that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God doe not you thinke that they love God much that love pleasures more If there were yet need of further testimony to this truth I might confirme it with advantage out of the third Chapter of the Pilippians and the 18. verse For many walke of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ Here be enemies and many enemies and that of Christ which is more I thinke then of God and that of the Crosse of Christ which is more perhaps than of Christ simply of whom the Apostle told the Philippians and told them often and told them weeping But I thinke by this time it is cleare enough out of Scripture that so it is that we are enemies of God and hate him Now to answer the objection distinctly and shew how this may be that God may be hated as an enemy seeing he is goodnesse it selfe and the object of hatred is some evill You must consider three things First the degrees of hatred which are three First the first is not to love so much as we ought or not so much as some other and so the beloved Wife and the hated are distinguished in the Law where is not meant that she is absolutely hated but not so much loved as the other and from this degree may arise this distinction of hatred that is either absolute or comparative Secondly the second degree is where there is no love at all and in this case this is sufficient from this negation to conclude an affirmation of the contrary for betweene love and hatred in respect of God there is no Medium abnegationis according to our Saviours speech He that is not with me is against me And from this degree you may frame a second distinction of Hatred that it is either Negative or Positive Thirdly the third degree is a positive ill-will or hatred where there may be conceived a great latitude and so many degrees likewise but it will be sufficient to declare the nature of it if you observe but one distinction for this positive hatred may be either explicitely such or implicitely either formaliter or interpretativè by the former I meane such hatred as a man entertaines against any thing wittingly and upon actuall consideration and intention by the latter such as although the former be not seene by which a man doth the same things in effect as if he did purposely hate a thing He that sinneth against me hateth his owne soule saith Wisedome Prov. 8. All they that hate me love death not that any man hateth his owne soule expressely or purposely for no man ever yet hated his owne flesh saith the Apostle Ephes 5. much lesse his spirit his soule neither doth any man love death in that manner but they that doe those things which proceed indeed from hatred though they intend not so much are said to hate interpretativè So the Wise man saith He that spareth the rod hateth his sonne because if he hated him he could not doe him a worse turne And thus you have a third distinction of hatred that it is either of Ignorance or Malice And this is the first thing to be considered the degrees or if you please the severall acceptions of hatred Secondly the second thing is the degrees of Corruption which is to be found in a carnall man which be two according to the two kindes Originall and Actuall First Originall is equall in all men for it containes in it all sinnes and all degrees of sinnes tanquam in origine and that I may so speake tanquam in ratione seminati but Secondly Actuall is diverse in diverse men in some more in some lesse and that not from any speciall which is in one man more then another by nature for all as I said are equally poysoned and infected with the bitter roote of Originall sinne but from the Generall Grace of God who in his providence doth bridle and restaine that unlimited boundlesse disposition of sinning as it seemes good to his owne wisedome by civill education and morall instructions and the like and doth not administer those occasions which should serve to educe it into acts which if they were applyed to all alike all would be alike as ranke in sinne one as another And this is the second thing the degrees of corruption Thirdly the third thing to be considered is concerning the Object of love or hatred Good or Evill which are of two sorts First Absolute as they are in their owne nature and so every creature much more God is good and cannot be hated and no creature much lesse God is evill Secondly Relative in respect of some other thing and so we see there is a naturall hatred or opposition betweene some creatures which is properly called Antipathy where the cause is secret not because such a nature is in it selfe evill but because it is evill to it and the first of these kinds may be called simply Bonum or Malum the second perhaps bitter conveniens or inconveniens Congruum or Incongruum and that which is bonum may not be conveniens And these two are to be found in God who according to his absolute being is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but according to diverse respect to diverse creatures may have diverse aspects of convenience or unconvenience these three things being premised according to the faculty and the degree of corruption in it and the object with the kindes of good or evill in it and the affection or habit of hatred in the degrees of it it is not hard to answer the question and declare how it comes to passe that man by nature should be Gods enemy and hate him and thus you may take it All men that are yet in their originall corruption be the degree of their actuall what it will more or lesse cannot chuse but hate God in all the degrees of hatred Comparative Negative Positive though in some more appeare in somelesse in those namely whose actuall corruption is improoved more through Gods just judgement there it appeares more foule and more cleere and more explicitely who harden their forehead and with set malice fight against God in those whom Gods bridle of restraining grace hath curbed more or lesse and but implicitely according to that explication which I gave before and the ground is manifest out of that which hath beene said before in generall now not for any evill that is in God but for that good rather because they being evill there is no congruity or convenience betweene them and it And as there be two things in them First A Love to Malum Culpae and secondly an Hatred to Malum Poenae and two things in God cleane opposite to those first an Hatred to their Malum Culpae and secondly a Love to their Malum Poenae supposing the other the former flowing from his Holyness the latter
is true since neither Elect nor Reprobate are hated by God though in the state of corruption for the Elect I answer they may be considered two wayes first according to Gods eternall counsell and secret will toward them and so he is unchangeable he loves them from the beginning to the end from eternity to eternity Whom God loveth once he loveth to the end Iob. 13. 1. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. There is no interruption of this love much lesse blotting out of the Booke of life Nulla litura in deretis sapientum as the Stoickes were wont to say I have blessed him and he shall be blessed as Isaack said of Iacob Quod scrip si scrip si that which I have written I have written as Pilate said to the Jewes But secondly the elect may be considered according to Gods revealed will and so during the time of their corruption he reveales no other but that he hates them And he may be truely said to hate them in two respects or with a double hatred First as they are in themselves Odio paterno as a Father may be truely angry with his child and during that state be said to hate him Secondly as they are in Christ Odio inimicitiae proprio as one doth his enemy the former may be conceived in three respects First Ex quoad parte termini that I may speake so because hee sees nothing in them which hee can love being all over-spread with sin and corruption nothing but what he may most justly hate Secondly Ex parte effectus because hee gives no signification of any thing but displeasure and hatred neither causing the light of his countenance to sh ine upon them not so much as giving them a good looke much lesse bestowing his favours upon them in that manner that hee doth where hee loveth but on the contrary in token of displeasure many times sharpely correcting and chastizing them Thirdly Ex parte sensus which followes from the former two because he behaves himselfe towards them that they gather no comfortable assurance of love toward them but evident tokens of wrath and thus hee may bee said to hate them as they are considered in themselves with a fatherly and improper kinde of hatred but secondly as they have Christ their suretie so hee hates them indeed and properly so that hee will inflict the utmost punishment upon that their sinne justice doth deserve which being considered as suffered and undergone by them in the person of Christ their surety then his love towards them is grounded upon a new title for besides his free mercie of predestination he loves them now in justice as just by vertue of Christs purchase and Redemption Now secondly in the second place for the Reprobate I say that God doth absolutely and simply hate them in the state of naturall corruption neither doth his favours of this life temporary confer'd upon them nor eternall of a better offered unto them prove the contrary for the favours of God are of two sorts First Common which are indifferently distributed to all out of his generall bounty and liberality Secondly Speciall such as are proper and Peculiar to his elect both those are of the former kinde and all such gifts as in Gods Decree have no necessary and infallible connexion with everlasting life and so no marvell if the Reprobate have part in them as well as the Elect or rather God causeth his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall upon the evill and the good the just and the unjust Matth. 