Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 2
The treaſures of wickedneſſe profit nothing, but righteouſneſſe Verſe 2 deliuereth from death.
The treaſures of wickedneſſe, that is, the greateſt abundance of wealth, which is euill gotten, and euill vſed, or poſſeſſed by an euill owner, profit nothing, doe him no good at any time, but leaſt of all at his death, or in time of miſery, for ſo it is intended by the Antitheſts and expreſſed, Chap. 11. 4. But righteouſneſſe, that is, vprightneſſe of heart, and holyneſſe of behauiour, deliuereth from death, that is, from deſtruction, and all other hurtfull dangers. Yet not by any merit of man, but by the merciemercy of God through Ieſus Chriſt.
The riches of iniquitie. No wicked worldling is any thing Doct. the better for his wealth which thing the Prophet Dauid had Wicked mens wealth doe them no goodwell conſidered of, and therefore confidently affirmeth. Pſal. 39. 6. doubtleſſe (ſaith hee) Man walketh by a vaine image, hee heapeth vp riches, & cannot tell who ſhall gather them. He ſpeaketh not of a particular, as though ſome one man were falne into that errour, but of the whole body of mankinde, in that caſe as they are deſcended from Adam. EueryEvery man that hath nothing but the nature of man, doth take a ſhew for a ſubſtance, the image in the glaſſe for the face repreſented by it: the picture of happineſſe which is painted on riches, for true and ſolide felicitie: and therefore they miſſe of that which they make moſt account of, for they hauehave gathered together goods, and others ſhall gather the good comfort and fruite of them: and whether they hauehave prouided for their owne, or for aliants, for friends, or for foes, they are altogether vncertaine.
But if it be ſaid, that thus far it profiteth them to bee wealthie, that they eate and drinke and liue thereby: our Sauiour anſweareth that no mans life conſiſteth in the abundance of his riches: doe not poore men liue alſo? are not ſheepe, and Luke. 12. 15.kine, and all other cattell nouriſhed?
Obiect. But they fare better then others, and in that reſpect they hauehave a commoditie in their wealth aboue others?
Anſwere. But better fare doth not make their ſtate better: it helpeth not their health, it ſweetneth not their ſleepe, it refreſheth Eccleſ. 5. 11.not their harts, it furthereth them to no good ſeruice. That meate doth a man good which inciteth him to prayer, & thanckfulneſſe, which moueth him to compaſsion & merciemercy, and which maketh him able and readie to exerciſe eueryevery good dutie in his calling.
Firſt, the ſtore and plentie of riches and poſſeſsions doth Reaſons. 1 nothing help the ſtate of vnrighteous men in the time of their proſperitie; for that which they hauehave is none of their owne: they hauehave neither right nor vſe of any thing that is about them. Iſay. 61. 5. They plow other mens grounds, and plant Iſa. 61. 5.other mens orchards, and keepe other mens cattell, and beecome other mens diudges. And for this cauſe the Prophet Habbakuk doth cry out ſhame vponupon their follie, when they thinke themſelues to bee very wiſe and prudent; Ho, hee that Hab. 2. 6.increaſeth that which is not his, and hee that hideth himſelfe with thicke clay. They make themſelues packhorſes, or at leaſt ſeruile porters which bow their backes to other mens burdens, and ſhall bee recompenſed onelyonly with feeling the weight of the ſame. Or let the beſt be made of it, and be it their owne, yet their owne is nothing but a loade of heauy morter. And this were well if this were all; but the worſt remayneth to bee ſpoken of: namely their burdens of wicked treaſures bee as it were bags or purſes obtayned by ſtealth, or robberie, which will therefore bring their liues into perill.
