AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 20 – Thomas Manton
Verse 20
Ver. 20. But ye, beloved, build up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.
Here the apostle comes to exhort; as all along, with the description of seducers, he intermingleth exhortation. The sum of the exhortation is to quicken them to the use of the means of perseverance and constancy. Build up yourselves, ἐποικοδομοῦντες; the word signifieth the going on with a building already begun, and fitly noteth that care they should take for the growth of their spiritual estate. Yourselves, ἑαυτους; some translate invicem, build up one another; that I confess is the apostle’s intent, but first to press them to a care of their own salvation, and then mutually to care for one another: see 1 Thes. v. 11, ‘Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, as ye also do;’ and possibly this is spoken here by way of opposition to those that separate themselves. In your most holy faith. By faith may be meant either the grace of faith or the doctrine of faith. I rather suppose the latter, that true and pure religion which they had learned from the apostles, which was the foundation already laid, unto which they should keep close. If it be meant of faith, the grace, then he persuadeth them to progress, and to lay hold on the superstructure of good works and final perseverance, Mat. vii. 24. This faith is called most holy, in opposition to the profane mysteries of the Gnostics and Valentinians. It is a holy rule, and maketh us holy: John xvii. 17, ‘Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth.’ Praying in the Holy Ghost, ἐν πνευματι αγιῳ, may be rendered, in, with, or by the Holy Ghost; that is, by his motion and inspiration, and gifts and graces received from him. Elsewhere the Holy Ghost is said to pray in us, Rom. viii. 26; and here we pray in the Holy Ghost. He prayeth in us so as we pray in him; he prayeth in us, to note the excitations of his grace; we pray in him, to imply the concurrence of our faculties; which is to be noted against the familists, who make the Spirit to be the immediate formal cause of all our actions, as if in the productions of grace the Spirit did only make use of us as Bilhah did of Rachel, to ‘bring forth upon her knees,’ Gen. xxx. 3, and the action were wholly his own.
The notes are these:—
Obs. 1. It is not sufficient to be established or grounded in the faith, but we must daily increase and grow more and more therein. When the foundation is laid, the building must go on piece by piece; they that are contented with a little faith have no faith; graces though imperfect are always growing, Luke xvii. 5. It is the holy ambition of Christians to be more like God every day; certainly their temper is contrary to the temper of God’s people, that think they have learned enough, know enough, are holy enough; none are so knowing but they may know more, so established but they may be more. Here we are in a state of progress, not of rest and perfection; the corn in the field groweth, though in the barn it doth not, Eph. iv. 12, 13, Phil, iii. 13. A Christian is always reaching forth and pressing onward, and the nearer he comes to heaven his motions and tendencies are the more earnest, as a stone moveth faster the nearer it comes to the centre; the more he enjoyeth, still he hath new motives to seek more: Prov. i. 5, ‘A wise man will hear and will increase learning;’ a good man would go to heaven as fast as he can, not make a hard shift, but ‘enter abundantly,’ 2 Peter i. 11.
Obs. 2. To grow in faith is a means to persevere in faith. Man is of an active nature; either he groweth better or worse. We shall not keep what we have received if we do not labour to increase in it, as a house begun to be built goesto decay, and droppeth down more and more, if we do not go on to finish it. Do we grow, then, or decline? Did we observe our first coolings, the mischief would not be so great; but we, like the hen, as long as there is one egg in the nest, observe not how many are taken away; as long as we have any tolerable affections to the things of God, or somewhat to keep us alive, we do not consider how many degrees of grace we have lost.
Obs. 3. Faith—take it for the grace—is the proper foundation of holiness and good works. Works without faith are but a roof without a foundation, and faith without works is a foundation without a building; good fruit supposeth a good tree, Mat. vii.
Obs. 4. The faith of Christians is a ‘most holy’ faith; no doctrine hath such pure precepts, such high examples, such raised motives, such mysterious enforcements, such blessed rewards, and all to encourage holiness. If ever anything were exactly fitted to its purpose, surely the word is fitted to promote holiness. The precepts of the law require it; the doctrine of the gospel showeth where virtue and power is to be had to perform it; the promises encourage it; the examples of God and Christ show the height and exactness of it; the examples of the saints show it is possible; the word and ordinances work it, as being instituted by God for such a purpose, and accompanied with the power of his grace, Eph. v. 26. God hath reserved this honour of sanctifying the heart to the doctrine of the scriptures, to evidence their divine original: James i. 18, ‘He hath begotten us to himself by the word of truth.’ This great change which is wrought in the heart of man is by the word. A moral lecture may a little fashion the outward man, and reduce him to a civil course, as Xenocrates’ moral lecture made Polemo leave his vicious and sensual course of life; but regeneration is only found in the school of Christ. Well, then, if you will know the best religion, observe where there is most holiness discovered and wrought, Ps. xix. 7-9, John xvii. 17. In the word of God you have the copy of his holiness; there is somewhat of good life and moral behaviour among heathens, but nothing of regeneration and genuine holiness. Once more, an impure life will not suit with a holy faith; you dishonour God and disparage your religion when you walk as heathens. This holy faith is best ‘kept in a pure conscience,’ 1 Tim. iii. 9.
