2. All the hard things which ungolly finners have spoken against him. As Chrift is to judge the world, he is the perfon against whom the ungodly are here faid to have fpoken hard things: confequently thefe hard things confifted, in their denying Jefus to be the Son of God; in their calling him a magician, a forcerer, and an impoftor; and in their affirming that he was justly punished with death.

Ver 16.-1. These are yoyyusas murmurers, and peppago complainers. They murmured againit God on account of the difpenfations of his providence, and complained of their condition, fancying that they deferved a better lot: for pogo, literally are perfons who complain of their lot or portion. In this, the ungodly teachers refembled the ancient Ifraelites, who murmured against God, on account of the hardships they were expofed to in the wilderness.

2. Who walk according to their own lufts. From this circumftance it is probable, that the corrupt teachers complained not only of their lot, but of the reftraints which were laid on them by the laws of the countries where they lived. To this conjecture what followeth agrees: Their mouth speaketh great fwelling words.

3. Great fwelling words. If the interpretation of this claufe given in the commentary is not admitted, we may fuppofe the falfe teachers fpake in an infolent manner against the Roman magiftrates for punishing them, and againft the laws for prohibiting the vices in which they delighted. For they are faid, ver. 8. to defpife government, and to revile dignities. Perhaps they thus oppofed the heathen magiftrates and laws, on pretence of maintaining the caufe of the people of God, against the tyranny and oppreffion of the Romans and fpake in a pompous boafting manner of their Chriftian liberty, which they affirmed confifted in a freedom to gratify their inclinations without controul, 2 Pet. ii. 19.-Of thefe teachers, and of the tumid fpeeches, by which they defended their vices, John hath given infinuations, 1 Epift. iii. 4.- -11.

4. They admire perfons for the fake of gain. The falfe teachers of that age greatly admired the rich on account of their riches, thereby feeding their vanity. They flattered them likewife with the hope of

falvation,

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were before spoken by the apoftles of our Lord Jefus Chrift ;'

18 That they faid to you, That in the last time there would be fcoffers, walking according to their own ungodly lufts. '

17 But beloved, to prevent you from giving heed to the vain speeches of thefe deceivers, continually recollect the words which were Spoken prophetically by the apostles of our Lord Jefus Christ;

18 That they foretold to you, that in the last time, namely after the deftruction of the Jewish commonwealth, there would be fcoffers in the church, who, ridiculing the ftrictnefs of the precepts of the gospel, would walk according to the impulfes of their own impure lufts.

falvation, and by fo doing hardened them in their fins. In fhort, they never opposed the will of their rich disciples in any thing: And this fervility they fhewed towards the rich, merely to draw money from them.

Ver. 17. Remember ye the words which were before Spoken by the apoftles of our Lord Jefus Chrift. In ver. 18. Jude cites the words fpoken by Peter in particular, concerning the coming of fcoffers in the laft time. Yet Jude's exhortation being general, it comprehends the words fpoken by the other apoftles concerning the coming of falfe teachers: Such as Paul's words, 1 Tim. iv. 1.-5. 2 Tim. iii. and iv. chapters: Nay it comprehends the words fpoken by Jude himself, in the preceding part of this epittle. For we have fhewed, Pref. Sect. 2. That Jude was an apostle, and that he afferted his title to that office, by calling himself the brother of James.-Dr. Symonds, in his obfervations upon the expediency of revifing the prefent English verfion, &c. thinks this clause should be tranflated, remember ye the words which were former ly spoken by the apostles.

