A DIVINE project TO SAVE A kingdom: Opened In a Sermon to the Right honourable the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen, of the city of London, at their Anniversary meeting on Easter Monday, Apr. 22. 1644. at Christ-Church.  
By STEPHEN Martial, B. D. Minister of God's Word at Finchingfield in Essex.  JER. 5. 1. 
Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it.  REV. 3. 19 
Be zealous therefore, and repent.  
Imprimatur, Charles Herle.  
London Printed by Richard Cotes, for Stephen Bowtell, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Bible in Popes-head-Alley, 1644.   

TO THE RIGHT honourable The Lord Maior, & Court of Aldermen, of the famous city of London.  
Lukewarm Laodicea by some hath been made England's emblem, and suitably enough, not so much to the cold climate, and this cool evening of the world we live in, as to the tepid spring of our reformation at first, especially to the decaying autumn, which of late years we were come to. But as cold oft breeds an inflammation, so this hath enkindled God's wrath, and it these sad combustions, which we are already well-nigh consumed with: what remains now therefore but that fire should take out fire, the kindly warmth of holy zeal, the woeful heat of this devouring fire, that it may not come to everlasting burnings? Great is the honour that God in this kind hath conferred upon you, and great the blessings which he hath to this whole land conveyed by you: Your Engines not more admirable to quench fire in your city, than your care, cost, and blood freely useful to the extinguishing of the general scare-fire of this whole kingdom: your zeal herein hath saved many, provoked more, hath under God been as a wall of fire about us, and will be for ever a more sparkling Diamond in your crown, than those stones 
Ezek 24. 14:  of fire in the King of tires Diadem. The Ministers Lungs some make the prophet's bellows to blow up a dying fire, I desired 
Jer 6. 29.  that mine in preaching this Sermon might help to blow up yours to a yet brighter flame; and if this further publishing of it (at your request) may any whit serve to keep still alive this holy fire on the Altar of your hearts, whilst Incendiaries set on fire from hell, are everywhere shooting fiery bullets to set all into a further combustion, I am but subservient to my great Master in his present work, who is now purging the blood of our Jerusalem out of the midst of it, by the spirit of judgement and burning; Fervet opus, and then I know you will not cool. 
Isa 4 4.   
It's reformation, work, and the examples of Phinehas, Elias, John Baptist, Luther, Knox, and those other great reformers tell us it requires zeal. Baruch was a great repairer of Jerusalem's walls, but it is said of him, that flagrante animo instauravit, 
Nehem 3 20. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}  he repaired fast, but it was when he was hot upon it.  
It is God's work, and they must be fervent in spirit that would serve the Lord, who had rather we should let his work alone, 
Rom. 12. 11.  then see us freeze at it, it is his zeal that must now do all for us, and therefore he expects that our zeal should do what 
Hab. 97. 37. 32  we can for him.  
It is Christ's work and cause, who is willing to redeem us, but that we might be a people zealous of good works; he 
Tit. 2. 14.  did not sweat that we should freeze, nor shed his blood out of his own veins, that it might congeal in ours.  
It is finally a great work, and the oppositions against it are greater, but as they said to Joshua, only be courageous, so I to 
Josh. 1. 7.  you, only be zealous, and then be not discouraged; Hannibal by fire made his way over the alps, and you by zeal may make yours over greatest mountains of opposition, which without running up with full strength and speed will not be gotten up to; palms are the emblem of victory, but they love to grow in a hot soil; be warm, and promise yourselves the palm; nay God promiseth it, and that not only to Smyrna (whose name smells sweet of warm incense) that if she will be faithful to the death, 
Revel. 2. 10.  he will give her a crown of life; but even to our cooler Laodicea, that her, whom he was ready to spew out of his mouth whilst she was lukewarm, he will be ready to come into and sup with, 
Revel. 3. 16. with 19 20.  when she shall once be zealous and repent: which is the humble and hearty prayer of your  
Servant for Christ, 
 STEPHEN Martial.   

A DIVINE project TO SAVE A kingdom.  Numb. 25. 10, 11. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 
IF you view this Portion of Scripture 
Introduction to the Text.  seriously, you will find (Right honourable and Beloved) that the business contained in it, doth very nigh concern ourselves. In a few words, The condition of the Israelites (at the present time which this Text speaketh of) was this. They had endured a long peregrination in the wilderness, for forty years together, God had visited former rebellions upon them, and now their wanderings were well-nigh accomplished, they were come almost to the skirt of the Land of Canaan; God had begun to deliver the promised inheritance unto them, by overthrowing, and rooting out Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan, and had given their Country into the hand of Israel, and had told them he would go on, and root out all the rest of the Canaanites before them, that there should not a man be able to stand 
Deut. 3. 21. 22.  in their way, As the Lord your God hath done unto these two Kings, so shall he do unto the other Kingdoms, whither they passed, they need not fear them, the Lord their God would fight for them: and would very shortly place them in that land which he had long before promised to their forefathers; And now when they were just upon entering into the Land, they had like to have made ship wrack in the very Harbour, and had brought down such a new Plague upon them, that if there had not been a timely remedy put in, they had perished every mother's child of them, without any foreign enemy striking a stroke at them. And thus it was when Balaam could not obtain leave from God to 
Numb 31. 16.  curse the Israelites, he taught Balak the King of Moab a trick, how he might make God himself curse them, viz. If he could by any ways draw them to rebel against God. he had told him plainly, that while they kept close to God, all the world would be too weak for them, but could he but devise any way to make them fall out with God, God would take a course with them himself, he would destroy them to Balak his hand. Balak according to this counsel, goeth and maketh all the Courtship that he could to the Israelites, sendeth them all kind of provision, sendeth them the handsomest women, and whatsoever might allure them unto wantonness, and thereby draweth them first to commit fornication, and uncleanness, and then (as one sin draweth on another) they got them to feast in their idol Temples, and so to eat the 
Numb. 25. 2.  sacrifices that were offered to Baal Peor, And the Israelites did eat, and bowed down unto their Gods; and God knows how many thousands of the Israelites on a sudden were taken in the strength of this lust: which so extremely provoked God, that without any more ado, he sendeth the Plague among them, such a plague which in the space of four and twenty hours, destroyed twenty four thousand men, many of the prime of their strength, and it was grown so hot, that a few twenty four hours more, were like to have made an end of all this great company: Now they seeing the anger of God so hot, fall down on their knees, and lament their sins and cast about to see which way they might procure their peace.  
While they were about it, there cometh one Zimri, one of the chief Princes of one of their Tribes, and before the face of all the people, leadeth a Lady who was Daughter to one of the chief Noblemen of Moab, leads her into his Tent, and there goeth and committeth the same villainy with her that had thus provoked God to send this plague among them, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the High Priest, seeing this high and audacious boldness of this wretched Nobleman, was so filled by the Spirit of God with holy indignation, That he taketh his Javelin, followeth them into their Tent, taketh them, probably, in the very act of their filthiness, striketh the man through the body, and the woman through the belly, and nailed them both to the ground, and out he went again: And God took this part of Phinchas so kindly, to see him so inflamed with the zeal of justice, that he presently commanded the angel to put up his Sword, and not to kill a man more, Zimri and Cosbi were the two last that died, at that time not one more perished. And that all the world might know, what had stopped the Plague so suddenly, he telleth Moses in the words that I have read.  
Phineas the Son of Eleazar the Priest hath pacified my wrath, while he was zealous for my sake among them.  
And so I have now brought you to the Text, which you shall hear (God willing) to be a divine project, how one, or a few men, may save a whole People, a whole Nation, when they seem to be sinking under utter ruin.  
Wherein observe two things. 
And Parts of it.   
First, What their disease was.  
Secondly, What the cure was.  
Their disease was this, They were under the guilt of their own sin, and under the heat of God's wrath, which broke out in such a plague, that they were all like to have perished suddenly: that was their disease.  
The cure of this disease you have in the words I have read, and upon which I shall spend the hour (God willing;) only observe a few things from their disease, both their sin, which was bodily uncleanness, and spiritual uncleanness, Fornication, and Idolatry; And their punishment the anger of God, hot kindled against them, and poured out in a devouring Pestilence, and such a one as was like suddenly to devour them all.  
This fearful sin and Plague betyding them immediately after such great deliverances, mercies, victories, teacheth us,  
1. That such is the power of corruption, remaining 
Observ. 1.  even in God's own people, that no mercies are able to keep them from present running into most foul rebellions, if but left unto themselves: as appears by innumerable examples of God's people in Covenant with him, David, Hezekiah, the Apostle Peter, &c. whose sudden and fearful false, even after greatest mercies, assure us, that no tinder or gunpowder is more prone to take fire, no unbridled horse more prone to run, no Eagle more ready to fly unto the prey, than we are to run into the foulest evils, even presently after the greatest, most precious favours received, if God but take off the bridle of his restraining grace. Which may teach us, 1. as to be tender to others in their 
Application.  false, 2. so to consider ourselves, and to walk with humility and godly fear, and thirdly, to entreat the Lord daily, not to lead us into temptation, not to permit us to be solicited by Satan's temptations, or outward objects, or our own concupiscence; or if it be his good pleasure to permit us to be tried, that by his own grace he would preserve us, that he would not suffer us to be foiled or overcome, who else shall infallibly yield to any temptation, whether on the right hand or the left.  
