Commentary on Jude, Biblical commentary · Verse 18
Verſe 18.
How that they told you that there ſhould be Mockers in the laſt time, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
HOw that they told you] he meaneth not in word but in writings; they told the Church in general, but the Apoſtle applyeth it to them, places are every where, 1 Tim 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. Acts 20. 29, 30. [in the laſt time.] The days when the Goſpel was firſt Preached are ſo called in a double ſenſe, either with reſpect to the approaching judgements on the Jews, 1 Iohn 2. 18. Little children now it is the laſt time, the leaſe of our mercies was running out a pace; ſo James telleth the carnal Jews, Iames 5. 3. Ye have heaped up treaſure for the laſt days, when God was pulling down and plucking up, they were ſcr…ping and hoarding up wealth, and ſo became a greater prey to the deſtroyer. 2. Or becauſe then the laſt diſpenſation began, which God would continue without change unto the worlds end, Heb. 1. 2. He hath in theſe laſt days ſpoken to us by his Son; the Lord hath now fully revealed his mind, and the Doctrine of ſalvation is put into a ſettled courſe, never more to be altered.
But why do the Scriptures ſpeak ſo much of Scoffers in the laſt time?
I Anſwer, 1. Either by way of aggravation, that there ſhould be ſcoffers then, when God had ſealed Doctrine by the comming of his Son, beyond which godly men did not deſire a greater confirmation.
2. Or foreign, by way of diſtinction, more Mockers in the laſt time rather than another; partly becauſe the world was ſtill continued, notwithſtanding the threatnings of its deſtruction, 2 Pet. 3. 4. partly becauſe the holy people were then devided, Jews and Chriſtians, and times of diviſion prove times of Atheiſm and ſcoffing: partly becauſe carnal hopes of a ten poral Meſſiah were diſſappointed, and by that means their aſſent was much weakned as to principles of faith.
[mockers] ſome think it imlyeth Seducers, who by deluding, do as it were, make a mock of men; but I ſuppoſe 'tis rather taken properly, for ſuch as in the old Teſtament are termed ſcorners, Prov. 9. or ſcoffers; when men ſlight that of which themſelves or others have had an high eſteem they uſually do it by ſcorning and ſcoffing, thereby the more to deface all feelings of conſcience: if you enquire what they mocked at? I Anſwer in general, it ſeemeth to be the Lordſhip of Chriſt; in particular, the glorious exerciſe of it at the day of judgment; Where is the promiſe of his comming? 2 Pet. 3. 4. and therefore is Enochs Prophecy produced, which foretelleth the Lords comming with ten thouſands of his Saints, and Hieron in Iſa▪ lib. 14. cap. 51. telleth us of a diſcourſe between Peter and Simon magus, (againſt whoſe School and Sect our Apoſtle is ſuppoſed to write) concerning the deſtruction of the world: If God be good (ſaith Simon) why will he deſtroy that which is good; if the world be bad, how is God good that made it &c.
Theſe Scorners are ſaid [to walk after their own ungodly luſts] walking implyeth their ſetled courſe and daily cuſtom of life, and their luſts are called ungodly luſts; partly to note the profane temper of their ſpirits, and partly to diſtinguiſh them from the motions and luſtings of the new nature.
The Notes are theſe.
1. What is told to the Church in general, we muſt apprehend Obſervat. 1.it as told to us. Paul telleth Timothy, and Peter telleth the diſtreſſed ſtrangers, and Jude ſaith they told you: So Heb. 12. 5. the exhortation ſpeaketh to you, &c. As if the Hebrews were the perſons to whom the Proverbs were directly written: the Scriptures ſpeak to every age, every Church, every perſon, no leſs than to thoſe to whom they were firſt directed; well then, it ſheweth us how we ſhould be affected in reading the word, we ſhould read it as a letter written by the hand of God from Heaven to us by name, if an Angel ſhould bring us a letter from Heaven▪ certainly we would regard it; the Bible is a Meſſage ſen from Heaven to acquaint us with the mind of God, if we own the divine authority of it, why do we regard it no more?
2. We ſhould not be troubled at what is foretold, monſtersObſervat. 2. expected are not wondered at, expectation as it deflowreth any good thing that we expect, ſo it fore armeth the mind againſt evil, John 16. 4. theſe things I have told you, that when the time ſhall come ye may remember. I have told you, why? what good will that do? Anſ. we are the better prepared to entertain evils when we expect them before they come, and the evil to which the mind is accuſtomed ſeemeth the leſs; again, we have an experience of Gods truth in the prediction, which will help us to believe and depend upon other promiſes: finally it aſſureth us that the Lord hath a hand and a Counſell in all our troubles, for hee told us of them before.
