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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Ob&s;ervations UPON The three fir&s;t Chapters of the PROVERBS:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Grammaticall</ITEM>
<ITEM>Rhetoricall,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Logicall, and</ITEM>
<ITEM>Theologicall.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>As they were delivered in &s;everall EXPOSITORY LECTURES at <HI>Chri&s;t-Church</HI> in <HI>Canterbury.</HI></P>
<P>By <HI>FRANCIS TAYLOR,</HI> B. in D.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>E. C.</HI> for <HI>Henry Ever&s;den,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop at the <HI>Grey-hound</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s <HI>Church-yard,</HI> 1655.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Honourable Tru&s;tees for MAINTENANCE of MINISTERS, And other Pious u&s;es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<HEAD><HI>William Steele</HI> <ABBR>E&s;q</ABBR> Serjeant at Law, late Recorder of the City of <HI>London,</HI> now Lord Chief Baron; Sir <HI>John Thorowgood</HI> of <HI>Ken&s;ington</HI> Knight, <HI>George Cooper, Richard Young, John Pocock, Ralph Hall, Rich. Sidenham, Edward Hopkins, John Humfries,</HI> and <HI>Edward Cre&s;&s;et,</HI> E&s;quires.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Honorable Gentlemen,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>WHat the Sun is to the world, that the Scripture is to the Church. No man can &s;ee the Sun it &s;elfe, nor any thing in the world, but by the light of the Sun. No man can know God, nor any of his creatures, aright, but by the Scripture. The</HI> Rabbins <HI>tell us,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. There is no glory but the Law. Aboth. cap. 4. <HI>And</HI> Rab. Chija <HI>in the</HI> Jeru&s;alem Talmud <HI>in</HI> Peah, <HI>tells us, that in his account,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">
<PB REF="3">All the world wholly is not of equall value with one word out of the Law. <HI>The labour then of tho&s;e men of God, whom God hath fitted for interpretation of Scripture, is not lightly to be esteemed. The rather, be|cau&s;e of the difficulty and profitablene&s;&s;e of the work. The difficulty</HI> Augu&s;tin <HI>&s;ets out well,</HI> Lib. 11. &s;uper Gen. ad literam. Major e&s;t hujus Scripturae autoritas, qu&agrave;m omnis humani ingenii per&s;picacitas. Greater is the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uthority of this Scripture, then the per&s;pica|city of all humane wit. <HI>The profit of it is as well &s;et out by</HI> Hierom. ad Eph. lib. 1. Non putemus in verbis Scripturarum e&s;&s;e Evangelium, &s;ed in &s;en&s;u; non in &s;uperficie, &s;ed in medulla; non in &s;ermonum foliis, &s;ed in radice rationis: Let us not think the Go&s;pel is in the words of the Scriptures, but in the &s;en&s;e; not in the out&s;ide, but in the marrow; not in the leaves of words, but in the root of rea&s;on. <HI>Among many other Books of the Scripture, this of the</HI> Proverbs <HI>excels in height of matter and expre&s;&s;ions. It needs therefore a carefull Interpreter. The method u&s;ed by me is new, and never formerly exactly followed in every Ver&s;e, by any Writer, Protestant or Papi&s;t, that ever I read.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Ye have the Grammatical &s;en&s;e in the various &s;igni|fications of every</HI> Hebrew <HI>word throughout the Old Te&s;ta|ment, which gives light to many other texts.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Ye have the Rhetoricall &s;en&s;e, in the Tropes and Figures.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>The Logicall, in the &s;everall arguments.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>The Theologicall, in divine ob&s;ervations.</HI></P>
<P><HI>If it be objected, that there are many Comments already on other Books of Scripture, and on this in particular; I confe&s;&s;e it is a truth. I my &s;elf have made u&s;e of forty Writers on this Book of the</HI> Proverbs, <HI>as will
<PB REF="3">appear by the Catalogue of Authors added. Yet every one &s;ees not &s;o many, nor cannot under&s;tand them all; nor have means to buy them, or time to read them. Will it hurt any man to have the marrow of them all in one Book? Will it not &s;ave him much time, money, labour? Be&s;ides, the Reader will find &s;omething new, that is not in any of them. Gods hand is not &s;hortened. He can as well manife&s;t his truth by us, as by former Writers. And the rather, becau&s;e we have their help. A dwarf &s;tanding on a gaints &s;houl|ders, may &s;ee further then the giant. I have made choyce of you (Worthy Gentlemen) for Patrons of this Work, not doubting, but if any &s;hall oppo&s;e the truth manife&s;ted in it, ye will &s;tand up with me for the defence of it. A more particular engagement to prefix your honorable names, is that great tru&s;t the State hath put in you, to take care of the maintenance of many godly Mini&s;ters, upon whom ma|ny thou&s;and &s;ouls depend in this Nation. I have found you faithfull and carefull. So have many other godly Mini&s;ters. The great God that hath laid great a charge upon you, make you still faithfull di&s;chargers, that &s;o your names may be honorable to po&s;terity, and your &s;ouls &s;aved eternally. So I &s;hall never cea&s;e to pray, and ever remain</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>At your Honors &s;ervice in the Lord, <HI>Francis Taylor.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="author to the reader">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>Adverti&s;ements for the Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian and courteous Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>BE plea&s;ed to ob&s;erve a few things, which may help thee much in the peru&s;ing of this Book.</P>
<P N="1">I. Be not offended that the places cited in it are not &s;et down at large, but onely &s;ome part of the Ver&s;es quoted. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Reader may hereby perceive in what words the &s;trength of the proof lies; to wit, in tho&s;e words he findes here. This I learned of the <HI>Jewi&s;h Rabbins,</HI> who u&s;e not to tran&s;cribe the whole Ver&s;e cited, but onely tho&s;e words wherein the &s;trength of the proof is. Indeed the <HI>Ma&s;orites</HI> do otherwi&s;e. They &s;et down only the beginning of the &s;entence, and leave the Reader to &s;eck for the word in the text quoted. But this breeds trouble and confu&s;ion.</P>
<P N="2">2. Writing thus conci&s;ely, will make men minde the better what they read.</P>
<P N="3">3. It will make them look into their Bibles for further &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P N="4">4. It makes this Book the &s;horter, and &s;o the cheaper.</P>
<P N="2">II. Complain not that many things are taken out of other Writers and Commenters. For,</P>
<PB REF="4">
<P N="1">1. Here is no wrong to them. God gave tho&s;e no|tions to them, they to us, and why may not we give them to others?</P>
<P N="2">2. No wrong to thee who hath the pith and mar|row of forty Tran&s;lations and Comments in this Book. It would have co&s;t thee (as it hath done me) much more money to buy them, much more time and labour to read them.</P>
<P N="3">3. Thou wilt finde many things added, that God hath given in to me, that are not in any of them; for all mine and theirs is from him alone, and to him is due all the glory.</P>
<P N="3">III. Object not to me, that for the various &s;ignifica|tions of the <HI>Hebrew</HI> words, I borrow much out of the la&s;t Edition of the <HI>Annotations</HI> on the Bible, out of the Notes upon <HI>Job.</HI> For,</P>
<P N="1">1. It cannot be called borrowing, for a man to take his owne, and none of my partners in that great Work went that way but my &s;elfe. And having taken much pains there, why &s;hould I take more about the &s;ame words?</P>
<P N="2">2. There I give onely figures for <HI>chap.</HI> and <HI>ver&s;.</HI> So that if the figures be fal&s;e printed (as they are too often) the Reader is to &s;eek for the place. Here I &s;et down the words al&s;o, that he cannot mi&s;take.</P>
<P N="3">3. The figures are here al&s;o corrected by me in all I make u&s;e of from thence.</P>
<P N="4">4. Some &s;ignifications are added in &s;ome words.</P>
<P N="5">5. Some are left out that were mi&s;taken.</P>
<P N="6">6. All have not money to buy, nor time to read tho&s;e large <HI>Annotations.</HI></P>
<P N="4">IV. Where thou finde&s;t other texts in this Book quoted for words, or proofs of doctrines, there look for the like matter. For,</P>
<PB REF="5">
<P N="1">1. No man handles one point fully in one place.</P>
<P N="2">2. God may give a man new matter the &s;econd time, not thought of before.</P>
<P N="3">3. I did of purpo&s;e never look back to tho&s;e former places, though they lay by me, hoping that God that put me upon it again, would give me &s;ome other thoughts of it.</P>
<P N="5">V. Quarrel not that &s;ome places are twice quoted, and &s;ome things repeated in the Book. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. I may forget what I did before in &s;o large a task.</P>
<P N="2">2. All Readers will not read all the Book. So &s;ome may finde them in one place, &s;ome in another.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, whereas by rea&s;on of my far di&s;tance from tke pre&s;&s;e, many faults have e&s;caped, and I have there|fore added a Table of the mo&s;t materiall ones that cor|rupt the &s;en&s;e, I de&s;ire that the Reader would follow the practi&s;e of a godly and reverend Mini&s;ter in <HI>Kent,</HI> who reads no Book till he have fir&s;t corrected all the faults in it with his pen, according to the Authors minde ex|pre&s;&s;ed in the <HI>Errata.</HI> So &s;halt thou meet with no &s;uch rubs in the way, nor puzzle thine owne head to finde another mans meaning. This is all: and &s;o commen|ding both thee and the Book to Gods &s;peciall ble&s;&s;ing, and de&s;iring if thou get any good by it, thou would&s;t give God the glory, and me thy prayers; I re|main</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in the Lord, for the furtherance of thy faith, <HI>Francis Taylor.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="expositions">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD>AN EXPOSITION OF THE Three fir&s;t Chapters of the <HI>Proverbs.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>PROV. 1.1.</HI></BIBL> The Proverbs of <HI>Solomon</HI> the &s;on of <HI>David</HI> King of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_IT is the cu&s;tome of Preachers, and writers to &s;ay &s;omething by way of Preface, when they be|gin a book. The Text it &s;elf gives occa&s;ion to &s;peak of the worth of the work, and of the Wri|ter. But I &s;hall by way of Preface &s;peak fir&s;t of all <HI>Solomon</HI>'s works comparing one with another. Second|ly, of this particular work. Three works there are of <HI>Solo|mons</HI> in Scripture, arguments of that large wi&s;dome, which God gave him re&s;embling his people: the one like the &s;and on the &s;ea &s;hore, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 4.29. the other like the du&s;t of the earth, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 1.9. That he begged, that he had. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 1.10, 11, 12. <HI>Give me now wi&s;dome and knowledge, that I may goe out and come in before this people. For who can judge this thy people,
<PB N="2" REF="6">that is &s;o great? And God &s;aid to</HI> Solomon, <HI>Becau&s;e this was in thine heart, and thou ha&s;t not asked riches, wealth or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet ha&s;t asked long life, but ha&s;t asked wi&s;dome and knowledge for thy &s;elf, that thou mai&s;t judge my people, ever whom I have made thee King: wi&s;dome and knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, &s;uch as none of the Kings have had, that have been before thee, neither &s;hall there any after thee have the like.</HI> The <HI>Proverbs</HI> &s;et out true Wi&s;dome; <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes,</HI> worldly Vanity; <HI>Canticles,</HI> heavenly Love. The fir&s;t teacheth us how to live in the world. The &s;econd, how to wean us from the world. The third, how to rejoyce in the love of Chri&s;t. And <HI>Solomon</HI> varies the title &s;utably to the occa&s;ion. In the beginning of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> he writes him&s;elf King of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that he might teach all his people. In <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes</HI> he cals him&s;elf King in <HI>Jeru&s;alem, Eccl.</HI> 1.1. that the people that had &s;een his vanity there, might not imitate it. In the <HI>Canticles</HI> he takes no kingly title at all, <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.1. No more, but bare <HI>Solomon. Proprium nomen &s;ufficit, ne&s;cit &s;e e&s;&s;e regem. He is content with his own name, taking no notice that he was a King.</HI> He had no title to Chri&s;ts love as a King. Every good &s;ubject of his had as much title to it as he. For this work of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> I &s;hall treat of &s;even generall heads.</P>
<P N="1">1. Of the number of <HI>Solomons</HI> Proverbs. 2. Of the time of uttering them. 3. Of the &s;peakers of the&s;e Proverbs. 4. Of compo&s;ing them. 5. Of the manner of &s;peech in them. 6. Of the divi&s;ion of the book. 7. Of my manner of hand|ling it.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, The number of <HI>Solomons</HI> Proverbs. They are &s;aid to be three thou&s;and, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 4.32.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> What is become of all the re&s;t, for we have not one thou&s;and of them left?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Either they were not written by him&s;elf or others, for it is not &s;aid he writ them, but he &s;pake them: or el&s;e they were lo&s;t in proce&s;&s;e of time being not &s;o much regarded as the re&s;t, as not appointed by God for canonicall Scrip|ture to abide for the information of his people to the end of the world. So all his Songs being one thou&s;and and five, are lo&s;t, except the Canticles the be&s;t of them: and all his Philo&s;ophicall di&s;cour&s;es of the nature of all kinde of bodily creatures, mentioned 1 <HI>King.</HI> 4.32, 33.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="6">
<P>For the &s;econd thing, The time of uttering them. I con|ceive that <HI>Solomon</HI> did ordinarily utter them at his table, and e&s;pecially at fea&s;ts for the good of &s;uch as did eat with him, or attended on him. It was the cu&s;tome of the Philo&s;ophers, and other wi&s;e men among the Heathen to &s;peak of profitable things at their meals, e&s;pecially at &s;upper, for they &s;eldome had &s;et dinners. And the Jewes fea&s;ts were ordinarily at &s;up|per, when the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of the day was over, <HI>Luk.</HI> 14.16. <HI>Rev.</HI> 19.9, 17. Hence it was &s;aid, that they who &s;upt with <HI>Plato,</HI> were better the next day, both for their temperate fare and good di&s;cour&s;es. Of this practi&s;e writ <HI>Atheneus, Plutarch, Gellius, Macrobius,</HI> and others. <HI>In&s;ita natura &s;cientiae cupiditas efficit, ut etiam inter epulas aliquid aut docerent aut di&s;cerent libenter, aut didici&s;s: &s;e o&s;tenderent,</HI> Athen. l. 1. <HI>The de&s;ire of knowledge bred in men by na|ture cau&s;ed them even in their fea&s;ts, either to teach or learn &s;omething willingly, or to &s;hew that they had learned. Indocti ex ea con&s;uetu|dine eruditionis aliquid accipiunt, &amp; &s;icut mutae literae ex commixtione vocalium in valde concinna, &amp; dearticulata crumpunt verba: ita ru|des i&s;ti ex convictu &s;apientum &s;apere incipiunt.</HI> Plutarch in lib. Sym|po&s;iac. <HI>&V;nlearned men out of that cu&s;tome get &s;ome erudition, and as con&s;onants mixed with vowels break forth into very fit, and articulate words, &s;o the&s;e rude ones begin to be wi&s;e by feeding with wi&s;e men.</HI> And <HI>Homer</HI> the wi&s;e&s;t of their Poets, when he would bring in the Heathen Gods di&s;cour&s;ing about any weighty matter, brings them in &s;peaking at a fea&s;t, <HI>Athen. l.</HI> 5.</P>
<P>And this cu&s;tome of the Heathen in Philo&s;ophy was imita|ted by Gods people in Divinity. As may appear by divers al|lu&s;ions in this Book. So <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peaking of a fea&s;t, &s;aith, <HI>The mor&s;ell which thou ha&s;t eaten thou &s;halt vomit up, and lo&s;e thy &s;weet words,</HI> Prov. 23.8. &amp; 25.11. <HI>A word fitly &s;poken is like apples <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> gold in pictures of &s;ilver.</HI> As in the end of fea&s;ts they brought i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> yellow apples in wrought &s;ilver di&s;hes (for &s;o the word &s;igni|fies) to conclude the fea&s;t, which began with egges, and ended with apples <HI>(ab ovo ad mala)</HI> &s;o when their bellies were full, then they began to feed their &s;ouls with &s;ome &s;pirituall food. So &s;ome read that in <HI>Cant.</HI> 8.2. <HI>I will bring thee into my mothers hou&s;e, there thou &s;halt in&s;truct me, I will cau&s;e thee to drink of &s;piced wine, of the juice of my pomegranats. Solomons</HI> hou&s;hold provi&s;ion plentifull, and daily is &s;et down, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 4.7, &amp;c. And his wi&s;|dome
<PB N="4" REF="7">annexed to that di&s;cour&s;e, ver&s;. 29, &amp;c. &s;hewed in &s;pea|king Proverbs, very likely at his table. The Queen of <HI>Sheba</HI> ob&s;erves the order of his table, and ble&s;&s;es his &s;ervants, that attended, not for their delicate fare, but for hearing <HI>Solomons</HI> wi&s;e &s;entences there dropt out, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 10.5, 8. To this cu|&s;tome <HI>Solomon</HI> alludes (or rather <HI>David,</HI> as we &s;hall hear hereaf|ter) when he brings in Wi&s;dome making a fea&s;t, and giving good coun&s;ell withall, chap. 9.1, &amp;c. Men are willing to learn of good hou&s;e-keepers, that invite them, and of &s;uch as are familiar and u&s;e to eat and drink with them. There|fore Chri&s;t the true <HI>Solomon</HI> fed the people miraculou&s;ly, that they might the more willingly hearken to his Doctrine. And he taught often at the table, and largely at his la&s;t &s;up|per, <HI>Joh.</HI> 13. A thing much neglected now adaies, but very profitable, if men would intermingle pious di&s;cour&s;es with their meat, and &s;o feed &s;ouls and bodies together, them&s;elves and others at the &s;ame table.</P>
<P>For the third thing, The &s;peakers of the&s;e Proverbs. Some conceive them to be all &s;poken by <HI>Solomon,</HI> but they are deceived. The contrary appears evidently. For after that <HI>Solomon</HI> had delivered his own thoughts in the three fir&s;t Chapters, at the 4. ver&s;e of the 4 Chapter he brings in his father <HI>David</HI> &s;peaking. At the beginning of the 10 Chapter, he &s;peaks again him&s;elf. In the 30 Chapter <HI>Agurs</HI> Prophe&s;ie is in&s;erted and his mother <HI>Bath&s;heba's</HI> in&s;truction in the la&s;t Chapter. And &s;ome think that the fir&s;t &s;ix ver&s;es of this chapter were written by &s;uch as put the Proverbs together, as a Preface to the re&s;t, as &s;ome conceive the fir&s;t P&s;alme to be made by <HI>Ezra,</HI> who (as they imagine) put the P&s;almes in order. It being more fit in their under&s;tanding, for another man to commend the work, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">en for <HI>Solomon</HI> him&s;elf. As it is certain, the end of <HI>Deute|ronomy</HI> was not written by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> nor the &s;econd of <HI>Samuel</HI> by <HI>Samuel,</HI> being written after his death, as the other was after the death of <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI> Yet the&s;e may be <HI>Solomons</HI> words in the fir&s;t &s;ix ver&s;es of this Chapter for all that objection, and the &s;tyle &s;eems to &s;peak as much. He might commend the work, not out of oftentation, but out of de&s;ire to draw others to read it for their &s;pirituall good. So <HI>Jeremy</HI> commends his Prophe&s;ie by his pedegree, and by tho&s;e famous Kings under
<PB N="5" REF="7">whom he prophe&s;ied. <HI>The words of</HI> Jeremiah <HI>the &s;on of</HI> Hilkiah <HI>of the Prie&s;ts that were in</HI> Anathoth <HI>in the land of</HI> Benjamin, <HI>to whom the Word of the Lord came in the daies of</HI> Jo&s;iah <HI>the &s;on of</HI> Amon <HI>King of</HI> Judah <HI>in the thirteenth year of his reign, &amp;c.</HI> In <HI>Job</HI> there are many &s;peeches of others, and in <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> is <HI>Heze|kiahs</HI> Song, yet the books bear the name of <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>I&s;aiah.</HI> So we call the P&s;almes <HI>Davids,</HI> yet many of them were made by others, but the mo&s;t by him. So may the&s;e be called <HI>Solomons</HI> Proverbs, becau&s;e the mo&s;t are his, and the re&s;t collected out of his writings though fir&s;t &s;poken by others. Neither is there any nece&s;&s;ity that tho&s;e &s;ix ver&s;es &s;hould be written after <HI>So|lomons</HI> death, as the end of <HI>Deuteronomy</HI> and &s;econd of <HI>Samuel</HI> were after <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Samuels</HI> death.</P>
<P>For the fourth point, of compo&s;ing them together. Some think they were all written together by <HI>Solomons</HI> own hand, and &s;o delivered by him at fir&s;t in one entire piece, as now they are; and that <HI>Agur</HI> and <HI>Lemuel</HI> were names of <HI>Solomon,</HI> or el&s;e imaginary per&s;ons brought in conferring with <HI>So|lomon,</HI> as the Heathen had &s;uch in their written Books of di&s;|cour&s;es at fea&s;ts. But that cannot be, for <HI>Agurs</HI> name alone is not &s;et down, but his parentage al&s;o, which is a note of a true &s;tory, and that that Chapter is his. <HI>Lemuel</HI> indeed is ta|ken for <HI>Solomon</HI> him&s;elf by all or mo&s;t Commenters, but the words are his mothers in&s;tructions. <HI>Salazar</HI> to maintain this opinion is forced to &s;ay, that the two la&s;t Chapters were written before chap. 25. that it might have &s;ome face of a conference: others think, that though mo&s;t of the&s;e Pro|verbs were uttered by <HI>Solomon,</HI> and left in &s;cattered papers, yet they were put together by others. <HI>Quinchi</HI> thinks by the Pro|phet <HI>I&s;aiah.</HI> Others by <HI>Hezekiahs</HI> men. But the likelie&s;t is, that <HI>Solomon</HI> left all the twenty four fir&s;t Chapters written in that order that now they are. And that learned men appoint|ed by <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> writ the la&s;t out of <HI>Solomons</HI> remaining papers, and among the re&s;t <HI>Agurs</HI> Prophe&s;ie, and <HI>Lemuels</HI> Mothers in&s;tructions. And that becau&s;e in the beginning of the 25. Chapter the Holy Gho&s;t makes a tran&s;ition from what was written before, (very likely, entirely by the Author) and what was copied out after by <HI>Hezekiahs</HI> men. The &s;ame thing learned men conceive of <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;almes, that the 72
<PB N="6" REF="8">fir&s;t were left by <HI>David</HI> him&s;elf in that order they now &s;tand, becau&s;e of the conclu&s;ion of the 72 P&s;alme, <HI>The prayers of</HI> David <HI>the &s;on of</HI> Je&s;&s;e <HI>are ended.</HI> And that the re&s;t after, though many of them be of <HI>Davids</HI> penning, yet were &s;et in that or|der by <HI>Ezra,</HI> or &s;ome other.</P>
<P>For the fifth thing, The manner of &s;peech u&s;ed in them. Sometime <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peaks in his own words, &s;ometime in his father <HI>Davids,</HI> as chap. 4.4, &amp;c. and &s;ometime in <HI>Agurs,</HI> as chap. 30. and &s;ometime in his Mothers, as chap. 31. that &s;o he might affect men the more with this variety, and &s;hew whence he had his fir&s;t knowledge, and what pains both his parents took with him. A fit Precedent for other parents.</P>
<P>For the &s;ixth head, The divi&s;ion of the Book. There is in it, 1 <HI>Solomons</HI> Preface to his Proverbs in the three fir&s;t chap|ters. 2 <HI>Davids</HI> Catechi&s;me for his &s;on <HI>Solomon,</HI> with a &s;hort Preface of <HI>Solomons</HI> to it, from the beginning of the fourth chapter to the end of the ninth. 3 <HI>Solomons</HI> own Proverbs not only uttered, but written by him&s;elf, as appears by the ti|tle of the tenth chapter, which reach to the end of chap. 24. 4 Such Proverbs of <HI>Solomon</HI> as were collected by <HI>Hezekiahs</HI> men long after <HI>Solomons</HI> death, from thence to the end of chap. 29. 5 <HI>Agurs</HI> Prophe&s;ie, chap. 30. 6 <HI>Solomons</HI> Mothers in&s;tructions, chap. 31. In the Preface and <HI>Davids</HI> Catechi&s;me, the coherence may give light &s;ometimes, where the &s;entences hang well toge|ther. But in the other parts the oppo&s;ition in each ver&s;e, gives mo&s;t light in many places, for there is &s;eldome any coherence of ver&s;es one with another, but di&s;tinct Proverbs uttered at divers times, and upon divers occa&s;ions.</P>
<P>For the &s;eventh and la&s;t thing propounded, My method in handling them &s;hall be,</P>
<P N="1">1. To give you the Grammaticall &s;en&s;e, or tran&s;lation, and originall force, and various &s;ignifications of the words.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Rhetorical &s;en&s;e, or interpretation, &s;hewing what is literally and what figuratively &s;poken.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Logicall &s;en&s;e holding out the coherence of one ver&s;e or word with another, and the &s;trength of arguments couched in the words.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Theologicall &s;en&s;e in &s;ome &s;hort ob&s;ervations out of the words, not without &s;utable applications. I &s;hall &s;ome|times
<PB N="7" REF="8">parallel the&s;e Proverbs with other like Scriptures, and &s;ometimes with &s;entences of other authors, and rob the <HI>Egypti|ans</HI> to enrich the <HI>I&s;raelites.</HI> I begin with the fir&s;t part, and am retiring to my text, as fa&s;t as I can. It is part of <HI>Solomons</HI> Preface contained in the three fir&s;t chapters, for as for the &s;ix next from chap. 4. to chap. 10. they are <HI>Davids</HI> words. For <HI>Solomon</HI> fathers them upon him, chap. 4.4. and di&s;chargeth him not till chap. 10.1. and then challengeth the re&s;t follow|ing or many chapters to him&s;elf, and &s;ets his &s;tamp upon them afre&s;h. <HI>The Proverbs of</HI> Solomon. Which had been needle&s;&s;e, if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;poken before, &s;ince he brought in <HI>David</HI> &s;paking. He &s;ets out his Fathers goodne&s;&s;e in teaching him &s;o abundantly, and his own in learning &s;o plenti|fully.</P>
<P>To return to <HI>Solomons</HI> words, note, 1. The in&s;cription of the Book to the 7 ver&s;e of this chapter. 2. His coun&s;ell to his &s;on to the end of the 3 chapter. In the in&s;cription note 1. The penman, ver&s;. 1. 2. The profit and &s;cope of the book in the five ver&s;es following.</P>
<P>I am now arrived at the haven, and come to my Text. And fir&s;t for the Grammaticall &s;en&s;e or tran&s;lation of the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The Proverbs.</HI> Vox gravida. <HI>A wo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d great with childe.</HI> as <HI>Salazar</HI> cals it. It contains much more under it, then we ordinarily conceive: it comes from <GAP DESC="foreign"> which &s;ignifies, 1. To rule, <HI>Dan.</HI> 11.4. <HI>Which he ruled.</HI> And that for divers rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e Proverbs are mo&s;t eminent ornaments of di&s;cour&s;e, and excell in &s;peech, as Kings in a kingdome. They are of mo&s;t account, and like &s;tars do illu&s;trate our &s;peech.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e other &s;peeches are deduced from them, as from undoubted principles, and receive all their credit, and autho|rity from them. The&s;e are like Axioms in all Arts, worthy of credit in them&s;elves, and from them other &s;entences are de|rived by con&s;equence, and therefore they rule over the&s;e lat|ter, like Kings, and other &s;entences mu&s;t &s;tand, or fall by their doome.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e mo&s;t of them are &s;entences coming from Kings
<PB N="8" REF="9">and Princes, or others eminent for wi&s;dome, as princes in the Schooles, who&s;e &s;entences are Chronicled, when other meaner mens words lie dead and buried. So <HI>Davids, Solo|mons, Bath&s;hebas;</HI> are here mentioned, and all Hi&s;tories are full of &s;uch.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e they are &s;o certain that they have a throne in all mens mindes, and no man dare contradict them, but all that hear them are convinced of the truth of them. Thus Chri&s;ts &s;entences had weight in them. <HI>He &s;pake as one that had authority, and not as the Scribes,</HI> Mar. 1.22. His words were weighty like the words of Kings, and rulers. The Greek word for a Proverb is <GAP DESC="foreign"> of <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> cals it <GAP DESC="foreign">, A word u&s;ed by the way. Things com|monly talked of by pa&s;&s;engers in the way, as generally belee|ved. Or, becau&s;e they were written upon pillars in the highwayes, that travellers reading them might have occa&s;i|on of meditation, and di&s;cour&s;e for their in&s;truction, and cor|rection. <HI>Athen. Synop&s;. l.</HI> 14. The Latin word <HI>Proverbium</HI> or Pro|verb is <HI>Proverbo,</HI> That which is worthy to &s;tand for a word.</P>
<P N="2">2. The word may import a &s;imilitude, for <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ig|nifies &s;ometimes to liken one thing to another. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 16.44. <HI>Behold every one that u&s;eth Proverbs, &s;hall u&s;e this proverb again&s;t thee, &s;aying, As is the mother, &s;o is the daughter.</HI> And that,</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e a multitude of Proverbs are &s;imilitudes, where|in one thing is compared with another. To this the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> an&s;wers of <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">, To lay one thing by another. And &s;o <HI>Hierom</HI> on <HI>Matthew,</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Parabola. e&s;t rerum natura di&s;crepantium &s;ub aliqua &s;imilitudine facta collatio. A parable is a compari&s;on of things different in nature made under &s;ome &s;imilitude.</HI> Parables compare things with things, per&s;ons with per&s;ons, &s;tate with &s;tate, bu&s;ine&s;&s;e with bu&s;ine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they are an Anatomy, and character of good mens manners, and expre&s;&s;e them as the &s;eal doth a picture in wax. A lively repre&s;entation, and likene&s;&s;e of them, and of their carriages in all conditions.</P>
<P>Under this word then are contained,</P>
<P N="1">1. Principles in Divinity commonly beleeved of all, and u&s;ed in common &s;peech, as <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18.2. <HI>What mean ye that ye u&s;e this Proverb concerning the land of I&s;rael, &s;aying, The fathers
<PB REF="9">have eaten &s;owre grapes, and the childrens teeth are &s;et on edge?</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Witty &s;entences &s;poken by men of note for wi&s;dome and learning, as the&s;e <HI>Proverbs of Solomon.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Riddles or hard &s;ayings, requiring labour for the un|der&s;tanding of them. And &s;o <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> a Proverb and a dark &s;aying are u&s;ed promi&s;cuou&s;ly. <HI>I will incline mine ear to a Parable; I will open my dark &s;ayings upon the Harp, P&s;al.</HI> 49.4. See the like, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78.2. Such was <HI>Balaams</HI> pro|verb or parable, <HI>Numb.</HI> 24.15.</P>
<P N="4">4. Similitudes: So the unju&s;t carriage of the great Kings of <HI>Judah,</HI> and Gods de&s;troying of them is &s;et out under the fi|militude of two Eagles and a Vine, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 17.2. &amp;c. All of the&s;e kindes are to be found in this Book, and &s;o they may ju&s;tly be called <HI>Proverbs.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Of Solomon.</HI> He was the &s;on of <HI>David</HI> by <HI>Bath&s;heba,</HI> and ap|pointed by God and him to be heir of the Kingdom, though not the elde&s;t &s;on. His name carries peace in it in the Origi|nal, and &s;uch was his reign. So was he called by God be|fore he was born, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 22.9. <HI>His name &s;hall be</HI> Solomon, <HI>and I will give peace, and quietne&s;&s;e unto</HI> I&s;rael <HI>in his days.</HI> This name was impo&s;ed on him by the Father, as the Text runs, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12.24. But the <GAP DESC="foreign"> or marginal reading, attributes it to his Mother, reading <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And &s;he called his name</HI> Solomon. God gave him another name there, ver&s;. 25. the name of <HI>Jedidiah,</HI> becau&s;e he loved him. Doubtle&s;&s;e then was <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aved, notwith&s;tanding his errours, for <HI>whom God loves he loves to the end, Joh.</HI> 13.1. <HI>Solomon</HI> is ob&s;erved to be the fir&s;t of the writers of Scripture, that &s;et his name before his Book. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> did it not, nor any other. If <HI>Nehe|miah</HI> be objected, it is an&s;wered, that he lived long after <HI>So|lomon</HI> in the time of the captivity, though his book be &s;et be|fore to continue the Hi&s;tory of the Church, and Doctrinal, and Prophetical Books &s;et after. The Prophets that followed after, imitated <HI>Solomon,</HI> but not the Hi&s;torians, that went be|fore. <HI>David</HI> writes his name indeed before &s;ome particular P&s;almes, but not before the Book of P&s;almes.</P>
<P><HI>The Son.</HI> The Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> a &s;on comes of <GAP DESC="foreign"> to build. A &s;on is a better monument of a father, e&s;pecially a wi&s;e and good &s;on, then a &s;tately Palace left behinde him.
