Use. It presseth us to this earnestness of contention and zeal for the truths of God. We live in a frozen age, and cursed indifferency hath done a great deal of mischief. Christians ! is error grown less dangerous, or the truth of religion more doubtful ? Is there nothing certain and worth contention, or are we afraid to meddle with such as shroud themselves under the glorious name of saints ? We will not oppose saints, and so let the ' truth ' go that was given to the saints, to be kept by them. Oh ! my brethren, Paul withstood Peter to the face when truth was like to suffer, Gal, ii. 11. So should we with- stand them to the face rather than make such sad work for the next age, and leave our poor babes to the danger of error and seduction. AVhat is become of our zeal ? ' There is none valiant for the truth upon the earth.' Prejudices and interests blind men so that they can- not see what they see, and are afraid to be zealous, lest they should be accounted bitter. We have been jangling about discipline, and now doctrine itself is like to escape us. In the name of God let us look about us. Are there not crafty thieves abroad that would steal away our best treasure, and in the midst of the scufHe cheat us and our posterity of the gospel itself. We have been railing at one another for lesser differences, and now we begin to be ashamed of it. Satan hopeth that error and blasphemy itself shall go scot-free. Ah ! my brethren, it is time to awake out of sleep. Whilst we have slept the enemy hath come and sown tares. What a tattered religion shall we transmit to ages to come, if there be not a timely remedy ! To help you I shall show : —
1. What we must contend for.
2. Who must contend, and in what manner.
1. What we must contend for. For every truth of God, accord- ing to its moment and weight. The dust of gold is precious ; and it is dangerous to be careless in the lesser truths : ' Whosoever shall
VeR. 3.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 117
break the least of the commandments, and teach men so to do,' &c., Mat. V. 19. There is nothing superfluous in the canon, Tlie Spirit of God is wise, and would not burden us with things unnecessary. Things comparatively little may be great in their own sphere, espe- cially in their season, when they are the truths of the present age, and now brought forth by God upon the stage of the world, that we may study his mind in them. Better heaven and earth should be blended together in confusion, saith Luther, than one dust of God's truth should perish.^ If the Lord call us out to the defence of them, what- ever Cometh of it we must be faithful. A man may make shipwreck of a good conscience in small matters. Say not, ' It is a little one, and my soul shall live.' Hearken to Satan, and this will be a little one, and that shall be a little one, till we have littled away all the prin- ciples of faith. I tell you, the world hath counted those small things for which the children of God have ventured their all. It is your duty to ' take the little foxes,' Cant. ii. 15. The first appearances of error are many times modest. There is a chain of truths ; the devil taketh out a link here and a link there, that all may fall to pieces. See 2 Thes. ii. 2, ' Let no man deceive you with such doctrine as that the day of Christ is at hand.' Why ? They might say there is no great danger in that. Peter saith, ' The end of all things draweth nigh,' 1 Peter iv. 7. The seducers said, evear-qKe, it ' is at hand ;' and Peter saith, r^y^LKe, ' it draweth nigh.' Here is no great difference. Ay ! but be not shaken in mind, saith Paul, ' neither, by letter nor by word nor by spirit, as if the day of the Lord were at hand;' that is, take heed of such suggestions, under what pretence soever they are brought to you, either of revelations or collections from my doctrine ; it is all a falsehood. Why is Paul so earnest ? Because Satan had an aim to make them look for the sudden coming of Christ, which not happening accordingly, to make them fall a- questioning all the truths of God.2 So Gen. iii. 3, ' Ye shall not eat nor touch lest ye die.' That was Satan's repetition. Whereas God had said. Gen. ii. 17, ' Thou shalt surely die.' No great difference, but Satan got a great deal of advantage by it. Therefore be not ' ignorant of Satan's de- vices.' The Council of Nice would not gratify Arius in a letter,^ and Nestorius in a letter.'* The lesser truths are not to be slighted in their time and place ; they deserve an earnest contention. The mar- tyrs were not foolish nor prodigal of their lives ; they knew what they did when they durst not give place for a moment.