Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 1 · Verse 13
Verſ. 13. We ſhall finde all precious ſubſtance, and ſhall fill our houſes with ſpoyl.
The Wiſe man having ſhewed in the two former verſes, how Theeves uſe to diſpoſſeſſe Novices of fear of danger, and difficulty; now the train being laid, they blow up the Mine, and ſet upon them with an argument of profit, which they think is very prevalent with young men, and few have ſtrength to reſiſt it. Men will hear no reaſon againſt their profit. When we have killed the owner, we will enter into his poſſeſſions, and take away all he hath, Matth. 21.38.
For the words.
foreign. We ſhall finde. The word ſignifies,
1. Finding without ſeeking. By accident, as we call it. I am found of them that ſought me not, Iſa. 65.1. So did Saul finde Chriſt, Act. 9.
2. Finding by ſeeking, or enquiry. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Iſa. 55.6. So Chriſt promiſeth that ſeekers ſhall finde, Mat. 7.7. Here it is taken in the ſecond ſenſe. We ſhall finde what we ſeek for, plenty of riches. We ſhall not need to work hard for it, as they did. It will come eaſily, as with one that findes eggs in a birds neſt, Iſa. 10.14. It is laid up already for us, we need onelyonly to look it out, and take it. None will reſiſt us when the owner is gone. Finding here is obtaining by ſearch. When we come into his houſe, we ſhall finde ſtore of riches. They will offer themſelves to us. What other men wrought hard for, we ſhall get with little labour.
foreign, All. Not all that is in the world, but of all ſorts ſome. The word imports variety with plenty. We ſhall have abundance of riches of all ſorts. So the word is uſed, Gen. 41.57. All Countreys came into Aegypt to Joſeph, for to buy corn. That is, ſome out of all or moſt Countreys. So Mat. 4. Chriſts healing all ſickneſſe, is well tranſlated all manner of ſickneſſe.
foreign ſubſtance Riches. Property of gold and filver. Wealth. So it is tranſlated, chap. 3.9. & 13.11. Honor the Lord with thy ſubſtanee. Wealth gotten by vanity ſhall be diminiſhed.
foreign. Precious. The word fignifies,
1. Honor. The honor of his excellent majeſty, Eſt. 1.4.
2. Precious, or rare. The Word of the Lord was precious in thoſe dayes, 1 Sam. 3.1.
3. Precious in value, or of great price. With the precious stones, 2 Sam. 12.30. So it is taken here. We will leave mean things for poor theeves, and ſeiſe upon the beſt for our ſelves. We will not take trifles, things of no value, but the choyceſt things.
foreign We ſhall fill. When it is ſpoken of a veſſel or place, it ſignifies filling. Repleniſh (or fill) the earth, Gen. 1.28. When of a time, or word, it ſignifies ſulfilling. My dayes are fulfilled, Gen. 29.21. Here it it taken in the firſt ſenſe. We ſhall get ſtore, not enough for neceſſity onelyonly, but alſo to afford pleaſure and delight.
foreign Our houſes. The word comes from foreign, to build. Houſes grow no…, they muſt be built b… mens labour. We ſhall have enough to fill our houſes with utenſils, and ornaments, and to keep us and all ours with eaſe, and without that labour and pains that other men take. We will empty their houſes to fill ours with what we have taken out of them, and not leave ſtealing, till our houſes now empty be filled with good things. Every room ſhall have his ſtuffe and furniture. It is put ſometime for a neſt, the birds houſe. The ſparrow hath found an houſe, Pſa. 84.3. Sometime for the houſhold, family, nation, or poſterity; as the houſe of Jacob, and of Judah. Ordinarily it is put for mans dwelling place. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my houſe, Pſal. 132.3. Hence comes the Chaldee word foreign, to lodge, or paſſe the night. The King paſſed the night faſting, Dan. 6.18. For men go abroad about buſineſſe all day, but lodge at home all night.
