Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 3 · Verse 26
VER. 26. For the Lord ſhall be thy confidence, and ſhall keep thy foot from being taken.
IT being a great matter, and hard for a good man to do, to expect deliverance, when he ſees wicked men ruined, in regard he hath naturall fear in him, as well as they; Solomon adds a ſtrong reaſon, and very ſufficient, to wit, the aſſiſtance of the great God, who, according to the hope of a wiſe man, reſting upon him, will keep him from falling into ſnares; and well may ſuch a man be confident, that it cannot be otherwiſe then well with him, as the firſt word of the Text intimates, For, which carries a ſtrong reaſon with it. For that word, ſee on Chap. 1.9.
The Lord. See on Chap. 1.7.
Shall be thy confidence. Heb. Shall be in thy confidence. So foreign is tranſlated In, Chap. 1.20. In the ſtreets. Or, For thy confidence. So it is tranſlated, For an inheritance: Numb. 36.2. The word foreign ſignifies Folly, or Foolishneſſe. This their way is their folly. Pſal. 49.13.2. Becauſe they that want wit to order their own affairs, had need to truſt others, it ſignifies confidence or hope of good from another. That they might ſet their hope in God. Pſal. 78.7. 3. It ſignifies the flank. He maketh collops of fat on his flanks. Job 15.27. Some take it in the firſt ſenſe, the Lord ſhall be with thee in thy fooliſhneſſe, when thou haſt brought thy ſelf into trouble, and knoweſt not how to eſcape, God will deliver thee. Others in the third ſenſe; the Lord ſhall be at thy flank, or ſide, as ſouldiers in the flank in battle, or as a guard to ſecure a man. Hence latrones, antiently ſouldiers of a Princes guard, quaſi laterones. Side-men. And the vulgar reads it, in latere tuo. Doway, at thy ſide. But the ſecond ſenſe is beſt, and the word is frequently ſo, uſed in ſcripture, The Lord ſhall be thy confidence. That is, one in whom thou maiſt ſafely confide in all dangers: He ſhall be to thee in ſtead of a ſhelter.
And shall keep. See on Chap. 2.11.
Thy foot. See on Chap. 1.16.
From being taken. He ſhall keep thee from the danger of the ſecret plots of thine adverſaries; for wicked men are fowlers, and hunters, alwaies laying ſnares in the way to catch Gods people, like birds, and beaſts, by the feet. The grin shall take him by the heel, the ſnare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. Job 18.9.10. Which, though there ſpoken of wicked men, is often true of good men. So David praies, Keep me from the ſnare which they have laid for me, and from the grins of the workers of iniquity. Pſal. 141.9. But God keeps his out of thoſe dangers they ſee not.
Figures. Confidence. A figure of the adjunct for the ſubject. God is he on whom thy confidence may ſafely repoſe it ſelfe.
Thy foot. A metaphor from beaſts, or birds, taken by the foot in a ſnare.
Note 1. The ground of a godly mans ſafety.
2. The means of it.
In the firſt obſerve
1. The ſubject, For the Lord.
2. The adjunct, Shall be thy confidence.
In the ſecond note
1. The act, And shall keep.
2. The object, Thy foot from being taken.
Doct. 1. The ſafety of Gods people, is not in their own power or care. The name of the God of Iacob defend thee. Pſal. 20.1. Their own arme did not ſave them, but thy right hand, &c. Pſal. 44.3.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe in ſome caſes, no man in the world can help, as Ionah in the whales belly.
2. Becauſe God can croſſe the wiſeſt mans cares, and the ſtrongeſt mans diligence.
Uſe. To teach us to acknowledge our own weakneſſe, and inſufficiency to preſerve our ſelves. What need the Lord be our confidence, if we had power to keep our ſelves from ſudden fear, and miſery? But if we be left unto our ſelves, we are like unto feeble beaſts, which run into the net, and are taken in the ſnare, out of the which they cannot eſcape. Let us not then, being conſcious of our own weakneſſe, truſt in our wit, ſtrength, wealth, nor brag of kindred, leagues, caſtles; all theſe are but caſtles in the air, and may fail us. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the ſon of man, in whom there is no help. Pſalm 146.3.
