YeR. 21.] UrON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 343
with a rusty blade, followeth Clirist into the high priest's hall, who more secure than Peter ? But all this confidence failed, though it met with but a weak trial, the soft words of a damsel's question ; such feathers are we when the blast of a temptation is let loose upon us. Upon all these considerations now let us make it our care to keep what graces we have gotten, which Avill never be done without watchfulness and diligence to quicken us further to it.
1. Unless you keep it, all is in vain ; if so be it be in vain, Gal. iii. 4. It is in vain as to the final reward. It is not in vain as to the increase of punishment. You will lose all your cost you have been at for Christ, Ezek. xviii. 24, 2 John 8. Your watchings, strivings, prayings, suffer- ings, come to nothing. The Nazarite was to begin all anew if the days of his separation were defiled, Num. vi. 12. Nay, it is not in vain as to punishment, 2 Peter ii. 20-22.
2. To lose any degrees of grace is a great loss ; it is the most precious gift, 2 Peter i. 1, conduceth to the highest ends— eternal happiness, fitteth us for communion with God ; all the world cannot repair this loss, or purchase a supply for us. We are to be accountable for degrees, as well as for the grace itself. They that had five talents reckoned for five ; a factor that giveth an account only for a part of the estate received is notxiccounted faithful. We may not be intrusted with so much again. A man that hath fallen may recover his peace and joy, but in a lower degree ; a prodigal that hath once broken is not trusted with a like stock again, and a man after a great disease may never come to the same degree and pitch of health. So Christians may not recover that largeness of spirit after their foul falls and fulness of inward strength and comfort.
3. Those that have made profession of love to God, and yet after- wards break with him, bring an ill report upon the Lord, as if he were an ill master. I am persuaded that the devil in policy lets many men alone for a while to make a strict profession, and seem to be full of zeal and holiness, that they may afterwards do religion a mischief Whilst they act for God, though they do some things excellently, Satan never troubleth them ; he is at truce with them till they have gotten a name for the profession of godliness and strictness of conver- sation, and when once they have gotten a name, their fall will be more scandalous, more ignominious to themselves, and disgraceful to reli- gion. Verily, this is a common experience, we see many forward, hot, and carried out with great impulsions of zeal, and all this while Satan lets them alone, he knoweth how mutable men are, and how soon they begin to tire in the ways of God, therefore lets them alone till they have run themselves out of breath, that afterward, by a more notable defec- tion, they may shame themselves and harden others. If Judas will be a disciple, he lets him alone ; if Simon Magus will be baptized, and Nicolas^ bear office in the church, he lets them alone ; he knoweth the best are mutable ; that many take up their religion out of interest, that men are soon weary of their own scrupulousness and rigid ob- servances, that they first make conscience of all things, and then of nothing ; and therefore he lets them go on without any notable defect
^ This is on the supposition that Nicolas, one of the seven, Acts vi. 5, was the founder of the sect of the Nicolaitans. — Ed.
344 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [YeR. 21.
or failing, to fly some youtliful lusts, to renounce some interests, till they have gotten credit enough to discredit religion. See 2 Tim. ii. 18. 0 Christians ! if you are not moved with respect to Grod, yet for your own cause ; after a blaze will you go out in a stench ? A house begun and not finished is a habitation for screech-owls ; but, on the contrary, what an honour is it to hold out to the last, to be like ' Mnason, an old disciple ! '
4. The worst is past, we have but a few years' service more, and we shall be happy for ever : ' Your salvation is nearer than it was when you first believed,' Rom. xiii. 11 ; a little more and you will land safe at the expected haven ; if we have a rough passage, it is a short one. ' What ! will you not watch with me one hour ? ' saith Christ to his apostles. The longest life is no more in comparison of eternity. Enoch lived longer than most men do, he lived three hundred and sixty-five years. Gen. v. 22, but all that while he ' walked with God ; ' and is it so tedious to us to tell over a few summers and winters before we come to heaven ?