Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Title page – Encomium
A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the BOOKS of Ezra, Nehemiah, Eſther, Job and Pſalms.
WHEREIN The TEXT is Explained, ſome Controverſies are Diſcuſſed, ſundry Caſes of Conſcience are Cleared, and many Remarkable Matters hinted, that had by former Interpreters been pretermitted.
In all which divers other Texts of Scripture, which occaſionally occurre, are fully Opened, and the whole ſo intermixed with pertinent Hiſtories, as will yield both pleaſure and profit to the Judicious Reader.
By JOHN TRAPP, M. A. once of Christ-church in Oxford, now Paſtour of Weſton upon Avon in Gloucesterſhire.
LUKE 24.44, 45.
And he ſaid unto them, Theſe are the words which I ſpake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things muſt be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moſes, and in the Prophets, and in the Pſalmes concerning me.
Then opened he their underſtanding, that they might underſtand the Scripture.
LONDON, Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Thomas Newberry at the three Golden Lions in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange, and Joſeph Barber at the Holy Lamb in the New Rents in St. Pauls Church-yard. 1657.
To the Worſhipful his much Honoured Friend, EDWARD LEIGH of RƲSHIL-HALL in Stafford-ſhire, Eſquire, Maſter of ARTS, of both UNIVERSITIES
HONOURED SIR,
BEſides the much help, I confeſſe, (and not now the firſt time*See my Notes on the New Teſt paſſim.) to have had from your learned Lucubrations already extant, thoſe many real Courteſies lately done me (a meer ſtranger) in mine eldeſt ſonne, (whom you have freely beneficed, and fairely encouraged,) call hard upon me for a grateful acknowledgement. And foraſmuch (as like another Nicias,) you are known to be foreign, Yea,Stobaeus Serm. 117. (as that renowned Richard de Bury) Extatico quodam librorum amore potentèr abreptus, ſo that you may well ſay,Hi…fuit epiſc. Dunelmenfis. An. Dom 1333. as that Emperour once did of himſelf, Quidam equis, hi avibus, nonulli feris delectantur, Ego vero inde uſque à pueritiá librorum cupiditate arſi. Julian ep. ad Ecdicium.I cannot bethink me of a fitter Patron then your worthy ſelf, nor yet of a better Preſent then this of a Book; beſeeching you to own it and honour it with your kinde acceptance, as a token of my true reſpects, and a teſtimony of my cordial thankfulneſſe. I need not here, for an Apologie, tell you Sir, what Seneca ſaith, There's no Book ſo bad, but ſome Commodity may be gotten by it. Let it be (for me) a praiſe proper to Hippocrates, that in his Aphoriſmes, there is foreign. Let Scaliger ſay of Virgil, (and Lipſius as much of Tacitus) Ecujus ore nil tenierè excidit. Ariſtotles Rhetorick, ſaith one, is ſufficient to make both a Scholar and an honeſt man. His Politicks Tully calleth Aureum flumen or ationis, for the purity of the ſtile, and preciouſneſſe of the matter. Averroes admireth and extolleth him above meaſure, in whatſoever he hath written. And yet others, no leſſe judicious, deem that his deep Theoremes of Philoſophy, as they make men learned, ſo ſeldom better, and oftentimes worſe, meer Atheiſts. Sure it is, that compared with the holy Scriptures, they are but ſtraminea candela, a ruſh-candle, that yieldeth but a ſmall light, and is quickly out. To the Law therefore, and to the Teſtimony, ſaith that Evangelical Prophet, (that is, to the Old Teſtament and the New, as ſome ſenſe it) If any ſpeak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no light in them: As if any, either by ſpeaking or writing bring the leaſt light to theſe ſacred Oracles, (Quae & latent & lucent) They are not to be defrauded of their due commendation. This you have done (worthy Sir) in all your Theological Treatiſes (which are auro contra non cari) Your elaborate Annotations on the New Teſtament eſpecially. On the Old Teſtament alſo we hope to ſee you ſhortly; and are ſo far from cenſuring you for thruſting your Sickle into our Harveſt, that we all highly accept and applaud your learned Labours; heartily wiſhing you length of days, and help from Heaven, for the compleating of ſo good a work.Bern. Deus praecepit nobis, ut diſcamus non argutias Platonis, nec verſutias Ariſtotelis, ſed doctrinam Filii Dei. Hereunto therefore we do humbly crave and call for your utmoſt furtherance, which ſhall be nothing at all to your hinderance at the laſt: for beſide the reward of eternal life, aſſured you by Chriſt our foreign,Bodin Theat. Nat. p. 9. Scientiarum ea vis eſt ac natura, ut quo plus doceas, ac alteri de tuo largiare, eò ditior ac doctior fias; there is no loſſe in laying out your talent. Your much deſired Commentaries, now in the Preſſe, (as is reported) and which you are yet further preparing for the publike, will be moſt welcom to the world; and I wiſh they may take as well as did Aretius his Examen Theologicum, printed twelve times in three yeares. As for theſe, or any other of mine, let them veil, and ſtrike ſale to yours, whereever they meet them, and let me be ever reckoned, among many others,
Welford, Sept. 8. 1656. SIR, An Admirer of your indefatigable induſtry and rare abilities, JOHN TRAPP.
