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fect must have this Love alfo in Preparation of Mind, and muft differ from another in nothing, except in the Degrees of Promptnefs and Alacrity. And in this Senfe he that loves God truly, (though but with a Beginning and tender Love) yet he loves God with all his Heart, that is, with that Degree of Love which is the highest Point of Duty, and of God's Charge upon us; and he that loves God with all his Heart, may yet increase with the Increase of God: Juft as there are Degrees of Love to God among Saints, and yet each of them love him with all their Powers and Capacities.

2. But the greater State of Love is the Zeal of Love, which runs out into Excrefcences and Suckers like a fruitful and pleafant Tree, or bursting into Gums, and producing Fruits, not of a monftrous, but of an extraordinary and heroical Greatnefs. Concerning which, these Cautions are to be observed.

Cautions and Rules concerning Zeal.

1. If Zeal be in the Beginnings of our Spiritual Birth, or be fhort, fudden and tranfient, or be a Confequent of a Man's natural Temper, or come upon any Caufe but after a long Growth of a temperate and well-regulated Love, it is to be fufpected for Paffion and Frowardnefs, rather than the vertical Point of Love.

2. That Zeal only is good which in a fervent Love hath temperate Expreffions. For let the Affection boil as high as it can, yet if it boil over to irregular and ftrange Actions, it will have but few, but will need many Excufes. Elijah was zealous for the Lord of Hofts, and yet he was fo tranfported with it, that he could not receive Anfwer from God, till by Mufick he was recompofed and tamed: And Mofes broke both the Tables of the Law by being paffionately zealous against them that brake the firft.

3. Zeal muft fpend its greatest Heat principally in thofe things that concern ourselves: But with great Care and Restraint in those that concern others.

4. Remember that Zeal, being an Excrefence of Divine Love, muft in no Sense contradict any Action of Love; Love to God includes Love to our Neighbour, and therefore no Pretence of Zeal for God's Phil, 3. 6. Glory muft make us uncharitable to our Brother; for that is juft fo pleafing to God, as Hatred is an Act of Love.

5.

That Zeal that concerns others, can spend itself in nothing but Arts and Actions and charitable Inftruments for their Good: And when it concerns the Good of many that one fhould fuffer, it must be done by Perfons of a competent Authority, and in great Neceffity, in feldom Inftances, according to the Law of God or Man; but never by private Right, or for trifling Accidents, or in miftaken Propofitions. The Zealots in the Old Law had Authority to tranfix and ftab fome certain Perfons; but God gave them Warrant; it was in the Cafe of Idolatry, or fuch notorious huge Crimes, the Danger of which was infupportable, and the Cognizance of which was infallible: And yet that Warrant expired with the Synagogue.

6. Zeal in the Inftances of our own Duty and per fonal Deportment is more fafe than in Matters of Counfel, and Actions befides our juft Duty, and tending towards Perfection. Though in thefe Inftances there is not a direct Sin, even where the Zeal is lefs wary, yet there is much Trouble and fome Danger: (As if it be spent in the too forward Vows of Chastity, and Restraints of natural and innocent Liberties.)

7.

Zeal may be let loose in the Inftances of internal, perfonal and fpiritual Actions that are Matters of direct Duty; as in Prayers, and Acts ofAdoration, and Thanksgiving, and frequent Addreffes: Provided that no direct Act pass upon them to defile them; fuch as Complacency and Opinions of Sanctity, cenfuring others, Scruples and Opinions of Neceffity, unnecef fary Fears, fuperftitious Numbrings of Times and Hours: But let the Zeal be as forward as it will, as de. vout as it will, as feraphical as it will, in the directAddrefs and Entercourfe with God, there is no Danger, no Tranfgreffion. Do all the Parts of your Duty as P

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Lavoracome earnestly as if the Salvation of all the World, and the fe tu haveffi whole Glory of God, and the Confufion of all Devils, a compar og- and all that you hope or defire did depend upon dora come fe every one Action.

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Rom. 10. 2.

tu haveffi a 8. Let Zeal be feated in the Will and Choice, and morir al hora, regulated with Prudence and a fober Understanding, not in the Fancies and Affections; for these will make it full of Noife and empty of Profit, but that will make it deep and fmooth, material and devout.

