Commentary on the Minor Prophets, Title page – Encomium 4
A COMMENTARY, OR, EXPOSITION Upon The XII. Minor Prophets.
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.
Hereunto is added, a Treatiſe called, The Righteous Mans Recompence, Or, A true Chriſtian characterized and encouraged, out of Malachi Chap. 3. Verſ. 16, 17, 18.
In all which diverſe other Texts of Scripture, which occaſionally occurre, are fully opened: and the whole ſo intermixed with pertinent Hiſtories, as will yeeld both pleaſure and profit, to the judicious Reader.
By Iohn Trapp M. A. once of Chriſt-Church in Oxford, now Paſtor of Weſton upon Avon in Glouceſter-ſhire.
Acts 7.42.
As it is written in the Book of the Prophets.
The XII. Minor Prophets were conjoyned in one Volume, or Book, leſt by their littleneſſe they ſhould be ſcattered or periſh. Rivet.
March 1th. 1652.
Imprimatur
Edm: Calamy.
LONDON, Printed by R N for Philemon Stephens, at the Gilded Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard. 1654.
Viro Eruditione juxtâ ac Pietate praeſtantiſsimo, IOANNI OWENO, SS.Th.D.
Aedis Chriſti Decano digniſsimo, & Academiae Oxonienſis jam ſecundùm Procancellario vigilantiſsimo.
Lucubrationes haſce ſuas quales quales, in animi devotiſsimi teſtimonium ac monumentum, L.M.Q.D.D.D.
IOANNES TRAPPVS
Ejuſdem Aedis Chriſti, annis abhinc triginta, Alumnus.
The Preface to the Reader.
TRuly Light is ſweet, and a pleaſant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne, O but much more pleaſant for the eye of faith to ſee the Sun of righteouſneſſe: that light of life. Bleſſed, may we ſay, are our eyes which ſee this Sun ſhine ſo gloriouſly from the Goſpell; and though through glaſſes, yet ſuch as are, and will be kept from breaking by that preſence of Chriſt promiſed his Miniſters of the Goſpel to the end of the World, whom he calls, the light of the world. Happy art thou, O England, where it hath been day-light theſe hundred years, and God-forbid that wee ſhould expoſe our ſelves to that the condemnation, in loving darkneſſe rather then light. If we ſhorten this our day, certainly it will be our death. An evil generation therefore is that, whoſe helliſh principles prompt them utterly to extinguiſh all our burning and ſhining Lamps, by draining out all their oil; and ſo are thoſe children of the night, whoſe helliſh practiſes attempt the blowing out of theſe lights that do diſcover their deeds of darkneſſe, and becauſe they cannot (no more then becken the Sunne from the skie) their breath is ſpent in curſing them as freely, and fiercely, as the Ethiopians do the Sun for ſcorching them. If this continue, ſad are our fears, leſt our Sun be not far from ſetting: and we take up that lamentation with Jeremy, Wo unto us for the day goeth away, for the ſhadows of the evening are ſtretched out.
Neither are the Symptomes of this onelyonly in the profeſſed diſavowing of the Miniſtery, by men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith, and who have put away a good conſcience; but alſo in the dark lives of many of thoſe who ſeem to affect Goſpel-light, and yet walk not honeſtly as in the day: rejoyce in the light, yet walk not as children of the light. Nay amongſt the beſt are not notions proſecuted more then practiſe? and our light like the Moon's without heat? yea, and whereas the Father of lights hath ſet up his Candleſtick amongſt us, that we might do his work; we rather do our own, making our ſelves, and not him our end. The good Lord in mercy make all his to face about towards himſelf; & …o face one another, as the Cherubims over the Mercy-ſeat.
Reader, our advice to thee is, to do thy duty, though many others neglect theirs: Bleſſe God there are ſo many windows to let in light unto thee, & pray that they may be yet clearer, to give in dayly new light (thou knoweſt we ſpeake not in a fanatick Dialect) we mean, freſh, and fuller diſcoveries of Goſpel-myſteries; whereunto thou wilt finde this Authour hath made no ſmall contribution, by theſe his Annotations upon the ſmall Prophets, from before which few have drawn the curtain ſo far as he; open therefore the Caſement in reading, and much light may be let into thy mind to underſtand things that have been hid from thine eyes, or ſeen but dimly.
