SERMON LXXXII. The danger of zeal, without know- 1289 Preached on November 5., 1682. ROM. X. 2 I bear them record, that they have a zeal of GOD; but not according to knowledge. HERE is THER nothing more commonly cried up, SERM. than zeal in religion; and yet there is no- thing in which men do more frequently and fatally mistake and miscarry, and in the expressions and effects whereof Men ought to govern themselves with more care and caution. To speak the truth, zeal is as all other passions are, in it's own nature indifferent, and of itself neither good nor bad; but according to the object and degree of it: for zeal is nothing else, but " an earnest concernment for, or " against something, and a violent pursuit and pro" fecution of it." For if it be applied to a right object, so as we be earnestly concerned for things that are unquestionably good, and against things that are unquestionably evil; and in a due degree; that is, if the expression of it be proportionable to the less or greater good or evil of things; then it is a commendable quality of virtue; but if it be wrong placed, and we be earnestly concerned for that which is evil, and against that which is good, or about things which are of an indifferent, or doubtful nature, as to the good and evil of them, or if we notorioufly exceed CC3 LXXXII. SERM.exceed in the degree of it, being more zealoufly conLXXXII.cerned about things, than they deserve, and zealouf : } ly concerned about lesser things, to the prejudice of greater; in any of these cases, it is so far from being a virtue, that it is a vice of a most pernicious and mischievous consequence, and many times hath as bad effects, as can proceed from the worst principle or difpofition of mind. It is sometimes used in a good sense; but it is, when it is applied to the best things, in which the honour of God, and the salvation of men is concerned, to the great and unquestionable duties of religion. As zeal for the honour of God, and the place of his publick worship, in oppofition to profaneness, John ii. 17. "The zeal of thine house hath " eaten me up." For an earnest defire of those gifts, whereby we are to edify the church, I Cor. xii. 31. " But covet earnestly the best gifts," so we render the words; " be zealous of the best gifts," fo it is in the Greek. For a forwardness and readiness to relieve the neceffities of the faints, 2 Cor. " ix. 2. I know the forwardness of your minds, and "your zeal hath provoked very many." And to the fame purpose is that expression, Tit. ii. 14. " Zealous of good works." And then for a zeal for the falvation of mens fouls, 2 Cor. xi. 2. "I am zea"lous of you with a godly zeal." But the word is much more frequently in fcripture ufed in a bad fenfe, for a malicious and furious rage, against the professors of christianity, Acts, v. 17, 18. " Then the high priest, and they that were with "hini, were filled with indignation, "(the word is zeal) " and laid their hands on the apostles, and put " them in prifon." And chap. xiii. 45. it is faid, "the Jews were filled with zeal, and spake against " those those things which were spoken by Paul, contra-SERM. LXXXII. " dicting and blafpheming." And chap. xvii. 5. XX 'Tis frequently reckoned amongst "the works of " the flesh," and mentioned in the company of the greatest vices and crimes; wrath, contention, division, sedition, murders, tumults, confufions, Rom. xiii. 13. "Let us walk honestly as in the day, not " in chambering and wontonness, not in strife and " zeal." 1 Cor. iii. 3. "Whereas there is among 66 you zeal, and strife, and divisions; are ye not "carnal?" 2 Cor. xii. 20. " Lest there be debates, " zeal, wrath, strife." Gal. v. 19, 20, 21. "The "works of the flesh are manifest," among which the apostle reckons "hatred, variance, zeal, wrath, "strife, feditions, heresies, envyings, murders." St. James calls it a "bitter zeal." Jam. iii. 14, 15, 16. "But if ye have bitter zeal and strife in your "hearts; glory not, and lye not against the truth. " This wisdom defcendeth not from above; but is "earthly, sensual, devilish. For where zeal and "strife is, there is confufion and every evil work." By which it appears that zeal most frequently goes under a bad name and character in scripture; zeal, I mean, in matters of religion; for of that most of the texts I have mentioned speak; and this is that which St. Paul means here in the text, by a zeal of God, that is, a zeal about religion, and divine things. " I bear them record, that they have a zeal of GOD; " but not according to knowledge." In which words, the apostle being defirous to say the best he could of his countrymen the Jews, he commends the good meaning of their zeal, and Cc4 blames 1 SERM. blames the ill conduct of it, " I bear them record, LXXXII. し μαρτυρῷ αὐτοῖς, I give this testimony on their be" half, that they have a zeal of God, " that is, that by all this fierceness against the christian religion, they intend the honour of God, and think they do him service: but yet this zeal is greatly to be condemned; because it is a mistaken and misguided zeal, not at all directed as it should be; "they have " a zeal of God; but not according to knowledge." From which words I shall take into confideration these three things. I. What are the qualifications and properties of a zeal according to knowledge." II. By what marks and characters we may know " that zeal," which here, and elsewhere in scripture is condemned, as "not being according to know" ledge." a III. How far the doing of any thing, out of " " zeal for GOD," doth mitigate and extenuate the evil of it. For when the apostle here teftifies concerning the Jews, that they had " a zeal of GOD;" he speaks this in favour of them, and by way of mitigation of their Faults. When I have handled these three particulars, I shall apply my difcourse to the present occasion of this day. I. What are the qualifications and properties of " a zeal according to knowledge." I shall mention these three. ject. 1. That our zeal be right, in respect of it's ob 2 That the measure and degree of it be proportioned to the good or evil of things, about which it is converfant. 3. That we purfue it by lawful ways and means. 1. That LXXXII. 1. That our zeal be right in respect of it's object; SERM. I mean, that those things which we are zealous for, be certainly and confiderably good; and that those things which we are zealous against, be certainly and confiderably evil. A mistake in any of these quite mars our zeal, and spoils the virtue of it: and though it be never fo much intended for God, it is not at all pleasing and acceptable to him; because it is a blind and ignorant and mistaken zeal: and the hotter, the worse; it is not an heavenly fire, "that 66 comes down from above;" but it is like the fire of hell, heat without light. If we mistake good and evil, and be zealoufly concerned, against that which is good, or for that which is evil; the greater our zeal is, the greater is our faults, and instead of doing God and religion service and credit, we do the greatest mischief and dishonour we can to them both: or if the thing about which our zeal is conversant, be of a doubtful and uncertain nature; this is not properly an object of zeal. Men should never be earnest for or against any thing, but upon clear and certain grounds, that what we contend so earnestly for, is undoubtedly good; and that which we are so violent against, is undoubtedly evil: if it be not, we are zealous for we know not what, and that I am sure, is a " zeal not according to knowledge." And if the thing be certainly good or evil, which we are so concerned about; it must also be confiderably so, otherwise it will not warrant our being zealous about it. All truth is good, and all error bad; but there are many truths so inconfiderable, and which have so small an influence upon practice, that they do not deserve our zeal and earnest contention about them; and so likewise are there many errors, and mistakes, of so slight and inconfiderable a nature, that |