Exposition of Proverbs 9-10, Exposition 2 · Verse 6
Bleſsings are vponupon the head of the righteous: but iniquitie Verſe. 6 ſhall couer the mouth of the wicked.
Bleſsings, That is, all kinde of happineſſe, eueryevery good gift of God that is fitte for them, as peace, plentie, grace, and health, &c All ſhall be vponupon the head of the righteous, meaning vppon the whole ſoule and body of eueryevery faithfull holy man. And they are ſaid to be on the head, becauſe they come downe from aboue, and light as it were vponupon the head, and ſo diſcend to the other parts. But iniquitie, the vengeance of God executed for violence and ſinne, ſhall couer the mouth of the wicked, ſhall take away all excuſes, and defences from him. Now heere is ſomewhat vnderſtoode in the former clauſe, and expreſſed in the latter: and ſomewhat expreſſed in the latter, and to be ſupplyed in the former. Bleſsings are vponupon the head of the righteous, and therefore doe open his mouth, viz, to praiſe God, and maintaine his owne innocencie, and iudgements (called here violence or iniquitie, by a metonymie of the cauſe) they are vponupon the head of the wicked, and ſo cloſe vp their mouth.
Bleſsings, &c. The greateſt reward that God doth giuegive to Doct. 1 his ſeruants in this life, is to bleſſe them. That is very ordinarie Bleſſednes is the greateſt gift of God to his ſeruants.with the Prophets in the Pſalmes, and other places of Scripture in wiſhing well to the Church, to pray for this, and in gratulations to commend it, and in thankefulneſſe to God to acknowledge it. As in the ſift Pſalme, ver. 12. deſiring the comfort and ioy of faithfull men, and praying the Lord to worke it in them, he ſheweth what iuſt cauſe, they had to bee ſo affected: For thou Lord (ſaith hee) wilt bleſſe the righteous, and with fauour wilt compaſſe him as with a ſhield.
Firſt, ſuch bleſsings as are heere ſpoken of, be ſure teſtimonies Reaſon. 1 of Gods louelove, and proceede meerely from his gracious goodneſſe, they are infallible pledges of his fauour, as it appeareth in the wordes of the Pſalme laſt quoted.
Secondly, they be prerogatiues peculiarlie appropriated to godly men, for ſaith hee in an other place: Saluation belongeth to the Lord, and thy bleſsing is vponupon thy people. It is alwaies accompanied with ſaluation, none are bleſſed but ſuch as are ſaued, and none are either bleſſed or ſaued, but ſuch as are the people of God.
Thirdly, they hauehave all good things infolded in them which readilie according to our neede are miniſtred vntounto vsus. Deut. 28.
Fourthly, Gods bleſsings doe ſeaſon all proſperitie, and the gifts that it bringeth, and maketh them comfortable and all aduerſitie, and maketh it profitable, whereas the curſe doth poyſon both to the wicked.
Inſtruction that whereas we deſire to hauehave the Lord poure Vſe. 1 this heauenly gift vponupon vsus, ſo let vsus obſerue the condicions that he doth preſcribe to them which ſhall receiue it. Let vsus get holineſſe into our hearts, and bleſsings cannot chuſe but bee vponupon our heads: let righteouſneſſe hauehave place in our actions and behauiour, and peace will hauehave force in our ſoules and bodies.
Conſolation to all true hearted Chriſtians that hauehave this bleſſed gift of Gods bleſsing. Hee that may truely be ſaid to poſſeſſe the bleſsing, cannot poſsibly ſay how much he doth poſſeſſe: The varietie of his treaſure is vnſpeakeable: his ſubſtance exceedeth all eſtimation: his inheritance is endleſſe, and without all bounds and limits. Though wee ſhould be as much moleſted with malitious men, as Dauid, and Paul were, and as much aſſaulted by Sathan and tryed by Gods owne hand, with loſſes, or bodily infirmities, as Iob was; yet if we be bleſſed of God as they were, what cauſe can there be of feare, or griefe, or diſcontentment? The bleſsing bringeth ſtrength for ſupportance in them: the bleſsing bringeth iſſue and deliuerance out of them, the bleſsing worketh the right vſe of them: the bleſsing yeeldeth a plentifull reward, of comfort and good proſperitie in this life, and of glorie and euerlaſting happineſſe in the life to come.
