John Trapp on Philippians 2

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. If there be therefore]

A Moſt paſſionate obteſtation, importing his moſt vehement deſire of their good agreement: whereunto he conjures them, as it were, by all the bonds of love betwixt him and them. Matters of importance muſt be preſſed with utmoſt vehemence, Coloſ. 3.14. Love is charged upon us above all thoſe excellent things there reckoned up.

If any comfort of love] As there is very much; making the Saints to enjoy one anothers ſociety with ſpirituall delight, Pſal. 16.3. and to communicate with gladneſſe and ſingleneſſe of heart, Act. 2 46 The Lord doth uſually and graciouſly water the holy fellowſhip of his people with the dews of many ſweet and glorious refreſhings: ſo that they have a very heaven upon earth, for kinde, the ſame with that above, and differing onely in degrees.

Verſe 2. Being of one accord of one minde] Hereunto thoſe many ones ſhould move us mentioned by our Apoſtle, Epheſ. 4.4, 5. See the Notes there.

Verſe 3. Let nothing be done through ſtrife.] Theſe are thoſe hell-hags that ſet the Church on fire [non-Latin text not transcribed] and [non-Latin text not transcribed] If theſe could be caſt out of mens hearts,Iſid. Peluſl 4. [illegible: 1 word] 55. great hopes there were, [non-Latin text not transcribed] as Iſidore hath it, that all men would ſoon conſent in one and the ſame truth, and be at peace among themſelves.

Verſe 4. Look not every man. &c.] Self is a great ſtickler, but muſt be excluded where love ſhall be maintained. He that is wholly ſhut up within himſelf is an odious perſon: and the place he lives in, longs for a vomit to ſpue him out.

Verſe 5. Let this minde be in you] We ſhould ſtrive to expreſſe Chriſt to the world, not as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments only, but as a childe doth his father in affections and actions. Our lives ſhould be as ſo many Sermons upon Chriſts li[illegible: 1 letter]s, 1 Pet. 2.9.

Verſe 6. To be equall with God] Gr. Equals, that is every way [illegible: 1 letter]quall, not a ſecondary inferiour God, as the Arrians would have him. See the Notes, on Job. 1.1, 2, 3, 4.

Verſe 7. But made himſelf, &c.] Gr. Emptied himſelf, ſuſpended and laid aſide his glory and majeſty, [non-Latin text not transcribed] and became a ſinner both by imputation (for God made the iniquity of us all to meet upon him, Iſa. 53.6.) and by reputation, for he was reckoned not only among men, but among malefactours, verſe 9. hence he is ſaid to be ſent in the likeneſſe of ſinnefull fleſh, Rom. 8 3.

Verſe 8. He humbled himſelf] This Sun of righteouſneſſe went ten degrees back in the diall of his Father, that he might come to us with health in his wings, that is, in his beams.

Became obedient unto death] That is, to his dying day, ſaith Beza. He went thorow many a little death all his life long, and at length underwent that curſed and painfull death of the Croſſe, his ſoul alſo being heavy to the death, Mat. 26.

Verſe 9. Wherefore God alſo, &c.] Wherefore denoteth not the cauſe, but the order of Chriſts exaltation, as a conſequent of his ſufferings, as ſome conceive.

Verſe 10. That at the name] Gr. In the name. The Papiſts ſtifly defend the ceremony of bowing at the name of Jeſus,Sir Edwin Sands in Spec. Eur[illegible: 1 letter]p. to countenance the adoration of their deified Images, altars and their hoſt: teaching in their Pulpits, That Chriſt himſelf on the Croſſe, bowed his head on the right ſide, to reverence his own name, which was written over it.

Verſe 11. And that every tongue] The heathens were wont to ſay, Mutus ſit oportet qui non laudarit Herculem. Let that tongue be tied up for ever, that cries not out with David, Vivat Dominus, and with Luther, Vivat & regnet Christus, Amen.

Verſe 12. Work out your ſalvation] [non-Latin text not transcribed] The reaſon that men ſtill tremble, and are ſtill troubled with this doubt, and that fear is, becauſe their ſalvation is not wrought out. Something is left undone and their conſcience tels them ſo.

With fear and trembling] Oppoſed to carnall ſecurity. Thoſe venturous bold ſpirits that dare live in any evil, ſo it [illegible: 1 letter]are not in their faces, and have not a heart fearfull of the leaſt evil, aſpire not to immortality.

Verſe 13. For it is God which worketh] Therefore work out, &c. As actiagentes, moti moventes, as the inferiour orbs move, as acted by the ſuperiour. When God hath tuned, and doth touch us, we muſt move: and whileſt the ſpirit imbreaths us, we muſt turn about like the mill.

