LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 PRINCETON. N. J, 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Mrs. Huston Dixon 
 
 Division JZ?i!l2.^2D IJlj 
 Section. 
 
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AN EXPOSITION 
 
 OF 
 
 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 By Rev. D. ROUND. 
 
 ^-^^<?i-S 
 
 LONDON: 
 S. VV. PARTRIDGE & CO., 
 
 9, PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 
PI^E^FACf;^ 
 
 THE Epistle of Jude may be fitly called the Epistle of 
 Apostacy, as it contains so much on the subject. It 
 brings before us the apostacy of the children of Israel in 
 the wilderness ; the apostacy of Sodom and Gomorrah from 
 ail natural religion ; the apostacy of angels from their first 
 estate. These facts are sufficient to show in what apostacy 
 consists, viz. : in departure from the place the grace of 
 God gives to angels or men. Apostacy in its strict 
 meaning can only apply to those who have known the 
 truth and wilfully departed from it. A heathen cannot be 
 said to apostatize ; a Christian may. Very early in the 
 history of the Church apostacy soon began to reveal itself. 
 The seeds were sown within the pale of the Church in the 
 days of the apostles. Hence the apostles in their later 
 epistles sought to forewarn and arm the faithful against 
 those v/ho were teaching and propagating what was per- 
 nicious and corrupting to faith and practice. Jude speaks 
 distinctly of " certain men, leaders in apostacy, who had 
 crept in privately, ungodly men turning the grace of our 
 God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and 
 Lord, Jesus Christ." Thus, alas, the very bosom of the 
 Church became the seed-bed of various errors and corrup- 
 tions, The outcom-e of the seed sown may be traced in 
 one form or other, and in greater or less degree through 
 the history of the Church. No revival, or reformation 
 
4 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST AC Y. 
 
 has succeeded in rooting up the tares within the hmits of 
 a professed Christianity. 
 
 What shall we say, rather, what does our Lord and His 
 chosen and inspired servants say, of the character and 
 close of this dispensation? It is from them, and not from 
 the hopeful optimist, or desponding pessimist, we learn its 
 character and end. In the light of their prophetic utter- 
 ances we discern many of the features of apostacy in the 
 present day, under the prevailing guise of Christianity. 
 " The falling away " was not unforeseen by Christ, " When 
 the Son of Man cometh shall He find faith on the earth?" 
 We conceive the lack of faith implied in this question will 
 not arise from the fewness, so much as from the degeneracy 
 and apostacy of Christian professors, so that they who 
 bear the name of Christ will practically revolt from the 
 faith. The apostacy of the latter times is foretold in the 
 plainest language by St. Paul. In writing to his son 
 Timothy, he says, " Now the Spirit speaketh expressly 
 (definitely) that in the latter times some shall depart from 
 the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of 
 demons "(i Tim. iv. i). There were among the Thes- 
 salonians persons who were troubled, and disturbing others 
 with the notion that the day of the Lord was actually, or 
 virtually, present. To quiet and silence such, the apostle 
 specifies certain precursors of that day. " Let no man 
 deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come 
 except the apostacy come first, and the man of sin be 
 revealed, the son of perdition." " Remember ye not that 
 when I was yet with you I told you these things." He 
 informs them that the mystery of iniquity tvas even then 
 working. Only there is now a restraining power, keeping 
 it in check for a certain time. But the moment the 
 70 KdTcxhv or "letting power" is taken out of the way, the 
 
PREFACE. 5 
 
 mystery of iniquity comes into full and unrestrained opera- 
 tion. The floodgates of lawlessness will be opened, and 
 the state of society will speedily become utterly dis- 
 organized. Such is the vista of the future as given in 
 Scripture. The mystery of iniquity is at work e^'ery\vhere 
 in Christendom, and will continue to work, till at last, when 
 the restraint is gone, it will issue in the revelation of the 
 man of sin, the son of perdition, who will dare to take the 
 place of God in the temple of God. 
 
 The conclusion to which v/e are conducted is that a 
 crisis in Christendom is hastening and at hand. The 
 present dispensational period of grace will soon be com- 
 pleted. Let us not close our eyes to the fearful signs of 
 these times, nor to the lessons they teach. Troubles are 
 thickening around us \ scepticism and godlessness are 
 openly avowed. Men blinded by the spirit of infatuation, 
 in this and other so-called Christian lands, are ready when 
 occasion offers to cast off all restraint, to reject all law, rule, 
 and government ; and thus to prepare the way for the 
 reign of the " lawless one," " whom the Lord shall con- 
 sume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with 
 the brightness of His coming." 
 
CoKteKts. 
 
 Exposition I.- — Jude 1-3. 
 
 The personality of Jude — The characters whona he ad- 
 dresses — The comprehensive invocation : 1, Mercy ; 
 2, Peace ; 3, Love — How the triune may be increased — 
 The exhortation needed — The writer's original in- 
 tention — The faith to be contended for — Divinely 
 given — Delivered " once for all" — Danger suggested 
 — The faith worth preserving — The responsibility of 
 ministers and deacons for the preservation of the 
 faith 13 
 
 Exposition II. 
 
 The necessity for the exhortation to be vigilant ifi preserving 
 the faith. — Verses 4-10. 
 
 The stealthy entrance of false teachers into the Church — 
 Denying the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ — 
 Their character and condemnation noted beforehand 
 in the Scriptures — Jude recalls to our memories 
 three cases of apostacy — Israel — Angels — The 
 Sodomites — The app)lication of these cases to 
 apostates — Threefold description of their character 
 — Tilichael the archangel contending with the 
 Devil about the body of Closes — The death of Moses 
 — Michael brought no railing accusation against the 
 Devil — The reverence of the archangel in contrast 
 to these men who dare to despise dominion and to 
 speak evil of dignities — Evil speaking condemned 
 by the conduct of Michael, the example of Christ, 
 and the teachings of the apostles ... ... ... 19 
 
 Exposition III. 
 
 Types of the men who/n Jude describes by the use of mariy 
 strong similitudes. — Verse ii. 
 
 The way of Cain described — Began in unbelief — Refused 
 Divine counsel — Breaks his allegiance to God, and 
 went out from His presence — Pursued his own path 
 independent of God — Built " a fort " in defence of 
 himself and the partner of his exile — Dedicated it 
 to his firstborn — The world his portion ; resolved to 
 make the best of it — Gathers around his family 
 sources of interest and luxury ; lives a prosperous 
 life in forgetfuluess of God — The way of Cain still 
 
JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST A CY. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 exibts, .111(1 never so ^^opiilar as in the ^^I'cscut day — 
 The Cain t^V^ is l^ekl up as a beacon to warn — Woe 
 to them that go in the way of Cain — Expostulation 
 ■ — The error of Balaam — Once a true prophet — For- 
 bidden to curse Israel — A sj^lendid bait — Speaks 
 slightingly of it, j-et his heart set upon it — The 
 desire of his heart granted — Rebuked for his folly 
 — Blessed those whom he is hired to curse — Balak 
 disappointed — Balaam turns traitor — Seeks to turn 
 Israel from God — Seduced them into fornication — 
 Thousands perished — The closing scene — The deadly 
 error of Balaam composed of two parts : covetousiiess 
 and corrupt teaching — He taught Balak to seduce 
 Israel from their sejiaration into guilty mixture with 
 the nations around — Balaam teachers in the Church 
 at Pergamos sought to corruj^t the disciples of Christ 
 by tempting them to form unholy alliances with the 
 M'orld — Such teaching is ruining thousands. Korah, 
 his (jainsaying and punishment — He and his company 
 set themselves against IMoses and Aaron — IMoses 
 reasoned with Korah, and charged him and his con- 
 federates with rebellion against the Lord — They were 
 visited with Divine wrath — Korah atyjoe of ambitious 
 men — A summary of the teaching of the three types 
 — The characteristics of the anti-types — Self-in- 
 dulgent — Clouds without rain — Trees without fruit — 
 Doubly dead — Turbulent, like waves of the sea — 
 Wandering stars — To whom is reserved the blackness 
 of darkness for ever ... ... ... ... ... 26 
 
 Exposition IV. 
 
 Efwch's prophecy of the coming of the Lord to execute 
 vengeance upon the tnigodly. — Verses 14, 15. 
 
 Enoch's life — His prophecy inserted in this epistle under 
 the sanction and authority of the Holj^ Spirit — The 
 coming of Christ foretold in two aspects — The second 
 coming announced as with trumpet voice — Nigh at 
 hand — The announcement of the event fails to 
 awaken — Professing Christians would rather not hear 
 of it — The manner of the Lord's coming foretold — 
 Two stages of His coming : first, for His saints ; the 
 second stage, 2vith His saints and holy angels — Comes 
 in majesty, power, and glory — The purpose of His 
 coming — The prophecy had reference to the im- 
 mediate and remote judgment — The ungodly in 
 Enoch's time are tj'j^es of the ungodly in the times 
 preceding the Lord's coming — Other prophecies cited 
 — The testimony of the Lord and of the apostles — 
 The coming of the Lord will occasion terror to the 
 ungodlj'- — The world rapidly ripening for judgment — 
 The ungodly convicted and condemned — An appeal 
 to the saved and unsaved 37 
 
CONTENTS. 9 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Exposition V. 
 
 A fuyfher dcSC7-iptio)i of the cliaracteristics of tlie tiin^odly. 
 
 Vkrses 16-19. 
 Other views and asjiects of the uuo-odly — IMurmurers — 
 Never ijleased with fiiiythiug — The murmuring spirit 
 comes out iu various ways — "They shape their course 
 according to their own lusts " — Lusts defined — In- 
 bred — They are given to them and obey them — 
 Boasters — Speaking great s^vclling words — They can- 
 not brook restraint — " Set their mouth against the 
 heavens " — Disregard God's Word — Follow their own 
 notions, and pursue their own thoughts — Flatterers 
 of the favourites and leaders of their jjarty — 
 Favourite ministers idolized — Parasites iu the 
 ministry who fawn and flatter the rich to gain 
 advantage — There is an admiration that is allowed 
 to ministers ; parents ; elders — More respect due to 
 some than others — Our admiration of j^ersons of 
 distinction condemned when excessive and for gain 
 and advantage ... .. ... ... ... ... 44 
 
 Exposition VI. 
 
 MeDwrable words. — -Verses 17-19. 
 Jude reminds the faithful of what the apostles have said 
 of these times — Words of warning not confined to 
 this ei^istle — The concurrent testimony of Christ and 
 His apostles in regard to the apostacy of the last 
 days — The words spoken claim our reverent atten- 
 tion — liemembcr I We are apt to forget M'hat is said 
 of mockers and ungodly men — A due consideration 
 will prevent misconce^jtion and false hopes — Read 
 and study what is said of this dispensation ... 48 
 
 Exposition VII. 
 
 Duty of believers to establish the/iiselves in the faith. Ver. 20. 
 
 The picture of those who have departed from the faith 
 not to be tampered with — Given that we may take 
 warning — A relief to turn fi-om the subject of 
 apostacy to consider the practical exhortation to 
 believers — Jude's tender concern for them — The ex- 
 hoi-tation to believers then is of importance noic. 
 Mutual edification enjoined — The foundation of the 
 edifice — What it is, and what it is not — The Ajoostle 
 Paul unfolds the central facts of our faith — Buildings 
 established on those foundation truths are al^le to 
 stand against all the errors of the present day — 
 The building enjoined — The material to correspond 
 with the foundation — Co-ojjeratiou required in 
 raising the spiritual structure — jNIutual helj^fulness 
 to be rendered by social jjrayer, fellowship, and by 
 
10 !UDE\S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 PACE 
 
 godly intercourse and conversation with each other 
 — Our duty to be true and faithful to the holy 
 relationships into Avhich we have entered — The 
 foundations of our faith are secretly undermined — ■ 
 The poison of error is at work in our Churches — ■ 
 The responsibility of the members of the Church to 
 built each other up — No reference to the work of 
 the Christian minister — INIinisterial gifts may be 
 perverted from their specific purpose — Believers at 
 such times to fraternize and co-operate with each 
 other until the building is comj)lete ... ... 51 
 
 Exposition VIII, 
 
 ^^ Praying m the Holy Ghost, '^ a S7veet privilege a7id profit- 
 able habit, giving strength for spiritual tvork. 
 
 Building and prayer joined together — No building 
 where there is no prayer — Prayer essential to 
 success — The evidence of a soul quickened into life 
 — Prayer in the Holy Ghost — The testimony of 
 ScriiDture to the work of the Spirit as the Helper 
 in prayer — The right kind of prayer not understood 
 by the formalist — Discerned by the spiritual— The 
 spirit of prayer needed — The distinction between 
 the gift and the spirit of prayer — The latter more 
 important than the former — Bishoji Leighton 
 cited — Excuses for silence in meetings for prayer — 
 The spirit of prayer will improve the gift — The 
 timid disciple urged to live in the Spirit, then 
 prayer in the social meeting will cease to be "a 
 load, and worship a task " — Nothing will make up 
 for the absence of the Spirit— Prayer without the 
 Sjjirit is powerless — Dr. A. Clarke on prayer — How 
 may we distinguish jDrayer in the Spirit ? Ist, those 
 who pray in the Spirit, pray much in the dialect of 
 the SiDirit ; 2ud, In the name of Jesus ; 3rd, In 
 subjection to the known will of God ; and 4th, In 
 faith — Let us make much of His indwelling presence 
 — Cherish every feeling which He excites — Attend 
 to His faintest whisper — Prayer for the Holy Spirit.. 58 
 
 Exposition IX. 
 
 The command to preserve the love of God in the heart. 
 " Keep yourselves in the love of God." 
 
 Jude assumes that the persons addressed are in the love 
 of God, and counsels them to keep in it — The ex- 
 hortation implies the possibility of losing this love 
 — Declensions common — Special reasons why we 
 should keep in it : 1, The love of God is the 
 essence of true religion ; 2, It produces checi'ful 
 obedience to the Divine will; 3, It constrains us 
 
CONTENTS. 1 1 
 
 PACE 
 
 to love the people of God ; 4, It is the great pre- 
 servative from error; 5, It kcejxs the inner mania 
 moral order; 6, Because we shall be esteemed and 
 loved of God — For the same reasons we should 
 grow in it— The touching words of the Rev. E. 
 Bickcrsteth during his illness— A few directions as 
 to the means of preserving this love in the heart 
 — The command to keep in it is as Divine as the 
 promise- We can by the exercise of the grace given 
 do what is enjoined — Avoid what would damp it 
 — E-epleuish it from the resources of Scripture — 
 Persevere in obedience to the will of God — Fre- 
 quently meditate on the love of God revealed to 
 us in Christ Jesus ... ... ... 65 
 
 Exposition X. 
 
 Looking expecfantly for mercy and eternal life. 
 
 ^'- Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ nnto 
 
 eternal life.^'' 
 
 Looking an outgoing of love to Him for whom wc look 
 — He that is not looking lacks an essential feature 
 of the Christian character — What we look for — 
 Mercy, rewarding, crowning mercy — The best of 
 men will need the mercy of our Lord in that day 
 — Paul prayed that Onesiphorus may find mercy of 
 the Lord — -We have no claim to it, nevertheless we 
 look expectantly to receive the precious gifts of 
 His mercy — Mercy unto eternal life — Life embraces 
 the blissful immortality of both soul and body — 
 The perfect happiness of the whole man— Eternal 
 life will be mercy in her plenitude, without measure 
 and without end — Looking for our Lord Jesus Christ 
 is the attitude of the Christian as described in the 
 New Testament — Looking ! A blessed state of 
 mind to be in — The practical influence of this 
 looking —It nerves us with fresh energy for service 
 — Lifts the heart up out of its cares and discourage- 
 ments — Believers exhorted to hope to the end for 
 the grace which is to be brought at the revelation 
 of Jesus Christ ... ... ■•. ... ... ... 73 
 
 Exposition XT. 
 
 The special duties required of all in reference to apostates. 
 
 Verses 22, 23. 
 
 Recapitulation of the exhortation— The duty to care for 
 those that are not in the faith — Compassion for 
 them— The compassion of Christ is what we should 
 feel— The objects of it — Where found — More com- 
 passion would increase our power for usefulness — 
 Compassion discriminating, " making a diiferenee " 
 
12 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF AFOSTACY. 
 
 — A difference in the clinractur of apostates — 
 Wisdom needed in the treatinent of each — Praj'cr 
 for sj^iritnal discernment — tiomc arc in the fire — 
 Their perilous condition — They are iji the lire of 
 sin — "Wickedness burneth like fire " — Sin, like fire, 
 has in it the po^ver to ruin spirit, soul, and Ijody 
 — All who are living in sin arc liable to the fire 
 of Divine justice — The wrath of a holy God terrible 
 to contemplate — Compared to fire — The expression 
 of His hatred to sin — Historical facts reveal His 
 wrath against ungodliness — The VvTath to come— 
 The Lord Jesus will come to avenge Himself upon 
 His enemies— A fearful thing to fall under His 
 righteous wrath — The rescue ivm-lc — Save iviih fear — 
 Godly fear influential — Noah exhibited its influence 
 ■ — The servants of Pharoah that feared the Lord, 
 saved their cattle — This fear the fruit of faith, 
 and a motive to action — Under its influence we 
 shall be anxious to save men — This fear in its 
 operation will produce earnestness — The nature of 
 the work demands it — We cannot excuse our ease 
 and inactivity — We cannot shirk our responsibilit}'' 
 for the souls of others — Unbelief underlies apathy 
 in reference to the spiritual condition of the masses 
 In putting forth efforts to pluck men out of the 
 fire care must be taken to preserve our own purity, 
 " hating even the garments spotted hj the flesh " 
 — Wc must hate the sins and love the sinner... ... 77 
 
 Exposition XII. 
 
 The Closing Doxology, — Verses 24, 25. 
 
 The author's aim in tracing in this epistle the prin- 
 ciples and practices of apostacy — The closing dox- 
 ology completes and adorns the epistle — What God 
 our Saviour is able to do for us here and hereafter 
 ■ — He IS able to keep us from falling — Able to 
 present us faultless before the presence of His glory 
 The doxology to be sung now — All through life 
 — The apostles celebrated the glory of God their 
 Saviour — Doxologies are interwoven in their epistles 
 — Jude's doxology magnificent — Glory, majesty, 
 dominion and power are ascribed to our Saviour 
 God — The peri^etuity of this anthem of praise, " now 
 and ever" — It begins on earth and will lie con- 
 tinued with deeper intelligence in heaven — The 
 sanction and confirmation of the doxology — 
 "Amen," so let it be— Every true Christian will 
 echo the Amen 87 
 
JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY 
 
 EXPOSITION I. 
 
 "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them 
 that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, 
 and called : Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 
 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common 
 salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that 
 ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto 
 the saints." — JuDE 1-3. 
 
 JUDAS, the traitor, is called the son of perdition ; Judas, 
 the author of this Epistle, is known as the son of 
 Alpheus, and one of our Lord's kindred (Matt. xiii. 55). 
 But though closely related to the Lord, he styles himself 
 "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of Jaines." 
 He neither calls himself an apostle, nor the Lord's brother. 
 He contents himself with the humble, though truly honour- 
 able title, " Servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James." 
 Probably he names his relation to James, because, as an 
 apostle, he was better known than himself, and was held in 
 high estimation and reputation in the Church ; he was 
 famous for his sanctity of life, and accounted a pillar in 
 the Church of Christ. Jude, therefore, by speaking of 
 himself as a brother of James, might thereby win attention 
 and credit to his Epistle from those to whom he wrote. 
 This Epistle is of special interest and importance in our 
 times. No writer in the New Testament wrote so little as 
 Jude, but a full expansion of the various points he introduces 
 into this brief letter would fill volumes. We shall not enter 
 into a minute and critical analysis of its contents, but 
 endeavour to give a few thoughts on what is said in this 
 little Epislle of the beginning and end of Christian apostacy. 
 
14 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 The Characters Addressed. 
 
