Exposition of Proverbs 15-17, Biblical commentary · Chapter 16 · Verse 6
Verſe 6. By mercy and truth ſhall iniquitie bee purged: and by the feare of the Lord men depart from euill.
BY mercy] That kindneſſe and free louelove which the Lord beareth to his elect, [and truth] the faithfull accompliſhment of his promiſes (and in the ſame ſenſe are the ſame words taken in Chap. 14. 8. 22. To them that thinke on good things ſhall be mercy and truth) [iniquitie ſhall be purged] as well originall guilt as actuall tranſgreſſions, and all that is amiſſe in the nature, and hearts, and waies of Gods choſen, ſhall bee remitted and waſhed away through the blood of Ieſus Chriſt. That this is the meaning of this ſentence, it appeareth by the force of the word, that ſignifieth to make expiation, which properly belonged to Chriſt to doe, though typically the Prieſts of the Law were ſaid to expiate by the ſacrifices which they offered. For he (as S. Iohn witneſſeth) which is our Aduocate with the father, is likewiſe the propitiation for our 1. Iohn 2. 2.ſinnes: [and by the feare of the Lord] the knowledge of his will, the reuerence of his maieſtie, and the regard of his fauour, [men depart from iniquitie] they decline from wicked waies, and doe thoſe things which are lawfull and good. Yet neither of them are in full perfection, though both of them in ſinceritie and truth. So that he declareth the cauſes of iuſtification in the former clauſe, and the exerciſe of ſanctification in the latter: ſhewing by whom ſinnes are pardoned, in the one; and to whom the aſſurance thereof pertaineth, in the other.
Doct. 1 Remiſſion of ſinnes and ſaluation are giuen by God, and not bought by men.
That pride and preſumption, to arrogate to ones ſelfe the praiſe of making himſelfe happy, is moſt loathſome to the Lord, and therefore he hath ſtored the Scriptures with teſtimonies and proofes, to helpe our hearts againſt it. And to this purpoſe is that in Iſaiah: I [euen] I am he that putteth away Iſa. 43. 25. 26.thine iniquities for mine owne ſake, and will not remember thy ſinnes. Put mee in remembrance; let vsus reaſon together: count thou that thou maieſt be iuſtified.
The meaning of the latter words is as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, Shew thy righteouſneſſe, if thou haſt any, and I hauehave forgotten it: Stand for thine owne worthineſſe: Recount the meritorious workes which thou haſt wrought, to be iuſtified thereby: but all will be in vaine. And S. Paul doth expreſly diſclaime all merits of this nature, both for himſelfe, and all his brethren. He ſaued vsus (ſaith he) not by the workes of righteouſneſſe which we had done, but according to his owne mercy.Titus 3. 5.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, all mens workes, before remiſſion of ſinnes, are nothing elſe but ſinnes, wherewith the Lord is offended: and can that pacifie his anger, which further prouokes him to be angry?
Secondly, all the workes of the godly, euen after their ſins are pardoned, be yet mingled with ſinne, whereas the merit of our redemption muſt bee abſolutely righteous, and infinitely holy, according as the Law broken, and the Law-giuers iuſtice are.
Thirdly, the beſt workes of the beſt men, and that which is beſt both in the men, and in the workes, is his owne free gift: and would it become them to boaſt thereof, as though they had deſerued at his hands for receiuing his almes?
Fourthly, all the good that any man can doe, though hee could doe more than euer any meere man did, is it ſelfe a due debt, and farre leſſe than is due: and how then ſhould it goe for the diſcharge of all former debts and arrearages? The paiment of ſome part of this yeeres rent will not ſerue the turne to heale the laſt yeeres forfeiture.
Vſe. 1 Confutation of the Papiſts, who will not be beholding to the Lord for their ſaluation, ſo as to yeeld him the entire praiſe thereof.
They muſt earne ſome part, or hauehave no part: They will either winne it, or neuer weare it. But it may bee truly ſaid of them, that they truſting in lying vanities, doe forſake their owne mercies.
Conſolation to Gods people, who hauehave a gratious God to flie vntounto, and depend vponupon, though themſelues cannot helpe their ſoules againſt their ſinnes. Notwithſtanding their miſeries bee many, and their merits none at all, yet his merciemercy and truth are ſufficient to helpe againſt the one, and to ſupplie the other, and to be all in all vntounto them. In them there is efficacie, and conſtancie, and conſtancie, and perpetuitie, according as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, His louing kindneſſe is mighty towards vsus, and his Pſal. 117. 2.truth endureth for euer.
