Works, Part 4 · Meditation 2 – Biblical exegesis 2
MEDITATIONS ON PROV. 14. VERS: 5. 6. 7. 8.
Vers. 5.
A true witnesse will not lie: but a false witnesse speaketh lies.
THE righteous man knowing that his tongue was giuen to him speak the truth, wil make conscience of a lie euen inTo louelove and speake the trueth in the least matters. the least things. But if the matter be of more weight, or if it come into the place of iudgement, then hee will much more heartily abhorre all lying and deceitfulnes: yea, then he will not bee brought to speake any thing whereof hee hath not a certaine ground. As for the vngodly, it is not so with them: for they hauing no care of trueth in light and common matters▪ doe soone cast off all care & conscience euen in greatest and most waightie causes. This agreeth with the saying of our Sauiour Christ, Luke 16. 10. He that is faithfull in the least, he is faithfull also in much. Which may be thus particularly applied: he that for conscience sake doth speake the truth in common and small matters, he will also speake the truth in matters of great importance: and he that is not ashamed of a lie in his priuate dealing, hee will also without shame beare false witnesse before the Iudge. Here then wee be taught in the least things, to inure our tongues to speake the Trueth: So shall wee be better preserued from false witnesse bearing: for the Lord would not hauehave vsus to dallie with sinne. Therefore in his righteous iudgement, he doth leaue men that make no conscience of a lie, and suffereth them to fall, and to offend in some open and knowne trueth. Againe, whereas men take great libertie in lying, if the matter be secret and vnknowne; How God chasteneth his children for lying.the Lord doth hate this hollownes and hypocrisie of men, and doth often bring it to light, that by the sorrow for, and shame of that sinne, (if it be possible) they may be caused to make greater conscience of a lie for euer after. Therefore if we would not hauehave the Lord to punish our lesser frailties with greater sinnes: if we would not hauehave him to punish our secret sinnes and faults, with open and notorious offences, then let vsus bee afraide to tell a lye in the very lightest and most secret causes. But if this will not at all moue vsus, yet let vsus bee ouercome with the consideration of those fruites which will come of true speaking, specially let vsus consider of these two. First, the louelove of the Trueth doth breede and beget in vsus a great and singular comfort, when wee see that herein wee resemble our heauenly Father, who is the God and author of Trueth. Secondly, the louelove of the trueth is a speciall helpe to reuoke vsus from sinne. For as the lyer can so cloake his sinne, and set such a colour vponupon it that no man can accuse him; no admonition or rebuke can take hold vponupon him, no threatning feare him: So the sillie soule that in simple truth doth confesse his sinne, is open vntounto rebukes and holy censures, his heart lieth naked before the word, which doubtles will worke effectually to reclaime him from sinne.
The second thing which we must learne out of these words is this: that albeit we must speake the trueth at all times, and in all places: yet must we be especially carefull so to doeTo speake the trueth in iudgement. when we be called as witnesses before the iudgement seate. For the whole state and order of iudgement doth depend vponupon the witnesse: so that the Questmen, the Iudge, and all, doe proceed either falsly or truly, according as the testimonie of the witnesse is either false or true. Last of all, we learne that good care must be vsed in chusing of witnesses: so that we may not take periured persons, or common liers, no not such as doe often lie, though it be but in light matters: but if there be any one man that of conscience speaketh truth in all things, he is worthie and fit to be a witnesse. This condemneth the practise of the receiuing all indifferently to be witnesses in court, and specially such as be knowne to be common liers. Thus much for this verse.
Vers. 6.
The skorner seeketh wisedome, and findeth it not: but knowledge is eas… for him that will vnderstand.
