Commentary on Jude, Biblical commentary · Verse 24
Verſe 94.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to preſent you faultleſs before the preſence of his glory, with exceeding joy.
THe Apoſtle having perſwaded them to duty, now commendeth them to the divine grace, as 'tis uſual with the Apoſtles to ſhut up their Exhortations with prayer, to intimate that the fruit of all muſt be expected from God, without whoſe bleſſing Exhortations or Endeavours would be nothing.
[To him that is able to keep you] it may be referred either to God or to Chriſt, as Mediatour: [from falling, foreign that is, from total Apostacy, God is able to keep us altogether from ſin, if we ſpeak of his abſolute power; but he ſpeaketh here of ſuch a power as is ingaged by promiſe and office: Chriſt who is the Guardian of beleevers, hath received a charge concerning them, and is to preſerve them from total deſtruction. [And to preſent you faultleſs.] This Clauſe ſheweth more clearly that Chriſt is intended in theſe expreſſions, for 'tis his office to keep the Church till it be preſented to the Father, and at length will preſent them [faultleſs,] 'tis Eph. 5. 27. Without ſpot and blemiſh: [before the preſence of his glory,] that is, at his glorious appearance, Col. 3. 4. when he ſhall come to judge the world: [with exceeding joy] is meant rather paſſively on our part, then on Chriſts, though it will be a ſweet interview between Chriſt and Beleevers, and he will rejoyce to ſee us, as we to ſee him.
The Obſervations are theſe.
1. All means without the Lords grace will not keep us from Obſervat. 1.falling: The Apoſtle requireth duty of the faithful, but asketh grace of God; he had before ſaid, keep your ſelves in the love of God, and now to him that is able to keep from falling, &c. we fall not becauſe God doth not let go his hold; our neceſſities and difficulties are ſo great, that nothing leſs then a divine power can ſupport us, 1 Pet. 1. 5. Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto ſalvation: This power of God is ſet a work to encourage hope, not to check induſtry, uſe means, but look for his bleſſing: We cannot ſtand a moment longer then God upholdeth us, we are as a ſtaff in the hand of a man, take away the hand and the ſtaff falleth to the ground, or rather as a little infant in the Nurſes hand, Hoſea 11. 3. if we are left to our own feet, we ſhall ſoon fall and get a knock; created grace will never hold out againſt ſo many difficulties: One of the Fathers bringeth in the fleſh, ſaying, ego deficiam, I ſhall fail; the world, ego dicipian, I will deceive them; the Devil, ego eripiam, I will take them away; but … ſaith, ego cuſtodium, I will keep them, never fail them, nor forſake them, and there lyeth our ſafety; the world is full of ſnares, we are carnal, and there are carnal perſons about us, and the Devil is a reſtleſs enemy, watching all advantages; and ſurely having ſo much pride in us, and love of pleaſures, and ſo many worldly deſires, we give them him but too too often, therefore unleſs God keep us, we ſhall be toſſed too and fro like feathers, with the wind of every temptation.
2. Obſerve, That 'tis a great releif to faith, to conſider that God is able to keep us, accordingly you find it urged inObſervat. 2. Scripture, ſee Iohn 10. 28, 29. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 14. 4. He ſhall be holden up, for God is able to make him ſtand; the two Pillars of the Temple were Boez and Jachin, ſtrength, and he will eſtabliſh; the power of God, and mercy of God, are the two Pillars upon which our confidence ſtandeth: the power of God is a r…liefe upon a threefold acount.
1. Becauſe the great trouble of the ſoul ariſeth from a diſ-belief of Gods power; we ſtumble at his can, rather then at his will; one ſaid, Mat. 8. 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canſt, but another ſaid, Mark 9. 22. If thou canſt do any thing help us; when we conſider our own infirmities, and corrupt inclinations, and the ſundry temptations and allurements that we meet with in the world; the many lets and diſcouragements which befall us in our heavenly courſe, we think we ſhall never hold out to the end, ſo that want of power is our greateſt trouble, but when we ſtay our ſelves upon the name of God, and conſider how almighty his power is to bear down all created oppoſition, 'tis a great relief to the Soul.
