Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
Ver. 17. Beware lest] Cavebis autem si pavebis. Let him that stands take heed lest he fall. Be not high minded, but fear. Fear a snake under every flower, a snare under every new truth. Try the spirits whether they be of God or not, because many false prophets are abroad, who deceive the hearts of the simple, and make them fall from their own stedfastness. Try therefore before ye trust; look before ye leap. Alioqui saliens antequam videas, casuals es antequam debeas, i.e. If ye look not before ye leap, ye will fall before ye would. (Bernard.) Therefore walk circumspectly, tread gingerly, step warily, lift not up one foot till ye have found sure footing for the other, as those, Psalms 35:6. Take the apostle's counsel here: never more needed than today, quando facta est fided Evangeliorum fides temporum. Nam aut scrb buntur tides ut volumus; aut, ut volumus intelliguntur, as Hilary complains of those better times, a It is grown a witty thing now among such variety of opinions to hold the truth, and to be a sound believer, as Erasmus once said. Beware therefore (every man for himself) lest ye also, swimming down the stream of the times, "and led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." And (for a sovereign preservative) "grow in grace, and in the knowledge," &c.: grow downward howsoever; grow in humility, and God will both teach and "save the humble person," Psa 25:1-22 Job 22:2 .
Fall] As leaves fall from the trees in autumn.
a Hil. ad Constant. in libro, quem illi exhibuit.