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<DATE>2013-12-04</DATE>
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<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P> <HI>A PLAINE AND FAMILIAR EXPOSITION OF THE Eleuenth and Twelfth Chapters of the Prouerbes of</HI> Salomon.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>PROVERBS</HI> 1. 5.</BIBL>
<P>A wi&s;e man &s;hall heare and increa&s;e in learning, and a man of vnder&s;tanding &s;hall atteine vnto wi&s;e coun&s;els.</P></Q>
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>printer's device of Felix Kingston, featuring two clasped hands emerging from clouds, holding a caduceus and two cornucopias (McKerrow 274)</FIGDESC>
<HEAD><Q> BY WISDOME PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY</Q></HEAD>
</FIGURE></P>
<P>AT LONDON, <HI>Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, for</HI> Henrie Sharpe. 1607.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL WIL|LIAM FENYS E&s;quire, and Sir WILLIAM COPE Knight, grace, <HI>mercie and peace.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THE due regard which wee haue of you both, for the &s;peciall gifts wherewith it hath plea&s;ed God to grace you; hath moued vs to pre&s;ent vnto you ioyntly this te|&s;timonie of our vnfained loue. We doe the rather publi&s;h this Treati&s;e vnder your names, be|cau&s;e we would encourage you, to runne forward con|&s;tantly in that Chri&s;tian race which you haue alreadie &s;o happilie begunne, and to an&s;were that good expecta|tion which is generally and iu&s;tly conceiued of you. We haue long waited and much de&s;ired to be imploied againe as formerly (through Gods mercie) wee haue been. But being hitherto di&s;appointed of that hope, and e&s;teeming an vnprofitable life, to be a kinde of vncom|fortable death; we thought it our bounden dutie to of|fer our &s;eruice to the Church, and furtherance to your faith, in the be&s;t manner wee can, &s;ince wee may not v&s;e
<PB REF="3"> &s;uch meanes as we would. As you haue been attentiue hearers whiles we preached, &s;o (we doubt not) but you will be diligent readers of that which is here written. We &s;hall e&s;teeme it a &s;ufficient gaine for our trauaile, if either your &s;elues, or any other, may reape fruit by our labours. The God of all mercie increa&s;e his graces in vs all, and multiplie his ble&s;&s;ings vpon vs, that our life and death may bring glo|rie to him, and euerla&s;ting peace to our owne &s;oules.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Wor&s;hips in all Chri&s;tian duties to be commanded, Iohn Dod, Robert Cleauer.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>TO THE GOD|LIE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_CHristian Reader, by meanes of our pro|mi&s;e, we are growne into thy debt, which if God adde abilitie to our willingnes, thou &s;halt finde vs as readie to di&s;|charge. And for thy better a&s;&s;urance of our faithfull meaning herein, we haue communicated vnto thee our la|bours on the&s;e two Chapters, in part of paiment, vntill we can proceede to the rest. Onely this we must intreate of thee, that thou wilt deale with vs, as thou wouldest with iust and honest debters which duely pay thee money. If our coyne be currant, carrying trueth and veritie, the &s;tampe of Gods holy &s;pirit, reiect it not though it be duski&s;h, without glit|tering &s;hew, or curious workeman&s;hip. But if ought by mi&s;ta|king hath e&s;caped vs that wanteth weight, or prooueth not good mettall, returne it louingly and in brotherly manner vnto vs, and we will doe our best indeuour to yeelde thee better matter for it. The eight fir&s;t chapters a godly learned man hath tra|uailed in, who&s;e paines we expected before this time to haue in|ioyed with thee, and that cau&s;ed vs to goe forwards, omitting the beginning, vntill we come to the end. The methode, we con|fe&s;&s;e, would be very prepo&s;terous and defectiue, were it not that
<PB REF="4"> &s;o good a &s;upplie would reduce it into due order. And &s;o we com|mit the whole worke both of our writing, and thy reading, to the direction and ble&s;sing of Gods holy &s;pirit, whom we pray to giue thee vnder&s;tanding to know his will, with a faithfull heart to beleeue and obey the &s;ame, through Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, Amen. <HI>Drayton this &s;euenth of Nouember.</HI> 1606.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in all Chri&s;tian duties, Iohn Dod, Robert Cleauer.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="biblical commentary">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>AN EXPOSITION OF THE ELEVENTH CHAP|TER OF THE PROVERBS.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAPTER. XI.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 1. <HI>Fal&s;e balances are an abomination to the Lord: but a perfect weight plea&s;eth him.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_VNder fal&s;e balances are comprehen|ded all vniu&s;t weights, lines, and mea|&s;ures. And therewithall is condem|ned what&s;oeuer kinde of guile, and deceit may bee found either in the buyer, or &s;eller. As when that which is &s;old is defectiue either in quantitie, or qualitie, not being fit for the v&s;e that it is bought for, or not corre|&s;pondent to the price that is paid for it, or not an&s;werable to the te&s;timonie that is giuen of it. And with the&s;e doth <HI>Amos</HI> charge the wicked wealthy men of his age: <HI>They make the Epha,</HI> or mea&s;ure <HI>&s;mall, and the &s;hekell,</HI> or price <HI>great,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 8. 5.</NOTE> <HI>and fal&s;ifie the weights of deceit. That they may buie the poore for &s;iluer, and the needie for &s;hooes, and &s;ell the refu&s;e of their wheate.</HI> So on the other &s;ide in the buyer, when he &s;hall faile of all meete proportion betweene the price that he payeth, and the commo|ditie that he buieth, giuing farre le&s;&s;e than the worth and valew of it. And where it is &s;aid, <HI>They are abomination to the Lord,</HI> it is
<PB N="2" REF="5"> not ment that his quarrell is again&s;t the in&s;en&s;ible creatures, but he is di&s;plea&s;ed with the iniquitie of the per&s;ons, which make, v&s;e, keepe, or allow them. Whereby the other clau&s;e may bee better vnder&s;toode, that the Lord is plea&s;ed with &s;uch as doe vprightly v&s;e them, and with loue of equitie exerci&s;e it in their traffique and couenants.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> All in&s;truments and meanes of fal&s;ehood are hatefull to God. If God &s;peake this but once, and in one place, and no where el&s;e but in this place, yet he is of &s;ufficient authoritie to require credit to his word, becau&s;e he that cannot lie hath &s;poken it, who al&s;o knoweth be&s;t both what doth offend, and plea&s;e him: but hee doth often confirme it in the &s;criptures, that the multiplicitie of te&s;timonies may the more forcibly per&s;wade vs to beleeue. The &s;elfe &s;ame words in effect are not only repeated, but redoubled in this booke, and that &s;ometimes in one chapter. <HI>Diuers weights, and diuers mea&s;ures, both the&s;e are euen an abomination to the Lord. Diuers weights are abomination to the Lord, and fal&s;e ballances are not good:</HI> Cap. 20. 10. 23.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, his commandement is hereby violated: for he hath ex|pre&s;&s;ely forbidden &s;uch vnrighteous dealing: <HI>Thou &s;halt not haue</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 25. 15. 16.</NOTE> <HI>in thy bagge two manner of weights, a great and a &s;mall, neither &s;halt thou haue in thine hou&s;e diuers mea&s;ures, a great, and a &s;mall; but thou &s;halt haue a iu&s;t weight: a perfect, and a iu&s;t mea&s;ure &s;halt thou haue, &amp;c. For all that doe &s;uch things, and all that doe vnrighteou&s;|lie, are abomination to the Lord thy God.</HI> Which is not &s;o to be vn|der&s;tood, as though it were ab&s;olutely vnlawfull to haue diuers &s;orts of weights or mea&s;ures, as ounces and pounds, as yards and elles, as peckes and bu&s;hels, &amp;c. Neither yet to haue many of the &s;ame &s;ort: for many may be needefull, according as men haue manifold occa&s;ions to v&s;e them: but to haue them vnequall each to other, which ought to be of the &s;ame &s;ize, as &s;ome of lar|ger content to buy with, and others of le&s;&s;er quantitie to &s;ell with, this is that which is here prohibited.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, his ordinance by this is inuerted: for he hath in&s;ti|tuted the v&s;e of negotiation, market and exchange, for the mu|tuall benefit of both &s;ides; and this is for the good of neither: for the one is endamaged in his pur&s;e, and the other in his con&s;ci|ence.
<PB N="3" REF="5"> He would haue commerce and traffique to proceede from loue, to be exerci&s;ed in loue, and more to increa&s;e loue: and this cour&s;e is altogether contrarie to loue, and a meanes to ingender vnkindnes and hatred. Hee requireth that iu&s;tice and equitie &s;hould moderate the&s;e affaites, and <HI>that no man &s;hould oppre&s;&s;e or</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The&s;. 4. 6.</NOTE> <HI>defraude his brother in any matter:</HI> but here is filthie lucre mo&s;t re&s;pected and followed, and our brethren wronged and be|guiled.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, this &s;inne is &s;o much the more lothed of God, by how much it is better liked of them that practi&s;e it. Their clo&s;enes and cunning in acting of it, doth for a time augment their wealth, and not impaire their credit, and therfore they count their cour&s;e law|full, and them&s;elues happie for &s;uch pro&s;perous &s;ucce&s;&s;e: becau&s;e man findeth no fault with them, they thinke that God findeth no fal&s;ehood in them: and &s;eeing yet they haue no puni&s;hment in|flicted vpon them, they dreame al&s;o that no wickedne&s;&s;e is com|mitted by them. For &s;o the Prophet complaineth: <HI>Hee is a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 12. 7. 8.</NOTE> <HI>Merchant; the ballances of deceit are in his hand: hee loueth to op|pre&s;&s;e. And Ephraim &s;aid, notwith&s;tanding I am rich: I haue found me out riches in all my labours: they &s;hall finde no iniquitie in me, that were wickedne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Admonition, not onely to forbeare all fraudulent and wrong|full dealing, but with hatred to dete&s;t it, and with horror to flie farre from it. That which is hurtfull to our brother is hatefull to God, and therefore can neuer bee helpefull to vs. If he iudge it vnrighteous we &s;hall finde it vnprofitable: if it be damnable in his &s;ight, and therefore his &s;oule doth hate it, it will at la&s;t bee in our &s;en&s;e, and our &s;oule &s;hall rue it. It may bring monie and wealth, and rai&s;e vp mens &s;tate and familie, but it will draw downe iudge|ments vpon familie, &s;tate, and wealth, and monie, and make all to be execrable. For that which is &s;poken in another ca&s;e, is al&s;o ve|rified in this: <HI>Bring not abomination into thine hou&s;e, le&s;t thou bee</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 7. 26.</NOTE> <HI>accur&s;ed like it, but vtterly abhorre it, and count it mo&s;t abominable, for it is accur&s;ed.</HI> As the gold, and &s;iluer, and other co&s;tly matter, whereof the idols were made, and wherewith they were adorned, was execrable in re&s;pect of impietie; &s;o is this trade of getting, and riches &s;o gotten in regard of iniquitie. And therefore both
<PB N="4" REF="6"> are very offen&s;iue to the Lord: both are pe&s;tilent to mens fami|lies: both are perilous to their &s;tate: both are pernicious to their &s;oules. For a cur&s;ed po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion may make the per&s;on accur&s;ed, and bring the whole hou&s;e to de&s;olation. Which &s;hould per&s;wade men not onely to make &s;tay of getting goods vniu&s;tly, but to make no &s;tay of ridding their hands iu&s;tly thereof. For as they &s;inne grieuou&s;lie which indirectly receiue that which is none of their owne; &s;o doe they al&s;o that retaine it, and re&s;tore it not to the right owner. And therefore in <HI>Micah</HI> it is &s;et as a note of &s;inners, and &s;uch as are ob&s;tinately &s;infull, and which conceiue of God as a patron of their &s;infulne&s;&s;e, that vpon admonition giuen vnto them from the Lord, would not reforme their fal&s;ehood. <HI>Are yet the trea&s;ures of wickedne&s;&s;e in the hou&s;e of the wicked, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah. 6. 10.</NOTE> <HI>the &s;cant mea&s;ure that is abominable? Shall I iu&s;tifie the wicked bal|lances, and the deceitfull weights?</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe and terror of game&s;ters, and tho&s;e that make Dice, Cardes, and Boules, with &s;uch like in&s;truments of iniury, to be the mea&s;ures of their trade, and the meanes of their maintenance. Thereby are they made as odious to God, as infe&s;tuous to men, and as great aduer&s;aries to equitie, as they which by fal&s;e weights doe wrong their chapmen. They being a&s;hamed to appeare in their practi&s;e, doe &s;ecretly defraud men like theeues that filch in a corner: but the&s;e impudently glorying in their &s;infulne&s;&s;e, doe openlie profe&s;&s;e their purpo&s;e, like robbers that com|maund mens pur&s;es by the hie way &s;ide. They take the way to bring &s;ome part of their neighbours goods to their hands, by receiuing much for a little: but the&s;e &s;triue to draw euery part to them&s;elues, by getting all for nothing. And for this cau&s;e what&s;oeuer &s;ucce&s;&s;e they haue, how&s;oeuer the world goeth with them, they &s;peed vnhappily. If they winne other mens mo|ny, they lo&s;e their ble&s;&s;ednes, and Gods gratious fauour: If they lo&s;e their owne monie, they get a cur&s;e, and Gods grieuous di&s;|plea&s;ure.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> But a true weight, &amp;c. The Lord doth not onely re&s;pect the pietie which is v&s;ed in his owne wor&s;hip, but the truth and iu&s;tice that is performed to men.</P>
<P>When the Lord him&s;elfe is asked what manner of men <HI>&s;hould</HI>
<PB N="5" REF="6"> <HI>dwell in his tabernacle, and re&s;t in his holy mountaine,</HI> that is, which &s;hould haue a good e&s;tate here, and an habitation for euermore in heauen, he de&s;cribeth them by their innocent, and harmele&s;&s;e be|hauiour towards their brethren. <HI>Hee that walketh vprightly, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 15. 2.</NOTE> <HI>worketh righteou&s;lie, and &s;peaketh the trueth in his heart.</HI> Hee, cer|tenlie, regardeth that worke which hee &s;o largely rewardeth with &s;uch wages: and hee is well plea&s;ed with that per&s;on in this life, whom he will receiue to life euerla&s;ting: and equall it is with him, that they which conuer&s;e with earthly people in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;hould al&s;o continue with heauenlie &s;aints in glory.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they doe &s;eruice herein to God him&s;elfe; for in con&s;cience of his will, and obedience to his word they giue them&s;elues to this vprightene&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, it is his owne worke, and proceedeth from him&s;elfe: for all righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e is the grace, and fruite of his holie &s;pirit. As fle&s;h and bloud, with nature, and rea&s;on did neuer yet beget any &s;ound pietie, and religion; &s;o it neither will, nor euer can direct any mans heart to true iu&s;tice, and righteou&s;nes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdlie, trueth both in word and deed is a part of his glorious image, whereby his people are confirmed, and made like vnto him, and therefore he cannot but take delight in that which is &s;o agreeable with his owne nature, and a liuely repre&s;entation of him&s;elfe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Con&s;olation to them that doe con&s;tantly, and con&s;cionablie addict them&s;elues to the exerci&s;e of equitie. None hath truely learned this, but &s;uch as haue been apprentices in heauen, whom the Lord hath informed in the my&s;terie of this trade. <HI>Ob.</HI> But ma|nie others gaine more monie, and thriue fa&s;ter, and grow greater then they doe. <HI>Sol.</HI> But they gaine more comfort, and thriue bet|ter, and grow happier then all others doe. For how&s;oeuer it fa|reth with their &s;tate for quantitie of earthly po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, it cannot but goe well with their &s;oules, for plentie of heauenlie graces, and though paraduenture they haue pre&s;ently but little &s;ub&s;tance in their hou&s;es, yet there remaineth from them an ample trea&s;ure in the heauens: and that which is be&s;t for the~, is mo&s;t firmely a&s;&s;ured to them, which is Gods euerla&s;ting loue and fauour. Albeit ther|fore thy vocation bee meane and of no great account, and thy
<PB N="6" REF="7"> &s;tocke &s;lender and of no great value, thy returne &s;eldome, and of no great commoditie; yet if thou bee faithfull in a meane trade, with a &s;mall &s;tocke, and a &s;low returne, all &s;hall bee acceptable, all &s;hall be profitable, all &s;hall be comfortable. So often as thou ha&s;t mans cu&s;tome to buy or &s;ell with thee, thou ha&s;t Gods companie to reward and ble&s;&s;e thee; and when&s;oeuer thou deale&s;t well with any, he taketh notice of it, to deale better with thy &s;elfe.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 2. <HI>When pride commeth, then commeth contempt: but with the lowlie is wi&s;edome.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>VVHen pride commeth]</HI> that is, when it groweth to maturi|tie, hauing power to puffe vp mens hearts, and &s;hewing it &s;elfe in words, or workes, in countenance, apparell, or ge&s;tures, <HI>then commeth co~tempt,</HI> that is, &s;hame then approcheth and is neere at hand, marching in the next ranke after this loftie hart, and in&s;o|lent behaiuour. As is to be &s;eene in many who hauing bin fir&s;t lif|ted vp in their owne hautie mindes, were afterwards ca&s;t downe by Gods righteous iudgeme~ts, either into phren&s;ies, or gro&s;&s;e &s;ins, or ruine of &s;tate, or obloquie for their former hidden faults now publi&s;hed at la&s;t to their great di&s;grace. The other part of the antithe&s;is, containing the honour that doth accompanie humili|tie, is argued by con&s;equent, in this manner: When pride com|meth, then commeth follie, which euer bringeth &s;hame: but when humilitie commeth, then commeth wi&s;edome, which is ne|uer without glorie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Pride is a forerunner of &s;hame and reproach. It is a common prouerbe ordinarie in the mouth of the people: Pride goeth be|fore, and &s;hame commeth after. And it is an holie prouerbe of|ten v&s;ed by <HI>Salomon</HI> in this booke: <HI>Pride goeth before de&s;tructi|on, and an high minde before the fall,</HI> Prou. 16. 18. &amp; 18. 12. And it is a &s;elect poruerbe often v&s;ed by Chri&s;t in the new Te&s;tament; <HI>Who&s;oeuer exalteth him&s;elfe &s;hall bee brought low, and hee that hum|bleth him&s;elfe &s;hall be exalted.</HI> Luk. 14, 11.</P>
<P>We &s;ee in buildings that when walls waxe thicker by hallow|nes and &s;welling, they will &s;hortlie come lower by downefall and ruine; and &s;o &s;tandeth the ca&s;e with all proud per&s;ons, their
<PB N="7" REF="7"> great heart doth threaten &s;ome great mi&s;cheefe to bee nigh vnto them. Which may be exemplified by diuers pre&s;idents in the &s;criptures, which are propo&s;ed as real examples, for euery man to take warning by. When <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> was bragging of his Babell which he had built for his glorie, he was bani&s;hed from all habitation, not hauing &s;o much as a cottage, and like a bea&s;t made to liue among the the bea&s;ts in the fields, with ignominie. When <HI>Haman</HI> thought to ride on hor&s;eback and to be waited on like a King, hee was driuen to lackie on foote, and to waite atten|dance like a page: and purpo&s;ing to hang <HI>Mordecay</HI> on high to honour him&s;elfe, he prepared an high gallowes to bee hanged on him&s;elfe. When <HI>Herod</HI> thought him&s;elfe good enough to take vpon him the &s;tate and honour of a god, the Lord declared him to be bad enough to be deuoured of contemptible vermine.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they haue God to bee their enemie, <HI>he re&s;i&s;teth them,</HI> and <HI>they are all an abomination vnto him:</HI> not onely &s;ome arrogant <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 4. 6. Prou. 16. 5.</NOTE> fellowes that haue proud hearts and beggars pur&s;es, but euen &s;uch al&s;o as &s;it vpon princely thrones, and beare kinglie Scepters, and weare imperiall Diadems. And if he &s;ee them to be abomina|tion, and doth therefore abhorre them, they &s;hall appeare abomi|nable, and men will de&s;pi&s;e them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are fooles, as the text it &s;elfe intendeth, and therefore cannot but behaue them&s;elues fooli&s;hlie, <HI>like drunkards</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2. 5.</NOTE> <HI>which are ouercome with wine.</HI> They are &s;infull fooles, more de&s;ti|tute of grace then of wit. For proud behauiour is the foame or froath that proceedeth from much wickednes, and a proud heart is a pri&s;on wherein they are withheld from comming to repen|tance. And &s;o their owne follie, and Gods wi&s;edome; their owne &s;infull waies, and Gods righteous iudgements; their owne impe|nitencie, and Gods &s;eueritie will bring them to the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of their inheritance, and that <HI>is &s;hame and di&s;honour, how highlie &s;oe|uer they haue been exalted.</HI> Prou. 3. 35.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdlie, they are &s;acrilegious per&s;ons, and robbe God of his glory, which is mo&s;t proper and pretious vnto him, and therfore it is equall that he &s;hould &s;trippe them of the honour which is &s;o much de&s;ired of them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of their follie that v&s;e pride as a &s;tirrop to mount vp
<PB N="8" REF="8"> thereby to promotion and credit, that thinke it the onely way to preferment, if they can &s;et forth them&s;elues with &s;ome o&s;tenta|tion, and lift vp their eye-brows aboue their brethren. And this is growne almo&s;t to an vniuer&s;all contagion, wherewith the grea|te&s;t number of &s;tates and ages, of &s;exes, and per&s;ons in all places, are dangerou&s;lie infected. Some thereby &s;eeking to be admired, others to be aduanced, many to be feared, and al to be better &s;ati&s;|fied in the accompli&s;hment of their de&s;ires. But how manie loo&s;e by &s;eeking, and &s;inke, by a&s;piring, and runne into reproch by hun|ting after vaine e&s;timation? whiles they leaue their &s;tanding, and would ri&s;e aboue the toppe of their places, they faile of their foo|ting, and fall downe to the bottome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In&s;truction to be as much afraid of pride, as of &s;hame, and euen of &s;ecret conceitednes within, no le&s;&s;e the~ of open di&s;credit with|out, and therefore to v&s;e al good remedies to cure this dangerous inflamation of &s;uch a windie &s;tomacke. And fir&s;t for this purpo&s;e let euery man take heede that he bee not illuded with the glo&s;&s;es and colourable appearances of knowledge and wi&s;dome, or anie other good parts of nature or grace in him&s;elfe, when in trueth they are nothing but &s;hews and &s;hadowes. For diuers by an ouer|weening conceit haue them&s;elues in hie admiration, when others to whom they are better knowne, haue them in great deri&s;ion. And albeit others either in flatterie, or good opinion &s;hould commend vs for tho&s;e good things which wee are priuie to our &s;elues not to be in vs, yet let vs not receiue the doubtfull te&s;timo|nie of &s;traungers again&s;t the euident witne&s;&s;e of God, and our owne con&s;ciences. For this were as ab&s;urd as if a needie creature pinched with penurie, and almo&s;t hunger-&s;taruen, &s;hould bee brought to beleeue that he &s;wimmed in plentie and were a libe|rall hou&s;e-keeper, hauing his table alwaies furni&s;hed with varie|tie of di&s;hes; or one deepelie indebted, and readie to breake for want of abilitie, &s;hould bee induced to thinke him&s;elfe the onelie monied man in the countrie, &s;ufficient in wealth to lend and to giue to many others. Secondlie, when God hath graced any with excellent gifts which are not adulterate, and counterfeit, but &s;uch as are currant, and able to abide the touch&s;tone, and to hold weight in the ballance, yet as they feele what they haue, &s;o let
<PB N="9" REF="8"> them find what they want: as they &s;ee their graces and vertues, &s;o let them &s;earch into their corruptions, and vices: as they haue a good con&s;cience in the performance of many good duties, &s;o let them con&s;ider the innumerable &s;innes that they haue commit|ted, the multitude of &s;eruices which they haue neglected, the hy|pocri&s;ie, infidelity, vnchearefulne&s;&s;e, and other imperfections that haue &s;tained their be&s;t words and actions: and the&s;e will helpe to hold downe their hearts in humilitie, and take away all matter of glorying. For the be&s;t in the world &s;hall haue cau&s;e to blu&s;h and hang downe their heads, if they make compari&s;on betweene that they are, and that which they ought to be. Though thy know|ledge bee great, yet how much art thou ignorant of that thou mighte&s;t haue knowne, if thou had&s;t been as diligent to &s;eeke it, as God was to offer it vnto thee? Though thou haue faith, and loue and repentance, and by vertue thereof doe&s;t &s;hew forth the fruites of the &s;pirit in holie obedience, yet how &s;mall time ha&s;t thou &s;pent, how &s;oftlie ha&s;t thou trauailed, and how little ground ha&s;t thou gotten in this way that leadeth to eternall life? But in the cour&s;e of &s;infulnes didde&s;t thou not begin the race &s;oone, and runne &s;wiftly, and come backe againe &s;lowlie? Thirdly, it will much dimini&s;h a &s;elfe-liking, and too great opinion of our owne excellencie, if wee turne our eyes without enuie to the excellent graces of knowledge and di&s;cretion of zeale, and moderation, and of all other amiable gifts of our brethren, wherein they goe beyond vs. And this is the receipt which the holie gho&s;t pre&s;cri|beth to the Philippians again&s;t this verie maladie: <HI>Let nothing,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>bee done in contention, or vaine glory, but in meekenes of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2. 3. 4.</NOTE> <HI>mind, let euery one e&s;teeme others better then him&s;elfe. Looke not eue|ry man on his owne things, but euery man al&s;o on the things of other men.</HI> La&s;tlie, con&s;ider the hand which mini&s;treth euery good thing that we enioy, whether it bee gift of nature, or of grace, or of outward po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; whether it concerne the bodie, or the minde, the &s;tate, or the dignitie. <HI>All is of God, all is from God, and all is for God, and therefore let all the glorie be giuen to God. What ha&s;t thou,</HI> &s;aith S. <HI>Paul, that thou ha&s;t not receiued? If thou hast re|ceiued it, why glorie&s;t thou as though thou hadde&s;t not receiued it?</HI> 1. Cor. 4. 7. It becommeth not a beggar that liues of the almes
<PB N="10" REF="9"> basket to bragge of his meate, nor in&s;olentlie to compare with him, or his, that relieueth him in his mi&s;erable nece&s;&s;itie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But with the lowlie]</HI> Euerie humble man is al&s;o indued with wi&s;edome. Lowlie and wi&s;e bee &s;o farre conuertible as that the one can neuer be affirmed of any, without the other: the habit of humilitie doth inferre the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of wi&s;edome, and the want of either doth euict the priuation of both.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the fountaine from whence lowline&s;&s;e floweth, doth al|waies in the &s;ame current &s;end forth the &s;treames of wi&s;edome. The Lord Ie&s;us doth neuer deriue to any the power and ability of &s;ubduing his heart, but he giueth him al&s;o &s;ound knowledge how to obtaine it, and holie vnder&s;tanding how to v&s;e it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, God him&s;elfe is the in&s;tructour of all humble per|&s;ons, and frameth their hearts to be teachable, that they &s;hall not faile to learne of him, and therefore mu&s;t needs receiue wi&s;edome from him. This is agreeable to the promi&s;e which hee maketh, P&s;alm. 25. 9. <HI>Them that bee meeke will he guide in iudgement, and teach the humble his way.</HI> He giueth grace and guidance with his precepts, for minde, and heart, for knowledge, and affection, for will, and con&s;cionable practi&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the happine&s;&s;e which they procure to them&s;elues doth giue a cleere te&s;timonie of their wi&s;edome. They enioy the fa|uour of God, and the friend&s;hip of Gods people. In their hearts they haue peace, ouer their affections they haue power. They are alwaies in the way of preferment, either to come to honour in a great place, or for honour to come to them in a meane place. For euerie &s;tate they are fitted: whiles they are to be tried with aduer|&s;itie, they can beare it without impatiencie; when they &s;hall be called to pro&s;peritie, they can v&s;e it without in&s;olencie: as long <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 37. 11.</NOTE> as they continue in this world they are rightfull po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ours of the earth; as &s;oone as they depart to an other world, they &s;hall be glorious inhabitants of heauen. In which re&s;pects the &s;pirit of God &s;aith, that <HI>it is better to be of an humble mind with the lowlie, then to deuide the &s;poiles with the proud,</HI> Prou. 16. 19. The meane&s;t and mo&s;t afflicted vnderling that is humble and meeke, is in farre better ca&s;e then the mighte&s;t and mo&s;t pui&s;&s;ant conquerour that is proude and haughtie.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="9">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of &s;uch as deride their &s;implicitie for vndergoing &s;o manie mole&s;tations, and charge them with follie for not facing out matters with an impudent countenance, and condemne them of madne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e they &s;eeke not pompe and earthlie excel|lencie. But it is not becau&s;e the humble want wi&s;edome, but be|cau&s;e wi&s;edome &s;eemeth fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e to fooles, and &s;uch as are de&s;titute of vnder&s;tanding. They looke vpon their troubles, but feele not their comforts: they &s;ee their per&s;ecutions, but fore&s;ee not their deliuerance: they behold their pre&s;ent condition in afflictions, but di&s;cerne not of their happines to come in glorie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In&s;truction to make mo&s;t account of their coun&s;els and com|panie, &s;eeing they are be&s;t of all &s;tored with wi&s;edome and know|ledge. None are &s;o well able to giue aduice as they: for though others may haue more countenance and greatne&s;&s;e, yet they at|taine not to &s;o much coun&s;ell and goodnes. None are &s;o readie to giue aduice as they: for they doe it mo&s;t willingly, and cheere|fullie, with all mildne&s;&s;e, and kindenes. None are &s;o much ble&s;|&s;ed in the aduice which they giue as they: For their prayers are forcible with God, and Gods pre&s;ence is effectuall with them for a&s;&s;i&s;tance in &s;uch acceptable &s;eruices.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 3. <HI>The vprightne&s;&s;e of the iu&s;t &s;hall guide them: but the frowardne&s;&s;e of the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ours &s;hall de&s;troy them.</HI></HEAD>
<P>BY <HI>vprightne&s;&s;e</HI> is not meant an extrauagant well meaning without further rule or warrant, as though good intents were competent guides of our waies to &s;aluation: but the &s;inceritie of an heart faithfullie, though not perfectlie willing to beleeue and obey that which it knoweth, and re&s;olutelie, though not ab&s;olute|lie, de&s;irous to know that which God &s;hall reueile vnto it. Now this is &s;aid <HI>to guide righteous men,</HI> that is, &s;hall procure good dire|ction from the Lord, both for his &s;eruice, and their owne happi|nes, and make them tractable to follow the &s;ame. Contrarie to this is the condition of the wicked, who are not ledde with vp|rightne&s;&s;e, but carried with peruer&s;ene&s;&s;e, and therfore mi&s;led by the &s;ame to their vndoing. For thus &s;tandeth the oppo&s;ition: the vprightne&s;&s;e of the iu&s;t &s;hall guide them in the way, and &s;o pre|&s;erue
<PB N="12" REF="10"> them: but the frowardnes of the wicked will keepe them from the way, and &s;o de&s;troy them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>The vprightne&s;&s;e]</HI> Euery one that is truely godlie hath a faith|full guide and coun&s;ellour in his owne brea&s;t. A &s;ound heart is the &s;terne of the &s;oule, and a good con&s;cience is the pilot to go|uerne it, which will leade him thorow the whole cour&s;e of his life, till hee come to the hauen of &s;afetie and ble&s;&s;ednes. So is the vp|rightne&s;&s;e of <HI>Iob</HI> commended, that it directed him to the feare of God, and cau&s;ed him to e&s;chew euill. So is the foundnes of <HI>Za|charie</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth</HI> notified, that by vertue thereof <HI>they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without re|proofe.</HI> And &s;o is the &s;inceritie of all ble&s;&s;ed per&s;ons extolled and prai&s;ed by the &s;ame effects in the hundred and ninteenth P&s;alme, <HI>that they keepe the commandements of God, and worke no iniquitie.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119 2. 3.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it will &s;tirre vp men diligentlie to &s;eeke for knowledge and vnder&s;tanding, attending daily as &s;uters at wi&s;edomes gate in all the ordinances of God. When hee &s;peaketh, they will bring an eare to hearken: When he teacheth, they will bring an heart to learne. When neede requireth, they will v&s;e their lippes to aske coun&s;ell: in the word they will digge for wi&s;edome: by prayer they will call for a&s;&s;i&s;tance: by meditation they will applie all good in&s;tructions. And &s;o &s;eeking of God with an whole heart is &s;et in the &s;criptures, as an effect of vprightne&s;&s;e, and a cau&s;e of walking in the law of the Lord. P&s;alm. 119. 2.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondlie, where a good con&s;cience is pre&s;ent, there the word of God is neuer ab&s;ent: for that doth alwaies dwell with fidelitie and trueth. The &s;ame heart that entertaineth the one, doth euer|more enioy the other. And that dealeth faithfullie with them that be faithfull: it will not &s;uffer them to wander a&s;ide thorow want of guidance, or to fall into mi&s;cheefes for fault of direction. It &s;hal leade thee, &s;aith one &s;cripture, <HI>when thou walke&s;t; it &s;hall watch for thee when thou &s;leepe&s;t, and when thou wake&s;t it &s;hall talke with thee.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 6. 22.</NOTE> <HI>Thine eares &s;hall heare a word behind thee,</HI> &s;aith an other &s;cripture, &s;aying, <HI>this is the way, walke in that, when thou turne&s;t to the right hand or to the left.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 30. 21.</NOTE></P>
<P>Thirdlie, the &s;pirit of God is alwaies in them that are vpright and true hearted, it moueth them to aske, to heare, to pray, to
<PB N="13" REF="10" MS="y"> reade, and to meditate: it maketh the word effectuall to &s;peake to their &s;oules, al&s;o flexible to yeeld to the word, it worketh &s;ound iudgement in the mind, holie affections in the heart, alacritie and readine&s;&s;e in the will, faith in the whole &s;oule, and &s;incere &s;ancti|tie in the conuer&s;ation. Hereof the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh to the Ro|manes: <HI>As manie as are lead by the &s;pirit of God are the &s;onnes of God.</HI> And it is as true on the other &s;ide, as manie as are the &s;onnes of God, are lead by the &s;pirit of God: for this is euer reci|procall, and conuertible.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Confutation of the erronious opinion whereby manie illude them&s;elues, and their fal&s;e bo&s;tings whereby they would deceiue others. They roue abroad in all the waies of &s;infulnes, in euerie by lane of licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e, in ignorance, pride, wantonnes, vn|thriftines, crueltie, bla&s;phemie, &amp;c. Yee may finde them almo&s;t euery where &s;auing in religious and hone&s;t exerci&s;es, and tho&s;e they flie from, as if they were gaoles and dungeons to hold them in: and yet they thinke, and &s;ay, and face it out, that their heart is hone&s;t, though their life be lewd: all is well within, though all be naught without: they haue as good &s;oules to God as the be&s;t, al|though they &s;erue Satan a&s;much as the wor&s;t. If the&s;e men haue vprightne&s;&s;e, vprightnes hath lo&s;t her wonted vertue, and cea&s;eth to be vpright. For that which was vprightne&s;&s;e in <HI>Salomons</HI> time, and in all former ages was more faithfull, and forcible to pre|&s;erue them whom it tooke charge of (as it doth all in whom it in|habiteth) from &s;uch inordinate and vicious behauiour. To which may be added al&s;o another brood of a wandring and vagrant mind, altogether vn&s;etled in all points of religion. They heare of multiplicitie of opinions, and the differences of mens iudge|ments one from another: &s;ome are Papi&s;ts, &s;ome are Prote|&s;tants, &s;ome are Browni&s;ts, &s;o that they know not what to beleeue, nor whom to tru&s;t, and therefore iudge it their readie&s;t way to credit none of them all, and not cleaue to any &s;ide. But the righ|teous are not to&s;&s;ed vp and downe with &s;uch waues of vncertaine|tie and doubtfulnes: &s;inceritie leaueth not men to &s;hift for them|&s;elues, that for want of due information in the waies of God, they &s;hould walk in flat Athei&s;me: The Lord promi&s;eth better things to his people that faithfully &s;erue him. <HI>What man is hee that fea|reth</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="11"> <HI>the Lord? him will he teach the way that he &s;hall chu&s;e,</HI> P&s;alme 25. 12. Are ye left then without direction? then ye are found with|out righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Doth not God teach you his way? then yee are vtterlie void of his feare.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that commit them&s;elues to the leading of contrarie guides, which withhold all their pa&s;&s;engers from &s;inceri|ties coun&s;ell and direction, and that is to vaine plea&s;ure, to filthie lucre, to carnall rea&s;on, to bruti&s;h lu&s;t, to the example and fa|&s;hion of the wicked world, and to the &s;infull motions which the diuell him&s;elfe mo&s;t craftilie &s;ugge&s;teth. The&s;e are they that almo&s;t in all places are taken vp for leaders, they are neuer with|out worke, they haue continuall imployment, and therefore it plainly appeareth that there is little vprightne&s;&s;e, and that is as little regarded, &amp; as few iu&s;t per&s;ons there are to be guided by it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Con&s;olation again&s;t the di&s;couragements wherewith manie faithfull Chri&s;tians are a&s;&s;aulted in re&s;pect of the manifold perils which they pa&s;&s;e thorow. When they look abroad into the world, they &s;ee all kinds of inducements to euill, by per&s;wa&s;ions, by threatning, by examples, and &s;ophi&s;ticall defences; their carnall friendes would allure in kindne&s;&s;e, their craftie foes would illude them by cunning, the violent tyrants would compel the~ by force. When they &s;earch into them&s;elues, they finde corruptions, ig|norance, errors, fearefulne&s;&s;e, and incon&s;tancie, which cau&s;eth them to fall into many feares, and doubts of their per&s;euerance. How, &s;ay they, &s;hall we per&s;i&s;t and hold out in the dangerous dayes? How if the word of God &s;hould be taken from vs? how if deceiuers &s;hould be turned in among vs? how then &s;hall we find the way to euerla&s;ting &s;aluation? The holie Gho&s;t telleth you in this place, if your hearts be righteous, and plaine, and hone&s;t, your vprightne&s;&s;e &s;hall leade you, the &s;pirit of God will teach you, and his grace will e&s;tabli&s;h you. Which S. <HI>Iohn</HI> doth al&s;o te&s;tifie, for the confirmation of &s;uch as were in the &s;ame ca&s;e: <HI>The&s;e things,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>haue I written vnto you concerning them that deceiue you. But the anointing which you receiued of him dwelleth in you: and yee neede not that any man teach you: but as the &s;ame anointing teacheth you of all things, and it is true, and is no lying, and as it taught you, it &s;hall abide in him.</HI></P>
<PB N="15" REF="11">
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the frowardne&s;&s;e]</HI> Wicked &s;inners are greate&s;t workers of their owne woe. <HI>They &s;hall be taken in their owne wickednes,</HI> &s;aith the &s;ixt ver&s;e: <HI>they</HI> &s;hall fall in their owne wickednes, &s;aith the fift: <HI>their frowardnes &s;hall de&s;troy them,</HI> &s;aith this. Whereby it ap|peareth that their mi&s;erie commeth not from others, as an acci|dentall occa&s;ion, but groweth from them&s;elues as the proper cau&s;e: neither is it an ordinarie euill that is recurable, but a de&s;|perate ruine that is remedile&s;&s;e: neither yet is it the &s;ubuer&s;ion of their &s;tate, or killing of their bodie, which is but temporarie, but the perdition both of bodie and &s;oule which is euerla&s;ting. To this agreeth that which is &s;poken to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, in the fift chapter: <HI>His owne iniquitie &s;hall take the wicked him&s;elfe, and hee</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 5. 22. 23.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall be holden with the cords of his owne &s;inne. He &s;hall die for fault of in&s;truction, and for going a&s;tray through his owne follie.</HI></P>
<P>Here is a de&s;cription of euery ob&s;tinate and contemptuous &s;in|ner, their wickednes doth worke de&s;truction by degrees. It fir&s;t apprehendeth them as an officer: it keepeth them afterwards in &s;tockes, and bolts, as a Iayler. And la&s;tlie, it putteth them to death, as an executioner.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they de&s;pi&s;e the patience, and long &s;ufferance, the kind|nes and goodnes of God which waiteth for their repentance, and therefore <HI>through the hardnes of their hearts heape to them&s;elues wrath again&s;t the day of vengeance,</HI> Rom. 2. 4. 5.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, <HI>they greeue and vexe the &s;pirit of God,</HI> which offereth grace vnto them, and <HI>therefore he turneth to be their enemie.</HI> They <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 63. 10.</NOTE> with their peruer&s;enes doe re&s;i&s;t him, and hee with his power wil ca&s;t downe them. And &s;o the Prophet te&s;tifieth in the P&s;alme: <HI>With the pure thou wilt &s;hew thy &s;elfe pure, but with the froward thou &s;ette&s;t thy &s;elfe to wre&s;tle.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they &s;corne and de&s;pi&s;e the word and wi&s;edome of God, and as much as in them is, cau&s;e others al&s;o to reiect it, and therefore it is iu&s;t with the Lord <HI>to make them eate the fruit of their owne waies, and to fill them with their owne deuices;</HI> that is, <HI>to bring them to a fearefull de&s;truction.</HI> Prou. 1. 30. 31.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Terror of them that practi&s;e &s;inne of purpo&s;e to offend them which di&s;like of their lewde waies. They will breake the Sabbath in de&s;pite of them that would haue them better exerci&s;ed: they
<PB N="16" REF="12"> will &s;weare, they &s;ay, and &s;tare too, to anger &s;uch as admoni&s;h them of their vnlawfull othes. Sillie creatures and mi&s;erable wretches, will they cut their owne throats to grieue others with the &s;ight of their bloud? will they &s;trangle them&s;elues that others might weepe for their cur&s;ed end? Their boi&s;terous &s;tubberne&s;&s;e may bring a &s;hort &s;orow to others that hate their &s;innes, and loue their &s;oules, but a perpetuall &s;hame to them&s;elues, which ioyne with their &s;innes again&s;t their &s;oules.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 4. <HI>Riches auaile not in the day of wrath: but righteou&s;nes deliuereth from death.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe&s;e wordes &s;eeme to containe an anticipation, or preuen|ting of an obiection, which might bee moued again&s;t the latter point of the former ver&s;e. What &s;peake you of de&s;truction to come vpon wicked men? I tru&s;t you will not extend it to all: for many of them are &s;ub&s;tantiall wealthy men, of great &s;tate, and abilitie. Who can de&s;troy them? What &s;hall their power, and riches doe the while? To this it is here an&s;wered, that riches a|uaile not in the day of wrath: their wealth can neither with&s;tand the &s;trokes of God, nor le&s;&s;en them, nor make them any whit the more able to beare them, when his anger doth execute iudge|ments, and when his iudgements declare his anger. But righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e is that which deliuereth from death, and all other mi&s;e|ries, that the &s;ting thereof &s;hall neuer make any man mi&s;erable. See the more full handling and pro&s;ecution of the&s;e words, in the &s;econd ver&s;e of the tenth chapter.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e. 5. <HI>The righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the vpright &s;hall direct his way, or make his way &s;traight, or euen: but the wicked &s;hall fall in his owne wickedne&s;&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P>HEre he addeth to that which he had begun in the third ver&s;e, and &s;heweth that &s;incetitie, &amp; righteou&s;nes do not only lead men to a good way, and tell them what is their dutie, and fit to be performed, but maketh the way pa&s;&s;able for them, and them con&s;tant and pro&s;perous in it. To the which againe is oppo&s;ed
<PB N="17" REF="12"> the way of the wicked, euen their owne &s;infull cour&s;e of life, be|ing crooked and cragged, and rough, and rugged, and full of ma|nifolde perils wherein at the la&s;t they fall and peri&s;h.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Godly men haue not onely a commaundement, but abilitie giuen vnto them to walke in the Law of God. Their faithfulne&s;&s;e doth leuell their way, and paue it before them, wherein they find not onely equitie, but ea&s;e al&s;o with delight and &s;afetie. And &s;o much the Prophet doth intimate when he &s;aith, <HI>The waies of the Lord are righteous, and the iu&s;t &s;hall walke in them: but the wicked</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 14. 10.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall fall therein.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the affections &s;anctified do al ioyne hands in forwarding a man to a con&s;tant proceeding in godlines. The loue of God, and the hope of reward doe ouercome, and &s;ubdue all difficulties, and dangers, and beare downe all the impediments that may &s;toppe him by di&s;couragements: and the feare of God, and dread of his di&s;plea&s;ure doth &s;uppre&s;&s;e the force of worldly lu&s;ts, and beate downe the conceits that may draw him to pre&s;ump|tion.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the experience of Gods pre&s;ence, fauour and ble&s;|&s;ing is very effectuall to continue their obedience. For hauing ta&s;ted how good the Lord is to them that feare him, they cannot liue without his companie, and that is no where to bee inioyed, but in the way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> The Lord him&s;elfe both by grace and prouidence doth helpe them in this worke. He giueth vertue and power to the mini&s;try of his word, to prepare a way betweene him&s;elfe and the hearts of his people, that there may bee an intercour&s;e for one to come mutually to the other, as S. <HI>Luke</HI> te&s;tifieth: <HI>Euerie vallie &s;hall bee filled, and euery mountaine and hill &s;hall bee brought low, and crooked things &s;hall be made &s;traight, and the rough waies &s;halbe made &s;mooth.</HI> Luk. 3. 5.</P>
<P>He al&s;o mea&s;ureth out a meete &s;tate for them, and maketh &s;uch a mixture or compo&s;ition of pro&s;peritie and aduer&s;itie, of ble&s;|&s;ings and cro&s;&s;es, of comforts and &s;orrowes, as is mo&s;t hole&s;ome for their &s;oules, and directeth all the occurrents that befall them to the furtherance of their &s;aluation. And hereof <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;peaketh, &s;aying: <HI>The way of the righteous is euennes, or equities, thou wilt</HI>
<PB N="18" REF="13"> <HI>weigh out a iu&s;t path for the righteous.</HI> He will ballance out euerie thing that concerneth them in gold weights, that there &s;hall not be the lea&s;t defect, or exce&s;&s;e that might turne to their hurt.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Confutation of their pernicious illu&s;ions y^t thinke it impo&s;&s;ible to walke in the waies of God, &amp; therfore iudge it nothing dange|rous to &s;tray out of them at their plea&s;ure. The preachers, &s;ay they, doe teach that which none can ob&s;erue, euery bodie doth contra|ry, and we mu&s;t do like others, or els we &s;hould be counted nobo|die. They lay too much vpon vs for praying often and hearing of &s;ermons, and reading the &s;criptures, and keeping the &s;abbath: and &s;o do they al&s;o too much re&s;traine vs of plea&s;ures, and profits, of libertie in &s;peeches, and freedome in apparrell. We mu&s;t fol|low our &s;ports: for take away delights, and take away life. Wee mu&s;t v&s;e what meanes wee can for our &s;tate, and make the mo&s;t of our owne: wee mu&s;t in companie behaue our &s;elues like the companie, according to their talke we mu&s;t talke, and bee merrie according to their mirth: for an oath, we cannot alwayes auoide it, it is but a &s;mall matter now and then to &s;weare a little. They would haue vs to become &s;aints on earth, but it will not bee, our nature cannot like of &s;uch preci&s;enes, &amp;c. And thus they make the ea&s;ie yoke of Chri&s;t an importable burthen, and condemne his mini&s;tery of rigour, in requiring obedience, and iu&s;tifie them|&s;elues in di&s;obedience. But leaue this &s;hifting, and deale in good earne&s;t, and &s;peake the trueth plainely. Our &s;innes, and rebelli|ons, &s;ay, haue &s;topped vp our way, and we haue no iu&s;tice, nor vp|rightne&s;&s;e to open it vnto vs: wee are &s;laues, and bondmen to cor|ruption, and held in thraldome and &s;ubiection of it. Otherwi&s;e the &s;trength of the world, and the &s;treame of the times could not carrie you away &s;o &s;trongly. For <HI>Noah</HI> being a righteous man could liue righteou&s;lie in an age giuen ouer wholy to vnrighte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e. The &s;eruices of God would not be &s;o tedious vnto you, as that by no meanes you &s;hould bee brought to exerci&s;e them. For to vpright men they are not onely po&s;&s;ible, but plea&s;ant, their &s;oule longeth for them, they hunger and thir&s;t after them, no thing is &s;o much de&s;ired of them. Voluptuou&s;nes, impietie, pride, and other lu&s;ts would not be &s;o &s;weete vnto you, or &s;o mightie in you, that you &s;hould neither be willing to leaue them, nor able to
<PB N="19" REF="13"> for&s;ake them. For where the &s;pirit of God is, there is libertie. All good men abhorte the&s;e &s;innes, they pray again&s;t them, they &s;triue again&s;t them, they preuaile again&s;t them. Grace ouercom|meth the fle&s;h, and maketh them doe that which the word requi|reth, and &s;hun that which the word forbiddeth, and be that which the word pre&s;cribeth. Though they performe not good things perfectly, yet they practi&s;e them faithfully: though they ca&s;t not off all euill fully, yet with hatred they re&s;i&s;t it truely: though they haue &s;o many infirmities as make them oft to &s;inne, yet they haue &s;o much holine&s;&s;e, as maketh them alwaies &s;aints.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 6. <HI>The righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the vpright deliuereth them: but the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ours &s;hall be taken in their owne wickednes.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THis ver&s;e, as it may appeare, is annexed to the former for con|firmation of the point therein contained, that righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e doth direct the way of vpright men, both to holy conuer&s;ation, and happy &s;tate. Again&s;t the which a doubt may ri&s;e fro~ the &s;hew of the contrarie, becau&s;e that good men are &s;ometimes plunged in great calamities, and &s;ometimes in great tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions: and therefore their way &s;eemeth as indirect, as if they were wicked, and their righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e to doe them as little good as if they had none at all. Now this &s;cruple he remoueth by &s;hewing what be|nefite it bringeth, that then e&s;pecially they haue the v&s;e of it, when they fall into &s;uch di&s;tre&s;&s;es. For then the fruite thereof is mo&s;t for their comfort when it &s;hall deliuer them out of dangers, out of troubles, out of feares, out of temptations, out of &s;innes, and from de&s;truction. Yet not by &s;trength of it owne, but by the power of God: not according to their worthines in way of de&s;ert, but ac|cording to his goodnes in way of reward: not extended to all men that doe good workes, but re&s;trained to vpright men who&s;e workes are good. And for the clearer illu&s;tration of their ble&s;&s;ed e&s;tate he bringeth in for contrarie, the mi&s;erable condition of the wicked, oppo&s;ing tran&s;gre&s;&s;ours to vpright per&s;ons: their mi&s;chiefe to the others iu&s;tice: their perill to the others pro|tection: the one part inclo&s;ed in the net of troubles is yet a&s;&s;ured of &s;afe e&s;cape by meanes of their graces, the other abroad at the
<PB N="20" REF="14"> baite of pro&s;peritie &s;hall certainely fall into &s;nares by meanes of their wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The doctrine which the former clau&s;e might mini&s;ter, &s;hal be as conueniently &s;poken of in the eight ver&s;e: and that which is to be rai&s;ed out of the latter, hath beene alreadie handled in the third.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 7. <HI>When a wicked man dieth his expectation peri&s;heth, and the hope of his power &s;hall peri&s;h.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe meaning is, that euery &s;infull mans affection of hoping, and happine&s;&s;e hoped for, and &s;tronge&s;t meanes to attaine to his hope, &s;hall end with his life, and die at his death, and vani&s;h away at the time of his de&s;truction. The &s;ub&s;tance of the point hath been handled in the eight and twentith ver&s;e of the former chapter, and therefore in this place we wil onely note the circum|&s;tance of the time.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> The confidence of vngodly men is di&s;appointed at their grea|te&s;t neede.</P>
<P>He neuer had good by any hope, which hath not the fruition of his hope at his death. Then either it &s;etteth a man in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of his ble&s;&s;ednes, or el&s;e ca&s;teth him off into mi&s;ery, woe, and perdi|tion for euer. Though a man &s;hould neuer obtaine his de&s;ire in any earthly thing during his life, yet if he inioy &s;aluation after this life, he hath failed of nothing. Though a man &s;hould mi&s;&s;e of no|thing that his heart could wi&s;h for, whiles breath is in his bodie, yet if hee bee damned when the &s;oule goeth out of his bodie, hee hath neuer gained any thing. And this is the &s;cope of <HI>Iob</HI> his &s;peech, when he &s;aith, <HI>What hope hath the hypocrite though he hath</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 27. 8.</NOTE> <HI>heaped vp riches, when God taketh away his &s;oule?</HI> Euen now in his deepe&s;t aduer&s;itie, hee would not change &s;tate with the mo&s;t plau&s;ible wicked, in their highe&s;t pro&s;peritie. For hee is &s;ure that the end of his life will fini&s;h his &s;orrow, and begin his felicitie, and therefore is willing to re&s;igne vp his &s;pirit into the hands of God: but their hope doth depart with their breath, and their damnation doth come with their death, and therefore God mu&s;t wre&s;t away their &s;oules from them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they &s;hall then &s;tand before the iudgement &s;eate of God
<PB N="21" REF="14"> him&s;elfe, and that which hee &s;peaketh they mu&s;t heare, and that which they heare, they mu&s;t &s;ee, and that which they heare and &s;ee, they mu&s;t al&s;o &s;uffer: for execution will accompanie the &s;entence. Heere they would not beleeue his te&s;timonie, that their ca&s;e was &s;o bad as his word declared: there they &s;hall feele it to bee wor&s;e then they could conceiue of. Heere when hee denounced plagues again&s;t their &s;innes, they proclaimed peace to their &s;oules; there they &s;hall finde the plagues according to their &s;innes, and faile of the peace which they promi&s;ed to them|&s;elues. Here he &s;pake vnto them in goodnes, that vpon their re|pentance they might obtaine euerla&s;ting mercie: there <HI>hee will</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 2. 5.</NOTE> <HI>&s;peake vnto them in anger,</HI> and for want of repentance will puni&s;h them eternally with iu&s;tice.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the fearefull iudgement of God vpon their hearts, that they &s;hould not &s;ee how they were illuded in their expectati|on, vntill their death: when the ca&s;e is remedile&s;&s;e. If the vanitie of their hope were di&s;couered to them before, they might ca&s;t it off &s;ooner, and lay a new foundation of a better; whereas re&s;ting &s;till vpon the &s;tabilitie of that, it breaketh, when it cannot be re|paired; and they fall, when they can neuer ri&s;e againe. If the fiue <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25.</NOTE> fooli&s;h Virgins had found their want of oile before the bride|grome was comming, they might in time haue prouided them|&s;elues, and be readie to enter with him to the wedding, before the dore was &s;hut. If they which pre&s;umed &s;o much of Chri&s;t his ac|quaintance (becau&s;e they had eaten &amp; drunk in his company, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 13. 26, 27.</NOTE> heard him preach among&s;t them) had knowne before hand what &s;mall account hee would haue made of them, they might haue v&s;ed better meanes whiles time &s;erued, to grow into his fauour.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly the prerogatiue and priuiledge of Gods people would be much infringed, if wicked men &s;hould haue hope with them in the life to come, for therein &s;tandeth the contrarietie between them. <HI>The wicked,</HI> &s;aith the Scripture, <HI>&s;hall bee ca&s;t away for his lewdnes: but the righteous hath hope at his death,</HI> Prou. 14. 32. For the pre&s;ent it commeth to pa&s;&s;e commonly, that bad men are full, and good men are hungrie, the one &s;ort doe laugh, and the other waile and weepe, as our Sauiour te&s;tifieth, Luk. 6. 25. and therefore hereafter their conditions &s;hall bee changed on both