5. 45. for these are such things as a man cannot know love or hatred by them Eccle. 1. 9. The Papists abuse this place to prove that no man can know whether we be in the state of grace or no but Salomon affirmes not that but onely thus much at the most no man can know it by all that is before them as our Translation hath it that is by outward and common favours for Iunius reads it cleane otherwise onely those are speciall favours and tokens of Gods speciall love which are conjoyned with everlasting life as faith and other saving graces and those belong onely to the Elect. And thus having removed this dead Amasa out of the way which might have hindered our march I goe on to the proofe of the Point That God is an enemie to all men in their naturall corruption and doth hate them I will not trouble you with many places of Scripture heaped up because all that have beene produced in the former Point doe give witnesse to this also the terme Enemy as I then shewed importing a reciprocall affection of hatred betweene two two or three shall suffice and first that place I thinke is most pregnant in the Ephesians 2. 3. We were by Nature children of wrath even as others where the Apostle saith that both the regenerate and others even all men are children of wrath which implies two things First that wee are subject and obnoxious to the wrath of God and the heavy effects of that eternall condemnation for both I thinke are included in the word wrath Secondly that we are borne so which is the meaning of the other word sonnes or children of wrath and to set that downe yet more expresly there is another word joyned with it by nature We are by nature children of wrath Againe Rom. 5. 18. By the offenceof one the fault as the old Translation supplies the Text judgement as the New came on all men to condemnation and in the 12. verse By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Againe Gal. 3. 10. For as many as are of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them and supposing that all are borne in sinne you have a plaine and literall testimony Psa 5. 5. Thou hatest all workers of iniquitie But this will be more cleare in laying out the ground of this hatred which in generall hath beene already opened the last time to be that dissimilitude which is betweene God and us he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the acclamation of the Elders Rev. 4. which the Etymologists derive from the privative Particle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth in whom there is no earth no pollution but all heavenly puritie we are according to that proclamation of God Ier. 22. 29. Earth earth earth our understanding and will and affection being altogether earthly no purity in them but all earthly pollution He is the King of Saints as you had it out of the Revelation 15. the holy one of Israel but wee are the slaves of sinnes and Satan and by going a whoring from God and committing folly with the creature we are become everie one of us as Tamar told her brother Ammon like one
Nature Gods enemies The third word Enemies Gods enemies the predicate in the Proposition attributed to the Subject because it implies a relative disposition betweene two and Inimicitia Enmitie as you all know is nothing else but the reciprocall affection of a morall opposition viz. Hatred betweene two persons in a reasonable nature in which there must concurre those three Conditions First that it is betweene two Secondly that it be reciprocall for if the hatred be but on the one part not on the other it is truly hatred indeede but it is not properly Inimicitia Thirdly that it is onely betweene persons in a reasonable nature for the same reason because among them onely can be found the reflexion of the like affection of Hatred for a man may hate a toade or some such creature and that by a secret antipathy yet that is not enmity by reason of the defect of that condition therefore this word Enemies I understand both Actively and Passively Wee are enemies to God and hate him and God is an enemy to us and hates us and so in both respects All men are by Nature Gods enemies Now to handle both these briefely First joyntly The ground of both is a dissimilitude which is betweene God and us as we are by nature we are men of polluted hearts and polluted lippes God is a God of pure eyes that can behold no iniquitie Wee are wholly infected with sinne and corruption but God is He to whom the Cherubins and Seraphins doe most justly cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabboath and if the Trinity were multiplied by it selfe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were thrice three times redoubled as yee have it nine times written in Plantines Edition in the fourth of the Revelation yet how farre were it from that which the Saints acknowledge in God who are said there not to rest day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty and how much more short of the infinite holinesse in God whose Attributes are himselfe and therefore he is even Holinesse it selfe No marvell then seeing there is such dissimilitude betweene them nothing on mans part but sinne and pollution nothing on Gods part but Sanctitie and perfection no marvell seeing such a dissimilitude if we say there is such dislike that they are mutuall Enemies for if the morall maxime which is most true be received this cannot be avoided which followes out of it by an easie consequence according to the Law of contraries Similitudo est mater amoris But Secondly by the opening of these distinctly This will better appeare and first for the former We are by nature enemies to God Perhaps some will say to me here and doe wee hate God How can that be that he should be hated who is the perfection of Beauty the pitch of Nobilitie the patterne of Wisedome the Idea of all Vertue in a word who is goodnesse it selfe whereas the Object of hatred is some evill alway And doe we hate God who hath made this world this all and us in it a a little world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they called Athens the principall of all the rest and as it were an All in all who governes all things by his providence and by whose favour wee have all that wee have In whom we live and move and have our being so that if hee had not bound us to love him by the transcendent excellency of his nature yet he hath even brought us by the infinitenesse of his mercie towards us and can wee repay all this Love with Hatred And doe wee hate God Scientia neminem habet inimicum nisi ignorantem say the Heathen that have not knowne his Nature hate him but as for them that live in the bosome of the Church that have sucked milke out of the breasts of the Spouse of Christ they cannot chuse but draw in the love of God their Father with the milke of the Church their Mother And doe we hate God Or doe not you rather like some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hater of mankinde say mankinde is an hater of God and fasten a false accusation a slander upon them all unjustly Indeede to answer this if I speake this without the warrant of the Word of God then say if you will that my tongue is noslander but if I bring that to avouch so much as I have said of every unregenerate man consider well whether I have not slandered them with a truth I neede not put you in minde of this place which as I observed before sayes it in effect but I will produce a parallell place which will give better light to this and greater strength to the matter in question Col. 1. 21. And you that were sometimes strangers and enemies in your minde by wicked workes yet now hath hee reconciled Where you see you have the same phrase of reconciling and lest men signifie this obscurely you have further you that were strangers and enemies in your minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where that was but intimated and insinuated onely in the former wotd is literally and punctually expressed And that there are some indeede that hate God that are his enemies appeares generally out of infinite places of Scripture where there is mention made of Gods enemies and more particularly in the 139. Psalme 21. Uerse Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them my enemies And tell me what mans is that title of honour that Elogium that Paul gives the Heathen and naturall men in the Catalogue Rom. 1. where he hath heaped up the most of them together Backebiters haters of God despitefull c. there you have among the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God And if that be not plaine enough I thinke the eight Chapter of the Romans speakes home enough to this purpose where you shall finde these words in the seventh verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where according to the streame of our interpreters the subject is emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the inferiour faults as the Papists would have it but the highest the most refined portion of the unregenerate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the predicate is emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the abstract for the concreat as though there were no composition of substance and quality of constitution and corruption but all were turned into meere and simple enmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wisedome of the flesh saith the old translation the carnall minde saith the new is enmity against God and if the common axiome be true mens cujusque is est quisque I thinke it may be thus resolved at last The carnall man is an enemy to God And what doe they want thinke you of being Gods enemies or what injury should a man doe them if he called them so of whom the Apostle speakes in 2 Tim. 3 4.
