3. The author of the epistle is described by his kindred and relation,
14 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 1.
and brother of Jam.es. There were two in the college of the apostles of that name, James of Zebedee, and ' James the son of Alpheus,' who was also called ' the brother of the Lord,' that is, his cousin-german, who is the person intended, for Jude was his brother, as Mat. xiii. 55, ' Is not his mother called Mary ? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas ?' Now this clause is added, partly to distin- guisli him from the other Judas, called Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord.
Obs. It is good to prevent all visible scandals and exceptions against our persons. I observe this, because the scripture doth elsewhere : John xiv. 22, ' Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not unto the world?' The scripture would not have you mistake him that said so. Men drink less freely of a suspected fountain. Partly because this would make the epistle the more welcome. James was of great credit and repute, reckoned by Paul among ' the pillars,' Gal. ii. 9. From whence observe : —
Obs. 1. That it is lawful to use the credit of otliers for the advantage of the truth. In the 15th of the Acts, the apostles might have deter- mined the case by their own infallible spirit, but for the greater credit sake they take in the consent of others : ver. 23, ' The apostles, and elders, and brethren,' &c. Paul, dealing with heathens, quotetli the sayings of their own writers in divers places, which may justify the unaffected use of sentences and passages out of the ancient writers of the church. It is good to bait the naked hook of truth sometimes with the advantage of carnal credit. Again, observe : —
Ohs. 2. That we should walk so that we may be an honour to our relations. This is one of Jude's titles, ' the brother of James.' He took it for an honour to be related to so eminent an apostle. Worthy men reflect a credit upon their families. To be brother, father, son, to such as have deserved well of the church, is no mean honour and engagement to virtue. Well, then, live so that you may not disgrace your lineage ; and you that come of worthy ancestors, walk answerably to the dignity of your extraction. The images of your progenitors are not more sullied with dust, and smoke, and age, than they are with your vices. The Spirit of God brands a degenerate issue for walk- ing unworthy their birth and the privileges of their blood, 1 Chron. iv. 22, 23. Vide Junium et alios in locum. So much for the saluter.
Let us now come to the saluted ; they are described by their con- dition, called ; by the effects and manifestations of it, which are two, sanctification and 'preservation.
1. Their condition, called, for that both in the construction of the words, and the order of nature, is to be read first. There is an out- ward calling, and in that sense Christ speaketh. Mat. xx. 16, * Many are called, but few are chosen ; ' that is, outwardly called in the invita- tions of the word ; so all wicked men that live within the hearing of the gospel ; but it seemeth they are only called obiter, by the by, as they live among the elect : those are called Kara irpoOeacv, ' according to purpose,' Rom. viii. 28. But there is an inward and effectual calling, by the persuasion of the Spirit, or ' the voice of the Son of God,' which cause th life, John v. 25. The apostle speaketh here of
VeR. 1.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 15
the * called according to purpose,' and that by an inward and effectual calling. Whence note : —
Obs. That it is the condition of the people of God to be a called people ; this is first in their description : see Rom. i. 6, ' Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.' So the Corinthians are said to be saints by calling, 1 Cor. i. 2, and Heb. iii. 1, ' Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.' Now the saints are a called people, first, because all they have and enjoy is from God's calling ; a Chris- tian is nothing and hath nothing but what God is pleased to work in him by his creating word : ' Calling the things that are not as though they were,' Rom. iv. 17. Now God is pleased to work this way, partly to give us a warrant, that we may possess our privileges in Christ without intrusion and usurpation : ' No man taketh this honour upon him till he be called of God,' Heb. v. This is that they have to show to conscience, that we do not presume and usurp ; we have a calling so to do. Why dost thou, vile wretch, go to God in the name of Christ ? How dost thou that art a sinner look him in the face, lay hold of Christ, hope for glory? Still the call is our warrant and title. If it should be asked of the guests that came in a wedding garment, Friends, how durst ye come hither, and approach the presence chamber of the king's son? they might answer. We were bidden to the wedding, Mat. xxii. So in Mat. xx., ' Why do not you go into the vineyard?' Their answer was, 'No man hath hired us;' they had no calling. Partly to give us encouragement: we need not only leave to come to God by Christ, but also quickening and encouragement, for we are backward. In other preferments there needeth nothing but leave, for there men are forward enough ; but here guilt maketh us shy of God, and God is forced to call and holloa after us. By nature we are not only exiles, but fugitives. Before God banished Adam, he first ran away from him, he ran to the bushes, and then God called him, ' Adam, where art thou ?' Gen. iii. 9. How often doth God holloa after us in the word before we return and come out of the bushes! He maketh proclamation, Isa. Iv. 1, 'Ho, every one that thirsteth,' &c. We are under spiritual bondage, as the Israelites were in Egypt under corporal bondage, and God sendeth again and again, and out of very anguish of heart we will not believe him ; therefore he calleth and crieth, Sinners, where are you ? why will you not return unto me ? God's outward call is managed by men, and therefore it is very hard to persuade them to discern the voice of God ; as Samuel would not be persuaded but that it was Eli called him, when it was the Lord. We think it to be the oliarity of the minister, and will not easily acknowledge a call from God, and therefore do not only need leave, but encouragement. Partly because God will work in a way suitable to his own nature and ours ; fortiter et suaviter, strongly like himself, and sweetly with respect to us ; and therefore he doth not only draw but call; not only put forth the power of his Spirit, but exhort and invite by the word. The efficacy of divine grace is conveyed this way more suitably to the nature of man ; there is grace offered in the gospel, and the Spirit compelleth to come in. In all the works of God, there is some word by which his power is educed and exercised. In the creation, ' Let there be light,' &c. At the resurrection there is a trump, and the voice of an archangel,