Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 3 · Verse 22
VER. 22. So ſhall they be life unto thy Soul, and grace to thy neck.
UNto the former exhortation are added many gratious promiſes of life and honour in this Verſe, and of ſafety, Verſe 23.24. He ſhews hereby what good wiſdome brings to the ſoul, body and eſtate: it brings life, honour, ſecurity: He had ſaid as much before, verſe 18. but in a ſimilitude, She is a tree of life: here he ſpeaks more plainly, ſhe is life it ſelfe, and that to the Soul alſo. For the words.
So ſhall they. To wit, wiſdome and diſcretion, well kept and followed. Verſe 21.
Be life. Be the means to bring ſpirituall life into thy ſoul, and to keep it there. For life, ſee on verſe 2.
Ʋnto thy Soul. See on Chap. 1.18. on the word lives.
And grace to thy neck. See on Chap. 1.9. Only take notice of the ſtrange note of the Popiſh Engliſh Doway Bible, which reads, Grace to thy jaws, and in the margin thus, Merit for the words of thy mouth. So willing are Popiſh writers every where to take a ſleight occaſion to ſet up mans merit, and pull down Gods grace; forgetting, that theſe two are contrary. If the reward be of grace, then not of works, if of works, then not of grace. Rom. 11.6. So if of grace (as in the Text) then not of merit (as in the Popiſh note.) However, it is very ſtrange to call grace merit.
Figures. Life. The cauſe or means of life unto the ſoul, the cauſe for the effect.
Note 1. What they bring to the ſoul.
2. What to the body.
In the former obſerve
1. The cauſe, So ſhall they. To wit, Wiſdome, and diſcretion.
2. The effect. Be life.
3. The object. Unto thy Soul.
In the latter note
1. The gift. And grace.
2. The ſubject of it. VntoUnto thy neck.
Doct. 1. A fooliſh Soul, is a dead Soul. Having the understanding darkned, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, becauſe of the blindneſſe of their heart. Eph. 4.18.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe there is no life in the Soul, till knowledge come into it. There was no living creature in the world, till light was made. God clears the underſtanding before he rectifie the will, and affections; he keeps the ſame method in the little world, that he did in the great world. We are no better by nature then the Epheſians, of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaks in the place newly cited. As the body is dead without the ſoul, ſo the Soul is dead without wiſdome, which is the ſoul of the ſoul: Though the Soul be the life of the body, yet it ſelfe is dead, if without knowledge, and ſuch a man differs not from a beaſt, unleſſe it be in being ſubject to eternall miſerie. That a man then may live ſpiritually, and not ſenſually like a beaſt, it is the gift of heavenly wiſdom; and thy ſoul hath life with God if thou keep wiſdomes precepts, although thy fleſh be preſſed down under the diſcipline of correction, or of the fear of death it ſelfe.
2. Becauſe as the fooliſh ſoul hath no life, being without juſtification, ſo it can have no health nor ſtrength, being without ſanctification. Health is a ſecond life, without which, the firſt is a burden: Better not to live, then to live in pain, or weakneſſe.
3. It hath no ſpirituall breath, and without breath, no life; It cannot breath out prayers nor praiſes to God.
4 It hath no ſpirituall motion, and all living things move in one way or another; dead things do not. No motion to any ſpirituall duty, till wiſdome take poſſeſſion of the ſoul.
Uſe 1. Pitty thoſe thouſands of poor ſouls, that walk in the world, yet are ſpiritually dead. Ignorant men think dead bodies walk, but we know dead ſouls walk. Many are like ſcpulchers, that have only the names of living men written on them.
2. See if thy ſoul be not one of theſe dead ſouls. If thou have not true wiſdome, thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Rev. 3.1. It is not thy great birth, wealth, nor ſtrength, that can make thee alive, it muſt be wiſdome.
Doct. 2. Wiſdome makes the ſoul live. Keep my commandements and live. Chap. 7.2. Hear, and your ſoul ſhal live. Iſa. 55.3.
Reaſ. 1. From the confeſſion of the heathen. Is proprie, vereque homo eſt, cujus omnis in anima rationali ſubstantia existit. Qua propter quicquid extra hunc hominem ſit, id ad ſe minimè pertinet. Plato in Alcibiade. He is properly and truly a man, all whoſe ſubſtance is in the reaſonable ſoule; wherefore whatſoever is out of this man, that belongs not to him, in his own account.
2. From the contrary. Folly is the death of the ſoul; ſin that kills it, is commonly called folly in Scripture.
3. From the beginning of life. Wiſdom is, as it were, the ſeed of ſpirituall life.
4. From the Progreſſe; it maintaines the life of the ſoul, as meat doth the life of the body.
Uſe 1. Take pains to get true and heavenly wiſdome. What pains doth the Husbandman take, to get his ſeed into the ground? he plows, and ſows. What pains do poor men take for food? they work hard early and late, and all, or almoſt all for the belly. So do thou for wiſdome: And as the merchant runs through pain and perill for wealth, ſo do thou for underſtanding.
2. Spare for no coſt to get it. The husbandman, Tradſeman, Merchant, drive on their trades with great coſt; wiſdoms trade is better. It concerns eternity. Spare then no coſt to get, and keep it.
3. Doct. Wiſdom is a great grace to any man. The wiſe ſhall inherit glory. ver. 35. of this Chap. They ſhall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chaines about thy neck. Chap. 1.9.
Reaſon. 1. Becauſe it is a ſign of worth and dignity in a man. Men nobly born, or in great place wear gold chains, and jewells. Wiſe men are Gods children of the higheſt birth, and more honoured with ſpirituall graces, and holy behaviour, then any other can be with gold and ſilver, though never ſo rich & coſtly. They need not fear coming into Gods preſence, nor diſgrace from men, for good men will reverence them, though they be never ſo mean, and none will contemn them, but wicked men, which are themſelves the moſt contemptible of all the creatures.
2. Becauſe it doth adorn men as gold-chains do. Such as are beautifull themſelves, are more beautifull in coſtly dreſſings. A wiſe man is more worthy to be looked at, then Agrippa with all his pompous train, that was but a fancy, as the Greek text calls it, He came foreign with much fancy. Act. 25.23. A wiſe mans honour is reall.
Uſe. It diſcovers the blindneſſe of worldlings, who cannot ſee this heavenly wiſdom, as moles and earthworms ſee not the Sunſhine. Let us then account thoſe moſt honourable, that have moſt of this heavenly wiſdom, though they want worldly honour. Paul was truly honourable with God, though made as the filth of the world, and the offſcouring of all things. 1 Cor. 4.13.