from his Justice they must needs hate him in both respects As Author legis prohibiting all Malum Culpae which they love by severe lawes and as ultor peccati inflicting upon them Malum Poenae which they hate vindicating their Malum Culpae by sharpe punishment and these are so predominant in them that they cast an aspect of deformity upon other the most lovely attributes of God an aspersion of bitternes upon the most sweete among them so that his infinite perfection and incomparable mercy are so farre from altering and inchanting them that they drive them further from him because though they can see in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet not finding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they see perfection of beauty but they cannot see affection whereupon to ground propriety And therefore they thinke they doe as indeed they doe make so much the more against them and hence it is that though they cannot hate God for them directly yet they hate him with them and indirectly for them as infinitely aggravating by accident the hainousnesse of their crime as well as the grievousnesse of their condemnation And thus you see the truth is salved and the objection satisfied which if it be not sufficiently opened out of the testimony of the word and the generall ground of mans sinfullnesse I will further shew how that makes a man enemy to God And first you may easily understand it out of the generall nature of sinne which standing so opposite to God the love of it must needes argue the hatred of God for as our Saviour requires obedience as a tryall of the truth of his Disciples love to him If you love me keepe my Commandements Then the Argument will be as strong to conclude backeward If you keepe not Gods Commandements ye hate him But this hath beene intimated already the second more particularly Sinne is enmity to God and that two wayes First Immediately in himselfe Secondly Mediately Immediately against in all those three degrees of hatred which I mentioned before First Comparative Hatred which is when something is preferred before God in our affection and prized above him and this is done in every sinne otherwise how could it come to passe that we should cleave to it or any inferiour thing rather then to God nay forsake God to cleave to it How could we disobey God to obey a filthy lust and that this is truely hatred appeares by that of our Saviour Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two Misters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon nor God and pleasure and the like Where you see such an opposition that if we love any thing beside God so as to be a servant to it we are beside the love of God that should make us his servants we will hate him we must be so farre from serving any thing before him that we have no liberty to serve any thing beside him if we meane to stay in his service this Text excludes not onely all superiors that may outstrippe him but all equalls that may compare with him yea all comportures and competitors with him in our love and service If this be not plaine enough then that is Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me compared with Luke 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my Disciple Whence it appeares that remisser love is but hatred and so to love any thing more then God is to hate him and the reason is plaine both in generall because if those two so unequally loved should come to thwart one another then to shew the love to the principall they would not sticke to doe reall acts of hatred against the other and so discover themselves and in particular because of the infinite eminency of Gods goodnesse above any other thing and so of our obligation to proportionable love But I need not stay long in this it being so plaine that men by nature are wholly averse from God and convert themselves to the creature and therefore enemies and haters of God Secondly the second degree is of Negative hatred namely where there is no love at all and this is easie to be observed in all naturall men toward God for whereas it is the nature of love wheresoever it is rooted to have the command of the whole man and sway it as it listeth all other affections and faculties and parts giving attendance to it as their Queene and Soveraigne and in the love of God this is to be seene in a peculiar manner and therefore we are commanded to love him with all our heart and all our soule and all our might and all our minde The understanding the will the affections all the faculties of the soule together with all the powers of the body must be wholly taken up with this love you shall find that none of these in the carnall man are any thing of kin to the love of God Love is busie in First Not his understanding the mind and thoughts will be alway running on the party beloved dies inoctisque â—ames me me desideres me somnies me expectes de me cogites me spires me te oblectes mecum tota sis meus fac sis postremo animus quando ego sumtum You know who said it and in this case and in this respect the common saying I thinke is verifyed especially animus est ubi amat potiùs quà m ubi animat Where it loves rather then where it lives But is there any such thing in the wicked toward God No surely All things concerning him are meere strangers with them and very unwelcome guests that marre all their mirth The wicked will not seeke after God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10. 4. And if God offer himselfe as he doth many times And be found of those that sought him not they will not sticke to say either with the foole in their heart there is no God or with them in Job 20. 14. That say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Againe Love is learned in the knowledge of all the commendable parts and perfections in the party beloved But is there any such thing in the wicked toward God No surely the Booke of Nature lies open before them and will not suffer them to looke off it though they would and yet they will not vouchsafe to looke on it though they ought and reade a noble story of the Power and Wisedome and Goodnesse and Magnificence and Beauty of their Creator but seale up their eyes with a sullen ignorance which would faine feast themselves with the sight of of their blessed Maker and bury their talent of understanding which would faine be imployed to his use and improved
to his honour with this prophane Epitaph The sweetest life is to understand nothing Lastly Love is witty in devising meanes to injoy the party beloved if wanting to procure it if gotten to perpetuate if lost to rerecover union with him But is there any such thing in the wicked towards God No truely For my people saith the Lord in Jeremie 4. 22. is foolish they have not knowne me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have no knowledge I might inlarge this but I must passe to that which is behinde for though wee have viewed the intellectuall part of the carnall man and can observe no footsteps of the love of God yet perhaps his will and affections are better which are indeede the proper reason of Love but if there be so little light in the understanding I am afraid there is little heate to be expected in them What the eye sees not the heart rues not is so of sorrow a and a liking is derived from looking and who knowes not b Ignoti nulla cupido The will moves when the understanding gives the watch-word and depends upon it as the Verdict of the Iury upon the Judges information and that as wee have seene that his understanding hath no tang of the love of God in the first place so it must needes follow Secondly in the second place Not his will and affections neither which you shall understand if you runne over in your minde but three kind of affections First such as are conversant immediately about the good wee love either absent as Desire or present as Joy where there is no joy in the presence of God in the light of his countenance nor desire of it where there is no delight in his Ordinances nor desire to them which should leade us as it were by the hand to him to heare him speake in his Word to us or to speake in our prayers to him to walke with him in obedience of his Commandements where there is no cheerefull intertainment of messengers that come froÌ„ him no delight or desire to heare of him which is evident of the naturall man to God you shal pardon me if I beleeve not that there is any here Secondly looke upon such affections as are occupied about the will that are contrarie to the good 1 of love either absent as feare or present as griefe where there is no feare of the losse of the former good even now mentioned or griefe if through our fault or negligence wee have lost them I thinke my caution will not deserve blame if I dare not trust with such a rich Jewell such a precious grace as the Love of God is without better security than their simple word a better pawne than their bare profession Thirdly looke upon their anger a mixt affection the object it selfe being evill indeede but the motive good whereby the mind rises against some evill of difficulty that hinders it in the prosecution of some good where there is not an holy anger a zeale an indignation against sinne or Satan the world or the flesh that either diminisheth the good of God or derogates from his glory as wee love him for him selfe amore benevolentiae or desturbs our union and conjunction with God as we love him for our onely happinesse amore concupiscentiae in this cause t is true that Phavorinus in Collins saith of of anger in great wits It is well neigh or almost a noble passion and where this is not to be found at least in some measure and it is impossible it