John Trapp on 2 Corinthians 4

CHAP. IIII. Verſe 1. As we have received mercy]

SIth we have ſo freely been called to the Miniſtery of meer mercy, we ſhew forth therein all ſedulity and ſincerity. When I was born, ſaid that French King, thouſand others were born beſides my ſelf. Now what have I done to God more then they, that I ſhould be a King, and not they? Tamerlane having overcome Bajazet, asked him whether ever he had given God thanks for making him ſo great an Emperour: who confeſſed ingenuouſly he never thought of it. To whom Tamerlane replied, that it was no wonder ſo ungratefull a man ſhould be made a ſpectacle of miſery. For you, ſaith he, being blinde of one eye, and I lame of a leg,Leunelau. Annal, Tu[illegible: 2 letters]. was there any worth in us, why God ſhould ſet us over two ſuch great Empires of Turks and Tartars? So may Miniſters ſay, What are we that God ſhould call us to ſo high an office, &c.?

We faint not] We droope not, we flag not, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. we hang not the wing, though hardly handled. For, Pradicare nihil alind est, quam derivare in ſe furorem totius mundi, as Luther ſaid.

Verſe 2. The hidden things of diſhonesty] All legerdemain, and under-hand dealing. They that do evil hate the light, love to lurk. But ſin hath woaded an impudency in ſome mens faces, that they dare do any thing.

To every mans conſcience] A pure conſcience hath a witnes in every mans boſome. See 1 Cor. 14.24.

Verſe 3. To them that are loſt] It is a ſign of a reprobate-goat, Joh. 8 43, 47. Senſuall, baving not the spirit, Jude 19. The devil hides his black hand before their eyes.

Verſe 4. The god of this world] The devil uſurps ſuch a power, and wicked men will have it ſo. They ſet him up for God: If he do but hold up his finger, give the leaſt hint, they are at his obedience, as God at firſt did but ſpeak the word, and it was done. All their buildings, plowings, plantings, ſailings are for the devil. And if we could rip up their hearts, we ſhould finde written therein, The god of this preſent world.

Verſe 5. We preach not our ſelves] We are Chriſts paranymphes, or ſpokeſmen, and muſt wooe for him. Now if we ſhould ſpeak one word for him, and two for our ſelves, as all ſelf-ſeekers do, how can we anſwer it?

Verſe 6. Hath ſhined] The firſt work of the ſpirit in mans heart is, to beat out new windows there, and to let in light, Act. 26, 18. And then, Semper in ſole ſita eſt Rhodos, qui & calorem & colorem nobis impertit. Aeneas Sylv.

Verſe 7. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. In earthen veſſels] Gr. In oyſter-ſhels: as the ill-favoured oyſter hath In it a bright pearl. Vilis ſaepe cadus nobile nectar habet. In a leathern purſe may be a precious pearl.

Verſe 8. We are troubled on every ſide] This is the worlds wages to Gods Miniſters. Veritas odium parit. Oppoſition is Evangely genius, ſaid Calvin. Tru[illegible: 1 letter]h goes ever with a ſcratcht face.

We are perplexed] Pray for me, I ſay, Pray for me, ſaid Latimer. Act. and Mon. fol 1565. For I am ſometimes ſo fearfull, that I could creep into a Mouſe-hole, ſometimes God doth viſit me again with comfort, &c.

Verſe 9. Perſecuted but not for ſaken] The Church may be ſhaken,Concuti, non excuti, Duris ut ilex [illegible: 1 letter]onſa bipennibus. not ſhivered, perſecuted, not conquered. Roma cladibus animoſior, ſaid one. 'Tis more true of the Church: She gets by her loſſes, and as the Oak ſhe taketh heart to grace from the maims and wounds given her, Niteris incaſſum Chriſti ſubmergere navem, Tluctuat, at nunquam mergitur illaratis.

As the Pope wrote once to the great Turk,

Cast down, but not destroied] Impellere poſſunt (ſaid Luther of his enemies) ſed totum proſternere non poſſunt: crudeliter me tractare poſſunt, ſed non extirpare: dentes nudare, ſed non devorare: occidere me poſſunt, ſed in totum me perdere non poſſunt. They may thruſt me, but not throw me, ſhew their teeth, but not devout me, kill me, but not hunt me, &c.

