^ Qu. ' not edification ' ? — Ed.
VeR. 12.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JDDE. 279
first ; they promise you ' hidden manna,' rare discoveries of Christ ; but is your heart the better ? Two things they never do, which may be explained by two properties of rain, namely, refreshing the earth, and making it fruitful.
1. Refreshing the earth. Do they offer any doctrine that will give the conscience solid comfort and relief in distress? Here you will find them barren clouds. The locusts ' tormented the dwellers on earth,' Rev. ix. 5 ; they tickle the fancy for a while, but when you come to die, and are serious, you must return to the old truths to find rest for your souls, Jer. vi. 16 ; your fancies then are like ' the brooks of Teman, consumed out of their place ; ' when Pharaoh was under any trouble, Moses and Aaron must be sent for, his magicians could not satisfy him nor ease him.
2. To make the earth fruitful. Do you find holiness improved by their notions? 2 Peter ii. 19, ' They promise liberty, when you are the servants of corruption ; ' they promise a new way of mortification, but still your bondage under your lusts is increased.
Ohs. 3. Again, in the third place, false teachers are light, easily driven up and down in various motions ; ' carried about of winds,' it is said in the text, sometimes with this opinion and sometimes with that, as light clouds yield to the motion of the winds ; the winds are their corrupt passions, lusts, and interests : Eph. iv. 14, ' Be not tossed about with every wind of doctrine,' TrepKpepofievai, carried round the card and compass. When the chain of truth is once broken, man is at large, and being taken off from his bottom, left loose to strange con- trary winds. We see many scrupulous persons, that at first made con- science of all things, afterward grow so loose as make conscience of nothing.
Obs. 4. Again, they are as ' clouds driven with a tempest ; ' so Peter. They do not yield rain, but breed factions, and schisms, and turbu- lent commotions ; light clouds are driven with great violence. Well, then, ' Mark them that cause divisions and offences,' Rom. xvi. 17 ; they are not what they seem to be ; you will find in the end that you get nothing by dancing after their pipe.
We go on with the verse. Trees luhose fruit withereth, twice dead, ylucked up by the roots. This is the second similitude; here are four properties of evil trees reckoned up by way of gradation.
The first is, trees whose fruit withereth. Let us first look to the grammatical interpretation of these words, and then the sense and accommodation of them. Aevhpa ^divoTTwpiva : the Vulgar readeth arbores autumnales.' In autumn things begin to decay, and trees lose both fruit and leaves ; and so would some explain it, like trees that lose their leaves in harvest-time, and bring forth no fruit ; some go another way, making it an allusion to a particular experiment of young plants, who, if they flower at autumn, husbandmen take it for a sure sign that they will die. But similitudes are taken from things usual and known ; I suppose, therefore, the apostle useth the word in its native and original signification. It is derived, Trapa tw ^dlveadai Ta<; oiroopa^, from corrupting fruits ; and the meaning is, they bring forth no fruit but what is rotten and withered ; and so it is applied to these seducers,
^ 'Letifer autumniis.' — Juvenal.
280 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 12.
whose lives were not full of good fruits. They pretend much, but what fruits do you find ? More holiness, true mortification, strictness, piety to God, or equity and mei'cy to men ? Nay, rather all manner of brutishness, disobedience to civil powers, neglect of God, abuse of gospel, contempt of their betters, &c.
Obs. 1. Observe, corrupt doctrine produceth corrupt fruits. Prin- ciples have an influence upon the life and conversation ; our Saviour directeth us to this way of scrutiny and trial, Mat. vii. 16, 'By their fruits you shidl know them.' How can that be, since they do easily counterfeit a holiness ? it is said before, they come ' in sheep's clothing.' I answer — Pretences will not last long ; observe then nar- rowly, and you will find the wolf breaking out. Ay ! but may not a good way be promoted by men of an ill life ? Ans. Look to the fruits of the doctrine; if it hath no influence upon strictness, but be only curious, and tend to foment pride, malice, envy, sedition, and turbulent practices and contempt of superiors, certainly it is naught, whoever brings you that doctrine, whatever holiness they pretend in other things. 1 On the contrary side, ' the wisdom that is from above is full of good fruits,' James iii. 17, mercy, justice, piety, strictness, meekness, &c. The Lord sealeth the integrity of faithful teachers by guiding them to holiness, and by his judgments suff'ereth hypocrites and seducers to discover their filthiness and shame, that they may be ' manifested to the congregation,' Prov. xxvi. 26. Holiness hath been the usual badge of truth, and the professors of it, when watched, have been in no point liable to exception, but ' in the matter of their God.' Pliny could find no fault with the Christians, but that they worshipped one Christ, whom they owned for a God, and had their hymnos ante- lucanos, their morning meetings and songs of praise to him. One of the notes by which the inquisitors of the Waldenses descried them was that they were sobrii et onodesfi vultu et liahitu, of a sober deportment and modest garb. But may not seducers put on a demure garb, as Swencktield prayed much, lived soberly, but his doctrine tended to looseness, destroyed the person of Christ, &c.? I answer, as before— You must consider the aim of the doctrine, which is not always to be discovered by the life of the first broacher of the error. Satan may 'transform himself into an angel of light ' to set on a design of darkness ; paint will in time wear away — cito ad nataram ficta reci- derunt suam : 2 Tim. iii. 9, 'They shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be made manifest to all men ; ' they begin with great shows at first to gain credit and entrance, but a discerning eye may find the deceit, and in due time God will discover them to the congregation. Well, then, try ways and persons by this note.