BY the skorner is here meant the proud & contemptuous man, who in the pride of his wit will compasse any thing, neglecting, yea contemning those holy meanes whichScorne. God hath ordained. This proude and contemptuous skorner shall not finde knowledge. By knowledge we may vnderstand, not the knowledge of the letter floting in the braine, and flowing euen at the tongues end (which indeed is not worthie the name of knowledge:) but the true vnderstanding of the word taught by the spirit, which entreth into the heart, and worketh on the affections, frameth to obedience, and assureth of euerlasting life. This indeed is healthfull knowledge, which the skorners though they seeke, shallTrue knowledge, where and how to finde it. neuer obtaine. And hereunto doth our Sauiour Christ giuegive witnesse when he saith: Many shall seeke to enter in, and can…ot. Now if we would see the cause hereof, it is this, they doe refuse the right and direct meanes whereby to come to knowledge, or else vse the meanes with corrupted hearts. For if they seeke and search in the prophane writings of Heathen men, or in the corrupted writings of hellish heretikes, no marueile if they neuer finde this knowledge. For how can they finde trueth in falsehood? How can they finde the true knowledge of God in the fained deuises and inuentions of men? Againe, though they cast off all these, and come to the holy word of God: yet if their hearts be not sound and right; if they seeke profit, preferment, and vaine pleasure, doubtlesse they shall neuer attaine to this holy knowledge. For sure if the heart be corrupted when they come to studie vponupon the word, they shall be made worse and not better by it. The experience of this doe we see in many, who seeking and searching after knowledge, either to get liuings, or to gaine credit, or to some such like euill and corrupt end; they hauehave beene disappoynted of their hope, and hauehave failed of that which they sought after. By the example of others then let vsus beware and learne to seeke after the knowledge of God and of godlinesse in the written word of God, which onelyonly is able to make vsus godly. Againe, aboue all things let vsus take heede vntounto our hearts, that they be vpright and sound in seeking for it. Now for the triall hereof, let vsus examine whether we seeke knowledge, that we might be better able to glorifie God, and to profit our brethren: let vsus examine whether we seeke Christ for Christ: whether in Christ we seeke nothing but Christ: and this if we can truely see and feele euen in the truth of our hearts, then our▪ heart is vpright, then hauehave we before vsus a right end, then doe we rightly seeke God, and he whom he hath sent Iesus Christ, euen to the saluation of our soules. True it is, that the Lord may and doth often bestow liuings,Triall of our hearts whether we principally respect Gods fauour in all our actions. riches, and such other outward helpes and benefites on his children: but they doe not chiefly seeke these. They take these as an handfull, yea as an ouerplus of his fauour: but their hearts are not set vponupon them. Their louelove is set vponupon God and vponupon his glorie, & that they especially labour for, that they doe toyle and trauell about, and that is the ende of all their labours, in what measure they obtaine that, in that measure they be quiet, though they want other things: but in what measure they doe not finde that, in that measure are they grieued, though they abound in outward things. Whē a man is of this mind, when he hath this heart, when he hath this good will to learne; then among many other blessings he shall be sure to finde that which followeth in this verse: Knowledge shall be easie to him that will vnderstand.
There be two things whereat many men are much offended, and whereby they areContempt of the word, what causes breed it. driuen from that due care which they ought to hauehave of the word. The first is because they see that great and wealthie men of this world little esteeme it, and make light account of it. But men should know that the affections of such are for the most part weaned from the1 We say the rich and the mightie est…eme it not. 1. Cor. 1. word; their louelove is set vponupon their profit, vponupon their pleasure, and vponupon such other things below. Now the minde and heart being forestalled, yea and surcharged with the liking of these things, they cannot with desire receiue the word into their soules: and seeing that they hauehave little liking of it, and lesse will and desire to learne it, no maru…ile though it be as vnsauourie salt vntounto them.
