Exposition of Jude, Verse 14
Vers. 14. And Enoch also the seuenth from Adam prophecied of such, saying: Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints.
THe Apostle hauing in the latter part of the former verse repeated the conclusion of the reason, which is, that these seducers shall be destroyed, (the blacknes of darknes being reserued for them) hee confirmeth that conclusion by a worthie testimonie of Enoch; who prophecied that the Lord would giuegive iudgement against all vngodlie men: and therefore these vngodly men vers. 4. must needes be destroyed. In this testimonie consider two things: first the preface before it: secondly, the testimonie it selfe. In the preface he nameth the author; who was Enoch: and commendeth him in that he was the seuenth from Adam. Here two questions are to bee answered: first, whence had Iude this historie, seeing it is no where recorded in the Scriptures? and how knew he it to be Enochs? I answere two waies: first, he either had it and learned it to bee his by some tradition which went from hand to hand: (or else written by some Iew) or secondly, he learned it out of some booke which went vnderunder Enochs name: then extant in the daies of the Apostles, though now lost: it is certaine that one of these waies hee had it.
Hence the Papists gather that the Iewes had vnwritten traditions, and consequently all their traditions are to be obserued. Ans. We denie not all vnwritten traditions, of which some are true and profitable: but wee renounce and denie all those traditions which are made articles of faith, & rules of Gods worship, necessarie to saluation, (for all such doctrines are written in the books of the Prophets and Apostles, which containe perfect direction and rules concerning faith & manners) of which kind the Romane Church holdeth their traditions to be: this is of another kind, it being no article of faith, nor necessary to saluation to knowe whether Enoch writ this prophecie or no. Againe, from the second answere, others who are no Papists, conclude, that some bookes of Canonicall Scripture are perished and lost. But this is vntrue; for then first the fidelitie of the Church, which is the keeper of these Oracles, should be called in question: and secondly, in the bookes Canonicall extant, not one sentence, or tittle, no not the sense of any sentence is lost: how then should whole bookes come to be lost?
It is alleaged that the books of Salomon are most of them lost. Answ. The bookes of Salomon which were lost, were bookes of humanitie and Philosophie: for hee writ of all beasts, birds, trees, euen from the Cedar in Libanus to the hyssop vponupon the wall: the books of humane truth might faile, but no part of Canonicall Scripture.
Ob. Mention is made in the Scripture of the bookes of the Chronicles of the Iewes or Kings of Iudah; but these are perished. Ans. They were politique histories, as are the Chronicles of England, or other Countries.
Ob. The bookes of Nathan, Gad, Idd…, Shemaiah, and other Prophets are perished. Ans. All these (as is though by the learned) are contained in the bookes of the Kings, Chronicles, and Samuel.
Ob. This book of Enoch is lost. Ans. First, it is doubted whether it was a booke or no, or went by a tradition. Secondly, if it was a booke, it was no part of Scripture: for Moses was the first penman of Scripture, who liued long after Enoch.
The second question: why doth the Apostle make choise of this testimonie of Enoch, rather than some other Prophet? Answ. Himselfe giueth two reasons. First,He was not the fourth from Adam Ca… son, Gen. 4.17. but the seuenth of the posteritie of Seth: Gen. 7.18. he was the seuenth from Adam: it is therefore an ancient testimonie, to be receiued and reuerenced for the antiquitie: but withall it sheweth what is true antiquitie; namely▪ when a doctrine of religion can bee prooued from some Prophet or Apostle: (for this testimonie was a prophecie) and therefore that antiquitie which the Church of Rome challengeth to her religion and doctrine is but counterfeit; because they are not able to iustifie the maine pointes thereof from any Prophet or Apostle: yea in these wherein they dissent from vsus they cannot bring their proofe and descent from within the first hundred yeeres after Christ. It is then a vaine plea and false pretence of them to boast of the antiquitie of their religion. The second reason is in the word prophecied: for Enoch spoke not this of his owne head or motion, but from God; for no creature, Angell, or man, can foretell things to come; it being a prerogatiue properly belonging vntounto God. Ob. Yes, but the learned Physition can truely foretell the death of the patient to come. Ans. He doth not properly herein foretell a thing to come: for the death of the partie is present in the signes and causes of it. Ob. But the Diuell could foretell Sauls death, 1. Sam. 28.19. To morow shalt thou be with me and thy sonnes. Ans. The Diuell could not properly foretell it, but might see it in the causes and signes. Againe, hee might speake so to Saule; because God had made him an instrument for the execution of that iudgement and destruction: so as God only properly foretelleth that which is simply to come, and no man or Angell.
