which is given by some Papists who haply to wave the Doctrin of reprobation expound this fore-writing here mentioned to be the predictions by writing which went before in the Scriptures concerning these Seducers Nor can this writing here mention'd so be attributed to God as if either he could properly be said to have a memory or to remember any thing or had any defect or weaknesse of memory or had any materiall books wherein he wrote any thing at all but this writing or booking is spoken concerning him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of resembling him to man who what he purposeth exactly to remember or certainly to do he books and writes down before hand And the Scripture speaks of four Meta phoricall books or writings which God hath 1. The Book of his providence or Gods knowledge and decree of all the particular persons things and events that ever vvere or shall be in the world and in this book were written all the members of David Rom. 5.1 Summa judicii aequitas ex humano foro significatur Pareus in Apoc â—0 Psal 132.16 And all the tears of David Psal 56.8 2. The Book of the last and universall judgement which is the perfect knowledge that God hath of the actions of all men good and bad according to which at the last day he will give judgement thus Dan. 7.13 it s said The thrones shere set up c. and the books were opened And Revel 20.12 I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened It 's a term taken from publick judgements here among men wherein are produced all the writings of informations depositions of witnesses c. to shew that Gods Omniscience shall discover and rehearse all actions and his justice proceed accordingly 3. The Book of life Rev. 20.12 and 22 19. called also the Lambs book of life Revel 13.8 and 21.27 which is Gods eternall decree to bestow grace and glory upon some Phil. 4.3 and in this are set downe the names of the elect of these it is said often Their names are written in the book of life Luk. 10.20 and at the last day this book is said to be opened because it shall then be manifested to all who are elected 4. This writing here mentioned by Jude namely that black bill or the Catalogue of those whom God hath appointed unto wrath 1 Thes 5.9 ordinarily considered as the Positive or Affirmative part of Reprobation wherein God decreed justly to damn some for sin For Reprobation is considerable in a double act First Negative which is that of preterition or passing by of some and Gods will not to elect them Secondly Positive which is Gods ordaining them to punishment for sin And in both these acts there is a double degree In the first the Negative act Gods denying his grace in this life And 2. his denying them glory and salvation in the next life In the Positive or affirmative act 1. Gods ordaining the wicked to blindnesse and obduration here And 2. eternall condemnation hereafter And upon holy Scripture are both these acts and both the degrees of each of them evidently grounded 1. Concerning the Negative act speaks the Spirit of God John 10.36 Yee are not of my sheep And Matth. 7.23 I never knew you Mat. 13.11 To them it is not given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome And Mat. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent c. for so it seemed good in thy sight And Rev. 13.8 20.15 There are some mentioned whose names are not written in the Book of Life 2. Concerning the Positive or Affirmative act speaks the Spirit of God in 1 Pet. 2.8 where the Apostle mentioning those that stumbled at the word and were disobedient saith they were appointed thereunto And Rom. 9.18 Whom he will be hardneth And ver 21. he speaks of Vessels made to dishonour And ver 22. 1 Thes 5.9 Of Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And John 17.12 Judas is said to be a son of perdition And here Jude saith that these Seducers were written down and appointed to this condemnation which was their abode among the faithfull with an obstinate opposing of the truth and faith of Christ making way to their own eternall condemnation A doctrine I confesse not more distastfull to the bad then hard to be understood by the best It is no where as Pareus notes treating upon it Rom. 9. perfectly apprehended but in that eternall School I profess my greater desire to study then discuss it I did not seek it nor dare I altogether shun it ever remembring that though we must not rifle the cabinet of the secret decree yet neither bushel the candle of Scripture-discovery the former being unwarrantable curiosity the later sinfull ingratitude Briefly therefore 2 For the second in what respect this ordination is said to be before of old The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old is sometime applyed to a thing done a little time before Pilate asks of Joseph who came unto him to ask the body of Jesus whether he had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any while dead The word as Doctor Twiss observes doth not signifie any definite time It is applicable even to eternity And though as he notes the signification of the word be not extended to eternity by any force in it selfe yet from the matter whereof the Apostle treats viz. the ordination or decree of God which is eternall it ought to be so extended