3g`- 2 An Expofation upon Chap. io. T 1rn.What oft of this diffinAion ? well ; for they thought that ,God his - S 1 L. It admonifheth all to labour I worfhip andLaw,and Moses his fervant, for zeal,but (as they delire not to fin and offend God in their zeal) to rule it according to knowledge. There are three forts of people that doe offend about zeal, and are therefore to be re- proved : First, fuch as be fiark cold, having no zeal at all for Gods wor- fhip,do&rine,and glory. What becomes of thelè things, they are no whit mo- ved, fo they may enjoy their worldly pleafures and profits : fuch a one was Gallia, AO. 18. 17. The fecond fort be lukewarm and indifferent ones, nei- ther hot nor cold , as the Laodieeans, Rev. 3. 15. and the Ifraelites halting be- t wen two, 1 King. 18. 21. The third fort are they, whole zeal is blinde, void of knowledge,and godly wifdom, being rash and intemperate in their a &ions, covering their own carnal affe &ions with the cloak and pretence of glorifying God ; yea too too many be hot in publick reformation, and yet be unreformed privately and in their own perfons,beitig no Difciplinarians at home; but rather do much hurt to the name and Gofpel of Chrift,and give great fcandall to the Church of God, whileft they leap without the bounds of their vocation and all Chriftian du- of it. Secondly, it warns us not to ty and difcretion, whereofthis age and be offended at the prepof}er6us zeal of Church of ours affords us many lamen- many which study to bear out bad table examples,efpeciallyinSeparatifts .'courses with good intentions, and Therefore,as it behoveth all Chriftians countenance their hurt to the truth to be zealous (zeal being commanded and defence of their errors, with fair of God, Rev.3. 19. it being commen -' fhewes of burning zeal, to do fervice ded as a good thing, Gal. 4. 18. and as a to God and his Church : hereofChrist fruit of repentance, 2 Cor. 7. i i. and as fore - warned us, Joh. 16. Laftly,it ex- a part of Chrifis Image, Pb. 2. 17.) yet horts us , that to our good intentions let all men ftrive by camel} prayer, to we joyn good ends, and to our good get godly knowledge joyned to their ends good means,that,all may be good; zeal,to go before it asa quid to condu& not making our own or other mens it, and as an eye to dire& it, both in the opinions or affe &ions the rule of our things to be loved, and in the manner meanings, except they agree with the and f ope oftheir love. rule ofthe Scriptures, even with Gods T i tyi.Wbatis the laff inflruliion out of minde contained therein, without the this verfe? certain clear knowledge whereof, S 1 L.That a good intention is not fuf- through the enlightning of the holy ficient to make ones a &ion to be good. Ghoft,even our prayers,our preaching, ThefeJewes in perfecuting Christ his our thankfgiving, and receiving the Apostles, and their DoEtrine meant holy my fteries,or other duties of religi- on to be wronged by the preaching of the Gofpel; and therefore in killing the Preachers, they should do God good service ;) yet they are blamed here by Paul for rafh proceeding againfi know- ledge. The reafon hereof is, becaufe a mans intention is never good, but when it is built upon a good warrant (to wit) the word of God, and refer- red to a right end, namely, the praise of God. T t M. Can you give us any examples of any who have fwetied from this rule ? S 1 L. Yea, in Vzza, in putting his hand to the Ark, t Sam. ó. 7. of Peterr diffwading Christ to go to Jerufalem, at. 16. 22. of the Apoftles calling r fire from heaven to fall upon the Sa- maritan!, besaufe they would not re- ceive Chrift, Lulu 9. 54. of many Pa- piffs,ftriving for heresies and fuperfti- tions againft the Gospel ; wherein they all think they did well, but in deed and truth were deceived : deeply offending God when they thought to do him beft fervice. T 1 M. What ufe hereof? S 1 L. Firf, it reproves fuch asthink they may do evill that good may come
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=