Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 21 – Commentary 22
A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION VponUpon the Epiſtle generall of S. JUDE.
Verſe 1. Iude the ſervant]
TO diſtinguiſh him from Iudae the traitour, leſt he ſhould ſuffer by miſtake, as Nicolas the Deacon is thought to doe, as if he were authour of the Sect of the Nicolaitans, which Chriſt hated.
To them that are ſanctified] Or, To them that are beloved, as other copies have it.
Preſerved] Kept by the power of God thorow faith unto ſalvation, 1 Pet. 1.5.
Verſe 2. Mercy unto you, &c.] Mercy from the Father, peace from the Son, and love from the holy Ghoſt.
Verſe 3. Of the common ſalvation] That wherein all Saints have a ſhare.
For the faith] That faith of the Goſpel, Phil. 1.27. the doctrine of faith.
Once delivered] Once for all, not …only as but one only rule, but as but once ſent to a Nation: So that if loſt, or any way corrupted, it will not be given again; another edition of it is not to be expected. Contend earneſtly for it therefore, conflict one after another, as the word ſignifies. Hold faſt the faithfull word,foreign as with both hands, Tit. 1.9. See the Note.
Verſe 4. For there are certain men] Not worthy to be named, as that rich glutton, Luk 16.
Crept in unawares] Stealing their paſſage;foreign and making as if they minded nothing leſſe.
Ordained to this] Gr. Written down, enrolled, foreignſet down in the black bill.
Turning the grace of our God] Gr. Translating it from its proper end, perverting it, by arguing from mercy to liberty;foreign which is the devils Logick.
Verſe 5. Afterward destroied] Their preſervation was but a reſervation, as was Senacheribs, Pharaohs, and theirs whom God threatned to deſtroy, after that he had done them good, Joſh. 24.20.
Verſe 6. Kept not their firſt eſtate] Their originall integrity or principality. Of this ſin of the Angels, the cauſe was the will of the Angels, good in it ſelf (but mutable and free) not by working neither, but by not working, ſaith a Divine.
But left their own habitation] Being driven thence and hurled into hell.
Verſe 7. Giving themſelves over] In ſcortationem effuſae, Weatying and wearing themſelves out with that beaſtly ſin;foreign babet. foreign A…ben. l. 13 as did Proculus Meſſalina and Lais, who died in the act of uncleannefle. The word here uſed ſignifies, ſaith Arctius, Scortationi immori, & contabeſcere illius d…ſiderio.
And going after ſtrange fleſh] See the Note on Gen. 19.5.
Are ſet forth] Gr. Are thrown forth.foreign
For an example] Herodotus ſaith the like of the deſtruction of Troy, that the tuines and rubbiſh thereof are ſet forth for an example of this rule, that God greatly puniſheth great offences.
Verſe 8. Defile the fleſh] By nocturnall pollutions, which we muſt pray againſt. The devil can faſten that filth upon the ſoul, when we ſleep, that he cannot do at another time.
Despiſe dominion] Gr. Set it at nought.foreign Se… the Note on 2 Pet. 2.10.
And speak evil of dignities] Gr. Blaspheme glories: ſo the Papiſts do familiarly thoſe Princes they count heretikes; as Henry the fourth of France, whom they called Huguenot-dog, &c. Our Edward the ſixt baſtard. Of Qu. Elizabeth they reported in print ſome years after her death, That ſhe died without ſenſe or feeling of Gods mercies.
Verſe 9. About the body of Moſes] As deſirous thereby to ſet up himſelf in the heares of the living, There is a ſtrange ſtrife ſtill, not of earchly, but of ſpirituall powers, about the poſſeſſion of mans heart. If Satan can get that, he is ſafe. And ſo Satans Vicar. It was a watch-word in Gregory the 13. time in Q. Elizabeths daies, My ſon, give me thy heart. Be in heart a Papiſt, and go where you will, do what you will.
Verſe 10. Of thoſe things which they] So doe the Papiſts in railing againſt imputed righteouſneſſe, aſſurance of ſalvation, the teſtimony of Gods Spirit witneſſing with our ſpirits, &c.
In thoſe things they corrupt themſelves] As in eating, drinking, carnall copulation,In R…ais &c. holding neither mean nor meaſure, as he in Ariſtophanes, foreign, who was good for nothing elſe but to epicurize.
Verſe 11. In the Way of Cain] The devils Patriarch, the firſt Apoſtate:foreign this was fulfilled literally in Alphonſus Diazius, who ſlew his brother John, becauſe he was a Proteſtant: and myſtically, in all that are guilty of ſpirituall parricide.
