Commentary Upon Proverbs, Chapter 23
THE XXIII. CHAPTER.
1 When thou ſhalt ſit to eate with a ruler, Temperance.conſider diligently that which is before thee:
2 Otherwiſe, thou ſhouldest put a knife into thy *Or iawes.throat, if thou wert of agreedy appetite.
3 Deſire not his daintie diſhes, for it is deceiptfull meat.
AT all times beware of ſurfetting,Luk. 21.34. but eſpecially when thou commeſt to a table richly furniſhed with ſtore of dainties, elſe, by diſtempering and ouercharging thy ſtomach, thou mayſt caſt thy ſelfe into ſome dangerous diſeaſe. For indeede delicious fare is a baite, which will eaſily deceiue thee, if thou takeſt not great heed.
AT all times beware of ſurfetting,Luk. 21.34. but eſpecially when thou commeſt to a table richly furniſhed with ſtore of dainties, elſe, by diſtempering and ouercharging thy ſtomach, thou mayſt caſt thy ſelfe into ſome dangerous diſeaſe. For indeede delicious fare is a baite, which will eaſily deceiue thee, if thou takeſt not great heed.
4 Ouertoile not thy ſelfe that thou mayeſt become rich, Moyling and drudging after riches. So Ierome and the 70. turne hatagniph. Pſal. 127.2.ceaſe from thine owne wiſedome.
5 Wilt thou lift vp thine eyes to thoſe things which are not [to be had]? for they make them ſelues wings, like the Aegle, which flieth vp toward heauen.
Be not a drudge of the world,See a like ſentēce in the ſonne of Syrach chap. 11. v. 11. which may confirme this expoſition. vexing thy body or tormenting thy mind to get riches to thy ſelfe, which God will not hauehave thee attaine, but other enioy. For, what madneſſe were it for thee, without Gods bleſſing, to gape after and to droile and moile for wealth, which thou mayeſt perceiue to flye from thee as an Aegle, in ſuch ſort, that the more paines thou takeſt, the poorer thou art?Niggardlineſſe. See a like ſaying in the ſonne of Sirach. 14.10.
6 Eate not his meate, who hath an euill eye, and deſire not his daintie diſhes:
7 For, as though he thought it in his mind, he will ſay vntounto thee, eate and drinke, but his heart is not with thee.
8 Thou ſhalt vomit out thy morſell which thou haſt eaten, and ſhalt looſe *Thy ſpeeches, not which thou vttereſt but heareſt the miſer ſpeake, as thy morſell, not which thou haſt giuen him, but eaten at his table.thy pleaſaunt ſpeeches.
Frequent not the table, borrow not the goods, vſe not the helpe of any ſnudge, for he will ſpeake faire, but indeede he maketh more account of his meate, … of thee. This his hollow heart will ſo grieue thee …en thou perceiueſt it,See an example in Iacob, who found Labans promiſes which he made at the firſt, to vanish at the laſt, and his entertainmēt to worke his diſcontentement. Mat 7.6. Before. 9.7. that thy meate which thou …aſt eaten will do thee no good, & the friendly words which thou haſt heard him welcome thee with, ſhall but vexe thee exceedingly and vaniſh, without any comfort on thy part, as without truth on his.
9 Speake not in the eares of a foole, for he will deſpiſe the wiſedome of thy ſayings.
Caſt not pearles before ſwine, or holy things vntounto dogs. If thou talke of wiſedome before prophane people, they will but ſcorne thy wordes be they neuer ſo excellent, becauſe they vnderſtand them not, or becauſe they are contrary to their humors.
10 Remoue not the auncient boundes, Encroching.and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherleſſe,
11 For their reuenger is ſtrong, Before. 22.28. Item. 22.23. Exod. 22. where ſee the roote hereof.he him ſelfe will plead their cauſe againſt thee.
Encroch not vponupon any mans poſſeſſions, but eſpecially take heede of wronging thoſe, who are without helpe or defence of man. For, albeit they are weake, yet God is the Lord God of hoſtes, albeit they finde no patrones in the world, yet he wil plead their cauſe.
12 Apply thine heart to correction, Iames. 1, 31.and thine eares to the word of knowledge.
Profite by rebukes and chaſtiſementes receiuing them with meekeneſſe, and apply the outward parts of thy body to get knowledge and inſtruction.
