he hates Ye that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97.10 6. Doct. If men will not for their owne sakes forsake sin they should do it for their childrens sake God promises good to children if their parents be obedient O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for ever Deut. 5.29 Therefore they must take heed they bring not evill on their children by disobedience Manasseh brings destruction on Jerusalem after his death though he repented in his life Surely at the commandement of the Lord came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh according to all that he did 2 King 24.3 And Ahab brought Gods judgement on his posterity though he humbled himself Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me Because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evill in his dayes but in his Sons dayes will I bring the evill upon his house 1 King 21.29 Reason 1. Because much evill may come on our posterity for our sins as hereditary diseases poverty losses crosses 2. Our affection is great to our children We prefer them before friends and many times before our selves Why then should we doe any thing to hurt them Vse It teacheth us to bewail the madnesse of those parents that are so fond of their children that they love the ground the better they tread on and yet live in those sins that shorten their childrens dayes and lay them under ground before their time by nature They give them bad examples and no correction for their sins and so are accessary to their ruine Let us be wiser and give good example and correction to our children and then may we look to see much good of them Which God grant to all godly parents through Jesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour Amen CHAP. III. VER 1. My Son forget not my law but let thine heart keep my commandments THe order of Solomon is to be observed he had formerly exhorted the young man to seek after Wisdome and shewed him what evils it would preserve him from now he gives him some directions how to practise what he should be taught and shews what good he should get by it He had disswaded him from cruelty in the first Chapter and from adultery in the second now he perswades him to piety and equity in this Chapter and lest the keeping of so many precepts imposed upon the young man should trouble him he promiseth in general and afterwards interlaceth in particulars divers promises of good and sure rewards to allure him to audience and obedience Solomon had a floud or a wood of words a Sylva Synonymorum and therefore urges the same things with elegant variation of phrase as a Father often inculcats the same things daily in other words to affect his child the more that so what works not upon him at first may at last The two first verses are a general preface to the rest of the Chapter wherein is 1. an exhortation in the first verse 2 ly a promise to set it on Verse 2. For the words My Son see on Chap. 1.18 He often useth the amiable name of a Son intimating that he speaks not as an Enemy nor a Neighbour or Friend or Master or King but as a loving Father to his beloved child And wel might he call the hearer or reader his Son on whom he had bestowed so many godly instructions and whom he goes on to instruct stil like a Father Forget not See on Chap. 2.17 Let my law stick fast in thy memory whatsoever thou forget either children businesse or whatever els is deer unto thee be sure thou forget not my Law sooner forget musick and singing as the godly Jews would rather forget them then Jerusalem Psal 137.5.6 My Law See on Chap. 1.8 Here it is taken for those good instructions Solomon gave and which are written in this book therefore he calls it his Law which being agreeable to Gods Law his children were tyed to observe So Gods law is called Moses Law Mal. 4.4 This book is a Law how to guide our life containing many excellent practical instructions But. See on Chap. 1.25.2.22 an opposition between keeping and forgetting Let thine heart See on Chap. 2.2 The heart here may be taken for the memory which is the chest of the soul or rather for the wil which is King in the Soul and to which the understanding is councellor and the affections are servants Keep See on Chap. 2.11 Keep them both in memory and life He speaks not of a bare remembring but of a practical keeping also shewing that it is not profitable for us to have them in our heart unlesse we also exercise them in our conversation The sum is that we must remember these precepts to keep and do them Deut. 7.12 For remembring the law in the heart without practising it in the life will not bring the blessing annexed Ver. 2. Length of daies c. Thou must remember them so that thou hearcily practise them and that thy heart not only have the knowledge of them ready upon all occasions but also be ever studying for occasions and how to do them My commandments See on Chap 2.1 Thou must not only look to this book in general but have respect to every particular direction in it that concernes thee then shalt thou be like Zechariah and Elizabeth walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamlesse Luke 1.6 And maist conclude with the Psalmist Then shal I not be ashamed when I have respect unto thy commandements Psalm 119.6 The sum is as if Solomon had said Thou hast heard O my Son that thou art not able by thine own pains and study to get Wisdome but thou must get teachers and accommodate the ears both of thy soul and body to their words yet is not this enough to make thee wise but thou must also retain those instructions in thy memory ready for practise when opportunity shal be offered Figures none Note 1. A prohibition 2. An Exhortation In the former note 1. The person spoken to Myson 2. The thing forbidden Forget not 3. The Object My Law In the latter observe 1 The opposition or rather augmentation But Or it may be read Yea See on Chap. 2.22 Be so far from forgetting that thou remember to practise my Commands on all occasions 2. The agent Let thine heart 3. The Act. Keep 4. The object My Commandments 1. Doct. Great affection ought to be in a teacher He must look upon his hearers as upon his Children This is Paulâ— tone My little Children Of whom I travail in birth again Gal. 4.19 Wherefore Because I love you not God knoweth 2 Cor. 11.11 I will gladâ—y spend and be spent for you though the more abundantly I love you the lesse I be loved 2 Cor. 12.15 Spoken as by an indulgent Father This is Iohns
ab ovo ad mala so when their bellies were full then they began to feed their souls with some spirituall food So some read that in Cant. 8.2 I will bring thee into my mothers house there thou shalt instruct me I will cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranats Solomons houshold provision plentifull and daily is set down 1 King 4.7 c. And his wisdome annexed to that discourse vers 29 c. shewed in speaking Proverbs very likely at his table The Queen of Sheba observes the order of his table and blesses his servants that attended not for their delicate fare but for hearing Solomons wise sentences there dropt out 1 King 10.5 8. To this custome Solomon alludes or rather David as we shall hear hereafter when he brings in Wisdome making a feast and giving good counsell withall chap. 9.1 c. Men are willing to learn of good house-keepers that invite them and of such as are familiar and use to eat and drink with them Therefore Christ the true Solomon fed the people miraculously that they might the more willingly hearken to his Doctrine And he taught often at the table and largely at his last supper Joh. 13. A thing much neglected now adaies but very profitable if men would intermingle pious discourses with their meat and so feed souls and bodies together themselves and others at the same table For the third thing The speakers of these Proverbs Some conceive them to be all spoken by Solomon but they are deceived The contrary appears evidently For after that Solomon had delivered his own thoughts in the three first Chapters at the 4. verse of the 4 Chapter he brings in his father David speaking At the beginning of the 10 Chapter he speaks again himself In the 30 Chapter Agurs Prophesie is inserted and his mother Bathsheba's instruction in the last Chapter And some think that the first six verses of this chapter were written by such as put the Proverbs together as a Preface to the rest as some conceive the first Psalme to be made by Ezra who as they imagine put the Psalmes in order It being more fit in their understanding for another man to commend the work â—en for Solomon himself As it is certain the end of Deuteronomy was not written by Moses nor the second of Samuel by Samuel being written after his death as the other was after the death of Moses Yet these may be Solomons words in the first six verses of this Chapter for all that objection and the style seems to speak as much He might commend the work not out of oftentation but out of desire to draw others to read it for their spirituall good So Jeremy commends his Prophesie by his pedegree and by those famous Kings under whom he prophesied The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah of the Priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin to whom the Word of the Lord came in the daies of Josiah the son of Amon King of Judah in the thirteenth year of his reign c. In Job there are many speeches of others and in Isaiah is Hezekiahs Song yet the books bear the name of Job and Isaiah So we call the Psalmes Davids yet many of them were made by others but the most by him So may these be called Solomons Proverbs because the most are his and the rest collected out of his writings though first spoken by others Neither is there any necessity that those six verses should be written after Solomons death as the end of Deuteronomy and second of Samuel were after Moses and Samuels death For the fourth point of composing them together Some think they were all written together by Solomons own hand and so delivered by him at first in one entire piece as now they are and that Agur and Lemuel were names of Solomon or else imaginary persons brought in conferring with Solomon as the Heathen had such in their written Books of discourses at feasts But that cannot be for Agurs name alone is not set down but his parentage also which is a note of a true story and that that Chapter is his Lemuel indeed is taken for Solomon himself by all or most Commenters but the words are his mothers instructions Salazar to maintain this opinion is forced to say that the two last Chapters were written before chap. 25. that it might have some face of a conference others think that though most of these Proverbs were uttered by Solomon and left in scattered papers yet they were put together by others Quinchi thinks by the Prophet Isaiah Others by Hezekiahs men But the likeliest is that Solomon left all the twenty four first Chapters written in that order that now they are And that learned men appointed by Hezekiah writ the last out of Solomons remaining papers and among the rest Agurs Prophesie and Lemuels Mothers instructions And that because in the beginning of the 25. Chapter the Holy Ghost makes a transition from what was written before very likely entirely by the Author and what was copied out after by Hezekiahs men The same thing learned men conceive of Davids Psalmes that the 72 first were left by David himself in that order they now stand because of the conclusion of the 72 Psalme The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended And that the rest after though many of them be of Davids penning yet were set in that order by Ezra or some other For the fifth thing The manner of speech used in them Sometime Solomon speaks in his own words sometime in his father Davids as chap. 4.4 c. and sometime in Agurs as chap. 30. and sometime in his Mothers as chap. 31. that so he might affect men the more with this variety and shew whence he had his first knowledge and what pains both his parents took with him A fit Precedent for other parents For the sixth head The division of the Book There is in it 1 Solomons Preface to his Proverbs in the three first chapters 2 Davids Catechisme for his son Solomon with a short Preface of Solomons to it from the beginning of the fourth chapter to the end of the ninth 3 Solomons own Proverbs not only uttered but written by himself as appears by the title of the tenth chapter which reach to the end of chap. 24. 4 Such Proverbs of Solomon as were collected by Hezekiahs men long after Solomons death from thence to the end of chap. 29. 5 Agurs Prophesie chap. 30. 6 Solomons Mothers instructions chap. 31. In the Preface and Davids Catechisme the coherence may give light sometimes where the sentences hang well together But in the other parts the opposition in each verse gives most light in many places for there is seldome any coherence of verses one with another but distinct Proverbs uttered at divers times and upon divers occasions For the seventh and last thing propounded My method in handling them shall be 1. To give you the
Grammaticall sense or translation and originall force and various significations of the words 2. The Rhetorical sense or interpretation shewing what is literally and what figuratively spoken 3. The Logicall sense holding out the coherence of one verse or word with another and the strength of arguments couched in the words 4. The Theologicall sense in some short observations out of the words not without sutable applications I shall sometimes parallel these Proverbs with other like Scriptures and sometimes with sentences of other authors and rob the Egyptians to enrich the Israelites I begin with the first part and am retiring to my text as fast as I can It is part of Solomons Preface contained in the three first chapters for as for the six next from chap. 4. to chap. 10. they are Davids words For Solomon fathers them upon him chap. 4.4 and dischargeth him not till chap. 10.1 and then challengeth the rest following or many chapters to himself and sets his stamp upon them afresh The Proverbs of Solomon Which had been needlesse if Solomon had spoken before since he brought in David spaking He sets out his Fathers goodnesse in teaching him so abundantly and his own in learning so plentifully To return to Solomons words note 1. The inscription of the Book to the 7 verse of this chapter 2. His counsell to his son to the end of the 3 chapter In the inscription note 1. The penman vers 1. 2. The profit and scope of the book in the five verses following I am now arrived at the haven and come to my Text. And first for the Grammaticall sense or translation of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Proverbs Vox gravida A woâ—d great with childe as Salazar cals it It contains much more under it then we ordinarily conceive it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies 1. To rule Dan. 11.4 Which he ruled And that for divers reasons 1. Because Proverbs are most eminent ornaments of discourse and excell in speech as Kings in a kingdome They are of most account and like stars do illustrate our speech 2. Because other speeches are deduced from them as from undoubted principles and receive all their credit and authority from them These are like Axioms in all Arts worthy of credit in themselves and from them other sentences are derived by consequence and therefore they rule over these latter like Kings and other sentences must stand or fall by their doome 3. Because most of them are sentences coming from Kings and Princes or others eminent for wisdome as princes in the Schooles whose sentences are Chronicled when other meaner mens words lie dead and buried So Davids Solomons Bathshebas are here mentioned and all Histories are full of such 4. Because they are so certain that they have a throne in all mens mindes and no man dare contradict them but all that hear them are convinced of the truth of them Thus Christs sentences had weight in them He spake as one that had authority and not as the Scribes Mar. 1.22 His words were weighty like the words of Kings and rulers The Greek word for a Proverb is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A word used by the way Things commonly talked of by passengers in the way as generally beleeved Or because they were written upon pillars in the highwayes that travellers reading them might have occasion of meditation and discourse for their instruction and correction Athen. Synops l. 14. The Latin word Proverbium or Proverb is Proverbo That which is worthy to stand for a word 2. The word may import a similitude for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sometimes to liken one thing to another Ezek. 16.44 Behold every one that useth Proverbs shall use this proverb against thee saying As is the mother so is the daughter And that 1. Because a multitude of Proverbs are similitudes wherein one thing is compared with another To this the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lay one thing by another And so Hierom on Matthew saith Parabola est rerum natura discrepantium sub aliqua similitudine facta collatio A parable is a comparison of things different in nature made under some similitude Parables compare things with things persons with persons state with state businesse with businesse 2. Because they are an Anatomy and character of good mens manners and expresse them as the seal doth a picture in wax A lively representation and likenesse of them and of their carriages in all conditions Under this word then are contained 1. Principles in Divinity commonly beleeved of all and used in common speech as Ezek. 18.2 What mean ye that ye use this Proverb concerning the land of Israel saying The fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge 2. Witty sentences spoken by men of note for wisdome and learning as these Proverbs of Solomon 3. Riddles or hard sayings requiring labour for the understanding of them And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Proverb and a dark saying are used promiscuously I will incline mine ear to a Parable I will open my dark sayings upon the Harp Psal 49.4 See the like Psal 78.2 Such was Balaams proverb or parable Numb 24.15 4. Similitudes So the unjust carriage of the great Kings of Judah and Gods destroying of them is set out under the fimilitude of two Eagles and a Vine Ezek. 17.2 c. All of these kindes are to be found in this Book and so they may justly be called Proverbs Of Solomon He was the son of David by Bathsheba and appointed by God and him to be heir of the Kingdom though not the eldest son His name carries peace in it in the Original and such was his reign So was he called by God before he was born 1 Chron. 22.9 His name shall be Solomon and I will give peace and quietnesse unto Israel in his days This name was imposed on him by the Father as the Text runs 2 Sam. 12.24 But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or marginal reading attributes it to his Mother reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And she called his name Solomon God gave him another name there vers 25. the name of Jedidiah because he loved him Doubtlesse then was Solomon saved notwithstanding his errours for whom God loves he loves to the end Joh. 13.1 Solomon is observed to be the first of the writers of Scripture that set his name before his Book Moses did it not nor any other If Nehemiah be objected it is answered that he lived long after Solomon in the time of the captivity though his book be set before to continue the History of the Church and Doctrinal and Prophetical Books set after The Prophets that followed after imitated Solomon but not the Historians that went before David writes his
knowledge of those things he knew not before Wisdome In this verse it is taken for the Theorical part of wisdome to know the truth of things as appears by the opposition of manners in the next verse It may be meant of wisdome in general knowledge of the truth for many Philosopical truths are contained in this Book But it hath a special eye to the knowledge of God and divine truths as appears vers 7. And it signifies an exact knowledge of things by the causes or other properties whereby we may be able to distinguish between real and apparent truths And Instruction The word properly signifies the manner of teaching by which wisdome is attained It is set after wisedome because that is the end and perfection of instruction and therefore more worthy then the means Finis primus in intentione ultimus in executione The end is first in intention last in execution Men think of dwelling before they think of building It signifies such instruction as is communicated to boyes joyned with correction for the word imports both To make scholars bred up under severe discipline to learn wisedome These Proverbs are better then rods They will teach what rods cannot To perceive Heb. To understand or make to understand The words For thoughts cannot be understood They are known only to God Nor deeds are not said to be understood but to be seen Understanding properly hath relation to that which comes in at the ear Of understanding Words of weight worthy to be understood and well understood by those that delivered them and coming from men of great understanding and making them such that learn them Acute sentences full of good matter fit to passe for authentical like currant money This specifies what wisedome the holy Ghost here meant to wit knowledge of things to be believed As in the next verse he first names wisedome and then shews what kinde of wisdome he means To know justice c. I will not trouble you with that that troubles the interpreters how to distinguish wisdome instruction and understanding into knowledge by causes or other arguments and many other distinctions for I take it the latter in each verse doe but expound the former and instruction knowing perceiving and receiving doe but set out the means of attaining it For the figures Wisdome A figure of the general for the special For divine wisdome which indeed is the best of all other wisdome and deserves to carry away the name from all the rest Humane truths are not to be named the same day with divine So Christ is called the Son of man Gods Word the Bible and Scripture because he is the most excellent Son of Man and it the most excellent book and writing Instruction A figure of the cause for the effect For the wisedome gotten by instruction As Judah and Ephraim for their posterity Or of the adjunct for the object Instruction for the things wherein men are instructed as hope reserved for us in heaven for the things hoped for there Col. 1.5 Of understanding A figure either of the efficient for the effect as before because they came from understanding men or of the matter because they contain things worthy to be understood As here is wisdome Rev. 13.18 that is wise matter Or of the effect because they breed understanding men As pale death because it makes men pale For the division and arguments 1. Note the general 2. The particular The general To know wisdome and instruction And in it 1. The act To know 2. The object Wisdome 3. The means to attain it Instruction In the particular the wisdome here meant is set out 1. By an act To perceive 2. By the object The words 3. The adjunct Of understanding The Observations follow 1. Doct. In reading Scripture the end should be alwayes before our eyes Solomon writ the Proverbs that men might get wisdome by reading them So the builder still mindes his end whether he build for himself or to let out for gain and builds his house accordingly It is Gods great question in religion To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord Isai 1.11 Reason 1. The end incites to the work Much profit sets the Seaman Plowman Tradesman on work Omnia in rebus humanis spebus aguntur All endeavours in humane affairs are driven on by hopes Salu. contra avar Spes alit agricolas spes sulcis semina credit Hope nourishes the husbandman and makes him commit his seed to the furrows Tibul. l. 2. el. 7. 2. The end orders all the means No man can fit the means unlesse the end be in his thoughts Workmen matter form all must be ordered by the end 3. The end attained perfects the work It is imperfect till the end be attained 4. Senselesse things only set no end before them as fire and water Beasts have an end they goe to the pastures and to the waters that their life may continue Vse It blames most readers of Scripture which travail to no end They read a chapter or make their children doe it out of custome meerly but know not why or wherefore Why should Gods Word be worst used by them They work and play for some end but read for none and therefore are never the better 2. Doct. Wisdome is to be gotten out of Scripture Solomon writ his Proverbs to teach men wisdome The holy Scriptures are able to make Timothy wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The writers were wise men as Moses who was learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians Act. 7.22 Davids wisdome and Solomons are well known by their works and reigns Pauls also who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the Fathers Act. 22.3 As for Daniel God gave him knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdome and he had understanding in all Visions and Dreams Dan. 1.17 Those that were not learnedly bred had tongues and wisdome given them from God immediately The Lord took Amos an Herdman and bid him prophesie Amos 7.14 15. He found him unfit but he made him fit else no doubt he would not have sent him Some of the Apostles were Fishermen But on the day of Pentecost They were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance Act. 2.4 From wise men we look for wise Books But that which is more then all this the most wise God guided their heads and pens which had been enough to have made a man blinde and foolish to write aright and wisely Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Vse Lose not your labour then to seek heavenly wisdome in humane writings with neglect of the Scriptures as your great Politicians and Moralists doe Men seek it in many arts businesses studies inventions but in vain here it is to be found and abundantly more then elsewhere Experience confirms it in
