John Trapp on Proverbs 6:17

Verſ. 17. A proud look] Heb. Haughty eyes. Mens hearts uſually and chiefly ſit and ſhew themſelves in oculis, in loculis, in poculis, in their eyes, purſes,Profecto oculis animus inhabitat. Plin. Ep. ad Evagr. and cups. The Latines ſpeaking of an arrogant diſdainful perſon ſay, that hee doth ſupercilium attollere, look loftily. Odi fastum iſtius Eccleſia, ſaid Baſil, I hate the proud ſtatelineſs of that Weſtern Church: the Church of Rome hee means,Quid verum fit neque ſciunt, neque ſuſtinent diſcerere. Ibid. which even in thoſe purer times began to look big, and deſpiſe all other in compariſon of it ſelf. This hee ſomewhere calls [non-Latin text not transcribed], the Weſtern eye-brow, which occaſioned at length that lamentable ſeparation of the Eaſtern or Greek Church from communion with the Latine: The other four Patriarcks dividing themſelves from the Biſhop of Rome, and at their parting, uſing theſe, or the like words: Thy greatneſs wee know, thy covetouſneſs wee cannot ſatisfie, D. Field of the Church. Gerſon. Carleton. thine intollerable inſolency wee can no longer endure, live to thy ſelf, &c. God himſelf reſiſts a proud perſon in a ſpecial manner, 1 Pet. 5.5. and that afar off, Pſal. 138.6. hee cannot abide the ſight of him, Looks aloof at him. For whereas all other vices flye from God (ſaith Boethius) Pride lets flye at him.Sola Superbia ſe Deo opponit. No wonder therefore though his ſoul abhor it, when it buds eſpecially, Ezek. 7.10. and teſtifies to a mans face, Hoſ. 7.10. breaking forth as the Maſter-pock of the ſoul in big-ſwoln words, proud gate,Bubbles of vanity. 2 Pet. 2.18. ridiculous geſtures, gariſh attire, lofty and haughty looks, that hate of Heaven and gate to Hell. David could not indure it in any of his, Pſal. 101.5. No more could Queen Elizabeth in the greateſt favourite about her. Diſſenſion once falling out between her and Eſſex about a fit man for government of Ireland, hee forgetting himſelf, and neglecting his duty, uncivilly turneth his back, as it were in contempt, with a ſcornful look. Shee waxing impatient, Camdeus Eliſab. 494. gave him a cuff on the ear, bidding him begone with a vengeance, &c. For avoiding of all diſcontents and diſtempers this way occaſioned, it were to bee wiſhed, that men would firſt get humble hearts, (the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 4. makes humble-mindedneſs the firſt virtue, as here a proud look is made the firſt vice, the Maſter-root.) And then, that they would enter into a Covenant, as Job did (with his own eyes at leaſt, Chap. 30.1.) ſuch a Covenant as was once made at a meeting of the borderers in the marches between England and Scotland: Security was given and confirmed on both ſides by Oath (according to cuſtome) and proclamation made, Ibid. 279. ſaith mine Author, that no man ſhould harm other by word, deed, or look.

A lying tongue] Heb. A tongue of lying, viz. That hath learned the trade, and can do it artificially. A Frier, a lier, was the old proverb here, paſſing for current of that evil Generation, thoſe loud and lewd liers, The proud have forged lies againſt mee, Pſal. 119.69. Aſſunt mendacium mendacio (ſo the Hebrew hath it) they [illegible: 1 letter]ew one lie to another, until their iniquity bee found to bee hateful, Pſal. 36.2. A righteous man (how much more the righteous God?) hateth lying: But a wicked man (for his lying) is loathſome (Heb. ſtinketh) and cometh to ſhame, Prov. 13.5. Pilate (for inſtance) of whom Egeſippus ſaith, that hee was Vir nequam & parvi faciens mendacium, A naughty man, and that made light of a lye. It may ſeem ſo by that ſcornful queſtion of his, What's truth? Joh. 18.38. Tacitus alſo is by Tertullian ſaid to bee mendaciorum loquaciſſimus: where hee ſpeaks of Chriſtians, hee writes ſo many lines, ſo many lies. Liers pervert the end for which God created ſpeech▪ which was, to give light to the notions of the mind. Hence [non-Latin text not transcribed].

And hands that ſhed innocent blood] This is fitly ſubjoyned and ſet after a lying tongue; becauſe blood-ſhed is oft occaſioned by lying.

— nil eſt audacius illis Deprenſis: iram atque animos ex crimine ſumunt.Juvenal.

Ruffians revenge the lye given them with a ſtab. Perſecutors (as in the French Maſſacre) give out that Chriſtians are the worſt of men, not fit to live for their notorious enormities, and therefore not to bee pittied if taken from the earth. Thoſe that kill a Dog (ſaith the French Proverb) make the world beleeve hee was mad firſt: ſo they alwaies belied the Church, and traduced her to the world, and then perſecuted her; firſt took away her veil▪ and then wounded her, Cant. 5.6. The Devil was firſt a ſlanderer and lyer, and then a murtherer. Hee cannot murder, without hee ſlander firſt. But God will deſtroy them that ſpeak lies, the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man, Pſal. 5.6.