Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Proverbs · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Verſ. 1. Doth not Wiſdome cry?]
ANd ſhall a Harlot bee ſooner heard than ſhee? Shall men prefer droſs before gold, acorns before wheat, a ſwine-ſty before a Sanctuary? dirty delights and ſenſual pleaſures, before peace that paſſeth all underſtanding,Xenophon. joy unſpeakable and full of glory? Heathen ſtories tell how Hercules (when hee was young) was courted by Vertue on the one hand, and Pleaſure on the other; But Pleaſure loſt her ſweet words upon him, hee hearkned to Vertue rather: Shall not wee to Wiſdome?
Put forth her voyce] In her Miniſters, who are Cryers by office, and muſt bee earneſt, Iſa. 58.1. See an inſtance in holy Bradford; I beſeech you, ſaith Hee, I pray you, I deſire you, I crave at your hands with all my very heart; I ask of you with hand, pen, tongue, and minde; in Chriſt, through Chriſt, for Chriſt,Act. & Mon. 1490. for his Name, Blood, Mercy, Power, and Truths ſake, my moſt intirely beloved, that you admit no doubting of Gods final mercies toward you, &c. Here was a luſty Cryer indeed. And ſuch another was Mr. Perkins, of whom it is ſaid, that in expounding the Commandements (when hee was Catechiſt of Chriſts Colledge) hee applied them ſo home to his hearers,Mr. Fullers Holy-ſtate, p 90. that hee made their very hearts fall down, and their hairs ſtand upright.
Verſ. 2. Shee standeth in the top of high places] That is, ſaith an Interpreter, in the lofty Oracles of the Patriarchs and Prophets.
Verſ. 3. At the entry of the City] Heb. At the mouth; for as words go out of the mouth,Rod. Bain. ſo do men out of the City; onelyonly men go and come at their pleaſure, Sed volat emiſſum ſemel irrevocabile verbum. A word once uttered cannot bee recalled.
At the coming in at the doors] Every where Chriſt offereth himſelf; hence ariſeth this phraſe, My ſalvation is gone forth, but to little purpoſe, through mens ſingular perverſneſs. Indeed if the Lord would ſet up a Pulpit at the Ale-houſe door, they would hear oftner. But ſith hee doth not, they will run to hell as faſt as they can; And if God cannot catch them, they care not, they will not return.
Verſ. 4. Unto you, O men, I call] O viri praeſtantes (ſo ſome render it) O yee eminent men, whether for greatneſs of birth wealth, or learning. The Phariſees and Philoſophers for their learning are called the Princes of this world, 1 Cor. 2.8. Sed ſapientes ſapienter in infernum deſcendunt, ſaith one, & potentes potenter t…rquebuntur, ſaith another. But the world by wiſdome knows not God, 1 Cor. 1.21. and not many wiſe men, not many mighty, not many noble are called, verſ. 26. And yet they ſhall not want for calling, if that would do it; for unto you, O mighty men I call. Sed ſurdo plerunque fabulam, but all to little purpoſe, for moſt part. They that lay their heads upon down-pillows cannot ſo eaſily hear noyſes. Courts and great places prove ill air for Zeal. Divitibus ideo pietas deeſt, quia nihil deeſt. Rich mens wealth proves an hindrance to their happineſs.
And my voyce is to the Sons of men] i. e. To the meaner ſort of people. See Pſal. 49.2. Theſe uſually,foreign. like little fiſhes, bite more than bigger. The poor are Gospellized, ſaith our Saviour. Smyrna was the pooreſt, but beſt of the ſeven Churches. Certain it is, that many of the meaner ſort hold that they are not bound to look after Scripture-matters, but that it is for rich men and Scholars onelyonly to do ſo. Wee have nothing, ſay they, to live by, but theſe hands. How can day-labourers,foreign; Chryſoſt. Hom. 22. ad Pop. Antioch. and poor Craftſmen intend ſuch things? The baſer ſort of people in Swethland do alwayes break the Sabbath, ſaying, that it is only for Gentlemen to keep that day. See Jer. 5.4. Joh. 7.49. But Paul (a poor Tent-maker) could ſay, Our converſation is in heaven, and Gods people are afflicted and poor, yet they truſt in the Name of the Lord, Zeph. 3.12. Who ever richer than Adam in Paradiſe? Poorer than Job on the dunghill? yet in Paradiſe Satan foiled Adam, on the dunghil Job foiled Satan. Think not that poverty can excuſe from duty: Poor men alſo muſt liſten to wiſdomes voyce, or it will bee worſe with them; there is yet but a beginning of their ſorrows.
