Exposition of Jude, Exegesis of Jude · Verse 5 · Part 10
OBSERVATIONS.
1.Obſervat. 1. Difficulties ſoon diſcover an unbeleeving heart. Many ſeemingly beleeving Iſraelites, upon the news of the Anakims, and the walled Cities, beleeved not. Jorams profane purſuivant diſcovered his temper, when he ſaid, This evill is of the Lord, why then ſhould I wait upon the Lord any longer? 2 King. 6.33.Saul appear'd to depend upon God, and ſought to him in his troubles; but when God ſeemed to neglect him, and gave him no anſwer, then left he God, and ſought to a ſorcereſſe. Rotten fruit wil not hang upon the tree in a windy day. A ſhallow, a highway-plaſh of water will ſoon be dryed up in a ſcorching ſunſhine. One who is only a beleever, by a ſhallow outſide profeſsion, will ſoon leave beleeving and profeſsing. 2 Chro. 32.31. Deut. 8.2. & 13.3For a while he will beleeve; but in time of perſecution he falls away. Wiſely therefore doth God ſeem ſomtime to diſregard and reject his own children, to try the ſincerity of their confidence in him; and whether they will ceaſe to depend upon him, becauſe he ſeemeth not to provide for them. Nec iratumcolere deſtitit numen. Virtus fidei credere quod non vides, merces fidei videre quod credis. Aug. in Pſ. 109.They who depend upon God continually, depend upon him truly. God makes it appear to all the world, that his people ſerve not him, to ſerve their own turn upon him, and that they are neither hirelings, nor changelings. It is the efficacy of faith to beleeve what we ſee not, and the reward of faith to ſee what we beleeve. How improvident are thoſe meer profeſſours and appearing Iſraelites, who pleaſe themſelves with ſhews of beleeving and cleaving to God? their paint will not endure the waſhing, nor their refuge of lies keep out the ſtorme: when ſufferings, death, or judgment approach, their confidences will be rejected. Chriſtians! labour for a faith unfained, yea both true and ſtrong; there may come times that will require it.
2. In vain do they who live in unbeleef, Obſervat. 2.pretend againſt their other ſins. So long as that lives, no ſin will dye, notwithſtanding inſtructions or corrections. Sin may be brought to the place of Execution, but it will not die, ſo long as unbelief brings it a protection; and while it is back'd by this, it will but laugh at all the means uſed to mortifie it. As faith quencheth the fiery darts of the divel, ſo will unbeleef quench the holy darts of the Spirit. The ſin which is armed with it, will not be wounded by the ſword of the word; but wil ſave its skin, much more its heart, till faith ſet it naked to the ſtroaks of that ſword. Our neglect of, and coldneſſe in holy duties, comes from our not beleeving a benefit, that will bear the charges of fervency and frequency in performing them. Unbelief clips the wings of prayer, that it cannot aſcend; and turns much praying into much ſpeaking. Whence is all our trouble, and impacience in adverſity, but from want of that grace which comforts the heart in God, and makes us quietly to reſt and truſt on, and in him? Whence are thoſe baſe indirect courſes to get a living by lying, deceiving, &c. to be made rich by a worſe than the king of Sodome, but from the not beleeving God to be an alſufficient portion, that he will never leave or forſake us, &c? From what but unbelief proceed all the temporizings, haltings, and ſinfull neutralities? In tentations to all theſe, faith is our victory, and unbelief our defeat, which makes men unworthily to render themſelves priſoners to every promiſe, and threat; cauſing them either to have two hearts with the hypocrite, or no heart with the coward. They who have little faith, have much fear; and they who have no faith, Jer. 17.5.will be all fear; even ſlain, and not by the ſword. Whence proceeds all our carnall confidence, and truſting in an arme of fleſh, but from this ſin, which makes the heart depart from the Lord. Peccatum furti & homicidii ſunt peccata carnis, et facilè intelliguntur in parte ſuperiore, animâ ſcilicet & intellectu: ſed ipſa anima ſuum incomparabiliter majus vitium, et trabem in oculo ſuo non ſentit, ſed feſtucam corporis facilè videt. Luth. Trabenſes judicant feſtucenſes. Id.Whence come the unbrotherly breaches and diviſions among brethren, but from the diſtance which by unbeleef is between God and us; Chriſtians being like lines, which come the nearer to one another, as they come nearer to the Center Unbelief lies at the bottom of all theſe ſins. And all mortification of ſin, which comes not from a principle of affiance in God through Chriſt, is imaginary. How ſhort ſighted are they into their miſery, who are troubled for their ſcandalous ſins of drunkenneſſe, adultery, murther, &c. but neither obſerve, nor ſorrow for their unbelief, the mother ſin, the main ſin, the nurſery of all ſins? The ſoul (ſaith Luther) is an hypocrite, that ſees a mote in the eye of the fleſh, but not a beame in its own eye; namely, infidelity, which is incomparably greater than all ſins committed by the body.
