him 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Increpo interminor Significat increpare cum potestatâ— objurgatione im perare ab in cepto deterrere Justinian in Jud. Increpando imperare impe rando increpare Lap. in 3. Zec. Interdicere imperare additis minis Lor. in loc Divinum imperium efficax For the first The word Rebuke in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vulgar renders it imperet the Lord rule thee Beza and Erasmus increpet the Lord chide or rebuke thee and the word signifieth both to charge or command by way of severe commination or threatning to prevent disobedience in the commanded as also and most properly to chide or reprehend so as a servant is rebuked by his Master who both by his charging with threats and chiding or rebuking shewes as his Authority to command so his strength and ability to punish in case the party whom he threats and chides be not deterred from going on in his begun Enterprise And because the commands threats and rebukes of God are not verbal but efficaciously put forth in their effects this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used by Jude is used by the Evangelist to express the Authority and Power of Christ in stilling and calming the winds of the sea Matth. 8.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he rebuked the wind and in casting the Divel out of the possessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Mark 9.25 He rebuked the foul spirit and in healing Simous wives mother of the Feaver Luke 4.39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He rebuked the feaver So that this imprecation here used by the Archangel of rebuking Satan 1 Presupposeth Satans bold readiness to oppose and resolution to overthrow the pleasure of God unless he were hindred by the force of Gods threats and rebukes and the slavishness of Satans fear who forbears and gives over any wicked attempt meerly for fear of punishment and by a powerful restraint from God And 2. It more properly intends the Soveraign Authority of God over the highest of wicked creatures and his power whereby without any paines easily even as by the uttering of a rebuking word he quels the Divel yea the putting forth of his Authority and Power in the curbing and restraining of that his impudent Malignancy whereby he resisted the will and pleasure of God concerning the body of Moses To the second why Michael in this hot contestation with the Divel interposed this imprecation or desire of Gods rebuking him I answer hereby he exprest 1 his confidence in 2. Zeal for 3. Submissiveness to God 1. Hereby he would shew his confidence that God was able to maintain that righteous cause wherein he was now employed viz. his opposing of Satan the holy Angel manifesting that he whose will and pleasure it was that the Sepulcher should be concealed could easily curb and restrain this evil spirit from accomplishing though he suffered him to attempt the discovery thereof His carriage herein agrees to his name for as his name Michael signified Who is like or equal to the Lord so by saying The Lord rebuke thee he exprest that Satans contestations against so great a God were all but in vain he being a great and powerful Lord and the Divel though a wicked and rebellious yet a weak and timorous slave and underling the Lord being able to chide all the Divels undertakings and contentions into nothing even with one word or rebuke of his mouth 2. Hereby Michael discovered his Zeal for God Though this holy Angel was not so sinfully hot as to revile Satan yet was he so holily zealous as to plead yea to imprecate for God He who was holily patient in his own was holily impatient in Gods cause and quarrel He prayes not here in his own but in Gods behalf that the foul mouth which had disputed against and blasphemed the holy God might by that God be stopt Angels are zealous for Gods glory Some think that the name of Seraphim is therefore given to some of them for their burning zeal As God takes the dishonour offered to any of his Angels and Messengers as offered to himself so should they more sadly resent the dishonour offered to God then if it had befaln themselves Deut. 32.35 Michael here seeing the Divels carriage impudently derogating from Gods glory could no longer refrain but zealously prayes The Lord rebuke thee 3. Hereby he shewes his holy and humble submissiveness to God and forbearance to be his own or his Adversaries Judge he remits and refers revenge to God desiring that God would take up the controversie The Lord saith he rebuke thee The holy Angel beseeched God to be Mediator between him and the Divel in this disputation he knew well that vengeance belonged to God and therefore he desires that God would deal with him as seemed best to himself he repayes not evil for evil neither in affection or expression and speech God being the righteous Judge he expects the sentence onely from him who best knew what punishment the Divel deserved and