To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
The Apostle here enters upon the subject of the Church, in pointing out her safety in Christ, amidst all that he had said before of reprobates. And a very sweet close on this subject he makes of his Epistle. By building up in their most holy faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost, and keeping themselves in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, we must not suppose that the Apostle meant as if the Church was her own keeper, or that she could create faith in her heart whenever she pleased. All the parts of Scripture teacheth, and every child of God's heart is in full testimony to the same, that they who are kept, are kept by the power of God, unto eternal life. And the Lord himself confirms the sweet assurance that the Church is preserved in Jesus Christ. Yes, he saith to her, ``In that day, sing ye to her a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it. I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day''. (Isaiah 27:2-3; 1 Peter 1:5) But, by building up ourselves in our most holy faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost, is meant a continual waiting for the influences of the Spirit, and, under those influences, attending diligently on the several means of grace and ordinances of the Lord, and strengthening each other's hands and hearts in the Lord. And a sense of our daily need of Christ, will, through the Spirit's blessing, lead the soul to a daily abiding in Christ, and acting faith upon Christ. And, by looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life, implies a sure, fixed, and certain hope of being interested in all the blessed and glorious events of that great day of God. I admire the Apostle's expression, when he calls it the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. For, surely, it can be nothing but mercy, it is a sure mercy. For a soul, truly regenerated, is truly justified, and truly sanctified in the Lord, and nothing remains doubtful as to the issue of that day. (2 Peter 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Isaiah 45:24-25) The Apostle Jude would not have been taught by the Holy Ghost to give the Church this confidence, had a question of uncertainty remained. Neither could the Apostles Paul or Peter have called the very expectation of it blessed, had not an assurance of glory in Christ been wrapped up in it. (Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:12)
Reader! what saith your experience to these things? Doth your heart correspond with the Apostle's?
There is somewhat most affectionate and tender in the love of brethren in Jesus. The compassion shewn to wanderers, and backsliders, and those that are tempted and fallen, and those that are ignorant and out of the way, is sweet. We are propelled, by grace, to stretch forth the helping hand, in any way, and every way, to raise up the fallen. And, as we are ignorant who is, and who is not among the Lord's people, while no work of regeneration appears by outward testimony; we wish to save, as from the fire, those who are in the confines of extreme danger. And though we loath their sins as we loath our own garments, which, by wrapping round our bodies of corruption, are spotted and defiled, yet we love their persons, when the Lord leads out our souls in desire after their salvation.
The concluding clause of this beautiful Epistle is very striking. "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy; to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory, and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen." What a long and beautiful sermon might a preacher, taught of God the Spirit, find in these words! We cannot for a moment hesitate to know whom the Apostle means. He that hath all along preserved his Church, must be the same that keeps her from falling. And it is the special and personal office of Christ, to present his Church to himself at the last day. We nowhere read in Scripture, concerning the person of God the Father, or God the Holy Ghost, presenting the Church before the throne. It is God the Son's personal office, as Mediator, to bring her home as a bride adorned for her husband, and present her to himself. Hence that beautiful description given to the Church by Paul. Christ "loved the Church, " saith Paul, "and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27) But, in addition to what is here said, it may be remarked, that all along, from one eternity to another, it is Christ's charge, and Christ's care, yea, and this Scripture saith, his exceeding joy, to watch over his Church, which is part of himself, and to keep her from falling, as well as to present her to himself at last, finally and fully prepared by himself, in body, soul, and spirit, for his everlasting spouse and companion, to run the whole round of eternity with him, in his glory forever.
Let the Reader pause over this subject, for the meditation of it is sweet. The Church, chosen in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, is as Jude saith, in the opening of this Epistle, preserved in Jesus Christ. And, in the close of it, is commended to Christ Jesus, to be kept faultless, and at length presented in glory. Jude saith, he is able. And no one can doubt his willingness. And if, as he hath represented it himself, it becomes a subject of such delight to him, to bring home one poor lost sheep, which had strayed from his fold, as to induce him to call his friends and neighbors around him, to rejoice with him over this one which was lost; what exceeding joy may we suppose it will be to the Lord Jesus Christ, when he shall bring home his whole flock, consisting of millions of people, to and before a congregated world, saved with an everlasting salvation, so as to wander no more.
