Vse 1. This may serve to admonish us, to apply our minds unto these rebukings of God, and not to be carelesse of them, as desperate men use to be; but to yeeld unto them, and shun all those things that are rebuked by God, either in the Scriptures, or in our consciences, or in the creatures.
2. To exhort us, to use all diligence to seek and preserve in our selves that testimony of God and our conscience, which may be for our comfort, and not for our rebuke.
Doctrine 5. Those men are extreamly and brutishly mad, that will not be rebuked or stopped in their impiety, unlesse it be by some miraculous worke.
This is gathered from the end of verse 16. the dumbe Asse speaking with mans voice, forbad the madnesse of the Prophet.
Reason. Because such men are deprived of common sense touching spirituall things, and are given over unto a reprobate sense.
Vse. This may serve to admonish us, to beware of that hardnesse of heart, which cannot beleeve God speaking in his word; and not to give way to that vaine imagination, which Dives with his brethren is said to have maintained, Luke 16.30. and Abraham refutes, verse 31.
Verse 17. These are welles without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever.
Verse 18. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonnesse, those that were cleane escaped from them who live in errour.
Verse 19. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.