AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Observations UPON The three first Chapters of the PROVERBS Grammaticall Rhetoricall Logicall and Theologicall As they were delivered in severall EXPOSITORY LECTURES at Christ-Church in Canterbury By FRANCIS TAYLOR B. in D. LONDON Printed by E. C. for Henry Eversden and are to be sold at his shop at the Grey-hound in St. Paul's Church-yard 1655. To the Honourable Trustees for MAINTENANCE of MINISTERS And other Pious uses c. William Steele Esq Serjeant at Law late Recorder of the City of London now Lord Chief Baron Sir John Thorowgood of Kensington Knight George Cooper Richard Young John Pocock Ralph Hall Rich. Sidenham Edward Hopkins John Humfries and Edward Cresset Esquires Honorable Gentlemen WHat the Sun is to the world that the Scripture is to the Church No man can see the Sun it selfe nor any thing in the world but by the light of the Sun No man can know God nor any of his creatures aright but by the Scripture The Rabbins tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no glory but the Law Aboth cap. 4. And Rab. Chija in the Jerusalem Talmud in Peah tells us that in his account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the world wholly is not of equall value with one word out of the Law The labour then of those men of God whom God hath fitted for interpretation of Scripture is not lightly to be esteemed The rather because of the difficulty and profitablenesse of the work The difficulty Augustin sets out well Lib. 11. super Gen. ad literam Major est hujus Scripturae autoritas quà m omnis humani ingenii perspicacitas Greater is the â—uthority of this Scripture then the perspicacity of all humane wit The profit of it is as well set out by Hierom. ad Eph. lib. 1. Non putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Evangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum foliis sed in radice rationis Let us not think the Gospel is in the words of the Scriptures but in the sense not in the outside but in the marrow not in the leaves of words but in the root of reason Among many other Books of the Scripture this of the Proverbs excels in height of matter and expressions It needs therefore a carefull Interpreter The method used by me is new and never formerly exactly followed in every Verse by any Writer Protestant or Papist that ever I read 1. Ye have the Grammatical sense in the various significations of every Hebrew word throughout the Old Testament which gives light to many other texts 2. Ye have the Rhetoricall sense in the Tropes and Figures 3. The Logicall in the severall arguments 4. The Theologicall in divine observations If it be objected that there are many Comments already on other Books of Scripture and on this in particular I confesse it is a truth I my self have made use of forty Writers on this Book of the Proverbs as will appear by the Catalogue of Authors added Yet every one sees not so many nor cannot understand them all nor have means to buy them or time to read them Will it hurt any man to have the marrow of them all in one Book Will it not save him much time money labour Besides the Reader will find something new that is not in any of them Gods hand is not shortened He can as well manifest his truth by us as by former Writers And the rather because we have their help A dwarf standing on a gaints shoulders may see further then the giant I have made choyce of you Worthy Gentlemen for Patrons of this Work not doubting but if any shall oppose the truth manifested in it ye will stand up with me for the defence of it A more particular engagement to prefix your honorable names is that great trust the State hath put in you to take care of the maintenance of many godly Ministers upon whom many thousand souls depend in this Nation I have found you faithfull and carefull So have many other godly Ministers The great God that hath laid great a charge upon you make you still faithfull dischargers that so your names may be honorable to posterity and your souls saved eternally So I shall never cease to pray and ever remain At your Honors service in the Lord Francis Taylor Advertisements for the Reader Christian and courteous Reader BE pleased to observe a few things which may help thee much in the perusing of this Book I. Be not offended that the places cited in it are not set down at large but onely some part of the Verses quoted For 1. The Reader may hereby perceive in what words the strength of the proof lies to wit in those words he findes here This I learned of the Jewish Rabbins who use not to transcribe the whole Verse cited but onely those words wherein the strength of the proof is Indeed the Masorites do otherwise They set down only the beginning of the sentence and leave the Reader to seck for the word in the text quoted But this breeds trouble and confusion 2. Writing thus concisely will make men minde the better what they read 3. It will make them look into their Bibles for further satisfaction 4. It makes this Book the shorter and so the cheaper II. Complain not that many things are taken out of other Writers and Commenters For 1. Here is no wrong to them God gave those notions to them they to us and why may not we give them to others 2. No wrong to thee who hath the pith and marrow of forty Translations and Comments in this Book It would have cost thee as it hath done me much more money to buy them much more time and labour to read them 3. Thou wilt finde many things added that God hath given in to me that are not in any of them for all mine and theirs