<PB N="22" REF="15"> &s;ides: the plea&s;ure of the one &s;hall bee turned into paine, and the &s;orrowes of the other into endle&s;&s;e comforts. As it is &s;aid by the Apo&s;tle concerning the godlie, that if in this life onely they had hope, they were of all mo&s;t mi&s;erable; &s;o it may be &s;poken touch|ing the godle&s;&s;e, that if in the life to come al&s;o they had hope, they were of all men mo&s;t happie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of their folly which liue in hope, that the time of their death will beget them hope, and not de&s;troy it. They know that now they are &s;infull per&s;ons, without all grace, and goodnes; but they tru&s;t that then they &s;hall be conuerted, and brought in a moment to repentance. They know that now they &s;tand in &s;tate of damnation, and if they &s;hould pre&s;ently come to iudgement, they mu&s;t needes peri&s;h; but they tru&s;t at the la&s;t ga&s;pe to call vp|on God for mercie, and thereby get pardon for all their &s;innes, and &s;o their &s;oules &s;hall bee &s;aued. As though death, and the pangs thereof were appointed for the preferment of Gods vn|godly enemies. They haue be&s;towed them&s;elues in the &s;eruice of &s;inne, and &s;pent their daies in rebellion again&s;t the Lord, and doe they looke for reward thereof to bee crowned with glory? Are theeues, and robbers, are cutpur&s;es, and other malefactours therefore bound ouer to the A&s;&s;i&s;es, that they may bee put in commi&s;&s;ion, and called vp to the bench?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In&s;truction to confirme our hope by putting our &s;oules out of all perill of peri&s;hing afore our death or &s;icknes, or any other dan|ger, lea&s;t our euidence be to &s;eek when our cau&s;e is to be tried. Let euery one of vs vpon apparance of election, by faith, and the fruits of &s;anctification, be able to &s;ay as trulie, though not with as much feeling of a&s;&s;urance as the Apo&s;tle did: <HI>I am per&s;waded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 38.</NOTE> <HI>pre&s;ent, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other crea|ture, &s;hall &s;eparate vs from the loue of God which is in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us.</HI> This will make our life truely pro&s;perous, and profitable, and our death ble&s;&s;ed and comfortable, and our &s;tate in the world to come immortall, and glorious.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Con&s;olation to &s;uch as feare God that death will deliuer them from the hopes, and the liues of their &s;infull enemies. Away mu&s;t their &s;oules goe, and downe mu&s;t their carka&s;&s;es, and where then
<PB N="23" REF="15"> are their purpo&s;es, and what becomes of their power? Though they were as mightie as Leuiathan, and as mi&s;chieuous as dra|gons, yet when they bee dead, as die they mu&s;t, what cau&s;e hath any man to be afraid of them? <HI>Achab</HI> minded great matters a|gain&s;t <HI>Micaiah,</HI> at his returne in peace from <HI>Ramoth Gilead;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. King. 22.</NOTE> but God minded to pre&s;erue <HI>Micaiah</HI> by defeating <HI>Achab</HI> of a peaceable returne from thence. Let <HI>Hezechiah,</HI> and all his peo|ple, &s;aith <HI>Zanecherib,</HI> tru&s;t to it, that I will &s;peede them at my next comming to Ieru&s;alem: but God had appointed that hee &s;hould come no more that way, but be drawne by the &s;nowte like a fi&s;h, <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 36. 12. and 37. 29.</NOTE> or led with a bridle like a bea&s;t to the &s;hambles, and &s;laughter at <HI>Nineue.</HI> The Egyptians were re&s;olued to pur&s;ue I&s;rael vntill they ouertooke them, and to put them to the &s;word when they caught them, and to take the &s;poile of their goods, when they had &s;laine them: but the waters were fir&s;t to pur&s;ue them&s;elues, and death to ouertake them, and the &s;ea to haue the &s;poile of their bodies, and hell to make a pray of their &s;oules.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 8. <HI>The iu&s;t e&s;capeth out of trouble, and the wicked &s;hall come in his &s;teed.</HI></HEAD>
<P>GOds fauour and goodnes doth not free his &s;eruants from af|flictions, but deliuereth them out of afflictions. Whereinto hee ca&s;teth the wicked, though they be not alwaies of the &s;ame kind with tho&s;e which the godly &s;uffer, but wor&s;e and more du|rable, and &s;uch as are mixed with Gods wrath, and poi&s;oned with the &s;ting of their owne euill con&s;cience.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Though the afflictions of good men &s;eeme &s;harpe, and grie|uous, yet they are not perpetuall.</P>
<P>Before euer God bring his into troubles, hee appointeth how they &s;hal be pre&s;erued in them, and pa&s;&s;e thorough them, and get out of them. He doth as well fore&s;ee their arriuall as their laun|ching forth, and the end of the boy&s;terous &s;tormes which they mu&s;t indure, a&s;well as the beginning and entrance thereof. <HI>Many,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 34. 19.</NOTE> or <HI>great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of all.</HI> Neither number, nor grieuou&s;ne&s;&s;e, nor continu|ance of cro&s;&s;es, nor power of per&s;ecutors, nor any other impedi|ment
<PB N="24" REF="16"> can hinder his hand from helping his di&s;tre&s;&s;ed &s;eruants.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they will keepe no &s;ilence when they bee in tribulation, they will cry vnto God, and bemone their ca&s;e vnto him, that hee may take their cau&s;e into his hands. Neither is it any wayward|ne&s;&s;e in them, but wi&s;edome, and their bounden duty &s;o to doe: for he calleth them vnto him, and commaundeth them to make their complaint: <HI>Call vpon me,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>in the day of trouble; &s;o will I deliuer thee, and thou &s;halt glorifie me,</HI> P&s;al. 50. 15.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, all Gods people are petitioners for euery one, and euery one for all; &s;o that no member of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t wanteth friends to &s;ollicite his cau&s;e, and to deale effectually for him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the Lord him&s;elfe beholdeth their teares, and &s;or|rowes, and &s;uffrings, hee heareth their mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;ighes and groanes, his compa&s;&s;ion is towards them, hee is able to helpe them, hee promi&s;eth to deliuer them, and therefore from his owne commi&s;eration and pitie, by his might and power, and in his trueth and fidelitie hee will &s;urely drawe them out of mi|&s;erie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> La&s;tlie, their life it &s;elfe is not perpetuall, but &s;hort and of &s;mall continuance, and therefore how can it be that their troubles &s;hould be endles, or any way of long durance? It is an euerla&s;ting trueth which the holy &s;pirit publi&s;heth in the Reuelation of Saint <HI>Iohn: Ble&s;&s;ed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they re&s;t from</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 14. 13.</NOTE> <HI>their labours,</HI> that is, from all kinds of &s;orrowes and &s;ufferings.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of their follie which &s;eeke to preuent troubles, or to &s;hake them off by &s;hunning the duties of righteou&s;nes. As though righteou&s;nes were not a &s;ure friend to deliuer men, but a treache|rous aduer&s;arie to betray them. As though it were a matter of great perill to plea&s;e God, and the onely way for &s;afetie to pro|uoke him. As though the be&s;t meanes of defence were to di&s;arme ones &s;elfe, and to be weaponed and armed were to expo&s;e him|&s;elfe to the &s;hot and &s;trokes of his enemie. And yet this coward|lie heart, and erroneous mind is in very many, that they dare not addict them&s;elues &s;trictly to euery &s;eruice of pietie and iu&s;tice, le&s;t they &s;hould ca&s;t them&s;elues into &s;nares, and troubles, and mole&s;tations. They are not per&s;waded by S. <HI>Peters</HI> te&s;timonie, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 3. 13, 14</NOTE> that no man can hurt them, if they follow that which is good, nei|ther
<PB N="25" REF="16"> be they affected with his con&s;olation, that ble&s;&s;ed are they, if they &s;uffer for righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;ake.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Comfort to them that are to&s;&s;ed with the waues of troubles, and aduer&s;ities by per&s;ecutions, temptations, and nece&s;&s;ities, if &s;earching their hearts they can finde their vprightnes, and trying their waies they proue to be righteous; there is no cau&s;e why they &s;hould call in que&s;tion the &s;tate of their &s;oules, or thinke their pre|&s;ent ca&s;e to be irrecouerable. If multitude or greatnes of troubles were to make Gods fauour doubtfull, then few iu&s;t men &s;hould haue it certaine: for he hath allotted them to all his children, and made as due proui&s;ion for them of correction, as of foode: and he that is alwaies, and altogether without it, is not a &s;onne, but a <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 8.</NOTE> ba&s;tard. If it were not an v&s;uall thing for good men to bee in af|flictions, the &s;criptures would not &s;o v&s;ually &s;peake of their com|ming out of afflictions. Let no man therefore &s;ay in pro&s;peritie, I &s;hall neuer be moued: &s;o let no godlie man &s;ay in aduer&s;itie, I <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 30. 6.</NOTE> &s;hall neuer be re&s;tored. The Lord taketh as little plea&s;ure to bee euermore afflicting his people, as a mo&s;t tender-hearted parent doth to be alwaies beating his children. And as an indulgent fa|ther cannot indure to &s;ee violence offred to the &s;hedding of his &s;onnes bloud in his pre&s;ence: &s;o neither will our God permit the wicked to &s;poile and oppre&s;&s;e the godly continually in his &s;ight.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> When the mercie of God beginneth to rai&s;e the godly out of afflictions, his iu&s;tice is readie to ca&s;t the wicked into mi&s;erie. The &s;inners are put into one &s;cale of the weights, and the &s;aints into the other. When the one ri&s;eth vp, the other &s;inketh downe: when the one commeth from troubles to pro&s;peritie, the other goeth from pro&s;peritie to troubles. This the Lord telleth wicked men before hand, and will not faile to fulfill it in due &s;ea&s;on. <HI>Be|hold,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>my &s;eruants &s;hall eate, and ye &s;hall be hungrie: behold,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 65. 13. 14.</NOTE> <HI>my &s;eruants &s;hall drinke, and yee &s;hall be thir&s;tie: behold, my &s;eruants &s;hall reioyce, and yee &s;hall be a&s;hamed: behold my &s;eruants &s;hall &s;ing for ioy of heart, and yee &s;hall crie for &s;orrow of heart, and &s;hall howle for vexation of minde.</HI> It &s;eemeth to them an incredible paradoxe, and a newes by farre more admirable, then acceptable, that there &s;hould be &s;uch a tran&s;mutation of conditions on both &s;ides, to
<PB N="26" REF="17"> contraries; but he doth know that it will be &s;o, and can effect that it &s;hall be &s;o, and hath decreed that it mu&s;t be &s;o, and therefore re|lateth the particulars with &s;uch certainty, as if forthwith the exe|cution thereof &s;hould be pre&s;ented to their &s;en&s;es.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it is Gods ordinance, and the order which he v&s;eth in his proceedings, that iudgement &s;hall begin at his owne hou&s;e, as S. <HI>Peter</HI> teacheth, and from thence be deriued to the wicked to <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 4. 17.</NOTE> continue vpon them for euer. The medicinable potion, at the brimme of the cup, he will haue his owne children to drinke for their health and pre&s;eruation, but the dregges and poi&s;on at the bottome, his enemies mu&s;t &s;wallow vp for their ruine and de&s;tru|ction.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, troubles, feares, vexations, and torments are the proper portion of &s;inners, they receiue not their childs part, nor enter vpon their inheritance, till they fall into them. Good men pa&s;&s;e through them, as a deepe mirie lane in a &s;trange countrie, but trauell home to their owne plea&s;ant &s;oile of comfort; but the euill and rebellious gallop &s;wiftly in the faire way of pro&s;peritie, and ha&s;ten to their owne vncomfortable home of hidious de&s;o|lation and horror.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, their malitions behauiour again&s;t Chri&s;tians doth with a &s;trong hand draw them&s;elues into mi&s;erie, and lift the others out of it. The Egyptians made it their exerci&s;e to drowne the children of the I&s;raelites, and God deliuering the I&s;raelites made the Egyptians to be drowned. <HI>Haman</HI> ca&s;t about with all his wits, how he might bring <HI>Mordecai</HI> to the gallows, and the Lord appointed in his wi&s;edome that the gallows &s;hould catch vp <HI>Haman.</HI> And &s;o &s;tood the ca&s;e with <HI>Daniels</HI> enemies, they were driuen with their owne fle&s;h and familie to feede the hons which they had appointed to eate vp <HI>Daniel.</HI> The Edomites were glad to &s;ee the Iewes drinke &s;o bitter a draught of calamity, as the Babylonians by Gods righteous iudgement had mingled for them; and therefore the Lord would make the Edomites to pledge them in the &s;ame cup, and was more fauourable to the Iewes for their reioycing at them. For &s;o hee &s;peaketh to them both in the Lamentations: <HI>Reioyce, and be glad O daughter Edome that dwellest in the land of &V;z, the cup al&s;o &s;hall pa&s;&s;e through vnto</HI>
<PB N="27" REF="17"> <HI>thee: thou &s;halt be drunken and vomit. Thy puni&s;hment is accom|pli&s;hed, O daughter Zion: hee will no more carrie thee into captiuitie.</HI> Lam. 4. 21.</P>
<P>The doing of mi&s;chiefe to good men, the attempting of it, though they faile of their purpo&s;es, their wi&s;hing of it, though they dare not attempt it, and their reioycing at it when it is effe|cted by others, all this doth a&s;&s;uredly bring mi&s;chiefe on &s;infull mens owne heads.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to the aduer&s;aries of the Church, and Chri|&s;tians, that they deale more mildlie and moderatelie with them. The ca&s;e is their owne, they prepare for them&s;elues what|&s;oeuer they impo&s;e vpon others. The burdens which they lay vpon their neighbours &s;houlders mu&s;t be tran&s;ferred to their owne backes: the bread of affliction which they prouide for their brethren, in time will turne to their owne foode: the little-ea&s;e and dungeon wherein they &s;hut vp the innocent, mu&s;t in time be made their owne habitation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror to vngodly per&s;ons in regard of their dangerous condi|tion. Onely troubles they flie from, fearing them more then anie manner of &s;inne, and therfore account the life of afflicted Chri&s;ti|ans to be mo&s;t mi&s;erable: and trouble is that which flieth as fa&s;t after them to make a pray of them, which al&s;o will make their &s;tate ten thou&s;and times wor&s;e than any Chri&s;tians can be. And if it &s;o come to pa&s;&s;e in this life, as many times it doth, that the godly are lifted vp to pro&s;peritie, and the vngodly into grieuous aduer&s;itie, what a change will there be, and contrarietie of their e&s;tates in the life to come. Which appeareth in the parable of the rich man, and <HI>Lazarus.</HI> Here the rich man receiued his plea|&s;ure and <HI>Lazarus</HI> paine: but there is <HI>Lazarus</HI> in heauen, and the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16.</NOTE> rich man in hell: <HI>Lazarus</HI> is in <HI>Abrahams</HI> bo&s;ome, and the rich man in the flames of fire: <HI>Lazarus</HI> is comforted, and the rich man tormented. The be&s;t man in his be&s;t &s;tate here on earth, hath not a full inlargement, but onely inioyeth libertie of the pri&s;on: and the wor&s;t man in his wor&s;t &s;tate is not yet come to execution, but onely &s;itteth in the &s;tockes. But the mo&s;t perfect and ab&s;olute difference and change will be at the day of the Lord Ie&s;us, when &s;oule and bodie of the &s;aints &s;hall bee filled with glory and im|mortalitie,
<PB N="28" REF="18"> and &s;oule and bodie of &s;infull creatures &s;hall be ouer|whelmed with &s;hame, and perpetuall contempt. And herewith the Apo&s;tle comforteth the poore per&s;ecuted The&s;&s;alonians; <HI>It is a righteous thing with God,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you which are troubled re&s;t with vs, when the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;hew him&s;elfe from heauen with his mightie Angels. &amp;c.</HI> 2. The&s;&s;. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Con&s;olation to poore helpele&s;&s;e per&s;ons, if they bee al&s;o harmeles, that can find no friends which wil or can procure them deliuerance out of troubles. Few good are to bee found that take to heart the &s;ufferings of poore innocents, and few of tho&s;e that take them to heart, are able to preuaile any thing for them. But are there no wicked which may be heard of? Haue they no ene|mies which doe mole&s;t them? Alas, there be too many of the&s;e euery where, the world &s;warmeth with them. Then be of good comfort, you mu&s;t come forth that they may come in, the place mu&s;t be yeelded vp to the right owners. Cannot ye get a relea&s;e freely? will not intreatie worke your libertie? A price then &s;hall be giuen, a ran&s;ome &s;hall be payd for it, and you &s;hall be di&s;char|ged. For &s;uch a promi&s;e we haue from God in this booke: <HI>the wicked &s;hall bee a ran&s;ome for the iu&s;t, and the tran&s;gre&s;&s;our for the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 21. 18.</NOTE> <HI>righteous.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 9. <HI>A hypocrite with his mouth corrupteth his neighbour: but the righteous &s;hall be deliuered by knowledge.</HI></HEAD>
<P>DI&s;&s;emblers, and &s;uch as make a &s;hew of godlines, but denie the power thereof, are commonly mo&s;t hurtfull &s;educers, corrupting mens hearts with hurtfull &s;peeches, either deprauing that which is good, or iu&s;tifying that which is euill, and &s;o they infect their mindes with erronious opinions, and &s;tirre vp their hearts to &s;infull lu&s;ts, and peruert their waies with vngodly be|hauiour. But now to preuent the feares of the good, that they al|&s;o are like to be drawne into mi&s;chiefe, becau&s;e there are &s;o many hypocrites, and to take away the cloakes and &s;hifts from the wic|ked, which lay all the blame of their &s;innes on others which mi&s;|lead them, he &s;heweth the meanes whereby this hurt may bee
<PB N="29" REF="18"> auoyded, and that is, by getting knowledge, and being righ|teous.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Vngodly men are neuer more mi&s;chieuous then when they put on the vizzard of godlines. Though this may be proued by manifold te&s;timonies, as well out of the old te&s;tament as the new, yet we will rather exemplifie it by the experience of the times, then by allegations of &s;criptures. Through all the bookes before Chri&s;t, the fal&s;e prophets are almo&s;t euery where complained of. In the time of our Sauiour, the Prie&s;ts, Scribes, and Phari&s;ies of all others were his bittere&s;t enemies. The Apo&s;tles found none &s;o dangerous as fal&s;e Apo&s;tles and &s;uch as tooke vpon them to bee profe&s;&s;ours and preachers. <HI>Paul, Peter, Iude</HI> and <HI>Iohn</HI> are mo&s;t ample in giuing admonitions to beware of them. Euer &s;ince that time there haue been &s;prings, &s;treames, flouds, and &s;eas of &s;uper|&s;tition, idolatrie, violence, and all abomination in the kingdome of Antichri&s;t: and all vnder pretence of the Churches authority, zeale, deuotion, and good intendment.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, &s;uch are very forward and bu&s;ie in this &s;eruice of Sathan, (for diligent they are not to be e&s;teemed, vnle&s;&s;e they were better exerci&s;ed) and therefore the more hurt and mi&s;chiefe they doe. That <HI>Ieremy</HI> ob&s;erued in the wicked deceiuers of his age, <HI>that they</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 9. 5.</NOTE> <HI>taught their tongues to &s;peake lies, and tooke great paines to doe wickedly.</HI> And that our Sauiour repooued in the cur&s;ed Scribes and Phari&s;ies of his age, <HI>that they compa&s;&s;ed &s;ea and land to make one</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 23. 15.</NOTE> <HI>of their profe&s;&s;ion: and when hee was made, they made him twofold more the child of hell then them&s;elues.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are very deceitfull, and cunning: and therefore the &s;criptures compare them to craftie game&s;ters, and fowlers, which catch more birds artificially by lime-twigs, grinnes, and nettes, then they kill violently by throwing &s;tones at them. Of the&s;e guilefull per&s;ons the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, &s;aying: <HI>&s;uch fal&s;e Apo&s;tles are deceitfull workers, and tran&s;forme them&s;elues into the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 11. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t. And no marueile: for Satan is tran&s;formed into an Angell of light. Therefore it is no great thing, though his mini&s;ters tran&s;forme them&s;elues, as though they were the mini&s;ters of righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>They are the more venemous, by how much they are le&s;&s;e
<PB N="30" REF="19"> mi&s;tru&s;ted for the opinion that is had of them for pietie and goodne&s;&s;e doth prepare a pa&s;&s;age for their poi&s;on to enter into the bowels of mens &s;oules. When they are are reputed for god|ly, religious, wi&s;e, and iudicious, all is receiued which they &s;et a|broach, all is di&s;liked which they &s;et again&s;t. It is an ea&s;ie matter for a man to lo&s;e his pur&s;e, when hee followeth the robber as guide of his way. It is an ea&s;ie matter for a man to lo&s;e his life, when he maketh a poy&s;oner, and his enemie to be his Phy&s;ition.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to be very wary that their pe&s;tilent breath infect not our hearts to keepe our eares from hearkening to our per&s;wa|&s;ions, as much as we would refraine from one that had the plague &s;ore vpon him. When Woolues will put on Sheepe skins, when thornes will take vpon them to be vines, when thi&s;tles will be figge trees, and euill workers haue the place of Prophets, then our Sauiour admoni&s;heth vs to looke to our &s;elues, and take heede of them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, con&s;olation if wee corrupt not others with our tongues; but rather v&s;e them to heale the corrupted, this declareth that we are neither openly wicked in behauiour, nor &s;ecretly hy|pocriticall in heart: for a hole&s;ome tongue is euermore a certaine note of an vpright con&s;cience.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the righteous, &amp;c.]</HI> Though the tongue of the wicked be a deadly weapon to doe hurt: yet the knowledge of the godly is a defen&s;iue armour to pre&s;erue him from it. The medicine which Saint <HI>Peter</HI> doth pre&s;cribe, with his caueat to auoide the delu&s;i|ons of &s;ubtill &s;educers, doth after a &s;ort make a promi&s;e of reme|die again&s;t them, to &s;uch as &s;hall carefully receiue it. <HI>Beware</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>least ye he plucked away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your owne &s;tedfastnes. But grow in grace, and in the know|ledge of our Lord and Sauiour Ie&s;us Christ,</HI> 2. Pet. 3. 17. 18.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, Ignorance is that which giueth entertainement to errors, and all &s;ound knowledge excludeth them out of dores. Whom doth the fooli&s;h woman, or folly her &s;elfe call to her fea&s;t, but <HI>&s;uch as are &s;imple?</HI> Whom doth &s;he vtter her minde vnto, but to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 9. 16.</NOTE> <HI>&s;uch as are destitute of vnderstanding?</HI> And whom doe the lur|king corner-creepers &s;o much pray vpon as <HI>&s;imple women laden with &s;innes, and lead with diuers lusts?</HI></P>
<PB N="31" REF="19">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, men of knowledge haue their wits exerci&s;ed to di|&s;cerne betweene good and euill, betweene light and darkenes, be|tweene the &s;eruants of God, and the workers of iniquitie. They beare the image of God, and therefore know the image of God where it is, and &s;ee the defects of it where it is not. They carrie a light within them whereby they are able to di&s;couer the doc|trines of fal&s;ehoode, which are contrarie to the trueth, and the workes of darkenes which are contrarie to holines, and therefore can reiect them both.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the &s;ound knowledge of Chri&s;tians is not onely a &s;hield to warde off all dete&s;table errors, and damnable here&s;ies that they &s;educe not the mind, but al&s;o a pre&s;eruatiue to expell all flattering inticements, and &s;infull &s;ugge&s;tions that they corrupt not the heart. And that the holy Gho&s;t doth expre&s;&s;ely promi&s;e in this booke to euery one that doth loue, and labour for know|ledge. <HI>When wi&s;edome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge de|lighteth thy &s;oule, then &s;hall coun&s;ell pre&s;erue thee, and vnder&s;tanding &s;hall keepe thee, and deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that &s;peaketh froward things, and from them that leaue the waies of righthou&s;ne&s;&s;e, to walke in the waies of darkene&s;&s;e: which reioyce in doing euill, and delight in the frowardne&s;&s;e of the wicked,</HI> Prou. 2. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Encouragement to v&s;e diligence by all good meanes, in all Gods ordinances appoynted to that end to get vnder&s;tanding and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;ince our neede thereof is &s;o great, and the v&s;e &s;o good. Neither wealth, nor wit, nor any other thing can &s;tand vs in &s;o good &s;teede for the pre&s;eruation of our hearts as the&s;e doe. For they all without tho&s;e are treacherous and deceit|full, ready alwaies to betray vs, and open the dores to let in flatte|rie and corruption: but the&s;e haue faithfulne&s;&s;e and courage, and power, and con&s;tancie, to &s;tand for the defence of our &s;oule to the end.</P>
<P>Though there &s;hould come neuer &s;o many bands, and armies of Satanicall and helli&s;h hypocrites, and euery mans mouth were a a musket or cannon to &s;end out mo&s;t mortal, and deadly poy&s;on, yet if we be armed with the&s;e graces, we neede not to feare them. The Antichri&s;tian deceiuer cannot illude them that haue recei|ued <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The&s;. 2. 10.</NOTE>
<PB N="32" REF="20"> the knowledge and loue of the truth. The fal&s;e Chri&s;ts &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 24. 24.</NOTE> not deceiue the elect, as being protected by Gods power, and furni&s;hed with holy vnder&s;tanding. The diuell him&s;elfe with all <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 6.</NOTE> his fierie darts and temptations, &s;hall be re&s;i&s;ted and driuen backe by tho&s;e that haue on the brea&s;t-plate of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the other pieces of Gods complete armour. The Lord Ie&s;us by the &s;ound knowledge of the &s;acred Scriptures hath alreadie repul&s;ed and turned him to flight, and putteth the &s;ame weapon into our hands, with &s;trength and power to pur&s;ue him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Conuiction of them that are drawne away by euery iugler, and &s;infull companion. The Ie&s;uites, and Seminaries, the heretickes, and traytors, may di&s;gorge their &s;tomackes, and vomit vp their venome into their bo&s;omes, and they haue neither hand, nor heart, nor tongue, to reiect them, but &s;uffer them&s;elues to bee carried to errours, to here&s;ies, to idolatrie, to con&s;piracies, to trea&s;ons, to rebellions, to &s;hamefull executions, to fearefull dam|nation. Therefore they were not righteous, therefore they wan|ted knowledge, therefore they were naked and de&s;titute of all de|fen&s;iue armour. And here come al&s;o to bee taxed, as friends to corruption, all they that are enuious to vnder&s;tanding, and the meanes thereof, which thinke it &s;o much the more dangerous to &s;eeke for, by how much there are more which goe about to de|ceiue. But this hath been &s;ufficiently &s;poken of in the &s;ixteenth ver&s;e of the ninth chapter, e&s;pecially in the v&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 10. <HI>In the pro&s;peritie of the righteous the citie reioyceth, and when the wicked peri&s;h there is ioy.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>IN the pro&s;peritie of the righteous]</HI> that is, when things goe well with the~, <HI>the citie reioyceth,</HI> that is, the hone&s;t and well di&s;po&s;ed citizens, and countrie men be inwardly glad, and outwardly de|clare their ioy, by cheerfull countenance, and &s;peeches, and other meanes, as opportunitie &s;erueth to expre&s;&s;e the &s;ame. And &s;o doe they al&s;o at the death, and ouerthrow of oppre&s;&s;ours, and tyrants, and other wicked per&s;ons, by who&s;e fall the people ri&s;e, and who&s;e ruine is the repaire of the citie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Good men haue not onely Gods hand to giue them good
<PB N="33" REF="20"> things, but godlie mens hearts to bee ioyfull for them. When <HI>Mordecai</HI> was aduanced the citie of <HI>Shu&s;han</HI> reioyced, and was <NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;t. 8. 15.</NOTE> glad. And when the Lord &s;hewed his great mercie on <HI>Zacharie,</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth</HI> in giuing them a &s;onne, their kin&s;folke and neigh|bours <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 58.</NOTE> came and reioyced with them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the prouidence of God hath the di&s;po&s;ing of all mens af|fections: he deriueth their loue, and their hatred, their liking, and loathing to euery one, as &s;eemeth be&s;t to his owne wi&s;edome. And he hath appointed by decree in his coun&s;ell: by precept in his word; and by working of his &s;pirit that godly men &s;hall bee well affected towards the godly, and Chri&s;tians &s;hall bee tender hearted one towards another.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are all members of one bodie, and therefore a &s;ympathy, and fellow feeling of one anothers &s;tate is mutually a|mong them; <HI>If one &s;uffer, all &s;uffer with it: if one member be had in honour, all the members reioyce with it.</HI> 1. Cor. 12. 26.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdlie, it is well knowne that righteous men will make their brethren commoners with them in their pro&s;peritie. When they are aduanced, others &s;hall not bee di&s;graced thereby but honou|red: when they are inriched, others &s;hall not bee impoueri&s;hed thereby, but relieued: when they are made mightie, others &s;hall not be weakned thereby, but &s;upported. And &s;o it is &s;aid concer|ning <HI>Mordecai,</HI> that when the royall apparell was on his backe, and the crowne of gold on his head, that vnto the Iewes was come light, and ioy, and gladnes, and honour. He&s;t. 8. 16.</P>
<P>Now all this is contrary in the &s;tate of harmefull per&s;ons, when God declareth his anger by ca&s;ting them downe, the people pub|li&s;h their ioy by clapping their hands at them. At the lea&s;t Gods &s;eruants for Gods glorie, their owne peace, and the publike &s;afe|tie, take comfort in this mercie that is &s;hewed to the Church, in taking away &s;uch enemies. God inclineth their hearts to do this, and the crueltie of the enemie hath procured it, as the effects of both did manife&s;t at the drowning of <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> and de&s;truction of <HI>Si&s;era.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to them that bee de&s;irous to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the hearts of hone&s;t men, that they gaine them by iu&s;tice, and vpright beha|uiour, by mercie, kindnes, and goodnes. This cour&s;e will draw
<PB N="34" REF="21"> their de&s;ires to wi&s;h well vnto them: this will put arguments in|to their mouthes to &s;peake well for them: this will giue them in|couragement to further their aduancement: this will make their promotion acceptable to them, and then de&s;irous of the continu|ance and increa&s;e of the &s;ame. Now many men de&s;ire to be po|pular, but few to be righteous: it is ea&s;ie to affect the greatne&s;&s;e of <HI>Mordecai, who was &s;econd to the King, and great among his peo|ple, and accepted among the multitude of his brethren:</HI> but it is hard <NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;t. 10. 3.</NOTE> to follow his goodnes <HI>in procuring their wealth, and &s;eeking their peace,</HI> and pro&s;peritie. Good liking is not gotten by pompe and power, and fauour is not gained with wealth and riches, and loue is not commaunded by authoritie, and dignitie: the&s;e may be al|lured with goodnes, but neuer compelled by violence.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of enuious per&s;ons, that maligne the good e&s;tate of godlie Chri&s;tians: they reioyce not at their pro&s;peritie like wor|thy Citizens, but grieue, and vexe at it, like barbarous aliants: Either they labour to keepe them vnder that they &s;hall not ri&s;e, or to vndermine them that they &s;hall not &s;tand, as appeareth in the example of <HI>Daniels</HI> aduer&s;aries. But all is in vaine: they &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> 6.</NOTE> be fru&s;trate of their purpo&s;e, they &s;hall be foiled in their practi&s;e, they &s;hall be &s;hamed, and cur&s;ed, and plagued for their malitious hearts, and mi&s;chieuous enterpri&s;es. <HI>They that hate Zion, &s;hall all be a&s;hamed and turned backeward. They &s;hall be as the gra&s;&s;e on the hou&s;e tops, which withereth afore it commeth forth.</HI> P&s;al. 129. 5. 6.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>The citie reioyceth, &amp;c.]</HI> Godly men are the chiefe inhabitants where&s;oeuer they dwell.</P>
<P>They that reioyce at the pro&s;peritie of the righteous, are called the citie, the place hath denomination from them: and it is cer|taine that neither all, nor the mo&s;t, nor in many places the greate&s;t are &s;o wel affected, but contrary minded. So it is &s;aid in the booke of <HI>He&s;ter</HI> that when the decree was gone forth, whereby all the Iewes were pro&s;cripted and de&s;tinated to death, that the ci|tie of Shu&s;han was in perplexitie. Who was this citie there, but the poore condemned I&s;raelites, who from their fir&s;t comming thither were but &s;trangers and captiues? <HI>Aha&s;huerus,</HI> and <HI>Ha|man</HI> were not of the number: for they were merily drinking of wine; and a great number both in the Court, and Citie, as it may
<PB N="35" REF="21"> appeare, were glad of their mi&s;erie. So &s;aith the Apo&s;tle to the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 8.</NOTE> Romanes, Your faith is publi&s;hed throughout the whole world, meaning thereby in all the Churches.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they haue a good e&s;tate in their goods, and hold their li|uings by a right tenure, through Ie&s;us being inheritors of the earth: whereas none el&s;e are &s;o much as tenants at will by any right or warrant from God, but meere v&s;urpers intruding them|&s;elues without any allowance into his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, all others are aliants in Gods account, and only their vnderlings and &s;eruants. For &s;o he &s;peaketh of &s;uch as hold them|&s;elues to bee mai&s;ters and commaunders of many others: <HI>The &s;trangers &s;hall &s;tand and feede your &s;heepe, and the &s;onnes of &s;trangers &s;hall be your plow-men, and dre&s;&s;ers of your vines:</HI> I&s;ai. 61. 5.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Con&s;olation to them that haue the te&s;timonie of the faithfull, and approbation of godly Chri&s;tians in their behauiour. It is as good as if all the towne and countrie did commend them. And that was S. <HI>Iohns</HI> meaning when hee &s;aid that <HI>Demetrius had a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Ioh. ver&s;. 12.</NOTE> <HI>good report of all men.</HI> All wicked men would neuer &s;peake well of him, or if they &s;hould, it had been little for his credit: but fora&s;|much as the Apo&s;tle te&s;tifieth of him, and the trueth it &s;elfe al&s;o, it mu&s;t needes be that tho&s;e <HI>all men</HI> were all good men which knew his goodnes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror for them that haue the complaint of Gods &s;eruants a|gain&s;t them. Though they be magnified of the multitude, and applauded of neuer &s;o many wicked, they &s;hall neither haue true honour, nor &s;ound comfort thereby. The voices of Chri&s;tians will carrie the cau&s;e, and their verdict is that which will ca&s;t the faultie, if they conuict, the Lord will condemne: for they neuer a|gree all to finde any guiltie, but where the word of God, and his &s;pirit haue fir&s;t giuen in euidence again&s;t them. It went hard with <HI>Zanecherib</HI> when God told him that <HI>Zion</HI> de&s;pi&s;ed him, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 37. 22.</NOTE> laughed him to &s;corne, and &s;hooke her head at him. But what cared he for that? Did not he de&s;pi&s;e her as much? True it is, that he de&s;pi&s;ed her as much, but not with &s;o much danger to her. His was a vaine, fooli&s;h, ab&s;urd, and contemptible contempt, like pa|per &s;hot again&s;t a &s;trong bulwarke: but hers was mightie, and effectuall carrying force with it, like a Cannon again&s;t a weake
<PB N="36" REF="22"> cottage which will &s;hake it to peeces in a moment.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 11. <HI>By the ble&s;&s;ing of the righteous the citie is exalted: but it is &s;ubuerted by the mouth of the wicked.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe meaning is, that iu&s;t men are very beneficial to the &s;ocie|ties of men by their religious, prudent, and profitable &s;pee|ches: for &s;o the word <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> &s;ignifieth in many places: and &s;o it is here meant as the antithe&s;is &s;heweth; and &s;o a poore man in ad|uer&s;itie, may as well be an in&s;trument of good to his countrie, as a rich man in pro&s;peritie, as <HI>Salomon</HI> te&s;tifieth, Eccle. 9. 15. On the other &s;ide, the wicked with his mouth and hurtfull words, doth worke mi&s;chiefe among whom he conuer&s;eth.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <HI>By the ble&s;&s;ing, &amp;c.]</HI> A godly man will alwaies do good to the place where he dwelleth, that many &s;hall fare the better for him.</P>
<P>The land of Iudah found the trueth of this by comfortable ex|perience in the daies of their good Kings, and Prophets, as <HI>Ieho|&s;aphat, Hezechias, I&s;aiah</HI> and others, who obtained wonderfull deliuerances for their people at the hand of the Lord. The land of I&s;rael found the truth of it in the daies of their holie Prophets <HI>Eliah,</HI> and <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> who procured helpe again&s;t drowth, famine, and enemies, and therefore were called the chariots, and hor&s;emen of I&s;rael. What &s;hould I &s;peake of <HI>Io&s;eph,</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and <HI>Samuel,</HI> and <HI>Dauid,</HI> of <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> and <HI>Ezra,</HI> of <HI>Hester,</HI> and <HI>Mordecai,</HI> and many others, among whom S. <HI>Paul</HI> mu&s;t be of the <HI>Quorum,</HI> as one of eminent note, &s;pecially for that marueilous pre&s;eruation of all that &s;ailed in the &s;hippe with him, notwith&s;tanding they were very infidels.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, hee will preferre the welfare of the publike &s;tate, before his owne priuate aduantage and profite. When <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> might haue continued a fauourite, hee voluntarily for his commoditie &s;ake incurred the Kings di&s;plea&s;ure: when he might haue been great in Aegypt, hee rather for&s;ooke Aegypt: when hee might haue liued in credit, plea&s;ure, and plentie like a prince, hee cho&s;e to liue ob&s;curely, painefully, and hardly as a &s;hepheard. When <HI>Hester</HI> was bid to aske, and haue to the halfe of an ample and large empire, &s;he &s;et a&s;ide all re&s;pect of lands and liuings, and onely craued the liues of her people.</P>
<PB N="37" REF="22">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, he will apply his tongue to all tho&s;e meanes where|by hee may be&s;t effect his de&s;ire, and profit his neighbours: by prayers, by coun&s;els, by exhortations, and incouragements, and &s;pecially by &s;triuing again&s;t the &s;innes that are among them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Gods ble&s;&s;ing vpon him, doth make his ble&s;&s;ing pro&s;perous to others. For wicked men many times doe &s;peede the better for the fauour of the Lord which doth accompanie his &s;eruants. <HI>Laban</HI> knew, and acknowledged, that therein hee was much be|holden to <HI>Iacob,</HI> not onely for his faithfulnes and paines, but for the good effect and &s;ucce&s;&s;e of them. <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> ma&s;ter, and <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> keeper, and <HI>Pharaohs</HI> hou&s;e, and all the land of Aegypt &s;ped the better for the goodnes of God towards <HI>Io&s;eph.</HI> On the other &s;ide, in the &s;infull per&s;on, euery thing is otherwi&s;e. His tongue and talke is hurtfull and noy&s;ome. Hee is wholy carried with &s;elfe loue, and priuate lucre. All his endeuours be to accompli&s;h his owne wicked purpo&s;es, and his meanes thereunto be vnlawfull and hurtfull. As hee by rebellion hath prouoked the wrath of God again&s;t him&s;elfe, &s;o is the cur&s;e &s;ent out after him, and brin|geth a iudgement many times vpon the place where he is, and the people that are about him, and the countrie wherein hee li|ueth.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to v&s;e all kindnes to godly men, &s;ince we enioy &s;o great a ble&s;&s;ing by them. If they helpe to exalt the citie, let them be al&s;o exalted in the citie, or be well &s;poken of, or haue good affection borne vnto them: at the lea&s;t beware that they be not iniuriou&s;ly oppre&s;&s;ed. The vnrea&s;onable creatures which are commodious to the owners, will euery wi&s;eman bee willing to haue, and carefull to keepe well. The in&s;en&s;ible trees which bring forth plentie of good fruite, are husbandly dre&s;&s;ed, and heedeful|lie pre&s;erued, that nothing doe barke the bodie, nor brow&s;e vpon the branches, nor breake downe the boughes. And &s;hall not faithfull men be regarded, which doe more good in better man|ner, to greater numbers, for longer continuance? God forbid that we &s;hould be &s;o vnthankefull, as to requite euill for good: or &s;o improuident, as to hinder our good by requiting of euill? or &s;o fooli&s;h and franticke as to ouerturne our former good, and change it wholy into euill and mi&s;chiefe. For that is the euent
<PB N="38" REF="23"> that commonly en&s;ueth vpon &s;uch as deale vnkindly with tho&s;e who deale kindly with them. This cau&s;ed <HI>Ieremie</HI> to turne his petitions, and accu&s;ations, and his interce&s;&s;ions into imprecati|ons. <HI>Shall euill be recompenced for good? for they haue digged a pit</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 18. 20.</NOTE> <HI>for my &s;oule: Remember that I &s;tood before thee to &s;peake good for them, and to turne away thy wrath from them. Therefore deliuer vp their children to famine, and let them drop away by the force of the &s;word, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reprehen&s;ion of &s;uch as are &s;poilers of their cities, and not ex|alters; which ruinate townes, and cities, and countries, but erect nothing but their owne hou&s;es (habitations they are not proper|lie to be called, becau&s;e they &s;eldome dwell in them) and tho&s;e they make &s;umptuous for pride and o&s;tentation. Of &s;uch the Prophet &s;peaketh when he &s;aith, that <HI>de&s;olation and de&s;truction are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 59. 7.</NOTE> <HI>in their pathes:</HI> they make hauocke of all that commeth within their walke, and lay all wa&s;te before them. And here the Ie&s;uits, and Seminaries, and the whole crue of the&s;e vnnatural, barbarous, and cruell Papi&s;ts are to be condemned, which doe as greedily thir&s;t after the bloud of their King, and countrimen, and the &s;ub|uer&s;ion of the kingdome and countrie, as any forraine enemies in their greate&s;t ho&s;tilitie are po&s;&s;ibly able.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 12. <HI>Hee that is de&s;titute of wi&s;edome de&s;pi&s;eth his neigh|bour: but a man of vnder&s;tanding will keepe &s;ilence.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A Fooli&s;h man which hath a beggerly heart, as the words &s;ig|nifie, being voide of &s;ound iudgement, and &s;anctified know|ledge of Gods holy will, de&s;ireth to vilifie others, e&s;pecially &s;uch as feare God, and to make them appeare ba&s;e and contemptible. And this is done &s;ometimes in bitter anger, by rayling, reuiling, and contumelious reproches; and &s;ometimes in &s;currill mirth, by girding ie&s;ts, and laughter; and &s;ometimes in hidden craft, by fal&s;e reports and &s;launders. But they which haue more wi&s;edome, will frame them&s;elues to better behauiour: they will not onelie keepe &s;ilence from offering that indignitie to them that prouoke them not thereunto, but will al&s;o forbeare to requite them with reproaches, which haue not &s;pared to &s;eeke their di&s;grace. For &s;o
<PB N="39" REF="23"> doth <HI>Dauid</HI> te&s;tifie of him&s;elf in this ca&s;e: <HI>I am as a man that hea|reth not, and as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth.</HI> P&s;al. 38. 13.</P>
<P>They which are the mo&s;t contemptible per&s;ons, are the grea|te&s;t contemners of others. As wi&s;edome aboue all other things doth make a man to be excellent, &s;o needes mu&s;t the want of it make him to be ba&s;e: and yet &s;uch as come not only too &s;hort of the perfection, but not at all to the beginning thereof, are readie to &s;port at them which are mo&s;t graced with it. <HI>When the wicked</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 18. 3.</NOTE> <HI>commeth,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Salomon, then commeth contempt, and with the vile man, reproach.</HI> None &s;coffed &s;o much at <HI>Dauid</HI> as the abiects, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 35. 15.</NOTE> the drunkards made &s;ongs of him. None mocked <HI>Iob</HI> &s;o much as the vagabonds who were no better then their fathers, and their fathers not &s;o good as dogges. <HI>They were the children of fooles, and the children of villaines, which were more vile then the earth. And yet he was their &s;ong, and their talke, they &s;pared not to &s;pit in his face.</HI> Iob 30. 1. 8. 9. 10.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, where wi&s;edome is wanting, there pride aboundeth (as an emptie &s;tomack is full of winde) and pride bringeth di&s;daineful|ne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e they conceiue of wonders in them&s;elues, and di|&s;cerne of nothing but wants in others. The blinde bragging Pha|ri&s;ie was not a&s;hamed to come into Gods owne pre&s;ence, to de|praue the humble poore Publicane, who was incomparably the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 18. 9. 11.</NOTE> better man.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are de&s;pi&s;ers of God him&s;elfe, reiecting his coun&s;ell, and ca&s;ting his word behind their backes, and there|fore it is no &s;trange thing that they &s;hould offer de&s;pite to mor|tall men.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, contempt is in all equitie, their owne due portion, and God hath appointed in his iudgements, that they &s;hall recouer their right to them&s;elues, by making an offer.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Confutation of them which take it to be the fruit of their wi&s;|dome, and ripenes of their wit, to haue a dexterity in breaking of ie&s;ts vpon men to make the~ to be laughed at. So farre they think they &s;hew the rarenes of their vnder&s;tanding, as they can make men to feele the keenenes of their tongues. But God which be&s;t knoweth who be wi&s;e, and what is wi&s;edome, doth charge them to be vnwi&s;e, and void of wi&s;edome. He to whom it belongeth
<PB N="40" REF="24"> to conuince fooles, and to puni&s;h them, doth mar&s;hall the&s;e a|mong the great fooles that &s;hall be puni&s;hed.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In&s;truction as to keepe our &s;elues from the &s;ocietie of &s;uch companions, vnle&s;&s;e we be duely called into place; &s;o not to bee di&s;maied, though in our callings, and for weldoing, they &s;hoote their bolts at vs. Their &s;tronge&s;t arrowes are but &s;trawes, and their &s;tronge&s;t archers are but dwarfs and Pigmees. The Lord him&s;elfe doth animate vs again&s;t the greate&s;t of them by the Prophet: <HI>Feare yee not,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>the reproach of men, neither be yee</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 51. 7. 8.</NOTE> <HI>afraide of their rebukes. For the moath &s;hall eate them vp like a gar|ment, and the worme &s;hall eate them like wooll.</HI> If a worme, and a maggot will proue &s;tronger then they, and get the victorie of them, why &s;hould their words be more regarded then wormes, and maggots? Ideots, and naturals we care not for though they &s;hould raile vpon vs, and giue reuiling &s;peeches: poore creatures they are to be pitied, they want wit, they know not what they &s;ay: and why then &s;hould the&s;e bee &s;o much re&s;pected, which are to bee lamented for want of wi&s;edome, and &s;ay they know not what?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 13. <HI>He that goeth about as a talebearer, di&s;couereth a &s;e|cret: but he that is of a faithfull heart, concealeth a matter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>IN this place, and in the ninteenth of Leuiticus ver&s;e 16. and el&s;ewhere the holy Gho&s;t compareth bu&s;i-bodies, and &s;uch as delight to deale in other mens matters, to petie chapmen, and pedlers, which carry wares about, &s;elling in one place, and buying in another; and two markes of lewdnes he brandeth them with, as fir&s;t, that they haue fal&s;e and vnfaithfull hearts: and then that they haue loo&s;e and blabbing tongues that can keepe no coun|&s;ell, but tell all that they heare. They will draw on men by their newes and reports to open their minds and &s;ecrets vnto them, which after they will publi&s;h to others. From both which vices hee cleareth all good men, their hearts are faithfull, and their tongues are &s;ilent to couer &s;uch matters as loue requireth them to hide, and dutie and con&s;cience do not bind them to lay open.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> A &s;launderous tongue will be as readie to defame them whom it
<PB N="41" REF="24"> &s;peaketh vnto, as whom it &s;peaketh again&s;t. It trafficketh alto|gether by exchaunge, it will deliuer nothing to you, but vpon condicion to receiue &s;omewhat from you. It will neuer beare an emptie packe, but de&s;ireth where ought is vttered, and taken out, there to take &s;omewhat to be put in, y^t it may haue choi&s;e for other places. This is the cau&s;e why the Lord forbiddeth to chaffer, or to haue any dealing at all with &s;uch manner of per&s;ons, though they make &s;hew of neuer &s;o great loue and kindnes towards vs. <HI>Hee that goeth about as a &s;launderer, di&s;couereth &s;ecrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips,</HI> Prou. 20. 19.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the &s;ame cau&s;e that moued him to relate others mens af|faires to thee, will likewi&s;e induce him to di&s;couer thine to other men: and that is want of loue, a de&s;ire to be plau&s;ible in &s;atisfying itching eares, and hypocri&s;ie, making re&s;emblance to hate tho&s;e faults which he cen&s;ureth in others.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly they haue been trained vp in that trade, and there|fore cannot leaue it, neither will they at any time neglect their markets for any mans &s;ake.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they haue not the power, and gouernment of their owne tongues, but Sathan hath, who&s;e gunpowder they are, and if he put fire vnto them, they cannot chu&s;e, but take. And that Saint <HI>Iames</HI> meaneth when he &s;aith, <HI>that the tongue is &s;et on fire on hell,</HI> that is by the deuill that helli&s;h &s;pirit, Iam. 3. 6. Now hee is a continuall fal&s;e accu&s;er, and makebate betweene God and man, and man, and man, and friend and neare&s;t friend, and therefore looke for no fauour at his hands.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction: Fir&s;t, if wee would bee tru&s;ted, and haue men im|part their minds vnto vs without &s;u&s;picion of vs, let vs auoid the di&s;cour&s;es of other mens infirmities and labour rather to pray for them, and heale them. If we de&s;ire that any man &s;hould powre his coun&s;els into our eares: let him not &s;ee one another mans dropping out of our mouthes; for then he may ea&s;ily know what will become of his owne. 2. To be warie to whom wee commit our &s;ecrets: not to bu&s;ie talkers, not to idle walkers, not to them that are hollow harted. If they be briars, and thornes, as <HI>Micah</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah 7. 5.</NOTE> calleth them, if they carry prickes in their mouthes, and guile in their &s;oules, and &s;inne in their liues, tru&s;t them not, put not confi|dence
<PB N="42" REF="25"> in them, keepe &s;hut the dores of thy lippes from them, though they were friends, though they were coun&s;ellours, though they were yoke-fellows. E&s;pecially let vs not communi|cate with them in giuing them hearing of their vncharitable ob|trectations, nor tru&s;t them in our &s;ecrets: for it were iu&s;t and righ|teous that they &s;hould be di&s;clo&s;ed and brought to light for a re|compence of our ra&s;h and vnlouing credulitie.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 14. <HI>Where no coun&s;ell is, the people fall: but where many coun&s;ellours are, there is health.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>VVHere there is no coun&s;ell]</HI> Where godly and holie in&s;tru|ction for guiding the heart and behauiour, and graue and prudent aduice for gouernment of &s;tate, either dome&s;ticall, or publike, doe faile, there <HI>the people doe fall,</HI> that is, the gouernours them&s;elus, and they that are in &s;ubiection to them, doe runne into many mi&s;chiefes of grieuous di&s;orders, and mi&s;erable de&s;truction. For what in that ca&s;e is to be expected from &s;uperiours, but vio|lence and oppre&s;&s;ion? And what from inferiours, but fal&s;ehoode and di&s;obedience? And what from all &s;orts, but impietie and wickedne&s;&s;e? And what then from God, but heauie &s;troakes and puni&s;hments? <HI>But where many coun&s;ellors are,</HI> which be faithfull, and giue wi&s;e and whole&s;ome coun&s;ell, and that is al&s;o imbraced and followed, there is health, that is, religion and iu&s;tice, peace, plentie, and &s;afetie, with God gracious fauour and ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Nothing is more nece&s;&s;arie and profitable to any &s;tate then good coun&s;ell, where this is wanting, there the beautie and brightne&s;&s;e of authoritie is away. The multitude of men, the wealth of the people, the &s;trength of munition, and the mightie force of armes will little auaile, if wi&s;e men be not imployed in the weightie affaires. And this cau&s;ed <HI>Salomon</HI> to make &s;uch compari&s;ons, that lowly and &s;ubmi&s;&s;e words of a poore wi&s;eman, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle. 9. 17. 18</NOTE> are more to be regarded, then the crie of an vnwi&s;e ruler, with his fooles about him; and that wi&s;edome is better then &s;trength, and al&s;o then weapons of warre.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, there is no more &s;ufficiencie in any one man, by his owne wi&s;edome without the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of others, well to order the mat|ters
<PB N="43" REF="25"> of a kingdome or &s;tate, then for one alone to gouerne a great &s;hip, without the helpe of other Sailers or officers. <HI>Dauid</HI> pro|fe&s;&s;eth of him&s;elfe that he was wi&s;er then his enemies, then his <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 98. 99.</NOTE> teachers, then the auncient, and yet hee &s;ought out the mo&s;t pru|dent men in all I&s;raell, as <HI>Hu&s;hai,</HI> and <HI>Achitophell,</HI> &amp;c. to helpe him with direction. Who euer, but Chri&s;t, &s;ince <HI>Adams</HI> fall, could &s;ay that he was as wi&s;e as <HI>Salomon?</HI> who hopeth to bee &s;o wi&s;e? Who can be &s;o wi&s;e, vntill the end of the world? and yet he made choi&s;e of a coun&s;ell to con&s;ult with, and to confirme him&s;elfe, and his people by.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, it is a mercie of God to a prince and people, to giue them many eyes to &s;ee with, many eares to heare with, many tongues to &s;peake with, many mindes to bee in continuall ex|erci&s;e for the benefit, &s;afetie and pre&s;eruation of the whole &s;tate.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, it is one of his great iudgements, either to take away coun&s;ellours from a nation, or to take away wi&s;edome from the coun&s;ellours. This was threatned to Ieru&s;alem and <HI>Iudah</HI> by <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 3. 1. 2.</NOTE> <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> that the Lord of ho&s;ts would depriue them of their &s;tay, and &s;trength, the pillers of their countrie, and the props of their liues, and tho&s;e were not onely bread and drinke, and Warriours, and Iudges, but Prophets al&s;o, and the prudent, and the aged, and the coun&s;ellours, that &s;o they might be ea&s;ily ca&s;t downe, yea ruinated, and brought to du&s;t of their owne accord. And concer|ning the other branch, that it &s;hould not bee taken for an ordina|rie and gentle correction to his faithfull children, but a rare and &s;euere puni&s;hment to his di&s;&s;embling enemies, he doth aggrieue it in another place, and &s;et it forth in &s;uch manner as might make it mo&s;t fearefull to vs. <HI>Behold,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>I will doe a marueilous worke in this people, euen a marueilous worke, and a wonder: for the wi&s;edome of their wi&s;e men &s;hall peri&s;h, and the vnder&s;tanding of their prudent men &s;hall be hid.</HI> I&s;a. 29. 14.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction that the care of our &s;elues, the regard of our friends, the loue to our neighbours, our duetie to Prince and Countrie &s;hould &s;tirre vs vp to call vpon God, that as he hath coun&s;ell and wi&s;edome, and is wi&s;edome and vnder&s;tanding, &s;o he would &s;tore vs with able and learned Mini&s;ters for the Church, and wi&s;e and prudent &s;tates-men for the Common-weale: and that they
<PB N="44" REF="26"> which are &s;o qualified, may haue their imployment, and they which are &s;o imployed, may &s;hew them&s;elues faithfull, and they which are faithfull, may al&s;o bee pro&s;perous. And &s;o a lay man may bee a profitable Church man, and &s;o a priuate per&s;on may doe good &s;eruice to the King, and all his dominions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of &s;uch as tru&s;t to them&s;elues, and their owne wi&s;e|dome, and thinke they &s;tand in neede of none. For their &s;oules, they know as much as all the preachers can tell: for their beha|uiour, when to &s;peake, and when to bee &s;ilent, what to &s;ay, and what to conceale; for actions to be performed, or forborne, they haue as much iudgement as any man: for their &s;tate, how to ma|nage their affaires, and what cour&s;e to take for their gaine, and commoditie, they wil learne of none of them all, &amp;c. And this is a fault the more to be reprehended, when they contemptuou&s;ly re|iect coun&s;ell which they may heare, when they de&s;pi&s;e the coun|&s;ell of God which is offered vnto them, when like <HI>Pharao</HI> and <HI>A|chab</HI> they make choi&s;e of &s;uch as &s;hall illude and deceiue them. For that is very v&s;uall and common with many purpo&s;ely to a&s;|&s;ociat them&s;elues, and harken to &s;uch as will quell in them the feare of all Gods admonitions, rebukes, and threatnings, and giue them incouragement to any idolatrie, &s;uper&s;tition, impietie, wan|tonne&s;&s;e, vnthriftines, worldlines, and all &s;uch euils as their hartes are mo&s;t affected vnto. But mo&s;t of all is their &s;inne notorious, which doe not onely refu&s;e coun&s;ell them&s;elues, but wi&s;h and de|&s;ire that there were no coun&s;ellours to others, e&s;pecially &s;uch as might informe them in the way of God to bring them to &s;aluati|on. They complaine of the number of preachers, one is &s;ufficient for a whole countrie: they exclaime of the frequencie of prea|ching, one &s;ermon is enough for halfe a yeere. And of this &s;ort the bloudie traiterous Papi&s;ts are offendours in a high degree. They doe not onely wi&s;h fewer coun&s;ellours, and le&s;&s;er &s;tore of preaching, but &s;eeke by violence to effect it, as their practi&s;es de|clare. They would in a moment haue de&s;troyed the King, and all his Cleargie, all his priuie Coun&s;ell, all his Iudges and Coun|&s;ell learned in the Lawes, all the great Coun&s;ell of Nobilitie, and Commons a&s;&s;embled in Parliament: and afterwards all the god|ly Mini&s;ters and Chri&s;tians throughout the whole kingdome.
