Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 9 – Verse 10
Hee that walketh vprightly, walketh bouldly: but hee that Verſe. 9 peruerteth his waies, ſhall be knowne.
He that walketh vprightly, that is, doth carefully looke to his waies, with an honeſt heart, walketh ſurely, hauing both the affection, and ground, and effects of Chriſtian bouldneſſe: but hee that peruerteth his waies, that is, doth allow himſelfe in any courſe, though neuer ſo ſecretly, ſhall be knowne, his ſinnes ſhall be detected.
The ſence of the whole verſe may be thus expreſſed: Hee that walketh vprightly, walketh ſurely, becauſe his faithfulneſſe ſhall bee knowen to his praiſe; And hee that peruerteth his waies, walketh dangerouſly, beecauſe his lewdeneſſe ſhall bee knowne to his ſhame.
All ſound ſafetie, and boldneſſe proceedeth from ſinceritie Doct. of heart, and integritie of life. liuery religious man that feareth He liues ſafely, that liues ſincerely.the Lord, hath this promiſe Pſal. 112. 7. 8. That no euill tidings ſhall make him afraid, becauſe he beleeueth in the Lord: if all the world would tell him of perill, when God himſelfe doth warrant him ſafetie, he will giuegive moſt credit to him that hath moſt truth, and moſt power alſo to diſpoſe of all euents. And his heart is not as a pole that is pitched vp, or a ſtake that is ſticked vp, which eueryevery hand may plucke away, or eueryevery blaſt of winde may blow downe, nor like a dry wall without a quoine or buttreſſe, or any other binding to fortifie it: but it is fixed and eſtabliſhed as a tree that is well rooted, & groweth ſtrongly, or a building that hath a ſure foundation, and ſtandeth faſt, and ſo is freed from feare and all ſlauiſh terrour.
Firſt, his heart hath Gods owne eye to behold it, and his ſpirit Reaſons. 1 to teſtifie the faithfulneſſe of it, and ſo receiueth comfort from him. Iob. 31. 31. whereas the hearts of hypocrites beeing ſearched by him, are found moſt fraudulent and deceitfull.
Secondly, the courſe of their actions is ſuch as will indure light, and the more they are examined, the better they will prooue, and therefore they need not feare any might or malice, or cunning aduerſaries that ſhal ſeeke their diſgrace, Iſa. 50. 7. 8. And though their enemies for a time doe falſely ſlander them, yet the Lord in due ſeaſon will make their righteouſneſſe as cleare as the noone day. Pſal. 37. 6.
Thirdly, their bodies and ſtate are in Gods cuſtodie, and he hath vndertaken the defence, and preſeruation of them. Cap. 3. 26. Pſal. 91. whereas the wicked are out of Gods protection, and goe perpetually in perill.
Fourthly, their ſoules are prepared for death and the iudgement ſeate of Chriſt, and therefore more deſire to bee diſſolued, then are afraid to heare of the neereneſſe of their diſſolution, which is contrary in the wicked, who all their dayes are in bondage to the feare of death and damnation. Heb. 2. 15.
Inſtruction to get apparant and euident teſtimonies of Vſe. 1 vprightneſſe, which will make our liues comfortable, & keep off many miſerable vexations, and horrors, that come vponupon the wicked. And this wee ſhall doe, if wee labour to know all that God would hauehave vsus to learne, & to indeuor to practiſe all that wee know, and to confeſſe to God all that we faile to practiſe: for ſo farre as wee are willingly ignorant of any dutie, or careleſſe to performe it, or ſecure when we neglect it, & conceale Pſal. 32. 2. 3.our ſinnes, not acknowledging them that the Lord may remit them: ſo far wee come ſhort of a good conſcience.
Conſolation, for all that be vpright, that whether they walk abroad, or ſtay at home: whether they be in company with others, or alone by themſelues: whether it be in the day or in the night; whether they bee walking, or ſleeping: they are well aſſured of certaine ſafetie.
