The true Zelot, whose fervency is in the spirit, not in shew; in substance not in circumstance; for God, not himselfe; guided by the word, not with humours; tempered with charity, not with bitternesse: such a mans praise is of God though not of men: such a mans worth cannot bee set foorth with the tongues of men and Angells.
Oh that I had so much zeale, as to steep it in it owne liquour; to set it forth in it owne colours, that the Lord would touch my tongue with a coale from his Altar, that I might regaine the decayed credit of it, with the sons of men.
[Sidenote: 1. From God's excellency whom zeale only becomes unworthily placed elsewhere.]
It is good to bee zealous in a good things: and is it not best, in the best? or is there any better then God, or the kingdome of heaven? Is it comely what ever we do, to do it with all our might? onely uncomely when wee serve God? Is meane and mediocrity, in all excellent Arts excluded, and onely to be admitted in religion? Were it not better to forbeare _Poetry_ or _Painting_, then to rime or dawbe? and were it not better to bee of no religion, then to be colde or lukewarme in any? Is it good to be earnest for a friend, & cold for the Lord of hosts? For whom doest thou reserve the top of thy affections? for thy gold? for thy _Herodias_, &c. O yee adulterers and adultresses, can yee offer God a baser indignity? What ayleth the world? Is it afrayd thinke we, that God can have too much love; who in regard of his owne infinite beauty, & the beames he vouchsafeth to cast upon us, deserves the best, yea all, and a thousand times more then all? Ought not all the springs and brookes of our affection, to runne into this Maine? may not hee justly disdaine, that the least Riveret should bee drained another way? that any thing in the world should bee respected before him, equalled with him, or loved out of him, of whom, for whom, and through whom are all things? Who, or what can bee sufficient for him our Maker and Saviour? In other objects feare excesse: here no extasie is high enough.
[Sidenote: 2. From his spirituall nature.]
Consider and reason thus with thy selfe (O man) canst thou brooke a sluggard in thy worke, if thou bee of any spirit thy selfe? is not a slothfull messenger as vinegar to thy teeth, and as smoake to thine eyes? Hast thou any sharpnesse of wit, is not dulnesse tedious unto thee? And shall hee that is all spirit (for whom the Angels are slow and colde enough) take pleasure in thy drowzie and heavie service? Doe men choose the forwardest Deere in the heard, and the liveliest Colt in the drove? and is the backwardest man fittest for God? Is not all his delight in the quickest and cheerefullest givers and servitors? Even to _Judas_ he saith, That thou doest, doe quickely; so odious is dulnesse unto him: what else mooved him to ordaine, that the necke of the consecrated Asse should bee broken, rather then offered up in sacrifice; doth God hate the Asse? Or is it not for the sake of the quality of the creature; which hath ever among the Heathens beene an _Hieroglyphick_ of heavinesse and tardity?