 We see in the first verse to whom the Apostle is writing. 
 It is not to any one Church, or local assembly, it is to 
 Christians at large, and even every individual Christian 
 wherever he may be : "to them that are sanctified by God 
 the Father^ and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." 
 "Sanctified by God the Father." What words are these! 
 What words for the heart of faith ! What marvellous grace 
 on the part of God ! What is it to be thus sanctified ? — 
 some may inquire. It is to be set apart for a holy use — to 
 be separated from the v/orld, from guilt and pollution, and 
 to be brought into a state of holiness. The author of this 
 sanctification is God the Father. It is God that justifieth ; 
 no less is it God that sanctifieth. He gave His Son to 
 redeeni us from all iniquity, and to purify unto Himself a 
 peculiar people. He cleanses and purifies all that believe 
 in Jesus. He sanctifies through belief of the truth. Hence 
 the prayer addressed to God as the sanctifier of his saints, 
 " Sanctify them through Thy truth ; Thy word is truth." 
 "Preserved in Jesus Christ," The sanctified are the 
 preserved in Jesus — they are every vray secure against the 
 temptations of an evil world, and the many false teachers 
 employed by the devil as instruments to niislead and ruin 
 unstable souls. This security realised by those v/ho are in 
 Christ is an answer to the prayer of the blessed Lord, in 
 John xvii. ii: "Holy Father, keep through Thy own 
 name those whom Thou hast gi-i^en Me." The fidelity of 
 God is pledged to keep them.. He is not only able but 
 faithful to preserve them to the end. None are safe, but 
 such as are in Christ. They are kept and preserved in Him. 
 
 Having our lot cast in an evil time, v/hen soul-destroying 
 errors abound, and when false teachers cf every kind 
 mislead so many, what a comfort to be able to realise the 
 blessed state of the sanctified and preserved ones ! Am I 
 
 1 We have kept to tbe A.V. ; at the same time, we receive the R.V, 
 " Beloved ill (jod the l''aiher," as the right reading of the Greek t^^xt^ 
 
EXPOSITION I. I 5 
 
 among the happy number of those who are sanctified and 
 preserved /;/ Jesus Christ ? Oh, blessed condition ; to be 
 in Christ Jesus, is to be free from every fear, to be safe 
 from every enemy, to be quiet and confident, though a 
 thousand dangers surround us ! 
 
 The Invocation. 
 
 But while Jude congratulates the persons he addresses as 
 the sanctified, preserved, and called, he prays to God on 
 their behalf, that mercy, peace, and love may be multiplied. 
 The blessings invoked come from God through Christ. 
 They have their source in Him, and flow from Him as from 
 an inexhaustible fountain, i st. The mercy of God is invoked. — 
 " Mercy unto you." Though pardoned and spoken of as 
 sanctified, they still needed mercy ; the holiest of men need 
 God's mercy. While in the world, encompassed with 
 infirmities, and passing through conflicts, they will need the 
 tender mercy of God. They will need it in all the crises of 
 life, and in the great day of the Lord the need of this mercy 
 remains. Hence, the Apostle prays for mercy — multiplied 
 mercy — mercy in its manifold aspects. May you daily and 
 hourly experience afresh the sweetness of God's mercy ! 
 2nd. The invocation includes peace. These Christians had 
 peace — peace as the fruit of grace, peace in the conscience, 
 the peace of God, the peace of a spiritual mind. Jude 
 invokes an increase of it. 
 
 " Peace be Multiplied." 
 
 May it abound more and more ; may the peace of God 
 keep your hearts and minds, through Jesus Christ. May 
 the Lord of peace give you peace always, and by all means 1 
 3rd. The third grace invoked is love. They had a measure 
 of it in possession. It cam.e from God through Christ, and 
 was shed abroad in their renewed nature by the Holy Ghost. 
 And as it came from God, it is the same in kind as the love 
 of God. It is pure, free from selfishness,, disinterested ; it 
 extends to enemies as well as to friends. It is patient and 
 
lu JUDE'S EPISTLE OF AFOSTACV. 
 
 hopeful : it beareth all things, hopeth all things, believeth 
 all things. It makes us Godlike, " For God is love, and he 
 that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (i 
 John iv. 1 6). How precious to us is the thought that we 
 are capable of receiving and exercising a love like God's ! 
 But this Divine love admits of increase. Jude prayed for 
 it. Love be multiplied, which means a further degree of 
 augmentation — more love to God, and more love to one 
 another. But how is it to be increased ? Well, the more 
 we know of Divine truth, the more will this love multiply ; 
 the more we exercise it, the more it will strengthen. " This 
 I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in 
 knowledge, and in all judgment " (Phil. i. 9) ; Jude saw 
 there was room for an increase of the triune graces^ and 
 therefore prayed, "Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be 
 multiplied." 
 
 The Exhortation Needed. 
 
 The exhortation of Jude now claims our attention. It 
 was evidently his original intention to write to the beloved 
 brethren of the common salvation. This would have been 
 his far more delightful task. It would have been his joy 
 and his refreshment to expatiate upon the present privileges 
 and future glories, wrapped up in the comprehensive folds 
 of that precious word, "salvation." But he felt it needful 
 to turn from this more congenial work, in order to fortify 
 their souls against the rising tide of error and evil, which 
 threatened the very foundations of Christianity. " Beloved, 
 when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common 
 salvation it was needful for me to write unto you, and 
 exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith 
 which was once delivered unto the saints." 
 
 The faith to be contended for, is simply, " the word of 
 the truth of the Gospel " — the Gospel which the apostles 
 received and were commissioned to preach. It is designated 
 the faith because it is "the word to be believed." We read 
 of Bar-Jesus, a sorcerer and false prophet, who "sought to 
 
turn away the deputy from the faith." "A great company 
 of priests were obedient to the faith." " He now preached 
 the faith which before he destroyed." The Gospel is fitly 
 called the faith, as it reveals the doctrines of faith — the 
 truths to be believed to salvation; and more particularly the 
 doctrine of faith in Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer. 
 The Gospel of the Cross is the power of God unto 
 
 Salvation to Every One that Believeth. 
 
 Observe, it is flie 07ily Diviuely-given faith. It was firs', 
 received by inspired men from the Lord, and delivered b) 
 them to the saints — the first deliverance is the final one. 
 It will never give place to something higher and holier than 
 itself. It will never be repeated, nor superseded by another 
 Gospel. We expect no new faith, no advanced Gospel, at 
 it is called. We are not to add to, or take from, the faith 
 given. It is complete, it is sufficient. It ivas once for all 
 delivered unto the saints (see Revised Version). We have 
 in the faith a rich treasure — a precious deposit to guard. 
 
 The call to contend for the faith suggests danger. It 
 would be unnecessary for the inspired writer to press upon 
 us the duty of contending for the faith, if it were not 
 assailed. It h:is enemies. As in Jude's day, so now all 
 that is vital is at stake ; 
 
 False Teachers would Rob Us 
 
 of the faith, or lead us away from it. Teachings subversive 
 of the Christian faith abound. There are numbers who 
 seek to depreciate it, to pervert it, and to change it. Many 
 are openly opposed to the faith and reject; its communications. 
 It is, therefore, our duty to contend, not for favourite 
 notions, theories, or systems, but for the faith of the Gospel. 
 It behoves us to stir one another up to faithfulness and zeal 
 — to strenuous effort against sin and error, with the holy 
 resolve to maintain the essential verities of the faith of 
 Christ. There must be no truce with error ; no comproniise 
 with the enemies of the Gospel. They nuiu be "■''p.t. 
 
i-esisted, and overcome ; not indeed by violence, or railing, 
 c-r force ; not by penal statutes or any form of persecution ; 
 but by Christian love, and by the plain word of God — the 
 positive truth of Scripture. This faith is 
 
 Worth Preserving at any Cost. 
 
 The apostles thought so, the martyrs thought so, the 
 reformers thought so. They considered the faith to be 
 their life, and were willing to suffer and die for it. Some of 
 us have been saved by Gospel truths, and these truths are 
 dear to us, and we desire that our children's children may 
 possess them as their heritage^ The faith is committed to 
 our trust ; let us hold fast its doctrines, value its principles, 
 practise its precepts, and reject all sentiments and opinions 
 not in harmony with its teachings and its requirements. 
 
 '■ Should all the forms which men devise, 
 Assault my faith with treacherous art ; 
 I'd call them, vanity and lies, 
 
 And bind the Gospel to my heart." 
 
 Ministers are set for the defence and confirmation of the 
 faith. Deacons of churches are charged by St. Paul to 
 hold "the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." 
 Christians everywhere are enjoined to "stand fast in one 
 spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the 
 Gospel." JMay the Lord give to us courage "earnestly to 
 contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints," that 
 when brought to the close of life we may be able with Paul 
 to say, "I have kept the faith." 
 
19 
 
 EXPOSITION II. 
 
 T]ie iiccessity for the exhortation to be vigilant in presej-ving 
 the faith. — Read from the 4th to the 9th verse. 
 
 THE reason for this watchfuhiess and vigilance is given 
 in words of warning, ver. 4: '■'■ For there are certain 
 men crept in unawares." The Apostle probably knew who 
 they were, but forbears to give their names. He describes 
 their entrance — they crept in stealthily, or by specious pre- 
 tences, and when in the Church they began to sow their bad 
 seed. They preached in a deceitful way doctrines of liberty. 
 They sought by words and phrases to clear the way for the 
 full indulgence of the will, to set it free from everything that 
 restrained it. As a covering of their grossest guilt they ask. 
 "Are we not as God made us?" "Are not our lips our 
 own ? " They claimed the right to act, to think, and to 
 speak as they please. They turned the pure and precious 
 grace of our God into lasciviousness, denying both by their 
 words and works " our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.'' 
 " Who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, 
 ungodly men." The word translated ordained, signihes 
 prescribed, or written beforehand in the Scriptures con- 
 cerning these men and their condemnation. The infinite 
 mind of God knows all, and notes down beforehand all that 
 in the process of time takes place against the day of iudg= 
 ment. 
 
 Examples of Apostacy. 
 
 The Apostle proceeds to cite several examples of apostac) 
 as warnings to us, ver. 5 : "I will therefore put you in 
 remembrance." The Apostle felt it to be his duty to recall 
 to their mind historical facts formerly understood, yet possibly 
 
20 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST AC Y. 
 
 almost forgotten, orat least for the present not duly considered 
 or remembered. It is also our duty as ministers to put you 
 in mind of things that are past. The memories of the best 
 of Christians are frail, and need to be stirred up again and 
 again by way of remembrance. The Apostle recalls to our 
 memory three cases of apostacy. 
 
 ( I .) The exodus and failure of Israel. " I \vill therefore put 
 you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that 
 the Lord, having saved His people out of the land of Egypt, 
 afterward destroyed them that L^elieved not." The evil of 
 unbelief was the root of their apostacy, their downfall and 
 their judgment. Ihese things happened unto them for 
 ensamples, and are written for our admonition on whom the 
 ends of the world are come, " Take heed, brethren, lest 
 there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing 
 from the living God." You are like Israel redeemed out of 
 Egypt. You, as they v^'ere, have been delivered by the 
 blood of the Lamb. You have made a profession of faith in 
 Jesus. You are a recognised member of a Christian church. 
 You know the grace of God in truth. Take heed, lest by 
 unbelief you depart from the living God. The fearful fact 
 is here brought before you, that the people ransomed out of 
 Egypt perished in the wilderness. They proA'oked God b)' 
 their unbelief, and died under His frown of anger. They 
 fell without obtaining the hope set before them. It is 
 possible for you to fall from grace, to lose your hope of 
 heaven, and to be lost for ever. 
 
 (2.) llie secofid case is the afostacy of augels and tlicir 
 punishment. "The angels which kept not their first estate, 
 but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting 
 chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day," 
 ver. 6. "They kept not their first estate." It is quite clear 
 tha c'.ngels, like men, were created in a probationary 
 
 sta ■, and m Uiv. uei^mnmg, like men, holy and happy. 
 \\ •' ey "kept not their first estate," that is, they preserved 
 li.. 1 'heir ^'••'"'nal position and dignity in the order of created 
 beings, which they might have done by obeying God's com- 
 
Exrosrrjo.v if. 21 
 
 niands. They apostatized, they voluntarily dj[)a!-ted from 
 tlie position in which God had placed them. I'hey "left 
 their own habitation " of light and purity, and in consequence 
 of their rebellion are reserved in "everlasting chains under 
 darkness unto the judgment of the great day." 
 
 I'he doom of these a^jostate angels is fearful. It is 
 exijressed \vithout any prospect of a change, any hope of a 
 rei)rieve, and will be eternal in its duration. W'liat an 
 appalling destiny is awaiting them ! They are kept prisoners 
 under darkness unto the judgment of the great day — what a 
 judiiment that will be — final, unalterable, indescribable. 
 
 The design of St. Jude in making known the fall and 
 doom of these celestial beings must be kept in mind. It is 
 to warn and admonish us. May it also Jiainbk ! If such 
 beings fell, so may we. It is possil)le for us to become 
 discontented with our "estate" as believers, and to wilfully 
 rebel against God. Remember that sin in us is essentially 
 the same as sin in angels, and will be equally punished. 
 Let us keep this warning in mind and be uniformly humble. 
 Let us guard against every tendency to pride and discontent, 
 lest we fall into the darkness these fallen angels experience. 
 
 (3.) The sill and doo)?t of Sodom a?id GonwrraJi. " Even as 
 Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like 
 manner with these (the angels), giving themselves over to 
 fornication, and going after strange (another) flesh, are set 
 forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire,'' 
 ver. 7. Here is a description of the apostacy of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah from all natural religion, giving themselves to 
 practices contrar)' even to fallen nature. I'heir vices were 
 coarse, their sensuality excessive ; they wallowed in scenes 
 of pollution, and their conversation in social circles was 
 filthy. The cry of their iniquities and abominations went 
 up to heaven. What was the answer to the cry? We see 
 the answer in the blue rain of burning sulphur from the 
 Lord out of heaven. We see it in the ruin and perpetual 
 desolation of these cities. As we stand on the shore of that 
 gloomy lake called the " Lead Sea," and look around, we 
 
22 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 ask, Where is Sodom? Where is Gomorrah ? AVhere are 
 the cities of the plain — those cities once so flourishing and 
 prosperous ? Where are they now ? They are gone for 
 ever ! Swept away by the judgments of God, consumed by 
 the fire of His wrath. Oh. what a warning is thus given to 
 sinners of the doom of their sins. There are, beheve me, 
 greater offenders in the sight of God, than even the men of 
 Sodom, and consequently a more fearful judgment awaits 
 them. The men of Capernaum, who beheld and rejected 
 the light of the world, will meet with a deeper, darker doom 
 than the unclean sinners of the plain who are said to be 
 "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Matt. xi. 23), 
 And why ? Not because they were guilty of grosser sin 
 than Sodom, but because they refused to listen to the voice 
 of heavenly wisdom ; they believed not in Jesus, though 
 most of His mighty v/orks had been done among them. 
 Theirs v/as the deeper, darker sin of unbelief. What Christ 
 said of the men of Capernaum, may be said of men of this 
 nation — of men in every town and city in Christendom. Is it 
 not true that we have light Sodom never had — religious 
 advantages Capernaum never enjoyed? Is not this nation 
 favoured above many ? What then will be the guilt of those 
 who rebel against the light, who will not hear the Gospel, 
 will not come to Christ, will not accept the proffered mercy. 
 We cannot measure their guilt before God. What will be 
 their doom? We tremble to think of it. It shall be more 
 tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the judg- 
 ment day, than for men in England who have heard Christ's 
 Gospel, and received it not. They shall be punished ac- 
 cording to the measure of their guilt. The doom of Sodom 
 is set forth as a beacon to warn : take heed to it ere it be 
 too late. 
 
 Thus we have three heart-stirring examples of apostacy, 
 and their fearful doom expressly stated, which ought to 
 deter us from all approaches to apostacy, and to preserve us 
 from forsaking the old paths of belief In the eighth verse 
 the writer again alludes to " certain men," the same persons 
 
EXPOSITION 1 1. 23 
 
 previously named in ver. 4, and gives a threefold description 
 of their real character as apostates. " Likewise also these 
 dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil 
 of dignities." 
 
 (1.) These dreamers are charged with di.filing the flesh. 
 They defiled themselves by fornication, as the people of 
 Sodom had done before tliem. They are filthy dreamers, 
 who spend their life in fulfilling their carnal lusts, and are a 
 curse to themselves, and to all with whom they have inter- 
 course. Men of corrupt mindS; vile affections in whom 
 there is no truth. 
 
 (2.) They despise dominion. The desire of their heart is 
 to be independent of rule and rulers, and to live without 
 restraint in the practice of their evil deeds. In the days of 
 the apostles they were known under the name of Simonians 
 and Nicolaitanes- There have been a series of such men 
 in every age of the Church. They acknowledge no authority, 
 either in church or in state, and wish to live as they list. 
 Are not these characters abounding in our days in all so- 
 called Christian countries ? 
 
 (3.) Thf.y speak evil of dignities. They have no reverence 
 for the powers that be. They treat both governors and 
 government with contempt, and calumniate and ip.isrepresent 
 Divine and civil institutions, sovereigns and princes, ministers 
 of state, magistrates, and almost all human dignities are 
 exposed to ridicule and made the butt of satire. These are 
 features of the apostacy common in our day. Against these, 
 and such like persons, we have need to be on our guard, lest 
 we should be seduced by them. 
 
 I'o show these men, who are prone to speak evil of 
 dignities, their daring wickedness, and to make them, if 
 possible, sensible of it, their attention is directed to the 
 conduct of Michael the archangel towards the devil himself: 
 "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the 
 devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring 
 against him a railing accusation, but said. The Lord rebuke 
 thee," ver. 9. Michael appears to be the chief of the holy 
 
24 JUDE\S EPISTLE OF A POST AC Y. 
 
 angels, but nevertheless a created being. In this passage 
 
 he is represented as contending with the devil about the 
 
 body of Moses. "There is reason to ])clieve that Moses is 
 
 not dead. He did indeed 'die in the mount,' according to 
 
 the command of God ; but he was seen alive in the days of 
 
 the Saviour on the mount of transfiguration 'in glory,' and 
 
 hence in resurrection life. He must, therefore, have been 
 
 raised again from the state of death ; raised in advance of 
 
 the general resurrection of the saints, as Enoch and Elijah 
 
 were translated before the general translation of God's 
 
 waiting and watching ones at the coming of the Lord. And 
 
 if we are at all warranted in this belief, the dispute between 
 
 the archangel xMichael and the devil 'about the body of 
 
 Moses ' was a contention about the resurrection, the one 
 
 standing up for the recovery of that body from death, and 
 
 the other resisting." ^ Moses, by reason of the error at Meri- 
 
 bah, had been doomed to die before the Israelites entered 
 
 Canaan. Satan had then "the power of death" (Heb. ii, 
 
 14), and would contend on several grounds against Moses 
 
 being raised. Michael, however, did not bring a railing 
 
 accusation against him ; he had no disposition to do so ; 
 
 whatever insults he received, his only reply v.'as, "The Lord 
 
 rebuke thee." The argument then is, that if the highest 
 
 angel felt it not proper to pass judgment upon Satan, but 
 
 said, " The Lord rebuke thee ! " how dare these sinful men 
 
 "despise dominion and speak evil of dignities" ordained 
 
 by God. 
 
 The vilcness of the apostate spirit adds strength to the 
 argument. Michael might have imputed evil to his opponent 
 without giving utterance to slander ; he might have used 
 reproachful language, and accused him in the strongest 
 terms of all manner of evil, and that justly; but no, he had 
 no disposition to rail, to accuse ; and does not the conduct 
 of Michael show that however bad a person may be, it does 
 not justify a railing accusation against him ? We are for- 
 bidden to revile. " Thou shalt not revile the gods (judges), 
 ^ Seiss on Revelation, vol. ii. p. 354. 
 
EXPOSITION II. 
 
 25 
 
 nor curse ihe rulers of thy people" (Ex. xxii. 2S). No 
 reviler can enter the kingdom of heaven. If angels who 
 excel in power and niight, rail not, but appeal to the judg- 
 ment of God ; if Jesus our pattern, when reviled, reviled not 
 again, but committed himself to God v,-ho judgeth right- 
 eously, then let us avoid evil speaking. Speak evil of no 
 man. Let us not rail against men in authority, even sup- 
 posing them in some things to behave amiss. " He that 
 refraineth his lips is wise." The spirit of lawlessness is 
 confessedly active in the present day, sapping the foundation 
 of civil society. Ministers of state, judges, and magistrates, 
 whom we are taught to respect and venerate, are caricatured 
 and reviled. Men are not afraid to " speak evil of dignities." 
 Let us learn to " submit ourselves to every ordinance of 
 man for the Lord's sake ; v^hether it be to the king as 
 supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by 
 Him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of 
 them that do well" (i Peter ii. 13, 14- 'I'itus iii. i, 2; 
 Rom., xiii. i-^), 
 
26 
 
 EXPOSITION IIL 
 
 Types of the men whom Jiide desirihes by the use of many 
 strong siinilitiides. 
 
