John Trapp on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. Our entrance in unto you]

THe word preached in any place doth uſually work beſt at firſt. After a while men become like unto birds in a bell-free, that can well enough bear the noiſe of the bels, and not be frighted.

Verſe 2. But even after that, &c.] From this to the 13. [illegible: 1 letter]orſe. Miniſters may as in a mirrour ſee how they ought to behave themſelves in the houſe of God.

We were bold in our God] The Church as the palm-tree, ſpreadeth and ſpringeth up the more it is oppreſſed; as the bottle or bladder that may be dipt,D[illegible: 1 letter]ris u[illegible: 1 letter] ilex [illegible: 1 letter]onſa b[illegible: 1 letter]peuni [illegible: 3 letters]. not drowned: as the Oke that ſprou[illegible: 1 letter]s out the thicker from the maims and wounds it receiveth. This daunted Diocletian and made him lay down the Empire in diſcontent. This cauſed Iulian the Apoſtate to leave off force, and uſe fraud to draw men from the truth.

Verſe 3. Was not of deceit, nor, &c.] Neither for profit, pleaſure, not preferment (the worldlings Trinity.) A Miniſter, as he ſhould have nothing to loſe, ſo he ſhould have nothing to get: but ſhould be above all price or ſale. He hath too impotent a ſpirit, whoſe ſervices, like the diall, muſt be ſet only by the Sun of ſelfreipects. True grace is of a moſt maſculine, diſingaged, noble nature, and remits nothing of its diligence either for fear of a frown, or hope of a reward.

Verſe 4. But as we were allowed] Enabled and counted faithfull, 1 Tim. 1.12.

Not as pleaſing men] See the Note on Gal. 1.10. Men, be they pleaſed or diſpleaſed, God muſt not be diſpleaſed.

But God] Who looketh upon diſpleaſing ſervice, as a double diſhonour.

Which trieth our hearts] And ſo knoweth our aims,Druſ. Apophth. Quicquid igitur agas, propter Deum agas. Propter te Domine, propter te, as he cried. It ſtands me upon, ſaith one, to ſee that though my work be but mean, yet it may be clean; though not fine, yet not foul, ſoiled and ſlubbered with the ſlur of a rotten heart: ſith it is God I have to deal with.

Verſe 5. For neither at any time] Siniſterity of ends is here oppoſed to ſincerity in Gods work: And flattery, covetouſneſſe, ambition, declared to be the fountains of inſincerity.

Nor a cloke of covetouſneſſe] This ſin goes uſually cloked with the name and pretence of good husbandry. The ordinary language of the world is, He is a man ſomewhat with the hardest, a little with the neareſt, a little too much for the world, but yet a marvellous honeſt, a wonderous good man. Covetouſneſſe is ſeldome without fained words, 2 Pet. 2.3. to hide it from others without, or ſubtle thoughts and evaſions to blinde-fold the conſcience within.

God is witneſſe] That he flattered not, he reports himſelf to them, that he coveted not, he appeals to God, who is not mocked with masks or ſpecious pretences.

Verſe 6. Nor of men ſought we glory] Theologus gloriae dicit malum bonum & bonum malum (ſaith Luther) Theologus crucis dicit id quod res est. A vain-glorious preacher calleth good evil, and evil good, &c.

Verſe 7. But we were gentle] This is the way to win, for man is a curſt, crabbed creature, and may be led, but not eaſily drag'd to duty. Soft words and hard arguments ſooneſt prevail with him.

Verſe 8. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Cup[illegible: 1 letter]dine rap[illegible: 1 letter]i. So being affectionately deſirous] Homing and hankering after you.

But alſo our own ſouls] Greater love then this hath no man: And ſuch a love ought there to be in every Paſtour toward his people. Love is liberall, charity no churl.

Verſe 9. Our labour] Even to laſſitude.

And travell] So to ſpare them, he ſpared not himſelf.

Verſe 10. Ye are witneſſes, and God alſo] Happy is that man that can be acquitted by himſelf in private, in publike by others, in both by God: ſtanders by may ſee more.

How holily, and juſtly, and unblameably] Here he practiſed his own precept, Tit. 2.12. And herein lies the difference between Divinity and other ſciences, that it is not enough to preſcribe it, but you muſt practiſe it, as leſſons of muſick, and as a copy muſt not be read only, but acted alſo.

Verſe 11. As a father] Before, as a mother, verſ. 7. a nurſe not mercenary, but naturall, with greateſt tendernes and indulgence. Here he tempers his mother-like meekneſſe with the gravity and authority of a father. Miniſters muſt turn themſelves, as it were, into all ſhapes and faſhions, both of ſpeech and ſpirit, to win people to God.

