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
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
our knowledge of God as the word is taken for our knowledge of Christ Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many But by Gods own wisdom The words are varied to shew the plenty of scripture language Here is Gods wisdome understanding knowledge For the word see on Chap. 1.2.4 The depths Some understand this of the springs and rivers that break out of the earth continually and run into streams through many countries and those oftentimes are strangely brought out of rocky hills God wisely and wonderfully opening a passage for them being of themselves weak and unable to passe through such difficult places others understand it of the floud which indeed was not a work of nature but of God who cause all the fountaines of the great deep to be broken up Gen. 7.11 But it is best to understand it of the works of God at first Gen. 1.9 in making room for the Sea and for the rivers that men might live on the drie land for he speaks here of works of creation as founding the earth establishing the heavens making the sea rivers and clouds all this was done at the beginning of the world It is a description of the great channels made at first to hold all the waters and the waters of the sea and rivers are included So Gods wisdom is set out in stable and remaining things as the earth heaven waters clouds which abide and do not succeed one another as men beasts trees do whereof we may see the same that Adam did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 1. The whole inferiour globe of earth and water Darknesse was upon the face of the deep Gen. 1.2 2. The waters in the sea or sea it selfe The fountains of the great deep were broken up Gen. 7.11 3. Great misery and trouble which drownes men in despair as it were in the bottom of the sea Deep called unto deep Psal 42.7 4. A thing that cannot be found out no more then the bottom of the sea can be found out Thy judgments are a great deep Psal 42.7 Here it is taken in the second sense for the sea and channells of waters Are brokon up Heb. Cleft So that it seems at first the earth was circular and fully round under the water till God made as it were clefts for the sea and rivers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the clouds They have their name from thinnesse in the Originall because they are so and therefore Gods wisdome is the more seen in them in that they hold the rain till God send a commission to powre it down upon the earth Yet sometimes the word is put for the skies wherein the clouds are 2 Sam. 22.12 Drop down Or Which drop down See the like addition Psal 104. Bread which strengtheneth mans heart And the sense requires it for Gods wisdom is not here commended for causing the clouds to rain now but for making them at first which are still so usefull to us as well as heaven earth sea An act of creation not of providence The clouds supplie the driness of unwatered places vapours drawn up from the waters or moister places of the earth fall down in rain to moisten the drier parts of the ground and they are said to send it down by drops for the comfort of the earth and not to powre it down in streams to drown it as in the deluge So the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to drop down like a still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The dew It hath its name from covering because it covers the earth It is taken for moisture falling from heaven As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion Psal 133.3 It may comprehend moderate rain also and gentle showers that do good to the earth Figures Two figures of the part for the whole one in Depths for all waters below the other in Dew from all profitable moisture coming from above Note 1. The making of these 2. Of the clouds In the first note 1. The efficient By his knowledge 2. The effect The depths are broken up In the second observe 1. Another effect of Gods wisdom And the clouds Lest earthly moisture should be wanting God hath provided a store-house above to supplie the drinesse of the earth 2. The effect of these clouds which are yet profitable in dropping down the rain gently for the grouth of herbs trees c. Which drop down the dew for so it should be read as was observed before Doct. 1. The scripture often presseth the same things by various expressions At Christs Incarnation God was manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 The word was made flesh John 1.14 Of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 In him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 So in the sacrament of the Lords supper Take eat this is my body Mat. 26.26 The bread which we eat is it not the communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 As often as ye eat this bread ye shew the Lords death untill he come 1 Cor. 11.26 Reas 1. To shew the plenty of wisdome and great variety of words which are in the scripture we much commend Oratours that can expresse themselves variously to the same purpose 2. To shew the truth of Scripture-principals not only in their concord but also because they who understand not one expression may understand another 3. To work upon mens affections we are so dull that once speaking will not raise them up neither will often speaking in the same words do it but rather dull us more as meat often dressed the same way pleaseth not the palat but in different waies and divers sauces it pleaseth well so do divers expressions for somewhat more may be perceived in the one then in the other Against 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the flesh it may be objected so it may be though Christ were not incarnate The answer may be out of John 1.14 The word was made flesh Ob. So it may be though Christ be not God Ans Rom. 9.15 He is God over all blessed for ever Ob. It may be he is not essentially God for all this Ans Col. 2.9 In him dwells all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily So for the Sacrament Ob. 1 Cor. 11.26 it is called bread and bread will do our souls little good Ans Mat. 26.26 It is Christs body spiritually Ob. Then belike the bread is turned into Christs body Ans No it is but a remembrance of it 1 Cor. 11.26 Ob. A remembrance of a thing past doth little good Ans It is a communication of his body and the benefits thereof 1 Cor. 10.16 4. To affect severall men which have severall tasts that dressing of meat pleaseth one man which pleaseth not another that bait takes one fish which takes not another that expression prevailes with one man which prevailes not with another Use Let us read the Scriptures