 "Woe unto them ! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran 
 greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain- 
 saying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they 
 feast with you, feeding themselves without fear ; clouds they are with» 
 out water, carried about of winds ; trees v/hose fruit withereth, without 
 fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots ; raging waves of the sea, 
 foaming out their own shame ; wandering stars, to whom is reserved 
 the blackness of darkness for ever," — Verses 11-13. 
 
 THE reader's attention is now directed to the third portion 
 of this Epistle. May the Lord enable us to rightly 
 expound it. The eleventh verse gives us the types of the 
 various forms of evil and apostacy that appeared in Jude's 
 time, and that will be more fully brought out in the last 
 days. The types are Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Their 
 ways Vv^ere bad, attended v/ith misery, and ended in woe. 
 There are other types of the many dark and terrible forms 
 of departure from the truth and ways of God, but our 
 thoughts at present must be restricted to the three promi- 
 nently brought before us in this passage. 
 
 (I.) The way of Cain. What is it? It may be traced in 
 the sacred record and explained in few words, Cain claimed 
 to be a religious man, and a worshipper of God. He 
 brought a fruit offering to Jehovah in the act of worship ; 
 but he was not accepted. There was no acknowledgment 
 in his offering of his condition as a sinner. There was no 
 confession of sin ; he supposed himself to be all right, and 
 could not see why he should not be accepted. The Lord 
 reasoned with him, and kindly counselled him to bring a 
 right offering. He was assured that there was acceptance 
 for him ; .that if he brought the sin-offering like his brother, 
 
EXPOSITION III. 27 
 
 he too would yet enjoy the Divine favour. The Lord in 
 effect brought him to this question — Wilt thou take My 
 way, or thine own? That was the point he had to consider, 
 and on which he had to decide. If thou wilt take My way, 
 then even yet all will be well. The appeal was made in 
 vain. Kind words failed. He would not hearken to God's 
 voice, but take his own way. That way began in unbelief 
 in rejecting God's method of salvation through the shedding 
 of blood. This act of rejecting God's method of acceptance 
 determined his subsequent course. He breaks his allegiance 
 from God, and deliberately "went out from the presence of 
 the Lord." All intercourse with God is nov/ foreclosed. 
 He says in effect — '* I have done with God, I do not want 
 to .say anything more to Him. I want to live without re- 
 ference to Him. I wish to act as I please, to run in my 
 own paths, and after my own desires ! God shall have 
 nothing to do with me, and I will have nothing to do with 
 Him." This was Cain's way. We cannot conceive of any- 
 thing worse than this. He lived without God. 
 
 Cain now goes his oivn way, does what is right in his own 
 eyes, o.nd what in his view is most conducive to his own 
 enjoyment without God. He soon began to build a city or 
 "fort," in defence of himself and the partner of his exile, 
 and called it by the name of his first-born Enoch, which 
 means " dedicated." He dedicated his child to the world, 
 and the city which he built was a memorial of the dedica- 
 tion. He was a man of the world, and had nothing but 
 this world to live for. The world was his all, and he 
 resolved to make the best of it. He seeks in the midst of 
 his family to gather around sources of interest and luxury, 
 and tries to blot out the results of the curse, and to live an 
 easy, prosperous life in forgetfulness of God. 
 
 The " way of Cain " still exists. It has not been ploughed 
 
 up so as to become imperceptible. It is still visible, and 
 
 never perhaps so popular as in the present day. There are 
 
 a large class of men who neither deny the existence of God, 
 
 lor refuse to worship Him. They claim to be religious, 
 
28 JUDL'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACV. 
 
 they put themselves down as a part of the rehyious world, 
 but who, like Cain, refuse to confess that they are sinners. 
 They will not allow that they need the blood of atonement 
 as the ground of their confidence. In their pride and self- 
 sufficiency, they ignore the truth that without the shedding 
 of blood there is no remission, no approach to God, no 
 acceptable worship. Their religion is fashionable, and suits 
 this refined and intellectual age. They leave the past, and 
 get rid of the trammels of old creeds, and the brutalizing 
 influence of altars besmeared with blood. If ever a qualm 
 of conscience does arise through the memory of the past, 
 they strangle it at once by some new mode of dissipation. 
 They seek their pleasures away from God. They set them- 
 selves to live for the present, spending their energies to 
 make this world an agreeable and pleasant place of residence. 
 
 Vvill this Cain-religion, which rejects the blood of the 
 Cross, lead men to love, and gentleness, and brotherly kind- 
 ness? Will a religion which trusts in no blood make a 
 happy people, and bring in the reign of peace and gladness? 
 So say its exuhing votaries. So say the teachers of the 
 philosophic theology of the period. So say the poets of the 
 age. Look at the type which is here held up as a standing 
 beacon to warn. Cain rejected the expiatory blood, turning 
 away from the " religion of the shambles " to the mild 
 gentleness of a worship in which no life is taken, and no 
 blood was spilt, and no suffering inflicted. Did this miid 
 and genial religion of his lead to a loving gentle life ? No. 
 He who had so many scruples about shedding the blood of 
 an innocent lamb, has none about taking the life of a holy 
 unoffending brother. He who is too pure and refined in 
 his ideas of religion to profane his altar by turning it into 
 "shambles," is all the v,'hile busied in preparing shambles 
 of his own, where, for the gratification of malice, hatred, 
 envy, and revenge, and every hellish passion, he may with 
 his own hand butcher a brother for being more righteous 
 than he. 
 
 " Woe unto them ! for they have gone in the way of 
 
EXPOS/TJON ///. 29 
 
 Cain." The way ofCain is the straight way to remediless 
 misery ; there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but 
 the end thereof is death. Oh, reader, pause for a moment. 
 Ask yourself the fjucstion. Am I going on in Cain's way? 
 And if your eyes are opened to discern the bitttr end, 
 return, I pray you, unto the Lord, rely for acceptance on 
 the blood of atonement ere it be too late. 
 
 Let us now turn from Cain and his way, to consider — 
 (2.) The crroj- of Balaam. They " ran greedily after the 
 error of Balaam for reward." What was that error? We 
 may learn in what it consisted from the history iMoses gives 
 of Balaam in Numb. >;.xii. It is very clear from the history 
 that Balaam was a mm that wanted to serve Cod, and at 
 the same time suit his own covetousness. He wished to 
 please God, whom he feared, and to please himself too. 
 He tried to persuade himself that this could be done. This 
 vas his great error and sin. He v/as once a true prophet, 
 and one known to have had power with God. r-alak,' the 
 king of Moab, put confidence in him as a prophet, an 1 
 through fear of Israel sent a message to him to come and 
 curse Israel, and promised if he would do so to reward him 
 with silver and gold (Numb. xxii. 5, 6). If Balaam's heart 
 had been right uith God, he would have made short work 
 with Balak's message : indeed, it would not have cost him a 
 moment's consideration to have sent him a reply. But his 
 heart was not right ; we see him in the condition of one acted 
 upon by conflicting feelings. He wished to please Balak, 
 and get his reward, at the same time not to offend God. 
 He inwardly wished to stand well with Balak. while out- 
 wardly he wished to keep right with God. He bids the 
 messengers to remain, that he might have time to consult 
 the will of God. He received an answer; God said to him, 
 '• Thou shalt not go with tlie men ; thou shalt not curse the 
 P'cople ; for they are blessed.'' Nothing could be plainer. 
 The p.ophet evidently took this in bad part. Mark his 
 answer to the messengers — "Get }ou into )-our lar.d ; for 
 the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you " (ver. 13). 
 
30 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 The word " refuseth '' showed the spirit which animated 
 him. He v/ished to go, and was disai)pointed. 
 
 Balak sends a second time to Balaam some of his best 
 men-messengers more honourable than the first, praying him 
 to come and curse Israel, and holds out before him a greater 
 reward, richer gifts, a more splendid bribe. The prophet 
 professed to despise the tempting bait, and said, " If Balak 
 would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go 
 beyond the v/ord of the Lord my God, to do less or more " 
 (ver. 1 8). It is no uncommon thing to hear a man speak 
 slightingly of that on which his heart is set. Many a miser 
 says that he does not care at all about money ; many a 
 proud-hearted man will speak of himself as being humble. 
 So Balaam could speak of himself as despising wealth, while 
 in his heart he longed for it. In this state of heart, Balaam 
 consults God again, and God answers, not as formerly by 
 refusing his request, but by telling him that he may go. 
 •' If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them, 
 but yet the word that I shall say to thee that thou shalt 
 do" (ver. 20). No doubt Balaam was delighted. God had 
 answered hin'i according to the desire of his heart. To the 
 froward God shows Himself frov/ard. Man wishes some- 
 thing, he is bent upon having it. God says you shall have 
 it, while angry because it is cherished. He permits a man 
 to have his perverse will gratified, to follow his blind devices. 
 There are ten thousand instances on every side of us. A 
 man hankers after money or fam.e. God grants it. He 
 punishes him by telling him to have his wish. So Balaam 
 eager to carry out his desire, anxious to gain the rewards, 
 is told to go. He was so eager to go that he did not wait 
 for the men to call him. He started off without. All this 
 showed a heart running counter to the will of God — a heart 
 bent on covetousness, while struggling all the time to keep 
 appearances of obedience. This is hateful. No wonder 
 God v/as angry with him. He had not proceeded far before 
 he found obstructions in his way — the ass on which he rode 
 rebuked him for his perverseness and folly (2 Peter ii. 15, 
 
EXPOSITION III. 31 
 
 16). Still, he breaks through all difficulties; proceeds on 
 his journey, until he at length comes to Balak, who conducts 
 the money-loving prophet from place to place, in the hope 
 that he would curse Israel ; but all his attempts failed. He 
 could not articulate a word against the will of Jehovah. He 
 could not use the prophetical gift against Israel. He blesses 
 those whom he is hired to curse. The king smites his 
 hands together in sore disappointment, dismisses the prophet 
 in wrath, and returns to his palace in despair. 
 
 What is the son of Beor now to do ? Disappointed of 
 the coveted wealth, he now sinks into the degraded cha- 
 racter of a traitor. Seeing he could not turn God from 
 Israel, he now seeks to turn Israel from God. He privately 
 counselled the king of Moab to seduce the people of Israel 
 into fornication and idolatry by means of the Moabite 
 women. His wicked scheme succeeded. " Behold these 
 (women) caused the children of Israel through ih( counsel of 
 .Balaam, to conunit trespass against the Lord, in the matter 
 of Peor" (Numb. xxxi. 16). The fierce anger of the Lord 
 was kindled, and tens of thousands perished. The Lord 
 told Moses to avenge the children of Israel of the Midian- 
 ites. They warred against the Midianites, as the Lord 
 commanded Moses, and slew the kings of Midian. " Balaam 
 also, the son of Beor, iliey slciv with the sword" (Numb, 
 xxxi. 8). This was the closing scene of Balaam's down- 
 ward history. 
 
 The sad history of Balaam brings out very clearly the 
 nature of his deadly error. We know precisely what it is. 
 It is obviously composed of two parts. The first part 
 consists in his covetousness. It was his sin, and proved his 
 downfall. In the early part of his career he was doubtless 
 a good man, thoroughly religious, a man of prayer. On 
 two occasions he spent the night in prayer, v/aiting upon 
 God ; but he was tempted by the offer of Balak to prostitute 
 his sacred character and office for filthy lucre. He yielded 
 to the temptation, and stands before us as a type of 
 apostates in Jude's time. They "ran-," says Jude, "greedily 
 
32 JUDE\S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 after the error of Balaani for reward." They have, says 
 Peter, " forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, follow- 
 ing the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the 
 wages of unrighteousness " (2 Peter ii. 14, 16). The love of 
 money is presented by Paul as the ground of apostacy. 
 " But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, 
 and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men 
 in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the 
 root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, they 
 have pierced themselves through v/ith many sorrows " 
 (i Tim. vi. 9, ic). It needs no seer's eye to be assured 
 that this sin is doing its deadly work in the present day. 
 Imitators of Balaam abound. Men that are recognized as 
 Christian teachers in the Church are ready to please the 
 great of the earth for the love of the wealth which they have 
 to bestow. In the last days perilous times sliall come, for 
 men shall be lovers of their own selves (selfish), covetous. 
 Let us guard against the temptations to covetousness, and 
 resist them. 
 
 The second part o{ Jiis error is seen in Ids teaching. Pie 
 knew that Israel were God's chosen people — singled out 
 and se|)arated from other nations. "Phis separation is most 
 distinctly set forth, "The people shall dwell alone, and shall 
 not be reckoned among the nations" (Numb, xxiii. 9). 
 But this hireling prophet taught Balak to seduce Israel from 
 their sep.aration into guilty mixture with the nations and 
 their idolatry around. The teaching of Balaam destroyed 
 all godly separateness, and destroyed the people too, so far 
 as it prevailed. In like manner the Church of Christ is 
 called out from the world, and it is only too ea.sy to apply 
 the type in this case. Memorable and instructive are the 
 words to the Church in Pergamos, ''Thou hast there them 
 that liold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast 
 a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, and to eat 
 things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication " 
 (Rev. ii. 14). These Balaam teachers sought to corrupt 
 the disciples of Christ by tempting them to form unholy 
 
EXPOSITIOIV ///. 23 
 
 alliances with the world, by insinuating that Christianity 
 may exist consistently with the indulgence of the flesh, even 
 to the commission of the most awful sins. These corrupters 
 were allowed still to remain members of the Church, and 
 were considered as part of the Church. "I'hou hast there" 
 within thee, those who hold this wicked doctrine. They 
 were tolerated, they were not frowned upon, suspended from 
 privileges, nor excommunicated. These teachers still exist 
 in the Church, and they continue to influence and fascinate 
 by their teaching the hearts of the people of God. They 
 teach that you must not maintain the rigid line of separation, 
 that you must be on good terms with the world. You must 
 seek to please the world, how else will you do it good. 
 This artful and plausible teaching is ruining thousands. It 
 encourages the intermixture of the Church with the world, 
 which must end in trouble, conflict, and judgment. 
 
 (3.) Korah and his punislwient. Our serious attention is 
 directed in few words to another way — the gainsaying of 
 Korah, and its disastrous consequences. "And perished in 
 the gainsaying of Korah." The word gainsaying in the 
 Greek is uvr<\o7ta, and means contention, opposition, contra* 
 diction. The verbal antagonism of Korah and his brethren 
 to Moses and Aaron is recorded in the sixteenth chapter of 
 Numbers, for our admonition and instruction. " Now Korah 
 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and 
 Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of 
 Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men ; and they rose up before 
 Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two 
 hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, fam.ous in the 
 congregation, men of renown ; and they gathered themselves 
 together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto 
 them. Ye take too n-iuch upon you, seeing all the congre= 
 gation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among 
 them : wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the con- 
 gregation of the Lord?" Here we are plainly told that 
 Korah and his famous men, two hundred and fifty in 
 number, set themselves against Moses and Aaron, and 
 
 D 
 
• 34 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST AC Y. 
 
 charged them with usurpation and ambition in taking too 
 much upon them. You take too much upon you in daring 
 to represent us ; we can represent ourselves. Are not all 
 the Lord's people alike holy, and have we not as good a 
 right to officiate in the priest's office as Aaron and his sons. 
 They considered themselves to be equally entitled and 
 equally suited to discharge the functions of the priestly office. 
 In short, there was an open revolt against the authority of 
 Moses, and against the priesthood of Aaron and against 
 God Himself. 
 
 " And Moses said unto Korah," — the leader of this des- 
 perate confederacy — " Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi : 
 seemeth it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel 
 hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring 
 you near to Himself; to do the service of the tabernacle of 
 the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister 
 unto them ? And He hath brought thee near to Him, and 
 all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee ; ajid seek ye the 
 priesthood also ? For which cause {i.e., the priesthood) both 
 thou and all thy company are gathered together against the 
 Lord : and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him ? " 
 (Numb. xvi. 8-11). 
 
 The gainsaying of these men was speedily visited with 
 Divine wrath. The very record is appalling to read. What 
 must the fact have been. " The earth opened her mouth, 
 and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men 
 that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. So they 
 and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the 
 pit, and the earth closed upon them ; and they perished 
 from among the assembly " (xvi. 31-34). After the earth had 
 opened her mouth and swallowed them up, we read, " There 
 came 3. fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred 
 and fifty men that had offered incense " ^ (ver. 35). We see 
 
 ^ The rebellion and judgment of Korah and his brethren in the wil- 
 derness is beyond doubt a type of the open rebellion of apostate 
 Christendom against the authorily of God in His true King and I'riest, 
 at the end of this age, and also of the terrible judgments that will 
 speedily follow. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the 
 
EXPOSITION HI. 35 
 
 in this that fiery indignation which devours the adversaries 
 of the Lord. Let us remember that Korah is a type of those 
 restless subtle men in the early churches who were ambitious 
 for high places, who sought to undermine the true servants 
 of God in order to exalt themselves. Li these modern days 
 there are men who are not satisfied with the functions of 
 the ministry, but openly set themselves against the rights 
 of Christ. They call themselves priests, in contrast with 
 the people, distinguished by titles and dress from 
 others. They profess to act on behalf of others, assuming 
 priestly functions which only belong to Christ Himself. This 
 is in principle the sin of Korah, their end will be according 
 to their works. 
 
 These are types of the apostacies and heresies which 
 would arise in future times. In the way of Cain we see 
 departure from God ; in Balaam, who taught error for the 
 sake of gain, religious corruption ; in the gainsaying of 
 Korah, ambition and insubordination, which bring swift 
 destruction. In these three examples we see the future in 
 miniature. 
 
 Note how, in the verses following the description of 
 the apostates corresponding to the three examples just given, 
 they are described in the strongest language, and by the 
 use of many striking similitudes. " These are spots in your 
 feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding them- 
 
 Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings " 
 (Rev. xvii. 14). " And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and 
 their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on 
 the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with 
 him the false prophet, that wrought miracles before him, with which he 
 deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and them that wor- 
 shipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake burning with 
 brimstone " (Rev. xix. 19, 20). 
 
 Bishop Home remarks,—" The sudden destruction of Korah, Dathan, 
 and Abiram, who, for stirring up a rebellion against Moses and Aaron| 
 ' went down alive into the pit,' seems to be here (Rev. xix. 20) alluded 
 to, as the grand representation of the manner in which the ' bottomless 
 pit' shall one day shut its mouth for ever upon all the impenitent 
 enemies of the true King of Israel and great High Priest of our pro- 
 fession." '^ 
 
36 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 selves without fear." In the primitive days of Christianity 
 behevers met together in private houses for communion and 
 mutual edification. Love-feasts were held to promote unity, 
 to testify, continue and increase brotherly love among them- 
 selves. The love-feasts and the Lord's supper were separate 
 ordinances, but frequently combined. These evil and subtle 
 men came into these love-feast meetings. They were no doubt 
 pretentious, forward, and active in the assembly of the 
 faithful. They were spots, blemishes, in these feasts ; for, 
 instead of eating and drinking in moderation, they pampered 
 their appetite and ate to excess, without the least sense of 
 their own sin and shame. This is implied in the clause, 
 " feeding themselves without fear." In this way those feasts 
 of charity were abused ; and in the middle of the fourth 
 century, the Council of Laodicea prohibited them to be held 
 in the churches. " Clouds they are without water." Like 
 clouds which promise rain, but contain no water, and let 
 fall no fertilizing showers : empty of all saving knowledge 
 and true holiness, they can impart no refreshment to their 
 flocks by their teaching. 
 
 " Trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, 
 plucked up by the roots." Trees without fruit, though in 
 spring there may have been buds of promise, but in autumn 
 without fruit. "Twice dead." Dead in trespasses and sin, 
 which they are by nature, and dead by apostacy from the 
 faith in Christ, past all hope of recovery. Like trees irre« 
 coverably and totally dead, being "plucked up by the roots." 
 
