Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 7
Verſe 7. God ouerthroweth the wicked, and they are not: but the houſe of the righteous ſhall ſtand.
VVHen the ſtate of the vngodly which are not Gods choſen, changeth from proſperitie to aduerſitie; it ſeldome ſtaieth, till they be vtterly deſtroyed, both themſelues, & their houſes; This word, are not, ſignifieth a ſlaughter and killing, as it is ſpoken of the murdering of the infants by Herod, Mat. 2. 18. Ier. 31. 15. But here is more vnderſtood, than the loſſe of naturall life, and that is, the perdition of ſoule and bodie. And yet not the extinction of either: for the ſoule ſhall neuer vaniſh away, nor the bodie for euer: they ſhall not finde ſo much merciemercy at Gods hands. Their being ſhall not ceaſe, but their comfortable and well being. They ſhall be euerlaſting, euerlaſtinglie to beare the burden of Gods wrath, and to ſuffer the vnſufferable torment of death and damnation. But the houſe of the righteous, that is, he, and thoſe things which appertaine vntounto him ſhall bee preſerued from being ouerthrowne to ruine.
Doct. They that will not keepe themſelues from wickedneſie, cannot keepe themſelues from deſolation.
They may riſe, but not ſtand: for, vnleſſe they fall to repentance, they ſhall be made to fall to deſtruction. They may grow great, but for a ſmall time, for they will ſoone bee brought to nothing.
The prophet thought too well of their ſtate at ye firſt, as though they had bin in better caſe then any other men: but he conceiued as hardly of it at the laſt, when he had ſeene their end in the ſanctuarie, and deemed them of all to bee moſt miſerable. Surelie, ſaith he to the Lord, thou hast ſet them in ſlipperie places, and caſteſt Pſal. 73. 18. 19them downe into deſolation. How ſuddenlie are they destroyed periſhed, and horriblie conſumed! The Scriptures flow with teſtimonies and ſimilies to declare both the certaintie, and ſuddenneſſe, and grieuouſneſſe of their decay; as the withering of plants, the putting out of lights, the vanity of dreames, the vaniſhing of ſmoake, and many others to the like purpoſe.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, they hauehave all the threatnings of God againſt them: and eueryevery threatning ſendeth forth many curſes: and eueryevery curſe bringeth many plagues.
Secondly, their owne deſerts, which in reſpect of any creature are infinite, doe draw vponupon them iudgements and miſeries that are in explicable.
Thirdly, the louelove and trueth of God to his owne ſeruants, will not permit a perpetuall proſperitie to his enemies. By this hee perſwadeth them not to faint in their owne afflictions, becauſe a reward remaineth for them, and their end will be peace. By this he perſwadeth them not to fret at wicked mens ſucceſſes, becauſe Pſal. 37. 38.there remaine puniſhments for them, & their end is to be cut off.
Vſe. 1 Admonition to ſinfull men to tender their louelove more that pitie them and deſire that their caſe may be better. If others tremble at their fall that is comming, which yet neither feele the paine nor be in the perill thereof, is it wiſedome for them to caſt off all care of themſelues, and onelyonly picke quarrels againſt them that ſeeke their ſafetie? When their wound is incurable they will wiſh that they had better regarded the plaiſter, and the hand that applied it. When the diſeaſe is remedileſſe, they will rue the reiection of the medicine, and phyſition. When hell ſhall hauehave them in hold, they will bewaile the refuſall of their friendſhip that would hauehave directed them to heauen. It was good counſell of Philip, and well followed of Nathaniel, when hee perſwaded him to come, Ioh. 1. 46.and ſee whether Ieſus were not the Chriſt. And it was an indulgence of Chriſt to Thomas, to helpe his faith in his reſurrection, Ioh. 20. 27.by the ſenſes of ſight and feeling: but for matters of puniſhment, and damnation, it is good to goe from them, and not to come at them: to heare Gods teſtimonie, and not to ſee it fulfilled vponupon themſelues: to beleeue the trueth of that which is ſpoken, and not to feele it by their owne experience.
Conſolation, that ſinfull men ſhall not alwaies be moleſters of the godly, becauſe they ſhall not alwaies be. They ſhall not continually ouerſhadow the faithfull, becauſe they ſhall not ſtand continually. Though their ſhew bee great now, and terrible to Gods people, yet their change will bee greater, and fearefull to themſelues. He will ſpeedilie ouerturne them, and all their power of hurting ſhall be taken from them. Now their rootes are low, their toppes aloft, and braunches broad, and thereby ouerdroppe all that is vnderunder them: then muſt their toppes come downe, and rootes riſe vp, and all their braunches wither. Now they are veſſels that are full of power, and wealth, and malice: but then muſt bee there a tranſpoſition: the bottome muſt bee vpward, and the brimmes muſt bee downeward, and all their fulneſſe be ſhed on the ground like water. The ground of this comfort is neither vaine, nor weake: for God himſelfe doth vrge it as a forcible reaſon to confirme the hearts of his people. Feare thou not (ſaith hee) for I am with thee: bee not affraide, for I am thy God. Behold, all they that prouoke thee ſhall bee aſhamed and confounded; they ſhall be as nothing, and they that ſtriue with thee ſhall periſh. Thou ſhalt ſeeke them, and ſhalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy ſtrife, for they ſhall be as nothing, and the men that warre againſt thee, as a thing of nought: Iſai. 41. 11. 12.
For the firmenes of the righteous man, and of his houſe, ſee chapter the tenth, verſ. 2. 25.