Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 28
Verſe 28. He that truſteth in his riches, ſhall fall: but the righteous ſhall floriſh as a branch.
HE that ſo repoſeth vponupon his wealth, as that for louelove and deſire thereof, hee is willing, and in confidence thereof hee is bold to ſinne againſt God; hee which hopeth it will keepe him from troubles, or rid him out of troubles, or any way conferre happineſſe to him, this man ſhall ſurely bee brought downe, and fall into miſchiefe. And ſo by the ſame proportion, ſhall all thoſe which truſt to men, or to wit, or to any other creature. On the other ſide, iuſt men are all on the mending hand; they are well planted, they grow in a fruitfull ground by the riuers of water, they hauehave the Lord Ieſus Chriſt for their roote, they hauehave God the Father to dreſſe and keepe them, and therefore they ſhall flouriſh as a branch which groweth and hath greene leaues. The drought of aduerſitie ſhall not hurt them, the dewes of wholeſome proſperitie ſhall not faile them. They ſhall hauehave ſafetie for their bodies, graces for their ſoules, competencie for their ſtate, and all good furtherances for their euerlaſting glorie. Thus ſtandeth the oppoſition. The wicked truſt in their riches, and they ſhall fall like rotten boughes: but the righteous truſt in the Lord, and they ſhall grow like flouriſhing branches.
Doct. Though the ſtayes of many wicked men ſeeme to be the ſtronger, yet the ſtates of all godly men proue to be the ſurer.
If ſafetie conſiſted in wealth, and happineſſe in height, wee could not but yeeld that diuers ſinfull perſons were grounded in great ſafety and happineſſe: for they hauehave the world at will, & are mounted vp to eminent places. And if perill did alwayes accompanie pouertie, and miſerie likewiſe a meane condition, who could denie, but that the moſt of the beſt men, ſhould euer bee found in the worſt caſe, and of all others the moſt miſerable? for that they are commonly poore and baſe in the world? But if God in his iuſt iudgements doe lift vp his enemies hie, to caſt them downe the; lower and if his ſeruants take rooting low, that they may grow vp the hier then let the wicked take heede of a downefall, and then let the righteous not doubt of a riſing. The thirtie ſeuen and ſeuentie third Pſalmes, are treatiſes wholy vponupon this argument, beſides many other texts of Scripture. And this commeth to paſſe to both ſides. Firſt, in regard of the different, and Reaſons. 1 contrarie choiſe which they hauehave made of helpers to themſelues. What doe ſinfull perſons and wicked men take to bee their ſtaues to leane vponupon, and that with their whole weight? Euen fleſhly ſupports, as goods and riches which are ſlender reedes, that will breake, and run into their hands and ſhoulders, and lay them flat on the ground. Theſe they build vponupon as a foundation moſt firme and ſtable, theſe they depend vponupon as friends moſt ſure and faithfull: theſe they truſt vntounto as holds moſt ſtrong and mightie. And yet is there any thing more vncertaine, more deceitfull, more weake and feeble then theſe are? They bee fugitiue and away they goe, when they ſhould ſticke to a man: they be falſe and performe nothing that they promiſe. They ſay, giuegive vsus your heart, eſpecially when we increaſe, we hauehave power to doe you all good. But Dauid ſaith, If riches increaſe, ſet not your heart Pſal. 62. 10. 11.theron God ſpake once, twice hauehave I heard it, that power belongeth only to God. There was neuer any Papiſt, or heathē man more deceiued in dumbe Idols, then worldlings be in the hope of their monie and ſubſtance. The images hauehave as much ſenſe to heare, and ſpeake, and deale for them which pray to them, as gold and ſiluer and other treaſures hauehave ability in themſelues to helpe them, that make them their gods: and many more are illuded by theſe, then by the others. And whom doe the godly make their refuge? In whom is their hope fixed? in God omnipotent, eternall, endles in merciemercy, wiſedome, and trueth, whoſe good prouidence doth neuer faile them in life: whoſe gracious fauour doth not forſake them at death: And that one word may comprehend all, and that is infinitely much, and more then heauen and earth can comprehend, he is God eueryevery way for them, al-ſufficient.
