Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 15
Verſe 15. He that is ſuretie for a ſtranger ſhall wholy be broken: but he that hateth thoſe that clap hands, is ſure.
HIs purpoſe here is to giuegive men admonition to beware of ſuretiſhip: which he doth inferre by two reaſons, firſt, from the hurt and danger which they runne into that be not well aduiſed therein: and ſecondly, from the peace and ſafetie which they inioy that heedefully auoyd the perill thereof. Now he doth not abſolutely condemne all ſuretiſhip (for then would Paul hauehave Philem. ver. 18neuer vndertaken for Oneſimus) but raſhnes onelyonly therein, is that which is here, and in other places reprooued. For it may ſometimes be a worke of merciemercy to become ſurety, as well as to lende or giuegive. By ſtranger, is not meant all, or onelyonly vnknowne perſons. For it may fall out to be a dutie of Chriſtian louelove, that way to helpe and relieue ſome ſuch as we were neuer before acquainted with, and a neere neighbour, a familiar friend, a kinſman, a brother may in this caſe be a ſtranger to vsus, when it is not ſafe to vndertake for him. As firſt, if there be like to grow detriment to the borrower, as taking mony, or any other commodities vponupon hard conditions, and at vnreaſonable rates, or for needeleſſe expences, and vnthriftines, or any way to the hurt of his ſtate or conſcience. Secondly, if it tend to the hurt and damage of the lender that he is in danger to be defeated of his owne, and to ſuſtaine loſſe by our meanes. If wee our ſelues are to bee intangled by it, the ſumme and valew of the debt beeing more then we are able either to pay, or well to ſpare: when ones owne creditours by that occaſion, muſt be defrauded of their due, when our wiues, children, and families which hauehave alſo an intereſt in our ſubſtance, ſhall be robbed of their portion and maintenance, and bereaued of the fruit of their owne labours. Then hee ſheweth a remedie againſt it, to hate ſuch as clappe hands, that is, to hate and feare to be clappers of hands our ſelues, for the ratifying and confirmation of promiſes in this vnaduiſed ſuretiſhip, and ſo we ſhall be ſafe and ſure in this behalfe. Prouided yet, that we take not other courſes that be couſen-germanes to it, & as dangerous and hurtfull as that is: as negligently without all care and regard to run into debts and arrerages, or ventrouſly without due conſideration of mens faithfulneſſe, and abilitie, to lend foorth our monie, wares, or cattell, and ſo to put our ſtate into the hands of ſtrangers.
Doct. A raſh ſurety doth ſeldome liue in peace without trouble and miſerie. Such a one, as though croſſes were too few, and too ſlow, doth increaſe and haſten them to himſelfe. He giueth his hand to his neighbour to put ſtrength and weapons into his neighbours hands, to his owne woe and vexation. Hereof hath Salomon ſpoken alreadie in the ſixt chapter: My ſonne, if thou be Prou. 6. 1. 2.ſuretie for thy neighbour, and hast ſtricken hand with the ſtranger, thou art ſnared with the words of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the words of thine owne mouth. Before a man doth voluntarilie inſnare himſelfe, he is like a bird that hath the libertie of the whole ayre, to flie whether ſnee will at her pleaſure, but after hee hath bound himſelfe by promiſe and couenant, he is like a bird in a net, and in the fowlers hand, that may be killed, or caged, or giuen to children to play with, or otherwiſe dealt with according to the fowlers will, and yet the poore bird, is either ſurpriſed in her owne place, or allured by hope of foode to the baite, not knowing that ſhe is in any petill, whereas the ſuretie doth wilfullie caſt himſelfe into danger, being forewarned of the euent, that would follow, and hath no baite of any gaine, or benefite laide for him.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, he cannot but liue in great feare, and diſtraction of mind, leſt the party for whom hee hath vndertaken, ſhould either faile of fidelitie, and purpoſely caſt his debt vponupon him, or elſe ſhould come too ſhort of abilitie, and prooue vnſufficient to diſcharge it himſelfe. So if another be in want, then muſt he be in woe: If another be vnthriftie, then he muſt be vnhappie: if another be falſe, then he muſt needes be brought to a fall.
