THE True Reformation of Manners, OR THE NATURE and QUALIFICATIONS OF True Zeal: IN A SERMON Preached in the Parish-Church of BRIDGWATER: Occasioned by a more than ordinary Concourse of Dissenters there, upon that Pretence.  
By MATTH. HOLE, B. D. And Vicar of Stokegursy in Somersetshire.  2 King. 10.16. Come with me, and see my Zeal for the Lord. 
OXFORD, Printed by L. Lichfield, for Henry Clements, 1699.   

TO THE READER.  
THE design of the ensuing Discourse, is not to hinder, but promote Reformation, by directing to the true way and means conducing thereunto: Neither is there any thing in it to Reproach, but only to Regulate our Zeal, which derives all its Goodness from the Object, or End to which it is directed; and like Fire, is either useful or dangerous, according as it keeps, or leaves its due place and bounds.  
I know 'tis hard, and perhaps improper too, to treat coldly of this Subject, which is apt to excite a Warmth in the Speaker, and to enkindle also some Heat in the Hearers: And therefore 'twill require no small Skill, to know the true limits and measures of this Virtue, and likewise no less Care to observe and keep within them.  
For private Persons to be very solicitous about the amending their own Ways, and reforming their particular Errors and Vices, is a very commendable Property and Duty of a good Christian: But for such to be overbusy and clamorous about the Reforming others, is many times to go out of their Station, and to meddle with things that appertain not to them. True Reformation, like Charity, gins at home, and makes Men more careful to correct their own Faults, than to pry into and censure the Manners of others: Such Censores morum had need have not only sufficient Authority, but an exemplary and unspotted Integrity; lest their own Miscarriages should upbraid the forwardness of their Zeal, and confute their goodliest Pretences.  
They that can allow themselves in the heinous Sins of Schism, Division and Disobedience, may indeed talk and pretend much to Reformation, but can never be true Reformers: Such a preposterous Zeal hath commonly very bad Designs concealed under it; and 'tis well known what direful Evils have been contrived and acted under this mask of Reformation: So that we are concerned to watch our Zeal, as we do our Fire, lest it grow headstrong and exorbitant, and set not only whole Houses, but whole Kingdoms in a Combustion; that we be not twice deceived by the same Artifice.  
I hope this warm Subject hath not transported me beyond the Bounds of Reason and Meekness in the handling of it; and that no wise Reader will see any just cause to complain of it, as Satyrical or Sarcastical.  
To rectify a mistaken Zeal, and prevent the Danger of it, were the sole Ends of Preaching this Sermon; and to answer the Requests of some, and remove the Prejudices of others, were the true Reasons of its Publication.  
FAREWEL.   

A Sermon, etc.  GALAT. IU. Part of the 18th Verse. 
It is good to be Zealously affected always in a good thing.  
THE occasion of these Words, was from some false Teachers, that had crept into the Churches of Galatia, with a design to destroy the Credit of the Apostle, and the Doctrine delivered by him: To which end they preached up Circumcision, and other Rites and Ceremonies of Moses' Law, on purpose to undermine the Truths of the Gospel.  
In this Attempt they prevailed so far, as to shake the Faith of many, who began to decry the Apostle, and to cry up those deceitful Teachers above him. This put St. Paul, in this Chapter, upon reasoning the Case with them, ver. 16. Am I become your Enemy because I tell you the Truth? i. e. Am I become vile and despicable in those eyes, which you would, not long since, have plucked out and given to me? How comes this change to be made in you, that the great Love you lately bore to my Person and Doctrine, is thus of a sudden turned into a Hatred of both? Why, he found that an Enemy had done this; i. e. Those false Teachers, taking the opportunity of his Absence, had planted their Tares, to hinder the growth of that good Seed he had sowed among them; and therefore with great earnestness cautions these Galatians against them, as the great enemies of their Faith and Salvation; letting them know, that whatever show they might make of Zeal towards GOD, or Affection towards them, there was nothing under it, but Falsehood and Hypocrisy. They Zealously affect you, saith he, ver. 17. but not well: There is no Sincerity in their goodliest Pretences, and in all they say or do, their Love is not to you, but themselves; Yea, They would exclude you, (saith he) that you might affect them: meaning, that they would shut you out from the true Faith, that you might affect their Persons, and embrace their Errors. Wherefore he wills them to beware of them, and to shun them as Cheats and Impostors; and from their false and counterfeit Zeal, takes occasion to recommend True Zeal to them, in the Words of the Text: But it is good to be Zealously affected always in a good thing. In treating of which Words, I must inquire,  
First, Into the Nature of Zeal, and show what it is to be Zealously affected.  
