Samuel Ward - A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale
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Samuel Ward >> A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale
A COAL FROM THE ALTAR,
TO KINDLE THE holy fire of _Zeale_.
In a Sermon preached at a generall _Visitation at Ipswich._
By SAM WARD Bach. of Divinity.
_The third Edition, corrected and much amended._
[Greek: Theo kai humin]
_LONDON_,
Printed by _E.G._ for _Joyce Macham_, widow; and are to bee sold in
Pauls Church yard, at the signe of _Time_, 1628
To my reverend Friend Mr. SAMUEL WARD.
_Sir, your Sermon which I copied partly from your mouth, and partly from
your notes, I have adventured into the light; encouraged by the
approbation, and earnest entreaty of such, whose judgements you
reverence, and whose love you embrace: who also have made bolde heere
and there to varie some things, not of any great consequence, if I can
judge. I was loth to smoother such fire in my brest; but to vent it, to
enflame others. If you shall blame me, I know others will thanke mee.
What I have done, is out of Zeale to God and his Church._
Your affectionate friend,
_Ambrose Wood._
Revel. 3. 19. _Be zealous._
[Sidenote: Mat. 24. 12.]
[Sidenote: 1 Kin. 1. 1.]
This watch-word of Christ, if it be not now a word in season, I know not
when ever it was, or will bee: Would he now vouchsafe to bestow a letter
upon his Church heere on earth; should hee need to alter the tenour of
this? which being the last, to the last of the seaven Churches, why may
it not (saith an Ancient, upon this text) typifie the estate of the last
Age of his Churches? the coldnesse whereof himselfe hath expressely
foretolde. And if God should now send through he earth such surveying
Angels as _Zacharie_ mentions, chapter 1. Could they returne any other
observation of their travailes then theirs; _The whole world lies in
lukewarmnesse?_ which makes mee often in my thoughts proportion these
ends of time, to the like period of _Davids_ age, when no cloathes were
enough to keepe heare in him. _Faith_ I grant is a more radicall,
vitall, and necessary grace; but yet not so wholly out of _grace_ with
the times, as poore _Zeale_; which yet if by any meanes it might once
againe be reduced into favour and practice, before Time sets, and bee no
more; I doubt not but Christ would also yet once againe in this evening
of the world, come and _Sup_ with us; A favour including all other in
it.
[Sidenote: 2]
My desire especially is, that this our Iland might take it to it selfe,
as well as if it had by name beene directed to it; what would it hurt us
to make an especiall benefit and use of it? Some of our owne, have so
applyed it; (whether out of their judgements, or affections, I say not.)
Learned _Fulk_ marvels if it were not by a Propheticall spirit penned
for us: others more resolutely have made it a singular type of purpose
for us. Their warrant I know not; especially if it bee true which all
travellers tell you, _That they finde more zeale at home then abroad._
We are I grant in sundry respects equall to _Laodicea_: Even the very
names thereof, as well the first and oldest in regard of the blessings
of God, [Greek: Dios polis] Gods Darling, as the later in regard of good
Lawes and Civility, _Laodicea_, How well doe they become us? As rich as
they, and that in the very same commodity of woolls; _Abounding as they_
with many learned _Zenoes_ & bountifull _Hieroes_; _Parallel_ in all
regards; I would I could say lukewarmnesse excepted. But I must bee a
faithfull and true witnesse, and yet this is all I have to say; It was,
as I conceive, _Laodicea's_ complexion and not her constitution, her
practice not her orders, personall lukewarmnesse not legall, which
Christ strikes at. That fault I finde in my text, the same I finde in
our common Christians, whose spirituall condition, and state is too
like the externall situation of our Country, between the Torrid, and the
Frigid Zones; neither hot nor colde: and so like _Laodicea_, that if wee
take not warning, or warming, we may, I feare, in time come to be spued
out of Gods mouth.
[Sidenote: 3]
For this present assembly of Ministers, could all the choice and time in
the world have better fitted mee then mine ordinarie Lot? If fire bee
set upon the Beacons, will not the whole Countrey soone be warned and
enlightned?
