Exposition of Jude, Verse 20
Vers. 20. But ye beloued, edifie your selues in your most holie faith: praying in the holy Ghost.
IN this verse vntounto the end of the 23. are set downe some meanes whereby all beleeuers may be fitted to the maintenance of the faith and true religion, vntounto the which the Apostle hath in the former part of the Epistle perswaded. These meanes are contained in fiue rules here prescribed: first, concerning Faith: secondly, LoueLove: thirdly, Hope: fourthly, Meekenes: fifthly, Christian seueritie: the first of which is contained in this twentith verse, which is, that they should build themselues vponupon their faith; which is not barely propounded but inforced and vrged: first, by a motiue in this word, most holy faith:] secondly, by the meanes of it, which is prayer; praying in the holy Ghost.] In the rule note two things: first, that faith is a foundation: secondly, that the dutie of beleeuers is to build vp themselues vponupon this foundation. Concerning the former: first is may be demanded what is here meant by faith? Ans. Here by faith is not so much meant the gift of faith, as the matter of it, namely the doctrine of faith and religion comprised in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles; in which sense it is said, that the Ephesians were built vponupon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, that is, vponupon their doctrine, Ephes. 2. The same was the rocke confessed by Peter, vponupon which Christ promised to build his Church; and yet in the second place we must not exclude the gift it selfe: for although the doctrine be a foundation in it selfe, yet it is not so to vsus, vnlesse we beleeue it, and applie it to our selues by this gift. If any man aske what doctrine is this? I answer, the summe of it may be reduced to three heads: the first whereof concerneth mans miserie by his sinne, originall and actuall: as also the dangerous fruits thereof. The second, the redemption of man from this miserie, and his freedome by Christ. The third, the thankefulnes which man oweth for this deliuerance, and ought to testifie and expresse in newnes of life.
Hence learne first what is the infallible marke of the true Church, whereby it may be discerned from the false and Apostaticall Church, and that is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles; for this being the very foundation of the Church, where it is, there the Church must needes bee: and this note of it selfe is sufficient to point out the true Church wheresoeuer. Secondly, seeing faith is the foundation of the Church, and not the Church the foundation of faith, beware hence of a damnable doctrine of the Popish Church, which teacheth that there can be no certainty of the points of religion, no nor of the Scriptures themselues, but onelyonly by the iudgement of the present Church of Rome, and that Church must giuegive what sense soeuer she pleaseth to the Scriptures, else hath it none: wherein they play the part of preposterous builders,Papists foolish builders, laying the foundation on the top of the house. laying the foundation in the top of the building. Thirdly, it may be demaunded how any doctrine becommeth a foundation vntounto the saluation of men? Answ. Properly to speake, God and Christ is our foundation and rock, Psal. 18.1. but because God reueileth himselfe and the meanes of our saluation in the word, it becommeth hence a foundation: as also secondly, because Christ, who is the proper foundation, is the summe of the doctrine therein contained.
Vse. First, let no creature draw vsus from Christ, for then wee are drawne from our foundation. Secondly, the affections of our heart towards Christ must exceed all affections of any thing besides: our louelove, feare, hope, confidence and trust, must settle themselues vponupon him as vponupon a foundation.
The second thing in this first rule is the dutie of eueryevery beleeuer, which is to build himselfe vponupon his faith; which that a man may doe sixe things are required: first, hee must hauehave in his heart a deepe sense and feeling of his miserie in such sort, as not finding in himselfe whereon to be founded, hee may feele himselfe to be founded vponupon God and Christ: euen as in laying strong and sure foundations, men digge deepe; and if they finde sure ground proceede on in their purpose: So this wise builder laieth his foundation on a rocke, Luk. 6.48. Secondly, hee must hauehave knowledge of this doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles; for vnlesse it bee knowne it can bee no foundation. Thirdly, a holie memorie to lay vp the word of God in their heart as in a storehouse: for he that remembreth not the doctrine of saluation, can neuer build vponupon it. Fourthly, faith, whereby not only we beleeue the truth of it, but applie it vntounto our selues; this knitteth vsus vntounto the foundation, without which the word shall bee no more profitable vntounto vsus than the Iewes, who mingled it not with faith, Heb. 4.2. for this only applieth it vntounto our hearts, Iam. 1.21. Fifthly, the doctrine beleeued and applied must take a deepe rooting in the heart, it must descend into the affections, and there be imbraced vntill it hath wrought out an experience of the sweet comfort of it. Sixthly, there must be an vnfained obedience vntounto the whole word of God: Not eueryevery one that saith, Lord, Lord: but he that doth the will of my Father, Matth. 7.21. This man buildeth wisely vponupon the rocke. Quest. But what is that which must be done of vsus? Ans. Whatsoeuer is to bee done of vsus may be reduced to three heads: first, faith, whereby the beleeuer truly resteth himselfe vponupon God; cleaueth vntounto Christ for the pardon of sinne, and renounceth all other meanes in heauen and earth. Secondly, repentance, whereby he truly turneth from all sinne vntounto God. Thirdly, new obedience, whereby hee endeuoureth to obey God in all his Commandements.
