he apprehended them to be such vile persons as were not fit and worthy to be named among Christians, or by him distinctly, but confusedly to be bound up in this bundle, riveç aveowπo, "certain men." And this some, who conjecture that the discourse of Christ concerning the rich glutton is a history, conceive to be the reason why our Saviour gives us the poor man's name Lazarus, not so much as vouchsafing to name the rich epicure, calling him only "a certain

Άνθρωπος τις

rich man," as if it were unfit his name πλούσιος. should be left to posterity, Luke xvi. 19. And this conjecture concerning these seducers in the text seems to be strengthened, not only by the consideration of their detestable practices and opinions, which deserved that their founders should be buried in forgetfulness; but also by the apostle's expressing their base and contemptible manner of entrance in the very next word, by creeping in unawares, as if he had set himself to slight them.

[2.] It is thought the apostle forbears to express the names, and thereby to determine the numbers of these seducers, to make these Christians more wary and vigilant in their carriage and conversing, they living among seducers, and yet not knowing who they were. That there were sundry, many of them, he intimates; who, or how many, he conceals, that so they might be the more circumspect in taking heed of all who might any way seduce them. And thus the apostle exhorts the Christians to "try the spirits, because there are many false prophets gone out into the world," 1 John iv. 1. If a man converse among persons infected by the plague, when he is uncertain which of them or how many have that disease, he will be the more wary of every one. Our not know

ing all those who are erroneous, should make us try what we hear even from those who are soundest.

Obs. 1. How much are heretics and seducers deceived, who expect to grow famous and honoured by being patrons of ungodly and erroneous opinions! Heresy never was a foundation of honour to the contriver, though the hopes of gaining_honour is a furtherance to become heresiarchs. While the pure lights of the church have burnt sweetly, and shined brightly even to after-ages, there is nothing remaining of old heretics, notwithstanding all their new and pretended light, but stink, and smoke, and snuff. However they may be for a time respected in the world, yet as even at first the Scripture proclaims their infamy, and discovers their impostures to some, so shall posterity, by the advantage of time and Scripture study, reckon their sometimes-adored names among the notes of greatest disgrace. So that even those who through the love of error embrace their opinions, shall through the love of honour be ashamed of their names. Seducers love to call their books and companies by their own name, but their names are not up in God's book.

Obs. 2. False teachers are wont to be many and numerous in the church of God. In St. John's time many, though, as here, he names not how many, false prophets were gone out into the world, 1 John iv. 1. And he saith also, "Many deceivers are entered into the world," 2 John 7. And Paul tells Titus, that there were many deceivers, Tit. i. 10. The prophets of Jezebel were four hundred. Satan's emissaries are sent out by troops; what they want of weight, they make up in number. The goodness of any cause cannot be judged by the number of its patrons. There may be a hundred false prophets to one; and if there were a hundred true ones to one false, that false one may possibly have a hundred friends for one that truly loves the hundred who are true. Should religion be carried only by vote, heresy would oft prevail. Argumentum pessimum turba. The most

are usually the worst. Numbers are but a slight argument to a heart that resolves to follow Scripture. It is better to go to heaven with and after a few, than to hell with and after the throng. Multitudes neither warrant in the way, nor comfort in the end. Obs. 3. Christian vigilancy is most needful in days of heresy. "Beware of false prophets," saith Christ, Matt. vii. 15. "Beware," saith Peter "lest ye be led away with the error of the wicked," 2 Pet. iii. 17. The cunning craftiness (Eph. iv. 14) of false prophets in deceiving, our readiness to be deceived, and our hurt in being so, call aloud for the duty of circumspection. Seducers are crafty, error is catching; and being embraced, injury to the soul is certain. How sad is it to see so many wary men in trading for the world, and so many childish and simple in negociating for heaven! Most men invert the apostle's advice; for in malice they are men, in knowledge children. Should all be reckoned children, as indeed they may, who know not their right hand from their left in religion, where should we find a man? "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way," Prov. xiv. 8. Old Scripture preservatives should much be used in times of heretical infection: in ways wherein there are many turnings, it is safe often to inquire. The word is the way, the Spirit is the Guide; humility, prayer, vigilancy, excellent helps to walk in the one, and to follow the other.

3. The apostle describes the entrance of these seducers into the company of these Christians, from the subtlety and sliness of their entrance; they "crept in unawares,” apriσidvoav.

