zealous for God A zealous beleever and a zealous repenter and a zealous professor zealous in praying and zealous in hearing the Word Zealous people are peculiar people to Christ Under love and under joy and under hope and under fear are not peculiarly due unto God For I may love my health too and I may delight in the blessings of this life and I may fear a temporary evil I may lend mine under affections to some things else besides God but my zeal being the most of my affections must be given to God zeal is peculiar to him Thou art a worldling then thou art none of Gods if thou beest not zealous for him Thou art of thy father the devil thou art none of Gods unlesse thou be zealous to him Zeal is his peculiar Fourthly As zeal is the peculiar pitch of every affection so it is the most spending part of the affections A man must spend himself upon nothing but God nothing else will quit charges Now zeal is the spendingest strain of every affection It most spendeth the spirits it most busieth the body you may gather what a spending thing zeal is by the passage in the Psalmist David sayes thus My zeal hath consumed me because my enemies have forgotten thy words Psa 119. 139. David was so zealous for God that he did even spend himself to see how his enemies dishonoured his God A childe of God is like a faithful servant to his Master he is willing to spend himself in his service So he is content to spend himself in his employments for God Paul when God employed him for the souls of the Corinthians he sayes thus I will gladly spend and be spent for you why what was the reason I abundantly love you sayes he 2 Cor. 12. 15. that is he was zealous in his love to their souls God had employed him for the good of their souls and he was so zealous in this employment that he could even spend himself and be spent for them And indeed zeal it self is a very spending thing Thou art the devils Martyr that spendest thy self upon the things of this life thou art so wedded thereto that thou spendest thy parts and thy wits hereabouts thou spendest thy thoughts and thy time hereupon thou spendest thy self and thy spirits this way The voluptuous man spends himself as much at his sports as a Minister spends himself in a Pulpit as a godly man spends himself in good duties As for Gods Service thy prayers are so cold and so negligent that thou spendest thy self not at all in them Thy repentance is so overly it spends thee never a jot to go thorow it thou art so eager after thy pleasures they spend thee so earnest after the world that spends thee because thou art zealous about such things But it is otherwise with thee in the Service of God This is another strong reason why zeal is due properly to God because a man must spend himself upon nothing so much as upon pleasing of God and doing his will and seeking his glory It is true he may spend himself in his calling But the greatest part of the spending lieth in this that he may walk with God in his calling He spendeth himself in be labouring his heart to work in obedience to follow his businesses with faith to go about his earthly employments as before God to glorifie God in all his waies A man may ground himself upon nothing so much as upon God Zeal to God makes him a kinde of Martyr for Christ Fifthly As zeal is the spending part of all the affections so likewise zeal is the impatient part of all the affections It is true we may desire a good report among men but our affections must not be impatient if we cannot have it without bating an inch of a good conscience our desire must be patient without it We may grieve for a losse or a trouble but our affection must not be impatient if we see Gods providence hath sent it our grief must be patient under it We may affect these outward blessings of God but our affections must be patient of a privation but our affections must be zealous to God because zealous affections are impatient of the contrary We must so hate sinne against God as to be impatient to endure it so fear to offend him as to be impatient of any boldnesse that way So love the glory of God as to be impatient of any dishonour to his Name so zealous to reprove sinne in a neighbour as not to suffer sinne in him Thou shalt rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne on him Lev. 19. 7. that is thou shalt be zealous in rebuking A high look and a proud heart I will not suffer Psa 101. 5. that is I will be zealous against it I have not suffered my mouth to sin Iob. 13. 30. that is I have been zealous in the ruling of my tongue Zeal is the impatient part of all the affections look what thine affections do zealously affect they will not suffer the contrary And therefore the zeal of thine affections must be unto God Indeed
if thine affections be lukewarm to God thou mayst wish that God might be glorified but if he be not thou canst endure it Thou mayst pray to God for grace to heal thee of thy deadnesse but though he do not thou canst bear it But if thine affections were so farre hereto as to be zealous they would be impatient thou couldest never endure it Zeal is the impatient degree of the affections whereby when the soul does affect a thing it is impatient without it And therefore zeal is due only to God Thus ye discern the evidence of this truth that the zeal of our affection is due properly to God The X. Sermon Colos 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. THE Uses of this are these First Hence we may learn that God demandeth the zeal of our affections If the zeal of our affections be due unto God I beseech you take notice that God demandeth his due Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name and so God demandeth his due in our affections If I be a Father where is my honour if a Master where is my fear Mal. 1. 6. he does not only call for some honour and some love and some fear but he cals for his part where is my part sayes he Where is my fear Gods part of thy fear as I have shewed is the zeal of thy fear Gods part of thy love and thy joy and thy hope and the rest is the zeal of the same This now God demands of thy soul Where is my fear may be thou lovest him a little and his Commandments a little may be thou fearest him a little to offend him and disobey him thou fearest a little this is not Gods part the zeal of thine affection is Gods part and he cals for his part Where is my fear Secondly Hence we may learn that we must upon pain of Gods infinite displeasure give him the zeal of our affections whensoever we pray to pray to him zealously bleeding for our sinnes and melting under our wants and yearning for his graces Whensoever we praise him to praise him thus zealously rejoycing in his mercies and admiring his goodnesse Whensoever we enter his Courts to enter with zeal reverencing his footstool trembling at his Word in all our waies seeking how we may be most zealous of his glory for if God demand the zeal of our affections there is no keeping back Ananias was smitten dead for keeping back a little piece of money when God did demand it Cursed is he that keeps back a blow when God doth call for it God demandeth our zeal and wo is us if we keep back Thirdly Hence we may gather that we are in the state of damnation if we do not give God the zeal of our affections if God require it upon pain of damnation and we are bid to give it him upon pain of his everlasting displeasure then certainly we must needs be in a state of damnation if we do not give it Now this is proved by four Arguments First That man is in the state of damnation that never repents I need not prove that ye know it well enough he is sure to perish that never repents Though thou hast taken up all the outward duties of religion thou never repentest unlesse thou be zealous if thou be zealous then thou hast drawn out of Christ wine-seller as Bernard observes on the Canticles Introduxit me rex in cellam vinariam the King hath brought me into his wine-seller he expounds it of the souls drawing of zeal from Christ but if thou beest not zealous in repentance thou never repentest Be zealous and repent Rev. 3. 19. First he sayes be zealous and then he sayes repent First thou must resolve to be zealous or else thou dost not repent If a man have wronged a neighbour though never so mean he must be sorry for it or else he doth not repent of it if a man have wronged a Noble-man he must be more sorry for as the wrong is the greater the greater the party wronged is so the greater is the sorrow that is required to repentance If a man have wronged the King it must be greater sorrow yet till the sorrow be somewhat answerable to the greatness of the King who is wronged But if a man have wronged a God this must be the greatest sorrow of all sorrows otherwise thou dost not repent Repentance is the rending or breaking of the heart so sayes the Prophet Ioel it is not a lukewarm or a little grief that will break the heart Repentance is the humbling of the soul sayes David it is not a little bowing and a little bending will humble it before God Repentance is the mortifying or the killing of sin as Paul cals it alas sinne is like the heart of Oke that will be a hundred years a dying so sin will be long a dying it is not a little pricking and a little compunction will kill it Repentance is called repentance unto life in the Scripture it is not a little chafing and a little rubbing and a little Aqua-vitae will fetch a man from death untâ— life No no beloved thou never repentest unlesse thou be zealous And therefore the Apostle makes zeal a part of repentance 2 Cor. 7. 11. No zeal no repentance no repentance no salvation 2. That man is in the state of damnation that is not a beleever in Christ If a man be not in Christ by a lively faith he cannot be saved The Prophet prophesying of Christ saith thus Vnto us a childe is born and he shall be called wonderful the Prince of peace and the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this Isa 9 6 7. Never is Christ conceived in any man under heaven but the zeal of the Lord of Hosts doth perform it Doth he enlighten the minde or purge the heart or cleanse the conscience zeal does perform it Can I be so in love with Christ as to deny my self for him and not be zealous to him Can I count all my parts and all my gifts and all that I have as Paul did to be drosse â—nd dung for the worth I finde in Christ and not be zealous of him Can I hunger after him and pant for him and be sick of love till I have him and not be zealous towards him Thus we must doe otherwise we are not in Christ And therefore Moses confounds faith and zeal as if they were all one and both in one Phinehas was zealous for Gods sake Numb 25. 11. That is he was zealous and faithful both for so the Psalmist expounds it that was counted to him for righteousnesse sayes he that was speaking of his zeal in executing of judgement that was counted to him for righteousnesse Now ye know nothing can be counted to a man for righteousnesse but only faith and therefore by zeal there is meant faith This is an undeniable argument If a man have faith he is
servants of sinne are they that are kept so close that they cannot go one step beyond prophanesse Some in libera custodia are false prisoners When a mans lusts hold him in a longer chain like birds in a larger Cage which may be is free to be a professour and come to Church and hear and pray and be civill and when he is once at the length of his chain his lusts pull him back the former are affections Gallislaves chained to their seats and their oars the latter are their sluggish messengers to go up and down of their errand And therefore the devil which takes all advantages of a mans affections is said to hold him captive at his pleasure 2 Tim. 2. 26. O sayst thou I am not the devils captive at his pleasure I will not swear nor swagger nor be drunken as some will alas alas it is not the devils pleasure to have thee a drunkard or a swearer it is his pleasure to use his servants some for one service some for another it is not his pleasure to employ thy tongue in swearing No he 'l employ thy tongue only in talking civilly of the things of the world It is not his pleasure to use thee for drunkennesse and whoredom but to go on in security and formality and presumption O what a hideous case art thou in the zeal of whose affections is not set upon God! What will not thine affections command and then if they command thou art not thine own man thou must obey Let coveteousnesse command how wilt thou curtail thy prayers to God in the morn how seldom wilt thou be thinking of God all the day how wilt thou cark and pinch and spare Let mirth and jollity command thee how wilt thou jest and fool and hoit and play and giggle and mock any thing for pastime Let revenge command thee how angerly wilt thou look how snappishly wilt thou speak how churlishly wilt thou bend thy fist or how basely wilt thou study to do a displeasure how apt to misconstrue what thy neighbour doth how ready to entertain any flying rumour of him thus thou art not thine own man but harased and hurried up and down by thine unruly affections till they have undone thy soul for ever O consider then the wofulnesse of this thy slavery when the zeal of thine affections is thus disjoyned from God Consider quickly if thine affections keep thee in service long they 'l keep thee ever the longer a man stays in service the more fool he is Alterius ne sit qui suus esse potest In the Law of God it is written that if a servant after seven years bondage did still love his Master the Law sayes thus let his Master boar his ears and make him serve for ever Exod. 21. 5. well take heed thou lovest to live on as thou dost and thou likest thy slavish courses too too well take heed I say lest thine ears be nayled to thine affections and thou be made a slave for ever I fear me we have many of such slaves their ears boar'd with an awl and their souls then bound prenâ—ice for ever to the waies of Death Seventhly Zeal is the strength of the soul zeal carries all the strength of the soul with it leaves none behinde And therefore the Scripture puts these two things together ones zeal and his strength Lord where is thy zeal and thy strength sayes the Prophet Isa 63. 