A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 50 pages of information about A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale.

A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 50 pages of information about A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale.
practice:  An Art lately so taught, as I shall neede onely to poynt at the choyce theames, suiting and furthering this argument.  I need not goe far to fetch this fire:  I may strike it out of every word of this Epistle to Laodicea.  Behold the Lord God, especially thy Lord Christ in his glorious titles and Majesty; for so hee beginnes his visions to John; and his Epistles to the Churches, exciting their dull hearts.  By such apparitions did hee set on fire the heart of Moses in the burning bush; and enflamed Stephan, his first Martyr:  answerable and proportionable to which, are our serious contemplations.  Behold him as one that seeth thee, and knoweth thy workes; the rouzing preface of all these Letters. Casars eye made his souldiers prodigall of their blood.  The Atheist thinks God takes as much notice of him and his prayers, as hee doth of the humming of Flyes and Bees; and therefore, no marvell if his service bee formall and fashionable.  The faithfull Christian by faiths prospective sees him at home, and heares him saying, Well done thou good servant; which maketh him to worke out his heart.  Behold him as the beginning of creatures, especially of the new creature.  Oh! what love hath hee shewed thee in thy redemption? out of what misery, into what happinesse, by what a price, to what end; but that thou shouldest bee zealous of good workes?  Behold him as the faithfull witnesse, that witnessed himselfe for thee a good witnesse, and heere faithfully counsels thee to follow his patterne.  Behold him as a speedie and royall rewarder of his followers.  Take thy selfe into paradise, represent to thy selfe thy crowne, thy throne, thy white robes; looke not on the things that are seene, but on the farre most excellent wait of glory; looke upon these, and faint if thou canst.  Behold also hee is a consuming fire, a zealous God, hating lukewarmnesse not onely destroying Sodome with fire and brimstone, and providing Tophet for his enemies; but awaking also his drowzie servants, by judgements (as Absolon Joab by firing his corne) his Israelites by fiery serpents:  whom hee loveth, hee chasteneth, and keepeth them in the fornace of fiery trialls, till they come to their right temper.  Hee standeth and knocketh:  if nothing will arouze us, a time will come, when heaven and earth shall burne with fire, and Christ shall come in flaming fire, to render vengeance with fire unquenchable.  Wee therefore that know the terrour of that day, What manner of persons ought we to bee?

From God turne thine eyes unto man:  set before thee the pillar, and clowde of fiery examples, that have led us the way into Canaan.  Hee is but a dull lade that will not follow:  The stories of the Scriptures, the lives of the Fathers, the acts and monuments of the Church, have a speciall vertue for this effect.  The very pictures of the fires, and Martyrs, cannot but warme thee.  If thou canst meete with any living examples, follow them, as they

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