Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 1 · Verse 23
Verſ. 23. Turn you at my repreof; behold, I will pour out my ſpirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Wiſdome having ſearched into their ſores, and diſcovered their diſeaſes to them in the former verſ. doth now apply plaiſters to them, which may heal them. After a ſhort rebuke of their folly and contempt, ſhe adminiſters good counſell in an exhortation. Having ſhewed them that they were out of the way, now ſhe ſhews them how to get in again. She had blamed them before for ſtaying ſo long in wicked wayes. Now ſhe bids them turn ſpeedily. And this exhortation is backed afterwards with threats and promiſes.
For the words.
foreign, Turn you, or return. The word ſignifies,
1. To return to a place from which one went away before. Abraham returned unto his place, Gen. 18.33.
2. To return from anger, or to be friends with one. Surely his anger ſhall turn from me, Jer. 2.35.
3. To repent or return to God, from whom we are all naturally gone aſtray. And ſhalt return unto the Lord thy God, Deut. 30.2.
4. To doe the ſame thing again. Iſaac digged again (Heb. returned and digged) the wells of water which they had digged in the dayes of Abraham his Father, Genens ch. 26. v. 18.
5. To make to return, or bring back. Then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, Deut. 30.3.
Here it is taken in the third ſenſe, for turning from the wayes of folly to the wayes of true wiſdome, from Satan to God. A ſimilitude taken from travellers that are gone out of their way, or from children, ſervants, ſouldiers, or ſcholars, that run away from their governours, and undoe themſelves. So Hagar fled from Sarah, and is bidden to returne, Gen. 16.6, 9.
foreign, At my reproof. The word ſignifies,
1. Verball reproving in words. Thus ſhe was reproved, Gen. 20.16.
2. Reall reproving, that is, correcting. Oh Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger; that is, as follows, chaſten me not in thy hot diſpleaſure, Pſal. 6.1. Here it is uſed in the firſt ſenſe for the words of wiſdome in the former verſi or ſuch like. Seeing yeers have not brought you to diſcretion, nor ye have wit enough to return from your evill wayes of your ſelves, do it at my reproof.
foreign, Behold. She puts a note of admiration before the promiſe, becauſe abundance of grace, eſpecially in them, who have lived long in wick edneſſe, is a thing worthy to be wondred at by all, as it is for a Virgin to bear a Son. Iſa. 7.14. Behold, a virgin ſhall conceive and bear a Son.
foreign, I will poure out. It ſignifies abundance of grace to be given, as a fountain poures out plenty of water. It notes great fulneſſe in wiſdome, and great affection to others. I will willingly poure it out of a full heart, as water out of a fountain. So abundance of folly and evill is poured out of a wicked heart. The mouth of fooles poureth out folly, Prov. 15.2. The mouth of the wicked poureth out evill things, Prov. 15.28.
foreign, My ſpirit. It ſignifies,
1. The wind. There came a great wind from the wilderneſſe, Job 1.19.
2. Vanity, a thing of no ſubſtance, empty like the wind. What profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? Eccleſ. 5.16.
3. A corner, or place, or quarter of the earth, where the wind may blow. In four quarters were the porters, 1 Chron. 9.24.
4. The breath of a living creature, which is kinde of wind. Neither is there any breath in their mouths, Pſal. 135.17.
5. A Spirit or Angel. Then a ſpirit paſſed before my face, Job 4.15.
6. The ſoul of a man. The ſpirit of Jacob their. Father revived, Gen. 45.27.
7. The life. Thou haſt granted me life, Job 10.12.
8. The Holy Ghoſt the third Perſon in Trinity. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, Gen. 1.2.
9. The gifts of the Holy Ghoſt. I will pour out my Spirit upon all fleſh, Joel 2.28. So it is taken here for ſpirituall graces. All three Perſons are cloſely mentioned in this ch. The Father, called the Lord, verſ. 7. The Son, called Wiſdome, v. 20. The holy Ghoſt, called the Spirit, in this verſ. Some take it for illumination onelyonly, and gifts of knowledge. So it agrees well with the words, that follow. I will make known my words unto you. If ye hearken to my reproof, I will tell you more of my minde. Ye ſhal know more of heavenly truths. So that pouring out of the Spirit is emptying of the ſoul, declaring what Wiſdome thinks, which is worth the knowing. And I will declare it as fully, as if it flowed out of a fountain. Others take it for ſanctifying gifts of the Spirit. The former agrees beſt with the words following.