Vse. First, here is reprooued the carnall Protestant, who holdeth his religion but for forme and fashion, or for feare of lawes, he is altogether without foundation, and in a pitifull condition: seeing when the great day of the Lord shall approach, whosoeuer shall want Christ, their foundation shall fall before him. Secondly, we must neuer suffer our selues to be drawne from our faith and religion; nor lose our hold of the doctrine of godlines, though wee should suffer losse of lands, liuings, liberties, yea or life it selfe: if this bee once wrested from vsus, wee are fillen … the foundation, and hauehave lost … hold of happines and life i… selfe. Thirdly, wee may not take any …est till we be builded vponupon this foundation, it being the foundation and ground-worke of all our safetie and securitie: for Christian men are as houses built vponupon the sea shore, who must looke for the wa…s and billowes of afflictions, one in the necke of another: euen as one surge in the sea ouertaketh another; how should they hold out when this raine falleth, these floods come, these windes blow and beate vponupon their house, vnlesse they be founded vponupon this rocke? how else should not their fall be great? but this sure foundation establisheth the heart against all calamities of this present life, yea in the houre of death also, which otherwise is the downfall to hell, yea and in the day of iudgement the sentence shall passe on their sides, who are laid on this foundation: they shall be found worthie to stand before the Lambe, when the diuell and his angels, with all sinners and sinne it selfe shall be cast into the bottomlesse lake. Now as eueryevery particular Christian man is to be a practiser of this dutie in his owne person, so also may it bee fitly applied to the state of the whole land, which by Gods blessing hath had for many yeeres this foundation laid within it: through the which it hath been able to withstand, yea and subdue many rebellions, treasons, forces, and powers, intended against it; and besides hath had securitie and safetie, vnderunder Gods protection, with much peace and prosperitie. Would we now know the way to hauehave this peace and securitie continued to vsus and ours? the way is to continue and abide vponupon this foundation, not looking backe to Poperie or superstition; but taking out the wholsome counsell of good King Iehoshaphat: 2. Chro. 20.20.Put your trust in the Lord and yee shall be assured; beleeue his Prophets, and ye shall prosper.
In this dutie of beleeuers marke further, first how the Apostle ascribeth power to the beleeuer to build himselfe: for although by nature men want this power (for the naturall man cannot of himselfe so much as thinke one good thought) yet the regenerate whom the Lord by his spirit hath mooued, hauehave a power giuen them to mooue themselues, and build themselues, that which was before to nature impossible, is made possible by grace.
Secondly, note further the force of the word,foreign. build vp which requireth not onelyonly a building, but a going on, and encreasing in building: as if he had said, Build vp your selues more and more. A dutie which neerely concernes men in these daies, wherein men decline to Atheisme, and Poperie, (which also is but a painted Atheisme) when men can cō tent themselues to goe backe, and fall from their former louelove, and are afraid to bee found either hot or cold. This disease of our daies hath this Apostle forwarned vsus of in this Epistle, being one of the last farewels of the Apostles to the Church. Let vsus then take notice of our declinings, and doe our first works, and goe on forward to perfection, building vp our selues daily, lest it come to passe that the Lord come against vsus, spue vsus out of his mouth, remoue our Candlesticke with his other blessings, and leaue vsus vntounto our too late and vntimely repentance.
The motiue whereby this rule is inforced vponupon the church, is drawne from a propertie of faith, which is that it is most holy. Wherein (to vnderstand it) we will shew first what holines is properly: secondly, that faith is most holy. For the former, in this holinesse there bee two things: first, a freedome from all fault and blame: secondly, an excellencie or perfection consisting of many diuine vertues. Holinesse thus vnderstood is two-fold: vncreated, or created. Vncreated is the holines of God, which is nothing else but the perfection of his properties and attributes: this holines is incomprehensible, and infinite, yea the fountaine of all other holines. Created holines is a certaine gift of God, which by some proportion resembleth this vncreated holines of God; the subiect whereof are Angels, man, and Gods ordinances, especially the written word: so as this holines of faith is this deriued holines, and not the former.