15. If he ask where his zeal is he asks where his strengh is for zeal is the strength of the soul Ye know Iacob wrestled with God for a blessing and his effectuall fervent prayer prevailed but how does God expresse it he expresses his zeal thus By his strength he had power with God Hos 12. 3. his prayer was a zealous prayer and therefore it was a prayer with strength by his strength he had power with God He prayed and he prayed with strength he laid all his strength that he could on the duty and by his strength he had power with God Look what a man is zealous unto all his strength goes to it he leaves none behinde O the misery of a carnal heart that is not zealous for God he hath no strength at all left for God or the saving of his soul Would he pray alas he hath no strength to pray with His prayers are as weak as bul-rushes Would he resist sin he hath no strength to resist it with His striving to resist it is nothing able O how hardy is be to commit sin the charges and the cost that is in drinking does not terrifie the drunkard from his drunkennesse the cost that is in garish apparrell does not terrifie the proud from their vanity in cloaths The disgrace that is in sinne does not terrifie the Adulterer from his lust The fear of fathers and mothers displeasure does not terrifie the spend-thrift from his ryot No wicked men are hardy that way because their zeal goes that way But to that which is good how weak is thy heart Ezek. 16. 30. nihil metuendum vidit metuit tamen the least crosse look of a father or a mother or a great man scares him One twelve-penny charges affrights him One petty difficulty damps him because his zeal stands towards another point take him at the plough there he can be strong to labour he 'l toyl he 'l sweat he 'l hold out Take him at prayer he is as weak as water take him at a Tale or a Story he 'l remember it well and repeat it after you his memory is strong take him at a Sermon his memory fails him take him in a businesse to manage his wit is strong his parts strong he hath an excellent reach but take him in mortification he is as weak as a man without understanding This is the misery of thy soul when thy zeal is not set upon God The devil is the strong man Mat. 12. 29. and thou hast no strength to encounter him thy lusts are strong to inthrall thee and thou hast no strength to be free and yet thou pishest at these things Men think nothing of the devil as though he were nothing but a scare-crow they defie him every hour in the day they jest at him saying the devil is a fool they 'l paint him on their wals and call for him as though they would give him a challenge I remember a pretty Proverb that I reade the Germans have Non pingendus est Diabolus in pariete quia sponte sua venit Paint not the devil on the wall he 'l come soon enough of his own accord I am sure he comes too soon to beguile men too soon to bewitch and befool men too soon to disarm men from all strength to that which is good If he can once set thine affections on the things of this life he hath gotten the victory and thou art not able to recover Eighthly Zeal is the full confidence of the soul that does a man chieflyest trust to
which he is zealous upon He that is zealous for the world he trusts to the world otherwise he would not be zealous for it He trusts to have pleasures and he trusts to have goods and he trusts to be esteemed that is zealous about them What do you trust to bear all before you as we use to say when we see a man hot and zealous upon any thing the soul would not be zealous but that it verily trusts to prevail Thus shall â—ine anger be accomplished and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal Ezek 5. 13. God was confident of the fullfilling of his wrath why because he had spoken in his zeal Indeed God may well be so were he neverso little angry but the words do expresse the nature of zeal It 's the full trust of the soul to speed A wise man will not be hot upon any thing unlesse he trust to go through stitch If zeal then be the full trust of the soul what a mad man art thou not to be zealous for God Thou trustest to the world and trustest thy pleasures and trustest thy passions thou dost not trust God If thou trustedst the Lord God thou wouldest be zealous for God Alas alas thou canst not trust God thou never labourest to please him He that depends on a man and must be for to trust him for help and assistance he will not offend him Alas what trust can he have to him if he offend him continually when the Sydonians and the Tyrians had offended K. Herod their countrey being nourished by the Kings countrey Act. 12. 20. they laboured to please him again So if thou wouldest trust Almighty God thou wouldst labour to please him and to be zealous for his Name and not make him thine enemy by thy sinnes and iniquities Thou which blasphemest his Name with thine oaths and abusest his creatures with thine intemperance and prophanest his Ordinances with thy carelessenesse and neglect and displeasest him all the year long Alas how canst thou trust him thou makest him thine enemy canst thou trust one that he 'l befriend thee that vows he will hang thee canst thou trust he 'l help thee at all hands that is provok't to undoe thee thou art a damned man if God do not pardon thee Thou art a wofull wretch better thou hadst never been born if God give thee not grace And canst thou trust God he will be good to thee what and displease him day by day offend him every foot No no thou mayst trust him he will confound thee Thou which art a lyar thou mayst trust him what he sayes in the Apocalyps All lyars shall be cast into the lake of brimstone Thou which art a swearer mayst trust him he 'l never hold thee guiltlesse Thou which art a drunkard and a company-keeper and a whore-monger mayst trust him thou shalt never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven thou which talkestidlely and improfitably mayst trust him he 'l call thee to an account at the day of judgement Thou which hardenest thy neck against the reproofs of the word mayst trust him he 'l destroy them without remedy this he hath past his word he will do and herein thou mayst trust him thou canst never trust him for mercy or grace or any good thing thou displeasest him daily and makest him thine enemy And how canst thou trust him what thinkest thou does not he know how little thou carest for his Commandments how little thou respectest his Ordinances how basely thou usest him in thy waies indeed if thou wert zealous for his glory and zealous to please him in holinesse of life and zealous to obey him and seek him then thou mightest trust him Thou canst never trust him otherwise By this time thou mayst see what a woful condition thou art in if the zeal of thine affections be not set upon God But many poor souls may demand how then shall I know whether the zeal of mine affections be set upon God I answer thee There are seven signs whereby thou mayst know it The first If thine affections be notable to God-ward a man may have a little hope and a little grief and a little joy and a little pity and no body see it But if it be zealous it will quickly be notable every one when once it is zealous every one will note it When Epaphras was zealous to save souls in Colosse what sayes Saint Paul of him I bear him record he hath a great zeal for you sayes he Colos 4. 13. Paul could not but note it in him he saw so many strong expressions of it This holinesse and forwardnesse is very remarkable But if on the contrary there be no notable expressions of grace in you alas there may be some goodnesse some pity some grief some motions but this is no zeal it is not remarkable If a man be zealous for the world his scraping and sparing is notable his toyling and studying and talking that way is very notable I will bear him record he is a worldling the world is so much in his speeches the world is so much in his courses and so much in his face Look upon his wayes he is so combred with thoughts of the world Look into his family there be so few good duties of grace and so many tokens of the world Look upon his meetings his discourses of edifying are so scarce and of the world are so copious I will bear him in record he is a worldling Were we zealous for God there would be divers signs and expressions of our zeal unto God Saint Paul when he would make it plain to the Corinthians that he was an Apostle to them he tels them truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you 2 Cor. 12. 12. If we were zealous for God ye might answer Truly the signs of true zelots are wrought among us ye that professe Christ what signs of true zelots are there in you if your brethren be secure and grown-dull do ye labour to quicken them If the Gospel do not thrive do ye labour to further it if grace be little stirring in the Parish does Heaven ring with your groans and your prayers if zeal were existent among you it would be notable and remarkable among you we might say I bear you record it is so nay the wicked without would observe it we bear them record they keep a great stir about heaven our lives would convince them May be they would hate us and reproach us the more but this is certain our lives would convince them as Christ's did the Centurion doubtlesse this is a righteous man Luk. 23. 47. So your lives would convince all their consciences doubtlesse they are strict men doubtlesse they are humble and meek and religious Thus it would be were we zealous But if our religion be not notable hardly notable to our selves we can hardly tell whether we have true faith and repentance and zeal at all yea or no much
and of Heaven the reason is plain I need not expresse it I know many a childe of God is not assured hereof but there is never a childe of God under heaven but he is restlesse till he be Alas he is never zealous for God if he be quiet without assurance of Gods love in Christ Jesus Can I zealously love him whose love to me I am not assured of for all that I know he will cut my throat he will turn the sorest enemy I have I cannot zealously love him No more canst thou zealously love God as long as thou art quiet without the assurance of his love For all that thou knowest God does not love thee God he may damn thee and cast thee to hell for ever and turn the sorest enemy in the world to thy soul for all that thou knowest and therefore thou canst not zealously love him if then thou be a zealous lover of God either thou art assured of his love or thou canst never be quiet without it give diligence sayes the Apostle to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. 10. ye shall never fall if ye make it sure but if ye can be quiet without the assurance of election and Gods love ye may fall and for all that I know break your necks for ever and perish for evermore Go to then examine your selves what does your conscience tell you ye are not sure of Gods favour nor your election to life ye hope well ye say but ye are not assured of it neither does it break your sleep a jot nor hinder your sports and your pleasures and your mirth it is certain ye were never zealous for God What a wofull thing is this hast thou but one soul and art thou no more careful of it art thou to live either for ever in heaven or hell when thou diest in all torture and torment world without end and art thou no more diligent to make sure before hand perhaps thou mayst be saved yea but perhaps thou mayst be damned And hast thou no more love to thy soul then to be quiet with uncertainties O how many be there among us that have no assurance from God what he means to doe with them whether to save them or to destroy and to damn them how many go blundring on in an uncertain opinion and conjecturall hope of Gods favour and have no certainty at all of the same how many that are haunted with fears and terrours and doubts this way and never labour to be sure how many that have had pretty assurances a good while ago and now they have lost them and yet they sit idlely and go dreaming on in the duties of religion as if they could shift well enough though they never recover again this is no zeal if thou beest zealous thou canst never endure to be under uncertainties never to be quiet till thou hast gotten the assurance of Gods love The fourth sign of zeal towards God is gladnesse to further and to be furthered in the waies of God If thou beest zealous thou art glad to be reproved and told of thy sinnes glad that the Minister should meet with thy corruptions and rip them up in the Pulpit as a Patient is glad that the Physitian should hit right on his disease When Peter had met with those three thousand in the Acts and told them plainly they were murderers of Christ as ye may reade in the Chapter the Text sayes they gladly received the Word Act. 2. 41. Peter laid a greater sin to their charge then we have unto yours We have told you that some of you are adulterers and some of you drunkards c. which is bad enough and ye are offended hereat but Peter told them they were murderers of Christ and they gladly received the Word they were not angry with Peter but with themselves and were glad to be told of it a sign they were zealous A zealous man is glad to further and to be furthered in all goodnesse he is glad to meet with the godly that so he may be quickned by conference glad to hear news of a Sermon that so he may go to it and be edifyed glad of every opportunity both of doing and receiving good glad to go to a Sacrament which is Christs feast so were the good Israelites glad at the Sacrament of the Passeover they kept that feast with great gladnesse 2 Chr. 30. 21. Glad that there was one glad that they were at it they were very glad sayes the Text If thou beest zealous thou wilt be glad of a Communion and glad to be at it When thou hast been at a Sermon thou wilt be glad that ever thou wert at it O the Word does thee such good that thou goest home with all gladnesse of heart yea though the Word did never so much contradict thy corruptions As the good people in Nehemiah when they had been reproved and rebuked in the Congregation and told of their sins and made to cry out unto God they went home and ate their meat with all joy glad that they understood the words that were told them Neh. 8. 12. Thus thou wouldest to if thou wert zealous towards God but if thou goest about the duties of Gods worship as sorry peeces of businesse if thou dost not delight in prayer and in hearing the Word if thou canst sit wearisomely and when will the Minister have done a man may see it in thy countenance thou art not joyfull to hear this is a sign thou hast not one scruple of zeal towards God The poor impotent man in the Acts when Paul was a preaching he lookt so merrily and so greedily upon him as if he would fain have it faster then Paul could deliver he was a faithfull hearer The same heard Paul speak and Paul stedfastly beheld him and perceived he had faith to be healed Act. 149. He perceived he had faith how did he perceive it he perceived it by his countenance he could give a shrewd guesse by his looks while Paul was preaching he looked so cheerfully and so greedily upon him as if he drunk in every point that he said The man without doubt was zealous to hear The fifth sign of zeal towards God is rejoycing to see the forwardnesse of others I rejoyced greatly sayes Iohn to the elect Lady I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth 2 Io. 4. Nay if you be zealous though it may seem a disparagement to thee that others should be as gracious and famous as thy self yet thou wilt joy in it it seemed to be a disparagement to Moses that Eldad and Medad of low rank in the Church that such as they should prophesie in the Camp Before Moses was counted the only Prophet of the Lord but now Eldad and Medad prophesie as well as he this I say might have seemed a disparagement to him yet he was so farre from repining thereat as
