John Trapp on 1 Peter 3

CHAP. III. Verſe 1. Be in ſubjection to your husbands]

YEt with a limitation: Subject the wife muſt be to her huſbands lawfull commands and reſtraints. It is too much that Plutarch laies as a law of wedlock on the wife, to acknowledge and worſhip the ſame gods, and none elſe, but thoſe whom her husband doth.

Be Wonne by the converſation] i. e. Be prepared for converſion; as Auſtins father and himſelf were, by the piety of his mother Monica.

Verſe 2. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Whiles they behold] Curiouſly pry into. Carnall men watch the carriages of profeſſours, and ſpend many thoughts about them.

Your chaste converſation] When Livia the Empreſſe was asked, how ſhe had got ſuch a power over her husband that ſhe could doe any thing with him? She anſwered, Multâ modestiâ, by my much modeſty. A prudent wife commands her husband, by obeying.D[illegible: 1 letter]o. in Auguſt.

Verſe 3. Whoſe adorning] Mundus muliebris. See Iſa. 3.18. where the Prophet as punctually inveighs againſt this noble vanity, as if he had viewed the Ladies wardrobes in Jeruſalem.

Let it not be that outward] Veſtium curioſitas, deformitatis mentium & morum indicium est, ſaith Bernard. Exceſſive neatneſſe is a ſign of inward naſtineſſe. It was a true ſaying of wiſe Cato, Cultus magna cura, magna eſt virtutis incuria. They are never good that ſtrive to be ſo over-fine. Superfluous apparel ſaith Cyprian, is worſe then whoredome.

Verſe 4. But let it be the hidden] Veſtite vos ſerico pietatis, byſſino ſanctitatis, purpur â pudicitia, Talitèr pigmentata Deum habebitis amatorem. It is Tertullians counſel to young women,Lib. de cult ſoe[illegible: 2 letters]; Cloth your ſelves, ſaith he, with the ſilk of piety, with the ſattin of ſanctity, with the purple of modeſty: So ſhall you have God himſelf to be your ſutor.

In that Which is not corruptible] Or, In the incoruption of a meek a quiet spirit, &c. a garment that will never be the worſe for wearing, but the better.

Of great price] God makes great reckoning of a quiet minde, becauſe it is like himſelf. He promiſeth earth to the meek, and heaven to the incorrupt or ſincere, and pure in heart.

Verſe 5. Who truſted in God] And therefore would not by unlawfull means ſeek to get or keep their husbands love and favour; but truſted God for that. So Hezekiah truſted in God, and pulled down the brazen ſerpent, 2 King. 18.4, 5. oppoſing his preſence to all peril.

Verſe 6. Calling him Lord] See here, how in a great heap of ſin, God can finde out his own, and accept of it. There was no good word in all the whole ſentence, but this, that ſhe called her husband, Lord. God is pleaſed to ſingle out this, and let it as a precious diamond in a gold ring, to Sarah's eternall commendation.

And are not afraid, &c.] Fear they muſt, verſ. 2. and yet they muſt not. Fear God, but not their husbands undeſerved checks or threats for obeying God. One fear muſt expell another, as one fire drives out another.

Verſe 7. Likewiſe ye] Officium aſcendit, amor deſcendit.

According to knowledge] Where ſhould w[illegible: 2 letters]dome be but in the head? This muſt be ſhewed, Ʋxoris vitium out tollendo, aut tolerando, ſaid Varro, either by curing, or at leaſt covering his wives weakneſſes.

As unto the Weaker veſſel] Glaſſes are to be tenderly handled: a ſmall knack ſoon breaks them. So here. Viperavirus ob venerationem unptiarum evomit, ſaith Baſil. The Viper, for the honour of coupling with his mate,Et tu duritiom animi, ſu ferila tem, tu c[illegible: 2 letters]le[illegible: 2 letters] tatem ab untouls revereatiam non depo [illegible: 1 letter]s? caſts up his poiſon: and wilt not thou for the honour of marriage, caſt away thy harſhneſſe, roughneſſe, cruelty to a conſort?

As being heirs] Souls have no ſexes, Gal. 3.28.

That your praiers be not hindered] Iſaac praied in the preſence of his wife. This courſe of praying together, apart from others, being taken up by married couples, will much encreaſe and ſpiritualize their affection one to another. But jarring will make them leave praying, or praying leave jarring.

