Exposition of Jude 2, Biblical exegesis · Verse 9 · Observations 3
OBSERVATIONS
1.Obſer. 1. Purity of affection ſhould accompany Angelical illumination. Michael had the holineſs, as well as the wiſdome of an Angel: he had not onelyonly ability to diſpute, but care to keep from ſin in diſputing. An head full of knowledge, with a heart forward to ſin, agree indeed to an Angel, but tis an Angel of darkneſs. An Archangel given over to wickedneſs is an Arch-divel. Great knowledge, without holineſs, is but a great tentation; Si velles intelligere ut Angelus, quod non potes, cur non vis velle ut Deus, quod potes? Nieremb. de ador. in ſp. & ver.knowledge (ſaith the Apoſtle) puffeth up. Sanctity in a Child, is better then all the underſtanding of Divels. A clean heart, is better then a clear head. If thou deſireſt (ſaith one well) to underſtand like an Angel, why art thou not more deſirous to will as doth God. The great Diana of worſhip in the world, is brain-knowledge, and eſtimation for an accute and reaching apprehenſion; whereas holineſs is eſteemed but as a dull contemptible qualification: but the glory of Michael here in the Text, was to keep himſelf from ſin. Its pity that a good head, and a good heart, ſhould not ever be companions; or that the notional perception of truth, ſhould at any time go along with the practical refuſal thereof. Wicked Angels, (or Miniſters) who by their Doctrine teach people how to be ſaved, do by their lives teach God how to damn themſelves. If the Lord hath given thee integrity of heart, though thy parts be but mean, bleſs him, he hath truly ſhewn thee the more excellent way, afforded thee an angelical excellency.
2.Obſerv. 2. Its an high commendation then to ſhun ſin, when we are neceſſitated to converſe with ſinners. Michael diſputes with the Divel, but yet holily, and Angelically. He got no infection from his divelliſh carriage. The Divel ſets upon our bleſſed Saviour more then once, yet Chriſt gathered no ſoil from this unclean ſpirit. Its a ſign of a good conſtitution, to continue healthful in a bad and infectious ayre. The truth of grace ſhould ſhew it ſelf, in its care not onelyonly to avoid the company of ſinners, but the contagion by ſinners: Perhaps we cannot ſhun the former, yet we ſhould, and by holy watchfulneſs may, eſcape the other. If we cannot do the wicked good by converſing with them, we muſt take heed leſt they do us hurt. Its a juſtly ſuſpected goodneſs, which can onelyonly hold up in good company: He, who will then be bad, rather overtakes ſin, then is overtaken by it; but he who keeps the ſpark of holineſs alive, in the midſt of damps, and quench-coals, Pſal. 120.5.though he may with holy David bewail his condition in reſpect of bad company, yet may he withal rejoyce, in the hopes of his own integrity.
3.Obſerv. 3. Its our duty to learn this Angelical Leſſon, of forbearing to bring railing accuſations. To this end, 1. Be much and ſerious in accuſing thy ſinful ſelf. In this duty tis hard to be ſevere enough: Put not thy eyes into thy pocket, when thou art alone at home: Its a ſign, that they who deſire to ſacrifice their brethrens names, are (as Pharaoh charged the Iſraelites) but too idle; I mean, they labour not about their own hearts: every Enemy, by how much the nearer, by ſo much the more hateful is he to us; our own ſins are our neareſt, and ſhould be our hatefulleſt Enemies. 2. Envy not the worth of any: the very word (invidia) envy, may either be derived from looking into, or not looking upon another at all: the envious are guilty of both, they will not look at all upon what is truly excellent; they love to look through and through, when they think they have found any thing culpable; in both reſpects they are occaſioned to be evilſpeakers. When they onelyonly are on the dark ſide of the cloud, its no marvel that they ſtumble into ſlanders. 3. Look upon every action of another, with the ſpectacles of love. The Apoſtle tels us, that love thinketh, and it is as true, that it ſpeaketh no evil: Malice (we ſay) never ſpake well; it ever makes, if it finds not faults, 1 Cor. 13.5.and puts a falſe gloſs, and a wreſted interpretation upon the Text of every action; love covers a multitude of faults where they are, malice creates them where they are not. 4. Keep a watch before thy mouth: Pray that thou may…ſt have Gods ayd. Reſolve with David, before thou entreſt into any company, not to offend with thy tongue: Check thy ſelf, when thou perceiveſt thy proneneſs to offend: Return not evil for evil: Being defamed, intreat: Bleſs, and curſe not: Rom. 12.14. 1 Cor. 4.13. Lock the door of thy lips ſo faſt, that the ſtrongeſt provocation may never be able to pull it open: Strike not the ſecond blow: Let the Ball of contention go down on thine end: In ſtead of reviling revilers, commit thy cauſe to him that judgeth righteouſly: Herein thou followeſt Chriſt. When thou heareſt another reviled, be as a Stone-wall, when thou heareſt thy ſelf reviled, be as a ſoft Mud-wall; in the former reſpect, ſhew thy oppoſition, in the latter thy patience; in the former carry not the Divel in thine ear; in the latter, carry him not in thy tongue. 5. Deal with anothers good name, as thou wouldſt have him deale with thine, if it comes in his way; they who handle the names of others moſt rudely, are moſt delicate when they themſelves come to be touch'd. But nothing is more juſt with God, then to ſuffer others to open their mouths againſt thoſe, who will open their own againſt their neighbours.
