indignation should be directed against our own sins; its most vigorous efforts, to our own reformation and improvement. Can that man be much concerned for the salvation of others, who is careless of his own? Can he be deeply grieved and pained for others' sins, who is little affected with his own corruptions, follies and vices? It im Christian zeal has a place and influence in every other Christian grace and virtue. parts a tenderness and ardour to holy love; a strength and activity to faith. It renders reverence and godly fear more awful; and gives wings to the Christian's pious desires. While it infuses a sting into penitential sorrow, it adds vigour and confidence to hope; and sublimates joy in God into transport and triumph. It has likewise an important place and use in every act of devotion. It will lead us, in prayer, to pour out, not words only, but devout breathings, intense desires, and, as it were, our very souls, to our Father in heaven. In praise, it will fill us with a solemn and delightful sense of his adorable excellencies, and infinitely varied benefits. In confes sion, it will melt our hearts into ingenuous and unutterable grief. It will cause us to enter the sanctuary longing for God, as the hart punteth for the water brooks. It will engage us, while we hear and meditate his word, to hunger for the bread of life, and thirst for its precious waters. Further, genuine zeal, if we possess it, will operate in the mortification of our sins and corruptions, and engage us in a course of holy obedience. It will lead us resolutely to pluck out No 12. Vol. II. X x X right eyes, and cut off right hands, if these be the occasions or instruments of transgression. It will inspire and fortify us for the painful, but necessary work of crucifying the flesh, with its affec tions and lusts; of mortifying our earthly members; of keeping under our bodies, and bringing them into subjection; yea, it will arm us with courage and resolution to pull down strong holds, and cast every proud imagination into the dust. It will not permit us to indulge our ease, as long as we have one base passion unsubdued; one criminal propensity unmortified. Here is one capital trial of the genuineness of our zeal. Are we engaged and anxious to reform, not only a sinful world without us, but a world of iniquity within us? Does the habitual exemplariness of our temper and conduct declare that our love to holiness, and hatred to sin, are genuine and impartial? Are our lives assiduously filled up with duty to God, and active beneficence to man? Do we not only walk humbly with our Maker, but do justly, and love mercy, to our fellow creatures? Are we rich in good works? Do we abound in them? Do we so live, as that an important chasm would be realized, and the best interests of society sustain a shock, should our exertions cease? Alas! that is but a spurious zeal which spends itself in complaints of the badness of the times, and the degeneracy of the age, while no substantial exertions are made to increase the sum of virtue and beneficence, and while of course the complainer himself is but a cumberer of the ground, a nuisance in society. eve In a word, if we have true zeal, we shall be solicitous to find ourselves making daily progress in holiness, and approximating to a thorough meetness for heavenly glory. We shall not be satisfied with any past attainments, supposed or real. We shall anxiously lay aside ry weight, and every easily besetting six, and run with patrence, alacrity and perseverance, the race set before us. The nearer we approach to our heavenly crown, with the greater ardour shall we spring forward to embrace it. What a pattern of this sublime ambition, this sacred zeal, was the venerable Paul, who, in the midst of as great attainments in reiigion, as perhaps ever fell to the lot of a mortal, expresses himself in this humble language; Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus. self out principally in retirement. He is far from that Jehu-like spirit, which delights in nothing so much as the display of its own goodness, and calls to a surrounding world: Come, see my zeal for the Lord. His inward feelings are often much stronger, than he is disposed the world should know. He has many a tender, and almost overwhelming sensation, which he can deposit only in the bosom of his God. As the result of this sincerity, the Christian's zeal will be uniform. There is scarce any thing which so strongly marks and distinguishes the real child of God, as a certain symmetry of character. The most refined and subtle hypocrite cannot imitate it, and seldom so much as attempts to do so. Such are often full of apparent fervour in those performances in which there is little self-denial, or for which they have a present reward in the applause of their fellow-men. But in the mean time, secret duties, mortifying duties, those which are hard to Respecting the zeal thus im- flesh and blood, are either totally perfectly described, it may be neglected, or very inconstantly remarked that its distinguishing and superficially discharged. Far characteristic is sincerity. Its different is the sincere and zealproper seat is in the soul; and ous Christian. What he is in thence it diffuses itself through the closet, he is in the world. the conversation. It is opposed What he appears in the world, to nothing so immediately, as to he is in the closet. Wherever that coldness, or lukewarmness he goes, he carries with him a of heart, in the things of God sense of God; and this sense of and religion, which alas! is nat- an ever-present and heart-searcharal to depraved man. Its sub- ing DEITY is more than a thouject is, in the view of the om- sand witnesses to engage him to niscient and heart-searching Je- all duty, and deter him from all hovah, what he appears to be, to sin. He is conscientious and in his fellow creatures. As an ev- earnest in every thing which his idence of this sincerity, the Master in heaven has enjoined. Christian's zeal will often act it- He does not suffer the duties of devotion to set aside those of morality; nor the duties of morality to form a pretence for neglecting those of devotion. He has a sacred and practical respect to all the divine commandments. He abstains from all sin. cleanses himself from all filthiness, both of flesh and spirit. He It may be added, that the Christian's zeal is not a transient, but a durable thing. Thus too it is strikingly distinguished from those flaraing appearances of goodness which often dazzle for a time. The religion of hypocrites may be resembled to the same object to which Solomon compares the mirth of fools. It is like the crackling of thorns under a pot. It makes much noise and shew; not unfrequently far more than the religion of the real, humble Christian. But it is soon over. And its poor, deluded possessor relapses into carelessness and security; perhaps into flagrant, soul-destroying vices. Ah, how wretched that religion which is thus sur vived! But the Christian's zeal is an undying