Verſ. 5. O yee ſimple] If yee bee not ſet in ſin, reſolved of your way, as good as yee mean to bee: If yet there bee any place left for perſwaſion. See the Note on Chap. 1.4.
And yee fools] Yee that have already made your concluſion, and are wiſer in your own conceit, than ſeven men that can render a reaſon.
Ver. 6. I will ſpeak of excellent things] foreign Ruling-caſes, Maſter-ſentences, Axiomes of ſtate, principles for Princes. I have written for them the great things of my Law, Hoſ. 8.12. Solomon calls the Scriptures, Lords of Collections, as ſome ſenſe that Text, Eccleſ. 12.11.
Shall hee right things] Right for each mans particular purpoſes and occaſions.Athan…ſ. The Scriptures are ſo pe…l, that every man may think they ſpeak de ſe, in re ſua, of him, and his …. In all the Commandements of God there is ſo much rectitude, and good reaſon (could wee but ſee it) that if God did not command them, yet it were our beſt way to practiſe them.
For my mouth ſhall speak truth] Heb. Shall meditate truth, i. e. I will neither ſpeak falſely nor raſhly, but upon due deliberation, and undoubted certainty, See my True treaſure, pag. 122.
Verſ. 8. All the words] The Rabbine have a ſaying, That there is a mountain of ſenſe hanging upon every tittle of the Scriptures.
There is nothing froward or perverſe in them] Some places of Scripture may ſeem to croſs other places, but they do only ſeem ſo. Men may think they are like the accuſers of Chriſt, never a one ſpeaking like the other; but thoſe that underſtand them, ſhall finde them like Nathan and Bathſheba, both ſpeaking the ſame things. The old Rabbins could not reconcile Eccleſiaſtes (ſome paſſages in it) to the reſt of the holy Scriptures, and had therefore ſome thoughts to conceal it from the people. But this was their weakneſs,Kabuenaki. and would have been their wickedneſs.
Verſ. 9. They are all plain to him that underſtandeth] Plain in things neceſſary to ſalvation; for as all duties, ſo all truths, do not concern all men. God doth not expect or require that every man ſhould bee a Doctor in the chair; but thoſe points that direct to duty here, and ſalvation hereafter, are clear, expreſs, and obvious to them that deſire to underſtand them; for ſome there are,Bern. qui ut liberius peocent, libenter ignorant. It was a ſmart anſwer which Mr. Durant a witty and learned Miniſter of the Reformed Church of Paris, gave to a Lady of ſuſpected chaſtity, and now revolted. When ſhee pretended the hardneſs of the Scripture: Why? ſaid hee, Madam, what can bee more plain, than Thou ſhalt not commit Adultery. Had ſhee not been failing in the practice of what ſhee could not but know, ſhee had found no cauſe to complain of the difficulty of that, which ſhee could not know.
Verſ. 10. Receive mine inſtruction, and not money] That is, Rather than mony, as, I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice, that is, rather than ſacrifice. Knowledge of the Scriptures is the greateſt riches, Col. 3.16. Let the word of Chriſt… dwell richly in you, 1 Cor. 1.5. The Corinthians were inriched in all knowledge. Plato gave three hundred flourens for a Book that hee liked.Called Sophron. Dionyſius ſaid, that Ariſtippus was alwayes craving mony of him; but Plato deſired nothing but Books. What ſpending of money, and laviſhing out of the bag is there for humane learning? And yet Ariſtotle himſelf could ſay, that a little knowledge, though but conjectural, about heavenly things, is to bee preferred above much knowledge, though certain, about inferiour things.
Verſ. 11. For Wiſdome is better than Rubies] See the Note on Chap. 3.15.
