Exposition of Jude 2, Biblical exegesis · Verse 9 · Observations 1
OBSERVATIONS.
1.Obſerv. 1. The higher our Eminency is, the greater ſhould be our humility. The more glorious any one is for Endowments, the more humble ſhould he be in the beholding them. This Eminently glorious Angel, this Archangel hath Humility ſtampt upon his name: By it he doth not ask, Know you not who I am? or Who is ſo great as I? but Quis ſicut Dominus, Who is like the Lord? The more thou art above others in the height of place, the more ſhouldſt thou go beyond them in the grace of humble-mindedneſs. Humility is an Angelical Grace. No Creature ſo high as an Archangel; no Creature ſo humble as he, and the higheſt is the humbleſt Angel. None ſo low as the Divel, and none ſo proud as he: The Divel tempts Chriſt to worſhip him; the Archangel worſhips Chriſt. We muſt, though high, take heed of high-mind edneſs. When we ſhine moſt with outward glory, we muſt not know it; know it we muſt, ſo as to be thankful… not ſo as to be proud. What have we that we have not received? The more we have received, as the greater ſhall be our account, ſo the greater ſhould be our acknowledgment. They who partake of moſt gifts do but proclaim' like beggars, that they have o…t…eſt been at the door of mercy. When any great performance hath been wrought by us, we ſhould …ear to arrogate the praiſe thereof to our ſelves; herein imitating Joab, who when he had as good as taken Rabbah the Royal City, 2 Sam. 12 27ſent meſſengers to David to come and complete the Conqueſt by taking it fully, leſt the City ſhould be called after his name: He knew the jealouſie of Kings in point of Honour: he wiſely might remember, that the attributing of more thouſands to Saul then to D…vid, though but by female ſing…ers, had almoſt coſt David his life. God is jealous of his Honour, he will not give it to another, nor might any one take it to himſelf, Of this largely in my former Part, Ver. 6 Page 486
2. The higheſt Dignity is to be much in duty. Obſerv. 2.In this word Archangel, here is equally both compriſed Superiority and Service: an Archangel is in engliſh but an high and ſupreme Meſſenger or Waiter. The ſervice of God is the glory of the higheſt Angel. How poor a Creature would Michael have thought himſelf, had he not been a Meſſenger to Chriſt! Its wel obſerved by ſome that Angels are more frequently called by their name of Office, then of Nature; oftner Angels, then Spirits; as if they more delighted in their being dutiful, then in their very being. And a Saint is as thankful that God will deign to be his Maſter, as a ſinner is proud that he can make men to be his own ſervants. The doſius the good Emperor, eſteemed this the higheſt of all his Titles, Ʋltimus Dei ſervus, The loweſt ſervant of Chriſt. A perſon is truly ſo honourable as he is uſeful. Pauls glory was not that he had ruled and domineer'd, but laboured more then they all; yea, in the meaneſt ſervices for Jeſus Chriſt, not in planting of, and preaching to Churches, or in governing them only, but in ſtripes, 2 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25priſons, …ourneyes, wearineſs, perils, hunger, thirſt, cold, nakedneſs. The meaneſt ſervice about a King is honorable. Many think the glory of a Miniſter …r Magiſtrate conſiſts in Revenews, fat Benefices, large Incomes, ſhining Retinue; but ask an Archangel, and he will ſay, it is in being a ſervant, a meſſenger. How unglorious is a man in Scarlet, Purple, Gold, Crowns, nay, with the moſt Eminent and Angelical parts, if he ſerve not Chriſt by all? He is at beſt, but like a ſmal letter in the midſt of a great Gay; where there is, though much flouriſh, little benefit, much hinderance to the Reader. Oh how happy we, if among us every one in Eminency laboured to joyn the Arch and the Angel together! otherwiſe he who is moſt eminent in Dominion, may but prove an arch Tyrant; eminent for Riches, an arch Uſurer; eminent for Learning, an arch Heretick.
