Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 19
Verſe 19. So righteouſneſſe leadeth to life, and he that followeth euill ſeeketh his owne death.
THis verſe is inferred vponupon the former, by way of explication, to ſhew what he meant by the deceiueable worke of the wicked, and the ſure wages of the righteous. And firſt he beginneth with the latter according to the manner of the Hebrewes, declaring that life, vnderſtanding thereby immortalitie and all the bleſſednes annexed vntounto it, is that ſure reward which all godly men may vndoubtedly expect: and deſtruction both of ſoule and bodie eternally, is the ende whereunto the deceitfull worke will bring wicked men, which do ſo much deceiue themſelues by a greedie deſire of ſatiſfying their ſinfull luſts.
Doct. 1 The Lord hath not onelyonly appointed a certaine reward, but a precious for his ſeruants. Nothing can be better then ſuch a happie life, and ſuch a happie life as he deemeth nothing to good for them to enioy. Hereof the Apoſtle ſpeaketh to the Romans: The wages of ſinne is death, but the gift of God is euerlaſting life through Ieſus Christ. Rom. 6. 23.
Reaſons. 1 This is to ſet forth the bountie and ſuperabundant munificence of God the father, that the riches of his louelove and goodnes, may be magnified aboue all creatures. Hee putteth into the hearts, and power of ſinfull men, to giuegive gold and ſiluer, to giuegive iewels and treaſure, to giuegive lands and liuings, to giuegive titles and dignities, to giuegive crownes and kingdoms; but neither men nor Angels could euer giuegive life to any, or keepe their owne by their owne power: the liuing Lord, and eternall God, is he that maketh all his Saints, as well in heauen, as in earth to liue eternally.
Secondly the Lord Ieſus our Sauiour hath by his dying killed death, and bought life, and by his reſurrection triumphed ouer death, and won life for eueryevery one of his members: yea he himſelfe is the life of his people which beleeue in him, who maketh them partakers, by an euerlaſting communion with him, of his owne life. He layd it downe for them, and tooke it vp againe for them, and imparts it vntounto them: it is as poſſible for him to periſh, as them, and the whole Deitie as him.
Thirdly, the ſeed of grace whereby the ſonnes of God are regenerate is an immortall ſeede, as S. Peter calleth it, and of the nature of the father that begetteth them, and therefore they muſt 1. Pet. 23.needes receiue life, and retaine life, and neuer after bee depriued of it.
Fourthly, without this life the children of God were in no better caſe then other creatures. For either they ſhould bee ſubiect to eternall death, which is the condition of the wicked reprobats, or elſe be extinct and aboliſhed with a finall diſſolution, which is the ſtate of vnreaſonable beaſts.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction to labour for righteouſneſſe, and preciouſly to account of it, ſince it procureth ſo precious a reward to vsus, and that from the fauour and kindneſſe of our gracious God. Hee that ſtriueth earneſtly herein may truely be ſaid to worke for life. For life is propoſed, and life he ſeeketh, and life he ſhall finde. If great wages were vncertaine, or certaine wages were but ſmall, it would be but a ſmall incouragemēt to take great paines; but ſeeing now it is ſo ſure, and ſo large, and ſo good, what is too much to be performed, and what is too grieuous to bee indured for the ſame? True it is that righteouſneſſe will call for trauell, and raiſe vp trouble, but it is as true that all the trauels and afflictions of this preſent life, are not worthie of the glorie, which ſhall be ſhewed vntounto vsus. Rom. 18. 2. Cor. 4. 17.For our light affliction which is but for a moment cauſeth vntounto vsus a farre moſt excellent, and an eternall weight of glory.
If nothing but bare life were beſtowed vponupon vsus, euen meere deliuerance from the danger of death, it were a benefit not lightly to be eſteemed. It was ſaid of Lot, that he was preſerued from deſtruction of Sodome, the Lord being mercifull vntounto him; and yet his goods, money, and cattell which hee had in great abundance, Gen. 19. 16.were all deſtroyed. And the diuell ſpake the truth though in craft and malice, concerning Iob: skinne for skinne, and all that euer a man hath will he giuegive for his life. But when life is full of liuely comforts, when it is adorned with endles glory, when it is inriched with infinit treaſures, what croſſes, what pouertie, what temptations, what reproaches, what perſecutions, and ſufferings ſhould diminiſh our deſire of it, or make vsus remiſſe in ſeeking for it?
