said he that loueth purenes of hart for the grace of his lippes the King shall be his friend Prou. 22. 11. But especiallie hee himselfe will bestow vpon him all good things for this life and graces for euerlasting life and glorie for life euerlasting And the recompence c. And so shall euery mans good workes bee also rewarded with mercie and fauour though there bee nothing in them of desert and merit Doct. Nothing shall be vnrewarded that is well performed in word or deede This hath bin alreadie handled in the eighteenth verse of the former chapter vpon these words He that soweth righteousnesse shall receiue a sure reward Verse 15. The way of a foole is right in his owne eies but he that heareth counsell is wise THe way of a foole The wicked course and behauiour of a sinfull person whom God reputeth a foole for it is not vnderstood of an idiot as may appeare by the comparison betweene them cap. 26. 12. Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a foole than of him is right in his owne eies hee liketh of it and alloweth himselfe in it as safe and good for him to walke in and consequently reiecteth all good aduice and admonitions But hee that heareth counsell which suspecteth his owne iudgement and receiueth direction from them that are wise and godly and obeyeth it he is wise sheweth the wisedome that he had before and learneth more and findeth the fruite of it by good effect Doct. The worse any man is or doth the lesse he seeth his euill They that commit the most sinnes haue hope that they stand guiltie of fewest they that fall into the greatest transgressions imagine that their faults be the smallest they that sinke into the deepest dangers doe dreame of greatest safetie they that haue longest continued in rebellion against God of al others for the most part are slowest to repentance These are they which are spoken of when it is said there is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite and yet are Prou. 30. 12. not washed from their filthinesse Obserue it in all sorts of sinners and it will be found that the greatest offenders are furthest from all remorse for their offences Papists and Idolaters doe thinke they merit at Gods hand and deserue heauen for their idolatrie and superstition Persecutors and tyrants as our Sauiour saith Ioh. 16. 2. will thinke they doe God seruice when they kill Christians and Ministers and Apostles If men of smaller infirmities bee admonished of things amisse in them it is not very hard to bring manie of them to a sight of their offences insomuch as they will acknowledge themselues to be faultie thanke him that reproueth them but when notorious adulterers or drunkards or blasphemers be rebuked what distemper what rage what furie doe they breake out into as though a most grieuous indignitie were offered vnto them as though most innocent men were vniustly defamed Reasons 1 First they are ouerwhelmed with the mist of darknesse and couered with the spirit of error and ignorance the diuell hath blinded their minds as the Apostle saith that all iudgement and 2. Cor. 4. 4. vnderstanding is taken away from them And S. Paul testifieth that when he was in the worst case he knew nothing but that hee had been in the best before he knew the meaning of the law hee made noe doubt but that he had been aliue but when hee saw the sense and iustice of the commandement he found sinne to be aliue and himselfe to be dead Rom. 7. 9. 10. Secondly the custome of sinning doth obdurate the heart and depriue it of all sense of the sinne though neuer so hainous the feeling faileth and lust with a greedy desire of satisfying it selfe in euill increaseth euery day to a fulnesse Thirdly the text it selfe yeeldeth a reason why they haue so good opinion of their owne waies because they are led with pride and heare not such as might shew them any thing to the contrarie They haue allowance by word and practise from fooles like to themselues and their own carnall reason doth consent with them and then they take to proceede from enuie whatsoeuer is spoken against them Vse 1 Terror of conceited persons which proceede on wilfully in their wicked waies and no man can reclaime them They are wise they trow hauing liued so long to know what is good for themselues they are not now to learne how to serue God and be saued But the wise God calleth them foolish men he saith that their streight way is crooked and their safe way is dangerous and that the issues thereof are the waies of death When they take themselues to be happie he iudgeth them miserable when they looke for welfare he threatneth woe when they presume of a blessing he pronounceth and will accordingly execute a curse Hereof speaketh Isaiah Woe to them that are wise in their owne Isa 5. 21. eies and prudent in their owne sight They make themselues odious to God they flie from repentance they shun reformation they run into destruction Confutation of them that imagine a good meaning towards the seruice of God and their owne saluation to be sufficient whatsoeuer their meanes be which they vse If their mind be to haue their way good they thinke it cannot be euill if there bee a willingnesse that it should be streight they rest assured that it will not be crooked But if the opinion and willes of men be of such force to rectifie their waies what way would not leade to saluation We shewed before that such as murdered the Saints of God thought to serue God and bee saued by it Why then was not Paul in as good case before his conuersion as afterwards Men of corrupt minds and destitute of the trueth thinke that gaine is godlines 1. Tim. 6. 