Parable he spake to them Luke 19. concerning a Noble Man v. 12. where in v. 14. 't is said That the Citizens hated him and sent forth a Messenger after him saying We will not have this Man to reign over us The unbelieving Jews would have none of his Government 't was too strict for them they hate him and from thence 't was that they could not endure such who either preached him up as Lord or his Laws as that by which they ought to be ruled or did submit themselves to him or it and they persecuted them as intollerable used all means to hindier the publication of his Laws or him as Lord and Saviour and to hinder others submission to him and it for which Christ pronounced against them Mat. 23.13 in these words Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them who are entring to go in They from their hatred to Christ would not be subject to him and his Laws themselves nor would they suffer others to be subject but did oppose and persecute them and contradict and blaspheme the Doctrin persuading People to subjection to him and because the Light which shone in his Life and Doctrin and in his Followers did discover and reprove their wicked Natures and Deeds of Darkness it could not be born with as Christ told his unbelieving Brethren John 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth v. 7. Why Because said he I testifie of it that their works are evil Again John 3.19 20. Light is come into the world but men love darkness rather than light Why Because their deeds are evil for every one who doth evil hateth the light lest his deeds should be reproved or discovered Thus hath the Scripture assigned this to be the Original or one main Cause of the wicked Ones Enmity against and persecuting of the Saints and their high opposition against the Light of the Gospel and true Holiness it self 2dly It did arise from this That the Saints the called of God did evidence themselves to have been changed from what they were by Nature and by Practice too they owned and loved what formerly they had hated they had declared themselves not to be of the World could not run with the same excess of Riot with others as they had done do as formerly they did but their Lives and Works did contradict and reprove the Lives of their Persecutors Now this they could not bear therefore did they hate them and brake out against them in those various Methods and Ways before noted as the Scripture saith He who doth evil hateth the light John 3.20 No sooner did Saul whom they had so much loved formerly leave his persecuting of the Saints and being changed did evidence the same by joyning with them and in preaching up what his Heart had been against but the Jews hated him and studied to kill him Act. 9.19 20 and so on and that it would be so Christ had told his before John 15. If saith he there v. 19. ye were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore doth the world hate you Here did he intimate to them that no sooner should they evidence by their good Life that they are called out of the World and off from the evil Courses thereof but the World hated them upon that very account and thereupon persecuted them as 't is written Habak 1.13 in those days That the wicked devoured the man who was more righteous than he And 't is expresly said Gen. 4.5 That Cain was angry with his Brother Abel because the Sacrifice Abel offered was accepted and not his and he in v. 8. slew him altho the reason given of his Non-acceptance was because he did not well v. 7. and his Brother did as the Holy Ghost doth affirm in these words 1 John 3.12 Not as Cain was of that wicked one and slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him because his own Works were evil and his Brothers righteous upon which account the Saints are exhorted in the next verse not to marvail tho the World do hate them When Elijah had but evidenced his Change by reproving King Ahaziah for his sending to the God of Eckron to enquire if he should recover 2 Kings 1. v. 2 3 4. the King was so enraged against him that he v. 9. sent a Captain with his fifty to fetch him and the Captain and his men were destroyed by fire from Heaven yet he sent another and tho he was destroyed sent a third in the next verses such was his bitterness against Elijah for this cause only So said the Psalmist also Psal 38.19 and so on They who hate me are multiplyed c. They also who render evil for good are mine Adversaries because I follow the thing which good is there is the cause why wicked Men are adversaries to good Men only because they are good now and not such as formerly they were So again Psal 37.12 The wicked saith the Psalmist plotteth against the just and v. 14. They have drawn out the sword to slay such as be of an upright Conversation So said Amos too Chap. 5.10 They hate him who reproveth in the gate they abhor him who speaketh uprightly and v. 12. They afflict the just Here the Scripture assigned no other cause why these Men did envy hate and persecute them but this that those hated and persecuted Ones were just righteous and good and reproved their Persecutors for the contrary this was sufficient to render them obnoxious to the wickedst hatred and scorn Herod in those days