SERMON XXII.
I have given them thy word; and the
world hath hated them, became they are not of the world, even as I am not of
the world.—john XVII. 14.
christ had urged
several arguments on the behalf the apostles, their interest, his own departure,
their danger in the world; this is the argument he now presseth.
Their danger, because of the world's hatred, is set forth by the occasion of
it; their office, 'I have given them thy word;' the cause of it,' They are not
of the world;' which is amplified by their conformity to the pattern and
example of Christ, 'Even as I am not of the world.' So that
we have here the condition of the saints in the world, and then their
constitution and temper. [Pg. 364]
'I have
given them thy word.'—Partly by external revelation in his ministry duing life, partly by inward illumination he had given them
the knowledge of it: John xvi. 27, 'Ye have loved me, and have believed that I
came out from God;' John xvii. 6, 'I have manifested thy name to the men which
thou gavest me out of the world.' Partly by tradition
or commission; he had left the word with them, not only that they might profess
it, but preach it to others. There is
an emphasis in 'thy word;' Christ grounded his plea with the Father upon
it. Men are wont to respect those that
suffer for their sake and cause.
'And the
world hath hated them.'—By the world is meant that party which is
contrary to Christ's kingdom; they are sometimes called 'the kingdom of
darkness,' because the devil is their head and chief; sometimes 'the world,'
because that is then- aim; they are-guided by the malicious spirit of Satan,
and acted by their own ends and interests. Briefly, they are called 'the
world,' either because the greatest, the most flourishing part of mankind are
obstinate against the gospel; or because their whole bent, their way, their savour, is of the world, they relish nothing but the world,
the wicked, unbelieving, obstinate part of the world. And it is said,' hath
hated them.' Hitherto in their profession they have had but sad experience of
the world, and in the course of their future ministry they can expect no
better.
'Because they are not of the world.'—'Of the world;' that is, of that strain and sort of men; as of the
devil, is to be swayed by him: John viii. 44, 'Ye are of your father the
devil; and the lusts of your father ye will do.' They are different from the
world in spirit, in worship, in conversation.
In spirit,
or in the frame of their hearts: 1 Cor. ii. 12, 'Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit that is of God.'
There is a particular genius that runneth out that
way; they have other manner of affections and dispositions.
In
worship, they are to root out inveterate superstitions, both among: Jews and
Gentiles. Now men are tender of their old customs and traditions. Unconformity
doth exasperate them, much more zealous, opposition against traditions received
from their fathers.
In
conversation, they are come out from among them, they are heteroclites: 1 Peter
iv. 4, 'They think it strange that you run not with
them to all excess of riot, speaking evil of you.' Their course is a
countermotion to the fashions of the world; they have renounced worldly desires
and practices.
'Even as I am not of the world,' most
estranged from the customs and fashions of it: John viii. 23, 'Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am
not of this world.' He tasted of the world's hatred: John xv. 18, 19, 'If the
world hateth you, yon know it hated me before it
hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because
ye are not of the world, but I have called you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you.' This is added for the consolation
of the disciples, that it may not begrievous to them
to suffer what their master suffered before them. When the king is wounded in
battle, should the soldier shrink? They have my [Pg. 365] spirit, and
are to inherit my office; and they that have Christ's spirit must look for
Christ's entertainment Only when it is said,' Even as I am not of this world.'
it noteth not an exact equality, but some conformity.
Christ never was of the world: Heb. vii. 26. He was 'holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners;' that is, he never was of their
number. After the fall, all men are of the world; but by regeneration they are
so no more; therefore it is said, John xv. 19, Ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.' Ye are separated by
God's fan, the wheat from the chaff, and cut off from your old root by the
sword of the word.
1. Observe, that Christians,
especially ministers, to whom Christ hath given his word, must expect the
world's hatred. I apply it to both, because Christ hath given the word to both;
to ordinary christians by
regeneration, to ministers by special commission. Ordinary christians are cut off from the world by the sword of
the word, and conformity is the ground of love, as difformity
and dissonancy of practice is of hatred and aversation.
