Ohs. 3. That writing is a great help to promote the common salvation. By this means we speak to the absent and to posterity ; and by this means are the oracles of God preserved in public records, which other- wise were in danger of being corrupted, if still left to the uncertainty of verbal tradition. By this means are errors more publicly confuted, and a testimony against them transmitted to future ages. Speech is more transient, but writing remaineth. So Christ telleth the apostles that they should ' bring forth fruit, and their fruit should remain/ John XV. 16. Apostolical doctrine being committed to writing, remaineth as a constant rule of faith and manners, and by the public explications of the church left upon record we come to understand the dispensations of God to every age, what measures of light they enjoyed, how the truths of God were opposed, how vindicated. Finally, by writing the streams of salvation are conveyed into every family, as a common fountain by so many pipes and conveyances, that in the defect of public preaching good supply may be had in this kind. Well, then, it is an acceptable service to the church which they do ' who can handle the pen of the writer,' Judges v. 14, when they send abroad a public testimony against error, a public monument of their affection to the truth. The goose-quill hath smote antichrist under the fifth rib. The Earl of Derby accused Bradford for doing more hurt by his writings than preaching. Hezekiah's servants are
^ ' Zacharias, cum loqui non potuit, scripsit. '
VeR. 3.] LTON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 99
commended for * copying out' the Proverbs of Solomon, Prov. xxv. 1. They deserve not to be censured, but commended and cherished, that do service in this kind. I confess there is no end of books. Pride and ambition may put many upon scribbhng, and filling the world with cliaff and vanity; so that there needeth a restraint rather than an incitement. Some merely blur paper, l which is no small dis- couragement to modest and able men. Surely care should be taken to prevent abuse :2 writing is a more public way of teaching, and men should not undertake it without a call. Jerome's advice is good, Ne ad scribendum ciio prosilias, et levi ducaris insania; multo tem'pore disce quod doceas (Hier. ad Kusticum Mohachium) — be not too hasty to write ; that which is prepared for public instruction had need be prepared with great deliberation. The vestal virgins were ten years in learning, and ten years in practising, and ten years in teaching and prescribing directions to others.*^ When every sciolist will be obtruding his notions upon the world, it is a great abuse ; for by this means useful men are discouraged, or if they publish their labours, they are not taken notice of, as two or three grains of good corn are hardly found out under a heap of chaff. But take away this abuse, writing is a great help to the church in practicals, that people may still be furnished with good books in every age, old ones written long ago being neglected, or lying hid in some private studies, or else not coming up to the rate of present light, or not answering the temper of the present age, not meeting with the sins, nor encouraging the graces within use and exercise. Again, in controversials there is great use of writing, controversies not being so easily determined by the judgment of the ear as the eye. In the clamour of disputations and violent discourse, usually there is such a dust raised, that we cannot so soon discern the truth as upon a calm debate and mature consideration of what is delivered in writing ; which I remember was the cause why TertuUian wrote his treatise ao;ainst the Jews, lest the tumult and noise of the dispute should be some prejudice to the truth.^ But of this enough,
(3d.) I come now to the next circumstance in the insinuation or profes- sion of his readiness to do them good, and that is the object or subject concerning which he would write to them, the common salvation, a fit argument for saints.
Ohs. 1. The apostles, in their private and familiar letters, were very spiritual ; yea, when they wrote about their ordinary occasions, as Paul to Philemon, still they were ready to impart some spiritual gift, whether by conference or writing. Those letters, then, should be most welcome to us that mind us of the best things.
But what was this ' common salvation ?' I suppose by it is meant
^ ' Scribunt doctique indoctique poemata passim.' — Juvenal.
" Councils have thought it worthy their care, vide Canones Apostolorum (ut vocant), Can. 60. — Synod. Dordrec. Consilia de corrigeudis typographioe abuaibus. — Sess. 222.
2 ' Eis TTj^ jxh wpdirriv SeKarlav & XPV ^P"-" fiavOdyovai, rrfv Se ni(T7]v d fiefiaOi^Kacn SpCxn, TTJv Se TplTTjv eripas avral SiMffKovai.' — Plutarchus in Vita Nicmce.
* ' Alternis vicibus contensioso fune uteque diem in vesperam traximup, obstrepenti- bus etiam quibusdam spectautibus, singulorum nubilo quodam Veritas obunibrabatur.' — Tcrtul. contra JudcEos.
100 AN EXPOSITION", WITH NOTES, [VeR. 3.
that salvation wherein he and they and all the saints were concerned. This expression may be conceived to be an argument, either of the apostle's meekness ; though he were an apostle, and they private believers, yet I and you have but one ' common salvation ;' as captains, to endear themselves to their troops, will say, Felloio soldiers, as engaged in one common warfare ; or else of his holiness, ' the common salvation ;' that is, which I am to look after as well as you ; or else of his love to their salvation, which he would look after as well as his own. The saints carry on a joint trade to heaven ; they are all partners, and salvation lieth in common between them : you are to promote mine, and I yours. Well, then, he having their faith and salvation in like respect with his own, he was willing to write to establish them in the truth. I shall form the point in the very words of the text.