we regard our neighbour's eternal interest ? 'Tis zeal repreffes fin, and propagates righteousness: 'tis zeal defends the faith and fuppreffes herefy and error; 'tis zeal converts the unbeliever, and builds up the believer; 'tis zeal that awakens the drowsy, quickens the lukewarm, ftrengthens the weak, and inflames the good with a holy emulation; 'tis zeal that baffles all objections, refutes all calumnies, and vanquishes all oppofitions raised against religion, and oppreffes its enemies with fhame and confufion. 'Tis, in a word, zeal, and zeal alone, that can make religion appear lovely and delightful, and reconcile the world to it; for this alone can adorn the gospel; for it renders virtue more confpicuous, more taking in life and example than it can be in the precepts and defcriptions of words. Nor is zeal lefs ferviceable to the temporal, than eternal intereft of mankind. When God laid the foundations of the world, he laid the foundation of virtue too; and when he formed man, he wove the neceffity of good works into his very nature. How neceffary is justice to poor creatures who lie fo open to wrongs and injuries? How indifpenfable is charity, or generofity, to thefe, who are expofed to fo many accidents, to fo many wants, to fuch a viciffitude of fortune? And being all fubject to fo many follies and infirmities, to

fo

fo many mistakes and fancies, how ftrong must be our obligation to mutual forbearance, patience, and gentleness? In a word, fin and mifery abounds in the world; and if there were not virtues and good works to ballance the one, and to relieve and fupport us under the other, life would be intolerable. So that revealed and natural religion do neceffarily terminate and center in a zeal for good works, as their ultimate end, and utmost perfection in this life; and the rule of our Saviour, Whatfoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even fo unto them, is an abftract, not only of the law and the prophets, but of the code of nature too; and this fingle principle, if fincerely pursued, will ferment and work us up to the nobleft heights of zeal. I might here, if it were neceffary, eafily fhew that zeal has as happy an influence on the publick as the private; that this must animate that justice and mercy that fupports the throne; that is the foul of that honour, integrity, generofity, and religion, which fupport the ftates and kingdoms of the world; and without which all politick systems muft needs tend to a diffolution. But I have faid enough; and from what I have said, the truth of my third confideration naturally appears,

3. Viz.

3. Vix. That zeal minifters most effectually to the glory of God. For if zeal be in it felf thus lovely, thus neceffary; if the fruits and effects of it be thus ferviceable to the temporal and eternal intereft of man; what a lovely, what an agreeable notion of God fhall we form from this one confideration of him, that he is the great Author of it? That he is the Origin and Fountain of that light and heat, of that ftrength and power of which it is compounded and contituted? He commands and exacts it; he excites and encourages to it by the promife of an eternal crown, and the ravishing fruition of himself: he has planted the feeds of it in our nature, and he cherishes them by the bleffed and vigorous influences of his Word and Spirit. How gracious is the divine Nature! how gracious is the divine Government ! when the fubftance of his laws is, that we should love as brethren, that we should cloath the naked, feed the hungry, deliver the captive, inftruct the foolish, comfort the afflicted, forgive one another, if need be, feven times a day; and fuch like. If to do all this be an argument of being regenerate, and born of God; if this be a proof of his Spirit ruling in us, his Nature.communicated to us, and his Image stamped upon us, how amiable must God be, when

we

we difcern fo much benefit, and fo much, pleasure, and fo much beauty, and fo much loveliness in thofe qualities which are but faint and imperfect refemblances of him! in a word, the holiness of his children and fervants, is a demonstration of the holiness of God himself; and in this confifts the very luftre of divine glory. Holiness is the flower of all his attributes; the moft perfect, because the most comprehenfive of all his divine perfections; for holiness includes wisdom, power, and goodness. As to goodness, the cafe is fo plain, that koliness. and goodness are commonly used as terms equivalent. As to wisdom, 'tis evident, that no action is commendable and lovely, whatever the matter of it be, unless the principle, the motive of it be wife and rational; therefore wisdom cannot be separated. from the notion of holiness. Laftly, As to power, this must needs be comprifed in it too; for beneficence, which is at least one great branch of holiness, muft unavoidably imply power in the benefactor, and impotence and want in the beneficiary. And this is the notion wherein holiness, when afcribed to God in fcripture, is generally taken. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hafts; heaven and earth are full of thy glory, does express the greatnefs and majefty, as well as the rectitude and purity of the divine Nature; and to fanctify the Lord God in

...our

our hearts, is, in the language of the fcripture, not only to love him for his goodness, but revere and fear him for his majesty and greatnefs. Need I here add, that the excellencies of the creature, their fitness and fubferviency to the great ends of their creation, is the glory of the Creator; just as the beauty, ftrength, and convenience of the work, is the honour of the architect? If the fun, moon, and stars, the irrational and inanimate parts of the creation, fhew forth the glory of God; how much more do fpiritual and rational beings? And virtue is the perfection of reafon, and zeal of virtue; for this is that which does directly and immediately advance those great ends that are deareft to God, as I have, I think, abundantly made

out.

CHA P. XI.

Of Humility. How neceflary it is to

Ο

Perfection.

UR Saviour has fo often pronoun

ced the humbleft, the greatest in the kingdom of heaven; he has fo often promifed the first place and the greatest exaltation to the lowest condefcenfions: he was himself fo illustrious an example of lowli

ness