3. Great is our forwardneſſe to fall into the ſin of unbeleef. Obſervat. 3.God ſeemed to ſtudy the prevention of this ſin among the Iſraelites, but it broke the barrs that he put in the way to ſtop it. Covenants, Oaths, Miracles, Plagues, were all as eaſily ſnapt in ſunder by this ſin, as were the Cords by Samſon. Even Chriſt himſelf marvelled at the ſtrength thereof, in oppoſing the power of all he had ſaid and done, Mark. 6.6. We are carried unto unbelief both by the tide of our own natures, and the winde of tentation. Our hearts, ever ſince we left God, crave and look for relief from ſenſible objects; and having forſaken the true, embrace even any opinionative God or good, which hath enough to flatter into expectations, though nothing to fill, or to yeeld ſatisfaction. And ſo great is our natural pride, that we had rather ſteal than beg, rather rob God of glory by reſting upon our own crutches, then go out of our ſelves to depend upon another for happineſſe. The batteries of Satan are principally placed againſt faith. He would not care for taking away our eſtates, names, liberties, unleſſe he hoped hereby to ſteal away our faith. He fans not out the chaffe, but bolts out the flour. Luke 22.32.Satan (ſaith Chriſt to Peter) hath deſired to winnow thee as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Satans firſt ſiege in Paradiſe was laid againſt the faith of threatnings. He knows that all our ſtrength, like Samſons in his Locks, is from laying hold upon another: If therefore he can make us let go our hold, which is our faith, he deſires no more. Faith is the grace that properly refiſteth him; and therefore he principally oppoſeth it: unbelief befriendeth Satan, and therefore he moſt promotes it in our hearts. Oh that we might moſt fear and oppoſe that ſin, which is moſt difficultly avoided, and moſt dangerouſly entertained. Of all keepings, keep thy heart; and of all means principally uſe this, of keeping out unbeleef.
4. Nothing more diſpleaſeth God, Obſerv. 4.than the forſaking of our own mercies. In the true loving of our ſelves, we cannot provoke God. He is angry with Iſrael becauſe they refuſe that which might make themſelves happy. God loves to be giving, and is pleaſed with them who are alwayes taking in his goodneſſe. Unbeleef obſtructs mercy, and God oppoſeth unbeleef. He delights in them who hope in his mercy. He hath ſuch full breſts, that he is moſt pained, when we will not draw them by beleeving. The great complaint of Chriſt was, that people would not come to him for life. He was grieved for the hardneſſe of their hearts; and incenſed againſt thoſe gueſts that would not come, when they were invited to the feaſt of his Goſpel-dainties. He is ſo abundant a good, that he wants nothing; or if he doth, he wanteth only wants. If he be angry with us, how ſhould we be diſpleaſed with our ſelves, for rejecting mercy? Its the proud and unbeleving ſoul, which God only ſends empty away. They who will buy his benefits, muſt leave their mony behind them. How inexcuſable are they who periſh! they ſtarve and dye in the midſt of fulneſſe. But alaſſe, wee are the pooreſt of beggars, not onelyonly without bread, but without hunger. Oh begge that hee who beſtowes grace upon the deſires, would firſt give us the grace of Deſire.