Secondly, the abundance of outward things cannot ſuccour them in the time of their calamitie: for ſo the Prophet threatneth; Neither their ſiluer nor their gold ſhall bee able to deliuer them in the day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 1. 18. If their danger grew from the heat of mens wrath there might bee hope that wealth would help them: for either a ſumme of mony would quench the flame of the aduerſaries diſpleaſure, or kindle courage in ſome others to defend them. But now that God is prouoked againſt them, it is in vaine to offer gold or ſiluer to pacifie him or to ranſome themſelues; for hee ſtandeth in no Pſal. 49. 7.neede of them, hee admireth them not as men doe, and they be his already, and at his owne will, to be diſpoſed of. Then to oppoſe them againſt him, in way of reſiſtance, it were abſurd: for there is no power in them to doe vsus good without him: and much leſſe therefore to maintaine any man againſt him. Nay they be ſo far from ayding ſinfull men againſt the Pſal. 62. 10 11.hand of God, as that they bee many times weapons in their hand; to plague them with ſtroaks of iudgement. It hath neuer beene heard that the purſe hath preſerued the man from the ſword of the robber, or the cheſt from the aſſault of the theefe: but the contrary falleth out often, that men bee made a ſpoile for their money, and brought to ruine, as a tree that hath great bowes and a little roote is ouerturned in a mightie tempeſt. But there eſpecially doth wealth bring woe to wicked men, when God awaketh their conſciences, …o behold their owne crueltie and falſehood, and the heauie puniſhment now readie to be inflicted vponupon them for the ſame. This was Iudas his caſe and ſuch the Prophet ſpeakes of Ezek. 7. 19 They ſhall caſt their ſiluer into the ſtreetes, and their gold ſhalbe caſt a far off: That which was deareſt to their hearts beefore, and brought them to ſinne, they remoue furtheſt from them now: when they feele the ſorrow of it. And beeſides this although riches had ſome greater vertue, and power in themſelues, yet they could ſtand vngodly men in no ſtead, becauſe they ceaſe when miſery beginneth, when death commeth to men, and they c…me before the iudgement ſeate of Chriſt, the wicked hauehave horrible ſorrowes and terrors vponupon them, and all their wealth Reue. 6. 15.and ſubſtance is fled from them.
Inſtruction that we neuer corrupt our hearts or peruert our Vſe. 1 waies to encreaſe our eſtate, and augment our wealth. This maketh a wound, but miniſtreth no plaiſter to heale it. It will aſſuredly bring trouble and affliction, but neuer any ſtrength and abilitie, eyther to preuent or to beare it. And therefore it ſhall be our wiſedome to foreſee the euents that will enſue, vponupon any vnlawful courſe of gayning. We would not willingly enter into an houſe viſited with the peſtilence though great cheare were prouided for vsus. We would not put on infectious apparell though they were made of ſilke or ſatten, or ſtuffes that were deareſt. And ſhall we be more prouident for the body then for the ſoule? Nay for body ſingly, more then for body and ſoule together? Nay for meate body more then for body, and ſoule, and ſtate, and name, and ſeede and poſteritie? For iniquitie will bring a curſe vponupon all theſe, and goods preſerue not one of them.
Terrour to the wicked that thriue by iniuſtice, as vſury, oppreſsion, or any indirect meanes of getting. EueryEvery good man may ſay of them, as Iob did ſay in the like caſe: Let the counſell Iob. 21. 16.of the wicked be far from mee: their candell will be put out, and diſtruction will come vponupon them, vnleſſe they breake off their iniuſtice. All their commoditie is to them as the ba…t vntounto the fiſh, with the hooke: as the corne that is ſcattered for the birds vnderunder the net: and as the ſweete ſops that are ſet for the rats with poyſon.
