Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 12 – Verse 14
Verſe 12. The wicked deſireth the defence of them that be euill: but the roote of the righteous giueth it.
VVHen the vngodly doe come into perils, and afflictions and troubles doe come vponupon them, all their hope of helpe reſteth wholly in men, and thoſe not the godly which might direct them, or pray for them, but ſinfull perſons as bad as themſelues, whoſe fauour and power they truſt vntounto, but in vaine, for they are deceiued by them: but the righteous are not or need not to be driuen to ſuch ſhifts, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt their roote vndertaketh their preſeruation, and doth not onelyonly make a ſhew thereof, but effectually performeth it.
Doct. It is the propertie of ſinners one to relie vponupon another. It was an ordinarie thing with the godly Kings and good people of Iſrael to preuent plagues and dangers by faithfulnes and obedience to God, and to remoue them when any came, by humiliation and prayer to him: and it was ordinary with the wicked Kings, and ſinfull people to procure plagues by rebellion againſt God, and to ſeeke remedie, by flying from him to his enemies. Sometimes they repoſed vponupon Aegypt, as Iſaiah complaineth, and threatneth them for it, ſaying, Woe vntounto them that goe downe into Iſaiah 31. 1.Aegypt for helpe, and ſtay vponupon horſes, and truſt in chariots, becauſe they are many, and in horſemen, becauſe they are very ſtrong: but they looke not vntounto the holy one of Iſrael nor ſeeke vntounto the Lord. Sometimes their confidence was Aſſhur as Hoſea laieth to their charge: When Ephraim ſaw his ſicknes, and Iudah his wound, then went Ephraim Hoſea 5. 13.vntounto Aſſhur, and ſent vntounto King Iareb: yet could hee not heale you, nor cure you of your wound.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt they are ſenſuall, and looke with a fleſhly eie, and then there is great liklihood of helpe and ſuccour to bee found at the hand of many wicked men, becauſe their power ſeemeth ſo great, and their fauour ſo much towards ſuch as are like to themſelues.
Secondly, God is an enemie to them, and they bee enemies to good men, and therefore they hauehave no expectation to be relieued of him, or to bee comforted by them. And this is alleaged as a cauſe why Saul conſulted with the witch, becauſe the Lord anſwered 1. Sam. 28. 6.him not, neither by dreames, nor by Ʋrim, nor yet by Prophets.
Thirdly, they hauehave prouoked God ſo far, yt he is purpoſed to excute his iudgments vponupon them, & therfore they are left to themſelues, to take ſuch a way, as will worke them woe, but doe them no good. For it hath been alreadie declared in the former chapter, verſ. 21. that though hand ioyne in hand the wicked ſhall not be vnpuniſhed. And this maketh them liable to the curſe that Ieremy denounceth, Curſed be the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Ieremie 17. 5.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction to continue our faithfulneſſe, that God may continue his fauour and goodneſſe to vsus. If we ſeeke him in our proſperitie, we ſhal find him in our aduerſitie: if we ſerue him in our beſt ſafetie, wee ſhall be preſerued in our greateſt perils: if our hearts be open to receiue his word, his eies will bee open to ſee our diſtreſſes, and we ſhall not need to ſue to the wicked men for aide and protection.
Reproofe of their folly which caſt themſelues into ſuch miſery, as that they cannot be ſafe without ſuch miſerable helpers. Euill men muſt fall themſelues, & how can they make other ſinners to ſtand? They muſt be condemned and executed, and can they ſet their cōpanions at libertie? A wretched caſe is that malefactor in, that hath no better friends than him that ſtandeth at the barre in gieues & bolts arraigned by him. It is as bad to hauehave the enemies ſword to pearce ones ſides without, as a ruinous houſe to fall on his head within. The ſeauen and twentie thouſand men whom the wall fell vponupon in Aphek, were in as bad ſtate, as the hundred 1. Reg. 20 30.thouſand that were ſlaine in the field. And it will appeare in the end, that all wicked men, when confidence is repoſed in them, are nothing elſe but ſwelling walles, and old rotten caſtles that are tumbling downe.