committed John to Prison and would have put him to death because John had told him it was not lawful to marry his Brother Philips Wife Mat. 14.3 4 5. The Apostle Peter declares this too in his time 1. Epist. Chap. 4. speaking of the unconverted Gentiles thoughts of the converted Ones because they could not do as they had done and as the wicked still did v. 3 4. in these words Wherefore they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same access of Ryot speaking evil of you Here they speak evilly of the Saints because they could not be so wicked as they they wondred at their change could no longer think or speak well of them So that the Scripture doth make it evident that the wicked unbelieving Ones did in those days hate and persecute the Saints as Saints and only because they were new Creatures called out of the World Men of a good Life could not be and do as others did or do as they themselves sometimes had done by which they did reprove the Spirits and Doing of those wicked Persecutors 3dly A third cause or ground which the Holy Ghost in Scripture hath assigned from whence the Envy and persecuting Spirits of wicked Men did arise that was
use in all Ages to all Men for there is no New Thing under the Sun saith Solomon Eccles 1.9 Of these in their order And first of the Evidences and Instances which the Scripture hath given and â—oted Of the First to wit That the seated Enmity in the Hearts of the wicked and their bitterness against God himself Christ his Followers the Saints of God the Laws of God Holiness it self and the Light thereof the Light which did shine in Christ himself the Saints and followers of Christ which Enmity the Holy Ghost did fore-tell Gen. 3.15 should arise between the Seed of the Serpent and the Seed of the Woman and accordingly it soon appeared when Cain from that Principle slew his Brother Abel Gen. 4.8 The Prophet Habakuk in his time noted Chap. 1.13 That the wicked devoured the Man that was more righteous than he The Apostle also asserts that in those days also 't was so in the general Gal. 4.29 As he who was born after the Flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit so saith he there it is now that is in those days By which they then did evidence the highest Heart-Enmity imaginable And this Heart-Enmity the Holy Ghost hath throughout the Old and New Testament frequently in especial manner observed No sooner had the Enemies of the Jews in Nehemiahs days Nehem. 2. received Intelligence that Nehemiah was come with Authority to build the Walls of Jerusalem v. 8.9 But 't is said v. 10. That it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a Man to seek the wellfare of the Children of Israel their envious Hearts here boiled within them of it when there was one good Prophet in Israel Micaiah by name wicked Ahab said of him 1 Kings 22.8 I hate him Such was his seated Enmity against him there that he could not in that time forbear openly to declare it upon the very naming of him The Psalmist also testifieth that in his time it was so The wicked in wrath or as the Margent hath it with un intestine hatred saith he hateth me Ps 55. v. 3. And Psal 64.4 He complains of the numerousness of these two in these words They who hate me without a Cause are more than the Hairs of my Head Of which Enmity also the Prophet Amos takes notice in the general in his days They hate saith he rebuke in the Gate and they abhor him who speaketh uprightly Amos 5.10 They there could not endure Verbal Rebuke nor the convincing Life of an upright Man their Hearts abhorred them both So afterwards in New Testament days they testified their fixed Enmity Hatred and Rancour which was seated in their Minds against Christ himself and against all who did own Him or his Laws As Christ in the Parable before mentioned Luke 19. did hint that the Jews did when he there said of the Noble Man v. 14. His Citizens hated him and downrightly tells him by their Messenger there We will not have this Man to reign over us there they declared their Heart-hatred against him and his Government in the general and consequently against all who owned him and submitted themselves to his Laws they hated the Light which shone in him them and it as Christ himself expresly said John 3. That they hated the Light v. 19.20 Light is come into the World saith he there and Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for every one that doth evil hateth the Light lest his Deeds should be discovered And this Christ told his unbelieving Brethren John 7.7 The World cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it Nay their hatred of Christ was so evident and well known that Pilate himself had taken notice of it Mark 15.13 't is said of him there That he knew that the Chief Priests had delivered Christ to be Crucified for Envy Of which the Hearts of the unbelieving Jews were full which also Christ did beforehand inform his Disciples of that they might be prepared to meet with the Effects thereof John 15.18 19. in these words If the World hate you ye know that it hated me first before it hated you c. I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you here they hated Christ and others also because they followed him and bore his image yea further saith Christ there v. 24. of the same Chap. Now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father Again John 17.14 he said of his Discipes The world hath hated them because they are not of the world c. Thus did Christ again and again inculcate this which afterwards they found true as the Scripture also hath noted Acts 5.17 18. 