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 7 of 51 (13%)
page 7 of 51 (13%)
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[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: zô], 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 |
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