We need not commend the Authour, all his works ſpeak him to be a workman that needeth not to be aſhamed, an Interpreter one among a thouſand: we may ſay of him, as Cyprian. to Cald. Adeo exercitatus & in Scripturis peritus, ut cautè omnia, & conſultò gerat. Origen ſpeaking of the Prophets, calls them Bees, and their Propheſies honey-combes, this Expoſitor God hath made skilfull both in hiving and expreſſing.
This friend of the Spouſe, preſents her here with more new borders of gold, enameld and ſet out with ſpangles of ſilver, wrought upon a precious part of holy Writ, which he hath beautified with variety of humane Learning. And leſt thy heart ſhould riſe againſt this expreſſion; give us leave to tell thee, that though many in theſe laſt, and worſt, and wofull dayes; ſcoffe at the learned Languages, and Arts and Sciences, as the Fox in the Greek Epigram, diſparag'd the fair and ripe grapes, becauſe they were out of his reach; yet there is a neceſſity of them, for the right dividing the word of truth which is evinced by a man approved;Dr. Featly tree of ſav. kn. who between derogating from the al-ſufficiency of Scripture (which is ſacriledge, and blaſphemy) on the one ſide, and detracting from the worth of Univerſity Learning (which is an Anabaptiſtical frenzy) on the other ſide; layes down the truth in the middle, in this Aphoriſme: Scripture is of it ſelf abundantly ſufficient for us, but we are not ſufficient for it, without the help of Arts and Liberall Sciences: we cannot ſufficiently conceive or declare the works of God without naturall Philoſophy, nor Law of God without morall, nor his Attributes without Metaphyſicks, nor the dimenſions of the Ark, and Temple without the Mathematicks, nor the ſongs of Sion without Muſick and Poetry: wee cannot Interpret the text without Grammer, analize it without Logick, preſſe and apply it without Rhetorick. Theſe it hath ſeemed good to the holy Ghoſt to uſe in the Penning of Scriptures, to ſhew their uſefulneſſe in their opening; and who can underſtand, or expound Propheſies already fulfilled, and to be accompliſh't, without inſight into prophane Hiſtory. As for knowledge in the Tongues, he deſerves to have his tongue cut out that dares but mutter a word againſt it: dulcius ex ipſo fonte.
There are indeed divers Cautions, and Directions, given by the ancient holy Fathers, in the uſe of humane Learning, which this learned, godly Writer hath exactly obſerved: For he hath purg'd and cleans'd it, cut off the bond-womans hair, pared her nayles, and waſhed her with Sope; his chief care being not foreign, but foreign; as it is not only foreign, but alſo foreign. In him (to uſe the words of that divine Poet) doctrine and life, colours and light combine and mingle. He doth moreover ſubject and make humane Learning ſubſervient to Divine. And finally uſeth it moderately, without affectation; and modeſtly without oſtentation.
If we ſhould now work an Embleme of this giver in his gift, brought unto the Spouſe of Chriſt, as that reverend, learned, pious Doctor did upon his four Preachers, and apply all his images and motto's to this Author, they that know him, and have heard him, and ſeen his conſtant converſation, would (we preſume) juſtifie our judgement: but we forbear; onelyonly taking leave (before we take leave of thee) to ſuper-adde thus much to our thoughts of this Book: That though in his former Commentaries he hath done excellently, yet this excelleth them all; as in other things, ſo in this eſpecially, that the Text is expounded more largely, and large ſatisfaction given to the Reader in the ſence of the word; which well becommeth a work of this nature. So that here is not onelyonly work for the ſtudies of young Divines, but the graveſt may ask counſell of this Elihu, who is ſo full of matter, the Spirit of God within him conſtraining him thus to lay out himſelf for the good of the Church. Private men alſo if they pleaſe to take the pains, here may find what will very much both profit and delight. Let us requeſt a concurrence of thine, with ours, and the prayers of many, for this Reverend and worthy Author, that hee may live long, and long a burning and ſhining light, and bee enabled (by the influence of Divine beams) before his eyes be cloſed, to open the reſt of holy Scripture; which we hope is his purpoſe, and are ſure is the earneſt deſire, and expectation of his fellow-brethren: And that his path may bee as the ſhining light that ſhineth more and more unto the perfect day.
His and thine in the ſervice of Chriſt, John Bryan. Obadiah Grew. Coventry, Auguſt 29th. 1654.
