494 The Nature and Necejjiuo[Regeneration: 6. Sixthly and laftly, Both the Perfons and the Performances ofVmegenerate Mm, while The Ptr(rnu the_y are fuch, are .di{pt:afing unt~ God, and therefore this change iJ necejf4ry in order unto and_.rhe Salvation. CertamiY t(God netther love what they are, nor what they do, it will ~~;~;;;of be impqffible for them to enter into Heaven, while God keeps it. Garrifon'd againfi: 1111rt(t:nt· thc;:m, unlcfs they can break down the Eternal Fence, and take tt by .:tnothcr force ratt ~fw thin ever 'John Baprift's Hearer~ did. Now that God neither loves unregenerate Men; ,.,~e dif Pcrfons nor Performances, nctther what they arc nor what they do, is clear. ~~etJml· . Firft, He loves tlot trhat they are,. r?eir Pnfons are difpleajing to !Jim: Neither is this ll'h;le rhey difplcafure founde~ upon a finall dtfl tke, but upon that moft bitter and implacable llr&ji~eh. Paflion of Hatred In Pfal. )• 5· Thou hateft all workers of iniquity. And th is hatred is J, reciprocal, for as wicked Men ar e hated by God, fo they are haters of God, Rom. ?:t:/~:;~ 1. 23; H_aurs ~[God. Hence the Apoftle tells us expr~fly, they that are itt r_he ficfh, flu. that ts, In their unregenerate ftate, cannot plcafc God, m Rom. 8. 8. and he gtves the rcafon of it in Verf~ 8. _Becaufe, fays he, the carnal mind U enmity againft God. Thus you fee the oppofitton JS m~tual, and amounts to no lcfs than a hatred on both parts, both on Gocl's and on the Smners. Why now, though Anger be for the prefcnt a fuarp and eager Paflion, yet is it foon pacified by a retribution of wrong for wrong but HJtred is irreconcilcable, and refts fatisfied in nothing lefs than in the utter de: ftruB:ion of its ObjeCt And thus wicked .Men hate God, and wilh at lcaft there v.'ere none, and do \~hat they can to de~hrone him: And God again fo hates them that he rcfolves h~ wtll have no peace Wlth the_m, There U no peace, faith my G?d, to rhe wicked, but wtll pm·fue them to dell:ruChon. Why now let Sumers fenoully confider that they are mortally hated by that God who is oflnfinite Power, and ca11 when he pleafeth bring upon them the dreadful etreas of his hatred. And is it like that fuch Men !pall ever enter into Heaven, where there is £itch an hatred armed ·with power to their juft and eternal perdition? At·e you ihonger than God, or arc you more mighty than the Almighty? Can you reverfe his Decree, whereby he hath doomed all the wicked unto Hell? Or can you compel him to make other terins with you than he hath already propounded in his unalterable Word? Can you diftrefs him to furrender Heaven to you? Or can you break down the Walls and Ramparts of Heaven, and burft open thofe Everlafring Gates that he hath fhut and , fealed againfl: you? Alas! Then what are all your hopes? Whereto is it that you trnll:? Do you think at laft to enter Heaven as Friends, who now daily aff:mlt the God of Heaven as Enemies ·? Afihre your felves, as long as God is able to hold it out againft you, not one wicked Wretch Thall ever enter there. \Vhen the Angels re~ belied God chafed whole Millions of them out of Heaven, and do you think that ever he will admit rebellious Men into Heaven? No, doubtleE the fame hatred that cart them out head\onr;, and purfues them down to the Pit of Hell, will alfo purfi1e all the wicked of the World thither, who are as well Enemies to God as to the Dt~ viis thcmfclves. Let all unrenewed Sinners therefore fadly and ferioufiy confider with themfelves what hopes they have ofHeaven, fincc God counts them for Ene~ mirs, and profdfeth that he hates them, nay, not only hates them, but hates the very places where they arc for their f.1kes; fo you have it in Amos 6. 8. The Lord hath fivorn by himfelf, f abhor the e>.:Ge!iency of Jacob, and I hate his Paldces. And ' fhould wicked Men come into Heaven, Heaven would become a hateful Seat unto God. 2 , Secondly, As their Perfons are hateful, fo alfo all their Performances arc difpleajit;g utJti'J Gedhttw God. This follows 11pon the former, for where the Perfons is not accepted the Serrhe Pr,for- vices cannot, and therefore it is faid, Gen. 4·4· The lArd had refpetf to Abel, and to '""kw Dj his Offering l firft to his Perfon, and then to his Service; if your Pcrfons be hateful ~/.~/d to God, never expea that your Performances fhould be acceptable ; and the t:eafon is clear, becaufc there is but one way of acceptance for our Selves, and for our DutiCs, and that is thorough Chrift. As the beft are not in this Life free from the re.. maindcrs ofSin, fo neither are their beft Duties free from the mixtures of Sin; nmy thcfc finful mixtures arc fo manifcft unto God, that he nmft needs reject and abmm.. nate them, Were it not that Chrift, into whofe Hands they are firft delivered, fepa~ rates thofe mixtures, and fills up all their defects by the redundancy of his own Me~ rits. But the Duties of wicked men are not fo accepted in Chrift; audJcious and bold are they as to come before God without a Mediator to prcfent them ; and that Gocl who is pleafed with nothing but what is abfolutely perfctl, if floc fo in it fclf, yet at lealt in the Mediation of his Son, feeing fo many faplts and flaws in the fcrYJCCS
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