View Proverbs 3 in the note window.
An exhortation to be steadily religious, ver. 1 - 4.
To trust God, ver. 5, 6.
To fear him, ver. 7, 8.
To honour him with our substance, ver. 9, 10.
To bear affliction well, ver. 11 - 12.
The praise of wisdom, ver. 13 - 20.
The good effects of adhering to it, ver. 21 - 26.
Caution, against uncharitableness, strife, envy; if we would avoid a
curse and inherit a blessing, ver. 27 - 35.
1: My law - The law of God, which might be called his law, as the
gospel is called Paul's gospel, (2Ti 2:8), because delivered by him.
3: Mercy - Mercy denotes all benignity, charity, and readiness to do
good to others: truth or faithfulness respects all those duties which
we owe to God or man, which we have special obligation from the rules of
justice. Bind them - Like a chain, wherewith persons adorn their necks.
Table - In thy mind and heart, in which all God's commands are to be
received and engraven.
4: Understanding - Whereby to know thy duty, and to discern
between good and evil. Of God - Grace or favour with God, and
that understanding which is good in God's sight.
5: Trust - Wholly rely upon God's promises and providences.
Lean not - Under this one kind of carnal confidence, he understands
all other confidence in bodily strength, wealth, or friends.
8: Navel - To thy body, which is signified by one part of it.
Marrow - Which is the nourishment and strength of the bones.
9: Substance - Lay out thy estate not to please thyself, but to
glorify God. First - fruits - Or, with the chief or best; which answers
to the first - fruits under the law.
10: So - This is not the way to diminish thy estate, but rather to
increase it.
11: Despise not - Either by making light of it, or not being duly
affected with it; or by accounting it an unnecessary thing: but rather
esteem it a privilege and favour from God. Weary - Neither think it
tedious or hard, but endure it with patience and chearfulness.
13: Findeth - Which supposes his diligent searching for it.
17: Peace - Procure a blessed tranquility in a man's mind and
conscience.
18: A tree - A pledge of everlasting life. He alludes to the tree
of life, and intimates, that this is the only restorer of that life
which we have lost by sin.
19: Wisdom - Either by Christ, or by that Divine perfection of wisdom,
which is the fountain of wisdom in man.
20: The depths - That great abyss contained in the bowels of the
earth, breaks forth into fountains and rivers.
21: Eyes - The eyes of thy mind. Constantly and seriously meditate
upon them.
22: Grace - Like a beautiful chain or ornament.
25: Be not - Thou shalt not be afraid. Sudden - For sudden and
unexpected evils are most frightful. And fear is here put for the
evils feared. Desolation - Which cometh upon the wicked.
26: Shall be - A sure ground of confidence to thee. Taken - In the
snares either of sin or mischief.
27: With - hold not - Do not deny it, but readily and chearfuly impart
it. Good - Any thing which is good, either counsel, comfort, reproof, or
the good things of the present life. Due - That is, to all men, by that
great and sovereign law of love.
28: Say not - The former verse forbad the denial, and this forbids
the delay of this duty.
29: Securely - Relying upon thine integrity.
31: Envy not - For his impunity and success.
32: Abomination - Therefore sooner or later he must be miserable.
The righteous - They are God's friends, to whom he imparts the favours
and comforts to which other men are strangers.
33: The house - Not only upon his own person, but also upon his
posterity.
35: Shame - Instead of that glory which they seek.
