Exposition of Jude, Verse 16
Vers. 16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their owne lusts, whose mouthes speake proud things; hauing mens persons in admiration, because of aduantage.
IN this verse the Apostle returneth againe to his former purpose, and still continueth the rehearsall of the sinnes and vices of these false teachers, against whom he writeth; and against whom he hath alreadie alleaged twelue seuerall sinnes; and in this verse addeth sixe more, of which some notwithstanding hauehave been touched in the sins formerly condēned. Herein we will first shew the nature of the vices themselues, and secondly lay downe the contrarie duties so farre as they shall concerne vsus.
These are murmurers,] By murmuring wee are to vnderstand a certaine fruite of impatience, whereby men shew themselues displeased with the worke of Gods prouidence, especially when his hand is vponupon them, and they are vnderunder the crosse. Example whereof wee hauehave in the Israelites, who when Moses had brought them out of Egypt, they murmured and repined that they were fed with Manna only, and wanted their flesh-pots which they had in Egypt: see Deut. 1.26.27. where this sinne is called rebellion against God; and therefore is no small sinne. For the auoyding and preuenting of which sinne, wee must learne two duties: first, in silence and subiection to calme and quiet our harts in the reueiled will of God vponupon vsus, though therein our owne willes bee crossed. Psal. 4.4. Examine your selues, and be still. Psal. 37.7. Be silent vntounto God, and waite on the Lord. Which is al one as if he had plainly said: Let Gods will be your will also. Isai. 30.15. In quietnes and confidence shall be your strength. Herein our strength must be exercised, not in resisting, but enduring the hand of God. Secondly, wee must shew our selues truly thankfull to God in all things befalling vsus: yea, euen in euill things, which otherwise may be occasions of murmuring. Iob. 1. The Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken, blessed be his name. Ob. But this may seeme harsh and contrary to reason to blesse God for crosses. Ans. Not a whit, if we conceiue that according to our deserts, he might plunge vsus into the pit of hell: and therefore if he mitigate of that iustice, and remember his merciemercy more easily correcting vsus, herein all the praise of merciemercy is due vntounto him.
Complainers] So called for two causes: first, because they are discontented with their present outward estate wherin God hath placed them; the portion that God hath allotted thē liketh them not; they are displeased that they are not as others be, and that they hauehave not as others hauehave. Secondly, because vponupon the frowardnes of their dispositiō they are easily displeased, and hard to please again, soone incensed, and not so soone satisfied; and thereupon are commonly complaining of the hard measure they seeme to receiue at mens hands. But especially they are so called in respect of the former reason. This is not the sinne of that age onelyonly, neither only of those persons, but is euen a common sinne of our times, and that of the richer sort: for these are the poorest amongst men, euer whining, and complaining that their state is not so good as others, nor as they would hauehave it: and although they know (as we say) no end of their wealth, yet know they no end of their wishings and desires. We on the contrarie are hence to learne, first, to thinke well and speake well of that estate in which God in his prouidence hath setled vsus, bee it better or worse. Phil. 4.11. In what estate soeuer, I hauehave learned therewith to be contented. Heb. 13.5. Be content with that you hauehave. First, carrie not couetous, aspiring, and malicious mindes and affections: but if thou must needes bee desiring, satisfie thy selfe with Iacobs desire: OnelyOnly the Lord be with me, and if hee giuegive me foode and raiment in this my iourney, it is sufficient. Secondly, our hearts must be set to obey God euen in pouertie and affliction,Gods will must be obeyed, in being both done and suffered of …. and beare aduersitie with an equall and moderate minde, our obedience must not onelyonly be actiue in doing; but passiue also in suffering his wil. Phil. 4.12. I can want and abound, I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me. Hebr. 10.34. The faithfull could with ioy suffer the spoyling of their goods. Thirdly, wee must endeuour to shew all meekenes to all men vponupon all occasions, putting off all morositie, waiwardnes and difficultie to bee satisfied and appeased. Christs voyce was not life vp in the streetes; he endured all wrongs, forgaue all iniuries; and all the members of his bodie put off likewise their wooluish dispositions: they cease to be Tigers, Lions, Cockatrises: and become Kids,Isai. 11.16. Lambes, little children, easie to be handled, hardly offended, and quicklie pleased: which disposition we must put vponupon vsus.
