Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 11 · Verse 9
Verſe 9. A hypocrite with his mouth corrupteth his neighbour: but the righteous ſhall be deliuered by knowledge.
DIſſemblers, and ſuch as make a ſhew of godlines, but denie the power thereof, are commonly moſt hurtfull ſeducers, corrupting mens hearts with hurtfull ſpeeches, either deprauing that which is good, or iuſtifying that which is euill, and ſo they infect their mindes with erronious opinions, and ſtirre vp their hearts to ſinfull luſts, and peruert their waies with vngodly behauiour. But now to preuent the feares of the good, that they alſo are like to be drawne into miſchiefe, becauſe there are ſo many hypocrites, and to take away the cloakes and ſhifts from the wicked, which lay all the blame of their ſinnes on others which miſlead them, he ſheweth the meanes whereby this hurt may bee auoyded, and that is, by getting knowledge, and being righteous.
Doct. 1 Vngodly men are neuer more miſchieuous then when they put on the vizzard of godlines. Though this may be proued by manifold teſtimonies, as well out of the old teſtament as the new, yet we will rather exemplifie it by the experience of the times, then by allegations of ſcriptures. Through all the bookes before Chriſt, the falſe prophets are almoſt eueryevery where complained of. In the time of our Sauiour, the Prieſts, Scribes, and Phariſies of all others were his bittereſt enemies. The Apoſtles found none ſo dangerous as falſe Apoſtles and ſuch as tooke vponupon them to bee profeſſours and preachers. Paul, Peter, Iude and Iohn are moſt ample in giuing admonitions to beware of them. Euer ſince that time there hauehave been ſprings, ſtreames, flouds, and ſeas of ſuperſtition, idolatrie, violence, and all abomination in the kingdome of Antichriſt: and all vnderunder pretence of the Churches authority, zeale, deuotion, and good intendment.
Reaſons. Firſt, ſuch are very forward and buſie in this ſeruice of Sathan, (for diligent they are not to be eſteemed, vnleſſe they were better exerciſed) and therefore the more hurt and miſchiefe they doe. That Ieremy obſerued in the wicked deceiuers of his age, that they Ierem. 9. 5.taught their tongues to ſpeake lies, and tooke great paines to doe wickedly. And that our Sauiour repooued in the curſed Scribes and Phariſies of his age, that they compaſſed ſea and land to make one Matth. 23. 15.of their profeſſion: and when hee was made, they made him twofold more the child of hell then themſelues.
Secondly, they are very deceitfull, and cunning: and therefore the ſcriptures compare them to craftie gameſters, and fowlers, which catch more birds artificially by lime-twigs, grinnes, and nettes, then they kill violently by throwing ſtones at them. Of theſe guilefull perſons the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, ſaying: ſuch falſe Apoſtles are deceitfull workers, and tranſforme themſelues into the 2. Cor. 11. 13.Apoſtles of Chriſt. And no marueile: for Satan is tranſformed into an Angell of light. Therefore it is no great thing, though his miniſters tranſforme themſelues, as though they were the miniſters of righteouſneſſe.
They are the more venemous, by how much they are leſſe miſtruſted for the opinion that is had of them for pietie and goodneſſe doth prepare a paſſage for their poiſon to enter into the bowels of mens ſoules. When they are are reputed for godly, religious, wiſe, and iudicious, all is receiued which they ſet abroach, all is diſliked which they ſet againſt. It is an eaſie matter for a man to loſe his purſe, when hee followeth the robber as guide of his way. It is an eaſie matter for a man to loſe his life, when he maketh a poyſoner, and his enemie to be his Phyſition.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction to be very wary that their peſtilent breath infect not our hearts to keepe our eares from hearkening to our perſwaſions, as much as we would refraine from one that had the plague ſore vponupon him. When Woolues will put on Sheepe skins, when thornes will take vponupon them to be vines, when thiſtles will be figge trees, and euill workers hauehave the place of Prophets, then our Sauiour admoniſheth vsus to looke to our ſelues, and take heede of them.
Secondly, conſolation if wee corrupt not others with our tongues; but rather vſe them to heale the corrupted, this declareth that we are neither openly wicked in behauiour, nor ſecretly hypocriticall in heart: for a holeſome tongue is euermore a certaine note of an vpright conſcience.
