Zeal in things spiritual is contrary to sloth, and coldness, and remissness; and diligence is contrary to idleness. Zeal is the fervour or earnestness of the soul:[582] its first subject is the will and affections, excited by the judgment; and thence it appeareth in the practice. It is not a distinct grace or affection, but the vigour and liveliness of every grace, and their fervent operations.
The kinds of false zeal.
Direct. I. Be sure that you understand the nature and use of zeal and diligence, and mistake not a carnal, degenerate sort of zeal, for that which is spiritual and genuine. 1. There is a zeal, and activity merely natural, which is the effect of an active temperature of body. 2. There is an affected zeal, which is hypocritical, about things that are good; when men speak, and make an outward stir, as if they were truly zealous, when it is not so. 3. There is a selfish zeal: when a proud and selfish person is fervent in any matter that concerneth himself; for his own opinions, his own honour, his own estate, or friends, or interest, or any thing that is his own. 4. There is a partial, factious zeal:[583] when error, or pride, or worldliness hath engaged men in a party, and they think it is their duty or interest at least, to side with the sect or faction which they have chosen, they will be zealous for all the opinions and ways of their espoused party. 5. There is a superstitious, childish, carnal zeal, for small, indifferent, inconsiderable things: like that of the Pharisees (and all such hypocrites) for their washings, and fastings, and other ceremonious observances. 6. There is an envious, malicious zeal, against those that have the precedency, and cross your desires, or cloud your honour in the world, or that contradict you in your conceits and ways: such is that at large described, James iii. 7. There is a peevish, contentious, wrangling zeal, which is assaulting every man who is not squared just to your conceits. 8. There is a malignant zeal, against the cause and servants of the Lord, which carrieth men to persecute them. See that you take not any of these, or any such like, for holy zeal.
The mischiefs of false zeal.
If you should so mistake, these mischiefs would ensue: 1. Sinful zeal doth make men doubly sinful: as holy zeal is the fervency of our grace, so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin. 2. It is an honouring of sin and Satan: as if sin were a work, and Satan a master, worthy to be fervently and diligently followed. 3. It is the most effectual violent way of sinning, making men do much evil in a little time; and making them more mischievous and hurtful to others, than other sinners are. 4. It blindeth the judgment, and maketh men take truth for falsehood, and good for evil, and disableth reason to do its office. 5. It is the violent resister of all God's means; and teacheth men to rage against the truth that should convince them: it stops men's ears, and turns away their hearts from the counsel which would do them good. 6. It is the most furious and bloody persecutor of the saints, and church of Jesus Christ:[584] it made Paul once exceeding mad against them, Acts xxvi. 10, 11, and "shut them up in prison, and punish them in the synagogues, and compel them to blaspheme, and persecute them even unto strange cities, and vote for their death." Thus "concerning zeal he persecuted the church," Phil. iv. 6. 7. It is the turbulent disquieter of all societies; a destroyer of love; a breeder and fomenter of contention; and an enemy to order, peace, and quietness. 8. It highly dishonoureth God, by presuming to put his name to sin and error, and to entitle him to all the wickedness it doth. Such zealous sinners commit their sin as in the name of God, and fight against him ignorantly by his own (pretended or abused) authority.[585] 9. It is an impenitent way of sinning: the zealous sinner justifieth his sin, and pleadeth reason or Scripture for it, and thinking that he doth well, yea, that he is serving God when he is murdering his servants, John xvi. 2. 10. It is a multiplying sin, and maketh men exceeding desirous to have all others of the sinner's mind: the zealous sinner doth make as many sin with him as he can.
Yea, if it be but a zeal for small and useless things, or about small controversies or opinions in religion; 1. It showeth a mind that is lamentably strange to the tenor of the gospel, and the mind of Christ, and the practice of the great substantial things. 2. It destroyeth charity and peace, and breedeth censuring and abusing others. 3. It dishonoureth holy zeal by accident, making the profane think that all zeal is no better than the foolish passion of deceived men. 4. And it disableth the persons that have it to do good; even when they are zealous for holy truth and duty, the people will think it is but of the same nature with their erroneous zeal, and so will disregard them.
The signs of holy zeal.
The signs of holy zeal are these: 1. It is guided by a right judgment. It is a zeal for truth and good, and not for falsehood and evil, Rom. x. 2. 2. It is for God, and his church or cause, and not only for ourselves. It consisteth with meekness, and self-denial, and patience, as to our own concernments, and causeth us to prefer the interest of God before our own, Numb. xii. 3; Exod. xxxii. 19; Gal. iv. 12; Acts xiii. 9, 12. 3. It is always more careful of the substance than the circumstances; it preferreth great things before small; it contendeth not for small controversies to the loss or wrong of greater truths, Matt. xxiii. 22, 23; it extendeth to every known truth and duty, but in due proportion, being hottest in the greatest things, and coolest in the least; it maketh men rather zealous of good works, than of their controverted opinions, Tit. ii. 14. 4. Holy zeal is always charitable; it is not cruel and bloody, nor of a hurting disposition, Luke ix. 55, but is tender and merciful, and maketh men burn with a desire to win and save men's souls, rather than to hurt their bodies, 1 Cor. xiii.[586] Zeal against the sin is conjunct with love and pity to the sinner, 2 Cor. xii. 21. 5. Yet it excludeth that foolish pity which cherisheth the sin, Rev. ii. 2; 1 Kings xv. 13. 6. True zeal is tender of the church's unity and peace; it is not a dividing, tearing zeal: it is first "pure and then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits," James iii. 17. 7. True zeal is impartial, and is as hot against our own sins, and our children's and other relations' sins, as against another's.[587] 8. True zeal respecteth all God's commandments, and is not hot for one, and contemptuous of another. It aimeth at perfection; and stinteth not our desires to any lower degree. It maketh a man desirous to be like to God, even holy as he is holy. It consisteth principally in the fervour of our love to God; when false zeal consisteth principally in censorious wranglings against other men's actions or opinions: it first worketh towards good, and then riseth up against the hindering evil. 9. It maketh a man laborious in holy duty to God, and diligent in all his work;[588] and lieth not only in the heat of the brain, or rigid opinions, or heat of speech. 10. It is not a sudden flash, but a constant resolution of the soul; like the natural heat, and not like a fever (though the feeling part is not still of one degree); therefore it concocteth and strengtheneth, when false zeal only vexeth and consumeth.[589]
Direct. II. When you are thus acquainted with the nature of true zeal, consider next of its excellency and singular benefits, that there may be a love to it, and an honour of it in your hearts. To that end consider of these following commendations of it.
The excellency of zeal and diligence.