The third sinne; [walking after their owne lusts] is fitly expounded in Eccles. 11.9. where the young man is ironically willed to walke in the waies of his owne heart, and in the sight of his own eyes, &c. euen so these men liue in their sinnes, according to the leading and lusting of their owne corrupted hearts: which sin is before in the fourth verse touched; and somewhat also is further to bee spoken of it in the rest of the Epistle. Our contrarie dutie is two-fold: first, if at any time by frailtie we fall into any sin, neuer to goe on in the same, but break it off, and returne vntounto God: for to walke after his owne hearts lusts, is a note of a wicked person and an enemie of God. Psal. 68.21. Surely God wil wound the head of his enemies, and the hairie pa… of him that walketh on in sinne. Secondly, wee are to frame our liues cleane against the lusts and inclinations of our owne hearts; waging battell continually against them, euer crossing and thwarting them: Rom. 13.14. Take no thought to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Galath. 3. They that are Christs hauehave crucified the flesh, with the lusts therof: for whosoeuer beleeueth truly the pardon of his sinnes by Christs death, cannot but mortifie the lusts of his wicked heart; besides that the whole course of Christianitie is nothing else but a continuall conuersion and turning vntounto God.
The fourth sin. Whose mouthes speake proude or swelling things.] That is, they boast themselues of knowledge, holines, and things not to be found in thē. The same with the Diuels sinne, Luk. 4. All this will I giuegive thee, for they are mine, and I giuegive them to whom I will: wherein he sheweth himselfe the father of lying and boasting. It is noted also to bee the property of Antichrist, as to whom was giuen a mouth which spake great things and blasphemies, Reu. 13.5. which was meant of the Emperour indeed, but so as the second beast, which is that Antichrist, should doe all things which the first beast could doe before him, ver. 12. It is also the noted vice of all heretikes and seducers, 2. Cor. 10.12. to exalt and praise themselues. The contrarie duties are, first, In common speech neither to praise, nor dispraise our selues, for vanitie lurketh in both: besides that, modestie will not suffer the former; and the latter is to occasion others to praise vsus, which is but vanitie. Secondly, when in speech wee compare our selues with others our equals, wee must euer thinke and speake better of them than our selues. Phil. 2.3. Let eueryevery man esteeme other better than himselfe. Paul comparing himselfe with the Apostles, said he was the least of them all; because he had been a persecutor, 1. Cor. 15.9. Thirdly, if any speake of his owne wants, when iust occasion is offered, hee must speake euen the most against himself. As Paul, that he was the head and chiefe of all sinners. Fourthly, if a man vponupon iust occasion bee moued to commend himselfe, first he must doe it in all humilitie and modestie: so Paul speaketh of himself in another person: 1. Cor. 12.1. I knew a man in Christ which was taken vp into Paradise, &c. And in nothing was I inferiour vntounto the very chiefe Apostles, though I be nothing, vers. 11.
The fifth sinne. Hauing mens persons in admiration,] The word person in scripture signifieth the face, and outward apparance of a man, and consequently the things belonging vntounto the person, as riches, honours, dignities, for the which these false teachers hauehave men in admiration. Qu. Is it not lawfull to admire a Prince, or other Potentates at all? Ans. Yes: but when men admire them only for their person, riches, honours, nobilitie, without respect of the feare of God, or true vertue, this is vnlawfull, and the sinne of these men: wherein is also included the contempt of the religious poore, yea and also of the rich themselues, if they trulie feare God. Iam. 2.1. My brethren, hauehave not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons: teaching vsus that it will not stand with true Religion, nor with the faith of Christ to honour men only because they are rich or noble.
First, note here that no man carrieth so base a minde, and such slauish affections, as the proud ambitious person; he magnifieth the great man, and is seruilly addicted vntounto him euen for outward respects, not esteeming him for that which is indeede worthie to be respected. Secondly, the condition of great men (for the most part) is miserable,A great miserie of great men to be most admired, but least admonished. who hauehave many to admire them, but few to amonish them: rich men are admired for wisedome, whereas the same men, if they were poore, would carrie away no praise thereof. Ahab had foure hundred false prophets who thus admired his person, but onelyonly one Micha who faithfullie admonished him. Thirdly, our dutie is to honour them that feare God, rich or poore, high or low: it being a note of a childe of God to contemne a vile person that is a wretched sinner,Psal. 15.4. but to honour them that feare the Lord, bee they neuer so base: and yet the honourable much more, if they bee found in the waies of religion.
The sixth sin. Because of aduantage.] That is, for profits sake: where their couetousnes, which before was touched, is here againe taxed: the effect of which affection is to blind the minde that it cannot iudge aright of persons or things: it maketh a man account an enemie of God rightly honourable, and to deeme the things below of highest regard. Let vsus weede out of our hearts this bitter roote of couetousnes, which otherwise will so blind vsus, as we cannot truly discerne the people and things of God, but take Egyptians for Israelites, and accept of the red pottage in stead of the blessing.