The Sum is this: That Zeal is not a direct Duty, Titus 2. 14. no where commanded for itfelf, and is nothing but a Rev. 3. 16. Forwardness and Circumftance of another Duty, and therefore is then only acceptable when it advances the Love of God and our Neighbours, whose Circumstance it is. That Zeal is only fafe, only acceptable, which increases Charity directly: And becaufe Love to our Neighbour, and Obedience to God are the two great Portions of Charity, we must never account our Zeal to be good, but as it advances both thefe, if it be in a Matter that relates to both; or, feverally, if it relates feverally. S.Paul's Zeal was expreffed in preaching without any Offerings or Stipend, in travelling, in fpending and being spent for his Flock, in fuffering, in being willing to be accurfed for Love of the People of God and his Country-Men. Let our Zeal be as great as his was, fo it be in Affections to others, but not at all in Anger against them: In the first there is no Danger; in the fecond there is no Safety. In brief, let yourZeal (if it must be expreffed in Anger) be always Cor. 7. 11 more fevere against thyself than against others.

The other Part of Love to God, is Love to our Neighbour, for which I have reserved the Paragraph of Alms.

Of the External Actions of Religion.

Religion teaches us to prefent to God our Bodies as well as our Souls: For God is the Lord of both : And if the Body ferves the Soul in Actions natural and civil and intelle&ual, it must not be eased in the

only

only Offices of Religion, unlefs the Body fhall expect no Portion of the Rewards of Religion, fuch as are Refurrection, Re-union, and Glorification. Our Bodies are to God a living Sacrifice, and to prefent them Rom. 12. 1. to God is holy and acceptable.

The Actions of the Body as it ferves to Religion, and as it is diftinguifhed from Sobriety and Juftice, either relate to the Word of God, or to Prayer, or to Repentance, and make thefe Kinds of external Actions of Religion: 1. Reading and Hearing the Word of God; 2. Fafting and Corporal Aufterities, called by St. Paul, Bodily Exercife; 3. Feafting or keeping Days of Publick Joy and Thanksgiving.

SECT. IV.

Of Reading or Hearing the Word of God. REading and Hearing the Word of God are but

the feveral Circumftances of the fame Duty; inftrumental efpecially to Faith, but confèquently to all other Graces of the Spirit. It is all one to us whether by the Eye or by the Ear the Spirit conveighs his Precepts to us. If we hear St. Paul faying to us, that [Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge] or read it in one of his Epiftles; in either of them we are equally and fufficiently inftructed. The Scriptures read are the fame Thing to us which the fame Doatrine was when it was preached by the Disciples of our bleffed Lord; and we are to learn of either with the fame Difpofitions. There are many that cannot read the Word, and they must take it in by the Ear and they that can read find the fame Word of God by the Eye. It is neceffary that all Men learn it in fome Way or other, and it is fufficient in Order to their Practice that they learn it any Way. The Word of God is all thofe Commandments and Revelations, thofe Promifes and Threatnings, the Stories and Sermons recorded in the Bible: Nothing elfe is the Word of God, that we know of by any certain

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Inftrument. The good Books and fpiritual Difcourfes, the Sermons or Homilies written or fpoken by Men, are but the Words of Men, or rather Explications of, and Exhortations according to the Word of God: But of themselves they are not the Word of God. In a Sermon the Text only is in a proper Sence to be called God's Word: And yet good Sermons are of great Ufe and Convenience for the Advantages of Religion. He that preaches an Hour together against Drunkenness with the Tongue of Men or Angels hath fpoken no other Word of God but this, [Be not drunk with Wine wherein there is Excess :] And he that writes that Sermon in a Book, and publifhes that Book, hath preached to all that read it a louder Sermon than could be fpoken in a Church. This I fay to this Purpose, that we may feparate Truth from Error, popular Opinions from fubftantial Truths. For God preaches to us in the Scripture, and by his fecret Affiftances and fpiritual Thoughts, and holy Motions: Good Men preach to us when they by popular Arguments and humane Arts and Compliances expound and prefs any of those Doctrines which God hath preached unto us in his Holy Word. But,

1. The Holy Ghoft is certainly the best Preacher in the World, and the Words of Scripture the best Sermons.

2. All the Doctrine of Salvation is plainly fet down there, that the most unlearned Perfon, by hearing it read, may understand all his Duty. What can be plainer fpoken than this, [Thou shalt not kill. Be not drunk with Wine. Husbands love your Wives. Whatfoever ye would that Men fhould do to you, do ye so to them.] The Wit of Man cannot more plainly tell us our Duty, or more fully, than the Holy Ghoft hath done already.

3. Good Sermons and good Books are of excellent Ufe: But yet they can ferve no other End but that we practife the plain Doctrines of Scripture.

4.What Abraham in the Parable faid concerning the Luke 16, 29. Brethren of the Rich Man, is here very proper: They have Mofes and the Prophets, let them hear them: But if

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