A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

When you stand, let it excite you to love and thankfulness;¹ Nothing maketh the Saints love God more then the unchangeableness of his Love: When they see themselves safe in the midst of weaknesses, and Satan's daily assaults, it doth much endear God to their Souls. Certainly Daniel was much affected with his preservation in the Lions den, when he saw the Lions ramping and roaring about him, and yet restrained with the chains of Providence, that they could do him no harm: So the children of God must needs love their Preserver, when they consider what dangers are round about them; how little they subsist by their ^*own strength, and how much they have done a thousand times to cause God to withdraw his Spirit from them; and therefore the great argument why the Saints do love and praise him, is not only the freedom of his grace, but the unchangeableness and constancy of it: His mercy endureth for ever; 'tis several times repeated, Psal. 136. So Psal. 106. 1. Praise ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. No form is more frequent in the mouths of the Saints: and good reason; for alas, if we were left to our selves, we should damn our selves every hour; we have a ^*revolting heart: we are like glasses without a bottom, as soon as they are out of hand they are broken; we cannot stand of our selves: and we have a restless enemy, that desireth to toss us and vex us, as wheat is tossed from sieve to sieve, Luke 22. 31. and we have often forfeited Gods protection, and grieved him day by day; were it not for everlasting Mercy, what would become of us? Certainly they that do not love God for their preservation, they are not sensible of their condition in the world; what a naughty ⟨p. 62⟩heart they carry about with them: 'Tis a miracle that ever grace should be preserved there where there is so much pride, love of pleasures, worldly cares, brutish lusts; that such an heavenly plant can thrive in the midst of so many weeds. Nor what a busy Devil they have to do withal, who watcheth all advantages, as a dog that standeth waving his tail ('tis Chrysostom's comparison) and expecting a bit; and his envy and malice is most bent against them that have most grace. Finally, they do not consider that the world is full of snares and dangerous allurements;