13 Withdraw not chaſtiſement from the child, Parents.when thou ſhalt ſtrike him with the rod, he ſhall not dye.
14 Strike him with the rod, and thou ſhalt deliuer his ſoule from *Or, from … See for correctiō Pro. 13.24.19.18.22.15.29.17.the graue.
Correct thy children according to their deſerts, for a rod will breake no bones, but ſaue them from deſtruction.
15 My ſonne, if thine heart be wiſe, mine heart, *Or, I alſo.euen mine, ſhall reioyce,
16 And my reines ſhall leape for ioy, whileſt thy lips speake vpright things.
Enuying of the wicked.17 Let not thine heart enuie ſinners, but [let it remaine] in the feare of God all the day long:
18 For ſurely there is a reward, Ioh. 3.3. 1. Theſſ. 3.8.and thine hope ſhall not be cut off.
O mā whoſoeuer, if thou be ſanctified in thy thoughts and affections, my ſoule will be glad, but if alſo thou canſt bridle thy toung, I ſhall yet more reioyce. Be not ſo moued by the proſperitie of the vngodly,See euen an expoſition hereof Pſal. 37. itē 73. as either to fret thereat or to follow their manners, but rather continue in wel-doing. For firſt, the vngodly ſhall be plagued in the end. Secondly, thou ſhalt hauehave a crowne of glorie.
19 Hearken (ô my ſonne) and be wiſe, and direct thine heart in this way.
Banquetting or feaſting.20 Be not of the number of thoſe who are bibbers of wine, or of thoſe who glut thē ſelues with fleſh:
21 For the drinker and feaster ſhal become poore, and the ſleeper ſhall be clothed with rags.
GiueGive not thy ſelfe to intemperancie,See an expoſition herof Rom. 13.13 Epheſ. 5.18. 1. Pet. 4.3. and auoyd the companie and cuſtome of drunkards and gluttons or banquetters. For exceſſe in eating and drinking (as alſo in ſleeping) bringeth extreme pouertie.
22 Hearken to thy father who hath begotten thee, I thus place the deſtinction following Ierome, and the oppoſitiō of the partes of this ſentence. Holyneſſe and prophaneſſe.neither deſpiſe thy mother, when ſhe ſhall be old.
23 Buy truth, and ſell not wiſedome and inſtruction and vnderſtanding.
24 The father of a righteous ſonne doth greatly reioyce, he who begeteeth a wiſe child, is glad in regard of him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother reioyce, and let her who hath borne thee, skip for ioy.
O man who art of thy ſelfe ignorant, lend an eare to the Lords deputies and the inſtruments of thy life or welfare, eſpecially then, when, like as thou art verie young,See for the expoſition herof. Mat. 13.24. Reuel. 3.22. Eſay. 55.1. Iohn. 17.17. Heb. 12.16. ſo they are verie old. Following then their counſell like a wiſe marchant or purchaſer, with parting from thy commodities and pleaſures, and by vſing all meanes of attaining to Gods kingdome, get vntounto thy ſelfe true knowledge, true righteouſneſſe, and true diſcretion, which done, neuer in any caſe ſell the grace of God, as Eſau did his birthright for a meſſe of pottage, or as vnthrifts do their lands & poſſeſſions, but continue rooted and grounded in the true knowledge & faith of Chriſt. Thus, if thou ſhalt among other vices, ſhunne prophaneſſe, and on the contrarie ſide embrace holineſſe, thou ſhalt be a cō fort to thy naturall and ſpirituall parents.
