63,4 enlafferGreenhams ¶eadings Nielpare:his meaning is this. This is thecaufe why Iam fozealous, essen becaufe r loue thy word;& cberfore, O Lord I loue thy wordbecaufè I findeit by proofe tobe fopure. Thatwee then may make this ourrule for examination,why are we fo coldin zeale?euenbe. caufeweare cold in the loueof the word. For as our loue encreafeth, fo encrealè alit our dc- light ad gruefe.: ourdelight tofcc thething loud cobane happte proceedings ; our 'riefe, to fee the thingwhich we louc,tobe defpifed. This we fce tobe in eueriekinde ofloue. For a man that trulie louethhis wife, cannot abide to feehis wife contemned and difcredited: nor the woman that truelle louethher husband,can abide tokehtot reie&ed anddefpifed.When welone our friend,we'are gneucd to fceany con- tempt offeredvote him. Thisthen we fee isthe nature of true loue,to reioyce to feethe perfon loued, aduanced, or the thing which wee loue, efleemed;and grieued, to fee eyrherthe perfoner thing folouedtobe cafl downeand contemned. It wasa griete cumto the heathenifh Philofo_ phcrstofee their do&rinenotregarded :werethey fo naouedfor thefmall regardof that earthlie do&rine,whichhad noexa& truth in it,but was mingled with infiniteerrours and vnrruthes, and Ihalfnot wemuchmore bemooed, to fee theword ofGod,whichhat, fo exa& a truth, andno vntruth, contened and little fen by?wherfore when wehavenotthis godly griefs in vs,itis a ma- nifeftargumcnt,thatour loue is vcriecold.For as our loue lathe greater, lòvndoubtcdlie out griefewillbe the greater; and fo as our loue lathe leffe, fowillour gtiefe to feethe thing defaced, be alfo theleffe. Whenwehavemuchdelight in any thing, wee aremuch grieued, and who are more grieued to feethe wordof Godtroden downe,thenthe godlie? becaufe of all other, their delight is moti in it. Not withoutcaufe then is thisloue commended untovs , to be a token of oar zeale,aiad therefore wee fee Pfalin. 67. theChurch prayfeth andprouoketh all the world to peaileGod,when the word had free fucceffe:fuch is the loue ofit tothe wordofGod. Oler tby peoplepraife theeO Godyealet allthepeoplepraife thee.Ob letthe nations reioyceandbeglad,&c. Asthen the childrenofGod thinke themfclues in ioy and profperitie;whenthe word ofGod is in profperítie; fo itbeing in any trouble,death isnot troublefometo them, fothat by their death and faring theymay any thing confirme the truth,and giue countenance tole. The Prophet of God fhewerhhis loue to theword, faying: allm7fringsOLordareinit: meaning that all hisioy,his delightand affe&ions, were wholie fet on the word ofGod.Where- foreiftherebefuch ioy inbauingir,theremuff needsbe great griefein wanting ir. Weare herein greatlieto condemne our felues,thatweareno more thankful! ; forourvothankhdnes bringeth thrsfecretcurie , that weearenomire zealous , andbecaufe ma=can hardlíeindge betweene flefhlie anger , and fpiriruall zeale, (fuch is the rare feelingof this truezeale) they are readieto imagine,ihat ifone be godlyzealous,they ate flraighrwaycarnallieangrie. Hownecef arie a thing therefore it is toknowgodliezeale, all menmayfee: for as weehaue faid,thatthe Lordthreatnethßeuel.3. that enleffe the Laodoceanswould be more zealousand amend,he would fpue themout,that is, he would hauenodelight it them . For fureliethe Lord wouldasleeuehavevsofanotherreligion,as tobefo lukewarae in his true religion. For as a ftornacke is eafilybroughtto provokea vomite byreceiuingfomewhat that is lukewarme:lothe Lord fpuethas it wereoutof his flomacke lukewarmeprofeffours,as them whomby nomeans he can brooke,which isa molt fearefull thing. Weknow that the good FatherElie t.Sam.3.Al- thoughotherwifenodoubt he was the dears ferrantof God, was grieued for the fumes ofhis fonnes,and mourned when the Arke ofGodwas taken,was reprouedby the holyghof:,thatbe Ihouldlotie the glorieof his fonnes more then theglorieof God; becaufe beedid not more fe- verehre, and more zealouflie rebuke hisfonncs,and in that therewanted in him, thatferuencie of fpirit,whereby he fhouldbane cut offhis fonnes from their office; wherefore the hand of God didcutoffhis life , and depriued all hispofleritieof the l rieflhood. Although this good man wasoffended,& grieued with thecoils ofhis fonnes ; yet his coldnesinzeale brought vponhim this plague. Elias ,(whofezeale as much pleafed the Lord,as thecoldnesofDie difpleafed him) was of a feruent (purit; for when the Lord asked himwherehe had beetle, he anftvered:'hastebin zea- lousfor the LordGodof Hoßlsfabe,and whenhecomplained,thac he could findenonewhich had not bowed vinoBaall,the Lord vouchfafethto comfort him , and telleth him, therebe 7000. wincb neuer bonedtheirb>reestobim. Wellbecaufe hecominuedzealous in beatingdowne Ido lactic, Yriallnfo vale.
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