[Sidenote: 4]
For my selfe also, mee thinkes it will better beseeme my yeeres to heat,
then to teach my Ancients; to enkindle their affections, then to enforme
their judgements. And whereas _Paul_ bids _Titus_ preach zeale with all
authoritie; though in mine owne name I crave your patience, and
audience, yet in his name that is the first of the creatures, and
_Amen_, I counsell him that hath an eare, to heare what the Spirit saith
to the Churches;
[Greek: Zeloson], _Be Zealous._
_A Coale from the Altar._
Revel. 3.19. [Greek: Zeloson]: _Be Zealous._
Zeale hath been little practized, lesse studied: this heavenly fire hath
ever beene a stranger upon earth. Few in all ages that have felt the
heat of it, fewer that have knowne the nature of it. A description will
rake it out of the embers of obscurity: and it may be that many when
they shall know it better, will better affect it.
2. Zeale hath many counterfets and allies. There are many strange fires
which having sought to carry away the credit of it, have brought in an
ill name upon it: from these it would bee distinguished.
3. Zeale is every where spoken against it hath many enemies and few
friends: the world can no more abide it, then beasts can the elementary
fire, the rebukes of many have falne upon it, the Divell weaves cunning
lies to bring downe the honour of it. Oh that wee could raise and
maintaine it, by setting forth the deserved praise of it; and challenge
it from the false imputations of such as hate it without a cause.
4. Zeale hath in this our earthly molde, little fuell, much quench-coale,
is hardly fired, soone cooled. A good Christian therefore would bee glad
to know the Incentives and preservatives of it, which might enkindle it,
enflame it, feed it, and revive it when it is going out.
5. Zeale in the worlds opinion, is as common as fire on every mans
hearth, no mans heart without zeale, if every man might be his owne
judge; If most might be heard there is too much of it; but the contrary
will appear if the right markes bee taken, and the true rules of triall
and conviction bee observed, and the heart thereby examined.
6. Zeale generally handled will break as lightning in the aire, and seize
upon no subject: Application must set it on mens harts, and exhortation
warme this old and colde age of the world, chiefly this temperate
climate of our nation.
_First Part_.
It was sayd of olde, that zeale was an _Intension of love_: of late,
that it is a compound of _love and anger, or indignation_.
The Ancients aimed right, and shot neere, if not somwhat with the
shortest. The moderne well discovered the use and exercise of more
affections, then love, within the fathome and compasse of zeale; but in
helping that default, went themselves somewhat wide, and came not close
to the marke: which I ascribe not to any defect of eye-sight in those
sharpe sighted Eagles; but onely to the want of fixed contemplation. And
to speake truth, I have oft wondered why poore _Zeale_, a vertue so high
in Gods books, could never be so much beholding to mens writings as to
obtain a just treatise, which hath beene the lot of many particular
vertues of inferiour worth; a plaine signe of too much under-value and
neglect.
Hee that shall stedfastly view it, shall finde it not to bee a degree or
intension of love, or any single affection (as the _Schooles_ rather
confined then defined zeale) neither yet any mixt affection (as the
later, rather compounded then comprehended the nature of it) but an _hot
temper, higher degree or intension of them all_. As varnish is no one
color, but that which gives glosse & lustre to all; So the opposites of
zeale, key-coldnes and lukewarmnesse, which by the Law of contraries
must bee of the same nature, are no affections, but severall tempers of
them all.
[Sidenote: Acts 26. 7.]
_Paul_ warrants this description where hee speakes of the twelve Tribes.
_They served God with intension or vehemency_.
The roote shewes the nature of the branch. Zeale comes of [Greek: zo],
a word framed of the very sound and hissing noise, which hot coales or
burning iron make when they meete with their contrary. In plaine
English, zeale is nothing but heate: from whence it is, that zealous men
are oft in Scripture sayd to burne in the spirit. [Greek: zeontes
pneumati].