The second thing which feareth and offendeth many, is the hardnes of the word. Oh2 We say it is too hard. Psalm. 19. 7. (say they) we would gladly learne indeed, but the word is so obscure and hard, that indeed it cannot be learned. See the shamelesse vngratiousnesse of some men, who to cleere themselues, will lay a fault vponupon the holy and pure word of God. But know this O man that the word is hard, because thy heart is hard through sinne. Couetousnesse, anger, vncleannes, securitie, and such like sinnes, hauehave so beaten and trampled vponupon thy heart, that it is euen hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne: but repent thee of thy former sinne, andHebr. 3. 12. 13. put away the euill of thy workes, and then come to the word with a holy heart, and then thou shalt see and feele thy vnderstanding inlightened, thy iudgement reformed, and all the words of wisedome plaine and easie vntounto thee. All this is confirmed vntounto vsus by plaine3. Cause. Some secret or open sins, cause the word to seeme hard vntounto vsus. and daily experience: for when a man hath been buffeted with some sinne; when he hath yeelded too much to pride, worldlinesse, anger, and such like; when he hath fallen into some misliking of the word, or of the preacher, then in hearing he heareth not, and the word is a sealed booke vntounto him. Contrariwise, when men doe most mislike themselues for their sinnes, when they be most grieued for their dulnes, when they thinke themselues most vnapt and most vnworthie of knowledge, and yet desire to finde comfort in the word, wish to be inlightened and led into the true knowledge of it: then doth the Lord very often giuegive them the deepest insight into his heauenly mysteries; then doth he worke in them a most comfortable feeling, & then doth he also put and stirre vp most heauenly and holy motions in their minds. By all this must we learne many things: first when we1 heare the word without fruite, then we must returne into our selues, and know that our sinnes are the cause of blockish dulnesse which is come vponupon vsus. Anger hath troubled our affections, and pleasure hath stollen away our hearts: profit hath corrupted our iudgements: therefore our iudgements doe not yeeld vntounto the word, it cannot enter into our hearts, neither can it worke vponupon our affections. We are then in this case to bewaile our sinnes, to labour for repentance, to pray for the spirit of sanctification, whereby these sinnes may be consumed, and then returne vntounto the word with prayer, and the Lord wil blesse our vnderstanding.2 Againe, when we see our iudgements reformed, and our hearts touched, so that the word worketh vponupon our affections, then we must know that the good worke of God hath gone before: his mercy hath disburdened vsus of the heauie burthen of sin, his goodnesse hath emptied our hearts of vnprofitable thoughts, and his good spirit hath wrought all in all in vsus. Then to shut vp this verse let vsus know, that as sinne doth hinder and holde the word out of our hearts: so doth the louelove of the word as it were open the doore of our hearts, and make a broad and large passage for the word to enter into vsus, and to worke that good worke for which it was sent. It followeth in the next verse.
Vers. 7.
Depart from a foole when thou perceiuest not in him the lips of knowledge.
GOD hath ordained that men should liue together, that one might bee helpfull to another. But there is a neerer bond of friendship, when one entreth into league with another,Friendship. or when one maketh choice of another, for some neerer bond of friendship, affinitie, or such like. And because this bond cannot stand, but where there is a great likenes of conditions and qualities, and it is commonly seene that the partie better affected is sooner chaunged: therefore in this place we be admonished to beware, least at any time we ioyne our selues to those that are foolish and vngodly. Not that it is altogether vnlawfull to hauehave any dealing with them: but that wee may not come too neere vntounto them. For toCommon duties with godlesse men. eate and drinke with them, to dwell in the same towne by them, and such other common duties, be not vnlawfull. But to ioyne in marriage with them, to make them priuie to to our counsels, or to vse them as more neere and speciall friends, this is vnlawful, and this is here forbidden. For little or no good at all can bee gotten by them, they will hardly or not at all be brought to goodnesse, and such is their subtiltie, that one of them is able to peruert the faith, or at least to corrupt the manners of very many. Good cause therefore there is why we should depart and get our selues from them: on the contrary side wee bee taught to seeke out good company, and to ioyne our selues to them as neerly as may bee, yet with this full purpose of heart, that wee may receiue fruite and profit by them. Nature doth call vponupon vsus to doe this; the communion of Saints requires it at our hands, our own profit should compel vsus, the examples of eueryevery mā in each calling may moue vsus therunto. For men doe desire to be in companie of their betters: the scholler would be in companie of him that is better learned: the worshipful man desireth the companie of the noble man, and the honorable delighteth much in the fauour of the Prince. Yea in the basest occupations and handicrafts, men doe still desire to bee in the company of them that are most skilfull. And all this is to obtaine the knowledge of earthly things, and the fauour of them that can helpe them; how much more then should we desire the companie one of another, that we might be helpfull one to another in heauenly things? Nay, how intirely should wee be ioyned one to another, and receiue good one by another in all kinde of goodnesse? And yet must this bee done in great discretion: for the best men hauehave their faults. Therefore wee must be most carefull, as to receiue what good we can by any, so to receiue hurt or hinderance by none at all It followeth.
Vers. 8.
The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way: but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit.