should be found in wicked men and carnall that is true which Austin saith in a like case Qui non zelat non amat and you may conclude The love of God dwells not in him You see then how a naturall man doth not love God with all the minde nor with all the heart and perhappes it will be needlesse to touch the third with the whole strengh because as the understanding composes the Ditty so the will chants the Song and after these the rest of the powers and parts will dance yet we will mention this too as we have done the rest and but mention it and that may note the highest intension of the other that they must be set at the highest pegge and pitch that can be and that both in actu primo secundo but wee will take it now for all other things by which the former doe use to manifest their love and they are three First a mans tongue secondly the rest of his members thirdly his goods All these how willingly will they be imployed about that we love with what dexteritie what diligence what expedition will they behave themselves therein Well might Plato descant upon the word Whom men call Love the immortall call winged for love hath two wings when it is to goe to or for the thing that is loved but on the contrary what dulnesse what deadnesse what difficulty is there for a carnall man to performe any service for God which is an evident argument there is no love but I doe but name this I should come to the Positive Hatred which I principally and onely intended My purpose is not to repeate any thing that hath beene said concerning those two degrees of hatred of God which are to be found in every naturall and unregenerate man Comparativè whereby he comes short both of that which he owes him and that which he bestowes most freely upon other things and Negativè whereby hee denies him that love that he requires in all particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither loving him with all his minde or all his heart or all his might neither will inlarge any of them but proceede rather to shew The third degree the positive hatred that every carnall man hath towards God and as this is most properly Hatred so it is principally to be considered for though that be a pittifull condition man in whom the Image of God is should so farre degenerate from his nature as to preferre in his affections the creature before the Creator and as the Apostle speakes Rom. 1. 25. They worshipped and served the creature before the Creator who is God blessed for ever and that yet worse to yeeld him no love no service at all yet to harden the forehead to professe open enmity to proclaime warre against him to make our understandings or wills and affections our tongues together with all our members which â—hee hath formed and fashioned with all our outward good things which his providence hath fastened upon us to make all these as so many weapons of unrighteousnes to fight against him I know not whether I should say that it stirres more misery or more madnesse but this I thinke you all conceive that it is the toppe and heighth of both But so it is with every sonne of Adam in his naturall condition by the same reason that
his glory and he is most tender of his honor and therefore to deprive him of that is the greatest indignity we can offer him and must needs proceede from the greatest enmity Wee cannot adde any thing indeede to the glory of God who was all glorious in himselfe before the world was made and stands not in neede of the creature much lesse can wee dimme or diminish it but we are said to glorifie him and he takes it so and rewards it so when wee doe according to the prescript of his Will the proper end of our creation and then wee dishonour him when wee transgresse and swerve from that as much as lies in us though God cannot sustaine any losse in this neither because hee is able to correct our active injustice by his vindicative justice and so reduce them to his glory and then when wee will not glorifie him yet hee will be and is glorified by us Now both this and the former the displeasing and dishonouring of God argues the deeper hatred in us because they are joyned with contempt First in that we doe these things and sinne notwithstanding Gods command his promises his threatnings is not this open contempt as Aristotle defines it Disdaine is an action of glory about that seemes nothing worth Secondly in that we doe it in his presence and before his face as it were Thirdly that wee doe it upon such beggerly termes for so little advantage to our selves The first sinne was it not for an Apple and are wee any wiser Merchants who exchange God and his favour for as small trifles for a little brutish pleasure for a little red earth for a shadow of honour c. which argues infinite contempt of the infinite Majestie But I passe to the third Thirdly evill which carnall men labour to bring upon God which is of losse and dammage and that of his Kingdome Thou Lord God Almighty art King of Saints Revel 15. 3. and there God reigneth in a more particular manner where his Lawes are obeyed but they that disobey him cast off his yoake and acknowledge no subjection to him and they rebell and fight against him and so are enemies in all properties and he accounts them so as you see in the Parable Luke 19. 14. But his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying we will not have this man to reigne over us and the noble man at his returne saith v. 27. But those mine enemies which would not have that I should reigne over them bring hither and slay them before me yea they doe not onely breake their allegeance to God and breake out into rebellion against him but even depose him and set another in his throne they make themselves the worst part of themselves their flesh their God nay the sins of their flesh their master For know yee not saith the Apostle Rom. 6. 16. that to whom yee yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey whether of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse now carnall men obey the law of the flesh the law of sinne and it they follow therefore that is their Master their Lord their God Secondly the world is their God and therefore covetousnesse one principall part of the worship of the world is stiled Idolatry Col. 3. 5. which may be proportionably accommodated to any other thing that is predominant in our heart and affections Thirdly the Devill is their God and so the spirituall enemies of the regenerate man are called Principalities and Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6. 1. and it is said of wicked men 2 Cor. 4. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them and they are dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. Wherein in times past yee walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the aire the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience And is not this enough to make it true that man naturally is enemie to God and hates him when they thrust him out of his Throne and thrust the Devill the World the Flesh into his Throne to doe all service and homage to them And this leads me unto the last Consideration whereby wee may discover their hatred to God for you may remember that I told you the last time that wee might take notice of their affection both as it respected God immediatly which wee have hitherto treated and mediately as it is carried to some other thing and that is of two kindes the enemies of God and the friends of God for Amicorum omnia sunt communia but more especially they have common enemies and common friends And therefore hence wee know the hatred of carnall men to God first in that they love Gods enemies the Flesh the World the Devill and all such men as yeeld their service and obedience to them and that in so high a degree that they rob God to pay them that which they never owed them They make them their King they honour them they please them they love them with all their heart and all their mind and all their strength which are due onely to God like some impudent whores that bestow all their Iewels which they had received as love tokens from their loving husbands upon their lustfull lovers As the Lord also complaines of the Israelites by the Prophet Ezechiel 16. 17. Thou hast also taken thy faire Iewels of my gold and of my silver which I had given thee and madest to thy selfe images of men and diddest commit whoredome with them And tookest thy broidered garments and covered them and thou hast set mine oyle and mine incense before them My meate also which I gave thee fine flower and oyle and honey wherewith I fed thee thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour And thus it was saith the Lord God As Eudocia the Empresse unwittingly incurred her Husband Theodosius his displeasure by giving a faire Apple which he had given her to Paulinus who ignorant of the matter presented it againe as a rare one to the Emperour and this was an Apple of strife betweene them So both our first Parents gave the Apple to Diod as it were and we all give all those precious graces of minde and body and estate which God hath given us to the service of Gods enemies and so discover our hatred to him The Friendship of the world c. is enmity with God Iohn 4. 4. Secondly As this appeares by our love to Gods enemies so by our hatred to his friends The Apostle Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 4. 20. If a man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can he love God whom he hath not seene Now this is perpetuall for wicked
