Chap.9. about nger, Wrath, Malice, &c. that darkreJTe harh 61t d°d l is ey-s ; As then blinde men are commonly re- ßi : fo the blindneile of ignorance makes men prone to hate their neigh- boúrs. nnetl. Is there nopodoft of hatred? Alfa. Yes, Firß, t_s naturally gooi, leaving to make us avoid thinE s that are hurtful. Secondly, its morally good, when we life is to oppofe that which is contra- ry to the Sovereign good, which is God :' For when the hate that whichGod hateth, we cannot do amide, fo we be fure that Godhates it : as when wehate the uti uß habits and aS:ions which arecondemned by the Word of God. But as for mens perlons, becaufe God bath not declaredhis hatred, or love to this or that man, we mull love them all not fearing ro offendGod thereby, though he fhould hare any of them ; far wecannot offend him by obeying his Com- mandment, which is, that we fhosldlove Our n.'iahbo-rrr aroZ,o fives. There is indeed an hatred of iniquity inGod againfl rhofe that oppofe his glory, which obligeth us al fo ro hate themwith that hatred ofiniquity, and to oppofe them fo long as they oppofeGod. SoDavid, Pf. r 39.25. Do not I hatethem that hate thee, &c.? I hate themwith a perf fl hatred, I'count themmine ene- mies ; But we mull: rake heed left the hatredof iniquity, bring a hatred againß the perfon. For to love our ene:nies, and to overcome the evil with good, is the moti ingenuous imitation of God himfelf. Hence c Mat. 5.44. Love your enemies, be. that you may be thechildren of your heavenly Fatker,c c. There is need of a great meafure ofwifdom, and grace toobferve thefe two Precepts together, Pfal. 97. I o. re that love the Lori hate evil ; and Thou (halt lave t/.9, nei?hbouras thy f !F, Mat. aa. 39. Hating iniquity in the wicked, and to ving their perlons, and both for Gods fake. -weft. what is thechief rife of hatred eilnfv. It is to be incited to goodby the hatredof evil ; For whichend it is not neceffary that the greatneffe of hatred , equal the greatneffe of the evil : We arenot obliged to hate evil things as much as theydeferve ; for then the great current of our affe&ionswould run into thechannel of hatred, and leave the channel of love dry : whereas the hatred of evil is not requifite of it felf but byaccident, as a confequence of the love of good : For if the hatred of vice perfwade us to verrue, we (hall be yet more perfwaded to it by the love oc goodneífe. what are the a f th of hatred, which n-ay male it hateful : Airfiv: Firß, manyof them are the fame with the effe&s of anger: For there is noanger withoutfome degree of hatred, ifnot to the perfon, yet to the anion : But there is force hatred without anger, when,in coldblood,men pre - meditate the deflru6Iion of anadverfary. Secondly,all thedeßru Lions in the world, wherein mans Will is an Agent.are immediately wrought byhatred : For though theymay have remote caufes of ambition, covetoufneffe, carnal love, emulation, and all the violent Paflons : yet thefe deßroynotbut by accident, till force oppoition hath driven theminto . hatred, which is theExecutioner and Avenger of wrongs. Thirdly, unto hatredall the cruelty of Tyranny, and malice mull be imputed r and therefore its no marvel, if by hating our neighbours We. become Gods ene- mies, t john 4. ao. If amanfay he loves god, and hater his brother, he. is a liar. Fourthly, hatred is a bitter venome, which being once dißùfed, and foaked into the foul, turnes a man intoanHell-fury makes himcontrary to all good, and ready and indcftrious to all evil ; yet doth it more harme to a mans felfe, then to any other, confuining his fpirits with a continual malignant Feaver, arid banifl ins from his foul, ferenity,and meekneffe, which fhouldnourifh other ver- tues, and give ref} to the foul. M Fifthly, I. I.
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