Ver. 4. For there are certain men crept in unaioares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ; ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude having made way into their affections by a salutation, which, according to the wont of the apostles, breatheth out spu'itual and heavenly wishes for their good, he doth in the third verse exhort and engage them to a constant defence of the truth ; and now the neces- sity or occasion of such an exhortation is declared, namely, because false teachers were got abroad, and had slyly taken up the general name and profession of Christians ; therefore in faithfulness he could not choose but warn them of the danger.
The whole epistle is spent in the description of heretics, their sins and punishments. In this verse they are described by four things : — (1.) By their entrance into the church, certain men crept in unaivares. (2.) By their condition before God, loho icere before of old ordained to this condemnation. (3.) By the disposition of their spirits, ungodly men. (4.) By the course of their doctrines and conversations; where two things are charged upon them : — (1st.) Abusing the gospel, turn- ing the grace of our Lord into lasciviousness. (2d.) Denying Jesus Christ in his nature and offices, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
First, Let us begin with the description of their entrance into the church, there are certain men a'ept in unawares. Some say they
^ ' Alternis vicibus contentioso f une uterque diem in vesperam traximus, obstrepenti- bus etiam quibusdam spectantibus, singulorum nubilo quodam veritatis obumbrabatur.' — Tei'ttd. contra Judceos.
122 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeK. 4.
are not named, as not being worthy, or rather, it not being necessary, they being so plainly described ; and indeed it is usual with apostles, who rather dealt against things than persons, to suppress the name, and describe the error or sin. But what is the meaning of this first thing laid to their charge, ' they crept in unawares' ? I answer : —
1. It may imply their entrance into the church under a colour and show of profession. Wicked men may creep into the best church ; God permitteth it not only for their o\vn hardening, but for our trouble and trial. Paul complaineth of 'false brethren privily brought in to spy out their liberty,' Gal. ii. 4 ; and the adversaries of Jerusalem said, Ezra iv. ], ' Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do;' but it was with an intent to hinder the work : so Simon Magus got to be baptized. Acts viii., as thieves seek to be entertained in the house, that they may have the more opportunity to work mischief whilst the good-man is asleep. Learn hence to be more watchful in admissions to the church : no perils so great as those occasioned by false brethren. We think to fill the church, but we do but fill the house with thieves : wicked men ever prove a trouble. It is an easy matter to fill the church by remitting the rigour and severity of discipline ; but heaven is never the fuller, but the emptier, for wicked men are hardened and confirmed in their own security ; and the church never fareth the better,! it loseth in strength what it gets in breadth, as a river doth, and zeal is lessened the more the number is increased : yea, wicked men usually prove a trouble, and we come to wish afterward we had been more strict. It is said. Acts v. 13, 14, ' Of the rest durst no man join himself unto them, but the people magnified them, and believers were the moi-e added unto the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.' It is spoken upon the occasion of the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira; it terrified the hypocrites, but brought in more sound believers ; for ' of the rest durst no man join,' that is, of such as Ananias and Sapphira were, believers in show, but carnal in heart ; they saw it was not dallying with God in such matters. Just so when the church keep a strait hand, hypocrites dare not join, but sound believers will the sooner, and then the church, though it be a lesser body, it is more sound, healthy, and active. But what rule must we go by ? we must go by outward and general profession. I answer — This place will give us some direction. As far as we can discern men, so far may we judge of them ; for the entrance of these men is here declared to be claucular and surreptitious : if the church had known them, or looked to them so warily as it should, the mischief had been prevented. Bellarmine" himself confesseth, that the intention of the church is only to gather believers into a body, and if it knew the wicked and unbelieving, it would either not admit them, or being admitted by chance, it would cast them out. It is good to be strict, lest by promiscuous admissions we bring in such a mischief to the church as we cannot easily get rid of.