3.Obſerv. 3 The ſoveraignty and dominion of God extends it ſelf even to the higheſt of created beings. Even from the loweſt worm to the higheſt, the Arch-angel, all are at the beck of the great God; as every ſoul muſt be ſubject to the higher Power, ſo every ſoul and power muſt be ſubject to him who is the higheſt; he who excepts himſelf, Qui ſe excipit, ſe decipit. Bern. ad Eugem.deceives himſelf. The greateſt are at Gods diſpoſal; they muſt either be voluntarie ſervants or unvoluntary ſlaves. God is the God of the mountains, as well as the valleys. He is indeed the God of the valleys to fill them, but the God alſo of the mountains ſo as to be above them, to level and pul them down. No proud Pharaoh muſt ſay, Who is the Lord, that I ſhould let Iſrael go? Angels are great and high, but God is greater. Angels excell us, but God even them in ſtrength, infinitely more then do they the loweſt worm. If one Angel can ſlay an hundred fourſcore and five thouſand; what can the God of Angels doe? This leſſons both high and low; the higeſt adverſary to take heed of oppoſing the high God: Are they ſtronger then he? If he was a fool who thought himſelf wiſer then Daniel, much more is he ſuch who thinks he is ſtronger then God. The proudeſt Pharaohs, E…. k. 28 3.Nebuchadnezzars muſt either break or bend; God will either be known of them, or on them: The great deſign that God had in ſending Nebuchadnezzar from his Babel among the beaſts, was, That he might learn this leſſon▪ that the Lord ruleth in the kingdome of men, Dan. 4.17and giveth it to whomſoever he will. This is his controverſie with us ſtill, and never will it end, till he have prevailed over us, and be ſeen to have the better of us. This ſubjection to God is that leſſon which ſooner or later every one muſt learn. The true intereſt and wiſdom of the greateſt Potentates is to learn it here in the way, leſt they periſh from it. It leſſons alſo the pooreſt Saints; as in all their priviledges, God wil yet be known to be their Lord, as wel as their friend, and therefore will be ſerv'd with holy fear; ſo in all their ſufferings from their proud enemies, they may ſay with Solomon, There be higher then they. Eccleſ 5.8.The Lord on high is mightyer then the noyſe of many waters; yea, then the mighty waves of the Sea. The great God is their good freind, he who hath the ſervice of Angels, hath goodneſſe and protection for them. When the ſtrongeſt ſervant in the houſe beats and abuſeth them, the weakeſt child of God may ſay, I'le tel my father: He can and will redreſſe every Saints injury.
4. Great is the comlineſſe of order; Obſerv, 4even Angels have and love it. There are Angels, and there is one (at leaſt) Archangel. In heaven, There muſt be a diſparity among men, Uniſons make no good Muſick.even among the creatures where God immediately manifeſts his preſence, there are Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers; what the difference…is, we know not; that there is a difference, we know: Nay, the Divel, who is the great enemy of order and government on earth, obſerves and upholds a kind of order and rule in hell: Even there is a prince of Divels, and the Divel and his Angels, (Though it's true, the moſt powerfull divel is the moſt powerfully wicked:) nor heaven, nor hell allow of a parity; though there be no good, yet there is ſome order in hell; Holy Angels are no friends to levelling. They are miſtaken, phanatick ſpirits, who think it a point of perfection to be without Superiours; would they be more perfect then the glorious Angels? The truth is, they cry out for this liberty, that they may be in ſlavery to their luſts (which government curbs;) and not ſo much for that they hate government (the love whereof is implanted in all by the light of nature) as becauſe they hate thoſe hands in which it is, they would fain get it into their own; and could they once do ſo, tho none could govern ſo ill, yet none would govern ſo much as themſelves who moſt cry down ruling. They who moſt …ppoſe Government in others, moſt deſire the Government over others▪ Evil angels, who will not be ſubject to God, are moſt tyrannical over me… Satan, who would not continue in the worſhipping of God, tempted Chriſt to worſhip him. Order is the beauty and ſafety of places. They who are weary of it, are weary of their owne happineſs. But of this more before in Part 1. page 638