Verſ. 12. I Wiſdome dwell with Prudence] I draw all into practice, and teach men to prove by their own experience, what that good, and holy, and acceptable will of God is. Of the moſt that would bee held knowing men, it may well bee ſaid, as Tully ſayes the Proverb went of the Athenians; that they uſed their wiſdome, as men do artificial teeth, for ſhew onelyonly: And that they did ſcire quae recta ſunt, ſed facore nolle, know what was right, but had no minde to do accordingly. Socrates ſaid, there was no difference between foreign & foreign, Wiſdome, and Prudence or Moderation;Xenoph. de dictis & factis Socrat. Sith hee that knows good things to do them, and evil things to avoid them, is to bee held a wiſe man, and none elſe.
And finde out knowledge of wit…y inventions] Tending to piety; Not thoſe toylſome toyes, ſophiſmata, quae nec ignoranti nocent, nec ſci…ut en… juvant, Seneca.that are hard to come by, but of no uſe or worth, proof or profit: Theſe are but laborious loſs of time, as Ariſtotle hath it, like an Olive, of Date-ſtone,foreign. Ariſt. hard to crack the one, or cleave the other, but nothing, or nothing worth ought, when crackt or cloven within either. Wiſdome findes her Scholars ſomewhat elſe to do, than to bee ſo buſily idle. Witty ſhee allows them to bee, but not wittily wicked, not wiſe to do evil, inventers of … or idle things. Walk circumſpectly, ſaith ſhee, not as fools, but as wiſe, …ing the times, underſtanding what the will of the Lord is, and putting it in ſpeedy execution.Eph. 5.…5, 16, 17. Keep therefore and do it, for this is your wiſdome, &c. Deut. 4.6. (See the Note there) this will ſpeak you far more witty than thoſe Wits of the World, who ſeek out many inventions, Eccleſ. 7.28. but all to no purpoſe, and become vain in their imaginations, their fooliſh heart being darkned, …m. 1.21.
Verſ. 13. The fear of the Lord] Which is an high point of heavenly wiſdome (Chap. 1.7.) to the praiſe whereof this therefore appertaineth. There are that make this verſe an explanation of the former, thus; I finde out the knowledge of witty inventing, ſuch as are the fear of the Lord, the hatred of evil, yea, of inward evils, as Pride, Arrogancy, &c. Odi faſtum iſtius Eccleſiae. I hate the pride of that Romiſh Church, ſaid Baſil long ſince. I hate vain thoughts, But thy Law do I love, Pſal. 119.113. I hate and abhor lying, verſ. 163. Yea, I hate every falſe way, both in my ſelf, and others, verſ. 104. Thou hateſt the works of the Nicolaitans, which I alſo hate, Rev. 2. Gods people partake of the Divine nature, and ſo have God-like both ſympathies and antipathies; they not only leave ſin, but loath it, and are at deadly feud with it. They purge themſelves (by this clean fear of God, Pſal. 19.7.) from all pollutions, not of fleſh onelyonly, worldly luſts, and groſs evils, but of ſpirit alſo, that lye more up in the heart of the Country, as Pride, Arrogancy, &c. ſo Perfecting holineſs in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1. There may bee ſome kinde of pride in ſincerity, and of humility in hypocriſie. But hypocriſies humility is followed with pride, and ſincerities pride with humility: This latter humility is the better. And here onelyonly it is ſeemly for vertue to come behinde vice. Hypocriſie is proud, becauſe it is humble; Sincerity is humble, becauſe it is proud.
And the evil way] That is, Cuſtome of committing ſin. Viam pro frequentatione accipiunt Hebraei. And this the godly man doth, not that hee may appear to do ſo,Velleius. ſed quia aliter facere non potuit, (as one falſly and flatteringly ſaid of Cato) but becauſe having his heart ſeaſoned with this holy fear, hee can do no otherwiſe.
