Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 2 · Verse 12
Verſ. 12. To deliver thee from the way of the evill man, from the man that ſpeaketh froward things.
Here begins the deliverance from dangers that may come to us by evill mens ſociety. The benefit is propounded in the beginning of this verſ. The evill mans way from which he is to be delivered, is ſet out by divers effects.
1. In his words, in the end of this verſ.
2. In his works, v. 13.
3. In his affections, v. 14.
4. In his obſtinacy, v. 15.
For the words.
To deliver thee. The Heb. word foreign, ſignifies,
1. To ſpoyl a man or take his goods from him. All the riches that God hath taken from our Father, Gen. 31.16.
2. To take away a man from trouble, or deliver him. And delivered our houſes; Exod. 12.27. So here.
From. So foreign is tranſlated, From the hand of all his enemies, and from the band of Saul, Pſal. 18. in the title. Sometimes it is out of. He hath delivered me out of all trouble, Pſal. 54.7. Here it may be underſtood either way. Wiſdome is good to deliver men from ill wayes, that they fall not into them; and to deliver them out of them, when they are faln into them; to keep them out, or bring them out. But it is beſt to underſtand it in the firſt ſenſe, as it is tranſlated. For it is a greater mercy to be kept out of ill wayes, then to be brought out of them. As it is a greater favour to be kept in health, then to be healed. It agrees alſo beſt with the ſcope of the place, which is, to keep young men from entring into evill wayes.
The way. See on ch. 1.15. It ſignifies their wicked courſes of life, which as a wrong way leads to a bad end. Wiſdome will keep us from following bad example, and delighting in the company of bad men, and ſo getting hurt by them. From walking in their way with them, or after them. From joyning with them in ſin, or doing the like ſins.
Of the evill man; that is, of evill men. The ſingular for the plurall; as is expreſſed, v. 13. Who leave the wayes of uprightneſſe, or of evill; that is, from all evill wayes, or from the evill way; that is, from evill courſes. As appears by what follows by way of explanation in the words following. For the word, ſee on ch. 1.16.
From the man. foreign, ſignifies,
1. A man by kind oppoſed to a beaſt, either male or female. Whether it be beaſt or man, Exod. 19.13.
2. A male, or a man oppoſed to a woman. There was a man in the Land of Ʋz, Job. 1.1.
3. An Husband, oppoſed to a Wife. She gave alſo to her Husband, Gen. 3.6.
4. A great man, or a valiant man. Art not thou a valiant man? 1 Sam. 26.15.
Here it is taken in the third ſenſe, for a man oppoſed to a woman, v. 16.
That ſpeaketh. That is, ſo full of wickedneſſe, that he cannot keep it in, but it breaks out in his words.
Froward things. Contrary to what he ſhould ſpeak. Croſſe things to truth, holineſſe or righteouſneſſe. That gives ſuch untoward counſel as is mentioned, ch. 1.11. Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, &c. Whereby men are ſeduced to evil. Words tending to the ſubverſion of Gods honour, and mans good, temporall and eternall, whereby men are perverted. Such as ſpeak diſtorted words, as if the upper lip ſtood where the neather lip ſhould.
The ſumme is, as if Solomon ſhould have ſaid, Unleſſe wiſdome enter into thy heart as a keeper, how canſt thou converſing amongſt men, who for the moſt part walk in an evill way, be freed from the groſſeſt errors, or moſt corrupt manners of them that ſpeak perverſe things, ſeeking to infect others by their ſubverting perſwaſions. Thus ſome do in matters of opinion. Alſo, of your owne ſelves ſhall m…n ariſe, ſpeaking perverſe things, to draw away diſciples after them, Act. 20.30. Others doe the like in matters of practiſe. Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die, 1 Cor. 15.32. Diſcretion then, and underſtanding deliver us from evill mens wayes, and words of perverſe men; not by taking us out of the world, but by not ſuffering us to beleeve their evill words, or to follow their lewd courſes.
Figures none.
