Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Proverbs · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Verſ. 1. Hear yee Children]
AUdite ſe…em, juvenes, quem juvenem ſenes audierunt: Hear mee now an old man, O yee youths, whom old men once gladly heard, when I was but a youth; with this ſpeech Auguſtus pacified his mutinous Army.
—Aspice, vultus
Sol Pha…tonti, apud Ovid. Me….Ecce meos, utinamque oculos in pectore poſſes
Inſerere, & patrias intus deprendere curas.
Behold my looks; and O that thou could'ſt ſee
Mine anxious thoughts, and careful heart for thee!
Verſ. 2. For I give you good Doctrine] The common cry is, who will ſhew us any good? and every man will lend both ears to a good bargain. The doctrine here delivered is good every way (whether you look to the Author, Matter, or Effect of it) and is therefore worthy of all men to bee received,foreign a verbo foreign quod eſt accipere. as the Hebrew word here uſed for Doctrine, importeth. The vulgar renders it, Donum bonum tribuam vobis. I will give you a good gift, even that good part that ſhall never bee taken from you.
Verſ. 3. For I was my Fathers Son] q. d. I that am now ſo famous for wiſdome, was once as wiſe as a wilde Aſs-colt. But I had the happineſs to bee taught and tutoured by the beſt and wiſeſt man in his generation, and therefore you ſhould the rather regard my Doctrine. Plato praiſed God that he was Pupil to Socrates, Bucholcerus that hee was bred under Melanchthon, Mr. What…ley under Mr. D…ds Miniſtry, and I under Mr. Ballams at Eveſham. Holy David was far beyond any of theſe, as being divinely inſpired, and rarely qualified. Such a heart ſo well headed, and ſuch a head better hearted, was not to bee found among the ſons of men, for hee was a man after Gods own heart; his counſel to his Son therefore muſt needs bee very precious and ponderous. See ſome of it for a taſte, 1 Chron. 28.9, 10.
Tender, and onelyonly beloved] Filiu… foreign. The Greeks commonly called their children foreign, the Latine Chari, Darlings, as Hee in Plantus, Domi domitus fui uſque cum Charis meis. Plaut. Menech. Act. 1. Scen. 1.I was hardly handled at home together with my dear children,
In the ſight of my Mother] Who had other children, 1 Chron. 3. but Solomon ſhee loved beſt, becauſe hee had moſt grace. And as a ſpecial fruit of her love ſhee gave him excellent counſel in her Lemuels leſſon, Prov. 31. His fall was therefore the more blame-worthy, becauſe hee had been ſo piouſly educated.
Verſ. 4. Hee taught mee alſo] As Cato taught his own children, and took it for no diſgrace, though ſo great a man. Nurture is as neceſſary for children as nouriſhment, Eph. 6.4. which they that neglect to beſtow upon them, are peremptores potius quam parentes, not Parents, but Paricides. One cauſe of Julians Apoſtacy were his two heatheniſh Tutors, Libanius and Jamblicus, from whom hee drank in great prophaneneſs. Doubtleſs David had Nathan the Prophet, and the beſt hee could get, to breed up his ſon in the beſt things, but yet ſo as himſelf had a main ſtroke in the buſineſs.
And ſaid unto mee] Jacobus Valentinus, and ſome others grounded an opinion from theſe words,Praefat. in Cant. Canti…. that Solomon received this whole Book of Proverbs following from his Father David; but that is no way likely. The ſubſtance of his Fathers Doctrine, hee briefly ſets forth in this, and the five following verſes, and then proceeds in his own words.
Retain my words] As the good ſtomack doth food, as the good earth doth ſeed, that is▪ bene occatum, & occultatum, ſaith One.
Verſ. 5. Get wiſdome, get underſtanding] Compara ſapientiam, compa…a intelligentiam. So Chryſoſtome. Comparate ſaeculares, comparate vobis biblia, animae pharmaca. Get you Bibles by all means, whatever they coſt you: you may better want bread, light, &c. than the knowledge of the Scriptures. Auſtin makes mention of ſome that neglected the means of knowledge, becauſe knowledge puffeth up; and ſo would bee ignorant, that they might bee humble, and want knowledge, that they might want pride. This was to do as that fooliſh Philoſopher, that pluckt out his eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanneſs; or as the ſilly Frier, to whom Sir Thomas Moore wrote thus.
Tu benè caviſti ne te ulla occidere poſſit
Litera: Nam nota eſt litera nulla tibi.
But men muſt get knowledge, and leſt it puff them up, ſwelling them beyond meaſure, they muſt get humility laid on as a weight to keep them down.
Forget it not] For ſo much a man learns as hee remembers. The promiſe alſo of ſalvation is limited to the condition of keeping in memory what wee have received, 1 Cor. 15.2.