4.Obſerv. 4. There is no cowardize in not daring to ſin. The loweſt of all the holy Angels, hath more magnanimity, then all the preſumptuous ſinners on earth; yet lo here the chiefeſt (as ſome ſuppoſe) of all, that heavenly hoſt durſt not ſin in reviling. True valor ſtands in the oppoſing, not in the ſtooping to ſin. It's not magnanimity but madneſſe, to damn thy ſoul, and to fight with the Lord of hoſts: Men of greateſt courage in Scripture, have ever been moſt fearfull of ſin. David, who had ſhed the blood of ſo many thouſands, yet waters his bed with tears for his ſin: He who had overthrown ſo many Armies, is himſelf laid flat by one poor Prophet. Joſiah was ſtout-hearted, and yet tender hearted alſo. The greateſt cowardize, is to yeild thy ſelf a captive to any luſt: The audacious ſwearer is the coward, not he who fears an oath. The world doth ridiculouſly voice for valorous, even the great pretenders to valour; I mean, bloody duelliſts, or ſingle combatants: of all ſorts of ſinners in the world, theſe are the trueſt daſtards, in being ſo exceſſively fearful of reproaches, who, ſuſpecting they ſhall be purſued by the report of cowardize, fly, they know not whither; even as far as hell, before they dare look back. They who fight with others, are overcome of their own luſts: They who dare not fight with an enemy, either with tongue or hand, for fear of diſpleaſing God, overcome their luſt, which is a greater diſcovery of valour then to vanquiſh a city. It is not courage, but fool-hardineſſe, to go boldly to hell, proceeding from an ignorance of danger; ſinners therein being like Americans, who preſs upon the mouth of the Muſquet, becauſe they know not its force.
5. The fear of God is the bridle of ſin. Obſerv. 5The not daring to ſin, is a preſervation againſt ſin. This fear ſtopt the Archangel from giving the Divel, a railing accuſation. This holy fear, made him contemn Satans reproaches, and will make any to deſpiſe all the difficulties of ſhame and ſorrow, which may be met with, in the way of holineſs. The greater fear, expels the leſs; the fearing of him, who can deſtroy the ſoul, aboliſheth the fear of them, who can only touch the body. If God be our fear, we ſhall not fear mans fear; he who feareth God, Iſa. 8 13.feareth nothing but him; he had rather be mocked for holineſs, then damned for ſin; he is not like children, that fear an ugly vizard which cannot hurt them, but fear not the fire that may conſume them: he is not ſuch a fool, as to be laughed out of his happineſs, and to hazard the loſſe of his ſoul, becauſe he will not be mocked. Abraham thought, if the fear of God had been in that place, Gen. 20.11. that they would not have ſlain him for his wives ſake. How (ſaith Joſeph) ſhall I do this great evil, Gen. 39.9.and ſin againſt God! The fear of God (ſaith Solomon) is, to hate evill: Prov. 8.13.it cauſing us, not onelyonly outwardly to abſtain from ſin, but inwardly to abhor it; not onelyonly binding the hand, but alſo changing the heart: the fear of man will make us hide, the fear of God even hate ſin alſo. Fear is the daughter of faith, Heb. 11.7.and faith aſſents to the truth of the word, as promiſing, and commanding, ſo threatning. The worth of Gods fear, wil be known to eternity: That which keeps from ſin, keeps from the onelyonly evil; they who fear the word, ſhall not feel the rod. 1 trembled (ſaith Habakuk) in my ſelf, Hab. 3.16.that I might reſt in the day of trouble. If we would not fear with a ſervile diſtruſtful fear hereafter, Timeamus prudenter, ne timeamus inaniter. Aug.we muſt fear with an awful child-like fear for the preſent. If we fear wiſely, we ſhall not fear vainly. In ſhort, we hence learn the true reaſon of all the wickedneſs and wo in the world: Had the fear of God been here, ſin had not been here, and puniſhment had been prevented; that which is now wo, had then been watchfulneſs.
Thus far in this third part of this verſe, of the firſt (the Negative) branch thereof. Durſt not bring againſt him a railing accuſation. The ſecond (the Poſitive) follows, in theſe words, But ſaid, The Lord rebuke thee.