yourselves unto prayer ; — for me, that the blessing of God may be upon my labours ; and for yourselves, that " ye may not receive the grace of God in vain1."]
r 2 Cor. vi. 1.
Gal. iv. 18. It is good to be zealously affected always in a
good thing.
MEN act with energy in things that are agreeable to them. But while some are earnest in the support of religion, others are no less active in opposing it. This was the case with the false teachers, who sought to exclude the Apostle, that they might extend their own influence in the Churches of Galatiaa. But the Apostle justly condemns them, and recommends energy in a better cause.
The text will lead us to consider,
I. The nature of Christian zeal —
Zeal is a strong affection of the mind ; and is good or evil, according to the object towards which it is directed, and the manner in which it is exercised. It is more frequently in Scripture spoken of as evilb : but there is also a Christian zeal ; which is distin- guished by two things :
1. It is good in its object —
[Some spend their zeal in things that are in themselves sinful": and others on things indifferent6- : but the Christian's zeal is directed to what is good : he maintains with steadfast- ness the faith of the Gospele; and engages heartily in the practice of its precepts f.]
a ver. 17. b Acts v. 17, 18. and xiii. 45. and xvii. 5.
c Phil. iii. 6. John xvi. 2.
d Mark vii. 3, 4. And those amongst ourselves who raise fierce disputes about human ordinances.
e He follows the injunctions and examples of the apostles, in op- position to what is improperly called candour. Jude, ver. 3. Gal. i. 8, 9. 2 John, ver. 10.
f Tit. ii. 11, 12, 14.