← Back to the beginning of A Godly Man Is a Zealous Man
5 True zeal causeth fervency in duty, Rom. 12. 11. fervent in3 spirit: Zeal makes us hear with reverence, pray with affection, love with ardency. God kindled Moses his sacrifice from heaven, Lev. 9. 24. There came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offering: when we are zealous in devotion, and our heart waxeth hot within us, here is a fire from heaven kindling our sacrifice: how odious is it for a man to be all fire when he is sinning, and all yee when he is praying: A pious heart, like water seething hot, boils over in holy affections.
- True zeal is never out of breath; though it be violent, ‘tis perpetual; no waters can quench the flame of zeal, it is torrid in the frigid zone: The heat of zeal is like the natural heat coming from the heart, which lasts as long as life: That zeal which is not constant, was never true.
Use 1. Use 1. How opposite are they to godliness who cry down zeal,4 and count it a Religious phrensie? They are for the light of knowledge, but not for the heat of zeal. When Basil was earnest in preaching against the Arrian Heresie, it was interpreted folly and dotage. Religion is a matter requires zeal; the Kingdom of heaven will not be taken but by violence, Mat. 12. 11.
Object. But why so much fervour in Religion? what becomes then of Prudence?
Answ. Though Prudence be to direct zeal, yet not to destroy it; because sight is requisite, must the body therefore have no heat? If Prudence be the eye in Religion, zeal is the heart.
Quest. But where is moderation?
Answ. Though moderation in things of indifferency be commendable, and doubtless it would much tend to the setling the peace of the Church; yet in the main Articles of Faith, wherein Gods glory and our Salvation lie at stake, here moderation is nothing else but sinful neutrality: It was Calvins advice to Melancthon, that he should not so affect the name of moderate, that at length he lost all his zeal.
Object. But the Apostle presseth moderation, Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known to all?
Answ. The Apostle speaks there of moderating our passion; the Greek word for5 moderation, signifies candour, and meekness, opposite to rash (Beza) anger; and so the word is rendred in another place6 Patient, 1 Tim. 3. 3. By moderation then, is meant meekness of spirit; and that is clear by the subsequent words, The Lord is at hand: As if the Apostle had said, avenge not your selves, for the Lord is at hand, he is ready to avenge your personal wrongs, but this doth not at all hinder, but that in matters of Religion a Christian should be zealous.
2 What strangers are they to godliness,7 who have no zeal for the glory of God? they can see his ordinances despised, his worship adulterated, yet their spirits are not at all stirred in them. How many are of a dull, lukewarm temper, zealous for their own secular interest, but have no zeal for the things of heaven; hot in their own cause, but cool in Gods. The Lord doth most abominate lukewarm professours, I had almost said, hee is sick of them, Rev. 3. 15. I would thou wert cold or hot, (any thing but lukewarm) but because thou art neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth: A lukewarm Christian is but dough-baked, just like Ephraim, Hos. 7. 8. Ephraim is a cake not turned: To keep up a form of Religion without zeal, is to be like those bodies the Angels assumed, which mooved, but had no life in them. I would ask these Tepid neutral professors this question, If Religion be not a good cause, why did they undertake it at first? if it be, why do they go so faintly about it? why have they no more holy ardours of soul? these persons would fain go to heaven in a soft bed, but are loath to bee carried thither in a fiery Chariot of zeal. Remember, God will be zealous against them, who are not zealous; he provides the fire of hell, for those that want the fire of zeal.
Use 2.8 As you would be found in the catalogue of the godly, labour for zeal; as good bee of no religion, as not to be zealous in religion. Beware of carnal policy; This is one of those three things which Luther feared would bee the death of9 Religion. Some men have been too wise to bee saved. Their discretion hath quenched their zeal; beware of stoth, which is an enemy to zeal, be zealous and repent Rev. 3. 19. Christians, what do you reserve your zeal for? is it for your gold that perisheth? or for your lusts that will make you perish? can you bestow your zeal better, than upon God? how zealous have men been in a false religion? Isa. 46. 6. They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the ballance. The Iews did spare no cost in their idolatrous worship, nay, Ier. 32. 35. They cause their Sons and Daughters to pass thorow the fire to Molech. They were so zealous in their idol-worship, that they would sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to their false Gods; how far did the purblinde Heathens go in their false zeal? […] the Tribunes of Rome complained they wanted gold in their Treasuries, to offer to Apollo, the Roman Matrons plucked off their chains of gold, and rings, and bracelets, and gave them to the Priests to offer up (Livy) sacrifice: were these so zealous in their sinful worship, and will not you bee zealous in the worship of the true God? can you loose any thing by your zeal? shall it not bee super-abundantly recompenced? what is heaven worth? what is a sight of God worth? was not Jesus Christ zealous for you? he sweat drops of blood, hee conflicted with his Fathers wrath; how zealous was hee for your redemption, and have you no zeal for him? is there any thing you your selves hate more than dulness and slothfulness in your servants? you are weary of such servants; do you dislike a dull temper in others, and not in your selves? what are all your duties without zeal, but non entia, meer fancies and nullities.
Do you know what a glorious thing zeal is? it is the lustre that sparkles from grace, it is the flame of10 love; it resembles the Holy Ghost, Act. 2. 2. There appeared cloven tongues like fire, which sat upon them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Tongues of fire, were an Emblem to represent that fire of zeal which the spirit powred upon them.
Zeal makes all our religious performances prevalent with God: When the iron is red hot, it enters best; and when our services are red hot with zeal, they soonest pierce heaven.