<PB N="10" REF="10">In this language &s;peaks <HI>Sarah, Gen.</HI> 10.2. to <HI>Abraham</HI> per|&s;wading him to goe in unto her maid, <HI>It may be, that I may obtain children by her,</HI> Heb. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>be builded up by her;</HI> as in the margin of your Bibles. So the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is thought to come of <GAP DESC="foreign"> to plant, A better memorial, then a curi|ous Garden.</P>
<P><HI>Of David.</HI> His name is al&s;o taken from love, for God loved him, He was preferred to the Kingdome, when <HI>Saul</HI> was rejected. <HI>Solomon</HI> mentions his Father, as &s;ome other Sacred Writers doe,</P>
<P N="1">1. To pre&s;erve his Fathers memory, like a good child, that would not have his Father forgotten &s;o long as his own memory remains, even to the worlds end.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;hew, how well he was bred, and whence he had his in&s;truction at the fir&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. To &s;hew, that his Father was a Prophet, as well as him|&s;elf, and in&s;tructed him from his youth in holy my&s;teries. It is <HI>Quinchis</HI> Ob&s;ervation in his Preface before the twelve &s;mall Prophets. <HI>It is the Tradition of the Elders,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>that every Prophet that &s;ets his own name, and his Fathers in the beginning of his Prophecy, was certainly a Prophet, and the Son of a Prophet. He that &s;ets only his own name, was a Prophet, but not the Son of a Prophet. He that &s;ets to his name, and the name of his City, was a Prophet of that City. He that &s;ets to his name, and not the name of his City, was a Prophet of</HI> Jeru&s;alem.</P>
<P N="4">4. And la&s;tly, for his own honour, though not to be proud of it. For it might well be an honour to <HI>Solomon</HI> to have the title given afterwards to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 1.1. <HI>The Son of David.</HI> I mention this la&s;t, becau&s;e though it may become me to name it for <HI>Solomons</HI> credit, yet I believe it was the lea&s;t rea&s;on of the re&s;t in his eyes, who preferred Gods honour, and his fathers before his own.</P>
<P><HI>King.</HI> It may be under&s;tood either of <HI>David,</HI> or of <HI>Solomon,</HI> for both of them were Kings of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Of I&s;rael. Jacobs</HI> name, but here &s;ignifying his po&s;terity. He got it by wre&s;tling with God, and it &s;ignifies a Prince with God, <HI>Gen.</HI> 32.28. <HI>And he &s;aid, thy name &s;hall be called no mate.</HI> Jacob, <HI>but</HI> I&s;rael: <HI>for as a Prince ha&s;t thou power with God, and with men, and ha&s;t prevailed.</HI></P>
<PB N="11" REF="10">
<P>For the Rhetorical &s;en&s;e, or interpretation. All is lite|ral, but the fir&s;t word, and the la&s;t. We have no proper <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> word to expre&s;&s;e the fir&s;t, and therefore we call them by a <HI>Latin</HI> name, <HI>Proverbs.</HI> And under that name by a figure of the part for the whole is comprehended, not &s;peeches com|monly vented only, but al&s;o &s;imilitudes, riddles, and wi&s;e mens &s;ayings. So the &s;oul is put for the whole man, <HI>Exod.</HI> 1.5. where <HI>&s;eventy &s;ouls are &s;aid to come out of</HI> Jacobs <HI>loyns.</HI> We may call them by a Periphra&s;is, Excellent &s;entences, as by the <HI>Greeks</HI> they are called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Things worthy to be taken no|tice of.</HI> For the la&s;t word, <HI>I&s;rael, Jacobs</HI> name. It is put for the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> his po&s;terity by a figure of the cau&s;e for the effect. So <HI>Judah</HI> for the <HI>Jews</HI> that came of him. <HI>Though thou</HI> I&s;rael <HI>play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend, Ho&s;.</HI> 4.15.</P>
<P>Now for the Logical &s;en&s;e, or arguments. Here is 1. the effects, a Book of Proverbs. <HI>The Proverbs.</HI> 2. The efficients; <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;et it out, who is de&s;cribed, 1. By an adjunct of his name, <HI>Of Solomon.</HI> 2. Of his pedegree, <HI>The Son of</HI> David. He was <HI>Davids</HI> &s;on. 3. Of his Office, <HI>King of</HI> I&s;rael. He was no mean man, but as the &s;on of a famous King, &s;o was he him|&s;elf King of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> I mu&s;t be brief in the Doctrinal Ob&s;er|vations, and leave you to chew them, and gather more, for my great work is Expo&s;ition, that ye may under&s;tand Scrip|ture aright, and be kept from errours. I be&s;eech you bear with prolixity in Expo&s;ition. It may be with me, as I finde it with mo&s;t Commenters, who are like Hor&s;es, free at the beginning, and out of breath, before they end. And if you bear with me, I will bear with you then, and God will bear with us all. The &s;ame words will come again and again, which I &s;hall refer to the former places to avoid Tautologies, and that will be the mother of brevity. I come now to the The|ological &s;en&s;e or ob&s;ervations. The 1. Doctrine &s;hall be ge|neral. 1. This book of the <HI>Proverbes</HI> is of excellent u&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e it con&s;i&s;ts of Proverbs, ruling &s;entences, full of wi&s;dome and gravity, more excellent then other &s;entences, and more currant among men, looked upon as Princes on earth, or as the two great lights, the Sun and Moon among the Stars in heaven. More excellent then other Proverbs, which are meerly humane, whereas the&s;e are of divine authority, as being
<PB N="12" REF="11">parts of Canonical Scripture. <HI>Solomon</HI> was wi&s;e, but a greater then <HI>Solomon</HI> is here. Gods Spirit directed him. More ex|cellent then many other parts of Scripture, for not the pith only, but the husk al&s;o is excellent. Sen&s;e, and expre&s;&s;ion are both admirable. High matter and &s;tyle. <HI>I will &s;peak of excellent things.</HI> Heb. <HI>Princely,</HI> or <HI>leading things,</HI> chap. 8.6. And al&s;o becau&s;e they are all Proverbs. So are not ordinary writings, nor other books of Scripture. This book containeth no|thing, but illu&s;trious &s;entences. They need not be marked with a &s;tar, or finger, or <HI>N. B. Nota bene, Mark well,</HI> in the margin, as in other books: and as <HI>Seneca</HI> was fain to &s;et marks in books, on things he liked, <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 6. for all here are remarkable. And after the nine fir&s;t chapters ye need not &s;tu|dy for light by reading many ver&s;es together to finde the &s;en&s;e of one: but each contains its own light within it &s;elf, like a Lanthorn. They are like an heap of Corn, where|in are many grains, but no one mixed with another, each hath its weight in it &s;elf. They are brief &s;entences fit for learners, for mans memory is &s;hort, forgetful, and confoun|ded with prolixity. They make the deeper impre&s;&s;ion for their brevity. They contain matters of piety, morali|ty, civility, hou&s;hold affairs, and are u&s;efull for all men. They contain al&s;o many parables, and &s;imilitudes, which are very fit to teach, (Chri&s;t taught often by them) to per|&s;wade and delight. Take away metaphors out of Scrip|tures, and ye take away a great part of the choyce&s;t hou&s;e|hold &s;tuffe out of the hou&s;e. God therein playes with us infants, and as it were &s;tutters to us, and cures our eyes with clay. He &s;ets out things, that men are de&s;irous to under&s;tand, and are too high for them, by things more obvious, and de|lightful. If this will not work with men, nothing will. So much Chri&s;t him&s;elf te&s;tifies, <HI>If I have told you earthly things, and ye beleeve not: how &s;hall ye beleeve, if I tell you of heavenly things? Joh.</HI> 3.12. <HI>Etiam &s;ine probationibus ip&s;ius monetis autoritas ade&s;t, quo modo juri&s;con&s;ultorum valent re&s;pon&s;a, etiam&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ratio non red|datur. Advocatum i&s;ta non quaerunt, affectus ip&s;os tangunt, &amp; na|turd vim &s;uam exercente proficiunt. Even without any proofs mony hath authority in it &s;elf: as Lawyers an&s;wers, though no rea&s;on be given. The&s;e &s;eek no advocate, they touch the affections them&s;elves,
<PB N="13" REF="11">and prevail by their own nature exerci&s;ing its &s;trength. Senec. Epi&s;t.</HI> 94. And in the &s;ame Epi&s;tle, <HI>Quis negaverit brevi&s;&s;imis quibu&s;dam praeceptis, feriri efficaciter etiam imperiti&s;&s;imos? Haeo cum ictu quo|dam audimus: n.c. ulli licet dubitare, aut interrogare, adeo etiam &s;ine ratione ip&s;a veritas ducit. Who can deny, that &s;ome very &s;hort precepts strike effectually upon the most ignorant? The&s;e things we hear with a certain &s;troke: neither may any man doubt, or ask; &s;o far even without rea&s;on doth the truth it &s;elf lead.</HI> And in his 33. Epi&s;tle, <HI>Stoicorum tot us contextus virilis est: inaequalitatem &s;cias e&s;&s;e, ubi quae eminent notabilia &s;unt. Non e&s;t admirationi una arbor, ubi in eandem altitudimen tota &s;ylva &s;urrexit. The whole context of the Stoicks is manly: know, that there is inequality, when &s;ome things more eminent are ob&s;ervable. One tree is not admired, when the whole Wood is grown to one height.</HI> And in the &s;ame place, <HI>Quocun&abque; emi&s;eris oculum, id tibi occurret, quod eminere po&s;&s;et, ni&s;i inter paria legeretur. Turn your eye, which way you will, that will come to your view, that would be eminent, if it were not read among equal &s;ayings.</HI> La&s;tly, they contain many lively pictures of mens manners, and carriages &s;et out lively, and to the eye. Ye may &s;ee the &s;luggard folding his arms, the drunkard reeling, as the <HI>Lacedemonians</HI> &s;hewed their drunken &s;ervants to their children, that they might abhor drunken|ne&s;&s;e; the labourers working; the good hou&s;wi&s;e &s;pinning, and imploying her maids, and providing for all her hou&s;e|hold; the King cha&s;ing away wicked coun&s;ellours with his eyes, &s;o that they dare not appear in his pre&s;ence. Pictures are very delightful to us, and affect more then letters. We hang them therefore in our &s;ight. Sight of &s;hadows works often more then words of &s;ub&s;tance. As mu&s;ical &s;ounds &s;ometimes make men weep, &s;ometimes rejoyce, being &s;uta|ble to what is within; &s;o doe Parables. <HI>Omnis imitatie e&s;t &s;i|milis effectrix. Every imitation brings forth the like.</HI> Plato. Dial. 2. de leg. <HI>They breed good manners, as well as re&s;emble them.</HI> Ari&s;t. Politic. l. 8. c. 5. <HI>Imagines &amp; parabolas nece&s;&s;arias exi&s;timo, ut imbe|cillitatis no&s;trae adminicula &s;int, &amp; ut di&s;centem, &amp; audientem in rem prae&s;entem adducant. I judge Images and Parables to be nece&s;&s;ary in &s;peech, that they may be helps to our infirmitie, and that they may bring the learner, and the reader into the thing as pre&s;ent.</HI> Sence. E|pi&s;t. 59. <HI>Praeclarae adinferendam rebus lucem repertae &s;unt &s;imilitudi|nes. Similitudes are found to be very excellent to bring light to things.</HI> Quintil. In&s;t. l. 1.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="12">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they are <HI>Solomons Proverbs,</HI> to whom God gave more wi&s;dome then to any other meer man &s;ince the fall, li|ving either in his time, before, or after it. <HI>For he was wi&s;er then all men; then</HI> Ethan <HI>the</HI> Ezrahite, <HI>and</HI> Heman, <HI>and</HI> Chal|col, <HI>and</HI> Darda <HI>the &s;ons of</HI> Mahol, <HI>and his fame was in all Nations round about,</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 4.31. When God gives more excellent gi&s;ts to &s;ome then to others, he conveys more excellent things to us by them, then by others. Greater talents are put to greater u&s;e. <HI>Paul</HI> laboured more then all the Apo&s;tles in preaching and writing, and &s;preading the Word far and neer. <HI>I laboured more aboundantly then they all,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.10. <HI>From</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>and round about to</HI> Illyricum, <HI>I have fully preached the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, Rom.</HI> 15.19. For God had be&s;tow|ed better breeding, and greater gifts on him then on others. <HI>I was brought up</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>in this City at the feet of</HI> Gamaliel, <HI>and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers, Act.</HI> 22.3. <HI>He was caught up into Paradi&s;e, and heard un&s;peakable words, which it is not lawfull for a man to utter,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.4. He writ more highly, then the other writers of the Epi&s;tles, (as <HI>John</HI> the beloved Apo&s;tle excelled among the Go&s;pel writers) to &s;hew what learning could doe improved by grace, though now too much contemned. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> wi&s;hed for three things, To have &s;een Chri&s;t in the fle&s;h, <HI>Paul</HI> in the Pulpit, and <HI>Rome</HI> in her glory. So doubtle&s;&s;e more excellent things are commu|nicated to and by <HI>Solomon,</HI> then &s;ome other holy writers; for pipes filled with water, or Wine, run out according|ly. <HI>Solomon</HI> was al&s;o the &s;on of <HI>David.</HI> His Father was a powerful King, a wi&s;e Prophet, and an holy man, who bred his &s;on accordingly. Had he been meanly bred, as Amos <HI>among the herdmen of</HI> Tekoa, <HI>Amos</HI> 1.1.7.14, 15. yet being &s;o wi&s;e he had de&s;erved audience, much more coming of &s;uch a Father. He was al&s;o a King, not a &s;ubject, nor a Tyrant, but a wi&s;e, and a good King. Kings &s;peeches though mean are Chronicled, and greedily received, as from tho&s;e that in regard of their Office have Gods Image &s;tampt upon them, and are called <HI>Gods, P&s;al.</HI> 82.5, 6. In that re&s;pect they are worthy of audience. Neither was he King of a &s;mall Nation, but of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> a great people, which he guided with much wi&s;dome, and made very pro&s;perous, and therefore may well guide us
<PB N="15" REF="12">by his coun&s;els. He was King of all <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> of all the twelve Tribes, before the Kingdome was le&s;&s;ened by divi&s;ion, as af|terwards. It was much more populous in his time, then in after dayes. He was al&s;o King of Gods people, and of his only people upon earth, <HI>a great, wi&s;e, and under&s;tanding Nation, Deut.</HI> 4.6. and be&s;t able to judge of the&s;e Proverbs of all the people in the world. Having Gods Law to guide them, they could be&s;t di&s;cern the &s;olidity of <HI>Solomons Proverbs.</HI> And fit it was that they &s;hould have a very wi&s;e King. Therefore we may the better learn of him. As this addes to <HI>Solomons</HI> honour to be King over the wi&s;e&s;t people in the world, &s;o to our e&s;teem of the Book written by the wi&s;e&s;t man, a great King, and &s;on of a great King, and King of the wi&s;e&s;t people.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t u&s;e is for Mini&s;ters to &s;tudy the&s;e Proverbs well, that they may be able to crack the &s;hell, and give the kernel to the people. So great is the fulne&s;&s;e of the&s;e &s;entences, that though many have written, and preached on this book al|ready, yet they have left matter enough for others. As in the &s;ilver and other rich mines men are dayly digging, and yet &s;till meet &s;ucce&s;&s;ively with more matter of like price, that which the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> alludes unto, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.39. So the trea|&s;ures of divine wi&s;dome in this Book cannot be drawn dry. Study it well, that ye may not wrong the writer, as one wri|ting on <HI>Job</HI> &s;aid, that if <HI>Job</HI> were now alive, he would be more weary of his Comment then he was of all his troubles; and &s;o he left writing, as de&s;pairing of ever finding out <HI>Jobs</HI> true meaning. He that will profit by the&s;e Proverbs, mu&s;t bring the words to the &s;peakers intention, and not force them to &s;erve his own. You mu&s;t not make a Sermon fir&s;t, and then chu&s;e a Text here: but fir&s;t chu&s;e a Text, and then ga|ther points naturally out of it, the words being well cleared fir&s;t, becau&s;e oft they are more ob&s;cure then in &s;ome other books.</P>
<P>The &s;econd u&s;e is for the people, that they &s;hould read this book often, and hear it expounded willingly. Many de&s;pi&s;e Books, becau&s;e written by mean men. This is by a famous King. King <HI>James</HI> his <HI>Ba&s;ilicon Doron</HI> took much for the Au|thors &s;ake. Here the Sun &s;tands &s;till for your in&s;truction, as he did in <HI>Gibeon.</HI> Woe to them, who hear not <HI>Solomon</HI> Preach|ing
<PB N="16" REF="13">within their gates, when the Queen of <HI>Sheba</HI> went &s;o far to her great co&s;t to hear him. And woe to tho&s;e great Po|liticians, that leave <HI>Solomon</HI> to follow <HI>Matchiavil.</HI> How great a favour is it to confer daily with &s;o great a King? How great a fin is it to leave him to confer with humane works, as if a young man &s;hould leave a choi&s;e Lady to wooe a na&s;ty begger woman? Here is a golden, there a leaden pen. If <HI>Solomons</HI> Crown, or Sword, or Scepter were to be &s;een, how would people flock after it? His Books are his be&s;t reliques. No danger of &s;uper&s;tition in conver&s;ing with the&s;e. Here is <HI>Solomons</HI> Crown, and Jewels, and trea&s;ure. Attend then to the reading of them, or hearing of them expounded to the ends mentioned in the five ver&s;es following, and if thou attain to them, thou wilt not lo&s;e thy labour.</P>
<P>For particular ob&s;ervations. <HI>The Proverbs.</HI> 2. <HI>Doct.</HI> All Scripture &s;hould be read with diligence, but &s;ome places more carefully, then other. As the <HI>Proverbs, Eccle&s;ia&s;tes, Canticles, I&s;aiah, Johns</HI> Go&s;pel, <HI>Paul</HI> to the <HI>Romans,</HI> the <HI>Revela|tion,</HI> as written in an higher &s;train then others, and contain|ing high my&s;teries. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be &s;ure to be awake, and watch|ful in peru&s;ing the&s;e of all others; yet be negligent in none. Carry thy eyes about thee in the&s;e Books e&s;pecially.</P>
<P><HI>Of Solomon.</HI> Peaceable. A good name impo&s;ed by his Pa|rents. 3. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is was the u&s;e of good men to doe &s;o, and it is very laudable. They had more Prophetical infight in this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and were more guided by Gods Spirit then we. Hence <HI>I&s;aac</HI> had his name from laughter, <HI>Jacob</HI> from &s;upplant|ing, <HI>Noah</HI> from re&s;t; <HI>Zedekiah</HI> the King, and <HI>Jehozadac</HI> the high Prie&s;t before the captivity had Gods ju&s;tice &s;et forth in their names. But after the captivity, the great mens names &s;et out Gods mercy, as <HI>Ezra</HI> an helper, <HI>Nehemiah</HI> bring|ing comfort from God, <HI>Jeho&s;hua</HI> the High Prie&s;t taught them by his name, that God would &s;ave them. We have not that gift, yet may impo&s;e good names, that may put our children in minde of good things, unle&s;&s;e they forget their own names. So the <HI>Saxons</HI> in this I&s;land gave their children good names, though now through the alteration of the language men under&s;tand not their own names. <HI>Edmund</HI> &s;ig|nifies a mouth of troth, as <HI>Verstegan</HI> would have it, or ble&s;&s;ed
<PB N="17" REF="13">peace, as <HI>Camden</HI> renders it: Like our <HI>Solomons</HI> name. <HI>Edward</HI> keeper of his oath, <HI>Frances</HI> free. We &s;ay &s;til, Frank and free. <HI>Hugh,</HI> Joy, or comfort. <HI>Humfry</HI> Home peace. <HI>Ralph</HI> helping by coun&s;el. <HI>Richard</HI> a liberal minde. <HI>Robert</HI> famous in coun&s;el. <HI>Roger</HI> a pre|&s;erver of quietne&s;&s;e. <HI>Rouland</HI> the re&s;t of the Country. It were well if men would give good names to children now, that might be monitours of good to them, when their parents &s;hall be dead.</P>
<P>More particularly. 4. <HI>Doct. Solomons</HI> name, Peaceable, &s;hews, what the di&s;po&s;ition of a King, or Magi&s;trate &s;hould be. He &s;hould with <HI>Mordecai, &s;eek the wealth, and peace of his people.</HI> E&s;th. 10.3. <HI>Apes iracundi&s;&s;imae, at&abque; pro captu corporis pugnaci&s;&s;imae aculeos cruentos effu&s;os in vulnere relinquunt, &s;ed &s;olus rex earum acu|leo &s;emper caret: natura enim telum ei detraxit, &amp; iram ejus iner|mem reliquit. The Bees the mo&s;t angry creatures and quarel&s;ome for their bigne&s;&s;e, leave cruel &s;tings &s;hot out in the wound, but their King only alwayes wants a &s;ting: for nature hath taken away his weapon and left his anger without a dart.</HI> Senec. de Clem. l. 1. It were good for the world if Kings had no &s;tings. <HI>Trajan</HI> was &s;o merciful, that he was angry, that a Traitor was executed without his knowledge, and commanded it &s;hould be no more, &s;aying, <HI>He is a mad man, that had rather pluck out his &s;ore eyes, then cure them.</HI> He had more de&s;ire to root out wickedne&s;&s;e, then wicked men. If mens nails be &s;harp they pull them not off, but pare them. Mu&s;itians break not &s;trings out of tune, but put them in tune. Yet &s;ometimes though to the pain of the body, a mem|ber de&s;perately ill mu&s;t be cut off, le&s;t it gangrene all the re&s;t. <HI>Ne pars &s;incera trahatur.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Son.</HI> Ye heard before the word comes from building. 5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men defire to leave memorials behinde them. The be&s;t is a good childe like the Father, as <HI>Solomon</HI> was like <HI>Da|vid.</HI> Had <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> had a &s;on then alive, he would never have built him a pillar to keep his name in remembrance, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 18.18. Our children may honour God, when we are dead. An ancient Mini&s;ter of good note in this Nation, be|ing unmarryed him&s;elf, rea&s;oning with a marryed Gentle|woman about the be&s;t e&s;tate of the two, pleaded his great freedome he had from family cares, and for his &s;tudies. She cals a childe of hers, and catechizes him before the Mini&s;ter. Now Sir (&s;aid &s;he) you had need &s;erve God well, while you
<PB N="18" REF="14">live, for he &s;hall get no glory by you in this world, when you are dead. This childe may honour God, when I am gone, and others that may come from him, to the worlds end. This may teach Parents,</P>
<P N="1">1. To be thankful to God for children. If cattel be a ble&s;|&s;ing, <HI>Deut.</HI> 28.4. what are children then? The barren leave no remembrances behinde them. When an old tree dies, it is a comfort to &s;ee a young one come up in the roome.</P>
<P N="2">2. Endevour to make your children Gods children. If God give <HI>Samuel</HI> to <HI>Hannah, Hannah</HI> will give him back to God again, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 1.11.</P>
<P><HI>Of David.</HI> Beloved, of God. This was better then his King|dome. 6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods love is more worth then all the world. Becau&s;e he can doe more for us then all the world can, both here and hereafter. This is the Saints triumph. <HI>&V;nto him that loved us be glory and Dominion for ever and ever, Rev.</HI> 1.5, 6. And <HI>Pauls</HI> glory in particular. <HI>I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me. David</HI> might be &s;o called, becau&s;e his parents loved him, but much more, becau&s;e God loved him.</P>
<P>Try then whether ye be <HI>Davids,</HI> and <HI>Jedidiahs,</HI> beloved of God; ye need no greater portion. All in heaven, and earth is yours. <HI>God hath dealt graciou&s;ly with me</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Jacob</HI>) <HI>and I have all things.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. &s;o it &s;hould be tran&s;lated, whereas an <HI>E&s;au</HI> not beloved of God can &s;ay no more, but <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>I have much:</HI> for &s;o the words run in the Original, <HI>Gen.</HI> 33.9, 11.</P>
<P>Another point may be ob&s;erved from hence, that (7 <HI>Doct.</HI>) A wi&s;e &s;on of a godly Father makes a &s;weet harmony. He comforts his Father while he is alive. <HI>A wi&s;e &s;on maketh a glad father,</HI> Prov. 10.1. See the like chap. 23.15. <HI>My &s;on if thine heart be wi&s;e, my heart &s;hall rejoyce, even mine,</HI> or, <HI>even I.</HI> Al|together. Not my heart alone &s;hall joy, but my tongue al&s;o &s;hall utter it. He is no &s;hame to his Father, while he lives, <HI>Prov.</HI> 27.11. <HI>My &s;on be wi&s;e, and make my heart glad, that I may an&s;wer him that reproacheth me.</HI> He will revive his memory with credit, when he is dead. No doubt but many in <HI>Solomons</HI> be&s;t dayes were ready to &s;ay, <HI>This was</HI> Davids <HI>&s;on.</HI> Though he be dead, yet he lives in him. Let children then learn to be comforts to their Parents, while they live, and their life &s;hall be long, and comfortable in Gods land, <HI>Exod.</HI> 20.12.
<PB N="19" REF="14"><HI>Deut.</HI> 5.16. They &s;hall al&s;o honour their parents memory, when they are dead, and have others to comfort and honour them according to Gods promi&s;e to the hou&s;e of the <HI>Recha|bites,</HI> who kept their dead Fathers commands, <HI>Therefore</HI> Jo|nadab <HI>the &s;on of</HI> Rechab <HI>&s;hall not want a man to &s;tand before me for ever, Jer.</HI> 35.19.</P>
<P><HI>King.</HI> 8. <HI>Doct.</HI> If it be meant of <HI>David,</HI> it &s;hews, what a great ble&s;&s;ing to a State a good Governour is. He will &s;ee that God be honoured, and u&s;e his power, as <HI>David</HI> did, to &s;ettle the Mini&s;tery, that his people may not only be quiet un|der him, but live with him for ever in heaven, where he &s;hall be no Ruler, nor they no &s;ubjects. Pray then that our Go|vernours may be &s;uch, and we enjoy Gods Ordinances pure|ly under them.</P>
<P N="9">9. <HI>Doct.</HI> If it be meant of <HI>Solomon,</HI> it &s;ets before us the be|nefit of living under wi&s;e Rulers, who know how to pro|tect their &s;ubjects again&s;t all perils, and bring plenty unto a Nation, as <HI>Solomon</HI> did. This &s;hould make us to pray to God &s;o to direct our Rulers, that we may daily live more quietly and plentifully under them.</P>
<P N="10">10. <HI>Doct.</HI> Secondly, it informs us, that dependence on o|there is a great hinderance to tho&s;e, that &s;hould teach others. <HI>Solomon</HI> might &s;peak freely, and &s;pare none, being free from all &s;ervile dependences. Hope of gain, or fear of di&s;plea&s;ure keeps back much, that might be taught. We learn hence then, that our Teachers &s;hould not be alme&s;men, but have a certain means, be the Auditors plea&s;ed, or di&s;plea&s;ed. El&s;e are they wor&s;e provided for in the Go&s;pel, then under the Law. No man then could deny Tithes, or Offerings. Their Office is not arbitrary, but nece&s;&s;ary to the end of the world. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.11, 12, 13. God hath hath appointed Teachers to abide, <HI>Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the mea&s;ure of the &s;tature of the fulne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t.</HI> And certainly all will never come to this height in this world. As long therefore as this world remains, they that have a certain work, &s;hould have a certain maintenance.</P>
<P><HI>Of I&s;rael.</HI> 11. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods people have need of Govern|ment. Ever &s;ince they outgrew a family they had publick
<PB N="20" REF="15">Governours, either foreiners, as in <HI>Egypt,</HI> or of their own, as <HI>Mo&s;es, Jo&s;hua, Judges, Kings.</HI> For all men have not grace to guide them&s;elves aright, no not in the be&s;t Churches. And &s;uch as have grace are imperfect, and very &s;ubject to be partial in their own ca&s;e, and had therefore need of others to rule over them, and judge in their affairs. This reproves tho&s;e, that place all government promi&s;cuou&s;ly in all the people with|out re&s;pect of Officers, and &s;o by their creed utterly overthrow the fifth Commandement. How would an Army be govern|ed, if there were no Officers in it? This practice would &s;ubvert Kingdomes, Common-wealths, and Families; for why &s;hould not children and &s;ervants help to govern there, as well as private Subjects in a Common-wealth? <HI>Lycurgus,</HI> when one de&s;ired him to &s;et up a popular government in the City, bid him fir&s;t &s;et it up in his own hou&s;e, and if the other liked it there he would &s;et it up in the City. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Plutarch Sympo&s;. <HI>Salus populi &s;uprem<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> lex, The &s;afety of the people is the highe&s;t law,</HI> carries another &s;en&s;e then the Levellers would give it. Not that all people, when they think them&s;elves wronged may right them&s;elves di&s;orderly again&s;t authority, for then the Chri&s;tians, when in former time they grew numerous, needed not have been Martyrs, and they in their Apologies give out, that they could free them&s;elves by multitudes, but again&s;t lawful authority they knew no arms, but prayers and tears. They that cry, All the Lords people is holy, to pull down Magi&s;trates, and Mini&s;ters, whom God hath &s;et over his people, are lea&s;t holy them&s;elves. Witne&s;&s;e <HI>Korah, Dathan,</HI> and <HI>Abiram,</HI> and their company, and Gods judgements on them. The Proverb then rather &s;hews that rulers &s;hould look more at the peoples good, then their own, and not that private men &s;hould re|venge their own &s;uppo&s;ed wrongs again&s;t Magi&s;trates, or others. Let us make this u&s;e of what hath been &s;aid, &s;o to plead our freedome in Chri&s;t, that we re&s;i&s;t not lawful autho|rity. El&s;e we may look that others, enemies, or inferiours pull us down. Avoid tumults: &s;ee authority goe before you. El&s;e as ye bring confu&s;ion, &s;o ye may expect it: Sub|iection to men &s;et over you by God, will bring an eternal ble&s;&s;ing on you from God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="21" REF="15">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 2.</BIBL> To know wi&s;dome and instruction, to perceive the words of under|&s;tanding.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>In the five ver&s;es following is &s;et down the excellent u&s;e of the Book of <HI>The Proverbs,</HI> and &s;ingular good that may come to us thereby. Before he had by a fair title, and large com|mendation of the Author &s;ought to make the Reader atten|tive in reading it. Now he &s;eeks to make him flexible, and willing to be taught, and to give credit to what he &s;hould read by &s;etting forth the excellent u&s;es of this book.</P>
<P N="1">1. The general end is &s;et down, ver&s;. 2, 3. &s;hewing what it may bring to all men.</P>
<P N="2">2. The particular end, what it may bring to young and &s;imple ones, ver&s;. 4. what to wi&s;e men, ver&s;. 5, 6.</P>
<P>The general end is 1. Theological, ver&s;. 2. 2. Practical, v. 3. Both are called Wi&s;dom, and both are &s;o. To retire to this 2. v. And fir&s;t for the words. Many words here &s;eem to be of the &s;ame &s;ignification, or at lea&s;t to differ but little. We had there|fore need to weigh the natural force, and different &s;ignifica|tions of each word; for variety of words is u&s;ed to make us the more affected with the Book.</P>
<P><HI>To know.</HI> To convey to man the knowledge of tho&s;e things he knew not before.</P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI> In this ver&s;e it is taken for the Theorical part of wi&s;dome, to know the truth of things, as appears by the op|po&s;ition of manners in the next ver&s;e. It may be meant of wi&s;dome in general, knowledge of the truth; for many Phi|lo&s;opical truths are contained in this Book. But it hath a &s;pecial eye to the knowledge of God, and divine truths, as appears, ver&s;. 7. And it &s;ignifies an exact knowledge of things by the cau&s;es, or other properties, whereby we may be able to di&s;tingui&s;h between real, and apparent truths.</P>
<P><HI>And In&s;truction.</HI> The word properly &s;ignifies the manner of teaching, by which wi&s;dome is attained. It is &s;et after wi&s;e|dome, becau&s;e that is the end and perfection of in&s;truction, and therefore more worthy then the means. <HI>Finis primus in inten|tione, ultimus in executione. The end is fir&s;t in intention, la&s;t in exe|cution.</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="16">Men think of dwelling, before they think of build|ing. It &s;ignifies &s;uch in&s;truction, as is communicated to boyes joyned with correction, for the word imports both. To make &s;cholars bred up under &s;evere di&s;cipline to learn wi&s;e|dome. The&s;e Proverbs are better then rods. They will teach, what rods cannot.</P>
<P><HI>To perceive.</HI> Heb. To under&s;tand, or make to under&s;tand.</P>
<P><HI>The words.</HI> For thoughts cannot be under&s;tood. They are known only to God. Nor deeds are not &s;aid to be under|&s;tood, but to be &s;een. Under&s;tanding properly hath relation to that which comes in at the ear.</P>
<P><HI>Of under&s;tanding.</HI> Words of weight worthy to be under&s;tood, and well under&s;tood by tho&s;e that delivered them, and com|ing from men of great under&s;tanding, and making them &s;uch, that learn them. Acute &s;entences full of good matter, fit to pa&s;&s;e for authentical, like currant money. This &s;pecifies what wi&s;edome the holy Gho&s;t here meant, to wit, knowledge of things to be believed. As in the next ver&s;e, he fir&s;t names wi&s;e|dome, and then &s;hews what kinde of wi&s;dome he means. <HI>To know ju&s;tice,</HI> &amp;c. I will not trouble you with that, that trou|bles the interpreters, how to di&s;tingui&s;h wi&s;dome, in&s;truction, and under&s;tanding into knowledge by cau&s;es, or other argu|ments, and many other di&s;tinctions, for I take it, the latter in each ver&s;e doe but expound the former: and in&s;truction, knowing, perceiving, and receiving doe but &s;et out the means of attaining it.</P>
<P>For the figures. <HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI> A figure of the general for the &s;pe|cial. For divine wi&s;dome, which indeed is the be&s;t of all o|ther wi&s;dome, and de&s;erves to carry away the name from all the re&s;t. Humane truths are not to be named the &s;ame day with divine. So Chri&s;t is called the Son of man, Gods Word the Bible, and Scripture, becau&s;e he is the mo&s;t excellent Son of Man, and it the mo&s;t excellent book, and writing.</P>
<P><HI>In&s;truction.</HI> A figure of the cau&s;e for the effect. For the wi&s;e|dome gotten by in&s;truction. As <HI>Judah</HI> and <HI>Ephraim</HI> for their po&s;terity. Or, of the adjunct for the object. In&s;truction for the things, wherein men are in&s;tructed, as <HI>hope re&s;erved for us in heaven,</HI> for the things hoped for there, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.5.</P>
<P><HI>Of under&s;tanding.</HI> A figure, either of the efficient for the ef|fect,
<PB N="23" REF="16">as before, becau&s;e they came from under&s;tanding men: or of the matter, becau&s;e they contain things worthy to be un|der&s;tood: As <HI>here is wi&s;dome, Rev.</HI> 13.18. that is, wi&s;e matter. Or of the effect, becau&s;e they breed under&s;tanding men. As pale death, becau&s;e it makes men pale.</P>
<P>For the divi&s;ion, and arguments. 1. Note the general. 2. The particular. The general, <HI>To know wi&s;dome, and in&s;tru|ction.</HI> And in it 1. The act. To <HI>know.</HI> 2. The object. <HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI> 3. The means to attain it. <HI>In&s;truction.</HI> In the particular, the wi&s;dome here meant is &s;et out, 1. By an act. <HI>To perceive.</HI> 2. By the object. The words. 3. The adjunct. Of under&s;tand|ing.</P>
<P>The Ob&s;ervations follow. 1. <HI>Doct.</HI> In reading Scripture the end &s;hould be alwayes before our eyes. <HI>Solomon</HI> writ <HI>the Pro|verbs,</HI> that men might get wi&s;dome by reading them. So the builder &s;till mindes his end, whether he build for him&s;elf, or to let out for gain, and builds his hou&s;e accordingly. It is Gods great que&s;tion in religion, <HI>To what purpo&s;e is the multitude of your &s;acrifices to me, &s;aith the Lord? I&s;ai.</HI> 1.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. The end incites to the work. Much profit &s;ets the Seaman, Plowman, Trade&s;man on work. <HI>Omnia in rebus humanis &s;pebus aguntur: All endeavours in humane affairs are driven on by hopes:</HI> Salu. contra avar. <HI>Spes alit agricolas, &s;pes &s;ulcis &s;emina credit. Hope nouri&s;hes the husbandman, and makes him commit his &s;eed to the furrows.</HI> Tibul. l. 2. el. 7.</P>
<P N="2">2. The end orders all the means. No man can fit the means, unle&s;&s;e the end be in his thoughts. Workmen, matter, form, all mu&s;t be ordered by the end.</P>
<P N="3">3. The end attained perfects the work. It is imperfect till the end be attained.</P>
<P N="4">4. Sen&s;ele&s;&s;e things only &s;et no end before them, as fire, and water. Bea&s;ts have an end, they goe to the pa&s;tures, and to the waters, that their life may continue. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames mo&s;t readers of Scripture, which travail to no end. They read a chap|ter, or make their children doe it out of cu&s;tome meerly, but know not why, or wherefore. Why &s;hould Gods Word be wor&s;t u&s;ed by them? They work, and play for &s;ome end, but read for none, and therefore are never the better.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dome is to be gotten out of Scripture. <HI>Solomon</HI>
<PB N="24" REF="17">writ his Proverbs to teach men wi&s;dome. <HI>The holy Scriptures are able to make</HI> Timothy <HI>wi&s;e unto &s;alvation,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.15. The wri|ters were wi&s;e men, as <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> who <HI>was learned in all the wi&s;dome of the</HI> Egyptians, <HI>Act.</HI> 7.22. <HI>Davids</HI> wi&s;dome and <HI>Solomons</HI> are well known by their works, and reigns. <HI>Pauls</HI> al&s;o, who <HI>was brought up at the feet of</HI> Gamaliel, <HI>and taught according to the per|fect manner of the law of the Fathers, Act.</HI> 22.3. As for <HI>Daniel, God gave him knowledge, and skill in all learning, and wi&s;dome, and he had under&s;tanding in all Vi&s;ions, and Dreams, Dan.</HI> 1.17. Tho&s;e that were not learnedly bred, had tongues, and wi&s;dome given them from God immediately. The Lord took <HI>Amos</HI> an Herd|man, and bid him prophe&s;ie, <HI>Amos</HI> 7.14, 15. He found him un|fit, but he made him fit, el&s;e no doubt, he would not have &s;ent him. Some of the Apo&s;tles were Fi&s;hermen. But on the day of Penteco&s;t, <HI>They were all filled with the holy Ghost, and began to &s;peak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance, Act.</HI> 2.4. From wi&s;e men we look for wi&s;e Books. But that which is more then all this, the mo&s;t wi&s;e God guided their heads and pens, which had been enough to have made a man blinde and fooli&s;h to write aright, and wi&s;ely. <HI>Holy men of God &s;pake as they were moved by the holy Gho&s;t,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.21. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Lo&s;e not your la|bour then to &s;eek heavenly wi&s;dome in humane writings with neglect of the Scriptures, as your great Politicians and Mora|li&s;ts doe. Men &s;eek it in many arts, bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, &s;tudies, inven|tions, but in vain: here it is to be found, and abundantly more then el&s;ewhere. Experience confirms it in <HI>David,</HI> who by reading the Scripture, became <HI>wi&s;er then his enemies, teachers, elders, P&s;al.</HI> 119.98, 99, 100. <HI>Sapientia &s;apida &s;cientia. Wi&s;dome is a &s;appy knowledge.</HI> And &s;ure the marrow of wi&s;dome full of &s;pi|ritual delight is to be found in the Scriptures. It may better be learned here, then out of <HI>Lip&s;ius</HI> his Bee-hive, or <HI>Matchiavills</HI> Spiders web.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Divine truths are far more excellent then other. Therefore are they called wi&s;dome here by way of excellency. Men may be &s;poyl'd by <HI>vain Philo&s;ophy following mens Traditions, and worldly rudiments, and not the doctrine of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Gol.</HI> 2.8. Philo&s;ophy may be profitable, but vain in compari&s;on of Di|vinity. Nothing but Chri&s;t will down with a <HI>Paul, I deter|mined not to know any thing among you, &s;ave Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and him
<PB N="25" REF="17">crucified,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.2. The matter proves it, being not bodily, but &s;piritual; not moral, but holy; not civil, but heavenly; not treating of creatures, but of God him&s;elf. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be more &s;tudious to know the&s;e, then any Arts in Schools, Univer&s;ity, or trading, for which men can be content to &s;erve an appren|ti&s;hip. It is a better trade. Read, hear, meditate, advi&s;e, learn by your &s;elves, and others.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is need of wi&s;dome to guide both the under|&s;tanding, and the will. For the under&s;tanding is blinde. <HI>Man is born like the wilde A&s;&s;es colt, Job</HI> 11.12. Hence came &s;o many &s;uper&s;titious among the Heathen, Becau&s;e they knew not God. Hence aro&s;e &s;o many fooli&s;h opinions among the Pa|pi&s;ts, of merits, and prayer to Saints, and good meanings. Hence &s;pring &s;o many ignorant a&s;&s;ertions among us, as that men have &s;erved God ever &s;ince they were born: that they &s;hall be &s;aved, becau&s;e they have done no man wrong, nor none can &s;ay black is their eye. And the will mu&s;t needs mi&s;lead men then, for <HI>if the blinde lead the blinde, both &s;hall fall into the ditch, Matth.</HI> 15.14. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us bewail our natural mi&s;ery, that neither know, nor care, how to doe well. It is a great grief to Gods people, that they know not how to doe right in &s;ome ca&s;es. It is a great unhappine&s;&s;e, that befals many wi&s;e men, that they have no will to doe the good they know. But both together how great a my&s;tery? Yet all naturally &s;ubject to it.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Divine truths mu&s;t be enquired into as well as divine precepts. Hence comes that charge, <HI>Buy the truth, and &s;ell it not, Prov.</HI> 23.23. Knowledge of the truth is a great pri|viledge. <HI>Ye &s;hall know the truth, and the truth &s;hall make you free, J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h.</HI> 8.32.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the &s;un and eye of the &s;oul is rea&s;on and under&s;tanding. The Suns light is plea&s;ing to the bodily eye, &s;o is the di&s;covery of truth to the &s;oul.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is no content in any place, or calling without the knowledge of the my&s;teries thereunto belonging. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames &s;uch as &s;light all truths in matter of knowledge. Mo|ral things they like, they may bring &s;ome good to the Com|mon-wealth, but as for heavenly truths, they make no reck|oning of them. All need not be Divines (&s;ay they) yet
<PB N="26" REF="18">there are divine truths, that all had need to know, el&s;e why did God reveal them? Why a Sun in the Firmament? Is it not to &s;hew us the beauty of the world, as well as how to work and travail?</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Pains mu&s;t be taken to di&s;tingui&s;h real truths from apparent. So is Chri&s;ts-precept. <HI>Search the Scriptures, Joh.</HI> 5.39. Dig as for minerals; ye have the example of the noble <HI>Bereans,</HI> who hearing <HI>Paul &s;earched the Scriptures daily, whether tho&s;e things were &s;o, Act.</HI> 17.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e real, and apparent truths are hard to be di&s;tingui&s;hed, and that upon a double account. Fir&s;t, in re|gard of their likene&s;&s;e. As copper is like gold, pewter like &s;ilver. Secondly, becau&s;e of our blear-eyedne&s;&s;e, that can|not well judge of colours, and &s;o may ea&s;ily call light dark|ne&s;&s;e, and darkne&s;&s;e light.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they are worth di&s;tingui&s;hing, the one being far more excellent, then the other. More then &s;ilver is bet|ter then pewter, or gold then copper. <HI>Melius e&s;t pallens aurum quam fulgens aurichalcum. Better is pale gold, then &s;hining copper. Bern. &V;&s;e.</HI> Read therefore with under&s;tanding, and what thou knowe&s;t not or can&s;t not an&s;wer, goe to Mini&s;ters, or other learned in Gods Word to know the meaning of it, as men doe to Lawyers in hard ca&s;es of Law for re&s;olution, and to Phy&s;itians for their bodies.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Doct.</HI> In&s;truction is the means to get wi&s;dome out of Scripture. So <HI>Luke</HI> dedicates his Go&s;pel to <HI>Theophilus, that he might know the certainty of tho&s;e things, wherein he had been in|&s;tructed, Luk.</HI> 1.4. The Apo&s;tle reckons it as a difficult, (if not impo&s;&s;ible) thing, to believe <HI>without hearing a Preacher, Rom.</HI> 10 14</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e therefore God gives more knowledge to &s;ome, then to others, that they might as Conduit-pipes pour out to others, or as rich men, yet Gods Stewards give to others.</P>
<P N="2">2. Experience &s;hews it in all Arts, and Trades. Men learn their skill from Teachers, and Ma&s;ters, <HI>Artifices &s;ine Doctore e&s;&s;e non po&s;&s;unt. None can prove workmen without a teacher,</HI> Hieron. ad Paulin. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us not be a&s;hamed to be taught, or to reveal our own ignorance, that we may learn truth. The &s;ick man is not a&s;hamed to tell the Phy&s;itian his
<PB N="27" REF="18">di&s;ea&s;e, <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Neither is it good to hide ignorance, as</HI> Heraclitus <HI>&s;aith, but to bring it forth, that it may be healed.</HI> Plut. <HI>de audiend. Vid. eundem adver&s;. Epicur. de latend. Some are willing|ly ignorant,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.3. <HI>Sunt qui volunt intelligere, &amp; non valent: &s;unt &amp; qui nolunt intelligere, ideo non intelligunt.</HI> Aug. in P&s;al. 35. <HI>Some would under&s;tand, and cannot: and &s;ome will not under&s;tand and therefore doe not. Homo aliquando mente nimium perver&s;a time<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> intelligere, ne cogatur, quod intellexerit, facere.</HI> Idem de verb. A|po&s;t. Serm. 13. <HI>Sometimes a man out of a minde too perver&s;e fears to under&s;tand, le&s;t he be forced to doe what he under&s;tands.</HI> Be not fa&s;tened to the world, as Sea-weeds to rocks. Long more for in&s;truction, then <HI>&V;ly&s;&s;es</HI> did for the &s;moke of his hou&s;e after ten years ab&s;ence. As the Scripture &s;ets out &s;piritual arms to maintain truth, &s;o in&s;truction teacheth us how to fit, put on, goe in, and u&s;e them. Fire in a flint mu&s;t be beaten out. There is then excellent u&s;e of Mini&s;ters to bring forth the fire of truth out of Gods Word.</P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>Doct.</HI> Hearing divine truth without under&s;tanding doth men no good. <HI>Lots</HI> &s;ons in law peri&s;hed for all <HI>Lots</HI> coun&s;el, <HI>Gen.</HI> 19. and the old world, though warned by <HI>Noah, Gen.</HI> 7. For it is affected and wilfull ignorance, as not &s;eeing when the Sun &s;hines. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Beware of the gro&s;&s;e igno|rance of the&s;e dayes, notwith&s;tanding &s;o much preaching more then formerly. Say ye not, ye are Prote&s;tants, and hear Sermons: that will not &s;ave you. He mu&s;t not be &s;aved by his Book that cannot read, nor he by Gods Book, that un|der&s;tands it not. Eternal life is not to hear, but to know. <HI>This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Je|&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent, Joh.</HI> 17.3.</P>
<P N="9">9. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge of trivial things is little worth. It is like Fi&s;hermen by the Sea-&s;ide gathering fine &s;hels, and letting Oy&s;ters alone, or fools playing with feathers. Hereby much precious time and labour is lo&s;t. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hould be our wi&s;|dome to pa&s;&s;e by &s;uch things, as being known will doe us little good, that we may have time for better things. A good choyce of matter, and books is a great help. A bad choyce a great hinderance.</P>
<P N="10">10. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge of divine truth will doe us much
<PB N="28" REF="19">good. It will bring us acquainted with God more fully then the creatures can, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19. comp. ver&s;. 1. with ver&s;. 7. It will &s;hew us <HI>the way to heaven, Joh.</HI> 17.3. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Go to the Fountain Gods Word. Thir&s;t for tho&s;e living waters <HI>as the Hart, P&s;al.</HI> 42.1. C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y out with <HI>David, Oh how doe I love thy Law! it is my medi|tation all the day P&s;al.</HI> 119.97.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 3.</BIBL> To receive the in&s;truction of wi&s;dom, ju&s;tice, and judgement, and equity.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The former ver&s;e directed us to Theorical, this to practi|cal wi&s;dome. For the words, <HI>To receive.</HI> From others by in&s;truction. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To receive, or take away from others by force, as 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12.30. <HI>He took their Kings Crown from off his head.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To receive what is purpo&s;ely given, <HI>Thou &s;halt not take a gift, Deut.</HI> 16.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. To take a thing not given, <HI>As though they would have fetch|ed wheat.</HI> Heb. <HI>Taken wheat,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 4.6.</P>
<P N="4">4. To receive in&s;truction, or to learn of another, as <HI>Job</HI> 22 22. <HI>Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. To allure, or take with fair &s;peech, <HI>Let her not take thee with her eyelids, Prov.</HI> 6.25. So there is a taking of &s;ouls, <HI>Pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">v.</HI> 11.30. <HI>He that winneth</HI> (Heb. taketh) <HI>&s;ouls, is wi&s;e.</HI> And the Apo&s;tles were made <HI>fi&s;hers to take men, Matth.</HI> 4.19. Here the word is taken in the fouth &s;en&s;e for learning, and receiving knowledge out of the&s;e Proverhs, which doe mini&s;ter, and offer it plentifully to us, and are it were dead teachers of living men. Much is got by conferring with the dead in their Books.</P>
<P><HI>The In&s;truction.</HI> Expounded before in the &s;econd ver&s;e to be not a particular head of knowledge, but the way of attaining it, or receiving from our teachers.</P>
<P><HI>Of Wi&s;dome.</HI> Not <GAP DESC="foreign"> as before, Theorical wi&s;dome, but <GAP DESC="foreign">, Prudence, or providence. It comes from a root, that &s;ignifies good foreca&s;t, wifely to fore&s;ee all conveniences, and inconveniences, that we may order our actions aright. So it is u&s;ed, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 18.30. David <HI>behaved him&s;elf more wi&s;ely then all the &s;ervants of</HI> Saul. Hence it &s;ignifies to pro&s;per. For pro&s;perity ordinarily follows wife managing of bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, as
<PB N="29" REF="19">ruine follows fooli&s;h carriage of affairs. <HI>Keep therefore the words of this Covenant, and doe them, that ye may pro&s;per in all that ye doe, Deut.</HI> 29.9. The fir&s;t &s;ignification is here intended. Such in&s;truction as may teach a man how to carry him&s;elf wi&s;ely, that he may pro&s;per.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Ju&s;tice.</HI> That is, giving every one his right. Not to be re&s;trained to Magi&s;trates alone, but to be applyed to the people al&s;o, for all may doe right or wrong to others, though they be no Magi&s;trates.</P>
<P><HI>Judgement.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed,</P>
<P N="1">1. For di&s;cerning right from wrong. <HI>The aged doe not al|wayes under&s;tand judgement, Job</HI> 32.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the law, manner or rule of it. <HI>The judgements of the Lord are true, P&s;al</HI> 19.9.</P>
<P N="3">3. For puni&s;hment or execution of judgement. God would bring forth his people out of <HI>Egypt by great judgements, Exod.</HI> 7.4. Here it is u&s;ed in the fir&s;t fignification to teach men how to di&s;cern right from wrong: Neither is this peculiar to Magi&s;trates, but common to others al&s;o, for though all have not an authorative judiciary power either in Church or Com|mon-wealth, yet all have a power &s;o far as concerns their own actions, to judge before, and after, what is fit to be done to others, and what not.</P>
<P><HI>And equity.</HI> Heb. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Straight wayes, that goe on foreright, and even like plains when men goe not up hill, and down hill in their actions, but proceed in an even cour&s;e. It comes from a word that &s;ignifies to be right, and equal. It is tran&s;lated taking <HI>the &s;traight way;</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.12. It &s;ignifies al|&s;o a thing right in Gods, or mans eyes, which they approve as ju&s;t and equal, <HI>Doing that which is right, and good in the &s;ight of the Lord, Deut.</HI> 6.18. Becau&s;e that which is right plea&s;eth God, and &s;hould plea&s;e men al&s;o, although it be to their lo&s;&s;e. Heb. <HI>Equilies,</HI> that is, all kinde of equity, or equity in all our actions, not in &s;ome only: or it may be the word wants a &s;ingular in Hebrew. Wi&s;dome then is required for the guiding of all the&s;e three, ju&s;tice, judgement, and equity. Some think the&s;e three words to contain three &s;everal ver|tues, but cannot well di&s;tingui&s;h them. All three are found, chap. 2.9. Some under&s;tand by Ju&s;tice the matter of our acti|ons,
<PB N="30" REF="20">that it be lawful; by Judgement the manner of them, that it be right; by Equity, moderation, that we u&s;e not the ex|tremity of the law, nor doe all that we may. Others under|&s;tand by Ju&s;tice right actions, by Judgement di&s;cerning good from evill, by Equity integrity of minde in working and di&s;|cerning. Set out by the clean creatures in the law. The fir&s;t by chewing the cud, ruminating on Gods Word to know what is ju&s;t. The &s;econd by dividing of the hoof, di&s;tingui&s;hing between good and evill. The third by the fi&s;hes, that live in the clear water above the mud. So a right minde carries us above the &s;inful wayes of the world. Others by Ju&s;tice mean that which is ju&s;t, and right by Gods Law or mans, by Judge|ment that which is due by contracts or bargains, by Equity that which nature dictates to be equal. <HI>Quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri ne feceris. That which thou would&s;t not have done to thee, doe not to another.</HI> Others take them all to be <HI>Synonymas,</HI> fignifying the &s;ame thing, and trebled to work more upon mens affections, e&s;pecially there being &s;ome difference in the notion, though the things be the &s;ame. Ju&s;tice looking to the object, what is Gods right, what mans, what our own. Judgement look|ing to the workman, who mu&s;t di&s;cern the difference, that each may have his right. Equity looking to the manner of doing it, not going too far, nor falling &s;hort in any of them. This la&s;t I think to be right, becau&s;e the former doe either interfere one with another, or doe not &s;o well agree with the nature of the words, and u&s;e of them in Scripture, where they are often put promi&s;cuou&s;ly.</P>
<P>Figures I finde none, the words being all literally to be un|der&s;tood.</P>
<P>Here is fir&s;t another general end of the&s;e Proverbs to teach us practical wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="2">2. An explanation of it by particulars.</P>
<P>In the general note 1. an act. <HI>To receive.</HI> 2. The in&s;trumen|tal cau&s;e. <HI>The in&s;truction.</HI> 3. The object. <HI>Of wi&s;dome,</HI> or <HI>pru|dence.</HI></P>
<P>The particulars are three, 1. Ju&s;tice. 2. Judgement. 3. Equity.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Matters of practice mu&s;t not be perceived only, but al&s;o received. There is a piercing of truth into the
<PB N="31" REF="20">under&s;tanding, and a receiving of it into the judgement. <HI>The na|tural man cannot receive the things of God, becau&s;e he cannot perceive them,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.14. So in matters of practice, there mu&s;t fir&s;t be a knowledge of them in the under&s;tanding, and then a recei|ving them in the will, and affections, before they can be brought into action. <HI>The &s;eed on good ground are they, which in an hone&s;t, and good heart having heard the Word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, Luk.</HI> 8.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they doe a man no good, if they only &s;wim in his brain. What good doth a Phy&s;itians, Lawyers, Sea|mans knowledge without a will to practi&s;e it for his own good, and others?</P>
<P N="2">2. They attain not to their end el&s;e, but are like fruit falling before it be ripe, or a &s;hip ca&s;t away.</P>
<P N="3">3. As the proper Element of truth is the judgement, &s;o the will and affections of holine&s;&s;e, and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Ele|ments out of their place doe hurt. A man knows, that there is a God; if he would be this God him&s;elf like <HI>Alex|ander,</HI> and challenge divine wor&s;hip, he might ruine him&s;elf and others. So a man knows what is to be done, and believes it, yet if he have a minde to doe otherwi&s;e, much mi&s;chief may follow. Air in the earth breeds earthquakes. Fire out of the chimney burns hou&s;es: Earth falling in mines kils men. Water overflowing drowns cattell. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves &s;uch, as have good heads, but not good hearts, illumination without &s;anctification, who&s;e knowledge appears in their tongues, not in their lives, and &s;erves to guide others, but not them&s;elves. <HI>If ye know the&s;e things, happy are ye, if ye doe them, Joh.</HI> 13.17. ye are not happy for knowing, but unhappy for not doing, and <HI>&s;hall be beaten with many &s;tripes, Luk.</HI> 12.47. Brag not of your knowledge then, that have no will to doe good with it. A cunning Papi&s;t, and Prote&s;tant may rea&s;on the ca&s;e of religion, yet both goe to hell, the one for idola|try, the other for want of piety. A Morali&s;t, and an Epi|cure may both di&s;pute of the chiefe&s;t good, yet both meet in hell, the one for lack of faith in Chri&s;t, the other for a vicious life. Subdue your will then, or look to peri&s;h by your wit.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge is ordinarily received from others.
