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WE have heard how the Lord hath given his disciples war∣ning of three particulars evils that were to come upon them, the first was a betraying of them by their pa∣rents, brethren kinsmen and friends, the second was, a causing of some of them to be put to death, of those we have spoken: Now the third followeth, which is an universall
hatred for Christs Names sake, Ye, said he, shall be hated of all men for my Names sake.
In these words I shall consider these three things; first there is a hatred against Gods servants fore∣told, Yee shall be hated, said Christ; secondly, hee declareth that this hatred shall be very great, even u∣niversall, Yee shall bee hated of all men; thirdly, he sheweth for what cause, For my Names sake.
FIrst the Lord warneth his disci∣ples heere of a great evill; Yee said he, shall be hated.
Hatred is the very dregges of wrath, * 1.1 for great wrath at last tur∣neth into hatred. He saith not un∣to his Disciples, Men shall bee an∣grie at you, but he saith, Yee shall be hated: this is an effect of hatred, these that hate any, desire neither to heare, nor to see them; Ammon
after hee beganne to hate Tamar could not suffer her to tary any longer in his sight, but caused thrust her out at doores: * 1.2 King Ahab could not hear the preachings of Micajah, his reason was, I hate him.
Observe here that Gods servants have this among many other trou∣bles, * 1.3 they are hated; this is verie grievous to Gods children; Jsaack compleined that Abimelechs ser∣vants had hated him, and sent him away; * 1.4 from this puddle of hatred issue out the streames of brawlings and debates. * 1.5 Hatred, saith Salo∣mon, stirreth up strifes: * 1.6 The wic∣ked can not suffer Gods children to live in peace, because they hate them, and they can not but hate them, because light and darknesse can have no communion, * 1.7 Christ can not have concord with Belial.
The use, * 1.8 Let Gods children heere learn what they have to look
for in this world, let them live like Angels, they shall not faile to bee hated, this must not seeme strange unto us, when wee are abhorred by the men of the world: Gods dearest ones have beene this dealt with, Jacob was hated of Esau, * 1.9 and Ahab hated good Micajah; yea, * 1.10 and the world hated Christ himselfe: If, saith Christ, the world hate you, * 1.11 yee know that it hated me before it hated you; wee must looke for no better, and therefore resting upon the love of God, we must contemne the hatred of the world. * 1.12 It is but a little matter to bee so hated of the world, that a man bee called after the name of Isaacks second Well, sitnah, that is hatred, * 1.13 if so be that with Solomon he be Gods jedidiah, beloved of the Lord. * 1.14
YEE have heard how Christ hath said to his servants, Yee shall be
hated: Secondly, it followeth that wee consider the Universalitie of this hatred, Yee, said he, shall bee hated of all men.
Heere it may be objected, how could that be? If they were to be hated of all men, they should bee hated of the godly also.
* 1.15 To this I answere briefly, By all men, wee must understand all sort of men, whether rich or poore, noble or ignoble, men of all ranks; such also are called all men, because the most part of men hate GOD and his servants; the most part of the world, as yee may know, walk in the broad way, * 1.16 and all such are poisoned with hatred against Christ and his servants: according to this the Lord heere said to his disciples, Yee shall be hated of all men. In the words before Christ had spoken to his Disciples of parents, brethren kinsmen, and friends, that would betray them, heere hee speaketh of
others of all rankes that would hate them.
Observe here, * 1.17 that the children of God have many adversaries; they are so many, that in this text they are called all men, the enemies of the Saints heere below, may take unto themselves the divels name, Legion, because they are ma∣ny: As they are many, * 1.18 so are they most despightfull, full of hatred, most ready to oppresse Gods chil∣dren in a most fearfull manner, to to rob and to spoile them, to banish and burne them, to head and to hang them; yea, * 1.19 and to sow them asunder; yea, and to sell them like beasts, as did these enemies of Gods people in Joels dayes, * 1.20 who gave a boy for a harlot, and sold a girle for wine, that they might drink & wash their steps with butter
The use, * 1.21 Let us not wonder to see many hornes in the sides of these that serve God; if the like befall
to our selves, let us not fret; shall not Christs words be true all men?