is from him alone and to him is due all the glory III. Object not to me that for the various significations of the Hebrew words I borrow much out of the last Edition of the Annotations on the Bible out of the Notes upon Job For 1. It cannot be called borrowing for a man to take his owne and none of my partners in that great Work went that way but my selfe And having taken much pains there why should I take more about the same words 2. There I give onely figures for chap. and vers So that if the figures be false printed as they are too often the Reader is to seek for the place Here I set down the words also that he cannot mistake 3. The figures are here also corrected by me in all I make use of from thence 4. Some significations are added in some words 5. Some are left out that were mistaken 6. All have not money to buy nor time to read those large Annotations IV. Where thou findest other texts in this Book quoted for words or proofs of doctrines there look for the like matter
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes our English word Cry 2. To proclaim or publish a thing I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee Exod. 33.19 3. To exclaim or cry out I lifted up my voyce and cryed Gen. 39.15 4. To read He read all the words of the Law Josh 8.34 5. To impose a name She called his name Reuben Ge. 29.32 6. To call one by his name The Lord called Samuel 1 Sam. 3.4 7. To call upon or pray to God Call upon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 8. To call one to him As they called them so they went from them Hos 11.2 9. To invite to a feast To morrow I am invited to her with the King Est 5.12 10. To call into judgement or call to account And the Lord God called unto Adam Gen. 3.9 11. To meet with one Joseph went up to meet Israel his Father Gen. 46.29 12. To happen or come to passe unexpectedly As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa 2 Sam. 1.6 Here it is taken in the second sense for proclaiming or publishing as appears by the speech following In the chief place Heb. the head For the word see on v. 9. Here it is taken for the chief place of meeting Some would take it for an higher place wherein the Preacher stands above others that he may be heard But that agrees not well with the rest which all mention the place of the hearers rather then of the speaker Of concourse Hebr. of tumults or of such as make a noyse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Market-Towns and Fairs where great concourse of people is and abundance of noyse and businesse It is called a place of tumults and tumultuous persons because men speak not there by order as in other meetings but all will be heard The word is feminine because women are frequent in Markets But principally to hold on the Metaphor and to make the hearers like the speaker for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisdomes was plural and feminine v. 20 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concourses is here In the opening of the gates 1. Enquire what is meant by the gates 2. What by the openings of the gates For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the gates The word signifies 1. The gate of a Town or City where men goe in and out for trading and therefore much people may quickly be gathered there to hear And Hamor and Shechem his Son came unto the gate of their City and communed with the men of their City Gen. 34.20 2. The Town or City that hath gates and lies not open to the fury of the enemies I will fan them with is fan in the gates of the land Jer. 15.7 That is in the Cities or walled Towns 3. The palce of Judicature that used in those dayes to be neer the gates that all comers in and out might be witnesses of the just proceedings there Thou shalt bring forth that man or that woman unto thy gates Deut. 17.5 That is to be judged as appears by the production of witnesses and execution of justice there mentioned So it is taken here for places of justice where many meet to see justice done and that both Citizens and Countrey people goers in and comers out and therefore should be ready to hear good counsel there Seats of Instruction may be where seats of Justice are For the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the openings It signifies 1. The opening of a gate or dore Keep the dores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy besome Mic. 7.5 Reveal not thy secret thoughts to her The entrance of thy words giveth light Psal 119.30 That is the opening of them 2. A dore of an house or tent Abraham sate in the tent dore Gen. 18.1 Here it is taken in the first sense for justice is done when gates are open that all may hear and not when the gates are shut and the people kept out As soon or when the gates are open especially for judgement Wisdome speaks as some would have it but the place it self is rather meant as in the rest of the vers She uttereth her words Heb. she saith her sayings She uttetereth what she hath to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What her words are appeares afterwards words of Reproof and of Instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the City The word comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to awake or stir up because a City is a building awaked as it were or stirred up out of the dust as a man out of sleep It is put 1. For the City it self The men of the City even the men of Sodome Gen. 19.4 2. For the inhabitants of the City The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City Mic. 6.9 Here it is taken in