Verſ. 14. Counſel is mine, &c.] Chriſt is wiſe in heart, and mighty in ſtrength, Job 9.4. his Churches both Counſellor, Iſa. 9.6▪ and Champion, Iſa. 37.23, 24. And though ſhee bee but a Virgin daughter of Zion, yet ſhee deſpiſeth her adverſary, and laughs him to ſcorn, verſ. 22. becauſe ſhee hath one that is in love with her, and will fight her quarrel, who is,
De Achille Homeurs. De Achille C…ullus. Tho 2.2. q. 10. a…t. 10. foreign, Heſ. foreign. Hom.foreign.
Hoſtibus hand tergo ſed forti pectore notus.
Verſ. 15. By mee Kings reign] How then can the School-men defend Thomas Aquinas in that Paradox, Dominium & praelatio introducta ſunt ex jure humano, Dominion and Government is of man? This croſſeth the Apoſtle, Rom. 13.1, 2. and the wiſeſt of the Heathens.
Verſ. 16. And Nobles] So called in the original, from their liberality and bounty. Hence Luke 22.25. This word is expreſſed by foreign. Bountiful, or Benefactors, ſuch as are ingenuous, free, munificent, indued with that free Princely ſpirit, Pſal. 51.14.
Even all the Judges of the earth] Though haply they bee reckoned in the rank of bad men, but good Princes; ſuch as was Galba, and our Richard the third,Plin Secund. Dion. Caſſ. and Trajan, much magnified for a good Emperour, and yet a Drunkard, a Baggerer, and a cruel Perſecutor.
Verſ. 17. I love them that love mee] The Philoſopher could ſay, that if moral vertue could bee ſeen with mortal eyes, ſhee would ſtir up wonderful loves of her ſelf in the hearts of the beholders. How much more then would the Wiſdome of God in a Myſtery? 1 Cor. 2.7. that eſſential wiſdome of God eſpecially, the Lord Jeſus, who is totus deſiderabilis, altogether lovely, Cant. 5.16. the deſire of all Nations, Hag. 2.7. whom whoſoever loveth not, deſerves to bee double accurſed,foreign. 1 Cor. 15.22. My love was crucified, ſaid Ignatius, who loved not his life unto the death, Rev. 22.11. Neither was there any love loſt, or can be; For I love them that love mee. And if any man love mee, my Father will love him, and I will love him, and will manifeſt my ſelf unto him, and wee will come unto him, and make our abode with him, Joh. 14.21, 23. Men do not alwayes reciprocate, nor return love for love. For my love, Pſal. 109.4, 5. they are mine adverſaries; Yea, they have rewarded mee hatred for my love. David loſt his love upon Abſolom. Paul upon the Corinthians. Old Andronicus the Greek Emperor upon his graceleſs Nephew of the ſame name. But here is no ſuch danger, it ſhall not bee eaſie for any man to out-love Wiſdome.
For whereas ſome one might reply, You are ſo taken up with States, Ob.and have ſuch great Suters, Kings, Princes, Nobles, Judges, as verſ. 15, 16. that it is not for mean men to look for any love from you.
Not ſo, ſaith Wiſdome, for I love them that love mee, Sol.bee they never ſo much below mee. Grace bee with all them that love the Lord Jeſus inſincerity. Tantum velis, & Deus tibi praeoccurret, ſaith Nazianzen. Ambulas, ſi amas: Eph. 6.23.Non enim paſſibus ad Deum, ſed affectibus curritur, ſaith Auguſtin, Thou walkeſt if thou loveſt; Thou acteſt if thou affecteſt.
They that ſeek mee early] As Students ſit cloſe to it in the morning. Aurora muſis amica.
Verſ. 18. Riches and honour are with mee] I come not unaccompanied, but bring with mee that which is well worth having. The Muſes (though Jupiters daughters, and well deſerving) yet are ſaid to have had no Suters, becauſe they had no portions. Our Henry the eighth, when hee dyed,Engl. Eliſ. gave his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, but ten thouſand pounds apeece. But this Lady is largely endowed, and yet (ſuch is mens dulneſs) ſhee is put to ſollicit Suters, by ſetting forth her great wealth. See the Note on Matth. 6.33.