how to vindicate the glory of his own Name and from whose hand the Archangel well knew that the Divel was not able to make an escape In short the Divels sinful opposing of Michael yea of Gods glory by contending for the discovery of Mâ—ses Sepulchre was no warrant for Michael to offend God by expressing any undue desire of revenge he therefore remits the matter to Gods determination The Lord saith he rebukâ— thee OBSERVATIONS 1. Satans forbearance of Observ 1 or desisting from any way of wickedness is purely from Gods threatning rebuke and hâ—â— powerful chiding him The Archangel saith not The Lord mend change reform thee but The Lord hinder stop and by his power effectually rebuke thee Satan may be driven away from some act of sin by Gods power not drawn by Gods love like a Dog he fears the whip not leathing that which he is compell'd to leave The Divel is held in an everlasting bond of sin he is wedg'd and wedded to sin He sinneth as it s said 1 John 3.8 from the beginning since he began he never did nor shall cease from the love although he may be forced to forbear the outward act of sin there 's in him an utter impotency to any good nor can he lay down his unholy inclination he may be curb'd he shall never be changed It s ever a torment to him not a delight to forbear any wickedness when he besought Christ not to torment him Luke 8 28. the torment against which he prayed was that his ejection out of the possessed whereby he was hindred from doing that hurt which he desired it being immediately added by the Evangelist For he Christ had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man Satan came to tempt Christ of his own inclination but he went away by Christs powerful command He ceased to molest Job when he had vexed him as much as he could obtain leave to do when he
passage or of the Epistle therefore to be doubted of by the same reason sundry other places of Scripture must be questioned frequently doth the Spirit of God in the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.8 set down that as done in former stories which was not at all there mentioned as Jannes and Jambres their withstanding of Moses Heb. 11.21 Jacobs worshipping on the top of his staffe Moses his saying that the sight upon the Mount was so terrible Heb. 11.21 Psal 105.18 that I exceedingly fear and tremble that Josephs feet were hurt with fetters and that hee was laid in Irons c. Yea how ordinary is it for the Penmen of Scripture to make use of sentences taken out of Heathen Poets as that of Menander 1 Cor. 15 33. Evil communication corrupts good manners Of Epimenides Tit. 1.12 The Cretians are always lyars evill beasts slow bellies Of Aratus Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being The Spirit of God which could sanctifie passages taken out of Heathens and make them Canonical might do the like by this relation or tradition if it were so of the Archangels contention with the Devil and by putting of the Apostle upon the inserting of it give it the stamp of divine authority and so render it to us most certain and infallible and by this we at once answer both those who reject this Epistle because Jude brings an example from tradition no where recorded in Scripture as likewise the Papists who offend in the other extream of excess from hence pleading for a liberty in the Church to joyn traditions with the Holy Scripture whereas they can neither prove that the Apostle had this story by tradition for why might not the Spirit of God reveal to the Apostles what had been done before in ages past as it did to the Prophets what should be done afterwards in ages to come nor that it is lawful for us to do all that the Apostles might who as Rivet well notes did many things by a singular and peculiar right Rivet in Isai p. 474. Apostoli multis singulari jure usurparunt in quibus nemo debet aut etiam potest eos imitari wherein none either ought or is able to imitate them This premised briefly I come to the words of the Verse wherein we have three parts considerable 1. The Combatants Michael the Archangel and the Devil 2. The Strife and Contention it self set down 1. More generally so it s said they contended 2. More particularly and so it was a disputation about the body of Moses 3. The Carriage of the Archangel in this Contention which was twofold 1. Inward in respect of his disposition set down Negatively he durst not bring a railing accusation 2. Outward in respect of his expression set down Affirmatively He said the Lord rebuke thee 1. First Of the parties contending Michael the Archangel and the Devil EXPLICATION In the Explication whereof we shall consider First Michael the Archangel who is described two wayes or from a double Name 1. Of his Person and so he is called Michael 2. Of his Office and Place and so he is called an Archangel The Name of his person is Michael This Name signifies who is as or like or equal unto God But who this person should be learned men agree not