John Trapp on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

CHAP. IV. Verſe 1. How ye ought to walk]

EVery good man is a great Peripatetick, walks much. Chriſt alſo walks: ſo doth the devil, apoſtates, heretikes, worldlings; but with this difference. Chriſt walketh in the middle, Rev. 1.13.Revel. [illegible: 1 word] the devil to and fro, up and down, Job 1.7. his motion is circular, and therefore fraudulent, 1 Pet. 5.8. Apoſtates run retrograde, they ſtumble at the croſſe and fall backward. Heretikes run out on the right hand, worldlings on the left, Jam. 1.14 Hypocrites turn aſide unto their crooked waies, Pſal. 125.5. They follow Chriſt, as Samſon did his Parents, till he came by the careaſe: or as a dog doth his maſter, till he meeteth with a carrion. The true Chriſtian only walks ſo as to pleaſe God: his eyes look right on, his eye-lids look ſtrait before him, Prov. 4.25. He goes not back w[illegible: 1 letter]th Hezekiah's Sun, nor ſtands at a ſtay, as Joſhuah's but rejoyceth as a ſtrong man to run his race, as Davids Sun, Pſ. 19 5. Yea he ſhineth more and more unto the perfect day, as Solomons, Prov 4.18.

Verſe 2. For ye know what, &c.] It is expected therefore that ye do them: elſe the more hainous will be your ſin, and the more heavy your reckoning, Iſa. 59.11, 12. What brought ſuch roarings and trouble on them, and that when ſalvation was looked for? Our iniquities teſtifie to our faces, and we know them.

Verſe 3. For this is the will of God] This is his preſcribing will, which we muſt obey: as we muſt ſubmit to his diſpoſing will, the will of his providence, and grow acquainted with his approving will, the will of his gracious acceptance, Mat. 18.14. Joh. 1.23.

Verſe 4. To poſſeſſe his veſſel] That is, his body, wherein the ſoul is, To[illegible: 1 letter]a i[illegible: 1 letter] toto, & tota in qualibet parte. If any ask, why ſo glorious a ſoul ſhould be in this corruptible body? Beſides Gods will, and for the order of the univerſe,Lib. 2. diſt. 1. Lombard gives this reaſon, That by the conjunction of the ſoul with the body (ſo far its inferiour) man might learn a poſſibility of the union of man with God in glory, notwithſtanding the vaſt diſtance of nature and excellence, the infiniteneſſe of both in God, the ſiniteneſſe of both in man.

In ſanctification and honour] Chaſtity is a mans honour: incontinency ſe[illegible: 1 letter]s on an indeleble blot, Prov. 6.33.Caſt u[illegible: 1 letter] quaſi [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 1 word] [non-Latin text not transcribed] ab [non-Latin text not transcribed] venerat[illegible: 1 letter]o.

Verſe 5. Not in the lust of concupiſcence] Or, In the diſeaſe of lust, that diſhonourable diſeaſe, Rom. 1.26. that waſteth not only the ſubſtance of the body, but the honeſty and the honour of it.

Verſe 6. That no man go beyond or defraud] Or, Oppreſſe or theat. Theſt by unjuſt getting is either [non-Latin text not transcribed] or [non-Latin text not transcribed], by violence or cunning contrivance.

The Lord is the avenger] Though haply they lie out of the walk of humane juſtice, as not coming under mans cognizance.

Verſe 7. For God hath not called us] See the Note on Eph. 4.1. It is a true rule given by the Ancients, Confusiones libidinum ſunt ſigna cujuſlibet ſectae. Simon Magus had his Helena, Carp[illegible: 2 letters]rates his Marcellina, Apelles his Philumena, Montanus his Priſcilla and Maximilla, &c.

Verſe 8. He therefore that despiſeth] That thinks it a trick of youth to fornicate, and a trick of wit to over-reach or oppreſſe: that holds it a matter of nothing to ſet light by the former leſſons, [illegible: 1 letter]o ſhall finde that he hath to deal with God, and not man in this buſineſſe; and that it is by the Spirit of God that we have ſpoken unto him, who will puniſh their contempt of his counſels.

Verſe 9. Ye need not that I write] Sith the divine nature, whereof ye are partakes, prompteth you to it, as common nature doth brethren to love one another. The very name of a brother is potent enough to draw affections.

Are taught of God] Therefore have no ſuch need to be taught by men, as thoſe that are yet ſtrangers to the life of God, Quan [illegible: 2 letters] Goriſ[illegible: 1 letter]us mag[illegible: 1 letter]ſter, quam citò diſcitur, quod docetur? ſaith Auguſtine. Neſcit [illegible: 1 letter]arda molimina, gratia Spiritus ſancts, faith Ambroſe. All Chriſts ſchollars are nimble and notable proſi [illegible: 2 letters]en[illegible: 1 letter]s.

Verſe 10. Towards all the brethren] This univerſality of their love ſhew'd the ſincerity of it, and that it was for the truths ſake, 2 Joh. 2. One or more good men may be favoured of thoſe that love no good man, as Ieremy was of Nebuzaradan, becauſe he fore-told the victory.