foreign, Spoil. Properly it ſignifies, ſpolia, exuvias, cloths taken off a mans body, or the skin off from a beaſt. Put off thy ſhooes from off thy feet, Exod. 3.5. Figuratively, it ſignifies all things uſefull, taken from others by violence, (as beaſts take their prey) as houſhold-ſtuffe, goods, &c. We will not work for our living, but as enemies and wilde beaſts will live by prey. Benjamin ſhall raven as a Wolfe, in the morning he ſhall devour the prey, and at night he ſhall divide the ſpeyl, Gen. 49.27. And behold the ſervants of David and Joab came from purſuing a troop, and brought in a great ſpoyl with them, 2 Sam. 3.22. The precious things mentioned before, might be ſilver, gold, jewels. The ſpoyl here may be other things taken out of the houſe, as houſholdſtuffe, garments, cattle. Every word hath an emphaſis. We will take not ſhadows, but ſubſtance; not ordinary, but precious; not a little, but enough to fill our houſes; not with ſome, but with all ſorts to ſuperfluity. And all this got not by hard labour, but with eaſe, as things found. As conquerors, when they take Cities, ſack them, and carry away the ſpoyl to enrich themſelves, Iſa. 8.4.
It is as if they ſhould have ſaid, Thou art a young man, needeſt many things for thy pleaſure. Joyn with us, and thou ſhalt want nothing. Thou knoweſt not how to labour, nor ſhalt not need. We ſhall have abundance of all things with eaſe, and without fear of loſſe of life, or credit, and without any fear of danger. If an eaſie and free life do not move thee, yet think upon the greatneſſe of the prey, and that will certainly allure thee. This is the laſt and greateſt argument, the concluſion follows, verſ. 14. Caſt in thy lot among us, &c.
Figures none. For Parts: Note two promiſes that wicked men make to themſelves:
1. Of great things.
2. Of abundance. In the firſt note,
1. The ſubject, We.
2. The adjunct. And in it,
1. The act, ſhall find.
2. The object. And therein,
1. The ſubject, ſubſtance.
2. The adjuncts,
1. Of quality, precious.
2. Of quantity, all.
In the ſecond promiſe note,
1. The ſubject, W….
2. The adjunct. And in it,
1. The act, ſhall fill.
2. The containing ſubject, our houſes.
3. The object, with ſpoyl.
1. Doct. Gain is the cauſe of abundance of miſchief in the world. Herein the text it produceth the loſſe of mens whole eſtates and lives. So are the wayes of every one, that is greedy of gain, which taketh away the life of the owners thereof, Chap. 1. Ziba's covetouſneſſe loſt Mephiboſheth half his eſtate, 2 Sam. 19.29. Gehazi's brought the leprofie on him, and his poſterity, 2 King. 5.27. Judas his brought Chriſt to his death, and himſelf to hanging and hell, Mat. 27.5. Act. 1.25. Simon Magus his brought himſelf to periſh with his mony, Act. 8.20. Gain upholds idolatry, Iſa. 41.6, 7. as making Images upheld the Tradeſmen of Epheſus, Act: 19.25. It upholds Sabbath-breaking, Neh. 13.15. As alſo perjury, and murder of parents, at leaſt in heart. Filius onte diem patrios inquirit in annos: The Son thinks the Father lives too long to keep him out of his inheritance. It is the cauſe of other murders alſo, as of heire, Mat. 21.38. of adulteries, for whores are hired, Deut. 23.18. The Popes get much by Stews at Rome. So theft and couſenage in the text are fruits of covetouſneſſe. Falſe witneſſes are ſet on work by covetous perſons, as againſt Naboth, 1 King. 21.13. Deſire of other mens goods proceeds from that root, 1 King. 21.1. So doth idolatry. Matth. 6.24. Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon.
Ʋſe. Take heed you ſet not up the Idol of gain in your hearts. A man that rides a journey muſt not overload his horſe, nor he that runs a race overload himſelf. Gain will make good men ſordid. Dulce lucrum è re qualibet: Gain is good out of a dunghill. The Emperour Veſpaſian impoſed a tribute upon Urine. Sueton. in Veſpaſ. c. 23. And Michael Paphlago the Greek Emperor, upon the Air. Cuiac. obſerv. 10. c. 7. Gain made Balaam forwarder then his Aſſe to curſe Gods people. Thoſe that count all good fiſh that comes to the net, in the end will catch the devill and all.