Some conceive that the Son of God the second Person of the Trinity is here cald Michael Others that an holy and created Angel is here by Jude intended by the Name of Michael and that as by the Name of Gabriel so likewise of Michael a certain Angel is to be understood And that this latter is the true opinion seems to me undeniable for these reasons 1. Because Michael Dan. 10.13 is called one of the chief Princes that is of the chief Angels or Archangels but how this can fitly be spoken of Christ I understand not whom we must not account one of the number of the Angels but one without or rather infinitely above that number or order even the omnipotent Creator of Angels as well as men Col. 1.16 2. An Angel vers 21. of the forenamed Chapter describing the difficulty of his work tels Daniel that there was none that held with him Inepta filio Dei indigna oratio Gom. de Nom. Mich. Tom. 1. p. 107. Tom. 2. p. 217. or strengthned him but Michael But this expression as learned Gomarus notes seems to be unfitly applied unto Christ because there can be no greater strength named then that of Christ whose power is infinite To say There 's none with me but the Son of God seems an harsh expression he who hath the Son of God to stand by him wanting no other 3. Jude call this Michael an Archangel but as we never read in Scripture that Christ is called an Archangel or a chief or the chief Angel so 1 Thes 4.16 we find that Christ and the Archangel are manifestly distinguished the Apostle saying that The Lord shall descend from heaven with the voice of an Archangel 4. It seems also to be very unmeet to say of Christ that he durst not bring against the Devil a railing accusation Christ being the Lord and Judg of Devils and whom he shall at the last day condemn to eternal punishment yea we find Joh. 8.44 that he passed judgment upon him and pronounced him a murtherer one that hath no truth in him a lyar and the father of a lye a sentence which the Angel here disputing with the Devil though he had just cause yet durst not utter he only saying The Lord rebuke thee 5. The Apostle Peter speaking of this very matter 2 Pet. 2.11 and aggravating the sin of these seducers by this humble carriage of their Superiours plainly speaks not of Christ but of the holy Angels he saying thus whereas Angels which are greater in power and might bring not a railing accusation c. Nor doth the Argument drawn from the signification of the name Michael prove that by Michael we are here to understand the Son of God This word Michael by Interpretation say some is qui sicut Deus and according to them imports one that is as or equal to God a name which say they cannot agree to any creature But it s answered that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew is not here to be taken relatively as signifying one who but interrogatively Who is and it is ever in Scripture so taken Psal 89.8 Esai 44.7 Jer. 49.19 and 50.44 when used in expressions wherein the Name of God is celebrated as Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee c. So Psal 35.10 all my bones shall say Lord who is like to thee So Psal 71.19 And thus the giving of this name Michael to the creature is no dishonouring of God by making it equal to God Est confessio majestatis Dei non alienatio illius à Deo Gomarus but rather an advancing of God by an humble Confession or acknowledgment
Truth and to give the glory of God reparations as it were by wiping off the blemishes cast upon it by foolish and ignorant men When we have upon grounded deliberation chosen our Love we should zealously express the love of our choice Sinners as they say of young mens thoughts of old think that Saints are foolish but Saints know that sinners are so Let not their prosecution of sin be more zealous then thy reprehension of it nor their opposition of any way of God be more hot then thy contention for it Let thy fire have more purity then theirs but let it not be inferior in its fervor The Christians Serpent must not devour his Dove How good a Master do the godly serve who requires no duty but such as he warrants in and rewards after the doing Satans servants are scepticks and he puts them upon such imployments in the doing whereof they cannot know they do well and afterward they shall know they have done ill and that to their cost 5. Corrupt affections blear and darken the judgement Observ 3. These Seducers hated the wayes of God and deilghted to oppose them and therefore they did not would not know them He who will be disobedient in heart shall soon have a dull head They who love sin will leave the Truth Lust opposeth the entrance of the Light Repentance makes men acknowledg the Truth 2 Tim. 2.25 Every one who doth evil hateth the light John 3.20 Men love not to study such Truths as will hinder them being known from going on in some gainful wickedness It s from unrighteousness that men imprison Truths They who thought the believing of the Resurrection would hinder