obsta set thy self against the beginning of sinne if thou suffer thy heart to begin once it will be sure to go farther The Spirit of God hath a good phrase fall into sinne He that stands let him take heed lest he fall A man that stands upon a high rock if he do not look to the beginning of his fall he cannot stop himself till he is quite fallen down to the bottom and if not by meer hap he catch hold somewhere which it 's a thousand to one if ever he do if he do not I say it is a wonder if he break not his neck Thou canst never have the life of grace in thee unlesse thou take heed of the beginnings of sin Be exhorted all ye that fain would fear God to be zealous First consider Ye can never be revenged on your worst enemies unlesse ye be zealous ye would be glad to be revenged on your sworn enemies Sampson begged hard of the Lord that he might be revenged on the Philistims for his two eyes but thou hast worse enemies then the Philistims were to him Sin the World the Flesh and the Devil these are the worst enemies that ever mortall man had it is good to be revenged on them thou canst never be revenged on them except thou be zealous there is no enemy besides that it is lawfull to be revenged on but only upon these on these thou mayst lawfully these have done thee much spight they have brought thee into the estate of wrath and damnation they have made thee accursed and liable to hell-torments for ever they have pluckt out the two eyes of thy soul now if thou wouldest be zealous thou mayst be revenged upon them The Apostle puts zeal and revenge together yea what zeal yea what revenge 2 Cor 7. 11. If thou beest zealous thou mayst be revenged upon sin that hath done thee so much mischief it hath troubled thy peace defiled thy conscience disabled thee from worshipping of God hindred many good things from thee Never hadst thou any hurt or any sorrow or any evil but thou mayst thank sinne for it Just cause hast thou to be revenged upon sinne there is an imbred desire of revenge in a man upon those that wrong him the Heathen could say Est vindicta bonum vitâ jucundius ipsâ Revenge is sweeter then life it self Here it is true and no where else All other revenge is a damnable premunire against God vengeance is mine sayes he and who is he that revengeth himself to intrench upon Gods right but here revenge is commanded yea it 's sweeter then life here revenge and spare not and this is the way get zeal and be as hot as a furnace in anger against sinne and beat it as Moses did the Israelites calf into dust and powder hath thy filthy cousening heart deceived thee so often hereby thou mayst be revenged on it be zealous to search it and curb it and tame it have thy lusts been greedy and proud and sensual this humour they must have and this fashion they must follow and this pleasure they must take and this liberty they must use O if thou wouldest be zealous thou mayst easily be revenged on thy lusts hereby thou mayst be revenged on the devil and spight his kingdom to advance Christs hereby thou mayst be revenged on thy flesh that hath played the traytor so often with thee thou mayst afflict it and master it and block it and subdue it hereby thou mayst tread upon the world that hath so often ensnared thee thou mayst scorn it and contemn it and all the glory of it and count it as drosse and dung in comparison of Christ hereby thou mayst trample Satan under thy feet It is a strange thing how little men study to be revenged on these enemies let our own brother give us but a crosse-word we are at daggers drawing to be revenged but the devil may baffle us and the devil may tempt us and beguile us we put it all up Let a servant but anger us a little and offend us but in a peece of service or an errand O we are so revengefull and ready to make them smart for it but sinne may crosse us in our souls and rob us of Christ and deprive us of grace and mercy and peace and all yet we are good friends with it we take nothing amisse alas these men are monsters and mad men one day thou shalt see that sinne and thy lust and Satan whose temptations thou hast been led by c. they are the worst enemies in the world and if ever thou desirest to be revenged upon them O endeavour to be zealous Secondly Consider thou wilt never be able to do good unto others unlesse thou be zealous When men go dreamingly on in Religion they can never do good upon others what do others think they think basely and meanly thereof as if it were a matter of nothing but when they see a man zealous this affects them indeed if any thing will do it When a man is zealous at a game he laugheth exceedingly he is as merry as he can stand on his legs another man that shall see it will be apt to demand what fine merry pleasant game is that so it is with ambitious men when a man is zealous for a living he rides through thick and thin through frost and snow all the night long this friend he seeks to and that Noble man he flies to to help him in his suit what will folks say certainly he is going about some great living or other he is so eager about it So if thou wouldest be zealous for God and fervent in religion men would be compelled to conceive better of godlinesse and of Christ then thou mightest provoke others to godlinesse Zeal is a provoking grace Your zeal hath provoked very many 2 Cor. 9. 2. As zeal in charity provokes so does zeal in every good work provoke Where Theodoret observes the wisedom of Paul for he provokes the Macedonians by the zeal of the Corinthians and the Corinthians by the zeal of the Macedonians for zeal does mutually provoke one another O what a deal of good mightest thou do in the house where thou dwellest in the Parish where thou livest in the Countrey where thou art if thou wouldst labour to be zealous I knew an old man whether he be dead now or alive I know not that used constantly to go to the labouring men in the field and catechize them and pose them in Religion as they were reaping and working he would go to mens shops where he was acquainted and stir them up to have care of their souls and by this means brought above fourty men and women to seek out for Heaven that before had no more care that way then if they had been like a company of beasts Wouldest thou not be glad to do good thou wilt never be able to do it except thou be zealous Paul had women and sundry
private Christians that are said to labour with him in the Gospel This this beloved would cause Religion to thrive here among us Thirdly Consider I pray you thou wilt discourage us that are Gods Ministers except thou be zealous If men would be zealous in hearing and zealous proficients it would make us go cheerfully on in our callings When Titus told Paul the fervent minde of the Corinthians it encouraged the Apostle when he told us your fervent minde we rejoyced the more 2 Cor. 7. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Original when he told us your zeal Saint Paul was cheared to hear that What greater discouragement to a Schoolmaster then that his scholars should be dull and not profit What greater disheartning to a Captain then that his souldiers should be fainthearted and without life and what greater grief to a Minister then that his people should be senselesse and livelesse It made Ieremy weary of his life It made the Prophet Micah lament bitterly Wo is me I am like the Grape gleaners It made the Prophet Isay cry out I have laboured in vain On the contrary when the people are zealous and forward and drink in the words of eternal life with all greedinesse and bring forth fruit with abundance this makes a Minister go merrily on in his function Zelo Ecclesia Dei congregatur saith Saint Ambrose It is zeal that does gather a Church the zeal of the Minister and the zeal of the people the Lord quicken us in his mercy that we may encourage one another daily Let us be encouraged by you when ye are reproved be not offended You think the Minister spights you alas we have no reason to wish any of your fingers to ake much lesse to wish that your souls should perish When S. Paul commanded that the incestuous Corinthian should be delivered to Satan did he wish him any hurt No Deliver him unto Satan sayes he for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. sayes Chrysostome No mortal man loved that offender in Corinth more then Paul did sayes he when he would have him delivered unto Satan It was only that he might know he was a damned wretch unlesse he amended and that the devil should have him unlesse he were humbled What was his reason his reason was this that his soul might be saved in that day O the Minister preaches damation so often he is unmercifull to our souls O my brethren we intend you the greatest mercies of heaven in so saying it is that ye may not run into damnation but may repent and beleeve the Gospel Do not thus discourage us whom God hath sent to you as his Ministers to labour in the word and doctrine among you but stir up your selves to be zealous in hearing and obeying that we may give up an account of your souls unto God with all cheerfullnesse Fourthly consider You can never be excellent if ye be not zealous A Christian should strive to excell aut Caesar aut nullus nothing but the best should suffice a Christian Wouldest thou then be excellent get this same zeal zeal runnes after the best things Covet earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12. 31. The Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be zealous after the best things Wouldest thou be excellent in prayer and excellent in the duties of religion be zealous therein A Christian is like fire fire mounts up absolutely aloft and ascends above all So does a Christian he is better then all the men of this world put them all together like Iob there is none like him in all the earth Every man else fain would be excellent a worldling strives to excell others in wealth a politician to excell others in wisedom a scholar to excell others in learning a tradesman to excell others in his profession He is of a base spirit that does not desire to excell in some thing and shall not a Christian then desire to excell in grace Fifthly Consider I pray who ye may be like if once ye be zealous ye may be like unto the Angels of heaven they are spirits and flaming fire sayes the Apostle Heb. 1. 7. if thou art zealous for God thou art a bodily Seraphim though thou canst never be without sin as long as thou livest in this world yet as Gregory speaks in the mouth of zeal thou mayst swallow up thy sins nothing will devour and consume sin so well as true zeal O get a coal of this fire then from Gods Altar and heat thy heart with it and while thou mayst be like the blessed Angels of God be not like the brutish sons of the old Adam Zeal is it that maketh an Angel to be an Angel Angeli sine zelo nihil sunt sayes Ambrose the Angels are nothing without zeal If thou hadst zeal unto God then thou mightest be like unto Angels Sixthly Consider what infinite need thou hast of true zeal Suppose a great frost and a tedious cold winter were a coming and then no firing were to be had would not men buy as much fewell as they could get and stack it and store it that they might have it at their need otherwise they were not able to live nor to dresse their own sustenance they would certainly starve if they should have no firing in such a cold time Beloved I speak to such as have ears to hear there 's a cold time of religion a coming and the wrath of God is ready to break forth to plague mens souls with key-coldnesse this way because they have despised the zeal of the Lord and no firing to be had then God knows how soon the power of Gods Word may be taken from us You who love your own souls look about lay up some firing and be not slothfull in all this businesse do all diligence to store up grace for your selves this will help you to zeal not slothful in businesse fervent in spirit Rom. 12. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall zealous in spirit If ye will not be slothfull in businesse ye shall quickly be zealous in spirit O get quickly the spirit of prayer to be zealous in prayer by faith it will be the best string to your bow it will be your only thing left nothing left you but prayer in secret unto God had not ye need to be diligent for that When a poor cripple hath nothing to trust to but only his begging he will ply that When a poor day-labourer hath never a foot of ground nor any thing but only his fingers end to maintain him and his family he he will be sure to employ them alas if he should have a wound in his hands or he should lose the use of his fingers what shall he do when a mans house leans mainly upon one pillar he will
