Exposition of Jude, Exegesis of Jude · Verse 4 · Part 4
OBSERVATIONS.
1.Obſerv. 1. All our obedience to earthly Lords muſt bee only ſuch as this only Lord allowes, and only in the Lord. We muſt take heed of the ſinne of the Iſraelites, Hoſ. 5.11. Regula regulans. Regula regulata.willingly to walk after the Commandment; and of that of the Papiſts, blind obedience to any ſuperiour. The greateſt Lords in the world are but rules ruled, Jeſus Chriſt is the only rule ruling.
2.Obſerv. 2. Mat. Rom. 12.11 The greateſt diligence and ſervency of ſpirit is requiſite in the ſervice of this only Lord. Wee muſt not do the work of this great Lord negligently, nor offer him a female in ſtead of a male. This only Lord muſt have, as it were, our only ſervice. Wee muſt not ſerve him as if we ſerved him not. Though the beſt ſervant of this Lord be but an unprofitable, yet the leaſt muſt not be an idle ſervant. Wee muſt not offer to this Lord, that which coſt us nothing. The blind and the maimed are too bad for our ordinary Lords: Our Only Lord muſt have our beſt, our hearts, our all, even the whole of our created abilities. This great Lord hath much more buſineſſe than all the time and ſtrength of his ſervants can bring about. If every hair of the head were an hand, we might have our hands full of work. Our Lord requires the ſervice of thoughts, 2 Cor. 10.5. of words, Epheſ. 4.29. of works, 1 Cor. 10.31. Of body and ſpirit, 1 Theſ. 5.23. A vaſt deal of diligence is requiſite about the honouring of God, the attending of our own heart and wayes, the helping and edifying of others.
3.Obſerv. 3. How warily and conſcionably ſhould all other Lords govern. They are Lords, but not only Lords; they are but ſervants to this only Lord, and muſt as well be accountable to him for their commanding, as others muſt be reſponſible to them for their obeying. They muſt remember they have a maſter in heaven with whom there is no reſpect of perſons, Eph. 6.9. Col. 4.1. The wrath of God in his crectures, fire, ſword, ſickneſſe, makes no diſtinction between the greateſt Lords, and the pooreſt ſlaves: How much leſſe will Chriſt himſelfe make, when all ſhal ſtand naked before his tribunall?
4.Obſerv. 4. Chriſt hath power to do what hee will with us or ours. This only Lord hath no maſter to whom to give an account. And how far ſhould any of his ſervants be from expecting that hee ſhould give an account of any of his actions to them! It ſhould ſuffice them, that what-ever befalls them, it is from the Lord: Job 1.21.The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Whenſoever he removes any comforts, if we find our ſelves too ready to ſay to inſtruments, as did the Owners of the colt, What do ye looſing and removing it? we ſhould be ſilenc'd, though not with that anſwer which was return'd by the Diſciples to them, The Lord hath need of it; yet with this, Luk. 19.33, 34He ſees it needful for us, that thus it ſhould be. Whenſoever he commands the hardeſt duty, inflicts the ſmarteſt ſtripes, &c. every ſervant of Chriſt ſhould ſtop their murmuring mouths with this, The Lord wil have it thus.
5.Obſerv. 5. Eph. 4.4, 5. Luk. 12.45. The ſervants of this one and only Lord ſhould be at unity among themſelves. Fellow ſervants muſt not fall out and beat one another: The ſervants of this one Lord ſhould be of one mind: Though ſome may have higher, ſome lower imployments in Chriſts family, yet all are but ſervants to this only Lord, and all their ſervices meet in this one end of glorifying him. In this reſpect the Apoſtle ſaith, He that planteth, 1 Cor. 3.8.and he that watereth are one. The ſervants of Chriſt ſhould ſhun diviſion becauſe Chriſt is not divided. They cannot forgive one another ſo much, or ſo often, 1 Cor. 1.13.as their Maſter hath forgiven them.
6.Obſerv. 6. How carefull and wary ſhould we be in uſing the creatures! All the comforts which we enjoy are the goods of this Lord; we are but ſtewards of them. What we uſe, muſt be uſed for, not againſt our Lord; learning, riches, honour, nay our ſelves, are of, and from him, and therefore ſhould be for him. All our injoyments are but borrowed, we muſt therefore uſe them well, not ſpot and ſtain, tear and cut them by ſin, leaſt we be aſhamed when we are to return them back to the owner.
