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. If ye then being evil]

Even ye my Disciples also:* 1.1 For by nature there is never a better of us. But as the historian 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that there were many Marij in one Caesar, so there are many Cains and Judasses in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of us all. Homo est inversus deca∣logus, saith one: whole evil is in man, and whole man in evil; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the devil, whose works (even in the best of his Saints) Christ* 1.2 came to destroy; to dissolve the old frame, and to drive out the Prince of darknesse, who hath there entrencht himself. And al∣though sinne in the Saints hath received its deaths-wound, yet are there still in the best, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 stirrings, and spruntings thereof (as in dying creatures it useth to be) which (without Gods greater grace, and the countermotion of the holy Spirit within them) would certainly produce most shamefull evils. This put S. Paul to that pittifull outcry, Rom. 7. 24. and made him exhort 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.3 (though he were a young man rarely mortified) to exhort* 1.4 the younger women with all 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or chastity; intimating, that, thorough the corruption of his nature, even whilst he was exhort∣ing them to chastity, some unchast motions might steal upon him unawares. A tree may have withered branches, by reason of some deadly blow given to the root, and yet there may remain some sap within, which will bud and blossome forth again. Or, as if some wilde fig-tree, saith a Father, that grows in the walls of a goodly building, and hides the beauty of it, the boughs and branches may 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cut or broken of, but the root, which is wrapped into the stones of the building, cannot be taken away, till the walls be thrown

down, and the stones cast one from another: So sinne that dwel∣leth in us, hath its roots so inwrapped and intertwined in our na∣tures, that it can never be utterly 〈◊〉〈◊〉; but pride will bud,* 1.5 and the fruits of the flesh will be manifest, though we be daily lop∣ping* 1.6 off the branches, and labouring also at the root. Sinne is an inmate, that will not out, doe what we can, till the house fall upon the head of it; an hereditary disease, and that, which is bred in the bone, will never out of the flesh; a pestilent Hydra, somewhat a∣kin to those beasts in Daniel, that had their dominion taken a∣way, yet were their lives prolonged for a time, and a season. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 7. 12.

How much more will your father which is in Heaven give good things]

Give the holy Spirit saith S. Luke: for Nihil bonum* 1.7 sine summo bono, saith S. Austin, when God gives his Spirit, he gives all good things, and that which is more then all besides. For it is a Spirit of judgement and of burning, of grace and of de∣precation,* 1.8 * 1.9 of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, of strength* 1.10 and of might, enabling both to resist evil of sinne, and to endure evil of sorrow. And for good things, temporall, to trample on them; spirituall, to reach after them. It is a free spirit, setting a* 1.11 man at liberty from the tyranny of sin, and terrour of wrath; and oyling his joints, that he may be active and abundant in the Lords worke. This holy spirit is signified by those two golden pipes, Zech. 4. through which the two Olive-branches, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, empty out of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the golden oyles of all precious graces in∣to the candle-stick, the Church. And how great a favour it is to have the holy Spirit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 inhabitant: See Joel 2. where, after God had promised the former and latter rain, floores full of wheat, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 full of wine and oyl, a confluence of all outward comforts and contentments; he adds this as more then all the rest, I will also* 1.12 〈◊〉〈◊〉 out my spirit upon all 〈◊〉〈◊〉. He will pour out, not drop down* 1.13 only sparingly and pinchingly as some penny-father, but pour* 1.14 〈◊〉〈◊〉, like a liberall housholder, as it were, by pailes or bucket-fulls. And what? my spirit, that noble spirit, as David calleth it, that comforter, counsellour, conduit into the land of the living. And upon whom? upon all 〈◊〉〈◊〉: spirit upon flesh, so brave a thing up∣on so base a subject. Next to the love of Christ in dwelling in our nature, we may well wonder at the love of the holy Ghost that will dwell in our defiled souls; that this spirit of glory and of God will dain to rest upon us, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the cloud did upon the Taber∣nacle.

How glad was Lot of the Angels, Micha of the Levite, Elizabeth of the mother of her Lord, Lydia of Paul, Zacheus* 1.15 of Christ, Obed-Edom of the Ark? And shall not we be as joyfull and thankfull for the holy Spirit, whereby we are sealed (as mer∣chants* 1.16 set their seals upon their wares, unto the day of redem∣ption. If David for outward benefits brake out into, What is man that thou art mindefull of him? and Iob, for fatherly chastise∣ments,* 1.17 * 1.18 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him &c? how should this best gift of his holy Spirit affect and ravish us? sith thereby all mercies are seasoned, and all crosses sanctified; neither can any man say (experimentally and savingly) that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost.* 1.19

Give good things to them that aske him]

sc. If they aske in faith, bring honest hearts, and lawfull petitions, and can weight Gods leisure. Let none say here, as the Prophet in another case, I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought: I have* 1.20 prayed and sped not, the more I pray, the worse its with me. The manner of our usage here in prison doth change (saith B. Ridley in* 1.21 a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to Bradford) as sowr ale doth in summer: and yet who doubts but they praid earn and earnestly, when they were in Bo∣cardo, that Colledge of Quondams, when those Bishops were there prisoners? God is neither unmindfull nor unfaithfull, but waits the fittest time to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mercy, and will surely avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear* 1.22 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with them. The seed must have a time to grow downward, before it grows upward: And as that seed which is longest cover∣ed, riseth the first, with most increase: so those prayers which seem lost, are laid up in heaven, and will prove the surest grain: the more we sowe of them into Gods bosom, the more fruit and comfort we shall reap and receive in our greatest need.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Never a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 better 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.2

  The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cre∣tians before conversion were lyers, e∣vil 〈◊〉〈◊〉, &c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 must be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rebu∣ked that they may 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 5. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.5

  Ezek. 7. 10.
• * 1.6

  Gal. 5. 19.
• * 1.7

  Luk. 11. 13.
• * 1.8

  Isa. 4. 4.
• * 1.9

  Zech. 12. 10.
• * 1.10

  Isa. 11. 2.
• * 1.11

  2 Cor. 3. 17.
• * 1.12

  Ioel 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 23, 28.
• * 1.13

  Psal 51.
• * 1.14

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 car∣ni 〈◊〉〈◊〉, i. res praest antis∣sima rei plane fragili, & ca∣ducae: quam tamen 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 spiritus. sui munere. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.15

  1 Pet. 4. 14.
• * 1.16

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 4. 30.
• * 1.17

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 4.
• * 1.18

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.19

  1 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 12. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.20

  Isa. 49.
• * 1.21

  Act and Mon. fol. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.22

  Luk. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 7.