A Practical and Polemical Commentary Upon 2 Timothy 3-4, Part 1 · Subpart 3 · Section 8
14. Despisers of those that are good. foreign, Bonorum osores & hostes.
This is the fourteenth sin which renders the last Times so Perilous. Men will be no Lovers (i. e.) they will be Haters and Despisers of good men,De personis ac rebus accipi potest; qui net bonum, nec bonus am…nt. Gerhard. in locum. Haec vitia privativa per Meiosim pontivum vitium virtuti, quâ privant, contrarium significat. à Lapide. yea, and of goodness it self ('tis a Meiosis, where less is spoken, then is meant) and that not with a light or toothless Hatred, but with a deadly, deep, intolerate hatred. Hence they are called Lions, which greedily tear and devoure the flock of Christ. 2 Tim. 4.17. (as you may see in the preceding Character.)
This must needs be so.
1. If we consider that strong Antipathy and Enmity which is between the righteous and the wicked, there's an irreconcileable Warre and Hatred between them. Gen. 3.15. the righteons man hates not the Person, but the Practices of the wicked; but the wicked hate both the person and the Piety of the just, because by their upright walking, they condemn them, and witness against their sinfull Practises, their purity condemnes the worlds impurity; their Loveliness, the worlds maliciousness; their humility, the worlds pride; their Self-deniall condemnes the worlds Self-seeking, and their forwardness, the worlds Luke-warmness, Hinc illae lacrymae. This is the ground of the grudge. The godly are the light of the world. Phil. 2.15. and the Judges of it. 1 Cor. 6.2. Now the lewd man hates the light which discovers him. Iohn 3.20. and the Judge which condemnes him. This made Cain to slay his Brother. 1 Iohn 3.12. and the world to hate Christ, because he testified against its evill deeds. Iohn 7.7.
2. In respect of the dissimilitude of their manners.Dispares mores disparia studia sequuntur, quorum dissimilitudo dissociat amicitias. Cicero de Amicit. They have contrary Principles, Practises, Ends and Aymes. The men of the world savour only the things of the world, being filled with Covetousness, Pride, Idleness, Intemperance, Lust. But the godly savour the things of God, being Holy, Heavenly, Humble,Oderunt hilarem tristes, tristemque …ocosi. Hor. l. 1. ep. 18. Chaste, Temperate, &c. now as similitude is the ground of Love, so dissimilitude is the ground of Hatred. Prov. 29. ult. The righteons is an abomination to the wicked, and the wicked is an abomination to the just. So that there is no communion between this light and darknesse, no concord between Christ and Belial. 2 Cor. 6.14.15. There is a Canonicall truth in that Apocriphall Text. Wisdome 2.12.15, 16.19. 'tis grievous to us to behold the righteous, why so? for his life is not like other mens, and his wayes are of another fashion. q. d. Our wayes are loose, voluptuous, Epicurean wayes; but his are precise, strict and pure wayes, directly contrary to ours. We are all for our selves, our own ease and goods; they are all for God, his praise and honour, so that we can never agree. Hence 'tis, that those whom God hates, the world usually loves, and those whom God loves, the world alwayes hates. We have a notable instance in our dayes, In the Queen of Sweden, who is now turned Papist, (for what ends she her self best knows) and is blest, pardoned, praised, by Pope, Priests, Jesuites, and is sumpteously entertained by others: when she is blasted, cursed, & abhorred of God, as an horrid Apostate, and gross Idolater now in a time of glorious light, when the nakednesse of the whore, is so palpably discovered to the world.
3. The godly are the salt of the world, by their savory reproof, and counsell, and by their holy Example, they help to keep the world from rotting in sin, yea the whole life of the godly is a kind of tacite reproof of the wicked wayes and customes of the world. 1 Pet. 4.4. Heb. 11.7. Hence comes the hatred. Iohn 15.18, 19.
4. The men of the world are ensnared in many lusts, and lye tumbling like swine in their own filth: Iohn 5.19. So that they cannot arise to that height of Sanctity, Self-deniall, Patience, humility, &c. which the Saints attain. This makes them envie the Saints.
5. The godly are chosen out of the world, and therefore they shunne all needlesse society and intimate familiarity with the wicked. Thus Saul, when he became a Paul and was changed, he changed his company, Acts 9.19. and this makes the world hate them, whilest they look upon them as Apostates from their society. This made the Papists taxe Luther for an Apostate,See more Reason in M…. Young's Cure of Prejudice. p. 1. &c. Luther confest it, but he was an holy Apostate, one who had not kept his promise made to the Devill, and therefore no more to be blamed then a Heathen for turning Christian, or a Magitian for renouncing his compact with the Devill, and giving himselfe to God.
Now, if despising and despiting of good men, and goodness it self, be a sinne and signe of the last times; then ours surely are the last dayes. Was there ever more despising of good Magistrates, good Ministers, good people? when were the Reall servants of Christ more despited, not for any evill that they have done, but because they will not doe evill, in denying Ordinances, Order, Government, &c. yet be not offended, neither marvell (2 Iohn 3.13.) as if some strange thing had happened to you; you see here it's long since foretold, that it should be so in these last dayes. We are apt to marvell when we see the godly hated, persecuted, tortured, and abused, who ought rather to be loved, honoured, and countenanced for their Grace, but we might rather marvell, if the world should love them, for this is no new thing, it ever hath been so, 'tis so, 'twill be so to the end of the world. There ever will be Cains to persecute Gods Abells, Pharaohs, to opresse Gods Israel, and tares to hinder Gods wheat. God hath so decreed it for the manifestation of the glory of his Justice in the downfall of the wicked. Prov. 16.4. he will get himself Glory out of their malice, as the wise Physician extracts a medicine out of Poyson;) their very rage against his people shall turn to his praise, Psal. 76.10. as we see in Pharaoh, Haman, Herod. 'Tis just with him to render tribulation to such as molest his people. 2 Thes. 1.6.