7.Obſerv. 7. We ſhould neither give nor receive ambitious and flattering titles of honour. Chriſt gives us the reaſon, one is our Lord and Maſter, Mat. 23.8, 9, 10.even Chriſt. Wee ſhould ſo acknowledg a ſuperiority among men, as to be fearfull of cauſing pride in men. The carriage of a ſervant to his earthly Lord, muſt be ſuch as that his Lord may know himſelfe not to be the only Lord. When they cryed up Herods voice for the voice of God and not of man, Act. 12.23. foreign.God would not bear it. He made him immediately to become wormes meat, who but juſt now was mens idol.
8.Obſerv. 8. There's no poſſible eſcape for Chriſts enemies. If they had another Lord or potentate to match Chriſt in ſtrength, they might flye to him to defend them from Chriſt; but Chriſt is the only Lord, and woe to them who have him for their only enemy. Can thy heart endure or thy hands be ſtrong in the day when this Lord ſhall deal with thee? Ezek. 22.14. Iſai. 10.3. Jer. 4.13 Fooliſh ſinner! who if thou wilt needs be contending, doſt not chuſe one of thy fellow-worms to contend with. But thou doſt as vainly contend with thy maker, as doth the ſmoak with the wind, the wax with the fire, the ſtubble with the flame, or the ſnow-ball with the ſun, when thrown againſt it. Acts 9.5. Pſal. 2.12.Its hard to kick againſt the pricks. Thy greater wiſdome is to kiſs the Son with a kiſs of ſincere and hearty love, worſhip, homage, leſt he be angry, and thou periſh from the way. There's no flying from him, but by flying to him. All muſt, one way or other, be ſubject to him; Rom. 14.10, 11.either as ſervants, or as ſlaves; either under his grace, or under his wrath.
9.Obſerv. 9. All doctrines and practices are to be abhorred which derogate from the dignity of this only Lord. Doctrines; eſpecially the popiſh, which deprave our redemtion by this Lord, with the doctrine of merits: The worſhip due to this Lord, by the doctrines of image-adoration, and the Popes headſhip: the authority of this Lord, by the doctrine of Saints interceſſion, and the Popes pardoning of ſins. Practices, of thoſe who ſerve the times in ſtead of ſerving the Lord, love their pleaſures more than God, ſerve their bellies, Rom. 16.18. their luſts, themſelves, as if they were their own Lords; the humours of vile men, their father the divell, Joh. 8.44. Quam multos habet dominos qui unum non habet!Oh how many, how ignoble, how poor, how cruell are the Lords of that man, who hath not this one, this only Lord!
10. Great is the happineſſe of, Obſerv. 10.and ſtrong are the engagements upon every ſervant of this only Lord. But of this largely before, Page 12.13.14.15.16. VER. 1.
Thus much for our Saviours dignity in reſpect of his place and authority, as he is called the only Lord. His dignity in reſpect of his divine nature and eſſence followes; He is called alſo [God.]
For Explication whereof briefly, Thus:
This title is not here to be taken 1 Improperly, as it is, Explicat.1. given to falſe gods or idols, Per foreign. Polyphemus Cyclops dicit ſe tantum offerre victimas ventri ſuo, qui maximus eſſet deorum. Eurip. Exod. 21.6. and 22.8. Deut. 19.7. Pſal. 82.16. and 138.1. Joh. 10.34, 35. Num. 10.35 36. Iſai. 4.7. & 6.20 2 Sam. 7.6.which are accounted gods in the depraved apprehenſions of blind and ſeduced heathens, Act. 14.11, 12. 1 Cor. 8.4, 5. Act. 17.29. 2. To the divell, who is called the God of this world, 2 Cor. 4.4. In regard the wicked world obeys him, and fulfils his commands, as if he were a God; John 8.44. 3. To thoſe things which men preferre before God, as the belly is called the God of ſome men; Who ſerve their bellies, and not Chriſt, Rom. 16.18. 4. To Kings, Princes, Magiſtrates, who are in the room and place of God, exerciſe the judgments of God, 2 Chron. 19.6. and are ordained by God, Rom. 13.1. 5. To the Ark of the Covenant, to which metonymically the name of God is given, the ſigne being often put for the thing ſignified.
