Spiritual refining

That a mans leaving those gross sins he hath lived in is no Sign of Grace.

2 PET. 2. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, &c.

This Text may be called like that place in the Israelites travails, Meribah, a place of strife and contention; The Arminian, Papist, and others confidently asserting a total ánd final apostasy from true grace, out of this Text. Nulla orationis suada, nulla argumentorum vis, is required for this, Textus per se lucet, say the Remonstrants. But you have the Orthodox as valiantly beating them out of this ground: What is the true meaning of the Text will appear upon a brief discussion; only in the general take notice of the excellency of this Chapter wholly spent in describing of false Teachers, manifesting their several evils of sin, and their several evils of punishment, which is so great that the Apostle Jude hath almost transcribed his whole Epistle out of this, with very little addition: Pulchra sunt bis dicenda, said he. For the understanding of the words, the Apostle used in the precedent verses two excellent similitudes, whereunto he compared false teachers; first to fountains without water; these invite the wearied passenger to drink, but when he cometh near he findeth nothing but clay and mud; so false teachers promise such excellent and wonderful truths, that were never heard of before, but indeed give noisome filth. 2. He compareth them to clouds without rain driven with the wind, which denoteth two things, First, Their vain ostentation, as the cloud seemeth to bring rain, but yet emptieth none; and secondly, their instability, They are clouds driven up and down [Greek or Hebrew], that is properly an impetuous turbulent wind; and as such clouds do both raise great tempests, and obnubilate the Sun, so do false teachers make heavy storms and troubles in the Church, and withal bemist the glorious light of the Scripture. A third description is from their affectation of great and swelling words. All tumours argue a windy inflammation. In the next place he aggravates their condition by the pernicious and damnable effect of their false doctrines, they do not only damn themselves, but draw a troop of others into hell with them. And this they do in a sly way, they do [Greek or Hebrew], as the Fisherman or the Fowler, show the bait, but hide the hook or snare.