Againe, * 1.22 observe heere particu∣larly what is the condition of Gods servants heere below, they are the object of hatred to the most part of the world. * 1.23 If a child of God through infirmitie, fall into any sin, the discourse thereof shall em∣pty many bowles of wine, and many who are more modest, have their secret joy for the fall of the Man, which plainly declare hatred to be in the heart; what words can bet∣ter expresse the matter, than the words of Christ in this text, Yee shall be hated of all men.
The use, * 1.24 When we finde it so to∣wards our selves, let it not seeme strange; Christs words must bee true: * 1.25 It should be our comfort thus to be hated, for by such means we may know whose we are. * 1.26 If, said Christ, yee were of the world, the world would love his owne; But
yee are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, there∣fore the world hateth you: * 1.27 Seeing it is so, let us not care for the friendship of wicked men; away with their love, praise, and com∣mendation: Woe unto you, * 1.28 said Christ, when all men shall speake well of you, for so did their fathers unto the false prophets.
Againe, * 1.29 whereas the Lord here saith to his servants, that they shall be hated of all men, I observe, that great is the folly, yea the furie, and madnesse of the wicked; they hate the very men for whose sake their life is spared: If the godly were all out of the world, the world should go to an end; if these pil∣lars were away, the very Heavens should passe away with a noise.
* 1.30 As the wicked are fools, so are they unthankfull, for they hate the men whose cloathes they put on, and whose meat they dayly
eat: for all the meat and cloaths in this world, by right, belong only to these that are godly, to whom Gods word hath said, * 1.31 all things are yours: if all things be theirs, the wicked have nothing but by usur∣pation. Againe, they are both fooles and unthankfull, in that they hate the godly, who hold Gods judgements off them, * 1.32 for only they make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before God for the land, * 1.33 that hee should not destroy it; notwithstanding of all these be∣nefites, these evening wolves both hate and abhor them.
The use, * 1.34 Wonder not that wicked men goe to hell, for they are all fooles, they are like mad men, who cutting the pillars of the house, should cause the house fall down above their heads; the god∣ly are the pillars of the world: As for us, let us love all these that love God, let them bee to us as all the
godly are to Christ Our mother, * 1.35 our brother, and our sister.
Again, * 1.36 whereas Christ here by way of prophesie fortelleth what hatred shall be in the hearts of wic∣ked men against his servants, I ob∣serve Christs knowledge and wis∣dome to be great; * 1.37 we may with good reason say that he is wiser then Daniel, * 1.38 yea wiser then Solo∣mon, who was wiser then all men: * 1.39 then Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman and Chalcol and Darda the sons of Mahol; all these, by all their great wisedome, could see no thing of all that is inclosed within the hearts of men: mens hearts have no windowes for eyes of flesh, but all is open to Gods eyes of fire; * 1.40 God in Ezekiel said to his peo∣ple, * 1.41 I know all the things that came into your minde, yea every one of them: The Lord heere saw a far off that great hatred that was to be in the hearts of all men against his
dear servants; * 1.42 He said not unto them in this text, that all men shall strike you with their hands, or raile upon you with their tongues, but he forwarneth them of a persecu∣tion, inclosed in the hearts of the most part, even the hatred of the heart; Yee, said he, shall be hated of all men for my names sake.
The use, * 1.43 Yee who have the name of Christians, learn heer not to think it enough, if with your tongues yee raile not upon Gods servants, or if yee strike them not: Behold heere in Christs account it is a persecution, if yee hate them in your heart: See therefore yee take heed to your hearts, and that yee love these whom God loveth: As for your hatred, spend it upon your sins, raile on them with your tongues, * 1.44 strike upon your Breast with the Publicane, and upon your thigh with Ephraim, * 1.45 and never take rest, untill yee get that holy re∣venge,
which is required to bee in that godly sorrow, * 1.46 that worketh re∣pentance never to be repented of.