5. why should not many courtious men then enter into the kingdome of heauen A traueller in his iourney may wander out of his way notwithstanding his meaning to goe right if he will make no enquirie for it And no trade or science is attained vnto by the willingnesse of hauing but of learning of it Consolation to them that are not confident of themselues to leane on their wisedome but enquire for direction in the booke of God and take aduise and counsell from his seruants Though the world deeme them sillie soules and voide of wit yet the Lord esteemeth them for wise and men of vnderstanding And so will he proue them and so shall they find and so by euent in the end shall others well perceiue Verse 16. A fooles wrath is made knowne the same day but a prudent man couereth shame THe meaning of the holy Ghost is not to condemne all kind of anger for it is one of the powers of the soule which God created as an ornament in man and godly anger is a part of Gods Image in him and a grace commended in Moses
if we loue our selues our life and saluation that we flie from euill and follow it not for it will follow vs too fast We shall goe no whither whiles wee carrie this sinfull flesh about vs but it will be at our heeles yea in our hands and heads and harts and whole soule and bodie Euen the best may say as Paul did I finde that when I would doe good euill is present with me Rom. 7. 21. But much more is it present when we are not so well disposed though indeede it be not then so easily destroyed and therefore since it will intrude it selfe vpon vs against our willes let not vs play the parts of the wicked to take Satans place and become tempters of our selues Terror for the workers of iniquitie which bestow great paines to doe themselues great hurt which will not bee stopped from the seruice of sinne and therefore cannot be staied from the punishment thereof What doe they else but fall into phranticke passion of desperate persons which seeke all opportunities to murther themselues They make euery delight and pleasure a corde to strangle themselues with euery lust a knife to cut their owne throates euery commoditie a well to leape into their meate and drinke to be a poyson to their soules and hurtfull to their bodies by surfeiting and drunkennes and such like abuses Verse 20. They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord but they that are vpright in their way are his delight BY froward in heart he meaneth not onely such as are inclined to anger and bitternesse which are of a crabbed sowre and churlish disposition but all that are wilfull in any sinfull course though with neuer so great mirth and laughter Yea many times excessiue pleasure and sporting and merriment with good fellowship as men account it is the very subiect of their frowardnes and that which they so obstinately stand in And though they pretend reason for their doing and seeme smoothly to defend it without peruersenes yet the heart being setled in resolution of it owne purpose the Lord taketh notice of it and therefore abhorreth them for the present and will make his iudgements to manifest his detestation of them hereafter But they that are vpright in their way and heart as the other are froward in heart and behauiour are greatly beloued of God now shall more fully see and feele and enioy the comfort and happinesse of his fauour in time to come Doct. 1 Whosoeuer is giuen to frowardnes is wholly voide of vprightnes A sincere hearted Christian may through infirmitie fall into a fit of frowardnes for a time as Asa did when he cast the Prophet into prison for reprouing his sinne but to haue the habite of it to be froward is opposed as contrarie to being vpright So were the qualities one set against another in the third verse of this chapter The vprightnes of the iust shall guide them but the frowardnes of the transgressors shall destroy them So are the persons contrarily dealt with as contraries by the testimonie of Dauid With the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure and with the froward thou wilt set thy selfe to wrestle Psal 18. 25. 26. Reasons 1 First the vpright man hath a respect to all the Commandements of God with desire and endeuour to keepe them as Dauid professeth of himselfe All his lawes were before me and I did not cast away his commandements from me So was I vpright with him and haue kept me from my wickednesse Psal 18. 22. 