Chriſtian Reader,
THough an Atteſtation from me to this work, is but to light a candle to the Sun, the Authour being ſo well known, and approved of in the Church of Chriſt by his former labours: yet out of my reſpect to the Authour, and deſire of thy profit, I thought fit to tell thee, that beſides the golden Eloquence, ſweet Similitudes, and fitly applied Hiſtories, which thou ſhalt find interwoven thorow all this Work, thou ſhalt meet with more for Expoſition and opening of the difficult Texts in this, then in moſt of his former Commentaries: And there is no Verſe thorow all theſe twelve Prophets, upon which he hath not ſaid ſomething. And that which may make this Work more deſireable is, that there is very little in Engliſh, written upon this portion of Scripture: Beſides the Authour is now grown Aged, and ſo better experienced in this kind of writing then formerly. In the latter part of this Book, thou ſhalt meet with a Treatiſe, called The Righteous mans Recompence, upon Mal. 3.16, &c. which therefore is fitly annexed to the former. The ſubject is moſt Divine, Comfortable, and Neceſſary, full of practicall Divinity, and matter of daily uſe for every Chriſtian. The manner of handling it, exceeding delightfull, concerning which I may ſay with the Poet, Omne tulit punctum qui miſcuit utile dulci. I preſume that I ſhall need to adde no more, but to requeſt thee, to joyne thy prayers with mine to the God of heaven, that he would prolong the Authors life, that he may go over the reſt of the Bible, as he hath already begun, and to ſubſcribe my ſelf
From my ſtudy in Threedneedle ſtreet: July 27th 1654. Thine in the Lord, Sa: Clarke.
IOHN TRAP Anagr. HARP ON IT.
So ſweet is Scripture Harmony, that we
Bring it to argue it's Divinity.
But yet we underſtand the Muſick better
When you HARP ON IT, both by note & letter.
We think you finger't well, and if you will,
We ſhall entreat you to HARP ON IT ſtill.
S. Clarke. A. M.
To the Reverend. Mr. J. Trap, upon his Commentary, &c.
To the Reverend. Mr. J. Trap, upon his Commentary, &c.
John Trap Anagr. Oh! in part.
John Trappe Anagr. Part in hope.
And was I ſo miſtruſtfull us to fear
There would no more of Trap in Print appear?
Oh! now I ſee 'twas but IN PART, in pledge;
What we received before, was but to edge
Our appetites, So't hath. We like and wiſh
We might feaſt every day on ſuch a diſh.
May you live to complete this work: for we
Love that good fruit ſhould ripen on the tree.
I'le fear no more, but that while heavens favor
Lends you to us, you'le freely give your labor.
'Tis our new treaſure, though't be your old ſtore.
Farewell but yet I PART IN HOPE of more.
J. Clark: A. M.
In Eruditum Autorem.
Livelaeus ille magnus, qui luſtris abhinc
Qua…ordecim Lingua Profeſſor Sanctae erat
Academiarum in al…ra noſtratium,
Et partumen capitis inter maſculos
Scitoſque foetus, luce Lucem quam attulit
Aliq…ot Prophetarum minorum, quos vocant,
Donavit, O ſi (g…ns teg…ra ſaepius
Ardextiuſque vo…a ſundi… …iia)
Non coel…um ante copias kine emigrans
Auxiſſet, iſt…m quam Prophetis omnibus,
Saltem minoribus, ſuam caliginem
Sic p…orſus exemiſſet Interpres ſacer.
Quibus ille tantoperè ſuo merito placet,
Adeſte, TRAPPI has paginas evolvite;
A…e fut…as erudit… omnibus
P…qu… gratas atque Livelaei fuit
… veri aureum quo pauculos
Ex …is Prothe…s clar…s reddidit.
Livelaeus al…er TRAPPƲS; Autor Vividus:
Ʋt Liber… ſi… … Libris felix ſuis:
Ʋtri…que pl…, piis, elegantibus,
E…rleſiámq…e plurimùm ditantibus.
Morineceſſe eſt a…teris, ſue ut Patri:
At alteris, divina ſic pandentibus
Oràcla, ſic docentibus, ſic entheis,
Actas futura eſt quanta Vivaciſſin…is.
Thomas Dugard. A.M.R.B.
foreign.
foreign
foreign.
foreign.
foreign.
foreign,
foreign,
foreign,
foreign
foreign.
foreign,
foreign,
foreign;
foreign
foreign.
Tho. Dugard. A.M.R.B.