to defend and promote the glory of God: as when the disci ples, in their zeal for the honour of Christ, were for having fire come down from heaven upon those who had shown some disrespect to him. 1. There is a superstitious zeal, such as was in Baal's worshippers. IV. There is a persecuting zeal, under a pretence of the glory of God; as in Saul, before his conversion. v. There is an hypocritical zeal for God; as in Jehu, when he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord. VI. There is a contentious zeal; which often gives great trouble to christian communities. VII. Sometimes it is only a temporary passion: a flash of zeal, and continues not; so Joash, whilst Jehoiada the Priest lived, did what was right; but after his death, left the house of the Lord God of his fathers, and served groves and idols. VIII. True zeal is no other than a fervent, ardent love to God and Christ; and to a neutral spirit in religion, 1 Kings xviii. 21. To a carelessness and indifference about religious matters; and to lukewarmness, with respect to divine and spiritual things; which the Laodicean church is charged with, and resented by Christ, Rev. iii. 15, 16. I proceed to consider,

II. The objects of zeal. 1. The object of it is God; even a false zeal is called, a zeal towards God. True zeal it has for its objects, the worship of God, the word of God, and the truths contained in it. 11. The cause of Christ, is another object of zeal; and which is a good one, and the apostle says, it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, Gal. iv. 18. True zeal for the cause of Christ is concerned about the gospel of Christ, the ordinances of Christ, and the discipline of his house. 111. Every thing that is evil is the object of zeal, or against which true zeal should be expressed. As, 1. Against all false worship, 2. Against all errors in doctrine. 3. Against all immorality in practice. IV. True zeal is concerned in all the duties of religion, and shews itself in them; it is said of Apollos, that being fervent in spirit he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, Acts xviii. 25. In short, believers in Christ ought to be zealous of

good works, careful to maintain them, diligent in the performance of them, especially of those which are the greater and weightier duties of religion. To say no more, good men are the objects of true zeal, 2 Cor. vii. 7. 1 Cor.

xii. 31.

III. Motives or arguments exciting to the exercise of true zeal. 1. The example of Christ, whom David in prophetic language personated, saying, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 2. True zeal answers a principal end of redemption by Christ, Tit. ii. 14. 3. It is good, the apostle says, to be zealously affected in, and for that which is good. 4. A lukewarm temper, which is the opposite to zeal, seems not consistent with true religion, to be neither cold nor hot is condemned as having no religion at all. 5. The zeal of persons shewn in a false way, should stimulate the professors of the true religion to shew at least an equal zeal.

OF WISDOM OR PRUDENCE.

ZEAL without wisdom or prudence, and un'es; tempered with it, will be either ignorant, and not according to knowledge, or be rash and precipitant. I say wisdom or prudence, because they are much the same thing, and go together; I wisdom dwell with prudence. Concerning which may be enquired,

I. What spiritual wisdom is, And, 1. It is in general, grace in the heart; which is called, wisdom in the hidden part Psalm li. 6. 11. It is a right knowledge of a man's self; nosce teipsum, know thyself, was a maxim much talked of among the philosophers, but attained unto by none of them. A man that rightly knows himself, has knowledge of the sinfulness of his nature, and that without Christ and his grace he can do nothing, until a man has learned this lesson he does not know himself. 1. True spiritual wisdom is no other than the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, which God commands to shine in the hearts of men. iv. True spiritual wisdom is no other than the fear of the

Lord; both David and Solomon say, that that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Psalm cxi. 10. Prov. ix. 10. Job. xxviii. 28. v. It is being wise unto salvation, or in things respecting that, 2 Tim. iii. 15. I proceed to observe,

II. Wherein this wisdom practically shews itself. 1. In doing good things in general: such who are spiritually wise, are wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning · evil, Rom. xvi. 19. II. In a profession of religion. The kingdom of heaven, or the outward gospel church state, is compared to ten virgins; Five of them were wise: these not only took the lamp of profession, but they were concerned to have the oil of grace in the vessels of their hearts; and in this they shewed their wisdom. 111. In a becoming walk and conversation. It is seen when professors walk not as fools, in a vain, careless, and sinful manner, but as wise. iv. In observing the providence of God in the world, and the dispensations of it, Psal. cvii. 43. v. In a man's concern about his last end and future state, how it will be with him at last, and how it will go with him in another world, Deut. xxxii. 29.

