Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 28 – Verse 31
The patient abiding of the righteous, ſhall be gladneſſe: Verſe. 28 but the hope of the wicked ſhall periſh.
After that the children of God hauehave once imbraced his promiſes, afflictions and temptations doe vſually enſue thereupon, that it would ſeeme to ſence and fleſhly reaſon, that miſery and troubles were the onelyonly rewards of pietie, and obedience, and nothing elſe performed to them that truſt in his word. Now therefore he ſheweth that a better ſtate and condicion remaineth for them: that their ſorrow ſhalbe turned into ioy, & their mourning into gladnes, when the Lord ſhall deliuer them from troubles, and fulfill all his promiſes. Which is illuſtrated and further amplified by the contrary caſe of the wicked: which, howſoeuer now they ſeeme to hauehave the preheminence, and are moſt likely to preuaile heereafter, ſhall yet be depriued of their preſent proſperitie, & fruſtrated of all future expectation. This then is the oppoſition: The hope of the righteous ſhall preuaile, and bring them gladneſſe: but the hope of the wicked ſhall periſh, and ſo worke them ſorrow.
The patient abiding, &c. They which depend on God in their Doct. afflictions, ſhall in due ſeaſon be deliuered from them. VponUpon They that in affliction wait on God ſhall timely finde eaſe.this ground an exhortation is rayſed in an other place of this booke. Let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord continually. For ſurely there is an end, and thy hope ſhall not be cut off. Prou. 23. 17. 18. Though troubles and ſorrowes are in appearance, perpet…ll, & endleſſe, yet they are but temporarie, and come quickly to an end: though hope, & poſsibilitie of help ſeeme readie continually to vaniſh away, yet it neuer ceaſeth, nor is taken away.
Firſt, there is nothing in all the world that is more infalliblie Reaſons. 1 aſſured of certaine ſucceſſe, then the hope of chriſtians. It neuer miſſeth of that which it aymeth at, nor any time diſapointeth them that poſſeſſe it. Rom. 5. 5. For faith doth ſupport it, & the truth and fidelitie of God himſelfe is the foundation of it.
Secondly, that which is long delayed, and much waited for is the more welcome, and acceptable when it is performed: ſo ſayth the holy Ghoſt. The hope that is deferred, is the Prou. 13. 12.fainting of the hart: but when the deſire commeth it is a tree of life. The vertue of it cureth al the former faintings, & the delightfull taſt doth ſwallow vp all the ſorrowes. If Iſaacke had beene borne to Abraham, or Iacob to Iſaacke the firſt yeere after they were married, their ioy would hauehave beene but ordinarie, wheras the long barrenneſſe made their birthes exceeding comfortable to them, as the benefits were memorable to poſteritie.
Thirdly, the delay doth draw out manie prayers to God, and maketh way to attention at the miniſterie of the word, it helpeth meditation, it leadeth to faithfull comforters, it furthereth good conferences, it procureth al good exerciſes, & all theſe good exerciſes procure a proportionable meaſure of comfort.
Fourthly, it giueth men experience of their faith, and patience, and conſtancie, which all declare, and teſtifie the ſoundneſſe and ſinceritie of the heart, which is the roote of ſound and holy comfort.
Fiftly, the longer it is before the Lord doth performe his promiſes, the larger his mercies are when hee doth beſtow his bleſsings, whē he prolongeth his ſeeding, he prouideth a plentifull harueſt: when he doth not preſentlie giuegive the reward, he taketh time to tell out much, that his gifts may be the greater.
Incouragement to patience in all diſtreſſes, let vsus ta…rie the Vſe. 1 Lords leaſure, and waite vponupon him, and he hath by word & writing, by ſeale, & oath vndertaken to deliuer vsus out of them. Our ſauiour promiſeth that in the greateſt troubles, when they ſhuld be moſt violently, & treacherouſly, & vnnaturallie perſecuted, not onelyonly of forraine aduerſaries but of their domeſtical familiars, of their friends, of their kinſmen, of their brethren, of their owne parents; yet not one haire of their heads ſhould periſh. Their haires and heads might be cut off, and life might be taken away, but not loſt, they ſhould not bee vainely beſtowed, without good effect in a holy cauſe. OnelyOnly he admoniſheth vsus Luke. 21. 18. 19.to poſſeſſe our ſelues with patience. If we keepe all ſound within, eueryevery thing ſhall be ſafe both within and without. And then we begin to loſe our aduantage when we leaue the poſſeſsion of our ſelues, and the power of our ſoules through diſtempers.
