Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 1 · Verse 12
Verſ. 12. Let us ſwallow them up alive, as the grave; and whole, as thoſe that go down into the pit.
The former argument to perſwade our Novice to joyne in theſt, and murther, and unlawfull ſurprize of other mens goods and lives, was taken from the ſafety of the action. No danger. No man ſhould ſee, to prevent it before, or to accuſe after. This argument in this verſe is from the eaſineſſe of it. The Novice might object, The work is difficult, the ſucceſſe doubtfull. They anſwer, No. It may be done without any trouble, with much eaſe, and little reſiſtance. We ſhall as eaſily overcome them, as dead men are put into the grave, or a ſop ſwallowed by a Dog.
For the words:
foreign, Let us ſwallow them up, or we will or ſhall ſwallow them. Joyn thou with us in the doing of it. They deſire not onelyonly conſent and approbation of the work, but alſo aſſiſtance and help to effect it. Let us ſwallow them up as wilde beaſts devour their prey, at a morſel; or as the greater fiſhes devour the leſſer, whole, and make no bones of them. Hereby is intimated,
1. The greedy deſire of wicked men, to deſtroy others for their goods, as beaſts or fiſhes are greedy for their food, without which they cannot live.
2. The eaſineſſe they conceive of effecting it. They can deſtroy them as eaſily as a Whale ſwallows a fiſh (as they thinke) that hath power to reſiſt or eſcape.
3 The ſuddenneſſe of the danger. The party ſhall be deſtroyed before he know himſelf in danger, as a fiſh is ſuddenly ſwallowed.
4. The ſecreſie of it. None can tell what is become of that which is ſwallowed up. No ſigne of blood ſhall be leſt, nor any member, to avoyd all ſuſpicion of murder.
5. The irrecoverableneſſe of the loſſe. Things ſwallowed up are paſt recovery, unleſſe by miracle, as Jonas came out of the Whales belly. There will be then no fear of revenge at all from them. By them he means the innocent parties, and ſuch as never did them any wrong, mentioned verſ. 11.
foreign, alive. This argues cruelty, to eat and devour living creatures, that are ſenſible of their pain and loſſe. Dead carkaſſes feel not when they are devoured. This cruelty is expreſſed lively, Pſal. 124.3. Then they had ſwallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled againſt us. The word ſignifies,
1. Life. God breathed into mans noſtrills the breath of life, Cen. 2.7.
2. Living, or alive. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living, Pſal. 116.9.
3. Lively, or ſtrong. The Hebrew women are lively, Exod. 1.19.
4. Men. Eve was the Mother of all living, Gen. 3.20. Not of beaſts, but of men.
5. Beaſts, for they live alſo. At the hand of every beaſt will I require it, Gen. 9.5.
6. Moving things, that have no ſenſe. A well of living watirs, Cant. 4.15.
Here it is taken in the ſecond ſenſe, for living or alive.
foreign, as the grave. The word is ſometime tranſlated Hell. The wicked ſhall be turned into hell, Pſal. 9.17. which is a receptacle for ſouls of wicked men after death. Sometimes it is rendred the grave. I will go down into the grave, unto my Son, Gen. 37.35. That is, the receptacle of dead bodies. And ſure Jacob meant not to go to hell, but into the grave, or ſtate of the dead, for it is likely he thought his Son was not buried, but devoured by wilde beaſts, as he was told. It is taken directly for the Grave, Prov. 30.16. So it is taken here for the Grave. We will not ſtay till they be dead. We will be their grave, and hide them ſafe enough. It is not an alluſion to Dathan and Abiram ſwallowed alive by the earth, as ſome would have it, for theeves would not willingly mention ſuch a judgement. But the grave ſwallows dead men that they are no more heard of, ſo will we ſwallow living men. And it may be an alluſion to any that are ſwallowed up quick, as multitudes have been upon breaches made by earthquakes, and hanging hills overwhelming Towns, as lately in the Valtoline. The name comes from foreign, to crave or ask. For the grave is never ſatisfied, but alwayes craving for more carkaſſes. It never ſaith, It is enough, Prov. 30.16.
