Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 50
CHAP. L. Of Zeal.
ZEal is by some well defyned the heat, and intention of all affections; and not eyther any one simple affection, or composition of divers: I add of the understanding also: So men meditate zealously, and love zealously, and hate zealously, and rejoyce zealously, and mourn zealously, and with great intention of heart. The like is to be sayd of all the rest of the affections. As nothing lives without naturall heat; so neyther lives he the life of Christ indeed, who is destitute of christian zeal to warm him in his affections, and actions, specially in matter of Gods worship, and service; in which whether wrong, or right, luke-warmnes is odious, and loathsom. The LordRev. 3. will spue out of his mouth the luke-warm, whether wyne, or water.
Worldly wise-men despise zeal, as prejudiciall to wisdom, & discretion: So Festus judged Paul mad; & Michall accounted David as one of the fools, for the singular zeal of God which they manifested. But even1 Cor. 1. this foolishnes of God is wiser then men. Yet is it certeyn, that men of great knowledg, and judgment do seldom make that manifestation of Zeal, which weaker persons do. The former have their spirits most in their brayns, and are exercised specially in the disquisition and discerning of truth from falshood, and of good from evill: The latter have them most in their hearts, and accordingly give themselvs to the affectionate pursuit of that, which they conceav to be true, and good; and alike to the avoyding, and impugning of the contrarie.
Some deceav others by the pretence of zeal, which they put on for their advantage, as stage-players do vizours, till their part be played: And thus Ismaell deceaved the fortie Ier. 41.men of Samaria with his crocodiles tears. Also there are not a few, who deceav both others, and themselvs, by seeming to both, eyther to have the Zeal of God, which they wholly want; or much more, then they have: And of this number was Iehu, how loud soever he cryed to Ionadab, Behold the zeal, which I have for the house of the Lord: … Kin. 10.whereas in truth, that, which most set him awork, was zeal for his own house; though it may be, he thought not so. Besides craftines in this Iehues zeal, there are two other properties: the one suspitious, where it is found; and the other odious. The former is a furious march against evill, without an answerable pursuit of, and affection unto the contrarie good: Many are vehemently carryed against Antichristian devises in truth, or so appearing unto them: in whom yet appears litle love and affection to that which is of Christ in their own judgment. Such are rayther carried by their own flesh, then led by the spirit of God. The other is crueltie. To be aright, and truely zealous cannot but be good; seeing so many (and those wise men) desire, at times, to seem so, though they be not.
True zeal must be for God, and from God, and according to God: and having God both for beginning, and end, and rule of direction; it cannot but it self be good, and godly. It must be for the Lord, and for the furtherance of his glorie in the obedience of his will, and in mans salvation; and not for our own, or other mens by-purposes. And if it so fall out, that by one and the same thing Gods cause, and our own profit, credit, or other worldly advantage be promoted; we had need keep a jealous eye over our selvs, that we serv not our turn on God, by making his ends, as it were, a bridg to our own, as Iehu did. Secondly, as the fire of the altar came from heaven; so must our coal of zeal be fetched thence, as being the work of Gods spirit in our hearts, in the use of prayer, meditation upon the word of God read, and heard, the examples of others godly (as it were, ryding in the fierie chariot of Elyas) and the like holy means; by which this divine fire is kindled, and nourished in mens breasts. Thirdly, it must be according to God, both for the qualitie of the matter, and quantity of the intention of affection. For the former, It is good alwayes (even then, and then onelyonly) to be Gal. 4.zealous in a good matter; and that neyther lightly presumed, nor partially conceipted so to be, but certeynly known: els we burn not sweet incense with holy fire, but dirt; and doung in stead thereof. Our zeal also must be apportioned to the object; and that not onelyonly considered in it self, but also in the circumstances attending upon it: in regard whereof, things not alwayes the most good, or evill in themselvs, may justly deserv at our hands, a great bent eyther of love to them, or hatred against them. And amongst other circumstances we must be carefull so far to have respect to that of persons, as to hate evill most in them whose persons we most love; and so in our wives, children, and friends, more then in strangers; and in our selvs most of all. And he that hath not learnt to bear things amisse in others, which he will not bear in himself, hath eyther too much fleshly zeal, or too litle spirituall, or both: which two oftens lodg in one breast: by which it comes to passe, that many are earnest to pluck the moat out of their brothers eye, that perceav Math. 7.not the beam in their own. Notwithstanding, as it doth not detract eyther from the dignitie, or necessitie of naturall heat in our bodyes, that there is found in some, an agueish, and unnaturall heat far greater then the naturall; so neyther, in truth, and just valuation of things, doth it derogate from the excellencie, and necessitie of the heat of true zeal, and life of grace in the godly, consisting therein; that many are zealous amisse, whether knowing, (and so deceaving others): or not knowing, (and so deceaving themselvs) of what spirit they are.Luke 9.