Verſ. 19. My fruit is better than gold] This Wiſdome is as thoſe two golden Pipes, Zach. 4. through which the two Olive-branches do empty out of themſelves the golden oyles of all precious graces, into the Candleſtick, the Church; Hence grace is here called fruits, and Cant. 4.16. Pleaſant fruits, and fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 6.22.
Verſ. 20. I lead in the way of righteouſneſs] Which is to ſay, I got not my wealth per fas atque nefas, by right and wrong, by wrench and wile. My riches are not the riches of unrighteouſneſs, the Mammon of iniquity, Luke 16.9. but are honeſtly come by, and are therefore like to bee durable, v. 18. or (as others render it) antient. St. Hierom ſomewhere ſaith, that moſt rich men are either themſelves bad men, or heirs of thoſe that have been bad. There is a prophane Proverb amongſt us, Happy is that childe, whoſe Father goes to the Devil. It is reported of Neveſſan the Lawyer, that hee ſhould ſay, Hee that will not venture his body, ſhall never bee valiant; hee that will not venture his ſoul, never rich. But Wiſdomes walk lyes not any ſuch way. God forbid, ſaith ſhee, that I, or any of mine ſhould take of Satan,Gen. 14.23. from a thread even to a ſhoo-latchet, leſt hee ſhould ſay, I have made you rich.
Verſ. 21. To inherit ſubſtance] Heb. That that is, foreignthat that hath ſome tack or ſubſtance in it, ſome firmity, or ſolid conſiſtency. Wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is not? Outward things are not, but onelyonly in opinion, in imagination: In ſemblance, not in ſubſtance. The pomp of this world is but a fancy, Act. 25.33. the glory of it a conceit, Matth. 4. the whole faſhion of it a meer notion, 1 Cor. 7.31. Riches get them great Eagles wings,Prov. 23.5. they flye away without once taking leave of the owner, leaving nothing but the print of their talons in his heart, to torment him. When wee graſp them moſt greedily, wee imbrace nothing but ſmoke, which wrings tears from our eyes, and vaniſheth into nothing. OnelyOnly true grace is durable ſubſtance; the things above outlaſt the dayes of heaven, and run parallel with the life of God, and line of eternity.
Verſ. 22. The Lord poſſeſſed mee] Not created mee, as the Arrians out of the Septuagint preſſed it, to prove Chriſt a creature.foreign.
Before his works of old] Heb. Ante opera ſuo, ante tunc, id eſt, priuſquam quis dicere poteſt, tunc, before there was any either now or then, before all time, therefore from all eternity▪ For whatſoever was before the world and time (that was created with the world) muſt needs bee eternal.
Verſ. 23. I was ſet up] Coronata ſum, I was crowned, ſo ſome render it. Inuncta fu…, I was anointed (…o others) for King, Prieſt, and Prophet of my Church. And to this high honour I grew not up by degrees, but had it preſently from before all beginnings.
Verſ. 24. When there were no depths] In mentioning Gods works of Creation, ſome obſerve here, that wiſdome proceeds from the lower elements to the ſuperiour and heavenly bodies: Shee begins with the earth, verſ. 23. goes on here to the waters, and ſo to the air called Streets (rendred Fields) verſ. 26. that is, the vaſt element of the air; which compared with the far leſs elements of earth and water, muſt needs ſeem exceeding large, ſpacious, and open, as ſtreets, or fields. Laſtly, by the higheſt part of the duſt of the world, the Hebrew Doctors underſtand the element of fire, Judicium ſit penes Lectorem. Let the Reader judge.
Verſ. 25. Was I brought forth] Or, begotten: Thus Wiſdome deſcribes her eternity in humane words and expreſſions, for our better apprehenſion. Which while Arrius either knew not, or weighed not, hee here hence took occaſion to oppoſe the Deity of our Saviour, and to propagate that damnable errour in the Eaſtern Churches, to the ruine of many ſouls. This Archheretick Arrius ſitting on the ſtool to eaſe nature at Conſtantinople, voided there his entrails. And now Mahometiſme is there as the excrement of Arrius.
Verſ. 26. Nor the fields, nor the higheſt] See the Note on verſ. 24.