would be loth to think they should answer for neglect of knowledge at the day of Judgement yet they must Else why sit ye at home and lose so many good Sermons your absence is a reall sleighting of wisdome Vers 8. My Son hear the instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother In the rest of this Chapter and the two Chapters following Solomon's words consisting of many exhortations and promises do not well admit of any division but by the Chapters In the rest of this Chapter there is 1. A commendation of domesticall instruction v. 8 9. 2. A disswasion from hearkening to bad counsels from v. 10 to v. 20. 3. Wisdomes exhortation to men to follow her directions from vers 20. to the end of the Chapter In the first ye have 1. An exhortation in this vers 2. A promise in the next For the exhortation and first for the words My Son See on v. 1. Hear See on v. 5. Here it is taken for giving ear and heart to parents instructions beleeving or obeying them according to the nature of them Instruction The means to get learning See on vers 2. Of thy Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Father from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wish well for parents naturally bear good will to their children Amor descendit non ascendit Love descends but ascends not They are part of them and their care is great for them The word is not alwayes used for naturall Parents but sometimes for Mosters or elder persons or men in authority as Children for inferiors in the fist Commandement and elsewhere Solomon was a Father as a Ruler Teacher naturall Father And it may be that these Proverbs were written for instruction to his owne children and so to be communicated by other parents to their children as King James writ his Basilicon Doron for his Son Yet Solomon chooseth the name of a Father rather then of a King or Master to perswade them to be the more willing to receive instruction from him for Parents look to their childrens good when Masters and Kings having not that naturall band look to their owne ends Because Solomon took upon him principally to teach young men therefore he takes to him the name of a Father shewing withall that he desires nothing more then their spirituall good And forsake not Hearing and not forsaking must be applyed to the instruction of both Parents by the rule given in the last vers For as a Childe must not refuse to hear his Father at first so he must not be drawn away from the truth or good learned by his Father afterwards And as he must not be drawn from his Mothers counsels afterwards so he must not slight them at the first Hearing is to be given to the Father because Children are more ready to hearken to their Mothers though the Fathers be for the most part best able to advise And not forsaking looks to the Mothers Law because Children taken from the Mothers care and imployed by the Father are ready to slight her and to forget what she taught them in their childehood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports not being drawn away by our owne corruption or other mens perswasion from what we have learned of our godly Mothers Others read pluck not up but that comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and comes short of the other intending a mans owne seduction by himself and not so well forbidding seduction by others also Entisement is set down more plainly vers 10. The Law The teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shoot or rain or teach Precepts are dropt into young children by pious Mothers by little and little and as it were suckt in with their milk and fastned by often repeating Such teaching becomes Mothers and children It is translated Law rather then teaching because it bindes more and children think themselves lesse bound to Mothers then Fathers because Mothers are more tender over them and familiar with them Equals also may teach but not command Of thy Mother It is taken here for the naturall Mother for Solomon begins with houshold instruction Leave not the course of godlinesse wherein she bred thee Figures none Note 1. The Childes duty to his Father 2. To his Mother In the first note 1. The agent My Son 2. The act hear 3. The object the instruction 4. The subject of thy Father In the second note 1. The act and forsake not 2. The object the Law 3. The subject of thy Mother He had begun with Religion and duty to God vers 7. next he requires duty to Parents in this vers 1. Doct. Next after the care of Religion is the care of our duty to Parents Therefore God hath placed the fifth Commandement in the beginning of the second Table Philo thinks it was written in the border of both Tables Aben Ezra placeth it in the first Table but behinde Tindall conceives it was written in the first Table after the fourth Commandement so that the first Table should contain all duties to Superiours God and Magistrates and Parents c. and the second all duties to Equals Diis parentibus nunquam satis fit Aristotle God and Parents cannot be sufficiently requited The Heathen punished injuries to God and Parents alike Valer. l. 1. Qui dubitat utrum oporteat Deos revereri aut parentes non indiget ratione sed pari paena Aristot Topic. l. 8. He that doubts whether God or Parents be to be reverenced needs not be confuted by reason but by the same punishment All fatherhood is from God Men are fathers of some God of all in some sense or other Resisting them is in some sense resisting God as resisting a Constable is resisting the King or supreme Magistrate Parents are chosen in the fist Commandement to expresseall Superiors rather then Magistrates or Ministers these are comprehended under Parents The safety or ruine of Church and Common-wealth depends upon them for families are seminaries of both Divine right and naturall give Parents power over Children 1. Vse To inform us of what great weight this duty is both in the Text and Decalogue set next after our duty to God 2. To reprove disobedient Children This sin is next to impiety against God and before sins committed against equals Many have confessed at the Gallows that God justly brought them thither for disobedience to religious Parents And some have been troubled for their disobedience after their Parents death Object Our Parents are testy Answ Yet they must be born withall Multa ex quo fuerunt commoda ejus incommoda aequum est ferre Terent. We must bear with them by whom we get much Love thy Parent if he be kinde otherwise bear with him Ames parentem si aequus est aliter feras Mimus Servants must obey froward Masters 1. Pet. 2.18 Much more Children froward Parents 2. Doct. The beginning of Christian knowledge and piety ariseth for the most part from domesticall instruction
The agent I. 2. The act will make known 3. The object my words 4. The subject unto you 1. Doct. Ministers must shew the way of healing as well as the disease Isa 1.4 with v. 16 17. Ab sinfull Nation c. Wash you make you clean c. Hos 10.9 with v. 12. O Israel thou hast sinned from the dayes of Gibeah c. Sow to your selves in righteousnesse reap in mercy c. Rom. 3.9 with v. 21. We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested 1 Pet. 4.3 with vers 7. The time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles c. The end of all things is at hand Be ye therefore sober and watch Reason 1. Because else they should be like Job's friends Physicians of no value Job 13.4 Who cares for a Physician that onely can tell him he must die 2. They could else do no good to men by their Ministery He that tells a man he is in the wrong way or that the enemy comes upon him and cannot guide him in the right way or to a safe tower doth no good Vse Let Ministers teach men as to cast off solly so to hearken to Wisdomes voyce to come out of by wayes and darknesse unto the right way and light Else they are like him that snuffs a lamp and puts in no oyl 2. Dict. Reproof may turn some that would never turn of themselves The Angels speech made the Israelites weep Judg. 2.1 4. Peter's speech pricked the Jews to the heart and made them cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 2.14 37. Reason 1. Because we are naturally in sensible of our dangers as a man neer death ost-times feels no pain 2. We are not inquisitive after wayes of escaping as a mad-man never seeks to a Physician No suspicion no inquifition 3. Reproof rouzes up mens consciences and makes them look about them as a roaring canon wakes a man out of a dead sleep 4. It enflames their affections and makes them to look after salvation As pain felt makes a man look after a Physician that slighted him before Vse Let us highly esteem of reproofs it may be we should have gone on sleeping to hell else So did David Psal 141.5 Let the righteous reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl Giving ear to reproof is the high way to wisdome The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise Prov. 15.31 3. Doct. Wonderfull gifts are given by Gods Spirit Therefore Wisdome faith Behold See a catalogue of them 1 Cor. 12.4 c. Act. 2.17 c. Gises of knowledge wisdome healing miracles tongues prophesie See Abraham's admirable faith Heb. 11.9 10. He had Canaan yet like a stranger looked for heaven See Job's strange patience Job 1. Wonder at David's hearty thankfulnesse whereof the Psalms are witnesses and Solomon's vast wisdome set out in his rare Proverbs These could not grow in the Wildernesse of corrupted nature and therefore must come out of a garden planted by Gods Spirit Vse Acknowledge God in the gifts of his servants Nature Art Experience cannot produce those admirable effects and gifts which some men have attained Though dayes may speak and multitude of years may teach wisdome Yet there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Job 32.7 8. 4. Doct. Abundance of spirituall gifts are given to believers A fountain is poured out on them The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Joh. 4.14 This well is opened Joh. 7.39 This spake he of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive Reason 1. Because the persons are many yea many thousands An hundred forty and four thousand Israelites besides an innumerable company of believing Gentiles Rev. 7.4 9. And if every one had but one several gift they must needs be many 2. Every one of these hath many gifts as knowledge holinesse righteousnesse meeknesse sobriety patience magnanimity faith hope charity c. All then must needs mount to an huge summe Vse Pray for abundance of spirituall gifts they are the best treasure Lose nothing for asking 5. Doct. They that will turn to God shall not want the plentifull help of Gods Spirit to direct them If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Joh. 7.17 The Spirit of truth shall testifie of me Joh. 15.26 Reason 1. Because they will pray for Gods Spirit and God will give the Spirit to them that ask it Luk. 11.13 2. Because God is so free that he gives the Spirit to them that go away from him as to Paul Act. 9. Much more will he give it to them that return to him Christ that seeks the lost sheep will give his Spirit to the returning sheep Vse It encourages men to turn to God for then they shall have his Spirit for their Instructer Sanctifier Comforter 6 Doct. The Spirit and the Word must go together to guide Both are joyned in this vers The comforter shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Joh. 14.26 The Spirits must be tryed whether they be of God 1 Joh. 4.1 How shall that be known By hearing Gods Word Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error 1 Joh. 4 6. Reason 1. Because else contradiction untruth double dealing is put upon God For if his Word say one thing and his Spirit another he contradicts himself and must needs speak falsely in one of them for contraries cannot be true If it be day it is not night If a man bid his servant before men to do one thing and whisper the contrary in his ear Is not this double dealing 2. Because there is no other sure way to distinguish between a true speaking and a false speaking Spirit Vse It reproves those that crosse the Word under pretence of the Spirit and revelation and so set God at daggers drawing with himself and make him inconstant to say and unsay God in his Word bids read the Scriptures hear the Word saith Paul the great Apostle knew but in part Men deny all these by the Spirit A lying spirit must it needs be that contradicts Gods plain Word To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 Vers 24. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded In the two last verses Wisdome hath perswaded wicked men to repentance by expostulations exhortations and promises now she declareth the miserable estate of wilful persons with comminations menaces and threatning Seeing notwithstanding the plenty of means many would not get knowledge Wisdome threatens great mischiefs to them and shews the
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 VERSE 3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon the Table of thine heart NOw follow particular duties to bee performed to God and Man enterlarded with many excellent promises and rewards for encouragement to obedience And first the wise man begins with two duties to men setting the Exhortation to mercy and truth in this Verse and the encouraging promise in the next For the words Let not mercy and truth These two are oft enjoyned together in Scripture and it is pitty that they being so nearly joyned in themselves should ever be separated Sometimes they are jointly attributed to God His mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal 100.5 His merciful kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord eudureth for ever 117.2 Sometimes to man Mercy and truth preserve the King Chap. 20.28 When they are attributed to God then Gods mercy is shewed in promising or giving man any good that deserves nothing but ill of him His truh is shewed in performance of his promises When they are spoken of man then is mercy seen in giving freely to the poor who deserve nothing of us yea to enemies who deserve ill of us Truth is manifested in doing what we owe by promise or debt to men Misericordia est gratia qua ex nostro libero animo benefacimus alteri non ex debito non ex passione Veritas quâ exclusa omni fictione adaequamus facta dictis verba cordi cordebitis Gratia qua gratuita veritas qua debita exhibemus Cajeetan Mercy is favour whereby out of our own free mind we doe good to another man not out of debt not out of passion Truth is that vertue whereby shutting out all feigning we do equall our deeds to our words our words to our haart our heart to our debts Grace or mercy is whereby we give free things Truth whereby we pay or restore things due to others Some interpret the Text here of Gods mercy and truth and that two waies 1. So carry thy self that God may deal mercifully and truly with thee But this cannot be the sense For though a man may so carry himself that God will not deal mercifully with him yet he cannot carry himself so badly that God will not deal truly with him for that were a blemish to God If he be upright God will perform his promises to him if not God will execute his threatnings upon him whichsoever God doth he shewes forth his truth 2. By way of promise not of exhortation And they read it Mercy and truth shall not forsake thee And they tie it to the former words if thou forget not my Law c. then God wil deal mercifully with thee and perform all his promises to thee But 1. This crosses the ordinary sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a prohibition and that without need 2. The words following are imperative 3. In the first and second Verses ye have a prohibition and promise This method is also observed in the verses following and most likly so here in this Verse and the next The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Mercy or favour All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Psal
those blessings that God gives to them that obey him Them that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 It comes in among blessings promised to Gods obedient people Deut. 28.2 c. 2. The contraries are reckoned amongst Gods curses See Deut. 28.17.33.44 Use To reprove those that turn blessings into curses Of whom we may say it had been good for them if they had never been rich nor honorable There is a sore evill which I have seeen under the Sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Eccl. 5.13 And the like had Solomon observed concerning honour There is a time ' wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt Eccl. 8.9 Such riches and preferment be far from Gods people Amen VER 17. Her waies are waies of pleasantness and all her paths are peace HEre is another motive to get wisdom wouldst thou goe in pleasant waies and live in peace and quietnesse All wisdoms waies are such The man who gets wisdom gets true happinesse and delight When Merchants go by Sea or passengers by land they are glad when they find fair way and a quiet passage They desire not to be staid nor hindred in their journey but to go at ease without any disturbance which yet sometime they misse But such as walk wisely find waies of pleasure and peace These words are fitly knit to the former for long life and riches and honour are not sufficient to make a man happy He may meet with many occasions of sorrow and of War and trouble which may make his life very uncomfortable Here therefore Solomon addes to the former blessings pleasure and peace to shew that nothing is wanting to a wise man Hee had commended wisdom before ex parte termini from happinesse in the end now he commends it ex parte medii from the comfort of the way The allective power of wisdom is set out in this verse the conservative in the next For the words Her waies Her precepts or the walking in them For the word see on Chap. 2.13 Are waies of pleasantnesse Very pleasant waies and such as men may walk in with delight like green fields full of flowers the pleasure whereof makes a man forget his wearinesse and come to his journies end before the bee aware They are no way tedious though they be never so long Wisdom is the true Naomi for so the Hebrew word sounds whose beauty may allure all to it but never will bee turned into a Marah bitternesse as she was Ruth 1.20 For the word see on Chap. 2.10 And all Secon Chap. 1.13 Or Any Take which of them you will even the hardest you cannot chuse amiss it will bring peace See on Verse 15. Her paths See on Chap. 1.15 Are peace Are paths of peaâ—â— that a man may walk in peaceably and that lead to true and lasting peace thereby is meant that they are not only pleasant but also safe and prosperous Many pleasant waies on earth may be unsafe as robbing waies and many safe waies unpleasant as dirty waies but wisdomes waies are pleasant and safe Kabvenaki For the word see on Verse 2. Figures A metaphor in waies and paths which signifie a constant course Note 1. A promise of comfort 2. Of peace and prosperity In the first note 1. The subject whose waies are comfortable Her waies Wisdoms waies not follies 2. The adjunct shewing what they are Are waies of pleasantnesse Not profitable onely but delightfull also In the second observe 1. The Subject And her paths That is the paths of wisdom 2. The Adjunct of quantity All of them 3. The Adjunct of quality Are peace They are peaceable and prosperous 1. Doct. Nothing is wanting to a man truly wise This text with the coherence proves it abundantly what would a wise man have would he have long life Here it is If riches here also If honour it is ready for him If pleasure it is at hand If peace it is prepared for him If health loe here it is If happinesse it selfe the wise man offers it first and last Verse 13.18 Reason 1. Because of Gods favour Wise men are Gods favourites And what may not Princes favourites have in a Nation 2. Because of Gods promise to such as walk uprightly as wise men do that no good thing shall be withheld from them Ps 84.11 To such as fear him There is no want to them Psal 34.9 And that wise men do The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Chap. 1.7 Lions strongest creatures shall lack and suffer hunger which if the world afford food they will not do but they that seek the Lord as all truly wise do shall not want any good thing Psal 34.10 They can lack nothing that can God give 3. Because of their capacity and industry to get good things If any know how and be willing to take paines to get good things wise men do They lie not in a ditch and cry God help They know that will not do it Use Here is a further encouragement to labour for wisdom Who would not bee in such a state to want nothing that is good Jacobs condition is better then Esaus in the originall and better then your translation makes it which makes them both alike for in it both say I have enough but in the Hebrew Esau saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have much Jacob saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have all Gen. 33.9.11 And so he had indeed for he had God and all An unwise man may have many good things a wise man hath all 2. Doct. Wisdom hath waies of her own So had wise Solomon strange waies to the Queen of Shebah She admires them 1 King 10.5 And Christ had strange waies to the Jews who much strange at them Matth. 11.9 Reason 1. It appears in humane wisdom The waies of Lawyere Physltians Mathematicians Archiects are strange to others 2. And principally in heavenly wisdom Her waies are strange to Philosophers whose rules reach but to morality Strange to Hereticks who set up themselves not God by all their practises and opinions Strange to carnall Gospellers who must have pleasure or profit with profession of religion Strange to Hypocrites who would be accounted godly though they be Atheists in heart Use Here is a touchstone to trie whether we bee truly godly or no. Are our waies sinfull and worldly or holy and heavenly This will try us We must not bee watermen in religion loook one way and row another 3. Doct. One wise action sufficeth not but all must bee guided by wisdom Else we shall shame our selves Dead flies cause the ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour Eccl. 10.1 It was Jehus shame that when he had destroyed Baal out of Israel he departed not fnom the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 2 King 10.28 29. Reason 1. Because no man shall bee
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
