A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

2. To lose any degrees of grace is a great loss, 'tis the most precious gift, 2 Pet. 1. 1. conduceth to the highest ⟨p. 517⟩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 it self, they that had five talents reckoned for five, a Factor that giveth an account only for a part of the estate received, is not accounted faithful: we may not be entrusted 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, & 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 fullness of inward strength and comfort.

2. To lose any degrees of grace is a great loss, 'tis the most precious gift, 2 Pet. 1. 1. conduceth to the highest ⟨p. 517⟩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 it self, they that had five talents reckoned for five, a Factor that giveth an account only for a part of the estate received, is not accounted faithful: we may not be intrusted with so much again: a man that hath faln 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, & 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 afterwards 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 conversation, and when once they have gotten a name, their fall will be more scandalous, more ignominious to themselves, and disgraceful to Religion, 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 defection they may shame themselves and harden others: If Judas will be a Disciple he lets him alone, if Simon Magus will be baptized and Nicholas 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 observances, that they first make Conscience of all things and