't is said That the High Priests and those who were with him rose up and were filled with Indignation or Envy and laid their hands on the Apostles The like Spirit the Jews discovered Act. 13. when they there saw the multitude v. 45. They were filled with Envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul their Hearts here were full of Envy and Hatred both against the Apostles and their Doctrin Again Act. 17. 't is said That the Jews who believed not being moved with Envy took unto them certain lew'd Fellows of the baser sort and made an uprore v. 5. And Paul doth acknowledge of himself Acts 26. That he when he was yet an unbeliever was also exceeding mad against the followers of Christ v. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus and in v. 11. Being exceeding mad against them I persecuted them to strange Cities And herein was verified that which Christ had said John 16.1.2 3. That some should think that they did God good service in killing his Followers So far did Pauls blind Zeal then transport him That it filled his heart with madness against them So far were some of the Jews carried in this Enmity That when Judas repented and told them that he had betrayed Innocent Blood they say what is that to us tho they rejoyced and had given him Money to do it Mark 14.10 11. and they afterwards put Christ to death Mat. 27.34 35 c. Yea most desperately did they say when Pilate acquitted himself of that Innocent Blood His Blood be upon Us and our Children v. 24.25 of the same Chap. Thus hath the Holy Ghost recorded this Enmity that was naturally seated and fixed in the Hearts of the Sons of Men and evidenced by them in those days 2dly As to the various Ways and Methods these invidious Ones walked in and took towards and against the Saints against Christ himself and his Followers Or how these wicked Ones did in those Ages of the World express this their seated Enmity Hatred and Bitterness against them or which way it did evidence it self to be in them The Scripture hath also plainly taken notice of some of which were as followeth First They were studious and diligent by all
the Pride height of Spirit and revengeful Nature which was in them Such was their Pride that they would not seek God themselves nor bear with those who did as the Psalmist said Psal 10.4 That the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek God and in v. 8. 't is said of him That in the secret places doth he murther the innocent his eyes are privily set against the poor as their Pride here would not permit them to seek God so it set them against the Saints innocent Ones who did seek God The Psalmist again Psal 119.69 said The proud have forged a lie against me And again Psal 123.4 he saith Our Soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of them who are at ease and with the contempt of the proud Here the Holy Ghost takes notice that the Pride of their Hearts did render the Saints the objects of their Scorn and put them upon forging of lies against them This very thing set Haman into so great hatred against Mordicai and made him so resolute on revenge against him and all the Jews Hester 3. his proud Heart could not bear with Mordicai because he did not arise and do him Reverence as is expressed v. 5. in these words When Haman saw that Mordicai bowed not nor did him reverence then was Haman full of wrath and in the next verse He thought scorn to lay hands on Mordicai alone but sought to destroy all the Jews with him such were his revengeful Purposes from the dreadful Pride of his Heart Hence it came to pass that the Presidents and Princes in Daniels time so much hated him studied to revenge and took those courses to execute it upon him Dan. 6. He being now advanced by King Darius over all the Presidents and Princes v. 1 2. their proud hearts could not bear it and this put them upon seeking occasion against him concerning the Kingdom v. 4. and finding none so good a Subject and innocent Man was he they in the next verses resolves to take him in the matters of his God procured a Law and pursued him in the ways they had devised till they had gotten him into the Lions Den tho the King himself would have saved him From the like pride of Heart the Libertines and others who were disputing with Stephen Act. 6. and not able v. 9. to resist the spirit and wisdom by which he spake nor able to bear to be silenced by Stephen they in the next verses evidenced their Pride and revengeful Spirits they confute him by suborning Witnesses stirring up the People Elders and Scribes against him caught him and carryed him before the Council The like Spirit did the Jews evidence in those days in their Behaviour towards the Man who was born blind John 9. when he had by such convincing Arguments which they could not resist proved Christ to be of God v. 30. and so