23. Whereas the froward person doth either reiect the whole law of God or else retaineth yea maintaineth at least some one sinne wittingly because he may know and willingly because hee refuseth to obey against some one commandement Secondly they which are vpright doe ground their actions and waies vpon arguments and reasons and therefore they striue to haue them as plaine and sound as may be and they which are froward doe ground their reasons and arguments vpon their waies and actions and therfore they labour to haue them as craftie and subtill as may be Thirdly they which are vpright will desire to haue the truth reueiled to them and yeeld to it when it appeareth and loue them the better that shall informe them in it And they which are froward will desire to haue the truth suppressed and contend against it though it bee manifest and like them the worse that shall shew it vnto them Vse Instruction not to giue too much credit to froward men nor too large a testimonie of them If wee see that they will not bee brought to a Christian conuersation without we may know also that they haue an vnchristian conscience within for their heart is neuer better than they are willing their waies should bee And why then should we esteeme them to be men of plaine meaning when God himselfe telleth vs that there is no plaine meaning in them Why should we praise them whom he doth discommend why should we cleere them whom he conuinceth why should we iustifie them whom he condemneth And yet it is a fault though much against pietie that carrieth a great colour and glosse of loue and charitie He is a very honest man say they but yet giuen to gaming too much no man can disswade him from it It is his only fault saith another that he is a great swearer and cannot be brought to leaue it He is a right good man saith a third and euery way deserueth praise sauing that hee is no bodie at Church he cannot abide those sermons and Preachers say all what they can he is still at defiance with them all and so they as much as in them is stand for them that go about to trauerse their inditement against the Lord and all his faithfull Ministers Doct. 2 The loue of God is not according to that which men haue of outward things but to that which they are in hart and behauiour Many froward men are great in the world and yet are all gentlie abhorred of him and most vpright men are of the meaner sort and yet nothing the lesse in his fauour And this is Dauids meaning when he saith The Lord will trie the righteous but the Psal 11. 5. wicked and him that loueth iniquitie doth his soule hate The righteous are his gold and therefore he will refine them vntill they bee perfectly purged from al drosse yet he loueth them as well in the fornace as in the treasurie but as for the vngodly howsoeuer hee seeme to spare them yet he doth not like them and though the might of his hand bee not yet vpon them yet the hatred of his heart is strongly against them Reasons 1 The righteous stand before him in the merits and glorious righteousnesse of Iesus Christ he is his welbeloued sonne and in Matth. 3. 17. him he is well pleased with all his members and the froward and wicked stand in
their owne wickednes saith the sixt verse they shall fall in their owne wickednes saith the fift their frowardnes shall destroy them saith this Whereby it appeareth that their miserie commeth not from others as an accidentall occasion but groweth from themselues as the proper cause neither is it an ordinarie euill that is recurable but a desperate ruine that is remedilesse neither yet is it the subuersion of their state or killing of their bodie which is but temporarie but the perdition both of bodie and soule which is euerlasting To this agreeth that which is spoken to the same purpose in the fift chapter His owne iniquitie shall take the wicked himselfe and hee Pro. 5. 22. 23. shall be holden with the cords of his owne sinne He shall die for fault of instruction and for going astray through his owne follie Here is a description of euery obstinate and contemptuous sinner their wickednes doth worke destruction by degrees It first apprehendeth them as an officer it keepeth them afterwards in stockes and bolts as a Iayler And lastlie it putteth them to death as an executioner Reasons 1 First they despise the patience and long sufferance the kindnes and goodnes of God which waiteth for their repentance and therefore through the hardnes of their hearts heape to themselues wrath against the day of vengeance Rom. 2. 4. 5. Secondly they greeue and vexe the spirit of God which offereth grace vnto them and therefore he turneth to be their enemie They Isai 63. 10. with their peruersenes doe resist him and hee with his power wil cast downe them And so the Prophet testifieth in the Psalme With the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure but with the froward thou settest thy selfe to wrestle Thirdly they scorne and despise the word and wisedome of God and as much as in them is cause others also to reiect it and therefore it is iust with the Lord to make them eate the fruit of their owne waies and to fill them with their owne deuices that is to bring them to a fearefull destruction Prou. 1. 30. 