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._ Verse 20. _For, if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are againe entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them then the beginning._ Verse 21. _For it had beene better for them not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse, then after they have knowne it, to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them._ Verse 22. _But it is hapned unto them according to the true Proverbe; The Dog is turned to his own vomit againe, and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire._ The Analysis. In these verses is contained a refutation of the false teachers, of whom a description was made before. Now the sum of this refutation consists herein, that all those things were vain, which they promised to their disciples or followers. And this is in generall shewed by those comparisons which are made verse 17. Where these teachers are said to be wels as it were, without water, and clouds without raine, because they make shew of many things worthy to be desired, but they performe nothing at all. Upon occasion of these similitudes, by the way he repeats the punishment which God had prepared for them, by a continuation of the same Allegory, namely, that whereas they are wels as it were, or clouds making shew of some mist, they shall at length certainly find the mist of eternall darknesse. 2. The same vanity is illustrated by the impulsive cause that moved them to spread abroad their new opinions, which was their swelling vanity, verse 18. in the beginning, and by the effect thereof, which was their crafty seducing of Christians to give themselves over to the lusts of the flesh, at the end of the same verse. 3. The same vanity of their promises is set forth, verse 19. at the beginning, by the great dissimilitude and opposition that is betwixt them and their promises. For they promised liberty unto others, when they themselves were servants of corruption. Thence the vanity of their promises is made manifest and palpable as it were; because they promised that, whereunto they themselves were strangers, and far remote from it. 4. That which is put in the dissimilitude, namely, that they were servants of corruption, because