CHAP. XIX. OF ZEAL. 599 all surrounding evils.----3.. Such a temper and dispo- sition of mind is attainable by faith, prayer, and wait ing npon God. Bv faith men so eminent. for fortitude of mind performed those heroic exploits we read of in Hell xi. who by faith subdued kingdoms, stopped mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, endured with such greatness of mind the many evils they did; anti through constant prayer saints obtain a spirit of boldness both with God and before men; and by waiting upon the Lord in religious exercises their spiritual strength or fortitude is renewed; hence the exhortation,, Wait on the Lord, Psalm xxvii. 14.. 4.. The patterns of courage, the examples of fortitude in the saints who have gone before us, of the prophets, apostles, primitive Christians, and martyrs in all ages, mav be a means of promotiug a like disposition, par- ticularly that cloud of heroes before referred to; and above all Christ himself, the pattern of courage set before us, whom we are directed to look unto and consider, lest we be weary and faint in our minds, Heb. xii. 1,2, 3. .5. The love of God, and a sense of that, a persuasion of interest in it, and that nothing shall separate from it, casts out fear {}, and inspires with fortitude against every enemy, Rom viii. 35, 38, 39. 1 John. iv. 18. CHAP. XIX. OF ZEAL. Zeal is an ardour of mind, a fervent affection for some person or thing; with an indignation against every thing supposed to be pernicious and hurtful to it. As it is a divine grace, it is a vehement affection for God and his glory, an earnest study, by all proper means, to promote it; with a resentment of every thing tl,at tends to obscure, let, and hinder it; it is hot, burning, flaming love, which cannot be quenched by water, nor drowned by floods, nor abated, re- straineel, and stopped, by any difficulties in the way, Cant. viii. 6, 7. It is sometimes used for that strong affection God bears to his people, expressed by his earnest care of them, and indignation against their enemies, ca11ed, The zeal of the Lord of hosts, anti his great jealousy, Isa. ix. 7. Zech. i. 14. and viii. 2,. And sometimes for a gracious disposition in man, which has God for its object., and is called zeal towards God, an eager desire after his glory; and of which God is the author, and is called, A zeal of God, or a godly jealousy, 2 Cot. xi. 2. In treating of which I shall co,,sidcr, I. The various sorts and kinds of zeal; that it may be the better known what is right and genuine. And. First. There is a zeal of God, which is not according' to knowledge, which the Jews had, as the apostle tes- titles, Rom. x. 2. and which lay in a zealous concern for the performance of legal duties, and in a studiou,. attempt to set them up, and establish them as a ins tallying righteousness before God:, to the entire neglect and rt!iection of the righteousness of Christ. Which zeal of theirs, in this attempt, arose, I. From ignorance of the perfection of God's righte- ousness, which is displayed in all his ways and works, who is the Judge of the whole earth, and will do right; and will not clear the guilty without full satisfaction to his justice, nor justify any without a perfect righte- ousness; and his judgment of things is according to truth; and he cannot reckon an imperfect righteous- ness a perfect one; nor account that for righteousness which is none: to secure his honour and glory in this point, he has set forth Christ to be the propitiatory sacrifice for sin, thereby making satisfaction for it; to .de.clare his righteousness: but of this the legal zealot is Ignorant, and therefore takes a wrong course. 2. It arises fi'om ignorance of the righteousness which God in the law requires; the law is holy, just, and good, and requires a perfect righteousness; both as to the matter of it, and the manner of its performance; all that the law has commanded must be done, and as it is commanded, or it is no righteousness, Deut. vi. and the law is spiritual, and reaches to, and is con- cerned with the heart, the spirit, and the soul of man; it forbids sinful thoughts, inward lusts, and irregular affections, as well as the outward and grosset sins of life; it allows of no peccaddlo's, or little sins, but con- demns all; so extensive is the law, and such the spi- rituality of it; which the Pharisee being ignorant of, sets up his own righteousness as sufficient, and zea- lously endearours to establish it; but it will be of no service, Matt. v. 19, 2O.------3. This ignorant zeal arises from a want of knowledge of the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel; which is no other than the righteousness of Christ, who is God as well as man: behtg ignorant of this, its excellency, fullness, and suitableuess, men submit not unto it, but reject it, stumbling at the stumbling stone and rock of offence, Rom. i. 17. and iii. 21, 22.. 4. It arises from igno- rance of their own righteousness; the Spirit of God not having convinced them of it, how imperfect and polluted it is; how it is not answerable to the law of God; and how short it comes of its demands and re- quirements; and how insufficient it is to justify them before God; and whilst this is the case they are warmly attached to it, and zealous to establish it: but when they come to be made sensible of the imperfection ,tnd nnprofitableness of it, they desire to be found in ChriSt, and in his righteousness, and not their own, Phil. iii. 9. -.5. It arises fi'om want of faith in Christ; being destitute of that, the zealots follow eagerly after righteousness, but do not attain it; Because they.. seek it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law; now, what is not of faith is sin, and therefore zeal without faith cannot be right; zeal without faith in Christ must be without knowledge, must be without the knowledge of Christ, and without the .knowledge of-God in Christ; and therefore cannot be well-pleas, no' and acceptable to God; nor is such a righteous- ness they are following after-and endeavouring to establish. Wherefore, 6. Such a zealot goes contrary to the will and way of God, in the justification of a sinner; and therefore his zeal mnst be a false one: the declared will of God is, that a man is not, and can- Non potest amor cure timore misceri, Seneca, Ep. 47.