no greater portion All in heaven and earth is yours God hath dealt graciously with me saith Jacob and I have all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it should be translated whereas an Esau not beloved of God can say no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have much for so the words run in the Original Gen. 33.9 11. Another point may be observed from hence that 7 Doct. A wise son of a godly Father makes a sweet harmony He comforts his Father while he is alive A wise son maketh a glad father Prov. 10.1 See the like chap. 23.15 My son if thine heart be wise my heart shall rejoyce even mine or even I. Altogether Not my heart alone shall joy but my tongue also shall utter it He is no shame to his Father while he lives Prov. 27.11 My son be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him that reproacheth me He will revive his memory with credit when he is dead No doubt but many in Solomons best dayes were ready to say This was Davids son Though he be dead yet he lives in him Let children then learn to be comforts to their Parents while they live and their life shall be long and comfortable in Gods land Exod. 20.12 Deut. 5.16 They shall also honour their parents memory when they are dead and have others to comfort and honour them according to Gods promise to the house of the Rechabites who kept their dead Fathers commands Therefore Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever Jer. 35.19 King 8. Doct. If it be meant of David it shews what a great blessing to a State a good Governour is He will see that God be honoured and use his power as David did to settle the Ministery that his people may not only be quiet under him but live with him for ever in heaven where he shall be no Ruler nor they no subjects Pray then that our Governours may be such and we enjoy Gods Ordinances purely under them 9. Doct. If it be meant of Solomon it sets before us the benefit of living under wise Rulers who know how to protect their subjects against all perils and bring plenty unto a Nation as Solomon did This should make us to pray to God so to direct our Rulers that we may daily live more quietly and plentifully under them 10. Doct. Secondly it informs us that dependence on othere is a great hinderance to those that should teach others Solomon might speak freely and spare none being free from all servile dependences Hope of gain or fear of displeasure keeps back much that might be taught We learn hence then that our Teachers should not be almesmen but have a certain means be the Auditors pleased or displeased Else are they worse provided for in the Gospel then under the Law No man then could deny Tithes or Offerings Their Office is not arbitrary but necessary to the end of the world Ephes 4.11 12 13. God hath hath appointed Teachers to abide Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ And certainly all will never come to this height in this world As long therefore as this world remains they that have a certain work should have a certain maintenance Of Israel 11. Doct. Gods people have need of Government Ever since they outgrew a family they had publick Governours either foreiners as in Egypt or of their own as Moses Joshua Judges Kings For all men have not grace to guide themselves aright no not in the best Churches And such as have grace are imperfect and very subject to be partial in their own case and had therefore need of others to rule over them and judge in their affairs This reproves those that place all government promiscuously in all the people without respect of Officers and so by their creed utterly overthrow the fifth Commandement How would an Army be governed if there were no Officers in it This practice would subvert Kingdomes Common-wealths and Families for why should not children and servants help to govern there as well as private Subjects in a Common-wealth Lycurgus when one desired him to set up a popular government in the City bid him first set it up in his own house and if the other liked it there he would set it up in the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch Sympos Salus populi supremâ—â— lex The safety of the people is the highest law carries another sense then the Levellers would give it Not that all people when they think themselves wronged may right themselves disorderly against authority for then the Christians when in former time they grew numerous needed not have been Martyrs and they in their Apologies give out that they could free themselves by multitudes but against lawful authority they knew no arms but prayers and tears They that cry All the Lords people is holy to pull down Magistrates and Ministers whom God hath set over his people are least holy themselves Witnesse Korah Dathan and Abiram and their company and Gods judgements on them The Proverb then rather shews that rulers should look more at the peoples good then their own and not that private men should revenge their own supposed wrongs against Magistrates or others Let us make this use of what hath been said so to plead our freedome in Christ that we resist not lawful authority Else we may look that others enemies or inferiours pull us down Avoid tumults see authority goe before you Else as ye bring confusion so ye may expect it Subiection to men set over you by God will bring an eternal blessing on you from God Vers 2. To know wisdome and instruction to perceive the words of understanding In the five verses following is set down the excellent use of the Book of The Proverbs and singular good that may come to us thereby Before he had by a fair title and large commendation of the Author sought to make the Reader attentive in reading it Now he seeks to make him flexible and willing to be taught and to give credit to what he should read by setting forth the excellent uses of this book 1. The general end is set down vers 2 3. shewing what it may bring to all men 2. The particular end what it may bring to young and simple ones vers 4. what to wise men vers 5 6. The general end is 1. Theological vers 2. 2. Practical v. 3. Both are called Wisdom and both are so To retire to this 2. v. And first for the words Many words here seem to be of the same signification or at least to differ but little We had therefore need to weigh the natural force and different significations of each word for variety of words is used to make us the more affected with the Book To know To convey to man the
is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 9. Doct. Knowledge of trivial things is little worth It is like Fishermen by the Sea-side gathering fine shels and letting Oysters alone or fools playing with feathers Hereby much precious time and labour is lost Vse It should be our wisdome to passe by such things as being known will doe us little good that we may have time for better things A good choyce of matter and books is a great help A bad choyce a great hinderance 10. Doct. Knowledge of divine truth will doe us much good It will bring us acquainted with God more fully then the creatures can Psal 19. comp vers 1. with vers 7. It will shew us the way to heaven Joh. 17.3 Vse Go to the Fountain Gods Word Thirst for those living waters as the Hart Psal 42.1 Câ—y out with David Oh how doe I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Psal 119.97 Vers 3. To receive the instruction of wisdom justice and judgement and equity The former verse directed us to Theorical this to practical wisdome For the words To receive From others by instruction The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. To receive or take away from others by force as 2 Sam. 12.30 He took their Kings Crown from off his head 2. To receive what is purposely given Thou shalt not take a gift Deut. 16.19 3. To take a thing not given As though they would have fetched wheat Heb. Taken wheat 2 Sam. 4.6 4. To receive instruction or to learn of another as Job 22 22. Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth 5. To allure or take with fair speech Let her not take thee with her eyelids Prov. 6.25 So there is a taking of souls Prâ—v 11.30 He that winneth Heb. taketh souls is wise And the Apostles were made fishers to take men Matth. 4.19 Here the word is taken in the fouth sense for learning and receiving knowledge out of these Proverhs which doe minister and offer it plentifully to us and are it were dead teachers of living men Much is got by conferring with the dead in their Books The Instruction Expounded before in the second verse to be not a particular head of knowledge but the way of attaining it or receiving from our teachers Of Wisdome Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before Theorical wisdome but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prudence or providence It comes from a root that signifies good forecast wifely to foresee all conveniences and inconveniences that we may order our actions aright So it is used 1 Sam. 18.30 David behaved himself more wisely then all the servants of Saul Hence it signifies to prosper For prosperity ordinarily follows wife managing of businesse as ruine follows foolish carriage of affairs Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and doe them that ye may prosper in all that ye doe Deut. 29.9 The first signification is here intended Such instruction as may teach a man how to carry himself wisely that he may prosper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice That is giving every one his right Not to be restrained to Magistrates alone but to be applyed to the people also for all may doe right or wrong to others though they be no Magistrates Judgement The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1. For discerning right from wrong The aged doe not alwayes understand judgement Job 32.9 2. For the law manner or rule of it The judgements of the Lord are true Psal 19.9 3. For punishment or execution of judgement God would bring forth his people out of Egypt by great judgements Exod. 7.4 Here it is used in the first fignification to teach men how to discern right from wrong Neither is this peculiar to Magistrates but common to others also for though all have not an authorative judiciary power either in Church or Common-wealth yet all have a power so far as concerns their own actions to judge before and after what is fit to be done to others and what not And equity Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Straight wayes that goe on foreright and even like plains when men goe not up hill and down hill in their actions but proceed in an even course It comes from a word that signifies to be right and equal It is translated taking the straight way 1 Sam. 6.12 It signifies also a thing right in Gods or mans eyes which they approve as just and equal Doing that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord Deut. 6.18 Because that which is right pleaseth God and should please men also although it be to their losse Heb. Equilies that is all kinde of equity or equity in all our actions not in some only or it may be the word wants a singular in Hebrew Wisdome then is required for the guiding of all these three justice judgement and equity Some think these three words to contain three several vertues but cannot well distinguish them All three are found chap. 2.9 Some understand by Justice the matter of our actions that it be lawful by Judgement the manner of them that it be right by Equity moderation that we use not the extremity of the law nor doe all that we may Others understand by Justice right actions by Judgement discerning good from evill by Equity integrity of minde in working and discerning Set out by the clean creatures in the law The first by chewing the cud ruminating on Gods Word to know what is just The second by dividing of the hoof distinguishing between good and evill The third by the fishes that live in the clear water above the mud So a right minde carries us above the sinful wayes of the world Others by Justice mean that which is just and right by Gods Law or mans by Judgement that which is due by contracts or bargains by Equity that which nature dictates to be equal Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris That which thou wouldst not have done to thee doe not to another Others take them all to be Synonymas fignifying the same thing and trebled to work more upon mens affections especially there being some difference in the notion though the things be the same Justice looking to the object what is Gods right what mans what our own Judgement looking to the workman who must discern the difference that each may have his right Equity looking to the manner of doing it not going too far nor falling short in any of them This last I think to be right because the former doe either interfere one with another or doe not so well agree with the nature of the words and use of them in Scripture where they are often put promiscuously Figures I finde none the words being all literally to be understood Here is first another general end of these Proverbs to teach us practical wisdome 2. An explanation of it by particulars In the general note 1.
state or health He enguges for no more And I hope I shall need to say no more in this Argument 2. Doct. Reading Scripture without understanding doth a man no good This is the drift of Philip's Question to the Eunuch Vnderstandest thou what thou readest Act. 8.30 Else it will do thee no good The Jews could not profit by reading the Law because the veil was not taken off their hearts 2 Cor. 3.1 4. Reason 1. Because the words of Scripture are no charm which works whether men understand it or not 2. Doing is required which is more then understanding If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13.17 Vse 1. It condemns the practise of the Papists who read the Scriptures in a strange language They are sure before-hand the people cannot understand them nor get any good by them 2. It condemns the negligence of some who think they do enough if they cause their children to read sometimes a Chapter but take no care that either they or their children understand it If they should set bread before them and not let it be broken or cut they might starve 3. Doct. A man may get knowledge enough out of Scripture to teach others The 32 Psalm was written to teach others as appears by the title Davids Maschil or Instructer Hence comes that solemne charge for parents to instruct their children diligently at home and abroad at up-fitting and down-lying Deut. 6.7 See the like charge Psal 78.5 6. The Scripture is a fountain of knowledge we may drink our selves and bottle up for others A Sea wherein are fishes innumerable to feed us and others Psal 104.25 And ships that traffick for all mens good vers 26. there A rich Store-house of all knowledge and a wealthy Treasury Joseph's Store-houses and Solomon's Treasuries had enough for multitudes 1. Vse Let us blesse God for the store that is in his Word Who would not praise him for plenty of mony and provisions that might serve for him his and many more or for a Fountain or Mine in his garden 2. Vse Let us draw daily out of this Treasury Though there be store of knowledge yet few are so wise to draw enough for themselves Most think a little enough But if thou hast enough for thy selfe draw for others Men give not over their Trades when they have got enough to keep themselves and theirs but desire to have to give Eph. 4.28 4. Doct. Hardest things in Scripture may be understood by labour Many things are interpreted ready to our hands An Angel interprets the Vision to Daniel Dan. 7.16 So are the Stars and Candlesticks Revel 1.20 Isaiah's prophesie of Christ Act. 8.35 The summe of the Gospel Act. 10.36 Reason 1. Because it is Gods aim in writing it that it should be understood For he writ it for the people I have written to him the great things of my Law Hos 8.12 Not to the Priests but to the people of Ephraim And if they to whom it is written cannot by labour and pains understand it the pen of the writer was in vain Jer. 8.8 2. God hath left means in his Word to understand the hardest places as searching the originall coherence parallel places and plainer ones to give light to the obscurer Vse 1. It incourageth us to seek to understand the hardest things in Scripture and not to be content with the easiest So do all good Scholars in their Arts and all that intend to thrive in their Trades 2. It shews what a shame it is if we understand not plain places that might by labour understand difficult ones Sure we shall never thrive by our Trade of Christianity 5. Doct. Wise mens words carry great weight with them The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Masters of the Assemblies Eccl. 12.11 Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise Prov. 22.17 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge Prov. 15.7 The ground is because every thing works by an internall principle whether it be Naturall Artificiall or Reasonable A fool cannot speak wisely unlesse over-ruled he speak not of himself Joh. 11.51 A wise man will not speak foolishly unlesse unadvised Vse It directs us how to choose our society Choose those by whom ye may get most Worldly men do so in the Exchange Markets and other times He that walketh with wise men shall be wise Prov. 13.20 6. Doct. There are difficulties to be found in Scripture that need exposition In Paul's Epistles there are some things hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 Not onely high matters and expressions but also Parables wherein is one thing spoken another thing meant And that to exercise mens wits They had need of good heads to finde out the meaning The Disciples ask and are shewed the meaning of the Parable of the Tares Matth. 13.36 37. Wise men speak darkly sometimes ut occultentur sententiae eorum desidiosis aperiantur studiosis that their sentences may be hidden from sluggards and opened to studious persons All Gods oracles are dark to naturall men As the Resurrection to the Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Maâ—â— 22.29 Regeneration to Nicodemus How can a man be born when he is old Can he enter the second time into his Mothers wombe and be born Joh. 3.4 Living water to the woman of Samaria Sir thou hast nothing to draw with and the well is deep from whence then hast thou that living water Joh. 4.11 The Gospel is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4.3 And in part unto godly men too Now we see through a glasse darkly now I know in part 1 Cor. 13.12 The perfect knowledge of them is reserved for them till they come to the heavenly University But yet some things are harder then the rest Vse Think no time nor pains too much to understand Scripture A Merchant spends store of both to get pearls Vers 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdome and instruction In the former verses he had shewed the uses ends and benefits of this Book and how much good the Reader may get by it and commended it from the excellency of the Work and eminency of the Writer to allure us to read it Now in this vers he sets before us what this wisdome is and who are capable of it and begins the first Proverb with the fear of God After the inscription Solomon's counsel to his Son 1. In generall in this vers 2. In particular directions to the end of the third Chapter For the words The fear of the Lord. Fear of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used three wayes in Scripture 1. For a fear of sinning against God for fear of plagues here and in hell This ariseth out of the consideration of Gods infinite power It is called servile or slavish fear for slaves would offend if they durst So would wicked men sin against God with an high hand if
the man himself in the fift signification The Lord God hath sworn by himself Amos 6.8 Heb. by his soul Here it is taken in the second sense for the life because as the breath is the signe of life so the presence of the soul is the cause of life and the absence of it the cause of death Faulkeners if they catch birds in the net kill them If not they shoot them So do robbers with men They kill them with the sword or with the gun Thus the Adulteresse seeks a mans life ch 6.26 7.22 23. Figures Blood for life and soul for life The cause for the effect The same thing is doubled in divers words to shew the certainty of it that this is indeed the intention of robbers what ever they pretend to the young man So Pharaoh's dream was doubled to shew that the thing was established by God and God would shortly bring it to passe Gen. 41.32 And Kimchi on those words Isa 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children saith The doubling of the word is to confirm the thing in divers words though the matter be all one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And such is the custome of the Scripture in many places For the division Note 1. The efficient They the robbers 2. The act lay wait lork privily 3. The object for their blood for their lives To murder such as they rob It agrees with the former vers thus As fowlers lie hid themselves and lay their nets where birds come to catch and kill them though they never hurt them so these robbers lie hid privily to entrap them that hurt them not and to kill them for their goods 1. Doct. Similitudes rightly applyed are of great use They are much used in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament As by Moses Deut. 32.11 12. Where Gods care of his is set out by the Eagles tender care of her young ones By the Prophets Isa 49.15 16. which sets it out by the Mothers respect to her young children By Christ Matt. 13. who take similies from Sea Land Trade Husbandry to teach all sorts of men piety By the Apostles Jude v. 12 13. where the like are taken from Bodies of men Heaven Earth Sea Reason 1. Because they help the understanding much For earthly things are better known to us then heavenly They are glasses in which we may see better things The eyes convey much knowledge to the soul 2. Similitudes help the memory for things seen are tokens of things unseen as a thread on the finger of an errand The act of memory lodges one thing in one corner of the room another in another 3. They help the will When we see the willingnesse of beasts to provide for their young it puts Parents in minde of their duty 4. They help the conscience A similitude helped David to see his sin quickly 2 Sam. 12.1 c. He could soon condemne him that killed his neighbours Ewe-lamb that would hardly else have condemned himself for killing his neighbor and abusing his Wife 5. They help the affections The attractive ones are helped by similies taken from things liked the abstractive by similies taken from things disliked 6. They help to amend our lives The Ant can teach the Sluggard to labour Vse 1. Treasure up store of similitudes All places afford plenty of them Sea land shop house streets fields are not barren What can you doe that may not teach you some good lesson for your souls 2. Be sure to apply them right else they may doe much harm As that parable Mat. 18.23 where the Lords revoking his pardon vers 34. is applyed to falling away from grace contrary to Christs interpretation vers 35. God wil not forgive you unlesse you forgive others Simile non currit quatuor pedibus No similitude runs on four legs If it agree in some things it must differ in others else it were not the like but the same And what application can be better then that which leads to the scope of the propounder Theologia symbolica non est argumentativa Similitudes making nothing true but illustrate things that were true before The absurdest thing in the world might be proved by some similitude As that Parents need take no more care for their children then the Ostriches do for their eggs Job 39.13 c. But what childe will allow of such a proof Therefore apply similitudes carefully lest ye run into error Before v. 11. they say Let us lay wait c. Here Solomon affirms that they do so 2. Doct. A wicked man as he perswades others to evil so he acts it himself So Judah counselled to and joyned in the selling of Joseph Gen. 37.26 c. Judas did the like in bringing Christ to his end Matt. 26.14 15. Reason 1. To shew their reall approbation of the work For it is pleasing to their corrupt nature They give bad counsel out of love to evill as their deeds declare 2. To encourage others to mischief For deeds draw more then words examples then precepts Vse To blame many who give good counsel to others to be just yet prove unjust themselves and to be patient yet are impatient themselves Like Pharisees they lay heavy burdens on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers Mat. 23.4 Fowlers have cunning pates to invent traps and strong hands to lay them 3. Doct. As wicked men have heads to invent so have they hands to execute mischief So Ishmael contrived and executed Gedalia's death and others Jer. 41.1 c. So did Joab Atner's and Amasa's death 2 Sam. 3.27 20.9 10. Reason 1. Because mens hands are naturally corrupt as well as their heads 2. Because else their plots will come to nothing if their hands be not nimble to execute as well as their heads to invent Vse It reproves such as have good heads and know well what they should doe but finde many rubs in the way when they should go about any good duty These are sluggards and cry A lion in the way Prov. 6.13 New words come to be expounded in every verse 4. Doct. Much pains is needfull to understand Scripture aright Continuall pains Continue in them 1 Tim. 4.16 Searching pains Search the Scriptures Joh. ch 5. vers 39. Reason 1. Because of the manner of writing Some things are plain but other things are figurative as I am the true vine and my Father is the husband-man Joh. 15.1 Some direct but others ironical as Rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. Eccl. 11.9 Some like Islands and Promontories as marks of good example to guide some like rocks and quick-sands as stories of bad example to avoyd 2. Because Ministers which have more gifts then others yet labour hard to understand Scripture Vse Let us take pains to know the meaning of Gods Word as Miners do that dig for gold silver or jewels or men that draw water out of deep wells even out of the wells of salvation Isa
