Commentary Upon Proverbs, Chapter 2
THE II. CHAPTER.
1 My ſonne, if thou wilt receaue my ſayings, and hide my commandements with in thee,
2 To the end that thou mayſt cauſe thine eares to hearken vntounto wiſedome, incline thine heart to vnderſtanding.
THe wiſe king in this entrāce of the ſecond chapter ſheweth his ſonne, by what meanes he may attaine to be a fit hearer and receiuer of Wiſedomes ſpeeches. The meaning of theſe two ſentences is this, my ſonne, if thou wilt follow my counſell, or haſt purpoſed to eſteeme and to lay vp my precepts as iewels; to the end that thou mayeſt not in vaine heare the voice of wiſdome or the word of God with the eares of thine head or bodie, withdrawing thy mind from the louelove of earthly things, bend it wholly vntounto heauenly,See Prou. 23.26. and ſet it to the practiſe of the will of God.
3 For if thou calleſt after prudence, and lifteſt vp thy voyce to vnderſtanding,
4 If thou ſhalt ſeeke her as ſiluer, & ſearch for her as for hidden treaſures,
5 Then thou ſhalt vnderſtand the feare of God, and obtaine the knowledge of God.
See like ſayings to theſe. Iames: 1 5. Mat. 6.33. A like parable. Mat. 13.45. Exāples. in Dauid Pſal. 90.12. In Salomon. 1. Kings. 3.6. & in Paule Phil. 3.10. See for the feare of God the expoſ. of the 1. chap. of this booke the. 7. ver. for the knowledge of Obd. Iohn. 17.3.Herein the godly father proueth vntounto his ſonne, that he ſhall attaine wiſedome, if he ſet his heart on vnderſtanding. For (ſaith he) if thou calleſt after prudence, if thou by prayer earneſtly beggeſt the grace of God, and lifteſt vp thy voyce to vnderſtanding, if thou crieſt for the light of Gods holy ſpirit, if thou ſeeke her as ſiluer &c. if thou take as great paines in ſeeking the kingdome of God as worldlings do in labouring after riches, then thou ſhalt vnderſtand the feare of God, then thou ſhalt attain to that reuerēce of the Lord which is the beginning of wiſedome, and obtaine the knowledge of God: and, to conclude, thou ſhalt come vntounto that inſight which the faithfull hauehave, of the myſterie of the Trinitie, of the new couenant, of the fauour of God, and of the acceptable will of the Lord.
6 For the Lord giueth wiſedome, out of his mouth [commeth] knowledge and vnderſtanding.
7 He hath layd vp true ſubſtance for the righteous, [and] a ſhield for them who walke vprightly.
8 [A ſhield I ſay] to protect the pathes of iudgement, and he will preſerue the way of his *Or of thoſe whō he hath receaued into fauour.holy ones.
VntoUnto the promiſe made in the verſe immediatly going before, a reaſon is added in theſe, taken from the nature of God who is the giuer of eueryevery good gift.See for the Lords giuing of wiſedome and reuealing of knowledge. Iam 1.17. Epheſ. 1.17.18. For the Lord giueth wiſedome, the gifts of God are therefore by prayer to be begged, becauſe men in deed may vſe the meanes of attaining vntounto the ſight and feeling of diuine myſteries, but it is the Lord alone, who by lightening of the eyes of the mind, begetteth this heauenly wiſedome. Out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding. See for the ſubſtance which the Lord hath layd vp. Heb. 10.34. Luc. 16.11.1. Pet. 1.4. Pſal. 31.20. See for the ſhield or protection of the Lord. Pſal. 84.12. Pſal. 31.20.21.By his word and by the inſpiration of his ſpirit truth is reuealed, and prudence is wrought. He hath layd vp true ſubſtance for the righteous, he hath treaſured vp many good things for the iuſt, but among the reſt a good & enduring ſubſtance or inheritance in heauen. A ſhield for them who walke vprightly, (a ſhield I ſay) to protect the pathes of iudgement. Moreouer the Lord hath treaſured vp for the vpright a buckler of defence againſt euils, to this intent, that he may maintaine whatſoeuer is iuſt or right, and he will preſerue the way of his holy ones. To conclude,See for the Lords watching ouer his. Pſal. 121.4. &c. Item. Pſal. 91.11. he will watch ouer the goings out and commings in of the faithfull in ſuch ſort, as that they ſhall not daſh their foote againſt a ſtone.