their course in sin Prov. 28.5 taught that the Resurrection was past 2 Tim. 2.18 Lust perverts Light and makes men in stead of bringing their hearts and lives to the Scripture to bring to draw the Scripture by carnal and wittily wicked distinctions and evasions to both Knowledg is the mother of Obedience and Obedience the nurse of Knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former breeds the latter and the latter feeds the former Of this largely before Part 1. pag. 616 617 c. Observ 6. Qui prius quam chord as exploraverit omnes simul inconcinnè percutit absonum et absurdum strepitum reddit sic judex qui singulas liâ—ga torum causas non pulsavis nec audivit stultam planè absurdam sententiam pronuntiet necesse est Petrarc 6. It s our duty to forbear speaking against any thing which we understand not He that answereth a matter saith Solomon before he heareth it it is folly and shame to him Prov. 18.13 As men are not to be commended so neither to be condemned before the knowledge of their cause As he causeth an harsh and unmusical sound who strikes and playes upon the strings of an Instrument before he hath tryed and tuned them so he must needs pass a foolish and absurd Sentence upon any cause who passeth that Sentence before he hath seriously heard and weighed the cause to which he speaks Herein Eli manifested his fault and folly 1 Sam. 1.14 rashly and weakly charging Hanna with Drunkenness Thus also David discovered his folly in giving credit to the information of flattering and false-hearted Ziba against good Mephibâ—sheth 2 Sam. 16.3 4. before he had heard what Mephibâ—sheth could alledg for himself Potiphar likewise shewed himself as unjust as his wife shewed her self unchast by an over-hasty heeding of his wives false and forged accusation against righteous Joseph Gen. 39.19 20 To these may be added the ignorant censure of those Scoffers who derided the Apostles filled with the Holy Ghost as if filled with new wine Inter triâ—icum lolium quamdâ—u herba est nondum â—uâ—mus venit ad spâ—cam grandis similitudo eft in disceruendo aut nulla aut perdifficilis distanâ—ia Praemonâ—t ergo Dominus ne uâ—i quid ambignum est cito sententiam proferamus sed Deo judici terminum reservemus Hieron Ut nobis exemplum proponat ne mâ—la hominum ante praesumamus credere quam probare Gr. Mor. l. 19. c. 23. Doubtful cases are to be exempted from our censure The wheat and courser grain saith Hierom are so like to one another when newly come up and before the stalk comes to the ear that there 's no judging between them and therefore the Lord by commanding that both should be let alone till the Harvest admonisheth as that we should not judge of doubtful things but refer them to the judgment of God Even God himselfe who clearly discernes the secrets of the heart and needs not examine any cause for his own information determines not by sentence till after examination that so he might teach us by his example the method of judging Gen. 18.21 Which is to know before we censure They who to make shew of what they have not a quick understanding and nimble apprehension will take off a speaker in the midst of his relation and make as if they knew all the rest of his speech which is to follow and others who though they will hear the whole speech out yet not clearly understanding it scorn to have it repeated again lest they might be thought slow of apprehension by their foolish and ill accommodated answers do often grosly bewray their ignorance and folly And this speaking of any thing ignorantly should principally be avoided by Magistrates and Ministers By Magistrates because their passing of a sudden and overhasty answer is accompanied with the hurt of others and withal by so much the more should they take heed of this folly because when they have once passed though a rash and unjust sentence Vid. Cartw. in Prov. 18.13 yet so great a regard must be had forsooth to their Honours by themselves already dishonoured that seldom or never will they be induced to retract or recal any unrighteous censure when once they have uttered it Which sinful distemper appeared not only in those Heathen Governours * In their censuring of John and Christ Herod and Pilate but in that holy man David in the case of Mephibosheth By Ministers likewise should this speaking ignorantly and doubtfully of anything be avoided whose work being to direct souls and that through greatest dangers to the obtaining of greatest happiness they cannot be blind Leaders and ignorant Teachers without the infinite hazard of their followers How unlike are they who will be Teachers before they themselves have been taught and Affirmers of what they understand not to him who spake only what he knew Joh. 3.11.32 and testified onely what he saw and heard Thus of the first part of this verse their malicious and unchristian ignorance They speak evil of what they know not The second followes their sensual knowledg What they know naturally as brute Beasts in those things they corrupt themselves In which words two things are mainly considerable 1. The sensuality of their