2. Doct. Worldly things are very precious to carnall eyes. They are counted the onelyonly good. Who will ſhew us any good? Pſal. 4.6. Nebuchadnezzar knows no other heaven but Babylon. Dan. 4.30. Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the houſe of the Kingdome, and for the honor of my Majeſty? Agrippae and Barnice came with great po…, Act. 25.23.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe there is ſome proportion between worldly eyes, and carnall objects. Men are naturally covetous.
2. They know no better things. They are blinde in ſpirituall and heavenly matters. He that never ſaw the Sun, would think the Moon a glorious creature.
Ʋſe. It teacheth us not to marvel that young men are carried a way with worldly objects, when old men, if carnall, are taken with them. They have little, and need much to ſatisfie their luſts. No wonder then if they be catcht.
3. Doct. Plenty is deſired by ill men, not caring how they come by it. The love of money is the root of all evill, which while ſome coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themſelves through with many ſorrows, 1 Tim 6.10. Therefore muſt rich men weep and howle for the wiſeries that come on them, for their ill-gotten goods, Jam. 5.1, &c. The wayes wicked men uſe for gain prove it. They will ſwear, lie, put off had and light ware, uſe falſe lights and meaſures, weights and witneſſes, and cheating devices to deceive others.
Ʋſe. Let us ſhew that we are not ſuch wicked men, by being content with a moderate ſtate, and not uſing ill means to get more. Elſe we ſhall conſult ſhame to our houſes, by cutting off many people, and ſinning againſt our ſouls, Hab. 2.10. He that brings home a pack of plaguy clothes, hath no ſuch great booty of it.
4. Doct. Wickedneſſe will brag and boaſt. The devil offers all the Kingdomes of the world to Chriſt, Matth. 4.8, 9. Why boaſteſt thou thy ſelfe in miſchief, O mighty man? Pſal. 52.1.
Reaſon 1. Wicked men hereby ſhew forth the pride of their hearts, that are not content to be evill, unleſſe they boaſt and triumph over others.
2. That they may draw others to them, for great words and fair promiſes prevail much with wicked men.
Ʋſe. Suſpect bragging perſons, that they intend to draw you to ſome evill. Good men are modeſt. Bad men divide the Bears skin before the Bear be dead. They oft fall ſhort of what they brag of, and loſe life and all, when they promiſe themſelves and others great riches, as in the Powder-treaſon, and in the invincible Navy in 88. and later Inſurrections.
5. Doct. Wicked men care not, if all men be empty, ſo themſelves be full. Theeves will take away clothes and all, as from him that went down from Jeruſalem to Jericho, Luk. 10.30. They cruſh the poor, Amos 4.1. They ſwallow up the needy, and make the poor of the land to fail, Amos 8.4.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe they have no love in them, but ſelf-love. Like the unrighteous Judge, that regarded no man, Luk. 18.2.
2. As they know not what belongs to humanity, ſo much leſſe to communion of Saints. It is no Article of their Creed.
Ʋſe. It teacheth us to look for little kindneſſe from ungodly men. They are ſtrangers to their owne blood. Friends can look for little from them, and godly men for leſſe.
… Doct. Wicked men dream of no want nor croſſes in their ungodly courſes. Satans firſt temptation put ſuch thoughts into Eves heart. Ye ſhall not die, Gen. 3.4. Soul thou haſt much goods laid up for many yeers, take thine eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry, Luk. 12.19.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe they have no ſound forecaſt, but look onelyonly at the preſent, as a fooliſh Merchant, having had one good Voyage, adventures all next time, and loſes all.
2. Becauſe they are bewitched with luſt and proſperity. Their eye is in their heart, not in their head. They beleeve they ſhall not want, though they waſſe, becauſe they would have it ſo.
Ʋſe. Build not on worldly proſperity. Leaſt of all in bad wayes, Pſal. 62.10.