[4.] The qualifications and concomitants of this holy zeal. I will name three : —
(1.) It must be accompanied with knowledge and discretion ; that is to say, there must be a distinct knowledge of the cause that we take up, else we may be factors for the devil's kingdom when we tliink we are acting for God, and be persecuting the saints when we think we are destroying his enemies. It must be out of the knowledge of the
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cause of the evil to be renounced and the good to be established. There is a blind zeal : John xvi. 2, ' Whosoever killeth you will think tliat he doeth God service.' The pseudo-Christians, the literal Chris- tians, have a blind zeal against the serious Christians, and if they can excommunicate them and throw them out of the church and kill them, they think this is acceptable service to God. All this is blind zeal. In Eom. x. 2, the apostle saith, ' They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge ; ' therefore there must be light as well as heat in this fire, else it is not the fire of the altar, but of a common hearth ; nay, wo must not only know the truth, but also the worth of the cause. The truth of the cause, that must be guided still by wisdom, and we must observe all the seasonable circumstances in discovering ourselves for God, else it will produce strange, evil, and malignant effects, which tend much to the dishonour of God, and prejudice of the gospel. Look, as a blind horse that is full of mettle, but is always stumbling, so they never act commendably and seasonably. The church of God hath had bitter experience in all ages of the sad effects of misguided zeal ; when it hath not been seasoned with knowledge and discretion to time things, it hath tended much to tlie hindrance of Christ's kingdom, and the promotion of Satan's interest in the world. Christ in one place bids us to ' be wise as serpents,' Mat. x. 16; and in another place, not to give that which is holy to dogs, ' nor cast pearls before swine,' Mat. vii. 6 ; otherwise we unprofitably sacrifice ourselves, and hinder the good which we would promote. It was a grievous thing to Paul, and pressed upon his spirit, to see all Ephesus given to idolatry, and mightily affected with Diana's worship ; yet we read, Acts xix. 10, he was two years at Ephesus before he spake against Diana ; he observed his season before he took the liberty and thought himself bound to speak against that false worship. The historian tells us of Andes, a Persian bishop, that was under Varrans, that, having an unguided zeal, got some Christians together to destroy the temple of fire, which the Persians worshipped. Saith Theodoret, Not as he ought to do ; and what is the issue ? Varrans the emperor, that was formerly favour- able to the Christians, when he saw they affected power, and would destroy the worship of the country, what then ? He was filled with cruel persecution, he skinned the backs of some of the Christians, and the faces of others, drew splinters through their flesh, used horrible torments, which the historian takes notice of, and it conduced to the total suppression of the Christian religion. Therefore this wildfire when it runs abroad without discretion, and not being seasoned with prudence, it doth a world of harm to the church of God. We must observe the time, circumstances, and when it is most behoveful for the glory of God, the good of the church, and cause we would promote. See Videlius, lib i. cap. 1.
(2.) This zeal also must be mingled with compassion, that as we mind the glory of God, so we may pity deluded souls. When we are zealous against the sin we must have commiseration of the sinner, as knowing the weaknesses and prejudices of education that are inci- dent to human nature. This is, to be sure, most agreeable to Christ's pattern. He wept over Jerusalem that stood in a state of enmity to liim, Luke xix. 41 ; and when he was angry with the unbelief
474 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLVI.
of his countrymeu, at the same time he was pjrieved at the hard- ness of their hearts, Mark iii. 5. In Christ's anger there was more of compassion than of passion. And Samuel he mourned for Saul when he saw him no more, 1 Sam. xv. 35 ; and the apostle, when lie had zealously declaimed against the false teachers, he falls a- weeping, Phil, iii. 18. When we show love to God there should not he a hatred and ill-will to the persons of men, but we should bewail their obstinacy and blindness. Those that are all for destruction, and ready to call fire from heaven, they know not what spirit they are of ; they have a fiery zealotic spirit, but that which doth not become the temper of the gospel.
(3.) Zeal must be constant, Gal. iv. 18 ; the fire on the altar must never go out ; we cannot be without it for a moment. There are some that have zeal for a fit, but soon grow weary of it ; they are zealous in prosperity, then they are forward and active for God ; but when it comes to trouble, they give up all to oppositions. On the contrary, others in their affliction and low estate, they have a warm sense of religion, but when they are all well at ease, they are lost in the delights of the flesh, and drowned in the cares of the world, and their zeal for God is checked. And we see that some in their youth liave a good savour and towardliness, and seem to have a very tender conscience, but after their first heats are spent they are very careless, and grow inordinate, and all their zeal for God is gone : Gal. v. 7, ' Ye did rua well ; who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth ? ' David was as zealous when the crown was upon his head as when God humbled him and kept him low. Many think zeal a cumber as they increase ia worldly wisdom, and so cast it off". Nay, in gross hypocrites you shall find this, they will be zealous in good company, and as vain and loose in bad. Let any grave servant of God be there, they seem to kindle a great fire, but as soon as they are gone, they put it out again. Ay! but true zeal should always continue and be of a lasting and of an increasing flame.