John Trapp on Titus 3

CHAP. III. Verſe 1. To be ready to every]

AS the Bee, ſo ſoon as ever the Sun breaks forth, ſlies abroad to gather honey and wax. A ready heart makes riddance of religious duties.

Verſe 2. To ſpeak evil of no man] Unleſſe it be in an ordinance, for the reformation of the unruly, pleaſing all in that which is good to edifie.

Verſe 3. For we our ſelves alſo] I Paul, and thou Titus were as bad as others: let us therefore ſhew all mercy and meeknes to others. Aut ſumus, aut fuimus, aut poſſumus eſſe quod bic est.

Serving divers! [illegible: 1 letter]ſts]Captivarum ſuarum captivi Plu[illegible: 2 letters]ren R[illegible: 2 letters]a villrix. gentian, captivi v[illegible: 1 letter]iorun Oren [illegible: 1 span] Dra[illegible: 4 letters] [illegible: 1 letter]e re non[illegible: 1 letter] n[illegible: 1 letter]inu. conſervo ſer vimu. [illegible: 1 span] epiſt. l. 12 As the Perſian Kings Were Lords of the world, but ſlaves to their Concubines. The Aſſyrian led away the Egyptians naked and bare ſoot, Iſa. 29.2. So doth Satan, ſinners. Hence, though never ſo great, they are called vile perſons, as Antiochus, Dan. 11.21. Becauſe they have as many Lords, as luſts. Felix at that very time that he trembled before Paul, could not but covet and expect a bribe from him.

Hatefull] Gr. Horrible, as hell it ſelf, or juſtly odious to others.

Verſe 4. Kindenes and love] His native goodnes, and his communicated goodnes to us, not yet exiſting, nay reſiſting.

Verſe 5. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Which we have done] We that are bankrupts in Adam, would yet fain be doing, and think to be ſaved for a company of poor b[illegible: 1 letter]ggarly duties: as bankrupts will be trading again, though but for pins, &c.

But according to his mercy] God is not merchant: his kingdom is not partum, but paratum. He that ſaid, Coelum grat is non accipiam, I will not have heaven on free coſt,Vega. went without it.

Verſe 6. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Which he ſhed] Gr. Poured out (as it were by pail fuls) his ſpirit (the beſt thing) upon all fleſh (the baſeſt thing) Joel 2.28.

Verſe 7. Be made heirs] Not purchaſers: all is of free grace, Horreo quicquid de meo eſt, ut ſim meus. Paul was a moſt conſtant preacher of grace.Bernard. Auguſtin. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

Verſe 8. That thou affirm constantly] Be well ſetled in it thy ſelf, and avouch and averre it confidently to others: being ready to make it good, if queſtioned.

Be carefull] Bend their wits, and beat their brains. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

To maintain good [illegible: 1 letter]orks] To exceed and excell others in their honeſt functions and faculties: [non-Latin text not transcribed] Plutarch. to be their craſeſ-maſters, to bear away the bell from all that are of the ſame trade or profeſſion. This was Tully's ſtudy to be beſt at any thing he ever undertook: ſhould it not then be a believers?

Verſe 9. But fooliſh queſtions] Such as is that of the Papiſts, whether an aſſe drinking at the font, do drink the water of baptiſme, and ſo may be ſaid to be baptized? Eſt quaestio digna aſinis, ſaith Melancthon. Such queſtioniſts are (as Stapleton ſaith of Bodin) magninugatores, great triflers.

Verſe 10. A man that is an berotike] All hereſies are found to flow (ſaith Chemnitius)Loc com part loc. 2. either from the ſupercilious pride of Samoſatenus, or from the ſophiſtry of Arrius, or from the ignorance of Aetius. Theſe mens wit will better ſerve them to deviſe a thouſand ſhifts to elude the truth, then their pride will ſuffer them once to yeeld and acknowledge it. And here this rule of St Paul takes place. Neſtorius was an unlearned and proud man, but very bold and well-ſpoken: Inſomuch as thereby he oft carried it, and ſo ſeduced the Emperour Theodoſius, as that Cyril, a very good Biſhop was thrown out of his place.Zanch Miſe. epiſt. dedicat. Howbeit he was afterwards reſtored again with honour, when the Emperour had better bethought himſelf, and the heretike Nectorius was condemned and caſt out.

Verſe 11. Condemned of himſelf] Sith, as a head-ſtrong horſe, he gets the bit between his teeth, and runs away. Thus did the Phariſees, Totiès puncti, & puncti, minimè tamen Ad reſipiſcentiam compuncti, as one ſaith, They ſhut the windows leſt the light ſhould come in.

Verſe 12. Come unto me to Nicopolis] The inhabitants of this City are ſaid ſo to have hated the braying of an Aſſe, that they would not endure to hear the found of a trumpet. So ſome pretend ſuch an hatred of hypocriſie, that they will not abide the profeſſion of piety.

Verſe 13. That nothing be wanting] Thoſe that labour in the Lords work, muſt have all neceſſary accommodations and encouragements. They muſt be ſet forth and brought forward on their journey, and in their negotiations worthy of God, 3 Joh. 6. Deductione honorifie â, Act. 15 3. & 20.38. & 21.5. A Balaam will not deal hardly with his Aſſe, if once he perceive the Lord to be in him, and to ſpeak by him: Shall we deal unworthily with Gods Miniſters, in whom God is of a truth, 1 Cor. 14.25. and hath given unto them the miniſtery of reconciliation? 2 Cor. 5.18.

Verſe 14. To maintain good works] See the Note on Verſe 8. of this Chapter.

That they be not unfruitfull] As drone-Bees or body-lice, living upon others labours, and ſo opening the mouths of Heathens, who will be ready to ſay, as he once did, Odi homines ignavâ operâ, philoſophâ ſontentiâ.

Verſe 15. That love us in the faith] That beſt ligament of love. The Church is the only daughter of her mother, and is called Eccleſia, of calling all hers together. Religion hath its name of binding, becauſe it binds men all in a bundle, and makes them be of one heart, and of one ſoul, Act. 4.32. to ſerve the Lord with one ſhoulder, Zeph. 39. to glorifie God with one minde, and with one mouth, Rom. 15.6. there being no ſuch oneneſſe in the world, as among true believers.