John Trapp on 2 Peter 2

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. Who privily ſhall bring in]

OR, Fraudulently ſoist in falſe doctrines under the title of truth, and pretext of piety. Some truths they ſhall teach, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the better to perſwade to their falſhoods. Together with the gold, ſilver, and ivory of orthodox tenets, they have ſtore of apes and peacocks, as Solomons ſhips had. Sunt mala miſt a bonis, ſunt bona mista malis.

Denying the Lord that brought them] Or, Freed them, viz. from their former idolatries and enormities, Ʋt verbum [non-Latin text not transcribed] frequentius ſignificat, ſaith one. Or, that bought them, as they conceited, and others charitably imagined: but it proved otherwiſe, as appeared by their apoſtaſie.

Verſe 2.A[illegible: 2 letters]. de civ. Del. The way of truth ſhall be, &c.] The ancient Chriſtians were generally hated and hooted at by the Heathens for the heretikes-ſake, who were alſo a kinde of Chriſtians, as Auſtin complaineth. And Epiphanius addeth that many Pagans refuſed to come near the Chriſtians to joyn with them in any good exerciſe, Improbis ſceleſtorum illcrum factis consternati, as being offended at the unclean converſation of divers heretikes, the Priſcillianists eſpecially, whoſe doctrine was,

Jura, perjura, ſecretum prodere noli.

Verſe 3 With feigned words] Covetouſneſſe in never without a cloak, and flattering words (1 Theſſ. 2.5.) for a colour: as, what wool is ſo courſe, but will take ſome or other colour? Seducers pretend the glory of God, and good of ſouls to their worldly and wicked practices, Phil. 3.18, 19.

Verſe 4. If God ſpared not the Angels] Though but for one ſin only, and that in thought only. It ſprang from the admiration of their own gifts, it was confirmed by pride and ambition, it was perfected by envy, ſtirred by the decree of exalting mans nature above Angels in and by Chriſt. Some ſay it was a tranſgreſſion of ſome Commandment in particular (not expreſſed) as Adams was.

Verſe 5. Bringing in the floud] And ſo burying them all in one univerſall grave of waters.

Verſe 6. And turning the Cities] Burying them likewiſe in the dead ſea, after that he had rained down hell from heaven upon them. See my Notes upon Geneſis 19.24, 25.

Making them an enſample] Hanging them up in gibbets, as it were, that others might here and fear.

Verſe 7. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Vexed] Gr. Labouring under it, as under an heavy burden, and as much tortured, as if he had been ſet upon a rack, as it is verſe 8.

Verſe 8. In ſeeing and hearing] Every ſinfull Sodomite was a Hazael to his eyes, a Hadadrimmon to his heart.

Vexed his righteous ſoul] Guilt or grief is all that the good ſoul gets by converſing with the wicked.

Verſe 9. The Lord knoweth how] He hath waies of his own, and commonly goeth a way by himſelf, ſuch as we think not of; helping them that are forſaken of their hopes: Peter (if any man) might well ſay, The Lord knoweth how to deliver his: for he had been ſtrangely delivered, Act. 12.

Verſe 10. But chiefly] See the Note on Heb. 13.4.

That walk after the fleſh] That is, The harlot; as filthy dogs follow after a ſalt-bitch: ſo the harlot is called, Deut. 23.18.Act. and Mon. fol 7 51. The Helvetians had an old cuſtome in their towns and villages, that when they received any new Prieſt into their Churches, they uſed to premoniſh him before, to take his Concubine, leſt he ſhould attempt any miſuſe of their wives and daughters.

To speak evil of dignities] Here we have a lively picture of the Popiſh Clergy. Aretine, by a longer cuſtome of libellous and contumelious ſpeaking againſt Princes, had got ſuch an habit, that at laſt he came to diminiſh and diſeſteem God himſelf. How boldly and baſely doth Baronius bellow againſt the King of Spain his Soveraign? And he defends himſelf againſt another Cardinall reprehending his fierceneſſe thus, An imperious (impetuous he ſhould have ſaid) zeal hath no power to ſpare God himſelf.

Verſe 11. Which are greater in power] viz. then the mightieſt Monarch, Dan. 10.20. and are therefore called principalities and powers, 1 Pet. 3.22. Mighty ones, Iſa. 10.34. See 2 Theſſ. 1.7. Exod. 12.23, 27. 2 Sam. 24.15. 2 King. 19.35. This is all for our comfort, they being our guardians. See my Common-place of Angels.

Verſe 12. As naturall bruit beaſts] Some men put off all manhood, fall beneath the ſtirrop of reaſon, and are beaſtialized, yea ſatanized.

Speak evil of the things] Dare to reprehend what they doe not comprehend, diſpraiſe ſound doctrine.