<PB N="45" REF="26"> Are the&s;e the friends of the people? Doe they wi&s;h them to bee pre&s;erued from peri&s;hing? doe they de&s;ire and labour for the health of their nation?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 15. <HI>He that is &s;uretie for a &s;tranger &s;hall wholy be broken: but he that hateth tho&s;e that clap hands, is &s;ure.</HI></HEAD>
<P>HIs purpo&s;e here is to giue men admonition to beware of &s;ureti&s;hip: which he doth inferre by two rea&s;ons, fir&s;t, from the hurt and danger which they runne into that be not well adui|&s;ed therein: and &s;econdly, from the peace and &s;afetie which they inioy that heedefully auoyd the perill thereof. Now he doth not ab&s;olutely condemne all &s;ureti&s;hip (for then would <HI>Paul</HI> haue <NOTE PLACE="marg">Philem. ver. 18</NOTE> neuer vndertaken for <HI>One&s;imus)</HI> but ra&s;hnes onely therein, is that which is here, and in other places reprooued. For it may &s;ome|times be a worke of mercie to become &s;urety, as well as to lende or giue. By <HI>&s;tranger,</HI> is not meant all, or onely vnknowne per|&s;ons. For it may fall out to be a dutie of Chri&s;tian loue, that way to helpe and relieue &s;ome &s;uch as we were neuer before acquain|ted with, and a neere neighbour, a familiar friend, a kin&s;man, a brother may in this ca&s;e be a &s;tranger to vs, when it is not &s;afe to vndertake for him. As fir&s;t, if there be like to grow detriment to the borrower, as taking mony, or any other commodities vpon hard conditions, and at vnrea&s;onable rates, or for needele&s;&s;e ex|pences, and vnthriftines, or any way to the hurt of his &s;tate or con|&s;cience. Secondly, if it tend to the hurt and damage of the len|der that he is in danger to be defeated of his owne, and to &s;u&s;taine lo&s;&s;e by our meanes. If wee our &s;elues are to bee intangled by it, the &s;umme and valew of the debt beeing more then we are able either to pay, or well to &s;pare: when ones owne creditours by that occa&s;ion, mu&s;t be defrauded of their due, when our wiues, children, and families which haue al&s;o an intere&s;t in our &s;ub&s;tance, &s;hall be robbed of their portion and maintenance, and bereaued of the fruit of their owne labours. Then hee &s;heweth a remedie again&s;t it, to hate &s;uch as clappe hands, that is, to hate and feare to be clappers of hands our &s;elues, for the ratifying and confir|mation of promi&s;es in this vnadui&s;ed &s;ureti&s;hip, and &s;o we &s;hall be
<PB N="46" REF="27"> &s;afe and &s;ure in this behalfe. Prouided yet, that we take not other cour&s;es that be cou&s;en-germanes to it, &amp; as dangerous and hurt|full as that is: as negligently without all care and regard to run into debts and arrerages, or ventrou&s;ly without due con&s;iderati|on of mens faithfulne&s;&s;e, and abilitie, to lend foorth our monie, wares, or cattell, and &s;o to put our &s;tate into the hands of &s;trangers.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> A ra&s;h &s;urety doth &s;eldome liue in peace without trouble and mi&s;erie. Such a one, as though cro&s;&s;es were too few, and too &s;low, doth increa&s;e and ha&s;ten them to him&s;elfe. He giueth his hand to his neighbour to put &s;trength and weapons into his neighbours hands, to his owne woe and vexation. Hereof hath <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;poken alreadie in the &s;ixt chapter: <HI>My &s;onne, if thou be</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 6. 1. 2.</NOTE> <HI>&s;uretie for thy neighbour, and hast &s;tricken hand with the &s;tranger, thou art &s;nared with the words of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the words of thine owne mouth.</HI> Before a man doth volunta|rilie in&s;nare him&s;elfe, he is like a bird that hath the libertie of the whole ayre, to flie whether &s;nee will at her plea&s;ure, but after hee hath bound him&s;elfe by promi&s;e and couenant, he is like a bird in a net, and in the fowlers hand, that may be killed, or caged, or gi|uen to children to play with, or otherwi&s;e dealt with according to the fowlers will, and yet the poore bird, is either &s;urpri&s;ed in her owne place, or allured by hope of foode to the baite, not knowing that &s;he is in any petill, whereas the &s;uretie doth wilful|lie ca&s;t him&s;elfe into danger, being forewarned of the euent, that would follow, and hath no baite of any gaine, or benefite laide for him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, he cannot but liue in great feare, and di&s;traction of mind, le&s;t the party for whom hee hath vndertaken, &s;hould either faile of fidelitie, and purpo&s;ely ca&s;t his debt vpon him, or el&s;e &s;hould come too &s;hort of abilitie, and prooue vn&s;ufficient to di&s;charge it him&s;elfe. So if another be in want, then mu&s;t he be in woe: If another be vnthriftie, then he mu&s;t be vnhappie: if another be fal&s;e, then he mu&s;t needes be brought to a fall.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, God doth ofter by a prouidence whet the hearts of creditours, and &s;harpen them again&s;t &s;ureties which fall into their hands. And that wee &s;hould not deceiue our &s;elues in this ca&s;e,
<PB N="47" REF="27"> with expectation of fauour, he telleth vs what is to be looked for, if we growe too bold and hardie. <HI>Be not thou of them that touch the hand, nor among them that are &s;urety for debts. If thou hast no|thing to pay, why &s;hould he take thy bed from vnder thee?</HI> Prou. 22. 27. Now this <HI>why &s;hould,</HI> is &s;et downe by way of threatning, according as it is al&s;o in &s;ome other places of &s;criptures, as when <HI>Amaziah</HI> &s;aid to the Prophet, <HI>haue they made thee the Kings coun&s;ellour?</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Chro. 25. 16.</NOTE> <HI>cea&s;e thou: why &s;hould they &s;mite thee?</HI> And as hee giueth a caueat for euery one to take heede of entring into &s;ureti&s;hip, or el&s;e not to thinke it &s;trange if they feele the &s;mart of it, &s;o hee granteth a warrant to creditors, to deale roundly with ra&s;h &s;ureties, and not to be too &s;paring of them. <HI>Take his garment,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>that is &s;uretie for a &s;tranger and a pledge of him for the &s;tranger.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the mi&s;erie which hee draweth vpon him&s;elfe, when the burden of payment, and forfeiture &s;hall light vpon his backe, will pearce his heart with bitter griefe and &s;orrow when his eyes &s;hall behold the &s;poile of his goods, which either he hath gotten with labour and trauaile, or his friends haue giuen him in loue and kindnes, or his wife hath brought him in hope and expecta|tion: when his eares &s;hall heare the crie of his family and people that are frighted with terrors, and bitten with hunger, and &s;taruen with cold, and pinched with all kinds of want and penurie. When his bones and whole bodie &s;hall be re&s;trained from his hou&s;e and hou&s;ehold, from vocation and calling, from friends, from recrea|tions and comforts, from libertie and freedome, and clapt vp in a clo&s;e and loath &s;ome pri&s;on.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of them that thinke it neither &s;infull again&s;t God, nor hurtfull to them&s;elues, but a point of good fellow&s;hip to yeeld to any mans reque&s;t in &s;uch a matter. They take it to bee the ea&s;ie&s;t way to gratifie a friend, and lea&s;t painful and chargeable to giue their word for him, yea and bloud al&s;o, if they be thereto required, as though the charges &s;tood onely in be&s;towing their breath, and their paines, in putting their hand and &s;eale to the ob|ligation. And who are mo&s;t forward this way, but &s;uch as haue lea&s;t care to performe their promi&s;e? And whom doe they &s;o readily vndertake for, as tho&s;e that be &s;hifters, and mo&s;t vnable to keepe touch with their creditours? And as it fal&s;eth out in bor|rowing,
<PB N="48" REF="28"> &s;o it commeth to pa&s;&s;e in bayling, that bad pri&s;oners haue &s;eldome better &s;ureties, and men that be greatly offen&s;iue, mo&s;t commonly offer their word for grieuous offendours. And many times they are caught, and brought into the trap, their deare friends of whom they had &s;o good opinion, doe giue them the &s;lip, and leaue them in the lurch, and then they clamour, and crie out, yet onelie again&s;t the vnfaithfulne&s;&s;e of the man whom they beleeued &s;o well, but not again&s;t their owne vnfaithfulne&s;&s;e which would not beleeue God who forewarned them of the pe|rill. Nay they &s;till cleare them&s;elues, though their owne follie conuince them, they giue commendations of their owne cour&s;e, though friends, and family, though Gods te&s;timony, and their owne wofull experience condemne them. Their loue, they &s;ay, and friend&s;hip, their good nature, and kinde heart hath wrought them all that &s;orrow. Nay, rather it was crueltie, and vnmerciful|nes to your owne hou&s;e. It was ra&s;hnes, a bad nature, and a foo|li&s;h heart that brought you into all this mi&s;erie. Haue you de&s;pe|rately throwne your &s;elues into a quicke &s;and, and will you lay all the blame vpon others for your &s;ticking in the mire?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Defence of them which are not flexible to &s;erue euery mans turne with bond and couenants, but will fir&s;t know the per&s;on for whome they make their promi&s;e, and bee acquainted with his trueth and hone&s;tie, and with his &s;tate and habilitie; and con&s;ider al&s;o of their owne &s;ufficiencie, whether they can without any great difficultie, di&s;charge that which they take vpon them, if their neighbour &s;hould faile. But this is want of good neighbourhood, &s;ay they. But this is a point of good wi&s;edome, &s;aith God, who neuer alloweth that neighbourhood for good, which &s;warueth from holy di&s;cretion. His commandement is: Thou &s;halt loue thy neighbour as thy &s;elfe, and therefore no man is bound to loue him more then him&s;elfe, e&s;pecially when it is with hatred of him|&s;elfe, and hurt of many others. And in deede it is no worke of true loue, but of fle&s;hly friend&s;hip: for loue doth neuer leade a man to doe any thing which God appointeth him to hate, as in this place he doth all ra&s;h &s;ureti&s;hip.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="49" REF="28">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 16. <HI>A gracious woman maintaineth</HI> her <HI>honour, as &s;trong men keepe riches.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A <HI>Gracious woman]</HI> Which is indued with the feare of God, and the heauenly gifts of the holy Gho&s;t, <HI>doth maintaine,</HI> that is, doth both get and hold a reuerend e&s;timation and credit, <HI>as &s;trong men</HI> be of abilitie to obtaine wealth, and riches, and to defend that which they haue.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> They which haue grace &s;hall neuer want honour, how meane and weake &s;oeuer they be.</P>
<P>Euen women which are of the weaker &s;exe, euen poore wo|men which neither haue parentage, nor beautie, nor rich apparell to &s;et them forth, are yet reckoned among the&s;e honourable per|&s;onages, if they haue vertue: for it is affirmed of euery one, with|out exception of any. S. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;heweth that there is no wife, nor woman <HI>of pure conuer&s;ation, who&s;e heart is vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet &s;pirit, but &s;he is much &s;et by of God, and become Sarahs daughter.</HI> 1. Pet. 3. 2. 4. 6. And if the Lord &s;o well like of all holie women, he doth as much take plea&s;ure in all holy men: if hee bee more delighted with their pietie and lowlines, then with gold and &s;iluer, with pearles, and precious &s;tones, and all co&s;tly appa|rell; then he will more e&s;teeme al&s;o of the faith and loue, and o|ther graces of the&s;e, then of lands, and liuings, and titles, and all manner of dignities. If they be tran&s;planted into <HI>Sarahs</HI> kindred, and haue her for their mother; then the&s;e are incorporated into <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;tocke, and haue him for their father.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they haue the con&s;tant &s;pirit of God con&s;tantly re&s;ting vpon them, and that is <HI>a &s;pirit of glory,</HI> as Saint <HI>Peter</HI> te&s;tifieth, 1. Peter 4. 14. As therefore that can neither be kept away, becau&s;e Gods hand doth be&s;tow it; nor any plucke it away, becau&s;e Gods hand doth pre&s;erue it: no more can any &s;tay them from receiuing prai&s;e and commendation, nor wre&s;t it away from them, when they haue it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, as the excellencie of Chri&s;tians doth not con&s;i&s;t in bodily pompe, but in &s;pirituall graces, and behauiour; &s;o it is not &s;o much apprehended with mens eies, as with their hearts: their
<PB N="50" REF="29"> con&s;ciences will prai&s;e them, when their tongues reuile them, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith: <HI>we approoue our &s;elues to euery mans con&s;cience in the &s;ight of God.</HI> He would not appeale to their lippes before men, <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 4. 2.</NOTE> but to their &s;oules before the Lord, and then hee was &s;ure they would iu&s;tifie him, though in &s;peech many would condemne him. Now if it bee &s;o, a womans grace will as well &s;hine to their hearts, as a mans: a poore bodies as well as rich folkes: &s;o long as they remaine godly, a&s;well as when they began to be godlie, and more at the la&s;t then at the fir&s;t, becau&s;e their light groweth daily greater, and brighter.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, it is true honour to haue the loue and liking of God and good men for vnfained godlines and goodnes; and this be|longeth to all the faithfull though neuer &s;o meane and feeble. They will hold fir&s;t the feare of God in their hearts, that none can bereaue them of it: they will diligently doe the will of God in their liues, that none can hinder them from it, and then who &s;hall forbid God to &s;hew them the light of his countenance? and who &s;hall alienate the hearts of Gods people from wi&s;hing them well with kind and hartie affection?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of many &s;innefull women which &s;eeke not honour by vertue, but vanitie, not by grace but gari&s;hnes. And that they maintaine with might and maine, with heart and hand, with teeth and tongue, and all the meanes which may be deui&s;ed. It is as ea&s;ie to take a pur&s;e of golde from a &s;trong armed &s;ouldier, as to per&s;wade them to leaue their pride and idlenes, and other wic|ked wayes which they v&s;ually walke in.</P>
<P>But be&s;ides the&s;e, there are other men and women to be repre|hended, which are as vncon&s;tant in any good cour&s;e, as the&s;e are ob&s;tinate in euill. They haue entred into the way of godlines with good commendation in the beginning, and leaue off the race in the midde&s;t, and runne to &s;infulne&s;&s;e with the world in the later ende. They cowardly &s;uffer them&s;elues to bee ouercome, and rifled, and robbed of their honour: their crowne is taken from them, their glorie is turned into &s;hame and reproach, and cau|&s;eth them to renounce that goodnes which before they &s;eemed to imbrace: to for&s;ake the fellow&s;hip of Chri&s;tians with whom they were wont to conuer&s;e: to neglect the duties of pietie which
<PB N="51" REF="29"> they were wont to exerci&s;e, to giue ouer the care of their families, which they were wont to in&s;truct? Euen this that they would not be de&s;pi&s;ed and brought to contempt: they would not be moc|ked and ie&s;ted at for preci&s;enes: they would not lo&s;e their cre|dit, and good account. But is honour preferred by ca&s;ting off grace? will this be a meanes to make them glorious, to &s;hake off vertue, and &s;hew them&s;elues vicious? They vtterly deceiue them|&s;elues: for our text &s;aith, that they mu&s;t bee gracious per&s;ons which &s;hall be able to maintaine and keepe their honour.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation for poore maligned and mole&s;ted Chri&s;tians, who&s;e weakenes the power of the wicked &s;eekes to play vpon: and who&s;e meanes the pompous proude worldlings haue in de|ri&s;ion, and &s;triue al&s;o to make contemptible to all others. The highe&s;t &s;inner in the world is vnable to hurt the lowe&s;t &s;aint, or the mo&s;t glorious among them, to &s;hame the mo&s;t feeble among the&s;e. It is as po&s;&s;ible for a young childe by force to wring the weapons out of a giants hand, or take his monie out of his bo|&s;ome, or to draw his heart bloud out of his body, as it is to &s;trip any one good man of his reuerent e&s;timation. And what meane they then to &s;urmi&s;e that a few of them, and &s;uch as bee in di&s;|grace with God, and all prudent men can bring downe, and ca&s;t to the ground the whole Church of God? Let them know that euery woman of Chri&s;t his armie, is too hard for any man, for all men, yea and for all the fiends that are in Sathans campe: Euerie child may bid defiance to him, and his whole ho&s;t of per&s;ecutors. God is our defence, and therefore they cannot ouerthrow vs: God is our glorie, and accounteth vs for glorious, and therefore they cannot &s;hame vs. In <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> this is often pre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Feare thou not, I am with thee, be not afraid, for I am thy God: I will &s;trengthen thee, and helpe thee, and will &s;ustaine thee with the right hand of my iu&s;tice. Behold, all they that prouoke thee, &s;hall bee a&s;hamed and con|founded: and they that &s;triue with thee &s;hall peri&s;h. Feare not thou worme Iacob, and yee men of I&s;rael: I will helpe thee, &s;aith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the holy one of I&s;rael. Thou wa&s;t precious in my &s;ight, and thou wa&s;t honourable and I loued thee, &amp;c.</HI> I&s;a. 41. 10. 11. 14. and 43. 4.</P>
<P N="1">1. For men that are trulie gracious and yet timerous, and full
<PB N="52" REF="30"> of dread, le&s;t Sathan &s;hould take aduantage by their imbecillity, and want of courage and learning to draw them to apo&s;ta&s;ie, and back-&s;liding. Con&s;ider that hee can keepe backe none from ob|taining honour, who&s;oeuer either man or woman doth &s;oundly endeuour to be godly, doth take a &s;ure and infallible way to bee well thought of: none euer failed, or was di&s;appointed of that &s;uc|ce&s;&s;e. Remember al&s;o that when God hath once giuen it, the di|uell can neuer take it away from any, but it remaineth to their liues end, and to the worlds end, and world without end: then be well a&s;&s;ured that is vnable to depriue vs of grace, and con&s;tant faithfulnes: for that is the &s;pring from whence the other floweth: that is the bodie of the light, and the other but the beames which proceede from the brightne&s;&s;e of it.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 17. <HI>He that is a mercifull man rewardeth his owne &s;oule: but he that is cruell troubleth his owne fle&s;h.</HI></HEAD>
<P>BY <HI>a mercifull man,</HI> is ment &s;uch a one, as with a tender and pi|tifull heart doth good both to the bodies and &s;oules of men according to their neede, and his owne abilitie. And freely al&s;o remitteth wrongs, and pa&s;&s;eth by offences without reuengement. Where it is &s;aid that <HI>he rewardeth his owne &s;oule,</HI> the &s;en&s;e is, that he procureth to him&s;elfe both &s;oule and bodie a reward from God, and that as certaine, as large, and continuall, as if the fulne&s;&s;e of power were in his owne hand, to be&s;tow vppon him&s;elfe as much happine&s;&s;e for as long time as his heart could po&s;&s;iblie de&s;ire.</P>
<P><HI>But he that is cruell]</HI> Which either in violence or rigour v&s;eth to offer men hard mea&s;ure, or &s;hutteth vp his compa&s;&s;ion from them that are in affliction, that he will no way releeue or &s;eeke to com|fort, troubleth his owne <HI>fle&s;h,</HI> that is, hurteth his owne bodie, and in like manner his &s;oule al&s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Euery mans dealing with others &s;hall rebound to him&s;elfe, whether it be in cruelty, or kindnes. Mercifull men &s;hall receiue mercy from Gods owne hand, and from their brethren, whom he will &s;tirre vp to &s;hew loue and fauour vnto them: and tho&s;e which are fierce and boi&s;terous to others, &s;hall not faile to be recompen|ced
<PB N="53" REF="30"> in time: the Lord will be as &s;euere as they are cruell; and as &s;trict in iu&s;tice to them, as they are rigorous in extremitie to o|thers. And this &s;hall not alwaies be re&s;erued to the la&s;t day, or to their death, or to the torments in the world to come, but &s;poi|lers be many times &s;poiled in this life, oppre&s;&s;ors bee oppre&s;&s;ed, and tyrants be ouerthrowne by tyrannie. And therefore our Sa|uiour giueth an admonition, that they which would not bee iud|ged, &s;hould not iudge: they which would not bee condemned, &s;hould not condemne: they which would be forgiuen, &s;hould be readie to forgiue: they which would haue giuen vnto them, &s;hould giue vnto others. <HI>For with what mea&s;ure yee mete,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>&s;hall men mea&s;ure to you againe;</HI> Luk. 6. 37. 38. To &s;pare to &s;peake of &s;uch arguments as may be gathered from the e&s;tate, and name of mercifull men, and the contrarie, becau&s;e they follow hereafter in this chapter, and wee would not fore&s;tall our &s;elues, we wil hold our &s;elues to the words as they are literally fet downe in the text, and make it appeare that euery mans owne &s;oule re|ceiueth mo&s;t good by the goodnes which hee exerci&s;eth towards others.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it is a forcible meanes for grace to be increa&s;ed in him, and Gods ordinances to be ble&s;&s;ed to him. Hee heareth the word of God delightfully, and it worketh effectually in him. No people were more ready to di&s;tribute to the reliefe of their brethren, then the poore Churches of Macedonia, and <HI>Paul</HI> had neuer greater <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 8. 1. 2.</NOTE> effect and comfort of his mini&s;terie then in the Macedonian Churches. So doe they pray with feruency and boldnes, and good hearts, then with mercie and fauour. <HI>Dauid</HI> had incouragement <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 86. 2.</NOTE> to call vpon God for the pre&s;eruation of his &s;oule, when he could truely pleade that he was mercifull. <HI>Cornelius</HI> lo&s;t not his labour in praying, but found a comfortable and ble&s;&s;ed &s;ucce&s;&s;e when the Angell could tell him, that his almes came vp together with <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 10. 4.</NOTE> his praiers in remembrance before God.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, it maketh way for comfort in feares, temptations, and afflictions: it inuiteth godly men to repaire vnto vs, it ma|keth them de&s;irous to refre&s;h our hearts: it &s;trengtheneth their hope in their &s;upplications to God: it mini&s;treth arguments for per&s;wa&s;ion to our &s;elues. Or if they &s;hould not come at vs, or
<PB N="54" REF="31"> hope &s;o well of vs, or deale &s;o well with vs, yet out owne con&s;ci|ences with the te&s;timony of Gods &s;pirit would &s;upport our &s;oules in greate&s;t extremitie, as <HI>Iob</HI> did find by happie experience. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 31.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> It is a trea&s;ure that is &s;afely layed vp in heauen for our glorie, whereof much will be giuen vs when we &s;hall be di&s;&s;olued, and goe to Chri&s;t, but mo&s;t of all, when we &s;hall be re&s;tored, and Chri&s;t come to vs. At his glorious appearance, &s;hall they appeare in glorie which haue been pitifull to his members, and fruitfull in mercie. They &s;hall &s;tand at his right hand, and to them &s;hall he &s;ay, <HI>Come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father, inherit the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world.</HI> But all goeth <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25. 34.</NOTE> cro&s;&s;e with carnall per&s;ons. The Lord giueth them no grace by his word and other ordinances, but challengeth them for com|ming into his hou&s;e with bloodie hands. As he hath &s;topped his <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1</NOTE> eares at the crie of the poore, &s;o he &s;hall crie him&s;elfe and not bee heard. Mi&s;erie will mi&s;erably torment him; his hou&s;e is not a &s;afe <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 21. 13.</NOTE> place for Chri&s;tians to re&s;ort vnto; Lions dennes &s;eldome fit for Lambes to be in: when good men be pre&s;ent, what can they &s;ay to mitigate his feares, or to le&s;&s;en his &s;orrowes? If others be &s;i|lent, will his owne con&s;cience &s;peake for him? Nay of all, that and the lawe of God will bee mo&s;t forward and forcible to ac|cu&s;e and condemne him. And then at his death he commeth in|to the ca&s;e of the rich man &s;poken of in the Go&s;pell, that was tor|mented with flames: at the re&s;urrection that &s;entence &s;hall be <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16.</NOTE> pronounced vpon him, which was indited long agoe, <HI>Depart from me ye cur&s;ed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the di|uell and his angels,</HI> Matth. 25. 41. All this, vnle&s;&s;e he repent, is vn|doubtedly belonging to him, be&s;ides the continuall perill of &s;troakes and iudgements to light vpon his bodie, which euery moment may iu&s;tly be feared.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Incouragement to goe cheerefully about the works of mercie, &s;ince they are &s;o profitable to our &s;elues. Some of them &s;eeme to be very chargeable, and cannot be performed without expen&s;es: yet we gaine more than we giue, we receiue more than we lay out, we doe good to other mens bodies, but make the be&s;t match for our owne &s;oules. Others &s;eeme very painefull and require both trauell and patience, and many be altogether vnplea&s;ant to
<PB N="55" REF="31"> our nature: yet our wages doth counteruaile, and ouerpoi&s;e all our worke and labour: for we cannot put our bodies to &s;o much toyle and trouble in any &s;eruice of Chri&s;tian loue, as we &s;hall ob|taine to our hearts, delightfull plea&s;ures with re&s;t, and peace, and ioy and gladnes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to them that are fearefull of them&s;elues, and doubtfull of the &s;tate of their &s;oules, they feele not them&s;elues to beleeue, they finde not the pearcing of godly &s;orrow, and there|fore they call into que&s;tion their faith and repentance. But are they mercifull men? Doe they beare a burthen with the afflicted members of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t? They dare not &s;ay &s;o directly, but their owne hearts tell them that they would mourne more with them, and doe more for them if they were able. Their de&s;ires then and willingnes exceede their abilitie, and what &s;urer note can there be of true mercie?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Rewardeth his owne &s;oule, troubleth his owne fle&s;h, &amp;c.]</HI> They are the be&s;t husbands which be&s;t prouide for the good of their owne per&s;ons. To bee carried with carnall &s;elfe-loue is a vice which is worthie to be condemned: to be lead with Chri&s;tian loue of ones &s;elfe, is a vertue which is much to be commended. The one draw|eth a man to wickednes, the other driueth him from it, to good|ne&s;&s;e: the one cau&s;eth him to be hurtfull to his neighbours, the other maketh him helpefull vnto them: the one &s;eruing him&s;elfe &s;infully, doth vtterly vndoe him&s;elfe, the other applying him&s;elfe to the &s;eruice of God faithfully, doth procure his owne ble&s;&s;ed|nes for euer. When the Apo&s;tle would bring an argument that &s;hould be per&s;wa&s;iue and forcible, and mo&s;t likely to preuaile with rich men to worke mercie and liberalitie in them, he chu&s;eth this, <HI>That they &s;hould lay vp for them&s;elues a good foundation a|gainst</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 6. 19.</NOTE> <HI>the time to come, that they might obtaine eternall life.</HI> It were to no purpo&s;e to lay vp onely for children, for heires, executors, or admini&s;trators, though they were &s;ure to haue children, and friends, and their children, and friends were &s;ure to inioy their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions: but to inrich them&s;elues, is truely to be rich; and to haue ones wealth per&s;onally in him&s;elfe, and for him&s;elfe, and not onely about him, is to he rich in deede.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the current or &s;treame of all the promi&s;es, and threat|nings,
<PB N="56" REF="32"> runneth this way: the reward of all obedience, and the puni&s;hment of all iniquitie tendeth to this purpo&s;e. Ble&s;&s;ings vpon goods and cattell, vpon grounds, and fruite trees, vpon children and familie, are but appendances to the &s;ub&s;tantiall ble&s;&s;ings which are conferred vpon &s;oule and bodie, e&s;pecial|lie for the eternall &s;tate of both. And &s;o when cur&s;es fall on the outward things of wicked men, it is, that they may ga|ther weight by the way to pre&s;&s;e the heauier vpon their owne per&s;ons.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, though one haue neuer &s;o great plentie of earthly things, and abundance of all kinde of pro&s;peritie, yet if him&s;elfe be not his owne, but de&s;tructions, what trea&s;ure can doe him good? <HI>What doth it profit a man to winne the whole world, if he lo&s;e his owne &s;oule?</HI> Matth. 16. 26. So, though one haue neuer &s;o great penutie of earthly things, and abundance of all kinde of afflicti|ons, yet if he pre&s;erue his quicke &s;tocke, that is, him&s;elfe from being a &s;poyle to &s;inne and Satan, no creature can hurt him, his mi&s;erie will droppe off from him, his cro&s;&s;es and &s;orrowes will vani&s;h away, and come to nothing.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to be diligent in all tho&s;e meanes whereby we may be&s;t benefit our &s;elues, with commodities of greate&s;t valew. As fir&s;t, to labour for true pietie and religion: to be well acquain|ted with God, and his holy word: to receiue in&s;truction, to haue it in e&s;timation, to obey it in con&s;tant exerci&s;e. And hereof the holie Gho&s;t &s;peaketh in the ninth chapter, <HI>If thou bee wi&s;e, thou &s;halt be wi&s;e to thy &s;elfe, and if thou bee a &s;corner, thou alone &s;halt &s;uf|fer.</HI> Secondly, the performance of the dueties of mercie, is a gainefull trade for the &s;oule to thriue by: it bringeth in good &s;tore of comforts for pre&s;ent v&s;e, and helpeth men to a &s;tocke of ioy and happines for an other day. And therefore our Sauiour doth per&s;wade vs to v&s;e it, and giueth vs libertie to make our v&s;e of it. <HI>Sell that yee haue,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>and giue almes; make to your &s;elues, bagges which waxe not old, a trea&s;ure that can neuer faile in heauen, where no theefe commeth, neither moath corrupteth;</HI> Luk. 12. 33. It is dan|gerous, and &s;infull to hoord vp much gold, and to keepe it too long; but &s;afe and commendable to heape vp good workes in a|bundance, and neuer depart with them while the world &s;tandeth:
<PB N="57" REF="32"> they &s;hall be &s;ure to take no harme, and we &s;hall bee &s;ure to want no good.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that are frugall and thriftie, and neate, and husbandly for euery thing but for them&s;elues. Their carable is dunged, and tilled, and &s;owne: their pa&s;tures are mounded, ban|ked, and trenched: their trees are pruned, their gardens are wee|ded, their cattell are carefully looked vnto: and all this while they &s;uffer their hearts to be ouergrowne with &s;innes, as the wild wa&s;t is with weedes and briars: there is no fence to keepe the di|uell out of their &s;oules: they grow like nettles and brambles to be cut vp, and ca&s;t into the fire. Euery one of their hor&s;es, euery &s;heepe, euery cowe, euery &s;wine and pig is in better ca&s;e then them&s;elues. They deale, as if they &s;hould trimme their haire, but wound their head: or be heedfull to their nailes, but let their fin|gers rot off: or keepe their garments whole, but permit their skin to be rent, and torne into peeces.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 18. <HI>The wicked worketh a deceitfull worke: but hee that &s;oweth righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;hall receiue <HI>a &s;ure reward.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe wicked worketh a deceitfull worke]</HI> He is continually practi|&s;ing of &s;ome euill, which will neuer faile, to make his expe|ctation to faile. <HI>But he that &s;oweth righteou&s;nes,</HI> which con&s;tant|ly, and con&s;cionably is exerci&s;ed in doing good, <HI>&s;hall haue a &s;ure reward,</HI> partly in this life, with a competent mea&s;ure of comfor|table pro&s;peritie, and perfectly in the life to come, with glorious immortalitie. The &s;en&s;e will bee the better di&s;cerned, if the op|po&s;ition be &s;et downe in this manner: The wicked worketh a de|ceitfull worke by &s;owing of iniquitie, and therefore &s;hall bee de|ceiued in his reward: but the godly worketh a faithfull worke by &s;owing of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and therefore &s;hall receiue a &s;ure reward.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Vngodly men &s;hall bee &s;ure to finde their &s;innes more dange|rous and hurtfull then they looked for. Their familiar friend whom they loue &s;o deerely, and make &s;o much of, which is mo&s;t in their mouthes, in their hearts, and in all their waies, it will &s;urely &s;hew them a &s;lipperie tricke at the la&s;t. Saint <HI>Paul</HI> can &s;ay
<PB N="58" REF="33"> as much to this point, as any man, by the experience he had of it. Few had neerer acquaintance with it then hee at the beginning, and none had a greater breach with it in the ende then hee. And then he keepeth no coun&s;ell, but telleth all that hee found (and God auerreth all that he telleth) <HI>that &s;inne had deceiued him, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 11.</NOTE> <HI>&s;laine him.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it putteth them in vaine hope to effect many exploites which they can neuer bring to pa&s;&s;e, but al their indeuours recoile vpon them&s;elues. How many &s;tones did <HI>Saul</HI> ca&s;t vp to braine <HI>Dauid?</HI> which all lighted on his owne pate. How &s;mall a matter did <HI>Haman</HI> thinke it to kill <HI>Mordecay?</HI> yea to de&s;troy all the Iewes? which fell on his owne per&s;on, with his familie, and other friends. How &s;ure were trayterous Papi&s;ts, and vndoubtedly af|fured to blow vp the Parliament, and all e&s;tates of the kingdome? and yet of them&s;elues diuers were blowne vp to the gallows, and all the re&s;t, vnle&s;&s;e they repent, are likely to be blowne downe to hell.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they dreame of a greater felicitie and happines in their &s;infull cour&s;es, then euer they can attaine vnto. When <HI>Abimelech</HI> was a&s;piring to the kingdome, when hee was per&s;wa|ding the Sichemites, when hee was murdering his brethren, and making them out of the way, what did he once thinke of, but of cap, and knee, of honor, peace, &amp; &s;afetie? He had concluded that there would bee no mole&s;tation and trouble, no breach of coue|nant, and di&s;loyaltie, at lea&s;t no perill of life, e&s;pecially by the hand of a woman: that all his authoritie &s;hould bee brought to &s;uch an ebbe, as onely to haue power remaining to commaund his page to runne him through with his &s;word. The fit and pa&s;&s;ion of di&s;temper that <HI>Ahab</HI> fell into when <HI>Naboth</HI> denied him his vineyard, declareth euidentlie how happie a man hee made rec|koning to be when he &s;hould get it. And yet the occurrents which fell out at his taking of po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion ouerturned all his happine&s;&s;e. He intruded him&s;elfe thereinto with iolity and mirth, but <HI>Elijah</HI> &s;ent him out againe with heauine&s;&s;e and griefe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> They pre&s;ume of &s;ecre&s;ie, that their &s;hameful facts &s;hall be hid|den, and neuer brought to light, whereas they cannot po&s;&s;iblie be concealed. For God him&s;elfe doth &s;ee and ob&s;erue them, and
<PB N="59" REF="33"> who &s;hall forbid him to reueile and di&s;couer them? <HI>Adam</HI> was a|way when <HI>Caine</HI> &s;lew his brother, and <HI>Eue</HI> was not there, and <HI>Abel</HI> was made &s;ure enough for complaining, and <HI>Caine</HI> him|&s;elfe was &s;ilent enough from boa&s;ting of it, and no bodie el&s;e was in the fields, either to &s;ee <HI>Caine</HI> &s;triking, or to heare <HI>Abel</HI> crying, and yet out it came, and knowne it is, and euery man can &s;peake of it. <HI>Gehe&s;i</HI> made not all the town of his coun&s;ell whe~ he follow|ed <HI>Naaman</HI> for the monie, he asked not his mai&s;ter leaue, to goe after him, nor made report of his dealing, and &s;ucce&s;&s;e afterward; and yet <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> could tell him, and hath declared to vs, and all o|thers whither he went, and how hee &s;peed, and what his intent was in the di&s;po&s;ing of his monie, namely, to buy oliues, and vineyards, and &s;heepe, and oxen, and men-&s;eruants, and maid-&s;er|uants, and to become a great man. What &s;hould wee &s;peake of the plotting of <HI>Ananiah</HI> and <HI>Sapphira,</HI> and of <HI>Dauids</HI> adultery, and murder, which were &s;o clo&s;ely contriued as they imagined, that neuer any man &s;hould haue had intelligence of them?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, they haue taken &s;ecuritie for impunitie. Either they hope to e&s;cape all puni&s;hment, or el&s;e that it will be &s;o light that they may ea&s;ily beare it, or &s;o &s;hort that they &s;hall quickelie pa&s;&s;e thorough it. Whereas the Law of God threatneth the contrarie, <HI>That the Lord will make their plagues wonderfull, euen great plagues,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 28. 59.</NOTE> <HI>and of long continuance, and &s;ore di&s;ea&s;es of long durance.</HI> And if they will appeale from threatnings to promi&s;es, from the Law, to the Go&s;pell, from <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> to Chri&s;t, let them heare the &s;entence that Chri&s;t pa&s;&s;eth vpon &s;uch manner of per&s;ons: <HI>They &s;hall goe into hell, into the fire that neuer &s;hall be quenched. Where their worme</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark. 9. 44.</NOTE> <HI>dieth not, and the fire neuer goeth out.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> Fiftly, they haue conditioned and indented with &s;inne, before they entered into the gro&s;&s;e practi&s;e of it, that they would leaue it againe after a time, and &s;o by repentance preuent both the &s;hame and puni&s;hment. But they know not that all &s;infulne&s;&s;e is craftie, and cruell: when it hath them, it will hold them, and that fa&s;t by the heart, and keepe them in perpetuall bondage and thraldome.</P>
<P>They may with as good &s;afetie drink vp &s;trong poi&s;on, and pre&s;cribe it a mea&s;ure how farre it &s;hall worke: or ca&s;t them&s;elues
<PB N="60" REF="34"> into the raging &s;ea with limitation how deepe they will &s;inke, and how long they will make their &s;tay there. All the &s;eruants of &s;in and Satan are chained vp in pri&s;on and not at libertie to depart at their owne wils: for the will it &s;elfe is kept in hold, and neuer re|lea&s;ed, before the Lord with a forcible hand of grace doe deli|uer it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, not to &s;uffer our &s;elues to be abu&s;ed by &s;uch a cou&s;ening companion. If a &s;hifter &s;hould carrie about a pack of counterfeite wares, it were a poynt of wi&s;edome to refu&s;e to buie of him, e&s;pecially if they were infections, and &s;uch as would in|danger our hou&s;es with the pe&s;tilence. Now there is not vnder heauen any Conicatcher that liueth &s;o much by his wit, as &s;inne and wickednes doth by wiles: which doth not defraude men of their money, but of their &s;aluation; which bringeth not plaguie &s;tuffe to kill the bodie onely, but mo&s;t pernicious corruptions to de&s;troy both &s;oule and bodie for euer.</P>
<P>And &s;ith the workes of iniquitie be all &s;o deceitfull, let vs hear|ken to the words of God, and the coun&s;ell of godly men, which we &s;hall be &s;ure to finde very faithfull. The per&s;wa&s;ion of Satan &s;eemed more plau&s;ible to <HI>Eue,</HI> than did the commandement of the Lord; but &s;he had e&s;caped the venome and poi&s;on of Satans per&s;wa&s;ion, if &s;he would haue giuen heed to the Lords comman|dement.</P>
<P>The note of wilfull vncha&s;t per&s;ons in their mi&s;erie, will be the &s;ong of all other &s;inners that refu&s;e to receiue admonition: <HI>How haue I hated in&s;truction, and mine heart de&s;pi&s;ed correction! and haue</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 5. 12. 13.</NOTE> <HI>not obeyed the voice of them that taught me, nor inclined mine eare to them that in&s;tructed me! Within a little &s;pace I am in all euill in the mid&s;t of the congregation and a&s;&s;emblie.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that vndertake the defence of &s;ubtill &s;inne, that offer them&s;elues to be compurgatours for her; if &s;he &s;ay that &s;he is hone&s;t and vpright, they will &s;weare, they thinke it true. What euill is there, of Idolatrie, &s;uper&s;tition, &s;wearing, Sabbath-breaking, crueltie, wantonnes, yea abominable whoredome, pride and riot, but it &s;hall haue proctors to pleade for it, and giue coun|tenance to it? And mo&s;t commonly they are the men, that of all others euery way for &s;oule and bodie, for &s;ub&s;tance and credit,
<PB N="61" REF="34" MS="y"> haue been mo&s;t plagued by her. Her craftines hath &s;o inchanted them, that by her v&s;age &s;he hath gotten their harts for euer. Their wits, their tongues, their pennes, their practi&s;e of life, and all &s;hall be altogether for her again&s;t God and his word, again&s;t all godly men, again&s;t all ciuill men, again&s;t their owne e&s;timation and &s;tate, comfort and &s;aluation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> God is a &s;ure paima&s;ter to all that labour faithfully in his &s;er|uice. Though their &s;trength bee not great, nor their worke very much, yet if their de&s;ires be &s;ound, and their endeuours vpright, their recompence will al&s;o bee certaine. The Prophet <HI>Azariah</HI> knew that he &s;pake a&s;well to po&s;teritie as to tho&s;e of his owne age, and as truly to Gods people as to King <HI>A&s;a</HI> and his people: <HI>Be &s;trong, and let not your hands be faint: for your worke &s;hall haue a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Chro. 15. 17.</NOTE> <HI>reward.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the couenant is plaine and without all doubtfulnes: there is no equiuocation in it, there is no mentall re&s;eruation to peruert the meaning of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the couenant maker is ab&s;olutely perfect, and euery way all &s;ufficient. His wi&s;edome fore&s;eeth what things are fit to promi&s;e: his truth doth binde him to doe all that is promi&s;ed: his mercie doth moue him to doe more than he promi&s;eth: and his power doth &s;erue him to performe what&s;oeuer his wi&s;edome &s;eeth meete, his truth hath vndertaken, or his mercie willeth vnto his &s;eruants.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;tigation to &s;hew all diligence in doing good, and let no time &s;lip away without &s;ome fruitfull exerci&s;e. Of men &s;ome hire their workfolks by the yeere, &s;ome by the half yeere, &s;ome by the moneth, &s;ome by the week, and &s;ome by the day: but God giueth vs wages for euery minutes worke, for euery moments worke, for euery gracious &s;peech, for euery holy thought, for imployment in our beds, for patience in our &s;icknes, for good v&s;age of recrea|tions: there is no &s;ea&s;on, no &s;tate, nor place, wherein a good man may not be well occupied, for the increa&s;e of his wages. The &s;ame rea&s;on doth S. <HI>Paul</HI> v&s;e to incite the Corinthians, and all other godly Chri&s;tians, to bee very laborious and painfull in all good &s;eruices continually, &s;eeing there will be a re&s;urrection, and a re|tribution to euery man according to their waies. <HI>Therefore my</HI>
<PB N="62" REF="35"> <HI>beloued brethren</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>be ye &s;tedfa&s;t, vnmoueable, abundant al|way</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15. 58.</NOTE> <HI>in the worke of the Lord, fora&s;much as ye know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Incouragement to patience, though we &s;eeme not to haue pre|&s;ent pay for our obedience. Our wages is in a &s;ure hand, and will not faile to be yeelded vnto vs when our neede requireth it, or a|ny v&s;e may bee made of it, for our be&s;t aduantage. Our wages is better than ordinarie; the whole crop that we &s;ow is giuen vs for our labour, and therefore let vs not be too ha&s;tie to reape it be|fore it bee readie. Good Farmers, indeede, pay the ploughmen &s;ooner than the corne is ripe, but cheaper tha~ the corne is worth: whereas God be&s;toweth freely vpon his labourers all that they haue &s;owen, it is their owne, and therefore let them tarrie till har|ue&s;t, and they &s;hall finde their hire will farre &s;urmount their tra|uels. This is the ground of the Apo&s;tles per&s;wa&s;ion to the Gala|thians: <HI>Let vs not be wearie of well doing: for in due &s;ea&s;on we &s;hall reape, if we faint not.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6. 9.</NOTE></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 19. <HI>So righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e leadeth to life, and he that followeth euill &s;eeketh his owne death.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THis ver&s;e is inferred vpon the former, by way of explicati|on, to &s;hew what he meant by the deceiueable worke of the wicked, and the &s;ure wages of the righteous. And fir&s;t he begin|neth with the latter according to the manner of the Hebrewes, declaring that life, vnder&s;tanding thereby immortalitie and all the ble&s;&s;ednes annexed vnto it, is that &s;ure reward which all god|ly men may vndoubtedly expect: and de&s;truction both of &s;oule and bodie eternally, is the ende whereunto the deceitfull worke will bring wicked men, which do &s;o much deceiue them&s;elues by a greedie de&s;ire of &s;ati&s;fying their &s;infull lu&s;ts.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> The Lord hath not onely appointed a certaine reward, but a precious for his &s;eruants. Nothing can be better then &s;uch a hap|pie life, and &s;uch a happie life as he deemeth nothing to good for them to enioy. Hereof the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh to the Romans: <HI>The wages of &s;inne is death, but the gift of God is euerla&s;ting life through Ie&s;us Christ.</HI> Rom. 6. 23.</P>
<PB N="63" REF="35">
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> This is to &s;et forth the bountie and &s;uperabundant munificence of God the father, that the riches of his loue and goodnes, may be magnified aboue all creatures. Hee putteth into the hearts, and power of &s;infull men, to giue gold and &s;iluer, to giue iewels and trea&s;ure, to giue lands and liuings, to giue titles and dignities, to giue crownes and kingdoms; but neither men nor Angels could euer giue life to any, or keepe their owne by their owne power: the liuing Lord, and eternall God, is he that maketh all his Saints, as well in heauen, as in earth to liue eternally.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly the Lord Ie&s;us our Sauiour hath by his dying killed death, and bought life, and by his re&s;urrection triumphed ouer death, and won life for euery one of his members: yea he him&s;elfe is the life of his people which beleeue in him, who maketh them partakers, by an euerla&s;ting communion with him, of his owne life. He layd it downe for them, and tooke it vp againe for them, and imparts it vnto them: it is as po&s;&s;ible for him to peri&s;h, as them, and the whole Deitie as him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the &s;eed of grace whereby the &s;onnes of God are re|generate is an immortall &s;eede, as S. <HI>Peter</HI> calleth it, and of the nature of the father that begetteth them, and therefore they mu&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 23.</NOTE> needes receiue life, and retaine life, and neuer after bee depriued of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, without this life the children of God were in no bet|ter ca&s;e then other creatures. For either they &s;hould bee &s;ubiect to eternall death, which is the condition of the wicked reprobats, or el&s;e be extinct and aboli&s;hed with a finall di&s;&s;olution, which is the &s;tate of vnrea&s;onable bea&s;ts.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to labour for righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and preciou&s;ly to ac|count of it, &s;ince it procureth &s;o precious a reward to vs, and that from the fauour and kindne&s;&s;e of our gracious God. Hee that &s;triueth earne&s;tly herein may truely be &s;aid to worke for life. For life is propo&s;ed, and life he &s;eeketh, and life he &s;hall finde. If great wages were vncertaine, or certaine wages were but &s;mall, it would be but a &s;mall incourageme~t to take great paines; but &s;eeing now it is &s;o &s;ure, and &s;o large, and &s;o good, what is too much to be per|formed, and what is too grieuous to bee indured for the &s;ame? True it is that righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e will call for trauell, and rai&s;e vp
<PB N="64" REF="36"> trouble, but it is as true that all the trauels and <HI>afflictions of this pre&s;ent life, are not worthie of the glorie, which &s;hall be &s;hewed vnto vs.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 18. 2. Cor. 4. 17.</NOTE> <HI>For our light affliction which is but for a moment cau&s;eth vnto vs a farre mo&s;t excellent, and an eternall weight of glory.</HI></P>
<P>If nothing but bare life were be&s;towed vpon vs, euen meere deliuerance from the danger of death, it were a benefit not light|ly to be e&s;teemed. It was &s;aid of <HI>Lot,</HI> that he was pre&s;erued from de&s;truction of Sodome, the Lord being mercifull vnto him; and yet his goods, money, and cattell which hee had in great abun|dance, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 19. 16.</NOTE> were all de&s;troyed. And the diuell &s;pake the truth though in craft and malice, concerning <HI>Iob:</HI> skinne for skinne, and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life. But when life is full of liuely comforts, when it is adorned with endles glory, when it is inriched with infinit trea&s;ures, what cro&s;&s;es, what pouertie, what temptations, what reproaches, what per&s;ecutions, and &s;uf|ferings &s;hould dimini&s;h our de&s;ire of it, or make vs remi&s;&s;e in &s;ee|king for it?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that care not who&s;e &s;eruice they come into, nor what worke they doe, &s;o that they may haue nothing to doe with God and his &s;eruices. They thinke no pri&s;on more &s;treight, then the Church: no drudgery more grieuous then prayer, and hearing of &s;ermons, &s;inging of P&s;almes, and &s;anctifying of the Sabbath: no bondage &s;o burdenous as re&s;traint from &s;infull de|lightes, and fle&s;hly plea&s;ures: no mi&s;erie &s;o bitter as &s;ound Chri|&s;tianitie. They di&s;ta&s;te with great dete&s;tation, all per&s;ons and actions, and ge&s;tures, and words that &s;auour of godline&s;&s;e, or haue any &s;tampe and print of pietie in them; and as them|&s;elues abhorre all his wor&s;hip, &s;o they labour to di&s;courage all others from doing him any &s;eruice. The&s;e are they which are continually cen&s;uring of profe&s;&s;ours and deriding their preci&s;enes, and in&s;ulting ouer their pouertie and meane e&s;tate. As though the Lord were not able to maintaine them that &s;erue him, or el&s;e did grudge to be&s;tow good things vpon them: as though he were a niggardly hard mai&s;ter vnwilling to allow his people &s;ufficiencie of food and wages. That were a great di&s;&s;oy|altie &s;o to traduce a liberall Lord and free harted Prince who is readie to promote his &s;eruants to liuing, though it bee but for a
<PB N="65" REF="36"> time: but it is an execrable impietie &s;o to bla&s;pheme the mo&s;t bountifull God, who giueth to euery one of his, both liuing and life, and all ble&s;&s;ednes for euermore. But many of them &s;ay that they &s;peake by experience, them&s;elues haue been profe&s;&s;ors, and as forward as the be&s;t, and they neuer got any good by it. And &s;uch <HI>Malachy</HI> bringeth in quarrelling again&s;t God: <HI>Your words,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>haue been &s;tout again&s;t mee, yet yee &s;ay, what haue wee &s;po|ken again&s;t thee? Yee haue &s;aid it is in vaine to &s;erue God: and what profit is it that wee haue kept his commandement, and walked humblie before the Lord of ho&s;ts?</HI> Mal. 3. 13. 14. Who is &s;o bu&s;ie to com|plaine for want of wages, as they which neuer performed any good worke? let not the exceptions of murmuring apo&s;tataes preuaile in the eares or harts of any that haue vnder&s;tanding. They were neuer of the family of God, though they crept into his hou&s;e: they neuer did one good chare in obedience, and for what then &s;hould they haue their recompence? They were al|waies proud hypocrites though they boa&s;t of humilitie, and why &s;hould they be v&s;ed as humble per&s;ons? But be it that they pleade for others who haue faithfully kept the commandements of God, and truely been humbled in his &s;ight, and yet labour in a low e|&s;tate and meane condition. Is there no profit in &s;eruing of the Lord, vnles there be pre&s;ent preferment and earthly promotion? Our principall pay will bee in life, whereof wee haue part in hand by grace in our &s;oules in this world, and the re&s;t is behind vntill the pay day in the world to come. So that a &s;inner cannot di&s;|cerne of the happine&s;&s;e of a Chri&s;tian, nor conceiue how God dea|leth with him. For the comfort of the heart is a thing vnknowne to him, and the glorious life is hid with Chri&s;t in God, and &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3. 3. 4.</NOTE> not fully be &s;eene before we appeare with him in glory.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But he that followeth]</HI> The more violent wicked men are in their &s;innes, the more neere they draw to de&s;truction. When they cour&s;e euill as the grayhound doth the Hare, and hunt for it, as the hungry lion, or other wild bea&s;t doth after his pray (for thence is the &s;imilitude taken) then they will ouertake their death anon, and come &s;peedily to damnation. As the mi&s;erie of the Aegypti|ans approached neere vnto them, &s;o their crueltie increa&s;ed to|wards the I&s;raelites. And they were neuer more fiercely di&s;po&s;ed
<PB N="66" REF="37"> to kill and to &s;lay, than when the waters were pre&s;ently to doe execution vpon them. Warre was concluded without any great con&s;ultation; a mightie ho&s;te was gathered, without any bu&s;ines of mu&s;tering; they were all in a readines to fight, without any further training. So &s;tood the ca&s;e with the Sodomites, they were all &s;et on mi&s;chiefe and madnes immediatly before they were de|&s;troyed. And &s;o it fared with <HI>Ahab,</HI> who tooke his farewell to|ward his voyage and death, with contempt of the word of God, and per&s;ecution of his Prophet. And &s;o we might note <HI>Bel&s;haz|zer,</HI> and <HI>Haman,</HI> and many others for this purpo&s;e, whom the Lord cut off in the very practi&s;e of &s;ome notable mi&s;chiefe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, this carne&s;t pur&s;uite of &s;inne with loue and liking of &s;in, proceedeth from an heart hardened with cu&s;tome of &s;inning, be|ing pa&s;t remor&s;e and feeling, and this will bring men <HI>to worke all</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4. 19.</NOTE> <HI>kinde of wickedne&s;&s;e euen with greedine&s;&s;e.</HI> And this is a forerunner of Gods iudgements.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, this following of euill is al&s;o accompanied with impudencie, and &s;hamele&s;ne&s;&s;e: as their hearts cannot feare be|fore God, &s;o their faces cannot blu&s;h before men. And what &s;tate the&s;e men &s;tand in, the Prophet <HI>Ieremy</HI> &s;heweth: <HI>Were they</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 8. 12.</NOTE> <HI>a&s;hamed when they had committed abomination? nay they were not a&s;hamed, neither could they haue any &s;hame: therefore &s;hall they fall among the &s;laine: when I &s;hall vi&s;ite them they &s;hall be ca&s;t down, &s;aith the Lord.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, this manner of &s;inning crieth in the eares of the Lord, as it is &s;aid of the Sodomites, and prouoketh him to anger, and therefore will draw downe a &s;peedie puni&s;hment vpon them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, if we loue our &s;elues, our life and &s;aluation, that we flie from euill, and follow it not: for it will follow vs too fa&s;t. We &s;hall goe no whither whiles wee carrie this &s;infull fle&s;h about vs, but it will be at our heeles, yea in our hands, and heads and harts, and whole &s;oule and bodie. Euen the be&s;t may &s;ay as <HI>Paul</HI> did, <HI>I finde that when I would doe good, euill is pre&s;ent with me.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 21.</NOTE></P>
<P>But much more is it pre&s;ent when we are not &s;o well di&s;po&s;ed, though indeede it be not then &s;o ea&s;ily de&s;troyed: and therefore &s;ince it will intrude it &s;elfe vpon vs again&s;t our willes, let not vs
<PB N="67" REF="37"> play the parts of the wicked, to take Satans place and become tempters of our &s;elues.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror for the workers of iniquitie, which be&s;tow great paines to doe them&s;elues great hurt, which will not bee &s;topped from the &s;eruice of &s;inne, and therefore cannot be &s;taied from the pu|ni&s;hment thereof. What doe they el&s;e but fall into phranticke pa&s;&s;ion of de&s;perate per&s;ons, which &s;eeke all opportunities to murther them&s;elues? They make euery delight and plea&s;ure a corde to &s;trangle them&s;elues with: euery lu&s;t a knife to cut their owne throates: euery commoditie a well to leape into: their meate and drinke to be a poy&s;on to their &s;oules, and hurtfull to their bodies by &s;urfeiting and drunkennes, and &s;uch like abu&s;es.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 20. <HI>They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: but they that are vpright in their way, are his delight.</HI></HEAD>
<P>BY <HI>froward in heart,</HI> he meaneth not onely &s;uch as are inclined to anger and bitterne&s;&s;e, which are of a crabbed, &s;owre and churli&s;h di&s;po&s;ition; but all that are wilfull in any &s;infull cour&s;e, though with neuer &s;o great mirth and laughter. Yea many times exce&s;&s;iue plea&s;ure, and &s;porting, and merriment, with good fel|low&s;hip, as men account it, is the very &s;ubiect of their froward|nes, and that which they &s;o ob&s;tinately &s;tand in. And though they pretend rea&s;on for their doing, and &s;eeme &s;moothly to defend it, without peruer&s;enes, yet the heart being &s;etled in re&s;olution of it owne purpo&s;e, the Lord taketh notice of it, and therefore abhor|reth them for the pre&s;ent, and will make his iudgements to ma|nife&s;t his dete&s;tation of them hereafter. <HI>But they that are vpright in their way</HI> and heart, (as the other are froward in heart and be|hauiour) are greatly beloued of God now, &amp; &s;hall more fully &s;ee, and feele, and enioy the comfort and happine&s;&s;e of his fauour in time to come.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Who&s;oeuer is giuen to frowardnes, is wholly voide of vpright|nes. A &s;incere hearted Chri&s;tian may through infirmitie, fall into a fit of frowardnes for a time, as <HI>A&s;a</HI> did, when he ca&s;t the Pro|phet into pri&s;on, for reprouing his &s;inne: but to haue the habite of it to be froward, is oppo&s;ed as contrarie to being vpright. So
<PB N="68" REF="38"> were the qualities one &s;et again&s;t another in the third ver&s;e of this chapter: <HI>The vprightnes of the iust &s;hall guide them: but the frowardnes of the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors &s;hall destroy them.</HI> So are the per&s;ons contrarily dealt with as contraries by the te&s;timonie of Dauid: <HI>With the vpright man thou wilt &s;hew thy &s;elfe vpright: with the pure thou wilt &s;hew thy &s;elfe pure; and with the froward thou wilt &s;et thy &s;elfe to wrestle.</HI> P&s;al. 18. 25. 26.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the vpright man hath a re&s;pect to all the Commande|ments of God, with de&s;ire and endeuour to keepe them, as <HI>Dauid</HI> profe&s;&s;eth of him&s;elfe: <HI>All his lawes were before me, and I did not cast away his commandements from me. So was I vpright with him, and haue kept me from my wickedne&s;&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 18. 22. 23. Whereas the froward per&s;on doth either reiect the whole law of God, or el&s;e retaineth, yea maintaineth at lea&s;t &s;ome one &s;inne wittingly, be|cau&s;e he may know, and willingly, becau&s;e hee refu&s;eth to obey, again&s;t &s;ome one commandement.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they which are vpright doe ground their actions and waies vpon arguments and rea&s;ons, and therefore they &s;triue to haue them as plaine and &s;ound as may be: and they which are froward doe ground their rea&s;ons and arguments vpon their waies and actions, and therfore they labour to haue them as craf|tie and &s;ubtill as may be.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they which are vpright will de&s;ire to haue the truth reueiled to them, and yeeld to it when it appeareth, and loue them the better that &s;hall informe them in it. And they which are fro|ward will de&s;ire to haue the truth &s;uppre&s;&s;ed, and contend again&s;t it though it bee manife&s;t, and like them the wor&s;e that &s;hall &s;hew it vnto them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, not to giue too much credit to froward men, nor too large a te&s;timonie of them. If wee &s;ee that they will not bee brought to a Chri&s;tian conuer&s;ation without, we may know al&s;o that they haue an vnchri&s;tian con&s;cience within: for their heart is neuer better than they are willing their waies &s;hould bee. And why then &s;hould we e&s;teeme them to be men of plaine meaning, when God him&s;elfe telleth vs that there is no plaine meaning in them? Why &s;hould we prai&s;e them whom he doth di&s;commend? why &s;hould we cleere them whom he conuinceth? why &s;hould we
<PB N="69" REF="38"> iu&s;tifie them whom he condemneth? And yet it is a fault, though much again&s;t pietie, that carrieth a great colour and glo&s;&s;e of loue and charitie. He is a very hone&s;t man (&s;ay they) but yet gi|uen to gaming too much, no man can di&s;&s;wade him from it. It is his only fault (&s;aith another) that he is a great &s;wearer, and can|not be brought to leaue it. He is a right good man (&s;aith a third) and euery way de&s;erueth prai&s;e, &s;auing that hee is no bodie at Church: he cannot abide tho&s;e &s;ermons, and Preachers: &s;ay all what they can, he is &s;till at defiance with them all: and &s;o they, as much as in them is, &s;tand for them that go about to trauer&s;e their inditement again&s;t the Lord and all his faithfull Mini&s;ters.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> The loue of God is not according to that which men haue of outward things, but to that which they are in hart and behauiour. Many froward men are great in the world, and yet are all gentlie abhorred of him: and mo&s;t vpright men are of the meaner &s;ort, and yet nothing the le&s;&s;e in his fauour. And this is <HI>Dauids</HI> meaning when he &s;aith, <HI>The Lord will trie the righteous, but the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 11. 5.</NOTE> <HI>wicked and him that loueth iniquitie doth his &s;oule hate.</HI> The righte|ous are his gold, and therefore he will refine them vntill they bee perfectly purged from al dro&s;&s;e: yet he loueth them as well in the fornace as in the trea&s;urie: but as for the vngodly, how&s;oeuer hee &s;eeme to &s;pare them, yet he doth not like them: and though the might of his hand bee not yet vpon them, yet the hatred of his heart is &s;trongly again&s;t them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> The righteous &s;tand before him in the merits and glorious righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t: he is his welbeloued &s;onne, and in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 3. 17.</NOTE> him he is well plea&s;ed with all his members: and the froward and wicked &s;tand in their owne impure and filthie nature, hearts, words and actions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the righteous are his owne obedient &s;onnes that do faithfully &s;erue him: and the froward are his rebellious enemies that fight continually again&s;t him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, he cannot looke on the righteous, but he mu&s;t behold the gracious worke of his owne hands in their new birth and &s;e|cond creation: but in the froward he &s;eeth the work of the diuell, whereby they are depraued and made mo&s;t vile and ougle&s;ome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, that wee conforme our &s;elues to the example of