of the foolies in Israel we are an adulterous seed and he is a jealous God and no marvell if there be adivorce of our affections For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6. 14. And can two walke together except they be agreed saith the Prophet but more particularly as I said before that mans hatred to God arose from two things First Because he forbids the evill of sinne which they love as an holy Law and Secondly because he inflicts the evill of punishment which they hate as a just Judge and so crosses them in both respects for in the former they see he is not like them in the latter they perceive hee likes them not so proportionably there is a double respect in naturall men as sinners upon which Gods hatred to them is a ground First sinne as it is sinne by reason of which they are not like to God Secondly sin as it is hatred to God by which it appeares they like not God for there be two causes of love principal as Gregory de Valentia notes the first is the goodnesse of it the second is the good inclination towards us goodnesse of it selfe is attractive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it doth as it were invite and call to it and every man is willingly to runne after it but love is more lovely and more forcible magnes amoris amor as they say the reason is because that seemes to give us some proprietie in this thing so that we love it as our owne and this is enough to recompence the want of the other yea to make it seeme to be where it is not Suum cuique pulchrum the Crow thinkes her bird the whitest and as it is in love so you must understand it contrary in hatred there are two causes first evill in a thing secondly hatred too and these two things are in wicked and carnall men by nature for which God is an enemie unto them and hates them First Sinne Esay 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes have bid his face from you Sinne makes the wall of separation betweene God and his people Sinne is the veile of covering that hinders the plople from beholding the Holy of Holies and in the second of the Ephesians you have naturall men stiled the children of disobedience in the second verse and in the third it followes the children of wrath to note that our disobedience is that onely cause of Gods displeasure and you shall observe it through the whole course of Scripture that God was never angry with Israel but Israel first provoked him by his sinnes and therefore offensé to note the connexion of both these signifies both sinne and anger and this appeares sufficiently out of all other places that have beene alleaged The second ground of Gods enmity to us for our sinne as it is hatred of him is contained in the former and needes no further explication But now for the further illustration and confirmation of the whole Point that God is an enemy and hates men as in the state of sinne and corruption three things may be considered out of which will appeare both that it is and what it is and wherein it consists and what are the fruits of it The first is the filthinesse of sinne Secondly the second the holinesse of God Thirdly the third the grievousnesse of the punishments that God inflicts for sinne The two former I will passe over now because I meane to make use of that which I thinke needfull and pertinent in them in a more oportune place onely remember what hath beene delivered in the former point that may helpe to the understanding of them I come to the third and last of them the Punishments which God in his just wrath against sin and hatred of it doth inflict upon sinners which if you will see how great and grievous they are take but a view of them three wayes First in some particular and remarkable examples Secondly in the generall nature and kindes of them Thirdly in one singular which hath both undergone and overcome them all our Saviour Iesus Christ And by this Gods detestation of sin and sinners for sinnes sake will be sufficiently manifested and as I declared mans hatred to God by the effects of it so the same course is more fit here and more necessary because there is no such affection to be conceived in God but in relation to those effects which he produceth like unto those creatures which are and when they are so affected To speake first of the generall nature and kindes of punishments as man sustaines for his sinnes Punishment is nothing else but some evill inflicted for some fault committed and therefore includes two things First the sufferance of some evill and this is as it were the materiall of it Secondly the reference to some fault precedent and this is the formal as it were which makes it properly punishment which otherwise would break malum naturae as suppose Adam had beene blind or so before his transgression that blindnesse would have beene evill to him indeed but onely malum naturae but because it was not inflicted by justice for sin it would not have beene malum Poenae a Punishment for Iustice sheweth its dislike to sinne two wayes First before sinne committed by prohibition Secondly after sin is committed by punishment I might perhaps adde another clause and say there must be a third condition to make an evill a punishment that it be inflicted with a mind of punishment and so maketwo kinds or two significations of punishment First Proper where all those three conditions are found Secondly Improper where the last is wanting the evils that God brings upon the wicked are properly Punishments because they are evils and they flow from Gods justice against sinne and that with a purpose of punishing that sinne the evils that Gods children suffer are improperly punishments but properly chastisements because though they be evill and laid upon them for their sinne yet they are not so much animo puniendi as animo corrigendi not as from a Iudge but as from a Father not to revenge but to reforme them or rather they may be distinguished not from the persons upon whom they are inflicted but from themselves for Punishments may be considered either as intermedia or as ultima the intermedia c. Chastisements of their owne nature intended for the amendment both of the wicked and godly upon whomsoever they fall but Supplicium ultimum because it cannot be conceived as medicinall at all but as Poenall onely that is properly and simply Punishment so in Commonwealths all other Punishments inflicted upon the delinquent party are medicinall for the recovering of them to honest life according to the lawes but
acceptions of misery that it is onely in penall evill and includes not sinne yet there must be a concurrence of both for First it is impossible that there should be any misery properly where there is not sinne nay it is sinne that makes the thing which is but a naturall evill in it selfe to be a mortall evill to the sinner Secondly as there is required both an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to happinesse so contrary to misery nay as well doing is the principall in Happinesse so is doing evill in misery rather than suffering evill to speake then a little of both There is none of us but would defie any that should say that we are Gods enemies to be haters of him and would account him a most profligate and forlorne wretch that should professe himselfe to be so even that little sparke of conscience left in corrupt nature shines in the midst of darkenesse and discovers so much that that must needs be a miserable estate to be so farre forsaken and would not every one be ready to say to the Preacher that tells him such a thing as Hazael told to the Prophet that foretold him of his cruelty Am I a dogge that I should doe this thing But you have heard that every naturall man is an enemy to God many wayes and labours to doe him all the mischiefe he can in displeasing him in disobeying in dishonouring and as much as lies in him in dethroning him and setting up another in his place even the world the lusts of his owne flesh the devill the basest things the most bitter enemies of God that are and imployes their mind and soule and strength to advance their kingdome bring that cursednesse home to themselves and make much of it but to lay out unto you the vilenesse of the naturall man in this respect consider some sew circumstances in it more distinctly and to omit that filthinesse with which itdefiles the nature of man and many other I will name but two first the universality there is scarce any so bad almost but hee mislikes some that are given to other vices than himselfe or more and thinkes himselfe some body in that he is not so bad as he but if there were one that were infected with all vices in the highest degree how would they which are bad enough themselves deplore his case as lamentable and blesse themselves an hundreth times that they are not so and I pray tell me what sin is there which is not included in this to be an enemy to God What would such an one sticke to commit But I passe from this Secondly The iniquity for First there is no reason for this hatred of God as the Apostle Paul speakes 2 Cor. 7. 2. Receive us we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man wee have defrauded no man might not the Lord challenge entertainement in our hearts and best affections by the same reason nay doth he not expostulate the matter with the Israelites Iere. 2. 