Let all this now persuade you to deny your lusts, rather than to feed and cherish them, to renounce them, and not to walk after them. There are three degrees of this denial : — (1.) They must be prevented, and kept from rising ; (2.) Suppressed and kept from growth ; (3.) We must not accomplish them, and if they gain consent, keep them from exectition. Suitable to which three degrees there are three duties : — (1st.) Mortification, that we may prevent them. (2d.) Watchftilness, that we may suppress them ; (3d.) Eesolution, that we may not accomplish them.
1. To begin with tlie top and highest degree, to prevent the lust : 1 Peter ii. 11, ' Abstain from fleshly lusts.' It is not enough to ab-
YeR. 16.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 317
stain from nets of sin, but we mnst abstain from lusts ; yea, tbe root must be deadened : Gal. v. 24, ' Crucify the flesh.' She is chaste that checketh an unclean solicitation, but she is more worthy of praise whose grave carriage forbiddeth all assaults and attempts in that kind ; so should we be so mortitied as to prevent a temptation, not to have a lust stirring. But because this cannot always be —
2. The next degree is, timely to suppress them, laus est aliqua in secundis staix — to conquer lust wlien we cannot curb it, and wholly keep it under. Dash Babylon's brats against the stones, and take the little foxes ; smother it in the conception, James i. 15. It is a great sin to quench the Spirit's motion, so it is a great neglect not to take notice of the first thoughts and risings of sin ; the little sticks kindle first, and set the great ones on fire ; crush the cockatrice in the eg^. The flesh riseth up in arms against every graceful motion ; so should the spirit, the better part, against every sinful motion, Gal. v. 17. Chide away your carnal thoughts, and let them not find harbour. If the envious man throw weeds over the garden wall, the gardener \vill not let them root there. If Satan cast in thoughts, cast them out again with indignation.
3. Let not worldly lusts be put in execution. If thou hast neglected the mortification and deadening of the aftections, if sin hath got the start of thee, and gained a consent, yet at least restrain the practice : James i. 15, ' Lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin,' that is, an external sinful action ; there are ' works of the flesh,' that follow ' the lusts of the flesh,' Gal. v. 19. It is good to stop at lust ; though the lust grieveth the Spirit of God, yet the work, besides the grief, bringeth dishonour to God, giveth an ill example, bringeth scandal to religion, maketh way for a habit and further proneness to sin ; there- fore if thou hast not prevented the lust, act not the sin : Micah ii. 1, 2, * Woe be to them that devise evil upon their beds, and when the morn- ing is light, they practise it.' It is naught to harbour the motion, to plot and muse upon sin, but it is worse to practise it, for every act strengthens the inclination ; as a brand that hath been once in the fire is more ready to burn again. If the devil have kindled a fire in thy bosom, let not the sparks fly abroad, but keep the temptation within doors, lest thou more betray thyself into Satan's hands.
The third clause in this application of Enoch's prophecy is, that their mouth speaketh great sivelling zoords. In Enoch's prophecy not only unholy deeds are noted, but hard speeches. These Gnostics were faulty both ways, both in word and deed ; that which is charged here is a fault in their speech. It is said, Dan. xi. 36, ' The king shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods.' In the Septuagint the same phrase is used that is here, koI 6 l3aai\€u<; v^^wdy^aerat kol /jb€ya\vvdi](T€Tac iirl iravra deov, Kol XaXi^aei, virepoyKa, and so j)0ssibly it may imply their blasphemies against God, a crime of which these wretches were guilty, in exalting Simon Magus above the true God. Or else these ' swelling words ' may relate to their boasting of their own knowledge, from whence they were called Gnostics ; and TertuUian saith of them, Omnes tument, omnes scientiam pollicentur ; i2)sce mu- lieres hwreticcv, quam sunt procaces ! — they all swell with pride, and make ostentation of deeper knowledge ; their very women, how con- ceited are they ! Or else it may signify their proud censures of others,
318 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 16.
tlieir scorning of the guides of the church, as it is said of some : Ps. Ixxiii. 9, ' They speak loftily, they set their mouth against the heavens, their tongue vvalketh through the earth.' They took a liberty to speak of all things and persons at pleasure, without any restraint, Avhich was and is the very genius of these and other seducers. Eather, I suppose, though not excluding the other senses, these swelling words relate to their phraseology and unsavoury gibberish which they used in repre- senting their opinions. Peter calleth them ' swelling words of vanity,' 2 Peter ii. 18. The note hence is this : —