argt1e., a high estima.te of the muimurer's wo,·th. " He counts Gild B h1ud master and him~elf a good servant.'' ~e seems to say, too, thnt if he had the ordering of human des~my, ~e could d1spo~e. 1t to better account. 4. The lesson for mrwmurers Is thal. their lrnlnt (1) cannot relieve or benefit them, (2) but rather fills their life with still ckcprr anxiety and unrest. 5. The lesson fo1· believers is (1) to cultivate a contented mi,~d (1 ~'im. ,i. S); (2) to Eeek for submissiveness of heart; (3) to be thankful that thr1r lot 1s better than th:i.t of many others in the world. II. THEY WEI\E BINFULT,Y SELF-INDULGENT. "\Valkina after their lusts." 1. T/18 lusts of men a.re from within. " Ont of the heart proce;;J'" all evil things (Matt, xv 18). "The wars and the fightings" of life come of the lustl! of men (JRs, iv. 1). 2: Ther Rrc (lJ d~ce)tful_ (Eph. iv. ,22); (2) entAngling (2 •~'im. iii. 6); (3) deliling; (4) 01sqn1etmg (2 I et. 11. 11). 3. The course of the wicl.,-ed is usually very persistent 4. The sernitude of the sinner to lust u mise1·able iii its end. "'l'he wages of sin i;. death." III. Tm:, WERE GIVEN TO VAIN AND BOASTFUL EXAGGERATION, .. And their month speakcth great swelling words." Either of themselves or others. The beast in the Apocalypse had a "mouth speaking great things" (Rev. xiii. 5). 1. None are so ready to boa.st of themselves as those possessing the least merit. 2. lt is a folly to boast of ou1·selve.<. The Apostle Paul "became o. fool in glorying" (2 Cor, xii. 11). "Let nnother man's lips praise thee, and not thine own." Our worth should commend us not our words. 3. We should not allow swelling words to seduce us from the truth. 'fhere nre those" who with feigned words make merchandise of you" (2 Pet. ii. 3), who" by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Rev. xvi. 18). IV. 'l'n~;y WERE PARASITES AND FLATJ'EBERS. "Showing respect of persor:s for the sake of advantage." 1. It is right to show respect to persons worthy of honour, but wrong to show respect to persons of evil character. It is wrong to "glory in men," but above all to "think of men above what is meet.," and to be puffed up for one against another. We are not to have "the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons" (Jas. ii. 1)-" when wickedness in robes is magnified, and holiness in rags is contemned." The Lord says, "Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty" (Lev. xix. 15). 2. It is peculiarly base to act in this matter with a view to our personaJ. advantage. (1) It is sinful and hypocritical to flatter the wicked because they are great or powerful. (2) We must learn to know· the true glory of man, which is" the hidden mau of the heart."-T. C.
V'ers. 17, 18.-.A quotationfrom recent prophecies. Jude then refers to the warnings of aposLles respecting these scoffing sensualists. "But ye, beloved, remeI';lber 7e the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." I. CoNFIBHATION OF HIS STATEMENTS BY THE AUTHORITY OF APOSTLES. 1. It is evident that Jude's Epistle was written subsequent, perhaps long subsequent, to tlte Epi,stles of Peter and Paul., to which he refers. 'fhese sensual seducers had time to develop their corruptions and their audacity of position, 2. Jude recognizes the Divine authority and inspiration of these earlier writings of Scripture. 3. He throws back the saints upon the recollR.ction of Scripture as their only authoritative guide. There is no evidence that he refers here to any oral traditions. 4. Jude believes i-n the fact o/ prophetic illumination. 5. It is the duty of ministers to warn their people against approaching evils. 6. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. II. 'l'HE SUBSTANCE OF THI!: PROPHETIC WARNING. "In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts." Note here the predicted appearance of wicked mockers. 1. They arise in " the last time-" That is, in the period lying between the first and the second advents of Christ. They appear even under the purest dispensation of grace. The wicked are most wicked when grace is most abundant. 2. They are as wi.cked as they are scornful.. Mockery is, indeed, a note of advanced corrup- tion. Their mockeries are directed both against God and man. These mockers were probably those referred to by Peter as asking, " Where is the promise of his coming? n (1) Mockery is essentially e. profane act. It argues contempt of God's being as well as his attributes. (2) It argues unbelief. It implies that God's three.tenings are!' fable. (3) It is a barrier against the reception of good. "Rebuke a scorner, o.nd he will hate 1hee." (4) It is a form of perEecution (Gal. iv. 29). (5) Great is the Divine forbear- 1-2:i.] 'l'llE GENERAL EPISTLE OF ,JUDE. 31
rmce with mockers, (6) God will punish the mockers. He "scorneth tho aoomer.i" (l'rov. iii. 34); nod will "mook at their calamitic~" in the day of their jurlgment. IU. 'l'HE CONDU0T OF BELIEVERS IN THE PRESENCE OF MOCKERS. 1. We must bear moclcings with patience, like our Lord, who" endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb. xii. 2). 2. We must not render scoff for scoff, at the risk of hardening scnffers. 3, We must not allow scoffers to deter usf,·om following the Lordfully.-T. U.