stone to her legge and as the bird would be offering to mount the stone pulled her down she had such a weight on her leg she could not fly up this good father fell a weeping to consider that so it was with men carnal men though perhaps they think to flie up to God by many good purposes they are still born down with their sinnes their affections are clog'd security deadnesse of heart self-love and love of the things here below like milstones made fast to their heels their affections cannot mount up to God Hast thou more affection to a game then a Sermon more affection to sit drinking in Ale-houses then to be reproved for thy sins more affection to a good booty then a good duty alas how canst thou set thine affections upon God thine affections are earthly affections and therefore they cannot be placed upon God Rom 1. 26. there reade of vile affections God gave up the Heathen to base and vile affections so these are base and vile and carnal affections that thou art given unto thine affections are malice and envy and revenge which cannot be set upon God they are worldly fears and worldly sorrows and worldly joys and worldly pleasures and worldly delights these are thine affections these can never be placed upon God They are vile affections too base and dishonourable to God Thine affections are lime-twig'd by Satan they cannot sore up unto God This is the first reason why a carnal man cannot set his affections upon God because his affections which are the wings of his soul are glued to the earth Secondly Affectus sunt inclinationes animae The affections are the inclinations of the Soul as a man is affected so he is inclined and therefore the affections in Scripture are called the bent of the soul My people are bent to backsliding from me Hos 11. 7. that is their affections to me are unstable unconstant and fickle How stands such a one bent as we say that is how stands he affected A man is bent to that which his affections are on now then is it possible that a carnal man should set his affections on God when his heart does not stand bent unto God the muck-worm his heart stands bent to the world the voluptuous his heart stands bent to his pleasures the proud man his heart stands bent to get credit and be well thought on the natural man stands bent to be carnal and earthy and how can such men set their affections on God when their hearts stand that way bent are thy affections bent that way that thy bent goes that way do thine affections go Thou art merry and jocond and joyful to day tell me what is it for is it because God is glorified by thee No No thy mirth and thy joy stand otherwise bent Thou hast been angry and revengeful what was it for was it because God is dishonoured and thy lusts have been violent Alas no thy anger and thy wrath stand otherwise bent thine affections are the bent and inclinations of thy heart and therefore if thou be inclined to things that are earthy thou canst not place thine affections upon God nothing can go against its own bent and inclination unlesse by the omnipotent power of the Spirit of Christ David knew this well enough that his affections could never be to God and his righteousnesse if his heart did not that way stand bent and therefore he praies God Incline not my heart to any evil thing Psal 141. 4. Let not mine affections be on any evil thing for then I should be that way inclined This is the second reason why a carnal men cannot set his affections upon God because the affections of the heart are the bent of the heart Thirdly Affectus sunt passiones animae saies Damascen The affections are the passions of the Soul When the heart is affected with a thing it lets in that thing and it suffers a change by that thing when a man is affected with anger at a wrong or an injury we say he is in a passion that is he lets in the wrong and there does his heart bite upon the wrong and chafe at it thus he is passionate When a man is affected with love to a pleasure he lets in the pleasure and suffers it to prevail on the heart now then a carnal man cannot set his affections upon God nor his Grace because he cannot let it in to prevail over his Soul he will not suffer it to enter can he be in a good passion for God can he be angry and cholerick to see how Gods Spirit is grieved can he be grieved at the lusts of his heart which he joyes in can he be zealous for Gods truth and for the beauty of holinesse Alas alas no He cannot let in these things into his heart nor Christ nor grace nor holinesse nor humility nor self-denyal nor any saving grace that is Christs can get entrance into his heart and therefore he cannot set his affections upon God When the Apostle had exhorted the Hebrews and now was concluding that he could exhort them no further he concludes on this manner And I beseech you brethren suffer the word of exhort ation Heb. 13. 22. He labours to work on their affections that they would let in his exhortations into their hearts he does not say Suffer me to exhort you for he had exhorted them already and had taken their leave but suffer it to enter into your hearts now if you be carnal thou wilt never suffer Gods counsels to enter you will never suffer the word of reproof neither will ye suffer a resignation Suppose we should pull down all the unnessary Ale-houses in the Parish would ye suffer it Suppose we should root out all your game-houses and the like would ye suffer it Suppose we should make every man pay his 12. pence a day for every time he is absent from Church and have all disorders punisht in the Town would ye suffer it Suppose we should come to your houses and exhort you and reprove you and tell you of your sins and labour to reform you and your families alas would ye suffer it No your passions will rise ye would be so farre from affecting these things as that your affections would be against them nay ye would be in passion against me carnal hearts cannot set their affections upon God why because the affections are passions as I have proved already and the soul doth suffer its affections The affections do alter the heart but a carnal heart will not be altered by the word nor by Christ nor suffer his graces to enter Fourthly Put the case a man set himself wrong Affectus sunt perturbationes animae The affections are the perturbations of the Soul if once they go wrong and the reins be laid on their necks they are like wilde horses to the soul to carry her whether she would not they are the disturbers of judgement and violent tyrants over the
against sin and thy hope is deferred thy hope comes not yet thou art not able to withstand thy corruptions not able to subdue such a lust no if thou beest affected at all with any hope thy hope is deferred as yet but hath it made thy heart sick wert thou ever sick at heart for this grace if it have not made thy heart sick it is a sign thou wert never rightly affected with hope for if thou wert it would make thy heart sick to be so long without it as thou hast been May be thine affections are so strong set on the world that thou hast been world-sick and crosse-sick and trouble-sick and anger-sick and revenge-sick and coveteousness-sick as Ahab was sick because he knew not how to get Naboths vineyard 1 King 21. 4. May be thou art crost and sick of vexation may be thou art incensed and sick of revenge or impatiency but art thou sick after grace Aristotle cals the affections Aegritudines animi they are the sicknesses of the soul if the soul be affected indeed she is sick if she speed not Fourthly He that is truly affected with grace hath his conversation in heaven whence all grace does descend Animus est non ubi animat sed ubi amat the soul is not where it animates not where it sojourns but where it affects and therefore thou livest in heaven if thou beest truly affected with heavenly things he that is truly affected with grace is most affected with the fountain of grace which is God God is the fountain of all grace and if thou beest affected with it thou art chiefly affected with God Alas thou mayst have a good memory a good wit and good parts and be affected with them and rejoyce that thou hast them But all the question is this art thou affected with God the fountain of grace a wicked man may be affected with grace in the bucket and yet have no love to grace in the fountain it affects him well enough to have some but he does not so like it to have much Omne nimium vertitur in nigrum monachum thinks he It 's the property of the godly to be affected with God Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righeeous Psal 33. 1. Be ye affected with God himself saies the Psalmist One he is affected with pleasures another he is affected with honour and respect another he is affected with profit another he may be affected with grace too but it is the godly man only that is affected with God himself Examine your affections are ye affected with God himself are ye affected with his glory It does infinitely stand us in hand to have our affections set right which I will prove by these 8. arguments First Hereby only are we marriageable to Christ When a man goes a woing for a wife all his care is to get her affections he will never marry her if he be wise if he may not have her affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Philo The affections are the womanhood of the soul he will never marry her if she be nor a woman for him much lesse will he marry her if she be not a woman at all he will not have a man for his wife she shall be a woman certainly if he ever mean for to marry her she is not marriageable but only for her affection what a miserable soul then is thy soul if thy affections be not right thou art not marriageable to Christ This is the rule of all wives and of all Spouses thy desire shall be to thy husband Gen. 3. 16. Thine affections shall be to him or thou caust not be his wife He is a monster in nature that will have a wife whose affection is set on another What dost thou take Christ for a monster that thy soul should be married to him when thine affection is forestalled If thine affections be to the world and to the strumpet-like things of the world Christ cannot abide thee Knowest thou not that the love of the world is enmity with God Out thou filthy strumpet-like soul betrothest thou thine affections to the world and yet hopest to be married to Christ thou art not marriageable to him if gains and pleasures and vanities and such like base paramours be welcomed to thy heart thou canst not be married unto Christ thou art the worlds Spouse and the devils Spouse when thine affections be inordinate Uncleannesse and inordinate affection the Apostle puts them together Mortifie your members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection Col. 3. 5. So that thy soul is a filthy and an unclean soul that hast these inordinate affections unmortified in thee thy soul is a fit Spouse for the unclean spirit and not for Christ and therefore it deeply concerns you to have your affections set right because thereby only are ye marriageable to Christ Secondly Hereby only doth the soul set up favourites in her heart those are the hearts favourites whom the heart most affects Now if Christ be not thy hearts favourite what a woful condition art thou in It hath been the undoing of many a Prince the having of ill favourites and that soul must needs be for ever undone that hath ill favorites in her heart As soon as Joseph was in favour with the Keeper of the prison Ioseph presently had all at command nothing was done but Ioseph was the doer of it Gen. 39. 21. He was no sooner in favour but he was Dominus fac totum as we say he ruled all then Look what thy heart does affect that is in favour with thy heart that is dominus fac totum If thy pleasures and thy vanities be once in favour with thy heart Christ can have no command of thy heart no further then thy lusts will give leave thou canst not reform any thing that is amiss no further then thy lusts will give leave wouldst thou repent or stand for Gods glory thou canst not unless thy lusts do give leave wouldst thou be reproved or well counselled thou canst not unless thy lusts will give leave as long as thy lusts are in favour with thy heart they govern all they command all thy minde goes as they tend thy thoughts come as they call thy courses are as they will I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians and they shall spoil the Egyptians Exo. 3. 21 22. When they were once in favour with them they might spoil them and rob them and borrow Jewels of them and never pay them again they might do any thing when they were in favour with them O the misery of the soul when the world or pleasure or sinne or the like are in favour with it they spoil it and rob it and bereave it of all the jewels it hath Christ can doe nothing to any purpose with that soul that favours other things besides Christ Now if thine affections be not set right thy favour is not right set this is the reason