Secondly, how is the doctrine of religion most holy? Ans. First, in it selfe, being without all fault and error, and hauing sundrie excellencies, being full of diuine wisedome and truth, and the onelyonly instrument whereby Gods infinite wisedome and goodnes is made knowne vntounto vsus. Secondly, in regard of the effect and operation, which is to make the creature, but especially man holy: Ioh. 17.17. Sanctifie them in thy truth, thy word is truth. It sanctifieth men instrumentally, in that it maketh them resemble God in many graces: by this Dauid became wiser than his Teachers, Psal. 129. and so resembled God in wisedome, Iam. 3.17. This wisedome which is frō aboue (of which the word is the instrument) is pure, peaceable, easie to be intreated, full of merciemercy and good fruites, without iudging, and without hypocrisie. Thus wee see how it maketh men resemble God in all these, yea and in all other vertues. Thirdly, it is most holy, because it sanctifieth all inferiour creatures to the vse of man, so as hee may vse them with good conscience: 1. Tim. 4.4. EueryEvery creature of God is good, sanctified by the word and prayer. Where (by the way) may be noted the superstition of the Romish Church, which halloweth Bread, Salt, Water, Palmes, &c. for the curing of diseases, casting out of diuels, & working wonders: which practise of theirs is nothing but the defiling and prophaning of the creatures, by superstitious prayer seeming to hallow them,Papists account the word superfluous in sanctifying the creatures. yet without any word or warrant, either of promise or commandement: which is the principall instrument of sanctifying the creatures vntounto their lawfull ends and vses.
Hence learne first, that the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is from God; because it is full of wisedome, without any follie, full of truth, voide of all falsehood; as also most holy both in it selfe, and in operation and effect, and in the author, as proceeding from him who is the fountaine of all holines: it is not of men, neither needeth the euidence of men; by this propertie only (if it had no more) it carrieth with it, and containeth within it sufficient euidence against the gates of hell, that it is from God, and holy as himselfe is. Secondly, the word being most holy, it must dwel in our hearts plentifully, and our care must be that it may be written in the tables thereof, that it may bee an ingrafted word, bearing rule ouer our wils and affections, yea ouer our whole liues: for where it ruleth it sanctifieth the whole man. Thirdly, the doctrine of true faith sanctifieth vsus; but as it is receiued, beleeued, and applied by faith and no otherwise, when it taketh place in vsus then it sanctifieth vsus: it is not the rehearsing of the articles of it, nor the knowledge of it, nor carrying about with vsus the words of it that can worke grace, but the hiding of it and mingling it with faith in the heart: from which we gather that it is a foule error of the Papists, to teach that the Sacraments conferre grace, by the worke wrought, and that as the penne writeth by the hand of the writer, and that of it selfe, the hand mouing it; so the Sacraments of themselues sanctifie, being administred by the Minister: but this is erroneous, for the Word and the Sacraments are both of one nature, the Sacraments being none other but the word made visible: but the word read or vttered sanctifieth not by the worke done, but by being beleeued and applied by faith: therefore no more doe the Sacraments by being administred, but by apprehending Christ in them: grace must be conferred by the spirit of grace, and not by the vertue of any action in the Sacraments.
The last point in this first rule, is the meanes whereby beleeuers are to build vp themselues in their most holy faith, and that is prayer [praying in the holie Ghost.] Wherein eueryevery member of the Church is put in minde of a principall dutie, namely, that whensoeuer wee feare, or foresee a falling, and defection frō the faith, by reason either of weakenes within, or persecution without, thē time it is to repaire vntounto God by the prayer of faith, crauing at his hands strength, and power not onelyonly to bee preserued from reuolt, but also to bee confirmed in the faith and doctrine wherein we stand. The Apostle hauing exhorted the Ephesians to stand fast and be strong in the Lord,Eph. 6.10. and hauing prescribed some meanes tending to that purpose; in the 18. verse hee concludeth the principall of the rest to bee prayer; praying alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the spirit: and that it is so, appeareth by two reasons: first, by prayer faith is exercised, yea and increased, according to the increase whereof, the other graces of zeale, hope, patiēce, and constancie are likewise confirmed and animated. Secondly, faithfull prayer hath a faithfull promise made vntounto it, Ask… and ye shall hauehave, seeke and yee shall finde, knocke and it shall be opened vntounto you: these promises we must lay …old vponupon and applie vntounto our selues, for the stirring vp of continuall prayer, and strengthening of grace, especiallie in time of temptatiō, and in sense of frailtie, and then God will be good in hearing and helping, as his promise is.
