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A20544
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A plaine and familiar exposition of the ninth and tenth chapters of the Prouerbs of Salomon
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Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut
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1606
(1606)
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STC 6954; ESTC S109738
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92,972
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171
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nor yet in case to bee saued And hee that wanteth will and abilitie to talke Christianly doth proclaime by silence that he hath not the spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4. 13. More shall bee spoken of this point in the 13. Chap. 14. verse Hatred stirreth vp contentions but loue couereth all Verse 12 trespasses Hatred and all vncharitable affections as enuie and wrath Stirreth vp strife worketh all kind of reuenge and mischiefe as backbiting obbrayding with former faults and very often procureth iniust criminations But loue couereth all trespasses by forgiuing them and reprouing them in friendly manner and by concealing them from all those to whom the knowledge of them hath not come or doth not appertaine The opposition is thus framed Hatred stirreth vp contentions and blazeth abroad mens infirmities but loue seeketh peace and couereth all trespasses Hatred The actions and speeches of men are not so much Doct. a cause of strife and debate as the euill affections of their harts An ill heart raiseth contention Diuers times it falleth out that the wrong doer is not so much faulty as he that shold better beare it no iniuries could work a quarrelous contention vnlesse there were a defect of loue on both sides It is said Chap. 18. 6. That a fooles lippes come with strife It is not the occasion giuen so much as the lips that make the breach and the lips could not doe it vnlesse the man set them on worke and the man would not so set them on worke vnlesse folly and sin ouerruled both him and his lips So Chap. 15. 18. Angry men are brought in for the authors of strife but hee that is slow to wrath hath this testimonie giuen him that he will appease it What was the reason why Iosephs brethren had such a quarrell at him Beecause they saw their father loue him more then all the rest they hated him and could not speake peaceably to him Gen. 37. 4. What moued Ahab to be alway so bitter against Elijah and Micaiah Hee telleth the cause himselfe he hated them and reputed them to bee his enemies 1. Kings 21. 20. 22. 8. First wheresoeuer hatred is one man maligneth another Reasons 1 there is pride and onely by pride contentions come Chap. 13. 10. Secondly if strife did not more proceede from the inward corruptions then the outward occasions they that were most wronged should necessarilie be most contentious and so Moises and Dauid and Ieremie and Paul and Iesus Christ himselfe of all other should haue beene most vnquiet and clamorous But these had neuer any equall vnto them for peaceable and gentle behauiour Numb 12. 2. 3. Math. 12. 19. 1. Pet. 4. 23. Confutation of them that lay the blame of their frowardnesse Vse 1 vpon the vnkindenesse of their neighbours and especially of such as charge the ministrie of the word and the preachers of it with all the scismes and sedicions and with all the breaches and diuisions that are in the Church They publish the Gospell of grace which teacheth peace and maketh peace betweene God and man and betweene man and man yea a man and his owne conscience But would there bee so great oppositions say they and themselues and their doctrine so much crossed and resisted vnles the cause were in them They be troublesome men and busie bodies giuen to faction and no man can liue in peace by them The Diuell cannot liue in quiet by them and therefore hee maketh a tempest in their hearts whom hee possesseth and so their waues dash against the ministers and all other good Christians Our Sauiour knew that such would bee the successe of his Gospell that wicked men would bee in as great a hurlie buâ—lie at it as if he had come with fire and sword against them Ieremie cleareth Math. 10. 34. Ier. 11. 60. himselfe of all priuate occasions of discontentment amongst the people hee neither borrowed on vsurie nor lent on vsurie nor had any trafficke or dealing with them yet all contended against him and euery man cursed him But what moued them to such passion and distemper the Diuell and their owne sinfull hearts which the Prophet so mightely warred against Instruction if our hearts rise against our brethren and begin to grow turbulent and vnpeaceable that then wee call them to examination As S. Iames doth them that would not Iames. 4. 1. examine themselues from whence are these warres and contentions are they not from lusts that fight in the members Not to trust enuious persons for they haue not the gouernment of themselues though they speak faire and offer reconciliation Yet if they clense not their soules of their inward ranker of malice and that by repentance they will breake out againe into bitternesse as Saul did against Dauid But loue couereth c. Christian loue doth cause men to be Doct. mercifull to the soules names of their brethren which thing Loue is the least fault sinder Saint Peter teacheth alleadging almost the very same words of this scripture Aboue all things haue feruent loue amongst you for loue couereth a multitude of sinnes It hideth them all though there be neuer so many None haue this loue but such as haue felt Gods loue to Reasons 1 themselues remitting and couering their owne sinnes and that maketh them mercifull to others Col. 3. 13. Secondly they esteeme their brethren as their owne flesh and members of the same body and therefore will not willingly discouer the deformities or vlcers or the naked or vncomely parts thereof Thirdly they propose a coppie or patterne to themselues how themselues would bee dealth with in the like case according to the rule of our Sauiour and the summe of the law and Mat. 7. 12. Prophets Instruction to performe this dutie with faithfulnesse and Vse 1 good discreation to our neighbours First let vs take doubtfull things in the best part for loue is not suspicious but hopeth well of things that may haue good construction and peruerteth them not to the worst sence So we deale with our children in their distempers imputing them to some griping with winde or breeding of teeth or that some pinne pricketh them it is meere necessitie that driueth vs to see their frowardnesse Secondly though it be a fault yet if it be a small infirmitie and especially if it be a priuate wrong vnto ourselues let vs passe by it as the Lord doth most graciously with vs whose children Ephe 5. 12. Prou 20 3. we must heerein declare our selues to bee in imitating of him and it is a mans honour to passe by an offence Thirdly if there be an offence committed sit to be reproued let vs vse all holy lenitie if it may preuaile or seueritie in compassion to draw them out of their sinnes for that is the best couering to bring them to repentance that their iniquities may bee couered from Gods eyes and washed away for euer So did Nathan Iob. 23. 17. help to couer Dauids