5.Obſervat. 5. Nullum genus inſipientiae, infidelitate inſipientius. Bern. de Conſid. None are ſuch enemies to unbeleevers as themſelves; nor is any folly ſo great as Infidelity. The buſineſs and very deſign of unbelief, and all that it hath to do, is to ſtop mercy, and hinder happineſſe. Every ſtep which an unbeleever takes, is a departing from goodneſſe it ſelf, Heb. 3.12. And no wonder if ſuch an one carry a curſe along with him, Jer. 17.5. and (ver. 6.) if he be like the heath in the deſert, and ſhall not ſee when good cometh. Unbelief is like the unwary hand of him, who being without the door, puls it too hard after him, locks it, and locks himſelf out. Faith is the grace of receiving, and unbelief the ſin of rejecting all ſpirituall good. How vainly doth the unbeliever expect refreſhment by going from the fountain; or gain, by leaving the true treaſure? Diſtruſtfull ſinner! who is the looſer by thy incredulity; and who would gain by thy beleeving, but thy ſelf? What harm is it to the cool and refreſhing fountain, that the weary paſſenger will not drink? and what benefit is it to the fountain, though he ſhould? What loſeth the Sun, if men will ſhut their eyes againſt its light? what gains it, though they open them? What good comes by diſtruſting God, unleſſe the gratifying of Satan in the damning of thy ſelf? How fooliſh is that diſobedience, that will not waſh, and be cleanſed from a worſe leproſie then Naaman's: that like a man in a ſwoun, ſhuts the teeth againſt a life-recalling cordiall: that will not open a beggars hand for the receiving of a Jewell, more worth then all the world: that beleeves the Father of lyes, who cannot ſpeak truth, unleſs it be to deceive; and will not truſt the God of truth, nay Truth it ſelf, to whoſe nature lying is infinitely more oppoſite, than to our good? O Unbeliever! either thou ſhalt believe before thou dyeſt, or not: if not, how ſcalding will be this ingredient, among the reſt of thoſe helliſh tortures which hereafter ſhal compleat thy pain, to conſider, that offered, ſincerely offered mercy was deſpiſed! that the promiſe of grace and truth daily deſired thy acceptance, but had nothing from thee but contempt! That thou, who art now crying eternally and vainly for one drop, hadſt lately the offers and intreaties of the fountain, to ſatisfie thy ſelf fully and for ever! If thou ſhouldſt beleeve before thou dieſt, how great a trouble to thy heart holily ingenuous, will it be, that thou hadſt ſo long together ſuch unkind thoughts of Mercy it ſelf: that thou didſt deem Truth it ſelf to be a Lyer! How angry wilt thou be with thy ſelf, that thou didſt ſo ſlowly beleeve; and ſo hardly wert brought to be happie!
6.Obſervat. 6. Our greateſt dangers and troubles are no plea for unbelief. Notwithſtanding Iſrael's tentation, their unbelief was a provocation. A houling wilderneſs, and diſmall tidings excuſed them not from ſin in diſtruſting of God. Even he who hides his face from the houſe of Jacob, is to be waited for. When we ſit in darkneſs, and ſee no light, we ſhould truſt in the Lord, and ſtay our ſelves upon our God. Faith goeth not by feeling and ſeeing, but ſhould go againſt both: It muſt both beleeve what it ſees not, and contrary to what it ſees. Pſal. 119.49, 114. Verbum fidei pabulum.Not outward props, but the ſtability of the word of promiſe, ſhould be the ſtay of our Faith; a ſtud that ever ſtands, though heaven and earth ſhould fail. In thy word (ſaith David) I do, and thou haſt cauſed me to hope. The greatneſs of danger muſt not leſſen Faith. Dangers are the element of Faith; among them faith lives best, becauſe among them it findes moſt promiſes. When the world is moſt againſt us, then the word is moſt