Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 19
Verſe 19. The lippe of trueth ſhall be ſtable for euer, and a lying tongue but for a moment.
THe meaning is, that ſuch as ſpeake the trueth in vprightneſſe will not varie in their talke, but tell the ſame tale againe, and be like to themſelues in that which they ſhall ſay, whereas lyers be in and out, affirming and denying, and ſpeaking contradictions in the ſame matter.
Doct. OnelyOnly true men are conſtant in their words.
They goe not from that which they hauehave well ſpoken, as they will not ſtand to that which they hauehave failed in, as Iob profeſſed of himſelfe, ſaying, I will lay mine hand vponupon my mouth. Once hauehave Iob. 39. 37. 38I ſpoken, but I will anſwere no more, yea twice, but I will proceede no further. This cauſed the Apoſtle S. Paul ſo ſeriouſlie to cleare himſelfe of all lightneſſe and vnconſtancie, that the Corinthians ſhould hauehave no ſuſpition that with him ſhould be yea, yea, and 2. Cor. 1. 18.nay, nay, but that his promiſes, and preaching, and purpoſes were ſtable, and firme, and vnchangeable.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, their matter will helpe their memorie: for that which is trueth once, will be trueth euer, ſo that the ſame ground and ſubiect remaineth ſtill to repeate, and reiterate, as was to bee ſpoken of at the beginning.
Secondly, the ſame ſpirit that worketh a louelove & conſcience of the truth, wherby men are made to be true, doth neuer ceaſe to be the ſame: therfore as it ſeaſoneth the heart, & guided the heart at the firſt, ſo it will ſtabliſh the heart, and direct the lips to the end. For ſinceritie, and vprightnes is of all things moſt durable, & leaſt ſubiect to alteration and change. And that S. Paul aſſigneth for a cauſe of his vnuariable conſtancy, that he minded not thoſe things which he did mind according to the fleſh, whereby there ſhould be with him, yea, yea, and nay, nay. 2. Cor. 1. 17. Now liers doe want all theſe helpes: they had neede to hauehave good memories, to remember what they ſaid before, leſt they tell a contrarie tale: for the thing related cannot put them in mind of it. For they vſe not to frame their words to the veritie of the matter which they ſpeake of, and to the ſeruing of their owne turnes, and effecting of their purpoſes, as he ſpeaketh of the vnconſcionable chapman: It is naught, it is naught, ſaith the buyer: but when hee is Prou. 20. 14.gone apart hee boaſteth. A notable example of a wandring, vnregenerate, and vnſtable tongue ſpeaking contrarieties almoſt with the ſame breath, is to bee ſeene in that blaſphemous rayling Rabſhakeh whom the King of Aſhur ſent againſt Ieruſalem in the time of Hezekiah. In the entrance of his ſpeech hee ſeemed to bee all for the Lord: he taxeth Hezechiah for taking downe his hie places and altars, hee pretendeth obedience vntounto him, as though he came thither by his commaundement, ſaying, The Lord ſaid, Goe vp against this land, and destroy it. But before he had made an Iſai. 36. 7. 10. 19. 20.end, the Lord God of Iſrael, and the Idols of the Gentiles were all one with him. And therefore hee matcheth him with the conquered Gods of Hamath, and of Arpad, and of Sepharuaijm &c. that ſeeing they could not deliuer their countries out of his hands, the Lord was not able to deliuer Ieruſalem from him. The lying miſcreants in the Pſalmes are bragging of the liberty and Pſal. 12. 4.freedome of their tongues, being altogether ſlaues and drudges to Sathan, luſt, and lewdneſſe. Though it bee neuer ſo much againſt their knowledge, though it lie neuer ſo heauie vponupon their conſcience, though it turne to their perpetuall ſhame and diſgrace, yet if the diuell, and the corruption of their hearts, will hauehave them to ſpeake, they muſt affirme it, if to denie, they muſt gaineſay it, and eate their wordes, how vniuſtly and impudentlie ſoeuer.
Vſe. Inſtruction to be aduiſed in our ſpeeches, that we vtter nothing but that which will become vsus to ſpeake againe, and is lawfull to performe. It was a fault in Dauid to ſweare ſo peremptorilie that he would kill Nabal, his familie, and eueryevery mothers child of them. It was his ſtabilitie in goodneſſe to breake off ſuch a purpoſe, and neither to ſay it againe, nor doe it at all. And it was the raſhnes of Peter to be ſo reſolute in promiſing that which was not in his power to performe. It was to be imputed to his conceitedneſſe, and not conſtancie, that he ſtoode ſo ſtiffely in deniall of that which Chriſt told him would come to paſſe, and gaue no place therein to our Sauiour, but had the laſt word of him. It is wiſedome then to foreſee the euents that are like to follow: If wee affirme ought let vsus know our warrant and ground, that wee are able to proue it: if wee denie any thing, let the caſe be cleere that it be not prooued againſt vsus: if we vndertake any thing, let vsus be fully aſſured that it is lawfull, and meete, and poſſible for vsus to doe it. And yet this ſufficeth not vnleſſe there be ſoundneſſe and ſinceritie without carnall reſpects in our ſayings. If the ende bee not good which is aimed at in ſpeaking, if the heart bee not faithfull of him that ſpeaketh, there can neuer bee any firmeneſſe or certeintie in the ſpeeches. There is no conſtancie, ſaith Dauid Pſal. 8. 9.concerning the wicked, in their mouthes, within they are very corruption. For other vſes that might hauehave been made of this point, looke in the tenth chapter, and twentith verſe.