Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 3 · Verse 2
VERSE 2. For length of daies, and long life, and peace ſhall they adde unto thee.
THe Exhortation was in the former Verſe. The promiſe to encourage us to obedience is in this. That men might with more courage endeavour to obey Solomons wiſe directions, God joynes the reward to the work, and promiſes thoſe things, which all men, but eſpecially young men moſt of all deſire, and long for, and are moſt dear to men of tender years, to wit, a long, quiet, and happy life. Some diſtinguiſh the three things promiſed thus, That by length of daies ſhould be meant a life on earth as long as may be drawn out by any ſtrength of nature. By long life, or years, of life eternall life in another world. By peace, peace of conſcience. But they may rather be underſtood thus, By length of daies may be underſtood a life that laſts long. By long life, or years of life an healthfull life. By peace a proſperous life.
For the words.
For. See on Chap. 19. A reaſon of the former Exhortation.
Length of daies. They bring a long life to a man, not beyond the time appointed by God, but as God hath determined, ſo by his bleſſing he gives long life to thoſe that obey him. This is underſtood of bodily life here which the Law alſo promiſes in the firſt commandment. The word foreign Day in Scripture is uſed.
1. For a naturall day, confiſting of 24 hours. Neither eat nor drink three daies. Eſt. 4.16.
2. For an artificiall day oppoſed to the night. The greater light to rule the day, and the leſſer light to rule the night, Gen. 1.16.
In the plurall for a long day, and circular, till that day come again a full year. This man went up out of his Citty foreign From daies to daies: which ver. 7, is foreign year by year.
4. For a certain time, eſpecially to come. In that day ſhall this ſong be ſung in the land of Judah. Iſa. 26.1.
5. For a time of trouble. Remember, O Lord the children of Edom in the day of Jeruſalem: who ſaid, Raſe it, Raſe it, even to the foundation thereof. Pſal. 137.7. Their day is come, the time of their viſitation. Jer. 50.27. Here it is taken in the firſt ſenſe for naturall daies.
And. See on Chap. 2.9.22. on the word But long life. Heb. Years of life. For life ſee on Chap. 2.19. Leſt any man ſhould think, that long life may be miſerable, he ſaith not years of ſickneſſe, or weakneſſe, which are but puttings off, or rather years of death, but years of life, that is of health, and ſtrength. Non est vivere, ſed valere vita. It is not worthy the name of a life barely to live, but to be in health, and strength. So a life in Heaven is called eternall life, whereas a life in Hell which laſts as long, is called the ſecond death.
And peace. Leſt any thing ſhould be wanting to a long, and healthfull life, peace is added. And well too, for the ſhorteſt life is beſt without peace? By peace is meant proſperity, riches, liberty. So the Hebrews uſe the word. And he ſaid unto them, Is he well? And they ſaid, He is well, Heb. Is there peace to him? There is peace. Gen. 29.6, Go ſee, if it be well with thy brethren? Heb. See the peace of thy brethren. Gen. 37.14. And indeed proſperity is the fruit of peace: adverſitie of war.
Shall they adde to thee. They ſhall prolong the years of thy life, health, and wealth. Not forgetting, but obſerving Gods commands will do all this. The ſum is, If thou ſlight not my commands, but obſerve them, thou ſhalt have a long, healthfull and proſperous life. Long life without health is troubleſome, and health without other comforts of life cannot give content.
Obſerve.
Figures none. 1. The word of coherence. For.
2. The benefits. Length of daies, and long life, and peace. A long, healthfull, and proſperous life.
3. The means of procuring theſe is obedience. Shall they adde unto thee.
1. Doct. God might have required full obedience without rewards, yet he promiſeth large ones. That he might require it without reward, appears in the preface of the commandements. Obey, for I am Jehovah, that gave thee thy being, Thy God, in covenant with thee, That brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt. A great benefit. Out of the houſe of bondage. A great deliverance. That he will give full rewards, appears in the end of the ſecond, and fifth Commandements. Forſake Idolatry, and worſhip me aright; For I ſhew mercy to thouſands of them, that love me and keep my Commandements. Honor thy Father, and thy Mother, that thy daies may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. So he promiſes Abraham to be his ſhield, and exceeding great reward. Gen. 15.1. For the firſt part, That God may require obedience without any reward, appears
1. Becauſe hee is not any way indebted to us for our obedience. He hath all of himſelf, and nothing from us. Nor gets no addition of happineſſe by our obedience.
2. We are indebted to him for all the good things we have, as Life, Health, Food, Goods, World Heaven; we have all from him, and that of free grace. And it is ſtrange for a debtor to require mony of his creditor; wee cannot then merit any thing from him, that cannot adde any thing to him; neither doth he need any thing. Hee that merits of another, muſt ſome way ſupply his wants. Sacrifices could not do it. And if they could do it, he need not take them of us that owes all the cattell of the World. Pſal. 50.9. &c. And if God did need, how ſhould we ſupply his wants, that cannot ſupply our own for ſoul or body? He that cannot keep his own Family, cannot relieve others.
