Tf,e excellency of holy Zeal. ~-----:---- o~-n2.ture and ~r~cc: yea their Oxen and Horfis flull be wimeffts a~ainfi many tha( fcrved not God wnh any fuch dthgcnce, as thcfe beafis ferved them; yea rn;my gallants of great c:fiatcs ntvcr did fi much firvice for the common good in all their lives as their very beafl:s have done. Their paru thei~ life and all is lot\ by them. ' · §. 12· 7· Zeal and diligence are the victorious enemies of ji;J and S;Jtan. They btar not with , SJm. 1, fin: They are to ~t as a confumi.ng tire is to the thorns and bryars. Z~al burneth up Lult, and Co~ 23,: 9· vctoufncfs, and Pndc and Senfua1uy : Ir maketh fuch work among om hns, as diligent weeders:do in. Rrv. 3· Jg. your Gardtns : It pulleth up the tares, and burneth them: It fiands not dallying with fm; nor taffi 1111 1 Tl1ef. ~- 2~. ~r loo~ing on the bait, nor difpu~ing with, and hearkening to the Tempter; but cafi:cth away the "'mo": JuJe :~.f. t1011 wah abhor..cnce, and abHamech from the very apprarance of evil, and hateth the garment fpotted J•p'· 4 '; by the fl,O,, and prefently qu<ncheth the fparks of Concupifcence: It chargeth home, and fo rc[tjiet/, 1 cr. 5 ·' · the Devil that he fiJetb. When floth aud negligence chcrifh the fin, and encourage the tempter and Ecd. 10. 1S. invite him by a cold refillancc. The Vineyard of the Sltiggard is overgrown with NettleS: His,heart l)ro.,.. 34 30. fwanneth with noyfomc thoughts and lulls, and he refillcth them 110t, but eafily beareth them. If Prov. -:.t· 15· he fee) finful thoughts pofft!Ting his mind, he rifcth not up with zeal againli them: He hath nor rhu l'l·ov.J3 4 · heart to call them out ; nor make any effectual refillance: He famifheth his foul with frllitlefl wijhu bccaufc: hM bmul1 rtfufe to l11bour. Negligmce is the NurCC of lin. ' P ·O\',U.l). & 26.•,. Prov. 20 4· §·I3• 8. Ztal and Diligmce bear down all oppofitiGn againft duty with power and fucccfs. Thofe impediments which )fop aj!uggatd, are as mthing before them. As the Cart wheels which go flowty are eafily fiopt by a little HQnc or any thing in their way ; when thofe that are in a fwifcer rnorion eafily get over all. The Lyrm that _is in the fluzgardJ way, is not fo much as a barkmg Whelp i11 the way of a diligent zealousChrifiian. The cold doth not hinder him from plo-:.vjng. A very{corn or mock, or tbrea!ning of a mortal man, will difmay and fiop a hea1:tlds hypocrite.,. wh~ch do _but ferve as oyle to the lire, to enRame the courage of the zealous fq much more. The d1fficulttes wh1ch feem inji 1 pera· hie to the flothful, arc fmaUmattct1t0 the zealoJU: He goeth through that which the flothful calls impoffible: And when the ilothful fits fiil1 and faith, I cannot do thU or th~Jt, the z.ealum diligettt Cbri~ ltian doth it. 9· 14· 9• Ze.l and diligence take off the "yle and irk.fommfi of duty, and make it eafie: As a quick-ipirited diligent fervant maketh but a p!eafure of his work, which a lazy fcrvant doth with pain and wearinefs: Ar.d as a mettlefome Horfe makes a pleafurc of a journey, Which a heavy jade goerh through with pain: fo Reading and Hearing, and Prayer are ca~it: to. a ualous foul, which to another is an unwelcome rask and wik. Num 1 S· 11 , §· 1 5· Io. Zeal is faithful, and_confiant, and ~aliant, aud therefore greatly pl~afeth God: It fiich.:s 13 . to him through per[ecution; The hr$-confumeth n nor; many Wate!s quench If not. But others Can·.S.6 1 7· are falfe hearted; and thofe that have but a cold Religion will eahly be drawn or driven from Heb. 11 • 34· their Religion : Thc:.y are fo indifferent that a Jiuie more of the World put into the bJllance, will ~:.·~; 2~,~;. weigh down Chrift in their tOeem : The Hopu or fear I of tern~oral things, ~:rev ail with them againli Rev.-:.. S· the Hopu and fear/ of things eternal. No wonder therefore 1f God d1fown fuch treacherous Ser· Rev. 3· 16. vants, and turn them away as unworthy of his Family. 2 ~·he;. 1. to. §. 16. Direct. 3· Let tbe great motivu of holy z,e<Jl mrd diligrnce be {tt bome and priutcd on ;rolf.r Dz,·e{f. 3· hearts : And often read them over in fome quickning Books, that you may remember them and be Read bdor; affeGl:ed with them. I have given you fo many of dtde !Y/oving txcitlufi. confiderations, in the third ~1~:.1:>1~~ r:r Parr of my Saims Rt•ft, and my [Saint or Bruit J and [Nnv or N~vcrJ and in my Sermon ag1inll: nxdeemiog ma~ing Light of Chri.jt, that I fha/1 be bttt vLry brief in rhem at prefent. t1me. §. 17 • 1 • When you grow cold andjlotbfulrtmember howGrr(Jt a Malter you fcrve~ fhould any thing ~e~~i.ves of be done negligently for God ? And n:membtr how Good a Matler you fcrve. :t'or whom you are cer.. rain that you can never do too much ; nor fo much as he defe1veth of you ; no:£ will he ever (ulfer you to be lofers by him. §.r8. 2 • Remember t~tat he is ah~ays pre~ent .= In.ym~r converfe with others, in your Pray~rs, your Reading and al! your duucs; and will you latter m hts £1ght ? when a very eyc-fervant will work while his rnaf\er llandeth by. 9· r 9 • 3. One ferious thought of theend and conjiqHence of all thy work, one would think fhould put life into the: du1lell foul ! fay to thy fleepy frozen heart, Is 1t not Heaven that I am feekt?g ~ Is tt not Hell that I am avoiding? And can I be cold and flothful about Heaven and Hdll Muil H not go with me for ever according as 1now behave my felf? And is this the _bell that I can do for my falva– tion? Is ir nm God that I have to pleafe and honour ; and 0!3111 do 1t flothfully > ~· 20. 4 . One thought of the cxcec::ding Greatnt/i of our wor~, one would think (h~uld make us be zealutts and diligem! To think what abundance of knowledge we have to get~ a~d how much ~f (:Very grace we want~ and howmuch mearzs we have ro ufe ? and how much oppofitton and tcmp~atz. ons to ovLrcome ? The humble fenfe ot the weakncfs of our fouls, and the greatnefs of our hns ; {hould make us fay, that whatever the Rich in grace mly do, its Laltottr thar becomes ~hepo_or. . 9· 21. 5· To remember how lhort our timeof worltJng is, and alfo how unccrtam ; How fall: 1t 1 Cor. 7 . 29,~ flycrh away, how foon it will be at an t:nd: and that all the time that cve_r we !ltall ha~e CO prepuc 30. for Eternity is now; and that fbortly t~ere will be no Praying} no. Heanng, no Workmg a?y more :t. Pcq. u. on Earth. To look into the Grave, to go to the Houfe of Mourmng ! to confider that r~ns hca~t Rev. 11 • 1 z.. hath but a little more time to think, and this tongue but a little more rime to fpcak, and all wtll end m the endlef• recompence; methinks this ihould quicken the coldet\ heart.
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