on The Pride of the Pharisees being such that they could not bear to be put to silence by such a poor unlearned Man as he was therefore they v. 34. took this course they first say to him Thou wast altogether born in sin and dost thou teach us And they Excommunicated him Having no better Argument they confuted him this way and revenged upon him after this sort Thus hath the Scripture noted that the wicked Ones envy against good Men often did arise from the Pride of their Hearts and revengeful Nature 4thly A fourth cause or ground from whence they so maligned and persecuted the Saints Christ himself and his Followers in those days did arise from their great ignorance of God himself of Christ and of the Saints in persecuting of whom they persecuted Christ as he told Saul Act. 9.4 As 't is said of Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should let Israel go I know not the Lord said he therefore I will not let Israel go his ignorance of God here made him oppress and grieve Gods People still and pursue them afterwards So it was with Saul Act. 9. when Christ had said Why persecutest thou me Saul answered Who art thou Lord v. 4 5. Here his ignorance of Jesus was the cause why he persecuted him and his Saints Christ intimates this also to be the cause why the Jews hated him and persecuted him to the death Luke 23. when they were Crucified of him he there prays for them in these words v. 34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do Had they known him saith the Scripture they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Their ignorance here was the cause of their persecuting Acts and of their malignant Mind against him and his The Psalmist took it for granted that in those days it did proceed from hence Psal 14.4 thus he said Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread Which Saying strongly implies that had they had knowledge they would not they could not have done so The Apostles also in their time did intimate the like and assigned the Ignorance of the Jews to be the cause of their malignity against Christ and his Act. 3. they tell them v. 15. That they had killed the Prince of life but v. 17. saith to them thus Now Brethren I wot that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers And again Act. 13. said the Apostle to them in v. 27. That they who dwell at Jerusalem and their Rulers because they knew him not nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath-day they have fulfilled them in condemning him and in v. 28. Tho they found not cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain Upon the same Foundation of Ignorance Paul acknowledgeth that he went Act. 26. I verily thought with my self v. 9. that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus The Jews themselves John 9. did own their ignorance of Christ v. 29. said they As for this Fellow we know not from whence he is all the undeniable Evidences they had had that he was of God did not enlighten them nor convince them therefore they persisted to envy and persecute him and as to such who professed to own him many denied him Titus 1.16 being unto every good work reprobate or void of Judgment In like manner the Scripture declared that afterwards they persecuted and hated good Men upon this account or from hence that they knew not God Christ or them 1 Jo. 3.1 Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew not him and as Christ had told his Disciples John 15.20 If they persecuted me they will also persecute you and in the next verses gives the reason of it in these words All these things will they do unto you for my name sake because they know not him who sent me So again John 16. The time cometh said Christ there v. 2. that whosoever killeth you shall think he doth God
and persecuted such as offered the true they took Paul here and carryed him before the highest Court where they put these questions to him After the same manner did the Jews with Paul upon this ground too Act. 18.11 He having before preached Jesus Christ to them at Corinth They here with one accord made an insurrection against him and brought him to the Judgment Seat saying This Fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the Law Here now was the great ground of their Enmity and Violence against him they could not bear to have Men worship God in any other way than in that which they had usually worshiped according to the Law and their Traditions nor bear with any Persuasions thereunto such was their blind zeal for that wherein they had been educated and used to Their old received Customs were more valued by them than the Laws of God tho God was then to be worshiped otherwise as Christ had hinted to them and as the Apostle Paul Acts 24. there confessed before the Governor that he did v. 14. in these words After the way they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things written in the Law and the Prophets But because he did dissent from their Traditions and Customs and worshiped not as they did therefore called they his Way Heresie and they persecuted him as in the beginning of the Chapter and before altho it was according to what was written in the Law and the Prophets So again Act. 