The signs of holy zeal are these: 1. It is guided by a right judgment. It is a zeal for truth and good, and not for falsehood and evil, Rom. x. 2. 2. It is for God, and his church or cause, and not only for ourselves. It consisteth with meekness, and self-denial, and patience, as to our own concernments, and causeth us to prefer the interest of God before our own, Numb. xii. 3; Exod. xxxii. 19; Gal. iv. 12; Acts xiii. 9, 12. 3. It is always more careful of the substance than the circumstances; it preferreth great things before small; it contendeth not for small controversies to the loss or wrong of greater truths, Matt. xxiii. 22, 23; it extendeth to every known truth and duty, but in due proportion, being hottest in the greatest things, and coolest in the least; it maketh men rather zealous of good works, than of their controverted opinions, Tit. ii. 14. 4. Holy zeal is always charitable; it is not cruel and bloody, nor of a hurting disposition, Luke ix. 55, but is tender and merciful, and maketh men burn with a desire to win and save men's souls, rather than to hurt their bodies, 1 Cor. xiii.[586] Zeal against the sin is conjunct with love and pity to the sinner, 2 Cor. xii. 21. 5. Yet it excludeth that foolish pity which cherisheth the sin, Rev. ii. 2; 1 Kings xv. 13. 6. True zeal is tender of the church's unity and peace; it is not a dividing, tearing zeal: it is first "pure and then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits," James iii. 17. 7. True zeal is impartial, and is as hot against our own sins, and our children's and other relations' sins, as against another's.[587] 8. True zeal respecteth all God's commandments, and is not hot for one, and contemptuous of another. It aimeth at perfection; and stinteth not our desires to any lower degree. It maketh a man desirous to be like to God, even holy as he is holy. It consisteth principally in the fervour of our love to God; when false zeal consisteth principally in censorious wranglings against other men's actions or opinions: it first worketh towards good, and then riseth up against the hindering evil. 9. It maketh a man laborious in holy duty to God, and diligent in all his work;[588] and lieth not only in the heat of the brain, or rigid opinions, or heat of speech. 10. It is not a sudden flash, but a constant resolution of the soul; like the natural heat, and not like a fever (though the feeling part is not still of one degree); therefore it concocteth and strengtheneth, when false zeal only vexeth and consumeth.[589]
_Direct._ II. When you are thus acquainted with the nature of true zeal, consider next of its excellency and singular benefits, that there may be a love to it, and an honour of it in your hearts. To that end consider of these following commendations of it.
[Sidenote: The excellency of zeal and diligence.]
1. Zeal being nothing but the fervour and vigour of every grace, hath in it all the beauty and excellency of that grace, and that in a high and excellent degree. If love to God be excellent, then zealous, fervent love is most excellent.
2. The nature of holy objects are such, so great and excellent, so transcendent and of unspeakable consequence, that we cannot be sincere in our estimation and seeking of them, without zeal. If it were about riches or honours, a cold desire and a dull pursuit might serve the turn, and well beseem us; but about God, and Christ, and grace, and heaven, such cold desires and endeavours are but a contempt. To love God without zeal, is not to love him, because it is not a loving him as God.[590] To seek heaven without zeal and diligence is not to seek it, but contemn it. To pray for salvation without any zeal, is but hypocritically to babble, instead of praying; for no desire of Christ, and holiness, and heaven is saving, but that which preferreth them before all the treasures and pleasures of the world; and that which doth so, hath sure some zeal in it; so that some zeal is essential to every grace, as life and heat are to a man.
3. The integrity and honesty of the heart to God consisteth much in zeal:[591] as he is true to his friend that is zealous for him, and not he that is indifferent and cold. To do his service with zeal is to do it willingly, and heartily, and entirely. To do it without zeal is to do it heartlessly, and by the halves, and to leave out the life and kernel of the duty: it is the heart that God doth first require.