Secondly, God doth ofter by a prouidence whet the hearts of creditours, and ſharpen them againſt ſureties which fall into their hands. And that wee ſhould not deceiue our ſelues in this caſe, with expectation of fauour, he telleth vsus what is to be looked for, if we growe too bold and hardie. Be not thou of them that touch the hand, nor among them that are ſurety for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why ſhould he take thy bed from vnderunder thee? Prou. 22. 27. Now this why ſhould, is ſet downe by way of threatning, according as it is alſo in ſome other places of ſcriptures, as when Amaziah ſaid to the Prophet, hauehave they made thee the Kings counſellour? 2. Chro. 25. 16.ceaſe thou: why ſhould they ſmite thee? And as hee giueth a caueat for eueryevery one to take heede of entring into ſuretiſhip, or elſe not to thinke it ſtrange if they feele the ſmart of it, ſo hee granteth a warrant to creditors, to deale roundly with raſh ſureties, and not to be too ſparing of them. Take his garment, ſaith hee, that is ſuretie for a ſtranger and a pledge of him for the ſtranger.
Thirdly, the miſerie which hee draweth vponupon himſelfe, when the burden of payment, and forfeiture ſhall light vponupon his backe, will pearce his heart with bitter griefe and ſorrow when his eyes ſhall behold the ſpoile of his goods, which either he hath gotten with labour and trauaile, or his friends hauehave giuen him in louelove and kindnes, or his wife hath brought him in hope and expectation: when his eares ſhall heare the crie of his family and people that are frighted with terrors, and bitten with hunger, and ſtaruen with cold, and pinched with all kinds of want and penurie. When his bones and whole bodie ſhall be reſtrained from his houſe and houſehold, from vocation and calling, from friends, from recreations and comforts, from libertie and freedome, and clapt vp in a cloſe and loath ſome priſon.
Vſe. Reproofe of them that thinke it neither ſinfull againſt God, nor hurtfull to themſelues, but a point of good fellowſhip to yeeld to any mans requeſt in ſuch a matter. They take it to bee the eaſieſt way to gratifie a friend, and leaſt painful and chargeable to giuegive their word for him, yea and bloud alſo, if they be thereto required, as though the charges ſtood onelyonly in beſtowing their breath, and their paines, in putting their hand and ſeale to the obligation. And who are moſt forward this way, but ſuch as hauehave leaſt care to performe their promiſe? And whom doe they ſo readily vndertake for, as thoſe that be ſhifters, and moſt vnable to keepe touch with their creditours? And as it falſeth out in borrowing, ſo it commeth to paſſe in bayling, that bad priſoners hauehave ſeldome better ſureties, and men that be greatly offenſiue, moſt commonly offer their word for grieuous offendours. And many times they are caught, and brought into the trap, their deare friends of whom they had ſo good opinion, doe giuegive them the ſlip, and leaue them in the lurch, and then they clamour, and crie out, yet onelie againſt the vnfaithfulneſſe of the man whom they beleeued ſo well, but not againſt their owne vnfaithfulneſſe which would not beleeue God who forewarned them of the perill. Nay they ſtill cleare themſelues, though their owne follie conuince them, they giuegive commendations of their owne courſe, though friends, and family, though Gods teſtimony, and their owne wofull experience condemne them. Their louelove, they ſay, and friendſhip, their good nature, and kinde heart hath wrought them all that ſorrow. Nay, rather it was crueltie, and vnmercifulnes to your owne houſe. It was raſhnes, a bad nature, and a fooliſh heart that brought you into all this miſerie. HaueHave you deſperately throwne your ſelues into a quicke ſand, and will you lay all the blame vponupon others for your ſticking in the mire?
Defence of them which are not flexible to ſerue eueryevery mans turne with bond and couenants, but will firſt know the perſon for whome they make their promiſe, and bee acquainted with his trueth and honeſtie, and with his ſtate and habilitie; and conſider alſo of their owne ſufficiencie, whether they can without any great difficultie, diſcharge that which they take vponupon them, if their neighbour ſhould faile. But this is want of good neighbourhood, ſay they. But this is a point of good wiſedome, ſaith God, who neuer alloweth that neighbourhood for good, which ſwarueth from holy diſcretion. His commandement is: Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, and therefore no man is bound to louelove him more then himſelfe, eſpecially when it is with hatred of himſelfe, and hurt of many others. And in deede it is no worke of true louelove, but of fleſhly friendſhip: for louelove doth neuer leade a man to doe any thing which God appointeth him to hate, as in this place he doth all raſh ſuretiſhip.