John Trapp on 2 Peter 1

CHAP. I. Verſe 1. A ſervant]

THe Pope, who will needs ſtile himſelf, A ſervant of ſervants, is herein the ſucceſſour not of Peter, but of curſed Cham. He ſtamps in his coyn, That Nation and countrey that will not ſerve thee, ſhall be rooted out, and ſo bewraies his putid hypocriſie.

Like precious faith] Precious as gold tried in the fire, that maketh rich, Revel. 3.18, And like precious (though of different degrees) In regard of 1. The Authour, God. 2. The object, Chriſt. 3. The means of working it, the Spirit and Word. 4. The end of it, ſalvation. 5. The eſſentiall property of it, of handfaſting us to Chriſt. A childe may hold a ring in his hand, as well, though not as faſt as a man.

Verſe 2. Through the knowledge] There is not a new notion, or a further enlargement of ſaving knowledge, but it brings ſome grace and peace with it. All the grace that a man hath, it paſſeth thorow the underſtanding: and the difference of ſtature in Chriſtianity grows from different degrees of knowledge. Grace and truth came by Ieſus Chriſt, Joh. 1.17.

Verſe 3. To glory and vertue] To glory as the end, to vertue as the means. The very Heathens made their paſſage to the temple of honour thorow the temple of vertue. Do worthily, and be famous, Ruth 4.11.

Verſe 4. Exceeding great and precious] Every precious ſtone hath an egregious vertue in it:Cardan. Subti. l 7. ſo hath every promiſe. The promiſes, ſaith one, are a precious book, every leaf drops mirthe and mercy. The weak Chriſtian cannot open, read, apply it; Chriſt can, and will for him.

That by theſe ye might be partakers] As the Sunne when it applies it's beams to a fitly diſpoſed matter, and ſtaies upon it, begins to beget life and motion, and makes a living creature; ſo do the promiſes applied to the heart make a new creature, See a Cor. 3 6.

Of the divine nature] That is, of thoſe divine qualities, called elſewhere, The image of God, The life of God, &c. whereby we reſemble God, not only as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments, but as the childe doth his father in countenance and conditions. It was no abſurd ſpeech of him that ſaid, That the high parts that are ſeen in heroicall perſons do plainly ſhew, that there is a God. Neither can I here but inſert the ſaying of another, Well may grace be called the divine nature: for as God brings light out of darkneſſe, comfort out of ſorrow, riches out of poverty, and glory out of ſhame; ſo doth grace turn the dirt of diſgrace into gold, &c. As Moſes his hand, it turns a ſerpent into a rod.

Verſe 5. And beſides this] q. d. As God hath given you all things pertaining to life and godlineſſe, and hath granted you exceeding great and precious promiſes, ſo muſt you reciprocate, by giving all diligence, or making all haſte, that ye be not taken with your task undone. Acti agamus.

Adde to your faith] Faith is the foundation of the following graces: Indeed they are all in faith radically. Every grace is but faith exerciſed.

Adde] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Link them hand in hand, as Virgins in a dance. Or, Provide your ſelves of this rich furniture: one grace ſtrengthneth another, as ſtones do in an arch.

Verſe 6 And to knowledge, temperance] That ye be Wiſe to ſobriety, not curiouſly ſearching into thoſe things, whereof ye can neither have proof nor profit. Some are as wiſe as Galilaeus, who uſed perſpective glaſſes to deſcry mountains in the Moon.

Verſe 7.Mar. 10.11. Joh. 11.3. And to brotherly kindeneſſe, &c.] Love we muſt all men, but eſpecially the family of faith, as our Saviour loved the young man, but not ſo, as he did Lazarus.

Verſe 8. If theſe things be in you] What God doth for us, he doth by grace in us. And it is the growing Chriſtian that is the aſſured Chriſtian. Whileſt we are yet adding to every heap, we ſhall be both actuoſi & fructuoſi; and ſo get more abundant entrance, and further in to the kingdom of Chriſt.

Verſe 9 But he that lacketh theſe] Thoſe that adde not to their ſtock of grace, ſhall have no comfort either from the time paſt, for they ſhall forget they were purged from their ſinnes, or from thoughts of the time to come, for they ſhall not be able to ſee things farre off, to ken their intereſt in the kingdom of heaven.

Cannot ſee farre off] Being pur-blinde, blinking, Luſcioſi, qui ſiquando oculorum aciem intendunt, ut certiùs aliquid cernant, minùs vident quam antè, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſaith Vives. If weak-ſighted men look wiſhly upon a thing, they ſee it no whit the better, but much the worſe.