2. That the nearer God takes a people to himself & the 
Obs. 2.  greater mercies he bestows upon them, the more severe and fierce are his judgements against them; he had but newly delivered up Sihon King of Heshbon and Og the King of Bashan, and given their land for an inheritance unto them, and compelled Balaam to preach that no sorcery or enchantment, no force or fraud could prevail against them, and they rebelling against him, he presently turns upon them in extremity of wrath and fury.  
And this is according to his word, that if they who are 
I evit 26. 4. to 41.  owned by him as his people walk contrary to him, he will walk contrary to them, and plague them seven times and seven times, and yet seven times, and seven times, with sicknesses, famine, pestilence, sword, captivity, yea more severely then to the heathen. Hear yet this word that the 
Amos 3. 1, 2.  Lord hath spoken against you O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, you only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.  
And this is also according to his practice; after he had brought them out of Egypt he bare with their murmurings until he had taken them into a Covenant with himself 
Amos 3. 12. Ezek. 16. Dan. 9 12.  at Horeb, and after that every new sin had a new plague: No murmurings punished like Israel's murmurings, Idolatries plagued like judah's Idolatries, the like wrath and fury not poured out anywhere in the world, as was poured out upon Jerusalem.  
And this manner of his dealing is most agreeable to reason and equity, because these kind of sins are committed against more knowledge, and so deserve the more and smarter stripes: There is also more ingratitude and unkindness in them; when Jesurun is grown fat with mercies, with the kidneys of wheat and the pure blood of the grape, then to kick with the heel, to be unmindful of his rock, this exceedingly provokes the Lord to anger: Yea, God is more dishonoured by their sins then by any others, as a husband by the filthy conversation of his Wife, or a Father of his Children. Behold, thou art called a Jew, instructed in the Law, makest thy boast of God, &c. Dost thou commit 
Zeph. 3. 7.  sacrilege? Dost thou steal? Dost thou commit aduitery? What then? The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, because of you, as it is written.  
This serves first to acquit God in these his severe judgements 
use 1.  against us in England; he hath called an assembly of violent men against us, he hath given us to drink the cup of astonishment, a cup of deadly Wine, but in truth when we consider things sadly and seriously, we may wonder we remain a Nation, that we are not utterly consumed; God hath made us the wonder of the World for mercy, hath done mighty things for this Nation, hath heaped deliverance upon deliverance; no Nation like us for mercy, but alas, I must also say, no Nation like us for unkindness, and Rebellion against him; we who should have made all his Mercies, motives and incentives to further obedience, service, and thankfulness, have, not only sinned under them and against them, but with them, fought against him with his own weapons, and been worse and worse, the more he hath done, for us; the more his Sun hath shined upon us, the more like a filthy dunghill, have we putrified and stunk in his nostrils. Let us therefore humbly acquit him, and say with Daniel, The Lord our God is righteous in all his judgements, for we obeyed not his 
Deut 9 14.  voice: And with Ezra, What shall we say after this, O our God? for we have forsaken thy commandments.  
Secondly, Yea let us tremble and be deeply abased before him for our great rebellions, lest he proceed and 
3.  make us drink the very dregs of his cup of indignations. He was pleased publicly in calling his people out from spiritual Babylon, to take Germany, the first of all the Nations, and now in his day of visitation he hath first begun with them, and these six and twenty years he hath most heavily afflicted them, and still his hand is stretched out against them: long time hath he spared us, and seemed to say of us as once he did of Judah, and Jerusalem, I have cut off other Nations, and destroyed their Cities, I said surely, 
Rom. 2. 17, 18.  England will receive instruction, that their dwelling should not be cut off, but they rose early and corrupted all their doings: And now the cup is come over unto us, we are last taken in hand; Oh let us timely meet him, lest he proceed to make our plagues proportionable to his former mercies, and our wickedness.  
Thirdly, And for time to come let us beware that with 
3.  Jesurun we kick not at him, when he hath fatted us: the usual course of the world is this, the more mercies God gives them, the more liberty they take to sin against him; the more learned, the more honoured, the more rich men are, the more bold they make with God's Law, to break it and cast it out; and the more spiritual helps we have, and furtherances many enjoy, the more secure, proud, and wanton they are before him, but know for certain, he keeps a Register of all his Mercies, and thy account must be answerable, he remembers how long thou hast lived upon him, how near he hath taken thee unto himself, how oft he hath spared thee, how accommodated thee with wealth, yoke-fellow, children, credit, friends, but above all, how long thou hast sat under his heavenly droppings, what variety of Ministers, &c. He furnisheth thee with all▪ let thy care be to bethink thyself how thou mayest lift up thy head, when he will come to reckon for all thy Talents, and when at any time the flesh begins to take liberty, because he enlargeth thee, check it thus, and say, Many a mercy hath the Lord given me, for which of them do I thus abuse him? Shall I thus requite the Lord, O foolish creature and unwise? is not he thy Father, that brought thee; &c.  
Thirdly, that this betided them just when God was giving 
Deut. 32. 6. Obser. 3.  them possession of the promised Land, when he was marching in the greatness of his strength to destroy all their enemies, that not a man might be able to resist them, yet than he himself with his own hands for their sins turneth upon them, ready to destroy them all: learn this lesson from it.  
That when the Lord is bestowing the greatest mercy, working the greatest deliverance, destroying the potentest enemies, carrying himself, so that all the world shall not be able to hinder a people from receiving the greatest and most desirable mercy, yet their own wickedness breaking out, may deprive them of all, and utterly undo them when they are nearest the enjoying of their happiness: Now the 40. years were ended, and Og and Sihon both killed, and God engaged by Covenant that no enemy should stand before them, had renewed his Covenant again with them, put them into a way that there needeth no more but merely to enter in the Land; a new rebellion breaketh out on their part, which bringeth in a Plague that killed more of them than they had lost in all the wars that ever they had had. This is just like that which the Lord spoke by the Prophet Jeremy: That at what time 
Ier. 18. 10.  he speaketh concerning a nation, to build it and to plant it, if 
Ier. 18. 10.  that nation do evil in his sight, he will repent him of all the good that he promised, and he will root them up and break them down: not that God changeth his mind, but that these wickednesses did change the state and condition of this people, and put them out of a capacity of receiving what God else would be willing to confer upon them. Beloved I dare not stay you on this, neither durst I pass it over without mentioning, and I mention it to this end, that we may not be too forward to promise ourselves too 
Application.  much of our present prosperous condition which we seem to be in. I confess the Lord hath not only by a mighty hand upheld us in the midst of all our trials these two or three last years, but hath of late since we have owned him in a Covenant and sworn for reformation of Religion, and the counsels of such as seek our ruin have more apparently owned Idolatry by joining with the bloody Rebels of Ireland that are setting up popery, and rooting out our Religion in Ireland, and endeavouring the like against us, since that day I say the Lord hath most admirably gone on and owned us, and been with our Armies, and hardly (Unless it were once) given us any check, but all hath gone on very prosperously and through the goodness of God, to man's eye we are in a better posture now then ever we were since the beginning of our public troubles.  
But for all that do not promise yourselves too much out of the present condition of things, they may be all well to man's eye, but I tell you brethren, there are such things found in every corner of the Land; that impenitency for our old villainies, both of Idolatry and whoredom, and blood, the blood of Prophets, and the blood of just men, and the unprofitableness under great means, that unthankfulness for late mercies, that breaking out into new rebellion, such terrible divisions in Church matters, in State-matters, in Parliament, in city, everywhere, as if we were divided in minutula frustula, into the least bits that we could be cut into, so many new crying sins found in every corner of the Land, that if a man could with a spiritual eye look upon them, he would with Ezra sit him down astonished, and with renting his heart as well as his hair cry, Lord, though thou hast wrought all sorts of deliverances for us, we deal so with thee, that we fear thy wrath will break out so hot that there will be no recovery: for God's sake, be not too confident, that you may the better with fear and reverence attend to the helps that I shall give you afterward. He that would have said three years ago to England, that before two years at an end, they shall see England in the miserablest condition that ever had been in these 100 years, hardly a man could have imagined whence the plague should come, our land in peace, flourishing with wealth, a Parliament called, oppressors broken, all our neighbouring kingdoms either our friends, or else themselves plunged in war and blood; whence should the enemy come that should be able to mischief us? yet you see that from above God hath sent a fire down, and kindled it in our own bowels, which hath eaten and devoured into every corner of the kingdom: and beloved God hath new Magazines, new treasuries of judgements still, that if he please to take us in hand, and deal severely with us, when we are taking possession of all the mercy that our souls could desire, our own wickedness may find us out and ruin us: you see had it not been prevented, it had been the condition of this people at this time.  
These things I only name, it is the remedy of this evil which I desire to spend an hour in, and there are three things in it.  
First, who the physician was that cured them, and that you 
2. Part of the Text.  have in these words, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the Priest, he was the man that did it.  
Secondly, what the cure was that he wrought for them, that you have in these words: Phinehas the son of Eleazar the Priest hath pacified my wrath; that was the cure he wrought, he did pacify God's wrath.  
