Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 2
Verſe 2. A good man getteth fauour of the Lord: but a man of wicked imaginations will he condemne.
A Good man, which ſetteth his heart to deuiſe of goodnes, and performeth the ſame in practiſe, getteth fauour of the Lord, that is, inioyeth the aſſurance and comfort of his louing kindneſſe in his ſoule, and the good effects thereof both in ſoule and bodie, and euerie other way. But a man of wicked imaginations, &c. It is the deſcription of a wicked man by a periphraſis, that he is as it were made of ſinfull thoughts, and purpoſes, and is in the midſt of them.
A good man may ſometimes hauehave euill imaginations, as Dauid had to deſtroy the whole houſe of Nabal, but it was the imagination of the man, and he was not a man of ſuch imaginations. Hee will condemne, &c, The diſpleaſure of God againſt him is declared by the effect, hee will conuince him, and find him guiltie, that is, paſſe ſentence vponupon him, and cauſe execution to bee done accordingly. Thus then ſtandeth the oppoſition: A good man of godly meditations getteth fauour of the Lord, who therefore will ſaue him: but an euill man of wicked imaginations, incurreth the diſpleaſure of the Lord, who therefore will condemne him.
Doct. 1 A man can no way be made ſo happie as by beeing in Gods fauour. If any other thing were better then this, it would here be named: for his purpoſe is to promiſe and performe the beſt. Good men doe ſet their wits on worke to finde the way whereby they may moſt pleaſe him: and hee doth ſet his wiſedome on work to frame a recompence that may beſt pleaſure them.
What account Dauid and others made of the fauour of God, is ſhewed in diuers places of the Pſalmes, as when they breake out ſo earneſtly into prayer, and redouble their petition, Turne vsus againe O Lord God of hosts: cauſe thy face to ſhine vponupon vsus, and wee ſhall be ſaued. That is, helpe vsus out of our captiuitie: reſtore vsus to Pſal. 80. 19.the place and meanes of thy worſhip: let vsus feele the teſtimonies of thy louelove, and our ſtate will be bleſſed and happie. So where the ſame is acknowledged with thankfulneſſe: Thy louing kindnes is better then life: therefore my lippes ſhall praiſe thee. Neither is this Pſal. 63. 3.onelyonly Dauids teſtimonie, or feeling, or eſtimation of Gods louelove towards him, but many others hauehave made ſuch precious account thereof, as that they indured the loſſe of all their ſubſtance, and libertie, and life it ſelfe, and that with bitter paines and torment, rather then they would doe any thing that might moue the Lord Heb. 11. 36. 37to be angrie with them.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, in regard of the rarenes of it, it is a flower which groweth only in Gods owne garden. It is a priuiledge and freedome peculiar and proper to the children of God; the Lord neuer giueth good countenance to a wicked perſon, his anger is euermore towards ſinners: whereas in all earthly things, they are commoners with vsus, and commonly hauehave the greater ſhare. It is therefore the more precious, becauſe it is but for few, and thoſe thereby both made and declared to bee excellent, hauing no vnworthie perſon of their companie to diſgrace them.
Secondly, in regard of the continuance of it, it is not worne out by time; it vaniſheth not away: it is neuer taken from them, vponupon whom it is beſtowed. Their faults may cauſe it to bee hid from them for a ſeaſon (as Dauid felt by wofull experience, when he had committed that grieuous ſinne of murder and adulterie) but loſt it cannot be, nor long concealed: for it will worke in them the grace of humiliation, that they may behold it to their ioy and comfort.
Thirdly, in regard of thoſe ſingular good effects where with it is alwaies accompanied; what is deſireable here in this world, that it will not yeeld vntounto vsus? And what happineſſe is there in the world to come, that it will not aduance vsus vntounto?
Defence from enemies, and ſafety from dangers eueryevery creature ſeeketh after, and this doth Gods goodneſſe bring to eueryevery one that is godly. Thou Lord (ſaith Dauid) wilt bleſſe the righteous, Pſal. 5. 12.and with fauour wilt compaſſe him, as with a ſhield.
Gladneſſe of heart and comfort is that which eueryevery man much affecteth, and this the louelove and fauour of God doth miniſter to all thoſe that be partakers of it. And this doth Dauid alſo profeſſe himſelfe to hauehave experience of, and therefore preferreth the louing countenance of the Lord before all the commodities and pleaſures which worldly men ſo much long after. Many ſay, who will ſhew vsus any good, but Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance Pſal. 4. 6. 7.vponupon vsus. Thou haſt giuen me more ioy of heart, then they hauehave had, when their wheate and their wine did abound. It is needeleſſe to reckon vp other things, ſithence the ſufficiencie of al good things is inferred by theſe, otherwiſe there were not ſo much ſafetie, neither would there be ſo great ioy and gladneſſe.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction, that our cheefe care and indeuour be to pleaſe the Lord, ſeeing that ſo great a benefit proceedeth from it. EueryEvery one of his ſeruants hath great wages in hand, if hee had nothing elſe but his Maſters good will. It is ſaid of all others that men cannot liue by their faire ſpeeches, and good countenance; but let God looke cheerefully vponupon vsus, and ſpeake comfortablie to vsus, and ſure we are that we are in no want. Our preſent pay is better prefermēt then any mortall creature can raiſe vsus vp to, though he were the moſt mightie monarch on the earth, beſides all that remaineth for the time to come eſpecially when wee ſhall hauehave ſo neere acceſſe to the preſence of our heauenly father, wherein is the fulneſſe of ioy; and at whoſe right hand there are pleaſures for Pſal. 16. 11.euer more.
Conſolation to them that hauehave receiued vndoubted teſtimonies of the fauour of God. Bleſſed are they preſently, though men diſcerne not how happie they are made by it: but more bleſſed ſhall all the world behold them to be at that great day and glorious appearance of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. The conſideration of the terror that will be at that time, made S. Paul himſelfe to labour that both in life and death hee might bee acceptable to 2. Cor. 5. 9.him, as knowing that moſt fearefull is their ſtate whom hee ſhall then be diſpleaſed with: and thriſe happie beyond all that mortall mans thought can comprehend, to whom hee then ſhall declare his kindnes. But in the meane time, ſay ſome, they bee maligned and moleſted more then any, and none hauehave ſo many enemies as they. But who knoweth whether Gods fauour may not make men fauourable to thē? It is ſaid that whē the waies of a man pleaſe the Lord, he will make alſo his enemies at peace with him, Prou. 16. 7. Or if they be implacable, and mightie alſo, yet this is the comfort of the faithfull that God himſelfe will ouerliue them, and his might will ouermatch them, and his louing kindnes will bee exerciſed dailie, as Dauid told that bragging Doeg; Pſalm. 52. 1.
Doct. 2 The man of wicked imaginations, &c. The Lord doth not onelyonly proceede againſt the wicked for their vngodly actions, but for ſinnefull thoughts and purpoſes. But the proſecution of this point we reſerue for the ſixe and twentith verſe of the fifteenth chapter, where it is ſaid that the thoughts of the wicked are abomination to the Lord.