Reproofe of them that make more haſt than good ſpeede to ſhake off their croſſes, by corrupt courſes. They depriue the Lord of that honor which they ſhould yeeld to him, in waiting for his help, and themſelues of that comfort which hee would hauehave yeelded to them together with his help. Their ioy will wither as corne that is cut downe before it be ripe, and become abortiue as a ſtil-borne childe, whereof the mother miſcarieth.
But the hope, &c. Vngodly men beguile themſelues with a Doct. 2 deceitfull expectation of happines. For the ſame point is ſhortly Ill men ſeckeing to be happy deceiue themſelues.after repeted againe in the next Chapter, ver. 7. When a wicked man dyeth his hope periſheth. When good men enter vponupon poſſeſsion of their happie eſtate, the terme of ſinners is out, and their leaſe determined, and growne out of date.
Firſt, the Lord knoweth their purpoſes, deſires, and expectations, Reaſons. 1 and will duely defeat them of the ſame. Pſal. 1. 6.
Secondly, their hope ariſeth not frō faith, nor is grounded on the promiſes of the word, but on ſence, & ſight of preſēt proſperity.
Thirdly, they hope for things which are altogether impoſsible to come to paſſe. As firſt, to ſee the euerſion and ouerthrow of Gods people. Pſal. 112. 10. Mica. 4. 11. 12. Secondly, that God ſhould faile of his iuſtice & truth in executing his threatnings denounced againſt them. Deut. 29. 20. Thirdly, to take their fill of ſinfull pleaſures heere, and to enioy alſo felicitie and happineſſe in the life to come. Luke 16. 21.
Confutation & terrours for them that liue ignorantly, & impiouſlie, Vſe. & yet truſt to die bleſſedly, & obtaine euerlaſting life: They hauehave no other euidence for ſafetie from damnation, but their opinion that they hauehave a ſtrong faith, & whatſoeuer the preachers ſay, they regard it not, they truſt that god wil be more mercifull then ſo, they hope to be ſaued as well as the beſt of them all. For ſo their compariſons run: ordinarie Chriſtians are too baſe for them to compare with, they muſt equalize themſelues with the chiefe and principall.
The way of the Lord is ſtrength to the vpright man: but feare ſhall bee to the workers of iniquitie. Verſe. 29
By the way of the Lord, is meant his whole adminiſtration, both of his word, whereby he maketh his will knowne, and of his ſpirit whereby he giueth grace, & of his prouidence, wherby he protecteth his ſeruants, and performeth all good things vntounto them. By euerie one of theſe meanes, doeth he eſtabliſh & confirme both the hearts & ſtates of ſuch as be faithfull. But as for the wicked, howſoeuer he ſuffer them for a time to proceed in their vngodly waies without anie great croſſes, yet at laſt he executeth ſuch iudgements vponupon them, as the verie ſight therof cauſeth them to quake and tremble. Thus ſtandeth the oppoſition. The way of the Lord is ſtrength to the vpright, for preſeruation, and therefore it worketh boldneſſe: but it weakneth the wicked for deſtruction, and therfore it bringeth feare.
The way of the Lord, &c. They that are moſt godly, are in beſt ſafetie. The point hath bene handled in the firſt verſe of Doct. 1 the former chapter, concerning wiſdomes ſeauen pillers.
