Zeal

Ver. 7. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged. Thine iniquity is taken away,—how impure soever before. This free grace is wonderful to make some who have been notoriously unclean, by the change wrought by this fire, the touch of a coal, to become eminently gracious, and messengers of grace to others, carrying this and spreading it. They, though originally of dark clay, are by this fire made transparent glass, through which the light of the Gospel shines into the Church. This coal taken from the altar, may denote the deriving of the Spirit from Jesus Christ, our Priest, Altar, Sacrifice, and all, by which we are purified and made fit for His service. He is the fountain of light, and life, and purity, and all grace to His messengers, and all His followers. His grace is indeed a live coal, where heavenly heat is mixed with earth, the fulness of the Godhead with our nature in human flesh. Thereby we draw near; and especially they who bear His name to men, under a sense of their own impurity, entreat His touch, as devout Bernard, who, in a holy hyperbole, exclaims, “Had the Prophet need of a coal! Oh then, grant for me a whole globe of fire, to purge away my filthiness, and make me a fit messenger to this people!” Thy sin, is purged.] The children of God are a wonder to themselves, when that Spirit comes in, who conquers and purges so suddenly and easily what they before groan under and wrestle with, very long to little or no purpose. It is a change of the right hand of the Most High, as the Vulgate reads that word in Psalm lxxvii. 10: I said, This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High—mutatio dextrae Excelsi. A touch of that will cleanse and heal: the all-purifying virtue of His Spirit, whereof this baptism of the Prophet’s lips was a symbol, takes away the dross which by other means than that fire cannot be purged. So in metals, much pains may be taken, and strength of hand used with little effect; that at most does but scratch the superficies, makes the outside a little bright and shining, but severs not the dross from within: that cannot be done without fire. Have we not found how vainly we attempt while God withholds His hand? Yea, while a man fancies self-pureness, he is the more impure, as Job says, ch. ix. ver. 30, 31. If I wash myself with snow-water, and make myself ever so clean, yet shalt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. Therefore, prayer is the great resource of a soul under a sense of uncleanness, begging a new creation, for such it is indeed: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me;—following God with this suit, and resolving to follow Him till He grant it: for we well know He is able, and may say, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. This fire hath two effects: it works purity and activity; it takes away sin, and puts in spirit and life for obedience. And here Thy sin is purged, and then says he, ver. 8, Here am I: send me. And the former is effectual towards the latter: the more the soul is cleansed, the more alive and able it is made for service. The purging out of those sickly humours makes it more vigorous and able; whereas they abounding clog the spirits, and make the vital operations heavy and weak. A soul well cleansed from the love of sin, and the world, and self, is 6 in a healthful temper, and goes nimbly to any work. Outward discouragements and difficulties are then nothing. A feverish distemper within hinders and makes one lazy and unwieldy, unwilling and unable to labour: but that well purged and cured, he cares less for the hot weather without; strength of nature endures that more easily. Oh, how sweet to be thus actuated by love, a pure intention and desire of doing God service, and of bringing Him in glory! Other motives, or the mixtures of them, are base; and though God may make use sometimes of such, yet he sees within, and knows what spring makes the wheels go, and he gives them their reward here, somewhat possibly of that they seek, success, and credit, and a name; but the after-reward of faithful servants they need not look for in that work: for they receive their reward, and can they expect more? Many a Here am I, comes from other incentives than an altar coal; and so they may burn and shine a while, but they soon consume and die out in a snuff: the heavenly altar-fire alone keeps in, and returns to Heaven where it was kindled. There is many a hot, furious march under the semblance and name of zeal for God, that loves to be seen; as Jehu, 2 Kings x. 16. Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord. Such persons may flatter themselves into that conceit in the heat of action, to think it is for God, while he sees through it, and judges it as it is, zeal for self and their own interest; and He gives them, accordingly, some hireling journeyman’s wages, and then turns them off. But oh, where the heart is purely actuated by a desire of His glory, and seeks nothing else, for such remains that blessed word, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into thy Master’s joy. This, then, is to be sought for by ministers and eminent servants in public affairs, yea by all that offer any service to God, a readiness from love. Something of this there is in all who are truly His, though held down in many, and almost smothered with rubbish; and in these there is some mixture of flesh drawing back. The spirit is ready, buy the flesh is weak, and a load to it, hindering its working; and this strife is often found as a horse to an unskilful rider, at once pricked with the spur and checked with the bridle. But where this spirit of love is, it doth prevail, and wastes that opposition daily, and groweth in strength, becomes more quick and ready, more freed from self, and more actuated by the will of God; attaining somewhat further in that conformity with Heaven, where shall be no will striving, but His alone where those glorious bright spirits stand ready for all commands, who excel in strengths and employ it all to do His commandments. Psal. ciii. 20. And the more like them we be here, the more lively hope have we to be shortly with them, and to be wholly as they are.