John Trapp on Romans 10

CHAP. X. Verſe 1. My hearts deſire]

SO it ſhould be ours. See my True Treaſure, Chapter 7. Sect. 2.

Verſe 2. They have a zeal of God] So had thoſe two Rabbins, David Rubenita, Alſted. Chron. 426. and Shelomoh Molchu that ſet upon the Emperour Charles the fift, to perſwade him to Judaiſme, and were therefore put to a cruell death, anno 1530. So had Latimer before his converſion: I was as obſtinate a Papiſt, ſaith he, as any was in England: Inſomuch that when I ſhould be made Bachelour in Divinity, my whole Oration went againſt Philip Melancthon, and his opinions, &c. Being a Prieſt, and uſing to ſay Maſſe, he thought he had never ſufficiently mingled his maſſing wine with water: and moreover that he ſhould never be damned, if he were once a profeſſed Frier;Act. and Mon. fol 1571. with divers ſuch ſuperſtitious phantaſies. Zeal without knowledge is as wilde-fire in a fools hand; it is like the devil in the demoniack, that caſts him ſometimes into the fire, and ſometimes into the water.

Verſe 3. For they being ignorant] The ſoul that is without knowledge is not good, and he that (without knowledge) hasteth with his feet, ſinneth, Prov. 19.2. the faſter he goeth, the farther he is out.

Verſe 4. For Christ is the end, &c.] q. d. By, and for Chriſts ſake, is the righteouſnes of God. But the Jews ſubmit not to Chriſt, therefore not to the righteouſnes of God.

Verſe 5. Shall live by them] This doe and live; that is, ſaith Luther, morere, die out of hand: for there is no man lives and ſins not. We can as little ceaſe to ſin, as the pulſe to beat, heart to pant, &c.

Verſe 6. Say not in thine heart] The law preacheth faith in Chriſt, as well as the Goſpel.

Verſe 7. Into the deep] Thoſe deeps of the earth, Pſ. 71.20.

Verſe 8. The word is nigh thee] Moſes meant it of the law, but it more fitly agreeth to the Goſpel. The Babe of Bethlehem is ſwathed up in the bands of both Teſtaments: he is authour, object, matter and mark of both. Therefore if we will profit in hearing, teaching, reading, we muſt have the eye of our mindes turned toward Chriſt, as the faces of the Cherubims were toward the Mercy-ſeat.

Verſe 9. That if thou ſhalt confeſſe] That is, If thou ſhalt call upon the name of the Lord, as it is expounded, v. 13.

Verſe 10. For with the heart, &c.] Pluturch tels us, that of all plants in Aegypt, Plut. de [illegible: 1 letter]ſide & Oſiride. that they call Perſica is conſecrated to their goddeſſe Iſis, and that for this reaſon, becauſe the fruit of it is like an heart, the leaf like a tongue.

Verſe 11. Shall not be aſhamed] Maketh not haſte, ſaith the Prophet. Shame and confuſion follow haſte and procipitancy: Sed Deo confiſi nunquam confuſi.

Verſe 12. Is rich unto all, &c.] He cannot therefore be poor that can pray: for he ſhall have out his praier, either in money or moneys-worth.

Verſe 13. Shall be ſaved] Though he miſſe of that particular mercy he asketh, he is certainly ſealed up to ſalvation.

Verſe 14. How ſhall they hear, &c.] The word read, is of divine uſe and efficacy: but of preaching we may ſay as David did of Goliah's ſword, There's none to that.

Verſe 15. How beautifull are the jeet] How much more their faces? Surely I have ſeen thy face as the face of God, ſaid Jacob to Eſau, Gen. 33.10. that is, honourable and comfortable. We know how Cornelius received Peter; and the Galatians, Paul, till they were bewitched from him, Gal. 4.14. But it muſt be remembred that we glorifie the Word, not the Preacher, Act. 13.48.

Verſe 16. Who hath beleeved our report!] Gr. Our hearing. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Paſſively taken. So Caeſar and Cicero uſe auditio, for report and rumour. Some ſit before a preacher as ſenſleſſe as the ſeats they ſit on, pillars they lean to, dead bodies they tread on. Others rage, Tange montes & fumig abunt, &c.

Verſe 17. By the word of God] That is, By the Word of Gods command ſending out preachers gifted for the purpoſe, and ſaying to them, Goe. preach, &c.

Verſe 18. Yes verily; their ſound, &c.] Sonus, tonus. David ſaith only, Their line, Pſal. 19.2. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. That accurate and artificiall frame of the heaven preacheth, as it were, the infinite wiſdome and power of the Creatour. All Gods works are his Regij profeſſores, his Catholike Preachers, or reall Poſtilles (as one calleth them) of his Divinity. The world (ſaith Clem. Alex.) is Dei Scriptura, Gods great Bible with three great leaves, heaven, earth and hell.

Verſe 19. Did not Iſrael know] ſc. That the Gentiles were to be called? They were oft told it.

Verſe 20. Is very bold] So that for his boldnes he was ſawn aſunder, ſaith Hierom.

Verſe 21. Stretched] A metaphor from a mother.