eleventh verse whom he rather mentions then any others in regard of their great hurtfulness to the Church by cruelty seduction and sedition they being the types and forerunners of these Seducers 2. From sundry elegant comparisons ver 12 13 3. From the certain and infallible Prophecy of Enoch propounded and amplified ver 14 15 16. This eleventh verse then consists of these two parts 1. A Denunciation of Wo and Judgment 2. An Amplification thereof from the three forementioned examples of Cain Balaam Core 1. The Denunciation of Judgment in these words Wo unto them EXPLICATION It may be demanded In what sense the words Wo unto them are here used and how to be understood The uttering of this word Wo denoting in Scripture grievous calamities and miseries either present or approaching is used three waies 1. Vae condolentis imprecantis praedicentis There is vae dolentis and condolentis when woe is used as an Exclamation of grief pity and commiseration and then it imports as much as if the Apostle had said Alas how am I grieved in consideration of their approaching ruine for these wretched sinners that are running to their own destruction and thus the word wo is often taken in Scripture as Mich. 7.1 where the Church resenting the general corruption of the times and her smal number cryes out Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits as the gleanings of the Vintage The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men Thus also the Prophet Isaiah chap. 24.16 laying to heart the wickedness of the people and the Judgments which were to follow expresseth his holy sympathy in these words Wo unto me the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously c. Thus the same Prophet again chap. 6.5 Then said I Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts c. So Jer. 4.41 and 6.4 Jer. 13.27 and 45.3 Lam. 5.16 Now though it cannot be denyed but that the faithful do and ought with holy commiseration to lay to heart the miseries of others yet I understand not this expression of wo in this place in this sense for besides that Jude knew that these Seducers were ungodly men and appointed to this condemnation his scope was not to express his sorrow for them but to warne the Church of them by discovering the Judgements of God against them 2. There is vae imprecantis a wo of cursing and imprecation used sometimes by Godly men against the implacable and irrecoverable enemies of God Thus the Prophet Habakkuk utters it against the Caldean who wasted the Church Hab. 2.6 9 12 15 19. Psal 40 14 15 59.14 Thus David Psal 109.6 7 8 9 c. prayeth for the destruction of his enemies That the Apostles had this power of cursing the incurable enemie of the Church whose destruction the Lord had extraordinarily revealed to thâ—â—â—nd that they used it is very evident Paul prayeth 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.14 that the Lord would reward Alexander the Copper-smith according to his work And its hard to deny Non dicit Apostolus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddet sol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddat Sunt vota imprceantis non verba praedicentis Rivet in Psal 40. that Jude in this place doth put forth that power against these Seducers Sure I am Paul Gal. 5.12 prayeth that the false Teachers might be cut off who troubled the Church and he who enabled the Apostles to foreknow the ruine of Seducers certainly without error might help them to desire it holily without revenge And never did either Christ or his Apostles express so much heavenly vehemency against any as against those who hindred the eternal salvation of souls witness the woes eight times repeated by Christ against the Scribes and Pharisees Matt. 23. As also Pauls carriage towards Elimas the Sorcerer Acts 13. Some indeed of this impious rabble who were not so obstinate malicious and subtle as others Jude might spare he desiring the Christians afterward that on some they should have compassion putting a difference And if it be here demanded How the Apostle could lawfully say Wo unto them I answer 1. He expresseth not this wo unto them in respect of his own cause but the cause of God not as they were his but Gods enemies 2. He directs not his imprecations against persons curable but incurable and he might know them to be so by some extraordinary inspiration 3. His affections herein were not carnal but Divine and Spiritual stirred up purly by Zeal to Gods glory and the safety of the Church In a word If this wo here pronounced by Jude were a wo of imprecation he was carryed to the uttering thereof by the same Spirit by which he penned the Epistle 3. There is a vae praedicentis a Wo of prediction and denunciation whereby imminent and impendent evils are foretold and denounced against others and in this sense it s â—â—â—monly used and uttered in Scripture Eccles 4.10 Eccles 10.16 Isai 3.9.11 28.1 30.1 31.1 Hos 9.12.24 Matth. 24.19 and most commonly by the Prophets Isai 3.11 Wo unto the wicked for it shall be ill with them Isai 5.8 Wo unto them that joyn house to house c. And ver 11. Wo to them that rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink Matth. 24.19 Wo to them that be with child and give suck in those dayes c. And this sense though some Learned men exclude not that which was last mentioned we may safely admit in this place our Apostle concluding that undoubtedly they who were as bad as the worst of former sinners in respect of sin should be as miserable as they were in regard of punishment OBSERVATIONS 1 Spiritual and eternal woes Obser 1. are the true woes To be woful indeed is to be under the wrath of God This is the wo here by Jude denounced against and by God inflicted upon these Seducers Whatever wo comes without Gods wrath may have more of weal in it then of woe Other woes touch the skin these the soul Other woes part between us and our Estates names worldly comforts but these between us and God in whom is laid up all happiness How foolish is every sinner to fear the name the shadow and not to tremble at the thing the reality of woe like the beast who is more affrighted with the flash of the fire and the noise of the report which is made in shooting off the Gun then with the fear of the bullet Eternal woes come with less noise and therefore with more neglect then others They kill though they do not affright The fear which Christ commands is of him who kils the soul Of this more Part 1 p. 282. What proportion of misery is there between the souls leaving the body and Gods leaving the soul Bodily miseries are but opinionative and appearing
prejudice against nor novelty an inducement to the entertainment of truth 6. Give not way to lesser differences A little division will soon rise up to greater small wedges make way for bigger Our hearts are like to tindar a little spark will enflame them Be jealous of your hearts when contentions begin stifle them in the cradle Act. 3â— 38 Paul and Barnabas separated about a smal matter the taking of an associate 7. Beware of pride the mother of contention and separation Love not the preheminence rather be fit for then desirous of rule despise not the meanest say not I have no need of thee All schismes and heresies are mostly grafted upon the stock of pride The first rent that was ever made in Gods family was by the pride of Angels ver 14. and that pride was nothing else but the desire of independency 8. Avoid self-seeking he who seeks his own things and profit will not mind the good and peace of the church Oh take heed lest thy secular interest draw thee to a new communion and thou colour over thy departure with religion and conscience 1. Thus we have spoken of the First viz. what these seducers did separate themselves 2. The cause of their separation or what they were in these words sensual not having the spirit Wherein 1. Their estate is propounded They were sensual 2. Explained having not the spirit EXPLICATION But 1. In what respect were they Sensual In what respect were they 2. Not having the spirit 2. Why doth the Apostle here represent them to be such 1. For the first 1. The word here translated sensual in the Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anima the soule so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth primarily one who hath a soule Animalis ab anima non ab ab animo And in Scripture the word is used three wayes 1. Sometimes it s joyned with the word body in opposition to a glorified body and then the body is called a naturall body that is such a body as is informed governed moved by the soule or is subject to animall affections and operations as generation nutrition augmentation c. or such a body as is sustained and upheld by the actions of the soule as it receives from it life and vegetation that is by the action of the vegetative power Vid. Aquin. Cajet Estium Pareum in 1 Cor. 15.44 Homo in puris naturalibus confideratus qui nihil eximium habet praeter animam rationalem Piscat Homo non alia quam naturalis animi luce praeditus Bez. the chiefe whereof is nutrition which cannot be without nourishment so that this naturall body wants the constant help of nourishment for its preservation in which respects it is distinguisht from a glorified body 2. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Scripture opposed to regenerate and so imports one who hath in him nothing excellent but a rationall soule who is governed onely by the naturall light of reason who hath in him onely naturall abilities and perfections And when thus it s taken our learned translators translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word naturall 1 Cor. 2.14 intending one who is guided by naturall reason he being there opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirituall man who is indued with and guided by a divine and supernaturall illumination 3. It s taken for one who being guided by no better light than that of his own naturall reason or rather who Anima significat animalitatem cum ab animo i. e. parte superiori distinguitur Lapide in Jude Sapimâ—â— animo fruimur anima fine animo anima est debilis being altogether addicted to the service of that part which 1 Thes 5.23 is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soule whereby is meant the sensitive and inferiour part of the soule the sensuall appetite common to man with the beasts as distinct from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit or intellectuall and rationall part followes the dictates of that his sensuall appetite and the inclinations of his sensitive soule and his onely benâ—â—â—nd intent is upon satisfaction by worldly delights his study and care is for the sensitive and vegetative part and for those things which belong to the animall and present life and hence it is that some learned * Vid. Lorin in loc men conceive that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensuall comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in scripture used to denote life and the functions of life common to us with beasts Vox Arabica exponitur per sibi viventes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum Haeretici vocantur animales ab animâ sensitivâ vegetativâ cui toti serviunt quia ut animalia non rationem sed sensum sequuntur viâ—unâ—que in concupisceâ—tiis carnis non spiritus sed sensus puta gulae avaritiae libidinis c. Lapide Thus Christ Mat. 6.25 saith Take no thought for your life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what you shall eat or what you shall drinke c. is not the life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then meat c. And in this notion of sensuality Tertullian after he began to favour Montanisme took the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he fastned that odious name of Physici upon the orthodox because they refused to condemn second marriages And in this place likewise with submisson to more mature judgements I conceive that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is intended to denote their brutish and unruly sensuality Thus the Arabick interpreter and Oecumenius with sundry others likewise understand it Thus likewise our learned translators thought who interpreted the word sensual as conceiving that Jude intended that they altogether served their sensitive and vegetative soul and as beasts followed their senses and lived in the lusts of the flesh not according to the spirit prosecuting those carnall objects with all industry which tend to preserve their present life Ii dicantur animales qui animae indulgent et ea quae ad vitam tuendam valent curiosius sectantur Gnostici animales sunt mortalia bona avidè concupiscunt usque adeo ut ecclesiam potius sibi desereÌ„dam putent quaÌ„ corporeis voluptatibus careant Justinian in loc Praesenti loco congruit ea significatio quâ animales dicuntur qui sectantur eas cupiditates quae sunt secundum animam sensitivam i.e. qui senfibus acsensuum voluptatibus obsequuntur Estius in loc and chusing rather to leave the church then to abridge themselves of any bodily pleasures And the Apostle by this word seems to me to make their bruitish sensuality and propensions to be the cause of their separation as if he said they will not live under the strict discipline where they must be curb'd and restrain'd from following their lusts no these sensualists will be alone by themselves in companies where they may have their fill of all sensual pleasures and where
the conversion of one sinner and 't is a pleasure to them to be present at the publick ordinances and to look into the mystery of the Gospel 1 Cor. 11.10 Ephes 3 10 As impossible it is they should preach anotheâ— Gospel is to be accursed Gal. 1.8 They surther the Gospel and preserve the true worship of God forbidding the worship of themselues The Law was given by their ministry Luke 2 9. Acts 10.10 The Angel directs Cornelius to send for Peter The Angel brought Philip to instruct the Eunuch invited the Apostle to come to Macedonia and help souls to heaven delivered Peter out of prison to preach the Gospel carried the soul of Lazarus to heaven resisted Balaam in the way wherein he came forth to curse Israel c. Michael and his Angels Rev. 12. fight for the defence of the Church against all the injuries of the Divel But the Divel is the grand adversary of souls Evil Angels labour to stop the passage of the Gospel they put forth their power in Jannes and Jambres to resist Moses in his Ministry The Divel offereth himself to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets He stands at Joshuah's right hand to withstand him in his Office Zech 3 1. Matth. 13. 1 Tim. 4 1. 