31. Vse Terror of them that practise sinne of purpose to offend them which dislike of their lewde waies They will breake the Sabbath in despite of them that would haue them better exercised they will sweare they say and stare too to anger such as admonish them of their vnlawfull othes Sillie creatures and miserable wretches will they cut their owne throats to grieue others with the sight of their bloud will they strangle themselues that others might weepe for their cursed end Their boisterous stubbernesse may bring a short sorow to others that hate their sinnes and loue their soules but a perpetuall shame to themselues which ioyne with their sinnes against their soules Verse 4. Riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnes deliuereth from death THese wordes seeme to containe an anticipation or preuenting of an obiection which might bee moued against the latter point of the former verse What speake you of destruction to come vpon wicked men I trust you will not extend it to all for many of them are substantiall wealthy men of great state and abilitie Who can destroy them What shall their power and riches doe the while To this it is here answered that riches auaile not in the day of wrath their wealth can neither withstand the strokes of God nor lessen them nor make them any whit the more able to beare them when his anger doth execute iudgements and when his iudgements declare his anger But righteousnesse is that which deliuereth from death and all other miseries that the sting thereof shall neuer make any man miserable See the more full handling and prosecution of these words in the second verse of the tenth chapter Verse 5. The righteousnesse of the vpright shall direct his way or make his way straight or euen but the wicked shall fall in his owne wickednesse HEre he addeth to that which he had begun in the third verse and sheweth that sincetitie righteousnes do not only lead men to a good way and tell them what is their dutie and fit to be performed but maketh the way passable for them and them constant and prosperous in it To the which againe is opposed the way of the wicked euen their owne sinfull course of life being crooked and cragged and rough and rugged and full of manifolde perils wherein at the last they fall and perish Doct. Godly men haue not onely a commaundement but abilitie giuen vnto them to walke in the Law of God Their faithfulnesse doth leuell their way and paue it before them wherein they find not onely equitie but ease also with delight and safetie And so much the Prophet doth intimate when he saith The waies of the Lord are righteous and the iust shall walke in them but the wicked Hos 14. 10. shall fall therein Reasons First the affections sanctified do al ioyne hands in forwarding a man to a constant proceeding in godlines The loue of God and the hope of reward doe ouercome and subdue all difficulties and dangers and beare downe all the impediments that may stoppe him by discouragements and the feare of God and dread of his displeasure doth suppresse the force of worldly lusts and beate downe the conceits that may draw him to presumption Secondly the experience of Gods presence fauour and blessing is very effectuall to continue their obedience For hauing tasted how good the Lord is to them that feare him they cannot liue without his companie and that is no where to bee inioyed but in the way of righteousnesse The Lord himselfe both by grace and prouidence doth helpe them in this worke He giueth vertue and power to the ministry of his word to prepare a way betweene himselfe and the hearts of his people that there may bee an intercourse for one to come mutually to the other as S. Luke testifieth Euerie vallie shall bee filled and euery mountaine and hill shall bee brought low and crooked things shall be made straight and the rough waies shal be made smooth Luk. 3. 5. He also measureth out a meete state for them and maketh such a mixture or composition of prosperitie and aduersitie of blessings and crosses of comforts and sorrowes as is most holesome for their soules and directeth all the occurrents that befall them to the furtherance of their saluation And hereof Isaiah speaketh saying The way of the righteous is euennes or equities thou wilt weigh out a iust path for the righteous He will ballance out euerie thing that concerneth them in gold weights that there shall not be the least defect or excesse that might turne to their hurt Vse Confutation of their pernicious illusions that thinke it impossible to walke in the waies of God therfore iudge it nothing dangerous to stray out of them at their pleasure The preachers say they doe teach that which none can obserue euery bodie doth contrary and we must do like others or
heauenly wisedome because it will crosse their pride and sensuall lusts It will forbid the nice dames that make idols of their owne bodies to bestow so much time in tricking vp themselues with pranking and painting and therefore they haue no more desire to receiue godlinesse than to depart with beautie They are as willing that the small pockes should deforme their faire faces as the word of God should informe and cleanse their foule consciences Verse 23. The desire of the righteous is only good but the hope of the wicked is indignation WE must beware here that we iustifie not al the wishes and desires to be good which righteous men conceiue not condemne all to be vnrighteous which conceiue any wishes and desires that be not good for then should Dauid be excluded out of the number of the righteous or else his desire of hauing Bathsheba or wishing to know the number of the people should be allowed But he vnderstandeth the maine streame of their desires the course and current of their hearts is to godlinesse and goodnesse though sometimes they corrupt nature in themselues and the tempestuous temptations of Satan doe violently driue their thoughts another way which is wholly contrarie in the wicked For they desire nothing but mischiefe and euill and therefore in the end they shall receiue nothing but miserie