Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 3 – Verse 4
Verſe 3. The vprightneſſe of the iuſt ſhall guide them: but the frowardneſſe of the tranſgreſſours ſhall deſtroy them.
BY vprightneſſe is not meant an extrauagant well meaning without further rule or warrant, as though good intents were competent guides of our waies to ſaluation: but the ſinceritie of an heart faithfullie, though not perfectlie willing to beleeue and obey that which it knoweth, and reſolutelie, though not abſolutelie, deſirous to know that which God ſhall reueile vntounto it. Now this is ſaid to guide righteous men, that is, ſhall procure good direction from the Lord, both for his ſeruice, and their owne happines, and make them tractable to follow the ſame. Contrarie to this is the condition of the wicked, who are not ledde with vprightneſſe, but carried with peruerſeneſſe, and therfore miſled by the ſame to their vndoing. For thus ſtandeth the oppoſition: the vprightneſſe of the iuſt ſhall guide them in the way, and ſo preſerue them: but the frowardnes of the wicked will keepe them from the way, and ſo deſtroy them.
Doct. 1 The vprightneſſe] EueryEvery one that is truely godlie hath a faithfull guide and counſellour in his owne breaſt. A ſound heart is the ſterne of the ſoule, and a good conſcience is the pilot to gouerne it, which will leade him thorow the whole courſe of his life, till hee come to the hauen of ſafetie and bleſſednes. So is the vprightneſſe of Iob commended, that it directed him to the feare of God, and cauſed him to eſchew euill. So is the foundnes of Zacharie and Elizabeth notified, that by vertue thereof they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe. And ſo is the ſinceritie of all bleſſed perſons extolled and praiſed by the ſame effects in the hundred and ninteenth Pſalme, that they keepe the commandements of God, and worke no iniquitie.Pſal. 119 2. 3.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, it will ſtirre vp men diligentlie to ſeeke for knowledge and vnderſtanding, attending daily as ſuters at wiſedomes gate in all the ordinances of God. When hee ſpeaketh, they will bring an eare to hearken: When he teacheth, they will bring an heart to learne. When neede requireth, they will vſe their lippes to aske counſell: in the word they will digge for wiſedome: by prayer they will call for aſſiſtance: by meditation they will applie all good inſtructions. And ſo ſeeking of God with an whole heart is ſet in the ſcriptures, as an effect of vprightneſſe, and a cauſe of walking in the law of the Lord. Pſalm. 119. 2.
Secondlie, where a good conſcience is preſent, there the word of God is neuer abſent: for that doth alwaies dwell with fidelitie and trueth. The ſame heart that entertaineth the one, doth euermore enioy the other. And that dealeth faithfullie with them that be faithfull: it will not ſuffer them to wander aſide thorow want of guidance, or to fall into miſcheefes for fault of direction. It ſhal leade thee, ſaith one ſcripture, when thou walkeſt; it ſhall watch for thee when thou ſleepeſt, and when thou wakeſt it ſhall talke with thee. Prou. 6. 22.Thine eares ſhall heare a word behind thee, ſaith an other ſcripture, ſaying, this is the way, walke in that, when thou turneſt to the right hand or to the left.Iſai. 30. 21.
Thirdlie, the ſpirit of God is alwaies in them that are vpright and true hearted, it moueth them to aske, to heare, to pray, to reade, and to meditate: it maketh the word effectuall to ſpeake to their ſoules, alſo flexible to yeeld to the word, it worketh ſound iudgement in the mind, holie affections in the heart, alacritie and readineſſe in the will, faith in the whole ſoule, and ſincere ſanctitie in the conuerſation. Hereof the Apoſtle ſpeaketh to the Romanes: As manie as are lead by the ſpirit of God are the ſonnes of God. And it is as true on the other ſide, as manie as are the ſonnes of God, are lead by the ſpirit of God: for this is euer reciprocall, and conuertible.