beeing foretold of the famine to come made prouision beefore hand for the Saints of Ierusalem First it is a thing pleasing to God to accept of his gifts when Reasons 1 his gracious hand doth reach them out vnto vs and very offensiue to him when we put by the fauour and kindenesse that he maketh offer of For he taketh it either as a contempt of the things which he would bestow or as controlement of his wisedome as though he did not see far inough into the fitnesse of euery season Secondly the euents that fall out on both sides doe make this manifest they that open their hands to receiue when God openeth his to giue they that are prepared to accept with thankefulnesse as hee is ready to bestow in mercie such shall haue the blessings of God confirmed vnto them with newblessings and to them will he communicate much and often and that which is excellent which vse speedy intertainment to his graces But on the other side when men hold him off with delaies and grow nice and coye and turne his benefits backe vpon him they shall be soone rid of them and stript of all his mercies they shall call and cry at another time and haue no answere they shall search and seeke and finde no successe they shall feele their wants and faile of supply to releeue them Reproofe of them that be euill husbands for themselues in Vse the things of this present life pretermitting the precious time of getting skill in any profitable trade or science and onely learne the art of vanitie and bee many yeares apprentises to dogs and dice and hawkes and boules and to euery ruffianly companion that shall teach them to swagger and sweare to swill and quaffe and play all the parts of professed Atheists And so at last their wits beeing worne out for want of wisedome which would haue preserued them their strength consumed in striuing to doe mischiefe and age perishing in them as neuer yeelding fruite to themselues or any others they come to that condicion as did the vagabonds that Iob speaketh of that euery man will be readie to prefer his dogs before them as in equirie it is fit for the master to take the better hand of the seruant and to let his very dunghill haue preheminence aboue them Their wretched and cursed courses in mispending their time do worke them the fulnesse of woe and misery and make them odious and hatefull to God and godly men and to ciuill men and burthenous and loathsome to vngodly and sinfull men Secondly of them that be vnthriftie for their soules which neuer apply themselues to prepare for another life before they be departing out of this They doe not once thinke of seeking heauen and euerlasting saluation vntill they bee sinking into hell and perpetuall perdicion They imagine that earthly things will require long labour to compasse them but pietie and grace repentance and faith may be gotten in a moment they be ready at their will and their will wil be flexible to their wish and neither abilitie nor will nor wish will bee wanting at the time of their deathes Oh miserable men how long will their eyes bee blinded How long will their hearts be hardned do they not perceiue that sinne and Sathan haue power ouer their affections and desires and purposes and will and all the faculties of their whole soules Euen this maketh it cleare that it is so because they doe not perceiue it to be so And if their soules bee in such bondage and subiection and held at the wil of the diuell that now in their fresh age health their sences being more capable of instruction and the ministerie of the word readie to yeeld instruction that they cannot attaine to sound and godly sorrow and conuersion let them not deceiue themselues as though in sicknesse and paine and dotage and sencelesenesse and affected blindnesse of minde they can by their owne disposition returne sincerely to the Lord. Blessings are vpon the head of the righteous but iniquitie Verse 6 shall couer the mouth of the wicked Blessings That is all kinde of happinesse euery good gift of God that is fitte for them as peace plentie grace and health c All shall be vpon the head of the righteous meaning vppon the whole soule and body of euery faithfull holy man And they are said to be on the head because they come downe from aboue and light as it were vpon the head and so discend to the other parts But iniquitie the vengeance of God executed for violence and sinne shall couer the mouth of the wicked shall take away all excuses and defences from him Now heere is somewhat vnderstoode in the former clause and expressed in the latter and somewhat expressed in the latter and to be supplyed in the former Blessings are vpon the head of the righteous and therefore doe open his mouth viz to praise God and maintaine his owne innocencie and iudgements called here violence or iniquitie by a metonymie of the cause they are vpon the head of the wicked and so close vp their mouth Blessings c. The greatest reward that God doth giue to Doct. 1 his seruants in this life is to blesse them That is very ordinarie Blessednes is the greatest gift of God to his seruants with the Prophets in the Psalmes and other places of Scripture in wishing well to the Church to pray for this and in gratulations to commend it and in thankefulnesse to God to acknowledge it As in the sift Psalme ver 12. desiring the comfort and ioy of faithfull men and praying the Lord to worke it in them he sheweth what iust cause they had to bee so affected For thou Lord saith hee wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt compasse him as with a shield First such blessings as are heere spoken of be sure testimonies Reason 1 of Gods loue and proceede meerely from his gracious goodnesse they are infallible pledges of his fauour as it appeareth in the wordes of the Psalme last quoted Secondly they be prerogatiues peculiarlie appropriated to godly men for saith hee in an other place Saluation belongeth to the Lord and thy blessing is vpon thy people It is alwaies accompanied with saluation none are blessed but such as are saued and none are either blessed or saued but such as are the people of God Thirdly they haue all good things infolded in them which readilie according to our neede are ministred vnto vs. Deut. 28. Fourthly Gods blessings doe season all prosperitie and the gifts that it bringeth and maketh them comfortable and all aduersitie and maketh it profitable whereas the curse doth poyson both to the wicked Instruction that whereas we desire to haue the Lord poure Vse 1 this heauenly gift vpon vs so let vs obserue the condicions that he doth prescribe to them which shall receiue it Let vs get holinesse into our hearts and blessings cannot chuse but bee vpon our heads let righteousnesse haue place