Two things offer themselves in the explication. The first, The sense and force of the word. Secondly, The agreement of it to these seducers in their entrance among these Christians.

(1.) The meaning of the word. The word comprehends two things: 1. It implies a fact brought about and accomplished, which is obtaining a thorough entrance, and getting into some place or company, noted in the preposition, eis, in, or into. 2. It mainly intends the manner of accomplishing it, or the Δίνοντος τοῦ course taken and used to effect and iov. Luke iv.

οὐ γὰρ δύσεται ὁ Ix. 20. AUTHS, urinator.

Herodot.

40.

viii. 11.

nitus intrant.

bring that entrance about, which is by Arò vatov, sliness and subtlety, close and cunning Kai dvouv. Matt. carriage, and entrance unawares : the single and simple verb duw, or dúvw, signifies, subeo, mergo, ingredior, to dive, sink, to go in, to go under; and it is used concerning the setting of the sun, as Mark i. 32; Luke iv. 40, &c., because it seems then to sink or dive into the sea. And the apostle speaks of some who crept into houses, 2 Tim. iii. 6, adding only the preposition iv, in, to ἐνδύνοντες. this verb duvw, which Beza translates Vulg. qui penequi irrepunt, others, qui immergunt, who trant, i. e. qui pesubtlely, silently slip in, and dive, as it scire volunt sewere, to the bottom, to search and un- creta domus, atque inde timeri. derstand the affairs of houses, as Jesuits Subrepserunt. do in states and kingdoms. But the erunt. Vulg. principal emphasis lies in the preposi- Furtive se insition rapà, which, added to the former Latenter et furverb, signifies a more secret and subtle, tive ingredi. Obiter subrepere. close and deceitful manner of seducers' Oblique se ingerere, et tanquam entrance, than the simple word will aliud agentes inbear; and it imports their entrance in a gredi. by-way, at a back-door, thievishly, by little and little, clandestinely, unawares, creepingly, a winding in by stealth, obliquely; beside the way of any real worth and fit qualifications of integrity and piety to further the spiritual welfare of the church; and beside the intentions of the faithful, who not knowing what manner of men these seducers were, but conceiving

Bez. Subintroi

nuare.

As a man who is often taken in a lie is not believed when he speaks the truth; so he who is often observed to speak truth is not mistrusted, though he sometimes utters what is false.

3. They preach doctrines pleasing to corrupt nature, 2 Pet. ii. 18; Isa. xxx. 10; such as are most delightful to flesh and blood. They know that naturally people cannot endure sound doctrine, 2 Tim. iv. 3, desire not to have right things prophesied to them, but smooth things, and deceits: and therefore they corrupt and deal deceitfully with the word, KaяNλEVOVTEC, 2 Cor. ii. 17; like deceitful vintners, who, for gain, mix water with their wine: mere truth they know would be bitter truth, and therefore they are more desirous to be sweet and unsound, than harsh and wholesome; suiting their doctrines, as some fable of the taste of the manna in the wilderness, to the pleasure of every palate. Hence it was that the false apostles preached up circumcision, and others abrogated observations, because they knew such doctrines only would be savoury to Jewish palates. And hence it was that these seducers preached doctrines of liberty, 2 Pet. ii. 19, and licentiousness, and such as turned "the grace of God into lasciviousness," Jude 4, making the narrow way to heaven seem broader than God ever intended it; holding before people's eyes the spectacles of carnal liberty, whereby, in their passage over the narrow bridge of Christianity, they, adventuring upon a supposed breadth, tumble down into the waters of perdition.

4. They deliver such doctrines as savour of novelty. The subjects of which they treat must be represented as rare and unusual: to accomplish which, either they put upon them a new dress, a new shape, and fashion of words and expressions; or they deliver either that which is false and against Scripture, they choosing rather to be erroneous than not to be rare, and often venting for new truths old errors new dressed, or that which is nice, and very uncertainly grounded upon Scripture, they preferring a doubtful before a common way, well knowing that usual truths will not suit with itching ears. If the doctrines which they deliver are old and ordinary truths, they often, as men use to do by old stuffs, water them over with new expressions, strange and new-minted phrases, not savouring of Scripture simplicity, or agreeable to the pattern of wholesome words.

