Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 15
Verſe 15. The way of a foole is right in his owne eies; but he that heareth counſell is wiſe.
THe way of a foole] The wicked courſe and behauiour of a ſinfull perſon, whom God reputeth a foole: (for it is not vnderſtood of an idiot, as may appeare by the compariſon betweene them, cap. 26. 12. Seest thou a man wiſe in his owne conceit, there is more hope of a foole than of him) is right in his owne eies; hee liketh of it, and alloweth himſelfe in it, as ſafe and good for him to walke in, and conſequently reiecteth all good aduice, and admonitions: But hee that heareth counſell, which ſuſpecteth his owne iudgement, and receiueth direction from them that are wiſe, and godly, and obeyeth it, he is wiſe, ſheweth the wiſedome, that he had before, and learneth more, and findeth the fruite of it by good effect.
Doct. The worſe any man is, or doth, the leſſe he ſeeth his euill. They that commit the moſt ſinnes, hauehave hope that they ſtand guiltie of feweſt: they that fall into the greateſt tranſgreſſions, imagine that their faults be the ſmalleſt: they yt ſinke into the deepeſt dangers, doe dreame of greateſt ſafetie: they that hauehave longeſt continued in rebellion againſt God, of al others, for the moſt part, are ſloweſt to repentance. Theſe are they which are ſpoken of when it is ſaid, there is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite, and yet are Prou. 30. 12.not waſhed from their filthineſſe. Obſerue it in all ſorts of ſinners, and it will be found that the greateſt offenders are furtheſt from all remorſe for their offences: Papiſts and Idolaters doe thinke they merit at Gods hand, and deſerue heauen for their idolatrie and ſuperſtition. Perſecutors and tyrants, as our Sauiour ſaith, Ioh. 16. 2.will thinke they doe God ſeruice, when they kill Chriſtians, and Miniſters, and Apoſtles. If men of ſmaller infirmities bee admoniſhed of things amiſſe in them, it is not very hard to bring manie of them to a ſight of their offences, inſomuch as they will acknowledge themſelues to be faultie, & thanke him that reproueth them; but when notorious adulterers, or drunkards, or blaſphemers be rebuked, what diſtemper, what rage, what furie doe they breake out into? as though a moſt grieuous indignitie were offered vntounto them; as though moſt innocent men were vniuſtly defamed.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, they are ouerwhelmed with the miſt of darkneſſe, and couered with the ſpirit of error and ignorance: the diuell hath blinded their minds (as the Apoſtle ſaith) that all iudgement and 2. Cor. 4. 4.vnderſtanding is taken away from them. And S. Paul teſtifieth, that when he was in the worſt caſe, he knew nothing but that hee had been in the beſt: before he knew the meaning of the law, hee made noe doubt but that he had been aliue: but when hee ſaw the ſenſe and iuſtice of the commandement, he found ſinne to be aliue, and himſelfe to be dead: Rom. 7. 9. 10.
Secondly, the cuſtome of ſinning doth obdurate the heart, and depriue it of all ſenſe of the ſinne, though neuer ſo hainous: the feeling faileth, and luſt with a greedy deſire of ſatiſfying it ſelfe in euill, increaſeth eueryevery day to a fulneſſe.
Thirdly, the text it ſelfe yeeldeth a reaſon why they hauehave ſo good opinion of their owne waies, becauſe they are led with pride, and heare not ſuch as might ſhew them any thing to the contrarie. They hauehave allowance by word and practiſe from fooles like to themſelues, and their own carnall reaſon doth conſent with them: and then they take to proceede from enuie, whatſoeuer is ſpoken againſt them.
Vſe. 1 Terror of conceited perſons, which proceede on wilfully in their wicked waies, and no man can reclaime them. They are wiſe, they trow, hauing liued ſo long, to know what is good for themſelues, they are not now to learne how to ſerue God, and be ſaued. But the wiſe God calleth them fooliſh men: he ſaith that their ſtreight way is crooked, and their ſafe way is dangerous, and that the iſſues thereof are the waies of death. When they take themſelues to be happie he iudgeth them miſerable: when they looke for welfare, he threatneth woe: when they preſume of a bleſſing, he pronounceth, and will accordingly execute a curſe. Hereof ſpeaketh Iſaiah, Woe to them that are wiſe in their owne Iſa. 5. 21.eies, and prudent in their owne ſight; They make themſelues odious to God, they flie from repentance, they ſhun reformation, they run into deſtruction.
Confutation of them that imagine a good meaning towards the ſeruice of God and their owne ſaluation to be ſufficient, whatſoeuer their meanes be which they vſe. If their mind be to hauehave their way good, they thinke it cannot be euill: if there bee a willingneſſe that it ſhould be ſtreight, they reſt aſſured that it will not be crooked. But if the opinion and willes of men be of ſuch force to rectifie their waies, what way would not leade to ſaluation? We ſhewed before that ſuch as murdered the Saints of God thought to ſerue God, and bee ſaued by it. Why then was not Paul in as good caſe before his conuerſion as afterwards? Men of corrupt minds, and deſtitute of the trueth, thinke that gaine is godlines, 1. Tim. 6. 5.why ſhould not many courtious men then enter into the kingdome of heauen? A traueller in his iourney may wander out of his way, notwithſtanding his meaning to goe right, if he will make no enquirie for it. And no trade or ſcience is attained vntounto, by the willingneſſe of hauing, but of learning of it.
Conſolation to them that are not confident of themſelues to leane on their wiſedome, but enquire for direction in the booke of God, and take aduiſe and counſell from his ſeruants. Though the world deeme them ſillie ſoules and voide of wit, yet the Lord eſteemeth them for wiſe and men of vnderſtanding. And ſo will he proue them, and ſo ſhall they find, and ſo by euent in the end ſhall others well perceiue.