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 50 of 51 (98%)
page 50 of 51 (98%)
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treason? Doe we thinke he will ever digest us, in the temper wee are in?
which (to confesse the truth of the fashionable Christian) what is it but a state of neutrality, indifferency, or such a mediocrity, as will just serve the time, satisfie Law, or stand with reputation of neighbours? beyond which, if any step a little forward, do not the rest hunt upon the stop? If there hap to breake out a sparkle of zeale in any one house in a parish; is not the whole towne in an uprore, as when the bells ring awke every man brings his bucket, to the quenching of this fire? If hell bee in an Ale-house, who cryes out of it? & as for our Sundayes Church-service, which is all that God gets at our hands; how perfunctorily, and fashionably is it slubbered over; how are his Saboths made the voyder and dung-hill for all refuse businesse, divided betweene the Church and the Ale-house, the May-pole commonly beguiling the Pulpit? What man would not spue to see God thus worshipped? This want of devotion makes the foule mouthed Papists to spet at us: this want of reformation, makes the queasie-stomacked Brownists cast themselves out of the Church; and shall God alwayes suffer the land to beare us? But behold, he stands at the door & knocks, by treasons, by plagues, by the hammer of dearths, discontents, fires, inundations, especially by the word; his locks are wet with waiting. Oh before hee shake off the dust of his feet against us, and turne to some other nation more worthy, let us open the doore, that hee may come in and sup with us; if hee love us, hee will purge us, and scoure us, by one chastizement or other: if hee have no pleasure in us, hee cannot but unburthen his stomacke of us; If all the land besides should turne the deafe eare, yet let mee entreat and charge you of my flock to heare his voyce, & be zealous. Since my comming amongst you, I have handled some bookes of the olde Testament, the Epistles to the Romanes, to the Hebrewes, of Saint _James_, _Peter_ and _John_, out of them taught the doctrine of the Law, of Faith, Love and good Workes: now in the choyce of this Epistle of Christ to |
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