I come now to the words ; in which you have a preface, and the first instance of God's judgment, which was on the unbelieving Israelites. In the preface you may take notice of his purpose, / will put you in remembrance ; his insinuation, though ye once knoio this.
I begin with the first part, his purpose, / loill put you in remem- brance. From thence observe : —
Obs. 1. That it is a great part of a minister's duty to be a remem- brancer. We are remembrancers in a double sense : — (1.) From the people to God, to put God in mind of his people's wants ; so it is said, Isa. Ixii, 6, ' Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers.' Christ is the church's advocate, but we are the church's solicitors, to represent the sad condition of the church to God. (2.) From God to the people ; and so we are to put them in mind of the being of God, the riches of his grace, the necessity of obedience, the preciousness of their souls, the many dangers that lie in their way to heaven, &c. These are standing dishes at Christ's table. That this is a great part of our ofiice appeareth by those places : — 1 Tim. iv. 6, ' If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minis- ter of Jesus Christ.' And Paul, speaking of his apostleship, saith, Kom. XV. 15, 'As one that putteth you in remembrance, through the
1 Qu. ' external ' ?— Ed.
172 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 5.
grace given to me ; ' see 2 Tim. ii. 14 ; Titus iii. 1 ; 2 Peter i. 12-14; iii. 1. So there are two psalms that bear that title, A Psalm of David io bring to remembrance^ Ps. xxxviii. and Ixx. The great use of sacraments is to put us in remembrance of Christ, 1 Cor. xi. 24. Yea, one great employment of the Spirit is to ' bring things to our remembrance,' John xiv. 26 ; all which intimateth — (1st.) Our forgetfulness and incogitancy. Truths formerly understood are soon forgotten, or not duly considered and kept in the view of conscience. (2d.) The benefit of a good memory. A bad memory is the cause of all mischief, but a lively remembrance of truth keepeth the mind in a good frame. (3d.) That however it be witJi natural, yet spiritual knowledge is a reminiscence, or reviving the seeds infused in the new creation, 1 Cor. xv. 2 ; Heb. xii. 5. (4th.) That a minister dischargeth his duty when he teacheth his ]3eople things vulgar and already known, as well as those which are rare and less known : if he be but a remem- brancer it is enough ; we are to ' bring forth things both new and old.' We count him a wanton prodigal that only furnisheth his table with rarities, neglecting wholesome meats because they are usual. (5th.) The necessity of a standing ministry, if not to instruct, yet to keep things in remembrance. Because the most necessary truths are few and soon learned, men presently begin to think they know as much as can be taught them, and so neglect ordinances ; whereas one great use of the ministry is to keep truths fresh and savoury in the thoughts and memory. The heathen soon lost the knowledge of God, because they were without a public monitor that might keep this knowledge still on foot. The sound of the trumpet iufuseth a new courage, so doth every sermon beget new affections, though we knew the truths delivered before. Coals will die without continual blow- ing ; so will graces languish without often warnings and admoni- tions.
The next thing in the preface is the insinuation, ihoiigh ye once hieiv this. That word once needeth to be explained. His meaning is not that formerly they had known, but now forgotten it ; neither is once to be referred to vTrofivria-ai, as if the sense were, I will once put you in remembrance ; but by once is meant once for all ; that is, ye have certainly and irrecoverably received this as a truth. This clause will yield us these notes.
Obs. 2. That it is the duty of every Christian to be acquainted with the scriptures ; the apostle presumeth it of these Christians to whom he wrote. Xow this is necessary in regard of ourselves, that we may know the solid grounds of our own comfort ; eveiy man would look over his charter : ' Search the scriptures, for in them ye think to have eternal life,' John v. 39. Particular and distinct scriptures are a great advantage in temptations. Sic scriptum est is Christ's own argument against Satan, Mat. iv. No Christians so unsettled in point of comfort or opinion as those that are 'unskilful in the word,' Heb. v. 13. In regard of others, it is necessary that we may discharge our duty to them : * Let the word dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another,' &c.. Col. iii. 16. None but full vessels will run over, Job xxxii. 18. Ignorant Christians are barren and sapless in dis- course; private Christians must be 'full of knowledge;' not only to
VeR. 5.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 173