Body of Divinity, Book 7 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. II. Of Hatred.
THe affection opposite to love is Hatred.Amor est conscnantia quaedam appetitus ad id, quod apprehenditur ut conveniens: odium verò est dissonantia quaedam appetitus ad id, quo… apprehenditur ut repugnans & nocivum: ficut autem omne conveniens in quantum hujusmodi habet rationem boni, ita omne repugnans in quantum hujusmod: habet rationem mali, & ideo sicut bonum est objectum amoris, ita malum est objectum odii. Aquinas 1a, 2ae. Quaest. 29. Artic. 1. Love is the affection and p…pension of the minde toward some thing as good, hatred is an a…ienation of the minde from some thing as evil, to stand so affected to it, as those words, Farre be it, Farre be it from me, set forth, when the soul riseth against it.
1. The nature of hatred.
2. The image of God in it▪
3. The extream depravation of it by sin.
4. The work of grace sanctifying it.
Of the first.
Hatred in a reasonable soul is a motion of the will whereby it flies from that which it apprehends to be evil, and opposeth it, indeavouring to hurt it.
It ariseth from a discord and disconformity of the object.
There is a two-fold hatred:
1. Odium abominationis, a stying only from a thing.
2. Odium inimicitiae. whereby … pursue what is evil.
There was little use of this affection in our primitive pure estate, there was nothing evil to man or in himself, a concord in all.
There are dive…s causes of this hatred, 1. Antipathy. 2. What hinders us from attaining good, envy, jealousie, there was nothing then to work this but the sinne of the devil only, which whether man knew it or no is uncertain, yet this affection was in him and sanctified.
First, He was prone in his spirit to shunne a real evil, sinne in that degree it was evil.
Secondly, The depravation of this affection, the image of the devil.
As much of our original corruption is found in this affection as any. The greatnesse of the depravation of this affection, appears in three things.
1. The object of it.
2. The Quality of it.
3. The fruits.
Only sin is the proper object of it, but now our hatred is wholly taken from sin, it abhors nothing that is evil.Every man by nature is full of wrath against God, Ephes. 2. 3. Some interpret that actively, Psal. 68. …. There is an enmity in man, 1. Against the very being of God, Psal. 14. 2. His Attributes, would not have him to be so just and jealous, Psal. 50. 21. so pure and emniscient, Isa. 29. 5. 3. Against the councels of God, Isa. 66. 3. Ezek. 14. 3, 7. 4. Against the precepts and prohibitions of God, Rom. 7. 5, 8. 5. The worship of God, Deut. 32. 17. Psal. 1…6. 37. 6. The threats and promises of God, Job 15. 7. His administrations, Rom. 3. 4.
The second object of it now is that which is truly and properly good,
1. God himself primarily, all wicked men hate him, Psalm. 81. 15. Rom. 1. 30. in all his glorious perfections, Justice, Holinesse.
2. Christ, Iohn 7. 7. & 15. …h.
3. All good men, You shall be hated of all men for my names sake.
4. All Gods wayes and Ordinances, Fools hate instruction, Prov. 1.
Secondly, The Quality of this affection. It is
1. A causlesse hatred, Christ saith, They hate me without a cause, and so the Saints may say.
2. Perfect, entire without any mixture of any love.
3. Violent, Psal 55. 3.
4. Cruel, Psal. 25. 9.
5. Durable, irreconcilable.
Thirdly, The effects of it:
1. All sins of omission.
2. Abundance of actual wickednesse, contempt and distrust of God, his wayes and children.
Fourthly, The Sanctification of this affection of hatred.
The work of grace in every faculty is destroying the power of corruption, and creating in it those principles of grace that turn it again into the right way.
1. It is taken off from those objects to which it was undeservedly carried afore.
2. It is ordered aright for measure.
3. It brings forth that fruit which God requires.
First, What the work of Gods grace carries the affection of hatred *Our hatred must be withdrawn from such things and persons as are not to be hated. First, Things. 1. Goodnesse, vertue, piety, because it is the image of God, and is in it self most beneficial, Prov. 1. 22, 29. 2. The means of goodnesse, as Instruction, Reproof, Correction, Prov. 9. 8. & 12. 1. John 3. 20. Secondly, Persons. 1. The Church in general. 2. Any good man, 2 Tim. 3. 3. Psal. 34. 21. 3. He which admonisheth or correcteth, Prov. 9. 4. an enemy, Matth. 5.to.
1. It makes all our opposition to God and his Ordinances cease, it ceaseth to hate good, and hates that which is evil.
2. It is carried to the right object, which is every thing that is really evil to us, the will shuns and opposeth it.
Two sorts of things are really evil:
1. What ever is opposite to our natural being, our life, peace, wealth, name, as sicknesse, affliction, death.
2. What is contrary to our spiritual being, as sin.
All evils of the first nature come from God. Gods will is the rule of all holinesse, therefore we should submit,
1. Our will to God to do what he pleaseth. That is the greatest evil which is against the greatest good, God: sin and wicked men oppose him, the greatest evil must have the greatest opposition, I hate every fal…e way, sin strikes at the being and excellency of God, we must dislike wicked men for sins sake.
2. The work of grace appears in the degree and measure of working when it sanctifieth any affection. It is according as the light of understanding guided by Gods counsel orders the Spirit, of evils sin is to be more hated then punishment, and the greater the sin, the greater should be the opposition.
