John Trapp on Romans 12

CHAP. XII. Verſe 1. That ye preſent]

AS they of old did their ſacrifices at the altar. With the burnt offering, wch ſignified the ſacrificing of the fleſh, was joyned the ſin-offering, that is, Chriſt, Faith applies Chriſt to the believer, & the believer to Chriſt.

Your bodies] That is, your whole perſon. Cainiſtae ſunt, ſaith Luther, offerentes non perſonam, ſed opus perſonae. They are Cainists that offer to God the work done, but do not offer themſelves to God.

A living ſacrifice] In the old law they had many kindes of Sacrifices killed and offered. Now (ſaith Origen) in ſtead of a Ramme we kill our irefull paſſions: in ſtead of a Goat our unclean affections: in ſtead of ſlying fowls our idle thoughts, &c.

Verſe 2. To this world] To the corrupt cuſtomes and courſes of wicked wordlings. See them ſet forth, Rom 13.13. Epheſ. 4.18, 19, 20. 1 Pet. 4.3. and ſhun them.

But be ye transformed] Gr. Metamorphoſed, the old frame being diflolved, and a new form acquited.

That ye may prove] ſc. By your practice.

Verſe 3. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Xenoph. de dictu & factis Socrat. lib 3. But to think ſoberly] Gr. To be wiſe to ſobriety. Socrates made no diſtinction between wiſdome and ſobriety, [non-Latin text not transcribed] non diſtinguebat.

Verſe 4. For as we have, &c.] See 1 Cor. 12.12, which is a Commentary on this text.

Verſe 5. One body in Chriſt] See the Note on 1 Cor. 12.12, 13.

Verſe 6. According to the proportion] That form of ſound words, 2 Tim. 1.13. thoſe principles of the doctrine of Chriſt, Heb. 6.1. with which all interpretations of Scripture muſt bear due proportion.

Verſe 7. Or Miniſtery] Take it either largely for the whole miniſtery, as 1 Cor. 12.5, Act. 1.17. Or more ſtrictly for the office of a Deacon, as Act. 6.

Verſe 8. Or he that exhorteth] The Paſtour properly ſo called. See the Note on Eph. 4.11.

Verſe 9. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Abhorre that which is evil] Hate it as hell it ſelf: ſo the word ſignifies, Mihi certè Auxentius nunquam aliud quam [illegible: 1 letter]abolus erit, quia Arrianus, ſaith Hilary, I ſhall look upon Auxemius no otherwiſe then as upon a devil, ſo long as he is an Arrian.

Verſe 10. Be kindely affectioned] As naturall brethren and more. Arctior eſt copula cordis quam corporis. We are brethren in Adam according to the fleſh, in and by Chriſt according to the Spirit.

Verſe 11. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Cunctator. Not ſlothfull] Or, Not driving off till it be too late. Charles the ſon of Charles Duke of Aniou, who was King of Sicily and Jeruſalem, was called, Carolus cunctator, not in the ſenſe as Fabius, becauſe he ſtaid till opportunity came, but becauſe he ſtaid till opportunity was loſt.

Fervent in ſpirit] Gr. Seething hot. God, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. who is himſelf a pure act, loveth activenes in men: the very reſt of heavenly bodies is in motion in their proper places.

Verſe 12. Rejoycing in hope] Hope makes abſent joyes preſent, wants plenitudes, and beguiles calamity as good company doth the time.

Patient in tribulation] Bearing up under preſſures, as among many other Martyrs Nicolas Burton, who by the way to the ſtake, and in the ſ[illegible: 1 letter]ame was ſo patient and chearfull,Act. and Mon. 1866. that the tormentours ſaid, the devil had his ſoul before he came to the fire, and therefore his ſenſes of feeling were paſt.

Continuing instant in praier] Conſtant and inſtant. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. N[illegible: 1 letter]z. in Epita. A metaphor from hunting dogs, that give not over the game till they have got it. Nazianzen ſaith of his ſiſter Gorgonia, that ſhe was ſo given to praier, that her knees ſeemed to grow to the very ground. Of Traſilla it is reported,Greg. Dialog. that being dead ſhe was found to have her elbows as hard as horn, by leaning to a desk at which ſhe uſed to pray. St James is ſaid to have had knees as hard as Camels knees,Euſeb. by his continuall kneeling in praier. And Paul the eremite was ſound dead kneeling upon his knees, holding up his hāds, lifting up his eye: ſo that the very dead corps ſeemed yet to live, and to pray to God. Hieron in vita

Verſe 13. To the neceſſity] Gr. To the uſes of the Saints, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. not ſtaying till they be in neceſſity.

Verſe 14. Bleſſe them] See the Note on Mat. 5 44.

Verſe 15. Weep with them that weep] St Cyprians compaſſion is remarkable, Cum ſingulis pectus meum copulo, maeroris & funeris pondera luctuoſa participo: cum plangentibus plango, cum d ſlentibus defleo, &c. I partake in every mans grief, and am as much affected and afflicted, as if it were mine own caſe.

Verſe 16. Be of the ſame] This verſe had been eaſie, had not Interpreters obſcured it, as Origen obſerveth.

Verſe 17. Recompenſe to no man] In reaſon, revenge is but juſtice: Aristotle commends it: the world cals it Manhood, Ariſt Rhetor. lib. 9 cap. 1. 'tis doghood rather. The manlier any man is, the milder and more mercifull, as David, 2 Sam. 1.12. and Julius Caeſar, who wept over Pompeys head preſented to him, and ſaid, Non mihi placet vindicta, dicta, ſed victoria, I ſeek not revenge, but victory.

Verſe 18. As much as lieth in you] Let it not ſtick on your part. [illegible: 1 letter]ive not offence careleſly, take not offence cauſleſly. See the Note on Mat. 5.9

Verſe 19. Avenge not your ſelves] Some take the Sword into their own hands: and, leſt they ſhould ſeem Anabaptiſts in taking two blows for one, will give two blows for one.

Give place to wrath] ſc. To the wrath and vengeance of God, which he ſeemeth to prevent that ſeeks revenge.

Verſe 20. Thou ſhalt heap] Thou ſhalt melt him, and make him thy friend for ever.

Verſe 21. Be not overcome] In rixa is inferior eſt, qui victor eſt, ſaith Baſil. In revenge of injuries, he is the loſer that gets the better. [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 letter] Cor. 6.7. Hence the Apoſtle diſgraceth it, by a word that ſignifieth diſgrace or loſſe of victory.

But overcome evil] This is the moſt noble victory. Thus David overcame Saul, Func. Chronol. and Henry the 7th, Emperour of Germany, overcame the Prieſt that poiſoned him at the Sacrament: for he pardoned him, and bad him be packing. So did not Iacup the Perſian King,Turk Hiſt. who perceiving himſelf poiſoned by his adulterous wife, enforced her to drink of the ſame cup: and becauſe he would be ſure ſhe ſhould not eſcape, with his own hand he ſtruck off her head. But this (to ſay truth) was not revenge, but juſtice.