before the Lord against the sun." In this way one thousand more were slain. Yet behold, whilst ven- geance was thus executing upon the offenders, a prince of one of the tribes brought a Midianitish princess, in the very sight of Moses and of the whole congregation, to his tent, defying, as it were, the indignation both of God and man, and setting at nought all regard even to common decency : and it was on this occasion that Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the high-priest, rose up from his place, and followed them to their tent, and with his javelin pierced both of them through their bodies in the very act of sin : and thus, making, as it were, an atone- ment to the Divine justice, he prevailed with the Deity to stop the plague.
Now this act of his being very highly commended in the Scriptures, and being replete with instruction proper to this occasion b, I shall point out,
I. The importance of zeal in at general view.
II. The excellence of it as displayed in the history before us.
I. Zeal in itself may be either good or bad according to the object to which it is directed. Hence the Apostle limits his commendation of it by this parti- cular consideration ; " It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." If exercised in a bad cause, it only precipitates a person to the com- mission of greater evil : but, when put forth in the prosecution of a good object, it facilitates the attain- ment of the end proposed. Without zeal, nothing that is at all difficult can be accomplished. From what- ever our indifference arise, it can never succeed in any arduous undertaking. If we be indolent in study, we can never make any great proficiency either in art or science. There may be, it is true, a brightness of genius which shall enable a person to shine amongst his fellows without much labour : but he will be
b An Assize Sermon, at Cambridge, March 12, 1831, just after riotous combinations against agricultural machinery, together with most destructive incendiarism, which had prevailed in many parts of the country, were put down by a special commission at Winchester.
679.1 THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS COMMENDED. 2ii7
altogether superficial in his knowledge, and will soon betray his want of diligence by the slenderness of his attainments. The same will be found true in every department of life. It is " the diligent hand alone that maketh rich." It is not always found indeed that labour, however great, is crowned with success: but where eminence in any arduous pursuit is attained, we may be sure that great zeal has been exercised in the prosecution of it. Who ever enlightened the world with discoveries in philosophy, without having first devoted much time to study, and laboured hard for the furnishing and enriching of his own mind ? Even success in attainments of a lower order is not gained without much previous exertion in that par- ticular line in which the effort is made. In the Grecian games, for instance, a long course of self- denying labour was necessary to enable any man to rise above his competitors, and to secure the distinc- tion at which he aimed. So in every thing, if a man would either benefit others, or distinguish himself, he must put forth zeal in the prosecution of the end which he has in view. Had Phinehas not felt more deeply than others the dishonour done to God, and stirred himself more resolutely to avenge his cause, he had neither turned away God's wrath from Israel, nor obtained for himself the commendation given him. It was his zeal for God that put him forth beyond all others, and that has rendered him an example to mankind to the remotest ages of the world.
This zeal of his forms the chief subject of our present discourse, and therefore we shall point out,