why thou art wedded to the world and wedded to thy lusts that thine affections cannot be unto Christ When Hadad had great favour with Pharoah Pharaoh even married his own wives sister unto Hadad 1 Kin. 11. 19. He made him his brother he brought him into the nearest relation he could whenas his favour was set towards him So if thou favourest the things of this life thou weddest thy soul to them What an infinite indignity is this unto Christ that such base and sordid things should be in favour and Christ not be thy souls favourite Thirdly Hereby the soul is convertible and reconcilable to God Be a man never so crosse and crooked never so cruelly and implacably bent to transgresse yet as long as there be affections in him to be wrought his heart may be won Though a Kings wrath be as the roaring of a Lyon though he be never so fallen out with a man yet as long as there be affections in the King patience wisedom and humbling ones self and the like these things may perswade him by long forbearing is a Prince perswaded Pro. 15. 15. Without a man have any affections in him he is not capable of perswasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Aristotle The affections are they whereby a man is mutable For though it be a weaknesse to be mutable yet when a man is evil and wicked it 's a blessed weakness that he is mutable from that wickednesse Now if a man be grievously set upon mischief though he be an enemy of all grace and of goodnesse yet as long as there be any affections left in him he is not an implacable enemy no his affections are a possible subject to be wrought on the Word and the Spirit may perswade him and therefore what a care should we have of our affections because thereby we are placable and reconcilable to God The Apostle yokes these two together without natural affection implacable Rom. 1. 31. for a man as long as he hath any natural affection left he is never implacable still he may be perswaded unlesse he degenerate in his affections and prove to be unnatural if the affections depend on this fashion he is not only wicked and an enemy to grace but he is an implacable enemy think then what wrong ye do to your own souls so unnaturally to set your affections to let them degenerate as you do and wander after vanity Beware how ye doe so ye goe about to divert all possibility of conversion and provoke the Lord to count you implacable enemies to grace and to the scepter of his dear Sonne Fourthly It may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because the affections are the hands of your souls Ye cannot take hold of any thing in the world to doe you any good but by your affections For as hands are to the body so the affections are to the soul Will a man be so mad as to put his hand and his fingers out of joynt alas he cannot take hold of so much as his meat for to eat it So the affections are the hands of the soul He that hath clean hands a pure heart Ps 24. 4 that is he whose affections are clean and heart pure I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I compasse thine Altar Psal 26. 6. that is I will purge mine affections and so I will pray I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2. 8. that is lifting up holy affections without the distempered affections of wrath or anger or the like the affections are the hands of the heart whereby it takes the word or the Commandment or any thing to it Now what a horrible thing is it that these hands of thine should be put out of joynt as long as thine affections are to the things here on earth they are all out of joynt thou canst never take grace Ye cannot take hold of a promise nor of the word unlesse your affections be right I know that Faith is the right hand of the soul whereby it takes hold of that which is good But alas the hand of Faith is clumbsie without the affections Such a one had a crosse how did he take it say we that is how is he affected under it ye take it ill to be reproved of your sins ye take it ill to be warned and admonished either in publike or private Ye take it ill to be told of the judgements of God against your lusts Alas how can ye do otherwise ye cannot take it well when your affections that should take it well are set upon vanity wilt thou binde up and hamper thine affections in the things of the Earth alas thy hands are quite bound thou canst not take hold of Christ or of Heaven Thou dost even pinion thine own soul and shackle it for Hell What does the Devil when he shackles a man like a prisoner for hell and damnation he bindes him hand and foot and so casts him into utter darknesse he bindes up his heart and affections that he cannot weep nor he cannot repent of his sins he cannot rejoyce in grace nor in goodnesse he cannot delight in the word he bindes up his affections which are the hands and feet of the soul and so fits him for hell and destruction above all things then be sure that thy hands be loose and thine affections at liberty to set them upon Heaven Fifthly It may appear how infinitely it stands you in hand to set your affections aright because they are not only the hands but the handles of your hearts as your hearts can catch hold of nothing that is good unlesse your affections take hold so nothing can take hold of your hearts but by your affections If ever the word do convert you it must catch hold of you Jesus said unto Simon henceforth thou shalt catch men Luk. 5. 10. that is the preaching of the Word it shall catch men when thou preachest Now one of the first holds that it catcheth is by the affections Men are affected with the Word and so it comes to convert men now beloved had you not need to have a care of affections seeing they are the handles of your hearts were it not for them the word could never catch hold on you There is no hold to be had of such a man as we say that is his affections are slippery Beloved here you come to Gods house miserable wretched souls in your sinnes alas how is it possible that ever Gods Ministers should catch hold of your hearts your affections are the main hold that we can catch of you If your affections be not here but run after the things of this life we can have no hold of you you have nothing that we should take hold by Indeed we may catch hold of your understandings that 's nothing unlesse we take hold of your affections they are as slippery Eels we can scarce
are come to be carnal affections they are ripened And therefore the Apostle does usually call the carnal affections by the name of lusts The Gentiles walked in lusts excesse of wine revellings c. 1 Pet. 4. 3. that is they walked in their carnal affections because the lusts are then strengthned when they come to be affections Now beloved consider what a hideous condition it is to set our affections on the earth it strengthens our lusts We give a knife to a cut-throat to stab us cherish a company of vipers in our bosome to poyson us We encourage fierce enemies to battel against our souls So S. Peter can tell us Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from filthy lusts which warre against the soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. they warre against the soul they are the devils Infantry yea Chivalry too they are his Souldiers to murder the soul with spiritual death and eternal damnation If ever thou lovedst thine own soul thou wouldest kill sinne in the cradle supplant it and take it by the heel as Iacob did Esau in the womb thou wilt never overcome it else Deny it the first entrance as the Angel shut the door upon the Sodomites cast out the bond-woman with her brat too as Sarah did Hagar and her little one as Gregory speaks Thou wilt never be able to subdue it otherwise Thou wouldest crucifie thy lusts and mark the first risings thereof thus thou wouldst do if thou hadst a care of thy soul But wilt thou let thy lusts grow and get armour to kill thee wilt thou let them gather strength and ripenesse to damn thee there is not a lust of them but it comes like an armed man to fight against thy soul now if thou set thine affections too on the things of this life thou dost strengthen it and weapon it yet more What a wretched misery is this thy lusts war against thy soul to undo it and yet thou dost strengthen them yea thou dost encrease them helpest their forces O fools when will ye understand do we not see how we are overpowred by our lusts do they not every day conquer us in the open field There is not a prayer we make but deadnesse of heart gets the day like a Conquerour Not a duty we perform but lukewarmnesse proves victor Nay our lusts do not only overcome us but they leade us in triumph Some of our lusts carry us up and down from gaming to fretting from fretting to revenging from revenging to swearing from swearing to lying from one sinne to another as they list And our lusts are so strong that war against our souls that we are not ashamed to lay down our bucklers and say we cannot resist I was angry alas it is my nature and I cannot master it I rap out an oath now and then alas I was provoked and I cannot help it I must say and doe as such an one would have me he is my friend I cannot deny him Thus our lusts have given us mortal wounds and have murdered our souls and all this is because our affections are earthly for they encrease all our lusts and make them more able to vanquish us Thirdly If thine affections be carnal so be thy purposes Men purpose according as they affect He that affects such a good bargain will purpose to make it He that affects pleasure will purpose to take it He that affects any thing will purpose to have it First men conceive a thing to be good then they affect it and then they spend thoughts of it and then they purpose to have it if they can Barnabas exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord Act. 11. 23. He joyns these two together their purpose and their affection to God because they could never cleave unto the Lord but it must needs be with the purposes of the heart Well now consider what enemies we are unto God what enemies too to our own souls that set our affections here below we can never have reall purposes to amend or turn unto God We may purpose and purpose a thousand times over but still we are broken off from our purposes they all come to nothing as long as we affect the things of this life Can the fire have a purpose to freeze can the stinking dunghil have a purpose to smell well can a Swine have a purpose not to wallow in the mire No how can this be when they are affected with contrary qualities there is no counsel in such purposes as these Without counsel purposes are disappointed Pro. 15. 22. If thou dost purpose to do this or that and not consult whether thou be able to doe it yea or no no wonder though thou beest disappointed of thy purpose Thou art carnal and hast a purpose to be spiritual thou art full of earthly desires and hast a purpose to hunger after Christ Thou art a company-keeper a worldly and a proud fool thou hast a purpose to be otherwise Alas such purposes as these will surely be disappointed because they are purposes without counsel thou shouldst first take counsel how to crucifie thy affections if thus thou wouldst do thy purposes would stand What an egregious sin is this then to set thine affections on things that are carnal thou art vain and hast no purpose to be otherwise thou secure and hast no purpose to shake off securiry no purpose to give over thy carnal appetites and thy customes and the lusts that thy conscience does know of thy own conscience can point thee out many lusts that thou livest in and thou hast no purpose to leave them O how does this provoke the Lord Jesus to wrath Which of us does thus purpose in his heart I absosutely purpose henceforth to use all the means under Heaven for the saving my soul I have gull'd it to this day now I purpose to do so no more now I will every day examine my conscience every day keep company with the godly I will never sort with my old company more I have used my body like an Idol now I purpose to mortifie it c. Alas our affections will not let us It is certain thou never hast a good purpose to God for thy soul as long as thine affections are earthly All thy purposes are instar paleae sayes a Divine they last for an hour or a day or a health like the chaffe which the winde drives away Fourthly Because if thine affections be carnal so are thy devices and contrivings When a man sets his affections on any thing as he spends many thoughts thereupon and purposes to have it if he can so he deviseth with himself whereby to attain it Davids enemies whose affections were set against him they devised how they might crosse him All that hate me against me do they devise my hurt Ps 41. 7. What a company of devices hath the glutton to satisfie his palate the revengeful person to satisfie his
lesse notable to others it is to be feared ye are not zealous for God The second sign of zeal towards God is to be impatient of sinne Zeal as aforesaid is the impatient part of the affections if a man do affect a thing but a little he can be patient without it but if he affect it very deep and with zeal O his affections are set on it and he is impatient if he speed not So that if thou beest zealous against sin thou art impatient of sin thou canst not suffer it Zeal is impatient of whatever is contrary to it That this is the nature of zeal you may see by the poor blinde zeal that was in Paul before his conversion he was zealous to God as he thought and thinking that the Church of Christ were contrary to all men enemies to God and man therefore now in the blindenesse of his zeal he persecutes that way unto death Concerning zeal I persecuted the Church Phil. 3. 6. It was a woful kinde of zeal to persecute the Church but yet there you may gather the nature of zeal it cannot abide that which is contrary and therefore if thou beest zealous against sin thou canst not abide sinne better journey riding studies prayers exhortations any course thou wilt use rather then abide it thou canst never abide any thing that is displeasing to God but resist it to the utmost and this resisting will be First Universal If thou beest zealous there is no sinne thou canst possibly abide Nothing is cold but the fire does resist it so nothing is sin but zeal does resist it to the utmost I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right I hate every false way Psa 119. 