III. From whence this spiritual wisdom comes. It is a question put by Job; Whence cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Job xxviii. 29, 20. God is the efficient cause of it. The means of promoting and encreasing it, are, the word of God, the ministers of it, and good men conversed with. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.

IV. The nature and properties of this wisdom; a full account of which is given, James iii. 17.

OF GODLY SINCERITY

SINCERITY stands opposed to hypocrisy. The Latin word sincerus, from whence our English word sincere, is composed of sine & cera, and signifies without wax, as pure honey, which is not mixed with any wax. The Greek word eilikrineia, signifies properly, a judgment made of things by

light and splendour of the sun. Light makes every thing manifest; such who are truly gracious and sincere, their principles and practices will bear the test of light; but those whose doctrines and deeds are evil, do not care to come to it, lest they should be discovered: herein lies a principal difference between sincerity and insincerity.

I. I shall consider this grace of sinserity. 1. As it is truth in the heart; for that seems to be meant in Psalm li. 6. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts, sincerity, integrity, and uprightness of soul; hence we read of a true heart. Such who are possessed of this grace of sincerity, are described pure in heart, 2 Pet. iii. 1. sound in doctrine and practice, Psalm cxix. 80. single hearted, James i. 8. upright in heart, such a man as Psalm cxxv. 4. plain men, or plain hearted; Job was, chap. i. 1. Such may be said to have truth or sinceri ty, whose heart's are after God; as the church's, Isai. xxvi. 9. who are desirous to be searched and tried by him, if sincere or not. 11. Sincerity may be considered as it regards the truth of particular graces in the heart. Sincere is an adjective, and must have something put to it to explain it; so that sincerity is to be judged according to what it is applied; it seems not to be a distinct grace of itself, but to go through, and be an ingredient in every grace: as, 1. Repentance; for their is a 2. Faith; for their is a faith feigned repentance, Jer. iii. 10. that is feigned, as was that of Simon Magus. 3. Hope, by the sincerity of it, is distinguished from the hope of the hypocrite. 4. Love, both to God, if true and genuine, is with all the heart, and in sincerity, Eph. vi. 24. And love to the saints, when right, is not in word and in tongue, but in deed and truth, that is, hearty and sincere, 1 John iii. 18. and is In. Sincalled, unfeigned love of the brethren, 1 Pet. i. 22. cerity may be considered as it regards doctrine professed or preached. The sincere milk of the word, unmixed and unadulterated, as desired by truly new born babes. 1v. Sincerity may be considered with respect to worship; as Joshua said to the people of Israel; Now therefore fear the Lord, and

serve him in sincerity and in truth, Josh xxiv. 14. Worship in general is sincere, when it is performed in spirit and in truth; when men, like Zacharias and Elizabeth, walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. v. Sincerity may be considered with respect to the walk and conversation of the saints; Blessed are the undefiled, or the perfect and sincere in the way, who desire not so much to be seen by men, as to be approved of God. Who have respect to all the commandments of God; who make conscience of committing lesser as well as greater sins; who do not seek to cover, palliate, and extenuate their sins; who walk according to the rule of the word; and who have the glory of God, and the good of others in view. I go on to observe,

II. From whence this grace of sincerity springs. It is not from descent, and by birth; but from the grace of God; it is of God; and is therefore called, Godly sincerity, or sincerity of God; it is to be asked of him, since it is so much approved of by God, who sees and searches the heart.

vi. 24.

III. The happiness of such who are possessed of this grace. 1. The light of spiritual joy and gladness is provided for such persons, Psalm xcvii. 11. 2. All the blessings of grace and goodness are not only wished for, but given unto them, Eph. 3. Such are protected and defended from all evil, and from every enemy, Isai. xxxiii. 15, 16. 4. Such who walk uprightly, walk surely, on good ground, in a good path, and by a good rule, and shall be saved, Prov. x. 9, 29. They enjoy the presence of God now; The upright shall dwell in thy presence, Psalm cxl. 13.

OF SPIRITUAL MINdedness.

THE contrast between a carnal man and a spiritual man, will appear by considering,

I. Who are the men who mind spiritual things. 1. They are such who are regenerated, renewed, and quickened by the Spirit of God. 2. They are such who have their spiritual senses, and that in exercise, to discern both good and evil, to choose and mind the one, and to refuse and shun the other