2. To try and exercise the Faith, Hope, Patience, and Constancy of his people.Marcet sine adversario virtus, tunc apparet, quanta sit quantumque valeat, quid possit patientia ostendit. Seneca l. de Provid. c. 1. Isay 27.9. 2 Thes. 1.4. Dan. 12, 10.
3. To wean them from the world, as the Mother layes wormwood on the breast, to wean the child.
Now since we live in a time wherein the love of many waxeth cold both to Christ, and to Reall Christians; let us be Gods witnesses against a sinfull generation.Quos sine fuco bonos comperiemus, hos prae aliis amemus. The more the world hates the good for their goodnesse, the more let us love them. 'Tis a good evidence that we are Saints, when we can love not onelyonly a Brother or two, but the whole Brother-hood. 1 Pet. 2.17. 1 Iohn 3.14. and all the Saints, be they high or low. Ephes. 1.15. when we can love a Saint in rags, as well as a Saint in Silken robes; a Iob on the dung-hill, as well as a David on the throne. It's easie to love a good man for his Riches, Learning, Parts, Gifts; this is but a carnall love, and springs from carnall Ends, and Principles. Iames 2.1, 2, 3, 4. True love, is a spirituall love, springing from spirituall considerations, it makes men love the Saints for their faith, zeale, &c. and not for any by-respect. As 'tis the property of a Reprobate, to hate a godly man for his godlinesse. 1 Kings 22.3. Ezek. 13.22. Prov. 29.10. 1 Iohn 3.10. So it argues Grace to love a good man simply for his goodness.See more Sheffield on Conscience. chapt. 14. 1 Kings 18.3, 4. and 2.4, 9, 10. he that loves one good man truly, will love all. Quatenus ipsum includit de omni. In his judgement he highly prizeth them, though they lye amongst the Pots, and be sullyed with many afflictions, tentations, and reproaches, yet he preferres society and communion with them on the hardest terms, before all the honours and treasures of the world. Heb. 11.25. he looks upon them as the Right Honourable of the world,They are of the blood Royall, Christ is flesh of their flesh, he's their Head, and they his members, he's the Vine, and they the branches, he's their Husband and King, who hath made them all Kings. Hence the Church is called Ierusalem above. Gal. 4.26, in respect of her noble Pedigree, her birth is from above, her meditations are above, and her conversation is above. Phil. 3.20. as the Pillars of the places where they dwell, Gal. 2.9, the strength and ammunition of a nation, the Chariots and Horse-men of Israel. 2 Kings 2.12. as the Lords Portion, Deut. 32.9. his pleasant Portion. Ier. 12.10. as his Inheritance. Psal. 28.9. and 33.12. Isay 19.25. though all the world be his, yet he esteems it all but drosse, and lumber, in comparison of the godly, who are his jewells; even a people near and dear to him. Mal. 3.17. though they may lye under some afflictions, yet they are under dear affections, (as we see in Iob, David, Paul) though the gold lye in the dirt, yet 'tis gold still, and when we see 'tis gold, we pick it up, and prize it. David esteemed the godly the onelyonly excellent of the world.See Doctor Boltons Serm. on Cant. 4.9. p. 43. Folio. Psal. 16.3. and such as truly deserve respect. Psal. 15.3. God himself prizeth them above Kings. Psal. 105.14, 15. he rebukes Kings, yea, and Kingdomes for their sakes. Isay 43.14. For your sakes have I sent to Babylon, and brought down all their Nobles. How did God plague those knowne enemies of his people, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Tyre, Egypt,
Philistia, and Rome
Pagan.
Arrian.
Antichristian.
God hath a precious esteem of his people, their persons are precious. Zach. 2.3. their prayers are precious. Cant. 2.14. their Services are precious; mean works done in faith, excell the Victories of a Caesar, or Alexander. Their teares are precious. Psal. 56.8. their names are precious. Proverbs 20, 7. Psalm 112.6. and their death is precious. Psalm 116.15. when one ask't Master Fox whether he knew such an honest poor man? I tell you (said he) I forget Lords and Ladyes to think on such. We should love them [Intensivè & appretiativè, majore affectu & effectu] with the choycest of our affections, and shew it in our Actions. We should doe good to all, but specially to the household servants of God. Gal. 6.10. we should more freely and fully communicate to their necessities (si caetera sint paria) then to any others. As God then delights in his Saints, so must we, for Grace puts a lustre on them, which makes them lovely to the godly, and terrible to their enemies; So that there is more comfort and safety in the society of a few good men, then in strong confederacies of the wicked. Psalm 48.2, 3, 4. for God dwells amongst them by his speciall presence. Psalm 76.1, 2. and walks in the midst of them. Revel. 2.1. his speciall hand of protection is over them, lest any should hurt his Vineyard, he keepes it night and day (i. e.) continually. Isay 27.3. It will be our wisdome then to be familiar with them, they will help us Consilio, Prece, & opere; by Direction, Prayer, and Practice. Their good Example will quicken us, and be as a Starre to direct us, so that by acquaintance with them, we may come to be acquainted with God himself. As Iron sharpens Iron, and one living coale sets his fellow on fire, and one couragious souldier, quickens another? so good company is a great incouragement against those discouragements, which we meet with from an ungratefull world; and a speciall meanes to keep u… from Apostasy. Heb. 3.12, 13. Green wood will hardly burn alone, but put drye wood amongst the green, and all will flame. When the disciples were altogether in one place, with one accord, in an holy communion, then the spirit came on them. Acts 2.3, 4. where Brethren are united, there's the blessing. Psal. 133.1.3.