2. Becauſe the power of God is ingaged to help us, it doth not ſimply follow that becauſe God can keep us, that therefore he will keep us, but God hath promiſed to keep us, Jer. 32. 40. and he hath power enough to make good his word, and therefore we cannot miſcarry.
2. There is a charge laid upon Chriſt, we are put into his hands, John 10. 28. he hath not only leave to ſave the Elect, but a charge to ſave the Elect, ſee John 6. 37, 38. 40. they are under his care, … he will imploy the whole power of the God-head rather than be unfaithful, he is to be anſwerable for thoſe that are given to him at the laſt day.
3. The invincible power of God is ſet a work by his unchangeable love, ſo that we may be confident that he, what he is able to do, he will do for us; the power and authority of a relation or friend of ours in Court, is an incouragement, whileſt the friendſhip and relation laſteth.
3. The laſt reaſon is, becauſe the power of God is many ways exerciſed for our preſervation, partly by way of internal influence, ſwaying the heart, and inclining it to his fear, if the will of man were exempt from the dominion of God, then God had made a creature too hard for himſelf; partly in over-ruling and diſpoſing the temptation that it ſhall not be too great for us, 1 Cor. 10. 13. Faithful is God who will not ſuffer you to be tempted ab… what you are able to bear; partly, in removing the temptation, rebuking Sathan and his Inſtruments, &c. Well then, commit your Souls to Chriſt with the more confidence, 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him unto that day; when the difficulties of Salvation are ſufficiently underſtood, there will need explicite thoughts of the divine power before we can with any confidence truſt our ſelves with Chriſt, and go on with incouragement in well doing.
3. Obſerve, Jeſus Chriſt will one day make a ſolemn preſervation Obſervat. 3.of his people to God, the Apoſtle ſaith here he will preſent you: There is a three-fold preſentation ſpoken of in Scripture. 1. One made by believers themſelves, Rom. 12 1. I beſeech you by the mercies of God that ye preſent your bodies a living ſacrifice▪ and Rom. 6. 13. yield your ſelves unto God, foreign. When we conſent to ſet apart our ſelves for Gods uſe, to be his in all eſtates, to act for him in all his buſineſſes, then we are ſaid to yield up or preſent our ſelves to God.
2. By Chriſts Meſſengers, they have a charge, and when they have done their work they preſent u▪ to God, 2 Cor. 11. 3. that I may preſent you a chaſt Virgin to Chriſt, 'tis ſweet when Miniſters can ſay here are the fruits of my labours, the pledges of my faithfulneſs.
3. This preſentation is applyed to Chriſt himſelf, now two ways is Chriſt ſaid to preſent us.
1. To himſelf.
2. To God.
1. To himſelf, Eph. 5. 27. that he might preſent it to himſelf a glorious Church, in that place our intereſt in Chriſt and his intereſt in us is repreſented by marriage, in the world we are contracted, but there preſented, actually brought to him when fitted for his uſe; as Eſther when ſhe was choſen out from among the Virgins to be wife to the King, ſhe was firſt purified and ſupplyed with garments, odours, and ſweet▪ ointments out of the Kings houſe, and then when the Moneths of her purification were accompliſhed, was preſented to him, Eſther 2. from 9. to 12. verſe, ſo we are choſen, elected to grace, and then purified and prepared, but at the Kings coſt, we have garments of Salvation out of Chriſts ward-Robe, and odours and ſweet ointments out of his Store-houſe, and then when ſpot and wrinckle is done away, we are preſented to him, he is ſaid to do it, becauſe he hath the main ſtroke in this work.