5. to this purpose Thus saith the Lord what iniquitie have your fathers found in me that they are gone farre from me and have walked after vanity and are become vaine if the Lord should make use of his Prerogative yet shall the clay say to the Potter what dost thou yet he never doth so But it were well if this were all but Secondly there is great reason to the contrary why wee should love God and you may conceive that especially three-fold First for that excellencie that is in God how doth beauty intice the amorous and gold the covetous and honour the ambitious every thing that hath but any luster of good in it breeds in us a lust to have it the least appearance of it is a loadstone of our affections and is attractive and how comes it to passe that the Ocean of goodnesse and beautie that is in God doth not draw us to him nay rather drives us from him for then this to say truth is the height of our misery that we are sofar from loving God that wee loath him for his goodnesse this is the ground of the quarrell betweene us as I shewed in handling the Point before and who doth not detest in his heart such a perverse nature and hold it accursed but this is not all yet for Secondly God is not onely good in himselfe for if he were so and withall averse from us and cruell to us there were sistence of love though even in this case wee should say with Iob though he kill mee yet will I trust in him yet will I love him but it is not so for God is also good to us and may say too as our Saviour once to the Iewes many good workes have I done among you and for which of them doe you stone me I have created you of nothing partly and partly worse almost than nothing the dust of the earth and that according to mine owne Image I sustaine and support you In me you live and move and have your being I have made you Lords of the creatures all doe service to you even my glorious Angels have I made ministring spirits for your good not a day passes in which you receive not from me a thousand remembrances of Love a thousand love tokens both positive and primitive graces provision of good and preservation from evill I have sent my beloved Sonne out of my bosome to die for you so did I love the world and when you had cast me off how often have I offered conditions of peace and how often would I have gathered you as an hen gathereth her young under her wings and ye would not Would ye have any more yet Behold I even I beseech you I have made heaven and earth that touch the Mountaines and they smoke the Earth and it trembles I beseech you by my Ministers to be reconciled All this have I done and much more if you were not your owne enemies in being my enemies O ye Sonnes of men and for which of my good workes doe you stone me for which of them doe you hate me O ungratefull Children Is this your kindnesse to your friend to your benefactor to your Creator Heare O Heaven and harken O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Asse his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Isai 1. 2. Perhaps that which hath been said will make you to see something into the misery of a mans naturall estate and like it something the worse For who is most ready to condemne an ungratefull wretch and they are such in such measure as you see but this is not all neither for Thirdly God beside his essentiall goodnesse and his actuall graciousnesse to us may allure us to love or at least scare us from hatred by his infinite greatnesse and Power Who would not feare thee O
to bid a point of Time to buy a Circle a Crowne of eternitie especially seeing we cannot but know it better then the heathen Philosopher did that pronounced all that resolved it Vnlesse I had beene admitted to partake of these it had beene no great matter to be borne unlesse wee get a part of heaven it was not worth the while for us that wee are borne Fourthly Necessitie double of ours times and place First Times for send your meditations abroad as Noah did the Dove out of the Arke and they will finde no place to rest but returne and tell you of an universall deluge of affliction which hath well nigh overwhelmed the Church of God unlesse as the Duke of Alva told the King of France who asked him whether he had observed the late great Eclipse no said he I have so much to doe upon earth that I have no leasure to behold the heaven so wee are so busied in the world that we thinke not on Gods kingdome or be so rude and barbarous to thinke the state of the Church is nothing to us abroad while we at home feele nothing But what if our selves be in more danger the more secure we are Have we any priviledge above our neighbours May not God justly take away his Gospel and his mercies from those that abuse them I read it observed in the Scriptures that when the Israelites came to eate of the fruites of the land de frugibus terrae the Manna ceased If Hony be thy friend doe not swallow all saith the Arabick proverbe Let us take heed we abuse not the gentlenesse of God toward us lest if we grow earthly minded God take away his heavenly Manna the richer the Wine is the sowrer is the Vineger saith the German and c if his love hath beene so unspeakeable towards us his hatred of our lewdnesse will be infinite like himselfe being voyd of limits and bounds saith a father and how shall we prevent our owne danger or relieve the miseries of our brethren When Ierusalem was taken there was heard they say a voice from heaven Migremus Let us depart hence let us doe so betake our selves to God to Heaven for helpe in these dangerous times an heavenly conversation lest Gods judgements sease upon us as the Souldier slew Archimedes while he was drawing lines in the dust so busily First Be zealous for Religion A Lacedaemonian woman delivered her sonne going to the warre his fathers Buckler with this mothers blessing either let me see thee bring this backe to me my sonne with life and victory or let me see thee brought back againe upon this dead with honour either fight victoriously or die valiantly The Serpent say they if he be so invironed that hee must of necessitle passe thorough one of them will sooner adventure upon the flame or fire then the shadow of the Poplar Tree Let us resolve either to live with the Gospel or dye for the Gospel and the faith of our Fathers the Buckler that defended them from all dangers and let us feare more the black shaddow of Roman superstition then the bright flames of a Marian persecution There is a prophesie reported in Telesphorus that Antichrist shall never overcome Venice nor Paris nor the royall city of London But we have a more certaine word and let us take heed we be not luke-warme in Religion lest God spue us out of his mouth Secondly be zealous in Religion To this end let us then practise First Serious repentance and sincere reformation If the booke of the Law chance to fall upon the ground the Iewes custome is presently to proclaime a fast why should not wee doe so who have let the Law of God fall to the ground many times and trample upon it too by disobedience I have heard sometime that one of the wisest Statesmen that ever sate at the sterne of this Kingdome had this verse written upon his Study dore Anglica Gens est optima flens pissima ridens The English nation is most healthfull when it swimmes in teares and more dangerous to fall into a sicknesse when it overflowes with laughter The truth whereof our late experience hath confirmed In the Plague what shewes of devotion what faire promises but some have well observed a double fault in our nation concerning the state of their bodies which may be better applyed to the state of their minds that the English are not sicke soone enough and they are well too soone to correct both which let mee give but one word of advice Let our repentance be swift and currant lest Gods decree outrun it and let our fasts be according to an old Canon which defines their continuance even untill the starres appeare in the Firmament and let us humble our selves betimes before the decree come forth and let us goe thorough still with the worke when it is begunne and resolve with Iacob I will not let thee goe untill thou blesse me Secondly Let us be servent and earnest in Prayer The Jewes have a blasphemous fable that our Saviour found out the right pronounciation of the name of God the Tetragrammaton and that wrought all his miracles but the right invocation of the name of God will indeede worke miracles and doe wee thinke much to aske and have There was one at Rome offered the booke of the Sibyls to sale entire and whole a rare monument but set a round price which the King would not adventure upon then burning the halfe of the bookes and doubling the price of the whole for the remainder he made a second offer and that was also refused hee made no more adoe but burnt againe the halfe of the halfe and doubled againe the whole price of the whole and so once more he offered the reliques the third time and then the King at last bethought himselfe and bought Beloved God offers us now his Gospell his sonne with peace and prosperity all blessings are as it were let downe from heaven to us in the sheet which Peter saw and that at no great price our prayers onely if wee make nice and dainty to purchase these blessings when the Lord is so willing to make sale I feare the time will come when wee would be content to bid teares and sweate and blood and our very soules for the least part of them and yet may goe without Let us pray earnestly then for our selves for our brethren let us not thinke much to weepe for them that bleede for Christ The Iewes have a saying that since the destruction of the Temple of Ierusalem the doores of Prayer have beene shut but the doore of teares was never shut a sonne of teares cannot perish Let us knocke at that doone Our place and Calling It is one of Ieremiahs Lamentations that they that are brought in scarlet should embrace the dung and the Lapwing is made an Hieroglyphicke of infelicitie because it hath as a Coronet upon the
