Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Verſe 1. Am I not an Apoſtle. &c.]
THat is to ſay, Do I require you to do any thing more, then I my ſelf do daily, in parting with my proper rights? All things in a Miniſter ſhould be exemplary, and for imitation, Tit. 2.7. In all things ſhew thy ſelf a patern of good works. foreign.The word there uſed ſignifieth a thing that makes the ſtamp on the coyn, or the mould whereinto the veſſel is caſt and ſhaped.
Have I not ſeen the Lord?] viz. In viſions and extaſies. The falſe Apoſtles reported him no Apoſtle, becauſe he had not converſed with Chriſt in the fleſh. It is ordinary with ſeducers to detract from the truths Champions, that they may be the better eſteemed of. Thus Bellarmine rejecteth the Fathers and others that make not for him, as heretikes. To Irenaeus, Tertullian, Euſebius and Luther (ſaith he) I anſwer, Omnes manifeſti haeretici ſunt, De Chriſto lib. 1. cap. 9.they are all manifeſt heretikes. So Arminius his courſe was to detract from the authority and fame of Calvin, Zanchi, Beza, Martyr, Synol. Dordeo. ….&c. that he might build himſelf upon better mens ruines. The Jeſuites ſpeak moſt baſely of St Paul, as making much againſt many of their tenets: and ſtick not to teach in their Pulpits, That he was not ſecure of his preaching, but by conference with St Peter: Nor that he durſt publiſh his Epiſtles, till St Peter had allowed them.Spec Europ.
Verſe 2. The ſeal of mine Apostleſhip] See the like, Jer. 23, 22. and Mat. 21.28. where our Saviour proveth John Baptiſts Miniſtry to be from heaven, by the ſucceſſ.
Verſe 3. Mine anſwer to them, &c.] Or, this is mine Apology to thoſe that cavil and quarrel my calling, viz. That I have converted you and others: a reall proof, an odular demonſtration. So 2 Cor. 13.3-5.
Verſe 4. To eat and to drink] At the Churches charge: ſo that we do it moderately without exceſſe, as Joſiah did, and it went well with him, Jer. 22.15.
Verſe 5. To lead about a ſister] At the Churches charge likewiſe. The Papiſts that deny the lawfulneſſe of Miniſters marriage, are condemned and curſed by their own Canon-law. Diſtinct. 29. and 31. See Acts and Monuments, folio 1008. Paphnutius oppoſed this propoſition in the Nicene Councel, and prevailed.Hiſt trip. l. 2. c. 14.
Verſe 6. To forbear working] At our trade? Yes, or elſe I ſhould eaſily be of Melancthons minde, who when one had ſaid of the Miniſtery, that it was the Art of Arts, and the ſcience of ſciences; if he had added (ſaid Melancth…n) that it is the miſery of miſeries,Joh. Manl. loc. com 471. he had hit the nail on the head.
Verſe 7. Who goeth a warfare, &c.] Miniſters as they ſhould be valiant as ſouldiers, diligent as husbandmen, vigilant as ſhepherds (Pastor, arator, aeques, &c.) ſo ſhould they live of their labour, as every tinker and tapſter doth. It's a ſign of gaſping devotion, when men are ſo cloſe-handed to their Miniſters, whoſe very cold water goes not unrewarded.
Verſe 8. Or ſaith not the law] Not of Nations only, as verſ. 7. but of God expreſſely, Verbis non ſolum diſertis, ſod & exertis?
Verſe 9. Doth God take care for Oxen?] He doth doubtleſſe, Jon. 4.11. he preſerveth man and beaſt; He heareth the young ravens that cry to him only by implication. Doth he not then much more take care for men, for Miniſters?
Verſe 10. Should plow in hope] Of Maintaining his life by his labour, which is therefore called she life of our hands, becauſe it is upheld by the labour of our hands, Ludit, qui ſterili ſemina mandat humo.Propert.