Hee that doth moderately or remisly affect any thing, may be stiled
_Philemon_, a lover; he that earnestly or extreamely, _Zelotes_, a
zelot; who to all the objects of his affections, is excessively and
passionately disposed, his love is ever fervent, his desires eager, his
delights ravishing, his hopes longing, his hatred deadly, his anger
fierce, his greefe deep, his feare terrible. The Hebrewes expresse these
Intensions by doubling the word. This being the nature of zeale in
generall, Christian zeale of which wee desire onely to speake, differs
from carnall and worldly, chiefly in the causes and objects.
It is a spirituall heate wrought in the heart of man by the holy Ghost,
improoving the good affections of love, joy, hope, &c. for the best
service and furtherance of Gods glory, with all the appurtenances
thereof, his word, his house, his Saints and salvation of soules: using
the contrarie of hatred, anger, greefe, &c as so many mastives to flie
upon the throat of Gods enemies, the Divell, his Angels, sinne, the
world with the lusts thereof. By the vertue wherof a _Zealot_ may runne
through all his affections, and with _David_, breath zeale out of every
pipe, after this manner for a taste;
[Sidenote: Psalme Love.]
_How doe I love thy Law (O Lord) more then the hony or the hony-combe,
more then thousands of silver and gold!_
[Sidenote: Hatred.]
_Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred._
[Sidenote: Joy.]
_Thy testimonies are my delight: I rejoyce more in them, then they that
finde great spoyles, more then in my appoynted food._
[Sidenote: Grief.]
_Mine eyes gush out rivers of teares. Oh that my head were a fountain of
teares, because they destroy thy Law._
[Sidenote: Hope.]
_Mine eyes are dimme with wayting: how doe I long for thy salvation?_
[Sidenote: Feare.]
_Thy judgements are terrible, I tremble and quake, etc._
Look what pitch of affection the naturall man bestowes upon his dearest
darling, what unsatiable thirst the covetous worldling upon his Mammon,
the ambitious upon his honour, the voluptuous upon his pleasure; the
same the Christian striveth in equall, yea, (if possible) farre
exceeding tearmes to convert and conferre upon God and his worship.
In briefe, to open a little crevise of further light, and to give a
little glimpse of heat: Zeale is to the soule, that which the spirits
are to the bodie; wine to the spirits, putting vigour and agility into
them. Whence comes that elegant Antithesis in the Scripture. _Bee not
drunke with wine wherein is excesse, but be filled with the Spirit._
[Sidenote: Ser. 41. in Can. 49.]
[Sidenote: Acts 2.]
Christ is sayd to lead his Spouse into the wine-cellar: which Simily
_Bernard_ delighting oft to repeat, in two or three Sermons interprets
of a speciall measure of zeale inspired into his Church. Thus (saith
hee) Christ led his Disciples into the wine cellar on the day of
Pentecost; and filled them, and the house with such zeale as they came
forth like Giants refreshed with wine, and seemed to the people as men
drunke with new wine.
[Sidenote: Heb. 1. 7.]
It is to the soule, as wings to the foule: this also is a Scripture
embleme to picture the Angels with wings, as in the hangings of the
Temple, and in the visions of the revelation, in token of their ardent
and zealous execution of Gods will: whence also they have their name
_Seraphim_; hee maketh his ministers a flame of fire.
To this fire and these wings, which we in the Lords prayer desire to
imitate, there is nothing in us answerable but our zeale; as wheeles to
the charriot: which makes us not goe, but runne the wayes of Gods
Commandements, and so runne that we may obtaine. As sailes to the ship,
and winde to the sailes, to which alludes the phrase so frequent in
Scripture, _Plerophorie_.
As courage to the souldier, mettle to the horse, dust to the ground,
which makes it bring forth much fruit, yea an hundredfold: vivacity to
all creatures. To conclude this, this is that celestiall fire which was
shadowed out unto us by that poore element in comparison, and beggarly
rudiment, the fire (I meane) of such necessary use in the law, which
rather then it should be wanting, the Lord caused it to descend from
heaven, that it might cause the Sacrifices to ascend thither againe, as
a sweet incense unto the Lord, without which no burnt offering was
acceptable.