And ministers have a special commission to preach it. And then both hold forth
the word: ministers clearly, they manage the fan; and of private Christians it
is said, Phil, ii. 15, 16, 'That ye be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye
shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life? They copy out the
word in their lives; they are a living sermon, a walking role; they preach by
their lives: the truth is held forth in a minister's mouth, but in a believer's
conversation.
[1.]
Christians, that do not let fall the strictness and majesty of their
conversations, if they keep the word that Christ hath given to them, that is,
keep close to it, they most expect troubles. Christ's subjects are the world's
rebels, and if they will not forfeit their allegiance to Christ, the world will
fall upon them. You must not expect friends in the world; your great friend and
patron is in heaven: John xvi. 33, 'In me ye shall
have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation.'
He propoundeth it disjunctively; we have seldom both
together. Christ leaveth his subjects in Satan's
territories and dominions, that he might try their allegiance: 2 Tim. iii. 12,
'All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;' he doth
not say, that profess Christ but that will live godly in Christ, that are
strict, holy, true to their principles. And it is not an observation proper to
that age. As long as the enmity lasts between the two seeds, opposition will
continue. Satan never wanted a party to support his empire. The persecution
of the church began in Abel, and will not be finished till the day of judgment; and it is a wonder to see an Abel without a
Cain. Afterwards, in Abraham's family, Gal. iv. 25, 'As then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him
that was born after the spirit, so it is now;' and still we may say,' So it is
now.' So it hath been, and so it will be. So afterward Jacob and Esau struggled
together in the belly, and the quarrel began before the birth. And so it is in
all ages; Satan hath not changed his nature, nor the world left its wont
Emperors and kings have become Christian, but Satan never yet became
Christian; and there never wanteth a strong faction
in the world to abet him against the church. In our times we had great hopes,
but [Pg. 366] still the spirit of
enmity continueth, though under other forms and
appearances. We see there is a quick conversion from a malignant to a sectary;
the term is changed, hut not the person. I would not he mistaken. By a malignant,
I mean that which the scripture meaneth, not one that
dissents from others in civil matters, hut one that is an enemy to the power of
godliness. And by a sectary, I mean one that is so in the scripture notion, a
party-maker in the church, a carnal man under a
plausible form, opposing the holy and strict ways of God. I tell you, this
conversion is easy. A piece of soft wax, that was but now stamped with the
shape of the devil, may be easily stamped again with the seal that is carved
into the shape of an angel; the wax is the same, but the impression is
different It is no new thing for the saint» of God to be in peril of false
brethren, as well as of open enemies; nay, rather than sit out, the devil can
make use of one saint to persecute another; as Asa, a
good prince, put the prophet in the stocks, and Christ calleth Peter, Satan. The devil may abuse their zeal, and
this is strange, that a lamb should act the wolfs part Usually
indeed he maketh use of the world; it is the
providence of God that the wicked hate Christ and his messengers. Christ doth
usually reveal his ways to the world by the quality of the men that rise
against them; it must needs be good what such men hate; their very respect
would be a suspicion, and their approbation a contumely and disgrace; a man
would have some cause to suspect himself if be had their favour.
Thus you see Christians, though in a private sphere, that would live godly in
Christ, must expect their share in the world's hatred. Now the Lord permits it,
\~eiv\~ \~marturwn\~, 'for a testimony;' for a testimony to his
servants, for a testimony against his adversaries, for a testimony to the ways
of God; all these will be gathered out of the same expression, as it is recited
by several evangelists: Mark xiii. 9,' They shall
deliver ye up to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; and ye shaU be brought before kings and rulers for my sake, for a
testimony against them.' \~eiv\~ \~marturwn\~ \~autoiv\~, that by your zealous defence
they may have a sufficient knowledge of the ways of God, and so be convinced
or confounded by them: Luke xxi. 13, 'It shall turn to you for a testimony,' \~apobhsetai\~ \~de\~ \~umiv\~ \~eiv\~ \~marturiou\~, that is, a proof of your loyalty; and Mat xxiv.