the first sense for a City or chief place in a Kingdome or Nation Some take it all to be meant of the same place Wisdome cryes without in the skirts of the City within in the Streets Market-places Courts and any other place in the City where people meet But I cannot restrain it to Cities alone but rather take it to be an elegant gradation of heavenly Wisdome revealing it self by severall degrees first in the Villages then in greater Towns after that in Market-Towns then in Shire-Towns and places of Judgement and lastly in Cities the chief places in Kingdomes and Nations Figures She. A Prosopopeia bringing in Wisdome her self as some great Queen speaking to affect the more Mens owne words affect far more then other mens relations of them So Judg. 9.8 the Trees are brought in speaking Or the adjunct for the subject Wisdome for wise men godly Prophets Apostles Ministers or Christ himself as vers 20. Head for chief place A metaphor for streets have no heads Tumults or tumultuous persons for concourse the effect for the cause concourse breeds tumults Gates for the places of Judicature the subject place for the adjunct businesse done there Parts Note 1. The agent She Wisdome 2. A double act cryeth uttereth her words 3. A threefold place in the chief place of concourse in the openings of the gates in the City Saying is added in other letters to usher in the speech 1. Doct. Common reproofs should be publick Wisdome reproves in the chief places of concourse Reason 1. That grosse sinners may be ashamed Private reproofs will hardly work shame in them Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 2. That others may fear even the stoutest of sinners 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear It is good to strike the Dog before the Lion Vse 1. To reprove faint hearted Ministers who are more afraid to reprove then others are to sin Wisdome reproves here openly vers 22. So did Elias reprove King Ahab and John Baptist King Hered And the Prophets reproved sinfull people So God commands Shew my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins Isa 58.1 If Ministers reprove but faintly and
hale vulnus admisceat Chrysol Prosperity is the Step mother of virtue She so applauds her porters that she hurts them She gives her guests pleasant cups at the beginning that when they are drunk she may give them a deadly wound So Amnon was slain when his heart was merry with wine 2 Sam. 13.28 Is he happy that is strong to kill himself or that runs fast and climbes high to break his neck Like those that eating of the juyce of some poy sonfull hearbs die laughing It hastens and heightens judgement Vse Dote not on prosperity lest ye desire your ruine I may say to you as Christ to the two Disciples with their Mother Ye know not what ye ask Mat. 20.22 Are ye able to bear that burden Rather use Agur's prayer to God Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me Prov. 30.8 Many might have sailed safe to the shore if they had not put out their top and top-gallant Keep then the golden mean and be safer Vers 33. But who so hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evill Wisdome having sent forth three sore threatnings to terrifie ungodly men from following their vain and dangerous wayes now concludes her speech with a comfortable promise to perswade them to hearken to her wholesome counsels For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But. It often signifies And and joyns like things together But sometimes it is a note of opposition as vers 25. See there The prosperous condition of those that hearken to Wisdomes wholesome counsels is opposed to the ruine of those that despise them Whoso hearkeneth See on v. 5. Here it is taken for regarding Wisdomes counsell and obeying it Vnto me To me Wisdome and those counsels that I have given or such like other given in Gods Word or by his Ministers agreeable to it Shall dwell Shall perpetually abide in safety As a man that lives quietly in his owne house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Safely Free from danger or confidently Free from fear as follows Knowing he shall be safer and therefore need fear no evill After that he hath hearkened to my counsel and gotten wisdome according to my advice God will keep him safe within the compasse of his protection He shall be out of danger of destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shall be quiet The word signifies 1. One that is quiet outwardly and inwardly in state and minde One dieth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet Job 21.23 2. One that lives securely in sin and fears no danger though he have cause Woe to them that are at ease in Sion Amos 6.1 3. One that is proud and insolent for prosperity and quietnesse makes men secure and proud The scorning of those that are at ease and the contempt of the proud are joyned together Psal 123.4 Here it is taken in the first sense for a good security or quietnesse From fear See on v. 26. He shall lead a most quiet life being free not onely from evill it self but from the very fear of it He shall not need so much as to fear adversity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of evill Sometimes it fignifies evill of sin which is committed by man Mans thoughts are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 Sometimes evill of punishment inflicted by God Shall there be any evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 So it is taken here He shall need fear no hurt at all Figures none Note 1. The condition required 2. A double promise In the