Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 1 · Verse 18
Verſ. 18. And they lay wait for their owne blood, they lurk privily for their owne lives.
Here the Wiſe-man proceeds to a third argument, to diſſwade the young man from joyning with theſe robbers. The firſt was from their cruelty, v. 16. The ſecond, from their injuſtice, v. 17. The third in this verſ. from their craft and indirect dealing, to bring their wicked ends to paſſe.
For the words.
And, or So. For thus this word is tranſlated, Pro. 25.23. The North-wind driveth away rain, ſo doth an angry countenance at back biting tongue. It ſets forth a reddition to a ſimilitude. So it may do here. As the Fowlers without provocation, lay wait to kill the harmleſſe birds, that they may devoure them, ſo robbers without provocation lurk privily to kill men, that they may deprive them of their riches.
They lay wait. See on v. 11.
For their own. It may be tranſlated their, or their own. And therefore the word owne is in a little letter, as not neceſſarily included in the Originall word. They that take it for their owne, underſtand it thus. Theſe robbers, that are ſo ſolicitous to draw thee into their ſociety think to undoe others, but indeed undoe themſelves in the end. They come to the gallows. They doe as it were hold a piſtoll with a dark lantern in their hand, and when they think to kill others, ſhoot themſelves to death. Quae rapinâ ſublata funt, raptorem rapiunt. Ab Ezr. Things unjuſtly ſnatcht away, ſnatch away the ſnateher. Some hold on the compariſon, and read it their, not their owne, and underſtand it of the birds, which the fowlers are not content to take, but kill them alſo. And they make the reddition, v. 19. But the beſt way is to read it their, and apply it to the rich men whom the theeves would rob. And ſo it is a part of the application. As Fowlers lay wait to kill birds, ſo theeves to kill men. The reaſons to inforce this interpretation, are theſe.
1. They that are to be killed are thoſe whoſe blood they laid wait for, v. 11. which was not their owne, but ſuch as they would rob. And ſwallow up alive, v. 12. And finde riches in their houſes, v. 13.
2. Becauſe the other interpretation agrees not with the ſimilitude, v. 17. for fowlers run no danger themſelves in catching or killing birds. No law layes hold on their lives. So it ſhould be a diſſimilitude rather then a ſimilitude. Though fowlers get no harm by killing birds, yet thou ſhalt periſh with murdering theeves, if thou joyn with them. But this agrees not with the words.
3. Becauſe it agrees not with v. 19. They ſeek the life of the owners of thoſe riches, and not their owne lives. To conclude, the dehortation is not taken from the hurt that might befall the young man, if he joyn with them, but that might betide others by his joyning with them in their crafty wayes, which will not onelyonly be the loſſe of their eſtates, but of their lives alſo ſometimes, which the young man, not uſed to blood and fraud, would ſtartle at in likelyhood, though the ſeducers uſed to it could ſhed blood without remorſe.
Bloud. See on v. 11. They lurk privily. See on v. 11.
For their owne. Rather for their. That is, for to kill thoſe whom they rob. See before in this verſ.
foreign, Their lives. Heb. Their ſouls. The word ſignifies,
1. The breath. His breath kindleth coals, Job 41.21.
2. The life, which cannot be without breathing. But fleſh with the life thereof, ſhall ye not eat, Gen. 9.4.
3. The ſoul, the cauſe and fountain of life. Man became a living ſoul, Gen. 2.7.
4. A living body. Let the earth bring forth the living creature, Gen. 1.24.
5. A man. The ſouls, that came out of the loynes of Jacob, Exod. 1.5. That is, the men.
6. The body of a man. He was laid in iron, Pſal. 105.18. Heb. His ſoul came into iron. As in the marg. of your Bibles. Yet it was the body of Joſeph onelyonly, for his ſoul could not be bound in iron.
7. A dead car…aſe that had once a ſoul in it. Whoſo toucheth any thing, that is unclean by the dead, Lev. 22.4. Heb. by a ſoul.
8. The heart, minde, or deſire of a man. Ye know the heart of a stranger, Exod. 23.9. Heb. the ſul.
9. For God himſelf, as the ſoul of man was taken for the man himſelf, in the fift ſignification. The Lord God hath ſworn by himſelf, Amos 6.8. Heb. by his ſoul.
