Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Verſe 1. Could not ſpeak unto you]
VNleſſe I would beat the air, and loſe my ſweet words, q. d. You quarrell me for a ſhallow triviall teacher, when your ſelves are in fault, as not yet capable of more myſterious matter. Our Saviour preached (not as he could have preached, but) as the people were able to hear, Mark 4.33. So the Authour to the Hebrews, chap. 5.11. Some impute their not profiting to the Miniſter, as he in Seneca, that having a thorn in his foot, complained of the roughneſſe of the way, as the cauſe of his limping. Or as ſhe in the ſame Authour, that being ſtruck with a ſudden blindenes bad open the windows, when as it was not want of light, but want of ſight that troubled her.
As unto carnall, even as unto babes] Or, At leaſt as unto babes, not yet paſt the ſpoon, and that muſt have their meat maſticated for them by their nurſes.
Verſe 2. I have fed you with milk] Miniſters muſt condeſcend to their hearers capacities, though they be ſlighted for ſo doing, as Paul was; or jeared, as Iſaiah, chap. 28.9, 10. for his line upon line,Moſes his choice, 375. precept upon precept, Kau lekau, and Zau lezau; The ſound of the words carries a taunt, as ſcornfull people by the tone of their voice and riming words, ſcorn at ſuch as they deſpiſe.
Verſe 3. For ye are yet carnall] It is a ſhame for Chriſtians to be like other men, as Sampſon was after he had loſt his ha…r.
Envying and strife, &c.] Theſe overflowings of the gall and ſpleen, came from a fulnes of bad humours.
And walk as men] Chriſtians ſhould be as Saul was, higher then the people by head and ſhoulders. Something ſingular is expected from them, Matth. 5.47. they ſhould have their feet where other mens heads are, Prov. 15.24. When we do evil, we work do nostro & ſecundum hominem, we do our kinde, as the devil when he ſpeakes lies, ſpeakes, De ſuo, of his owne, Joh. 8.44.
Verſe 4. For when one ſaith, &c.] So thoſe that will needs be called Lutherans, Jurant que in verba magiſtri. Did not Luther play the man, when he and other Dutch Divines adviſed Philip Lantgrave of Heſſe, a pious Prince to marry a ſecond wife that is an adultreſſe, whiles his lawfull wife was yet alive?Zanch. Mi…l. Epiſt. de…licat. And might he not deceive, and be deceived in other things as well as in that?
Are ye not carnall?] Nay, Will not the world thinke ye are mad? As the Apoſtle ſpeaks in a like caſe, 1 Cor. 14.23.
Verſe 5. But Miniſters] Not Maſters, as Magistri noſtri Pariſienſes, ſo the Sorboniſts will needs be called,Preſat, in 1, Sentent. contrary to Jam. 3.1. Bacon the Carmelite was called Doctor reſolutiſſimus, becauſe he would endure no May Bees.
Verſe 6. But God gave the encreaſe] The Harp yeelds no ſound, till it be touched by the hand of the Muſician. The heart is never made good, till the heavens anſwer the earth, Hoſ. 2.21. till God ſtrike the ſtroke. Holy Melancthon being newly converted, thought it impoſſible for his hearers to withſtand the evidence of the Goſpel. But ſoon after he complained that old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon.
Verſe 7. So then neither is he, &c.] This made Cyril to conclude his Preface to his Catechiſme, with M…um eſt docere, veſirum auſcultare, Dei perficere. I may teach, and yen hear, but God muſt do the deed, when all's done. Elſe, we may preach and pray to the wearing of our tongues to the ſlumps (as Bradford ſaid) and to no more purpoſe then Bede did, when he preached to a heap of ſtones.
Verſe 8. And he that watereth are one] Why then are not you at one? Should ye not follow your leaders, preſſe their footſteps?
Shall receive his own reward] Thoſe ambitious Doctours that draw diſciples after them, hunting after popular applauſe (that empty blaſt of ſtinking breath) ſhall have that for their reward; let them make them merry with it. When faithfull Miniſters ſhall ſhine as ſtars, Dan. 12.3.
Verſe 9. For we are labourers, &c.] Let Miniſters hence learn their, 1. Dignity. 2. Duty. Fructus honos oneris, fructus honoris onus. Who would not work hard with ſuch ſweet company?
Verſe 10. As a wiſe master-builder] Artificers alſo have their wiſdom,Ariſt. Ethic. lib. 6. cap. 7. as Ariſtotle yeeldeth. For his God doth inſtruct him to diſcretion, and doth teach him, Iſa. 28.26. As he did Bezaleel, and Aholiah.