he is the Heire of Originall and the Father of Actuall sinne his soule and all the powers thereof being but a shop of sinne his body and all the parts of it tooles of sinne his life and all his actions of both soule and body a trade of sinne by the same reason I say he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gyant-like doth fight against Heaven and against God I must desire you here to remember onely the distinction which I propounded when I spake of this last degree of positive hatred that it is either explicite when it is purposed and intended upon actuall consideration or inplicite when the same thing is done which we would doe if we did purpose and intend hatred against God the use and ground of which I then shewed you out of some places of Scripture Secondly remember the difference of the degrees of corruption in men for though all men be equally infected in regard of the roote and originall of sinne yet it doth not equally breake forth into actuall but in great variety according as they be more or lesse bridled and curbed by Gods restraining grace which makes that though all men have the seedes of all sinnes and all the degrees of sinne in them yet they doe not bud and bring forth fruite in all alike These things being remembred I shall easily cleare the point in hand which in plaine termes is this That Sinne in which all men are naturall is direct enmity to God and hatred of him And so consequently all men as they are in this estate of sinne in which they are all naturally are direct enemies and haters of God To Illustrate this you may consider The definition of Love and so compare hatred with it according to the nature of opposition and that is this as you have it in Aristotle To love is to will to any one the things be thinkes good for his sake but not for his owne sake and to practise them according to his ability and others say the same in substance in which description there be three things observeable especially First the affection it selfe the willing of good to the party we love Secondly the ground and formalis ratio of this affection not for our owne benefit or any good that redounds to us therefrom but sincerely for his sake Thirdly the effect or fruite of it which is a forward disposition and indeavour to procure the good we wish him so farre as it shall lye in our power to doe it and the contrary to these three will shadow forth unto us the nature of hatred which hath therefore three things in it First a wishing of evill to the party hated Secondly not for any injury of his offered to us but simply for himselfe Thirdly a disposition to endeavour so much as lyes in us to bring those evills upon him which we wish unto him for though the second condition be not so necessarily required to make up that hatred which the Schoolemen call odium immicitiae but rather makes that other kind which they use to call odium abominationis which is not needfull to finde in sinners toward God yet because it doth indeed agree to them and therefore to set it out so much the more fully and because it then agrees better with the description of love alleaged out of Aristotle and therefore to parallell it more fitly I would not omit it Now that all three are in the carnall man First A wishing of all evill to him Secondly and that not for any injury done to him or good that would redound to him for his evill Thirdly and both with a disposition and indeavour to bring the evill upon him so much as lyes in him it were no hard thing to shew distinctly and severally if I did not feare I should exceed the time and excercise your patience too much in a tedious discourse upon one and the same argument and therefore were not forced in a manner to contract as much as I may conveniently I will insist therefore onely which vertually includes the rest in the last and make it plaine how naturall men study and labour to the utmost of their power to bring all evill upon God 'T is true indeed that he by reason of the excellency of his nature is not capable of any suffering in that kinde and therefore as he answered them that told him the company laughed at him These men scoffe at thee but I scoffe not said hee againe so though these men wrong God he is not wronged yet no thanke to them for they doing their good will to doe it though it succeed not for another reason beyond their reach nay so farre are they from hurting God that it reflects all upon themselves as the bigge and boistrous waves swolne as it were with pride as well as exhalations rushe furiously upon some solid rocke thinking surely to overturne it or eate it up and swallow it presently but what is the issue the rocke remaines unmoveable and they doe but dash themselves in a thousand peeces so it is with the wicked that rise up against God and yet this doth not excuse them nay more God hath such an over-ruling hand in all their actions that what is done by them to his hurt is directed by him to his honour non fit praeter Dei voluntatem quod fit contra ejus voluntatem saith Austin And againe Non sineret omnipotens fieri mala nisi sciret de malis bonum facere the wicked in breaking his command fulfill his counsell in opposing his will they doe but accomplish it and yet this doth not excuse them for though the hand that acts whether it will or not be an instrument of God yet the wicked minde which aimes at another thing quite contrary makes them culpable though the execution must needs suite with his decree and cannot crosse it yet the wicked intention whereby they would faine makes them as guilty before him Jason had little cause to thanke his enemy that meant to kill him by shedding his blood though he chanced to cure him by opening his Imposthume which the Physitians could not doe As little thanke may Iudas looke for at Gods hand for betraying his Lord and Master the Lord of life though he did that which God had determined And the Iewes as little as Iudas who crucified Christ Him have ye taken being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Act. 2. 23. and all sinners as little as the Iewes for the wages is given according to the worke indeed but the worke is judged according to the will of him that doth it so that the wicked doing those things whereby they bring evill to God as much as they can it must be imputed to them as if they had indeed power to doe it and had done it And thus I come to the point which is this That all naturall men doe wish and worke all evill to God and therefore are direct enemies and
men to oppose and hate the children of God Ponam inimicitiam c. saith God himselfe I will put enmity betweene thee and her and betweene thy seed and her seed the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent the seed of Sathan and the seed of Saints And in those words as one said Incipit liber bellorum Domini the Booke of the warres of God beginnes and as there is an hatred in generall so Secondly Those are most opposed of the world and worldly men which have most similitude with God which is most like their heavenly Father and resemble him most in all gracious cariage all holinesse of life and conversation And those who in that respect are most deare to God those especially doe wicked men shoot at with reproaches and scorne and slander That garment of righteousnesse parti-coloured with all variety of graces is a great eye-sore to them and makes them maligned as Ioseph was of his Brethren for some such testimonies of his Fathers speciall love toward him Thirdly those that have more neere and speciall relation to God as his servants in peculiar title His Messengers his Ministers they are sure to have a large share in the worlds hatred â—â—â—ecially if they chance to come within a mans walke if they come neere them then they will be sure to blurt it out though they smothered it before perhaps and say as Ahab to Elias Hast thou found me O mine enemy All which doe argue that naturall Antipathy which is betweene a naturall man to God for this is a certaine conclusion that they doe inwardly hate the Saints of God And that is a certaine evidence that they remaine still in their corruption even as when we can say with the Psalmist All my delight is in the Saints upon earth those that excell in vertue when we love the Brethren that we are passed from death to life 1 Ioh. 3. 14. And this is a certaine consequence if we hate Gods children we hate God himselfe And now beside our aptnesse to the hatred of God directly confirmed I might strengthen the same with the consideration of our aukernesse and aversenesse from all reconciliation to him I have stretched out my band saith Wisedome Prov. 1. 14. And no man regardeth Yea all the day long saith the Lord in the Prophet to a rebellious people We are not willing to heare of a parley much lesse of a peace and this place is proofe enough of it where you see how farre the Lord is forced as it were to condescend and yeeld to our untowardnesse when his Ambassadours to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation say thus We are Ambassadors for Christ as if God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God But it is time to passe to the second point and having shewed the enmity of man to God to shew now in like manner the other part of this relative and reciprocall affection The enmity of God to man The point then is this that God is an enemy to all men as they are by nature and hates them Before I proceed any further in the declaration of this truth it will not be amisse I thinke to remove one objection one scruple lest some may happily stumble at it and that is this How can God whose essence is himselfe who is a most pure and simple Act and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be said to have any affection or be that granted how can God who is said to hate nothing that he hath made and whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is tender love to mankinde is particularly commended by the Apostle Tit. 3. 