Here it is taken in the ſecond ſenſe, for the life, becauſe as the breath is the ſigne of life, ſo the preſence of the ſoul is the cauſe of life, and the abſence of it the cauſe of death. Faulkeners if they catch birds in the net, kill them. If not, they ſhoot them. So do robbers with men. They kill them with the ſword, or with the gun. Thus the Adultereſſe ſeeks a mans life, ch. 6.26. & 7.22, 23.
Figures. Blood for life, and ſoul for life. The cauſe for the effect. The ſame thing is doubled in divers words, to ſhew the certainty of it, that this is indeed the intention of robbers, what ever they pretend to the young man. So Pharaoh's dream was doubled, to ſhew, that the thing was eſtabliſhed by God, and God would ſhortly bring it to paſſe, Gen. 41.32. And Kimchi on thoſe words, Iſa. 1.2. I have nouriſhed and brought up children, ſaith, The doubling of the word is to confirm the thing in divers words, though the matter be all one, foreign And ſuch is the cuſtome of the Scripture in many places.
For the diviſion:
Note 1. The efficient, They, the robbers.
2. The act, lay wait, lork privily.
3. The object, for their blood, for their lives. To murder ſuch as they rob. It agrees with the former verſ. thus. As fowlers lie hid themſelves, and lay their nets, where birds come, to catch and kill them, though they never hurt them; ſo theſe robbers lie hid privily to entrap them that hurt them not, and to kill them for their goods.
1. Doct. Similitudes rightly applyed are of great uſe. They are much uſed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament. As by Moſes, Deut. 32.11, 12. Where Gods care of his is ſet out by the Eagles tender care of her young ones. By the Prophets, Iſa. 49.15, 16. which ſets it out by the Mothers reſpect to her young children. By Chriſt, Matt. 13. who take ſimilies from Sea, Land, Trade, Husbandry, to teach all ſorts of men piety. By the Apoſtles, Jude v. 12, 13. where the like are taken from Bodies of men, Heaven, Earth, Sea.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe they help the underſtanding much. For earthly things are better known to us then heavenly. They are glaſſes, in which we may ſee better things. The eyes convey much knowledge to the ſoul.
2. Similitudes help the memory, for things ſeen are tokens of things unſeen, as a thread on the finger of an errand. The act of memory lodges one thing in one corner of the room, another in another.
3. They help the will. When we ſee the willingneſſe of beaſts to provide for their young, it puts Parents in minde of their duty.
4. They help the conſcience. A ſimilitude helped David to ſee his ſin quickly, 2 Sam. 12.1, &c. He could ſoon condemne him that killed his neighbours Ewe-lamb, that would hardly elſe have condemned himſelf for killing his neighbor, and abuſing his Wife.
5. They help the affections. The attractive ones are helped by ſimilies taken from things liked; the abſtractive by ſimilies taken from things diſliked.
6. They help to amend our lives. The Ant can teach the Sluggard to labour.
Ʋſe 1. Treaſure up ſtore of ſimilitudes. All places afford plenty of them. Sea, land, ſhop, houſe, ſtreets, fields, are not barren. What can you doe that may not teach you ſome good leſſon for your ſouls?
2. Be ſure to apply them right, elſe they may doe much harm. As that parable, Mat. 18.23. where the Lords revoking his pardon, verſ. 34. is applyed to falling away from grace, contrary to Chriſts interpretation, verſ. 35. God wil not forgive you, unleſſe you forgive others. Simile non currit quatuor pedibus: No ſimilitude runs on four legs. If it agree in ſome things, it muſt differ in others, elſe it were not the like, but the ſame. And what application can be better, then that which leads to the ſcope of the propounder? Theologia ſymbolica, non eſt argumentativa. Similitudes making nothing true, but illuſtrate things that were true before. The abſurdeſt thing in the world might be proved by ſome ſimilitude. As that Parents need take no more care for their children, then the Oſtriches do for their eggs, Job 39.13, &c. But what childe will allow of ſuch a proof? Therefore apply ſimilitudes carefully, leſt ye run into error.
Before, v. 11. they ſay, Let us lay wait, &c. Here Solomon affirms that they do ſo.
