Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

h T're4ti[e of the .flf edionr. the worldby their drunkenne{Ie, and whoredomes, and covetoufnefle, and fecurity,and contempt of Godsword, are pulling down vengeance on the Nation and provoke God for to plague us. But thole are they that moft people have little joy in. O my brethren, where we have ten or twenty futh Puritans inour ]'arilh, I would to Godwe had an hundred. I tell you the day will come,that theworft drunkard in the towne would give a world; if he had it, he were fuck a Puritan. In this fettle the very Heathen man (ayes, that everygood man is a Puritan : Integer vite fceleri fque pares, An entire man of life, and a pure man, pure from the {ins that others do live in. Hadye any zeale towards God,ye would be glad that all theCountry were iüch Puritans. 6. The fixth fignof zeale towardsGod is zeale to Gods Church and hispeople, zea1e to Gods Paul before his conver{ion, youmay knowhis zeale wasnot right, becaufe (hnreh and his zeale was againft the Church. Concerning zeale,{ayes he, 1perfecuted the people. Church, Phil,3.6, his zeale was againft the Church,and therefore not right : but after his couvertion he had a zealous care of all the Church, his zeale was t hen to the Church. Ifthe Church were not well, O how it troubled him 1 if the Church were wel1,O how it comforted him 1 if the Churchwere any where perfecuted or infeded witherrours and do&rine of Devils, then he wasfrequent in prayer for ir,often would he labour,and figh,andmourne for it,andbe writing for thegood ofir. Now the Saints and the peopleof God,thefe are the Church. Unto the Churches ofGalatia, dal. t, 2. that is, unto Gods people inGj alatia. To feed the Church of God, Alts 20. 2S. that is,the people of God.Greet the Church that is in their houfe, Ì(,om. i 6. 5. that is, the Saints that are intheir houle. In all Churches of the Saints, i C°r,T 4.33. thole are the ChurchofGod. Now if thou be zealous forGod, thou wilt be zealous for Cods Church. Examine thyfell. Doeft thou mourn for the trou- bles and dífquietments of Gods Church, that the Church is fo affli&ed inall parts of the world? Dors it prick thee to the foul? Doeft thou go to God,and put him in remembrance ? Remember the Childrenof Edom, OLord, how theyLaid, down with ir, down with ir, even to the ground : remember. Lord the robiahs,and Sanballats of theft times, remember Lord how they cry,downwith thy people,down wich them, root them out, &c. This is an infallible figa to try thy heart by. If thoube zealous forGod,thouwilt zea- loufly affe& the Churchof God. Nehemiah cannot (mother his griefe, but it wouldPhew it Cell in his face, even at theKings elbow, when Jerufalem lay wafte. Vriah cannot finde inhis heart to eat anddrink freely, or take the pleafure of his own houfe,as long as the Ark of Godand Ifrael, and Judah a- bode in tents. Thoumutt needs beaffeaed with the Church, if thou beeft zealousfor God. Ifthoubeeft zealous for God, thou muff needs love :there where God loves. God loves the verygates of Sion, he loves his Chui:Fhbetter than he lovesall the worldbetides. And fowilt thou,if thoubeeft zealous for him. The Church is the whole company of his Saints upon earth. One Saint is dearer then a million ofother men. It is a good layingof Syracides, x4el,gap tiç ñ XíArot,Ecclus.i 6, 3.Onejuft man is better thana thoufand others. Though he be a beggar in the world, he is better than a thoufand wicked, though they be all Lords and Nobles. Becaufe he is one of Chrifts redeem- ed ; and .fo thouwilt losehim,and affe& him. Thou wilt love him,if thou bait zealousto God-wards,I fay,thou wilt loveachilde of God, albeit in a leacher-coat, more than father and mother, wife and children, friend or The !event!) :patron, fo they be not Saints, I meane with more fp:ritual love than thou fgne; "hewing .loveft them all., And therefore much more the Churches ofthe Saints. roll' The feventh is if thou beeft zealous for God then thou wilt be when the Lord 5 , threateneth to moft zealous, when the Lord threatens to be going away , If ever men be going away. will buy any thing at the Faire, they'l buy when they are all brea- king

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