Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 3
Verſe 3. A man cannot bee eſtabliſhed by wickednes: but the roote of the righteous cannot be moued.
SInfulneſſe may ſeeme to ſerue a mans turne, but in the ende it ſhall appeare it neuer did him good. For howſoeuer it is an occaſion of lifting many men vp on hie in proſperity, yet it giueth them no ſure footing in their ſtate, but downe they fall, and then it had been better for them to hauehave ſtoode ſtill on the ground. Wicked men ofter grow greater, and faſter then others, but their ſetling is not ſo faſt and firme, as the other part ſheweth. The righteous though they be not ſo tall and ſpreading vpwards, yet they take roote the ſtronger downewards: and though their boughes be ſhaken aboue, yet that will not looſen his hold beneath. This is the oppoſition, The vngodly ſhall not be eſtabliſhed by wickednes, but his roote ſhal be plucked vp; but the righteous ſhall be eſtabliſhed by godlines, and his roote ſhall not bee moued.
Doct. 1 They ſhall miſſe of their expectation that hope to ſuccour themſelues by ſinning. They applie a venomous plaiſter to their ſore: they drinke ſtrong poiſon for a medicine: and they prop vp their roofe with burning firebrands. But the holy Ghoſt directeth eueryevery one of vsus to a courſe directly contrarie to this in the booke of Iob: If iniquitie be in thine hand, put it farre away, and let Iob 11. 14.no wickedneſſe dwell in thy tabernacle. Then truly ſhalt thou lift vp thy face without ſpot, and ſhalt be ſtable, and ſhalt not feare. And he doth indent with them whom hee will deliuer from death and miſerie, that they ſhall confeſſe that their wickednes could ſtand them in no ſteed: If one ſay, I hauehave ſinned, and peruerted righteouſnes, and it did not profit me, he will deliuer his ſoule from going into the pit, and his life ſhall ſee the light, Iob 33. 27. 28.
Saul dealt very fooliſhly in vndermining the foundation of his houſe by diſobedience, and the ſeeking to hold it vp by perſecuting of Dauid: And Ieroboam dealt not wiſely, who (when 1. Reg. 11. 38.the Lord promiſed to build him a ſure houſe, as he built to Dauid, if he would keepe his ſtatutes and commandements, as Dauid did) deuiſed another tricke to confirme the kingdome to himſelfe and his poſteritie, and that was by ſetting vp the idolatrous Calues at Dan and Bethel.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, it is the very proper effect of ſinne to procure ruine, and to bring men to a downfall. And thereupon the Prophet Hoſea doth ground his exhortation: O Iſrael returne vntounto the Lord thy God: for thou haſt fallen by thine iniquitie, Hoſ. 14. 2. As if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, Let experience make you wiſe: neuer truſt to ſin any more, but ſeeke vntounto God: for looke what ſucceſſe you finde by your euill waies now, the ſame be ſure of euer: no man can ſpeed by ſuch a bad meanes.
Secondly, the riſing, ſtanding, and falling of eueryevery man is in Gods owne hand, who alone ſetteth vp, and confirmeth, and caſteth downe at his will. And how then can ſinne yeeld any ſtabilitie to ſinners, which hauehave his wrath, and threatnings, and oth, and hand againſt them? It cannot draw kindnes from him, to aſſiſt them in fauour. Force will be of no force to compell to it by feare. And wiſedome makes it impoſſible to intice him to it by craft.
Thirdly, if men might hauehave eſtabliſhment by wickednes, many abſurd and dangerous conſequents would follow vponupon it. The curſes of the Law would be of ſmall effect: the moſt ſinfull ſhifters would make their ſtate the ſureſt: and Satan ſhould become their beneficiall friend, whoſe ſoules are moſt peruerted by him.
Vſe. Inſtruction, that foraſmuch as we may know that we ſhall loſe our labour in ſeeking any ſinfull helpes, that Gods diſpleaſure will be increaſed, our miſerie increaſed, our guiltineſſe increaſed, and eueryevery thing increaſed that may increaſe our ſorow and torment, that therefore henceforth we deceiue our ſelues no more, in expecting helpe at that which altogether turneth to our hurt. We would all ſtand as firme, and as impregnable caſtles, but wee make a quicke ſand our foundation, and mudde walles our ſtone worke, and ſtubble and reedes our ſtrongeſt timber. It would grow to a large volume if we ſhould relate the ſeuerall kindes of ſinnes whereby we hauehave ſought to ſerue our owne turnes, as falſehood in word by lying, falſehood in deed by ſtealing, and deceitfulnes of diuers ſorts, flatterie, couetouſnes, crueltie, hypocriſie, running to witches: and what not? But many volumes are not able to containe the particular facts whereof wee ſtand guiltie, only Gods book, and that of our own conſcience are capacious enough for them. And therefore it is time for vsus to pull downe our owne ruinous building, leſt it fall downe vponupon our heads, and make vsus fall downe to deſtruction. For though it bee too ſlight, and as weake as a cobweb to bee a couert ouer vsus, yet it is very heauie, and as weightie as a mountaine to preſſe vsus vnderunder it. Let vsus ſeriouſly conſider, that whatſoeuer is offenſiue to God cannot be defenſiue for vsus, and that which doth bring any perill to the ſoule, can neuer poſſibly bring ſafetie to ſtate or bodie. Away then from our own deuices, from all fleſhly and vnlawful meanes of helpe, and let vsus runne with ſpeede to him that neuer failed to ſuccour any that vnfainedly ſought helpe at his hands. And this may be our incouragement hereunto, that wee goe not vnſent, nor come vnbidden. His owne will, his owne word calleth vponupon vsus with many promiſes for that purpoſe: If thou returne to the Almightie, thou ſhalt be built vp, and thou ſhalt put iniquitie farre from thy tabernacle. The Almightie ſhall be thy defence, and thou ſhalt hauehave plentie of ſiluer. When others are caſt downe, thou ſhalt ſay, I am lifted vp: and God ſhall ſaue the humble perſon: Iob. 22. 23. 25. 29.