A89503:168
A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude
A practical commentary, or An exposition with notes on the Epistle of Jude. Delivered (for the most part) in sundry weekly lectures at Stoke-Newington in Middlesex. By Thomas Manton, B.D. and minister of Covent-Garden.
London: printed by J.M. for Luke Fawn, 1658
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. We being in this estate, can only be reconciled by Jesus Christ: He obtaineth it by his Merit, and conferreth it by his Power. For his Merit, see Col. 1. 20. and Isai. 53. 5. The chastisement of our Peace was upon him: It will not stand with the Majesty of God to make Peace with us without satisfaction: That there might be no wrong done to his Sovereignty, his Law, his Truth, his Justice, his Holiness, it was meet ⟨p. 90⟩that we should be chastised either in our own persons or in our Surety; and also all the notions of the Godhead are kept inviolable. Then for his Power; He worketh it at first, and then maintaineth and keepeth it afoot between God and us: He worketh it at first, and bringeth it about thus, by opening the Gospel, wherein God is revealed as pacified in Christ; which is the only doctrine that can calm the Conscience, and establish the Soul in peace and hope: All false Religions are accompanied with scruples and jealousies, Jer. 6. 16. there is no rest for the Soul. And then he applieth the Gospel by his Spirit: The Gospel is a sovereign Plaster, but Christs own hand must make it stick. There is a double ground of enmity in mans heart, the guilt and power of sin; Christ wipeth guilt out of the conscience by the application of his own blood, and weakeneth the power of sin more and more: Sin is the Makebate, and Christ is the Prince of Peace, Isa 9. 6. The great end for which God set him up, was to plant grace in our hearts, and so to work a friendship between God and us. But Christ is not only the Author, but the great Conservator of the Peace between us and Heaven, Partly by his Intercession: as foreign States have their Agents in Princes Courts to preserve a mutual Correspondence; so Christ taketh up all differences that fall out between us and God, that no breach may ensue, Heb. 9. 24. Partly by a further declaration of Gods love to the conscience, Isai. 26. 3. Partly by stirring us up to watchfulness, that no occasion may be given on our part by returning to folly,