A commentary or exposition upon the four Evangelists, and the Acts of the Apostles: wherein the text is explained, some controversies are discussed, divers common places are handled, and many remarkable matters hinted, that had by former interpreters been pretermitted. Besides, divers other texts of Scripture which occasionally occur are fully opened, and the whole so intermixed with pertinent histories, as will yeeld both pleasure and profit to the judicious reader. / By John Trapp M. A. Pastour of Weston upon Avon in Gloucestershire.

Verse 11. I indeed baptize you with water to repentance.]

There* 1.1 is a two fold baptisme, Heb. 6. 2. the doctrine of baptismes, viz,* 1.2 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & flaminis, externall and internall, the putting away of the pollution of the flesh, and the answer of a good conscience (purged from dead works) to God-ward. When these two meet, when men are baptized with water to repentance, then baptisme saveth, 1 Pet. 3. 21. that is, it effectually assureth salva∣tion, whensoever by the Spirit and faith, the baptized comes to be united to Christ, and to feel the love of God shed abroad in his soul, whereby is wrought in him a spirit of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a grief 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sinne, as it is an offence against God. And hereupon S. Peter* 1.3 saith, Baptisme saveth, in the present tense: implying that it is of permanent and perpetuall use; effectuall to save and seal up the promises, whensoever we repent. From which happy time,* 1.4 baptisme once received, remains a fountain alwaies open for sinne and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 uncleannesse, to those that mourn over him, that bled over* 1.5 them; a laver of regeneration, a washing of the spirit, who 〈◊〉〈◊〉 clean water upon them: ridding and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them from all their sins, past, present, and future. Provided, that they stand* 1.6 to the Covenant and order of baptisme, in a continuall renovation of faith and repentance, as occasion shall be offered. This doctrine of baptismes (now cleared by Divines) divers of the ancient Do∣ctours understood not: which disheartned Piscator from spend∣ing much time upon them.

He that commeth after me.]

Whose Harbinger and Herald 〈◊〉〈◊〉 am, whose Prodromus and Paranymph, friend and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I am, as the morning-starre, 〈◊〉〈◊〉-runs the Sunne, with whose light it shineth.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 mightier then I]

And will easily out-〈◊〉〈◊〉 me: He must en∣crease, but I must decrease; and this is the complement of my* 1.7

joy, Ioh. 3. 29, 30. To rejoyce in the good parts of others, though it eclipseth thy light, and that from the heart, this is indeed to be able to do more then others: this is to excell others in any excel∣lency whatsoever, if this be wanting.

Whose shoes I am not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to bear.]

Christ thought 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wor∣thy to lay his hand on his holy head in baptisme, who thinks not himself worthy to lay his hand under Christs feet. The more fit any man is for whatsoever vocation, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he thinks himself.* 1.8 Who am I? said Moses, when he was to be sent to Egypt: where∣as none in all the world was comparably fit for that embassage. Not only in innumerable other things am I utterly unskilfull, faith S. Augustine, but even in the holy Scriptures themselves (my proper profession) the greatest part of my knowledge is the* 1.9 least part of mine ignorance. I, in my little cell, saith Hierom, with the rest of the Monks my fellow-sinners, dare not deter∣mine of great matters. This is all I know, that I know nothing, said Socrates: and Anaxarchus went further, and said, that he knew not that neither, that it was nothing, that he knew. This is the utmost of my wisdom (said David Chytraeus) that I see my self to be without all wisdome. And if I would at any time* 1.10 delight my self in a fool, saith Seneca, I need not seek farre, I have my self to turn to. Thus the heaviest ears of corn stoop most to∣ward the ground: Boughes the more laden they 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the more low they hang: and the more direct the Sunne is over us, the less: is our shadow: So the more true worth is in any man, the lesse* 1.11 self conceitednesse; and the lower a man is in his own eyes, the higher he is in Gods. Surely 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Baptist lost nothing by his hu∣mility and modesty here: for our Saviour extols him to the mul∣titude, Math. 11. and there are that doubt not to affirm (where they have it I know not) that for his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on earth, he is dignified with that place in heaven, from whence Lucifer fell. Sure it is, That he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. If men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 us as we set selves, God values us according to our a∣basements. The Church was black in her own eyes, fair in 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Cant. 1. 5—15.

With the holy Ghost, and with fire.]

