heart, all thofe who are circumcifed in the flesh, are chofen unto the circumcifion of the heart; otherwife the circumcifion of the flesh would fignify nothing. Therefore Moses fays, Circumcife the forefkin of your hearts. As if he had faid, This circumcifion of the flesh invites you to the circumcifion of the heart, unto which ye are called. St. Paul himself indifputably proves, that all the Jews were chofen unto falvation, when he calls them Olive branches, broken off through their unbelief, Rom. xi. 20. For all branches are defigned to bear fruit; which fruit, as it was not when they were under the law, they must needs have been chofen unto Christ, to whom the law refpects; as in him alone are the true fruits of the law found. In like manner, therefore, as every tree is defigned to arrive at an age of maturity, in which it is to bear fruit; and as every youth is defigned to become a man; so likewife all thofe who were under the law (which law was a kind of rudiments) were defigned unto Chrift: in whom all the treasures of divine wisdom are found.

Now when St. Paul writes, that the people of God are not caft away of God, fince he himself was an Ifraelite, of the feed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, Rom. xi. 1, he certainly speaks of the feed of Abraham according to the flesh; elfe it would have been improper to mention the tribe of Benjamin. Whence it is evident that the promises appertained to that feed according to the flesh; that thofe who were the children of Abraham according to the flesh, might also become the children of Abraham according to the spirit. *Hence Christ, born himself of the feed of David according to the flesh, did at firft fend his difciples to the Ifraelites only; and forbad them to go unto other nations. He likewife anfwered the woman of Canaan to this purpose, (Matt. xv. 24,) I am not fent but unto the loft sheep of the house of Ifrael. And elfewhere he calls the Ifraclites the children of the kingdom. The children of the kingdom, fays he, shall be caft out. And why does he call them the children of the kingdom? but

because

because they were defigned for the kingdom by the promise made unto Abraham. And how are they to be caft out, unless they be deprived of the kingdom unto which they were chofen. For otherwife they could not be faid to have been caft out. Since none can be thrust out of doors, but fuch as are within.

[To be continued.]

SER
RMON V.

On GALATIANS iv. 18.

It is good to be always zealously affected in a good caufe. 1. THERE

5

HERE are few fubjects in the whole compass of Religion, that are of greater importance than this. For without Zeal it is impoffible, either to make any confiderable progrefs in Religion ourselves, or to do any confiderable fervice to our neighbour, whether in temporal or Ipiritual things. And yet nothing has done more differvice to Religion, or more mifchief to mankind, than a fort of Zeal, which has for feveral ages prevailed, both in Pagan, Mahometan, and Chriftian Nations. Infomuch that it may truly be faid, Pride, Covetousness, Ambition, Revenge, have in all parts of the world flain their thoufands; but Zeal its ten thousands. Terrible inftances of this have occurred in ancient times, in the moft civilized Heathen Nations. To this chiefly were owing the inhuman perfecutions of the primitive Christians: and in later ages, the no lefs inhuman perfecutions of the Proteftants, by the Church of Rome. It was Zeal that kindled the fires in our own nation, during the reign of bloody Queen Mary. It was Zeal that foon after made fo many provinces of France a field of blood. It was Zeal that murdered fo many thoufand, unrefifting Proteftants,

in the never to be forgotten Maffacre of Paris. It was Zeal that occafioned the ftill more horrid Maffacre in Ireland; the like whereof, both with regard to the number of the murdered, and the fhocking circumftances wherewith many of those murders were perpetrated, I verily believe never occurred before, fince the world began. As to the other parts of Europe, an eminent German Writer has taken immense pains, to fearch both the Records, in various places, and the most authentic Hiftories, in order to gain fome competent knowledge of the blood which has been fhed fince the Reformation. And he computes, that partly by private Perfecution, partly by religious Wars, in the courfe of forty years, reckoning from the year 1520, above forty millions of men have been destroyed.

2. But is it not poffible to distinguish right Zeal from wrong? Undoubtedly it is poffible. But it is difficult: fuch is the de ceitfulness of the human heart! So fkilfully do the Paffions juflify themselves! And there are exceeding few treatifes on the subject; at leaft in the English language. To this day I have seen, or heard of only one Sermon; and that was wrote above a hundred years ago, by Dr. Spratt, then Bishop of Rochefter, fo that it is now exceeding fcarce.