_The Second Part._
But now, as then, there are certaine false fires, abhominable to God,
odious to men, dangerous to the _Nadabs_ and _Abihues_ that meddle with
them, bringing thereby coales upon their owne heads, & ill favor upon
all their services; & not onely so, but that which is worse, an ill
report and surmize even on those that offer the right fire, & serve the
Lord in spirit and truth: yet for their sakes is the name of zeale
blasphemed all the day long.
Against these, as then, so now severe caveats and cleere distinctions
must bee laid, lest such as have not their senses exercised to put a
difference, mistake poysonfull weedes for wholesome hearbes, to their
owne destruction; and for the sake of the one, revile the other to the
wrong of God and his Saints.
It fares not otherwise with the soule then with the body: besides the
native & radicall heat, the principall instrument of life, there are
aguish and distempered heats, the causes of sicknesse and death.
To discerne of those, requires some skill and judgement: yet a good
Empirick, a Christian of experience will give a shrewd ghesse at them,
the easier & the better if he marke these following signes and
symptomes, common to all the kinds of false zeale, here also following.
[Sidenote: 1 Ostentation.]
First, they are deeply sicke of the pharisaicall humor, they love to be
seene of men, and say with _Jehu, Come and see how zealous I am for the
Lord of hosts_: they proclaime their almes with a trumpet, paint their
good deedes upon Church windowes, engrave their legacies upon tombes,
have their acts upon record: Thus, Comets blaze more then fixed Starres.
Aguish heats breede flushings, & are more seen in the face, then natural
warmth at the heart. Schollers count hiding of Art the best Art: the
godly man studies by all meanes how to conceale the one hand from the
other, in doing well; hiding of zeale is the best zeale.
Secondly, of _Ahabs_ disease exceeding in externall humiliation,
affected gestures, passionate sighes, lowdnesse of voyce, odde attires &
such like: These know how to rend the garment, hang the head with the
bulrush, to whip and launce their skinnes with _Baals_ Priests; and yet
strangers to a wounded spirit: not but that true and hearty zeale doth
lift up the eyes, knocke the breast, dance before the Arke. Therefore
this character may deceive the unwarie; Let _Ely_ take heede of judging
_Hanna's_ Spirit rashly by the mooving of her lips: yet hypocrites so
usually straine nature and without a cause exceed, and that in publique,
and upon the stage, that for the most part, their actions and affections
are palpable: as _Jesuites, Cappuchins_, &c. yea in many histrionicall
Protestants: Horse-coursers jades will bound, curvet and shew more
tricks, then a horse well mettled for the rode or cart.
[Sidenote: 3 Complementall.]
Thirdly, you may know them by their diligence and curiositie in lighter
matters joyned with omission and neglect of greater, wise in
circumstance, and carelesse in substance, tithing mint, straining at
gnats, &c. In all cheape and easie duties, prodigall: niggardly &
slothfull in the waighty things of the Law: these have at command good
words, countenance, yea teares from their eyes, sooner then a farthing
from their purse, having this worlds goods, and see their brother want;
these sticke up feathers for the carcasse, beguiling the simple,
couzening the world, but cheefly themselves.
[Sidenote: 4 Pragmaticall.]
[Sidenote: 5 Censorious.]
[Sidenote: 6 Cruell.]