Verſe 11. Is it a great thing, &c.] Do not we give you gold for braſſe? Caſt we not pearls before you? Alexander the great gave Aristotle for his book de Natura Animali…m 800. talents, which is 800000 Crowns at leaſt. Theodorus Gaza tranſlated that book into Latine, and dedicated it to Pope Sixtus. The Pope asked him,Interrogavit aſinus pa…a quanti ornatus conſtaret? &c Joh. Man… loc. com. 572. how much the rich outſide of the book ſtood him in: Gaza anſwered, fourty crowns. Thoſe fourty crowns he commanded to be repaid him, and ſo ſent him away without any reward for ſo precious a piece of work. How well might the poor old Grecian ſit and ſing.
Heu malè nunc artes miſeras haec ſaecula tractant, Spes nulla ulterior, &c.Juven Satyr. 7.
Verſe 12. If others be partakers] If your ordinary Paſtours &c. For the falſe Apoſtles preached gratis (as ſome gather out of 2 Cor. 11.12.) partly to draw more Diſciples, and partly to bring an odium upon the Apoſtle, if he ſhould not doe the like.
Verſe 13. Live of the things of, &c.] Yea they lived plentifully and richly, as appears by the liberall gift of thoſe Levites for Paſſeover-offerings, 2 Chron. 35.9.
Verſe 14. Even ſo hath the Lord] Note that [ſo] ſaith one: that is, As they of old lived at the Altar by tithes: ſo Miniſters now. How elſe will men ſatisfie their conſciences in the particular quantity they muſt beſtow upon the Miniſters? The Scripture ſpeaks only of the tenth part.
Verſe 15. Better for me to die] To be hunger-ſtarved then to do any thing to the prejudice of the Goſpel. Affliction is to be choſen rather then ſin, Job 36.21. Quas non oportet mortes praeeligere, Epiſt. 3.ſaith Zuinglius. What death ſhould not a man chuſe, nay what hell rather then to ſin againſt his conſcience? Daniel thoſe rather to be caſt into the Lions den, then to bear about that lion in his own boſome. The Primitive Chriſtians thought it farre better to be thrown to lions without, then to be left to luſts within.Ad leonem m… … …uam lenonē. 1 citul. Potiùs in ardentem rogum inſiluero, quam ullum peccatum in Deum commiſero, ſaid a good man once. I will rather leap into a bonefire, then wilfully commit any wickedneſſe. The Mouſe of Armenia will rather die then be defiled with any filth.Pintus in Dan. …. If her hole be beſmeared with dirt, ſhe will rather chooſe to periſh with hunger then be polluted. Such was Paul here, and ſuch we ought all to be.
Verſe 16. I have nothing to glory of] My glorying is, that I preach it gratis, and thereby ſtop an open mouth, a Cor. 12.16, 17, 18. give them the lie that falſly accuſe me, that I make a prize of you.
Yea woe is unto me] It was death for the high-Prieſt to enter the Tabernacle without his bels. Preach man, preach; thou wilt be damned elſe, ſaid one to his friend. Be inſtant, or ſtand over the work, in ſeaſon, out of ſeaſon. See Jacobs diligence, gen. 31.40.foreign. And Pauls, Act. 20.20.
Verſe 17. I have a reward] Yet not earned, but of free grace, God crowning his own works in us. He was a proud Papiſt that ſaid, Coelum gratis non accipiam, V…ga.I will not have heaven for nought. And he another, that ſaid, Opera bona m…r…atura regni coeleſt is, Good works are the price of heaven.Bellarm. God will caſt all ſuch merit-merchants out of his Temple.
But if against my will] Virtus nolentium, nulla est. God will ſtrain upon no man. All his ſervants are a free people, Pſal. 110.3. All his ſouldiers voluntiers. They flee to their colours, as the Doves to their windows, Iſa. 60.8.
Verſe 18. What is my reward then?] My merces mundi, all that I have here.