Secondly, in regard of their behauiour towards the Lord. The wicked commit an execrable ſacriledge & ſpirituall treaſon, they caſt off that loyaltie that is due only to him, & yeeld it to the abiect and contemptible creatures: for ſo may they be called when they are matched as equals, or preferred as ſuperiours to their Creator. And this is done in all vaine confidence, as it was ſpoken of truſt to fleſh & bloud, ſo to all of that kind: Curſed be the man Ierem. 17. 5.that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Confidence is a prerogatiue and royaltie, that the Lord neuer communicateth to any, vponupon any conditions. He ſo calleth for louelove to himſelfe, that men alſo ſhould bee loued for his ſake, and feared and reioyced at, and the like is in other affections: but to truſt in any beſides him, is as much as in vsus is, to ſet the imperiall diadem of heauen and earth vponupon their heads. Now the godly relying altogether vponupon his fidelitie and power yeeld him homage, and declare themſelues to be his loyall, faithfull, and obedient ſubiects, and performe a moſt acceptable ſeruice vntounto him.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction, to be ſo much more induſtrious for righteouſnes, than riches, by how much it is better to bee a liuing tree, than a dead ſtocke: and to ſtand faſt in the ſtate of all good happineſſe, than to fall into ſinne, and ſhame, and miſerie, and deſtruction. So much goodnes as any man hath, ſo much he hath of faith, ſo farre he ſheweth the ſappe and vertue of his roote: ſo certaine and aſſured he may be of perpetuall firmneſſe and ſtabilitie. And looke what meaſure of vaine confidence is in eueryevery one, ſo much ſinfulnes is in him (and therefore the contrarietie is ſet betweene ſuch as truſt in their riches, and the righteous; becauſe hee that hath affiance in his wealth, muſt needes bee euill, and hee that is righteous muſt needes truſt in God) and ſo ſure it is that Gods ſtrokes and iudgements will purſue him, and to his owne inabilitie of ſtanding, he ſhall hauehave this added, that God will puſh at him, and caſt him downe.
Terror for couetous Idolaters, which make their goods their gods, and their greedie getting their deuotion, and their plentie their ſafetie, and their paſtures, fields, barnes, ſhops, warehouſes, or coffers, their heauen. Like fooliſh men, they waite vponupon lying Ionah 2. 8.vanities, and forſake their owne merciemercy. It is as eaſie for a croppe of corne to thriue vponupon a waſte Heath, or in the middeſt of a thornie hedge, or thicket of buſhes, as it is for grace to grow in their hearts: and it is as eaſie for a cable rope to goe through an needles Mark. 10. 24. 25.eye, as for them to enter into the kingdome of heauen. And yet they think al to be well, and their ſtate to be happie: yea they preſume ſo farre of their owne ſtanding, that vponupon confidence of their power they doubt not but to giuegive others the fall: they hope that their withered rotten ſtickes ſhall be able to roote vp and throw downe the ſtrongeſt Cedars that grow in the Church of God. Such a one was Doeg, that thought to doe great things againſt Dauid, but Dauid did after a ſort defie him, and bad him doe his worſt, yea he derided, and told him that the worſt would bee his owne: Why boaſteſt thou (ſaith he) in thy wickedneſſe, O man of power? Pſal. 52. 1. 5. 6. &c.the louing kindneſſe of God endureth daily. God ſhall deſtroy thee for euer: he ſhall take thee and plucke thee out of thy tabernacle, and roote thee out of the land of the liuing. The righteous alſo ſhall ſee it, and feare, and ſhall laugh at him, ſaying, Behold the man that tooke not God for his ſtrength, but truſted to the multitude of his riches. But I ſhall be like a greene Oliue tree in the houſe of God: for I truſted in the merciemercy of God for euer and euer.
Conſolation, to godly men that hauehave receiued to their owne hearts, and giuen to other men, a teſtimonie of faith and righteouſnes: no enemie without or corrections within ſhall depriue them of their comfort, or of any good bleſſing that concerneth this preſent life, or their euerlaſting ſaluation.