Exposition of Proverbs 15-17, Biblical commentary · Chapter 16 · Verse 4 – Verse 5
Verſe 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne ſake: Yea euen the wicked for the day of euill.
THE Lord hath made all things] By making is vnderſtood as well that workmanſhip which was beſtowed vponupon all the creatures for their forme and exiſtence, as the workes which he daily doth in his perpetuall gouernment and adminiſtration: [for his owne ſake] for his glory, which is ſeene in his wiſdome and power, in his mercy and righteouſneſſe, with all other holy attributes. And this hee doth not onelyonly propoſe to himſelfe, as an end that were meet, and to bee wiſhed, but commandeth and cauſeth, as an effect that is neceſſary and certaine: [euen the wicked againſt the day of euill] This clauſe is annexed, as a preuention of an obiection that might ariſe out of the former words: How truly may it bee ſaid that hee hath made all things for himſelfe, when reprobates, both men and Angels, continually ſet themſelues againſt him? Now to this he anſwereth, that hee getteth no ſmall honour by them that are moſt vngodly and wicked: for ſithence they refuſe to yeeld him glory by their life, and to acknowledge his goodneſſe in the time of their proſperitie, he will glorifie himſelfe by their death, and manifeſt his iuſtice in the day of their deſtruction. And to that damnable eſtate they are fore-ordained by Gods righteous decree, as it is intimated heere, and expreſly affirmed in other places, and yet made worthy of it by their owne vnrighteous behauiour: as is noted in Pharaoh, and other obſtinate Rebels.
Doct. The praiſe of God is ſet foorth not onelyonly by his moſt eminent creatures and actions, but euen by the meaneſt of his workes, and the worſt things that be.
This doth Dauid acknowledge in the generall, when hee ſaith, All thy workes praiſe thee, O Lord: and dilateth vponupon it Pſal. 145. 10.in the particulars, when not only hee prouoketh Kings and Princes, and all people to performe this duty, but bringeth in all ſorts of beaſts, and fiſhes, and fowles, and creeping things, Pſal 1. 48.as occaſions and meanes thereof.
When the Lord was ſending the Prophet Iſaiah about a moſt vncomfortable meſſage, euen by his miniſterir to harden the hearts of the people, to their deſtruction, the Seraphims cried, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hoaſts.Iſa. 6. 3.
When S. Paul had diſcourſed of the reiection of the Iewes from being a Church for many hundred yeeres, which miſerie he could hauehave beene content to preuent with the price of his owne ſoule, he concluded the point in this manner: Of him, and through him, and for him are all things. To him be glorie Rom. 11. 36.for euer. Amen.
Reaſon 1 Firſt, the holy and only wiſe God cannot poſſibly doe any thing that is vaine, and fit for nothing, as eueryevery thing is that ſerueth not for his glory. A prudent man will aime at ſome vſe of thoſe things which hee taketh in hand, and therefore much more will he which maketh men prudent, and giueth them their wiſdome, and can turne all things to ſuch vſe as beſt pleaſeth him.
Secondly, the Lord is prouident for his creatures in all his workes, and regardeth their good, eſpecially of the principall and moſt excellent, as men and Angels: Now hee reſpecteth none ſo much as his owne honour, nor matcheth any in equality with himſelfe; for whatſoeuer happineſſe is conferred vponupon them, it is ſubordinate to his praiſe: and that is the ſcope and chiefe end whereunto all other ends and proceedings are directed.
Vſe 1 Inſtruction, to obſerue matter in all his workes and waies, whereby we may be mooued to yeeld him that praiſe which is proportionable to the obiect offered vntounto vsus. If we ſee puniſhments executed, there is cauſe that wee ſhould bee humbled, and made to tremble at his iuſtice: if mercies bee performed, let vsus bleſſe his name for his goodneſſe. And ſo when things come to paſſe that are ſtranger than we thought of, or greater than wee expected, let vsus wonder at his wiſdome, and be guided by it; and magnifie his power, and repoſe vponupon it.
And becauſe we our ſelues are of his making, and hee doth giuegive vsus life, and breath, and all things; yea becauſe we are of his ſecond making, and hee doth giuegive vsus eternall life, and grace, and all bleſſedneſſe, therefore ought we to be for him, and his glory, againſt ſinne, and his enemies. And this may be a forcible motiue to make vsus patient in all the afflictions which he impoſeth vponupon vsus, becauſe they are his worke, and for his honour, which will be the more procured by our humble and fruitfull ſubmiſſion to him in the ſame.
Terrour for vngodly men, which giuegive all the members of their bodies, and faculties of their ſoules, as weapons of vnrighteouſneſſe, to fight againſt God, and yet thriue in their wicked waies, and proſper in their ſinnes. They are reſerued (as S. Peter teſtifieth) to the day of iudgement to bee puniſhed, 2. Pet. 2. 9.though they ſhould not be plagued ſooner. The Lord will ſhew himſelfe to be admirable in righteouſneſſe, when all the world ſhall ſee them miſerable with torments.
Verſe 5. All that are proud in heart, are abomination to the Lord: [though] hand [ioine] in hand, he ſhall not be vnpuniſhed.
AL] All ſorts and degrees of men, male or female, yoong or old, high or low, and eueryevery particular perſon, of what condition ſoeuer, [that are proud in heart] whoſe hearts are lofty, and void of humilitie; and the heart is therefore ſpecified, becauſe pride is ſeated in it, and floweth from it, and that no man ſhould challenge to himſelfe any immunitie from the wretched eſtate of the proud, vnleſſe his heart bee ſeaſoned with humilitie. He that hath an high minde, though he beare a low ſaile, and keepe a ſmall port, without pompe and brauery, may be as loathſome in the eies of the Lord, as ſome others that ſet foorth themſelues with greater ſhewes. Yet note that he ſaith not, all that hauehave pride in their hearts, for who can be fully freed from it ſo long as he is cloathed with mortalitie? but they that are proud in heart, and ſo be none that vnfainedly feare God; for that manner of ſpeech intendeth the habit or dominion of pride, which is only in the vnregenerate: [are an abomination to the Lord] he hath them in deteſtation, and cannot abide them: [though hand ioine in hand] notwithſtanding that they vnite their forces, and combine themſelues together for their defenſe and ſafety, [he ſhal not be vnpuniſhed] not one of them ſhall eſcape the ſtrokes of God, though for a time he deferre his iudgements.
Doct. The better that men doe like of themſelues, the worſe the Lord doth like of them.
The miſchiefes that enſue vponupon pride, hauehave beene more at large intreated of in the ſecond verſe of the eleuenth Chapter: and the vanitie of wicked mens aſſociation for impunity, in the 21. verſe of the ſame Chapter.