<PB N="32" REF="21"><HI>Theophilus</HI> had his knowledge <HI>from in&s;tructors, Luk.</HI> 1.4. Apol|los <HI>from</HI> Aquila <HI>and</HI> Pri&s;cilla, <HI>Act.</HI> 18.26. Abrahams <HI>family from their M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ter, Gen.</HI> 18.19. Solomon <HI>from</HI> David <HI>his Father, Prov.</HI> 4.4. and &s;ome <HI>from his mother, Prov.</HI> 31.1. Therefore are parents &s;et up in their family to teach children, Schoolma|&s;ters for boys, Ma&s;ters of families for youth, Mini&s;ters for men.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It cals on us to prai&s;e God for teaching us by men like our &s;elves, for putting <HI>heavenly trea&s;ure in earthly ve&s;&s;els for us,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.7. The trea&s;ure mu&s;t not be contemn|ed for the ve&s;&s;els, but regarded for their own worthine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;hews us that teaching is not enough without learn|ing. What good will the running of the Fountain doe, where is no mouth to drink? What good will an alms doe not taken? Giving is but offering if not received; and who ever thrived by offers?</P>
<P N="3">3. Let parents e&s;pecially be careful to teach their children piety, and ju&s;tice, who brought them into the world igno|rant. El&s;e it will be an eternal grief to breed a childe for hell, and not &s;eek to &s;ave him.</P>
<P N="4">4. Let children learn, and as willingly receive in&s;tructi|on from parents, as they doe inheritances. This they may do, and not be tempted to de&s;ire to be rid of their parents, yea they may be &s;aved with their parents.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> A &s;piritual wi&s;dome is required to guide all our actions. <HI>A wi&s;e man &s;hews out of a good conver&s;ation his works with meekne&s;&s;e of wi&s;dome, Jam.</HI> 3.13. See the like there, ver&s;. 17. <HI>Wi&s;dome is profitable to direct, Eccle&s;.</HI> 10.10. <HI>With the well advi&s;ed is wi&s;dome, Prov.</HI> 13.10. <HI>Through wi&s;dome is an hou&s;e builded, and by under&s;tanding it is e&s;tabli&s;hed, Prov.</HI> 24.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is hard to know, what is to be done upon all occurrents.</P>
<P N="2">2. If we want this &s;piritual wi&s;dome, our pa&s;&s;ions will quickly blinde us, and lead us on to our own and others ruine.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of variety of means, &s;ome fit, &s;ome unfit, and &s;ome fitter then other. A wi&s;e choy&s;e of in&s;truments, and matter wonderly furthers a building, or any other work.</P>
<P N="4">4. Divers ends pre&s;ent them&s;elves, and if the right end be not cho&s;en all means are in vain, though never &s;o good in
<PB N="33" REF="21">them&s;elves. Though they could effect other things as good, yet not that. As meat may feed, yet not keep us warm, and fire may hear, but not cool. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us bewail the want of this &s;piritual wi&s;dome both in good men and bad. Our actions doe not &s;mell of it. By our indi&s;cretion we oft give occa&s;ion to be ill &s;poken of, and make our Religion to be reproached.</P>
<P N="2">2. Think it not enough to know things to be beleeved, but learn out of Gods precepts, how to carry thy &s;elf in all things. That is it which mu&s;t <HI>win others</HI> to love thee, and &s;erve God, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.12.3.1.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Every ones right mu&s;t be pre&s;erved. <HI>Render unto</HI> Cae&s;ar <HI>the things which are</HI> Cae&s;ars, <HI>Matth.</HI> 22.21. <HI>Render to all their dues, Rom.</HI> 13.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. There are di&s;tinct rights. God hath his right, Superiours have their right, equals have theirs, inferiours have theirs, we have ours, and bea&s;ts have theirs.</P>
<P N="2">2. This right is by the law of Nature, or Scripture, or laws, and cu&s;tomes of Nations.</P>
<P N="3">3. This right mu&s;t be pre&s;erved. And that 1. becau&s;e the divi&s;ion is originally from God. 2. The pre&s;ervation is commanded by God in all the Commandements. 3. Much mi&s;chief comes to our &s;elves, and others by violating it. It breeds confu&s;ion in the greater world among the elements, and in the le&s;&s;er world among our &s;elves. If it were in heaven, neither God, nor Angels, nor Saints &s;hould have their right. On earth much wrong would be found in family, State, and Church. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It condemns tho&s;e who take away others right unju&s;tly, by fraud, or violence. So are they un|thankful to God, di&s;contented with their own condition, in|jurious to others.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men mu&s;t &s;tudy to know, how to judge of inter|e&s;ts. This is the &s;tudy of Divines, of Lawyers, of private per&s;ons. It concerns every man, that he may not doe, or &s;uffer wrong. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Study this point. It is very comfortable for &s;oul, body, credit, and e&s;tate. Labour to know every ones right with a will to pre&s;erve it in thy calling, and then all will be happy, if every one doe it: Wars and contentions will be prevented, and a quiet &s;tate recovered, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 85.10, 11. <HI>Glory
<PB N="34" REF="22">will dwell in that land, where mercy, truth, and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e meet, and abide together.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Extremity of ju&s;tice is not always to be u&s;ed: mo|deration &s;ometimes is to be exerci&s;ed. As <HI>David</HI> did to <HI>Shimei,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 19.23. <HI>David</HI> &s;aid, and &s;ware <HI>he &s;hould not dye,</HI> though he well de&s;erved it, and <HI>Abi&s;hai</HI> pre&s;&s;ed <HI>David</HI> to do it. God is con|tent to lo&s;e his right in the Shew-bread, when men are hungry. <HI>Abiathar</HI> the High Prie&s;t gives it to <HI>David,</HI> and his hungry fol|lowers, <HI>Mar.</HI> 2.26 Much more &s;hould man. Gods own Law, <HI>Deut.</HI> 22.23, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> might have been abu&s;ed. A Virgin in &s;ome places in a City might cry long ere any could hear her, yet if forced, &s;he mu&s;t dye. A &s;trumpet going willingly into the field, or &s;educing a young man, there might be naught, and never cry out, and yet e&s;cape. Much more need will there be of moderation in the execution of humane laws upon variety of circum&s;tances. <HI>Summum jus &s;umma injuria. The &s;tricte&s;t &s;entence, though legal, may prove the greate&s;t injury. &V;&s;e.</HI> Take not all advantages again&s;t others, that Gods, or mans law allows, but win men by mo|deration, where it will prevail. A Chancery, or a Court of equity may doe well in &s;ome ca&s;es.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 4.</BIBL> To give &s;ubtilty to the &s;imple, to the young man knowledge, and di&s;cretion.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The common good to be gotten by the&s;e Proverbs hath been &s;poken of before in the 2. and 3. ver&s;es. The good that may come to particular per&s;ons by reading them follows. And that 1. To &s;uch as are unwi&s;e, in this 4. ver&s;. 2. To &s;uch as are wi&s;e, in the 5. &amp; 6. ver&s;es.</P>
<P>For the 1. in this ver&s;e, It may be objected thus, the&s;e Proverbs coming from <HI>Solomons</HI> deep wi&s;dome, are not for every one to read, and being brief, and therefore the more ob&s;cure, had need of wi&s;e men to peru&s;e them; &s;imple men can look for little good out of them. The an&s;wer is in this ver&s;e: Men of the meane&s;t capacity may get good by them, for though &s;ome of them are &s;o deep, that they may exerci&s;e the wi&s;e&s;t heads; yet &s;ome are &s;o plain, that &s;imple men may get profit by them. For the words.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="22">
<P><HI>To give.</HI> An elegant relation. Before he had &s;hewed what we might receive, ver&s;. 3. Now le&s;t we &s;hould think the pro|fit came from the Readers wit, and not the Writers, as wi&s;e men will gather wit out of other mens folly, and Phy&s;itians heal by poy&s;on, he &s;hews, that the profit flows naturally out of the <HI>Proverbs</HI> them&s;elves, and &s;o evidently, that &s;imple men perceive it: The&s;e bre&s;ts hold out milk for children. The&s;e <HI>Proverbs</HI> hold out an ea&s;ie way for a &s;imple man to get &s;ubtilty. The Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed,</P>
<P N="1">1. For delivering a thing into ones hand, as <HI>Gen.</HI> 39.4. <HI>All that the keepers had he put</HI> (Heb. gave) <HI>into</HI> Jo&s;ephs <HI>hand.</HI> Not to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e, but to guide,</P>
<P N="2">2. To put a thing in its place. <HI>God &s;et them in the Firmament, Gen.</HI> 1.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. To &s;uffer. <HI>God will not &s;uffer the de&s;troyer to come in, Exod.</HI> 12.23.</P>
<P N="4">4. To make. <HI>I will make the land de&s;olate. Ezek.</HI> 61.4.</P>
<P N="5">5. To &s;et over. <HI>See, I have &s;et thee over all the land of</HI> Egypt, <HI>Gen.</HI> 41.41.</P>
<P N="6">6. To teach or give in&s;truction. <HI>Give to a wi&s;e man.</HI> To wit, in&s;truction, as is added in little letters to fill up the &s;en&s;e, <HI>Prov.</HI> 9.9.</P>
<P N="7">7. To account. <HI>The Lord of the land took us for &s;pies of the country, Gen.</HI> 42.30.</P>
<P N="8">8. To expre&s;&s;e wi&s;hing. <HI>Would God, Numb.</HI> 11.29. Heb. <HI>Who will give?</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. To bring forth. <HI>Who can bring a clean thing out of an un|unclean? Job</HI> 14.4. A good man is <HI>like a tree that bringeth forth his fruit in his &s;ea&s;on. P&s;al.</HI> 1.3. Here it is taken in the &s;ixt &s;en&s;e, for teaching or giving knowledge to the minde.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Subtilty.</HI> The word is taken &s;ometimes in an ill &s;en&s;e, for a crafty wit to deceive others. <HI>Now the Serpent was more &s;ubtile then any bea&s;t of the field, Gen.</HI> 3.1. So <HI>God di&s;|appointeth the devices of the crafty, Job</HI> 5.12. Sometimes it is taken in a good &s;en&s;e, for under&s;tanding to prevent dangers, that crafty men might bring upon us. <HI>O ye &s;imple, under&s;tand wi&s;dome,</HI> chap. 8.5. So it is taken here. Such will not ea&s;ily be de|ceived, or deluded.</P>
<P><HI>To the &s;imple.</HI> From this word <GAP DESC="foreign"> comes <HI>futuus</HI> in Latine,
<PB N="36" REF="23">a fool. Such, who being flexible like reeds, are <HI>carryed about with every winde of doctrine, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.14. It comes from <GAP DESC="foreign"> that fignifies to allure or &s;educe one that wants under&s;tand|ing of God truths, and will, and &s;o is ea&s;ily allured to any errour, or wickedne&s;&s;e by good words, as giving credit to every thing, becau&s;e not able to examine things for want of judgement. He fals into danger for lack of knowledge. <HI>The &s;imple believeth every word, or thing,</HI> chap. 14.15. It is oppo&s;ed to <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ubtilty, and healed by it, <HI>Prov.</HI> 9.4. <HI>Who &s;o is &s;im|ple, let him turn in hither,</HI> &s;aith Wi&s;dome. The word &s;ignifies al&s;o one, who wants fore&s;ight to prevent danger. <HI>The Lord pre&s;erveth the &s;imple, P&s;al.</HI> 116.6. Both may be meant here. The <HI>Proverbs</HI> will bring wi&s;dome to a &s;imple man, &s;hewing him how to prevent errour, and danger.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>To the young man.</HI> Some under&s;tand it of one young in knowledge, &s;poken of <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.14. But it may well be under&s;tood of one well in years, who for want of in&s;tructi|on, and experience, (though of better capacity then the for|mer) is unskilful, and &s;eldome troubled with &s;erious thoughts. It comes from <GAP DESC="foreign"> to &s;hake out, <HI>I &s;hook my lap, and &s;aid, So God &s;hake out every man,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Neh.</HI> 5.13. It &s;ignifies one, that hath, as it were, ca&s;t off parents and tutors, and yet is not well able to guide him&s;elf for want of experience, like the childi&s;h King, that brings <HI>a woe to the land, Eccle&s;.</HI> 10.16. It &s;ignifies an in|fant al&s;o as one ca&s;t out of the wombe into the world, <HI>untill the childe be weaned,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 1.22. But here more properly it in|tends one free from Governours, yet wanting experience to govern him&s;elf, and more fit to take, then to give good coun&s;el.</P>
<P><HI>Knowledge.</HI> The principles, and beginnings of knowledge, &s;uch as fir&s;t come into young mens mindes, when they are taught by others. Oppo&s;ed to the next word <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Di&s;|cretion.</HI> It comes from a word that &s;ignifies to conceive, and agitate things in the minde, and upon deliberation to be able to conclude aright, what is be&s;t to be done, or to be left un|done. Not bare thinking, or devi&s;ing, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 10.4. <HI>God is not in all his thoughts,</HI> or determining, as <HI>Jer.</HI> 51.11. <HI>His de|vice is again&s;t</HI> Babylon, for both the&s;e nature teacheth, and it is not worth pains to learn. But more acute and &s;ubtil
<PB N="37" REF="23">thoughts are here intended. Young men doe things ra&s;hly without con&s;ideration, and therefore had need of thought|fulne&s;&s;e, or advi&s;ement, or di&s;cretion. Sometimes it is taken in an ill &s;en&s;e for plotting mi&s;chief, and <HI>bringing wicked devices to pa&s;&s;e, P&s;al.</HI> 37.7. So the root of it <GAP DESC="foreign"> is taken, <HI>Deut.</HI> 19.19. <HI>Ye &s;hall doe to him, as he had thought to have done un|to his brother.</HI></P>
<P>Figures here are none. Note 1. the good that comes to men of mean capacity. 2. The benefit that accrues to young men.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note 1. the effect of <HI>The&s;e Proverbs. To give.</HI> 2. The object, <HI>Subtilty.</HI> 3. The &s;ubject. <HI>To the &s;imple.</HI></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note 1. the &s;ubject. <HI>To the young man.</HI> 2. A double adjunct. <HI>Knowledge</HI> by others. <HI>Di&s;cretion</HI> by pondering on the&s;e <HI>Proverbs</HI> read, or expounded.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> The Scripture contains &s;tore of heavenly know|ledge &s;ufficient to inform &s;imple per&s;ons.</P>
<P>In the pro&s;ecution of this point, note 1. The &s;tore of hea|venly my&s;teries in the Scripture.</P>
<P N="2">2. The clearne&s;&s;e of them. For the &s;tore, &s;ee 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.15, 16, 17. <HI>The holy Scriptures are able to make men wi&s;e unto Sal|vation, and are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, in&s;truction in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly fur|ni&s;hed unto all good works.</HI> Two arguments are here couched to prove it.</P>
<P N="1">1. The various u&s;es of it, To inform mens judgements, &s;hew them their &s;ins, bring them to amendment, direct their lives afterward.</P>
<P N="2">2. The effect. To make men more then worldly wi&s;e, wi&s;e unto &s;alvation. Wi&s;e not to get wealth, but heaven. This requires &s;tore. Gods trea&s;ure mentioned, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.7. is laid up here, and hence Gods Stewards fetch enough to make them&s;elves, and others rich. In a trea&s;ury is much gold, and &s;ilver laid up. <HI>The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life, Prov.</HI> 10.11. How much more Gods Word? So here. Subtilty is to be had to prevent errours, and dangers. Knowledge of things needful. Di&s;cretion to guide men in &s;afe wayes. There is then &s;tore of heavenly truths in Scripture.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd, the clearne&s;&s;e of them. It is compared to <HI>a
<PB N="38" REF="24">light, and a lanthorn, P&s;al.</HI> 119.105. <HI>It gives light unto the &s;imple, P&s;al.</HI> 119.130. <HI>It makes wi&s;e the &s;imple, and inlightens the eyes, P&s;al.</HI> 19.7, 8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Many things are as plainly &s;et down, as any man can &s;peak, as the the Hi&s;tory of the Creation, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1. Re|demption in the Go&s;pel. Precepts of holine&s;&s;e in the E|pi&s;tles.</P>
<P N="2">2. Heavenly things are &s;et out by earthly &s;imilitudes for our capacity, as in many parables, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. The&s;e are &s;pe|ctacles to help our weak &s;ight.</P>
<P N="3">3. They are fitted by God to our capacity, not to his high wi&s;dome in the manner of delivery. And who can &s;peak plainer then God, or teach better?</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> See the difference between Gods Word, and mens. Though Gods Word be much deeper, yet weak ones may draw water hence. A Lamb may wade, and an Elephant may &s;wim in this river. It was writ over <HI>Pythagoras</HI> his &s;chool doores, <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Let no man ignorant of Geome|try enter.</HI> But God Iets ignorant per&s;ons, and children come into his &s;chool and learn, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.14.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be encouraged notwith&s;tanding your natural ig|norance to goe to &s;chool to Gods Word to learn knowledge. There is &s;tore of matter, and clearne&s;&s;e of delivery. If this book of <HI>The Proverbs,</HI> that is &s;o deep, may &s;erve to in&s;truct &s;imple ones, much more other plainer books of Scripture. <HI>Peter Martyr</HI> in his Epi&s;tle Dedicatory, before his Comment on the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Romans,</HI> &s;peaks &s;trangely, yet truly, <HI>Equidem &s;cio multos e&s;&s;e, qui hoc non credunt, &amp; non paucos qui ea rideant, no&s;&abque; in&s;anire arbitrentur, &s;ed i&s;tos rogatos velim, &amp;c. I wot well, there are many, that will not believe it, and not a few, that will deride tho&s;e things, and think, that we are mad in a&s;cribing &s;o much to the Scriptures. But <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oh that they would be intreated, to make tryal a while, and to take to the reading of the Bible. Male mihi &s;it (itae enim in tanta cau&s;a jurare au&s;im) ni&s;i tandem capian|tur: &s;entient deni&abque; quantum divina haec ab humanis di&s;tent, &amp;c. Let ill betide me, (for &s;o I dare &s;wear in &s;o great a cau&s;e) if they be not taken at length: they will perceive in the end, how far Gods writings differ from mens.</HI> Adde <HI>Era&s;mus</HI> his te&s;timony in his Preface to the Go&s;pel of <HI>Luke. Expertus &s;um in meip&s;o, I can
<PB N="39" REF="24">&s;peak it by experience, that there is little good to be gotten by read|ing the Bible cur&s;orily, and carele&s;ly: but doe it duly, and diligently, with attention, and affection, and you &s;hall finde &s;uch an efficacy, as is to be found in no other book that can be named.</HI> Yet was <HI>Era&s;mus</HI> a great &s;cholar, and knew the worth of books.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Subtilty for preventing of dangers is be&s;t learned out of Scriptures. They teach us how to countermine, and goe beyond our enemies plots, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.98. Serpentine wi&s;dome is required, <HI>Matth.</HI> 10.16. Serpents prevent real dangers by folding the tails about the head to &s;afeguard the chief part, and keep life. They prevent verbal dangers by laying one ear on the ground, and &s;topping the other that they may not be enchanted. <HI>Augu&s;t in P&s;al.</HI> 57. that is, 58. with us. Al&s;o when they come to whole&s;ome water, they drink not, till they have ca&s;t up their poy&s;on, <HI>Epiphan. Haere&s;.</HI> 37. There are in Scrip|ture directions how to prevent evils that follow wantonne&s;&s;e, <HI>Prov.</HI> 5.1. &amp;c. that follow &s;ureti&s;hip, <HI>Prov.</HI> 6.1. &amp;c. Examples al|&s;o are here to be found. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> would not be undone by his Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es daily &s;olicitations, <HI>Gen.</HI> 39.10. Nor would <HI>E&s;ther</HI> en|dure to &s;ee the de&s;truction of her people, <HI>E&s;th.</HI> 8.6. Here are we taught the art of prevention of all &s;orts of dangers of &s;oul, of body, temporal, &s;piritual, eternal. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> De&s;pi&s;e all Po|liticks in compari&s;on of Scripture. Let <HI>Machiavel</HI> &s;leep, and learn of <HI>Solomon.</HI> Let <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> goe, and learn of <HI>Paul,</HI> how to &s;cape hell. El&s;e all other evils are e&s;caped to no purpo&s;e. Good men had need to get policy from hense, becau&s;e they have to do with politick enemies, crafty men, and devils, who will el&s;e &s;orely wound them, and quickly overthrow them.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> We are naturally &s;imple and ea&s;ily led into errour. <HI>Man is born like a wilde A&s;&s;es colt, Job</HI> 11.12. <HI>Man that is in honour, and under&s;tandeth not, is like the bea&s;ts, that peri&s;h, P&s;al.</HI> 49.20.</P>
<P>It appears 1. by our fals into errour. How ea&s;ily doth eve|ry light objection draw us?</P>
<P N="2">2. Into dangers. No warnings will keep us out.</P>
<P N="3">3. By our ready hearkening to bad coun&s;el, whereas good will hardly down with us.</P>
<P N="4">4. By the di&s;parity of our condition. Men of great birth run as wilde cour&s;es, as other meaner of education. It argues
<PB N="40" REF="25">a great &s;tain in nature, that education cannot rub out. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It layes us low. A generation of &s;illy creatures. If others will tempt us, we pre&s;ently agree to undoe our &s;elves, like children of great men, that make ill matches again&s;t their parents will. If none will tempt us, we will undoe our &s;elves. We quickly erre in judgement, or practi&s;e. Ill opinions, or lu&s;ts will be &s;ure to ruine us for ever, if we want grace, and if God keep us not better, then we can keep our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The way to keep us from errours, is the right un|der&s;tanding of Scripture. From thence &s;ubtilty is gotten to prevent them. All errours, and lu&s;ts come either out of want of a perfect rule, or mi&s;applying that rule that is perfect, or willingne&s;&s;e to erre, or doe ill. Ours come not from the fir&s;t. The Scripture is <HI>a perfect rule, P&s;al.</HI> 19.7. and <HI>able to make us perfect,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16, 17. God neither wants skill, nor will to give a perfect rule, as men doe. There was enough re|vealed in the Old Te&s;tament to guide men of that age. There|fore God forbids <HI>any to adde to it, or take from it, Deut.</HI> 4.1, 2. <HI>or to goe a&s;ide to the right hand, or to the le&s;t, Deut.</HI> 5.32. which they might have done had they not been &s;trictly tyed to a perfect rule. It was impo&s;&s;ible for them to erre then for want of a per|fect rule, much more for us now, when it is more fully ex|plained, and the charge of not adding nor dimini&s;hing backed with terrible threats <HI>of plagues to be inflicted, and the lo&s;&s;e of eter|nal life, Rev.</HI> 22.18, 19. To erre by mi&s;pplying the rule is ordinary. <HI>&V;nlearned and un&s;table men wre&s;t the Scriptures to their own de&s;truction,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.16. So was <HI>Pauls</HI> preaching mi&s;-interpre|ted to countenance lying and evill doing, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.5, 6, 7, 8. To erre willingly is &s;hameful. As for a man that hath a true mea&s;ure and weight, willingly to &s;horten his neighbour of his due. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews us, where the fault mu&s;t be laid of errours, and lu&s;ts in our dayes; Not on God, for his rule is perfect, though many now di&s;grace it bla&s;phemou&s;ly, which have guided many thou&s;ands to heaven. The fault then mu&s;t be in mans mi&s;applying it, or willingne&s;&s;e to wander out of Gods wayes.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Study to apply the rule well, and re&s;t &s;atisfied with it. Leave it once, and never goe right.</P>
<PB N="41" REF="25">
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Mo&s;t danger of going a&s;tray is in the time of youth. Young men are mo&s;t &s;ubject to <HI>walk in the wayes of their hearts, and &s;ight of their eyes,</HI> Eccl. 11.9. <HI>Remember not the &s;ins of my youth,</HI> P&s;al. 25.7. As this was <HI>David</HI>'s confe&s;&s;ion, &s;o <HI>Paul</HI> &s;eeks to keep <HI>Timothy</HI> from &s;uch errors. <HI>Fly youthfull lusts,</HI> 2 Tim. 2.2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are out of the conduct of Parents and Ma&s;ters, that could guide them well. Like young birds newly fledge, for&s;aken by the Dams, and ea&s;ily taken. Mens di&s;po&s;ition is not known till then; <HI>Dum Aetas, Metus, Magi&s;ter prohibent;</HI> Age, Fear, Ma&s;ter keeps them in awe. <HI>Terence.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. They want experience to guide them&s;elves. When the bridle is out of the Hor&s;e mouth, then he runs wilde. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Young men hearken to me. The Devil layes clo&s;e fiege to you, and beleaguers you round about. Ye are not free from God, though from Governours. Ye are &s;trong to do evil, and have &s;carce learned to do good. Oh! be watch|full, le&s;t like young prodigals ye run &s;o far out, that ye never can recover all your life long. Yea, wor&s;e. They die beg|gere, ye will die damned wretches. Their debts are all paid by death, your greate&s;t debt is to be paid after death, and ne|ver di&s;charged to eternity.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Bare knowledge is not enough, but di&s;cretion mu&s;t be laboured for al&s;o. <HI>A good man will guide his affairs with di&s;cre|tion,</HI> P&s;al. 112.3. <HI>Di&s;cretion &s;hall pre&s;erve thee,</HI> Prov. 2.11. For knowledge is imperfect, and will need further augmentation by deliberation. And knowing men do things ra&s;hly often|times, being di&s;turbed with pa&s;&s;ion. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Add to your know|ledge di&s;cretion. Seek to learn both out of this and other Books of Scripture, and ye will not &s;tudy in vain.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 5.</BIBL> A wi&s;eman will bear, and will increa&s;e learning; and a man of un|derstanding &s;hall attain unto wi&s;e coun&s;els.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The benefit that all men may get by the&s;e <HI>Proverbs,</HI> was &s;et out before, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2, 3. For &s;imple men, and young men, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4. Now for wi&s;emen, who&s;e gain is &s;et out, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5.
<PB N="42" REF="26">and their profit, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 6. For the fir&s;t. Le&s;t any man &s;hould think, becau&s;e the&s;e <HI>Proverbs</HI> bring benefit to &s;imple men, and young ones, therefore they are good for none but children, and fooles, and may be contemned by wi&s;e men, as too low for them; he &s;hews that they are good for wi&s;e men al&s;o, to encrea&s;e their knowledge. Though one main end of wri|ting this Book were to in&s;truct young ones, as appears by of|ten repeating <HI>My Son, My Son,</HI> yet here is excellent matter, worthy al&s;o for wi&s;e men to learn.</P>
<P>For the words. <HI>A wi&s;e man,</HI> or, <HI>That the wi&s;e man may hear.</HI> And &s;o it may go on to &s;et out the true end of writing this Book, whereas your Tran&s;lation carries the event onely, which may &s;eem to &s;ome to come rather by the Readers care, then the Writers aim. So <HI>that</HI> is ju&s;tly added by the Tran&s;la|tors, P&s;al. 9.20. <HI>That the Nations may know them&s;elves to be but men.</HI> So we &s;ay, Know you are men; that is, Know that you are men. Or, if ye read it as it is in the Tran&s;lation, it &s;hews the readine&s;&s;e of wi&s;e men to make u&s;e of this Book for increa&s;e of knowledge. Having invited &s;imple ones, he makes no doubt but wi&s;e men will hear and learn. A wi&s;e man is one that hath already attained to a good mea&s;ure of heavenly knowledge, yet is willing to get more by this Book.</P>
<P><HI>Will hear.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To hear, as in hearing a report. <HI>I have heard, that there is corn in Aegypt,</HI> Gen. 42.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. To mark what is &s;aid, or attend to it. <HI>The Lord hath heard, that I was hated,</HI> Gen. 29.33.</P>
<P N="3">3. To under&s;tand what is &s;poken. <HI>They knew not, that Jo|&s;eph under&s;tood them,</HI> Gen. 42.23. Heb. <HI>heard them.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. To grant what is asked. <HI>As for I&s;hmael, I have heard thee,</HI> Gen. 17.20.</P>
<P N="5">5. To beleeve a thing reported, to be true. <HI>They hearkened not unto Mo&s;es,</HI> Exod. 6.9.</P>
<P N="6">6. To obey what is commanded. <HI>Abraham obeyed my voyce,</HI> Gen. 26.5. So <HI>&s;peaking</HI> is put for <HI>commanding,</HI> E&s;t. 1.10. Here the word is u&s;ed in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for marking and giving his minde to it. He wil give heed to the&s;e <HI>Proverbs.</HI> To &s;uch, a ble&s;&s;ing is promi&s;ed, Rev. 1.3. It &s;ignifies attending with ears of minde and body. Wi&s;e men are willing to know more.
<PB N="43" REF="26">Fools de&s;ire it not. They know not the worth of lear|ning.</P>
<P><HI>And will increa&s;e.</HI> Heb. <HI>Adde;</HI> to wit, to that which he had before, and make it more, as an heap is increa&s;ed by addition of &s;tones or money. Hence <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> had his name, Gen. 30.24. <HI>And &s;he called his name Jo&s;eph, and &s;aid, The Lord &s;hall adde to me another Son.</HI> It may be under&s;tood of ad|ding to others, as well as to him&s;elf; that not onely he will know more then he did before, but al&s;o be &s;o full, that he will run over to teach others.</P>
<P><HI>Learning,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. Received from others by hearing them, as the word imports, and as it were taken out of their know|ledge, yet without lo&s;&s;e to them, as one Candle takes light from another. <HI>Homo, qui erranti comit&egrave;r mon&s;trat viam, qua&s;i de &s;uo lumine lumen accendat, facit, Nihilo min&ugrave;s ip&s;i lucet, cum illi accenderit. Ennius apud Cicer. offic. l.</HI> 1. <HI>He that gently &s;hews a wandring man his way, doth as if he lighted another mans candle at his. His &s;hines neverthele&s;&s;e when the others is kindled.</HI></P>
<P><HI>A man of under&s;tanding.</HI> He that under&s;tands the&s;e <HI>Proverbs</HI> well, or hath a better capacity then others, will gather very profitable Conclu&s;ions out of them. Such were the men of <HI>I&s;&s;achar, which had under&s;tanding of the times to know what I&s;rael ought to do,</HI> 1 Chr. 12.32.</P>
<P><HI>Shall attain to.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To get any thing by price or labour, or prayer, or any way of right. Thence <HI>Cain</HI> had his name, <HI>I have gotten a man of the Lord,</HI> Gen. 4.1. And Gen. 25.10. <HI>The field which Abra|ham purcha&s;ed,</HI> Heb. <HI>got.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e a thing when a man hath gotten it. <HI>The Lord po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed me in the beginning of his way,</HI> Prov. 8.22. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e. He &s;hall get by labour and indu&s;try in learning from others, and &s;o have a right to it, and u&s;e of it, as a labourer at night hath to that which was another mans in the morning.</P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;e coun&s;e&s;s,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. We want a word to expre&s;&s;e it, and are forced to u&s;e a Periphra&s;is, or circumlocution to &s;et it out in two words, which is but one in the Originall. The derivations are two, but from the &s;ame root <GAP DESC="foreign">, to govern a &s;hip. Some derive it from the Governor that &s;its at
<PB N="44" REF="27">the Stern, called <GAP DESC="foreign">, who mu&s;t guide the &s;hip wi&s;ely, or el&s;e all mu&s;t be lo&s;t that is in it. <HI>Sapienti&acirc; &s;uam Gubernator torquet nabem, haud valenti&acirc;. Titin. apud Nonium. The Governor guides his &s;hip by wi&s;dome, not by &s;trength.</HI> He is called the <HI>Ship|ma&s;ter,</HI> Jon. 1.6. As the Mariner long rouls up and down thoughts in his minde, what to do in a &s;torm; &s;o this wi&s;e man to guide his actions, that he may choo&s;e the be&s;t upon deliberation. The word imports any accurate way of doing any thing, as Sea-men accurately guide &s;hips between rocks and quick&s;ands, e&s;pecially in &s;torms. Others derive it from <GAP DESC="foreign">, a rope. As Sea-men clime up and down the ropes per|petually, yet fall not into the Sea: &s;o wi&s;e men ea&s;ily di&s;patch their affairs without damage, though dreadfull to others, as the former employment is to &s;uch as are fearfull or un|skilfull. Or, it may be of preferment to places of command, to guide others, as a Pilot guides a &s;hip by the &s;terne, and tackling, and rudder. In this la&s;t word may be a Metaphor taken from Ship-men, the re&s;t are literall. In this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> is fir&s;t the augmentation of wi&s;dome by reading the&s;e Proverbs. Secondly, the height of what is to be gotten.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The agent, or cau&s;e, <HI>A wi&s;e man.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The action, or tran&s;itory effect, as building, <HI>will hear.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The thing made by action, as the hou&s;e, <HI>and will increa&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST> Set out by the object, <HI>learning.</HI></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The agent, <HI>A man of under&s;tanding.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The effect, <HI>&s;hall attain unto.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>wi&s;e coun&s;els.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Dect.</HI> No man &s;o wife, but he may learn more. And that both in Theoricall and Practicall knowledge, how to think, and how to do better. We are all children, while we are here, and <HI>know but in part,</HI> 1 Cor. 13.11. Chri&s;t him&s;elf <HI>increa&s;ed in wi&s;dome,</HI> Luk. 2.52. Before the Law they had but a few Revelations and Traditions. Under it, they had the truth in ob&s;cure &s;hadows and &s;acrifices. After it, the dark|ne&s;&s;e of the under&s;tanding remained, though more light ap|peared. <HI>Adam</HI> in innocency might know more by rea&s;oning and occurrents. Angels learn from Gods dealing with his
<PB N="45" REF="27">Church. <HI>&V;nto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, is made known by the Church the manifeld wi&s;dome of God,</HI> Eph. 3.10. <HI>Which things the Angels de&s;ire to look into,</HI> 1 Pet. 1.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> 1. Want of light. The Sun of knowledge &s;hines not &s;o cleer here as in heaven, clouds of ignorance come be|ween&punc; There are few clouds in <HI>Aegypt,</HI> whence comes want of rain, and they are forced to <HI>water their gardens with their feet,</HI> Deut. 11.10. Seldome a cloud &s;een in <HI>Japan.</HI> But there are many clouds in the wi&s;e&s;t mens brains, to keep them from under&s;tanding many truths.</P>
<P N="2">2. Want of &s;ight. We &s;ee here by the &s;pectacles of Gods works. <HI>Invi&s;ible things of God are &s;een from the creation of the world,</HI> Rom. 1.20. We &s;ee by the per&s;pectives of Ordinan|ces, and mu&s;t &s;o do till the day of judgement, Eph. 4.11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> We cannot &s;ee &s;o cleerly here, as we &s;hall in heaven.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be not content with that mea&s;ure of knowledge ye have, but labour &s;till for more. As men in trading fin|ding the world come on them give not over, but go on to get more riches. Youth mu&s;t learn, middle age increa&s;e lear|ning, old age attain to wi&s;e coun&s;els. Bodies grow old, Souls do not. <HI>Solon</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <GAP DESC="foreign">: <HI>I grow old alwayes learning many things. Platon. Dialog. de Philo&s;ophia, &amp; de Fortitud. &amp; de Repub. l.</HI> 7. <HI>&amp; in Cicer. de Senect. Marcus Antoninus</HI> the Emperor went often to the hou&s;e of <HI>Sextius</HI> the Philo&s;opher, &s;aying, <GAP DESC="foreign">: <HI>It is good even for an old man to learn. Salvius Julianus</HI> a mo&s;t famous Lawyer was wont to &s;ay, <HI>Et&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> alterum pedem in &s;epulchro haberem, adhuc addi&s;cere vellem: Al|though I had one foot in the grave, yet I would learn &s;till. Pandect. l.</HI> 4. <HI>Nulla dies fine linea,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Apelles: No day without a line.</HI> And <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> acknowledges him&s;elf both a Writer, and a Learner. <HI>Ego ex eorum numero me e&s;&s;e profiteor, qui &s;cribunt pro|ficiendo, &amp; &s;cribendo proficiunt: I profe&s;&s;e my &s;elf to be of the num|ber of them who write by profiting, and profit by writing. Augu&s;t. Epi&s;t.</HI> 7. <HI>Sapiens quamdiu vivit, tamdiu addit: A wi&s;e man adds as long as he lives. Ambro&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 2. It &s;hews us what little hope we have of children and young men, that think they know enough already, when old men and wi&s;e men may learn. <HI>Multi potui&s;&s;ent ad
<PB N="46" REF="28">&s;apientiam pervenire, ni&s;i &s;e puta&s;&s;ent jam perveni&s;&s;e: Many might have proved learned men, but that they thought they were &s;o already. Senec. de Tranq. c.</HI> 1. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Opinion is the let of profiting. Diogenes Laertius l.</HI> 3. <HI>de Bionis vita. Ego &s;enex &agrave; juvene, &amp; Epi&s;copus tot annorum a collega nec dum anniculo para|tus &s;um doceri. Augu&s;t. apud Gratian. c.</HI> 24. <HI>q.</HI> 3. <HI>I an old man, and a Bi&s;hop of &s;o many yeers &s;tanding, am ready to be taught by a young man, and a Colleague &s;carce of one yeers &s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much knowledge comes in at the ear. <HI>We have heard him our &s;elves, and know that this is indeed the Chri&s;t,</HI> Joh. 4.42. <HI>How &s;hall they beleeve in him, of whom they have not heard?</HI> Rom. 10.14. Hearing and Seeing are by <HI>Aristotle</HI> called the learned &s;en&s;es, becau&s;e by the&s;e dores learning en|ters into the &s;oul. Yea, and life al&s;o. <HI>Hear, and your &s;oul &s;hall live,</HI> I&s;a. 55.3. <HI>David Chytreus,</HI> when he lay a dying, lift up him&s;elf to hear the di&s;cour&s;es of his friends that &s;at by him; and &s;aid, that <HI>he &s;hould die with better cheer, if he might die learning &s;omething. &V;nto you that hear &s;hall more be given,</HI> Mar. 4.24. The ears are the Conduit-pipes of wi&s;dome to convey it to us. <HI>Argento, auroque non fiunt homines meliores, &s;ed ditiores virtute ex &s;apientum dictis: Men are not made better by gold, and &s;ilver, but richer in virtue by wi&s;e mens &s;ayings. Socrates apud Xenoph. l.</HI> 4. The Heathen man <HI>Cicero</HI> could &s;ay, <HI>Cujus aures clau&s;ae &s;unt veritati, hujus &s;alus de&s;peranda e&s;t: He who&s;e ears are &s;hut again&s;t the truth, there is little hope of his &s;afety.</HI> A man may learn that from another in an hour, which the other hath been &s;tu|dying many hours, &amp; it may be him&s;elf could not find it out in many days. Therefore Chri&s;t bids not his Di&s;ciples read, or tels them onely where the Prophets &s;peak of him, but expounds tho&s;e places to them, Luk. 24.27. So doth <HI>Philip</HI> to the Eunuch, Act. 8.35. This is the very end of preaching, and conference, that men might be taught by the ear.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ble&s;&s;e God for your ears. It is a great que&s;tion, which is the greater lo&s;&s;e of Seeing or Hearing. I &s;uppo&s;e of Hearing, for a man that wants it, cannot reap any good by Sermons, Conferences, Di&s;cour&s;es, nor conver&s;e comforta|bly with others, nor have others to read to him. But a man may have all the&s;e benefits, that wants his fight, and may have
<PB N="47" REF="28">others to read to him al&s;o. A blinde man hath all the&s;e helps. A deaf man hath onely Gods works to &s;ee, and good books to read to help him to knowledge and comfort. The for|mer may be helped by others, the latter mu&s;t do all out of her owne head.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Content not your &s;elves with &s;tudying the Scriptures, but acknowledging the weakne&s;&s;e of your brain, learn of others al&s;o, even of men that are meaner then your &s;elves, who&s;e pains or tryals may acquaint them with &s;ome particulars that ye need, yet know not. <HI>Semper mos e&s;t &s;a|pientum, ut dictis majorum au&s;cultent, aliquan do minorum: It is alwayes the cu&s;tome of wi&s;e men to hearken to the &s;ayings of their betters, &s;ometimes of their inferiour. Beda in text.</HI> Not onely the Queen of <HI>Sheba</HI> could learn of <HI>Solomon, Paul</HI> of <HI>Gamaliel,</HI> and <HI>Nicodemus</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but al&s;o <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> of <HI>Jethro.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> The Scripture brings in increa&s;e of knowledge. <HI>Aquila and Pri&s;cilla expounded unto Apollos the way of God more per|fectly,</HI> Act. 18.26. <HI>Give thy &s;elf wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is the highe&s;t Book in the world. A Book of Gods owne making, who is mo&s;t wi&s;e. When thou ha&s;t learned all thou can&s;t out of mens Books, thou may&s;t learn more out of Gods.</P>
<P N="2">2. All heavenly wi&s;dome in other books comes from thence, as water in rivers from the fountain. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It taxes tho&s;e that finde more delight in reading other good books, then the Scripture it &s;elf. It &s;hews a double weakne&s;&s;e, one in judgement, the other in affection. Rivers are profitable, but fountains more.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Scripture learning is the be&s;t learning. <HI>Paul coun|ted all things lo&s;&s;e for the excellency of the knowledge of Chri&s;t,</HI> Phil. 3.8. He buryed his other learning in his preaching. <HI>I deter|mined not to know any thing among you, &s;ave Je&s;us Chri&s;t and him cru|cified,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> 1. It is the mo&s;t profound knowledge. Above low Geometry, above high A&s;tronomy. Above Philo&s;ophy, for it reaches above all creatures, and a&s;pires to the know|ledge of God.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="29">
<P N="2">2. It is mo&s;t profitable. Other Arts &s;hew how to live here for a while, this how to live in heaven for ever, through Chri&s;t. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves our curious &s;pirits, who count Scripture learning nothing worth. Rhetorick and Politicks are great with them. Not many &s;o wi&s;e are &s;aved, 1 Cor. 1.20. What profit in wi&s;dome that will not keep from eternall mi|&s;ery?</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Naturall parts well u&s;ed help much in Religion. <HI>Paul</HI>'s learning was a great help to him, and <HI>Solomon</HI>'s high reach.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> 1. They may learn the things of God more ea|&s;ily, which others hammer long about, as dull ones in Schools.</P>
<P N="2">2. They may get more in le&s;&s;e time. Such a trade men generally look upon as will make men &s;peedily rich. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> If your children be pregnant, put enough into them. I re|member I have &s;een a grave Doctor and a good Mini&s;ter in this Nation, much plea&s;ed with Nur&s;es that would talk to the children, u&s;ing this expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>It puts much &s;pirit and live|lyne&s;&s;e into them, which the parents may afterwards turn to good.</HI> Men can be content to fill Hou&s;es, Tables, Barns, Trea&s;uries, Why not Children? Much ill may be kept out, much good put in, if ready ones be in&s;tructed betimes, and con|&s;tantly.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is a wonder what may be attained by indu&s;try, and Gods ble&s;&s;ing upon it. See the great &s;ucce&s;&s;e of <HI>Paul</HI>'s preaching at <HI>Ephe&s;us.</HI> Curious Books burnt, to the value of fifty thou&s;and peeces of &s;ilver: <HI>So mightily grew the Word of God, and prevailed,</HI> Act. 19.19, 20. The Churches were mul|tiplyed when the &s;torm of per&s;ecution was blown over, Act. 9.31. Mini&s;ters preaching much, and peoples hearing, in|crea&s;ed the graces, and number of Saints. As in worldly things, men grow rich by Husbandry, or Merchandi&s;e. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves the &s;luggi&s;hne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;tians, who think a little knowledge and grace enough. Such may ju&s;tly fear, their grace is not true. Pictures are idle, and grow not, li|ving creatures feed, and grow.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much difference between a wi&s;e mans cour&s;e, and a fools. The one orders his affairs well, the other carele&s;ly.