Reproofe of them that care not whoſe ſeruice they come into, nor what worke they doe, ſo that they may hauehave nothing to doe with God and his ſeruices. They thinke no priſon more ſtreight, then the Church: no drudgery more grieuous then prayer, and hearing of ſermons, ſinging of Pſalmes, and ſanctifying of the Sabbath: no bondage ſo burdenous as reſtraint from ſinfull delightes, and fleſhly pleaſures: no miſerie ſo bitter as ſound Chriſtianitie. They diſtaſte with great deteſtation, all perſons and actions, and geſtures, and words that ſauour of godlineſſe, or hauehave any ſtampe and print of pietie in them; and as themſelues abhorre all his worſhip, ſo they labour to diſcourage all others from doing him any ſeruice. Theſe are they which are continually cenſuring of profeſſours and deriding their preciſenes, and inſulting ouer their pouertie and meane eſtate. As though the Lord were not able to maintaine them that ſerue him, or elſe did grudge to beſtow good things vponupon them: as though he were a niggardly hard maiſter vnwilling to allow his people ſufficiencie of food and wages. That were a great diſſoyaltie ſo to traduce a liberall Lord and free harted Prince who is readie to promote his ſeruants to liuing, though it bee but for a time: but it is an execrable impietie ſo to blaſpheme the moſt bountifull God, who giueth to eueryevery one of his, both liuing and life, and all bleſſednes for euermore. But many of them ſay that they ſpeake by experience, themſelues hauehave been profeſſors, and as forward as the beſt, and they neuer got any good by it. And ſuch Malachy bringeth in quarrelling againſt God: Your words, ſaith he, hauehave been ſtout againſt mee, yet yee ſay, what hauehave wee ſpoken againſt thee? Yee hauehave ſaid it is in vaine to ſerue God: and what profit is it that wee hauehave kept his commandement, and walked humblie before the Lord of hoſts? Mal. 3. 13. 14. Who is ſo buſie to complaine for want of wages, as they which neuer performed any good worke? let not the exceptions of murmuring apoſtataes preuaile in the eares or harts of any that hauehave vnderſtanding. They were neuer of the family of God, though they crept into his houſe: they neuer did one good chare in obedience, and for what then ſhould they hauehave their recompence? They were alwaies proud hypocrites though they boaſt of humilitie, and why ſhould they be vſed as humble perſons? But be it that they pleade for others who hauehave faithfully kept the commandements of God, and truely been humbled in his ſight, and yet labour in a low eſtate and meane condition. Is there no profit in ſeruing of the Lord, vnles there be preſent preferment and earthly promotion? Our principall pay will bee in life, whereof wee hauehave part in hand by grace in our ſoules in this world, and the reſt is behind vntill the pay day in the world to come. So that a ſinner cannot diſcerne of the happineſſe of a Chriſtian, nor conceiue how God dealeth with him. For the comfort of the heart is a thing vnknowne to him, and the glorious life is hid with Chriſt in God, and ſhall Col. 3. 3. 4.not fully be ſeene before we appeare with him in glory.
Doct. 2 But he that followeth] The more violent wicked men are in their ſinnes, the more neere they draw to deſtruction. When they courſe euill as the grayhound doth the Hare, and hunt for it, as the hungry lion, or other wild beaſt doth after his pray (for thence is the ſimilitude taken) then they will ouertake their death anon, and come ſpeedily to damnation. As the miſerie of the Aegyptians approached neere vntounto them, ſo their crueltie increaſed towards the Iſraelites. And they were neuer more fiercely diſpoſed to kill and to ſlay, than when the waters were preſently to doe execution vponupon them. Warre was concluded without any great conſultation; a mightie hoſte was gathered, without any buſines of muſtering; they were all in a readines to fight, without any further training. So ſtood the caſe with the Sodomites, they were all ſet on miſchiefe and madnes immediatly before they were deſtroyed. And ſo it fared with Ahab, who tooke his farewell toward his voyage and death, with contempt of the word of God, and perſecution of his Prophet. And ſo we might note Belſhazzer, and Haman, and many others for this purpoſe, whom the Lord cut off in the very practiſe of ſome notable miſchiefe.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, this carneſt purſuite of ſinne with louelove and liking of ſin, proceedeth from an heart hardened with cuſtome of ſinning, being paſt remorſe and feeling, and this will bring men to worke all Epheſ. 4. 19.kinde of wickedneſſe euen with greedineſſe. And this is a forerunner of Gods iudgements.
Secondly, this following of euill is alſo accompanied with impudencie, and ſhameleſneſſe: as their hearts cannot feare before God, ſo their faces cannot bluſh before men. And what ſtate theſe men ſtand in, the Prophet Ieremy ſheweth: Were they Ierem. 8. 12.aſhamed when they had committed abomination? nay they were not aſhamed, neither could they hauehave any ſhame: therefore ſhall they fall among the ſlaine: when I ſhall viſite them they ſhall be caſt down, ſaith the Lord.
Thirdly, this manner of ſinning crieth in the eares of the Lord, as it is ſaid of the Sodomites, and prouoketh him to anger, and therefore will draw downe a ſpeedie puniſhment vponupon them.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction, if we louelove our ſelues, our life and ſaluation, that we flie from euill, and follow it not: for it will follow vsus too faſt. We ſhall goe no whither whiles wee carrie this ſinfull fleſh about vsus, but it will be at our heeles, yea in our hands, and heads and harts, and whole ſoule and bodie. Euen the beſt may ſay as Paul did, I finde that when I would doe good, euill is preſent with me.Rom. 7. 21.
But much more is it preſent when we are not ſo well diſpoſed, though indeede it be not then ſo eaſily deſtroyed: and therefore ſince it will intrude it ſelfe vponupon vsus againſt our willes, let not vsus play the parts of the wicked, to take Satans place and become tempters of our ſelues.
Terror for the workers of iniquitie, which beſtow great paines to doe themſelues great hurt, which will not bee ſtopped from the ſeruice of ſinne, and therefore cannot be ſtaied from the puniſhment thereof. What doe they elſe but fall into phranticke paſſion of deſperate perſons, which ſeeke all opportunities to murther themſelues? They make eueryevery delight and pleaſure a corde to ſtrangle themſelues with: eueryevery luſt a knife to cut their owne throates: eueryevery commoditie a well to leape into: their meate and drinke to be a poyſon to their ſoules, and hurtfull to their bodies by ſurfeiting and drunkennes, and ſuch like abuſes.