Proverbs 14

Rejoicing in hope. A Christian's hope is not in this life, but he has hope in his death (Proverbs 14:32). The best of a saint's comfort begins when his life ends.

But spiritual joy lies most within: your heart shall rejoice. Divine joy is like a spring of water which runs under ground; a Christian does [illegible Greek text], others can see his sufferings, but they see not his joy (Proverbs 14:10). A stranger does not intermeddle with his…

Get the serpent's eye, have a quick insight into the mysteries of the Christian religion. Knowledge is the beauty and ornament of a Christian (Proverbs 14:18): the prudent are crowned with knowledge. Get the serpent's eye; be divinely illuminated.

Cyprian calls it Vulnus occultum, a secret wound; it hurts a man's self most — envy corrodes the heart, dries up the blood, rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30) Envy is the rottenness of the bones. It is to the body as the moth to the cloth, it eats it, and makes its beauty consume.

Fifth, the pleasures that arise from the meeting and joining of this fuel with their lusts are only like sparks. Job calls sparks 'the sons of fire,' being engendered by it upon fuel. Pleasures are the sons of your lusts when the object and they couple together. And they are not…

While he is fighting with temptation, hope is a helmet; while he is upon the waters of affliction, hope is an anchor; the anchor of a ship is cast downwards, the anchor of the soul is cast upwards in heaven. A saint's hope is a purifying hope (1 John 3:3), a deathbed hope (Prove…

I said of laughter (says Solomon, Ecclesiastes 2:2) it is mad, and of mirth what does it? And (Proverbs 14:13) even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness: though often times our laughter may not be so sinful, yet it readily more indisposes us…

Third, in urging this doctrine more hardly upon the people, to cause them not to rest on the letter of the law, but seek to the promised Messiah, in whom only was their righteousness — as young heirs and minors are kept under tutors while their minority expires. But, first, who…

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, Hebrew, words of will, or of good will; Christ was greater than Solomon, and is a higher Preacher than he, and seeks out words to the heart, that burn the heart (Luke 24:32). Surely, there is more of heaven, more life, and fire,…

Certainly men are at liberty to choose their company, as their interests and course of employments leads them. This may be a society for trade or civil respect, it cannot be a true and proper friendship, for riches which are so frail and slippery can never make a firm tie and bo…

Oh when God finds a soul alone by itself, having set itself purposely to meet him, then he reveals his love, unveils his face, unlocks his blessed chest, distributes gifts of love and grace, kisses it with the kisses of his mouth, and sends it not away empty, but full of grace a…

And men must be warned not to abuse Peter's example in bolstering themselves in their naughty ways: by saying, we are all sinners, that the best man alive is a sinner, that the just man falls seven times a day. For the place in the Proverbs 14:16 is spoken of affliction and not…

This phrase of speech is very frequent in Scriptures, as we see in Job 1:1, of whom it is said, that he was an upright and just man, fearing God, and avoiding evil. Solomon also says (Proverbs 14:16), That a fool rages; but the wise man fears; and departs from evil. Well, the Pr…

Verse 9. 'He has dispersed abroad, and given to the Poor.' Proverbs 14. 31. 'He that honors God, has Mercy on the Poor.' Proverbs 21. 26. 'The Righteous gives, and spares not.'

Otherwise be assured that all his intemperate speeches, and rash actions, shall be imputed to you, and are your sins as well as his; and whatever revilings he discharges against you, shall at last also be charged upon you: And what a foolish thing is it for you to bear the sting…

With how much more ease may a Christian go through his Christian course with, than without, a solid knowledge? For wisdom is profitable to direct: indeed it strengthens the wise more than weapons of war: therefore it excels folly as far as light excels darkness: practical wisdom…

2. Another spring that feeds holy thoughts is spiritual graces, the fruits of the Spirit, which exceedingly help the fruits of the lips; if the will and affections be sanctified with a principle of true holiness, the lips and the life will bring forth heavenly expressions and ac…

Indeed God is so much in him, as well as to him, that he can live comfortably when other things are dead. A good man is satisfied from himself (Proverbs 14:14), that is, he shall have sufficient content from his own conscience. [reconstructed: This] is but one word there for a b…

His affections are at full speed, hurried on with an impetus, which is as uneasy as it is hazardous. Who is that good man that is satisfied from himself (Proverbs 14:14)? Who but the quiet man that needs not go abroad for satisfaction, but having Christ dwelling in his heart by…

The discretion of a man defers his anger (Proverbs 19:11). I would beat you (said Socrates to his servant) if I were not angry; but he that is hasty of spirit, that joins in with his anger upon the first rise of it, exalts folly (Proverbs 14:29). The office of reason is to gover…

Christian prudence is very much the beauty and strength of Christian piety. Though it will secure the welfare of our own souls if we walk in our integrity, yet it is necessary for the preserving of the credit of our profession, that we walk in wisdom, that wisdom of the prudent…

The reproaches of Gods people are the reproaches of Christ in a special manner; because Christ is the head of the Church, and it is from the fulness of Christ, that they have that grace conveyed which is reproached; and the union they have with God, and with the Spirit, is by Ch…

A natural chearful spirit can be able to undergo great things, that one that is naturally timorous cannot; the Wise man says, The Spirit of a man shall sustain his infirmities: A man that has a natural chearful spirit, is able to sustain many infirmities that others cannot; As f…

The Troubles of the Saints are sanctified to them, but mine are fruits of the Curse. They have spiritual Consolations to ballance them, which flow into their Souls in the same height and degree, as Troubles do upon their Bodies, 2 Corinthians 1:5. But I am a stranger to their Co…