1 Theâ— 2 18. Rev. 2.10 he soweth tares in the field where the good seed of the word is sown False Doctrines are the Doctrines of Divels Satan hindred Paul once or twice from his journey to the Thessalonians to confiâ—m their faith he raiseth persecution against the Church he cast some into prison And where he cannot hinder powerful preaching he contends to make the word sundry wayes ineffectual some he holds fast in unbelief and contumacy from careless hearers he snatcheth the word Those who happly hear attentively he hinders from practising and of some kind of practisers he often makes Apostates The second thing to be explained 2 Branch of Explicat is the strife and â—â—mbate between Michael and the Divel set forth more particularly in the particular case and cause thereof the Archangel disputed about the body of Moses And here 1 What he did he disputed 2 About what he dâ—d it or the subject of that disputation the body of Moses 1. He disputed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth a Contest by Argument and Reason besides which manner or strife Justinian in loc there is no other say some after which spirits can strive and contend one with another I shall not dispute the truth of that assertion the mos Angelicus Vid. Zâ—â—ch de Angelis p. 156 the manner of Angelical disputation being to us so dark nor shall I now enquire how Angels represent their minds and apprehensions one tâ— another in their disputations but sure I am that as the Arguments which this holy Archangel produced against the Divel to justifie his action were strong and cogent as being drawn from the revealed will of God so the practice of disputing for convincing the adversaries of the Truth or stopping their mouthes by arguments grounded upon that foundation Acts 17.17.18.4 19.19.9.20.9.24.12 15. was frequently used by the Apostle Paul and to be imitated by us who were our words softer and our Arguments stronger might more convince the Adversary against whom and credit the cause for which we contend If it be here demanded Why this Archangel would dispute with an incorrigible adversary It s answered he disputed not with hopes to recover his Adversary But 1. To credit his cause It was a righteous cause and was worthy of a strong Advocate though the adversary against whom we reason deserves neglect yet the truth for which we argue deserves our contention 2. To apologize for himself He might have been look'd upon as one who resisted and opposed Satan upon bare resolution and self-wil and would effect his desire by bare force had he not disputed the equity of his proceedings with the Divel 3. To render the Divel the more inexcusable Who now though he were so far from being bettered or amended by all the disputation and reasoning of Michael with him that he was the more enraged against the truth yet must needs be more clearly convinced that he opposed the righteous and holy will of God 2. For the subject of this disputation it was saith Jude about the body of Moses The principal doubt in this branch is what should be the cause of this contention and disputation between Michael and the Devil about the body of Moses Sundry causes are by sundry Interpreters mentioned I shall rehearse some of the most probable and cleave to that which I conceive to be the true one Some affirm that the body of Moses is here to be taken figuratively not for that body which was buried on Mount Nebo but for that holy Priesthood about which Satan resisted Joshuah Zech. 3.1 because this Priesthood as a shadow was to be restored at the return of the Captivity and to be in Christ truly fulfilled whom the Apostle cals the body Col. 2.17 that answered the shadowes of the Law Others also making this place of Jude to refer though after a different manner from the former to that of Zech. 3.1 Opinio mystica est ut corpus Mosis fuerit Synagoga ac Synagogam liberari prohibuâ—rit Diabolus de Captivitate Babylonis Lorin in loc Conceive that by the body of Moses we are here to understand the Synagogue or Church of the Jewes the delivery whereof from the Captivity of Babylon Satan say they opposed and Michael contended for But besides the Arguments which have been brought already to prove that this Michael here mentioned by Jude was not Jehovah as was he who is mentioned Zech. 3.1 It seems an harsh expression and no where used to call either the Mosaical Priesthood as fulfilled by Christ or the Synagogue and Church of the Jewes the body of Moses Some conceive that this contention about the body of Moses was from Michaels endeavouring and the Divels opposing of the honourable burial of Moses to whom say they the Divel would have had burial denyed in regard of his slaying of the Aegyptian in his life time and that the Divel contended that the body of a Murderer belonged to him to dispose of But this opinion seems false both in regard of the great distance of time which was between the slaying of the Aegyptian and this contention as also that the Divel knew either that the slaying of the Aegyptian was no true murder or if it were that it was forgiven by God who sundry times after it manifested tokens of signal love to his servant Moses It is therefore lastly and most truly asserted by others that Michael therefore contended with the Divel about the body of Moses because the Divel endeavouring contrary to the express will of God that it might be buried in some open and well-known place that so the Israelites who were alwaies too prone to idolatay
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word with his holy ten thousands or Myriads Four things may here offer themselves to be explained 1. Their quantity in respect of numbers ten thousands 2. Their quality they are holy ones holy ten thousands 3. Their relation They are his his holy ten thousands 4. Their action or employment they are to come with the Lord. 1. For the first The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek properly signifies ten thousand Thus Acts 19.19 where the Apostle mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five myriads it s rendred fifty thousand and Rev. 9.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulgar et Erasm vicies mil lies dena millia two myriads of myriads we translate twenty thousand times ten thousand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 5.11 and Dan. 7.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Septuagint we render ten thousand times ten thousand So Deut. 33.2 Psal 3.6 Dan. 11.12 Luke 12.1 Acts 21.20 And in those places where the word ten thousand is used as here in Jude without the addition of a word of another number it imports an uncertaine and very great vast number or an innumerable multitude Heb. 12.22 there being a certain number put for an uncertaine 2. For the second their quality or property noted in this word holy or Saints These here called holy or saints say some are the angels In millibus sanctorum nun ciorum suorum Cypr. ad Novarian Hugo Lyranus who in Scripture are oft said to be such with whom Christ comes at the last day and also called holy and not seldome is their coming with Christ and their holiness as here put together Thus Luke 9.26 Christ is said to come in the glory of the holy Angels and Matth. 25.31 the Son of man shall come and all the holy Angels with him c. Sometimes they are called mighty Angels 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels And Deut. 33.2 when God delivered the law upon mount Sinai it is said he came with ten thousands of his Saints where by Saints may be understood Angels who attended God in the delivering of the law in which respect it is said that Israel received the law by the disposition of Angels Acts 7.53 and the law is said to be the word spoken by Angels Heb. 2.2 But others more rightly conceive that by these holy Myriads or ten thousands in this place we are likewise to understand holy men as wel as the holy Angels even the Saints shall appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 And more plainly 1 Thes 3.13 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is foretold to be with all his Saints And Mat. 13.43 The righteous shal shine forth as the sun in the kingdome of their father and these saints or righteous ones who are to attend upon Christ shall be not only those who before were with Christ in heaven but even those who shal be taken up in the clouds to meet Christ and thereby shall be made a part of his attendance 1 Thes 4.17 So that these myriads this innumerable company shal be made up of all the glorious Angels and Saints it shal be a general assembly all the servants shal wait upon their Master the Lord Jesus We shall saith the Apostle all meet Ephes 4.13 there shall not be one wanting and if Christ bestowes new liveries upon all his Saints they shall all when adorned with them yeild their attendance to him in them But in what respect doth the Apostle call them Saints or Holy Persons are holy in two respects 1. In respect of destination seperation or being set apart to holy services and employments Thus the first-born were holy Exod. 13.2 12. Jer. 1.5 Thus the Prophets and Apostles are oft called holy Jeremiah was sanctified from the womb In this respect these holy Angels and men may be called holy as being set apart to the peculiar work and glorious employment of praising and glorifying of God for ever 2. Persons may be holy in respect of true inherent holiness abiding in them thus likewise these Angels and Saints here mentioned may be called holy for the Angels they were from their very creation perfectly holy and afterward by the grace of confirmation made constant in holinesse as for holy men though they were formerly made holy of not holy privatively that is having lost their holiness had holiness bestowed upon them by regeneration and though they were made holy of lesse holy by having increase and additions of holinesse bestowed upon them in this life yet at this great day they are with the Angels perfectly holy likewise the spirits of just men made perfect in this life they were perficientes perfecting then shal they be perfecti having as much holiness as they can hold as much as God or themselves wil desire being without any mixtures of unholinesse in them all teares being wiped from their eyes and all sins from their souls and they presented faultlesse before that presence of glory not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but being holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 3. For the third they are called his his holy ten thousands and his they are in three respects 1. In respect of Creation he made them all whether Saints or Angels as they are creatures they are the works of his hands 2. As they are Saints they are his also Angels are his by being confirmed in their sanctity Holy men are his because he was the deserving cause of their holiness the pattern or exemplary cause also thereof and lastly by his spirit the efficient cause of their holiness he is made sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1.30 he sanctifies and cleanseth his Church with the washing of water by the word 3. They are his in point of service and attendance for being sanctifyed they wait upon him and serve him in all holy employments here in the kingdome of grace and hereafter shall they attend upon and come with him as his servants in his kingdome of glory 4. For the fourth their coming with the Lord Jesus these ten thousands of his Saints shall come with him 1. For his own glory he wil come in the glory of his holy Angels and he wil likewise come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all those that believe in that day 2 Thes 1.10 How glorious these holy myriads or ten thousands shall make Christ at the day of judgment both in regard of their excellencies and numbers I have shewed p. 529 530 531. c. Part 1. How wil the beauty and multitudes of these subjects set forth the glory of the King of glory who shall have myriads of servants every one shining like myriads of suns and every subject being indeed a King The first time he came as a servant to sinners but the second time he shal come as the Lord of Saints and Angels Then his forerunner was John Baptist now he shall descend
themselves from the Church were scorners and that these who were sensuall and void of the spirit did follow their ungodly lusts Or in the words Jude expresseth 1. The sin of these seducers in Separating themselves 2. The cause thereof which was 1. Their being sensuall and 2. their not having the spirit For the first their separation EXPLICATION Two things are here to be opened 1. What the Apostle here intends by separating themselves 2. Wherein the sinfulnesse thereof consists 1. segregantes separantes Disterminantes Exterminantes For the first The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 severall wayes rendred by severall interpreters may signifie the unbounding of a thing and the removing of a thing from those bounds and limits wherein it was set and placed for the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to terminate or circumscribe a thing within limits and bounds and the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added to it may import * Thus the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is frequently taken in Scripture the taking away or exempting a thing from those bounds and limits wherein it was contained and this interpretation of making themselves boundlesse as being a generation of Libertines that would be kept within no bounds or compasse of restraint by Scripture Magistrates Church-discipline c. doth both agree to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also the whole series of the Epistle and context in which the Apostle immediately before saith they walked after their own lusts and immediately after saith they were sensuall given over to sensuall pleasures These seducers were sons of Belial without a yoke like yokelesse heifers Scope and Liberty were their study They would needs make the way to heaven as he who went over a narrow bridge with spectacles before his eyes desired to make the bridg seeme broader then it was This interpreation I dare not reject I desire to present it to the learned but though upon my maturest thoughts I much incline to it yet seeing the streame of interpreters going another way I shall not refuse the second according to which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the parting and separating of one thing from another by bounds and limits put between them and the putting of bounds and limits for distinction and separation between severall things it being thus a resemblance taken from fields or Countries which are distinguisht and parted from each other by certain boundaryes and Land-marks set up to that end and thus it s commonly taken by interpreters in this place wherein these seducers may be said to separate themselves divide or bound themselves from others either first doctrinally or secondly practically 1. Doctrinally by false and hereticall doctrines whereby they divided themselves from the truth and faithfull who were guided by the truth of the Scripture and walked according to the rule of the word hence these seducers were deceiving and deceved and it s said that they brought in damnable heresies and many followed their pernitious wayes and that they spake perverse things to draw away Disciples after them 2 Pet. 2. And thus they separated themselves from the Church 1. By holding that the grace of God gave men liberty to live as they pleased and by maintaining of unchristian libertinisme because Christ had purchased Christian liberty for us Whereas the word teacheth the contrary namely because the grace of God hath appeared therefore that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lust 2. By teaching that among the people of God there ought to be no Civil Magistrate no superiority nor any to restraine and hinder people from their going on in what wayes they pleased whereas the word commands every soule to be subject 3. By denying the day of judgment at which they scoft as at a vaine scar-crow because it was deferred whereas the faithfull were 1 Pet. 4.4 to account the long suffering of the Lord salvation to labour to be made meet for the approach of Christ and to look for the mercy of the Lord to eternall life 2. Practically they might separate themselves as by bounds and limits 1. By prophaneness and living in a different way from the Saints namely in all loosenesse and uncleannesse for as the faithfull separate and difference themselves from the wicked by their holy and heavenly Conversation so the wicked divide themselves from the faithfull by prophaneness and falling from the profession of godlinesse into all manner of loosenesse and irregularity and thus the ungodly make such bounds between themselves and saints as saints dare not break over ungodlinesse being too high a wall for a godly man to scale or rather too deep a mote for him to swim over and wade through 2. Calv. in loc discessionem faciunt ab ecclefiâ quia disciplinae jugum ferre nequeunt By Shismaticalness and making of Separation from and divisions in the Church Because they proudly despised the doctrines or persons of the Christians as contemptible and unworthy or because they would not endure the holy severity of the Churches discipline they saith Calvin departed from it They might make rents and divisions in the Church by schismaticall withdrawing themselves from fellowship and Communion with it Their heresies were perverse and damnable opinions their schism was a perverse Separation from Church-Communion the former was in doctrinalls the latter in practicals Schismaticos facit non diversa fides sed communionis disrupta societas Aug. Coâ—tr Faust l. 20. c. 3. The former was opposite to faith this latter to charity By faith all the members are united to the head by charity one to another and as the breaking of the former is heresie so their breaking of the latter was schism And this schisme stands in the dissolving the spirituall band of love and union among Christans and appears in the withdrawing from the performance of those duties which are both the signes of and helps to Christian unity as prayer hearing receiving of Sacraments c. for because the dissolving of Christian union chiefly appears in the undue separation from church communion therfore this rending is rightly call'd schisme It is usually said to be twofold 1. Negative Camero de schismate 2. Positive The first the Negative is when there is onely simplex secessio when there is onely a bare secession a peaceable and quiet withdrawing from Communion with a Church without making an heâ—d against that church from which the departure is 2. The other the positive is when persons so withdrawing doe so consociate and draw themselves into a distinct and opposite body setting up a church against a church or as divines expresse it from Augustine an altar against an altar and this it is which in a peculiar manner and by way of eminency is called by the name of schisme and becomes sinful either in respect 1. of the groundlesnesse or 2. the manner
