John Trapp on Galatians 6

CHAP. VI. Verſe 1. If a man be overtaken]

GR. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Be taken afore he is aware, afore he hath time to conſider, or bethink himſelf of better. It is of incogitancy, that the Saints ſin: put them in minde, and they mend all. It is of paſſion, and paſſions laſt not long.Pſal. 139. Pſal. 1.1. There is no way of wickedneſſe in them: They ſtand not in the way of ſinners, they ſit not downe in the ſeat of ſcorners.

Reſtore ſuch an one] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Gr. Set him in joynt again. A Metaphor from Chyrurgeons and bone-ſetters, who handle their patients tenderly.

Lest thou alſo be tempted] I have known a good old man, ſaith Bernard, who when he had heard of any that had committed ſome notorious offence, was wont to ſay with himſelf, Ille hodiè, & ego cras, He fell to day, ſo may I tomorrow.

Verſe 2. Bear ye one anothers burdens] When after-reprehenſion, ſinne is become a burden, ſet to your ſhoulder, and help to lift it off. Support the weake, be patient toward all. [illegible: 1 letter] Theſſ. 5.14.

Verſe 3. Thinke himſelf to be ſomething] The ſelf-deceiver takes his counter, and ſets it up for a thouſand pound, as the Phariſees and Laodiceans. Of ſuch it may be ſaid, as Quintilian ſomewhere of ſome over-weeners of themſelves, that they might have proved excellent ſcholars, iſ they had not been ſo perſwaded already.

Verſe 4. But let every man prove] This is an excellent remedy againſt ſelf-deceit, and a means to make one fit to reprove others with mercy and meeknes.

And then ſhall he have rejoycing] Ʋt testimonium perhibeat conſcientia propria, non lingua aliena, ſaith Auguſtine, that thine own conſcience, and not another mans tongue may teſtifie for thee. Omnis Sarmatarum virtus extra ipſos, Tacit. lib. [illegible: 1 letter]. [illegible: 1 letter]. 10. ſaith Tacitus. All the ſelf-deceivers goodneſſe is ſhored up by popularity, or other baſe reſpects.

Verſe 5. For every man ſhall bear] Be thorow therefore in the work of ſelf-examination. Sparing a little pains at firſt, doubles it in the end: As he who will not caſt up his books, his books will caſt up him at length. The miſery of moſt men is, that their mindes are as ill ſet as their eyes, neither of them look inwards: how few are there that turn ſhort again upon themſelves, ſo as to ſay, What have I done? Woe to all ſuch when God ſhall ſend out ſummons for ſleepers, When he comes to ſearch Jeruſalem with candles, and puniſh the men that are ſetled on their lee[illegible: 1 letter], &c. Zeph. 1.12.

Verſe 6. Communicate unto him] Not contribute as an alms,Occumen. but communicate as a right: ſee Philem. 17. as wages for his work, Mark 6. as pay for his pains, 1 Cor. 9.14. See the Note there.

Verſe 7. Be not deceived] Thinke not all well ſaved that is with-held from the Miniſter. It is a ſaying in the civill-law. Clericis Laici ſunt oppidò inſenſi: Many think it neither ſin, nor pity to beguile the Preacher. But God is not mocked, neither will he be robbed, by any, but they ſhall hear, Ye are curſed with a curſe, Mal. 3.8, 9. even with Shallums curſe (Jer. 22.11, 12, 13.) that uſed his neighbours ſervice without wages, and would ſacrilegiouſly take in a piece of Gods windows into his wide houſe, ver. 14.

Verſe 8. For he that ſoweth in the fleſh] He that neglecting his poor ſoul, cares only to feather his neſt, and to heap up riches. Si ventri benè, ſi lateri, as Epicurus in Horace: If the belly may be filled, the back fitted, let the ſoul ſink or ſwim, he takes no thought.

Verſe 9. And let us not be weary] Let us not give in, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as tired jades: hot at hand ſeldome holds out.

For in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap] We muſt not look to ſow and reap in a day: as he ſaith of the Hyperborean people, far North, that they ſow ſhortly after the Sun-riſing with them,Heresbach. de re ruſtica. and reap before the Sun ſet: that is, becauſe the whole half year is one continuall day with them.

If we faint not] Quaerendi defatigatio turpis eſt, cum id quod quaritur, ſit pulcherimum. Cic. de fini[illegible: 1 letter]. It is a ſhame to faint in the ſearch of that, which being found will more then pay for the pains of ſearching. Caleb was not diſcouraged by the Giants: therefore he had Hebron the place of the Giants: ſo thoſe that faint not in the way to heaven, ſhall inherit heaven.

Verſe 10. As we have therefore opportunity] Catch at it, as the Eccho catcheth the voice. Joſeph took the nick of time to gain Egypt to the King by feeding the hungry, ſo may we, to get heaven.

