Obs. 3. The third point is taken from that particle our, ttjv rov 6eov rjfj.a)v. He mentioneth their interest in God to provoke them so much the more to zeal against errors that were so scandalous to his grace. Note that sense of interest in God begets the best zeal for the truths and glory of God. The point consists of two branches: —
1. That interest in God will beget a zeal for God. It troubleth a good man to see any one wronged, much more to see his own relations wronged, most of all to see his God wronged. Can a man profess love to God, and not espouse his quarrel ? Friends have all things com- mon, common love and common hatred, w^rong the one and the other is not well at ease ; so it is in the spiritual friendship between us and God : Ps, Ixix. 9, ' The reproaches of them that reproached thee are
VeR. 4.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 155
fallen upon me.' Injuries done to God and religion will as nearly affect us as those done to our persons. Certainly they that can be silent in the cause of God have little affection to hira, and they who are so tender of worldly interests do little value an interest in God : ' Wisdom is justified of her children,' Mat. xi. 19. They are bastards and not children that are afraid or ashamed to own their mother's defence, or can hug those in their bosoms that are enemies to God and his grace : Ps. cxxxix. 21, ' Do not I hate them, 0 Lord, that hate thee ? am not I grieved with them that rise up against thee?' It is an argument of his sincerity that God and he had the same enemies, that he could find no room in his heart for affection to them that had no affection to God. When we came into covenant with God, we made a league with him offensive and defensive, to count his friends ours and his enemies ours, to hate what he hateth and to love what he loveth ; therefore, without breach of covenant we cannot be silent in God's cause, and friends to the enemies and abusers of his grace.
2. The next branch is, that their zeal who have an interest in God is the best zeal. Now it is the best, partly because it is hottest. They that contest merely for an opinion are not so earnest as they that contend out of affection ; as a stranger, seeing a man oppressed, may chide him that did the wrong, but a near relation he will interpose and venture himself in the quarrel ; so will one that loveth God sacrifice all his interests for God's sake. Partly because it is purest. Carnal men may engage in religious controversies, out of passion they may stickle for their own opinion, but this fire is taken from a common hearth, not from the altar ; it doth not arise from any love to God, from any inward relish and taste of the sweetness of grace, but only from humour and obstinacy and worldly interest ; we may as well be afraid of some men's zeal against error as of others' proneness to it. Carnal persons keep a great coil, and fill the world with clamour and rage ; but their hearts do not flame with zeal upon a proper interest, and do not carry on things in God's way.
The use is to inform us of the reason why the spirits of godly men are so keen against such errors as intrench upon the grace of God ; why errors about Christ are horrible to them, a very abomination to their thoughts ; because thereupon are built all their hopes ; and in such matters they have most experiences ; therefore their hearts sparkle within them ; others feel a cold indifferency, but they a mighty pressure upon their spirits.
I now come to the last part of their description, ajid denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Observe their sin, deny- ing. The object, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is here described three ways : — (1.) By his absolute rule and supremacy, hea-iroTqv fxovov, the only Lord. (2.) By his essence, debu, God. (3.) By his headship over the church, Kvpiov rj/xoov, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I shall first vindicate, and then open the words. Divers take the words disjunctively, applying the first clause to the Father, the second to the Son. So Erasmus translateth it, ' God, who is that only Lord,' and ' our Lord Jesus Christ.' But, as Beza observeth, this is not the first time that he is taken tripping in those places which seem mani- festly to assert the Godhead of Christ. Briefly, then, that the whole
156 AN EXPOSITION, WITH XOTES, [VeR. 4.