5. They labour to work the godly and orthodox ministers out of the affections of their hearers, 2 Cor. x. 10. They erect a building of honour for themselves upon the ruins of the reputation of such who deserve to stand when they are ruined. Well they know, as long as the messenger is loved, the message is not like to be loathed. They had much rather stand in the people's light, than that a godly minister should stand in theirs. The greatest enemies to true have ever been false teachers. Thus it was of old; Micaiah and Jeremiah had the one a Zedekiah, the other a Pashur, to smite them. And as the practice of smiting, with the tongue at least, still continues, so doth the pretence of that practice. Hence it is that faithful ministers must be represented as the disturbers and troublers of church and state, Amos vii. 10; though the true reason why turbulent practices against the peace of both are by false prophets condemned, is, that they may get all the practice to themselves, while the peaceable servants of Christ are only suspected. I mislike not the vessels, good words, but ill wine offered in them by drunken teachers. Nor did any so subtlely undermine blessed Paul as the false apostles; his great labour in some Epistles being the vindication of his apostolical reputation. If the eminence of a

Non accuso verba

tanquam vasa pretiosa, sed vinum quod in illis propinatur ab ebriosis doctoribus. Aug.

godly minister for piety and parts be so evident, as that they dare not bring any downright accusation against him, then these creeping seducers will ordinarily either doubt of or deny his calling, or else will mention his commendations with a but of their own framing, or else so slightly and lukewarmly commend him, (as thus, perhaps, He is a good honest man, a well-meaning man, a pretty man,) as that it shall almost amount to a discommendation.

6. They affix the highest commendations imaginable to their own opinions and persons. (1.) Their opinions they represent as the ways of God, the glorious beamings out of light, the only paths of peace and sweetness, the liberty of the gospel, and with other such like "good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple," Rom. xvi. 18. Like mountebanks, who despairing that any will buy their oils and medicines for any good they find by them, are wont themselves to commend their virtue to the ignorant throng. (2.) Their own persons they represent as the most eminently qualified, for grace and learning, of any the mere sons of men. They trumpet out their own godliness, humility, and meekness, though Christ tells us they are wolves in sheep's clothing, Matt. vii. 15. And experience proves them, with Montanus, Arius, Novatus, Pelagius, Arminius, to be but Satan's ministers, transformed as the ministers of righteousness, 2 Cor. xi. 14. They pretend themselves to be the only ministers, though herein they do but imitate their predecessors, who said they were apostles, but were not, Rev. ii. 2; "transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ," 2 Cor. xi. 13. Their rare and raised parts, their unparalleled abilities, and deep insight into gospel truths, they proclaim to all the world, using great swelling words of vanity, in imitation of him who gave out that himself was some great one, that so he might be said to be the great power of God, Acts viii. 9, 10; and all because they know the fond multitude is ever more ready to judge of faith by the person, than of the person by his faith.

Obs. 1. The presence of wicked men in the church is no sufficient ground of being offended at the church. Mixtures of good and bad men have ever been in the best societies; nor is it to be expected, till the harvest, that tares and wheat can be parted perfectly, Matt. xiii. 30; neither the godly nor God's ordinances are therefore to be forsaken because the wicked are mixed. Needless society with the wicked, much more society with them in their wickedness, is to be avoided; but not such as from which we have no warrant from God to separate, or wherein we join not in sin, but in that which is in itself holy, saving, and commanded. As God does not, so neither must man punish the innocent, whether himself or another, for the nocent. I fly from the chaff, lest I should be also such, saith Augustine. I forsake not the floor lest I should be nothing. And though God does not account evil to be good, yet he accounts it good that there should be evil. And that good we shall find, could we, as we ought, be more watchful, zealous, humble, fervent in prayer, longing for heaven by the necessitated company of wicked men.

Obs. 2. Satan uses sundry sorts of attempts to hurt the church. Sometimes he creeps and crouches, at other times he roars and rages. He has several shapes, and often changes his habit, though he never lays aside his hatred. One while he openly acknowledged that Christ was the Son of God; afterwards he stirred up his instruments to destroy Christ, "because he made himself the Son of God," John xix. 7. Satan (like a highway robber) frequently changeth his apparel, that so the unwary passenger may not discern him; he seldom appears in the same

habit twice together. In some ages of the church he is a red dragon, in others an old serpent; sometimes he uses his sword, at other times his pen. He commonly proceeds from one extreme to another, from endeavouring to overthrow the church by persecution under heathens, to hurting it more by promotions and seducings under papacy. In one age, he advances superstition; in another, profaneness: in one, nothing shall be lawful; in another, every thing. None shall preach at one time, every one at another. We cannot therefore judge that a way is none of Satan's, because it differs from that which was sometimes his, but because it agrees with that which is always God's.