5.Obſerv. 5. The divel is an hurtful ſpirit. His work is to do miſchief; his name Divel ſpeaks him a Deſtroyer, and wounder of names; and all his names import miſchievouſneſs. He and his angels are called Cacodaemons, Evil Angels, frequently in Scripture, Evil Spirits; not evil only in regard of the bad which is in them, but alſo of the hurt which is done by them. The Divel is Abadd…n, Rev. 9 11.Perdition; he is perdition or deſtruction it ſelf; not only Paſſively, but even Actively alſo; and as we call a wicked man, ſcelus, wickedneſs, for moſt wicked; ſo is the Divel call'd perdition or deſtruction it ſelf, becauſe he is the chief, Rev. 9 11.cruel, skilful, induſtrious Deſtroyer, ſeeking whom he may deuour; compaſſing the earth, as a Fouler doth the tree where the bird ſits; or as Beſiegers do a City, to plant murdering Engines: He ſeeks not whom to ſcratch bite, or wound; but whom to deſtroy, devour, ſwallow up (foreign) 1 Pet. 5.8. To Abaddon is added his name in the Greek, whereby he is alſo noted to be acrue deſtroyer, Apollyon: He is in Scripture called a murderer, an old bloody one, ſuch from the beginning. Compared alſo to a Lyon, a Serpent, R…v. 12.3.a Dragon, a red bloody, fiery (foreign) Dragon. He is bloudy in being thirſty after, and imbrued in blood, in all the blood of the Saints ſince the beginning of the world: His Works prove him more hurtful then his Names. Hurtful he is to the bodies of men; Theſe he hath often poſſeſſed, counting the tormenting of them all his pleaſure, and ejection out of them his torment: Theſe he hath thrown into fi…e and water; cutting alſo and wounding …hem; rending them when compelled to leave them; H…m… mal… …elam D…ab….by his inſtruments (wicked men his weapons) mart…ring, mangling, and murdering them, from Abel till now; afflicting them with no…ſom and deſtructive diſeaſes Hurtful to the Eſtates of men, by tempeſts, winds, fires, as appears by his dealing with J…b, whom he made both in body and eſtate, his very anvil, upon which he laid all his angry and cruel ſtrokes. Hurtful he is to the ſouls of men, either tempting to, corrupting in, or elſe tormenting or afrighting them for ſin. Hurtful to the name he is; by ſlanders and falſe accuſations. They who are freed from conſuming by the former, ſhall not eſcape totally from ſindging by this latter Where he cannot devour with the mouth of the ſword, he will wound by the ſword of the mouth▪ Where he cannot ſtrike with his hand, he will ſpit with his mouth, and bite with his teeth. And laſtly, the properties of his hurtfulneſs ſhew it more then its workings; for he is anciently hurtful; he began many thouſand years ago with the firſt man: How hurtfull do we account that thief and murderer who hath been miſchievous for ſome few years! No Muderer ſo old an one, as Satan. He is maliciouſly hurtful, not being ſo by accident, or beſide his intention, but aiming to be ſo. He kils none by chance-medly, but all his Murders are wilful: 'tis his meat and drink, his recreation, his only eaſe, if he could be ſaid to have any. His hurtfulneſs is inceſſant, his trade, his work, as well as his …. He cannot give over this Employment; 'tis his Element, nor can he any more live without it then a fi…h out of the water. He is reſtleſs in ſin; When he is not in places where he may do much hurt, he is ſaid to walk through dry places, a ba…re…, un-inhabitable wilderneſs, and there he finds no reſt; his only reſt is an hurtful motion. A ſinner ſleeps not till he ſin; but the Divel alway ſins, and never ſ…eeps; he is