Ʋnto you. By making my minde known unto you. By my words.
foreign, I will make known. By pouring out my ſpir it, and declaring my whole minde unto you.
foreign, My words. It ſignifies,
1. A word. Hear the word of the Lord, Iſa. 1.10.
2. A thing. For things are revealed by words. The thing proceedeth from the Lord, Gen. 24.50. Here it is taken in the firſt ſenſe.
Ʋnto you, Heb. I will make you to know my words.
The ſumme of all is. If ye will turn from your fooliſh wayes to hearken to me, I will fill you with true wiſdome.
Not that men have power to repent of themſelves, but theſe exhortations of Gods Miniſters ſet home by Gods Spirit, are means to bring ſinners to repentance.
Figures. Turn. A Metaphor from men out of the way, that muſt return or never come to their journeys end.
Poure out. A Metaphor from a fountain that poures out water abundantly.
My Spirit. A figure of the cauſe for the effect. The gifts of my Spirit, or meaning of it.
Note.
1. An exhortation.
2. A promiſe to encourage them.
He begins with a promiſe here, and ends with another, v. 33. and fills the middle with threatnings.
In the exhortation note,
1. An act, Turn you.
2. The motive to it, at my reproof.
The promiſe is double,
1. Of the Spirit. 2. Of knowledge.
In the firſt note,
1. The word of admiration, Behold.
2. The agent, I.
3. The act, will poure out.
4. The object, my Spirit.
5. The ſubject, unto you.
In the ſecond promiſe note,
1. The agent, I.
2. The act, will make known.
3. The object, my words.
4. The ſubject, unto you.
1. Doct. Miniſters muſt ſhew the way of healing, as well as the diſeaſe, Iſa. 1.4. with v. 16, 17. Ab ſinfull Nation, &c. Waſh you, make you clean, &c. Hoſ. 10.9. with v. 12. O Iſrael, thou haſt ſinned from the dayes of Gibeah, &c. Sow to your ſelves in righteouſneſſe, reap in mercy, &c. Rom. 3.9. with v. 21. We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under ſin. But now the righteouſneſſe of God without the Law is manifeſted, 1 Pet. 4.3. with verſ. 7. The time paſt of our lives may ſuffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, &c. The end of all things is at hand, Be ye therefore ſober, and watch.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe elſe they ſhould be like Job's friends, Phyſicians of no value, Job 13.4. Who cares for a Phyſician, that onelyonly can tell him, he muſt die?
2. They could elſe do no good to men by their Miniſtery. He that tells a man he is in the wrong way, or that the enemy comes upon him, and cannot guide him in the right way, or to a ſafe tower, doth no good.
Ʋſe. Let Miniſters teach men, as to caſt off ſolly, ſo to hearken to Wiſdomes voyce to come out of by wayes and darkneſſe, unto the right way, and light. Elſe they are like him that ſnuffs a lamp, and puts in no oyl.
2. Dict. Reproof may turn ſome, that would never turn of themſelves. The Angels ſpeech made the Iſraelites weep, Judg. 2.1, 4. Peter's ſpeech pricked the Jews to the heart, and made them cry out, Men and brethren, what ſhall we doe? Act. 2.14, 37.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe we are naturally in ſenſible of our dangers, as a man neer death oſt-times feels no pain.
2. We are not inquiſitive after wayes of eſcaping, as a mad-man never ſeeks to a Phyſician. No ſuſpicion, no inquifition.
3. Reproof rouzes up mens conſciences, and makes them look about them, as a roaring canon wakes a man out of a dead ſleep.
4. It enflames their affections, and makes them to look after ſalvation. As pain felt makes a man look after a Phyſician, that ſlighted him before.
Ʋſe. Let us highly eſteem of reproofs (it may be we ſhould have gone on ſleeping to hell elſe) So did David, Pſal. 141.5. Let the righteous reprove me, it ſhall be an excellent oyl. Giving ear to reproof is the high way to wiſdome. The ear that heareth the reproof of life, abideth among the wiſe, Prov. 15.31.