Verſ. 6. Forſake her not, &c.] Wiſdome is her own reward: if ſhee forſake us, it is becauſe the deſertion is firſt on our part. But ſhee cannot but bee juſtified of her own true children: falling ſtars were never but Meteors: Temporaries were never Chriſtians indeed. What wonder though ſome hold falling from grace, ſith they miſtake common grace for true grace? Hence Bellarmine ſaith, That which is true grace, veritate eſſentiae, onelyonly may bee loſt, not that that is true veritate firmae ſoliditatis: which latter being rightly underſtood, may bee called special, as the other common grace.
Love her, and ſhee ſhall keep thee] viz. From recidivation and utter Apoſtacy, cauſed by the overflow of iniquity, Mat. 24.12. 2 Theſ. 2.10, 11. This to prevent, Let knowledge and affection, like two individual twins, grow up together, and mutually transfuſe ſpiritual vigour into each other.
Verſ. 7. Wiſdome is the principal thing] Say the world what it will, a dram of this wiſdome, is worth a pound of wit. Let others cenſure with the Scribes, let mee wonder with the multitude. And for wealth, hee is rich, not that hath the world, but that can contemn it. As for honour,Magnos homina virtute meti… tur non fortun… prudentes. Nepos. foreign. Virtue is a thouſand Eſcuchious: And that is the true Nobility, whereof God is the top of the kin, Religion the root: For without this, well may a man be notable or notorious, but truly Noble hee can never bee. Laſtly, For learning, the Greeks expreſs learned, and good, by one word, as if they were not learned that are not good; and the Scripture calls a wicked man generally a fool.
With all thy getting get] With any pains, for any price. This gold cannot bee bought too dear. Make Religion thy buſineſs, other things do by the by: as Ariſtotle ſtudied Philoſophy in the morning, that was his foreign but eloquence in the afternoon, that was his foreign. Or as Caeſar ſwimming thorow the waters to eſcape his enemies,Major fuit cura Caſari libellorum quam purpura. carried his books in his hand above the waters, but loſt his robe.
Verſ. 8. Exalt her, and ſhee ſhall] Have an high and honourable eſteem of her, and her children. Rabbi Solomon, out of the Talmudiſts, renders it, ſearch for her, minutatim in ca ſingula conſectans, do it diligently, as holding every parcel of her precious, as men do the very filings of gold.
Verſ. 9. A Crown of glory] The Pſalmiſt ſhews by prophecying, Pſal. 138.4, 5. & 119.72. that even Kings, coming to taſte the excellency of the comforts of godlineſs, and to feel the power of Gods Word, ſhould ſing for joy of heart, and greatly acknowledge the excelling glory of God and godlineſs.
Verſ. 10. Hear, O my Son, and receive] How ſlippery an age youth is, and how eaſily it ſlips into ſinful courſes and companies the wiſe man well knew; and therefore ceaſeth not to inculcate and repeat the ſame thing over and over. Liquidae ſunt puerorum memoria.
Verſ. 11. I have led thee in right paths] Impii ambulant in circuitu, The wicked walk the round, ſo doth the Devil (that great Peripatetick) Job 1. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backſliding daughter? Jer. 31.22. How long wilt thou run Retrograde, or turn aſide unto crooked waies? Pſal. 125.5. The waies of the Lord are right, and the righteous ſhall walk in them: but the tranſgreſſors ſhall fall therein, Hoſ. 14.9.
Verſ. 12. And when thou runnest] Having a good mixture of zeal and knowledge; ſo that thy zeal doth quicken thy knowledge, and thy knowledge guide thy zeal. For that the ſoul bee without knowledge, it is not good: And hee that (ſo) haſteth with his feet (being indiſcreetly zealous) ſinneth, Prov. 19.2.
Thou ſhalt not ſtumble] Or if thou do, thou ſhalt recover thy ſtumbling, and ſo get ground. But ſay thou do ſo ſtumble as to fall; in falling forwards is nothing ſo much danger as backward. So hee that is earneſt in good, though hee may carry ſome things indiſcreetly, yet is far better than an Apoſtate.
Verſ. 13. Take faſt hold of inſtruction] Nam magnum certamen ſuſtines adverſus haereticos & Epicureos, ſaith a Jew-Doctor upon this Text, Hereticks and Epicures will ſeek to wring it from thee, by wrench and wile. Therefore hold faſt the faithful word, as thou haſt been taught, Tit. 1.9. Hold it as with tooth and nail, againſt thoſe gain-fayers, that would ſnatch it from thee. For th… are many unruly and vain talkers, &c. and ſo there are many looſe and lewd walkers too, that would bereave thee of the benefit of what thou haſt learned: but hold faſt that which is good: Let it not go, Ne langueſcas, furceaſe not, ſlake not, give not over ſtriving againſt ſin and ſinners.
