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ground_n	bear_v	fruit_n	tree_n	2,434	5	8.1649	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87557	An exposition of the epistle of Jude, together with many large and usefull deductions. Formerly delivered in sudry lectures in Christ-Church London. By William Jenkyn, minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and pastor of the church at Black-friars, London. The second part.; Exposition of the epistle of Jude. Part 2	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1654 (1654)	Wing J642; Thomason E736_1; ESTC R206977	525,978	703

they be not very bulkie Our ends must be raised up to aim at God and to sanctifie him in all our duties Our obedience must proceed more out of thankfulnesse and lesse out of constraint of conscience such fruits they must be as are reckoned Gal. 5.22.23 Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Faith c. Thy fruit must be of a singularly excellent nature A tree of righteousness a branch of the true vine must not bring forth grapes and thistles If fornication uncleannesse covetousnesse c. must not be once named among us as becometh Saints then not be brought forth and own'd Muddy water is not a sutable stream to a Christall Fountain Brambles and briers are more fit for a wild common then a garden knot Of the sinfull actions committed by a Saint the wicked will say to God as Jacobs sons did to their father of Josephs Coat See whether this be thy sons coat or no. 2. They must be fruits in point of production apparency and bringing forth Fruits are not in but upon the tree Our goodnesse must not onely appear but yet it must appear If it be it must and will be seen Men must see our good works that God may be glorified Phil. 1.11 If they see them not it must not be because we will not shew them but because they will or cannot see them The Fountain which is full must also overflow The hand must be fill'd as well as the heart with the fruits of righteousnesse It s not the having of good in but the doing of good by us for which we are call'd good Our profiting in holinesse must appear to all men 1 Tim. 4.15 VVe must shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Our fruits must feed many 3. They must be fruits sutable to the helps and furtherances bestowed upon us for the producing of them If the soil be very fat the watering very frequent the cost and care very great we look the fruit should be very abundant Indifferent hearts and lives are not good enough where God hath bestowed excellent means He is not a fruitfull Christian who hath but an ordinary growth under rich opportunities Our returning must be proportionable to our receiving They who enjoy much from God and yet are no better then those who enjoy lesse are therefore worse because they are not better Whenas for the time saith the Apostle you should have been teachers of others Heb. 5.12 c. Luk. 12.48 Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required 4. It must be fruitfulnesse in bringing forth all the fruits of righteousnesse Fruits of the first and second Table of Religion toward God and of righteousnesse toward man Fruits inward good thoughts desires purposes longings after God good affections holy joy love fear sorrow Fruits outward good works holy words VVhatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report Phil. 4.8 Observe the Apostles repetition of whatsoever we must not pick and chuse and do whatsoever we please Whatsoever the Lord commands we must do Exod. 9.8.24 3.7 Not examining what the service is which is commanded but who the Master is who commands Growing up in Christ in all things not preferring one thing before another Being fruitfull as the Apostle expresseth it Col. 1.10 in every good work having respect to all the Commandements Psal 119.6.128 esteeming every precept concerning all things to be right Not doing with Herod many things but all things Throughly furnisht to all good works Our feet must endure to walk in a stony as well as in a sandy path As a man who is to plant an Ortyard will get of every good fruit some so we must get every good fruit which we hear of and set our hearts with it The pulse of a gracious person beats evenly and he is neither a maimed person to want any limb nor a Monster to have one limb so big that others want their due proportion 5. They must be fruits as of every good kind so of every kind abundantly not brought forth in a penurious scanty measure Imperfection must be our trouble as well as our pollution The soil of a Christians soul like the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years must bring forth by handfuls We must set no stints and limits to our Christian fruitfulness We must know no enough The degrees of a Christians grace must be like numbers the highest wherof being numbered Phil. 3.13 an higher than that may be named We must look upon every grace like the Faith of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 3.10 to have some thing lacking to it Perfection is our Patern and Proficiency is ever our duty VVe are never gotten far enough till we are gotten home He that thinks himself rich enough is nothing worth and he that desires not to bear much fruit John 15.1 2. is no part of Gods husbandry 6. They must be fruits brought forth when the trees grow old They must be born constantly Trees of Righteousnesse bring forth most fruit in their old age Psal 92.14 