Serpit putrida tabes hypocrisis

per omne corpus sunt amici et om

ecclesiæ, omnes

nes inimici, omnes necessarii et

omnes adversa,

domestici

et nulli pacifici. Ecce in pace amaritudo mea; amara prius in nece martyrum, amarior post in conflictu hæreticorum. Bern.

Obs. 3. Satan is most hurtful to the church, when he opposes it by subtlety and creeping; when he comes not as an open enemy, but an appearing friend. He is never so much a devil, as when he appears in white, and transforms himself into an angel of light. He does more hurt by creeping into, than breaking into the church. False apostles and seducers in the church have been more hurtful to it by fraud, than❘ ser. 33, in Cant. bloody and paganish persecutors by force. Satan has gained more victories by using the one as sunshine to dazzle the eyes, than by raising the other as wind to blow in the faces of the faithful. For his subtlety rather colours vice, than openly contends against virtue. Under the resemblance of those graces for which saints are most eminent, he draws to those neighbour vices which seem to have most affinity with their Christian perfections. He colours over superstition with religion, carnal policy with Christian prudence, cruelty with justice, toleration with mercy, indiscreet fervour with zeal, pertinacy with constancy. And never does sin so much prevail against us, as when it lies in ambush behind appearances of piety. Nor is Satan's subtlety less hurtful in using the ablest and most refined wits to devise and defend impious novelties against the orthodox faith; as Arius, Sabellius, Pelagius, &c. of old; and of late Servetus, Socinus, Arminius, &c. Satan fits every actor with a part agreeable to him, and carves his Mercury on the most promising pieces. Those whom God has furnished with the best weapons of parts and arts, have commonly given his cause the deepest wounds. It is our duty with prudence to countermine subtlety; to steer our course by the card of Scripture; to mislike no good way of God because Satan makes it seemingly deformed; to love no way of sin, though he makes it seemingly amiable; to build our faith upon no eminency of man, and ever to be more forward to examine than to admire what he saith or is.

Obs. 4. The best Christians may sometimes be mistaken in seducers. The advice of Christ to "beware of false prophets," Matt. vii. 15, shows how possible it is to be overseen. The shape into which they transform themselves, namely, the apostles of Christ, and the ministers of righteousness, shows the difficulty of discerning them. The very apostles were deceived in him whom some conceive to be the heresiarch, Acts viii. 13, and one from whom these seducers sucked their poison. God will alone have the prerogative of trying the heart; the doctrines we must, 1 Thess. v. 21, their hearts God only can search. And the difficulty of understanding who are seducers, should cause in the faithful diligence in trying what their best teachers deliver, 1 John iv. 1. The seduced most call for our pity, who with good meanings, though, alas, with bad suc

cess, follow their blind leader; whose misery that we may avoid, we must examine all we hear by the word, taking nothing upon trust, not loving doctrines for men, but men for their doctrine, and it for its consonancy to Scripture, which should, like a sword of Paradise, keep errors from entering into our hearts. Be not like little children, to gape at and be ready to swallow whatever the nurse puts to the mouth. If seducers appeal to Scripture, to Scripture let them go; and if they cannot endure the light of that sun, reject them as spurious, and their meetingplaces as infected houses, and schools of impiety. "Sit not among vain persons," Psal. xxvi. 4. Let not Satan take thee among his own, lest he make thee one of his own.

