John Trapp on Haggai 2:5

Verſe 5. According to the Word] Or, as Tremellius hath it better, Cum VERBO quo pepigeram vobiſcum, with the WORD, in and ſor whom I covenanted with you, &c. So my Spirit remaineth among you. And ſo it is a gracious promiſe that the whole Trinity will be with them. The particle eth ſeemeth put for gnim[illegible: 1 letter] and the article He is emphatical, ſhewing that by Word is meant the ſecond perſon, often called the Word both in the Old Teſtament, 2 Sam. 7.21. with 1 Chron. 17.19. and in the New. Luke 1.2. John 1.1. 1 John 5.7. The Caldee ſeemeth to favour this interpretation, for he rendreth it, My Word ſhall be your help. Hierome, Albertus, Nyſſen, and Haymo diſſent not. Haggai, and other Prophets and Patriarches of old did well underſtand the myſtery of the Sacred Trinity. See my note on Gen. 1.1. Elihu ſpeaks of the Almighty his makers Job. 35.10. Solomon the ſame Eccleſ. 12.1. Cant. 1.11. which Jarchi interpreteth of the Trinity. Iſay hath his Triſagion, or, Holy, Holy, Holy, chap. 6.3. and chap. 42.5. Thus ſaith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and they that ſtretched them out. So Deut. 6.4. When Moſes beginneth to rehearſe the law, and to explain it, the firſt thing he teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity. Hear O Iſrael, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Three words anſwering the three perſons: and the middle word, Our God deciphering fitly the ſecond, who aſſumed our nature as is well obſerved by Galatinus: Others obſerve that the laſt letters in the Original both in the word Hear, and in the word One are bigger then ordinary; as calling for utmoſt heed and attention. The old Rabbines were no ſtrangers to this tremend myſtery (as appeareth by R. Solomons note on Cant. 1.11. We will make &c.) though their poſterity deſperately deny it. The Greek Church was not ſo ſound in this fundamental point: therefore their chief City Conſtantinople was taken from them by the Turks (as Eſtius obſerveth) on Whitſunday or (as others) on Trinity Sunday; which day (ſaith our Chronicler) the Black Prince was uſed every year to celebrate with the greateſt honour that might be,Speed. 723. in due veneration of ſo divine a myſtery. Now, Chriſt is here and elſewhere called The Word either becauſe hee is ſo often promiſed in the Word. Or elſe, becauſe by him Gods will was manifeſted and revealed to men, and that either mediately in the Prophets, whence Peter Martyr thinketh that phraſe came. Then came the Word of the Lord, that is, Chriſt, Or immediately, himſelfe, Heb. 1.2. and 2.3.

That I covenanted with you] Or, in whom I covenanted and whence Chriſt is called the Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. Chriſt then was a Saviour to thoſe of the Old Teſtament alſo,Rev. 13.8. the Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the World. Chriſt undertook to pay his peoples debt in the fullneſſe of time: and hereby they were ſaved. A man may let a priſoner looſe now, upon a promiſe to pay the debt a year after. See Heb. 9.15. and take notice of the unity of the faith in both Teſtaments: they of old ſaw Chriſt afarre off in the promiſes, they ſaluted him, and were reſaluted by him, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Heb. 11.

When ye came out of Egypt] Ye, that is, your anceſtours. Things done by the parents may be ſaid to be done by the children; becauſe of the near conjunction that is between them. Hence Levi is ſaid to pay tithes in Abraham, and Adams ſinne is imputed to us all.Heb. 7.

So my ſpirit remaineth amongst you] Not the ſubſtance, but the gifts of the Spirit; not the tree, but the fruits. Thoſe whom God receiveth into the covenant of grace, he endues them with the ſpirit of grace. See Rom. 8.9.11. How elſe ſhould they be able to perform their part of the Covenant, ſith we cannot ſo much as ſuſpirare, unleſſe he doe firſt inſpirare, breath out a ſigh for ſinne, till he breath it in to us by his Spirit? Hereby then we may know whether or no we are in Covenant with God (the Devill will be ſure to ſweep all that are not) ſc. if his ſpirit remain in us Jer. 31.35. working illumination, 1 Cor. 2.14.15. Mortification, Rom. 8.13. Motion, Rom. 8.14. Guifts, 1 Cor. 12.4, 7, 8. &c. Fruits Gal. 5.22.23. ſtrength, Eſay 11.2. Courages, as here.

Fear ye not] Cur timet hominem homo, in ſinu Dei poſitus? Aug. why ſhould ſuch fear man who have God in Chriſt by his Spirit ſtanding with them and for them? The righteous may be bold as a lyon: he hath the peace of God within him, and the power of God without him and ſo goes ever under a double guard, what need he fear? It is ſaid of Achilles that he was Styge armatus, and therefore could not bee wounded. But he that is in covenant with God is, Deo, Chriſto, Spiritu Sancto armatus, and may therefore be fearleſſe of any creature.