<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p1">1 A false balance <i>is</i> abomination to the
<spanclass="smallcaps"id="Prov.xii-p1.1">Lord</span>: but a just weight <i>is</i>
his delight.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p2">As religion towards God is a branch of
universal righteousness (he is not an honest man that is not
devout), so righteousness towards men is a branch of true religion,
for he is not a godly man that is not honest, nor can he expect
that his devotion should be accepted; for, 1. Nothing is more
offensive to God than deceit in commerce. <i>A false balance</i> is
here put for all manner of unjust and fraudulent practices in
dealing with any person, which are all an <i>abomination to the
Lord,</i> and render those abominable to him that allow themselves
in the use of such accursed arts of thriving. It is an affront to
justice, which God is the patron of, as well as a wrong to our
neighbour, whom God is the protector of. Men make light of such
frauds, and think there is no sin in that which there is money to
be got by, and, while it passes undiscovered, they cannot blame
themselves for it; a blot is no blot till it is hit, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p2.1"osisRef="Bible:Hos.12.7-Hos.12.8"parsed="|Hos|12|7|12|8"passage="Ho 12:7,8">Hos. xii. 7, 8</scripRef>. But they are not the
less an abomination to God, who will be the avenger of those that
are defrauded by their brethren. 2. Nothing is more pleasing to God
than fair and honest dealing, nor more necessary to make us and our
devotions acceptable to him: <i>A just weight is his delight.</i>
He himself goes by a just weight, and holds the scale of judgment
with an even hand, and therefore is pleased with those that are
herein followers of him. A balance cheats, under pretence of doing
right most exactly, and therefore is the greater abomination to
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p7">4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but
righteousness delivereth from death.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p8">Note, 1. The <i>day of death</i> will be a
<i>day of wrath.</i> It is a messenger of God's wrath; therefore
when Moses had meditated on man's mortality he takes occasion
thence to admire <i>the power of God's anger,</i><scripRefid="Prov.xii-p8.1"osisRef="Bible:Ps.110.11"parsed="|Ps|110|11|0|0"passage="Ps 110:11">Ps. cx. 11</scripRef>. It is a debt owing, not
to nature, but to God's justice. <i>After death the judgment,</i>
and that is a <i>day of wrath,</i><scripRefid="Prov.xii-p8.2"osisRef="Bible:Rev.6.17"parsed="|Rev|6|17|0|0"passage="Re 6:17">Rev.
vi. 17</scripRef>. 2. Riches will stand men in no stead that day.
They will neither put by the stroke nor ease the pain, much less
take out the sting; what profit will this world's birth-rights be
of then? In the day of public judgments riches often expose men
rather than protect them, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p8.3"osisRef="Bible:Ezek.7.19"parsed="|Ezek|7|19|0|0"passage="Eze 7:19">Ezek. vii.
19</scripRef>. 3. It is righteousness only that will <i>deliver
from</i> the evil of <i>death.</i> A good conscience will make
death easy, and take off the terror of it; it is the privilege of
the righteous only not to be hurt of the second death, and so not
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p9">5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct
his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. 6
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but
transgressors shall be taken in <i>their own</i> naughtiness.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p10">These two verses are, in effect, the same,
and both to the same purport with <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p10.1"osisRef="Bible:Prov.11.3"parsed="|Prov|11|3|0|0"passage="Pr 11:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. For the truths are here of such
certainty and weight that they cannot be too often inculcated. Let
us govern ourselves by these principles.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p11">I. That the ways of religion are plain and
safe, and in them we may enjoy a holy security. A living principle
of honesty and grace will be, 1. Our best direction in the right
way, in every doubtful case to say to us, <i>This is the way, walk
in it.</i> He that acts without a guide looks right on and sees his
way before him. 2. Our best deliverance from every false way:
<i>The righteousness of the upright</i> shall be armour of proof to
them, to deliver them from the allurements of the devil and the
world, and from their menaces.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p12">The ways of wickedness are dangerous and
destructive: <i>The wicked shall fail</i> into misery and ruin