128. This is zeal indeed there is never a false way that a man can abide that is zealous To be zealous against one sinne and lukewarm against another this is not zeal Secondly General in all manner of persons First In a friend as well as in an enemy If thou beest zealous thou wilt finde fault with thy friends when they sin as well as observe a fault when thine enemy offendeth Men are apt to observe when their enemy sinneth O how unconscionable is he thus he hath done and so he hath done but if thou beest zealous when thy friend does transgresse thou wilt not abide it Fire will not only labour to consume the water that comes to put it out but also the wood that comes to maintain it So it is with zeal Do not I hate them that hate thee sayes David to God Psal 139 21. He could not abide to count them his friends that were not friends unto God though otherwise they were very friends unto him and may be saved his life and were patrons and benefactors unto him he could not wink at their sins because they were his friends though thy friend be a swearer or a carnal wretch yet if he be thy friend and thou dependest upon him thou canst see it and not see it but if thou beest zealous all his sins thou wilt count discourtesies to thee Secondly In ones childe as well as a servant you shall have many they are angry at every sin a servant commits but if their children do sin they connive it was no such great fault alas he did it unwittingly and what would ye have a childe do say they they can excuse it in their children and lessen it but if thou beest zealous thou canst not abide sinne in thy son any more then a servant thou wilt correct him and curb him and threaten him and counsell him and never endure he should sin if thou canst possibly help it What my son and be wicked what doe I love God and shall I suffer my loins to dishonour him Son know thou the God of thy father otherwise I count thee a bastard and no son This brake old Elies neck because he suffered his sons to be wicked when he by godly severity might have remedied it A zealous man when his son hath committed things worthy of death will not spare him Zech. 13. 3. Thirdly In ones own wife or husband or father or mother as well as in a neighbour zeal cannot abide it husband thou dost not love me as long as thou livest thus wife thy heart is not with me as long as thou dost thus how canst thou love me when thou dost not love God nor thine own soul this is the meaning of our Saviour If any come to me and hate not father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14. 26. A zealous man cannot abide to yield to sin for the best of them all Fourthly In a rich man as well as in a poor man if thou beest zealous thou canst not abide sin neither in the rich nor in the poor if poor men offend and if beggars be idle and ungodly then thou wilt complain Oh the poor are so wicked they break down our hedges who would releeve them they will not be orderly they lie drinking in Ale-houses and spend it away on the pot therefore who would releeve them But if the rich be keepers of company and vain in their pleasures thou art not so zealous against their sins alas this is no zeal but let a wicked man be as great as King Ahab Micaiah will deal roundly with him Nehemiah will not spare Lords nor Nobles when they sin Neh. 13. 17. For a Magistrate to punish poor Malefactors and not the Gentry when they do transgresse is this zeal no it is cursed partiality Fifthly In ones self rather then in any body else true zeal is more zealous against sinne in ones self then in all the world besides otherwise sayes our Saviour it is hypocrisie and not zeal Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Mat. 5. 7. Zeal I say is like unto fire it is hot it self first before it heat others may be the fire meets with many other things that it is not able to heat it as the bottom of a kettle of water the fire cannot heat it neverthelesse the fire will be sure to be hot of it self So it is with thee if thou beest zealous against sinne thou wilt be like unto fire rather suffer cold to be in any other then suffer it to be in it self so thou wilt rather suffer sin in any body else then suffer it in thy self thou wilt not suffer sin any where else by thy good will but above all things thou wilt not suffer it in thy self This is the second sign of zeal towards God it is impatient of sin The third sign of zeal towards God is it cannot be quiet till it be assured of Gods favour and of Christ Thou art never earnest for God if thou canst possibly be quiet without assurance of Christ
3. One just man is better then a thousand others Though he be a beggar in the world he is better then a thousand wicked though they be all Lords and Nobles Because he is one of Christs redeemed and so thou wilt love him and affect him Thou wilt love him if thou beest zealous to Godwards I say thou wilt love a childe of God albeit in a leathern-coat more then father and mother wife and children friend or patron so they be not Saints I mean with more spirituall love then thou lovest them all And therefore much more the Churches of the Saints The seventh is If thou beest zealous for God then thou wilt be most zealous when the Lord threatens to be going away If ever men will buy any thing at the Fair they 'l buy when they are all breaking up standings taking up their wares and packing away If ever they 'l be forward to buy then they will God is now perchance shutting up shop-doors is now packing up his commodities and his graces to be gone The doors of his Sanctuary have been open a long time and the Shop-windows of Heaven have stood broad ope this many a year And we see plainly the dead of the market is come no body buyes almost How long hath he preached and scarse any converted How many Sermons and Market-daies have we had we can hardly see one drunkard converted one adulterer converted one worldling converted one unprofitable professour converted O that we could see it but alas we cannot our commodities stick upon our hands we can have no vent for grace nor Gospel nor Christ nor mercy nor any thing The dead the dead of the market beloved the market is dead God is now shutting up to be gone and as we may justly fear to remove away his Candlestick to take away the power of his Ordinances and to withdraw his Spirit from striving any more with us our stubbornnesse is so great We are grown to despise his reproofs to be incorrigible under his word to be malicious against his rebukes what encouragement hath he to stay Now if ever ye will be zealous now ye will now ye will come in and be wrought on or never now your proud hearts will stoop or never Now ye'l cry hard and pray hard and beg hard or never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's grievous to come a day after the Fair as we say I mean now is the last pinch in all probability it is so either now let us look to it or never It will be grievous to come a day after grace No man can repent without grace of God and therefore if he come a day after grace he cannot repent vid. Eze. 24. 13. The XII Sermon Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. IT may be demanded what means may we use to make us to be zealous I answer briefly First Frequent meditation Meditate of the infinite misery thou art in by nature and by reason of sinne and this will make thee zealously humbled Meditate of thy grievous iniquities whereby thou hast dishonoured God meditate of the unutterable mercy of God that hath not consumed thee meditate of the admirable patience of God that hath spared thee thus long and not damned thee in hell meditate of the inconceivable goodnes of God in Christ that he should give up his own Sonne unto death rather then that thou shouldest perish for ever these truths are all fiery truths While David was meditating I cannot tell now what truths they were that he meditated of but it seems they were all fiery truths they set his soul all afire as he mused and meditated My heart was hot within me and while I was musing the fire kindled Psa 39. 3. The very sight of a fire will warm a man a little Let thy heart look upon God and his waies let his commandments be ever in sight they will heat thee whensoever thou prayest meditate with thy self if I pray lukewarmly God will spue me out of his mouth Whensoever thou hearest the Word meditate with thy self I must take heed how I hear otherwise my hearing is abominable Whensoever the Sabbath is coming meditate with thy self O I must call it my delight and spend it in Gods worship publike and private or else God will consume thee While I was musing the fire kindled saith the Psalmist what 's the reason thou art so lukewarm in good duties as thou art the reason is plain thou usest not to meditate thou canst be content to hear the Word at a Sermon and let the Minister warm thee for an hour thou canst talk of the Word but when thou art alone thou dost not meditate of the Word if thou wouldest put the Law of God in thy thoughts and meditate of it when thou art solitary it is a fiery law From his right hand went a fiery Law Deut. 33. 2. Gods law is a fiery Law and his Gospell too is a fiery Gospel were it often in thy thoughts it would heat thee Know it for a certain we can never have a jot of saving grace or of zeal if we be not frequent in this duty thou makest a Christ of the world if that can have more room in thy thoughts then Gods word thou canst never be zealous nor gracious at all if thou beest not used to meditation thou art carnal and earthly why because thy thoughts are of that sort the thoughts are incentiva vitiorum sayes Hierom they are the incentives and igniâ—les and the bellows to kindle sin in thy heart whereas were they heavenly they would kindle zeal in thy soul The second means is a constant practise of godlinesse Motus est causa caloris saies the Philosopher Motion is the cause of heat Be ever in action if thou wouldest be zealous be alwaies stirring in the works of religion and godlinesse you shall see men labour and toil naked in their shirts in frost and cold and be hot for all that Labour stirs up the spirits and heateth the bloud labour will not suffer a man to be cold if Peter had been rowing in his boat when he stood still in the High-Priests Hall by the chimney-corner he had had little need of that fire to have heated him and therefore if thou desirest to be zealous labour in reading of the Scriptures labour in hearing and applying the Word to thy heart labour in examining thy conscience and repenting of thy sins and labour in praying and calling upon God this will kindle the heat of zeal in thee Ask and ye shall receive that your ioy may be full Joh. 16. 24. mark that your joy may be full your comfort may be full your love may be full and your hope may be full that is that it may be zealous for zeal is the fulnesse of every affections in its kinde O sayes one I am so dull and so dead I pray indeed but my prayers are dead and I hear
but my hearing is dead I see my corruptions abundance of vanity in my heart abundance of vanity in my thoughts abundance of vanity in every thing that I doe and I am so dead Lord what shall I doe Dead art thou and dost thou wonder thou art dead thou wilt not labour to be quickned thou art loth to be at the pains to be quickned thou goest idlely to work Otium mors est vivi hominis Sepultura as Seneca speaks Idlenesse is death idlenesse is the burying of a man alive Thou art idle and wilt not labour with God to be quickned When David was poring and blundring and looking upon the vanity of his minde O he was as dead as a timber-log it deaded his soul quite and clean to see his corruptions but what does he do he laboured with God against it he laboured with fasting and meditating and praying again and again that the Lord would be pleased to quicken him nine times in one Psalm Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word in one verse Quicken me according to thy iudgements in another verse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement in another verse Quicken thou me according to thy loving-kindeness Again Quicken thou me after thy loving-kindnesse Again Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word in another verse He never would let his heart alone till he had gotten life and spirit and quickning again As long as thou art lazy in good duties no wonder though thou be dead labouring and striving in good exercises will heat a mans soul and make it more zealous The third means is keeping good company as Cleopas was heated by being in Christs company Did not our hearts burn within us sayes he while he talk twith us in the way Luk. 24. 32. As the bawdy Poet said of his sweet-heart Accede ad ignem hanc Come to this fire a whore inflames an adulterer one wicked man heats another unto lust and to sinne So every childe of God is a fire for to heat thee Wouldest thou be zealous sort with Gods people keep company with the Saints and such as excell in grace and vertue Two are better then one for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up Again if two lie together saies the Wise man then they have heat but how can one be warm alone Eccl. 4. 9 10 11. Dost thou complain I have no zeal I would be glad to be zealous but I am exceedingly lukewarm do what I can so I am and so I am likely to be alas dost thou ever look to be otherwise as long as thou canst company with vain persons such as may be will talk of heaven now and then but there is no heat nor warmth in their speeches they are dead-hearted themselves and so are their speeches dead and without life O but I live in a place that is wicked and there 's scarce one godly man in the house where I dwell and I can finde none for to warm me Dost thou so so did Obadiah in Ahabs Court there was never a good Courtier to converse with and therefore what did he do he made use of Gods Prophets in private 1 Kin. 18. 4. and though he might not be seen in their company for fear of losing their lives he bid them in a cave and there he would have a bout with them in secret Thou which neglectest the society of the Saints never expect to be zealous Thomas was very faithlesse and full of his doubtings One reason was this the Disciples of Christ had meetings together and Thomas was not with them sayes the Text Ioh. 20. 24. The coals that lie together in the hearth you see how they glow and are fired while the little coals that are fallen off and lie by separate from their company are black without fire If ever thou desirest to be zealous make much of the fellowship of the Saints thou canst hardly come where two or three Saints are met together but thou shalt finde Christ in the midst of them The fourth means is Shunning the occasions of sin Moses would not leave so much as a hoof behinde him in Aegypt Exod. 10. 