_Direct._ XII. Lastly, watch against the slothfulness of those that are under your charges as well as against your own: some persons of honour and greatness are diligent themselves, and bestow their time for the service of God, their king and country, and their souls and families (and I would we had more such): but if, in the mean time, their wives and children and many of their servants spend most of the day and year in idleness, and they are guilty of it, for want of a thorough endeavour to reform it, their burden will be found greater at last than they imagined. In a word, though the labour and diligence of a believing saint, and not that of a covetous worldling, is it that tends to save the soul, and diligence in doing evil is but a making haste to hell; yet sloth in itself is so great a nourisher of vice, and deadly an enemy to all that is good; and idleness is such a course and swarm of sin, that all your understandings, resolution, and authority, should be used to cure it in yourselves and others.
_Tit._ 3. _Directions against Sloth and Laziness in Things Spiritual: and for Zeal and Diligence._
Zeal in things spiritual is contrary to sloth, and coldness, and remissness; and diligence is contrary to idleness. Zeal is the fervour or earnestness of the soul:[582] its first subject is the will and affections, excited by the judgment; and thence it appeareth in the practice. It is not a distinct grace or affection, but the vigour and liveliness of every grace, and their fervent operations.
[Sidenote: The kinds of false zeal.]
_Direct._ I. Be sure that you understand the nature and use of zeal and diligence, and mistake not a carnal, degenerate sort of zeal, for that which is spiritual and genuine. 1. There is a zeal, and activity merely natural, which is the effect of an active temperature of body. 2. There is an affected zeal, which is hypocritical, about things that are good; when men speak, and make an outward stir, as if they were truly zealous, when it is not so. 3. There is a selfish zeal: when a proud and selfish person is fervent in any matter that concerneth himself; for his own opinions, his own honour, his own estate, or friends, or interest, or any thing that is his own. 4. There is a partial, factious zeal:[583] when error, or pride, or worldliness hath engaged men in a party, and they think it is their duty or interest at least, to side with the sect or faction which they have chosen, they will be zealous for all the opinions and ways of their espoused party. 5. There is a superstitious, childish, carnal zeal, for small, indifferent, inconsiderable things: like that of the Pharisees (and all such hypocrites) for their washings, and fastings, and other ceremonious observances. 6. There is an envious, malicious zeal, against those that have the precedency, and cross your desires, or cloud your honour in the world, or that contradict you in your conceits and ways: such is that at large described, James iii. 7. There is a peevish, contentious, wrangling zeal, which is assaulting every man who is not squared just to your conceits. 8. There is a malignant zeal, against the cause and servants of the Lord, which carrieth men to persecute them. See that you take not any of these, or any such like, for holy zeal.
[Sidenote: The mischiefs of false zeal.]