14, it is only \~eiv\~ \~marturiou\~,' The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness;' implying, to the truth. God chooseth his eminent servants to be his champions, that the
world may know that there is somewhat excellent in their principles, worth the suffering
for. God will not have his servants to go to heaven without a testimony; nor
his enemies to go to hell without a testimony, and a sting in their
consciences; nor any age to pass away without a testimony.
[2.]
Ministers; this is usually their portion; few of the apostles and prophets came
to a natural death. As their calling is eminent, so are their sufferings: James
v. 10, 'Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have suffered in the name of the
Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.' He doth not
say, Take them for an example of holiness, but of
suffering and patience. They were the worthies of God, eminent for holiness,
yet chiefly for sufferings. The prophets, that were God's own mouth, sheltered
under the buckler of [Pg. 367] their
special commission, sod the singular innocency and
holiness of their lives, and yet they suffered; what recompense did they
receive for all their pains, but saws and swords and dungeons? Now the
ministers of all ages are mustered and enrolled for the same war with the
prophets and apostles; we maintain the same cause, though with less vigour and strength, and we expect the same crown; why
should we grudge to' drink of the same cup? In these latter times, God hath
reserved the ministry for all the contempt and scorn that villany
and outrage can heap upon their persons. But why should we look for better
entertainment? You would think the world should hate false teachers; surely
they have most cause: but if they slight us, and neglect to provide for us,
remember it is a wonder that they do not persecute us. But this falleth out partly by the malice of men, partly by the
providence of God.
(1.) By the malice of men. To preach
is to bait the world. Praedicare nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem mundi. We are to
cross carnal interests, to wrestle with vile affections, to pull the beast out
of men's hearts; and we are like to be bruised in the conflict: 1 Cor. xv. 32, 'I have fought
with beasts at
(2.) By the providence of God.
Preachers are like Gideon's lamps in earthen pitchers. Possibly the apostle may
allude to it when he saith,' We carry this treasure in earthen vessels,' 2 Cor. iv. 7. Now, as when the
pitcher is dashed to pieces, the lamp breaketh out to
the amazement of the adversaries, so tile sufferings of ministers are a great
confirmation to their doctrine.
Use 1. Advice to us—(1.)
To prepare for sufferings; (2.) When they come, do not
count it strange.
First, To prepare for sufferings. It will do us no hurt to be prepared
for sufferings. It hath ever been the lot of God's people to be [Pg. 368]
obnoxious to the world's hatred, and we ourselves cannot look for any
exemption. I shall lay down several probabilities, to show when God is about to
bring trouble on the church.
1. Observe, that after God hath laid
in many spiritual comforts, there comes a time to lay them out again; and after
great receipts, we are put upon great expenses. The disciples first enjoyed
Christ's presence and ministry, and then were exposed to a dreadful
persecution. John xi., Christ biddeth
them 'make use of light, because darkness was coming upon them.' Never was the
gospel powerfully preached but trials came: 1 Thee. i.
5,' For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but
also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.' And it follows,
ver. 6,' Te received the word with much affliction.' God will try how we can
live upon the comforts of the gospel. Castles are first victualled,
and then besieged: Heb. x. 32, 'After ye were illuminated, ye endured a
great fight of afflictions.' The churches of
2. Observe, after trials and
reformations there come trials and probations, that after we have submitted to
the ways of God, we may honour them with sufferings.
The ten persecutions were after Christ had set up the ordinances of the gospel
The Marian and bloody days were after King Edward's reformation. God will have
every truth honoured in its season. When the
witnesses had finished the testimony of their prophecy, after a short time
they were slain, Rev. xi.