Note
1. The deliverance.
2. The deſcription of the perſon, from whom he is delivered.
In the former obſerve,
1. The act, To deliver.
2. The object, thee.
In the deſcription of the perſon from whom he is delivered; note,
1. The danger, from the way.
2. The cauſe, of the evill man.
3. The effect, from the man that ſpeaketh.
4. The object, froward things.
1. Doct. Young men are in danger of bad company. This loſt Rehoboam his Kingdome, 1 King. 12.8. He conſulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which ſtood before him. This was the undoing of the prodigall Son. He waſted his ſubſtance with riotous living, Luk. 15.13.
Reaſon 1. In reſpect of the ſociableneſſe of their nature, which puts them forth to ſeek for company, as ſoon as they are fit for action. Adam could not be alone. Man loves to give, and to receive. Homo eſt animal politicum: Man is a ſociable creature. Ariſt. Now, moſt are bad, and that makes men for the moſt part to light on bad company.
2. In reſpect of the neceſſity of their callings. He muſt buy, ſell, trade with others. His owne calling cannot furniſh him with all things needful. Now many are bad in all callings, and the skilfulleſt workmen oftentimes moſt given to drinking, by which others are ſpoyled that trade with them.
3. In reſpect of the band of their relations. Husbands, Wives, Parents, Children, Kindred, may be naught, and with them they muſt keep company, becauſe they owe duty to them, and ſo may more eaſily be corrupted by them, then by ſtrangers, whom they leſſe love. Jezebel A…ab's wife, ſtirved him up to work wickedneſſe, 1 King. 21.25.
4. In reſpect of the corruption of mans nature. The young man is corrupt himſelf by nature. Therefore David calls on a young man to cleanſe his wayes, Pſal. 119.9. So are all others. And like will to like.
Ʋſe 1. Chooſe good company at firſt. So did David. To the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight, Pſal. 16.3. I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts, Pſal. 119.63. Much good may be gotten by the company of ſuch, for ſoul, body, eſtate, and credit.
2. Refuſe all bad company, as far as thy calling and relations will permit, elſe thou wilt burden them in their ſins, and learn to be like them. Conſtantius the Arrian Emperor, deſired the orthodox Chriſtians to joyn with the Arrians, not onelyonly in worſhip, but alſo in ſociety. They anſwered, Arriani ſunt mortui in delictis, & non poſſumus vivi cum mortuis conjungi: The Arrians are dead in ſins, and we that are alive may not be joyned with the dead. Scultet. in Lucif. Caral. p. 376. Nazianzen perſwades his Brother Ceſarius to come out of Julian's Court, where he had an office, leſt he did foreign, ſmell of the ſmoak, if not be burnt with the fire. He might be tainted, though not perverted.
3. In converſing with ſuch evill men as thou art tyed to by calling or relation, go not beyond thy bounds. Take heed of their ſins. Be more ready to do them good then to get hurt by them.
2. Doct. Young men are in danger of bad example. Joſeph not old, had learned in Aegypt to ſwear by the life of Pharaoh, Gen. 42.15. Therefore old women muſt be a pattern to young, and Titus in all things muſt ſhew himſelf a pattern of good works, Tit. 4.7.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe there is a multitude of bad examples in the world, in young men like them, in grown men, in old men. Among many ſnares one may take.
2. They are more ready to be won by examples, eſpeciall of great ones, then by precepts, prohibitions, promiſes, threats. The other Jews diſſembled likewiſe with Peter, inſomuch that Barnabas was alſo carried away with their diſſimulation, Gal. 2.13.
3. Young men are more ready to be led by example then others, becauſe they know their owne want of experience, and preſume upon the knowledge of the ancient. I ſaid, Dayes ſhould ſpeak, and multitude of yeers ſhould teach wiſdome, Job 32.7.
Ʋſe 1. Be wary whom ye imitate. Do not imitate wicked men, nor civil men, but men truely godly.
2. Be wary how ye imitate them. Not in their infirmities, but take St. Paul's counſel. Be ye followers of me, even as I alſo am of Jeſus Christ, 1 Cor. 11.1. Follow them no further then the rule of Gods Word leads them.