a vig…lant Dragon: He never reſted one moment ſince the begin…ng of the world. As he never wanted, ſo he never would have reſt: he hath no Holy-dayes. He gos up and down continually ſeeking whom he may devour: Upon the Sabbath as much as, nay, more then other dayes; and he never doth more hurt then when he ſeems to do leaſt; nay, when he ſeems to do moſt good. He is univerſally hurtful in reſpect of the Object; he is hurtful (in intention at leaſt) to all mankind; to good and bad, to his enemies, yea his friends: to the former, becauſe the leſs he can, the more he would do. The more God loves, the more he hates, and labours to hurt (as in all the forementioned reſpects.) He had rather find one Pearle then a thouſand pibbles. Oh how ſweet to him is the fal of a Peter, a David, a Noah! the bloud of a Stephen, a Paul, a Godly Miniſter. He winnowes the beſt wheat moſt, and beats the tree moſt that bears the beſt fruit: Our great Lord himſelf muſt not go without his marks. Nay, he is hurtful to his owne greateſt friends. Thoſe he hurts moſt, who ſerve him moſt: A cruel Maſter, that wounds and ſtarves all his ſlaves! wounds the conſcience, wears out the body. Sinners are his hackneys, whom he whips and ſpurs all the day of Life, and at night he lodgeth them worſe then in the day he uſed them. Never ſuffers he them to feed upon one morſel of the bread of Life; gives nothing but wind and wormwood, vanity and vexation. Laſtly, he is skilfully hurtful, he is skilful to deſtroy, and hath an equal mixture of the Lion and the Serpent. He hath ſeven heads, Revel. 12.3. and many devices in them all: Elimas ful of all ſubtilty, and miſchief, Acts 13.10 is aptly therefore called the child of the Divel. Our worſt enemy ſometimes comes to us as our beſt friend. He diſguiſeth his perſon, like the Gibeonites, that ſo he may get within us. He ſeemed to Eve to be more friendly then God himſelf. He oft ſeems to compaſſionate the ſinner; to the profane he propounds an eaſie looſe Religion; to the Proud he ſuggeſts the unfitneſs of ſuffering himſelf to be trampled on, &c. He never kiſſeth, but 'tis to kill; and this Crocodile never ſheds tears but 'tis to ſhed blood. He chuſeth his fitteſt times for his tentations, as in time of converſing in bad company, ſo he ſet upon Peter: in time of ſolitarineſs, ſo he ſet upon Chriſt and Joſeph. In times of trouble of conſcience, then he ſuggeſts we are hypocrites; like Simeon and Levi, who killed the Shechemites in their ſoreneſs. In times of ſecurity and eaſe, ſo he ſet upon David: like enemies who fal upon one anothers Quarters in their mid-night ſleep. If he cannot hinder from good, he can blemiſh it by ſinful meanes; an undue manner, a bad end. He can by a thouſand Arts diſparage a holy Duty to thoſe that behold it, if he doth not mar it in the performance This hurtfulneſs of the Divel ſhewes whom they reſemble, that are never well themſelves but when they are doing ſomething that may make others bad, or do them hurt. Whoſe only work is to pull down, and pluck up, to tear and rend; to lay gins and ſnares, not for beaſts, but men; to ſearch out iniquities, and to accompliſh a diligent ſearch: who are skilful to deſtroy, but ignorant how to build up. How unlike are theſe to him who went up and down continually doing good? It likewiſe diſcovers the goodneſs and power of God, in ſtopping this hurtful Creature, in bounding him within his limits, in binding him in chains of reſtraint; ſo that though he wils to do what (nay more then) he can, yet he ſhall never do what he will, nor often what he can. It teacheth us to make him our friend who only hath care and goodneſs to countervail the Divels cruelty. O miſerable they whoſe ſouls do, and ſhall ever dwel among Lions, in a Godleſs, Chriſtleſs, Shepherdleſs ſtate. Laſtly, it inſtructs, that better is the ſuffering of him who is hurt, then the ſolace of him that is hurtful; the former is conform'd to Chriſt, the latter to the divel.
