John Trapp on Proverbs 29:18

Verſ. 18. Where there is no viſion the people periſh] Or, are barred of all vertue, laid naked and open to the dint of Divine diſpleaſure, ſcattered, worſted, and driven back. Great is the miſery of thoſe Braſileans of whom it is ſaid, that they are ſine fide, ſine rege, ſine lege, without faith, King, or Law. And no leſs unhappy thoſe Iſraelites about Aſa's time, that for a long ſeaſon had been without the true God, and without a teaching Prieſt, and without Law, 2 Chron. 15.3. Then it was that Gods people were deſtroyed for lack of knowledge, Hoſ. 4.6. And not long after, that they ſorrowfully complained that there was no more any Prophet among them, nor any that knew how long, Pſalm 74.9. no Miniſter ordinary or extraordinary. How did it pitty our Saviour to ſee the people as ſheep without a Shepherd? This troubled him more than their bodily bondage to the Romans, which yet was very grievous, Mat. 9.36. And what good heart can but bleed to think of thoſe once flouriſhing Churches of Aſia and Africa, now over-ſpread partly with Mahumetaniſme, and partly with Heatheniſme; and that by the moſt miſerable occaſion might befall; namely, famine of the Word of God, through lack of Miniſters! What a world of Sects, Superſtitions, and other horrible abuſes got into the Church of Rome, when Propheſie was ſuppreſſed, and reading the holy Scriptures inhibited? And what a ſlaughter of ſouls enſued thereupon?Mat. Pariſ. Hiſt. Letters were framed by ſome, as ſent from Hell to the Popiſh Clergy, Anno 1072. wherein the Devil and his Angels give them many thanks for ſuch a number of ſouls ſent them down daily, by their neglect of Preaching, as had never been before: Hence it was, that in this Kingdom, at the firſt Reformation, for want of Miniſters, Readers were ſent: Whence one of the Martyrs wiſhed that every able Miniſter might have ten Congregations committed to his charge, till further Proviſion could be made. For of preaching it may be ſaid, as once David did of Goliah's ſword, There is none to that, for Converſion of ſouls: as where that is wanting, people goe tumbling to hell thick and three-fold.

But he that keepeth the Law, happy is he] Though to want the Word preached and ſincerely handled, rightly divided (for as every ſound is not Muſick, ſo every Pulpit-diſcourſe is not a Sermon) be a great unhappineſs, a ready road to utter ruine: yet is not the bare hearing of it that that renders a man bleſſed, unleſs he hide it in his heart with David, and lift up his hands too to the practiſe of it, Pſal. 119.48. The words of the Law are verba vivenda non legenda, as one ſaid, words to be lived and not read only. Let not your lives be Antinomians, no more than your opinions, ſaith another. That is a monſtrous opinion of ſome Swenckfeldians, that a man was never truly mortified till he had put out all ſenſe of ſin, or care of duty:Wendeli[illegible: 2 letters]s. if his conſcience troubled him about ſuch things; that was his imperfection, hee was not mortified enough. Some of our Antinomians are not farre from this. Their predeceſſours in Germany held, that the Law and works only belong to the Court of Rome: that good works are pernicioſa ad ſalutem, Bucholcer. hurtful and hinderſome to ſalvation; that that ſaying of Peter, Make your calling and election ſure by good works, was dictum inutile, an unprofitable ſaying; and Peter did not underſtand Chriſtian liberty: that ſo ſoon as a man begins to think how hee ſhould live godlily and modeſtly,Vita Dev. Georg. he wandreth from the Goſpel. David George was ſo farre from accounting Adulteries, Fornications, Inceſts, &c. for being any ſins, that hee did recommend them to his moſt perfect Schollars, as acts of grace and mortification. This fellow was ſure ſomewhat a kin to thoſe Carpocratian Hereticks in Saint Johns days, who taught that men muſt ſin, and doe the will of all the Devils,Epiphan. otherwiſe they could not enter into heaven.