Secondly, I must speak to the two Qualifications of true Zeal mentioned in the Text; the one respecting the Time of its continuance, which must be always; the other, the Object about which it is to be employed, which is a good thing.  
Thirdly, I must show the Goodness or Excellency of true Zeal from those Words, It is good to be Zealously affected, etc.  
Fourthly, I must lay open some of the Mistakes and Miscarriages of Zeal, and then conclude with an Inference or two from the whole.  
I begin then with the Enquiry into the Nature of Zeal, that we may see what it is to be Zealously affected; and here we may note,  
First, That Zeal, in the general Notion of it, is a warmth of Mind, that carries it out in an eager pursuit of its Object, accompanied with Indignation at any thing that opposes, or lies in its way: And this is sometimes in Scripture, and other Authors, taken in a bad fence, for Emulations, Wrath, and bitter Envyings: St. James makes mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a bitter Zeal, proceeding from an overheated and exasperated Mind, and is translated, bitter Envyings, Jam. 3.14. St. Paul reckons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is rendered, Emulations, among the works of the flesh, Gal. 5.20. This is an inordinate heat of the Soul, whereby 'tis carried out too eagerly after some earthly, sensual Objects or Designs. But passing by this, we are now to treat of a Religious Zeal, which is a warm and powerful Inclination of the Mind after Heaven and Heavenly things. For the better understanding whereof, we must note,  
2ly, That Zeal is not any one single Passion or Affection, but a mixture or composition of more; 'tis made up chief of Love and Anger, together with those intermediate Passions, of Desire, Joy, Indignation, and the like, that partake of both. The first and great Ingredient of Zeal is Love, for none can be Zealously affected to any thing, which he doth not truly love; and where that is, 'twill draw after it a desire of attaining and enjoying it; and according to the degrees of love will the desire increase, and improve into long and impatience. Again,  
Zeal is accompanied with Joy and Delight in pleasing and possessing what it makes after, and where the Object is infinite, as when 'tis placed on GOD, it advances into Ecstasy and Rapture. Furthermore,  
Anger is an Ingredient of Zeal, which sets the Soul against whatever opposes the thing Beloved; and proportionable to the opposition, does the Anger increase, arising sometimes to Wrath and Indignation, and upon any frustration 'tis attended with Grief and Sorrow.  
Thus is Zeal compounded of various and different Passions, upon the well or ill tempering and mixing whereof, does the goodness or badness of Zeal depend. That Zeal that hath the greatest mixture of the mild, loving and charitable Affections is commonly the best; that wherein the harsh, sour and hot Passions are most predominant, is very often inordinate: And that, where the angry Passions not only exceed, but exclude the more calm and benign Ones, is generally sinful. Moreover, Zeal is not only a composition of sundry Passions, but a high degree and intention of them, and bespeaks not barely the reality, but a fervency of Affection; 'tis such a warmth of Mind, as influences the whole Man, and renders all the Powers of the Soul more vigorous and lively in its desires and prosecutions; and so 'tis opposed to Coldness and Lukewarmness.  
So that true Zeal is a gracious constitution of the whole Mind, and is rather a constellation of Graces, than one particular Grace, 'tis what Health is to Life, the spring of all its activity and motion; and resembles that Heroic Virtue described by the Moralists, which is not so much a distinct Virtue of its self, as the highest pitch and eminence of all other Virtues.  
From this brief description of Zeal we may learn, what it is to be Zealously affected; namely, to have the Mind warmly stirring or moving in earnest desires, and an eager pursuit of some suitable and desirable Object, and consequently two things must concur to this zealous Affection, viz. Light in the head, and Heat in the heart.  
First, To be Zealously affected implies light and knowledge in the Head, for Ignoti nulla Cupido, None can affect that, of which he hath no knowledge. Light is the Director of Zeal, without which 'twill mistake its Object, and necessarily go awry. 'Tis a blind Zeal, that is void of Knowledge, and therefore what Light is to the Eye, that Knowledge is to the Soul, it shows its way, and guides all its operations. Again,  
Secondly, To be Zealously affected imports not only light in the Head, but heat in the Heart; and therefore 'tis often compared to Fire, whose property it is to warm and enliven, St. Paul styles it a fervency of Spirit, Rom. 12.11. which signifies such an inward warmth of Mind, as cherishes in it a spiritual Life, quickens Virtue, and makes us grow in Grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In short, Zeal is a vehement Affection, or a strong Byass and Propensity of the Soul towards its Object; and to be Zealously affected, is to be carried out with earnest Desires and Endeavours after it; not without some Hatred, Trouble and Indignation at whatsoever does hinder or oppose it. This is the Nature of Zeal. But  
How must it be qualified, that it may be good to be thus Zealously affected? Why, our Text mention two Qualifications to make it so.  