antecedent follows sometimes in Scripture language As Psal 87.1 His foundation is in the holy mountains Whose A. v. 2. The Lords So here For their lives that is For the lives of the owners of those riches which they would take away v. 19. For the second interpretation the words are the same with v. 11. There they are cleerly spoken of the lives of others not of the robbers So v. 16. They lust to shed other mens blood not their owne And the owners v. 19. are those whose blood and life is sought v. 18. The former intimates no successe this fignifies a bad event The former to themselves this to others There being more difficulty in the former interpretation lesse in the latter let the indifferent Reader judge which is the better Vers 20. Wisdome eryeth without she uttereth her voyce in the streets Solomon like a good Physician having first shewed the danger of the disease to make willing to take physick and like a good Chirurgeon having used corrasives now gives curing medicines and lenitive plaisters Or having before given antitodes to keep men from ill courses now he gives cordials to encourage them to good Having forewarned the young man to take heed of bad company now he brings in Wisdome inviting him to her school So the Psalmist first disswades them from ungodly wayes and then invites men to delight in the Law of the Lord Psal 1.1 2. First depart from evill then do good Psal 34.14 This is the way to dwel for everâ—are Psal 37.27 He had shewed the arguments of sinners before to seduce men and answered them now that his admonition might have the more weight be by a Prosopopeia brings in Wisdome her self to the confusion of foolishnesse and ignorance soliciting him to good wayes If the young man should say that he desires nothing more then to avoyd the society of sinners and follow the dictates of wisdome but he is discouraged by the difficulty of attaining it No saith Solomon it is easie to attain it is not hidden any where nor far off to be sought after but offers it self to all rich and poor c. For the words of Wisdome note 1. A preface v. 20 21. 2. The speech it self to the end of the Chapter In the preface note 1. The beginning of Wisdomes proclamation In the fields and villages v. 20. 2. The progresse of it in more publick places as in walled Towns and Cities v. 21. For the words of this vers Wisdome Heb. Wisdomes For the word it self see on v. 2. But why Wisdomes in the plurall Some think the reason to be because it includes all true wisdome in it and all befide this holy wisdome is but folly And because it gives us divers and many documents for the good of our souls It contains many things to direct us in faith and life So seven Spirits are mentioned Rev. 1.4 to set forth the manifold graces of Gods Spirit Or it is called Wisdomes because it is the most excellent wisdome divine heavenly wisdome which teacheth us how to attain eternall life So Behemoth is put for a great beast Job 40.15 Thus this word may be used here for principall wisdome As also chap. 9.1 Wisdomes hath builded her a house And Psal 49.3 My mouth shall speak of wisdomes Some would read wisdome of wisdomes So some read for Behemoth the beast of beasts Job 40.15 And Remember to remember to keep boly the Sabbath day in the fourth Commandement And The Song of Songs Cant. 1.1 that is the best Song as appears by Gods choyce who preserved that when all the rest were lost Hereby is meant the highest wisdome called by St. James the wisdome from above Jam. 3.17 Wisdome is brought in here as some great Lady or Princesse the word is feminine calling on young men as her growing Subjects to hearken to her godly counsels And the word is plurall as God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number to set out his state and majesty to may Wisdome Others take it to be meant of Christ the eternall wisdome of God the Father And so it is commonly interpreted ch 8.1 And may be here For he did cry before he was born even in the dayes of Noah 1 Pet. 3.19 20. And he is called Wisdome here because he is the eternall wisdome of God and also to fit the title to the matter As God is called the Father of mercies in promises to comfort afflicted ones and the just God in threatnings to scare sinners and the Lord in commandements to move to obedience so here Christ may be called Wisdome to counsel simple ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cryeth The word signifies a strong cry such an one as Souldiers use to send forth in the beginning of a battle or after a victory Thus men cry out in finging for joy or weeping for sorrow in prayer or praise in teaching or admonishing others as here She speaks not low but loud that all men may hear and to shew forth her earnestnesse It may be meant either of this proclamation of Wisdome here and in other places of Scripture left on record to be published all the world over or of Christ speaking by his Ministers in all ages and inviting men to look after saving wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without Some take this to be all one with the words following to shew that Wisdome speaks and that boldly to in all places But more particularly the word signifies sometimes the streets of a City which are without in respect of the houses Jeremy must have a piece of bread out of the Bakers street Jer. 37.21 Sometimes the Countrey villages and fields which are out of the walled Townes and lie open to all comers The suburbs of the City shall reach from the wall of the City and outward a thousand cubits round about Numb 35.4 So here for all other places are mentioned after Countrey-men as well as Citizens may hear Wisdomes voyce She uttereth Heb. she giveth That is she giveth out or putteth forth her voyce The Hebrews want compounds For the word See on v. 4. Wisdome as she speaks loud that all may hear so she speaks freely plainly and distinctly that all even the meanest may understand Her voyce The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes fignifieth a voyce or sound in generall though not articulate That there be no more thunderings Heb. voyces of God Exod. 9.28 Sometimes it signifies words distinctly spoken In all that Sarah hath said unto thee hearken unto her voyce Gen. 21.12 So is it used here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the streets The Hebrew word hath its originall from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be broad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gr. because streets of Towns and Cities are wide for men horses and carts to passe by one another She cryes not in a corner or within dores onely or in fields or villages alone but in the streets of Towns and Cities
by the by sinners are so sound on sleep that they will not be awaked Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse but reprove them rather Eph. 5.11 2. To reprove open sinners that cannot endure open reproof They would be content that we should damne themselves and us by silence When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand Ezek. 33.8 2. Doct. Common instructions should be publick So are Wisdomes v. 23. Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues Mat. 4.23 I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Jews alwayes resort and in secret have I said nothing Joh. 18.20 Reason 1. To shew that we are not ashamed of the Gospel but professe it openly Rom. 1.16 2. That we are not afraid to suffer for it if we be called thereunto This was Paul's resolution I count not my selfe dear unto my self so that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20.24 Vse It condemns the enemies of the Gospel that can bear any thing better then a powerfull preacher These are Bats and Owls that cannot endure the light 3. Doct. No place is unfit to do good in Wisdome cryes in City and Countrey Christ went about doing good Act. 10.38 He taught at Jacob's Well Joh. 4.6 Among the Samaritans Joh. 4.40 Reason 1. Because God is in every place and looks for some good from us there 2. Because we are allowed to do evill in no place Vse It shews the folly of ignorant people who think they may do what they will except they be in a Church 4. Doct. Ignorant persons are inexcusable For Wisdome cryes to them in all places He that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Luk. 12.48 Christ will take vengeance on them that know not God 2 Thess 1.8 Reason 1. Because Wisdomes voyce is every where to be heard In Villages Towns c. Yea in places of greatest concourse to make men inexcusable As proclamations are made in great Cities to binde a whole Kingdome or Nation because all come there to Market or may hear of them by such as come there so that no man can pretend ignorance 2. Because no man is so ignorant but acts sometimes against knowledge Vse It takes away the foolish plea of the people that under means of knowledge excuse all their sins by ignorance Christ will say to them at the day of Judgement Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee O thou wicked servant Luk. 19.22 Thou heardest my word but wouldst be ignorant therefore thou art justly condemned 5. Doct. Men may be known by their words Wisdome utters her words words befitting her savouring of wisdome A good tree must bring forth good fruit and a good man speak good words Matt. 12.33 c. A treasure of wise thoughts is in a wise mans heart and he is willing to vent it Mat. 12.35 Vse Be wary of your words if you would be well esteemed For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12.37 6. Doct. All opportunities must be taken to do good Preach the Word be instant in season out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 Ester takes occasion at a banquet to set on foot her Petition for the good of Gods Church Est 5.7 c. Vse Lose no opportunity of doing good Vers 22. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Here begin the words of Wisdome and last to the end of the Chapter In which there is 1. A reproof or expostulation in this vers 2. An exhortation to repentance v. 23. 3. A promise to enforce it Ibid. 4. A variety of threatnings from v. 24. to v. 33. 5. The conclusion v. 33. For the first the reproof Wisdome begins with a great deal of earnestnesse as willing to perswade She out of a Motherly affection bewails mens continued errors and kindly invites them to reformation See the like Psal 4.2 O ye Sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing For the words How long Ye have continued too long in these wicked courses It is high time to think of returning to God Ye simple ones Wisdome doth not tell others of their simplicity who may tell them of it again but falls directly upon them and calls them simple ones to their faces Wisdome cannot flatter She chides those that keep childish manners when they be men The word signifies such as are easily drawn to beleeve any thing that comes into their heads or that others suggest to them though never so erroneous The simple beleeveth every word Prov. 14.15 See for the word on v. 4. Will ye love Will ye be carried away with worldly vanities as men in love It is a weaknesse to be simple one to be in love with ones own simplicity is a madnesse Mala sua amare malorum ultimum est For a man to love his owne evils is the worst of all evils Sen. Simplicity The same word as before See on v. 4. And the scorners See on v. 6. upon the word Interpretation where we shewed that the word signifies to interpret to speak cloquently and to scoffe at one in scorn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delight in Count it a thing very pleasing to them to scoffe at goodnesse So the word is used Gen. 2.9 Every tree that is pleasant to the sight It is a sport to a fool to doe mischief Prov. 10.23 or desire it for themselves as Josh 7.21 Then I coveted them Heb. Then I desired them for my self As if they thought it portion or religion enough for themselves to be able to scoffe at others The word may signifie either way here or include both for the things we desire when we want them we delight in when we have them Yet delight being a fuller affection then desire it is well translated Delight in Their scorning Heb. scorning for themselves The former is usually expressed by the affix And the latter sometimes is a Pleonasmus so that scorning for themselves is no more then scorning As Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy Countrey is no more then Go out of thy Countrey Or it may be read Delight themselves in scorning But it cannot be read Desire themselves in scorning And the charge is then more full Men may desire some things that they dislike when they come to passe But delighting in a thing argues full content and pleasure And fools So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated A foolish man despiseth his Mother Prov. 15.20 Elsewhere it signifieth a star called Orion Which maketh
They want knowledge Had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Sure they want the fear of God and then no good usage is to be expected from them I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wives sake Gen. 20.11 5. Doct. Knowledge should be the guide of our choyce Now we beleeve for we know that this is indeed the Christ Joh. 4.42 We beleeve and are sure that thou art that Christ Joh. 6.69 Reason 1. It appears in credendis in things to be beleeved How can men without knowledge tell what to beleeve of the World or of the Church or of the world to come 2. In agendis In things to be done How can men tell what is to be done toward God men themselves if they have no knowledge Vse We see here the sad condition of an ignorant man He must needs be an Infidel and injurious to God and man for he knows not what to beleeve or do Knowledge is the eye of the soul A blind man knows not which way to take 6. Doct. They that choose not piety must be damned as well as they that hate knowledge and they that refuse Wisdomes counsels and reproofs as well as either My people would not hearken to my voyce and Israel would none of me So I gave them up unto their owne hearts lust c. Psal 81.11 12. And what could follow then but damnation Christ will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.8 Reason 1. Because these things stop up the way to heaven Want of piety and the fear of God keep them out So doth refusall of good counsels and rebukes And he that goes not to heaven must go to hell 2. They shut them up in the way to hell and leave them no breach whereat they may get out Some men begin to be frighted with the fear of God when they think of his power or judgements Others that have no such thoughts are drawn out by the counsel of others that are escaped Others that slight counsel are moved with reproof These slight all and perish Vse Think not your selves in a good condition because ye are not the worst of men and hate not knowledge Such as fear not God nor regard counsell nor reproof must perish also Though ye put not out the light nor cast away physick yet ye get no good if ye use it not well Vers 30. They would none of my counsell they despised all my reproof The third and fourth cause of the following judgements are set down in this vers which was all but one word interpreted before in v. 25. And in the translation there also is another word the same in sense Setting at nought and despising intend the same thing though they be different words in the Originall A little alteration there is There counsell is despised and reproof refused here counsell refused and reproof despised To shew that wicked men do both refuse and despise both counsell and reproof and so are in a desperate condition For the words see on v. 25. Their sin is aggravated and riseth by degrees to shew the justice of their punishment They not onely rejected knowledge but also the fear of God and not that onely but also his counsels and not that onely but also his reproofs What remains but that they eat of the cursed fruits of their owne labours There is but one word new to be expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they despised which imports a contempt of a thing upon a light account of it They had a small estimation of Wisdomes reproof and therefore would not be mended by it and so are inexcusable Let Wisdome chide if she would they cared not for it but would do as they list Figures none Note 1. The third cause of the judgement 2. The fourth In the third note 1. The act They would none of 2. The object my counsell In the fourth note 1. The act They despised 2. The object all my reproof The particular doctrines have been handled on v. 25. For the words are the same in effect and well-nigh in syllables The generall ones are to be seen on v. 26. Vers 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their owne way and be filled with their owne devices The complaint was renewed in the two former verses The commination follows The cause there the effect here In their misery note 1. The effect in this vers 2. Another cause v. 32. Seeing ye have such an obstinate minde and hard heart that ye would admit of no cure what remains but that you be filled with those evils which your sins have deservedly brought upon you God cleers his justice by a common proverb then in use It is just that men should eat out of their owne work and reap what they sow This proverb by way of similitude shews that as it is just and equall that Planters or Plowmen should eat of the fruit or grain which they have laboured for or sown and if they have great encrease of fruit or sowne much corn or taken much pains about either that they should be partakers of the labours of their hands plentisully so it is just with God that these should feel much sorrow and confusion which their dissolute lives and froward hearts deserve They shall have plagues answerable to their fins and bear the punishment of their evill counsels For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore So it is tranflated Job 35.16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain And Prov. 6.34 Therefore he will not spare Because they were sufficiently admonished yet would not hearken unto me but followed their own lusts and walked in vanity they shall see what they shall get by it when their sins have brought irreparable losses upon them when they shall be forsaken of me as I was of them As they have gone their owne wayes so they shall suffer the wofull issue of them because they refused my counsels and corrections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall eat The word literally fignifies devouring of meat as Exod. 34.28 He did neither eat bread nor dâ—ink water Metaphorically it fignifies devouring any thing else even by senselesse things as by the fire The fire of God hath consumed the sheep Job 1.16 By the sword Shall the sword devoure for ever 2 Sam. 2.26 By the earth The land eateth up the inhabitants thereof Numb 13.32 Also it is used for receiving things brought upon men by their own wayes or procured by their works be they good or bad A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth Prov. 13.2 Thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands Psal 128.2 So here They shal receive a just reward of their wickednesse They shall eat as they baked drink as they brewed They that sow the wind of iniquity shall reap the whirlwind of misery
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
continually poring upon the former grounds that we may understand the words of Wisdome These are the means to attain true wisdome a docible mind instruction by others prayer to God and diligent study Where all these are joyned there is no doubt of good successe Use them all then and fare well one tool will never build an house Vers 5. Then shall thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God The way to true wisdome hath been set down before now follow the benefits of it to allure us to take pains and observe the former directions to get it and those are set down 1. Pofitively to vers 10. 2. Privatively to the end of the chap. For the first It contains promises of good things to be gotten by searching for wisdome After the precepts and instructions followeth the promise of good successe to every one which is tractable and perswaded to observe the directions proposed Here is promised 1. Wisdome to direct us how to carry our selves toward God v. 5 6 7 8. 2. Towards men v. 9. In the first part note 1. The things promised vers 5. 2. The reasons why we may expect them 1. From Gods liberality v. 6. 2. From divine instruction v. 6. also 3. From his plentifull provision v. 7. 4. From his defence of them against errors and follies v. 7. also 5. From his direction in matters of truth v. 8. 6. From his preservation of them that are his in practicall duties of Religion v. 8. also The summe is They shall understand how to know and fear God aright because God will give them light and fight and store of it and power to avoyd errors in judgement and practise and to keep truth and piety For the things promised in this vers For the words Then When thou hast used all the former means But if thou go any other way to seek true wisdome then God hath appointed thou art sure to go without this heavenly treasure For the word see on ch 1.28 Thou shalt understand See on ch 1.6 The fear of the Lord. See on ch 1.7 And find See on ch 1.13 The knowledge See on ch 1.4 Of God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from a word that signifies power For all power is from God It is used 1. For the true God In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth Gen. 1.1 And it is the first name that is given to God in Scripture 2. It is attributed to Idole and false gods as the picture of a man is called a man So are they called gods because they seem so to men though they be utterly unworthy of that name and have no divine power in them at all All the gods of the Nations are idals Psa 96.3 They have cast their gods unto the fire for they were no gods Isa 37.19 3. It is put for the images of the true God These be thy Gods O Israel Exod. 32.8 The Galf was made for an image or representation of the true God as appears by what sollows which have brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt Such were Jeroboam's Calves not Images of Bual but of the true God 1 King 12.28 4. For the Angels which are neerest to God in glory and power far excelling all earthly and bodily creatures in both Thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels Psa 8.5 5. For men that come neerest to God in state and power especially Magistrates and Judges I have said Ye are gods Ps 82.6 6. It is used to set out the greatnesse or excellency of a thing though unreasonable in that wherein it excells all other things of the same kinde and so comes neerer to God then they do Nineveh was an exceeding great City Hebr. a great City of God Here it is taken in the first sense for the true God for the knowledge of other gods will do us no good without the knowledge of him but hurt rather Their sorrows shall be multiplyed that hasten after another God Psa 16.4 The summe of all is That he which conscionably useth all the former means shall experimentally be acquainted with true piety and religion and soundly seasoned with an holy illumination and made judicious in Scripture truths and matters of faith so that he shall be well able to discern between light and darknesse between truth and errors in measure competent for his salvation Figures The fear of the Lord Syneed Speciei Hereby is meant true religion and piety which besides the fear of God requires many other graces but this is one of the principall and put for all the rest Finde A Metaphor from Seekers The benefits to be gotten are two 1. The fear of God 2. The knowledge of God In the first note 1. The time Then 2. The act thou shalt understand 3. The subject the fear 4. The object of the Lord. In the second note 1. The act And find 2. The subject the knowledge 3. The object of God Here the Ifs end and the sentence is compleated thus If thou do all the former things thou shalt have heavenly knowledge Then is to be taken 1. Inclusively when thou hast used all the former means thou mayst expect it 2. Exclusively Never look for it till thou have used them all 1. Doct. Men that conscionably use all means of getting true wisdome appointed by God may expect good successe from him So did Solomon speed who records his Fathers instructions from ch 4.4 to ch 9. end and his Mothers ch 31. He also used study and gave his heart to it Eccl. 1.13 He prayed for it 2 Chr. 1.10 and so got a great measure of it Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all 1 Tim. 4.15 Reason 1. Because else Gods promise is voyd and then his truth will be questioned Men may fail of performing promises for want of wit to foresee inconveniences and power to effect what they say But God wants neither 2. The means appointed by God would be slighted Who would ever study Law or physick if after all his pains he could not attain to the profitable knowledge of them Vse Let this encourage you to study for true wisdome Here is a fair promise God will not fail us if we take pains to get wisdome Many of the people foolishly complain that they cannot know the way to true wisdome Great Scholars cannot agree upon it Sure if they sought as diligently by reading the Scriptures and Prayer and other good means as they and others labour for wealth they would find wisdome The rich young man came to Christ as defirous to learn yet preferring his wealth before true wisdome went without it When men see Merchants returne home rich and Husband-men have great crops they are encouraged to those Trades So should we be encouraged to seek wisdome by what others have got Try the means and let what you get encourage you to seek for more as men work