Thirdly, the means whereby he did it, and that you have in these words: While he was zealous among them for my sake sake: Phinehas the son of Eleazar hath pacified my wrath while he was zealous for my sake.  
I will begin with the first of them, and that I will only name, because there are but two lessons that chiefly I intend to insist upon.  
1. Who it was? It was Phinehas the son of Eleazar the Priest, this man did it, God telleth all the world, he was the only man that did it, here were a million of people or more who seemed to be condemned to destruction, and some 24. thousand of them executed in one day, and the rest going on as fast as might be, one man doth one excellent act, that saveth all the rest of them from ruin: the lesson that I commend to your thoughts from it is 
Whence, first observe. Doct.  this.  
That as it is possible for one man to destroy a great deal 
One man may save a whole kingdom. Eccles. 9 18. Joshua 7.  of good; As Solomon saith, one sinner destroyeth much good. One Jonah may help to sink a whole Ship, one Achan endanger a whole Army; So one man may save a whole kingdom, one man, one Phinehas is the only visible means which God owneth to pacify his wrath, so as to save a whole kingdom from ruin, a million of people had died without it; and you have a great many of examples of the like in the Scripture what one man hath been able to do in that kind: how often did Moses save them all, that when the Lord had even seemed to swear that he would destroy them, Moses hath come and tried it out hand to hand, body to body with God, and turned him back again that he could not destroy them, as you have it in the 106. psalm, v. 23. so he said, he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood in the gap, and turned away his wrath, driven it back again. And one innocent man may deliver a whole island; a whole island as big as England may 
Job 22. 30.  be delivered by one man: and the Lord himself professeth in the fifth of Jeremiah when he came down with a purpose to destroy them, run (saith he) through the 
Ier. 5.  Land and find me one man, there he describeth him, and I shall describe him afterwards what kind of man he shall be, but find me out such a man, and I will spare all the city for him. And in the 22. of Ezekiel toward the latter end, when the Lord said that he wondered that the people were so set on ruin: I sought for a man that might have stood in the breach: if he could have found but one hedge-stake left, the Lord's wrath would have kept out still. This I only name, and I name it to this end, that it might be 
Application.  an encouragement to every one who hath a good heart to the cause of God and to the safety of England, that he would prepare himself to receive the instructions that shall be given him, and resolve, (the grace of God assisting him) that he will follow it: for I am confident, if the Lord help me to open what I have prepared for you, when the Sermon is done you will be ready to say, could all England be such as you speak of, or could you find a great number of such men, than indeed we should certainly be saved, and God would not destroy us; In the mean time do thou learn for one, for thou canst not tell what one man or woman may do, one Paul saved all the ship, and though thou shouldest be alone, as Elias thought he was alone, or as one time Moses was alone, thou canst not tell how far the Lord may look upon many hundred of thousands for thy sake; the Lord himself hath given you an evidence of it here, and told all the world it was one man rescued them; much more when thou art not alone, but many thousands join with thee, there may be hope: if ten men might have rescued Sodom and the rest of those abominable Cities of the plain, why shouldest thou not hope that the land may be spared for your sakes? however if the worst come, thou shalt deliver thy own soul. But this I dare not handle, I only named it.  
Secondly, what was the cure that he wrought? Phinehas the son of Eleazar hath pacified my wrath, hath pacified my wrath; Indeed the Plague ceased, there was not a man died of the Pestilence after Phinehas had done that excellent act, but God taketh no notice of that, but the thing he plainly laid down was this, that Phinehas had pacified his wrath, he had quenched and cooled his revenged justice which was kindled against them. That was the cure; And from this the lesson that I observe is this, v●z.  
That the pacifying of God's wrath is the removing of the 
Doct. 2. Pacifying God's wra●h removes any Plague.  Plague, whatsoever the Plague be, be it the Sword be it the pestilence, be it famine, be it wild beasts, be it what ever any people had experience of, pacifying of God's wrath is the removing of the plague; the Lord himself saith that he had pacified his wrath, and thereby yields the case as granted on their side, no further evil was to be done against them, now God's wrath was pacified. And I desire you that you would first see how plain it is in the Scripture, and then I hope it will be a profitable lesson for this great Assembly; That the pacifying of God's wrath is the removal of every plague. I need give you no other evidence than this, That the people of God under all their judgements which at any time they have lain, have never made any other suit to God but one, that he would turn his wrath away from them: I might give you 40. several examples of it; when they have sometimes lain in captivity, sometimes under the Sword of an enemy, pestilence hath raged, &c. their only suit to God was this, that he would but turn away his wrath from them: Psal. 80. 3. 7. & 85. 4, 5. Dan. 9 16, 17. &c. Their only suit was to this effect, when they lay under most heavy plagues and judgements, Lord cause thine anger to cease towards us; wilt thou be angry for ever, wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate, cause thy face to shine upon us and we are safe; still begging at God's hands this one only mercy, that he would but merely pacify his wrath, and there is all the cure they desired.  
You shall likewise find that in Scripture all kind of judgements 
Exod ●5. ●. Namb. 16. 46. Joshua 9 20 2 Chron. 24. 18 28 11. 32. 16. Esa. 13. 5. Dan. 8. 12.  are called by the name of God's wrath, and his indignation, and several plagues are called the arrones of his indignation, the weapons of his indignation, and the end of a plague is called the end of the indignation. In the 8. Dan. v. 19 I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of indignation, he meant the end of the plague of Antiochus, but he nameth nothing but God's indignation; end the one and you end all: and this you may clearly understand, if you please but to weigh these two things with me.  
First, that the wrath and indignation of God is not only 
Which is demon●trated.  the greatest plague of all other to God's people, as indeed it is, but it is the only cause of all other plagues; sin 
1.  indeed is the meritorious cause, but the wrath of God is the only efficient cause, the only worker, there is nothing that is imaginable to be a plague upon God's people, that can come out of any other spring or storehouse, from any other hand, but only from the wrath of God.  
I say there is nothing that is worthy the name of a plague, or that is a plague which can come from any other fountain or storehouse, but only from God's wrath: from God it must come, that is without all question: Affliction doth not rise out of the dust, nor originally from any creature, all the devils in hell are not able to inflict one plague without God, not kill a poor hog, &c. This no man who is not an Atheist doubteth of; now if they come from God they must either come from his favour or from his wrath, there are but these two Well-heads, they are indeed acts of his power and providence, but are done according to the counsels of his will, either his good pleasure or his displeasure; If they come from God's displeasure, there is wrath; if not from that, they all come from his love: Now this I propound to your serious thoughts; that whatsoever betideth any man in the world, those selfsame things that are unsufferable, intolerable hard things, when they come not in God's displeasure, they are all good things, things to be rested in, to be satisfied in, if they come but from the good will of God.  
As for example, take m● a man to be hanged upon a gallows, he is a cursed man, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree.  
Yet take that man that shall die the death of the cross, and let it be out of God's love and good will, the cross is the greatest blessing to him. The Lord never loved his own son better than when he hanged upon the cross. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I will hang on the cross for my people. And though it were a curse in the eye of the world, it was the greatest mercy that ever God showed to the Church, to take his Son and hang him on the cross.  
Take a lion's Den, let but Daniel be put into a lion's 
Dan. 6.  Den, let there nor wrath go with it, the lion's Dens is a blessing.  
Take Paul in all his whippings, his poverty, his banishments, his shipwrecks, his buffetings, and all that ever betided him, let there be no wrath in it, set him in the stocks, do what you will, let there be no wrath, and there is no plague in any of them.  
All Jobs afflictions, let the fire come down from heaven and burn up his cattle, let the wind come from heaven and strike the house at the four corners, and knock out the brains of ten children all at a time, let there be no wrath in it, and there is no plague in it.  
There is no plague where there is no wrath. I could give you a hundred evidences of this; believe it, the self same thing which to others are plagues, though they may remain, yet (as one calleth them wittily and truly) they are silken afflictions; plundering, poverty, plague sores, undoing of outward estates, they are all silken afflictions, as they come from love, and there is no hurt in them. There is an imagination of some men (but the world shall never see the truth of it) of a certain stone they call the philosopher's stone, which will, as these men fancy, turn Iron into Gold: God's love doth it; That will turn Iron into gold, all crosses into blessings, Iron chains into gold chains, it will turn death, plagues, poverty, imprisonments, banishments, it will turn any of these, all of them into invalluable mercies; let them but only come from God's love, and well enough; let but God say to the man whose house he burneth, I burn thy house but I love thee, let him say to him whose child he kocketh in the head, I take thy child away in my love, there is no plague then. In a word, the thing I would have you believe from this first branch of my proof is this.  
That as things that are seeming mercies, are in truth real plagues when they come from wrath: So things that are seeming plagues, are real mercies when they do not come from wrath. I say, seeming mercies are plagues, if they come from wrath. Let God spread a table in the wilderness to a people, and feed them with quails, and Manna from heaven, let it be in wrath, let the Israelites come and 
Psal. 78. 23. 27. 31.  beg a King, and let him give them the properest man in all the land, and give him in wrath; he doth undo them in giving them a King.  