3. I would gladly caft in my mite, by God's affutance, to ward the clearing up this important Question, in order to enable well-meaning men, who are defirous of pleafing. God, to diflinguish true Chriftian Zeal from its various counterfeits. And this is more neceffary at this time, than it has been for many years. Sixty years ago there feemed to be fearce any fuch thing as religious Zeal left in the nation. People in ge neral were wonderfully cool and undisturbed about "that trifle, Religion." But since then, it is easy to obferve, there has been a very confiderable alteration. Many thoufands almoft In every part of the nation, have felt a real defire to fave their fouls. And I am peradled there is a his day more religious Zeal in England, thin there has been for a century safl.

t

4. But has this Zeal been of the right or the wrong kind? Probably both the one and the other. Let us fee if we cannot separate these, that we may avoid the latter, and cleave to the former. In order to this, I would first enquire, What is the nature of true, Chriftian Zeal: Secondly, What are the Properties of it? And thirdly, draw fome practical Inferences. I. And firft, What is the nature of Zeal in general, and of true Chriftian Zeal in particular.

1. The original word, in its primary fignification means Heat, fuch as the heat of boiling water. When it is figuratively applied to the mind, it means any warm Emotion or Affection. Sometimes it is taken for Envy. So we render it, Acts v. xvii, where we read, The high-prieft, and all that were with him, were filled with envy : ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλου" (although it might as well be rendered, were filled with Zeal.) Sometimes it is taken for Anger and Indignation; sometimes for vehement Defire. And when any of our Paffions are strongly moved on a religious account, whether for any thing good, or against any thing which we conceive to be evil, this we term Religious Zeal.

2. But it is not all that is called Religious Zeal, which is worthy of that name. It is not properly Religious or Chriftian Zeal, if it be not joined with Charity.

A fine Writer,

(Bishop Spratt,) carries the matter farther ftill. "It has been affirmed, fays that great man, No Zeal is right, which is not charitable. But this is not faying enough. I affirm, that true Zeal is not only charitable, but is moftly fo. Charity or Love is not only one Ingredient, but the chief ingredient in its compofition." May May we not go further ftill? May we not say that true Zeal is not mostly charitable, but wholly fo? That is, if we take Charity in St. Paul's fenfe, for Love; the Love of God and our Neighbour. For it is a certain truth, (although little understood in the world,) that Chriftian Zeal is all Love. It is nothing else. The Love of God and Man fills up its whole nature.

VOL. IV.

3 L

3. Yet,

3. Yet, it is not every degree of that Love, to which this appellation is given. There may be fome Love, a fmall degree of it, where there is no Zeal. But it is properly, Love in a higher degree. It is fervent Love. True Christian Zeal is no other than the flame of Love. This is the nature, the inmoft effence of it.

that the properties of Love, Now one of the chief proLove is not puffed up. Ac

II. 1. From hence it follows, are the properties of Zeal alfo. perties of Love, is Humility: cordingly this is a property of true Zeal: humility is inseparable from it. As is the degree of Zeal, fuch is the degree of Humility they muft rife and fall together. The fame Love which fills a man with zeal for God, makes him little, and poor, and vile in his own eyes.

2. Another of the properties of Love is Meekness: confequently it is one of the properties of Zeal. It teaches us to be meck, as well as lowly to be equally fuperior to Anger and Pride. Like as the wax melteth at the fire, fo, before this facred flame, all turbulent Paffions melt away, and leave the foul unruffled and ferene.

3. Yet another property of Love, and confequently of Zeal, is unwearied Patience; for Love endureth all things. It arms the foul with entire refignation to all the disposals of divine Providence, and teaches us to fay in every occurrence, It is the Lord: let him do what feemeth him good. It enables us, in whatever ftation, therewith to be content: to repine at nothing; to murmur at nothing; but in every thing to give thanks.

4. There is a fourth property of Chriftian Zeal; which deferves to be more particularly confidered. This we learn from the very words of the Apoftle, It is good to be zealously affected, (not to have tranfient touches of zeal, but a fteady, rooted difpofition) in a good thing: in that which is good; for the proper object of Zeal, is Good in general. That is, every thing that is good, really fuch, in the fight of God.