21. The Jews there v. 27. stirred up the People and laid hands on Paul and v. 28. cryed out this is the man who teacheth all men every where against the People and the Law and this Place This was the great thing which moved them here Paul had taught the People to worship God otherwise than according to the Ceremonies of the Law the Customs and Traditions of the Jews wherein they had been so long conversant and this they could not bear with The Admirers of Diana did so too Act. 19. when the Silversmith there had tho upon another account insinuated that the Apostles did design by their Preaching to disgrace and render their Goddess Diana contemptible v. 24 25. and so on These Adorers of Diana were very wroth upon the hearing on 't and the whole City was filled with confusion crying up Diana O they could not bear with any thing which they had apprehended to have any tendency to the lessening of their so much admired Diana which quickly put them into an unanswerable uprore and violence against Pauls Companions whom they had caught v. 28. and so on as the Town Clerk himself had told them v. 37 38. and so on Thus the Scpipture hath taken notice of this Cause also of the Enmity in the Breasts of wicked Men and of their persecuting Spirit against the Saints in those days 7thly There was yet a seventh cause or rise of the Enmity and persecuting Practices of these against the Saints which those divine Records hath set down in it that was the privat Profit and Gain that some Men had by some Religion then professed or some other Way then in esteem amongst the People which Gain being by Christ or the Apostles preaching of the truth abated or in danger of being gone they were set in a rage against the Truth and against all those who preached it or believed and embraced it they could not bear with the thoughts of their Gain being taken away therefore did persecute and endeavor to destroy the Apostles and others and used all means to prevent the spreading of their Doctrins This very thing put the Silversmiths upon stirring up the People who were the great Adorers of Diana Act. 19. Not their zeal for Diana so much as for their Profit When Paul there had preached in Asia and turning People from the worshiping of false gods the Silversmiths presently apprehending that this would bring Diana their Goddess into disesteem that People would not worship her any more and then farwell their Gain which matter so troubled them that 't is said thus there v. 23. That there was no small stir about this way and in the next verses That Demetrius who made the Silver Shrines to Diana brought no small gain to the Craftsmen whom he called together and said unto them Ye know that by this craft we have our wealth and Paul hath said They be no gods which are made with hands so that not only our craft is in danger but Diana would be despised which Saying proved sufficient to beget an Enmity in the Breasts of the Craftsmen against the Apostles and that Doctrin and to set them upon persecuting of them as in the following verses they did for they very well knew that if once the People did believe that the Religion and Worship they were found in were not right Diana no Goddess and that all their Zeal in and for that way was no better than Vanity Superstition and Idolatry then no body would imploy them to make Silver Shrines for Diana any more and consequently they must take leave of their old Gain this now set them into such a flame of Envy and Violence against the Apostles and their Preaching From the very same cause were the Masters of the Damsel who was possessed with the Spirit of Divination stirred up against Paul and Sylas and did persecute them Act. 16.16 't is there said That a certain Damsel possessed with a Spirit of Divination met us who brought her master much gain by southsaying whom Paul in v. 18. cast out upon which her masters in the next verses caught Paul and Sylas and drew them unto the Rulers unto the Magistrates saying These being Jews do exceedingly trouble our City and teach Customs c. Upon which the multitude rose up against them and the Magistrates commanded them to be beaten which they did and put them into Prison The main cause of all these Accusations and Complaints against them and of their Imprisonment and Beating was only the loss of that Gain the Damsel had brought her Masters as 't is expresly said v. 19. in these words And when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone they caught Paul c. Thus hath the Scripture also taken notice of this cause too why some in those Ages of the World did hate and persecute the Saints 8thly Yet further these divine Records hath taken notice of an eighth cause or spring from whence ill Mens Spirits were moved against the good or from whence many were engaged in persecuting and destroying of them that was from a fear of or desire to please and gratifie others some great Men or Men of Power who were themselves full of Envy and Malice against the Saints and did persecute them and thereby to secure to themselves the good opinion of those still tho otherwise against their own judgments and inclinations and it may be against convictions too that in so doing they did not well