Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

It is possible for another man sometimes to fall out with sin, and to abstain from some particular acts of sin: but to hate sin, no man can do it naturally. For there is no man that hates any thing, but he hates the whole kind thereof; as the sheep hates the wolf, therefore it hates every wolf. And again hatred we know is implacable, when a man is angry, he is reconciled again sometimes, but when a man hates a thing, he would have it quite taken away. Now no man is able to do this but by the power of grace, to hate all sin, every where, in himself as well as in others, to hate it so, as to desire to have it utterly destroyed, and to be implacably out with it so as never again to be reconciled to it. This is the property of grace. This thou hast that thou hatest the works of the Nicholaitans. We are deceived in that, when we think we hate sin, because we abstain from some acts of sin: if thou didst hate it, thou wouldest hate it every where and every kind of sin: Thou wouldest not only ⟨p. 198⟩fall out with it when it doth thee a shrewd turn, but thou wouldest be out with it for ever. When a man finds that he can hate sin, that he can love God, and delight in his Commandments, and love the Saints, &c. these are things that no man can do by nature; therefore if thou find these things, there is more in thee then nature, herein is the strength of grace seen.

It is possible for another man sometimes to fall out with sin, and to abstain from some particular acts of sin: but to hate sin, no man can do it naturally. For there is no man that hates any thing, but he hates the whole kind thereof; as the sheep hates the wolf, therefore it hates every wolf. And again hatred we know is implacable, when a man is angry, he is reconciled again sometimes, but when a man hates a thing, he would have it quite taken away. Now no man is able to do this but by the power of grace, to hate all sin, every where, in himself as well as in others, to hate it so, as to desire to have it utterly destroyed, and to be implacably out with it so as never again to be reconciled to it. This is the property of grace. This thou hast that thou hatest the works of the Nicholaitans. We are deceived in that, when we think we hate sinne, because we abstain from some acts of sinne: if thou didst hate it, thou wouldest hate it every where and every kind of sin: Thou wouldest not onely ⟨p. 198⟩fall out with it when it doth thee a shrewd turn, but thou wouldest be out with it for ever. When a man finds that he can hate sin, that he can love God, and delight in his Commandements, and love the Saints, &c. these are things that no man can do by nature; therefore if thou find these things, there is more in thee then nature, herein is the strength of grace seen.