Verſe 13. To riot in the day-time] See the Note on 1 Theſſ. [non-Latin text not transcribed].5.7. The word here rendered riot. comes of a root that ſignifies to break: for there is nothing that doth ſo break and emaſculate the mindes of men as rioting and revelling. Luxury draws out a mans ſpirits, and diſſolves him.

Spots they are] Blots of goodneſſe, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. botches of Chriſtian ſociety.

Verſe 14. Having eyes full of adultery] Gr. Of the adultreſſe, As if ſhe were ſeen ſitting in the eyes of the adulterer.Plutarch Kign pucillam & pacillam o ut[illegible: 1 letter] ſignificat. The wanton Greek was ſaid to have his eyes, [non-Latin text not transcribed], Non virgines, ſed meretrices, not maids but minions. Archeſilaus the Philoſopher told a young wanton,Vitijs nobis in animum per oculos eſt via. Quinul. Nihil intereſt quibus membris cinaedi ſitis posterioribus an prioribus. The leper was to ſhave his eye-brows, to teach us to take away the luſt of the eyes, Levit. 14.9.

And that cannot ceaſe to ſinne] Though they have made many Covenants with God, promiſes to men. So Pro. 19.19. They break all, as eaſily as Samſon did the new ropes[illegible: 1 letter]

Exerciſed with covetous practices] Which they conſtantly follow, as the Artificer doth his trade.

Verſe 15. The wages of unrighteouſnes] The Mammon of unrighteouſnes, wages of wickednes.

Lucra injuſt a putes justis aequalia d[illegible: 1 letter]mnis: Dum peritura paras, per malè parta peris.

Verſe 16. The dumb Aſſe ſpeaking] The Angel (ſome think) ſpake in the Aſſe, as the devil had done in the ſerpent. Who now can complain of his own inability and rudeneſſe to reply in a good cauſe,D. Ha[illegible: 2 letters]'s contempl. when the dumb Aſſe is enabled by God to convince his maſter? There is no mouth into which God cannot put words: and how oft doth he chuſe the weak and unwiſe to confound the learned and mighty?

Verſe 17. Theſe are wells, &c.] Not fitted, nor filled with wholſome doctrine, but as the brooks of Tema, Job 6.17. in a mo[illegible: 1 letter]ſture they ſwell, in a drought they ſail. The river Novanus in Lombardy at every Mid-ſummer ſolſtice ſwelleth and runneth over the banks: but in mid-winter is clean dry. So theſe.

Verſe 18. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Great ſwelling words] Gr. Bubbles of words, full of winde, big ſwoln fancies, ſeſquipedalia verba. Swenckfeldius the heretike bewitched many with thoſe big words (ever in his mouth) of Illumination, Revelation, Deification, the inward and ſpirituall man, &c. Faith, he ſaid, was nothing elſe but God himſelf in-dwelling in us. And have we not thoſe now that tell their diſciples they ſhall be Chriſted, Godded, &c?

Through much Wantonneſſe] As Hetſerus and Monetarius the Anabaptiſts,Joh. Manl lcc. com 321. & 490 who corrupted many matrons, whom they had drawn to their ſide.

Verſe 19. Promiſe them liberty] As Mahometiſme, and Popery, which is an alluring, tempting, bewitching religion. Sr Walter Raleigh knew what he ſaid, that were he to chuſe a religion for licentious liberty and laſciviouſneſſe, he would chuſe the Popiſh religion. No ſinne paſt, but the Pope can pardon: no ſinne to come, but he can diſpenſe for it. No matter how long men have lived in any ſin (though it be the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt) extream unction at laſt will ſalve all.

Verſe 20. Again entangled] As a bird in a gin, as a beaſt in a ſnare. Sapè familiaritas implicavit, ſaepè occaſio peccandi voluntatem fecit. Iſidor ſolil. l. 2.

The later end is worſe] They fall ab equis ad aſinos, from high hopes of heaven into hell-mouth; where they ſhall have a deeper damnation, becauſe they diſgrace Gods houſe-keeping, as if they did not finde that they lookt for in religion.

Verſe 21. It had been better] Nocuit ſanè Judae fuiſſe Ape ſtolum, & Juliano Chriſtianum: to begin well and not to proceed, is but to aſpire to an higher pitch, that the fall may be the more deſperate. Non quaeruntur in Chriſtianis initia, fed finis, Act. and Mon. fol 993. ſaith Hierom, B. Bonner ſeemed at firſt to be a good man, and a favourer of Luthers doctrines.

Verſe 22. The dog is turned] Proverbia hac ſunt Canonica, quae Christiano nauſeam commoverent. God will ſpue out apoſtates for ever, teaching them how they ſhould have ſpued out their ſin.