<i>by their own wickedness,</i> and be <i>taken in their own
naughtiness</i> as in a snare. <i>O Israel! thou hast destroyed
thyself.</i> Their sin will be their punishment; that very thing by
which they contrived to shelter themselves will make against
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p19">10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the
city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, <i>there is</i>
shouting. 11 By the blessing of the upright the city is
exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p20">It is here observed,</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p21">I. That good men are generally well-beloved
by their neighbours, but nobody cares for wicked people. 1. It is
true there are some few that are enemies to the righteous, that are
prejudiced against God and godliness, and are therefore vexed to
see good men in power and prosperity; but all indifferent persons,
even those that have no great stock of religion themselves, have a
good word for a good man; and therefore <i>when it goes well with
the righteous,</i> when they are advanced and put into a capacity
of doing good according to their desire, it is so much the better
for all about them, and <i>the city rejoices.</i> For the honour
and encouragement of virtue, and as it is the accomplishment of the
promise of God, we should be glad to see virtuous men prosper in
the world, and brought into reputation. 2. Wicked people may
perhaps have here and there a well-wisher among those who are
altogether such as themselves, but among the generality of their
neighbours they get ill-will; they may be feared, but they are not
loved, and therefore <i>when they perish there is shouting;</i>
every body takes a pleasure in seeing them disgraced and disarmed,
removed out of places of trust and power, chased out of the world,
and wishes no greater loss may come to the town, the rather because
they hope <i>the righteous may come in their stead,</i> as they
into trouble instead of the righteous, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p21.1"osisRef="Bible:Prov.11.8"parsed="|Prov|11|8|0|0"passage="Pr 11:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>. Let a sense of honour therefore
keep us in the paths of virtue, that we may live desired and die
lamented, and not be hissed off the stage, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p21.2"osisRef="Bible:Job.27.23 Bible:Ps.52.6"parsed="|Job|27|23|0|0;|Ps|52|6|0|0"passage="Job 27:23,Ps 52:6">Job xxvii. 23; Ps. lii. 6</scripRef>.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p22">II. That there is good reason for this,
because those that are good do good, but (<i>as saith the proverb
of the ancients) wickedness proceeds from the wicked.</i> 1.
<i>Good men are public blessings</i>—<i>Vir bonus est commune
bonum. By the blessing of the upright,</i> the blessings with which
they are blessed, which enlarge their sphere of usefulness,—by the
blessings with which they bless their neighbours, their advice,
their example, their prayers, and all the instances of their
serviceableness to the public interest,—by the blessings with
which God blesses others for their sake,—by these <i>the city is
exalted</i> and made more comfortable to the inhabitants, and more
considerable among its neighbours. 2. Wicked men are public
nuisances, not only the burdens, but the plagues of their
generation. The city is <i>overthrown by the mouth of the
wicked,</i> whose evil communications corrupt good manners, are
enough to debauch a town, to ruin virtue in it, and bring down the
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p38">20 They that are of a froward heart <i>are</i>
abomination to the <spanclass="smallcaps"id="Prov.xii-p38.1">Lord</span>: but <i>such
as are</i> upright in <i>their</i> way <i>are</i> his delight.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p39">It concerns us to know what God hates and
what he loves, that we may govern ourselves accordingly, may avoid
his displeasure and recommend ourselves to his favour. Now here we
are told, 1. That nothing is more offensive to God than hypocrisy
and double-dealing, for these are signified by the word which we
translate <i>frowardness,</i> pretending justice, but intending
wrong, walking in crooked ways, to avoid discovery. Those <i>are of
a froward heart</i> who act in contradiction to that which is good,
under a profession of that which is good, and such are, more than
any sinners, an <i>abomination to the Lord,</i><scripRefid="Prov.xii-p39.1"osisRef="Bible:Isa.65.5"parsed="|Isa|65|5|0|0"passage="Isa 65:5">Isa. lxv. 5</scripRef>. 2. That nothing is more pleasing
to God than sincerity and plain-dealing: <i>Such as are upright in
their way,</i> such as aim and act with integrity, such as have