in this unlike to other trees who grow barren in their old age They must ever be green and flourishing The bitter fruit of Apostacy cannot be brought forth by a good tree It had been better never to have been planted that we might bear fruit and that we never had begun to bear fruit then afterward to be pluckt up for ceasing to bear fruit The good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience and glory and immortality is the portion onely of those who are patient and continuing in wel-doing 7. They must be fruits in point of maturity not onely buds and blossoms but brought forth to perfection It s not enough for Christians onely to have good motions and purposes but their resolutions must also be brought to execution and not perish like an abortive birth Many make their purposes as one saith like our Eves and their performances like our Holy-dayes Servants work hard upon the one that they may play upon the other so do they labour hard upon their purposes but they are idle and play upon their performances What pitty is it that many a fair blossom is nipt in the head 8. Psal 1.3 They must be fruits in regard of seasonablenesse We must bring forth fruit in due season Fruits are onely acceptable in their season Pleasant fruits are brought forth in their months Ezek. 41. Words spoken and works done in season are as apples of gold in pictures of silver VVe must have our senses exercised to know fit seasons for all we do Good duties must be done in a good and sutable time and that adds much to the goodnes of the Action we must order in this respect our conversation aright If our corn should not ear till harvest were past nor our trees bud till after midsummer men would look

gain 3. Keep out of the wind of seducing Doctors and their Doctrines Mark them who cause divisions and avoid them Rom. 16.17 If it be dangerous to be tempted by what is it then to be tempters of the Divel Turn away from such as creep into houses and lead souls captives 2. Tim. 3.5 6. Eat not of the banquets of him who hath been found out to mix poyson in his dishes let holy Zeal in this respect hinder Civility Vt fallacius incautis ovibus obrepant manente luporum ferocia deponunt lupinam speciem sese divinae legis sententiis velut quibusdam velleribus obvolvunt ut cum quisque lan●rum mollitiem persenserit nequaquam acul●os dent●um pertimescat Vinc. Lyr. cap. 36. Polycarpus Marcioni aliquando occurrenti sibi dicenti cognosce nos respondit cognosco te primogenitum Satanae Tantum Apostoli horum Discipuli babuerunt timorem ut neque verbo tenu● communicarent alicui ●crum qui adulteraverant veritatem Iren. l. 3. c. 3. pag. mihi 171. If these Seducers come to you yet neither teceive them into your houses nor bid them God speed Shun the meeting places of Error as the Schools of impiety Beware of false Prophets who put on a sheepskin-profession over a woolvish purpose Deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 The Divel never deceives in his own likeness Feed not like silly sheep upon rotten grass because its sweet and lussious Polycarp would entertain no acquaintance with Marcion but termed him the first born of the Divel and as Irenaeus tells the Apostles and their Disciples were so full of holy fear that they would not communicate with Hereticks in the world who had adulterated the word Let not Satan take us among his own lest he make us of his own Of these things see more pag. 266 267. Part 1. Thus much for that second comparison whereby the Apostle describes the sin and misery of these Seducers viz Clouds without water c. The third followes in these words Trees whose fruit withereth without fruitt twice dead plucked up by the roots Two things principally are here considerable in this Resemblance taken from bad and corrupt trees Their badness in consideration 1. Of their fruits 2. Of the trees themselves 1 In consideration of their fruits so our Apostle expresseth 1. The decay and withering of their fruits whose fruit withereth 2 Their cessation from and privation of their fruit their fruit was none without fruit 2 Their badness in consideration of themselves the trees which 1 Were irrecoverably dead twice dead 2. Deservedly therefore plucked up by the roots EXPLICATION So that four particulars we shall here explain in this similitude borrowed from bad trees the lost estate and the Spiritual misery of these Seducers being set down by a fourfold gradation or by four steps each one arising up to a further degree and height of wretchedness then the other and the lower making way for the higher 1. When they seemed to have fruit at the best it was decaying withering 2 This withering fruit proved no fruit without fruit 3 This ceasing from fruit or this no fruit was joyned with a total want of life in the trees ever to produce any more fruit twice dead 4 This total want of life made an easie way for the losse of place and ground to continue in 1. For the first The Apostle saith that they were Trees whose fruit withereth The word whereby he expresseth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the different apprehensions of Interpreters hath several interpretations affixed to it The Vulgar Latine renders it Autumnales autumn-Autumn-trees or trees of Autumn from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which somtimes signifieth Autumn and such trees say some the Apostle calls these Seducers because when trees at that time of the year