3. Observe, when reformations stick
in the birth, God will promote them by troubles; he taketh
his own fan into his hand: Mat iii. 12, 'Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly pure his floor.' When
men cannot or will not effect it, God will purge his
floor, and cleanse the church from profane mixtures. Christ came with his whip
to cleanse the temple, John ii. 15. Qrosthead
prophesied that the church should not be reformed, but ore gladii crveitiandi. God
usually tendereth a reformation to the world with a
judgment in his hand; and if the reformation be obstructed, the judgment will
proceed: Ezek. xxii. 12,13, 'She hath wearied herself
with lies, and her great «sum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in
the fire. In thy filthiness is lewdness; because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not
be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I nave caused my fury to rest upon
thee.' When the pot is put over the fire, if the scum remaineth
still, he overturneth all.
4 Observe,
when there are great differences Among God's own people, the end is bitter. We
warp in the sunshine. The dog is let loose that the sheep may run together. A
piece of wax, when it is broken, put it together never so often, it will not
close; but put it into the candle, and the ends stick close together. Bidley and Hooper could agree in a prison. A little before Diocleeian's persecution, the church was rent and torn by
intestine broils, pastor against pastor, and people against people Ease begets
pride and wantonness, and that maceth way for
contention. God may solder you in your own blood, and
effect union by making yon objects of the same hatred and persecution. Nazianzen was wont to call the enemies of the church, [Pg.
369] \~konouv\~ \~diallaktav\~. The
turbulent enemies many times prove the best reconcilers, and the wolves bring
the sheep together.
5. Observe, libertines and fanatical persons, when they increase in
power and numbers, become cruel: Jude 11, 'Woe unto them, for they nave gone in
the way of Gain.' The Donatists are of detestable and
accursed memory, because of their insolent cruelties: Hosea v. 5, 'The revolters are profound to make slaughter.' Men that have
cast off the holy faith, after some profession, the Lord keep us from their
tender mercies! The Arians grew bloody. Want of truth is usually made up by a
supply of rage. Lees and dregs are usually very tart and sour.
6. Observe, when religion hath
received wounds in the house of her friends, and occasion is given to the world
by scandals to think evil of the ways of God, God taketh
his scourge in his hand, and the devil hath an advantage, he stirreth the malignant world against the children-of God;
as a sect of monsters, the gnostics, by their impure
and libidinous courses, made Christianity odious, and then the heathens rose up
against them as pests of mankind. Satan is a liar, but never his lies carry
more pretence.
7. Observe, when there is a decay of
the power of godliness and formality and contempt of the word take place,
which are the usual effects of prosperity. As soon as we come out of miseries,
we run into disorders; therefore God is wont to return us into our old chains
and captivity, that we may wanton it no more: Hosea v. 15, 'I will go and
return to my piece, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in
their affliction they will seek me early.' I will try them by adversity, I will try what rayrod
will do to better my people. As also to discover hypocrites.
When the ways of God are in fashion, many pretend for him; and so religion is
turned into a fashion and empty pretence. Salvian observeth that the church, like a river, loseth in depth what it gaineth
in breadth; as a woman that hath borne many children is with every birth the
weaker; as a large body is less active. Carnal men coming under a profession of
religion weaken the power of it
8. Observe,
when professors grow worldly, this awakeneth the
world's rage and God's rod. The men of the world take mammon for their God, and
the conveniences of this life for their portion. Now when the children of God
nut in for a share, and are all for worldly hopes and worldly interests, it stirreth up their sleepy enmity; they cannot endure to be
discountenanced: Luke xvi. 8, 'The children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light' This is
their generation and sphere; as a people take it ill to be beaten and foiled in
their own land: They are active to recover their interest, and are full of
watchful malice. God is very jealous of mammon; and when the world gets into
the church, God's rod whippeth it out again. By the
world God will show us the vanity of our aspiring projects. When vessels grow
musty, they are not fit for use. I find the spirit of the world breathing in
most Christians, who are proling for worldly
greatness, as if they served the god of this world. Some transform their
Christian hopes into a worldly hope, and look for a sudden coming of Christ in
carnal pomp, and dream of greatness and dominion. [Pg. 370]
