John Trapp on 2 Corinthians 12

CHAP. XII. Verſe 1. It is not expedient for me]

BEcauſe it carries a ſhew at leaſt of pride and folly: and Chriſtians muſt be ſhy of the very ſhews and ſhadows of ſin; Miniſters eſpecially, whole practice eaſily paſſeth into an example. Howbeit for the Corinthians it was expedient, becauſe they thought more meanly of Paul then was meet.

To viſions and revelations] The falſe Apoſtles, haply, boaſted of ſuch; as ſome ſeducers do now-adaies, who dream Midianitiſh dreams, and then tell the ſame to their neighbours for Goſpel. But take heed, the old Prophet may bring men into the lions mouth by telling them of an Angel that ſpake to him.

Verſe 2. I knew a man in Chriſt] i. e. A Chriſtian and approved, 2 Cor. 13.5.

Above fourteen years ago] See the Note on Act. 9.9, All this while till now, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. he had held his tongue. Taciturnity (in ſome caſes) is a Chriſtian vertue. Either be ſilent, or ſay ſomewhat that is better then ſilence, was an old morall precept.

Verſe 3. Whether in the body, &c.] So far did he forget and neglect his own body, which is ſo dear and near a thing in compariſon of that incomparable delight he then took in the Lord, Oh that joy! ò my God when ſhall I be with thee! Theſe were the dying words of the laſt Lord Harrington, that was in heaven afore-hand, O the joyes, the joyes, the unspeakable joyes that [illegible: 1 letter] fe[illegible: 1 letter]l in my ſoul! ſaid another that was even entting into heaven, and had a foretaſte of eternall life. Peter in the transfiguration was ſo tranſported that he never thought of a tabernacle for himſelf, Mat. 17. he cared not to lie without doors, ſo he might longer enjoy that glimpſe of heavens glory.

Verſe 4. How that he was caught up] Not locally (likely) but in ſpirit, as Act 7.56. Ezek. 8.3.

Into Paradiſe] heaven, whereof that earthly Paradiſe was but a dark ſhadow. Hierome comforting a young Hermite, bad him look up to heaven, Et paradiſum mente deambulare, to take a few turns in Paradiſe by his meditations, aſſuring him that ſo long as he had Paradiſe in his minde, and heaven in his thought, Tamdiù in eremo non eris, He ſhould not be ſenſible of his ſolitarineſſe.

Ʋnspeakable words] Wordleſſe words, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſuch as words are too weak to utter. Nec Christies, nec Coelum patitur hyperbolen. A man cannot hyperbolize in ſpeaking of Chriſt and heaven; but muſt entreat his hearers, as Tully doth his Readers concerning the worth of L. Craſſus, Ʋt majus quiddam de ijs, quàm quae ſcripta ſunt ſuspicarentur, [illegible: 1 letter]. De Oratore. that they would conceive much more then he was able to expreſſe. It is as eaſie to compaſſe the heaven with a ſpan, or contain the ſea in a nut-ſhell, as to relate heavens happineſſe.

Verſe 5. Yet of my ſelf I will not glory] Non niſi coactus, ut ſuprà. Paul was a modell of modeſty, a very crucifix of mortification, as one calleth him.

But in mine infirmities] i. e. My troubles; ſo called, either becauſe under them we ſeem infirm and contemptible: or elſe, for that afflictions oft ſhew our infirmities, our impatience, &c. they make us ſick of the fret, &c.

Verſe 6. Leſt any man ſhould think of me] Let no man, ſaith Gregery, deſire to ſeem more then he is, that ſo he may be more then he ſeems. It pleaſeth me not, ſaith Augustine, that by many I am thought to be that which I am not. For truly they love not me, but another for me, Si non quod ſum, ſed quod non ſum diligunt, if they love not that I am, but that I am not.

Verſe 7. And leſt I ſhould be exalted] So leſt Ezekiel ſhould be lifted up with his many rare viſions, he is frequently called Sonne of man, to put him in minde of his mortall, miſerable condition.

A thorn in the fleſh] A corruption edg'd with a temptation. Satan ſent ſome Dalilah to lull Paul aſleep in her lap, and binde him with withes of green delights: but his watchfull ſoul diſpleaſed deeply with that fleſh-pleaſing force, complained thereof, ſhaked himſelf, and ſo found eaſe.

To buffet me] Perhaps in a proper ſenſe Paul might feel the devils fingers: Take it metaphorically for temptations, and then they are fitly called buffetings, becauſe they come ſo thick upon a mans ſpirit, that he can hardly take breath. He dogs good hearts with fouleſt luſts ſometimes, as of Atheiſme, Idolatry, blaſphemy, murther, &c. In all or any of which, if the ſoul be meerly paſſive (as the word buffeting here implies) they are Satans ſins, and our croſſes only.

Leſt I ſhould be exalted] If Paul had not been buffetted, who knows whether he would have ſwelled. He might have been carried higher in conceit, then before he was in his ecſtaſie.

Verſe 8. I beſought the Lord thrice] i. e. Frequently and fervently. God reſpecteth not the Arithmetike of our praiers, how many they are, nor the thetorike of our praiers, how neat they are, or the Geometry of our praiers, how long they are: nor the muſick of our praiers, how melodious they are: nor the Logick of our praiers, how methodicall they are: but the Divinity of our praiers, how heart-ſprung they are. Not gifts, but graces prevail in praier.

Verſe 9. My grace is ſufficient for thee] God ſometimes gives pardoning grace, where yet he denies prevailing grace. He roots not out all our Canaanites at once, but leaves ſome to try and exerciſe us.

