Jude 1:17-19 But, beloved, remember you the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;… 1. What is told to the Church in general, we must apprehend it as told to us. Paul telleth Timothy, and Peter telleth the distressed strangers, and Jude saith they told you. The Bible is a message sent from heaven to acquaint us with the mind of God; if we own the Divine authority of it, why do we regard it no more? 2. We should not be troubled at what is foretold; monsters expected are not wondered at; expectation forearmeth the mind against evil (John 16:4). We are the better prepared to entertain evils when we expect them before they come, and the evil to which the mind is accustomed seemeth the less. Again, we have an experience of God's truth in the prediction. Finally, it assureth us that the Lord hath a hand and a counsel in all our troubles, for He told us of them before. 3. The Scriptures speak much of the evil of the latter times; there is more knowledge and yet more sin and error. The latter days are as the bottom and sink that receive the dregs of foregoing ages, and as the world groweth old it is much given to dreams and dotage. 4. Among other sins that are found in the latter times, there will be many scoffers, partly because in times of controversy men will lose all awe — when truths are made questionable assent is weakened; partly because in times of liberty men will give vent to their thoughts. 5. Mockers and scoffers are usually the worst of sinners. Scorning cometh from custom in sinning, and maketh way for freedom in sinning. 6. Those that cast off the awe of the Lord's coming will certainly give up themselves to brutish lusts. 7. It argueth a state of wickedness to walk after our own lusts; that is, when sin and lust is our constant practice. (T. Manton.) Parallel Verses KJV: But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; |
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