That I abuſe not] i. e. M…lch Adam. pag. 359.That I make no indiſcreet uſe of it. Non opes, non gloriam, non voluptates quaeſivi (ſaid holy Melancthon) Hanc conſcientiam aufero, quocun que , diſcedo. I never ſought wealth, honour, nor pleaſure. This my conſcience tels me, whatever becomes of me.
Verſe 19.foreign quia foreign. That I may gain the more] The Greek word for gain, ſignifieth withall the joy and delight of the heart in gaining. It ſignifies alſo craft or guile, ſuch as is that of the fox: which when he is very hungry after prey, and can finde none; he lieth down and feigneth himſelf to be a dead carcaſſe, and ſo the fowls fall upon him, and then he catcheth them. So muſt a Miniſter deny himſelf to gain his hearers.
Verſe 20. And unto the Jews, &c.] Not in conforming to their impieties: but 1. In the uſe of things indifferent. 2. In mercifull compaſſion toward them.
To them that are under the law] Though not Jews borne, yet proſelytes, as the Ethiopian Eunuch, Cornelius, &c.
Verſe 21.Naz. That I might gain them] A metaphor from merchants, Qui foreign, Who are never weary of taking money. St Paul harps much upon this ſtring, out of a ſtrong deſire of winning ſoules to God. Miniſters muſt turn themſelves into all ſhapes and faſhions both of ſpirit and ſpeech to gain ſouls to God.
Verſe 22. To the weak] Not preſſing upon them the auſterities of religion, but condeſcending and complying with them, as far as I could with a good conſcience.
That I might ſave ſome] This is the higheſt honour in the world, to have any hand in the ſaving of ſouls. Let all of any ability put forth themſelves hereunto: and if they have not fine manchet, yet give the poor people barly bread,Act. and Mon, 1453. or whatſoever elſe the Lord hath committed unto them, as Bucer bad Bradford.
Verſe 23. That I might be partaker] i. e. That I might be ſaved together with you. For the bell may call men to the Church, though it ſelf never enter. The field may be well ſowed with a dirty hand; the Well yeeld excellent water, though it have much mud. Noah's builders were drowned: and the ſign that telleth the paſſenger there is wholſome diet, or warm lodging within, may it ſelf remain in the ſtorms without. See 1 Tim. 4.16. Nihil turpius eſt Peripatetico claudo.
Verſe 24. Know ye not] The Apoſtle argueth from their profane ſports, yet approveth them not: As neither doth the Lord patronize U…ury, Mat. 25, 27. Injuſtice, Luk 16.1. Theft, 1 Theſſ. 5.2. Dancing, Mat. 11.17.
So runne that ye may obtain] Here is the race,foreign. but above the Crown, ſaid Ignatius to Polycarp. Run to get the race, ſaid Mr Bradford to his fellow-ſufferers: you are almoſt at your journeys end. I doubt not but our Father will with us ſend to you alſo,Act and Mon. fol. 1495. as he did to Elias, a fiery charet to convey us into his Kingdom. Let us therefore not be diſmaied to leave our cloke behindeus, that is, our bodies to aſhes.
Verſe 25. Is temperate in all things] Theſe luxurious Corinthians were much addicted to their belly: he calls them therefore to temperance. …ll doth it become a ſervant of the higheſt, to be a ſlave to his palate, to have animum in patinis & calicibus, as the Sybarites. A man may eat that on earth, that he muſt digeſt in hell.Aug.
Verſe 26. Not as uncertainly] For, 1. I forget thoſe things that are behinde, all worldly things, I ſet thoſe by. 2. I have Oculum ad me…m (which was Ludovicus Vives his Motto) an eye upon the mark. 3. I ſtrain and ſtretch toward it. See all theſe Phil. 3.13, 14.
That beats the air] As young Fencers uſe to do, but I beat mine adverſary.
Verſe 27. My body] My body of ſinne in the whole man, not mine outward man only. If we finde the devil practiſing upon the fleſh, the way is, not to revile the devil, but to beat the fleſh.
A caſtaway] Caſt out of heaven, as they were out of the fencing-ſchools, that were either croſſe or cowardly.