Terrour for ſinfull men, whoſe conſciences be at all times readie to aſſaile them. Naturall courage will not help them in the time of extremitie: how many ſeeming very valient, as Saul for example, hauehave through deſperate feare, laide violent hands vponupon their owne bodies. And let power and courage concur to gether, yet both wilbe inſufficient to ſtrengthen a heart that Gods iudgement, and their owne guiltineſſe doe weaken. As Balſhazzar being bold to defie Cyrus, and to bid battell to the Lord himſelfe, profaning his holy veſſells in deſpight of him: yet now in the middeſt of iolitie, amongſt his friends, in his owne houſe, in a ſtrong cittie, garded with an hoaſt of armed ſouldiers, hee was ſo frighted, and terrified, that his countenance was changed, his heart was reſolued into daſtardlineſſe, the ioyntes of his loynes were looſed, and his knees ſmote one againſt an other. And what was it that ſo danted him? the ſight of an hand, writing vponupon the wall. There were neither more enemies, nor fewer friends, nor any other alteration then beefore, but God wakened his conſcience, and his conſcience ſhewed him his guiltineſſe, and altogether threatned his deſtruction, and heereby his great courage was ſo quickly killed. And this alſo may ſerue to take away the vaine confidence of fooliſh men that be bold to commit iniquitie, & yet looke to eſcape the reproach of it: hoping neuer to be found out. But they forget that the Apoſtle ſaith that mens ſinnes come to light in diuers maners, ſome preſently vponupon the fact, ſome long after: ſome in their life time, ſome after they be dead, ſome reſerued to the laſt day: but ſo that all ſhall certainely be manifeſted one day. Caine had as faire poſſibilitie 1. Tim. 5. 24. 25and likelihood to couer his crueltie, as euer any ſinner had, or poſsibly can hauehave to conceale his offences, no man but himſelfe knowing of it, no circumſtances beeing to ſift it out by, if hee would keepe his owne counſell; and yet what fact almoſt is more notoriouſly knowen, and publiſhed, and that with deteſtation, then his murdering of Abel? And it is not to be imputed to his owne ſillineſſe, or careleſneſſe of his name and credit, as though negligently he had diſcouered it himſelf; for he would hauehave hid it from the Lord, & conſequently from all men, if he could hauehave ſo carryed the matter.
Hee that winketh with the eye worketh ſorrow: and hee that is fooliſh in talke ſhall bee beaten. Verſe. 10
This confirmeth the latter clauſe of the former verſe, that they that peruert their waies ſhall bee knowne, though they doe it neuer ſo ſecretly: which is meant by the winking of the eye. Yet by this it ſhall appeare that it is knowne, becauſe it ſhall bee puniſhed. For as they practiſe miſchiefe againſt others, and many times worke them ſorrow: ſo they certainely bring miſchiefe on their owne heads, and procure ſorrow to their owne ſoules. And yet all winking is not condemned: but that which tendeth to hurt: when men winke wiles. The Apoſtle bekned or winked at Iohn that hee ſhould aske who Ioh. 13 24.it was that ſhould betray Chriſt, & yet this was well done of him; for he ſhewed a reuerend regard of Chriſt, that he would not bee lowd and audacious in his preſence. If they peruert their waies openly by beeing fooliſh in ſpeech, open iudgement ſhall bee executed vponupon them for their open ſinnes, and thereby their mouthes ſhall bee ſtopped.
It is not ſafe to vſe any member of the body, or any geſture Doct. though neuer ſo cloſely, to commit ſinne. The ſonnes of Sinne muſt …ue no alowance.Beliall, vnthriftie perſons, are ſo deſcribed by their behauiour, and threatned to bee puniſhed. Chap. 6. 12. 13. 14. 15. Hee walketh with a froward mouth, hee maketh a ſigne with his eyes, hee ſignifieth with his feete, hee inſtructeth with his fingers, &c. Therefore ſhall his deſtruction come ſpeedely: hee ſhall bee deſtroyed ſodenly without recouerie.
They are markes and meſſengers of a ſinfull heart within, Reaſons. 1 as in the ſame Chap. ver. 14. Lewde things are in his heart, hee imagineth euill at all times.
Secondly, great hurt is done by ſuch geſtures and ſpeeches, and other like behauiour.
Thirdly, the members of our bodies, as eyes, and tongue, and ſuch like, were created for the ſeruice of God, and are required to bee weapons of righteouſneſſe againſt ſinne, and not of ſinne, againſt God and his righteouſneſſe. Rom. 6. 19.
To looke well to eueryevery one of them, that none of them be Vſe 1 in pay with Sathan, or luſt, or mallice, to fight the battailes of the fleſh, againſt the word and ſpirit of God. The Lord forbiddeth to ſet a foote towards the breach of the Sabbath, or to ſmite with the fiſt of wickedneſſe, or to lift vp a finger to crueltie or hard dealing. Iſay. 58. 4. 9. 13.
Terrour for them that hauehave the members of their bodies as armed rebels againſt the Lord, all following a ſinfull heart which is their captaine and leader.
Conſolation to the ſeruants of God, that the Lord beholdeth eueryevery looke of the wicked aduerſaries, eueryevery beck, eueryevery nod, and all their plots, and practiſes, and therefore eueryevery one ſhall bee fruſtrate and defeated. And ſo the Lord heareth the boaſts and inſultations, the threatnings and ſlanders, and all kinde of hurtfull calumniations, that are breathed out againſt his people, hee will take their cauſe in hand, and thoſe virulent tongues that hauehave beaten others with falſe accuſations, and lies, ſhall be beaten themſelues with the rod of his vengeance, and the innocencie of the righteous ſhall bee cleared by the puniſhment inflicted vponupon their enimies.