I shall say no more, bat that it is
a doctrine fit for worldly age. The disciples had such a dream, and Christ cureth it by those threatenings,
Mat xxiv. Bat because that was not a sufficient eon, but after Christ's
resurrection they ask, Acts i. 6, 'Lord, wilt thou at
this time restore the kingdom unto
Secondly, When
sufferings come, do not think them strange: 1 John iii. 13,
'Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.' Wonder is for things unusual We do not wonder at the darkness of the night, as we do at
the darkness of an eclipse. Therefore if any thing were a marvel, this were,
that ever it should be otherwise, that you ever see the church of God to have
any ease and peace. We may stand wondering at the bounty of God, that we have
so much peace as we have. The church must have a time of learning and training
up, and must be in the school of afflictions and persecutions: 1 Peter iv. 12, 13, 'Beloved, think it not strange concerning the
fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings.' Alas! why should it now seem strange? Christ had foretold it, the
constant experience of the church ratifies it The
disposition of the world is the same; Satan never did, nor ever will turn
Christian; and the world will never leave its old wont Why should we wonder at
these things? When ministers are put to hardships, it may be their revenues
straitened, scanted, why should we think it strange? The apostles had not so
much. Paul was put to a hard shift for his living, to make tents. Obadiah fed
the prophets, by fifty and fifty in a cave, with bread and water. Your means
are short and straitened by the malice of men, the apostles had no standing
revenues, and were put to-hard shifts for a livelihood. Therefore do not think
it strange; it is. the bounty of God that it is no
worse.
Use 2. Of caution.
1. Before you choose any way, do not
judge of things by the world's hatred or applause. Why? 'I have given them thy
word, therefore the world hateth them,' A philosopher
could say, Nunquam tarn lene
agitur cum raw hwnanie, trf meliora pfaceant plunbue—It was never
so well with the world that the best things could please the most; therefore
the world may appear against the ways of God. Be not swayed by their opinion in
taking up the course of thy profession.
2. If thou art convinced, do not
defer profession till the tunes are more quiet This is
the deceit of men's hearts. Alas! when will the ways
of God be exempted from persecution? Ton may expect it a long time. Will Satan
ever be at an agreement with God? Do you ever think to hear of a Jesus without
a cross? As the husbandman stands expecting till the river be drawn dry, and
still it runs with a constant stream, so yon may expect till the times be more quiet, and the ways of God exempted from trouble; but
the children of God must constantly expect trouble in the world The devil hath
a potent and powerful faction in the world.
3. If thou
dost profess the ways of God, take heed of giving Christ [Pg. 371] a short
allowance; but first sit down and count the charges; come what will come, here
I will stick: Luke xiv. 26,27,' If any man come to me,
and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever
doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of
yon intending to build a tower, sitteth not down
first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?' &c.
Thus should yon resolve upon sufficient evidence and demonstration.
When a man hath set apart such a sum of money for building, he spends willingly
and freely while that lasts; but after that is gone,
every penny goes from him with grudging. So sit down and count the charges, and
give Christ a large allowance.
4. If thon dost profess, do not
allay the world's hatred by any carnal means, by abating one jot of your zeal,
or by any fond compliance; for honour or dishonour, for esteem or disesteem, pat it into the hands
of God: Prov. xvi. 7,' When a man's ways
please the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace
with him;' as he made Jacob find favour with Esau,
the three children in
5. When yon are actually burdened
with the world's hatred in the course of your profession, be not dismayed.
Whenever this is thy case, thon 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 yon belong to
God, and have an interest in his care. If their hatred be for righteousness
sake, and your being zealons 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, thon 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 five contrary to their interests and lusts;
this is the very cause.
Observe,
there is such a sin as antipathy against the power of godliness, or hatred of
others because of their strictness in the service of God and diligence 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. Reasons 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 [Pg. 372]
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 instances 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 hate not virum, 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
abomnationie et offenrionie, and odium immiatMt.