The one respects the Time of its continuance, it must be always; the other, the Object, it must be in a good thing.  
First, To be Zealously affected aright, it must be always, not now and then, by sits and starts; but keeping up an ardent flame of Love, still burning in our Breasts. The Apostle supposes here, that these Galatians were well enough affected whilst he was present with them, but it did not continue in his absence, it soon wore off, and therefore he wills them to be Zealously affected always. They who still frequent and keep close to the Worship and Communion of the Church, may be well enough supposed to be Zealously affected towards it; but they who come to it only to serve a turn, may be justly thought otherwise; yea, when they who seldom or never attend the public Worship, of a sudden, on a particular occasion, flock in great Numbers to it; and with that Formality and Appearance too, as if, with Jehu, they would alarm Spectators, to come and see their Zeal for the Lord of Hosts: This is very suspicious, and looks more like the result of Contrivance and Design, than the effect of true and sound Religion. For true Zeal is permanent and lasting; it proceeds from a vital Principle within, which will maintain a kindly and constant heat in the Soul; 'tis not like the fits of an Ague, that come and go again, but like the Altar Fires, that were always kept burning, or the Vestal Flames, that never went out: 'tis true indeed, it may, and does admit of intermissions, but 'tis never extinguished; but like the natural heat of the Heart, 'twill abide as long as Life continues. All that seeming Zeal of the Hypocrite, that so often wears off, and grows cold again, is but false Fire, 'tis only a painted, and no real Flame.  
If you observe it, you shall find some Men at some Times, and in some religious Exercises, exceeding warm and zealous, their Affections seem all in a flame, and themselves under the transports of Divine Love; who yet in a little time grow cold again, and have no appearance of Life or Heat left in them. These are only paroxysms of Zeal, and the preternatural heats of the Hypocrite's Devotion, whereas true Zeal is ever more uniform and lasting; and where the Spirit is truly touched with this Coal from the Altar, 'twill preserve an habitual constant light and heat in the Soul. To this end, Zeal must be sober and well tempered, not over hot and violent; for Nullum violentum est perpetuum, No violent thing is lasting: Such transports spend the Spirits too fast, to continue long; Nature struggles under any violence, and labours to be eased and rid of it, and Religion too groans under such violent fits of Zeal, and cannot long continue in such extremes; and therefore such transient fiery heats are far from the sobriety of Religion, and the temper of true Devotion. The Prophet resembles some Men's Righteousness to the Morning Cloud, and the early Dew that soon passeth away; and we may liken others to a flash of Lightning, which gives a short blaze, but is quickly out. The Apostle observes of some of these Galatians, that they ran well for a time in their Christian Course; but they soon waxed faint and tired, and so lost the Prize, for not holding out to the end of the Race. Christianity is often in Scripture styled a Warfare, in which, you know, 'tis not the furious Charge, but the deliberate Courage and Constancy that wins the Field: In like manner, 'tis Perseverance only, that commends our Zeal, and crowns our Actions with success and victory. And therefore the Apostle wills us to hold on in our Christian Course, and to be zealously affected always, even to the end; which is the first Qualification of true Zeal. The second respects the Object about which it is conversant, and that must be a good thing: It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing; where we are taught to measure the goodness of our Zeal, not by the height of the Passions of which 'tis composed; but by the goodness of the thing, about which 'tis employed. And here two things are to be observed for the better clearing of this Matter: As,  
First, The object of our Zeal may be sometimes a thing that is evil, and yet a Zeal about it may be a good and commendable thing; as for example, All Sin in general, and particularly Atheism, Profaneness, Sacrilege, Schism, and the like, are all very bad things; and yet to be zealous against these, is to be Zealously affected in a good thing: but here the Zeal consists, not in the love, but hatred of them, not in practising, but punishing of them; yea, the worse the thing is, the better is the Zeal that is employed against it: Thus the more bold and daring any Sin or Wickedness is grown, the higher act of Zeal is it, to oppose and suppress it. Again,  
Secondly, A thing may be materially good, and yet a Zeal about it may be sometimes a very bad thing; as for instance, All acts of Religion in general, and particularly Praying, Hearing, Reformation of Manners, and the like, are all very good things; and yet a seeming Zeal about them, may be sometimes a very evil and pernicious thing; as when they are embased by bad Ends, and made use of to promote evil Designs: you know the Pharisees made long Prayers, the better to devour Widows houses; you cannot be ignorant, how some upon occasion attend the public Worship, only to qualify them for an Office, and take the holy Sacrament, to enable them to undermine the Communion of the Church. Do not some talk much of reforming the Manners of others, without any regard at all to their own? 'Tis no new thing to pretend Reformation, to carry on very bad Designs; and we all know what vile things have been acted under a cloak and colour of Religion: so that a great talk and appearance for Reformation, may be rather Collusion, than Zeal; and a pompous show of Religion about it, may be rather a mocking, than serving of GOD.  
