Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Verſe 1. Let a man ſo account]
QƲaſi dicat, Though we are yours, as Chap. 3.22. devoted to the ſervice of your faith, yet are we not to be ſlighted, but reſpected as Chriſts high ſtewards. Miniſters of Chriſt] Gr.foreign VnderUnder-rowers to Chriſt the Maſterpilot, helping forward the Ship of the Church toward the haven of heaven.
Stewards of the myſteries] Diſpenſing all out of Gods goods, and not of our own; ſetting bread and ſalt upon the table (that is preaching Chriſt crucified) what ever elſe there is.
Verſe 2. That a man be ſound faithfull] Giving every man his due proportion of fit food, Mat. 24.45. not as he in the emblem, that gave ſtraw to the dog, and a bone to the aſſe.
Verſe 3. But with me it is, &c.] A good Miniſter reviled, may reply, as once a Steward did to his pa…onate Lord, when he called him knave, &c. Your honour may ſpeak as you pleaſe, but I believe not a word that you ſay; for I know my ſelf an honeſt man,foreign F…ſl. lib 22 cap. 34. Dio foreign. Dio Act. and Mon. fol. 1356. Non curo illos cenſores, qui vel non intelligendo reprehendunt, vel reprehendende non intelligunt, ſaith Augustine. Auguſtus did but laught at the Satyres and buttoniers, which they had publiſhed againſt him. Severus the Emperour was carefull of what was to be done by him, But careleſſe what was ſaid of him. Doc well and hear ill is written upon heaven gates, ſaid Mr Bradford the Martyr. Thou art an hereticke, ſaid Woodroofe the Sherifte to Mr Rogers the protomartyr in Queen Maries daies. That ſhall be known, quoth he, at the day of judgement. Some men ſlatter me,Polic epiſt. l. 3. ep. 24. ſaith Politian, ſome others ſlander me, I think neither the better nor the worſe of my ſelf for that: no more then I think my ſelf taller or lower for that my ſhadow is longer in the morning and ſhorter at noon.
Verſe 4. Yet am I not, &c.] Paul a choſen veſſel, but yet an earthen veſſel, knew well that he had his cracks and his flaws, which God could eaſily finde out.
Verſe 5. Ʋntill the Lord come] Tot argumenta quot verba, ſaith Paraeus. Every word here hath it's weight. There ſhall be a reſurrection one day of names, as well as of bodies: let that ſtay us, when belied or miſreported.
Verſe 6. I have in a figure, &c.] i. e. I have repreſented and reprehended your partialities under our own names, when I brought you in ſaying, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, &c. 1 Cor. 1.12. For the heads of your factions were your own ambitious Doctors, whoſe names yet I ſpared, and took the buſines upon my ſelf and Apollos, for your ſakes.
Verſe 7. For who maketh thee] He directeth his ſpeech to thoſe Theologi gloriae, as Luther uſually called ſuch, thoſe vain-glorious, ſelf-aſcribing Paſtours at Corinth, that ſought to bear away the bell from Paul; and would not ſtick to anſwer this demand of his,Greenincbonius. Quis te diſcernit? As that inſolent Arminian did, Ego meipſum diſcerno, I make my ſelf to differ.
And what hast thou, &c.] There are that would hammer out their own happineſſe, like the Spider, climbing by the thred of her own weaving, with Motto accordingly, Mihi ſoli debeo
Why dost thou glory] As great a folly, as for the groom to be proud of his maſters horſe, the ſtage-pla…er of his borrowed robes, or the mud wall of the Sun-ſhine. Of all the good that's in us, we may well ſay as the young man did of his hatchet, Alas, maſter, it was but borrowed.
Verſe 8. Now ye are rich] Creſcit oratio, ſaith Piſcator here. The Apoſtle riſeth in his expreſſions; and that all along by an ironicall reprehenſion. Theſe Corinthians had riches, and gifts and learning: and carried aloft by theſe waxen wings, they domineered and deſpiſed others.
Verſe 9. As it were men appointed to death] As when he fought with beaſts at Epheſus. The Heathens in their publike calamities would commonly call out, Christianos ad leones, Tertul. Apol. cap. 40.to the lions with theſe Chriſtians, as if they had been the cauſe. Ignatius ſuffered in this ſort.
