Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 20
The tongue of the iuſt man is as fined ſiluer: but the heart Verſe. 20 of the wicked is little worth.
Hee ſetteth foorth the excellencie of the ſpeech of Godly men by compariſon, reſembling it to ſiluer that is purged, and fined from the droſſe that was in it. Becauſe a good man will be carefull of his tongue, not onelyonly that there bee no mixture of filthines, and lewdeneſſe in his words, but alſo to auoyde all ſuperſtuous, and idle babling, and ſo to open his mouth with holy wiſedome. Which is contrary in the wicked, becauſe there is a contrary fountaine in him of ſinfulneſſe and corruption, and no matter of vertue and grace, which are the ſprings of all wholeſome ſpeeches. Thus therefore ſtandeth the Antitheſis: the tongue of the iuſt man is as fined ſiluer, becauſe his hurt is precious: but the tongue of the wicked is as droſſe, becauſe his heart is nothing worth.
The tongue of the iuſt man, &c. The beſt wealth of a Chriſtian Doct. 1 is laid vp in his heart, and disburſed with his lips. And Good mens wealth is in their hart, and is vttered with the lippes. Math. 12. 25.that is the meaning of our Sauiour, when he ſaith, that a good man out of the good treaſure of his heart bringeth foorth good things. An euill man may hauehave coyne, and plate, and iuels in his treaſury, and yet hauehave no treaſure: and may draw money out of his purſe, & yet hauehave no good, & yet hauehave no good therewithall: but to hauehave grace in the ſoule, and to vtter gracious words with the tongue is proper to a good man, and the exerciſe good, and the fruite of it good to himſelfe and others. And albeit here ſeeme to be a compariſon of equall, as though the tongue were iuſt of the ſame value, and worth, that fined ſiluer is, yet it is to be vnderſtoode that at leaſt it is ſo pure and precious, but in deede far beyond it in excellencie.
Firſt, this is one of the good and perfect giftes, which is from Reaſons. 1 aboue, and commeth downe from the father of lights: whereas Iames. 1. 17.ſiluer is a terteſtiall matter, euen earth it ſelfe digged out of the earth, and neuer did but grow in the ground.
Secondly, this is currant in heauen, and acceptable to God himſelfe, with whom gold and ſiluer are of ſmall eſtimation.
Thirdly, ſuch things are obtained by it, which no money can purchaſe, as wiſedome, and grace, and the aſſurance of Gods eternall fauour, and all good things that concerne both Prou. 2. 3. 5.ſoule and body. Ezekias, and Iehoſophat, with other good kings, could not hauehave preſerued themſelues by their purſes, and treaſures, as they did by their prayers, and holy exerciſes, of their tongues. Ionah could not hauehave beene comforted, nor holpen by the greateſt quantitie of money, in the whales belly, where his prayer was very effectuall. Peter could not hauehave giuen ſo good an almes to the poore creeple, if hee had beene ſtored with ſiluer, Act 3. 6. 7.and gold, as hee did by the efficacie of his words through the name of Ieſus Chriſt.
Inſtruction, to ſhew our ſelues righteous by putting away Vſe. 1 all obſcenitie of ſpeeches, that neither ſilthineſſe, or couetouſneſſe, be once named amongſt vsus, nor fooliſh talking, nor ſeurrill bitter, or vncomely ieſting, or any kind of rotten communication, as the Apoſtle calleth it, but onelyonly that which is for the vſe of edifying, that it may miniſter grace to the hearers, Ephe. 5. 4. & 4. 29.
And eſpecially let vsus beware of the droſſe of diſsimulation, vntruth, and falſehoode, which bee-ſeeme not righteous perſons. Make no report for certainiie of any thing that is vncertaine, neuer make a promiſe without a ſetled purpoſe, and reſolution of performance. The faithfulneſſe of Boas in this caſe was ſo prooued, and made manifeſt, that when hee had once giuen his word to Ruth, Naomy biddeth her to binde vponupon it, and not further to trouble her ſelfe: for ſaith ſhe, the man will not bee in reſt, vntill hee hauehave finiſhed the matter this ſame day. Ruth. 3. 18.
Conſolation, if good men, notwithſtanding their great infirmities, and corruptions, hauehave yet ſuch ſinceritie in ſpeaking, and ſuch fidelitie in performing that which they ſpeake: how ſhall not the righteous God (in compariſon of whom all men are lyars, and who is not ſo properly called true, as truth, & all his words veritie it ſelfe) how ſhall not hee, I ſay, fulfill all his promiſes, and ſtand to his couenants that hee hath made with his people? Hee hath vndertaken for their ſaluation, their maintenance, protection, ſafety from ſathan, deliuerance from tirants and perſecutors, and ſhall not all this bee accompliſhed? is not all pure mettall that he pronounceth? is it not as ſiluer tried ſeauen fold in the ſire? Pſal. 12. 6. If hee ſhould faile of his word, he ſhould forget his truth, and in forgetting his truth, ſhould forgoe his nature, and conſequently ſhould forfeite his deitie, which were an execrable thing ſo much as to conceiue.
But the heart of the wicked, &c. Though ſinfull perſons Doct. 2 make neuer ſo great a ſhew on the outſide, yet there is nothing A wicked man hath his worſt ſide inward.within them worth any thing. To that purpoſe tend the words of the Apoſtle collected out of the Pſalmes: the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wiſe to bee but vaine. If the point had ſtood vponupon mans opinion, there might eaſily hauehave beene an errour in it, but he bringeth the teſtimonie of god vponupon ſure & infallible knowledge to cōfirme it. And wheras the Prophet nameth man indefinitely, that is, eueryevery man vnregenerate Pſal. 94. 11. Hee ſingleth out the chiefe, and choyſeſt of all the ſort of them, whoſe purpoſes ſeeme to bee of greateſt price, and moſt likely to preuaile, and ſayeth that the thoughts of the wiſe men beſt qualified with art, and naturall parts, are not onelyonly vaine, but very vanitie, as the Pſalmiſt hath it. Reaſons. 1
Firſt, they are altogether deſtitute of the ſpirit of grace.
Secondly, the heart of man, without the ſpirit, is foule, and filthie, and an vncleane ſinke of all abhominations.
Thirdly, the ſtreames that iſſue from thence declare what the fountaine is, when all their words, and actions, and recreations, and imaginations are onelyonly ſinfull and wicked. Hag. 2. 15. Tit. 1. 15. Gen. 6. 5.
Fourthly, Gods proceeding againſt them in his diſpleaſure maketh manifeſt how baſe they are: for hee knoweth how all things are to bee priced. Since therefore hee reiecteth and caſteth them away, it euidently appeareth that there is no goodneſſe in them. So ſayth Ieremie, They ſhall call them reprobate ſiluer, becauſe the Lord hath reiected them. Ier. 6. 30. Vſe 1
Inſtruction, not to much to magnifie and admire them, nor too farre to depend vponupon them. For better things are not certainely to be expected from them, than are in them. And therefore many times they make golden promiſes, and leaden performances, becauſe they hauehave but droſsie affections.
Conſolation, to poore Chriſtians in regard of their portion, notwithſtanding they come ſhort of the vngodly in goods and liuings. Many ſinners bee ſet vp in ſtate, and much worth in outward wealth, when as they bee worſe than bankroupts in their ſoules, and wholy deſtitute of all inward ſubſtance, and contrary wiſe though the Saints hauehave but ſmall ſtore of externall riches, yet they bee of great poſſeſsions in their hearts, and flow with plentie in their inward parts.