foreign. And whole. We will not hurt, nor maim them, nor cut off ſome members, but ſwallow them all up at once. The word ſometimes fignifies upright, or undefiled. Bleſſed are the undefiled, or entire in the way, Pſal. 119.1. So ſome read here. But that cannot be. For,
1. That is all one with innocent, verſ. 11. And,
2. It ſuits not well with the words following, for moſt men go down into the pit defiled.
foreign, As they that go down into. That deſcend into the earth by buriall; or otherwiſe, by caſualty, as ſome falne into Marle-pits, and periſhed there, or into Cole-pits, as Pſal. 140.10. It is true literally, for pits and graves are in the bowels of the earth, and men are put down into them; or metaphorically, becauſe the eſtate of dead men is a lower condition, then of thoſe that live on the earth. A living dog is better then a dead lion, Eccl. 9.4.
foreign, The pit. The word ſometime ſignifies a pool digged to receive rain-waters in thoſe dry Countreys, where water is wanting. A pit wherein there is plenty of water, ſhall be clean, Lev. 11.36.
2. It ſignifies a pitfall digged to catch birds or beaſts in. He made a pit, Pſal. 7.15.
3. A hole or dungeon, whereinto offenders are caſt. Ʋnto the firſt-born of the captive that was in the dungeon, Exod. 12.29. Yet good men have been caſt into ſuch places, as Jeremy into a dungeon, and Joſeph into a pit.
4. A grave wherein dead men are caſt. Thou haſt kept me alive, that I ſhould not go down into the pit, Pſal. 30.3. Some underſtand it the ſecond way, of men caſt alive into ſome deep gulf, whence there is no recovery. Some in the fourth ſenſe of the grave. Either ſenſe will ſerve, for the thing is the ſame. An utter irrecoverable deſtruction is intended. They ſhall be like men caſt into a grave, or a deep pit, never to be ſeen any more. Mercer and ſome others underſtand it of taking away their eſtates, not in part, but altogether, in the midſt of their proſperity. Which agrees (they ſay) with the verſes following, that ſpeak of great riches to be gotten. But how doth it agree with blood-ſhed mentioned verſ. 11. & v. 16? But our former interpretation ſuits well with both. To kill them that they may have their goods. Figures. Swallow. A Metaphor from great fiſhes ſwallowing the leſſe. In the text note,
1. The actors, Let us.
2. The act, ſwallow up.
3. The object, them.
4. The manner:
1. Alive.
2. As the grave.
3. Whole.
4. As they that go down into the pit. Note from the coherence.
1. Doct. Innocent perſons are the object of bad mens wrath. Nocent Cain kills innocent Abel. 1 Joh. 3.12. Becauſe his own works were evill, and his Brothers righteous. Iſhmael perſecutes Iſaac. He that was born after the fleſh perſecuted him that was born after the Spirit, Gal. 4.29. Joab kills two men better then himſelf, 1 King. 2.32. Pii ab improbis tanquam exprobrautes aſpiciuntur. Severus Sulpitius. The wicked look upon the godly, as upbraiding them for their wicked courſes.
Reaſon 1. Contraries ſeek to expell one another, eſpecially the worſt ſeek to drive out the beſt, as darkneſſe to expell light, and cold to drive away heat. Wicked men are contrary to innocent perſons in judgement, will, affections, words, actions, uſe of creatures. They are both men, and the Logick rule holds in them: Species to ti maximè ſunt conſentaneae, ſibi diſſentaneae. Particular kindes agree very much in the generall, and diſagree as much among themſelves And therefore two contrary Kingdomes of Chriſt and Satan cannot agree.
2. Envy ſets evill men on work to contemne inferiours, quarrel with equals, hate ſuperiors. Satan envyes God, wicked men envy good mens preſent ſtate, future happineſſe.
3. Shame ſets them on work. Other mens good works ſhame their bad ones, in all times, places, companies. Hoc tantùm me malè habet, quòd juſtus ubi que audit: This onelyonly troubles me, that every one ſpeaks well of him, and counts him a juſt man. Spoken of Ariſtides by one that knew not his face, yet requeſted him to write his name in a ſhell, to paſſe his vote for his baniſhment.
