A commentarie vpon the booke of the Prouerbes of Salomon. Published for the edification of the Church of God.

THE II. CHAPTER.

1 My sonne, if thou wilt receaue my say∣ings, and hide my commandements with in thee,

2 To the end that thou mayst cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisedome, incline thine heart to vnderstanding.

THe wise king in this entrāce of the second chap∣ter sheweth his sonne, by what meanes he may attaine to be a fit hearer and receiuer of Wisedomes speeches. The meaning of these two sentences is this, my sonne, if thou wilt follow my counsell, or hast purposed to esteeme and to lay vp my precepts as iewels; to the end that thou mayest not in vaine heare the voice of wisdome or the word of God with the eares of thine head or bodie, withdrawing thy mind from the loue of earthly things, bend it wholly vnto heauenly,* 1.1 and set it to the practise of the will of God.

3 For if thou callest after prudence, and liftest vp thy voyce to vnderstanding,

4 If thou shalt seeke her as siluer, & search for her as for hidden treasures,

5 Then thou shalt vnderstand the feare of God, and obtaine the knowledge of God.

* 1.2 Herein the godly father proueth vnto his sonne, that he shall attaine wisedome, if he set his heart on vnderstanding. For (saith he) if thou callest after pru∣dence, if thou by prayer earnestly beggest the grace of God, and liftest vp thy voyce to vnderstanding, if thou criest for the light of Gods holy spirit, if thou seeke her as siluer &c. if thou take as great paines in seeking the kingdome of God as worldlings do in labouring after riches, then thou shalt vnderstand the feare of God, then

thou shalt attain to that reuerēce of the Lord which is the beginning of wisedome, and obtaine the knowledge of God: and, to conclude, thou shalt come vnto that insight which the faithfull haue, of the mysterie of the Trinitie, of the new couenant, of the fauour of God, and of the acceptable will of the Lord.

6 For the Lord giueth wisedome, out of his mouth [commeth] knowledge and vnderstan∣ding.

7 He hath layd vp true substance for the righteous, [and] a shield for them who walke vprightly.

8 [A shield I say] to protect the pathes of iudgement, and he will preserue the way of his * 1.3 holy ones.

Vnto the promise made in the verse immediatly going before, a reason is added in these, taken from the nature of God who is the giuer of euery good gift.* 1.4 For the Lord giueth wisedome, the gifts of God are therefore by prayer to be begged, because men in deed may vse the meanes of attaining vnto the sight and feeling of diuine mysteries, but it is the Lord a∣lone, who by lightening of the eyes of the mind, be∣getteth this heauenly wisedome. Out of his mouth com∣meth knowledge and vnderstanding.* 1.5 By his word and by the inspiration of his spirit truth is reuealed, and prudence is wrought. He hath layd vp true substance for the righteous, he hath treasured vp many good things for the iust, but among the rest a good & enduring substance or inheritance in heauen. A shield for them who walke vp∣rightly, (a shield I say) to protect the pathes of iudgement. Moreouer the Lord hath treasured vp for the vpright a buckler of defence against euils, to this intent, that he may maintaine whatsoeuer is iust or right, and he

will preserue the way of his holy ones. To conclude,* 1.6 he will watch ouer the goings out and commings in of the faithfull in such sort, as that they shall not dash their foote against a stone.

9 Then shalt thou vnderstand iustice, and equitie, and euery good path.

* 1.7Herein now is declared, that he who calleth after prudence & seeketh for vnderstanding, shal not on∣ly be endued with holinesse, but with righteousnesse, and so be enabled to performe the duties of both the tables of the morall law.

10 When wisedome shall enter into thine heart, and knowledge be pleasant to thy soule,

11 [Then] counsell shall watch ouer thee [and] vnderstanding shall keepe thee, &c.