Andran greedily] Gr. Were poured out, as water out of a bottle: they ran headlong after the wages of wickedneſſe, not caring which way they came by it, ſo they had it.
Verſe 12.foreign Theſe are spots] Or, Rocks, or muddy-holes, that harpy-like not only devour, but defile all that they touch.
In your feaſts of charity] See theſe deſcribed by Tertullian, …. adverſ… gentes, cap. 39.
When they feaſt with you] Thruſting themſelves into your company, whether invited or not: ſin having oaded an impudency in their faces.
Feeding themſelves] As fatted cattle fitted for the ſlaughter.
Without fear] Of being enſnared by the creatures, Pro. 23.2.
Clouds they are] Light, and conſtant only in their inconſtan…y.
Twice dead] Killed with death, Revel. 2.23. Such as for whom hell gapeth.
Verſe 13. Wandering ſtarres] That were never better then Meteors. Sr Francis Drake in his travels reporteth, That in a certain Iſland to the ſouthward of Celebes, among the trees night by night did ſhew themſelves an infinite ſwarm of … ſeeming worms, flying in the air, whoſe bodies no bigger then an ordinary ſlie, did make a ſhew, and give ſuch light, as if every twig on every tree had been a lighted candle, or as if that place had been the the ſtarry ſphere. Loe ſuch were theſe impoſtours.
Verſe 14. And Enoch alſo] Enoch fore-told the day of Judgment before Noah the deluge. That day is longer before it comes, but ſhall be more terrible when it is come.
The Lord cometh] Syr. Maranatha. Hence the Jews ſay, that the great excommunication Muranatha was inſtituted by Enoch.
Verſe 15. Toconvince all] To ſet them down,foreign to leave them excuſeleſſe, ſpeechleſſe, ſelf-condemned.
Of all their hard speeches] Their rude, crude, crooked, croſſe ſpeeches, uttered with perverſe lip 1; ſo Solomon cals them, Pro. 4.24. as if the upper lip ſtood, where the nether lip ſhould.
Verſe 16. Theſe are mumurers] Ʋt porci ſaginati, ſaith Aretius, as boars in a frank.
Complainers] Invalidum omne natur â querulum, ſaith Seneca. Weak ones are never without their ailments.
After their own lusts] So many luſts, ſo many Lords.
Great ſwelling words] Bubbles of words. See the Note on 2 Pet. 2.18. The Syriack renders it, ſtupendious ſtuff.
Having mens perſons] Licking up their ſpettle, as it were, and loading the Mouſe with the Elephants praiſes.
Verſe 17. Of the Apoſtles] Paul and Peter, from whom Saint Jude borroweth much of this his Epiſtle. See my Preface to Gods love-tok…ns.
Verſe 18 Mockers] Who fleer when they ſhould fear. See the Note on 2 Pet. 3.3.
Verſe 19. W…oſeparate] From Church-aſſemblies, upon pretence of n…wer lights, greater holineſſe. The Arabick renders it, Intermitters, ſc. of Church-worſhips.
Ser ſuall] Gr. Animal; ſuch as have no more then a reaſonable foul, and are yet in their pure naturals, 1 Cor. 2.14.foreign
Having not the ſpirit] Unleſſe it be the ſpirit of deluſion, as Muncer the Anabaptiſt had, who wrote a book againſt Luther, Scultet. Annal. 138.dedicated it, To the moſt illuſtrious Prince Chriſt (as his words are) upbraideth Luther with want of the Spirit, and calleth him a carnal man, a ſilly ſoul, &c.
Verſe 20, Building up] By holy conference, a ſingular help, a moſt needfull, but too much neglected duty.
Praying in the holy Ghoſt] Whoſe creature fervent praier is.
Verſe 21, Keep your ſelves] Remit nothing of your former fervour:
Verſe 22.foreign alias foreign Haec eſt ſancta violentia, optabilis rapina Huron. Su…ton. And of ſome] Or (according to other copies) Reſell their falſe reaſonings, and diſpute them out of their errours.
Verſe 23. Out of the fire] viz. of hell: as the Angel pulled Lot out of Sodome, as ye would ſave a drowning man, though ye pulled off ſome of his hair to ſave him.
Even the garment spotted] As Nero's was, when he rode in the ſame horſe-litter with his own mother.
Verſe 24. That is able] q. d. I can only counſel you, its God muſt keep you.
Verſe 25. See the Note on 1 Tim. 1.17.