T're4tile of the APE/ions. Lured of it, neither does it break your fleepa jot, nor hinder your (ports, aí'ctÿur pleafures,and your mirth, it is certaine ye were never zealous for God. What a wouul thing is this ! haft thou but one foul, and art thou no more careful ofit ? arc thou to live efTi^eTr for ever in Heaven or Hell, when thoudieft,in all torture and torment worldwithout end ? and art thou no more diligent to make fure work before hand ? perhaps thou mayeft befaved ; yea,butperhaps thou mayeft be damned. Andhaft thou nomorelope to thyfoul, than to be quiet with uncertainties ? O how many be there amongus that have noaflurance fromGod,what he means to do with them ? whether to v t em,or to deftroy and todamne them ? how many go blundring oti in anuncertaine opinion,and conjeaural hope ofGods favour,and havenocer- taintyat all of the fame ? how rraany that are haunted with fearés and ter- rours,and doubts this way,and never labour tobe fure ? bowmany that have had 2retty affurances a good while ago, and now they have loft them, and yet they lit idly,andgo dreaming on in the duties of religion,as if theycould. Ihift well enough,though theynever recoveragain? this is no zeale : ifthou beef}zealous,thou canft never endure tobe under uncertainties, never to be quiet till thou haft gottenthe affuranceofGods love. 4. $igne,giad- The fourth figneof zeal towards God isgladneffe to further, and to befur- neffe to further, thered in the wayesof Gad. If thoubecft zealous, thou art glad to be reproved, e be furthered and told of thy fins ; glad that the Minifter thould meet with thycorrup- in the cagesof tions ,and rip them up to thePulpit : as a Patient is glad that the Phyftiar god' thould hit right on his difeafe. WhenPeter had met with thofe three thou- fand in theAús,aud told them plainly they weremurderers of Ch tiff, as ye may read in the Chapter,the text fay'es, they gladly received the Word, A6 .2 41. Peter laida greater fin to their charge,then we have unto yours. Wehave told you that forceof you are adulterers, and force of you drunkaTas, Scc. which is bad enough,andye areoffendedhereat ; but Peter told them they were murderersof Chrift,and 'they gladly received the Word ; they were not angrywith Peter,but with themfelves,, and were glad tohe told of ir, a figne they were zealous. A zealous man is glad to further, and to be further; ed inall goodneffe, he is glad tomeet with the godly, that fo he may be quickned by conference 3 glad tohear news of a Sermon, that fo he ray go toit and be edified ; 4lad of every opportunity both of doing and receiving good ; glad to go to aSaccrament,whtch is Chrifls feat} : fo were the good Ifraelites glad at the Sacrament ofthe Paffeover, they kept that fcaft with greatgladnefs, z Chro. 3 o. xi. Glad that therewas one, glad they were at it. theywere veryglad,fayes the text. It thoubeet zealous, thou wilt be glad of a Communion,and glad tobe at it. When thou haft beenat a Sermon, thouwilt be glad that ever thouwen at is : O the Word does thee Itch good,that thou goeft home with all gladnefs ofhearr,yea,thoughtheWord did never fo much contradiît thy corruptions. As the good people in Nehemiah, whenthey had been reproved,aud rebuked is theCongregation,and toldof their fins,andmade to cry out tinto God,they went homeand eat their meat with all joy,glad that thyunderftood the words that were told thetn,Alebeni, 8.12. Thus thouwouldeft do ifthou wert zealous towards God : but ifthou goeft about the duties of Gods worfhip, as Lorry piecesof biufineffe, if thou does' not delight in prayer and inbearing.the Word,ifthou canft fit wcari- fomely,andwhen will the Minifter have done,aMan may feekin thy cóurt- tenance,thou art not joyful to heare,this is a figne thou haft not onescruple ofzeal towards God Toepoor impotent man in the AE s, when Paulwas a preaching,he lookt.fo merrilyand fo greedilyupon him, asif he would faine have it (after thanPaul coulddeliver, he was a faithful hearer : The fame heard Paulfpeak,and Paul ffedfaftlybch°Id him,and perceived he had faith to-be healed,All-s 14.9. He perceived he had faith ; how did he perceive ït ? he perceived it by his countenance, he, could give a thrcwd ghçlíe by
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