9 Then ſhalt thou vnderſtand iuſtice, and equitie, and eueryevery good path.
See for iuſtice iudgement and equitie the expoſition of the 3. v. of the 1. chap. of this booke.Herein now is declared, that he who calleth after prudence & ſeeketh for vnderſtanding, ſhal not only be endued with holineſſe, but with righteouſneſſe, and ſo be enabled to performe the duties of both the tables of the morall law.
10 When wiſedome ſhall enter into thine heart, and knowledge be pleaſant to thy ſoule,
11 [Then] counſell ſhall watch ouer thee [and] vnderſtanding ſhall keepe thee, &c.
In theſe ſentences is taught, that wiſedome and knowledge once attained, will not onelyonly make men partakers of moſt excellent good things, but protect them from great euils. When wiſedome, &c. When the knowledge of God ſhall be as ſweet vntounto thee as the hony or hony combe, then counſell ſhall watch ouer thee, and vnderſtanding ſhall keepe thee. Then the aduiſe not of fleſh or blood but of Gods ſpirit, will as a watchmā looke with opē eyes that no hurt approch vntounto thee. Then againe diſcretion will as a ſoldier armed with ſhield and ſpeare, keepe thee ſafe and ſound from euils corporall and ſpirituall.
12 To deliuer thee from *Or the way the euill man.the euill way, frō the men that ſpeake froward things:
13 Who leaue the paths of righteouſneſſe, to walke in the wayes of darkneſſe.
14 Who delite in doing euil, and exceedingly reioyce in moſt vile peruerſeneſſe.
15 Who are crooked in their wayes, and obstinate stinate in their pathes.
Now, one particular miſchiefe from which wiſedome preſerueth thoſe who poſſeſſe her, is diſcouered in theſe verſes, to wit, the ſeducing of vngodly men.See for thoſe who ſpeake froward things. Act. 20.30. Theſe ſeducers are ſayd to ſpeake froward things, becauſe either they teach falſe doctrines, or elſe entiſe to the committing of villanies. They are noted to be ſuch who leaue the paths of righteouſneſſe, to walke in the wayes of darkeneſſe, See for the works of darkeneſſe. Rom. 13.14.becauſe they not onelyonly refuſe to do that which is good, but commit all wickedneſſe with greedineſſe, giuing themſelues ouer vntounto ſurfetting, drunkenneſſe, chambering, wantonneſſe, and ſuch like vices, which are often in the Scripture called the works of darkneſſe. Furthermore they are deſcribed by this propertie, that they delite in doing euill, and reioyce exceedingly in most vile peruerſeneſſe, becauſe they take great pleaſure in idolatrie, adulterie, couſening, and ſuch like abhominations, which nature, the conſcience, or reaſon it ſelfe abhorteth. Laſt of all it is affirmed of theſe ſeducers, that they are crooked in their wayes, and obſtinate in their paths, becauſe they are not only great ſinners, but vnrepentant ſinners. For euē as ſtubburne horſes will ſtray out of the right way, & not be ruled or brought into the right path againe, ſo theſe wicked wretches will by no meanes be reclaimed, but ruſh on into all miſchiefe, and proceed forward in all leudneſſe.See how dangero usrockes wicked ſeducers are in the Epiſtle of Iude. Nowe then to be preſerued or deliuered from naughtie men, or from ſuch daungerous rockes, is a ſingular merciemercy of God, and a precious frute of grace, or of heauenly wiſedome, which the vngodly wanting, fall into the hands of ſeducers, that as they hauehave not had a louelove of the truth, ſo they may beleeue lyes,2. Theſſ. 2.10. 2. Tim. 3.6. and that as they hauehave polluted thē ſelues with ſinnes, ſo they may be led away captiue by ſinners. By ſuch ſeducers or tempters, the verie elect are ſomtimes led aſide for the time, but the Lord deliuereth them in the end out of temptation,2. Pet. 2.9. Apoſtle Peter plainly teacheth.