though not so swiftly yet according to the proportion of its motion in the heavens and so though our love to God be more swift and intense then that to the saints yet this is proportion'd to that without love to a brother we can have no assurance of Gods love to us nor any continuance of our love to God He who hath not the love of a brother toward saints cannot have the love of a son toward God OBSERVATIONS 1. 1. Obs We are very ready to decay and grow remisse in our love to God Keep your selves saith Jude The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep notes such a keeping as wherewith we keep a prisoner our gadding hearts should be kept with all diligence It s hard to get and not easie to keep up our spirituall fervour The love of most growes cold water growes cold of it selfe but it gets heat from the fire we grow remisse of our selves fervent from the Spirit When we goe from prayer Sacraments hearing though our hearts have been warmed yet upon our going into our worldly employments we are ready soon to fall into a spirituall chilnesse as those whose heat having come outward going into the sharp aire are very ready to catch cold A tender person had need to take heed of leaving off any cloathes and our hearts upon leaving off of duty are subject to abate in the heat of their affections God complaines of those who had lost their first love Our hearts are like green wood wherein fire cannot be kept without continuall blowing Grace of it selfe is desectible Rev. 2.4 and without constant supplies of the Spirit it would soon come to nothing It is onely kept by the power of God Parents will not trust their little children to have their money in their own keeping How had we need beg of God to keep this Jewell of love for us and to preserve it from being stolne from us 2. The lest things should be most carefully kept Obs 2. Spiritualls are onely worth the keeping and indeed onely can be kept Men cannot alwayes either keep the world or their love to it Judas threw away his 30. pieces and his love to them at the same time There wil come a time when as we shal say Eccles 12.1 we have no pleasure in these things 'T is good sometimes in a way of duty to part with these things for to be sure wee shall part with them in a way of necessity How poore is that man who hath no better a treasure then that which is at the courtesie of the theif and moth Oh how great is their folly who will keep every thing but that which deserves their care to lay up trash and pibbles under lock and key and to lay their gold and Jewels abroad in the streets If thou canst keep thy God thy love be not troubled though thou partest with thy gold 3. Further How great how full a good is God! Obs 3. Even when we have him and have had him never so long he hath enough within him to draw forth fresh and fresh loves toward him The more we love him the more we should love him The glorious saints in heaven sing a new song because it is a song of love It is new to them and sweet though they have been singing it so many thousands of years We soon grow weary of our worldly toys after we have had them a while As they are withering objects so our delight in them is a withering delight they are fulsome rather then delightfull and filling 'T is true prophane Esau said I have enough and a saint saith I have enough but with as much difference are both these enoughs as when one man saith I have enough by taking a little fulsome Physick and a thirsty man saith I have enough by drinking a sufficient draught of thirst-satisfying water Before worldly enjoyments are had they seeme beautifull but when they are once obtain'd they soone clog the soule Here is the excellency of spiritualls they sweetly fill and satisfie and yet at the same time we ever desire and hunger for more 4. Obs Vlt. The preserving of our love to God is an excellent preservative against Sectaries and false teachers He who loves God will feare to break the unity and peace of the Church Eph. 4.15 also he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow the truth in love Errour comes from mens affection a cold corrupt suming vapouring stomack makes an aking head A corrupt cold heart which wants the heat of love to God makes an erroneous head And besides God hath bound himselfe to keep them from errour and folly who love him If a man love and keep the commands and will of God he shall know his will God never leaves them that will not leave him first A man will not forsake a friend a lover Sweet and sutable is that expression Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him and Psal 145.20 Psal 119.132 The Lord preserveth all them that love him Be mercifull unto me saith David as thou usest to doe to them that love thee Though heresies and false teachers come yet these as Paul speaks 1 Cor. 11.19 shall but make those which are approved to be manifest They shall discover true love to God not destroy it And fidelity will be the more apparent like that of loyall subjects in times of sedition in the treachery of others To conclude this love is a brest-plate as the Apostle calls it 1 Thes 5.8 to repell all the darts of errour Oh then what need have we to goe abroad with this brest-plate in these times wherein these deadly arrows flye so thick And consider here the true cause that so many are wounded with them Christians want their brest-plate their hearts are not kept nor their love preserved for God The last direction which our Apostle prescribes is conteined in these words Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life An excellent and sutable direction The expectation of a reward in heaven countervails and sweetens all their labour and faithfulnesse in opposing the enemies of truth upon earth and withall keeps up their love to God who commands their resisting of errour and seduction Two things are here principally contained 1. A duty The looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ where he sets down 1. What was to be regarded the mercy of Christ 2. How it was to be regarded by looking for it 2 An enducement encouraging to the performance of that duty Eternal life EXPLICATION In the first branch two things are to bee explained 1. What the Apostle means 1. By mercy 2. The mercy of Christ 2. What by Looking for it For the first mercy Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have very largely discoursed thereof Part. 1. pag. 92. on those words Mercy to you To avoid needlesse repetition I only say that mercy as attributed to man is
with serving of the Lord. Rom. 12.11 Let the Tempter ever find thee imploied The night comes when no man can work John 9.4 but as long as the day lasts no man must loyter As sleep causeth idleness so idleness causeth sleep Strive to attain to the highest pitch of grace and yet ever be working as if thou wert at the very lowest Phil 3.13 Forget those things as the Apostle speaks which are behind Take heed of turning thy spur into a bridle namely of making that former practice of holiness which should be an inducement to thy further active progress an hinderance from proceeding therein All the steps we have taken are lost if we give over before the race be run 6 Keep company with waking Christians such as neither dare sleep in sin themselves nor suffer any to sleep who are neer them In the sweating sickness they say that they who were kept awake by those who were with them escaped but their sickness was deadly if they were suffered to sleep The keeping one another awake is the best fruit of the communion of Saints Heb. 10.24 25 The Apostle speaks of provoking one another to love and good works of exhorting or calling upon one another 7 Watch over thy self in the use of such things as are in themselves lawful In lawful things there is least fear and therefore most danger More perish by meat then by poyson because every man takes heed of the hurtfulness of the latter and fears not any harm by the former Satan lyes in ambush behind our lawful enjoyments Christ was once lost at a feast and oft since in worldly abundance Prosperity never waked any out of sin 'T is as hard to be full and watchful as to be empty and contented Luke 21.34 Sobriety and Vigilancy are put together Take heed lest the vapours of sensual enjoyments overwhelm thee Let the things of this life be thy Solatia not thy Negotia thy refreshments not thy employments use them as the things not for which thou dost live but without which thou canst not live They who are inclined to be gross in their bodies should use much exercise and they who have abundance in the world should take much pains with their hearts lest while they get the world they lose their God VER 9. Yet Michael the Archangel when contending with the Divel he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation but said The Lord rebuke thee THese words contain an aggravation of that hainous sin wherewith our Apostle had charged these Seducers in the foregoing verse their Crime was their speaking evil or blaspheming of Dignities the greatness of this sin the Apostle evidenceth and evinceth by comparing of it with the contrary meek and humble carriage of the Archangel even towards the worst of creatures the Divel himself This comparison the Apostle first Propounds ver 9 wherein he describes the meek and humble carriage of the Archangel towards the Divel in his contending with him 2 He accommodates and applies it to these Seducers ver 10. 1 In the comparison propounded in ver 9 there is intimated a threefold amplification of the sin of these Seducers by comparing it with the deportment of the Archangel 1 In respect of the persons compared and this branch of the Comparison is double 1 Between a chief Angel and vile men 2 Between Magistrates and the Divel 1 If Michael an Angel an Archangel durst not rail how impudent and proud are men dust and ashes to adventure to do so 2 If he did forbear to revile the Divel himself the enemy of God and his Church the worst of evil ones and one who was his inferior how great was their sin who would speak evil of Magistrates called Gods and set up by him as those to whom they ought to be in subjection 2 The second branch of the Comparison whereby their sin is amplified was from the different cause about which the Angels and these Seducers were employed The cause for which the Archangel contended was good clear and righteous namely the burial of the body of Moses a work very good whether we consider the Authority of him who enjoined it God himself or the end of the injunction the preservation of the people from Idâ—latry but the cause which these Seducers had undertaken was wicked and sinful considering that it was the blaspheming of that Order which was instituted and ordained by God himself Tit. 3.1 Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.18 and by his special command to be highly honoured and esteemed The third branch of the comparison whereby the Apostle heightens their sin was the different carriage and deportment of the Archangel towards the Divel from that of these Seducers toward Magistrates 1 The Archangel reasoneth humbly and disputes the Seducers peremptorily determine the question pass sentence and give judgment The Angel commits his cause to God and appeals to him for redress and relief the Seducers are Judges in their own cause break their bounds detract from Gods Authority and usurp his Throne The Angel in the fervor of contention when most highly provoked was patient and humble these provoked by none rage and revile These are the particular branches of the comparison set down this verse If it were needful before I come to the handling of these several parts of the verse to premise any thing by way of vindication of it and the whole Epistle from the Exception of those who alledg that the Epistle is not Canonical because the contention about the body of Moses is not mentioned in Scripture but was only a tradition I might answer 1 With Learned Junius the substance of this History is mentioned in Scripture Deut. 34 6. therein we finding that the Lord buried Moses and that none knoweth of his Sepulcher unto this day so that it is plain the body of dead Moses was buried by God i.e. either by his own immediate power or by the instumrental power of an Angel as seems from this place most probable and also that the particular place of his burial was altogether unknown to men and divels 'T is true the Scripture mentious not circumstances either a contention of Michael with the Divel or the carriage and expressions of either party in that contention But therefore 2 Though these passages here set down by Jude be not expressed in the Sacred Story yet 't is sufficient for us that they are now by the Apostle who was led by the Spirit of God inserted into holy Writ Possibly as Rivet notes this story was not delivered to the Apostle by tradition but revealed to him by the Holy Ghost Some indeed say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 3. c. 2. it was taken out of a certain uncertain book called the Ascension of Moses and mentioned by Origen Others that it was handed by tradition from generation to generation But granting either of the two last Is the Divine authority either of this
conceive that Satan is principally called 1 Pet. 5.8 Our Adversary in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word that properly signifies an Adversary pleading or contending against another before a Judg in judgment in which sense it s used Matth. 5.25 Lest thy adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deliver thee to the Judg c. so Luke 12.58 When thou goest with thine adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Magistrate so that when the Apostle calls the Divel Our adversary he intends that he is our adversary by way of accusing us before the Judg of Heaven and earth And very fitly may this our Accuser be called an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or adversary in judgment because he who contends with another before a Judg commonly labours to pervert his cause by slanders and false accusation which as hath been said aptly agrees to this our adversary and hence it may be 1 Chron. 