In short, A thing may be materially good, and carry a fair show of being so; and yet may want many Qualifications, that are necessary to make it really and in truth such. It may proceed from a bad Principle, be carried on by bad Means, and tend to a bad End; either of these may spoil the goodness of the thing, and mar the Zeal that is employed about it. The Object then of Zeal may be good and evil, and a hearty loving of the one, and hating the other, will justify our Zeal in both: for as Goodness hath charms enough to engage the Affections, so Sin hath deformity enough to beget dislike and aversation; and consequently to be zealous for the one, and against the other, is in both to be zealously affected in a good thing.  
But to come to particulars: What are those good or evil things, about which our Zeal may be thus lawfully and laudably employed? I shall mention some of the chief of them, the better to direct you in these great and weighty Matters of Religion. As,  
First, To be zealous for the Glory of GOD, and the Honour of his Laws, is to be zealously affected in a good thing. The Glory of GOD is the great end of our Creation; and as the Almighty ever propounds it to Himself, so ought we to make it the principal aim and scope of all our Actions: Whether ye eat or drink (saith the Apostle) or whatever ye do, do all to the praise and glory of God, 1 Cor. 10. This is to be the chief care and business of our Lives, in which if we are sincere, we cannot easily exceed; for the highest degrees of all pious Affections, are to be fixed on GOD: He is to have our most ardent Love, our strongest Desire, our firmest Hope, our purest Joy; all which, when screwed up to the highest pitch, fall vastly short of the infinite Perfections of his Nature, and our great Obligations to his Goodness. And therefore our Minds should be eagerly bend on things, whereby GOD may be glorified, that his Power, Wisdom and Goodness may be celebrated in the World, and his Praises sound to the ends of the Earth. Again, We are to set ourselves with all our might and main against those things, whereby GOD may be dishonoured, his Name profaned, his Worship neglected or contemned: we are to have a tender love and esteem for GOD's Laws, and be deeply affected with the breach and violation of them: These are proper Matter for our Zeal, and are to be prosecuted with the utmost warmth and vigour of all our Faculties; and when we stand thus affected to the Honour of GOD, and his Laws, then may we be truly said to be zealously affected in a good thing; yea, in the chiefest good, and the best of things.  
Secondly, To be zealous for the Honour of CHRIST, and the Doctrine delivered by Him, is to be zealously affected in a good thing. This is the Zeal here recommended by St. Paul, namely, To strive for the Truths of the Gospel, against those false Teachers, that would subvert or undermine them. And herein, we of this Age ought to be more than ordinarily zealous, when the Being and Divinity of CHRIST are both called in question, and the Mysteries of the Gospel not only denied, but derided. Is not a Crucified Saviour once more become a stumbling block to some, and to others foolishness? And do not too many use their Tongues and Wits, in decrying all Divine Revelations? And is it not time to appear for Christ, and his Religion, in such a profane and dissolute Age? St. Judas exhorts Christians to Contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints; and elsewhere we are charged, not to let go, but to hold fast the Profession of our Faith, without wavering; meaning, that we should not betray it by Cowardice, nor corrupt it with Error, nor suffer it to be lost or swallowed up by Infidelity; but to come forth in the defence of the Truth, against all its Adversaries; to use our utmost endeavours, in our several Stations, to vindicate the Honour of our SAVIOUR, if ever we hope to be saved by him: He that denies me before Men, (saith Christ himself) him will I deny before my Father that is in Heaven. Now to disown the Truths of the Gospel, or to refuse to appear in the defence of them, when called in question, is indeed no better than to deny him: And what can such expect, but to be for ever disowned and denied by him at the last day? Wherefore 'tis both the Duty and Interest of all that are called Christians, to be zealous for the Honour of Christ, to vindicate his Truths, and to adorn his Doctrine with a holy Conversation.  
