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ONE would think there were no∣thing in Nature more contrary to Man than Hatred is; and since he de∣rives his Name from Humanity, he should never be reconcil'd to a Passion, that breaths forth nothing but Blood and Cruelty. However, this is as much a part of his Essence, as Love it self is. And if he has occasion for Love to unite him to those things he desires, he stands in no less need of Hatred, to preserve
him from those that might annoy him. The whole Universe subsisteth but by the contrariety of the Elements: If the Waters coolness did not allay the vio∣lence of the Fire, the whole World had been long since in Cinders. So is it with the lesser World of Man's Body; did not the radical Moisture, temper the natural Heat, he would perish im∣mediately without redress,
Hatred is as necessary a Passion as Love; and we might justly accuse Na∣ture of Cruelty or Neglect, if having given us a propensity to Good, she had not also taught us to hate and avoid what we thought not so.
Hatred is in its birth no more than an aversion to any thing that displea∣ses us; 'tis an Antipathy of the Appe∣tite, or the impression that a disagreea∣ble Object makes on the inferior part of the Soul. It has this property in com∣mon with Love, that it often prevents our Reason, and is establish'd in our Will, without asking advice of our Judgments. And it has likewise this property different from Love, that we perceive it even in its conception, pro∣ceeding from an Object that wounds us, she makes us suffer from her very birth:
and is not sooner establish'd in our Breast, but she turns our Tormentor. One moment only is enough to produce her, and if she be not curb'd immediat∣ly, she casts Fire and Flame through all the Faculties of the Soul, and like that active Element, converts all it meets with to its Nourishment. Her greatest Evil is, that she dies not so soon as Love doth; when once it hath taken root, it laughs at all attempts of repressing it. Philosophy that boasts such mighty Victories over the Passions, could never cure this Frenzy. I wonder not that Hatred when inveterate, should make some Parents oblige their Children to a perpetual enmity with their Enemies, and so expire cursing them if ever they should hearken to a reconciliation; since it is so impetuous in its motions, that it makes a Man despise his own life to prosecute his Revenge; nay, dye with Joy and Consolation, if he can but crush his Enemy with his own Fall. From hence we may learn the violence of Hatred, that there is no Torment but it despises; no Crime so enormous, but it resolves on it presently to farther its furious Instigations.
If the Properties of this Passion are so very strange, its Effects are fatal. She is the occasion of all the Tragical Actions which swell up History; and indeed he who follows her counsel, is capable of committing any thing. This Hellish Passion taught us, that Man could dye in the Flower of his Age, without any Distemper, and that a Bro∣ther was not always safe in the com∣pany of his Brother: She gave us first the Cursed Instructions of mixing Poi∣son with Drink, and murthering People under the colour of Hospitality. 'Twas she, and not Avarice tore up the bowels of the Earth, to furnish Instruments for her Cruelty. She teaches us to kill Man decently, and makes us approve of a Parricide, if it be but according to Art. In a word, after she has pronounc'd most bloody Sentences as a Judge, she will her self have the pleasure of executing them as a Hang-man.
ALL the Works of Nature are per∣fect, and cannot without Jnjustice become Objects of our Hatred. Ano∣ther likes what I do not; and what
displeases my sight, gratifies his smell: And what Nature has produc'd of most unacceptable aspect, is a foil to the most charming, and illustrates the va∣riety of the Created Beings. All such things then must be exempted from the violence of this Passion. Sin only can be its proper and legitimate Object; and that with this reservation too, that our own Offences be rather made so, than those of our Neighbour. We know not so well the Circumstances of his Transgression as our own. We are not Judges over him, therefore must not exercise our hatred with his failings. Its greatest edge must be against our selves, and there it can never prove excessive; when we justifie God's Good∣ness by our implacable hatred of ini∣quity. 'Tis an act of Justice to abo∣minate sin. And David thought he shewed his Love to God, when he de∣monstrated his hatred to his Enemies, and therefore ceased praising him to curse the wicked and ungodly.
To make our Hatred meritorious, as was that of the Royal Prophet, it must have those two Conditions with it which his had: That is, we must hate Sin, but not Nature: We must detest
the work of the Creature, but cherish and admire that of God. Thus by the assistance of Grace, Hatred becomes a Virtue, and assistant both to Justice and Charity. But she is practised much more securely against our own Imperfections, than those of our Neighbours. Self∣love here will tye up our hands that we shall never exceed in it; what holy Fury soever our Love to God might in∣spire us with, yet that natural inclina∣tion we have to our selves, would hin∣der us from proceeding without any dangerous severity.
The hating our selves is one of the Foundations of Christ's Gospel. We must deny our selves and follow him, if we will be his Disciples. Love and Hatred are taught in his School after an extra∣ordinary manner. For we are to give all our Love to our Neighbour, and to reserve the same degree of Hatred for our selves. This Command is more ri∣gorous in appearance than effect: For under the severity which it seems to car∣ry along with it, there is conceal'd the sweetness of Love; for by a happy de∣stiny attending this prosecution of Ha∣tred, we love our selves so much the more really, by how much we hate our selves for sin.
This Doctrine of our Saviour extends to the Spirit as well as the Flesh, and enjoyns us not only Mortification, to re∣press the sawcy motions of the Body, but Self-denial, thereby submitting our very Will to that of God. Our Hatred cannot be perfect if it reach no farthet than the Body alone; for it must equal∣ly act against every disorder that is caus'd by sin: And as Nature has lost her Original Purity, so both the parts, whereof she consisteth, are become cri∣minal. The inclinations of the Soul are not more innocent than those of the Body; they have both their imperfe∣ctions, and are both corrupted. What thick Clouds of Error and Ignorance obfuscate our Understanding? With what labour do we learn, and how easi∣ly is it all forgotten? our Memory which passes for a Miracle in Nature, treasures up Idea's that are false, as well as what are not so: She is treacherous, and leaves us at a pinch, furnishing us rather with futilous unnecessary things, than what are of moment to us.
Perfectly to practise this great Do∣ctrine of Jesus Christ, we must denounce War against both Soul and Body; and Combate the Darkness of our Under∣standing,
the Weakness of our Memory, the Malice of our Will, the Error of our Imagination, and the Perfidiousness of our Senses, together with the Rebel∣lion of every Member of our Body. These ill Qualities which deface the Image of the Creator in the Creature, are the proper Objects of all our Ha∣tred; we may abhor them with Inno∣cence, and punish them without Inju∣stice. In a word, we must detest and abominate every thing that Sin produces, and which Grace cannot suffer.