21.1 Job 1 6. Zâ—ch 3. â— that when the Septuagint meet in the Old Testament with the Hebrew word Satan an adversary they translate it by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a false accuser Thirdly Our enemy is here called the Divel or false Accuser because he accuseth one man to another stirring up hereby strife and contention between man and man and as sometimes he accuseth the Godly to one another as plain hearted Mephibosheth to David his Divellish stratagem in these times so most commonly he accuseth the Godly to the wicked Thus he accused Joseph of Incontinency David of Treason Daniel of Disobedience Elijah of troubling Israel Jeremy of revolting Amos of preaching against the King the Apostles of Sedition Rebellion alteration of Lawes Paul was accused to be a pestilent fellow and one that taught against the Law of Moses Christ himself was accused of Gluttony Sorcery Sedition and how skilful a Master he is in this hellish Art of false accusation appears in that he accuseth the Faithful though never so innocent devising what he cannot find Jer. 18.18 nay not only though they are but even because they are holy for the matter of their God for Praying Hearing Fasting keeping Sabbath Preaching the Truth He accuseth them oft by those who are tyed to them by dearest relations David of Injustice by Absolom He accuseth all the Godly for one mans offence Thus they are all c. nay for a personal failing in one or two he accuseth the whole Religion it self railing against the Sun because one hath stumbled in the Sun-shine He hath an Art to accuse for that whereof himself and his are most guilty thus he accused Joseph of Incontinency Elijah of troubling Israel Christ of being an enemy to Cesar yea of that to which the Accused are most contrary as in those instances appears accusing even the Sun of darkness And God hereby makes their integrity more apparant either here or hereafter Slanders are but as soap which though it soyles for the present yet it makes way for whiteness The Sun of their good fame shall break out gloriously from under the cloud of slanders God will bring forth their righteousness as the light Psal 37.6 and their judgment as the noon day yea which is the greater advantage the smutchings of slanders shall brighten the Graces of Gods people their Humility Peace Watchfulness Faith The tongues of sinners are but as brushes or rubbers to fetch off the dust which is but too ready to fall upon the graces of Saints The Divel is Satan and therefore he is a Divel he is an Adversary to Christ to Holiness what will not malice say Now Christ is gone beyond Satans reach he throwes the dirt of slanders upon his pictures and on them most that are fairest and most resemble him he loves to trouble them in their way whom he cannot hinder of the end The Divel is a Serpent and therefore he is an Accuser he hath subtilty to invent as well as malice to utter his slanders He is the god of the world and hath the tongues of wicked men at his command if he saith to one Go it goeth c. He hath found the successfulness of this Engine of accusation he hath murdered thousands with it and thereby ever brought Religion into suspition and disgrace he hath many receivers he wil therefore thieve away the names of Saints his calumnies easily enter and hardly depart Fourthly This adversary may here be called a Divel an Accuser because he accuseth a man to himself and that in two respects 1 He makes a man think better of himself then he should tells him he is going to Dothan when he is going to Samaria that the way to Hell is the ready way to Heaven As Absolom told the people flatteringly Thy cause is good so he Thy case is happy Strangling them oft with a silken halter 2 He makes men think their estate worse then it is by stretching the sins which he hath drawen them to commit beyond all the measure of Mercy and possibility of pardon to bring the sinner to despair Thus he dealt with Cain and Judas He who once told men they might repent when they would and it would be time enough hereafter to call for Mercy now affrights them with apprehensions that the day of Grace is at an end and that it is too late to make their peace with God He who was of late a tempting is now a tormenting Divel Hitherto of the Explication of this first part the parties contending the Observations follow OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The higher our Eminency is the greater should be our humility The more glorious any one is for Endowments the more humble should he be in the beholding them This Eminently glorious Angel this Archangel hath Humility stampt upon his name By it he doth not ask Know you not who I am or Who is so great as I but Quis sicut Dominus Who is like the Lord The more thou art above others in the height of place the more shouldst thou go beyond them in the grace of humble-mindedness Humility is an Angelical Grace No Creature so high as an Archangel no Creature so humble as he and the highest is the humblest Angel None so low as the Divel and none so proud as he The Divel tempts Christ to worship him the Archangel worships Christ We must though high take heed of high-mind edness When we shine most with outward glory we must not know it know it we must so as to be thankfulâ— not so as to be proud What have we that we have not received The more we have received as the greater shall be our account so the greater should be our acknowledgment They who partake of most gifts do but proclaim ' like beggars that they have oâ—tâ—est been at the door of mercy When any great performance hath been wrought by us we should â—ear to arrogate the praise thereof to our selves herein imitating Joab who when he had as good as taken Rabbah the Royal City 2
and hurryed downward moves the swifter because the natural weight thereof is improved by an accessory impression And the natural motion of a person in sin is made much more eager and impetuous by the impulsions of Satan sinners then in the following their lusts are both carried down the tide of their own nature and withall vehemently driven by the winds of Satans Instigations and how swift a passage must needs be made by both conjoyned Besides wicked men follow their lusts and indeavour their satisfaction as their chief end and good and they have no other God gain was Balaams God Quic quid proponitur tanquam fin is quaeritur nullâ adhibitâ mensurâ Aquin. and advantage was the godliness of these seducers And whatsoever saith Aquinas rightly any one propounds to himself as his chief end he seeks and prosecutes without measure Every man endeavouring to obtain that with his best and greatest industry which he apprehends as the best and greatest good To conclude Lust knows no enough no satisfaction it always desiring more ever needy and therefore ever greedy ever empty and therefore ever earnest lust can finde no center or terme and therefore it will be eager in motion Sinners are said to drink iniquity like water Job 15.16 not onely in regard of the easinesse of drinking drink being more easily and speedily taken down then meat but in regard of the excessivenesse men drink water without measure because without the bridle of fear to restrain them fear of drunkenness may restrain men from drinking much wine but men care not how much water they take in they fearing no danger The Apostle Eph. 4.19 speaks of working uncleanness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with greediness or as the word properly signifies with having more There 's enough in the objects of lust to entice it not enough to content it there are reserves of desires in the soul fresh supplies of lustings new rays'd whensoever the old are cloy'd or foiled no more is lust satisfied with its objects then the fire is with wood then the grave with carcases the more we give it the more it will demand and if by lading it with courtesies we think to oppress it the more it s thus oppressed with the Israelites in Egypt the more it will grow OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. Satan makes use of the meetest and ablest Instruments to advance his designs Balaam a Prophet he deems of all other the fittest to curse Israel He oft employs refined wits to defend Error as Arius Sabellius Pelagius Socinus Arminius He carves his Mercury on the most promising peeces He useth those to pervert the world who transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 15. and the Ministers of righteousnesse he speaks by those who know how to use fair speeches wisdome of words sleight cunning craftiness and can lye in wait to deceive Ephes 4.14 Satan knows that his cause is bad and therefore he imploys those in the mannaging thereof who are able to make the best of a bad matter rotten stuffs want most watring and wrinkled faces most painting and error and impiety skilfullest pretences subtillest evasions fairest glosses and most cunning insinuations Tertullus is fittest to plead against Paul Soothsayers to oppose Moses A Simon Magus to deceive the whole City Besides Satan is most hurtfull to the Church when he opposeth it by subtilty and seduction Balaam did more hurt to the Israelites by his counsel then the Moabites could by their courage the daughters of Moah by tempting to Adultery and Idolatry destroyed 24000 the sons of Moab could not overcome one they whom God hath furnisht with the best weapons of arts and parts have oft given his Church the deepest wounds Men of great ability should labour to be men of good abilities and great integrity There 's no eminency either of outward power or inward parts but the Devil labours to make usefull and subservient to his own ends and interest and a stirrup to lift him up into the saddle How great a pitty is it that a good a clear head should be accompanied with a bad an unclean heart Tremble to think that any of thy accomplishments should be ornaments to beautifie the Devil Diabolus cupit abs te ornari That thy voice should make him Musick that thy wit eloquence strength authority should be weapons to fight for him against thy Lord and their Donor Oh let not Satan drink the wine of that vineyard which he never planted or draw out of that Well which he never digged inhabit that house which he never built Oh let all thy endowments be Engines imployed for the Giver Thy abilities never have their due improvements but when they advance Christ Never had the Ass so rich so precious a burden as when Christ sate upon it 2. Observ 2. God often gives excellent endowments to wicked persons Balaam famous for his prophesies was in famous for his prophanenesse they who are workers of iniquity may prophesie in Christs Name work miracles Matth 7. and cast out Devils both Judas and Caiphas prove this point God is a very bountifull Master some bones and crumbs he le ts fall even to dogs Gods bounty is so full a Cup that though it be fill'd for his children some drops run over upon the wicked And by the endowments of the worst of men God often doth good to his Church gifts are ministrantia not sanctificantia beneficial to others not to the owners for edifying not sanctifying they are as it were Gods shipping to convey his treasury of grace upon the shore of his people souls God oft gives men excellent parts and abilities to benefit others as some rich or noble man who causeth the Nurse to fare daintily for the good of his child to which she gives suck not out of love to her self The Israelites were enriched even by gold that was Egyptian they who preach Christ out of envie may yet preach Christ to the benefit of hearers A Raven brought Elijah food and wicked men may sometimes profitably dispence the food of life the dull whetstone may sharpen the knife the deaf bell may give a found to the ears of others a sweetly sounding Lute not it self delighted with the Musick may yet recreate yea almost ravish others An unskilful Serving-man may open the gate for his Master and let it shut to again before he himself can get through Balaams mouth uttered an excellent prophesie of Christ and his Church for the good of others his own heart mean while being untoucht untaught God put the word of prophesie but into his mouth And further God will have a tribute of glory even from his enemies Balaam in the midst of his rage and covetousness praised God he can extract water out of the rock and raise children out of stones it is not so much glory for God to take away wicked men as to use their evill to his own holy purposes as the heart of
another a cloud is the womb of rain big with it oft as with its issue And therefore as the learned Junius on this place notes when our Apostle adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying that these clouds are without water he rather useth ratione populari a popular and Vulgar kind of speech then stands upon Philosophical accurateness for those clouds which are without water Aristotle and other Philosophers call not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nubes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nebulas thin dispersed vapours which indeed obscure the face of the heavens but have within them no rain for the thirsty earth at all so distinguishing them from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rainy clouds The Naturalists who write concerning watery Meteors enquire how it can be that a cloud should contain so vast a bulk and quantity of heavy waters and not violently and at once fall to the earth heavy things naturally descending or tending downward Several causes are by them assigned some say that they are kept up by their natural and inbred warmth included in them and by the heat without of the Sun and Stars others say by their motion which they have from the winds others by reason of their spungy hollowness which receives and takes in the thin air but Philosophers in this are like little children that cannot speak plain at least to my dulness the safest way according to the best Divines is to resolve this by the Scripture which represents the holding up of the clouds as the work of Gods power and teacheth us that God hath given his command in the creation that the clouds fall not Prov. 8.28 He established the clouds above Gen. 1.6 Let the firmament that is Zanch. de op Dei l. 2. c. 1. p. 277. Aer suâ mediâ regione dividit aquas quae sursum evehuntur ab iis quae infrae fluunt as Zanchy largely and strongly proves the ayr in respect of the middle Region divide the waters from the waters namely those which are drawn up and made clouds for rain from those which run below And Job 26.8 It s expressely said that God bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them he hath bound these waters in a though weak slight garment Prov. 30.4 The waters above the Heavens are recorded among the things which God hath estalisht for ever and for which he hath made a decree that they shall not pass Ps 148.4 6. It s his power that enables so weak a cobweb to hold as it were a strong man prisoner it s that alone which lays up even a Sea of waters in the thin sieve or searce of a cloud which till he pleaseth shall not let go one drop Sunt nubes ut spongia quaedam aquarum plena Deus autem mamâ— suae proorovidentiae spongiam bane comprimit non totam simul quantum potest sed paulatim ut molliter descendant aquae Zanch. de op Dei l. 3. c. 6. pag. 383. and then rain shall come as through a sieve or strainer not in floods but in drops Or rather as Zanchy that Divine Naturalist speaks he makes his clouds spunges till he press and squeez them with the hand of his providence not a drop shall fall out of them he presseth these spunges not too hard but gently that so they may moderately and by little and little distil and drop upon us and not overwhelm us as they did the old World when he wrung these spunges hard upon them He whose word is a dam to hinder the proud waves from flowing over the face of the earth hath a word likewise which as a stopple shuts up the bottles of his clouds and keeps them from running out In a word he who hangeth the earth upon nothing is in the next words deservedly said to bind up the waters in his thick clouds For the second particular viz. why the Apostle made choice of a resemblance taken from these clouds He saith these Seducers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clouds which according to the notation of the word and common usage signifie such as have in them water for the refreshment of the earth and I conceive that our Apostle hereby intends either 1 To shew their duty which was as the Ministers of Christ to be watring clouds to afford to people the sweet and refreshing showers of wholsome Doctrines Or rather 2. Their great boastings hypocritical shews and appearances they seeming and pretending to be clouds full of water as the holy Prophets and Apostles were whereas indeed they were though appearingly full yet really and truly empty unprofitable and waterless like the boaster of a false gift of whom Soloman speaks Prov. 25.14 that he is as clouds without rain though by reason of his great promises he seemed to be full of water and beneficialness As if the Apostle had said These Seducers are clouds full of water of holiness and heavenly doctrine if you will beleeve their own expressions and appearances but if you come to try or use them you shall finde no benefit comfort or refreshment from them And I conceive that the Apostle by calling them clouds intimates their proud and hypocritical pretending to resemble the worthy and profitable Instructers and Teachers of the people of old who are oft and elegantly in Scripture compared to clouds and whose doctrine is resembled to dropping as Isai 5.7 where God according to some threatning to take away the Prophets and their Ministry from the people saith I will command the clouds that they rain no rain And frequently in Scripture is prophesying or teaching called a dropping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tum docens dâ—ctorve tum pluvia tempesâ—iva 21.30.20 Joel 2.23 My doctrine saith Moses Deut. 32.2 shall drop as the rain Ezek. 21.2 Son of man drop toward c. And prophesie against the land of Israel And Amos 7.16 Prophesie not against Israel drop not thy word against the house of Israel Ezek. 20.46 Son of man drop toward the South and prophesie c. And Micah 2.6 Prophesie or drop not say they to them that prophesie And in ordinary speech we use to say the clouds drop and when it begins to rain it drops Prov. 3.20 His clouds drop down the dew And clouds are a most lively resemblance of faithful Ministers Gen. 1.6 Prov. 8.28 Psal 147.8 Ephes 4.11 Psal 68.11 1. In regard of the cause of both the supream highest cause is God clouds are frequently in Scripture called his clouds Job 26.8 Psal 18.12 Prov. 3.20 Ministers are his they are from him for him kept up by him he gives the word and great shall be the company of those who publish it he sends forth labourers the natural cause of clouds is the Sun drawing up vapours Christ the Sun of righteousnesse he calls appoints gives gifts to Ministers 2. In regard of the condition of clouds they are carried from place to place tossed
