John Trapp on 2 Corinthians 5

CHAP. V. Verſe 1. For we know]

NOt we think, or hope only: This is the top gallant of faith, the triumph of truſt, this is as Latimer ca[illegible: 1 letter]s it, the ſweet-meats of the feaſt of a good conſcience. There are other dainty diſhes in this feaſt, but this is the banquet. The cock on the dung-hill knows not the worth of his jewel.

Our earthly houſe of this Tabernacle] Our clayie cottage. Man is but terra friabilis, 1 Cor. 15.47. a piece of earth neatly made up. The firſt man is of the earth earthy: and his earthly houſe is ever mouldering over him, ready to fall upon his head. Hence it is called, The life of his hands, Iſa. 47. becauſe hardly held up with the labour of his hands. Paul a Tent-maker, elegantly compares mans body to a Tent. Plato alſo in his dialogue of death, calleth the body a Tabernacle. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

We have a buiding of God] The Ark tranſportative till then, was ſetled in Solomons temple: So ſhall the ſoul be in heaven. As when one skin fals off, another comes on, ſo when our earthly tabernacle ſhall be diſſolved or taken down, we ſhall have a heavenly houſe. The ſoul wears the body as a garment, which when it is worn out, we ſhall be clothed with a better ſnit; we ſhall change our rags for robes, &c. Ita que non plangimus, ſed plandimus quando vitam claudimus: quia dies iste non t[illegible: 1 letter]m fatalis quam natalis eſt.

Verſe 2. For in this] That is, in this tabernacle of the body.

We groan earneſtly] As that Avis Paradiſi, Macrob l. 1. c. 11. which being once caught and enraged, never leaves ſighing, they ſay, till ſet at liberty. The Greeks call the body [non-Latin text not transcribed] the ſouls bond, and [non-Latin text not transcribed], quaſi [non-Latin text not transcribed] the ſouls ſepulchre.

To be clothed upon] By a ſudden change, and not to die at all, as 1 Theſſ. 4.17 1 Cor. 15.51 52. Quis enim vult mori? prorſus nemo. Death when it comes will have a bout with the beſt, as it had with Hezekiah, David, Jonas, others. For nature abhors it, and every new man is two men. But when a Chriſtian conſiders, that non niſi per anguſta ad auguſta perveniatur, that there's no paſſing into Paradiſe, but under the flaming ſword of this Angel death, that ſtandeth at the Porch; that there's no coming to the City of God, but thorow this ſtraight and heavy lane no wiping all tears from his eyes, but with his winding ſheet, he yeelds, and is not only content, but full glad of his departure. As in the mean while he accepts of life rather then affects it, he endures it rather then deſires, Phil. 1.23.

Verſe 3. If ſo be that, &c.] q. d. Howbeit, I know not whether we ſhall be ſo cloathed upon, that is, whether we that are now [non-Latin text not transcribed], ſhall be ſound alive at Chriſts coming to judgement, whether we ſhall then be found clothed with our bodies, or naked, that is, ſtript of our bodies.

Verſe 4. Do groan, being burdened] viz. With ſin and miſery, whereof we have here our back-burdens.M Bradford. Act. and Mon. fol. 1492. And ſurely great ſhame it were (as that Martyr ſaid) that all the whole creatures of God ſhould deſire, yea groan in their kinde for our liberty, and we our ſelves to loath it: as doubtleſſe we do, if for the croſſe, yea for death it ſelf we with joy ſwallow not up all ſorrow that might let us from following the Lords call, and obeying the Lords providence, &c.

Might be ſw[illegible: 1 letter]llowed up of life] Not as a gulf or fire ſwallows up that is caſt into it, but as perfection ſwallows up imperfection; As the perfecting of a picture ſwallows up the rude draught, as perfect skill ſwallows up bungling, or manhood, childehood; not extinguiſhing,D. Preſton. but drowning it that it is not ſeen.

Verſe 5. He that hath wrought us] Curiouſly wrought us in the lowermoſt parts of the earth, that is in the womb, as curious workmen perfect their choice pieces in private, and then ſet them forth to publike view.Pſal 139.15. with Eph. [illegible: 1 letter]19. Others expound it by Rom 9.23.

The earneſt of the spirit] He ſaith not the Pawn, but the earneſt. A pawn is to be returned again, but an earneſt is part of the whole bargain.

Verſe 6. Therefore we are confident] Not haeſitant, or halting, as Hadrian the Emperour was, and as he that cried out on his death-bed, Anxius vixi, dubius morior, neſcio quò vado, I have lived carefully,Plato. I die doubtfully, I go I know not whither. Socrates alſo that wiſeſt of Philoſophers could not with all his skill reſolve his friends, whether it were better for a man to die or to live longer. Cicero comforting himſelf as well as he could by the help of philoſophy againſt the fear of death, cries out and complains at length,Neſcio quomo do, imbe[illegible: 3 letters]ior eſt med cina qudm morbus. that the medicine was too weak for the diſeaſe. It is the true Chriſtian only that can be confident that his end ſhall be happy, though his beginning and middle haply may be troubleſome, Pſal. 37.37.

