5. When you are actually burdened with the world's hatred in the course , of your profession, be not dismayed. Whenever this is thy case, thou art an object of Christ's prayers. When Christ was to go to heaven, he remembers all that are hated for his sake. Christ maketh the world's hatred an argument, and we may conceive thence a ground of hope ; it is a singular consolation, a sign you belong to God, and have an interest in his care. If their hatred be for righteousness' sake, and your being zealous in the ways of God, then you may know God will keep you ; for that is the main request, ' Keep them through thine own name.' And why? 'Because I have given them thy word, therefore the world hates them.' The more they are our enemies for God's sake, the greater help will God afford us. Men use to send relief there where the battle is sharp and hottest ; so when the battle is sharpest and hottest, thou hast an interest in God's protection.
Second point. ' The world hateth them, because they are not of the world ; ' because of their strictness and holiness, they live contrary to their interests and lusts ; this is the very cause.
Observe, there is such a sin as antipathy against the power of god- liness, or hatred of others because of their strictness in the service of God and dihgence in heavenly things.
Here —
1. I shall give you instances of this from the word of God.
2. Discoveries of this KaKia, or malignity.
3. Keasons of it ; and then come to apply it.
First, Instances of it from the scripture. The world's hatred is disguised under other pretences, but this is the proper cause of it. The word is the best judge of that, which is a searcher of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God and his word have the same properties : Heb. iv. 12, ' The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper
372 SEKMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXII.
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' Now what doth the word say ? The word of God doth tell us doctrinally that it is so, and giveth in- stances and examples of it.
1. Doctrinally, that it is so. Let us begin with that place which describeth the first rise of it : Gen. iii. 15, ' And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.' There is a natural enmity between the two seeds, as there is between a toad and a man, a wolf and a lamb, a raven and a dove ; so there is between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent ; that is, between Christ and his upright followers, and so many of mankind as fall to the devil's share ; an enmity that will never be laid aside while the world is the world, and till the devil turn christian and be converted, which will never be. The next place is, Prov. xxix, 27, ' An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked." There is a mutual enmity between the good and the bad, so as they can never piece in a firm friendship ; only there is a difference between the prosecution of this hatred : the just liate not vincm, but vitium ; sin is to be hated, not the person ; as we are not to love the sin for the person's sake, so we are not to hate the person for the sin's sake. A good man abhorreth that which, is evil ; he loatheth it in others, but chiefly in himself. Or, as the schools distinguish, there is odium cibomlnationis et offensionis, and odium inimicitice. The godly are offended with the evil deeds of others, though they do not hate their persons ; but the wicked hate the godly, odio mimiciticc, they have an inbred enmity against them, and seek their destruction, they hate them despitefully, because of the old hatred. The next place is, John xv. 19, 'If ye were of the world, the world would love its own ; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' You see men are divided into two ranks, some are of the world, and some are not of the world. Some there are whose hopes and hearts and conversations are wholly here ; their manners, the temper of their spirits, and the course of their worship, is wholly calculated for the world. Others there are that neither conform to the world in judg- ment, affections, nor practice, but wholly savour things past this life, are fitted for another world, breathe after it, and labour for it. Now let us see what different entertainment both these meet with. Some are dandled on the world's knees, suck freely of the breasts of her consolation ; others are troubled, and molested, and exercised with all manner of displeasures. And why ? Because they are chosen out of the world, and called to the love and enjoyment of better things. It is true there may be contentions and emulations among the men of the world, as their lusts and interests interfere and cross one with another ; but because they differ not in contrary general principles and ends, the hatred which they have towards their own is nothing so violent and extreme as that which they have against the godly ; and they do not so hate one another but that they can easily agree in this common enmity against those who are upright with God ; as Herod and Pontius Pilate did, and the Herodians and pharisees against