whereby the wicked shall ever strive to part with that which they shall never lose and crave that which they shall never procure If it be so great a misery for a starving Prisoner to be kept without bread but for a day or two in a Prison and to see through his grate Passengers laden with that plenty of provisions which he must not so much as touch Oh what a woe will it be for the Damned ever to see the Faithful feasting themselves in the fruition of Gods presence and they to know that they shall eternally starve and yet not dye in the want of the least drop the smallest crumb of that full Banquet of Happiness which the Saints ever enjoy in Gods presence OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The world without the Word lies in a condition of darkness The Ministers of the Word are the stars the light of the world take them away and every place is full of darkness The people to whom Christ preacht sate before in darkness in the region and shadow of death Matth. 4.16 The Ephesians sometime were darkness saith the Apostle Before the Gospel is savingly delivered we are under the power of darkness and darkness is that term from which we are called when we are brought out of our natural estate And in three respects is the world without the Gospel in darkness 1. In respect of ignorance 1. It knowes not God The Gentiles are said to be such as knew not God The Word only discovers him savingly because it onely makes known God in Christ The wisest of the Heathens till this light came could not know him The world by wisdom knew not God they worshipâ— the unknown God 2. It knowes not the will and wayes of God and this followes from the former for he who knowes not what another is cannot know what he loves The will of God is only laid down in the Word of God There is no service pleaseth him but that which himself prescribes The knowledg of the Heathen only serves to render them inexcusable for not doing what they knew not able sufficiently to understand all they had to do 2. The world is in darkness in respect of wickedness and unrighteousness A man in the dark sits still and forbears to walk as he doth who is in the light Wicked men are unprofitable slothful servants unactive in the wayes of God â—zek 15.45 not those by whom God gaines They are like the branches of the Vine in building good for nothing He who is in the dark wanders stumbles or falls every step that he takes Every wicked action is a falling into a slough and down a precipice a deviating from the way of Gods Commandments and therefore sin is in Scripture called a work of Darkness Yea they who are in the dark are not ashamed of the filthiest garments which they wear or of the uncomeliest actions they perform and they who are without the light of the Word in a night of sin and ignorance blush not in the doing of those things which he who is Spiritually inlightned is ashamed to hear behold or think of What profit saith the Apostle have you in those things whereof you are now ashamed 3. The world is in darkness in respect of fear horror and misery Men in the dark tremble at the stirring of every twig There were they saith David Psal 14.5 in great fear and it is called their fear Fear not saith the Prophet Isai 8.12 their fear It is only the light of Gods countenance which scattereth the clouds of fear Till fury be taken out of God fear can never be removed out of men but through the fear of death they are all their life time subject to bondage Hebr. 2.15 when any misery befals them they tremble as did the Elders of Bethlehem at Samuels coming they not knowing whether it comes peaceably or no nor is it any wonder that the darkness of fear should here seize upon those who expect utter darkness hereafter in the everlasting separation from the light of Gods countenance wherein there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore We see then the true cause that the world hath ever so much hated the word which discovers its deeds of darkness I have given them thy word saith Christ and the world hath hated them Joh. 17.14 and he who was the word Incarnate was also hated by the world because he testified that the deeds thereof were evil Hatred is the genius of the Gospel saith Luther the shadow which ever attended upon the Gospels sun-shine Though Saints are blameless and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke Phil. 2.15 yet if they wil shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation they must look for opposition but how irrational and groundlesse is this hatred of the world for though the word manifests its deeds of darknesse yet withall it discovers its destruction in eternal darknesse and were the light thereof beheld and loved it would prevent it and lead by the light of grace to that of glory 2 Obs 2 Great is the difference between the light which shines here and that which we shall behold hereafter In the night of this world we have stars to give us light we have a light which shines in a dark place but when the sun shall arise 2 Pet. 2. all these stars shal be put out Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers are given but til we all meet in the unity of the faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God Eph. 4.13 and then prophesies and tongues shall cease knowledg shall vanish away when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away when we shal behold the light of the sun we shall no more want star-light or candle-light the immediate vision of God shall abolish these the people of God shal be above Ordinances and Ministry when they shall be above sin and error In heaven all our difficulties and knots shal be untied though here we are doubtful of many truths yet in heaven we shall truly have cause to say now Lord thou speakest plainly and not in parables He who died in his child hood in heaven knowes more then the wisest Solomon ever did upon earth and that little light or speak of joy which here the Saints had shall in heaven be blown into a flame their bud of joy shall there be a ful blown flowre Psal 97.11 here light is sown but there shal be a harvest a fulnesse of joy Oh blessed estate 3. Obs 3 People should labour to walk and work by the light of the Ministry Yet a little while saith Christ is the light with you walk while ye have the light John 12.35 let us walk decently saith the Apostle Rom. 13.13 as in the day The light of the Gospel must put Christians upon a two fold manner of walking and working 1. Speedily 2. Accurately 1. Speedily Our light is not lasting our
in the word Behold 2. That Description of the judgement to the regard of which we are incited which description of the judgement hath two parts 1. The coming of the Judge to judgement 2. The Carriage of the Judge in judgement 1. In His coming to judgement I observe 1. His Title The Lord. 2. His approach Cometh 3. His Attendants With ten thousands of Saints 2. His Carriage in judgement is observable 1. Toward the wicked wherein I consider 1. The manner of his judging which is to be by way of conviction to convince 2. The Parties to be judged all the godly Which Parties are considerable 1 In their Nature so they are ungodly 2 In their Numbers and extent so they are said to be all the ungodly 3. The Causes of the judgement which are two 1. Their Works considerable in their general nature said to be ungodly 2. In the particular manner how they were committed which they have ungodly or ungodlily committed 2. Their Words where is to be noted 1. What kind of speeches they uttered hard speeches 2. By whem they were uttered ungodly sinners 3. Against whom against him 2. In the second viz the Application of this Prophesie v. 16. Jude shewes that these Seducers were the ungodly which hereafter are to be judged and this their ungodliness Jude there discovers by several signs 1. Their discontentedness 2. The following their lusts 3. Their boasting 4. Their admiration of mens persons 1. I begin with the Preface and in that first with the consideration of the Person here mentioned Enoch the seventh from Adam EXPLICATION Three things here I shall enquire into by way of Explication 1. In what respect Enoch may be said to be the seventh from Adam 2. Why the Spirit of God in Scripture doth exactly set down the genealogies and successions of the Patriarchs whereby it comes to be known that Enoch was the seventh from Adam 3. Why Jude chusing to alledge the prophesie of Enoch cals him the seventh from Adam 1. For the first Enoch was so the seventh person from Adam as that both Adam and himself must be computed to be two of that number Enoch was not so the seventh from as to be the seventh after or the seventh that came of Adam The like expression is used Mat. 1.17 All the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations into which Abraham and David themselves must be taken to make them up fourteen And thus the scripture frequently reckons Enoch the seventh as Luke 3.37 38. 1 Chron. 1.1 2 3. Gen. 5.3 6 9 12 15 18. 2. Enoch was not so the seventh person from Adam as that there were no more then seven persons begotten from the time of Adam to Enoch for all those six Patriarchs mentioned before Enoch are said to beget sons and daughters and of those sons and daughters there came likewise a great number but Enoch is called the seventh from Adam because he was exactly the seventh in that particular direct line from Adam to him 2. For the second The Spirit of God so exactly mentions the succession of the Patriarchs of old for sundry reasons As first To discover his care to keep and uphold his Church by shewing where it was in what families it continued and how it was by his goodnesse preserved and propagated in all even the worst and most corrupt ages of the world The posterity of Cain was to be totally destroyed by the flood and God swept them away with the beesome of destruction to what end therefore should they be so fully recorded but the seed of Seth was to be preserved both in the deluge of waters and of all succeeding calamities and therefore their descents and successions are punctually recorded 2. God hereby shewes the great delight which he took in speaking of his Church and Children and their concernments above all other people in the world The sacred history mentions the posterity of Cain but occasionally and by the way as the relation thereof had a necessary connexion with the history of the Church and as making it more clear and complete and therefore the scripture relates not either the successions or actions of those without the Church in a constant course or series of history nor doth it use that exactnesse and industry in treating of them which it useth in setting down the affaires of the Church Hence it is as Rivet well notes that those things which seem to be of lesse moment and weight are so diligently described in Scripture story as Jacobs flocks his pilled rods of poplar and hasel the conceiving of the flocks before them and bringing forth cattle ring-straked Vid. Riv. exercit pag. 630 631. iâ— 30. Gen. speckled and spotted c. when as the holy story passeth over in neglective silence the beginnings and progress of the great Empires and Dominations of the world as of the Assyrians Egyptians Grecians c. subjects in appearance more worthy the mentioning the Lord herein saith the fore mentioned Author being like a Master of a family Ut patri familias cura major est liberorum et domesticorum quam latisundii sic etiam apud Deum majoris sunt mâ—menti familiae piorum quam quaevis aliae quae in toto orbe dominationi ejus subsunt Ut parons liberorum et familiae ita curam gerit ut suorum gestus sermones actiones omnes observet et quaecunque ipsis accidunt diligentissimè consideret sic Deus in familiis piorum tamquam in domo suâ— observat et numerat capillos illorum actiones studia et gressus eorum respicit c. Riv. in Gen. pag. 632. who doth not with so much care and delight regard his grounds and fields abroad as he doth his familie and children with their carriage and concernments at home in his house where he diligently and delightfully observes all the speeches gestures actions of his little ones and whatever befals them c. 3. God by this exact delivering the successions and genealogies of the Patriarchs would shew the excellency and antiquity of the scriptures above all other historical writings in the world which are not able to afford us a certain Cronologie concerning the times of the Patriarchs before the flood 4. Especially by this recording the successions of the Patriarchs the Lord discovers who they were of whom the true Messiah came according to the flesh and this he doth both for the honour of Christ as man whose pedigree that it might be perfect was to be preserved and distinctly drawn as far as from Adam as also for the confirmation of our faith touching his incarnation the Scripture mentioning the order and names of all his progenitors even from Adam and thereby suffering us not to doubt of the truth of his humane nature unless we wil imagine that all the names and successions of his progenitors mentioned from the beginning of the world to his birth were fabulous and fictitious and so make the continued line from Adam
thee Yea of those sins which are unknown to thee shalt thou be convinced by him who knoweth all things We should be then so far from sheltring those sins which we know that we ought to be humbled for such as we know not Thus of the first particular in the carriage of the judge toward the wicked viz. the manner of his judging them namely by way of conviction 2. The parties to be judged follow in the next place who are here said for their quality to be ungodly and for their quantity all the ungodly Of this before at large Thirdly the causes of and matters about which they shal be judg'd are next cōsiderable they are two-fold The first their ungodly deeds In these words their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed Not to enlarge upon this first particular here considerable Vide part 1. Pag. 302.303 c. viz. the generall nature of their deeds here said to be ungodly as being sufficiently known by the former Consideration of the parties who were call'd ungodly By which its manifest that ungodly deeds are primarily and properly such as are committed immediately against God himselfe and so against the first table in the prophane opposing of Gods worship and honour in which respect ungodlinesse is distinguisht from unrightousnesse which properly breaks the Commandements of the second table And yet secondarily and in a more large Consideration ungodlinesse here comprehends any sin committed either against God or man and so against any Commandement of the Law for even that sin which is directly against man hath in it a defect and a withdrawing of some duty due to God If it be enquired why the Apostle onely here saith ungodly and not unrighteous deeds also It s answered for three resons 1. Because ungodliness and unrighteousness are inseparable wheresoever ungodliness is there will be no Conscience made of unrighteousness as the two tables were given so are they broken and embraced both together and he who breaks one makes no Conscience of breaking the other the authority of the giver being the same 2. Because ungodlinesse is the cause of unrightenesse he who hath a prophane godless heart will not stick at any act of unjustice T is the fear of God which is to depart from evill As holinesse puts a man upon righteousnesse so prophanenesse upon unrighteousnesse Pharaoh knew not God and therefore he opprest Israel 3. Because these seducers flatterd themselves with pretences of eminent godlinesse and holiness though they took a liberty to live in many vices and unclean extravagancies The Apostle several times in this Epistle brands them with the name of ungodly ones and threatens judgment for their ungodliness 2. For the second the manner after which they were committed and that was ungodlily which they have ungodlily committed EXPLICATION The words ungodlily committed are contained in one word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it may be rendred by any one Latine word it must be impiarunt nor can it be in any one English word properly expressed but must be rendred either to doe or perform or live ungodlily The same word is expressed but in one place besides this in all the new Testament and that place is 2 Pet. 2.6 where it is rendred living ungodlily In the opening hereof I shall only shew what it is to commit an evil work ungodlily First more generally it notes the proceeding of these nngodly deeds from an ungodly unsanctified prinple an unholy unrepentant heart a mind devoted and addicted to ungodliness this is not the fruit which growes upon a good tree nor the spot of Gods people who though sometime they do that which is ungodly withdraw that duty which is due to God and commit that evil which is against the wil of God In optimis non nihil pessimi Tert. de an c. 23. yet as the Psalmist speaks they do not wickedly as these did depart from God Psal 18.21 the wicked are they who do wickedly against the covenant Dan. 10.32 and of the wicked it is said Dan. 12.10 that they shall doe wickedly But 2. That which this doing ungodlily doth more particularly intend is the performing of wickedness after a wicked and ungodly manner and that principally these four several waies 1. By purposing and intending of sin The wicked is not overtaken with a sudden fit of tentation but resolves on sin long before he makes provision for his lust he is like a man who layes himself to sleep drawes the curtains puts out the candle and he intends and in a sort overtakes his sleep in sin he sets himself in a way that is not good Psal 36. 