A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

Departing from Heaven, they departed from all the happiness and glory which they enjoyed there, namely, that light, which they had in their understandings to behold God, that power in their wills to love and s•rve him, in stead of which they are filled with darkness and malice and become the unreconcilable enemies of God and Man; as to their light, their gracious knowledge is quite extinct, their natural knowledge much Eclipsed, and their experimental knowledge, not enough to engage their hearts to God; as to their integrity and holiness, in stead of a will to love and serve God, there are nothing but obstinate purposes to do evil, and endeavours to hinder the glory of God, and the good of Man, 1 Pet. 5. 8. lest we should enjoy that happiness which he hath left. Hence those ⟨p. 287⟩titles given then in Scripture, as ^*Devil, which signifieth a Slanderer, Satan which signifieth an Enemy, the Tempter, Matth. 4. 1. because he daily soliciteth us to evil, [Greek or Hebrew], the evil one, Matth. 5. being full of wickedness himself, he maketh it his study and care to propagate it in others; Belial, 2 Cor. 6. 15. unprofitable, as good for nothing, [Greek or Hebrew], the destroyer, because he worketh mischief; the old Serpent, Rev. 12. 6. because under the shape of the serpent he poisoned Eve; as to their power, it is much broken and limited, they are held in the chains of providence, they could not do hurt to the herd of Swine without permission, Luke 9. 26. 5. Though they have lost much of the glory and power annexed to their habitation, yet many tokens of the divine image do as yet remain in them: holiness is (as we said) utterly lost, he sinneth from the beginning, 1 John 3. 8