condition note 1. The word of opposition But. 2. The person who so 3. The act hearkeneth 4. The object unto me In the first promise note 1. The thing promised Shall dwell 2. The adjunct safely In the second promise note 1. The good promised And shall be quiet 2. The object from fear of evill 1. Doct. All men shall not be in a safe condition There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 When they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them 1 Thess 5.3 Reason 1. Because many remain yet in their natural condition as children unregenerate and there is no safety in being born subject to Gods wrath Eph. 2.3 2. Many are drencht deeper in that estate of condemnation by innumerable actuall sins as young men who follow the lusts of their owne eyes and consume the cream of their time in vanity 3. Men are deeper in it then they as men that have made some shew of goodnesse and afterwards either return with Demas to the world 2 Tim. 4.10 or with the dog to the vomit or the sow to the mire 2 Pet. 2.21 Vse Let us examine our selves whether our condition be safe or no. There is no safety to be had unlesse we be reconciled to God by Jesus Christ It is not wit nor wealth nor strength that can save thee nor multitude of friends Onely Christ can shelter thee from Gods wrath He shelters none but his owne members and that not in profession onely but in truth Cyphers in his Arithmetick neither advance themselves nor other numbers Try if thou be a true member of Christ by these notes 1. If thou have another heart as Saul had when God made him a King That heart becomes not a member of Christ that became a limbe of Satan 2. What hast thou done or snffered to honour Christ This was the Philippians mark Your sufferings are unto you an evident token of salvation and that of God Phil. 1.28 They must look for no spoyls that will not fight for their Generall 2. Dâ—ct Wisdomes counsels are worth hearkening to Hitherto tend Wisdomes earnest perswasions vers 22 23. ch 9.4 In both which places simple persons are earnestly solicited to give audience to Wisdomes precepts Hitherto tend her sweet promises of communicating excellent and right things ch 8.6 9.5 Reason 1. Because they are safe There may be danger in following other counsels None in following Wisdomes It is in Religion as in the State folly ruling overthrows it and not wisdome The foolish Pilot overthrows the ship not the wise 2. All safe things are not honorable but Wisdomes counsels are like Achitophel's as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God 2 Sam. 16.23 or like Solomon's wise sayings which men came from far to hear And there came of all people to hear the wisdome of Solomon from all the Kings of the earth which had heard of his wisdome 1 King 4.34 3. All things honorable are not profitable Many die honorably in fighting for their Countrey that get nothing by it but Wisdomes wayes are profitable also Godlinesse is profitable to all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Wisdome brings happinesse and many particular comforts Prov. 3.13 c. We see wise men thrive in Trades when fools spend their patrimony 4. All things profitable are not comfortable as
the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Psal 46.2 3. Si fractus illabatur orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae Horat. A godly mans Ark is pitched within and without tossed it may be but not drowned shaken but not shivered No Kingdome in the world no Empire hath such a priviledge 6. Doct. Trouble is evill in it self The yeers wherein we have seen evill Psal 90.15 Shall there be any evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 Reason 1. Because it is evill to the body helping to confume it by diseases 2. It is evil to the soul helping to vex it with grief and disquietnesse It makes a man cry out Why art thou cast downe O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Psal 43.5 Vse Let us blesse God our heavenly Physician that turns our troubles to our good and makes an antidote of poyson CHAP. II. Vers 1. My Son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee Solomon having before in the words of Wisdome threatned obstinate finners with destruction now in his owne words falls to instruct such as are tractable Now that these things are spoken in the words of Solomon and not of Wisdome appears by the title given to the young man in this verse My Son Which is also given him by Solomon ch 1.8 But never by Wisdome in all this Book And by ch 3. v. 13. He saith Happy is the man that findeth wisdome If Wisdome had spoken she would have said that findeth me In this Chapter the Wise-man shews 1. How to get true wisdome to vers 5. 2. What good is gotten by getting it to the end of the Chapter And that 1. Positively from v. 5. to v. 10. 2. Privatively from thence to the end And this latter 1. By preventing danger from bad men from v. 10. to vers 16. 2. From bad women from v. 16. to the end For the first thing the way to attain true wisdome it is 1. By getting a docible minde v. 1. 2. By learning it of them that are wise v. 2. 3. By prayer to God for it v. 3. 