2. Ungodly deeds are performed after an ungodly manner by devising and contriving of ungodliness the wicked devise mischief Prov. 6.14 He that deviseth to do evil Psal 35.20 Prov. 16 30. Jer. 18.18 Psal 36.4 Vid. Cartwr in Pro. 6.14 shall be called a mischievous person the heart which deviseth wicked imaginations is one of the seven things which the Lord hates Prov. 6.16.18 Against those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds is a wo denounced Mich. 2.1 The wicked are workers of iniquity Matth. 7.22 They are curious cunning artificers in and contrivers of sin ungodliness is their art trade and mystery they are wise to do evil and men in malice though children in understanding they are skilful practioners in sin 3. By a delighting and taking pleasure in the committing of sin Wicked men are willingly obedient to it they yeild themselves to execute its commands and they universally resign the whole consent of the wil to the obedience of it Sin is as pleasant to sinners as bread and wine they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the cup of violence they rejoyce to doe evill and delight in the frowardness of the wicked Prov. 2.14 Wickedness is sweet in their mouths and they hide it under their tongues Job 20.12 as it is not the doing of good but the delighting in the doing it that makes it done wel so neither is it simply the doing of evil but the doing thereof delightfully that makes it done ungodlily It is a sport to a foole to do mischiefe Prov. 10.30 4. By continuing and persisting in sin Wicked men grow worse and worse their waies increase to more ungodlinesse they run on in them without repentance none say what have I done It s weakly done to fall but it is wickedly done to lie stil it is bad to stand in the way of sinners much worse to sit in the seat of the scornful OBSERVATIONS 1. The godly sin not as do the wicked Obs 1. The sinful actions of the godly proceed not from an heart altogether void of a sanctified principle there is in them the seed of God the divine nature a renewed part from which their wicked works never issue in the committing of the most ungodly of their actions they themselves are not altogether ungodly and they are overtaken unawares
a flood by the denunciation of a day of judgment they scoffingly enquiring where is the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3. They look upon examples of judgment as fables or nothing at all concerning them the examples of divine patienâ—e they boldly turn into presumption with Lamech Gen. 4.4 If Cain be to be avenged seven fold surely Lamech seventy and seven fold Justinian in loc 2. They speak against him in speaking against the persons of others their governors and superiors they reproach and speak evil of dignities Of which largely ver 8. Though they allowed not the Magistrate to use the sword against them yet did they abuse that which was sharper then a sword against him Against private Christians they spake 1. boastingly and proudly And thus Psal 31.18 Davids enemies spake hard things proudly and Psal 94.4 they spake hard things and boast themselves namely by threatning such things which were grievous to be born insufferable and insupportable they herein resembling the waves of the sea which in their proud swelling seem to threaten the swallowing up of ships and shore 2. They speake hard things against Christians by slandering and defaming them cassing undue aspersions upon them 1 Pet. 4.4 because these could not find they made and minted many accusations against them and that both by uttering those things against them which were false and evil as also by uttering true things after a false and sinful manner as by blazing of secret infirmities amplifying offences beyond their due proportion lessning and depraving the good which was in or done by them perverting and destroying the sense and meaning of their words 3. They speak hard things against Christians by censuring and judging them they uncharitably passed sentence against their persons and practices voicing the former to be hypocrites because they would not be prophane and to have no more then because they had so much as the appearance of holiness they judged harshly of their future estate and of those actions which to these censurers were unknown for they spake evil of what they knew not they ever judged the worst 4. They spake hard things by mocking and deriding the godly the holy strictness and preciseness of the Saints occasioned their scorn These libertines derided them as if they had made an idol of conscience because they durst not run wiâ—h them to the same excess of riot They turned the glory of holy men into shame for that which made the godly more then men they abused them as children Luke 23.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in likelihood those sturdy Gyants in Enochs time scoffed both at his purity and predictions so did these sensual monsters mock at the Christians both for their being such manner of persons and also for the motive of their being so the promise of the coming of Christ to judgment OBSERVATIONS Obs 1. 1. The excellency of any way or persons exempts them not from hard words Even Christ himselfe hath hard words utterd against him Christ endured and therefore he had the Contradiction of sinners Where wicked men cannot finde they will make a cause to speak against Christ and rather then they will have none at all this shall be it that they can finde none The good word of the ungodly is no Commendation to the commended what evill have I don said one to a wicked man that thou shouldst speak well of me A man is much known by those who accompany and commend him the Commendation of sinners since Christ had their Contradiction should rather make thee suspect then sooth thy selfe If thou wilt be like Christ in being holy thou must be like him in being disgraced Expect not to have the good word of sinners nor be troubled for wanting it In short let us not think the worse of Christ or his wayes because they meet with the unkinde word of the world rather let us be so experimentally acquainted with the worth and goodnesse of both that we may be able to confute the hard words of the wicked to say we have found Christ good when others shal give him hard words nay that we may be the more incited to speak for Christ the more ungodly men speak against him To conclude let us be harsh to our lusts and to our sinfull natures and be sensible of the harshnesse and hurtfulnesse of sin and then we shall both account Christ good and speak good not hard words of him 2. Obser 2. A wicked tongue is rugged harsh grating It speaks hard things It is not made of bone nor is there a bone in it as some observe but yet it utters words that are harder then bones yea sharper than swords It hath made incurable gashes in the name the poyson latent in and vented by the tongue is deadly The mockings of the tongue are call'd cruell Many men have adventurd to lose their lives rather than they would endure the rugged and unpleasing expressions of the tongue Reproaches are like the living Coals of Juniper which burne hotest and some say they may be kept a whole year Psal 120.4 The tongue like fire though it be a good servant is a bad master The Unicorns horne is very salubrious and beneficiall when the apothecary useth it in his shop but very hurtfull when upon the head of that fierce and wilde creature Hence we should be warned to take heed of having a tongue hurtfull to others as also to labour to shâ—eld our selves with innocence and patience against this cruelly cutting instrument and to finde that the ruggednesse and harshnesse of others tongues may be onely as a file or wisp to take away the rust and filth of our corruption remembring that even the best Saints oft want the rubber of a sinners tongue to make them clean and that they may make as good an use of the reproaching tongue of an Enemy as of the reproving or comforting tongue of a friend and that hereby the swords of the tongue shall let out the corruption of their soares and doe them good against the will of their Enemies 3. Obs 3. For our words we are responsible before the tribunall of Christ Words passe away in respect of the sound not in respect of the guilt and effect even of idle words men shall give account Matth. 12.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worklesse words which benefit not and administer no grace to the hearer how much more then for hurtfull words If a man may sin by silence how much more by hurtfull speaking The sins of the tongue much dishonour God Of all creatures man alone had the glory of speech bestowd upon him and indeed to what end should an irrationall creature be furnisht with language his tongue was to proclaime his reason and that by setting forth the glory of his Maker Man was made to glorifie God and the tongue is that instrument whereby he should principally doe it To offend God then by the tongue is to fight against him with
his own weapon and to turne his own artillery upon himselfe Further the sinfull tongue of all other parts doth most hurt to others not onely by vexing and afflicting them with calumnies reproaches disgraces but also infecting them and scattering its poison to tempt and draw to sin and error How great should our care be to throw the salt of grace into the streames of our words to labour that our speech should be alway gracious Col. 4.6 and as the Apostle speaks seasond with salt and that both by cleansing the fountaine the heart for if the stomack be corrupt the breath will be unsavory as also by setting a watch before the doore of our lips and by giving entrance to no expressions but such as can bring a passe from the scripture adding to that double guard the teeth and lips with which nature hath hedgd in the tongue a third namely the fear of God which is the best keeper both of heart and tongue alwayes remembring that though words seem to vanish and to dye as soone as we have spoken yet that our words have not done with us when we have done with them but that even of our seemingly perisht expressions and forgotten if sinful words shall we at the last day be convinced The arrowes of our words shot so high that they seem to be lost and out of sight will afterward fall upon the heads of those who shot them up 4. Obs 4. Christ accounts the words spoken against his as utterd against himself These troublesome ruggedtongued sectaries handled the names of others as we have heard rudely but at the last day Christ will convince them of these hard speeches their foolish tongues shall recoyl upon themselves and rebound like an arrow shot against a brazen wall from the reviled innocents to the nocent revilers Jesus Christ wil give his Saints more then treble damages nay fourfold restitution for all the reproaches which they have sustained sinners shal restore the stoln reputations of Saints and that with interest It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to all who even this way trouble his people Christ wel knowes that all the hard speeches against his servants were uttered for his sake because they did not run with the wicked to the same excess of riot they were therefore followed by them with excessive reproaches David said it was for his sake that Saul killed the Priests of the Lord he could not come at David and therefore he destroyed his friends The wicked cannot reach the person and therefore they tear the picture but Christ wil hereafter suffer none to be losers by him that have been losers for him the revilings uttered against Saints wil at the last appear to have been spoken against the truly great ones the favorites of the King of glory Were ye not afraid saith God to Aaron and Miriam to speak against my servant Moses He speaks to them as slandering a great person Ver. 16. These are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts and their mouth speaks great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage IN this verse our Apostle excellently applyes the forementioned prophesie of the last judgment unto these seducers shewing by sundry apt and pregnant proofs that these seducers were guilty of that ungodliness for which the wicked at the last day were to be judged And they discover their ungodlinesse these four wayes 1. By being murmurers complainers 2. Their following their lusts 3. Their boasting speaking great swelling words 4. Their admiration of mens persons 1. They discover their ungodliness by shewing themselves Murmurers Complainers EXPLICATION I shall herein shew two things 1. Who are here meant by murmurers complainers 2. Why Jude expresseth himself against them or what is the greatnesse or hainousnesse of this their sin in being murmurers complainers 1. For the first who are here meant by murmerers complainers The first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murmurers imports an expressing of discontentednesse against another in our words and that not aloud with an high voice but with a voice somewhat low muttering and grumbling The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes say some from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grunnio Suum more grunnire murmure leuis aquae strepitus denotatur et a graeco verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendere videtur to grunt as fat swine and so imports secretly to speak against others saith Gerard with hatred and impatience Thus Matth. 20.11 They who received but a penny for their work thinking themselves wronged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murmured against the good man of the house and the Scribes and Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murmurred against Christ and his disciples for eating with publicans and sinners And John 6.14 the Jewes murmurred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against him because he said he was the bread of life Submissâ voce mussitare So ver 43.61 of the same chapter So 1 Cor. 10.10 neither murmur ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some of them also murmured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and were destroyed of the destroyer though sometime as Beza notes the word is taken for any close secret whispering of a matter without offence and indignation as Joh. 7.12.32 yet most frequently and properly it is used in the former signification This mumuring may be either against men or against God himself the word here used by Jude by its own force signifies not one more then another Against man have men frequently murmured as the Israelites against Moses and Aaron nor is any thing more usual then for people to murmur especially against their Governors out of envy impatience or discontent a sin questionless which these seducers were deeply guilty of who despised dominions and spake evil of dignities and yet because the Apostle had accused them for that sin before ver 8. and also threatned destruction against them for it ver 11. Because also the next word Complainers wherein the Apostle shewes the cause of their murmuring notes a complaining of that lot portion condition set out by God for us I rather conceive that this murmuring here with which Jude chargeth these seducers was their muttering of impatient discontented expressions against God himself with whom they were angry and displeased a distemper which allowed is an evident sign of an ungracious ungodly heart the thing which also Jude here intends to prove and contrary to that quiet and silent submissiveness of the godly who with Davd are dumb and open not their mouth because the Lord doth it Psal 39.9 who wil be pleased with God and with whatever he doth when he is most angry with them who wil justifie him when he seems to condemn them A sin likewise is this murmuring against God of which the ungodly Israelites are frequently accused As Deut. 1.27 Exod. 15.24 and for which they were severely punished Concerning those who by murmuring shewed themselves displeased with God the Apostle tels us that God was