 "Raging waves of the sea," turbulent and violent against 
 all who oppose them, "foaming out their shame." "Wan- 
 dering stars," which have left their original position, and are 
 unsteady and erratic in their course. They who leave the 
 truth know not where they shall stop, " to whom is reserved 
 the blackness of darkness for ever." As heaven is an 
 inheritance reserved for the faithful, so this thick gross 
 darkness is reserved as the certain heritage of these deceivers 
 lor ever. 
 
37 
 
 EXPOSITION IV. 
 
 Enoch' s prophecy of the coming of the Lord to (x(cute vengeance 
 up07i the ungodly. 
 
 "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied oi these, 
 saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to 
 execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among 
 them of alf their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, 
 and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken 
 against him." — Verses 14, 15, 
 
 THE sacred narrative of Enoch's life is sweet and simple. 
 In Genesis we read that " Enoch walked with God, and 
 he was not, for God took him." In the Epistle to the 
 Hebrews it is said, that " before his translation he had this 
 testimony, that he pleased God." In this Epistle Jude has 
 given us Enoch's prophecy. It is not found anywhere else 
 in Scripture. How Jude came by it we know not, whether 
 he read it in an old book now lost, or through tradition, is 
 not known ; nor need we be curious to know, it is enough 
 for us to know that it is here inserted under the sanction and 
 authority of the Holy Ghost as the inspired prophecy of 
 Enoch. 
 
 It strikes us as very remarkable that Jude, before the 
 canon of Holy Scripture was closed — there being only one 
 other book to be written — should be moved by the Divine 
 Spirit, to preserve for the Church the prophecy of Enoch in 
 the ark of the recognised canonical books. Enoch is said 
 to be the seventh from Adam. This number is very sug- 
 gestive. It marked the age in which Enoch lived. As 
 Enoch was the seventh in his descent from Adam, he is 
 considered by some to be a type of those who will not sleep 
 the sleep of death, but will undergo a change as foretold by 
 Paul (i Cor. XV. 51). It was therefore very appropriate that 
 
38 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 Enoch should prophesy of our Lord's coming to judge the 
 ungodly, and commence the millennial era — the seventh 
 period of the world's history. 
 
 The coming of Christ, in that early age, was foretold in two 
 aspects — as a Sufferer^ and as a Judge. The first coming 
 was foretold to Adam. The seed of the woman was to 
 suffer — his heel was to be bruised as the means of bruising 
 the serpent's head, and of saving the fallen. This one 
 promise was the ground of hope to Adam, to Abel, to Seth, 
 and to the pious men in the line of Seth. How far this word 
 of promise was understood by them we know not. It 
 doubtless formed the subject of their conversation, and 
 ministered comfort to them in those dark days amidst 
 surrounding vice and ungodliness. Christ then was the hope 
 and consolation of His people ; they rested on the promise, 
 and died in faith. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, pro- 
 phesied concerning the second coming of the Lord as 
 Judge. After six patriarchal heads had dwelt on the first 
 coming as taught in the seed of the woman bruising the 
 serpent's head : the seventh — the completing one — tells of 
 His second coming with His saints to execute His fiery 
 vengeance on the ungodly. This and similar prophecies 
 claim our serious and thoughtful consideration. 
 
 Note I. The great event announced, afid a?inounced as 
 with a trumpefs voice. — " Behold, the Lord cometh ! " These 
 are solemn words calculated to awaken attention. The 
 prophets often proclaimed His coming. Loud and often has 
 the trumpet peal gone forth — " Behold, the Lord cometh ! " 
 The coming is certain, and is spoken of as nigh at hand. If 
 Enoch in his time said the Lord cometh, we may say with 
 more solemn emphasis in these last times, The Lord cometh ! 
 He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. The 
 coming draweth nigh. Yes, whether we consider it or not, 
 it will and does draw nigh. The Judge is on His way. 
 Every setting sun takes a day from the world's duration. 
 The portion of the wicked is so much less, and the time of 
 their punishment so much approached. The Lord cometh. 
 
EXPOSITION IV. 39 
 
 and His reward is with Him, to give to every one according 
 as his work shall be. 
 
 But though the coming of the Lord is announced as in 
 trumpet tones, it fails to awaken men out of their lethargy. 
 The men of the world ignore the coming of the Lord, and 
 its momentous consequences. They laugh at it, and would 
 feign laugh down the people who are simple enough to 
 beheve it. They dispute it, and raise the scofifing cry, — 
 "Where is the promise of His coming?" They can see no 
 signs of its arrival. It is all a threat, a boast, a fable. There 
 are even professing Christians who would rather not hear 
 about it, and who if they could have their way, would erase 
 it from their creed and silence ail preaching concerning it. 
 They do not indeed mock with the mockers, but they say in 
 their hearts, " My Lord delayeth His coming." They will 
 not give attention to it. They are careless and unconcerned. 
 It is just when men are saying peace and safety, putting 
 away the thought of the Lord's arrival, it is just then that He 
 breaks in upon them as a thief in the night. So that the 
 very fact that there are few who believe in the nearness of 
 the Advent, is just the fact that should arouse and quicken 
 and alarm. For in an hour we think not the Son of Man 
 Cometh. 
 
 Note II. That Enoch foresaw how and in what manner 
 the Lord would come— not by Himself alone, but attended 
 '' with ten thousands of His saints T There are two distinct 
 stages of the Lord's com.ing. In the first. He comes to 
 awaken the sleeping saints, and to change the living ones. 
 This is spoken of in i Thess. iv. The saints must be 
 gathered to him, before they can come with him. They 
 must iirst ascend, before they descend. Between these two 
 stages it is certain that an interval of time will occur, but of 
 its duration we can make no positive assertion. After this 
 interval of time, will follow the second stage of Christ's 
 visible coming, clothed in majesty and power. It will indeed 
 be the time of manifestation both to Him and His people ; 
 '•' When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we 
 
40 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACV. 
 
 also appear with Him in glory." Enoch was the first of the 
 holy prophets to tell us of the manner of His coming; 
 '' Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints." 
 He is sometimes spoken of as coming in the clouds. " I 
 saw," said Daniel, "in the night visions, and behold, one like 
 the Son of Man, came with the clouds of heaven " (Dan. vii. 
 13). When our Lord stood before the High Priest, He 
 said, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the 
 right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven " 
 (Matt, xxvi, 64). There are passages which speak of the 
 holy angels as His attendants, "The Son of Man shall come 
 in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels" 
 (Luke ix. 26). Sometimes they are called mighty angels. 
 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His 
 mighty angels" (2 Thess. i. 7). There are other passages 
 which speak of the Lord's coming with all His saints. The 
 prophet Zechariah said, " The Lord ray God shall come, and 
 ^7// the saints with thee" (Zech. xiv. 5). Myriads of saints 
 as well as angels shall appear with Him in glory. 
 
 " Lo ! He comes with clouds descending, 
 
 Once for favoured sinners slain ; 
 
 Thousand, thousand saints attending, 
 
 Swell the triumph of His train." 
 
 Yes, a vast number of saints and angels will attend His 
 coming. The eye of faith sees Him coming, not in 
 humiliation, weakness, and sorrow as before, but in over- 
 whelming majesty, power, and glory, coming to be glorified 
 in His saints, and admired in all them that believe. May 
 the mind and heart of the reader be impressed with the 
 Apostle's pregnant word, "Maranatha!" '■^ The Lord 
 coinethr 
 
 We come now to note, 
 
 HL The purpose of the Lord's coming ivith His saints to 
 the earth. He comes as stated in the words of this prophecy — 
 "to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are 
 ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they 
 have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches 
 
EXPOSITION IV. 41 
 
 which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." The time 
 in which Enoch prophesied should not be overlooked. It 
 was a time of abounding iniquity, of blasphemy, and open 
 denial of God. Ungodliness prevailed in speech and deed. 
 It may be reasonably supposed that this prophecy had 
 reference to the flood then impending. The ungodly sinners 
 of that age were fairly warned of coming judgment. After 
 Enoch was translated the judgment overtook them. The 
 flood came and took them all away. The ungodly in his 
 own times against whom he had to contend were types and 
 representatives of the ungodly in the times immediately 
 preceding the Lord's second coming. Now it was " of these,'^ 
 or '■'• concerning these,^' as Jude expressly tells us, that Enoch 
 prophesied. 
 
 There are other prophecies beside Enoch's, that speak of 
 the Lord's coming to exercise judgment upon the ungodly, 
 and to root them out of the earth. Oh, that men would 
 hear and carefully ponder them. Listen to the words of 
 Isaiah, " Behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish 
 the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity " (Isa. xxvi. 21), 
 Again, " Behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His 
 chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and 
 His rebuke with flames of fire" (Ixvi. 15). Similar prophecies 
 are found in Joel ii. 1-3, and in Malachi iv. i. In the New 
 Testament we have the testimony of the Lord Himself, " As 
 the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son 
 of Man be" (Matt. xxiv. 37). "Likewise also as it was in 
 the days of Lot ; they drank, they bought, they sold, they 
 planted, they builded, but the same day that Lot went out 
 of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and 
 destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when 
 the Son of Man is revealed" (Luke xvii. 28-30). In the 
 parable of the nobleman, the Son of Man is represented as 
 going into a far country to receive a kingdom, and on his 
 return he saith, "But those mine enemies who would not 
 that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay 
 them before me" (Luke xix. 17). How clearly Paul states 
 
42 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 the purpose of the Lord's coming, "The Lord Jesus shall 
 be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, taking 
 vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the 
 Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. i. 7, 8). In 
 accordance v/ith this is the vision of John, " Behold, He 
 cometh in clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also 
 which pierced Him ; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail 
 because of Him " (Rev. i. 7). Thus He who came to preach 
 the day of salvation, cometh again to proclaim the day of 
 vengeance. He who was led as a lamb to the slaughter, 
 will lead His ten thousand to the prey as the lion of the 
 tribe of Judah. In view of the terrors of that day we may 
 join in asking, "Who shall abide the day of His coming? 
 Who shall stand when He appeareth? In that day the 
 loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness 
 of man shall be made low." In that day men will quail 
 before the brightness of that face they have so long despised, 
 and will call upon the rocks and the mountains, or aught 
 else conceivable, to hide them from the face of Him that 
 sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 
 
 The world is rapidly ripening for judgment. Ungodliness 
 is the special feature of the age, and one of the many signs 
 of its close. Ungodly men abound — men who make a mock 
 at prophecy and prophetic expositors, who treat the Lord's 
 coming with hardihood and derision. Their language is, 
 " Let Him make speed, and hasten His work, that we may 
 see it ; and let the counsel of the Holy One draw nigh and 
 come, that we may know it" (Isa. v. 19). They will 
 ridicule the doctrine and brave His wrath. Whether it is 
 believed or not, the Lord is at hand, to pass judgment upon 
 these mockers, to confute these gainsayers, and to execute 
 upon them deserved wrath. Their own consciences will bear 
 witness against them, and condemn them, so that they will 
 stand self-condemned before the Lord. Likewise "their 
 hard speeches," and malicious opposition against Him, and 
 against His people, will rise up against them, for if we shall 
 have to give account for " every idle word," much more for 
 
EXPOSITION IV. 43 
 
 wicked and malicious words. Alas ! how many thousands, 
 nay, millions of persons of these latter days fall into this 
 judgment and righteous condemnation. 
 
 Oh, reader, whether saved or unsaved, ponder we pray 
 you this ancient prophecy of coming judgment. If saved by 
 personal faith in Christ, take heed lest you fall into the error 
 of saying in the heart, like the " evil servant," my Lord 
 delayeth His coming. Watch and pray, live and walk as 
 did Enoch, to please God, that you may be among the 
 blessed ones who will be taken to meet the Lord in the air, 
 and so be ever with the Lord. If unsaved — unprepared for 
 the coming of the Lord — if you are afraid, and feel that you 
 dare not face the Judge, do not, we beseech you, seek to 
 stifle your fear of coming judgment by dismissing it from 
 your mind. You may escape the awful judgments that will 
 be executed upon the ungodly. Now is your day of grace 
 and mercy. Now repentance and remission of sins are 
 preached in the Saviour's name ; now He receives and 
 pardons the greatest sinners that come to Him. But oh, 
 beware lest the Lord Jesus come before you have really 
 believed in Him to the saving of the soul ; for when He 
 comes again, it will be too late for repentance and salvation. 
 Because there is wrath, beware, lest He take thee away with 
 His stroke. Again, we say, Beware, lest that come upon 
 you which is spoken of in the prophets, " Behold, ye 
 despisers, and wonder, and perish ! " 
 
44 
 
 EXPOSITION V. 
 
 A fiirt/ier description of tlie characteristics of the ungodly, 
 
 " These are niurmurers, complainers, walking after tlieir own lusts ; 
 and their mouth spcaketh great swelling words, having men's persons 
 in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the 
 words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last 
 time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they 
 who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit." — Vers. 16-19. 
 
 w 
 
 E have already seen on whom vengeance will be 
 executed at the Lord's coming. They are the 
 ungodly. Enoch prophesied of these, of their ungodly 
 speeches and ungodly deeds. The verses that follow, and 
 which now claim our attention, refer to the same characters, 
 and give other views and aspects of their ungodliness. 
 Let us then take a brief glance at what is said of them. 
 
 I. They are said to be mnrniurers and complainers. 
 " These are murmurers, complainers." Such characters 
 have appeared in the hoary past. Many of the children of 
 Israel in the wilderness doubted God's love in bringing 
 them out of Egypt. They disbelieved His intention to give 
 them the land promised to their fathers ; they distrusted 
 Moses as their guide ; they broke out in murmuring words 
 against God and His servant Moses. So in the days of 
 Christ there were murmurers. "There was much mur- 
 muring among the people concerning Him." " The Jews 
 murmured at Him, because he said, I am the bread which 
 came down from heaven." "The scribes and Pharisees 
 murmured against the disciples, saying. Why do ye eat and 
 drink with publicans and sinners." So in the apostles' 
 days, the murmuring spirit showed itself in the churches. 
 " Do all things without murmurings and disputings." 
 
EXPOSITION V. 45 
 
 " Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured." 
 These murmurevs spoken of in the wilderness in the time of 
 Christ, and in the early churches, seem to us as historic 
 types of the murmurers of these last days. They are fore- 
 told in a variety of places by the prophets. They are said 
 to "speak grievous things, and proudly and contemptuously 
 against the righteous" (Psalm xxxi. i8). Such persons are 
 never pleased with anything. They find fault with every- 
 body, and are dissatisfied with everything. They complain 
 of their condition in life, finding fault with God and His 
 providential dealings ; making and governing worlds in their 
 own ways, persons whom neither God nor man can please. 
 
 And is not this the spirit of our so-called enlightened age ? 
 Is it not true that these murmurers and complainers abound 
 in our day ? Many of our popular orators complain against 
 the circumstances and condition of certain classes in this 
 country, and insist that they are a people kept down by 
 tyranny and oppression. Is not this statement borne out by 
 the spirit and tone of most of the journals of the day ? This 
 dissatisfaction, this spirit of discontent comes out in various 
 ways, Nov/ it is an assault upon aristocracy, now a crusade 
 against the rich, now men are for dividing the land amongst 
 the people. Now they are for changing the rulers and 
 ministers of the government. The rights of the people, the 
 wrongs of the people, are echoed and re-echoed everywhere. 
 The very air seems infected with the spirit of discontent. 
 
 It may be said that there have been murmurers, com- 
 plainers in all ages ; that is true. Still, the inspired men of 
 old direct our attention to this sin of murmuring as a 
 special feature in society at this stage of the v/orld's history, 
 and as one of the signs of the end. 
 
 2. These murmurers are charged v/ith the sin of sensual 
 indulgence. " Walking after their own lusts." There is in 
 connection with the state of discontent, indulgence of their 
 own lusts. What are they ? The love of the world, the 
 love of fame, the love of power and vain glory. These and 
 such like are among the deceitful lusts of the flesh. They 
 
46 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 take pleasure in them, pursue them, serve them, and fulfil 
 them. Their own lusts ; they are inbred. They come from 
 the bad soil of the human heart. Their own ; they harbour 
 them, lodge them, and give them heart-room. Their own 
 lusts, as they are practically given to them, live in them and 
 walk after them. Their own lusts in a special sense, as they 
 are under their power, obey them willingly, and are the 
 cravings and desires they are most addicted to. 
 
 3. These men are given to boast of themselves. " Their 
 mouth speaketh great swelling words." They are proud, 
 self-conceited persons. They think highly of their own 
 opinions, and know everything better than anyone else. 
 They speak in a haughty manner of their independence and 
 liberty, and affirm that they are free to gratify their own 
 inclinations without control. In these days it cannot be 
 denied that there are a large class of men who take a pride 
 in showing a lawless and rebellious spirit. They claim the 
 right to indulge any lusts of the flesh they may please. 
 They cannot brook restraint, civil or religious. They are 
 aroused to anger and resentment if anybody thwarts them 
 in the fulfilment of their carnal amusements and pleasures. 
 "iThey set their mouth against the heavens," disregard God's 
 word, follow their own notions, and pursue their own 
 thoughts. 
 
 4. They are ready to fawn and flatter others. "Having 
 men's persons in admiration, because of advantage." Thus 
 we may see in the same persons a spirit of boasting allied 
 to a spirit of fawning upon those who are the favourites and 
 leaders of their party. We see this spirit engendered in 
 persons who form part of religious congregations. Favourite 
 ministers may be idolized, and all they say received as pure 
 truth though opposed to the word of God. The former 
 they admire, the latter they do not respect. This servile 
 class may include in it ministers who can fawn and flatter 
 the rich, and overlook their faults in order to gain advantage 
 by them. These are truly pitiable characters. There is, 
 however, a respect due to persons which we are bound to 
 
EXPOSITION V. 47 
 
 pay. An admiration even that is allowed. Ministers ol 
 Christ are to be "honoured as instruments, not adored as 
 deities." Our earthly parents are to be honoured and 
 obeyed because our heavenly Father enjoins it. Elders in 
 the church who rule well are to be counted worthy of 
 double honour. We are bound in all justice to prefer 
 some men before others for their age, real excellencies, and 
 relation to us. 
 
 The admiration here condemned is to say the least excessive 
 and insincere, if not hollow and hypocritical. It is when we 
 praise the endowments and qualifications of great men for 
 advantage. It is to admire unduly their bodily appearance, 
 their outward condition. And thus I take it, that Jude in 
 this place, accuses these servile seducers for their excessive 
 sinful flattery of men in eminence, in wealth, in power^ and 
 outward glory, for their own gain and advantage. 
 
48 
 
 EXPOSITION VI. 
 
 Memorable Words. 
 
 SAINT JUDE now appeals to the faithful to remember the 
 words of the holy apostles in reference to these despe- 
 rate characters. 
 
 " But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before 
 of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ ; how that they told you 
 there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their 
 own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, 
 not having the Spirit." — Vers. 17-19. 
 
 Learn ist^ That the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ 
 concur in their testimony of the apostacy of these times. The 
 warnings and encouragement of the saints in these days 
 would be incomplete, if confined to this solitary Epistle. 
 But we have the concurrent testimony of Christ and his 
 apostles concerning these days, showing that nothing is 
 occurring unforeseen. "When the Son of Man cometh 
 shall he find faith on the earth" (Luke xviii. 8)? This is 
 a strong inrplication of a widespread apostacy impending 
 (see Romans xvi. 17, 18). Paul in writing to Timothy says, 
 "The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times 
 some shall depart from, the faith, giving heed to seducing 
 spirits and doctrines of demons" (i Tim, iv. i). And, 
 further, " This knotv," said he, speaking prophetically, "that 
 in the last days perilous times shall come." Giving the moral 
 characteristics of the times, self-love, covetous, proud, self- 
 willed, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God ; having 
 a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. The 
 Apostle Peter gives a similar testimony : " This second 
 epistle, beloved, I now write unto you ; in both which 
 I stir up your pure minds in rernembranee ] that ye may be 
 mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy 
 
EXPOSITION VI. 4g 
 
 jjrophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of 
 the Lord and Saviour ; knowing this first, that there shall 
 come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts " 
 (2 Peter iii. 1-3). The Apostle John, in his first Epistle, 
 reminds us of what Paul had said of the coming of Anti- 
 Christ : " Ye have heai-d that Antichrist shall come " (ch. 
 ii. 18). Jude here refers to the same subject, and speaks 
 of murmurers walking in ungodly lusts, separatists, sensual, 
 unspiritual. Thus the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, John, 
 Jude, all speak of the last days as evil times, all foretell 
 apostacy which is only extirpated by judgment. 
 
