"be wanted by others. Quicken us therefore, good "Lord, to quicken one another. Make us faithful "monitors, in fpeaking freely, what we take to be "for each others fafety; and to approve ourselves "kind and loving friends, in communicating what " is for the ufe of edifying, not determined by the "mode of the age, but by the obligation of our re"ligion: to advance the glory of our Lord, and to "fet forward the falvation of our own and others "fouls. Amen."

MEDITATION XCI.

Of Zeal for the Lord our God.

MY foul, if thou love the Lord thy God, how canft thou chuse, but be vehemently inclined to glorify and please him, yea, how canft thou chuse but be fired with indignation, at the wrong done to hiin, and the rebellion raised againft him? for what is zeal, but love in the height, and all in a flame; that makes us fo tender of our Beloved, we cannot endure any thing that opposes and provokes him: but the reproaches of them that reproach him, fall upon us, and touch us to the quick, and enter and pierce our very hearts? I cannot then be faithful, if I have not fuch a concern upon my fpirit, as makes me warm, yea hot, in God's caufe; and more impatient, to hear him affronted, and his religion fet at naught; than to be myself vilified and damnified: yea, it will make me bold and venturous to engage for my Lord; and grapple with difficulties and dangers, upon his account. Love is ftrong as death: the love of Chrift will conftrain me to do, though I alfo fuffer for him. And till it comes to that, how

can.

can I find acceptance with him? if I fet my interefts above his, and am keen and eager for the concerns of the world and the flesh, but indifferent for his fervice, and luke warm, to the advancement of his kingdom and honour: he speaks then, as if he were fick of me, and threatens to caft me off from him as lothfome vomit, Rev.iii. 16. And when all that I do, without this burning zeal, is nothing worth: 0 in what care then fhould I be, to get and keep out of the hateful temper? and rather let all the world cen⚫ fure me, for over-doing, than my Lord fhould dif own and reject me, for not doing fo much as I ought in appearing more ftrenuoufly for him. Though zeal must be according to knowledge, and tempered with prudence, that it may not grow into a wild rage, and ftrike in the dark, more to mischief, than advance that holy caufe, which needs none of our fin and folly, to do it any fervice: yet, O what a devourer is the famed prudence of this world, to eat up all its zeal? and the men of the world will be fo exceeding wife, that there is no fuch thing as zeal, to be found in thein. No, let God's glory, and religion fhift for themselves, and go up or down what care they? let piety decay, and iniquity abound; they are very tame, and unconcerned: it does not trouble their heads, nor touch their hearts, but they can bear it, with an invincible patience. Though the majesty of Heaven be never fo much affronted: there is no ftirring of their spirits, nor boiling over of their zeal, as long as their flesh is easy, and their worldly effects are but fecured; all is well enough, in their esteem: and what need fo much ado? and why fhould men be fo hot upon it, to reform the world, and force their neighbours, to be more re gular and better, than they have a mind to be? they can well enough away with fuch, as are called the enemies of God; and that which his foul hates they can make even nothing of it; yea, be rather pleased

pleased with it, than aggrieved at it. Let the blaf phemer fall foul upon their glorious Maker, they will never offer to avenge the quarrel. And this temper they applaud, as their moderation. But, O my foul, is it not fuch a moderation, as proves them to be baftards and no fons? for a fon honours his father, and will stickle for him; and never endure, to hear him fo egregiously abused, and befpattered; rather holding with the blafphemers, than bringing them to justice; to have them ftigmatized and punished. "David beheld the tranfgreffors, "and was grieved," Pfal. cxix, 158. And his " zeal " even confumed him; because his enemies had for"gotten God's law," ver. 139. And "do not I

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hate them, O Lord, (fays he,) that hate thee! "am not I grieved with thofe that rise up against

thee? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count "them my enemies," Pfal. cxxxix. 21, 22. None do I count fo injurious and offenfive to me, as those that fo wrong and offend my God. Therefore will I not fear them, be they never fo big; nor will I fpare them, be they never fo dear.

O my foul, may this be my temper and refolu tion. So let me ftand affected to the Lord, and thus let me be found faithful, in the covenant of my God. Whoever will be eafy neuters, or false traitors; 1 forefee the time, when they will wish too late, that they had efpoused another cause, and taken another fide: and curfe their caution, and that easefulness, which kept them off their duty and fidelity; for fear of fome cenfure, trouble, and difficulty. Elsewhere, let my moderation, but here, let my zeal, be known to all men. The ungodly fhall know, that I will not connive at them, nor be a partaker with them. And let who will revile, or threaten; I will not be afhamed or afraid, in fo worthy and good a cause : where the Lord of hofts is with me, and the God of Jacob my refuge. While I but keep on the holy ground

ground of his word; and caft not myself upon fin, in correcting fin; nor violate man's laws, to avenge my own quarrels: nor give the obnoxious advantage against me, for my evil doings; I will not be afraid then of what I may fuffer for well-doing: but go on with my duty, and truft God with the iffue. For if he be with me, what matter who is against me? and what is of him, (I am fure,) cannot be over thrown, but muft at last prevail. Holiness is his darling, tho' it be fome men's eye-fore: and what they now run down, fhall come to be in everlasting renown. And though they spring as the grafs, and rant, and triumph, for a while; they will foon go out in ftench and darkness, and confusion and anguish will be their conclufion and their eternal portion. But whom the Lord finds trufty to his interefts, and zealous for his glory, even in the midft of a crooked and perverfe generation, he will never leave nor forfake them: but ftand by them, and for ever blefs and crown them, with fuch honour and blifs, as have all his faints, remembering then from whom is my expectation and reward, my eyes fhall be upon him; and I will be true to him, and never cool nor deeline; but be fo faithful till death, that he may give me the crown of life.

Lord my God! thou art worthy to be ferved, and honoured and obeyed, not only with all fidelity and alacrity; but withthegreatest zealand fervency. Nor can I ferve thee faithfully: if it be ❝ not also zealously. I am not upright, and in earnest; "where I am luke-warın and indifferent. But who fo "well deserves my utmost vigour, as the best and "greatest Lord? and where can all my mettle and ac❝tivity be fo well beftowed, as in thy holy cause? O "gracious God! forgive me all my dulnefs and

coldness

"coldness about the work, for which thou haft "made me. And give me love, and zeal, and re"folution, and diligence, to grapple with difficul"ties, and break through impediments; and not "ftick at any thing within the compass of my abili"ty, whereby I may approve myself, to be what I "am called, even the faithful foldier and fervant of "my bleffed Lord and Savour. Amen."

M

Y foul! canft thou think, that they love our Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity, who are for difputing themselves out of his fervice; and take pains to prove, that they are not obliged, on the day called his, any more than on another day, to give themfelves up, devoutly to attend upon him? It is enough for those who look upon the Holy One, as their worst enemy, to plead that they do not owe him fo much fervice: who is the Lord, that they should keep a day holy to him? but to his friends, what more grateful, than the opportunities that bring them neareft to him, whom their fouls love? how fweet do they count the confinement, to be fo tied, and taken up, with their most dearly Beloved? to ftrike in with the flocks of his companions, where he feeds, and makes them to reft? and how does it rejoice their hearts to fee him, (at one and the fame time,) fo universally owned and honoured in the world? to fee all that name his name, and profefs themselves his foldiers and fervants, drawn out and marshalled, as armies with their banners, and flying colours, to ftand up for the Lord of

hofts,