26. that there might be no occasion for the people to turn back into Aegypt had he left but a hoof behinde there that were an occasion to go thither to fetch it Abraham would not take so much as a thread or a shoe-latchet of the King of Sodom when he offered him lest there should be any hint to the flesh to distrust in God Thou canst never be zealous unlesse thou shun the occasions of sin If the heart have but an occasion once to be vain it 's a thousand to one but so it will be deadnesse will steal on 't upon the least occasion Give a theef but an occasion of having a booty his fingers cannot hold When David had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Lord told him he would punish him 2 Sa. 12. 14. Why because if they had but an occasion they would be sure for to take it Let no man put an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14. 13. Alas if the flesh have no occasion it will lay hold on it it is not enough to keep out of a sin but thou must go far from it not only from sin but also from all occasions of sin Keep thee far from a false matter Exo. 23. 7. One thinks I may go so farre and not sinne Thus far I may do and so far is this lawfull but let me tell thee if thou goest so far thine own heart will have occasion to go further and then thou art undone Nimiâ licentiâ sumus omnes deteriores sayes Terence We are all the worse for taking too much liberty if once it be an occasion to the flesh thou art gone Zeal cannot abide the occasions of evil the least occasions will choak it The fifth means is to eschew the beginnings of sin Peter did but begin to rebuke Christ Master spare thy self he began to rebuke him sayes the Text Mat. 16. 22. but Christ did so hate the very beginnings of that sin that he said Get thee behinde me Satan The devil was in that beginning of sin The Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason saying Who is this that speaks blasphemies And Jesus condemned these beginnings of reasonings Luk. 5. 21. Those that were invited to the Feast in the Gospel they came not but fell to excuses and were cast into utter darknesse for their labour But how came they to fall into that sinne the Scripture shews plainly because they did not eschew the beginnings of the sinne they all with one consent began to make excuse Luk 14. 18 principiis
the gallows Set thine affections then upon God and upon Christ when he appears he will help thee to a kingdom of glory Christ is the King of glory Who is the King of glory it is the Lord of hosts he is the King of glory set thine affections on him then The vulgar have a pretty saying He that is in favour with the King is half a King What may not such an one doe what may not such an one have if he be in favour with a King potens potentum amicitia Potent is the favour that a man hath with him that is potent And therefore set thine affections upon Christ let thine affections be in favour with Christ what is that then thou canst not have thine affections are potent if they be in favour with him all power is given to me in heaven and earth sayes Christ Mat. 28. 18. Christ is very potent if thine affections be not set on him he is potent enough to damn thee if they be he is potent to save thee and when he appears then shalt thou appear with him in glory Fifthly The Apostle here perswades by a strong illation or inference Mortifie therefore sayes he mortifie your earthly members inordinate affection c. vers 5. mark he cals the affection when it is not set aright upon God he cals it inordinate affection if thine affections run more after the things of this life then after Christ and his Word and his Commandments and his Ordinances thine affections are disorderly they are all out of order Order is to be observed in all things and wilt thou suffer disorder break in upon thy soul disorder turns all topsie turvie disorder will undoe a whole Kingdom if a Kingdom be out of order it must needs go to wrack If a family be out of order it must needs be brought to nought nothing can stand without order no art can consist without order and certainly thy soul cunnot stand without order if thine affections be out of order thy soul is in civill wars and cannot stand but must perish Now if thine affections be not set upon God they are all out of order What 's the reason that men are so forgetfull of their souls if their bellies do hunger they remember to fill them if their backs be naked they remember to cloath them if their markets be not made they remember to dispatch them but their souls may perish and be damned they do not remember them What 's the reason of this their affections are out of order Ordo est mater memoriae Order is the mother of memory a man can never remember his businesses if all be out of order Saint Paul rejoyced to behold their order in Colosse Col. 2. 5. he was glad to see that all their affairs were in order why then he hop't all would go well with them David prays God to order his steps Order my steps in thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psa 119. 133. He knew that his lusts would be like masterlesse hounds he should have no hoe with them if his soul were out of order Order my steps in thy word sayes he and let not any iniquity have dominion over me If thine affections be out of order alas every lust will domineer every corruption will be like a masterlesse hound as we say Iob saith that death is out of order Iob 10. 22. And Aquinas and other Divines thence do observe that hell is out of order and wilt thou suffer a disorder to come among thine affections alas they will be so busie about the things of this life that thou shalt finde no while for better employments no while for repentance and amendment no while for bethinking thy self of thy waies to provide for thy soul Disordered persons are busie-bodies saies the Text. We hear there be some among you that walk disorderly among you and are busie-bodies 2 Th. 3. 11. If thine affections be disorderly they will be so busie that thou shalt never finde leasure to trafick for Heaven or the salvation of thy soul Beloved this must needs then be a strong perswasion to set your affections above because otherwise thine affections are all out of order Thus far the Apostle here helps us with motives expressed in the context That which the Apostle begins let the theme of my Text go further in the same Many and sweet motives there are that we may be stirred up to this duty by to set our affections on God The first motive is taken from the easinesse that our affectiput us in to prosecute any thing we affect if our affections be set on a thing they make it easie to prosecute if thou affect the things of the world thine affections make it easie to labour and to toyl easie to rise early easie to sit up late easie to travell and go through any other difficulty the covetous man thinks his labour to be easie so he may gain and get profit the voluptuous man thinks it easie to hunt and to hawk and ride himself out of breath so he may have pleasure and delight Take thine ease sayes the rich man in the Gospel take thine ease eat drink and be merry Luk. 12. 19. He thought it easie to pull down and to build up easie to gather in his harvests and his wealth easie to be an Epicure and a drunkard and voluptuous why because his affections were set hereupon is it so that thine affections are able to make any businesse easie O set thine affections upon God repentance will be easie mortification will be easie and self-denial will be easie and to suffer all the reproaches of Christ will be easie if once thine affections were setled that way knowledge is easie to him that understandeth Prov. 14 6. The scorner seeks it sayes Solomon and he cannot finde it the worldling seeks it and he cannot finde it it is hard sayes one to know how to pray and be holy it is hard sayes another to know how to repent and give over my sinnes and be strict and I cannot do it No that is because thine affections are bent another way but if thine affections were set upon Heaven this knowledge were easie Come unto me ye that labour sayes the world I will make it easie to travell and cark and care come unto me sayes pleasure I will make it easie to be merry and to laugh come unto me sayes the flesh I will make it easie to be revenged on him that does wrong thee I will make it easie to obtain this and that So sayes the Lord Jesus Come unto me ye that labour and I will give you rest my yoke is easie Mat. 11. 30. Whatever thou affectest come to it and thou shalt finde it to be easie A man would wonder how the labouring man will sweat and work till he is faint to get a little maintenance the reason is this he affects it One would wonder what dangers Alexander did run through
admittit sayes Quintilian the school admits all sorts of scholars So I may say of you the School of Christ admits all sorts of sinners among you There is never a wretch among you all but if now ye will be content to go to Christs school ye shall be admitted to learn The Lord give you hearts so to do O then set your affections on God the affections are the softnesse of the heart and this is the way for to soften them The XIIII Sermon Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. A Beginning hath been made to perswade you with motives that ye would set your affections on God Five motives have been noted that our Apostle handles in this Chapter and six motives that the theme it self does afford you Give me now leave to go on in the same point and to help you with more For if this point be not copious with motives no point can be copious All perswasion is by moving the affections whatever the theme be now when the affections themselves be the theme the matter of necessity must be copious and abundant other motives remain to set your affections above The first is taken from the everlastingnesse of the affections Our affections are everlasting in our soul especially some of them and those that are not when the soul is in hell the very want of them are a little hell to the soul for there shall be no joy no delight no hope no comfort no love and as the Stomack when it wanteth its meat it devoureth it self so these affections when the matter is wanting they shall eat up and devour up the soul There 's no matter in hell to joy at no matter in hell to delight in no comfortable matter to hope for no amiable thing for to love and this shall vex the soul with weeping and gnashing of teeth neverthelesse many of the affections whether a man go to heaven or to hell are everlasting affections joy and delight and love and all the liking affections shall be everlasting in heaven fear and horrour and hatred and grief and despair and shame shall be everlasting in hell there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth sayes the Text he does not say there shall be love or joy c. Now are the affections everlasting in the soul know this nothing but God can hold the soul tack as we say everlastingly It 's true we may affect meat for a while and raiment for a while and maintenance for a while and houses and wives and husbands and recreations for a while till we die but when death comes death takes off these objects for ever If thine affections were mainly set upon these things when these are all gone alas where art thou then thou art at a losse for ever and ever As Zophar sayes of the wicked though he had the world at will while he was living yet sayes he he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say where is he Job 20. 7. Before he was at his pleasures and his profits and his businesses in the world there he was where his affections did run but now when his pleasures are all gone his house and his lands and his markets are all gone alas where is he He is now at a losse Zophar knew well enough where he is when he dies he is in hell to be damned and tomented for ever but he expresses it thus to shew that now he is at a losse Set thine affections then upon grace and upon the fear of the Lord for though thou diest this cannot die with thee It was a good answer of Stilpon when he lost his countrey and his children and his wife and his house and Demetrius said to him How now Stilpon where art thou now art thou not at a losse now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at a losse sayes he No no I have vertue still and righteousnesse still so if thou shouldest lose means and maintenance friends stays hopes health and all thou couldest not be at a losse were thine affections set upon Christ thou wouldest have thy faith still thy comfort still thy peace of conscience still assurance of heaven still Thine affections are everlasting and therefore set thine affections upon such things as are everlasting otherwise thou shalt be at a losse one day for ever and ever The second motive is taken from the infinitenesse of the affections the affections are infinite and therefore nothing in this whole world is able to satisfie them He that loveth silver shall never be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease Eccles 5. 10 give him tens he would be glad with twenties give him them he could afford to have hundreds give him them he could desire thousands when he hath thousands he is never the nearer nothing satisfies him Give Alexander a world he desires another Take me a silly man give him a Curateship he desires a Vicaridge give him that he desires a Parsonage give him that he desires two Benefices give him that he desires a Prebendary an Archdeaconry and then a Bishoprick and if he were Pope of Rome he were not satisfied Take a voluptuous man give him pleasure to day he desires more to morrow from Cards to the Tables from them to Bowls from them to huntings and hawkings and so on he is never satisfied till he dies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Eustratius the affections are infinite even as the fire all the forrests and all the woods and all the fewell under heaven can never satisfie the fire give it faggots it could burn logs give it logs it could burn whole trees give it trees it could burn whole houses give it them it could burn the inhabitants Nay Solo compares the affections to the fire of hell aud the mouth of the grave that can never be satisfied Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of man are never satisfied Pro 27. 20. The eye is never satisfied with seeing the ear is never satisfied with hearing still it desires further what news Pro. 30. 15. he compares them to the Horseleech give give sayes the Horseleech it 's ever sucking more and more and more it 's ever desiring the affections are infinite there 's nothing in this world can ever satisfie them did ever any meals meat so satisfie the stomack that it should never hunger more did ever suit of apparrell so satisfie the back that it should never wish to be cloathed more did ever Rent so sarisfie the Landlord that he should never desire another day to receive more The affections are infinite nothing in the world can ever satisfie them What good reason then is there to set thine affections upon God God is infinite and he can satisfie them He filleth the hungry with good things Luk. 1. 53. If the affections hunger after God he will fill them