Verſ. 27. When hee prepared the heaven] Or cauſed them to bee prepared, took order to have it done, viz. by mee, who was with him, and by whom hee made the worlds,Joh. 3.35. Heb. 1.3. Joh. 1.3. Col. 1.16. For the Father loveth the Son, and hath put all things into his hand.
When hee ſet a compaſs] Or, drew a circle round about the earth, meaning the Out-ſpread firmament of heaven, Gen. 1.6. Howbeit the Hebrews underſtand it of the world of Angels, called by them the third world, or the third heaven; whereunto St. Paul alſo ſeems to allude, 2 Cor. 12.2.
Verſ. 28. When hee eſtabliſhed the clouds above] That they might bee kept there, as it were in Tuns and Bottles, till hee would have them to pour down their dew, or rain.
Verſ. 29. When hee appointed the foundations] That it ſhould remain unmoveable, though it hang in the air, as it were by Geometry.
Ovid.Terra pilae ſimilis nullo fulcimine nixa,
A…re ſuspenſo tam grave pendet …nus.
Verſ. 30. Then I was by him] Accurſed then for ever bee that blaſphemous aſſertion of the Arrians, foreign, There was a time when hee was not. This Scripture ſo much abuſed by them, makes utterly againſt them. But Hereticks pervert the Scriptures, ſaith St. Peter, 2 Pet. 3.15. A metaphor from thoſe who put a man upon the rack, and make him ſpeak that which hee never thought. Tertullian calls Marcion the Heretick, Mus Ponticus, becauſe of his arroding and gnawing the Scripture, to make it ſerviceable to his errours.
foreign.As one brought up with him] Or, as a nouriſher; that is, as a maintainer and upholder of that his excellent workmanſhip of Creation, Heb. 1.3. The Septuagint render it, I was with him making all fine and trim, Eram apud cum aptans; ſo Irenaeus.
More pueri qui alatur, & riſum captans ac concilians. Mercer.Rejoycing alwayes] Or, laughing with him. This (as the very Jews are forced to confeſs) doth notably ſet forth that unſpeakable ſweetneſs and joy that the bleſſed God findeth in the apprehenſion of his own wiſdome, which (ſay they) is one and the ſame with God himſelf.
Verſ. 31. Rejoycing in the habitable part] That is, In the humane nature, wherein the fulneſs of the God-head dwelt bodily, by means of the hypoſtatical union. Or in the Saints, whoſe hearts the Lord Chriſt inhabiteth by faith. Or in the work of Creation, which Chriſt did without either tools or tool.
Verſ. 32. Now therefore hearken unto me…] Audite ſenem juvenes, ſaid Auguſtus to his ſeditious Souldiers, and had audience: And ſhall not Wiſdome, that is ſo ancient, as before the Creation, ſo eminent, as to make and conſerve a world, ſo gracious with the Father, &c. ſhall not ſhee bee hearkened to?
For bleſſed are they] And bleſſedneſs is the mark that every man ſhoots at.
Verſ. 33. Hear inſtruction, and bee wiſe] This way wiſdome enters into the ſoul. Hear therefore: For elſe there is no hopes; Hear howſoever. Auſtin coming to Ambroſe to have his ears tickled, had his heart touched.
Verſ. 34. Waiting at the poſts of my doors] At the Schools and Synagogues, ſay the Hebrews, where men ſhould come in with the firſt, and go forth with the laſt, as door-keepers do, which was the office that David deſired, Pſal. 84.
Verſ. 35. For who ſo findeth mee, findeth life] Leſt any man ſhould hold it too hard a task to wait at Wiſdomes gates (as Princes guards, or as the Levites did in the Temple) ſhee tells them what they ſhall have for ſo doing.
And ſhall obtain favour] Which is better than life; Gods favour is no empty favour; It is not like the Winters Sun, that caſts a goodly countenance when it ſhines but gives little heat or comfort. As air lights not without the Sun, nor wood heats without fire, ſo neither can any thing yeeld comfort without Gods favour.
Verſ. 36. Wrongeth his own ſoul] Rapit animam ſuam. Hee plunders his own ſoul of its happineſs: yea, hee cruelly cuts the throat thereof, being ambitious of his own deſtruction.