Verſe 11. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Study to be quiet] Gr. Be ambitious of peace: as earneſt and eager after it, as the Ambitioniſt is after honour.

And to do your own buſineſſe] Not oaring in other mens boats, nor medling in other mens biſhopricks, 1 Pet. 4.15. Tu fuge, ceu peſtem [non-Latin text not transcribed]

With your own b[illegible: 2 letters]nds] Or elſe with your own brains, as ſtudents, which is by far the harder labour.

Verſe 12. La[illegible: 1 letter]k of nothing] He becometh poor that dealeth with a ſlack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, Pro. 10 4. Iabal that dwelt in tents and tended h[illegible: 1 letter]ards, had Iubal to his brother, the father of muſick. Iabal and Iubal, induſtry and plenty not without ſweet content dwell together.

Verſe 15. But I would not have, &c.] Ignorance is the mother of miſtake, and of cauſſeſſe trouble, of errour and of terrour: as the Roman ſouldiers were once mu[illegible: 1 letter]n affrighted at the ſight of the Moons [illegible: 1 letter]clipſe, till the Generall had undeceived by a diſcourſe of the naturall cauſe thereof.

That ye ſorrow not] Non est lugendus qui moritur, ſed deſideranaus, faith Tertullian. Abraham mourned moderately for [illegible: 1 word] decaſed wife, Gen. 23.2. as is imported by a ſmall caph in the word [illegible: 1 letter]ocothab, to weep. So did David for the childe born in adultery, though for Abſolom he exceeded. It is one of the dues of the dead to be lamented at their funerals. But Chriſtians muſt know a meaſure, and ſo water their plants, [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 1 span] as that they drown them not.

Even as others, which have no hope] Lugeatur mortuus, ſed ille quem gehenna ſuſcipit, qu[illegible: 1 letter]m Tartarus devorat, &c. Let that dead man be lamented whom hell harboureth, whom the devil d[illegible: 1 letter]vou[illegible: 2 letters]th, &c. But let us (whoſe departed [illegible: 1 letter]ouls Angels accompany, Chriſt imboſometh, and all the Court of heaven comes forth to welcome) account mortality a mercy; and be grieved that we are ſo long detained here from the company of our Chriſt, faith Hierom.

Verſe 14. Sleep in Ieſus] Dead in Chriſt. The union then is not diſſolved by death. But as by ſleep the body is refreſhed: ſo by death it is refined. Let our care be to cleave clo[illegible: 1 letter]e to Chriſt in the inſtant of death: ſo ſhall he be to us both in life and death, advantage.

Verſe 15. By the word of the Lord] Or, In the word, &c. in the ſelf-ſame words that the Lord uſed to me, probably, when I was rapt up, 2 Cor. 12.2, 4. and heard wordleſſe words.

Shall not prevent them] They ſhall riſe e[illegible: 1 letter]e we ſhall be rap[illegible: 1 letter], and as they have been before us in death, ſo ſhall they be in glory: Now priority is a priviledge.

Verſe 16. With a ſhout] Ingenti Angelorum jubilo, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. & acclamatione, ſaith Arctius. With a huge applauſe and acclamation of angels, ſuch as is that of Mariners, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. when near the haven (Italiam Italiam laeto clamore ſalutans) or that of ſouldiers, when to joyn battle with the enemy.

And with the trump of God] To require the law, in manner as it was given. Mount Sinai only was then on a ſlame, but now the whole world, &c. Then God came with ten thouſands of his Saints: but now thouſand thouſands ſhall miniſter to him, and ten thouſand thouſands ſhall ſtand before him.

Verſe 17. Then we which are alive] He ſpeaketh thus of himſelf as alive at Chriſts coming, becauſe we ſhould daily expect it, and even haſten to it.

Shall be caught up together] This is that myſtery mentioned, 1 Cor. 15.51. and not till now made known to the world. See the Note there.

In the clouds] As Chriſt alſo aſcended, Acts 1. Theſe be the waggons and charriots that Chriſt will ſend for us, as Ioſeph ſet his fathers family down to Aegypt.

And ſo ſhall we ever be, &c.] O[illegible: 1 letter] bleſſed hour! O thrice happy union! Nothing ever came ſo near it, as the meeting of Iacob and Ioſeph, or of thoſe two couſins Mary and Elizabeth, Luk. 1.

Verſe 18 Wherefore comfort, &c.] Scripture-comforts come home to the heart, ſo do not philoſophicall. Neſcio quomodo (ſaith Cicero [illegible: 1 word] ) medicina morbo est imbecillior. M[illegible: 2 letters]ch Adam. [illegible: 1 span] And albeit it is m[illegible: 1 letter]rvellous ſweet to meditate (as Mr Knox found it on his death-bed, ſo that he would have riſen and gone into the pulpit to tell others what be had felt in his ſoul) yet there is a ſpeciall force of ſtrong conſolation in Chriſtian communication, which the Lord uſually wa[illegible: 2 letters]reth with the dews of divine bleſſing.