Ver. 12. Walk worthy of God] Whoſe livery we wear, whoſe image we bear, whoſe kingdom we are called unto, &c. Thoſe that ſtood with the Lamb, Rev. 14. had his fathers name on their fore-heads. Our outſtraies reflect upon God, who will require and requite.

Verſe 13. Not as the word of men] Whom yet he maketh uſe of to caſt down Satans ſtrong-holds, as he made uſe of little David againſt Goliah, and of the frogs and flies againſt Pharaoh.

As the word of God] With reverence and diligence, with all good affection and attention. When Samuel knew it was God that called him (and not Eli) he had no more minde to ſleep. We are all here preſent before God, ſaith Cornelius, Act. 10.33. And God is in you of a truth, ſaith the Corinthian convert, 1 Cor. 4.25.

Verſe 14. Of your own countrey-men] Malice againſt the truth breaks all bonds of nature or amity. Moah was irked, becauſe of Iſrael, or vexed at them, Numb. 22.3, 4. though they were allied to Iſrael, who paſſed by them peaceably, and, by the ſlaughter of the Amorites, freed them from evil neighbours, which had taken away part of their Countrey, &c. The Engliſh Papiſts in four years ſacrificed 800 of their innocent Countreymen in Q. Ma [illegible: 2 letters]es daies.

Verſe 15. Who both killed the Lord] And are therefore baniſhed out of the world, as it were, by a common conſent of Nations, for their unexpiable guilt. Even in Jeruſalem there be hardly to be found a hundred houſholds of them. In Cyprus it is preſent death for any Jew to [illegible: 1 letter]et his foot upon that Iſland.Bre[illegible: 3 letters]ood. Enqu[illegible: 2 letters]. In Theſſalonica and Constantinople there are divers thouſands of them, but at every Eaſter they are in danger of death, Dio. Caſſ. Biddulph. if they but ſtir out of doors, becauſe at that time they crucified our Saviour. The Turks themſelves ſo hate the Jews for crucifying Chriſt, that they uſe to ſay in deteſtation of a thing, I would I might die a Jew. Neither will they permit a Jew to turn Turk, unleſſe he be firſt baptized.

And their own Prophets] Whoſe ſlaughter (though long ſince done) is in recent remembrance with God, and is reckoned and regiſtred together with the death of Chriſt himſelf.

And have perſecuted us] They ſtill curſe the Chriſtians in their daily praiers, which they cloſe up with a Maledic Domine Nazaraeis. Lopez at Tiburn affirmed,Camde[illegible: 1 letter]s Eliz. That he had loved Q. Elizabeth as he loved Jeſus Chriſt. Which from a Jew was heard not without laughter.

And they pleaſe not God] Yet they challenged the title of Gods Church: as the Papiſts will needs be the only Catholikes.

And are contrary to all men] Being herein rather Iſmaelites, then Iſraelites, Gen. 16.12. The Tro[illegible: 1 letter]t delights to ſwim againſt ſtream. The herb Alexander will agree with no other herb, but it ſelf. Such Antipodes are our Jeſuites, ſo unſufferably ambitious and impudent, that neither then doctrine, not their converſation pleaſeth thoſe of their own religion.

Verſe 16. To fill up their ſin alway] Bounds are ſet to ſin by the divine decree, Zech. 5.7. Wickedneſſe is compared to a woman preſſed in an Ephah: when the meaſure is full, the buſineſſe is finiſhed. See the Note on Mat. 23.32.

Verſe 17. For a ſhort time] Or, In a ſhort time, ſuddenly. See Act. 17 9, 10.

Being taken away] Or ſeparated, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as orphans are from their dear parents, or parents from their deceaſed children. The ſeparation of friends is ſo grievous, that death it ſelf is ſtiled no other then a departure.

Verſe 18. But Satan hindred us] He ſtill doth his utmoſt to hinder the communion of Saints, and to keep them aſunder. He knows two are better then one: and therefore he ſtirred up the primitive perſecutours to baniſh the Chriſtians, and to confine them to iles and mines,Cyprian. epiſt. where they could not have acceſſe one to another.

Verſe 19. For what is our hope, &c] A very lively and lofty expreſſion: ſuch as the Apoſtle ordinarily uſeth in ſpeaking of heavenly glory. Nos Chriſtus, nec coelum patitur hyperbolen: A man can hardly hyperbolize in ſpeaking of heaven.

Verſe 29. For ye are our glory and joy] Let no man therefore envy us theſe temporary good things, a competent maintenance: there are better things abide us above.