<PB N="49" REF="29">Their cour&s;es are often oppo&s;ed in Scripture. <HI>The wi&s;e in heart will receive commandements, but a prating fool &s;hall fall,</HI> Prov. 10.8. <HI>The way of a fool is right in his owne eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto coun&s;ell, is wi&s;e. A fools wrath is pre&s;ently known, but a prudent man covereth &s;hame,</HI> Prov. 12.15, 16. <HI>Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge, but a fool layeth open his folly,</HI> Pr. 15.16. <HI>The &s;imple beleeveth every word, but the prudent man loo|keth well to his going. A wi&s;e man feareth, and departeth from evill, but the fool rageth, and is confident,</HI> Prov. 14.15, 16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e they work from different principles. A wi&s;e man follows the dictates of rea&s;on, a fool of will and affections. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Choo&s;e the wi&s;e mans cour&s;e, which is far the better. He &s;teers the &s;hip of his life among all the waves of worldly troubles, and floods of worldly pa&s;&s;ions, to the heaven of happine&s;&s;e. The World is like a Sea, up and down, rough and calm. So is mans heart and &s;oul. <HI>Ba&s;il. in princip. Proverb.</HI> A wi&s;e man like a skilfull Pilot looks on the Sun by day, and &s;tars by night, his eyes are &s;till toward heaven. So he rids him&s;elf out of mo&s;t intricate affairs, as <HI>Solomon</HI> did by wi&s;e di&s;cerning the right Mother, 1 King. 3. And others oftentimes, as the Pilot guides the &s;hip &s;afe to &s;hore, when the re&s;t &s;leep. Labour then for the&s;e wi&s;e coun&s;els.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 6.</BIBL> To under&s;tand a Proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wi&s;e, and their dark &s;ayings.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The gain or increa&s;e of wi&s;e men in reading the&s;e Pro|verbs, was &s;et out, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5. The profit that comes by it, is &s;et out here. It is &s;ufficient for &s;imple ones to learn &s;o much &s;ubtilty out of the plaine&s;t of the&s;e Proverbs, whereby they may keep them&s;elves from being deceived; but wi&s;e men will learn to under&s;tand the darke&s;t of them, whereby they may get much more knowledge. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>To under&s;tand.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. Not to read a &s;imilitude carele&s;ly or cur&s;orily, but ob&s;erving what is meant by it. Some read it, <HI>To make to under&s;tand,</HI> or teach; and the word will bear it, and it &s;uites well with what went before. The man was wi&s;e before, and as he may get more wi&s;dome to
<PB N="50" REF="30">direct his owne wayes, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5. &s;o al&s;o to teach others; in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> So Eccl. 12.9, 10.</P>
<P><HI>A Proverb.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. Any Proverbial &s;entence, though difficult and ob&s;cure to others. He that under&s;tands this Book, by reading it will be able to under&s;tand other Pro|verbs propounded by others, and to propound &s;ome him|&s;elf.</P>
<P><HI>And the interpretation.</HI> How do the under&s;tanding of a Proverb, and the interpretation <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">er? He that under&s;tands it, can interpret it. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> The fir&s;t may be meant of un|der&s;tanding the words, or literall &s;en&s;e. The &s;econd of the my&s;ticall. Or, <HI>And</HI> may be taken for <HI>Even,</HI> and &s;o the latter be an expo&s;ition of the former. To under&s;tand a Proverb; that is, to know the interpretation of it. So <HI>to under&s;tand a dream</HI> is to be able <HI>to interpret it,</HI> Gen. 41.15. So <HI>And</HI> is u&s;ed, <HI>Gods wrath &s;lew the fatte&s;t of them, and</HI> (that is, <HI>even</HI>) <HI>&s;mote down the cho&s;en men of I&s;rael,</HI> P&s;al. 78.31. As the choi&s;e of the flock are the fatte&s;t cattle.</P>
<P><HI>The interpretation,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. So <GAP DESC="foreign">, an Interpreter. One that can tell the minde of God, Job 33.23. So here, to in|terpret a &s;imilitude, and &s;hew what is included, more then appears at fir&s;t fight. Not onely to under&s;tand ea&s;ie Proverbs, but to know the meaning of hard ones. But e&s;pecially to under&s;tand the harde&s;t of the&s;e Proverbs by the ea&s;ie&s;t, yet it may be under&s;tood of other Proverbs al&s;o. To under&s;tand the &s;en&s;e of my&s;teries or eloquent &s;peeches, &s;uch as Emba&s;&s;adors u&s;e; for &s;o the word is tran&s;lated, 2 Chr. 32.31. or &s;uch as Scoffers u&s;e; for &s;o the word is u&s;ed for &s;corning, Job 16.20. Or it may be read, <HI>And the &s;weetne&s;&s;e thereof;</HI> for men finde much &s;weetne&s;&s;e in Proverbs, when they know the meaning of them. Otherwi&s;e they are more har&s;h then other &s;enten|ces. From <GAP DESC="foreign">, to be &s;weet. Whence the learned <HI>Rivet</HI> derives <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <HI>mel</HI> hony. See <HI>Trap.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The words,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. 1. &s;ignifies a word. <HI>The word of the Lord,</HI> Ho&s;. 1.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. A thing; for that expre&s;&s;eth a mans meaning when it is done. <HI>It came to pa&s;&s;e after the&s;e things,</HI> 1 King. 17.17. Here it is u&s;ed in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e. He &s;peaks not of their actions, but &s;ayings. Neither doth it &s;ignifie &s;ingle words, but words
<PB N="51" REF="30">knit together in &s;entences. So the <HI>Ten commandements</HI> are called <HI>Ten words</HI> in the Originall, Exod. 34.28. For &s;everal words without re&s;pect to others, do little good.</P>
<P><HI>Of the wi&s;e.</HI> Of other wi&s;e men. Not onely ordinary Proverbs that are in all mens mouths, but the learnede&s;t &s;en|tences that come from wi&s;e&s;t men, and are approved for the authority of them, that &s;pake them; like <HI>Achitophels coun&s;els esteemed as oracles,</HI> 2 Sam. 16.23.</P>
<P><HI>And their dark &s;ayings.</HI> Que&s;tions that can hardly be an|&s;wered. Such as the Queen of <HI>Sheba</HI> put to <HI>Solomon,</HI> 1 King. 10.1. Or, hard expre&s;&s;ions, which often contain high my|&s;teries in them, not ea&s;ie to be perceived, till they be expoun|ded, as <HI>Samp&s;on</HI>'s Riddle, and <HI>Sphinx</HI> hers to <HI>Oedipus</HI> of the creature that went fir&s;t on four legs, then on two legs, la&s;tly on three legs. And &s;uch are &s;ome &s;peeches above the com|mon reach. Such al&s;o were the <HI>Aegyptian</HI> Hieroglyphicks, as a &s;taffe with an eye on it, to &s;et out Gods providence, loo|king over all the world, and ruling it. This is well added, to prevent an objection. For it might be &s;aid, It needs no great skill to under&s;tand wi&s;e mens &s;ayings, for &s;ome of them are plain. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> But (&s;aith the Wi&s;e man) by rea|ding the&s;e Proverbs ye &s;hall under&s;tand the harde&s;t of them al&s;o.</P>
<P>Figures none, except a figure of the part for the whole. A Proverb, that is, all kinde of Proverbs, even the darke&s;t and harde&s;t. As an Hor&s;e, for any Hor&s;e, P&s;al. 33.17.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The act. To under&s;tand.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fourfold object:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A Proverb.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Interpretation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The words of the wi&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="4">4. Their dark &s;ayings. He &s;hall gather from hence ability to under&s;tand not ordinary &s;ayings onely, but the mo&s;t difficult that can come from wi&s;e men.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> That mea&s;ure of knowledge is not &s;ufficient for a man of greater capacity, that may &s;uffice one of meaner. <HI>Solomon</HI> that had &s;o much knowledge, yet thought he needed more, Eccl. 1.16, 17. <HI>Paul</HI> knew Chri&s;t well, yet de&s;ires to know more of him, Phil. 3.8, 10.</P>
<PB N="52" REF="31">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> 1. nI regard of God, an account of talents is to be given to him. Greater account of greater talents, Matt. 5.15, 20.</P>
<P N="2">2. In regard of him&s;elf. A great capacity carries a great defire of filling it, el&s;e it were in vain.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of others. There is a great expectation from men of great parts. <HI>The eyes of all them that were in the Syna|gogue were fa&s;tned on Chri&s;t,</HI> Luk. 4.20.</P>
<P N="4">4. In regard of the things, which being known in part, allure us to know more. <HI>Ignoti nulla cupido: No de&s;ire of what is not known.</HI> One profitable voyage eggs the Merchant to another.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves &s;uch as have wit to know much, but u&s;e it not. Remain Dun&s;es, that might be Doctors, Heb. 5.12. More things are to be known, and what we know, may be better known. Both afford more delight. <HI>Maxima pors eorum quae &s;cimus, e&s;t minima pars eorum quae ignoramus. Aug. The greate&s;t part of the things we know, is the lea&s;t part of the things we know not.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Put your capacity upon the tenters. The Clothier gets by it, and makes more of the &s;ame cloth. El&s;e ye &s;hal not enter into your Ma&s;ters joy, Matt. 25.21. but be &s;hut out with the fooli&s;h Virgins, Mat. 25.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ye that be Mini&s;ters mu&s;t &s;tretch for it in point of knowledge. If ye have not greater capacity then ordinary men, why take ye that calling? If ye have, u&s;e it. It is enough for others to be full, ye mu&s;t run over. It is enough for others to <HI>&s;ave them&s;elves from a crooked generation,</HI> Act. 2.40. Ye mu&s;t <HI>&s;ave your &s;elves and others,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.16. That know|ledge will not &s;erve a Lawyer, or Phy&s;ician, that may &s;erve a private Gentleman for his own &s;tate or health. He en|guges for no more. And I hope I &s;hall need to &s;ay no more in this Argument.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Reading Scripture without under&s;tanding, doth a man no good. This is the drift of <HI>Philip</HI>'s Que&s;tion to the Eunuch, <HI>&V;nder&s;tande&s;t thou what thou readest?</HI> Act. 8.30. El&s;e it will do thee no good. The <HI>Jews</HI> could not profit by rea|ding the Law, becau&s;e <HI>the veil was not taken off their hearts,</HI> 2 Cor. 3.1, 4.</P>
<PB N="53" REF="31">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the words of Scripture are no charm, which works, whether men under&s;tand it, or not.</P>
<P N="2">2. Doing is required, which is more then under&s;tanding. <HI>If ye know the&s;e things, happy are ye if ye do them,</HI> Joh. 13.17.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It condemns the practi&s;e of the Papi&s;ts, who read the Scriptures in a &s;trange language. They are &s;ure before|hand the people cannot under&s;tand them, nor get any good by them.</P>
<P N="2">2. It condemns the negligence of &s;ome, who think they do enough, if they cau&s;e their children to read &s;ometimes a Chapter, but take no care that either they or their chil|dren under&s;tand it. If they &s;hould &s;et bread before them, and not let it be broken, or cut, they might &s;tarve.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> A man may get knowledge enough out of Scri|pture to teach others. The 32 P&s;alm was written to teach o|thers, as appears by the title, <HI>Davids Ma&s;chil,</HI> or In&s;tructer. Hence comes that &s;olemne charge for parents to in&s;truct their children diligently at home and abroad, at up-fitting and down-lying, Deut. 6.7. See the like charge, P&s;al. 78.5, 6. The Scripture is a fountain of knowledge, we may drink our &s;elves, and bottle up for others. A Sea wherein are fi&s;hes innumerable to feed us and others, P&s;al. 104.25. And &s;hips, that traffick for all mens good, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26. there. A rich Store-hou&s;e of all knowledge, and a wealthy Trea&s;ury. <HI>Jo|&s;eph</HI>'s Store-hou&s;es and <HI>Solomon</HI>'s Trea&s;uries had enough for multitudes.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us ble&s;&s;e God for the &s;tore that is in his Word. Who would not prai&s;e him for plenty of mony and provi|&s;ions, that might &s;erve for him, his, and many more; or for a Fountain or Mine in his garden?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us draw daily out of this Trea&s;ury. Though there be &s;tore of knowledge, yet few are &s;o wi&s;e to draw enough for them&s;elves. Mo&s;t think a little enough. But if thou ha&s;t enough for thy &s;elfe, draw for others. Men give not over their Trades when they have got enough to keep them&s;elves, and theirs, but de&s;ire to have to give, Eph. 4.28.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Harde&s;t things in Scripture may be under&s;tood by labour. Many things are interpreted ready to our hands.
<PB N="54" REF="32">An Angel interprets the Vi&s;ion to <HI>Daniel,</HI> Dan. 7.16. So are the Stars and Candle&s;ticks, Revel. 1.20. <HI>I&s;aiah</HI>'s prophe&s;ie of Chri&s;t, Act. 8.35. The &s;umme of the Go&s;pel, Act. 10.36.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is Gods aim in writing it, that it &s;hould be under&s;tood. For he writ it for the people. <HI>I have written to him the great things of my Law,</HI> Ho&s;. 8.12. Not to the Prie&s;ts, but to the people of <HI>Ephraim.</HI> And if they to whom it is written cannot by labour and pains under&s;tand it, <HI>the pen of the writer was in vain,</HI> Jer. 8.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. God hath left means in his Word to under&s;tand the harde&s;t places, as &s;earching the originall, coherence, parallel places; and plainer ones to give light to the ob&s;curer.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e,</HI> 1. It incourageth us to &s;eek to under&s;tand the harde&s;t things in Scripture, and not to be content with the ea&s;ie&s;t. So do all good Scholars in their Arts, and all that intend to thrive in their Trades.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;hews what a &s;hame it is, if we under&s;tand not plain places, that might by labour under&s;tand difficult ones. Sure we &s;hall never thrive by our Trade of Chri&s;tianity.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;e mens words carry great weight with them. <HI>The words of the wi&s;e are as goads, and as nails fa&s;tened by the Ma&s;ters of the A&s;&s;emblies,</HI> Eccl. 12.11. <HI>Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wi&s;e,</HI> Prov. 22.17. <HI>The lips of the wi&s;e di&s;per&s;e knowledge,</HI> Prov. 15.7. The ground is, becau&s;e every thing works by an internall principle, whether it be Naturall, Artificiall, or Rea&s;onable. A fool cannot &s;peak wi&s;ely, un|le&s;&s;e over-ruled he &s;peak not of him&s;elf, Joh. 11.51. A wi&s;e man will not &s;peak fooli&s;hly unle&s;&s;e unadvi&s;ed. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It di|rects us how to choo&s;e our &s;ociety. Choo&s;e tho&s;e by whom ye may get mo&s;t. Worldly men do &s;o in the Exchange, Mar|kets, and other times. <HI>He that walketh with wi&s;e men &s;hall be wi&s;e,</HI> Prov. 13.20.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> There are difficulties to be found in Scripture that need expo&s;ition. In <HI>Paul</HI>'s Epi&s;tles there are <HI>&s;ome things hard to be under&s;tood,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.16. Not onely high matters and ex|pre&s;&s;ions, but al&s;o Parables, wherein is one thing &s;poken, another thing meant. And that to exerci&s;e mens wits. They had need of good heads to finde out the meaning. The
<PB N="55" REF="32">Di&s;ciples ask and are &s;hewed the meaning of the Parable of the Tares, Matth. 13.36, 37. Wi&s;e men &s;peak darkly &s;ome|times, <HI>ut occultentur &s;ententiae eorum de&s;idio&s;is, aperiantur &s;tudio&s;is; that their &s;entences may be hidden from &s;luggards, and opened to &s;tu|dious per&s;ons.</HI> All Gods oracles are dark to naturall men. As the Re&s;urrection to the <HI>Sadduces. Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God,</HI> Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> 22.29. Regeneration to <HI>Nicodemus. How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the &s;econd time into his Mothers wombe, and be born?</HI> Joh. 3.4. Living water to the woman of <HI>Samaria. Sir, thou ha&s;t nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; from whence then ha&s;t thou that living water?</HI> Joh. 4.11. <HI>The Go&s;pel is hid to them that peri&s;h,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.3. And in part unto godly men too. <HI>Now we &s;ee through a gla&s;&s;e darkly, now I know in part,</HI> 1 Cor. 13.12. The perfect knowledge of them is re&s;erved for them, till they come to the heavenly Univer&s;ity. But yet &s;ome things are harder then the re&s;t. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Think no time nor pains too much to under&s;tand Scripture. A Merchant &s;pends &s;tore of both to get pearls.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 7.</BIBL> The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools de&s;pi&s;e wi&s;dome and in&s;truction.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>In the former ver&s;es he had &s;hewed the u&s;es, ends, and be|nefits of this Book, and how much good the Reader may get by it, and commended it from the excellency of the Work, and eminency of the Writer, to allure us to read it. Now in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> he &s;ets before us what this wi&s;|dome is, and who are capable of it, and begins the fir&s;t Pro|verb with the fear of God. After the in&s;cription, <HI>Solomon</HI>'s coun&s;el to his Son:</P>
<P N="1">1. In generall, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. In particular directions, to the end of the third Chapter.</P>
<P>For the words. <HI>The fear of the Lord.</HI> Fear of God [<GAP DESC="foreign">] is u&s;ed three wayes in Scripture.</P>
<P N="1">1. For a fear of &s;inning again&s;t God, for fear of plagues here, and in hell. This ari&s;eth out of the con&s;ideration of
<PB N="56" REF="33">Gods infinite power. It is called &s;ervile or &s;lavi&s;h fear, for &s;laves would offend, if they dur&s;t. So would wicked men &s;in again&s;t God with an high hand, if his judgements did not &s;care them. Thus the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> feared God, le&s;t he &s;hould plague them, as he had done the <HI>Aegyptians,</HI> Exod. 14.31. And by this fear &s;ome of the <HI>Aegyptians</HI> &s;aved their cattle in their hou&s;es, when other mens peri&s;hed in the fields, Exod. 9.20.</P>
<P N="2">2. For a fear <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> reverence, whereby a man &s;ets up God in the highe&s;t place of his heart, being willing to plea&s;e him out of love, and more unwilling to offend him then any o|ther. This is called Fil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">l fear, and proceeds out of our love to God, as childrens reverence to their Father doth. So the word is u&s;ed, Mal. 3.16. <HI>Then they that feared the Lord, &s;pake often one to another.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. For the true Religion, called by the <HI>Greeks</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">, and by the <HI>Latines, pietas;</HI> in <HI>Engli&s;h, piety</HI> or <HI>godline&s;&s;e.</HI> For it is a prime part of Gods wor&s;hip, that he be feared. It keeps the affections, thoughts, words, and deeds in order. One of the Prie&s;ts of <HI>Samaria, taught the people how they &s;hould fear the Lord,</HI> 2 King. 17.28. that is, how they &s;hould wor|&s;hip him. That which is called their <HI>fear towards God,</HI> I&s;a. 29.13. is &s;tyled their <HI>wor&s;hipping of him,</HI> Mat. 15.9. In this place it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the Lord.</HI> That hath his being of him&s;elf, gives be|ing to all others, and to his promi&s;es. It comes from <GAP DESC="foreign">, To be; and hath a touch of all the Ten&s;es. <HI>Je</HI> of the Future, <HI>Ho</HI> of the Pre&s;ent, and <HI>Vah</HI> of the Preter-ten&s;e. <HI>He that is, was, and is to come,</HI> Prov. 1.8. The eternal God.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the beginning.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. A beginning in time, as the foundation is the beginning of the hou&s;e. <HI>The beginning of his Kingdom was Babel,</HI> Gen. 10 10. And therefore it &s;ignifies the fir&s;t-fruits, becau&s;e fir&s;t gathered, though not alwayes be&s;t. <HI>The fir&s;t of the fir&s;t fruits of thy Land, thou &s;halt bring into the Hou&s;e of the Lord thy God,</HI> Exod. 13.19.</P>
<P N="2">2. Fir&s;t in dignity. <HI>The chief of the things which &s;hould have been utterly destroyed,</HI> 1 Sam. 15.21. Here it is taken in the &s;e|cond &s;en&s;e. The true fear of God is the chief point of wi&s;dom.</P>
<PB N="57" REF="33">
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>of knowledge.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. Some interpret the pa&s;&s;age thus: The &s;ervile fear of Gods judgements makes men fir&s;t look after knowledge, that never cared for it be|fore, as the needle makes way for the thread. <HI>Augu&s;t.</HI> Others thus: The chief part of knowledge is that filial and aweful fear of God, that makes men carefull to plea&s;e him, which tempers the &s;ervile fear with love, as wine and water do well together for weak brains: <HI>Vinum ni&s;i aqua mixtum non bibit debile caput:</HI> A weak head drinks not wine unle&s;&s;e mixt with water. <HI>Beda.</HI> But I take <HI>Solomon</HI>'s meaning to be, that all heathen wi&s;dome is but folly; but the choyce&s;t wi&s;dome is the knowledge of the true wor&s;hip of God, that &s;o he might make man to &s;tudy the Scriptures where it is to be found. All their former knowledge was but folly to this. The true Religion is better then all of it.</P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> This word is not in the Original, but added, to &s;hew an oppo&s;ition to the former part of the <HI>ver&s;.</HI> which being not in direct words, mu&s;t be &s;upplyed thus out of each part. The chiefe&s;t wi&s;dome is the knowledge of the true wor&s;hip of God, and therefore good men love it; but fooles do not account it &s;o, and therefore de&s;pi&s;e it.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Fools. Object.</HI> You &s;et out this wi&s;dome highly, but no body regards it. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> None but fools de&s;pi&s;e it, who have no wit to judge aright of it. No matter what account they make of it, unle&s;&s;e they were wi|&s;er. Hence comes our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> word <HI>Evill.</HI> Fools here are evill men, and irreligious, as throughout the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> and P&s;al. 14.1. <HI>The fool hath &s;aid in his heart, There is no God, they are corrupt, &amp;c.</HI> Either Idolaters that profe&s;&s;e a fal&s;e Reli|gion, or &s;uch as in &s;hew onely profe&s;&s;e the true. Such as want the chief part of wi&s;dome, though otherwi&s;e politick enough. He &s;pake in the &s;ingular number, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5. <HI>A wi&s;e man, &amp;c.</HI> Here in the plural, <HI>Fools de&s;pi&s;e wi&s;dome, &amp;c.</HI> There are more fools then wi&s;e men in the world. Men are natu|rally fooli&s;h.</P>
<P><HI>De&s;pi&s;e.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To &s;et light by a thing, or contemne it, or make little account of it. <HI>The daughters of Zion have de&s;pi&s;ed thee,</HI> 2 Ki. 19.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;corne or highly di&s;dain. <HI>Haman thought &s;corn to
<PB N="58" REF="34">lay hands on Mordecai alone,</HI> E&s;t. 3.6. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for all irreligious men are not &s;corners, P&s;al. 1.1. but all de&s;pi&s;e true wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. It is excellent, yet fools make no account of it.</P>
<P><HI>And in&s;truction.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 2. They neither know the excellen|cy of wi&s;dom, nor the way of true &s;afety in the true Religion, nor will learn it of others.</P>
<P>Figures none, unle&s;&s;e a Metaphor in <HI>Fools</HI> taken for irreli|gious men, that want the be&s;t wi&s;dome.</P>
<P>In the words note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A commendation of Religion.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A de&s;cription of fools. In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>The fear of the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct, <HI>the beginning of wi&s;dom.</HI> In the &s;econd note,</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. The agent, <HI>Fools.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The effect, <HI>De&s;pi&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. A double object, <HI>wi&s;dome</HI> and <HI>in&s;truction.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The former propo&s;ition is famous, as being often u&s;ed in Scripture, ch. 9.10. Job 28.28. P&s;al. 111.10.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Religiou&s;ne&s;&s;e, or a reverent fear of God is the be&s;t wi&s;dome. <HI>Keep therefore, and do them, for this is your wi&s;|dome, and your under&s;tanding in the &s;ight of the Nations, which &s;hall hear all the&s;e &s;tatutes, and &s;ay, Surely this great Nation is a wi&s;e and under&s;tanding people,</HI> Deut. 4.6. This is <HI>the wi&s;dome from above,</HI> Jam. 3.17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it brings a man to acquaintance with God. Others acquaint us with trees, bea&s;ts, men, this with God. We are naturally &s;trangers from God, and have mo&s;t need of acquaintance with him. Fal&s;e Religions fet up crea|tures openly, and wor&s;hip them. <HI>They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed bea&s;ts, and creeping things,</HI> Rom. 1.23. Naturall men not truely religious, though bred in the Church, make their owne will, or honors, or wealth, or plea&s;ures, God. Men truely religious know God aright.</P>
<P N="2">2. It teacheth us how to conver&s;e with God rightly by true wor&s;hip and obedience. How can a man bred among clowns, know how to conver&s;e with a King at Court?</P>
<PB N="59" REF="34">
<P N="3">3. How to come to live with God for ever, which no Art el&s;e can teach. A trade is mo&s;t e&s;teemed that is mo&s;t gainfull.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To &s;hew us the vanity of all fal&s;e Religions, in which men cannot reverence the true God in their hearts aright, becau&s;e they conceive ami&s;&s;e of him. In vain they wor&s;hip, and wor&s;hip they know not what. A great Politician was wont to &s;ay, The be&s;t policy is to be an hone&s;t man. So the be&s;t wi&s;dome is to be truely religious, and to fear God. Heathen Sages, as <HI>Seneca</HI> and <HI>Socrates,</HI> were wi&s;e in their gene|rations, and had many excellent gifts, but they mi&s;&s;ed of the main; like Alchymi&s;ts, who mi&s;&s;e of their end, yet find many excellent things by the way. The&s;e Merchants found goodly pearls, but the pearl of price they failed of, Matth. 13.45, 46.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To acquaint our &s;elves with the Scriptures, where this true wi&s;dome, how to fear and reverence God rightly, is taught, and no where el&s;e. We are &s;ure tho&s;e were writ by no private &s;pirit, but came <HI>from the holy Gho&s;t,</HI> 2 Pet. 1.21. Private &s;pirits and inward principles may be cro&s;&s;e one to another, and who &s;hall judge then what is right? The Scri|pture. <HI>Hereby we know the &s;pirit of truth, and the &s;pirit of er|ror,</HI> 1 Joh. 4.2. If they quote Scripture, they confe&s;&s;e the Scripture to be above them, as <HI>Marnixius</HI> ju&s;tly derides the Papi&s;ts, who would prove by Scripture that the Church was above the Scripture. If not, then it is &s;o, becau&s;e they &s;ay &s;o; and all the world will laugh at &s;uch a proof.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To per&s;wade Magi&s;trates to &s;et up, and to uphold true Religion, and to encourage &s;uch as truely fear God, by continuing Mini&s;ters, and di&s;couraging &s;uch as oppo&s;e it. Such as quote <HI>Gallio</HI>'s &s;peech to &s;hut Magi&s;trates out of all matters of Religion, may as well quote <HI>Rab&s;hake</HI>'s &s;peech for a warrant to fight again&s;t Gods people. <HI>Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to de&s;troy it? The Lord &s;aid to me, Go up against this Land to destroy it,</HI> 2 King. 18.25. For that is recorded in Scripture al&s;o. It is a poor proof that comes out of the mouth of an Heathen man.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let all that would be truely wi&s;e, get the fear of God into their hearts.</P>
<PB N="60" REF="35">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> All being is from God. Therefore is he called <HI>Jehovah,</HI> hecau&s;e he gives being to all creatures. Who el&s;e made the world, and all creatures at fir&s;t? Gen. 1. <HI>Of him, and through him, and to him are all things,</HI> Rom. 11.36. <HI>In him we live, and move, and have our being,</HI> Act. 17.28.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e nothing can make it &s;elf, being mu&s;t be before Working.</P>
<P N="2">2. None had a being before the world but God, therefore he mu&s;t give being to all.</P>
<P N="3">3. There was nothing to make any thing of, and no crea|ture can work without matter. It argues an infinite power.</P>
<P N="4">4. No creature can put life into any thing. Therefore all living things mu&s;t be from God, and what can dead things doe?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To prai&s;e God for our being, as long as it la&s;ts here, and in heaven, where our being will la&s;t to eternity. <HI>While I live, I will prai&s;e the Lord</HI> (&s;aith the <HI>P&s;almist</HI>) <HI>I will fing prai&s;es unto my God, while I have any being,</HI> P&s;al. 146.2. All creatures attribute <HI>ble&s;&s;ing, honor, glory, and power to God for ever and ever,</HI> Rev. 5.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. To u&s;e all our gifts and parts in Gods &s;ervice; for as we have tho&s;e parts from him, &s;o likewi&s;e our very being, without which we could have had no parts, nor comfort.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Things of greate&s;t worth &s;hould be of greate&s;t ac|count with us. <HI>Covet earne&s;tly the be&s;t gifts,</HI> 1 Cor. 12.31. <HI>Above all the&s;e things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectne&s;&s;e,</HI> Col. 3.14. <HI>The&s;e things &s;peak and exhort,</HI> Tit. 2.15. For the affecti|ons &s;hould ever follow the judgement well informed. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames tho&s;e that make mo&s;t account of meane&s;t things, and lo&s;e gold for counters, eternall life for tran&s;itory plea&s;ures. Such are wor&s;e then bea&s;ts, who will not neglect gra&s;&s;e and water for any thing.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>D.</HI> Knowledge is a matter of great excellency. It is part of Gods image in man. Col. 3.10. <HI>Husbands mu&s;t dwell with their Wives according to knowledge,</HI> 1 Pet. 3.7. As light is in the world. What is all the world worth without the Sun? What were all <HI>Aegypts</HI> plea&s;ures and trea&s;ures worth in the three dayes darkne&s;&s;e? So is knowledge the comfort of the &s;oul.</P>
<PB N="61" REF="35">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Labour for it more then for riches. Spiritual things are more worth then temporall.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Irreligious per&s;ons are in Gods account the fools of the world. For they want Gods fear, as naturall fools want wi&s;dome. <HI>The fooli&s;h &s;hall not &s;tand in thy &s;ight, thou hate&s;t all workers of iniquity,</HI> P&s;al. 5.5. And Gods enemies are called <HI>fooli&s;h people,</HI> P&s;al. 74.18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have not wi&s;dome enough to &s;cape hell.</P>
<P N="2">2. Nor to attain to eternall happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Envy not the policies and &s;leights of great men, and State&s;-men, that have no religion in them. The world may chronicle them for wi&s;e men, but they are fools in Gods book. <HI>Tamar</HI> tells <HI>Amnon,</HI> though a Kings Son, <HI>Thou &s;halt be as one of the fooles in I&s;rael,</HI> 2 Sam. 13.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. Be not proud of wit, or learning. If you have no true Religion, your wit is good for nothing but to carry you to hell. When one commended highly <HI>Julian</HI> the Cardinall to <HI>Sigi&s;mund,</HI> he an&s;wered, <HI>Tamen Romanus e&s;t,</HI> Yet he is a <HI>Ro|mane.</HI> So may ye &s;ay of the greate&s;t irreligious Politician, <HI>Yet he is a fool. Loe, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, and what wi&s;dome is in them?</HI> Jer. 8.9.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> None de&s;pi&s;e heavenly wi&s;dome, but &s;uch as know not the value of is. Such as <HI>know not what they doe,</HI> Luk. 23.34. <HI>Had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.8. <HI>The preaching of the Cro&s;&s;e is foo|li&s;hne&s;&s;e to men, yet Gods wi&s;dome most &s;een in it,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.18, 23. Becau&s;e the excellency of it is &s;o great, that it would allure men to look after it, had they &s;pirituall eyes to &s;ee it. It is &s;o in other Arts al&s;o. <HI>Scientia non habet inimicum, ni&s;i igno|rantem.</HI> Knowledge hath no enemy but an ignorant man. Who is, <HI>A&s;inus ad lyram,</HI> as unfit for learning, as an A&s;&s;e to play upon an harp. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Think never the wor&s;e of heavenly wi&s;|dome, becau&s;e &s;o many &s;leight it. The fault is not in the thing, but in their &s;hallow brains. Who would &s;leight a jewel, becau&s;e a fool pre&s;ers his bable before it? Such are carnal men, like <HI>E&s;au.</HI> A Me&s;&s;e of pottage is better then <HI>Canaan</HI> to them. Such fools were the rich man, Luk. 12. <HI>Nabal,</HI> 1 Sam. 25.</P>
<PB N="62" REF="36">
<P N="7">7. <HI>D.</HI> Wi&s;dom it &s;elf, though excellent, is de&s;pi&s;ed by many. Fools hate knowledge, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22, 29. And no marvell, for both God and Chri&s;t are de&s;pi&s;ed by &s;uch. <HI>He that de&s;pi&s;eth you, de&s;pi&s;eth me; and he that de&s;pi&s;eth me, de&s;pi&s;eth him that &s;ent me,</HI> Luk. 10.16. <HI>His wi&s;dome is counted folly,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.25. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let not us think much to be de&s;pi&s;ed; Wi&s;dome, Chri&s;t, and God are de&s;pi&s;ed, who have de&s;erved much better of the Sons of men.</P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>Doct.</HI> They that &s;leight the means of knowledge, &s;leight knowledge it &s;elf. See <HI>v.</HI> 22, 23, 29, 30. We account &s;o in out|ward things. We ask &s;ick men refu&s;ing phy&s;ick, if they make no account of their lives? We tell idle per&s;ons, they care not for riches. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It lies &s;ore on the con&s;ciences of many, who would be loth to think, they &s;hould an&s;wer for neglect of knowledge at the day of Judgement, yet they mu&s;t. El&s;e why &s;it ye at home, and lo&s;e &s;o many good Sermons? your ab&s;ence is a reall &s;leighting of wi&s;dome.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 8.</BIBL> My Son, hear the in&s;truction of thy Father, and for&s;ake not the Law of thy Mother.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>In the re&s;t of this Chapter, and the two Chapters fol|lowing, <HI>Solomon</HI>'s words, con&s;i&s;ting of many exhortations and promi&s;es, do not well admit of any divi&s;ion, but by the Chapters. In the re&s;t of this Chapter, there is,</P>
<P N="1">1. A commendation of dome&s;ticall in&s;truction, <HI>v.</HI> 8, 9.</P>
<P N="2">2. A di&s;&s;wa&s;ion from hearkening to bad coun&s;els, from <HI>v.</HI> 10, to <HI>v.</HI> 20.</P>
<P N="3">3. Wi&s;domes exhortation to men, to follow her dire|ctions, from <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. to the end of the Chapter. In the fir&s;t ye have,</P>
<P N="1">1. An exhortation in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. A promi&s;e in the next. For the exhortation, and fir&s;t for the words.</P>
<P><HI>My Son.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 1. <HI>Hear.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 5. Here it is taken for giving ear and heart to parents in&s;tructions, beleeving or obeying them, according to the nature of them. <HI>In&s;truction.</HI> The means to get learning. See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2.</P>
<PB N="63" REF="36">
<P><HI>Of thy Father,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, a Father, from <GAP DESC="foreign">, to wi&s;h well; for parents naturally bear good will to their children. <HI>Amor de&s;cendit, non a&s;cendit.</HI> Love de&s;cends, but a&s;cends not. They are part of them, and their care is great for them. The word is not alwayes u&s;ed for naturall Parents, but &s;ometimes for Mo&s;ters, or elder per&s;ons, or men in authority, as Children for inferiors in the fi&s;t Commandement, and el&s;ewhere. <HI>So|lomon</HI> was a Father, as a Ruler, Teacher, naturall Father. And it may be, that the&s;e Proverbs were written for in&s;tru|ction to his owne children, and &s;o to be communicated by other parents to their children, as King <HI>James</HI> writ his <HI>Ba&s;i|licon Doron</HI> for his Son. Yet <HI>Solomon</HI> choo&s;eth the name of a Father, rather then of a King or Ma&s;ter, to per&s;wade them to be the more willing to receive in&s;truction from him, for Parents look to their childrens good, when Ma&s;ters and Kings, having not that naturall band, look to their owne ends. Becau&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI> took upon him principally to teach young men, therefore he takes to him the name of a Father, &s;hewing withall that he de&s;ires nothing more then their &s;pi|rituall good.</P>
<P><HI>And for&s;ake not.</HI> Hearing and not for&s;aking, mu&s;t be ap|plyed to the in&s;truction of both Parents, by the rule given in the la&s;t <HI>ver&s;.</HI> For as a Childe mu&s;t not refu&s;e to hear his Father at fir&s;t, &s;o he mu&s;t not be drawn away from the truth or good learned by his Father afterwards. And as he mu&s;t not be drawn from his Mothers coun&s;els afterwards, &s;o he mu&s;t not &s;light them at the fir&s;t. Hearing is to be given to the Father, becau&s;e Children are more ready to hearken to their Mothers, though the Fathers be for the mo&s;t part be&s;t able to advi&s;e. And not for&s;aking looks to the Mothers Law, becau&s;e Children taken from the Mothers care, and imployed by the Father, are ready to &s;light her, and to forget what &s;he taught them in their childehood. <GAP DESC="foreign"> imports, not being drawn away by our owne corruption, or other mens per&s;wa&s;ion from what we have learned of our godly Mothers. Others read, pluck not up, but that comes of <GAP DESC="foreign">, and comes &s;hort of the other, intending a mans owne &s;eduction by him&s;elf, and not &s;o well forbidding &s;eduction by others al&s;o. Entisement is &s;et down more plainly, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 10.</P>
<PB N="64" REF="37">
<P><HI>The Law.</HI> The teaching, <GAP DESC="foreign">, of <GAP DESC="foreign">, to &s;hoot, or rain, or teach. Precepts are dropt into young children, by pious Mothers by little and little, and as it were &s;uckt in with their milk, and fa&s;tned by often repeating. Such tea|ching becomes Mothers and children. It is tran&s;lated <HI>Law</HI> rather then <HI>teaching,</HI> becau&s;e it bindes more, and children think them&s;elves le&s;&s;e bound to Mothers then Fathers, be|cau&s;e Mothers are more tender over them, and familiar with them. Equals al&s;o may teach, but not command.</P>
<P><HI>Of thy Mother.</HI> It is taken here for the naturall Mother, for <HI>Solomon</HI> begins with hou&s;hold in&s;truction. Leave not the cour&s;e of godline&s;&s;e wherein &s;he bred thee. Figures none.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Note</HI> 1. The Childes duty to his Father.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To his Mother.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The agent, <HI>My Son.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>hear.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>the in&s;truction.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The &s;ubject, <HI>of thy Father.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>and for&s;ake not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>the Law.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>of thy Mother.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>He had begun with Religion and duty to God, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. next he requires duty to Parents in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Next after the care of Religion, is the care of our duty to Parents. Therefore God hath placed the fifth Com|mandement in the beginning of the &s;econd Table. <HI>Philo</HI> thinks it was written in the border of both Tables, <HI>Aben Ezra</HI> placeth it in the fir&s;t Table, but behinde. <HI>Tindall</HI> con|ceives it was written in the fir&s;t Table, after the fourth Commandement; &s;o that the fir&s;t Table &s;hould contain all duties to Superiours, God, and Magi&s;trates, and Parents, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and the &s;econd all duties to Equals. <HI>Diis &amp; parentibus nun|quam &s;atis fit: Ari&s;totle.</HI> God and Parents cannot be &s;uffici|ently requited. The Heathen puni&s;hed injuries to God and Parents alike. <HI>Valer. l.</HI> 1. <HI>Qui dubitat, utrum oporteat Deos revereri, aut parentes, non indiget ratione, &s;ed pari paena. Ari&s;tot.