 2nd. The words of warning spoken by the apostles in 
 reference to these last times should be frequently present to 
 the mind. They claim our reverent attention. "Remem- 
 ber ! " This gentle monition is needful. We are apt to be 
 forgetful of what the Holy Spirit has said of the mockers 
 who will pursue their ungodly lusts and pleasures up to the 
 very hour of judgment. Remember ! Be concerned to 
 have right views of the apostacy, and of the close of this 
 dispensation. " Remember ye the words which have been 
 spoken before of the apostles," when you hear from the 
 pulpit and the platform of the gradual renovation of man- 
 kind by scientific, moral, or even scriptural means. Re- 
 member ! When you hear men of advanced thought boast 
 of the age in which we live as the most glorious and hopeful 
 ever known. Remember ! Don't be misled by such boast- 
 ing. The words spoken by holy men of God lead us to 
 expect a different state of things. What ! says the social 
 reformer, with a little ill-humour, would you have us believe 
 that the world is not progressing ? Look at the triumphs 
 of civilisation, the refinements of art, the provisions for 
 comfort \ listen to the cry for education ; watch the spread 
 of knowledge. These are improvements that cannot be 
 gainsaid. We admit all this. But let us not conceal from 
 ourselves this truth, that the improvement of the world is 
 superficial, not real ; that is to say, not inherent, or neces- 
 sarily lasting. If we rest our hopes of the final triumph of 
 
 E 
 
50 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 goodness, truth, and righteousness on what man can do, on 
 popular theories of education, poHtics, and legislation, we 
 must sooner or later be bitterly disappointed. Remember 
 ye the words of warning given by the inspired apostles ! 
 Read, study them for yourselves, for by so doing you will 
 be best prepared to form an enlightened judgment of the 
 character and close of this dispensation. You will be kept 
 from entertaining fallacious hopes of the world getting better, 
 and from false applications of promises of blessedness to 
 the present age, which refer to, and will be fulfilled in the 
 millennial period. Remember the words of the apostles of 
 our Lord, how they told you there should be mockers, or 
 scoffers, in the last time, who should walk after their own 
 ungodly lusts. " These be they," says the Spirit of truth, 
 " who separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit." 
 
51 
 
 EXPOSITION VII. 
 
 TJic duty of believers to establish themselves in the faith. 
 
 WE have felt it to be no pleasant task to dwell upon the 
 sad picture presented in this Epistle of the character 
 and doom of those who depart from the faith. Hideous as 
 the picture is, we dare not modify or alter any of its dark 
 features. It would be dishonest to do so. I'he picture is 
 given that we may take warning, and not be disturbed in 
 our faith, when we witness even in the Church such cha- 
 racters as correspond to those here portrayed. It is now a 
 relief and a pleasure to turn from the subject of apostacy to 
 consider the needful and practical exhortation addressed by 
 Jude to believers, 
 
 " But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, 
 praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking 
 for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." — Vers. 20, 21. 
 
 In this exhortation St. Jude breathes a tender concern for 
 believers in his, and in all time. Thrice in this short 
 Epistle he calls them " Beloved." This precious appellation 
 shows the Apostle's interest in them. He congratulates 
 them, as the " beloved in God the Father, and the preserved 
 in Christ ; " and contrasts their blessed state with that of 
 others who were sensual, having not the Spirit. But he saw 
 they were in circumstances of great danger. Various errors 
 encompassed them about, and it was particularly needful to 
 put them on their guard. Certain men had crept in 
 stealthily among them, and began to sow their bad seed. 
 The Apostle also saw that the evil which crept into the 
 Church in his day would work on and on, and finally unfold 
 itself in all the terrible forms of apostacy in the last days. 
 The practical exhortation, therefore, addressed to the beloved 
 
52 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 then, is of the deepest importance noiv. In this exhortation 
 four things are earnestly enjoined, viz. : Mutual edification ; 
 praying in the Holy Ghost ; preservation in the love of 
 God ; and looking expectantly for the mercy of the Lord 
 Tesus unto eternal life. Such are the special duties and 
 exercises incumbent upon us in these times. 
 
 I. Mutual edificatio7i : " Building up yourselves on your 
 most holy faith." This naturally leads us to speak of the 
 foundation of the building, and then the building itself. 
 
 (i.) The foundation. The spiritual edifice to be reared 
 must rest on something — it must have a basis. The basis is 
 " our most holy faith." By faith here we understand, not 
 the grace, or act of faith, but the word of faith — the word to 
 be believed. The Gospel is called the faith, because it re- 
 veals the doctrines of faith, the truths to be believed to 
 salvation, and more particularly the doctrine of faith in 
 Christ. Christ Jesus is the primary object of faith — the 
 sure, elect, and precious foundation-stone. To Him we 
 must cleave, and on Him alone we must build. As we rest 
 upon a man by trusting to his word, so we must build upon 
 Christ by hearing, receiving, and believing His words. " He 
 that heareth My words," said He, "and doeth them, I will 
 liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock." 
 As wise men we must build ourselves up, not on sand, not 
 on human traditions, or formulated creeds, or the wisdom 
 of men, but on those foundation truths and central facts of 
 our common Christianity which the Gospels and the Epistles 
 unfold. The Apostle Paul tells us what that faith is which 
 was delivered to him, and which he had made known to 
 others as the basis on which they may safely build for 
 eternity. " Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you, the 
 Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have re- 
 ceived, and wherein ye stand, and by which also ye are 
 saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, 
 unless ye have believed in vain. For I declared unto you 
 first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died 
 for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was 
 
EXPOSITION VII. 53 
 
 buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to 
 the Scriptures " (i Cor. xv. 1-4). " ^^^e thus judge, that if 
 one died for all, then were all dead ; and that He died for 
 all, that they -which live should not henceforth live unto 
 themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose 
 again" (2 Cor. v. 14, 15). 
 
 These are a few of the vital truths of the Gospel, and our 
 faith, our hope, our eternal salvation rests upon them. 
 " Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, 
 but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of 
 God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and 
 prophets ; Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner 
 stone" (Eph. ii. 19, 20). In the Apostle's touching address 
 to the Ephesians, as he was taking leave of them, he said, 
 " And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the 
 word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to 
 give you an inheritance among all them which are sancti- 
 fied " (Acts XX. 32). " The word of God's grace" is clearly 
 the word of faith, the foundation on which we must seek to 
 be firmly established, that we may be able to stand against 
 all the errors of the present day, and to build up a holy 
 character. 
 
 (2.) The foundation is holy in its nature and origin. It 
 is not only designated holy, but " most holy." It must be 
 so, as it proceeds from God, and is a manifestation of His 
 holiness and grace. The faith is the communication of 
 God's glorious thoughts to us. Its teachings received into 
 the heart are purifying in their operation, its precepts are 
 holy, its promises are holy, its ordinances are holy. The 
 great end and design of the faith is man's freedom from all 
 sin, and his restoration to God's holy image. It produces 
 holiness of life. It is indeed worthy to be called " most 
 holy faith," in contrast with the most unholy faiths of human 
 origin. 
 
 II. The building enjoined : " Build up yourselves." This 
 is work that can only be enjoined upon those who are in the 
 faith. Beloved, you are at once yourselves the builders and 
 
54 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 the stones. You are warned to take heed how you build, 
 and to the kind of material used in the building. You 
 must see to it that the material corresponds with the foun- 
 dation. Your most holy faith, as we have seen, is the 
 precious basis ; on that you are called to rear up a holy 
 spiritual structure. It may be asked, how can Ave build up 
 ourselves ? Is not this building the work of the Spirit ? 
 Are we not His workmanship, builded together for a habi- 
 tation of God through the Spirit ? True we are, and un- 
 less the Spirit of God build this spiritual house, all labour 
 is vain. But then God builds by means. He depends 
 upon you doing your work. He requires your co-opera- 
 tion in raising this spiritual edifice. He says, " Build 
 yourselves up." This is what you are to do, and what you 
 can do by the aid of the Holy Spirit. Take firm hold of 
 the hving word, feed upon it daily, and it will sustain and 
 nourish the inner man, and you v.'ill thereby grow up in 
 truth and grace, in wisdom and strength, in purity and 
 goodness. You will slowly but surely unfold in your cha- 
 racter the beauties of holiness, qualities more valuable, 
 solid, and durable than gold, silver, or precious stones. 
 
 These words evidently set forth the responsibility of the 
 members of the Church of Christ to build up each other, 
 to help one another. I would earnestly impress upon your 
 minds the practical importance of this work. Is it not 
 true that you are called to be ministers to each other, 
 according to the measure of the gift of Christ ? While 
 you are concerned for your individual edification, improve- 
 ment, and progress in Divine things, you should be equally 
 concerned for that of your brethren. This is incumbent 
 upon you as living stones in the temple of the Lord. There 
 must be mutual service. "By love serve one another." 
 Mutual esteem : " in lowliness of mind let each esteem 
 other better than themselves." Mutual prayer : " praying 
 one for another." Mutual oversight: "looking diligently," 
 that is, taking an oversight of each other, "lest any man 
 fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing 
 
EXPOSITION I'll. 55 
 
 up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." Mutual 
 adnionition : "Teaching and admonishing one another." 
 Admonition may sound harsh in our ears ; we do not like 
 it ; but here the admonition, whether given or received, is 
 " in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with 
 grace in our hearts unto the Lord." Mutual edification : 
 " Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one 
 another, even as ye do." " Let us, therefore, follow after 
 things which make for peace, and things wherewith one 
 may edify another." Study the means, and take pains to 
 build each other up. The wisest and strongest in the Church 
 may be edified ; the weakest and most illiterate may edify. 
 As you are united together by one faith, and mutually 
 dependent, endeavour to instruct one another in the know- 
 ledge of Divine things, to improve each other in every good 
 and holy purpose, to establish each other in every Christian 
 principle and disposition, to strengthen each other for the 
 fulfilment of every duty, that each might be settled and 
 immovable in the faith and obedience of the Gospel. The 
 substance of the exhortation, is, endeavour to make one 
 another wise and strong, holy and happy. Build yourselves 
 up. Erect a holy superstructure on your most holy faith. 
 How is this holy work to be done ? It may be done— 
 (i.) By coining frequently together for prayei- and felloia- 
 ship one with another. It is in these social meetings we 
 may be the means of encouraging and strengthening each 
 other in the Lord, Men of different nations, and of widely 
 different habits of thought can associate together for the 
 advancement of science, and the cultivation of art ; and 
 shall we not gladly associate together for mutual spiritual 
 edification. It is said of God-fearing men in Malachi's 
 time — a time of religious declension — that " they spake 
 often one to another." It is said of those new converts who 
 were added to the Church on the day of Pentecost, that 
 " they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and 
 fellowship : " that is, they continued to meet for fellowship 
 as a means of growth in strength and knowledge, in love 
 
56 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 and holiness. They were much together for prayer and 
 communion ; watching over one another ; sustaining and 
 being sustained \ edifying and being edified ; blessing and 
 being blessed ; caring and being cared for. Christians now 
 as in bygone days must often meet together as the most 
 effectual means of fostering this active sympathy, this reci- 
 procal affection, this loving oneness of heart and soul. We 
 need each other's prayers, sympathies, and help. " Let us 
 consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works ; 
 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the 
 manner of some is ; but exhorting one another ; and so 
 much the more as ye see the day approaching." 
 
 (2.) This work of building up may be done 'by godly 
 i7itercourse and conversation with each other. Keep it in 
 view when you meet in the street, or in the familiar and 
 social circles of life. It is to be feared that the true interests 
 of the soul are often lost sight of at such times. There is 
 reserve and reticence on Divine things. We can talk of the 
 news and occurrences of the day. "\^^e can speak of busi- 
 ness and the state of trade. We can build each other up in 
 politics ; but we meet and part without a word of spiritual 
 counsel and encouragement. In your inter-communion 
 with each other, beware lest the enem)' should betray you 
 into conversation unbecoming the purity which ought to 
 mark the character of those who profess to be the temples 
 of the Holy Ghost. " Let no corrupt communication pro- 
 ceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use 
 of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers." It 
 is not enough to avoid light talk, easy gossip, foolish jesting 
 that is unprofitable. "Let your speech be always with 
 grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how to answer 
 every man." In this way, you may mutually instruct and 
 edify one anothei-. 
 
 Oh, beloved, see to it, w^e beseech you, that you build up 
 yourselves individually and collectively. Be true and faith- 
 ful to the holy and happy relationship into which you have 
 entered. There is much need for this. We see on every 
 
EXPOSITION I'll. 
 
 57 
 
 side departure from the truth. " The things which are 
 most surely behaved among us " are no longer unquestioned. 
 The foundations of our faith are secretly undermined by 
 some, and openly assailed by others. The poison of error 
 is at work in our churches, and even the "very elect" arc 
 in danger of being carried away by " false teachers." What, 
 then, is your duty in the present state of things? It is to 
 seek fresh supplies of grace from God, to study the teachings 
 of the Holy Spirit, that you may fortity yourselves against 
 the torrent of evil. Carry out this exhortation, and you 
 shall not waver like a wave of the sea, nor be driven by the 
 winds of false teaching, but remain settled and unshaken 
 like a house upon a rock. 
 
 It is worthy of note that Jude makes no reference to the 
 work of the Christian minister, ^^'e know it pleased the 
 Lord when He ascended up on high, to give pastors and 
 teachers, and to endow them with suitable gifts for the per- 
 fecting of the saints, and for the edifying of the body. Nor 
 has the Great Head of the Church ceased to give minis- 
 terial gifts to edify ; but the prophetic spirit of Jude saw 
 that the time would come when many in the ministry would 
 fail to teach the people knowledge, that their gifts would be 
 improperly directed, or perverted from their specific pur- 
 pose. He therefore exhorts believers at such times espe- 
 cially to fraternize and co-operate with each other. But ye, 
 beloved, building up yourselves, not on your doings and 
 feelings, but on the basis of your most holy faith. Building 
 is an upward growth, a progressive work ; it is done by 
 little and little ; but yet many littles will bring forth much, 
 and make a beautiful building in the end. Continue then 
 in the work ; add layer upon layer, add grace to grace, add 
 faith to faith, virtue to virtue, knowledge to knowledge ; and 
 never cease till the headstone is added, and the building 
 perfect and complete in Christ. 
 
58 
 
 EXPOSITION VIII. 
 
 " Prayer in ihe Holy Ghost " a sweet privilege and a profit- 
 able liabit, giving strejigth for spii-itual work. 
 
 JUDE joins building and praying together. " But ye, 
 beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, 
 praying in the Holy Ghost." The two are so related to 
 each other that we cannot proceed with the one if we 
 neglect the other. There can be no progressive develop- 
 ment of the Christian character, no conscious advance in 
 spiritual life, in heavenly love, in Divine strength where 
 there is no prayer. There can be no real success in the 
 Church, no growth in the piety of her members, no increase 
 in the number of the saved, where there is no prayer. 
 
 Having on a former occasion dwelt upon the mutual 
 building enjoined, let us now direct our attention to that 
 which is evidently essential to success in the work, "praying 
 in the Holy Ghost." This is what we must be doing in 
 connection with all our work for God. What is prayer ? 
 Prayer, that which is recognised in Scripture as such, 
 consists not so much in our definition of helplessness as the 
 feeling of it. There may be " the form of sound words," 
 and no prayer ; and there may be true prayer, and no 
 formal repetition of words. There is prayer in a look, a 
 groan. Prayer is the breathing out of the soul's sincere 
 desire after God. It is the look of the dependent child to 
 its own loving Father in all the consciousness of ulter help- 
 lessness, and in all the sweetness of filial trust. 
 
 Prayer is the evidence of a soul quickened into life. It 
 is " God's breath in man " returning to its source. There is 
 no spiritual life where the breathing of prayer is not carried 
 on. The soul that lives breathes; and this "spiritual 
 
EXPOSITION VIII. 59 
 
 respiration " is as essential to the life of the soul as the air 
 we breathe is to the life of the body. He who is able to 
 speak to God in prayer, lives ; for prayer is the surest 
 indication of this heaven-born life. See ! yonder lies a 
 human body — I am told it is a corpse — lifeless and 
 breathless. I approach and ask those who are looking on, 
 " Is there any hope of life ? " One steps forth and says, 
 " There is hope, for I have put to his lips a glass, and I 
 am certain the glass is dimmed with breath. I have 
 examined, and there is a slight pulsation. There is life 
 where there is breath." And blessed be God, there is 
 spiritual life where there is prayer. Weak and languid it 
 mav be, but there is life where there is prayer; when it 
 ceases life is lost. 
 
 This prayer, which is the sign of spiritual life, is distin- 
 
 ouished by one glorious peculiarity; it is in the Holy Ghost. 
 
 The Holy Spirit is not only the Spirit of life, but He is 
 
 designated " the Spirit of grace and supplication." He is 
 
 the Author and Prompter of all genuine prayer. He 
 
 prepares, disposes, and enables us to pray for ourselves and 
 
 others. Every acceptable petition is the fruit of His 
 
 indwelling presence. No prayer can be acceptable that is 
 
 not offered up in and by the Spirit. On this point the 
 
 testimony of Scripture is very explicit, " God is a spirit, 
 
 and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and 
 
 in truth." "We are the circumcision, who worship God in 
 
 the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence 
 
 in the flesh." "Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our 
 
 infirmities ; for we know not what we should pray for as we 
 
 ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us 
 
 with groanings that cannot be uttered." " He maketh 
 
 intercession for the saints according to the will of God.'' 
 
 "Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the 
 
 Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and 
 
 supplication for all saints." "We . . . have access by one 
 
 Spirit unto the Father." 
 
 From these passages it is obvious that the prayer which 
 
6o JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 is required from us is prayer in the Holy Gliost. It is by 
 the hght of the Holy Spirit that we come to know the 
 Father's name, to rest on the Saviour's merits, and to plead 
 believingly the promises of mercy. It is the Holy Spirit 
 that teaches us what we are to pray for, and liow — drawing 
 out our souls in holy desires after spiritual things, and in 
 fervent supplications for others, filling our mouth with 
 arguments, leading us to plead our cause at the throne of 
 grace, and to urge our request with importunity till we 
 prevail. 
 
 "Let Moses in the spirit groan, 
 And God cries out let Me alone." 
 
 " Praying in the Holy Ghost " may sound strange in the 
 ear of the formalist and unspiritual ; '' for the natural man 
 receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are 
 foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because 
 they are spiritually discerned." But every true Christian 
 knows what it means because he hath obtained the spiritual 
 faculty, and will be ready to exclaim, " Where the Spirit of 
 the Lord is there is liberty." 
 
 The spirit of prayer is what is most needed. What will 
 the form, the habit, or even the gift of prayer do for you 
 without the spirit of prayer ? You may have the gift, but 
 not the spirit of prayer. The gift and the spirit of prayer 
 are two distinct things. What is termed the gift is not a 
 supernatural communication, so much as a diligent improve- 
 ment of natural parts. A retentive memory, fluency of 
 utterance, natural fervour, are the chief elements which 
 constitute the gift of prayer. You may not be gifted in 
 prayer, but you may possess the spirit, and that is far more 
 important than the gift. For, as Bishop Leighton has well 
 said, "It is not the gilded paper and the good writing of a 
 petition that prevails with a king, but the sense of it." Nor 
 is it the fine phraseology, nor the rich sentiment, nor the 
 splendid imagery of our prayers that God regards — far 
 from it. It is the deep feeling, the holy earnestness, 
 the strong faith of the petitioner that pierces heaven, 
 
EXPOSITION VIII. 6 1 
 
 enters the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and moves 
 Him graciously to answer. It is far better, therefore, to 
 have the spirit than the gift of prayer. The two can bear 
 no comparison in importance. The gift of prayer may 
 make us acceptable to man, but it is the grace that makes 
 us acceptable to God. We may be puffed up by the gift, 
 but the grace always lays and keeps us low. The gift may 
 be destroyed against our will, we may lose our speech, but 
 nothing outward can take away the spirit of prayer within ; 
 that has a tongue which no persecution can silence or destroy. 
 And with regard to sin, the spirit of prayer is much more 
 opposed to it than the gift. AVe may have a natural power and 
 pathos in prayer, though inconsistences prevail in our daily 
 conduct; but if the spirit of prayer live in us, all sin must 
 quail and be prostrate before it. 
 
