A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge: when you make religion yield to policy, or bend policy to ruin religion, then your wisdom hath undone you, Isa. 48. 4. Malice against God and goodness, This is Satan's direct sin, when men will not only be wicked themselves, but adversaries and malicious opposers of all that is good: This is not only to be sinners, but Sathans, Acts 13. 10. O thou Child of the Devil and Enemy of all goodness, Cain that hated his Brother, because his works were righteous, was the Devils Patriarch. 5. A sottish obstinacy and wilfulness, When will and humour is lifted up against conviction, Jer. 2. 25. Jer. 44. 18. they will not, because they will not, foolish wilfulness meeteth with penal hardness, he that will wink shall not seethe Sun, shine it never so brightly, such men do but lay Satan's chains on their own will and understanding. 6. A senseless security, notwithstanding the growth and increase of sin, when men lose all feeling and restraint, and grow more wicked, but less tender, Eph. 4. 19. and so men sin freely, foully, wax worse and worse, and add new links to the chains of darkness.

They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge: when you make religion yeild to policy, or bend policy to ruine religion, then your wisedome hath undone you, Isa. 48. 4. Malice against God and goodnesse, This is Sathans direct sin, when men will not onely be wicked themselves, but adversaries and malicious opposers of all that is good: This is not onely to be sinn•rs, but Sathans, Acts 13. 10. O thou Child of the Devil and Enemy of all goodnesse, Cain that hated his Brother, because his works were righteous, was the Divels Patriarch. 5. A sottish obstinacy and wilfulnesse, When will and humour is lifted up against conviction,