greatest worth that it sees in any thing beside Christ is this that it may be be left for Christ 4. It is an industrious thirst 't is not a lazy veleity but a desire which takes pains for the thing desired it suffers not a man to sit still but makes him seek knock ask cry call sell all wrastle strive all Scripture-expressions it offers violence to and makes an holy riot upon heaven It s like fire that will not be smothered It saith as Elijah to Obadiah As the Lord liveth I will shew my self It stands not for any cost it turns every stone Like the arrow drawn to the head it flies apace It 's not like the desire of the slothfull which slayes him because his hands refuse to labour Prov. 21.25 5. It s a resolved waiting permanent thirst Gen. 49.19 Luk. 2 25. Iratum colit numen Hence we frequently read of waiting for the Lord and his Salvation and Consolation It stayes the Lords leisure and will not away though the Lord seems to deny No waters of discouragement shall quench it It doth not cast off hope because it cannot presently find comfort T is good saith the soul that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord Lam. 3.26 Like one who goes to an house to speak with one much his Superiour the spiritually thirsty soul will tarry the Lords leisure for his coming to it 6. It s a thirst determined and limited to that One Thing upon which it s set Nothing else will serve its turn nor will it be brib'd or put off with any thing in stead thereof Whom saith the Psalmist have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.25 Psal 27.4 and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee One thing saith David I have desired of the Lord that will I seek after What have I said Abraham so long as I go childlesse and what have I saith the soul so long as I go Christless Land riches honours children c. are good but yet they are not Christ A bag of gold wilnot serve him who is perishing with thirst in stead of a cup of water 7. It s a returning progressive thirst 't is never fully satisfied on this side Heaven it puts upon craving and seeking again and again The earth desires not rain once onely in a year but a return of showres the latter as well as the former rain nor doth refreshment with drink to day make a man regardless therof to morrow Davids desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever The least degree of spirituall relief Psal 23.6 Psal 27.4 satisfies and stayes a Christians stomack to the world but the greatest takes not away it s further desires of Christ 8. It s a thank full thirst it blesseth the Lord for every drop of grace with the Psalmist Psal 63.5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shal praise thee with joyfull lips Oh! saith the soul Lord who shall praise thee if I do not A soul satisfied with mercy Psal 103.3 Rom. 7.25 1 Tim. 1.17 Nibil leve quo anima reparatur is a spirituall Psalm sung out in the praises of God Blessed be God who hath blessed us saith Paul with spirituall Blessings as soon as ever Paul had said Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof he was chief he adds his Doxology Now to the King immontall c. What a delightfull fragrancy comes from and what a face of freshnesse greennesse cheerlinesse is upon the face of the parched grasse and Plants after a shower of Rain Oh! what a spirituall freshnesse of joy is upon what sweetly breathings of praises issue from that soul which God hath relieved with his spirituall Showres of Love and favour The souls greatest trouble is now that it brings not forth more fruits of new obedience after those Showres and it s now as boundless in duty as heretofore it was in desires 7. Obs 7. Seducers are wont to make great shews and appearances of worth in themselves and their Doctrines These Seducers seem'd to be full watery clouds whose wombs were big with the rain of instruction and holinesse but for all this the Apostle tels us they were clouds without water Heresie is compared to leaven Mar. 8.15 and among other reasons for its puffing and raising the dough This spirituall Leaven puffs up men with an undue and excessive opinion of their own parts and Graces The Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous 2 Pet. 2.20 and despised others Luk 18.9 No doubt think they we are the people and Wisdome shall dye us with Job 12.2 They are vainly puft up by their fleshly minde Col. 2.18 The Ministers of Satan desired to be accounted the Ministers of righteousnesse False Apostles 2 Cor. 10.12 commended themselves measured themselves by themselves and compared themselves among themselves They measured and esteemed themselves according to their own mind and judgment and not according to their reall worth or excellency Regnat luscus inter câ—cos They also never considered the excellency of others who were much beyond them