WE have heard how Christ did foretell to his servants, that they should be hated: I also declar∣unto you the universalitie of the hatred, Yee shall be hated of all men; Now thirdly it followeth that we consider the ground and cause of all this hatred, it is contained in these words, For my names sake; that is as much as if Christ had said to his servants, yee shall be ha∣ted for my cause, for the professi∣on, for the Gospel, the doctrine of my name, or because ye belong unto me, and because your heart is sound in my statuts. * 1.47
* 1.48 Observe heere for what cause chiefly the wicked persecute Gods servants; it is not for their faults,
because they are lyers, and swear∣ers, and swagerers, and drunkards, and harlots, or because, as God up∣braided his people, * 1.49 their way is before God as the uncleannesse of a rem ved Woman no not, but for my names sake, saith the Lord: where wee may learne, that the Gospel, the doctrine of Christs name hath many enemies. * 1.50 Thieves and har∣lots hate the light of the Sunne, yea they abhor the least glaunce of a candle; the doctrine of Christs name is a shining sermon, * 1.51 it sets sin before the sinners eyes; it checks and heweth them for it; They hateing to be reformed, hate al∣so to bee reproved: * 1.52 Ahab hated Micajah for no other reason, but because he preached Trueth, and would not flatter him in his sins, as the other false prophets had done, Yee, said Christ heere to his faithfull servants. shall be hated of all men for my Names sake.
The 1. use, * 1.53 Let all Gods servants heere learne, whatto looke for from the most part of men, even hatred for Christs name: When such things come to passe that ma∣ny for the same cause hateus, let us not wonder: * 1.54 The wicked that do such things are so many, that in my text they are called all men: yee, said Christ, shall be hated of all men for my names sake: * 1.55 Let the love of one man Christ, bee a recompence against the hatred of all men; let heaven granted unto us for his names sake, encourage us to beare patientlie the hatred of all men for his names sake; yea, when wee so suffer, let us rejoice that we are accounted worthy, to suffer reproach or shame for the sake of his sacred name: Let this be our joy, we have the dearest of Gods children with us in the same case, king David said, * 1.56 I am a com∣panion of all them that feare thee.
The 2. * 1.57 use: Seeing the godly suffer so willingly much hatred for Christs names sake, and seeing on∣ly for his names sake we receive all our comfort, * 1.58 Whatsoever yee shall aske in my name that will I doe, and seeing his name is so honourable that at his name every knee must bow: * 1.59 Let us love the name of Iesus that plant of renowne; * 1.60 let us respect it & honour it, that we weary not in any troubles we suffer for it: * 1.61 If se∣ven yeeres of that most painefull service for Rachel seemed to Jacob but short, * 1.62 because he loved her, let the constraining love of Christ so sweaten all our sorrowes, that they may seeme easie unto us; yea, mat∣ter of great joy as the Apostles re∣joiced that they were counted wor∣thy to suffer shame for his Name: * 1.63 * 1.64 If for Christs name sake our ad∣versary should write a book against us; * 1.65 let us bee content with Job, to take it upon our shoulder, and bind it
as a crowne to us: yea, if for his names sake we were bound with a chaine of yron, let that yron chain be more precious in our eyes, * 1.66 then that chaine of gold that Pharao put about Josephs neck; let us in a holy bragge in such a case say with S. Paul bound in yron, It is for the hope of Jsrael that I am bound with this chaine; * 1.67 that chaine was to him as a most rare and precious jewel.