<PB N="65" REF="37">Topic. l.</HI> 8. He that doubts whether God or Parents be to be reverenced, needs not be confuted by rea&s;on, but by the &s;ame puni&s;hment. All fatherhood is from God. Men are fathers of &s;ome, God of all in &s;ome &s;en&s;e or other. Re&s;i|&s;ting them is in &s;ome &s;en&s;e re&s;i&s;ting God, as re&s;i&s;ting a Con|&s;table is re&s;i&s;ting the King or &s;upreme Magi&s;trate. Parents are cho&s;en in the fi&s;t Commandement to expre&s;&s;eall Supe|riors, rather then Magi&s;trates or Mini&s;ters; the&s;e are com|prehended under Parents. The &s;afety or ruine of Church and Common-wealth depends upon them, for families are &s;eminaries of both. Divine right and naturall, give Parents power over Children.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To inform us of what great weight this duty is, both in the Text and Decalogue &s;et next after our duty to God.</P>
<P N="2">2. To reprove di&s;obedient Children. This &s;in is next to impiety again&s;t God, and before &s;ins committed again&s;t e|quals. Many have confe&s;&s;ed at the Gallows, that God ju&s;tly brought them thither for di&s;obedience to religious Parents. And &s;ome have been troubled for their di&s;obedience after their Parents death.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Our Parents are te&s;ty.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yet they mu&s;t be born withall. <HI>Multa ex quo fuerunt commoda, ejus incommoda aequum e&s;t ferre. Terent. We mu&s;t bear with them by whom we get much. Love thy Parent if he be kinde, otherwi&s;e bear with him. Ames parentem, &s;i aequus e&s;t, aliter feras. Mimus.</HI> Servants mu&s;t obey froward Ma&s;ters, 1. Pet. 2.18. Much more Children froward Parents.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> The beginning of Chri&s;tian knowledge and piety ari&s;eth for the mo&s;t part from dome&s;ticall in&s;truction. Hence <HI>Solomon</HI> had his. <HI>His Father taught him, ch.</HI> 4.4. <HI>and his Mo|ther, ch.</HI> 31. <HI>Timothy</HI>'s &s;aith came by derivation <HI>from his Grand|mother, and Mother,</HI> 2 Tim. 1.5. <HI>He knew the holy Scriptures from a childe,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. There are prayers and good examples u&s;ed in godly families, which are means of knowledge and grace, as well as the publick Ordinances. Men that fare well at home are fat, as well as they that fea&s;t abroad.</P>
<P N="2">2. There be pull-backs from evill by di&s;cipline and cor|rection,
<PB N="66" REF="38">which bridle our corrupt nature from evil, as godly exerci&s;es are &s;purs to good.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us to live in good families, where god|line&s;&s;e prevails. Yea, and Children &s;hould be willing to leave irreligious Parents hou&s;es, to live with godly Ma&s;ters.</P>
<P N="2">2. Parents &s;hould choo&s;e good Ma&s;ters for their Children, and not altogether look at trading. Place them where they may learn how to live in heaven as well as here.</P>
<P N="3">3. Ble&s;&s;e God if he give you godly Parents or Ma&s;ters. It is a great mercy. Men do &s;o for rich Ma&s;ters, where they may live plentifully; or skilfull ones, where they may learn how to get an e&s;tate; how much more for &s;uch as teach us true wi&s;dome?</P>
<P N="4">4. Make hay while the Sun &s;hines. Make a good u&s;e of do|me&s;ticall in&s;tructions. God hath not given you good Parents or Ma&s;ters for nothing. Ye may learn to be wi&s;e your &s;elves, and teach yours to be &s;o, when God honors you with fami|lies of your owne.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Parents are bound to in&s;truct their Children in piety. <HI>To bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,</HI> Eph. 6.4. As Captains train up their raw Souldiers, and exerci&s;e them in Arms. <HI>Train up a childe in the way he &s;hould goe,</HI> Prov. 22.6. So did <HI>Abraham</HI> breed his Children, Gen. 18.19. And <HI>David,</HI> Prov. 4.3, 4. <HI>Teach them thy Sons, and thy Sons Sons,</HI> Deut. 4.9. The like is required, Deut. 6.7. &amp; 11.19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e men are much drawn by authority to give credit to what is &s;poken. Men look more, <HI>quis dicat, who &s;ayes;</HI> then <HI>quid dicatur, what is &s;aid.</HI> Children will be|leeve their Parents &s;ooner then Brethren or Servants, be|cau&s;e they exerci&s;e the fir&s;t authority over them. Afterwards, when they grow wi&s;er, they will hear rea&s;on from an equal or inferiour. Hence it is that Children and ignorant per|&s;ons follow authority, but wi&s;e men follow rea&s;on. The <HI>Samaritans</HI> beleeve at fir&s;t for the Womans words, afterwards for Chri&s;ts owne &s;ayings, Joh. 4.39, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">2. So <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> at fir&s;t beleeved the Scriptures for the Churches authority, after|wards for their owne. Divine authority is above all Rea|&s;on. But among humane authority Parents is the fir&s;t.</P>
<PB N="67" REF="38">
<P N="2">2. It is mo&s;t prevalent, becau&s;e Children &s;ee their Parents love from their youth. Parents therefore mu&s;t not lo&s;e that opportunity of improving their Childrens good opinion of them.</P>
<P N="3">3. Young yeers are fitte&s;t for in&s;truction, and tho&s;e they &s;pend under their Parents. They are then ea&s;ie to be ruled, and of quick capacity, not taken off with vices and cares. They are like young trees, ea&s;ie to bow.</P>
<P N="4">4. The good taught then may abide with them all their life long. <HI>Quo &s;emel e&s;t imbuta recens, &s;ervabit odorem, Te&s;ta diu, Horat. The ve&s;&s;el keeps the &s;avour of what it was fir&s;t &s;ea&s;oned withall, a long time. When he is old he will not depart from what he learned young,</HI> Prov. 22.6. It is harder to infu&s;e truth or piety, when error or fin hath taken po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion fir&s;t. It is a dou|ble labour, fir&s;t to empty the gla&s;s of filthy liquor, then to put in clean: fir&s;t to pluck up the weeds, then to &s;ow good &s;eed.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Woe be to tho&s;e Parents that neither teach their Children them&s;elves, nor yet put them to &s;chool; only they labour to get money for them, which their ungrateful heirs &s;pend to their owne de&s;truction in finfull wayes. <HI>Deus di&s;ci|plinam parentes jubet the&s;aurizare filiis, non pecuniam: Perennia praecepit, non peritura conferre. Salv. contra avarit. God bids pa|rents to trea&s;ure up in&s;truction for their children, not money: He commanded to be&s;tow on them la&s;ting things, not peri&s;hing.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It reproveth &s;uch as marry before they know the grounds of Religion, and &s;o may have children before they know how to breed them. I have heard, that <HI>Horne</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI>Winchester,</HI> in Qu. <HI>Elizabeths</HI> dayes, upheld a Mini&s;ter that was complained of for refu&s;ing to marry a young Gentle|woman for ignorance of the grounds of Religion, &s;aying that he would have &s;u&s;pended him if he had done it, though he had a licen&s;e from his owne Officers; adding withall, What, &s;hould we have families of Infidels? For how can they in&s;truct their Children, that are &s;o ignorant of the fir&s;t principles of Religion them&s;elves?</P>
<P N="3">3. It calls upon Parents to breed their Children wel. How can they hearken to their in&s;truction, if they have it not? Them&s;elves would condemne Parents that &s;hould &s;tarve their childrens bodies; what are they then if they &s;tarve their &s;ouls?</P>
<PB N="68" REF="39">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Children are bound to give credit to, and obey their Parents good coun&s;els. <HI>Come ye children, hearken unto me,</HI> P&s;al. 34.11. The Children of <HI>Eli hearkened not unto the voyce of their Father, becau&s;e</HI> (or <HI>therefore,</HI> as P&s;. 116.10. with 2 Cor. 4.13) <HI>the Lord would &s;lay them,</HI> 1 Sam. 2.25.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are the fir&s;t teachers ordinarily, and therefore our ears &s;hould be open to them. The Parliament hears and rewards the fir&s;t Me&s;&s;engers of good news.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are the fitte&s;t teachers, for they &s;eek the good of their children out of naturall love. Provide for them while they live, give them an inheritance when they die, de&s;ire their &s;alvation. They will commend good things to their children out of love, Luk. 11.13. Whereas Ma&s;ters may do it out of re&s;pect to their owne peculiar profit. They require them not to lie or &s;teal it may be, but let them be profane or irreligious.</P>
<P N="3">3. Parents can more commodiou&s;ly in&s;truct them, being &s;till at hand to ob&s;erve their cour&s;es, and to re&s;olve their doubts at any time.</P>
<P N="4">4. They have experience, and know what is good for their children, who know not what is good for them&s;elves; and whom &s;hould they hearken to rather, then to their own Parents?</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Parents may be Idolaters, and per&s;waders to be Pa|pi&s;ts. It is the Popi&s;h argument to be of their Fathers Re|ligion.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If they be &s;uch as <HI>Solomon</HI> was, wi&s;e and godly, they will not per&s;wade us to Idolatry. If they be Idolaters, we mu&s;t not hearken to them.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Parents may be wicked, and give ill coun&s;ell.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Yet it may be they may give good coun&s;el to their children &s;ometimes. Parents that have been bad in their youth, may give good coun&s;ell to their children in their age, for their own quiet. <HI>Etiam pudicam vult meretrix filiam: A whore would have a cha&s;te daughter.</HI> And we are bidden to follow their precepts, not their examples, nor coun&s;els nei|ther, if they be naught.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the greatne&s;&s;e of the &s;in of Children, that will not be taught nor ruled by godly Parents.</P>
<PB N="69" REF="39">
<P N="2">2. Let Children hearken to &s;uch willingly, that they may obtain the <HI>Rechabiles</HI> ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>Not to want a man of their po&s;terity to &s;tand before God for ever,</HI> Jer. 35.19. Children can hearken to their Parents worldly coun&s;els, and remember them, when they are dead and gone. Much more account &s;hould they make of their &s;pirituall advices.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Children mu&s;t never be drawn from their Pa|rents good in&s;tructions. They mu&s;t <HI>not for&s;ake them if they live to be old,</HI> Prov. 22.6. <HI>Abraham</HI>'s Children and hou&s;hold after him, mu&s;t keep the way of the Lord taught by him, Gen. 18.19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e Parents good in&s;tructions are a trea|&s;ure, and men are very carefull of their trea&s;ures. Not onely to get, but to keep them till old age, again&s;t a time of need.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is much danger of lo&s;ing this trea&s;ure. Thine owne corruptions, Satans temptations, bad coun&s;els, exam|ples, like theeves, &s;eek to rob thee of it.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Take heed of &s;educers, and all that would mi&s;lead thee. Too many now have forgot their pious education, both by errors, and loo&s;ene&s;&s;e of life, who&s;e Parents would &s;carce owne them, if they were alive.</P>
<P N="2">2. Ye that are children, lay up your Parents godly coun|&s;els, not in your brains onely, but in your hearts. Ye may have need of them in age and death.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Mothers mu&s;t take pains to teach their children piety. El&s;e how &s;hould they obey their Mother? <HI>ch.</HI> 30.17. So did <HI>Solomon</HI>'s Mother, <HI>ch.</HI> 31.1. Mothers of good and bad Kings are named in <HI>Kings</HI> and <HI>Chronicles,</HI> as having a &s;hare in their childrens goodne&s;&s;e or badne&s;&s;e, by their edu|cation. Our fir&s;t dayes are &s;pent for the mo&s;t part under our Mothers care, while our Fathers are bu&s;ied in their cal|ling, about matters of the Church or Common-wealth. She therefore &s;hould take advantage thereof, to teach us goodne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It condemns many fond Mothers, that are careful to provide all things needfull for their children, &s;ave onely good education and in&s;truction. They lo&s;e an opportunity of doing much good to their &s;ouls. Children are more
<PB N="70" REF="40">ready to hear Mothers then Fathers, becau&s;e they conver&s;e more with them, and they are le&s;&s;e &s;tubborne, then when they are bigger, and come to their Fathers care. We &s;ay, they &s;peak the Mother-tongue.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Doct.</HI> Children mu&s;t not &s;light their Mothers coun|&s;els. If they do, <HI>their eyes &s;hall be pickt out by ravens and eagles,</HI> Prov. 30.17. <HI>Solomon</HI> records his Mothers in&s;truction, Pro. 31.1. as well as his Fathers, <HI>ch.</HI> 4.4. The fifth Comman|dement requires honor to Mothers, as well as to Fathers, Exod. 20.12. <HI>A fooli&s;h man de&s;pi&s;eth his Mother,</HI> Prov. 15.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e Mothers bear great affection to their children, and therefore ought to be heard.</P>
<P N="2">2. They endure mo&s;t pain in breeding and bearing them, and take mo&s;t pains in nur&s;ing and tending them, in tender yeers, when they are lea&s;t able to help them&s;elves.</P>
<P N="3">3. In&s;truction is attributed to the Father, which is ac|companyed with correction; but a milde law, &s;uch as good Subjects live comfortably under, or gentle teaching to the Mother. She teacheth more mildely.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To blame children that will hearken to their Fa|thers for fear of correction, but account their Mothers in|&s;tructions as words of weak and doting women, becau&s;e they cannot or will not correct them. Though they be not &s;o wi&s;e as men ordinarily, yet love will teach them to give good coun&s;el; and women &s;ometimes are wi&s;er and better then their husbands, who <HI>may be won by the conver&s;ation of their wives,</HI> 1 Pet. 3.1. And many are beholding to their Mothers for their be&s;t in&s;tructions, who as &s;ometimes they are better, &s;o oftentimes have more lea&s;ure then their husbands.</P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>Doct.</HI> Mothers in&s;tructions agreeable to Gods Word, &s;hould be as a Law to children. The &s;ame words are repea|ted, Prov. 6.20. <HI>For&s;ake not the law of thy Mother.</HI> Di&s;o|beyers of Mothers mu&s;t be puni&s;hed as Law-breakers. She may in&s;truct well in precepts of life, though it may be not &s;o fully in matters of &s;aith. Now Laws concerning life are needfull al&s;o.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let good children look upon their Mothers in&s;tru|ctions, as Laws not to be broken all their life long.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="71" REF="40">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 9.</BIBL> For they &s;hall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neek.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The rea&s;on to per&s;wade Children to obey their Parents, and to encourage them, follows. And <HI>Solomon</HI> being to teach children, or &s;imple ones like to children, takes there|fore his argument from Garlands and Chains, that make a fair &s;hew in the eyes of &s;uch per&s;ons, as &s;uiting to their ca|pacity and affections, to whom he &s;peaks. They are de|lighted in them, and they plea&s;e the vulgar much. Thus the Spirit of God accommodates him&s;elf to Childrens tem|per. They love &s;hining things.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> The word carries not alwayes a cau&s;e with it, but a rea&s;on or motive for the mo&s;t part, and often by way of promi&s;e. So it is u&s;ed, <HI>chap.</HI> 23.17, 18. <HI>Fear the Lord, for &s;urely there is an end,</HI> or <HI>reward.</HI> For &s;o the word &s;ometimes &s;ignifies, and the &s;en&s;e requires it there. <HI>Know thou the God of thy Father, &amp;c. for the Lord &s;earcheth all hearts,</HI> 1 Chron. 28.9.</P>
<P><HI>They.</HI> The in&s;truction of thy Father, and law of thy Mo|ther, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. Mothers may help to preferre their children as well as Fathers.</P>
<P><HI>Shall be.</HI> It is not in the Originall, and therefore is writ|ten in le&s;&s;er letters, yet needfully added, for children mu&s;t not look for &s;uch preferment or re&s;pect while they are young, but when learned and of yeers. Harve&s;t follows Seed|time pre&s;ently.</P>
<P><HI>An ornament of grace. As,</HI> the note of &s;imilitude is wan|ting. <HI>They &s;hall be as an ornament of grace.</HI> See the like, Job 7.7. <HI>My life is wind;</HI> that is, <HI>my life is as wind.</HI> Heb. <HI>An addition of favour,</HI> or <HI>joyning of grace.</HI> Hence <HI>Levi</HI> had his name. <HI>Now at this time my husband will be joyned unto me; there|fore was his name called Levi,</HI> Gen. 29.34. But it mu&s;t be an addition of ornament, not for nothing, nor for infamy, but for honor, or at lea&s;t for acceptation. To make thee amia|ble or honorable before others, and comely in their eyes,
<PB N="72" REF="41">as <HI>Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,</HI> Gen. 6.8. As u&s;e|money brings an increa&s;e, and Conquerors had garlands given them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto thy head,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to,</HI> or for thy head, as this particle is rendred. P&s;al. 84. <HI>A P&s;alme for the Sons of Korah.</HI> This &s;hews, that he means a garland or crown, &s;uch as Kings and Prie&s;ts u&s;ed to wear upon their heads, the highe&s;t mem|ber, and mo&s;t looked at in token of honour, Zach. 3.5. &amp; 6.11. The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The head, which is the beginning or highe&s;t part of the body. Job 19.9. <HI>He hath taken the crown from my head.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The highe&s;t part of any thing which &s;tands above the re&s;t, as the head above the other members. <HI>The top of the ladder reaebed to heaven,</HI> Gen. 28.12.</P>
<P N="3">3. A Commander in war or peace, who is above the re&s;t, and guides them by rea&s;on, as the head doth the members. Numb. 14.4. <HI>Let us make a Captain.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The beginning of a thing. <HI>In the beginning of the middle|watch,</HI> Judg. 7.19.</P>
<P N="5">5. The chief part of any thing, as the head is in the bo|dy. <HI>Take thou al&s;o unto thee principall &s;pices,</HI> Exod. 30.23.</P>
<P N="6">6. The &s;umme of things, which is the head of number. <HI>When thou ha&s;t taken the &s;umme of the children of I&s;rael,</HI> Ex. 30.12. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for the head of the body.</P>
<P><HI>And chains.</HI> Wi&s;e men were wont to wear chains, in &s;igne of honour due to them for their wi&s;dome. <HI>Pha|raoh put a gold chain about Jo&s;ephs neck</HI> therefore, Gen. 41.39, 42. Hence the <HI>Giants</HI> and <HI>Anakims</HI> had their names, from <GAP DESC="foreign"> Men &s;amous for &s;trength, and either did, or were ac|counted worthy to wear gold chains, as men of note u&s;ed to doe. Or it may be <HI>Anak</HI> their Father wore a chain, and they might have their name from him. The <HI>I&s;hmaelites</HI> u&s;ed to wear golden ear-rings in token of honor, Judg. 8.24. And he &s;aith <HI>chains</HI> in the plural number, for the more gold chains men wear, the greater is their honor.</P>
<P><HI>About thy neck,</HI> Heb. <HI>for thy neck,</HI> as before, or <HI>throat,</HI> which is within the neck, Heb. <HI>throats;</HI> that is, both &s;ides of the neck or throat, or becau&s;e it con&s;i&s;ts of many roundels, like rings, one below another.</P>
<PB N="73" REF="41">
<P>The &s;umme of all is:</P>
<P>If for love to thy Father &amp; Mother, and duty due to them, thou wilt not hearken to their pious in&s;tructions, yet let this motive prevail with thee, taken from that reward of approbation and honor, which good children attain unto, that hearken to their Parents coun&s;els. That will make thee excellently adorned, like a man that hath a crown on his head, and chains on his neck.</P>
<P>Figures: Two Metaphors. One taken from a Garland, or Crown on the head; the other from a Chain on the neck, &s;ignifying popular approbation and preferment. Thou &s;halt be a man approved and honored.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The coherence, by way of motive. <HI>For.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;entence.</P>
<P>In it, 1. The cau&s;e, <HI>they &s;hall be.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The effect, &s;et out by two &s;imilitudes; one from a crown on the head, <HI>an ornament of grace on thy head.</HI> The other from a chain on the neck, <HI>and chains about thy neck.</HI> Both &s;ignes of approbation and honour.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Though God might alwayes command, yet he often u&s;eth motives to per&s;wade. So in the preface to the Ten Commandements, and in the &s;econd, third, fourth, and fifth Commandements, many motives are u&s;ed from Gods power, goodne&s;&s;e, and promi&s;es. See the like Deut. 11. all over.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God dealeth with rea&s;onable men, and &s;o pre&s;&s;eth rea&s;ons. Every thing is to be wrought upon in its owne way, in ordinary cour&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e their owne rea&s;on will condemne them, if they hearken not to God; but if God gave no rea&s;on (as he need not) then mu&s;t he condemne men out of meer authority, which (though ju&s;t) would &s;eem har&s;h.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of Gods in finite goodne&s;&s;e. He u&s;eth all means for the good of men.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To &s;hew the ju&s;tice of the condemnation of wic|ked men; they fin again&s;t the light of rea&s;on.</P>
<P N="2">2. To per&s;wade us to hearken to God, who deals with us in &s;o low a way, that might have &s;tood upon high terms, and given no rea&s;on for his command. Princes u&s;e to &s;ay, <HI>Sic
<PB N="74" REF="42">volo, &s;ic jubeo, &s;tat pro ratione voluntas: So I will, &s;o I command, and for a Law my will &s;hall &s;tand. Si regnas, jube: If thou be a King, command. Senec. Med.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Though we owe God more then we can do for him, yet he woes us by rewards. By temporall rewards, Deut. 28.1, <HI>&amp;c. Delight thy &s;elf al&s;o in the Lord, and he &s;hall give thee the de&s;ires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and tru&s;t in him, and he &s;hall bring it to pa&s;&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 37.45. P&s;al. 128. all over. <HI>If ye be willing and obedient, ye &s;hall eat the good of the land,</HI> I&s;a. 1.19. <HI>Veluti pueris dant cru&s;tula blandi Doctores, elementa velint ut di&s;cere prima. Horat. Sat.</HI> 1. <HI>As kind Teachers give little cakes to boyes to make them willing to learn their</HI> A. B. C. Eternall rewards are promi&s;ed, Matth. 10.41, 42. <HI>A crown of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.8. <HI>A crown of life,</HI> Revel. 2.10. <HI>A throne to &s;it on,</HI> Rev. 3.21. The Spirit of God here accommodates him&s;elf to Childrens temper, who love rewards. So &s;hould men be taken with Gods pro|mi&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To &s;hew Gods freene&s;&s;e, who though he might require more duty out of debt then we can perform, yet is plea&s;ed to reward our imperfect &s;ervices; as if a Creditor &s;hould give a thou&s;and pound to one that owes him an hundred pound, and paid but five pounds of it; or a Ma&s;ter give to a Servant that failed in many things (though he were hone&s;t) treble his wages.</P>
<P N="2">2. To work upon our &s;elf-love. He knows that we look at our &s;elves naturally, and he is willing to make u&s;e of this di&s;po&s;ition of ours to encourage us to his &s;ervice.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> This &s;hews how great a &s;in it is not to hearken to Gods voyce. If he required all out of debt, and gave no re|ward, it were inju&s;tice to deny him. How much more when he offers &s;o liberally? In &s;o doing we ju&s;tly deprive our &s;elves of the good promi&s;ed, and peri&s;h eternally.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us willingly hearken to God, who deals with us upon &s;o fair terms, as a City be&s;ieged yeelds gladly in extremity upon fair quarter, much more upon great advan|tage and rewards offered. <HI>Mo&s;es had re&s;pect to the recompen&s;e of reward,</HI> Heb. 11.26.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Hearkning to Parents in&s;truction, is a means to
<PB N="75" REF="42">bring us to publick approbation. So it fared with <HI>Solomon</HI> him&s;elf. He got approbation by attending to his Parents precepts, and advi&s;eth his Son to &s;eek it by attending to his.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the people ob&s;erve the carriage of other mens children, as well as of their owne; and if they finde them re&s;pective of their Parents good coun&s;els, they expect much from them, but little from di&s;obedient ones. Obe|dient children are comely in other mens eyes befide their Parents.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e wi&s;dome is gotten by hearkening to Parents coun&s;els, and that makes men acceptable to others. Keeping Parents precepts is grace unto the neck, <HI>ch.</HI> 3.21, 22. Wi&s;|dome made <HI>David</HI> e&s;teemed as an Angel of God, 2 Sam. 14.20. <HI>A mans wi&s;dome maketh his face to &s;hine,</HI> Eccl. 8.1. God who <HI>turns mens hearts whither&s;oever he will,</HI> Prov. 21.1. makes wi&s;e men to be had in high e&s;teem, even of fools, as if they were crowns and chains.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let not children think them&s;elves too wi&s;e, and de|&s;pi&s;e their Parents coun&s;el, le&s;t others &s;et light by them. Whereas, if they hearken to it, men will willingly ca&s;t their eyes upon them, and have an high account of them; as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> plea&s;ing his Father, had a parti-coloured coat, that others might &s;ee his Fathers great affection to him.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Hearkening to Parents in&s;truction is a great means of preferment. As in <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> who was the be&s;t, and be&s;t beloved Son of his Father. In well ordered Cities all men may not wear crowns or chains, but Nobles, and Ma|gi&s;trates, and men preferred for wi&s;dome. <HI>Pharaoh put a gold chain about Jo&s;ephs neck,</HI> Gen. 41.42. <HI>Bel&s;hazzar cau&s;ed a chain of gold to be put about Daniels neck,</HI> Dan. 5.29. And this wi&s;dome comes often by Parents in&s;tructions. Men will not preferre &s;uch to rule others, as would not be ruled by their Parents. Wi&s;e men are Noble-men, they have God to their Father.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Behold the reward of hearkening to Parents in&s;tru|ctions, and be encouraged &s;o to doe. Great honor follows it many times in this world, but &s;ure a crown of glory in heaven.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="76" REF="43">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 10.</BIBL> My Son, if &s;inners entice thee, con&s;ent thou not.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;e man proceeds in a very fit method; for ha|ving exhorted young men to hearken to their Parents, now in the ten ver&s;es following, he warns them to take heed of &s;educers, whereof for want of experience, and pronene&s;&s;e to evill, they are in great danger. Such &s;eek to extingui&s;h the good coun&s;els of Parents at home, by drawing them abroad to wickedne&s;&s;e. For mans naturall corruption is ready to break forth, e&s;pecially being &s;olicited by others. There|fore he warns young men to take heed of wicked mens company, coun&s;els, and wayes: Young men are more apt to hear other mens bad coun&s;els, then their Parents good; by rea&s;on of ill di&s;po&s;ition more powerfull in them then na|turall affection. Therefore he bids them cleave fa&s;t to the one, re&s;i&s;t the other.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>My Son.</HI> For this word &s;ee on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. &amp; <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. Herein <HI>Solomon</HI> aimed principally at the good of his owne children, yet gives this coun&s;ell to every young man that &s;hall hear or read the&s;e Proverbs, calling him his Son, as if he &s;pake to him in particular, out of a paternall affe|ction.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>If.</HI> If &s;uch a thing &s;hall happen. If you meet with &s;educers, as it may be ye may. Or <HI>when,</HI> as it is tran&s;la|ted, Amos 7.2. <HI>When they had made an end of eating the gra&s;&s;e of the land.</HI> For there is no que&s;tion but young men will meet with enticers one time or other. Or <HI>&s;eeing,</HI> as it &s;hould be tran&s;lated, E&s;t. 6.13. <HI>Seeing Mordecai is of the &s;eed of the Jews.</HI> For it is &s;ure he was &s;o.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;inners. Object.</HI> All men are finners born, and good men &s;in every day. <HI>There is no man that &s;inneth not,</HI> 1 King. 8.46.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> By finners here are meant gro&s;&s;e &s;inners, as Luk. 7.37, 39. &s;uch as live in a cour&s;e of &s;in without repentance. Such are forward to draw others to be like them, but godly men &s;eek to draw others to piety. So the word is u&s;ed,
<PB N="77" REF="43">P&s;al. 1.1. <HI>Nor &s;tandeth in the way of &s;inners.</HI> And Joh. 9.31. <HI>God heareth not &s;inners.</HI> Such as make a trade of &s;in, 1 Joh. 3.9. &amp; 1 Sam. 15.18. The word &s;ignifies to mi&s;&s;e the mark. <HI>Every one could &s;ting &s;tones at an hairs breadth, and n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t mi&s;&s;e,</HI> Judg. 20.16. And &s;econdarily, to mi&s;&s;e the mark that God &s;ets before us in his Word. Not to act according to his Law. But here it &s;ignifies not &s;uch as in &s;ome one act differ from the Law of God, but in the cour&s;e of their lives, and that willingly, wittingly, and gro&s;&s;ely, and &s;o mi&s;&s;e the mark of eternall glory, Phil. 3.14.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Entice thee.</HI> Seek to per&s;wade thee with fair words and rich promi&s;es to take part with them in their wicked|ne&s;&s;e, to the hurt of others. <HI>Malus bonum vult malum e&s;&s;e, ut &s;it &s;ui &s;imilis. Plaut. A bad man would have a good man bad, that he might be like him.</HI> The word is u&s;ed &s;ometimes in a good &s;en&s;e, to per&s;wade men to good, and for their good. So &s;ome tran&s;late Gen. 9.27. <HI>God &s;hall per&s;wade Japhet.</HI> And from this word <HI>Japhet</HI> had his name. But it is taken mo&s;t commonly in a bad &s;en&s;e, as here. Hence <GAP DESC="foreign">, a &s;imple man, ea&s;ily drawn away, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4. And hence comes <HI>Fatuus</HI> a fool in <HI>Latin.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Con&s;ent thou not.</HI> A prohibition or charge, not to hearken to enticing &s;inners. The word &s;ignifies to bear good will. Such as parents bear to their children. Thence comes <GAP DESC="foreign">, a Father. See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. And becau&s;e men are willing to hearken to &s;uch as they bear good will to, it &s;ignifies al&s;o to con&s;ent. Sometime to good coun|&s;ell, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 30. Sometime to bad, as here. Say, I will not do what ye per&s;wade me to. Give a &s;hort an&s;wer, give not the lea&s;t ear or liking to their flattering per&s;wa&s;ions. Be not ready to hearken to them with thine ear, much le&s;&s;e with thine heart, lea&s;t of all to admit them into thine hand, or act them. Keep thine ears from hearkening to them at fir&s;t, as <HI>David</HI> kept h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s tongue, P&s;al. 39.1. and <HI>Job</HI> his eyes, Job 31.1. Be &s;o far from acting with them, that thou give no con&s;ent to them, nor keep no company with them, Prov. 4.14. Be not won with their fair words, and large offers, but rather re&s;i&s;t their &s;olicitations. A <HI>Meio&s;is,</HI> as in the third Commandement, not holding him guiltle&s;&s;e that taketh
<PB N="78" REF="44">Gods Name in vain, is holding him very guilty, and pu|ni&s;hing him very &s;everely.</P>
<P>The &s;umme of all is, as <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;hould have &s;aid; Ye young men, whom I love as children, I know that wicked men will &s;peak you fair, and make you large promi&s;es, to per&s;wade you not to hearken to my good coun&s;els here, or &s;uch as your godly Parents &s;hal give you, and to draw you to their wicked wayes; but tru&s;t not to their promi&s;es, nor hearken ye to their coun&s;els, for in &s;tead of making you rich and happy, they will make you mi&s;erable. Figures none.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. A generall pre&s;cription in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Particular directions, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The party &s;poken to, <HI>My Son.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The dehortation. And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The danger.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The way of preventing it. In the danger,</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>1. The agent, <HI>if &s;inners.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The effect, <HI>entice.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>thee.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The remedy is, <HI>con&s;ent thou not.</HI></P>
<P>For the coherence: He had per&s;waded the young man be|fore to open his ear to his Parents good coun&s;els, now he per&s;wades him to &s;top it again&s;t the bad coun&s;els of finners.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Parents good coun&s;els &s;hould keep out the bad coun&s;els of finners out of childrens hearts. Compare <HI>ch.</HI> 2. <HI>v.</HI> 1. with <HI>v.</HI> 12. &amp; <HI>v.</HI> 16. there, and ye &s;hall &s;ee that hiding Parents commandments within us, is a means to keep us from being hurt by the bad words of evill men or women. See the like, <HI>ch.</HI> 4.4, 14, 20, 24. &amp; 5.1, 3, 7, 8, 9. &amp; 6.20, 24. &amp; 7.1, 5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e their parents &s;hould be deerer to them, then any other what&s;oever. And men are mo&s;t ready to hear|ken to them, that are deere&s;t to them. Men are more ready to take notice who &s;peaks, then what is &s;poken. They who &s;light others &s;peeches will regard friends words.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let children, when they are tempted to fin by others, recall their Parents good coun&s;els to the contrary. It wil be a great pre&s;ervative. Arms laid up in peace are produced in war for good.</P>
<PB N="79" REF="44">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Such as undertake to teach others, mu&s;t &s;hew forth Parents affections. So doth <HI>Solomon</HI> here, and <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. <HI>ch.</HI> 2.5. &amp; 3.1. &amp; 4.1. And <HI>David, chap.</HI> 5.1. &amp; 6.1. &amp; 7.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It is a winning way. Love wins more then authority. Therefore <HI>Paul</HI> u&s;eth it to win the revolted <HI>Ga|latians,</HI> Gal. 4.19. <HI>My little children, of whom I travell in birth again, untill Chri&s;t beformed in you.</HI> See the like in <HI>Paul</HI>'s dea|ling with <HI>Philemon,</HI> Philem. <HI>v.</HI> 7, 8, 9, 19. He intreats that might command, and promi&s;es payment to him that was more indebted to him, yea owed him his owne &s;oul. St. <HI>John</HI> often u&s;eth this loving title, <HI>My little children,</HI> 1 Joh. 2.1, 12, 13. &amp; 3.18.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a &s;topping way to prevent objections. If it be ob|jected, we di&s;grace others, and bear them malice naturally, therefore they will not hear our coun&s;els; we may an&s;wer, Parents bear no malice to their children, and are therefore worthy to be heard. If it be &s;aid, we &s;eek our owne, and not others good, the &s;ame an&s;wer will &s;erve, Parents do not &s;o, but &s;eek their childrens good, and their coun&s;els are for that cau&s;e not to be rejected.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> For Teachers. Let Mini&s;ters &s;ea&s;on their reproo&s;s with fatherly in&s;inuations of affection, as Phy&s;icians give &s;ugar after bitter pills. So let Fathers, Ma&s;ters, Friends, teach with parentall love, if they would do any good.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let young men regard &s;uch Teachers as &s;hew &s;uch affection. A&s;&s;uredly they &s;peak for their good, what ever their corruption &s;ugge&s;ts to the contrary.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Though all men be finners, yet &s;ome remain in a &s;infull e&s;tate, and &s;o carry away the name from others. The&s;e are of two &s;orts:</P>
<P N="1">1. All in their naturall condition. <HI>While we were yet &s;in|ners,</HI> Rom. 5.8. <HI>In the fle&s;h,</HI> ch. 8.8. <HI>In darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gro&s;&s;e &s;inners, as the <HI>Sodomites,</HI> Gen. 13.13. <HI>The men of Sodom were wicked, and &s;inners before the Lord exceedingly. The &s;inners in Zion are afraid,</HI> I&s;a. 33.14.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Get out of &s;uch a condition, both of naturall and cu&s;tomary &s;in, or rather keep out of the latter. Pre&s;ervatives are better then healing phy&s;ick.</P>
<PB N="80" REF="45">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men de&s;ire to make others as bad as them|&s;elves. So Harlots doe, Prov. 7.13, 14. The &s;trumpet ki&s;&s;es the young man, and inveagles him with fair words. So do drunkards. <HI>Come ye, &s;ay they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill cur &s;elves with strong drink, and to morrow &s;hall be as this day, and much more abundant,</HI> I&s;a. 56.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;ome &s;ins cannot be committed with|out company with any content, as wantonne&s;&s;e and drun|kenne&s;&s;e. <HI>Nemo facil&egrave; peccat. No man will ea&s;ily &s;in alone. Augu&s;t Conf. l.</HI> 2. Infected per&s;ons are &s;aid to have a de&s;ire to in&s;ect others.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they may continue in &s;in the more boldly, when they have partners in &s;in to &s;ide with them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> When men tempt you to evill, look what they are. Ye will find them wicked men them&s;elves, and &s;uch as gallop toward hell, and would lead you thither with them. This thought will dead their temptations.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men have a notable infinuating faculty to deceive others. See the Harlots per&s;wa&s;ions, Prov. 7.13, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and the Drunkards, I&s;a. 56.12. Both cited in the former doctrine. So after the text, Theeves &s;eek to draw in others from hope of gain, and impunity.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. They have oft-times ripe wits, and &s;tretch all the veins of their under&s;tanding to deceive.</P>
<P N="2">2. They &s;tudy how to be n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mble, and eloquent in decei|ving. They make choi&s;e of mo&s;t alluring baits, as Fi&s;hers and Fowlers u&s;e to do. <HI>Fi&s;tula dulce canit, voluerem dum decipit auceps: The pipe &s;ings merrily, while the Fowler deceives the bird. Flatterers like fi&s;her-men, and fowlers willingly &s;et that before the eyes of fi&s;hes and birds, which they think plea&s;eth them best. They know, that otherwi&s;e they lo&s;e their labour. Petronius.</HI> The Ser|pent tempts <HI>Eve</HI> by fruit <HI>plea&s;ant to the eyes,</HI> Gen. 3.6. <HI>Syrens</HI> &s;ing &s;weetly to deceive. The Dragon bites the Elephants ear, and then &s;ucks his bloud. So wicked men hurt us by our ears. <HI>Trap</HI> in <HI>v.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Labour to under&s;tand the drifts of tempters and de|ceivers, that ye may not be carried away with their fair words and promi&s;es. An&s;wer as <HI>Speu&s;ippus Plato</HI>'s Nephew an&s;wered a flatterer that prai&s;ed him, <HI>Give over deceiving both
<PB N="81" REF="45">of us, draw not me from the knowledge of my &s;elf, and cea&s;e to heap cunning maliciou&s;ne&s;&s;e on your &s;elf. Nihil proficis, cum te in|telligam: I under&s;tand you &s;o well that you cannot prevail. Elenard in Chron. Malum hominem bland&egrave; loquentem agno&s;ce tuum laqueum e&s;&s;e: Take notice that a wicked man &s;peaking fawningly is a &s;nare to thee. Seneca.</HI> So the &s;trumpets words bring the young man into a &s;nare, <HI>ch.</HI> 7.23. Chri&s;t was offered all the King|domes of the world by Satan, I yet hearkened not to him; neither do thou to Papi&s;ts, nor gro&s;&s;e &s;inners, who offer offices or marriages to &s;educe. They are ju&s;tly fooled, who tru&s;t them.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Enticers will &s;et upon &s;uch as have good educa|tion. <HI>Solomon</HI> was &s;et upon by his wives, 1 King. 11.4. His Son <HI>Rehoboam</HI> by his young coun&s;ellors, 1 King. 12.8. And no marvell, for the Devil dur&s;t &s;et upon Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. They tru&s;t to their own skill to deceive, as if none were metall proof again&s;t it.</P>
<P N="2">2. They judge others corrupt like them&s;elves, though better bred. And they gue&s;&s;e &s;hrewdly, for in&s;truction can|not quite drive out naturall corruption; Tindar will take fire.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ye that have godly parents, expect &s;educers. They will &s;oon &s;et upon you, to deprive you of your Parents good coun&s;els. Churches and Families have &s;uch. <HI>Praemoniti, praemuniti;</HI> forewarned, forearmed. Be not taken unawares.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Doct.</HI> Enticers cannot hurt us, if we con&s;ent not. Sa|tan hurt not Chri&s;t, Matth. 4. Nor had hurt <HI>Adam</HI> and <HI>Eve,</HI> had not they con&s;ented.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e thoughts of what is evill, are not evill thoughts, till &s;ome delight or con&s;ent come. <HI>A&s;cending thoughts,</HI> to wit, from our corruption, <HI>are &s;ins; thoughts &s;ent in,</HI> to wit, by Satan, <HI>are no &s;ins, if they infect us not. Andrews</HI> on the <HI>tenth Commandement.</HI> Chri&s;t could not but think what it was that Satan tempted him to, yet &s;inned not.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Deny con&s;ent, and no temptation can hurt thee; thou &s;halt be free from actuall finning.</P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t be firmly re&s;olved again&s;t all &s;olicita|tions to evill. So Chri&s;t was, Matt. 4. and had Scripture ready.</P>
<PB N="82" REF="46">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e they will el&s;e grow too hard for us. Trees are ea&s;ie&s;t pulled up at fir&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Re&s;i&s;t temptation at fir&s;t, and then <HI>Satan will fly from you,</HI> Jam. 47 and &s;in with him. Euticers are <HI>faeces Reipublicae, the dregs of the Common-wealth. Cicero.</HI> The &s;ooner &s;wept away, the better. <HI>Majorem praedam in viduabus blandimenta eli|ciunt, qu&agrave;m tormenta.</HI> Many proved uncha&s;te by allurements, yet many Widows and Maids endured the fire. <HI>Augu&s;t. de Verb. Dom. in Matth. Hom.</HI> 19 <HI>fin. Avunculus tuus quaerit animam tuam, qui jam perdidit &s;uam. Promi&s;it magna, &s;ed ego majora; offert plura, &s;ed ego plurima. Dimittes ergo pro terr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nis coele&s;tia, pro temporalibus aeterna? Bern. Epi&s;t.</HI> 2. <HI>ad Fulconem. Thy &V;ncle &s;eeks thy &s;oul, who hath already lo&s;t his owne. He promi&s;es great things, but I greater: he offers very many things, but I far more. Wilt thou then let go hea|venly things for earthly, eternall for temporary?</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 11.</BIBL> If they &s;ay, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent, without cau&s;e.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;e-man contents not him&s;elf to give general war|ning to the young man, but comes to particulars. In which you may note:</P>
