Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

rreatife ofthe edionf. man when his foci bath committed things worthy of death, will not filare hire, Zach.13.3. Thirdly,in ones ownwife, or husband, or father, or mother; as well as in a 3, in wife or neighbour,zeal cannot abide it ; husband,thou doefl not loveme, as longas bit liveft thus ; Wife, thy heart isnot with me, as longas thou doeft thus ; howcanft Mort love rne,when thoudoelt not loveGod,nor thine own foul? This is the meaning of our Saviour : Ifany some to me,and hate not father and mother,and wife,andch.ldren,and brethren,and fifíers,yea,andbis own life, hecan- ,tot bemy 1) fc:ple, Lake 14. z 6 A zealous man cannot abide to yeeld to fin, for thebeft of themall. Fourthly,in arich man as well as in a poor man: if thoubeet zealous, thou In a risó anft not abide fin,neither in the rich, nor in the poor : ifpoor menoffend; man. and if beggars be idle and ungodly,then thou wilt complaine ; Oh ,the poor are fowicked,they break down our hedges,who would relieve them? they will not beorderly; they lye drinking in Ale-houles, and fpend it away ou thepor,therefore whowould relieve them? But ifthe rich be keepers of corn- pany,and vain in their pleafures; thouart not fozealousagainft their fins, a- las, this is no zeal : but let a wickedman be as great asKing Ahab, Micatab Will deale roundly with him. Nehemiah will not (pare Lords nor Nobles when they fin,Neh.13.17. For aMagiftrate topunith poor Malefat`tors, and not the Gentry,when they do tranfgrefs,is this zeal ?no it is cuffedpartiality. Fifthly, in onesfelf,rather than in any bodyelfe : true zeal is more zealous 5. In ones pip; againft fin in onesPelfthan inall the world betides ; otherwife,(ayes our Sa- vio_u,it is hypocrifie, and not zeal. Thou hypocrite, Riff caft out the beame oat of thine own eye, and thoufhaltfie cleerly to call ont the mote out of thy brothers eye, 1Vlatth.5.7. Zeal I fay,is Ikeunto fire it is hot it felffirfl, before it heat others: may be the fire meets with many other things that it isnot able to heri, ás the bottome of a kettleofwater,thefire cannot heat it, nevertheleg thee, fi, r will be fure tobehot of it felt. So it is with thee:ifthoube zealous a aiïi thou wilt be lik :unto fire;rather fuffer cold tobe inanyother,than Puffer it to be in it fell; fothouwilt rather fuff.r fin in any bodyelfe,than fuller it in thy fell : thouwilt not fuffer fin any whereelfe by thy goodwill, but above all things thou wilt not Puffer it in thy felfe. This is the fecond Ligne of zeale towards God, it is impatient offin. The third fìgne dual towards God is, it cannot be quiet till it is affnredof3. Signe ofdent Godsfavour,and ofChrift Thouart never earneft for God,if thou canit poi- towards God, fibly be quiet without affuranceof Chrift and ofHeaven t the reafon isplain , 9utenwtiout I need not expreffe it. I know many a childe of God is not allured hereof, aurance of but there is never a childe of Godunder Heaven, but he is reft/effe till he be gods favour+ Alas, he isnever zealous for God, if he be quiet without affurance oÇGöds love in Chrift Jefus. Can I zealoufly love him whole love tome I am not affured of ? for all that I know he will cut my throat,he will turne the foreft enemy I have,I cannot zealoufly love him. No more canft thouzealoufl loveGod,as long as thou art quiet without the affurance of his love. óra that thou knoweft,God does not lovethee,God hemay damn thee and e^ 'thee to hell for ever, and turne the foreft enemy in the world to thyfóii ; . for all that thou knoweft,and therefore thoúcanft not zealoufly love him if then thou be a zealous lover of God, either thou art affured of his 4 love , or thou canft never be quiet without it : give diligence ; raÿes the Apof}le, to make your Calling and Election fore, for %f ye doe thefe things, ye (hall never fall, z Pet, t. to. ye (hall never fall if ye Make it lure, but it ye can be quiet without the affurance of Ele&ion and Gods love, yee may fail , and for all that I know, breake your necks for ever, and perifh for evermore. Goe to then, examineyourfelves, what does your confcience tell you, are yee not lure of Gods favour. - nor your election to life ? yee hope well fay . but yee arc not af- fixed

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