3. Becauſe God is abſolute Lord over all, and may command what hee liſt without rewarding any creature in Heaven or in Earth. For the ſecond, that yet he will give a full reward, appears.
1. Becauſe he is mercifull, and ſtands upon his honor. And where juſtice will give no reward, mercy will. So Fathers promiſe many things to their children, to encourage them to do their dutie: Here is long, and healthful years, and proſperitie; and what needs a man more in this life?
2ly. Becauſe God is faithful, and hath promiſed a full reward to every good action, ſo that mercy and truth appear in it, though juſtice require it not.
Vſe 1. To acknowledge, that if God bleſſe us in ſoul or bodie, it is of his free grace, not of the merit of our obedience. He might by his right over us, require ſervice without pay: yet he is ſo merciful, that he wil not. So a father may look for duty freely from a child, yet he provides for him, and gives him an inheritance,
2ly. Let this encourage us to dutie: we owe it to God, therefore doe it; we ſhal have a ful reward, therefore do it cheerfully: this is a double band, kindneſſe uſeth to work more upon mens ſpirits, then dutie; ſo let it do with us toward God. This encouraged Moſes, he knew he deſerved nothing, yet, had reſpect unto the recompence of reward. Heb. 11.26
Doct. 2. Gods rewards are ſuch, as men like wel, ordinarily. He gives his people a land of brooks, fountains, wheat, barley, wines, fig-trees, &c. Deut. 8.7. A land that had goodly houſes, many herds of greater cattel, many flocks of leſſer, much ſilver and gold, &c. Deut. 8 &c.
Reaſ. It appears, 1. in the particulars in the Text, God promiſes long life, peace, and plenty, what would man have more for his body? who loves not all theſe? Men love long life; for that end they are choice in meat, drink, apparel, baths, phyſick, they ſpare for no coſt; ſo do worldly men dote on peace and plenty. Theſe God promiſes. 2ly. it appears by the prayers of men; no doubt they pray for what they love beſt, and God often gives it, as he gave wiſdome to Solomon to guide a great Kingdome, when he prayed for it. 3ly. By Gods aditional gifts to Solomon, as honour, and riches, which he asked not, yet could not but like wel, when God gave them. So he gives a comfortable earthly paſſage to them, that ſeek for heaven: ſeeke ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteouſneſſe, and all theſe things ſhal he added unto you. Mat. 6 33. Who likes not a good way, to a good end? It is a double mercy.
Uſe. Be careful to pleaſe God, and truſt him for rewards; he will give ſuch as thou likeſt, and canſt no where elſe get: Gods precepts well kept, wil be in ſtead of Diet, Phyſick, Guard, and other means of preſerving life: If other means fail, God wil preſerve by theſe.
Doct. 3. Long life is a bleſſing. God gave Abraham a good old age, Gen. 25.8. The hoary head is a crown of glory, &c. Chap. 16.31. It is a ſweet mercy, and generally deſired. What man is he that deſireth life, and loveth many daies, that he may ſee good? Pſal, 34.12. As if he had ſaid, every man naturally doth deſire it. Men love life, and abhor death! With long life wil I ſatisfie him, Pſal. 91.16.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe life it ſelfe is a bleſſing, therefore the continuance of it is ſo.
2ly. Becauſe God promiſeth it to his ſervants, as in the fift commandement; and God uſeth to promiſe good things, and threaten bad: And this promiſe Wiſdom uſeth, as conceiving it wil much work upon the ſpirits of men; for by me thy daies ſhal be multiplyed, and the years of thy life ſhal be incrcaſed. Chap. 9.11.
3. It is a type of heaven, which had it all the perfections of joy it hath, yet were it not laſting, it could not afford full happineſſe.
4. It is a reſemblance of Gods eternity, who is called The antient of daies, Dan. 7.13.
5. Short life is accounted a curſe. God theatens Eli, that there ſhould not be an old man in his houſe, 1 Sam. 2.31. Sure then the contrary is a bleſſing.
1. Obj. How is it a bleſſing, when wicked men often live long.
Anſ. It is a bleſſing in it ſelfe, and to good men, who have the more time to ſerve God; though it may be none, yea, a curſe to wicked men, who may ſin the more, and have the more pain in hel.
2. Obj. Good men often have it not, but die ſoon, as Joſiah.
1. Anſ. It is in perilous times, when it is better to die, then to live. From henceforth, bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord, Rev. 14.13. It might have been a bleſſing to live long, before in the time of the Churches proſperitie, but not then, in the time of her perſecution, then the righteous are taken away from the evil to come, Iſa. 57.1.
2. If in other times God take them away, they loſe not, but get by it; they get by death a longer, and an happier, yea, an eternal life.
3. Obj. Men may live long in miſerie, and that is a curſe rather then a bleſſing.
Anſ. God wil give his ſervants proſperity with their long life, if he ſee it fit for them; if not, he wil turn their afflictions to their good. We know that all things worke together for good to them that love God. Rom. 8.28. A Phyſician can make an healing medicine out of poiſon, ſo can God make afflictions profitable to his.