Verſ. 14. Enter not into the path of the wicked] Qui malè vivunt, & pejus credunt, ſaith One, which live ill, and beleeve worſe. Qui aquo animo malis immiſcetur, malus eſt, ſaith another. Hee that is well content to keep company with thoſe that are naught,Fullers holy ſtate. 162. is himſelf naught. The River Dee in Merionith-ſhire, running thorough Pimblo-meer, remains entire, and mingles not her ſtreams with the waters of the Lake. See 1 Cor. 5.9, 10, 11.
foreign inceſſit felicitavit. Ita foreign & foreign Gracis, Ga…. ….And g… not in the way] Ne tibi plac… via malorum; So the Vulgar. Think not thy ſelf happy in their company, applaud not their way. Verbum …undi ſignificationem felicitatis habet in multis linguis. The Hebrew word to go ſignifies alſo to bee happy: and Salomon haply here would take it in both ſenſes.
Verſ. 15. Avoid it, paſs not by it] As yee would not come near a carrion-carkaſs, as the Sea-man ſhuns ſands and ſhelves (the Apoſtles ſimile, 2 Theſ. 3.6.) as yee would bee loath to come near thoſe that have the plague-fore running upon them. Evil men endanger good men, as weeds the Corn, as bad humors the blood, or as an infected houſe the neighbourhood. Nemo errat ſibi ipſi, Seneca.ſed dementiam ſpargit in proximos. Intireneſs with wicked Conſorts is one of the ſtrongeſt chains of Hell, and binds us to a participation both of ſin and puniſhment. Hence ſo many words about it here: Abundans caut…la, &c. This heap of words is not without great uſe and emphaſis: there is earneſtneſs, and not looſeneſs in this repetition.
Verſ. 16. For they ſleep not] So much are they ſet upon it: Or as empty ſtomacks can hardly ſleep, ſo neither can graceleſs perſons reſt, till gorged and glutted with the ſweet-meats of ſin, with the murthering-morcels of miſchief. The Devil their task-maſter will not allow them time to ſleep: Which is very hard bondage: they have eyes full of Adultery, and that cannot ceaſe to ſin.2 Pet. 2.
Unleſs they cauſe ſome to f…ll] Protagoras (as Plato relateth) boaſted of this, that whereas hee had lived threeſcore years, forty of them hee had ſpent in corrupting of young men that converſed with him.
Verſ. 17. For they eat the bread of wickedneſs] As Tartarians feed upon dead carkaſſes of Horſes, Aſſes, Cars, Dogs, yea when they ſtink, and are full of Magots,P…tcham vally of V…n. and hold them as dainty as wee do Veniſon. As Spiders feed upon Acomite; as Mithridates, and the Maid in Pliny, upon Spiders, or as the Turkiſh Gally-ſlaves upon Opium; they will eat near an ounce at a time, as if it were bread (the tithe whereof would kill him that is not accuſtomed to it) and can neither ſleep nor live without it.
Verſ. 18. But the path of the juſt is as the ſhining light] Hee ſets forth betime in the morning, and travels to meet the day: Hee proceeds from virtue to virtue, till at length hee ſhine as the Sun in his ſtrength, Mat. 13.
Verſ. 19. Is as darkneſs] That little light they had by nature they impriſon, foreign. Rom. 1.18.Rom. 1. and are juſtly deprived of. And as for thoſe ſparkles of the light of joy and comfort that hypocrites have, it is but as a flaſh of lightning which is followed with a thunder-clap, or like the light ſmitten out of the flint: firſt, they cannot warm themſelves by it, not ſee to direct their waies. 2. It will quickly go out. 3. And after that, they muſt lye down in ſorrow, Iſa. 50.10.
They know not at what they ſtumble] They ſtumble ſometimes at Chriſt himſelf, 1 Pet. 2.8. and at his word, being diſobedient; whereunto alſo they were appointed. A ſhrewd ſign of reprobation. The Vulgar renders it, Ne ſciunt ubi corruant, They know not how ſoon they may drop into Hell, which even gapes for them, Iſa. 29.33.
Verſ. 20. My Son, attend to my words] Still hee calls for attention, as knowing our dulneſs, and ſickle headedneſs. It fated with the Prophet Zachary as with a drowſie perſon, who though awaked and ſet to work, is ready to ſleep at it, Zach. 4.1. It fares with many of us, as with little children, who though ſaying their Leſſons, yet muſt needs look off, to ſee the feather that flies by them.
Verſ. 21. Let them not depart] See the Note on Chapter 3.21.
In the midſt of thy heart] As in a ſafe Repoſitory, a ready repertory.
Verſ. 22. For they are life] See the Note on Chap. 3.22. and on Chap. 3.16.