Ver. 18. That they faid to you, that in the last time there would be fcoffers, walking according to their own ungodly lufts. Though it be allowed that Jude in this verfe transcribed 2 Pet. iii. 3. it will not follow from his using Peter's words, that the two apoftles wrote of the fame per. fons. Peter, in the paffage quoted by Jude, evidently speaks of scoffers who were to arife in the age in which Chrift was to come to judge mankind, and put an end to this mundane fyftem. For he reprefents them as ridiculing the promise of Chrift's coming, as a thing not likely to happen after having been fo long delayed. Whereas Jude fpeaks of his fcoffers, as already come ver. 4. And the account which he gives of them is, That they perverted the grace of God to lafcivioufnefs; denied God and Chrift; defpifed government; reviled dignities; led most immoral lives; imitated Cain and Balaan in their wickedness; and were to fhare in the punishment of Korah: But faith nothing of their scoffing at the promife of Christ's coming; or indeed of their fcoffing at any of the doctrines cr promises of the gofVOL. VI.

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pel.

19 Thefe be they who

19 Ούτοι εισιν οἱ αποδι

feparate themfelves, fenfual, ορίζοντες, ψυχικοι, πνευμα

having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

pel. He calls them fcoffers on account of their reviling dignities, and perhaps of their ridiculing these precepts of the gofpel which prohibited lafcivioufue fs.-if, however, the reader is of opinion that Jude, like Peter, fpeaks of the fcoffers who are to arise about the end of the world, his exhortation to remember the words which Peter fpake concerning them was highly proper, because the recollection of Peter's prophecy, would put the faithful in every age on their guard againit fuch falfe teachers as might arife in any future period.

Ver. 191. Thefe be they who separate themselves from others. Namely, on account of their pretended greater illumination.-In the common text it is, amodiogorres, who separate from. But many MSS. add the word laures; a reading which our tranflators have followed, and which is warranted by the Vulgate, where we find, Qui fegregant femetipfos. I likewife have followed that reading, and have fupplied the word others, becaufe the prepofition in amodiogs Corres, requires it.From Rom. xvi. 17. it appears that the heretical teachers, very early began to fet up feparate affemblies for worship. See Rom. xvi. 17. note 2. Perhaps they founded their practice on Ifa. lii. 11.

2. Animal men. Some are of opinion that by uxıxoɩ, animal men, the apoftle means those who are governed by the luits which properly belong to the animal part of the human nature, and who place their whole happiness in fenfual enjoyments.-Others, by animal men, under. ftand those who in religion admit of nothing as true, but what is confonant to their own preconceived opinions, and can be explained upon what they call the principles of reafon. In this fense the word uzikos a Sewwos is ufed 1 Cor. ii. 14. See note 1. there. - I think the apostle calls the falfe teachers animal men, because they were neither inspired by the Spirit of God, nor guided by right reafon.

3. Not having the Spirit. The ungodly teachers boafted of having an illumination from the Spirit, fuperior to that of the apostles, and that of the difciples of the apoftles. And on this pretence, they separated themselves and their difciples from the others. But their boafting was without foundation; thefe men were truly what they called others, mere animal men, not having the fpirit, either of God, or of right reafon.

Ver. 20.

1. Building one another on your moft holy faith. Here faith is put for the objects of faith, namely the doctrines, precepts, and promifes of the gospel. This faith the apoftle terms moft holy, because

19 Thefe be the teachers, who, oppofing the apoftles as void of the Spirit becaufe they condemn their errors, feparate themselves from the true difciples of Chrift. But they are what they call us, mere animal men, who neither have the Spirit of God, nor the fpirit of right reafon.

20 But ye beloved, by converfation and mutual exhortation, building one another in knowledge and holiness on the foundation of your most holy faith, and praying in your public affemblies by the infpiration of the Holy Ghost, which the false teachers and their difciples cannot do,

its defign and tendency is to discourage vice of all kinds, and to make men holy both in mind and body. Whereas the faith of the ungodly teachers, especially those of the Nicolaitan fect, was a most unholy faith, as it encouraged men in all manner of licentiousness.