But on the other side, let it seem never such a cross, if there be no wrath in it, there is no plague in it; therefore whatsoever plague any lie under, do but pacify God's wrath, and you end the plague. And that is the first ground that I gave you of it.  
The second is that all plagues, the things themselves that are plagues, all of them come and go at the commandment 
2.  and word of God only. That as they can come from none but him, so with the infinitest ease that can be imagined, doth God, as send, so remove any of them, how heavy or strange soever it be. Therefore pacify but his Spirit and you end the plague immediately. As for example;  
Suppose a city brought to that pass by famine, and poverty, that they are fain to eat one another, that there is nothing to keep them one day longer from starving, and that to all human imagination, it must be a long time before ever the city can recover the blow again; God with speaking one word in an hour or two maketh it all up: as you shall have one example of it in Samaria, when they 
2 King's ●.  were brought to that pass that over night an ass's head, that hath but little meat on it at the best, and poor meat it is, an ass's head shall be a King's dish, that he shall give fourscore pieces of silver for it, and a Kab of Doves dung shall be worth a sufficient quantity of money, to be eaten; if God speak but the Word, the next day a bushel of fine flower shall be sold for a shekel, though no man could imagine how yet, God made it good, you know the story.  
Let a plague come to be so hot that in a matter of two days or little more, three or fourscore thousand men are 
2 Sam. 24.  cut off with it, if God speak but one word, the angel puts up his Sword, and there is not a man dieth more. I will restore to you, saith God, all the years that the caterpillars 
Joel 2. 25.  have taken from you, all the caterpillars that have been devouring England thus long, and all that they have plundered and spoiled; (attend to this any of you that are here, who are daily plundered in many parts of the kingdom, in your lands, in your wares and in your states;) If God speak but the word, it is all made up in the twinkling of an eye. If you will therefore pacify God, you end the plague. Beloved, this is not the main lesson I would stay upon, yet give me leave to make some application of it, and it shall be but one only use.  
And that is a direction from Heaven of the readiest way, the shortest cut, to obtain an establishment for this 
Application. Therefore our greatest business is to pacify God's wrath.  poor distressed Land at this day. I dare say all you who are public-spirited men, are very thoughtful to think how, and which way it might be brought about; that, if God see it fit, this Summer at the furthest might end these bloody wars, these uncomfortable divisions that are amongst us; And he that could suddainlyest procure it, would be one of the blessedest men that ever trod on English ground. Now shall I from Almighty God give you a little information about it: Know then for certain,  
That there is never any sword drawn on earth, till it be first drawn in heaven. You shall read, Esay 34. 5. My sword shall be bathed in Heaven, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse to judgement. A sword was to come upon Idumea, to drink their blood, to be made fat with their flesh, but first this sword was bathed in heaven. Never doth war come in any Country, till God baths his sword in Heaven, draweth it out and brandisheth it in heaven, and then saith, Sword, go into such a Land: And if once God hath given the Sword a Commission, all the world can never quiet it again, till God speak to it; Oh thou Sword of the Lord, saith the Prophet in the 47 Chapter of the prophecy of Jeremiah, at the 6 Verse. when wilt thou be quiet? put up thy self again into thy scabbard, rest and be still. But there is an Answer made. How can it be quiet, when God hath given it a charge; against Ashkelon, and against the Sea shore, there hath he appointed it. Can all the world quiet that, that God giveth a charge to? It is God who strengtheneth one part and weakeneth the other part, and seemeth to make 
Esa. 13. 41. 54. ult.  one victorious, and then when he hath a mind to bring 
Ezek. 30. 24.  it down again; he will down with that part, and strengthen the other part, and till the Lord please to say, Sword be thou quiet, all the world cannot pacify it.  
And therefore Brethren, were we never so successful, as through God's mercy we seem now to be in a prosperous way; But had we all the Lord Hopton's Army in the West wholly broken, the Earl of Newcastle's in the North, though all the Cavaliers about Oxford, were they all of them broke all in pieces, had you a blank paper for Propositions sent you; A blank paper, that the Parliament and City, write what they would have, let his Majesty sign all, let him swear to all, let him and the rest cordially intend to perform all; if the God of Heaven say, My quarrel with England is not ended, all the world shall not make peace for you. Consider what the Prophet told them, when they saw the King of Babylon was risen from the siege of Jerusalem upon Pharaoh's coming to help them, they were jocund: But the Prophet cometh, tells them a sad story to this effect; flatter not yourselves 
Ier. 37. 56. 7. &c.  with it, Had you destroyed all the Armies of the Chaldeans, that there were none left but a few wounded men, those few wounded men shall return and burn your City: when God will have the City burnt, it shall be burnt. Therefore till God be pacified, England shall never be quiet: but tranquillus Deut tranquillat omnia, pacify God and you end all: Oh! could this enter into your hearts, (Right Honourable and beloved) could you all believe this really, and could we bring it about that the Lord might once be pacified, there were an end of our troubles, and never till then. There is a case in isaiah 22. 5. &c. very like to ours, Jerusalem saw ae day of trouble, and perplexity, their enemies broke in upon them, their choicest valleys were full of enemies, full of chariots and horsemen, which set themselves in array at their very gates, now what course took they for their safety? why, They locked to the armour of the House of the Forest, they repaired the breaches of the city of David, gathered the waters of the lower pool, they made a ditch between the two walls, they pulled down some houses to fortify the wall, made all warlike preparation, and this God chid them for, what was their error I pray you? why, they begun at the wrong end, their main work lay with God against whom they had sinned, and he expected weeping and mourning before him to regain his favour, and that they neglected, and for that he was more incensed against them; and truly thus deal many of us, our work lieth with God, and we look to men, we look to Armies and associations, and in the mean time let the wrath of God kindled by our sins grow more hot against us; but Oh that we could now set upon this which is our most needful and safest work, to pacify his indignation and prevail with him to cause his face to shine upon us, and we should soon be safe: But you will say, How shall we do that? The third lesson I chiefly reserve for that, to show you what Phinehas 
ways how it may be done.  did: But in the mean time let me mention but three things to you, and so I will pass on to the next.  
The one is this, there is a great deal of evidence in the 
1.  Scripture, That when God once findeth his people mournfully lying down under his hand, accepting the punishments of their sins, taking shame to themselves, and acquitting him, and accounting him righteous in all his severity, this hath a marvellous influence upon the cooling and quenching of God's wrath.  
The Lord hath promised that if he had scattered them into the several parts of the world, yet if their uncircumcised hearts be but humbled, and if they do but accept of the punishment of their sins, If they shall in the land of their captivity confess their sins, and the iniquity of their fathers, 
Levit. 26. 40.  with their trespass which they have committed against me, and that also they have walked contrary to me, and that I also have walked contrary to them, and have brought them into their enemy's land, if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their sins, then (saith he) will I turn my favour toward them, he saith it expressly; so then, would you all help to pacify God, I beseech you often study how righteous the Lord is in all his severity toward England, that we may stand amazed and say, Lord in stead of quarrelling with thee, and saying, why is it thus severe? why is thy indignation thus hot? we confess thou hast punished us less than our iniquities have deserved, it is thy mercy we are not utterly consumed, This is a marvellous means to pacify God.  
Secondly, another is, the Lord loveth to have his people 
2.  seek him by prayer in the midst of all his wrath and indignation against them, he loveth to hear their mournful Prayers: as he would have their humble acknowledgements of his justice, so he loveth their mournful suits for his compassion. Thus Solomon engaged God, and this God promised him to grant, That if they were smitten with pestilence, famine, sword of the enemy, carried into captivity, in what kind soever his anger were kindled 
1 King. 8. 33. 35. 47. ●4 ●6.  against them, when they should mourn and pray unto him, that he would forgive their sins and give them compassion: Thus Daniel sought God in captivity, O Lord I beseech thee let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy City 
Dan 9 16.  Jerusalem, &c. and such prayers have prevailed with him.  
There are no such Orators in all the world, next to the blood of Christ, in heaven or earth, there is not the like of a mournful heart wrestling with God by prayers and tears.  
And go on with it (you beloved in the Lord that use frequently to lie in the dust before God, and to be humbled before him) go on, and let him fill his bottle, if he will fill one vessel with our bloods, let him fill a great many bottles with our tears; let us incessantly strive with him, and entreat him to be propitious and gracious, his promise is then when you call upon me I will answer you, when you seek me with your whole heart, you shall find me.  
But thirdly, (and that will indeed make way for the next part.) The great means of all, that which one saith truly 
3.  hath the key of all the bowels of mercy and that can let out all the floodgates of God's mercy, to quench the heat of his wrath is unfeigned repentance.  
That I say hath the key of all the bowels of God, and nothing but repentance will do it; All acknowledgements of God's justice, all our mournful callings upon him for compassion, if it be accompanied with a stubborn going on in a wicked way; the Lord may preserve them from one judgement, but he will reserve them to another, there will never be a pacifying of God's wrath to the purpose, unless there be a laying down the arms of Rebellion that are taken up against him. And therefore brethren let me commend this to you.  
