John Trapp on 2 Corinthians 10

CHAP. X. Verſe 1. By the meekneſſe and gentleneſſe]

VVHom in thoſe ſweet vertues I deſire to imitate. The praiſe of Chriſts meekneſſe recorded by the Prophet, and explained by Philip, converted the Eunuch, Act. 8.

Who in preſence am baſe] i. e. Deſpicable, becauſe I take not upon me, and bear a port, as the falſe Apoſtles doe. Meekneſſe of ſpirit commonly draws on injuries. A Crow will ſtand upon a ſheeps back pulling off wool from her ſides.

Am bold toward you] So mine adverſaries report me, as if I were over-bold and buſie by my letters.

Verſe 2. That I may not be bold] That you neceſſitate me not. Non niſi coactus hoc facio, ſaid that Emperour that ſubſcribed a warrant to put one to death.

With that confidence] It was but confidence: but they made the worſt of it, and called it boldneſſe, Quam vitio verterunt. Evil will never ſpeaks well.

Verſe 3. We do not warre, &c.] The Miniſtery is a kinde of Militia, 1 Tim. 1.18. Chriſt rideth on Miniſters, as his white horſes, conquering and to conquer, Rev 6.2.

Verſe 4. Are not carnall] i.e. Weak, oppoſed here to mighty. The fleſh is weak as water, therefore called the old man, old leaven, &c. Theſe weak weapons of the falſe Apoſtles (here intimated and taxed) are humane eloquence, artificiall compoſures, &c. of thoſe Verbaliſts, Qui exceptis verbis tinnulis & emendicatis, nihil loquuntur, as Hierom hath it.

But mighty through God] Note here the Apoſtles modeſty, Not we, ſaith he, but our weapons are mighty, and not thorow us that wield them, but thorow God that works by and with them. See the Note on 1 Cor. 15.10.

To the pulling down of ſtrong-holds] Forts, Munitions, Trenches, Cages of foul ſpirits inhabiting mens hearts.

Verſe 5. Caſting down imaginations] As the ſpettle that comes out of mans mouth ſlaieth ſerpents: ſo doth that which proceedeth out of the mouths of Gods faithfull Miniſters quell and kill evil imaginations, carnall reaſonings, which are that legion of domeſticall devils, that hold near intelligence with the old Serpent. Nemo ſibi de ſuo palpet: quiſ que ſibi Satan eſt. Corrupt reaſon, like Eve and Jobs wife, is alwaies drawing us from God. Out of doors with this Hagar.

And bringing into captivity] See here the proceſſe of St Pauls Miniſtery. He overthrows, captivates, ſubdues to the obedience of the Lord Chriſt. See the like Jer. 1.10. Choſroes King of Parthia, was ſo ſubdued by the Romans, that he made a law that none of his ſucceſſours ſhould ever wage war with them again, So here.

Verſe 6. And having in a readineſſe] Vengeance is every whit as ready in Gods hand, as in the Miniſters mouth. See Mat. 16.19. & 18.18. Eliſha hath his ſword as well as Jehu and Hazael, 1 King. 19.17. God hews men by his Prophets, and ſlaies them by the words of his mouth, Hoſ. 6.5. By preaching, Chriſt many times ſmites the earth, Iſa. 11.4. his word laies hold on them, Zach. 1.6. and that which they have counted winde, hath become fire to devour them, Ieremy 5.13, 14.

Verſe 7. Doe ye look on things] q. d. Are ye ſo weak as to be cozened by an out-ſide, to be carried away with ſhews and ſhadows of true worth? Doe not many things gliſter beſides gold? Every bird that hath a ſeemly feather, hath not the ſweeteſt fleſh: nor doth every tree that beareth a goodly leaf, bring good fruit. Glaſſe giveth a clearer ſound, then ſilver, &c.

Even ſo are we Chriſts] The Rogation heretikes would have made the world believe, that they were the only Catholikes. The Arrians called the true Chriſtians, Ambroſians, Athanaſians, Homouſians, &c. The Donatists made themſelves the only true Church, &c.

