too SERMONS upon Serm. 2 3. SERMON XXIII. JOHN XVII. t4. 1 have given them thy Word, and the World hatb hated them, becaufe they are not of the World, even as I am not of the World. III. Y" 7 A V I NG Given the Inflances and Difcovery Of the World's Hatred to the People of God, I now come to the Reafons thereof o. Difference and Eflrangement in courfe of Life,is a provo- king thing.Therefore Men that live in any finfulcourfe,are loth that any Ihould part company with them. r ¡Pet. 4.4. Wherein they think it orange, that yon rim not with them to all excel:, of Riot, f1ieaking evil of yon. Therefore they hate them, becaufe of the difference in courfe of Life. Now this Sui- tablenefs and Onenefs of Courfe can never be between the ferious Worfhippers of God, and others. There is a contrariety in their Difpofttions ; the one have theSpirit of the World, the other have an heavenly Spirit. s Cor. 2. ea. They are employed in the Service of contrary Maflers, Chriff and Mammon, Mat. 6.24. Chrifi and Belial, 2 Cor. 6. r g. They are guided by contrary Rules, the Law of Sin, and the Law ot Righteoufnee, the Clifton's of the World, and the Will of God : And they are car- ried in all their Ways and A &ions to contrary Ends; the one living for earthly, the other for heavenly Things. Whence it mull necell'arily follow, that they muff conti- nually cross one another in the Courfe of their Converfation. 2. This is not all, it is not only a Difference, but a Difference about Religion, and ufually Hatreds that arife from Difference in Religion are very deadly g that which is for the Reffraint of Paffion,is made the Fuel ofit, and inffead of a Judg, a Party. The Samaritans and Jews could not endure one another. The nearer they agree, the Strife is the greater, when they are outftripped in that Form. Troximorim odia flint acer- rima. A Turk hateth a Jew more than a Chriftian, a Jew hateth a Chriftian more than others. So in the other Subdivifon, the nearer and more conjoined in a common Pro- feffion, the greater the particular Breach, and the Hatred more fierce. 3. It is not only Difference about Religion, but between the true Religion and falle. Falfe Worfhips, tho never fo different, may better agree together, than the falfe with the true , as Darknefs and Darknefs will better fuit than Light and Darknefs 5 and one Error will give better Quarter to another, than either will to the right Wor- fhip of God. The Heathens tolerated the Epicureans, that denied Providence, and took away all refpe& and care about Divine Matters, and yet perfecuted Chr flians. The ftri& Profeffion of the Name of the true God enrageth more, than to fay, There is no God. The Romans when they had captivated any Nation,worfhipped the Gods of it, ex- cept it were Jehovah, the God of the Jews 3 yea, afterward, tho the Jews were equally againff the Idolatries of the Gentiles, as the Chriians, yet they were not fo generally hated and perfecuted. So that Hatred and Perfecution is the Churches Lot, and the evil Gensxa that followeth the Gofpel where-ever it goeth. Other Religions, tho much different among themfelves, can agree well enough, and live together in Peace; when the malignity of the World is turned upon that which is true. Under Ronte- Antichri- than, the Jews were tolerated, but not Protefiants. But why is there fah a Spite and Enmity at the fincere and ferious Profeffion of the true Religion ? . It is needful tofpeak to this, that we may fearch this Sore to the bot- tom. Holinee is lovely, and there is a natural Veneration of what is firs&, and God- liners in the Power of it tendeth to Love and Meeknefs, and teacaheth Men Patience in Wronger
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