The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish [doeth] not so.
Ver. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge.] They are the "lights of the world," φωστηρες, Php 2:15 and they diffuse light wherever they come, shining as lamps or luminaries, and seeking to save themselves, and those that hear them. How did those learned scribes, our famous reformers, bring forth their rich treasure, and liberally disperse it? By preaching, writing, and every way trading their talents for the church's good. Farellus, a with his talent, gained to the faith five cities of the Cantons, with their territories. Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Calvin, &c., how active and fruitful were they in their generations to dispread and scatter light over the Christian world, to wise and win souls to Christ. Pro 11:30 These surely shine as stars in heaven, Dan 12:3 that, like stars by their light and influence, made such a scatter of riches upon earth. Every star, saith one, is like a purse of gold, out of which God throws down riches and plenty upon the sons of men. And as it is the nature of gold to be drawn forth marvellously, so that, as the learned affirm, an ounce of gold will go as far as eight pound of silver, so it is the nature of sound knowledge to be spreading and diffusive. b
But the heart of the foolish doth not so.] Or, Is not right. It is "little worth," Pro 10:20 as having no true treasure in them, but froth and filth, vanity and villany: hence they do not only not disperse knowledge, which they have not, Psa 14:4 but patronise and promote ignorance and error, sow cockle as fast as wiser men do corn, and are as busy in digging descents to hell, as others are in building staircases for heaven.
a " Hic est ille Farellus qui Genevenses, Novocomenses, Monipelgardenses, &c., Christo lucrifacit. " - Melch. Adam in vit.
b Zanc., de oper. Dei, part 2, lib. iii. c. 6.