 There are professing Christians who tell us that they 
 cannot pray, that they have no gift in prayer, and on that 
 ground try to excuse their silence in prayer meetings. 
 What? a Christian who cannot pray ! This can never be. We 
 should as soon believe that there was a soldier that could 
 not fight, a scholar that could not read, a mariner never on 
 board a vessel in his life, as believe a man who told us he 
 was a Christian and could not pray. Let those who never 
 or seldom pray in a prayer meeting, supposing they lack the 
 gift, get the spirit, and that will improve the gift. For while 
 it is true as we have said^ that a man may have the gift and 
 not the spirit of prayer, it is equally true to say that he who 
 has the spirit will improve the gift. We have known new 
 converts for example by living near to God after the new 
 birth, acquire greater freedom and power in the exercise of 
 prayer in six months, than others who have enjoyed less 
 of the Spirit of God have acquired in six years. Oh, let 
 the young timid disciple who feels it to be a great trial to 
 pray in our social assemblies, get the spirit of prayer and be 
 more in secret prayer with God, and he will soon find it 
 simple enough to pour out his heart with others in prayer — 
 '' duty will cease to be a load, and worship a task." He 
 
62 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 will be ready anywhere and at any moment for the exercise. 
 For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is life and power, 
 liberty and unction, faith and everything that constitutes 
 acceptable prayer. 
 
 We shall never pray as we ought, that is with fervency 
 and power, unless we pray in the Holy. Ghost Nothing 
 will do as a substitute for the Spirit ; and nothing will make 
 up for this deficiency. A man may have a strong intellect, 
 a cultivated mind, a fine taste, a flowing eloquence, a 
 musical voice, but all will not make up for the absence of 
 the Spirit. Who has not felt dull and weary while listening 
 to a prayer full of good thoughts and kind sentiments, and 
 expressed in language scrupulously accurate, but which has 
 not been offered in the power of the Holy Ghost ? While 
 a brother of very little ability, of awkward manner and 
 stammering utterance has been pleading with God the 
 Father in the Holy Ghost, a power from on high has 
 pervaded and moved the whole assembly — 
 
 '"Twas e'en as if an angel shook his wings." 
 
 Yes, there was real power. We want more of this ; we 
 can do without fluency, but we cannot do without power. 
 "A fluency in prayer," observes Dr. A. Clarke, "is not 
 essential to praying ; a man may pray most powerfully in 
 the estimation of God, who is not able to utter a word. 
 The unutterable groan is big with meaning, and God 
 understands it because it is the language of His own Spirit. 
 Some desires are too mighty to be expressed — there is no 
 language expressive enough to give them proper form and 
 distinct vocal sound. Such desires show that they come 
 from God ; and as they come from Him, so they express 
 what God is disposed to do, and what He has purposed to 
 do. Those who experience these inward groanings in the 
 spirit and unutterable longings at the throne of grace for 
 their own holiness, the triumph of truth and the salvation of 
 men, are the true Israel of God, that have power with God 
 and man, and prevail." 
 
EXrOSlTION VIII. ^i 
 
 How may we know that we pray in the Spirit ? 
 We answer 
 
 (i.) If we pray in the Spirit we shall pray much in the 
 words of the Spirit. We shall be prompted to express the 
 desires kindled in our hearts in the dialect of the Spirit. 
 The very prayers indited by the Spirit of God and offered 
 by devout men in olden time, will often be upon our lips ; 
 such as these, " Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe." 
 " Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may con- 
 tinually resort." " Lead me to the Rock that is higher 
 than I." " Lord, help me." " Quicken me according to 
 Thy word." " Sanctify me through Thy truth." The Holy 
 Spirit honours His word, and will lead us to remind God of 
 what He has said and done, and to translate His words into 
 prayer and His promises into arguments. 
 
 (2.) If we pray in the Spirit, we shall pray in the name of 
 Jesus. There will be something more than the formal 
 mention of it. We shall rest upon it, and pray through it. 
 We shall go to God with the eye of faith on what Christ is 
 and what He has done, as supplying the only wvarrant and 
 ground of approach. Prayer in the Spirit through the name 
 of Jesus will be heard. " Verily I say unto you, AVhatsoever 
 ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you." 
 
 (3.) If we pray in the Spirit, we shall pray in subjection to 
 the known will of God. " He maketh intercession for the 
 saints according to the will of God." He makes known to 
 us the will of God, and enables us to present our request in 
 subjection to and in accordance with His will and pleasure. 
 (4.) If we pray in the Spirit, we shall pray in faith. We 
 shall take hold of the promises with firmness, and be fully 
 persuaded that what God has promised, He is able to 
 perform. "This is the confidence that we have in Him, 
 that, if we ask anything according to His will. He heareth 
 us ; and if we know that He heareth us, whatsoever we ask, 
 we know that we have the petitions that we desired of 
 Him " (i John v. 14, 15). 
 
 These are the distinguishing features of prayer in the 
 
64 JUDE\S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 Holy Ghost. If we realize the value of such prayer, we 
 shall prize very highly the presence of the Holy Spirit. 
 For where the Spirit is, there will be power and success in 
 prayer. Let us make much of His indwelling presence ; 
 let us cherish every feeling which He excites in the mind ; 
 attend to His faintest whisper. Let us take heed that in 
 nothing we grieve Him ; for if the Holy Spirit be grieved 
 and hindered by absorbing cares, self-indulgence, idle 
 amusements and other sins, we shall lose communion with 
 God, lack power in prayer, become cold and formal, and be 
 in danger of giving up prayer altogether. Lord, what were 
 my life, if I could not pray ! It would be my burden, and 
 how can I pray without Thy Spirit ? Send forth Thy Spirit 
 into my heart that I may cry, " Abba Father ! " 
 
 "The prayer I make will then be sweet indeed, 
 If Thou the Spirit give by which I pray." 
 
65 
 
 EXPOSITION IX. 
 
 The command to presence the love of God in the heart. 
 "Keep yourselves in the love of God." — Ver. 21. 
 
 ALL the parts of this precious exhortation are in harmony. 
 It is by building up ourselves on our most holy faith, 
 and by praying in the Holy Ghost, that we most effectually 
 keep ourselves in the love of God. It is assumed that we 
 know God, that we have entered into His love, and that 
 His love has entered into us ; and therefore Jude in these 
 words counsels us to keep in it. He says to us, in effect, 
 this Divine love is a safe fortress, abide therein. It is a 
 rich possession, retain it. It is a holy atmosphere, con- 
 tinually live in it. Keep in the happy conscious enjoyment 
 of it. Rest in it, and be satisfied with it. "God is love, 
 and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God."' 
 
 The exhortation to keep in the love of God implies the 
 possibility of losing it. The charge brought against the 
 Church at Ephesus was that she had left her " first love." 
 The Divine displeasure was awakened, and tender moni- 
 tions given her to repent, and do her first works. We are 
 pained by the conviction which is forcing itself upon us, 
 that " the love of many is waxing cold." The glow and 
 freshness of their first love is faded, its force is spent. 
 They have failed through one cause and another to keep 
 themselves in the love of God. This sad fact is attested 
 by too many witnesses to admit of a doubt. The love of 
 God is transferred to the world. What Paul said of Demas 
 Christ may say of many — they have forsaken me, having 
 loved the present evil world. 
 
 As declensions from the love of God are so common in 
 the present day we shall endeavour to enforce, and, if 
 
 F 
 
66 JUDE'S EPISTLE UF A PO STACY. 
 
 possible, to impress upon belie^"el•s this important precept, 
 " Keep yourselves in the love of God." I'here are special 
 reasons that should lead us to constantly aim at this. 
 
 (i.) Keep yourselves in the love of God, as it is the 
 essence of your religious life. The love of God, that is to 
 say, the love which we exercise towards God, is love in its 
 highest exercise, and directed towards its noblest object. 
 Love is justly represented as the essence of the new-born 
 life of the soul. For as soon as the heart is renewed, it 
 turns to God as the supreme object of complacency and 
 desire. It comprehends delight in God, confidence in God, 
 obedience to God, and every other reHgious sentiment. As 
 religion is " a tree of life," so love is the sap by which the 
 tree is made to grow and flourish and bring forth fruit. Let 
 this Divine element be lost, and the tree from root to 
 branch, and from branch to the feeblest twig, would lose its 
 vitality and freshness : its form and symmetry might be 
 preserved for a while, but it would be nothing more than a 
 withered and dead symmetry. The Cliristian is called to 
 adorn the Gospel of his Lord and Saviour. To do this 
 he must be animated and stimulated by this love in the 
 discharge of all his duties towards God and towards his 
 fellow-creatures. His faith must work by love, his labour 
 must be the activity of love, his patience must be the 
 endurance of love, his hope the longing of love, and every 
 other grace must have its root in love. It is the diamond 
 among the jewels in the believer's breastplate. The other 
 graces shine like the precious stones of nature with their 
 own peculiar lustre and various hues, but the diamond is 
 white. Now, in white all the other colours are united ; so 
 in love is centred every other grace and virtue. It comes 
 out in various forms : in acts of forgiveness, forbearance, 
 compassion, and kindness one to another. Let us then, 
 ab'jve all things, and at any cost, keep ourselves in this 
 love ; for we have as much of true religion as we have of 
 the love of God, and no more. 
 
 (2.) Keep yourselves in the love of God, because it 
 
EXPOSITION IX. 67 
 
 produces clieerful obedience to the will of God. The love of 
 God is not a light transient sentiment, but an abiding prin- 
 ciple, ever working in the inmost recesses, and through all 
 the avenues of our moral and spiritual being. It is a power 
 within and the main spring of action without. 
 
 " Love is the fountain whence 
 All true obedience flows ; 
 The Christian serves the God he loves, 
 And loves the God he knows." 
 
 " This is the love of God, that we keep His command- 
 nients ; and His commandments are not grievous." "He 
 that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is 
 that loveth Me." " He that loveth Me keepeth My sayings." 
 Obedience is love itself made visible — love in action. It is 
 the voice, and look, and carriage which affection of neces- 
 sity assumes. Who does not smile at professions of friend- 
 ship which evaporate in empty words? Who does not know 
 instinctively that it is the nature of a strong affection to take 
 possession of the man, and be visible in the general tenor 
 of his actions ? Would any one think it necessary to be- 
 lieve in the most solemn asseverations of attachment which 
 lead to no practical consequences ? God has established 
 exactly the same test of our devotion to Him which we 
 habitually apply towards each other. He judges of our love 
 to Him not by any mere verbal expressions, not by occa- 
 sional ebullition of feelings, but by conformity to His will. 
 Whenever the heart is warmed with the love of God, there 
 will be a willing service rendered to God. Let us keep 
 ourselves in the love of God as the blessed incentive to 
 obedience ; the more we love God the more cheerfully shall 
 we trust, honour, and obey Him. Declensions in obedience 
 begin in declining love ; and when we leave our first love 
 we neglect to do our first works. 
 
 (3.) Keep yourselves in the love of God, because it will 
 constrain you to love the children of God. " If a man say, I 
 love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he that 
 loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love 
 
68 lUDL'S EPISTLE OF A POST AC V. 
 
 God, whom he hath not seen ? And this commandment 
 have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his 
 brother also." The fire of love to God cannot burn in a 
 heart cold and frozen to the saints ; our love to God and 
 the godly, grow or decay together. Living and abiding in 
 the love of God we shall live and abide in love to our 
 fellow-disciples. We shall not pause to inquire to what 
 section of the Church they belong, what name they bear, 
 what colour of uniform they wear ; but, recognizing in them 
 the spirit of Christ's disciples, our heart will warm toward 
 them, and our hand will be freely offered to them. What 
 force, as well as beauty, there is in St. John's reasoning on 
 this subject, " Beloved, let us love one another ; for love is 
 of God ; and every one that loveth is born of God, and 
 knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for 
 God is love." "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also 
 to love one another. If we love one another, God dwelleth 
 in us, and His love is perfected in us." 
 
 (4.) " Keep yourselves in the love of God," as it is the 
 great presen<aiive from the erro7-s and evils which ihiong your 
 path. Love imparts light to the mind ; the more we lo\e 
 God, the more clearly shall we know God, and the meaning 
 of His word. What says the great Teacher? "If you 
 continue in My word (or love), then are ye My disciples 
 indeed ; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall 
 make you free." One of the blessed results of continuing 
 in Christ's love is a capacity to know the truth. We shall 
 know the truth spiritually — because that is its true meaning 
 — effectually, savingly. It is thus the Apostle represents 
 the enlightening influence of this love in his prayer for the 
 Philippians : " And this I pray, that your love may abound 
 yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that 
 ye may approve things that are excellent," or that ye may 
 test the difference of things, the good and the bad, the 
 true and the false, to avoid the one and choose the other. 
 
 Love to God, my reader, is your only safeguard against 
 all manner of false doctrine and evil practices. Lose the 
 
E POSITION IX. 69 
 
 fervour of tliis love, and there is no telling the notions you 
 may adopt, or the course you may pursue. As, therefore, 
 you dread apostacy, keep yourself in the love of God. 
 
 (5.) Keep yourselves in the love of God, for in doing 
 so you will preserve order and harmony witliiii. When the 
 love of God is in the ascendant, it sets all the powers of 
 the soul in motion ; it gives impulse and energy to the will, 
 discernment to the understanding, and brings into harmony 
 and peace all the discordant elements of our nature. Happy 
 indeed is the soul where this Divine love reigns. More- 
 over, keeping in this love you will preserve peace and unity 
 among yourselves as members of the Church. Love unites, 
 and union in the Church is what we earnestly desire to 
 witness. " Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren 
 to dwell together in unity." Love is the basis of Christian 
 union and fellowship. 
 
 " Ble.st be the tie that binds 
 
 Our liearcs in Christian love, 
 The fellowsliip of kindred minds 
 Is like to that above." 
 
 Above all, keeping in the love of God, we shall feel drawn 
 to Him as the centre of attraction. Converse with Him 
 will be our element. All our purposes and pursuits will be 
 in harmony with His will, and all that we do will be done 
 to His glory. Loving God we can sweetly acquiesce in all 
 His dispensations toward us, whether they be good or evil. 
 We can bear almost anything from one Ave love, especially 
 when we know that it is accompanied with wisdom and 
 directed by goodness. It was love that dictated those 
 memorable sayings of Job, during the early part of his 
 trials. " The Lord gave, and He hath taken away ; blessed 
 be the name of the Lord. Shall we receive good at the 
 hands of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil ? " 
 
 (6.) One more reason. " Keep yourselves in the love of 
 God," that you may be esteemed and loved of God. For 
 there is a sense in which God's love to us is the result of 
 our love to Him. " I love them that love Me." Who 
 would not desire to be loved of God? If it is a privilege to 
 
yo JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 have the esteem and love of good and wise men, it is in- 
 finitely greater to enjoy the holy complacency of God. 
 " The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and his count- 
 enance doth behold the upright." "The Lord taketh 
 pleasure in them that fear Him." What He said of His 
 beloved Son, He says of every Christian, "Because he has 
 set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him." "The 
 Lord preserveth all them that love Him." "Be merciful 
 unto me," said David, "as Thou usest to do unto those 
 that love Thy name." What can exceed the sv.eetness and 
 suitableness of our Lord's assurance. " He that loveth INIe 
 shall be loved of My Father, and I will love Him and 
 manifest myself unto Him, and we will come to Him and 
 make our abode with Him." If we keep in the love of God, 
 and do the things that please Him, we shall be loved of 
 God, esteemed of God, and approved of God. " The best 
 of men," says one, " shall have the best of love." 
 
 We have now assigned reasons why we should keep our- 
 selves in the love of God. For the same reasons we should 
 groiv in it. Let us pray that our love may abound yet more 
 and more, and that we may be "rooted and grounded in 
 love," and that the " Lord may direct our hearts into the 
 love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." Let 
 us not linger upon the margin of this sea of love, but enter 
 into its depth and dwell in it. " For he that dwelleth in 
 love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." 
 
 In the biography of the late Edward Bickersteth, of 
 London, the following touching incident is recorded: "Dur- 
 ing his illness," says the biographer, " he derived much 
 consolation from the word and promises of God. When 
 one of his children brought him some refreshment, he said, 
 ' I will give you a cup of living water for this cup of tea ; it 
 is this — I have been thinking about it a long time — " Keep 
 yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." These may be 
 pleasant rooms to dwell in (mentioning some of the rooms 
 of the house) ; but the best room of all to keep in is the love 
 
EXPOSITIOA' IX. yi 
 
 of God, and what a prospect we have from it, "looking for 
 the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." ' '' The 
 last words of Richard Cromwell to those who stood around 
 him were these — may they be mine — "Live in love, I am 
 going to the God of love. Keep in God's precious love ; 
 live, breathe, and act in it, and all will be well in life, death, 
 and eternity." 
 
 Let us briefly notice a feic directions as 1o tlie i/ieafis of 
 preserving our iove la God. Keep yourselves in the love of 
 God. It is as true that we are to keep ourselves, as that we 
 are kept by the power of God. The precept is as Divine as 
 the promise. We can by the exercise of the grace given do 
 what is here enjoined. We know the love of God is pro- 
 duced in our hearts by the Holy Ghost ; and it is for us, in 
 humble dependence upon His assistance, to cultivate dili- 
 gently those means by which it may be cherished and 
 increased. \\'hat then are the means to secure this important 
 end ? We answer — 
 
 (i.) We must avoid those tilings whic/i. are inconsistent -ct<it/i 
 the love of God. It has been frequently and truly observed 
 that love is a tender plant, requiring to be both guarded 
 and watered diligently. It will not thrive among the weeds 
 of worldly cares and fleshly lusts. We are warned not to 
 love the world. We must keep ourselves out of love with 
 the world, if we are to keep in the love of God, " If any 
 man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 
 We must not live in the indulgence of any sin, any secret 
 sin is inconsistent with the love of God, Let us watch and 
 pray, when pursuing our daily employment, that the damp 
 and chilling influence of the world may be warded off, and 
 the fire of love kept constantly alive within. 
 
 {2.) But it is not merely by avoiding those things which 
 are inconsistent with the love of God that we shall promote 
 it. We must attend to those that cherish it. We must 
 continue to feed on the A\'ord of God, as the aliment of 
 spiritual life. Let us seek to become more and more 
 acquainted with what God has revealed in His precious 
 
72 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 Word, that our love to God may be preserved and main- 
 tained unto the end. Let the reading of the Scriptures be 
 accompanied with prayer for the Holy Spirit to enHghten 
 our minds and to instruct us in the things of God. These 
 are means adapted to the end proposed ; they are to love 
 what oil is to the fire, tending to feed and to enliven it. 
 
 (3.) ^Yt must persevere in obedience to the 7ain of God. 
 The Saviour enjoins this as the means of preserving this 
 love. He also sets before us His own obedience and love. 
 " As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you " — • 
 Amazing truth ! — " Continue ye in My love." How is this 
 to be done ? " If ye keep My commandments, ye shall 
 abide in My love ; even as I have kept My Father's com- 
 mandments, and abide in His love." Oh, that we as obedient 
 children may practically obey and do the Father's will, and 
 then we shall know what it is to keep in His love. 
 
 (4.) Finally there must htjreque/it meditation on the love 
 of God, revealed to us in Christ Jesus. "We have known," 
 said John, "and believed the love that God hath to us." 
 And blessed be God, we can say that we know from the 
 testimony given, the love God hath to us ; and believing the 
 testimony we receive it into our hearts, and know it, experi- 
 ence it in the way of enjoyment. To keep, therefore, in 
 this love, we must continue in the knowledge and faith of 
 God's love to us. We have beheved, but God is saying to 
 us, "Continue to believe in My love to you. I have put 
 My Son upon the cross to show My love, could I do more ? 
 We see the love of God, as we look on Jesus lifted up on 
 the cross. " In this was manifested the love of God toward 
 us." " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He 
 loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' 
 
 Faith in the love of God in Christ begets in us love to 
 Him in return. It may be said that we abide in the love of 
 God when we receive it, and reciprocate it. Oh, believers, 
 seek to be established in the faith of God's love, that you 
 may in these days of lukewarmness keep yourselves in the 
 love of God. 
 