for us. Faith hath beſt food in famine, and the fulleſt table in a time of ſcarcity. The very earth which we tread on ſhould teach us; this ſo maſſy a body, hangeth in the midſt of the aire, and never ſtirreth from its place, having no props or ſhores to uphold it, but the bare word of God alone. Cum rogo te nummes fine pignore, non habeo, inquis: Idem ſi pro me ſpondet agellus, habes. Quòd mihi non credis, veteri fidóque ſodali; Credis coliculis arboribúſque meis. Mart. Ep. 25. l. 12. Fides non habet meritum, ubi ratio humana praebet experimentum, Gregin Evang.God muſt be truſted upon his promiſe without a pawn. An uſurer will truſt a beggar, a lyar, a bankrout, for his pledg. And ſhall we beleeve God no further? this is not at all to truſt him, but his ſecurity. It is a lame faith that cannot go without crutches. He that cannot ſtand when his ſtilts are taken away, was held up by them, not by his legges. He whoſe faith keeps not up when outward comforts are removed, ſtood not upon the promiſe, but upon earthly props. The faith which Chriſt commends, is that which beleeveth much, and ſees nothing. Bleſſed (ſaith Chriſt) are they who have not ſeen, and yet have beleeved. This was the Commendation of Abrahams and Stevens faith, Romans 4.18, 19, 20. Act. 7.5. Such a faith quiets the heart moſt, in teſtimony of its own ſincerity, and againſt expectation of any threatned, and in the ſuſtaining of any incumbent difficulties. Oh how ſweet a life leads that Chriſtian, who doth all by another! who gets the bleſſing without hunting; and whoſe only work is to ſit ſtill and truſt God; and (like Joſephs Maſter) to leave all in the hand of another; to have all its comforts compendiouſly from one object, and not to take a wearyſome circuit about the whole world for contentment; to ſit at his fathers table, and not to begg for food from door to door? And ſuch a faith honours God as much as it quiets the ſoul. It proclaimes that God is foreign, to be beleeved for himſelfe; it deſires not that the creature ſhould be bound for God, though he ſeem never ſo backward to performe his promiſe, and accounts it ſelf as rich in reſpect of what it hath in hope, as what it hath in hand. Yea, in the enjoyment of comforts, it placeth its truſt only in God; and if God doth not withdraw created props from it, yet it will withdraw its confidence from them; uſing them, indeed, in thank fulneſſe to the giver; not truſting them in ſtead of the giver. O noble, glorious life of beleeving! to draw our comforts thus out of the boſome of God himſelfe; not to be beholding to the dunghill for our delights; not to live (with worldly men) upon mud and corruption, but upon the pure and heavenly breathings of the ſpirit in the promiſe. A life emulating that of the Angels; for though indeed, beleevers uſe the world, feed, and ſleep, marry, and are given in marriage, yet they only enjoy God, and their better part is wholly ſollaced with him that ſhall ſuffice them in glory.
7.Obſervat. 7. It ſhould be our principall care to get beleeving hearts. Even ſuch an holy affiance in the promiſes, as may ſhelter from that deſtruction which befell theſe unbeleeving Iſraelites. To this end,
1. Truly, and upon the terms of the Goſpel, wholly and ſolely accept of him, who is the Mediatour of the Covenant, and through whom alone, every promiſe in it, is made good to the ſoul, and is yea and amen. 2 Cor. 1.20.Out of Chriſt, promiſes are but meer ſpeculations; nor can we, unleſſe united to him by faith, challenge any bleſſing by vertue of a promiſe. A Chriſtleſſe perſon receives bleſſings, as one that finds a piece of ſilver accidentally in the ſtreets, and not as a man who receives a ſum of mony due upon covenant.