A ſpectacle to the world] As thoſe that were firſt led in triumph, and then had back again to the priſon,Piſcat. there to be ſtrangled.
Verſe 10. We are fools, &c.] Not to the world, but in your account too, For theſe Corinthians undervalued and depreſſed Paul under their ſilly ſhallow-headed Verbaliſts, not worthy to carry his books after him, for found and ſubſtantiall learning.
Verſe 11. Even to this preſent] Thus he complaineth, not out of impatience (for he was active in his ſufferings) but to ſtain their pride, that permitted it ſo to be, when it in their power to have relieved him.
Verſe 12. And labour, working, &c.] Whereas they might object, Are you hungry, thirſty, naked? It's becauſe you are idle. No, ſaith he, We labour, working with our hands (… ſhame for you to ſuffer it) and yet can hardly ſweat out a poor living.
Verſe 13. Being defamed, we entreat] Though Luther call me devil, ſaid Calvin, yet I will honour him, as a ſervant of God.
We are made as the filth of the world] q. d. The filth of filth; for the whole world lies in wickedneſſe, as a foul ſloven in a ſlow, or as a carrion in the ſlime of it. The word ſignifies, The ſweepings of the world, foreign.or the dirt ſcraped off the pavement thereof.
And the of-ſcouring of all things] Deterſorium, ſordes, purgamenta, reject…menta. Piaculares & obominales, ſaith Paraeus. The word ſignifies,M Burrows. the dung-cart (ſaith one) that goes thorow the City, into which every one brings and caſts his filth. Every one had ſome filth to caſt upon Paul and the Apoſtles. Conſtantine a Citizen of Rhoane with three others, being for defence of the Goſpel condemned to be burned, were put into a dung cart: who thereat rejoycing,Act. and Mon. fol … 20. ſaid that they were reputed here the excrements of the world, but yet that death was a ſweet odour unto God. Budaeus is of opinion that the Apoſtle here alludeth to thoſe expiations in uſe among the heathen, performed in this manner. Certain condemned perſons were brought forth with Garlands upon their heads in manner of ſacrifices: theſe they would tumble from ſome ſteep places into the ſea,Bud Pandec. oftering them up to Neptune with this form of word, foreign, Be thou a propitiation for us. So for the removall of the peſtilence they ſacrificed certain men to their goods: theſe they called foreign,Suidas in foreign. filth, loading them with revilings and curſings.
Verſe 14. To ſhame you] An innocent perſon ſometimes, upon the fulneſſe of an aſperſion, may conceive ſhame, as David dip, Pſal. 44.15. yet uſually ſhame is the effect of an evil conſcience, and may prove, by Gods bleſſing, a means of repentance, 2 Theſſ. 3.14.
Verſe 15. Ten thouſand inſtructers] Gr. Pedagogues, who oft prove Orbiliuſſes, ſharp and ſevere above meaſure, Verberibus pluunt, colaphis grandinant. So did theſe Corinthian ſchoolmaſters, 2 Cor. 11.20. They were alſo too well skilled in the Dorick dialect, crying, Give, Give: and taught little more then elegant elocution.
Verſe 16. Be ye followers of me] As dear children.Ovid. A bove majori diſcit ar are minor. Conſtantines children reſembled their father exactly, they put him wholly on, ſaith Euſebius, and were, as it were, very he.foreign
Verſe 17. For this cauſe] That ye may be followers of me, and know what I do.
Of my waies which be in Chriſt] It is of excellent uſe to know what good men, eſpecially Miniſters, do, as well as what they ſay. Miniſters lives ſhould be a tranſcript of their Sermons, or as ſo many Sermons on the life of Chriſt.
Verſe 18. Now ſome are puffed up] Swelling in the body is an ill ſymptome: So it is in the ſoul. A ſwelling wall will ſhortly fall.
Verſe 19. The Kingdom of God] i.e. The adminiſtration of his Ordinances and Government of the Church.
Verſe 20. With a rod, or in love?] Both: but (as children) we think not ſo. Sed ſinite virgam corripientem, ne ſentiatis malleum conterentem, ſaith one Father.Bern. Hieron. Non erudit pater niſi quem amat, nec corripit niſi quem diligit, ſaith another.