9. Cuni^ider, there is no danger in zeal ; we cannot do too much in solid piety. The least is more than enough in sin, because everything is too much there ; but in grace there is never enough. In external worship indeed there may be too much, as in pomp and ceremonies ; when men will be decking God's ordinances with gawdery, it is not proportionable to the end of worship, therefore there may be too much. And in particular exercises there may be too much ; it is good to keep a decorum in praying and hearing. But now, in the love of God, and zeal for God, aud"^the service of God, and solid piety, there can be no excess ; you cannot be too heavenly or too holy. There is a great deal of danger of doing too little. Many ' come short of the glory of God,' Eom. iii. 23. O christians ! you cannot be too busy for saving your souls, nor too earnest. 2 Peter i. 11, we are pressed to labour after ' an abundant entrance.' There are some that are afar off, that do not enter at all, that neither strive nor seek to enter, that are as swine, filthy, abominable, unprofitable, good for nothing but to ruin themselves, as profane persons and heathens ; and some are very nigh to the king- dom of God, as the moral man upon the brink and border, and as he that was ' almost persuaded to be a christian,' Acts xxvi. 28. Others again make a hard shift to get to heaven ; they are scarcely saved, or
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saved as by fire. But others are carried on with full sails, their hearts are enlarged to God. This is our duty, to labour to get this abundant entrance. Some seek to enter, and are not able ; they go far, and vet perish : Luke xiii. 24, ' Manv shall seek to enter, but shall not be able.'
10. Consider, if your hearts be dead and cold, j'ou lose the comfort of all your christian privileges. A dead christian is as bad as nono at all. You cannot take comfort in your conversion. A change with- out life and zeal is but a moral reformation, not a regeneration, for regeneration is a quickening, and a begetting to life : Eph. ii. 5, ' Even when we were dead in trespasses and sins^ he hath quickened us together with Christ.' That is true conversion, where they are not only changed, but quickened. Heathens have been changed from profaneness to a moral course. If you pretend to close with Christ, and find no life, you can take no comfort in your faith ; it is but a cloud, a fiincy : John x. 10, ' I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' So for repentance and trouble for sin ; if no zeal follows it, it is naught : Kev. iii. 19, 'Be zealous therefore, and repent.' So for being members of the church ; vou cannot take comfort of being Christ's members without zeal, for all the true members of Christ's mystical body are living stones : 1 Peter ii. 5, ' Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house.' It is true in the outward building there are some carved stones, so in the visible church there are many polished with gifts which may serve in their place to hold up the building ; but they are not living stones, for they want life. And then for liope, it is but a fancy and dream if we be dead and sluggish. It is called ' a lively hojje,' 1 Peter i, 3 ; and if thou art drowsy still, and neglectful of Cod, surely thou art but in a dream. Canst thou take comfort in this, that thou art a constant hearer of the word, if thou art as backward to holiness and good works as ever ? Phil. ii. 16, ' Holding forth the word of life/ The word is the word of life ; it doth not leave us dull, slow, and backward. If there be not life and zeal, all is nothing.
11. Consider how odious want of zeal is to God. He will not own a cold, careless, neutral spirit: Kev. iii. 16, 'So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth.' Cold lazy professors, that have nothing but a dead form, are as luke- warm water to the stomach ; and there is nothing the stomach nauseates so much as that which is lukewarm. So will God cast them out with much loathing ; he will uncase and pluck off their masks, and reveal them to the conscregation, and make them odious ; this is worse than stark cold. It is not enough that we are not violent agamst the ways of God, but are you zealous for God ? otherwise you are odious to God : Mat. XXV. 30, ' Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness ; ' and not only the grossly wicked, but the unprofitable servant. Though he did not abuse his talent, nor embezzle it away, yet he hid it in a napkin. If you hide your talent, be it parts, estate, or authority, are you then zealous for God ? Useless, sapless, lifeless christians incur the penalty of damnation as well as the openly wicked , they are cast into hell ; therefore rest not in a dead form.