But righteouſneſſe, &c. The goodneſſe of a Chriſtian will Doct. 2 worke him that happineſſe which no outward goods could euer A Chriſtian mans happineſſe conſiſteth in his grace not in his goods. Hab. 2. 4.procure. This was the meſſage that Habba. was to deliuer to the people of God, to confirme them againſt the dangerous inuaſion of the Babylonians, that the righteous ſhould liue by his faith. It is oppoſed to the proud conceits of the wicked on both ſides. The high minded Chaldeans intended to deſtroy all, and the ſtubbern hearted Iewes preſumed to eſcape all deſtruction. Now the Lord ſhewed that neither ſide of them ſhould hauehave their wils. For the faithfull ſhould be deliuered from death, or the euill of it, nowithſtanding all the power and weapons of the Babilonians. And onelyonly the faithfull had aſſurance of happy deliuerance notwithſtanding all the armour and riches of the Iſraelites.
Firſt, the efficacie of the ſpirit, and the merit of Chriſt doth Reaſon. 1 free them from the firſt death, and giuegive them a part in the firſt reſurrection. Epheſ. 2. 1.
Secondly, the prouidence and power of God, doth ſheeld them from the hurtfull ſword, which would bring them to an vntimely end. And they can at all times open heauen gates, by the key of prayer, and hauehave acceſſe to God in all diſtreſſes. Haman was ſtored with riches, and aduanced to dignitie, and backed with great friends: and yet on a ſodaine with the turning of an hand his life, and power, and whole eſtate was ouerturned. And Mardocay was a poore man, a captiue, maligned, and condemned, and came ſo neere to the chawes of death, that after a ſort it breathed vponupon him: yet being a righteous man, and crying to the Lord, he obteined a glorious deliuerance. Iehoſophat ſeemed to be in as great perill as Ahab, and Ahab was of as great wealth as Iehoſophat, yet God gaue direction to the hand of one archer, vnwittingly to ſhoote, and to the arrow to light vponupon him, and to finde a chincke in his armour, and to hit him in ſuch a place, as through which it pearced to his life. And contrariwiſe hee perſwaded the hearts of many others who preſſed vponupon Iehoſophat to withdraw their hands, and to let him alone in ſafetie.
Thirdly, the death of Ieſus Chriſt hath plucked out the ſting, and taken away the venome of their naturall death, as that it is conuerted into a quiet and comfortable reſt.
Fourthly, the Reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt ſhall at the laſt day ſubdue and deſtroy this death, that now houldeth their bodies in the graue, and death ſhall dye, and they ſhall liue in immortalitie and euerlaſting bleſſedneſſe.
Inſtruction to eueryevery one to get a ſure poſſeſsion of ſound Vſe 1 and vnfained righteouſneſſe, ſuch as will hould weight in the ballance of Gods righteouſneſſe, before his iudgement ſeate: and therefore let him obſerue theſe three generall rules which bee effectuall and neceſſarie. Firſt, that he put off the old man, with the carnall reaſon and ſhewes thereof: diſclayming for authentick and alowable goodneſſe, all counterfait, natural and ciuill vertues, and bee clothed with Chriſt and his merites, and ſanctified with his holy Spirit, Phil. 3. 9. 10. Secondly, that hee make a narrow ſearch to finde out all his ſinnes, and that with godly ſorrow and repentance for the ſame: obtaining alſo pardon and remiſsion for them, through the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt. Thirdly, that he make a conſcience, conſtantly, and totally to walke in the commandements of God, endeuoring to pleaſe him in all things. For hee that leaueth off well doeing in the end, ſhal looſe all the comfort of his beginning. And he that is content to ſerue God but in a part, may bee ſuppected to ſerue him ſoundly in no part.
Conſolation to them that hauehave attained to this righteouſneſſe, and bee furniſhed with it, in heart and behauiour: they are throughly armed not onelyonly with the breſtplate, but with the whole and complete armour of God, againſt Sathan and all his forces. And ſo likewiſe are they in ſafety from the perill of all places; the violence of all perſons, and the terrours of all times, and ſeaſons. When they are in health they neede not to feare ſickneſſe, when they are ſicke, they neede not to feare death: when they are to die, they neede not to dread the daunger of damnation.