THat is true wisedome indeede, which beginning at knowledge doth goe forward vntountoTrue wisedome. practise, and beginning at faith doth further proceede vntounto the fruites of faith. For vnlesse there be profitable vse of knowledge, both in our generall and particular callings, it hath neither the sense nor the sauour of heauenly wisedome. Then we be here admonished to labour that our knowledge may growe vntounto faith, and that we builde a godly life vponupon faith. And that we may thus do, we must especially trauell that our hearts may stand in awe of Gods word, and that we may hauehave a charitable and louing heart vntounto men. This if we can obtaine, then shall wee in feare and louelove doe the good duties which may glorifie God, profit men, and hauehave sure arguments that we hauehave true wisedome. But the foolishnes of fooles is deceit. That is, they doe either take a wrong course of life, or else if they take a right course, yet their hearts are not aright: and therefore they deceiue both themselues and others. All this commeth to passe, because with conscience they do not apply eueryevery general point of doctrine to their particular estate, and labour not to make practise of it. We giuegive titles vntounto men, & count them wise and politike men that can foresee and preuent worldly displeasure. But the holy Ghost hath giuen sentence vponupon such, that if they labour not to liue godly, they be but fooles: yea & the more knowledge they hauehave, so much the greater fooles they be, if they doe not for conscience sake practise the same. We see then what we must doe if we will not be counted fooles. Now all of vsus, be we neuer so simple witted, would be loath to be counted fooles, and indeede the name is most reprochfull, and willGreatest fooles. Matth, 5. grieue a man at the very heart. Therefore our Sauiour Christ doth recite it among those words that kill and murther, saying: Whosoeuer saith vntounto his brother thou foole, shall be guiltie of hell fire. But howsoeuer grieuous it is, yet in truth we are such, if hauing knowledge we doe not bring it into practise. This then must be forcible to make vsus to ioyne a godly life with good knowledge, and good workes with a liuely faith, if before the Lord wee will not be accounted fooles.
Vers. 9.
A foole maketh a mocke of sinne: but among the righteous there is fauour.
THe heart of man is fraught and filled with much grosse and filthie corruption: but none is worse than that which is here spoken of, that a man should make a light matter of sin. It is strange and very monstrous that it should be so, and yet by this place we see it doth often so fall out. Yea in another place the holy Ghost doth testifie, (and we knowFearefull to make a sporte of sinne. that his testimonie is true) that the foole doth make euen a sport and a pastime of sinne. Our own dayes will confirme the same. For come vntounto an adulterer, to a false witnesse bearer, and to such grosse sinners, tell them that God is angrie with them, that he will be auenged on them, as he hath been vponupon others for such sinnes, and what I pray you, wil they do? Surely he that is filthie will be more filthie, and the false witnesse will mocke at iudgement. And what is this but to make a mocke and a …est at sin? …ay, what is it but to make a God of sin, and to serue it in steade of God? and how do they grow vntounto this height and excesse of sin? Surely one chiefe cause is, because they be not plagued like other men, because the mercyPsal, 73. of God doth hedge them in on eueryevery side, and because they passe their time in prosperity and pleasure. O what a monstrous thing is this that a man should bee made worse by theRom. 2. 4. 5. goodnes of God? how miserable is that man that will make the merciemercy of God an occasion of his owne miserie? & how vnthankful is he, that the more benefits the Lord doth bestow vponupon him, the more he will heape sin vponupon sinne? nay how worthily is hee destroyed that will abuse the vnspeakable louing kindnes of the Lord to his owne destruction? And that there should be such, the Apostle Peter foretold vsus, In the latter times (saith hee) shall come mockers, which shall aske for the comming of the Lord, as though hee would not come at2. Pet▪ 3. all. But these abuse the goodnesse and bountie of the Lord, who would that all should be brought to repentance. They therfore doe treasure vp wrath for thēselues against the day of wrath, wherein the Sonne of GOD shall come in iudgement and fierce wrath, against them that hauehave made a mocke of sin, & hauehave not been led to repentance through his long patience and louing kindnes.
Now seeing the iudgement of God will lay hold of all those that lie in sinne, and seeing we can neuer com… out of sinne so long as we make such light account of it; let vsus knowe that although one sinne is lesse than another, and although a sinner in thought may bee counted a little sinne, in respect o… a sinne in outward act: yet in very deede and before the Lord no sinne will bee counted little For the infinite iustice and merciemercy of God is violateLight sinnes with men, great with God. euen by the least sinne, and therefore no sinne can be counted little; for euen the least sinne is sufficiently able to condemne and confound vsus from the presence of God. Againe, if the Lord should set the least sinne vponupon our consciences, and suffer our consciences to checke vsus for it, and Sathan himselfe to burthen vsus with it: doubtlesse it would be so heauy and grieuous, that we should not be able to abide it. How then can wee make light account euen of that sinne, which of all other seemeth least?
