Truth triumphant through the spiritual warfare, Christian labours, and writings of that able and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Robert Barclay, who deceased at his own house at Urie in the kingdom of Scotland, the 3 day of the 8 month 1690.

SECT. II. (Book 2)

The Nature of Christian Love and Charity demon∣strated; the Consistency of True Zeal therewith: It's distinction from false Zeal.

THE Nature of Christian Love and Charity is fully and a∣bundantly described in the Holy Scriptures,* 1.1 where it is pre∣ferred before all other Vertues and Properties whatsoever; as that which Comprehendeth in it all other Perfections, and is the Root and Spring of them. For there can be no true Vertue, but that which proceedeth from Love; hence God himself is called Love, 1 Jo. 4.7. as being that, under which all his Innumerable and Unutterable Perfections are Included. By this Love we are Re∣deemed from the Corruption of our Nature, and have received the benefit of a Mediator; Joh. 16. This is the Banner, wherewith God covereth his Children, Cant. 2.4. This is that, which Con∣strained our Lord Jesus Christ to lay down his Life for us, Joh. 15.13. The Exercise of this is given by Christ, as the principal Token of his Disciples, Joh. 13.35. It is numbered as the first Fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. It is called the fulfilling of the Law, as that, wherein all Consisteth, Rom. 13 10. For to love God above all things, and our Neighbour as our selves, is the sum not only of the Law, but of the Gospel also, 1 Cor. 13.13. There∣fore the Apostle Paul giveth to this Love or Charity the Prece∣dency before either Faith or Hope;* 1.2 in which Chapter he doth briefly, but very Emphatically describe it. For having first shewn, that the speaking with Tongues of Men and Angels, that the gifts of Prophesying, Ʋnderstanding and Knowledge, that the Faith, that even could Remove Mountains, and the Giving of all to the Poor, yea, and the Body to be burnt, is nothing without it;

He proceeds to the Description of it thus: Charity suffers long, is kind; Charity envieth not, Vaunteth not it self, is not puffed up, dos not behave it self unseemly, seeking not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in Iniquity, but rejoiceth in the Truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, never faileth; albeit other Gifts have: 1 Cor. 13. from the first Verse. As by this the Excellency of Love is shewn; so the Necessity of pressing after it, and living in it will be readily acknowledged by all: but seeing, the Sum of this Love, as well as the Perfection thereof consists in Loving God above all; so what∣ever diverteth in any thing there from, is not to be accounted Love, though the same Word be used to Express it, and that in the Scripture it self;* 1.3 such as the Love of Self, the Love of the World, the Love of any Creature. Hence for the Attaining of the true and excellent Love, the Love of all these other things is not only to be laid aside, and the Love of God preferred to them; but they are to be hated, as Christ himself Phraseth it: He that hateth his Life, Jo. 12.25. Yea, he useth it so, as to speaking of hating Father and Mother, Luk. 14.26. Though when the Love to such is truly Subordinate to the other, it is both Commended and Commanded.

* 1.4The Testimony, which is required of our Really being in the Love of God, Christ himself signifieth to us: If you Love me, keep my Commandments: And as the Beloved Disciple John said in the Case of Knowledge, shewing us the Falshood of such, as pretend to know God, and yet do not so; saying: He that says, he knows God, and keeps not his Commandments, is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him; 1 Jo. 2.4. So may be also said: He that saith, he loves God, and keeps not his Commandments, is a Liar, and the Truth is not in him; according as the same Apostle saith, 1 Jo. 5.3. For this is the Love of God, that we keep his Commandments. Hence it is appa∣rent, that Love without Purity is but a False Pretence; and that whatsoever hinders from the Practice of this Love of God, or with∣draws from the Obedience of the least of his Commands, is to be denied, and no ways to be Entertained; as being either the Love of the Devil, the Love of the World, or the Love of Self, and not the Love of the Father. And as from the True Love of God (having taken Place both upon the Ʋnderstanding and Will) there ariseth a great Fervency and Desire of Mind, that it may be wholly Ʋnited with the Lord, and made Conformable unto his Will in all things; So from hence ariseth also a certain Aversion from, Indignation of, and even Hatred, to whatsoever is Contrary thereunto, or has a Tendency to lead from it, which is commonly called Zeal. Which Zeal having a right Bottom and Foundation,* 1.5 and proceeding pure∣ly from the Love of God, is a great Virtue, greatly to be com∣mended and pressed after; and the Defect thereof is justly re∣proveable in a Christian. That Zeal then, thus considered, is a thing Excellent, Pure and Holy of it self, appears, in that it is ascribed to God himself, 2 Kings 19.13. Where the Performance of the Blessed Evangelical Promises is to be performed by the Zeal of the Lord (Isa. 19.17.) He is said to be Cloathed with Zeal, as with a Cloak; and 63.15. His Zeal is num∣bred