instruction of the Chaldeans but Gods grace which made the young men wise Theodor. in Dan. 1.17 2. Take notice that our wisdome is not from our selves but from God It is not in our power to get it Be not then proud of thy wisdome as if God were a debtor to thee for using thy wisdome to his glory He hath paid thee beforehand he gave thee thy wisdome and if thou use it to his glory he will pay thee again with eternall glory Proud persons then must be dumb unlesse they make Solomon a liar who saith The Lord giveth wisdome What wisdome then soever we have we must not praise our selves for it as if we were something more then others which are voyd thereof but without advancing our selves we must confesse with St. James that every good and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 Otherwise we should well deserve to hear Who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4 7. 4. Doct. All manner of heavenly knowledge is from God God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake to our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 2. Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven Mat. 16.17 Reason 1. Because none can teach us to know God but God himself Who can consider of the highest cause but by influence from the highest cause Who can see the Sun but by influence from the Sun 2. We cannot know heaven but by Gods revelation As we know not what is in the Indies but by relation of such as dwell or have been there 3. We know not the way to heaven but by Gods direction Mens brains may make a ladder to climbe to Kingdomes but Jacob's ladder where God stands at the top can onely reach to heaven Vse Try your wisdome whether heavenly or no in divine things by the originall of it The conscience is troubled with the guilt of sin God sets Christs blood alone before thee Papists set merits works of supererogation Popes pardons to help clense it Gods way is the best The soul is oppressed with filth of sin God offers his Spirit to clense this soul stable Papists talk of whippings abstinence from flesh yet are many of their votaries homines quos si vel foeno pasceres lascivirent Erasmi vita Men that would be wanton if they eat nothing but hay 5. Doct. Gods Word and Ministers must be regarded in the search of wisdome To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me Joh. 5.39 Quench not the Spirit Despise not prophesyings 1 Thess 5.19 20. Reason 1. Because the Scriptures are the fountains of heavenly wisdome 2. They are the touch-stone of divine truths Spirits must submit to be tryed by them 1 Joh. 4.1 2. 3. The Ministers are the conduit-pipes through which God ordinarily sends forth the waters of heavenly knowledge 4. They are Goldsmiths that know best how to use the touchstone of the Word to try truths It is their study and their trade Vse 1. To shew us the vanity of those men who trust to revelations and their owne Spirits in stead of Gods and slight the Scriptures and despise the Ministers Certainly they are far from true wisdome 2. To exhort us to read the Scriptures diligently and to hearken to Gods Ministers reverently For though men must use their owne endevours to get true wisdome else praying to God for it is but mocking of God yet they cannot by any labour of their owne attain it Therefore must our ears and hearts be enclined to our Teachers v. 2. By them doth God open his mouth to give us wisdome We should then resort to the preaching of the Word not slackly or for custome sake as hypocrites superstitious persons and Idolaters do but to the end that we may receive and learn wisdome of God through his grace and goodnesse whereby we knowing him may walk in his fear It is promised as a blessing Thine eyes shall see thy Teachers Isa 30.20 6. Doct. Inward capacity and outward discovery come both from God He gave Solomon wisdome to comprelâ—end many things which others could not understand He gave Mâ—ses knowledge of the Creation of the world Reason He gave man eyes to seâ— withall else he could not have had any comfortable view of the excellency of the creatures He placed the Sun and Moon in the firmament else eyes would have done no good Much more is there need of Christs help for spirituall light and sight Quod lux est videntibus visis id Deus est intelligentibus intellectis Thalasstus in Hecatontade That which light is to them that see and to things seen the same is God to understanding men and things understood Vse Seek both of God by his revelation of the truth in his Word and illumination to conceive it in the preaching of it by his Spirit Else no sound wisdome is to be gotten nor no spiritual light nor sight Vers 7. He layeth up sound wisdome for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly The two next reasons follow why right searchers shall obtain true wisdome The one from Gods plentifull provision The other from his protection from errors For the words He layeth up Heb. he hideth He had said before that wisdome must be sought like an hidden treasure now he shews where it is hidden not with men nor in the bowels of the earth but with God Men lay up treasure God layes up wisdome and that in Christ in whom are all the treasures hid of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2.3 And who is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1.24 Now God doth not hide it to deprive men of it but that as a treasure he may keep it safe and bring it out to give to his children as they need it And it shews withall that God hath abundance of wisdome enough to serve himself and all creatures because he layes it up as men do riches who have much more then they have present use of And he layes it up for the good of his as he doth goodnesse O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.19 So it is ready and at hand for them upon all occasions So we keep things carefully that we lay up for our children As the men of China do hide matter to make China dishes in the earth to make portions for their children Sound wisdome The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Essence or being or substance of a thing Hence may come the
revelation and yet maintain grosse errors contrary to Scripture that set Gods Word and his Spirit together by the ears Woe be to those eyes that pronounce light darknesse and call darknesse light and to those palates that call bitter sweet and sweet bitter Isa 5.20 4. Doct. There is a right way for the Saints to walk in That thou mayst walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous Vers 20. I have led thee in right paths ch 4.11 Reason 1. Because else it were worse living in Gods Kingdome then in any other Kingdome For all Kingdomes have rules of safety and of living 2. God should be in a worse condition then the meanest Master of a family He should have no certain service Vse Let us keep in the right way of the Saints All other wayes though never so specious lead to hell Therefore a cloud of witnesses that have walked in this way to heaven is set before us Heb. 11.1 c. 12.1 5. Doct. God onely can keep us in the right way He will keep the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 17.5 Reason 1. Because he onely can give light in his Word to discover the right way 2. He onely can give sight to discern it by his Spirit 3. He onely can give might to walk in it and to keep our feet from stumbling otherwise Gods people would soon go aside on the right hand or on the left and soon fall into the way of sinners Vse 2. When we are at a stand in the way for want of any of these pray to God for direction and help When all our strength and friends fail us God will direct us He sent food to Elijah because the journey else would have been too great for him 1 King 19.7 2. Comfort your selves that have so good a guide and so strong a keeper to guide and keep you in the right way Well may they walk uprightly that are so strongly supported Gods hand is ever under his they cannot fall beneath it 6. Doct. Gods Saints are mercifull people So was Cornelius one that feared God and gave much alms to the people Act. 10.2 So was Zacheus when he was converted The half of my goods I give to the poor Luk. 19.8 A strange alteration from covetousnesse to liberality as well as from wickednesse to holinesse Reason 1. Because of our renewed nature that takes away hardnesse of heart in part and makes us pitifull as the heaven is that drops showers on the earth and looks for nothing back again 2. They love to be like their God who maketh his Sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Mat. 5.45 Vse I would make an use of tryal but I scarse dare I am afraid if every one that hears me now should faithfully try his estate which he knows laying it in one ballance and his good deeds in another and God should hold the scales as one day he will do we should finde but a few Saints Many would be found in Belshazzar's condition too light when they are weighed Dan. 5.27 Our abundance and finenesse in food and apparell compared with the wants of the poor would condemne us In the Law the Ministers had the tenth of mens profits Now Ministers Schooles Poor Churches Education of our owne children in learning have it not Our note of Saints now is to rail upon carnall men and do duties outwardly and hold fast our purses God amend it They are hypocrites and no Saints what shew of holinesse soever they make that are not mercifull Pure religion and undefiled is to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction Jam. 1.27 The sentence at the last Judgement is according to mens mercifull or unmercifull carriage Matth. 25. and they that shew no mercy now must look for none then Jam. 2.13 Vers 9. Then shalt thou understand righteousnesse and judgement and equity yea every good path In this vers the second benefit of Wisdome is set down to teach us how to carry our selses wisely towards men Having spoken largely concerning the former and backed it with reasons now he briefly propounds the latter it being more easie to know how to carry our selves towards men then towards God For the words Then See on ch 1.28 These words must depend upon the first 4 verses as the former Then v. 5. did The summe of all is When thou hast used all the former means then thou shalt know how to carry thy selfe towards men as well as towards God Others knit it to the words following Then shalt thou understand c. when wisdome entreth c. But that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 useth to follow as ch 1.28 not to go before and there is another reddition to that v. 10. understood v. 11. Then discretion shall preserve thee Also the mark in the beginning of v. 10. in our Translation shews that the Interpreters conceived the sentence began there and these words v. 9. depended on the words before Shalt thou understand See on ch 1.6 Righteousnesse and judgement and equity For these words see on chap. 1.3 and for judgement see on vers 8. of this cha We must do things lawfully discreetly and equally Yea every good path A genus to the rest and summe of all delivered in the conclusion or an c. as if he had said In a word if there be any good path that comes not within the compasse of these yet thou shalt understand it That I may comprehend much in few words thou shalt not onely know the former particulars but all honest wayes how to carry thy self towards men For wise carriage to God was promised before v. 5. Thou shalt increase in knowledge and grow from the knowledge of those good things to know all else needfull of that kinde For the word Every see on chap. 1.13 on the word All. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good It signifies 1. That which is right and just See thy matters are good and right 2 Sam. 15.3 2. That which is profitable Houses full of all good things Deut. 6.11 3. That which is pleasing Do what is good in thine eyes 2 Sam. 19.27 4. That which is full and compleat Thou shalt be buried in a good old age Gen. 15.15 5. That which is joyfull and delightfull A festivall We come in a good day 1 Sam. 25.8 Here it is taken in the first sense for right and just wayes Path 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies properly a Wheel-track and because such are found in paths or wayes therefore it signifies so too In a Common the way is discerned by wheel-tracks Thou shalt see the tracks wherein godly men have gone before thee as a man may see the track of a Cart-wheel It may be read every path of good Figures Path or Wheel track A Metaphor Note 1. The adjunct of time Then 2. The
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 Vse 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 Vse 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 Vse 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 quick-sands 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 undoâ— 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 Vse 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 Apostaâ—â—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 Vers 13. Who leave the paths of uprightnesse to walk in the wayes of darknesse The Wiseman now comes to the second note of wicked men whose wayes are to be avoyded and that is wickednesse of life Neither doth he set them out by any one kinde of sin but by such generall symptomes as are common to all wicked men that all wicked wayes may be discovered He shews his great care of our salvation in continuing still to shew from what persons and from what dangers God doth deliver the children of wisdome For the words Who leave He changes the number and puts it into the plurall to shew that there are many such wanderers in the world The word imports an utter forsaking of good wayes and having nothing to do with them as a Whore that forsakes her Husbands house and sets up a Stewes v. 17. The paths See on ch 1.19 Of uprightnesse The known and beaten wayes of equity agreeable to divine Laws and the Law of Nature For the word see on v. 7. To walk See on ch 1.11 on the word Come In the wayes See on ch 1.15 Of darknesse Wayes of uprightnesse are well opposed to wayes of darknesse because they are in the light and wayes of darknesse are crooked By wayes of darknesse here are meant wayes disagreeable to Gods Laws and Nature whether errors of judgement or wickednesse of life as appears by what was said before of the contrary wayes of uprighenesse The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. Darknesse of the night opposed to the light of the day When it was dark Josh 2.5 2. The grave the dark habitation of dead bodies A land of darknesse Job 10.21 3. A secret place where men cannot see what is done no more then in the night In a dark place of the earth Isa 45.19 4. Afflictions which make men sad and fearfull and ignorant how to get out as in a dark night He beleeveth not that he shall come out of darknesse and he is waited for of the sword Job 15.22 5. Ignorance and sin which is the night and darknesse of the soul The people that walked in darknesse Isa 9.2 So it it is taken here as appears by the opposition to the paths of righteousnesse Figures A Metaphor from Travellers in the whole vers who leave the high-wayes that are light some and right to go through dark and crooked wayes Now because many men are so cunning to hide their fins with fair colours therefore Solomon gives further marks by which these Imposters may be known that men may avoyd them Note 1. The high-way forsaken 2. The by-way entertained In the former note 1. The act Who leave 2. The object the paths 3. The adjunct of uprightnesse In the latter observe 1. The act To walk 2. The object in the wayes 3. The adjunct of darknesse 1. Doct. Many are out of the right way Some have not the knowledge of God 1 Cor. 15.34 The Apostle saith more elsewhere They are all gone out of the way Rom. 3.12 Reason 1. Because naturall ignorance and corruption misleads many Fire will burn if it meet with fuel 2. Worldly pleasures mislead them Baits take the fish though there be hooks to catch them 3. Profits will carry men away Piracy thrives at a cheaper rate then Merchandise Pleasures last but our lives Profits last to childrens children
man in danger of the Harlot Prov. 7.7 10. Reason 1. Because of their loose and wanton carriage which is a bait to take mens naturall corruption and suell for that fire 2. Because of their impudent sollicitations which may work on them that never intended wantonnesse as fire may take an house in which it was not kindled Vse If you see light and wanton carriage in women come not in their company Hurt ye may get much good ye can expect none Either sin or a prison may follow as in Joseph's case 3. Doct. It is good for men to know all things dangerous for their souls Therefore many fins are reckoned up as Idolatry adultery cruelty c. Ezek. 18.11 c. Swearing lying killing stealing c. Hos 4.2 c. Reason 1. Because they all are hurtfull to the soul 2. A man can never be safe else If one seen sin be escaped another unseen will lay hold on him Vse Labour to know all sins that thou fall into none As a Mariner observes all rocks and sands at Sea and a Traveller marks all stones and holes in the way to avoyd them 4. Doct. The danger from evill women is great By means of an whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulteresse will hunt for the precious life ch 6.26 Dalilah deprives Samson of the eyes of his body Judg. 16.19 21. Strange women deprived Solomon of the eyes of his minde 1 King 11.1 4. Reason 1. Because as good women are modest so Whores are unsatiable in filthinesse Witnesse the stews in other Countreys where men goe in all the day long to one woman 2. As good women are most tenderly affected so are wicked ones most cruell It is observed that where-women are in company murder follows robbery Vse Come not neer women noted for wickednesse Be wise and see danger in their faces and escape it Foolish men fear no danger in adultery till they feel it It is a troden path and therefore they think it safe Why then should the Wise-man tell us that God gives us wisdome to keep us from the evill woman if there were no danger Beleeve God and escape the evill woman 5. Doct. There is a propriety of Husbands and Wives one to another which no power on earth may violate Therefore other mens Wives must be strangers to us So they are called ch 5.3 6.24 7.5 So Joseph accounted of his Mistris My Master hath kept nothing back from me but thee because thou art his Wife Gen. 39.9 Reason 1. Because else adultery were no sin no more then theft if there were no propriety in goods 2. Else no man had a right in his Children or at least could not know his right if he had no propriety in his Wife Vse Infringe not this propriety Remember that all but thine owne Husband and Wife are strangers to thee To this end 1. Refrain thy looks from thy neighbors wife Adultery begins at the eyes It creeps into the heart at those windows Say with Job I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I think on a maid Job 31.1 Commit not adultery with a woman in thine heart by looking on her to lust after her Matth. 5.28 2. Keep thy tongue from solliciting her to sin Say not as Amnon to Tamar Come lie with me 2 Sam. 13.11 3. Thy hands from laying hold on her as Amnon did on Tamar 2 Sam. 13.11 4. Banish her out of thy thoughts as the tenth Commandement bids Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife So shalt thou not wrong thy neighbours bed nor infringe his propriety 6. Dect Strumpets are full of flattering speeches See the Harlots alluring words ch 7.14 c. and Dalila's Judg. 16.6 10 13 15. Reason 1. Because they liveidly and have time to study fine words 2. Because they seek by flattery to accomplish their base ends Vse Take heed of being overcome by their smooth language They will tell thee they love none else and that they cannot be hired by others and that they will die for thee But they love thy wealth or beauty and will leave thee when they fail The Dutch Proverb is The Vintner hangs not out his bush for one guest Balaam perswades the Midianites Vt non viri sed multeres cum Israelitis certarent quae armorum vice corporis venustate verborum illecebris essent praeditae Theod. That not their men but their women should fight with the Israelites who in stead of weapons were indued with bodily beauty and entising words And these got the victory and made Israel to sin and brought the plague upon them Numb 31.16 Such womens lips are nets their hands bands words cords to draw a man as a fool to the stocks or an oxe to the slaughter chap. 7.22 Be wise and fly from the strange woman though her lips drop as an honey combe and her mouth be smoother then oyl ch 5.3 Vers 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the covenant of her God We are now come to our second note Her falshood to her Husband Lest any Israelite should conceive that he did not offend unlesse he dealt with idolatrous Heathen women now he expounds what he meant by a strange woman Another mans Wife that dealt unfaithfully with her Husband For the words Which forsaketh The word signifies forsaking or failing one that is committed to our charge or to whom we are tyed by any bands to be helpfull See on v. 13. upon the word Leave She forsakes her Husband either by taking other Lovers to her privily or seeking them abroad or by leaving her Husbands house and living from him that she may more freely follow her lusts Potâ—â—har's Wife had Joseph hearkened to her had forsaken her Husband in affection though she had stayed in the house with him The Harlot ch 7 kept in her Husbands house though she took advantage of his absence v. 19. there Few so impudent as quite to leave their Husbands for then all the world would take notice of their lewdnesse but many deal falsly with them underhand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The guide It comes from a word that signifieth to teach for teachers are guides A guide of the blinde and a teacher of babes go together Rom. 2.19 20. And women are required to learn of their Husbands at home who are their guides 1 Cor. 14.35 The guide here is the Husband The head of the woman is the man 1 Cor. 11.3 Now we know the head guides the body Some understand it of God who is called the guide of Judah's youth Jer. 3.4 And so they draw the words to Idolatry which rather set out adultery as appears by the words before and after the text And this aggravates the sin of the adulteresse shewing that she is not only unfaithfull but also disobedient rebellious and unthankfull in disobeying her ruler and guide Of her youth The word contains infancy childhood youth all our time till 25
