Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Another Grace actuated by Faith, is Zeal, which is an intense Love, or a mixture of Love and Anger, or rather the heat and boiling up of all the affections in the concerns of God and his Glory: This is a coal from the Altar, which warms Hearts and Lives, and sparkles out in every Grace and Duty; without it all is in spiritually gelicidio, cold and frozen, as in a Sunless World. Indeed without Faith Zeal is blind, as in the Jew, who in his heat for the Law opposes the Gospel and true Righteousness; Or it runs out upon Humane things as in the Papist, who cries up Traditions as a second Oracle; or it moves upon selfish Principles, as in the Pharisees, who did all theatrically to be seen of men. But when Faith comes, Zeal is according to the Word as its Rule, and for Divine things as the worthiest Object; and out of a pure intention to Gods Glory as the supreme end. Faith brings us into Communion with God, and makes us one spirit ⟨p. 308⟩with him; and hence it comes to pass, that those things which are dear to him are so to us; and those injuries which move his jealousy above, stir up our Zeal here below. To Faith Gods name is nomen Majestativum, holy, reverend, fearful, glorious, precious, a name above every name, and therefore cannot be profaned; but Zeal will break forth, the reproaches cast on it fall more heavily on the Believer than those on himself or his near relations; Nay they press harder on him, than if he should hear one railing at Princes or Angels. Maris the blind Bishop of Chalcedon, being brought into the presence of the blasphemous Emperor Julian, fell severely on him as upon an enemy of God; and when Julian told him, That he was blind, and his Galilean God would not cure him: Maris gave thanks to God, who had taken away his eyes, that he might not look on so wicked a wretch as Julian. Such a Zeal doth Faith put forth for Gods name. In like manner the Worship of God is to Faith, his Homage, honour on Earth, Crown of glory, Sanctuary of Presence, a thing too precious and pure to be allayed with Humane mixtures; if this be corrupted, our Zeal must needs kindle at it, and so much the more, because his sacred jealousy hangs more over his Worship than over any thing else in all the World. To the other Commandments we find this annexed, I am the Lord, Lev. 19; but to the second, I am a jealous God, Exod. 20.5.