John Trapp on 1 Timothy 4:1-16

CHAP. IIII. Verſe 1. Speaketh expreſſely]

VErbis non diſertis ſolùm, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſed & exertis. Abroad and aloud, that it may be heard all the Church over

Some ſhall depart from the faith] As did the ancient heretikes. the Papiſts (in whom all the old heretikes ſeem to have fled and hid themſelves) and the preſent prodigious Sectaries with their opinionum portenta, our modern Antitrinitarians, Arrians, Antiſcripturi[illegible: 1 letter]s, Anabaptists, &c.

Doctrine of devils] Vented by Satans emiſſaries and inſtruments. About the time of Pope Hildebrand, letters were diſperſt up and down, that were ſaid to be ſent from hell: wherein the devil gives great thanks to the Popiſh Clergy for the great multitudes of fouls that by their ſeductions came thronging to hell more then ever in any age before.Mat. Pa[illegible: 1 letter] i[illegible: 1 letter] Hiſt. an. Dom. 1072.

Verſe 2. Speaking lies in hypocriſie] It was grown to a common Proverb, A Frier, a lier. One of them undertook to ſhew a feather of the wing of the Angel Gabriel. The Pope to honour and encourage Tyrone the Rebel, ſent him (but who will believe it?) a plume of Phoenix feathers. The poor people are perſwaded to believe that the thunder of the Popes Excommunication bath ſo blaſted the Engliſh heretikes, that their faces are grown all black and ugly as devils; their eyes and looks gaſtly, their breaths noiſome and peſtilent, &c. that they are grown barbarous, and eat children, blaſpheme God and all his Saints, &c.

Having their conſciences ſeared] There's more hope of a ſore, then of a ſeared conſcience, a dead and dedolent diſpoſition, Epheſ. 4. a heart that hath contracted a kinde of hoof.

Verſe 3. Forbidding to marry] Papiſts forbid ſome to marry at any time, as the Clergy: all, at ſome times, and that not as a precept of conveniency, but neceſſity and holineſſe. In Anſelms time, curſed Sodomitry and adultery paſſed free without puniſhment: where godly matrimony could finde no mercy.Act. and Mon. fol. 1061. Ibid. 790 The Cardinal of Cremona after his ſtout replying in the Councel of London againſt the married eſtate of Prieſts, was ſhamefully taken the night following with a notable harlot. They hold that it is far better for a Prieſt to keep many whores, then to have a wife. This, ſay they, is the hereſie of the Nicolai[illegible: 1 letter]ns.

To abſtain from meants] As the Papiſts ſuperſtitiouſly do upon certain daies: when to eat an egge is puniſhed with impriſonment, &c. Qui autem to tam diem Dominicam vacat temulentiae, ſcortu & aleae, audit bellow homo, Schol. in epiſt. ad epiſc. Baſil. ſaith Eraſmus. But he that ſpends the whole Lords-day in drinking, dicing and drabbing, is let go ſon a good-fellow.

Which God hath created] He made the graſſe before he made the beaſts, and the beaſts before man, that all might have food convenient for them.

Verſe 4. If it be received with thankeſgiving] Whileſt we taſt the ſweetneſſe of the Creatour in the creature, and are ſtirted up thereby to praiſe his name. Doves at every grain they pick look upwards, as giving thanks. The Elephant is ſaid to turn up towards heaven the firſt ſprig or branch that he ſeedeth on, &c. Birds chirp and ſing to their maker.

Verſe 5. By the Word] Of permiſſion, Act. 10.15. and of promiſe, a new right purchaſed by Chriſt, &c.

And praier] For his leave and bleſſing. that ſtaffe of bread, &c. This is to eat to the Lord, Rom. 14.6, to imitate Chriſt, Mat. 14. Paul, Act. 27 35. Samuel, 1 Sam. 9.13.

Verſe 6. Nouriſhed up in the Words] Such are fitteſt to be made Miniſters, as have been well bred, and inured to the reading of the Scriptures; as have ſucked in holy learning together with their mothers milk.

Verſe 7. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Make a fair excuſe. But refuſe] Gr. Shift them off, ſet them. by, ſay thou art not at leaſure to attend to them, haſt no time to loſe upon them. Poter as has horas non perdidiſſe, ſaid Pliny to his nephew, You might have found you ſomewhat elſe to do.

Exerciſe thy ſelf] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Te nudū exerce. Lay aſide thine upper garments, as runners and wreſtlers uſe to doe, and beſtirre thee luſtily. See Heb. 12.1.

Verſe 8. For bodily exerciſe preſiteth little] Somewhat it doth (if rightly uſed) toward the ſtrengthening of the body, preſerving of the health, ſubduing of the ſleſh, &c.