And health unto all their fleſh] Sin is the cauſe of ſickneſs, 1 Cor. 11.20. Joh. 5.14. Sin no more, le…t a worſe thing come unto thee. But the joy of the Lord is a mans ſtrength, Neh. 8.10. and ſuch a merry heart doth good, like a medicine, Prov. 17.22. As ſin is an univerſal ſickneſs, Iſa. 1.5, 6. like thoſe diſeaſes wherein Phyſicians ſay, are corruptio totius ſubſtantiae, a corruption of the whole ſubſtance, as the Heretick, &c. So Grace is a Catholicon, a general cure, like the herb Panace, which is ſaid to bee good for all diſeaſes: whence alſo,A foreign & foreign. ſaith Pliny, it hath its name.
Verſ. 23. Keep thy heart] Filth-free, as much as may bee: keep a conſtant counterguard againſt all inroads made by fleſh, world and Devil. Keep the heart alwaies ſupple and ſoluble; for elſe thou canſt not bee long in ſpiritual health. Quod ſanitas in corpore, id ſanctitas in corde. Keep it ever well in tune, and then all ſhall go well. If in a Vio… I finde the trebble-ſtring in tune, I make no queſtion of the baſe; that goes not out ſo eaſily: So here.
For out of it are the iſſues of life] That is, as of natural, ſo of ſpiritual actions. Hinc …ons boni & peccandi origo, ſaith Hierome. It is the fountain, Mat. 15.19. the root, Mat. 7.17, 18. the treaſury or ſtore-houſe, Luk. 6.49. the Primum mobil…, the great wheel, the Pharos that commands the Haven, the chief Monarch in this Iſle of Man, that gives Laws to all the Members, Rom. 7. Keep it therefore with all cuſtody, or with all caution: or if the Devil caſt poiſon into it (as hee will) cleanſe it after. It is in vain to purge the ſtream, where the ſpring is defiled: but if the ſpring bee clear, the ſtreams will ſoon clear themſelves.
Verſ. 24. Put away from thee a froward mouth] To the keeping of the heart, a careful watching over the mouth, eyes, feet, &c. doth much conduce: For theſe outward parts abuſed, as they receive defilement from the heart, ſo they reflect defilement alſo upon it. They ſtain the ſoul, and diſpoſe it to further evil. Chriſt had a pure heart; therefore his eyes were not bewitched, not his ears inchanted, neither was there any guile found in his m…uth.
And perverſe lips put far from thee] Becauſe it is a duty of no ſmall difficulty, James 3.2, 3, &c. therefore hee redoubleth his Exhortation. The words of the wiſe are as nails faſtened, &c. E…cleſ. 12.1.
Verſ. 25. Let thine eyes look right on] E regione, vel in rectum, Let them be fixt upon right objects. Get that Stoical eye of our Saviour, get a Patriarks eye, bee well skilled in Moſes his Opticks, Heb. 11.27. have oculum in metam, which was Ludovicus Vives his Motto. Do as Mariners, that have their eye on the Star, their hand on the Stern. A man may not look intently upon that that hee may not love.Mat. 24.2. The Diſciples were ſet a gogge by beholding the beauty of the Temple. If therefore thine eye offend thee (or cauſe thee to offend) pull it out of the old Adam, and ſet it in the new man. If thou uſe it not well, thou wilt wiſh that thou hadſt pull'd it out indeed, as Democritus did.
Verſ. 26. Ponder the path of thy feet] Viz. By the weights of the word. Look to thine affections; for by theſe Maids Satan wooes the Miſtreſs. Take heed where you ſet Gun-powder,foreign. fith fire is in your hearts. Auſtin thanks God that his heart and the temptation did not meet together. Walk accurately, tread right, Gal. 2.14. ſtep warily, lift not up one foot, till you finde firm footing for another, as thoſe, Pſal. 35.6. The way of this world is like the vale of Siddim, ſlimy and ſlippery. Cavete. Wee have an Eve, a Tempter (each one) within us, our own fleſh, ſaith Bernard. And Nem… ſibi de ſuo palpet: quiſque ſibi Satan eſt, ſaith another Father, wee have enough to watch for our halting: the Devil alſo caſts his club at us, that wee may ſtumble and fall, and bee broken, and ſnared, and taken, Iſa. 8.15.
Verſ. 27. Turn not to the right] Keep the Kings high-way, keep within Gods precincts,Cic. in Offic. and yee keep under his protection. The Heathen Oratour could ſay, A recta conſcientia ne latum quidem nugnem diſcedendum. A man may not depart an hairs-bredth all his life long from the dictates of a good conſcience.
Remove thy foot from evil] Beſtir thee no otherwiſe than if thou hadſt trod upon a Snake. Abhor that which is evil, Rom. 12.9. abſtain from all appearance, all ſhews and ſhadows of it, 1 Theſ. 5.22. Run from the occaſions of it; come not near the doors of her houſe, Prov. 5.8.