Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Proverbs · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Verſe 1. My Son]
FAtherly and filial affection ought to bee betwixt Teacher and hearers. But who is their Father? 1 Sam. 10.12. O my Father, my Father, ſaid hee to the dying Prophet, 2 King. 13.14. Dwell with mee, and bee unto mee a Father and a Priest, ſaid that Idolatrous Micah to the wandring Levite, Judg. 17.10.Spec. Europ. Popiſh Novices do ſo obſerve their Patres (as they call them) that though they command them a voyage to China or Peru, without diſpute or delay they preſently ſet forward. Tu & Aſinus unum eſt…te (ſaid one once to a young Novice, that being to enter into a Monaſtery, asked his counſel how hee ſhould carry himſelf?) Come Children, hearken unto mee, I will teach you the fear of the Lord▪ Pſal. 34.11.
Verſ. 2. So that thou encline thine …ar] Lie low at Gods feet, and ſay, Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth. His Saints ſit down at his feet, every one to receive his word, Deut. 33.3. they are compared to a Garden of Cucumbers, Iſa. 1.8. which when ripe, lie on the ground. Surely as waters meet and reſt in low valleys, ſo do Gods graces in lowly hearts.
And apply thy heart] Attention of body, intention of mind, and retention of memory are indiſpenſibly deſired of all wiſdomes Scholars;Act. & Men. ſuch as King Edward the ſixth, who conſtantly ſtood up at the hearing of the Word, took notes, which hee afterwards diligently peruſed, and wrought the Sermon upon his affections by meditation.
Verſ. 3. If thou cryeſt after knowledge] Bene oraſſe eſt bene ſtuduiſſe, James 1.17ſaid Luther. Knowledge is Gods gift, James 1.5. and muſt be ſought at his hand, fith hee is the Father of lights, and ſells us eye-ſalve, Rev. 3.17.
And lifteſt up thy voice] As reſolved to give God no reſt till thou haſt it. A dull ſuitor begs a denial. Then ſhall men know if they follow on to know the Lord, Hoſ. 6.3. Teach mee, teach mee, ſaith David often. Lord ſhew mee thy glory, ſaid Moſes newly come from the Mount.
Verſ. 4. If thou ſeekeſt her as ſilver] Opulentiſſima metalla quorum in alta latent vena, ſaith Seneca, your richeſt metals lie loweſt.Sen. Epiſt. 23. Viſcera terrae extrahimus, ut digito geſtetur gemma, quam petimus, ſaith Pliny: Wee draw out the very bowels of the earth, that wee may get the gem that wee deſire.Lib. 2. c. 65. Shall wee not do as much for this pearl of price, the knowledge of God and his Will, of our ſelves, and our duties? Beg wee muſt, verſ. 3. but withall wee muſt dig too, verſ. 4. and continue to do ſo, ſearching for her, as for hid treaſures. Ora & labora; for elſe, the talk of the lip onelyonly brings want, Prov. 14.23. What man finding a rich Mine of Gold or Silver, is content with the firſt Oar that offers it ſelf to his view, and doth not dig deeper and deeper till hee become owner of the whole treaſure? So here, Then ſhall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord, Hoſ. 6.3. if yee ceaſe not till yee get all the dimenſions of knowledge mentioned by the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 3.18. till yee ſee that bliſsful ſight, Epheſ. 1.18, 19.
Verſ. 5. Then ſhalt thou underſtand] Then ſhalt thou bee as thoſe noble Romans were, chap. 15.14. full of goodneſs, filled with all knowledge, able alſo to admoniſh others; in fine, a well-accompliſht Chriſtian, that hath Chriſtian for his name, and Catholick for his ſirname. Such a Catholick as Auſtin deſcribeth, when hee ſaith, …oni Catholici ſunt, qui & fidem integram ſequuntur, & bonos mores. Thoſe bee good Catholicks, that beleeve well, and live well. Theſe bee not thoſe antient Roman-Catholicks.
Verſ. 6. Out of his mouth cometh knowledge] If it could bee ſaid by the divine Chronologer,Bucholc. Ex Adami ſapientiſſimi doctoris ore pr…manavit, tanquam ex ſo…e quicquid in mundo eſt utilium doctrinarum, diſciplinarum, ſcientiae & ſapientiae, Out of Adams mouth (even after the Fall) as out of a fountain ſlowed all the profitable knowledge, skill, and wiſdome in the world: how much better may the ſame bee ſaid of the onelyonly wiſe God, who is wonderful in Counſel, and excellent in working, Iſa. 28.29. Platonici lumen mentium eſſe dixerant ad diſcenda omnia, eundem ipſum Deum â quo facta font omnia. The Platoniſts ſaid,Aug. de civ. Dei. that God the Maker of all was that light of the mind whereby wee learn all.