with his Bowels and Mercies. Next David Recommends himself to God, for that the Zeal of his house had eaten him up, Psal. 69.9. and 119.139. And Paul commends the Corinthians for their Zeal, 2 Cor. 7.11. 1 Cor. 14.12. And for this End has the Grace of God appeared unto all, that there might be a People gathered Zealous of good Works, Tit. 2.14. And as this is commended and recommended on the one hand; so is the contrary thereof (to wit, Indifferency and Luke-warmness) reproved and rebuked, as a thing displeasing to the Lord. Of many Instances whereof, that might be given, that unto the Church of Laodicea may serve at present, Rev. 13.15, 16. Because for a Remedy against this Evil she is Exhorted, vers. 19. To be Zealous and Repent.

But as there is a True Zeal, so is there a False one;* 1.6 and it is not more needful to have the one, than it is to avoid the other. Now as the True Zeal proceedeth only from the pure Love of God, and single Regard to his Honour and Glory; so the False Zeal pro∣ceedeth from the Love of something else, and the Regard to other things. And of this False Zeal there are several Kinds, as well as Degrees: all of which, though they ought to be shunned; yet some are far more hurtful and pernicious than others. The Worst and Highest of these is, when as Men through the height of Pride, Lust, Ambition or Envy shew themselves Furious and Zealous to satisfy and fulfil their Desires and Affections;* 1.7 This is the highest Zeal for Self: From this Zeal did Cain slay Abel; Ishmael mocked Isaac, and Esau hated Jacob; Pharaoh Persecuted the Children of Israel; Saul, David; and Jezabel the True Prophets of the Lord.

A Second Kind is, when as Men, that are not True and Faithful even to those Principles of Religion they profess themselves to ac∣knowledge as True, as being Conscious to themselves,* 1.8 and also pub∣lickly known to be such, as are Vitious and Profligate; yet do violently Persecute and Oppress others, that differ from them; though they be not only Equal to them, but even by their own Acknowledgment exceed them in Temperance and Virtue: having nothing to charge them with, but that they Agree not with them in Judgment and Practice in Matters of Religion. This apparently is a False Zeal, and not of God; for if it proceeded from the true Love of God, it would first Operate in themselves to the removing of all those Things, which they acknowledge to be Contrary to this Love of God, before it exerted it self towards others; seeing, as the Proverb is, Charity begins at home. And like unto this was the Zeal of the Scribes and Pharisees,* 1.9 who Persecuted Christ for a Breaker of the Law, which themselves did not fulfil: As is also the Zeal both of the Papists and Protestants in their Persecuti∣ons at this Day.

A Third Sort is of such,* 1.10 who do indeed walk strictly and closely to their own Principles, making Conscience of their Way; but yet being Blinded in their Understanding, do Persecute Truth, suppo∣sing it to be Error. Of this Number was Paul before his Conver∣sion, Being as to the Law Blameless, and Persecuting the Saints out of Zeal, Act. 22.3. Gal. 1.14. And therefore in this Class he numbers his Countrymen, saying, They have a Zeal for God, but

not according to knowledge, Rom. 10.2. And perhaps among these such may be numbred, of whom Christ speaketh, saying to his Disciples; And when they kill you, they shall think to do God good Service.

* 1.11A Fourth or Last Sort is, when as Men being truly enlightened in their Understanding, but their Will, Heart and Affections not being throughly leavened with the Love of God, do Condemn things justly Reproveable, but not out of the pure Drawings of Divine Love; but even from a Mixture of Self in the Forwardness of their own Will, as not suffering any to be Contrary unto them.

This is the most Innocent kind of Wrong Zeal; yet not so, but that it ought to be watched against: And of these few that are guilty of it, it were fit, they Waited to be Redeemed from it. But the pure, undefiled Zeal, that is acceptable to God, is that, which proceeds not only from a pure and clear Understanding,* 1.12 but also from a Renewed and Sanctified Will, which moves not of nor from Self, but from and for the Lord.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Na∣ture of Chri∣stian Love and Charity.
• * 1.2

  The Excel∣lency of Love and Charity, and Necessi∣ty of pressing after it.
• * 1.3

  Self-Love.
• * 1.4

  The Testi∣mony of the Love of God is to keep his Command∣ments.
• * 1.5

  The True Zeal proceeds from the love of God.
• * 1.6

  The False Zeal, its Kinds and Degrees.
• * 1.7

  1. A Furious Cain's Zeal.
• * 1.8

  2. A Wicked Persecutors Zeal.
• * 1.9

  Scribes and Pharisees In∣stanced.
• * 1.10

  3. A Blind Religious Zeal.
• * 1.11

  4. A Rash Self-willed Zeal.
• * 1.12

  The Pure and Ʋndefiled Zeal.