The denyall of the eternity of Gods decree was one of the prodigious doctrines of Vorstius As the ancient of dayes was before there was a day so this of old was before there was an age Which as it refers to the forementioned ordination comprehends in the judgment of many Learned and Godly Divines as well 1. The independency and absolutenesse of this ordination As 2. The immutability and unchangeableness of this ordination 1. For the first This ordination according to some was absolute from all causes in the creature of old before these Seducers were before their sins were in respect not only of their actuall existence but even of their prevision also and foresight of their futurition or coming to passe hereafter And in delivering their judgement herein 1. q. 23. Art 5. they consider Reprobation with Aquinas and other Shoolmen either in respect of the act of God reprobating Gods willing and decreeing or in respect of the effect thereof the things willed or decreed as God wills that one thing should be for another 1. As to Reprobation in respect of the act or decree of Gods reprobating or Gods willing or decreeing they say the sins of the creature cannot be assigned as the cause of reprobation Non est assignare causam divinae voluntatis ex parte actus volendi Aquin ubi supr and herein they agree with Aquinas and the sounder Schoolmen They conceive that the decree of reprobation was not without the
discovered his humbling quickning strengthning presence to thee in thee Let no Sacrifice please thee without fire Love the Ordinances because God meets thee in them If God be not at home think it not enough that his servants his Ministers have spoken to thee Let the society of Saints be thy solace and deerly esteem those in whom thou beholdest any resemblance of God With the wicked converse rather as a Physician to cure them than as a companion to delight in them Let not thy heart be taken with any comfort any further then thou beholdest the heart of the giver in it or findest thine own raised to serve and delight in him 4. No distress should dishearten those here Observ 4. to whom God will not deny his presence hereafter Though God brings them into miseries yet he will not exclude them with the miserable If men cast them out of their company yet Christ will never say to them Depart from me If they want an house to hide their heads in and a bed to rest their bodies on yet their Fathers house and bosome will supply both Let men do their worst they may send Saints to him not from him How little do those rods smart in striking with which the Lord takes not away his loving-kindnesse What hath that poverty more then a name which is not accompanied and followed with the loss of God himself In a word Though sometimes the Saints sit in darkness and see no light yet is light sown for them they shall not lie under darknesse but after the darkest night of desertion shall arise to them that glorious Sun of Gods presence which shall never go down again but make an eternall day Thus farre for the first part of the punishment of the Angels viz. that which they undergoe in in the prison The second follows viz. that which shall be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr and in that first to what they are reserved viz. to judgment EXPLICATION There are two things may here bee enquired after 1 What we are to understand by the judgement to which these angels are reserved 2 How the angels which are punished already are yet said to be reserved to judgment 1 For the first Though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgment be frequently in Scripture taken more largely and improperly for the cause of punishment John 3.19 for the government of the world John 5.22 amendment or reformation John 12.31 c. for the place of judgment Matth. 5.22 yet in this place it comes more close to its own proper signification according to which it imports a judiciary trial of and proceeding about causes In which respect it s taken in this place and oft in the new Testament for the solemn action of the last and generall judgment Mat. 10.15 Mat. 11.22 24 and 12.36 Mark 6.11 2 Pet. 3.7 Where we read of the day of judgment and Ecc. 11.9 12.14 Luke 10.14 Heb. 9.27 10.27 where there is mention made of this judgment Which judgment consists of three parts Veritas in inquisitione nuditas in publicatione serenitas in executione 1 A discussion and manifestation of the faults for which the prisoners were committed 2 A pronouncing sentence upon them for every crime discussed and manifested 3 A severe executing upon them the sentence so pronounced 1. Act. 23.3 1 Tim. 5.24 Act. 16.15 2 Cor. 5.14 In this judgment faults and causes shal be discussed and manifested and judgment is sometime in Scripture put for this discussion and discerning of causes some mens sins are open before hand going before to judgement c. 1 Tim. 5.24 c. And this knowledg of the cause is intended Cunctaque cunctorum cunctis arcana patebunt Ezra 4.15.19 and 6.2 Est 6.1 Deu. 32.34 Psal 56.8 Jer. 3.22 Hos 7.2 1 Cor. 4.5 Rev. 20.12 Where we have mention of those who stand before God of the opening of the books and the judging out of those things which were written in the books For though at the last judgment God will make use of no