begin to put forth and make shew of bearing fruit they bring not their fruit to perfect maturity it being too late in the year and men judg it to be a sign that the trees themselves also are withering and shortly after will dye Others rather explaining then opposing this Interpretation conceive that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intend Arbores ultimi finientis extremi senescentis Autumni trees of the latter end of Autumn or that part which is next to Winter because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies the ending far spent Autumn it being called so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à finiente Autumno from the going out or wasting away of Autumn and this say they may be the meaning of the Apostle that as at the end of Autumn toward the beginning of November the fruit and leaves of trees fall off and the trees themselves seem to wither and dye so these Seducers what shew soever they made formerly were at last empty and destitute not only of Fruit all true worth and goodness but also even of all shewes shadowes and appearances thereof but this seems rather to be intended in the last branch Plucked up by the roots Others think that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle meanes Arbores frugiperdas such as spoil and destroy fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they make to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the Apostle had intended that these Seducers aimed by all they did and brought forth only to corrupt and spoil the Church even as fruit being rotten and putrified easily corrupts and infects that fruit which lyes near it but this seems not to be an apt beginning to that following gradation of their being without fruit it being worse to hurt others then not to be good our selves Others conceive that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respects not here that time of the year which we call Autumn but only the nature of the fruit which these trees brought forth namely such as are withered and altogether unprofitable as if these trees were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as bringing forth no fruit but what was corrupt and withered the Apostle hereby intending that though these Seducers seem to promise and make a shew of good and whosom fruit yet they wanting that vitalis succus the vital moysture and inward vigour of faith could bring nothing forth to maturity and perfection but all their fruits were withered and corrupt This Interpretation of the withering and corruptness of their fruit I conceive most genuine and sutable to the scope of the Apostle though he should as many Learned men think he doth compare these Seducers to Autumn trees the fruit of such trees being mostly but withered and immature and not coming to its perfection More particularly two things are here further to be opened 1. What that fruit was which these Seducers might have and what kind of fruits these Trees might bear 2 What was the withering of that fruit 1. For the First That fruit which they might bear There are three sorts of Metaphorical fruits mentioned in Scripture

of iniquity though they did not seem to be workers of iniquity yet God discovers them to be such by leading them forth with them There are none who so much dishonour Christ as they who profess to be rooted in him and yet are unfruitful and dead Christians Christ is a fruitfull soil full of strength and for any to be barren and decay appearing to be in him is a great disparagement to him every one will be ready to blame him for all their defects therefore that they may dishonour him no more they are pluckt up from that soil unto which they did but seem to belong for they were there only by a visible profession not by a reall rooting as a liveless stake is put into the ground and in the Civill Law till a tree hath taken root it doth not belong to the soil on which it is planted and then it appears that they never were rooted in Christ Please not then your selves with a meer outward empty profession of godliness with your standing among the trees of Christ in his Ortyard meerly in being accounted trees of righteousness or onely with the having a name to live These things will be so far from hindring that they will further your eradication A dead barren Oak a man will haply suffer to stand in his wood but not a dead Vine in his vineyard it was not a wild tree of the wood which none ever lookt should bear fruit that Christ cursed but an empty fig-tree whose nature promised fruit Root your selves as much downward in inward holinesse as you spread upward in outward profession otherwise God will at length make your hypocrisie known and will not suffer you always to abuse his own patience the good opinions of beholders and the place of your own standing and the longer the lets you stand to deceive others the greater shall you shame be when you shall be discovered This for the third Resemblance whereby the Apostle describes the sin and wickednesse of these seducers trees without fruit whose fruit withereth c. The fourth and fifth follow VIR 13. Raging waves of the sea foming out their own shame Wandring starres to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever THe fourth Resemblance whereby both the impiety and misery of these Seducers are described as in these words Raging waves of the sea foming out their own shame EXPLICATION Two things are here to be