their conversation in the world <i>in simplicity and godly
sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom,</i> these God delights in,
these he even boasts of (<i>Hast thou considered my servant
Job?</i>) and will have us to admire. <i>Behold an Israelite
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p44">23 The desire of the righteous <i>is</i> only
good: <i>but</i> the expectation of the wicked <i>is</i> wrath.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p45">This tells us what <i>the desire</i> and
<i>expectation of the righteous</i> and <i>of the wicked</i> are
and how they will prove, what they would have and what they shall
have. 1. <i>The righteous</i> would have <i>good, only good;</i>
all they desire is that it may go well with all about them; they
wish no hurt to any, but happiness to all; as to themselves, their
desire is not to gratify any evil lust, but to obtain the favour of
a good God and to preserve the peace of a good conscience; and good
they shall have, that good which they desire, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p45.1"osisRef="Bible:Ps.37.4"parsed="|Ps|37|4|0|0"passage="Ps 37:4">Ps. xxxvii. 4</scripRef>. 2. <i>The wicked</i> would have
<i>wrath;</i> they desire the woeful day, that God's judgments may
gratify their passion and revenge, may remove those that stand in
their way, and that they may make an advantage to themselves by
fishing in troubled waters; and wrath they shall have, so shall
their doom be. They expect and desire mischief to others, but it
shall return upon themselves; as they loved cursing, they shall
<h4id="Prov.xii-p45.3">The Praise of Liberality.</h4>
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p46">24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth;
and <i>there is</i> that withholdeth more than is meet, but <i>it
tendeth</i> to poverty.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p47">Note, 1. It is possible a man may grow rich
by prudently spending what he has, may scatter in works of piety,
charity, and generosity, and yet may increase; nay, by that means
may increase, as the corn is increased by being sown. By cheerfully
using what we have our spirits are exhilarated, and so fitted for
the business we have to do, by minding which closely what we have
is increased; it gains a reputation which contributes to the
increase. But it is especially to be ascribed to God; he blesses
the giving hand, and so makes it a getting hand, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p47.1"osisRef="Bible:2Cor.9.20"parsed="|2Cor|9|20|0|0"passage="2Co 9:20">2 Cor. ix. 20</scripRef>. <i>Give, and it shall be given
you.</i> 2. It is possible a man may grow poor by meanly sparing
what he has, <i>withholding more than is meet,</i> not paying just
debts, not relieving the poor, not providing what is convenient for
the family, not allowing necessary expenses for the preservation of
the goods; this <i>tends to poverty;</i> it cramps men's ingenuity
and industry, weakens their interest, destroys their credit, and
forfeits the blessing of God: and, let men be ever so saving of
what they have, if God blast it and blow upon it, it comes to
nothing. <i>A fire not blown</i> shall <i>consume it,</i><scripRefid="Prov.xii-p47.2"osisRef="Bible:Hag.1.6 Bible:Hag.1.9"parsed="|Hag|1|6|0|0;|Hag|1|9|0|0"passage="Hag 1:6,9">Hag. i. 6, 9</scripRef>.</p>
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p48">25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he
that watereth shall be watered also himself.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p49">So backward we are to works of charity, and
so ready to think that giving undoes us, that we need to have it
very much pressed upon us how much it is for our own advantage to
do good to others, as before, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p49.1"osisRef="Bible:Prov.11.17"parsed="|Prov|11|17|0|0"passage="Pr 11:17"><i>v.</i> 17</scripRef>. 1. We shall have the comfort of
it in our own bosoms: <i>The liberal soul,</i> the soul of
blessing, that prays for the afflicted and provides for them, that
scatters blessings with gracious lips and generous hands, that soul
<i>shall be made fat</i> with true pleasure and enriched with more
grace. 2. We shall have the recompence of it both from God and man:
<i>He that waters</i> others with the streams of his bounty
<i>shall be also watered himself;</i> God will certainly return it
in the dews, in the plentiful showers, of his blessing, which he
will <i>pour out, till there be not room enough to receive it,</i>
<scripRefid="Prov.xii-p49.2"osisRef="Bible:Mal.3.10"parsed="|Mal|3|10|0|0"passage="Mal 3:10">Mal. iii. 10</scripRef>. Men that have
any sense of gratitude will return it if there be occasion; the
<i>merciful shall find mercy</i> and the kind be kindly dealt with.
