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B02982
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Holy zeal against sin, shewn to be an acceptable and seasonable duty : in a sermon preached at Lyme Regis, in the County of Dorset, Sept. 4th. 1700. At a quarterly lecture appointed for the promoting the Reformation of Manners. / By J. E. Minister of the Gospel.
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J. E.
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1700
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Wing E14B; ESTC R174804
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21,249
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removing tââ⦠plague as before noted but by bestowing ãâã Phinehas an everlasting Priesthood as a reward ãâã it An account whereof we have in my Texâ⦠Behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace aââ⦠he shall have it and his seed after him even the Covââ¦nant of an everlasting Priesthood because he wââ⦠zealous for his God The Observation I shall note to you from tââ⦠words is this Doct. That it is a duty very pleasing unto Goâ⦠when persons in a time of general corruption do shâ⦠themselves zealous for God Is was a time of general corruption among tââ⦠Israelites and Phinehas shewed a more than âââ¦dinary zeal in suppressing of it and God maâââ¦fested his high approbation of Phinehas his zeal ãâã bestowing on him an everlasting Priesthood In prosecuting this point I shall 1. Shew what it imports to be zealous fââ⦠God 2. Prove that 't is a duty very pleasing unââ⦠God 3. Shew who be the persons that should âââ¦ercise this zeal And 4. Conclude with some Improvement First I shall shew what it is to be zealous for Gââ⦠That we may rightly apprehend the meaniââ⦠ââ¦f this phrase it may not be amiss to speak someââ¦hat to the nature of Zeal in the general and âââ¦en more particularly to shew the Import of the ââ¦hrase in my Text. As for Zeal in the general it denotes the ââ¦armth and fervour of Spirit Zelare Zelari ââ¦aith Vossius utrumque dicitur de ardenti affectâ⦠âââ¦nc pro aliquo nunc contra aliquem i.e. To have âââ¦al or to be zealous are both spoken of any ardent âââ¦fection sometimes for a person sometimes aâââ¦inst him The Greek word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã quod à ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã valdâ⦠ferveo signifies boiling or fervent and âââ¦rning heat For as boiling or burning is the âââ¦ghest degree of heat so is zeal or fervency the âââ¦ghest pitch of our affections And therefore Zeal ãâã described by some to be the heat and intention ãâã all the affections It is not so much a vertue in ãâã self as the life and soul of all other vertues It ãâã like varnish to the Colour which is in it self no âââ¦lour but gives a gloss and lustre unto all Zeal in it self is neither good nor evil but acâââ¦rding to its object accordingly there is a good âââ¦d bad zeal 1. There is a bad Zeal Of this kind is that ââ¦hich is set on wrong objects This scarce deâââ¦ves the name of zeal being nothing else ââ¦t an Intemperate heat or rather a kind of Frenzy ãâã Madness Such was the zeal of those Idolaters âââ¦o in their false worship cut themselves with ââ¦ives 1 King 18.28 Such was the zeal of those âââ¦ws who burnt their children in the fire unto ââ¦oloch Jer. 7.31 And with this violent and âââ¦d zeal was St. Paul acted before his conversion ãâã himself confesseth Act. 26.11 Phil. 3.6 comâââ¦red when he was so enraged against the Christians that he spared no cost or pains to suppâââ⦠their meetings and to root them out This is ãâã the zeal whereof my Text speaks 2. There is a good zeal which may be tââ⦠described It is a holy warmth and fervour of affeââ¦on wrought in us by the spirit of God whereby ãâã are inclined to promote God's glory in a vigorâââ⦠manner according to his word The marks and properties of this zeal amâ⦠other are these 1. It is always about a good thing Gal. 4. â⦠It is good to be zealously affected always in a gâ⦠thing If the matter be evil the more vigorâ⦠and earnest any person is the more sinful Hoâ⦠zeal is always exercised about a good matter 2. It is always accompanied with knowledââ⦠Rom 10.2 For I bear them record that they hââ⦠a zeal for God but not according to knowledge Tââ⦠was the fault of the Israelites zeal it wanted knowledge zeal without knowledge is but a blind zeââ⦠3. It maketh the greatest account of the weightiââ⦠matter This rule we have Mat. 23.23 whâ⦠Christ blames the Scribes and Pharisees for sheââ¦ing great zeal about lesser matters but having ãâã concern for those that were weightier