insomuch that they groaned under it and cryed out unto God Pharaoh played the Tyger-like Tyrant over them and made them weary of their lives so do the affections tyrannize over a man that is carnall and earthly they do so besot him and befool him that he knows not how to come out of his sins they do so harden him and obdurate him that no preaching nor counsell can convert him they do so occupie and task him and busie him that he can finde no while to save his own soul or bethink himself of escaping of hell and damnation he is in hell before ever he thinks on it seriously they plague him like Tantalus sayes he and leave his soul in the lurch after all his vain hopes he can never be free for God The Apostle speaking of the lust and affections of the world how they allure men into vanity he sayes they promise men liberty but they are the servants and slaves of corruption 2 Pet. 2. 19. A man would wonder how one should be in bondage with a pot or a pipe with a bowl or a game with a carnall friend or an use he hath gotten but so it is that nor Minister nor Sermon nor warnings from God nor any thing can free him still he is enthralled Now consider are our affections such tyrants when they be set upon the things of this life O let us set them upon God If they can captivate us to God and bring us into a golden bondage with grace and with goodnesse we are happy Seest thou how the wicked are tyed to their sins and their lusts so if thine affections were set upon God thou wouldest be tyed unto God O it 's an admirable tye this to be tyed unto God This is it that the wisest man in the earth adviseth us to My son sayes he keep thy fathers commandments binde them continually upon thy heart and tye them about thy neck Pro. 6. 21. Thine affections are these stay-bands and these typers if thine affections be set upon the Word they will tye it to thy soul if they be set upon grace and love to Gods Ordinances his Sabbaths and his waies they will tye them to thy heart if thou wilt not set thine affections upon God thou art a very slave a very slave unto Satan and to sinne thou art not only in a wofull condition as thou art but they tye thee fast to it and if God may not be so much beholden to thee for thine affections to him-ward he will intrap thee and take thee by them as a Bare is taken by a Collar and hale thee to judgement Thou hast little affection or none at all to the Word may be thou comest not to be reproved and amended by the Word but thou comest to have some knowledge and some pretty sentence to talk on or some fine story or passage to speak on As I live saith the Lord I will answer thee according to thy thoughts may be thou comest that thou mayst scrape up some hopes to have mercy and heaven at the last may be thou comest to snatch up some sentence or other that may secure up thy conscience if there be ever a passage of mercy that thou wouldest fain have As I live saith the Lord I will answer thee according to thy thoughts and thine own vain heart that which thou camest for in the Word as I live saith the Lord thou shalt have it Thou dost not come to learn how to be holy and be stricter then thou art but though thou beest no stricter then thou art already yet to have some hopes to be saved for all that FINIS Doctr. What the â—ffections â—re 1. The affeâ—â—ions are â—otions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 6 de vero cultu cap. 17. By faith Noah warned of God moved with fear c. Hâ—b 11. 7. 2. The affections are motions of the Will Stoici vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simolicius in Epictetum 3. They are forcible motions of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est impetus ut Salmâ—sius vertit Motio animi quâ— ad aliquid fertur sive sponte sive aliunde incitata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voâ—atur Stoicis 4. They are the sensible motions of the heart 5. They are such motions as are according to the apprehension of good or evil Iudith 16. 9. Gen. 37. Reasons The Affections are the wings of the soul Affections not subdued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simplicius in Epictetum Aâ—sâ—lâ—us They are the Inclinations of the Soul 3. They are the passions of the Soul Elias was â—uâ—ject to like passiâ—ns as we are Jam 9. 17 That is subjeâ—â— to like afâ—ctions with us 4. They are the perturbations of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The heart is enticed and allured by them 3. The heart is somewhat bowed by them 4. The heart is stolen away with them 4. The heart is enflamed by them 6. The heart is overturned from what it was before Job 10. 10 7. The heart is engaged for God 8. The heart is glued to a thing by them De vita Pythag. The heart is quite given up to that which it affects The affection may be thus raised 1. By the sparks of right reason that regulate the affections Lib. 2. Eth. cap 6. 2. By knowledge out of the word that raiseth up the affection 3. By knowledge and conscience quickned Eâ—estro 4. By a deep apprehension of the horrour of their estate Mal. 2 13. 5. By self-love Which may First make a man be loth to commit sinne In vitus feci as â—e said in the Comedy And vomit up a dear sin committed by himself and be sorry that others should commit it 3. And not dare to venture upon a sin though he lose by it 4. And to be forward in Religion run to persecution 5. And to be ravished with the joys of the Spirit Reasons 4. 1. The carnal mans affections are not kindely wrought on 2. They are not judiciously wrought on 3. They are not regularly wrought on 4. They are not wrought on universally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies the Text. We must therefore examine our selves especially those That think their affections are set on God 1. He that truly affects grace affects nothing so much as grace Vers 23. 2. He must needs have expressions of grace Proverb 3. He is troubled with any interruption Aristot 4. He hath his conversation in heaven whence grace descends Hereby only are we marriageable to Christ l. de sacrif Abel Cain 2. Hereby only doth the soul set favourites in the heart 3. Hereby the soul is converâ—ible and reconcileable to God Râ—et c. 1. 4. The affections are the hands of the soul Mat. 22 1â— 5. The affections are the handles of our hearts Epist 6. Affections are the souls stomack L. 3. ad Nico. c. 3. 7. Affectioâ—s are the main mâ—tter of â—race Arist 8. Affections are arguments what we be It is a Christians duty to set his affections upon God 1
wrath the covetous person to scrape himself maintenance it's endlesse to recount what innumerable devices men have to compasse what their heart does affect Phalaris deviseth new torments Nero deviseth new cruelties Sardanapalus propounds a reward by a cryer to him that could devise out new pleasure the wicked Lawyer and troublesome Parishioner deviseth new quillets and put-cases to fetch over his poor neighbour the proud minion deviseth new paintings of the face new washings of the body new curlings of the hair new deckings of their neck new-fangled attires and the like the covetous deceiver deviseth new cousenages new conny-catchings pollings rackings gullings c. The Usurer new usuries new covenants and reaches It were long to rehearse what devices are in men to fulfill their unruly affections These wretches are abhorred of the Lord. Solomon sayes there be six yea seven things which the Lord hates and abhors Pro. 6. 16. And in the next verse save one he sayes that a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations is one of them The Lord numbers these men among the damned crew of the Heathen inventers of evil things Rom. 1. 30. Wo unto them that devise iniquity sayes the Prophet Mic. 2. 1. Now see thy wofull condition whoever thou art whose affections are carnal thy devices are all carnal thou dost not devise how thou mayst best serve Almighty God how thou mayst best overcome sinne how thou mayst best glorifie Christ Which of us does set his head a work every day how he may best pray and best repent and best hear and best do every good duty alas there is little such devising among us because our affections stand not this way If our affections were set upon God we would be studying and contriving how to purge all our families how to propagate the glory of God in the Parish how to exhort and reprove and provoke one another to godlinesse A liberall man deviseth liberall things Isa 32. 8. he devises how he may releeve Gods poor Saints how he may set the poor on work how he may help forward the Gospel with his purse if he can finde how An humble man deviseth humble things a peaceable man deviseth peaceable things a holy man deviseth holy things if our affections were set right we would all lay our heads together how the Parish may best be reformed how our scandalous houses may best be removed how the Word that we hear from Sabbath to Sabbath may best be put in practise among us thus it would be if our affections were set upon God but because our affections are not set so hence it comes to passe our devices are carnal The IX Sermon â—ol 3. 2. Set your affections on things that are above c. THere remains the fourth head which is the extremity of the affections and that is zeal Zeal is due only to God and the things of his worship and therefore hence we may see how infinitely they sin that set their affections on things here on earth because they rob God of his due zeal which is the extremity of the affections is due only to God and the things of his worship Phinehas was zealous for his God Num. 25. 13. he gave the zeal of his affections to no other but God Now what is zeal Zeal is a high strain of all the affections whereby the heart puts forth all its affections with might upon that which it absolutely affects five things therefore there are which concurre to the making up of zeal First A high measure of the affections Every measure of the affections is not zeal a man may affect a thing coldly and lukewarmly that is not zeal As a covetous man may have lukewarm good affections to the word But this is not zeal I say zeal is a high measure of the affections Zeal is a metaphoricall word in the Original it 's taken from the seething of water over the fire Every measure of heat in the water is not seething No seething hot is a high measure of heating The Apostle confesses how the false Apostles affected the Galatians They zealously affect you sayes he Gal. 4. 17. he confesses they did affect the Galatians and he confesses they did highly affect them in a very high measure if it had been as well as it was high they zealously affect you that is they highly affect you Clavasius a Casuist for the Pope having run through all the Alphabet of questions in the end of his Book concludeth with zeal Zeal sayes he is a high measure of heat of affection such an one sayes he as I have shewn unto Christ in writing this Book It 's a most devillish saying for his Book is little else then a hellish rhapsody of blasphemies to Christ and magnifyings of his holy father the Pope But therein he sayes right that zeal is a high measure of the affection Secondly As zeal is a high measure of the affections so it is of all the affections I do not say any one of the affections alone or of sundry together But it is a high measure of all the affections Bonaventura and other of the School make it only of love Ludovicus Vives makes it to be compounded of two affections indignation and pity Others to be mixed of anger and love this is not so for zeal is a high strain of all the affections And therefore the Apostle sets it as a generall height of the affections in generall It 's good sayes he to be zealously affected in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. he does not only say it 's good to be zealous in love or zealously angry but generally it 's good to be zealously affected in a good thing Sorrow for sin is good and therefore it 's good to be zealously affected with it Desire of grace is good and therefore it 's good to be zealously affected with it So that then we may be said to be zealous for God when our love to him is earnest our desire of him is earnest our joy in him is earnest our indignation against whatever may dishonour him or dislike him is earnest when we think nothing too good nothing too dear nothing too much to bestow upon him A man may love God in a lukewarm measure hate sin in a lukewarm measure grieve for his corruptions desire faith and repentance delight in good duties pity the miseries of others fear to transgresse Gods Commandment a man may have all these affections thus in a lukewarm measure as this is displeasing to God so it is not zeal Zeal is a high measure the highest strain of all the affections Thirdly As zeal is the highest measure of all the affections so it is with all the might of the soul For when a man does zealously affect any thing his affection is mighty upon it Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with â—ll thy soul and with all thy might Deut. 6. 5. that is thou shalt love him zealously