2. There are dreams in point of hope; and so — (1.) Some wholly mistake in the object, and dream of an eternal happiness in temporal enjoyments, Ps. xlix. 11 ; so Luke xii. 19, Rev. xviii. 9. (2.) Others dream of attaining the end without using the means ; they live in sin, and yet hope to die comfortably, and go to heaven at length for all that, as if it were but an easy and sudden leap from Delilah's lap to Abraham's bosom ; and ' the pleasures of sin for a season ' would be no hindrance to the enjoyment of the ' pleasures at God's right hand for ever more ; ' a vain dream, see Luke xvi. 25, and James v. 5. (3.) Others mistake about the means, because they have a cold form ; they are apt to be conceited of their spiritual condition and estate, Rev. iii. 17. If you would not dream in this kind, examine your
^ ' Muudus senescens patitur phantasias.' — Gerson.
VeR. 8.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 233
hearts often ; examination is like a rubbing of the eyes after sleep, and reviving of conscience the recollection of our dreams ; a man laugheth at his dreams when he is awake, and when fancy is cited before the tribunal of God, vain apprehensions fly away. Again, ' be sober and watchful,' 1 Peter v. 9, 2 Thes. v. G. Confessing sin it is telling our dream when we are awake and come to ourselves.
Obs. 2. From that defile the fiesli, observe that dreams of error dispose to practices of sin and uncleanness, and impurity of religion is usually joined with uncleanness of body, which cometh to pass partly by the just judgment of God, who punisheth spiritual forni- cation with bodily : Hosea iv. 12, 13, ' They have gone a- whoring from their God, therefore their daughters shall commit whoredom, and their spouses adultery.' That is God's course, that the odiousness of the one may make them see the heinousness of the other ; see Rom. i. 24. Partly by the influence of error ■} it perverteth the heart ; a frame of truth preserveth the awe of God in the soul, and a right belief maketh the manners orthodox : all sins are rooted in wrong thoughts of God, 3 John 11, either in unbelief or misbelief: unbelief is the mother of sin, and misbelief the nurse of it ; it springeth from distrust, and is countenanced by error. Partly because the design of most errors is to put the soul into a liberty which God never allowed. Some errors come from the pride of reason, because it will not veil and strike sail to faith ; but most come from ' vile affection ;' a carnal heart must be gratified with a carnal doctrine: 2 Peter ii. 19, ' They promise liberty,' &c. Errors are but a device to cast off Christ's yoke, and to lull the conscience asleep in a course of disobedience. Well, then, avoid error of judgment if you would avoid filthiness of con- versation ; men first dream, and then defile the flesh ; abominable impurities (unless temper of nature and posture of interests hinder) are the usual fruit of evil opinions. Truth is the root of holiness : ' Sanctify them by thy truth ; thy word is truth,' John xvii. 17. God's blessing goeth with his own doctrine, 1 Peter i. 22. Again, those that have taken up the profession of a right way of religion should beware of staining it by such kind of practices. Nothing maketh the ways of God suspected so much as the scandals of those that profess to walk in them : ' Walk in the light as children of the light,' Eph. v., otherwise you will be a reproach to the truth, and deprive it of its testimony.
Ohs. 3. Again, observe that sin is a defilement ; it staineth and darkeneth the glory of a man, Mat. xv. 20. This defilement was implied in the washings of the ceremonial law, and in baptism ; we are washed as soon as we are born, because we are sinners as soon as we are born. Surely tliey that glory in sin do but glory in their own shame ; it is but as if a man should boast of his own dung, and count his spittle an ornament ; when you count graceless swearing, mighti- ness to drink, revenge, pride, a glory to you, you do the same : there is nothing maketh us stink in God's nostrils but sin : Ps. xiv. 3, ' They are altogether become filthy ;' so much sin as you have about you, so much nastiness. Gain is pleasant to those that are taken with that kind of lust, but the scripture calleth it ' filthy lucre,' 1 Tim. iii, 3 ; all sins are compared to ' filthy garments,' Zech. iii. 4, Jude
^ ' Anima quse fornicata est a Deo casta esse non potest.' — A wj.
234 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 8.
19, and I^^a. xxx. 22. Desire to be washed, and that thoroughly, Ps. li. 2.
Obs. 4. Again observe, that of all sins, the sin of uncleanness or unlawful copulation is most defiling. It defileth the whole man, but chiefly the body ; and therefore it is said they defile the flesh. It staineth the soul with filthy thoughts, Mat. xv. 20 ; it staineth the name, Prov. vi. 33 ; but in a singular manner it polluteth the body, 1 Cor. vi. 18. In all other outward sins, though the body be the instrument, yet it is not the object of them. All other sins do abuse objectum extra positum (as Piscator explaineth it), as a drunkard, wine; an epicure, meats; a worldling, riches. All these are objects without us ; but here the body is not only the instrument, but the ob- ject : Eom. i. 24, ' God gave them up to uncleanness to dishonour their own bodies.' So see 1 Thes. iv. 4. It wasteth the strength and beauty of the body, Prov. v. 9-11, hindereth our serviceableness, and doth not consider that this body is consecrated to God, Kom. xii. 1, and 1 Cor. vi. 15 ; a 'temple of the Holy Ghost,' 1 Cor. vi. 19; in- terested in hopes of glory, Phil. iii. 21 ; and therefore puts it to so vile a use as to be an instrument of lust. Christians, shall those eyes which are consecrated to God, to behold his works, be windows to let in sin ? 2 Peter ii. 14 ; that body which is the Holy Ghost's temple, be made the ' member of a harlot,' and so wasted in the service of lust as to become a clog to us, and wholly useless as to any gracious pur- poses ? Are not your beauty, health, strength, concernments too good to be spent upon so vile an interest ? Take heed, then, of all unclean- ness, both conjugal, consisting in excess and immoderation of lust in the married estate, si vinum ex apothecd hid, &c., you may not be drunk with your own wine, nor quench the vigour of nature by excess in those pleasures which the laws of God and men do allow you ; and also of uncleanness adulterous, which is more brutish, when men scat- ter their lusts promiscuously, without confinement to one object.