2. In relation to the promiſes to be beleeved, which are the element wherein faith lives, 1. Find them out, and lay them ready: find out a promiſe ſutable to every exigency of thy condition. How can a man claim mony upon a covenant, who knows not where that diſtinct bond is laid, upon which he is to demand it? Go to the ſeverall promiſes for the ſupply of thy ſeverall wants. Mark what promiſes God hath made for pardon, grace, direction, protection, proviſion, and ever make choice of ſome one or two of every kind, which thou maiſt run to with ſpeed. A Chriſtian ſhould do in this caſe with the promiſes, as one which is given to fainting fits, who carries his aqua-vitae bottle alwayes about him, and ſets it conſtantly at his beds head, that it may be at hand. 2. Ponder the promiſes: Go aſide, ſeparate thy ſelfe, ſuck and hide their ſweetneſſe, dwell upon them. Dive in thy meditations into their freeneſſe; Conſider that promiſe hath made God a debtor, and freegrace made him a promiſer: Into their fulneſſe; there being enough to relieve the largeſt capacity, and greteſt neceſſity; they having more oyl then thou haſt veſſels; even enough to be revealed from faith to faith: Rom. 17.Into their ſtability; they being bottomed upon Truth and Strength it ſelfe, the ſtrength of Iſrael who cannot lie; as ſure as Gods owne eſſence, which is pawned by an oath for their accompliſhment, (for he ſwears by himſelfe;) they being further confirmed by the death of him, who hath bequeath'd all the benefits of the promiſes by his will and teſtament; in which reſpect they are the ſure mercies of David. 3. Be convinced by the promiſes, to ſee the whole heart and meaning of God in them, foreign Heb. 11.1. ſignificat foreign, convincere, & cauſam aliquam eò deducere, ut objici aut praetexi nihil amplius queat. Hyper.and to be under the authority and evidence of them. Faith is an evidence, conviction, or a convincing demonſtration: Laban, when he ſaw how matters ſtood between the ſervants meſſage, and the affection of Rebeccah, ſaid, The thing proceedeth from the Lord, we cannot ſpeak bad or good, Gen. 24.50. The Lord having brought thee under the condition of the promiſe, and ſince thou canſt not deny but that the promiſe hath a ſtable foundation, ſay, Lord, I muſt needs yeeld, I am unable to gainſay thee, I confeſſe my ſelfe overcome. 4. Conſent, cleave to, claſp about the promiſes, Iſai. 1.9.as the ivie about the oak; roul thy ſoul, and rely upon it; concur with it, and bee carryed down the ſtream of it, againſt the motion of thine own rebelling heart. As Rebeccah, convinced that the marriage was from God, being call'd to ſpeak, anſwered, I will go. 5. Plead the promiſes: In tentation and ſenſe of unworthineſſe, ſtrong unlikelyhood of making them good may be repreſented to thee, but even then cling to them cloſely. The woman of Canaan would not be put off by ſilence, and vilifying termes; ſhe was call'd a dog, yet ſhee held cloſe to the word, that Chriſt was the Son of David; happy ſhe, that in this, ſhe was like a dog, namely, in that ſhee would not be beaten off. 2 Chron. 20.9Thus Jehoſhaphat pleaded with God by the promiſe made to Solomon, and ſo prevailed againſt the children of Ammon.
3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one ſin. The love of ſin hinders beleeving. Sin will not act beleevingly, nor faith ſinfully. Its the nature of ſin to cauſe guilt and fear, it expects not performances, but repulſes from God. How can any one depend upon me for a courteſie, who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances againſt me? Beſides, the love of any one ſin, hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promiſe; it would be looſe, and yet have God bound; whereas he never made his promiſes to gratifie luſt, but to engage us to holineſſe. Nor will faith act ſinfully. Faith embraceth the whole word of God, even precepts as well as promiſes, and reſpects the rules preſcribed, as well as the rewards promiſed; it works uniformly, and it truſteth to God in the way of his commands, not in the precipices of ſin; Truſt in him, and do good, Pſal. 31.3. Beſides, it acts warily, and in the eye of God, and therefore holily, and tells us, that if we muſt not tell a lie to promote Gods cauſe, much leſſe to procure our own comforts.
4. Limit not Good for the way of accompliſhing of his promiſe. This is the noted ſin of Iſrael; Pſal. 78.41.They limited the holy one of Iſrael; they circumſcribed him for the way of beſtowing of mercy, Dcum metiri ſuo modulo. Cal. in loc.within the narrow bounds of their own apprehenſions. Whereas, if hee will work, who ſhall hinder him? Faith triumphs over difficulties, and meaſures not God by the narrow ſcantling of reaſon; knowing that things that are impoſſible with us, Rom. 4.19.are eaſie with God. This was the excellency of Abrahams ſo much commended faith, that hee conſidered neither the improbability of performing the promiſe of having a ſon when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead, Heb. 11.17.nor the incongruity of performing the command of ſacrificing his ſon, which ſeemed to deſtroy both Gods faithfulneſſe and his owne expectations. And this is indeed the duty of beleevers, only to conſider who promiſeth, and who commands, and neither to queſtion what is promiſed, though never ſo impoſſible; nor to forbear what is commanded, though never ſo unpleaſing.