<P N="1">1. The Robbers &s;peech, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Wi&s;e-mans antidote, from thence to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. In the fir&s;t he &s;ets down the particular allurements that wicked men u&s;e to draw others to evill. And that in the tempters owne words, to affect the young man the more. Robbers know that young men are much di&s;couraged with fear of danger, and difficulty of the work, and therefore they la|bour fir&s;t to di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e them of the&s;e prejudices, before they acquaint them with the gain to allurethem. And the Wi&s;e|man to make them the more carefull to avoyd evill coun&s;els, &s;ets before them no mean &s;inners, but Theeves and Robbers, who u&s;e to draw others to them, that they may be the &s;tronger to work wickedne&s;&s;e. Not that &s;uch things are u&s;ually propounded by wicked men at fir&s;t, but they will come to them at la&s;t, if they &s;ee young men willing to leave their Parents good coun&s;el, to follow bad. He &s;ets this example
<PB N="83" REF="46">before them, becau&s;e it is ea&s;ie to conceive what wayes theeves u&s;e to draw others to them, which young men having pro|digally wa&s;ted their owne e&s;tates, are ready to hearken to, that without labour they may live plenti&s;ully, as they did before. In this robbers &s;peech note:</P>
<P N="1">1. The plot they would draw them to act in, with &s;ome clo&s;e arguments to drive fear and &s;hame out of them, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 13.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gain &s;et before them to allure them, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15. So the Husband-man fir&s;t ploughs up weeds, then &s;ows &s;eeds. In the fir&s;t note,</P>
<P N="1">1. An argument from the &s;afety of the attempt, <HI>v.</HI> 11.</P>
<P N="2">2. From the ea&s;ine&s;&s;e of the accompli&s;hing it, <HI>v.</HI> 12.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. <HI>Solomon</HI> propounds not the thing as Theeves would do to Novices, for &s;uch gro&s;&s;e language at fir&s;t would make Novices afraid to joyn with them, but rather &s;hews whereunto their plots tend, and what they &s;hould &s;ay, if they would &s;peak plain. Yet he interweaves their arguments of &s;afety, and facility. For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>If.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 10.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>they &s;ay.</HI> If they declare their meaning unto thee in words. So the word is taken, Job 3.2. <HI>And Job &s;pake and &s;aid.</HI> It is al&s;o taken for commanding or &s;peaking impari|ou&s;ly, E&s;t. 1.10. <HI>The King commanded Mehuman, &amp;c.</HI> For &s;peaking proverbially. <HI>As it is &s;aid to this day, In the Mount of the Lord it &s;hall be &s;een,</HI> Gen. 23.14. For thinking, or &s;peaking in heart. <HI>The foole hath &s;aid in his heart,</HI> P&s;al. 53.1.</P>
<P><HI>Come with us.</HI> The <HI>Hebr.</HI> word <GAP DESC="foreign">, or rather <GAP DESC="foreign"> (for <GAP DESC="foreign"> is never read in the Preterperfect ten&s;e, and therefore it is likely <GAP DESC="foreign"> comes of <GAP DESC="foreign">) &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Going about &s;omething, although a man walk not. <HI>And his Sons went and fea&s;ted,</HI> Job 1.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. Going on in a continued way, or walking. <HI>Laban went to &s;hear his &s;heep,</HI> Gen. 31.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. The pa&s;&s;age of &s;hips, and other livele&s;&s;e things. <HI>There go the &s;hips,</HI> P&s;al. 104.26.</P>
<P N="4">4. Pa&s;&s;ing out of the world, or dying. <HI>Thou &s;halt goe to thy Fathers,</HI> Gen. 15.15. <HI>And he pa&s;&s;eth,</HI> Job 14.20.</P>
<PB N="84" REF="47">
<P N="5">5. Con&s;tancy in a condition. <HI>I go childle&s;&s;e,</HI> Gen. 15.2.</P>
<P N="6">6. It imports a cour&s;e of life good or bad. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that walketh not in the coun&s;ell of the ungodly,</HI> P&s;al. 1.1.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e. Come with us, or go with us to rob others, and live by &s;tealing. They &s;hew their forwardne&s;&s;e to &s;in, not being content to &s;in them&s;elves, but &s;oliciting others al&s;o. Thou &s;halt not go alone, nor be the fir&s;t, but we will lead thee, who are accu&s;tomed to &s;uch cour&s;es. So they &s;eek to drive away the young mans &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ame<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;tne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Let us lay wait.</HI> They call upon him to joyn with them. The argument is taken from &s;ecre&s;ie, to put away &s;hame, or from &s;afety. We will lie in <HI>ambu&s;eado,</HI> as Soul|diers do in Woods un&s;een to catch enemies, and wilde bea&s;ts watching for prey. No man can there hurt us, prevent us, or reveal us, to bring us to puni&s;hment. We will not openly &s;et upon them, but work craftily for their hurt, and our &s;e|curity. Young men are &s;hamefa&s;t, as not u&s;ed to &s;uch wic|kedne&s;&s;e; therefore &s;ecre&s;ie is promi&s;ed. They are fearful to fight in open wars, therefore craft is added. We may be killed our &s;elves if we &s;et openly on them, but we will pre|vent that danger by ambu&s;hments.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>for blood.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The blood of living creatures. <HI>Ye &s;hall not eat any thing with the blood,</HI> Levit. 19.26.</P>
<P N="2">2. Things like blood in colour. <HI>The Moon &s;hall be turned into blood,</HI> Joel 2.31.</P>
<P N="3">3. Murder, or blood &s;hedding, becau&s;e the life is in the blood, and departs when the blood is &s;hed. <HI>The earth al&s;o &s;hall di&s;clo&s;e her blood, and &s;hall no more cover her &s;lain,</HI> I&s;a. 26.21. So it is taken here. And Deut. 17.8. P&s;al. 5.6. Let us kill them to get their goods, Mat. 21.38. And to make them &s;ure that they may not reveal us.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>let us lurk privily.</HI> The &s;ame thing in other words, to &s;hew their earne&s;tne&s;&s;e in per&s;wading, and confi|dence that their plot mu&s;t take. If we cannot meet with him conveniently in the high way, we will wait in &s;ecret till we can, P&s;al. 10.8. &amp; 56.6.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>for the innocent.</HI> It &s;ignifies primarily one cleer from
<PB N="85" REF="47">&s;in, or guilt, or pure, not filthy or defiled with iniquity. But here is meant one that carries him&s;elf fairly, goes qui|etly about his owne bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, not &s;eeking the hurt of any, nor fearing hurt from any, and &s;o &s;elf-wary, and the more ea&s;ily oppre&s;&s;ed. But this innocent man mu&s;t be rich, to <HI>v.</HI> 13. El&s;e nothing is gotten by killing him.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>without cau&s;e.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Without pay or reward, or for nought. <HI>Doth Job fear God for nought?</HI> Job 1.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. Without &s;ucce&s;&s;e, or in vain. <HI>I have not &s;aid in vain,</HI> Ezek. 6.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. Without cau&s;e, or wrongfully. <HI>Thou moved&s;t me again&s;t him to de&s;troy him without cau&s;e,</HI> Job 2.3. And &s;o here, we will kill them, though they have given us no cau&s;e to hurt them. The young man might object, They have not wronged us, why &s;hould we kill them? No matter for that (&s;ay the Seducers) we &s;hall get wealth by it, <HI>v.</HI> 13. They &s;in out of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, rather then out of malice. It cannot &s;ignifie in vain here, or without reward, for that became not the &s;educers to &s;peak, nor would not encouaage, but ra|ther di&s;courage the young man.</P>
<P>Figures none, unle&s;&s;e a <HI>Pro&s;opopeia,</HI> wherein <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peaks to them, as if the theeves them&s;elves were pre&s;ent, and &s;pake the&s;e words to the young man. And &s;hedding of blood for &s;laying. A figure of the cau&s;e for the effect.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. A preface, <HI>If they &s;ay.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The coun&s;el it &s;elf, in three exhortations. In the fir&s;t note,</P>
<P N="1">1. The act, <HI>come.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The company, <HI>with us.</HI> In the &s;econd note,</P>
<P N="1">1. The act, <HI>let us wait.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The object, <HI>for blood.</HI> In the third,</P>
<P N="1">1. The act, <HI>let us lurk privily.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The object, <HI>for the innocent.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The an&s;wer to a tacite objection, <HI>without a cau&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Although they have given us no cau&s;e, yet let not that di&s;courage thee. We &s;hall get wealth, let that encourage thee. For this cannot be an argument, Let us kill them, becau&s;e they have done us no wrong. Therefore it is a pre|vention
<PB N="86" REF="48">of an objection. For the coherence. <HI>Solomon</HI> not onely warns young men in generall to take heed of &s;edu|cers, but al&s;o acquaints them with their particular per&s;wa|&s;ions before-hand.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Young men are in great danger of being drawn away to &s;infull cour&s;es. They have great need of <HI>clen&s;ing their way</HI> P&s;al. 119.9. See how the young man is encountred with the wily allurements of the &s;trumpet, <HI>chap.</HI> 7.7, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have not that grounded experience that others have, nor are &s;o able to look through &s;hews into &s;ub&s;tances.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they are wilfull and head&s;trong, and will fol|low their owne lu&s;ts, notwith&s;tanding good mens per&s;wa|&s;ions. <HI>Solomon</HI> doth not give leave to the young man to <HI>walk in the wayes of his heart, and in the &s;ight of his eyes,</HI> Eccle&s;. 11.9. but by an iconicall conce&s;&s;ion foretells their inclina|tion, and therefore God may ju&s;tly give them over to be &s;e|duced, 2 The&s;&s;. 2.10, 11, 12.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Young men look about you. Young birds are catcht with chaffe. Take heed, le&s;t for de&s;pi&s;ing your Parents good coun&s;el, God give you over to hearken to bad.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wickedne&s;&s;e will not be kept in in the heart, but will break out. <HI>The fool hath &s;aid in his heart, there is no God.</HI> And his deeds &s;hew it: <HI>They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,</HI> P&s;al. 14.1. So <HI>the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of the wicked in his heart</HI> appears in that <HI>the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit,</HI> P&s;al. 36.1, 3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e fin is like fire, if any fuell come to it, it will break forth.</P>
<P N="2">2. The devil blows the bellows by temptations.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of the company of wicked men. Though they carry them&s;elves never &s;o civilly for a time, yet their wickedne&s;&s;e will break out. <HI>Tum tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet: Look to thy &s;elf when thy neighbours hou&s;e is on fire.</HI> Men flee from in&s;ected hou&s;es. So &s;hould we from &s;inners.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Secre&s;ie is a great bait to wickedne&s;&s;e. <HI>The good man is not at home, he is gone a long journey.</HI> A &s;hrewd argu|ment for adultery. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s greate&s;t temptation was when
<PB N="87" REF="48"><HI>there was none of the men of the hou&s;e within,</HI> Gen. 39.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;hame is a bridle to keep men from open wickedne&s;&s;e. Many are kept in by it, whom no coun&s;el will keep from evill wayes.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e fear of puni&s;hment is a bit that keeps others from fin. Things openly done will be que&s;tioned. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Aster. Conc. de Filio prodigo. There are two &s;trong keepers of youth, fear, and &s;hame. Duo &s;unt cu&s;todes dome&s;tici nobis a Deo dati, pudor, &amp; timor. Augu&s;t. God hath given us two keepers at home, &s;hame, and fear. Timor Do|mini e&s;t janitor animae: The fear of the Lord is the dorekeeper of the &s;oul. Bern.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of &s;ecret &s;olicitations to &s;ecret evile. The fear of God mu&s;t keep thee from the&s;e, as it did <HI>Jo|&s;eph.</HI> Gen. 39.9. <HI>Set God alwayes before thee,</HI> P&s;al. 16.8. <HI>Walk before him,</HI> Gen. 17.1. Be not wor&s;e then eye &s;ervants, who will not offend in their Ma&s;ters &s;ight. Take the Heathen mans coun&s;ell. Suppo&s;e <HI>Socrates,</HI> or &s;ome grave man before thee, when thou art tempted to any &s;ecret wickedne&s;&s;e. Yea, &s;uppo&s;e God before thee. <HI>Quaecun&abque; cape&s;&s;i, te&s;tes factorum &s;tare arbitrabere. Pro&s;. Silius. Bell Pun. l.</HI> 15. <HI>What <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re thou goe about, think God a witne&s;&s;e of thy actions. In omnibus, quae agis, Deum pra&s;entem cogites. Bern. Med. c.</HI> 6. <HI>Think God pre&s;ent in all thou do&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e makes men cruel. They &s;ay not, Let us lay wait for wealth, but for blood, yet wealth was their aim. We will kill rather then want. <HI>Ahab</HI>'s cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e brought <HI>Naboth</HI> to his end, 1 King. 21.4, 13. And <HI>Judas</HI> his de&s;ire of gain made him betray Chri&s;t, Matth. 26.15, 16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Many do not kill men out of malice, but 1. that they may injoy their prey without re&s;i&s;tance. 2. That they may not be di&s;covered, and &s;o puni&s;hed. <HI>Mortui non mordent. The dead bite not.</HI> They would finde them out if they &s;hould live.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Though thou intende&s;t only to cou&s;en men of their goods at the fir&s;t, yet thou may&s;t be brought to kill <HI>Naboth</HI> for his vineyard.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men have many &s;ecret devices to bring
<PB N="88" REF="49">their wicked purpo&s;es to pa&s;&s;e. <HI>E&s;au</HI> re&s;olves to kill his Brother <HI>Jacob</HI> after his Fathers buriall, Gen. 27.41. <HI>Jezabel</HI> can undoe <HI>Naboth</HI> by calling a Fa&s;t, 1 King. 21.9. For it is their &s;tudy day and night, P&s;al. 36.4. Prov. 4.16.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth not to marvel that wicked mens plots pre|vail &s;ometimes again&s;t better men then them&s;elves. We &s;hould rather wonder they do not alwayes prevail, they are &s;o re&s;t|le&s;&s;e, and have &s;o many wayes to the Wood.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men promi&s;e them&s;elves &s;ucce&s;&s;e of their mi&s;chievous plots. They think they lurk &s;o, as they cannot be prevented. <HI>E&s;au</HI> made no doubt of &s;laying <HI>Jacob,</HI> Gen. 27.41. <HI>Saul</HI> made &s;ure reckoning to catch <HI>David</HI> in <HI>Keilab,</HI> 1 Sam. 23.7. They think their Mine too deep for men to countermine, and look not to God that can go beyond them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To &s;hew us how deeply &s;in is rooted in &s;infull &s;ouls, &s;o that they dare promi&s;e them&s;elves good &s;ucce&s;&s;e, not onely in lawfull, but al&s;o in &s;infull affairs.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men promi&s;e them&s;elves impunity. They lie &s;o clo&s;e, that they will have no witne&s;&s;es to accu&s;e them. And then they &s;ay, <HI>The Lord &s;hall not &s;ee,</HI> P&s;al. 94.7. <HI>And they &s;ay, How doth God know, and is there knowledge in the most High,</HI> P&s;al. 73.11. <HI>They encourage them&s;elves in an evill matter, they commune of laying &s;nares privily; they &s;ay, Who &s;hall &s;ee them?</HI> P&s;al. 64.5. <HI>Woe unto them that &s;eek deep to hide their coun&s;ell from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they &s;ay, Who &s;eeth us? and, Who knows us?</HI> I&s;a. 29.15. Security is the cau&s;e of it. They per&s;wade them&s;elves that God and men are blinde. As the <HI>O&s;trich</HI> hides his head, and then thinks all the body &s;afe. <HI>Struthiocameli &s;toliditas mira, in tanta reliqui corporis altitudine, cum collum frutice occultaverit, latere &s;e exi&s;ti|mantis. Plin. l.</HI> 10. <HI>c.</HI> 1. <HI>Great is the fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e of the O&s;trich, who though his body be very high, yet when he hides his neck un|der a &s;hrub, thinks he lies hid.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let Magi&s;trates put them out of that conceit by doing ju&s;tice on Malefactors. <HI>Impunitas maxima e&s;t peccandi illecebra: Impunity i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the greate&s;t bait to &s;in.</HI> Sparing &s;ome is cruelty to others. <HI>Henry</HI> the Eighth his fool, when the King denyed a pardon to a Gentleman that had killed two men before,
<PB N="89" REF="49">told him, that the Gentleman had killed but one, the King had killed the other, for if he had hanged him for the fir&s;t, the &s;econd had been alive. <HI>Bonis no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">et, qui&s;quis malis pepercerit. P. Syrus. He that &s;pares the bad, hurts the good.</HI></P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>Doct.</HI> Rich men, though innocent, are in danger. As <HI>Naboth,</HI> 1 King. 21. The inheritance made the heir in danger of his life, Mat. 21.38. Their riches breed them &s;nares, <HI>Can|tabit vacuus coram latrone viator: An empty traveller may &s;ing be|fore a theef.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To condemne the immoderate de&s;ire of riches. Our throats may be cut for them.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 12.</BIBL> Let us &s;wallow them up alive, as the grave; and whole, as tho&s;e that go down into the pit.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The former argument to per&s;wade our Novice to joyne in the&s;t, and murther, and unlawfull &s;urprize of other mens goods and lives, was taken from the &s;afety of the action. No danger. No man &s;hould &s;ee, to prevent it before, or to accu&s;e after. This argument in this ver&s;e is from the ea&s;i|ne&s;&s;e of it. The Novice might object, The work is diffi|cult, the &s;ucce&s;&s;e doubtfull. They an&s;wer, No. It may be done without any trouble, with much ea&s;e, and little re|&s;i&s;tance. We &s;hall as ea&s;ily overcome them, as dead men are put into the grave, or a &s;op &s;wallowed by a Dog.</P>
<P>For the words:</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Let us &s;wallow them up,</HI> or <HI>we will or &s;hall &s;wal|low them.</HI> Joyn thou with us in the doing of it. They de&s;ire not onely con&s;ent and approbation of the work, but al&s;o a&s;&s;i&s;tance and help to effect it. Let us &s;wallow them up as wilde bea&s;ts devour their prey, at a mor&s;el; or as the greater fi&s;hes devour the le&s;&s;er, whole, and make no bones of them. Hereby is intimated,</P>
<P N="1">1. The greedy de&s;ire of wicked men, to de&s;troy others for their goods, as bea&s;ts or fi&s;hes are greedy for their food, without which they cannot live.</P>
<P N="2">2. The ea&s;ine&s;&s;e they conceive of effecting it. They can de&s;troy them as ea&s;ily as a Whale &s;wallows a fi&s;h (as they
<PB N="90" REF="50">thinke) that hath power to re&s;i&s;t or e&s;cape.</P>
<P N="3">3 The &s;uddenne&s;&s;e of the danger. The party &s;hall be de|&s;troyed before he know him&s;elf in danger, as a fi&s;h is &s;ud|denly &s;wallowed.</P>
<P N="4">4. The &s;ecre&s;ie of it. None can tell what is become of that which is &s;wallowed up. No &s;igne of blood &s;hall be le&s;t, nor any member, to avoyd all &s;u&s;picion of murder.</P>
<P N="5">5. The irrecoverablene&s;&s;e of the lo&s;&s;e. Things &s;wallowed up are pa&s;t recovery, unle&s;&s;e by miracle, as <HI>Jonas</HI> came out of the Whales belly. There will be then no fear of re|venge at all from them. By <HI>them</HI> he means the innocent parties, and &s;uch as never did them any wrong, mentioned <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>alive.</HI> This argues cruelty, to eat and devour living creatures, that are &s;en&s;ible of their pain and lo&s;&s;e. Dead carka&s;&s;es feel not when they are devoured. This cruelty is expre&s;&s;ed lively, P&s;al. 124.3. <HI>Then they had &s;wallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled again&s;t us.</HI> The word &s;ig|nifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Life. <HI>God breathed into mans no&s;trills the breath of life,</HI> Cen. 2.7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Living, or alive. <HI>I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living,</HI> P&s;al. 116.9.</P>
<P N="3">3. Lively, or &s;trong. <HI>The Hebrew women are lively,</HI> Exod. 1.19.</P>
<P N="4">4. Men. <HI>Eve was the Mother of all living,</HI> Gen. 3.20. Not of bea&s;ts, but of men.</P>
<P N="5">5. Bea&s;ts, for they live al&s;o. <HI>At the hand of every bea&s;t will I require it,</HI> Gen. 9.5.</P>
<P N="6">6. Moving things, that have no &s;en&s;e. <HI>A well of living wa|tirs,</HI> Cant. 4.15.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for <HI>living</HI> or <HI>alive.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>as the grave.</HI> The word is &s;ometime tran&s;lated <HI>Hell. The wicked &s;hall be turned into hell,</HI> P&s;al. 9.17. which is a receptacle for &s;ouls of wicked men after death. Sometimes it is rendred the grave. <HI>I will go down into the grave, unto my Son,</HI> Gen. 37.35. That is, the receptacle of dead bodies. And &s;ure <HI>Jacob</HI> meant not to go to hell, but into the grave, or &s;tate of the dead, for it is likely he thought his Son was not
<PB N="91" REF="50">buried, but devoured by wilde bea&s;ts, as he was told. It is taken directly for the Grave, Prov. 30.16. So it is taken here for the Grave. We will not &s;tay till they be dead. We will be their grave, and hide them &s;afe enough. It is not an allu&s;ion to <HI>Dathan</HI> and <HI>Abiram</HI> &s;wallowed alive by the earth, as &s;ome would have it, for theeves would not willingly mention &s;uch a judgement. But the grave &s;wal|lows dead men that they are no more heard of, &s;o will we &s;wallow living men. And it may be an allu&s;ion to any that are &s;wallowed up quick, as multitudes have been upon breaches made by earthquakes, and hanging hills overwhel|ming Towns, as lately in the <HI>Valtoline.</HI> The name comes from <GAP DESC="foreign">, to crave or ask. For the grave is never &s;atisfied, but alwayes craving for more carka&s;&s;es. <HI>It never &s;aith, It is enough,</HI> Prov. 30.16.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>And whole.</HI> We will not hurt, nor maim them, nor cut off &s;ome members, but &s;wallow them all up at once. The word &s;ometimes fignifies upright, or undefiled. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the undefiled,</HI> or <HI>entire in the way,</HI> P&s;al. 119.1. So &s;ome read here. But that cannot be. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. That is all one with <HI>innocent,</HI> ver&s;. 11. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;uits not well with the words following, for mo&s;t men go down into the pit defiled.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>As they that go down into.</HI> That de&s;cend into the earth by buriall; or otherwi&s;e, by ca&s;ualty, as &s;ome falne into Marle-pits, and peri&s;hed there, or into Cole-pits, as P&s;al. 140.10. It is true literally, for pits and graves are in the bowels of the earth, and men are put down into them; or metaphorically, becau&s;e the e&s;tate of dead men is a lower condition, then of tho&s;e that live on the earth. <HI>A living dog is better then a dead lion,</HI> Eccl. 9.4.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The pit.</HI> The word &s;ometime &s;ignifies a pool digged to receive rain-waters in tho&s;e dry Countreys, where water is wanting. <HI>A pit wherein there is plenty of water, &s;hall be clean,</HI> Lev. 11.36.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;ignifies a pitfall digged to catch birds or bea&s;ts in. <HI>He made a pit,</HI> P&s;al. 7.15.</P>
<P N="3">3. A hole or dungeon, whereinto offenders are ca&s;t. <HI>&V;nto the fir&s;t-born of the captive that was in the dungeon,</HI> Exod.
<PB N="92" REF="51">12.29. Yet good men have been ca&s;t into &s;uch places, as <HI>Jeremy</HI> into a dungeon, and <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> into a pit.</P>
<P N="4">4. A grave wherein dead men are ca&s;t. <HI>Thou ha&s;t kept me alive, that I &s;hould not go down into the pit,</HI> P&s;al. 30.3. Some un|der&s;tand it the &s;econd way, of men ca&s;t alive into &s;ome deep gulf, whence there is no recovery. Some in the fourth &s;en&s;e of the grave. Either &s;en&s;e will &s;erve, for the thing is the &s;ame. An utter irrecoverable de&s;truction is intended. They &s;hall be like men ca&s;t into a grave, or a deep pit, never to be &s;een any more. <HI>Mercer</HI> and &s;ome others under&s;tand it of ta|king away their e&s;tates, not in part, but altogether, in the mid&s;t of their pro&s;perity. Which agrees (they &s;ay) with the ver&s;es following, that &s;peak of great riches to be gotten. But how doth it agree with blood-&s;hed mentioned <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. &amp; <HI>v.</HI> 16? But our former interpretation &s;uits well with both. To kill them that they may have their goods. Figures. Swallow. A Metaphor from great fi&s;hes &s;wallowing the le&s;&s;e. In the text note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The actors, <HI>Let us.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>&s;wallow up.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>them.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The manner:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Alive.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>As the grave.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Whole.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>As they that go down into the pit.</HI> Note from the coherence.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Innocent per&s;ons are the object of bad mens wrath. Nocent <HI>Cain</HI> kills innocent <HI>Abel.</HI> 1 Joh. 3.12. <HI>Be|cau&s;e his own works were evill, and his Brothers righteous. I&s;h|mael</HI> per&s;ecutes <HI>I&s;aac. He that was born after the fle&s;h per&s;ecuted him that was born after the Spirit,</HI> Gal. 4.29. <HI>Joab</HI> kills <HI>two men better then him&s;elf,</HI> 1 King. 2.32. <HI>Pii ab improbis tanquam exprobrautes a&s;piciuntur. Severus Sulpitius. The wicked look upon the godly, as upbraiding them for their wicked cour&s;es.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Contraries &s;eek to expell one another, e&s;pecially the wor&s;t &s;eek to drive out the be&s;t, as darkne&s;&s;e to expell light, and cold to drive away heat. Wicked men are con|trary to innocent per&s;ons in judgement, will, affections,
<PB N="93" REF="51">words, actions, u&s;e of creatures. They are both men, and the Logick rule holds in them: <HI>Species to ti maxim&egrave; &s;unt con|&s;entaneae, &s;ibi di&s;&s;entaneae. Particular kindes agree very much in the generall, and di&s;agree as much among them&s;elves</HI> And therefore two contrary Kingdomes of Chri&s;t and Satan cannot agree.</P>
<P N="2">2. Envy &s;ets evill men on work to contemne inferiours, quarrel with equals, hate &s;uperiors. Satan envyes God, wicked men envy good mens pre&s;ent &s;tate, future happi|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. Shame &s;ets them on work. Other mens good works &s;hame their bad ones, in all times, places, companies. <HI>Hoc tant&ugrave;m me mal&egrave; habet, qu&ograve;d ju&s;tus ubi&abque; audit: This onely trou|bles me, that every one &s;peaks well of him, and counts him a ju&s;t man.</HI> Spoken of <HI>Ari&s;tides</HI> by one that knew not his face, yet reque&s;ted him to write his name in a &s;hell, to pa&s;&s;e his vote for his bani&s;hment.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us not marvel at in&s;urrections again&s;t, and op|pre&s;&s;ions of good men. If it be objected, that they give no cau&s;e, it is ea&s;ily an&s;wered, Their goodne&s;&s;e or wealth is the occa&s;ion. <HI>Nec Milvo, nec Accipitri rete tenditur: Men lay not nets for Kites or Hawks. Terent.</HI> But for birds that are harmle&s;&s;e, and good to eat. <HI>Da veniam corvis, vexat cen&s;ura columbas: Men let Ravens go free, and vex Pigeons with their cen&s;ures.</HI> They often let go the offender, and puni&s;h the innocent.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked mens &s;pleen is often again&s;t them that do them no wrong. What wrong did <HI>David</HI> to <HI>Shimei</HI> or <HI>Saul? Mephibo&s;heth</HI> to <HI>Ziba?</HI> Spleen overflows in &s;uch, as poi|&s;on in a Toad, that &s;pits venome on him that treads not on it; and fiercene&s;&s;e in a Wolfe, which &s;ets on him that pa&s;&s;eth by, and thinks no harm.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews a difference between wicked men and good. Ill men &s;eek the hurt of friends, good men forgive ene|mies. As dogs bite them that &s;trike them not, but &s;heep bite not them that &s;trike them.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Evill men intend to go through with their plots. So did <HI>Jezabel</HI> in the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of <HI>Naboth,</HI> without any thought of the danger of innocent blood. So <HI>Judas</HI> betrayed
<PB N="94" REF="52">Chri&s;t, without any thought of Chri&s;ts kindne&s;&s;e in prefer|ring him to the Apo&s;tle&s;hip.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Their intention is fru&s;trate el&s;e, as a Gardi|ners, if the tree bear no fruit; or a Builders, if the hou&s;e be not fini&s;hed.</P>
<P N="2">2. All their labour is lo&s;t al&s;o, if their plots take no effect.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews us the corruption of our nature, that is not content to be evill, think evill, plot evill, but is never quiet, till it act it. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Brethren were never quiet till he was gone. They regarded not their Fathers grief that would en&s;ue.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Ungodly men are cruell men. <HI>Their very mercies are cruell,</HI> Prov. 12.10. A good man regards a bea&s;ts life, they care not for a mans, but kill women and children, like <HI>Hazael,</HI> 2 King. 8.12, 13. <HI>They can da&s;h the mother in pieces upon her children,</HI> Ho&s;. 10.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we are naturally &s;o degenerate, that we are compared by God, who be&s;t knows us, to the cruelle&s;t wilde bea&s;ts. To Wolves, to Lions, and Bears, I&s;a. 11.6, 7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e ungodly men have no fear of God to re&s;train their wicked di&s;po&s;ition. Therefore <HI>Abraham</HI> feared the loffe of his life in <HI>Gerar,</HI> becau&s;e he thought <HI>the fear of God was not in that place,</HI> Gen. 20.11. Therefore <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Brethren nee|ded to fear no hurt from him, becau&s;e he feared God, Gen. 42.18.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e they are afraid to be revealed. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Mauritius de Phoca. Fearfull men are murderers.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Marvell not then at in&s;urrections, trea&s;ons, poy&s;o|nings, cruel murdees. There will be &s;uch as long as there be wicked men left in the world.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men could wi&s;h, that there were no foot|&s;teps left of their iniquity. <HI>Such is the way of the adulterous wo|man, &s;he eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and &s;aith, I have done no wickedne&s;&s;e,</HI> Prov. 30.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Out of &s;hame. They know others will con|demne their wicked cour&s;es, though they flatter them&s;elves, P&s;al. 36.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. Out of fear, left they &s;hould be called to account, as
<PB N="95" REF="52">many wicked men have been &s;trangely, and long after mur|ders and wantonne&s;&s;es committed.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us be a&s;hamed of tho&s;e cour&s;es that wicked men them&s;elves are a&s;hamed of, and will one day wi&s;h that them&s;elves, and their &s;ins were at the bottome of the mountains.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sinners want not patheticall expre&s;&s;ions to draw others to &s;in. They have hony words, and &s;ugared baits. See the fawning &s;peeches of the Adultere&s;&s;e, Prov. 7.14 <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and of the Drunkard, I&s;a. 56.12. For &s;in &s;een in its owne colours would be hated. Ill &s;tuffe will not off without a good glo&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> Do evill men want no pathetical expre&s;&s;ions to move to &s;in? Let us then bewail our barrenne&s;&s;e to per&s;wade to good. If &s;inners have their <HI>Come, ver&s;.</HI> 11. &s;hould not Saints have their <HI>Come to the hou&s;e of the Lord?</HI> I&s;a. 2.3. Should we not incite, intice, whet, and provoke one another? Heb. 10.24. &s;harpen, and extimulate? Prov. 27.17. rou&s;e, and &s;tir up each other to love, and good works? 2 Pet. 1.13. God forbid. Yea, let us labour to go beyond them, our cau&s;e is far better.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 13.</BIBL> We &s;hall finde all precious &s;ub&s;tance, and &s;hall fill our hou&s;es with &s;poyl.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;e man having &s;hewed in the two former ver&s;es, how Theeves u&s;e to di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e Novices of fear of danger, and difficulty; now the train being laid, they blow up the Mine, and &s;et upon them with an argument of profit, which they think is very prevalent with young men, and few have &s;trength to re&s;i&s;t it. Men will hear no rea&s;on again&s;t their profit. When we have killed the owner, we will enter into his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, and take away all he hath, Matth. 21.38.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>We &s;hall finde.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Finding without &s;eeking. By accident, as we call it. <HI>I am found of them that &s;ought me not,</HI> I&s;a. 65.1. So did <HI>Saul</HI> finde Chri&s;t, Act. 9.</P>
<PB N="96" REF="53">
<P N="2">2. Finding by &s;eeking, or enquiry. <HI>Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,</HI> I&s;a. 55.6. So Chri&s;t promi&s;eth that <HI>&s;eekers &s;hall finde,</HI> Mat. 7.7. Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e. We &s;hall finde what we &s;eek for, plenty of riches. We &s;hall not need to work hard for it, as they did. It will come ea&s;ily, as with one that findes eggs in a birds ne&s;t, I&s;a. 10.14. It is laid up already for us, we need onely to look it out, and take it. None will re&s;i&s;t us when the owner is gone. Finding here is obtaining by &s;earch. When we come into his hou&s;e, we &s;hall finde &s;tore of riches. They will offer them&s;elves to us. What other men wrought hard for, we &s;hall get with little labour.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>All.</HI> Not all that is in the world, but of all &s;orts &s;ome. The word imports variety with plenty. We &s;hall have abundance of riches of all &s;orts. So the word is u&s;ed, Gen. 41.57. <HI>All Countreys came into Aegypt to Jo&s;eph, for to buy corn.</HI> That is, &s;ome out of all or mo&s;t Countreys. So Mat. 4. Chri&s;ts healing all &s;ickne&s;&s;e, is well tran&s;lated <HI>all manner of &s;ickne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;ub&s;tance</HI> Riches. Property of gold and filver. Wealth. So it is tran&s;lated, <HI>chap.</HI> 3.9. &amp; 13.11. <HI>Honor the Lord with thy &s;ub&s;tanee. Wealth gotten by vanity &s;hall be dimini&s;hed.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Precious.</HI> The word fignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Honor. <HI>The honor of his excellent maje&s;ty,</HI> E&s;t. 1.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. Precious, or rare. <HI>The Word of the Lord was precious in tho&s;e dayes,</HI> 1 Sam. 3.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. Precious in value, or of great price. <HI>With the precious stones,</HI> 2 Sam. 12.30. So it is taken here. We will leave mean things for poor theeves, and &s;ei&s;e upon the be&s;t for our &s;elves. We will not take trifles, things of no value, but the choyce&s;t things.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>We &s;hall fill.</HI> When it is &s;poken of a ve&s;&s;el or place, it &s;ignifies filling. <HI>Repleni&s;h</HI> (or fill) <HI>the earth,</HI> Gen. 1.28. When of a time, or word, it &s;ignifies &s;ulfilling. <HI>My dayes are fulfilled,</HI> Gen. 29.21. Here it it taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e. We &s;hall get &s;tore, not enough for nece&s;&s;ity onely, but al&s;o to af|ford plea&s;ure and delight.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Our hou&s;es.</HI> The word comes from <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to build.</HI> Hou&s;es grow no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, they mu&s;t be built b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mens labour. We
<PB N="97" REF="53">&s;hall have enough to fill our hou&s;es with uten&s;ils, and or|naments, and to keep us and all ours with ea&s;e, and without that labour and pains that other men take. We will empty their hou&s;es to fill ours with what we have taken out of them, and not leave &s;tealing, till our hou&s;es now empty be filled with good things. Every room &s;hall have his &s;tuffe and furniture. It is put &s;ometime for a ne&s;t, the birds hou&s;e. <HI>The &s;parrow hath found an hou&s;e,</HI> P&s;a. 84.3. Some|time for the hou&s;hold, family, nation, or po&s;terity; as the hou&s;e of <HI>Jacob,</HI> and of <HI>Judah.</HI> Ordinarily it is put for mans dwelling place. <HI>Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my hou&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 132.3. Hence comes the Chaldee word <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to lodge,</HI> or pa&s;&s;e the night. <HI>The King pa&s;&s;ed the night fa&s;ting,</HI> Dan. 6.18. For men go abroad about bu&s;ine&s;&s;e all day, but lodge at home all night.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Spoil.</HI> Properly it &s;ignifies, <HI>&s;polia, exuvias,</HI> cloths taken off a mans body, or the skin off from a bea&s;t. <HI>Put off thy &s;hooes from off thy feet,</HI> Exod. 3.5. Figuratively, it &s;ignifies all things u&s;efull, taken from others by violence, (as bea&s;ts take their prey) as hou&s;hold-&s;tuffe, goods, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> We will not work for our living, but as enemies and wilde bea&s;ts will live by prey. <HI>Benjamin &s;hall raven as a Wolfe, in the morning he &s;hall devour the prey, and at night he &s;hall divide the &s;peyl,</HI> Gen. 49.27. <HI>And behold the &s;ervants of David and Joab came from pur&s;uing a troop, and brought in a great &s;poyl with them,</HI> 2 Sam. 3.22. The precious things mentioned before, might be &s;ilver, gold, jewels. The &s;poyl here may be other things taken out of the hou&s;e, as hou&s;hold&s;tuffe, garments, cattle. Every word hath an empha&s;is. We will take not &s;hadows, but &s;ub&s;tance; not ordinary, but precious; not a little, but enough to fill our hou&s;es; not with &s;ome, but with all &s;orts to &s;uperfluity. And all this got not by hard labour, but with ea&s;e, as things found. As conquerors, when they take Cities, &s;ack them, and carry away the &s;poyl to enrich them&s;elves, I&s;a. 8.4.</P>
<P>It is as if they &s;hould have &s;aid, Thou art a young man, neede&s;t many things for thy plea&s;ure. Joyn with us, and thou &s;halt want nothing. Thou knowe&s;t not how to labour, nor &s;halt not need. We &s;hall have abundance of all things with ea&s;e, and without fear of lo&s;&s;e of life, or credit, and
<PB N="98" REF="54">without any fear of danger. If an ea&s;ie and free life do not move thee, yet think upon the greatne&s;&s;e of the prey, and that will certainly allure thee. This is the la&s;t and greate&s;t argument, the conclu&s;ion follows, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14. <HI>Ca&s;t in thy lot a|mong us, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Figures none. For Parts: Note two promi&s;es that wicked men make to them&s;elves:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Of great things.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Of abundance. In the fir&s;t note,</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>We.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct. And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>&s;hall find.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object. And therein,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>&s;ub&s;tance.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjuncts,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Of quality, <HI>precious.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Of quantity, <HI>all.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the &s;econd promi&s;e note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>W<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct. And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>&s;hall fill.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The containing &s;ubject, <HI>our hou&s;es.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>with &s;poyl.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gain is the cau&s;e of abundance of mi&s;chief in the world. Herein the text it produceth the lo&s;&s;e of mens whole e&s;tates and lives. <HI>So are the wayes of every one, that is greedy of gain, which taketh away the life of the owners thereof,</HI> Chap. 1. <HI>Ziba's</HI> covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e lo&s;t <HI>Mephibo&s;heth</HI> half his e&s;tate, 2 Sam. 19.29. <HI>Gehazi</HI>'s brought the leprofie on him, and his po|&s;terity, 2 King. 5.27. <HI>Judas</HI> his brought Chri&s;t to his death, and him&s;elf to hanging and hell, Mat. 27.5. Act. 1.25. <HI>Simon Magus</HI> his brought him&s;elf to peri&s;h with his mony, Act. 8.20. Gain upholds idolatry, I&s;a. 41.6, 7. as making Images up|held the Trade&s;men of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> Act: 19.25. It upholds Sab|bath-breaking, Neh. 13.15. As al&s;o perjury, and murder of parents, at lea&s;t in heart. <HI>Filius onte diem patrios inquirit in annos: The Son thinks the Father lives too long</HI> to keep him out of his inheritance. It is the cau&s;e of other murders al&s;o, as of heire, Mat. 21.38. of adulteries, for whores are hired,
<PB N="99" REF="54">Deut. 23.18. The Popes get much by Stews at <HI>Rome.</HI> So theft and cou&s;enage in the text are fruits of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es are &s;et on work by covetous per&s;ons, as a|gain&s;t <HI>Naboth,</HI> 1 King. 21.13. De&s;ire of other mens goods proceeds from that root, 1 King. 21.1. So doth idolatry. Matth. 6.24. <HI>Ye cannot &s;erve God and Mammon.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed you &s;et not up the Idol of gain in your hearts. A man that rides a journey mu&s;t not overload his hor&s;e, nor he that runs a race overload him&s;elf. Gain will make good men &s;ordid. <HI>Dulce lucrum &egrave; re qualibet: Gain is good out of a dunghill.</HI> The Emperour <HI>Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> impo&s;ed a tri|bute upon Urine. <HI>Sueton. in Ve&s;pa&s;. c.</HI> 23. And <HI>Michael Pa|phlago</HI> the Greek Emperor, upon the Air. <HI>Cuiac. ob&s;erv.</HI> 10. c. 7. Gain made <HI>Balaam</HI> forwarder then his A&s;&s;e to cur&s;e Gods people. Tho&s;e that count all good fi&s;h that comes to the net, in the end will catch the devill and all.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Worldly things are very precious to carnall eyes. They are counted the onely good. <HI>Who will &s;hew us any good?</HI> P&s;al. 4.6. <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> knows no other heaven but <HI>Baby|lon.</HI> Dan. 4.30. <HI>Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the hou&s;e of the Kingdome, and for the honor of my Maje&s;ty? Agrippae and Barnice came with great po<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">,</HI> Act. 25.23.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there is &s;ome proportion between worldly eyes, and carnall objects. Men are naturally cove|tous.</P>
