A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

26 The thoughtes of the wicked are abhomination to the Lorde: but the pure haue pleasant wordes.

Although that by the corruption of our nature we are al euil, and that wee are as it were yoked to sin, yet the holy scripture doth make distinction betweene the good & the euil: the which is an ar∣gument that God doeth not impute wickednes vnto al men, & that there be some whom he alloweth for good and righteous, and that of his only grace & goodnesse. If then we haue our harts & mindes hardened in euil, making no account to repent, but delighting in fil∣thines & vncleannes, in malice and wickednesses, the scripture cal∣leth vs wicked, as we are so indeed. And whatsoeuer we think, con∣sult of, deliberate, would, desire & take in hand, is in vaine: euen so is that which we either do or say. Solomon doth shew it vs, saying, The thoughts of the wicked are abhomination to the Lord. For sith * 1.1 the Lord is righteous, & loueth righteousnes, and that he abhorreth the thoughtes of the wicked: therefore it foloweth wel there is no goodnes in thē: for, inasmuch as the hart is filled with abhominable thoughts, therfore it can bring foorth none other but wicked words and workes. This same is taught vs by the similitude of the tree. Let the sayings and doings of the wicked, haue neuer so goodly shewe, * 1.2 yet are they not acceptable: as wee haue seene, in the 8 verse. The sacrifice of the wicked is abhomination vnto the Lorde.

And sith also that the thoughtes of the wicked are abhominable vnto the Lorde, it foloweth, that the wicked are abused, when they labour to say or to doe any thing so secretly that GOD shoulde not knowe it: for sith that he pearceth vnto the thoughts,

hee must needes haue knowledge of the desire, the which is not so muche hid: seeing that men which are pour blinde, may know and iudge it. And not onely they are deceiued, but which worst is, they doe iniurie vnto God, esteeming him lesse then they doe a woorke∣man towardes his woorke: for they wil confesse plainely, that hee which hath wrought any thing, knoweth what is in it: but that which the wicked thinke of God, when they wil hide themselues from him, it is as muche as if the worke should say to him that hath made it, Thou hast not made me, or, Thou vnderstandest it not. And therefore, it is not without cause why he complaineth of them. Yet wil they say, The Lorde seeth them not. Woe vnto them that seeke * 1.3 deepe to hide their counsel from the Lord: for their workes are in darknesse, and they say, Who seeth vs? And who knoweth vs? Let vs take heede from doing such iniurie vnto our God, but rather let vs giue him thanks, saying, O Lord, thou hast tried me and knowne me. &c. Thou knowest my sitting and my rising: thou vnderstandest * 1.4 my thought a farre of. If we do truely confesse this same, we wil ab∣horre and detest our euil thoughtes, and consequently, we wil great∣ly feare to speake euil and to do euil, knowing that wee are alwayes before our God, who loueth no wickednes. Now for to execute the same wel, wee must change our nature. Solomon doth giue it vs to * 1.5 vnderstande, when he saieth, But the pure haue pleasant wordes. If wee be cleane from our filthinesse and wickednesse, by the grace and working of the holie Ghost, our thoughtes shal not be abhominable to the Lorde: for our wordes shalbe pleasant and acceptable vnto him. The which could not be, except they proceeded from pure and cleane thoughtes: for the inwarde parte must first of al be pure and * 1.6 cleane, and then that which is without, shalbe pure and cleane. And as in this sort wee shalbe acceptable vnto the Maister and Lorde of life and saluation, euen so shal we be assured not to perishe, but to inioye the presence of our God. Finally, let vs note, That whosoe∣uer * 1.7 hath not pleasaunt wordes before God, hath filthie thoughts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psa. 11. 7.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 12. 33.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 94. 7. Esai. 29. 15. 16.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 139. 1. 2
• * 1.5

  Psal. 5. 5.
• * 1.6

  Mat. 23. 25.
• * 1.7

  Mat. 5. 8.