Labour every soul of you, first for your own parts, to inquire what the sins are that you are guilty of, and find out what the sins are that England is guilty of, I mean especially in relation to this judgement that lieth upon us: what the sword-procuring sins are; what the sins are for which God doth use to send a sword to avenge his quarrel; labour to find them out, to reform them, labour that repentance may do his work on them, and then the Lord's wrath will cease quickly. But unless we obtain grace to do this, although all other things were granted to us, the end of all would prove nothing but ruin and misery: The blood, the Idolatry, the whoredom, the contemning of the gospel, the profaning of the Sabbath, the scorning of God's Ministers, the hating of God's children; these are all of them sins that God useth to visit with the Sword; And until the land be humbled for these sins and do repent of them, there is no expectation that it can long be free from one devouring plague or another; strike in with all your might, and not only to do it yourselves, but every one in your places, labour to expiate that in others, root them out, punish them, weed them out, pluck them up by the roots, what ever lieth in your power: And how that shall be done, and the way of it will best of all appear in the example, and instance that you have in the Text; he did it while he was zealous among them for the Lord's sake: And so I pass unto the third and last part of my Text. You have heard who was the physician, Phinehas; secondly you have heard what was the cure, he pacisied God's wrath; now we are to inquire what was the balm which recovered their hurt, the medicine which cured their sickness, it was zeal, he was zealous among them for the Lord's sake, wherein (although time will allow me to handle but onel lesson) I shall briefly inquire into two things.  
First, what the thing was that Phinehas did as a means to pacific God's wrath.  
Secondly, the manner how he did it.  
The thing that he did, was the execution of justice and judgement, taking away some grand delinquents, whom God would not have to live: so the Psalmist saith, whereas God saith here, Phinehas the son of Eleazar pacifieth 
Psal. 106. 30.  his wrath, the Psalmist saith, than stood up Phinehas and executed judgement, and that stayed the plague, he did an act of justice, in cutting off some notorious Delinquents.  
2. And the manner how he did it, zealously, he did it fervently; And both these together do afford this lesson, viz.  
That zeal for God against sin, is the greatest means to pacific God's anger against sinners; I say our zeal for God against sin is the greatest means to pacific the fire of God's wrath against sinners; as one fire will draw out another, so the fire of our zeal may extinguish the fire of God's wrath. And for the clearing of it, I shall endeavour 
The main doctrine. Zeal against sin pacifyeth God's wrath against sinners.  these three things.  
First, I will show you plainly out of the Scripture, that so it is, That zeal against sin will extinguish God's wrath against sinners.  
Secondly, I will endeavour to open what I mean by this; What this zeal against sin is, and how it will appear.  
Thirdly, I will show you whence it cometh, or what reason there is, that man's zeal should have such an influence upon the extinguishing of God's wrath: And then make some application of it.  
For the first, The Lord saith it here in express words; 
which is proved by several examples.  Phinehas the son of Eleazar hath pacified my wrath; how? while he was zealous for my sake among them. Phinehas being zealous in this act of his, God protesteth it pacified his wrath. I will name you but three or four examples more at the utmost, Moses for one you shall find.  
In the 32. of Exodus you shall there find three fires successively kindled, three sorts of fire, all of them very hot. There you first have the people inflamed with their lusts, with the lust of Idolatry, so on fire, that Aaron saith, they were mad upon it, they would have a golden calf, They gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, 
Read vers. 1. 2, 3. 6. 2●.  Up, make us Gods which may go before us: and all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron, to make a calf; And when it was made, They rose up early on the morning and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and rose up to play, and they were set upon this mischief, there the people were on fire inflamed with their lust.  
And in the next place you have God all on a flame too, he saith to Moses, Let me alone, I will destroy every man of them; and spoke it very bitterly against them; They have corrupted themselves, they have made them a golden calf, it is a stiff-necked people, let me alone that my wrath 
Vers. 7, 8, 9, 10.  may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; there is the second fire.  
And thirdly, you have Moses on a fire too, and he cometh down, and there he showeth his zeal in two things.  
First, in being God's Champion against sin: for when he saw the Golden calf, he stampeth it to powder, made 
Vers. 20. 27, 28, &c.  the Israelites drink of it, calleth the Tribe of Levi to him, biddeth every one go and sheathe his Sword in the bowels of his nearest kinsman, that had a hand in this sin, as if he had been distracted: and when he had played God's Champion against these their sins, and the ringleaders of the sinners, he than playeth their advocate to God, and prayeth him to blot his name out of the book of life, rather than to destroy them.  
And this heat cooled both the other heats, this heat brought them to repentance, and pacified the Lord's wrath, that he would not cut them off as he did otherwise protest he would have done. There you see zeal for God against sin will pacify God against sinners, though he be never so angry.  
The like you find in Eliah, though it did not take so well, because they were past cure, Eliah he riseth in an apostatical time, when the people had desperately forsaken God, and he doth all that he could, and was like a man on fire, when he came to God he saith, I have been very zealous for thy sake; and so he had, for he had slain I know not how many hundreds of Baal's Prophets, and had pulled down Baal's house, and had made the people in a manner enter into Covenant with God: O Lord! saith he, I have been very zealous for thy sake, though I have been left all alone, as if he had said, Lord I have done what I could to save them, I confess my great sheet Anchor is come home, I now despair of it, but my zeal, if it could have had any effect at all, would have done it; yea the Lord professeth it so. Be pleased also to note these two places I told you of in the beginning, in the 
And several promises.  fift of Jeremiah, run, saith the Lord, through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad place thereof, if you can find a man, &c. What meaneth he by a man? First, he meaneth a good man; that no man doubteth of. But every good man would not serve the turn, find me a man that executeth judgement and justice: In a word he describeth a Phinehas; find me but that man, and I will spare all the city for his sake.  
So in the 22. of Ezekiel at the latter end, when the Lord had spoke of all the villainy that the people had lived in, their blood, their Idolatry, uncleanness, a conspiracy of the Prophets, Priests, and Princes in all kind of ungodliness, so that the fire of his wrath was kindled against them, then saith he, I do look for a man, what man? A man that might have stood in the gap to have made it up, (alluding to Moses) another Moses; If I could have found but a Moses or a Samuel, I would have spared them all. Thus you see God professeth, when he can but find zealous men, that shall burn against sin, it shall quench God's wrath, that it shall no longer burn against the sinners. But beloved, 
Which is further explained showing what zeal is.   
I must in the second place a little come and discover to you, what this grace is. It is a thing of mighty consequence, that I have undertook to make good; That this grace of zeal may save a kingdom, that it may reach to heaven and extinguish the fire that is kindled in God's breast; we had need therefore know what it is, and have it rightly discovered: To this end consider this description; Some describe it to be an intense degree of love; some a compound of love, anger and indignation, others call it imensus gradus purae affectionis. But a little more largely take it thus.  
zeal it is a spiritual heat kindled by the Spirit of God, whereby all the affections are drawn out to the utmost for God, this is zeal.  
First, I call it a work of the Spirit, the holy Ghost is the author of it, it is named among the fruits of the Spirit, Ephes. 5. 18. Be not drunken with wine, wherein is excess, an excess of heat is wrought by wine, avoid that, but be ye filled with the Spirit, and such are said to be baptised with the holy Ghost and with fire, Matth. 3. 11. Act. 2. 34.  
Secondly, I add it is a spiritual heat; The word in the original, is to burn, or hiss as burning coals when water falls on them; and zealous men are said, Rom. 12. 11. to be fervent in spirit. And zealous Apollo's was said to be fervent in spirit, Act. 18. 25. Moreover the sins opposed to zeal, lukewarmeness and key-coldness, Revel. 3. Thou art lukewarm, I would thou wert either hot or cold, do sufficiently show that the nature of zeal is a spiritual heat.  
Thirdly, the seat or subject of this grace you have in these words, all the affections; the affections are the motions of the will, the outgoings of the soul: a man's soul moves little or nothing in prosecuting of good, or avoiding of evil, but as the affections stir: now all the affections are the proper seat and subject of zeal, See all of them in David whom the zeal of God's house had eaten up; his love, Oh how I love thy Law! more than honey, more than thousands of gold and silver; his hatred, do not I hate them that hate thee? yea I hate them sore, I count them my enemies, it made him fly in their faces; his joy, My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness; his desire, My soul is ravished with desire; his grief, Rivers of waters run down my eyes; his hope, My eyes are dim with waiting; his fear, I tremble at thy judgements, &c.  
Fourthly, I add that which is indeed the formalis ratio, the very soul of zeal, it draws out all the affections to the uttermost, sets them on work to the uttermost, and therefore they are said to do it with all their soul, all their strength, all their might; The twelve Tribes with intention of spirit served God night and day, Acts 26. 7. What Hezekiah did for God, he did it with all his might. 2 Chron. 31. 21. So did Josiah, 2 King. 23. 25. he did it with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might. In a word, look what pitch of affection a worldling bestows upon Mammon, an ambitious man upon honour, a voluptuous man upon pleasure, that doth zeal draw out for God.  
Yea, look what an edge is to a Razor, look what wine is to a man's spirit, what the soul is to the body, wings to a bird, wind to sails, what mettle is to a horse, look what vivacity and vigour is to any creature; that is zeal to a Christian. It is that that acts his soul, the vigour, activity, the fervency of his affections; that is zeal.  
