Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 8
Verſe 8. The iuſt eſcapeth out of trouble, and the wicked ſhall come in his ſteed.
GOds fauour and goodnes doth not free his ſeruants from afflictions, but deliuereth them out of afflictions. Whereinto hee caſteth the wicked, though they be not alwaies of the ſame kind with thoſe which the godly ſuffer, but worſe and more durable, and ſuch as are mixed with Gods wrath, and poiſoned with the ſting of their owne euill conſcience.
Doct. Though the afflictions of good men ſeeme ſharpe, and grieuous, yet they are not perpetuall.
Before euer God bring his into troubles, hee appointeth how they ſhal be preſerued in them, and paſſe thorough them, and get out of them. He doth as well foreſee their arriuall as their launching forth, and the end of the boyſterous ſtormes which they muſt indure, aſwell as the beginning and entrance thereof. Many, Pſalm. 34. 19.or great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of all. Neither number, nor grieuouſneſſe, nor continuance of croſſes, nor power of perſecutors, nor any other impediment can hinder his hand from helping his diſtreſſed ſeruants.
Reaſons. Firſt, they will keepe no ſilence when they bee in tribulation, they will cry vntounto God, and bemone their caſe vntounto him, that hee may take their cauſe into his hands. Neither is it any waywardneſſe in them, but wiſedome, and their bounden duty ſo to doe: for he calleth them vntounto him, and commaundeth them to make their complaint: Call vponupon me, ſaith hee, in the day of trouble; ſo will I deliuer thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me, Pſal. 50. 15.
Secondly, all Gods people are petitioners for eueryevery one, and eueryevery one for all; ſo that no member of Ieſus Chriſt wanteth friends to ſollicite his cauſe, and to deale effectually for him.
Thirdly, the Lord himſelfe beholdeth their teares, and ſorrowes, and ſuffrings, hee heareth their moſt ſecret ſighes and groanes, his compaſſion is towards them, hee is able to helpe them, hee promiſeth to deliuer them, and therefore from his owne commiſeration and pitie, by his might and power, and in his trueth and fidelitie hee will ſurely drawe them out of miſerie.
Laſtlie, their life it ſelfe is not perpetuall, but ſhort and of ſmall continuance, and therefore how can it be that their troubles ſhould be endles, or any way of long durance? It is an euerlaſting trueth which the holy ſpirit publiſheth in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn: Bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they reſt from Reuel. 14. 13.their labours, that is, from all kinds of ſorrowes and ſufferings.
Vſe. Reproofe of their follie which ſeeke to preuent troubles, or to ſhake them off by ſhunning the duties of righteouſnes. As though righteouſnes were not a ſure friend to deliuer men, but a treacherous aduerſarie to betray them. As though it were a matter of great perill to pleaſe God, and the onelyonly way for ſafetie to prouoke him. As though the beſt meanes of defence were to diſarme ones ſelfe, and to be weaponed and armed were to expoſe himſelfe to the ſhot and ſtrokes of his enemie. And yet this cowardlie heart, and erroneous mind is in very many, that they dare not addict themſelues ſtrictly to eueryevery ſeruice of pietie and iuſtice, leſt they ſhould caſt themſelues into ſnares, and troubles, and moleſtations. They are not perſwaded by S. Peters teſtimonie, 1. Pet. 3. 13, 14that no man can hurt them, if they follow that which is good, neither be they affected with his conſolation, that bleſſed are they, if they ſuffer for righteouſneſſe ſake.
Comfort to them that are toſſed with the waues of troubles, and aduerſities by perſecutions, temptations, and neceſſities, if ſearching their hearts they can finde their vprightnes, and trying their waies they proue to be righteous; there is no cauſe why they ſhould call in queſtion the ſtate of their ſoules, or thinke their preſent caſe to be irrecouerable. If multitude or greatnes of troubles were to make Gods fauour doubtfull, then few iuſt men ſhould hauehave it certaine: for he hath allotted them to all his children, and made as due prouiſion for them of correction, as of foode: and he that is alwaies, and altogether without it, is not a ſonne, but a Heb. 12. 8.baſtard. If it were not an vſuall thing for good men to bee in afflictions, the ſcriptures would not ſo vſually ſpeake of their comming out of afflictions. Let no man therefore ſay in proſperitie, I ſhall neuer be moued: ſo let no godlie man ſay in aduerſitie, I Pſalm. 30. 6.ſhall neuer be reſtored. The Lord taketh as little pleaſure to bee euermore afflicting his people, as a moſt tender-hearted parent doth to be alwaies beating his children. And as an indulgent father cannot indure to ſee violence offred to the ſhedding of his ſonnes bloud in his preſence: ſo neither will our God permit the wicked to ſpoile and oppreſſe the godly continually in his ſight.
Doct. 2 When the merciemercy of God beginneth to raiſe the godly out of afflictions, his iuſtice is readie to caſt the wicked into miſerie. The ſinners are put into one ſcale of the weights, and the ſaints into the other. When the one riſeth vp, the other ſinketh downe: when the one commeth from troubles to proſperitie, the other goeth from proſperitie to troubles. This the Lord telleth wicked men before hand, and will not faile to fulfill it in due ſeaſon. Behold, ſaith he, my ſeruants ſhall eate, and ye ſhall be hungrie: behold, Iſa. 65. 13. 14.my ſeruants ſhall drinke, and yee ſhall be thirſtie: behold, my ſeruants ſhall reioyce, and yee ſhall be aſhamed: behold my ſeruants ſhall ſing for ioy of heart, and yee ſhall crie for ſorrow of heart, and ſhall howle for vexation of minde. It ſeemeth to them an incredible paradoxe, and a newes by farre more admirable, then acceptable, that there ſhould be ſuch a tranſmutation of conditions on both ſides, to contraries; but he doth know that it will be ſo, and can effect that it ſhall be ſo, and hath decreed that it muſt be ſo, and therefore relateth the particulars with ſuch certainty, as if forthwith the execution thereof ſhould be preſented to their ſenſes.