Doct. 2 But the righteous, &c.] Though the tongue of the wicked be a deadly weapon to doe hurt: yet the knowledge of the godly is a defenſiue armour to preſerue him from it. The medicine which Saint Peter doth preſcribe, with his caueat to auoide the deluſions of ſubtill ſeducers, doth after a ſort make a promiſe of remedie againſt them, to ſuch as ſhall carefully receiue it. Beware (ſaith he) least ye he plucked away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your owne ſtedfastnes. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Christ, 2. Pet. 3. 17. 18.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, Ignorance is that which giueth entertainement to errors, and all ſound knowledge excludeth them out of dores. Whom doth the fooliſh woman, or folly her ſelfe call to her feaſt, but ſuch as are ſimple? Whom doth ſhe vtter her minde vntounto, but to Prou. 9. 16.ſuch as are destitute of vnderstanding? And whom doe the lurking corner-creepers ſo much pray vponupon as ſimple women laden with ſinnes, and lead with diuers lusts?
Secondly, men of knowledge hauehave their wits exerciſed to diſcerne betweene good and euill, betweene light and darkenes, betweene the ſeruants of God, and the workers of iniquitie. They beare the image of God, and therefore know the image of God where it is, and ſee the defects of it where it is not. They carrie a light within them whereby they are able to diſcouer the doctrines of falſehoode, which are contrarie to the trueth, and the workes of darkenes which are contrarie to holines, and therefore can reiect them both.
Thirdly, the ſound knowledge of Chriſtians is not onelyonly a ſhield to warde off all deteſtable errors, and damnable hereſies that they ſeduce not the mind, but alſo a preſeruatiue to expell all flattering inticements, and ſinfull ſuggeſtions that they corrupt not the heart. And that the holy Ghoſt doth expreſſely promiſe in this booke to eueryevery one that doth louelove, and labour for knowledge. When wiſedome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge delighteth thy ſoule, then ſhall counſell preſerue thee, and vnderſtanding ſhall keepe thee, and deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that ſpeaketh froward things, and from them that leaue the waies of righthouſneſſe, to walke in the waies of darkeneſſe: which reioyce in doing euill, and delight in the frowardneſſe of the wicked, Prou. 2. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
Vſe. 1 Encouragement to vſe diligence by all good meanes, in all Gods ordinances appoynted to that end to get vnderſtanding and righteouſneſſe, ſince our neede thereof is ſo great, and the vſe ſo good. Neither wealth, nor wit, nor any other thing can ſtand vsus in ſo good ſteede for the preſeruation of our hearts as theſe doe. For they all without thoſe are treacherous and deceitfull, ready alwaies to betray vsus, and open the dores to let in flatterie and corruption: but theſe hauehave faithfulneſſe and courage, and power, and conſtancie, to ſtand for the defence of our ſoule to the end.
Though there ſhould come neuer ſo many bands, and armies of Satanicall and helliſh hypocrites, and eueryevery mans mouth were a a musket or cannon to ſend out moſt mortal, and deadly poyſon, yet if we be armed with theſe graces, we neede not to feare them. The Antichriſtian deceiuer cannot illude them that hauehave receiued 2. Theſ. 2. 10.the knowledge and louelove of the truth. The falſe Chriſts ſhall Matth. 24. 24.not deceiue the elect, as being protected by Gods power, and furniſhed with holy vnderſtanding. The diuell himſelfe with all Epheſ. 6.his fierie darts and temptations, ſhall be reſiſted and driuen backe by thoſe that hauehave on the breaſt-plate of righteouſneſſe, and the other pieces of Gods complete armour. The Lord Ieſus by the ſound knowledge of the ſacred Scriptures hath alreadie repulſed and turned him to flight, and putteth the ſame weapon into our hands, with ſtrength and power to purſue him.
Conuiction of them that are drawne away by eueryevery iugler, and ſinfull companion. The Ieſuites, and Seminaries, the heretickes, and traytors, may diſgorge their ſtomackes, and vomit vp their venome into their boſomes, and they hauehave neither hand, nor heart, nor tongue, to reiect them, but ſuffer themſelues to bee carried to errours, to hereſies, to idolatrie, to conſpiracies, to treaſons, to rebellions, to ſhamefull executions, to fearefull damnation. Therefore they were not righteous, therefore they wanted knowledge, therefore they were naked and deſtitute of all defenſiue armour. And here come alſo to bee taxed, as friends to corruption, all they that are enuious to vnderſtanding, and the meanes thereof, which thinke it ſo much the more dangerous to ſeeke for, by how much there are more which goe about to deceiue. But this hath been ſufficiently ſpoken of in the ſixteenth verſe of the ninth chapter, eſpecially in the vſe.