16 To deliuer thee from the ſtrange womā, from the ſtranger who flattereth with her lips:
17 Who for ſaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.
18 For her houſe tendeth to death, and her pathes toward thoſe who are voyd of life,
19 VVhoſoeuer goe vntounto her, returne not backe, neither come vntounto the wayes of life.
The naughtie woman (a ſecond moſt perillous euill) is herein on the other ſide, moſt liuely painted out in her colours. She is called a ſtrange woman in regard of her condition and diſpoſition, in as much as ſhe ſeeketh to be familiar with many, though in right ſhe appertaineth to ſome one husband. One of her properties is, to flatter with her lips, or to make her ſpeeches very ſmooth. For ſhe entiſeth young men to adulterie by wanton words and plauſible perſwaſions, telling them what affection ſhe beareth toward thē, what delite they ſhall hauehave, that her husband is abrode and ſo foorth. Another of her qualities is, to forſake the guide of her youth, and to forget the couenant of her God. This miſdemenour of hers, argueth her impietie and impudencie. For what greater ſhameleſneſſe can there be in a woman, then to caſt away the vale of her eyes, yea to reiect that her husband, whō firſt ſhe choſe and was linked vntounto, euen in her tender yeares? Again, what greater vngodlines is there, thē to breake that ſolemne promiſe which was made at the times of affiance and mariage, both before God and his Angels and his people? It is a great fault to breake promiſe in a ſmall matter, how much more in the greateſt contract or bargaine that may be? It is a ſpeciall fauor of God to be kept from this adultereſſe or harlor. For as is afterward teſtified in this booke, the mouth of a ſtrange woman is a deepe pit, he with whō the Lord is angrie ſhall fal therinto. Yea as is affirmed in the eighteenth and nineteenth verſes, her very houſe is infectious and deadly. For her houſe tendeth to death, and her pathes toward thoſe who are voyd of life. The place where ſhe keepeth is perillous, yea the very way that leadeth therto is daungerous, for which cauſe thou art not to come neare her habitation in any caſe. Whoſoeuer go vntounto her return not backe, neither come vntounto the wayes of life. Whoſoeuer meddle with her are caught in her ſnares, which ſhe layeth not in vaine. Herof this our Salomon had experience, which maketh him (as it may ſeeme) both ſo often in this booke to warne men to take heede of the harlot, and in Eccleſiaſtes to ſay,Eccleſ. 8.28. that he hath found that woman to be more bitter then death, whoſe heart is as nets and ſnares, & whoſe hands as bands: he (ſaith he) that is good before God, ſhall be deliuered from her, but the ſinner ſhall be taken by her. Now furthermore, howe true it is, that they who hauehave the feare of the Lord before their eyes, are ſafely garded by aduiſement, and preſerued by vnderſtanding frō the ſtraunge woman, may appeare in the example of Ioſeph, who by this meanes was kept from yeelding to his miſtreſſe.
20 To the ende that thou mayeſt walke in the way of good men, and keepe the pathes of the iuſt.
The ende why wiſedome deliuereth the faithfull out of dangers is here ſhewed to be, that they may ſerue the Lord in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the days of their life, following the example of the godly, by whom they may be directed and made the better.
21 For they that are vpright ſhall dwell on the earth, & the righteous ſhall remaine therin,
22 But the wicked ſhall be cut off from the earth, and the tranſgreſſors ſhall be pluckt out of it.
See the roote of theſe ſentences in the 11. Deut. 8. and Pſal 37.2In this concluſion of the chapter, the wiſe father pricketh forward his ſonne by moſt forcible reaſons, to walke in the way of good men, ſpoken of in the verſe immediatly going before. There is (ſaith he) great cauſe why thou ſhouldeſt ſhunne the wayes of the wicked, and keepe the paths of the iuſt. For firſt, the wicked ſhall be cut off from the earth, they that are of corrupt conuerſation, ſhal by ſome particular iudgement in this life, or by Gods vengeance hereafter, be taken away, euen as the graſſe is mowen downe; and the tranſgreſſors ſhall be pluckt out of it, ſuch as breake Gods lawes ſhall together with their vngodly poſteritie, be quite rooted out, as fruteleſſe plantes or naughtie trees. On the contrary ſide, the vpright ſhall dwell on the earth and the righteous ſhall remaine therein, the elect and iuſt ſhall remaine for euer heires in Chriſt of heauen and earth.