Verſ. 7. Hee layeth up ſound wiſdome] Hebrew Subſtance, reality, that which hath a true being, in oppoſition to that which is not; ſo riches are deſcribed, Prov. 23.5. Heaven onelyonly hath a foundation, earth hath none,Heb. 11. Job 26.7. but is hanged upon nothing. Grace hath ſolid ſubſtance in it and true worth: whereas opinion onelyonly ſets the price upon all outwards things. The Prophet Amos complains of the Epicures of his time, that they are the Lambs out of the flock, and the Calves out of the midſt of the ſtall, they drank Wine in bowls, and chanted to the ſound of Viols, &c. Amos 6.4, 5, 6. This to ſome might ſeem brave and deſirable. But verſ. 13. the Prophet in true judgement thus ſpeaks to them. Yee which rejoyce in a thing of nought, &c. yee imbrace a ſhadow, yee purſue after things that profit not, but periſh in the uſe:1 Cor. 6.13. for Meats for the belly, and the belly for Meats; but God will deſtroy both it and them.
Some ſenſe the Text thus: The Lord ſaies up ſound wiſdome for the righteous, &c. when hee is in diſtreſs, then hee hath ſuch quietneſs of ſpirit, ſoundneſs and preſence of mind, that in the muſt of his ſtraits hee is in a ſufficiency Not ſo the wicked, Job 20.22.
Hee is a buckler to them] The body cannot bee wounded, but through the buckler, if skilfully handled: Happy art than O Iſrael; who is like unto thee, Deut. 33.29.O people ſaved by the Lord, the ſhield of thy help? &c.
Verſ. 8. Hee keepeth the paths of judgement] Well may they walk uprightly that are ſo ſtrongly ſupported. Gods hand is ever under his; they cannot fall beneath it. Hee keepeth the feet of his Saints, 1 Sam. 2.9.
Verſ. 9. Then ſhalt thou underſtand righteouſneſs] Not as cognoſcitiva ſtanding in ſpeculation; But as directiva vitae, a rule of life. Knowledge is either Apprehenſive onelyonly, or Affective alſo. This differs from that, as much as the light of the Sun (wherein is the influence of an inlivening power) from the light of Torches.
Verſ. 10. Is pleaſant to thy ſoul] Spiritual joy mortifies ſin: His mouth hankers not after homely proviſion, that hath lately taſted of delicate ſuſtenance: Pleaſure there muſt bee in the wayes of God, becauſe therein men let out their ſouls into God, that is the fountain of all good, hence they ſo infinitely diſtaſte ſins taſteleſs fooleries: Crede mihi res ſevera eſt verum gandium, ſaith Seneca. True joy is a ſolid buſineſs.
Becman. foreign.Verſ. 11. Diſcretion] Hebr. Thoughtfulneſs, or good adviſement. Cogito quaſi coagito. Notat ſercitatem, ſuch as is that of the wife to pleaſe her husband, 1 Cor. 7.34. caſting this way and that way how to give beſt content: Or that of the good huſwife to build her houſe,Prov. 14.1. ſtudying in every buſineſs how to ſet every thing in order: As the Carpenter ſtudies how to ſet every part of the frame in joynt.
foreignVerſ. 12. That ſpeaketh froward things] As if his mouth were diſtorted, or the upper-lip ſtood where the nether ſhould. See Act. 20.30.
Verſ. 13. To walk in the wayes of darkneſs] As Theeves, Drunkards, Dicers, and our other Solifugae that abuſe even Goſpel-light, that put not light under a buſhel, but under a dunghil, that when they have walked themſelves aweary in theſe by-wayes (high wayes to hell) ſit down in darkneſs, and in the ſhadow of death, Luke 1.79. which poſture imports, 1. Continuance there. …. Content, as well a paid of their ſcat. Theſe hate the light becauſe their wayes are evil: Jo…. 3.The light ſtands in the light of their wicked wayes, as the Angel did in Balaams way to his ſin.
Verſ. 14. Who rejoyce to do evil] It is their meat, drink, ſport. Prov. 4.27▪ and 10.23. they cannot bee merry unleſs the Devil bee their play-fellow. This is reckoned as an aggravation of Jeruſalems ſin,Jer. 11.15. Melior eſt triſtitia iniqua patientis quam latitia iniqua facie…tis. When thou doſt evil, then thou rejoyceſt. But better is the ſorrow of him that ſuffereth evil, than the jollity of him that doth evil, ſaith Auſtin.
Verſ. 15. Whoſe wayes are crooked] How juſtly may God ſay to ſuch, as the Crab in the Fable did to the Serpent when hee had given him his deaths wound for his crooked conditions, and then ſaw him ſtretch himſelf out ſtreight, At opo… tuit ſic vixiſſe: It is too late now, you ſhould have lived ſo.
And they froward] Abſurd, 2. Theſſ. 3.2. Men made up of meer incongruities, ſolaciſing in opinion,foreign. ſpeeches, actions, all.
Verſ. 16. From the ſtrange woman] Forbidden thee by God, as ſtrange fire, ſtrange Gods, &c.
Which flattereth with her lips] Whoſe lips are nets, whoſe hands are bands, whoſe words are cords to draw a man in as a Fool to the ſtocks, or an Oxe to the ſlaughter.
Verſ. 17. Which forſaketh the guide of her youth] That is, Her Husband, as Helena, Becman.Herodias, Bernice, Act. 25.13. and other odious Harlots. Adulterium quaſi ad alterum, vel ad alterius torum. This Wanton never wants one though her Husband bee ever ſo near.