7Z 
 
 EXPOSITION X. 
 
 Loouing expectantly for jnercy and eternal life. — Ver. 21 : 
 "Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." 
 
 JUDE in this final direction seems to take it as granted 
 that those who keep themselves in the love of God will 
 be looking with hope and joy for the coining of the Lord. 
 Let us ask ourselves, how is it with us ? Are we looking ? 
 Is this our turn and frame of mind? Looking is an exercise 
 of faith, an act of obedience, an outgoing of love to Him 
 for whom we look. He that is not looking, that is careless 
 and indifferent to His coming, lacks an essential feature of 
 the Christian character. The first Christians were taught to 
 be looking for the Saviour from heaven. Let us then learn 
 what we are to look for — mercy and eternal life. 
 
 (i.) Tlie mercy we are taught to look for is the mercy of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Now we understand this mercy to be mercy personally 
 exercised by the Lord Jesus ; He to whom the Father hath 
 committed all things in the government of the world, and 
 in communications with the Church. ^Ve look to Him 
 personally to receive mercy at His hands. It is not par- 
 doning mercy, that we have obtained from God through the 
 atoning death of Christ ; it is not accepting mercy, that we 
 have received ; it is not sustaining mercy, that we daily 
 experience ; but it is retoarding, croiuning mercy — the 
 mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord will come again 
 to reward His people, not according to their merit, but 
 according to the riches of His mercy and grace. We never 
 can deserve His mercy. We can never lay the Saviour 
 under obligation. The rewards of the day of the Lord, 
 though expressive of righteousness and faithfulness, have 
 
74 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 their origin in mercy. The crown of righteousness which 
 the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give in that day to those 
 who love His appearing, will not be a reward of debt, but 
 of grace. But for grace we should have no good deeds to 
 be rewarded; but being accepted in Christ, what is done in 
 His name will be rewarded for His sake. The cup of cold 
 water, the mite, the box of spikenard, the least service done 
 to the least of His little ones will be crowned with a rich 
 reward as having been done to Him. This is the mercy of 
 the Lord, and the mercy the best of men will need in that 
 day. In this way the Apostle Paul looked at the matter, for 
 in recounting the kind acts of a friend towards him, prays 
 not that the Lord may reward him according to his good 
 works, but that he may find mercy at His coming. " The 
 Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus ; for he 
 oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chains ; but 
 when in Rome he sought me out very diligently and found 
 me. The Lord grant unto him that he ma)- find mercy of 
 the Lord in that day." 
 
 Oh, may we find the mercy of our Lord Jesus in that 
 day ! We have no claim to it. We are totally undeserving 
 of it. We cannot merit it by our doing or sufi"ering. We 
 are unprofitable servants. Nevertheless, we look forward 
 with confidence to the time when we shall receive from the 
 Lord Jesus, the precious gifts of His grace — the rewards of 
 His mercy. We are now heirs of this glorifying mercy ; 
 by and by we shall be in full possession of it. 
 
 " Mercy's full power we then shall prove, 
 Loved with an everlasting love." 
 
 (2.) The mercy we are taught to look for is mercy unto 
 eternal life. Eternal life is something already in possession. 
 "He that receiveth My words, and believeth on Him that 
 sent Me, hath eternal life, and shall not come into judg- 
 ment, but is passed from death unto life." But though 
 this most precious gift is spoken of as a present possession, 
 it is referred to as a future hope. "This is the prornise 
 
EXPOSITION X. 75 
 
 tb;U lie hath promised us, even eternal life." "To them 
 who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and 
 honour and immortality, eternal life." "Ye have your 
 fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life." In these 
 passages, eternal life is put as a promise, a hope, an inherit- 
 ance. It is a purchased as well as a comuiunicated life. It 
 is the fruit of redemption as well as the free gift of love. It 
 is the crown and climax of our hope. " Looking for the 
 mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." But 
 what is this life ? Who can fully comprehend the prize ? 
 Eternal life ! It is something more than freedom from the 
 evils of this world, and the miseries of that which is to 
 come. It is something more than the mere consciousness 
 of existence ; it is a life of holiness, and honour, and 
 happiness ; a life that embraces the blissful immortality of 
 both soul and body — the perfect uninterrupted happiness of 
 the tv/ioie man. This is held out to us as our hope. We 
 look for Christ who is our life, when He comes He will be 
 the life of our whole nature, body, soul and spirit. As He 
 lives we shall live. It will be eternal life in the heaven of 
 God's unveiled presence ; and into that heavenly sphere we 
 shall enter, to go out no more for ever. Eternal life will be 
 mercy's bud expanded into the undying flower. Eternal 
 life will be mercy in her plenitude ; mercy without measure 
 and without end. 
 
 Oh, brethren beloved, let us during the little season we 
 are down here, be patiently and lovingly " looking for the 
 mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." " The 
 words of Jude," said Mr. Fuller, when dying, " supply me 
 with the aptest illustration of my frame of mind, looking for 
 the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ought not this to be 
 our frame of mind in life ? " Waiting for the coming of the 
 Lord Jesus." "Looking for that blessed hope and the 
 glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus 
 Christ." What a blessed state of mind to be in. 
 
 " Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day 
 of God." Looking ! like men looking out anxiously toward 
 
76 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 the east for the first dawn of some long-wished-for day. 
 Like men climbing the lofty mountain to get the first sight 
 of the rising sun on some festal morning. Looking for the 
 glad return of the Lord. Looking for our gathering together 
 unto Him. Looking for the mercy which will end in the 
 better life. This looking will nerve us with fresh energy for 
 service, and lift the heart up out of its cares and discourage- 
 ments. It will tend to elevate us above all that is sordid, 
 selfish, and worldly. It will purify and make us meet to dwell 
 in the light of His presence in the grand future. " Every man 
 that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as He is 
 pure." " "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be 
 sober and hope to the end, for the grace which is to be 
 brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." " But 
 ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, 
 praying in the Holy Ghost ; keep yourselves in the love of 
 God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto 
 eternal life." 
 
17 
 
 EXPOSITION XI. 
 
 Tlie special duties ivliich are required of us in referefice to 
 Apostates, 
 
 " And of some have compassion, making a difference. Others save 
 with fear, pulling them out of the fire ; hating even the garments spotted 
 by the flesh." — Vers. 22, 23. 
 
 IN the former pregnant passages which engaged our thoughts, 
 Jude enforces upon us the exhortation to estabhsh 
 ourselves in the faith, to hve in the spirit of prayer, to keep 
 in the enjoyment of God's love, and to be looking for the 
 mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. This is 
 blessed work for us to do, but it is not all that is enjoined. 
 Our responsibility does not end with " building," " praying," 
 '"keeping," "looking." There are duties which we owe to 
 others as well as to ourselves. Were these duties to be 
 passed over unnoticed, our exposition of this Epistle w'ould 
 be wanting in faithfulness and consistency. Abiding in the 
 love of God, we shall be secretly and instinctively impelled 
 to care for those who are not in the faith. Jude would have 
 us cast a loving look, and stretch out a helping hand to 
 them. "Of some have coiiipassion, making a difference; 
 others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire ; hating 
 even the garments spotted by the flesh." 
 
 These words set forth our duty in relation to apostates. 
 It is to seek, in various ways, to rescue them from error, and 
 sin, and misery. The two principal thoughts here suggested 
 are these : — 
 
 I. That among apostates are some whose condition may 
 zvell excite and elicit our compassion. 
 
 II. Others are as brands in the fire wJioni we should seek to 
 rescue with fear and earnest effort. 
 
yS JUDE'S EPISl^LE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 I. Tliat among apostates arc sojne tvJiose condition /nav 
 luell excite and elicit our compassion. " Of some have com- 
 passion." The feehng to be manifested by us to apostates 
 is expressed in one word — compassion. This feeling of 
 compassion is akin to pity ; it includes pity, and something 
 more. Compassion is pity in action ; it moves us to help 
 the helpless, and to relieve the needy. So it is said, that 
 " Jesus moved with compassion, put forth his hand, touched 
 the leper, and healed him." To the man out of whom was 
 cast the legion of devils, Jesus said, " Go home to thy friends, 
 and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, 
 and hath had compassion on thee." Again, we read that 
 when the Lord " saw the multitude, He was moved with 
 compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scat- 
 tered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.'' They were 
 neglected and ignorant, and He began to teach them many 
 things ; they were ready to faint with hunger, and He fed 
 them ; they were sick, and He healed them. 
 
 Such was the compassion of Jesus, and such is the com- 
 passion which we are to feel to our fellow men. Have we 
 the mind that was in Christ Jesus ? Are our hearts stirred 
 with feelings of compassion as we look upon the many that 
 are out of the way, and on the high road to ruin ? " Of 
 some," says Jude, " have compassion." It may be asked 
 who are the some whom the Apostle deems to be objects of 
 compassion ? They are such as have made shipwreck of 
 faith, such as have erred concerning the truth, and have 
 separated themselves from Christian fellowship, and drifted 
 into the region of doubt and the mire of sin. There are 
 many of this unhappy class of persons to be found in 
 Christendom. Some of them we can never know, and can 
 never hope to reach by our compassion. But there are 
 some we do know ; they are easy to find, they are within 
 the sphere in which we daily move, within the circle of our 
 acquaintance, within the circle of our relations, within the 
 circle of our household. They once knew the Lord, and 
 liave fallen from grace. These are the objects of pity. Do 
 
EXPOSITION XI. 79 
 
 we feel tenderly concerned for them ? Do we look with 
 compassion upon them ? Do we plead and pray for them ? 
 There were persons of this class in Paul's time that he could 
 not think of without tears. " Many walk of whom I have 
 told you oft, and now tell you with weeping." If we are 
 alive to their apostate condition, we shall feel for them, 
 and at times experience much distress, fervent compassion, 
 and an agonizing desire for their restoration to the paths of 
 righteousness and peace. We shall be ready when oppor- 
 tunity arises to warn them faithfully of the endless hell of 
 fire into which they will sink if they continue to drift away 
 from Christ, and to entreat them to retrace their steps in 
 words that breathe of mercy. Oh, if we as believers had 
 more of this compassion, our power for usefulness would be 
 increased a hundredfold. 
 
 This compassion is discriminating in its exercise. 
 " Making a difference." There is a difference in the cha- 
 racter of apostates, and wisdom is needed in the treatment 
 of each. It would be unwise and injurious to deal with all 
 after the same fashion, or to think one way as good as 
 another. We must take pains to mark differences of 
 character. Some are hardened and confirmed in their evil 
 ways ; they go on in sin and error, without remorse. It is 
 difficult to know how to treat them. Warn them, and they 
 conceive we are knocking at the wrong door. Pity them, 
 and they will tell us to spare our pity for those who need it. 
 Offer them the light of Divine truth, and they discern it not, 
 and will tell us that they prefer to "walk in the light of their 
 own fire." They are proud, self-conceited, confident in 
 delusion, and seem to be given up to hopeless apostacy. 
 We cannot in the strict meaning of the word compassionate 
 them. All efforts to save them are futile. The Holy Spirit 
 says in effect, "Let them alone." Their doom is settled. 
 Some apostates are diffident and anxious ; they see their 
 folly in departing from the Lord, and in moments of calm 
 reflection, lament it ; they are open to conviction, and by 
 kind words and a gentle spirit may be persuaded to return. 
 
8o JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 Some have been misled — seduced from the truth by false 
 teaching, and are unsettled. On them we should look with 
 compassion, and seek in the spirit of love to convert them 
 from the terror of their ways (Gal. vi. i). Some are in a 
 state of indifference, careless and unthinking, and need to be 
 aroused and admonished. May God give us the spiritual 
 discernment needed, that we may know to whom to speak, 
 when, where, and how. 
 
 II. There are others as brands in the fire, whom tve are 
 to rescue with fear and earnest effort. " Others save with 
 fear, pulling them out of the fire ; hating even the garments 
 spotted by the flesh." Note — 
 
 (i.) Their perilous condition. They are represented as 
 being in the fire. What sort of fire ? The fire 6i sin, that, 
 indeed, is the element in which they live. Think for a 
 moment of the multitudes around us that are in this fire ; 
 although they have no idea of the terrible condition they 
 are in. They realise it not. They do not, and will not see 
 what sin is, and what it is doing. They have no anxiety, 
 or alarm, no apprehension of the moral ruin sin is stealthily 
 working ; no presentiment of the doom that awaits them. 
 They flatter themselves that their security is guaranteed 
 against the fire of sin, being insured in the office of respect- 
 ability of life. But in truth they are living in the fire of 
 corrupt desires and ungodly lusts. Is it not affecting to see 
 so many of the sons and daughters of fashion, light-hearted 
 and buoyant, merry and gay in the fire of youthful lusts, 
 " sporting themselves with their own deceivings ? " Is it 
 not sad to think of men of science, of intelligence, and 
 respectabihty, who feel more or less the effects of sin, yet 
 make light of it, and close their ears to the warnings given 
 of their danger ? We are amazed as we witness men im- 
 mersed in business, pursuing earthly gain, and living as if 
 they had no eternity to prepare for, and no danger to 
 alarm them. On every hand, we behold the sons of toil, 
 thoughtless about their salvation, the prey of sin, inflamed 
 and stupefied by strong drink ; and though they bitterly 
 
EXPOSITION XI. 8 1 
 
 feel the ravages and ill-effects of sin, yel, like the moth, 
 seek the flame again, till they are scorched, stunned, and 
 helpless. What saith Isaiah ? " Wickedness burneth like 
 fire" (ix. 1 8). As fire has in it the property to burn and 
 destroy that on which it acts, so sin has in it the power to 
 pain and scorch and ruin spirit, soul, and body. It is 
 man's direst foe. It undermines all his hopes, burns up 
 all his higher aspirations, deadens his moral sensibilities, 
 sears his conscience, paralyzes the energies of his will ; and 
 if this fire is not arrested, put out, quenched by the water 
 of life, through the blood of the Lamb, it requires no pro- 
 phetic spirit to declare what the end will be. 
 
 We know, and it is a solemn thought, that all who are 
 living in the fire of sin are liable every moment to tlie fire 
 of Divine justice. The wrath of an infinitely just and holy 
 God against the rejectors of His mercy is terrible to con- 
 template. It is compared to fire. It is the natural ex- 
 pression of His hatred to sin. The wrath of God is revealed 
 from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of 
 men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. The fire of 
 God's wrath has been felt at times in this life. It was 
 l)Oured upon the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah for 
 their wickedness. It consumed the company of Korah in 
 the wilderness for their rebellion. It fell as with a lightning 
 flash upon the two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, for 
 one act of disobedience. These are facts of history, and 
 they may be multiplied almost without number, which reveal 
 the fire of God's wrath against man's ungodliness. But, 
 oh, the wrath to come ! Soon, very soon the Lord will 
 come, and make known His indignation toward His enemies 
 (Isa. Ixvi. 14-16). " The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
 heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking ven- 
 geance on them that know not God, and that obey not the 
 Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished 
 with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 
 and the glory of His power." In that day the Lord Jesus 
 will avenge Himself upon those who would not that He 
 
 G 
 
82 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 should reign over them, and will say to them, " Depart, ye 
 cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his 
 angels." Hell will be their everlasting dwelling-place, where 
 they will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire in company 
 with the most wretched associates. It is a fearful thing to 
 fall under the heavy wrath of a sin-avenging God. Oh ! 
 that men would hear and fear, and turn to the Lord. 
 
 This brings us to notice — ■ 
 
 (2.) Our 7vork. It is to save them from the fire. How 
 are we to do this ? " Save them," says Jude, " with fear." 
 This fear, be it observed, is not the fear of man which 
 bringeth a snare ; it is not the fear of the slave unprotected 
 from the licentious power of his master ; it is not the fear 
 which arises from sin and guilt. It is the fear of the Lord, 
 a principle wrought in the soul by the Eternal Spirit. It is 
 filial and reverential in its nature, and is associated with 
 love and obedience. It must needs be influential. Noah 
 in an eminent degree exhibited its influence. He steadfastly 
 believed what God said of a coming deluge, and, moved 
 with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his family. 
 Moses in Egypt forewarned Pharoah, that the Lord on the 
 morrow would send a violent storm of hail and fire, and 
 that every man and beast in the field, unsheltered, should 
 be destroyed. He that femrd the Lord among the servants 
 of Pharoah, made his servants and his cattle flee into the 
 houses (Exod. ix. 18-25). They were saved with fear. This 
 fear then is the fruit of faith, and an incentive to action. 
 We firmly beheve that the warnings of God's word are true, 
 that the vials of His wrath will be poured out upon the 
 wicked for their iniquities, and therefore we fear. " My 
 flesh trembleth for fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy 
 righteous judgments" (Psa. cxix. 120). Faith sees the day 
 of wrath at hand, and moves us with fear to warn sinners of 
 their impending danger. Moved by this fear we cannot 
 hold our peace, we cannot let them alone in their false 
 notions and dreamy delusions ; we must try and strive to 
 startle them into the terrible and terrifying discovery that 
 
EXPOSITION XI. 83 
 
 sin has ruined them, and then tell them that the onl)- way of 
 salvation is by Jesus Christ ; and that if they continue to 
 despise His warnings, reject His overtures of mercy, and 
 resist the gracious strivings of the Holy Spirit, they will be 
 finally lost, and that eternity will bring no hope of mercy. 
 Living under the influence of this fear we shall anxiously 
 yearn to save them, and to cry with trembling emotion, 
 " Awake ! awake ! Arise, lest ye be consumed." Many 
 holy men have employed language to frighten men out of 
 their sins, and have been instruments by this method of 
 saving some. 
 
 (3.) This fear i/i its opcraiioti will produce ear nest Jiess in 
 tiie ivork of pulling them out of the fire. The nature and 
 magnitude of the work demands it. There must, we re- 
 peat, be earnestness, haste, courage, bravery, and even a 
 willingness to hazard our own life in this enterprise. We 
 could give many touching illustrations of men who have 
 risked their own life in their efforts to rescue others from 
 temporal death. And ought we not to feel a more intense 
 concern, and put forth a mightier energy to save our fellow- 
 men from the wretchedness and misery of sin here and 
 hereafter. We cannot excuse our complacent inactivity by 
 saying that God alone can save them. He is pleased to use 
 us as instruments and agents for the salvation of souls : 
 and if He in His infinite mercy has rescued us from the 
 fire, surely we shall be constrained by grateful love to 
 throw our whole soul into the work. We sometimes sing, 
 
 " Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, 
 Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave ; 
 Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen, 
 Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. 
 
 Rescue the jjeriihing, care for the dying, 
 
 Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save." 
 
 But what are we doing to save them ? We are in the 
 midst of spiritual wretchedness. Many of our near neigh- 
 bours are in the fire ; are they to perish unpitied and 
 without sympathy from us ? Shall we be so cruel as to be 
 unconcerned whether they are saved or lost ? We cannot, 
 
84 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF AFOSJ'ACY. 
 
 if we have a spark of Divine love in our hearts. Nor can 
 we conceive how any Christian can be satisfied to shirk his 
 responsibihty for the souls of others. To every Christian 
 there is the message of God : " If thou forbear to deliver 
 them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready 
 to be slain ; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not ; doth 
 not He that pondereth the heart consider it ? and He that 
 keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it ? and shall not He 
 render to every man according to his works?" (Prov. xxiv. 
 II, 12). Let no one indulge the thought for a moment, 
 that because he is not an evangelist, teacher, or leader in 
 the Church, but only a private member, he is under no 
 obligation to engage in this labour of love. Would it be 
 right to pass a house on fire without giving warning, even 
 though one were not a member of the Fire Brigade ? 
 Should we not seek to save a drowning man, even though 
 we could not command the patent lifeboat ? Whatever 
 may be our Church position, we are responsible to do what 
 we can in our sphere and station to pluck men out of the 
 fire. What is needed in every Christian for this work is a 
 deep and earnest longing after souls, a keen sense of their 
 danger, and a desire to save them. 
 