The 3. use: * 1.68 Let this serve for reproofe to all these, who in steed of suffering for the sacred name of Christ, most vilely abuse this name above their cups, or vilipend it in the streets, or with profaine mer∣chands have it in their shops, to cover their lies for to deceive the buyers in selling their wares; All such men will never suffer hatred for the name of Iesus. * 1.69
The 4. use: Let this also serve for reproofe to many, who are not moved for the abuse of this glori∣ous
name of Christ, for whose sake they should be ready to suffer the hatred of the most part: * 1.70 If any speake a word of reproach a∣gainst their name, they anone from wordes will goe to swordes; yea, fight in blood to the knees, but the name of Jesus hath few friends; If so it be that some speake words of reproofe, they for the most part are like the soft reproofes of Eli, whose wordes to his sonnes were without life, blunt without anedge why doe yee such things? * 1.71 for I heare of your evill doings by all this people; Nay my sonnes, for it is no good re∣port that I heare; * 1.72If one man sin a∣gainst another, the judge will judge him, but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? How few are these among us, that will this day speake so much for God? and yet Gods judgements were such against Eli and his house for his softnesse in Gods quarrell,
that the eares of every one of them that heard of them were made to tingle: * 1.73 Such also are not ready to suffer hatred for the sake of this name.
The 5. use: * 1.74 Last of all, see∣ing wicked men hate the godly for Christs name sake, let us take good heede that when wicked men hate us or persecute us, it be not for our owne sake, for any evill in us, yea that it be not as it is often said in Amos, * 1.75 For three transgressions and for foure. Peter saith, What glory is it, if when yee be buffited for your fault, yee shall take it patiently, Let no man suffer as a malefactour, that is not thank worthy; Let us all there∣fore take good heed that our afflic∣tions be not for our deservings, like the thiefe on the crosse, who said to his fellow, we are here justly, * 1.76 for we receive the due reward of our deeds; * 1.77 So the Prophet Hosea speaking of Israel said, Israel hath cast off the
thing that is good; the enemie shall pursue him.
Let us all therefore with all dili∣gence give good heede that we be not pursued, afflicted, or hated, for casting off the thing that is good, but that our sufferings be for Christs names sake who for our sake pleased not himselfe, * 1.78 but wil∣lingly exposed himself to all sorts of reproaches and contumelies, yea and that to the shamefull death of the crosse: To him be glory for ever: AMEN.
Ira odium generat.
2 Sam. 13.17 1 King. 22.8
The do∣ctrine.
Gē. 26.27
Pro. 10.12
Note.
2 Cor. 6.14, 15.
The use. Note.
Gen. 27.41
1 Kin. 22.8
Ioh. 15.18
Note.
Gen. 26.21
2 Sam. 12.25
Note.
Mat. 7.13
The do∣ctrine.
Mark. 5.9.
Heb. 11.37
Joel 3.3
Job 29.6 The use.
The do∣ctrine.
Note.
The use.
Note.
Joh. 15.19
Note.
Luke 6.26
The do∣ctrine.
2 Pet. 3.10
1 Cor. 3.21
Eze. 22.30
Zeph. 3.3
The use. Note.
Luk. 8.21
The do∣ctrine.
Note.
Eze. 28.3
1 King 4.31
Revel. 1.14
Ezek. 11.5
Note.
The use. Note.
Luk. 18.13
Jer. 31.19
2 Cor. 7.11 10.
Psal. 119.80
The do∣ctrine. Note.
Eze. 39.27
Note.
Hos. 6.5.
1 King 22.8
The 1. use.
Note.
Note.
Psal. 119.63
The 2. use.
Iohn 14.13
Philip. 2.10
Eze. 34.29
Note.
Gen. 29.20 2 Cor. 5.14
Acts 5.41
Note.
Job. 31.36
Gen. 41.42
Act. 28.20
The 3. use. Note.
The 4. use.
Note.
1 Sam. 2.23
25.
1 Sam. 3.11
The 5. use. Note.
Amos 1.3 &c. 1 Pet. 2.20
Luk. 23.41
Hos. 8.3
Rom. 15.3