Doct. 2 But the roote, &c. There is no danger to them that grow by faith in Ieſus Chriſt. The talleſt cedars, and ſtrongeſt okes are not ſo faſt ſetled and firmely rooted, as is the loweſt Saint and weakeſt Chriſtian. In thoſe kind of trees, the roote cannot defend the braunches, nor bodie: the wind may breake off the boughes and armes, and the axe may cut downe the whole ſtocke without reſiſtance: but our root doth miniſter as much ſafetie as ſappe to the whole Church, and eueryevery ſprigge of the ſame. No ſtormes and tempeſts, no force nor weapons ſhall ſeparate the leaſt of his from him, nor any way make ſpoile of them.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, he drieth vp the ſpring and fountaine of all hurts and dangers, and that is ſinne; the guiltineſſe of it is taken away by remiſſion, and the puniſhment by his ſuffring, and the power by his grace, & what then is the peril that we ſhuld ſtand in feare of?
Secondly, he maketh all his fruitfull, and the fruite is a fence to Gods trees, though mens bee more beaten and broken by cudgels and poles for that which groweth vponupon them.
Thirdly, eueryevery one of them that hauehave Chriſt for their roote, hauehave God the Father for their dreſſer and keeper: Ioh. 15. And therefore if any thing bee hurtfull in them, he taketh it away: if any thing be wanting to them, he maketh ſupplie: if violence be attempted againſt them, he reſiſteth it. This happineſſe of the Church and vſe of particular Chriſtians doth God himſelfe ſpeake of, making profeſſion of his prouident care of them in the prophecie of Iſaiah, Sing, ſaith he, of the vineyard of red wine. I the Lord doe keepe it: I will water it eueryevery moment: leſt any aſſaile it, I Iſai. 27. 2. 3.will keepe it night and day.
Fourthly, one eſpeciall part of the ſappe that Chriſt the roote of Chriſtians doth ſend vp to his branches, is the ſpirit of prayer, and that maketh their prayers fit to come vp to him, and hee maketh them meete to be preſented to his father: now then in all their troubles they will ſurely crie to him, and whenſoeuer they doe crie he will more ſurely heare them, and whenſoeuer he heareth them, he will moſt aſſuredlie helpe them.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction, to trie in what ſtate we ſtand by the roote that we grow vponupon. EueryEvery man and woman, eueryevery perſon that is diſcended from Adam is a braunch of a tree, either growing naturallie, as he was borne in the old ſtocke, and ſo hee is ſubiect to Gods diſpleaſure & iudgements; or els is ingrafted into Chriſt as being new borne, and ſo hath his part in Gods fauour and mercies. If we would therefore hauehave our harts at libertie, without dread of calamities and miſerie, we muſt draw all our ſafetie from whence we deriue our ſaluation, and that is from the Lord Ieſus our Sauiour, and our being in him, and growing in him, and communion with him. Externall meanes will not ſuffice to ſecure vsus from hurts, without this inward medicine, and deliuerance from plagues by God owne hand will not comfort vsus, without the reſpect of this cauſe.
Conſolation to them that be in Chriſt; as the Apoſtle ſaith to the Romans, that there is no damnation to them, ſo the ſpirit ſaith Rom. 8. 1.here, that there is no danger to them: there is aſſurance that nothing ſhall keepe them from heauen and euerlaſting life, and here is a warrant that nothing ſhall hurt them in earth, and in this life. That godly gloriation which is vſed there, againſt the enemies of our ſoules, may fitly alſo bee vſed here againſt the enemies of our bodies: If God be on our ſide, who can bee againſt vsus? Who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Chriſt? ſhall tribulation, or anguiſh, Rom. 8. 31. 35.or perſecution, or famine, or nakednes, or perill, or ſword? Though Sathan and ſinners would, yet they can doe nothing againſt vsus that ſhall bee for our hurt; and though God himſelfe can, yet he will doe nothing to vsus, that ſhall not turne to our good.
Verſe 13. The euill man is ſnared by the wickednes of his lippes, but the wiſe ſhall come out of aduerſitie.
