A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

2. Formality, or pretended grace: you may be deceived in that; and therefore the Apostle speaketh of a ^*true holiness, Ephes. 4. 24. in opposition to that which is feigned and counterfeit: Now false grace is always acted by foreign and external considerations; as pupils have not a principle of life within them, but are moved by an external force: The hypocrites principles of motion are without him, as carnal respects, self-ends, &c. True grace hath an inward propensity to comply with the Will of God; there is a Law upon their bowels: by-ends work by constraint, and carry the Soul contrary to its native inclination; a man would not do such a thing, were it not for such ends: therefore the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 5. 2. Feed the flock that is among you, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. When a man acteth genuinely in a work, his own heart carrieth him to it more then all outward encouragements. Again, False grace is shy of Gods presence and sight: pretences are to deceive men; therefore such persons strive to get God out of their thoughts, they know his eye will find them out: But now truth of grace is ready to draw every thing into Gods sight; though they tremble to think what defects God can find in them, yet they appeal to him for the sincerity of their hearts: John 20. 17. Lord thou knowest all things, and thou knowest that I love thee; He would not excuse miscarriages, ⟨p. 43⟩yet for the general temper and bent of his heart he re•erreth himself to Gods Omniscience. So Job 31. 6. Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity; and yet elsewhere he saith, Job 42. 5, 6. Mine eye seeth thee, and therefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes: In the one place he appealeth to God, for he was confident that his integrity would hold weight; and yet in the other he could even loath himself when he thought of God, because of so many defects and failings. So David,