Thirdly, To be zealous for the Church of GOD, is to be zealously affected in a good thing: And that as the Church is sometimes taken for the House of God, and likewise for the orderly Constitution of Divine Worship performed in it; both which are proper Matter to employ our Zeal. That ardent Love we own to God, requires us to love the things of God, and to have a due regard to all that belongs to him; among which, we are commanded to hollow his Sabbath, and to reverence his Sanctuary. David tells us, that the Zeal of God's house had even consumed him, Psal. 69.9. He was so passionately affected towards the reverence and decency of those Places, that he thought he could not better show his Honour to God, than by reverencing the place where his Honour dwells. After that we read, what time, care and cost King Solomon bestowed in building and beautifying the Temple; by which, he at once erected an Habitation for the Glory of his Maker, and a lasting Monument of his own Honour.  
But lest any should take this only for a piece of Old-Testament Zeal, we find our Blessed Saviour so zealous for the honour of the Temple, that he never discovered a higher act of Indignation, than against the Prophaners of it; for himself whipped the Buyers and Sellers out of it, who had made the House of Prayer a Den of Thiefs, overturning the Tables of the Money-changers, and the Seats of them that sold Doves; and that with an Indignation too, so much beside his ordinary temper, that the Disciples could not but call to mind, and apply to him, what was prophesied of him, The Zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. By this great example we learn, that a true Christian Zeal may be well employed about the purifying of God's house, and securing it from all profanation. Moreover, we find the Apostles extremely zealous for the Peace and Unity of the Church, as also for the comeliness, order and reverence of the public Worship used in it: So that to be zealous against Sacrilege, which is the polluting of God's holy Temple; and likewise against Schism, which is the dividing the Body of Christ, is a pious, well-grounded and commendable Zeal.  
Fourthly, To be zealous in the Cause, and for the Honour of God's Ministers, is to be zealously affected in a good thing; for these belong to him as his Ambassadors, and therefore are to be loved and treated accordingly: Let men so account of us (saith the Apostle) as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God, and for that reason to be counted worthy of double honour: The Kindness or Contempt showed to them redounds to him that sends them; for He that despises you (saith Christ) despises me, and he that despises me, despiseth him that sent me; and therefore our Zeal for Christ and his Truth, may and aught to be expressed by espousing the Cause of his Ministers, especially when the great Contempt of Religion hath occasioned too great a Contempt of the Dispenser's of it.  
Lastly, To be zealous for the People of God, that is, for their Happiness and Salvation, is to be zealously affected in a good thing: Next to the Glory of God, and our own Salvation, we are to tender the Welfare and Salvation of others; and this is to be done by our good Wishes, hearty Prayers, and best Endeavours for them: we find Moses so far transported with love and desire towards the Israelites, that he preferred their public Happiness and Salvation, before the private welfare of his own Soul, praying thus in their behalf, either blot out their Sins, or blot out my name, out of the book that thou hast written, Ex. 32.32. Under the like transport of Affection we find St. Paul declaring, that his Heart's desire and Prayer unto God was, that Israel might be saved; withal wishing himself accursed from Christ, for his Brethren and Kinsfolk according to the flesh, Rom. 9.3. which great Examples recommend to us, if not so high a pitch of Zeal, yet a most ardent love and desire of doing good to all men; and especially to use our best endeavours to save their Souls, which is the greatest good that we can do them; herein we shall tread in the steps of our Blessed Saviour, who went up and down doing good both to the Souls and Bodies of Men, which is such a noble, generous and beneficial piece of Charity, as very well deserves our utmost Zeal and Vigour.  
In a word, To be zealous in the Cause of Religion, against Atheism and Profaneness; to be zealous for the Word of God, against Deism and Infidelity; for the House and Worship of God, against Schism and Sacrilege; for the People of God, against Seducers that lay in wait to deceive, is to be zealously affected in good things, and is highly becoming all such as are called by the Name of Christ, and would advance the Honour and Interest of Christianity; which things require not only unwearied Diligence, but undaunted Courage and Resolution to effect them; and therefore to engage and encourage you to set about them, I shall proceed to the  
Third thing to be considered in our Text, viz. The goodness and excellency of true Zeal, from those words, It is good to be zealously affected, etc. 'Tis good to ourselves, for thereby we become like unto GOD, and imitate the Divine Goodness; 'tis good unto others, for as one Coal kindles another, so one man's Zeal helps to quicken another's, and blows up both into a bright and useful Flame: 'tis good to a whole Church and Country, who share in the benefit, and reap the fruits of a well-guided Zeal; yea, 'tis good in all the fences of Goodness, for 'tis Bonum honestum, utile & jucundum, 'tis pious, profitable and pleasant; 'tis the top and perfection of all Virtue, the beauty, strength and ornament of all Religion, and adds, as I may say, a Grace to all other Graces.  