3. Doct. Wonderfull gifts are given by Gods Spirit. Therefore Wiſdome faith, Behold. See a catalogue of them, 1 Cor. 12.4, &c. Act. 2.17. &c. Giſes of knowledge, wiſdome, healing, miracles, tongues, propheſie. See Abraham's admirable faith, Heb. 11.9, 10. He had Canaan, yet like a ſtranger looked for heaven. See Job's ſtrange patience, Job 1. Wonder at David's hearty thankfulneſſe, whereof the Pſalms are witneſſes, and Solomon's vaſt wiſdome ſet out in his rare Proverbs. Theſe could not grow in the Wilderneſſe of corrupted nature, and therefore muſt come out of a garden planted by Gods Spirit.
Ʋſe. Acknowledge God in the gifts of his ſervants. Nature, Art, Experience, cannot produce thoſe admirable effects, and gifts, which ſome men have attained. Though dayes may ſpeak, and multitude of years may teach wiſdome. Yet, there is a ſpirit in man, and the inſpiration of the Almighty giveth them underſtanding, Job 32.7, 8.
4. Doct. Abundance of ſpirituall gifts are given to believers. A fountain is poured out on them. The water that I ſhall give him, ſhall be in him a well of water ſpringing up into everlaſting life, Joh. 4.14. This well is opened, Joh. 7.39. This ſpake he of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him ſhould receive.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe the perſons are many, yea many thouſands. An hundred forty and four thouſand Iſraelites, beſides an innumerable company of believing Gentiles, Rev. 7.4, 9. And if every one had but one ſeveral gift, they muſt needs be many.
2. Every one of theſe hath many gifts, as knowledge, holineſſe, righteouſneſſe, meekneſſe, ſobriety, patience, magnanimity, faith, hope, charity, &c. All then muſt needs mount to an huge ſumme.
Ʋſe. Pray for abundance of ſpirituall gifts, they are the beſt treaſure. Loſe nothing for asking.
5. Doct. They that will turn to God, ſhall not want the plentifull help of Gods Spirit to direct them. If any man will do his will, he ſhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I ſpeak of my ſelf, Joh. 7.17. The Spirit of truth ſhall testifie of me, Joh. 15.26.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe they will pray for Gods Spirit, and God will give the Spirit to them that ask it, Luk. 11.13.
2. Becauſe God is ſo free, that he gives the Spirit to them that go away from him; as to Paul, Act. 9. Much more will he give it to them that return to him. Chriſt that ſeeks the loſt ſheep, will give his Spirit to the returning ſheep.
Ʋſe. It encourages men to turn to God, for then they ſhall have his Spirit for their Inſtructer, Sanctifier, Comforter.
6 Doct. The Spirit and the Word muſt go together to guide. Both are joyned in this verſ. The comforter ſhall bring all things to your remembrance, whatſoever I have ſaid unto you, Joh. 14.26. The Spirits muſt be tryed, whether they be of God, 1 Joh. 4.1. How ſhall that be known? By hearing Gods Word. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the ſpirit of error, 1 Joh. 4 6.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe elſe contradiction, untruth, double dealing, is put upon God. For if his Word ſay one thing, and his Spirit another, he contradicts himſelf, and muſt needs ſpeak falſely in one of them, for contraries cannot be true. If it be day, it is not night. If a man bid his ſervant before men to do one thing, and whiſper the contrary in his ear, Is not this double dealing?
2. Becauſe there is no other ſure way to diſtinguiſh between a true ſpeaking and a falſe ſpeaking Spirit.
Ʋſe. It reproves thoſe that croſſe the Word under pretence of the Spirit, and revelation, and ſo ſet God at daggers drawing with himſelf, and make him inconſtant to ſay and unſay. God in his Word bids read the Scriptures, hear the Word, ſaith, Paul the great Apoſtle knew but in part. Men deny all theſe by the Spirit. A lying ſpirit muſt it needs be, that contradicts Gods plain Word. To the law, and to the teſtimony; if they ſpeak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no light in them, Iſa. 8.20.