in worth but onely such who were of the same pitch with themselves or as some understand the place they commend and receive praises from one another and among themselves And whereas the Apostle saith vers 13. that he would not boast of things without his measure he intimates that these Seducers boasted beyond all the bounds or measure of their gifts and calling or according to some that they boasted of their labouring in the Gospel beyond the measure and term of Pauls Labour Theophilact and Oecumenius conceiving that these Seducers falsely boasted that they had propagated the Gospel to the ends of the earth and that according to the Psalmist Psal 19. Their line was gone through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Arius vainly gloried that God had revealed something to him that was hid from the Apostles themselves Vide Danaeum in descriptione arboris Haeres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Haer. 24. Montanus boasted that he was the Paraclet or Comforter himself Simon Magus the father of these hereticall seducers boasted that he was the mighty power of GOD. Hereticks boldly inintrude into things which they have not seen they professe knowledg falsely so called The disciples of Basilides voyced themselves onely to be men and all others to be swine and dogs saith Epiphanius and Nazianzen tels Eunomius that he was he means in his own Conceit a beholder of things which to all others are invisible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. in Orat. 33. an hearer of things which it is not lawfull to â—tter that he was taken up to heaven as was Elias that he had seen the face of God as had Moses that he was rapt up into the third heavens as was Paul Thus the Papists stile some of their Schoolmen Angelicall
the flesh are opposed Gal. 6.4 The opposition also is remarkable be not drunk with wine c. but be fill'd with the spirit Eph. 5.18 when sense is gratified the spirit is opposed Marke the like opposition also Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 13.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill it in the lusts thereof and Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh these have contrary originalls the one is from earth the other from heaven The motions of sensuall lusts and the spirit are contrary one downward another upward a man cannot look those contrary wayes at once Lust like the womans disease in the Gospel bowes us down to the earth the spirit moves to the things above Like two ballances if one goe up the other goes down they put upon contrary practises Gal. 5.17 walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the deeds of the flesh Gal. 5.16 They both endeavour to take up and each to ingrosse and monopolize the whole man soul and body they will neither endure to have their dominion over man parted They can admit of no accommodation what ever means or helps advance the one suppresse and expell the other The fuel of lust worldly excesse extinguisheth the spirit the preservatives of the spirit prayer word fasting meditation are the poysons of lusts Oh the madnesse then of those who thin◠to serve these contrary masters Matth. 6.4 If one be loved the other must be forsaken The allowance of any inordinate lust is inconsistent with the spirit How great should our care be hence to take the spirits part against the flesh 1. by a through hearty inward work of mortification the plucking up of lust by the roots not only by snibbing the blade of it 2. By a holy and watchful moderation in worldly enjoyments behind which Satan like the Philistines ever lies in ambush when the lust like Delilah is tempting 3. By diverting thy joyes and pleasure upon heavenly objects and 4. By labouring for a sanctified improvement of all the stoppages in the way of lust and Gods breaking down thy bridges in thy march They who want the spirit are easily brought over to sensuality Obs ult Vide Part. 2. ver 10. They had not the spirit and no wonder if sensual Natural light is not enough to overcome natural lusts He who is but a meer man may soon become a prey to sensuality Vae soli woe to him that hath not this spirit to renew him nay constantly to reside in him and to act him Even Saints themselves when the spirit withdraws and leaves them to themselvs how sensual have they proved David Lot Samson are proofs Let thy great care be then to keep the spirit from departing Psal 51. 