Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 5 – Verse 6
Verſe. 5. The righteouſneſſe of the vpright ſhall direct his way, or make his way ſtraight, or euen: but the wicked ſhall fall in his owne wickedneſſe.
HEre he addeth to that which he had begun in the third verſe, and ſheweth that ſincetitie, & righteouſnes do not only lead men to a good way, and tell them what is their dutie, and fit to be performed, but maketh the way paſſable for them, and them conſtant and proſperous in it. To the which againe is oppoſed the way of the wicked, euen their owne ſinfull courſe of life, being crooked and cragged, and rough, and rugged, and full of manifolde perils wherein at the laſt they fall and periſh.
Doct. Godly men hauehave not onelyonly a commaundement, but abilitie giuen vntounto them to walke in the Law of God. Their faithfulneſſe doth leuell their way, and paue it before them, wherein they find not onelyonly equitie, but eaſe alſo with delight and ſafetie. And ſo much the Prophet doth intimate when he ſaith, The waies of the Lord are righteous, and the iuſt ſhall walke in them: but the wicked Hoſ. 14. 10.ſhall fall therein.
Reaſons. Firſt, the affections ſanctified do al ioyne hands in forwarding a man to a conſtant proceeding in godlines. The louelove of God, and the hope of reward doe ouercome, and ſubdue all difficulties, and dangers, and beare downe all the impediments that may ſtoppe him by diſcouragements: and the feare of God, and dread of his diſpleaſure doth ſuppreſſe the force of worldly luſts, and beate downe the conceits that may draw him to preſumption.
Secondly, the experience of Gods preſence, fauour and bleſſing is very effectuall to continue their obedience. For hauing taſted how good the Lord is to them that feare him, they cannot liue without his companie, and that is no where to bee inioyed, but in the way of righteouſneſſe.
The Lord himſelfe both by grace and prouidence doth helpe them in this worke. He giueth vertue and power to the miniſtry of his word, to prepare a way betweene himſelfe and the hearts of his people, that there may bee an intercourſe for one to come mutually to the other, as S. Luke teſtifieth: Euerie vallie ſhall bee filled, and eueryevery mountaine and hill ſhall bee brought low, and crooked things ſhall be made ſtraight, and the rough waies ſhalbe made ſmooth. Luk. 3. 5.
He alſo meaſureth out a meete ſtate for them, and maketh ſuch a mixture or compoſition of proſperitie and aduerſitie, of bleſſings and croſſes, of comforts and ſorrowes, as is moſt holeſome for their ſoules, and directeth all the occurrents that befall them to the furtherance of their ſaluation. And hereof Iſaiah ſpeaketh, ſaying: The way of the righteous is euennes, or equities, thou wilt weigh out a iuſt path for the righteous. He will ballance out euerie thing that concerneth them in gold weights, that there ſhall not be the leaſt defect, or exceſſe that might turne to their hurt.
Vſe. Confutation of their pernicious illuſions yt thinke it impoſſible to walke in the waies of God, & therfore iudge it nothing dangerous to ſtray out of them at their pleaſure. The preachers, ſay they, doe teach that which none can obſerue, eueryevery bodie doth contrary, and we muſt do like others, or els we ſhould be counted nobodie. They lay too much vponupon vsus for praying often and hearing of ſermons, and reading the ſcriptures, and keeping the ſabbath: and ſo do they alſo too much reſtraine vsus of pleaſures, and profits, of libertie in ſpeeches, and freedome in apparrell. We muſt follow our ſports: for take away delights, and take away life. Wee muſt vſe what meanes wee can for our ſtate, and make the moſt of our owne: wee muſt in companie behaue our ſelues like the companie, according to their talke we muſt talke, and bee merrie according to their mirth: for an oath, we cannot alwayes auoide it, it is but a ſmall matter now and then to ſweare a little. They would hauehave vsus to become ſaints on earth, but it will not bee, our nature cannot like of ſuch preciſenes, &c. And thus they make the eaſie yoke of Chriſt an importable burthen, and condemne his miniſtery of rigour, in requiring obedience, and iuſtifie themſelues in diſobedience. But leaue this ſhifting, and deale in good earneſt, and ſpeake the trueth plainely. Our ſinnes, and rebellions, ſay, hauehave ſtopped vp our way, and we hauehave no iuſtice, nor vprightneſſe to open it vntounto vsus: wee are ſlaues, and bondmen to corruption, and held in thraldome and ſubiection of it. Otherwiſe the ſtrength of the world, and the ſtreame of the times could not carrie you away ſo ſtrongly. For Noah being a righteous man could liue righteouſlie in an age giuen ouer wholy to vnrighteouſneſſe. The ſeruices of God would not be ſo tedious vntounto you, as that by no meanes you ſhould bee brought to exerciſe them. For to vpright men they are not onelyonly poſſible, but pleaſant, their ſoule longeth for them, they hunger and thirſt after them, no thing is ſo much deſired of them. Voluptuouſnes, impietie, pride, and other luſts would not be ſo ſweete vntounto you, or ſo mightie in you, that you ſhould neither be willing to leaue them, nor able to forſake them. For where the ſpirit of God is, there is libertie. All good men abhorte theſe ſinnes, they pray againſt them, they ſtriue againſt them, they preuaile againſt them. Grace ouercommeth the fleſh, and maketh them doe that which the word requireth, and ſhun that which the word forbiddeth, and be that which the word preſcribeth. Though they performe not good things perfectly, yet they practiſe them faithfully: though they caſt not off all euill fully, yet with hatred they reſiſt it truely: though they hauehave ſo many infirmities as make them oft to ſinne, yet they hauehave ſo much holineſſe, as maketh them alwaies ſaints.
Verſe 6. The righteouſneſſe of the vpright deliuereth them: but the tranſgreſſours ſhall be taken in their owne wickednes.
THis verſe, as it may appeare, is annexed to the former for confirmation of the point therein contained, that righteouſneſſe doth direct the way of vpright men, both to holy conuerſation, and happy ſtate. Againſt the which a doubt may riſe frō the ſhew of the contrarie, becauſe that good men are ſometimes plunged in great calamities, and ſometimes in great tranſgreſſions: and therefore their way ſeemeth as indirect, as if they were wicked, and their righteouſneſſe to doe them as little good as if they had none at all. Now this ſcruple he remoueth by ſhewing what benefite it bringeth, that then eſpecially they hauehave the vſe of it, when they fall into ſuch diſtreſſes. For then the fruite thereof is moſt for their comfort when it ſhall deliuer them out of dangers, out of troubles, out of feares, out of temptations, out of ſinnes, and from deſtruction. Yet not by ſtrength of it owne, but by the power of God: not according to their worthines in way of deſert, but according to his goodnes in way of reward: not extended to all men that doe good workes, but reſtrained to vpright men whoſe workes are good. And for the clearer illuſtration of their bleſſed eſtate he bringeth in for contrarie, the miſerable condition of the wicked, oppoſing tranſgreſſours to vpright perſons: their miſchiefe to the others iuſtice: their perill to the others protection: the one part incloſed in the net of troubles is yet aſſured of ſafe eſcape by meanes of their graces, the other abroad at the baite of proſperitie ſhall certainely fall into ſnares by meanes of their wickedneſſe.
The doctrine which the former clauſe might miniſter, ſhal be as conueniently ſpoken of in the eight verſe: and that which is to be raiſed out of the latter, hath beene alreadie handled in the third.