Fourthly, these fires cannot keepe themselves within their owne hearths,
these spirits cannot keepe themselves within their owne circles. True
zeale loves to keepe home, studieth to bee quiet in other mens Dioces:
false zeale loves to be gadding, is eagle-ey'd abroad and mole-ey'd at
home: Insteed of burning bright and shining cleere; like brinish lights,
they sparkle & spet at others, or like ill couched fire-workes let fly
on all sides: onely out of their wisdome they know how to spare _Agag_
and the great ones, and bee sure they anger not their great Masters, and
meddle with their matches: whereas it is the property of fire that comes
from above, to spare the yeelding sheath, and melt the resisting
mettall, to passe by the lower roofes, and strike the towred pinacle, as
_Nathan, David; Elias, Ahab; John, Herod; Jonas, Ninivie; &c._ Note
also in all their proceeding with others, in steede of wholesome
severity (which rightly zealous men never come unto but by compulsion,
and not without compassion of the offender, weeping with _Moses_ and
_Samuel_ over the people, beeing sory with the Emperour, that they know
how to write sentences of condemnation) These delight in cruelty, the
brand of the Malignant Church; feede their eyes with Massacres, as the
Queene-mother. No diet so pleasing to these ravening wolves, as the
warme blood of the sheepe. These are they that cry fire and fagot, away
with them, not worthy to live, their very mercies are cruelty:
especially in their owne cause, they heat the fornace seaven times
hotter then in Gods.
[Sidenote: 7 Variable and inconstant.]
Lastly, these Meteors and Vapours have no constant light, or continued
heat (as the fixed starres ever like themselves) but have onely their
aguish fits, & lunatick moods; sometimes in adversity they are good
under the rod, as _Pharaoh_, againe in prosperity like the fat kine of
_Bashan_, ingratefull and forgetfull: sometimes in prosperity when the
sunne of peace shineth on them, & the favourable influence of great
ones, they shoot foorth their blade with the corne on the house top,
running with the streame, & sayling with the winde; sometimes their
zeale depends upon the life of _Jehoiada_; sometimes on the company of
the Prophets: commonly in the beginning they blaze like straw-fire, but
in the end goe out in smoake and smother; whereas in their entrance into
profession, they galloped into shewes, and made some girds at hand, they
tire, give in, and end in the flesh, whereas all naturall motions are
swiftest toward their end.
[Sidenote: Be not over just hath 7. expositions heere 2. or 3. more
hereafter.]
The vestall fires were perpetuall, and the fire of the Altar never went
out. Spices and wefts of these evills may bee found in the sincerest
Christians: but they suffer not these dead flies to lie and putrefie in
the precious boxes of true zeale; of all these the Preachers caveat may
be construed, _Be not over just_, though it may also admit other
interpretations, as after shall appeare.
These are the speciall notes and symptomes of strange fires: the kinds
also are many, and might be distributed into many heads; but I will
reduce them into three, which are known by their names. [Greek:
pseudozelos], _counterfet Zeale, false fire_. [Greek: tuphlos zelos]
_blinde Zeale, smoakie fire, or fooles fire, ignis fatuus_. [Greek:
pikros zelos], _turbulent Zeale, wilde fire_.
The first, wanting truth and sincerity, propounds sinister ends.
The second, knowledge and discretion, takes wrong wayes.
The third, love and humility, exceeds measure.
The first abounds amongst subtile & crafty professours, and is to be
abhorred and detected.
The second among simple & devout, is to be pitied and directed.
The third amongst passionate and affectionate, and is to bee moderated
and corrected.
The first is the meere vizor of zeale, looking asquint one way and
tending another; pretending God and his glory, intending some private
and sinister end; first, either of honour and promotion, as _Jehu_, who
marched furiously, and his word was the Lord of hosts, but his project
was the kingdome.
Secondly, at filthy lucre: as _Demetrius_ and his followers, who cried
great is _Diana_ of Ephesus; but meant her little silver shrines. It
cannot bee denied, but many such there were, who helped to pull downe
the Abbyes; not out of any hatred to those uncleane cages, but to reare
their owne houses out of the ruines, and spoyled copes to make cushions.