In these sentences is taught, that wisedome and knowledge once attained, will not onely make men partakers of most excellent good things, but protect them from great euils. When wisedome, &c. When the knowledge of God shall be as sweet vnto thee as the hony or hony combe, then counsell shall watch ouer thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee. Then the aduise not of flesh or blood but of Gods spirit, will as a watchmā looke with opē eyes that no hurt approch vnto thee. Then againe discretion will as a soldier armed with shield and speare, keepe thee safe and sound from e∣uils corporall and spirituall.

12 To deliuer thee from * 1.8 the euill way, frō the men that speake froward things:

13 Who leaue the paths of righteousnesse, to walke in the wayes of darknesse.

14 Who delite in doing euil, and exceedingly reioyce in most vile peruersenesse.

15 Who are crooked in their wayes, and ob∣stinate

stinate in their pathes.

Now, one particular mischiefe from which wise∣dome preserueth those who possesse her, is discoue∣red in these verses, to wit, the seducing of vngodly men.* 1.9 These seducers are sayd to speake froward things, because either they teach false doctrines, or else en∣tise to the committing of villanies. They are noted to be such who leaue the paths of righteousnesse, to walke in the wayes of darkenesse,* 1.10 because they not onely refuse to do that which is good, but commit all wickednesse with greedinesse, giuing themselues ouer vnto surfetting, drunkennesse, chambering, wantonnesse, and such like vices, which are often in the Scripture called the works of darknesse. Furthermore they are described by this propertie, that they delite in doing euill, and re∣ioyce exceedingly in most vile peruersenesse, because they take great pleasure in idolatrie, adulterie, cousening, and such like abhominations, which nature, the con∣science, or reason it selfe abhorteth. Last of all it is affirmed of these seducers, that they are crooked in their wayes, and obstinate in their paths, because they are not only great sinners, but vnrepentant sinners. For euē as stubburne horses will stray out of the right way, & not be ruled or brought into the right path againe, so these wicked wretches will by no meanes be reclai∣med, but rush on into all mischiefe, and proceed for∣ward in all leudnesse.* 1.11 Nowe then to be preserued or deliuered from naughtie men, or from such daunge∣rous rockes, is a singular mercie of God, and a preci∣ous frute of grace, or of heauenly wisedome, which the vngodly wanting, fall into the hands of seducers, that as they haue not had a loue of the truth, so they may beleeue lyes,* 1.12 and that as they haue polluted thē selues with sinnes, so they may be led away captiue by sinners. By such seducers or tempters, the verie e∣lect are somtimes led aside for the time, but the Lord

deliuereth them in the end out of temptation,* 1.13 Apostle Peter plainly teacheth.

16 To deliuer thee from the strange womā, from the stranger who flattereth with her lips:

17 Who for saketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.

18 For her house tendeth to death, and her pathes toward those who are voyd of life,

19 VVhosoeuer goe vnto her, returne not backe, neither come vnto the wayes of life.

The naughtie woman (a second most perillous e∣uill) is herein on the other side, most liuely painted out in her colours. She is called a strange woman in regard of her condition and disposition, in as much as she seeketh to be familiar with many, though in right she appertaineth to some one husband. One of her properties is, to flatter with her lips, or to make her speeches very smooth. For she entiseth young men to adulterie by wanton words and plausible perswasions, telling them what affection she beareth toward thē, what delite they shall haue, that her husband is a∣brode and so foorth. Another of her qualities is, to forsake the guide of her youth, and to forget the couenant of her God. This misdemenour of hers, argueth her im∣pietie and impudencie. For what greater shameles∣nesse can there be in a woman, then to cast away the vale of her eyes, yea to reiect that her husband, whō first she chose and was linked vnto, euen in her ten∣der yeares? Again, what greater vngodlines is there, thē to breake that solemne promise which was made at the times of affiance and mariage, both before God and his Angels and his people? It is a great fault to breake promise in a small matter, how much more in the greatest contract or bargaine that may be? It is a speciall fauor of God to be kept from this

