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MEN HATERS OF GOD
WHAT! are there any persons of this character upon earth? It cannot be: it were a libel upon human nature to suppose it. Go round to all the people you can find, and put the question to them, ‘Are you a hater of God?’ They will spurn at the idea, and deem the question a gross insult. The moral part of mankind would he filled with indignation at such a strange calumnious suggestion. And the most immoral would say, ‘I certainly do not serve him as I ought: but, as to “hating him,” “is thy servant a dog, that he should do this [Note: 2Ki_8:12-13.]?” ’ But let us “come to the word and to the testimony.” Of whom speaks the Apostle the words which we have read? Does he give this character to some of a pre-eminently impious disposition? or does he ascribe it to the whole Gentile world, even to every child of man, so long as he continues in his natural and unconverted state? It is most assuredly in this latter sense that the words must be understood: for the scope of this part of the epistle is to shew, not that some particular persons need a Saviour, but “that every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God [Note: Rom_3:19.].” I am far from saying that all persons manifest their enmity against God in the same way, and to the same extent: but if we will candidly examine the state of mankind, we shall find it precisely such as the Apostle here describes it; and that the human heart, till changed by Divine grace, is “full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;” and that men still are, no less than in the Apostle’s days, “whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful [Note: ver. 29–31.].” With the description at large I shall not trouble you. It is my intention to confine myself to that particular part of it which I have selected for my text: in confirmation of which, I shall,
I. Establish the fact, that unregenerate men are haters of God—
This fact is absolutely universal—
[Look at every child of man, and see what are his dispositions and conduct towards the God of heaven and earth: and all, without exception, will be found to deserve the character here assigned them. All betray an enmity against God; they feel it in their hearts, and manifest it in their lives. It their minds were rightly disposed towards God, they would esteem him above all; and desire him above all; and delight in him above all; and, in comparison of his favour, there would be nothing regarded by them as worthy of a thought. But what is the fact? There is not any thing, however vain or worthless, or vile, that does not occupy a higher place in their esteem than He. Any gratification which they affect, is sufficient to draw them from their allegiance to Him, and to induce them to violate his most express commands. The favour of a fellow-creature is more sought than his; and the displeasure of a poor sinful worm more dreaded than his. Even Satan himself is deemed more worthy to be obeyed than he: as our Lord has said, “Ye are of your father the devil; and the lusts of your father ye will do [Note: Joh_8:44.].” But the will of our heavenly Father we will not do. There is no such satisfaction felt in any thing which he enjoins; no such readiness to comply with his sacred motions in the soul. In truth, what is the whole life of an unregenerate man? is it not a state of rebellion against God? There is not a command of his which we desire to keep: there is not one which we do not violate.
Now let us try this conduct by an easy test. Suppose that a child, or a servant, treated us as we have treated God: suppose that, whilst he acknowledged his relation to us, he never sought to please us; never cared however much he displeased us; never felt any comfort in our society, but affected rather the society of our bitterest enemies; never was concerned about our honour or interests; but would sacrifice both the one and the other at any time, without any shame or remorse—what construction should we put upon that conduct? Should we not say that his mind was altogether alienated from us? No doubt we should: and that is the construction which God himself puts on our deportment towards him: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be [Note: Rom_8:7.].”]
This fact is also realized, to an inconceivable degree—
[It would appear impossible for a man so to hate God, as that HIS annihilation and extinction should prove to them a source of real satisfaction: but I put it to the consciences of all, and ask, Supposing we were told, from undoubted authority, that there was no God to control us, no God to inspect our ways, no God to call us to an account, and that we were at liberty to follow our own ways without any fear of a hereafter, would it not, on the whole, be an acceptable report? The Psalmist says, “The fool hath said in his heart, No God [Note: Psa_14:1.].” Now, whether we understand that as an affirmation or a wish, it equally shews what I am now contending for; that the very existence of God is a burthen to the carnal mind; and that the extinction of it, if it were possible, would be welcomed as a relief. In truth, we flee from him, as Adam did after the fall [Note: Gen_3:8.], and banish him from our minds as much as possible [Note: Psa_10:4.], and live altogether as “without him in the world [Note: Eph_2:12.].” And thus we give a clear proof that we should esteem it no loss if we could get rid of him altogether.]
Melancholy, indeed, is this fact. I will now endeavour to,
II. Account for it—
One would suppose, that He who is all excellence in himself, and the one source of all benefits to man, should be an object of love, and not of hatred, to us: and so he would be, if we had retained our primitive state of innocence: but we have fallen, and are become inconceivably depraved: and therefore we hate him on account of,
1. The contrariety that exists between him and us—
[There is not a greater difference between light and darkness, than between, him and us; not only in his natural attributes, which, of course, we cannot resemble, but in his moral perfections also, which in our original creation were enstamped upon us. There is not any one thing which God loves, which we do not hate with a perfect hatred. Holiness, in all its branches, is that which he approves: but in no one respect do we love it. A conformity to his image we never seek; nay, if we behold it in another, we hate and abhor it. This matter has been put to a trial. God himself has become incarnate, and exhibited to the world a perfect transcript of his perfections: and how did the world treat him? There was not an indignity which they did not offer him; nor did they rest, till they had put him to the most ignominious death. Nor was this the conduct of the ignorant populace alone, but of every rank and order in society: kings, priests, people, all joined in the same murderous assaults upon him. His image, too, was represented in his holy Prophets and Apostles: and how were all of them treated? In every age they were the objects of most inveterate hatred; insomuch, that, of all the Apostles, one alone escaped the sword of martyrdom. And is human nature different now from what it was in former ages? The laws of men have imposed restraints on the enmity of the heart: but were those restraints removed, and occasion for the exercise of men’s evil dispositions afforded, the same scenes would be transacted now as formerly: for men at this hour, no less than in former ages, “love darkness rather than light;” and would gladly extinguish the light, that they might be left to follow their own ways unmolested and unreproved.]