The second point is the testimonie it selfe. Behold the Lord commeth &c.] In which obserue three points: first, the comming of the Lord: secondly, the iudgement of the Lord: thirdly, the cause of it in the 15. verse: To giuegive iudgement against al men, &c. First of the party comming: Behold the Lord commeth.] Where the Apostle speaketh in the time present, which is put for the time to come: which forme of speech sheweth the certaintie of Christs comming to iudgement; who shall as certeinly come, as if he were now alreadie comming. Concerning which certaintie, it may be demaunded first, whence commeth this comming of Christ to be so certaine? Ans. From the vnchangeable will of God, which hath certainly decreed the same.Act. 17.31. For he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes. And thus are all other the articles of our faith most certaine, in that they are grounded on the vnchangeable will and word of God.
Secondly, how or from whence may we know this will of God to be so certaine? Ans. From the manner of propounding the doctrine of it; wherein the euidence of the spirit plainly appeareth, saying peremptorily; the Lord commeth: euidently expressing the certaintie as if it were now present. And the same may be spoken of the whole scripture, which in it selfe is most sure and certain, because it is the most vnchangeable will of God: but how do we know it so to be will some say? I answere, by the euidence of the spirit, the authoritie, puritie, maiestie, effect, and ends of the doctrine: it neede not seeke euidence elsewhere than from it selfe, not from man or the Church it selfe. The Romish Church confesseth it is of it selfe, and in it selfe sufficiently certaine, but not to me or thee, except the Church say so: but this is a false position. The Scripture is certaine both in it selfe and vntounto vsus, and we know it so to be though neuer a man would acknowledge it: the heart seasoned with grace will make the mouth confesse it.
Secondly, the Apostle speaking in this forme, he commeth, for he will come: wee learne to set before our eyes the comming of the Lord Iesus to iudgement, and to make account of eueryevery present day as the day of his comming: the Scriptures eueryevery where commend watchfulnes vntounto vsus, which is to do nothing else but to make reckoning continually of this day. But some will say, we cannot make account daily of it, for we see it commeth not: neither may we enquire into the time of it. Answ. Although wee cannot exactly make account of that daye of generall iudgement, yet may we well reckon vponupon the day of our particular iudgement, and the day of our owne death, that so wee may be fitted thereto: For as this shall leaue vsus, so that shall finde vsus. A necessarie doctrine and dutie to be enforced in these drowsie daies, wherein eueryevery man almost putteth off the euill day, and maketh league and couenants with death and hell: the young man presumeth of length of daies: the olde man dreameth he may liue one yeere longer: both of them deferre hereupon their repentance, in that they both are of one minde, namely, that their Master will yet deferre his comming. Thirdly, we must not only carrie within vsus a conceit and opinion of this day; but also must be inwardly affected with it, that we may walke in awe and reuerence before God in regard of it. 2. Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terrors of the Lord, we perswade men &c.
Now in the latter part of this verse, the attendants of the Lord in his comming are mentioned in these words: With thousands of his Saints: which must be vnderstood not only of Angels, but men also, 1. Thess. 3.13▪ at the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints. Qu. How can this be, and how shall the Saints come with him? Ans. All men shall rise with their owne bodies, good & bad, at the sound of the Trumpet: then shall the Saints be taken vp into the clowdes to meete Christ, and shall be made a part of his attendance: but the wicked shal stand vpō the earth, wishing the mountaines and hils to fall vponupon them, and hide them from the presence of the Iudge. Which affoordeth a most speciall comfort vntounto all them who know themselues to be the members of Christ, they shall not need to be dismaied at that day, nor feare the face of the wicked, seeing they shall be receiued in the clowdes, into fellowship with Christ before the iudgement begin: which manner of proceeding the Apostle hauing described, concludeth with the same:1. Thess. 4.16.17. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these wordes, vers. 18. Here also may bee noted the power, maiestie, and omnipotencie of Christ in his second comming, although his first comming was base and in the forme of a seruant; now he shall come with many millions of Angels and Saints; whom all creatures cannot resist: let no wicked man thinke then either to absent himselfe, or escape his fearefull wrath: the only way to auoide it is in thy life time to meete him by repentance.