When God entreth into iudgement with wicked men, hee Doct. 2 will cauſe the plague ſo to manifeſt their ſinnes, that they ſhall Wicked mens ſin ſhall bring them to ſhamenot bee able to denie them. Though hipocrites can make the greateſt ſhew, and vſuallie bee moſt forward to ſpeake for themſelues: yet when God found out the diſſembler in the Goſpell, and called him to a reckoning for intruding himſelfe to his feaſt without a wedding garment, he was ſtriken dumme Mat. 22. 12.and ſpeechleſſe, hee could plead nothing for himſelfe. Haman ſtanding onelyonly before the miniſter of Gods vengeance, hauing beene before that time his greateſt friend, yet when Heſter accuſed Heſt. 7. 6.him of his falſe and cruel practices: he ſtoode mute, and could not reply. He that attempted to ſtop the mouth of Mordocai, had his owne mouth ſtopped with his violence. And therefore when God himſelfe commeth to indite men, and to ſet their ſinnes in order before them, all mouthes ſhall be ſtopped, Pſal. 50. 21.and all the world ſhall be culpable before him. No ſinful Rom. 3. 19.and vnregenerate perſon which hath no right to plead Chriſts merits, can poſsibly ſpeake any thing to iuſtifie himſelfe.
Firſt, that the Lord may hauehave his words verfied to be all Reaſons. 1 true and righteous, & his dealings alſo iuſt and holy. Pſal. 51. 4. And for this cauſe howſoeuer ſinfull men hauehave their mouthes ſhut vp at his iudgements that they can ſay nothing for themſelues, yet he doth ſometimes open their mouthes, to draw out a confeſsion againſt themſelues, as in the caſe of Iudas, and Pharao and Adonibezek. Mat. 27. 4. Exod. 9. 27. Iudges. 1. 7.
Secondly, in regard of the elect ſinners, that ſeeing the ſin and puniſhment mixed together, and themſelues guiltie of the one, and worthie of the other, they may be humbled, and driuen to repentance. So were Ioſephs brethren frighted, and brought to make this confeſsion: what ſhall we ſpeake? and how ſhall we iuſtifie our ſelues? God hath found out the wickedneſſe of thy ſeruants. Gen. 44. 16.
Thirdly, it maketh the torments of the reprobate to be exceeding fearefull and terrible.
Fourthly, it is for admonition to others to take heede by their examples. This hath Zachary. Chap. 1. 4. 5. 6. &c. Be not like your fathers that would not heare the former Prophets. Where are your fathers? Did not my words take hold of them? and they returned and ſaid, as the Lord hath determined to doe vntounto vsus, according to our owne wayes, and workes, ſo hath hee done.
Fiftly, for the ioy and comfort of Gods people, ſeeing the Lord vndertaking their cauſe, and executing his wrath vponupon their enemies.
Admonition, not to aduenture to commit ſuch ſinnes as Vſe. 1 wee can cloake, and coulour by denials, defences, excuſes, or extenuations: or if wee hauehave that way faulted already, let vsus ſpeede our confeſsion, leaſt the Lord haſten his plagues to compell vsus vntounto it, or if wee will not bee brought to acknowledge them our ſelues, the iudgements and curſes which he will ſend forth, ſhall openly publiſh and declare them. And therefore it is good to iudge our ſelues, that hee may ſpare vsus: to open our mouthes for a free confeſsion, and to ſhut them from leſſening of our offences. So did Iob. Chap. 39. 37. Behold, I am vile: what ſhall I anſwere thee? I will lay my hand vponupon my mouth. Once hauehave I ſpoken, but I will anſwere no more, yea twiſe, but I will proceede no further. And that grace doth God promiſe to his people by the Prophet Ezechiell. I will eſtabliſh my Ezechi. 16. 62. 63.couenant with thee, and thou ſhalt know that I am the Lord, that thou mayeſt remember, and be aſhamed, and neuer open thy mouth any more: becauſe of thy ſhame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou haſt done, ſaith the Lord God.