but that no Man, nor Company of Men, no Church nor publick Officers, are to interpret the Scripture of their own Heads, accord- ing to their own minds, ſo as to make their private ſence be the lence of the Scripture, but to ſeek the underſtanding of it from God, who ſhews them the meaning of the Word in the Word it ſelf (the, more obſcure places being expounded by the more clear) and by his Spirit leads Believers in their ſearching the Scripture, into the un- derſtanding of his mind in it. God himſelf being the Author of the Word, as v. 21. 1s the beſt Interpreter of it: Or, 2. Mifſin or Di- miſſion, a metaphor taken from Races, where they that-ran; were let looſe trom the Stage where the Race began, that they might rin their Courſe. The Prophets in the Old-Teſtainent are faid to Run, as being God's Meſiengers, Fer. 23. 21. and God is ſaid to ſend them, Exek, 13.6, 7. and then this doth not immediately concern the In- terpretation of the Scripture, but the firſt Revelation of it, ſpoken of in the next Verſe ; and the queſtion is not, Who hath Authori- ty to Interpret the Scripture now written ? but, VVhat Authority the Pen-men had to write 1t? and confequently, what reſpe& is due to it? and, why Believers are fo carefully to take heed to it. And then the meaning 15, that 1t 1s the firft Principle of our Faith, that the Scripture 4s not of Humane Invention, . but Divine Inſpiration ; that the Prophets writ not their own private Sence in it, but the Mind of God ; and at his Command, not their own Pleaſure,
21 For * the prophecy c came not || in old time by the will of man 4, bur holy men of God e ſpake as they were moved f by the Holy Ghoſt.
c The Prophetical VVritings, or VVord of Prophecy, v. 19. a The Prophets ſpake not of themſelyes what and when they plea- ſed. e Prophets, called Jen of God, 1 Sam. 2. 27, and 9.6. and 1 Kings 17. 18. and elſewhere. They are here called Xhly, not only becauſe of their Lives wherein they were examples to others, but be- cauſe they were the ſpecial Inſtruments of the Holy Ghoſt, who ſan&ified them t2 the work of Preaching, and Penning what he DiRated to them. f Or, carried out, or aFed, 7. e. elevated above their own natural abilities, This may imply the illumination of their Minds with the knowledge of Divine Myſteries, the gift of In- fallibility, that they might not err, of Prophecy to foretel! things to come, and a peculiar inſtin& of the Holy Ghoſt, whereby they were moved to Preach or Write,
CHATS M
Falſe teachers, ſuch as had been in the Church of o!d, ſhould ariſe and ſeduce many, their charafter , and judgment, x --= 3. this confirm ed by the example of the fullen Angels, of the old World, and of S0- dim and Gomorrha, #where Lot was preſerved, q——8 for God will ſave his, but puniſh the anclean, diſobedient, proud, Sc. who are as brute Beaſts made to be deſtroyed, g9-——12, for thew Unrighteouſneſs, Deceit, Adultery, Covetouſmeſs, they are like Balaam, or as Clouds without water, 13-18. they promiſe EE 6H2 | liberty
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ts them is warſe than if they had never known Chriſt, this i/luſtrated, I 9 ——22,
B* T * there were falſe prophets alſo g among the people h, even as there + ſhall be falſe reach- e1S 7 among you &, who ſhall privily bring in / dam-
* na4ble herefties zz, even denying 7 the Lord o chat . boughr p them, and bring upon themſelves {witt 9 . deitruction.
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as ſome Copics read.
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*Tob 4.18. f Joh. 8.44
2 The Apoſtle having been exhorting them to continuance and prozrets in Faith, admoniſheth thers here of ſuch as might labour fo draw them from it ; and having made mention of the Old-Teſta- ment Prophets, Holy Men of God, he hereby takes occaſion to tell them of, and caution them againſt falſe Teachers which would be among themſelves. This alſo in the Text, plainly relates to what went berore, 4. 4, together with thoſe Prophets which were ſent by God ; there were likewiſe falſe Prophets, ſuch as were not ſent or him. h The People of Iſrael. i Teachers of falſe Dodrine, Fatth. 7. 15. Adtts 20.29. k Among you Jewiſh, as well as a- mong the Gentiſe Chriſtians ; or, among you as Chriſtians and God's People under the New- Teſtament, in- oppoſition to the People of God under the Old. { The Greeh word figniftes either, ro bring in ſii'y and craftily under ſpecious pretences, and without being ob- lerved, G:z!. 2.4. Jude 4. or, to bring. in over and abyve, or beſide tne Dodtrine of the Goſpel, which they did not renounce ; or, both may be implied. m Gr. Fereſjes of Deſtru&ion, 1. e. De- firudFive, fuch as lead to Deſtruftion, viz. Eternal, or Damnation. n Either 1n their Words or their Praices, either direaly, or by conſequence of their Dofrines or Attions : They that profeſs thev know God, but contradi& that Profeſſion in their Lives, are ſaid to deny him, Tit. I. 16. Luke 2. 29. Affs 4. 24, &c. and probably Rev. 6. 10, Nor 1s there any neceſſity, but Fude 4. the word may be underſtood of God the Father ; or, rather, 2. Chriſt, p If we underſtand it of God the Father, the ſence is either, 1. Denying God that bought them, or acquired them and made them his, viz. By calling them out of tie darkneſs and groſs wickedneſs of the World, to the knowledge ot Chriſt and the Goſpel, and the fellowſhip of his Church. In this general ſence the word Buying 1s ſometimes taken, T/a. 55. I. Rev. 3 18, or, 2. Denying God that bought the People of Iſrael! (where- of theſe talſe Teachers that ſhould b@among the Chriſtian Jews were to bea part) out of Fgypt to make them his peculiar People, whereof they would boaſt themſelyes, and yet by their wicked prattices, deny that God that bought them; the words ſeem to be taken out of Deut. 32. 6. Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee ? as likewiſe from wv. 5. of that Chapter, Peter calls them Spots, v. 13, of this Chapter : but if we underſtand it of Chriſt, which ſeems moſt probable, the ſence is, either, 1. That Chriſt bought or redeemed them (in which ſence the word is ſometimes
taken) in that by his Death he purchaſed the continuance of their