Exposition of Jude 2, Biblical exegesis · Verse 9 · Observations 4
OBSERVATIONS.
1. Satans forbearance of, Obſerv. 1or deſiſting from any way of wickedneſs, is purely from Gods threatning rebuke, and h… powerful chiding him. The Archangel ſaith not, The Lord mend, change, reform thee; but, The Lord hinder, ſtop, and by his power, effectually rebuke thee. Satan may be driven away from ſome act of ſin, by Gods power, not drawn by Gods love; like a Dog, he fears the whip, not leathing that which he is compell'd to leave. The Divel is held in an everlaſting bond of ſin; he is wedg'd and wedded to ſin; He ſinneth (as its ſaid, 1 John 3.8) from the beginning; ſince he began, he never did, nor ſhall ceaſe from the love, although he may be forced to forbear the outward act of ſin: there's in him an utter impotency to any good, nor can he lay down his unholy inclination; he may be curb'd, he ſhall never be changed: Its ever a torment to him, not a delight, to forbear any wickedneſs; when he beſought Chriſt not to torment him, Luke 8 28. the torment againſt which he prayed, was that his ejection out of the poſſeſſed, whereby he was hindred from doing that hurt which he deſired; it being immediately added by the Evangeliſt, For he (Chriſt) had commanded the unclean ſpirit to come out of the man. Satan came to tempt Chriſt of his own inclination, but he went away by Chriſts powerful command. He ceaſed to moleſt Job, when he had vexed him, as much as he could obtain leave to do: when he gives over any enterprize, he changeth not his nature, but conſtrainedly leaveth his exerciſe: he goes, but tis when he can ſtay no longer, when his Cummiſſion is expired. Every commanded performance or forbearance, is not a ſign of grace. That which is incident to the Divel, argues no grace in man. Balaam was forbidden to curſe the people of God, and he forbears, but forcedly, againſt his will. Let not men content themſelves with the Divels obedience. To leave ſin for fear of hell, may go along with the love of it more then heaven. When Moſes's Parents expoſed him to the waters, they loved him as much as (or more then) ever. To leave ſin for want of a body to commit it, is not to leave our affection to it; the leaving of ſin at our death-beds, is ſeldome true; ever ſuſpicious. God loves a living Chriſtian: any one will be a Chriſtian dying. Duties without, muſt flow from a gracious forwardneſs within. Joyn that in thy obedience, which the Divel hath divorced; inward ſubjection, to outward ſervices. Its one thing to be hindred from, another thing to hate ſin. The rebukes of our Superiors, may cauſe the former, a Principle of inward renovation, can onelyonly produce the later. More of this in my former part, p. 491, 492, 497.
2.Obſerv. 2. Gods power limits Satans. Though the will of Satan ſhall never be changed, yet his power is by God often curbed, when he is moſt violently running on in any way of oppoſition to God or man, God can ſtop, and chide him back; of this alſo par. 1.442, 447. With what an holy fearleſneſs may the godly go on in duty! The wicked are willingly ſerviceable to a Maſter, who cannot protect them from Gods wrath: Oh let us ſerve him chearfully, who is able and willing to keep us from the Divels rage; we ſee likewiſe to whom we owe our preſervation, onelyonly to him, who rebukes Divels.
3.Obſerv. 3. How eaſily doth God prevail over his greateſt Enemies! Tis but (as it were) a chiding, and rebuking them, and even in their greateſt fury, they are mute, and dare not, cannot quetch: what more eaſie, then for a Maſter to give a word of rebuke? a word of Gods mouth, is enough to make the Divels tremble; they are all underlings to God, they are before him as nothing: the greateſt mountain of worldly ſtrength and oppoſition, ſhall be before God but a mountain of chaff. If God do but ari…e, Pſalm 68.1 Pſalm 2.4.his Enemies are ſcattered; yea, he who ſits in heaven, ſhall ha…e them in deriſion; he derides them ſitting: the fire doth not ſo eaſily conſume the ſtubble, the wind diſſipate the ſmoak, the Rod of iron break in pieces a Potters veſſel, as God overthrowes his Enemies. With a word did God make the creature, with a word he moves it, with a word he ſtops it, with a word he deſtroys it; in all theſe, Pſal. 142.15.his word (as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks) runneth very ſwiftly. How vain are they who think that worldly greatneſs, their wealth, their ſtrength, their youth, can ſhield them from the ſtroke of Gods power, whetted with his wrath! The ſithe can get as well through the green graſs, as the dry ſtubble: He who hath but faith enough to believe himſelf a creature, may be caution'd againſt Security in ſin: The moſt gliſtring Monarch, is but a gilded potſherd; in nothing ſo mad, as to think it ſelf ſafe, in contending with its maker; nor is it a leſs excuſable folly, to be ſwallowed up of fear, by reaſon of the worldly greatneſs of any of Gods Enemies. Who art thou that art afraid of man that ſhall dye, and the Son of man, that ſhall be made as graſs, Iſa. 51.12.and forgetteſt the Lord thy Maker? At the rebuke of God, his, and our Enemies ſhall flee and fall. How great is that folly, whereby men ſleight the great God, and fear a ſilly worm! All the peace and forbearance that God expreſſeth towards his Enemies, proceeds not from his want of power, but from the greatneſs of his patience; a ſtrong inducement to us, who are weak worms, to be patient under injuries, which we cannot repel; ſince God is ſo full of forbearance, who is both infinitely provoked by, and infinitely powerful to be avenged of his ſtrongeſt Enemies.
