Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 22
Verſe 22. As a iewell of gold in a ſwines ſnout: ſo is a faire woman that lacketh diſcretion.
AS a ring of gold, or any other ornament, doth not adorne, but misbecome a ſwine, no more doth beautie, ſtature, ſtrength, wit, apparell, wealth, or any other externall thing bring true praiſe, or commendation either to man, or woman which wanteth true wiſedome, or vnderſtanding.
Doct. 1 Swines ſnout, &c. God maketh no more reckoning of ſinfull people without vnderſtanding, then of brute beaſts without reaſon. Though they hauehave humane nature, and carrie the forme and ſhape of men and women with beſt ſhew, yet if there bee nothing in them but that which is humane, euen fleſh and bloud and ſinfulnes, no beautie, nor brauerie, no perſonall excellencie, or artificiall additaments, make the beſt of them, is more acceptable to him, than is the baſeſt of all the other creatures. It is a very homely compariſon wherewith the holy Ghoſt diſgraceth wicked men in this booke, and yet ſo true, that hee auoucheth it againe in the new teſtament: The dog is returned to his owne vomit, and the ſow that was waſhed, to the wallowing in the mire, Prou. 26. 11. 2. Pet. 2. 22. And as in theſe places for impuritie they are likened to filthie beaſts: ſo in others, for hurtfulnes they are reſembled to fierce and venomous beaſts, as Leopards, Lions, Wolues, Beates, Dragons, Aſpes, Adders, Vipers, and Cockatrices.Iſai. 11. 6.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, all thoſe creatures, for their parts, hauehave euer ſince the beginning of the world ſtood and continued in the ſtate wherein they were firſt made, & that depriuation which is in the nature of any of them, proceeded not from themſelues, but from the fall of man, which hath not only deformed himſelfe, but diſtempered euerie thing about him: and the cauſe why they hauehave not knowledge and vnderſtanding, is, that they are not capable of it: but wicked men are wholy degenerated from their originall excellencie, and hauehave defaced the image of God in their owne ſoules. They hauehave loſt their iuſtice and fallen to vnrighteouſneſſe: they are depriued of holines, and become prophane: all ſound vnderſtanding is gone, and nothing is in them but ignorance of Gods holie will, and of the myſteries of ſaluation. And therefore Ieremy ſaith, that eueryevery man is a beaſt by his owne knowledge. And Ierem. 10.Zophar in the booke of Iob proceedeth further and ſheweth what kind of beaſt he is moſt like. Ʋaine men, ſaith hee, would bee wiſe, Iob 11. 12.though man borne (that is, in his owne eſtate not regenerate) is like a wild aſſe colt.
Secondly eueryevery dumbe creature according to his kinde, performeth the will of God without any reſiſtance: Whereas wicked men rebelliouſlie doe ſtriue againſt their maker, and contemptuouſly tranſgreſſe his commaundements.
Thirdly, the vile eſtate, and miſerable condition of graceleſſe men, how great ſoeuer, doth make it appeare that the Lord preferreth them not before contemptible beaſts, becauſe at the leaſt their end will be as bad as the worſt of theirs. And this doth God himſelfe declare in the Pſalmes: Like ſheepe they lye in the graue, Pſal. 49. 14. 20death deuoureth them. Man is in honour, and vnderſtandeth not: he is like to beaſts that periſh. They lie in their graues as the carcaſes of rotten ſheepe in a ditch, and death maketh a pray both of their ſoules and bodies, as crowes, and kites, and rauens, and dogs do feede vponupon carrions.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction not to ſatiſfie our ſelues in this, that hauing ſpeech, and reaſon, we go beyond all fiſhes, birds, beaſts, and all creeping things, vnleſſe alſo by grace and ſpirituall gifts, we goe beyond all vnregenerate men.
To acknowledge with thankfulneſſe the great fauour and goodnes of God towards vsus, when hee hath tranſformed vsus into the ſhape of Chriſtians and the Image of his owne ſonne, that we may be acceptable to him.
Doct. 2 Neither beautie, nor other outward gifts doe any good to the owners that are deſtitute of wiſedome. All ornaments can neuer make a foole to be comely, no more then a ſilken coate can make an Ape to be manly, or a ſweete bath can make a blacke Moore beautifull. If wiſedome be wanting, we may truely ſay with Salomon: Vanitie of vanities, and all is vanitie.Eccl. 1. 2.
