Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 14
Wiſe men lay vp knowledge: but the mouth of the foole is Verſe. 14 a preſent deſtruction.
Heere is declared by what meanes wiſe men attaine to that abilitie, and ſufficiencie of fruitfull ſpeeches, by due attention to that which is ſpoken to them, or which they read: or by diligent obſeruation of things which they behold. Thoſe they lay vp, as a man would his treaſure, in a ſafe place. As therefore a prouident thriftie husband which hath gathered together a ſtocke, will bee ready vponupon ſhort warning to make a purchaſe, or vponupon any good occaſion to disburſe a ſumme of money: ſo he that is faithfull in ſeeking knowledge, and applyeth both heart and memory to hold it faſt, and keepe it, ſhall readilie in conuenient time draw out the good things which he hath learned, either for his owne vſe, or the benefite and profit of others. Which is contrary in careleſſe and heedleſſe perſons: for they will be as forward to ſpeake as any others, but that which is within the heart, will quickly bee at hand to come out at the lips, and that is poyſon, and venome, and peſtilent matter, which will certainely hurt themſelues, and be dangerous to others. So then thus ſtandeth the oppoſition: wiſe men lay vp knowledge, and therfore their mouthes are a preſent preſeruation: but fooliſh men reiect knowledge and therefore their mouthes are a preſent deſtruction.
Wiſe men, &c. It is not inough to bring the eare to heare holy Doct. 1 inſtructions, but the heart muſt alſo receiue and keepe them. What good the …e layeth in, that the heart muſt lay vp.The neceſsitie of this duetie appeareth by the ſerious exhortation which he giueth to that purpoſe in the beginning of the ſeuenth Chapter. My Sonne keepe my wordes, and hide my commandements with thee: keepe my commandements, and thou ſhalt liue, and mine inſtruction as the apple of thine eyes. Hee giueth this counſell as a friend, to a neare friend, as a father to his owne ſonne, for the matter of it is not of ſmall importance, but of the greateſt weight and moment, it behooueth men not onelyonly to lay ſure hold of holy doctrines in regard of ſtate, but of their very liues. And therefore not to looke to the ſafe keeping thereof as we are chary of our money, but to be as prouident that we be not ſpoyled of them, as we are watchfull to preſerue the members, yea the deareſt members of our bodies from violence.
Firſt, the excellencie of wiſedome and ſauing knowledge Reaſons. 1 may allure vsus vntounto it: for it is more precious and profitable then all earthly treaſures, which earthly minded men hord vp ſo carefully. Chap. 3. 14. 15.
Secondly, it concerneth our ſaluation, and euerlaſting happineſſe, faithfully to retaine the holy word of God in our ſoules. Heb. 2. 1. 3.
Thirdly, the ſtore of grace that is congeſted doth miniſter matter, and oportunitie, and readineſſe of good and wholeſome ſpeeches to the lips. Pſal. 49. 3. 4.
Fourthly, by this meanes men are in their whole liues, both framed to be good, and declared to bee good, and deliuered from all ſinfull courſes, that they may continue to bee good. Pſal. 119. 11. Prou. 2. 10. 11. And in this point the good ground in the Goſpell, hath the preheminence aboue all the others, it receiueth the word, and giueth entertainement vntounto it by attention, and ſo it goeth beyond the high way. Secondly it hath a roote in it ſelfe, whereby it maketh a bold profeſſion in the time of perſecution, and ſo it goeth beyond the ſtony ground. Thirdly, it keepeth a conſtant courſe of obedience, and bringeth the fruit of the ſeede to ripneſſe, and ſo it goeth beyond the thornie ground.
Reproofe of them which through the greedy deſires of Vſe. 1 corruptible▪ and caſuall treaſures, are wholy with-held from ſeeking this one thing onelyonly neceſſary. A great crop of wheat is offered vntounto them, which they refuſe, and ſill their barnes and garners with chaffe and ſtubble. They may loade themſelues, and fill their houſes with ſiluer, and gold, with pearles, and diamonds, and all kinde of precious ſtones: and they take their backe burthen, and peſter their houſes with old ruſtie iron, and droſſe, and pebbles, and other things that be heauy and comberſome, but of no value. They hauehave libertie, and oportunitie, they hauehave perſwaſion, and incouragement to gather together, and ſtore vp abundance of durable riches, which can neuer periſh, nor be taken from them, and they take paines to heape vp ſnow, and ſuch like matter, that will melt away and vaniſh in a moment.
Terrour to them that ſuffer Sathan to rob them of all good leſſons and inſtructions, and yet thinke that no hurt at all is done to them. If their houſes had beene broken vp by men, and their money taken out of their cheſts, their neighbours ſhould heare their clamours, and the whole countrie ſhould heare their outcries, but let the diuell himſelfe bereaue them of that portion which ſhould not hauehave beene onelyonly for liuing, but life, not for this preſent ſtate, but their euerlaſting ſtate: in this caſe they be quiet, no wrong is offred to them, they hauehave ſuſtained no manner of loſſe. It is ſet downe as a iudgement and curſe by the Prophet, that men ſhall put their money into a broken bagge, and what a fearefull caſe ſtand they in then Hag. 16▪that put the ſacred inſtructions of the bleſſed word of God into a bottomleſſe heart, that can hold nothing, but that which will peruert and hurt them? The Apoſtle giueth an earneſt caueat to the Hebrewes, admoniſhing them ſtrictly to giuegive Heb. 2. 1.heed to the things which they heard, leaſt they ſhould let them ſlippe, and as the word ſignifieth, ſhould leake or runne out. For it were better to hauehave wounds in our bodies that all our bloud ſhould guſh out, then to be rifted veſſels, hauing chinkes in our ſoules, that the doctrine of life ſhould ſoake away, and oaze out from vsus.