For my ſtrength is made perfect] It is an act of as great power in God, to keep our ſpark of grace alive amidſt ſo many corruptions, as to keep a ſire alive upon the face of the ſea. The angels are kept with much leſſe care, charge and power then we; becauſe they have no biaſſe, no weight of ſin hung upon them.

Verſe 10. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Therefore I take pleaſure] I am well apaid of them, I reckon them among Gods love-tokens, pledges of his, loves and badges of my ſonſhip.

For I am weak, then, &c.] This is a ſeeming contradiction. God, ſaid Luther, doth moſt of his works in medijs contrarijs, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. by contraries. He hath a way by himſelf, ſaith Nazianzen, that he may be the more admired.

Verſe 11. For in nothing am I behinde] And yet there were a ſort of ſilly ſouls (that thought themſelves jolly fellows) in the daies of Zuinglius, anno 1519. that talked thus at Zurich, Quis tandem Paulus? nonne homo est? Apoſtolus eſt, ſed ſuburbanus tantùm, non ex 12. viris, non cum Chriſto eſt converſatus, articulum fidei non compoſuit. Zuing l. Tom. 1. 1. operum. What was Paul? but a man: an Apoſtle he was, but of an inferiour rank. He was not of the twelve; he converſed not with Chriſt, he compoſed not any of the twelve Articles of the Creed. We would as ſoon believe Thomas or Scorus, as Paul, &c.

Verſe 12. In all patience] A grace to be gloried in: Job is crowned and chronicled for it.

Verſe 13. Forgive me this wrong] A pleaſant irony, ſuch as whereof this Epiſtle is full. It is ſaid of a wiſe man, Quod objecta probra ut viſus nocturnos, & vanas ſomniorum imagines digno ſupplicio puniat, festivo ſcilicet contemptu & oblivione, vel ſi tanti eſt, miſericordia elevet. Joh Wover in Polymath.

Verſe 14. For I ſeek not yours] Not the fleece but the flock. He had not thoſe inſtruments of a fooliſh ſhepherd, forcipes & mulctram, the ſhears and milke-pale, &c. The whole Senate can witneſſe, ſaith Beza, that whereas Calvin had a very ſmall ſtipend, yet was he ſo farre from being diſcontent therewith, that a more ample allowance being freely offered him, he obſtinately refuſed it. All the goods that he left behinde him when he died, his library alſo being ſold very dear, came ſcarce to three hundred French-crowns.Melch Adam. 359. Non opes, non gloriam, non voluptates quaeſivi, ſaid Melancthon, I never ſought riches, pleaſures or preferments: This conſcience I carry with me, whetherſoever I goe.Melch. Adam. in vita. 187. I doe ingenuouſly profeſſe, ſaith Mr Rolloc, that of all my ſtipends I have not laid up two pence, for I never cared for the things of this world. Luther never found himſelf once tempted to covetouſneſſe. And herein I could wiſh we were all Lutherans.

Verſe 15.Act. and Mon. fol 789. Spend and be spent] If like clouds we doe ſweat our ſelves to death, ſo ſouls may be brought home to God, it is a bleſſed way of dying.

The leſſe I be loved] This is many a good mans grief, but his reward is nevertheleſſe with God. The nurſe looks not for her wages from the childe, but from the parent.

Verſe 16. Being crafty I caught] A bleſſed craft, a high point of heavenly wiſdome, Dan. 12, 3. It is written of the fox, that when he is very hungry after prey, and can finde none, he lieth down and faineth himſelf to be a dead carcaſe, and ſo the fowls fall upon him, and then he catcheth them. Saint Paul hungering after the ſouls-health of his Corinthians, denies himſelf to gain them.

Verſe 17. Whom I ſent unto you] It is ſaid of the Pope, that he can never lack money ſo long as he can hold a pen in his hand: he can command it and have it. But Saint Paul could not skill of thoſe arts.

Verſe 18. In the ſame ſpirit] Who worketh with his own tools only, and is ever like himſelf in all the Saints: through whoſe whole courſe godlineſſe runs, as the woof doth thorow the web, as the ſpirit doth thorow the body.

In the ſame ſteps] With an upright foot, Gal. 2.14. in Chriſt, Col. 2.6. as Chriſt, 1 Joh. 2.6.

Verſe 19. That we excuſe our ſelves] And ſo, yeeld a fault.

I ſpeak before God] The witneſſe of mine innocency, Job. 16, 19. Gen. 20.6.

For your edifying] Whileſt ye conceive no ill opinion of us, which, like muddy water in a veſſel, might cauſe the moſt precious liquour of our doctrine to run over.

Verſe 20.Mimus. And that I ſhall be found] Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit. We delight not to fling daggers at mens faces: but if men be not told their owne, and that with ſome ſharpneſſe, they will on in ſinne to their utter ruine. Sharp waters clear the eye-ſight: and bitter potions bring on ſweet health. A weak doſe doth but ſtirre bad humours, and anger them, not purge them out: ſo it fareth with ſinnes.

Lest there be debates, envyings, &c.] K. Edward the fourth, the night before his death, ſaid to his kinſmen and friends: I remember it to my grief, that there hath bin diſcord amongſt you a great time, not alwaies for great cauſes, but poor miſtakings, &c. Some, Daniels hiſt. of Engl 2.0. like Salamanders, live alway in the fire, like trouts they love to ſwim againſt ſtream, like Phocion, they think it a goodly thing to diſſent from others.

Verſe 21. That have not repented] Impenitence maketh ſinne mortall, ſaith S. John, 1 epiſt. 5.16. or rather immortall. as ſaith S. Paul. Rom. 2.5. It is not the falling into the water that drowns, but lying in it. Gods people may ſink once and again to the bottome, but the third time they riſe and recover by repentance.