But feare, &c. They that be moſt bold & ventrous to ſinne, Doct. 2 ſhall be moſt frighted with the puniſhments of it. In the 14. Pſ. They that are moſt forward to ſin are moſt terrified at the ſight of the puniſhment.the Prophet deſcribing the conceits, conuerſation, & condition of irreligious miſcreants, doth bring them in at the firſt, ſaying that there is no God, and therefore they corrupt and doe abhominable workes: but afterwards declaring the euent, hee ſheweth that there they are taken with feare, and as the words are, they feared with feare, intimating the greatneſſe of their dread and terrour. Pſal. 14. 5. An example whereof we hauehave ſet downe before; namely, the foole-hardineſſe, and cowardlineſſe that was found in Belſhazzer. Dan. 5.
Firſt, the great guiltineſſe that is in their conſciences doth Reaſons. 1 diſmay their harts, and daunt their courages.
Secondly, the Lord doth ſhew himſelfe terrible in his iudgements, and they finde and feele that they are not able to ſtand before him. Iſa. 33. 14. Apoc. 6. 16. 17.
Thirdly, their fooliſh flattery whereby they hauehave illuded themſelues, hath brought this miſery vponupon them. For they preſumed of peace & ſafety, and ſo their deſtruction commeth ſodainely without reſiſtance. 1. Theſ. 5. 3. And ſo it is ſaid in anoother place: They ſhall bee taken with feare, where no feare was, that is, where was no ſuſpition of feare, or likelihood of danger. Pſal. 53. 5.
Inſtruction, to preuent ſin by fearing the iudgements that Vſe. will enſue vponupon it. Iob. 31. 3. Secondly, to preuent the puniſhments, after that wee hauehave ſinned, by a holy voluntary feare and humiliation. 2. Cor. 7. 11. Thirdly, to confirme our ſelues in both theſe, by fearing and trembling at the word of the Lord. Iſai. 66. 2. Habac. 3. 16.
The righteous ſhall neuer be remoued, but the wicked ſhall Verſe. 30 not dwell in the earth.
The righteous ſhall neuer be remoued. They ſhall neuer be remoued from Gods fauour: they ſhall neuer be remoued from the conſtant graces of the ſpirit in their ſoules: or hurtfully, in the way of a curſe, from an outward good eſtate, nor vnſeaſonably be cut off from the earth. Now becauſe ſome of theſe iudgements doe ſeeme ſometimes to fall vponupon ſome righteous perſons, who for a ſeaſon be eclipſed of grace, and ſeparated from the fruition and comfortable ſight of Gods kindeneſſe, and fauour towards them, & their eſtate in appearance is wholy ruinated and ouerthrowne, therefore the word doth well beare it, agreeably to the meaning of the holy Ghoſt, to ſay, that the righteous ſhall not be remoued for euer. Though they ſeeme to be caſt downe for a time, yet they ſhall be reſtored againe afterwards. The contrary is heere affirmed concerning the caſe of the wicked, who ſhall certainly fall vnleſſe they repent: they ſhall not continue in that eſtate wherein they are moſt grounded, and hauehave greateſt eſtabliſhment, they are ſo far from inioying eternall life in heauen, as that the vengeance of God will not permit them long to keepe their owne breath, or to hold the outward poſſeſsions of the earth. The oppoſition therefore in effect is this: The righteous ſhall neuer be remoued, but hauehave an habitation for euer in heauen: but the wicked ſhalbe remoued, and not ſuffered ſo much as to dwell in the earth, the ſence is the ſame with, verſe. 25.
The mouth of the righteous will be fruitfull in wiſedome, Verſe. 31 but the tongue of the vnrighteous ſhall be cut out.
This verſe agreeth altogether in ſubſtance of matter with the cleauenth: onelyonly the compariſon is altered: for there the tongue of a good man for the conſtant ſtore of holy ſpeeches, was reſembled to a plentifull fountaine, and heere to a fruitfull tree, or fertile field: & there the wicked for lewd ſpeeches was threatned to hauehave his mouth ſtopped, and heere to hauehave his tongue cut out, that is, the iudgements of god vponupon him for his vngracious and curſed ſpeakings ſhall ſtrike him as mute and dumbe, as if the tongue were cut out of his head.