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minuteft accuracy your fenfations in cafes of competition. Men, reflecting with complacency on their affable deportment towards their inferiors, on that ground take frequent credit with themfelves for humility and actually become puffed up with arrogance in the contemplation of their imaginary meekness. But bring them into contact with their equals and rivals: and the dominion of Pride is flagrant. Unless your bofom is swayed by unaffected humility in your intercourfe with equals and with rivals; unless habitually and univerfally you mind not high things; conceive not that you are not the flave of Pride becaufe you condescend to men of low eftate (i).

(i) Rom. xii. 16,

L4

SERMON VIII.

Zeal illuftrated by the Character of Jehu,

2 Kings, x. 16.

Come with

me,

IN

and fee my zeal for the Lord.

N regions where civilization has made but feeble advances, opinions grofsly erroneous prevail concerning fome of the moft valuable productions of the earth. Subftances which, among nations enlightened by science, are daily introduced with fignal utility in medicine, in manufactures, in various arts which smoothen or embellifh the paths of life, are indifcriminately neglected and despised: or, in confequence of mischievous effects produced by a rafh and unfkilful application of them, or by heterogenous mixtures with which they are debafed, become objects of averfion and of

dread.

Zeal illuftrated by the Character of fehu. 153

dread. Or having been found, in cafual trials, to be endued with beneficial powers; they are extolled as invefted with a kind. of magical influence, and are blindly employed as poffeffed of univerfal efficacy. Similar misconceptions not unfrequently predominate even among ourselves concerning highly eftimable endowments of the mind: and predominate from fimilar causes, a very inaccurate infight into the nature of those endowments, and a hafty and unwarrantable use and appropriation of them. Thus by fome, genius is admired as an allpowerful talent, grafping without an effort the treasures of Tafte and Knowledge: while by others it is depreciated as unfitting the intellect for patient refearch, and terminating in tinsel and fuperficial attainments. And thus it is that industry at one time is dignified as nearly fuperfeding the neceffity of penetration and invention: at another is degraded as cold, plodding, fervile, infenfible to refinement, the affociate of pedantry and dulness.

Among mental qualities there is scarcely, perhaps, one more commonly misunderstood and lefs accurately appretiated than zeal. One clafs of men, furveying with indignation the timidity and selfishness of the luke

lukewarm, applaud that conduct in themfelves as unfophifticated zeal, which is deeply tinged with indifcretion, infubordination, and unchriftian veheménce. An oppofite clafs, deeming zeal but another name for fiery intolerance and enthusiastic wildnefs, abhor it as reftless, fanguinary, and fanatical and look with fufpicion on moderation itself, until it has fubfided fo low as scarcely to be distinguishable from apathy.

Come with me, and fee my zeal for the Lord. Such were the words of felf-commendation, which Jehu addreffed to Jehonadab, the fon of Rechab. The spirit by which Jehu was actuated, the spirit to which he affigns the denomination of zeal for the Lord, is to be meafured and eftimated by his actions. An examination of his conduct will enable us to draw forth into clear light, and to detach from extraneous incumbrances, the characteristic features of genuine zeal for religion.

I. The undertaking in which Jehu was engaged was the extermination of the family of Ahab. By the murder of Naboth, and by habitual idolatry, Ahab ftood condemned to death under the impartial justice

of

of the divine law.

nounced

The fentence was deIn the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, ball dogs lick thy blood, even thine. I will bring evil upon thee; I wil take away thy pofterity; and will make thine bouf like the boufe of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the houfe of Baafha the fon of Abijab, for the provocation wherewith thou haft provoked me to anger, and made Ifrael to fin (a). In confequence of his contrition and humiliation before God, the deftruction of his houfe was delayed. Because Ahab humbleth himself before me, faid the word of the Lord to Elijah, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his fon's days will I bring the evil upon his houfe (b). Ahab was now dead. In the vineyard of Naboth the dogs had licked his blood. His fons Ahaziah and Jehoram, fucceffively inheritors of his throne, and fearlefs of the impending judgement, perfifted in idolatry. In the twelfth year of the reign of the latter prince the hour of retribution arrived. By the special appointment of God, Jehu was anointed to be king over Ifrael; and was at the fame time commiffioned forthwith to eradicate the house of Ahab. Thus

(a) 1 Kings, xxi. 19. 22.

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