books properly so called yet all the works of the judged shall be as manifestly known as if God kept registers rolls and records of them in heaven and at his coming he will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsells of the hearts that the righteousnesse of his proceedings may appear to all These books of discovery are two 1 that of Gods omniscience 2 that of the creatures conscience 1 According to the former every creature is manifest in his sight and all things are opened unto his eyes Heb. 4.13 Mat. 3.16 Joh. 2.25 Jer. 23.24 Mar. 4.22 Rom. 2.5.16 he hath a book of remembrance he needeth not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man As God hates sin wheresoever he knows it so he knows it wheresoever it is Men may hide their sins from men from God they cannot Men may like foolish children when they shut their eyes and see none think that none sees them but the light and the darknesse are both alike to God Nor can any Isa 29.15 by seeking deep to hide their counsels from the most High help himself Never hath one sin since the creation of the world Deus nec fallitur nec flectitur slip'd from the memory of Gods knowledg though he hath been pleased to put away the sins of some out of the memory of his vengeance Nor doth he forget any sin out of necessity but meerly out of mercy 2 According to the later * Ad hunc librum emendandum omnes alii libri sunt inventi Quid libri aperti nifi conscientia non atramento scripti sed delictorū inquinamento Amb. in Ps 1. Psal 51. Idem judex reus testis tortor flagellum the book of Conscience the Lord will in the generall Judgment bring to every mans remembrance what he hath done he will set the sins of the wicked in order before them Psalm 50. their consciences shall then be dilated and irradiated by the power of God Here in this life Conscience is brib'd and gives in an imperfect but then it shall bring a full and impartiall evidence against sinners who shall be speechlesse and have their mouthes stop'd Hence Jude 15. it is said that God shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convince all the ungodly Their faults shall be so demonstrated to them that they shall have nothing to object but shall be compelled to acknowledge all both in point of fact and desert That which before was almost imperceptible shall being held to the fire of vengeance and the light of conscience be made legible 2 In this judgment to which these angels shall bee brought there shall be a decisive definitive sentence Isa 5.3 Matt. 7.1 John 18.31 Acts 24.6 Acts 17.31 Matth. 19.28 1 Cor. 6.3 Acts 4.19 And frequently and most properly in Scripture is judgment taken for a
esset c. In adversis um braest vel similitudo non ipsares Ansel 2 Cor. 6.9 Put sin into its best dresse and it s but gilded condemnation 2 Spirituall judgements are ever the sorest In Gods withdrawing his grace and delivering up to a reprobate sense there is something of Condemnation The soul of a judgement is its seizing upon the soul The greatest misery which can befall the body is but for the soul to leave it and what proportion bears this to the misery of Gods leaving the soul The death in death is the miscarriage of the soul If a man be not heart-sick though otherwise distempered he is not feared and if not soul-sick and the union between God and him weakned there is no danger Bodily miseries are but appearing and opinionative and there is a vanity in outward troubles as well as enjoyments The Apostle makes the greatest suffering of the body to be but as such rather a dream then a reality of suffering The poorest Saint never had a drop of condemnation in a sea of calamity His affliction is not laniena but medicina not Butchery but Chirurgery nay the end of Gods chastning is that he may not be judged 1 Cor. 11.32 How different is the condemning of a Malefactour from the reprehension of a Son the Fathers rod from the Executioners axe Heb. 12.7 Ne timeas flagellari sed exhaeredari If we endure chastning the Lord deals with us as with sons Strive not so much to get the rod taken off thy back as to get it into a Fathers hand How madly merry is every obstinate sinner in all his worldly enjoyments How unsutable is thy musick when thou art sacrificing that which should be dearer to thee then thy dearest child celebrating the Funerals of thy precious soul Si doles condoleo si non doles doleo magis Who would not commiserate his mirth who goeth dancing to his own execution whose only strife is to double his misery by shunning the thoughts of that which he cannot shun Be not taken with what thou hast in gift but what thou hast in love In receiving of every mercy imitate Isaaks jealousie and say Art thou that very mercy that mercy indeed which comes in the blood of Christ Art thou sent from a Father or a Judge Satius est ut vim qualemcunque mihi inferas Domine quam parcens mihi me in meo torpore securum derelinquere Observ 3. What do I receiving if I shall never be received It 's infinitely better that God should correct thee so as to awaken thee then by prospering to let thee sleep in sin till it be too late to arise It was better for the Prodigall to be famish'd home then furnish'd out 3. These condemned ones should warn us that we incur not the like