A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

Once more, The word is not supposed to be without all kind of power; men may have some relish of good things, and some experience of the powers of the world to come, and yet be in an unbelieving state: See Heb. 6. 5. Where the Apostle speaketh of a common work, opposed to [Greek or Hebrew], to things that do accompany salvation, v. 9. or have salvation necessarily annexed to them; they may have some feeling of the power of the truth, and yet afterwards make defection out of a love to the world, and worldly things; they may have many spiritual gifts, change their outward conversation, make a glorious profession▪ and be thereupon enrolled among the Saints, yea be of great use and service in the Church, though for their own ends and interests, remaining all this while unrenewed, and having their worldly inclinations to honour, esteem, pleasure, profit unbroken and unmortified; for there is no such enemy to faith, as a carnal worldly heart: Therefore let men pretend what they will, when they are as eager upon the world, as if they had no other matters to mind, and the love of outward greatness doth sway with them more then the love of heaven, and the praise of men, more then the approbation of God, and carnal ease and pleasure more then delight in God, How can they be said to believe? John 5. 44. for such kind of lusts and earthly affections are inconsistent with the power and vigour of saving faith, therefore till the bent of the heart be towards heavenly things, and carnal affections be soundly mortified, unbelief reigneth; I pitch it upon this evidence, partly because the great drift of conversion is to draw off the soul, as from self to Christ, and from •in to ⟨p. 259⟩holiness, so from the world to heaven; See 1 Pet. 1. 3. Begotten to a lively hope: and 1 John 5. 4. He that is born of God, overcometh the world: As soon as we are converted, the heart is drawn and set towards heavenly things; partly because the main thing to be believed, next to God's Being, is his Bounty,