Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.
Ver. 18. Where there is no vision the people perish.] Or, Are barred of all virtue; laid naked and open to the dint of divine displeasure; scattered, worsted, and driven back. Great is the misery of those Brazilians, 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." 2Ch 15:3 Then it was that God's "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" Psa 74:9 - no minister, ordinary or extraordinary. How did it pity 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 overspread partly with Mohammedanism and partly with heathenism; 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 prophecy was suppressed, and reading the Holy Scriptures inhibited! - and what a slaughter of souls ensued thereupon! Letters were framed by some, as sent from hell to the Popish clergy (A.D. 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. a 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 Goliath's sword, "There is none to that" for conversion of souls; as where that is wanting people go tumbling to hell thick and threefold.
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 music, so every pulpit discourse is not a sermon - be a great unhappiness, a ready road to utter ruin; yet is not the bare hearing of it that which renders a man blessed, unless he "hide it in his heart," with David, and "lift up his hands" to the practice of it. Psa 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 Swenckfeldiains, that a man was never truly mortified till he had put out all sense of sin, or care of duty: if his conscience troubled him about such things, that was his imperfection; he was not mortified enough. b Some of our Antinomians are not far from this. Their predecessors in Germany held that the law and works only belong to the court of Rome; that good works are perniciosa ad salutem, c 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 as soon as a man begins to think how he should live a godly and modest life, he wandereth from the gospel. David George was so far from accounting adulteries, fornications, incests, &c., for being any sins, that he did recommend them to his most perfect scholars as acts of grace and mortification. d This fellow was sure somewhat akin to those Carpocratian heretics in St John's days, who taught that men must sin, and do the will of all the devils, otherwise they could not enter into heaven. e
a Mat., Paris. Hist.
b Wendelinus.
c Bucholcer.
d Vita Dav. Georg.
e Epiphan.