Viro Ornatiſſimo, Affini amantiſſimo doctiſſimóque, D' JOHANNI TRAPPO.
NImirum ſolvenda fides. At quomodo carmen
Panxerit exaret cui vena, & Muſula muta eſt?
Qui Conſorte tori (quâ non praeſtantior unquam
Et quâ ter fueram quatuor per luſtra beatus.)
Ereptâ, Niobes poſſim nunc eſſe maritus,
Expectes ut laeta canam? Lapideſcere coepi
(Proh dolor!) infelix. At feliciſſimus idem,
Quòd ſic Ʋxori Monumentum fio ſepultae.
Ʋt praeſtem promiſſa tamen (quae debita dicunt,
Et ſolvi par eſſe,) ciens in carmina Muſam,
Exigis. An Lapis emittat, chariſſime, vocem?
Imò, ais, hoc uſu venit ut Monumenta loquantur.
Viciſti, experiar. Doleot antum eſſe dolorem
Ʋt calamum impediat cupientem promere laudes
Et meritis ſe implere tuis. Tu voce diſertâ
Me prope confectum reficis, prohibéſque ſepulcro.
Tu mea damna doles, & tanquam propria defles.
Méque, mihi ereptae, quaete ſic jure colebat,
Dum recolis raros mores, ſolaris abundè.
Sic facis & Scriptis. O quae mihi Pharmaca praebent
Quae priùs edideras, queis Sacra Oracula pandis,
Et quibus ut grandi Theſauro Eccleſia gaudet!
Dicere ſunt ea viſa, Hinc lucem & Pocula Sacra
Hinc pete qui impenſè luges, mentemque ſerena,
Ecce profundemus ſolatia ſumma jacenti.
Haec quaque quae celeri video jam ſubdita Prelo,
Ʋt mihi praevideo pariter Medicamina, cunctis
Sic & Symmyſtis gratiſſima credo futura.
Altera jam Pentas facilem ſe praebet, & offert
Quas modò condiderat dias ditiſſima gazas.
Geſtat & Ornamenta quibus non anteà fulſit.
Cultior incedis ſolito divine Sacerdos,
Túque acris Princeps, & tu fidiſſime cuſtos
Virginis egregiae, quae utroque miſella Parente
Orba, in te Patruele utrumque (ô faustâ!) parentem
Repperit. Oſtentant veſtri nunc quanta libelli!
Jobe, tua ſumpſit ſibi jam nova cornua Moſes,
Quòd tibi ſors praeſens melior fit ſorte priori.
Mulcet inaudit â mentes dulcedine Pſaltes.
Jam nil triſte ſonat Teſtudo Regia: at ode
Quae modò lugubris jacuit nunc laeta triumphat,
Arte tuâ haee facilè praeſtas, clariſſime Trappe.
Cui, vite eximiâ ſobole octuplieí que beato,
Neſtoreos exopto annos, illámque ſalutem
Quae mihi dum vixi fuit, at cum Conjuge (vitae
Quae mihi vita fuit) dulci cum Conjuge fugit.
Barfordiae Aug. 28. 1656. Tuus, Siquis Sim. THO. DƲGARDƲS.