To will and to doe] Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae, faith Auguſtine; who ſtood ſo much for grace, that the Schoolmen ſay he yeelded too little to free-will. That we live is the gift of the gods (ſaith Seneca) that we live well, is of our ſelves.De nat. deor. A baſe ſpeech! So Cicero, Judicium hoc omnium mortalium eſt, fortunam à Deo petendam, à ſeipſo ſumendam ſapientiam. For which impious ſentence Auguſtine faith of him, Eumut faceret homines liberos, feciſſe ſacrilegos. De eiv D[illegible: 1 letter]i l 5

Verſe 14. Without murmurings] Gr. Wrath and rancour, or diſcontent, [non-Latin text not transcribed] which makes mens lips like ruſty hinges ſeldome to move without murmuring and complaining.

And disputings] Or wranglings about trifles, nicities or novelties, things whereof we can have neither proof nor profit.

Verſe 15. Blameleſſe and harmleſſe] Gr. Hornleſſe, or ſincere without mixture of deceit or guile, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Iſraelites indeed.

The ſons of God] Dignity enforceth duty. Remember that thou art a Kings ſon, ſaid he to Antigonus, and thou canſt not do amiſſe.

Without rebuke] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Such as envy it ſelf cannot juſtly tax, or faſten her fangs on. Si Luthero faverem us viro bone, quod fatentur & hoſtes, &c.Tom. 8. Epiſt. ſaith Eraſm[illegible: 2 letters], who yet loved him not. Luther is a good man, as his very enemies cannot but acknowledge. So B[illegible: 1 letter]cer, Bradford, Melancthon, &c. Chriſtians ſhould excell others, ſtanding as ſtandard-bearers, higher then others, as Saul was by the head and ſhoulders, being without blemiſh from head to foot, [illegible: 1 letter]en. 3.6. as Abſolom, fair to the eye, and good to the taſte, as the tree of knowledge.

In the midſt of a crooked] As Noah was righteous in his generation: as Joſhuah would ſerve Jehovah, [non-Latin text not transcribed] though alone [illegible: 2 letters] as David therefore loved Gods teſtimonies, becauſe other man kept not his law; as Eliah amidſt the Ba[illegible: 1 letter]lites, cries, Zelando, zelavi; the worſe they were, the better was he. Baruc kindled himſelf from other mens coldneſſe,A[illegible: 2 letters]endit ſeip [illegible: 1 letter]un. Trem. and quickned himſelf from other mens dulnes, Neh, 3 [illegible: 1 letter]0.

As lights in the world] Luminaries, great lights, [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſuch as are the Sun and Moon, that give light to others. Some wicked have greater common gifts then the godly; as many mettals are brighter and more orient then the heavens: yet as thoſe mettals are not fit to convey the light of the Sun, nay indeed they would ſtop it; ſo neither are the wicked fit to ſhine the true light into us;Mat. 5. but Chriſt and Chriſtians, thoſe lights of the world.

Verſe 16. Holding forth the word] As an enſign, [non-Latin text not transcribed] or rather as the hand doth the torch, or the watch-tow[illegible: 2 letters] the light, and ſo the haven, to weather-beaten Mariners.

Verſe 17. Yea and if I be offered] Or, Be poured out as a drink-offering upon the S[illegible: 1 letter]crifice, &c. to ſeal up my Doctrine, whereby I have brought you to the obedience of faith. Biſhop Ridley in a letter to Biſhop Brooks of Glo[illegible: 1 letter]eſter, writeth thus: As for the doctrine which I have taught, my conſcience aſſureth me that it was ſound and according to Gods Word, to his glory be it ſpoken: the which doctrine the Lord being my help, I will maintain, ſo long as my tongue ſhall wag, and breath is within my body, and in confirmation there of ſeal the ſame with my bloud. Act. and Mon. fol. 1604.

Verſe 18. For the ſame cauſe alſo, &c.] The hearers affections and endeavours ſhould exactly anſwer to the affections and endeavours of the preacher, as the Elders of Epheſus did, Act 20.31, 37. And as thoſe religious Romans did, Chap. 6, 17. and theſe Philippians, 2 Cor. 8 5.

Verſe 19. That I alſo may be of good comfort] [non-Latin text not transcribed] That I may be inſpirited. For when Silas and Timotheus were come from theſe Macedonians, Paul was preſſed in ſpirit, Act. 18.9. and ſet vigorouſly upon the Lords work.

