Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

7 0 rreatfeof the illedions. lions of millions of filthy words thou haft fpoken. Item, a hundred mil- lionsofmillions ofwicked thoughts thou haft thought. Item, a thoufand lazy prayersthou haft made. Item, twenty hundred Sabbaths thou haft prophaned . Item , forty Sacraments thou haft unworthily received Thus ye have run on, as ifye thought every day fever' yeares, till ye are in Hell. Thus it is with you, when your zeal is fet any where elfe then or God. Zeal is the Thirdly, zeal is the predominant element in theTonle. Lookwhat the foule is Zeal is ant zealousunto, that is the predominant temperof the foule : if thou beeft zea- elemenr in the lous forGod, Chrift is predominant in thee : if thou beeft zealous fir the foule. thingsof this world, the world is predominant in thee, Non datur tempera mentum adpondus, fayes the Philofopher ,there is no temper but fomething is predominant. You never heardof afouls that had as muchof the world in shimasofChrift, andof Chrift as of the world : No, ashe is zealous to one thing, foone thingor other is predominant inhim. Men pleating is predo minant in one ; pride predominant in another, andpicafure predominant it a third.Whatfoever a man is zealous unto,that is his predominant element Now if thine affeaions, if the zeal of thembe not let upon God, then fome- thing or other in the world is predominant in thee. O what a mifery then is it to be leffezealous for God then for theworld 1 the world is predominant in thee this is theCbaraaer ofone that yet is no better then a reprobate;Lo. verso pleafuremore then lovers of God,z Tim.3.4.when pleafure is predominant andnot God. He that lovethfather or mothermore then me,is not worthyofme,&C. fays Chrift Mat.r o.37.when carnal relations are predominanr,aud not fpiri- tual,thisl fay,is an evident chara6ter ofawickedman : for what difference is there between a godly man and a wicked man?both have fin i' them;this is the4iffèrence:a godly man bath fin in him,butgraceis predominant;and there- fore he iscalled a godlyman:Awickedman hath many goodgraces inhim, but fin andwickednefhe is predominant, and therefore he is called a wicked man ; the denomination is from the part that ispredominant. The beaftsof -i:a earths, becaufe theearth is predominant ; the fifhes oftheSea,becaufe the water is predominant; a Brick-houfe,not as though therewere no wood in ir, Marke becaufe Brickispredominant. all thy thoughts, which is predo- minant in thee, the world or Chrift markeall thy fpeeches,which is predo- minant earthor heaven ; markall thycares, which is predominant co bufie }fie mo ? Owhat a wofull eftateart thou in, when fin and corruption is pre- dominant in thee) Ifthou bemore zealous after the things ofthis life thenaf- tergrace and holinefle,without which no man shall fee the Lord : Thou canft never enter into Gods kingdome, becaufc fin is predominant in thee. Fourthly, zeale is thefelfe- cruelty ofthe foule : If thou beeft moft zealous to 4. God, thy zeale is a holy cruelty to thy felfe. Mafter fpare thy (elfe, fayes Pe- Tien!s the , (uehy of ter to Chrift, Get thee behinde meSatan,(ayes Chrift ; he was zealous for the (Dole. the redemptionof theworld,andhe would not fparehis own life.Zeal is aho ly crueltyofthefoule,it wil fparenothing,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 man- ner cruely to himfelfe, togive the verycloathesoff his back, rather then the naked flsould not be covered.Love is asthrong as death andas cruellas thegrave, Cant. 8. 6Duruyflew: infer; zelus, asAmbrofe expounds it ; zealeis as hardas thegrave. Aman that is zealots, isa hard man to himfelfe that he maybe free unto God ; not as though truezeale were hard and cruell indeed unto hisown foule, but I meane, tohis owne flefhlydefires and refpedts, he is the mercifulleft man tohis owne foule,under Heaven. Now thenfee what a wo- full eftate thouart in, ifthou beeft not zealous for God : For if the zeale of thine afedtions gad anywhereelfe, thouart the cruelleft man to thin e owne foule in very deed, and in tenth, as pofibly can be: Thou fquandr;ft

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