HE elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, * whom [ love in the truth.
2 Beloved, I || wiſh above all things that thou mayſt proſper and be in health, even as thy ſoul prol: | pereth 7g.
q This Gains was well known by the Apoſtle, not only to be a Nedfaſt Profeſſor of the truly Chriſtian uncorrupted Faith (which is implied in his avowing his Love to him in the .Truth, or upon the | Chriſitan account) but to be ſo improv'd and well-grown a Chriſtt- |
' an, that he reckons he might weil make the proſperous State of | his Soul, the meaſure of all the other Proſperity he could wiſh un-
to him. . 3 For I rejoyced greatly, when the brethren came and teſtified of the truth rhat is in thee, even as * thou walkeſt in the truth 7. h : 4 TI have no greater joy then to hear tht! !ny chil- dren / walk in truth. | | r The truth is familiarly uſed to ſignifie the pure Dodrine of Chri- ſlianity, which in its principal Deſign, aiming at correſpondent Pra: tice ; that his Children, ſ i. e. Such as had been converted to Chriſt
9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes y, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, recei- veth us not.
10 Wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doth, prating againſt us with malicious | woras: and not content therewith, neither doth he himſelt receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and caſteth them our of the church.
» This was probably ſome Church of which Gaius was. Diotrephes, one who had received, or uſurped ſome Office or Authority in it, to ſo 1ll a purpoſe, as when he had no Inclination to be hoſpitable himſelf to fellow-Chriſtians, prevented others from being ſo; and
upon pretence of the little difference of theje Fewiſh, from the Gentile Chriſtians, excluded them their Communion.”
11 Beloved, * follow nor = that which isevil, but * pxy, 35,
that which is good. He that doth good a, is of God 27.
b - but he that doth evil hath nor ſeen God c. Iſa. t. 15, 7 Ms aups ; By following here he means Imitation, i. e. the De. * ***- 3+ formity of evil appearing in the PraQtice of ſome, and the Beauty *'*
* 2 Jo'lr.
; Or, pray.
by his Miniſtry (as 1 Cor. 4. 15.) of whom. it appears Gatus was one, did wall» in the Truth; (an apt Expreſſion of ſuch correſpondent
| PraQtice) was greateſt matter of Joy to this holy Apoſtle, eſpecially
when the godly Lives of ſuch, to whoſe Converſion he had been inſtrumental, were ſo obſervable, as to gain them a Teſtimony from all others that knew them, as it was 1n the preſent in-
ſt | v5 Beloved, thou doſt faithfully # whatſoever thou
doſt. to the brethren, and to ſtrangers. =
t Charity to Chriſtians is reckon'd Fidelity to Chriſt, being ſhown to them upon the Chriſtian Account, Fhich is intimated to have been done by this pious Perſon, who ſo kindly treated the Brethren, and Strangers, i, e. even though they were Strangers.
5 Which have born witneſs of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly ſort z, thou ſhalt do well.
” 4 5.e. After a manner (as the Greeh Expreſſion is) worthy of God, vVIz. 45 becomes them who bear the Name of God, as thou doſt, or
are intent upon his Work, as they are, which latter Notion is con-
firmed by what follows.
7 Becauſe that for his name ſake they went forth, talking nothing of the Gentiles x.
8 We therefore ought to receive ſuch, that we might be fellow-helpers of the truth.
x It thence appears theſe were Fews, who went out from their own Country to ſerve the Intereſt of the Goſpel, which therefore
he ſhould ſerve in helping them.
of true Goodneſs in others (Examples being given in both ſorts, ver. 9, and 12.) he exhorts to decline the former, and imitate the other ; and enforces the Exhortation by the weizhtieſt Arguments. a A Doer of good, one made up of Kindneſs and Beni-nity ( as the Context draws the ſenſe to that ſpecial kind of Goodneſs, «:2wmig & 0 x#nomur fignifie doing well or ill, trom a fixed prevailing ha- bit, 1 Fohn 3. 7,8. 6 Isallyd to Heaven, born of God, his Off- ſpring. c An evil Doey on the other hand, ſuch a one as is a Com- poſition of Spite, Envy, and Malice, is a meer Stranger to him, hath not been, or known, or had to do with him.
12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth it ſelf: yea, and we alſo bear record, and ye know that our record is true.
4 Some eminent Chriſtian, whom he could with confidence recom- mend as a Pattern.
13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write e unto thee. h
e Having much more to ſay, as 2 Fohn 12. he reſolved on a more immediate, grateful, and effeftual way of imparting, and even impreſſing his Senſe, as the term, Writing, 1s uſed in a greater Lati« tude, Prov. 3. 3. and elſewhere.
14 But I truſt I ſhall ſhortly ſee thee, and we ſhall
ſpeak Þ face to face f, Peace be to thee. Our friends _ _ 0 Mout 3,
ſalute thee. Greet the friends by name.
f Enus wepc us, viz. by oral Conference, which he hoped ere long to have opportunity for. He concludes with the uſual Chri- ſtian Salutations,
I em —L_—_——
LE
The GENERAL EPISTLE
TJUDE.
The ARGUMENT.
OME Qneſtion > tle way not the Man, whoever were ; jetted againſt James 700, as coming aſter the A poſt becauſe he doth in time © 3| which are no where to be found
and hath been already anſwered. | | of | | les, ver. 17. But what neceſſity #5 there for his coming behind them 1n Office and Authority,
zly. Becauſe he mentions the Contention about the body of Moſes, and the Prophecy of Enoch, in $cripti,re. But when there were drivers Traditions among the Jews (whereof 17s
there hath been concerning the Penman of this Epiſtle, and ſome have thought that Jude the Afo- 1 I. Becauſe he doth not ep himſelf the Title of Apoſtle; but that is 0b-
21y. Becauſe the Writer of this Epiſtle ſpeaks of himſelf,
ſes*s Body ſeems to be one ) why might not the Holy Ghoſt afjert ſome that were true (though before doubt ful) alas Apts, oof make them certain, as well as be doth by Paul, the Names of Jannes and Jambres, 2 Tim. 3.
$. which were known only by Tradition, and Moles mention bad been made in the Scripture ? As for the
ard and fearing at Mount Sinai, Heb. 12. 21. whereof no
rophecy of Enoch, it ſeems to have been a Tradition 100 (for he
mentions no Writing ) and then the ſame may be ſaid as to the other. Tet if it were a Book, and an Apocryphal one