Verſe 10. The dying of the Lord] A condition obnoxious to daily deaths and dangers.

Might be made manifeſt] As it was in Paul, when being ſtoned, he ſtarted up with a ſic, ſic oportet intrare. Thus, thus muſt heaven be had, and no otherwiſe.

Verſe 11. For we which live, &c.] Good men only are heirs of the grace of life, 1 Pet. 3.7. Others are living ghoſts, and walking ſepulchres of themſelves.

Verſe 12. Death worketh in us] It hath already ceized upon us, but yet we are not killed with death, as thoſe were, Revel. 2. 23. As a godly man ſaid, That he did agrotare vitaluèr, ſo the Saints do Mori vitalitèr, die to live for ever.

But life in you] q. d. You have the happineſſe to be exempted, whiles we are tantùm non interempti, little leſſe then done to death.

Verſe 13. The ſame spirit] That you have and ſhall be heirs together of heaven with you, though here we meet with more miſeries.

I beleeved and therefore, &c.] The Spirit of faith is no indweller, where the door of the lips open not in holy confeſtion and communication.

Verſe 14. Shall preſent us with you] Shall bring us from the jaws of death, to the joyes of eternall life.

Verſe 15. That the abundant grace] This is one end wherefore God ſuffers his Miniſters to be ſubject to ſo many miſeries, that the people might be put upon praier and praiſe for their deliverance.

Verſe 16. Yet the inward man] Peter Martyr dying ſaid, My body is weak, my minde is well. Well for the preſent, and it will be better hereafter, This is the godly mans Motto.

Verſe 17. For our light affliction] Here we have an elegant Antitheſis, and a double hyperbole beyond engliſhing. For affliction, here's glory; for light affliction, a weight of glory; for mome[illegible: 1 letter]ary affliction, eternall glory.

Which is but for a moment] For a ſhort braid only, as that Martyr ſaid. Mourning laſteth but till morning. It is but winking, and thou ſhalt be in heaven preſently, quoth another Martyr.

Worketh unto us] As a cauſa ſine quâ non, as the law worketh wrath, Rom. 4.15.

Afarre more exceeding] An exceeding exceſſive eternall weight. Or, a far moſt excellent, eternall weight. Nec Chriſtus, nec coelum patitur hyper[illegible: 1 letter]olen, ſaith one. Here it is hard to hyperbolize.

Weight of glory] The Apoſtle a[illegible: 3 letters]ſeth to the Hebrew and Chaldee words, which ſignifie both weight and glory. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Glory is ſuch a weight, as if the body were not upheld by the power of God, it were impoſſible it ſhould bear it. Joy ſo great, as that we muſt enter into it: it is too big to enter into us. Enter into thy Maſters joy, Mat. 25. Here we finde that when there is great joy, the body is not able to bear it; our ſpirits are ready to expire; What ſhall it then be in heaven?

Verſe 18. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Whiles we look not] Gr. Whiles we make them not our ſcope our mark to aim at. Heaven we may make our mark, our aim, though not our higheſt aim.

At the things that are ſeen] Whiles we eye things preſent only, it will be with us as with an houſe without pillars, tottering with every blaſt, or as a ſhip without anchor, toſſed with every wave.

But at the things which are not ſeen] Pericula non reſpicit Martyr, coronas reſpicit: Plagas non horret, praemium numerat: non videt lictores inſernè flagellantes, ſed Angelos ſupernè acclamantes, ſaith Baſil: Who alſo tels us how the Martyrs that were caſt out naked in a winters night, being to be burned the next day, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. comforted themſelves and one another with theſe words; Sharp is the cold, but ſweet is Paradiſe: Troubleſome is the way, but pleaſant ſhall be the end of our journey: let us endure cold a little, and the Patriarchs boſome ſhall ſoon warmus: let our foot burn a while, that we may dance for ever with Angels: Let our hand full into the fire, that it may lay hold upon eternall life, &c.

But the things which, &c.] The Latines call proſperous things Res ſecundas, becauſe they are to be had hereafter, they are not the firſt things; theſe are paſt, Rev. 21.