A89503:190
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.
1. The Ancientness of it; Psal. 103. 17. From everlasting to everlasting, &c. With reverence we may speak, ever since God was God he was our God: You may track his Love from one Eternity to another; Before the world was he loved us, and when the world is no more he loveth us still: His Love began in eternal purposes of Grace, and it endeth in our eternal possession of Glory. 'Tis not a thing of yesterday; he is our ancient Friend; He loved us not only before we were lovely, but before we were at all. We adjourn and put off our love of God to old age, and thrust it into a narrow corner: When we have wasted and spent our strength in the world, we dream of a devout retirement: But the Lord thinketh he could never love us early enough; From everlasting to everlasting, &c. We receive the fruits and effects of Love in time, but all cometh out of Gods ancient and eternal Love; this grace was provided for us before we were born. Yea look upon Gods Love in time; how merciful was God to us before we could show the least sign of thankfulness to him? He loved us a long time before ever we had a thought of him: In infancy we could not so much as know that he loved us: When we came to years of discretion, we knew how to offend him, before we knew how to love and serve him: How many are there of whom it may be said, God is not in all their thoughts? and yet all this while God hath thoughts of peace and blessing towards them.
1. The Ancientness of it; Psal. 103. 17. From everlasting to everlasting, &c. With reverence we may speak, ever since God was God he was our God: You may track his Love from one Eternity to another; Before the world was he loved us, and when the world is no more he loveth us still: His Love began in eternal purposes of Grace, and it endeth in our eternal possession of Glory. 'Tis not a thing of yesterday; he is our ancient Friend; He loved us not only before we were lovely, but before we were at all. We adjourn and put off our love of God to old age, and thrust it into a narrow corner: When we have wasted and spent our strength in the world, we dream of a devout retirement: But the Lord thinketh he could never love us early enough; From everlasting to everlasting, &c. We receive the fruits and effects of Love in time, but all cometh out of Gods ancient and eternal Love; this grace was provided for us before we were born. Yea look upon Gods Love in time; how merciful was God to us before we could shew the least sign of thankefulness to him? He loved us a long time before ever we had a thought of him: In infancy we could not so much as know that he loved us: When we came to years of discretion, we knew how to offend him, before we knew how to love and serve him: How many are there of whom it may be said, God is not in all their thoughts? and yet all this while God hath thoughts of peace and blessing towards them.