2▪ To God, ſo 'tis ſaid Col. 1, 22. that he may preſent you in his ſight; that is, in the ſight of God the Father; for the antecedent you find in verſe 19. It pleaſed the Father, &c. Thus Chriſt is ſaid to give up the Kingdom to the Father, 1 Cor. 15. 24. to 28. that is, the Church, the Kingdom is put for the ſubjects governed: Now Chriſts preſenting us to God may be looked upon either … as an account of his charge in effect he ſaith, I have done the work for which thou haſt ſent me. Chriſt is under an office and obligation of faithfulneſs, he hath a truſt of which he muſt give an account, he is to take care of the perſons of the Elect to juſtifie, ſanctifie, and glorifie them in his own day, now that it may appear that he is not unfaithful in his truſt, he doth preſent them to God as having fully done his work, ſo that no doubt of his unwillingneſs to pardon or ſanctifie, or glorifie, is in effect to charge unfaithfulneſs and diſobedience upon him; for Chriſt as Mediator is ſubordinate, he is Gods, 1 Cor. 3. 18▪ and 1 Cor. 11. 3. The head of Chriſt is God, namely with reſpect to this office and charge, ſo he is under God and to give an account to him; he hath undertaken to make up all breaches between God and us; as to the merit and ſatisfaction he gave an account a little before his going to Heaven, John 17. 4. but as to the application, to every party concerned he will give an account in the laſt day, when he will preſent himſelf and all his flook, ſaying, Behold I and all the little ones which thou haſt given me, Heb. 2. 13▪ when all the Elect are gathered into one troop and company, and not one wanting.
2. As an act of delight and rejoycing in his own ſucceſs, that all that were given to him are now fit to be ſettled in their bleſſed and glorious eſtate, Chriſt taketh a great deal of delight to ſee the proof and vertue of his death, and that his blood is not ſhed in vain, as a Miniſter taketh delight in thoſe whom he hath gained to God, what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoycing, are not ye in the day of the Lord, 1 Theſſ. 2. 19. if we rejoyce thus in the fruit of our Miniſterial labours, ſurely Chriſt much more, we have not ſuch an intereſt in them as Chriſt hath, and the main vertue came from his death and ſpirit; 'tis ſaid Iſa. 53. 11. He ſhall ſee of the travel of his Soul, and be ſatisfied, that may be underſtood either of his fore-ſeeing from all eternity, or of his actual ſeeing when the whole is accompliſhed, if you underſtand it of his foreſeeing, the expreſſion is not altogether alien from the point in hand; when Chriſt foreſaw the good ſucceſs of the Goſpel, and what a company he ſhould gain to himſelf in all ages, he rejoyced at the thought ofit; well, ſaith he, I will go down and ſuffer for poor creatures upon theſe tearms; but rather I underſtand it of his ſight of the thing when it is accompliſhed; when he ſhall ſee his whole family together, met in one Congregation: now (ſaith he) I count my blood well bestowed, my bitter agonie well recompenced, theſe are my Crown and my rejoycing: Look as the firſt perſon delighted in the fruits of his perſonal operation, for ſo 'tis ſaid, Exod. 31. 17. In ſix days God made Heaven, and on the ſeventh day he reſted and was refreſhed; he was refreſhed, not in point of wearineſs, but delectation; he rejoyced in the product of his wiſdom, power, and goodneſs; ſo Chriſt in the work of redemption, when his death turneth to a good account, he will delightfully preſent you to God as the proof of it: Theſe are thoſe whom I have redeemed, ſanctified and kept, &c.
3. 'Tis an Act of his love, and recompence to the▪ faithful, they have owned him in the world, and Chriſt wil own them before God, men, and Angels, there is no Saint ſo mean but Chriſt will own him, Luke 12. 8. The Son of man ſhall confeſs him, &c. Father this is one of mine; as for his enemies Chriſt will ſee execution done upon them; ſlay them before my face, Luk. 14. 27. to his friends he will own them publickly, and that … be honoured before the preſence of his glory.
Well then, ſee that you be of the number of thoſe whom Chriſt will preſent to God, if he hath purified you to himſelf, Tit. 2. 14▪ he will preſent you to himſelf, if you be ſet a part for God, Pſal. 4. 3▪ you ſhall be brought to God, the work is begun here; privately 'tis done at our deaths; when the foul as ſoon as 'tis out of the body, is conveyed by Angels to Chriſt, and by Chriſt to God, and publikely and ſolemnly at the day of his coming, then he preſents the Elect as a prey ſnatch'd out of the teeth of Lyons, but ſpiritually the foundation is laid, when you dedicate your ſelves to God, Rom. 12. 1. and walk ſo as Chriſt may own you with honour and credit in that great day; if you be the ſcandal of his Ordinances, the reproach of your profeſſion, can Chriſt glory in you then as a ſample of the vertue of his death? Surely no.
