The Third Part from John Baptists Nativity, Part 15 – Part 16
The Epistle.
IVDE 1.
Iudas the seruant of Iesus Christ, &c.
THis Epistle may be diuided in two parts, a
Salutatiō, in which obserue the
Saluter, described by his
Name, Iudas.
Office, seruant of Iesus Christ.
Kindred, brother of Iames.
Saluted, commended by 3. graces
Called.
Sanctified.
Preserued.
Salutation it selfe, mercy vntounto you and peace and louelove be multiplied.
Salue, consisting of an
Exhortation, to continue stedfast in the faith once giuen vntounto the Saints, &c.
Reason, because certaine vngodly men are craftily crept in, &c.
Iudas] Iudas signifieth a rI siodor. Origin. lib. 7. cap. 7.Confessor, of which name there was another Apostle called Iudas sMat. 10. 4.Iscariot who betrayed Christ; in these two Iudasses is shadowed this mysterie, that in the visible Church there will alway bee some bad as well as good professors; Iudas a tIo… 6. 70.Deuill as well as Iudas a Saint. See Gospell Sunday next before Easter.
The seruant of Iesus Christ] Among all his titles hee reputed this most honorable, for it is an excellent freedome to serue the Lord, 1. Cor. 7. 22. uRom. 1. 1.Paul and x2. Pet. 1. 1.Peter name themselues first seruants of Iesus Christ, and then Apostles: and S. Iames which is called the Lords brother, Galat. 1. 19. Leauing that name stileth himselfe the seruant of Iesus Christ, Iames 1. 1. If it were such a noble priuiledge to be subiect vntounto yActs 22▪ 25. 28.Caesar, how much more to be seruant vntounto Christ which is the King of all Kings. And that in regard of his protection, and prouision, as for his protection, he saith, zIosua 1. 9.I the Lord thy God will bee with thee whether soeuer thou goest, I will not aHeb. 13. 5.faile thee, nor for sake thee; and then if God be for vsus who can bee against vsus, Rom. 8. 31. As for prouision, all his seruants in this world hauehave bread enough, Luke 15. 17. And in the world to come they shall bee no lesse then Kings, bMat. 19. 28.sitting vponupon thrones, hauing cApocalyp. 7. 9.palmes in their handes, and on their heads crownes of gold, Apocalyp. 4. 4. See Nunc dimittis and Epist. on S. Iames day.
The brother of Iames] He remembreth his kindred and alliance partly to dAquin, Aretius.distinguish himselfe from Iudas the traytor, and partly to gaine credite to his writing. eCaluin.For albeit the word of God depend not vponupon the worth of men, yet it is certainly true that his doctrine is best accepted, whose person is most honoured. If a preacher then be borne of nobles, or allyed to men of great name and quality, let him not in any sort neglect this outward blessing of God, but vse it (as S. Iude here) to the furtherance of the Gospell, and setting forth of Gods glory: Iames and Iude were brethren in blood, and brethren in good; (as Aquin and the glosse) fratres natura, fide, doctrina, vita. How Iudas is distinguished from Simon, and why both are ioyned together in one festiuall, I referre thee to Baronius fTom. 1. ad an. 68. sol. 645.annal. Eccles. & not at. in Rom. martyrolog. Octob. 28.
To them which are called and sanctified▪ To be called into the Church, and vntounto the hearing of Christs Gospell is gPiscator.vocation externall, to be sanctified is vocation internall, to be preserued in Christ is vocation hD. Willet in loc.eternall. Here then are set three partes of our iustification and incorporation into Iesus Christ, vocation by God the father, sanctification by the holy Ghost, preseruation by Christ. Vocation is an iBullinger.effect of election, and so happily S. Iude cals them called, whom God hath elected, as Rom. 1. 7. Beloued of God, called to be Saints: kMarlorat.he doth insinuate that we come not vntounto God except he call vsus, if we louelove him, it is because he loued vsus first: 1. Iohn 4. 19. As he speakes by the mouth of his holy lEsay 65. 1.Prophets, I hauehave beene sought of them that asked not, I was found of them that sought me not, he calleth vsus before we call on him.
The 2. grace is sanctification, and sanctified; such as are called are by nature the children of mEphes. 2. 3.wrath as well as other; it is in vaine therefore to be called, that is, stirred and moued to receiue the faith, vnlesse we be sanctified, Iames 2. 14. What auaileth it (my brethren) though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes. nMarke 6. 20.Herod seemed to be called, and somewhat inwardly touched, but he would not forsake his secret sinne of incest in keeping his brothers wife. oActs 8. 13.Simon Magus was baptized, and so called, but hee was not sanctified to leaue his gainefull sinne of couetousnes. Iudas as being an Apostle was called, and yet hee was a diuell: and many deceiue themselues who thinke hearing of the word to be sufficient without doing, Iames 1. 22. A sheepe resembleth a true Christian, eueryevery thing in a sheepe is good and vsefull, his fleece is good, his fell is good, his flesh is good, his entrals, yea his excrements are good: and so the sanctified Christian is a seruant vntounto all the seruants of God, eueryevery good gift in him is profitable, to some he lendeth his fleece, cloathing the naked: to some his bread, in feeding the hungrie: to some he lendeth his eyes, and so becommeth a guide to the blinde: to some he lendeth his strength, and so becommeth feete to the lame: to some he lendeth his vnderstanding, and so becommeth an instructor of the simple: he becommeth (as p1. Cor. 9. 22.Paul speakes) all things vntounto all men, that hee may winne some vntounto Chtist. In this point of doctrine the Papists hauehave slandered vsus exceedingly, saying, that our diuines in preaching of faith, hauehave destroyed good workes; whereas we professe that our calling is fruitles without holines of life. See Epistle 2. Sun. in Lent.
