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the people to confirm his word by an express declaration of their own consent and approbations-Jeremiah and Malachi repeatedly spake to the same effect-Nor was this peculiar to those who lived under the legal dispensation: St. Paul repeatedly denounced a curse even against any angel from heaven that should presume to publish any other gospel than that which he had preachede-Yea, the meek and compassionate Jesus declared, that God would be a Father to none who did not love him; and that he himself would in the last day summon before him all that had refused his yoke, and order them to be slain without mercy-Such examples as these may well screen the apostle from any imputation of needless severity—]

Next we will vindicate the sentence he denounced

Awful as it is, it will appear both just and reasonable, if we only consider the exceeding sinfulness of not loving the Lord Jesus-This sin implies

1. Rebellion against the highest authority

[God has by an audible voice from heaven commanded us to "hear" his Son, that is, to regard him with attention, love and obedience-He has enjoined all the great and noble of the earth to "kiss the son" in token of their affection and homage1-He has required all men to honour the Son even as they honour the Father-And are we at liberty to set at nought this authority?-Do we feel indignant, if our child or our servant refuse obedience to our just commands, and shall not the most high God express his indignation against us for resisting and despising the most reasonable command that could possibly be given us?-If man forbear to notice this iniquity, shall God also? shall he give us reason for that atheistical reflection, "Thou God wilt not regard it?"-]

2. A contempt of the highest excellency

[In the Lord Jesus Christ is every possible excellency combined-Whether we view him in his divine, his human, or his mediatorial character, he is "altogether lovely”—There is nothing wanting in him which can in any way conduce to the glory of God or the good of men-What shall we say then of those who love not such a glorious being? Surely they pour contempt upon him-This is the construction which God himself puts upon their conduct; "Him that honoureth

e Deut. xxvii. 15-26, twelve times.

d Jer. xi. 3. and xvii. 5. and xlviii. 10.

e Gal. i. 8, 9. b Ps. ii. 12.

John viii. 42.

i John v. 23.

Mal. i. 14.

8 Luke xix. 27.

me, I will honour; but he that despiseth me shall be lightly esteemed "And is not this a sin of the deepest die? to despise him who is the fountain of all excellency! to despise him whom all the angels adore! What must not such iniquity as this deserve?-Surely to be despised and abhorred of him is the least that such offenders can expect-]

3. Ingratitude towards the greatest Benefactor

[Can we reflect a moment on what Christ has done and suffered for us, and not stand amazed that there should be a creature upon earth that does not love him?-Can we contemplate his mysterious incarnation, his laborious life, his painful death, his continual intercession, and all the other wonders of his love, and feel no emotions of gratitude towards him?-Or shall ingratitude to earthly benefactors be deemed the greatest possible aggravation of a fault, and shall such horrid ingratitude of ours be thought light and venial?No; it stamps an inexpressible baseness on our character; nor can any punishment short of that denounced in the text, be adequate to such impiety-]

APPLICATION

[Let us seriously examine into the evidences of our love to Christ; that if he should ask us, as he did Peter, "Lovest thou me?" we may be able to reply with him, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee"-Let us tremble at the thought of subjecting ourselves to the judgments here denounced-And instead of presuming to speak against them as too severe, let us make it our constant endeavour to escape them-So shall death and judgment be divested of all their terrors; and Christ, whom we love, be the eternal portion of our souls-]

k 1 Sam. ii. 30.

CCCLXXXVIII. HATRED OF CHRIST IS HATRED OF

THE FATHER.

John xv. 28. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also.

MEN are ever disposed to palliate their sins, and, by representing them under some specious name, to conceal their real enormity-But God calls every sin by its proper name, and speaks of it with just abhorrence-Co

veteousness in his eyes is not prudence, but idolatry: a disregard of his presence is not mere inadvertence, but a denial of his most essential attributes:" and a contempt of his gospel is not a venial ignorance or inattention, but an absolute hatred both of Christ and of the Father-To confirm this truth we will endeavour to shew

I. Who they are that hate Christ

It may be thought that none but Jews can be guilty of hating Christ, and that the bearing of his name is at sufficient testimony of our regard for him-But there are too many who, notwithstanding they have been baptized into his name, are yet "enemies to him in their minds"-Certainly we must number among his ene

mies

1. Those who disregard his gospel

[The gospel of Christ ought to be universally received as "glad tidings of great joy"-But the greater part of mankind feel an aversion to it-Some dislike its fundamental doctrine of salvation by faith, and represent it as injurious to the interests of morality-Others hate the duties it enjoins, and traduce it as requiring a state of mind totally incompatible with the discharge of our offices in social and civil life-Many even of those who approve of the gospel in their judgment, are yet very far from experiencing its power in their souls-They enjoy not its promises, they fulfil not its precepts, they know not its renovating, sanctifying effects-It may be asked, Are all these persons haters of Christ? Let Christ himself answer that question-He states, that a practical renunciation of his authority is a proof, that they are enemies to him in their hearts, and will cause them to be treated as his enemies in the day that he shall judge the world-]

