Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 3 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of Averſion, Hatred, and Revenge.
AVerſion is the firſt ſeed of Hatred, and hath a larger extent; for hatred regards onelyonly perſons or actions, but many have Averſions for unreaſonable or inanimate things; wherefore thoſe Averſions are commonly unreaſonable, whether it be out of naturall antipathy, or out of fancy & wantonneſſe. Perſons ſubject to thoſe Averſions have commonly more Paſſion then reaſon, and are ſuch as are made tender and are ſoft ſpirited by eaſe. Ladies have many antipathyes, but among country wives and milkmayds you ſhall find but few that will ſwound at the ſight of a ſpider or a frog.
A wiſe man muſt impartially examine thoſe Averſions, if he have any, whether they conſiſt in fancy or nature, and not flatter himſelſe in ſuch capricious weakeneſſes. He ſhall do much for his reſt and credit if he can weane himſelfe altogether from them. He that can command himſelfe to have no Averſion, of which he may not give a reaſon, will traine his paſsion that way, to have no unreaſonable Hatred againſt any perſon.
Hatred is an indignation for an injury received or imagined, or for an ill opinion conceived of a perſon or action. This deſcription is common to it with anger. Herein they differ, that anger is ſudden and hath a ſhort courſe; but hatred is meditated at leaſure, and is laſting: Alſo that anger ſeeks more a mans vindication then the harme of others, but hatred ſtudieth the harme of adverſaries.
Hatred, as anger, is a compound of pride and ſadneſſe. (I meane the vicious hatred and the moſt common.) It proceeds likewiſe out of ignorance of ones ſelfe, and the price and nature of things. This Philoſophy we learne of St. John 1 Joh. 2.11. He that hates his Brother is in darkneſſe, and knowes not whither he goes, becauſe that darkneſſe hath blinded his eyes; for ignorance is the darkneſſe of the ſoul. As then blind men are commonly teſty, the blindneſſe of ignorance will make men prone to hate their neighbours, and hatred afterwards increaſeth that blindneſſe. By the ſame ignorance whereby we love ſome perſons and things without knowledge and reaſon, we hate alſo ſome perſons and things without reaſon; and many will chooſe rather to loſe a friend then a ſhilling.
Hatred is naturally good, ſerving to make us avoyd things hurtfull, and it is morally good when we uſe it to oppoſe that which is contrary to the Soveraine good which is God. When we hate that which God hateth we cannot do amiſs, ſo that we be very certaine that God hates it; ſuch are the unjuſt habits and actions condemned by his word and by that law of nature written in mans heart: But as for the perſons, becauſe we have no declaration of Gods love and hatred to this or that man, we muſt love them all, and never feare to offend God by loving that which he hateth, for we cannot offend him by obeying his commandement. Now he commands us to love our neighbours as ourſelves. No doubt but we muſt love many perſons which God hateth, neither will it be time to hate them till we have heard the ſentence of Gods perſonall hatred pronounced againſt them.
I ſay, Gods perſonal hatred, becauſe there is a hatred of iniquity in God againſt thoſe that oppoſe his glory; which obligeth us to hate them alſo with that hatred of iniquity, and to oppoſe them vigorouſly, as long as they oppoſe God. Of that hatred ſpake David when he ſaid, Pſal. 139.21. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee, and am not I grieved with them that riſe up againſt thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies. But wee muſt take heed leſt the hatred of iniquity, bring the hatred againſt the perſons; and the perſons muſt not be afflicted more then needs, for the repreſſing of iniquity: The more difficult it is to keep that temper, the more earneſtly ought we to endeavour to render all offices of charity and perſonall humanity to them whoſe party we juſtly ſeek to defeate; for to love our enemies and to overcome the evill with good, is the moſt ingenuous imitation of the Godhead. It is his command, joyned with his example, Matth. 5.44. Love your enemies, bleſſe them that curſe you, do good to them which deſpitefully uſe you and perſecute you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he makes his Sun to riſe on the evill and on the good, and ſends raine on the juſt and on the unjuſt.
