enough to espouse its interests and perform its duties, or coldness enough to abandon it and give it up. This is the fad cafe of millions in the chriftian church.* Secondly, there is a feeming counterfeit zeal for religion, where there is no warmth, of affec tion, a blustering, noisy, profeffion, fpending itself either in religious difcourfe or controverfy, or in uncharitable and cenforious judgings and railings against the characters and profeffions of others, where there is really no true regard to religion at heart. This feems to have been the zeal or (hypocrify) of the scribes and pharisees; and is well defcribed by the prophet. † Or, thirdly, it is a dreadful counterfeit of true chrif tian zeal, when men make a great fhew and fir in religion, merely to deceive others, and to obtain wicked or secular ends, as was the cafe with Jehu, when he faid; Come fee my zeal for the Lord."‡ (5.) True chriftian zeal always begins at home; it first cafts the beam out of our own eye; its indignation rifes highest at our own faults; it is vigorously concerned for our own reformation, correction, improvement in knowledge and grace; perfection and final fecurity and happinefs. It is abfurd to imagine that a man can have any right and true hatred of fin in others, while he Rev. iii. 14,-19. Ezek: xxxiii. 31. Psal.txxviii. 36, 37. Ifa. xxix. 134 2 Kings x. 16. has none againft it in himself; or that man fhould be anxiously concerned for another man's reformation, falvation and hap. piness, while he has no regard to his own. (6.) True chriftian zeal is ever properly employed about others in the second place. Christians are zealous of good works, both in themselves and others.* We have inflances of this kind, Acts xvii. 16. Rev. ii. 2. Charity fhould quicken our zeal both against the sins and for the happiness of others. David was grieved, and fhed tears, when he beheld tranfgreffors.-Lot was vexed by the filthy conversation of the wicked. Chrift caft the money changers out of the court of the temple, and in this was fulfilled in him that fcripture, "The zeal of thy houfe hath eaten me up." Paul's fpirit was moved, at the fight of Athenian idolatry. True zeal will engage us to reprove the fins of others, in a proper place, time and manner.† True zeal against fin, will make us fhun finful companions, Pfal. cii. 4.-It will alfo engage us to do all the good for the fouls of others that we can, Eccles. ix. 10. (7.) That we may fhun irregularities in the exercifes of our zeal towards others, we should obferve the following cautions: 1. Let us take heed of a cenforious, unchari *Tit. ii. 14. Ephes. v. T. Tit. i. 10,-13, 2 Tim. iv. 2. table spirit in our reproofs of others.-This is a zeal unchristian and without knowledge, and is never likely to do any good. 2. Let us beware of passion and wrath in our zeal to reclaim and reform tranfgreffors. Love to the perfon of the offender, and meeknefs fhould accompany our most zealous endeavors to reform him: For, in this cafe, as in others, the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 3. The inftruments of chriftian zeal, are scripture, reason and persuasion. It is a wicked, antichristian, unwarrantable zeal, to destroy men's bodies, or rob them of their interefts, for the good of their fouls. This is the zeal of Popish inquifitors. 4. Our zeal fhould be tempered with prudence. The zeal of a private chriftian cannot, with prudence, be carried fo far in the reformation of abuses, as that of a magistrate or public minister of religion. Altho' every chriftian fhould be zealous for the propagation of truth and goodnefs, yet the measure of his zeal fhould correfpond with his ftation.Befides, the exertions of our zeal against fin fhould be regulated, by the character of offenders, and the nature of their offences. Public, bold and shameless offenders are to be rebuked sharply.* Of fome have compaffion, making a difference: And others fave with fear, pulling them * Tit. i. out of the fire. 5. Right zeal is exerted against all fin, both in ourselves and others. (8.) True chriftian zeal is enforced upon us by many reafons and obligations: 1. The importance of religion deferves our zeal.→→→ 2. The difficulties that attend the right discharge of our chriftian duty require zeal, and render it neceffary.-3. We can have no evidence of our own fincerity, without becoming fervor and earneftnefs in the duties of religion; for, confidering the unSpeakable importance of religion, if we are truly concerned about it at all, it must be zealously.4. We fhall never do much good to the fouls of others, or much honor to our common chriftianity, without a proper degree of chriftian zeal.-5. We have the examples of the prophets, and of Christ and his apostles, and of all eminently good men, to countenance and encourage us in a zealous adherence to religion, and in the zealous practice of the duties of it. ESSAY XXVIII. PATIENCE and the CONTRARY VICES. 1. PATIENCE is twofold. It either, (1.) refpects the evil of life which we are actually feeling; or, (2.) fome fu + Jude 22, 23. ture good, which we have reason to expect, but which we do not as yet enjoy. The firft is expreffed in fcripture by the word upomone, which fignifies an enduring of afflictions with constancy. The fecond by the word makrothumia, a length of mind, which fignifies a patient waiting for a promised good, and is oppofed to bastiness of spirit.* 2. Patience does not confift in insensibility, nor fuppofe it. It fupposes that we feel the whole weight of our troubles and afflictions, but bear them with a christian fpirit and temper; and implies the following things. 3. That we have the command and poffeffion of our own fouls and are not rifled or difcompofed, by the crofs or painful accidents of life; but that we are fo much our own man as to fee, and fteadily to perfue and perform the duties which become us as men, and christians. 4. Patiece will prevent us from making hafty judgments either concerning GoD or man; either against ourselves or others. Impatience makes men fretful and difcontented, and hurries them on in the heat of their fpirits, to rafh and wicked judgments both of God and man; 'I faid, in my hafte, all men are liars,' and fo Pfal. lxxvii. 7,-10. Heb. vi. 12, James v. 19. Rom. ii, 4- -xi. 22. 2 |