eat of the tree of life in the midst of it, and never
hunger more.
Ver. 13. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed,
&c.] The word of God. Either Christ, the essential
Word; which must be a great evil, considering the
dignity of his person; great ingratitude, considering
the grace of his oilice; very dangerous, considering
what a quick, sharp, and powerful Word he is: and
such may be said to-despise him who despise his
ministers, and the Gospel preached by them; and
which may be meant by the word, that being the
word of God and of truth, the word of righteousness,
peace, life, and salvation; and is to them that perish
foolishness; and to whom it is so, they shall perish,
and be punished with everlasting destruction, for their
contempt of it, and disobedience to it. Or the writteu
word may be meant, the Scriptures, which are given
by inspiration of God, and therefore ought to be had
in the greatest reverence; and yet are greatly slighted
and despised by the man of sin and his followers; who
set up and prefer their unwritten traditions to them,
and so make them of none effect: such are all false
teachers, that despise or abuse them, they bring de-
struction to ,hemselves; for so the words may be ren-
dered, shall bring destruction to himself, or shall receive
detriment from it: so the Targum, fi'om the word
itself; the Syriac version, by it; and the Arabic ver-
sion, by the commandment itself; by the threatenings
in it, and according to them: or, because of it; be-
cause of the contempt of it. But he that feareth the
commandment; receives the word with reverence,
trembles at it; fears God, and keeps his command-
ments, and fears to break them: he shall be rewarded;
with good, as the Targum adds; for in keeping the
commandments of God there is great reward: or, shall
enjoy peace, or be in safery{k}; for great peace have
they which love the law of God, and serve it: or, shall
be sound, and in health{l}; when those that despise it
shall be corrupted {m}"; as the word in the preceding clause
may be rendered.
Ver. 14. The law of the wise is a .fountain of life,
&c.] Or doctrines; the doctrine of those who are
taught by the word, and are wise unto salvation; the
words or doctrines of the wise, which are given forth
by one Shepherd; the instructions of such who are
like Scribes, well instructed themselves unto the king-
dom of heaven: these are as a fountain of living
water; which are the means of quickening dead sin-
ners, and of reviving and refreshing the souls of weary
saints ; and bring life and immortality to light, and
point and lead to eternal life: and so direct sonIs to
depart from the snares of death; the snares of sin,
Satan, and the world, to shun and avoid them; with
which men being entangled, are brought to destruc-
tion and death.
Vet. 15. Good understanding givethfavour, &c.] A
good understanding in things natural and civil gives
favour among men; and so a good understanding in
divine and spiritual things gives a man favour among
religious people, makes him taken notice of by them,
and acceptable to them: and such an understanding
no man has, unless it be given him; anti such appear
to have one that do the commandments of God, PsaL
cxi. 10. The Israelites, tbr having and keeping the
statutes of the Lord, were accounted by others a wise
and an understanding people; and Christ, as man,
when he increased iu wisdom, grew in favour with
God and men. It may be rendered, good doctrine, as
the Vulgate Latin version, or right doctrine, as the
Arabic version, gives grace ø; is the means of convey-
ing grace into the hearts of men, and of increasing it.
What if it should be rendered, grace gives a good
derstanding P ? since it is certain, that an understand-
ing to know God and Christ is a gift of grace, I John
v. 20. But the way of transgressors is hard; ungrate-
ful and unpleasant to themselves and others; it is a
rough and rugged way, in which they stumble and
fall; and cannot walk with pleasure themselves, when
their consciences are awakened, and they are loaded
with guilt, and filled with terror; and must be very
disagreeable to those who have seen the evil of them.
Ver. 16. Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge,
&c.] In order to get more, and with men of know-
ledge for the same purpose; all he does is with know-
ledge and discretion; he does not meddle with things,
nor has he to do with persons, he knows nothing of;
he both acts and speaks with knowledge, cautiously,
wisely, considering well time, place, and persons: and
every wise and good man deals with evangelical know-
ledge, and studies to grow in the knowledge of the
Gospel, and the mysteries of it; in the knowledge of
Christ, and of God in Christ; the issue of which is
life eternal. But a fool layeth open his folly; or
spreads {q} it; and exposes it to the view of every one0
by his foolish talk and indiscreet actions.
Ver. 17. A wicked messenger falleth into mischief,
&c.'] That does not do his errand right, nor deliver
his message faithfully; such an one falls from the
degree of honour in which he was into disgrace; he
loses his master's fayour that sent him; he is degraded
from his post and office: he falls by evil, or into evil{r};
by the evil of sin, into the evil of punishment. So
wicked ministers and false teachers, such who trans-
form themselves into the apostles of Christ and into
angels of light, who corrupt the word of God, and han-
dle it deceitfully; these shall receive their just con-
demnation; sincethey do a deal of' mischief to the souls
of men, and therefore shall fall into mischief themselves,
even into everlasting perdition. But afaithfulambassa-
dor is health; or, an ambassador of truths{s}; one that per-
forms his embassy well and truly, he is salutary, use-
ful, and profitable to himself, and to them that send
him: the word for ambassador is translated an hinge,
oh. xxvi. 14. and he is so called, because upon his nego-.

{k} \^Mlvy\^ in pace versabitur, V. L. fruetur pace, Vatablus; donatur
pace, Junius & Tremellius, pacabitur, Cocceius; salvabitur, Syriac
version.
{l} \~ugiainei\~, Sept.
{m} \^lbxy\^ corrumpetur, Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius.
{n} \^trwt\^ doctrina, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schul-
tens.
{o} \^Nx\^ gratiam, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, mercerus, Drusius,
Michaelis, Schultens.
{p} Successum bonum dat gratia, Junius & Tremellius.
{q} \^vrpy\^ expandit, mercerus, Gejerus, Michaelis.
{r} \^erb\^ in malum, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.
{s} \^Mynwma ryu\^ legatus veritatum, Montanus, Vatablus.