<P N="2">2. They know no better things. They are blinde in &s;pi|rituall and heavenly matters. He that never &s;aw the Sun, would think the Moon a glorious creature.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us not to marvel that young men are car|ried a way with worldly objects, when old men, if carnall, are taken with them. They have little, and need much to &s;atisfie their lu&s;ts. No wonder then if they be catcht.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Plenty is de&s;ired by ill men, not caring how they come by it. <HI>The love of money is the root of all evill, which while &s;ome coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pier|ced them&s;elves through with many &s;orrows,</HI> 1 Tim 6.10. Therefore mu&s;t <HI>rich men weep and howle for the wi&s;eries that come on them, for their ill-gotten goods,</HI> Jam. 5.1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The wayes wicked men u&s;e for gain prove it. They will &s;wear, lie, put off had and
<PB N="100" REF="55">light ware, u&s;e fal&s;e lights and mea&s;ures, weights and wit|ne&s;&s;es, and cheating devices to deceive others.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us &s;hew that we are not &s;uch wicked men, by being content with a moderate &s;tate, and not u&s;ing ill means to get more. El&s;e we &s;hall <HI>con&s;ult &s;hame to our hou&s;es, by cutting off many people, and &s;inning again&s;t our &s;ouls,</HI> Hab. 2.10. He that brings home a pack of plaguy clothes, hath no &s;uch great booty of it.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wickedne&s;&s;e will brag and boa&s;t. The devil of|fers all the Kingdomes of the world to Chri&s;t, Matth. 4.8, 9. <HI>Why boa&s;te&s;t thou thy &s;elfe in mi&s;chief, O mighty man?</HI> P&s;al. 52.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Wicked men hereby &s;hew forth the pride of their hearts, that are not content to be evill, unle&s;&s;e they boa&s;t and triumph over others.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they may draw others to them, for great words and fair promi&s;es prevail much with wicked men.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Su&s;pect bragging per&s;ons, that they intend to draw you to &s;ome evill. Good men are mode&s;t. Bad men divide the Bears skin before the Bear be dead. They oft fall &s;hort of what they brag of, and lo&s;e life and all, when they promi&s;e them&s;elves and others great riches, as in the Powder-trea&s;on, and in the invincible Navy in 88. and later In&s;urrections.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men care not, if all men be empty, &s;o them&s;elves be full. Theeves will take away clothes and all, as from him that went down from <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> to <HI>Jericho,</HI> Luk. 10.30. <HI>They cru&s;h the poor,</HI> Amos 4.1. <HI>They &s;wallow up the needy, and make the poor of the land to fail,</HI> Amos 8.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have no love in them, but &s;elf-love. Like the unrighteous Judge, that <HI>regarded no man,</HI> Luk. 18.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. As they know not what belongs to humanity, &s;o much le&s;&s;e to communion of Saints. It is no Article of their Creed.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us to look for little kindne&s;&s;e from un|godly men. They are &s;trangers to their owne blood. Friends can look for little from them, and godly men for le&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men dream of no want nor cro&s;&s;es in their
<PB N="101" REF="55">ungodly cour&s;es. Satans fir&s;t temptation put &s;uch thoughts into <HI>Eves</HI> heart. <HI>Ye &s;hall not die,</HI> Gen. 3.4. <HI>Soul thou ha&s;t much goods laid up for many yeers, take thine ea&s;e, eat, drink, and be merry,</HI> Luk. 12.19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have no &s;ound foreca&s;t, but look onely at the pre&s;ent, as a fooli&s;h Merchant, having had one good Voyage, adventures all next time, and lo&s;es all.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they are bewitched with lu&s;t and pro&s;perity. Their eye is in their heart, not in their head. They beleeve they &s;hall not want, though they wa&s;&s;e, becau&s;e they would have it &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Build not on worldly pro&s;perity. Lea&s;t of all in bad wayes, P&s;al. 62.10.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 14.</BIBL> Ca&s;t in thy lot among us, let us all have one pur&s;e.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Ye have heard the Theeves arguments and allurements be|fore, now follows the conclu&s;ion: <HI>Cast in thy lot, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Ca&s;t in,</HI> Heb. <HI>make to foll,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. There are divers wayes of ca&s;ting lots, which &s;eem to be hinted in Scripture. The fir&s;t was by the ca&s;ting of a dart or arrow into the air, and the parties or things being divided, that on which, or neer which it fell, was taken. So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed Jo&s;h. 18.10. <HI>Jo|&s;hua ca&s;t lots for them.</HI> And <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>ca&s;t</HI> or <HI>&s;hoot,</HI> Joel 3.3. to &s;hew the ca&s;ting of it up, as <GAP DESC="foreign"> Ezek. 24.6. <HI>Let no lot fall upon it.</HI> To &s;hew the falling of it down, which did determine the controver&s;ie. So <HI>Jonathan</HI> was taken, 1 Sam. 14.42.</P>
<P>A &s;econd way was by a rod, which the Tithing-man had in his hand to &s;trike the tenth &s;heep, as it came out of the fold, for the Lord, to avoyd partiality, Lev. 27.32.</P>
<P>A third way was by putting names or &s;tones into a mans lap, or a pot, and he that drew out the right had the prize, as in our Lotteries. <HI>The lot is ca&s;t into the lap,</HI> Prov. 16.33. As there is u&s;ed <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>cast in;</HI> &s;o <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>come out. In the place where his lot falleth,</HI> Numb. 33.54. Heb. <HI>cometh out.</HI> And <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>come up. On which the Lords lot fell,</HI> Heb. <HI>came up.</HI> Lev. 16.9.</P>
<PB N="102" REF="56">
<P>A fourth was by &s;etting a &s;tick or an arrow on end, to &s;ee which way it would fall, as the King of <HI>Babylon</HI> did to know which way he &s;hould go, to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> or to <HI>Rabbah;</HI> though others think it was the fir&s;t way, by &s;hooting an arrow up|right, as if he would ask God, and be re&s;olved by the fall of the arrow which way he &s;hould go, Ezek. 21.21. Much like our ca&s;ting Cro&s;&s;e and Pile.</P>
<P>The&s;e different wayes are reckoned up by &s;ome learned Writers, let the Reader judge of them as he plea&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Thy lot.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is taken,</P>
<P N="1">1. For the thing ca&s;t up, or in, or &s;et to determine the controver&s;ie. <HI>The lot is cast into the lap,</HI> Prov. 16.33. The pa|per or &s;tone is put in.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the thing obtained by lot, be it land, office, wealth, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> As, the lot of <HI>Judah,</HI> Jo&s;h. 15.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. For an e&s;tate got by labour, or from Parents, or otherwi&s;e, becau&s;e things were anciently divided by lot. <HI>Thou maintaine&s;t my lot,</HI> P&s;al. 16.5. And &s;o it is taken here. For the young man tempted had not his means by lot, but by gift or labour.</P>
<P><HI>Among us,</HI> Heb. <HI>in the mid&s;t of us.</HI> Thou &s;halt be put to no wor&s;e then we are, nor fare no wor&s;e. There may be much ods in &s;etting one before or behinde, in war or robbery, the &s;afe&s;t place is in the mid&s;t.</P>
<P>Some interpret the words thus: Bring in thy goods to us, to make a joynt &s;tock. We will be Partners. But Theeves need no &s;tock to &s;et up withall. Others thus: Thou &s;halt take that &s;hare of the prey that falls to thee. We will ea&s;t lots to avoyd partiality. But that cro&s;&s;es the common pur&s;e in the end of the <HI>ver&s;e.</HI> It is rather to be taken for joyning with them in their trade, which was as their lot, and brought in living, as others lived on their inheritances, which at fir&s;t were divided by lot. So lot is taken for a joynt trade or cour&s;e of &s;ervice or living. <HI>His lot was to burn incen&s;e,</HI> Luk. 1.9. <HI>He had obtained a part of this mini&s;tery,</HI> Act. 1.17. Joyn with us. We will have one way of living, &amp; that an ea&s;ie one too, and live well upon it.</P>
<P><HI>Let us all have,</HI> Heb. <HI>there &s;hall be 'to all us.</HI> It rather &s;hould be tran&s;lated, <HI>We will all have one pur&s;e.</HI> We have a common
<PB N="103" REF="56">&s;tock already. If thou wilt live as we do, thou &s;halt have as good a &s;hare of it as any of us, and never want, while we be worth an half-penny. So that it is their offer of a &s;hare in the common &s;tock with them.</P>
<P><HI>One pur&s;e.</HI> Some derive <GAP DESC="foreign">, a <HI>pur&s;e,</HI> of <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>number,</HI> or <HI>gather tribute.</HI> For Tribute-money and other monies are fir&s;t told, and then put into the bag to be kept. Hence come our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> word Che&s;t, &s;uch as we put money into. When he &s;aith <HI>one pur&s;e,</HI> he doth not mean but one, to re&s;train it, as Mal. 2.10. <HI>Have we not all one Father?</HI> But a common pur&s;e, in which he &s;hould have as good a &s;hare as they. They would communicate out of it alike to all. Our expences &s;hall all come out of one pur&s;e. We will live in common, we will never quarrel about divi&s;ion of &s;hares, but fetch thence what we want. One pur&s;e here is the &s;ame pur&s;e. And by a figure of the &s;ubject for the adjunct, the meaning is, The &s;ame money &s;hall maintain us all. It is an an&s;wer to a tacite ob|jection which the Novice might make. Ye are more then I, and acquainted with the trade, and ye will expo&s;e me to the danger, as much and more then your &s;elves, and give me but a &s;mall pittance of the gain, as the Captains in war ex|po&s;e their &s;ouldiers to mo&s;t perill, but take the greate&s;t part of the &s;poyls to them&s;elves. No, &s;ay they, thou &s;halt venture no farther then we, and live as plentifully as we upon the common &s;tock. All this while they &s;ay nothing of puni&s;h|ment, or lo&s;&s;e, which mu&s;t be borne equally in partner&s;hip, becau&s;e they feared it not, nor would not &s;peak any thing, that might di&s;courage the Novice, but all that might encou|rage him. As if they had &s;aid: Forbear not our company, becau&s;e thou art young, and not u&s;ed to fighting. Though raw &s;ouldiers u&s;e to have but a &s;mall &s;hare in the &s;poyls, thou &s;halt fare as well as we, that are thy leaders.</P>
<P>Figures. Lot for a Share in in their cour&s;e of life. The cau&s;e for the effect. Pur&s;e for money. The &s;ubject for the adjunct.</P>
<P>In the words note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. An invitation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A promi&s;e. In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. An act, <HI>Ca&s;t in.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="104" REF="57">
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>thy lot.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>among us.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>we will have.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjuncts, 1 of number, 2 of gain, <HI>one pur&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a communion of wicked men, as well as of Saints. <HI>When thou &s;awest a theef, then thou con&s;ented&s;t with him, and ha&s;t been partaker with the adulterers,</HI> P&s;al. 50.18. <HI>They a&s;&s;emble them&s;elves by troops in the Harlots hou&s;es,</HI> Jer. 5.7. Company of Robbers and Pirates trade as well as Merchants and Citizens.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of likene&s;&s;e of nature and qualities. They are the &s;eed of the Serpent. Bad men combine with bad, as good with good. So wi&s;e men conver&s;e with the wi&s;e, fools with fools, old men with old men, young with young. Birds of a Father fly together.</P>
<P N="2">2. Hope of gain unites them together. The more Part|ners drive a trade, the more hope of large income. A cipher alone is nothing. A figure alone is little, but figures and ciphers together make great &s;ummes.</P>
<P N="3">3. Their common hatred of good men, and &s;uch as fear God. With this vice ungodly men are tainted. The &s;eed of the Serpent bears enmity to the &s;eed of the woman, Gen. 3.15. The rule is, <HI>Quae in aliquo tertio conveniunt, inter &s;e conveniunt: Tho&s;e things which agree in &s;ome third thing, agree among them&s;elves.</HI> Husbands and Wives love their Children, and love one ano|ther al&s;o. So wicked men hating Gods people, love one another the more.</P>
<P N="4">4. Safety and impunity in wicked wayes. They can the better bear out one another in evil cour&s;es, becau&s;e they are many. <HI>Vis unita fortior: Force knit together is the &s;tronger.</HI> Therefore <HI>hand joyns in hand,</HI> that <HI>the wicked may be unpuni&s;hed,</HI> Prov. 11.21.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed with whom ye joyn in a league, or in &s;o|ciety, for all friend&s;hip is not good. There be brethren in evill, and they get a cur&s;e, Gen. 49.5, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Evill doers are very ready to receive, yea to in|vite others into their &s;ociety. So did the Phari&s;ees <HI>com|pa&s;&s;e Sea and Land to make one Pro&s;elyte,</HI> Mat. 23.15. So do Po|pi&s;h Idolaters, Drunkards, Adulterers.</P>
<PB N="105" REF="57">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. That they may have encouragement in &s;in. <HI>Solamen mi&s;cris &s;ocios habui&s;&s;e dolores. It is a comfort to men in mi&s;ery to have companions in their grief.</HI> So it is a comfort to &s;inners to have partners in their &s;ins. If their &s;ins be objected, Why? others (&s;ay they) are as bad as we. A yoke is ea&s;ier borne by two, then by one.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they may have help to act &s;in. Some &s;ins are not committed with plea&s;ure without partners, as drunkenne&s;&s;e and adultery. Others not with ea&s;e or &s;afety, as theft and murder.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teaches us to bewail the wickedne&s;&s;e of our na|ture, that are not onely naught our &s;elves, but al&s;o content to &s;poyl others at an ea&s;ie rate. Merchants will look for a joynt &s;tock, before they admit of partners. Sinners admit, nay invite men to come in for nothing.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much gain is gotten by unlawfull means. Many men by covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e <HI>&s;et their ne&s;t on high,</HI> Hab. 2.9. Riches are called <HI>Mammon of unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> Luk. 16.9. Becau&s;e mo&s;t commonly gotten by ill means.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of Gods forbearance, who &s;uffers mens wits to work &s;trangely, and though by unlawfull means, yet to rai&s;e a great e&s;tate. Sometimes ba&s;tards pro&s;per more then legitimate children, as <HI>Jephthah</HI> did, Judg. 11.1. So ill means thrive &s;ometimes more then good.</P>
<P N="2">2. Out of Gods indulgence, who is plea&s;ed to give to bad men, who make no con&s;cience of bad means, a large portion, as intending them no more. <HI>Men of the world have their portion in this life,</HI> P&s;al. 17.14. <HI>The rich man in his life time received his good things,</HI> Luk. 16.25. So <HI>Abraham</HI> dealt with the Sons of the Concubines, Gen. 25.6. And the Father with his prodigall Son, Luk. 15.12, 13.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed how ye get riches. Trade&s;-men u&s;e once a yeer to ca&s;t up their Books. Would they would then con|&s;ider how they get the overplus. Theeves may be rich. Little comfort in ill got goods. Children will &s;pend it as fa&s;t. <HI>De mal&egrave; quae&s;itis non gaudet tertius haeres: Ill gotten goods joy not the third heir.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is &s;ometimes not onely ju&s;t, but al&s;o libe|rall dealing in robbers among them&s;elves. <HI>Have they not &s;ped?
<PB N="106" REF="58">Have they not divided the prey, to every man a damo&s;elor two?</HI> Judg. 5.30. Though they be fal&s;e to others, they will be hone&s;t among them&s;elves.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To allure others to their &s;ociety. Who might object, We mu&s;t venture life and blood, What &s;hall we get? <HI>An&s;w.</HI> As much as we. I, but how will you be true to me, that are fal&s;e to others? They an&s;wer, We are not &s;o among our &s;elves. We will be ju&s;t and free to thee. Thou &s;halt fare as well as the be&s;t of us.</P>
<P N="2">2. To cover their &s;in. Their &s;mooth dealing among them&s;elves is a fair Vi&s;ard to cover their har&s;h dealing with others.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To blame tho&s;e that would be thought to be hone&s;t men, and yet will cheat their neighbors, friends, and kin|dred. Better dealing then this is to be found among theeves, and robbers.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> They that draw others to &s;in, &s;peak the be&s;t, and hide the wor&s;t. <HI>Jeremiah</HI>'s enemies tell others of hope to pre|vail again&s;t him by &s;lander and reproaches, but never tell how God will protect his Prophet, Jerem. 18.18. <HI>David</HI>'s enemies encourage one another to rejoyce in his ruine, never telling that God would rai&s;e him up again, P&s;al. 41.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e this would &s;poyl all the plot, Bad purpo&s;es prevail not, where the i&s;&s;ue is foretold.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e el&s;e they &s;hould bewray their owne folly, that will do things them&s;elves, and per&s;wade others to do them, the inconvenience whereof their owne hearts know, and their owne tongues witne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of tho&s;e coun&s;els guilded all over with fair pretences. They that mean well will tell inconveniences as well as conveniences. So doth Chri&s;t promi&s;e &s;alvation to all beleevers, Joh. 3.16. Yet requires taking up the cro&s;&s;e, and following him with &s;elf-denial, Matt. 16.24. Beleeve not them that talk much of wealth, and nothing of hell. <HI>Paena non &s;eparet, quos crimen conjunxit. &V;na poena implicet, quos unus amor in crimine ligat. Bern. Medit. c.</HI> 3. <HI>Let not the puni&s;hment di|vide tho&s;e, whom the fault hath joyned together. Let one puni&s;hment fold them up together, whom one love knits together in a fault.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="107" REF="58">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 15.</BIBL> My Son, walk not thou in the way with them, refrain thy foot from their path.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Ye have the Robbers rea&s;ons to allure the young man to their cour&s;e, now follow <HI>Solomon</HI>'s rea&s;ons to di&s;&s;wade him from joyning with them. Herein note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A dehortation in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The rea&s;ons, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, and fir&s;t for the words:</P>
<P><HI>My Son.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. &amp; <HI>v.</HI> 8.</P>
<P><HI>Walk not.</HI> A coun&s;el ju&s;t oppo&s;ed to theirs. They &s;ay, <HI>Walk with us, v.</HI> 11. (for it is the &s;ame word in the Original) he &s;aith, <HI>Walk not with them.</HI> Walking argues a continued action. It is not taking a &s;tep or two. So in the literal &s;ig|nification, <HI>Laban went to &s;hear his &s;heep,</HI> Gen. 31.19. <HI>Ye &s;hall go after the Ark,</HI> Jo&s;h. 3.3. So in the figurative &s;en&s;e it &s;igni|fies going on in a wicked way. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that walketh not in the coun&s;el of the ungodly,</HI> P&s;al. 1.1. Walking then is con|tinuing. Have not conver&s;e with them. <HI>Go not in the way of evill men,</HI> Prov. 4.14. Accu&s;tome not thy &s;elf to do as they do. Sometimes it &s;ignifies the cour&s;e of livele&s;&s;e things, as of a &s;hip. <HI>There go the &s;hips,</HI> P&s;al. 104.26. Here it is taken for joyning with them in their wicked cour&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>In the way.</HI> As the former word &s;ignifies a continuance, &s;o this word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies a di&s;tinct cour&s;e from others, as the way to one Town differs from the way to another. So in a literal &s;en&s;e. <HI>We went up the way to Ba&s;han,</HI> Deut. 3.1. And in a figurative &s;en&s;e, for a di&s;tinct cour&s;e of life, good or bad. <HI>The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked &s;hall peri&s;h,</HI> P&s;al. 1.6. Some take it here, for not joyning with theeves and robbers in their unlawfull cour&s;es. Others, for not joyning with them in company or friend&s;hip, for fear of infection, though they be employed about lawfull things. Not to delight in their company, un|le&s;&s;e nature, or our callings binde us, or hope of doing them good. Much le&s;&s;e have one &s;tock, or common table with them, as they would have thee do. Here it is taken in the
<PB N="108" REF="59">fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, as appeareth by the next <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Walk not in their evill wayes with them, for they go to &s;hed blood. It comes from <GAP DESC="foreign">, to tread, becau&s;e wayes that men commonly walk in, are more trodden then other parts of the earth. A foot-path, or high-way is ea&s;ily di&s;cerned.</P>
<P><HI>With them.</HI> With tho&s;e robbers, that &s;eek to draw thee to ill cour&s;es of life.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Refrain,</HI> Set not a foot in their wicked wayes. Be &s;o far from continuing in them, that thou do not &s;o much as enter int them. <HI>Ch.</HI> 4.14. <HI>Enter not into the path of the wic|ked.</HI> Or, it may be the &s;ame with the former, and the thing doubled, to make the di&s;&s;wa&s;ion the more vehement. It may be under&s;tood literally, Go not with them to rob, no not once. But rather metaphorically. Do not &s;o much as try their cour&s;es. Forbid thy foot to enter. Suffer it by no means to do &s;o.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Thy foot.</HI> It may be taken literally, not to go in the way with them to rob. Or metaphorically, not to u&s;e their affections (which are as the feet to carry the &s;oul to any thing de&s;ired) to &s;poyl and rapine. So <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. <HI>Their feet run to evil.</HI> See the like, <HI>ch.</HI> 5.5. &amp; 6.18.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>From their path.</HI> From going in it. It is u&s;ed &s;ometimes of a path in Woods, where &s;nares are laid to catch wilde bea&s;ts. <HI>Shel. Jarchi.</HI> So Job 18.19. <HI>A trap is laid for him in the way.</HI> If thou enter into their way, thou wilt be taken either into a cour&s;e of theevery, or danger, or both. Therefore follow not their &s;teps. It may be <GAP DESC="foreign"> may here &s;ig|nifie a high-way, and <GAP DESC="foreign"> a foot-path. Neither go in their high-ways, nor by-ways, for robberies are committed in both.</P>
<P>The &s;umme of all is, as if he &s;hould have &s;aid, O my Son! &s;inners will entice thee with the&s;e or &s;uch like words and promi&s;es, and lay &s;uch &s;nares for thy unexperienced youth; but remember that thou art my Son, and not theirs, and therefore ha&s;t more rea&s;on to hearken to me, who &s;peak to thee out of a fatherly affection. Hearken not therefore to their coun&s;els, flatteries, or promi&s;es. Shew thy &s;elf &s;o &s;trange to them, that thou wilt not &s;o much as enter into their way, much walk in it.</P>
<P>For figures. The <HI>ver&s;.</HI> is wholly metaphoricall, taken
<PB N="109" REF="59">from travellers, that walk in one way to one Mart or Coun|trey for gain, as Merchants u&s;ed to do in tho&s;e Countreys, Gen. 37.28. So theeves rob together.</P>
<P>For the divi&s;ion of the words, note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;on &s;poken to, <HI>My Son.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A double exhortation:</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. Not to walk with them, or u&s;e their trade. And therein,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act forbidden, <HI>Walk not thou.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>in the way.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>with them.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The &s;econd exhortation is to keep out of their way. And therein ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>refrain.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>thy foot.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>from their path.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Children &s;hould rather hearken to their Parents good coun&s;ell, then to others bad. They mu&s;t attend to their Fathers wi&s;dome, that they may not be &s;educed by the &s;trange woman, <HI>ch.</HI> 5.1, 3. To their Mothers, rather then to wan|ton womens, Prov. 31.1, 3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In regard of the efficient. We are more inga|ged to Parents, then to any other, for life, education, pains, and means.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of the matter. The coun&s;els are good that come from godly Parents, but bad, that come from bad men or women. <HI>I give you good doctrine,</HI> Prov. 4.2. So &s;aith <HI>Solomon</HI> to his Son. But the &s;trumpet &s;olicits the young man to wantonne&s;&s;e. <HI>Let us take our fill of love, ch.</HI> 7.18.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of the form, or manner. Parents good coun|&s;els are given in love, and come out of naturall affection; bad mens coun&s;els do not &s;o.</P>
<P N="4">4. Of the end, The former are for our good. The latter for our de&s;truction.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Behold another gla&s;&s;e to &s;ee the wickedne&s;&s;e of our nature. We are readier to hearken to others, then to our Parents, to bad men, then to good Parents; to bad coun&s;els from them, then to good from Parents. We violate the bands of nature, and grace. If we fall into mi&s;ery by bad
<PB N="110" REF="60">coun&s;els, how can we look our Parents in the face, or look for comfort and relief from them who&s;e good coun&s;els we have &s;lighted?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Young men had need to labour for knowledge to di&s;cern between good coun&s;ell and bad. If he wil clen&s;e his way, he mu&s;t <HI>take heed thereto according to Gods Word,</HI> P&s;al. 119.9. <HI>Rehoboam</HI> lo&s;t his Kingdome for lack of &s;uch know|ledge. He for&s;ook the coun&s;el of grave men, to follow the advice of young giddy heads, 1 King. 12.8. The <HI>Rechabites</HI> flouri&s;hed by preferring good coun&s;el before bad, Jer. 35.18, 19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they &s;hall be often put to it. Where God hath a Church, the Devil hath a Chappel. If Parents give good coun&s;el, youths of our age, and &s;uch as live by &s;in, will give bad. Young men &s;tand between both as <HI>Hercules</HI> in his dream, between Virtue and Vice, &s;olicited by both. They had need therefore weigh who&s;e rea&s;ons be be&s;t, as a woman ha|ving many Suitors, had need be careful which &s;he takes.</P>
<P N="2">2. There are fair pretences for all &s;ins. Gluttony is called the free u&s;e of the Creature; Drunkenne&s;&s;e, Good fellow&s;hip; Prodigality is called Liberality; Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, Thrift; Lu&s;t is intituled Love; Pride goes for Hand&s;omne&s;&s;e. It needs a good Touch-&s;tone to di&s;tingui&s;h between Gold and Copper, well guilt over. No le&s;&s;e skill is needfull to di&s;tin|gui&s;h between true and apparent good.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ye young men, think it not enough to &s;eek for know|ledge when ye grow elder, the Devil will &s;et upon you when ye are young. If you know not good from evill, your cor|rupt nature will certainly lead you into evill. Take two directions:</P>
<P N="1">1. Weigh things by the light of Rea&s;on left in you. That wil acquaint you with many things in morality, and tell you, that theft, adultery, murder are naught, el&s;e have ye no a&s;&s;urance of your owne goods, wives, lives.</P>
<P N="2">2. Look higher to the light of Scripture. That will in|form you in many higher things; yea, thoughts them&s;elves. In a dark &s;hop men will not be content with a candle, but bring things forth to the day-light. Tho&s;e things are &s;incere that can bear the light of the Sun. There is need of <HI>knowledge and judgement to approve things,</HI> or <HI>to di&s;cern things that differ,</HI> or
<PB N="111" REF="60"><HI>that are excellent, that men may be &s;incere,</HI> Gr. <GAP DESC="foreign">, Phil. 1.10. judged by the Sun. So men try wares. And &s;o the Eagle tryes her young ones, if they look upon the Sun, el&s;e &s;he throws them down for ba&s;tards.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Allurements to &s;in are no excu&s;e for &s;in. <HI>Eve</HI> cannot ju&s;tly lay her fault on the Serpent, nor <HI>Adam</HI> on <HI>Eve,</HI> Gen. 3. God will take it off, and lay the cur&s;e on them. <HI>Saul</HI>'s provocation by the people would not bear him out for his &s;in again&s;t God. He mu&s;t lo&s;e his Kingdome, 1 Sam. 15.15, 26. The young man, though &s;olicited by the Harlot, Pro. 7.14, 21. yet hath <HI>a dart &s;trike through his heart, v.</HI> 23. there.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e allurers have no power to compel. They may and ought to be refu&s;ed. The will may be enclined, by convincing or cou&s;ening the under&s;tanding, but cannot be compelled by Angel or Devil. <HI>Debilis e&s;t adver&s;arius diabolus; ni&s;i volentem non vincit: The devil is a weak adver&s;ary, he over|comes none but &s;uch as are willing to be overcome.</HI> God can alter it, but not compell it.</P>
<P>It is a &s;igne of folly in us to be allured by fair pretences to that that would undoe us. <HI>He goeth after her as a fool to the cor|rection of the &s;tocks,</HI> Prov. 7.22.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It condemns their folly, who lay their faults upon others, and look to be pityed, becau&s;e allured. As if a bird &s;hould &s;ay, I &s;aw the corn, but not the pit-fall; or a fi&s;h complain, that it &s;aw the bait, but not the hook. Take heed before ye fin. It is too late to complain after. Bought wit is deer.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Company excu&s;es no man in his &s;ins. This knew <HI>David,</HI> and therefore <HI>would not come in company with ungodly per|&s;ons,</HI> P&s;al. 26.4, 5. And <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 9. there he prays, <HI>Gather not my &s;oul with &s;inners.</HI> A good Gentlewoman troubled in con&s;ci|ence when &s;he was to die, cryed out, <HI>O Lord, let me not go to hell, where the wicked are, for Lord thou knowe&s;t I never loved their com|pany here.</HI> God objects it as a vice: <HI>thou ha&s;t been partaker with adulterers,</HI> P&s;al. 50.18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Company cannot alter the nature of things. It cannot make good, evill; nor evill, good.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is choyce of company, el&s;e were it a &s;ore tempta|tion to evil, if all were bad, becau&s;e man is a &s;ociable creature.</P>
<PB N="112" REF="61">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames tho&s;e that lay the fault of their own naughti|ne&s;&s;e upon their company. I had never been drunk or wanton, but that I fell into drunken or wanton company. This is no excu&s;e, yea although we have &s;tore of company in our &s;infull wayes. <HI>Thou &s;halt not follow a multitude to do evill,</HI> Exod. 23.2. Neither will company of great or wi&s;e men excu&s;e us, for God hath not cho&s;en many &s;uch, 1 Cor. 1.26. Nor of teachers. They may peri&s;h as <HI>workers of iniquity,</HI> Matt. 7.22, 23. Nor of good men. It was no excu&s;e to <HI>Barnabas</HI> his di&s;&s;imulation, that he had <HI>Peter</HI>'s company, Gal. 2.11, 12, 13. Company may draw our corrupt nature to &s;in, but cannot excu&s;e us for &s;in. Take heed then of bad company. Keep not company with bad men, no more then may be for thy good, or theirs, or then Gods Law binds thee. Eagle, Hawke, and Raven, ravening fowles might not be eaten in the time of the Law. It &s;ignified no incorporating into wicked mens &s;ociety. Their example will corrupt. Hor&s;es treading in the &s;teps of Wolves, catch much harm, and abate of their &s;wiftne&s;&s;e. <HI>Plin. Hi&s;t. l.</HI> 28. <HI>c.</HI> 10. <HI>Claudum facit vicinus claudus: A lame neighbour may make a man lame. Dum &s;pectant oculi lae&s;os, laeduntur &amp; ip&s;i: Sore eyes make other mens eyes &s;ore. Ovid. Plato</HI>'s friends did imitate his &s;welling or crookedne&s;&s;e. <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI>'s &s;tamme|ring was imitated. <HI>Alexander</HI>'s &s;hrill voyce. <HI>Plutarch. Malus ip&s;e fies, &s;i malis convixeris. Ari&s;tot. Moral.</HI> 9. <HI>Thou wilt be made evill, if thou conver&s;e with evill men. Touch pitch, and be defiled. Sumuntur &agrave; conver&s;antibus mores, &amp; ut quaedam in contactu corporis vitia tran&s;eunt, ita animus mala &s;ua proximis tradit. Seneca de ira. l.</HI> 3. <HI>c.</HI> 8. <HI>Manners are taken from tho&s;e with whom we con|ver&s;e; and as &s;ome di&s;ea&s;es of the body are communicated by the touch, &s;o doth the minde deliver her evill qualities to her neighbours.</HI> Drun|kards make more in love with wine, Wantons with women, covetous men with money. As on the contrary, good com|pany brings others to good, as a good &s;oyl and air brings health. And wilde bea&s;ts are tamed, being fed by men, and conver&s;ing with them. If ye will &s;in with them, ye mu&s;t &s;uffer with them. <HI>Non min&ugrave;s ardebit, qui cum multis ardebit. Augu&s;t. He burns no le&s;&s;e, that burns with company.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Continuance or walking in &s;in is dangerous. It brought de&s;truction on Prie&s;ts and people, 2 Chr. 36.14, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and Ho&s;. 11.2.</P>
<PB N="113" REF="61">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It is a &s;igne of an hard heart to continue in &s;in. The mouth of the con&s;cience is &s;topt.</P>
<P N="2">2. It makes the heart more hard &s;till. Cu&s;tome will make a man not &s;tart at greate&s;t &s;ins. <HI>Con&s;uetudo peccandi tollit &s;en&s;um peccati: A cu&s;tome of &s;inning takes away the feeling of &s;in. They can|not cea&s;e from &s;in,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.14.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Break off fin by repentance, Dan. 4.27. Time pa&s;t was too much for finfull wayes, 1 Pet. 4.3.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> The very entrance into finfull wayes is full of danger, like a downfall. No &s;tay till ye come to the bot|tome. Prov. 4.14. The young man is there advi&s;ed to pa&s;&s;e away, and not to come nigh it, as men go far off from infected hou&s;es, Prov. 5.8. Ye will hardly ever get out again. Like &s;ureti&s;hip &s;et out by a man entring into the wide end of a horne, and &s;ticking in the narrow end.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Keep out of evill wayes, or get out quickly. <HI>Non di&ugrave; tutus, qui periculo proximus. Cypr. He is not long &s;afe that is neer danger. Nolo vicino Serpente dormire. Fieri pote&s;t, ut me morde|at; fieripote&s;t, ut non me mordeat: I will not &s;leep neer a Serpent; per|haps &s;he may bite me, perhaps &s;he may not bite me.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 16.</BIBL> For their feet run to evil, and make ha&s;t to &s;hed blood.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Dehortation was in the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the Rea&s;ons follow. That it might appear that he had more weighty rea|&s;ons to di&s;&s;wade them, then the Theeves had to per&s;wade. Wherein note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The arguments, <HI>v.</HI> 16, 17, 18.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A generall conclu&s;ion out of them, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The arguments are very &s;trong, not onely in their owne weight, but <HI>quoad hominem,</HI> fit to convince them, as being all taken out of their owne confe&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P N="1">1. From the cruelty of their intentions, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. out of <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11.</P>
<P N="2">2. From the cau&s;ele&s;ne&s;&s;e, out of <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. al&s;o. For they &s;ought innocent blood without cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. From the craftine&s;&s;e of their plots, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 18. out of <HI>v.</HI> 11. From laying wait, and lurking privily.</P>
<P>The conclu&s;ion follows, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19. that not onely Robbers,
<PB N="114" REF="62">but al&s;o Cheaters, and all other &s;orts of covetous per&s;ons will fall to &s;hedding of blood in the end.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 9. This the word of coherence, and u&s;hers in a rea&s;on of the former dehortation. They may give thee good words, and colour over their bloody intentions, as if they meant onely to enrich them&s;elves out of other mens e&s;tates, and not to meddle with their per&s;ons. But the&s;e are but fig|leaves. They will not &s;tick at blood, rather then lo&s;e their booty. Therefore joyn not with them, for they are not onely covetous, but cruel al&s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Their feet.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 15.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Run.</HI> The word <HI>running</HI> intends not onely aiming at it, as at a goal, or prize, but al&s;o making ha&s;te to attain it, 1 Cor. 9.24. It &s;ignifies out of a readine&s;&s;e of minde, and great de&s;ire of the prey, to make ha&s;te to obtain it. The &s;ame words (all but one) are u&s;ed, I&s;a. 59.7. Here feet run, but P&s;al. 68.31. hands are &s;aid to run, or &s;oon to be &s;tretched out to God, to &s;hew the great ha&s;&s;e of tho&s;e Nations to im|brace Religion. Their mi&s;chievous intention is here ampli|fied by the ha&s;te they make to effect it, and by their violent pro&s;ecution of it. They ha&s;ten with both feet.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>To evill.</HI> It is taken &s;ometime for evill of &s;in. <HI>I have done this evill in thy &s;ight,</HI> P&s;al. 51.4. Sometime for evil of trou|ble. And that,</P>
<P N="1">1. To them&s;elves. <HI>Woe be to him that coveteth an evill covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e to his hou&s;e,</HI> Hab. 2.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. To others. <HI>If it plea&s;e my Father to do thee evill,</HI> 1 Sam. 20.3. So it is intended here of evill to others, as appears by the words before, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. <HI>Let us lay wait for blood.</HI> And by the words immediately following to the &s;ame purpo&s;e. It may be meant either of rapine, or of murder. Both are evill.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And make ba&s;te.</HI> This &s;hews the meaning of the former word <HI>running. Their feet are &s;wift to &s;hed blood,</HI> Rom. 3.15. The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To doe a thing quickly, or &s;peedily. <HI>Their &s;or|rows &s;hall be multiplyed that ha&s;ten after another God,</HI> P&s;alme 16.4.</P>
<PB N="115" REF="62">
<P N="2">2. To give a dowry to one. <HI>He &s;hall &s;urely endow her to be his wife,</HI> Exod. 21.16.</P>
<P N="3">3. To do a thing ra&s;hly, as things done in ha&s;te lightly are. <HI>The coun&s;el of the froward is carried headlong,</HI> Job 5.13. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, to &s;et forth &s;peed in accompli&s;h|ing their evil de&s;ignes.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>To &s;hed.</HI> Not to let out &s;ome part of the blood for good, but to pour it out abundantly, till one be dead; for <HI>the life is in the blood,</HI> Gen. 9.4.</P>
<P><HI>Blood.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. Some under&s;tand it of their owne blood. They rob, till they come to the gallows. And &s;ome|times falling out about dividing their prey, they kill one another. <HI>Stobaeus tit.</HI> 10. <HI>de Avar.</HI> quotes <HI>Ari&s;totle,</HI> &s;aying, that eight theeves falling out about the divi&s;ion of the prey, four of them fir&s;t killed the other four. Then two of them which were left, killed the other two. La&s;tly, of the two yet left, one killed the other. There was no end of &s;laughter, til one only was left. But here it is meant of others blood, as appears by <HI>v.</HI> 11. &amp; <HI>v.</HI> 18.</P>
<P>This is the fir&s;t rea&s;on, and a &s;trong and powerfull one to di&s;&s;wade the young man from joyning with them, or &s;o much as entring into their way, becau&s;e they minde nothing that is hone&s;t, but breath out blood&s;hed, and horrible &s;ins again&s;t nature, which may make them and their cour&s;es ju&s;tly odious to all men. Few bea&s;ts will kill others of the &s;ame kinde. Much le&s;&s;e &s;hould men that have rea&s;on. This is a very great wickedne&s;&s;e. Therefore thou mu&s;t not look &s;o much at the riches and &s;poyls they promi&s;e thee, as at the gro&s;&s;e evill they provoke thee to, which even nature it &s;elf abhors.</P>
<P>Thus ye &s;ee the &s;trength of <HI>Solomon</HI>'s fir&s;t rea&s;on to di&s;&s;wade the young man from joyning with evill men in their &s;infull wayes.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>To &s;hed blood.</HI> To commit murder. A figure of the cau&s;e for the effect.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Note</HI> 1. The coherence, <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;entence. And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A generall accu&s;ation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A particular. In the generall,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The agent, <HI>their feet.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="116" REF="63">
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>run.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>to evill.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the particular,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>they make ha&s;te.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>to &s;hed blood.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Good coun&s;els mu&s;t be backt with rea&s;ons. God mu&s;t be prai&s;ed by righteous men, becau&s;e it becomes them, and God de&s;erves it, P&s;al. 33.1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> We mu&s;t not fret at evill men, becau&s;e they &s;hall be cut off, P&s;al. 37.1. So Prov. 1.8, 9. &amp; 3.1, 2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To draw mens affections; for it is not enough to inform the judgement. The will and affections are more corrupt then it. The Heathen woman could &s;ay, <HI>Video meliora, probo&abque;, deteriora &s;equor: I &s;ee and like the be&s;t, but follow the wor&s;t.</HI> It is not the lea&s;t work of a Teacher, to move the affections. There may be light, but no life without this. What had the Sun been good for, if God had made no living creature to behold it? <HI>Vela damus, quamvis remige puppis eat. Ovid. Tide, and oars, and &s;ails are needfull on the water.</HI> So are Doctrines, Rea&s;ons, and U&s;es in a Sermon.</P>
