Commentary on Jude, Title page – Dedication
A Practical Commentary, OR AN EXPOSITION WITH NOTES On the Epiſtle of JUDE.
Delivered (for the moſt part) In ſundry weekly Lectures at Stoke-Newington in Middleſex.
By THOMAS MANTON, B. D. and Miniſter of Covent. Garden.
LONDON, Printed by J. M. for Luke Fawn, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the ſign of the Parrot in Pauls Church-yard. 1658.
TO THE Religious and Honourable LADY, LETITIA POPHAM; Wife to Colonel ALEXANDER POPHAM.
MADAM,
`TIS a lovely Conjunction when Goodneſs and Greatneſs meet together: Perſons of Eſtate and Reſpect in the world, have more temptations and hinderances than others, but greater obligations to own God; the great Landlord of the world expecteth a Rent from every Country-Cottage, but a large Revenue from great Houſes: Now uſually it falleth out ſo, that aQui majores terras poſſident, minores cenſus ſolv…nt, Pariſienſis.they that hold the greateſt Farms pay the leaſt Rent; never is the Lord more neglected and diſhonoured then in great mens Houſes, in the very face of all his bounty; if Religion chance to get in there, it is ſoon worn out again; though vices live long in a family, and run in a blood from father to ſon, yet 'tis a rare caſe to ſee ſtrictneſs of Religion carryed on for three or four deſcents; 'twas the honour of Abrahams houſe, that from Father to Son for a long while, they were Heirs of the ſame Promiſe, Heb. 11. 9, but where is there ſuch a ſucceſsion to be found in the houſes of our Gentry? The Father perchance profeſſeth godlineſs (for foreign, ſaith the Apoſtle,b 1 Cor. 1. 26. not many noble, &c. there are a few, he doth not ſay there are none) and a carnal ſon cometh and turneth all out of doors, as if he were aſhamed of his Fathers God: The Cauſes of this miſchief may be ſuppoſed to be theſe. 1. Plenty ill-governed diſpoſeth to vice and ſin, as a rank ſoil is apt to breed weeds. 2. Brave Spirits (as the world counteth them) think cCoguntur eſſe mali ne viles habeantur. Salvian.ſtrictneſs inglorious, and the power of Religion a baſe thing, that taketh off from their Grandure and Eſteem: a looſe owning of Chriſtianity is honourable, ſince the Kings of the earth have counted it one of the faireſt flowers of their Crowns to be ſtiled the Catholick King, the moſt Chriſtian King, the Defender of the Faith, &c. But a true ſubmiſſion to the power of it is made a ſcorn, as being contrary to that liberty of faſhions, vanity of complement, and ſome Gentile cuſtomes, which in a fond compliance with the humour of the age they are loth to part with; 'twere a rude zeal to deny them honest civilities, but certain Cuſtomes and Modes there are inconſiſtent with the ſeverity of Religion, which rather then men will part with, they will even break with God himſelf. 3. The Marriage of children into carnal families, wherein they conſult rather with the greatneſs of their Houſe then the continuing of Chriſts intereſt in their line and Poſterity; how careful are they that they ſhould match in their own rank for blood & Eſtate! ſhould they not be as careful for Religion alſo? but even good people give a ſuſpicion ſometimes that they do not beleeve what they do profeſs; That this is the ready way to undo all that hath been ſet on foot for God, is evident by dSee Gen. 6. 1, 2, 3. Pſal. 106. 38. Neh. 13. 25. 26.Scripture and Experience▪ in Scripture we read of Jehoram, who is ſaid to walk in the way of the Kings of Iſrael, for the Daughter of Ahab was his wife, 2 King 8. 18. and in Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory of Valens the Emperour, who by marrying with an Arian Lady, was himſelf enſnared in that wicked opinion.
All this is ſpoken (Madam) to quicken you to the greater care in your Relations, that you may ſettle a ſtanding intereſt for Jeſus Chriſt ſo hopefully already begun in your Houſe and Family; it will not be pleaſing to you that I ſhould publiſh upon the houſe top what God hath done for you, or enabled you to do for him; Go on ſtill and be faithful, there are few (that I know in the world) who have more cauſe to honour God then you have.
That I have inſcribed this Commentary to your name will not ſeem ſtrange to thoſe that know my great obligations to your Self and your worthy Husband, and your intereſt in that Stoke Newington.beloved place and people, among whom I have had ſo many ſweet opportunities of enjoying, and (I hope) of glorifying God, and from whom I ſhould never have removed, but upon thoſe weighty cauſes and conſiderations which did even rend me from them: and though I am now tranſplanted and owe very much ſervice and reſpect elſewhere, yet that *The Right Honorable William Earl of Bed …ord.Noble Lord that gave me the Call will allow me full time and leave to pay my old debts that afterward I may be the more in a capacity publickly to expreſs my gratitude to himſelf.
If any ſhould be ſo fooliſh as to object the unſuiteableneſs of Dedicating a Comment on the Scripture to one of your Sex (as it ſeemeth ſome did to *Hieron. Epiſt. 140.Jerom) I ſhall not plead, that two of the Books of Scripture are named from Women, Ruth and Eſther, that an Epiſtle which maketh up a part of the Canon in inſcribed to an Elect Lady, that if this be a fault *Hieron, to Celantia Aſella, &c.others have faulted in like kinde before me, but onelyonly that this is a practicall Commentary, and ſurely in matters of practiſe (which is every Chriſtians Common intereſt) your Sex hath a full ſhare: though your courſe of life be more private and confined, yet you have your ſervice; the Scriptures ſpeak of the womans gaining upon the husband, 1 Pet. 3. 1. ſeaſoning the children, Pro. 31. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 5. incourraging the ſervants in a way of Godlineſs, eſpecially of their own Sex, 'tis ſaid Eſther 4. 16. I alſo and my maidens will faſt likewiſe: theſe maidens were either Jews, and then it ſheweth what ſervants ſhould be taken into a nearer attendance, ſuch as ſavour of Religion, ſee, Pſal. 101. 6. or elſe which is more probable, ſuch as ſhe had inſtructed in the true Religion, for theſe maidens were appointed her by the Eunuch, and were before inſtructed in Court-faſhions, Eſther 2. 9. but that did not ſatisfie, ſhe taketh time to inſtruct them in the knowledge of the true God, and it ſeemeth in her apartment had many oppertunities of religious commerce with them in the Worſhip of God. Madam, how far you practiſe theſe duties, it is not neceſſary that I ſhould tell the world, perſevere with cheerfulneſs, and in due time you ſhall reap if you faint not: the good Lord ſhed abroad the Comforts and Graces of his Spirit more abundantly into your heart, which is the unfeigned deſire of him, who is
Madam, Your moſt Obliged, and reſpectively Obſervant Tho: Manton.