4. The holieſt perſons, Obſerv. 4.are moſt offended with practices that oppoſe Gods glory. When Satan diſhonours God, the holy Angel cannot refrain from praying that God would rebuke him. Michael doth not onelyonly diſpute for God, but he deſires God to plead for himſelf: It would have been below Michael, to have been affected with any thing a creature ſhould have ſaid or done, unleſs the honour of God had been concerned; nothing is little, whereby Gods Name, or mans ſoul ſuffers. The more any one knows the excellencies in God, or hath taſted of the love of God, the leſs can he endure any thing either done or ſaid againſt God. Angels, who continually behold the beauty of Gods face, do moſt abhor that which doth blemiſh, diſparage it. Theſe ſons of God, endure not any thing whereby the honour of their Father ſuffers. Heaven it ſelf would be no heaven to thoſe glorious Spirits, ſhould they be conſtrained to behold Gods name polluted. No meer man ever had on earth, ſo clear a glympſe of Gods glory as had Moſes; nor was ever any ſo holily impatient, when he apprehended a blemiſh to be caſt upon it. The broken Tables, the Iſraelites, which this meekeſt of men cauſed to be put to the ſword, yea, his requeſt that himſelf might be blotted out of the book of life, rather then any blot ſhould be caſt upon Gods honour, ſufficiently prove, that he who touch'd it, touch'd the apple of his eye. How unlike to Angels are they who put up no injuries with ſuch a tame contentedneſs, as thoſe which are offered to Gods name! who never ſay to any, The Lord rebuke you, but to thoſe who diſhonor themſelves? yea, are ready to rebuke themſelves, whenſoever they ſtumble upon any act of Zeal. Surely, the fire of ſuch mens Zeal is not Angelical and heavenly; but culinary and ſmoaky. What likelihood that they ſhall ever inhabit the place, that are ſuch ſtrangers to the diſpoſition of Angels?
5.Obſerv. 5. Its unſutable to a gracious temper to recompence evil for evil. Michael here commits his cauſe, and remits revenge to God; ſutable to whoſe carriage is the command of Scripture againſt private revenge, Prov. 20.22. Say not thou, I will recompence evil; and Prov. 24.29. Say not, I will do ſo to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work: And Rom. 12.17. Recompence to no man evil for evil: and ver. 19. Avenge not your ſelves, but rather give place to wrath. Revenge oppoſeth the mind of God; and it both diſturbs and expels the Spirit which would abide in the ſoul, and is the Spirit of Peace and Dove-like Meekneſs; and lets in, and gives place to the Divel, who is the father and furtherer of War and revenge. It diveſteth God of his Office; God alone knowes how to puniſh our enemies without paſſion and inequality: It makes him, in ſtead of a Judge, only an Executioner: It takes the ſword out of Gods hand, and drives him from his dominion. What difference makes it between the party pr…voking and provoked, ſave that the laſt is laſt in the offence againſt God? both are equally diſpleaſing to him, whoſe Law is by both broken; and ſuppoſing that our enemy hath deſerved to be hated, why hath God deſerved to be diſobeyed? Nor doth revenge leſs oppoſe our own welfare, then Gods pleaſure. The Divel by this ſin bereaves a man of his reaſon, and (like a bird of prey, which ſeizing upon a dead Carkaſs, firſt pecks out its eyes) he blinds his underſtanding, and then leads him into what wickedneſs he pleaſeth. By revenge we loſe all that good which we might get, even by injuries. Holy patience turnes every injury thrown at us, into a precious ſtone, and makes it an addition to our Crown. Qui injuriam patitur, magis dolere debet de peccato injuriantis, quam de injuriâ ſibi allatâ.He who hath received an injury, if wiſe to improve it, hath received a fauour, a reward; and its againſt the rule of Juſtice to return evil for good. What madneſs is it, becauſe our enemy hath done us wrong, to do our ſelves more? becauſe he hath hurt our bodies, to damn our ſouls? that we may kill our enemies Aſs (his body) to kill our ſelves? that we may tear his garment… to loſe our own lives? What unmanly folly is it to hate thoſe in their ſickneſs, or madneſs, whom