Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 24
That which the wicked feareth, ſhall come vponupon him: Verſe. 24 but God will graunt the deſire of the righteous.
The condemnation in the world to come, which vngodly men through the guiltineſſe of their conſciences are often ſummoned vntounto, when God ſhall draw their ſoule out of their body, they ſhall certainely fall into. And thoſe iudgements, and miſeries of this life, which they moſt hate, though they hope to eſcape them, they are in danger to bring vponupon themſelues.
And that which is moſt deſirable, and will be moſt comfortable to Chriſtians, the Lord which knoweth what is moſt acceptable to them, and profitable for them, will in due ſeaſon beſtow vponupon them.
That which the wicked feareth, &c. Whatſoeuer is moſt contrary Doct. 1 to the affection, and liking of ſinfull perſons, that they That which ill men moſt fear ſhall ſurely befall them.may expect to be plagued withall. This the Lord threatened to the rebellious and obſtinate Iewes by the Prophet Ezekiell, I will take from them their power, the ioy of their honor, the pleaſure of their eyes, and the deſire of their heart, their ſennes and their daughters. Ezek. 24. 25. The things which they are altogether vnwilling to depart with, thoſe would hee ſtrip them of: and conſequently, that which they would bee very loath to beare, ſhould heauily bee laid vponupon them.
Firſt, ordinarily they feare that which is the moſt proportionable, Reaſon. 1 & proper puniſhment of their offences. As proud men hauehave nothing in ſo great deteſtation, as reproach, & contempt, and nothing is ſo much due vntounto them as to bee contemned.
Secondly, their feare and dread of falling into thoſe cuils, doth cauſe them to ſeeke the preuention of them by cuill meanes, and thereby they take the way to inforce the ſpeedie execution of them. As they that would flie farre from neceſſitie and want, by haſty getting of riches, and ſubſtance, doe very often prouoke pouertie to come ſwiftly with violence vponupon them. Prou. 28. 22.
Thirdly, the Lord doth make choiſe of, and ſingleth out ſuch manner of iudgements as ſhall moſt ſting them, & come neareſt to their hearts, and thoſe are they which are moſt terrible to them. What could hauehave beene ſo grieuous to Haman, Ioel. 5. Iſa. 3. 16. 17. &cas firſt to bee made Mordecayes page, and then afterwards to bee hanged vponupon the gallowes, then which nothing could bee inuented more horrible to him, and therefore hee had prouided it for Mordecay whom hee moſt mortally hated?
Inſtruction, firſt to fence our ſelues againſt the imitation Vſe. of the wicked, and deſire of their ſtate, by conſidering how wretched, and miſerable their condition is. Euen preſently they are arreſted, and after a ſort apprehended with feares: hell and deſtruction doe ſometimes ſhew themſelues vntounto their ſoules; and in time to come, vnleſſe they repent, they ſhall hauehave full poſſeſsion of them. Secondly, to free our ſelues from all our feares, by flying to the Lord for ſuccour, againſt the miſchiefes which we would not fall into, & for repentance & humiliation againſt the ſins that wold draw them vponupon our heads.
But God will graunt, &c. The beſt way to hauehave our wills Doct. 2 ſatiſfied, is to bee Godly. For to ſuch there is a promiſe made Good mens deſires ſhalbe graunted.that God will fulfill the deſires of them that feare him. Wherin yet theſe rules are to bee obſerued: Firſt, that our will bee agreeable to Gods will, the deſire muſt bee holy, and ſeaſoned with the ſpirit; and not carnall, and corrupted by the fleſh. Dauid in a paſsion would needes know how long hee was to Pſal. 145. 19.liue. And Iames and Iohn would hauehave fire to come from heauen to deſtroy a whole towne, and an other time they made ſute to bee the ſecond men of the whole earth. Theſe petitions were not graunted, becauſe they were not aduiſedly asked, nor ſafe for them to bee obtained. Secondly, that ſometimes lawfull deſires are not performed in the ſame kinde, but exchanged for better, and that which doth more good is beſtowed in ſteede of them. Moſes deſired to enter into the land of Canaan, hee was denied that, but hee entred ſooner into the heauenly and bleſſed reſt of euerlaſting life. Paul would hauehave beene perfectly freede from all originall corruption, or at leaſt from the ſtirrings, and working of it, but it ſtoode not with the wiſedome of God to yeeld that vntounto him: but hee aſsiſted him with grace againſt it, which was much more for his owne glory, and the ſound comfort of Pauls conſcience. Thirdly, that wee tarry the Lords leaſure, and depend on his hand, to miniſter in fitteſt time, all thoſe good things which our ſoules deſire, and ſo wee ſhall not faile to receiue them, when hee ſeeth that they will bee moſt expedient for vsus.
Firſt, hee rayſeth vp the heart to ſeeke for them, hee inclineth Reaſons. 1 the ſoule, ſo much to long after them, and therefore it was his purpoſe to beſtow them. Pſal. 10. 17.
Secondly, he giueth the ſpirit of faith, & prayer which will hauehave no nay: they neuer ſuſtaine any repulſe, whatſoeuer they lay hold on, they make it their owne. Iohn. 15. 7. 1. Iob. 5. 14. 15.
Thirdly, hee calleth vsus to him by commandement to ſeeke all good things at his hand, and incourageth vsus to the ſame by promiſes. Pſal. 27. 4. and therefore his owne truth is our ſecuritie for them.
Fourthly, his all ſufficiencie, and abſolute abilitie for performance doth aboundantly exceede all the deſires of all the faithfull, yea of all creatures, though they were neuer ſo ample, and feruent. Epheſ. 3. 20.
Firſt, conſolation to righteous men, againſt the defects that Vſe. 1 are in their ſoules, and the neceſsities of ſtate, and body, they are beſt prouided for both: for ſo great is the credite which they hauehave in the court of heauen, and their fauour with the king of heauen, that they aske, and hauehave: deſire, and preuaile: and if they bee not forward inough that wayes, they ſhall bee called vponupon to put in their peticions, and inlarge their deſires. Iohn. 16. 24. Pſal. 81. 10.
Secondly, terror for their enimies, that by tiranny, and violence compell them to complaine of them. So far as the Lord is readie to gratifie them by granting all good things which they aske, ſo far is he alſo prouoked to puniſh their aduerſaries and oppreſſors that cauſe them to cry.