3. We shall be enabled still to do yet more good: <i>He that
waters, even he shall be as rain</i> (so some read it); he shall be
recruited as the clouds are which return after the rain, and shall
be further useful and acceptable, as the rain to the new-mown
grass. <i>He that teaches shall learn</i> (so the Chaldee reads
it); he that uses his knowledge in teaching others shall himself be
taught of God; to him that has, and uses what he has, more shall be
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p54">28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall:
but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p55">Observe, 1. Our riches will fail us when we
are in the greatest need: <i>He that trusts in them,</i> as if they
would secure him the favour of God and be his protection and
portion, <i>shall fall,</i> as a man who lays his weight on a
broken reed, which will not only disappoint him, but run into his
hand and pierce him. 2. Our righteousness will stand us in stead
when our riches fail us: <i>The righteous shall</i> then
<i>flourish as a branch,</i> the branch of righteousness, like a
tree whose leaf shall not wither, <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p55.1"osisRef="Bible:Ps.1.3"parsed="|Ps|1|3|0|0"passage="Ps 1:3">Ps. i.
3</scripRef>. Even in death, when riches fail men, the <i>bones</i>
of the righteous <i>shall flourish as a herb,</i><scripRefid="Prov.xii-p55.2"osisRef="Bible:Isa.66.14"parsed="|Isa|66|14|0|0"passage="Isa 66:14">Isa. lxvi. 14</scripRef>. When those that take
root in the world wither those that are grafted into Christ and
partake of his root and fatness shall be fruitful and
<pclass="passage"id="Prov.xii-p60">31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in
the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.</p>
<pclass="indent"id="Prov.xii-p61">This, I think, is the only one of Solomon's
proverbs that has that note of attention prefixed to it,
<i>Behold!</i> which intimates that it contains not only an evident
truth, which may be beheld, but an eminent truth, which must be
considered. 1. Some understand both parts of a recompence in
displeasure: <i>The righteous,</i> if they do amiss, shall be
punished for their offences in this world; much more shall wicked
people be punished for theirs, which are committed, not through
infirmity, but with a high hand. If judgment begin at the house of
God, what will become of the ungodly? <scripRefid="Prov.xii-p61.1"osisRef="Bible:1Pet.4.17-1Pet.4.18 Bible:Luke.23.31"parsed="|1Pet|4|17|4|18;|Luke|23|31|0|0"passage="1Pe 4:17,18,Lu 23:31">1 Pet. iv. 17, 18; Luke xxiii.
31</scripRef>. 2. I rather understand it of a recompence of reward
to the righteous and punishment to sinners. Let us behold
providential retributions. There are some recompences <i>in the
earth,</i> in this world, and in the things of this world, which
prove that <i>verily there is a God that judges in the earth</i>
(<scripRefid="Prov.xii-p61.2"osisRef="Bible:Ps.58.11"parsed="|Ps|58|11|0|0"passage="Ps 58:11">Ps. lviii. 11</scripRef>); but they
are not universal; many sins go unpunished in the earth, and
services unrewarded, which indicates that there is a judgment to
come, and that there will be more exact and full retributions in
the future state. Many times <i>the righteous</i> are
<i>recompensed</i> for their righteousness here <i>in the
earth,</i> though that is not the principal, much less the only
reward either intended for them or intended by them; but whatever
the word of God has promised them, or the wisdom of God sees good
for them, they shall have <i>in the earth. The wicked</i> also,
<i>and the sinner,</i> are sometimes remarkably punished in this
life, nations, families, particular persons. And if the righteous,
who do not deserve the least reward, yet have part of their
recompence here on earth, much more shall the wicked, who deserve
the greatest punishment, have part of their punishment on earth, as
an earnest of worse to come. Therefore <i>stand in awe and sin
not.</i> If those have two heavens that merit none, much more shall