we love in their health? to hate thoſe wronging us, whom we would love when they do us good? When our enemies are moſt unkind, they ſhew more diſtemper in themſelves, then they do hatred to us; and therefore deſerve more pity, then oppoſition. What greater cruelty then to cut and wound one who is dead, I mean Spiritually? What more ridiculous, then becauſe one hath taken a way ſomething from us, therefore to throw away all that is left behind? becauſe he hath ſtoln away our Cloak, or twenty Pounds, therefore to throw our coat, or whole Inheritance into the ſea? When one hath taken from us the cloak of our good name, Ridiculum eſt, odio nocentis innocentiam perdere. Senec.or a little of our worldly eſtate, how wild a folly is it therefore to throw away by revenge, the beautiful garment of our Innocency; yea, the inheritance of Heaven? Its ridiculous, for the hatred of him that hurt us, to caſt away that which never hurt, will alwayes be helpful to us; and becauſe we are bereaved of ſomething which we had, our goods, therefore to throw away all we are, our ſouls. What madneſs comparable to that, whereby in our prayers, we daily powre forth curſes againſt, in ſtead of requeſts for our ſelves? Who would not think him weary of his life, who being ſtruck by one whom he knowes to be full of Leproſie and Plague ſores, will ſpend his time in grapling and contending with him again? None can avenge himſelf upon another without Spiritual defilement and Infection; and (which is moſt inexcuſable) that malice for which he is ſo much enraged againſt another, he loves in himſelf. The empty, tranſitory, though reproachful expreſſion of his brother, he layes to heart; but the ſword of revenge, with which the Divel endeavours to kill him, he contemns and diſregards. In a word, what temper is more childiſh then that of revenge, whereby like children, men deſire and delight to ſtrike that thing which hurt them? Its folly to beat the Inſtrument which wounded us; our wiſdome it is, to labour that the wound which is given us may be healed and ſanctified: Yea, there is more of brutiſhneſs then manlineſs, when we are kick'd to kick again. Nothing more honours a man then the overcoming of revenge. He who can maſter his own revengeful heart, hath a ſpirit truly noble, and fit to govern others. Upon Davids ſparing of Saul, wiſely did Saul ſay thus to David, The Lord hath delivered me into thy hands, 1 Sam. 24.18, 20and thou killedſt me not: And now, behold, I know well that thou ſhalt be King. He only hath ſomething ſupernatural in Charity, who requites evil with good, who loves his enemies, doth good to them that hate him, wearyeth them with patience, and writes after a heavenly Copy, Matth. 5.14. More of this Part 1. pag. 131, 132.
6.Obſerv. ult. The conſideration of our having a God to whom we may commit our cauſe, is the beſt meanes to make us patient under wrongs. Michael was a ſervant to a great Lord, and to him he appeals, and layes the controverſie before him: The Lord rebuke thee. There would be more bearing in the world, were there more believing. Did we look more upon him that is Inviſible, we ſhould leſs regard the evils which we ſee and feel: Walk before me, (ſaith God to Abraham) and be perfect. Nothing, either of pleaſure or pain, will ſeem great to him, in whoſe eye there is this great Lord. The greateſt prop in oppoſition is to have a God to fly unto. The greateſt loſs for him, ſhall be made up (again) by him. When David conſidered that God was his portion, Pſal. 16.4, 5.he abhorred to go to other Subterfuges. They who believe they have a God to right them, will not wrong themſelves ſo much as to revenge their own wrongs. God (they know) will do it, as more equally, ſo more beneficially: And the true reaſon, why there is no more willingneſs either to forbear any ſin, or to bear any ſorrow, is becauſe we think not of this great Lord, ſo as either to fear, or truſt him. They who can call God Father, may with Chriſt pray concerning their enemies, Forgive them. They who can ſee heaven opened, and Chriſt at the right hand, pleading for them, may with Steven, …ead for their enemies, and pray, Lord, lay not this ſin to their charge.