AS wicked men doe maliciouſlie abuſe their tongues to the hurt of others, ſo alſo many times they ouerſhoote themſelues ſo farre as that aduantage is taken of their words to their owne perill and hurt; as on the other ſide the godly doe often times helpe themſelues out of troubles by the wiſedome of their ſpeeches.
Doct. 1 They that hauehave euill tongues doe moſt hurt themſelues with them. This point we reſerue to be handled in the ſixt and ſeuenth verſes of the eightenth chapter, where will bee fitter occaſion to handle it more fullie.
Doct. 2 But the righteous ſhall come out, &c. He is neuer deſtitute of a good helper in his troubles that hath a good tongue to deale for him.
Hee doth not here, onelyonly ſet downe the aſſurance that ſuch as feare God hauehave to eſcape from their afflictions, but the meanes whereby they obtaine their deliuerance. God hath ordained troubles for his people to be tried with: and he hath appointed the iſſue out, aſwell as the entrance in: and their enemies malicious words doe commonly worke their moleſtation: and their owne Chriſtian ſpeeches doe vſually procure their peace and libertie.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, the wrath of thoſe that are incenſed againſt them, is thereby much abated, if not altogether pacified. If they bee not wholy implacable, and ſuch as hauehave caſt off all humanitie, milde and gentle ſpeeches will mitigate their diſpleaſure. A Prince is pacified by ſtaying of anger, and a ſoft anſwere breaketh the bones: Prou. 25. 15.
Secondly, words of trueth being wiſely deliuered will very much grace a good cauſe, to the ſatiſfying of them that knew it not before, and the refuting of them that are falſe accuſers, and the winning of their fauours that for merciemercy were not ſo well affected to them.
Hereof we hauehave an example in the prophecie of Ieremie: The Prieſts and the Prophets accuſed him to the Princes and people, as a man deſeruing to be put to death for his doctrine. Hee hath libertie to ſpeake for himſelfe; hee proueth his innocencie, by ſhewing the author of all that he preached, and that was God giuing him a commaundement to publiſh it: and the end that they ſhould repent and amend their waies, and ſo eſcape the iudgements threatned. The Princes, and all the people preſently were on his ſide, they ſpake for him, they cleared him of that crime which was charged vponupon him, they iuſtified his faithfulneſſe in his miniſterie. This man is not worthie to die (ſay they) for he hath Ierem. 26. 16.ſpoken to vsus in the name of the Lord.
Thirdly, with godly and gracious words of prayer, godly men preuaile with God himſelfe, as it was ſaid of Iacob, and therefore Gen. 32. 28.no aduerſitie can preuaile againſt them. For this, and the vſes thereof ſee the eight verſe of the former chapter, where are almoſt the very words of this preſent text.
Verſe 14. A man ſhall be ſatiat with good things by the fruite of his mouth, and the recompence of a mans hands ſhall God giuegive vntounto him.
A Man ſhall be ſatiate with good things, &c. That is, ſhall bee recompenced by the Lord with great bleſſings, for the good vſage of his tongue, when hee ſpeaketh to Gods glorie, and the edification of his brethren, or for iuſtice and equitie in the behalfe of them that are wronged, and iniuriouſlie dealt with. Hee will ſtirre vp men to louelove him, and ſhew kindnes vntounto him, yea thoſe ſometimes which be of great place and able to doe him much good, as it is ſaid, he that loueth purenes of hart, for the grace of his lippes the King ſhall be his friend: Prou. 22. 11. But eſpeciallie hee himſelfe will beſtow vponupon him all good things for this life, and graces for euerlaſting life, and glorie for life euerlaſting. And the recompence, &c. And ſo ſhall eueryevery mans good workes bee alſo rewarded with merciemercy and fauour, though there bee nothing in them of deſert and merit.
Doct. Nothing ſhall be vnrewarded that is well performed in word or deede. This hath bin alreadie handled in the eighteenth verſe of the former chapter vponupon theſe words, He that ſoweth righteouſneſſe, ſhall receiue a ſure reward.