Preserued in Iesus Christ] As it is in vaine to be called first, vnlesse we be sanctified: so likewise to be sanctified, vnlesse we may be kept and preserued in Iesu Christ not to lose our sanctification. Our life is a continuall warre-fare vponupon earth, and therefore though we be called outwardly, and sanctified in some part inwardly; yet the qApocalyp. 127.Dragon and his Angels fight against vsus daily, that we may fall from faith and hope receiued, that wee may rEpist. Iude vers. 4.turne the grace of God into want onnesse, like the s2. Pet. 2. 22.dogge returned to his owne vomit, and the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire, and so tGalat. 3. 3.end in the flesh, howsoeuer we began in the spirit. u2. Tim. 4. 10.Demas fell away from the Gospell embracing the present world, many are called but few chosen, Mat. 20. 16. It behoueth vsus therefore continually to pray that Christ Iesus the great x1. Pet. …. 25.shepheard of our soules, may hold vsus in his hands from the griping pawes and grinding Iawes of the roaring Lyon, who goeth about daily seeking whom he may deuoure. And surely such as are giuen vntounto Christ, effectually called, and truly sanctified; shall bee preserued to the end. yZach. 4. 9.Zerubbabel did both lay the foundation of the temple, and finish it: so God will establish and make perfect his worke begun in vsus, Psalm. 68. 28. Hee that hath begun this worke of our saluation will also performe it, Philip. 1. 6. I know Gods elect may for a time lose some good meanes, and some great measure of grace too: Dauid, and Aaron, and Peter, and other hauehave fallen foully, yea fully, but none finally: God is more watchfull in helping vsus, then Satan is or can bee wrathfull in hurting vsus. He which is the father of mercies giueth vsus preuenient grace, subsequent grace, cooperant grace, grace before grace, and grace after grace, z1. Pet▪ 1. 5.keeping vsus by his power thorough faith, and preseruing vsus to his heauenly kingdome. It is not of our selues that we perseuere thus vntounto the end and in the end, it is the power of God, who giueth (as our Apostle sheweth here) grace first to be called, secondly to be sanctified, thirdly, to be reserued or preserued in Iesu Christ.
Mercy vntounto you, and peace, and louelove be multiplied] aAretius.Mercy from God the father, in the forgiuenes of your sinnes: Peace in Christ in feeling this forgiuenes: LoueLove in the holy Ghost in being assured of Gods grace toward vsus eueryevery day more and more: MercieMercy from God the father of MercieMercy: Peace, from God the sonne, the Prince of peace: LoueLove, from God the holy Ghost, the louelove of the father and the sonne. Mercy, in pardoning your sinnes; Peace, in quieting your conscience; LoueLove, ioyning you to God, and one to another: bMarlorat.or hee wi…eth encrease of Gods mercy toward them, and a multiplication of their peace and louelove toward one another. cAquin.That their sinnes may be forgiuen, he prayes for Gods mercy: that they may forgiue other men their trespasses, he prayes for peace: that both these may be multiplied in them, he prayes for louelove. First, he begins with Gods mercy, which is the fountaine of eueryevery good and perfect gift, if wee taste of his mercy, we shall soone be filled with his other graces, he that hath enough mercy can want nothing. For as Samsons chiefe strength was in his haire, so Gods chiefe vertue in his mercy. Mercy (good Lord) is the total summe, in the humble suite of a sinner; O Lord hauehave mercy vponupon vsus miserable sinners, is the first petition; and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, is the last in our Liturgie.
When I gaue all diligence] Here S. Iude begins to prescribe his Salue, which is an exhortation to contend earnestly for the faith, and the causes mouing him to write this vntounto the Saints are two: 1. His duty, when I gaue all diligence to write vntounto you of the common saluation, &c. 2. Their danger, because they nourished certaine seducers as serpents in their owne breasts, whom hee describes by their
sinne
in generall, verse 4. shewing their
hypocriticall entring into the Church, craftily crept in.
vngodly carriage being entred,
In their life, turning the grace of God into wantonnesse.
In their doctrine denying God, which is the only Lord, and our Lord Iesus Christ.
In particular from the 4. verse to the 17.
Punishment, of olde ordained to this condemnation, and so S. Iude describes these wicked impostors and false brethren, as Pope dWalsingham in Ed▪ 1. pag. 26.Celestine did his successor Bonifacius the 8. Ascendisti vt vulpes, craftily crept in; regnabis vt leo, denying God and turning his grace into wantonnesse: morieris vt canis, of old ordained to this condemnation.
The Gospell.
IOHN 15. 17.
This command I you, that ye louelove together, &c.
CHrist in this Gospell is said to doe three things especially: 1. He doth exhort his followers vntounto mutuall louelove: 2. He comforts them against the worlds hatred: 3. He promises to send vntounto them the holy Ghost, who being the comforter and the spirit of louelove may both instruct them how to louelove together, and how to suffer affliction in the world. Of the first I hauehave spoken Epist. Sun. 1. after Trinit. Of the second, Epist. 2. Sun. after Trinit. Of the third Gosp. on the Sun. after Ascension.