 We do not hesitate to affirm that luibelief underlies this 
 apathy in reference to the spiritual condition of the masses 
 around us. If we believed in a coming judgment, in the 
 doom of the ungodly, in the dread realities of eternity, in 
 the lake of fire, and in the worm that dieth not, we should 
 arouse ourselves to do all in our power, by prayer, reason- 
 ing, reproof, and self-denying efforts to save them. " Know- 
 ing," said St. Paul, " the terror of the Lord we persuade 
 men." The heart of the apostle was bent on the salvation 
 of Jew and Gentile. " Though I be free from all men, yet 
 have I made myself servant imto all, that I might gain the 
 more. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain 
 the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I might by 
 all means save some'" {\ Cor. ix. 19, 22). "Brethren, if 
 any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him ; let 
 
EXPOSITION XI. 85 
 
 him know that he which converteth the sinner from the 
 error of his way shaU save a soul from death, and shall 
 hide a multitude of sins." " Of some have compassion, 
 making a difference ; others save with fear, pulling them 
 out of the fire." 
 
 Brethren, believe me, there are to be found those around 
 us, who with outstretched arms are pleading for help ! They 
 are in the scorching fire of sin, and are groaning to be 
 delivered ; they are longing for some kind hand to snatch 
 them from thence, ShaU we stand aloof ? Some are 
 Hngering on the plains of Sodom ; oh, let us lay hold of 
 them, and with a friendly violence bring them forth. Mav 
 God put into our hearts this love for souls, and grant unto 
 us the joy and honour of pulling them out of the fire ! 
 
 AVe observe, in conclusion, that while we pity the fallen, 
 and help to lift them out of the misery of sin, ive must take 
 great care to preserve our own purity , "'' Jiating even the 
 garments spotted by the flesh " lest by the touch of it we 
 become polluted. We must learn to distinguish between 
 the sinner and his sins. We are allowed to hate the work 
 of them that turn aside, but we are not to hate their persons 
 (Psa. ci. 3). In the life of Christ we see large charity for 
 great sinners, but no charity for sin ; much compassion, 
 combined with infinite separation from sin. It is a mistake 
 to suppose that in order to pluck others from the fire we 
 must go into the fire ourselves. This will never do. The 
 garment spotted by the flesh must be inwardly hated, 
 loathed, and outwardly shunned. Freedom from sin, purity 
 of life, are essential to success in saving others. The best 
 way to rescue a man from an evil position is to be tho- 
 roughly free ourselves. How can I best pull a man out of 
 a morass ? Surely not by going into the morass, but by 
 standing on firm ground^ and from thence lending him a 
 helping hand. I cannot pull a man out of anything unless 
 I am out myself. If we tamper with sin, tolerate error, and 
 cultivate friendship with the men of the world in the hope 
 of saving them, we shall be in danger of being contami- 
 
86 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST AC Y. 
 
 nated ourselves. We must be thoroughly and decidedly 
 separate from the world, consistent and holy in life, and 
 have our hearts brimful and overflowing with love to the 
 perishing, if we are to be successful in the godlike employ- 
 ment of saving them. 
 
^7 
 
 EXPOSITION XII. 
 
 T//t' CIosi>ig Doxology. 
 
 " Now uulO Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present 
 you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To 
 the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and 
 power, both now and for ever. Amen." — Vers. 24, 25. 
 
 WE have been occupied in tracing the principles and prac- 
 tices of apostacy brought out in this Epistle. We are 
 sensible, without any false modesty, that the outline which 
 we have given is rough and imperfect ; but if what we have 
 written tends to awaken the reader to a sense of the subtle 
 evils which are at work in the churches, and leads him to 
 avail himself of the warnings against them, then what we 
 have written will prove, we trust, practically useful. 
 
 The Apostle closes this brief but weighty and solemn 
 Epistle with a doxologyj which evidently grows out of it and 
 completes and adorns it. This doxology is full of comfort 
 to us, inasmuch as there is praise rendered to One who is 
 able to keep us in the midst of all the dark and terrible 
 forms of apostacy that surround us, and it is to His holy 
 keeping we are committed. " 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, to the only 
 wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and 
 power, both now and for ever. Amen." Let us consider — 
 
 /. What it is, that God our Saviour is able to do for us 
 Jiere and Iiereafter. 
 
 II. The doxo/ogy directed to God our Saviour now and 
 hereafter. 
 
 I. What it is, that God our Saviour is able to do for us 
 iiere and hereafter. " He is able to keep you from falling^ 
 and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory 
 
88 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST AC Y. 
 
 with exceeding joy." These words express the confidence 
 of Jude in the Divine abihty of our Saviour to keep us, and 
 they should inspire us with the same confidence. 
 
 He is able to keep us from falhng. To fall is to stumble 
 into sin and error. We are liable to stumble, and we know 
 from experience that if we are not vigilant and watchful, we 
 shall slip and stumble in our Christian course. The warnings 
 given us in this Epistle are sufficient to impress us with our 
 danger. We are reminded of angels falling, Israel failing, 
 cities falling, famous men falling into contention — Balaam 
 falling into the sin of covetousness, and perishing. These 
 are beacons to warn us. We are not free from danger. 
 Many in this day have stumbled, and are stumbling through 
 men who handle the Word of God deceitfull)-. Errors 
 abound. Snares of one kind or another are laid for our 
 feet. They are to be met with in trade, in pleasure, in 
 prosperity, in the church, in the world ; and unless we con- 
 tinually take heed to our steps, we shall stumble into 
 temptation and sin. There is no necessity, however, for us 
 to stumble. We may be kept. While alive to our weakness 
 and danger, it is our joy to know that there is One who is 
 able to keep us from falling. 
 
 (i.) The Lo7-d Jesjis is able in the exercise of His power to 
 keep iis from falling. Wo. can have no doubt of this, if we 
 regard the power exercised over us and over our' tempters 
 as Divine. Our Lord through His obedience unto death, 
 proved Himself to be worthy to be entrusted with the power 
 of God. He could say, " All authority is given unto me in 
 heaven and in earth." " Thou hast given Him power over 
 all flesh." The power exercised by Jesus Christ is delegated 
 power ; He will exercise it in His Father's name, and for 
 His Father's glory. He will magnify His power in keeping 
 us in the midst of danger and temptation. What lively 
 faith the apostles expressed in the ability of Christ to save 
 His people. "He is able to make all grace to abound 
 toward you " (2 Cor. ix. 8). " He is able to succour them 
 that are tempted" (Heb. ii. 18). "He is able to save to 
 
EXPOSITION XII. 89 
 
 ihe uttermost '" (Hel). vii. 25), that is, from the beginning of 
 conversion to the crowning of glory. " He is able to do 
 exceeding abundantl)- above all that we ask or think" 
 (Eph. iii. 20). " He is able to keep that which we have 
 committed unto Him'" (2 Tim. i. 12). What lively concep- 
 tions these passages give us of the all-sufficiency of Christ. 
 \\'e belie\e that He is able in the exercise of His power to 
 keep us from falling 7iow, and always, in all the circum- 
 stances of this life. We have confidence, that we shall be 
 holden up, for God is able to make us stand." He will 
 magnify His grace and power in our weakness, while the 
 wise and strong in their own strength and wisdom stumble 
 and fall. He will keep us from falling, and give us ability 
 to stand against all the wiles and temptations of the devil. 
 "Keep me, and I shall be kept; hold me up, and I shall 
 be safe." 
 
 (2.) Tlie Lord Jesus is able to keep us because of t]ie wisdom 
 with ivhicli He is oidcnved. He is the only wise God, not 
 merely wise, but the only wise God, and knows what means 
 to employ for our preservation. We love to think of tlic 
 infinite intelligence of Jesus. He knows every snare which 
 is laid for the feet of His people, every device of Satan 
 against them, everything that can happen — all is plain to 
 Him : there is nothing that can possibly be hidden from 
 His eye. His eye never slumbers. He knows all the 
 dangers that beset our path through this world ; another 
 thing, he knows our own evil tendencies through which we 
 might be induced to fall and go out of the way. And as 
 Christ knows all about us, our dangers, trials, and tenden- 
 cies. He knows what means to use to defend, uphold, and 
 save us. In our perplexity, when not knowing which way 
 to turn, it is well to remember that God our Saviour is the 
 only 07ie capable of keeping us ; we have neither wisdom to 
 guide, nor strength to keep ourselves ; but He has both 
 power and wisdom, and is ready to exercise both in guiding 
 and guarding us through the deceitful and perplexing path 
 of life. 
 
90 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APO^^TACY. 
 
 Oh, Ijcloved, if God our Saviour is all wise to see our 
 dangers, and all powerful to carry us through them, let us 
 quietly commit ourselves to His keeping. Have we not 
 had proofs in the past of His power to keep and of His 
 wisdom in keeping ? He who has kept us in the past will 
 not fail us in the future. He is faithful, and will keep us 
 by His Spirit and by His word from evil. But to realise 
 this Divine keeping, there must be faith on our part. We 
 "are kept by the power of God through faith'' God does not 
 keep us as we would guard a treasure that is unconscious of 
 our care. We realise His watchful, loving care over us as 
 the result of our trust in Him, and not independent of it. 
 Let us trust Him moment by moment to keep us for Him- 
 self, that He may fulfil in us the good pleasure of His will 
 and the work of faith with power. 
 
 (3.) The Lord Jesus is able not only to keep us from 
 falling, but to fit and prepare us for His glorious presence 
 iiereafter. He is "able to present you faultless before the 
 presence of His glory with exceeding joy." How wonderful 
 to know that He is able to do this — able to keep us faithful 
 in the midst of unfaithfulness, to keep us free from contam- 
 ination in the midst of corruption, to sanctify us wholly, 
 spirit, soul, and body ; and to keep us holy and without 
 blame before Him in love (Eph. i. 4). How blessed to 
 know that our Saviour is able to purify us nozv^ and to 
 glorify us then — to make us like Himself here, and to take 
 us to Himself, to His own presence and company hereafter. 
 This is the purpose of His grace concerning us, and He 
 is able to accomplish it. 
 
 He intends^ blessed be His name, to present us, even us, 
 faultless before the presence of His glory. "Faultless!" 
 not in the eye of men and angels only, but in the all-seeing 
 eye of the Lord Himself. He will see in us no sin to be 
 judged, that has been put away for ever ; no folly left for 
 Him to find fault with: no charge to be brought against us. 
 We shall be without fault before the throne of God (Rev. 
 xiv. 5). This is the ultimate design of His grace, and it is for 
 
EXPOSITION XII. 91 
 
 ////\, Christian reader, tliat we who were sometime ahenated 
 and enemies in mind l)y wicked works, yet now hath He 
 reconciled in tlie body of His flesh through death, to present 
 us holy and unhlaiiieabk and i/nreproveab/e in His sight (Col. 
 i. 21, 22). 
 
 This act of presentation will be His own. He will 
 present us to Himself in the day of His glory. This is the 
 animating prospect brought before us. He says to those 
 espoused to Him, " I will come again," in fulfilment of My 
 promise "to take you to Myself." "Father, I will that they 
 also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, 
 that they may behold My glory." We shall stand in the 
 presence of His glory, and be like Him, for we shall see 
 Him as He is ; the light of His face will beam upon us, and 
 we shall be glorious in His glory. 
 
 It is added that Christ will do this "with exceeding joy." 
 He will rejoice in us and over us, and present us to Him- 
 self with much joy, exultation, and triumph. This is the 
 joy set before Him when He endured the cross, despising 
 the shame ; this is the reward for the travail of His soul ; 
 this is the satisfaction anticipated. He has an interest in 
 us which no one else can have. He loves us as no other 
 can love us, and He will rejoice when we are brought into 
 the presence of His glory as none but He can. 
 
 //. The doxohr^jy directed to God our Saviour both here 
 and hereafter. " Now unto Him . . . the only wise God 
 our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 
 both fio7u and ever. Amen." It becomes us to give to 
 Jesus the credit, the honour, the praise of being able 
 to keep us from falling, to purify us from sin and pollution, 
 and to glorify us in His presence in the day of His appear- 
 ing. Praise is the natural expression of grateful, joyous 
 feelings. Praise is not forced. It is spontaneous and 
 intelligent. Those who know the Lord and have been 
 "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man," 
 and shared His grace, cannot keep silent. A conviction of 
 duty forbids it. A sense of obligation forbids it. A regard 
 
92 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 for their own interest forljids. The soul filled with admira- 
 tion of the power and grace of God must find vent in 
 praise. 
 
 When are we to begin to sing this doxology ? The voice 
 of Jude says, 7wu<. We are not to withhold the gratitude 
 of our hearts and the praise of our lips till our dangers are 
 past, and our deliverances complete. Surely not. We 
 must give glory to Christ now, that is, all our life long. " I 
 will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually 
 be in my mouth." However He deal with me, He is 
 worthy of my confidence and love. It was the disposition 
 and habit of the apostles to celebrate the glory of God their 
 Saviour. They could not sound the note too high, or praise 
 Him too much. In the doxologies interwoven in their 
 epistles we find the highest tribute of praise and glory 
 given to Christ Jesus in conjunction with God the Father, 
 teaching us that Jesus as a Divine person is justly entitled 
 to the same supreme homage and worship as is offered to 
 the Father. There can be no doubt that Paul and Peter, 
 Jude and John, were wont to offer their highest tribute of 
 praise and adoration to Jesus, their glorified Lord. 
 
 It may be interesting to refer to a few of the many 
 doxologies which they rendered heart and soul to God our 
 Saviour. St. Paul in opening his Epistle to the Galatians, 
 refers to the work of Christ on the cross, that He gave 
 Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this 
 present evil world, and closes this statement of doctrine 
 with the doxology. "To whom be glory for ever and ever. 
 Amen." The same apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians, 
 prays most fervently that they may be rooted and grounded 
 in Christ, and filled with His Spirit, and then lifts his spirit 
 up in praise and adoration to the Lord : "Now unto Him 
 that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we 
 ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 
 unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, through 
 all ages world without end. Amen " (Eph. iii. 20, 21). In 
 writing to the Philippians, Paul expresses his confidence in 
 
EXPOSITION Xll. 93 
 
 the resources of God to meet their spiritual needs. " But 
 my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches 
 in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God our Father be 
 glory for ever and ever. Amen." In the thirteenth chapter 
 of the Epistle to the Hebrews there is an ascription of 
 glory to Jesus, the once crucified, but now exalted Shepherd 
 of the sheep, "To whom," says the apostle, in loving 
 adoration, " be glory for ever and ever. Amen." The 
 apostle, in writing to Timothy, speaks in the most affecting 
 terms of the riches of Divine grace towards himself as the 
 chief of sinners ; and as he reviews the stupendous mercy 
 that made him a minister of the Gospel he once sought to 
 destroy, he gives vent to his grateful feelings in the sublime 
 doxology : " Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, 
 the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. 
 Amen" (i Tim. i. 17). At a later period words of con- 
 fidence flow from the lips of " Paul the aged." "The Lord 
 shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me 
 unto His heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and 
 ever. Amen" (2 Tim. iv. 18). The Spirit in the apostle 
 ascribes to Jesus, the blessed and only Potentate, " honour 
 and power everlasting." The Apostle Peter was wont to 
 offer his adorations to Jesus. The prayer for believers is 
 accompanied with a doxology (see i Peter v. 10, 11). The 
 exhortation in his second Epistle to grow in grace, and in 
 the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is 
 followed with the words, " To Him be glory, both now and 
 for ever." We come now to Jude's magnificent doxology : 
 "To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, 
 dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." The 
 more this inspired ascription of praise to God our Saviour 
 is examined, the more it is calculated to excite our reverence 
 and admiration. It is a four-fold ascription of praise ; each 
 word is full of meaning and noteworthy. 
 
 (i.) Glory is ascribed io Hi))i. "Unto Him be glory." 
 All that love Him will agree to give Him glory now, and 
 glory for ever. We cannot add to His glory, but we can 
 
94 JUDE'S EPISTLE OF A POST A CY. 
 
 speak of it, we can glorify Him in our actions and praise 
 Him by our lips. This He claims of us, and assures us 
 that He is glorified thereby. " Who offereth praise glori- 
 fieth Me." We are constantly called upon to exalt the 
 Lord, to bless and to magnify Him. " Give unto the Lord, 
 O ye saints of His, give unto the Lord the praise due to 
 His name. Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto 
 the Lord glory and strength ; give unto the Lord the glory 
 due to His name " (Psa. xxix. i, 2). This ascription of 
 glory to Him excludes self. Not unto us, O Lord, not 
 unto us, but to Thy name, give glory. Thine, O Lord, is 
 the glory. 
 
 (2.) Majesty is ascribed to Him. The apostles were 
 " eye-witnesses of His majesty." We see Him by faith 
 seated on the right hand of God. The sight fills us with 
 delight. Honour and majesty are laid upon Him. Glory 
 and majesty are His, and in that glory and majesty He will 
 appear at His second coming. It will be manifest then that 
 He is the only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of 
 lords. To Him all the redeemed will ascribe kingly beauty 
 and excellence. " Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the 
 power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty . . . 
 Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as 
 head over all " (i Chron. xxix. 11). 
 
 (3.) Doiiii)iioii is asc7-ibc.i to Him. It rightly belongs to 
 Him, that is unbounded dominion over all creation. 
 Dominion over death. Dominion over the devil. Dominion 
 over His enemies. Dominion over His people. Dominion 
 over angels, principalities, and powers. His dominion is 
 universal and everlasting. " The Father hath put all 
 things under His feet." He is head and Lord over all. 
 He rules and governs all. Men may doubt and deny 
 His Lordship, but we can say with Jude, Unto Him be 
 dominion for ever. The hour is coming when His 
 sovereignty as Ciod-man will be universally acknowledged 
 among men. 
 
 (4). Power is ascribed to Him. It is our joy to know 
 
EXPOSITION XII. 95 
 
 that the Lord Jesus, our God and Saviour, is in posses- 
 sion of unhmited power. Power to command angels and 
 to control devils. Power to suhdue His enemies and make 
 them His footstool. Power to do what He has said — to 
 execute His threatenings and to fulfil His promises. Power 
 to give strength to them that have no might ; power to 
 establish His people ; power to make them perfect in every 
 good work ; power to keep His people for the inheritance 
 He has destined for them. He is, therefore, worthy of our 
 confidence and of our praise. Who is worthy, if He is 
 not ? And on whom shall Divine honours be bestowed if 
 not on Him? There is none like Him, none so worthy to 
 receive glory and majesty, dominion and power. 
 
 Jesus is worthy to receive, 
 
 Honoui" and power divine ; 
 And blessings more than we can give, 
 
 Be, Lord, for ever Thine. 
 
 The perpetuity of this anthem of praise is clearly indicated 
 in the words, ^^ both noiv and ever.'" This is no passing 
 doxology to be sung on earth and then die away and be 
 forgotten. No, no. It begins on earth, and will be con- 
 tinued with deeper intelligence in heaven. AVe know not 
 what further displays of glory will be made in the future. 
 This we do know, that the glory, majesty, dominion, and 
 power of the Lord Jesus will continue, and that the redeemed 
 of mankind will never cease their loving adorations. As 
 they gaze upon Him they will be moved by new and intense 
 devotion " unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our 
 sins in His own blood ... to Him be glory and dominion 
 for ever and ever, Amen." (Rev. i. 5, 6). The elders and 
 saints in heaven owe their bliss and places of honour to the 
 Lamb. " Thou wast slain, and hath redeemed us to God 
 by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people 
 and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings and 
 priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev. v. 9, 10). 
 The hosts of angels round about the throne, filled with ador- 
 ing wonder will join the anthem of the saints : " Worthy is the 
 
g6 JUDES EPISTLE OF APOSTACY. 
 
 Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, 
 and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. x\nd 
 every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and 
 under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are 
 in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, 
 and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and 
 unto the Lamb for ever" (Rev. v. 12, 13). 
 
 Never shall this glory and majesty, dominion and power 
 cease to belong to the person of Him who is at once the Son 
 of Man and the Son of God ; never shall His praise cease 
 to be sung by all earth and heaven, by men and angels. 
 •' His name shall endure for ever; His name shall continue 
 as long as the sun ; and men shall be blessed in Him ; all 
 nations shall call Him blessed." 
 
 To this doxology is added the word amen, as a sanction 
 and confirmation .of it. To whom could such a doxology 
 belong but to one who is Divine. With our whole heart 
 we echo the amen ; so let it be. It is our desire — earnest 
 supreme desire — that Jesus in the glory of His Father may 
 not be robbed by us of His due. Here Divine honour is 
 rendered to Him. Is there any who doubt that this ascrip- 
 tion of praise is due to the person of the Son of God, let 
 them not say amen, but let those who know what it is to be 
 saved, for ever say, Amen and aiiie)i. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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