Commentary on Jude, Biblical commentary · Verse 17
Verſe 17.
But Beloved remember ye the words which were ſpoken before of the Apoſtles of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
HAving deſcribed theſe Seducers, he exhorteth thoſe to whom he wrote, to beware of them, aliedging the warning of the Apostles, to ſhew that not only Enoch, who might be ſuppoſed to ſpeak of the wicked men of his own time; but the Apoſtles, who expreſly ſpake of the preſent age, foretold that ſcoffers and ſons of Belial ſhould ariſe in the Church.
There is nothing difficult in this Verſe, only a doubt is to be diſcuſſed; doth not this paſſage yeild an Argument againſt the Authority of this Epiſtle? he ſpeaketh of Apoſtles, and *foreign.of of words ſpoken before by them, as if he were of an inferiour orbe, and writing long after their publication of the word. I Anſwer no.
1. Peter maketh mention of the Epiſtles of Paul, yet it doth not weaken his Authority, 2 Pet. 3 15, 16.
2. In the place exactly parallel to this, 2 Pet. 3. 2, 3. that Apoſtle citeth other writings, yet avoweth his Apoſtolical Authority; Be mindful of the words ſpoken before by the holy Prophets, and the commandment of us the Apoſtles of Jeſus Chriſt.
3. This term [before ſpoken of] only ſheweth that he wrote late, when either the Apoſtles were dead, or their writings were common in the Church:
But why doth he quote the words of the Apoſtles, neither urging his own Authority, nor including himſelf as Peter doth: I Anſwer, partly out of modeſty to point at the place whence he had taken theſe thing…, and to ſhew that he was not aſhamed to uſe and alledge the writings of his fellow Apoſtles.
2. To declare their mutual conſent: In the mouth of two or three witneſſes ſhall every word be eſtabliſhed.
3. His own Authority is implyed in vouching theirs, and before expreſſed, when he calleth himſelf [The Brother of James.]
Notes from this Verſe are theſe.
From that [Beloved] which compellation is uſed to note his affection in this writing, the like is uſed by Peter, 2 Pet. 3. 1. Beloved I thought meet, &c. When we declaim againſt errours, we ſhould do it out of love, and a tender reſpect to the good of ſouls: In all conqueſts we had need watch our own hearts; people ſuſpect us to act out of peeviſhneſs and ſininiſter affections, to ſerve a ſect and party, and our ingagement to be faction, not zeal, therefore be the more careful that the flame be pure, incenſe muſt not be kindled with ſtrange fire, nor zealous ingagements ariſe from a carnal impulſe.
Again, we may be earneſt againſt errour, when corrupt men are gotten into eſteem; but 'tis in love to you, if we expreſs our ſelves with ſome warmth and affection, 'tis for God, and your ſouls are concerned: 'tis obſervable John, the Diſciple of love, is moſt earneſt againſt deceivers; bid them not good ſpeed ſaith he, 2 Ep. John 7. 10. and every where in his Epiſtles, My little children beleeve not every ſpirit, &c. there are many Anti. Christs, men that lye and have not the truth; 'tis ſad your Miniſters ſhould be looked upon as enemies, becauſe they love you, and warm you; But you will ſay 'tis out of perverſeneſs, to ſerve their faction, and to caſt an odium upon parties oppoſite to themſelves: I Anſwer, Charity thinketh no evil, we ſhould not interpret the worſt; thoſe that ſtorm at a warning, give a ſhrewd preſumption of their own guilt: uſually perſons that object thus, are ſuch as would have us tamely to ſuffer the honour and intereſt of our Lord and Maſter Jeſus Chriſt, to be trampled under foot; but 'tis our hearts deſire that tender conſciences may know, that 'tis not the ſhame of others, but their good, which we aim at.
From that [Remember,] Seaſonable remembrance of truths is a great help and relief to the ſoul; John 2. 22. When he was riſen from the dead, the Deſciples remembred, &c. in events 'tis good to remember Propheſies, they confirm the ſoul, and ſupport it againſt the preſent diſtreſs and temptation, both ſins and diſcomforts ariſe from forgetfulneſs moſtly, and want of actual remembrance; Have ye forgotten, Heb. 12. 5. but now when the ſpirit is ready with the remedy, as the fleſh is with the temptations, 'tis a mighty ſupport; in the debates between the carnal and ſpiritual part, ſeaſonable thoughts carry it, I do not ſay bare thoughts do it, unleſs God be in them; there may be gracious diſſallowing thoughts, and yet the fleſh go away with the victory for all that; but this is the way by which the ſpirit of God worketh by freſh and ſeaſonable thoughts, he poyſeth the heart, and inclineth it to the better ſide: Well then, let your memories be as an Ark or Cheſt, in which the Tables ore kept; lay up a good ſtock of knowledge, that you may have truths always freſh and preſent with you, will be an help to prayer, Eph. 6. 17, 18 Take the ſword of the ſpirit which is the word of God, praying always, &c. a check to temptations to ſin, Pſal. 119. 9. I have hid thy word in my heart, that I might not ſin againſt thee; a ſupport in afflictions, Heb. 12. 5. a remedy againſt errour, John 14, 26.