Vſe. Confutation of the erronious opinion whereby manie illude themſelues, and their falſe boſtings whereby they would deceiue others. They roue abroad in all the waies of ſinfulnes, in euerie by lane of licentiouſneſſe, in ignorance, pride, wantonnes, vnthriftines, crueltie, blaſphemie, &c. Yee may finde them almoſt eueryevery where ſauing in religious and honeſt exerciſes, and thoſe they flie from, as if they were gaoles and dungeons to hold them in: and yet they thinke, and ſay, and face it out, that their heart is honeſt, though their life be lewd: all is well within, though all be naught without: they hauehave as good ſoules to God as the beſt, although they ſerue Satan aſmuch as the worſt. If theſe men hauehave vprightneſſe, vprightnes hath loſt her wonted vertue, and ceaſeth to be vpright. For that which was vprightneſſe in Salomons time, and in all former ages was more faithfull, and forcible to preſerue them whom it tooke charge of (as it doth all in whom it inhabiteth) from ſuch inordinate and vicious behauiour. To which may be added alſo another brood of a wandring and vagrant mind, altogether vnſetled in all points of religion. They heare of multiplicitie of opinions, and the differences of mens iudgements one from another: ſome are Papiſts, ſome are Proteſtants, ſome are Browniſts, ſo that they know not what to beleeue, nor whom to truſt, and therefore iudge it their readieſt way to credit none of them all, and not cleaue to any ſide. But the righteous are not toſſed vp and downe with ſuch waues of vncertainetie and doubtfulnes: ſinceritie leaueth not men to ſhift for themſelues, that for want of due information in the waies of God, they ſhould walk in flat Atheiſme: The Lord promiſeth better things to his people that faithfully ſerue him. What man is hee that feareth the Lord? him will he teach the way that he ſhall chuſe, Pſalme 25. 12. Are ye left then without direction? then ye are found without righteouſneſſe. Doth not God teach you his way? then yee are vtterlie void of his feare.
Reproofe of them that commit themſelues to the leading of contrarie guides, which withhold all their paſſengers from ſincerities counſell and direction, and that is to vaine pleaſure, to filthie lucre, to carnall reaſon, to brutiſh luſt, to the example and faſhion of the wicked world, and to the ſinfull motions which the diuell himſelfe moſt craftilie ſuggeſteth. Theſe are they that almoſt in all places are taken vp for leaders, they are neuer without worke, they hauehave continuall imployment, and therefore it plainly appeareth that there is little vprightneſſe, and that is as little regarded, & as few iuſt perſons there are to be guided by it.
Conſolation againſt the diſcouragements wherewith manie faithfull Chriſtians are aſſaulted in reſpect of the manifold perils which they paſſe thorow. When they look abroad into the world, they ſee all kinds of inducements to euill, by perſwaſions, by threatning, by examples, and ſophiſticall defences; their carnall friendes would allure in kindneſſe, their craftie foes would illude them by cunning, the violent tyrants would compel thē by force. When they ſearch into themſelues, they finde corruptions, ignorance, errors, fearefulneſſe, and inconſtancie, which cauſeth them to fall into many feares, and doubts of their perſeuerance. How, ſay they, ſhall we perſiſt and hold out in the dangerous dayes? How if the word of God ſhould be taken from vsus? how if deceiuers ſhould be turned in among vsus? how then ſhall we find the way to euerlaſting ſaluation? The holie Ghoſt telleth you in this place, if your hearts be righteous, and plaine, and honeſt, your vprightneſſe ſhall leade you, the ſpirit of God will teach you, and his grace will eſtabliſh you. Which S. Iohn doth alſo teſtifie, for the confirmation of ſuch as were in the ſame caſe: Theſe things, ſaith he, hauehave I written vntounto you concerning them that deceiue you. But the anointing which you receiued of him dwelleth in you: and yee neede not that any man teach you: but as the ſame anointing teacheth you of all things, and it is true, and is no lying, and as it taught you, it ſhall abide in him.