Now in this meanes obserue the manner of making prayer in these words, In the holy Ghost, which are added for foure causes: first, to giuegive vsus to vnderstand that although a man be regenerate, yet he cannot pray as he ought, vnlesse hee be still mooued, helped, and stirred by the holy Ghost. God giueth sundrie graces in the conuersion of a sinner: first, a preuenting grace, which yet is not at all effectuall, vnlesse it be seconded and helped with a supplie of a second grace: for that is true euen of the regenerate, without me yee can doe nothing, Ioh. 15. God giueth first the will, and then the deede, Phil. 2.13. yea and the continuance of the doing of that which is truly good: Hee that hath begun the good worke, will performe or finish it, chap. 1.6. Here let grace be eueryevery way grace, lest it be no grace at all; let God who is all in all hauehave all the glorie of all; as for the doctrine of mans merit and humane satisfaction, which robbeth God, to enrich man, it here falleth to the ground. The second is, because prayer is a singular and especiall worke of the holy Ghost in vsus; who stirreth vp in vsus these grones and sighes which we cannot expresse, Rom. 8. and maketh vsus crie Abba Father, Zach. 12.10. this spirit of grace and compassion is promised to bee powred out vponupon the house of Dauid and inhabitants of Ierusalem: and from hence a man may examine and finde whether he be the childe of God or no; for if he hauehave the spirit of God he is his, and if he hauehave these holy motions and desires to pray, and can send out these cries vntounto God vnfainedly, he hath the presence of the Spirit; and he that hath not this spirit in these blessed fruites of it, is none of his. Thirdly, these words are added, to teach vsus that when wee pray, wee must doe it our hearts; for where the spirit of God dwelleth, thēce must prayer proceed, but his abode is in the heart, and therefore prayer (that God many acknowledge it to proceed from the spirit) must bee hartie: and so of all other spirituall duties: Colloss. 3. singing with grace in your hearts: Rom. 1. whom I serue in my spirit: where the Apostle expresseth a reason why prayer should proceed from the heart, because prayer is of the same nature with faith and the spirituall worship of God, yea indeede is a part of it answerable vntounto God himselfe who is a spirit; but all these are seated in the heart, and spirit, and consequently prayer it selfe ought so to be: neither is it the outward action or words which is simply the worship of God, but so farre as they consent and proceed from the heart. Which teacheth vsus that whatsoeuer religious dutie wee are to turne our selues vntounto, wee are first of all therein to approoue ou… hearts vntounto God. Fourthly, that there may bee a distinction made betweene the true beleeuer and the hypocrite and carnall man. The hypocrite he prayeth outwardly for forme and fashion; the naturall man in affliction prayeth of compulsion, as a man that is racked and tormented, without any louelove of God at all; both of them without any inward sense, or rectified disposition of the heart: but the beleeuer hee prayeth in the heart and in faith, the spirit of God disposing his heart aright vntounto prayer.
Quest. How doth the holy Ghost direct the heart? Answ. By fiue waies or meanes: first, by illumination, whereby hee reueileth God to man, as also his owne estate; both of them in part. Secondly, by conuersion, whereby hee turneth the heart vntounto God once made knowne. Thirdly, by direction, whereby hee directeth the heart to deale as with God himselfe, taking it from outward meanes. Fourthly, by feruent and constant desire… for things spirituall or temporall. Fifthly, by faith, whereby we can rest on God for the accomplishment of the things wee hauehave heartily desired.
Quest. Whether may we not pray to the holy Ghost, seeing here it is said, praying in or by the holy Ghost? Ans. We may not onelyonly pray in or by him, but vntounto him: for although wee hauehave no particular example hereof in the Scripture, yet wee hauehave sufficient warrant: for the three persons being vndiuided in nature, must be also vndiuided in worship, and one being worshipped, all must be worshipped. Secondly, wee are baptized into the name of the holie Ghost, as well as of the Father and Son, and therefore hee is to be prayed vntounto, euen as they are. Ob. But wee are not commanded to pray any where by the Father or Sonne, as here by the holie Ghost, which argueth that the holie Ghost is not the author of our prayers, as they are. Answ. The Apostle here would hauehave vsus obserue an order in the working of the Trinitie, for all the three persons are authors of our prayers; the Father and Sonne make vsus to pray, but by the holy Ghost; the holy Ghost maketh vsus pray, but more immediatly, for he is the immediate author of our prayers: which teacheth that when we pray, it is not of our selues, but from the spirit which stirreth and sendeth vp heauenly requests for vsus: herein then wee must renounce our selues, magnifie the grace of God within vsus, and shew our selues thankfull by entertaining carefully such holie motions of this most holie Spirit of God.