2. Doct. A wicked man, as he perſwades others to evil, ſo he acts it himſelf. So Judah counſelled to, and joyned in the ſelling of Joſeph, Gen. 37.26, &c. Judas did the like in bringing Chriſt to his end, Matt. 26.14, 15.
Reaſon 1. To ſhew their reall approbation of the work. For it is pleaſing to their corrupt nature. They give bad counſel out of love to evill, as their deeds declare.
2. To encourage others to miſchief. For deeds draw more then words, examples then precepts.
Ʋſe. To blame many, who give good counſel to others to be juſt, yet prove unjuſt themſelves; and to be patient, yet are impatient themſelves. Like Phariſees, they lay heavy burdens on mens ſhoulders, but they themſelves will not move them with one of their fingers, Mat. 23.4.
Fowlers have cunning pates to invent traps, and ſtrong hands to lay them.
3. Doct. As wicked men have heads to invent, ſo have they hands to execute miſchief. So Iſhmael contrived and executed Gedalia's death, and others, Jer. 41.1, &c. So did Joab, Atner's and Amaſa's death, 2 Sam. 3.27. & 20.9, 10.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe mens hands are naturally corrupt, as well as their heads.
2. Becauſe elſe their plots will come to nothing, if their hands be not nimble to execute, as well as their heads to invent.
Ʋſe. It reproves ſuch as have good heads, and know well what they ſhould doe, but finde many rubs in the way, when they ſhould go about any good duty. Theſe are ſluggards, and cry, A lion in the way, Prov. 6.13.
New words come to be expounded in every verſe.
4. Doct. Much pains is needfull to underſtand Scripture aright. Continuall pains, Continue in them, 1 Tim. 4.16. Searching pains. Search the Scriptures, Joh. ch. 5. verſ. 39.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe of the manner of writing Some things are plain, but other things are figurative; as, I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband-man, Joh. 15.1. Some direct, but others ironical; as, Rejoyce, O young man in thy youth, &c. Eccl. 11.9. Some like Iſlands and Promontories, as marks of good example to guide; ſome like rocks, and quick-ſands, as ſtories of bad example, to avoyd.
2. Becauſe Miniſters which have more gifts then others, yet labour hard to underſtand Scripture.
Ʋſe. Let us take pains to know the meaning of Gods Word, as Miners do, that dig for gold, ſilver, or jewels; or men that draw water out of deep wells, even out of the wells of ſalvation, Iſa. 12.3.
If open oppoſing will not ſerve to rob and kill, ambuſhes muſt.
5. Doct. Many ſnares are laid for innocent men. As for David by Saul, that he might be killed by the Philiſtins, or any other way. So for Daniel, by the Princes of the Kingdome by enquiring into all his wayes, and by new projects, Dan. 6.4, 5.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe of the malice of ungodly men againſt them.
2. Becauſe of their ſubtilty. If they were not malicious, they would not lay ſnares for good men. If not ſubtil, they could not do it, to prevail.
Ʋſe. Judge not them evill, that have many ſnares laid for them. Nets are not laid for Kites, but for Pigeons.
For their ſouls; that is, for their lives. For they cannot come at their ſouls to hurt them.
6. Doct. The naturall life depends upon the preſence of the ſoul, 1 King. 17.22. The ſoul of the childe came into him again, and he revived.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe there is no life in the infant in the wombe, till the ſoul enter into it. This we call quickening in the Mother, a diſtinct act from conceiving.
2. Life continues not, if the ſoul depart.
3. It ends then. Souls departure from the body brings death.
4. Continuance of life in the ſoul after the death of the body, ſhews, that the life of the body depends upon it.
5. The ſouls returning at the reſurrection brings life to the body.
6. It brings eternall life to it alſo. The ſoul continuing with the body to eternity, that body then can never die.
Ʋſe. Be moſt careful of your ſouls. Then your bodies wil live alſo. Elſe both periſh. No life without the ſoul. The body will live if the ſoul live. And the body will live as the ſoul lives, happily or miſerably to eternity. If the ſoul be damned, ſay, Farewell all bodily comfort for ever. What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world and loſe his owne ſoul? Matt. 16.26.