Then I add, that all this must be for God, as they are drawn out to the utmost, so they are drawn out for God, that is, for some thing or other that belongeth to God, in order, in relation to God, and God's Glory, God's Sabbaths, God's Sacraments, God's Worship, God's Children, or against God's Enemies, those that rise up against him, things that God hateth, his own word. If you will carry it all away in a short Sentence: A zealous man is a man of mettle for God: As we say of a man that is all spirit, he is a man of mettle; so that man that is a zealous man, is a man of mettle and spirit for God.  
But because I have not yet satisfied myself, in making 
And the properties and e●fects of it.  it so clear as I would, before I come to any application, or to make you understand why it should have that influence upon God's wrath to pacify it, give me leave to open five remarkable properties and effects that do evermore accompany this grace of holy zeal.  
The first is this, I pray know that zeal is not the substance 
1.  of a Christian, it's only the edge; And therefore if you know rightly where zeal is to be found, you must inquire what the mettle is upon which this edge is most to be set. As for example, bring me an Instrument that hath never so delicate an edge, that will cut an hair off the back of a man's hand, if the mettle be Lead or Iron, if it be not steel, the edge is not worth any thing; inquire we therefore what the mettle is upon which the edge is set; Know then that the mettle of the heart, that is, for God, is sincerity; sincerity and uprightness is the substance and groundwork of a servant of God, and zeal is but the edge of his sincerity; Now than here I lay down my first conclusion, That no man can ever be zealous for God, that is not sincere unto God; This sincerity is the applying of a man's heart to God for God's end: zeal is the doing of this fervently, with strength of affection: & take but away sincerity, that the heart be not upright to God, what zeal soever you find in any of them, it will either prove blind zeal, like mettle in a blind horse, that will never do any good; or you will find it corrupt zeal, counterfeit zeal, that a man may come and appear mightily as if for God; but this is but a vizard; and in the mean while his own gain, his own preferment, his own ease, or some other carnal thing is that which he aimeth at: Like Demetrius' and his company, Acts 19 22. who pretended great zeal for Diana, went up and down crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, but this was but a vizard, the true cause of all their heat was nothing but this, Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our living, and now this craft is like to be set at nought. Such a zealot was Jehu, who was fierce against Baal, and pretended much for Jehuvah, Come see my zeal for the Lord, but the bottom of all was the settling the crown upon himself. Further then that he took no heed to walk in the ways of God, 2 King. 10. And such another was Judas, John 12. 56. who pretended zeal for the poor, Quorsum haec perditio? This ointment might have been sold for much money, and given to the poor: But it was the satisfaction of his covetousness he aimed at. Thus Doeg would be detained a whole day before the Lord, with a mischievous intent against David and the Priests. This zeal which thus masks itself, and makes God's honour but a stale and lure, is so far from pacifying God's wrath, that it is the most devilish villainy, and double iniquity: With Jesabel to proclaim a Fast to get a Vineyard, to strike in zealously with the right side, that we might crush some enemy of ours, which appears on the other side, is a zeal which the Lord abhorreth.  
But if it be be true zeal for God, that zeal whereof the Lord saith, He was zealous for my sake, the heart must be upright toward him. There must be sincerity within, the coal of sincerity must glow within, before ever the flame of it will shine abroad in zeal. That is the first thing. That true zeal is always the edge of a gracious spirit of a man who is upright to God, in the truth and sincerity of whose heart, the Lord and his ways are set us as their greatest good.  
Another thing which you shall always find in true zeal is this, it's prodigal of doing good, for any cause of God, it's I say, a prodigal grace, it spares for no cost, to their strength, and above their strength, any thing shall go, every thing shall go, if God, Christ Jesus, or his cause have need of it. You never knew a zealous man a good husband in all your life time. Jesabel in her zeal for Baal will maintain 400. of his Prophets at her Table. I mean that whatsoever a man's heart is zealous for, he ever doth his utmost in the prosecution of it: never cometh to say, I hope here is enough done for my share, if he can do any more. Let a voluptuous man have his heart set on his pleasure; let an earthly man have his heart set upon Mammon; Let an ambitious man have his heart set upon preferment, or honour, he never saith I have done enough for it, if he can do any more. If David have 1300. Cart load of silver & gold, he can joyfully part with every penny of it toward the building of God's house, and blesseth God that he had it to give, if God's Tabernacle be to be built; The women bring their Jewels, their lawns and Looking-glasses, and all other materials so willingly, that Moses was fain to make a Proclamation that they should bring no more, Exod. 36. 6. 38. 8. And in the Primitive Church when the exigents of God's people required it, they who had houses, lands, or other possessions, sold them all, and put them in the common Treasury. This is a second property of zeal, it is liberal, bountiful, for God. You all know that if a man have the vanity of his heart let out about any thing; Take a Gentleman, that is otherwise a good husband, and a provident man, (I mean penurious) if his heart be set on the building of an house, if he resolve upon two thousand pound, it is ten to one if he grutch the laying out three or four or five thousand pound to make it fit to his mind; or if a man's heart be set upon his garden and flowers, it is little question but he will be wasteful upon it; the like may be said of hawks and Dogs; and so is the zealous man for God, whatsoever cost it puts him to he doth not stick at.  
Thirdly, zeal, where ever it is true for God, it appeareth most of all in greatest dissiculties; It cannot be taken off, with, There is a lion in the way, and I shall be killed, if I go out into the streets; go you first, and I will see how safely you speed, and I shall come in my due time after you; neither do you hear a zealous man talk so, always Cravens and Cowards hang back, but the best horse ever leads the way. You shall have a very Samaritan, if there be no danger in it, if Authority be on their side, he will be a Jew, and be a kin to him, and come and build with him; but if there be danger in it, Jew stand on your legs for all the Samaritan; Just so now in the cause of God, if there be ease and profit by it, if it goeth well, and no displeasure incurred, many well appear as forward, and frolic for a good cause as the forwardest; but if any danger appear, a base heart presently tacks about, or draws back, I promise you I have a great charge, I have somewhat to lose, I shall incur such a great man's displeasure, I know not in what black book I may be written; but a zealous man disdains difficulties, & answers with Nehemiah, when they would have him fly into the Temple, Shall such a man as I fly into the Temple? no not I, I profess, if I might save my life by it; So when they would have Luther go, think any thing of Luther, said he, but running from God's cause, or recanting, but never imagine, if they were all devils, as many devils as tiles on the house, I will refuse to go, when God bids me go, That is a third, difficulty and danger and opposition taketh not off the spirit of a man that is zealous for God.  
Fourthly, another companion of true zeal is this, zeal for God always maketh a man cool for himself, 
4.  a zealous man cannot trade in both Indies to any purpose, he doth not trade for God & himself too, because there can be but one chief, one that is most highly regarded, in his bed, in his closet, in his family, in all his relation, in his office, where ever he hath any thing to do he hath but one, that is his chief, and that is God, and because the whole of his heart is given to God, he must by consequence be a man that doth not greatly prosecute his own business: You shall find this old observation to be a very true one, that in all the world there cannot be found a man that is eager, truly eager in God's cause, and in his own cause too; indeed choleric and hot spirited men whatsoever they do velle, they do valde velle, they are very eager upon it from the temper of their nature: But if it be a gracious frame, where the grace of God hath the predominancy, it layeth out all the strength and mettle so for God, that there is little left for themselves: thus Moses that is stark mad almost in God's cause, is the mildest man in his own cause: Nehemiah he that can tear the hair of his head, and professeth he will lay hands on any man that will profane the Sabbath, he can be contented, any man shall jeer and scorn him if it be his own cause. I would have you remember that God's fire doth roast, or boil, or bake a sacrifice, but never doth he allow it to roast our meat in our own kitchen, no that cannot be: find me the man that drives any self end in any high degree of his own, and I will show you the man that hath no true zeal for God.  
It is an observation that one hath of Solomon, That Solomon built an house for God, the stateliest house that ever was thought to be in the world, the Temple; and he was seven years building of it: and he built a house for himself, that was not in the tenth degree comparable to the Temple, and was 14. years building of it, and why? he did God's house with all his heart and with all his might, and set fourscore thousand men on work, to have God's house up, but as for his own house did it at leisure; he had God's business to follow, and that he followed to the purpose, and lets his own house go up by degrees as it would, 14. years about that which is but a Cottage in comparison of Gods.  
So is every man whose heart is truly zealous, who in truth stands out for God, he resolves for himself or things that concerns himself to be very moderate, let the Lord dispose of him and his how he will.  