Whilest we are at home] Or ſtay for a night, as in an Inne. A man that comes into an Inne, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. if he can get a better room, he will: if not, he can be content with it; for, ſaith he, it is but for a night. So it ſhould be with us.

Verſe 7. For we walk by faith] Which puts our heads into heaven, ſets us on the top of Piſgah with Moſes, and therehence deſcries and deſcribes unto us the promiſed Land, gives us to ſet one foot afore-hand in the porch of Paradiſe, to ſee as Stephen did Chriſt holding out a Crown, with this inſcription, Vincenti dabo.

Not by ſight] Senſe corrects imagination, reaſon ſenſe, but faith corrects both, thruſting Hagar out of doors, when haughty and haunty grown.

Verſe 8. And willing rather] Death is not to be deſired as a puniſhment of ſin, but as a period of ſin: not as a poſtern gate to let out our temporall, but as a ſtreet door to let in eternall life.

To be preſent with the Lord] This Bernard calleth Repatriaſſe. Plotinus the Philoſopher could ſay when he died, Bern, de morte. That which is divine in me I carry back, [non-Latin text not transcribed],Syneſ. ep 139. to the Originall divine, that is, to God. But whether this man beleeved himſelf or not, I greatly doubt.

Verſe 9. Wherefore we labour] Our hope of heaven maketh us active and abundant in Gods ſervice. The doctrine of aſſurance is not a doctrine of liberty, but the contrary, 1 Joh. 3.3. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. We make it our ambition, faith the Apoſtle here, to get acceptance in heaven, waiting till our father ſhall call us home, and paſſing the time of our ſojourning here in fear, 1 Pet. 1.17. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. The Saints have their commotation upon earth, their converſation in heaven.

Verſe 10. For we muſt all, &c.] This great aſſize will not be ſuch an Aſſembly as that of Ahaſhueroſh, of his Nobles, Princes and Captains only: nor ſuch as the biddings of rich men to their feaſts, of their rich neighbours only,Luk. 14.12. but like the invitation of that houſholder that ſent his ſervants to compell all to come in. On that day Adam ſhall ſee all his nephews together.

Appear before, &c.] Be[illegible: 1 letter]aid open, and have all ript up. Our ſins that are now written as it were, with the juice of lemmons, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſhall then by the fire of the laſt day be made legible. And as in April both wholſome roots and poiſonable, diſcover themſelves,Macar. Hom 12. which in the winter were not ſeen, ſo at the day of judgement good and evil actions.

The things done in his body] That is,Bernard. the juſt reward of thoſe things. In die judicy plus valebit conſcientia pura, quam marſupia plena. Then ſhall a good conference be more worth then all the worlds good. And this was that that made Paul ſo ſincere a Preacher, and ſo inſatiable a ſerver of God, as Chryſoſtome calleth him.

Whether it be good or bad] Wicked men ſhall give an account, 1. Debonis commiſſis: Of goods committed to them: 2. De bodis dimiſſis, of good neglected by them. 3. De malis commiſſis, of evils committed. 4. De malis permiſſis, of evils done by others, ſuffered by them. Ita que vivamus, ſaith the Oratour.Cic. 4 in Ver. Let us ſo live as thoſe that muſt render an account of all.

Verſe 11. Knowing therefore the terrour, &c.] What a terrible time it will be with the wicked, who ſhall in vain tire the deaf mountains with their hideous out-cries to fall upon them, &c.

We perſwade men] To ſlee from the wrath to come, to repent and be converted, that their ſins may be blotted out, when the times of refreſhing ſhall come, Act. 3.19. We ſpeak perſuaſively to this purpoſe, but it is God only that perſwades.

Verſe 12. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Which glory in appearance] Gr. In the face. Hypocrites as they repent in the face, Mat. 6.16. ſo they rejoyce in the face, not in the heart. Their joy is but skin-deep, it is but the hypocriſie of mirth, they do not laugh but grin, their hearts ake many times, when their faces counterfeit a ſmile: Their mirth is frothy and flaſhy, ſuch as ſmooths the brow, but fils not the breſt, ſuch as wets the mouth, but warms not the heart.

Verſe 13. It is to God] i. e. When to the world we ſeem mad of pride and vain-glory, yet then we reſpect only Gods glory.

It is for your ſakes] i. e. For your learning, that we are more modeſt and ſparing in commending our Apoſtleſhip. It is a good rule, Quicquid agas, propter Deum agas. Doe all for Gods ſake.