speakiââ⦠to them after this manner Wo unto you Scribes aââ⦠Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay Tithe of mint aââ⦠anise and cummin and have omitted the weightâââ⦠matters of the law judgment mercy and faith thâ⦠ought ye to have done and not to leave the other uââ¦done First our zeal should be carried forth ãâã weightier matters than to those of less momenâ⦠From what hath been spoken of Zeal in the gââ¦neral we may easily apprehend what it is to ãâã zealous for God It is to have this true zeal thâ⦠ââ¦ave been describing But more particularly ãâã phrase may denote these two things 1. A being zealous for God in his Service And 2. A being zealous for God against Sin ââ¦hen are we zealous for God in his Service when ââ¦carefully perform all religious duties private ãâã publick When we dare not omit them diâââ¦ntly attend them and are devout in them serââââ¦g the Lord with fervency of spirit as the expresâ⦠is Ro. 12.11 Then we are zealous for God against Sin when ãâã do not only mislike it in our selves and careââââ¦y endeavour to abstain from it but also when ãâã cannot bear with it in others as the phrase is ãâã v. 2.3 ââ¦Tis this latter is the zeal of which my Text ââ¦aks for which Phinehas is commended and ââ¦s rewarded of God He had a zeal for God aââââ¦nst Sin Which zeal for God includes in it âââ¦ese three things 1. A tender respect to God's glory This is the ââ¦ound of all true zeal 'T was this made Phineâââ⦠so zealous for his God because he had a tenââ⦠regard to God's glory This was the fault of ââ¦u's zeal and for which he is blamed because ãâã had not so pure an eye to God's glory as he âââ¦ght to have Come see my zeal said he for ãâã Lord 2 Kin. 10.16 Jehu was zealous pretenâââ¦dly for God but self was at the bottom it ââ¦s for a Kingdom True Godly zeal hath always ãâã eye to God's glory this is a principal ingrediâââ¦t in it So in the above description of zeal ãâã a holy warmth whereby we are inclined to proâââ¦te God's glory c. The Glory of God is the ââ¦eat end of our being We are commanded to respect this in all that we do 1 Cor. 10.31 It is the butt and scope of all regular and holy actions and therefore of necessity must be included in holy zeal 2. A holy indignation against Sin Sin does in effect dethrone God The practical language of the Sinner is who is the Lord that I should obey him It bids defiance to all God's Attributes It ââ¦pposeth his Sovereignty it slighteth his Omniscience it contemneth his Power it despiseth his Goodness it is a direct opposition to his Holiness in a word it strikes at the very life and being of God so horrid and abominable is the nature of
Sin And was it in the Sinner's power as it is in his will Psal 14.1 there should be no God to punish him for his sin Now this being the nature and tendency of Sin who that hath any concern for God's glory who that hath any true zeal for God can chuse but have an abhorrence of it By Sin God's glory is eclipsed and sullied his very being and government are opposed and slighted those persons therefore that are zealous for God must needs have a holy indignation against Sin 3. It imports a diligent endeavour to suppress Sin Activity and Zeal go always together The active Christian and the zealous Christian are never separated Zeal in Scripture is opposed to laziness indifferency lukewarmness Rev. 3.16 20. It is of the nature of Zeal to be fervent and to make persons vigorous and active wherever it is Jehu being zealous was very active in his way And so was Phinehas the Instance of my Text he was very active in suppressing vice and executing âââ¦dgment upon the Sinners And where the is true zeal for God against Sin it will make persons in their respective places to appear against it and endeavour to suppress it This briefly for the first general what it is to be zealous for God and what it imports I come Secondly to prove that it is a duty very pleasing unto God That it is a duty is plain from Scripture Precept and Precedent both lay an obligation on ãâã to be zealous for God 1. Scripture-Precept Unless we break Godââ⦠bands asunder and cast away his cords from us and so act like those wicked ones Psal 2.3 we must resolve to comply with this duty because by Precept we are injoyned to be zealous for God against Sin The Scripture requires us to be zealously affected in a good thing Gal. 4.18 And what better thing can a person be imployed in than iâ⦠endeavouring to suppress vice whereby God iâ⦠dishonoured in the world Without compliant with this duty we cannot answer one great end ãâã Christ's Redemption who gave himself for us the