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SERMON X

Preached before the

Lords Spiritual and Temporal

IN THE

Abbey-Church at Westminster,

On the 5th of NOVEMBER, 1691.

ROM. X. 2.

For I bear them Record, that they have a Zeal of God, but not according to Knowledge,

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HESE are St. Paul's Words, and he fpoke them of the Jews, thofe unbelieving Jews, that were fotenacious of the Traditions of their Fathers, and fo utterly averfe to any Reformation of Religion; that though it appeared by undeniable Evidence, that Chrift Jefus was by God fent into the World for that Purpofe; yet did they, to the laft, ftand out in their Oppofition of him and his Gospel, even to the final Rejection of their Nation,

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To thefe People doth St. Paul in this Chapter exprefs a great Compaffion, heartily wishing

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wifhing and praying for their Conversion. Brethren, (faith he in the Firft Verfe) my hearty Defire and Prayer to God for Ifrael is, that they may be faved: that is, that they may come to the Knowledge of the Truth in Chrift Jefus, and by that Means obtain everlasting Salvation. And one Reason why he was thus concerned for them, he gives in the Words following, which are the Words I have read unto you. For I bear them Record (faith he) that they have a Zeal of God, but not according to Knowledge. It was a great Motive to him, to be concerned for their Happiness, that they were Zealous for Religion; though he knew at the fame Time, that the Religion they were then fo Zealous of, was not the right Religion; nor did the Zeal they fhewed for it, proceed from right Principles.

According to the account I have now given of this Paffage, Three Things we may take Notice of from it, viz.

I. The Apostle's approving, and tacitly commending that Zeal which his Countrymen expreffed for Religion.

II. His meek and charitable Behaviour towards them, even when their Zeal for Religion was very faulty and blameable. III. His Discovery of the Faultiness of their Zeal, which lay in this, that it was not according to Knowledge.

Thefe Three Things I fhall take for the Heads of my following Discourse upon this Text, and fhall afterwards make fuch Application of it, as the Business of this Day calls for.

I. First,

I. First, I defire it may be observed, That Zeal of God in General, that is, a hearty and paffionate Concernment for Religion, the Apoftle here finds no fault with: On the contrary, he approves it as a commendable Thing; For you fee he reprefents it, as a piece of Vertue in his Country-Men, and fpeaks it to their Commendation, that they had a Zeal of God; I bear them Record (faith he) that they have a Zeal of God. As much as to fay, that he owned, they had that good Quality, and they were to be commended for it; and for that Reason, he both wisheth them well, and affectionately prayeth for them.

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That which I would from hence take Occafion to put you in mind of, is this; That Indif ference and Unconcernedneß for Religion is not to have a Place among any one's Vertues and good Qualities; it is rather a very great Fault; howfoever, it may fometimes pass for an Inftance of Wisdom and Prudence.

If, indeed, Men had no Paffions, or had fo mortified their Paffions, that they were rarely earnest or zealous about any Thing; their Unconcernedness for Religion, and the Things of God, might be the lefs reprovable. But when Zeal and Paffion is more or lefs wrought in every Man's Temper, and the calmeft Men may be observed, on fundry Occafions, not to be without it; it is an inexcufable Fault, to have no Paffion, no Zeal for God and his Caufe.

How can a Man answer it to his own Conscience, to be heartily Angry when an Affront,

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front, in Word or Deed, is done to himself and yet to be altogether infenfible, when God is affronted in his Prefence? To make a mighty bustle, when his own Right and Property is at Stake, though in never fo small a Matter and yet to fhew no Concernment for the Rights and the Honour of that God who made him, and by whose Favour alone it is, that he can call any his own that he hath.?

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O! what a World of Good might we all do, if we had a true Zeal of God? How many Occafions and Opportunities are there put into our Hands every Day (in what Condition or Circumstances foever we are) which, if we were acted by this Principle, would render us great Benefactors to Mankind, by difcouraging Vice and Impiety, and promoting Vertue and Goodness in the World?

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But, perhaps, I have fet this Business of Zeal for God, too high: Because none are capable of being thus Zealous, but thofe that have attained to a great Degree of Vertue and Piety, which we cannot fuppofe of all, nor the moft. But however, it will be a Shame to all of us, if we do not come to fuch a Pitch of Zeal, which the Unbelieving Jews are here commended for. I hear them Record, faith St. Paul, that they have a Zeal of God. What was this Zeal of theirs? Why, as I told you, (and as it plainly appears from the whole Chapter) it was an earnest and paffionate Concernment for the Religion of their Country. Sure all Men among us, both good and bad, may come up to this Degree of Zeal for God, and.

it is a Reproach to us if we do not. Especially confidering, that their Religion, at that Time, was not God's Religion, but Ours is.

Indeed, the Publick Profeffion of Religion in the right Way, is as much every Man's Intereft, and ought to be as much every Man's Care, as any the deareft Thing he hath in this World. Nay, to all Men that believe they have Souls to fave, it is more valuable than any other worldly Privilege. It concerns us all, therefore, to be zealous in that Matter. The Duty we owe to God, to our Country, and to Ourselves, doth require it. In vain it is to be bufie about other Things, and to neglect this. A Man will have but fmall Comfort, when he comes to die, to reflect, that he has been Zealous of the Privileges and Property, and Rights of his Country-Men; but it was indifferent to him, how the Service of God, and the Affairs of Religion were managed.

II. The Second Thing we obferve from this Paffage, is, The Apostle's Carriage to the Unbeliev ing Ifraelites, who though they were zealous for God, yet were in a great Miftake as to their Notions of the true Religion; He doth not bitterly cenfure them; He is not fierce nor furious against them; He doth not excite any Perfon to use Force or Violence to them ; but he rather pities them; He makes their Zeal that they had of God, an Inducement the more heartily to pray for them, that God would direct them in the right way that leads to Salvation. Tho' he is far from approving their blind Zeal, in fo obftinately oppofing the Righteousneß of God,

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