Conſolation to them that hauehave couetous deſires after ſpirituall diſhes, that would ſuffer nothing that wayes to paſſe from them, but inlarge their affections vnſatiably to gather all. It is no point of folly, as it was in the rich man. Luke. 12 to multiply worldly wealth, but theſe hauehave the Lord to commend their wiſedome, and it may as truly be affirmed of them, as of ſuch as be mercifull (becauſe they bee the ſame perſons, though the reſpects differ) that they lay vp ſtore for themſelues, a good foundation againſt the time to come, that they may obtaine eternall life.
But the mouth of the wicked, &c. The tongues of vngodly Doct. 2 men are alwaies pernitious and hurtfull. Of them Saint Iames An ill mans mouth worketh much woe.ſpeaketh largely, comparing them to fire breaking out in an houſe, or whole towne, eſpecially when it commeth by the hoſtilitie of the enemie, making aſſault to it, by meanes whereof men are ſtayed from extinguiſhing of it, and hauehave not onelyonly their goods, but their life alſo in great perill. And this flame of the tongue is ſo much more dangerous then materiall fire, becauſe it is kindled of hell, that is, the diuell himſelfe hath ſet Zac. 3. 5. 7.it on worke. And ſo in the ſame place he reſembleth them to poyſon, and that not of the common ſort, but to ſtrong poyſon, which is deadly, and faileth not to worke the bane of them that drinke it.
Firſt, they are hurtfull, and bring great annoyance, and miſchiefe Reaſons. 1 to other men, and therfore in the Scriptures, are called ſwords, and arrowes, and raſors, and mortall weapons. Ier. 9. 8. Pſal. 52. 2. And yet ſuch ſimilitudes are not able fully to expreſſe, and ſet out the euill that commeth by venemous mouthes, and virulent ſpeeches. Firſt, the tongue moſt commonly cauſeth weapons to bee drawen, all warres, all rebellions, all maſſacres, all quarrels, all manner of ſtrifes are firſt breathed out of mens mouthes, on ſome part. Secondly, the hand may be held that handleth the weapon, the ſtrokes may be warded, armour may preſerue from the violence of them, or there may be refuge and couert to hide them that are purſued: but who can ſtay an vnruly tongue? What defence is againſt it? whither ſhall a man fly from a falſe accuſer? what diſtance of place will preuent malicious calumniations? Thirdly, they which fall into the hands of moſt fierce and cruell enemies, which are pearced, and wounded with keeneſt and ſharpeſt edge tooles, hauehave all the hurt vponupon their bodies, the extreamitie of it reacheth but to take away their naturall life, but a ſlanderous tongue doth ſmite at the name, which an ingenious man would forgoe his breath, to preſerue: and a peſtiferous ſeducing tongue doth peruert the ſoule, and by the poyſon thereof are many thouſands brought to euerlaſting perdition.
Secondly, they bring deſtruction vponupon themſelues, and draw miſchiefe vponupon their owne heads, as the Scripture teſtifieth: The words of a wiſe man hauehave grace, but the lips of a foole deuoure …ccl. 10. 12. 13.himſelfe. The beginning of the words of his mouth is fooliſhneſſe, and the latter end of his mouth is wicked madneſſe. The truth of this ſhall be ſpoken of more at large in the eightenth Chapter, and ſeauenth verſe, vponupon theſe words: A fooles mouth is his owne deſtruction, and his lippes are a ſnare for his ſoule.
Inſtruction to be very well aduiſed in all our ſpeeches, ſithens Vſe 1 they are ſo important and weightie. Who would not heedefully foreſee where his arrow ſhall hit before he ſhoote it out of his bow, leaſt it ſhould deſtroy any perſon, or other creature through negligence? who would not be very circumſpect and wary in diſcharging of a peece, leaſt hee ſhould doe miſchiefe by it? And yet by theſe a man may affray, and not hurt; and hurt, and not kill; and kill, and not dye himſelfe: but what arrow? what ſhotte? what artillery? what murdering peece, is to bee compared to the mouth of a man that is not guided by a wiſe and watchfull foreſight? Great woe it worketh to other men, but it ſurely bringeth death it ſelfe vntounto himſelfe, eueryevery word that breaketh an other mans skinne, doth certainely breake the kall of his owne heart: and he that doth aime at an other to giuegive him a wound, can not miſſe himſelfe, to violate his owne life. For ſo wee learne in this booke. Hee Prou. 13 3.that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth his lips deſtruction ſhall bee to him. It concerneth therefore eueryevery man to be as prouident, yea more carefull to looke to that which goeth out of his lips, then to that which commeth in, to bee more affraid to vtter blaſphemous, reuiling, ſlaunderous and infectious ſpeeches, in regard of the ſoule; then to eate, and deuour vnwholeſome meates in regard of the body. And by this we are admoniſhed to commit our mouthes to a better keeper then our owne wit, or reaſon, or ciuill diſpoſition, leaſt luſt and Sathan doe ouer rule vsus, to let in what they will, and to let out ſinfull words, when, and whither, and as oft as they will. And this mooued the Prophet to pray to the Lord to ſet a watch before his mouth, and to keepe the doore of his lips.
Confutation of them that thinke it nothing dangerous to ſpeake whatſoeuer: words, they ſay, are but winde, when a man hath ſpoken he hath done, and ſo there is an end of that matter. Nay when a ſinfull man hath ſpoken ſinfully, much hurt is done, and ſo there is but the beginning of a bad matter: for all the miſchiefe followeth after. So it may be ſaid of a cup of poyſon, it is but a draught, and when a man hath ſwallowed it, he hath done with it, and ſo there is an end: but hath it done with him? will there be no further working of it? … will continue his paine and torment vntill it hauehave made an end of his life.