Verſe 8. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Be courteous] Gr. Friendly-minded, ready to any good office.

Verſe 9. Or railing, for railing] Convitium convitio regerere, quid aliud est quam lutum luto purgare? ſaith one. To render railing for railing, is to thinke to waſh off dirt with dirt.

That ye ſhould inherit a bleſſing] Bleſſings by words, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. properly. They that will ſpeak good words to men, ſhall hear good words from God: they ſhall have his good word for them in all places, and in the hearts of their greateſt enemies, as Jacob and Job had.

Verſe 10. Love life] Man is [non-Latin text not transcribed], a creature that loves life, ſaith Ariſtotle. Who is the man that willeth life? ſaith David, Pſal. 34 12. And hereunto every man will be ready to anſwer, Ego, I doe, as Auſtin obſerveth. But when the condition ſhall be added, Cohibe linguam, &c. Refrain thy tongue, &c. then, ſaith he, ſcarce any will appear, or accept the motion.

And ſee good daies] That is, Proſperous and peaceable daies: for all the daies of the afflicted are evil, Prov. 15.15. a joyleſſe life is no life. Rebecca was weary of her life, and ſo was Eliah when he ſat under the Juniper. Multi etiam magni viri ſab Elia Juniper[illegible: 1 letter] ſedent: It is many a good mans caſe.

Verſe 11. Seek peace, and enſue it] A contentious man never wants woe: Ʋt habeas quietum tempus perde aliquid, was a Proverb at Carthage, as Auſtin relates it: Et concedamus de jure ut careamus lite. For a quiet life let a man part with his right ſometimes.

Verſe 12. His ears are open unto, &c.] Gr. His ears are unto their praiers, q[illegible: 1 letter]d. though their praiers are ſo faint that they cannot come up to God, God will come down to them. He can feel breath, when no voice can be heard, Lam. 3.56. Fletu ſapè agitur non affatu.

Verſe 13. And who is he that will, &c.] Naturall conſcience cannot but doe homage to the image of God, ſtamped upon the natures and works of the godly, as we ſee in the carriage of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius toward Daniel. M. Bolton. I have known ſome (ſaith a grave Divine) the firſt occaſion of whoſe converſion was the obſervation of their ſtoutneſſe under wronge and oppreſſions, whom they have purpoſely perſecuted with extreameſt hate and malice.

Verſe 14. But and if ye ſuffer] q. d. Say you meet with ſuch unreaſonable men made up of meer incongruities and abſurdities,2 Theſſ. 3.3. that will harm you for well-doing, yet you ſhall be no looſers.

Verſe 15. Sanct fie the Lord God] Conſider and conceive of him, as he ſtands deſcribed in the Scriptures, and as related to his people: reſting upon his power and love, for ſafety here, and ſalvation hereafter.

Ready alwaies to give an anſwer] Gr. To make apology, a bold and wiſe profeſſion of the truth, with due obſervation of juſt circumſtances. To diſſemble is ever a fault: but not to profeſſe, is then only a fault, when a man is ſilent, Intempestivè & loco minimè idoneo, at an unfit time and place. Let me be counted and called proud, or any thing, Modò impij ſilentij non arguar, ſaid Luther, ſo I be not guilty of a ſinfull ſilence.

A reaſon of the hope] Not every trifling queſtion, or malicious cavil. Chriſt anſwered the Governour not a word to ſome things, and yet he Witneſſed a good confeſſion before Pontius Pilate, 1 Tim. 6.13.

With meekneſſe and fear] Leſt you ſhould diſhonour a good cauſe by an ill carriage.

Verſe 16. Having a good conſcience] Which you cannot have, if you deny or but diſſemble the truth. George Marſh the Martyr being examined before the Earl of Darby, kept himſelf cloſe in the point of the Sacrament. But after his departure, thus he writes. I departed much more troubled in my ſpirit then before, becauſe I had not with more boldneſſe confeſſed Chriſt;Act. and Mon fol. 1419. but in ſuch ſort as mine adverſaries thereby thought they ſhould prevail againſt me; whereat I was much grieved: for hitherto I went [illegible: 1 word], as much as in me lay, to rid my ſelf out of their hands, if by [illegible: 1 span] without open denying of Chriſt and his Word, that co[illegible: 4 letters]ed [illegible: 1 letter]e, &c.