explan'd 1. What they are said to be Raging waves of the sea 2. What they are said to get by being so Shame They fomed out their own shame Like the raging waves which after their greatest unquietnesse breake themselves to a little fome For the first their title or what they are said to be in these words Raging waves of the sea Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated raging signifies uncamed wilde waves roaring like the wilde beasts of the wood Hence the vulgar render this place fluctus feri maris Erasmus Vndae efferae maris And Beza Vndae maris efferatae Fluctus vehementes maris Syriac fluctus maris commoti Arab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Gavisum in fluctus aequora mota truces Ovid. Latrantes undas Virg. 7. Aeneid Rapidas aquas Act. 27.41 Luk. 21.25 Jer. 31.35 Jer. 5.22 Isa 51.15 Psal 73.3 Interpretations that betoken fiercenesse wildnesse turbulency The same expression is there in VVisd 14.1 A man intending to passe thorough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierce troublesome boisterous waves One Poet cals the waves of the Seas fluctus truces cruell terrible And another calls the waters of the Sea Latrantes undas the barking waves as if they made a noise like a barking dog when they were stir'd and rais'd and we frequently speak of angry roaring working boysterous rough troublesome Seas and read in Scriptures of violent waves Acts 27.41 The sea and waves roaring Luk. 21.25 The ship tossed with waves Mat. 14.24 The roaring of waves Jer. 51.55 Jer. 31.35 The tumult of the people and the noise of the seas and waves are put together Psal 65.7 And therefore our Apostle in calling these Seducers raging waves doth not so much intend their instability variablenesse and fluctuation in mind and doctrine their motion by every wind and unstablenesse in the truth though waters are unstable even to a Proverb nor onely the pride and swelling arrogancy of these Seducers though the waves are called proud waves they oft lifting up themselves so high as if they would kisse the Clouds and making as if by their fall they would overspread the earth but in calling them raging waves he rather intends as I said their troublesomenesse and unquietnesse and that in three respects 1. In respect of themselves Their consciences were unquiet tossed and troubled without any inward tranquility and calmnesse in the apprehension of reconciliation with God Isa 57.20 21. Isa 65.14 Isa 48.22 Job 15.20 21 24. Thus saith the Prophet the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Thus Eliphas speaks Job 15.20 The wicked travelleth with pain all his dayes And to the same purpose Zophar Job 20.20 Surely he shall not feel quietnesse in his belly Inward Peace belongs onely to the faithfull It s onely reported of them Psal 119.165 Great peace have they who love thy Law 1 Cor. 1.3 Col. 1.2 2 Thes 1.2 It s onely promised to them He wil speak Peace to his people Psal 85.8 God will reveal to them abundance of peace It s onely requested for them even that peace which passeth understanding to keep their hearts Peace from God being never desired for men to live in a state of war against God Rom. 5.1.9.10 Eph. 2.14 Onely the Faithfull have taken the right course to obtain it They alone are delivered from Gods wrath and have an Interest in Christ who is our peace Gal. 5.22 Isa 59.8 and the Prince of Peace and have that spirit which works it in us and of whom true Peace is a fruit and effect The wicked have not known the way of Peace They may have it in the brow not in the brest in cortice not in corde in the looks not in the Conscience Benummed their consciences may be pacified they cannot be The guilt of sin is an unseen scourge a hidden sore He who hath thorns run into the soals of his feet wheresoever he goes treads upon thorns VVicked men carry their furnace their wrack their wo their prison about them wheresoever they go nor can they any more lay these off then they can lay off themselves 2. The Apostle may compare these Seducers to waves as they are unquiet troubled and moved in regard of God against and under whose will they were impatient fretfull and unsubmissive They did not quietly content themselves with their conditions They were like chaffe which flies into the face of him who fanneth it

with the voice of the Archangel 1 Thes 4.16 then he was attended with twelve poor contemptible men but now with many millions of glorious Angels and the Angels more particularly shall by their attendance make Christs coming glorious in regard of their service and ministry for they shall perform the work of the great day in gathering together the Elect severing the tares from the wheat they are called reapers running at every command of Christ And this work they shall doe 1. Powerfully they are the Angels of his power they are principalities and powers and excel in power and at that day Christs power shal be added to their own 2. They shal doe the work of Christ willingly behold their readiness the servants said shall we gather up the tares M●tth 13.28 They who desire commission aforehand wil● be ready enough when they have it 3. They shal performe it justly holily faithfully they shall mingle no corrupt passions with their executions nor corruptly respect any persons Rev. 15.16 The seven Angels are clothed in pure and white linnen 4. Diligently and perfectly in most strict and exact manner though Angels compared with God are imperfect yet in comparison of Gods law they have perfection and no spot of sin cleaveth to them nor else could they continue in their glorious state if they should not be answerable to Gods law in the purity of their nature and perfection of their work 2. Christ wil come with these ten thousands for the glory of his Saints and confusion of the wicked here Saints have glorified him but then he will glorifie them they who have here lien among the pots shall shine with raies of majesty What glory comparable to that of appearing with Christ in glory of being priviledged with the dignity of judging and condemning wicked men 1 Cor. 6.3 Vid. 5 16. part 1 Matth. 