John Trapp on 2 Corinthians 8

CHAP. VIII. Verſe 1. Of the grace of God]

IT is a favour, yea an honour to us, that we may relieve poor Chriſt in his neceſſitous members, Pſal. 16.2. When therefore he ſets us up an Altar, be we ready with this Sacrifice, Heb. 13.16.

Verſe 2. In a great triall of affliction] For affliction tries what [illegible: 1 letter]ettle we are made of. Alchymy gold will not endure the ſeventh [illegible: 1 letter]re, as true gold will. Affliction (the triall of our faith) is more precious then gold, 1 Pet. 1.7. What then is faith it ſelf ſo tried? Revel. 3.18.

The abundance of their joy] Whileſt the ſpirit of glory, and of God reſted upon them, 1 Pet. 4.14. Well my grace be called the divine nature: for, as God brings light cut of darkneſſe, riches out of poverty, &c. ſo doth grace: it turns dirt into gold, &c. The world wonders (ſaid that Martyr) how we can be ſo merry, in ſuch extreme miſery.Act. and Mon. fol. 1[illegible: 1 letter]88. But our God is omnipotent, which turneth miſery into felicity, &c. See the Note on 2 Cor. 7.4.

Their deep poverty] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Their poverty being now at the very bottome, and having little left beſide hope: they were even exhauſted, and yet gave liberally. Giles of Bruſſels, Martyr, gave to the poor whatſoever he had, that neceſſity could ſpare, and only lived by his ſcience, which was of a Cutler. Some he refreſht with his meat,Act. and Mon. fol. 811. ſome with his clothes, ſome with his houſhold-ſtuff. One poor woman there was brought to bed, and had no bed to lie in; to whom he brought his own bed, himſelf content to lie in the ſtraw.

Ʋnto the riches of their liberality] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Of their ſimplicity: in oppoſition to that crafty and witty wilineſſe of the covetous to defend themſelves from the danger of liberality. Wherein alſo they are utterly miſtaken; for not getting, but giving is the way to thrive. See the Note on Mat. 6.4.

Verſe 3. Yea and beyond their power] One ſuch poor Macedonian might well ſhame a hundred rich Corinthian cur-mudgins.

They were willing] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed] They were voluntiers, full of chearfull charity.

Verſe 4. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Receive the gift] Gr. The grace, i. e. the alms: it being of Gods free grace that we have, 1. What to give. 2. Hearts to give it. For naturally we are all like children which though they have their boſoms, mouths, and both hands full, yet are loth to part with any.

Verſe 5. Not as we hoped] God is uſually better to us then our hopes.

Firſt gave their own ſelves to the Lord] Ay, this is the right way of giving alms; and this is done by faith, the work whereof is to be an empty hand, Mendica manus (as Luther calleth it) a beggers hand to receive it: but when it hath received, it gives back again it ſelf and all, and thinks all too little, as Mary Magdalen did her precious ointment.

And unto us by the will] The good ſoul delivers up it ſelf to Chriſts faithfull Miniſters, and ſaith in effect to them, as Luther, before he was better informed, wrote to Pope Leo X, anno 1518.Scul. Annal. [illegible: 1 letter]8 Proſtratum pedibus me tibi offero, cum omnibus quae ſum & habeo:—Vocem tuam vocem Chriſti in to praeſidentis & loquentis agnoſcam. I humbly proſtrate my ſelf with all that I have, and am, at thy feet, &c.

Verſe 6. So he would finiſh] Finis opus coronat, the end is better then the beginning, ſaith Solomon. Charles the 5. his emblem was Ʋlteriùs. Titus was here deſired to take up the whole alms, and not to faint till he had finiſh[illegible: 1 letter]d, Gal 6 9.

Verſe 7. As ye abound in faith] He purpoſely commendeth them, that he may the better inſinuate into them. Miniſters may profitably praiſe their people in ſome caſes, that they may the ſooner win them to duty: For there is no ſo ſweet hearing (ſaith Xenophon) as a mans own commendation. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſe 8. To prove the ſincerity] Gr. The germanity, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the naturalneſſe, legitimateneſſe, oppoſed to baſtardlineſſe. This age aboundeth with mouth-mercy, which is good cheap, and therefore, like refuſe fruit, is found growing in every hedge. But a little handfull were worth a great many ſuch mouth-fuls, Iſa. 51.18. Complaint is made, that there is not any one that taketh Sion by the hand. S. James tels of ſome in his time that would feed their poor brethren with good words, and good wiſhes, Jam. 2.15, 16. as if they had been of the Cameleon-kinde, to live with Ephraim upon winde, Hoſ. 12.1. But what ſaid the poor man to the Cardinall, who denied him a peny which he begged, and offered him his bleſſing, which he begg'd not? If thy bleſſing had been worth a peny, I ſhould not have had it; keep it therefore to thy ſelfe, Carle.

Verſe 9. He became poor] Not having where to lay his head, nor wherewith to pay tribute, till he had ſent to ſea for it, &c. Lo he that was heir of all things, Heb. 1.2. was ſcarce owner of any thing, but diſinriched and diſrobed himſelf of all, that through his poverty, he might crown us with the ineſtimable riches of heavenly glory: This is ſuch a motive to mercifulneſſe as may melt the moſt flinty heart that is.