Doct. 2 But the frowardneſſe] Wicked ſinners are greateſt workers of their owne woe. They ſhall be taken in their owne wickednes, ſaith the ſixt verſe: they ſhall fall in their owne wickednes, ſaith the fift: their frowardnes ſhall deſtroy them, ſaith this. Whereby it appeareth that their miſerie commeth not from others, as an accidentall occaſion, but groweth from themſelues as the proper cauſe: neither is it an ordinarie euill that is recurable, but a deſperate ruine that is remedileſſe: neither yet is it the ſubuerſion of their ſtate, or killing of their bodie, which is but temporarie, but the perdition both of bodie and ſoule which is euerlaſting. To this agreeth that which is ſpoken to the ſame purpoſe, in the fift chapter: His owne iniquitie ſhall take the wicked himſelfe, and hee Pro. 5. 22. 23.ſhall be holden with the cords of his owne ſinne. He ſhall die for fault of inſtruction, and for going aſtray through his owne follie.
Here is a deſcription of eueryevery obſtinate and contemptuous ſinner, their wickednes doth worke deſtruction by degrees. It firſt apprehendeth them as an officer: it keepeth them afterwards in ſtockes, and bolts, as a Iayler. And laſtlie, it putteth them to death, as an executioner.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, they deſpiſe the patience, and long ſufferance, the kindnes and goodnes of God which waiteth for their repentance, and therefore through the hardnes of their hearts heape to themſelues wrath againſt the day of vengeance, Rom. 2. 4. 5.
Secondly, they greeue and vexe the ſpirit of God, which offereth grace vntounto them, and therefore he turneth to be their enemie. They Iſai. 63. 10.with their peruerſenes doe reſiſt him, and hee with his power wil caſt downe them. And ſo the Prophet teſtifieth in the Pſalme: With the pure thou wilt ſhew thy ſelfe pure, but with the froward thou ſetteſt thy ſelfe to wreſtle.
Thirdly, they ſcorne and deſpiſe the word and wiſedome of God, and as much as in them is, cauſe others alſo to reiect it, and therefore it is iuſt with the Lord to make them eate the fruit of their owne waies, and to fill them with their owne deuices; that is, to bring them to a fearefull deſtruction. Prou. 1. 30. 31.
Vſe. Terror of them that practiſe ſinne of purpoſe to offend them which diſlike of their lewde waies. They will breake the Sabbath in deſpite of them that would hauehave them better exerciſed: they will ſweare, they ſay, and ſtare too, to anger ſuch as admoniſh them of their vnlawfull othes. Sillie creatures and miſerable wretches, will they cut their owne throats to grieue others with the ſight of their bloud? will they ſtrangle themſelues that others might weepe for their curſed end? Their boiſterous ſtubberneſſe may bring a ſhort ſorow to others that hate their ſinnes, and louelove their ſoules, but a perpetuall ſhame to themſelues, which ioyne with their ſinnes againſt their ſoules.
Verſe 4. Riches auaile not in the day of wrath: but righteouſnes deliuereth from death.
THeſe wordes ſeeme to containe an anticipation, or preuenting of an obiection, which might bee moued againſt the latter point of the former verſe. What ſpeake you of deſtruction to come vponupon wicked men? I truſt you will not extend it to all: for many of them are ſubſtantiall wealthy men, of great ſtate, and abilitie. Who can deſtroy them? What ſhall their power, and riches doe the while? To this it is here anſwered, that riches auaile not in the day of wrath: their wealth can neither withſtand the ſtrokes of God, nor leſſen them, nor make them any whit the more able to beare them, when his anger doth execute iudgements, and when his iudgements declare his anger. But righteouſneſſe is that which deliuereth from death, and all other miſeries, that the ſting thereof ſhall neuer make any man miſerable. See the more full handling and proſecution of theſe words, in the ſecond verſe of the tenth chapter.