268 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 11.
Ohs. 6. Again observe, it is a sign of a man turned beast to follow the passions and lusts of corrupt nature. Why ? For then the govern- ment of reason is renounced, and all is yielded up into the hands of lust aud appetite. In men reason should have the chief governance, and exercise a coercion aud restraint over our affections ; but now, when we yield up ourselves to the passionateuess of lust, and are trans- I^orted with violence of it, it answereth to that rage which reigneth in the beasts. I shall take occasion here to show you how many ways a man turneth beast.
1. By an addictedness to sensual pleasures and delights. It is the beasts' happiness to enjoy pleasures without remorse ; they have no conscience, they are not called to an account, &c. Now he is npt worthy the name of a man, saith Tully, that would willingly spend one whole day in pleasure. We may take pleasures sometimes, but they should not take us ; that is, we should not be vehemently addicted to them.
2. When, in the use of these delights, we keep neither modesty nor measure, this is but like swine to wallow in our own filthiness ; a beast can do no more ; nay, many a beast would not do so much.
3. When men live by appetite rather than reason and conscience, feeding without fear, and nourishing the body, but taking no care to refresh the soul. This should humble many that think highly of themselves ; they do but carry a beast's heart under a man's shape : while they are wholly given up to sensual delight, pampering the body, when in the meantime the precious but neglected soul may justly complain of hard usage.
Ohs. 7. In the last place observe, that sensuality doth but make way for corruption : you may counterpoise the temptation to the sin with the punishment ; usually secret sins and sweet sins meet with a heavy punishment : secret sins, that do not betray us to shame, may yet beget horror when we think of what will ensue ; and sweet sins, that entice our affections, to prevent them we may counterbalance one affection with another, delight with fear. Well, then, to check the brutish rage of sensual inclinations, say. This will tend to my corrui> tion, and perishing for ever : ' They that sow to the flesh shall reap corruption,' Gal. vi. 8. Carnal pleasures turn to an ill account in the issue : so Eom. viii. 13, * If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.' The Lord fenced Eden with a flaming sword ; so is the garden of carnal delights fenced with the wrath of God : we run a great hazard to enter in. Say, then, Shall I for a superfluous cup adventure to drink a cup of wrath unmixed? for pleasures here, forfeit the pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore ? for a little wanton dalliance, lose the em- braces of Christ when he cometh out to receive the saints to himself at the last day ? God forbid.
Ver. 11. Woe unto them, for they have rjone the way of Cain, and run greedily offer the error of Balaam for reicard, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
Here the apostle cometh to reckon up their sins, and he doth it by examples which are suited so that they may imply both the sin and the punishment. Three are produced in this verse : that of Cain, to note their malice and cruelty ; that of Balaam, to note their covetous- ness and seduction ; that of Korah, to note tlieir faction and sedition
VeR. 11.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 2G9
against magistracy and ministry, as Korah and his accomplices rose up against Moses and Aaron.
Woe nnfo them. It is prophetically spoken, not execratorily ; as a threatening or denunciation, not as a curse. For they have gone in the icaij of Cain. Cain's example is produced, because he was the first and chief of them that departed from the true church and pure service of G-od: Gen. iv. 16, ' Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt,' &:c. Tertullian saith, he was the. devil's patriarch, the first root of the carnal seed, or of the ' seed of the serpent,' in whom persecution began. Now Cain's way was a way of murder ; he slew his brother because he was more righteous and godly than him- self, 1 John iii. 12, and so they go in his way that have an envy and hatred against their holy brethren, which many times proceedeth so far as violence, persecution, and murder. This instance is fitly applied to these seducers ; for, if the Targum of Jerusalem say true, besides the particular grudge which Cain had against Abel about the acceptance of his sacrifice, there was a dispute which happened between them in the field concerning the providence of God, and the last judgment, and world to come. Non est judicium, nee judex, nee sceculum aliud, nee meixes bona pro just is, nee poena pro impiis : nee Dei miseri- cordia creatus est mundus, nee ejus miser icordia regitur, eo quod suscepta est ohlatio tua eum heneplacito, mea vero non — Targ. Hieros.^ So were these seducers exasperated against the orthodox, not only because of the greater presence of God among them, but also because of difierence of judgment about Christ, the world to come, and provi- dence, with other wholesome doctrines by which godliness is main- tained. Again, Cain slew Abel ; so were these Gnostics ready to break out into all violence against those that dissented from them, and stirred up the Jews to persecution against the Christians. Cain after this murder was haunted with his own ghost, and trembled wherever he came ; so doth Cain's end attend Cain's curse, such quakings and fears of conscience following them wherever they went. It is said, ' The Lord set a mark upon Cain,' Gen. iv. 1.5 : what this mark was is much disputed ; most say it was a continual trembling and quaking throughout his body. Vide Aug., lib. xii. contra Faust., cap. 12 ; Chrysost. Horn. 19, in Gen. And the Septuagint render that, Gen. iv. 12, ' Thou shalt be a vagabond upon the earth, arevwv koI Tpificov ear) iirl tt)^ 77)9, ' Thou shalt be groaning and trembling upon the earth :' and the word Nod, the name of the place where he sojourned, is by interpretation agitatio, commotio, ' quaking or trembling :' 0 ao=i Tp6fj,o<; v6/jlo<; jiyvicrdQ) roL<i vcrrepov, and Basil Seleuc. apud Neiremb. Stromat., i. p. 23 ; which, if so, our wicked Quakers may see who was their patriarch. Now from this first instance observe : —