3. That the Scriptures speak much of the evil of the latter Obſervat. 3.times, there is more knowledg and yet more ſin and error; knowledg where it is not ſanctified, puffeth up and maketh men curious, and ſo they have an itch after novelties, or elſe it maketh men wicked, exaſperating our evil affections, and ſo none ſo bad as they that ſin againſt light; thence much of the error and profaneneſs in the latter dayes: Again the latter dayes are as the bottom and ſink that receiveth the dregs of foregoing ages, and *Mundus ſeneſcens …patitur phantaſias. Gerſon.as the world groweth old it is much given to dreams and dotage: Once more much diviſion there will be, and be…ting their fellow-ſervants, Matth. 24. 29 much Libertiniſm inſtead of caſting off ceremonies, they will caſt off O dinances, and deſire to be freed not only from the Popes Laws, but the very Law of Chriſt.
Among other ſins that are found in the latter times, there Obſervat. 4▪will be many Scoffers. Partly becauſe in times of controverſie men will loſe all awe, when truths are made queſtionable aſſent is weakened; partly becauſe in times of liberty men will g…ve vent to their thoughts; partly becauſe the ſcandals of profeſſing Chriſtians will make many turn Atheiſts▪ partly becauſe fabulous conceits concerning the coming and temporal Kingdom of Chriſt will make men queſtion the whole doctrine of his coming: Well then, wonder not if you find many ſcoffing at the authority of the Scriptures, God-head of Chriſt, Day of Judgment, the Ordinances, Fasting and Prayer. The latter age will yield ſuch kind of men, and 'tis one of the arts of Sathan, by his Inſtruments to make things of the ſaddeſt and moſt ſerious concernment to ſeem ridiculous, that when once the awe of theſe bleſſed truths is weakened, men may be more eaſily induced to caſt off both the concernment and profeſſion of them.
Mockers and Scoffers are uſually the worſt of ſinners. InObſervat. 5. the firſt Pſalm there are three degrees of ſinners mentioned, and the higheſt rank are thoſe that ſit in the ſeat of ſinners, Pſal. 1. 1. the Sept. render there foreign, the chair of peſtilence, theſe are the peſts of mankind, ſcorning commeth from custom in ſinning, and maketh way for freedom in ſinning; when Conſcience is ſeared and men have loſt not only reſtraints of grace but natural modeſty, then they they fall a ſcoffing; aud when once they are turned ſcoffers nothing will reclaim them, reproofs inrage them, rebuke a Scorner and he will hate thee, Prov. 9 8. yea, none do the Divel ſo much ſervice in preventing others as they; if your feet have been taken in this ſnare of death, extricate your ſelves betimes, beg earneſtly for the more grace, there is ſome hope, God inviteth Scorners, Pro. 1. 22.
Again obſerve, Thoſe that caſt off the awe of the Lords Obſervat. 6.coming will certainly give up themſelves to bruitiſh luſts: Thoſe mockers that ſaid where is the promiſe of his coming, are ſaid here to walk after their own luſts, N…gantes enim paenam n…gant, & diſciplinam, ſaith Tertullian, de reſurrect. cap. 11. denying the Reſurrection of the fleſh, they muſt needs be fleſhly; for therefore they denyed the day of his coming to avoid the fear of his judgment.
It a…gueth a state of wickedneſs to walk after our own luſts. Obſervat. 7.That is, when ſin and luſt is our conſtant practice, a godly perſon may too often do according to his luſts, but he does not walk therein, 'tis not his conſtant road and path, pag▪ 68. 21. he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy ſcalp of ſuch an one as goeth on ſtill in his treſpaſſes, ſuch as go on ſtill are there accounted enemies to God, but what is to walk in ſin? Anſ. to make luſt our principle, our courſe, our end. Our principle, what ever a wicked man goeth about, he doth it out of ſome carnal impulſe, his good duties are either to hide a luſt or feed a luſt, if he abſtain from one ſin 'tis to feed another; again, when 'tis our way and courſe carnal men follow earthly things with greateſt earneſtneſs and delight, but heavenly things in a ſleight and overly manner, the world and the fleſh is their foreign, their buſineſs, all their care and comfort is it; and this is their end to pleaſe themſelves, and to ſatisfie thei… luſts: Well then, walk in the ſpirit that you may not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh. See verſe 16.