But 2. Properly, for God the maker and preſerver of all things though not 1. foreign, eſſentially, and indefinitely, ſignifying the whole Trinity, the divine eſſence, common to the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt, Mat. 4.7.10. Joh. 4.24. &c. But 2. foreign, perſonally, and as ſignifying ſome one perſon of the Trinity; thus the Father is called God, Mat. 16.16. Joh. 3.16. Rom. 7.25. &c. thus the Holy Ghoſt is called God, Act. 5.4. compared with verſe the 3. Thou haſt not lyed to men, but to God; Satan hath filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghoſt, 2 Cor. 6.16, compared with 1 Cor. 6.19. And thus the Son is called God, Act. 20.28. The Church of God which he hath purchaſed with his blood, 1 Tim. 3.16. Tit. 2.13. The great God and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, &c. and this is the perſon which is here called God. To whom,
1. Are given the ſame Titles which are given to God; Iſai. foreign Numb. 14.22. Pſal. 95.8.9.6. He is called The mighty God, and chap. 6.1. He is called Jehovah; for there Iſaiah is ſaid to ſee Jehovah ſitting upon a throne, &c. And Joh. 12.41. This is expreſly by the holy Evangeliſt applyed to Chriſt, of whom he ſaith, that Iſaiah ſaw his glory, and ſpake of him. Exod. 17.7. The people are ſaid to tempt Jehovah: and the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 10.9. Let us not tempt Chriſt, as ſome of them tempted. It is ſaid of Jehovah, Of old haſt thou laid the foundation of the earth, Pſal. 102.25.and the heavens are the work of thy hands: they ſhall periſh, but thou ſhalt endure, &c. And the Apoſtle clearly teſtifies, Heb. 1.10. that theſe words are ſpoken of Chriſt. Zech. 13.7. Chriſt is called the Fathers fellow. Joh. 1.1. The word which in the beginning was with God, is expreſly ſaid to be God. And Rom. 9.6. He is called God bleſſed for evermore. And 1 Tim. 3. ult. God manifeſted in the fleſh. And 1 Joh. 5.20. The true God.
2. The ſame eſſentiall Attributes and properties of the God-head are aſcribed to him, as 1. Eternity; Prov. 8.22. The Lord poſſeſſed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old—.Joh. 8.58. Before Abraham was, I am. John. 17.5. Glorifie me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was: And ver. 24. Thou lovedſt me before the foundation of the world. Col. 1.17 He is before all things. 2. Omnipreſence: Mat. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midſt of them. And chap. 28. ult. I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. 3. Omniſcience: Joh. 2. ult. He knew what was in man. Mat. 9.4. and 12.25. Luk. 5.22. and 6.8. Luk. 11.17. and 24.38He is alſo frequently ſaid to know the thoughts; yea, Joh. 21.17. to know all things. 4. Omnipotency; All power is given unto me. Phil 3. ult. He is able to ſubdue all things. Joh. 5.19. What things ſoever the Father doth, theſe alſo do the Son.
3. The ſame works which are peculiar to God, are aſcribed unto Chriſt. As 1. Election: the Elect are (Mat. 24.31.) called his Elect. 2. Creation: 1 Joh. 3. All things were made by him: and ver. 10. The world was made by him. Col. 1.16. By him were all things created. 3. The Preſervation and ſuſtentation of all things: Col. 1.17. By him all things conſiſt. Heb. 1.3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power. 4. Remiſſion of ſins. Mat. 9.6. The Son of man hath power to forgive ſins: 5. Working of miracles, works either above or againſt the order of nature: Joh. 9.32. He opens the eyes of the blind. Joh. 11. He raiſeth dead Lazarus. Yea, he both raiſeth from the grave of ſin, Joh. 5.21, 25 And raiſeth all the dead, Joh. 5.28, 29. 6. The beſtowing of eternall life. Joh. 10.28. My ſheep hear my voice, and I give unto them eternall life,
4. The worſhip which is due to God alone hath been both given to, and accepted by Chriſt. Firſt Inward worſhip: as 1. Beleeving on him. Faith is a worſhip which belongs only to God, enjoyned in the firſt Commandment: and againſt the truſting in man is there a curſe denounced, Jer. 5.17. But Chriſt bids us beleeve in him. Joh. 14.1. Beleeve in me. Joh. 8. ult. He that beleeveth in the Son, hath everlaſting life. 2. Loving him with all the heart; commanded above the love, nay even to an hatred of father, mother, wife, children, yea our own lives, Luk. 14.26. and for the gaining of him, Bleſſed Paul accounted all things but loſs and dung, Phil. 3.8. Secondly, Outward worſhip is due to Chriſt, 1. Dedication in baptiſm is in his name, Mat. ult. 19. 2. Divine Invocation is given to him; Act. 7.59. Steven calls upon the Lord Jeſus to receive his ſpirit. 1 Cor. 1.2. All that in every place call upon the name of Jeſus Chriſt. 1 Theſ. 3.11. God himſelfe and our Father, and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt direct our way unto you. Revel. 5.9.12. Praiſes are offered to him. 3 Divine adoration is alſo given to him; Mat. 8.2. A leper worſhipped him. Mat. 2.11. Though the Wiſe men of the eaſt, who ſaw Herod in all his royalty, worſhipped not him; yet they fell down before Chriſt. Yea not men only, but Angels are commanded to worſhip him, Hebr. 1.6.