The godly are offended with the evil deeds of others, though they do not
hate then· persons; but the wicked hate the godly, odio
inimicitia, 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; bat
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth yon.' Yon fee 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 conversation· 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 judgment, 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, sock 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
ana pharisees against [Pg. 373] Christ, and Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek against Israel. Thus you see doctrinally the
scripture speaketh of such a thing.
2. By way of instance and example.
Let us see how this spirit of enmity hath been working, and how the holy men of
God have had bitter experience of it Abel was slain by Cain. Let us begin with
Cain, the patriarch of unbelievers. Now the Holy Ghost giveth
us a comment on that action: 1 John iii. 12, 'Not as Gain,
who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he
him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.' The one was
the seed of the woman, the other of the serpent; the one worshipped God after
the right order, and brought the first, the fat, the tenth, to the Lord: the
other was slight and careless in worship. The Targum
of Jerusalem mentioneth a dispute that happened between
them concerning the providence of God, and the last judgment, and the world to
come, and those wholesome doctrines by which godliness is maintained. Nan est judicium,
nee judex, nee sccculwn
aiivd, nee muntu pro justu, nee poenapro tmpiie. However, this we are sure, it was for his
godliness that this outrage was committed upon him. Let us go a little lower;
in the story of the patriarchs, we shall find Isaac scoffed at by Ishmael, Gen.
xxi. 9; upon which practice of his, the apostle glosseth thus: Gal. iv. 29,' As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was
born after the Spirit, so it is now.' Scoffing and mocking is a kind of
persecution; ever so it was, and ever so it will be, while there are two seeds
in the world. Whatever civility the men of the world have, they are all
opposite to grace and godliness; and do not only refuse and resist it in themselves,
but hate it and persecute it in others. I say, they that have not the image of
God in themselves, they cannot endure the lustre of
it in others. And therefore it is the ordinary lot of God's children to suffer
hard things from the men of the world. If you go a little further, Jacob,
because of the blessing and birthright, was pursued to the death by Esau, and
driven out of his father's house. Gen. xxvii. xxviii.,
and there was matter of godliness and profaneness in this: Heb. xii. 15,' Not
as profane Esau, who for one morsel of bread sold his birthright' Instances are
endless, but by these brought you see the point rally made good. And over and
above what was to be proved, you may collect that no bonds of duty can allay
it;' for in these instances given you may observe that Cain and Abel, Isaac and
Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, were all brothers, members of the same church and
family, tied to one another by the nearest! and
strictest bonds of kindred and acquaintance; yet because the one was holy and
the other wicked, did they hate one another.
Secondly, Discoveries that this hatred that is commenced against
the people of God ariseth from an antipathy to godliness. This part
of the discourse is necessary, because wicked men will not own that they hate
others for their goodness; they disguise it with other pretences, as the Jews
did excuse their hatred to Christ, when he told them, John x. 32, 'Many good
words have I showed you from my Father; for which of these works do you
stone me?' They could have no quarrel against him unless they would quarrel at
a good turn, and reward evil for good. But ver. 33,' The Jews answered, For a [Pg. 374]
good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because thou, being 'set
thyself equal with God.' So will carnal
men say, it a man, makest is not for their
holiness that they hate them, but for their pride, covetousness, censorioueneas, and hypocrisy. But when they neither hate,
nor abhor, nor avoid these sins in themselves, or other men, yea, do wink at
fouler and grosser evils, even against the light of nature, which themselves
live in, or else tolerate and make nothing of them in their friends, they do
clearly convince themselves, if they would attend to it, that the pretended
causes of their hatred are but cloaks of their malice, which is truly raised in
them by the contrariety of their nature to that which is good. Shall a leper
loathe another because of a few pimples in his skin? or
shall he that is tumbled into the ocean in drink vaunt against another who, on
slippery ground, is fallen into a ditch? Besides, these allegations are usually
false; for it is the fashion of evil men first to calumniate Christ and his
followers, and then to hate them: as they would clothe the primitive Christiana
with the skins of bears and of wild beasts, and then worry them and bait them
with dogs, as if they were bears. From the beginning, Satan hath been both a
liar and a murderer, John viii. 44; first a liar, then a
murderer with the more pretence.