26 My ſonne, giuegive me thine heart, and let thine eyes diligently obſerue my wayes:
27 For a whore is a deep ditch, Adulterie.and a ſtrāge woman a naraow pit.
28 Moreouer, ſhe lyeth in waite as a robber, and multiplieth tranſgreſſors among men.
O man; beware moreouer of that foule ſinne of adulterie and of the entiſements of the harlot. My ſonne, ô thou who art bound vntounto me by a ſtrong bond of obedience, giuegive me, renouncing thy ſelfe, frankly beſtow on me the Lord,See a like phraſe and an example. 2. Cor. 8.5. See an example in Dauid. Pſal. 73.25. (who will be reuerenced and loued both in my deputies and my ſelfe) thine heart, thine affection and ſoule, as a ſpouſe or wedded wife, delighting in me alone and not in any ſtranger, and let thine eyes diligently obſerue my wayes, make alſo a couenant with thine eyes, not to looke on a woman to luſt after her, obſeruing my commandement, not to commit adulterie. For a whore is a deepe ditch, and a ſtrange woman a narrow pit. For as a deep ditch is a dangerous place, whereinto a man may eaſily fall, but he can hardly come out from thence; & as a narrow pit is a verie troubleſome hole, wherein a man can not ſtirre him ſelfe or be at eaſe, ſo a naughtie woman bringeth diſtreſſe and trouble to her companions. Moreouer, ſhe lyeth in wayte as a robber, furthermore, euen as a thiefe lurketh in a den or buſh to get a pray, ſo the wanton woman lyeth in wayte, and vſeth bayts to ſteale the hearts of men, and multiplieth tranſgreſſors among men, yea, ſhe preuaileth with manie, thus increaſing the number of notorious offenders in the world. GiueGive not thine heart then to her but to the Lord, being as it were enamored with that wiſdome, which is holy, pure, and peaceable.
29 To whō is wo? to whom alas? to whom is ſtrife? to whom is babling? to whom are wounds *Or, without reuenge. That is, ſuch frō which the drunkard cannot defend him ſelfe, by reaſon that he is not his own man.without cauſe? to whom is the redneſſe of the eyes?
The queſtion here is asked, who that perſon is, vntounto whom ſo many euils befall, as that he is a complainer, a groner, a quareller, a footſtoole for eueryevery one to beate, and a monſter in face, hauing red eyes, and a countenance of the ſame colour.
30 Euen to them who tarrie long at the wine, to them that go and ſeeke out mixt wine.
The anſwere vntounto the demaunde ſet downe in the verſe going before, is herein contained. The ſumme of it is, that he is the miſerable man before ſpoken of, who ſpendeth much time in drinking, or who ſeeketh out the places where the beſt liquor is. For, in thoſe hot countryes mixt wine was moſt acceptable and deſired, which therefore here is named, to note out moſt pleaſant drinke.
31 Looke not thou vponupon the wine when it appeareth red, [or] when it ſheweth his colour in the cup [or] ſtirreth very kindly.
An admonition is now giuen to eueryevery one, to auoyd the occaſions of drunkenneſſe. But thou (ô my ſonne) if thou tendereſt thine owne welfare, auoyde the prouocations vntounto drunkenneſſe, neither be ſo moued by the pleaſant colour or liuely ſpurting of wine, as to take too much of it.
32 In the end it will bite as a Serpent, and ſting like an *Or Hemorroug which cauſeth a man to bleed to death.Aſp.
The harme which at the laſt ſtrong drinke bringeth to a man, is here generally and ſummarily ſet downe▪ Like as then, a Serpent greatly hurteth a man with the biting of his mouth, and as the aſp killeth a man with the ſting of his taile, ſo the wine which thou powreſt in exceſſiuely, will trouble thy brayne, torment thy belly, and caſt thee into deadly diſeaſes.
33 Thine eyes ſhall behold ſtrange women, and thine heart ſhall ſpeake peruerſe things.
One particular inconuenience of drunkenneſſe is now ſhewed. Strong drinke immoderatly ſwilled in, will make thee hauehave eyes full of adulterie, and an heart ful of lewdneſſe.
34 And thou ſhalt be like him, that lyeth in he midſt of the ſea, and like him, who lyeth on the top of a maſt.
Another ſpeciall inconuenience of drunkenneſſe is declared in this ſentence. Wine or ſtrong drinke will make thee ſtagger as thou goeſt, and cauſe thee to thinke that all things ſwimme.
35 Some hauehave ſtriken me, [ſhalt thou ſay] yet hauehave I not bene ſicke: ſome hauehave beaten me, yet I hauehave not felt it, when I ſhall awake, I will go on, I will ſeeke after this, yet more and more.
Two other particular harmes beſides thoſe which already hauehave bene named, are herein ſpecified. To cōclude (ô my ſonne) ſtrong drinke or wine, will both make thee ſenſeleſſe, ſo that thou ſhalt not feele the blowes which are giuē thee when thou art tipſie, and (which is worſe) it will make thee ſo ſenſuall, as that like a dogge returning to his vomite, thou ſhalt from time to time thirſt and ſeeke after the pots which wil be thy bane.