Of Zeal

I am arrived at the last stage of perfection which I choose to call a State of Zeal; not only because the scripture seems to direct me to this expression, but also because it seems to me full and proper. That other expression, the State of Love suits my purpose well enough; but does not come up so exactly to it, as the State of Zeal; for I take zeal to be love, in its utmost elevation and Viva city.

I will here discourse of three things,

I. What zeal is.

2.What is that perfection of holiness of righteousness, wherein it consists. And,

3. Of the efficacy or force of this holiness, as it exerts itself in good works.

1. Of zeal in general, what it is. I do not exclude some degrees of zeal from every period of the Christian’s life. Sincerity cannot subsist wholly without it. Hunger and thirst after righteousness must be more or less in every child of God. But it may signify one thing in the infant, another in the adult Christian; in the one the conquest of sin, or of the remains of sinful habits, is the object of this hunger and thirst. In the other, it imports a vehement desire of whatever is yet wanting to a consummation of righteousness already fixed and established; the ultimate perfection of it in heaven; and the promoting the divine glory upon earth. By a state of zeal then I here mean virtue or holiness, not in the bud, or in the blossom, but in its full strength and stature, grown up and ripe and loaded with blessed fruits. I mean that holiness that is the result of illumination or clearness of judgment of the strength and force of holy resolution and the vigor and energy of holy passions.

In a word, I mean that solid, spiritual, and operative religion, which may be felt and enjoyed by ourselves in the serenity and tranquility of conscience, the longings and breathings of pious desires, the joys and pleasures of a rational assurance; discerned by the world in our lives and actions in the modesty of our garb, in the plainness and humility of all things else, that pertain to the part of life; in the temperance of our meals, the purity and heavenliness of conversation, the moderation of our designs and enjoyments, the instruction of our families; with a tender and indefatigable watchfulness over them; the constancy of our attendance upon, and the devoutness of our deportment in the public worship of God; and finally, in the activity and generosity of our charity or, to speak my thoughts in the language of St. Paul. A state of zeal is that maturity of holiness, which abounds in the works of faith, the labor of love, and the patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our father, I Thess i. 3. Now the end of all this is the advancing in the glory of God and therefore zeal is well defined, by an ardent or vehement desire of doing so. Now this is in advanced two ways: Firstly, by our personal and inherent holiness, and secondly by the fruit of it, good works, of both which 1 will now speak more particularly.

2. Of that perfection of holiness which constitutes zeal. Here I will enquire into two Things. -

1. Whether the perfect man must be possessed of all the treasures of goodness; whether he must be adorned by a confluence and an accumulation of all virtues.

2. What height of virtue, what degree of holiness he may be supposed to arrive at.

I. Of the extent of righteousness. Universality is as essential a property of gospel, righteousness as sincerity: That there is an inseparable connection and union between all Christian virtues, so that he who wants any, must be concluded to have none: This want being not like a blemish that diminishes the beauty, or a maim that weakens the strength; but like a wound that dissolves the frame and contexture of the natural body.

This is partly built upon reason which tells us that there is a native luster and beauty in all virtues and therefore there is no one in the whole system of morality but must be amiable to a good man. Partly upon scripture, in which we find the Christian represented as holy in all manner of conversation, i Pet. i. 15, perfect in every good work, Heb. xiii. 21, as filled with all the fullness of God, Eph. iii. 19 and exhorted in the most comprehensive terms imaginable, to the practice of every virtue. Finally, Brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think of these things. To which may be added numerous texts, importing that faith is a principle of universal righteousness and that the fear and love of God, equally oblige us to all his commandments and that the violation of one involves us in the guilt of all. And the result of all seems to be plainly this, that the whole chain of graces is dissolved if there be but one link wanting.

The least which is implied herein is this.

1. The perfect man must not only be set free from the dominion of sin, but also abstain even from a single act of presumptuous wickedness: He must neither omit a duty nor commit anything repugnant to it.

2. He must be endowed with spiritual wisdom and understanding with faith, hope, charity, with the graces which I will call universal, because necessary to all as Christians, and that too, in an eminent degree, so as to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. This will render him holly in all manner of conversation, and thoroughly furnished to all good works. These two things constitute universal righteousness and complete the perfect man, or if not, what follows will.

3.He must excel in those virtues which are most natural to which grace and nature most powerfully disposeand incline Him. For these he seems to be designed by God; these will soon grow up to maturity and much will be their fruit and great their beauty.

4.The perfect man must be eminent in those virtues which are most necessary. Such are those which his particular station or any other dispensation of providence he is under, requires of him. Whatever virtues may be more delightful, these are more important; others may be more natural, these have more of use. A man may fall short of perfection in others without either disparagement or guilt; but deficiency in these, can hardly escape both. Besides everything is lovely in its place and in its time. There is a peculiar grace and luster, that attend the virtues of a man’s station, that are scarcely to be found in any other. I would therefore, have a perfect man truly great in his business and shine with a dazzling luster in his own sphere.

There is no doubt but the perfect man must love God to that degree, that he must always cleave to Him; walk as always before Him; ever meditate and contemplate on Him and his works; contrive and study, labor and contend to please Him. It must be an affliction to him to be divided from Him but for a little while; and he must ever and anon, by day and night, break out into his praises and rejoice and glory in Him. He must love God to that degree, as that all things, in comparison of Him, must appear blasted and withered, empty and contemptible, without pleasure, without beauty: And consequently, he must so thirst after the beatific vision, after the presence and fruition of God, that he must earnestly desire to be dissolved and pant and long to be dismissed from the pilgrimage of this world and from the corruptible tabernacle of the body. Nor do I doubt but that this love is often sensibly transporting: It is a fire within, that strives to break out, and exert itself in the fruitions of heaven: It is a rich and mighty cordial, that raises nature above itself, and makes it all purity or glory.

Thus have I considered the extent or compass of the perfect man’s virtues. I am next to enquire.

2. To what degrees of virtue he may advance.

And first that reason and scripture seem to press us on towards an endless progress in virtue. Such a degree of excellence, to which nothing can be added such a height, above which there is no room to soar, if applied to man and this world is surely but an imaginary notion. To dream of such a perfection, were to forget our nature and our state. No sagacity of judgment, no strength of resolution, no felicity of circumstances, can ever advance us to this height. Such a perfection as this, that incapable of any increase belongs to God alone. It is hard to conceive how we should enjoy divine faith without growing in spiritual wisdom and understanding: It is hard to conceive how we should give God the world and ourselves repeated proofs of our integrity in the day of trial, without increasing our strength and assurance: And love must naturally increase with these. Whence it is, that St. Paul, acknowledging himself not yet perfect, resolves, that forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forward to those things that are before, he would press on towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus, Phil. iii. 13, 14..