A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

2. The Persons must be considered, weak sinners are to be distinguished from the malicious, and the tractable from the obstinate; Gods tender Lambs, though straying, must be gently reduced; put a difference, saith our Apostle, vers. 19. Ad evangelizandum non maledicendum missus •s, said Oecolampadius to Farrell, who was a good man, but a little too violent, Thou wert not sent to revile, but to preach the Gospel; but on the other side, there is a difference to be used in the case of Hypocrites, that gain by that repute and esteem which they have; Christ himself inveighed against the Pharisees, asperrimis verbis, in the roughest ways, Mat, 23. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, &c. we may pluck off the disguise from an Hypocrite, especially when they seduce and deceive the miserable multitude by an opinion ⟨p. 391⟩of holiness; the Pharisees and Sadducees to keep up their repute, submitted to Johns Baptism, but doth he treat them gently? no, Mat. 3. 7. O generation of Vipers, &c. So Paul to Elymas the Sorcerer, Acts 13. O thou full of all subtlety and mischief, thou child of the Devil, and enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the holy ways of the Lord? in these cases there is a regard had to others, that they may not perish by too good an opinion of such deceivers; and here that of Solomon is of regard▪ Prov. 28. 4. They that forsake the Law, praise the wicked, and they that keep the Law, set themselves against them; a vigorous opposition doth better here then a cold dislike.

2. The Persons must be considered, weak sinners are to be distinguished from the malicious, and the tractable from the obstinate; Gods tender Lambs, though straying, must be gently reduced; put a difference, saith our Apostle, vers. 19. Ad evangelizandum non maledicendum missus •s, said Oecolampadius to Farrell, who was a good man, but a little too violent, Thou wert not sent to revile, but to preach the Gospel; but on the other side, there is a difference to be used in the case of Hypocrites, that gain by that repute and esteem which they have; Christ himself inveyed against the Pharisees, asperrimis verbis, in the roughest ways, Mat, 23. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, &c. we may pluck off the disguise from an Hypocrite, especially when they seduce and deceive the miserable multitude by an opinion