Doct. 2. The ſure confidence of a godly man is in God. The Lord ſustained me. Pſal. 3.5. Thou Lord only makest me dwell in ſafety Pſ. 4.8.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe of Gods great care of them. He bears them on eagles wings. Exod. 19.4. The eagle carries not her young ones in her claws, as other birds do, but on her back, that they who will kill her young ones, muſt ſhoot through her. Perirent juſti, niſi Dominus inter eos et hoſtes ſe interponeret. Shel. Iarchi. in Exod. Just men would perish, if God did not interpoſe himſelfe betwixt them and their enemies.
2. Becauſe of Gods infinite power: they that put their confidence in man, or Angell, may be deceived and periſh; but Gods power is infinite, He is the Almighty, as appears in making the world out of nothing, with a world of creatares in it. When Davids father and mother could not help him againſt Sauls cruelty, God could, and did ſo: he ſaith, When my father and mother forſook me, then the Lord took me up. Pſ. 27.10.
3. Becauſe of Gods infinite wiſdome, who both knows the miſchiefs intended againſt godly men, and how to prevent them: He is a compleat Phyſician for ſoul and body; He is the Lord of hoſts, and a wiſe Generall, to find out mines and to countermine.
4. Becauſe of the experience Gods people have had of Gods delivering them before, as Ionah out of the whales belly, David from the Lion and the bear, Paul from dangerous ſickneſſe, when he had the ſentence of death in himſelfe, that he ſhould not truſt in himſelfe, but in God, which raiſeth the dead. 2 Cor. 1.9. Yea, that we our ſelves have had in many ſickneſſes, journeys, troubles every one of us, more or leſſe.
Uſe. 1. To comfort Gods people that have ſo ſure a refuge: Not only Solomon tells us ſo, but the holy Scriptures are full of ſuch witneſſes, and examples. Having then ſo many proofs, that this help is ſo ready at hand, that God is our refuge and strength, a very preſent help in trouble. Pſal. 46.1. an that this help ſurmounts all heavenly, earthly, and infernall powers, we muſt in no wiſe fear, but hold an invincible aſſurance againſt all the afflictions of the world; otherwiſe we do not beleeve that God is on our fide, and bely the ſcriptures, and do count the examples thereof to be but fables. Seeing the Lord is thy confidence, he will keep thee, who ever truſted in him, and was forſaken? He can keep thee from temporall and ſpirituall evils. Certainly this ought to be great conſolation to godly people, that they have not only Angells, but God himſelfe for their keeper, not far abſent from them, but alwaies preſent with them, as being in every place. Therefore their heart may rejoyce with David, and ſay, I have ſet the Lord alwaies before me: becauſe he is at my right hand, I ſhall not be moved. Pſal. 16.8, 9.
2. To teach us if we be aſſured againſt ſudden fear, and the miſeries, that happen unto wicked men to attribute all to God, and to confeſſe it comes of the only help of God, and not to give any part of the glory to men, to meanes, to our ſelves.
3. Doct. God will prevent private plots againſt his people, as well as publick oppoſitions. Surely he ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the fouler, and from the noiſom pestilence. Pſal. 91.3.
Reaſon. 1. That it may appear to be Gods work, when no finger of man is in it, as the lice in Aegypt made the Magicians to conſeſſe, This is the finger of God. Exod. 8.19. So the diſcovery of the Powder-treaſon, and the diſcomfiture of the Spaniſh Armado were Gods work: for wee had no knowledge of them, nor preparation againſt them.
2. That it might appear to bee a work of meer mercy in God, where man could not prevent the evill. As for a man to give to one, that never askes, or to heale one paſt his ſenſes.
Uſe. Here is a cure for our jealouſies. We fear invaſions from abroad, inſurrections at home. O that we would all fear God; and then he that hath, will ſtill deliver us from the moſt ſecret plots of all our enemies.