condemnation with them Saints should be examples of imitation and sinners of caution A good heart will get good even by bad men and take honey out of the carcasse of a Lion These Seducers were mentioned and stigmatized by Jude with this black mark not only to shew that God was righteous in punishing but that we might not be unrighteous and wretched in imitating them And that we may not 1. Neglect not undervalue not the truths of the Gospel Rom. 1.26 Shut not thy eyes lest God suffer Satan to blind them How severely did God punish the Heathens for opposing the light of nature and will not Christ when clearly discovered and unkindly neglected 2 Thes 2.9.10 much more heighten thy condemnation If Christ be not a rock of foundation hee will be a stone of stumbling Fruits which grow against a wall are soon ripened by the Suns heat and so are sins which are committed under the Sun-shine of the Gospel The contempt of the Gospel is the condemnation of the world John 3.12 2 Pet. 2.1 it brings swift destruction 2. Preserve a tender conscience Tremble at the first solicitations of sin which make way for eternall by taking away spirituall feeling This deluge of impiety in which these Seducers were drowned began with a drop Many knots tyed one upon another will hardly be loosed every spot falling upon the cloathes makes a man the more regardlesse of them and every sin defiling the conscience makes a man the more carelesse of it He who dares not wade to the ancles is in no danger of being swallowed up in the depths Modest beginnings make way for immodest proceedings in sin The thickest ice that will bear a cart begins with a thin trembling cover that will not bear a pibble As these Seducers crept in by degrees into the Church so did Satan by degrees creep into them 2 Tim. 2.16 They increased to more ungodlinesse They went down to this condemnation by steps and after they had begun they knew not where or whether they should stop 3. Take heed of turning the grace of God into wantonnesse of abusing his goodnesse either to soul or body to impiety Take not occasion to be sinfull because God is mercifull to be long-sinning because God is long-suffering to sin because grace abounds to make work for the blood of Christ to turn Christian liberty into unchristian libertinisme This must needs incense even mercy it self to leave and plead against thee and what then will justice do They who never enjoyed this grace of God go to hell they who have it and use it not run on foot to hell but they who abuse and turn it into wantonnesse gallop or go to hell on hors-back This for the first way in which the punishment of these Seducers was considerable viz. Its severity This condemnation The second followes namely its certainty they were before of old ordained to it EXPLICATION In this two things require Explication 1. What this ordination is of which the Apostle here speaks 2. In what respect it is said to be before of old For the first Metaphora sumpta ab tis qui in codicillis scribunt memoriae causâ qua statuunt agere Haec Metaphora inde sumpta est quòd aeternum Dei consilium quo ordinati sunt fideles ad salutem Liber vocatu◠Calv. De quibus olim praenuntiatum est in Scripturis quòd deventuri sunt in judicium Est in loc The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated Ordained properly signifying forewritten enrolled bill'd book'd or registred It seems say some to be a Metaphor taken from Records in Courts wherein things are set down for an after remembrance of them Or according to others from books of remembrance wherein for the greater surenesse of doing any thing men write down what they purpose to do and desire not to forget Calvin draws the allusion from Scrip ture in which the eternall counsell of God wherein the faithfull are elected to salvation is called a Book Sure we are 't is a Metaphoricall speech and by none of our Protestant Divines as I remember is that interpretation imbraced
to despaip the tempted person knowing there 's not one of many who either beleeves or perseveres that he for his part hath hitherto resisted the motions of the Spirit and started aside from all inclinations to good and finding also by his own experience and now by Satans arguing who at last in part turns orthodox that by his own power he can no more beleeve then carry a Mountain But the opinion which makes Gods decree absolute arms a man against temptation to despair and gives him cause to blesse God as it hath made thousands to do that their salvation depends not upon fore-seeing what good courses out of their own free-will Incerta est mibide meipso voluntas Dei. Quid ergo tuane tibi voluntas de teipso certa est nec times Aug. de praed Sanc. c. 11. they would take and continue in that the bending of mens hearts to beleeve and persevere are the supernaturall fruits of Gods eternall decree and not the naturall fruits of mans depraved and frail free-will And though he be uncertain of the eternall will of God yet is he more uncertaine as Augustine saith of the strength and stability of his own Nor do I at all understand but that by the same reason whereby Arminians argue that the absolute decree tends to drive men to despair they must also grant that the decree doth the like as founded upon the prevision