After that we are eſtated in his mercies, we ſhall as certainlie remaine happie people for euer, as we know him to be a glorious God for euer. Hee can no more faile of any part of his mercy and truth, than of his whole nature and Deitie.
Inſtruction, ſo to beleeue and liue, that wee may hauehave his promiſes for vsus, and not his threatnings againſt vsus: Otherwiſe his truth and iuſtice will ioine together to condemne vsus, and not his kindneſſe and truth to forgiue and iuſtifie vsus. He will not caſt off his righteouſneſſe, as he will not faile of his mercy. For if he ſhould either puniſh his people that are penitent, or ſpare his enemies that are obſtinate, he ſhould forfeit his truth: for hee plainly profeſſeth, that thoſe that walke Deut. 29. 20.after the ſtubbornneſſe of their owne hearts, he will not be mercifull vntounto.
Doct. 2 And by the feare of the Lord] According as any man is religious in heart, ſo hee will ſtriue to bee innocent, and honeſt in life.
He that is godly, will ſurely be good: and he that is impious, cannot chuſe but be vnrighteous. The Apoſtle chargeing vnregenerate men with wicked behauiour, as that their mouth is full of curſing and bitterneſſe, and their feet ſwift to ſhed blood, &c. aſſigneth this as a cauſe of all thoſe euils, that the feare of God is not before their eies. Where Abraham doubted that the feare of God was not, hee looked for diſhoneſt dealing: Rom. 3. 18.and iuſt cauſe hee had ſo to doe, though hee vſed vnmeet meanes to preuent it, and extended his ſuſpicion too farre in miſdeeming all, whereas it appeareth that there was pietie Gen. 20. 11.and godlineſſe in ſome.
Contrariwiſe, Iob and Ioſeph, by vertue of this reuerent awe of God, obtained power, not onelyonly againſt the practiſe of groſſe ſinnes, but ouer their eies, that they ſhould not caſt Iob 31. 1.wanton lookes; and ouer their hearts, that they ſhould not conceiue vnchaſte thoughts.
Reaſon 1 Firſt, it worketh an hatred of that which is euill; and we know no man will be deſirous to meddle much with that which he Prouer. 8. 13.loueth not.
Secondly, it putteth men in remembrance of Gods precepts, of Gods preſence, of Gods threatnings, of Gods iudgements, and loſſe of his fauours and mercies. What portion (ſaith Iob) ſhould I hauehave of God from aboue? and what inheritance from the Almighty from on high? Is not deſtruction to the wicked, and ſtrange [puniſhment] to the workers of iniquitie? Doth not hee behold my waies, and tell all my ſteps? Iob 31. 2. 3. 4.
Vſe 1 Inſtruction, that if we wiſh well vntounto our ſoules, and would not lay load vponupon our conſciences; if wee beare louelove to our bodies, and would not hauehave them polluted with corrupt conuerſation; if we tender our credits, and would not be blemiſhed with naughty practiſes, then let vsus ſeeke to be ſanctified thorowout with ſoundneſſe of Religion and godlineſſe.
Or would wee be glad that our people ſhould proſper, and our children take good courſes for our comfort? Are wee loath to ſee them vnthriftie, vnchaſte, giuen to filching, or drunkenneſſe, or any other misbehauiour? Let vsus then teach them to know the Lord, and perſwade them ſincerely to worſhip him, and that will be a preſeruatiue againſt all theſe miſchiefes.
Conuiction of them which truſt they are godly, and bragge that they are very religious, and yet the waies that they walke in, are moſt licencious and wicked. If they were any whit acquainted with the feare of God, they would be much more eſtranged from ſuch leaud behauiour. The loyaltie and obedience which they ſhew to ſinne, doth prooue them to bee Traitors and Rebels againſt the Lord.
Conſolation for ſuch as are reformed of all their former faults, and returne not againe to them, or to as bad: that they are vnfainedly religious, though peraduenture they hauehave not ſo ſenſible feeling of it. If they were not friends with God, and feared him, they would not fall out with ſinne, and flie from iniquitie.