Obs. Observe hence, that sensual persons are the spots of a Chris- tian society. They are not only filthy in themselves, but bring a dis- honour upon the whole church whereof they are members : Heb. xii. 15, ' Take heed lest any root of bitterness spring up amongst you, whereby many may be defiled.' Now what that root of bitterness is he showeth, ver. 16, ' Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as was Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.' When any root springeth up, or breaketh out into a scandalous action, the whole society is defiled ; therefore when such are discovered, they are to be cast out, for otherwise we should turn a church into a sty. ' Their spot is not as the spot of his children,' Deut. xxxii. 5. They have no God's mark, but Satan's. Calvin observed that nothing doth mischief to the church so much as remissness and kindness to wicked men. Partly as they do infect by the taint of their evil examples, and partly as they bring infamy upon the body ; therefore cut off these ulcerous members. Again, we learn that the purest churches have their spots. In Christ's family there was a devil : John vi., ' One of you is a devil.' You would be scared to see a devil come among you. Every malicious sinner is a devil, and every sensual sinner is a beast. Such may now and then creep into the church, but they should not be allowed there. They that put off the nature of man are unfit for the communion of saints. These are spots to be washed off". Holi- ness is the church's ornament : Ps. xciii. 5, ' Holiness bccometh thy house, 0 Lord, for ever.' Again, they that are in a church should be the more careful ; you defile yourselves else, and the society whereof you are members. Yea, your miscarriages reflect upon Christ him- self Carnal Christians carry up and down in the world the picture of the devil, and put Christ's name upon it, and so expose it to scorn
Ver. 12.] rroN the epistle of jude. 275
and derision in the world. It was an old complaint of the Gentiles, mentioned by Cyprian in his book De Duplici Martyrio ; the words are these : Ecce qui jactant se redemptos a tyrannide Sathance, qui prcedicant se mortuos mimdo, nihilo minus vincimtur a cupiditaiihus suis, qiiam nos quos dicunt teneri sub regno Sathance. Qtiid prodest ilUs haptismus, quid prodest Spiritus Sancfus, cujus arhitrio dicunt se temperari ? &c. So in Salvian's time the heathens were wont to upbraid the Christians thus: Ubi est catliolica lex quam cvedunt? Ubi sunt piefatis et castitatis exemp)la qua.' discuntf Evangelia legunt et impudici sunt ; apostolos audiunt et inebriantiir ; Christum sequuntur et cupiunt, kc. — they talk of a hcly Christ, and yet are unjust, unclean, wrathful, covetous; of a meek, patient Christ, and yet are rapacious and violent ; of holy apostles, and yet are im- pure in their conversations. Our author goeth on thus : Sancta a Christ ianis fierent si sancta Christus docuisset, a^stimari a cultori- bus potest iste qui colitur, quomodo bomcs magister cujus tarn malos esse videnuis discipidos? — if their Christ were a holy, meek Christ, they would be better. Now judge you whether such wretches be not spots both to Christ and the church, a disgrace to head and members. Therefore all church members should be more watchful and circum- spect than others, lest they give occasion to those that watch for their halting to speak evil of the way of God.
The nest clause is, luhen they feast with you. The word signifieth, to feast liberally together. This is added to show that they perverted the nature of the meeting, and made that an action of luxury which "was at first an action of charity. In the feasts of the godly there was moderation and temperance, but these were blithe and jocund, filling their paunches at the charge of the church. "What we translate ' feast- ing with you,' others read 'feasting upon you;' and 2 Peter ii. 13, ' SjDorting themselves with their own deceivings, while they feast with you ;' that is, by carnal gospelling and subtle devices justifying their own intemperance. Whence note : —
Obs. That it is an odious filthiness to make religion serve our bellies, and to turn charity into luxury. This is here charged upon them, and often practised in the world : Eom. xvi. 18, ' They serve not our Lord Jesus Chri.st, but their own belly ;' Christ hath the name, but the belly the respect. So Phil. iii. 19, ' Whose God is the belly.' When men aim at nothing but their own ease and pleasure, they set the belly in God's stead. Among the Papists, religious houses are but so many sties of filthiness, and the charity of well-meaning persons diverted to feed the luxury of a few ' slow-bellies.' Well, then, those that live upon church maintenance should be the more sober and temperate, though a double portion will well become them that take double pains ; yet you should take heed of luxury, that you may not be corrupted with ease, that you may have enough for charity, that you may silence the clamours of the world ; your temperance and sobriety should be known to all men. Paul giveth such an account of his life as will shame most ministers when they think of it : 2 Cor. xi. 27, ' In weariness and 2)ainfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness ;' and Paul had his enforced fasts, his voluntary fasts, not- withstanding his great pains. Our lives should carry some proportion ;