4. By our owne studies and endevours v. 4. To return to v. 1. And first for the words My Son See on ch 1.1 8. It is a title often repeated to beget attention and obedience If thou wilt receive See on chap. 1.3 If thou wilt bring with thee a willing minde to learn of me and to receive my words into thy understanding will and affections So Lira interprets it of a Scholar docible and willing to learn Hugo Cardinalis takes it for a Metaphor from the earth which being plowed and opened receives the seed into it and brings forth corn So doth a docible Scholar As on the contrary Petrarch Dialog 41. speaking to a Schoolmaster that had or might have an undocible Scholar saith Discipulum indocilem babes Perdis operam littus aras semina projicis natura non vincitur Terrae aridae colonus es Solve boves Quid te torques Hast thou an indocible Scholar Thou loosest thy labour thou throwest away thy seed nature cannot be overcome Art thou a tiller of a barren ground Vnloose thy oven Why vexest thou thy self The word argues a greedinesse of hearing as the dry earth gasps for rain and drinks it in greedily Heb. 6.7 Others read it If thou wilt buy my words So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used She considereth a field and buyeth it Heb. taketh it to wit by purchase For what men buy they may lawfully take ch 31.16 Now wisdome is bought by time and labour Metrocles dicebat res alienas pecuniâ ut domum vestem alia disciplinas autem emi tempore atque labore Metrocles said that other mens goods were to be bought with money as houses and garments and other things but arts were to be bought with time and labour Laert. l. 6. c. 6. It argues a greedy desire of knowledge sparing for no cost time nor labour to attain it Ab. Ezra expounds it thus Thou shalt be my Son if thou wilt receive my words But it is better to draw the coherence to vers 5. thus If thou wilt receive my words c. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord c. My words See on ch 1.21 Some understand it of the words in the foregoing Chapter But it includes all spoken by him in this Book And hide Lay them up safe in thy heart and memory as men lay up treasures v. 7. Or at husband-men hide their corn in the earth to fructifie Or as men lay up jewels they would have kept There is no safer place to keep good counsel in then the chest of mans heart and memory Then will it not be forgotten My commandements Such as I have received from God and enjoyned thee These they must hide in their memory that Satan beguile them not of the knowledge of them but they may be ready for practise upon all occasions as money in a Treasury or victuals in a Storchouse With thee Not from others for thou must teach them but lay up the knowledge of them for thy owne use Some things are so dear to us that we will not trust our chests with them but carry them alwayes about with us So must we doe with wise precepts Maximus reports that Euripides the Philosopher seeing a young man buying many Books said Non arcae O adolescens sed pectori O young man these are not to be put into thy chest but into thy breast Communium Sermonum 17. I have heard that famous Buchanan King James his Master when a Germane Doctor coming into Scotland desirous to see him and observing his few books and great learning saluted him thus Salve Doctor sine libris God save you Mr. Doctor without books going into Germany afterwards and seeing in that Doctors Study a multitude of books and thinking him little learned retorted bitterly Salvete libri sine Doctore God save you books without a Doctor Intimating that few books well read were better then many never looked upon He is the first in the ship of fools that buyes many books and reads them not To this purpose Solomon seems to speak to the young man here as if he had said I have and will do my part to fill thee with good instructions see thou do thine in receiving them into thine heart and keeping them there Figures My Son a Metaphor For Solomon meant others to be taught by him as well as his Sons Receive A Metaphor from the earth receiving seed Hide a Metaphor from treasures locked up In the text there is 1. Avi ditas auscultandi A greedy desire of hearkening 2. Assiduitas memorandi A daily care of remembring In the first note 1. The person spoken to My Son 2. The act required if thou wilt receive 3. The object my words In the second note 1. The act And hide 2. The object my commandements 3. The subject place with thee Observations My
and thankfulnesse of the Elders Sibi victorias non attribuunt sed totum Deo ascribunt qui vires ipsis ad vincendum suggessit They do not attribute their victories to themselves but ascribe all to God who gave them strength to overcome Plinie reports that the Roman Generall after a Victory brought in his Garland and laid it in Jupiters lap in the Capitoll David doth the like speaking of his great preparations for the building of Gods Temple Who am I and what is my People that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 He ascribes all to the true God Non magnum est humilâ—m esse in abjestione sed magna prorsus rara virtus humilitas honorata Bern. in Cant. Ser. 33. It is no great matter to be humble in a low estate but it is certainly a great and a rare vertue for men in honor to be humble Non mirum est si ventus pulverem secum ferat rapiat Nos pulvis sumus Anselm de solitudine No wonder if the wind carry and snatch away the dust with it We are dust 4. Doct. A good man must seek for strength from God not in some of his actions alone but in all even in the least Without me ye can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 Reason The strength to do the least things is from God even to breath He giveth to all life and breath and all things Act. 17.25 And he can take it away when he please and so spoile all our actions His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish Psal 146.4 Use It reproves those who pray not to God for a blessing on their ordinary labours Onely they seek unto him in difficult cases when they are at their wits end as Seamen pray in a storm Psal 107.27 28. It may be they pray not before they work and therefore God lets them be forty years as the Israelites in the Wildernesse about that which might be done in fourty daies 5. Doct. Such as seek for Gods help may expect Gods blessing Cail upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 50.14 Jabez called on the God of Israel saying Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and enlarge my coast and that thine hand might be with me and that thou wouldest keep me from evil that it may not grieve me And God granted him that which he requested 1 Chron. 