A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale - In a Sermon Preached at a Generall Visitation at Ipswich by Samuel Ward
page 22 of 51 (43%)
page 22 of 51 (43%)
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Fourthly, zeale is the richest evidence of faith, and the cleerest
demonstration of the Spirit: The Baptisme of water, is but a cold proofe of a mans Christendome; being common to all commers: but if any bee baptized with fire, the same is sealed up to the day of Redemption. If any shall say, friend, what doest thou professe a religion without it; how can hee choose but bee strucke dumb? Can wee suppose worme-wood without bitternesse, a man without reason? then may wee imagine a religion, and a Christian, without spirit and zeale. The Jesuite saith, I am zealous; the Separatist, I am zealous; their plea is more probable, then the lukewarme worldlings, that serve God without life. If the colour bee pale and wan, and the motion insensible, the party is dead or in a swoune; if good and swift, wee make no question. The zealous Christian is never to seeke for a proofe of his salvation: what makes one Christian differ from another in grace, as starrs doe in glory; but zeale? All beleevers have a like precious faith: All true Christians have all graces in their seedes; but the degrees of them are no way better discerned then by zeale: Men of place distinguish themselves, by glistering pearles: A Christian of degrees shines above other in zeale. Comparisons I know are odious to the world, that faine would have all alike: but the righteous is better then his neighbour: All Christians are the excellent of the earth, the Zelot surmounteth them all, as _Saul_ the people by the head and shoulders; hee is ever striving to excell and exceeds others and himselfe. One of these is worth a thousand others, one doth the worke of many: which made him speake of _Elisha_ in the plurall number, _The horsemen and Charriots of Israel_; besides his owne worke, hee winns and procures others, makes Proselytes. It is the nature of fire to multiply, one coale kindles another: his worke so shines, that others come in and |
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