1. It is a mark of a child of the devil, the express image of Satan. Thereby our Saviour convinced the Jews to be of their father the devil, because they hated him that came from God : John viii. 40, 41, ' But now ye seek to kill me, a man that have told you the truth, which I have heard of God : this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father ;' and ver. 44, ' Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do : he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him ;' and 1 John iii. 10, ' In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.' This manifests men to be the chil- dren of Satan, because they love not their brethren, as Cain loved not Abel. You express the image of Satan to the life, when this is the ground of your hatred.
2. It is a very provoking sin ; and it is the more provoking, because we enjoy so many benefits by them. It is sad to hate men for their godliness, for Christ's name's sake. Look, as it is a commendation of kindness on the one side, so it is an aggravation of injury on the other : Mat. X. 42, ' Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise lose his reward.' The height of this sin is the sin against the Holy Ghost, the wilful persecuting of the known truth ; therefore take heed that you be not guilty of any spice and degree of it.
3. It is possible for them that profess religion to hate one another for their strictness in that religion. Pseudo-christians may be hot and violent -, the beast pusheth with the Lamb's horns, Kev. xiii. ; Isa. Ixvi. 5, ' Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said. Let the Lord be glorified.' Men that are brethren, that have great pretences of zeal, hate you for my name's sake. Nay, the people of God may have a spice of carnal envy, and be guilty of some unkindness, if not hatred to their godly brethren. Job was deeply censured by his godly friends, and Paul by his own hearers : 1 Cor. iv. 10, 'We are fools for Christ's sake;' that is, in their account. Though there be not in them that desperate hatred against the power of godliness, yet there is offence too often taken, and carried on with too great heat and animosity : some godly men are too favourable to their own interests.
4. When there is a secret rising of heart against the purity and strictness of others, natural malignity beginneth to work, you had need suppress it betimes; exulcerated lusts will grow more tumultuous. One godly man may reprove another that is less godly, reprove his conscience by his life, they cannot look upon them without shame. Let it be a holy emulation, not a carnal envy.
5. In opposing those that are godly, we had need be tender : ' Take
380 SEIIMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXiil.
care what thou doest, for this man is a Koman,' Acts xxii. tlG. A man that meddleth with any that profess rehgion in strictness had need go upon sure grounds : Mat. xviii. 6, ' Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.' Men that know the danger will not easily kick against the pricks. At least, do not join with the opposite, eat and drink with the drunken, and smite your fellow-servants ; for ' the lord of that servant shall come and cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites/ Mat. xxiv. 49-51. When you cry up a confederacy with wicked men, to prosecute your private differences with more advantage, there is much of the hatred of godliness in it.
6. If you be glad when you find any blemish whereby to eclipse the lustre and glory of their innocency, there is a secret hatred. You should be affected with the scandal brought upon the common cause : Phil. iii. 18, ' For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ ;' not real christians, but professors only. The Hams of the world laugh to see a Noah drunk. It is a sign you hate them because they are holy, when you are glad of any blemish wherewith to stain them, espe- cially when the miscarriages of a few are cast upon all.
7. To be at a great distance from this, take heed of the hatred of any man. We should love all men with the love of good-will, though ' our delight should be in the excellent ones of the earth,' the saints of God. There is ^/-XaSeXcf)ta and a^dirri : 2 Peter i. 7, ' Add to brotherly kindness charity.' Live in enmity and malice with none, though you take just offence at their sins, as Lot^s righteous soul was vexed from day to day : 2 Peter ii. 8, ' For that righteous man dwell- ing among them, in seeing and hearing^vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.' It troubled him to see them. They are an abomination, by way of caution for ourselves, and just abhorrence of their impurities, but we must not hate them with a mis- chievous hatred, odio inimiciticc.