There is need of a great meaſure of grace and wiſedome to obſerve theſe two precepts together. Pſal. 97.10. Ye that love the Lord hate evill, and Matth. 22.39. Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour like thy ſelfe, hating iniquity in the wicked, and loving their perſons, and both for Gods ſake.
The chiefe uſe of hatred is, to be incited to good by the hatred of evill. For that end, it is not neceſſary that the greatneſſe of hatred equall the greatneſſe of the evill, and we are not obliged to hate evill things as much as they deſerve; otherwiſe the great currant of our affection would runne into the channell of hatred, and leave the channell of love, dry. Now it is in loving the Soveraine good with all our ſtrength and with all our ſoul, that our duty and happineſſe conſiſteth, not in hating the evill with all our ſtrength, and with all our ſoul. The hatred of evill is not requiſite of it ſelfe, but by accident, as a conſequence of the love of good. If the hatred of vice perſwade us to vertue, we ſhall be more yet perſwaded to it by the love of goodneſſe.
Many effects of hatred are the ſame as the effects of anger; for there is no anger without hatred in ſome degree, if not to a perſon, at leaſt to an action. But there is ſome hatred without anger, when one forethinks in cold blood the wayes to deſtroy an adverſary.
All the deſtructions of the world where the will of man is an agent are wrought immediately by hatred. They have many remote cauſes anbition, covetouſneſſe, carnall love, emulation and all the violent paſsions; but they deſtroy not, but by accident, till ſome oppoſition hath driven them into hatred, which in the inward polity of the ſoul hath the ſame office as the hangman in a Citty, for it is the executioner and avenger of wrongs. Unto hatred all the cruelty of tyranny and malice muſt be imputed. And yet all the blood ſpilt, all the ruines and inventive torments outwardly wrought by hatred, are nothing ſo grievous as the inward diſorder wrought by it in cruell and revengefull ſouls, and the ſeparation which it worketh between God and man. It is the finall and moſt grievous effect of hatred, that, by hating our neighbours we become Gods enemies. 1 Joh. 4.20. If a man ſay I love God, and hates his brother, he is a lyer.
Hatred is a bitter venome which being once diffuſed & ſoaked into the ſoul turnes a man into a hell-fury, contrary to all good, ready and induſtrious to all evil. But with all the paine that ſuch a man takes to doe harme to others he doth more harme to himſelfe then to any, conſuming his ſpirits with a continual malignant fever, & baniſhing from his ſoul ſerenity, charity, and meekneſs; vertues which are the ſoyle of other vertues, and the givers of reſt & contentment to the ſoul.
It is often ſeene that while a man is gnawing his heart with a fierce hatred, the perſon he hateth is healthfull, merry, and quiet, as if imprecations made him proſper. An ill grounded hatred drawes Gods bleſſing upon the party unjuſtly hated and perſecuted. Pſal. 109.18. It was Davids hope Let them curſe, but bleſſe thou.
Hatred is conceived for one of thoſe two ends, Either to avenge ourſelves or to avenge injuſtice which is Gods cauſe.
As for the firſt: Before wee think of revenging an injury, wee muſt examine whether wee have received or done the greater injury: for it is ordinary that the offender is harder to be reconciled, that it may not be thought that he is in the wrong.
Then we muſt calmely conſider, whether the revenge may not doe us more harme then the injury, though wee had nothing to doe but to breake our launces againſt a dead ſtock incapable to reſent it. For beſides that there is no enemy ſo little but it is better to let him alone then to provoke him; the harme that hatred doth within us cannot be recompenſed by any ſweetneſs of revenge, though there were no other harme in hatred then to find delight in robbing God of that he hath reſerved to himſelfe: Now he challengeth revenge as his owne, excluſively to all others; Heb. 10.30. Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompenſe ſaith the Lord. To become incapable of reſt, incapable of doing good, incapable of pleaſing God, are ſufficient evils to deterre us from harbouring that inhumane paſſion, enemy of men, of God, and of ourſelves. Pro. 11.17. The mercifull man doth good to his owne ſoul, but the cruel troubleth his owne fleſh.