Moreouer, the Lord will not onelyonly condemne the wicked as for their great, so for their lesser sinnes: but hee will very sharpely correct, yea and seuerely punish euen his dearestLight and small sins in appearance in Gods children seuerely punished in this world. children for those sinnes, which in our eyes do seeme most small. Thus was Adam thrown out of Paradise for eating of the forbidden fruite. Moses for speaking of an angrie word dyed in the wildernes, and could not be suffered to come into the promised land. Ezechias did but shewe his treasures to the Ambassadors of Babel, and for that sinne they were all caried into Babel: yea the holy temple was spoyled, the holy vessels were prophaned, and their glory was giuen into the enemies hand. Iosiah did goe to warre against his enemy and the enemies of God, and that onelyonly to keepe them out of his own land: yet because he did not aske counsell at the Lord, therefore hee was slaine in the battell. What sinnes are lesse than these? and yet see how sharply the Lord did punish them in his owne children: and can it bee then that any sinne should be counted light? Besides, though it were graunted that some sinne in it selfe were but little, yet for this cause could it not be counted little, because in time it will draw vsus and driue vsus into grosse offences. But seeing that in truth the least sinne is too great, then how much the greater must we thinke eueryevery sinne to be, consideringNote. that it commeth not alone, but either presently or shortly after bringeth in great transgressions? Last of al, seeing that the least sinne could not be forgiuen but by the death of the Sonne of God, so that he must suffer the very pangs and paines of hell for the least sinne that euer man committed: seeing that euen our least transgressions caused him to be accursed, and in the extremitie of griefe to crie, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Where hauehave we the face, or how can wee finde in our hearts to make a mocke of the least sinne? Well then, let vsus know sinne to be sinne, and labour to be sorrowfull for eueryevery sinne: so that although we be not in like measure sorrowfull for all, yet let vsus take heede that no sinne escape vsus without some true and godly sorrow: then shall wee finde fauourTrue sorrow for sinne. among the righteous, yea then shall we obtaine mercy from the Lord. For the lesse wee fauour sinne, the neerer we be to the fauour of God: and the more we hate sinne, the more we shall be sure to enioy the louing kindnes of the Lord: yea, ioy and peace and comfort in the holy Ghost is oftentimes bestowed vponupon men in greatest measure, when they feele the greatest measure of vnfained repentance, and godly sorrow for sinne, and hauehave conceiued the greatest hatred against the same. The Lord in merciemercy therefore increase this sorrow and hatred in vsus euer more and more, that our ioy and comfort may bee the more increased, through Iesus Christ our Lord: to whom with the holy Ghost, one true and euerliuing God, be all praise, power, dominion and principalitie, now and euer.
Amen.
THE SVMME OF THE Epistle to the Hebrevves.
THE whole Epistle to the Hebrewes containeth the sinne of Apostasie, from which the Apostle laboureth to dehort them, and that by fiue reasons specially: First, in the first Chapter hee shewes that Christ is aboue all Angels, whereof hee inferreth in the second Chapter, That if God did punish the contempt of the ministerie of Angels, much more is the contempt of the ministery of Christ punishable, because he so far exceedeth the Angels. In the third Chapter he shewes that Christ is aboue Moses, whereof he inferres in the fourth Chapter, That if Moses ministerie contemned caused reuenge, much more Christ his ministerie cōtemned causeth reuenge, because it is far greater than Moses. In the fift Chapter he shewes, That Christ the sacrificer is greater thā Aaron the Priest, whereof he inferreth in the sixth Chapter, That if God did correct the contempt of Aarons sacrifice, much more will hee condemne the contempt of Christ his oblation, because Christ is superior to Aaron. In the seuenth, eight, and nine Chapters, That the ministerie of the Gospell is better than the ministerie of the law, whereof he inferreth in the tenth Chapter, That if they were punished that despised Moses lawe, much heauier is their iudgement which despise Christ his Gospell, for that Christ is aboue Moses. In the eleuenth Chapter he shewes, How all the Fathers were iustified in continuing in the faith, whereof he inferreth in the twelfth Chapter, That who so will bee iustified with them, must after their example continue in the faith. Lastly, he concludeth with wholesome exhortations fitlie ioyning to his former doctrine, For because we may be Apostataes in life as well as in neglect of doctrine in the thirteenth Chapter hee addeth many good precepts of Puritie, mer…, sanctimonie, prayer, thankesgiuing, liberalitie, and obedience to t…eir teachers▪ And then falling as it were on their necks, hee kisseth them, and comm…ding himsel… to their prayere, hee commendeth them to the rich grace of G…d, …nd s…amp of all his epistles.