Exposition of Jude, Exegesis of Jude · Verse 6 · Part 13
OBSERVATIONS.
1. Great is the vanity of all earthly greatneſſe. While we are in this world, troubles and comforts ſeem far greater then they are; Obſerv. 1.the former we think too great to bear, the other too great to forſake. How do men groan under ſmall burdens, and how do they admire the poor enjoyments of the world! but when this great day is come, neither of theſe will ſeem great. How ſmal will former diſgraces be eſteem'd by thoſe who ſhall bee honour'd before all the world! How contemptible ſhall then poverty be in the thoughts of thoſe, who ſhall ever be inriched with the ſatisfying enjoyment of God himſelf! How ſlight, yea forgotten will the few bitter drops of pains be to thoſe who ſhall be filled with Rivers of pleaſures! What poor trifles will all the profits and revenues of the earth be eſteem'd, when all the ſtately edifices and the richeſt treaſures upon earth ſhall be conſum'd in the flames! What a bubble, a ſhadow, will all worldly honour and dignities appear, when the faint candle light of the earthly glory of the greateſt Monarchs ſhall be ſwallowed up in the glorious ſun-ſhine of the appearance of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! How will a ſentencing to the everlaſting flames of fire and brimſtone blaſt thoſe former dreams of pleaſure in cool and pleaſant Arbors, coſtly Perfumes, ſumptuous Banquets, &c! To thoſe who ſo admire earthly injoyments, I ſay, as Chriſt to his Diſciple, Mar. 13.2.when he ſhewed him the buildings of the Temple; Seeſt thou theſe great buildings? There ſhall not be one ſtone left upon another; the flame of that day wil devour them, as eaſily as the fire from heaven did conſume the ſtones and ſacrifice of, and lick up the water about Elijahs Altar.
2. Boldneſſe in ſin is no better then madneſſe. The great Judgement day is by the Apoſtle call'd The terror of the Lord. Obſerv 2. Eccl. 12.14. Magna peccati poena metum fu turi judicii perdidiſſe. Aug. ſer. 120. de Tem.And though it may be our ſin to be afrighted at mens judgement days, and to be afraid of their terror; yet is it our folly not to fear this great day of the Lord, and a great puniſhment of ſin, not to fear the puniſhment of ſin: What Judge would not be incenſ'd, when the priſoners being warned of his ſolemn approach, ſhould grow the more licentious and madly merry! Againſt that ſervant (ſaith Chriſt) who ſhall ſay in his heart, My Lord deferreth his coming, Luk. 12.45, 46and ſhall eat and drink with the drunken; ſhall his Lord come in a day when he looketh not for him, and cut him in ſunder, &c. Although Gaal and the Shechemites fortifying the City againſt Abimelech, eating and drinking, making merry, and curſing him, at the beginning of the approach of Abimelechs army, were told by Zebul that they ſaw the ſhadow of the mountains as if they were men; yet his army drawing neer, he who had before deluded, now terrifies them. Where (ſaith Zebul to Gaal) is thy mouth wherewith thou ſaidſt, Judg. 9.26.28Who is Abimelech, that we ſhould ſerve him? Wicked men, who now ſport in ſin, and look upon judgment at a diſtance, make a mock of it, Adventum aeterni judicis tanto ſecuriores quandoque videbitis, quanto nunc diſtrictionem illius timendo praevenitis. Greg. mor. l. 14. c. 30. Bonum judicium quod illi diſtricto judicio me ſubducit. Bern in Cant. ſer. 55.and the Divel tels them, that all the terrifying ſermons they hear concerning the day of judgment, are but the ſhadows of the mountains, and the dark productions of the melancholy fancies of ſome preciſe miniſter; but at the nearer approach of this great day, when judgement is at the door, and the armies of vengeance ruſhing in upon them; how will their mouths be ſtop'd, their confidences be rejected, and how great will their folly appear in being ſo weak, and yet preſumptuous at the ſame time! Oh ſinner! more fear of this great day would better become one that hath no more force to reſiſt it. The way to be fearleſſe hereafter, is to be fearfull here: Happy is that fear which prevents future trembling.
3 Our meditations of this great day ſhould be deep and ſerious. Great things are greatly obſerved, Obſerv. 3.and make deep impreſſion. Though feathers and cork being caſt upon the water, are wont to ſwim, yet lead and iron ſink into it; though ſlighter thoughts become matters of leſſe concernment, yet ſerious things ſhould be ſeriouſly regarded, and throughly admitted into our meditations. It's ſaid of the wicked, Pſal. 10.5.that the judgements of God are far above out of his ſight. Let not trifles expel out of the mind the thoughts of the eternal judgment, as the eye is ſometimes hindred from viewing an object of the vaſteſt extent, by putting of that before it which is not bigger then a ſingle penny.