<PB N="70" REF="39"> God in this behalfe: if froward per&s;ons bee abomination to him, let them not be in e&s;timation with vs: if he loath them, as we doe &s;nakes, and toads, and all kind of &s;erpents, let vs not loue them as delectable things, wherin men reioyce and take plea&s;ure: but let vile men be vile in our eyes, and let &s;uch as feare the Lord bee re|garded of vs. Far bee it from vs that we &s;hould grace and coun|tenance tho&s;e whom God doth proclaime to be odious and abo|minable: that we &s;hould a&s;&s;ociat our &s;elues and bee found com|panions with tho&s;e who&s;e &s;ight is offen&s;iue vnto him, that wee &s;hould receiue them into our &s;eruice which refu&s;e to enter into Gods: and God reiecteth the~ as altogether vnfit for his family. But well is it with our &s;oules, whe~ we can truly &s;ay with the Pro|phet, <HI>All my delight is in the Saints, and in them which are excellent.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 16. 3.</NOTE> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 101. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Mine eyes &s;hall be to the faithfull in the land, that they may dwell with mee: he that walketh in a perfit way, he &s;hall &s;erue me.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror for tho&s;e ob&s;tinate wicked per&s;ons which tru&s;t that by &s;tiffe &s;tanding to their tacklings they &s;hall grow into credit and good account with the world, as indeed their &s;ucce&s;&s;e is very ofte~ an&s;werable to their expectation. But what gaine they by getting mans fauour and Gods di&s;plea&s;ure? when ba&s;enes and follie did &s;mile vpon them for a moment, and glorie and wi&s;edome doe frowne on them for euer? It was the ca&s;e of the Scribes and Pha|ri&s;es, they iu&s;tified them&s;elues before men, all did prai&s;e them; but though they were &s;o highly e&s;teemed among men, yet they were abomination in the &s;ight of God: our Sauiour told them &s;o in their prime and full blo&s;&s;ome, but they little thought it to be <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16. 15.</NOTE> true. But what is become of al their &s;alutations and titles, and prai|&s;es now? hath not the Lord &s;ent a bla&s;t vpon them, and cau&s;ed their glory to wither away? is not all their excellencie turned in|to contempt, and their names made a by-word of reproach in all Churches?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Con&s;olation to vpright hearted men, how poore &s;oeuer they be, &amp; how ba&s;ely &s;oeuer the world thinketh of them, it is enough for them that the Lord taketh plea&s;ure in them. Whe~ <HI>Aha&s;huero&s;h</HI> had but once graced <HI>Mordecai,</HI> al the citie quickly took notice of it, &amp; he was pre&s;ently great, notwith&s;tanding he was a captiue and a condemned man, and of a nation that was euery where de&s;pi&s;ed:
<PB N="71" REF="39" MS="y"> and was there more force in the fauour of a mortall man to make him honorable whom he bare no great affection vnto, than there is in the loue of God being &s;o tender and large to his owne chil|dren? what then though they &s;hould bee dealt with, as S. <HI>Iames</HI> &s;peaketh, that in re&s;pect of gold rings and goodly apparell, which <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 2. 3. 5.</NOTE> rich men pre&s;ent haue on, they &s;hould bee put vnder the foote|&s;toole, or thru&s;t out at dores? yet let them know y^t God hath cho|&s;en them to bee rich in faith, and heires of the kingdome, which he hath promi&s;ed to them that loue him. What though they &s;hould not onely be di&s;pi&s;ed, but maligned of them that be &s;tron|ger than them&s;elues? yet let them not bee di&s;ouraged at their po|wer that are again&s;t them, but comforted in his good prouidence that is for them. If this be true that they bee Gods delight, then this will be al&s;o as true, that God will be their defen&s;e. <HI>Ahab</HI> was an heauie friend to <HI>Micaiah,</HI> and profe&s;&s;ed his hatred towards him, and threatned mi&s;chiefe to him: and yet Gods fauour pre|uailed more for his &s;afetie, than <HI>Ahabs</HI> di&s;plea&s;ure could doe for <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Chron. 18.</NOTE> his hurt.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 21. Though <HI>hand</HI> ioyne <HI>in hand, the wicked &s;hall not be vn|puni&s;hed, but the &s;eede of the righteous &s;hall e&s;cape.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THough vngodly men haue many friends, and &s;uch as bee mightie: though they ioyne all their forces together to aide and defend one another, or all of them one, yet they &s;hall not bee able to mini&s;ter any helpe or &s;uccour when the Lord taketh them in hand to plague them. On the other &s;ide, though righteous men &s;eeme to be in great perill, and haue fewer friends, and tho&s;e al&s;o poore and feeble, yet they &s;hall get out and be deliuered, and not onely &s;o, but their children and po&s;teritie al&s;o &s;hall be pre&s;erued: So that whereas many &s;trong wicked men cannot deliuer one, one weake godly man &s;hall deliuer many.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Vngodly men are nothing the better for all the friends they haue: their plotting together and combination is of no force at all for their pre&s;eruation, but rather for their ruine. The Lord by the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> doth deridingly challenge, and after a &s;ort dare the enemies of the Church to attempt any thing again&s;t his
<PB N="72" REF="40"> people vpon their perill: <HI>Gather together on heapes O ye people, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 8. 9.</NOTE> <HI>ye &s;hall be broken in peeces: gird your &s;elues, and ye &s;hall be broken in peeces: take coun&s;ell together, yet it &s;hall be brought to nought: pro|nounce a decree, yet it &s;hall not &s;tand.</HI> As if he &s;hould haue &s;aid: Make your &s;elues as &s;trong as ye can, with multitude, leagues, ar|mour, con&s;ultations, authoritie, and by what meanes ye can, and as oft as ye will; yet all &s;hall doe your &s;elues no good, and no|thing &s;hall doe my &s;eruants harme. When the Canaanites and other inhabitants of that land were to be puni&s;hed, how many Kings with their people banded them&s;elues together again&s;t <HI>Io|&s;hua</HI> and the I&s;raelites? and yet it was to no purpo&s;e: they did but offer them&s;elues to the &s;word: that &s;tood <HI>Io&s;hua</HI> in good &s;teede; for it would haue been long before hee could haue found them out, and &s;laine them &s;ingly man by man.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, this a&s;&s;ociation and confederacie doth not breake off Gods re&s;olution, either by pacifying his anger, or daunting his courage: it rather incen&s;eth him to greater di&s;plea&s;ure, becau&s;e they will &s;tand at defiance with him, and offer to make head a|gain&s;t him. And that more incourageth him (as wee may &s;peake to the capacitie of men) to take the opportunitie of their in&s;o|lencie, and pui&s;&s;ant a&s;&s;i&s;tance, becau&s;e their ouerthrow will be &s;o much the more for his glorie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, it is impo&s;&s;ible for them, be they neuer &s;o many, to dimini&s;h his power and make him the weaker. When al Sodome and the other cities by it were vngodly and wicked, hee could as ea&s;ily de&s;troy them with fire and brim&s;tone, as though they had been but a few. When the whole world was giuen ouer to &s;inful|nes and rebellion, he could as ea&s;ily de&s;troy it with raine and wa|ter, as if it had been but one man.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they cannot thereby increa&s;e their owne power, to make them&s;elues able to incounter with him, and &s;o to auoide his &s;troakes by re&s;i&s;tance: for &s;trength and might con&s;i&s;ts not in the multitude of men, but is limited by Gods hand, who onely hath the be&s;towing of it, becau&s;e it is his owne; and to whom|&s;oeuer he giueth it, from the &s;ame he can at his plea&s;ure take it, when it is abu&s;ed by them. Were it not &s;o, the diuell and all his ho&s;te about him would trie what they could doe, before they
<PB N="73" REF="40"> would be ca&s;t into that mi&s;erable and de&s;perate torment at the la&s;t day. There was neuer &s;o great an armie, as that will be of re|probate men and angels, and if any thing would make them to &s;triue, it would be the damnable e&s;tate whereunto they &s;hall bee adiudged then pre&s;ently to enter: but they &s;hall &s;en&s;ibly &s;ee and feele it to be bootle&s;&s;e, and therefore they will neuer attempt any &s;uch matter.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to v&s;e better meanes to be freed from puni&s;hment, and that is to take heede before how we fall into &s;inne. So did <HI>Iob</HI> prouide for his impunitie, by pre&s;eruing his eyes, his heart and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. 31.</NOTE> his hands from lu&s;t and lewdnes, from violence and crueltie, from Idolatrie and couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and all &s;uch mi&s;behauiour, as might prouoke Gods wrath again&s;t him. And if that be pa&s;t, wee haue done &s;uch things alreadie: runne not from God to friends for to &s;aue vs: let vs not &s;eeke the helpe of their hands, vnle&s;&s;e it be to be lifted vp with ours in prayer, but runne to God by faith and holy humiliation. No other cour&s;e wil &s;ecure vs from iudgements de&s;erued; neither the multitude of friends, nor the meanes they can make, nor their tender affection towards vs, will preuaile to &s;uccour vs, if we fall into the hands of the liuing God. <HI>Haman</HI> in all mens iudgement was &s;urely backt, and &s;o were <HI>Baals</HI> prophets, and yet committing &s;innes of death, they receiued the &s;entence of death, and felt the execution of death in the pre&s;ence of tho&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. King. 18. 40.</NOTE> whom they mo&s;t depended vpon.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Admonition to beware how wee take vpon vs the defen&s;e of &s;inful men to keepe the~ from &s;uch correction as is due vnto them; for we lo&s;e our labour if wee &s;eeke to &s;tay them from all puni&s;h|ment: many by e&s;caping the parents rodde doe come vnder the Magi&s;trates whip, and many by e&s;caping the whip doe come to the gallows, and many by e&s;caping the gallows doe fall into dam|nation: for they are depriued of tho&s;e medicines which might haue wrought a cure in their &s;oules. And what doe wee in this ca&s;e but with&s;tand the di&s;cipline of God him&s;elfe? How would the Magi&s;trate take it if the offenders whom he is to puni&s;h &s;hould be pluckt away and re&s;cued out of his hands? do not they which make &s;uch attempts bring them&s;elues into the compa&s;&s;e of the &s;ame faults which the malefactors were to &s;uffer for? what&s;oeuer
<PB N="74" REF="41"> the others were condemned for, the&s;e haue now made them&s;elues acce&s;&s;arie vnto, whether it be fellonie or trea&s;on or any other grie|uous offence: and yet it is a thing little feared of men: they which haue neither mercie nor courage to deale in the cau&s;e of a poore oppre&s;&s;ed innocent are readie and bold to protect and maintaine tho&s;e, which are impious and &s;infull and walke in &s;uch lewde and wicked waies as are offen&s;iue and abominable to God and man. How many are kept from their condigne puni&s;hment by the countenance of great mens cloath and &s;eruice? How many doe words and letters preuaile for? how many are cleered by corrupt Iurors, who lay the guiltines of many &s;oule and fearefull faults vpon their owne con&s;ciences?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the &s;eede of the righteous, &amp;c.</HI> The be&s;t way for any man to doe his children good, is to bee godly him&s;elfe. Hee that &s;etteth him&s;elf to &s;erue God, &amp; to &s;eek euerla&s;ting &s;aluation, is bu&s;ily oc|cupied in prouiding for his po&s;teritie: &amp; that which his &s;oule &s;hall find to bee mo&s;t comfortable to him, his &s;eed &s;hall find to be mo&s;t profitable to them. The &s;ame &s;pirit of trueth which here doth af|firme this, doth in diuers other places confirme it, as in the twen|tith Chapter of this booke: <HI>He that walketh in his vprightnes is</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 20. 7.</NOTE> <HI>iu&s;t, and ble&s;&s;ed &s;hall his children be after him.</HI> He needed not to &s;ay that he him&s;elfe is ble&s;&s;ed, though he knew it to bee &s;o, and &s;o likewi&s;e meant it: for true iu&s;tice is euer ioyned with true ble&s;&s;ed|nes: but to prooue the fulnes of his owne happie e&s;tate, he &s;hew|eth that it &s;hall flow ouer al&s;o to his children. So is it &s;aid in the P&s;almes both concerning him&s;elfe and his: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 112. 1. 2.</NOTE> <HI>feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his commaundements: his &s;eede &s;hall be mightie vpon the earth: the generation of the righteous &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t he him&s;elfe is become the &s;onne of God, and &s;o his are Gods &s;onnes children, and then con&s;ider the abundant loue euen of earthly parents to the &s;eede of their &s;onnes and daughters: <HI>Mana&s;&s;e</HI> and <HI>Ephraim</HI> were as deere to <HI>Iacob</HI> as if he had been their immediate parent, and &s;o were <HI>Ephraims</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> chil|dren <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 48.</NOTE> to <HI>Io&s;eph:</HI> though <HI>Naomi</HI> was but mother in law to <HI>Ruth,</HI> yet how acceptable was <HI>Obed</HI> the &s;onne of <HI>Ruth</HI> vnto her? though <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was but the adopted &s;onne of <HI>Pharaohs</HI> daughter,
<PB N="75" REF="41"> though of another nation, though of &s;uch a nation whom they held as bond&s;eruants, though of a people that was an abomina|tion to him and his people, though &s;uch a people as he feared and &s;ought to de&s;troy; yet <HI>Pharaoh</HI> loued him and preferred him, and &s;hewed all kindnes to him for his daughters &s;ake, when &s;he had taken him to be hers.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, a Chri&s;tian parent is mo&s;t fit and competent to deale with his children to bee &s;eruiceable to God: and to deale with God to be mercifull to his children: great is the force of a father|ly admonition, when a godly father admoni&s;heth: and maruei|lous is the efficacie of a parentlike ble&s;&s;ing, when a holy parent doth ble&s;&s;e the fruite of his bodie. So much doth <HI>Iacob</HI> intimate to <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> for his exceeding great comfort: <HI>The ble&s;&s;ings of thy fa|ther</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 49. 26.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall be mightie with the ble&s;&s;ings of my elders: vnto the end of the hils of the world, they &s;hal be on the head of Io&s;eph.</HI> That prophane <HI>E&s;au,</HI> as wicked as hee was, did a&s;&s;ure him&s;elfe that he &s;hould be the better for his father <HI>I&s;aacks</HI> ble&s;&s;ing, if he could obtaine it, and therefore wept for &s;orrow when he went without it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the children of religious and faithfull parents are in|tituled to the promi&s;es and ble&s;&s;ings of God both for &s;oule and bodie, as appeareth in the holy records, by that argument S. <HI>Peter</HI> per&s;waded them to beleeue, who&s;e hearts were pricked at his doctrine: <HI>To you is the promi&s;e made</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>and to your children,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 2. 39.</NOTE> <HI>and to all that are a farre off, euen as many as the Lord our God &s;hall call.</HI> And by the like rea&s;on the &s;eruants of the Lord who giue them&s;elues to pietie and mercie, are comforted notwith&s;tanding their great afflictions, and the flori&s;hing &s;tate of the wicked: <HI>The righteous is euer mercifull and lendeth, and his &s;eede enioyeth the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 37. 26.</NOTE> <HI>ble&s;&s;ing.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> A reproofe of their follie and foule impietie that are &s;o farre deuoted vnto their children, and carried with &s;uch a de&s;ire of their aduancement, that they ca&s;t off all deuotion towards God, and neglect the good care of their owne &s;aluation. They feare not to ca&s;t them&s;elues deepe into hell, &s;o that they may rai&s;e vp their name and their hou&s;es high vpon carth. And for this cau&s;e they giue ouer them&s;elues to mi&s;erable niggardlines and pinching, to burdenous vexations and trauels, to &s;hamefull iniu&s;tice and fal&s;e|hood,
<PB N="76" REF="42"> to violent oppre&s;&s;ion and crueltie. They haue a good pe|niworth, as they thinke, and buy very cheap, when they can gaine worldly wealth by lo&s;&s;e of their heauenly happine&s;&s;e: when they can purcha&s;e liuings to their po&s;teritie, by pa&s;&s;ing away the life of their &s;oules. But hearken a little ye &s;illie wretched creatures: O fooli&s;h men when will you begin to learne wi&s;edome? your thri|uing is wa&s;tfulnes; your ri&s;ing is falling; in purcha&s;ing you for|feite; in &s;emblance of loue you practi&s;e hatred; in &s;eeking to &s;et vp your &s;eede by &s;uch vnlawfull cour&s;es, you take the way to pluck them down, and vtterly to vndo them for euer. No man but <HI>Ieroboa~</HI> could euer haue wrought &s;o much mi&s;chiefe to <HI>Ieroboams</HI> familie: and <HI>Ahab</HI> and <HI>Iezabel</HI> were mo&s;t mortall enemies of their race and linage: and <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> prouided woe and mi&s;erie to his i&s;&s;ue that was yet vnborne when he died. And by what meanes did all the&s;e per&s;ons bring all this hurt vpon their &s;eede? by relinqui&s;hing religion and the true &s;eruice of God: by exerci&s;ing tyrannie again&s;t the &s;eruants of God, and greedie get|ting of goods to make them&s;elues and their children great: that which in taunting manner is charged vpon one of them, is euery way verified vpon euery one of them: <HI>Ho, he that coueteth an</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2. 9. 10.</NOTE> <HI>euill couetou&s;nes to his hou&s;e, that he may &s;et his ne&s;t on hie, to e&s;cape fro~ the power of euill. Thou ha&s;t con&s;ulted &s;hame to thine owne hou&s;e, by de&s;troying many people, and ha&s;t &s;inned again&s;t thine owne &s;oule.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to religious parents whether they bee rich or poore: whether their children be dead or liuing, whether the li|uing be godly or &s;infull: If they haue wealth, they may hope it &s;hall be for the v&s;e of their &s;onnes or daughters: if not, that the al-&s;ufficient God will prouide for them &s;ufficiently without their helpe or &s;ub&s;tance. If they be dead, they haue great incourage|ment to comfort them&s;elues in the per&s;wa&s;ion of their &s;aluation. If they liue, though wee &s;hould die and depart hence, yea and leaue them in afflictions and di&s;tre&s;&s;es, yet this comfort we haue, that as the mercie of God to our &s;elues was not a&s;&s;ured vnto vs for tearme of life, but eternally for euermore: no more is his goodnes to ours to cea&s;e with our life, or bee determined at our death. Poore lame <HI>Mephibo&s;heth</HI> had a father liuing, yea an e|uerliuing father that appointed him to be well prouided for, and
<PB N="77" REF="42"> maintained, when good <HI>Ionathan</HI> that begot him was &s;laine and gone. The godly poore Prophet that left his wife &s;o far in debt, that neither &s;he was able to &s;ati&s;fie it, nor the creditor willing to bee &s;ati&s;fied, without taking of her &s;onnes to bee his bondmen; yet had taken order before his death for the payment of debt, for libertie of &s;onnes, for maintenance of familie, namely by po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ing the con&s;tant fauour of God, which both conueyed him to <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. King. 4.</NOTE> heauen, and remained with his hou&s;hold here in earth. If they &s;hould be wicked, yet the Lord hath grace enough and power enough to make them good. It is without trouble or charge to him&s;elfe, or hurt to his creatures, and why &s;hould they not then both earne&s;tly pray for it, and con&s;tantly waite for it? what if it be not wrought at fir&s;t? yet it may bee effected at the la&s;t: and &s;o long as they haue a naturall life, &s;o long may their friends hope for their euerla&s;ting life. <HI>Iacobs</HI> &s;onnes were not all godly the fir&s;t yeere, nor in many yeeres, and yet not without goodnes in their latter yeeres. And &s;o &s;tood the ca&s;e with <HI>Mana&s;&s;e</HI> the &s;onne of <HI>Ezekiah,</HI> and many other holie Chri&s;tans.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> To godly children of religious parents, who be&s;ides the &s;tate they haue in the promi&s;es of God in regard of their owne faith|fulne&s;&s;e, haue al&s;o a portion therein by right of their progeni|tours, and &s;o they haue a double portion, and may warrantably take double comfort, if withall they can yeeld to God his double prai&s;es.</P>
<P>It was a &s;trong and mightie prayer that <HI>Iacob</HI> made and full of a&s;&s;urance of hearing, and happie &s;ucce&s;&s;e, when hee remembred that the Lord was the God of his father <HI>Abraham,</HI> and the God of his father <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> and had promi&s;ed to doe him good, and former|ly performed, it and would yet be more mercifull to him and his <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 9. 10. 12.</NOTE> &s;eede after him: it is not a trifle or matter of &s;mall con&s;equence to bee able truely to pleade before God ones owne faith and in|tegritie, and the pietie or godlines of their father or mother, or others of their ance&s;tors.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="78" REF="43">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 22. <HI>As a iewell of gold in a &s;wines &s;nout: &s;o is a faire woman that lacketh di&s;cretion.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AS a ring of gold, or any other ornament, doth not adorne, but misbecome a &s;wine, no more doth beautie, &s;tature, &s;trength, wit, apparell, wealth, or any other externall thing bring true prai&s;e, or commendation either to man, or woman which wanteth true wi&s;edome, or vnder&s;tanding.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Swines &s;nout, &amp;c.</HI> God maketh no more reckoning of &s;infull people without vnder&s;tanding, then of brute bea&s;ts without rea|&s;on. Though they haue humane nature, and carrie the forme and &s;hape of men and women with be&s;t &s;hew, yet if there bee nothing in them but that which is humane, euen fle&s;h and bloud and &s;in|fulnes, no beautie, nor brauerie, no per&s;onall excellencie, or ar|tificiall additaments, make the be&s;t of them, is more acceptable to him, than is the ba&s;e&s;t of all the other creatures. It is a very homely compari&s;on wherewith the holy Gho&s;t di&s;graceth wic|ked men in this booke, and yet &s;o true, that hee auoucheth it a|gaine in the new te&s;tament: <HI>The dog is returned to his owne vomit, and the &s;ow that was wa&s;hed, to the wallowing in the mire,</HI> Prou. 26. 11. 2. Pet. 2. 22. And as in the&s;e places for impuritie they are like|ned to filthie bea&s;ts: &s;o in others, for hurtfulnes they are re&s;em|bled to fierce and venomous bea&s;ts, as Leopards, Lions, Wolues, Beates, Dragons, A&s;pes, Adders, Vipers, and Cockatrices. <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 11. 6.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, all tho&s;e creatures, for their parts, haue euer &s;ince the be|ginning of the world &s;tood and continued in the &s;tate wherein they were fir&s;t made, &amp; that depriuation which is in the nature of any of them, proceeded not from them&s;elues, but from the fall of man, which hath not only deformed him&s;elfe, but di&s;tempered euerie thing about him: and the cau&s;e why they haue not know|ledge and vnder&s;tanding, is, that they are not capable of it: but wicked men are wholy degenerated from their originall excel|lencie, and haue defaced the image of God in their owne &s;oules. They haue lo&s;t their iu&s;tice and fallen to vnrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: they are depriued of holines, and become prophane: all &s;ound vnder|&s;tanding
<PB N="79" REF="43"> is gone, and nothing is in them but ignorance of Gods holie will, and of the my&s;teries of &s;aluation. And therefore <HI>Ieremy</HI> &s;aith, that euery man is a bea&s;t by his owne knowledge. And <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 10.</NOTE> <HI>Zophar</HI> in the booke of <HI>Iob</HI> proceedeth further and &s;heweth what kind of bea&s;t he is mo&s;t like. <HI>&V;aine men,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>would bee wi&s;e,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 11. 12.</NOTE> <HI>though man borne</HI> (that is, in his owne e&s;tate not regenerate) <HI>is like a wild a&s;&s;e colt.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly euery dumbe creature according to his kinde, per|formeth the will of God without any re&s;i&s;tance: Whereas wicked men rebelliou&s;lie doe &s;triue again&s;t their maker, and contemptu|ou&s;ly tran&s;gre&s;&s;e his commaundements.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the vile e&s;tate, and mi&s;erable condition of gracele&s;&s;e men, how great &s;oeuer, doth make it appeare that the Lord pre|ferreth them not before contemptible bea&s;ts, becau&s;e at the lea&s;t their end will be as bad as the wor&s;t of theirs. And this doth God him&s;elfe declare in the P&s;almes: <HI>Like &s;heepe they lye in the graue,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 49. 14. 20</NOTE> <HI>death deuoureth them.</HI> Man is in honour, <HI>and vnder&s;tandeth not: he is like to bea&s;ts that peri&s;h.</HI> They lie in their graues as the carca|&s;es of rotten &s;heepe in a ditch, and death maketh a pray both of their &s;oules and bodies, as crowes, and kites, and rauens, and dogs do feede vpon carrions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction not to &s;ati&s;fie our &s;elues in this, that hauing &s;peech, and rea&s;on, we go beyond all fi&s;hes, birds, bea&s;ts, and all creeping things, vnle&s;&s;e al&s;o by grace and &s;pirituall gifts, we goe beyond all vnregenerate men.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> To acknowledge with thankfulne&s;&s;e the great fauour and goodnes of God towards vs, when hee hath tran&s;formed vs into the &s;hape of Chri&s;tians and the Image of his owne &s;onne, that we may be acceptable to him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> Neither beautie, nor other outward gifts doe any good to the owners that are de&s;titute of wi&s;edome. All ornaments can neuer make a foole to be comely, no more then a &s;ilken coate can make an Ape to be manly, or a &s;weete bath can make a blacke Moore beautifull. If wi&s;edome be wanting, we may truely &s;ay with <HI>Sa|lomon: Vanitie of vanities, and all is vanitie.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 1. 2.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the per&s;on of the man commendeth all outward things, and onely grace and wi&s;edome make his per&s;on commendable.
<PB N="80" REF="44"> And in this &s;en&s;e it is &s;aid in the booke of Eccle&s;ia&s;tes, that <HI>it is the wi&s;edome of a man that doth make his face to &s;hine.</HI> Nothing but &s;ound vnder&s;tanding and holy behauiour can po&s;&s;ibly make ei|ther <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 8. 1.</NOTE> man or woman to be e&s;timable, and worthie to bee looked on. It is as truly to bee affirmed of one &s;exe as another, and no le&s;&s;e of one &s;tate than of another, <HI>that fauour is deceit, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord &s;he &s;hall be prai&s;ed.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 31.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, through want of wi&s;edome, the good gifts of God be defaced (as the &s;wine would not &s;pare to bring the iewell with her into a filthie puddle, or to wallow with it in the mo&s;t loath|&s;ome mire) and &s;o they are the le&s;&s;e e&s;teemed in better men, which are worthily adorned with them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, in this ca&s;e they peruert them v&s;ually to the hurt of o|thers: as beautie is made a &s;nare to entangle mens eyes and affe|ctions: wealth and power bee weapons of oppre&s;&s;ion: wit and policie be nets for fraude and deceite: fine &s;peech and elocution be calles to allure men to the hurt of their &s;oules and e&s;tates. And the &s;ame is verified of many things which <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;peaketh of one: <HI>As a thorne &s;tanding vp in the hand of drunkards: &s;o is a pa|rable</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 26. 9.</NOTE> <HI>in the mouth of fooles.</HI> A drunken companion with a thorne, or goade in his hand, doth &s;ometimes prick and pierce him&s;elfe, and &s;ometimes hurt them that bee neere about him: and &s;o &s;tan|deth the ca&s;e with &s;inners that can &s;peake wittily, and yet want a &s;ober heart to guide their tongues chri&s;tianly: they wound their owne &s;oules, and depraue good cau&s;es, and &s;et a colour vpon &s;inne, and much traduce the names of many blamele&s;&s;e per|&s;ons.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, them&s;elues of all others are in mo&s;t perill, and like to receiue the greate&s;t hurt by the&s;e meanes. Pride hath a doore &s;et open to it for free acce&s;&s;e to the heart, where there is any externall excellencie without internall &s;anctitie: And Shame hath a way prepared for it to follow after, when they haue great things for many mens eyes to looke vpon, and little di&s;cretion to v&s;e and manage them. Nothing is more behouefull for a foole than to be ob&s;cure in the darke, that his follie &s;hame him not in the light. How much better had it been for <HI>Ab&s;halom, Achitophel, Adonijah, Ieroboam,</HI> and <HI>Achab,</HI> with others of like &s;tate and be|hauiour,
<PB N="81" REF="44"> if they had been deformed in bodie, and weake in capa|citie, and meane in condition, than to haue been &s;o con&s;picuous, and of &s;uch grert note, and now to be &s;o contemptible, and of &s;uch great infamie?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, that &s;ithence wi&s;edome and grace do giue honour, and life, and good effect to all the inferiour gifts of God which are but temporarie, and not euerla&s;ting, that therefore before all the re&s;t wee &s;hould mo&s;t labour for wi&s;edome and grace. If other things be alreadie be&s;towed vpon vs, &s;eeke to obtaine and increa&s;e the&s;e heauenly ornaments, to giue a lu&s;tre to the naturall gifts wherewith the Lord hath qualified vs, and to &s;ea&s;on our out|ward po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions to our v&s;e and comfort. <HI>Wi&s;edome,</HI> &s;aith Salo|mon, <HI>is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them which &s;ee the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 7. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Sunne.</HI> His meaning is not that wi&s;edome is good to them onely that haue inheritances, but that it is good, yea nece&s;&s;arie for them which haue inheritances to get wi&s;edome that will make their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions good, and that will help them to the good v&s;e of their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions. And &s;o wi&s;edome is good with &s;trength, wi&s;edome is good with wit, wi&s;edom is good with gentrie, wi&s;edome is good with dignitie, and wi&s;edom is good with beautie. It doubleth the greatnes and value of euery good ble&s;&s;ing that God be&s;toweth. <HI>Dauids</HI> victories and power bee renowmed by wi&s;edome: <HI>Salo|mons</HI> glorious kingdome is made memorable by wi&s;edome: and &s;o is the pro&s;peritie of <HI>Iob,</HI> and <HI>Abraham:</HI> and &s;o is the aduance|ment of <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> and <HI>Daniel;</HI> and &s;o is the beautie of <HI>Hester,</HI> and <HI>Sara.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of them that bee afraide of nothing &s;o much as of grace and heauenly wi&s;edome, becau&s;e it will cro&s;&s;e their pride and &s;en&s;uall lu&s;ts. It will forbid the nice dames that make idols of their owne bodies to be&s;tow &s;o much time in tricking vp them|&s;elues, with pranking and painting: and therefore they haue no more de&s;ire to receiue godline&s;&s;e, than to depart with beautie. They are as willing that the &s;mall pockes &s;hould deforme their faire faces, as the word of God &s;hould informe and clean&s;e their foule con&s;ciences.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="82" REF="45">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 23. <HI>The de&s;ire of the righteous is only good, but the hope of the wicked is indignation.</HI></HEAD>
<P>WE mu&s;t beware here that we iu&s;tifie not al the wi&s;hes and de&s;ires to be good, which righteous men conceiue, not condemne all to be vnrighteous which conceiue any wi&s;hes and de&s;ires that be not good: for then &s;hould <HI>Dauid</HI> be excluded out of the number of the righteous, or el&s;e his de&s;ire of hauing <HI>Bath|&s;heba,</HI> or wi&s;hing to know the number of the people &s;hould be al|lowed. But he vnder&s;tandeth the maine &s;treame of their de&s;ires, the cour&s;e and current of their hearts is to godline&s;&s;e and good|ne&s;&s;e, though &s;ometimes they corrupt nature in them&s;elues, and the tempe&s;tuous temptations of Satan doe violently driue their thoughts another way; which is wholly contrarie in the wicked. For they de&s;ire nothing but mi&s;chiefe and euill, and therefore in the end they &s;hall receiue nothing but mi&s;erie and puni&s;hment, which will be &s;o great and &s;o grieuous, as will make them raue and rage with madnes and furie, e&s;pecially becau&s;e they looked for a better &s;tate. Thus then &s;tandeth the oppo&s;ition: the de&s;ire of the righteous is onely good, and therefore their hope &s;hall end in con&s;olation: but the de&s;ire of the wicked is onely euill, and therefore their hope &s;hall end in indignation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Godly men are mo&s;t de&s;irous to plea&s;e God, and God doth as graciou&s;lie accept of their de&s;ires in the be&s;t manner. They are not willing to allow a thought in them&s;elues that &s;hould not be lawfull, and he is not willing to looke vpon, or &s;peake of their vnlawfull thoughts. Though diuers things be many times ami&s;&s;e in their minds, and in their mouthes, and in their deedes, yet there is faithfulnes, and therefore he pa&s;&s;eth by their faults. So he te&s;ti|fieth of <HI>Dauid,</HI> that he kept his commaundements, and followed <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. King. 14. 8.</NOTE> him with all his heart, and did onely that which was right in his eyes.</P>
<P>And &s;o he te&s;tifieth of all the godly I&s;raelites in the booke of Numbers: <HI>He &s;eeth none iniquitie in Iaacob, nor any tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion in</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Numb. 23. 21.</NOTE> <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> And &s;o he te&s;tifieth of all vpright hearted people whom|&s;oeuer
<PB N="83" REF="45"> in the P&s;almes: <HI>Surely they worke none iniquitie, but walke</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 3.</NOTE> <HI>in his waies.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, he imputeth that to euery man, and counteth it his, which proceedeth from the predominant power in him. In the regene|rate nothing is theirs but their fruite, and nothing is their fruite, but the worke of the &s;pirit. And &s;o though the vnregenerate doe many good things, yet nothing is theirs but their fruite, and no|thing is their fruit, but that which groweth from the fle&s;h.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, he &s;eeth the force and violence of originall corrup|tion, how it a&s;&s;aulteth them, how it woundeth them, how it taketh them captiues again&s;t their willes, and therefore rather pitieth them, than accu&s;eth them. And hence it is that S. <HI>Paul</HI> by good warrant, for example to all other good Chri&s;tians, doth once and againe di&s;claime all that euill from being his, which he was vn|wllingly drawne vnto: <HI>If I do that which I would not, I con&s;ent to the law which is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but &s;in that dwelleth in me,</HI> Rom. 7. 16. 20.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, he knoweth that they will pur&s;ue their owne &s;infull actions, and thoughts with hue and crie: and if any de&s;ire breake out from them that is not good, they will &s;end out many others after it, for humiliation, and pardon, and purging of their hearts. And therefore &s;ince them&s;elues be &s;o ready to complaine to him, he will be &s;paring of complaints again&s;t them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Con&s;olation to the poore innocent &s;eruants of God who yet are defamed with all kinde of fal&s;e accu&s;ations. They are called hypocrites, heretickes, rebels, traytors, and all that naught is. <HI>Dauid</HI> was &s;o charged by <HI>Saul</HI> &amp; his courtiers: <HI>Paul</HI> was &s;o char|ged by the malitious Iewes: the godly Iewes &s;o charged by <HI>Ha|mon:</HI> Chri&s;t him&s;elfe was &s;o charged by the Prie&s;ts, Scribes, and Phari&s;es: all good men mu&s;t looke to bee &s;o charged by all &s;orts of &s;inners. Well it is for them that their hearts can witne&s;&s;e that their de&s;ires are onely good, and better that the Lord &s;eeth it, and be&s;t of all that they haue &s;uch a God as will openly publi&s;h it. If he knew as much by vs as the wicked &s;ay again&s;t vs, or would re|fu&s;e to te&s;tifie that hee knoweth for vs, as euery one of vs were more righteous, &s;o &s;hould hee be of all others mo&s;t ignominious. For no creature that euer God made (the diuell not excepted) is &s;o
<PB N="84" REF="46"> much &s;poken again&s;t, as good men are, neither any &s;o bad a name as they, if the violent tongues of malitious per&s;ons may make a good mans name to be bad. If &s;entence &s;hould pa&s;&s;e vp|on the godlie at the la&s;t day, according to the verdict of them that are not friends or parties, we &s;hould be all ca&s;t, and condem|ned, not one man would be acquited. But here is an helpe again&s;t all the&s;e &s;urmi&s;es of purpo&s;es within, and accu&s;ations of behaui|our without: let appeale be made to him that beholdeth all, and he will cleare the righteous from all the&s;e imputations. This brought <HI>Iob</HI> to &s;peake &s;o confidently of his cau&s;e; <HI>Oh that I had &s;ome to heare me; behold my &s;igne that the Almightie will witnes for</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 31. 35.</NOTE> <HI>me: though mine aduer&s;arie &s;hould write a booke again&s;t mee.</HI> This brought <HI>Dauid</HI> with &s;uch affiance to repo&s;e him&s;elfe vpon God: <HI>Iudge me Lord according to my righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and according to the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 7. 8.</NOTE> <HI>innocencie that is in me.</HI> And this brought <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> to v&s;e &s;uch liberty and boldnes in challenging his quarellous enemies. <HI>Hee is neere that iustifieth me: who will contend with me? Let vs &s;tand together:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 50. 8. 9.</NOTE> <HI>who is mine aduer&s;arie? Let him come neere to me. Behold the Lord will helpe me: who is he that can condemne me?</HI> And yet this is not all the comfort that a iu&s;t man hath, though it be great, but is in|crea&s;ed by the te&s;timionie which God giueth of their de&s;ires, that &s;eeing they are good, they &s;hall ea&s;ily be graunted, and &s;eeing he taketh notice of no more then of tho&s;e which are good, their o|ther infirmities &s;hall be no impediment. And therefore if they aske euerla&s;ting life, why &s;hould they make que&s;tion whether they &s;hall haue it? If they &s;eeke &s;pirituall graces at his hands, what &s;hould hinder the finding of them? If they craue the good ble&s;&s;ings for them&s;elues and theirs, for greater experience of his fauour in things of this life, what &s;hould &s;tay them from com|ming? When his iu&s;tice pronounceth their de&s;ires to be good, will not his goodne&s;&s;e bee readie to fulfill them, e&s;pecially his trueth hauing promi&s;ed the performance thereof? <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 14 5. 19.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror for vngodly men which haue many &s;infull de&s;ires in their hearts again&s;t Gods glorie, and &s;eruices, and people. Their &s;oules wi&s;h nothing &s;eriou&s;ly, but that which God hateth, and godly men feare, and pray again&s;t. Libertie for lewdne&s;&s;e they de&s;ire as life, &amp; tho&s;e that like not of wicked waies, they abhorre
<PB N="85" REF="46"> as much as death. Nothing plea&s;eth them &s;o well as to heare of the &s;innes or &s;orrowes of profe&s;&s;ours, and nothing grieueth them &s;o much as to heare that wicked per&s;ons are either reclai|med from their di&s;&s;olute behauiour, or puni&s;hed for their &s;hame|full offences. Surely the&s;e men are not righteous, their de&s;ires are not good, and therefore what&s;oeuer is in them, or commeth from them is euill, and di&s;plea&s;ing to God, and dangerous, and dam|nable to their owne &s;oules. As touching the other clau&s;e, for the euent of wicked mens hopes, &s;ee the &s;econd doctrine of the tenth chapter, and the fir&s;t doctrine of the eightenth ver&s;e of this chapter.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 24. <HI>There is that &s;cattereth, and is more increa&s;ed; but hee that &s;pareth more then right,</HI> commeth <HI>&s;urely to pouertie.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THey that di&s;per&s;e their goods, this way and that, be&s;towing them vpon &s;uch as are in want and nece&s;&s;itie, or otherwi&s;e imploying them for the publike benefit of many, they that are readie and willing to part with their goods or monie for the re|lief of &s;uch as are in want or nece&s;&s;itie, or to any other good v&s;es, are &s;aid to &s;catter them: and &s;uch take the be&s;t cour&s;e to increa&s;e them, as &s;owing of corne is a meanes to helpe a man more and more.</P>
<P>And this he deliuereth with great wi&s;edome and warine&s;&s;e, &s;aying, that &s;ome are more increa&s;ed, and not all: for many &s;catter vpon dice, and cardes, and dogges, and whores, and &s;uch like, and they may looke to bee &s;tript of all the re&s;t, rather then to adde to that which they haue. On the other &s;ide hee that kee|peth in that which he ought to lay out, and &s;pareth that which duetie requireth him to &s;pend, doth play the euil husband for the impoueri&s;hing of his owne e&s;tate.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> True liberalitie and mercie is not an hurt, but a furtherance to mens e&s;tates. Neuer any man was made the poorer by one penie for giuing of many, in due manner, but diuers haue bin the richer. The &s;ame rule holdeth in this ca&s;e, as in all other the good gifts of God; that the good v&s;age of them doth v&s;ually bring an aug|mentation of them. So it is to be found in learning and know|ledge,
<PB N="86" REF="47"> and in what good thing is it not &s;o to be found? we neede not trauell farre for proofe of our point in hand, but onely &s;teppe ouer to the next ver&s;e following, and there wee &s;hall haue a con|firmation of the &s;ame. There we &s;hall &s;ee that they which feede others &s;hall be fat them&s;elues (for &s;o is the &s;en&s;e) and they which are as good &s;treames to &s;end out &s;treames, &s;hall haue &s;uch &s;upply, as that they &s;hall not be dried vp, but bee as well able to flow at the euening, as they were in the morning, and to morrow as much as to day, and the next yeere no le&s;&s;e than in this.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they haue the promi&s;e of ble&s;&s;ing from God which im|ploy their &s;ub&s;tance to the glorie of God, and the benefit of his poore &s;eruants which are in want. <HI>Honour the Lord,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>with thy riches, and the chiefe of all thine increa&s;e. So &s;hall thy barnes bee</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 3. 9. 10.</NOTE> <HI>filled with abundance, and thy pre&s;&s;es &s;hall bur&s;t with new wine.</HI> And the Apo&s;tle S. <HI>Paul</HI> giueth as large an incouragement to the Co|rinthians in the new Te&s;tament. <HI>Hee that mini&s;treth &s;eede to the &s;ower, will mini&s;ter likewi&s;e bread for food, and multiplie your &s;eed, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 9. 10.</NOTE> <HI>increa&s;e the fruites of your beneuolence.</HI> No field is more fertile to &s;ow in, then the poore members of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t: no &s;eede is better then mercie, and Chri&s;tian liberalitie: no weather or watering is more &s;ea&s;onabe then Gods ble&s;&s;ing: no crop of corne is &s;o commodious and profitable as is the reward which God giueth both to &s;oule and bodie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Mercifull men procure prai&s;es to God to be plentifully offe|red, and prayers for them&s;elues for all good happine&s;&s;e: and therefore how can they but thriue and pro&s;per? That rea&s;on doth <HI>Paul</HI> pre&s;&s;e in many words to the Corinths, that they might know that their liberalitie was not in vaine. He will increa&s;e the fruites of your beneuolence, that in euery &s;ort ye may bee made rich to all liberalitie, which cau&s;eth, through vs, thank&s;giuing to God, 2. Cor. 9. 11. He dwelleth vpon the argument, and vrgeth it in euery ver&s;e to the end of the chapter.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the mercie of God towards other of his people which are in neede, doth often cau&s;e mercifull men the more to abound in riches. Since their de&s;ire is to be helpers of their afflicted bre|thren, their power &s;hall &s;erue to performe it: and &s;ince they haue begun it &s;o well alreadie, they &s;hall be able to doe it better here|after.
<PB N="87" REF="47"> And for this cau&s;e they are promi&s;ed <HI>all &s;ufficiencie</HI> in all things, that they may abound in euery good worke. As it is writ|ten, <HI>He hath &s;par&s;ed abroad and giuen to to the poore: his beneuo|lence remaineth for euer,</HI> 2. Cor. 9. 8. 9. He &s;heweth by the te&s;timo|nie of the P&s;alme, that their communicating to the poore did not bring them to pouertie, that they &s;hould be compelled to giue vp giuing, but did e&s;tabli&s;h their &s;tate, that they might continue their beneuolence as long as they liued: for &s;o much doth <HI>euer</HI> &s;eeme to import in this place.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to &s;triue again&s;t infidelitie which hindreth mens hearts from the cheerefulnes of mercie, and &s;taieth their hands from many good contributions, and keepeth them wholly from the exerci&s;e of liberality. They lo&s;e by the&s;e meanes the opportu|nitie of much gaine, they debarre them&s;elues from that plentie which they might enioy. They will not receiue &s;o much good as God will affoord them, becau&s;e their hearts wil not affoord them leaue to beleeue, that there is &s;o good a reward prouided for them that affoord reliefe to poore Chri&s;tians. The Holy Gho&s;t in the booke of Eccle&s;ia&s;tes a&s;&s;ureth vs that nothing is lo&s;t that is be&s;towed in goodnes. He willeth men <HI>to ca&s;t their bread vpon the waters, and after many daies they &s;hall finde it againe.</HI> It is a kinde of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 11. 1. 2.</NOTE> prouerbiall &s;peech with vs, for fruitle&s;&s;e charges, to &s;ay, I might as well haue throwne my mony downe the riuer. But in this ca&s;e though we &s;eeme to throw our mony, or foode, into the riuer, or &s;ea it &s;elfe, wee &s;hall haue it re&s;tored with aduantage, yea, and when wee thinke all is forgotten. And therefore he proceedeth to incourage men that they &s;hould lay about them, and not &s;pare, in the exerci&s;e of liberalitie. <HI>Giue</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>to &s;euen, and al&s;o to eight.</HI> Be&s;tow vpon many, and when thou ha&s;t done that, make not an end, but giue to more than thou did&s;t before. As if hee &s;hould haue &s;aid, be&s;tow as much &s;eede as thou ha&s;t land to lay it on: and get as much land as thou ha&s;t &s;eede to &s;ow it with. But infidelitie can hold no longer in hearing this, but out commeth her worthie que&s;tion: How &s;hall I liue my &s;elfe hereafter, if I giue away all now? who knoweth what hard times be comming? Now he &s;toppeth her mouth with retortion of her owne rea&s;on. No man knoweth what euill daies may come, and therefore wi&s;e|dome
<PB N="88" REF="48"> would that we &s;hould make proui&s;ion for our &s;elues before hand. And nothing is &s;urer laid vp, then that which is charitablie laide out; that will &s;erue for a deere yeere, and a rainie day, as wee are wont to &s;peake in our prouerbe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of the follie of mi&s;erable niggards, who being gree|die of getting more, know not how to v&s;e that which they haue, and therefore take the way to con&s;ume all. The one halfe of our text is a threatning again&s;t them, and all the rea&s;ons which did confirme the good e&s;tate of liberall per&s;ons, do as much conclude the hard ca&s;e of pinching neere mi&s;ers, by the contrary. They put their talent to no good v&s;e, and therefore may daily looke to haue it taken away from them. They intitle them&s;elues to the threatnings and cur&s;es of the law, and therefore cannot auoide the iudgements, whereof the &s;troake of pouertie and needines is one among others. Sighes and complaints goe vp to God a|gain&s;t them, but few prayers, and no thank&s;giuing at all for them. Their beneuolence and goodnes doth not &s;tand the poore Saints in &s;uch &s;teed, as that the Lord for their &s;akes &s;hould commit any part of his &s;ub&s;tance to their hands, or leaue that with them, which they haue fingred alreadie.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 25. <HI>The liberall &s;oule &s;hall waxe fat, and hee that giueth plentifullie &s;hall powre forth.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe&s;e words haue affinitie with the former part of the ver&s;e next before, and are ioyned to it partly in way of explicati|on, and partly in way of illu&s;tration. And therfore fir&s;t he &s;heweth who obtaine that ble&s;&s;ing to increa&s;e by &s;cattring, &amp; that is they who&s;e liberalitie beginneth at their hearts: and then he declareth the pro&s;perous &s;ucce&s;&s;e thereof by a &s;imilitude from wel-&s;prings which receiue as much water inwardly, as they &s;end forth out|wardly, which, if they &s;hould faile of i&s;&s;ue, would al&s;o faile of ful|nes, the waters diuerting their cour&s;e &s;ome other way, where they might haue better pa&s;&s;age, or el&s;e infu&s;ing them&s;elues in the earth, and mould of the adiacent places round about, and &s;o make a quagmire. The &s;ame compari&s;on doth <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> v&s;e for the &s;ame purpo&s;e: <HI>The Lord &s;hall &s;ati&s;fie thy &s;oule continually in drought,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 58. 11.</NOTE>
<PB N="89" REF="48"> <HI>and make fat thy bones: and thou &s;halt bee like a watred garden, and like a &s;pring of water, who&s;e waters faile not.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> He that expecteth comfort for &s;ound mercie, mu&s;t not onelie applie his hand, but his &s;oule to the exerci&s;e of well doing. That is the &s;eate of loue, which giueth life to all good actions, and without which in regrad of them&s;elues, it is as good neuer a whit, as neuer the better. For though a man &s;hould <HI>feede the poore with</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 13. 3.</NOTE> <HI>all his goods, and haue not loue, it profiteth him nothing. E&s;aias</HI> con|ditioneth with the~ who would haue the Lord to powre forth his mercies and ble&s;&s;ings vpon them, that they &s;hould not onely powre out their foode and victuals, but their &s;oules al&s;o to the hungrie. I&s;a. 58. 10.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, there is required a needefull worke of the &s;oule in this &s;eruice, and that is wi&s;edome and di&s;cretion. So is a mercifull man commended in the P&s;almes: <HI>A good man is mercifull and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 112. 5.</NOTE> <HI>lendeth, and will mea&s;ure his affaires by iudgement.</HI> And &s;o is a libe|rall man de&s;cribed by the Prophet <HI>E&s;aias, That he will deui&s;e of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 32. 8.</NOTE> <HI>liberall things.</HI> He will meditate where his gifts may be&s;t be pla|ced: what is fitte&s;t to be giuen: how much is meete for him to contribute: in what manner he &s;hould performe it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly compa&s;&s;ion mu&s;t be ioyned with it, that the helper, and the partie holpen, may mutually communicate their ca&s;es each with other: he that is in pro&s;peritie bearing a part of his brothers burthen, and he that is in aduer&s;itie receiuing a portion of his neighbours ble&s;&s;ings. This could <HI>Iob</HI> truly te&s;tifie of him|&s;elfe, that he v&s;ed <HI>to weepe for them that were in trouble, and his</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 30. 25.</NOTE> <HI>&s;oule was in heauine&s;&s;e for the poore.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, it mu&s;t be &s;ea&s;oned with cheerefulnes, that it may bee more comfortable to man that &s;hall receiue it, and likewi&s;e more acceptable to God that will reward it. Hereof doth the Apo&s;tle admoni&s;h the Corinthians to an e&s;peciall regard, &s;aying; <HI>As eue|ry man wi&s;heth in his heart,</HI> &s;o let him giue, <HI>not grudgingly, nor of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 9. 7.</NOTE> <HI>nece&s;&s;itie, for God loueth a cheerefull giuer.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of them who&s;e &s;oules haue neuer any dealing in do|ing of good, vnle&s;&s;e it be to peruert all with Phari&s;aicall hypo|cri&s;ie and vaine glorie. They giue hand ouer head to tagge and ragge, without difference of any, except they &s;hut out the be&s;t,
<PB N="90" REF="49"> and be&s;tow on the wor&s;t, frowning on them that are the mo&s;t hone&s;t, and feeding of them that of all others are the mo&s;t vn|worthie. They contribute to good v&s;es with no le&s;&s;e difficultie, than if a di&s;tre&s;&s;e of a fine or amercement were to bee extorted from them. Commi&s;eration and pitie are meere &s;trangers vnto them, their hearts haue no acquaintance at all with them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to poore men, that they are not excluded from the grace and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e of being merciful, though they attaine not to the &s;tate and abilitie of being wealthie. Mercie is not pla|ced with mony in the pur&s;e, but dwelleth with loue and kindnes in the heart. He that can mourne with &s;uch as doe mourne, hee that can pray for them that bee in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, he that can any way &s;eeke to comfort the afflicted, may truly be &s;aid to haue a &s;oule of ble&s;&s;ing, and is of God him&s;elfe e&s;teemed mercifull. The &s;uc|ce&s;&s;e which mercifull men &s;hall finde for their owne e&s;tate, hath been alreadie declared in the former ver&s;e, and therefore in this may be pa&s;&s;ed ouer.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 26. <HI>He that withdraweth corne, the people will cur&s;e him: but ble&s;&s;ing &s;hall be vpon the head of him that &s;elleth corne.</HI></HEAD>
<P>IT is not vnlawfull to keepe in corne, as <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> did in the time of plentie to bee prouided again&s;t &s;carcitie and dearth: but when we may &s;pare it, and others neede it, then to with hold the &s;elling thereof in hope to rai&s;e the price, this tendeth to a com|mon hurt, and therefore will cau&s;e a common complaint of the people again&s;t vs. But on the other &s;ide; ble&s;&s;ing &s;hall be on his head that &s;elleth corne, he &s;hall not only haue the good te&s;timo|nie and prayers of men beneath, but the ble&s;&s;ing of God him&s;elfe from aboue de&s;cend vpon him. Prouided that his heart be vp|right therein, not &s;o much re&s;pecting the price in &s;elfe-loue, as the profiting of his brother in Chri&s;tian charitie: and that he v&s;e all other due circum&s;tances accordingly. As to &s;ell that which is good at a rea&s;onable rate, and performe it in due &s;ea&s;on, and full mea&s;ure, and &s;uch like.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> They are after a &s;ort publique enemies of the countrie, that procure, or &s;eeke for a dearth. The Lord would haue vs to col|lect
<PB N="91" REF="49"> and deeme what harme they doe by the effects that en&s;ue thereupon. The exclamation and outcrie, not of one per&s;on, or familie, but of the multitude of the people, doth intend in this ca&s;e &s;ome grieuance among them. Scarcitie of foode is one of the mo&s;t grieuous iudgements wherewith the Lord is wont to plague a nation, and how can we then take them for our friends, which wi&s;h &s;o grieuous a puni&s;hment? <HI>Salomon</HI> by prayer made <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 8. 38.</NOTE> a way for the prayers both of the whole people, and the particu|lar friends and members thereof, to come to God for remouall of &s;uch a mi&s;erie; then what are they to be accounted that &s;end forth de&s;ires, and put forth endeuours to call for it, and bring it?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they are heauie aduer&s;aries of the poore, and practi&s;e to adde &s;orrow to them that are alreadie in &s;orrow. The greate&s;t weight of this burthen is like to light vpon their backes, becau&s;e they are lea&s;t prouided of armour to keepe it off. An example thereof is to be &s;eene in the prophecie of <HI>Amos,</HI> where the &s;elfe|&s;ame effect is wrought by the &s;elfe-&s;ame meanes which wee are now in hand with: <HI>Heare this, O ye that &s;wallow vp the poore, that</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 8. 4. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>ye may make the needie of the land to faile, &s;aying, When will the new Moone be gone, that we may &s;ell corne? and the Sabbath, that we may &s;et foorth wheate, and make the Epha &s;mall, and the &s;hekell great, and fal&s;ifie the weights by deceit? and buy the poore for &s;iluer, and the nee|die for &s;hooes: yea and &s;ell the refu&s;e of the wheate.</HI> They had long kept vp the corne for this purpo&s;e to haue it grow deare, and now the time &s;erued the turne, and it mu&s;t bee opened in all the ha&s;te, they thought the daies of the Lords owne &s;eruice too long, vntill they were at it. And now woe to the poore, for the plot is laid to pray vpon them. They &s;hall buy the refu&s;e deare, which is little worth, and &s;ell them&s;elues cheape to pay for it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are pernicious to men of all &s;orts and condi|tions, vnle&s;&s;e it be to a few of tho&s;e few which haue corne to &s;ell. And to this point let them &s;peake which can &s;peake by expe|rience, and experience hath taught, not long &s;ithence, the greater number of hou&s;ekeepers, that the higher the prices of corne doe ri&s;e, the lower the &s;tates of families fall. And the &s;ellers of vi|ctuals do the more fill their pur&s;es with mony, the le&s;&s;e the poore &s;eruants fill their bellies with meate. Aske the traueller by the
<PB N="92" REF="50"> way; aske the labourer in the countrie; aske the trade&s;men in the towne; aske the common &s;ort, yea almo&s;t any &s;ort of inha|bitants in the citie, and which of all the&s;e will &s;ay, or truly may &s;ay, it is no burthen to vs that things are no cheaper? A great part of their care is to make proui&s;ion for hou&s;ehold: a great part of their labour is &s;wallowed vp in proui&s;ion: a great part of time is too little for their labour. So that their care is more, their labour greater, their commons &s;horter, and &s;tate much weaker. Many be re&s;trained from doing further good: many be compelled to le&s;&s;en former familie: many thereby be brought to manifold in|conueniences, more than we expre&s;&s;e or thinke of.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of all that affect &s;uch a mi&s;chiefe, liuing in hope, for their owne priuate lucre, that &s;o great an hurt will grow to the publike &s;tate of the land: but &s;pecially of &s;uch as take the way, and v&s;e the meanes to effect this euill, and to draw vpon it &s;uch a iudgement. And of this &s;ort are they which practi&s;e that which is here declared to be a noi&s;ome &s;inne, namely to &s;tore vp their corne that no man &s;hall haue any benefit by it, whiles there is a|ny good &s;ub&s;tance in it. They are much more kinde hearted to Rats, and Mice, and We&s;ils, than they are to their brethren: for they &s;hall haue all freely giuen them for nothing, and men can|not buy any of it for their mony. And therefore what can they &s;ay for them&s;elues why they &s;hould not be as much liable to the woe and cur&s;e which S. <HI>Iames</HI> doth denounce, as tho&s;e who&s;e o|ther riches were corrupt: who&s;e garments were moath-eaten for want of wearing: who&s;e gold and &s;iluer was canckred and ru&s;tie for want of v&s;age? But wor&s;e are they which not onely hoord vp their owne corne, that it &s;hall neuer come foorth &s;ea&s;onably to preuent a dearth: but ingro&s;&s;e other mens al&s;o for the &s;ame pur|po&s;e, that they may make their gaine thereof to the detriment and hurt of many others. But of all others, wor&s;t are they which not onely keepe back corne from the marker, but from the barne: not from &s;ale, but from &s;owing: which refu&s;e to yeeld tillage and &s;eed to the ground: which yet further, by force or fraud, ex|tort the ground from other men that they &s;hall neither till nor &s;ow it. The&s;e drie vp the &s;prings of the Market, that the &s;treames of plentie &s;hould be re&s;trained from flowing to it: the&s;e bring a
<PB N="93" REF="50"> cur&s;e vpon the earth, and make it barren in compari&s;on of the <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 5. 9. 10.</NOTE> &s;tore it was wont to yeeld. The&s;e labour for depopulation of hou&s;es, and townes, and fields, and people.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to them that bring an vpright heart to &s;elling, though they cannot be &s;o large in giuing: therein they doe a &s;er|uice to God; therein they performe a worke of loue to their neighbours: and therefore they &s;hall be better &s;atisfied at Gods hand than at the buyers: and his pay will be better in grace and goodnes, than the other can be in gold and &s;iluer.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>The people will cur&s;e him,</HI> &amp;c. It is a grieuous plague to be pur|&s;ued iu&s;tly with the cries and clamours of the people. True it is that <HI>Ieremy</HI> and others of the mo&s;t faithfull &s;eruants of God haue been &s;poken euill of, and cur&s;ed by the multitude. And &s;o it is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iere. 15. 10.</NOTE> true that <HI>as the &s;parrow by flying, and the &s;wallow by flying e&s;cape, &s;o</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 26. 2.</NOTE> <HI>the cur&s;e that is cau&s;ele&s;&s;e &s;hall not come.</HI> And it is mo&s;t true, they whom men reuile and per&s;ecute, and &s;ay alll manner of euill for Chri&s;t his &s;ake fal&s;ely, are ble&s;&s;ed. But this is al&s;o very true, that to be &s;poken again&s;t for &s;ins &s;ake, truly, is not a matter of ble&s;&s;ednes, but mi&s;erie: the wings of a mans name &amp; reputation will be clipt &s;o &s;hort that it &s;hall not auoide the &s;troke and &s;hot of a cur&s;e, if it be dulie cau&s;ed. In this &s;ame manner are hurtfull men threatned, which flatter, or countena~ce, or beare out wicked per&s;ons in their &s;infull cour&s;es. <HI>He that &s;aith to the wicked, thou art righteous, him &s;hall the people cur&s;e, and the multitude &s;hall abhorre him.</HI> Pro. 24. 24.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, if a good name be a thing mo&s;t de&s;ireable, and a trea&s;ure to be preferred before gold and &s;iluer, and other precious com|modities, then it mu&s;t needes he that an euill name, and infamie is a thing very loath&s;ome, and wor&s;e then the lo&s;&s;e of any earthly thing, yea then very needines and beggerie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they which by their owne de&s;ert haue &s;tirred vp complaints again&s;t them&s;elues, are not onely &s;mitten with the breath of mans mouth, but with the &s;troake of Gods hand. Hee purpo&s;eth it in his coun&s;ell: he threatneth it in his word: hee ef|fecteth it in his prouidence: he hearkeneth thereunto, in pitie to them that be oppre&s;&s;ed: and in anger, again&s;t them that are op|pre&s;&s;ors. Neither is this the ca&s;e of violent men alone, and &s;uch as heare euill for hard dealing, but of all &s;orts of &s;inners which