2. The consciousness we feel that he will summon us to his tribunal—
[We may treat revelation as we will; but we all feel in our bosoms a persuasion that God inspects our ways, and hates our proceedings, and will avenge the breaches of his holy laws. We may try to divest ourselves of these feelings, and may prevail to dissipate them for a moment; but they will return; and at certain times and seasons will occasion much uneasiness to the mind, and produce there a wish that we could by any means avoid the judgment that awaits us. We feel that God is, and must be, an enemy to us: and therefore we cannot contemplate him with any other feeling than that of fear and dread.
It may be said indeed by some, that this is by no means their experience: that, on the contrary, they feel a complacent regard for God, and a grateful sense of his mercies.
But to this I would answer, It is not to God as revealed in the Scripture, but as they paint him to themselves in their own vain imaginations, that they feel this regard. They conceive of him as bearing no anger against them for their sins, and as lowering his demands of obedience to the standard which they have fixed for themselves, and as looking with complacency on their formal self-righteous endeavours: it is in this view of him alone that they are pleased with him: they despoil him of his own proper attributes, and clothe him with attributes of their own creation; and then they worship the work of their own hands. But, let him be presented to them in his own proper character—as a holy Being, that cannot look upon iniquity without the utmost abhorrence; as a just Being, that cannot but punish with everlasting destruction every impenitent sinner; and as a God of truth, that will accept no human being but as clothed in the righteousness of his dear Son—and they will lose all their fancied regard for him, and shew towards him all the aversion which we have before described. They will find in themselves that Scripture realized, “My soul lothed them; and their soul abhorred me [Note: Zec_11:8.].”]
Regarding the fact as proved, I now come to,
III. Make some reflections upon it—
In the view of this fact, we may observe,
1. How deep should be our humiliation before God!
[Men are not humbled, because they will not look at themselves in the glass of God’s word. They think only of some particular sins which they may have committed; and put out of view altogether the disposition of their souls towards God. But, if we would have a just sense of our condition we must probe our hearts to the bottom; and see, not merely what we are, but what we should have been if we had been left to follow our dispositions without restraint. Look at the souls that are now shut up in the abodes of misery in hell: Has any new disposition been infused into them, since they have entered into the eternal world? No: they have only the dispositions which they carried with them: and the only difference is, that they are now left to manifest to the uttermost what in this world was kept from issuing forth in all its full malignity. Under the displeasure of their God, so far are they from humbling themselves before him, that they “gnaw their tongues with anguish, and blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains [Note: Rev_16:10-11.].” What would they have said in this world, if they had been told what was really in their hearts? They would have deemed it a gross calumny. But such would be our deportment here, if our corruptions were not restrained, either by education, or by the preventing grace of God. And, if we be sensible how great our depravity is, we shall see that no humiliation can be too deep for any of us; but that it becomes all of us, without exception, to “abhor ourselves, even as holy Job did, in dust and ashes.”]
2. What obligations we owe to God for his Gospel!
[In the Gospel is revealed a way of reconciliation for us, through Christ. O! what love was it that bestowed upon us such an inestimable gift as that of God’s only dear Son, to make reconciliation for us through the blood of his cross! And here it is particularly to be noticed, that God does not so much offer to be reconciled to us, as he invites us to be reconciled to him. The address which his ministers are commissioned to make to men, is, “We beseech you in Christ’s stead, Be ye reconciled to God [Note: 2Co_5:20.].” The great obstruction to friendship between God and us lies altogether on our part. Not a single moment would God retain his anger against us, if we humbled ourselves before him, and besought his favour for Christ’s sake. But, though importuned by him, we continue obstinate in our alienation from him. Still, however, the Gospel follows us with invitations and entreaties to lay aside our enmity, and to accept his proffered mercies. Be thankful for this marvellous kindness vouchsafed unto you: for, if once you be taken into the eternal world, there will be no longer any forbearance on the part of God; but his wrath will burst forth against you, and burn even to the lowest hell to all eternity [Note: Psa_11:6. Rom_2:8-9.]. It would be terrible to have all the creation for your enemies: but to have the Creator himself your enemy, and that for ever and ever, O! how inconceivably terrible will this be! Well! bless your God that this need not be your fate, nor shall be, if only you will throw down the weapons of your rebellion, and implore mercy at God’s hands for Christ’s sake.]
3. What a blessing the Gospel proves to all who receive it!
[The effect of the Gospel is, to “slay this enmity,” and to bring the soul into a state of peace with God. Nor does it merely put away our guilt; but removes also our indisposition to what is good and holy, and even writes the law of God upon our hearts; so that there is in those who receive it as great a resemblance to God, as there was before a contrariety. The mind of a true convert is brought into a conformity to God’s mind, and his ways into a conformity to God’s ways. Thus, “being agreed, they walk together” in mutual love; and earth is made, to man, a foretaste of heaven itself. See, then, my brethren, that ye experience this effect. See that you love all that God loves, and do all that God approves. Then will you shew that there is an efficacy in the Gospel to transform the soul into the Divine image, and to render it meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.]