Verſe 11. Which is Ieſus Chriſt] The Doctrine of his perſon and offices is the foundation of Chriſtian religion: and muſt therefore be kept pure and entire by all means poſſible. Arrius his foreign, would not be yeelded: nor Nestorius his foreign, for foreign So religious were the old Biſhops that they would not alter or exchange a letter or a ſyllable in theſe fundamentals. Every particle of truth is precious, and not to be parted with.
Verſe 12. Wood, hay, ſtubble] Rhetoricall ſtrains, philoſophicall fancies, that tend not to edification. There are that together with the gold, ſilver and ivory of ſound and ſavoury truths, have, as Solomons ſhips had, ſtore of apes and peacocks, conceits and crotchets. Now if he that imba…eth the Kings coyn deſerve puniſhment, what do they that in ſtead of the tried ſilver of divine truths, ſtamp the name and character of God upon Nehuſhtan, their own baſe brazen ſtuff?
Verſe 13. For the day ſhall declare it] That is, The light of the truth, or time the father of truth, or the day of death, when many recognize and recant their errours, ſhall ſhew them their ſinne.
Verſe 14. If any mans work abide] Errour as glaſſe is bright, but brittle and cannot endure the hammer or ſire, as gold can; which, though rub'd or melted, remains firm and orient.
Verſe 15. He ſhall ſuffer loſſe] Of his work (his laborious loſſe of time) and of ſome part of h…s wages.
Yet ſo as by fire] Not of Purgatory (a Popiſh fiction) but of the holy Ghoſt. Or (as one interprets it) like unto them who ſave themſelves naked out of the fire, without carrying away any of their goods: ſo his perſon ſhall be ſaved, but he ſhall not have the reward of a well qualified Miniſter.
Verſe 16. Ye are the temple of God] Not Gods building only, as verſ. 9. but his Temple. A mud wall may be made up of any thing, not ſo the wals of a Temple or Pallace: that muſt have other materials.
And that the Spirit of God, &c.] Next to the love of Chriſt in dwelling in our nature,D. Sibbs … Eph. 9.30. we may wonder at the love of the holy Ghoſt, that will dwell in our defiled ſouls. Let our care be to waſh the pavement of this temple with our tears, to ſweep it by repentance, to beautifie it with holines, to perfume it with prayers, to deck it with humility, to hang it with ſincerity. Delicata res eſt spiritus Dei. The holy Ghoſt will dwell in a poor, ſo it be a pure houſe. Religion loves to lie clean, as was a grave ſpeech of an ancient Saint.
Verſe 17. Which temple ye are] Man is Gods temple: God, mans altar. Demoſthenes could ſay, That mans heart was Gods beſt and moſt ſtately temple, Iuſtitiâ, verecundiâ, & obſervantiâ legum communitum.Contra Ariſtog.
Verſe 18. Let no man deceive himſelf] Bis deſipit, qui ſibi ſapit. Conſily ſatis eſt in me mihi,ſaid ſhe in the Poet.Arachne ap. Ovid. Metam. Nothing ſo eaſie as to over-ween.
Let him become a fool] Let him come to the well with an empty pitcher. Intùs existens prohibet alienum. Agur (if a man may believe him) is more brutiſh then any man, Pro. 30.2, 3. See there how he vilifies, yea nullifies himſelf before God. So did bleſſed Bradford, as appears by the ſubſcriptions of many of his letters.Act and Mon. fol. 1507.
Verſe 19. He taketh the wiſe] Thoſe naturall bruit beaſts made to be taken and deſtroied, 2 Pet. 2.12. God takes them,foreign. and makes fools of them.
Verſe 20. Of the wiſe] Such as excell in naturall gifts, that are the choiſeſt and moſt picked men. The Pſalmiſt ſaith only of men, Pſ. 94.12.
Verſe 21. Let no man glory in men] That is, that they are ſuch an ones ſchollars or followers; ſeeing the Church is not made for them, but they for the Church.
Verſe 22. All are yours] Though not in poſſeſſion, yet in uſe, or by way of reduction, as we ſay, the worſt things are Gods childrens, and in reverſions thoſe beſt things above.
Verſe 23. And ye are Chriſts] We hold all we have in Capite tenure in Chriſt. From Chriſt therefore let us take our denomination. The name of Jeſuites ſavoureth of blaſphemous arrogance.