'T was Davids prayer take not thy holy spirit from me Take heed of giving way to sinnes of pleasure or to sins of deliberation or to repeated sinnes or to sins against conscience or to the sin of pride and presumption of thine own strength delight not in sinful company Beware of worldly mindedness follow the dictates of the spirit and listen to its first motions Fruitfully improve the ordinances wherein the spiritdelights to breath VER 20. But ye Beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost THe second direction to teach the Christians how to observ the former exhortation to contend for the truth and to oppose seducers is building up themselves on their most holy faith yet so as this and the next direction are set down as dispositions and meanes to keep themselves in the love of God mentioned in the next verse In this the Apostle shews and we ought to explain thre things EXPLICATION 1. The Builders or the parties directed Beloved 2. Their Foundation their most holy faith 3. Their building thereon in these words building up your selves on c. 1. Of the parties here called Beloved Part. 1. I have largely spoken before 2. The Foundation Their most holy faith In this I might inquire 1. What is meant by faith 2. How it s call'd your faith 3. How it s call'd most holy 1. Concerning the several acceptations of faith I have largely spoken Par. 1. p. 117.118 c. when I handled the Apostolical exhortation of contending for the faith And here by faithh as in the forementioned place I understand the doctrine of faith For enlargement upon which Vid. ver 3. and wha◠about delivering of the faith I have there said and reasons why the word is called faith I refer the Reader to what I have spoken on the forenamed place 2. This faith is called your faith and the doctrine of faith was theirs 1. Because of Ministration it was delivered to the Saints and by God given to them and to others for their sakes 2. Because they received it were moulded into it it was so delivered to them that they as the Apostle speaks were delivered into it as it was ministred to them so it was accepted by them It was not scorned rejected but received embraced yea contended for by them It was effectually theirs as well as ministerially 3. Theirs it was in regard of the fruit and benefit of it It was for theirs the salvation of their souls 1 Pet. 1.9 It was to them a savour of life not a sentence of condemnation 3. 3 Vid. Lorin in loc It s called most holy faith 1. To put a difference between those unholy and fabulous dreames of these seducers the most impure inventions of the Gnosticks Jewish fables c. 2. Considered in it selfe and that 1. In its supream auhtor and efficient cause the holy Ghost It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by divne inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 2. In the Instruments of conveying it who were holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 3. Quanam Paul◠Epistol◠non melle dulcior non lacte candidior Hierom. In the matter of it which is altogether holy every word of God is pure The threatnings holy denounced against sin the precepts holy and such as put us onely upon holinesse the comforts and promises holy parts of a holy covenant and such as onely comfort in the practice of holinesse and encourage to holinesse and are made to holy ones 4. In the effects of it It works and exciteth holinesse in nature heart life It s that which being believingly lookt into makes the beholders holy like it selfe as the rods of Jacob which layd before the sheep made them bring forth young ones of the same colour with those rods 3. Their building on this foundation is contained in these words building up your selves Two things are in this branch comprehended 1. How we are to understand this building up 2. This building up of
interpretation Haereticorum vocabula timenda yet carry a shew of evill To say we are saved by works may have a true interpretation but its better to abstaine from it because it hath an appearance of popish merit To call Evangelicall Ministers Priests may be truly expounded but it were better to avoid the expression because of the shew of Popish sacrifice and priesthood The words of hereticks are to be avoided And if we will keep the faith of the scriptures we must keep the words of the scriptures Those things which are malè colorata though not in se mala which have an ill colour though not an ill nature must be shun'd Caesar said of his wife that she ought to be without suspicion of fault as wel as without fault Valentinian having a drop of the water sprinkled upon his garment which was cast about by the Priests in their heathenish services cut out that piece of cloth upon which that drop fell from the rest of the garment The ancient Christians would not set up lights and bayes at their doores Tertul. lib. de Idol though for this they were persecuted as Enemies to the Emperour because the temple and the doores of Idolaters were wont to be thus garnished These primitive Christians would not endure that any Christian should looke toward Jerusalem praying because they would avoid shew of Judaisme Augustine thought it in his time unlawful to fast on the Sabbath day because the Manichees did so God appointed his own Ceremonies so as a wall of partition might be put between the Israelites and Heathens In which respect his people are forbid to eat swines flesh the ordinary food of the gentiles to make their heads bald to shave their beards to cut their flesh And Aquinas thinks that because the Heathens set their Temples East-ward Aquin. 