DISCOURSE V. 581 that takes no care of his nearest relations living or dying, is in that respect worse than an infidel. God does not love robberyfor burnt-offering, nor does he permit us to abandon our natural affection to our fellow-creatures, to shew our love or zeal for our Creator, in such instances as these: VII. Religions passion is then certainly exercised in a very irregular and criminal manner, " when we suffer it to degenerate into carnal and vicious affections, and, as the apostle expresses it, in another place, when we begin in the spirit, andend in theflesh ; Gal, iii. 3. Examples of this kind are too common inthe present age ofchristians. L Zeal may turn into wrath and fury. A high veneration for the glorious truths of the gospel, and a warm zeal for the de- fence of them, has too often degenerated into malice and indigna- tion, against those who differ from us in religious sentiments ; and that too in matters whichare of small importance to practical godliness. Pious zeal against dangerous errors is a just and laudable thing, when it carries moderation and good temper with it, and does not break out into wrath and malignity against the persons of those who are unhappily betrayed into those mistakes : But, it becomes a guilty passion, and hateful in the eyes of God ourSaviour, when it breaks all the bonds ofcharity and christian love. The flaming bigot and the persecutor come in naturally at every turn, for their share of this caution and reproof, as abu- sers of the passions in things of God and religion: When we come sometimes into worshipping assemblies, where a man of burning zeal leads the worship,we find the wild- fire of his own passions spreading through the whole congrega- tion. Is it not a shameful thing to hear the preacher railing against his brethren, because they differ a little from him, and will not use some unscriptural modes of expression, or will not admit some favourite explications of a verse of scripture, or will not consent to practise some lesser forms and rites of-worship ? And it is a matter of equal shame to see many persons who imagine themselves to be christians of the first rank, take a malicious pleasure to hear such scurrilous reproaches and public railings against their fellow-christians, and curses denounced against them, because they differ in ceremonies and phrases. And the crime is certainly the greater if these opinions and forms, wherein they disagree, are but of small importance, This is a wretched abuse of passions in the things of God; and yet so deceitful is the heart of man, and so given up to self-flattery, that perhaps both the preacher and the hearers vainly presume they are expressing a sacred love for di-. vine truth, and paying sublime service to God, and their Savi- our. What madness is mixed with mistaken zeal ! 2. There is another instance of the abuse of the passions, o o 3
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