Verſe 20. Like-minded] An alter ego to me. True friendſhip transformeth us into the condition of thoſe we love, [non-Latin text not transcribed] as Euſebius into his friend Pamphilus the Martyr, Whence he was called Euſebius Pamphili.Hieronym. Amicitia ſit tantum inter bin[illegible: 1 letter]s qui ſunt veri, & bonos qui ſunt pauci.

Verſe 21. For all ſeek their own] If it were ſo then, what wonder if now, as was ſo long ſince foretold, 2 Tim. 3.2. Self muſt be ſhouldred out, and Chriſts ſhare ſtudied more then out own: all private intereſts let fall, and all ſelf-reſpects drown[illegible: 2 letters] in the glory of God, and the publike good, or elſe we want that pious ingenuity that becometh Saints. It is ſaid of Cato, that he did.—toti genitum ſe credere mundo, Eucan. That the care of the community lay upon him. Timothy was of a choice and excellent ſpirit that naturally cared for the Churches welfare: Few ſuch now a-daies.

Verſe 22. As the ſonne with the Father] Happy ſon in ſuch a Father, 1 Tim. 1.2. If Jaſon the Theſſalian held himſelf to happy in his Tutour Chiron, Alexander in his Aristotle, Paul in his Gamaliel, [illegible: 1 letter]inda[illegible: 1 letter]. lib. 4. [illegible: 1 word]. how much more was Timothy in Paul the aged, Philem. ver. 9. whoſe not only doctrine but manner of life he knew fully and followed faithfully, 2 Tim. 3.10. as a diligent Diſciple?

Verſe 23. So ſoon as I ſhall ſee] For his life was now in ſuſpenſe by reaſon of that roaring lion Nero, whom Tertullian wittily calleth, Dedicatorem damnation[illegible: 1 letter]s Christianorum, q[illegible: 1 letter]ippe qui oriontem fidemprimus Romae cruen[illegible: 2 letters] v[illegible: 2 letters].

Verſe 24. Shall come ſhortly] Whether ever he did come or no, we know not. Fallitur augurio ſpes bona ſaepe ſuo. Good hopes are often fruſtrated.

Verſe 25. Neceſſary to ſend to you] It is not meet that a Paſtour be long abſent from his people. Moſes was a way but fourty daies, and before he came again, Iſrael had made them a golden Calf. A godly Miniſter when he is abroad, is like a fiſh in the air; whereinto if it leap for recreation or neceſſity, yet it ſoon returns to his own element.

Verſe 26. [non-Latin text not transcribed] For he longed after you] The word ſignifieth ſuch a vehement deſire, as is impatient of delaies. His heart was where his calling was.

And was full of heavineſſe] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Gr. He was out of the world, as it were, and could not take comfort in any company.

Verſe 27. For indeed he was ſick] Which ſhould not have been, if S. Paul could have cured him, as he did others. This ſhews that the Apoſtles cured the ſick, and did miracles not by their own power, or at their own pleaſure, &c.

But God had mercy on him] A great mercy it is to recover health, and highly to be prized. After ſickneſſe, offer to God the ranſome of thy life, as they did, Exod. 31. Bleſſe Jehovah thy Phyſitian, ſo he is called, Exod. 15.26. Thus did David, Pſal. 103.3. Thus Hezekiah, Iſa. 36.9. Thus the very Heathens, whoſe cuſtome was, after a fit of ſickneſſe, to conſecrate ſomething to their gods.

But on m[illegible: 1 letter] alſo] For it is a very ſore affliction to looſe a dear friend, which is as a mans own ſoul, Deut. 13 6. and is there ſet after brother, ſon, daughter, wife of a mans boſome, as dearer then all of them.

Lest I ſhould have ſorrow] Gods care is that we ſuffer in meaſure, Iſa. 27.8. And according as we can, 1 Cor. 10.13. See the Note there.

Verſe 28. That when ye ſee him] And receive him as riſen from the dead. God knows how to commend his mercies to us, by threatning us with the loſſe of them: for Bona à tergo for moſiſſima. We know beſt the worth of mercies by the want of them.

Verſe 29. Hold ſuch in reputation] Or ſet a juſt price, a due eſtimate upon them. Horrible is the contempt that is now call upon the Miniſtery by our Novellers, as if they had learned of Campian to ſay, Miniſtr[illegible: 2 letters] eorum n[illegible: 1 letter]hil vilius.

Verſe 30. Not regarding his life] Gr. Ill providing for his life, [non-Latin text not transcribed] caſting away all inordinate care of it, as if he had put on that Rom[illegible: 1 letter]n reſolution, Neceſſe eſt ut eam, non vt vivam. Nee[illegible: 1 letter]ſly I muſt go, not needſly live.