John Trapp on Isaiah 55:1

CHAP. LV.

Ver. 1. HO every one that thirſteth] Sitit ſitiri Dominus ſaith Nazianzen, O[illegible: 1 letter]at. 40. in S. Baptiſ. the Lord even thirſteth to be thirſted after; he ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him as will worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth, Joh. 4.23. Hence this preſent Proclamation, Ho every one, of what Nation ſoever, that is duly affected with the preceding diſcourſe of Chriſts alſufficiency to ſave, chap. 53. and the Churches glory and ſafety, chap. 54.

That thirſteth] That, being ſcorched and parched with the ſenſe of ſin and fear of wrath, brayeth and breatheth after true grace and ſound comfort, as the hunted Hind doth after the water-brooks, Pſal. 42.1, 3. (See the Note there) as David did after the water of the well of Bethlehem, 2 Sam. 23.15, 16. as the Lamb of God did when roſted in the fire of his Fathers wrath he cryed aloud Sitio I thirſt; Joh. 19.28, Pſal. 22.11, 16.

Come] Non paſſibus ſed affectibus itur ad Chriſtum. Repent and beleeve the Goſpel, Mar. 1.15. Repentance is here ſet out by a word of activity. Come, buy, &c. The frame of a true repenting heart is in an active coming poſture, fitted for any ſervice; when the wicked pine away in their ſin, Ezek. 33.10. and ſo periſh eternally, Pſal. 9.17.

To the waters] To Chriſt the fountain of living water, upon which you had turned your backs, Jer. 2.13. Ortelius telleth us that in Ireland there is a certain fountain whoſe water killeth all thoſe beaſts that drink thereof; but hurteth not the people that uſually drink of it. Chriſt alſo is ſet for the fall and riſing again of many in Iſrael, Luk. 2.34. his ordinances are a ſavour of life to ſome, and of death to others, 2 Cor. 3.16.

And he that hath no money] Or moneys-worth. Many would come to Chriſt, but they would come with their coſt: wherefore they run up and down to borrow money of the creatures or of the Ordinances, uſing the means as Mediatours, and ſharking in every by-corner for comfort: but men may be ſtarved before they buy, if they go this way to work: for theſe in themſelves are broken ciſterns, empty granaries, and Horrea formicae tendunt ad inania nunquam.

In the Lord Chriſt is all fulneſs, Joh. 1.16. not of plenty only, but of bounty alſo. To this fountain if we bring but our empty veſſels well waſhed, Jer. 4.14. we ſhall return well refreſhed, and repleniſhed with good things, when the proud Self-Juſtitiary ſhall be ſent empty away, and ſhall not once taſte of Wiſdomes dainties, Prov. 9.

Buy] Emite, i. e. comparate & comed[illegible: 1 letter]te, get Chriſt with all your gettings: get him whatever elſe you go without: part with all you have to compaſs this pearle of price, Mat. 13.44, 46: and 16.24, 25. this gold cannot be too dear bought, Rev. 3.18. Heus ſaeculares, comparate vobis Biblia, animae pharmaca, ſaith Chryſoſtome, by a like expreſſion.

And eat] That is, beleeve: hic enim edere, eſt credere, and this water, this wine may be eaten alſo: nec enim rigat tantum ſed & cibat. Chriſt is to his water to cool them, wine to comfort them, milk to nouriſh them, bread to ſtrengthen them: he is all that heart can wiſh or need require. They who have once taſted how good the Lord is, cannot but thirſt after him, and be unſatisfiable, Optima demonſtratio eſt à ſenſibus: Eat therefore: it is a vertue here to be a holy glutton.

Yea come] Heb. And come: Come and come, yea come, come, come: linger not, loyter not, frame not excuſe, ſtrain not curteſie, hang not off by a ſinful baſhfulneſs; tis good manners to fall to your meat.

[non-Latin text not transcribed] Coloſ. 3. Argonaut. lib. 3. Buy wine and milk] Any thing, every thing, that is good and comfortable: for Chriſt is all and in all. As the worth and value of many pieces of ſilver is in one piece of gold, ſo all the petty excellencies ſcattered abroad in the creatures, are united in Chriſt. Apollonius writeth, that in the Court of Aeta King of Colchis, were three fountaines which flowed, one with milk, another with wine, and a third with honey: Chriſt is all this and more in one. And of beleevers it may better be ſaid than Juſtin doth of the Scythians, Lib. 2. Lacte & melle veſcuntur: nihil alienum concupiſcunt, &c. they feed upon milk and honey, they deſire nothing more than what they have: vines they have none, but gods they have; as they uſe to glory. Nazianzen and Hierom tells us, that anciently in ſome Churches they uſed to give to thoſe Proſelites whom they baptiſed, wine and milk: grounding upon this text, by a miſtake.

Without money and without price] All things for nothing, gratis: this is doubled and trebled for the comfort of poor trembling conſciences: Chriſt is rich to all that call upon his Name, Rom. 10.12. none giveth to him, Rom. 11.35. but he to all his freely, Iſa. 43.25. for the praiſe of his gloriour grace, Eph. 1.6. Tis his good pleaſure to do ſo, Luk. 12.32. And if ſo, what can man, devil or any diſtruſtful heart ſay againſt it?