Reader! have you been much accustomed to consider the subject in this view? Do you, in your own instance, know what it is to be preserved in Christ Jesus, called to Christ Jesus, kept by Christ Jesus, and are now living upon Christ Jesus? If so, you will need nothing from me to shew you the blessedness of it. But you will feel both the sweetness of Jude's words, as well as those of Paul to the Church, upon the same occasion, when he said, "Now the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
The doxology must not pass unnoticed, for it is very blessed. ``To the only wise God our Savior!'' That this hymn is suited to each, and to all the Persons of the Godhead, as being all engaged, and having all co-operated in the salvation of the Church, is very certain, and all regenerated believers in Christ will gladly join in so sweet a song. But, that Christ is here specially and personally meant, is evident, because he is specially and personally our Savior. Moreover, it is the Lord Jesus, who is particularly spoken of in the preceding verse, with which this is connected. And, as in those two gracious acts of Christ, as mentioned before, namely, ``keeping the Church from falling, and presenting the Church faultless, at last, before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, '' these are Christ's special and personal offices; the praise here ascribed appears to be the immediate consequence the Church desires to give him. And there is one circumstance more, which, in my view, renders it particularly proper, namely, that those ascriptions of praise appear to be the Redeemer's personal right.
The Reader will not need that I should tell him, that God only wise, our Savior, very blessedly suits him, because, when upon earth, he was upbraided by men for ignorance. How knoweth this man letters, (say they), having never learned. (John 7:15) Jesus is worthy of all possible glory; because, when he came to redeem his people, he emptied himself of all glory, and took upon him the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:7) And surely majesty was his inherent right, though, when on earth, he hid not his face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 1:6) Dominion belongeth to the Lord, and an eternal monarchy over all, though, while below, he had not where to lay his head. (Luke 9:58) though the insult offered him on the cross was, he saved others; himself he cannot save. (Mark 15:31) Glorious almighty Savior! God only wise, thy Church hails thee! Be thou eternally loved, and praised, and adored: thou art worthy to receive all glory, and honor, and power, and might ``for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.''
REFLECTIONS
Reader! Hath God the Holy Ghost in his gracious teachings blest to your perusal and mine, this precious portion of his sacred Word? Are we that of distinguished people, who are sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called? Oh! Then let us both beg another blessing from our bountiful God, and ask for grace, that on our bended knees we may cry out with the Apostle, ``thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!''
And we desire to praise the Almighty Minister of his Church, even God the Holy Ghost, for the grace he hath shewn, in forewarning, and fore-arming his people, concerning the last days heresies. Truly, Lord, we live to see them. We live among them. And thanks to our God, for giving his Church such plain features of character, as are here drawn by his servant, and by which, under the Lord's teaching, we cannot fail to know them. Oh! What shall thy people say; what praise shall thy people offer, while reading the striking distinction, which mark thy redeemed from the world. The one, sanctified, preserved, and called; the other, ordained of old to this condemnation, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ!
We bless our God for the faithfulness of his servant Jude, in this Scripture. And, while we look to the eternal Spirit with praise for making him faithful, we would honor the instrument, whom God so graciously made use of in the work. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, we thank thee for thy labor of love. The whole Church, in all ages have found cause to thank thee for it, from thy time to the present hour. And, oh! Lord the Spirit, give grace to thy faithful now to testify their sense of the mercy vouchsafed the church in this precious Epistle, ``by earnestly contending for the faith, once delivered unto the saints.'' Oh! Keep thy people, Lord, from being led away with the speciousness of the times! Oh! For an holy boldness, from the Lord, to stand up for the Lord, and to resist the bait of supposing we can honor God's glory, while silently sitting and mingling with those who dishonor his Godhead, disown the person and Work of the Spirit, and boldly deny the electing love of God the Father. Unto such assemblies, my soul, be not thou united! Lord Jesus! Do thou keep all thine from this, and every other evil until thou shalt bring all thy redeemed home, and ``present them faultless before thy presence of thy glory with exceeding joy.'' Amen