you hear nothing but what you are acquainted with, be content ; they
were carnal people that complained they had nothing but the ' old
burden,' Jer. xxiii. 33, 34. Take heed of the Athenian itch, many
times it argueth guilt : we cannot endure to have an old sore rubbed
again ; as Peter was troubled when Christ spake to him the third time,
as I noted before, that his apostasy should once more be revived. (3.)
It may justify two duties of great use — meditation and repetition in
our families. (1st.) Meditation, for it is good to remember truths that
we do already know. ' Once hath God spoken, and twice have I heard
it,' Ps. Ixii. 11. We should go over and over it again in our thoughts.
First we learn, and then we meditate ; study findeth out a truth, and
meditation improveth it ; as first the meat is taken in, and then the
digestion is afterwards. Conscience preacheth over the sermon again
to the heart ; while the thing is new it doth more exercise study than
meditation ; but when we have once learned it, then our thoughts
should work upon it ; for meditation is the improvement of a known
truth. (2d.) Repetition in our families ; let them hear it again and
again, the third blow may make the nail go. If people were humble
and sober, they would have new and fresh thoughts every time a truth
is revived upon them. At first hearing many are lost through the
wandering and distraction of our thoughts, things which upon the
review may be brought to hand again ; at least youth and children
must have ' line upon line,' as when they learn to write, the same
letters and the same copy are written over again and again, till the
figure of them be formed in their fancies.
I have done with the preface ; I come now to the first instance produced, lioio that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, cfterward destroyed them that believed not. — rov Xaov. The term is of an honourable use in this place — the people — for the peculiar people of God ; the holy and elect nation, that had the law and the covenants of promise. This people, after they were 'delivered,' and that by so great and solemn a deliverance as that * out of the land of
V^ER. 5.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 175
E«:ypt,' were afterwards ' destroyed ; ' so that it is ill standing upon privileges. Though many of them to whom the apostle wrote had renounced Gentilism, and were (as it were) come out of Egypt, and made God's people by visible profession ; yet, after all this, they cjight be destroyed in case of disproportionable practice or disobedience to Q-od in that profession. Of Israel's destruction, see Num. xiv. 37 ; 1 Cor. X. 10. Libertine Christians shall share as bad as obstinate Jews, that is the drift of his argument.
Obs. 1 . From this clause observe, that after great mercies, there do usually follow great judgments, if great sins come between : as after their deliverance out of Egypt they were destroyed for unbelief. This may be proved from Christ's advice to the man cured on the Sabbath- day : John V. 14, ' Thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.' There is the mercy, the duty thence inferred, and the judgment that doth avenge the quarrel of the abused mercy. Often it Cometh to pass that many men's preservation is but a reserva- tion to a worse thing, to a greater judgment. So see Josh. xxiv. 20,' ' He will turn again, and do you hurt, after he hath done you good,' So Isa. Ixiii. 10, ' He bore them (in the arms of his providence), but they rebelled and vexed his spirit, and he was turned to be their enemy.' None usually have greater judgments than such as formerly have had sweet experience of mercy. Why? There is no hatred so great as that which ariseth out of the corruption of love. Dis- appointed love, abused love groweth outrageous. When Amnon hated Tamar, it is said, ' The hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he loved her.' As it is thus with men, such a proportionable severity we may observe in the dispensa- tions of God after a taste of his mercies : Josh, xxiii. 15, ' It shall come to pass, as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God ])romised you, so the Lord shall bring all evil things upon you, until he hath destroyed you, when ye have transgressed the cove- nant of the Lord your God.' No evils like those evils which come after mercy. No sins are so great as those sins which are committed against mercies ; there is not only filthiness in them, but unkindness : Ps. cvi. 7, ' They provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea.' Mark, it is ingeminated for the more vehemency, that at the sea, even at the Bed Sea, where they had seen the miracles of the Lord, and had experience of his glorious deliverance, that there they durst break out against God. See the contrary in Judges ii. 7. Certainly the more restraints, the greater the offence, when we sin not only against the laws of God, but the loves of God, &c.