Commentary Upon Proverbs, Chapter 9
THE IX. CHAPTER.
1 *or Perfect wiſdome.Wiſedome hath built her houſe, ſhe hath hewen out her ſeuen pillars,
2 She hath killed her beaſts, ſhe hath mingled her vvine, ſhe hath furniſhed her table,
3 And hauing ſent forth her handmayds, ſhe calleth throughout the aſſemblies and the high places of the citie.
This chapter is a confirmation of the former doctrine, namely, that the ſonne of God Chriſt Ieſus is to be loued and obeyed, and the harlot as moſt contrarie to him, to be abhorred and auoyded. It preſenteth two points vntounto our view, one, the feaſt which the Lord calleth vsus vntounto, the other the banket of the ſtrumpet. VntoUnto the former point appertaine, firſt the works of Chriſt mentioned in theſe verſes: ſecondly his words ſet downe in thoſe which follow. One work of his is, that he hath built an houſe and hewen out his ſeuen pillars. 1. Tim. 3.16.The meaning hereof is, that the ſonne of God Chriſt Ieſus, hath a Church in this world ſo orderly and firmely built,Eſa. 55.5. that the gates of hell ſhall not preuaile againſt it. Another worke of his is, That he hath killed his beaſts, mingled his wine, and furniſhed his table. The meaning hereof is, that Ieſus Chriſt hath prepared ſpirituall dainties for the ſoules of men,Mat. 22.1.…. to feed them euen vntounto eternall life. A third worke of his is, that he hath ſent foorth his handmaydes &c. The meaning is, that the ſonne of God hath cauſed the Goſpell to be preached by his Prophets, Apoſtles, and other meſſengers, ſo that his ſeruants hauehave gone foorth to call thoſe that were bidden, vntounto the banket.
4 Whoſoeuer is fooliſh, let him turne in hither, whoſoeuer is voyd of vnderſtanding, to him ſhe ſaith,
5 Come eate of my meate, and drinke of my wine which I hauehave mixed.
6 Oye ſimple ones forſake your errour and liue, and walke in the way of vnderſtanding.
Herein, thoſe words are ſet downe, which the ſon of God ſpeaketh to the gueſts inuited to his banket. Whoſoeuer is fooliſh, &c. The meaning is, that the ſon of God offreth his grace to repentant Publicans and ſinners, and to all ſorts of ignorant and vngodly people, vponupon condition that they beleeue, and forſake their impieties and iniquities.
7 He which inſtructeth a ſcorner, getteth him ſelf reproch, and he which reproueth a wicked man, [purchaſeth] him ſelfe a blot.
8 Rebuke not a ſcorner, leaſt he hate thee, reproue a wiſe man, and he will louelove thee.
9 GiueGive [inſtruction] to the wiſe man and he will become the more wiſe, cauſe the righteous man to vnderstand, and he will increaſe in learning.
10 The feare of God is the beginning of wiſedome, and the knowledge of holy things, of vnderſtanding.
11 For by me thy dayes ſhall be multiplied, and yeares of life heaped vponupon thee.
12 If thou be wiſe, thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelfe, but if thou be a ſcorner, thou alone ſhalt ſuffer.