who praise their own good deeds are thought not therefore to report them because they did them but therefore to have done them Pin. Ep. 8. ad Saturntnum l. 1. that afterward they might report them A man in commending does not yea undoes what he is a doing Thou hearest witnesse of thy self said the Pharisees thy witnesse is not true When Paul mentioned his own necessarie praise 2 Cor. 12.16 17.21 he saith he speaks foolishly and that he was become a fool in glorying 2 Cor. 12.11 Though he were compelled thereto A man should not therefore doe any good that he may have a good report but therefore and only therefore desire a good report that he may be in the greater capacity of doing good If a man commend himself he should do it modestly and constrainedly for the advantage of the Gospel Paul speaks his commendation as belonging to a third person I knew a man c. 2 Cor. 12.2 and ver 11. ye have compelled me c. But ordinarily we should neither praise nor dispraise our selves even the latter of these being the giving of others an occasion to praise us and oft a putting of praise as one saith aptly to usury Robinsons observations that we may receive it with the greater advantage To conclude if it be a sin to praise our selves when we have done good how great an impiety is it to glory in evil the former discovers the corruption of a man the latter of a divel Lastly Though it be a sin for a man to commend himself yet t is our duty to praise the good we see in and done by others that God may be honoured Thus diis laus bonis debetur who was the Author of all good and men encouraged the doer to proceed the beholder to imitate him 3. Obs 3. Great swelling words should not seduce us from the truth We should not regard the words but the weight of every teacher nor who speaks but what is spoken the Kingdome of God is not in word but power 1 Cor. 4.20 We must not mislike truth because the bearers words are low and contemptible nor imbrace error because the words of him who brings it are lofty and swelling A Christian should be a man in understanding not like a little child ready to swallow what ever the nurse puts to the mouth We should ever be more forward to examine by Scripture with the noble Bereans the truth of what is taught us than to be bewitched like the â—â—â—ish Galatians with the words of any teacher suspect the cause that needs them and the men that use them as a rotten house so a rotten cause needs most props Truth like a beautiful face needs no painting Though he were one that speaks big nay with the tongue of an Angel nay were an Angel yet if he preached another Gospel we should hold him accursed Christians should labour for knowledg to discern between great words and good words or rather between good words and good matter This for the third proof that these seducers were those ungodly men who should be judged at the last day viz. because they spake great swelling words The fourth and last followes in these words having mens person in admiration because of advantage In which words our Apostle 1. describes what they did they had mens persons in admiration 2. Discovers why they did it for advantage For the first their having mens persons in admiration EXPLICATION That we may understand the sin wherewith these Seducers are here charged in admiring of persons We must first open these two expressions 1. Persons 2. Admiring or having in admiration 2. Shew what admiring of persons is here by the Apostle condemned and why 1. For the former The word persons in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the face and properly answers to an Hebrew word of the same signification yet in Scripture it s taken several waies not to speak of the divers acceptations of the word in Scripture when attributed to God as being too remote from our present purpose when it is used concerning the creature 1. its given to things without life as Matth. 16.3 and Lâ—â—e 12.56 ye can discern the face of the skie that is the outward shew or appearance Luke 21.35 and Acts 17.20 we read of the face of the earth in which places its taken for the superficies or outside 2. Most frequently to man and so 1. properly it signifies his face and countenance Thus Matth. 6.16 they disfigure their faces and ver 17. wash thy face So Matth. 26.67 then did they spit in his face 2. His person as 2 Cor. 1.11 the gift bestowed upon us by the meanes of many persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. His bodily presence 1 Thes 2.17 we being taken from you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in presence 4. A man as accomplished with his gifts excellen cies or indowments real or appearing which are outwardly beheld or looked upon to belong to him for which he is oft unduly respected either in regard of his body mind or outward condition and thus it s taken Matth. 22.16 Mark 12.14 where the Herodians tel Christ that he regarded not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the person of men and Acts 10.34 God is no respecter of persons So Rom. 2.11 And thus I take it in this place where Jude accuseth these servile seducers for their excessive sinful flattering of men in eminency advanced in respect of their outward state of wealth honour c for their own private gain and advantage 2. The other expression is admiring or as we render it having in admiration Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 video unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth two things 1. To wonder at a thing in respect of its strangeness unusualness at which men use to look very earnestly and intently Thus it s taken Matth 8.27 where it is said that Christ rebuking the winds and the sea the men marvelled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Matth. 21.20 when the fig-tree withered it s said the disciples marvelled Matth. 27.14 Luk. 1.21 63. Luk. 4.22 Euk. 11.38 John 7.21 when Christ had with such admirable wisdom answered the ensnaring question of the Herodians it is said they marvailed Matth. 22.22 c. 2. It signifieth highly to honour fear or reverence the person or thing which we look upon as strange and thus some take it Matth. 8.10 when Christ heard of the centurions faith it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he marvelled that is say some he respected and honoured his faith Thus it s taken in this place of Jude Vid. Ravanel in Tit. admiratio These seducers honoured highly advanced cried up the endowments and qualifications of great men for advantage and probable it is that the Apostle expresseth their honouring of mens persons by the admiring them because the Septuagint so translate those places where honour and
last dayes wherein the light of the Gospel the knowledge of Christ and the meanes of grace are most abundant the wicked are most wicked In the land of uprightnesse they live unholily As the meanes of grace can make no man good of themselves so by reason of our oppositenesse to holinesse they occasion us to be far worse A Judas in the fellowship of Christ A Doeg detained before the Lord. An unreformed person under the meanes of reformation is most pertinaciously such The meanes of grace without the grace of the the meanes doth but draw forth our rage against them Let not men therefore please themselvs because either the times or places wherein they live are holy unless these finde themselvs betterd by them The higher we are lifted up the sorer will be our fall we cannot sin at so cheap a rate in these last times as formerly Sins in the last times finde out the lowest places in hell Let this likewise be an apology for the Gospell Lay not the sins of Gospel-times to the Gospels charge since men are not wicked because the Gospel is so much preacht but because 't is no more than preacht not liv'd and practisâ—d also 2. Obser 2. The dispensation of the Covenant of grace is now unalterable In former times it hath appeard under severall dresses and formes but now in the last times we must look for no renovation or change thereof The present administration of the Covenant goeth next to the end of the world Vid part 1. p 231 232 â— and shall be closed up of the last day 3. Obser 3. Vide Part 1. p. 337 God is abundant in the discovery and dispensing his grace even in times wherein men prophanely abuse it the Gospel is in the last times most liberally afforded though most ungratefully neglected and abused 4. Of all times Obser 4. the last require most care in our carriage They who live in them injoy the helps and advantages of the former Jesus Christ is most clearly discovered We should doe our work better by sun light than others have by twylight else 't will be our inexcusable shame We should imitate God as his last works his works in the last times are his best so should ours be the best of our lives should be in the bottome of time nay herein our very adversary should teach us if his rage against God increaseth because his time of doing hurt is short should not our zeal increase because the time of our doing good is short Besides in the last times we have greatest tentations most examples of sin when the times are worst we should be best and if we cannot make the times good they should not make us bad In dirty wayes we should tuck up our garments we should keep our selves from this untoward generation and shine as lights in a crooked and perverse nation and give Gods glory reparations for all it suffers from the wicked 5. The people of God should bear and forbear Obs 5. 1. Bear their crosses these are the last times the end of time is approaching and with time all their troubles shall end Be patient saith James for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh and the Judg standeth at the doore And Heb. 10.37 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And 1 Pet. 1.6 Now for a season ye are in heavinesse The elect which cry day and night to him shall be averged speedily Luke 18.7 8. And our light affliction is but for a moment 2 Cor. 4.17 We count a moment a thousand yeares but in Scripture-Computation a thousand yeares are but a moment Nothing should be great to him to whom is known the greatnesse of eternity He who keeps a City for his Prince though it be straitly besieged wil hold out if reliefe be approaching Our reliefe redemption from all troubles drawes nigh oh how great a shame and vexation will it afterward be to deliver up our selves 1 Cor. 7.29 30 by impatience to apostasie since our reliefe is within the sight of the besieged we being in the last times 2. Forbear use comforts moderately Let your moderation be known the Lord is at hand Phil. 4.4 A tenant being in the last year of his house builds not plants not He is a mad man who sets up a stately fabrick upon that ground which is troubled with earth-quakes and sure shortly to sink lay up treasures in heaven labour for everlasting habitations a City that hath foundations Because the time is short they that marry should be as if the married not c. they that buy as if they possessed not c. for the fashion of this world passeth away love not the world 1 John 2.16 It passeth way v. 17. Vse perishing comforts with perishing affections love them as alwaies about to leave them Thus of the first part considerable in the testimony it self viz. the time when these seducers were to appear the last time The second follows their qualities which are here said to be these two First mocking Secondly Walking after their lusts The first is set forth in this word Mockers EXPLICATION Two things I shall here briefly shew by way of explication 1. What we are to understand by mockers 2. How great the sin is to be mockers From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est proprie instar pucri aliquem tractare iudificare et irridere Gerh Hâ—rm de passione pag mihi 106. 1. For the first The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies such who deride and mock at others as if they were but foolish and silly children or such who scorn or scoffe at any thing as if it were but foolish and childish And to this signification of the word agree those expressions whereby mocking is shewn as sometime by 1. Scornful and contemptuous speeches thus Josophs brethren call'd him the Dreamer Elijah was call'd Bald-pate Gal. 6.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nasum significat Naso suspendit aduâ—â—o Horat. Serm. 1. Christ the King of the Jewes c. 2. Deriding and scornful gestures as â—â—iering with the nose making of mouths nodding of the head Psal 22.7 Making a wide mouth putting out of the tongue Isa 57.4 and shooting out the lip Prov 16.30 Psal 22 7. Putting out of the finger Isa 58.9 Clapping of the hands Lam. 2.15 3. Scornful and abusive dealings thus Christ was crown'd with thorns clad in purple a reed was put into his hand he was spit upon c. But that we may understand what the Apostle here means by mockers we must consider this malicious and contemptuous derision or mocking in his objects against which it is committed It is expressed either against man or God himself 1. Against man and that for several causes As 1. For his Country so some interpret that place Ezek. 36.6 where God tels the Israelites that they have born the shame of the heathen And ver 15. that they should
they scoff most at piety Religion makes them sport at their Feasts Psalme 35.16 Mockers in Feasts 6. Scorners are the gratest instruments of Satan the main promoters of his cause and advancers of his Kingdome The Hebrew word Scorners according to the LXX is exprest by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 1.1 which signifieth Plagues in the Chair of Plagues because Scorners are plagues to the place where they live and do infect many Scorners are they who sit in the chair Psal 1.1 Prov. 29.8 and are the Doctors of impiety and the Antesignani and ringleaders to all mischief They are the spokesmen and proctors of Satan Nor do any bring such instruments of Cruelty to wound Religion and Religious ones as do Scoffers Mocking is called a Persecution Gal 4.29 and mockings are called cruel mockings Heb. 11. By no devices doth the Divel so much dishearten from Religion and afflict for Religion as by this By no means hath hee more instructed those who would be bad and discouraged others from being good OBSERVATIONS 1. Great is the patience and forbearance of God Observ 1. None but a God would spare those impudent and bitter Scoffers which he is so able to punish Men are under nothing so impatient as under scoffs and derisions How sull of vexation are they when either they have not wit enough to return scoff for scoff or strength enough to return stripes and blowes for scoffs But God is as full of patience to endure Scoffers as of power to confound them Surely God as truly shewes himself a God by sparing as by punishing these his enemies Of this before Part 2. pag. 561. To whom is reserved c. 2. Observ 2. How just will the confusion of Scorners be Nothing is more sutable and deserved then for the impudent in sin to be dashed out of countenance to be beaten with their own weapon The Lord scorneth the Scorners Pro. 3.34 He will mock at the calamities of those when they come who mocked at God before they came None was a more bitter Scoffer at the Godly than that cruel Doctor Story who when the meek and Lamb-like Martyr Fox Martyrolog Missed Mr. Denly was singing a Psalm at the Stake wounded his face by throwing a faggot at it adding this bitter and profane Scoff That be had spoiled a good old Song but never was Mocker so handsomely mock'd for in Queen Elizabeths times hee being beyond Sea Authorized to go on Ship board to search out the Heretical Books as they called them which he hoped to find in the Ship of an English Merchant and going down into lower parts thereof to ransack it for that purpose the hatches were presently clapt downe upon him the Sailes hoised up he brought into England and deservedly for Treason executed at Tyburn 3. It s our duty patiently to carry our selves under mockings Observ 3. It hath been the lot of the Saints in all ages to meet with them Psal 44.14 Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen Psal 109.25.79.4 Psal 79.4 We are become a reproach and derision to them who are round about us And Psal 109.25 I became a reproach saith David to them Psal 31.1 when they looked upon me they shaked their heads Tertullian tells us That the