Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 14
Verſe 14. Where no counſell is, the people fall: but where many counſellours are, there is health.
VVHere there is no counſell] Where godly and holie inſtruction for guiding the heart and behauiour, and graue and prudent aduice for gouernment of ſtate, either domeſticall, or publike, doe faile, there the people doe fall, that is, the gouernours themſelus, and they that are in ſubiection to them, doe runne into many miſchiefes of grieuous diſorders, and miſerable deſtruction. For what in that caſe is to be expected from ſuperiours, but violence and oppreſſion? And what from inferiours, but falſehoode and diſobedience? And what from all ſorts, but impietie and wickedneſſe? And what then from God, but heauie ſtroakes and puniſhments? But where many counſellors are, which be faithfull, and giuegive wiſe and wholeſome counſell, and that is alſo imbraced and followed, there is health, that is, religion and iuſtice, peace, plentie, and ſafetie, with God gracious fauour and bleſſing.
Doct. Nothing is more neceſſarie and profitable to any ſtate then good counſell, where this is wanting, there the beautie and brightneſſe of authoritie is away. The multitude of men, the wealth of the people, the ſtrength of munition, and the mightie force of armes will little auaile, if wiſe men be not imployed in the weightie affaires. And this cauſed Salomon to make ſuch compariſons, that lowly and ſubmiſſe words of a poore wiſeman, Eccle. 9. 17. 18are more to be regarded, then the crie of an vnwiſe ruler, with his fooles about him; and that wiſedome is better then ſtrength, and alſo then weapons of warre.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, there is no more ſufficiencie in any one man, by his owne wiſedome without the aſſiſtance of others, well to order the matters of a kingdome or ſtate, then for one alone to gouerne a great ſhip, without the helpe of other Sailers or officers. Dauid profeſſeth of himſelfe that he was wiſer then his enemies, then his Pſal. 119. 98. 99.teachers, then the auncient, and yet hee ſought out the moſt prudent men in all Iſraell, as Huſhai, and Achitophell, &c. to helpe him with direction. Who euer, but Chriſt, ſince Adams fall, could ſay that he was as wiſe as Salomon? who hopeth to bee ſo wiſe? Who can be ſo wiſe, vntill the end of the world? and yet he made choiſe of a counſell to conſult with, and to confirme himſelfe, and his people by.
Secondly, it is a merciemercy of God to a prince and people, to giuegive them many eyes to ſee with, many eares to heare with, many tongues to ſpeake with, many mindes to bee in continuall exerciſe for the benefit, ſafetie and preſeruation of the whole ſtate.
Thirdly, it is one of his great iudgements, either to take away counſellours from a nation, or to take away wiſedome from the counſellours. This was threatned to Ieruſalem and Iudah by Iſai. 3. 1. 2.Iſaiah, that the Lord of hoſts would depriue them of their ſtay, and ſtrength, the pillers of their countrie, and the props of their liues, and thoſe were not onelyonly bread and drinke, and Warriours, and Iudges, but Prophets alſo, and the prudent, and the aged, and the counſellours, that ſo they might be eaſily caſt downe, yea ruinated, and brought to duſt of their owne accord. And concerning the other branch, that it ſhould not bee taken for an ordinarie and gentle correction to his faithfull children, but a rare and ſeuere puniſhment to his diſſembling enemies, he doth aggrieue it in another place, and ſet it forth in ſuch manner as might make it moſt fearefull to vsus. Behold, ſaith hee, I will doe a marueilous worke in this people, euen a marueilous worke, and a wonder: for the wiſedome of their wiſe men ſhall periſh, and the vnderſtanding of their prudent men ſhall be hid. Iſa. 29. 14.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction that the care of our ſelues, the regard of our friends, the louelove to our neighbours, our duetie to Prince and Countrie ſhould ſtirre vsus vp to call vponupon God, that as he hath counſell and wiſedome, and is wiſedome and vnderſtanding, ſo he would ſtore vsus with able and learned Miniſters for the Church, and wiſe and prudent ſtates-men for the Common-weale: and that they which are ſo qualified, may hauehave their imployment, and they which are ſo imployed, may ſhew themſelues faithfull, and they which are faithfull, may alſo bee proſperous. And ſo a lay man may bee a profitable Church man, and ſo a priuate perſon may doe good ſeruice to the King, and all his dominions.
Reproofe of ſuch as truſt to themſelues, and their owne wiſedome, and thinke they ſtand in neede of none. For their ſoules, they know as much as all the preachers can tell: for their behauiour, when to ſpeake, and when to bee ſilent, what to ſay, and what to conceale; for actions to be performed, or forborne, they hauehave as much iudgement as any man: for their ſtate, how to manage their affaires, and what courſe to take for their gaine, and commoditie, they wil learne of none of them all, &c. And this is a fault the more to be reprehended, when they contemptuouſly reiect counſell which they may heare, when they deſpiſe the counſell of God which is offered vntounto them, when like Pharao and Achab they make choiſe of ſuch as ſhall illude and deceiue them. For that is very vſuall and common with many purpoſely to aſſociat themſelues, and harken to ſuch as will quell in them the feare of all Gods admonitions, rebukes, and threatnings, and giuegive them incouragement to any idolatrie, ſuperſtition, impietie, wantonneſſe, vnthriftines, worldlines, and all ſuch euils as their hartes are moſt affected vntounto. But moſt of all is their ſinne notorious, which doe not onelyonly refuſe counſell themſelues, but wiſh and deſire that there were no counſellours to others, eſpecially ſuch as might informe them in the way of God to bring them to ſaluation. They complaine of the number of preachers, one is ſufficient for a whole countrie: they exclaime of the frequencie of preaching, one ſermon is enough for halfe a yeere. And of this ſort the bloudie traiterous Papiſts are offendours in a high degree. They doe not onelyonly wiſh fewer counſellours, and leſſer ſtore of preaching, but ſeeke by violence to effect it, as their practiſes declare. They would in a moment hauehave deſtroyed the King, and all his Cleargie, all his priuie Counſell, all his Iudges and Counſell learned in the Lawes, all the great Counſell of Nobilitie, and Commons aſſembled in Parliament: and afterwards all the godly Miniſters and Chriſtians throughout the whole kingdome. Are theſe the friends of the people? Doe they wiſh them to bee preſerued from periſhing? doe they deſire and labour for the health of their nation?