5. Last of all, the last property of true zeal (which indeed is conceived by many to be the very formalis ratio of zeal, to be the very quintessence of it) is this; That it always carries vindictive spirits against sin and sinful men, because they are against God; it is a grace that is full of vengeance, and therefore some define zeal to be affectus ad dei injuriam vindicandam, affectus ad extermina dos Dei inimi cos, vel zelotypia persequens sponsarum Christi adulteria, vel eorum signa & occasiones, an affection that will take vengeance of injuries that are offered to God, a temper of spirit, that would extirpate or exterminate all God's enemies: and ordinarily in the Scripture where any man's zeal is taken notice of, it is in exacting vengeance against sin and sinners; and some critics observe that the original word though it signify heat, yet it is such a heat as shows itself in opposition to its enemy, as when hot Iron hisseth when you spit upon it, or such a heat as makes water play and boil in the pot; such a heat zeal showeth itself, when it cometh to opposition, and therefore Phinehas zeal made him stab this noble man, strike him through with his Javelin; Moses when he was zealous 
Numb. 25. 4. Exod 32.  hangs them up, cuts off the heads, maketh the Levites run their kindred through: So everywhere zealous men, so far as their authority reacheth, so far do they fly in the face of their sins without any exception of persons: Asa, if his own mother be the Queen Regent and have an idol, he puts her down from her regency, she shall have no regency in his kingdom if she will have an Idol: Levi in the day of his zeal, if his brother have a golden calf, runs his Sword through him, he is no brother of his, if he have an Idol; and everywhere the nearer they are in the flesh, the more abominable in the heart of a zealous man is their sin against God; He begins first with them if it be true zeal, and what their authority reacheth not to extirpate, that doth a zealous heart mourn for; As Nehemiah when he had done all he could, tears the hair of their heads and taketh on against them, and 
Nehem. 13.  when he hath done all he can, he prays the Lord to remember them who defiled the Priesthood; And so David professeth he would not leave a wicked man about his court, or Jerusalem, when he was King, and yet when he had done all he could he sits him down and weeps, Rivers of tears run down my cheeks, because men kept not thy Law, he had a heart full of sorrow for what his authority did not reach to extirpate. Here you have as in a glass set before you the man that is worth his weight in gold, the man that may save a kingdom, such a people, a considerable number whereof will rescue a land wherein they live, such a people are zealous for God, whose hearts are sincere, that do to the utmost pass all difficulties, without self respects, do all that they can for the rooting out of that which provoketh the Lord to wrath and indignation, and so I have done with the first thing to show you what this grace is, and how it may be known.  
The second thing considerable is, whence it comes that this grace of zeal should be able to pacify the wrath of 
●nd why real able to do  God? whence it is? I answer you in a word, zeal doth not pacify or quench God's wrath meritoriously, by any virtue that it hath, that it may plead with God to do it, as if it had deserved it, as if it could give him any propitiation; No, no, It doth it only by way of instrument, the Lord blessing it, and crowning it, it is God's free grace doth it, only you must know that the Lord is so delighted with his own works, in the hearts of his people, that he loveth to set some crown or other on the head of his grace, as if the grace did do that, which he himself worketh alone; Thus he crowneth the grace of faith, that that shall justify the sinner when it only receiveth the pardon, thus he crowneth humility, that it shall be a Temple where God will dwell, whereas alas it is but a poor sty, if God did not beautify it; And thus God crowneth the grace of zeal, accepting of it, gives this public testimony of his delight in it, that he will put the glory of his own work on zeal, as if it had done that, which indeed God only doth of his own free grace, zeal shall have the glory among men, that people might learn to be in love with it.  
If you ask but why zeal hath this glory put upon it: I answer, zeal doth so much honour God, therefore he honours it, and that it doth in three particulars; First, it is most like to himself, most agreeable to his own nature, who is a Spirit, a pure act, all life; to a man of spirit a slothful messenger is as vinegar to the Teeth, hateful and troublesome; much more to God is a dull, slothful, lukewarm, cold servant, which he hath showed by refusing to have the firstling of an ass devoted to him, he abhors to have such a dull creature consecrated to his service, he had rather have the neck of it broken; but on the contrary he delights in active, lively, quick and zealous instruments, such shall stand about him, his Angels are spirits and his ministers flames of fire.  
2. This grace of zeal is not only suitable to his nature, but it sets him up in his own place: for what ever we lay out all the strength of our affections, to that do we (in so doing) ascribe the height of all excellency: we know God deserves to have not only some revolets, or streams, but the whole Ocean of our thoughts, affections, endeavours, &c. Now zeal thus carrying the soul, doth evidently declare that he alone (as he ought to be) is greatest in our hearts; and in truth God can be no more acknowledged in his own place without zeal, than a man can be without reason, but give him this and you exalt him.  
3. And beside it doth the work that God's vengeance should do, I say, zeal in its place and for its part doth that which God's vengeance came to do; What need God come in vengeance to cut off sinners? Zeal is doing it to his hand, Phinehas is slaying of them, Moses is thrusting them through, zealous men are endeavouring to exterminate all things that are evil, and when the Lord seeth some pleading his cause, and doing his work, he will gratify them to spare the rest for their sake; As when David thought all of Nabals family against him, he would cut them all off, and not a man of them should live, but when he findeth there was an Abigail that was of his side, and pleaded his cause, this cooleth David's heat; So is it with the Lord, Jer. 4. 5. Run, saith he, find out a man who executeth justice, and judgement, and I will spare it, find me a man who is doing the work my justice and vengeance comes to do, and I will forbear doing it myself: and elsewhere, I looked for a man to have stood in the breach, to have saved me a labour, and when I could find none, I did it myself, I then poured out my wrath upon them.  
Give me leave to make two or three uses of this lesson, and I shall dismiss you.  
First then, if this be so, what wonderful cause have we to mourn and tremble before God, to think how few are to be found in any place, or any rank or society of 
Application. First to lament the want of it.  men, who are to be numbered among them whom God will make saviours unto a people, who else are like to be destroyed? Verily it is a sad thing to think how few can anywhere be found in whose hearts there is this grace of zeal kindled, of whom the Lord may, Say such and such are zealous for my sake. In your own thoughts survey almost all public places, or orders of men, and think among the Nobles, or the Commons, in the city among the Aldermen, among the Common council men, among the several Wards, go into the ministry, the several degrees of men, and do but think how few there are whose hearts are truly zealous for the Lord, if this be zeal that I have opened unto you; truly if I should enter or put my finger into this Ulcer, I might make your hearts sad and tremble; have we not abundance that live this day in London and about London, if not in the Parliament, not only those that are at Oxford, that turn Cavaliers, who pretend to be our friends, who have a zeal against zeal, who are with all the heat that can be kindled in them set on fire against zealous men, casting all the opprobrious nicknames on them that can be; branding zeal for God with madness, with turbulency, with indiscretion, with hair-braindness; who with Festus, think men beside themselves, Act. 26. 24. who with Ahab count every zealous Eliah a troubler of Israel, and esteem of them as they did of the Apostles, Act. 17. 6. to be men who turn the world upside downward, who brand them to be Puritans, Precisians, factious, any thing which a vile heart can think and foul mouth utter. Yea how many are sad to see men lay out their strength and state for a good cause, and with Tobia and Sanballat are grieved to think, that any go about to build up the walls of God's house, or any Moses or Elijah take vengeance on God's enemies? A sad thing there should be any such among us, but more sad that any among us should be like Catiline, who was all fire, perdere rempublicam, to undo the Commonwealth where he lived, drive designs, make factions, do any thing in the earth that Religion might not thrive. These are miserable and accursed men, these men are factors for hell, Satan's Boutefeus, and as the true zealots are set on fire from heaven, so these men's fire is kindled from hell, whither also it carries them.  
What abundance are there that are wholly lukewarm, if not key-cold, that have no mettle, no heat in the world for God? Ah dear friends, how many others are there that are engaged in God's cause, who make Religion a and the public cause a mere vizard to serve their own ends, who lay out the heat of their zeal all their strength to feather their own nests, by getting some employment in an Army, in a navy, in a Commitree, in such a place in the city; And the thing they drive at is to advance themselves or their friends, to provide for this child, to stop such a gap. &c. And so out of the public pressure of God's people, draw out that which may enrich themselves, and further than that, let become of God's cause what will; how little such men's zeal is like to help us, yea how abominable they and their zeal is to God you heard before; And how many are there among ourselves, that protest they own this great cause that is now in hand, will vow, and take the Covenant, and swear too, (if you will give it them) an hundred times over, that they will adhere to this cause with all their might, and yet do no more for it then honest men may do with a good conscience, who live under the enemy's quarters, that is, let their goods be taken from them▪ because it is in vain for them to make an head, if an officer come he must have it, &c. part with what is laid upon them, and there's an end: But to be willing to say, Let me go, let my child go; here is my money, my spirit, my life; let all go rather than this cause sink; you had as good wring water out of a Pumice stone, you may as soon wring water out of a Flint stone, as bring men to that: as if they were yet to seek where the truth lay, or which the true cause were that God would own. God knoweth there are abundance of such that with the Samaritans, if the cause thrive well on the Parliaments side, they are cordial for them; but if it go on the other side, than they are casting about how they may save themselves, especially if they could but settle their own estates, whether Religion should be settled, whether Idolatry shall be extirpated, whether there should be any relics of them left, whether any of them should be punished, whom if we punish not, God will punish us for them, and our life shall go for theirs, whether justice should be executed upon any achan's, or Zimries, or any such should be made examples; these are things they never trouble their thoughts about, all matters wherein the glory of God is concerned, are to them as indifferent, as that controversy, Acts 18. whether Paul's Doctrine, or the Jews blasphemy prevailed, whether the Greeks beat Sosthenes, or Sosthenes beat the Greeks, whether, as the proverb is, the Dog catch the Hare, or the Hare the Dog, he was indifferent, Gallio cared for none of these things; and so verily is it with most men; so their own houses be furnished, it matters not what becomes of God's house; So that Reuben may hear his own flocks bleat, and Asher keep his own Coasts safe, let Deborah and Barack shift for themselves, private interests, and self-respects, care of themselves and family, have the whole of their souls, and in these things they are in good earnest, but no heart, no spirit appears in them for any cause of God; they are like David in his old age, no clothes can warm them, no motives work upon them, they drive, like Jehu, furiously in their own business, but in Gods, like the Egyptians in the red Sea, when their Chariot wheels were broken: Ah beloved, search and inquire whether there be not such among yourselves, such lukewarm Laodiceans, such cold professors, and if any of you be such, give me leave to tell you, that your condition is woeful, you not only will be no Saviours to us in our distresses, but for you, and such as you are, doth the Lord thus bitterly contend against us; and be you assured, that (what ever he mean to do with this sinful Nation) without speedy awaking and warming your hearts, he will spew you out of his mouth, Rev. 3. 15.  