And hath forgotten] As if he bad been dlpt in the lake of Lothe, and not in the laver of baptiſme. Divers of the Spaniſh converts in America forget not only their vow, but their very names that they received, when they were baptized.

Verſe 10. Give diligence] Say not here as Antipater King of Macedony did, when one preſented him a book treating of happineſſe, [non-Latin text not transcribed], I am not at leiſure. But do this one thing neceſſary, with all expedition.

Your calling and election] We muſt not go (ſaith one) to the univerſity of election,T. C[illegible: 1 letter] on Coloſ. before we have been at the grammar-ſchool of Vocation: Firſt, we are to begin below at our ſanctification, before we can climbe to the top of Gods counſell, to know our election.

Sure] Some copies have it, Sure by good works: and indeed theſe ſettle the ſoul, 1 Cor. 15.58. as a ſtake, the more it is ſtruck into the ground, the faſter it ſticks.

Ye ſhall never fall] Stumble ye may: but he that ſtumbles and fals not, gets ground.

Verſe 11. Ministered unto you abundantly] Ye ſhall go gallantly into heaven, not get thither as many doe, with hard ſhift, and much ado. A ſhip may make a ſhift to get into the harbour, but with anchors loſt, cables rent, ſails torne, maſt broken: another comes in with ſails and flags up, with trumpets ſounding, and comes bravely into the haven: ſo do fruitfull and active Chriſtians into Chriſts Kingdome.

Verſe 12.Act and Mon. fol 1[illegible: 1 letter]89. I will not be negligent] Miniſters muſt carefully watch and catch at all opportunities of benefitting the people. Dr Tailour the Martyr preached at Hadley his charge on any day, as oft as he could get the people together: and once a fortnight at leaſt went to the almhouſe, and there exerciſed his charity both ſpirituall and corporall.

Verſe 13. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. To stir you up] Gr. To rouſe you and raiſe you, ex veterno corporis, teporis & oblivionis, Grace in the beſt is like a dull ſea-coal-fire; which, if not ſtirred up, though it want no fuell, will yet eaſily go out of it ſelf.

Verſe 14. I muſt put off] See the Note on 2 Cor. 5.1. What is this life, but a ſpot of time betwixt two eternities? Our tents ſhall be taken down.

Verſe 15. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. After my deceaſe] Gr. Mine out-going, or Paſſage to heaven. The Apoſtle in this expreſſion hath reſpect doubtleſſe to that, Luke 9.31. As Daniel 6.15. referres to Pſal. 2.1.

To have theſe things alwaies, &c.] Dilexi virum (ſaid Theodoſius concerning Ambroſe) I could not but love the man exceedingly for this, that when he died, he was more ſollicitous of the Churches then of his own dangers. And I am in no leſſe care (ſaith Cicero) Mihi non minori curae eſt, &c. Cicer. Lael. what the Commonwealth will do when I am dead, then whiles I am yet alive.

Verſe 16. Cunningly deviſed fables] Artificially compoſed and compiled, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. not without a ſhew of wiſdome and truth, to deceive ſilly people. The Jeſuites confeſſe that the legend of miracles of their Saints is for moſt part falſe: but it was made, ſay they, for good intention, that the common-people (the females eſpecially) might be drawn with greater zeal to ſerve God and his Saints.

Verſe 17. This is my beloved Sonne] See the Notes on Matthew 3.17. and 17.5.

Verſe 18. When we were with him] Witneſſes of his glory, and the ſame were ſhortly after witneſſes of his agony. Envy not the gifts or honours of others: ſith they have them upon no other tearms, then to undergo the ſorer trials.

In the boly Mount] Holy for the while, as are our Churches, during the publike aſſemblies.

Verſe 19. A more ſure word] The authority of the Scriptures is greater then of an angels voice, of equall command to Gods audible and immediate voice, and of greater perſpicuity and certainty to us: for beſides inſpiration, it is both written and ſealed.

As unto a light] As the Governour of a ſhip hath his hand on the ſtern, his eye on the pole-ſtar: ſo ſhould we on Chriſt the dayſtar, Rev. 2.28. and 22.12.

Verſe 20. Of any private interpretation] That is, of humane interpretation: Private is not here oppoſed to publike, but to divine, or to the holy Ghost. The old Prophet may bring a man into the Lions mouth, by telling him of an Angel that ſpake to him.

Verſe 21. As they were moved] Forcibly moved, acted, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. carried out of themſelves to ſay and doe what God would have them.