of mans impenitency for the Divine eternall prescience of future actions and events as much inferreth their absolute certainty and necessity as the decree of absolute Reprobation And therefore as 't is commonly observed the Schoolmen are as much troubled and * In ignorantia sola quietem invenio p. 1. q. 22. a 4. Cajetan though a learned man confesseth himselfe to be at a loss in resolving whether the prescience of God as whether Predestination imposeth a necessity on future events 4. Nor is this Doctrine of Reprobation injurious to a godly life It hinders not the use of the holy indeavors which God requireth of those who expect happiness and would shun wretchedness Mans industry must not cease about things or ends determined by Gods absolute unrevealed decree Though our endeavours doe not make the end otherwise quoad eventum then God did fore-determine it yet it was so determined by God as that it should never bee acquired without the use of our indeavours God doth not by the absolute decree of Election absolutely determine to save us whether we beleeve or not beleeve repent or not repent And therefore Faith and Repentance are not to be rejected nor doth he by the absolute decree of Reprobation determine to damne any whether they believe Bishop Davenant Gen. 4.7 Rom. 2.10 Cum praedestinatio ad finem includit media non potest hunc sperare qui ista negligit Prid. lec 1. or not believe repent or not repent Such absolute decrees saith a learned man are the absolute mistakings of the Arminians We may truly say to every man in the world elected or not elected as God to Cain If thou do well shâ—lt thou not be accepted And to every one that worketh good shall be glory c. Never did God make any decree to damn any man though he should beleeve and live righteously yea God hath published a quite contrary decree Whosoever beleeveth shall have everlalasting life John 3.16 And there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh Rom. 8.1 From a godly life we may conclude we are no reprobates and may make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 So that this doctrine is so far from quenching that it quickens holy endeavours seeing none but the unholy are ordained to condemnation and that we are as well ordained to the works of grace as the reward of glory Wilt thou not fear reprobation as Paul spake of fearing the civill Magistrate dothat which is good fear to do evil but if thou wilt upon hearing the doctrine of Gods absolute decree conclude that holinesse is vain and fruitlesse by the same reason resolve because the length of thy life is certainly decreed by God therefore thou wilt never either eat or drink to lengthen out thy life If but one man in the world were elected thou shouldest use the means appointed to life If but one man in the world were reprobated thou shouldest shun the wayes which lead to death 2. In regard of God there 's no chance Observ 2. nor any event by fortune All which ever was is or shall be was written before him as in a book In regard of men Vid. Aug. retr l. 1. c. 1. et Alex. Alens p. 1. q. 24. Deus cognoscit praeterita et futura praesentialiter temporalia aeternaliter mutabilia immutabiliter futura contingentia infallibiliter nature may seem to have many mischances being not as it were brought to bed with her ordinary effects But we who know the true God should acknowledge instead of chance only his divine providence That blind goddesse Fortune holds her Deity only by the tenure of mens ignorance Infinitely too weak is the axel-tree of Fortune for the least motion of the world to be turned upon it Punishments directed by Gods providence are not to be entertain'd as the pastimes of fortune That which is casuall to us is ordained by God 3. 3 Observ Occurrere periculo voluit Judas ne quos rei novitas turbaret Calv. in loc The faithfull should not be surprized with wonder at the disturbance of the Church by Seducers The opposition of the truth by such as would be and have been accounted its greatest maintainers is oft to Christians the most unexpected evil It may make an honest heart not only to fear its own apostacy from the truth but even to question whether ever heretofore it did embrace the truth or no. This fore-ordaining of many glistering professors to this condemnation should be a preservative from such a distemper Alas God did not only see through them when they were in their fairest appearances but fore-saw when they would prove before they either were men or were appearing Christians Church-disturbers are no men of yesterday He that fore-saw would have prevented their entrance into the Church had he not intended not only the preservation of his elect from them Mat. 24.24 but the benefiting of the elect by them 4. Observ 4. There 's no judging of any ones reprobation We are comanded to read over Gods oracles but we are not so much as admitted to look into his rolls Who is before of old ordained written down shall never be known till the books be opened There 's a peradventure of Gods giving repentance even to opposers 2 Tim. 2.25 De nullius hominis salute de sperandum quem Dei patientia sinit vivere de sui ipsius minime omnium Tanquam caput omnis noxiae tentationis repellatur ab animo Christiani haec mortifera conclusio