and punishment which will be so great and so grieuous as will make them raue and rage with madnes and furie especially because they looked for a better state Thus then standeth the opposition the desire of the righteous is onely good and therefore their hope shall end in consolation but the desire of the wicked is onely euill and therefore their hope shall end in indignation Doct. Godly men are most desirous to please God and God doth as graciouslie accept of their desires in the best manner They are not willing to allow a thought in themselues that should not be lawfull and he is not willing to looke vpon or speake of their vnlawfull thoughts Though diuers things be many times amisse in their minds and in their mouthes and in their deedes yet there is faithfulnes and therefore he passeth by their faults So he testifieth of Dauid that he kept his commaundements and followed 1. King 14. 8. him with all his heart and did onely that which was right in his eyes And so he testifieth of all the godly Israelites in the booke of Numbers He seeth none iniquitie in Iaacob nor any transgression in Numb 23. 21. Israel And so he testifieth of all vpright hearted people whomsoeuer in the Psalmes Surely they worke none iniquitie but walke Psal 119. 3. in his waies Reasons 1 First he imputeth that to euery man and counteth it his which proceedeth from the predominant power in him In the regenerate nothing is theirs but their fruite and nothing is their fruite but the worke of the spirit And so though the vnregenerate doe many good things yet nothing is theirs but their fruite and nothing is their fruit but that which groweth from the flesh Secondly he seeth the force and violence of originall corruption how it assaulteth them how it woundeth them how it taketh them captiues against their willes and therefore rather pitieth them than accuseth them And hence it is that S. Paul by good warrant for example to all other good Christians doth once and againe disclaime all that euill from being his which he was vnwllingly drawne vnto If I do that which I would not I consent to the law which is good Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 16. 20. Thirdly he knoweth that they will pursue their owne sinfull actions and thoughts with hue and crie and if any desire breake out from them that is not good they will send out many others after it for humiliation and pardon and purging of their hearts And therefore since themselues be so ready to complaine to him he will be sparing of complaints against them Vse 1 Consolation to the poore innocent seruants of God who yet are defamed with all kinde of false accusations They are called hypocrites heretickes rebels traytors and all that naught is Dauid was so charged by Saul his courtiers Paul was so charged by the malitious Iewes the godly Iewes so charged by Hamon Christ himselfe was so charged by the Priests Scribes and Pharises all good men must looke to bee so charged by all sorts of sinners Well it is for them that their hearts can witnesse that their desires are onely good and better that the Lord seeth it and best of all that they haue such a God as will openly publish it If he knew as much by vs as the wicked say against vs or would refuse to testifie that hee knoweth for vs as euery one of vs were more righteous so should hee be of all others most ignominious For no creature that euer God made the diuell not excepted is so much spoken against as good men are neither any so bad a name as they if the violent tongues of malitious persons may make a good mans name to be bad If sentence should passe vpon the godlie at the last day according to the verdict of them that are not friends or parties we should be all cast and condemned not one man would be acquited But here is an helpe against all these surmises of purposes within and accusations of behauiour without let appeale be made to him that beholdeth all and he will cleare the righteous from all these imputations This brought Iob to speake so confidently of his cause Oh that I had some to heare me behold my signe that the Almightie will witnes for Iob 31. 35. me though mine aduersarie should write a booke against mee This brought Dauid with such affiance to repose himselfe vpon God Iudge me Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to the Psal 7. 8. innocencie that is in me And this brought Isaiah to vse such liberty and boldnes in challenging his quarellous enemies Hee is neere that iustifieth me who will contend with me Let vs stand together Isai 50. 8. 9. who is mine aduersarie Let him come neere to me Behold the Lord will helpe me who is he that can condemne me And yet this is not all the comfort that a iust man hath though it be great but is increased by the testimionie which God giueth of their desires that seeing they are good they shall easily be graunted and seeing he taketh notice of no more then of those which are good their other infirmities shall be no impediment And therefore if they aske euerlasting life why should they make question whether they shall haue it If they seeke spirituall graces at his hands what should hinder the finding of them If they craue the good blessings for themselues and theirs for greater experience of his fauour in things of this life what should stay them from comming When his iustice