Obs. 5. From that building up yourselves. In building up, that is, in growth and perseverance, there is a. concurrence of our own endeavours; we are ‘living stones,’ 1 Peter ii. 4, after we are converted, and are not altogether dead and passive, as in conversion. After we ‘have received Christ’ we may ‘walk with him,’ Col. ii. 6. Motion and operation followeth life: he that made thee without thee will not save thee without thee.
Obs. 6. From the other interpretation of the word yourselves— that is, one another—observe, that mutual conference is a means of perseverance. Solomon saith, Eccles. iv. 10, ‘When two lie together they have heat.’ Surely good company preserveth and keepeth up our warmth and vigour, as a remedy against apostasy. Spiritual communion and conference is often pressed; see Heb. iii. 13, and x. 24, 25. When God’s people did oftener meet and confer together, there was more life in them.
Obs. 7. Next to conference, prayer is required. Note thence, that prayer is a means of establishment. We are kept by God’s power, and God’s power is set a-work by prayer; this is the breath that keepeth in the fire. Men that neglect prayer find sensible decays. When they suspected some distemper upon Job’s spirit, they charge him with the neglect of prayer: Job xv. 4, ‘Surely thou restrainest prayer.’ No wonder if men grow unsavoury, worldly, voluptuous, when they let days go, and weeks go, and God never heareth from them.
Obs. 8. Then we pray aright when we ‘pray in the Holy Ghost;’ this concurrence is necessary, both with respect to acceptance and assistance.
1. With respect to acceptance. God will own nothing in prayer but what comes from his Spirit; any other voice is strange and barbarous to him: Rom. viii. 27, ‘He knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ The Lord delighteth not in the flaunting of pates and the unsavoury belches and eructations of a human spirit; the tuneable cadency of words is but an empty ring in God’s ears. The psalmist saith, Ps. cxli. 2, ‘Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense.’ Now the censers were to be kindled with holy fire before the smoke went up; the coal wherewith we are kindled must be taken from the altar, not from a common hearth, and then our prayer goesup as incense: God’s course is to ‘prepare the heart,’ and then to grant the request: Ps. x. 17, ‘Thou wilt prepare their hearts, and cause thine ear to hear.’ Surely God’s ear will be opened if our hearts be opened; when he himself sets us a-work we need not doubt of audience. Fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice was the solemn token of acceptance heretofore; fire from heaven is the token still, even a holy ardour wrought in us by the Spirit.
2. In point of assistance. Prayer is a work too hard for us; we can babble of ourselves, but we cannot pray without the Holy Ghost; we can put words into prayer, but it is the Spirit puts affections, without which it is but a little cold prattle and spiritless talk. Our necessities may sharpen our prayers, but they cannot enliven our prayers. A carnal man may feel the impulsions of a natural fervency, and so cry unto God as the young ravens cry unto him, and in all creatures there is a desire of relief: the rude mariners in the tempest were very earnest, Jonah i. 6. But now gracious affection is quite another thing than this natural fervency. There may be cold and raw wishes after grace, but not serious volitions and spiritual desires; these we must have from the Holy Ghost. Surely if we did consider what prayer is we should see the need of this assistance. It is a work which will cost us travail of heart, Acts i, 14, προσκαρτεροῦντες ἐν τῇ προσευχῃ, and James v. 16, δεησις ἐνεργουμένη. It is expressed by ‘striving.’ Rom. xv. 30, ‘Strive with me in prayers,’ and Col. iv. 12, ‘Labouring for you fervently in prayers,’ &c., ἀγωνιζόμενος. It is a striving with God himself, and then there is no setting upon God but by his own strength. This was figured in Jacob’s wrestling, Gen. xxxii. 25, to the end; which is explained Hosea xii. 4, ‘Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed; yea, he wept and made supplication.’ The party that Jacob wrestled with is called a man, an angel, and God; a man, for the shape and form assumed; an angel, to note the second person, who is the messenger of the covenant; and God, Gen. xxxii. 30. It was such an angel as blessed him, which is proper to God. Now in the assumed body Jacob wrestled with him, which was symbolical; the prophet refers it to his prayers. But how is it said he could not prevail against Jacob? With a blast of his mouth he might have confounded him, and it had been as easy for him to maim and destroy every joint as to make him halt and lame of one thigh. I answer—He could not because he would not; he gave out but such a measure of strength to the body assumed, and the Lord did wrestle both in and against Jacob, in Jacobo, Deus est seipso fortior—he wrestles against us with his left hand, and strengthens us with his right, so that God’s power prevails over himself. All this is spoken to show what need we have of a divine power when we strive with God.