<PB N="94" REF="51"> blemi&s;h them&s;elues with any kinde of misbehauiour.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reprehen&s;ion of impudent per&s;ons which haue hardned their faces, that they cannot blu&s;h, or bee a&s;hamed, nor de&s;i&s;t from their &s;hamefull mi&s;demeaners, how&s;oeuer they are thought of, or &s;peake again&s;t. If they bee exhorted to any good dutie which carrieth no credit among &s;uch as are carnall, or di&s;&s;waded from any euill cu&s;tome which carrieth no di&s;grace among them that are &s;infull, their pre&s;ent an&s;were is, What will men &s;ay? But let them heare that their pride, or vnthriftines, or couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, or vncon&s;tancie, or faithle&s;ne&s;&s;e in couenants, &amp;c. is much cen&s;ured, many take great exceptions again&s;t them, they &s;hift their hands and goe quite on the other &s;ide: Say all what they will, I care not for it: better men then I haue been &s;poken again&s;t, Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe had &s;car&s;e a good word of the mo&s;t. But the que&s;tion is not how good men haue been dealt with, but how they de&s;erued to be dealt with. True it is and we confe&s;&s;e it, that many refu&s;ed to &s;peake good words of Chri&s;t; but did Chri&s;t euer prouoke them to it, by euill deedes to them? But words (&s;ay they) are winde, and reports a wonder for nine daies. But their crimes, &s;ay we, are more then winde, and their guiltines will not be blowne away in nine thou&s;and yeeres. That which men &s;peake truely again&s;t them, God will charge more fully vpon them at the la&s;t day: and his wordes will be as fire, and his &s;entence will not vani&s;h a|way at all, but continue to their &s;hame and torment for euet.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 27. <HI>He that diligently &s;eeketh good, &s;hall get fauour: but he that &s;eeketh euill, it &s;hall come to him.</HI></HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> HE that &s;eeketh carefully with an vpright heart to benefit tho&s;e among whom he liueth, in any good manner, taketh the be&s;t way to win the hearts of the people: and is like to haue the hearts of good men knit vnto him, and certaine to obtaine and inioy Gods fauour and louing kindne&s;&s;e. And he that plot|teth, or practi&s;eth mi&s;chiefe again&s;t others, of all others &s;hall be mo&s;t hurt thereby him&s;elfe.</P>
<P>He that would bee well thought of, mu&s;t not onely wi&s;h well but indeuour to do good to his brethren. To beare good affection
<PB N="95" REF="51"> to mankind, but e&s;pecially to Gods Church and people is a thing plea&s;ing to God, and godly men; but men &s;ee not the affection to be good, further then it is manife&s;ted by effects: and God &s;eeth that affection not to be good, which is voide of a working vigour and fruitfulnes. By what &s;teps did <HI>Nehemia</HI> a&s;cend to that e&s;tima|tion which is had of him, in the Church in the Scriptures, and in Gods owne pre&s;ence now in heauen? He inquired of the &s;tate of his brethren, he mourned for them, he fa&s;ted for them, he prayed to God for them, he &s;pake to the King for them, he vndertooke a iourney for them, he was indaungered, he was reproched, he was traduced and all for their &s;akes. And therfore it an was effectuall petition which hee offered to God: <HI>Remember me O my God in</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Nehem. 5. 19.</NOTE> <HI>goodnes, according to all that I haue done for this people.</HI> How came <HI>One&s;iphorus</HI> to be &s;o deere to <HI>Paul,</HI> and &s;o much beloued of God him&s;elfe, who hath regi&s;tred his name in an euerla&s;ting record, euen in his owne holy &s;criptures? by &s;hewing him&s;elfe kind, and bold, and bountifull to the Apo&s;tle. He did not onely de&s;ire that <HI>Paul</HI> might doe well, but tooke the paines to come to Rome, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 1. 16.</NOTE> there al&s;o vi&s;ited him in the pri&s;on, and &s;o prouided that by his meanes, he might doe the better.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t it is the nature of loue, to expre&s;&s;e it &s;elfe by te&s;timonies of beneficence and goodnes. For it is not a loue in trueth if it bee not in deede, a&s;well as in word and tongue. 1 Ioh. 3. 18.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, there is no &s;incerity where is no exerci&s;e of weldoing, and therefore it will do no more good to our &s;elues to thinke, or &s;ay we de&s;ire well to them whom we &s;et our &s;elues no way to doe good vnto, then it doth to an hungrie per&s;on to bid him eate, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 2. 15.</NOTE> giue him no meate, or to one that is cold, to wi&s;h him warmth, and mini&s;ter to him neither fire nor clothing.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of them that take a contrarie cour&s;e to get loue and good liking. As for Gods fauour they either count it to be &s;o little worth, as they regard it not at all, but thinke the lea&s;t well doing too great a price for it; or el&s;e to be &s;o common and ordinarie, as that it will be found without &s;eeking: or els &s;uch an excellencie to be in them&s;elues, as that God cannot but take delight in them, how&s;oeuer he be di&s;po&s;ed towards others. And for mens affecti|ons and good opinion, they hope to come by them by ea&s;ier
<PB N="96" REF="52"> meanes: and that is by making them&s;elues popular in practi&s;e of &s;ome plau&s;ible &s;ins, in yeelding libertie for all licentious cour|&s;es to them that liue vnder them, in procuring impunity to di&s;or|dered per&s;ons. So that whereas God in his word here &s;aith, hee that &s;eeketh good &s;hall get fauour, they in their deedes &s;ay, hee &s;hall get fauour that exerci&s;eth euill.</P>
<P>For the other part of this ver&s;e, looke the &s;euenteenth ver&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 28. <HI>He that tru&s;teth in his riches, &s;hall fall: but the righ|teous &s;hall flori&s;h as a branch.</HI></HEAD>
<P>HE that &s;o repo&s;eth vpon his wealth, as that for loue and de|&s;ire thereof, hee is willing, and in confidence thereof hee is bold to &s;inne again&s;t God; hee which hopeth it will keepe him from troubles, or rid him out of troubles, or any way conferre happine&s;&s;e to him, this man &s;hall &s;urely bee brought downe, and fall into mi&s;chiefe. And &s;o by the &s;ame proportion, &s;hall all tho&s;e which tru&s;t to men, or to wit, or to any other creature. On the other &s;ide, iu&s;t men are all on the mending hand; they are well planted, they grow in a fruitfull ground by the riuers of water, they haue the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t for their roote, they haue God the Father to dre&s;&s;e and keepe them, and there|fore they &s;hall flouri&s;h as a branch which groweth and hath greene leaues. The drought of aduer&s;itie &s;hall not hurt them, the dewes of whole&s;ome pro&s;peritie &s;hall not faile them. They &s;hall haue &s;afetie for their bodies, graces for their &s;oules, compe|tencie for their &s;tate, and all good furtherances for their euerla|&s;ting glorie. Thus &s;tandeth the oppo&s;ition. The wicked tru&s;t in their riches, and they &s;hall fall like rotten boughes: but the righ|teous tru&s;t in the Lord, and they &s;hall grow like flouri&s;hing branches.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Though the &s;tayes of many wicked men &s;eeme to be the &s;tron|ger, yet the &s;tates of all godly men proue to be the &s;urer. </P>
<P>If &s;afetie con&s;i&s;ted in wealth, and happine&s;&s;e in height, wee could not but yeeld that diuers &s;infull per&s;ons were grounded in great &s;afety and happine&s;&s;e: for they haue the world at will, &amp; are mounted vp to eminent places. And if perill did alwayes accom|panie
<PB N="97" REF="52"> pouertie, and mi&s;erie likewi&s;e a meane condition, who could denie, but that the mo&s;t of the be&s;t men, &s;hould euer bee found in the wor&s;t ca&s;e, and of all others the mo&s;t mi&s;erable? for that they are commonly poore and ba&s;e in the world? But if God in his iu&s;t iudgements doe lift vp his enemies hie, to ca&s;t them downe the; lower and if his &s;eruants take rooting low, that they may grow vp the hier then let the wicked take heede of a downe|fall, and then let the righteous not doubt of a ri&s;ing. The thirtie &s;euen and &s;euentie third P&s;almes, are treati&s;es wholy vpon this argument, be&s;ides many other texts of Scripture. And this com|meth to pa&s;&s;e to both &s;ides. Fir&s;t, in regard of the different, and <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> contrarie choi&s;e which they haue made of helpers to them&s;elues. What doe &s;infull per&s;ons and wicked men take to bee their &s;taues to leane vpon, and that with their whole weight? Euen fle&s;hly &s;upports, as goods and riches which are &s;lender reedes, that will breake, and run into their hands and &s;houlders, and lay them flat on the ground. The&s;e they build vpon as a founda|tion mo&s;t firme and &s;table, the&s;e they depend vpon as friends mo&s;t &s;ure and faithfull: the&s;e they tru&s;t vnto as holds mo&s;t &s;trong and mightie. And yet is there any thing more vncertaine, more deceitfull, more weake and feeble then the&s;e are? They bee fugi|tiue and away they goe, when they &s;hould &s;ticke to a man: they be fal&s;e and performe nothing that they promi&s;e. They &s;ay, giue vs your heart, e&s;pecially when we increa&s;e, we haue power to doe you all good. But <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;aith, <HI>If riches increa&s;e, &s;et not your heart</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 62. 10. 11.</NOTE> <HI>theron God &s;pake once, twice haue I heard it, that power belongeth only to God.</HI> There was neuer any Papi&s;t, or heathe~ man more deceiued in dumbe Idols, then worldlings be in the hope of their monie and &s;ub&s;tance. The images haue as much &s;en&s;e to heare, and &s;peake, and deale for them which pray to them, as gold and &s;iluer and other trea&s;ures haue ability in them&s;elues to helpe them, that make them their gods: and many more are illuded by the&s;e, then by the others. And whom doe the godly make their refuge? In whom is their hope fixed? in God omnipotent, eternall, endles in mercie, wi&s;edome, and trueth, who&s;e good prouidence doth ne|uer faile them in life: who&s;e gracious fauour doth not for&s;ake them at death: And that one word may comprehend all, and
<PB N="98" REF="53"> that is infinitely much, and more then heauen and earth can com|prehend, he is God euery way for them, al-&s;ufficient.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, in regard of their behauiour towards the Lord. The wicked commit an execrable &s;acriledge &amp; &s;pirituall trea&s;on, they ca&s;t off that loyaltie that is due only to him, &amp; yeeld it to the ab|iect and contemptible creatures: for &s;o may they be called when they are matched as equals, or preferred as &s;uperiours to their Creator. And this is done in all vaine confidence, as it was &s;poken of tru&s;t to fle&s;h &amp; bloud, &s;o to all of that kind: <HI>Cur&s;ed be the man</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 17. 5.</NOTE> <HI>that tru&s;teth in man, and maketh fle&s;h his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord.</HI> Confidence is a prerogatiue and royaltie, that the Lord neuer communicateth to any, vpon any conditions. He &s;o calleth for loue to him&s;elfe, that men al&s;o &s;hould bee loued for his &s;ake, and feared and reioyced at, and the like is in other af|fections: but to tru&s;t in any be&s;ides him, is as much as in vs is, to &s;et the imperiall diadem of heauen and earth vpon their heads. Now the godly relying altogether vpon his fidelitie and power yeeld him homage, and declare them&s;elues to be his loyall, faith|full, and obedient &s;ubiects, and performe a mo&s;t acceptable &s;er|uice vnto him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to be &s;o much more indu&s;trious for righteou&s;nes, than riches, by how much it is better to bee a liuing tree, than a dead &s;tocke: and to &s;tand fa&s;t in the &s;tate of all good happine&s;&s;e, than to fall into &s;inne, and &s;hame, and mi&s;erie, and de&s;truction. So much goodnes as any man hath, &s;o much he hath of faith, &s;o farre he &s;heweth the &s;appe and vertue of his roote: &s;o certaine and a&s;|&s;ured he may be of perpetuall firmne&s;&s;e and &s;tabilitie. And looke what mea&s;ure of vaine confidence is in euery one, &s;o much &s;in|fulnes is in him (and therefore the contrarietie is &s;et betweene &s;uch as tru&s;t in their riches, and the righteous; becau&s;e hee that hath affiance in his wealth, mu&s;t needes bee euill, and hee that is righteous mu&s;t needes tru&s;t in God) and &s;o &s;ure it is that Gods &s;trokes and iudgements will pur&s;ue him, and to his owne inabi|litie of &s;tanding, he &s;hall haue this added, that God will pu&s;h at him, and ca&s;t him downe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror for couetous Idolaters, which make their goods their gods, and their greedie getting their deuotion, and their plentie
<PB N="99" REF="53"> their &s;afetie, and their pa&s;tures, fields, barnes, &s;hops, warehou&s;es, or coffers, their heauen. Like fooli&s;h men, <HI>they waite vpon lying</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ionah 2. 8.</NOTE> <HI>vanities, and for&s;ake their owne mercie.</HI> It is as ea&s;ie for a croppe of corne to thriue vpon a wa&s;te Heath, or in the midde&s;t of a thornie hedge, or thicket of bu&s;hes, as it is for grace to grow in their hearts: and it is as ea&s;ie <HI>for a cable rope to goe through an needles</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark. 10. 24. 25.</NOTE> <HI>eye, as for them to enter into the kingdome of heauen.</HI> And yet they think al to be well, and their &s;tate to be happie: yea they pre&s;ume &s;o farre of their owne &s;tanding, that vpon confidence of their po|wer they doubt not but to giue others the fall: they hope that their withered rotten &s;tickes &s;hall be able to roote vp and throw downe the &s;tronge&s;t Cedars that grow in the Church of God. Such a one was <HI>Doeg,</HI> that thought to doe great things again&s;t <HI>Dauid,</HI> but <HI>Dauid</HI> did after a &s;ort defie him, and bad him doe his wor&s;t, yea he derided, and told him that the wor&s;t would bee his owne: <HI>Why boa&s;te&s;t thou</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>in thy wickedne&s;&s;e, O man of po|wer?</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 52. 1. 5. 6. &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>the louing kindne&s;&s;e of God endureth daily. God &s;hall de&s;troy thee for euer: he &s;hall take thee and plucke thee out of thy tabernacle, and roote thee out of the land of the liuing. The righteous al&s;o &s;hall &s;ee it, and feare, and &s;hall laugh at him, &s;aying, Behold the man that tooke not God for his &s;trength, but tru&s;ted to the multitude of his ri|ches. But I &s;hall be like a greene Oliue tree in the hou&s;e of God: for I tru&s;ted in the mercie of God for euer and euer.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Con&s;olation, to godly men that haue receiued to their owne hearts, and giuen to other men, a te&s;timonie of faith and righte|ou&s;nes: no enemie without or corrections within &s;hall depriue them of their comfort, or of any good ble&s;&s;ing that concerneth this pre&s;ent life, or their euerla&s;ting &s;aluation.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;. 29. <HI>He that troubleth his owne hou&s;e &s;hall inherite the wind, and the foole &s;hall be &s;eruant to the wi&s;e in heart.</HI></HEAD>
<P>HE is &s;aid to trouble his hou&s;e, which doth mi&s;pend his goods, and mi&s;guide his affaires, and mi&s;gouerneth his people that dwell with him. That either doth corrupt them with &s;infulnes, or mole&s;t them with frowardnes, or afflict them with mi&s;erie. When he either maketh them patients to beare the bur|then
<PB N="100" REF="54"> of his follie, or agents to commit follie with him. He &s;hall inherite the winde, that is, &s;hall bring al to nothing. His &s;ub&s;tance &s;hal flie vp like &s;moake into the aire, and nothing be left to main|taine him on earth. And when all his goods are gone, his libertie mu&s;t goe after. This foole &s;hall be &s;eruant to the wi&s;e in heart, that is, to one who is more prouident, di&s;creete and carefull for his &s;tate and hou&s;ehold. They were wont in great wants to &s;ell them&s;elues for &s;eruants, as the Egyptians did in <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> time. And <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 47. 19.</NOTE> for great debts to bee taken by the creditours, and either made their bondmen, or el&s;e &s;old to others. And one of the&s;e, &s;aith he, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 18. 25.</NOTE> is like to be the ca&s;e of this vnthriftie trouble-hou&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> He that would not vndoe him&s;elfe, let him not di&s;order his fa|milie and dome&s;ticall affaires. It neerely concerneth an hou&s;e|holder to know, that his hou&s;e is laden with his whole e&s;tate, that his people &s;aile together with him in the &s;ame ve&s;&s;ell, for his v&s;e. And if he will neither play the good Pilot him&s;elfe in his owne place, nor &s;uffer them to be good Mariners in theirs, how &s;oone &s;hall he runne his barke vpon the Rockes? how quickly &s;hall hee make &s;hipwracke of all that he hath?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, he takes the way to bring a cur&s;e vpon all, by due de&s;ert. The Lord hath made him a &s;teward, and in diuers re&s;pects com|mitted a tru&s;t vnto him, which hee doth vnfaithfully di&s;charge. He hath put his goods into his hands, to be orderly di&s;po&s;ed of, as may be mo&s;t for his glorie; and tho&s;e he expendeth vpon his owne lu&s;ts, and to Gods di&s;honour: and is it not iu&s;t then that they &s;hould be taken from him? He hath made him an ouer&s;eer of the per&s;ons that liue vnder him, that he &s;hould be an example and guide vnto them in all vertuous behauiour, and he groweth to be a di&s;&s;olute Ma&s;ter of Mi&s;rule; is it not equall that another &s;hould take his place of &s;uperiority, &amp; he be made an vnderling?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, either his hou&s;ehold is di&s;couraged from diligence by his crooked peruer&s;enes, or el&s;e withdrawne from faithfulnes by learning to be &s;infull, and both of the&s;e tend one way, name|ly, to the ouerthrow of his e&s;tate.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to bee good gouernours of our families, and good husbands for our e&s;tates, not onely in con&s;cience to obey God for our euerla&s;ting &s;aluation, but in Chri&s;tian prouidence
<PB N="101" REF="54"> for our pre&s;ent condition; if not to get, yet to &s;aue, as to pre&s;erue our goods, &s;o to retaine our freedome. For albeit that villenage and bondage be not now in v&s;e among vs, yet impri&s;onment is not altogether out of v&s;e. And euery one is &s;o farre in &s;eruitude, and in the creditours power, as hee wanteth abilitie to pay his debts. He may well be &s;aid to be another mans &s;eruant, who&s;e &s;tate and libertie doth &s;tand at another mans curte&s;ie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Terror for them that giue ouer them&s;elues to &s;uch &s;innes as be not onely trouble&s;ome, but trouble it &s;elfe to their hou&s;es. Tho&s;e wee meane which cau&s;e the Gouernours to lay burthens vpon their inferiours, and God to lay iudgements vpon the Go|uernours. Wee will not make mention of many, nor in&s;i&s;t long vpon them which wee mention. Pride mu&s;t haue the fir&s;t place, becau&s;e it is predominant and carrieth a great &s;way among the re&s;t. From it groweth contempt, and di&s;daine, contentions, rai|lings, and all manner of imperious in&s;olencie. And for recom|pence thereof, and of all the cur&s;ed effects which it produceth again&s;t God and man, the Lord threatneth to <HI>de&s;troy the hou&s;e of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 15. 25.</NOTE> <HI>proud men.</HI> Whoredome and incontinencie al&s;o worke much mi&s;chiefe to families, and mo&s;t of all to the heads them&s;elues. The holy Gho&s;t in this booke, is very frequent in this point. As, <HI>the &s;tranger &s;hall be filled with thy &s;trength, and thy labours &s;hall be</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 5. 10. Prou. 6. 26.</NOTE> <HI>in the hou&s;e of a &s;tranger.</HI> And, <HI>becau&s;e of the whori&s;h woman a man is brought to a mor&s;ell of bread.</HI> And <HI>Iob</HI> &s;aith, that if hee &s;hould that way haue defiled him&s;elfe, it would haue <HI>bin a fire de|uouring</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 31. 12.</NOTE> <HI>to de&s;truction,</HI> &amp; which would haue <HI>rooted out all his in|crea&s;e.</HI> Gaming, riot, and vnthriftines &s;o apparantly &s;hew them|&s;elues in this ranke, that it &s;hall be needle&s;&s;e to di&s;cour&s;e of them. Onely Couetou&s;nes we will conclude with, which &s;eemeth to be an help to rai&s;e vp an hou&s;e, and yet vndermineth the very foun|dations of it. This maketh men fierce, and violent, bitter and cruell, like Beares and Lions among their people. And this the Lord him&s;elfe hath reckoned for one of the&s;e turbulent &s;innes, and &s;o would haue vs to account of it. <HI>He that is greedie of gaine</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 15. 27.</NOTE> <HI>troubleth his owne hou&s;e: but he that hateth gifts, &s;hall liue.</HI> As if he &s;hould &s;ay, If men be not wearie of this wretched greedines, it will make them in all corrupt manner to pur&s;ue their commo|dities,
<PB N="102" REF="55"> to the annoyance of theirs, till Gods wrath pur&s;ue them to death and vndoing.</P>
<P>And whereas many proud per&s;ons, and vncleane, and coue|tous, hold vp their heads &s;till, and decay not in &s;tate, they come not into other mens dangers, but haue many others fallen into their hands; yet let not men thinke there is a po&s;&s;ibilitie of impu|nitie, becau&s;e they are not &s;courged with the lea&s;t rod, but re&s;er|ued to a greater: for pouertie is one of the ea&s;ie&s;t puni&s;hments. What though they come not to inherit the wind here? yet if they inherit damnation in the world to come, what gaine they by the change? what though they bee not brought to bee &s;eruants to men? yet if they bee &s;eruants to &s;inne, pre&s;ently, and &s;hall receiue the wages of &s;inne hereafter, how much is their ca&s;e the better?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 30. <HI>The fruit of the righteous is as a tree of life, and hee that winneth &s;oules is wi&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe meaning of the&s;e words is, that a godly man is very plentifull in bringing forth fruit, and his fruite exceeding profitable to them that receiue it. E&s;pecially his in&s;tructions, con|&s;olations, prayers, &amp; other &s;pirituall meanes that he v&s;eth, to con|uert, or confirme the hearts of his brethren. And he him&s;elf al&s;o is not without the fruit of his owne fruit, which is intimated here by pronouncing him wi&s;e that winneth &s;oules, that is, which with de&s;ire, and indeuour faithfully and di&s;creetly, by Gods owne meanes, according to his place and calling either doth draw men out of their &s;innes and ignorance, or el&s;e faileth of &s;ucce&s;&s;e there|in, not by his negligence, and want of loue, but rather by their &s;tubborne&s;&s;e and want of will. And herewith the Prophet doth &s;ati&s;fie him&s;elfe, what&s;oeuer &s;hould bee the i&s;&s;ue of his mini&s;terie. <HI>Now &s;aith the Lord that formed me from the wombe to bee his &s;er|uant, that I may bring Iacob againe to him, though I&s;rael be not ga|thered,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai 49. 4.</NOTE> <HI>yet &s;hall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord: and my God &s;hall be my &s;trength.</HI> On the other &s;ide wee dare not take vpon vs to iu|&s;tifie the hearts and &s;tates of all tho&s;e which haue been occa&s;ions of any mans conuer&s;ion, if it bee not their fruite: nor to extenuate
<PB N="103" REF="55"> the efficacie of euery vnregenerate mans mini&s;terie, that his do|ctrine &s;hould winne none to &s;aluation. It is graunted without que&s;tion, or gaine&s;aying, that he may prepare before, and build vp after, and we remember not any &s;uch &s;tint or re&s;traint &s;poken of, but that he may al&s;o co~uert, e&s;pecially before his life is &s;tained with any &s;infull behauiour, that might bring his mini&s;terie into contempt. The power of preaching &s;tandeth in the ordinance of God, by the worke of his &s;pirit, and not in the per&s;on of the me&s;|&s;enger, that doth publi&s;h it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Of all people, none doe &s;o much good as the godly. Looke how farre the tree of life, which was the be&s;t in paradi&s;e, excelled all the brambles and briers which are the wor&s;t on the wild wa&s;t, &s;o farre doe &s;uch as feare God &s;urmount the godle&s;&s;e in goodnes. In the fir&s;t P&s;alme, religious men which giue them&s;elues to the exerci&s;e of pietie are compared to trees, that yeeld the mo&s;t, and be&s;t and ripe&s;t fruite; and &s;inful men which giue them&s;elues to the practi&s;e of vanity are likened to chaffe, or rather the du&s;t of chaffe, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 1. 3.</NOTE> which is good for nothing. In the &s;econd of the Canticles the godly are re&s;embled to the mo&s;t beautifull and plea&s;ant lilies <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2. 2.</NOTE> which yeeld delight to tho&s;e that gather them; and the wicked to thornes or thi&s;tles which doe annoy tho&s;e that meddle with them. In other places of &s;cripture the &s;eruants of God are called &s;heepe; which for lambe, and fleece, and fle&s;h, and euery other way, are commodious, in&s;omuch that they make the very ground the better which they fit vpon; and the &s;laues of &s;inne are called by the names of Wolues, and Foxes, and &s;uch kinde of bea&s;ts, which are very hurtfull, and be readie to doe mi&s;chiefe where&s;oeuer they come. In what re&s;pect the fruite of the righteous is &s;o profitable, it will appeare by the proportion it hath with the tree of life whereunto it is compared. <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t in regard of the cau&s;e, it is &s;aid that it groweth by the riuer of life, who&s;e waters feede the roote <NOTE PLACE="marg">Reue. 22. 22.</NOTE> thereof, and the roote &s;endeth vp the &s;ap, and the &s;ap &s;endeth out the fruite. And &s;o the good which a good man doth, ari&s;eth not from his wit, nor naturall di&s;po&s;ition, nor fle&s;hly wi&s;edome, but &s;pringeth from the word, and &s;pirit of God in his heart, Gal. 5. 22.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, as touching the manner thereof it is &s;aid that it is
<PB N="104" REF="56"> continually bearing without &s;tay, or failing, not once a yeere, but once in a moneth, not in &s;ommer only, but in winter al&s;o, and euery time new kinds of fruit, and not of one &s;ort alone (as it fal|leth out commonly with other trees, for in them the &s;ame branch neuer varieth the kind) and that rotteth not, nor droppeth downe <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezech. 47. 12.</NOTE> with ripene&s;&s;e. In like &s;ort doth the &s;pirit of grace make Gods children con&s;tant in well doing, and that al&s;o in performance of many dueties, according to the varietie of occa&s;ions and oppor|tunities offered. <HI>They ioyne vertue with their faith: and with ver|tue knowledge: and with knowledge temperance: and with temperance</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 1. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>patience: and with patience godlines: and with godlines brotherlie kindnes: and with brotherly kindnes loue. If they &s;ee the members of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 25. 35. 36</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t hungrie, they giue them meate; if thir&s;tie, they giue them drinke: if naked, they clothe them: if they bee &s;trangers, they lodge them: if they be &s;icke, they vi&s;ite them: if they be in pri&s;on, they come vnto them, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly for the effect, the tree of life was for meate, and the leaues for medicine, and both for life: and no le&s;&s;e vertue procee|deth from righteous per&s;ons, <HI>their lippes doe feede many: their tongues are whole &s;ome, their in&s;tructions are as a wel&s;pring of life, to</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 10. 21.</NOTE> <HI>turne away from the &s;nares of death.</HI> Pro. 13. 14.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition for euery one to &s;earch his wayes, and to trie his &s;tate by this rule. If thou be a fruitefull tree, thou art a righteous man: if thou be giuen to &s;hew mercie, thou can&s;t not be vnfruit|full; if thy labour bee to kill &s;inne, and to helpe mens &s;oules to euerla&s;ting life, then who can denie thee to bee truely mercifull? In this ca&s;e though the diuell come roaring with grieuous accu|&s;ations; though he would per&s;wade thee, that thou art an hypo|crite; and they would per&s;wade others, that thou art an arrogant proud per&s;on; yet be not di&s;maied at the matter. Satan &s;aith, that thou beare&s;t a di&s;&s;embling heart; but god &s;eeth that thou liue&s;t a &s;incere life. They impute thy &s;peeches, and other behauiour, to pride and vaine glorie: but thine owne &s;oule knoweth that they proceede from loue and vnfained faithfulne&s;&s;e. And let this be &s;poken for thy comfort, that &s;hall neuer faile thee, that tho&s;e which are trees of life to men, are trees of delight to God him|&s;elfe; and he is nothing le&s;&s;e plea&s;ed with them, than his people
<PB N="105" REF="56"> are benefited by them. And &s;o the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, they plea&s;e God in all things, <HI>which are fruitfull in all good workes.</HI> And &s;o doth <NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1. 10.</NOTE> Chri&s;t &s;peake of his Church, and the members thereof in <HI>Salo|mons</HI> &s;ongs: <HI>My &s;i&s;ter, my &s;pou&s;e, is as a garden inclo&s;ed. Thy plants</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 4. 12. 13. 14.</NOTE> <HI>are as an orchard of Pomegranets, with &s;weete fruits, as Camphire, Spikenard, and Saffron, Calamus, and Cinamon, with all trees of In|cen&s;e, Myrrhe, and Aloes, with all the chiefe &s;pices.</HI> But if thou bee fruitle&s;&s;e, thou art voide of righteou&s;nes, and &s;o de&s;titute of Gods fauour, and thine owne &s;afetie. For vnfruitfull trees hath God marked out to be hewen down for fire wood. But wor&s;e are they, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 3. 10.</NOTE> by farre, and in more dangerous ca&s;e, that bring foorth too much fruite, but it is of the fle&s;h, and to the fle&s;h, works of pride, works of crueltie, cur&s;ed bla&s;phemie and &s;wearing, notorious riot, and vnthriftines, drunkennes, filthines, contempt of Magi&s;trates, con|tempt of Mini&s;ters, contempt of preaching, and malice again&s;t all godly Chri&s;tians. <HI>Their vine is the vine of Sodom, and of the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 32. 32. 33.</NOTE> <HI>vincs of Gomorah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clu&s;ters be bitter. Their wine is the poi&s;on of dragons, and the cruell gall of a&s;pes.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that make le&s;&s;e account of the&s;e trees of life, than of a thornic hedge, than of nettles, than of mo&s;t vn&s;auourie weedes, than of plants that bring foorth deadly poi&s;on. They di|&s;ta&s;te no men &s;o much as good men, and the better they are, the wor&s;e they like them. <HI>Ieremy</HI> came and offered his fruit to a peo|ple that &s;tood in great neede to eate of the tree of life: for they were readie to peri&s;h with death. But they practi&s;ed to aboli&s;h that fruit which was offered for their pre&s;eruation, and to take a|way his life, which &s;ought to &s;aue theirs. For &s;o hath the Lord de|clared their con&s;piracie: <HI>Let vs de&s;troy the tree with the fruit there|of,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 11. 19.</NOTE> <HI>and cut him out of the land of the liuing, that his name may be no more in memorie.</HI> Which almo&s;t of all the Prophets &s;ped better? How much more fauourably was <HI>Paul</HI> dealt with? And e&s;pecial|ly Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, the very tree of life, and Lord of life, and life it &s;elfe, whom all the re&s;t did but re&s;emble? His perfect fruit they trampled on, &amp; laboured to dig him vp by the roote. And &s;o they dealt &s;till with his me&s;&s;engers and &s;eruants, not making v&s;e of their companie, but abhorring it: not de&s;iring to be partakers of
<PB N="106" REF="57"> their knowledge, and wi&s;edome, and other graces, but to &s;up|pre&s;&s;e them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>He that winneth &s;oules is wi&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> It is the note of a wi&s;e man, to &s;hew mercie to mens &s;oules. Fooles cannot ea&s;ily finde out the maladie of &s;inne; fooles faile of all experience of good medi|cines that may cure a &s;infull heart; fooles feele not the burthen of their owne iniquities, and therefore cannot be compa&s;&s;ionate towards others for theirs. Only wi&s;edome doth &s;hew the di&s;ea&s;e, and the remedie, and moueth mens hearts in pitie to helpe them that are infected with it. That which <HI>Salomon</HI> profe&s;&s;eth to bee true of him&s;elfe, is al&s;o verified of euery good man in his mea|&s;ure; <HI>The more wi&s;e Eccle&s;ia&s;tes was, the more he taught the people</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle. 12. 9.</NOTE> <HI>knowledge.</HI> And to conuert it the other way: the more any man teacheth the people knowledge, the more wi&s;e he is.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, he performeth an acceptable &s;eruice to God, which no foole can euer doe. He is a diligent and profitable husbandman for &s;eeding, weeding, and harue&s;t worke. He is a valiant and skil|full &s;ouldier to di&s;comfit Satan his &s;tronge&s;t enemie; to winne his holds from him, and to re&s;cue his &s;poyle and captiues out of his hand. Yea not onely to &s;et his pri&s;oners at libertie, but to winne away the hearts of his owne &s;ouldiers; that they &s;hal both for&s;ake him, and &s;et them&s;elues in battell again&s;t him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, he is very prouident for his owne good, and prepa|reth a ble&s;&s;ed reward for him&s;elfe, again&s;t the appearance of Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t. And of &s;uch men, and of that &s;tate, &s;peaketh the Pro|phet Daniel: <HI>They that make men wi&s;e &s;hall &s;hine as the brightnes of the firmament: and they that turne many to righteou&s;nes, &s;hall &s;hine</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 12. 3.</NOTE> <HI>as the &s;tarres, for euer and euer.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Incouragement, to gaine mens &s;oules to God, and &s;aluation to mens &s;oules, though we &s;hould lo&s;e that liking and fauour which was wont to be &s;hewed to our &s;elues. What though wee be tear|med bu&s;ie fooles for our labour? doth not God cleere vs, and &s;ay that we are wi&s;e men, and well exerci&s;ed? What though wee bee cen&s;ured for &s;illie creatures, that make our friends to be our foes? doth not God commend vs for our good prouidence in making him to be our friend? What though wee draw vpon our &s;elues, contempt, di&s;plea&s;ure, and per&s;ecution from wicked per&s;ons for the pre&s;ent? doth not God tell vs that wee &s;hall obtaine glorie,
<PB N="107" REF="57"> and fauour, and peace at his hands for euermore hereafter? The godly e&s;teeme vs to be wi&s;e; the holy Scriptures pronounce vs to be wi&s;e; our reward in time will &s;hew vs to be wi&s;e: and &s;hall the reproch of fooli&s;h men di&s;courage vs from our wi&s;edome?</P>
<P>Terror for them that corrupt mens &s;oules, and labour with all their might to keepe men from comming to God. It is a ble&s;&s;ed calling to be a fi&s;her for God, as <HI>Peter</HI> was, and to catch men with the net of the word: but of all trades it is the wor&s;t to fi&s;h for Sa|tans turne, and to kill men with the baites of &s;inne. Therefore is the ca&s;e of the diuell the mo&s;t mi&s;erable of all creatures, becau&s;e he hath done more mi&s;chiefe this way than all the re&s;t. And that cau&s;eth the Lord &s;o grieuou&s;ly to threaten the fal&s;e Prophets that kept men from repentance: and the fal&s;e Apo&s;tles that hindred the worke of the Go&s;pell; and <HI>Elymas,</HI> and any that haue &s;ought to peruert mens hearts, or behauiour. It is not &s;afe to depraue the Mini&s;terie, to weaken the power of it. It is not &s;afe to intice men to Poperie and &s;uper&s;tition. It is not &s;afe to per&s;wade men to prophanene&s;&s;e and neglect of Gods wor&s;hip. If the naturall Ser|pent being but a bea&s;t was &s;o plagued for being an in&s;trument of Satan vnknowingly, and without de&s;ire to bring the woman into &s;inne; what &s;hall become of them that applie their wit, and tongue, and heart, and what&s;oeuer they can, to doe him &s;eruice herein?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 31. <HI>Behold, the righteous &s;hall be recompen&s;ed on earth: how much more the wicked and the &s;inner?</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe matter which he is about to &s;peake of, is both certaine and weightie, and &s;uch as concerneth euery man to looke to in regard of his owne ca&s;e; and therefore he prefixeth this word, <HI>Behold,</HI> to moue all to a &s;erious con&s;ideration of that which is to be &s;aid. And that is fir&s;t touching the godly, that they mu&s;t bee corrected for their faults, when they offend, euen in &s;uch manner and mea&s;ure as holdeth &s;ome proportion with their offences, though not in equalitie, for then who &s;hould be able to abide it? The word <HI>recompen&s;e</HI> therefore in this place is not taken for re|uengement, or puni&s;hment proceeding from Gods indignation,
<PB N="108" REF="58"> but a louing cha&s;ti&s;ement, though it be &s;harper according to the threatning of parents to their children, whom they be farre from hating, or hurting: I will &s;urely pay you for this. And that it &s;hould appeare that nothing is intended again&s;t them for the perill of their euerla&s;ting &s;tate, there is a limitation annexed, that it is to be only in the earth. Next he &s;heweth the condition of the wicked, that if the righteous &s;cape not &s;cotfree, they mu&s;t in no &s;ort be &s;pared, but feele more heauie and featefull puni&s;hments, though not in the earth, yet in the world to come.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> The be&s;t mu&s;t looke for &s;tripes, if they will take libertie to &s;in again&s;t God. True it is that the Lord taketh not aduantage of in|firmities, he pa&s;&s;eth by them, he winketh at them, he &s;miteth not his children for them: but when they grow too bold, he wil nur|ture and awe them with correction. In this &s;en&s;e he may be &s;aid to be no re&s;pecter of per&s;ons, that as he will not endure the &s;in|fulnes of the wicked, though they be neuer &s;o great: &s;o hee will not allow of the &s;innes of the godly, though they bee neuer &s;o good. The vertues that men haue, doe not warrant them to fall into any vice: their religion and graces doe not priuiledge them to doe tho&s;e things which are vn&s;eemly for religious and gra|cious per&s;ons to practi&s;e. Few points are more fully confirmed by manife&s;t proofes than this. The Scriptures propo&s;e many ex|amples, our eares haue heard many reports, our eyes doe daily behold many pre&s;idents for this purpo&s;e, and they that will not be per&s;waded by the&s;e, &s;hall finde it true by experience in them|&s;elues. What dolefull complaints doth the Church make euery where in the Lamentations of Ieremy? <HI>Behold, O Lord, how I am troubled: my bowels &s;well: mine heart is turned within me, for I am</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 1. 18. 20.</NOTE> <HI>full of heauine&s;&s;e: the Lords &s;word &s;poyleth abroad, as death doth at home. The Lord is righteous: for I haue rebelled again&s;t his com|mandement.</HI> How lamentably do the godly bemone them&s;elues, and the &s;tate of the Church, in the prophecie of E&s;aiah? <HI>Be not angrie, O Lord, aboue mea&s;ure, neither remember iniquitie for euer:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 64. 9. 10.</NOTE> <HI>loe, we be&s;eech thee behold, we are all thy people. Thine holy cities lie wa&s;te: Zion is a wildernes, and Ieru&s;alem a de&s;ert. The hou&s;e of our &s;anctuarie, and of our glorie, where our fathers prai&s;ed thee, is burnt vp with fire, and all our plea&s;ant things are wa&s;ted.</HI> In what patheti|call
<PB N="109" REF="58"> manner doth the Prophet expre&s;&s;e the burden of his afflicti|ons, in the booke of the P&s;almes? <HI>Thine arrowes haue light vpon</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 38. 2. 3.</NOTE> <HI>me, and thine hand lieth vpon me. There is nothing &s;ound in my fle&s;h, becau&s;e of thine anger: neither is there re&s;t in my bones, becau&s;e of my &s;inne.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, God herein re&s;pecteth his owne glorie, who will haue his people to know, that he doth looke for &s;eruice at their hands. If they performe it willingly they &s;hall not faile to be rewarded for it: but if they grow carele&s;&s;e and negligent to obey him, they &s;hall be driuen vnto it by compul&s;ion. This was that which made both <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Ieremie</HI> be&s;tirre them, when God &s;hewed his anger to the one, and threatned to de&s;troy the other, for being &s;o backward to vndertake their mini&s;terie: Exp. 4. 14. Ier. 1. 17. And the wicked &s;hall &s;ee by this, that hee is neither remi&s;&s;e toward all, nor partiall to any, when his commandement is not regarded. This &s;eemeth to be one cau&s;e, why the Prophet that came to Be|thel, and failed to fulfill that which was giuen him in charge, was &s;o &s;euerely handled. He told <HI>Ieroboam,</HI> that God had &s;traightlie forbidden him either to eate or to drinke in that citie, and yet <HI>Ie|roboam</HI> might heare that he had both eaten and drunken in the hou&s;e of an other Prophet there, for which cau&s;e the Lord &s;ent a Lion to kil him, that it might be knowne to <HI>Ieroboam</HI> and others, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 13.</NOTE> how dangerous it was for any to di&s;obey his word.</P>
<P>Secondly, he re&s;pecteth their good, though it might &s;eeme to be better for them if they were wholy freed from all manner of troubles and cro&s;&s;es. How wanton, how froward, how &s;tubborne would children be? Into what perils would they ca&s;t them&s;elues, if they &s;hould be altogether exempted from the rod? They could neuer feele the comfort of their parents fauour, vnle&s;&s;e they &s;ometimes found the &s;mart of their di&s;plea&s;ure. And &s;o are the &s;tripes and cha&s;ti&s;ements of God as needfull euery way to all his &s;onnes and daughters. They make vs the more carefull to be|ware of euill: they helpe vs to repentance when wee haue fallen into euill: they confirme the loue of our heauenly father towards vs; they be occa&s;ions of his holine&s;&s;e in vs: They bring the quiet <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 6. 10. 11.</NOTE> fruite of righteou&s;nes vnto vs. Finally, to knit vp all in few words: we are therefore recompenced with afflictions in the earth, that we &s;hould not be puni&s;hed with de&s;truction in hell, but rewarded
<PB N="110" REF="59"> with euerla&s;ting glorie in heauen. And this the Apo&s;tle &s;heweth to be the cau&s;e why God &s;courgeth vs. <HI>When wee are iudged,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>we are cha&s;tned of the Lord, that we &s;hould not be condemned with</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 11. 32.</NOTE> <HI>the world.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to euery one that feareth God, to looke well to his heart and wayes, that he retaine the feare of God con&s;tantly, and not be venturous to doe any thing that may offend him. The Lord hateth &s;inne as well in the godly as in the wicked, and will &s;ooner &s;mite the godly for his &s;inne, then the wicked, though not &s;o grieuou&s;lie. An example hereof was alreadie &s;hewne in the Prophet &s;laine as he was going from Bethel. <HI>Ieroboams</HI> tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions were begun long before the fault that hee committed; and yet the &s;trooke came vpon him for his fault long before the de|&s;truction of <HI>Ieroboam</HI> and his hou&s;e. And let no man &s;ay, I am &s;afe, becau&s;e I am &s;ure to be &s;aued; he may fall into great mi&s;erie in this life, though he be in &s;tate of happines for the life to come. Freedome from perdition doth not free men from all manner of puni&s;hments. What plague be&s;ides de&s;truction can Chri&s;tians &s;ay, we &s;hall certainly e&s;cape, vnle&s;&s;e they bee &s;ure to e&s;cape &s;uch &s;innes as may prouoke God to plague them? The Magi&s;trate hath many puni&s;hments for offenders be&s;ides death, as the &s;tocks, the goale, the whip, the pillarie, &amp;c. and God hath more iudge|ments be&s;ides damnation, as euery man may heare by the threat|nings, and &s;ee by the execution, and feele by the burden of them. <HI>Dauid</HI> was as &s;afe from being condemned, as Satan is out of all hope to be redeemed; and yet his calamities made him to groane, and crie, and roare as he &s;aith. His bloud was dried vp, his moi|&s;ture was like the drought of &s;ummer. His torment was as great <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 32. 4. and 51. 8.</NOTE> as if his bones had been broken. And as no man &s;hould take in|couragement by ought that is in him&s;elfe to doe that which is di&s;|plea&s;ing to the Lord; &s;o is there a care to bee had that wee bee not led by the examples of other men to doe any thing which the word doth not allow. Some hereby take libertie for breach of the Sabbath, &s;ome for gaming, &s;ome for one thing, &s;ome for another. Good men, &s;ay they, v&s;e the&s;e things, and why then may not wee al&s;o? But it is no part of their goodnes, &s;ay wee, and then why &s;hould you follow them therein at all? Their practi&s;e leadeth you to the like facts, but can it pre&s;erue you or them&s;elues from the re|ward
<PB N="111" REF="59"> thereof? The que&s;tion is not therefore who they bee that do it, but with what warrant, and how well they are like to &s;peede for their doing.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation in afflictions, that they di&s;able vs not from being righteous, though they be compen&s;ations of &s;innes for which we are not yet &s;ufficiently humbled. We &s;hall adde to our owne &s;or|rowes, and needle&s;lie increa&s;e the weight of our burdens, if wee condemne our &s;tate, becau&s;e the Lord correcteth vs for our faults: if we relinqui&s;h our hope of happines in heauen, becau&s;e we are recompenced with iudgements on earth: it is allotted by God to the be&s;t of his &s;eruants &s;o to be dealt with.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <HI>How much more, &amp;c.</HI> Euery wicked mans &s;tate is wor&s;e then any godly mans can be. Take the mo&s;t pro&s;perous of them all, euen &s;uch as the Prophet &s;peaketh of, <HI>that haue not a knot to their death,</HI> but the web of their life from the wombe to the graue, hath runne with euen threed both in warpe and woofe without any breach, and let him be compared with a Chri&s;tian that neuer &s;aw merrie day touching outward things, and he &s;hall be found to be a mi&s;erable forlorne caitiffe, in re&s;pect of this poore &s;eruant of God. And indeede the tribulations and afflictions of good men do not bring them behind the wicked, but &s;hew that the plagues and puni&s;hments of the wicked are yet behind. That rea&s;on our Sauiour v&s;ed to the women that lamented him as an vnfortunate man, and one for&s;aken of God: <HI>Weepe not for me,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>but weepe for your &s;elues, and your children. For if the&s;e things be done to</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 23. 28. 31.</NOTE> <HI>a greene tree, what &s;hall be done to the drie?</HI> This rea&s;on the Pro|phet <HI>Ieremie</HI> v&s;ed to Gentiles bordering vpon Iudah, which thought that plagues had only belonged to the Church. <HI>Loe, I begin to plague the citie, where my name is called vpon, and &s;hould you</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 25. 29.</NOTE> <HI>goe free? yee &s;hall not goe quite, for I will call for a &s;word vpon all the inhabitants of the earth, &s;aith the Lord of ho&s;tes.</HI></P>
<P>And this rea&s;on S. <HI>Peter</HI> v&s;eth again&s;t all impious and &s;infull per&s;ons: <HI>The time is that iudgement mu&s;t begin at the hou&s;e of God. If it fir&s;t begin at vs, what &s;hall the end bee of them that obey not the Go&s;pell of God? And if the righteous &s;carcely bee &s;aued, where &s;hall</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pet. 4. 17.</NOTE> <HI>the vngodly and the &s;inner appeare?</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the fauour and goodne&s;&s;e of the Lord doth correct the one part, and that for their greate&s;t good and happines: and his
<PB N="112" REF="60"> wrath and vengeance doth pur&s;ue the other, and that for their greate&s;t hurt and mi&s;erie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the death &amp; &s;uffrings of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, haue drunke vp the vengeance and cur&s;e of the afflictions of the one part, &s;o that now there is nothing in them, but that which is medicinable and whole&s;ome. And Gods iudgements, with their owne &s;infulnes haue put a &s;ting into the troubles of the other, &s;o that all that is in them is pe&s;tiferous and deadly.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, for the one part, the Lord knoweth what their &s;trength is, and therefore will lay no more vpon them, then they are well able to beare: and for the other, he knoweth what their waies be, and will pre&s;&s;e them with as much as they haue de&s;erued.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, the one part vndergoe temporarie tribulations here in earth, and all their &s;ufferings will end with their life: and the other &s;hall &s;uffer eternall paines in hell, and all their torments &s;hall begin at their death.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction not to be di&s;tempered, or di&s;couraged at their in|&s;ultations ouer vs in our troubles. They clap their hands and make a &s;hout to &s;ee vs beaten at our fathers hands, or in the &s;choole; let them mocke on, and take their cour&s;e, the officer is at their backe to apprehend them, we &s;hall &s;ee them &s;it in the &s;tocks: we &s;hall &s;ee them geiued with bolts vpon their heeles: we &s;hall &s;ee them arraigned as malefactors: we &s;hall &s;ee them condemned and executed as traytors again&s;t the Maie&s;tie of God. And as there is no cau&s;e why we &s;hould be troubled at their in&s;olencie, &s;o is there no rea&s;on why we &s;hould be moued at their pro&s;peri|tie. We &s;hould make our &s;elues more mi&s;erable then we are, if we &s;hould like our owne ca&s;e the wor&s;e, becau&s;e they deride vs: and we &s;hould iudge them more happie then they be, if wee &s;hould thinke their &s;tate the better, becau&s;e they applaud them&s;elues. Let vs in compa&s;&s;ion pitie the particulars, and pray for them, but neuer e&s;teeme their condition &s;o comfortable, as to wi&s;h it for our &s;elues, or to grudge it to them. And becau&s;e our eyes are much dazeled with externall &s;hewes of things pre&s;ent, the holy Gho&s;t doth giue vs a caueat to take heede of the &s;ame: <HI>Fret not thy &s;elfe becau&s;e of the malitious, neither bee enuious at the wicked. For</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 23. 19. 20.</NOTE> <HI>there &s;hall be none end of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wic|ked &s;hall be put out.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="113" REF="60">
<HEAD>AN EXPOSITION OF THE TWELFTH CHAP|TER OF THE PROVERBS. CHAPTER XII.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 1. <HI>He that loueth correction, loueth knowledge: but he that hateth correction, is bruti&s;h.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_HE that loueth in&s;truction,]</HI> Which doth applie him&s;elfe to &s;eeke it, by tho&s;e meanes which are ordained of God for his people to be in&s;tructed by, and ac|cepteth and maketh v&s;e of it, when it is offered to him, <HI>he loueth knowledge,</HI> that is, hath it in due e&s;timation, and truly de&s;ireth it, and therefore &s;hall al&s;o ac|cordingly obtaine it. <HI>But he that hateth correction,</HI> which refu&s;eth all in&s;truction, but e&s;pecially will not indure to be reproued, or corrected, <HI>he is bruti&s;h,</HI> a bea&s;t in a mans &s;hape, a foole in a high degree of follie, both for an ignorant minde, and rude behauiour, and wretched condition.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Euery mans de&s;ire of grace and &s;aluation, may be tried by his affection to the meanes thereof. He that is diligent in &s;eeking is willing to finde, as he that &s;etteth him&s;elfe to make &s;peede in his way, hath a minde to his iournies end. So the Lord &s;peaketh of the godly in one place of <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> that they &s;hall &s;ay: <HI>Come, let vs</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 2. 3.</NOTE> <HI>goe vp to the mountaine of the hou&s;e of the Lord, that he may teach</HI>
<PB N="114" REF="61"> <HI>vs his waies, and we may walke in his paths.</HI> And &s;o the godly &s;peake to the Lord in another place of I&s;aiah: <HI>The de&s;ire of our &s;oule is to</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 26. 8. 9.</NOTE> <HI>thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my &s;oule haue I de&s;i|red thee in the night, and with my &s;pirit within me will I &s;eeke thee in the morning.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the &s;ame &s;pirit that draweth men to liking of the one, doth al&s;o worke a loue of the other: for both are wrought by the Holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, all the ordinances of God for mans &s;aluation are contrarie to fle&s;h and blood, and therefore no man can take any delight in them further than hee looketh to the end, and is re|fre&s;hed with comfortable effects in the way.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, no man can de&s;ire the holy knowledge of God with truth and feruencie, vnle&s;&s;e he haue had &s;ome ta&s;te of the fruit of it, and he that hath ta&s;ted of the fruit, hath profited by the means, and he that hath profited by the meanes, will loue them euer af|terwards. They that finde the comfort of life, haue formerly felt the benefit of food: and they that are de&s;irous to continue their life, are not vnwilling to receiue their foode: and they that hun|ger after foode for the continuance of life, haue al&s;o an appetite to it in regard of the reli&s;h.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Refutation of their boa&s;tings, that goe before all in &s;peaking of their de&s;ire and forwardnes to plea&s;e God, and be &s;aued, and come behinde euery one, in &s;hewing any good notes of it. They make their mouthes and not their hearts, the principall &s;eate of their loue: and likewi&s;e their words, and not their deedes, their onely arguments doe proue that they doe loue. It is very burde|nous for them to liue con&s;tantly vnder a faithfull Mini&s;terie. Eue|rie godly &s;ermon is tedious vnto them: for length, if it bee not ended within the houre: for the manner, if it &s;auour not of hu|mane wit and eloquence: for the matter, if it be whole&s;ome, and liuely, and come home to the rebuking of any &s;inne, which they are not minded to for&s;ake. And yet they would haue vs all to know, that none are better friends than they to knowledge. And yet they mu&s;t giue vs leaue againe to tell them, that euery friend of knowledge is better affected than they are, to in&s;truction.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to them that thinke it no paines to be painfull in
<PB N="115" REF="61"> labouring for the bread of life. They feele not, they &s;ay, the loue of the word of God, the de&s;ire of faith and care of repentance, &amp;c. But from whence proceedeth that? is it not hence, that they are greedie and couetous of getting abundance of loue and de|&s;ire, and therefore they thinke that which they haue to bee no|thing, in compari&s;on of that which they would haue. But the&s;e men mu&s;t be well confuted: their troubles, their attention, their meditations, their paines, their reading, their que&s;tions, their con|ference, their ioy in Chri&s;tian companie, their diligence in all good exerci&s;es with willingnes, doth manife&s;tly &s;hew the error of their doubts and feares. But may not an hypocrite do all the&s;e things, and yet haue no touch in him? But may an hypocrite doe all the&s;e things in good earne&s;t with re&s;i&s;tance of hypocri&s;ie? May an hypocrite continue an hypocrite, and yet bewaile his want of &s;inceritie in the pre&s;ence of God alone, with promi&s;e, and purpo&s;e to performe euery &s;eruice more &s;incerely, if po&s;&s;ibly by any meanes he may be able? It was an argument wherewith <HI>Da|uid</HI> confirmed his owne heart in a&s;&s;urance that he truly loued the Lord, and vnfainedly &s;ought his owne &s;aluation, becau&s;e he lo|ued the law of the Lord, meditated in his word and kept his pre|cepts. And <HI>Iob</HI> taketh it for a &s;ure effect of his vprightnes, that he had not departed from the commandements of Gods lips, but e&s;teemed the words of his mouth more than his appointed foode.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Is bruti&s;h, &amp;c.</HI> They that will not be &s;chooled of God to learne Chri&s;tian knowledge, are no better than if they had no manner of knowledge. They are not all children that hate this kinde of correction: they are not all naturals: they are not all idiots, but they are all &s;tarke fooles. Then many haue been fooles, and yet learned Philo&s;ophers: and many haue been fooles, and yet deep Politicians: and many haue bin fooles, and yet euery way world|ly wi&s;e men. This doth God charge vpon the multitude, the greater number of a whole people: <HI>They are a nation voide of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 32. 28. 29.</NOTE> <HI>coun&s;ell, neither is there any vnder&s;tanding in them. Oh that they were wi&s;e, then they would vnder&s;tand this, they would con&s;ider their latter end.</HI> Yea the wittie&s;t of them are &s;o reputed in the pro|phecie of Ieremy: <HI>My people is fooli&s;h, they haue not knowne me:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 4. 22.</NOTE>
<PB N="116" REF="62"> <HI>they are fooli&s;h children, and haue none vnder&s;tanding: they are wi&s;e to doe euill, but to doe well they haue no knowledge.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, their carnall wi&s;edome is altogether vn&s;ufficient to make them &s;eruiceable to God, or any thing which they doe to be ac|ceptable vnto him, and it &s;tandeth them in no &s;teed for their cre|dit. For tho&s;e which bee vile in his eyes, &s;hall in time be ba&s;e in the &s;ight of men: and the puni&s;hment of their follie in the end, &s;hall make it appeare they were fooles all the time before. Of this point &s;peaketh the Prophet: <HI>The wi&s;e men are a&s;hamed, they are afraide and taken: loe, they haue reiected the word of the Lord, and what wi&s;edome is in them?</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 8. 9.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, their carnall wi&s;edome can neither pre&s;erue them from death, nor prepare them to die ble&s;&s;edly. It cannot &s;tay their life from going, neither can it &s;top the cur&s;e from comming.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, it cannot deliuer them from damnation in the world to come, but rather increa&s;e the grieuou&s;nes of their puni&s;h|ment. It hath kept po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion again&s;t this holy vnder&s;tanding: it hath made them vncapable of all good in&s;tructions: it hath made them impatient of any rebuke: it hath held them in igno|rance and di&s;obedience al their life, and &s;ee what their ignorance will bring them vnto after their death: <HI>The Lord Ie&s;us &s;hall &s;hew him&s;elfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire, ren|dring</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The&s;&s;. 1. 8.</NOTE> <HI>vengeance to them that know not God, and which obey not the Go&s;pell of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Now lay all the&s;e things toge|ther, and &s;ee wherein any man is bettered by any knowledge or wi&s;edome which is ioyned with contempt of grace. Doth hee thinke to plea&s;e God the better? the more is he offended. Doth he hope to winne credit by it? it will bring him to &s;hame. Would he haue it to keepe him from troubles? it will draw him into them. His death is made the more vncomfortable and bitter, and his de&s;truction following much more horrible and fearfull.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to take heed that we conforme not our opinions to the iudgement of the world: for that is directly contrarie to the te&s;timonie of God. Carnall rea&s;on, and &s;turdie affections, and vnbrideled tongues &s;ay, that they are fooles which will di|ge&s;t reproofes and checks, and &s;uffer them&s;elues to be cen&s;ured: but the heauenly wi&s;edome and diuine trueth, the &s;acred &s;crip|tures
<PB N="117" REF="62"> &s;ay, that they are wi&s;e which hearken to the rebukes of Gods holy word: and fooles as bad as bea&s;ts that de&s;pi&s;e them. <HI>Ob.</HI> But men will laugh at our &s;implicitie, if wee &s;it downe by &s;uch in|dignities. <HI>Re&s;p.</HI> But God will laugh at our mi&s;eries if we quarrell with admonitions and coun&s;els when hee vouch&s;afeth them vn|to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 1. 26.</NOTE> vs.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 2. <HI>A good man getteth fauour of the Lord: but a man of wicked imaginations will he condemne.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A <HI>Good man,</HI> which &s;etteth his heart to deui&s;e of goodnes, and performeth the &s;ame in practi&s;e, <HI>getteth fauour of the Lord,</HI> that is, inioyeth the a&s;&s;urance and comfort of his louing kindne&s;&s;e in his &s;oule, and the good effects thereof both in &s;oule and bodie, and euerie other way. <HI>But a man of wicked imaginations, &amp;c.</HI> It is the de&s;cription of a wicked man by a periphra&s;is, that he is as it were made of &s;infull thoughts, and purpo&s;es, and is in the mid&s;t of them.</P>
<P>A good man may &s;ometimes haue euill imaginations, as <HI>Dauid</HI> had to de&s;troy the whole hou&s;e of <HI>Nabal,</HI> but it was the imagina|tion of the man, and he was not a man of &s;uch imaginations. <HI>Hee will condemne, &amp;c,</HI> The di&s;plea&s;ure of God again&s;t him is decla|red by the effect, hee will conuince him, and find him guiltie, that is, pa&s;&s;e &s;entence vpon him, and cau&s;e execution to bee done accordingly. Thus then &s;tandeth the oppo&s;ition: A good man of godly meditations getteth fauour of the Lord, who therefore will &s;aue him: but an euill man of wicked imaginations, incur|reth the di&s;plea&s;ure of the Lord, who therefore will condemne him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> A man can no way be made &s;o happie as by beeing in Gods fauour. If any other thing were better then this, it would here be named: for his purpo&s;e is to promi&s;e and performe the be&s;t. Good men doe &s;et their wits on worke to finde the way whereby they may mo&s;t plea&s;e him: and hee doth &s;et his wi&s;edome on work to frame a recompence that may be&s;t plea&s;ure them.</P>
<P>What account <HI>Dauid</HI> and others made of the fauour of God, is &s;hewed in diuers places of the P&s;almes, as when they breake out
