Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_400.lzh/4_422.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-15 | 7KB | 129 lines

ciations abroad the hinge of political affairs turn at
home. An ambassador of Christ, who does his work
faithfully, keeps back nothing that is profitable, but
declares the whole counsel of God; the sound doctrines
he delivers are health to the souls of men; as well as
he is approved of God and Christ; and so it turns to
his own health and advantage, who will hear one
day said unto him, Well done, good and faithful
servant.
Ver. 18. Poverty and shame shall be to him that
refuseth instruction, &c.] Of parents, masters, and
ministers of the word; the instruction of wisdom, the
instruct. ion of the Gospel, in things relating to their
present spiritual peace, and to their eternal welfare:
such generally come to poverty and disgrace in this
life, and to everlasting shame and contempt in another;
see ch. v. 11, l2. But he that regardeth reproof; the
reproof of the word, and of the ministers of it, and of
all good men, and takes it kindly, and acts according.
to it, shall be honourcd; with riches and reputat. ion; if
not with the riches of this world, vet with the riches
of grace and glory; and shall have honour among the
saints, and from the Lord himself; who will honour
those that honour him, as they do who regard the re-
proof and instruction of his word, 1 Sam. ii. 30.
Ver. 19. The desire accomplished is $weet to the soul,
&c.] Whether the desire be after riches and honour,
after wisdom and knowledge; or after the best things,
the knowledge of God, and communion with him; an
interest in Christ, and the blessings of his grace, as
pardon, righteousness,. &c. and a right and title to
eternal glory and happiness, and the enjoyment of that:
and how sweet are these things the soul desires, when
they are possessed ! see ver. 1o.. such are the desires of
the godl!/, as the Septuagint render the word. But it
is abomination to fools to depart from evil; they cannot
bear the thoughts of parting with their lusts; they are
so delightful to them, not knowing any thing of the
sweetness of the things before mentioned; and which
they can never enjoy without departing from sin, to
which they are exceedingly averse.
Vet. 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise,
&c.] Who is a companion of them that fear the
Lord; converses frequently with them in private about
spiritual and experimental things, and walks with them
in public in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord; he by those means grows wiser and wiser,
gains a large stock of spiritual knowledge and expe-
rience; for tiffs holds good both in natural and
spiritual wisdom, a man of any capacity at all will
improve by keeping wise company. But a companion
of fools shall be destroyed; the Vulgate Latin version
renders it, shall become like them; be a fool as they are,
and grow still more and more foolish. The Septuagint
version is, shall be known; known by the company he
keeps to be a fool also: or rather, shall be broken t;
ruined and destroyed, evil communications corrupt good
manners, and so bring to ruin and destruction.
Ver. o.l. Evil pursueth sinners, &c.] They pursue the
evil of sin, and the evil of punishment pursues them,
and at last overtakes them; their damnation, though
it may seem to slumber and linger, it does not; it is
upon the full speed after them, and will qnickly seize
upon them. Some understand this of the evil of sin in
the conscience, which pursues the sinner, and fills him
with terror. But to the righteous good shall be repaid;
or, he shall recompence the righteous with good {u}, or good
to the righteous; that is, God shall do it; for all the
good things they have done, from a right principle, and
to a right end; which good works of theirs will pursue
and follow them; and for all the ill things they have
suffered for righteousness-sake, a reward of grace,
though not of debt, will be given them; as they have
had their evil things here, they shall have their good
things hereafter; as well as are often recompenced in
this life, either in themselves or in their posterity, as
follows.
Ver. 22. A good man leaveth an inheritance to his
children's children, &c.] He not only has a sufficiency
tbr the present support of himself and family; but is
so prospered and succeeded, as to leave an inheritance
after him; and which is continued to and enjoyed, not
only by his immediate offspring, but theirs also; for
being got honestly, it wears well; see ver. 11. And
the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just ; the riches
which wicked men get are laid up in the purposes of
God for good men; and in his providence they are
translated fi'om the one to th'e other: so the riches of
the Egyptians were designed for the Israelites, and by
the providence of God were put into their hands; see
Job xxvii. 16, 17. Prov. xxviii. 8. Eccl. it. 26.
Ver. 23. Much food is in the tillage of the poor, &c.]
The poor are generally employed in tilling land; from
whose labours in ploughingand sowing much food arises
to men, bread to--the eater, and seed to the sower: or
a poor farmer, that has but a small farm, a few acres
of land,to till; yet through his diligence and industry,
with the blessing of God upon it, he gets a comfortable
livelihood for himself and family; much food, or a suf-
of it for the present year, and seed to sow
land again the following year. But there is that is
des,toyed for want of judgment; or discretion in tilling
his land, and managing the affairs of husbandry, which
is God's gift, Isa. xxviii. 26. or, through injustice ", as
some render it; for want of doing that which is right
and just; not paying his labourers their hire and wages,
as he ought, and so it is blasted, and comes to ruin.
This may be spiritually applied. By the poor may be
understood the poor ministers of the Gospel; who,
though poor, make many rich, 2 Cor. vi. 10. much
spiritual food is to be hdd under their labours and
ministrations, they being employed in cultivating the
churches: or else the poor saints and poor churches
themselves may be meant; who are tilled by them,
among whom is plenty of spiritual provisions; as in
the poor Protestant churches, who, though in the
wilderness, are nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, when there is no food in the apostate

{t} \^ewry\^ conteretur, Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Mercerus, Geje-
rus; conquassabitur, Cocceius; frangetur, Michaelis; infringetur,
Schultens, so Ben Melch.
{u} \^bwj Mlvy Myqydu taw\^ & justis reddet bonum, Pagninus,
Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus; justes remunerabit Deus bono,
Michaelis; justis autem bonum rependet, Tigurine version, Piscator,
so Cocceius.
{w} \^jpvm alb\^ ob non jus, Vatablus; i. e. ob injustitiam, Michaelis;
sonc justitia, Gejerus.