Verſe 14. The love of Chriſt, &c.] As reward hath an attractive, and puniſhment an impulſive, ſo love hath a compulſive faculty. This love of Chriſt had ſo cloſed in S. Paul, ſo hemmed him in, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and begirt him round, that his adverſaries reported him a mad man, as verſ. 13. he erred in love toward his ſweet Saviour, and even exhaled his bleſſed ſoul in continuall ſallies, as it were, and expreſſions of his dear affection to the Lord Jeſus.

Then were all dead] All the body ſuffered in and with Chriſt the head, and ſo are freed by his death, Heb. 2.9. as if themſelves in perſon had died.

Verſe 15. Should not hence forth] Servati ſumus ut ſerviamus. The redeemed among the Romans were to obſerve and honour thoſe that ranſomed them as parents, all their daies.

Verſe 16. No man after the fleſh] i. e. We eſteem no man ſimply the better or worſe for his wealth, poverty, honour, ignominy, or any thing outward. See jam. 1.9, 10, 11. Thomas Wats Martyr, ſpake thus at his death to his wife and children, Wife, and my good children, I muſt now depart from you,Act. and Mon. fol 1450. therefore henceforth know I you no more: but as the Lord hath given you to me, ſo I give you again to him, whom I charge you ſee that ye obey, &c.

Though we have known Christ] As poſſibly Paul might have known Chriſt in the fleſh: for Jeſus of Nazareth was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, Luk. 24. 19. Auſtin wiſhed that he might have ſeen three things, Rome flouriſhing, Paul preaching, Chriſt converſing with men upon earth. Bede comes after, and correcting this laſt wiſh, faith, yea but let me ſee the King in his beauty, Chriſt in his heavenly kingdome. Paul was ſo ſpiritualized that he took knowledge of nothing here below: he paſſed thorow the world as a man in a deep muſe, or that ſo looks for a loſt jewell, that he overlooks all beſides it.

Verſe 17. Is a new creature] Either a new man, or no man in Chriſt.

All things are become new] The ſubſtance of the ſoul is the ſame, the qualities and operations altered. In regeneration our natures are tranſlated, not deſtroied, no not our conſtitution and complexion. As the melancholy man doth not ceaſe to be ſo after converſion, only the humour is ſanctified to a fitneſſe for godly ſorrow, holy meditation, &c. ſo, of other humours. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

Verſe 18. And all things are of God] He is both authour and finiſher of our faith, the God of all grace, the Father of all lights, &c.

And hath given to us the Miniſtery] He hath taken this office from the Angels, thoſe firſt preachers of peace, Luk. 2.10, 14. The Angel told Cornelius, his praiers were heard in heaven: but for the doctrine of reconciliation he refers him to Peter, Act. 10.

Verſe 19. That God was in Chriſt, &c.] As the ſalt-waters of the ſea, when they are ſtrained thorow the earth, they are ſweet in the rivers: ſo (ſaith one) the waters of Majeſty and Juſtice in God, though terrible, yet being ſtrained and derived thorow Chriſt, they are ſweet and delightfull.

Verſe 20. Emb[illegible: 1 letter]ſſadours for Chriſt] And therefore ſacred perſons, not to be violated on pain of Gods heavy diſpleaſure. Do my Prophets no harm.

As though God did beſeech you] Gods grace even kneels to us. En flexanimam Suadae medullam: Who can turn his back upon ſuch bleſſed and bleeding embracements?

Verſe 21. To be ſin for us] That is, a ſin-offering, or an exceeding ſinner, as Exod. 29.14. So Chriſt was, 1. By imputation, for our ſins were made to meet upon him, as that Evangelicall Prophet hath it, See Aug. Enchirid. c. 41. Iſa. 53 6. And ſecondly, By reputation, for he was reckoned among malefactours, ibid. And yet one Auguſtinus de Roma Archbiſhop of Nazareth was cenſured in the Councel of Baſil, for affirming that Chriſt was peccatorum maximus, the greateſt of ſinners. Chriſt ſo loved us, ſaith one, that he endured that which he moſt hated, to become ſin for us (he was made ſin paſſive in himſelf to ſatisfie for ſin active in us) and the want of that which was more worth then a world to him, the ſenſe of Gods favour for a time, Ama amorem illius, &c. ſaith Bernard.

Who knew no ſinne] That is, With a practicall knowledge, with an intellectuall he did, elſe he could not have reproved it. We know no more then we practiſe. Chriſt is ſaid to know no ſin, becauſe he did none.

That we might be made, &c.] As Chriſt became ſin, not by ſin inherent in him, but by our ſin imputed to him; ſo are we made the righteouſneſſe of God, by Chriſts righteouſneſſe imputed and given unto us. This the Papiſts jearingly call putative righteouſneſſe.