done by they trouble others that trouble not them 3. It is against the law of humanity and society which is preserved by concord and destroyed by discord 4. It is against the law of piety which bids do good for evill and then much more forbids doing evill without a cause A Christian should abhor nothing more then unprofitable contentions Non contentio sed collatio debet esse inter christianos There should be no contention but communication among Christians Recuperus Insont is tutor aut vindex est judex an t certè Deus The tutor or revenger of the innocent man is the Judge or certainly God Lapide If the Judge will not right them surely God will Use Take heed therefore for time to come of causelesse contentions Continuance in known sins certainly damns men The heathen man could say Cum pari contendere anceps est cum superiore furiosum cum inferiore sordidum Seneca To contend with an equall is a doubtfull businesse to contend with a superiour a mad prank to contend with an inferiour is sordid It is madnesse for a man to delight in needlesse contentions It may become Papists to do so as Cardinal Wolsey when he was Lord Chancellor paid home Sir James Paulet without any provocation then onely because hee had laid him by the heeles when he was a schoolmaster Cranmer would not strive with them that gave him cause when hee was Archbishop It was a proverb then Do the Bishop of Canterbury a shrewd turn and you shall have him your friend ever after And Robert Holgat Archbishop of York though he was a Papist being when he was a Priest sued by Sir Francis Askew when he was Lord President of the North shewed him all lawfull favour in a suit saying He was much beholdden to him for had not he been hee must have lived a poor hedge-Priest all the daies of his life yet may a godly man by lawfull means keep off injury maintain his right and punish sin This is not causelesse contention VER 31. Envy thou not the oppressour and chuse none of his waies THE Dehortation is not needlesse It comes to passe sometimes in the world that many men thrive and grow very rich by wicked plots Then proud men envy them Why should not I thrive as well as they They were of as meane Parentage as I and it may be of meaner Covetous men imitate them If these waies will make them rich they will make me rich also I am not a fool I can paly my game as well as they to go beyond others There was need therefore to warn the young man that he erre not on the right hand out of pride nor on the left hand out of covetousness This precept is fitly joyned to the former For as we must not abuse other mens simplicity nor innocency to do them hurt so wee must not abuse their prosperity to envy them nor imitate their wicked waies of gain For the words Envy thou not The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken sometimes in a good sense and then it is construed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for He was zealous for his God Numb 25.13 And then it signifies to grieve that a person or thing dear unto one should be abused by another and to seek to defend or vindicate him or it Then it is translated zealous Sometimes it is taken in a bad sense I the Lord thy God am a jealous God Exod. 20.5 And then the verb is ordinarily construed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachel envied her fister Gen. 30.1 And it imports a grieving and envying that another should enjoy what we desire or think to belong to-us Then it is translated to be jealous or to envy And so it is taken here for envying that others are richer then we The oppressour or Be not envious against the oppressour So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob Numb 23.23 Heb. The man of violence That is an ungodly man that grows rich by oppressing others Men may dislike him for his cruelty but they would not envy him unlesse hee were rich Invidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis The envious man grows lean to see other mens estates grow fat Be not troubled that wicked men thrive by wicked waies Look not on such as happy men to be envied nor applaud the courses they take nor follow them to get wealth by those unlawfull waies The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1. For a man by nature whither male or female as opposed to a beast I am God and not Man Hos 11.9 2. For any man None shall deliver out of my hand Heb. Not aman That is not any man Hos 2.10 3. For a male opposed to a female The male and his female Gen. 7.2 4. For an husband She gave also unto her Husband Gen. 3.6 5. For an excellent man for strength or nobility Art not thou a valiant man 1 Sam. 26.15 Heb. Art not thou a man Here it is taken in the first sense for a man opposed to a beast And chuse none of his waies Do not do wickedly as hee doth that thou maist be as rich as he Although some of his evill waies may be fairly covered over with vizards that the evill of them may not be seen or be more gainfull then other yet shew that thou hast more wisdom then to prefer any way above good waies or to chuse one wicked way though thou refuse other for they are all to be refused Regard not worldly wickednesse joyned with greatnesse neither bee wicked as they are that thou maist be great as they are Be not allured by the ungodly mans example however he speed in the world to follow him in the same steps For as wicked mens prosperity makes other men to envy them at the first so it makes them to imitate them at last that they may be rich also For chuse see on Chap. 1.29 For None or Not any see on Chap. 1.13 on the word All. For Waies see on Chap. 1.15 Figures A Metaphor in the word waies Men that oppresse do not now and then do an unjust action but walk on constantly in such courses to their death as travellers do in their way till they come to their journies end Two sins are here forbidden 1. Envying of evill rich men 2. Imitating of them In the first note 1. The Sin forbidden Envy not 2. The Object The oppressour In the second observe 1. The Sin forbidden And chuse not 2. The Object Any of his waies 1. Doct. Many live by oppressing others So vild beasts and great birds and fishes live on the weaker and smaller By reason of the multitude of the oppressions they make the oppressed to cry Job 35.9 I considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun Eccl. 4.1 Reason 1. Because it is an easie way of living when men need not work themselves but make others to work for them as men go easily in