5. When God affords thee creature-props, truſt not to them. Men would never be diſtruſtfull when the creature departs, if they did not confide in it, when it ſtayes. If we would not account our ſelves the ſtronger for having worldly helps, wee ſhould not eſteem our ſelves the weaker for the wanting them. Could we live upon God alone in the uſe, wee might live upon him alone in the loſſe of the creature. Its a noble faith that depends upon God in the ſtrength of means; like that of Aſa and Jehoſhaphat, the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourſcore thouſand to reſt upon, 2 Chron. 14.8.11. 2 Chron. 17.14, 15 2 Chron. 20.12.when Zerah the Ethiopian came againſt him, adventur'd not upon ſo feeble a crutch, but expreſſeth himſelf thus in his prayer: Lord, we have no power, and we reſt on thee: and the later, when his enemies made warre upon him, though he had an army of eleven hundred and threeſcore thouſand fighting men, profeſſing thus: Lord, we have no might, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. He who will account God to be all, when the creature is at the beſt and fulleſt, will ſurely account him ſo, when the creature proclaims its nothingneſſe.
6. Truſt God in the ſerving of his providence, and in the uſe of ſuch means as he hath appointed and ſanctified: He that will not do for himſelfe what he can, may not truſt that God ſhould do for him what hee would: Though man liveth not by bread alone, but by the word (of bleſſing) which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, yet that word is by God annexed unto bread, not to ſtones; and that man ſhall not truſt God, but tempt him, In viis cuſtodiet, nun quid in praecipitiis? Bern. ſer. 14. in Pſal. Qui hab.who ſhould expect to have ſtones turned into bread. If God hath provided ſtaires, it is not faith, but fury, to go down by a precipice; thus Davids truſting in the name of the Lord, made him not to throw away his ſling when he went againſt Goliah. Jacobs ſupplicating of God, made him not neglect the ſending a preſent to his brother: The faſt of Eſther made her not forget to feaſt the king: ſecond cauſes are to be uſed in obedience to Gods order, not in confidence of their own help; the creature muſt be the object of our diligence, though not of our truſt. Faith, while it cauſeth us to be ſo diligent in the uſe of meanes as if God did nothing for us, cauſeth us ſo to withdraw our truſt from the means, as if God were to do all for us. He who in obſerving the other rules, hath alſo added this, may quietly reſt upon God for promiſed mercy, lay the matter before God, and humbly put him to the accompliſhing part.
VER. 6.
And the Angls which kept not their firſt eſtate, but left their own habitation, he hath reſerved in everlaſting chains under darkneſſe, unto the judgment of the great day.
IN this ſecond example of Gods ſeverity, which was expreſt againſt the falne Angels, theſe two parts are contained.
1. The revolt and defection of the Angels.
2. The ruine and downfall of the Angels.
I. In the firſt, theſe three particulars are principally conſiderable.
1. By whom this defection was made.
2. From what this defection was made.
3. Wherein this defection was made.
1. It was made by the Angels.
2. It was from their firſt eſtate, and their owne habitation.
3. It was 1. in not keeping the former, and 2. In leaving the later.
II. In the ſecond, are conſiderable theſe two parts.
1. The puniſhment which now they undergo in the priſon; they being in that, reſerved in everlaſting chains under darkneſſe.
2. The puniſhment which ſhall hereafter be laid upon them at, and after their appearing at the barr. They being reſerved, &c. unto the judgement of the great day.
In the former, their puniſhment of the priſon is twofold.
1. Reſervation in everlaſting chains.
2. Ʋnder darkneſſe.
In the later, their puniſhment is conſiderable,
1. In that to which they ſhall be brought, viz to judgement.
2. In the time when they ſhall be brought to judgement, viz. at the great day.
I begin with the firſt part, Part 1.their defection and revolt; and therein I conſider, 1. The perſons by whom this defection was made, viz. the Angels.