[illegible: 1 word]-doers] Malefactours not Martyrs.

[illegible: 1 letter]he[illegible: 1 letter] may be aſhamed that falſly accuſe] This is an excellent [illegible: 1 word] ſtopping an open mouth. Oh theſe reall apologies are very [illegible: 1 letter]owerfull. Thus did the Primitive Chriſtians plead for themſelves, Non aliundè noſcibiles quam de emendation[illegible: 1 letter] vitiorum pristinorum, ſaith Tertullian, known from all others by their reformed lives. Thus did thoſe old Proteſtants the Waldenſes, In moribi[illegible: 1 letter] ſunt compoſiti & modesti, &c. ſaid that Popiſh Inquiſitour their profeſſed adverſary. Their doctrine, ſaid he, is naught, but their lives are unblameable. The mans life (ſaith Eraſmus concerning Luther) is approved of all men: his verieſt adverſaries cannot accuſe him for any thing in point of practice. Lewis King of France, Necho[illegible: 1 letter]es reperia[illegible: 2 letters] quod calumnien[illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 1 letter]. having received certain complaints againſt the Proteſtants of Merindoll and Chabriers, ſent certain to enquire into the buſineſſe,Anno Dom. 1513. and hearing what they related to him, he ſwore a great oath that they were better men then either himſelf was, or any other of his ſubjects.

Verſe 17. That ye ſuffer for well-doing] The cauſe, and not the pain makes the Martyr. Together with the Lord Cromwell was beheaded (in Henry the eighths time) Speeds Chron the Lord Hungerford, neither ſo Chriſtianly ſuffering, nor ſo quietly dying for his offence committed againſt nature. What a ſad thing was that related by Euſebius, that the cruell perſecution under Diocletian was occaſioned chiefly by the petulancy, pride, and contentions of the Paſtours and Biſhops: which gave occaſion to the tyrant to think that Chriſtian religion was no better then a wretched deviſe of wicked men.

Verſe 18. That he might bring us] To reconcile and bring men again to God, was the main end of Chriſts coming and ſuffering. This is the wonderment of Angels, torment of devils, &c.

Verſe 19. He went and preached] Righteouſneſſe, i. e. Repentance, 2 Pet. 2.5. and the faith of the Goſpel, 1 Pet. 4.6. whereby ſome of thoſe many that periſhed in the waters, arrived at heaven. Nunquam ſerò ſi ſeriò. Chriſt went to them as an Embaſſadour ſent by his Father, and ſpake to their hearts.

Verſe 20. Which ſometimes were diſobedient.] Gr. Vnperſwadable, uncounſellable. They jeared where they ſhould have feared, and thought Noah no wiſer then the Prior of St Bartholomews in London, Holinſhead. who upon a vain prediction of an idle Aſtrologer, went and built him an houſe at Harrow on the hill, to ſecure himſelf from a ſuppoſed floud, fore-told by that Aſtrologer.

Verſe 21. Baptiſme doth alſo now ſave] It is of permanent uſe; and effectuall to ſeal up ſalvation whenſoever a man believes and repents. Hence we are once baptized for all. See Epheſ. 5.26. Tit. 3.5. The Popes decrees ſay, That Confirmation is of more value then Baptiſme, and gives the holy Ghoſt more plentifully and effectually.

Not the putting away] That none bear himſelf bold upon his Chriſtendome: Unregenerate Iſrael is to God as Ethiopia, Amos 9.7. A man may goe to hell with baptiſmall water on his face.

But the anſwer] The Stipulation, or confident interrogation, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſuch as is that of the Apoſtle, Rom. 8.33, 34, 35. and of Jeremy pleading with God, Chap. 12.1, and reaſoning the cauſe with him. David from his circumciſion promiſed himſelf victory over that uncircumciſed Philiſtim, ſo may we from our baptiſme, againſt all ſpirituall wickedneſſes.

Verſe 22. Angels and authorities] Pſal. 68.17. The word rendered Angels ſignifieth Seconds, as being ſecond to Chriſt, or next to him. See Dan. 10.13.