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13 The euil man is snared by the wickednesse of his lippes: but the iust shal come out of aduersitie.
They that are malicious and wicked, may bee encombred in many and diuers sortes by the fault of their lippes. For first of all GOD doeth blinde them and giue them ouer vnto a reprobate mynde, in such wise that they rather beleeue the lyes
of false Prophetes and Doctours, then the trueth: they giue more credite vnto false witnesses, then to the simple and plaine affirma∣tion of the innocent and trustie: and wil rather choose of set ma∣lice false witnesses, then they wil bee put by from oppressing and spoyling the innocent. Such people doe wel deserue to bee sna∣red, to or be destroied: for they goe precisely against the cōmande∣ment and ordinances of GOD. And as they deserue to bee sna∣red, so shal they bee. Vnto them that are contentious and diso∣bey the trueth, and obey vnrighteousnesse, shalbee indignation and wrath▪ God shal sende them strong delusion, that they shoulde beleeue lyes, That al they might bee damned which beleeued not the trueth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse. The chil∣dren of Israel were snared by the sinne of their lippes, when they woulde not obey the holy Prophetes, but suffered them∣selues to be deceiued by the false Prophetes. The Turkes and Pa∣pistes lye in the same misery and destruction. Secondarily, as they rayle and abuse their neighbours by iniurious woordes and that their mouthes are filled with craft and treason to woorke the de∣struction of their neighbours: euen so againe shal destruction fal vpon them: Thou shalt destroy al them that speake leasing, &c. A∣gaine, For no constancie is in their mouthes: within, they are very corruption; their throte is an open sepulchre, and they flatter with their tongue. The worlde is stuffed with such euil tongues, and therefore Dauid complaineth, Helpe Lorde for there is not a godly man left: for the faythful are fayled from among the children of men. They speake deceitfully euery one with his neighbour, flat∣tering with their lippes, and speake with a double hart, Thirdly, when the wicked are apprehended by iustice, oftentimes GOD suffereth that they hurte and wounde themselues by their owne answeres, when they are examined: & are so founde guiltie: wher∣vpon foloweth the gallowes, wheretoo they condemne themselues by their owne mouth: and so are snared through faulte of their owne lippes: or otherwise beeing examined, if they persist in their lying, not confessing their fautes, they fal more deepely into the Deuils snares: and so are intangled by the faulte of their lippes. To bee short, if the wicked followe their corrupt nature with obsti∣nacie
without returning to repentance, there can bee nothing but sinne in their lippes. For it is saide, Generation of vipers, howe can you speake good thinges, when ye are euil? For from the aboundance of the hearte the mouth speaketh. And there∣fore they must needes bee snared in their woordes. For in the same former place it is saide againe: But I say vnto you that of e∣uery ydle woorde that men shal speake, they shal giue account ther∣of at the day of iudgement. And as they haue wicked lippes, so do they ioyne themselues to their like, as to false Doctors, vnto ly∣ers and seducers, and which haue nothing but vanitie and wic∣kednesse in their mouthes. After this sorte they become in∣tangled and are snared. But to the ende that wee may forsake their companie, let vs folowe the counsel of Saint Paule. And forasmuch as it is a singular benefite of GOD to bee preserued from the deceit and counterfaite speache, fained and false, and not to consent vnto heresies and wicked doctrines, and also not to bee stained with any of them, wee haue neede to pray vnto GOD after this sort, Deliuer my soule, O Lorde, from lying lippes, and from a deceitful tongue. Againe, Deliuer mee, O Lorde, from the euil man: preserue mee from the cruel man, which ymagine euil thinges in their heart, and make warre continually. They haue sharpened tongues like a serpent, adders poyson is vnder their lippes. But albeeit that the wicked may bee snared in al these foresaide manners, yet the meaning most meete for this place, is that the wicked cannot beware nor take heede from bee∣ing ouerthrowne and destroied by faire and flattering speaches, by lyes and false witnesses, by slaunderinges and false reportes, by false doctrines and traditions of men. For as hee ymagi∣neth nothing but euil and destruction, and applyeth his mouth, yea all his members, to hurte and anoy his neighbours, he right∣ly deserueth to haue the like happen vnto him. This same may bee vnderstoode when against the euil man, hee setteth the iust: and against to bee snared, hee setteth to come out of aduersitie, saying,
But the iust shall come out of aduersitie. He calleth him righ∣teous heere, which doeth not ymagine nor say any thing that may
hurte or anoy his neighbours. Hee doeth not promise him that hee shalbee without aduersitie (for experience teacheth the contra∣rie: Greate are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lorde deli∣uereth them out of all) but according to the promise heere set downe, he saith that he shall come out of aduersitie. Whatsoeuer then the wicked doe ymagine, thinke, say or doe against the iust, they cannot destroy them. The wicked watcheth the righteous, & seeketh to slay him: but the Lord wil not leaue him in his hand, &c. In this promise wee are exhorted vnto patience: for trouble or aduersitie lyeth vpon vs, sith it is saide that the iust shal come out thereof. Hee saieth not that hee doeth presently come out, but in time to come, hee shal come foorth. Hee telleth not when, and so it seemeth vnto our reason, that GOD lingereth and tarieth long ere hee helpe vs: but it is no slacknesse. And to the ende that we should not fayle nor stumble, we must take heed vnto the holy Prophetes, and chiefly vnto our Lorde Iesus. Hee is not onely our example, but also our strength and vertue. It is he which is our pa∣tience: for wee cannot stande fast and continue, except that hee for∣tifie and vpholde vs.
Exod. 23. 1. 2
Rom. 2. 8. 2. Thes. 2. 11 12.
Psal. 5. 6. 9.
Psal. 12. 1. 2
Mat. 12. 34. & 36.
Rom. 16. 17. Col. 2. 6. Ephe. 4. 17. & 5. 6.
Psal. 120. 2. Psal. 140. 1. 2. 3.
Psal. 34. 20.
Psal. 37. 22.
Heb. 10. 37. 2. Pet. 3. 9. Iam. 5. 10. Heb. 12. 2.