Reaſons. Firſt, it is Gods ordinance, and the order which he vſeth in his proceedings, that iudgement ſhall begin at his owne houſe, as S. Peter teacheth, and from thence be deriued to the wicked to 1. Pet. 4. 17.continue vponupon them for euer. The medicinable potion, at the brimme of the cup, he will hauehave his owne children to drinke for their health and preſeruation, but the dregges and poiſon at the bottome, his enemies muſt ſwallow vp for their ruine and deſtruction.
Secondly, troubles, feares, vexations, and torments are the proper portion of ſinners, they receiue not their childs part, nor enter vponupon their inheritance, till they fall into them. Good men paſſe through them, as a deepe mirie lane in a ſtrange countrie, but trauell home to their owne pleaſant ſoile of comfort; but the euill and rebellious gallop ſwiftly in the faire way of proſperitie, and haſten to their owne vncomfortable home of hidious deſolation and horror.
Thirdly, their malitions behauiour againſt Chriſtians doth with a ſtrong hand draw themſelues into miſerie, and lift the others out of it. The Egyptians made it their exerciſe to drowne the children of the Iſraelites, and God deliuering the Iſraelites made the Egyptians to be drowned. Haman caſt about with all his wits, how he might bring Mordecai to the gallows, and the Lord appointed in his wiſedome that the gallows ſhould catch vp Haman. And ſo ſtood the caſe with Daniels enemies, they were driuen with their owne fleſh and familie to feede the hons which they had appointed to eate vp Daniel. The Edomites were glad to ſee the Iewes drinke ſo bitter a draught of calamity, as the Babylonians by Gods righteous iudgement had mingled for them; and therefore the Lord would make the Edomites to pledge them in the ſame cup, and was more fauourable to the Iewes for their reioycing at them. For ſo hee ſpeaketh to them both in the Lamentations: Reioyce, and be glad O daughter Edome that dwellest in the land of Ʋz, the cup alſo ſhall paſſe through vntounto thee: thou ſhalt be drunken and vomit. Thy puniſhment is accompliſhed, O daughter Zion: hee will no more carrie thee into captiuitie. Lam. 4. 21.
The doing of miſchiefe to good men, the attempting of it, though they faile of their purpoſes, their wiſhing of it, though they dare not attempt it, and their reioycing at it when it is effected by others, all this doth aſſuredly bring miſchiefe on ſinfull mens owne heads.
Vſe. Admonition to the aduerſaries of the Church, and Chriſtians, that they deale more mildlie and moderatelie with them. The caſe is their owne, they prepare for themſelues whatſoeuer they impoſe vponupon others. The burdens which they lay vponupon their neighbours ſhoulders muſt be tranſferred to their owne backes: the bread of affliction which they prouide for their brethren, in time will turne to their owne foode: the little-eaſe and dungeon wherein they ſhut vp the innocent, muſt in time be made their owne habitation.
Terror to vngodly perſons in regard of their dangerous condition. OnelyOnly troubles they flie from, fearing them more then anie manner of ſinne, and therfore account the life of afflicted Chriſtians to be moſt miſerable: and trouble is that which flieth as faſt after them to make a pray of them, which alſo will make their ſtate ten thouſand times worſe than any Chriſtians can be. And if it ſo come to paſſe in this life, as many times it doth, that the godly are lifted vp to proſperitie, and the vngodly into grieuous aduerſitie, what a change will there be, and contrarietie of their eſtates in the life to come. Which appeareth in the parable of the rich man, and Lazarus. Here the rich man receiued his pleaſure and Lazarus paine: but there is Lazarus in heauen, and the Luk. 16.rich man in hell: Lazarus is in Abrahams boſome, and the rich man in the flames of fire: Lazarus is comforted, and the rich man tormented. The beſt man in his beſt ſtate here on earth, hath not a full inlargement, but onelyonly inioyeth libertie of the priſon: and the worſt man in his worſt ſtate is not yet come to execution, but onelyonly ſitteth in the ſtockes. But the moſt perfect and abſolute difference and change will be at the day of the Lord Ieſus, when ſoule and bodie of the ſaints ſhall bee filled with glory and immortalitie, and ſoule and bodie of ſinfull creatures ſhall be ouerwhelmed with ſhame, and perpetuall contempt. And herewith the Apoſtle comforteth the poore perſecuted Theſſalonians; It is a righteous thing with God, ſaith he, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you which are troubled reſt with vsus, when the Lord Ieſus Chriſt ſhall ſhew himſelfe from heauen with his mightie Angels. &c. 2. Theſſ. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Conſolation to poore helpeleſſe perſons, if they bee alſo harmeles, that can find no friends which wil or can procure them deliuerance out of troubles. Few good are to bee found that take to heart the ſufferings of poore innocents, and few of thoſe that take them to heart, are able to preuaile any thing for them. But are there no wicked which may be heard of? HaueHave they no enemies which doe moleſt them? Alas, there be too many of theſe eueryevery where, the world ſwarmeth with them. Then be of good comfort, you muſt come forth that they may come in, the place muſt be yeelded vp to the right owners. Cannot ye get a releaſe freely? will not intreatie worke your libertie? A price then ſhall be giuen, a ranſome ſhall be payd for it, and you ſhall be diſcharged. For ſuch a promiſe we hauehave from God in this booke: the wicked ſhall bee a ranſome for the iuſt, and the tranſgreſſour for the Prou. 21. 18.righteous.