Again obſerve, That when Chriſt preſenteth the Elect, he Obſervat. 4.will preſent them faultleſs, that is, both in reſpect of juſtification and ſanctification; this was intended before the world was, Eph. 1. 4. he hath choſen us before the foundation of the world, that we ſhould be holy and without blame before him in Love, but is not accompliſhed till then, now we are humbled with many infirmities and ſins, but then preſented holy, unblameable. and unreproveable in his ſight, Col. 1. 22. the work is undertaken by Chriſt, and he will carry it on till it be compleat; here the wedding garments are a making, but then put on.
1. The work muſt be begun, here the foundation is laid as ſoon as we are converted unto God, 1 Cor 6. 11.
2. This work increaſeth daily more and more, 1 Theſſ. 5. 23. 24. we are not faultleſs, but Chriſt will not reſt till we be faultleſs, he is ſanctifying further and further, that we may be blameleſs at his coming, he will purſue the work cloſe till it be done.
3. 'Tis ſo carried on for the preſent, that our juſtification and ſanctification may help one another, the benefit of juſtification would be much leſſened if our ſanctification were compleat, and our ſanctification is carried on the more kindly becauſe the benefit of juſtification needeth ſo often to be renewed and applyed to us; … inherent righteouſneſs were more perfect, imputed righteouſneſs would be leſs ſet by, in this great imperfection under which we now are, we are too apt to fetch all our peace and comfort from our own works, to the great neglect of Chriſt and his righteouſneſs, therefore doth the Lord by little and little carry on the work of grace, that by the continual ſenſe of our defects, and the often making uſe of Juſtification we may have the higher apprehenſions of Gods Love in accepting us in Chriſt, the reliques of ſin trouble us as long as we are in the world, and ſo the benefit is made new to us, which otherwiſe would wax old and out of date, and the benefit being made new, increaſeth our love to God, Luc. 7. 47. and putteth us upon the ſtudy of holineſs.
4. At the laſt day all is fully accompliſhed, 1 Col. 22. Well then, let us wait upon God with incouragement, and preſs on to perfection upon theſe hopes, ſurely we ſhall be faultleſs, Chriſt would never have given us *2 Cor. 1. 22.earnest if he meant not to ſtand to his bargain.
The next clauſe is [before the preſence of his glory▪ ] noteObſervat. 5. thence, that Chriſts preſence at the day of Judgment will be exceeding glorious; for he will then appear not only as the Son of man but as the Son of God, Matth. 16 27. he will then appear not only as the Saviour but as the Judg of the world, both for the terror of the wicked, 2 Theſſ. 1. 8. and as a pattern of that glory which ſhall be put upon the godly, Col. 3. 4. and Phil. 3. 21. Well then, let us not deſpiſe Chriſt, now he lieth hid under the vail of the Gospel, but with comfort let us expect his coming; for when he is glorious we ſhall ſhare with him, and appear alſo in glory: And let us not think ſhame of his ſervice, what ever diſireputation the world ſhall put upon it.
The laſt particle in the words, is that [with exceeding Obſervat. 6.joy] from thence note, The day of Chriſt to the godly is a joyful day; when others howl, you ſhall triumph, when others are dejected, and call upon the Mountains to cover them, Rev. 6. 16. you ſhall lift up the head for your redemption draweth nigh, Luc. 21. 28. Chriſt will be glad to ſee you, whom he hath carried in his heart from all eternity, for whoſe ſake he came into the world and dyed, and for whom he went back again into Heaven, that he might negotiate with God in your behalf, and whom he now cometh to receive unto himſelf, that you may be for ever there where he is; and ſurely you that have received Chriſt into your hearts, and loved him though unſeen, and ſerved him though with the loſs and hazard of all, will be glad to ſee him in all his glory and royalty, eſpecially when you ſhall hear him calling upon you, Come, ye bleſſed of my Father, enter into the Kingdom prepared for you. Oh that we could act over this joy aforehand! faith is a bird that can ſing in winter; before Chriſt came in the fleſh the Patriarchs got a ſight of him by the Eagle-eye of faith, and rejoyced at the thought of it, John 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, and he ſaw it and was glad. Oh ſurely our hearts ſhould be warmed with the thought of that bleſſed day, when we ſhall be able to ſay, Yonder, even there is our great Lord!