2. And praying by the Holy Spirit. From 1 Cor. xiv. 15. Пgoσužoμal τῷ πνεύματι, I will pray with the Spirit.-ψαλω τῳ πνευματι I will fing with the Spirit, it appears that the fpiritual men, in the firft age, ut. tered prayers and pfalms, in their public affemblies, by an immediate infpiration of the Holy Ghoft.-To this exercife of their fpiritual gift, Jude exhorted the faithful to whom he wrote, not only because they would thereby keep themselves in the love of God, and in the firm expectation of pardon from Chrift, as mentioned in the subsequent verfe, but because it was a clear proof that they were not animal but fpiritual men. Whereas the ungodly teachers being incapable of praying by infpiration, they were thereby demonftrated to be mere animal men, who had not the Spirit.

Although in this paffage Jude speaks only of infpired prayer, it is proper to obferve, concerning prayer in general, That it is a duty exprefsly enjoined by Chrift himself, Luke xviii. 1. xxi. 36. and by his apostles, Theff. v. 17. That it is recommended to us by the example of all the good men whofe hiftory is recorded in the fcriptures, but chiefly by the example of Chrift, who often prayed not only with his difciples, but by himself in fecret: That it is a principal part of the duty which, as the creatures of God, men owe to him, being an expreffion of the sense which they have of their abfolute dependence on him for their being, and every thing they enjoy: That it is not enjoined for the purpose of informing God of our wishes and wants, fince our heavenly Father knoweth what things we have need of, before we ask him; neither is it enjoined for the purpose of constraining

P 2

God

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal

life.

22 And of fome have

compaffion, making a difference:

ઉન્ન

21 Εαυτες εν αγαπη Θεο τηρήσατε, προσδεχομενοι το ελεος τε Κύριε ήμων Ιησε Χρις εις ζωήν αιώνιον. 22 Και ες μεν ελεείτε διακρινόμενοι

God by our importunity to grant us our defires; but for inspiring us with the love of virtue, and the hatred of vice, in order that God, agreeably to the laws of his moral government, may grant our petitions For if he interefts himself at all in human affairs, the virtu ous man must be more the object of his love and care than the vicious; and his government must be carried on in such a manner as finally to promote fuch a perfon's happinefs; who therefore may afk of him the things neceffary thereto, and reafonably expect to obtain them.

The influence of prayer in reftraining men from fin and exciting them to virtue, and in regulating their whole temper and conduct, is excellently described in No 28. of the dventurer, as follows:

"I know, that concerning the operation and effects of prayer, there "has been much doubtful difputation, in which innumerable me"taphyfical- fubtilties have been introduced, and the understanding "has been bewildered in fophiftry, and affronted with jargon: those "who have no other proofs of the fitnefs and advantage of prayer, "than are to be found among thefe fpeculations, are but little ac"quainted with the practice.

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He who has acquired an experimental knowledge of this duty, "knows that nothing fo forcibly reftrains from ill, as the remem"brance of a recent addrefs to heaven for protection and affiftance. After having petitioned for power to refift temptation, there is fo great an incongruity in not cont nuing the ftruggle, that we blush at the thought, and perfevere, left we lose all reverence for our"felves. After fervently devoting ourfelves to God, we ftart with "horror at immediate apoftacy: every act of deliberate wickedness

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is then complicated with hypocrify and ingratitude; it is a "mockery of the Father of Mercy; the forfeiture of that peace in "which we clofed our address, and a renunciation of the hope that it "infpired.

"For a proof of this, let every man afk himself, as in the presence "of Him who fearches the heart, whether he has never been deterred "from prayer, by his fondness for fome criminal gratification, which "he could not afterwards repeat without greater compunction. If

prayer and immorality appear to be thus incompatible, prayer "fhould not furely be lightly rejected by thofe, who contend that "moral virtue is the fummit of human perfection; nor fhould it be "incumbered with fuch circumftances, as muft inevitably render it "lefs eafy and lefs frequent: it fhould be confidered as the wings of "the foul, and should be always ready when a fudden impulse prompts

"her