Obs. 5. Sin loves not to be seen in its own colours. These seducers having in them no real goodness and worth, or fit qualifications of piety and integrity, but intentions by their entrance to seduce others, appeared not to be what indeed they were, but cunningly they seemed to be what they were not, that so the faithful might admit them unawares, not knowing who they were. Sin is a deed of darkness, not only because the sinner's portion will be utter darkness, but because his practices he loves to conceal in the dark. Sin's deformity makes not a sinner desire that it should not be, but only that it should not be seen. Aaron covered over his sin with the wickedness of the people, Exod. xxxii. 22. Saul coloured over his sin of sparing Agag and the cattle, with pretended resolutions to sacrifice to the Lord, 1 Sam. xv. 21. Carnal will ever has carnal wit attending upon it. Love to sin refines the invention for concealing it. No sin has beauty enough in its own complexion to win the affection of the fondest spectator, unless its wrinkles be filled up with the paint of religious pretences. Sinners have a false conceit of God, they think he cannot see through their coverts; like little children, because they shut their own eyes, they think they are in the dark to all others. How much is holiness honoured by its enemies, who even when they hate the having of it, love to appear to have it! How unable is a hypocrite to shun the dint of this dilemma, If holiness be bad, why doth he so much as appear; if good, why doth he no more than appear holy? In a word, how slight and childish will all hypocritical varnishings prove at the last day! Paint will not endure the fire of wrath, nor can hidden wickedness be concealed in the day of Divine disquisition.

Obs. 6. Seducers, with other sinners, are modest in the beginning of sin. When these seducers first entered, the faithful thought them not such as afterward they found them. They were like a deceitful gamester, or dice-player, who playing with one who is ignorant and wealthy, seems in the beginning of the game to be altogether unskilful, till, at length, by degrees, he puts forth his craft, and cheats him of all he has. And never has Satan been so dangerous an enemy, either to churches or persons, as when he has been hurtful insensibly, gradually, and creepingly. He can hardly tempt men at one leap to get up to the top of impiety, but by several steps. As, 1. By an evil motion. 2. By some kind of approbation. 3. By determination to embrace it. 4. By a vicious action. 5. By an evil habit. 6. By defence and justification of sin. Till, 7. There be a glorying and boasting in it. Satan dyes not a man a purple or a scarlet sinner at the first, but after divers tinctures, that so at the last he may take the deepest dye. He windeth not up his treble to the highest pitch hastily, but strains it up by little and little to the desired height: at the first he makes men adventure upon actions questionable, whether sinful or not; then he

rantur, non tantum ut vicem

gerunt exemplaris. Bel. De

c. 21.

presses them forward to sins undoubted, yet small; | and then he easily draws men from making little account of small sins, to make small account of great sins. How dangerously, because gradually, did Satan bring idolatry into the church! First, images and pictures of saints were used in private for memory, history, or ornament only; afterward, in Gregory's days, they were brought into the church, but with an express prohibition of worshipping them; in the next age, the worshipping of them was enjoined, yet not for themselves, but in respect only of what they represented; but since the council of Trent, it is the tenet of the Roman church, that images are to be worshipped for themselves; and furI't in se conside- ther the heathen go not in their idolatry. The great seducer of the nations, the pope, was he not creeping and Imag. Sanc. 1. 2. modest in his beginnings to get into his present height of tyranny? First he contends for a bare primacy or order; after he pretends to a little more, the receiving the last appeal from the other patriarchs. In the time Plat, in Bonif. 3. of Boniface the Third, he puts in for the title of universal bishop; and in his next successor's time, to give spiritual laws to the whole church; and after him, in Pope Hildebrand's time, to give temporal laws to kings and princes. Satan is like a deceitful tradesman, who first by fair-dealing gains customers, that so afterwards by foul-dealing he may gull them. Teachers must not speedily be admitted. It is good to know before we take or trust them. And people should take heed that they forsake not their old approved ministers, who have been throughly made manifest to them in all things, 2 Cor. xi. 6, to embrace such strange doctors, whose design is in time to bring in strange doctrines. The mother's milk is most wholesome for the child. The ministry that begat thee spiritually is fittest to nourish thee. They who oft change their masters, are seldom good scholars. Please not thyself in the parts or abilities of thy minister, but labour to find the experimental working of his ministry upon thine heart, that thou mayst be able to answer seducers, when they suggest that thy minister is antichristian, thus: He has not been antichristian to me; for sure I am, he was the instrument of forming Christ in my heart.

This of the third particular in the description of the entrance of these seducers, viz. Their subtlety and sliness in getting into the society of the faithful.