Moses David Christ Reas 1. Because they are a part of Gods image and that he likes where ever he finds it God doth good to all he keeps his word and likes them that do so 2. Though God get no good by them in us yet his Church doth sometimes his people need mercy from men sometimes truth in performances and upright dealing in those with whom they have to doe This God counts as done to himselfe In asmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Mat. 25.40 Use Let us be encouraged to deal mercifully and truly with all men If others or they with whom we deal regard it not God will we shal have great need of his favour in death and judgment if we will not see what need we have of it now Doct. 4. Mercy and truth will find favour with Men. The former examples prove it Reas 1. In regard of men they love to be dealt mercifully and truly with all themselves even they that deal not so with others and therefore they commend it in others and think well of them and wish well to them out of selfe-love as many an Adulterer likes a chast Wife And as other men so especially they that get good by our merciful and just dealing wil favour us and speak well of us 2. God will encline mens hearts to favour such as deal mercifully and truly yea oftentimes God who gives credit and fashioneth mens opinions and enclines mens hearts as he please makes strangers heathens yea enemies that use to hate all religion and goodnesse by nature and have particular quarrels with the persons of godly men makes them I say to commend godly men for their mercy and truth and sometimes to do them much good Thus Sauâ—â— â—lents and confesses David's innocency Thou art more rightâ—ous then I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evill 1 Sam. 24.17 This Ezra blesses God for Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart and bath extended mercy unto me before the King and his councellors and before all the Kings mighty Princes Ezr. 7.27.28 Vse Behold a second motive to merciful and true dealing O say they men wil not do so to us We answer they should do so and if God see it fit he wil make them to deal so with you Doct. 5. Mercy and truth teach a man how to direct his waies before God It is seen in the Centurion He loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue Then Jesus went with him Luk. 7.5.6 And in Cornebus who was a devout man and one that feared God which gave much almes to the people and prayed to God alwaies Acts 10.1 2. Reas 1. Because these things are pleasing to God though done to men and therefore he teacheth such how to carry themselves wisely before himselfe also 2. Because there is a chain of graces and they love to go together Like will to like Use Lo a third motive to be merciful and true dealing wise carriage before God is to be got as a reward of it And that is a great mercy such an one as all people may wonder at and and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people Deut. 4.6 Doct. 6. Mercy and truth teach a man how to direct his waies before men also So they taught David They taught him to behave himself wisely so that He was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Sauls servants 2 Sam. 18.5 So it taught Joseph When they heard that Josephs brethren were come it pleased Pharaoh well and his servants Gen. 45.16 His good carriage got this respect to himselfe and his So did Abrahams among the Canaanites Thou art a mighty Prince among us in the choice of our Sepulchres bury thy dead Gen. 236. Reason 1. Because they conduce much to direct us in our carriage in the world 2. The want of either makes men noted for folly in their affairs Use See a fourth argument to mercifull and true dealing They that care not for obeying God yet would with Saul be honoured before the people Mercy and truth will be a good means to bring this honour from men as giving us the serpents subtlety with the doves innocency VERSE 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding HEre follow certain precepts concerning our carriage to God with promises annexed to some of them In this Verse trusting in God is commended to us and self-confidence the contrary to it is forbidden For the words Trust. Put confidence in God and rest on him and repose thy self on this fatherly providence for deliverance from all evill and the fruition of all good here and hereafter Trust may be opposed to doubting and fear and so may intimate not onely relying on God but waiting with assurance of a good event especially if we wait upon the right person and that upon good grounds Some writers make a coherence here Some of them tie it to the first verse as if it had respect to the keeping of the Law thus Do not be affraid that by reason of thy weaknesse thou canst not keep Gods commandments neither think on the other side that thou canst know them by thy naturall wit or do them by thy natural strength but trust in the commander and hee will make thee able in some good measure to do what he enjoines others knit these words to the third Verse Because thou art not able to keep mercy and truth trust in God and he will make thee able others tie it to the fourth verse Shew that thou hast good understanding indeed by trusting in God and not in thine owne wisdom Others to the words following If thou trust in God and not to thine own wit thou wilt wisely and readily perform all the duties following to God and man But it is better to take the words without any coherence according to the former interpretation Believe that God will not fail thee in any necessity but thy own wit may and act accordingly Some restrain this trusting in God to matters of salvation but that is too strait for we must trust in God for earth as well as for Heaven In the Lord. Heb. on the Lord. Not in any creature Faith and confidence shoud have no meaner object then God For the word see on Chap. 1.7 With all See on Chap. 1.13 Thine heart Not in word onely but in truth not in part but wholy Not partly on Gods care and partly on thine own wit but altogether on him For Heart see on Chap. 2.2 And lean not As a man leans upon a staffe to support him from falling Presume not upon thine own wit Trust not to it Unto thine own understanding Think not thy self so wise that thou knowest all means of providing good things or freeing from evill Some
eyes stand out with fatnesse Psal 73.7 c. Yet he saw they were set on slippery places c. verse 18. There is great odds between a Bullock kept wel for labour and an Oxe fatted for the slaughter and between a body fat and flourishing by good meat and an other swelled with tumours by bad So Joshua and Caleb died in Canaan in a good old age who obeyed God when thousands of Rebels died in the Wildernesse Use 1. To reprove those that spend much money in Physick and yet overthrow the health and strength of their bodies by sinful courses they forget the Text A godly life is health to the navil c. 2. To perswade us to use this new prescript for bodily health Most men love to try new medicines yet this new perhaps to us is as old as Solomon and hath found many a probatum est both in Scripture and in after times Physicians need not be angry with me for this prescript for God would have their art used also but this never to be neglected There is none of us but if we were assured the Physicians potion would heal would take it though troublesome and hard We are wont to say There is nothing but I will do it so I may recover health Use this direction and thou shalt be sure either to have health here or happinesse in heaven Doct. 2. Health is a great blessing It is the first question we ask concerning our friends Art thou in health my brother 2 Sam. 20.9 Is he wel Gen. 29.6 It is the answer to the same question Thy servant our father is in good health Gen. 43.28 Reason 1. No other earthly comfort is pleasing without it Wee take no content in friends children wealth in sicknesse 2. The contrary shews it Great and lasting diseases are very burdensome Use Praise God for it that thou liest not groning in thy bed sick of the stone or gout or some other painfull disease but art able to goe about thy businesse and take comfort in thine Remember it is a great mercy and undeserved be thankfull for it and walk worthy of it 3. Doct. Bodily strength is a great blessing It is commended in Davids worthies and in Sampson Reason 1. It serves for a mans own defence The weakest goes to the wall 2. For the defence of our Country which would bee over-run by cruel enemies if stout souldiers did not defend it Use It is then lawfull to pray for strength of body so it bee with submission to the will of God 4. Doct. The more full our health and strength is the greater is the blessing His hand was restored whole as the other Mar. 3.5 Immedintely the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked Ioh. 5.9 Are ye angry at me because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day Ioh. 7.23 Reason Because it is so in all blessings spirituall and corporeall The greater measure the greater blessing if not abused Use Let such as have compleat health and strength endeavour to do God more and greater service then weaker men Else have they a greater account to give of these Talents VERSE 9. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase IN this Verse is a costly commandment for the maintenance of Gods worship more heavy then the former because it toucheth the purse And lest men should think that the way to beggar themselves as many doe he addes a suitable reward Verse 10. a great and unlooked for increase So much doth Gods judgements differ from mans For the words Honor. Shew that due respect thou owest to God Our cost for Gods worship must not be done for by-ends or that wee may get glory but that God may be honoured And indeed though God need it not nor wee can adde nothing to him thereby yet God counts himself honoured not onely by our humble confession of our own folly and confidence in his bounty spoken of before but also by using those outward means which God gives us to maintain his worship and service In maintaining whereof seek his praise not thine else hee accounts thou dost not honour him but thy self The Lord. See on Chap. 1.7 With thy substance With thy wealth For the word see on Chap. 1.13 Bain an English man a Cambridge Scholer but professour at Paris accurately distinguishes betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 increase The former signifies Wealth as Gold and Silver which we do not use immediately for food or apparell and increase intends the yearly income of corne cattell fruit All these are Gods blessings and God must bee honoured with them all But it must be thy substance not other mens gotten by thy labour or by gift or inheritance not by defrauding or oppressing others And with the first fruits See on Chap. 1.7 on the word Beginning It is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall It may be taken for the first or for the best of our crops or Harvest Of all Not of some See on Chap. 1.13 Thy increase For the word see on the words before in this Verse With thy substance Some bring in here giving to the poor and the vulgar Bible very boldly addes it in the Text Dapauperibus Give to the poor of the first of all thy corn or fruits But the translator forgot that all the first fruits were for Aaron and his sons and for them to eat Numb 18.9 10. And the poor might no more eat of them then the rich And here it is worth the noting that the Doway Popish English translation the Ape of the vulgar for the most part here leaves it and reads Give to him that is to the Lord. Here it is meant of Leviticall dues at the time of the writing of it as tithes in the beginning of the Verse and first fruits in the end of it And by the rule of equity requires cost for the maintenance of Gods worship and the furtherances of it under the new Testament For by these is God more immediately honoured then by giving to the poor Thus men doe homage to God in paying dues to Gods Ministers required by the Laws where they live and by gifts to pious uses in their life or at their death Figures none Note 1. An Act. Honour 2. The Object The Lord. 3. The matter wherewith God is to be honoured which is double 1. With thy substance 2. With the first fruits of all thine increase In which observe 1. The Subject Of thine increase 2. The Adjuncts 1. Of quality With the first fruits 2. Of Quantity All. 1. Doct. Men must bee at cost to maintain the service God Bring ye all the tiths into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house Mal. 3.10 See Davids resolution I will not offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing 2 Sam. 24.24 Reason 1. Because we owe so
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
he hath found her For the words Happy Or O the happiness of the man c. He begins his commendation of wisdome with an exclamation admiration of the good it brings to men which Gods people wonder at though others be blind Iee it not he had spoken great things of the benefits of wisdome before ver 2. as bringing along comfortable and peaceable life but here he speake in higher language it will bring happinesse which is an affluence or rather confluence of all good things and that for eternity A man that hath some good things may want other to content him If a man had all things that are good for him but for a time fear of losse will afflict him while he hath them and his grief will be the greater when they are lost by reason of his former experience of the sweetnesse of them A wise man is happy here spe in hope he shall be happy hereafter re in deed He doth not say blessed is the wise man but speaks by a circumlocution blessed is the man that findeth wisdome and the man that getteth understanding So he compares the wise man to a man not left rich by his parents but grown rich by Gods blessing on his labours Men count them happy that are grown rich by their own industry God counts them happy that labour for wisdome and do obtain it Is the man Heb. Adam For the word see on Verse 4. It is taken from the Earth to put man in mind of his base Originall That findeth Though the word sometimes signifie to find a thing by accident without looking after it yet here it rather signifies getting it by labour as was noted before and appears by the end of the verse And Solomons scope is to perswade men to labour for it because of the worth of it in it selfe and the good it brings to us For the word see on Chap. 1.13.2.5 Wisdom True and heavenly wisdom not humane acts and sciences they canot make a man happy One may have much insight in them and yet go to Hell For the word see on Chap. 1.2 By wisdom here may be meant Jesus Christ the wisdom of the father as Chap. 8. And the man The same word in the Originall that was before That getteth The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw out a thing that lay hid before as desires out of the heart by effecting them Further not his wicked device Heb. Draw not out Psal 140.8 Or corn out of a Granary That our Granaries may be full affording all manner of store Psal 144.13 or drawing forth good will in the heart to plentiful reliefe with the hand If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry Isa 58.10 Some understand it here of increasing knowledge and drawing out some further truths out of those grounds we know by reason or consequence Others of drawing it forth into words to instruct others Others of drawing it forth into deeds by practise But it is rather to be understood of bringing it forth by study out of Gods word and workes wherein it is hid as water in a well or a treasure in the earth Understanding See on Chap. 2.3 Figures Two Metaphors One from finding a thing by enquiry the other from getting a thing by labour Both shew that travail and paines are to be used to get wisdom It will quit cost nay bring great advantage Note 1. The Adjunct Happy Happinesseis a thing that all men desire but most men misse 2. The Subject set out 1. In Generall Is the man 2. In particular by two similitudes 1. From seekers And therein note 1. The Act. That findeth 2. The Object Wisdom 2. From traders And therein see 1. The Act. And the man that getteth 2. The Object Understanding 1. Doct. Wisdom may be gotten out of Gods corrections It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Psal 119.71 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law Psal 94.12 Reason 1. Because it teacheth us many things concerning God And therefore it is called by Patianus in Paraen ad poenit Re pertorium divinorum inventarium cognitionis Dei It is an Index of divine things and an inventary of the knowledge of God 1. It is a repertory or index of a Book whereby the good things in the book are readily found Else men may seek long enough and turn over the whole book and yet misse what they seek So affliction brings to us many things of God of which in prosperity we take no notice An Almanack also is a kind of repertory whereby men on the Earth see the Eclipses and course of the Sun and Moon in Heaven So wee in affliction see many things of God 2. It is an Inventary Lawyers require an Inventary of mens goods wherein all particulars must be written that they may the better judge of their estates Afflictions make us look out what good things there are in God for us to make use of in time of need And 1. They shew us Gods wisdom and omniscience that can find out our secret fins and chastise us for them This Judah confesseth God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants Gen. 44.16 2. They shew us Gods holinesse that cannot endure iniquity but will chastise his dearest children for sin 3. Afflictions shew us Gods justice that will punish men for sin 4. His power that can punish the greatest sinners 5. His mercy that brings many to repentance by afflictions that they may be saved So the prodigal son was brought home to his sathers house Luk. 15.1 6. His truth that so maketh good all his threatnings by his judgements 2. Affliction teacheth us some good things concerning our selves As 1. That we are sinfull We think our selves very good in our prosperity for want of examination Affliction is a glasse that makes us see the uglinesse of our sins and to loath and leave those sinfull courses on which we formerly doated 2. That we are foolish and like unwise children that will not leave doing evill till we bee whipt They make us say with David My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse Psal 38.4 And so afflictions compell us to goe to God in prayer to teach u◠what he would have us to doe and to enable us to do accordingly 3. Afflictions teach us some good things as in regard of others As 1. That they must not be condemned for wicked men because they are afflicted for then must we go to Hel for company 2. That they shall be pittied and relieved in their sorrows as we would be in ours Use 1. It teacheth us to bear afflictions patiently looking more at the good that comes by them then the paine that comes from them No chastening for the present seemeth joyous but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 So sick
set out 1. Comparatively by preferring it before the best trading and commodities in the word ver 14 15. 2. By the effects of true wisdom ver 16 17 18. In the former it is preferred 1. Before silver and gold ver 14. 2. Before rubies ard all desirable things ver 15. The men of the world think their happinesse to consist in store of gold and silver But God accounts it to bee in wisdom to which merchandise being compared whereby pure silver and shining gold is gotten ought to be had in no account For the words For. See on Chap. 1.9 The merchandise of it The profit that is gotten by it or with it as Merchants lay out their mony to get gain by it and by the commodities purchased with it Merchandise is one of the most profitable trades in the World and the dearer the commodities in which Merchants trade the greater is the gain Therefore the gain gotten by wisdom here is compared to the richest merchandise yea preferred before it to draw mens affections to pursue more eagerly after spirituall and heavenly wisdom Ths word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fignifiâ—s a going about or compassing of Sea or Land to get wisdom as Merchants do for gain So the Pharisaicall Merchants did to get a Proselyte Math. 23.15 Is better See on Chap. 2.9 on the word Good Then the Merchandise See before in this Verse Of Silver See on on Chap. 2.4 And the gain thereof It is translated Increase ver 9. For Merchandise brings greater income or increase or benefit then husbandry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then fine gold The word comes from cutting in the Originall either because gold is as it were cut out of the Earth at first or else because after it is purified by the fire it is cut to make rings or Coin Figures Two Metaphors One in Marchandise The other in gain Merchants lay out their mony for gain so may wisdom be improved to singular benefit Note 1. The Trade 2. The gain of it Both set out by a comparison from precious things A silver trade is very profitable a trade of wisdom is more profitable Gold is excellent yet more is gotten by wisdom 1. Doct. Men naturally seek still for encrease of what good things they have So it is intimated in the text that they who are wise having obtained some wisdom desire to increase it as he that hath gotten some worldly wealth by Merchandise desires the same way to increase it God shews it by Parables taken from men as of the Vineyard Isa 5.1.1 c Good fruit was lookt for from it Of the talents Luk 19.11 Gain was expected thence Reason 1. Because God hath put into all living creatures a naturall principle of desire of increase and growth as in trees and beasts 2. Man hath more help to put this principle in practise by the benefit of reason Use It condemns those that care not for increase in heavenly wisdom It is an ill signe that nature is strong in them and grace weak We would grow in the world but not toward Heaven We crosse Solomons scope here which is to perswade us to labour for increase in true wisdom 2. Doct. Wisdome drives the greatest trade in the world More to be desired are wisdoms precepts then gold yea then much fine gold Ps 19.10 Wisdom is better then rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it Prov. 8.11 Reason 1. Because it trades in greater commodities then any Merchant In soules of men the last and greatest commodity mentioned Rev. 18.12 13. one whereof is more worth then a world and the losse of it not to be recovered by the gain of the whole world Math. 16.26 when the quintessence and spirits are drawn out of herbs and flowers what are they good for and how comfortable and profitable are those extracted spirits So mens souls are immortall their bodies without them are but dead carkasses 2. This trade extends it self further then any trade in the world Silver will passe in all Countries Trades Professions Merchants can trade with it by sea and land and all the world over But wisdom trades in Heaven and Earth We by it trade with God by prayer he with us by heavenly inspiration Use To perswade all to become wisdoms scholars If any man could tell you of a trade that would in time put down all other trades every man would be for it This trade will do it Jesus Christ will put down the four great Empires of the world and wisdome will put down all worldly affaires in the end Doct 3. Wisdome brings more profit then any worldly riches My fruit is better then gold saith wisdome yea then fine gold and my revenues then choice siluer Chap. 8.19 Reas Because it brings better things then riches can We esteem the goodnesse of things by their own worth or our esteem or desire or their effects The profit of wisdome is better then of riches 1. In its own value Nil aliud sunt aurum et argentum quà m terra rubra alba Gold and siluer are nothing else but red and white earth Bern. Wisdome is as much better then these things for which men fight so stoutely and which they seek to obtain with such huge labour as the good things of the soul are better then outward things 2. In mens esteem and account it is better if they be wise A dunghill Cock may prefer a barly corn before a pearl a Jeweller will not 3. In regard of desire it is more desireable and should be more desired then any thing in the world 4. In regard of the effects of it 1. It can quiet a mans mind which no wealth can do Rich men have many cares and griefs Crownes are crownes of thorâ—â—s nothing but wisdome can give tranquillity of spirit and poize the ship of the soule in all tempests 2. It affords a ladder to climbe to eternall things like Jacobs ladder that did reach from Bethel on earth to Bethel Gods house in heaven Men with their money may perish Act. 8. so may houses stuffe fields friends but unperishable things may be gotten by wisdome no possession then how large soever no store of gold or silver is comparable to wisdome Vse To engage us yet further in the search of true wisdom We shall be rich in God Et quem ille divitem fecerit nemo pauperem faciet Cyprian Epist ad Donatum And whom God makes rich no man shal make poor Si aliqua amisistis gaâ—dia negotiatio est aliquid amittere ut majora lucremini Tertul. ad Martyres cap. 2. If ye have lost some joyes it is a good trading to lose somewhat that ye may get greater matters If men undergo so many labours griefs wants dangers of life for seeming riches gilded pearles what should we do for true riches Si tanti vitrum quanti verum margaritum Tertul. in Scorpiac cap. 4. If glass be so dear what is the true