Reaſons. 2 Firſt, the perſon of the man commendeth all outward things, and onelyonly grace and wiſedome make his perſon commendable. And in this ſenſe it is ſaid in the booke of Eccleſiaſtes, that it is the wiſedome of a man that doth make his face to ſhine. Nothing but ſound vnderſtanding and holy behauiour can poſſibly make either Eccl. 8. 1.man or woman to be eſtimable, and worthie to bee looked on. It is as truly to bee affirmed of one ſexe as another, and no leſſe of one ſtate than of another, that fauour is deceit, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord ſhe ſhall be praiſed.Prou. 31.
Secondly, through want of wiſedome, the good gifts of God be defaced (as the ſwine would not ſpare to bring the iewell with her into a filthie puddle, or to wallow with it in the moſt loathſome mire) and ſo they are the leſſe eſteemed in better men, which are worthily adorned with them.
Thirdly, in this caſe they peruert them vſually to the hurt of others: as beautie is made a ſnare to entangle mens eyes and affections: wealth and power bee weapons of oppreſſion: wit and policie be nets for fraude and deceite: fine ſpeech and elocution be calles to allure men to the hurt of their ſoules and eſtates. And the ſame is verified of many things which Salomon ſpeaketh of one: As a thorne ſtanding vp in the hand of drunkards: ſo is a parable Prou. 26. 9.in the mouth of fooles. A drunken companion with a thorne, or goade in his hand, doth ſometimes prick and pierce himſelfe, and ſometimes hurt them that bee neere about him: and ſo ſtandeth the caſe with ſinners that can ſpeake wittily, and yet want a ſober heart to guide their tongues chriſtianly: they wound their owne ſoules, and depraue good cauſes, and ſet a colour vponupon ſinne, and much traduce the names of many blameleſſe perſons.
Fourthly, themſelues of all others are in moſt perill, and like to receiue the greateſt hurt by theſe meanes. Pride hath a doore ſet open to it for free acceſſe to the heart, where there is any externall excellencie without internall ſanctitie: And Shame hath a way prepared for it to follow after, when they hauehave great things for many mens eyes to looke vponupon, and little diſcretion to vſe and manage them. Nothing is more behouefull for a foole than to be obſcure in the darke, that his follie ſhame him not in the light. How much better had it been for Abſhalom, Achitophel, Adonijah, Ieroboam, and Achab, with others of like ſtate and behauiour, if they had been deformed in bodie, and weake in capacitie, and meane in condition, than to hauehave been ſo conſpicuous, and of ſuch grert note, and now to be ſo contemptible, and of ſuch great infamie?
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction, that ſithence wiſedome and grace do giuegive honour, and life, and good effect to all the inferiour gifts of God which are but temporarie, and not euerlaſting, that therefore before all the reſt wee ſhould moſt labour for wiſedome and grace. If other things be alreadie beſtowed vponupon vsus, ſeeke to obtaine and increaſe theſe heauenly ornaments, to giuegive a luſtre to the naturall gifts wherewith the Lord hath qualified vsus, and to ſeaſon our outward poſſeſſions to our vſe and comfort. Wiſedome, ſaith Salomon, is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them which ſee the Eccl. 7. 13.Sunne. His meaning is not that wiſedome is good to them onelyonly that hauehave inheritances, but that it is good, yea neceſſarie for them which hauehave inheritances to get wiſedome that will make their poſſeſſions good, and that will help them to the good vſe of their poſſeſſions. And ſo wiſedome is good with ſtrength, wiſedome is good with wit, wiſedom is good with gentrie, wiſedome is good with dignitie, and wiſedom is good with beautie. It doubleth the greatnes and value of eueryevery good bleſſing that God beſtoweth. Dauids victories and power bee renowmed by wiſedome: Salomons glorious kingdome is made memorable by wiſedome: and ſo is the proſperitie of Iob, and Abraham: and ſo is the aduancement of Ioſeph and Daniel; and ſo is the beautie of Hester, and Sara.
Vſe. Reproofe of them that bee afraide of nothing ſo much as of grace and heauenly wiſedome, becauſe it will croſſe their pride and ſenſuall luſts. It will forbid the nice dames that make idols of their owne bodies to beſtow ſo much time in tricking vp themſelues, with pranking and painting: and therefore they hauehave no more deſire to receiue godlineſſe, than to depart with beautie. They are as willing that the ſmall pockes ſhould deforme their faire faces, as the word of God ſhould informe and cleanſe their foule conſciences.