But godlineſſe is profitable to all things]Plutarch. The B[illegible: 1 letter]bylonians are ſaid to make 360. ſeverall commodities of the Palm tree: but there is a [non-Latin text not transcribed], a thouſand benefits to be got by godlines, Godly perſons are ſaid in Latine, Deum colere, becauſe they are ſure by ſowing to the Spirit, to reap of the Spirit life everlaſting, Gal. 6.8. Beſides that, in this world they ſhall obtain joy and gladneſſe (outward and inward comforts) but ſorrow and ſighing ſhall five away. Iſa. 35.10.

Verſe 9. This is a faithfull ſaying] And yet who hath believed our report? The promiſes are good free-hold, and yet little looked after. Godlines hath but cold entertainment, becauſe ſhe lives much upon reverſions.

Verſe 10. For therefore] Becauſe godlineſſe hath ſo much happineſſe laid up in the promiſes, verſ. 8. and there is ſo much certainty of the performance of thoſe promiſes, therefore we both do and ſuffer, 1 Cor. 15 58. Finis edulcat mediae.

Who is the Saviour of all men] Not of eternall preſervation, but of temporall reſervation. For every man ſhould die the ſame day he is born, the wages of death ſhould be paid him preſently: but Chriſt begs wicked mens lives for a ſeaſon, ſaith one. Sin hath hurled confuſion over the world, brought a vanity on the creature. And had not Chriſt undertaken the ſhattered condition of the world to uphold it, it had fallen about Adams ears, ſaith another Divine.

Specially of thoſe that believe] Who therefore are in a ſpecial manner bound to obſerve and obey him. Among the Romans they that were ſaved were wont to crown him that ſaved them, [non-Latin text not transcribed] &c Polyb[illegible: 1 letter]. 6. and to honour him as a father all their daies. We muſt alſo ſet the crown upon Chriſts head, Cant. 3.11. and obey this everlaſting father, Iſa. 9 6.

Verſe 11. Theſe things command and teach] Teach the tractable, command the obſtinate, lay Gods charge upon all.

Verſe 12. Let no man despiſe, &c.] But how ſhould I help it? Might he ſay: The Apoſtle anſwereth, Be thou an example to the beleevers, a patern of piety: For holineſſe hath honour, wiſdome maketh the face to ſhine; naturall conſcience cannot but ſtoop to the Image of God, where ever, and in whomſoever it diſcerneth it, [non-Latin text not transcribed], Ignat epiſt. ad Magneſ. ſaith Ignatius. Youth ſeaſoned with the fear of God is not eaſily deſpiſed.

But be thou an example] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Such a thing as maketh the ſtamp upon the coyn. Exemplis ſciolâ bac[illegible: 1 letter]atate magis aedificant ministri quam concionibus.

Verſe 13. Give attendance to reading] Firſt to reading, and then to exhortation: bringing as a good Scribe, out of a good treaſure, new and old. Father Latimer, notwithſtanding both his years and conſtant pains in preaching, was at his book moſt diligently about two of the clock every morning. A rare example.

Verſe 14. Neglect not the gift] Gods gifts grone under our diſuſe or miſuſe; and God hearing gives them the wings of an Engle; ſo that ſuch may ſay as once Zedekiah did,1 King. 22.[illegible: 1 letter]4. When went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee? God dries up the arm, and darkens the eye of idle and Idol ſhepherds, Zech. 11.17.

With the laying on of the hands] A cuſtome that came from the Church of the old Teſtament, Gen. 8.14. Levit. 1.4. and 3.2. is laudably uſed to this day in the Ordination of Miniſters, but fooliſhly and ſinfully abuſed by the upſtart-Sectaries.

Verſe 13. Meditate upon theſe things] And ſo digeſt them, turn them in ſuccum & ſanguinem. Let your heart fry a good matter, that your pen may be as the tongue of a ready writer, Pſ. 45.1. and not preſent crude and rude ſtuff. When it was objected to Demoſthenes, that he was no ſudden ſpeaker, but came ever to the Court after premeditation, he anſwered, Se ſi fieri poſſet, dicturum non tantum ſcripta, ſed otiam ſculpta.

Give thy ſelf wholly to them] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Gr. Be thou in them: totus in hoc ſis. It was Mr Perkins his Motto, Verbi Miniſter es, hoc age. Thou art a Miniſter of the Word, make it thy whole buſineſſe.

Verſe 16. Thou ſhalt beth ſave] What an high honour is this to faithfull Miniſters, that they ſhould be ſtiled Saviours in a ſenſe? So Job 33.24. Obad. 21. Jam. 5.21.