6Obſerv. 6. Saints muſt expect ſlanders, but … be afflicte… with them. So long as there are Divels, there will be falſe Accuſers. We oft ſay, upon hearing falſe and infamous reports, we wonder who ſhould …aiſe them: But wonder not; there is a Mint conſtantly going in hell, and there is a Mint maſter, whoſe w…rk it is to coyn calumnies; and though they be men who put them off for him yet this Coyn bears his Stamp. 'Tis a good ſign thou pleaſeſt not Satan, when thou canſt not have his good word. He doth no more againſt thee, then he hath done againſt all thy Brethren, whoſe Accuſer he hath ever been; count not this Tryal by his fiery tongue ſtrange; nay, count it ſtrange when this tougne is not fired upon thee The Son of God himſelf was in this fire before thee, nay, is in it with thee. If the flame be hot, remember the company is comfortable and cooling. Had it been enough to have been accuſed, there would never have been one innocent. God indeed ſuffers this fire to bu…n thee, becauſe thou art not pure enough; but the Divel kindles it, becauſe thou art not impure enough. Its a ſign that thy tongue vexeth Satan, when his tongue vexeth thee. Remember that thy name is bright in Gods ſight, and l…ke the Sun, glorious heaven-ward, when moſt clouded earth-ward. God takes a greater care of his ſervants names then they do of their own. Wherefore were ye not afraid to ſpeak againſt my ſervant Moſes, Numb. 12 8.ſaith God to Aaron and Miriam? Beſides the accidental good which ſlanderers do thy ſoul or the preſent, by making thee humble, watchful, ſelfſearch…ng, there will come a ti…e wherein they ſhall make reſt…tutu… (in ſpecie) of all thy ſt…ln reputation: They ſtole it from thee in ſe ret, Quiſqui… v… lens d…t…ab… f…mae m…ae, iſt… nobens add a mercedi me… Aug.but the… ſhall reſtore …t before men and Angels, and that with Intereſt. Thy innocency may be hid, but not extinguiſh'd; and he that willingly detracts from thy name, doth (though) unwillingly add to thy reward.
7Obſerv. 7. To cenſure every …ne that is accuſed, is to condemn the innocent. Its not ground enough for thy cenſure, that they are accuſed; (for Satan may cauſe that;) but, if called, throughly ſift the accuſation; John 7.24.judge righteous judgement; and look not onelyonly upon the outſide, but enter into the bowels of the cauſe: Bare accuſation makes no man guilty: commonly the ſlanders of wicked men ſpeak the perſon, and often the cauſe alſo good: Be ſlow of belief: Hear both ſides: Let both thy ears, like Balances, take in equal weight. Tis true, 1 Cor. 13.7.Charity believeth all things, but they all are good things; it alſo hopeth all things. There's no harm in ſuſpending thy belief till proof comes. If thou ſhooteſt thine Arrow too ſoon, thou mayeſt haply hit a Jehoſhaphat, dreſt up by Satan in an Ahabs attire. Its better to acquit many nocent, then to condemn one innocent. In doubtful caſes hope the beſt. God went down to ſee, when the cry of Sodom came up to heaven; though he ſaw before he went down. Its good to be forward in accuſing thy ſelf, and by that time that work is well done, thy cenſorious credulity will be cool'd when thou heareſt reports of others.
