Commentary on the Pentateuch, Title page – To the book
A Clavis to the Bible. OR A NEW COMMENT UPON THE Pentateuch: OR Five Books of MOSES.
Wherein are
1. Difficult Texts explained.
2. Controverſies diſcuſſed.
3. Common-places handled.
4. Caſes of Conſcience cleered.
5. Many Remarkable matters hinted, that had by other Interpreters been omitted.
6. Beſides, divers Texts of Scripture which occaſionally occur, are fully opened.
7. And the whole ſo intermixed with pertinent Hiſtories, as will yeeld both pleaſure and profit to the Judicious, pious Reader.
By JOHN TRAPP, Paſtor of Weſton upon Avon in Gloceſterſhire.
LONDON, Printed for Timothy Garthwait, at the George in Little-Brittain, 1650.
TO THE VVORSHIPFVLL, his highly honoured friend, William Comb, Eſquire of Stratford upon Avon; Juſtice of the Peace for the County … Warwickt
Worthy Sir,
YOu may well wonder, not ſo much that I now dedicate this peece of my pains unto you, as that I did it not till now; conſidering how long I have known you, and how very much I am oblieged to You. The truth is this; Theſe Notes (upon Geneſis) were the firſt, in this kind, that ever I finiſhed; and You were deſervedly among the firſt that came into my thoughts, for a Patron to them. But as Pharez once made a breach upon his brother Zarah, Gen. 38.29.and gat into the world before him, ſo did thoſe other Works of mine (if at leaſt, that name be not too good for them) deal by This, which now, with its red threed, (a ſign of its intended ſeniority,) humbly implores Your patronage, and (if worth while) your peruſal: I know you have ſomewhat elſe to do, then to read Commentaries; and yet I muſt needs know too, that You (that are ſo ſedulous a ſearcher of the Scriptures, and ſo ſeriouſly inquiſitive after the genuine ſenſe of ſuch and ſuch dark Texts therein, as, in conference occaſionally, You have oft propoſed unto me,) cannot but delight to be duely exerciſed in books of this nature. Dr. Cumber.That Reverend Doctour of Cambridge, that (in the behalf of himſelf, and his whole Colledg, for a very good turn you did them,) preſented You with the faireſt great Bible that ever I beheld, ſaw ſomething, ſurely, of your pious inclination to the ſtudy of that bleſſed Book: And, if to the better underſtanding thereof, this, or any thing elſe that I have yet written, may be any way ſerviceable, I have that I ſought for. Alphonſus, King of Arragon, is ſaid to have read over the Bible fourteen times, Panormitan.with Lyra's Notes upon it. And thoſe Engliſh Exiles for Chriſt at Geneva, knew they could not preſent any thing more pleaſing, to that Incomparable Queen Elizabeth, then their new Tranſlation of, and marginal Notes uppon the holy Bible; which Book of books ſhe had received, with both her hands, Speed.from the Londoners, ſoon after her Coronation; and kiſſing it, laid it to her breaſt, ſaying, That the ſame had been her chiefeſt delight, and ſhould be the rule whereby ſhe meant to frame her whole deportment. Let it be ſtill Yours, Good Sir, as hitherto it hath been; and let this poor piece of mine (if at any time you think good to conſult with it) tell you, in my abſence, what my ſenſe is of ſuch places, as wherein, with that noble Eunuch, (Act. 8.31.) You may need an Interpreter. No more, Jam. 1.17. 2 Cor. 4.6.Sir, at preſent, then to pray the Father of lights (who commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſſe,) to give You the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, Verſ. 7.in the face of Jeſus Chriſt; That though You have this treaſure preſented to you in an earthen veſſel, foreign.in a vile oyſter-ſhell; as the Greek hath it,) yet You may partake of the excellency of the power that is of God, and not of Me, Verſ. 5.who preach not, preſent not, my ſelf, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord; and my ſelf
Your Servant for Jeſus ſake, JOHN TRAPP.
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Thomas Richardſon, Oxen: Paſtor Eccleſiae de Newbold pace.
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Tho: Dugard. Art. Mag. Rector Barſordiae.
LECTORI.
HAbes hîc Lector pretii quantivis Librum;
Prioribus *Limatiſſimis et lectiſſimis illis Annotationibus in Novum Teſtamentum; unam cum locorum communium decade: nec non duobus aliis, idiomate etiam vernaculo conſcriptis, quorum alteri nomen, God's Love-tokens, &c. alteri, The true Treaſure, &c.quos triviſtilatus parem;
Notas in Moſis Pentadem; unde denuò
Sic ſplendet ille, …t M…nte quum deſcenderet,
Magni Tonantis inclytus Tabellio.
At non at olim Claritate territans
Abegit accedentes, nunc parili modo
(Ne contremas) tibi prodit formidabilis.
Accede ſis, et intuere; ſenties
Lucem ſtupendam, ſed quae oculos beet tuos.
Tenebras fugari geſtis? ecce Phoſphorus.
Aenigmata ſolvi? te penes eſt nunc Oedipus.
Gazas recludi? clavem cernis auream.
Tenebricoſior eſt ſubinde Legifen;
Et Sphingis inſtar, et gazas premit ſuas.
Aſt Trappus clarat, ſolvit, pandit omnia.
Trappi nil quicquam eſt invium ſolertiae.
Nec Luce ſolùm donat: ut ſcientior,
Et auctior Capite, ita corde purior
(Modò tibi nè deſis) hinc diſcedas. Vale.
Dugardus.
TO THE BOOK.
WElcome ſweet Babe into the Light:
A Light thy ſelf to Him, whoſe ſight
Was at twice ſixty undecay'd;Deut. 34.7.
Whoſe Infancy raviſht a maid.
His wind-and-wave-rockt Cradle ſhe,
That gracious Princeſs, needs would ſee;
And ſeeing, fell in love with him
Whoſe firſt three moneths were taught to ſwim.
As he to her, ſo thou to me
Art full of Amabilitie.
Exceeding fair and proper too,
He was, thou art: who can but wooe?foreign, Act. 7.20. foreign, Heb. 11.23.
Who can but fix on thee his eye?
And much affect thy company?
So ſweet is thy diſcourſe; where meet
Piety, Learning, Eloquence, wit;
Profit and Pleaſure; Muſe and Grace;
Maſchil and Michtam; here's the place
Where golden apples we may find
With ſilver pictures fitly joyn'd.
Were it not ſo, I durſt profeſs,
That thou, ſweet child, wer't nothing leſs
Than Son of Trappe; whoſe pregnant Head
So often hath us Treaſured
With gallant Births: in which we ſee
Whatſoever can be ſaid of thee.
…o now, ſweet Babe, and certifi…
Thy Sire, his Readers Thoughts are high,
Of his enlightened Pentateuch;
And that they cannot chuſe but look,
That Joſhua Moſes ſhould ſucceed,
And then the reſt; for Light all need.
And Moſes only Earneſt is;
One draught, from whence their Thirſt doth riſe …
Which will not quenched be, untill
Each Sacred Penman taſtes his Quill.
Tell him, his Readers do believe,
While time ſhall be, his Sons will live.
They only pray, his Sons may grow,
In Number, and in Greatneſs too:
For this defect is in them All;
Being ſo Fine, they are too Small.
Idem.