But now what is it to pray in the Holy Ghost? I shall answer it in a word. The Spirit helps us in prayer in a way of gifts or graces. In a way of gifts, that the heart may riot be bound up, and that we may have necessary words to give vent to affections. Adam maimed us both as to gifts as well as graces; and therefore, that our supplies in Christ may be answerable, the Spirit bestows upon us the gift of prayer, that we may enlarge ourselves to God on all occasions. This gift was either extraordinary and proper to the first times of the gospel, when they were able of a. sudden to dictate a prayer in a strange language which they had never learned; so it is said 1 Cor. xiv. 15, ‘I will pray with the Spirit, and with understanding also.’ Many did pray with the Spirit, that is, made use of this gift, but to the neglect of edifying; they did not pray so as they might be under stood by the hearers. Now saith the apostle, I would use the gift but to edification, so as the understanding of the auditory may go along with me.
[1.] The ordinary gift of the Spirit is that special dexterity whereby men are able to put their meaning into apt words. It is not of such a miraculous infusion, and so wonderful in itself, as the former, because it depends much upon the temper and suitable constitution of the body, and is much bettered by industry, hearing, reading, meditation, conference, &c., as all other ordinary habits are. But such a gift there is in the church, as we find by plain experience, many men’s tongues being ‘as the pen of a ready writer,’ Ps. xlv. 1. All miraculous gifts are now turned into ordinary gifts somewhat like them, as discerning of spirits into a sagacity and cautelous prudence, gifts of tongues into a special dexterity that way, and gifts of healing into skill in physic; so praying with the Spirit into readiness of utterance and freedom of speech. Now, though we are to covet the best gifts and strive after them, yet we must be contented with our measure. Sometimes this gift is given to carnal men because of their service in the church. Gifts are for the body; they may have great abilities to pray and preach, and may be carried on with full gales of outward assistance. Usually it is given unto men according to their constitution and natural receptivity; all cannot expect a like quickness and enlargement of speech. In the penmen of scripture you may observe a difference of character and style according to their temper and education, though their assistance as to words was also infallible. Isaiah writes in a courtly style, and Jeremiah in a priestly, and Amos’ manner of speech relishes of his calling. In the New Testament, John is seraphical, Paul argumentative, and Peter writes in a milky, sweet, middle way, &c.
[2.] There is the gracious assistance of the Holy Ghost. Now, this is either habitual or actual.
(1.) Habitual grace is necessary to prayer: Zech. xii. 10, ‘I will pour upon them a spirit of grace and supplication.’ Where there is grace there will be supplication. As soon as we are new born we fall a-crying; ‘Behold, he prayeth,’ Acts ix. 11, is the first news we hear of Paul after his conversion. Prayer is a kindly duty to the new creature. Things of an airy and fiery nature, a little thing will carry them upward, it is their natural motion and tendency; the regenerate are easily drawn into God’s presence, it is the vent and utterance by which we discover the impression that is upon us. The priests were to wash in the great laver before they went to the altar; we are washed in ‘the laver of regeneration, and renewed by the Holy Ghost,’ Titus iii. 5, and so made fit to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
(2.) There is actual help and assistance which we have from the Spirit. Though a man be regenerate, yet he cannot pray as he ought, unless he be still moved and assisted by the Holy Ghost. This is continual, for we soon work out the strength which we have received.
Now, these actual motions do either concern the time of prayer or the matter and the manner of it.
First, The time of prayer, the Spirit suggesteth the fittest seasons; he that searcheth out the deep things of God, knoweth the acceptable times, Ps. xxxii. 6, and accordingly giveth notice to the heart by setting it a-work in serious addresses to God: Ps. xxvii. 8, ‘Thou saidst, Seek ye my face, and my heart said, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’ God speaketh to us by holy motions and the impulsions of his grace, and we answer God by a ready obedience. It is the worst scorn we can put upon one whom we hate when we deny to speak with him when he sendeth for us. By these motions we are invited to come and confer with God; do not say, I am not at leisure. I would not have this interpreted as if every motion to prayer were from the Spirit. It is possible Satan may oppress an anxious soul with the tyranny of un reasonable impulsions to duty; I only understand such motions as are regular and according to the word. Neither would I again be so understood as if God were never to be called upon, or we were never to pray, but when the Spirit moveth us; that is one of the carnal fancies of many wretches now. No, no; God must have his daily acknowledgment, ‘Give us this day our daily bread;’ but my meaning is, that such a season, when we are so strongly moved by the Spirit of God, should not be neglected.
