John Trapp on Matthew 3:16

Verse 16. And Iesus when he was baptised.] Many of the Ancients held, that the day of Epiphany, was the day of our Saviours baptisme. But that, I think, is but a [illegible: 1 word]. The Habassines, a kinde of [illegible: 2 words] in Afrique, baptise themselves every year on that day in lakes or [illegible: 1 word]; thereby to keep a memoriallBreerwoods of [illegible: 1 word] Saviours baptisme in Iordan. This is (as [illegible: 1 word] was wont [illegible: 1 word]. to say of a like matter) to passe by the provision, and lick the signe-post. Went up straightway out of the [illegible: 1 word]] And stood upon the shore, apart from the company, that all might see and hear whatLuk. 3. 21. was now to be done. St Luke addeth, that he fell thereupon his knees and prayed; thereby teaching us, with what deep devotion, we are to receive the Sacraments: Which are given us of God, to signifie, as by signe, to assure, as by seal, and to convey, as by instrument, Jesus Christ and all his benefits: the Father, Son and holy Ghost are there one in covenanting and working thy salvation. [illegible: 1 word] up thy self therefore to hope and faith at the Sacrament: speak to thy faith, as Deborah did to her self, Awake, awake, Deborah, Judg. 5. 12. [illegible: 1 word] a song: Give glory to God, lay claim to the covenant: lean on Christs bosom at that supper, and be think thy self, with Hesther at the feast, what suit thou hast to commence, what Haman to hang up, what lust to subdue, what grace (chiefly) to get growth in, &c. But, for most communicants, urge them to prayer afore, in, and after Sacrament, and they must say (if they say truly,) as David did of Sauls armour, I cannot go with these, for I have not been [illegible: 1 word] 1 Sam. 17. 39. omed to them. And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him] As he was praying; for prayer is the [illegible: 1 word] of heaven, wherewith we may take out of Gods treasury plentifull mercy for our selves and others. He [illegible: 1 word] possibly be poor, that can pray, Rom. 10. 12. One said of the Pope, that he could never want money, so long as he could hold [illegible: 1 word] pen in his hand; of the faithfull Christian it may safely be affirmed, He cannot want any good thing, while he can call to God for it. If he can finde a praying heart, God will finde a pitying heart, and a supplying hand. Now, he is worthily miserable that will not make himself happy by asking. The Ark and the Mercy-seat were never separated. God never said to Israel, Seek ye me in vain: TheIsa. 45. 19. hand of faith never knockt at Heaven gates, but they were opened, and the Spirit, descended, though not so visibly as here, at the baptisme of our Saviour, nor a voice heard so audibly from Heaven as then, yet, as truly and effectually to the support of the poor suppliant: Who while he prayeth in the holy Ghost, Jude 20. [illegible: 1 word] new supplies of the Spirit, Phil. 1. 19. and is sweetly, but secretly, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. sealed up thereby to the day of redemption. [illegible: 1 word]. 1. 13. And he saw the Spirit of God descending] From the Father,2 Pet. [illegible: 1 word]. 16. (who spake from the most excellent glory) upon the Son, who stood upon the shore, so that here was concilium augustissimum, a most majesticall meeting of the three Persons in Trinity, about the worke of mans redemption, as once about his creation, Gen. 1. 26. Let us make [illegible: 1 word]: The Hebrews interpret it, I and my Iudgementhall; [illegible: 1 word]. by which phrase, the Trinity, of old, was implied. For [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]-Hall in Israel consisted of three at least; which, in their close manner of speech, they applied to God; but their posterity understood it not. And as in the matter of mans creation, and redemption, so likewise of his [illegible: 2 words]; [illegible: 1 word] is that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. 45 67. where the [illegible: 1 word] of gifts are said to be of the Spirit: the diversities of ministeries (whereby1 Cor. 12. 4, 5, 6. exp. these gifts are administred) of the Lord, that is, of Christ, and the diversities of operations ([illegible: 1 word] by the gifts and ministeries) to be of God, the Father. Like a dove, and lighting upon him] This was shadowed, of old, by Noahs dove lighting upon the Ark: and serveth to denote [non-Latin text not transcribed]. [illegible: 1 word]. Christs innocency, purity, love to his little ones, [non-Latin text not transcribed], saith Aristotle. And another thus; [illegible: 1 word] columba caret, rostro non [illegible: 1 word], & ungues Possidet [illegible: 1 word], pura que [illegible: 1 word]. That was more then ridiculous (nay it was [illegible: 1 word]) that those Pilgrims, that went to [illegible: 1 word] to fight in the Holy war (as they [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] 5. called it,) did carry a goose before them, pretending it to be theAnnal. holy Ghost. These were drunk with the wine [illegible: 1 word] the whore of Babylons [illegible: 1 word]: and not filled with the Spirit, as St Stephen was, and Barnabas, and others of old; as of late, among many, that famous Beza; de quo [illegible: 1 word] saepe [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 3 words] Melch. [illegible: 1 word]. in [illegible: 1 word]. vivere. And himself reports of [illegible: 1 word], and his colleagues, in an Epistle to Calvin, that, disputing [illegible: 1 word] a Spanish Jesuit about the Eucharist, the [illegible: 1 word] (saith he) called us vulpes, & [illegible: 1 word], & serpentes, foxes, apes, serpents. My answer was this, Non magis nos credere, quàm [illegible: 2 words]. So that Angel John Bradford (as one calleth him) when he [illegible: 1 word] with [illegible: 1 word] a Castro; the Frier was in a wonderfull rage, and spake so high, thatAct and [illegible: 1 word]. the whole house rang again, chasing with om and cho, saith [illegible: 1 word] Fox. But Bradford answered him with [illegible: 1 word] of wisedom, and,Isa. 8. 6. like the waters of Siloe at the [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word], ran [illegible: 1 word]. He had been baptized with that holy [illegible: 1 word] that [illegible: 3 words] Saviour, who received not the spirit by [illegible: 1 word], but had a [illegible: 1 word], not of abundance only, but also of [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word]. 1. 14