Theſe ſpeeches wiſdome or the ſonne of God, directeth as it may ſeeme to the meſſengers of the Goſpell. Firſt, he telleth thē, what perſons are not be reproued. He which inſtructeth a ſcorner, getteth him ſelfe reproch. The meaning is, that the Lord would not hauehave pearles caſt before ſwine or holy things giuen vntounto dogges.Mat. 6.7. For indeed ſuch as deſpiſe God and all godlineſſe, and are obſtinate in their ſinnes, will doe nothing but rayle or hurt him, who telleth thē of their faults. GiueGive inſtruction to the wiſe man, and he will become the more wiſe. Here in the ſecond place, he declareth who are to be taught & rebuked, to wit, the wiſe who are ſoūd in iudgement, & the righteous, who walke in ſome obedience to the word. The reaſon why theſe perſons are to be inſtructed is, for that ſuch will by this meanes wax the wiſer as Apollos did by the direction of Aquila and Priſcilia, and for that they will alſo beare good will toward the rebuker, as Dauid did toward Abigail, after that ſhe diſſuaded him from reuenging him ſelfe on Naball. Now the points wherein the wiſe and the iuſt are to be inſtructed in be, the feare of God, which is the beginning of wiſedome, and the knowledge of holy things, of vnderstanding. What the feare of God is, hath bene ſhewed in the expoſition of the ſeuēth verſe of the firſt Chapter of this booke. What the knowledge of God or of holy things is, hath bene declared in the expoſition of the fift verſe of the ſecond Chapter hereof. For by me thy dayes ſhall be multiplied. The ſonne of God in theſe wordes promiſeth eternall life to thoſe who know his father and him. If thou be wiſe, thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelfe, but if thou be a ſcorner, thou alone ſhalt ſuffer. In this concluſion of his ſpeech the ſonne of God threateneth the diſobediēt with plagues and eternall condemnation. The meaning of this ſaying is, that when the godly hauehave done all that they can, they aduantage not God, (yea ſtill they are to him vnprofitable ſeruāts) but onelyonly they benefite them ſelues, for the Lord will bleſſe thoſe that walke vprightly. On the contrary ſide, they that ſinne, cannot poſſible hurt God, who is out of their reach, but as malefactours them ſelues carie their croſſes at the time of executiō, ſo the wicked perſon ſhall him ſelfe alone beare his owne indgement. The cōſideratiō herof cauſed Elihu to ſay vntounto Iob ſpeaking of God, if thou ſinneſt, what doeſt thou to him? or if thy tranſgreſſiōs be many, Iob. 35.6.7.what canſt thou do vntounto him? if thou art iuſt, what giueſt thou to him? or what doth he receiue at thy hands?
13 The fooliſh woman is full of babling, the ſimple woman euen knoweth nothing,
14 And yet ſitteth at the doore of her houſe, on a ſeate in the high places of the citie,
15 To turne aſide paſſengers, who euen go on ſtraight in their paths.
Now the wiſe king offreth to our conſideratiō the workes of the harlot, and her feaſt. Firſt of all, this enchaunting and vaine woman, ſitteth at the doore of her houſe. The adultereſſe abiding neare to the place where ſhe keepeth, watcheth all oportunities of getting mates vntounto her, on a ſeate in the high places of the citie. She alſo ſhameleſly and openly ſheweth her ſelfe, and entiſeth companions in publicke aſſemblies: to turne aſide paſſengers, who euengo on ſtraight in their path. This ſhe doth, not onelyonly to Ieade away captiue the vngodly, but to intangle through the wanton luſts of the fleſh, ſuch as had in deed eſcaped from thoſe, who hauehave their conuerſation in error or going aſtray.2. Pet. 2.
16 And whoſoeuer is fooliſh, let him turne in hither, and whoſoeuer is void of vnderſtanding to him ſhe ſaith,
17 Stolne waters are ſweete, and hidden bread is pleaſant.
The words of the ſtrange woman, & in her of all ſeducers are herein ſet downe. As wiſedome inuited the fooliſh and ignorant to her houſe, ſo doth ſhe the ſame perſons vntounto hers. This ſort of people ſhe calleth by name as it were, becauſe vnrighteous and vnſtable perſons not well grounded in the truth eaſily yeeld vntounto the baytes of ſeducers. To them ſhe promiſeth water and bread, euen thoſe things which belong to the nouriſhment of men, as if that ſhe alſo would preſerue her gueſts in life. But it is verie diligently to be obſerued, that her waters are ſtolne waters and hidden bread, euen deliteſome pleaſures and profites, howbeit vnlawfull and forbidden.
18 But he knoweth not, that thoſe who are voyd of life are there, and that her gueſts are in the valleys of the graue.
Well, ſome wanton or foole goeth into this houſwifes houſe, but this is hid from him, that her followers dayes are cut off, and that her louers are in the darke dungeons of death and deſtruction.