John Trapp on Ephesians 5

CHAP. V. Verſe 1. Be ye therefore followers]

IN forgiving one another.

As dear children] God hath but a few ſuch children. See the Notes on Mat. 5.45, 48.

Verſe 2. Hath loved us, and hath given] When Chriſt wept for Lazarus, Loe how he loved him, ſaid the Jews, Joh. 11.35, 36. When he poured forth his ſoul for a drink-offering for us, was not this a ſurer ſeal of his endeared love?

An offering and a ſacrifice] By this to expiate our ſins, by that to mediate and make requeſt for us; and ſo to ſhew himſelf a perfect high-Prieſt.

Verſe 3. But fornication and all uncleanneſſe] As ſtanding in full oppoſition to that ſweet ſmelling ſavour, verſ. 2. being no better then the corruption of a dead ſoul, the devils excrement.

Let it not be once named] Much leſſe acted, as in Stage-plaies. Ludi praebent ſemina nequitiae. How Alipius was corrupted by them S. Austin tels us. How the youth of Athens, Ovid. Triſt. l. 2. Plato complaineth. One of our countrey-men profeſſeth in print, that he found theaters to be the very hatchers of all wickedneſſe, the brothels of bawdery, the black blaſphemy of the Goſpel, the devils chair, the plague of piety, the canker of the Common-wealth, &c. He inſtanceth on his knowledge Citizens wives confeſſing on their death-beds, that they were ſo impoiſoned at Stage-plaies,Spec belli ſacri. that they brought much diſhonour to God, wrong to their marriage-beds, weakneſſe to their wretched bodies, and woe to their undone ſouls. It was therefore great wiſdom in the Lacedemonians to forbid the acting of Comedies or Tragedies in their Common-wealth, and that for this reaſon, leſt either in jeſt or earneſt any thing ſhould be ſaid or done amongſt them contrary to the laws in force among them.Plutarch.

Verſe 4. Neither filthineſſe] Borborology, ribaldry, the language of hell. Some men as ducks have their noſes alwaies gozling in the gutter of obſcene talk. Of Eckius his laſt book concerning Prieſts inarriage, Melancthon faith, Non f[illegible: 1 letter]it Cygnea cantio, ſed ultimus cr[illegible: 1 letter]pi[illegible: 1 letter]us: Et ſicut filis fugiens pedit, ſic ille morions hunc crepitum cecinit. Legilibrum, ſubinde accipiens par tem ad cloacam, alioqui non legiſſ[illegible: 1 letter]m.

Nor jeſting] Salt j[illegible: 1 letter]ſts, ſcurrility, jocularity, dicacity, to the juſt grief or offence of another: This conſiſts not with piety and Chriſtian gravity. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Aristotle uſeth the word here found in a good ſenſe, for urbanity, facility and face[illegible: 1 letter]iouſneſſe of ſpeech, in a harmleſſe way. But Jaſon in Pindarus ſaith, that he lived twenty years with his Tutour Chiron, and never in all that time heard him ſpeaking or acting [non-Latin text not transcribed],Pindar. any thing ſcurrilous or abuſive to another. On the contrary our Sir Thomas Moor[illegible: 1 letter] never thought any thing to be well ſpoken, except he had miniſtred ſome mock in the communication, E[illegible: 1 letter]w. Halls Ch[illegible: 1 letter]on[illegible: 1 letter]e[illegible: 1 letter]. ſaith the Chronicler, who therefore ſeemeth to doubt whether to call him a fooliſh wiſe man, or a wiſe fooliſh man, Quid nobis cum fabulis, cum riſu? non ſoliùm profuſos, ſed etiam omnes joeos arbitror declinandos, ſaith Bernard. Bern. de ordin. vit. What have we to doe with tales and j[illegible: 1 letter]ſts? Tertullian faith, he was Nulli rei natus niſi poenitentiae, born for nothing elſe, but for repentance. Crede mihi res ſevera est gaudium vernum, ſaith Seneca, True mirth is a ſevere buſineſſe.

Which are not convenient] As not conducing to the main end of our lives. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

But rather giving of thanks] A ſpeciall preſervative againſt the former evils, the filth and power of thoſe baſe vices. And the word Rather imports an extraordinary earneſtnes to be uſed in giving thanks to God.

Verſe 5. Who is an Idolater] Dancing about his golden calf, and ſaying to his wedge of ſilver,Job 30.24. Thou art my confidence: which yet ſhall prove but as Achans wedge to cleave his ſoul in ſunder, and as that Babyloniſh garment to be his winding-ſheet.