Indeed, what Heat is to the Body, that is Zeal to the Soul; the very life, health and vigour of it, the source of all its activity and motion: and as the Body without Heat, is but a heavy, lumpish Carcase, so the Soul without Zeal, is sluggish and unactive, and little better than dead in trespasses and sins. But the Goodness of Zeal may be best seen in the good Effects produced by it, and the greatness of the Reward annexed to it.  
First, I say, the Goodness of Zeal may be seen in the good Effects produced by it: Great and noble things have been achieved by fervent Zeal; it hath inspired the Soul with vigour and courage, strong enough to conquer the greatest difficulties, and to carry it above and beyond all opposition: by this Lot deferred the destruction of Sodom, and had there been a few more such, it would have prevented that direful Conflagration that consumed them: For as one heat draws out another, so the fire of true Zeal weakens the fire of GOD's jealousy, and keeps his wrath from breaking forth. Phinehas' Zeal stopped the fury of the destroying Angel, caused the Plague to cease, and restored Health and Peace unto Israel. The time would fail me, to rehearse the many and great things that have been effected by it, for the honour of GOD, the welfare of his Church, and the safety of his People: neither indeed can it be otherwise, for Zeal kindles the flames of Love in the Breast of our Maker, and draws his Affections to us; it engages him of our side, and if God be for us, who can be against us? Nothing can be too great for his infinite Goodness to grant, and nothing can be too hard for his infinite Power to effect for us.  
But the Goodness of Zeal will more fully appear, in the greatness of the Reward annexed to it hereafter; when our imperfect desires of promoting God's Glory now, will end in the advancement of our own; when the little sparks of Zeal here, will improve into a celestial Fire, which will still burn in our Breasts towards GOD, and in His towards us. In a word, This zealous disposition will prepare and qualify us for the blissful Regions above, where our present faint Praising of GOD, shall be advanced into ecstasy and rapture; and we, like the Seraphims, shall dwell for ever in the pure and unquenchable flames of Divine Love: Which, whoever well considers, will see abundant cause to say with the Apostle, that 'Tis good to be Zealously affected always in a good thing.  
Thus having showed the Nature and Properties of true Zeal, the Passions of which 'tis composed, the things about which it is to be employed, together with the goodness and excellency of it, when so qualified; I proceed now to consider some of those dangerous Mistakes and Miscarriages of Zeal, that are to be found in the World; and these are indeed but too many, of which I shall mention a few: To which end you may observe,  
First, That Zeal being compounded of the two ruling Passions of the Soul, Love and Anger, may and often does admit of two extremes; the one in the excess, when 'tis overhot and eager; the other in the defect, when 'tis too cold or lukewarm; and 'tis too frequent and easy for Men to fall into one of these: The first is an inordinate heat in Religion, which transports Men beyond the true bounds, and runs it into spiritual Fury and Enthusiasm; of this kind was that of the Jewish Zealots, who pretending to a secret Impulse from above, did many vile and enormous things, committing Riots, rapines, Murders, and so destroyed the Temple by an irregular Zeal in defending it; which intemperate heat of theirs, occasioned great Troubles to that whole Church and Nation. And very like to this is the furious and disorderly Zeal of Sectaries and Enthusiasts in our days, who under a pretence of higher Illuminations, and divine Inspirations, have greatly disturbed the peace of Kingdoms, and by their fierce and eager Contentions about Religion, have endangered the loss of all: This hot fiery Zeal our blessed Saviour blamed in some of his own Disciples, who, in a fit of Rage, called for Fire from Heaven, to consume the Samaritans; for which they received that sharp Rebuke, that They knew not what manner of Spirit they were of; they did not know or consider the true Spirit of Christianity, which was not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. So that a Zeal that is void of Charity, and insensible of the Public Good, is certainly irregular; and when it transports Men beyond the bounds of Meekness and Sobriety, is inconsistent with true Religion: and therefore to set it right, it must be tempered with Wisdom, and abound more in the mild and good-natured Affections, than in the more vehement and wrathful Passions, which are too apt to become inordinate: And these extravagant heats and transports in Matters of Religion, are the excess of Zeal, the mischief whereof is too visible to need laying open.  