But to take off all cavils, let us
see how it appeareth that this hatred is the effect
of 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
men; which is a shrewd presumption that the proper reason of this hatred is
because they are so evil and the other so good. So David condndeth
from the ill conditions of his enemies, their bad nature, violence, and
ingratitude: Ps. xxxviii. 20, 'They also that render evil for good are mine
enemies, because I follow the thing that good is.' Inliero's
time, about the 70th year of Christ, Nero made a law, Quisquis
christianum se profitetur, tanquam generis humani convictus hostis, sine ulteriori sui defectione
capite plectetur. Trajan moderated it, Id genus hominum
non inquiri, repertos
autem puniri oportere. So usually it falleth
out that the worst and most virulent enemies to religious men are the vicious
and debauched; those that are infamous for other crimes, atheists,
whoremongers, and pot-companions; these have the greatest pique against
them, because they cannot endure the brightness of God's image in them.
2. Because the best of men, who have
the least alloy of corruptions, and are most eminent for strict and exemplary
conversation, are most hated and maligned: Ps. lxiv.
5, 'They shoot their arrows at the perfect;' 2 Tim. iii. 12, 'All that will
live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution.' Morality doth not
exasperate; it shineth with a faint beam, and is not
so troublesome to the sore eyes of the world; and they that have but the form
and outward skin of godliness escape better than they that have the life and
power of it. A wolf doth not worry a painted sheep. But when
any are holy indeed, and of a strict innocency, they
are hated, and contradicted, and spoken against.
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 escapeth not. As for instance, godly [Pg. 375] meek men,
that are guilty of nothing but worshipping God in sincerity, and desiring to go
to heaven with all their hearts, are persecuted. If this hatred did only light
upon busy intermeddles, that did trouble men's lusts and interests, it were another matter. Oditur in hominibua innocuts nomen innocuum. The
primitive Christians were quiet and harmless, their weapons were prayers and
tears; and they prayed for the health of their emperors, though they could not
drink their healths. Cajus
Sejiu vtr
bonus, nisi quod chrtsitanus;
yet he was hated for being a Christian. John the disciple of love, was banished into
4. It appeareth
by their invention of lies and ridiculous crimes to palliate their hatred; as
against the primitive Christians their worshipping of an ass's head, their
drinking the blood of a child in their meetings. These are a testimony to their
consciences that they could find nothing against them 'but in the matter of
their God.' Dan. vi. 6. They have no real
matter against them, and therefore feign and suppose these crimes to justify
their opposition, for they devise crimes because they find none.
5. Because, if a man be strict and conscientious,
mortified, sober of life and behaviour, the world is
apt to fudge him one of such a hated party. As if any named the name of God
with reverence, they suspected them for heretics if they said, If the Lord will. And we read in the story of the French
martyrs, when Sanpanlius reproved a man for swearing,
he was presently suspected to be a Huguenot, and so condemned. As if it were
said, in the language of the damsel to Peter,' Thou art one of them, for thy
speech bewrayeth thee.' If any were humble,
mortified, serious, the world suspecteth them.
6. The consciences of wicked men are
as a thousand witnesses. Non amo te Sabedi,
&c. Ask conscience what is the matter; they cannot look upon them
without fear and shame. Their heart riseth against
them; and what is the reason? All regular affection may be justified; the cause
is bad, and men are loath to render it.
7. It appears by the joy wicked men
take when they have anything offered to justify their opposition; as suppose by
the scandals of any that profess the ways of God, as the heathens took an
advantage from the impurity of the gnostics to defame
all Christians. Regular [Pg. 376] zeal is accompanied with compassion, and flieth not from the persons to the cause, from the faulty
to the innocent, to the whole generation of the just. It is hatred, \~prov\~ \~ta\~ \~genh\~, as Haman thought scorn to lay hands upon Mordecai alone, but
sought to root out the whole seed of the Jews, Esther iii. 6.