Verſe 6. Let no man deceive you] So as to make you think there is no ſuch danger in fornication, covetouſneſſe, &c. There wanted not ſuch Proctours for hell in the Primitive times, as may be gathered out of 2 Pet. 2. and the Epiſtle of Jude. Againſt theſe he here cautioneth.

Verſe 7 Be not ye therefore partakers] Leſt by infection of their ſin, ye come under infliction of their puniſhment. We are accountable as well for ſins of communion, as of commiſſion: And he knew what he ſaid, that praid, From mine other-mens-ſins, Good Lord deliver me.

Verſe 8. For ye were ſometimes darkneſſe] Which hath in it (as one well noteth.) 1. Errour. 2. Terrour. 3. [illegible: 2 letters]. Dugard in loc. Inconſiſtency with light. 4. Impoſſibility of reducing it ſelf to light.

But now are ye light] Semper in ſole ſita eſt Rhodos, ſaith Sylvius. The Saints are alwaies in the Sunſhine.

Walk as children of light] A godly man ſhould be like a cryſtall glaſſe with a light in the midſt, which appeareth thorow every part thereof. He is in the light, and ſhall be more.

Verſe 9. For the fruit of the ſpirit] Why grace is called fruit, See the Note on Gal 5.22.

Verſe 10. Proving what is acceptable] By the practice of what you know. Let your knowledge and obedience run parallell, mutually transfuſing life and vigour one into another.

Verſe 11. Works of darkneſſe] Work done in the dark muſt be undone again, or elſe we are ſure to be thruſt into outer darkneſſe, where we ſhall never ſee light again, till we ſee all the world on a light fire.

But rather reprove them] At leaſt by your contrary courſes, as Noah condemned the old world, by being righteous in his generation, Rev. 14. Thoſe that ſtood with the lamb, had his fathers name on their fore-heads, led convincing lives: ſo did Luther, Bucer, Bradford, &c.

Verſe 12. For it is a ſhame] sit honos auribus. Joannes a Caſa ſo far forgat both honeſty and [illegible: 1 word],Act. and Mon. fol. 4 17. that he boaſted openly of his beaſtly Sodomy: y[illegible: 2 letters] moſt impudently commended that odious ſin in an Italian Poem, ſet forth in print. Faber of Vienna, another filthy Papiſt, publiſhed ſuch a ſtinking book that Eraſmus thus wrote to him,

Mente cares, ſires agitur tibi ſ[illegible: 1 letter]ria: rurſus Fronte cares, ſi[illegible: 1 letter] ſic ludis, amice Faber.

Which are done of them in ſecret] Sinne ſecretly committed ſhall be ſtrangely diſcovered, either by the ſinner himſelf, as Judas, or by his companions in evil. When the ſodder is once melted, this glaſſe will fall in pieces, and all will out.

Verſe 13. But all things that are, &c.] Or, But all theſe things, viz. There unfruitfull works of darkneſſe, whileſt they are reproved or diſcovered by the light (viz. of the word, as 1 Cor. 14.24. Heb. 4 12) are made manifeſt; ſo that thereby they grow abaſhed and abaſed before God and men.

Verſe 14.Iſa. 9.2. & 26.19. & 60.1. Wherefore he ſaith] Or, The Scripture ſaith. See the like Jam. 4.6. But he giveth (or the Scripture giveth) more grace. It convinceth not only, but converteth, it diſcovereth not only, but cureth corrupt hearts. Theſe waters of the Sanctuary are healing. Some there are that interpret this he of our Saviour Chriſt, and take this ſaying for a ſentence of his: ſuch as was that, Act. 20.35. Others reade, Therefore the light ſaith, &c.

Awake thou that ſleepeſt] Lex jubet, gratia juvat: Praecipit Deus, quod ipſe praestat. God giveth us to do what he biddeth us to doe.

Verſe 15. [non-Latin text not transcribed] See then that ye Walk circumſpectly] Preciſely, exactly, accurately, by line and by rule, and as it were in a frame, ſtriving to get up to the top of godlineſſe, as the word importeth; to keep Gods Commandments to the utmoſt, to go to the extremity of it. Hereunto if we ſtand ſtraitly, one may ſay ſafely, Lord, if I be deceived, thou and thy word have deceived me.