_Judas_ complained of superfluity, but greeved it fell besides his bag:
many hold temporalities tithes and glebes, unlawfull, because they are
loth to forgo them: If _Jezebel_ proclaime a Fast, let _Naboth_ looke to
his vine-yard; If the Usurer & Trades-man frequent Sermons, let the
buyer & borrower look to themselves. It is too common a thing to make
zeale a lure & stale, to draw customers; a bait of fraud, a net to
entrap; with malicious _Doegs_, to make it a stalking horse for revenge
against the Priest, thereby to discharge their gall at Ministers and
other Christians, for the omission and commission of such things, as
themselves care not for; with the _Strumpet_ in the Proverbs, to wipe
their mouthes, and frequent the Sacrifices, that they may be free from
suspicion.
All these evils, have I seene under the sunne-shine of the Gospell: but
by how much, zeale is more glorious then common profession, by so much
is dissembled fervency more detestable then usuall hypocrisie; yea, no
better then divellish villany & double iniquity: such painted walles and
whited sepulchers, the Lord will breake downe. Let all _Timothies_ &
_Nathanaels_ learne to descry them, and discard them: The cure of this
was deepely forelayd by Christ; _I counsell thee to buy gold tried in
the fire_: all is not gold that glistereth, an image of faith breeds but
a shew of zeale; many seemed to trust in Christ, but Christ would not
trust them: but such faith as will abide the fire, brings foorth zeale
that will abide the touch-stone.
[Sidenote: [Greek: kakozelia].]
The second is erroneous or blinde zeale, not according to knowledge,
Rom. 10. I beare many devout Papists witnesse (though I feare the
learnedst of them be selfe-condemned) that they have this zeale,
perswading themselves they doe God best service, when they please
the Divell most in their will-worship. The same witnesse I
beare many _Seperatists_; though I feare most of them be sicke of
selfe-conceitednesse, newfanglenesse, and desire of mastership: for who
would not suspect such zeale, which condemnes all reformed Churches,
and refuseth communion with such as they themselves confesse to bee
Christians, and consequentely such as have communion with Christ? It
would greeve a man indeede, to see zeale misplaced, like mettle in a
blinde horse; to see men take such paines, and yet fall into the pit.
This made _Paul_ to wish himselfe _Anathema_, for the sake of such; and
yet the multitude and common people, reason thus; Is it possible but
these men have the right? But alas, how should it bee otherwise, when a
blinde company will follow a blinde sect-master; This being one property
of blinde zeale, a fond admiration and apish imitation of some person,
for some excellency they see in him, which so dazles their eyes, that
they cannot discerne their errours and infirmities, which they oftner
inherit then their vertues; as appeares in the _Lutherans_ and the
Jewes, that would sacrifice their children to _Molech_, in imitation of
_Abraham_: In these the Divell becomes an Angell of light, and playeth
that Dragon, Revel. 12. powring out flouds of persecution against the
Church, causing devout men and women, to raise tragedies, breath out
threatnings, and persecute without measure; then these the Divell hath
no better soldiers: but when their scales fall from their eyes, and they
come into Gods tents; God hath none like unto them. The cure of this
divinely is forelayd by Christ also, to buy eye-salve of him; Angells
have eyes as well as wings to guide their flight: when the ship is under
saile, and hath the freshest way; it hath most neede to looke to the
sterage, keep the watch, have an eye to the Compasse and land-marks.
The third kinde is turbulent zeale, called by _James_ bitter zeale, a
kinde of wilde-fire transporting men beyond all bounds and compasse of
moderation; proceeding sometime of a weaknesse of nature in men, that
have no stay of their passion, like to Clockes whose springs are broken,
and Cities whose walls are down. Zeale is a good servant, but an ill
master: mettle is dangerous in a head-strong horse. And so the Poets
(which were the Heathens Prophets) shadowed out the cure of this, in
_Minerva's_ golden bridle, wherewith she menaged her winged _Pegasus_.
There is too much of this bitter zeale, of this _Hierapicra_ in all our
bookes of controversies: but especially there hath been too much in our
domesticall warrs; some sonns of _Bichri_ have blowen the trumpet of
contention, trumpets of anger; the Churches of God should have no such
custome: Oh that our Churches understood that saying.
