Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 12 – Verse 13
Hatred ſtirreth vp contentions: but louelove couereth all Verſe. 12 treſpaſſes.
Hatred, and all vncharitable affections, as enuie and wrath, Stirreth vp ſtrife, worketh all kind of reuenge and miſchiefe, as backbiting, obbrayding with former faults, and very often procureth iniuſt criminations. But louelove couereth all treſpaſſes, by forgiuing them and reprouing them in friendly manner, and by concealing them from all thoſe, to whom the knowledge of them hath not come, or doth not appertaine. The oppoſition is thus framed: Hatred ſtirreth vp contentions, and blazeth abroad mens infirmities, but louelove ſeeketh peace and couereth all treſpaſſes.
Hatred. The actions and ſpeeches of men are not ſo much Doct. a cauſe of ſtrife and debate, as the euill affections of their harts. An ill heart raiſeth contention.Diuers times it falleth out that the wrong doer, is not ſo much faulty as he that ſhold better beare it: & no iniuries could work a quarrelous contention, vnleſſe there were a defect of louelove on both ſides. It is ſaid, Chap. 18. 6. That a fooles lippes come with ſtrife. It is not the occaſion giuen, ſo much as the lips that make the breach: and the lips could not doe it, vnleſſe the man ſet them on worke, and the man would not ſo ſet them on worke, vnleſſe folly and ſin ouerruled both him and his lips, So Chap. 15. 18. Angry men are brought in for the authors of ſtrife, but hee that is ſlow to wrath hath this teſtimonie giuen him, that he will appeaſe it. What was the reaſon why Ioſephs brethren had ſuch a quarrell at him? Beecauſe they ſaw their father louelove him more then all the reſt, they hated him, and could not ſpeake peaceably to him. Gen. 37. 4. What moued Ahab to be alway ſo bitter againſt Elijah and Micaiah? Hee telleth the cauſe himſelfe, he hated them, and reputed them to bee his enemies. 1. Kings. 21. 20. & 22. 8.
Firſt, whereſoeuer hatred is, & one man maligneth another, Reaſons. 1 there is pride, and onelyonly by pride contentions come. Chap. 13. 10.
Secondly, if ſtrife did not more proceede from the inward corruptions, then the outward occaſions, they that were moſt wronged, ſhould neceſſarilie be moſt contentious, and ſo Moiſes, and Dauid and Ieremie, and Paul, and Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe of all other ſhould hauehave beene moſt vnquiet and clamorous. But theſe had neuer any equall vntounto them for peaceable and gentle behauiour. Numb. 12. 2. 3. Math. 12. 19. 1. Pet. 4. 23.
Confutation of them that lay the blame of their frowardneſſe Vſe. 1 vponupon the vnkindeneſſe of their neighbours: and eſpecially of ſuch as charge the miniſtrie of the word, and the preachers of it with all the ſciſmes, and ſedicions, and with all the breaches and diuiſions that are in the Church. They publiſh the Goſpell of grace which teacheth peace, and maketh peace betweene God and man, and betweene man and man, yea a man and his owne conſcience. But would there bee ſo great oppoſitions, ſay they, and themſelues and their doctrine ſo much croſſed and reſiſted, vnles the cauſe were in them? They be troubleſome men and buſie bodies, giuen to faction, and no man can liue in peace by them. The Diuell cannot liue in quiet by them, and therefore hee maketh a tempeſt in their hearts whom hee poſſeſſeth, and ſo their waues daſh againſt the miniſters and all other good Chriſtians Our Sauiour knew that ſuch would bee the ſucceſſe of his Goſpell, that wicked men would bee in as great a hurlie bu…lie at it as if he had come with fire and ſword againſt them. Ieremie cleareth Math. 10. 34. Ier. 11. 60.himſelfe of all priuate occaſions of diſcontentment amongſt the people, hee neither borrowed on vſurie, nor lent on vſurie, nor had any trafficke or dealing with them; yet all contended againſt him, and eueryevery man curſed him. But what moued them to ſuch paſsion and diſtemper? the Diuell and their owne ſinfull hearts, which the Prophet ſo mightely warred againſt.
Inſtruction, if our hearts riſe againſt our brethren, and begin to grow turbulent and vnpeaceable, that then wee call them to examination. As S. Iames doth them that would not Iames. 4. 1.examine themſelues, from whence are theſe warres and contentions? are they not from luſts that fight in the members.
Not to truſt enuious perſons, for they hauehave not the gouernment of themſelues, though they ſpeak faire, and offer reconciliation. Yet if they clenſe not their ſoules of their inward ranker of malice, and that by repentance, they will breake out againe into bitterneſſe, as Saul did againſt Dauid.
