VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III, 107
never goeth well oflf unless they scoff and rail at some that fear God.
Fourthly, The reasons ; and they are —
1. Ignorance ; which is twofold — simple and plain ignorance, or the ignorance of prejudicate malice.
[1.] Simple and plain ignorance : 1 John iii. 1, 2, ' The world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.' They know not our birth and breeding, our hopes and expectations, and are not acquainted with the nature and worth of spiritual things, and so it is but the scorn of a fool that valueth a carnal life above a spiritual.
[2.] Prejudicate malice. When men will not search into the prin- ciples, practices, and reasons of the godly life, they are willingly ignor- ant ; they will not hear any arguments and reasons, because they have a mind to condemn and hate ; and so will not understand the thing they judge of: Jude 10, ' Speak evil of the things they know not.' Justin Martyr's complaint was, that the christians were condemned un- heard, without any just inquiry into their principles and practices. A nearer view would undeceive them, as Peter Martyr's similitude, re- lated by Celius Secundus Curio in the life of Galiacius, expresseth it, that if they were not blinded by malice, they might see a beauty in the ways of God, and the reasons and motives by which his children are governed. One John Francis Caserta, a nobleman, was earnest with his cousin to hear Peter Martyr preach. One day with much entreaty he was drawn to hear him, not so much with a desire to learn and pro- fit, as out of curiosity. Peter Martyr was then opening the first epistle to the Corinthians, and showing how much the judgment of the natu- ral understanding is mistaken in things spiritual. Among other things, he used this similitude : If a man riding in an open country should afar off see men and women dancing together, and should not hear their music according to which they dance and tread out their mea- sures, he would think them to be a company of fairies and madmen, ap- pearing in such various motions and antic postures ; but if he came nearer, and heard the musical notes, according to which they exactly dance, he would find that to be art which before he thought madness. The same happeneth to them who at first see a change of life, com- pany, fashions in their former conversations ; he thinketh they are brain-sick and foolish ; but when he cometh more intimately to weigh the thing, and what an exact harmony there is between such a life and con- versation and the motions of God's Holy Spirit and the directions of his word, he findeth that to be the highest reason which before he judged madness and folly. This similitude struck this gallant to the heart.
2. Envy, because of the different course of life, and the privileges at- tending it, comfort, blessing, success. So Pilate knew that the priests delivered Jesus for envy, Mat. xxvii. 18. Avarice sold him, but envy delivered him. What envy it was is expressed in another evangelist : ' You see how we prevail nothing ; if we let him alone, all the world will go after him,' John xi. 47, 48. They saw God's presence and power was with him, and that stirred up their envy. Their worldly interest was their great idol, and they looked upon the success of Christ's kingdom as contrary to it. So Acts xvii. 5, 'The
108 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XIX.
malignant Jews, moved with envy, 'stirred up all that trouble against Paul.
3. Christ is the head of one party, and Satan of the other. Christ hath introduced truth and holiness, and the devil is the principle and architect of all wickedness and cruelty and hatred ; thei-efore since he worketh in the children of disobedience, and they are taken captive by him at his will and pleasure, is not the hand of Satan in all this ?
Object. But how can it stand with the goodness and rigliteousness of God's providence that such a numerous and potent party as the multitude of ungodly should live in enmity with his people, and that his faithful servants should be continually exercised with their hatred and molestation, and sometimes to the utter loss and ruin of all their worldly interests ? I answer —
[1.] It is for the glory of his providence that he ruleth in the midst of his enemies, Ps, ex. 2, and upholdeth his church not only against opposition, but by opposition. His church is really the bush that is burned but not consumed ; he can keep them from the evil of the world, though he doth not take them out of the world, John xvii. 15.
[2.] That self-denying obedience is most acceptable to God. A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing. Though we be deep suf- ferers in this world, and our demand in arrear unpaid till another world, yet it is fit we should be tried : James i. 12, ' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive a crown of life.' It suiteth with God's conduct now, when he is trying, not rewarding the children of men.