For distinctness we will put it in two propositions.
1. That the world hatetli God's children.
2. That when we feel the effects of it, we should not marvel at this hatred.
For the first point, we shall handle four things, and show you — (1.) What the world is ; (2.) What God's children are ; (3.) The haired of the one to the other ; (4.) The reasons of it.
First, What the world is. By the world is meant all carnal and unregenerate men, they may be delivered to us under a fourfold character : It is a foolish world, a sensual world, a lazy world, and a furious world.
1. A foolish world : Titus iii, 3, 'We were sometimes foolish, dis- obedient, deceived.' Tliey are all blinded with the delusions of the flesh, and very hard to be convinced of their mistakes and errors : 2 Peter i. 9, 'He that lacketh grace is blind, and cannot see afar off.' They are ignorant, and wander in darkness, and yet will not be convinced of their ignorance. Herein spiritual blindness differeth from bodily. If a man be blind as to the eyes of his body, he would be glad of a meet guide : Acts xv. 4, Elymas, when struck bHnd, would have somebody to lead him by the hand. But it is not so witii them that are spiritually blind ; they count it a torment if any would direct them and guide them into the right way ; they are angry with those that would stop them in the way to hell : Prov. xiv. 1, ' A fool rageth, and is confident.' They are never more ragingly confident than when most deceived and most blind. Therefore in the world felly caiTieth it, and wise men are discouraged, and tempted often to
104 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN iir. [Ser. XIX.
leave the foolish world to itself, as likely to do no good upon them, but only to bring hatred upon themselves.
2. It is a sensual world, where the beast rideth the man, and reason and conscience are enslaved to sense and appetite : Titus iii. 3, ' Serving divers lusts and pleasures.' Wantonness and pride, and sports and vanity, and living in excess in meat, drink, and apparel, is the business of their lives, and their whole time is spent in making ' provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof,' Kom. xiii. 14. If you tell them of a soul to save and lose, you are an enemy to their designed course of life, and they think you infringe their liberty, and have a plot upon them, to make them mopish and melancholy. To invite this sensual world by counsel or example to a holy, self-denying life, is as if you were about to snatch away the prey from a ravening wolf, or the carrion from a hungry dog, and they are ready to turn again and rend you ; and therefore a godly man maketh himself to such either a scorn or a prey ; you cross their lusts, and check their very natures and inclinations ; they think strange you are not affected as they are, and whilst you invite them to godliness, you do but tempt their reproach : 1 Peter iv. 4, 5, ' They think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you : who shall give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead.'
3. It is a lazy world, that will not be put out of their pace in religion, which is so slow and easy that it will not displease the flesh. Man in his degeneracy yet retaineth a conscience, and therefore though he serveth his lusts, yet must have some religion to please his conscience and palliate his lusts, but as little as may be serveth the turn. Con- science is like the stomach, which must be filled ; therefore if it be not able to digest solid nourishment, it sucketh notliing but wind, and filleth itself with wind. The conscience must have a religion, but a dull, cold, and dead-hearted form serveth the turn ; the life and power which the faithful subjects of God seek after, and recommend to the world, is too searching, and not for their turn. Mat. ix. 17, Christ compareth these duties to new wine, full of spirit and life ; and Pharisaical fastings and hypocritical devotions to taplash, alluding to their skin-bottles. There is a spirit in holy serious duties, which old bottles cannot bear without breaking ; and therefore if you cross and put them out of their dead way, they cannot bear it.
4. It is a malignant or a furious world: Titus iii. 3, 'Living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another;' who have an implacable hatred to godliness ; because of their malice they will hate, and because of their multitude and power they often can trouble us : ' The whole world lieth in wickedness,' 1 John v. 19. Some are more venomous, and have an inbred radicated envy to all that goodness which themselves want ; but all dislike goodness and serious thoughts. Some are more gross in the outbreaking of their malice and sensuality, but all have a spice of this malignity, because of the perfect difference and contrary course of life between them and the people of Cod. In short, they mind earthly things, while the other mind heavenly, Phil, iii. 19, and so are enemies to Christ, and his interest and people : ' They are of the world, and speak of the world, and the world heareth them/ 1 John iv. 5. They serve the god of this world, 2 Cor. iv. 4 ;