A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

Verse 13. Raging Waves of the Sea, foaming out their shame; wandering Stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Verse 13. Raging Waves of the Sea, foaming out their shame; wandring Stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Here are two other comparisons, the one taken from raging Waves, the other from wandering Stars: For the first [Raging Waves of the Sea, foaming out their own shame] There is a great deal of variety among Interpreters in the application or accommodation of this similitude, some go one way, some another; Waves are not more various and uncertain in their motions, then they in their expositions; some apply it to their levity and inconstancy, some to their restless activity in sin, some to their turbulency, others to their pride and ostentation; in such uncertainty what shall we fix upon? Two things will direct us, the scope, and the force of the words: The scope of the Apostle in all these similitudes is to show, that these seducers were nothing less then what they pretended to be: Clouds, but dry barren clouds; Trees, but such as bore either none, or rotten fruit: Waves that seemed to mount up unto heaven, and to promise great matters, as if they would swallow up the whole earth, but being dashed against a Rock, all this raging and swelling turneth into a little foam and froth. So Calvin applieth it to the Libertines, who scorn and disdain the common forms of speech, and talk of illumination and edification, so that their hearers seem to be wrapped into the heavens, but alas they suddenly fall into beastly errors.

HEre are two other comparisons, the one taken from raging Waves, the other from wandring Stars: For the first [Raging Waves of the Sea, foaming out their own shame] There is a great deal of variety among Interpreters in the application or accomodation of this similitude, some go one way, some another; Waves are not more various and uncertain in their motions, then they in their expositions; some apply it to their levity and inconstancy, some to their restless activity in sin, some to their turbulency, others to their pride and ostentation; in such uncertainty what shall we fix upon? Two things will direct us, the scope, and the force of the words: The scope of the Apostle in all these similitudes is to shew, that these seducers were nothing less then what they pretended to be: Clouds, but dry barren clouds; Trees, but such as bore either none, or rotten fruit: Waves that seemed to mount up unto heaven, and to promise great matters, as if they would swallow up the whole earth, but being dashed against a Rock, all this raging and swelling turneth into a little foam and froth. So Calvin applyeth it to the Libertines, who scorn and disdain the common forms of speech, and talk of illumination and edification, so that their hearers seem to be wrapt into the heavens, but alas they suddenly fall into beastly errours.