4.10 Reason 1. He will make thy waies right 2. He will make them full and compleat 3. He will make them successefull Use See the reason why many mens waies prosper not They go on in their own strength God is not in all their thoughts Ps 10.4 So Pharaoh went desperately into the Sea and was drowned Ps 136.15 They seek not for strength from God and God will not blesse them 6. Doct. The chief director of our waies for good is God I have raised him up in righteousnesse and I will direct his waies he shall build my City Isa 45.13 I will direct their work in truth Isa 61.8 Reason 1. Because the wisest man in the world canot direct his own waies so as to make them alwaies succeed well O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Ier. 10.23 2. God hath wisdom enough to guide us through all difficulties Use Do nothing without Gods direction in his word A man that had an house to build would in all things follow the direction of a skilfull workman lest he lose his cost So let us follow Gods guidance Else all our labour is lost None desires to go astray out of his way except he be first gone out of his wits Every man will rather take a guide to directhim the right way and give money to that end If we be careful to acknowledge God in our waies we shal not wander out of them for we shal have a trusty guide who offereth himselfe freely in the Text to direct our paths God led the Israelites through the wildernesse not the shortest but the safest way So wil God do for all them that make him their guide The Athenians conceived that their Goddess Minerva turned all their evil counsels into good to them the Romans thought their Goddesse Videlia set them again in the right way when at any time they were out All this and more then is undoubtedly done by the true God for all that commit their waies unto him and depend upon him for direction and successe Then may we conclude This God is our God for ever and ever he wil be our guide even unto death Psal 48.14 VER 7. Be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil IN this verse is a scale of duties consisting of three steps Mans forsaking his own wisdome leads him to the fear of God and the fear of God keeps him from sin A promise of health followes in the next verse for the words Be not wise See on Chap. 1.5 In thine own eyes See on Chap. 1.17 on the word sight For the phrase being wise in our own eyes is being so in our own conceit as the Doway Bible reads it and it comprehends these particulars under it that a man should not think himselfe sufficiently wise so as by that he should be able to guide himselfe in all his actions to know what is right what wrong what successe will follow good or bad and that he hath a deeper reach then other men and is able to dive into the greatest matters Solomon doth not say be not wise for then should he contradict other scriptures and himselfe too that bid us labour for wisdome his meaning is not then that we should not seek to understand scripture and to be able to give a reason of all we do and know when we judge aright of things and when not for that were to make a man a beast but that he should not think himselfe wiser then other godly men nor at any time oppose his own wisdom to God take heed alwaies that his judgment be not blinded by natural ignorance or selfe-love it differs a little from leaning to our own understanding Verse 5. This is the cause that the effect we lean to our own understanding because we are wise in our own eyes This is in the judgment that in the affection of confidence this is Theorical that is Practical There may also be a Meiofis in it think meanly of thy selfe take notice of thine own ignorance and think other men wiser then thy selfe fear the Lord. See on Chap. 1.7 And depart The word signifies to turn away from a thing which a man dislikes From evil It is put 1. for evil of sin which is the cause 2. of trouble which is the effect He that avoides the first shal escape the last the first is
to God Riches and tithes have the same letters in Hebrew they differ only by a stop on the top of a letter as appears in the Hebrew proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pay tithes that thou maist be rich Augustin speaking of those who had their corn smitten with blasting and mildew who would not willingly pay their tythes saith Reckon now O covetous wretch nine parts are withdrawn from thee because thou wouldst not give the tenth And he addes this reason Dei enim justa consuetudo est ut si es decimam non dederis tu ad decimam revoceris novem partibus sc detractis For this is Gods just custom if thou wilt not give the tenth to him thou shalt be brought to the tenth nine parts being taken away So Landlords enter on all when their rent is not paid Men take care how to use their money to their best advantage by sea or buying land or cattle or by usury an easie