Ʋſe. Let us not marvel at inſurrections againſt, and oppreſſions of good men. If it be objected, that they give no cauſe, it is eaſily anſwered, Their goodneſſe or wealth is the occaſion. Nec Milvo, nec Accipitri rete tenditur: Men lay not nets for Kites or Hawks. Terent. But for birds that are harmleſſe, and good to eat. Da veniam corvis, vexat cenſura columbas: Men let Ravens go free, and vex Pigeons with their cenſures. They often let go the offender, and puniſh the innocent.
2. Doct. Wicked mens ſpleen is often againſt them that do them no wrong. What wrong did David to Shimei or Saul? Mephiboſheth to Ziba? Spleen overflows in ſuch, as poiſon in a Toad, that ſpits venome on him that treads not on it; and fierceneſſe in a Wolfe, which ſets on him that paſſeth by, and thinks no harm.
Ʋſe. It ſhews a difference between wicked men and good. Ill men ſeek the hurt of friends, good men forgive enemies. As dogs bite them that ſtrike them not, but ſheep bite not them that ſtrike them.
3. Doct. Evill men intend to go through with their plots. So did Jezabel in the buſineſſe of Naboth, without any thought of the danger of innocent blood. So Judas betrayed Chriſt, without any thought of Chriſts kindneſſe in preferring him to the Apoſtleſhip.
Reaſon 1. Their intention is fruſtrate elſe, as a Gardiners, if the tree bear no fruit; or a Builders, if the houſe be not finiſhed.
2. All their labour is loſt alſo, if their plots take no effect.
Ʋſe. It ſhews us the corruption of our nature, that is not content to be evill, think evill, plot evill, but is never quiet, till it act it. Joſeph's Brethren were never quiet till he was gone. They regarded not their Fathers grief that would enſue.
4. Doct. Ungodly men are cruell men. Their very mercies are cruell, Prov. 12.10. A good man regards a beaſts life, they care not for a mans, but kill women and children, like Hazael, 2 King. 8.12, 13. They can daſh the mother in pieces upon her children, Hoſ. 10.14.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe we are naturally ſo degenerate, that we are compared by God, who beſt knows us, to the cruelleſt wilde beaſts. To Wolves, to Lions, and Bears, Iſa. 11.6, 7.
2. Becauſe ungodly men have no fear of God to reſtrain their wicked diſpoſition. Therefore Abraham feared the loffe of his life in Gerar, becauſe he thought the fear of God was not in that place, Gen. 20.11. Therefore Joſeph's Brethren needed to fear no hurt from him, becauſe he feared God, Gen. 42.18.
3. Becauſe they are afraid to be revealed. foreign. Mauritius de Phoca. Fearfull men are murderers.
Ʋſe. Marvell not then at inſurrections, treaſons, poyſonings, cruel murdees. There will be ſuch as long as there be wicked men left in the world.
5. Doct. Wicked men could wiſh, that there were no footſteps left of their iniquity. Such is the way of the adulterous woman, ſhe eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and ſaith, I have done no wickedneſſe, Prov. 30.20.
Reaſon 1. Out of ſhame. They know others will condemne their wicked courſes, though they flatter themſelves, Pſal. 36.2.
2. Out of fear, left they ſhould be called to account, as many wicked men have been ſtrangely, and long after murders and wantonneſſes committed.
Ʋſe. Let us be aſhamed of thoſe courſes that wicked men themſelves are aſhamed of, and will one day wiſh that themſelves, and their ſins were at the bottome of the mountains.
6. Doct. Sinners want not patheticall expreſſions to draw others to ſin. They have hony words, and ſugared baits. See the fawning ſpeeches of the Adultereſſe, Prov. 7.14 &c. and of the Drunkard, Iſa. 56.12. For ſin ſeen in its owne colours would be hated. Ill ſtuffe will not off without a good gloſſe.
Ʋſe Do evill men want no pathetical expreſſions to move to ſin? Let us then bewail our barrenneſſe to perſwade to good. If ſinners have their Come, verſ. 11. ſhould not Saints have their Come to the houſe of the Lord? Iſa. 2.3. Should we not incite, intice, whet, and provoke one another? Heb. 10.24. ſharpen, and extimulate? Prov. 27.17. rouſe, and ſtir up each other to love, and good works? 2 Pet. 1.13. God forbid. Yea, let us labour to go beyond them, our cauſe is far better.