That is, with that fiery holy Ghost, that spirit of judgement and of burning, wherewith the filth of the daughters of Zion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 washed away, Isa. 4. 4. that they may escape that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fire, mentioned in the verse next fol∣lowing. This fire of the spirit must be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from heaven, Lu∣men* 1.12

de lumine, from the father of lights, who giveth his spirit to* 1.13 them that ask it. It must be a coal from his altar, which when you have once gotten, your heart must be the hearth to uphold it; your hands, the tongs to build it; Gods ordinances, the fuell to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it; the Priests lips, the bellows to blow it up into a flame: So shall we finde it (according to the nature of fire) 1. To il∣lighten [ 1] us, as the least sparkes of fire lightens it selfe at least, and may be seen in the greatest darknesse. 2. To enliven and [ 2] revive us; for whatsoever is of the spirit is spirit, that is, nimble and* 1.14 active, full of life and motion. A bladder is a dull lumpish thing, so is a bullet: but put winde into the one, and fire to the other in a Gun, and they will flee farre. Fire is the most active of all other elements, as having much form, little matter; and there∣fore* 1.15 the Latines call a dull dronish man, a firelesse man, which God cannot away with, What thou doest, doe quickly, said our Savi∣our to 〈◊〉〈◊〉: So odious to him is dulnesse in any businesse. Baruch, full of the spirit, repaired the wall of Ierusalem earnestly, Nehem, 3. 20. Se accendit, he burst out into heat, and so finish'd his part in shorter time, I presse toward the mark, saith Paul, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I per∣secute it, Phil. 3. 14. Never was he so mad in persecuting the Saints, Act. 26. 11. as after his conversion, he was judg'd to be, the other way, 2 Cor. 5. 13.

—Paulus in omnia 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.16 Nilactum credens, cum quid superesset agendum.

3. To assimulate: As fire turns fuell into the same property [ 3] with 〈◊〉〈◊〉; so doth the spirit inform the minde, conform the will, reform the life, transform the whole man more and more, into the likenesse of the heavenly patern, it spiritualizeth and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 us, as it were, into the same image from glory to* 1.17 glory, as the Sunne (that fire of the world) by often beating with its beams, upon the pearl, makes it radiant and orient, bright and beautifull like it self. 4. To elevate and carry the heart hea∣ven-ward, [ 4] * 1.18 as fire naturally aspireth, and the spark fleeth upwards,* 1.19 to kindle our Sacrifices, and make us heavenly-minded; to break* 1.20 out at length, though for a while it lie under the weight of sin, that doth so easily beset us: as fire may lie puffing and blowing under green wood, as almost smoothered. 5. To purifie us (as fire doth metals) from our drosse, and to take away all our sinne, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. 25. 1 Cor. 9. 11. For he is like a refiners fire, and like fullers [ 5] sope, Mal. 3. 2. whereby we are purified, by obeying the truth, un∣to

unfeigned love of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 1 Pet. 1. 22. 6, And that's the [ 6] least property of the holy Ghost and of fire (that I now insist upon) Congregat 〈◊〉〈◊〉, segregat heterogenea; it unites them to* 1.21 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and separates them from sinners: for what communion hath light with darknesse? It maketh division from those of a mans house, if not of his heart; and yet causeth union with Gentile, Barbarian, Scythian, if truly Christian, Coloss. 3. 11. Oh'get this fire from heaven: So shall you glorifie God, Matth. 5. 16. and be able to dwell with devouring fire (which hypocrites cannot doe, Isa. 33. 14.) get warmth of life and comfort to your selves, give* 1.22 light and heat to others, walk surely as Israel did by the conduct of the pillar of fire, and safely, as walled with a defence of fire.* 1.23 And if any man shall hurt such, fire shall proceed out of their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to devour them. So that a man were better anger all the witches in the world, then one of those that are baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire, &c. especially if they be much mortified Christians, such as in whom this fiery spirit hath done with the body of sin, as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom, Am. 2. 1. burnt its bones into lime.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  1 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 3. 21.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Zech. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 10. with 13. 1.
• * 1.5

  Ezek. 36. 25.
• * 1.6

  A patrum lect i∣one, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 evol∣visset D. Pisca∣tor, sibi 〈◊〉〈◊〉: 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 dicere, Vix ullum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 usum & effica 〈◊◊◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊◊◊〉 ratione 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.7

  Theolog.
• * 1.8

  Non 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in aliis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rebus multa me latēt. &c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 119. cap. 21.
• * 1.9

  Ego in parvo tuguriolo, cum 〈◊〉〈◊〉, i. e. 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 meis, de 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 non au∣deo Epist. ad August.
• * 1.10

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 se 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, quod nihil sciret. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 3. Melch. Adam. 694.
• * 1.11

  Siquando 〈◊〉〈◊〉 delectari volo, non longè mihi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 est, me video. Sen. Quod 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ex par∣te 〈◊〉〈◊〉 didi∣cerim, tamen in 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉, 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 in∣tellexisse 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Baldus 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Tanti 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, quanti tibi 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.13

  H nc 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dicitur, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.14

  Joh. 3.
• * 1.15

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ignis, id est, fri∣gidus, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Tardis 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 non fa∣cilè 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Cic.
• * 1.16

  De 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Lucan. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Phars.
• * 1.17

  2 Cor. 3. ult.
• * 1.18

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 6.
• * 1.19

  Heb. 12. 1.
• * 1.20

  The least spark of fire 〈◊〉〈◊〉 en∣deavour to rise above the air: so the Spirit.
• * 1.21

  2 Cor 6.
• * 1.22

  Zech. 2. 5.
• * 1.23

  Revel. 11. 5.