Uſe 1. It ſhewes the folly of many men, who would have long life, yet look not after heavenly wiſdome, the means of continuing life: Such ſhew themſelves to be fooles, as by adultery, drunkenneſſe, quarrels, kill themſelves, or are killed by others, becauſe they follow not wiſdome, and holy directions; they might live longer, if they lived wiſely, and godlily: Such complain in vain of ſhortneſſe of life, which they bring on themſelves.
2. It teaches us not to complain for the troubles of old age, but to bleſſe God for the comforts we have ſeen, more then others in the length of our daies. Remember that God hath ſet the one over againſt the other. Eccleſ. 7.14. Sicut nun hirunde non facit ver, nec una linea Geometram: ſic nec una dies, vel breve tempus reddit hominem foelicem. Recuperus. As one ſwallow makes not a ſpring, nor one line a Geometrician, ſo neether one day, nor a ſhort time makes a man happy.
Doct. 4. Health in our daies is a great bleſſing alſo. So it is promiſed, It ſhal be health to thy navil, and marrow to thy bones. verſe 8. They are life unto thoſe that find them, and health to all their fleſh, Chap. 4.22.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe it gives a man much comfort in body, buſineſſe, and ſocietie of friends; yea and in Soul alſo, for the Soul hath a fellow-feeling of the bodies joy or ſorrow, in regard of the neer conjunction of them.
2. From the contrary, becauſe ſickneſſes, and diſeaſes are threatned as croſſes and ſometimes as curſes. See Deut. 28.29. &c. The leproſie of Naeman ſhall sleave unto thee, and unto thy ſeed for evers. 2 Kings 5.27.
3. Becauſe health fits us for duty to God and men, ſickneſſe makes us unſerviceable to both.
Uſe. To inform us, that we may lawfully pray for health; becauſe in it ſelf it is a bleſſing. Spirituall bleſſings are beſt worth asking, yet temporall not to be deſpiſed.
5. Doct. Proſperity alſo is a bleſſing in it ſelf, the Devill confeſſes it to be ſo to Iob. Thou hast bleſſed the work of his hands, & his ſubſtance is encreaſed in the land. Job. 1.10. Abraham's ſervant confeſſes it in his Maſter. The Lord hath bleſſed my Master greatly, and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and heards, and ſilver, and gold, and men-ſervants, and maid-ſervants, and Camells, and Aſſes. Gen, 24.35.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe it is a gift of God. I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor. 2 Chron. 1.12.
2. He hath given it to ſome of his choiſeſt ſervants, as to Abraham, Joſeph, David, Solomon.
Uſe. Abuſe it not to luxury, or oppreſſion. To be naught thy ſelf more freely, or to hurt others more powerfully. Remember outward proſperity is Gods gift, uſe it then to Gods honor, and bleſs him for it. Take heed it proves not as Tertullian calls it, Campus quo ambitio decurrat. A field, in which ambition may run his courſe.
6. Doct. Long life, health, proſperity are ſometimes the rewards of well doing and obedience. If ye be willing, and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good of the Land. Iſa. 1.19. O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandments? then had thy peace been as a river. Iſa. 48.18 That is, thy proſperity; as was ſhewed in the expoſition of the Text.
Reaſon. 1. Becauſe of Gods bounty, who beſides Heaven often gives comforts to his here.
2. Becauſe of mans frailty, who is by proſperity much encouraged to obedience, and diſcouraged by the contrary.
1. Object. Godly men oftentimes live but a while, and in much pain, and and poverty.
Anſw. Beſides what was ſaid before on the third Doctrine,
I anſwer. 1. That their obedience is but in part, and the reward is anſwerable.
2. Promiſes of outward things are but conditionall. And God by ſhort life, or ſorrows keeps them from corruption, or perſecution, and trouble.
3. God gives them a longer, and better life in Heaven. So God verifies his promiſe with advantage. As if a man ſhould promiſe twenty ſhilling a week for a year, and at the firſt months end void the bargain, and give the party a thouſand pound. What cauſe had the receiver to complain, either of falſhood in the promiſer, or of loſſe to himſelf.
4. Their ſhort life have more ſun-ſhiny daies, and true, and ſpirituall comforts there, then any wicked mans long life. Summer fruit may be as ripe as winter fruit, though gathered ſome months before.
Uſe. 1. It blames thoſe, who think, that the ſtudy of wiſdom and piety, ſhortens their childrens daies. They ſay, they are too wiſe, or too good to live long. Such bring up their children fooliſhly, and impiouſly, and ſo ſhorten their daies, which they would prolong.
2. It encourages us to get wiſdom and obedience. Ungodly men think, there is no better way in the world to make them live long, then to be merry, and to put away ſorrow by letting ſlip the bridle to all manner of concupiſcence: but let us remember, that a long, healthfull, proſperous life is the reward of obedience, and live accordingly.