2 Peter 2:17-22 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.… I. THE DECEIVERS. 1. Their posture. (1) They think to carry it away with "words."(a) Error hath always most words; like a rotten house, that needs most props to uphold it. (b) In much speaking is foolish speaking: it is very difficult to speak much and well. The ship that hath more rigging and sail than ballast, will never make a good voyage. (2) Their full-mouthed speeches — "great swelling words." Nothing is more loud than error: the more false the matter, the greater noise to uphold it (Acts 19:34). "Swelling words" are like the reports of ordnance — they blaze, and crack, and smoke, and stink, and vanish. (3) The last attribute of their speech is vain, "words of vanity." If the matter were good, yet many words were vain, great words were vain; but here both the matter and words and all are vanity itself. 2. Their imposture — "they allure." The metaphor is taken from fishing or fowling. Those fishes that were taken out of the feculent pond of this world, and put into the crystal streams of the church, are by these seducers again drawn out of the streams of the church into the pool of the world. The hook whereby they perform this is fraud: the same devil teacheth his trade to all his followers: the lion is strong enough, but the serpent doth the mischief. II. THE DECEIVED. "Those that were clean escaped." 1. They were not quite delivered from sin, but from the external profession of sin, and from the doctrine that maintains sin. The children of the world may outwardly be gathered to the congregation of Israel, yet not be of Israel. They are escaped from the lion and the bear, gross and raging impiety and idolatry; but in the house of God they are bitten by a serpent, sly hypocrisy. 2. They are again returned to error. What a poor way went they toward heaven, so soon to turn back! It is but Ephraim's morning dew; let the sun of prosperity rise but two hours high, the dew is gone. A Galatian humour, to begin in the spirit, and to end in the flesh; like a meteor or gliding star, that seemed in heaven, shot through the air, and lighted on a dunghill. (1) All sin is a labyrinth; the entrance is easy; all the difficulty is to get out again. (2) The practice of these deceivers is upon them that are escaped from their errors. The malignant jailer pursues after him that hath broken prison. 3 "Through much wantonness." This is that little postern set open, to which Satan is so much beholden for his readmittance. (Thos. Adams.) Parallel Verses KJV: These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. |
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