adulteresse or harlor. For as is afterward testified in this booke, the mouth of a strange woman is a deepe pit, he with whō the Lord is angrie shall fal therinto. Yea as is affirmed in the eighteenth and nineteenth verses, her very house is infectious and deadly. For her house tendeth to death, and her pathes toward those who are voyd of life. The place where she keepeth is perillous, yea the very way that leadeth therto is daungerous, for which cause thou art not to come neare her habi∣tation in any case. Whosoeuer go vnto her return not backe, neither come vnto the wayes of life. Whosoeuer meddle with her are caught in her snares, which she layeth not in vaine. Herof this our Salomon had experience, which maketh him (as it may seeme) both so often in this booke to warne men to take heede of the harlot, and in Ecclesiastes to say,* 1.14 that he hath found that woman to be more bitter then death, whose heart is as nets and snares, & whose hands as bands: he (saith he) that is good before God, shall be deliuered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her. Now fur∣thermore, howe true it is, that they who haue the feare of the Lord before their eyes, are safely garded by aduisement, and preserued by vnderstanding frō the straunge woman, may appeare in the example of Ioseph, who by this meanes was kept from yeelding to his mistresse.

20 To the ende that thou mayest walke in the way of good men, and keepe the pathes of the iust.

The ende why wisedome deliuereth the faithfull out of dangers is here shewed to be, that they may serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the days of their life, following the example of the godly, by whom they may be directed and made the better.

21 For they that are vpright shall dwell on

the earth, & the righteous shall remaine therin,

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be pluckt out of it.

* 1.15 In this conclusion of the chapter, the wise father pricketh forward his sonne by most forcible reasons, to walke in the way of good men, spoken of in the verse immediatly going before. There is (saith he) great cause why thou shouldest shunne the wayes of the wicked, and keepe the paths of the iust. For first, the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, they that are of corrupt conuersation, shal by some particular iudge∣ment in this life, or by Gods vengeance hereafter, be taken away, euen as the grasse is mowen downe; and the transgressors shall be pluckt out of it, such as breake Gods lawes shall together with their vngodly poste∣ritie, be quite rooted out, as frutelesse plantes or naughtie trees. On the contrary side, the vpright shall dwell on the earth and the righteous shall remaine therein, the elect and iust shall remaine for euer heires in Christ of heauen and earth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See Prou. 23.26.
• * 1.2

  See like sayings to these. Iames: 1 5. Mat. 6.33. A like parable. Mat. 13.45. Exāples. in Da∣uid Psal. 90.12. In Salomon. 1. Kings. 3.6. & in Paule Phil. 3.10. See for the feare of God the expos. of the 1. chap. of this booke the. 7. ver. for the know¦ledge of Obd. Iohn. 17.3.
• * 1.3

  Or of those whō he hath receaued into fauour.
• * 1.4

  See for the Lords giuing of wise∣dome and reuea∣ling of know∣ledge. Iam 1.17. Ephes. 1.17.18.
• * 1.5

  See for the sub∣stance which the Lord hath layd vp. Heb. 10.34. Luc. 16.11.1. Pet. 1.4. Psal. 31.20. See for the shield or protection of the Lord. Psal. 84.12. Psal. 31.20.21.
• * 1.6

  See for the Lords watching ouer his. Psal. 121.4. &c. Item. Psal. 91.11.
• * 1.7

  See for iustice iudgement and equitie the expo∣sition of the 3. v. of the 1. chap. of this booke.
• * 1.8

  Or the way the euill man.
• * 1.9

  See for those who speake froward things. Act. 20.30.
• * 1.10

  See for the works of darkenesse. Rom. 13.14.
• * 1.11

  See how dange∣ro usrockes wic∣ked seducers are in the Epistle of Iude.
• * 1.12

  2. Thess. 2.10. 2. Tim. 3.6.
• * 1.13

  2. Pet. 2.9.
• * 1.14

  Eccles. 8.28.
• * 1.15

  See the roote of these sentences in the 11. Deut. 8. and Psal 37.2