trade thy best trade wil be to maintain Gods worship the Jews have a proverb to this purpose to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T. thes are the hedge of riches Pirke Aboth cap. 3. Fig. 13. Doct. 3. Abundance of good things follow upon cost bestowed on Gods worship Bring ye all the Tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I wil not open you the windowes of heaven and powre out a blessing that there shal not be room enough to receive it Mal. 3.10 Reas 1. Because God hath abundance and gives accordingly Fountaines abound in water and therefore communicate it more freely then standing pooles It becomes great men to give largely though receivers deserve it not 2. God wil shew hereby what a great price he sets upon his worship when he so liberally rewards the furtherers of it Use Observe ye that are large in giving to pious uses how God deals with you I doubt not but ye will find it in your books at the years end if no sinful course of life make obstructions Doct. 4. Provisions of all sorts attend upon this cost See the place quoted before Mal. 3.10.11 Reas Because God is both able and willing to bestow all sorts of good things on them that love and maintain his worship Use Observe what varietie of good things God bestows on you for upholding his worship and be thankful VER 11. My Son despise not the chastning of the Lord neither be weary of his correction HEre is an answer to to an objection that might be made out of the former verse It might be said good men have not alwaies the plenty you speak of they are many times in want and poverty A. Then must they be patient if wants and crosses come upon them from God for it is for their good If God do not prosper but crosse us we must not be offended Before Solomon had taught his son the doctrine of reverence to have higher thoughts of God then of himselfe Verse 5 6 7. here he teacheth him the doctrine of patience he had before perswaded him to shew reall thankfulnesse to God in his cost for Gods worship Verse 9.10 now he moves him to shew his real patience in bearing crosses from God That precept belonged principally to rich men that want nothing this to poor men that live in want or to such as are otherwise afflicted by the hand of God For the words My son A kind appellation to pierce the deeper into our hearts To whom will he hearken that will not hearken unto his father For the word see on Chap. 1.18 Despase not Count not sleightly of it but observe well for what end it is sent seek not to cast it off with contempt and hatred count it not a burden insupportable Some serve God in prosperity and leave him in adversitie Therefore the wise-man exhorts him whom he had before taught how to live in prosperity not to faint in adversitie that so when infirmity or poverty or the like triall comes he may not lose that piety which he seemed to have in his tranquillity The chastning See on Chap. 1.2 on the word instruction the same word in the original signifies both and it belongs equally to a loving father to instruct or correct as occasion is offered Of the Lord. See on Chap. 1.7 Neither be weary Faint not under the burden of Gods correction let it not be like meat upon the stomach that overcharges it and the man is never well till he be rid of it and can endure no more of it Of his correction Remember it is but correction not wrath See on Chap. 1.25 on the word Reproofe for it fignifies both The sum of this verse is as if Solomon had said to the young man My son God will give thee prosperity if thou obey him but if God shall see it fitter for thee to give thee ficknesse for health and dry bones for marrow and make thee full of paines and weaknesses do not make a light account of his correcting hand neither if thou think his stroak to be too long or heavy be thou offended with him but bear it patiently Figures none Note 1. The Exhortation in this verse 2. The reason inforcing it verse 12. In the former observe 1. The person spoken to My son 2. The speech wherein note a double exhortation or rather dehortation And in the former 1. The act disswaded Despise not 2. The Object The chastning of the Lord. In the latter note 1. The Act forbidden Neither be weary 2. The Object Of his correction 1. Doct. Arguments or titles of love should often be repeated My little Children 1 Ioh. 2.1 Brethren 1 Ioh. 2.7 Beloved 1 Ioh. 4.1.7.11 Reason 1. Because of all arguments they are the most pierceing They go from heart to heart They will work when arguments of terror will not 2. Because as they quickly pierce the affection so they last till death in the memory and work love back again as the sunbeams beating on a wall reverberat and cause heat in the air near it Use 1. To blame strangenesse and sharpnesse of carriage in Christians especially in words when reproofes and admonitions savour rather of height of spirit then of love Little good comes by them 2. To teach all superiours Ministers especially to breath forth words full of affection especially to those that are godly though differing from them in matters of lesser moment Loving carriage is glue it will unite Strangenesse is a thaw of a severing quality and will breed enmity 2. Doct. Afflictions come from God Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it Am. 3.6 The Lord hath troden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me hee hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men The Lord hath troden the virgin the daughter of Judah as in a wine presse Lam. 1.15 Reason 1. Because some are such as none else can inflict as