But 'twere well, if some Men did not offend as much in the defect, as others do in the excess of Zeal; and that the evil of the one, were not as dangerous as the mischief of the other: But alas! the miseries of both are too apparent to be either denied or disguised: For is not some Men's indifference and carelessness in Religion, as much short of true Zeal, as others fierce passions and contentions are beyond it? And is not one of these too often the cause or occasion of the other? Does not Religion suffer as much in the Lewdness, and want of Sobriety in some Men's Lives, as by the inordinate Zeal, and unnecessary Rigours of others? And is not Atheism the plain consequent of the open looseness of the one, as well as the false and pretended strictness of the other? Of both these our unhappy Age affords but too many Instances, which may teach us to avoid both these Rocks, and to steer our Course between the fury of some Men's Zeal, and the scandal of others Profaneness.  
Secondly, Another Error in Zeal, is when 'tis void of Knowledge, or acts contrary to it: this is a blind Zeal, which leads Men headlong into many extravagancies; and this is in a great measure owing either to the ignorance or subtlety of false Teachers, who seek to work on the Passions of Men, without rightly informing their Judgement; by which means they are taught eagerly to contend for, or against things, without understanding the goodness or badness of either. If you observe it, you shall find those many times the greatest Zealots, that are most ignorant; like the Andabatae fight in the dark, and contending for they know not what, or why. St. Paul bore Record of some in his time, that they had a Zeal, but 'twas not according to knowledge: This is a Heat without Light, which tends rather to destroy, than to direct; true Zeal in the Heart is evermore guided by a true light in the Head, it gins with Knowledge, and is conducted by it; whereas false Zeal gins with the Affections, and commonly ends there, seldom going any farther than an ignorant and violent Passion.  
Thirdly, There is a counterfeit and hypocritical Zeal, which warms only the outside, and consists in a superficial show of Piety and Devotion; it resembles the heat of a Fever, that scorches the extreme parts, but leaves the Heart cold and unaffected: Pone in pectore dextram, nil calet: There is no heat or warmth at all within, even when it seems to burn and flame most without. Of this kind was the Zeal of the Pharisees, who fasted and prayed, to be seen of men, and did all their good Works merely for Vanity and Ostentation; they had no inward Principle of spiritual Life or Motion, but were acted merely by external Motives and Inducements: such are the superficial heats of too many Zealots, who seem all on fire without, when the Heart, like Nabal's, is as cold as a Stone.  
Fourthly, There is a Temporary Zeal, which like a Vapour or Comet, appeareth for a while, and then vanisheth away: such was that of Jehu, who drove on furiously for a time, and destroyed the Monuments of Idolatry; but being settled in the Kingdom, his Zeal for Religion was at end, and turned only to his own advancement. Such likewise was the Mercenary and Selfish Zeal of those, that followed our blessed Saviour for the Loaves, and kept with him while any thing was to be gotten by him; but when that failed, they forsook and walked no more with him: This is a Flame that is blown in and out with the Wind, and varies with every blast. Again,  
Fifthly, There is a partial Zeal, which makes Men warm in some Duties of Religion, and cold in others of equal necessity and importance; and likewise very earnest in suppressing one or more Vices, and yet very favourable and indulgent to others equally crying and enormous. If you observe it, you will find some hot enough for Preaching, but cold for Praying; and tho' they talk much of reforming of others Manners, are yet but too careless and negligent of their own. May we not see many great Enemies indeed to Idolatry and Profaneness, who yet are well enough reconciled to Sacrilege and Schism? and make up that with advantage to one Vice, which they seem to take from another. This is to compound the Matter with GOD, and to make the keeping of one Law, atone for the breach of another. True and thorough Reformation extends to the hatred of all Vice, and the practice of all Virtue; without which, the most zealous pretences to Reformation, are but falsehood and hypocrisy.  