Not as fiols] Chriſtians muſt excell others, ſtanding as ſtandard-bearers.

But as wiſe] Great need we have to fly to Chriſt, [non-Latin text not transcribed] ab Heb. Tſopheb ſpeculator. who dwels with prudence, Prov. 8. to ſtand upon our watch.

Verſe 16, Redeeming the time] As wiſe Merchants, trading for the moſt precious commodity, and taking their beſt opportunity. The common complaint is,Non parùm habemus temporis, ſed multùm perdimus. Sen. We want time: but the truth is, do not ſo much want it, as waſte it. The men of Iſſachar were in great account with David, becauſe they had underſtanding of the times, to know what Iſrael ought to doe, 1 Chron. 12.32. So are they in great account with God, that regard and uſe the ſeaſon of well-doing.

Becauſe the daies are evil] Corrupted by the devil, who hath ingroſſed our time, and out of whoſe hands we muſt redeem time for holy uſes, and pious purpoſes.

Verſe 17. But underſtanding what] Drawing your knowledge into practice, as verſ. 10. For the fear of the Lord that is wiſdome, and to depart from evil is underſtanding, Job 28.28. Where, wiſdome (proper to the underſtanding) is aſcribed to the will, becauſe practice ſhould be joyned to knowledge. Hence alſo Eccleſ. 10.2. A wiſe mans heart is at his right hand, becauſe his heart teacheth his hand to put things in practice.

Verſe 18. And be not drunk with wine] Nothing ſo oppoſite to an accurate life as drunkenneſſe! which therefore is not ſpecially prohibited in any one of the ten Commandments (ſaith a Divine) becauſe it is not the ſingle breach of any one, but in effect the violation of all and every one: It is no one, but all ſins, the inlet and ſluce to all other ſins.

Wherein is exceſſe] Exceſſive drinking then is drunkenneſſe: when as ſwine do their bellies, ſo men break their heads with filthy quaſſing.

But be filled with the ſpirit] Call for flagons of this holy wine, Cant. 2.5. that goeth down ſweetly, cauſing the lips of thoſe that are aſleep to ſpeak, Cant. 7.9. This is called by Luther, Crapula ſacra, a ſpirituall ſurquedry or ſurfet.

Verſe 19. Speaking to your ſelves, &c.] As drunkards ſing and hollow over their cups in their good-[illegible: 1 letter]ellow-meetings: ſo, in a ſober ſenſe, doe you expreſſe your ſpirituall jollity in Pſalms, &c.

Melody in your hearts unto the Lord] This is the beſt tune to any Pſalm. Spirituall ſongs they are called, both becauſe they are indited by the ſpirit, and becauſe they ſpiritualize us in the uſe of them.

Verſe 20. Giving thanks alwaies] In our deepeſt miſeries, let us ſing chearfully, as Paul and Silas in the dungeon, as Philpot and his fellows in the cole-houſe, as many Martyrs in the [illegible: 1 letter]lames, as Luther did in a great conflict with the devil. Venite, Joh M[illegible: 3 letters]. loc. com. page 43. ſaid he to his company, in contemptum diaboli Pſalmum de profundis quatuor vocibus cantemus. Let us ſing the 130. Pſalm in deſpite of the devil. Happy was that tongue in the Primitive times that could ſound out aliquid Davidicum, any thing of Davids doing.

Verſe 21. Submitting your ſelves] This is a generall admonition to all inferiours, whoſe duties are afterwards deſcribed. Thus in the ſecond Table of the Law, the fifth Commandment for order and obedience is fitly premiſed to the following p[illegible: 2 letters]cepts.

In the fear of God] This frameth the heart to a ready and regular ſubmiſſion. Hence that ſaying of Luther: Primo praecepto reliquorum omnium obſervantia praecipitur. The firſt Commandment includes the other nine.

Verſe 22. Wives ſubmit, &c.] This includes reverence, obedience, &c. God hath ſcattered the duties of husbands and wives up and down the Scritptures, that they may ſearch, and by learning to be good husbands and wives, they may learn alſo to be good men and women.

As unto the Lord] Who taketh himſelf diſhonoured by wives diſobedience. And though husbands may remit the offence done to them, yet they cannot remit Gods offence, but there muſt be ſpeciall repentance.

Verſe 23. For the husband is the head] And would it not be ill-favour'd to ſee the ſhoulders above the head?

Verſe 24. Therefore as the Church] Denying her ſelf to pleaſe Chriſt, making his will her law.