Verſe 8. And not for destruction] If it prove ſo, it is by accident, and not as we intend it. See the Note on 2 Cor. 2.16.

Verſe 9. Terrifie you by letters] As the falſe Apoſtles object againſt me. Aſperſions muſt be carefully cleared, when the fruit of a mans Miniſtry is thereby impeached and impeded.

Verſe 10. Weighty and powerfull] As often as I read Pauls Epiſtles, Non verba ſed tonitrua audire mihi videor, ſaith Hierome, Me thinks I hear not words but thunder-claps. But that his bodily preſence was not weak, nor his ſpeech contemptible. See Act. 13.10. together with the Note thereon.

Verſe 11. Such will we be, &c.] That we have not hitherto been ſo, was becauſe we ſpared you. Poſſe & nolle nobile, ſaith Chryſoſtome, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Kindeneſſe is goodlineſſe, Iſa. 40.6.

Verſe 12. For we dare not] This he ſpeaks by an irony, whereof he is full in this Epiſtle: and may therefore be called, as Socrates was [non-Latin text not transcribed].

But they meaſuring themſelves, &c.] Turning the other end of the perſpective, they ſee themſelves bigger, and others leſſer then they are. So bladder-like is the ſoul, that filled with earthly vanities, though but winde, it grows great and ſwels in pride. O pray to be preſerved from this perilous pinnacle of ſelf-exaltation. Look into the perfect law of liberty, and draw nigh to God. The nearer we come to God, the more rottenneſſe we finde in our bones. The more any man looks into the body of the Sun, the leſſe he ſeeth, when he looks down again.

Verſe 13. But we will not boaſt, &c.] As any man is more worthfull, he is more modeſt: full veſſels yeeld no ſuch ſound as empty casks do. A veſſel caſt into the ſea, the more it fils, the deeper it ſinks: the loaden ſcale goes downward: the moſt precious balm ſinks to the bottom. The good ear of corn, the fuller it is, the lower it hangs the head.

Verſe 14. For we ſtretch not, &c.] We tenter not our ſelves beyond our ſcantling. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

Verſe 15. Not boasting of things] Ammianus Marcellinus tels of one Lampadius a great perſon in Rome, who through all parts of the City, where other men had beſtowed coſt in building, he would ſet up his own name, not as a repairer of the work, but as the chief builder. Of the ſame fault Trajan the Emperour is ſaid to have been guilty: Whence he was commonly called, Herba parietina, or Wall-wort.

Verſe 16. In the regions beyond you] This was a piece of the Bragadochio falſe-Apoſtles vain boaſting: as it is now of the Jeſuites thoſe Circulatores and Agyrtae, that compaſſe ſea and land,Am. Marcel. crack of what converſions they have wrought in India and Afrike, and Lampadius-like take it ill at any mans hand that commend them not every time they ſpet upon the ground. Caius the Emperour was ready to deſtroy the whole Senate, becauſe they did not deifie him for marching with his whole Army to the Ocean, Dio in vit[illegible: 1 letter] Caligulae. and fetching thence a few oyſter-ſhels, Quibus ſpolys acceptis magnificè gloriabatur, quaſi Oceano ſubacto.

Verſe 17. Glory in the Lord] See the Note on 1 Cor. 1.31.

Verſe 18. Whom the Lord commendeth] As he did his ſervant Iob. chap. 1.8. And as he did his handmaid Sarah, for calling her husband Lord, though there was never a good word beſides in the whole ſentence, 1 Pet. 36. with Gen. 18.22. Neither was Iob ſo patient, but that he had his out-burſts. All which not withſtanding, ye have heard of the patience of Iob, &c. Iam. 5.11. He is not challenged at all for his impatience, but crowned and chronicled for his patience. See here the wonderfull goodneſſe of God toward his: and take comfort in his white ſtone, againſt the black coals of ill-affected perſons.