4. The fourth and last thing by which he describes their entrance, is by clearing and vindicating it from the objections which the Christians might possibly raise against God, as if he were regardless of the welfare of his church, and indulgent toward the wickedness of the seducers in suffering them to enter; and against godliness, when they observed that they who pretended to be the most eminent in the church for religion turned apostates. And this he does in these words, "who were before of old ordained to this condemnation:" q. d. Although they have entered so cunningly, as that the church was not aware of them, yet was not their entrance unawares to God, but he foresaw it, and therefore will see that they do his church no harm; and though now God seems to spare them, yet are they in a state of condemnation; and though they formerly seemed such eminent professors of religion, yet God foresaw they would prove as they are; nay, for their sins ordained them to this condition into which they are now fallen.

In which vindication of God's care of his church, and justice against the seducers, their punishment is two ways considerable. In its severity, it was "this

66

9

condemnation;" and, In its certainty, they were before of old ordained to" it.

(1.) The punishment of the seducers considered in the severity of it, "this condemnation."

But what was this condemnation of which the apostle here speaks? and why is it called condemnation?

The word here importing condemnation, is taken various ways in Scrip

ture.

kpa' judicium, demnatio.

damnatio, con

[1] And most properly, for the sentence pronounced by the judge, or rather a judiciary sentencing, or condemning; and so it is used Rom. ii. 2, where the apostle saith, "We are sure the judgment," rò pipa, “of God is according to truth;" and Matt. vii. 2, "With what judgment," v w xρíμari, "ye judge, ye shall be judged."

[2.] For administration of government toward those who are under it, whether by judgment or mercy; and it is spoken of God's providence ruling and ordering the affairs of the world, as Rom. xi. 33, "How unsearchable are his" pipara, "judgments!" also of Christ's government of that kingdom which his Father gave him, in the salvation of humble, and condemnation of proud sinners, John ix. 39, siç κpipa, "For judgment am I come into this world;" that is, for discharging the office of a king, or a judge, in adjudging to every one his due recompence. In which respect judgment is taken for the whole judiciary proceeding of Christ in the great day of judgment toward the good and bad, in regard of his discovering, and sentencing of, and executing sentence upon all at that day. He reasoned,” περὶ του κρί ματος τοῦ μέλλοντος, "of judgment to come," Acts xxiv. 25; Heb. vi. 2.

66

[3.] For a cause or controversy discussed, judged, and determined by judges. So 1 Cor. vi. 7, KoiμaTa EXETE, "Ye go to law one with another," ye have causes and controversies among yourselves.

vel damnationem,

runtur, ut pieta

enim id quisquam suo exitio. Calv.

cium intelligi

qua propter pec

permissi fuerunt

pati naufragium fidei, et variis erabripi, ita ut etiam fierent ertandem judicium

rorum fluctibus

rorum magistri,

[4.] For the wrath, vengeance, damnation, and punishment, Mark xii. 40; Judicium vocat Luke xx. 47; xxiii. 40; Rom. ii. 3, exe- vel reprobrum cuted upon men for wickedness, as Rom. sensum, quo teiii. 8, v To Koiua, "whose damnation is tis doctrinam perjust." And I Cor. xi. 29, 34, “He that vertant; neque eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth facere potest nisi and drinketh" pipa, "damnation to in loc. himself." So Matt. xxiii. 14, "Ye shall Potest hoc judireceive the greater" xpipa, "damna- justa derelictio, tion." And Rom. xiii. 2, "They that cata præcedentia resist, shall receive to themselves" koiua, "damnation." And 1 Tim. iii. 6, "Lest he fall" siç pipa, "into the condemnation of the devil." So 2 Pet. ii. 3, "Whose" κpiμa, “judgment now of long time lingereth not." And thus I take it in this place. The apostle Jude here by Touro Tò Koiua, "this condemna- loc. tion," intends that punishment by God inflicted upon seducers in this life for abusing the grace of God, whereby they did not only themselves turn backsliders and apostates, but become opposers of the truth, and perverters of others; hereby making way for their own eternal condemnation. A punishment made up of many poisonful ingredients, and that has in it a complication of many spiritual woes, which, as the Scripture testifies, belonged to these seducers, and to others who were in the same condemnation with them: as,

a

illud gravissi mum æternæ bituri. Estius in

damnationis su

1. A voidness of spiritual judgment and understanding, an inability to judge between good and bad, things that differ; an insufficiency to approve of any thing which is excellent, Phil. i. 10; whereby they put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; spake