Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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B02982
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Holy zeal against sin, shewn to be an acceptable and seasonable duty : in a sermon preached at Lyme Regis, in the County of Dorset, Sept. 4th. 1700. At a quarterly lecture appointed for the promoting the Reformation of Manners. / By J. E. Minister of the Gospel.
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J. E.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing E14B; ESTC R174804
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21,249
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41
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removing tâ—â—… plague as before noted but by bestowing 〈◊〉 Phinehas an everlasting Priesthood as a reward 〈◊〉 it An account whereof we have in my Texâ—… Behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace aâ—â—… he shall have it and his seed after him even the Covâ—…nant of an everlasting Priesthood because he wâ—â—… zealous for his God The Observation I shall note to you from tâ—â—… words is this Doct. That it is a duty very pleasing unto Goâ—… when persons in a time of general corruption do shâ—… themselves zealous for God Is was a time of general corruption among tâ—â—… Israelites and Phinehas shewed a more than â—â—…dinary zeal in suppressing of it and God maâ—â—…fested his high approbation of Phinehas his zeal 〈◊〉 bestowing on him an everlasting Priesthood In prosecuting this point I shall 1. Shew what it imports to be zealous fâ—â—… God 2. Prove that 't is a duty very pleasing unâ—â—… God 3. Shew who be the persons that should â—â—…ercise this zeal And 4. Conclude with some Improvement First I shall shew what it is to be zealous for Gâ—â—… That we may rightly apprehend the meaniâ—â—… â—…f this phrase it may not be amiss to speak someâ—…hat to the nature of Zeal in the general and â—â—…en more particularly to shew the Import of the â—…hrase in my Text. As for Zeal in the general it denotes the â—…armth and fervour of Spirit Zelare Zelari â—…aith Vossius utrumque dicitur de ardenti affectâ—… â—â—…nc pro aliquo nunc contra aliquem i.e. To have â—â—…al or to be zealous are both spoken of any ardent â—â—…fection sometimes for a person sometimes aâ—â—…inst him The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdâ—… ferveo signifies boiling or fervent and â—â—…rning heat For as boiling or burning is the â—â—…ghest degree of heat so is zeal or fervency the â—â—…ghest pitch of our affections And therefore Zeal 〈◊〉 described by some to be the heat and intention 〈◊〉 all the affections It is not so much a vertue in 〈◊〉 self as the life and soul of all other vertues It 〈◊〉 like varnish to the Colour which is in it self no â—â—…lour but gives a gloss and lustre unto all Zeal in it self is neither good nor evil but acâ—â—…rding to its object accordingly there is a good â—â—…d bad zeal 1. There is a bad Zeal Of this kind is that â—…hich is set on wrong objects This scarce deâ—â—…ves the name of zeal being nothing else â—…t an Intemperate heat or rather a kind of Frenzy 〈◊〉 Madness Such was the zeal of those Idolaters â—â—…o in their false worship cut themselves with â—…ives 1 King 18.28 Such was the zeal of those â—â—…ws who burnt their children in the fire unto â—…oloch Jer. 7.31 And with this violent and â—â—…d zeal was St. Paul acted before his conversion 〈◊〉 himself confesseth Act. 26.11 Phil. 3.6 comâ—â—…red when he was so enraged against the Christians that he spared no cost or pains to suppâ—â—â—… their meetings and to root them out This is 〈◊〉 the zeal whereof my Text speaks 2. There is a good zeal which may be tâ—â—… described It is a holy warmth and fervour of affeâ—…on wrought in us by the spirit of God whereby 〈◊〉 are inclined to promote God's glory in a vigorâ—â—â—… manner according to his word The marks and properties of this zeal amâ—… other are these 1. It is always about a good thing Gal. 4. â—… It is good to be zealously affected always in a gâ—… thing If the matter be evil the more vigorâ—… and earnest any person is the more sinful Hoâ—… zeal is always exercised about a good matter 2. It is always accompanied with knowledâ—â—… Rom 10.2 For I bear them record that they hâ—â—… a zeal for God but not according to knowledge Tâ—â—… was the fault of the Israelites zeal it wanted knowledge zeal without knowledge is but a blind zeâ—â—… 3. It maketh the greatest account of the weightiâ—â—… matter This rule we have Mat. 23.23 whâ—… Christ blames the Scribes and Pharisees for sheâ—…ing great zeal about lesser matters but having 〈◊〉 concern for those that were weightier speakiâ—â—… to them after this manner Wo unto you Scribes aâ—â—… Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay Tithe of mint aâ—â—… anise and cummin and have omitted the weightâ—â—â—… matters of the law judgment mercy and faith thâ—… ought ye to have done and not to leave the other uâ—…done First our zeal should be carried forth 〈◊〉 weightier matters than to those of less momenâ—… From what hath been spoken of Zeal in the gâ—…neral we may easily apprehend what it is to 〈◊〉 zealous for God It is to have this true zeal thâ—… â—…ave been describing But more particularly 〈◊〉 phrase may denote these two things 1. A being zealous for God in his Service And 2. A being zealous for God against Sin â—…hen are we zealous for God in his Service when â—…carefully perform all religious duties private 〈◊〉 publick When we dare not omit them diâ—â—…ntly attend them and are devout in them serâ—â—â—…g the Lord with fervency of spirit as the expresâ—… is Ro. 12.11 Then we are zealous for God against Sin when 〈◊〉 do not only mislike it in our selves and careâ—â—â—…y endeavour to abstain from it but also when 〈◊〉 cannot bear with it in others as the phrase is 〈◊〉 v. 2.3 â—…Tis this latter is the zeal of which my Text â—…aks for which Phinehas is commended and â—…s rewarded of God He had a zeal for God aâ—â—â—…nst Sin Which zeal for God includes in it â—â—…ese three things 1. A tender respect to God's glory This is the â—…ound of all true zeal 'T was this made Phineâ—â—â—… so zealous for his God because he had a tenâ—â—… regard to God's glory This was the fault of â—…u's zeal and for which he is blamed because 〈◊〉 had not so pure an eye to God's glory as he â—â—…ght to have Come see my zeal said he for 〈◊〉 Lord 2 Kin. 10.16 Jehu was zealous pretenâ—â—…dly for God but self was at the bottom it â—…s for a Kingdom True Godly zeal hath always 〈◊〉 eye to God's glory this is a principal ingrediâ—â—…t in it So in the above description of zeal 〈◊〉 a holy warmth whereby we are inclined to proâ—â—…te God's glory c. The Glory of God is the â—…eat end of our being We are commanded to respect this in all that we do 1 Cor. 10.31 It is the butt and scope of all regular and holy actions and therefore of necessity must be included in holy zeal 2. A holy indignation against Sin Sin does in effect dethrone God The practical language of the Sinner is who is the Lord that I should obey him It bids defiance to all God's Attributes It â—…pposeth his Sovereignty it slighteth his Omniscience it contemneth his Power it despiseth his Goodness it is a direct opposition to his Holiness in a word it strikes at the very life and being of God so horrid and abominable is the nature of