<PB N="118" REF="63"> &s;o earne&s;tly into prayer, and redouble their petition, <HI>Turne vs a|gaine O Lord God of hosts: cau&s;e thy face to &s;hine vpon vs, and wee &s;hall be &s;aued.</HI> That is, helpe vs out of our captiuitie: re&s;tore vs to <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 80. 19.</NOTE> the place and meanes of thy wor&s;hip: let vs feele the te&s;timonies of thy loue, and our &s;tate will be ble&s;&s;ed and happie. So where the &s;ame is acknowledged with thankfulne&s;&s;e: <HI>Thy louing kindnes is better then life: therefore my lippes &s;hall prai&s;e thee.</HI> Neither is this <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 63. 3.</NOTE> onely <HI>Dauids</HI> te&s;timonie, or feeling, or e&s;timation of Gods loue towards him, but many others haue made &s;uch precious account thereof, as that they indured the lo&s;&s;e of all their &s;ub&s;tance, and libertie, and life it &s;elfe, and that with bitter paines and torment, rather then they would doe any thing that might moue the Lord <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 36. 37</NOTE> to be angrie with them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, in regard of the rarenes of it, it is a flower which groweth only in Gods owne garden. It is a priuiledge and freedome pe|culiar and proper to the children of God; the Lord neuer giueth good countenance to a wicked per&s;on, his anger is euermore towards &s;inners: whereas in all earthly things, they are com|moners with vs, and commonly haue the greater &s;hare. It is therefore the more precious, becau&s;e it is but for few, and tho&s;e thereby both made and declared to bee excellent, hauing no vn|worthie per&s;on of their companie to di&s;grace them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, in regard of the continuance of it, it is not worne out by time; it vani&s;heth not away: it is neuer taken from them, vp|on whom it is be&s;towed. Their faults may cau&s;e it to bee hid from them for a &s;ea&s;on (as <HI>Dauid</HI> felt by wofull experience, when he had committed that grieuous &s;inne of murder and adulterie) but lo&s;t it cannot be, nor long concealed: for it will worke in them the grace of humiliation, that they may behold it to their ioy and comfort.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, in regard of tho&s;e &s;ingular good effects where with it is alwaies accompanied; what is de&s;ireable here in this world, that it will not yeeld vnto vs? And what happine&s;&s;e is there in the world to come, that it will not aduance vs vnto?</P>
<P>Defence from enemies, and &s;afety from dangers euery creature &s;eeketh after, and this doth Gods goodne&s;&s;e bring to euery one that is godly. <HI>Thou Lord</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Dauid) wilt ble&s;&s;e the righteous,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 5. 12.</NOTE>
<PB N="119" REF="63"> <HI>and with fauour wilt compa&s;&s;e him, as with a &s;hield.</HI></P>
<P>Gladne&s;&s;e of heart and comfort is that which euery man much affecteth, and this the loue and fauour of God doth mini&s;ter to all tho&s;e that be partakers of it. And this doth <HI>Dauid</HI> al&s;o pro|fe&s;&s;e him&s;elfe to haue experience of, and therefore preferreth the louing countenance of the Lord before all the commodities and plea&s;ures which worldly men &s;o much long after. <HI>Many &s;ay, who will &s;hew vs any good, but Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 4. 6. 7.</NOTE> <HI>vpon vs. Thou ha&s;t giuen me more ioy of heart, then they haue had, when their wheate and their wine did abound.</HI> It is needele&s;&s;e to reckon vp other things, &s;ithence the &s;ufficiencie of al good things is inferred by the&s;e, otherwi&s;e there were not &s;o much &s;afetie, nei|ther would there be &s;o great ioy and gladne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, that our cheefe care and indeuour be to plea&s;e the Lord, &s;eeing that &s;o great a benefit proceedeth from it. Euery one of his &s;eruants hath great wages in hand, if hee had nothing el&s;e but his Ma&s;ters good will. It is &s;aid of all others that men can|not liue by their faire &s;peeches, and good countenance; but let God looke cheerefully vpon vs, and &s;peake comfortablie to vs, and &s;ure we are that we are in no want. Our pre&s;ent pay is better preferme~t then any mortall creature can rai&s;e vs vp to, though he were the mo&s;t mightie monarch on the earth, be&s;ides all that re|maineth for the time to come e&s;pecially when wee &s;hall haue &s;o neere acce&s;&s;e to the pre&s;ence of our heauenly father, wherein is the fulne&s;&s;e of ioy; and at who&s;e right hand there are plea&s;ures for <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 16. 11.</NOTE> euer more.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to them that haue receiued vndoubted te&s;timo|nies of the fauour of God. Ble&s;&s;ed are they pre&s;ently, though men di&s;cerne not how happie they are made by it: but more ble&s;&s;ed &s;hall all the world behold them to be at that great day and glo|rious appearance of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. The con&s;ideration of the terror that will be at that time, made S. <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elfe to la|bour that both in life and death hee might bee acceptable to <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 9.</NOTE> him, as knowing that mo&s;t fearefull is their &s;tate whom hee &s;hall then be di&s;plea&s;ed with: and thri&s;e happie beyond all that mor|tall mans thought can comprehend, to whom hee then &s;hall de|clare his kindnes. But in the meane time, &s;ay &s;ome, they bee ma|ligned
<PB N="120" REF="64"> and mole&s;ted more then any, and none haue &s;o many ene|mies as they. But who knoweth whether Gods fauour may not make men fauourable to the~? It is &s;aid that whe~ the waies of a man plea&s;e the Lord, he will make al&s;o his enemies at peace with him, Prou. 16. 7. Or if they be implacable, and mightie al&s;o, yet this is the comfort of the faithfull that God him&s;elfe will ouerliue them, and his might will ouermatch them, and his louing kindnes will bee exerci&s;ed dailie, as <HI>Dauid</HI> told that bragging <HI>Doeg;</HI> P&s;alm. 52. 1.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>The man of wicked imaginations, &amp;c.</HI> The Lord doth not onely proceede again&s;t the wicked for their vngodly actions, but for &s;innefull thoughts and purpo&s;es. But the pro&s;ecution of this point we re&s;erue for the &s;ixe and twentith ver&s;e of the fifteenth chapter, where it is &s;aid that the thoughts of the wicked are abo|mination to the Lord.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 3. <HI>A man cannot bee e&s;tabli&s;hed by wickednes: but the roote of the righteous cannot be moued.</HI></HEAD>
<P>SInfulne&s;&s;e may &s;eeme to &s;erue a mans turne, but in the ende it &s;hall appeare it neuer did him good. For how&s;oeuer it is an occa&s;ion of lifting many men vp on hie in pro&s;perity, yet it giueth them no &s;ure footing in their &s;tate, but downe they fall, and then it had been better for them to haue &s;toode &s;till on the ground. Wicked men ofter grow greater, and fa&s;ter then others, but their &s;etling is not &s;o fa&s;t and firme, as the other part &s;heweth. The righteous though they be not &s;o tall and &s;preading vpwards, yet they take roote the &s;tronger downewards: and though their boughes be &s;haken aboue, yet that will not loo&s;en his hold be|neath. This is the oppo&s;ition, The vngodly &s;hall not be e&s;tabli|&s;hed by wickednes, but his roote &s;hal be plucked vp; but the righ|teous &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed by godlines, and his roote &s;hall not bee moued.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> They &s;hall mi&s;&s;e of their expectation that hope to &s;uccour them&s;elues by &s;inning. They applie a venomous plai&s;ter to their &s;ore: they drinke &s;trong poi&s;on for a medicine: and they prop vp their roofe with burning firebrands. But the holy Gho&s;t di|recteth
<PB N="121" REF="64"> euery one of vs to a cour&s;e directly contrarie to this in the booke of Iob: <HI>If iniquitie be in thine hand, put it farre away, and let</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 11. 14.</NOTE> <HI>no wickedne&s;&s;e dwell in thy tabernacle. Then truly &s;halt thou lift vp thy face without &s;pot, and &s;halt be &s;table, and &s;halt not feare.</HI> And he doth indent with them whom hee will deliuer from death and mi&s;erie, that they &s;hall confe&s;&s;e that their wickednes could &s;tand them in no &s;teed: <HI>If one &s;ay, I haue &s;inned, and peruerted righteou&s;|nes, and it did not profit me, he will deliuer his &s;oule from going into the pit, and his life &s;hall &s;ee the light,</HI> Iob 33. 27. 28.</P>
<P><HI>Saul</HI> dealt very fooli&s;hly in vndermining the foundation of his hou&s;e by di&s;obedience, and the &s;eeking to hold it vp by per|&s;ecuting of <HI>Dauid:</HI> And <HI>Ieroboam</HI> dealt not wi&s;ely, who (when <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 11. 38.</NOTE> the Lord promi&s;ed to build him a &s;ure hou&s;e, as he built to <HI>Da|uid,</HI> if he would keepe his &s;tatutes and commandements, as <HI>Da|uid</HI> did) deui&s;ed another tricke to confirme the kingdome to him&s;elfe and his po&s;teritie, and that was by &s;etting vp the idola|trous Calues at Dan and Bethel.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it is the very proper effect of &s;inne to procure ruine, and to bring men to a downfall. And thereupon the Prophet <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> doth ground his exhortation: <HI>O I&s;rael returne vnto the Lord thy God: for thou ha&s;t fallen by thine iniquitie,</HI> Ho&s;. 14. 2. As if he &s;hould haue &s;aid, Let experience make you wi&s;e: neuer tru&s;t to &s;in any more, but &s;eeke vnto God: for looke what &s;ucce&s;&s;e you finde by your euill waies now, the &s;ame be &s;ure of euer: no man can &s;peed by &s;uch a bad meanes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the ri&s;ing, &s;tanding, and falling of euery man is in Gods owne hand, who alone &s;etteth vp, and confirmeth, and ca|&s;teth downe at his will. And how then can &s;inne yeeld any &s;tabi|litie to &s;inners, which haue his wrath, and threatnings, and oth, and hand again&s;t them? It cannot draw kindnes from him, to a&s;|&s;i&s;t them in fauour. Force will be of no force to compell to it by feare. And wi&s;edome makes it impo&s;&s;ible to intice him to it by craft.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, if men might haue e&s;tabli&s;hment by wickednes, ma|ny ab&s;urd and dangerous con&s;equents would follow vpon it. The cur&s;es of the Law would be of &s;mall effect: the mo&s;t &s;infull &s;hifters would make their &s;tate the &s;ure&s;t: and Satan &s;hould be|come
<PB N="122" REF="65"> their beneficiall friend, who&s;e &s;oules are mo&s;t peruerted by him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, that fora&s;much as we may know that we &s;hall lo&s;e our labour in &s;eeking any &s;infull helpes, that Gods di&s;plea&s;ure will be increa&s;ed, our mi&s;erie increa&s;ed, our guiltine&s;&s;e increa&s;ed, and euery thing increa&s;ed that may increa&s;e our &s;orow and tor|ment, that therefore henceforth we deceiue our &s;elues no more, in expecting helpe at that which altogether turneth to our hurt. We would all &s;tand as firme, and as impregnable ca&s;tles, but wee make a quicke &s;and our foundation, and mudde walles our &s;tone worke, and &s;tubble and reedes our &s;tronge&s;t timber. It would grow to a large volume if we &s;hould relate the &s;euerall kindes of &s;innes whereby we haue &s;ought to &s;erue our owne turnes, as fal&s;e|hood in word by lying, fal&s;ehood in deed by &s;tealing, and deceit|fulnes of diuers &s;orts, flatterie, couetou&s;nes, crueltie, hypocri&s;ie, running to witches: and what not? But many volumes are not able to containe the particular facts whereof wee &s;tand guiltie, only Gods book, and that of our own con&s;cience are capacious enough for them. And therefore it is time for vs to pull downe our owne ruinous building, le&s;t it fall downe vpon our heads, and make vs fall downe to de&s;truction. For though it bee too &s;light, and as weake as a cobweb to bee a couert ouer vs, yet it is very heauie, and as weightie as a mountaine to pre&s;&s;e vs vnder it. Let vs &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider, that what&s;oeuer is offen&s;iue to God cannot be defen&s;iue for vs, and that which doth bring any perill to the &s;oule, can neuer po&s;&s;ibly bring &s;afetie to &s;tate or bodie. Away then from our own deuices, from all fle&s;hly and vnlawful meanes of helpe, and let vs runne with &s;peede to him that neuer failed to &s;uccour any that vnfainedly &s;ought helpe at his hands. And this may be our incouragement hereunto, that wee goe not vn&s;ent, nor come vnbidden. His owne will, his owne word calleth vpon vs with many promi&s;es for that purpo&s;e: <HI>If thou returne to the Almightie, thou &s;halt be built vp, and thou &s;halt put iniquitie farre from thy tabernacle. The Almightie &s;hall be thy defence, and thou &s;halt haue plentie of &s;iluer. When others are ca&s;t downe, thou &s;halt &s;ay, I am lifted vp: and God &s;hall &s;aue the humble per&s;on:</HI> Iob. 22. 23. 25. 29.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="123" REF="65">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 4. <HI>A vertuous woman is the crowne of her hu&s;band: but &s;he that maketh him a&s;hamed is a rottennes in his bones.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A <HI>Vertuous woman,</HI> which feareth God, and loueth her hu&s;|band, and is faithful in her calling, <HI>is a crowne to her hu&s;band,</HI> &s;he is for his honour and credit, and con&s;equently for his profit and comfort. <HI>But &s;he that maketh him a&s;hamed,</HI> which either by her lewdnes, and rudenes doth bring him into contempt, or at lea&s;t maketh him to hold downe his head, or by negligence, pride, and wa&s;tfulnes doth weaken his e&s;tate, and bringeth him to want, &s;he <HI>is a rottennes in his bones,</HI> that is, a torment and cor|ra&s;iue to his heart, as grieuous as the ach of the bones, or cor|ruption of the marrow, which is more painfull and incurable than an vlcer in the fle&s;h. The antithe&s;is is thus: A vertuous wo|man is the crowne of her husband, and &s;o a great ioy and glad|nes to his heart: but a vicious woman is a &s;hame to her husband, and as a rottennes in his bones.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> No outward thing in all the world is better than a good wife. It is not &s;o well with a rich man that hath his hou&s;e &s;tored with abundance of wealth, as with a poore man that hath his hou&s;e garni&s;hed with a Chri&s;tian wife, &s;o that hee be al&s;o a godly man, and a faithfull husband. By this meanes hee may be made con|&s;picuous, though his &s;tate and degree were otherwi&s;e ob&s;cure: and it is lawfull in this &s;ort, for a meane &s;ubiect, without di&s;loyal|tie to his Prince, to weare a crowne of good reputation and cre|dit. If the valew and brightnes of pearles and precious &s;tones draw mens eyes to behold them that po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e and weare them, much more will this rich iewell, who&s;e price and beautie excee|deth the be&s;t of them. For God him&s;elfe who &s;eeth euery &s;ort of them, and euery one of them, and knoweth their &s;euerall worths, and hath made them all, hee &s;etteth a gracious wife at an higher rate than any of them, and &s;aith, <HI>that her price is farre aboue Car|buncles.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 31. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they are very &s;carce and hard to come by, and therefore it is &s;aid, <HI>Who &s;hall finde a vertuous woman?</HI> There are incompa|tably <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 31. 10.</NOTE> more wiues than God will prai&s;e for good wiues, and more
<PB N="124" REF="66"> maides and widowes than hee will commend to good men to match with. As therefore tho&s;e that are gracious are rare, &s;o are they al&s;o the more remarkable, and &s;o they more adorne their husbands. If crownes were as commonly worne as hats, men would e&s;teeme of hats as much as of crownes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, good wiues to godly men are all of the Lords pro|uiding, he made the match in mercie and fauour, and therefore <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 18. 22.</NOTE> the more to be regarded. He more immediatly declareth his loue in this, than in be&s;towing lands and liuings, or any other goods or &s;ub&s;tance. So &s;aith this Scripture: <HI>Hou&s;e and riches are the in|heritance of the fathers: but a prudent wife commeth of the Lord:</HI> Prou. 19. 14.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly; man hath more intere&s;t in his wife, than he can haue in any other creature. She is appropriated to him with neere&s;t bonds of vnion. She is not &s;o properly called his, as a part of him, and one fle&s;h with him. As the two parts of man, &s;oule and body make one per&s;on; &s;o two per&s;ons, man and woman, make one matrimoniall bodie. Then how &s;hould he not take comfort in her graces and gifts, which are made his owne together with her?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, the benefits which a vertuous wife doth bring to a worthy husband, are manifold, and worthie to be regarded. She will labour to refre&s;h his heart with comfort, and to pre&s;erue his bodie in health: &s;he will be a helper for his familie, and prouident for his &s;tate: &s;he will be tender of his credite, and cheerefull to his friends: &s;he will euery way applie her &s;elfe to &s;hew her loue, and procure his be&s;t pro&s;peritie. The&s;e we &s;hall handle particularlie in the one and thirtie chapter, if God permit vs to proceede &s;o farre. Contrarie to the waies of this good woman is the behaui|our of a bad wife, who worketh both &s;hame and griefe to her hu&s;|band. All her &s;infulne&s;&s;e maketh him a&s;hamed, vnle&s;&s;e hee bee &s;hamele&s;&s;e, which is his greater &s;hame. A wicked &s;onne is a blot to his father, and a di&s;ordered &s;eruant is no credit to his mai&s;ter, and therefore much more doth an vngodly wife di&s;grace and blemi&s;h her yoke-fellow. And as &s;he putteth matter of talk into other mens mouthes, &s;o &s;he laieth burdens vpon his backe, and powreth &s;orrowes into his heart by contempt, and wrongs, and
<PB N="125" REF="66"> indignities. Oh the calamitie of them that are put to harbour their enemies harlots in their owne beds, and bo&s;oms! And what a mi&s;erie is it for a man to commit the greate&s;t part of his &s;ub|&s;tance to her that is a priuie theefe, whereby &s;hee hath all before her, to choo&s;e what &s;hee will to rob him of! And hard is their ca&s;e who&s;e wiues are meere &s;pies to know, and di&s;couer, and pub|li&s;h abroad their &s;ecrets, and faults, and infirmities to their great reproach. And what &s;hall wee &s;peake of &s;uch as are &s;wini&s;h with drunkenne&s;&s;e? and of gadders, and bu&s;ie bodies abroad? which in all contentions are alwaies parties, and where&s;oeuer they come, they rai&s;e contentions? What comfort doe the&s;e women mini&s;ter to their husbands that loue peace, and &s;obrietie? As for &s;uch as are turbulent in their owne hou&s;es, and froward, and re|bellious again&s;t their head, the &s;pirit of God telleth vs, what pro|fitable, plea&s;ant, and amiable companions they be. In the nin|teenth chapter of this booke it is &s;aid, that <HI>the contentions of a wife</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou 19. 13.</NOTE> <HI>are like a continuall dropping.</HI> Con&s;ider what vexation it is for a man to haue raine falling fa&s;t vpon his head, and bodie, e&s;pecially if there be no intermi&s;&s;ion that he may drie him&s;elfe againe: and mo&s;t of all if it be through the roofe of his hou&s;e to rot his timber, and &s;poile his &s;tuffe, and take away the comfort of his meate and re&s;t: when at bed and boord, and euery where, hee &s;hall be as it were vnder a running &s;pout. And el&s;ewhere he affirmeth, that <HI>it is better to dwell in a corner of the hou&s;e top,</HI> (that is on a pinnacle <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 21. 9.</NOTE> vpon the top of the hou&s;e without) <HI>then with a contentious woman in a wide hou&s;e.</HI> And yet more in the &s;ame chapter, that <HI>it is better to dwell in the wilderne&s;&s;e</HI> among wild bea&s;ts, <HI>then with a contentious</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;. 19.</NOTE> <HI>and angrie woman.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to &s;uch as be vnmarried to haue principall re&s;pect of vertue and grace in their choice. As for parentage, per&s;onage, portion, and other things of like nature, let them be regarded, if they waite vpon religion, and pietie, otherwi&s;e &s;uffer them not to put wiues vpon you, or rather pre&s;&s;e &s;orrow, and &s;hame vpon you, as many feele to their woe, which onely looke to outward things. 2. To &s;uch as are maried, if God hath vouch&s;afed them that mer|cie to giue them vertuous women, let them both giue him the
<PB N="126" REF="67"> prai&s;e, and take the comfort to them&s;elues, whether they bee rich or poore, and v&s;e all good v&s;age and incouragement to &s;uch good yokefellowes. A iu&s;t te&s;timonie and commendations of them, and &s;ometimes vnto them, &s;ufficient allowance both of li|bertie <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 31. 29. 31.</NOTE> and maintenance, according to their husbands abilitie, is due vnto them, in equitie and iu&s;tice. But what&s;oeuer their abili|tie is, they are able to &s;hew kindne&s;&s;e, and good countenance to them, and that mu&s;t not be wanting. Saint <HI>Paul</HI> would haue hu&s;|bands to loue their wiues therfore, becau&s;e they are wiues, and to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3. 19.</NOTE> be bitter to none, much le&s;&s;e to be fierce, and churli&s;h, and boi&s;te|rous to them that are good. But if they bee yoked with tho&s;e of the other &s;ort, their mi&s;erie is a good motiue to &s;end them to God to &s;eeke his helpe, and more to labour to plea&s;e him them|&s;elues, that he may make their wiues to be better vnto them. For if it be in his hand before marriage to make them godly, and to prepare them for his &s;eruants, it is as much al&s;o in his power to conuert them afterwards: which if he doe not, yet they &s;hall haue more &s;trength to beare the burden with greater ea&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of their &s;inne and follie, that like nothing le&s;&s;e, nor labour again&s;t any thing &s;o much as to haue their wiues to bee re|ligious and godly. They more hate pietie and grace, then they loue beautie and wealth, and would &s;ooner chu&s;e one of no &s;ub|&s;tance, then of great goodnes. But indeede they are not driuen to that extremity, it is no difficult matter to many that haue great riches, to be of little &s;anctification, and therefore they haue their de&s;ires double &s;ati&s;fied in getting wealth &amp; wickednes together. How many doe we daily &s;ee that withhold their wiues from all good meanes of godlines: that di&s;&s;wade them, di&s;courage them, and &s;ometimes by &s;trong hand re&s;traine them from comming to the preaching of Gods holy word, whereby their &s;oules might be in&s;tructed? How many teach their wiues pride, and &s;traine them&s;elues beyond their abilitie to maintaine them in gari&s;hnes? How many doe bring their wiues into &s;uch company, and to &s;uch exerci&s;es, as infect their eyes, and eares, and tongues, and heart, and euery &s;en&s;e with lu&s;t and wantonne&s;&s;e? Is it not righteous from God that the&s;e husbands &s;hould bee plagued with the la|ui&s;hnes,
<PB N="127" REF="67"> and &s;tubberne&s;&s;e, and whori&s;hne&s;&s;e of their wiues, which haue &s;o poy&s;oned their &s;oules, and drawne them to &s;uch lewde and &s;infull behauiour?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 5. <HI>The thoughts of the iu&s;t are right: but the coun&s;els of the wicked are deceit.</HI></HEAD>
<P>GOdly men are not altogether voide of thoughts, that are not right and allowable: &s;ometimes Sathan ca&s;teth in matter to turne them out of the right cour&s;e: &s;ometimes their owne fle&s;h will play it part, and &s;tirre vp de&s;ires of commoditie and prai&s;e, and plea&s;ures and &s;uch like in them; but the&s;e are as the muddines that may be for a time in a good fountaine that is troubled: the&s;e they allow not: the&s;e they re&s;i&s;t, and iudge them&s;elues for, and therefore God taketh notice only of tho&s;e that are good, tending to his &s;eruice, and glorie, their owne &s;aluation, and the benefite of their brethren. On the other &s;ide, <HI>the coun&s;els of the wicked,</HI> that is, their deui&s;es, plots, and purpo&s;es in them&s;elues (for they are here rather the worke of the mind, then of the tongue, and op|po&s;ed to the thoughts of the godly) are deceit, tending either to the circumvention, and wronging of others, or to the cloaking and hiding of their owne &s;infulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> The godly differ as much from the wicked in inward cogitati|ons and purpo&s;es, as in outward conuer&s;ation and practi&s;e. At the fir&s;t creation man was made to excell the bruite bea&s;ts more by the rea&s;on and gifts of the &s;oule, then by the fa&s;hion and &s;hape of the bodie: and at the &s;econd, a Chri&s;tian is made to excell &s;in|full men more by the holine&s;&s;e and working of the &s;oule, then by the actions and workes of the bodie. This cau&s;ed the Apo&s;tle S. <HI>Paul</HI> to vrge the Ephe&s;ians with &s;o earne&s;t an a&s;&s;eueration and at|te&s;tation, that hereby they &s;hould cleere their regeneration vn|falliblie, and put it out of all doubt and que&s;tion. <HI>This I &s;ay, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4. 17.</NOTE> <HI>te&s;tifie in the Lord, that yee henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their mind, hauing their cogitations darkned, &amp;c.</HI> And <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> commeth to &s;peake of &s;ome &s;pecials, and &s;heweth what a contrarietie there is betweene their thoughts and medita|tions. <HI>The heart,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>of the niggard will worke iniquitie, he de|ui&s;eth</HI>
<PB N="120" REF="68"> <HI>euill coun&s;els to vndoe the poore with lying words: but the li|berall man will deui&s;e of liberall things, and will continue his liberality,</HI> I&s;a. 32. 6. 7. 8.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the one &s;ort are led by the word and &s;pirit of God, and therefore will thinke of &s;uch things as they worke in them, and per&s;wade them vnto: the other are led by the fle&s;h, and Sathan, and therefore will thinke of &s;uch things as they &s;ugge&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the hearts of the one are repleni&s;hed with Chri&s;tian loue, and therefore they will meditate how they may be&s;t exer|ci&s;e it in doing good: and the other are po&s;&s;e&s;t with &s;elfe-loue, and they will deui&s;e how they may &s;erue their owne turnes though with neuer &s;o much hurt and mi&s;chiefe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the trea&s;ures of the one are in heauen, and therefore their hearts are there, and their thoughts are taken vp about hea|uenly things; and the happines of the other is in earth, and &s;inne, and therefore they are alwaies pondring of earthly and &s;infull matters.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, the heart and purpo&s;e is the roote from whence the actions &s;pring and receiue their life, and therfore good men could not performe &s;o many good &s;eruices, and haue them &s;o well ac|cepted of God, and the wicked would not fall into &s;o many foule &s;innes, and be &s;o much hated of him, vnle&s;&s;e they had contrarie mindes and affections, the godly holy and righteous, and the wicked impious and deceitfull.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to examine and trie the &s;tate of our &s;oules by this rule, let ws con&s;ider not onely what we haue done, and how men conceiue of vs, but with what mind wee haue performed euery good dutie, and how the Lord doth e&s;teeme of vs. He trieth the raines, he &s;earcheth the heart, hee looketh vpon the purpo&s;es, and de&s;ires. That which no creature &s;eeth or taketh knowledge of, he prai&s;eth, and rewardeth: that which the world admireth and magnifieth, he hateth and abhorreth. So our Sauiour told the Phari&s;es, <HI>Yee are they which iu&s;tifie your &s;elues before men: but God</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16. 15.</NOTE> <HI>knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly e&s;teemed among men, is abomination in the &s;ight of God.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that turne their hearts loo&s;e, permitting their thoughts to &s;traggle whither&s;oeuer they will at their plea&s;ure,
<PB N="129" REF="68"> and thinke it &s;afe to &s;atisfie them&s;elues in filthie lu&s;ts, in proud imaginations, in bitter grudgings, and in diuers idle, vaine, and fooli&s;h conceits. It is accounted by many for a part of mans li|bertie that thought is free: but they that take that libertie are brought into the mo&s;t grieuous &s;eruitude, to become &s;laues and bondmen to tho&s;e free thoughts. Now if deceitfull coun&s;els conuince men to bee euill, as the Scripture &s;aith they doe, what can the Papi&s;ts &s;ay for them&s;elues, why they &s;hould be reputed good? Did euer any kinde of people lay their plots for greater mi&s;chiefes? Did euer any &s;eeke to act their purpo&s;es with grea|ter fal&s;ehood and treacherie? What fidelitie is to bee found in their words, in their prote&s;tations, in their &s;olemne oathes? They &s;ay many things, which the purpo&s;e of not doing them is the cau&s;e why they &s;ay them. Then they pretend the mo&s;t obedience, when they intend the greate&s;t di&s;obedience: and looke for &s;ome notable di&s;loialtie from them, when they are readie to &s;weare to be loyall.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 6. <HI>The talking of the wicked is to lie in waite for blood: but the mouth of the righteous will deliuer them.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe&s;e words are not to be vnder&s;tood to meane all &s;orts of wicked men, but &s;uch as are malitious; and their &s;peeches too, of &s;uch as they maligne, doe principally tend to the in|&s;naring and catching of them, and that to their de&s;truction, &s;o farre as they can effect it: if not by violence vpon their bodies to the taking away of their liues, yet by oppre&s;&s;ion otherwi&s;e to the ruine of their e&s;tate. Now the contrarie is to bee found in the godly, who v&s;e their lips, as much as in them is, to &s;uccour &s;uch as the wicked lie in waite for; either as <HI>Pauls</HI> nephew did, by di&s;|couering the practi&s;es again&s;t them, or being &s;uiters for them, or cleering their innocencie. And this is &s;poken of their endeuour, and not of the euent, for that is many times otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Lie in waite, &amp;c.</HI> It is the propertie of violent men to mixe their crueltie with craftine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Their tongues worke as well as their hands, and their hearts and heads giue direction to their tongues: and hands, and
<PB N="130" REF="69"> tongues, and hearts, and heads doe all con&s;pire and combine them&s;elues again&s;t poore innocents. Such the Prophet complai|neth of in the P&s;almes: <HI>He lieth in waite &s;ecretly, euen as a lion in</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 10. 9. 10.</NOTE> <HI>his denne: he lieth in waite to &s;poile the poore: he doth &s;poile the poore, when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth and boweth: and therefore heapes of the poore doe fall by his might.</HI></P>
<P>Many deuices deceitfull tongues haue, to bring their purpo&s;es to pa&s;&s;e. Sometimes by flatterie, or otherwi&s;e to draw aduanta|ges from him whom they practi&s;e again&s;t, according as our Sa|uiour was &s;undrie times dealt with. Sometimes by incen&s;ing, or <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 22. 21.</NOTE> per&s;wading others, who&s;e di&s;plea&s;ure and power may worke that which them&s;elues could neuer effect, as <HI>Haman</HI> did, and <HI>Ama|ziah,</HI> and <HI>Daniels</HI> aduer&s;aries al&s;o, though in another manner: Dan. 6. Sometimes by taking opportunitie of the time, when it <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 7. 10.</NOTE> &s;erueth them, as <HI>Doeg</HI> did again&s;t the Prie&s;ts, when <HI>Saul</HI> him&s;elfe was offended with <HI>Ionathan,</HI> for fauouring <HI>Dauid.</HI> Who can rec|kon all when there are &s;o many, and euery day new inuentions of moe?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the diuell is their director, and teacheth them what cour&s;e to take, and all the world knoweth and feeleth that hee is both fierce and &s;ubtill, being a bloodie red dragon for crueltie, and ha|uing &s;euen heads for craft.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, their owne &s;tudie and exerci&s;e hath made them ex|pert and skilfull in their helli&s;h trade: and the ta&s;te of blood hath made them as hungrie as hounds after it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to auoide as much as wee may, both conuer&s;a|tion and conference with them. Of receiuing harme, we &s;tand in great perill; of effecting good, we can haue little expectation. It is no hard matter for the foxe or lion to make the lambe to feele their wiline&s;&s;e or violence: but it is not ea&s;ie for the lambe to teach the lion, or foxe, his innocencie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the mouth &amp;c.</HI> It is a note of a good man to haue his good word readie to helpe them that are oppre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>There be many that refraine from traducing, accu&s;ing, and in|trapping their neighbours, which yet goe not farre enough to &s;hew them&s;elues mercifull and righteous: there are many that will &s;peake in the prai&s;e of godly men, free from troubles and
<PB N="131" REF="69"> mole&s;tations, and yet declare not &s;ufficient loue to God and his people: but here is loue, here is courage, here is faithfulnes, here|in they make it appeare that they are not accepters of per&s;ons, when they applie their wits, and tongues, and countenance in their places, for the defence of harmele&s;&s;e men that are helple&s;&s;e. In this &s;en&s;e doth the Holy Gho&s;t call vpon men in the foure and twentith chapter: <HI>Deliuer them that are drawne to death: and wilt</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 24. 11.</NOTE> <HI>not thou pre&s;erue them that are led to be &s;laine?</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they are the members of our owne bodie, and therefore their communion and neerene&s;&s;e with vs, &s;hould moue vs to it. Who would not open his lips for a father, or brother, or friend, (as did that faithfull <HI>Ionathan)</HI> but chiefly for him&s;elfe? Who would not doe his be&s;t to &s;hew the equitie of his owne cau&s;e? Who would not intreate hard to &s;aue his owne head, or hand, or foote, or any other part of him? So doe all good men that deale in the behalfe of any iu&s;t and righteous per&s;on, the ca&s;e is their owne.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are the members of Chri&s;t who is head to vs, and therefore &s;ince he &s;pared not to &s;peake, and &s;uffer for vs: &s;ince he prayed, and pleaded, and payed euen his owne life and natu|rall bodie for our deliuerance, is it much for vs to be&s;tow our words, or to beare a rebuke to deliuer tho&s;e that haue a place in his my&s;ticall bodie?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, it is the way to prouide helpe from God, and good men, again&s;t our owne troubles, to be helpfull to others in theirs: and the contrarie befalleth them that are &s;lacke and remi&s;&s;e in this dutie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, we doe after a &s;ort make our &s;elues acce&s;&s;arie to the wrongs and iniuries which are offered to the righteous, when they either come vpon them by our negligence, or fearefulnes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction for euery degree to be diligent and carefull in the performance of this dutie. Art thou a Magi&s;trate? Remember what le&s;&s;on <HI>Salomons</HI> mother be&s;towed vpon him: <HI>Open thy mouth for the dumbe in the cau&s;e of all the children of de&s;truction.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 31. 8. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Open thy mouth: iudge righteou&s;ly, and iudge the afflicted, and the poore.</HI> Art thou a priuate man, yet thou mai&s;t giue aduice, or te|&s;tifie the truth, or &s;olicite friends, or at lea&s;t thou mai&s;t call vpon
<PB N="132" REF="70"> God for them that bee pur&s;ued by oppre&s;&s;ors.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to all good patrones of poore di&s;tre&s;&s;ed mens cau&s;es; which take to heart their wrongs and burthens, and &s;eeke reliefe and remedie for them. They would not &s;o faithfully la|bour for righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, vnle&s;&s;e them&s;elues were righteous: they could not &s;hew &s;uch pitie to good men, vnle&s;&s;e they loued goodne&s;&s;e, and God loued them: for effectuall compa&s;&s;ion and mercie is neuer found in any that is not vnder mercie. 2. To them that haue enemies lying in waite for their blood; if they be inno|cent and godly, the Lord will &s;tirre them vp friends, that will fa|uour their cau&s;e, and &s;tand in their defence. Some <HI>Iob</HI> or other wil deliuer them, though they be poore and fatherle&s;&s;e, and haue <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 29. 12.</NOTE> none to helpe them. Or if there be none that fauour them at the bench, yet there be that will obtaine fauour for them from hea|uen. The prayers of Gods people a&s;cend vp. to Gods pre&s;ence for his helpe: and tho&s;e mouthes preuaile mightily that &s;eeke for redre&s;&s;e of wrongs at his hands. <HI>Herod</HI> thought that it would be too late for all the friends which <HI>Peter</HI> had to mini&s;ter helpe vn|to him when hee had clapt him vp in &s;o &s;ure a pri&s;on. But hee re|membred not how &s;wift the godly be to prayer: and how &s;oone a prayer can come to God: and in what readines God hath his Angels: and what &s;peede an Angell can make to &s;uccour them that are in danger. Yet this is not the greate&s;t comfort of Gods afflicted &s;eruants, but this that the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t is infinitely more righteous and mercifull than any man, or all men po&s;&s;iblie can be, and he will vndertake their cau&s;e, and either mini&s;ter help to their &s;tate, or grace to their &s;oules, to beare their troubles, till the fitte&s;t time of freedome from them. He will pre&s;erue them from &s;inne and Satan which lie in waite for their eternall de&s;tru|ction. The &s;pirit of God is large in one of the P&s;almes in &s;etting foorth the tender care which he hath of his people: <HI>He &s;hall de|liuer the poore when he crieth: the needie al&s;o, and him that hath no helpe. He &s;hall be mercifull to the poore and needie, and &s;hall pre&s;erue the &s;oules of the poore. He &s;hall redeeme their &s;oules from deceit and violence, and deare &s;hall their blood be in his &s;ight:</HI> P&s;al. 72. 12. 13. 14.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="133" REF="70">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 7. <HI>God ouerthroweth the wicked, and they are not: but the hou&s;e of the righteous &s;hall &s;tand.</HI></HEAD>
<P>VVHen the &s;tate of the vngodly which are not Gods cho|&s;en, changeth from pro&s;peritie to aduer&s;itie; it &s;eldome &s;taieth, till they be vtterly de&s;troyed, both them&s;elues, &amp; their hou&s;es; This word, <HI>are not,</HI> &s;ignifieth a &s;laughter and killing, as it is &s;poken of the murdering of the infants by <HI>Herod,</HI> Mat. 2. 18. Ier. 31. 15. But here is more vnder&s;tood, than the lo&s;&s;e of naturall life, and that is, the perdition of &s;oule and bodie. And yet not the extinction of either: for the &s;oule &s;hall neuer vani&s;h away, nor the bodie for euer: they &s;hall not finde &s;o much mercie at Gods hands. Their being &s;hall not cea&s;e, but their comfortable and well being. They &s;hall be euerla&s;ting, euerla&s;tinglie to beare the burden of Gods wrath, and to &s;uffer the vn&s;ufferable torment of death and damnation. <HI>But the hou&s;e of the righteous,</HI> that is, he, and tho&s;e things which appertaine vnto him &s;hall bee pre&s;erued from being ouerthrowne to ruine.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> They that will not keepe them&s;elues from wickedne&s;ie, can|not keepe them&s;elues from de&s;olation.</P>
<P>They may ri&s;e, but not &s;tand: for, vnle&s;&s;e they fall to repen|tance, they &s;hall be made to fall to de&s;truction. They may grow great, but for a &s;mall time, for they will &s;oone bee brought to no|thing.</P>
<P>The prophet thought too well of their &s;tate at y^e fir&s;t, as though they had bin in better ca&s;e then any other men: but he conceiued as hardly of it at the la&s;t, when he had &s;eene their end in the &s;an|ctuarie, and deemed them of all to bee mo&s;t mi&s;erable. <HI>Surelie,</HI> &s;aith he to the Lord, <HI>thou hast &s;et them in &s;lipperie places, and ca&s;te&s;t</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 73. 18. 19</NOTE> <HI>them downe into de&s;olation. How &s;uddenlie are they destroyed peri&s;h|ed, and horriblie con&s;umed!</HI> The Scriptures flow with te&s;timonies and &s;imilies to declare both the certaintie, and &s;uddenne&s;&s;e, and grieuou&s;ne&s;&s;e of their decay; as the withering of plants, the put|ting out of lights, the vanity of dreames, the vani&s;hing of &s;moake, and many others to the like purpo&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they haue all the threatnings of God again&s;t them: and
<PB N="134" REF="71"> euery threatning &s;endeth forth many cur&s;es: and euery cur&s;e brin|geth many plagues.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, their owne de&s;erts, which in re&s;pect of any creature are infinite, doe draw vpon them iudgements and mi&s;eries that are in explicable.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the loue and trueth of God to his owne &s;eruants, will not permit a perpetuall pro&s;peritie to his enemies. By this hee per&s;wadeth them not to faint in their owne afflictions, becau&s;e a reward remaineth for them, and their end will be peace. By this he per&s;wadeth them not to fret at wicked mens &s;ucce&s;&s;es, becau&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 37. 38.</NOTE> there remaine puni&s;hments for them, &amp; their end is to be cut off.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to &s;infull men to tender their loue more that pitie them and de&s;ire that their ca&s;e may be better. If others tremble at their fall that is comming, which yet neither feele the paine nor be in the perill thereof, is it wi&s;edome for them to ca&s;t off all care of them&s;elues, and onely picke quarrels again&s;t them that &s;eeke their &s;afetie? When their wound is incurable they will wi&s;h that they had better regarded the plai&s;ter, and the hand that applied it. When the di&s;ea&s;e is remedile&s;&s;e, they will rue the reiection of the medicine, and phy&s;ition. When hell &s;hall haue them in hold, they will bewaile the refu&s;all of their friend&s;hip that would haue directed them to heauen. It was good coun&s;ell of <HI>Philip,</HI> and well followed of <HI>Nathaniel,</HI> when hee per&s;waded him to come, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 1. 46.</NOTE> and &s;ee whether Ie&s;us were not the Chri&s;t. And it was an indul|gence of Chri&s;t to <HI>Thomas,</HI> to helpe his faith in his re&s;urrection, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 20. 27.</NOTE> by the &s;en&s;es of &s;ight and feeling: but for matters of puni&s;h|ment, and damnation, it is good to goe from them, and not to come at them: to heare Gods te&s;timonie, and not to &s;ee it fulfil|led vpon them&s;elues: to beleeue the trueth of that which is &s;po|ken, and not to feele it by their owne experience.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation, that &s;infull men &s;hall not alwaies be mole&s;ters of the godly, becau&s;e they &s;hall not alwaies be. They &s;hall not con|tinually ouer&s;hadow the faithfull, becau&s;e they &s;hall not &s;tand continually. Though their &s;hew bee great now, and terrible to Gods people, yet their change will bee greater, and fearefull to them&s;elues. He will &s;peedilie ouerturne them, and all their po|wer of hurting &s;hall be taken from them. Now their rootes are
<PB N="135" REF="71"> low, their toppes aloft, and braunches broad, and thereby ouer|droppe all that is vnder them: then mu&s;t their toppes come downe, and rootes ri&s;e vp, and all their braunches wither. Now they are ve&s;&s;els that are full of power, and wealth, and malice: but then mu&s;t bee there a tran&s;po&s;ition: the bottome mu&s;t bee vpward, and the brimmes mu&s;t bee downeward, and all their ful|ne&s;&s;e be &s;hed on the ground like water. The ground of this com|fort is neither vaine, nor weake: for God him&s;elfe doth vrge it as a forcible rea&s;on to confirme the hearts of his people. <HI>Feare thou not</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>for I am with thee: bee not affraide, for I am thy God. Behold, all they that prouoke thee &s;hall bee a&s;hamed and confounded; they &s;hall be as nothing, and they that &s;triue with thee &s;hall peri&s;h. Thou &s;halt &s;eeke them, and &s;halt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy &s;trife, for they &s;hall be as nothing, and the men that warre again&s;t thee, as a thing of nought:</HI> I&s;ai. 41. 11. 12.</P>
<P>For the firmenes of the righteous man, and of his hou&s;e, &s;ee chapter the tenth, ver&s;. 2. 25.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 8. <HI>A man &s;hall bee commended according to his wi&s;edome: but the froward in heart &s;hall be de&s;pi&s;ed.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AS euery one is more wi&s;e and godly, &s;o &s;hall hee haue more true prai&s;e and honour: Sometimes, and very often the wic|ked &s;hall commend him, commonly the righteous, and alwaies the Lord him&s;elfe, but mo&s;t of all at the la&s;t day, before all men, and Angels, as our Sauiour telleth vs in the fiue and twentith of Matthew. Contrariewi&s;e <HI>the froward in heart,</HI> &s;uch who&s;e hearts reiect all good in&s;tructions, and graces, <HI>&s;hall bee de&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> and brought to contempt among men in this life, or their faults breake out after they are dead, or bee manife&s;ted before all the world at the day of the Lord. This is the oppo&s;ition: Hee that is vpright of heart &s;hall be commended for his wi&s;edome: but hee that is froward of heart, &s;hall be de&s;pi&s;ed for his follie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> They that are not voide of vprightne&s;&s;e and wi&s;edome, &s;hall not be de&s;titute of prai&s;e and honour.</P>
<P>Though &s;ome be blind that they cannot di&s;cerne of their vn|der&s;tanding and graces, yet others haue their eie-&s;ight, and be|hold
<PB N="136" REF="72"> them. Though &s;ome be dumbe, and will not &s;peake of their vertues, yet others haue their lippes opened to commend them. Though &s;ome be malitious to carpe at, and depraue them, yet others be faithfull to giue them their due te&s;timonie. Neither is it a thing incident to &s;ome few, as though it belonged onelie to principall men and great per&s;onages, but to all of euery place that are therewith qualified, both hie and low, both pui&s;&s;ant po|tentates, and meane bondmen and &s;eruants. There is no excepti|on, or limitation of degrees, when it is &s;aid, that <HI>the wi&s;edome of a man doth make his face to &s;hine.</HI> And &s;eruants could not adorne the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 8. 1.</NOTE> doctrine of God, if grace and godline&s;&s;e did not al&s;o adorne and beautifie them. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 2. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, God him&s;elfe te&s;tifieth for them, and that is &s;ufficient for their commendation: for hee is not allowed that prai&s;eth him|&s;elfe, nor whom the world prai&s;eth, but which is prai&s;ed of the Lord.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, he hath all mens hearts and tongues in his hands to make them to thinke well and &s;peake well of tho&s;e whom hee would haue to be in credit. He appointed that cur&s;ing <HI>Balaam</HI> to &s;peake for his people, and ble&s;&s;e them, when he came of purpo&s;e to ca&s;t out imprecations again&s;t them. He compelled <HI>Saul</HI> with his lippes to cleere <HI>Dauid,</HI> and to pronounce him iu&s;t and inno|cent, when he had his weapons in a readines to puni&s;h him as a rebell.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, their owne amiable and louelie behauiour allureth the liking of men towards them, and obtaineth their good te&s;ti|monie of them. <HI>This wi&s;edome that is from aboue,</HI> this heauenly wi&s;edom which the &s;pirit of God worketh, <HI>is fir&s;t pure, then peace|able,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 3. 17.</NOTE> <HI>gentle, ea&s;ie to bee intreated, full of mercie and good fruits, with|out iudging, and without hypocri&s;ie.</HI> The &s;ight of the&s;e graces, the very report of them doth winne mens hearts, and draw their af|fections to tho&s;e that exerci&s;e them, and much more when they feele the fruite and benefit thereof to them&s;elues.</P>
<P>Now where wi&s;edome is wanting, and follie is flowing; where meekene&s;&s;e is a &s;tranger, and frowardne&s;&s;e a commander, what is to be looked for, but reproach and contempt? Are the poore&s;t &s;eruants and handmaides commended on the other &s;ide? then
<PB N="137" REF="72"> the wealthie&s;t Lords and Ma&s;ters are de&s;pi&s;ed on this &s;ide. Doth the Lord prai&s;e all &s;uch as be godly wi&s;e? then doth he di&s;grace all tho&s;e that be &s;infully fooli&s;h. Doth hee deriue mens te&s;timo|nies and fauours to tho&s;e? then will he draine and draw them a|way from the&s;e. Is &s;oft, and gentle, and mercifull behauiour a meanes to procure the good will of men? then &s;owre, and chur|li&s;h, and cruell demeanour, will prouoke their offence and di&s;|plea&s;ure. Generally, that which God &s;pake concerning <HI>Elies</HI> hou&s;e, holdeth true to all of both &s;orts: <HI>Them that honour me, I will honour, and they that de&s;pi&s;e me, &s;hall be de&s;pi&s;ed.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 2. 30.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of them that loue nothing &s;o much as prai&s;e: for they are as de&s;irous of it as Phari&s;ies; and yet nothing le&s;&s;e than wi&s;edome, nor practi&s;e any thing &s;o much as follie. Doe they thinke that the dunghill of wickedne&s;&s;e is a fit mine to digge ho|nour and credit out of? Doe they thinke that the puddle water of pride, and wantonnes, and vanitie, will make them beautifull to the eyes of men of vnder&s;tanding? Doe they thinke that the filth comming out of the &s;inke of quaffing, and gaming, and &s;wea|ring, and &s;infull exerci&s;es will &s;end out a &s;weete &s;auour of reue|rend e&s;timation? Nay, their kind friend follie hath much abu&s;ed them, and yet for her &s;ake they will &s;till illude them&s;elues al&s;o. Good men pitie them, and bad men deride them, the tongues of mo&s;t de&s;pi&s;e them, the hearts of all condemne them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to them vpon whom the Lord hath multiplied the gifts of Chri&s;tian knowledge and wi&s;edome. Though all countenance &s;hould &s;eeke to di&s;countenance them: though all wits &s;hould &s;et them&s;elues on worke to inuent their di&s;grace: though all tongues &s;hould be &s;harpened to cut downe their cre|dit: though all the vngodly Oratours in the world &s;hould be tur|ned into one <HI>Tertullus</HI> again&s;t them, yet they &s;hould nothing preuaile: the prai&s;e that God putteth on, they cannot pluck off: they may as well &s;tay the &s;tarres and planets from &s;hining, as take away the brightne&s;&s;e of grace and wi&s;edome.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="138" REF="73">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 9. <HI>He that is de&s;pi&s;ed, and is his owne &s;eruant, is better than he that boa&s;teth him&s;elfe, and lacketh bread.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>HE that is de&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> that is of meane e&s;tate, for which the foo|li&s;h proud worldlings commonly haue men in contempt, <HI>and is his owne &s;eruant,</HI> that is, indu&s;trious and diligent by labour to prouide him&s;elfe of things that bee needfull, (and &s;o euer they may truly be called their owne &s;eruants, that are faithfull in another mans &s;eruice) <HI>is better than he that boa&s;teth him&s;elfe,</HI> that is, which &s;tandeth vpon his reputation, and yet lacketh bread, hath little or nothing to maintaine him&s;elfe withall: for bread is put here for all manner of nece&s;&s;arie proui&s;ion.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> They deale with be&s;t di&s;cretion that yeeld them&s;elues to a low &s;tate when God calleth them to it.</P>
<P>It is the propertie of fooles either to rage at pouertie when it commeth vpon them, or to brag again&s;t it, or to fall down vnder it: whereas wi&s;e men will beare it with patience, and &s;toope to it in humilitie, and yet re&s;i&s;t it with great diligence. It was a grace that the Scripture commendeth in <HI>Iacob,</HI> that notwith&s;tanding the honour and worthine&s;&s;e of his father <HI>I&s;aack,</HI> and grandfa|ther <HI>Abraham,</HI> yet when he could no longer bee in &s;afetie from his brother <HI>E&s;au,</HI> in his fathers hou&s;e, he betooke him&s;elfe to bee an hireling to his vncle <HI>Laban</HI> in another countrey. It was a ver|tue very eminent in <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that being trained vp in his youth like a Prince in the Court of a great King, he could deba&s;e him|&s;elfe in his middle age to be a &s;heepheard to a &s;tranger of farre inferiour place and degree. And it was the prai&s;e of <HI>Naomi</HI> that when &s;he was a rich wife and full, &s;he could thankfully v&s;e her wealth and fulnes: but when &s;he was growen to be a poore wi|dow and emptie, &s;he would take &s;tate no longer vpon her, but laid downe all titles, to her very name whereby &s;he was called. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ruth 1. 20. 21.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it te&s;tifieth the lowline&s;&s;e of a mans heart, to &s;ubmit him|&s;elfe to Gods hand, when he can deba&s;e him&s;elfe, as he hath de|ba&s;ed him; and the contrarie argueth pride and &s;tubbornnes, when they will &s;tand higher than he will haue them.</P>
<PB N="139" REF="73">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they may comfortably repaire to God for &s;upplie of their wants and ble&s;&s;ing, when they &s;erue his prouidence, and di&s;daine not to be &s;eruiceable in a calling, whereas the others re|fu&s;ing to yeeld obedience to him, can haue &s;mall hope to be ac|cepted of him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they that applie them&s;elues to labour for their li|uings, doe eate their owne bread, and are profitable to others; whereas tho&s;e &s;tately idle per&s;ons are driuen to put their feet vn|der other mens tables, and their hands into other mens di&s;hes, and to bee burdenous by borrowing and &s;hifting, where&s;oeuer they come.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, they that are their owne &s;eruants, take the way to better their &s;tate, and to be Ma&s;ters of others, as <HI>Iacobs</HI> example and daily experience &s;heweth, and is promi&s;ed as a reward in the 24. of this Chapter. But tho&s;e of an high minde which denie a low port, and all painfull meanes of maintenance, too meane for men of their worth; are declining and ebbing, and likely to de|cay more and more, till they come to the bottome of want and penurie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe, fir&s;t of them that di&s;&s;emble their e&s;tate, pretending great riches, when they are pre&s;&s;ed with grieuous pouertie: and de&s;iring to be e&s;teemed wealthie, when they know them&s;elues to bee needie. This extremitie on one &s;ide, and the contrarie on the other, the holy Gho&s;t doth cen&s;ure in the chapter following: <HI>There is that maketh him&s;elfe rich, and hath nothing: and that ma|keth</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 13. 1.</NOTE> <HI>him&s;elfe poore, hauing great riches.</HI> Secondly, of &s;uch as being &s;unken in nece&s;&s;itie, and all men &s;ee them &s;ticking fa&s;t in mi&s;erie, doe yet face out the matter and take as much vpon them as if they were of great place and abilitie, &s;ome in regard of paren|tage; &s;ome of former &s;ub&s;tance, now wa&s;ted and con&s;umed; &s;ome of offices that they haue borne in time of their pro&s;peritie; &s;ome of per&s;onages that they haue &s;erued, or to whom they pre|&s;ently belong: and &s;ome of trim apparell onely, and that is al&s;o yet vnpayed for.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In&s;truction, that euery man &s;hould deale according to equitie and iu&s;tice, in giuing the more allowance and countenance to them that are worthier per&s;ons. Sure it is that the Lord doth not
<PB N="140" REF="74"> mi&s;take when he him&s;elfe a&s;&s;igneth to men their places, and tea|cheth vs whom to &s;et before as the better, and whom to put after as the inferiour. Now &s;ithence he doth preferre the poore, de&s;pi|&s;ed, indu&s;trious, laborious, and giueth his voyce for their prece|dencie; why &s;hould wee giue titles to ruffians, and roy&s;ters, and idle companions, that haue nothing in them of grace and good|nes, of knowledge or learning, of arte or skilfulnes, of wealth or &s;ub&s;tance, nor the mo&s;t of birth or parentage, why &s;hould wee make the&s;e &s;uperiours to the others? why &s;hould we make our &s;elues guiltie of their pride, by feeding their vaine humours, and acce&s;&s;arie to their pre&s;umption, in con&s;enting to their arrogant a&s;pirings? Is it well done to defraud tho&s;e of their right whom God approueth of and commendeth, and &s;o to di&s;courage them in their good waies, and to yeeld more than right to them whom hee reprooueth and vilifieth, and &s;o to animate them in their euill?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 10. <HI>A righteous man regardeth the life of his bea&s;t: but the mercies of the wicked are cruell.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE purpo&s;e and drift of the&s;e words tendeth to this, that euery godly and righteous man is al&s;o mercifull: and that no wicked per&s;on can po&s;&s;ibly haue any true pitie or compa&s;|&s;ion in him. <HI>A righteous man,</HI> euery one that feareth God and is faithfull, <HI>regardeth the life of his bea&s;t,</HI> his loue and kindne&s;&s;e and good dealing is &s;o plentifull to men, and e&s;pecially tho&s;e which depend vpon him, and be of his charge, and at his finding, that it &s;loweth ouer al&s;o to the cattell, and creatures which hee oweth or v&s;eth, or is put in tru&s;t to looke to, or hath opportuni|tie offered to pre&s;erue from hurt or peri&s;hing. <HI>But the mercies of the wicked,</HI> tho&s;e actions and waies of theirs which carrie the fai|re&s;t &s;hew and colour of mercie, <HI>are cruell,</HI> haue crueltie mixed therewith, either in purpo&s;e, or manner or euent in&s;uing there|upon.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Mercie is to be &s;hewed not onely to men, but to the vnrea&s;o|nable creatures al&s;o. As all creatures doe ta&s;te of, and liue by the abundant liberalitie and bountifulnes of Gods hand, &s;o would
<PB N="141" REF="74"> he haue them to feele by &s;en&s;e, though they cannot di&s;cerne it by rea&s;on, that there is al&s;o care for them and compa&s;&s;ion in his chil|dren. Why did he forbid to kill the damme when they had taken away her yong ones, but that he would haue it knowne, that he alloweth not crueltie and wrong to be offered &s;o much as to the fillie&s;t birds? The re&s;traint that was of eating of blood, when the bea&s;ts were dead, declared that he would not haue tyrannie ex|erci&s;ed <NOTE PLACE="marg">Leuit. 17. 10.</NOTE> on them whiles they are aliue.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, let vs con&s;ider that God hath made them all, and his they are, and he is good vnto them, and prouident for their pre&s;eruati|on, as the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>Thou, Lord, doe&s;t &s;aue both man and bea&s;t.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 36. 6.</NOTE> And therefore we &s;hall both &s;hew our &s;elues vnlike to him, and hurtfull to his, if we offer abu&s;e and wrong vnto them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, be hath lent them to vs for our help and &s;eruice, and by their tranaile are we ea&s;ed, or by their fle&s;h, or fleece, or milke, or increa&s;e, or &s;ome other profit made of them are we relieued, be|&s;ides the delight that many of the mini&s;ter to vs: and therfore how vnthankfull &s;hould we be to him that dealeth &s;o kindly with vs, how vnfaithfull to him that committeth his goodes to our hands, how vniu&s;t to them that are &s;o &s;eruiceable to vs, if we be not care|full that they haue good v&s;age?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, if we v&s;e our &s;elues in con&s;cience and compa&s;&s;ion to looke well to our bea&s;ts, wee cannot but deale more mercifullie with men: but if we accu&s;tome our &s;elues to bee cruell to them, wee &s;hall in time grow to bee fierce and violent towards our brethren.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, that wee &s;hould not onely exerci&s;e good husban|drie in keeping our cattell well, that they may doe vs the more worke, or carrie vs the better, or liue the longer, or be more &s;alea|ble, but al&s;o to practi&s;e the dutie of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e in obey|ing God herein. That is certaine that many wicked men regard the liues of their bea&s;ts and prouide plentie of foode for them, yet not in mercie but in couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e: not in loue to the creature, or him that made it; but in de&s;ire of their owne gaine and lucre: for they re&s;pect their hor&s;es, &s;heepe and oxen, more then their neighbours &s;tate, or their owne &s;aluation; but the&s;e are not the righteous men which are here commended: A pre&s;ident and ex|ample
<PB N="142" REF="75"> of faithfull regard of his bea&s;t, is to be found in the &s;eruant of <HI>Abraham,</HI> in his iourney to <HI>Nahors</HI> citie, in Aram Naharaim, who when he was come to the place, whither hee was &s;ent, tooke order fir&s;t that the Camels &s;hould bee vn&s;adled, and meated, and haue litter put vnto them, and then dealt in the bu&s;ines where|in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 24. 32.</NOTE> hee was imployed, and after the&s;e things tooke his owne re|fection.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of tho&s;e that requite euill for good to the poore bea&s;ts that trauell for them, and vnder them, whom they deale as hardly with, as if they were rather noi&s;ome &amp; hurtfull vnto them. Many waies they oppre&s;&s;e them, as with burdens too heauie, with &s;tripes too many, with &s;purring too often, with pace too &s;wift, with iourneyes too long, with meate too little, with dre&s;&s;ing too &s;lender &amp;c. The Lord hath inioyned them perpetuall &s;ilence, ne|uer to complaine of the&s;e things, though they groane vnder them, otherwi&s;e if they had libertie of &s;peech and rea&s;on to lay open their grieuances, the wronges which they &s;u&s;taine would appeare to bee great, and many. And yet in an other &s;ort, more extremitie then this is v&s;ed again&s;t other &s;orts of creatures, and that is when men make a &s;port of making them mi&s;erable: when it is a plea&s;ure to put them to paine: when it is a pa&s;time to be|hold their torment and tearing. This proceedeth not of a ten|der heart: this is not the worke of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: this delight will leaue no comfort behind it. Haue our &s;ins in <HI>Adam</HI> brought &s;uch calamities vpon them, and &s;hall we adde vnto them by cru|eltie in our owne per&s;ons? Haue our corruptions been a cau&s;e of that fiercene&s;&s;e that is in many of them one again&s;t another, and &s;hall we &s;olace our &s;elues in &s;eeing them execute it? God forbid. If wee doe, it may iu&s;tly returne vpon our &s;elues, their teeth, or hornes, or pawes a&s;&s;aulting vs, or el&s;e Gods owne hand by &s;ome other meanes, reuenging their wronges.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the mercies, &amp;c.</HI> All the fauours that &s;infull men &s;hew, doe commonly tend to &s;ome hurt.</P>
<P>The Lord doth often v&s;e the wicked as in&s;truments of good vnto his children; but though they do the worke, yet he &s;heweth the mercie: their hands and tongues are not &s;o much directed by their owne loue and kindnes, as by his purpo&s;e and proui|dence.