1â— 20 3. â— therefore Gods was set West-ward ad arcendam idololatriam saith he Not onely apparant sins but sins in appearance are to bee avoided by Christians Even the accompaning with sinners is suspicious as well as the acting of their impieties is heinous Tell me said a good man once where thou hast been Eph. 5.7 and I will tell thee what thou hast done A man sins as well by not reproving a swearer as by swearing He that doth not preserve the law doth not observe it This say some was one reason why David refused to take the threshing floore oxen c. as a gift but would buy them because he would avoid the shew of covetousnesse For the second why this garment spotted c. was to be hated i. e. inwardly loath'd outwardly shun'd In respect of God In respect of Themselves In respect of Others 1. God 1. 'T is his Command he would have his to adorne the Gospel to shine as lights to abstaine from all appearance of evill and be holy in repute as well as in reality 2. His honour is hereby advanced The farther we keep from defiling our selves the more we keep from dishonouring him It s the glory of the Gospel when men cannot lay any thing like an evill to our charge and when they cannot speak reproachfully and truly at the same time 3. His example is hereby imitated He hates all that 's evill and like evill The conformity of our affections with the Lord is very acceptable How highly is the Church of Ephesus commended for hating the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which saith the Lord I also hate There is in God no shadow of change and therefore nothing like sinne He is of purer eyes then to behold sin or to look upon iniquity 2. Themselves 1. It is a true note of sincerity to shun evil in its very likenesse He who hates a person loves not his very picture This is a main difference betweene a sound Christian and an hypocrite A wicked man will abstain from evil in extreams but commonly hee cares not for petty and appearing evils Hence tell him of such and such a sinne his reply usually is give me some plain manifest scriptures against it scriptures which oppose his sinne by consequence and proportion will not serve the turn It must onely be a plain bare-faced evill that he will forsake An hypocrite loves the appearance of good more than goodnesse it selfe the godly hates the very appearance of evil as well as the evil it selfe 2 It s his wisedome to avoid the appearance of evil Hee who will never give way to so much as an appearing shall not be overthrown with a real evil Hee who will not touch will not taste much lesse swallow down a sinne And hee who cares not to avoid the appearance of evil by little and little cometh to esteeme the evil and the appearance both alike the beginnings of sinne are modest and yet make way to immodest proceedings 3. He takes the wisest course to preserve his good name he who abstains from appearing evils provides for his conscience and reputation at once and stops the mouths of accusers abroad as well as of the accuser in his owne bosome 3. Others 1. The weake 2. The wicked 1. They who shunne the very resemblance of sinne make those who are any thing inclinable to follow them more exact and precise in their walking â—ommonly if a leader will adventure upon an appearing a follower will be imboldned thereby to commit a real evil for though when we behold men strict in holinesse we are too ready to hope that we may bee allowed to come a little short of them yet when wee see any take liberty to do that which enclines to evil wee are prone to imagine that we may go a little beyond them They who write copyes must write a fair hand trifles in a leader are blasphemies As reports lose nothing in the telling so sinne loseth nothing in the imitating Commonly the Scholer out-goes the Master 2. They who allow themselves in appearing evils harden wicked men who ever make the faults of such seem bigger and more then they are and for fifty write downe an hundred and ever make use of the appearing evils of Saints as sheilds and apologies â—o bear them out in their greatest enormities OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Sinne and sinners are spotting and defiling they stain what they touch Of this before largely Part. 2. p. 226. c The allusion here is to a running issue defiling the thing it toucheth 2. Obs 2. The people of God in this world are subject to defilements Jude in exhorting the Christians to carry themselves compassionately towards sinners directs them likewise to carry themselves warily lest they get hurt from them T is as hard to bee in the world and not to be polluted by it as to be among infectious persons and not to be infected The best of Saints have a principle in them which will make them catch infection The great industry of worldly persons is to pollute the godly Jam. â— ult The power of religion is principally seem in keeping a