And forgetteth the Covenant of her God] Marriage is a mixt Covenant, partly Religious, and partly Civil: The parties tye themſelves firſt to God▪ and then to one another. The bond is made to God, who alſo will bee ready enough to take the forfeiture. For Whores and Adultereſſes God will judge, H…b. 13.3.
Verſ. 18. For her houſe inclineth unto death] Terence calleth Harlots Cruces, quia juvenes macerent & affligant. Venery is deaths beſt Harbinger: Venus ab antiquis foreign dicta. Jacob. Re…ias.Shee provideth, ſaith one, not for thoſe that are already born, but for thoſe that ſhall bee born. Of Pope Paul the fourth (that old Goat) it went for a by word, Eum per candem partem animam profudiſſe, per quam acceperat. Pope John the twelfth being taken with an Adultereſs, was ſtabbed to death by her Husband. Alexander the Great, and Oth… the third,Barns. loſt their lives by their luſts. But how many (alas) by this means have loſt their ſouls! Fleſhly luſts (by a ſpecialty) fight againſt the ſoul, 1 Pet. 2.12. And nothing hath ſo much inriched hell (ſaith one) as beautiful faces.
And her paths unto the dead] Hebrew, El Rhephaim to the Giants:foreign. Sept. foreign projecti ſunt. To that part of hell where thoſe damned monſters are, together with thoſe ſenſual Sodomites, who giving themſelves over to fornication, and going after ſtrange fleſh, are thrown forth for an example, ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude 7.
Verſ. 19. None that go unto her return again] Some of the Antients have here hence concluded, that Adultery is an unpardonable ſin: But all manner of ſin, and blaſphemy ſhall bee forgiven unto men (ſaith our Saviour) ſave onelyonly the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, Matth. 12.31. True it is, that a Whore is a deep ditch, and a ſtrange woman is a narrow pit. Prov. 23.27. That Whoredome, and Wine, and new Wine, take away the heart, Hoſ. 4.11. That ſuch are ſaid to bee deſtitute of underſtanding, and to have loſt, even the light of nature, Prov. 6.32. Rom. 1.28. to bee paſt feeling, and given up to a dead and dedolent diſpoſition, Eph. 4.18, 19. to bee impudent, Jer. 2, 3. (wherefore alſo they are compared to dogs, Deut. 23.18. 2 Sam. 3.8.) and for moſt part impenitent,foreign. Hom. Eccleſ. 7.28. Grace (as One well obſerveth) is ſeated in the powers of Nature. Now carnal ſins diſable nature, and ſo ſet us in a greater diſtance from grace, as taking away the heart, &c. Howbeit all things are poſſible with God, Mark. 9.26, 27. And though few have awakened out of this ſnare of the Devil, yet ſome have, as David, and that woman Luke 7.37, 50. leſt any humbled ſinners ſhould deſpair.
Verſ. 20. That thou mayeſt walk in the way] This is another work of wiſdome, as to keep us from bad company, ſo to put us into good, where much good may be learned. Dr. Taylor, Martyr, rejoyced that ever he came in priſon,Act. & Mon. there to bee acquainted with that Angel of God, John Bradford (ſo hee called him.) Latimer and Ridley (while they lived) kept up Cra…mer by intercourſe of Letters, and otherwiſe, from entertaining counſels of revolt.Ibid. A childe having been brought up with Plato, returned home to his Fathers houſe,Sen. de ira lib. 3 cap. 11. and hearing his Father to chide, and exclaim furiouſly in his anger, uſed theſe ſpeeches to his Father, I have never ſeen the like with Plato.
Verſ. 21. For the upright ſhall dwell in the land] Of Canaan, a type of Heaven; for by theſe outward and corporal things, inward, ſpiritual, and eternal are underſtood. Here the Wiſe-man ſpeaks after the manner of Moſes Law under which hee lived, Deut. 11. And howſoever upright men ſuffer hardſhip and hunger here, yet they enjoy great tranquillity and felicity, as ſeeing God in all, and depending wholly upon him for help. Well for the preſent, and it will bee better hereafter; This is the upright mans Motto. Heaven (thinks hee) will make amends for all. Hee that ſees viſions of glory, will not matter with St. Stephen a ſhower of ſtones; how much leſs will hee think much though the Lord give him the bread of adverſity, and water of affliction? Iſa. 30.20.
Verſ. 22. But the wicked ſhall bee cut off] Certainly, ſuddenly, utterly, cum maxime velint vivere, when they have feathered their neſts, and ſet up their reſt, and reckon upon long life, as the fool in the Goſpel: God will ſhoot at them with an arrow ſuddenly, and fetch them off when they leaſt look for it. The wicked may dye ſinning: The Saints ſhall not dye till the beſt time; not till that time when, if they were but rightly informed, they would even deſire to dye.
Shall bee rooted out] Heb. plucked up, as degenerate plants, Ex…rientur, ſed exurentur; God ſhall likewiſe deſtroy thee for ever, hee ſhall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living, S…lah. Pſal. 52.5.