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IN the next place I will set forth the great∣ness of this sin of hating the people of God, or others.
1. It is an argument that such persons love not God himself. If a King should say of some certain men about him. These men are very dear unto me; and as I love them in a special manner, so I will have all that love me to love them; I will make this as a note by which to know a faithful subject from a traitour viz. love to these whom I dearly love; he that lo∣veth
not them, I will not account them loyal and true hearted to me: Whether these persons deserve the love of all or not, yet this would be a greater argument of the King's extraordi∣nary love to such men: so in this case, the Lord saith in effect of every child of his, He that loveth not thee, I will take him for none of my friends, for none of my children; he that loo∣keth for love and favour from me, must bear true love to thee. How great then is the love of God toward his children, he will not ac∣knowledg that any love him, who hate them. When the unbelieving Jews told our Saviour; we have one father, even God, he answered, If God were your father, ye would love me; for I pro∣ceeded forth, and came from God, neither come I of my self, but he sent me, Joh. 8.41, 42. So in this case it may be said to many carnal persons, who think th••mselves the children and people of Cod. If God were your father, ye would love them that do most of all labour to honour and please God, and are most careful not to sin against him. Such is God's love to his people, that he taketh none for his own, that do not love them. There be many that say, they love God, and yet love not his children. Well! the Lord will none of thy love, unless it be such as maketh thee also to love his children. If thou sayest thou lovest God, and yet lovest Drunkards, Swearers, Worldlings, more than his children, who are
zealous for his glory, thou maist keep thy love to thy self, God will not accept of it. To all that live in the visible Church, and come to the or∣dinances, and take the name of God in their mouths, and do hate the godly, the Lord saith in effect, why dost thou not love me? in that thou lovest not my children, thou lovest not me; such tender love doth the Lord bear to his peo∣ple; This our Saviour expressed sweetly in that speech to St. Peter after his Resurrection from the dead, when by a three-••old confession of his love to him, he seemed (as it were) to put him to penance for his late three-fold de∣nial of him. Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me? Peter answered thrice; Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Yea, but Peter, if thou wilt have me tast of the fruit of thy Love to me; if thou dost love me indeed, and wilt have me to accept of thy love as sound and true; love them whom I love; love them and love me, and shew it by thy care of their Souls, and by thy diligence in feeding them with my word; go feed my Sheep and Lambs.