flame. It is kindled up by the Spirit of the living God, whose veracity is pledged to perfect the good work which his mercy begins. Nor shall all the blasts of temptation, which assail it in this unkindly clime, be suffered to extinguish it. It shall live even here, till it burst out with renovated splendour in heaven; till the happy Christian feel transported with the pure ardour of "the rapt seraph that adores and burns." The subject shall be resumed and pursued in a future number. Z. PRACTICAL REMARKS ON THE (Concluded from page 518.) WHEN the universe was a vast, unformed mass, involved in disorder and darkness, God said, "Let there be light; let the waters be divided from the waters; let dry land appear; let grass grow for cattle, and herb for the use of man." The command was effectual. A beautiful system arose, fitted for the convenience and happiness of the endless variety of creatures which were produced. The word, so effectual in this instance, is not less effectual in others. "Thou shalt have no other gods before ine; thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image; thou shalt not take the name of the. Lord thy God in vain; remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; honour thy father and thy mother; thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt not covet." The command has not returned void. We cannot calculate the efficacy which it has had. It has opposed the general progress of irreligion and immorality. It has retained thousands of thousands in the pure worship of the true God. It has mollified and humanized thousands of hearts. This subject admits not the same proof as other subjects. But let it be a little varied, and the conclusion reverts in all its strength. Suppose that God bad not meddled with the affairs of mankind, and that they had been left to do, without restraint, as they thought fit. The consequence no doubt would have been an utter contempt of reli It was determined, that the folly and wickedness of such wretches should be fully exposed. The Israelites were used as the instruments of Providence for this purpose. Their destruction might have been effected by famine or pestilence. In either case none could have objected. The crime incurred the punishment; and must God, to satisfy the And the capricious humour of thoughtless creatures, confine himself to this or that instru ment? May he not use one nation to punish another? By do. ing so in this instance was not an important end answered? With what face could the Israelites be idolaters, after they inflicted death upon the Canaanites for that same crime? Besides, the Israelites were immediately under the divine conduct, and had been so for forty years, The command given them was expressly directed against a nation that was incorrigible. This instance may guard the nations against idolatry, but can never encourage vi, olence and murder. gion, and such abandoned and violent practices, that our earth would have looked like the habitation not of men, but of devils. Happy for us, that God has in terposed. The present state of the world is bad indeed; but without the divine interposition it had been infinitely worse. His command has hitherto opposed, and does still oppose the superfluity of naughtiness. And the time shall come, when it shall bring into existence the new heavens and the new earth, wherein righteousness will dwell. The moral law requires a sober, righteous, and godly life; but this law is part of the Old Testament;-that part, in which the morality of the Old Testament is summed up. Here the friends and the enemies of that part of revelation ought to meet in investigating its characteris tics in a moral view. A candid investigation must end in its favour. Why then do enemies say, the Old Testament teaches every thing that is bad? Did they ever read the decalogue? Is it thence they derive their sentiments? Surely they read with jaundiced eyes; they judge with perverted minds. The fact is, they keep clear of the deca, logue. To bring this into view will not answer their ends.They find an order in the Old Testament utterly to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan. This they magnify into an order encouraging rapine and blood. But it is to be considered that there is something peculiar in that order. The Canaanites were very abandoned sinners, and particularly infamous for idolatry, by which a standard was erected against God's throne. The failings of some good men, and the crimes which they committed, are also brought forward in strong colours, and the most perverse advantage taken of them. David's behaviour is particularly marked, as countenancing barbarity and lust. But are David's crimes recorded with approbation? Did they not torture reflection? Were they not repented of, and publicly confessed? And were they not visited with divine severity? The infidel mistakes the scripture, and on' his own mistakes grounds the vilest aspersions. Such attempts excite our pity and our indignation. It is in vain to think of making an impression upon such perverted minds. Can the deaf adder be charmed with the melody of music? Can the lunatic be convinced by sober reasoning? The case of infidels and scoffers is in many instances desperate. It is not for them that we unfold the excellence of God's word, and insist upon its powerful energy. If we can satisfy the doubtful, and confirm the wavering, a great end is gained. But what shall we say of those, who vilify the source of true wisdom; who contaminate the waters flowing in a pure stream from the throne of God; or deter from drinking those who are perishing for thirst? What shall we say of those, whose opposition to Christianity is disguised under the name of philanthropy; whose zeal rises to madness; who confirm by oath a discovery made known for the general good, that the Scripture is an imposition, containing every thing vile and unworthy? Have such men eyes to see, or ears to hear, or hearts to perceive? Are not their hearts waxed gross, and their ears dull of hearing? Have they not closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and be convert ed, and God should heal them? Trampling the pearl under their feet, they turn with savage fury upon those by whom it is held in estimation. Such men de serve contempt. Turn with abhorrence from their doctrine, and leave them with their conscience, and with God. The infatuation of unbelievers gives us warning. It is a bea con announcing shoals and rocks. Practise God's commandments. Let his law be a light to your feet and a lamp to your way. Meditate thereon day and night. Avoid the counsel of the ungodly, the way of the sinner, and the seat of the scornful. Become as little children, yielding yourselves in an unreserved and cheerful manner to the mercy, protection,' and guidance of your heavenly friend. Then you will be established in the faith. The rain, the flood, and the wind shall do you no injury. Your house, founded upon a rock, shall withstand the severest PHILOLOGOS. storm. |