he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie ãâã himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tââ⦠2.14 It is one end of Christ's Redemption thâ⦠we might be zealous of good works and amoââ⦠good works this of Reformation the reforming of Sinners is none of the least It is a foul blot in Laodicea's character that ãâã had no heart to restrain evil-doers 'T is mentioned to the praise of the Church of Ephesus thâ⦠he could not bear with them that were evil Rev. 2. â⦠But as for Laodicea she was lukewarm neither not nor cold very indifferent as to this matter and therefore God threatens to spue her out of his mouth Rev. 3.15 16. and to prevent this judgment calls on her to be zealous and repent v. 19. If therefore God's call his command and injunction have any weight with us it is our duty to shew our selves zealous against sin We are obliged thereto by Precept 2. Scripture-Precedent does oblige to it We are bid to follow the footsteps of the flock Can. 1.8 And to be followers of the Saints wherein they are followers of God Phil. 3.17 Eph. 5.1 Now 't is recorded to the everlasting praise and commendation of the Saints many of them how eminently zealous they were in their days for God against vice This was the commendation of David Jehoshaphat Hezekiah and Josiah Kings of Judah that they set themselves against vice and zealously promoted a Reformation This was that which good Nehemiah took such comfort in when he had been reforming and cleansing the people and manifesting his zeal against the prophanation of the Sabbath said he Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatââ¦ess of thy mercy Neh. 13.15 22. Elijah also pleased his zeal before God 1 Kin. 19.10 14. I have ââ¦een very jealous or zealous for the Lord God of ââ¦osts for the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant c. And to mention no more it was this ââ¦hat made Phinehas so famous to posterity and ââ¦ained him the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God because ââ¦e appeared boldly for God against sin and executed judgment on those presumptuous sinners ââ¦imri and Cosbi without having respect to their ââ¦ality and greatness notwithstanding Zimri was ãâã Son of a Prince and Cosbi was the Daughter of a chief House in Midian Num. 25.8 14 15. Thus if we look back to the Saints of old wâ⦠find many instances recorded in Scripture of pesons zealous for God against vice It is therefoââ⦠our duty to be so too that we may be like thâ⦠people of God in old time That it is a duty very pleasing unto God mâ⦠be demonstrated from divers particulars but ãâã present I shall keep to the instance of my Texâ⦠and thence make it appear to be an acceptable âââ¦ty That Phinehas his zeal was very pleasing ãâã to God will evidently appear from the considerâ⦠on of these two particulars both mentioned in ãâã Text and Context One is God's removing ãâã Plague from the Israelites thereupon The othââ⦠his bestowing an everlasting Priesthood on Phinâ⦠1. God's removing the Plague from the Israelââ⦠upon Phinehas his performing this duty is a plââ⦠indication how acceptable his zeal was unto Gâ⦠The Israelites having greatly corrupted themselâ⦠by whoredom and idolatry God sent amoâ⦠them a sweeping Plague which took away noâ⦠than twenty four thousand Num. 25.9 Times of general debauchery are usually ãâã forerunners of some sore judgment Whateâ⦠pretences men make to Loyalty to the Templâ⦠the Lord to the Church and the like yet if thâ⦠are debaucht persons they are some of the Nââ¦on's worst enemies These were the persons ãâã brought wrath upon Israel and caused Godâ⦠send the Plague among them Now when God's judgments are abroad in ãâã earth the Inhabitants thereof should learn Rigââ¦teousness It should be so but what shall we say The wicked will do wickedly still Mercies ãâã Judgments they are all one to them they wâ⦠be reclaimed Thus 't is in our days and ãâã 't was in the days of old An instance whereof ãâã have in Zimri and Cosbi who notwithstandâââ⦠that dreadful judgment God sent on the peâ⦠for their great wickedness went on still boldlyâ⦠the same debaucht practices not being afraidâ⦠commit lewdness in the face of the Sun But ââ¦nehas on the other hand was no less bold in Gâ⦠cause in executing judgment for in a holy zâ⦠he went forthwith to them and thrust them bâ⦠through Which action of his was so pleasing ãâã to God that hereupon he stayed the Plague ãâã And he went to the man of Israel into the tent ãâã thrust them both through the man of Israel and ãâã woman through her belly and the plague was stayâ⦠And if any should doubt whether 't was on the ãâã count of Phinehas his zeal that the