Sixthly, There is a busy pragmatical Zeal, that carries private Men beyond the bounds of their own Calling and Business, and makes them invade the Callings and Business of others, intruding into the Offices of Princes, Magistrates, Judges and Ministers; prying into and censuring the Actions of their Superiors, and dictating to those by whom they are to be governed: These are those busy-bodies mentioned by the Apostle, who meddle with things they understand not, and belong not to them: True Zeal makes Men study to be quiet, and do their own business, without thrusting themselves unseasonably into other Men's; it puts Men upon the study of their own Hearts, mortifying their own Sins, and reforming their own Lives, which is enough to employ the Zeal of the Best Christian: whereas 'tis too apparent, how some Men's Zeal prompts them to wander too much abroad, and to converse too little at home; hence you shall find them very fierce and forward in declaiming against the Sins of others, as if they had none of their own to amend or complain of; how frequently do they call to Heaven for Vengeance on National Wickedness, as if they had no share in the Gild, and were secured from bearing a part in the Punishment of it? Yea, 'tis no new thing for them, to condemn that in others, which they allow in themselves; and to inveigh bitterly against others failings, when at the same time they easily overlook their own enormities: This is the guise and practice of too many Zealots, which may carry something of the show, but hath nothing of the substance and reality of True Religion.  
Lastly, The Zeal commended in our Text, hath respect to Things, not Persons: 'tis good to be zealously affected always in a good Thing: A Zeal either for, or against Persons is commonly factious and disorderly: The having some Men's Persons in Admiration, and others in Contempt, hath occasioned most of the Schisms and Divisions in the Christian Church: This was the great fault of the Corinthians, who by crying up one Teacher, to the decrying of another, fell into sundry Parties and Factions, which St. Paul sharply rebuked in them, tho' their Zeal ran mightily towards himself; for finding they had made him the Head of a Party, he severely checked their partiality, and the more they sought to magnify him, the more he endeavoured to lessen himself: Who (saith he) is Paul? and who is Apollo? Who? (saith an eminent Father on those Words) why, they were some of the chief Apostles and Ministers of Christ: And yet we find St. Paul not only stileing himself the least of the Apostles, but the greatest of Sinners, to keep men from having too high thoughts and admiration of him. And if it were strife and envying to set up for Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas; certainly it can be no true Zeal to set up for far inferior Persons.  
This is a Matter worthy the consideration of all such as have Men's Persons in admiration, running after different Teachers, to the great disturbance of the Church, which is the great misery and malady of our unhappy Age.  
And now for the application of this Discourse; tho' many useful Lessons might be inferred from it, yet I shall confine myself to two, which very naturally and easily flow from it. For,  
If it be good to be Zealously affected in a good thing, then 1st. It must be bad to be Zealously affected in an ill thing; and 2ly, It can be no better to be lukewarm and coldly affected in a good thing: Of both which, that I may not trespass too much upon your patience, I shall speak very briefly. And,  
1st. We may learn from hence, that 'tis bad to be Zealously affected in an ill thing: 'Tis a double fault, first to espouse a bad Cause, and then to be warm and zealous in promoting it; he that is out of the way, the faster he goes, the farther he goes out of it; and to set him right, he must go it back again, and mend his pace after: To rectify a bad Zeal, we must alter and unravel our former Course, and labour to undo all that we have done amiss. True Zeal is always against, and never for an evil thing; and therefore to be zealous for a Party, and hot in promoting Faction or Division, is to employ it in a very bad thing: To favour a wrong Cause, or discountenance a good one, are both equally abominable; and he that is warm in either, is clearly out of the way, and can never judge righteous Judgement: to spend our Zeal in encouraging of Schism, and promoteing disorder and disturbance in the World, is to put one of the best things to one of the worst uses; and therefore we find Zeal commonly compared to Fire, than which as no Element is more useful and reviving, whilst it remains on the Hearth, and keeps within its due place and bounds, so none is more pernicious and destructive, when once refusing confinement, it breaks forth and invades the Housetop: For the same reason 'tis sometimes compared to the natural heat of the Body, which in its due temper and moderation, is the spring both of Life and Health, and the source of all vital Operations; but when it grows into excess, and breaks out into burning Fevers, it inflames the Spirits, and sets on fire the whole Course of Nature: Just so is it with Zeal, which, if duly placed and regulated, is the support and ornament of the Soul, fills it with a lively and vigorous Heat, and fits it for brave and noble Undertake; but when 'tis misplaced, or runs into excess, 'tis no better than Wildfire, and sets whole Countries into a combustion; which shows what great care is to be taken, that it be guided with Knowledge, and placed upon right Objects, such as may be not only materially, but in all its  
It being equally evil, to be zealous in a bad Cause, and lukewarm in a good, let us endeavour to avoid both extremes; and learn so to regulate and fix our Zeal, that it may be still placed on right Objects, kept within its due bounds, and directed to good ends: So shall this Sacred fire improve into a Celestial flame, that will be still burning in our Breasts towards God, and for ever derive upon us the blessed Influences of Divine Love: Which God grant for the sake of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour, Might, Majesty and Dominion, both now and for evermore.  
FINIS.