not to know any thing save Jesus Christ the wisdom of the Father 1 Cor. 2.2 A man may desire meat drink silver gold yea his fancy can imagine new worlds but all is not comparable to true wisdome Reas 1. Because none of those things man can imagine or devise or desire can free him from Hell No ransom can doe it nor force It is a warning from Heaven must direct us how to escape Hell Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Math. 3.7 Sure none but God 2. No such thing can shew us the way to Heaven Onely true wisdom out of Gods word can do it The scriptures onely can make a man wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Use Cease desiring and imagining how to find out meanes of happinesse in the World and labour for true wisdom which onely can make thee happy A diver that stops his breath longest gets most pearles so he that breaths least for the world gets most wisdom VER 16. Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour LEst any man should think that wisdom were needy and beggarly her self and could not bestow upon her fellows the riches promised she shews now that she knows what humane infirmity most needs and what men most desire and hath in a readinesse to bestow on them Thou fearest death poverty dishonour Wisdome hath long life riches honour to bestow upon thee if thou entertain her Wisdom or the Lord Iesus Christ is here set out unto us like some stately Queen sitting on a Throne with both hands full of good things to reward her faithfull servants The particular rewards shall be expounded in the words Length of daies A long life see on Verse 2. This is the first thing promised because it is the principall and riches and honour are but accessaries and can afford no comfort if life be taken away and but little if life be short And therefore also it is said to be in the right hand as the principall gift she hath to bestow Men most of all desire long life and riches and honour in the second place they could be content to live though poorly though in pain rather then to die they desire long life more then riches and fear death more then poverty There is no merchandise in the world how good soever nor pearles how pretious soever they be that can assure us of long life But the greatest traders are most affraid to die as having more to lose then other men and their death is more desired then other mens yea many lie in wait to kill them for their riches But wisdome will bring long life with it Is in her right hand This is said to be in the right hand because the right hand is preferred before the left and that for these reasons 1. Because it is ordinarily and in most men the strongest and nimblest 2. Motion begins at the right hand Porters lay their burden on the left shoulder because the right leg moves first Aristot de gressu animal 3. The right hand is for defence we fight with it 4. It is the place of honour Bathshebah was set on Solomon right hand 1. King 2.19 5. It is used as a token of faithfulnesse we give it in marriage and contracts 6. It is used to set out good successe as the left hand for bad Saepe sinistra cava praedixit ab ilice cornix The Raven often fortold left-handed that is bad things from the hollow Oak Though in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the left be used for good successe It seemes the fashion of those countries was to prefer the left hand as Xenophon reports who saith they used to place their guests at the left hand as being neerest the heart Now in the Law earthly comforts were types of heavenly So was long life to an obedient child in the fift commandement a type of heaven else it were but a small blessing to live long here and then go to hell for ever Longitude dierum â—terâ—itas est Non enim hic aliquid longum esse potest in tanta brevitate Length of daies is eternity For nothing can be long here in so much brevity Recuperus With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Psal 91.16 In sencelesse creatures long continuance is but a continuance of being not of comfort as in man but not in rocks the one is aeternitas the other aeviternitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 3. ep 149 Eternity is eternal life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1. For a right hand Though Coniah were the signet upon my right hand Jer. 22.24 2. For power and strength which is exercised commonly with the right hand Thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy Exod. 15.6 3. For the South because a man standing with his face to the rising Sun hath the south on his right hand And southern countries are more fertile northern on the left hand more barren Omne malum ex Aquilone All evil out of the North. The North and the South thou hast created them Psal 89.12 4. For Oaths or Covenants which were confirmed with the right hand Their right hand is a right hand of falshood Psal 144.8 That is they kept no covenants Here it is taken in the first sense And in her left hand Riches and honour are said to be in wisdomes left hand because though usefull yet not so usefull or good as life it selfe The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. The left hand Toward Israels left hand Gen 48.13 2. The North because it is on the left hand if ones face be toward the rising Sun On the left hand of Damascus Gen. 14.15 that is on the North side of it Here it is taken in the first sense Riches Money and lands and temporal possessions These also are types of all sufficiency in heaven as Canaan the land flowing with milk and honey was And honor The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies respect from others it comes from a word that signifies to be heavy or weighty for honour as it arises from the weight of good qualities in men so it addes weight to men persons and makes them of greater account then others and this also may be a type of heavenly glory Yet good men oftentimes neither have long life riches nor honour Temporall promises are conditional and to be performed as they may stand with Gods glory and our good and what is wanting shall abundantly be made good in heaven Wisdome doth not bestow these earthly blessings alwaies on her followers yet oftentimes she doth wisdome is the ready way to obtain these and many thereby come from a poor low estate to a plentiful and high condition and enjoy it long in this world The sum of all is God rewardeth his with both hands promising eternall life and competent means in this life Christ the wisdome of the Father is immortall he
of wisdome saith a learned writer Reas 1. Because they were written by an infallible spirit and therefore the writers could not erre in giving their own meaning or the meaning of one another 2. None have an infallible spirit now and therefore the best may erre in interpreting some place of Scripture Quest How can we interpret Scripture by Scripture Ans 1. By consulting with the originall As if children differ about their fathers legacy Non itur ad tumulum sed curritur ad Testamentum They go not to the Tomb but run to the Testament Optat. 2. By observing the coherence with what goes before and what followes as we pick out the meaning of a friends letter by the Scope of it and by the rest of the words 3. By paralell places as by comparing divers letters to one purpose 4. By plain places or grounds of religion to interpret the rest that are built thereupon as we do in Logick and other Arts. Use 1. To blame the Papists who submit the sense of the Scriptures to Fathers Councels and to the Pope singly 2. To teach us to use this help in difficult places and not to allow of any sense of any place of Scripture not agreeing with other Scriptures So about Baptisme Go teach all nations The originall is Make Disciples of all nations Mat. 28.19 And that by Baptizing as followes in the words and Teaching followes afterwards verse 20. So that this place makes nothing against Infants baptisme So about the resurrection 1 Cor. 15.50 is pleaded against it yet all the Chapter before and after pleads for it The Apostle saith there Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God His meaning is mortall and corruptible flesh and blood cannot come to heaven till it be changed so he expounds himselfe in the end of that Verse and the Verse following Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption And We shall all be changed Thus John 14.28 is brought to disprove Christs divine Nature Christ saith My father is greater then I This must be understood of his human nature for in regard of his divine the Apostle saith He thought it no robbery to be equall with God Phil. 2.6 The Jews understood this that He made himselfe equall with God John 5.18 which had been blasphemy indeed had not he been true God So for excluding bread out of the Lords Supper Mat. 26.26 This is my body is cited by the Papists but it must be understood figuratively not literally The meaning is this is the sign of my body for Paul calls it bread when it is eaten 1 Cor. 11.26 God cannot contradict himselfe Doct. 2. Wisdome affords true nourishment Not for a time as fruits of trees do but for ever therefore it is compared to milk for babes and strong meat for men Heb. 5.12 13 14. And to milk again 1 Pet. 2.2 Reas 1. Because it shews how to get and dresse food for the body 2. How moderately to exercise the body without which food will not disgest 3. How to keep a cheerfull mind without which food will not be profitable to the body nor nourish it 4. It shews how the soul may be nourished by justification through the blood of Christ without which it pines away under the sense and of guilt of sin and of the wrath of God 5. How it may be nourished by sanctification that so all sins which are as obstructions being killed all the graces of Gods Spirit may be encreased in us 6. How it may be fullfed to glorification where it shall need no more food Use Labour for this true wisdome as men doe for food to nourish them This is to be found in the word of God Let others despise the scripture as Aenaeas Silvius speaks of councills so may we say of Gods word call bread stones if you will so you give it me to nourish me Acts and Monuments in the end of the raign of Henry the sixth All the labour of man is for his mouth Eccles 6.7 Men plow sow plant work for bodily food why should we not labour more for wisdome that will feed the body here and the soul to eternity Praeclarè Plato beatum ait cui etiam in senectute contigerit ut sapientiam verasque opiniones assequi possit Cic. 5. de finibus Plato excellently saith He is happy that in his old age can attain wisdome and true opinions Doct. 3. Wisdome makes a perfect cure The leaves did heal the nations Rev. 22.2 The Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Reas 1. Because it cures hereditary diseases which Physicians cannot as the darknesse of the mind perversnesse of the will crosnesse of the affections received from our Parents 2. It cures infectious diseases as sinfull courses received from others by bad counsell or example 3. It cures the thoughts of the heart which no law of man nor Physick can do 4. It cures the tongue and words and teaches how to speak wisely and profitably 5. It cures the life and teaches how to avoid temptations and provocations to sin 6. It cures the body too from some diseases here by Physick and other good means and perfectly at the Resurrection Then God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither shall be any more pain for the former things are passed away Rev. 21.4 Use Praise God for communicating this wisdome to you in his word especially if ye have found good by this course of spirituall Physick already it is Gods work and he will finish it Doct. 4. Wisdom doth good to none but to those that get it fully and firmly As fruit of trees doth no good to them that seek it only or touch it so the fruit of wisdome to none but those that eat that is obtain it that seek it not sleightly or think a little enough but that take pains still for more not that look over the precepts as men look over an Almanack but as men seriously study good books John Baptists and Christs preaching did no good but to them that regarded it We have piped unto you but ye have not danced c. Mat. 11.17 Pauls Gospell is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 Reason 1. Because there must be a conjunction of things before there can be an operation of the one upon the other The soul must be infused into the body before it can work on the body to make the tongue to speak the foot to goe the hand to work A man must be married to a woman before hee can take care for her as for a wife So must wisdom be joyned to the heart before it can worke on heart soule or body 2. Because it is so in all other gifts of God A man cannot be liberal to whom God gives no riches nor fight stoutly to whom God gives no strength nor doe any good with wisdom or get any good by it to whom God gives it not Use See
opinion of wisdom whereof he had given so large commendations before and gives more afterwards in this Chapter propounding more benefits that will come hereby Wisdom is a treasure inestimable wonderfull profitable and full of pleasure as we have heard and still may hear out of this book when we see that Solomon is not content with the former praises whereby he hath declared unto us the profit and pleasure that they have which are possessed with wisdom but doth admonish us in the text carefully to keep it For the words My Son See on Chap. 1.1.8 Let not them Some carry it back to the words foregoing and conceive that Solomon charges the young man to be carefull to think often of Gods wisdom appearing in the Creation of Earth Heaven Water and Air ver 19.20 But it is rather to be referred to the words following in this verse requiring him to remember such precepts of wisdom and discretion as Solomon had or should teach him in this book His end being to bring the young man to get wisdom hee urgeth this as a principall means Thus the antecedent follows Psa 87.1 2. His foundation is in the holy Mountains The Lord loveth the gates of Zion Depart Be forgotten For things forgotten by us are departed from our minds From thine eyes From the eyes of thy mind Let them never step out of thy memory no more then jewells that hang in thy sight ver 3. Do not think of them onely at leisure times but meditate of them continually Keep wisdom once gotten as charily as men do things which they affect so much that they will never let them go out of their fight but watch them perpetually as God doth Zion Behold I have graven thee upon the Palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me Isa 49.16 Let them be as the delight of thine eyes on which thou canst never look enough as the Prophets wife was to him I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes Ezek. 24.16 For eyes see on Chap. 1.17 on the word sight Keep Constantly in thy memory and ready for practise For the word see on Chap. 2.8 Sound wisdome Hâ—b Essence or Being See on Chap. 2.7 And discretion See on Chap. 1.4 Figures A metaphor in Eyes taken from the eyes of the body and applyed to the soul Let thy heart look upon them by meditation Note 1. The negative part 2. The affirmative In the negative or prohibition observe 1. The person spoken to My son 2. The action forbidden Let them not depart from thine eyes Wisdomes precepts must not be forgotten as if they were out of sight and out of mind In the affirmative or injunction note 1. The act Keep 2. The object Sound wisdom and discretion Doct. 1. Wisdome once gotten must never be forgotten This is one of the last lessons of the old Testament Remember the Law of Moses my servant c. Hos 4.4 It is required in the new Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast Rev. 3.3 Reas 1. Because of the excellency of wisdome shewed before we do not easily forget things excellent either for beauty or use Who forgets the virgin he is in love withall or the medicine that heals him 2. For the profit of them we easily forget things that bring no gain but who forgets his gold or trade though he be old Sirs ye know that by this craft we have our wealth Acts 19.25 3. Because of the losse that followes on the losse of wisdome which is very great the losse of all those good things which wisdom would procure for us temporall spirituall or eternall besides the losse of memory it selfe that when it hath unburdened it selfe of that which is good will easily forget meaner things 4. Because of the danger that followes this forgetfulnesse it will bring all those evills in the world which wisdome retained might prevent He that forgets his medicine must bear his pain It will also bring eternall misery in another world Use 1. To reprove such as have lost more knowledge then they have left whose blossomes were fair but are fallen off they are like many witty tradsmen that spend money as fast as they get it 2. To exhort us to remember the good things we have gotten Motives 1. Wisdomes precepts cost us much pain to get and should not then easily be lost we strove against natures streams to get it 2. We look for much good by it which will be lost with it Means 1. Think often of wise instructions especially the principall So Archers think often of the mark Pilots of the guiding starre travallers of the marks of the way The Jews wore Phylacteries to keep Gods commandements in their memories Numh. 15.38.39 The way is hard to hit and dangerous to misse 2. Set your affections upon them else other things will take you off from thinking of them Children easily forget what they learn play takes them off Men are serious in what they like As the stone on the still waters makes circles one after another and so the former perish so doth businesse put out wisdoms precepts 3. Speak often of wise things A Master learns by teaching scholars 4. Practise them No man forgets his trade while he is able to work in it To conclude this point think how carefull worldly parents are to call upon their children to keep transitory riches and take notice how gently and often Solomon calls upon us in this book not to forget wisdomes precepts lest we lose spirituall profit here and eternall glory hereafter offered to us and so perish eternally and then forget wisdome precepts if thou canst Doct. 2. Wisdoms precepts must be dear to us As dear as silver and as pretious as hid treasures Chap. 2.4 Dearer then silver gold rubies Chap. 8.10 11. Reas 1. Because they have been so alwaies to Gods people as the delight of their eyes without which they could not be satiated nor satisfied So they were to David O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Psal 119.97 So to Paul I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Phil. 3.8 2. Because they are so to them in all conditions the pleasures of prosperity cannot take off their affection from them nor the crosses of adversity Use To reprove those who set light by wisdoms precepts many books will down with them and human histories but Gods word is sleighted by them Doct. 3. Wisdoms precepts must be carefully laid up by us So did David Thy word have I hid in mine heart Psal 119.11 So did the Virgin Mary His Mother kept all these sayings in her heart Luke 2.51 Reas 1. For direction in time of prosperity for then our waies have much danger in them 2. For consolation in time of adversity of which we have much need Use Let us do with wisdoms precepts as worldly men do with needfull instruments not throw them about the house but lock
them up that they may be ready in time of need Keep by meditation what is got by study 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. Vnto 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 Vnto 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Job 5.22.23 What need he then be affraid to travail any where about his lawfull businesse 6. He knows nothing can hurt him for he hath such a command over all the faculties of his soul by Gods grace and the wisdom given him from above that he can make them harken unto reason Vse To encourage good men in troublesome times to go about their affairs without fear He that hath so many and so strong guards why should he fear Let Adam's children fear who are yet in their naked condition but let the righteous be bold as a Lyon Chap. 28.1 Doct. 3. Nothing can hinder a godly wise man from good successe Whatsoever he doth shall prosper Psal 1.3 He shall eat the labour of his hands Ps 128.2 Reas 1. In regard of the things themselves there is great probability of good successe for wisdome is of more force then power to effect any great design in peace or war And diligence is not wanting to a godly wise man who studies practicall divinity as well as theoricall and Gods blessing attends him which crowns every good action 2 In respect of the person he is he unto whom God hath engaged himselfe to do good in the end though he afflict him in the way Speed well in the end and speed well ever Vse to teach us a lesson of policy Who would not have good successe in what he undertakes Riches strength power friends carnall policy may fail him but godly wisdome will never fail him Strange things have been effected by human policy what may not be effected by heavenly wisdome Good successe in the way may be crossed again what is crowned with good successe in the end can never be crossed Be therefore godly wise and prosper to eternity VER 24. When thou liest down thou shalt not be affraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet A Man awake walking or working can look to himselfe and use means to avoid danger he hath most need of a guard for safetie when he is laid down to sleep wisdom will watch over him then also and keep him safe For the words When thou liest down As he had promised the wise man security in motion in the former verse so here safety in rest The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinarily signifies If but here it sets not out a condition but a time and is well translated When. So When the Jubile of the children of Israel shall be Numb 36.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lying down here is to sleep or take rest it is understood sometimes of the sleep of death When thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers 2 Sam. 7.12 but here of naturall sleep for it is opposed to the motion and travells of the day in the former verse and a man need not fear trouble nor cannot feel sweetnesse when he is dead and laid in the grave Thou shalt not be affraid See on Chap. 1.26 Yea. This word not only couples things together but augments Thou shalt be so far from being affraid that thou shalt sleep continually and sweetly without interruption or frightings Thou shalt lie down and none shall make thee affraid Job 11.19 Thou shalt lie down See on this verse before And thy sleep This shews that the former lying down was for sleep Shal be sweet Shall be very pleasing no sudden accidents nor dreams shall fright thee Figures Sweet A metaphor It shall be as pleasing to thee as sweet meat or drink is to the tast Note 1. A promise of safe sleep 2. Of sweet sleep Excludit timorem includit saporem He excludes fear he includes favour Holcot In the first note 1. The adjunct of time When thou liest down 2. The subject Thou shalt not be affraid In the second note 1. The adjunct of time Yea thou shalt lie down 2. The subject And thy sleep 3. The adjunct of quality Shall be sweet Doct. 1. God affords us rest after labour Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour untill the evening Psal 104.23 For so or rightly he giveth his beloved sleep Psal 127.2 Reas 1. Because God is not an hard Master as he requires store of work so he affords sufficient time for rest which covetous men do not to their servants 2. To make men the more willing to serve him every man is willing to offer his service to a kind Master 3. Because he knows his service cannot be done unlesse he allow his servants competent rest Life and strength will fail for want of rest as for want of food 4. It would be uncomfortably done and neither give content to him nor to his servants as drousie work gives no content to men Use 1. Let us blesse God that takes care as well for our rest as for his work 2. Let us do his work with the more cheerfulnesse in the day being refreshed with comfortable rest the night before so may we the night following comfortably betake us to our bees gain not to fall to immoderate sleep but expecting good sleep from God who allowes it and can only give it and we must thereby be fitted for the service of so good a Master day by day Doct. 2. A godly wise man may go to bed without fear Thou shalt lie down and none shall make thee affraid Job 11.19 Ye shall lie down and none shall make thee affraid Levit. 26.6 Reas 1. Because he carries himselfe so inoffensively when he is awake that he gives no just occasion to any man living to hurt him when he is asleep Neminem laedens neminem timebis Senec. Hurt no man and fear no man Metus cum venit rarò lo um habet somnus Mimus Fear will seldome give way to sleep He that is quiet in his mind by reason of the hope of a good conscience treads underfoot cares and vexations 2. Because God who is his keeper is alwaies awake and watcheth to defend him when he cannot defend himselfe Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy keeper Psal 121.4 5. 3. Because he is a member of Jesus Christ and he will lose none of his members The Shepheard wakes when others aâ—e asleep that he may keep his sheep from the woolfe So the heathen man describes a good Prince he is one who wakes that others may sleep Securus dormit et vigilat et quiescit et ambulat qui se innocentâ—m ante Deum meminit He sleeps wakes rests walks securely who remembers that he is innocent before God Gloss Ordin Every member of Jesus Christ is so through faith in him Obdormit in Deo et in statu salutis Lyra. He sleeps in God and in the state of salvation 4. Because if they be hurt Christ accounts himselfe hurt Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 So doth God the Father also He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 In all their afflictions