Christians in his time were mocked for ignorance The Heathens painted the God of the Christians with an Asses head and a Book in his hand to signifie that though they pretended Learning yet they were silly and unlearned people Such who kept the Sabbath were said to have a Disease upon them in regard whereof they were fain to rest once in the week Athanasius was called Sathanasius for being an Adversary to the Arians Cyprian was abused by the name of Coprian one that gathers up dung But why speak I of the mockings which befel Christians they were the portion of Christ himself as I have before shewed Our head was crowned with these thornes they spit in his face gave him a reed for a Scepter bowed before him Though he despised yet he indured the shame Hebr. 12.2 If mocking were the Dyet-drink of Christ should not wee patiently taste now and then a drop thereof yea none can bear so much contempt as God doth daily Besides by impatience under scoffs we hurt our selves more then Scoffers can do If we would not vex and disturb our own souls by impatience our enemies could not hurt us by reproaches and indeed this self-disquieting is the only way to gratifie our enemies whose alone aim by mocking is to trouble and disturb us And by fretfulness and rage we are liable to discover as much evil as our enemies can discover by all their scoffs and though wee are unjustly reproached yet we may discover so much folly and passion as to be a just cause of Reproach We live among Reproachers and Scoffers and without patience we shall never have comfortable lives but the comfort and quiet of our lives will ever lye at the mercy of others The greatest evil of reproach is from him that receives it As it is with meat so it is with mockings It is not the goodness and sweetness of meat in it self that makes it to be good and sweet to me but so it is to me as my stomack and body is affected and scoffs and reproaches are not evils as they come from him that casts them upon us but the greatest part of the evil of reproaches comes from the affection of the receiver Further remember there is more honour in bearing scoffs patiently then there is disgrace in having them cast upon us wrongfully Every fool can cast a reproach but onely the wise man can bear it well Chrysostome tels us That the Reproacher is below a man but the Patient under reproach is equal to an Angel Consider likewise that God takes the care of our names as well as of our souls When Davids enemies spake mischievous things against him hee tells us Psal 38.12 13. that he heard not but vers 15. he saith that God hears The less we hear the more God will hear They who mock here shall bee mocked hereafter and they who are here mocked shall then be honoured And how countervailing a mercy is it to be delivered from eternal Reproach Meditate also how much contempt and mocking many do justly suffer for their sins Many care not how much shame they endure in the service of a base Lust Who are so basely looked upon as the Drunkards Covetous and yet they go on and blesse themselves notwithstanding their reproach What cause have we then to go on in the wayes of God though all the world mock us Consider also what honour God hath put upon thee for the present He hath if thou art Godly brought thee to the honourable estate of Sonship and hath put his glory upon thy soul and hath honoured thee by that neer relation thou hast to Christ How base was Hamans spirit who being so honoured by the
King was so vexed because Mordecai would not bow to him And truly it is a sinful baseness in Saints that when God hath raised them to such glory as to be members of and coheirs with his Son and hath provided for them the glory of Heaven yet for all this when they have but a mock from men to be so discouraged and cast down as if all the honour that God had put upon them were nothing Think likewise how much religion hath been scoft at for your sake and is it so great a matter for you to be mocked for religion Chrysostome saith that when for us our Lord is blasphemed 't is worse then if we perished Consider also the goodnesse of God in keeping in those many secret wickednesses of thy heart from appearing which had they been suffered by God to break forth would have been matter enough of scorn and reproach whereas now the enemies are fain to watch and pry and pump for some occasion yet can hardly find any Remember also that there is more danger in being honored then contemned by men Luther said his greatest fear was the praise of men that reproach was his joy and that he would not have the glory fame of Erasmus Lastly The bearing of scoffs patiently is a great help to our progress in godlinesse As they who have overcome the evil of shame in a way of sin grow hardned in sin so they who regard no reproach cast upon them for holinesse will much proceed therein And that we may beare the cruellest mockings patiently 1. Labour to get good by them If thou seest another so vigilant to find thee out to reproach thee how vigilant shouldst thou be over thy selfe to find out what is in thee to humble thee Psal 119. Herein as David speaks be wiser then thine enemies and the lesse credit thou hast in the world labour for the more in heaven 2. Perswade thy soul of the reality of the honour that is in the waies of God Prov. 18.7 consider thy honour here is real true and hereafter it shall be visible to all 3. Pity your reproachers be troubled for their sin in stead of thine own disgrace 4. Spread thy condition before the Lord when thou art mocked Psal 109.12 prayer was Davids best medicine against mocks 5 Labour for holy magnanimity and greatnesse of spirit Psal 57.2.3 Great men think themselves above reproaches exercise thy soul with the great things of eternity It s a weak spirited man who cannot endure contempt St Johns spirit was so holily high that he calls all the malicious words of Diatrophes but triflings 6. Return not scoffe for scoffe for hereby as you will harden scoffers in their sin 3 John 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for hereby as you will harden scoffers in their sin who will think they do not worse then you and shew that you think there is a greater evil in suffering then sinning so you are put to base shifts as if you thought that you had no other remedy for an ill name but an ill tongue and you deprive your selves of relief from God and ever remember that he who is willingly overcome in the fight of scoffing is ever the better man 7. Keep conscience quiet let not thy heart reproach thee Job 27.6 Winds move not the earth unlesse they get within it be carefull of what you do and then you need not care what men say 4. Obser 4. It s our duty to shun the sin of scoffing especially at the people word and waies of God To this end 1. See the beauty and excellency of them Men deride that which they account base and contemptible let not worldly bravery dazle your eyes Study the glory of holinesse the comlinesse and rationality of every way of God Learning and religion meet with no other mockers but the ignorant 2. Consider Satans end in stirring up mockers against the waies and people of God the divel knowes there is no such likely way to darken religion and to damp the hearts of people from embracing it as by these and therefore it is observable that Julian one of the subtilest enemies that ever the cause of God had would not oppose religion by open persecution but sought all means to cast contempt upon it by jeers and scoffs and hereby he drew off multitudes from it 3. Labour for faith in threatnings faith fears a threatned evil as much as sense mourns under an inflicted evil faith takes into its vast comprehension the threatnings of judgments as wel as the promises of mercies and causeth holy fear in respect of the former as it quells unholy fear in respect of the latter 4. Study the end of Gods forbearance 2 Chron. 36.16 It is not that thou shouldst mock at God but repent of sin Scoffers turne the motive to repentance 25.16 into an incouragement of rebellion God is not long-suffering that the wicked should be securely sinning How unavoidable is his destruction who is ruin'd by the meanes of recovery 5. Study the vanity of all earthly refuges Judgment will throw them down all the overflowing scourge will easily break down these weak banks nor will any fancyed defences appear any other then paper towers when wrath approacheth Ezech. 22.24 Can thy heart endure or thy hands be strong saith God in the day when I shall deal with thee T is not so easie to resist judgments when they come as t is to scoff at them before they come Scoffers when vengeance meets them will be found to be but like cowardly souldiers who though they vaunt and boast and swagger before the enemy comes will run away as soon as they see him come 5. It s our duty to take heed that mockers at our holiness Obs Vlt. hinder us not in the wayes of holinesse Though the clouds darken the light of the Sun yet the Sun ceaseth not its course Was there ever such a fool as to be scoft out of his inheritance and yet it s a greater folly to be scoft out of holiness this will make us a reproach before God Angels and Saints yea and before our very enemies who will when they have got their will of us the more vilifie and contemn us whereas if we persist in holinesse they inwardly admire us They who sought by scoffing to hinder Nehemiahs work would have mockt him much more had they made him to have given it over He that will not suffer scoffes for Gods name shall deservedly suffer it for his own sin The second property of these seducers was their walking after their own ungodly lusts of which I have spoken largely before ver 16. The fifth and last particular in this first direction viz. the remembring the words of the Apostles is the application of their testimony to these seducers ver 19. in these words These are they who separate themselves sensuall having not the spirit In which words the Apostle shewes that these who separate
they may gratifie their genius to the utmost And this exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most aptly agrees also to that first interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. such who will bee boundlesse and kept within no limits or compassâ—â— but like a company of beasts shut up in a field who seeing better pasture in that on the other side of the hedge and desirous also of more scope break the fence and leap over the barrs that they may both run and raven The more I think of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the more I incline to think the Apostle intends thereby to represent them boundless extravagant libertines Of this their sensuality I have before spoken atla rge on verse 10. and 12. 2. The Apostle represents them not having the spirit The word spirit not to speak of the many acceptations of the word when attributed to creatures to angels the soul c. when attributed to God is taken either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentially and so God is call'd a spirit a spiritual essence Joh. 4.24 and the divine nature of Christ is set forth by the word spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Pet. 3.18 Heb. 9.14 Or 2. hypostaticῶs personally in which respect it notes the third person in the blessed Trinity and thus it s taken either 1. properly for the third person Matth. 28.19 Joh. 1.32 and 14.26 Eph. 1.13 1 Thes 1.6 c. or 2. improperly and metonymically for the effects and gifts of the holy spirit ordinary or extraordinary in which respect some are said to be anointed with the spirit to have the spirit on and in them to be fill'd with the spirit 1 Cor. 1.4 2 Cor. 6.6 Gal. 3.2 Gal. 5.17 Luc. 2.25 4 18. Act. 2.17 18. Tit. 3.6 Act. 8.16 10.44 Luc. 1.41 Act. 4.8.31.6.3.5.7.55.13.9.52 Rom. 8.1.9 and in this respect these seducers are said not to have the spirit viz. the saving working gifts graces of the spirit to teach act and rule them to sanctifie and purifie them c. which they wanting it was no wonder that they were sensuall and given over to the sinfull prosecution of all carnall delights and pleasures not having the spirit they could not walke in the spirit Gal. 5.21 not having the spirit to lust in them against the flesh they must needs be carried away wiâ—â— the lusts of the flesh as acting them without contradiction For the second the Apostle seemes to adde this their sensuality and want of the spirit to their separating themselves not onely to shew that sensuality was the cause of their separation and the want of the spirit the cause of both but as if he intended directly to thwart and crosse them in their pretences of having an high and an extraordinary measure of spiritualnesse above others by their dividing themselves from others who as these seducers might pretend were in so low a forme of Christianity and had so little spiritualnesse that they were not worthy to keep them company whereas Jude tells these Christians that these seducers were so far from being more spirituall then others that they were meere sensualists and had nothing in them of the spirit at all For by their boundlesse separation and sensuality they shewed that 1. They had not the spirit of wisdome discerning and illumination to discover to them the beauty of that holinesse and truth which was in the wayes of the Saints which they hated and forsook and to guide and lead them to that happinesse which they should look after for themselves The spirit is a spirit of truth of knowledge Joh. 14.17.15.26 of judgement Isa 11.2 Isa 26.8 The spirit guides into all truth and is a voice which saith This is the way whereas these seducers were led by a fooles-fire into the bogs and precipices of delusion and damnation by a lying spirit a spirit of errour 1 Joh. 4.16 2. They had not the spirit of renovation to change their natures of sanctification and holinesse to mortifie their lusts Rom. 1.4 the spirit of God is an holy spirit a spirit of grace Zech. 12.10 through the spirit we mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 whereas these impure monsters wallowed in all manner of sensuality and uncleannesse and shewed that they were acted by an uncleane impure spirit that they walkt not after the spirit but the flesh 3. Rom. 15.30 Gal. 6.1 They had not the spirit of meeknesse Love â—â—â—ce these are the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.7 the spirit makes us enjoy peace in our selves and study peace with others whereas these boutifeus and incendiaries made rents and schismes in the Church of Christ by their divisions they shewed themselves carnall 4. 2 Cor. 3.17 They had not the spirit of Liberty and activity in the wayes of God they were without any quickning of the spirit they were not able to doe any good worke nor enlivened in any way of holinesse but slaves and prisoners even in arctâ custodiâ to Satan and their own lusts the servants of corruption though they boasted of liberty OBSERVATIONS Obs 1. 1. Commonly sensuality lies at the bottome of sinfull separation and making of Sects Separate themselves sensual c. 'T is oft seen that they who divide themselves from the faithfull either in opinion or practise aime at loosnesse and libertinisme Such were the Nicolaitans and the Disciples of Jezabel Apoc. 2.6.20 who seduced the people of God to commit fornication Hereticks are seldome without their harlots Simon Magus had his Helena Montanus his Maximilla Donatus his Lucilia Priscillian his Galla Pope Sergius his Marozia Gregory the seventh his Matildis Alexander the sixth his Lucretia Leo the tenth his Magdalena Paul the third his Constantia Rome which condemns all the Churches in the world tolerates stewes and sets an easie rate upon all the impure practises of luxury naturall and unnaturall Non est adulterium apud nos cum enim unum eundemqspiritum habeamus unum Corpus sumus Gastius de exord Anab. The Anabaptists allow plurality of wives and some of them have said that none of their sect can commit adultery with anothers wife according to the * Ad alterum part 1. p. 615.616 c. etymology of adulterium for all of their sect say they are so knit the one to the other that they are all one body John of Leiden had 13. wives and gave a liberty to every one to marry as many as they pleas'd It s reported that after the taking of Munster there was not found a maid of 14. yeares that had not been viciated by his followers Of this before 2. It s possible for those who are sensuall and without Obs 2. Part 1. pag. 309. part 2. p. 130. the spirit to boast of spiritualnesse Of this before 3. Sanctity and sensuality cannot agree together If a man be sensuall he hath not the spirit if he have the spirit he will not be sensuall Sowing to the spirit Obs 3. and to