266 The Evil of Evils, or the hatcJ ddlwor4ers ofiniquity; Co that fin makes the Creature the obje&ofGodshatred : God faith not (mark ) he hates the workofiniquityon- ly ; but the worker ofiniquity : God hates not the Creature as hemade them, but through fin the Creaturecomes to be hated ; eventhe wor- kersofiniquity. Now obferve the firength of the Reafon, That which makes man the ob-. je&of Godshatred,muft needs be agreater evil than that which can ftandwith Gods everlafting love: for á IiaionsinAle fl!rength of them, and bitternef's ofthere; may ítand withGods eternal love; nay obferve, they may ftand with the fame love wherwithal God. theFather lovedhis Son JefusChrift; for fo in the 17. ofjohn, latter end; thereChrift praics to theFather, that thou maieft love them with thevery fame love with which thou loveft me : Now God the Father loved Chria, and yet God the Father affli&ed Chrift, and Chrifi wasunder fore affli&ions, and yet atthat very time God the Father lovedhim: So a manor awoman afflicted, notwithftanding all theiraffli&ions, they mayhave thevery fame'. loveofGod theFather that Jefus Chrift himfelf had, in a manner theveryfame : And my thinks this might be a mighty encouragement to affïi- éted fouls; are you of Ii tedwith poverty,hodi- ly ficknefs, perfecution, any thing ? Know, for all this affli&ion, God may love you with the fame love he lovedhis Son : but fin makes the Creature theobje&ofthe hatred of God. But youwill fay, Gods Children have fin. Of its own nature, it would make them objets. of Gods
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