2. Those who neglect his ordinances

[Our Lord has promised his peculiar presence to us while we seek him in the ordinances of his own appointmentShould not then the hope of enjoying his presence endear the ordinances to us, and make us regard them as our most inestimable privilege?-But how are they regarded by the generality amongst us?-Does not worldly business or pleasure often detain us needlessly from the house of God? And when we are assembled for worship, do not our thoughts rove to the very ends of the earth, so that, though we "draw nigh to God with our lips, our hearts are far from him?"-Are not almost all persons cold and remiss in secret prayer?—And is

a Eph. v. 5. b Ps. x. 11, 13.

VOL. IV.

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Luke xix. 14, 27.

not family religion either banished altogether, or conducted with such formality as to render it irksome and unprofitable? -Our Lord left it as his dying command that we should often partake of bread and wine in remembrance of his body broken and his blood shed for us-Yet is not his table either shamefully deserted, or else profaned by impenitent, unsanctified communicants? And what construction must we put on such conduct? Our Lord plainly tells us, that he considers them as his enemics, and that none of those who thus despise his invitations, shall ever taste of his supperd—]

3. Those who persecute his people

[Persecution is not carried now to the same extent that it has been in former ages-But has it ceased?-Experience proves that there is the same enmity in the hearts of men against the faithful servants of God as ever there was-There are many at this day who are true descendants of Cain and Ishmael-And, as long as there shall be an unconverted man upon earth, it will be found, that they, who are born after the flesh, will persecute those who are born after the Spirite-If they do not kill the saints, they will "revile them, and separate them from their company, and say all manner of evil against them falsely for Christ's sake"-And are not such persons enemies to Christ: Yes; he considers himself as the real butt of their malice-Saul thought he was justly punishing some wild fanatics when he dragged the Christians to prison and to death; but Jesus said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?-And the prophet tells us that whosoever toucheth the Lord's people, toucheth the apple of his eyes-] The extreme enormity of their conduct appears in this,

II. That the hatred of Christ is, in fact, a hatred of the Father also

Christ is essentially "one with the Father;" and as "whosoever had scen Christ, had seen the Father," so, "whosoever hateth Christ must of necessity hate the Father also"-But it is evident in other points of view that they hate the Father; for they hate

1. His authority

[God commands all men to believe in his Son, to "kiss him" with holy reverence, and to honour him even as they honour the Father"-But the unequivocal language of those who comply not with his command is, "We will not have this man to reign over us;" "Who is the Lord that we

d Luke xiv. 18, 24.
& Zech. ii. 8.

f Acts ix. 4.

e Gal. iv. 29.
h Ps. ii. 12. John v. 23.

should obey him? we know not the Lord, neither will we obey his voice"-Whatever they may pretend, they are not deceived through unavoidable ignorance, or impelled by irresistible force to reject Christ; they do it from a rooted aversion to the Father himself, and evince by their conduct the truth of that declaration, "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be"-]

2. His image

[The word, the ordinances, and the people of God, all bear upon them, the impression of God's holiness-And this is the very ground of that aversion which rises against them in the hearts of the ungodly-The gospel is disliked as requiring so much purity and self-denial-The worship of God could be easily tolerated, if an outward form would suffice; but the spirituality and devotion necessary to an acceptable performance of this duty, causes the carnal heart to revolt from it as irksome-If the saints too would countenance the world in its sinful practices, the offence of the cross would cease; but they "make their light to shine before men;" and on this account they, whose deeds are evil, hate, revile, and persecute themNow this clearly proves, that holiness itself is their aversion, and consequently that the image of God, which principally consists in holiness, is hateful to them-Will any say, It is hypocrisy that they hate, and not holiness? Wherefore then were Christ and his apostles so universally the objects of cruel persecution? Was there any guile in him? Was he not "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person:" and walked not his disciples in his steps? It is certain, not only that the image of God is hated by the enemies of Christ, but that every thing that bears his image is hated by them on that very account, and in proportion as it exhibits a resemblance of him-]

3. His very existence

[It is vain indeed to entertain the thought that God could be annihilated-But, if we could suppose for a moment that it were declared from heaven, "There is no God;" would not the tidings excite a general satisfaction?-Would not all the haters of Christ congratulate themselves that there was no God to call them to an account, none to punish them for their iniquities?-Would they not look forward to an unrestrained indulgence of their lusts with pleasure, instead of weeping for the loss of their best and dearest friend?-Yes: as the enemies of Christ exulting in his crucifixion, so would all who hate him rejoice, if the Father also were utterly extinct

i Rom. viii. 8, 7.

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