Thus says Solomon of the wicked: when he dies (many of them before, but at the utmost then all of them) then die his hopes (Proverbs 11:7). But the righteous has hope in his death (Proverbs 14:32). Death, that cuts the sinews of all other hopes and turns men out of all other inh…

And an immoderate use of carnal pleasure shall be called Christian rejoicing, or Christian cheerfulness. Therefore as there needs love to withstand the potency of temptation, by the suitableness of the bait to our own affections; so there needs the fear of God (Proverbs 14:27).…

The more ample God's heritage is, the more is his glory known. In the multitude of the people is the king's honor; and the glory of a shepherd lies in the number of his flock (Proverbs 14:28): so Christ's kingdom, the more it is enlarged, the more honor God has. That your way ma…

Those things which seem to affect us so much, cannot allay one unquiet passion, certainly cannot still and pacify the least storm of the conscience; and therefore whatever face men put upon temporal enjoyments, if they cannot see God's special love in them, they want sincere joy…

5. It is a joy that ends well. Carnal rejoicing makes way for sorrow, the end of that mirth is heaviness (Proverbs 14:13). It is a poor forced thing, says Cooper.

2. It argues that they have a due sense of things though others have not. 1. They have a due sense of the evil of sin, (Proverbs 14:9) Fools make a mock of sin, they sport at it, and jest at it, and count it nothing: but gracious and tender hearts have other apprehensions, they…

Others do but tickle the senses, a little refresh the outward man, please the more brutish part, but this the heart. And this is such a joy as can be better felt than uttered, (2 Peter 1:8) it is unspeakable, and none can know the strength and sweetness of it till it be felt; a…

Partly because that which God has promised in the world to come is only satisfactory, and able to quiet a man's mind, and make him patiently wait upon God in all his troubles. Here is enough to countervail all difficulties, to support us under them, to recompense us for them; it…

Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin. We are not generally to expect any connection, either of sense or sentences in this book of the Proverbs.

The simple believes every word (which he would not do but that he is simple, a very fool) but the prudent man looks well to his goings. The wise man fears, and departs from evil, but the fool rages, and is confident (Proverbs 14:15-16). Did men consider what it is they do when t…

4 That sinners find sin a painful thing, and are ashamed of it, is clear by this, that they are tormented while taking their pleasure, and are stung with eating the honey; their conscience accuses them when it takes them in the very act (Romans 2:15). Even in laughter the heart…

After sin has cost you so many sighs and tears, and aching hearts, will you make work for more! You will have your bellyful, for the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, he will have enough of it one day (Proverbs 14:14), and then cry out, Oh, what an evil and…

Poor distracted persons that have lost their understanding wear out their days to less loss and disadvantage than sinners do. 3. Then they that make a mock at sin, are worse than fools and madmen: fools make a mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9). Tell them (as Lot did his sons-in-law) t…

2. If we look at comfort, religion is the most comfortable profession, there are no comforts to be compared to the comforts of grace and godliness. 1. Worldly comfort is only outward, it is but skin deep, in the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowful (Proverbs 14:13). But now…

This is the quintessence of vengeance, an unseen evil; [reconstructed: and] in truth inconceivable — the terrors of death and the torments [reconstructed: of] Hell are nothing in comparison of this. When the glorious and blessed God, through the just desert of sin, leaves the cr…

Second, sin wrongs us. Sin shames us (Proverbs 14:34): Sin is a reproach to any people. Sin has made us naked; it has plucked off our robe and taken our crown from us; it has spoiled us of our glory.

Worldly comforts are like wine that runs to dregs. There is that guilt within which checks and corrodes; in the midst of laughter the heart is sad (Proverbs 14:13). Queen Mary once said, if she were opened, they would find Calais lying at her heart.

A man may be filled, and not satisfied; a sinner may take his fill of sin, but that is a sad filling, it is far from satisfaction. Proverbs 14:14: The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. He shall have his belly full of sin, he shall have enough of it.

Envy is a pest that lives on blood; take heed of it; peace will not dwell with this inmate. Fourth, credulity (Proverbs 14:15): The simple believes every word. A credulous man is akin to a fool — he believes all that is told him, and this often creates differences.

Under the sweet honey lurk poisons. These go merrily to hell; I may say as Solomon (Proverbs 14:13): the end of that mirth is heaviness. If religion is a race, it reproves those who are slow-paced in religion — who creep but do not run.

There is the same difference between a gracious person and an ungracious; see them opposed in this respect. Proverbs 14:17. The righteous man falls seven times a day, and riseth; but the wicked falls into mischief: that is, in falling he falls further, and has no power to recove…

It is strange a man has such a power over himself, as to persuade himself that he has no sin, not only in point of faith, as such as deny any original sin in themselves or others; as many seducers now do, Socinians, Arminians, diverse Anabaptists and such as say, the Law may be…

2. Of an unsavory stinking heart, that smells of hell and the second death, of all sort of unrighteousness and malice, like a green opened grave (Psalm 5:9). 3. Of an uncured heart, that never came through the hands of the physician (Proverbs 14:13: A sound heart is the life of…

Is not he a fool that minds his recreation more than his salvation? How may this make men ashamed to think, that they inherit not so much Land as folly, (Proverbs 14:18). 8. That which may make us blush, is, that the sins we commit are far worse than the sins of the Heathen: we…

1 The first fundamental sign is, a godly man is a man of Knowledge. Proverbs 14. 18. The prudent are crowned with knowledge. The Saints are called wise Virgins, Matthew 25. 4.

1. This hope comforts a godly man in affliction; hope does lighten and sweeten the most severe Dispensations: A Child of God can laugh with tears in his eyes; the time is shortly coming, when the Cross shall be taken off his shoulders, and a Crown set upon his head: A Saint at p…