A89503:47
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.
14. 2 Pet. 1. 3. Called us to glory and virtue, &c. We are first called to grace, and then to Heaven: first the sweet voice saith, Come unto me, and then the great voice, Come up hither: from self, sin and the world we are called off, that we may enjoy God in Christ for evermore. You see the Reasons, let us apply it now.
14. 2 Pet. 1. 3. Called us to glory and virtue, &c. We are first called to grace, and then to Heaven: first the sweet voyce saith, Come unto me, and then the great voyce, Come up hither: from self, sin and the world we are called off, that we may enjoy God in Christ for evermore. You see the Reasons, let us apply it now.
First, It serveth to press us to hearken to the Lords call;1 Many are kept off by vanity and pleasures, others by their own fears: To the first sort I shall only represent the danger of neglecting Gods invitation, and slighting a call, Prov. 1. 25, 26. Ye have set at nought my counsel, therefore I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh. Gods wrath is never more terrible, then when it is stirred up to avenge the quarrel of abused Mercy. Men cannot endure that two things should be despised, their anger or their kindness: Nebuchadnezzar, when he thought his anger despised, he biddeth them heat the furnace seven times hotter; and David, when he thought his kindness despised, threatened to cut off from Nabal every one that pissed against the wall. Certainly the Lord taketh it ill when the renewed messages of his love are not regarded; and that is the reason why where mercy is most free, God is most quick and severe upon the refusal of it: The Lambs wrath is most terrible, Psal. 2. 10. No fire so hot as that which is enkindled by the breath of the despised Gospel. What a terrible threatening is there in the place alleged? I will laugh at their calamity: It is the greatest happiness when the Lord rejoiceth to do us good, and the greatest misery when he rejoiceth to do us evil; Gods laughing will certainly be the creatures mourning. Consider then what an affront you put upon grace, when every vile thing is preferred before it. When the Lord offered Canaan to the Israelites, and they preferred Egypt before it, he swore,