Secondly, The matter of prayer is suggested by the Holy Ghost. Let a man alone and he will soon run into a temptation, and cry for that which it were cruelty in God to give him; therefore the direction of the Holy Ghost is necessary, that we may not ask a scorpion instead of a fish, and a stone instead of bread: Rom. viii. 27, ‘He maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God.’ We take counsel of our lusts and interests when we are left to our own private spirit, and so would have God to be a minister of our carnal desires, and would engage him in our quarrels and private revenges; or else ask meat for our lusts. Now, the Holy Ghost teacheth us to ask not only what is lawful, but what is expedient for us, that so the will of God may take place before our inclinations.
Thirdly, For the manner. In every moral action the manner of working is a chief circumstance. A man may sin in doing good, but not in doing well. Now, in prayer, where we have immediately to do with God, we should take great heed in what manner we come to him. The right manner is when we come with affection, with confidence, with reverence.
First, With affection. It is the Holy Ghost sets us a-groaning: Rom. viii. 26, ‘He maketh intercession for the saints with such sighs and groans as cannot be uttered.’ Words are but the outside of prayer; sighs and groans are the language which God will understand, and these are the prayers which the Holy Ghost maketh for us, and in us. We learn to mourn from the turtle, from him that descended in the form of a dove; he draweth sighs from the heart, and tears from the eyes. Parts may furnish us with eloquence, but the Spirit giveth affection, that earnest reaching forth of soul, that holy importunity, that spiritual violence. It is all of his working. Many a prayer is neatly ordered, and tunably delivered, but this artifice of words smelleth of the man; then it savoureth of the Holy Ghost when there is life and power in it, and the poor supplicant sets himself to wrestle with God, as if he would overcome him by his own strength.
Secondly, With confidence. When we come in a childlike manner, and call God Father, Rom. viii. 16, ‘We have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ Usually, we do not mind this part of the Spirit’s help in prayer; we look to gifts and enlargements, but not to this childlike confidence, that we may be able to call God Father without blasphemy and reproach. It is an easy matter to language it with our mouths, but to have the sense of our adoption in our hearts is a difficult thing. Sometimes the Spirit witnesseth it more explicitly by expressions; as if it were said when we go to prayer, Be of good cheer, thy sins are pardoned, God is thy God. At other times, by impressions or more secret instincts; if not by working child like confidence, yet childlike affection, optando, si non affirmando, that we may call God Father by option and choice, if not by direct affirmation, or a clear sense of our adoption.
Thirdly, With reverence. That we may be serious and awe-full, God is best seen in the light of his own Spirit. The heathens could say, Non loquendum de Deo sine lumine—we need light from God when we come to speak of or to God. That sense of the Lord’s greatness, and those fresh and awful thoughts that we have of his majesty in prayer, they are stirred up in us by the Holy Ghost; he uniteth and gathereth our hearts together, that they may not be ravelled and flittered abroad by impertinent and vain thoughts, Ps. lxxxvi. 11. Leave men to themselves, and they will do as foolishly as a man that is to gather a posy for his friend, and filleth it fuller of stinking weeds than flowers. We shall mingle many unsavoury worldly thoughts, or deal as basely and affrontingly with God as if a man under the law should mingle sulphur and brimstone with the sweet perfumes that were in the censer. Lust will be interposing in prayer, and out-talking grace; therefore, that we may be reverent and heedful, we must use the help of the Spirit, ‘praying in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance,’ Eph. vi. 18.
1. Well, then, when thou goest to prayer, look upon the Holy Ghost as appointed by the Father and purchased by the Son to help thee in this sweet and comfortable service: Rom. viii. 26, ‘The Spirit helps our infirmities,’ συναντιλάμβανεται, goesto the other end of the staff and beareth a part of the burden. We are tugging and wrestling at it, and can make no work of it, but the Spirit comes, and puts under his shoulder, and then it comes off kindly.
2. It informeth us how much they sin that are so far from praying with the Holy Ghost, that they do not pray with their own spirit. Alas! this is but babbling, when the heart doth not go along with the lips. 3. It informeth us of the privileges of the saints. God is their father, willing to hear prayers; Christ is their advocate, willing to present their requests in court; and the Spirit a notary to indite and draw up their requests for them. Oh! what encouragement have we to go to the throne of grace! Surely we do not improve our privileges, or else we might have more comfortable access to the Father through Christ by the Spirit, Eph. ii. 18.