4.Obſerv. 4. 2 Pet. 3.12. … Non poteſt eſſe verus Chriſtianus, nec recitare orationē dominicam; qui non toto corde hunc diem deſiderat. Luth. Perverſum eſt & neſcio utrum verum, quem diligis timere ne veniat, orare adveniat Regnum tuum, & timere ne exaudiaris. Aug. in Euar. Pſal. 147 Great ſhould be our deſires and longing after this great day. Chriſtians only ſin in ſeeking thoſe things that are falſly and appearingly great; but the bleſſings to be enjoyed at this great day, are truly great. We ſhould love the appearance of Chriſt, and look for, and haſt to the coming of the day of God; if we would approve our ſelves for the Spouſe of Chriſt, let our note be, Come, Oh, why is his Charriet ſo long in coming! Res dulcis, mora moleſta, the ſweeter the enjoyment, the ſtronger the deſire. Be aſhamed, oh Chriſtian! that the day ſhould bee ſo great, and thy deſires ſo ſmal; that a ſpouſe ſhould ſo deſire the day of her marriage, a priſoner his liberty, a Malefactor his pardon, a labourer his reſt, an heir his inheritance; and that thou ſhouldſt be ſo ſluggiſh and remiſs in regarding that day which removes every ſorrow, ſupplies with every comfort!
5.Obſerv. 5. Judicandum ſe ſatis eſſe diffidit qui male▪ vivit. Chryſ. ſer. 59. Rom. 8. Phil 3.8. Our chief care ſhould be that this great day may prove a good day to us, even as good as its great. The judgement day cannot be a good day to thoſe to whom the Judge is not good. There's no condemnation to thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus. The comfort of a Chriſtian at the judgement day will be, to be one with the Judge, and to be found in him by faith not having his own righteouſneſs. The Judge will not endure, that they who are his own members ſhould be cut off. He who hereafter ſhall be the Judge, is now the Advocate of beleevers. It can never be a good day to thoſe who are in love with that which makes it and every day evill: They who love ſin, muſt needs fear judgement. If ſinners cannot endure the light of the Word in the Miniſtry; how ſhall they endure the light of divine diſquiſition, at the day of Judgement? Men who have taken in uncuſtomed goods, or prohibited commodities, cannot deſire the company of the ſearchers, who are appointed to open their packs. The fardels and packs of every ſinner ſhall be opened at the great day; the hidden things of diſhoneſty ſhall be diſcovèred, and every conſcience rip'd up. Empty your hearts of the love of every ſecret ſin, if you would not fear a ſearching. Sins unthought of, will then ſeize upon the wicked unawares; Multa peccata tum proruent ex improviſo quaſi ex inſidiis. Plus valebunt pura corda, quam aſtuta verba; & conſcientia bona, quam marſu pia plena. Bern.At this great day, the purity of the heart will more profit, then ſubtilty of words; and a good conſcience then a full purſe. How happy were it that men would be repenting here, prevent repenting hereafter! It cannot be a good day, if the enjoyments of this world be accounted the chief good. He who hath no other Paradiſe but his gardens, no other manſions but his beautifull buildings, no other God but his gold and poſſeſſions, cannot delight to ſee thoſe flames which ſhal conſume them. He will certainly cry out as a man doth who hath laid up all his treaſures in an houſe ſet on fire, I am undone, I am undone. Covetouſneſſe proclaimes, as the worlds old age, and its nearneſſe to, ſo the unwelcomneſſe of its diſſolution. Wares laid up in a low, moyſt room, will be corrupt and rotten; but thoſe laid up in a high loft will be kept fafe: And if we lay up our treaſures only in this world, Mat. 6.20.they will corrupt and come to nothing; but thoſe which we treaſure up in heaven, will be ever ſafe and ſound. It cannot be a good day to them who are overtaken with it, upon whom it comes as a ſnare upon the birds, who are taken as the old world was with the Flood, whoſe wine was turned into water, Luk. 17.26.and whoſe drunken ſecurity was ſwallowed up in a devouring deluge. Laſtly, it can be a Good day to none but to thoſe who do good; Pſal. 50.23. 2 Pet. 3.11. Tit. 2.12, 13. 1 Cor. 15.5, 8who in the generall are perſons of an holy converſation; To him who ordreth his converſation aright, will God ſhew his ſalvation. Chriſt will bleſſe people, not by the voice, when they ſhall ſay they are Chriſtians; but by the hands; he will handle and feel them. And more particularly, it is a Good day to thoſe only who have done good to the afflicted friends of Chriſt. No good duty is acceptable to Chriſt if we reject works of mercy. Pſal. 16.3. 2 Theſ. 1.5, 6, 7.How chearfully may he look upon the Judge, that hath ſaved the lives of the Judge his wife and children! The Saints are tyed to Chriſt in both relations. Phil. 4.5. Si tanta percuſſione digna eſt pietas non impenſa, perpende quid mercatur, injuſtitia illata?What can cruelty and oppreſſion expect from Chriſt at that day, but the meaſure which Zebah and Zalmunnah found from Gideon, who wereſlain by him for ſlaying his brethren! If the not relieving of the Saints deſerve a curſe, what ſhall the robbing of them do?
