Jonathan Parsons sermon, Jude 1:17-21, 1736

The Self denial of a Christian No 124 Christians [a]re to built up yms in ye faith, when Mockers & Scoffers [a]re abroad in ye Wld. Jude Vss. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. ---- The Occasion of ys Epistle is opnd in ye beginni of it: yr were in yt day, many ill disposd Men, not of ye mistical Body of X, yet wthin ye Limits of ye visible Chh, yt were ordaind to Condemnan, who turnd ye gra of >[God] into Wantonn, denyi ye Ld yt bo't ym. for ys Cause ye Spi[rit] of > by Jude exhts ye Serts of j[esus]x yt yy Shd ernestly contend to maintain ye Truth & faith of X as twas delivrd to ye Sts. wc faith, B[ecause]. we can't maintain, except we kno it thoro'ly; & agnst wm, & in wt manner it must be maintaind; yrfo in ye 3 first Vss I've read, ye Enemies of ye Cross of X [a]re plainly describd, Set forth; & in ye 2 last, yy yt love X in Sincerity [ha]ve a Sweet lesson givn ym, how to Strengthen & Stablish ym in ye faith. fro ye Wds 1. I propose to examine ye Discription of yos yt reject ye faith of ye L j X. & 2. to consdr ye wds of Exhn, wrin Xns [a]re tau't how to rest yr hts upon .[God]'s evrlasti Truth. 1. I am, to Examine ye Discription of yos yt reject the faith of ye L[ord] j X. & we may find in ye wds a gene -ral & Special Discription of ym 1. General: Men yt were Spokn of befo, by ye Aposs of of our L j v.17. Men Spokn of by ye Aposs befor yt time men yt Sh'd be manifest to ye wld in ye last Ages, vs. 18. & yos yt shd be mockers & walkers aftr yr own Lusts St. Paul tells us Phil. 3. 18,19. of certn Enemies to ye Cross of X: Enemies wm he saw, & his Eyes gushed out wth Tears to behold: but herd ye Apos ^Speak also of Enemies, wm as yet hd not bn Seen; a family of men as yet unheard of; a generan reservd for ye End of ye Wld, or for ye last time. Ye Aposs not only declard wt yy Saw & heard in yr Day, but yy prophesied of men to come. St. Peter tells us