It is a right godly and philoſophicall ſtudy to ſtrive againſt that tendernes, quick to pick offences, ſlow to take ſatiſfaction. And wee muſt be ingenious to deviſe cauſes of patience. Are you condemned being guilty? acknowledge Juſtice. Are you innocent? bow under authority. Are you newly offended; It is too ſoone to reſent it. Is the Sunne gone downe ſince? It is too late. Hath any wounded you? look to your cure, not to your revenge. Are you well againe? let not your mind be harder to heal then your body. Are you offended by a friend? remember the friendſhip more then the offense. Are you offended by an enemy? Doe your endeavour that he be ſo no more; returning him good for evil. Is he too ſtrong for you? It is folly to contend with him. Is he too weake? It is a ſhame. Is he your ſuperiour? you muſt yeeld to him: Is he your inferiour? you muſt ſpare him.
And ſince Pride, of which none is altogether free, repreſents our enemies to us under a vile and unworthy notion; let us fetch ſome good out of that evill; Let contempt help patience to beare with their provocations, for if a dogge did bite us, wee would not bite him againe, nor kicke at a aſſe that kicks againſt us.
Alſo when ſome body offends us, let us remember that wee have offended ſome body. The fault that wee find in another, is in our owne boſome. It is too great a flattery of ſelfe love to looke to be excuſed, and excuſe none; Wee are evill and infirme, and live among perſons evill and infirme. All have need to put on a reſolution of mutual forbearance.
Above all things wee muſt remember that wee are all guilty before God, and ſtand in need of mercy, and unleſſe wee forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt us, wee pray againſt ourſelves, and aſke our condemnation every time that wee ſay the Lords Prayer.
The meditation of death will conduce much to lay downe hatred. To wiſh one dead is among the vulgar an expreſſion of the greateſt hatred. If then wee may be ſatiſfied with the death of our enemies, we may be ſure that all our enemies ſhal die; but wee muſt be ſure alſo, that they may expect of us the like ſatiſfaction. The worſt wee can doe the one to the other, is to bring us to the end which Nature leads us unto. As while two little fiſhes are fighting for a flye, the Pyke comes, that devoures them both; while wee quarrell about ſmall things, death is coming, which will ſwallow him that is in the right and him that is in the wrong, the victor and the vanquiſhed. Looke upon the broyles of the age of our fathers; What is become of the long and opiniatre quarrel of the Leagve in which all Chriſtendome was involved? death hath decided it. It hath cooled the * Titles that the Leagvers aſſumed.Ardent and the Zealous; It hath ſtopt the full careere of hatred aſsiſted with valournd power. It will do the like to the quarrels of our dayes. Let us not be ſo hot in our diſſenſions; Death will quench our heat within a few dayes, and ſend us to pleade our cauſes before our great judge. It will goe ill with us if wee appeare in that judgement, before wee have made peace with our judge by a true repentance and faith, which without charity with our neighbours cannot ſubſiſt. Why ſhould our hatred be long, ſince our life is ſhort?
The ſame conſideration will ſerve to temper the hatred of iniquity, which for the moſt part is a pretence whereby wee cozen ourſelves and others, to palliate perſonall hatred. If we take Gods cauſe ſincerely in hand, we muſt conforme ourſelves to his will and wiſedome, expecting till he ſend his meſſenger, which is death, to attache the wicked before his judgement. Pſal. 37.8. Ceaſe from anger and forſake wrath, Fret not thy ſelfe in any wiſe to do evill, for evill doers ſhall be cut off; 10. Yet a little while and the wicked ſhall not be.
If we hate wickedneſſe, we may be ſure that God hates it more yet, and he will puniſh it; but in his owne time, to ſatisfie his juſtice not our faſhion. Certainly if we hated iniquity in good earneſt, we would hate it in ourſelves. Though our enemies be wicked, we muſt love them for Gods ſake: and, becauſe we alſo are ſubject to the like infirmities, we muſt love them for our ſakes.