Verſe 10. But alſo to be forward] Gr. To be willing. This the Apoſtle makes to be more then to do, that is, then to do with an ill will.Pſal. 110.3. or for by-reſpects. Virtus nolentium nulla eſt. Chriſt will enjoy his Spouſes love by a willing contract, not by a raviſhment: the title of all converts is, a willing people.

Verſe 11. Now therefore perform] Unleſſe our willing of good be ſeconded with endeavour, it is nothing worth: Balaam wiſhed well to heaven, ſo did he that came kneeling to our Saviour with good master, &c. but they ſtuck at the hardſhip of holineſſe, without which there is no heaven to be had: they would not come off here, and therefore gat nothing by their ſhort-winded wiſhes. Solomon compares ſuch ſluggards to the door, that turns on the hinges,Virtutem exoptant contabeſcu[illegible: 1 letter]t que relictà. Perſ. but yet hangs ſtill upon them, it comes not off for all the turnings.

Verſe 12. It is accepted] Sic minimo capitur thuris honore Deus. Noahs Sacrifice could not be great, yet was greatly accepted. Jacob bad his ſons take a little of every good thing, and carry for a preſent to the Lord of Aegypt. Saul and his ſervant preſent Samuel with the fourth part of a ſhekel, to the value of about our five-pence. Thankfulneſſe (they had learned) was not meaſured by God and good men by the weight, but by the will of the retributour. God cals for that which a mans heart inclines him to do, be it more, be it leſſe: ſo low doth his highneſſe ſtoop to our meanneſſe; preferring the willingneſſe of the minde, before the worthineſſe of the work.

Verſe 13. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. And you burdened] Gr. Pinched or preſſed, viz. with poverty.

Verſe 14. Your abundance] That your cup may overflow into their leſſer diſhes, that your ſuperfluities both in reſpect of the neceſſity of nature and exigency of eſtate (as the Schoolmen ſpeak) may ſupply the wants of Gods poor afflicted.

A ſupply for your want] Thoſe that lend mercy may have need to borrow. The Shunamite that refuſed once to be ſpoken for to the King by the Prophet, little thought ſhe ſhould afterwards have craved that curteſie of his man Gehezi. Thoſe that ſtand faſteſt upon earth, have but ſlippery footing: No man can ſay, that he ſhall not need friends. Pythias was ſo wealthy a man, that he was able to entertain Xerxes his whole Army conſiſting of a million of men: yet afterwards he became ſo poor that he wanted bread.

Verſe 15. He that had gathered much] He that was ſo nimble as to gather more then his neighbour, was to ſupply his neighbour, that every man might have his Omer. Now the equity of this law being common and perpetuall, the Apoſtle draweth his argument from it. Riches, ſaith one, are but as Manna: thoſe that gathered more of it, had but enough to ſerve their turn (or if they gathered more, 'twas but a trouble and annoyance to them) and they that gathered leſſe had no want. Let the rich account themſelves the poor mans ſtewards. With-hold not good from the owners thereof (the poor) when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

Verſe 16. But thanks be to God] Deo gratias was ever in Pauls mouth, and in Auſtins, and ſhould be in ours.

Verſe 17. But being more forward] A good heart is ready to every good work, waiting the occaſions thereof, Tit. 3.1. as the Bee, ſo ſoon as ever the Sun breaks forth, flies abroad to gather honey and wax.

Verſe 18. Whoſe praiſe is in the Gospel] S. Luke, likely, who wrote firſt Goſpel, as ſome gather out of Luke 1.1. and whom Ambroſe highly commendeth for the moſt clear and diſtinct Goſpel-writer.

Verſe 19. Choſen of the Churches] This compared with Act. 13.1, 2. it may ſeem the Apoſtle meaneth not Luke, but Barnabas: though others think Timothy. Danae in 1 Tim. 612. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſe 20. Avoiding this] As ſhipmen avoid a rock or ſhelf: for it is a ſeafaring terme, and ſhews how ſhie we ſhould be doing ought, that may render our honeſty ſuſpected. Ego ſi bonam famam ſervaſſo, ſat dives ero, ſaid he in the Comedy.

Verſe 21. Providing] Projecting, procuring. [non-Latin text not transcribed] A good name is a great bleſſing, and therefore the ſame word in Hebrew ſignifieth both, Prov. 28.20. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

Verſe 22. Whom we have oft] Some are of opinion that Luke is here deciphered rather then verſ. 19. Whoever it was, it is much for his honour, that Apelles-like he was approved in Chriſt,Rom. 16. and active for the Church.

Verſe 23. Meſſengers] Gr. Apoſtles, Emandati, Ambaſſadours of ſpeciall and high emploiment.

The glory of Chriſt] So the Church is called the glory, Iſa. 4.5. Gods glory, Iſa. 46.13. a crown of glory, and a roiall diadem in the hand of Jehovah, Iſa. 62.3. The throne of God, Exod. 17.16. The throne of glory, Jer. 4.21. The ornament of God, yea the beauty of his ornament, ſet in Majeſty, Ezek. 7.20. There is not ſo much of the glory of God (ſaith one) in all his works of creation and providence, as in one gracious action that a Chriſtian performs. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſe 24. Wherefore ſhew ye] As by an ocular demonſtration, or as by pointing the finger.

Before the Churches] In the face of the Churches, whoſe eyes are now full ſet upon you, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. to ſee what entertainment ye will give to their meſſengers. A Chriſtian is like a cryſtall glaſſe, with a lamp in the midſt.