4. be said to hate men or admit that too de posse that it may be how can this appeare true de facto esse when as without controversie the elect of God whom he loved from all eternity never fall from that love no not while they are in the state of nature and for the Reprobate God bestowes many favours upon them in the things of this life and offers freely and truely to them at least many the participation of eternall life and happinesse and so that it is their fault that they have it not There be three branches you see of this objection which I will answer as I can briefely and orderly First for the first there is no great difficulty The answer consisting in two things First God is to be considered two wayes First as he is in himselfe and his owne excellency Secondly as he hath revealed himselfe and so as it were bowed himselfe downe to our capacity in the former consideration as in himselfe he is a simple essence and pure act without any composition of matter and forme and without all distinction and variety of qualities he is onely that which he is and thus we cannot at all apprehend him but in the second as he hath revealed himselfe so we may distinguish many attributes in him which he hath taken to himselfe That what we could not graspe together we may by parts in some sort lay hold of As Cyrus passed the river Euphrates by dividing it into many small streames Secondly the second thing to be considered is that among those things that are attributed to God from the creature some things are simply perfections some involve some imperfection in them also or perhaps better some thing in them is conceived as a perfection to which notwithstanding there cleaves some imperfection also here we must sever the one from the other and ascribe the perfection to God but proscribe and banish the imperfection As in this case Hatred is attributed to God being taken from living especially reasonable creatures as it imports a dislike of evill so it notes a perfection but as it connotates a dislike by way of passion or perturbation as it is in the creatures so it hath a mixture of imperfection in the former sense it is properly given to God in the latter it cannot thus you see the first part how hatred agrees to God as an Attribute taken from Analogy to the reasonable creature being a simple dislike and aversion from evill without any motion or perturbation The second is how God can hate any of his creatures especially man I answer man may be considered two wayes first as created and so God saw all things that they were good and loved them and above all man whom he had made according to his owne Image Secondly as corrupted and defiled with sinne and God who is a God of purest eyes who is not a God that delighteth in iniquity cannot chuse but abhorre him The third is something harder and so the place though it be alledged but out of the Apocrypha God bateth nothing that he hath made may be satisfied not simply in it selfe and for it selfe but yet he hateth Sinne in man which is not of his making and man secondarily for his sinne Thirdly the third is somewhat harder How this
Lord Rev. 15. 4. And so who shall not love thee O Lord and glorifie thy name if not for piety yet at least for policy Who doth not pitty those simple nations that when it thunders gather together and shoote their arrowes to heaven as who would say to warre and fight with God who doth not pitty those men that runne themselves against stone walls and the like as thinking to beare downe all before them As Vlysses his companions told him when he would needes provoke Polydimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not we say so to them much more that will needes provoke the Lord of hostes if that be true any where I am sure it is here dulce bellum inexpertis let them that know not the weight of Gods hand vant of their owne strength and desire him for their adversary but let them know the Charots of God are twenty thousand c. which he will bring forth against his enemies and see their owne nullity send Ambassadors before and desire peace If God be with me as David once said I will not be afraid for ten thousand that shall campe round about me but if God be the enemy all the armies in the world cannot secure me Therefore this argues the desperate misery and madnesse of a naturall man that will wage warre with God this might be wonderfully inlarged and that not onely from his power to love us but to do good unto us also I might use this as a passage to the second consideration but I shall omit that because the vilenesse of our condition doth appeare sufficiently out of this that we are enemies unto God in our sinnes by nature though our hearts abhor almost to thinke that any should be such it is so fowle and it appeares the more if we adde that this enmity to God includes in it an universall pollution of Nature because he that hates God will not sticke to doe any thing against him yea the more if we consider that this enmity is most unjust upon no reason which is extreamely barbarous yea it is against many reasons as the incomprehensible excellency and beauty and goodnesse of Gods nature the unspeakeable multitude and value of his graciousnesse and blessings the incomprehensible omnipotency of his power in rewarding or punishing and in all which we cannot choose but give sentence against our selves for the horrible basenesse and vilenesse of our nature FINIS A methodicall Analysis of the principall things contained in this Sermon Doct. THat we are by nature enemies of God 1. Explication of the Termes 1. The subject of the proposition Wee 2. The qualification of the subject by Nature 3. The predicate Enemies 1. What conditions concurre to enmitie 1. It must be between two 2. It must be reciprocall 3. It must bee betweene persons in a reasonable nature 2. How it is here understood 1. Actively we are Enemies to God and hate him 2. Passively God is an enemy to us and hates us These are considered 1. Ioyntly in the ground of it Dissimilitude betweene God and us 2. Severally 1. We are by nature enemies to God 1. Proved by Scripture 2. Demonstrated 1. By the degrees of hatred 1. Not to love so much as we ought Hatred is 1. Absolute 2. Comparative 2. Not to love at all Hatred is 1. Negative 2. Positive 3. Positive ill will or hatred which is 1. Explicite 1. Formall 2. Implicite 2. Interpretative II. By the degrees of corruption 1. Originall 2. Actuall III. By the object of 1. Love 1. Good 2. Hatred 2. Evill 1. Absolute 2. Relative IIII. By the nature of sinne 1. In generall it is so opposite to God as that the love of sin argues a hatred of God 2. In particular sin is enmitie to God 1. Immediatly in all the degrees of hatred 1. Comparative to love any thing more than God is to haâ—e him 2. Negative the love of God hath no command in him 1. Not in the understanding if it were it would be knowne by these 1. The minde and thoughts would alwayes run on the party loved 2. Love is learned in the knowledge of all the perfections of the party 3. Love is witty in devising meanes to injoy its love 2. Not in the will and affections expressed in three kinds of them 1. Such as are conversant immediatly about the good we love as 1. Absent 1. Desire 2. Present 2. Ioy. 2. Such as are occupied about the will 3. Mixt affections 3. Not in the whole man not in 1. Tongue 2. Rest of the members 3. Goods 3. Positive haired where is 1. Promised 1. Distinction of hatred 1. Explicite 2. Implicite 2. Difference of degrees of corruption 2. Proved that sinne is direct enmitie to God which is 1. Illustrated by the nature of opposition as 1. Nature of love 1. Affection it selfe willing good 2. Ground of it for his sake 3. Effect or fruit of it 2. Nature of hatred which is opposite 1. A wishing evill 2. For himselfe 3. Indeavour to bring all that evill upon him 2. Confirmed in this proposition 2. That naturall men labour to bring all the evill upon God that they can 1. Consider by way of caution 1. God is not capable of any injury 2. The hurt reflects upon themselves 3. What is done by them to his hurt is directed by him to his honour 2. By way of proofe They wrong him 1. By displeasing of him 1. Their best actions are displeasing 2. The more God forbids sinne the more they desire it 3. They are most refractary in those things God doth most earnestly require 2. By Dishonoring of him 1. By conceiving basely of him in their minde 2. By speaking Diminitively of his Majestie 3. By the deformity of sin it self 4. By the contempt 1. Sinning against 1. Commands 2. Promises 3. Threatnings 2. Sinning in his presence 3. Sinning for so little advantage 3. By damaging of him making 1. The flesh 2. The world their God 3. The divell I. Mediately 1. They love the enemies of God 2. They hate his friends 1. All the children of God 2. Those that have most similitude with God 3. Those that are in more neare and speciall relation to God II. God is an enemy to all men as they are by nature 1. Explication 1. How can God whose essence is himselfe be said to have any affections 1. Consider God 1. As he is in himselfe 2. As he hath revealed himselfe 2. Consider that amongst those things attributed unto God 1. Some things are simply perfection 2. Some involve some imperfection in them 2. How can God hate man man is considered 1. As created 2. As corrupted 3. How can this be since God hates neither Elect nor Reprobate though in the state of corruption 1. Elect may be considered 1. According to Gods eternall counsell 2. According to Gods revealed Will. 1. As they are in themselves 1. God sees nothing in them which he can love 2. He gives no signification of any thing but