3. Doct. Young men are in danger of bad counſell. Thus Amnon was drawn to execute his wantonneſſe by the counſell of Jonadab, 2 Sam. 13.3, 5. Therefore Solomon adviſes his Son to take heed of bad counſel. My Son, if ſinners entice thee, conſent thou not, ch. 1.10.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe evill men will be continually provoking them to evill, for they deſire to make others like unto themſelves; as ſome ſay, that infected perſons deſire to infect others.
2. Wicked men are ſubtil, and can allure young men by flattering words, and crafty ſpeeches, which like ſugar go down quickly.
3. Evill men can take all advantage of time, place, diſpoſition, occaſions to ſeduce young men, and therefore are the more likely to prevail. They will diſſwade them from fearing God, or truſting on him; and then all fear and hope being gone, young men may be eaſily drawn to any evill.
Ʋſe 1. Let young men labour to get heavenly wiſdome, that they may be able to diſtinguiſh good counſel from evil. Elſe they cannot be ſafe.
2. Let them take heed of being familiar with bad men. What can be looked for from them, but bad counſel? What from a bad tree, but bad fruit? A corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit, Mat. 7.17.
4. Doct. It is a great bleſſing to be kept out of evil wayes. I withheld thee from ſinning againſt me, ſaith God to Abimelech, therefore ſuffered I thee not to touch her, Gen. 20.6. Bleſſed is the man that walketh not in the counſell of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of ſinners, Pſal. 1.1.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe it keeps us from all the danger of the way, as he that ſcapes a theeviſh way, ſcapes robbing.
2. It prevents the danger in the end of the way. In the world, a man may have a foul way to a profitable Market. In the ſea, he may have a ſtormy paſſage to a gainful Mart. Here the end is alwayes like the way, good or bad.
Ʋſe. Praiſe God that ye ſcape errors and ſins that others fall into. So ye ſcape way-dangers, and end-dangers, that are eternall.
5. Doct. God ſets characters on men whoſe wayes ſhould be avoyded by us. Two notes are ſet out in the text, evill Livers, and evill Teachers. Such as walk in evill wayes, and ſuch as ſpeak froward things. So bad men are deſcribed, They are all gone aſide, they are altogether become filthy, there is none that doth good, no not one, Pſal. 14.3. And ſo bad women are ſet out, She is loud and ſtubborn, her feet abide not in her houſe. Now ſhe is without, now in the ſtreets, and lieth in wait in every corner, ch. 7.11, 12.
Reaſon. God doth this,
1. For the good of his people, that they may not be deceived by them, whereof they are in great danger. If it were poſſible they would deceive the very elect, Mat. 24.24.
2. To make wicked men inexcuſable. They might have known thoſe that miſlead them, and have avoyded them. For God gave them plaine characters of ſuch in his Word.
Ʋſe. Let us ſtudy the characters of ungodly men ſet out in Gods Word, not to imitate them, but to take heed of them, as Sea-men ſeek to know rocks and quickſands.
6. Doct. Some are ſo ſhameleſſe, that they will give moſt lewd counſell. So do theeves. Come with us, let us lay wait for innocent blood, ch. 1.11. So do oppreſſors; Come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation, Pſal. 83.4.
Reaſon 1. Out of naturall inclination to undo… others, as Pirates are ſaid to hang out falſe lights on rocks and ſands, to draw ſhips thither, that they may have the ſpoyl of them.
2. Out of pride of their owne wit, that they may brag they have miſled others.
Ʋſe. Take heed of ſuch counſellours, count them wicked men, and hearken not to their words. Take Solomon's counſell, Craſe my Son to hear the instruction that cauſeth to erre from the words of knowledge, Prov. 19.27. Old men have been drawn away by bad counſell, as Solomon by his Wives, 1 King. 11.4. Joaſh was drawn to Idolatry after Jehojadah's death, 2 Chron. 24.17, 18. Julian is ſaid to be drawn to Apoſta…e by Libanius. Young men then, and unſetled, had moſt need to take heed of bad counſell. Thoughts are not mentioned in this deſcription, becauſe we know them not. We muſt judge of men by their words and deeds, and embrace, or ſhun them accordingly.