3. The work of Gods grace in sanctifying this affection is much seen in the fruits of hatred.
This stands in two things:
1. Hatred is a Sentinel to the soul to keep out evil, it makes the soul warily shun and avoid those things which are really evil to me, it is a deep and severe passion, not sudden as *Hatred differs from anger in three things, 1. Anger is with a particular, Hatred against universals, foreign against the whole kinde, I hate every false way. 2. Anger may be cured by time, but no… hatred. 3. Anger is content to render like for like, hatred aims at the destruction of things. Among the Aegyptians a Fish was the Hieroglyphick of hatred, because of all creatures they doe most devour one another.anger.
2. It quickens the soul to the destruction of the thing hated, it maketh it endeavour its ruine.
Signs.
I. Of Hatred.We must hate sin as sin, for it self, else our hatred is not from a principle of love to God, as sin is a transgression of his Law, Psal. 97. 10. If we hate sin for it self we will 1. Hate all sin, à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia, as he that loves a Saint for himself, loves every Saint. 2. We will dislike sin under what shape soever it comes. 3. We will dislike it in all sorts of persons, those that are near us, Psal. 139. 20, 21. 4. We will hate sin in the being as well as acting of it, the Law requires a holy nature as well as life. 5. We will set no bounds to ou… hatred, Isa. 33. 15. 6. Will dislike all occasions and means that tend to it.
Speaking against a thing still, and disgracing, it is displeased at its company, and cannot endure its presence.
II. Of Sanctified Hatred:
1. If it be sanctified, thou ceasest to be a hater of God. This makes a creature so like the devil that no man will believe he hates God. Hatred is an opposition to love, love of God makes us endeavour an union with him, thou carest not for a knowledge of God or being nigh him.
2. A desire that another may not be so excellent as he is, wicked men would not have God have a being or so excellent a being, would not have him be so holy, pure, just.
3. A great sign of hatred is contrariety or opposition of wils. Gods will is revealed in his Word, when there is an opposition to it, we sinne against him, Exod. 20. 2d Commandment, Those that love me and keep my Commandments, those hate God that do not keep his Commandments. God chooseth holinesse, you filthiness, if thy will be contrary to the choice he makes, thou hatest him.
4. That which is feared, unlesse it be with a reverential fear, is hated. To stand in awe of God a… the Indians of the Devil, who dare not but offer Sacrifices lest the Devil should hurt them.
Secondly, For the evil of punishment, how far sanctified hatred may be carried against crosses.
We may use all lawful means to have the crosses removed, but with a quiet resignation to the will of God, if he will have it so.Every Christian should have his heart possessed with a l…hing detestation & hatred of sin, that being indeed the first and principal, and most immediate object of hatred. Hatred of sin will bewray it self, 1. In a constant jealousie and watchfulnesse over the soul and over every small rising of corruption. 2. By a serious resistance in the temptation Rom. 7. 15. 3. By bitter grief after the transgression, Jer. 8. 6. Rom. 7. 23.
If our hatred be sanctified, then it is carried against sinne primarily and properly, because it is Gods great enemy and ours, and the great evil in it self.
How to know whether our heart be rightly carried against sin.
This is a great part of Repentance. Repentance is the turning of the affections, especially those two great affections of love and hatred in our lost condition. Our hatred was against God, and our love set on sin, now contrarily,
1. Where ever this affection of hatred is carried aright against sinne, the minde judgeth of sinne as Gods Wotd doth, counteth it the greatest abomination, and dislikes it not onelyonly because it brings damnation, but because of the nature of it. The Scripture cals it our deformity, uncleannesse, nakednesse, a running issue.
2. Here sinne is grieved for as the greatest evil, if one have an antipathy against a creature, yet if that be farre enough there is no great trouble, Rom. 7. Wretched man that I am. It is the greatest spiritual, though not sensitive grief; we are most troubled at those evils which most affect the body, have the greatest sense of grief for them, as the …amp, gont, stone, but here the intellectual nature is most offended with sin, chuseth more to be rid of it then trouble, and judgeth himself more abominable for it.
3. A constant hatred of sin.
4. It endeavours to …uine and destroy it, the Scripture often expresseth it by killing of sin, Mor…isi. …our members.
5. It hates it upon those grounds that God hates it, because it is a rebellion against God, crucifieth Christ, grieves the Spirit, is at enmity to the grace of God in me, I hate it upon such spiritual grounds.
6. Where ever sin is truly hated, there we hate it most in those that are nearest to our selves. Hatred of sin is one half of repentance, sin is a hatred of God, and a loving of sinne; in Repentance our love is turned to God, and hatred set on sinne.
Means to get our hatred of sin sanctified:
First, Study to get a right information of sin, what ever can be the object of hatred meets in sin in the highest degree, in crosses there is something evil, but in sin there is nothing good, it is not only evil, but hath in it all kinde of evil.
1. A defiling evil.
2. Deprives us of all other good, robs us of God, peace, comfort.
Secondly, Principally get thy heart filled with the love of God and his wayes, you that love God hate that which is evil, Psal. 119. I love all thy Commandments▪ therefore I hate every evil way, love the holy Spirit, and thou wilt hate filthinesse.