<PB N="143" REF="75"> <HI>Iacob</HI> was not ignorant of this point, when he refu&s;ed the curteous offer of <HI>E&s;au,</HI> who would either him&s;elfe haue been a companion to him in his way, or left &s;ome of his &s;eruants behind <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 33. 12. 13. 15.</NOTE> to gard him. When <HI>Saul</HI> pretended mo&s;t readines to bring <HI>Da|uid</HI> to preferment by matching him with his daughter, his mea|ning was to bring him to de&s;truction by putting him into the <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 18. 17.</NOTE> hands of the Phili&s;tins.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t generally true mercie is peculiarly appropriated to the godly as all the fruites and graces of the &s;pirit are; and therefore the &s;emblance of it in the wicked proceedeth from the fle&s;h, and is euermore counterfeit, corrupt, and fle&s;hly.</P>
<P>Secondly in &s;pecial, they v&s;ually tran&s;uert their fauor &amp; iu&s;tice, &s;hewing mercie where they &s;hould exerci&s;e &s;eueritie, and pra|cti&s;ing crueltie where they &s;hould &s;hew mercie. <HI>Saul</HI> was &s;o piti|full that he would &s;pare <HI>Agag,</HI> though God commanded to &s;lay him; but <HI>Dauid</HI> &s;hould haue died if hee could haue caught him: And hee made no &s;cruple in killing foure&s;core and fiue Prie&s;ts of <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 22. 18. 19.</NOTE> the Lord in one houre; it was a &s;mall matter in his eyes, to &s;mite a whole citie of innocent people with the edge of the &s;word, both man and woman, both child and &s;uckling, be&s;ides all their cattell. And &s;o <HI>Ahab</HI> gaue <HI>Benhadad</HI> King of Aram to know, that he would v&s;e him like a brother, and graunt him his life, whom God appointed to be handled like an enemie, and put to death: but he dealt with the Prophets of I&s;rael in an other manner, and &s;lew as many of them as he could come by. Euen the very &s;paring of notable wicked per&s;ons, is a decree of crueltie again&s;t the righteous, as they be iniurious to the liues of the &s;heep and lambs, that permit the wolues and foxes to liue and breede among them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> They v&s;e to peruert, and ouerturne all their good turnes, at one time or other, with mi&s;chiefe or hurt either outwardly, or to the &s;oules of them whom they make beholden to them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction not to be like to them, or to conforme our &s;elues to their waies. Let loue be in our rebukes: let compa&s;&s;ion bee in our &s;tripes: let our &s;eueritie be mercifull; but neuer let our mer|cies be cruell. 2. Not to ca&s;t our &s;elues into their hands in hope
<PB N="144" REF="76"> that they will be fauourable to vs; if their meekene&s;&s;e, if their mildnes, if their mercie bee cruellie, how immea&s;urably cruell will their malice, and wrath, and rage and furie be?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of tho&s;e that neuer exerci&s;e any other mercie then that which is here condemned. They are very carefull for their familie and people that they &s;hall haue refre&s;hing, and libertie for their &s;ports, and delights, but it is onely on the Lords day, when it doth more harme to their &s;oules, then good to their bodies; for they will &s;pare them no time from their owne workes, when they may recreat them&s;elues with a good con&s;cience. Others are as forward in giuing; they will be like to <HI>Iob,</HI> not to eate their mor|&s;els alone, but the poore &s;hall euer haue part with them: but the choi&s;e of their alm&s;men is altogether vnlike to <HI>Iobs;</HI> for hee re|lieued the fatherle&s;&s;e, and widowes, and poore impotent per&s;ons; and they be&s;tow vpon a filthie generation of idle vagabonds, whom <HI>Iob</HI> cha&s;ed from the very pre&s;ence &amp; companie of people. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 30. 5.</NOTE></P>
<P>Others will declare how pitifull they are, by helping men that are in de&s;tre&s;&s;es, and therefore if they might haue their wills, there &s;hould not be &s;o many puni&s;hed. But who&s;e impunitie doe they &s;eeke for? whom would they haue to e&s;cape either whip, or goale, or gallows? not &s;uch as be vniu&s;tly accu&s;ed: not &s;uch as be ouer|taken with &s;mall infirmities: not &s;uch as &s;hew them&s;elues mo&s;t penitent for their faults; but tho&s;e that are ordinarie, ob&s;ti|nate, and impudent malefactors, and mo&s;t pernitious and grie|uous offenders. The&s;e are as full of compa&s;&s;ion as the Iewes were of mercie, when they cried to <HI>Pilate, Barrabas, Barrabas,</HI> let <HI>Bar|rabas</HI> liue and be deliuered.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 11. <HI>He that tilleth his land, &s;hall bee &s;atisfied with bread: but he that followeth the idle, is de&s;titute of vnder&s;tanding.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>HE that tilleth his land,</HI> which is indu&s;trious and faithfull to doe good in any hone&s;t vocation, <HI>&s;hall be &s;atisfied with bread,</HI> &s;hall haue competencie of all things that are needfull for him: <HI>but he that followeth the idle,</HI> vaine fellowes, which giue them|&s;elues to no good trade or occupation, and is idle as they are, <HI>is</HI>
<PB N="145" REF="76"> <HI>de&s;titute of vnder&s;tanding,</HI> playeth the foole, and &s;hall feele the &s;mart and paine of it.</P>
<P>The oppo&s;ition is, he that tilleth his land is wi&s;e, and &s;hall bee &s;ati&s;fied with bread: but he that followeth the idle, or is idle (for that is the meaning) is de&s;titute of vnder&s;tanding, and &s;hall bee filled with pouertie. So is the &s;upplie made: Chap. 28. 19.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> The exerci&s;e of husbandrie is a good and commendable voca|tion. He &s;ingleth it out, as a paterne or en&s;ample of all the re&s;t, that if men labour in any worke that is no wor&s;e than that, they &s;hall be &s;ure that no exception can iu&s;tly be taken again&s;t it. Ma|ny exhortations tend to it; as, <HI>Prepare thy worke in the field,</HI> Pro|uerbs 24. 27. Many reproofes and threatnings tend to it, as, <HI>The &s;lothfull will not plow becau&s;e of winter, and therefore he &s;hall begge in &s;ummer,</HI> Chap. 20. 4. Many promi&s;es of ble&s;&s;ings are to that purpo&s;e, as, <HI>Thy barne &s;hall be filled with abundance:</HI> Chap. 3. 10.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, it is the mo&s;t ancient of all trades. God him&s;elfe a&s;&s;igned it to <HI>Adam,</HI> and <HI>Adam</HI> made choi&s;e of it for his elde&s;t &s;onne.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> It is as much voide of guile and deceit as any, and very profi|table and commodious. The labour of men is for good v&s;e in it; and the labour of bea&s;ts is gainfull; as he &s;aith, <HI>Where none oxen are the crib is emptie, but much increa&s;e</HI> commeth <HI>by the &s;trength of the oxe,</HI> chap. 14. 4. And in that re&s;pect there is a promi&s;e made vn|to them, that they &s;hall haue a part in mans plentie, and fare the better by mans welfare. <HI>The oxen and the yong a&s;&s;es that till the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 30. 24.</NOTE> <HI>ground, &s;hall eate cleane prouender, which is winowed with the &s;houell and the fanne.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> It is nece&s;&s;arie both for Prince and &s;ubiects, and all &s;orts of people. <HI>The abundance of the earth is for all: and the King con&s;i&s;teth</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle. 5. 8.</NOTE> <HI>by the field that is tilled.</HI></P>
<P>Some can liue without fle&s;h, and many without fruites, and more without fi&s;h, but none without bread. The Aegyptians were not without fruits and fi&s;h, in the yeeres of &s;car&s;itie, as it is probable, nor <HI>Iacob</HI> without cattell, as it is certaine, and yet through want of corne they were all in danger to peri&s;h.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Incouragement to them who&s;e trauell is in it, that they worke cheerefully. They are of as good note with God for their &s;eruice, if they be faithfull, as others who&s;e trades are more gainfull, and
<PB N="146" REF="77"> better e&s;teemed among men. The Merchants, and Gold&s;miths, and Iewellers, and others of &s;uch places are not &s;o often mentio|ned in the Scriptures as they be, nor animated with &s;o many con|&s;olations as they are: the grand promi&s;es for ble&s;&s;ing on their la|bours, is made to them in &s;peciall, and the re&s;t mu&s;t deduct their comforts from thence by proportion.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that di&s;daine this calling, &s;corning to be of it, or to put their children to it, as accounting, and calling them hindes, and clownes, and pea&s;ants, and contemptible per&s;ons, that be of that profe&s;&s;ion. It is a righteous hand of God vpon vs, that tillage is &s;o much decaied, becau&s;e it is no better regarded: and that there &s;hould bee &s;o much detracted daily from the im|ployment of men, becau&s;e there are &s;o few men that are willing to be imployed in it. Notwith&s;tanding it is their great &s;inne, as may appeare by the premi&s;&s;es, which doe what they can, for their parts, to defraud the land of &s;o ancient, hone&s;t, profitable, and ne|ce&s;&s;arie a trade and vocation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But he that followeth the idle, &amp;c.</HI> They that di&s;po&s;e them&s;elues to idlenes, &s;hall neither want example nor companie in it.</P>
<P>They &s;hall haue al inticements and allurements to draw them to it, and hold them in it, &s;o &s;oone as they haue any inclination that way. They &s;hall not be the fir&s;t inuentors of that trade, but others haue v&s;ed it before them, and diuers will practi&s;e it with them. They &s;hall finde the ice broken to them, and a path bea|ten out for them, and all inducements to bring them into the &s;nare.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, there are very many that are giuen to this finne, as may appeare by the manifold admonitions, rebukes and threatnings to them that liue in it. It is a &s;ure rule to bee ob&s;erued, that when the holy Gho&s;t doth deale often and largely again&s;t any euill, it is &s;uch as is heinous, and dangerous, and many are &s;ubiect to it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, they are &s;ociable and delight in companie, and take plea&s;ure to be diuers of them together. Experience confirmeth this, and maketh it apparant and manife&s;t. How many doe &s;it to|gether at drinking, and quaffing, and &s;urfetting? how many doe flocke together to vaine playes, and idle &s;ports and pa&s;times? How many were wont to &s;warme together euery where, as in
<PB N="147" REF="77"> &s;undrie places they do &s;till, in that dete&s;table cour&s;e of wandring and rogi&s;hne&s;&s;e? It may &s;eeme to haue been no delightfull habi|tation to liue in want and penurie and di&s;grace in a &s;olitarie wil|derne&s;&s;e, and yet that was haunted by them, according as <HI>Iob</HI> te|&s;tifieth: <HI>They were cha&s;ed foorth from among men: they &s;houted at</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 30. 5. 7.</NOTE> <HI>them, as at a theefe. They roared among the bu&s;hes, and vnder the thi&s;tles they gathered them&s;elues.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they poy&s;on each others heart, when they come to|gether, with &s;uch &s;peeches, and exerci&s;es, as they are not ea&s;ily re|duced to any vertuous behauiour afterwards.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to looke to our &s;elues, and our people, that the contagion of the &s;ocietie, per&s;wa&s;ions, or examples of vnthriftie per&s;ons, bring not either vs or ours to ioyne with them, or be like vnto them. Seeing the number of them is &s;o great, our watchful|ne&s;&s;e mu&s;t be the more, that if wee may, we &s;hunne their compa|nie, if we may not, yet to take a pre&s;eruatiue that we be not infe|cted by them. Let this be remembred that though their number be great, yet there are none of them wi&s;e, and though they are pre&s;ently full of mirth, yet they will not long be full of wealth: and as they free them&s;elues from the paines that other men take, &s;o they debarre them&s;elues from the plentie which others enioy, and fall into that want which others e&s;cape.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Is de&s;titute, &amp;c.</HI> Euery idle per&s;on is fooli&s;h. Though &s;ome of them haue knowledge, and that more than the greater part of them that be laborious and diligent, yet God will not vouch&s;afe it the name of vnder&s;tanding, nor them&s;elues the credit to bee called wi&s;e men. The &s;ame that he affirmeth here, he doth &s;tand to, and iu&s;tifie in another place, repeating againe the &s;elfe &s;ame words: <HI>I pa&s;&s;ed by the field of the &s;lothfull, and by the vineyard of the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 24. 30.</NOTE> <HI>man de&s;titute of vnder&s;tanding.</HI> And the con&s;equence doth al&s;o argue as much, when he &s;endeth him to &s;choole to &s;uch a &s;imple Mi&s;tri&s;&s;e to be taught, &s;aying, <HI>Goe to the Pi&s;mire, O &s;luggard: be|hold</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou 6. 6.</NOTE> <HI>her waies, and be wi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, true wi&s;edome is neuer &s;eparated from faithfulnes in ones calling, becau&s;e it is euer ioyned with the feare of God, and the feare of God worketh in men obedience to the word of God, and
<PB N="148" REF="78"> the word of God teacheth euery man <HI>to labour with his hands,</HI> (or otherwi&s;e) <HI>the thing that is good,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 28.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the want and mi&s;erie hee plungeth him&s;elfe into, doth &s;hew that wi&s;edome is away. For wi&s;edome dwelleth with prudence, and maketh men prouident for them&s;elues, their &s;tate and familie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, his conceitednes doth euict his follie: for, <HI>The &s;lug|gard is wi&s;er in his owne conceit, than &s;euen men that can render a rea&s;on,</HI> Prou. 26. 16. And then ye know how the ca&s;e &s;tandeth with him: <HI>See&s;t thou a man that is wi&s;e in his owne eyes? there is more hope of a foole than of him,</HI> Prou. 26. 12.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to be affraid of &s;o dangerous a &s;inne that bringeth &s;o much mi&s;chiefe with it. What can be more hurtfull and perni|cious than it is? What can bring a man into greater mi&s;eries? It draweth men into euill companie: euill companie will corrupt them with euill behauiour, and it, and euill companie, and euill behauiour will bring them into an euill &s;tate, and robbe them both of their wealth, &amp; good wit. No the eues can do &s;o much, no tyrants can make &s;uch a &s;poyle, no fire can burne vp and con&s;ume tho&s;e things that it can. They doe no more but bereaue men of their money and &s;ub&s;tance as it doth, and it taketh away their wi&s;edome and credit, as they doe not. When goods be gone, la|bour may get more, and friends may giue more to them that haue vnder&s;tanding, or at lea&s;t they &s;hall haue peace in their hearts with God, and fauour with good men: but when vnder&s;tanding is lo&s;t as well as their wealth, what &s;hall become of them? They know not how to recouer their &s;tate: they know not how to beare their wants: they haue no con&s;olation in God: they haue no countenance from godly men, they haue (continuing in that &s;in without repentance) no &s;ure hope of &s;aluation in heauen.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 12. <HI>The wicked de&s;ireth the defence of them that be euill: but the roote of the righteous giueth it.</HI></HEAD>
<P>VVHen the vngodly doe come into perils, and afflictions and troubles doe come vpon them, all their hope of
<PB N="149" REF="78"> helpe re&s;teth wholly in men, and tho&s;e not the godly which might direct them, or pray for them, but &s;infull per&s;ons as bad as them&s;elues, who&s;e fauour and power they tru&s;t vnto, but in vaine, for they are deceiued by them: but the righteous are not or need not to be driuen to &s;uch &s;hifts, the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t their roote vndertaketh their pre&s;eruation, and doth not onely make a &s;hew thereof, but effectually performeth it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> It is the propertie of &s;inners one to relie vpon another. It was an ordinarie thing with the godly Kings and good people of I&s;|rael to preuent plagues and dangers by faithfulnes and obedience to God, and to remoue them when any came, by humiliation and prayer to him: and it was ordinary with the wicked Kings, and &s;infull people to procure plagues by rebellion again&s;t God, and to &s;eeke remedie, by flying from him to his enemies. Some|times they repo&s;ed vpon Aegypt, as <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> complaineth, and threatneth them for it, &s;aying, <HI>Woe vnto them that goe downe into</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah 31. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Aegypt for helpe, and &s;tay vpon hor&s;es, and tru&s;t in chariots, becau&s;e they are many, and in hor&s;emen, becau&s;e they are very &s;trong: but they looke not vnto the holy one of I&s;rael nor &s;eeke vnto the Lord.</HI> Some|times their confidence was <HI>A&s;&s;hur</HI> as <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> laieth to their charge: <HI>When Ephraim &s;aw his &s;icknes, and Iudah his wound, then went Ephra|im</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 5. 13.</NOTE> <HI>vnto A&s;&s;hur, and &s;ent vnto King Iareb: yet could hee not heale you, nor cure you of your wound.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t they are &s;en&s;uall, and looke with a fle&s;hly eie, and then there is great liklihood of helpe and &s;uccour to bee found at the hand of many wicked men, becau&s;e their power &s;eemeth &s;o great, and their fauour &s;o much towards &s;uch as are like to them|&s;elues.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, God is an enemie to them, and they bee enemies to good men, and therefore they haue no expectation to be relieued of him, or to bee comforted by them. And this is alleaged as a cau&s;e why <HI>Saul</HI> con&s;ulted with the witch, becau&s;e <HI>the Lord an&s;we|red</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 28. 6.</NOTE> <HI>him not, neither by dreames, nor by &V;rim, nor yet by Prophets.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, they haue prouoked God &s;o far, y^t he is purpo&s;ed to ex|cute his iudgments vpon them, &amp; therfore they are left to them|&s;elues, to take &s;uch a way, as will worke them woe, but doe them no good. For it hath been alreadie declared in the former chap|ter,
<PB N="150" REF="79"> ver&s;. 21. that though hand ioyne in hand the wicked &s;hall not be vnpuni&s;hed. And this maketh them liable to the cur&s;e that <HI>Ieremy</HI> denounceth, <HI>Cur&s;ed be the man that tru&s;teth in man, and maketh fle&s;h his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord.</HI> Ieremie 17. 5.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to continue our faithfulne&s;&s;e, that God may con|tinue his fauour and goodne&s;&s;e to vs. If we &s;eeke him in our pro|&s;peritie, we &s;hal find him in our aduer&s;itie: if we &s;erue him in our be&s;t &s;afetie, wee &s;hall be pre&s;erued in our greate&s;t perils: if our hearts be open to receiue his word, his eies will bee open to &s;ee our di&s;tre&s;&s;es, and we &s;hall not need to &s;ue to the wicked men for aide and protection.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of their folly which ca&s;t them&s;elues into &s;uch mi&s;ery, as that they cannot be &s;afe without &s;uch mi&s;erable helpers. Euill men mu&s;t fall them&s;elues, &amp; how can they make other &s;inners to &s;tand? They mu&s;t be condemned and executed, and can they &s;et their co~panions at libertie? A wretched ca&s;e is that malefactor in, that hath no better friends than him that &s;tandeth at the barre in gieues &amp; bolts arraigned by him. It is as bad to haue the enemies &s;word to pearce ones &s;ides without, as a ruinous hou&s;e to fall on his head within. The &s;eauen and twentie thou&s;and men whom the wall fell vpon in Aphek, were in as bad &s;tate, as the hundred <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 20 30.</NOTE> thou&s;and that were &s;laine in the field. And it will appeare in the end, that all wicked men, when confidence is repo&s;ed in them, are nothing el&s;e but &s;welling walles, and old rotten ca&s;tles that are tumbling downe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the roote, &amp;c.</HI> There is no danger to them that grow by faith in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. The talle&s;t cedars, and &s;tronge&s;t okes are not &s;o fa&s;t &s;etled and firmely rooted, as is the lowe&s;t Saint and weake&s;t Chri&s;tian. In tho&s;e kind of trees, the roote cannot de|fend the braunches, nor bodie: the wind may breake off the boughes and armes, and the axe may cut downe the whole &s;tocke without re&s;i&s;tance: but our root doth mini&s;ter as much &s;afetie as &s;appe to the whole Church, and euery &s;prigge of the &s;ame. No &s;tormes and tempe&s;ts, no force nor weapons &s;hall &s;eparate the lea&s;t of his from him, nor any way make &s;poile of them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, he drieth vp the &s;pring and fountaine of all hurts and
<PB N="151" REF="79"> dangers, and that is &s;inne; the guiltine&s;&s;e of it is taken away by remi&s;&s;ion, and the puni&s;hment by his &s;uffring, and the power by his grace, &amp; what then is the peril that we &s;huld &s;tand in feare of?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, he maketh all his fruitfull, and the fruite is a fence to Gods trees, though mens bee more beaten and broken by cud|gels and poles for that which groweth vpon them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, euery one of them that haue Chri&s;t for their roote, haue God the Father for their dre&s;&s;er and keeper: Ioh. 15. And therefore if any thing bee hurtfull in them, he taketh it away: if any thing be wanting to them, he maketh &s;upplie: if violence be attempted again&s;t them, he re&s;i&s;teth it. This happine&s;&s;e of the Church and v&s;e of particular Chri&s;tians doth God him&s;elfe &s;peake of, making profe&s;&s;ion of his prouident care of them in the pro|phecie of <HI>I&s;aiah, Sing,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>of the vineyard of red wine. I the Lord doe keepe it: I will water it euery moment: le&s;t any a&s;&s;aile it, I</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 27. 2. 3.</NOTE> <HI>will keepe it night and day.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, one e&s;peciall part of the &s;appe that Chri&s;t the roote of Chri&s;tians doth &s;end vp to his branches, is the &s;pirit of prayer, and that maketh their prayers fit to come vp to him, and hee ma|keth them meete to be pre&s;ented to his father: now then in all their troubles they will &s;urely crie to him, and when&s;oeuer they doe crie he will more &s;urely heare them, and when&s;oeuer he hea|reth them, he will mo&s;t a&s;&s;uredlie helpe them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to trie in what &s;tate we &s;tand by the roote that we grow vpon. Euery man and woman, euery per&s;on that is di&s;cen|ded from <HI>Adam</HI> is a braunch of a tree, either growing naturallie, as he was borne in the old &s;tocke, and &s;o hee is &s;ubiect to Gods di&s;plea&s;ure &amp; iudgements; or els is ingrafted into Chri&s;t as being new borne, and &s;o hath his part in Gods fauour and mercies. If we would therefore haue our harts at libertie, without dread of calamities and mi&s;erie, we mu&s;t draw all our &s;afetie from whence we deriue our &s;aluation, and that is from the Lord Ie&s;us our Saui|our, and our being in him, and growing in him, and communion with him. Externall meanes will not &s;uffice to &s;ecure vs from hurts, without this inward medicine, and deliuerance from plagues by God owne hand will not comfort vs, without the re|&s;pect of this cau&s;e.</P>
<PB N="152" REF="80">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to them that be in Chri&s;t; as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith to the Romans, that there is no damnation to them, &s;o the &s;pirit &s;aith <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1.</NOTE> here, that there is no danger to them: there is a&s;&s;urance that no|thing &s;hall keepe them from heauen and euerla&s;ting life, and here is a warrant that nothing &s;hall hurt them in earth, and in this life. That godly gloriation which is v&s;ed there, again&s;t the ene|mies of our &s;oules, may fitly al&s;o bee v&s;ed here again&s;t the ene|mies of our bodies: <HI>If God be on our &s;ide, who can bee again&s;t vs? Who &s;hall &s;eparate vs from the loue of Chri&s;t? &s;hall tribulation, or an|gui&s;h,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 31. 35.</NOTE> <HI>or per&s;ecution, or famine, or nakednes, or perill, or &s;word?</HI> Though Sathan and &s;inners would, yet they can doe nothing a|gain&s;t vs that &s;hall bee for our hurt; and though God him&s;elfe can, yet he will doe nothing to vs, that &s;hall not turne to our good.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 13. <HI>The euill man is &s;nared by the wickednes of his lippes, but the wi&s;e &s;hall come out of aduer&s;itie.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AS wicked men doe maliciou&s;lie abu&s;e their tongues to the hurt of others, &s;o al&s;o many times they ouer&s;hoote them|&s;elues &s;o farre as that aduantage is taken of their words to their owne perill and hurt; as on the other &s;ide the godly doe often times helpe them&s;elues out of troubles by the wi&s;edome of their &s;peeches.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> They that haue euill tongues doe mo&s;t hurt them&s;elues with them. This point we re&s;erue to be handled in the &s;ixt and &s;euenth ver&s;es of the eightenth chapter, where will bee fitter occa&s;ion to handle it more fullie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the righteous &s;hall come out, &amp;c.</HI> He is neuer de&s;titute of a good helper in his troubles that hath a good tongue to deale for him.</P>
<P>Hee doth not here, onely &s;et downe the a&s;&s;urance that &s;uch as feare God haue to e&s;cape from their afflictions, but the meanes whereby they obtaine their deliuerance. God hath ordained troubles for his people to be tried with: and he hath appointed the i&s;&s;ue out, a&s;well as the entrance in: and their enemies malici|ous words doe commonly worke their mole&s;tation: and their
<PB N="153" REF="80"> owne Chri&s;tian &s;peeches doe v&s;ually procure their peace and li|bertie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the wrath of tho&s;e that are incen&s;ed again&s;t them, is there|by much abated, if not altogether pacified. If they bee not wholy implacable, and &s;uch as haue ca&s;t off all humanitie, milde and gentle &s;peeches will mitigate their di&s;plea&s;ure. <HI>A Prince is pacified by &s;taying of anger, and a &s;oft an&s;were breaketh the bones:</HI> Prou. 25. 15.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, words of trueth being wi&s;ely deliuered will very much grace a good cau&s;e, to the &s;ati&s;fying of them that knew it not before, and the refuting of them that are fal&s;e accu&s;ers, and the winning of their fauours that for mercie were not &s;o well af|fected to them.</P>
<P>Hereof we haue an example in the prophecie of <HI>Ieremie:</HI> The Prie&s;ts and the Prophets accu&s;ed him to the Princes and people, as a man de&s;eruing to be put to death for his doctrine. Hee hath libertie to &s;peake for him&s;elfe; hee proueth his innocencie, by &s;hewing the author of all that he preached, and that was God gi|uing him a commaundement to publi&s;h it: and the end that they &s;hould repent and amend their waies, and &s;o e&s;cape the iudge|ments threatned. The Princes, and all the people pre&s;ently were on his &s;ide, they &s;pake for him, they cleared him of that crime which was charged vpon him, they iu&s;tified his faithfulne&s;&s;e in his mini&s;terie. <HI>This man is not worthie to die</HI> (&s;ay they) <HI>for he hath</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 26. 16.</NOTE> <HI>&s;poken to vs in the name of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, with godly and gracious words of prayer, godly men preuaile with God him&s;elfe, as it was &s;aid of <HI>Iacob,</HI> and therefore <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 28.</NOTE> no aduer&s;itie can preuaile again&s;t them. For this, and the v&s;es thereof &s;ee the eight ver&s;e of the former chapter, where are almo&s;t the very words of this pre&s;ent text.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 14. <HI>A man &s;hall be &s;atiat with good things by the fruite of his mouth, and the recompence of a mans hands &s;hall God giue vnto him.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A <HI>Man &s;hall be &s;atiate with good things, &amp;c.</HI> That is, &s;hall bee recompenced by the Lord with great ble&s;&s;ings, for the good
<PB N="154" REF="81"> v&s;age of his tongue, when hee &s;peaketh to Gods glorie, and the edification of his brethren, or for iu&s;tice and equitie in the behalfe of them that are wronged, and iniuriou&s;lie dealt with. Hee will &s;tirre vp men to loue him, and &s;hew kindnes vnto him, yea tho&s;e &s;ometimes which be of great place and able to doe him much good, as it is &s;aid, <HI>he that loueth purenes of hart, for the grace of his lippes the King &s;hall be his friend:</HI> Prou. 22. 11. But e&s;peciallie hee him&s;elfe will be&s;tow vpon him all good things for this life, and graces for euerla&s;ting life, and glorie for life euerla&s;ting. <HI>And the recompence, &amp;c.</HI> And &s;o &s;hall euery mans good workes bee al&s;o rewarded with mercie and fauour, though there bee nothing in them of de&s;ert and merit.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Nothing &s;hall be vnrewarded that is well performed in word or deede. This hath bin alreadie handled in the eighteenth ver&s;e of the former chapter vpon the&s;e words, <HI>He that &s;oweth righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, &s;hall receiue a &s;ure reward.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 15. <HI>The way of a foole is right in his owne eies; but he that heareth coun&s;ell is wi&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe way of a foole]</HI> The wicked cour&s;e and behauiour of a &s;in|full per&s;on, whom God reputeth a foole: (for it is not vn|der&s;tood of an idiot, as may appeare by the compari&s;on betweene them, cap. 26. 12. <HI>Seest thou a man wi&s;e in his owne conceit, there is more hope of a foole than of him) is right in his owne eies;</HI> hee li|keth of it, and alloweth him&s;elfe in it, as &s;afe and good for him to walke in, and con&s;equently reiecteth all good aduice, and ad|monitions: <HI>But hee that heareth coun&s;ell,</HI> which &s;u&s;pecteth his owne iudgement, and receiueth direction from them that are wi&s;e, and godly, and obeyeth it, he <HI>is wi&s;e,</HI> &s;heweth the wi&s;edome, that he had before, and learneth more, and findeth the fruite of it by good effect.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> The wor&s;e any man is, or doth, the le&s;&s;e he &s;eeth his euill. They that commit the mo&s;t &s;innes, haue hope that they &s;tand guiltie of fewe&s;t: they that fall into the greate&s;t tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, imagine that their faults be the &s;malle&s;t: they y^t &s;inke into the deepe&s;t dangers, doe dreame of greate&s;t &s;afetie: they that haue longe&s;t continued
<PB N="155" REF="81"> in rebellion again&s;t God, of al others, for the mo&s;t part, are &s;lowe&s;t to repentance. The&s;e are they which are &s;poken of when it is &s;aid, <HI>there is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite, and yet are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 30. 12.</NOTE> <HI>not wa&s;hed from their filthine&s;&s;e.</HI> Ob&s;erue it in all &s;orts of &s;inners, and it will be found that the greate&s;t offenders are furthe&s;t from all remor&s;e for their offences: Papi&s;ts and Idolaters doe thinke they merit at Gods hand, and de&s;erue heauen for their idolatrie and &s;uper&s;tition. Per&s;ecutors and tyrants, as our Sauiour &s;aith, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 16. 2.</NOTE> will thinke they doe God &s;eruice, when they kill Chri&s;tians, and Mini&s;ters, and Apo&s;tles. If men of &s;maller infirmities bee admo|ni&s;hed of things ami&s;&s;e in them, it is not very hard to bring manie of them to a &s;ight of their offences, in&s;omuch as they will ac|knowledge them&s;elues to be faultie, &amp; thanke him that reproueth them; but when notorious adulterers, or drunkards, or bla&s;phe|mers be rebuked, what di&s;temper, what rage, what furie doe they breake out into? as though a mo&s;t grieuous indignitie were offe|red vnto them; as though mo&s;t innocent men were vniu&s;tly de|famed.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they are ouerwhelmed with the mi&s;t of darkne&s;&s;e, and couered with the &s;pirit of error and ignorance: the diuell hath blinded their minds (as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith) that all iudgement and <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 4. 4.</NOTE> vnder&s;tanding is taken away from them. And S. <HI>Paul</HI> te&s;tifieth, that when he was in the wor&s;t ca&s;e, he knew nothing but that hee had been in the be&s;t: before he knew the meaning of the law, hee made noe doubt but that he had been aliue: but when hee &s;aw the &s;en&s;e and iu&s;tice of the commandement, he found &s;inne to be aliue, and him&s;elfe to be dead: Rom. 7. 9. 10.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the cu&s;tome of &s;inning doth obdurate the heart, and depriue it of all &s;en&s;e of the &s;inne, though neuer &s;o hainous: the feeling faileth, and lu&s;t with a greedy de&s;ire of &s;ati&s;fying it &s;elfe in euill, increa&s;eth euery day to a fulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, the text it &s;elfe yeeldeth a rea&s;on why they haue &s;o good opinion of their owne waies, becau&s;e they are led with pride, and heare not &s;uch as might &s;hew them any thing to the contrarie. They haue allowance by word and practi&s;e from fooles like to them&s;elues, and their own carnall rea&s;on doth con|&s;ent
<PB N="156" REF="82"> with them: and then they take to proceede from enuie, what|&s;oeuer is &s;poken again&s;t them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Terror of conceited per&s;ons, which proceede on wilfully in their wicked waies, and no man can reclaime them. They are wi&s;e, they trow, hauing liued &s;o long, to know what is good for them&s;elues, they are not now to learne how to &s;erue God, and be &s;aued. But the wi&s;e God calleth them fooli&s;h men: he &s;aith that their &s;treight way is crooked, and their &s;afe way is dangerous, and that the i&s;&s;ues thereof are the waies of death. When they take them&s;elues to be happie he iudgeth them mi&s;erable: when they looke for welfare, he threatneth woe: when they pre&s;ume of a ble&s;&s;ing, he pronounceth, and will accordingly execute a cur&s;e. Hereof &s;peaketh <HI>I&s;aiah, Woe to them that are wi&s;e in their owne</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5. 21.</NOTE> <HI>eies, and prudent in their owne &s;ight;</HI> They make them&s;elues odious to God, they flie from repentance, they &s;hun reformation, they run into de&s;truction.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Confutation of them that imagine a good meaning towards the &s;eruice of God and their owne &s;aluation to be &s;ufficient, what|&s;oeuer their meanes be which they v&s;e. If their mind be to haue their way good, they thinke it cannot be euill: if there bee a wil|lingne&s;&s;e that it &s;hould be &s;treight, they re&s;t a&s;&s;ured that it will not be crooked. But if the opinion and willes of men be of &s;uch force to rectifie their waies, what way would not leade to &s;aluation? We &s;hewed before that &s;uch as murdered the Saints of God thought to &s;erue God, and bee &s;aued by it. Why then was not <HI>Paul</HI> in as good ca&s;e before his conuer&s;ion as afterwards? <HI>Men of corrupt minds, and de&s;titute of the trueth, thinke that gaine is god|lines,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 6. 5.</NOTE> why &s;hould not many courtious men then enter into the kingdome of heauen? A traueller in his iourney may wander out of his way, notwith&s;tanding his meaning to goe right, if he will make no enquirie for it. And no trade or &s;cience is attained vnto, by the willingne&s;&s;e of hauing, but of learning of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Con&s;olation to them that are not confident of them&s;elues to leane on their wi&s;edome, but enquire for direction in the booke of God, and take adui&s;e and coun&s;ell from his &s;eruants. Though the world deeme them &s;illie &s;oules and voide of wit, yet the Lord
<PB N="157" REF="82"> e&s;teemeth them for wi&s;e and men of vnder&s;tanding. And &s;o will he proue them, and &s;o &s;hall they find, and &s;o by euent in the end &s;hall others well perceiue.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 16. <HI>A fooles wrath is made knowne the &s;ame day: but a pru|dent man couereth &s;hame.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe meaning of the holy Gho&s;t is not to condemne all kind of anger: for it is one of the powers of the &s;oule, which God created as an ornament in man: and godly anger is a part of Gods Image in him, and a grace commended in <HI>Mo&s;es, Elias, Eli&s;ha,</HI> and our Sauiour him&s;elfe, and he that is alwaies altogether de&s;titute of this doth prouoke God to bee angrie with him, for want of zeale and hatred of &s;inne. But it is a pa&s;&s;ionate anger that is here reproued, which is not a power of the &s;oule but an impotencie. He that conceiueth the other is an agent, and doth a &s;eruice to God: but hee that is moued with this, is a mere pati|ent, and &s;inne hath in that ca&s;e preuailed again&s;t him. Now it is &s;aid that a foole will be knowne the &s;ame day, that is, &s;uddenlie and &s;peedily, as &s;oone as he is prouoked, he will &s;hew it by out|cries, reuilings, or threatnings, or other &s;uch like &s;ignes of choller: But a wi&s;e man, &s;o farre as his wi&s;edome worketh, and his na|turall corruption and infirmities breake not out, will hide &s;hame, that is, will &s;uppre&s;&s;e his anger, and pa&s;&s;e by the iniuries offered to him, and not di&s;grace him&s;elf by returning reprochful &s;peeches to him that hath done him the wrong.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> They much be wray and lay open their folly that are giuen to be ha&s;tie to anger.</P>
<P>God did &s;ee it before within, but now men &s;hall al&s;o di&s;cerne it without: that which formerlie did lurke in the &s;oule will breake out by this into &s;ight. It will &s;hew it &s;elfe in their countenance, in their ge&s;tures, in their words, in their actions. And therefore it is &s;aid that <HI>the di&s;cretion of a man deferreth his anger: and his glory</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 11. 11.</NOTE> <HI>is to pa&s;&s;e by an offence.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t the originall and roote of this ra&s;h and ha&s;tie anger is &s;in|full and euill: it proceedeth from the corruption of nature: it is the worke of the fle&s;h, and a limbe of the old man; Gal. 5. 20.
<PB N="158" REF="83"> Col. 3. 8. That holy anger again&s;t &s;inne and Gods di&s;honour doth not come &s;o ea&s;ily, nor is &s;o readie at hand; that mu&s;t be labored for, and obtained by prayer and other godly exerci&s;es; and when there is cau&s;e of it, our fle&s;h is very vnwilling to entertaine it.</P>
<P>Secondly more &s;pecially, pride and a hie minde that di&s;daineth to beare any indignities doth kindle it, and cau&s;e the flame thereof to breake out &s;o violently.</P>
<P>Thirdly for the manner thereof, it is incon&s;iderate and with|out all iudgement, taking tho&s;e to be enemies that are friends, and tho&s;e to be offences that are kindne&s;&s;es, and tho&s;e offences to be the greate&s;t that are the lea&s;t, and that to de&s;erue much blame and puni&s;hment which is to be pa&s;&s;ed by with &s;ilence.</P>
<P>Fourthly the effects of it are daungerous, as S. <HI>Iames</HI> &s;aith, <HI>that the wrath of man worketh not the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God,</HI> Iam. 1. 20. And this &s;cripture, that <HI>he that is hastie to anger committeth follie,</HI> yea exalteth folly, Prou. 14. 17. 29. as &s;hall bee &s;hewed more par|ticularly in that place: And our Sauiour, that hee that is angrie with his brother vnadui&s;edly &s;hall bee culpable of iudgement. And he that &s;hall raile with all and call his brother foole, &s;hall be puni&s;hed with hell fire, Mat. 5. 22.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to v&s;e meanes that our hearts may bee &s;tored with the wi&s;edome which is from aboue, that is peaceable and gentle. Let vs not rake in the &s;inke of others mens faults to annoy our &s;elues with the vn&s;auorie &s;mell of them, and therewith to be de|filed and made as vn&s;auorie to others. Hee that will take all ad|uantages of wronges done to him &s;hall wrong his owne name with infamie: and he that couereth the &s;hame of others in priuate iniuries, doth actually publi&s;h his owne prai&s;e, as the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith, <HI>It is a mans glorie to pa&s;&s;e by an offence: it is his honour</HI> to cea&s;e from &s;trife, Pro. 19. 11. &amp; 20. 3. Con&s;ider how amiable and louely a grace this mildnes, this meekene&s;&s;e, this long &s;ufferance and for|bearance is: it declareth wi&s;edome, it winneth credit, it draweth loue, it pearceth their hearts, if any thing can, that are &s;o &s;pared, it bringeth comfort to our owne &s;oules for the a&s;&s;urance of Gods mercie in pardoning of our &s;innes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of them that for credites &s;ake, becau&s;e they would not be counted fooles, will rifle into euery word that is &s;poken,
<PB N="159" REF="83"> and euery action that is done again&s;t them. And &s;o to auoide the name of fooles, they will doe the workes of fooles, and to haue the reputation of wi&s;e men, they will practi&s;e that which is con|trarie to wi&s;edome: they will &s;hame them&s;elues in de&s;ire of ho|nour, and bring contempt vpon their owne heades, in hope to be much regarded. When they &s;hew them&s;elues much di&s;plea&s;ed, it &s;eemeth to them that they are much feared, and indeede they are much de&s;pi&s;ed: great heate with offer of reuenge, they thinke will be imputed to great courage and magnanimity, but God and wi&s;e men a&s;cribe it to folly and debilitie. It is a certaine rule of truth, that he is mo&s;t valiant, that is mo&s;t patient: and &s;o getteth <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12. 21.</NOTE> the victory that ouercommeth euill with goodne&s;&s;e: And no con|querer is &s;o mightie as he that &s;ubdueth his owne pa&s;&s;ions and di&s;tempered affections. For &s;o doth the Lord him&s;elfe who is the fitte&s;t vmpiere in this and all other cau&s;es, &s;et downe his award: <HI>He that is &s;low to anger is better then the mightie man: and hee that</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 16. 32.</NOTE> <HI>ruleth his owne mind, is better then he that winneth a citie.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 17. <HI>He that &s;peaketh trueth, will &s;hew righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: but a fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e v&s;eth deceit.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>HE that &s;peaketh,</HI> ordinarily in his common &s;peech that which is true, <HI>will &s;hew righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> that is, will carie him&s;elfe iu&s;t|lie, and further righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e with his te&s;timonie, when hee &s;hall bee publikely called thereunto. <HI>But a fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e,</HI> a fal&s;e man becomming a fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e, <HI>will v&s;e deceit,</HI> will make a &s;hew of trueth, and peraduenture vtter &s;ome part thereof, but with &s;uch craft and cunning, as &s;hall be contrarie to righteou&s;nes, and hurt|full to any good cau&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>He that &s;peaketh the trueth, &amp;c.</HI> They that v&s;e not their tongues to the trueth in priuate, can hardly be brought to deale truelie in publike.</P>
<P>There mu&s;t be as well a trayning of that to make it fit for equi|tie and iu&s;tice, as of the hands, and other parts of the bodie to make them skilfull in handling a weapon, and bearing of armes, and doing of other feates that belong to a &s;ouldier. As no man is meete to be made a publike per&s;on, and to be called to eminent
<PB N="160" REF="84"> place either of magi&s;tracie or mini&s;terie, that hath not before de|clared his worthine&s;&s;e by &s;hewing forth tho&s;e vertues, and excel|lent qualities which the holy Gho&s;t pre&s;cribeth in the &s;criptures: &s;o likewi&s;e is not any competent for any worke that is publicke, vnle&s;&s;e his former conuer&s;ation vpright and hone&s;t, commend him vnto it, but lea&s;t of all if the contrarie be found common and ordinarie with him. The rule which our Sauiour giueth in ano|ther ca&s;e, will hold as firmely in this. <HI>Hee that is faithfull in the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16. 10.</NOTE> <HI>lea&s;t, he is al&s;o faithfull in much: and he that is vniu&s;t in the lea&s;t, is al&s;o vniu&s;t in much.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the mouth of the man is the mouth of the mans trea&s;ure: that which he &s;peaketh he be&s;t loueth: that which is mo&s;t in the lippes, hath greate&s;t place in the heart. If therefore the trueth be deere vnto him, he will a&s;&s;uredly &s;hew it forth, when hee &s;hall &s;tand for that purpo&s;e before God, and his &s;ub&s;titute, and doe &s;o good a &s;eruice of loue and pietie: but if hee haue any fellow&s;hip with fal&s;ehood, he will now take part with it, beeing voide of the feare of God, and affraide to di&s;plea&s;e man, and hauing &s;o fit opportunity to gratifie his fle&s;hly friends, and to procure thanks, and recompence to him&s;elfe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, no man exerci&s;eth the truth at any time con&s;ciona|bly but by the &s;pirit of trueth, and that directing mens hearts at other times in matters of le&s;&s;e weight, will not faile them at their greate&s;t neede, when they are to performe a duetie of &s;o great importance: and &s;o on the other &s;ide Sathan hath the di&s;po&s;ing of their tongues that giue them&s;elues to lying: he is their father, he teacheth them their trade, and tasketh them in their worke, and they be wholy at his commaundement: and who doubteth but that he will commaund them to be on his &s;ide, and to take a|gain&s;t the truth &s;o farre as the knowledge of the truth &s;hall make again&s;t his practi&s;es?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, for them that would not fall to fal&s;ewitne&s;&s;e bea|ring, that would not incurre the di&s;plea&s;ure of God, and hazard the lo&s;&s;e of their owne credit, that they acquainte them&s;elues with true &s;peaking in all their words, &s;o as it may bee familiar with them when they are in any cau&s;e to bee di&s;po&s;ed: that they deale &s;oundly in the company of few, le&s;t they &s;hew their
<PB N="161" REF="84"> fal&s;ehoode in pre&s;ence of many: that they hate all lying a|mong the meane&s;t, and thereby auoide it among the greate&s;t. 2. To iudges, and magi&s;trates, and all mini&s;ters of iu&s;tice, that they be very circum&s;pect, &s;o farre as in them is, what manner of per&s;ons they admit for Iurours, and Que&s;t-men to deliuer vp ver|dicts: or to be accu&s;ers, or witne&s;&s;es for giuing in of euidence: and well to &s;ift the te&s;timonie of the~ that are wont to faile of fide|delitie, le&s;t as they v&s;e to fill mens eares with vntruths, &s;o they al|&s;o defile the place of iudgement with periurie, and vniu&s;tice. How many righteous men may a few &s;uch deceiuers turne out of the right way? what wrong may they offer, what hurt may they doe, what mi&s;chiefe may they worke both in oppre&s;&s;ing them that are innocent, and clearing of the wicked?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>Will &s;hew righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, v&s;eth deceite, &amp;c.</HI> The &s;peaking of true words is no note of a faithfull man, vnle&s;&s;e it bee in due manner, and plaine meaning.</P>
<P>Fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es doe not alwaies vtter flat lies, and palpable vn|trueths: for then they would be &s;oone e&s;pied, and quicklie con|uinced, and ea&s;ily confuted: they would bee cen&s;ured of euery man, and credited of no man: but their fraude is couered with a faire &s;hew of veritie, as &s;lips of copper appeare to be good coine, when they are gilded ouer. The promi&s;e of euerla&s;ting life is not giuen to all that &s;peake the trueth, but onely to them <HI>that &s;peake</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 15. 2.</NOTE> <HI>the trueth in their hearts,</HI> that is, in &s;inceritie and vprightne&s;&s;e. The diuell him&s;elfe did &s;peake that which was true, and euen the words of holy trueth to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, when he &s;aid that God had giuen a charge to his Angels to hold his people in their hands, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 4. 6.</NOTE> that they &s;hould not da&s;h their foote again&s;t a &s;tone: but it was guilefully deliuered, a materiall part being &s;uppre&s;&s;ed, and the re&s;t peruerted to draw him to &s;infull pre&s;umption. It was a true information that was giuen to <HI>Saul</HI> by <HI>Doeg,</HI> that <HI>Ahimelech</HI> the <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 22. 10. &amp; 23. 19.</NOTE> Prie&s;t had mini&s;tred both <HI>foode, and weapon to Dauid:</HI> and by the Ziphims that <HI>Dauid hid him&s;elfe in the wood by them:</HI> It was a true informatio~ that was giuen to <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> by the Chaldeans, that <HI>Shadrach, Me&s;hach, and Abednego would not &s;erue his Gods,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3. 12.</NOTE> <HI>nor wor&s;hip the image that he had &s;et vp:</HI> and it was a true informa|tion that was giuen to <HI>Darius</HI> by his princes, that <HI>Daniel regarded</HI>
<PB N="162" REF="85"> <HI>not the decree that he had &s;ealed, but made his petition three times a day:</HI> but all the&s;e true informations were made by fal&s;e men, of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6. 13.</NOTE> deceitfull lipes and malitious hearts for wicked purpo&s;es.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, God heareth our words, beholdeth all our proceedings, he looketh to the heart e&s;pecially, and ob&s;erueth likewi&s;e the manner of our te&s;timonies, not onely what is vttered, but how much, whether all that ought to be, or more then &s;hould bee, or the iu&s;t mea&s;ure that is required, and onely they that can approue them&s;elues to him, for &s;inceritie and vprightne&s;&s;e, are to be repu|ted faithfull, and the re&s;t are but craftie di&s;&s;emblers.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, if true words alone would pa&s;&s;e for currant without further re&s;pect of drift, and manner, tho&s;e things would be many times &s;eparated which God would haue alwaies ioyned together, and tho&s;e things would be made oppo&s;ite, which hee appointeth to be &s;ubordinate one to another: trueth is oftentimes &s;poken without loue that will peruert iu&s;tice and true dealing, and &s;tirre vp oppre&s;&s;ion and violence, as is to be &s;eene in the former exam|ples. But &s;o it mu&s;t not be, a breach mu&s;t not be made among tho&s;e that are euer to be knit together with an vn&s;eparable bond of vnion. <HI>Thou &s;halt &s;weare,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet, <HI>the Lord liueth,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 4. 2.</NOTE> <HI>in truth, in iudgement, and in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e;</HI> that is, thou &s;halt tru|ly, rightly, and righteou&s;lie profe&s;&s;e him, and take an oath by him, when thou ha&s;t a cau&s;e, and calling to &s;weare, and accor|dingly di&s;po&s;e of all the re&s;t of thy &s;peeches.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction &s;o to order and guide our lippes in all that we &s;ay, that men may finde nothing but veritie in the matter which wee declare, and God may &s;ee nothing but &s;inceritie in the end which we propo&s;e. And &s;o though we be &s;ifted, yet we &s;hall not bee &s;hamed: and though there bee accu&s;ations (as the trueth mu&s;t looke to be quarrelled withall) yet there will bee no conuictions, &s;o long as an vpright heart doth cleere vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of guilefull per&s;ons who&s;e trade is to be painters of bad cau&s;es. If any man haue ragged, torne, and rotten matters in hand, which euery hone&s;t man reiecteth, let him come to them, and they will &s;et &s;uch colours and pictures thereupon, as &s;hall make them appeare very beautifull. But let them know that they &s;hall make them&s;elues to be ba&s;e, and God will bring &s;uch cun|ning
<PB N="163" REF="85"> deceiuers (as hee hath alreadie dealt with diuers aequiuo|cant &s;ophi&s;ters) to &s;hame and contempt.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 18. <HI>There is that &s;peaketh words like the pricking of a &s;word: but the tongue of wi&s;e men is health.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THere is,</HI> a brood and companie of &s;infull fooles, <HI>which &s;peake words like the prickings of a &s;word,</HI> that is, dangerous, and per|nicious, which pierce deeper to the hurt of mens names and &s;tates, then the edge and point of a &s;word doth to ones bodie. But the tongue of the wi&s;e is health, their &s;peeches are hole&s;ome, and helpefull both to them&s;elues and others.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> No weapon is more hurtfull then a wicked tongue. Among all the complaints which the godly, and Gods owne &s;pirit make again&s;t the wicked in the &s;criptures, they &s;eldome complaine of any thing more then of their virulent and pe&s;tiferous mouthes. It is &s;aid of flatterers <HI>that their words are more gentle then oyle, and yet they are &s;words:</HI> P&s;al. 55. 21. It is &s;aid of fal&s;e accu&s;ers, &s;uch as <HI>Doeg</HI> was, <HI>that their tongues are &s;harpe ra&s;ors that cut</HI> deceitfully, P&s;alm. 52. 2. It is &s;aid of fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e bearers, <HI>that they are like hammers, and &s;words, and &s;harpe arrowes:</HI> Prou. 25. 18. It is &s;aid of all &s;orts, and of euery one of them, <HI>that their throate is an open &s;e|pulchre: they haue v&s;ed their tongues to deceit, the poi&s;on of a&s;pes is vnder their lippes,</HI> Rom. 3. 13.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, they cau&s;e &s;words to be drawne, and bloud to bee &s;hed, and men to be &s;laine, and much mi&s;chiefe to be wrought. <HI>Ahi|melech</HI> and his brethren the Prie&s;ts, were killed by the tongue. <HI>Naboth</HI> and his &s;onnes were killed with the tongue. Our Saui|our Chri&s;t him&s;elfe was killed by the tongue, as <HI>Peter</HI> chargeth vpon the~ that procured his death: <HI>Him haue ye taken by the hands of the wicked, and haue crucified and &s;laine: you de&s;ired a murderer to be giuen you, and killed the Lord of life,</HI> Act. 2. 23. &amp; 3. 15.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the &s;word, or any other weapon can onely hurt them that are pre&s;ent, and in place neere to it: but the &s;troke of the tongue will light vpon them mo&s;t daungerou&s;lie that are ab|&s;ent, and farre off: no place or di&s;tance can helpe again&s;t it: and one man may doe mi&s;chiefe thereby to a great multitude. <HI>Doeg</HI>
<PB N="164" REF="86"> with one breath de&s;troyed the whole citie of Nob, both man and woman, both child and &s;uckling, and yet was not pre&s;ent at it. <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 22. 19.</NOTE> What a &s;laughter would <HI>Haman</HI> haue made throughout the whole Per&s;ian Monarchie, if the Lord had not wonderfully pre|uented it?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, when men be a&s;&s;aulted with weapons, others will bee rcadie according to their power and opportunitie to &s;uccour and defend them, or to pitie them for the wrong and violence which they &s;u&s;taine; but a malignant tongue cau&s;eth others to &s;mite tho&s;e whom it &s;miteth, either by reporting that which it affiir|meth, or by beleeuing that which it reporteth.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, the &s;word can onely wound the bodie, and take a|way the naturall life, and when the breath is gone the paine is ended: but a pe&s;tilent tongue may poy&s;on the &s;oule, and depriue men of euerla&s;ting life, and bring vpon them perpetuall tor|ments for euer.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to be warie how we carrie our tongues, that they be &s;afely put vp from doing of hurt, and neuer vn&s;heathed, but when we are to &s;tricke at &s;inne, and to skirmi&s;h with Sathan. It is not good to make frayes with our brethren, and to draw vpon their names: If we cannot v&s;e our weapons better, the Lord will binde vs to the peace, and take order that his people may goe more &s;afely by vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In&s;truction to auoide the companie of &s;uch &s;infull hacke&s;ters that are neuer without &s;uch deadly weapons. What can a Chri&s;tia~ doe or &s;ay, or omit, that will not &s;et their tongues on worke? And how can they open their mouthes to &s;peake with their tongues, but that they mu&s;t needs &s;pit venome? If they be angrie, their bit|ter raylings, and reuilings &s;hall haue &s;harp points, &amp; keene edges: if they be merrie, they will per&s;ecute with taunts and girds, &amp; bi|ting ie&s;ts: how&s;oeuer they be di&s;po&s;ed they will vomit our im|pious othes, and bla&s;phemies, or &s;uch other corrupt &s;peeches as will either bring griefe, or infection. 2. To be alwaies armed, and wel fenced again&s;t the~, becau&s;e we &s;hall haue nece&s;&s;ary occa&s;ions diuers times to bee in pre&s;ence with them. That therefore wee &s;eeke protection from God by prayer, as the Prophet did, &s;ay|ing: <HI>Deliuer me, O Lord, from the euill man: pre&s;erue me from the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 140. 1. 3.</NOTE>
<PB N="165" REF="86"> <HI>cruell man: which &s;harpen their tongues like a &s;erpent: adders poi&s;on is vnder their lippes.</HI> And withall let vs put on innocencie: for that will repell their &s;trokes, and ward them off, that they &s;hall neuer hurt vs deadly. True it is that none are &s;o much laid at, as they which are mo&s;t blamele&s;&s;e, the greate&s;t accu&s;ations, and threat|nings, and &s;coffes are again&s;t them: but yet they e&s;cape be&s;t of all others, becau&s;e they are lea&s;t liable to all tho&s;e kind of cur&s;ed &s;peakings.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the tongue of wi&s;e men, &amp;c.</HI> It is the propertie of good men to v&s;e their lippes to doe good with them. This point hath been in &s;ome part, alreadie handled in the &s;econd clau&s;e of the &s;ixt ver&s;e, and we purpo&s;e, if it plea&s;e God, to &s;tand more largely vpon it in the fifteenth chapter ver&s;e 4. where is &s;aide that <HI>a whol&s;ome tongue is a tree of life.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 19. <HI>The lippe of trueth &s;hall be &s;table for euer, and a lying tongue but for a moment.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe meaning is, that &s;uch as &s;peake the trueth in vprightne&s;&s;e will not varie in their talke, but tell the &s;ame tale againe, and be like to them&s;elues in that which they &s;hall &s;ay, whereas lyers be in and out, affirming and denying, and &s;peaking contradicti|ons in the &s;ame matter.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Onely true men are con&s;tant in their words. </P>
<P>They goe not from that which they haue well &s;poken, as they will not &s;tand to that which they haue failed in, as <HI>Iob</HI> profe&s;&s;ed of him&s;elfe, &s;aying, <HI>I will lay mine hand vpon my mouth. Once haue</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. 39. 37. 38</NOTE> <HI>I &s;poken, but I will an&s;were no more, yea twice, but I will proceede no further.</HI> This cau&s;ed the Apo&s;tle S. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;o &s;eriou&s;lie to cleare him&s;elfe of all lightne&s;&s;e and vncon&s;tancie, that the Corinthians &s;hould haue no &s;u&s;pition that with him &s;hould <HI>be yea, yea, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 1. 18.</NOTE> <HI>nay, nay,</HI> but that his promi&s;es, and preaching, and purpo&s;es were &s;table, and firme, and vnchangeable.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, their matter will helpe their memorie: for that which is trueth once, will be trueth euer, &s;o that the &s;ame ground and &s;ub|iect remaineth &s;till to repeate, and reiterate, as was to bee &s;poken of at the beginning. </P>
<PB N="166" REF="87">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the &s;ame &s;pirit that worketh a loue &amp; con&s;cience of the truth, wherby men are made to be true, doth neuer cea&s;e to be the &s;ame: therfore as it &s;ea&s;oneth the heart, &amp; guided the heart at the fir&s;t, &s;o it will &s;tabli&s;h the heart, and direct the lips to the end. For &s;inceritie, and vprightnes is of all things mo&s;t durable, &amp; lea&s;t &s;ubiect to alteration and change. And that S. <HI>Paul</HI> a&s;&s;igneth for a cau&s;e of his vnuariable con&s;tancy, that he minded not tho&s;e things which he did mind according to the fle&s;h, whereby there &s;hould be with him, <HI>yea, yea, and nay, nay.</HI> 2. Cor. 1. 17. Now liers doe want all the&s;e helpes: they had neede to haue good memo|ries, to remember what they &s;aid before, le&s;t they tell a contrarie tale: for the thing related cannot put them in mind of it. For they v&s;e not to frame their words to the veritie of the matter which they &s;peake of, and to the &s;eruing of their owne turnes, and ef|fecting of their purpo&s;es, as he &s;peaketh of the vncon&s;cionable chapman: <HI>It is naught, it is naught, &s;aith the buyer: but when hee is</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 20. 14.</NOTE> <HI>gone apart hee boa&s;teth.</HI> A notable example of a wandring, vnre|generate, and vn&s;table tongue &s;peaking contrarieties almo&s;t with the &s;ame breath, is to bee &s;eene in that bla&s;phemous rayling <HI>Rab|&s;hakeh</HI> whom the King of A&s;hur &s;ent again&s;t Ieru&s;alem in the time of <HI>Hezekiah.</HI> In the entrance of his &s;peech hee &s;eemed to bee all for the Lord: he taxeth <HI>Hezechiah</HI> for taking downe his hie pla|ces and altars, hee pretendeth obedience vnto him, as though he came thither by his commaundement, &s;aying, <HI>The Lord &s;aid, Goe vp against this land, and destroy it.</HI> But before he had made an <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 36. 7. 10. 19. 20.</NOTE> end, the Lord God of I&s;rael, and the Idols of the Gentiles were all one with him. And therefore hee matcheth him with the con|quered Gods of <HI>Hamath,</HI> and of <HI>Arpad,</HI> and of <HI>Sepharuaijm</HI> &amp;c. that &s;eeing they could not deliuer their countries out of his hands, the Lord was not able to deliuer Ieru&s;alem from him. The lying mi&s;creants in the P&s;almes are bragging of the liberty and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 12. 4.</NOTE> freedome of their tongues, being altogether &s;laues and drud|ges to Sathan, lu&s;t, and lewdne&s;&s;e. Though it bee neuer &s;o much again&s;t their knowledge, though it lie neuer &s;o heauie vpon their con&s;cience, though it turne to their perpetuall &s;hame and di&s;|grace, yet if the diuell, and the corruption of their hearts, will haue them to &s;peake, they mu&s;t affirme it, if to denie, they mu&s;t gaine|&s;ay
<PB N="167" REF="87"> it, and eate their wordes, how vniu&s;tly and impudentlie &s;oeuer.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to be adui&s;ed in our &s;peeches, that we vtter nothing but that which will become vs to &s;peake againe, and is lawfull to performe. It was a fault in <HI>Dauid</HI> to &s;weare &s;o peremptorilie that he would kill <HI>Nabal,</HI> his familie, and euery mothers child of them. It was his &s;tabilitie in goodne&s;&s;e to breake off &s;uch a purpo&s;e, and neither to &s;ay it againe, nor doe it at all. And it was the ra&s;hnes of <HI>Peter</HI> to be &s;o re&s;olute in promi&s;ing that which was not in his power to performe. It was to be imputed to his conceitedne&s;&s;e, and not con&s;tancie, that he &s;toode &s;o &s;tiffely in deniall of that which Chri&s;t told him would come to pa&s;&s;e, and gaue no place therein to our Sauiour, but had the la&s;t word of him. It is wi&s;edome then to fore&s;ee the euents that are like to follow: If wee affirme ought let vs know our warrant and ground, that wee are able to proue it: if wee denie any thing, let the ca&s;e be cleere that it be not prooued again&s;t vs: if we vndertake any thing, let vs be fully a&s;&s;ured that it is lawfull, and meete, and po&s;&s;ible for vs to doe it. And yet this &s;ufficeth not vnle&s;&s;e there be &s;oundne&s;&s;e and &s;inceritie without carnall re&s;pects in our &s;ayings. If the ende bee not good which is aimed at in &s;peaking, if the heart bee not faithfull of him that &s;peaketh, there can neuer bee any firmene&s;&s;e or certeintie in the &s;peeches. <HI>There is no con&s;tancie,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Dauid</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 8. 9.</NOTE> concerning the wicked, <HI>in their mouthes, within they are very cor|ruption.</HI> For other v&s;es that might haue been made of this point, looke in the tenth chapter, and twentith ver&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 20. <HI>Deceit commeth to the heart of them that practi&s;e mi&s;chiefe, and ioy to the coun&s;ellers of peace.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>DEceit</HI> commeth <HI>to the heart, &amp;c,</HI> that is, &s;orrow and griefe commeth to the hearts of them that plot mi&s;chiefe again&s;t others by adui&s;e, or attempt, when they &s;hall finde them&s;elues de|ceiued in their deui&s;es. But &s;uch as v&s;e their thoughts and words to moue men to be at peace with God and their neighbours, and to walke in the way of peace and good prop&s;eritie, &s;hall not faile of the comfort of their faithfull and whol&s;ome coun&s;ell.</P>