Who are of the houſhold] Of the family of faith, Gods houſhold-ſervants. That was a deſperate reſolve of Aigoland, King of Arragon, who coming to the French Court to be baptized,Turpine. and asking who thoſe Lazars and poor people were that waited for alms from the Exmperour Charlemains Table? When one anſwered him that they were the Meſſengers and ſervants of God; I will never ſerve that God, ſaid he, that can keep his ſervants no better.

Verſe 11. How large a letter] Gr. With what good great text-letters. I have written unto you with mine own hand (no fair hand: the greateſt Clerks are not alwaies the beſt Scribes) and not by any Tertius, Chryſoſt. Theophylact. or other am[illegible: 1 letter]nenſis, Rom. 16.22. to ſhew his love, and prevent impoſture, 2 Theſſ. 2.2.

Verſe 12. To make a fair ſhew] Gr. To ſet a good face on it, [non-Latin text not transcribed] afore the Jews eſpecially, and to ingratiate with them.

For the croſſe of Christ] That is, for the doctrine of the croſſe, or of juſtification by the death of Chriſt crucified.

Verſe 13. Keep the law] Rom. 2.23. Hierome doubteth not to pronounce that man accurſed, that ſaith it is impoſſible to keep the Law. Sed quid viſum ſit Hieronymo, nihil moramur: nos quid verum ſit inquirimus, ſaith Calvin. But let Hierome hold as he will, we know there is no ſuch thing.

That they may glory in you fleſh] That they pride themſelves in the multitude of their followers, and curry favour with the Jews by gaining many proſelytes.

Verſe 14. But God forbid, &c.] The Saints keep a conſtant counter-motion, and are Antipodes to the wicked. They thus and thus, but I otherwiſe.

Whereby the world is crucified] I look upon the world as a dead thing, as a great dung-hill, &c. That harlot was deceived in S. Paul, in thinking to allure him by laying out thoſe her two fair breaſts of profit and pleaſure: He had no minde to be ſucking at thoſe botches; He was a very crucifix of mortification: And in his face (as one ſaid of Dr Raynolds) a man might have ſeen, Verum mortificati hominis idaeam, the true portraiture of a mortified man.

And I to the world] q.d. The world and I are well agreed. The world cares not a pin for me, and I (to cry quittance with it) care as little for the world.

Verſe 15. For in Christ Jeſus] That is, in the Kingdome of Chriſt.

But a new creature] Either a new man, or no man.

Verſe 16. According to this rule] viz. Of the new creature.

Peace be on them] Not only in them, or with them; but on them, maugre the malice of earth and hell.

Verſe 17. From henceforth let no man] Here he takes upon him as an Apoſtle, and ſpeaks with authority. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

I bear in my body the marks] As ſcars of honour. Paul had been whipped, ſtocked, ſtoned, &c. The marks of theſe he could better boaſt of, then thoſe falſe Apoſtles of their circumciſion. And hereby it appeared that he refuſed not, as they did, to ſuffer perſecution for the croſſe of Chriſt. In the year 1166. the Synod held at Oxford in the raign of Henry the ſecond, baniſhed out of England thirty Dutch Doctours (which taught the right uſe of Marriage, Alſted. Chron. p. 357. and of the Sacraments) after they had firſt ſtigmatized or branded them with hot irons. Iohn Clerk of Melden in France, being for Chriſts ſake whipped three ſeverall daies, and afterwards having a mark ſet in his fore-head, as a note of infamy, his mother beholding it (though his father was an adverſary) encouraged her ſon, crying with a loud voice, Bleſſed be Christ,Act. and Mon. fol. 802. Vivat Chriſtus ejuſ que inſignia. and welcome be theſe prints and marks of Chriſt. The next year after, ſcil. anno 1524. He brake the images without the City, which his ſuperſtitious Countrey-men were to worſhip the next day. For the which he was apprehended, and had his right-hand cut off, his noſe pulled off with pinſers, both his arms, and both his breſts torne with the ſame inſtrument; and after all, he was burned at a ſtake. Sculte[illegible: 1 letter]. Annal. In his greateſt torments he pronounced that of the Pſalmiſt, Their idols are ſilver and gold, the works of mens hands, &c. I conclude this diſcourſe with that ſaying of Pericles. It is not gold, precious ſtones, ſtatues, &c. that adorns a ſouldier, but a torne buckler, a crackt helmet, a blunt ſword, a ſcarr'd face, &c. Of theſe Biron the French Marſhall boaſted at his death. And Sceva is renowned for this, that at the ſiege of Dyrrachium he ſo long alone reſiſted Pompeys army, that he had 220. darts ſticking in his ſhield,Denſa[illegible: 1 letter] que [illegible: 2 letters] rens in p[illegible: 3 letters]o[illegible: 1 letter]e lylvam. [illegible: 1 word]. and loſt one of his eyes, and yet gave not over till Caeſar came to his reſcue.

Verſe 18. Be with your ſpirit] Spirituals are ſpecially to be deſired for our ſelves and ours. Caetera aut aderunt, aut non oberunt. Other things we ſhall either have, or not want, but be as well without them.