But louelove couereth, &c. Chriſtian louelove doth cauſe men to be Doct. mercifull to the ſoules & names of their brethren: which thing LoueLove is the leaſt fault ſinder.Saint Peter teacheth, alleadging almoſt the very ſame words of this ſcripture. Aboue all things hauehave feruent louelove amongst you, for louelove couereth a multitude of ſinnes. It hideth them all, though there be neuer ſo many.
None hauehave this louelove, but ſuch as hauehave felt Gods louelove to Reaſons. 1 themſelues, remitting and couering their owne ſinnes: and that maketh them mercifull to others. Col. 3. 13.
Secondly, they eſteeme their brethren as their owne fleſh, and members of the ſame body, and therefore will not willingly diſcouer the deformities, or vlcers, or the naked or vncomely parts thereof.
Thirdly, they propoſe a coppie or patterne to themſelues, how themſelues would bee dealth with in the like caſe, according to the rule of our Sauiour, and the ſumme of the law and Mat. 7. 12.Prophets.
Inſtruction to performe this dutie with faithfulneſſe and Vſe. 1 good diſcreation to our neighbours. Firſt, let vsus take doubtfull things in the beſt part, for louelove is not ſuſpicious but hopeth well of things that may hauehave good conſtruction, and peruerteth them not to the worſt ſence. So we deale with our children in their diſtempers, imputing them to ſome griping with winde, or breeding of teeth, or that ſome pinne pricketh them: it is meere neceſsitie that driueth vsus to ſee their frowardneſſe. Secondly, though it be a fault, yet if it be a ſmall infirmitie, and eſpecially if it be a priuate wrong vntounto ourſelues, let vsus paſſe by it, as the Lord doth moſt graciouſly with vsus, whoſe children Ephe 5. 12. Prou 20 3.we muſt heerein declare our ſelues to bee in imitating of him: and it is a mans honour to paſſe by an offence. Thirdly, if there be an offence committed ſit to be reproued, let vsus vſe all holy lenitie, if it may preuaile, or ſeueritie in compaſsion to draw them out of their ſinnes, for that is the beſt couering to bring them to repentance, that their iniquities may bee couered from Gods eyes, and waſhed away for euer. So did Nathan Iob. 23. 17.help to couer Dauids ſinnes, and was the beſt inſtrument of his clearing, by his free & faithfull diſcouerie of them. Fourthly, Ia 5. 20.if it belong not to our place to giuegive them admonition, or they receiue it not at our hands, then let vsus ſhew their diſeaſes to more skilfull Phiſitions, and their wounds to better ſurgeons, as Ioſeph told his father of his brethrens infamie. Gen. 37. 2. Gen 37. 2.1. Cor. 1. 11. and the houſe of Cloe ſhewed Paul of the diſſentions 1. Cor. 1. 11,of the Corinthians.
Reproofe of them that take it for their owne honour to bring others vntounto diſgrace, they thinke that the blackeneſſe of their brethren will make them white, when they hauehave no goodneſſe in themſelues to helpe their credit, they goe about to dig it out of the dunghill of their neighbours corruptions.
Conſolation to the ſeruants of God, that if the weake louelove of creatures, that hauehave in them ſo great defect of louelove, and proneneſſe to hatred, be of ſuch force as to hide their ſinnes, which be further from them; how much more ſhall the infinite louelove of God couer all their ſinnes that are ſo neare vntounto him. No man in his beſt louelove to his beſt friend can either forgiue ſinne, or worke repentance that ſinne may bee foregiuen: But God can performe both, and hath beſtowed vponupon vsus his Son, and his Sonne hath beſtowed vponupon vsus his life and bloud to effect both.
In the lips of him that hath vnderſtanding wiſedome is Verſe. 13 found: but a rod ſhall be for the backe of him that is deſtitute of vnderſtanding.
Theſe words neede no further explanation, then the ſupply of that which is to bee vnderſtoode in both the clauſes. For this ſeemeth to be the ſence of them: In the lips or ſpeech of him that hath vnderſtanding wiſedome is found, which keepeth iudgements and puniſhments from him: but in the lips of him that wanteth vnderſtāding folly is found, which bringeth iudgements and puniſhment vponupon him. The firſt hemiſtich, or former part of the verſe, is the ſame ſimply ſet downe, and without allegory, or metaphore, as was comparatiuely vttered in the eleuenth verſe, by the ſimilitude of a well ſpring.
The latter part is the ſame in ſence, that was in the eight, and tenth verſes, for there it is ſaid that the fooliſh in talk ſhalbe beaten.