2. By way of instance and example, to see how this spirit of enmity hath been working, and how the men of God have had bitter experi- ence of it. Thus Abel was slain by Cain ; Isaac was scoffed at by Ishmael ; and Jacob was driven out of his father's house by his brother Esau.
II. Discoveries that this hatred that is commenced against the people of God ariseth from an antipathy to godliness, though wicked men will not own it to be such. But to remove cavils, let us see how it ap- peareth that this hatred is the effect ©f their abhorrence of that which is good and holy.
1. This is some discovery of it, because the servants of God have been hated most, and troubled by the worst of men.
2. Because the best men, who have the least allay of corruption, and are most eminent for strict and exemplary conversations, are most hated and maligned.
3. Because when religion is accompanied with other things, that a man would think should assuage malice and allay the heat and rage of men against them, yet it eecapeth not. Thus godly meek men, that are guilty of nothing but worshipping God in sincerity, and desiring to go to heaven with all their hearts, are most persecuted in this world.
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4. It appeareth by their inventing of lies and ridiculous crimes to palliate their hatred ; as against the primitive christians, their wor- shipping an ass's head, their drinking the blood of a child in their meetings.
5. Because if a man be strict, mortified, sober of life and behaviour, the world is apt to judge him one of such a hated party ; as if any named the name of God with reverence, they suspected them for here- tics if they said, ' If the Lord will'
6. The consciences of wicked men are a thousand witnesses.
7. It appeareth by the joy that wicked men take when they have anything offered to justify their opposition, as the scandal of any that profess the ways of God.
III. Having given the instances of the world's hatred, I come to the reasons.
1. The difference and estrangement in course of life is a provoking thing ; therefore men that live in any sinful course are loath that any should part company with them.
2. This is not all ; it is not only a difference, but a difference about religion ; and usually hatreds that arise from difference in religion are very deadly.
3. It is not only difference about religion, but between the true religion and the false.
But why is there such a spite and enmity at the sincere and serious profession of the true religion ? I answer —
[1.] The devil's instigation is one cause ; he hath great rage against the snints.
[2.] On man's part there seemeth to be a double reason — pride and envy.
(1.) Pride, which is impatient of reproof.
(2.) Envy at God's favour bestowed on them.^
Use 1. Is to press us to avoid this sin and snare of death, especially in these times of dissension. Whatever party and sort of christians you stick unto, be not drawn to hatred against the power of godliness. We are told that in the latter times men shall be despisers of those who are good, 2 Tim. iii. 3, not-lovers, or haters, as the word signifieth. It is a more common sin than we are aware of. Indeed this spirit of enmity and malignity walketh under a disguise, seeketh other pretences wherewith to mask itself. But the children of God should beware of it, lest the sheep act the wolves' part, and cry up a confederacy with the wicked world in their spite against others of God's children. Now that we may avoid this snare, I will represent — (1.) The commonness of the sin ; (2.) The heinousness of it ; (3.) Some remedies against it.
First, The commonness of the sin.
It appeareth by this, that the scripture everywhere divides all the world into two ranks — the godly and the ungodly, the converted and unconverted, the unsanctified and sanctified, tlie carnal and spiritual, the earthly-minded and the heavenly-minded, the children of God and the children of the devil ; and Christ will at last divide all the world into sheep and goats. Thus standeth the case, not only between the
^ See this subject largely handled in the author's sermons on the 17th of John, in Volume X. of this edition. — Ed.
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cliurcli and the world, but within the church, between the serious and profane, the real and nominal christians ; though they have the same bible, creed, and baptism, yet they hate one another, malign one another. It must needs be so, for otherwise these things are said in vain, for the scriptures are not written to infidels. Therefore it concerneth us to look to ourselves, our own soundness and sincerity with Christ. If we engage in the differences and espouse quarrels before we are gained to Christ, take heed the quarrel be not rather against the life and practice of religion than a pure zeal for the truth ; and that we do not reproach those for heretics and schismatics that are more diligent and serious in God's service than ourselves ; for the zeal of the carnal is always to be suspected. First plant the fear of God, and then men will best own the cause of God. Certainly it is usual for the formal to hate the serious, and the christian in the letter to despise him who is so in the spirit. An outward, superficial, apocryphal, bastard holiness fiUeth us with this hatred, Cain had his sacrifice as well as Abel, but Abel goeth thoroughly to work, and was accepted, which Cain doth not, and therefore hateth and killeth him : Isa. Ixvi, 5, ' Your brethren that hate you, and cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let God be glori- fied.' Men that are brethren, that profess the same religion, yet being loose and false in it, may hate others that are strict and true ; as it is said in the Revelations, they pushed with the horns of the lamb. Therefore it concerneth us to consider —