In every thing] In all her husbands lawfull commands and reſtraints. A wife ſhould have no will of her own, but ſubmit to her husbands: albeit there are that merrily ſay, that when man loſt free-will, woman took it up.

Verſe 25. Husbands, love your wives] He ſaith not, Rule over them (in anſwer to ſubmit, verſ. 22.) for this they can readily do without bidding: but love your wives, and ſo make their yoke as eaſie as may be. columbae trahunt currum Veneris.

Verſe 26. That he might ſanctifie] The maids were firſt purified and perfumed, before Ahaſhneroſh choſe one. But here it is otherwiſe. Sanctification is a fruit of juſtification. The Lord will not have a ſluttiſh Church, and therefore he came not by bloud only, but by water alſo, that clean water of his ſpirit, whereby he waſheth away the ſwiniſh nature of his Saints, ſo that they deſire no more to wallow in the mire.

Verſe 27.Concil. Arauſican. ſecund. Oanon. 12. That he might preſent] As Iſaac did his Rebecca, adorned with his jewels. See Ezek. 16.14. Tales nos amat Deus quales futuri ſumns ipſius dono, non quales ſumus noſtro merito, ſaith an ancient Councel.

Verſe 28. As their own bodies] No man may hide himſelf from his own fleſh at large, Iſa. 58.7. that is, from his neighbour of the ſame ſtock: much leſſe from a wife, which is ſuch another as himſelf, Geneſis 2.18. nay his very ſelfe, as here.

Verſe 29. For no man over hated] No man but a Monk, who whips himſelf, or a mad man, Mar. 5.5. who cuts himſelf. It was the ſaying of the Emperour Aurelius, A wife is to be oft admoniſhed, ſometimes reproved, but never beaten. and yet of the Ruſſian women it is reported, that they love that husband beſt that beats them moſt, and that they think themſelves elſe not regarded, unleſſe two or three times a day well-favouredly ſwadled. M. Jun in orat. Heyl. Geog. Chryſostom ſaith, It is the greateſt reproach in the world for a man to beat his wiſe.

But nouriſheth and cheriſheth it] As the hen doth her chickens, or as the cock-pigeon doth the eggs. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Columbarum maſculus ipſe ovis incubat. Chytrae. in Levit. 13. M[illegible: 1 letter]lanctton. Contrariwiſe the Pie hunts away his mate about autumn, leſt he ſhould be forced to keep her all the Winter: and ſo becometh the hieroglyphick of an unkinde husband.

Even as the Lord, the Church] Loe this is the patern of all true love, whether to our ſelves or others.

Verſe 30. Of his fleſh, and of his bones] Whileſt he that is joyned to the Lord is one ſpirit, 1 Cor. 6.17. This union is neither naturall, nor corporall, nor politicall, nor perſonall, but myſticall and ſpirituall: And yet it is no leſſe true and reall, then that of God the Father, and God the Son, Joh. 17.21, 22. For as the holy Ghoſt did unite in the Virgins womb, the divine and humane natures of Chriſt, and made them one perſon; by reaſon whereof Chriſt is of our fleſh and of our bones: So the Spirit unites that perſon of Chriſt, his whole perſon, God-man, with our perſons, by reaſon whereof we are of his fleſh, and of his bones.

Verſe 31. For this cauſe, &c.] See the Note on Mat. 19.5. and on Gen. 2.24.

Shall be one fleſh] By vertue of that Covenant of God betwixt married couples, Prov. 2.17. for he keepeth the bonds of wedlock.

Verſe 32. This is a great myſtery] To wit, this myſticall marriage with Chriſt. It paſſeth the capacity of man to underſtand it in the perfection of it. Preachers can make it known but in part; and hearers can but in part conceive it. Let us therefore wait for perfect underſtanding of it, till all things be perfected in Chriſt.

Verſe 33. Nevertheleſſ[illegible: 1 letter] [q. d. But that I may return to my former diſcourſe, from the which I have ſomewhat digreſſed for your ſatisfaction.

See that ſhe reverence] 1. In heart, as Sarah did Abraham, and ſhe is crowned and chronicled for it, I Pet. 3.6. 2. In her ſpeeches both to him, and of him, as the Spouſe in the Canticles. 3. In all her geſtures and deportments: for ſhe may ſcold with her looks, &c. Vultu ſaepè laeditur pietas. God hath a barren Womb for mocking Michal.