12.41 42. Luk. 11.31 32. yea Angels and that not only 1. by having the practices of these Saints compared to those of the damned Nor 2. only by their consenting to and approving of the sentence which Christ shall passe upon the wicked But also 3. In regard of that dignitas assessoria that dignity whereby they shall be advanced to an honourable assessorship with the Lord Christ in sitting as it were with him upon the throne of Judicature As likewise 4. they in that Judgment being to appear with Christ manifest victors over all their enemies by trampling upon all the pride malice and weakness of divels and wicked men and openly and holily insulting over them as vile vanquished and contemptible enemies OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Our greatest wisdom and truest interest is to make Jesus Christ our friend against the last day The Lord cometh He now is but then he wil openly declare himself to be the Lord. How happy will they be who then put their trust in him who have chosen and taken him to be their Lord 2 Cor. 5.9 The service of Christ wil then appear to be the only safety and dignity The wicked who here take no care to make him their Lord wil at that day cal him their Lord Matth. 7. to be sure they shal find and feel him their Lord. How unable wil the enemies of Christ at the last day be to oppose him the Lord that cometh from heaven In regard of his very situation he wil be above them and have the advantage of them Against earthly power they might make their party good the Ministers of Christ they oppos'd but this mighty Lord who shall come armed with an infinite power and dominion over all creatures which shall be acknowledged by them all the Angels shal observe and attend it the heavens earth and elements shall be dissolved by it the dead bodies of men shall be raised up out of the graves the sea the bellies of beasts by it I say this mighty Lord will easily and unavoidably crush them A careful servant that expects his masters return wil labour to have the work set him finish'd If the Bridegroom be coming let the Bride deck her self like Rebecca espying Isaak afar off Gen. 24.65 as Joshua exhorted Israel chap. 3.5 Be sanctified for to morrow the Lord wil do wonders among you He means in leading them to Caanan so our Joshuah commands us to be sanctified because in the last day the Lord wil doe wonders in leading us to the heavenly Canaan Let us part from sin a malefactor cannot stand before the Judge nor shall the wicked stand in judgment Our care should be that we may be found of him in peace and no peace can any one have with Christ who is not at war with sin And how much better and easier is it to bear the yoke of service here in doing his will than that of severity hereafter in the undergoing his wrath Of this see more pag. 543. part 1. 2. Obs 2. The Saints have a strong ground for moderation in every condition The Lord cometh and they shal come with him The Lords coming is the Apostles argument to urge moderation Phil. 4.5 How patient and ful of forbearance should they be in sustaining all their crosses and injuries Contendly should they here be accounted the refuse and off-scouring of the world Acts 3 19. Eph. 4 30. Luke 21.28 Their Lord is coming and they shal come with him in glory though men here make them their footstoole yet Christ hath allotted for every of them a throne In this world they are not accounted worthy of the society of men Rom. 8.23 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Thes 1.6 7.10 Jam. 5.6 7 8. 1 Cor. 4.4 but then they shall be in the comp any of Angels yea Christ himself Now Christ seems for a while to leave his family every piece of household stuffe appears to be mis-placed or all as it were to lye in a huddle or heap together beautifullest vessels to lie among the pots but then the vessels of honour shal be set up in their places and the vessels of dishonour thrown into theirs It is not fit that our glory should appear so long as Christs glory is hid In the winter all the sap and life and fruit is hid in the root and then the tree appears not what it is but the Summer coming all that was within appears so in this our winter though we be the sons of God yet it appears not what we shal be 1 Joh 1 2. but when Christ shal appear we shall be like him 3. Obs 3. How cheerfully may Saints think of the last judgment This Lord is their brother their Saviour and head he it is who is coming no wonder if the Bride saith 2 Tim. 4.8 Come Rev. 22.17 And that the saints are caled such as love his appearance A loving wife longs for the return of her husband from a far Country At that judgment day the judg wil condemn none but malefactors they who here are justified shall then be declared to be so T is true Christ