rreaie ofthe flffedions. our lives would convince them,as Chrifts'did theCenturion,doubtlefTe this Fsa. rgTceous man,Luke 2.3.47, Soyour lives would convince all their con- fcicuces ; doubtleffe they are ftri&men, doubtlefle they arehumble, and meek,and religious. Thus it wouldbc,wcre we zealous. But ifour Religion be not notable,hardly notable toour felves, we can hardly tell whether we have truc faith,and repentance and zeal at all, yea or no : much lel% not- able to others, it is to be feared ye arenot zealous for God. The fecond figue of zeal towards God is,tobe impatient offin. Zeal, as 2. Signe, if aforefaid,is the impatient part of the affections : it a man do aff '&a thing triebe beeft but a lrttle,he canbe patient without it; but if heaffe& it very deep and with zeal, O his affè&ions are let on it, andhe is impatient if he feed nor. So that ifthou beeft zealousagain (}fin,thouart impatient offin, thou canít not Puffer it. Zeal is impatient of what ever is contrary to it That this is the na- ture ofzeaT,youmay fee by the poor blinde zeal that was in Paul b,:fore his converfion : he waszealous toGod, as he thought, and thinking that the Church ofChrift were contrary to all men,enemics to God and man,there- fore now in the blindneffe of his zeale he perfecutes that wayu:iro death ; Concerning zcal,I perfecuted the Church, Pha.3. 6 It wasa woful kindeof zeal toperfecuhe theChurch, but yet there you may gather the nature of zeal,it cannotabide that which is contrary ; and therefore if thou beef} zea- lous a_gainf} fin,thoucanit not abide fin; bitter journcy,riding,ftudies, pray- ers, exhortations, anycourtè thouwilt ufe, rather then abide it : thou cantt never abide anything that is difpleafing to God, but refill it to the utmoft, and this refittingwill be, Firft univerfal : if thou beeftzealous,there is no fin thou cant} pofliDly a- Zeale cannot bide. Nothing is cold but the firedoes refit} it g fonothing is fin but zeal does aka any fin. refill itiô the utmoft. I efteem all thy precepts concerning all thins to be right ; I hate every falfe way,Pfal,1 i 9.128. This is zeal indeed, there is ne- ver afalfe way that a mancan abide that is zealous. Tobe zealous again} nefïi;and Luke-warm againft another, this is not zeal. I any 2. Secondly, general to all mannerof perforas. Inlnfrifdn. Firft, <'n a friend as wellas in an enemy. ifthou beef}zealous,thou wilt finde fault with thy friendswhen they fin,as well as obferve a fault when thii re e- nemyoffendech. Men are apt to obferve when their enemy finneth, Ohow uncontcionable is he ! thus he hath done, andfo he hath done ; but if thou beeft zealous,when thy friend does traufgrefs, thou wilt not abide-it. Fire will not only labour to co.Sume the water that comes to put it our, but alfo the wood that comes tomaintain it So it is with zeal,'Do not Ih.ate themmthat hate thee? fayes David toGod, P f.t 3 9,2 I. He could not abide to count tüem his friends that werenot friendsunto God,though otherwife they were very friendsunto him, and may be favcd his life, and were patrons and bencfa- &torsuntohim,he could not wink at their fins,becaufe they warehis friends: though thy friend beafwearer or acarnalwretch, yet ifhe be thy friend, and thoudependeft upon him,thoucanif tee it and not fee it ; but if thoubeen: zealous, all his fins thouwilt count d.fcourtefes to thee. 2,1n ohilde. Secondly,inones childe as well as a fervant ; you (ball have many,they are angry at every fin a fervant commits , but if their children do fin, theycon-, nive; it was no luch great fault,alas,he did itunwirtingly,and what would ye have a childe do? fay they : they can excufe it in their children, and leffen it; but ifthou beef}zealous,thou canif not abide tin in thy fon any more then a fervanr,thou wilt corre& him,and curb him, and threaten him, and counfel him,and never endure he fhouid fin,if thoucant} pofli )ly help it. What my fon,and be wicked?what do I love God,and (hall I fuflcr my loynes todi(ho- nour him ? Son, know thou theGod of thy father, otherwife Í count theea baf}ard, and no fon. This brake old Eli's neck, becaufe he fuffered his Eons to be wicked,when he by godly feveritymight have remedied it. A zealous man,
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