<PB N="168" REF="88">
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> Craftie per&s;ons &s;hall feele the &s;mart and woe of their owne &s;ubtill practi&s;es.</P>
<P>When their hearts take plea&s;ure in inuenting of euill, they mu&s;t be put to the paine to beare the burden of their euill inuen|tions. Vexation and mourning are not &s;o meete for any, as for them that &s;tudie how they may vexe their brethren, and bring them to mourne. As we haue alreadie &s;hewed that wicked workes deceiue them that doe them, &s;o for the &s;ame cau&s;es it will ap|peare <NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 11. 18.</NOTE> that the warping of &s;infull cour&s;es will turne to their hurt that imagine them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, their &s;ucce&s;&s;e will not an&s;were to their expectations, they &s;hall faile of that which they fullie a&s;&s;ure them&s;elues of: as it is &s;aid, <HI>Doe they not erre that imagine euill?</HI> Where the que&s;tion is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 14. 22.</NOTE> not propo&s;ed in way of doubting, but of certeintie, as of a thing that is cleere and manife&s;t, and in no wi&s;e to bee gaine&s;aied. Ne|uer any man of an hurtfull heart had his will &s;ati&s;fied, and his de|&s;ire fulfilled to his contentment, and con&s;equently according to his hope. Women commonly haue paine in breeding of child, and pangs in trauell, and comfort when they are deliuered: but malitious men conceiue ioy all the time that they goe great with their purpo&s;es, and mo&s;t when they are bringing forth, and no|thing but anger, and &s;orrow, and &s;hame, when they &s;ee nothing but a mi&s;hapen mon&s;ter, to be borne vnto them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, though they &s;eeme to preuaile for a time, and effect their purpo&s;es &s;o as their hearts wi&s;hed, yet &s;omewhat hindreth their full comfort for the in&s;tant, as it did <HI>Hamans,</HI> and <HI>Achabs,</HI> and all be ouerturned in the ende, and them&s;elues be ouerwhel|med therewith, as the ca&s;e of <HI>Haman</HI> and <HI>Daniels</HI> aduer&s;aries te|&s;tifieth.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, though they &s;hould worke their willes, and bring their purpo&s;es to pa&s;&s;e and e&s;cape vnpuni&s;hed, as long as they liue, yet becau&s;e there is a iudgement to begin when life is ended, they are nothing the better for being &s;pared &s;o long. All their cunning, all their craft, all their wiles and &s;hifting will not &s;erue the turne to wind them&s;elues out of the woe that is denounced again&s;t them, and the wofull puni&s;hments that &s;hall bee executed vpon them.</P>
<PB N="169" REF="88">
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, that we v&s;e our thoughts and mindes to better me|ditations and &s;tudies, then to nouri&s;h that by art which groweth too fa&s;t by nature. Our fle&s;h breedeth an aptne&s;&s;e and inclination to doe euill, and become hurtfull, that we &s;hall not neede to beare our braines about it, but rather haue cau&s;e with all carefulne&s;&s;e to bethink vs how we may &s;hun and auoyd it. Let vs leaue that craft to the diuell which is the ma&s;ter and teacher of it, who laboureth to haue all to be his apprentices, and is mo&s;t ready to informe euery one to be mo&s;t expert and skilfull in that damnable trade of craftines. But neither him&s;elfe from the beginnig of the world to this day hath gained any thing by it, but de&s;perate madnes and vexation, be&s;ides euerla&s;ting damnation to come, neither any one of his &s;eruants of all the millions of millions that haue lear|ned of him, hath in any one thing bin the better by it, but euery way vnutterablie the wor&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation to the poore, &s;imple, and harmele&s;&s;e &s;eruants of God, again&s;t whom the euill is intended, that it &s;hall rebound vp|on the authors, and returne vpon the practi&s;ers, and neuer light vpon them. Many hearts are wi&s;hing their hurt; many minds are mu&s;ing how to worke it: many tongues are con&s;ulting who &s;hall doe it: many hands are readie to execute it: many mouthes in&s;ulting ouer them that &s;hall &s;uffer it, and all this while the only watchman of I&s;rael, and the keeper of the Church doth laugh them to &s;corne. He maketh their minds to mi&s;take that which they looked at: he maketh their hearts to bee filled with teares: he maketh their tongues to be&s;peake their owne mi&s;erie: he ma|keth their hands to be hurtfull to them&s;elues: and he maketh his people to &s;it &s;afely in the mid&s;t of them. And this is truely affir|med by <HI>Eliphaz,</HI> and warranted by the &s;pirit of God in the booke of <HI>Iob. He &s;cattereth the deui&s;es of the craftie: &s;o that their hands cannot accompli&s;h that which they doe enterpri&s;e. He taketh the wi&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 5. 12. 13.</NOTE> <HI>in their craftine&s;&s;e, and the coun&s;ell of the wicked is made fooli&s;h. They meete with darkene&s;&s;e in the day time, and grope at noone day as in the night. But he &s;aueth the poore from the &s;word, from their mouth, and from the hand of the violent man.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But to the coun&s;ellers]</HI> Hole&s;ome coun&s;ell is comfortable to them that giue it, a&s;well as profitable to them that take it.</P>
<PB N="170" REF="89">
<P>If the tongue per&s;wade to that which is right, and the heart agree with the per&s;wa&s;ion of the tongue, what&s;oeuer &s;ucce&s;&s;e his words doe find in others, he is &s;ure to finde ioy and gladne&s;&s;e in his owne &s;oule. The &s;ame ble&s;&s;ing which <HI>Dauid</HI> pronounced vp|on <HI>Abigail,</HI> for procuring of peace by her coun&s;ell, the Lord doth promi&s;e and pronounce, and will perfome to euery one who&s;e affection and behauiour is like to <HI>Abigails. Ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>bee</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 25 33.</NOTE> <HI>thy coun&s;ell, and ble&s;&s;ed be thou, which ha&s;t kept me this day from com|ming to &s;hed bloud.</HI> And our Sauiour extendeth it generallie to all that labour vprightly, and in due manner to make peace, &s;aying, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the peace makers, for they &s;hall be called the children of God,</HI> Mat. 5. 9.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, no man can &s;oundly &s;eeke to reconcile man to God, or one man to another, or giue direction for his neighbours welfare, vnle&s;&s;e he him&s;elfe be reconciled to God, and peaceable towards men, and haue Chri&s;tian loue in his heart; and tho&s;e graces are neuer &s;eparated from holy comfort and gladnes. For the &s;ame &s;appe that &s;endeth forth the one, doth in like manner al&s;o yeeld the other, as the Apo&s;tle te&s;tifieth: <HI>The fruite of the &s;pirit is loue, ioy, peace, &amp;c.</HI> And in another place; <HI>The kingdome of God is not</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 22. Rom. 14. 17.</NOTE> <HI>meate and drinke, but righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and peace, and ioy in the holie Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> If their coun&s;ell be imbraced and followed, the good effect thereof with Gods ble&s;&s;ing, will mini&s;ter cau&s;e of reioycing, be|&s;ides thankes and kindne&s;&s;e which the parties holpen by their coun&s;ell will yeeld vnto them: as <HI>Dauid</HI> to <HI>Abigail,</HI> and <HI>Naaman</HI> to <HI>Eli&s;ha,</HI> and the Iaylor and <HI>Lydia</HI> to <HI>Paul:</HI> Act. 16. 17. 33. 34.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, though their adui&s;e bee reiected, yet as <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;aith, their reward is with the Lord, and they &s;hall bee glorious in his <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a 49. 4. 5.</NOTE> eyes. And their faithfull dealing will bring them both comfort and prai&s;e, as <HI>Ionathan</HI> found in &s;eeking to pacifie his fathers di&s;|plea&s;ure vniu&s;tly kindled again&s;t <HI>Dauid.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction to moue vs to be frequent and diligent in &s;o good a &s;eruice, whereof there is &s;o much neede, and opportunitie of im|ployment (for worke may be had euery where) and &s;o good a re|compence for our trauell, as ioy is, and therefore Gods fauour, and therefore Gods ble&s;&s;ing with eternall glorie. And what
<PB N="171" REF="89"> though there be oppo&s;itions again&s;t vs, as all faithfull peace|makers &s;hall meete froward per&s;ons that will bee vnpeaceable, yet if the God of peace be at peace with vs, and protector of vs, what cau&s;e haue we to &s;tand in any feare? he would not promi&s;e vs ioy, vnle&s;&s;e he were re&s;olued to performe it: and he would not incourage vs to be ioyfull, vnle&s;&s;e our &s;tate were &s;afe and happie. And why then are we &s;o timerous to &s;peake when wee &s;ee di&s;&s;en|&s;ion among equals, contempt of &s;uperiours, oppre&s;&s;ion of infe|riours, &s;inning again&s;t mens owne &s;oules, and warre again&s;t the Lord him&s;elfe? Is it becau&s;e we would not giue offence? It is an offence to be &s;ilent at the offences committed again&s;t God, and the hurt that men doe to them&s;elues and their neighbours. Is it becau&s;e we would auoide trouble and di&s;plea&s;ure, and keepe our &s;elues from griefe and &s;orrow? The way to doe that is to plea&s;e God, who can make them who&s;e anger wee feare, to fauour vs, and be meanes of our peace and con&s;olation. But in coun&s;elling of peace we mu&s;t looke to the&s;e things, fir&s;t, that we be iu&s;tly cal|led to deale in that particular ca&s;e, le&s;t <HI>medling with the &s;trife that</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Preu. 26. 17.</NOTE> <HI>belongeth not vnto vs, we be as one that taketh a dog by the eares.</HI> Se|condly, that we make no attonement betweene wicked men in their wickedne&s;&s;e, as <HI>Hester</HI> would not make <HI>Haman</HI> and <HI>A&s;hue|rus</HI> friends when they were fallen out: for how much concord had beene betweene <HI>Haman</HI> and the King, &s;o much di&s;cord would haue bin betweene the King and the Church. So that in &s;etting agreement betweene man and man, it is good to &s;et va|riance betweene a man and his &s;inne, and to leaue &s;infull men at variance, who&s;e reconciliation doth tend to the di&s;honour of God, and the hurt of his people.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe and terror of makebates, which are coun&s;ellours of contention, of &s;infulne&s;&s;e, and wrong doing; which &s;hall be han|dled in a fitter place, when we come to the&s;e words: <HI>Without wood the fire is quenched, and without a talebearer &s;trife cea&s;eth,</HI> Chap. 26. 20. In the meane time let them bee admoni&s;hed that incen&s;e great men, as Landlords, and Magi&s;trates, and Mai&s;ters again&s;t their poore, weake inferiours that liue vnder them. The Lord will heare their cries and groanes, not onely again&s;t the mightie ones that lay too heauie burdens vpon them, but al&s;o again&s;t all tho&s;e
<PB N="172" REF="90"> that haue been meanes and cau&s;ers of it. And be this remembred withall on both &s;ides, a&s;well on their part that bee &s;o ea&s;ily per|&s;waded to rigour and crueltie, as of theirs that moue them to it, or incourage them in it, that this adui&s;e doth not onely imbitter them again&s;t their vnderlings, who &s;eeme to bee altogether in their power, but al&s;o imboldeneth them again&s;t their maker, who onely hath all power and &s;oueraignetie ouer them.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e. 21. <HI>The puni&s;hment of iniquite &s;hall not befall the iu&s;t: but the wicked are full of euill.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AFflictions and corrections may come vpon the righteous, but no reuenging cur&s;e tending to de&s;truction, as if they were abiects. But the wicked are full of euill both of guiltines, and continuall practi&s;e, according to the corruption of their hearts, which the righteous are purged from, and therefore al&s;o of tho&s;e puni&s;hments which the righteous e&s;cape.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Though the Lord afflict the godly, as well as the godle&s;&s;e, yet it is done in farre different manner. </P>
<P>He commeth as a father in mercie and mildnes to the one, and dealeth as a Iudge, or rather an enemie, in wrath and &s;eueritie with the other. He commeth with his pruning knife to cut off the &s;u|perfluous &s;prigges and braunches of the one, and with a keene axe in his hand to hew downe by the rootes the &s;tockes and bo|dies of the other. And this difference is &s;poken of in the foure|teenth chapter of this booke, ver&s;. 32. <HI>The wicked &s;hall be cast away for his naughtines: but the righteous hath hope in his death.</HI> And this difference is &s;poken of in the &s;euen and twentith of I&s;aiah, ver&s;e 7. <HI>Hath he &s;mitten him, as hee &s;mote tho&s;e that &s;mote him? or is hee &s;laine according to the &s;laughter of them that were &s;laine by him?</HI> That is, hath the Lord plagued I&s;rael his Church and people in &s;uch a grieuous manner as he hath de&s;troyed their ene|mies? it is manife&s;t he hath not. And this difference is &s;poken of in the eight chapter to the Romans, ver&s;e 1. that <HI>there is no dam|nation to them that are in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us that walke after the &s;pirit,</HI> as there is <HI>to them that walke after the fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>The foure rea&s;ons wherewith the la&s;t doctrine of the former <NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 11. 31.</NOTE>
<PB N="173" REF="90"> chapter was proued, doe euidently confirme this point: and ther|fore to auoide prolixitie, and vnnece&s;&s;arie repetitions, wee referre the reader to that place.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to labour to be vnlike to &s;infull men in behauiour, as we are de&s;irous to haue a better condition. Let vs &s;et our &s;elues as enemies again&s;t the dominion and kingdome of iniquitie, as they doe yeeld them&s;elues to be &s;ubiects and &s;laues vnto it: let vs &s;eeke to clean&s;e our &s;elues from all filthine&s;&s;e both of the fle&s;h and &s;pirit, and be filled with the graces of the holy Gho&s;t, and the fruites of the &s;ame, as they are full of &s;innes, and vnrighteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> For the wicked not to conceiue the better of their owne ca&s;e, nor the godly to like the wor&s;e of theirs, becau&s;e externally all things &s;eeme to happen alike to both &s;ides: for there cannot bee &s;o great a di&s;paritie betweene any earthly things, though neuer &s;o contrarie one to another, as there is betweene their e&s;tates, not|with&s;tanding that in &s;hew and appearance they are alike.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 22. <HI>The lying lippes are abomination to the Lord: but they that deale truely are his delight.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe &s;en&s;e is plaine enough of it &s;elfe, if the &s;upplie bee made of that which is vnder&s;tood in both the clau&s;es. The Lord abhorreth lying lips, that is, tho&s;e per&s;ons that abu&s;e their lippes to lying, which will al&s;o bee fal&s;e in their deedes: and hee is well plea&s;ed with them that deale faithfully, which will likewi&s;e bee true in their words.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Euery lyer is a loath&s;ome per&s;on, God doth neuer hate any thing that is not hatefull, and that mu&s;t needes bee odible which hee abhorreth, and e&s;pecially when it is abomination, which is in hie degree abominable vnto him. And that hee is &s;o affected towards lyers, his owne word in other places doth te&s;tifie. As when he &s;aith in this booke, <HI>The&s;e &s;ixe things doth the Lord hate:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 6. 17:</NOTE> <HI>yea his &s;oule abhorreth &s;euen: the hautie eyes, and a lying tongue, and the hands that &s;hed innocent bloud, &amp;c.</HI> Yee may know by their companions among whom they are mar&s;halled, what ac|count he maketh of them. And &s;o in the reuelation of S. <HI>Iohn,</HI>
<PB N="174" REF="91"> he declareth his dete&s;tation of them by reckoning vp their fel|lowes, and de&s;cribing their grieuous puni&s;hment. <HI>The fearefull and vnbeleeuing, and the abominable, and murtherers, and whoremon|gers,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 21. 8.</NOTE> <HI>and &s;orcerers, and idolaters, and all lyers &s;hall haue their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brim&s;tone, which is the &s;econd death.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, nothing is more contrarie to the nature of God, who is infinitely true, and trueth it &s;elfe, then guile and fal&s;ehood is. And nothing maketh men more like to &s;athan, and workers of his will, then lying. So our Sauiour told the wicked vnbeleeuing Iewes: <HI>Yee are of your father the diuell, and the lu&s;tes of your father ye will doe. He abode not in the trueth, becau&s;e there is no trueth in</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 8. 44.</NOTE> <HI>him. When he &s;peaketh a lie, then he &s;peaketh of his owne: for hee is a li|er, and the father thereof.</HI> It is his mother tongue, and natiue lan|guage to lie; when he vttereth any true &s;entence it is but borrow|ed, and that al&s;o he cannot truely deliuer, without gro&s;&s;e deceit and di&s;&s;imulation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, lying is a worke of the old man, and that which mis|becommeth the children of God, and lyers &s;uch as giue them|&s;elues <NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3. 9.</NOTE> vnto it, are vnregenerate, and as yet the children of wrath and &s;ubiect to damnation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly they are iniurious to them whom they mi&s;-informe, making them to beleeue errors, and many times, many euill con|&s;equents in &s;ue vpon it.</P>
<P>And therefore the Apo&s;tle exhorteth all that are effectuallie regenerate, <HI>to cast off lying, and to &s;peake euery man trueth vnto his neighbour, becau&s;e we are members one of another.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph 4. 25.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to worke vpon our owne hearts &s;o, as that we com|ming al&s;o to hate lying, God may loue vs for trueth, and not haue vs in dete&s;tation for fal&s;ehood. If we cau&s;e him to abhorre our lippes for our vntrueths to men, he will abhorre our prayers and thanke&s;giuing, and what&s;oeuer &s;hall proceede out of our lippes to him. And it is not enough to leaue lying in re&s;pect of hereaf|ter, but to lothe the &s;inne of it that hath been committed by vs heretofore. When <HI>Iob</HI> knew that his words were di&s;plea&s;ing to the Lord, though they were few, and onely ra&s;h and vnadui&s;ed, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 42. 6.</NOTE> and he him&s;elfe by error was deceiued in them, he abhorred him|&s;elfe,
<PB N="175" REF="91"> and repented in du&s;t and a&s;hes: how much more then ought wee to doe it, which haue more prouoked God with in|numerable fal&s;e &s;peeches, and that knowingly and with pur|po&s;e of deceiuing, and hee doth profe&s;&s;e that they haue been, and are abominable to him? And what though wee haue &s;ometimes kept our &s;elues from blame by telling of lies? What though wee haue delighted others, and obtained fauour to our &s;elues thereby? What though we haue made our gaine and commoditie of it? Will all this, if this were the winning of all the world, be able to counteruaile the high di&s;plea&s;ure of God, and the lo&s;&s;e of his fauour, together with the forfaiting of our owne &s;aluation? And hereby &s;hall we know that we bee &s;oundlie purged from lying, if we doe not onely forbeare to lie, but bee vtterly vnwilling that any other &s;hould tell a lie for vs. For that is the note of a righteous man that he <HI>hateth lying words,</HI> as well as <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 13. 3.</NOTE> forbeareth to &s;peake them. And they &s;hall bee &s;hut out of the kingdome of heauen together, which loue, and which make lies, Reuel. 22. 15.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Con&s;olation, to them that loue the trueth and exerci&s;e it: the &s;ame God that hateth liers &s;o deadly, is as well plea&s;ed with true men that affect, and practi&s;e that which he loueth &s;o dearely. Be it therefore that they are maligned for &s;aying that which true is, and ha&s;t not onely purcha&s;ed euill will, but hard dealing, and that at their hands which &s;eeme to be able to beare downe all before them; yet know and remember that God maketh account of thee: for thou art his delight: and tho&s;e that bee his fauourites &s;hall find his fauour effectuall again&s;t all aduer&s;aries, for &s;afetie and protection.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But they that deale truely, &amp;c.</HI> That trueth which is acceptable to God con&s;i&s;teth both in &s;peaking, and doing.</P>
<P>Nothing can plea&s;e him but the image of that which is in him, and the &s;treames which flow from him, as doth this reall and operatiue trueth, and not that which is verball and in word onely.</P>
<P>This is te&s;tified of the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the deerely beloued &s;onne of God, who is propo&s;ed to vs for a perfect example to imitate, <HI>that he did no wickedne&s;&s;e, as no deceit was found in his</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 53. 9.</NOTE> <HI>mouth.</HI></P>
<PB N="176" REF="92">
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, his word in many places doth commaund both, and that equally, and no where doth di&s;pence with the want of either.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, his &s;pirit doth infu&s;e both, and that in&s;eparablie, and maketh euery man that hath attained to the one to be able to v&s;e the other. That which S. Iohn &s;etteth downe in a more gene|rall manner doth &s;trongly confirme this particular point. <HI>If anie man &s;inne not in word, he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the bodie.</HI> His meaning is not that &s;ome bee ab&s;olute without &s;inne in word, and perfect, without infirmitie in goodnes: but that ma|ny be gracious without &s;infulne&s;&s;e, though they haue their &s;lips, in &s;peeches: and &s;incere, without wickednes, though they haue their frailties, in behauiour.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, both are infallible, and e&s;&s;entiall fruites of regenerati|on: and the Apo&s;tle doth per&s;wade vs thereby to declare our &s;elues to be of the number of the &s;aints, and faithfull, &s;aying; <HI>Ca&s;t off lying, and let him that &s;tole, &s;teale no more,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 25. 28.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, both are required of them, that would know, and manife&s;t them&s;elues to be naturall members of the Church in this life, and inheriters of &s;aluation in the life to come. <HI>Lord,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Dauid, who &s;hall dwell in thy Tabernacle? who &s;hall re&s;t in thy holy</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 15. 1. 2.</NOTE> <HI>mountaine? He,</HI> &s;aith God, <HI>that walketh vprightly, and worketh righteou&s;nes, and &s;peaketh the trueth in his heart.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, 1. if we would haue the con&s;tant credit of hone&s;tie among men, or the comfort of it in our owne &s;oules, or the allow|ance of it in Gods pre&s;ence, that wee bee not more &s;mooth in words, then faithfull in workes: that men may not more beleeue vs to be true in &s;peeches, then the Lord &s;hall di&s;cerne vs to bee tru&s;tie in actions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Not to be ouerha&s;tie to receiue their reports, whom we are able to conuince of vnfaithfulnes in behauiour. If God giue vs a ca|ueat to looke to them, and beware of them, if he commend none to vs for credible, but &s;uch as are righteous, why &s;hould wee &s;et light by his certificate, and be credulous to hearken to &s;infull per|&s;ons? e&s;pecially &s;ithence of all others, they are mo&s;t readie to fill mens eares with pernicious and hurtfull informations.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="177" REF="92">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 23. <HI>A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fooles publi&s;heth fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A Prudent man, he that is of good di&s;cretion, and hath learned to be wary and circum&s;pect, concealeth knowledge, not that he &s;hutteth it vp altogether, without any v&s;e or benefit of it to others: for that were contrarie to the profe&s;&s;ion which the Prophet maketh of that wherein euery godly man ought to fol|low him; <HI>I haue not hid thy righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e within my heart, but I but I haue declared thy trueth and thy &s;aluation; I haue not concealed thy mercie and thy trueth from the great congregation.</HI> P&s;al. 40. 10. And that were contrarie to the te&s;timonie which is giuen of wi&s;e men, chap. 15. 7. <HI>The lippes of the wi&s;e doe &s;pread a|broad knowledge.</HI> But he will ob&s;erue all good circum&s;tances of &s;peaking, that it be in time and place, when good opportunitie doth require it, and good effect is like to bee wrought by it. And contrariewi&s;e the heart of a foole which leadeth his tongue (for guide it doth not) doth &s;et the tongue on worke either to vtter bad matter, or that which is good in bad manner, that euery man may &s;ee the folly which is in it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> It is not good for any man to &s;peake as much, and as often as he can, but as often, and as much as he ought. Many wi&s;e &s;ayings and &s;entences, are in&s;erted by the &s;pirit of God into this booke, to teach men how to be heedfull for the ob&s;eruation of this rule. As when it is &s;aid, that <HI>the tongue of the wi&s;e v&s;eth knowledge aright;</HI> Chap. 15. 2. And that <HI>a foole powreth out all his mind: but a wi&s;e man keepeth in till afterwards;</HI> Chap. 29. 11.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, this &s;paring of &s;peech, when men re&s;erue them&s;elues for fit occa&s;ions, and only vtter that which &s;erueth for v&s;e, doth giue a cleere te&s;timony of a minde that is &s;tored with vnder&s;tanding and iudgement. And this rea&s;on our text in hand doth offer vnto vs, when it is &s;aid, that a wi&s;e man hideth knowledge, as a foole on the other &s;ide doth exerci&s;e the contrarie. Wee deeme them not the mo&s;t thriftie husbands and wealthie&s;t men that will looke vp nothing in their coffers, nor keepe any thing clo&s;e in their pur&s;es, but carrie al their monie in their hands, and &s;hew it to euery com|mer by; and &s;o doe they that haue no more matter within their
<PB N="178" REF="93"> hearts, then all the &s;tanders by &s;hall heare their lipes deliuer.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, it is a point of humilitie to bee &s;ilent in mode&s;tie, as pride, and conceitedne&s;&s;e maketh men de&s;irous to heare them|&s;elues &s;peaking.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, their words are &s;o much more de&s;ireable, and better accepted as they are rare, and few, and &s;ea&s;onable. <HI>How good is a word in due &s;ea&s;on?</HI> &s;aith the Scripture. <HI>And a word &s;poken in his</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 15. 23. Prou. 25. 11.</NOTE> <HI>place is as apples of gold vpon pictures of &s;iluer.</HI> The ointment that is clo&s;e kept in a boxe wil yeeld a &s;weter &s;auour when it is powred out, then that which is continually open. And wine fre&s;h from the ve&s;&s;ell hath a better reli&s;h, then that which was drawne long before there was neede of it, or any to drinke it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to learne moderation and keepe mea&s;ure in &s;pea|king, vnlike to them that be talkatiue and exceede too farre in multiplying of words. What though it be true that we &s;ay, and &s;o we know, and are able to proue it? Doth euery trueth befit e|uery time? Should all men alwaies bee &s;peaking all that they know? It would bee a great meanes to hinder the increa&s;e of knowledge. Some be talking when they haue more neede to heare; &s;ome be teaching, when they haue more neede to learne: and many wrong them&s;elues, and them that are pre&s;ent, in not giuing place to others that are more &s;ufficient and better able to &s;peake. So did not <HI>Elihu,</HI> he preferred his elders, though not his betters, before him&s;elfe. Hee would not open his mouth be|fore his turne came, and that he &s;aw <HI>Iob,</HI> and his three friends to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. 34. 4. 5. &amp;c.</NOTE> &s;werue out of the way on both hands.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of tho&s;e that de&s;tinate all their &s;peehes, and that in the mini&s;terie of the Go&s;pell, to the &s;etting forth of their owne prai&s;es. It may truely be &s;aid of many, that they preach not Chri&s;t &s;o much as them&s;elues, contrarie to the faithfulne&s;&s;e of <HI>Paul,</HI> who preached not him&s;elfe, but the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Their chiefe la|bour is not to win glory to God, and men to &s;aluation: but cre|dit to them&s;elues, and men to the admiration of their gifts and learning. This they principallie aime at, that all may be affected with their elocution; that al may &s;ee the fruit of their wits; that al may di&s;cerne of their skill in the tongues: that al may witnes their paines in reading: that all may wonder at their depth of iudge|ment.
<PB N="179" REF="93"> If tho&s;e be things that their hearts doe chiefly de&s;ire, wee mu&s;t conclude of them that their hearts doe publi&s;h fooli&s;hnes.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 24. <HI>The hand of the diligent &s;hall beare rule: but the de|ceitfull &s;hall be vnder tribute.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe hand of the diligent,</HI> that is, diligent men who v&s;e their hands, or other members of their bodies, or el&s;e their minds to &s;ome hone&s;t and profitable trauell according to their calling, <HI>&s;hall beare rule,</HI> and attaine to &s;ome good place of e&s;timation. But idle per&s;ons whom want and other occa&s;ions draw to deceitfull cour&s;es to &s;hift for them&s;elues, as wee haue &s;hewed in the fourth ver&s;e of the tenth chapter, &s;hall be made vnderlings, and brought into &s;ubiection and &s;eruilitie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> They which are laborious and faithfull in meane places, doe take the way to ri&s;e to an higher degree.</P>
<P>True it is that diuers attaine not to &s;uch greatne&s;&s;e as others doe, and yet be no le&s;&s;e diligent then others are, but the Lord maketh their inferioritie a &s;tep towards their heauenly aduance|ment: and they are not without e&s;timation in that low e&s;tate: and God &s;eeth their fruite to bee better, and their comfort to bee more there, than if they were rai&s;ed vp to higher preferment. Otherwi&s;e, they that &s;erue God in what place &s;oeuer, are &s;ure to grow greater. The Scripture propo&s;eth examples hereof, and &s;heweth how the point hath been verified in former ages. <HI>Iacob</HI> at the fir&s;t &s;et him&s;elfe to &s;eruice, and was at the commandement of an other man, but at the la&s;t, being painful and true, he was able to keep &s;eruants him&s;elfe, and other men were at his commande|ment. <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> when hee came into Aegypt was bought and &s;old as a poore bondman, but being faithfull in euery place that hee came into, hee was promoted in euery place that hee came into. When hee was a &s;eruant, when hee was a pri&s;oner, and e&s;peciallie when he was Prince. <HI>Dauid</HI> had once the charge of a flocke of &s;heepe, and thereof was not a little heedefull: but afterwards hee had the leading of an armie of men, and la&s;tlie, was exalted to the throne of a glorious kingdome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, promotion is from the Lord, and hee &s;etteth vp; and put|teth
<PB N="180" REF="94"> downe, according to his owne will. And therefore when he hath fitted men to authoritie, by humbling them with labour, he a&s;&s;igneth their places wherein they &s;hall &s;tand, and by his pro|vidence preferreth them to the &s;ame: &s;ome to bee Magi&s;trates, &s;ome to be Captaines, &s;ome to be Mini&s;ters, &s;ome to be Mai&s;ters, &s;ome to bee Stewards, &s;ome to haue one office, and &s;ome another.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the hand of the diligent maketh rich, and riches cau&s;e them that are wi&s;e and hone&s;t to be put into authoritie, and imployed in the townes and places wherein they dwell: or at lea&s;t they grow to be hou&s;ekeepers and beare rule in their owne families.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, painefulne&s;&s;e with wi&s;edome and faithfulne&s;&s;e doth cau&s;e great per&s;onages to looke after them. They entertaine them into &s;eruice: they put them in tru&s;t with their affaires: they giue countenance vnto them: and they many times are meanes of their ri&s;ing and preferment. And in this &s;en&s;e is that &s;aying: <HI>Thou &s;ee&s;t that a diligent man in his bu&s;ine&s;&s;e &s;tandeth before Kings, and &s;tandeth not before the ba&s;e &s;ort;</HI> Prou. 22. 29.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Reproofe of their follie that are a&s;hamed and di&s;daine to take any paines vnle&s;&s;e it be in &s;eruing of &s;inne and lu&s;t, and thereto they make them&s;elues &s;laues and drudges. And what is it that meaneth them to &s;uch nicene&s;&s;e, that they will not voutch&s;afe to put their hands to any worke, or &s;et their mindes to &s;eeke for knowledge whereby they may bee fit for &s;ome good pro|fe&s;&s;ion? The feare of contempt: the doubt that they &s;hall bee little regarded, if they applied them&s;elues to &s;uch a ba&s;e kinde of life. It is not according to their birth and bringing vp, to &s;pend their time in labour, or &s;tudie: it will bee a hinderance to their preferment that they looke for. But will they thus con|trarie the word of God, and cro&s;&s;e the trueth of his holy &s;pirit? Will they &s;ay that diligence doth make men contemptible, when he &s;aith, the diligent hand &s;hall beare rule? will they &s;ay that idlenes doth bring men to promotion, when he &s;aith, that the idle &s;hall be vnder tribute? He will as well cro&s;&s;e and contrarie them in their &s;tate, and de&s;ires, and make them feele his words to be true. Who &s;eeth not what beggerie, and want, and mi&s;erie, they ca&s;t them&s;elues into? Are they not driuen to &s;ell away, and
<PB N="181" REF="94"> depart with that inheritance and patrimonie which their parents haue left them? Are they not compelled to borrow and &s;hift, and to &s;incke deepely into debt? And it is a true prouerbe; that <HI>the borrower is &s;eruant to the man that lendeth.</HI> For further v&s;e of this <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 22. 7.</NOTE> point, &s;ee the fourth ver&s;e of the tenth chapter, in the application of the &s;econd doctrine.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e. 25. <HI>Heauines in the heart of a man doth bring it downe: but a good word reioyceth it.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>HEauines of heart,</HI> that is, &s;uch &s;orrowes or feares, as are not godly, and effects of faith, but proceeding from infidelity, or carnall re&s;pects, e&s;pecially being exce&s;&s;iue, doth bring down the heart, not humbling it kindely, &s;o as pride may be taken away, but either filling it with di&s;couragement, or di&s;temper, again&s;t which the Prophet wre&s;tled with &s;undry conflicts: <HI>Why art thou ca&s;t down my &s;oule, and art vnquiet, or tumultuous within me?</HI> P&s;al. 42. 5. Now withall he pre&s;cribeth the remedie whereby this di&s;ea&s;e of hurt|full &s;orrow and pen&s;iuenes may be cured, and that is with good words. For the comfortable &s;peech of a friend, but e&s;pecially the hole&s;ome word of God, declaring the remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, and the fauour of God, expelleth the heauines of the heart, and re|fre&s;heth it with ioy and comfort.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Immoderate griefe doth turne men to great hurt and annoy|ance. As fle&s;hly mirth doth much corrupt mens minds, and &s;tirre them vp to vanitie; &s;o worldly &s;orrow doth greatly weaken their hearts and dull their &s;pirits, whereby they are hindred from the performance of many good duties. And &s;o much is meant in that place, where it is &s;aid that by the &s;orrow of the heart, the mind is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 15. 13.</NOTE> heauie. When <HI>Io&s;hua</HI> was inclining to too much feare and di&s;|comfort, for the lo&s;&s;e of his men at their going vp again&s;t Ai, and the euill con&s;equents that were likelie to follow, the Lord would not &s;uffer him to giue place thereunto, &s;aying, <HI>Get thee vp: where|fore</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 7. 10.</NOTE> <HI>lie&s;t thou thus vpon thy face?</HI> He tooke notice, and gaue a cen|&s;ure of this inward affection of his heart, &s;omewhat exceeding mea&s;ure, by the ge&s;ture of his bodie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> Fir&s;t, the health and &s;trength of the bodie is thereby impaired
<PB N="182" REF="95"> and the life it &s;elfe is many times &s;hortned by that meanes. <HI>A ioyfull heart cau&s;eth good health, but a &s;orrowfull mind drieth the bones,</HI> Prou. 17. 22. It pearceth to that which is within, and bringeth weakene&s;&s;e vpon the &s;tronge&s;t parts.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, &s;uch as are oppre&s;&s;ed with cares and griefe are made vnmeete for the &s;eruices of God, who indeede doth require feare, but commaundeth likewi&s;e to reioyce with trembling: P&s;al. 2. 11. How can they call vpon God in any feruency, when deadnes hath wholy po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed them? How can they be thankefull, and offer ac|ceptable prai&s;es to God when they are voide of al ioy and cheere|fulne&s;&s;e? And how can they attend vnto his word, when their thoughts are altogether bu&s;ied in the contemplation of their owne mi&s;erie? The me&s;&s;age was very comfortable which <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> brought to the I&s;raelites in Aegypt, when the Lord told them, that he <HI>would deliuer them from the burdens and bondage of the Aegyptians, and would take them for his people, and be their God, &amp;c.</HI> but it is &s;aid they <HI>harkened not to him for angui&s;h of &s;pirit, and cruell bondage,</HI> Exo. 6. 9.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, it maketh men le&s;&s;e diligent and profitable in their callings, whether it be in their &s;euerall trades, or in places of &s;upe|rioritie to gouerne, or of inferioritie to obey.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, it bereaueth them of the benefite and comfort of any Chri&s;tian &s;ocietie wherein they are neither apt to doe good, nor receiue good. It taketh away their cheerefulnes: it di&s;ableth their tongues of &s;peaking fruitfully: it &s;toppeth their eares from heark|ning attentiuely: their pre&s;ence is not very delightfull to others, and the companie of others is not much regarded of them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, 1. to preuent this worldy &s;orrow by pre&s;eruing of godly ioy, and that is by keeping the peace of a good con&s;ci|ence with an vpright heart, and holy behauiour, either &s;hunning of &s;inne that we runne not into it, or &s;oundly &s;orrowing for it, when we haue committed it. Looke how much innocencie and &s;inceritie any man hath, &s;o much comfort his heart &s;hall inioy, and according to the mea&s;ure of guiltine&s;&s;e there will bee an in|ward, &s;ecret biting griefe and fearefulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> When angui&s;h and &s;orrow, when feare and troubles a&s;&s;ault vs &s;o &s;trongly that we cannot repell them, let vs then ob&s;erue that
<PB N="183" REF="95"> holy coun&s;ell which God, that can make it effectuall, doth offer here in this place vnto vs, and that is to haue a recour&s;e to faith|full comforters. He &s;endeth vs to them, he incourageth vs to go, he a&s;&s;ureth vs of &s;ucce&s;&s;e, hee hath alwaies performed, that neuer any was left vnholpen, that &s;ought helpe at his hand according to this his direction. <HI>Elihu</HI> &s;peaketh of this to <HI>Iob,</HI> that when a man is &s;triken with &s;orrow vpon his bed, and griefe of his bones is &s;ore, &s;o that his life cau&s;eth him to abhorre bread and his &s;oule daintie meate, that his fle&s;h is con&s;umed, and his bones chatter, and his &s;oule draweth to the graue, and his life to the buriers, yet a faith|full <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. 33. 19. &amp;c.</NOTE> me&s;&s;enger of God, one of a thou&s;and deliuering his me&s;&s;age faithfullie from God, will heale all this in them that giue credit to him, and &s;et them in as good ca&s;e as euer they were before. For God which can doe all things and formed all things, hath vnder|taken to giue &s;uch a ble&s;&s;ing to the words of his &s;eruants, and chiefly them by who&s;e mini&s;terie he &s;peaketh to his own people. <HI>I create</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>the fruite of the lips to bee peace,</HI> peace, that is, (true, perpetual, and mo&s;t con&s;tant comfort) <HI>vnto them that are far</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 57. 19.</NOTE> <HI>off, and to them that are neere: for I will heale him.</HI> Hereof the kee|per of the pri&s;on, whom <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> conuerted, had happie ex|perience, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 16. 28.</NOTE> and thereby was pre&s;erued from de&s;troying him&s;elfe. Hereof three thou&s;and at once, whom <HI>Peter</HI> conuerted, had hap|pie <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 2. 37.</NOTE> experience, being deliuered both from their feares, and &s;in|fulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> To collect all good arguments whereby wee preuaile again&s;t our dread and &s;orrowes that grow from our afflictions and trou|bles. As who impo&s;eth them vpon vs but the Lord? And to what end doth the Lord &s;o impo&s;e them, but in mercie and wi&s;e|dome, as a mo&s;t skilfull and faithfull phy&s;ition, for our profit? Haue not our betters endured more, and yet were beloued and ble&s;&s;ed of God both for the pre&s;ent, and afterwards? Haue not we de&s;erued farre greater iudgements, euen de&s;truction it &s;elfe, and is it much if wee bee onely &s;courged &s;o fauourablie with &s;uch &s;mall &s;tripes of ea&s;ie rodes, by a louing father who doth prepare vs thereby to &s;o great comfort and glorie?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="184" REF="96">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 26. <HI>The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour: but the way of the wicked will deceiue them.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe righteous,</HI> that is, euery godly man who hath attained to vprightnes, though not to perfection of righteou&s;nes, <HI>is bet|ter then his neighbour,</HI> is better beloued, and graced of God, and more e&s;teemed of godly wi&s;e men, and hath that in him which maketh him more commendable then any other that is vnrighte|ous and &s;infull; and &s;o his way is an&s;werable to his hope. But the wicked de&s;iring, and &s;eeking, and expecting a more excellencie aboue others, are notwith&s;tanding contemptible, and grow in time to be contemned, and &s;o their way deceiueth them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Grace maketh good men to be the worthie&s;t per&s;onages. As they goe before all the vnregenerate in vertue, &s;o they go beyond them in honour: and as they exceede them in pietie, &s;o they &s;ur|mount them in excellencie. The te&s;timonie which the Prophet giueth of them to God him&s;elfe, by the in&s;piration of Gods &s;pi|rit, doth make this manife&s;t. <HI>My goods,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>extend not to thee, but to the Saints that are in earth, euen to the excellent: all my</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 16. 3.</NOTE> <HI>delight is in them.</HI> And <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;peaking of the &s;ame &s;ort of peo|ple, though neuer &s;o meane and poore, &s;aith, <HI>that vpon all the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 4. 5.</NOTE> <HI>glorie &s;hall be a defence.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, in regard of their condition in this pre&s;ent life they haue all prerogatiues, and preferments. By parentage euery one of them is Gods child: By dignitie they are all Kings: by inheritance, they haue title to heauen and earth: their foode is heauenly man|na: their clothing is the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t: their attendants are the holy Angels: what &s;hould wee &s;peake of other things, wherein one man is wont to excell many others, and thereby waxe glorious and become renowned? Who is wi&s;e be&s;ides them? who el&s;e hath any true fortitude in them? doe not all o|thers in their follie bring &s;hame vpon them&s;elues? Hath not Sa|than &s;ubdued, and as it were trampled them vnder his feete? They are dealt with as bond men, and put to the fowle&s;t workes of im|pietie, and fal&s;ehood, lu&s;t, and lewdnes, and of all kinde of ini|quitie.</P>
<PB N="185" REF="96">
<P>Secondly, in re&s;pect of their &s;tate that &s;hall bee in the life to come, which by no compari&s;on can bee &s;ufficiently expre&s;&s;ed. They &s;hall haue perfect happines, and bee made like vnto Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, more excellent and pui&s;&s;ant, then the mo&s;t glorious An|gels. When all the wicked &s;hall be brought to the fulnes of con|tempt: when &s;hame &s;hall couer them: when they &s;hall be tro|den downe as the mire in the &s;treetes. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah. 7. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> In&s;truction, to labour for excellency by tho&s;e meanes whereby we may be made excellent, and that is by growing godly and re|ligious. This way will not faile to effect it, and none other cour&s;e without it, will be of any force to bring it to pa&s;&s;e. Men may bee very wealthie, and ignominious: they may haue gorgious appa|rell, and be contemptible per&s;ons: they may be honourablie di&s;|cended, and yet without al honour. To conclude, neither &s;trength of armes, nor eloquence of tongue, nor &s;harpene&s;&s;e of wit, nor beautie of face, nor comelines of &s;tature, nor boldnes of courage, nor any other externall thing, or gifts of minde vn&s;anctified, can &s;o adorne and &s;et forth one, as that thereby he may truely bee re|puted for a man that is prai&s;e-worthie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Reproofe of &s;uch as of all others mo&s;t vilifie and contemne them that are mo&s;t gracious and godly. Which make them (ac|cording to S. <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;aying) as the filth of the world, and the of|&s;courings <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 4. 13.</NOTE> of all things. Which make le&s;&s;e reckoning of them that are truely religious, then of the du&s;t which they &s;weepe out of their hou&s;es, and ca&s;t to the dunghill. They had rather haue their children and friends to bee Beare-wards, or chimnie-&s;wee|pers, then mortified and faithfull Chri&s;tians. How different is their e&s;timation from the te&s;timonie of the holy Gho&s;t? And therefore how little grace of the holy Gho&s;t is wrought in their hearts?</P>
<P>S. <HI>Iames</HI> condemneth it for a haynous offence to haue a ba&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 2. 3.</NOTE> opinion of the godly, and to put them behind wicked rich men for their pouertie: how grieuous then is their &s;inne which con|temne and loath them and put the vile&s;t before them, for their pietie? But one thing let them know, and that they &s;hall in time to come both &s;ee and feele, vnle&s;&s;e in due time before, they &s;ee their fault, and feele godly griefe for the &s;ame, that they &s;hall
<PB N="186" REF="97"> neuer inherit glory with the righteous in heauen, that be de&s;pi&s;ers of them in earth. Nay not &s;o onely, but God doth condition with them that would haue an habitation aboue with him, that <HI>vile per&s;ons mu&s;t be contemned in their eyes, and they mu&s;t honour them that feare the Lord.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 15. 4.</NOTE></P>
<P>The other clau&s;e of this ver&s;e is the &s;ame in &s;en&s;e, and almo&s;t in words with the eighteenth ver&s;e of the former chapter, where it is &s;aid, that <HI>The wicked worketh a deceitfull worke;</HI> and therefore we referre the reader to that place for the doctrine of it.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 27. <HI>The deceitfull man ro&s;teth not that which hee tooke in hunting; but the riches of the diligent man are precious.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe deceitfull, &amp;c.</HI> That is a prouerbiall kind of &s;peech, &s;igni|fying that they &s;hall not inioy nor haue the benefit of that which they get by craft and fal&s;ehood. If the whole &s;imilitude be fully &s;et downe, the meaning will the better appeare. Euen as hunters many times when they take a pray, yet ta&s;t not of it, nor fare the better for it: (for dogges may eate it vp, or &s;ome other occurrent may fall out to depriue them of it, as many lets come betweene the mouth and the mor&s;ell) &s;o vniu&s;t and deceitfull men, though they attaine to wealth and riches, may bee a&s;&s;ured that they &s;hall neuer haue any &s;ound profit or comfort by them. Where by the way, may be &s;eene the different end of the hunting that was v&s;ed in tho&s;e daies, and of this which is practi&s;ed of ma|ny in our times. They made it an exerci&s;e for profit, &amp; thereby, as it may appeare, prouided foode for them&s;elues, and the families wherein they liued, as is to be &s;eene in the example of <HI>E&s;au</HI> him|&s;elfe, who v&s;ed to bring home veni&s;on to his father. But it is ordi|narie now with diuers to be&s;tow a great part of their time to hunt meerely for plea&s;ure, without any commoditie. They voluntarilie defraud them&s;elues of the pray which they take, their hou&s;eholds haue not the better cheere by their hunting, but the wor&s;e. They con&s;ume them&s;elues, and wa&s;t their goods, and impoueri&s;h their wiues and children, by following their &s;ports, and neglecting their e&s;tate: by feeding &s;o many dogges, as that thereby they faile both of care and abilititie to prouide for their people. <HI>But</HI>
<PB N="187" REF="97"> <HI>the riches of the diligent are precious,</HI> that is, tho&s;e things which they that are both faithfull and indu&s;trious doe gaine and get by lawfull meanes, &s;hall doe them good, and &s;erue for their comfort.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Euill meanes of getting may bring goods to mens hands, but not to their v&s;e.</P>
<P>Riches may come according to their de&s;ire, but either not to tarrie with them, or not to doe them &s;eruice, &s;o that they will turne to a vexation at their departure, or to clog &amp; burden them whiles they remaine. <HI>As the Partridge layeth egges, which &s;he hatcheth not:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 17. 11.</NOTE> &s;o, &s;aith <HI>Ieremy, he that getteth riches, and not by right, &s;hall leaue them in the midde&s;t of his dayes, and at his end &s;hall be a foole.</HI> All de|ceitefull per&s;ons fall into that ab&s;urditie, which by our common prouerbe is derided; they count their chickens before they bee hatched, &s;o &s;oone as they haue egges in their ne&s;t, they conclude of a brood of comfort and happine&s;&s;e, which God hath conclu|ded that they &s;hall neuer obtaine. <HI>Achan</HI> hunted after the con|&s;ecrated <NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 7. 15.</NOTE> gold, and &s;iluer, and execrable garment; but albeit hee caught them he ro&s;ted them not, but was burnt him&s;elfe, with all his, and what&s;oeuer he had before.</P>
<P>The Amalakites which &s;acked Ziglag, and tooke the &s;poile of the citie, with <HI>Dauids</HI> wiues and &s;ub&s;tance, were pro&s;perous hun|ters in &s;hew at the fir&s;t, yet they ro&s;ted not their pray, but proui|ded it for <HI>Dauids</HI> v&s;e, and <HI>Dauid</HI> dealt with them, as with bea&s;ts that are hunted into the net.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, the v&s;e and comfort of all things proceedeth onely from Gods gift and ble&s;&s;ing, and &s;tandeth not in the meere getting, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the~: and all deceitfull per&s;ons both in a generall re&s;pect, becau&s;e of their wickedne&s;&s;e, and in a &s;peciall regard for their fraudulent and guilefull behauiour, are &s;ubiect to maledicti|on, and to be cur&s;ed in euery thing that they deale in, or which belongeth vnto them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, though the vngodly haue many times power and abilitie to increa&s;e their goods, yet the v&s;e and fruition of al good things is appropriated peculiarly and intayled to the righteous, for whom the wicked are &s;et on worke, and not for them&s;elues.</P>
<P>And &s;o much doth the holie Gho&s;t expre&s;&s;elie te&s;tifie: <HI>Surely</HI>
<PB N="188" REF="98"> <HI>to a man that is good in his &s;ight, God giueth wi&s;edome and knowledge, and ioy: but to the &s;inner he giueth paine to gather, and to heape vp to giue to him that is good before God;</HI> Eccle&s;. 2. 26.</P>
<P><HI>Iob</HI> &s;peaketh to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, &s;aying, <HI>Though hee &s;hould heape vp &s;iluer as the du&s;t, and prepare rayment as the clay, hee may prepare it, but the iu&s;t &s;hall put it on, and the innocent &s;hall diuide the &s;iluer;</HI> Iob 27. 16. 17.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Admonition to withhold our hands from direption, that wee take not from others that which will turne to no good for our &s;elues. Wee bring griefe, and peraduenture al&s;o want vpon them, but we bring &s;inne with greater &s;orrow and mi&s;ery vpon our &s;elues: it may bee their hindrance, but it will bee our owne vndoing, vnle&s;&s;e we leaue off and repent, and as much as wee are able, make re&s;titution. So that our pray will not onely not come to our di&s;h, but deuoure the re&s;t of our meate, which otherwi&s;e might be for our nouri&s;hment: and by this meanes our neighbour is hurt, our labour is lo&s;t, our con&s;cience is wounded, our &s;tate is cur&s;ed, our &s;oules indaungered, and that which is wor&s;t of all, our God is offended, and prouoked to di&s;plea&s;ure. And there|fore let not other mens &s;ucce&s;&s;e in this vnthriftie manner of gay|ning, allure vs to follow the &s;ame trade with them, &s;ithence we foreknow the vnhappy euent that will fall out in the end. Though &s;poile and crueltie, though rapine, and robberie, though filching, and &s;tealing, though gaiming, lying, fal&s;ehood, or any indirect cour&s;es doe &s;et vp men for a time, yet downe they mu&s;t, and be driuen to confe&s;&s;e that all their &s;infull gettings were vanitie and lo&s;&s;e, and all their vnlawfull commodities pernitious and hurtfull to them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>But the riches, &amp;c.</HI> Wealth well gotten by good men, is great in value, what&s;oeuer it be in quantitie.</P>
<P>As the bread of deceit is &s;weete&s;t, &s;o the riches of iniquitie &s;eeme be&s;t to vnrighteous per&s;ons: and &s;luggards like nothing &s;o well, as that which commeth with lea&s;t trauell, and without much paines taking. <HI>Better,</HI> &s;ay they, <HI>is an handfull with ea&s;e, then</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 4. 6.</NOTE> <HI>two handfuls with labour and vexation of &s;pirit.</HI> And euery thing is a vexation of their &s;pirit which putteth them to any paines of bodie. But the Lord te&s;tifieth the contrary and teacheth his peo|ple
<PB N="189" REF="98"> both by word and effect, that that onely is of worth and e&s;ti|mation which his &s;eruants obtaine by lawfull means, and his ble&s;|&s;ing vpon them. And becau&s;e this point is mo&s;t true, and the world beleeueth not that any trueth is in it, hee confirmeth the &s;ame in diuers places: as Chap. 15. 16. <HI>Better is a little with the feare of the Lord, then great trea&s;ure and trouble therewith.</HI> That is, with feare, care, &s;orrow, or the checke of an euill con&s;cience. So in the P&s;alme. 37. 16. <HI>A &s;mall thing vnto the righteous, is better then great riches to the wicked and mightie.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> Fir&s;t, in re&s;pect of the giuer thereof, it is the Lords hand that be&s;toweth it vpon them as a te&s;timonie of his loue, and an earne&s;t of more excellent trea&s;ures. Now an Angell from the Kings owne hand in fauour, is more regarded then a pound from an other, vp|on other occa&s;ions. And how great a &s;ub&s;tance may a man haue conueyed to him by receiuing a &s;hilling, or te&s;ter for po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of all that is pa&s;&s;ed ouer to him by deede of gifture? And how large demeanes may a man bee e&s;tated in by taking a turfe in way of lyuerie, and &s;ei&s;on? Now though euerla&s;ting life be principal|ly confirmed to vs by the &s;pirit of adoption, yet the Lord would haue his eternall fauour to his Saints to bee &s;eene and acknow|ledged euen in his earthly benefits.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, it is &s;anctified vnto them by the word of God, with prayer, and thanke&s;giuing. 1. Tim. 4. 5.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdlie, his ble&s;&s;ing maketh it to &s;erue and &s;uffice them for all needefull v&s;es: it &s;ati&s;fieth their hearts: it is competent for their bodies: it is &s;ufficient for their families. And as their &s;tate is in|crea&s;ed, &s;o their hands are opened to di&s;tribute to the poore, and to contribute to the &s;eruices of God, and euery way to &s;hew their readines to doe good, &s;o as God may haue glorie, his &s;eruants refre&s;hing, and their owne &s;oules an euerla&s;ting recompence of immortalitie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Con&s;olation to all godly, faithfull, and indu&s;trious per&s;ons, that they are euery way wealthie and rich: rich in glory which is re&s;erued for them in heauen: rich in weldoing: rich in &s;pirituall graces: rich in earthly &s;ub&s;tance, if enough of that which is deare and precious may make a man to be rich. That &s;aying which is in the fifteenth Chapter of this booke, is not to be re&s;trained to any <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 15. 6.</NOTE>
<PB N="190" REF="99"> one, but holdeth true for euery one that feareth God, <HI>that the hou&s;e of the righteous hath much trea&s;ure.</HI> Things that are co&s;tly and of great price, are not to bee rated by compari&s;on with the mea&s;ure of ba&s;er matters, nor according to the roome which they fill vp. A little gold ouerualueth much leade or iron, many great pebbles are not matchable in worth with one pearle which is farre le&s;&s;e then they are, a boxe full of rich diamonds, is better then a hou&s;e full of woode, and &s;traw, or other &s;tuffe that is cour&s;e or common. And &s;o &s;tandeth the ca&s;e with good mens po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|ons; the ble&s;&s;ing of God with his mercie and fauour doth con|uert them into iewels for their v&s;e and benefit, and worketh &s;uch comfortable effects by them, as all the trea&s;ures of the wicked can neuer yeeld vnto them.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD>Ver&s;e 28. <HI>Life is in the way of righteou&s;nes, and in that path way there is no death.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>LIfe, &amp;c.</HI> The meaning is, that they which are righteous men iu&s;tified by the merites of Chri&s;t, and &s;anctified by his &s;pirit, and obedient to his will in working that which is agreeable to his word, are in &s;tate of life euerla&s;ting. The life of grace they haue po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of alreadie; the life of glory is a&s;&s;ured to them by the life of grace: who&s;oeuer hath the one, can neuer faile of the o|ther. And therefore it is &s;aid that there is no death in that path. They are deliuered from the fir&s;t death, which hath power ouer all &s;infull men, in this world: and they &s;hall neuer come into the &s;econd, which is the portion of reprobates in the world to come. And this is confirmed by the te&s;timonie of Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, &s;ay|ing; <HI>Verily, verily, I &s;ay vnto you, he that heareth my word and be|leeueth</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5. 24.</NOTE> <HI>in him that &s;ent me, hath euerla&s;ting life, and &s;hall not come into condemnation, but hath pa&s;&s;ed from death to life.</HI> The doctrine which the words would mini&s;ter, hath been declared, and pro&s;e|cuted in the nineteenth ver&s;e of the former chapter, where it is &s;aide that <HI>righteou&s;nes leadeth to life,</HI> and therefore it is needele&s;&s;e to handle it againe in this place. Onely let thus much be &s;poken, that the holy Gho&s;t doth not in vaine &s;o often promi&s;e life to them that &s;eeke, and &s;erue him. He doth repeate it more then
<PB N="191" REF="99"> twentie times in this one booke, be&s;ides the mention that the o|ther parts of &s;cripture doe make of it, almo&s;t euery where. It is therefore a point of certentie to them that lay hold on it: It is a point of difficultie, and not ea&s;ilie beleeued: &s;ithence God to helpe our hearts doth againe, and againe redouble it: and it is a point of great importance, requiring a &s;erious and con&s;tant me|ditation, without which men grow barren, and carele&s;&s;e in doing all good dueties: and by which they are made rich and plentifull in all holy &s;eruices. The con&s;ideration of life, and of &s;uch a life will incourage the heart, and open the mouth, and &s;trengthen the hands, and make the feete nimble to runne in the waies of righteou&s;nes: all that they can doe in obedience, they will account too little, and nothing that they &s;uffer for wel-doing, they will thinke to much.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>The Author to the Reader.</HEAD>
<P>THou art to be aduerti&s;ed, good Reader, that &s;undrie faults haue e&s;caped in this Treati&s;e, mo&s;t by ouer&s;ight of him that copied it out and made it readie for the Pre&s;&s;e; and &s;ome few were committed in the printing: the greate&s;t part, and I think all, are here collected for thee in briefe; I pray thee take notice of them, and reforme them in their places according to this direction.</P>
<P><HI>Pag</HI> 13. <HI>lin.</HI> 2. <HI>reade,</HI> and their &s;oules al&s;o flexible. <HI>pag.</HI> 30. <HI>l.</HI> 10. <HI>r.</HI> their per&s;wa|&s;ions. <HI>p.</HI> 36. <HI>l</HI> 29. <HI>for commoditie reade</HI> brethrens. <HI>pag.</HI> 38 <HI>l.</HI> 3. <HI>r.</HI> into accu&s;ations. <HI>p.</HI> 39. <HI>l.</HI> 30. <HI>r.</HI> offer of it to others. <HI>p.</HI> 41. <HI>l.</HI> 31. <HI>put out</HI> owne. <HI>pag</HI> 42. <HI>l.</HI> 23 <HI>r.</HI> aggrauate. <HI>pag.</HI> 43. <HI>l.</HI> 20 <HI>r</HI> bond. <HI>p</HI> 46. <HI>l.</HI> 35. <HI>r</HI> often. <HI>p.</HI> 50. <HI>l.</HI> 14. <HI>r.</HI> fa&s;t. <HI>ibid.</HI> 34. <HI>r.</HI> what cau&s;eth. <HI>p.</HI> 51. <HI>l.</HI> 5. <HI>r.</HI> pre&s;erueth. <HI>ibid.</HI> 12. <HI>r.</HI> meannes. <HI>p.</HI> 53. <HI>l.</HI> 27. <HI>r.</HI> God heareth them with mer|cie and fauour. <HI>p.</HI> 57. <HI>l.</HI> 9. <HI>r.</HI> fence. <HI>p.</HI> 66. <HI>l.</HI> 36. <HI>r.</HI> de&s;cried. <HI>p.</HI> 69 <HI>l.</HI> 14. <HI>r.</HI> greatly. <HI>pag.</HI> 78. <HI>l.</HI> 26. <HI>r.</HI> deprauation. <HI>p</HI> 86. <HI>l.</HI> 6. <HI>r.</HI> good &s;prings. <HI>p.</HI> 91. <HI>l.</HI> 34. <HI>r.</HI> as. <HI>pag.</HI> 94. <HI>l.</HI> 5. <HI>r.</HI> &s;poken. <HI>p.</HI> 95. <HI>l.</HI> 11. <HI>r.</HI> was an. <HI>p.</HI> 108. <HI>l.</HI> 1. <HI>r.</HI> &s;harpe. <HI>p.</HI> 139. <HI>l.</HI> 16. <HI>r.</HI> deeme. <HI>p.</HI> 143 <HI>l.</HI> 29. <HI>r.</HI> degree. <HI>p.</HI> 144. <HI>l.</HI> 2. <HI>r.</HI> crueltie. <HI>pag.</HI> 156. <HI>l</HI> 28. <HI>r.</HI> couetous. <HI>p.</HI> 160. <HI>lin.</HI> 37. <HI>r.</HI> depo&s;ed. <HI>p.</HI> 166. <HI>l.</HI> 14. <HI>r.</HI> but to the. <HI>p.</HI> 196. <HI>l.</HI> 26. <HI>r.</HI> feares. <HI>p.</HI> 280. <HI>l.</HI> 22. <HI>r.</HI> moueth.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