The other use (and so I will have done) is for exhortation, where I would provoke this City, this Honourable City of London, the Lord 
Exhortation to it.  Maior, Court of Aldermen, Common council, & the residue, that are here gathered together, by your zeal for God, to quench God's wrath against us. I confess we have great cause to praise God for your zeal, (though I think you and others have had cause to bemoan the want of it,) for surely your zeal hath provoked many in the kingdom, and you have in great measure saved the kingdom hitherto, and it shall be a glory and a crown to you while this world standeth; That in all this deplorable and forlorn condition we have been in, the zeal of the City of London, for the more considerable part of it, hath held up when others hearts have fallen, and have stood for the Lord and his cause, and we humbly bless the Lord for it; Let God have the glory; It is Honour enough for you, that God will accept any service from you, or kindle anything good in your hearts: but I beseech you that you would abound more and more: you who have done thus much already, I hope are willing to save us if it lie in your power. Now you hear what may save the kingdom, what may extinguish the fire of God's wrath: zeal will do it, the laying out and drawing out the heart and affections to the uttermost for God, will do it. O than lay out all your hearts and strength and affections for the Lord, go on with all your might, with all your estates, with all your treasure, with what ever you have, let God have it all, in his cause if he need it, and be you sorry that you have no more to part with, do it to the utmost, show yourselves zealous in it, and extend your zeal more against evil, so far as you can reach. And you (my Lord, and Honourable Court, and Gentlemen of the Common council) may reach a great way this day; your prayers, your Counsels, your Petitions and your purses, may under God have any good thing done that you will put your hands to, I say any thing that is good. And therefore put to all your strength, that achan's may be removed, that all Idolatry may be rooted out, that those delinquents upon whom God would have justice executed, may be proceeded against, do you it upon such as are under your own jurisdiction. And by your humble Petitions, if need be, entreat justice may be done wherever God will have it done. I am a Minister of God's mercy, and take no pleasure in pressing to such a work as judgement and severity, were it not that I am assured that if we should not do justice where God requireth it to be done, he will do it without us, and he will do it upon us: when Saul executed not God's fierce wrath upon the Amalekltes, 1 Sam. 15. he brought God's fierce wrath upon himself: when the King of Israel let go a man whom God had appointed to die, his life went for the others life, 1 King. 20. 42. And certainly the Idolatry, and blood and other crying abominations that some are guilty of in this Land, I mean some of the chief Ringleaders in these evils, who have made these woeful breaches be 'tween our sovereign and his people, and thus violently promoted Idolatry and spoil, the Lord will have them reckoned with: and let your zeal be laid out that way: do it cordially, and so as God may see it. And to stir you in all these things to be zealous for the Lord, take these few Motives.  
Be you so against their sins, I pray you, though not against their persons. First, let me tell you, That it is for a God that hath been very zealous for you: So zealous, that when he had but one only son, he 
Motives to zeal.  did not spare him, but sent him, purposely to be hanged upon a cross to save you: it is for a Saviour who zealously redeemed you, how zealously he prayed, preached, lived, died for you, to purchase you to be a people for himself zealous of good works? and his zeal hath preserved you, and all yours all this while, and all the good you have, or hope for, the zeal of God hath holpen you to it.  
Secondly, the cause you contend for is such a cause, that lose this cause, and you shall never have such another as long as you live, lose your estate lose your wives, lose your children, lose your lives, God can give you as good and better, but lose this cause, and never shall you be tried in such a cause again while this world standeth.  
Thirdly, let me assure you your enemies want no zeal against you, they have followed it, what all the Popish party in Christendom could do against you, hath been done to destroy you, and they want no ill will at this day; and I believe should the Lord for our sins but deliver London up to their hands, since England was a kingdom, never was so sad a day known, as they would make London to know, such is their zeal against you. 
See Matth. 19 29.   
Fourthly, Consider (as this doctrine makes it plain) this is the most certain way to save this famous City, this will preserve London, this will keep it as a city of God, yea a few zealous men may do it, Oh that you could all be as Phinehas zealous for the Lord, but if all should not, the zeal of a few may do it, some Aldermen if all will not, some Common council men if all will not, a considerable number will prevail with God, yea who knows, how far the zeal of one man may prevail, therefore go on in it to the utmost, without any self-seeking; Let offices go, let wife and children go, let estate go, be wholly for the Lord and say, What may I do? wherein may I be employed and laid out? what is there in my head or heart, in my soul or body, in my treasury, shop or house, which may be of any use for the Lord? most gladly will I spend and be spent, for such a God, in such a cause; for such an end; verily such a frame of heart is invaluable, verily such a man to the State is more worth than his weight in Gold.  
Quest. But how shall we get it? what Prometheus may we send to heaven to fetch down this sacred fire? 
means to attain it. 1 King 8. Act. 2.   
Answ. 1. It is true, that from heaven, and from heaven alone it must be fetched, and thence we may fetch it as Eliah did his fire, by prayer. When Solomon prayed, the Temple was filled with smoke: and the Apostles men of like infirmities to us, while they were praying were baptised with this fire; so let us pray for this holy heat, and that God who breathed our souls into our bodies will breathe this grace into our soul, prayer and zeal mutually produce one another, as water and Ice do: God hath promised to give his Spirit (whose only work this is) to them who ask it, the meditation of the former motives will provoke to pray, and the earnest and humble prayers of faith will obtain it.  
2. When this fire is come from heaven, we must be careful to preserve it; the fire of the Tabernacle was first sent from heaven, but was nourished and maintained by fuel on earth; so must we do, This coal must be fetched only from God's Altar, but we must preserve it with fuel, such as are, reading, hearing, and meditating on God's Word; God's Word is both fire and fuel, let it dwell in our hearts, lay it in our bosoms and it will warm and inflame us.  
3. Sermons also are bellows for this purpose, and are of great power to stir up these coals; experience shows us that zealous preaching makes zealous people, Peter and Paul who are compared to men of fire walking among straw made the people fervent in spirit who lived under their Ministry: Despise not prophesying, and Quench not the Spirit, are joined together, 1 Thes. 5. 20. fly therefore like Doves to the windows 
1 Thes. 5. 16. 20.  of God's house, wait at wisdom's gate, and the sparks of grace will be blown up into a flame.  
4. Communion with such as are zealous. Iron sharpens Iron, so doth the conversation of active zealous men, their zeal will provoke others; company hath a strange influence, even a dull Jade will run for company, 
Prov. 22. 24. 25, &c.  a companion of fools will learn folly, and such as walk with the wise and godly will ere they be aware quickened up, and their spirits fired and hearts glow, as the two Disciples when they walked with Christ, though they knew him not, or as Moses face, which shined when he had been with God, though he were not aware of it. 
Luk. 24. 32. Exod. 34. 29.   
Lastly, beware of such things as extinguish zeal, such as are sulstracting the fuel which should feed it, neglecting attendance upon public ordinances, omitting of family and closet duties, or letting 
Heb. 10. 25.  out our hearts after such things as are mere quench-coles, as the study of such things as tend not to edification in truth and obedience, or letting out the affections after worldly things, this outward heat 
1 Tim. 6. 4. 14. 7. 2 Tim. 2. 14. Titus. 3. 9 Luk. ●. 14.  cools our inward, chokes zeal for God, so doth the nourishing of any secret lust, pride, malice, uncleanness, &c. these wast, consume, make shipwreck of zeal, are as a thief in the Candle, or a continual dropping into a little fire, grieves & quenches the spirit; Thus, zeal and an unmortified lust, a known sin chosen to be lived in, though never so secret, 
Ephes. 4. 29, 30. 1 Cor. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 6. Matth. 24. 12.  can no more dwell together in a heart, than Christ and Belial, Dagon and the ark. And bad company is as dangerous a quench-coal as any thing in the world; they say he that lives with a cripple will learn to halt, where iniquity abounds, men's zeal for God is in danger to grow cold; Peter may warm his hands in the high priest's Hall, but he will cool his heart. The time being more than spent, I can only point at these things, Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things.  
FINIS.