8. Obſer. 8.How harſh and cruel a Maſter doth every wicked man ſerve! The Divel puts his ſervants upon ſin againſt God, and then accuſeth them for thoſe ſins to God, themſelves, and others: He that at the firſt allured Saul to diſobey God, by ſparing of Amaleck; afterwards drives him to deſpair, by repreſenting his ſin, and Gods wrath, when he appeared in the ſhape of Samuel; the ſins which his tentations repreſent but as tricks and trifles, his accuſations will aggravate, even to a mountaynous proportion: He that in the former ſaith, Thy ſin is ſo ſmall, thou needſt not fear it; nay, perhaps tels thee is a great good; will afterward make it appear ſo great an evil, that thou canſt not bear it: Though at the firſt he tels thee it is ſo ſmall that God will not ſee it, yet at laſt he ſuggeſts it ſo great, that God will not forgive it: The time thou now ſpendeſt in hearing his accuſations, would have been better ſpent in oppoſing his tentations. Who would ſerve ſuch a Maſter, who in ſtead of ſtanding by his ſervants for their diligent ſervice, wil ſtand up before God and man againſt them? While they are ſerving him, he is quiet; when they have done, he payes them with terrors, and perſwaſions that they are damned wretches: and yet this is the Prince of the world, who hath more ſervants then Jeſus Chriſt; though he, in ſtead of accuſing for, covers ſin. Oh that ſinners were ſo wiſe, as in time to look for a new ſervice, and to ſtand aſtoniſhed at this amazing folly, that they ſhould more delight to ſerve him who ſheds their blood, then him who ſhed his blood for them.
9 Great ſhould be our care to prevent falſe accuſations, Obſerv. 9.to ſtop Satans mouth, and the mouths of ſinners, which are ſo ready to be opened againſt us; to take heed that they ſpeak not reproachfully and truly at the ſame time.
1. It ought to be our care to make ſtreight ſteps to our feet, Epheſ. 5.15.ſeeing we ſhall be ſure to hear of the leaſt halting: we ought to walk circumſpectly. If wicked men will make faults, at their own peril be it; let them not find them made to their hand: though we may account ſuch or ſuch an error to be but ſmall, yet the ſlanderous beholder will look upon it with an old mans ſpectacles, and to him it will appear great. The ſharp weapons of ſlanders, muſt be blunted by innocency. Let the matter, manner, and end of every action be good, and then God will juſtifie, if Satan ſlander.
2. Never leave integrity to remove infamy: He that will part with a good conſcience, to get a great name, ſhall loſe name and conſcience too.
3. Defend and plead Gods cauſe againſt falſe accuſation. If we be ſhields to his, he will defend ours.
4. Let us be as careful of the names of others, as of our own. Let us not receive, believe, laugh at the ſlanders caſt upon others. Our name will be entertained at our neighbours houſes, as his is at ours. We muſt open our mouths for the dumb, the abſent, the innocent.
5. Be willing the godly ſhould reprove thee: He who wil not hear a juſt admonition, may juſtly hear an unjuſt accuſation; the ſmitings of freinds will prevent the ſtabbings of enemies, Godly rebuke embraced will preſerve thee from reproach, and being a byword.
6. Accuſe thy ſelf before God, humble thy ſoul for whatever thy ſelf and others can alledge. Be more vile in thine own, then thou canſt be in the thoughts or mouths of others; and thereby flie to Jeſus Chriſt, who will anſwer all accuſations within or without thee; the clefts of that rock being the beſt refuge againſt the purſuit of ſlanderous tongues. Oh how ſweet is it to ſay in the midſt of ſlanders, Well yet, my ſoul, God hath nothing to lay to thy charge.
10. Falſe accuſers imitate Satan, Obſerv. 10they are the Divels firſt born, and bear his name. Their tongues are ſet on fire of hell; but of the greatneſſe of their ſin, I ſhall have clearer occaſion to ſpeak in the third and laſt part of this verſe, as alſo of the helpes againſt it.
This for the firſt part of this verſe, the parties contending; Michael the Archangel, and the Divel. The ſecond followes, the ſtrife or contention it ſelf; Michael contending with the Divel, diſputed about the body of Moſes.