The next Clauſe is [the words ſpoken before] The Propheſies Obſervat. 3.of Scripture evince the truth of it; things are there ſpoken long before they fall out, not only before the event, but before the cauſes, or remorſe tendencies to ſuch an event; wiſe men may gueſs when they ſee probabilities, and foretel that which dependeth on natural cauſes; the Devil can many times ſhrewdly interpret the predictions of the word, but a certain precience of what is future, and meerly in it ſelf contingent, is the prerogative of God, Iſa. 41. 22. Let them foretel things to come, &c. this is done in the Scripture, Cyrus is mentioned by name an hundred years before he was born, Iſai. 25. 1. The birth of Joſiah 300. years before it came to paſs, 1 King. 13. 2. The building of Jericho 500. years before it was re-edified, Joſh 7. 26. with 1 King 16. 34. The great promiſe of Chriſt in Paradice, accompliſhed a thouſands of years afterward; the people of the Jews were ever warned by Propheſie of the good or bad that befel them; Scripture was to them not only an Authentick Register, but an infallible prognoſtication; theſe two ſignal providences of the reje…ion of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, were they not abundantly foretold, and accordingly came to paſs? Can there be any compact here? When the Jews were the keepers of the Oracles of God, would they foyſt in Propheſies againſt themſelves? Well then, venture upon the truth of the word more than you have done; God hath ever hitherto ſtood to his word rather then he would go back from it, he would not only caſt off his ancient people, but ſend his own Son, to ſuffer a ſhameful and an accurſed death; he that hath been faithful hither to, is he like to fail at laſt?
I go on in the Text, [of the Apoſtle of our Lord Jeſus,]Obſervat. 4. That the words of the Apostles are the Rule of faith; theſe were legati a latere, ſent from the ſide of Chriſt; they had an extraordinary miſſion and call immediately from Chriſt, as Chriſt from the Father, John 17. 18, and John 20. 21. they had extraordinary gifts, as infallibility, quod hoc, as to the work of an Apoſtle, the power of working miracles, &c. and ordinary gifts in an extraordinary manner, as tongues, &c. they were to write Scripture, and to conſign a Rule to the uſe of the Church in all ages: This word of the Kingdom muſt be Preached till the end come, Mat. 24. 14. and Chriſt prayed for no more then do believe through their word, John 17. 20. and to them he ſaid, Matth 28. I am with you to the end of the world, no other doctrine can we expect till we come to ſtudy Divinity in the Lambs face.
Once more, theſe Apoſtles of the Lord, were Paul and Peter, 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4 Peter, 2 Pet. 3. 2, 3. FromObſervat. 5. whence Jude taketh many paſſages.
'Tis not unlawful to make uſe of the writings of other men. Compare the fifteenth and ſixteenth Chapters of Iſaiah with the 48 of Jeremiah, eſpecially Iſa. 16. 8, 9, 10, 11, verſes, with Jer. 48. 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. and you ſhall ſee how they agree almoſt word for word; the gifts and labours of others are for our uſe, not to …eed lazineſs, but to exerciſe induſtry, in ſome caſes if we ſpeak, iiſdem paene literis & ſyllabis▪ (as Melanchthon wiſhed Divines would) in the ſame words, 'tis not a fault in controverſies and poſitive truths, better make uſe of old words, then coin n…w matter: many now ſcoff at common truths, as if Preachers did but talk like clocks, one after another; Doctrine cannot be varied; a good ſcribe indeed muſt bring forth out of his Treaſury things both new and old, repreſent common things in a freſh ſavory way; yet 'tis not altogether unlawful to make uſe of the words of others, where they are poinaunt and emphatical, not lazily to go on in the tract, but as improving their conceptions.
Yet again, Jude an Apoſtle▪ quoteth Apoſtles; Daniel aObſervat. 6. Prophet read in the Propheſies of Jeremiah, Dan. 9. 2. Peter was converſant in the Epiſtles of Paul, 2 Pet. 3. 16. Paul himſelf had a care of the Parchments, that is (as ſome ſuppoſe) the Volumes and Books of Scripture, 1 Tim. 4. 13. Certainly the Scripture is not only for novices and young beginners, but for the higheſt, a ſtudy becomming the moſt eminently gifted; there is a paſſage, Pſal. 119. 75. Let thoſe that fear thy name turn unto me, & thoſe that have known thy teſtimonies; that turning to him, ſome underſtand of joyning with him in friendſhip and familiarity, as certainly godly men by a ſecret inclination, are moved to joyn one with another; others make the end of turning to him to behold in him a pattern and example of the Lords grace; but the Chaldee paraphraſe thus, turns to my Doctrine▪ thoſe that know let them come to know more. Well then, do not reſt in the light you have, and think that you are above theſe helps, you may be further inſtructed and eſtabliſhed, if you had all knowledg there are affections to be wrought upon; you may be quickned if not learn; Miniſters and thoſe that abound in knowledg may be ſtirred up by the admonitions and exhortations of others.