6.Obſerv. 6. Great ſhould be the conſolation of every friend of Jeſus Chriſt in thinking of this great day. It ſhall be to them a Good day. A day of clearing from all undue imputations. Moſes being charged with ambition in taking too much upon him, comforted himſelf with the thoughts of the morrow; Numb. 16. 1 Cor. 4.4.To morrow (ſaith he) ſhall the Lord ſhew who are his; When the counſells of the heart ſhall be manifeſt, every one ſhall have praiſe of God. When a Chriſtian is call'd a diſſembler, and an hypocrite, he may ſay at the great day, the Lord ſhall ſhew whether it be ſo or no. All ſlanders & defamations ſhall fall off from the Saints, as do drops of water from an oyled poſt. The weight of their glory ſhall weigh down all their light & ſlight diſgraces: In all the wants and loſſes of the faithfull for Chriſt in this life, how great may be their conſolation! Great ſhall be their reward in heaven; Mat. 5.12.none ſhall be loſers by Chriſt, that are loſers for him. The day of Judgement ſhall be the day of reſtitution of all their comforts. God takes away nothing but what he gave, and what he will again reſtore, yea for which he will reſtore a thouſand fold. This great day ſhould relieve us againſt the length of our troubles, and the ſlowneſſe of deliverance. Though God asks day for the rewarding of his children, yet the greatneſſe of the recompences of that Great day, ſhall infinitely more then countervail for the ſlowneſſe of the beſtowing them. In all obſcurity and contempt how may the Saints rejoyce, to conſider that at the great day they ſhall appear with Chriſt in glory, and ſhine as the Sun in the Firmament? When a Maſter is abſent from a School the Scholers are mingled together; thoſe who are of the higheſt Form, are perhaps ſtanding amongſt thoſe of the loweſt; but when the Maſter comes into the School, every Scholer takes his right place; ſo at the laſt day, every one ſhal have their due place allotted to them, though now there be nothing but confuſſion. This great day may comfort Saints in their greateſt diſtances. In this world they are oft far from one another, Eph. 4.13.both in reſpect of places, opinions, & affections; at this great day they ſhal all meet, yea and in the unity of the faith of the Son of God. In all the cruelties and unkindneſſes of wicked men. Its the duty of the Saints in this life to be patient among; it ſhall be their priviledge hereafter to be freed from the company of the wicked; *Quomodo Chriſtus eum damnabit quem propriamors redemit. Ambroſ. lib. de Jacob. cap. 6. Quis venturus eſt judicare te, niſi qui venit judicaripro te? Aug. in Pſal. 147.they ſhall neither be troubled with ſin, nor ſinners, nor ſorrows: the day of Judgement ſhall be a day of redemption, Luk. 21.28. Eph. 4.30. of refreſhment, Act. 3.19. the thoughts of this day may ſupport them in their abſence from Chriſt: At that great day they ſhall meet with their Redeemer, their Spouſe, their Head: how ſhall not Chriſt ſave thoſe from death, for whom he hath ſuffred death! Who ſhall come to judge the Saints, but he who came to be judged for them?
VER. 7.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the Cities about them, in like manner giving themſelves over to fornication, and going after ſtrange fleſh, are ſet forth for an example, ſuffering the vengeance of eternall fire.
THis Verſe containes the third example of Gods ſevere diſpleaſure, againſt the ſinners of former times, and it is that of Sodom and Gomorrha, &c. which the Apoſtle ſets down by way of compariſon, noted in theſe words [Even as;] the former part, or propoſition whereof is in this verſe, and the reddition, or ſecond part in the two next following.
In this example I obſerve four parts.
1. The Places puniſhed; Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them.
2. The deſerving cauſe of their puniſhment; In like manner giving themſelves over to fornication, and going after ſtrange fleſh.
3. The ſeverity of their puniſhment; Suffering the vengeance of eternall fire.
4. The end and uſe of their puniſhment; they are ſet forth for an example.
For the firſt, The Places puniſhed; Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them.