to it and power over it to dispose of it Most interpreters understand it of giving to the poor and trouble themselves much to know how the poor are owners of other mens goods An hard phrase and not to be found in Scripture in this sense which usually calls it giving freely and Almes and poor men are taught to ask for mercy not to demand it as due And they who make them owners of other mens goods open a great gap to them to take it by foul means if they cannot have it by intreaty and to say May I not take mine own goods where I find them what should hinder Some say poor men have an interest in other mens goods because of their goods because of their wants others that they have it by nature being men as we are others because God bids us relieve them But these titles will hardly make them to be masters of what is not theirs The interpreters run this way because the next Verse mentions giving to the poor But as this interpretation answers not well to the Hebrew words so it confounds two duties paying debts in this verse and giving to the poor in the next Neither will it serve to say This Verse requires giving and the next doing it speedily for the word of not withholding in this Verse requires speedy payment especially joyned to the words following when it is in the power of thine hand to do it I conclude therfore that paying of debts to creditors or labourers is here meant who ought to have what others injuriously keep from them And this is a work of justice not of mercy For the word see on Chap. 1.17 on the word Bird. Heb. Master of a wing When it is in the power of thine hand to do it When thou art able to pay it For if God lay losses and poverty on a man hee cannot pay his debts then neither is it his sin if his losses came not by his own negligence Others understand it when thou hast power to keep it away from him Do not cosen thy creditour though thou couldst do it by force or fraud The hand in the Heb. is used 1. For the member of the body so called The one put out his hand Gen. 38.28 2. For power and strength for the hand is used in strong actions Whom God had delivered from under the hand of the Egyptians Exod. 18.9 3. Help and assistance which is often afforded by the hand Their hand also is with David 1 Sam. 22.17 4. A blow or plague inflicted by the hand My stroke Heb. hand is heavier then my groning Job 23.2 5. A place Thou shalt have a place also without the camp Deut. 23.12 6. The man himself whose hand it is He leaneth on my hand 2 King 5.18 So here In the power of thine hand that is in thy power To do it The word signifies 1. To do a thing What hast thoudone 2. To make a thing God saw every thing that he had made Gen. 1.31 3. To bring forth The Earth brought forth by handfulls Gen. 41.47 4. To prepare or dresse Hee hasted to dresse it Gen. 18.7 5. To advance or make great It is the Lord that advanced Moses 1 Sam. 12.6 6. To Get. The soules that they had gotten in Haran Gen. 12. 5. Here it is is taken in the first sense for doing Figures Hand For the man A figure of the part for the whole Note 1. An Act forbidden Withhold not 2. The Object Good 3. The subject From them to whom it is due 4. The Adjunct of time When it it in the power of thine hand to do it 1. Doct. Outward comforts are good in themselves It is reckoned as a great favour for man to have dominion over the creatures Thou madst him to have dominion over the works of thine hands Psal 8.6 Sure it is then a blessing And Psalns 104. begins and ends with praising God for outward provisions This is best proved by particulars Aske a hungry man if meat be a blessing He will tell you it is otherwise he must die Ask a thirsty man if drink be a blessing He will say he must choak else So for clothing cattle fruits of the earth and of trees Use To blame those that by abuse of these comforts turn blessings into curses so doth the glutton and the drunkard It is a sad thing for a man to go to hell for those comforts which he may have and go to heaven 2. These outward comforts may be lent and convayed from one man to another lending is a Christian dutie as well as giving The righteous man is ever mercifull and lendeth Psal 37.26 Do good and lend Luke 6.35 So is trading exchange buying and selling lawfull Abraham bought a field and the trees of it Gen. 23.17 The father of the faithfull thought it lawfull and knew how to drive a bargain Reas 1. Because we may have something to spare that other 〈◊〉 may need and they may have somewhat we may need which may be communicated from one to another without losse And then both humanity and communion of Saints teach us to communicate to others 2. Men may want that at present which afterwards they may repay or requite and need not to receive of gift Use It teacheth us a willingnesse to lend to others and to trade with others the time may come we may need to borrow of them or trade with them so we may help both them and our selves Doct. 3. Conscience is to be made of paying debts and restoring things to the right owners If a man borrow ought of his neighbour and it be hurt or die the owner thereof being not with it he shall surely make it good Exod. 22.14 Render to all their dues Owe nothing to any man but to love one another Rom. 13.7.8 Reas 1. Because nature teacheth that debts must be paid Why do we look for dutie from children or servants but because it is a debt 2. Because else we prejudice others with whom we have to doe and expose them to want who have by trading or lending relieved our wants which is to doe evill for good Use It serves to ery out against unconscionable men that make no conscience of paying debts it will stick as a spot upon our religion many among the Turks are said to be more just in this particular I have heard a Turky merchant of good Note say that when he was to come away from Constantinople some of the Turks came to him not sent for to pay their debts And a Morocco Merchant affiming that when the King died there who traded much with the English Merchants the Queen sent for them to Court and paid them every penny But especially this should trouble their consciences who though rich and able yet detain poor labourers wages they would be loth to be so dealt withall themselves if they were in want Behold the cry of the labourers which have reapâ—d down your fields which is of you kept back by
4.14 A gift in season is best and double worth to that which is long deferred Qui citò dat his dat Give quickly and thou givest twice Gratia tarda ingrata est Ingratum est beneficium quod diu inter manus dantis haefit Seneca Slow favour is no favour It is an unpleasing benefit that sticks long between the hands of the giver As we have opportunity let us do good to all men Gal. 6.10 3. We must do it comfortably according to their wants to give a dying man one meal or a naked man one hose will not keep him alive 4. We must do it liberally according to our ability Plentifull fountains give plenty of water To whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luke 12.48 Use It condemnes unwilling givers For such 1. Put off all till death like hogs good for nothing till they die 2. They give sparingly and with long intreaty if at all Often drawing makes the Well fuller and sweeter Standing still makes it stink So in giving almes Basil Opportunity lost may be irrecoverable Thou maist be as poor as Job to morrow and have nothing to give God gives the creatures their meat in due feason Psal 145.15 Job did not withhold the poor from their desire nor cause the eyes of the widdow to fail Job 31.16 His almes was alwaies ready when they needed it They need not wait long for it Go thou and do likewise So maist thou expect that God in mercy will not make thee wait long but will soon answer thy prayers VER 29. Devise not evill against thy neighbour seeing he dwelleth securely by thee THE wise man having perswaded before to the payment of debts and speedy giving to the door now he disswades from evill offices as from mischievous plots in this verse from contentious suits ver 30. From envy ver 31. Then gives reasons both why these good offices should be done and why the bad ones should be avoided and that to the end of the Chapter The words run so as if a man were allowed to plot mischief against a stranger or enemy because it forbids it onely against a neighbour But this is set out as a grievous sin with its aggravations yet the other not permitted He doth not tolerate small sins but set out greater to make them the more odious As if he had said Though thou must not devise evill against any man yet especially not against such as live near thee and expect no ill from thee Deceive not their expectation Fore the words Devise not Plot not evill against him in thy mind The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to plow or fit the ground for the seed They that plow iniquity Job 4.8 And secondarily to imagine and plot mischief in the mind by thinking and studying that so it may be ready for execution when occasion is offered Sometimes but rarely it is used for devising good things Mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Ch. 14.22 It signifies also to be silent O Lord keep not silence Ps 35.22 Here it is taken in the second sense for plotting and devising Bain tells us that one of the Hebrew writers interprets this word of suspition of evill in a neighbour But himself likes it not The Doway Bible reads it Practise not But I find not the word any where so used Evill See on Chap. 1.33 Against thy neighbour Devise nothing that may tend to his hurt For the word see on ver 28. Seeing One cause why thou shouldst not hurt him is because he suspects no harme from thee and therefore cannot prevent it This particle I is translated thus elsewhere Seeing he judgeth those that are high Iob 21.22 He dwelleth The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. To sit He that sitteth in the Heavens Psal 2.4 2. To abide or remain Hee that abideth of old Psal 55.19 3. To dwell He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high Psal 91.1 So here Securely Fearing no hurt from thee but rather expecting a good as from a neighbour See on Verse 23. on the word safely By thee Near thy dwelling Figures none Note 1. A prohibition 2. The reason thereof In the prohibition note 1. The Act forbidden Devise not 2. The Object of the thing Evill 3. The Object of the person Against thy neighbour In the reason note 1. The subject Seeing he dwelleth by thee 2. The Adjunct Securely 1. Doct. Plotting to hurt others is a great sin It is made a note of a wicked man He deviseth mischief upon his bed Ps 36.4 Hee deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor Isa 32.7 Reason 1. Because it is an abuse and ill imployment of the most noble faculty of the soul as of reason and affections which should be used to do good to others and not to hurt men But are often used to plot evill against men contrary to Gods command 2. It is a concatenation of divers sins as of malice craft voluntary iniquity and wilfull contempt of Gods Commandment Use To condemn those who think there is no sin where there is no hurt done to others but place all sin in outward actions This was the Pharisees religion Math. 5. yet Christ shews there that though a man or woman have not hurt yet anger and lust are sins If we ought to study how to do men good though not desired then is it a sin to devise evill against them though not executed 2. Doct. It is a greater sin to devise evill against a neighbour Let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his neighbour Zech. 8.17 He must go to Heaven that doth not evill to his neighbour Psal 15.3 Reason 1. Because of cohabitation If he like thee so well that he chuse to live by thee do not thou devise evill against him Continuall converse should keep thee from doing it 2. Because thou maiest get good by him more then by strangers that are farther off when thou shouldst need their help Aliquid boni propter vicinum bonum Some good comes by a good neighbour An heathen man being to sell or let his house put in this commodity among the rest that it stood among good neighbours Use Banish all ill causelesse thoughts against thy neighbours good out of thy heart This is the way to live with comfort 3. Doct. It is yet a greater sin to devise evill against such as take us for their friends expecting no hurt but good from us It was not an enemy that reproached me But it was thou a man mine equall mine guide and mine acquaintance Psal 55.12.13 If I have rewarded evill to him that was at peace with me Psal 7.3 4. Reason 1. Because such suspect no evill from us and therefore may more easily be ruined by us Natures Law will teach us not to imagine evill against them that trust to us and suspect it not The Italian Proverb is God keep me from them I trust and I will keep my self from them
I trust not Antigonus when he sacrificed prayed to be kept from counterset friends and being asked why he did so answered Because I can my self take heed of known enemies Bona fide agendum est cum iis qui nobis bene fidunt We must deal faithfully with them who faithfully put trust in us It is a shamefull thing to lay snares for them that suspect no evill from thee and think thou lovest them Thou dost egregiously dissemble that under a fai face and countenance to them hidest a foul heart against them 2. Because they deserve no evill of us and those ill offices are worst that are done to such as neither deserve nor fear ill from us 3. Because such expect good of thee and what can be worse then to deceive him that expects good from thee 4. Because they deserve good of thee and therefore thou shouldst not so much as cherish a thought of evill against them Use It condemns those that plot evill against their nearest friends These are traitors 2 Tim. 3.4 Judasses that betray with a kisse Such are dangerous enemies Such we had need take heed of as the Prophet warnes Trust ye not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom Mic. 7.5 These are the plagues of all meetings societies feasts which are upheld by love and faithfullnesse Nulla pestis gravior ad nocendum quà m familiaris inimicus Lyra. There is no plague more hurtful then a familiar enemy VERSE 30. Strive not with a man without cause if hee have done thee no harm IN the former verse sinfull plots against others were condemned here sinfull words and actions are blamed In a word all unlawfull contentions are forbidden Here is a prohibition of all manifest violence and secret deceitfulnesse For the words Strive not Neither in judgement by suits of Law nor by harsh words out of judgement With a man See on ver 13. Without cause Being provoked by no injury This forbids not complaints or suits upon just grounds but rash and causelesse ones For the word see on Chap. 1.17 on the word In vain If he have done thee no harme The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to do good or evill as well without desert as with it To begin as well as to repay Our translators take it in the first sense as an exposition of those words without cause That is if he have not first wronged thee Bain a great Hebrician and a learned Commenter takes it in the second sense for requiting and reads it thus If he do not requite thee And makes it the forme of an oath understanding these words Then say I am a liar or believe me no more Meaning hee will certainly be revenged on thee and do like for like Thou pickest a quarrell with him without a cause and must expect the like measure from him See the like expression If he do not curse thee to thy face Iob 1.11 Then say I am a liar The meaning is as it is well translated there And he will curse thee to thy face So it may be here Strive not with a man without a cause then or else he will do thee harm To wit if thou vex him causlesly For harm see on Chap. 1.33 on the word Evill Quest May wee then strive with a man that hath done us harm Ans Yes lawfully before a Magistrate and without sharpe words The sum of this Verse then is Contend with no man if thou canst chuse But if necessity or publick profit require it thou maist do it yet take heed thou exercise not publick or private contention with any man that hath not offended thee or done thee wrong Figures none Note 1. The Act forbidden Strive not 2. The Object With a man 3. The Adjunct of qualification set out 1. Generally Without cause 2. Particularly If he have done thee no harm 1. Doct. Mans nature is very apt to contend causlesly What cause had Ahab or Jezebel or the elders to contend with Naboth 1 King 21. What cause have wicked men to contend with Gods people Just as much as Wolves have to contend with sheep Math. 10 16 17. Reason 1. Because men are naturally proud and pride causeth contention Yea there is some pride and defire of victory in every contentation Onely by pride cometh contention Chap. 13.10 2. Because we are naturally covetous and we know that earthly mindednesse breeds a world of suits and contentions Use It teacheth us not to wonder that men love to go to Law without cause especially with simple men whom they think they can easily overcome Such men are proud of their wit and brag that they can easily bring under others though their cause be never so unjust An Abbat being asked why he went to Law so often especially knowing his cause was not alwaies just answers that hee did as boyes going by a nut-tree who fling stones and sticks at it to see what nuts will fall It is as naturall for sinfull men to contend as for birds to fly or for worms to creep And therefore it is no matter of admiration Doct. 2. Causelesse contention is not allowed by God or wise men If I have rewarded evill to him that was at peace with me let the enemy persecute my soul and take it Psal 7.4 5. Without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul Psal 35.7 The Assyrian oppressed them without cause Isa 52.4 Reas 1. Because they know the iniquity and unfitnesse of it and that there is no just ground of causelesse strife 2. They know the danger of it and neither God nor wise men will allow that in others that brings them to utter ruine Use To reprove those that are still in contentions whether they have cause or no they are like Salamanders that cannot live out of the fire they forget that Consilium malum consultori pessimum ill counsells are worst for the counsellors They think to ruine others but are ruined themselves As if a man should throw a stone at another and it should recoile and wound himselfe or dig a ditch for another and fall into it Psal 7.15 16. or hide a net for another and himselfe be caught in it Psal 35.8 How many have been undone by needlesse lawsuits How can they thrive whose courses are abhorred by God and all wise men Doct. 3. Contention without just provocation is a great sin David complaines of it False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not They rewarded me evill for good to the spoiling of my soul Psal 35.11 12. Reas 1. Because it is against the law of charity which requires good to be done to others freely much more not to hurt them by causelesse contentions 2. It is against the law of equity for such not only do not as they would be done by but do not as they are
hominem gratiosum non solùm coram Deo sed etiam coram hominibus Meeknesse makes a man gratious not only before God but also before men Lyra. Use Banish all proud thoughts and labour for true humility such are pleasing both to God and good men and therefore though evill men scorn them they shall be no losers Humility is both a grace and a vessell to receive grace Men let the vessell down into the water to fill it in a river so must he that will find favour with God lie down in the dust and cry Non sum dignus at sum indigen◠I am not worthy but I am needy He shall then have cause to say I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh on me Psal 40.17 VER 35. The wise shall inherit glory but shame shall be the promotion of fooles HEre is the last motive to stir us up to get wisdome and forsake the waies of wickednesse because the one brings glory the other shame and it is fitly knit to the former for the humble who are the only wise ones go from grace to glory and the proud scorner who is the greatest fool shall fall from honour to shame Seeing humble men are counted simple and proud men wise and sin prefers many and grace makes many contemned in the world he therefore raises up the dejected heart of the one and casts down the proud spirit of the other by pronouncing the lowly wise and the scorners fooles and by promising honour to the one like to men in a rising condition and threatning disgrace to the other as to men going down the wind Glory followes fitly after grace and shame after scorning for men honour those they favour and put them to shame whom they scorn For the words The wise Godly men who are wise indeed For the word see on Chap. 1.5 Shall inherit Shall firmly injoy it for continuance as children enjoy their inheritance left them by their parents they shall not have glory for a moment of time but for ever by an hereditary right The Papists bring merit out of this word but it rather concludes the contrary for no child deserves his inheritance Glory They shall be honoured by God and men Lyra tells us that the commentator on the first book of the Ethicks I suppose he means Aristotles saith that reverence honour glory exceed one another I may reverence a man for any cause yea though it be but out of fear but if I reverence a man for his vertue then I give him honour though it be in secret and before a few But when I commend him or preferre him for vertue openly before many then I give him glory which is a cleer acknowledgment with praise He addes Wisdome makes a man honorable before a multitude not only in earth but also in his heavenly country For the word see on verse 16. on the word Honour But. See on Chap. 2.22 Shame Contempt from God and man which may make them hold down their heads for shame As the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies glory comes from a word that signifies weight So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies shame in the originall Text comes from a word that signifies lightnesse For as there is weight in true honour so nothing but emptinesse in disgrace Shall be the promotion of fooles Shall be the greatest honour wicked men can attain They look for great honour by their wicked devices but they shall end in infamy Others read Fooles carry away shame they bear it away for their portion And then it is a Noun plurall with a Verb singular intimating that it is the portion of every fool Others thus Shame taketh away fooles That is destroyeth them and all their hope of good Others thus The exaltation of fooles is shame That is their honour ruines them because they know not how to use it The filthinesse of their foolishnesse most appears when they are exalted as the deformity of the Apes buttocks appeares most when he climbs up on high For fooles see on Chap. 1.32 Figures Inherit A metaphor they shall have it as surely as children their inheritance Promotion An hard metaphor as sperare to hope for timere to fear Promotion for punishment Note 1. The wise mans portion 2. The fooles In the first observe 1. The heir The wise 2. The act Shall inherit 3. The object Glory In the second note 1. The portion But shame 2. The bestowing of it Shall be the promotion 3. The object Of fooles Doct. 1. God counts godly men wise and wicked men fools Fooles because of their transgression are afflicted Psal 107.17 The righteous shall see it and rejoyce Who so is wise and will observe those things c. Psal 107.42 43. A wise man will hear and will increase learning Chap 1.5 Fooles despise wisdome Chap. 1.7 Reas 1. Because good men walk in the right way which is a sign of wisdome and wicked men misse the way to happinesse which is a sign of folly 2. Because the former speed well in the end and that for ever whereas wicked men like fooles undoe themselves eternally Use Let not us think our selves wiser then God Let us esteem simple good men righteous or right wise men for so the Saxons write it and wicked men fooles as Christ doth though never so worldly wise Thou hast bid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Matth. 11.25 2. Doct. Honour is the wise mans inheritance They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament Dan. 12.3 Reason 1. He hath a proper right to it as the heir hath to his inheritance Laws of men settle the one Gods word who can perform it against all the world settles the other The Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 2. They have a perfect and unquestionable right given them by God who is possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14.19 And Gods gift is a sure title No creature can question it with this argument Jepthtah pleads against the King of the Ammonites Wilt not thou possesse that which Chemosh thy God giveth thee to possesse so whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us them will we possesse Iudg. 11.24 3. They have it by perpetuall right not for term of life onely but for eternity in another world Wicked men may get honour here but they lose it for eternity when they die 4. They have a right to make use of all good respect from God and men both here and hereafter Use Which of you would not have glory both in this world and that which is to come Hee that would not let him live and die with shame like a fool He that would let him shew himself wise in knowing and coming to God and walking according to his will Then will eternall glory follow him as the shadow doth the Sun 3. Doct. Shame is the fooles preferment My servants who are