Ohs. 3. That the piide and vanity of seducers is usually bewrayed in the fondness and affectedness of their expressions. The affected language of the Gnostics and Valentinians may be seen in Irenasus ; and how much this pattern hath been improved by men of a fanatical spirit, may be found in those that have written of the heresies of succeeding ages. Jerome taxeth Jovinian with his swelling words.^ In times more moder-n, Swinkfield was observed to be always talking of illumi- nation, deification, ^c. ; and the familists' cant is not unknown, of being godded with God, and christed with Christ. So Jacob Behmen's greening of the inward root, &c. ; and Calvin saith of the libertines of his time, communi sermone spreio, exoticum nescio quid idioma sibi Jinfiunt, inierea nihil spiritucde ajferunt, they pretend to matter more spiritual, and when all cometh to all, it is but noisome errors disguised, or common things represented in uncouth forms of speech, which the scriptures own not, rational and truly spiritual men understand not. Tlie same unsavoury and unintelligible forms of speech may be observed in a wicked book lately put forth by a knight of this country, called ' The Retired Man's Meditations,' wherein the highest principles of our most holy faith are endeavoured to be undermined by this artifice of covert and affected speech ; but that by the providence of God the book fell under neglect and scorn presently upon the publication. Now the reason of this affectation is, I suppose, to amuse the reader with the pre- tence of mystery and depths, Rev. ii. 24, that, despising the simplicity of the word, and the common and avowed principles, he may be the more pliable to their carnal fancies, which, if nakedly exposed at first, would have nothing of allurement and temptation in them to any well- disposed minds. Well, then, be not rapt into admiration with novel and conceited expressions, nor troubled with ' oppositions of science falsely so called,' 1 Tim. vi. 20. This is the devil's device, first to maze people, as birds are with a light and a bell in the night, and then to drive them into the net. If you would keep to wholesome doctrine, keep to a form of wholesome words, and do not place religion in con- ceited speaking ; a holy dialect I know becometh saints, but an affected phraseology is one of Satan's lures, and a means to corrupt many.
The fourth clause is, having mens persons in admircUion because of advantage. Junius applieth this to those that set up angels, and unknown names and persons in the church, instead of Christ ; but I think it is rather to be applied to men. Person is therefore put for the outward state and appearance, in which sense it is said, ' Thou shalt have no respect of persons in judgment,' that is, of their outward
^ ' Descripsit Apostolus Jovinianum loquentem buccia tumentibus et inflata verba tru- tinantem.' — Hieron. adversus Jovin., lib. i.
VeR. 16.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JLT)E. 319
condition and estate. Accepting of persons, as Gen. xix. 21, is ren- dered in the Septuagint by 6aufiat,eiv to Trpoaioirov,^ wondering at a man's face or outside, as being overcome and dazzled at the splendour of it. Accordingly our apostle saith here, ' Having men's persons in admiration.' Now this they did ' for advantage,' that is, either to gain men to their party, by crying them up as holy and knowing, to the contempt of others who were more valuable for the sincerity of their religion ; or else for worldly profit's sake, those whom they feared, or from whom they expected any worldly profit, as the rich and powerful, upon these would they fawn, and with these in a servile manner in- sinuate themselves, commending their actions and magnifying their persons.
Having been so long in the former part of the verse, I shall but mention the notes here.
Ohs. 4. None so fawning and base-spirited as the proud for their advantage : these spoke ' swelling words ' and yet basely crouched for profit's sake. Ambrose noteth it of a spirit of ambition : Ut donii- netur aliis, prius servit ; curvatur ohsequio, ut Jionore donetur — none stoop so as they that have a mind to rise. One observed of our late prelates,- that they were willing to take Ham's curse upon them, to domineer in the tents of Sliem, that is, would be ' servants of ser- vants," slaves to great men's servants, that they might lord it over God's heritage. Men of proud insulting spirits bow low for their own ends. As Absalom courteth the people to jostle his father out of the throne, 2 Sam. xv. 2-5. And Tacitus observeth the like of Otho, that he did lyrojicere oscula, adorare vulgus, et omnia serviliter pro imperio — adore the people, kiss the meanest, basely dispense his courtesy to the vilest, all to further his designs upon the empire. So Ammianus Marcellinus, lib. xxv., observeth the same of Julian, that out of affectation of popularity he delighted to converse with the meanest of the people. Certainly a proud spirit is no great spirit, no more than a swollen arm can be accounted big.
Ohs. 5. Having men's persons in admiration for advantage is a sin. We may admire the gifts of God in others so as to praise the giver, but not so as to be guilty of anthropolatry, or man-worship, 1 Cor. iii. 21 ; not so as to ' despise others,' who have their usefulness, and it may be as excellent a gift in another kind, 1 Cor. xii. 7-11 ; not so as to promote our interests thereby, this is servile flattery, condemned in the text and Hosea vii. 8 ; not so as to be afraid to tell them their own, or for their fear or favour to wrest the truth of God : Matt. xxii. 16, ' Thou teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest not the person of men.' Let all regard this, especially the ministers of Christ.