A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

What difference is there between those who in a loose Christian profession are addicted to Luxury, wantonness, quarrelling, prodigious lusts, and the Votaries or Worshippers of Mars; Venus, Bacchus, and Priapus? Only the one appear in their own colours, and show what they are; and the other, though they are as low and brutish in their practises, pretend to an higher Name, even to the sacred¹ and excellent name of Christians: Alas! your Circumcision shall be reckoned Uncircumcision, when you have not the fruit of it.

What difference is there between those who in a loose Christian profession are addicted to Luxury, wantonness, quarrelling, prodigious lusts, and the Votaries or Worshippers of Mars; Venus, Bacchus, and Priapus? Only the one appear in their own colours, and shew what they are; and the other, though they are as low and brutish in their practises, pretend to an higher Name, even to the sacred¹ and excellent name of Christians: Alas! your Circumcision shall be reckoned Ʋncircumcision, when you have not the fruit of it.

1. 1Rom. 2. 25.

2. Profession of Christianity without answerable practise, maketh us in worse case than an Heathen, that is ignorant of Christ, and salvation by him: see 1 Tim. 5. 8. He is worse ⟨p. 237⟩then an Infidel. Poor Pagans are not so well enlightened, instructed, and acquainted with such rich and glorious mercy, with the great things of Eternity, with the assistances of God the Spirit; they have not such Rules as we have, nor such Advantages as we have, nor such Obligations as we have, nor such Encouragements as we have: If a man on Horseback cometh slower then a man on Foot, we blame him the more, because he had more help: So are Carnal Christians in worse case then the Heathen, because God may justly expect more from them. To be brought up in a Princes Court and to be still of rude and servile conditions, is worse in them then in those that follow the Plough all days of their lives: So to be trained up in the Courts of Christ, and to come short of the Heathens in Morality and strictness of conversation 'twill be worse taken of us, then of those that never heard of Christ: The more we profess the Truth, the more we condemn ourselves in our evil practises, and therefore must needs be worse then Heathens, for we practise that by voluntary choice, and perverse inclination, which they practise by education, they know little better: So that the more excellent the Religion is which we profess, the more vile and base is our disobedience; for our profession will be a sore witness against us, that we knew better, and had encouragements to do better; we justify the Heathen, but we condemn ourselves, as Israel justified Sodom,