<P N="2">2. To dead objections, and oppo&s;itions, as mud-wals dead bullets. The devil will have &s;omething to object again&s;t all Theorical and Practical truths. We mu&s;t have &s;ome &s;olid rea|&s;ons to weigh down his &s;eeming arguments.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the need, and ju&s;tifies the practi&s;e of Mini|&s;ters, in not onely laying down, but al&s;o backing truths with rea&s;ons, that they may work both on head and heart.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is no member of the body &s;o vile or mean, but may be an in&s;trument of &s;in and mi&s;chief. <HI>Ye have yeelded your members &s;ervants to uncleanne&s;&s;e, and to iniquity unto iniquity,</HI> Rom. 6.19. So many u&s;e their throat, tongues, lips, mouth, feet, Rom. 3.13, 14, 15. As birds u&s;e their beaks and talons; wilde bea&s;ts, their teeth, claws, and tails; tame bea&s;ts, their horns and hoofs to do hurt. And men have eyes for adultery. As <HI>David,</HI> 2 Sam. 11.2. and ungodly men, <HI>Having eyes full of adultery,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.14. Others have eyes for covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, as <HI>I &s;aw a goodly Babyloni&s;h garment, &amp;c. Then I coveted them.</HI> And <HI>Ahab</HI> had eyes to covet <HI>Naboth</HI>'s vineyard, 1 King. 21.1. Men
<PB N="117" REF="63">have ears ready to hear wanton &s;ongs, &s;landers, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Tongues for &s;wearing, lying, flattering, back-biting, called the third tongue in <HI>Chaldee,</HI> becau&s;e it hurts the &s;peaker, hearer, and per&s;on &s;poken of. Hands to &s;trike, kill, &s;teal. Feet to carry the whole body to mi&s;chief.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It teacheth us to bewail the &s;preading of cor|ruption in us. It cannot be enclo&s;ed in the &s;oul, but runs over every member of the body. No Phy&s;ician can tell all the di&s;ea&s;es of the eye, much le&s;&s;e the &s;ins of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;hews us our great account, that be&s;ides &s;ecret &s;ins, have &s;o many to an&s;wer for in every member.</P>
<P N="3">3. It calls upon us for &s;u&s;picion of, and watchfulne&s;&s;e over every member. Not of the Eye, or Ear alone, but of all.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men have a great affection, de&s;ire, and pronene&s;&s;e to wickedne&s;&s;e. As men have to tho&s;e things they run after, who yet hate tho&s;e things from which they fly. <HI>Wickedne&s;&s;e is &s;weet in his mouth, he hides it under his tongue. He &s;pares it, and for&s;akes it not, but keeps it &s;till within his mouth,</HI> Job 20.12, 13. <HI>Why boa&s;te&s;t thou thy &s;elf in mi&s;chief, O mighty man?</HI> P&s;al. 51.1. And &s;ure men greatly affect what they boa&s;t of.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is plea&s;ing to their corrupt nature. The Iron follows the Load&s;tone by a naturall &s;ympathy. So do wicked men pur&s;ue &s;infull cour&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. Cu&s;tome makes it dear to them. Men are plea&s;ed with cu&s;tomes without a rea&s;on.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Hence may we di&s;cern the vilene&s;&s;e of our nature. It were a &s;tain to it to be drawn to &s;in, but to love that which is evill, and delight in it, and run to it, without &s;olicitation, argues a de&s;perately corrupted nature.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sin is truly evill and hurtfull. <HI>I have done this evil in thy &s;ight,</HI> P&s;al. 51.4. <HI>Evill &s;hall hunt the violent man, to overthrow him,</HI> P&s;al. 140.11. Sin is evill by name, and evil by nature. For it is <GAP DESC="foreign">, a breach of Gods Law, or an unlawfull act, 1 Joh. 3.4. It may be &s;aid of &s;in as <HI>Abigail</HI> &s;peaks of her Hus|band, <HI>Nabal</HI> (or <HI>fool</HI>) <HI>Is his name, and folly is with him,</HI> 1 Sam. 25.25. So evill is the name of &s;in, and evill is in it. It is the brood of that evill one. It is evill before God whom it
<PB N="118" REF="64">di&s;honors, and who cries out again&s;t it. Before men, who make laws again&s;t it. Hurtfull to others, as all fins again&s;t the &s;econd Table, being hurtfull to mens lives, wives, chil|dren, &s;tates, liberty, credit. Sin will pull down Church and Common-wealth. It is hurtfull to our &s;elves, bringing down many judgements on us. It is evill privatively, de|priving us of much good. Evill po&s;itively, inflicting much &s;orrow. Evill &s;piritually, bringing &s;pirituall judgements on the &s;oul. Evill corporally, bringing much pain to the body. Evill eternally, making &s;oul and body for ever mi&s;e|rable.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Hate all &s;in, God is the object of love: Evill, of hatred. <HI>Ye that love the Lord, hate evill,</HI> P&s;al. 97.10. <HI>Amat Deum? debes odi&s;&s;e quod odit: Love&s;t thou God? then mu&s;t thou hate what he hates. August.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Beware of acting &s;in. It is a di&s;grace to thee, and mat|ter of danger.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sinners are very nimble and indu&s;trious about &s;infull actions. <HI>Jezabel</HI> quickly findes a way to get away <HI>Naboth</HI>'s vineyard, 1 King. 21.7, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And <HI>Judas</HI> to bewray Chri&s;t, Mat. 26.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. From an internall principle of love of &s;in. Men are very nimble about what they love.</P>
<P N="2">2. From an externall principle of cu&s;tome. It is their trade, and men are very nimble about their trade, that go dully about other things. They are in their element. <HI>Ele|mentum in loco &s;uo non ponderat: An element is not weighty in its own place.</HI> How &s;wift is water in the river? How dull out of it?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Marvell not at &s;udden villanies, as robberies, murders, trea&s;ons. Wicked men are quick at &s;uch things.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Great &s;ins are readily &s;wallowed by ungodly men. As murder, and oppre&s;&s;ion. <HI>Ahab</HI> can &s;wallow <HI>Naboth</HI>'s vineyard and life at a mor&s;el, 1 King. 21. And <HI>Judas</HI> can di|ge&s;t the murder of Chri&s;t, and thirty pieces of &s;ilver to boot, Matt. 26.15. Some are &s;o wicked they can murder Father and Mother, 1 Tim. 1.9. <HI>Cain</HI> killed his owne Brother, Gen. 4.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. They &s;ee not the evill of them.</P>
<PB N="119" REF="64">
<P N="2">2. They fore&s;ee not the danger of them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Marvell not at great wickedne&s;&s;es, while there be wicked men in the world. Fire will burn down, water overflow all before it.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 17.</BIBL> Surely in vain the net is &s;pread in the &s;ight of any bird.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>We come now to <HI>Solomon</HI>'s &s;econd argument, to di&s;&s;wade the young man from joyning with the&s;e &s;inners. And that is taken from the inju&s;tice of their cour&s;e. They wrong others without provocation by them, or merit of evill in them. It may be the young man might object again&s;t the fir&s;t argument, peradventure they had ju&s;t cau&s;e to take the rich mens lives, as well as their goods. It may be that they have committed &s;ome great evil, or done them much wrong. No, &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> they had no cau&s;e at all to proceed &s;o cruelly again&s;t them neither for any wrong done to them|&s;elves, nor others. It proceeds meerly from their owne cove|tous, and cruel di&s;po&s;ition. They have given them no more cau&s;e then the bird doth to the fowler, to take away his life.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Surely.</HI> So it is tran&s;lated. <HI>Surely we will return with thee,</HI> Ruth 1.10. And then it is an earne&s;t a&s;&s;everation of the truth of what is &s;aid. It is as &s;ure, theeves kill without a cau&s;e, as that fowlers kill harmle&s;&s;e birds. It may be read <HI>For,</HI> as it is, <HI>v.</HI> 9. &amp; <HI>v.</HI> 16. And then it u&s;hers in a &s;econd rea&s;on, to di&s;&s;wade the young man from joyning with them, <HI>v.</HI> 15. becau&s;e they are unju&s;t as well as cruel. For it can|not be a rea&s;on of the Theeves curelty, mentioned <HI>v.</HI> 16. for they are not curel becau&s;e they have no cau&s;e, but though they have no cau&s;e.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>In vain.</HI> So our Tran&s;lation and &s;ome others read it. Some take it to be in vain in regard of the bird, which will take no warning, but will fly to the meat, although it fall into the net. So will Theeves go on till they come to the gallows, notwith&s;tanding examples of others hanged before, or coun&s;els of friends. They will rob, though they be hanged, and for pre&s;ent content, they will adventure &s;uture
<PB N="120" REF="65">ruine. Their eyes are dazeled with the fight of gain, &s;o that they &s;ee not the danger. Others take it to be in vain in re|gard of the fowler, who is not alwayes &s;ure to catch the birds, for many times they &s;py the net, and flie away. And this &s;ome apply to the Theeves alluring the young man. They often mi&s;&s;e the precious things they aim at, the owners e&s;pying their evill intentions, and preventing them. There|fore joyn not thou with them, upon hope of uncertain gain. Others apply it to the young man him&s;elf, as if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;aid, If birds have wit to &s;ee and avoyd &s;nares, thou my Son being a rea&s;onable creature, &s;hould&s;t much more (e&s;pecially being warned by me) &s;ee the danger of the&s;e evill mens coun&s;els, and not dare to joyn with them. But the word &s;hould rather be tran&s;lated <HI>without cau&s;e,</HI> as it is <HI>v.</HI> 11. As fowlers kil birds taken in the net, though they never wronged them, that &s;o they may feed on them, &s;o do the&s;e mo&s;t un|ju&s;tly kill them they rob, as <HI>ver.</HI> 11. &amp; 19. &s;hew. The one &s;aith, they lie in wait for them cau&s;ele&s;ly, and the other, that they take away their lives. So the word is al&s;o u&s;ed, <HI>chap.</HI> 3.30. <HI>Strive not with a man without cau&s;e, if he have done thee no harm.</HI> Object not, that they will not be &s;o cruell, though they be covetous, for though mens riches may do them good, yet they have given no cau&s;e to take away their lives. No more hath the bird to the fowler. But as the fowler cannot feed on the bird, unle&s;&s;e he kill it, no more can they rob &s;ometimes without killing.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The net.</HI> It is taken,</P>
<P N="1">1. Literally, for an engine to catch birds, bea&s;ts, or fi&s;hes. <HI>Ye have been a net &s;pread upon Tabor,</HI> Ho&s;. 4.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. For net-work, made like a net. <HI>Thou &s;halt make for it a grate of net-work of bra&s;&s;e,</HI> Exod. 27.4.</P>
<P N="3">3. For devices to entrap men. <HI>In the net which they hid is their own foot taken,</HI> P&s;al. 9.15. Here it is u&s;ed in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, yet the third intended in the application of the &s;imili|tude, as appears, <HI>v.</HI> 18.</P>
<P><HI>Is &s;pread.</HI> Laid abroad at length, that it may catch the bird, if it come within the verge of it.</P>
<P><HI>In the &s;ight.</HI> Heb. <HI>in the eyes,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The eye, in which is placed the Sen&s;e of &s;eeing. <HI>The eye is not &s;atisfied with &s;eeing,</HI> Eccl. 1.8.</P>
<PB N="121" REF="65">
<P N="2">2. The &s;ight which is by the eye. <HI>The heavens are not clean in his &s;ight,</HI> Job 15.15. So here, where the bird either doth &s;ee it, or may &s;ee it, if he will look about him; or, where birds u&s;e to haunt.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Of any.</HI> Not of every bird, but of any bird. So it &s;ignifies here, and that without a negative particle with it. A thing not ob&s;erved in Grammars and Dictionaries. So Job 8.12. <HI>It withereth before any other hearb.</HI> For the word &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 13. on the word <HI>All.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Bird.</HI> Heb. <HI>owner</HI> or <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of a wing.</HI> That hath a wing at command to fly withall. Thus God di&s;tingui&s;heth birds from bea&s;ts and fi&s;hes. <HI>A bird of the air &s;hall carry the voyce, and that which hath wings &s;hall tell the matter,</HI> Eccl. 10.20. So the Owner is in the Originall called <HI>the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of riches, v.</HI> 19. And the Ram that had two horns, is called, <HI>The po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of two horns,</HI> Dan. 8.6. The Hebr. word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. An owner or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or of a thing. <HI>The Ma&s;ter of the hou&s;e &s;hall be brought unto the Judges,</HI> Exod. 22.8. that is, The ow|ner or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of it. He that dwels in it.</P>
<P N="2">2. A chief or honorable man. <HI>The Prie&s;t &s;hall not defile him|&s;elf, being a chief man among his people,</HI> Lev. 21.4.</P>
<P N="3">3. An husband. <HI>If he were married,</HI> Exod. 21.3. Hebr. <HI>if he were the husband of a wife.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. An Idol, called <HI>Baal. He brought him up into the high places of Baal,</HI> Numb. 22.41.</P>
<P N="5">5. A Lord. <HI>Call me no more Baali,</HI> that is, <HI>My Lord,</HI> as in the marg. Ho&s;. 2.16.</P>
<P N="6">6. An inhabitant. So it is rendred, <HI>The men of Shechem,</HI> Judg. 9.20.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of a wing, that is, a bird. The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. A wing. <HI>Every winged &s;owle after his kinde,</HI> Gen. 1.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is put for the &s;wiftne&s;&s;e of the wind, which &s;eems to fly, it is &s;o quick, and carries &s;hips away apace. <HI>He did fly upon the wings of the wind,</HI> P&s;al. 18.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. For the utmo&s;t part of any thing. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Of a garment. <HI>They &s;hall make them fringes in the borders of their garments,</HI> Numb. 15.38.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the &s;ails of a &s;hip, which are &s;pread like wings,
<PB N="122" REF="66">and make &s;hips as it were to fly. <HI>Woe to the Land &s;hadowing with wings,</HI> I&s;a. 18.1. That is, &s;ending forth &s;hips with &s;ails, as appears <HI>v.</HI> 2. there.</P>
<P N="3">3. For the wings of an Army. <HI>The &s;tretching out of his wings &s;hall fill the breadth of thy Land, O Immanuel,</HI> I&s;a. 8.8.</P>
<P N="4">4. The farthe&s;t part of the earth. <HI>From the four corners of the earth,</HI> I&s;a. 11.12.</P>
<P N="5">5. The &s;pringing of the morning light, which begins far from us. <HI>The Sun of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall ari&s;e with healing in his wings,</HI> Mal. 4.2. Here it is u&s;ed in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for the wing of a bird.</P>
<P>Figures none, except <HI>eyes</HI> for <HI>&s;ight.</HI> The cau&s;e for the effect.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The manner of &s;peaking, <HI>Surely.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The matter. And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>the net.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjuncts. 1 <HI>Is &s;pread.</HI> 2 <HI>Without cau&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object. <HI>In the &s;ight of any bird.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Variety of rea&s;ons are needfull todi&s;&s;wade from evill. See how many cur&s;es are threatned again&s;t it, Deuter. ch. 27. &amp; 28.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of our privative unbeleef. We are hardly drawn to beleeve any &s;pirituall truth, and divine. <HI>O fools and &s;low of heart, to beleeve all that the Prophets have &s;poken,</HI> Luk. 24.25. A weak hou&s;e mu&s;t have many props, el&s;e it wil fall.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of our po&s;itive unbeleef. We are oppo&s;ite to matters of faith and holine&s;&s;e, and can rea&s;on &s;trongly again&s;t our owne &s;alvation. We had need of many bullets to beat down this &s;ort.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of mens different di&s;po&s;itions. One affects wit, another credit, another profit, another plea&s;ure. All the&s;e mu&s;t be wrought upon accordingly. A fi&s;her mu&s;t have &s;eve|rall baits for &s;everall fi&s;hes, worms for one, flies for another, pa&s;te for another. One man is loving, another har&s;h; one &s;tout, another fearfull; one fed with hopes, another affected onely with things pre&s;ent. Per&s;waders to good, or from evil, mu&s;t proceed accordingly. <HI>Decet veritatem, totis viribus uti &s;uis, non ut laborantem: It becomes truth to u&s;e all her forces, not as if it had much adce to uphold her &s;elf. Tertull. adver&s;. Marc. l.</HI> 3.</P>
<PB N="123" REF="66">
<P N="4">4. To confirm our &s;elves in the truth, el&s;e we &s;hall never work well upon others.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To per&s;wade us to &s;tudy the Scripture well, if we would be able to give coun&s;ell to others to draw them to good, or from evill; for there is the &s;torehou&s;e of truth, and abundance of rea&s;ons, and &s;tronger then either nature or art can afford, to work upon mens judgement, or af|fections.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Rea&s;ons brought to confirm truth mu&s;t be &s;olid ones. So Chri&s;t confutes the Sadduces by a &s;entence out of the Law. <HI>I am the God of Abraham, the God of I&s;aac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,</HI> Matt. 22.32. It is conceived the Sadduces believed only the five Books of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and therefore our Saviour out of them brings his proof, that could have brought plainer out of the Prophets, if he had plea&s;ed, as Dan. 12.2. <HI>Many of them that &s;leep in the du&s;t of the earth, &s;hall awake, &s;ome to everla&s;ting life, and &s;ome to &s;hame, and everla&s;ting contempt.</HI> So he confuteth the Phari&s;ees, who maintained that a man might &s;wear by the Temple, but not by the gold of the Temple, by an unde|niable argument; <HI>Ye fools and blinde, for whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that &s;anctifieth the gold?</HI> Matt. 23.17. So <HI>Paul</HI> reproves fornicators, in that <HI>they make the members of Chri&s;t the members of an harlot,</HI> 1 Cor. 6.15. So he confutes com|munion with Idolaters, becau&s;e therein they have fellow&s;hip with devils, 1 Cor. 10.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e nothing but truth &s;hould come from an informer, el&s;e he may be a blinde guide, and fall, and lead o|thers into the ditch.</P>
<P N="2">2. Rea&s;ons ought not onely to be true, but al&s;o to bear up other truths. All &s;tones in a building &s;hould be firm, but e&s;pe|cially the foundation &s;tones. What is a lying witne&s;&s;e worth, or a beggerly &s;urety? The <HI>Rabbins</HI> &s;ay of a weak argument, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Your &s;urety wants a &s;urety.</HI> And the <HI>Logi|cians</HI> cry out, <HI>Incertum per incertius: Ye prove an uncertainty by a greater uncertainty.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. El&s;e we cannot &s;atisfie our &s;elves. And how &s;hould a man think to per&s;wade others by that which per&s;wades not him&s;elfe?</P>
<PB N="124" REF="67">
<P N="4">4. Our rea&s;ons &s;hould not onely &s;atisfie others, but be &s;o &s;trong, that they may convince them, and &s;top their mouths. <HI>A mini&s;ter mu&s;t be able by &s;ound doctrine both to exhort and con|vince the gain&s;ayers,</HI> Tit. 1.9. Therefore their rea&s;ons had need be &s;trong.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us weigh our arguments well in our owne &s;ouls, before we pre&s;ent them to others. So men mea&s;ure their corn at home, before they bring it to Market, that it may not fall &s;hort. El&s;e we cannot hope to per&s;wade others to good, or di&s;&s;wade them from evill, if our arguments prevail not fir&s;t with our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a world of inju&s;tice in the world. As in Heathen <HI>Niniveh. The Lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and &s;trangled for his lione&s;&s;es, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravine,</HI> Nah. 2.12. <HI>Woe to the bloudy City. It is all full of lies and robbery, the prey departeth not,</HI> Nahum 3.1. So in idolatrous <HI>I&s;rael, Ahab</HI> mu&s;t have <HI>Naboth</HI>'s vineyard, 1 King. 21. It is full of <HI>lying, killing, stealing,</HI> Ho&s;. 4.1. In <HI>Judab</HI> al&s;o profe&s;&s;ing Religion in <HI>David's</HI> old dayes. It is like <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> had &s;ome colour of complaint, by rea&s;on of officers oppre&s;&s;ion. <HI>No man is deputed of the King to hear thee,</HI> 2 Sam. 15.3. And in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> in <HI>Samuel's</HI> old dayes. <HI>His Sons turned a&s;ide after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgement,</HI> 1 Sam. 8.3. <HI>Samuel</HI> could &s;ay, <HI>Who&s;e oxe have I taken? or who&s;e a&s;&s;e have I taken, &amp;c.</HI> 1 Sam. 12.3. But his Sons could not &s;ay &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e men have different humours, and af|fections; &s;ome &s;pleenful, &s;ome fearfull, &s;ome covetous, &s;ome ambitious.</P>
<P N="2">2. They have divers degrees. Some are great, and think they may do what they will with mean ones. Some low, and do wrong for need. <HI>They are poor, and steal,</HI> Prov. 30.3. Some of a middle rank, who envy &s;uperiours, &s;light inferiours, and wrong both.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us be ju&s;t in the mid&s;t of an unju&s;t generation, as <HI>Noah</HI> was, Gen. 6.9. and as <HI>Paul</HI> would have the <HI>Philippians</HI> to be, Phil. 3.15. and as the middle region of the air is cold, be|ing between the upper region hot, as being neerer the Sun; and the lower hot by reflexion.</P>
<PB N="125" REF="67">
<P><HI>The net is &s;pread.</HI> Fowlers have nets, and &s;pread them to take innocent birds, that they may be &s;ure they may not e&s;cape.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men have cunning devices to doe mi&s;|chief. As <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> to get away the hearts of his Fathers Subjects by flattery, 1 Sam. 15.3. And <HI>I&s;hmael</HI> by tears to call them to <HI>Gedaliah,</HI> whom he had &s;lain before, and &s;o to kill them, Jer. 41.2, 6, 7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To expedite the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e the &s;ooner, that they may quickly effect their de&s;ires. They long to be rid of their mi&s;chievous de&s;ignes, as a woman with-childe of her bur|den. <HI>Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,</HI> P&s;al. 7.14. As the Mathematician that made an Engine to convey a Ship into the Sea with one hand, which others could not do with much help, was a cunning man. So have wicked men curious fetches to hurt others.</P>
<P N="2">2. To remove all impediments, which requires much skill.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of ungodly mens plots. U&s;e the Doves innocency, but with the Serpents &s;ubtilty, Matth. 10.16.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God hath put &s;ome vi&s;ible di&s;tinction between vi&s;ible creatures. Birds are di&s;tingui&s;hed from Bea&s;ts by wings. He made birds to fly in the air, fi&s;hes to &s;wim in the &s;ea, bea&s;ts to go on the earth, Gen. 1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> To &s;hew Gods wi&s;dome, that hath &s;et a &s;everal mark on all creatures, in their &s;everal kindes.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us in beholding the variety of the creatures, give God the glory of his wi&s;dome, Rom. 1.20, 21.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Creatures have a lawfull power over their mem|bers. A bird is Ma&s;ter of a wing.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> God gives them this power.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Honor God then with your members. <HI>Yeeld your mem|bers &s;ervants to righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e unto holine&s;&s;e,</HI> Rom. 6.19.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="126" REF="68">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 18.</BIBL> And they lay wait for their owne blood, they lurk privily for their owne lives.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Here the Wi&s;e-man proceeds to a third argument, to di&s;|&s;wade the young man from joyning with the&s;e robbers. The fir&s;t was from their cruelty, <HI>v.</HI> 16. The &s;econd, from their inju&s;tice, <HI>v.</HI> 17. The third in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> from their craft and indirect dealing, to bring their wicked ends to pa&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>And,</HI> or <HI>So.</HI> For thus this word is tran&s;lated, Pro. 25.23. <HI>The North-wind driveth away rain, &s;o doth an angry countenance at back biting tongue.</HI> It &s;ets forth a reddition to a &s;imilitude. So it may do here. As the Fowlers without provocation, lay wait to kill the harmle&s;&s;e birds, that they may devoure them, &s;o robbers without provocation lurk privily to kill men, that they may deprive them of their riches.</P>
<P><HI>They lay wait.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><HI>For their own.</HI> It may be tran&s;lated <HI>their,</HI> or <HI>their own.</HI> And therefore the word <HI>owne</HI> is in a little letter, as not nece&s;&s;arily included in the Originall word. They that take it for <HI>their owne,</HI> under&s;tand it thus. The&s;e robbers, that are &s;o &s;o|licitous to draw thee into their &s;ociety think to undoe others, but indeed undoe them&s;elves in the end. They come to the gallows. They doe as it were hold a pi&s;toll with a dark lantern in their hand, and when they think to kill others, &s;hoot them&s;elves to death. <HI>Quae rapin&acirc; &s;ublata funt, raptorem rapiunt. Ab Ezr. Things unju&s;tly &s;natcht away, &s;natch away the &s;nateher.</HI> Some hold on the compari&s;on, and read it <HI>their,</HI> not <HI>their owne,</HI> and under&s;tand it of the birds, which the fowlers are not content to take, but kill them al&s;o. And they make the reddition, <HI>v.</HI> 19. But the be&s;t way is to read it <HI>their,</HI> and apply it to the rich men whom the theeves would rob. And &s;o it is a part of the application. As Fowlers lay wait to kill birds, &s;o theeves to kill men. The rea&s;ons to inforce this interpretation, are the&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. They that are to be killed are tho&s;e who&s;e blood they laid wait for, <HI>v.</HI> 11. which was not their owne, but &s;uch as
<PB N="127" REF="68">they would rob. And &s;wallow up alive, <HI>v.</HI> 12. And finde riches in their hou&s;es, <HI>v.</HI> 13.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e the other interpretation agrees not with the &s;imilitude, <HI>v.</HI> 17. for fowlers run no danger them&s;elves in catching or killing birds. No law layes hold on their lives. So it &s;hould be a di&s;&s;imilitude rather then a &s;imilitude. Though fowlers get no harm by killing birds, yet thou &s;halt peri&s;h with murdering theeves, if thou joyn with them. But this agrees not with the words.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e it agrees not with <HI>v.</HI> 19. They &s;eek the life of the owners of tho&s;e riches, and not their owne lives. To conclude, the dehortation is not taken from the hurt that might befall the young man, if he joyn with them, but that might betide others by his joyning with them in their crafty wayes, which will not onely be the lo&s;&s;e of their e&s;tates, but of their lives al&s;o &s;ometimes, which the young man, not u&s;ed to blood and fraud, would &s;tartle at in likely|hood, though the &s;educers u&s;ed to it could &s;hed blood with|out remor&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Bloud.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 11. <HI>They lurk privily.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><HI>For their owne.</HI> Rather <HI>for their.</HI> That is, for to kill tho&s;e whom they rob. See before in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Their lives.</HI> Heb. <HI>Their &s;ouls.</HI> The word &s;ig|nifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The breath. <HI>His breath kindleth coals,</HI> Job 41.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. The life, which cannot be without breathing. <HI>But fle&s;h with the life thereof, &s;hall ye not eat,</HI> Gen. 9.4.</P>
<P N="3">3. The &s;oul, the cau&s;e and fountain of life. <HI>Man became a living &s;oul,</HI> Gen. 2.7.</P>
<P N="4">4. A living body. <HI>Let the earth bring forth the living creature,</HI> Gen. 1.24.</P>
<P N="5">5. A man. <HI>The &s;ouls, that came out of the loynes of Jacob,</HI> Exod. 1.5. That is, the men.</P>
<P N="6">6. The body of a man. <HI>He was laid in iron,</HI> P&s;al. 105.18. Heb. <HI>His &s;oul came into iron.</HI> As in the marg. of your Bibles. Yet it was the body of <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> onely, for his &s;oul could not be bound in iron.</P>
<P N="7">7. A dead car<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;e that had once a &s;oul in it. <HI>Who&s;o toucheth any thing, that is unclean by the dead,</HI> Lev. 22.4. Heb. <HI>by a &s;oul.</HI></P>
<PB N="128" REF="69">
<P N="8">8. The heart, minde, or de&s;ire of a man. <HI>Ye know the heart of a stranger,</HI> Exod. 23.9. Heb. <HI>the &s;ul.</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. For God him&s;elf, as the &s;oul of man was taken for the man him&s;elf, in the fift &s;ignification. <HI>The Lord God hath &s;worn by him&s;elf,</HI> Amos 6.8. Heb. <HI>by his &s;oul.</HI></P>
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for the life, becau&s;e as the breath is the &s;igne of life, &s;o the pre&s;ence of the &s;oul is the cau&s;e of life, and the ab&s;ence of it the cau&s;e of death. Faulkeners if they catch birds in the net, kill them. If not, they &s;hoot them. So do robbers with men. They kill them with the &s;word, or with the gun. Thus the Adultere&s;&s;e &s;eeks a mans life, <HI>ch.</HI> 6.26. &amp; 7.22, 23.</P>
<P>Figures. Blood for life, and &s;oul for life. The cau&s;e for the effect. The &s;ame thing is doubled in divers words, to &s;hew the certainty of it, that this is indeed the intention of rob|bers, what ever they pretend to the young man. So <HI>Pharaoh's</HI> dream was doubled, to &s;hew, that <HI>the thing was e&s;tabli&s;hed by God, and God would &s;hortly bring it to pa&s;&s;e,</HI> Gen. 41.32. And <HI>Kimchi</HI> on tho&s;e words, I&s;a. 1.2. <HI>I have nouri&s;hed and brought up children,</HI> &s;aith, <HI>The doubling of the word is to confirm the thing in divers words, though the matter be all one,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>And &s;uch is the cu&s;tome of the Scripture in many places.</HI></P>
<P>For the divi&s;ion:</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The efficient, <HI>They,</HI> the robbers.</P>
<P N="2">2. The act, <HI>lay wait, lork privily.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The object, <HI>for their blood, for their lives.</HI> To mur|der &s;uch as they rob. It agrees with the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> thus. As fowlers lie hid them&s;elves, and lay their nets, where birds come, to catch and kill them, though they never hurt them; &s;o the&s;e robbers lie hid privily to entrap them that hurt them not, and to kill them for their goods.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Similitudes rightly applyed are of great u&s;e. They are much u&s;ed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Te&s;tament. As by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> Deut. 32.11, 12. Where Gods care of his is &s;et out by the Eagles tender care of her young ones. By the Prophets, I&s;a. 49.15, 16. which &s;ets it out by the Mothers re&s;pect to her young children. By Chri&s;t, Matt. 13. who take &s;imilies from Sea, Land, Trade, Husbandry, to
<PB N="129" REF="69">teach all &s;orts of men piety. By the Apo&s;tles, Jude <HI>v.</HI> 12, 13. where the like are taken from Bodies of men, Heaven, Earth, Sea.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they help the under&s;tanding much. For earthly things are better known to us then heavenly. They are gla&s;&s;es, in which we may &s;ee better things. The eyes con|vey much knowledge to the &s;oul.</P>
<P N="2">2. Similitudes help the memory, for things &s;een are tokens of things un&s;een, as a thread on the finger of an errand. The act of memory lodges one thing in one corner of the room, another in another.</P>
<P N="3">3. They help the will. When we &s;ee the willingne&s;&s;e of bea&s;ts to provide for their young, it puts Parents in minde of their duty.</P>
<P N="4">4. They help the con&s;cience. A &s;imilitude helped <HI>David</HI> to &s;ee his &s;in quickly, 2 Sam. 12.1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> He could &s;oon con|demne him that killed his neighbours Ewe-lamb, that would hardly el&s;e have condemned him&s;elf for killing his neighbor, and abu&s;ing his Wife.</P>
<P N="5">5. They help the affections. The attractive ones are hel|ped by &s;imilies taken from things liked; the ab&s;tractive by &s;imilies taken from things di&s;liked.</P>
<P N="6">6. They help to amend our lives. The Ant can teach the Sluggard to labour.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Trea&s;ure up &s;tore of &s;imilitudes. All places afford plenty of them. Sea, land, &s;hop, hou&s;e, &s;treets, fields, are not barren. What can you doe that may not teach you &s;ome good le&s;&s;on for your &s;ouls?</P>
<P N="2">2. Be &s;ure to apply them right, el&s;e they may doe much harm. As that parable, Mat. 18.23. where the Lords revo|king his pardon, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 34. is applyed to falling away from grace, contrary to Chri&s;ts interpretation, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 35. God wil not forgive you, unle&s;&s;e you forgive others. <HI>Simile non currit quatuor pedibus: No &s;imilitude runs on four legs.</HI> If it agree in &s;ome things, it mu&s;t differ in others, el&s;e it were not the like, but the &s;ame. And what application can be better, then that which leads to the &s;cope of the propounder? <HI>Theologia &s;ym|bolica, non e&s;t argumentativa.</HI> Similitudes making nothing true, but illu&s;trate things that were true before. The ab&s;urde&s;t
<PB N="130" REF="70">thing in the world might be proved by &s;ome &s;imilitude. As that Parents need take no more care for their children, then the O&s;triches do for their eggs, Job 39.13, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But what childe will allow of &s;uch a proof? Therefore apply &s;imili|tudes carefully, le&s;t ye run into error.</P>
<P>Before, <HI>v.</HI> 11. they &s;ay, <HI>Let us lay wait, &amp;c.</HI> Here <HI>Solomon</HI> affirms that they do &s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> A wicked man, as he per&s;wades others to evil, &s;o he acts it him&s;elf. So <HI>Judah</HI> coun&s;elled to, and joyned in the &s;elling of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> Gen. 37.26, <HI>&amp;c. Judas</HI> did the like in brin|ging Chri&s;t to his end, Matt. 26.14, 15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To &s;hew their reall approbation of the work. For it is plea&s;ing to their corrupt nature. They give bad coun&s;el out of love to evill, as their deeds declare.</P>
<P N="2">2. To encourage others to mi&s;chief. For deeds draw more then words, examples then precepts.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To blame many, who give good coun&s;el to others to be ju&s;t, yet prove unju&s;t them&s;elves; and to be patient, yet are impatient them&s;elves. Like Phari&s;ees, <HI>they lay heavy bur|dens on mens &s;houlders, but they them&s;elves will not move them with one of their fingers,</HI> Mat. 23.4.</P>
<P>Fowlers have cunning pates to invent traps, and &s;trong hands to lay them.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> As wicked men have heads to invent, &s;o have they hands to execute mi&s;chief. So <HI>I&s;hmael</HI> contrived and executed <HI>Gedalia's</HI> death, and others, Jer. 41.1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So did <HI>Joab, Atner's</HI> and <HI>Ama&s;a</HI>'s death, 2 Sam. 3.27. &amp; 20.9, 10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e mens hands are naturally corrupt, as well as their heads.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e el&s;e their plots will come to nothing, if their hands be not nimble to execute, as well as their heads to in|vent.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves &s;uch as have good heads, and know well what they &s;hould doe, but finde many rubs in the way, when they &s;hould go about any good duty. The&s;e are &s;luggards, and cry, <HI>A lion in the way,</HI> Prov. 6.13.</P>
<P>New words come to be expounded in every ver&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much pains is needfull to under&s;tand Scripture aright. Continuall pains, <HI>Continue in them,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.16.
<PB N="131" REF="70">Searching pains. <HI>Search the Scriptures,</HI> Joh. ch. 5. ver&s;. 39.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the manner of writing Some things are plain, but other things are figurative; as, <HI>I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband-man,</HI> Joh. 15.1. Some direct, but others ironical; as, <HI>Rejoyce, O young man in thy youth, &amp;c.</HI> Eccl. 11.9. Some like I&s;lands and Promontories, as marks of good example to guide; &s;ome like rocks, and quick-&s;ands, as &s;tories of bad example, to avoyd.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e Mini&s;ters which have more gifts then others, yet labour hard to under&s;tand Scripture.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us take pains to know the meaning of Gods Word, as Miners do, that dig for gold, &s;ilver, or jewels; or men that draw water out of deep wells, even <HI>out of the wells of &s;alvation,</HI> I&s;a. 12.3.</P>
<P>If open oppo&s;ing will not &s;erve to rob and kill, ambu&s;hes mu&s;t.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many &s;nares are laid for innocent men. As for <HI>David</HI> by <HI>Saul,</HI> that he might be killed by the <HI>Phili&s;tins,</HI> or any other way. So for <HI>Daniel,</HI> by the Princes of the King|dome by enquiring into all his wayes, and by new projects, Dan. 6.4, 5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the malice of ungodly men again&s;t them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of their &s;ubtilty. If they were not malicious, they would not lay &s;nares for good men. If not &s;ubtil, they could not do it, to prevail.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Judge not them evill, that have many &s;nares laid for them. Nets are not laid for Kites, but for Pigeons.</P>
<P><HI>For their &s;ouls;</HI> that is, for their lives. For they cannot come at their &s;ouls to hurt them.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> The naturall life depends upon the pre&s;ence of the &s;oul, 1 King. 17.22. <HI>The &s;oul of the childe came into him a|gain, and he revived.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there is no life in the infant in the wombe, till the &s;oul enter into it. This we call quickening in the Mother, a di&s;tinct act from conceiving.</P>
<P N="2">2. Life continues not, if the &s;oul depart.</P>
<P N="3">3. It ends then. Souls departure from the body brings death.</P>
<PB N="132" REF="71">
<P N="4">4. Continuance of life in the &s;oul after the death of the body, &s;hews, that the life of the body depends upon it.</P>
<P N="5">5. The &s;ouls returning at the re&s;urrection brings life to the body.</P>
<P N="6">6. It brings eternall life to it al&s;o. The &s;oul continuing with the body to eternity, that body then can never die.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be mo&s;t careful of your &s;ouls. Then your bodies wil live al&s;o. El&s;e both peri&s;h. No life without the &s;oul. The body will live if the &s;oul live. And the body will live as the &s;oul lives, happily or mi&s;erably to eternity. If the &s;oul be damned, &s;ay, Farewell all bodily comfort for ever. <HI>What is a man profited, if he &s;hall gain the whole world and lo&s;e his owne &s;oul?</HI> Matt. 16.26.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 19.</BIBL> So are the wayes of every one that is greedy of gain, which laketh away the life of the owners thereof.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>Solomon</HI>'s three arguments being handled, whereby he &s;eeks to draw the young man from bad company, and ill cour&s;es; now he proceeds to rai&s;e a larger conclu&s;ion, to keep him not onely from robberies, but from covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, the root of it. He tells him, that not the&s;e gro&s;&s;e &s;inners onely, but all that are covetous, will be drawn to &s;hed blood, rather then to lo&s;e gain. Here in a patheticall conclu&s;ion, all that hath been &s;aid before, is &s;hut up, with a vehement acclama|tion, and applyed to more then robbers and murderers, even to all covetous per&s;ons. See the like collections or conclu|&s;ions, with enlargements. P&s;al. 128.4. <HI>Behold, thus &s;hall the man be ble&s;&s;ed that feareth the Lord.</HI> Not onely with precedent ble&s;&s;ings of &s;ucce&s;&s;e and children, but with con&s;equent al&s;o, of the Churches peace, and la&s;ting po&s;terity, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5.6. And P&s;al. 144.15. <HI>Happy is that people that is in &s;uch a ca&s;e; yea, happy is that people, who&s;e God in Johovah.</HI></P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>So.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The foot, or lowe&s;t part of a thing. <HI>The laver, and his foot,</HI> Exod. 30.28:</P>
<P N="1">1. A place, or office. <HI>Pharaoh &s;hall re&s;tore thee unto thy place.</HI>
<PB N="133" REF="71">Gen. 40.13. <HI>Me he re&s;tored unto mine office.</HI> Gen. 41. ver. 13.</P>
<P N="3">3. Right or true. <HI>The daughters of Zelophehad &s;peak right,</HI> Numb. 27.9.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>So.</HI> And that &s;ometimes in the reddition of a fimilitude. <HI>As the heavens are higher then the earth, &s;o are my wayes higher then your wayes,</HI> I&s;a. 55.9. And &s;ometimes without a &s;imi|litude. <HI>And it was &s;o,</HI> Gen. 1.7. God effected what he &s;pake. Some take it here as a reddition to the &s;imilitude, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17. but it is rather a conclu&s;ion of <HI>Solomon</HI>'s di&s;&s;wa&s;ion of the young man from joyning with robbers and covetous per|&s;ons, not in regard of the unhappy event likely to befall them&s;elves, but in re&s;pect of their cruelty to others, whom they deprive of goods and life.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The wages.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. A way or path in which men walk. <HI>Dan &s;hall be a &s;erpent by the way an adder in the path,</HI> Gen. 49.17.</P>
<P N="2">2. A company of traveller a going together in the way for &s;afety, as the <HI>Turki&s;h</HI> Caravan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> doe. <HI>A company of I&s;kmaelites came from Gilead with their camels, &amp;c.</HI> Gen. 37.25.</P>
<P N="3">3. A cu&s;tome or manner of doing, in which men are as con&s;tant as travellers in their way. <HI>It cea&s;ed to be with Sar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h after the manner of women,</HI> Gen. 18.11. <HI>Le&s;t thou learn his wayes,</HI> Prov. 22.15. And &s;o it is taken in this place for the con&s;tant cu&s;tomes of covetous men.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Of every one.</HI> He doth not &s;ay, of &s;ome of them, but of every covetous per&s;on. Not a barrel better herring. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 13.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>That is greedy of gain,</HI> Heb. <HI>that gaineth gain.</HI> That makes it his greate&s;t employment to thrive, and makes truth and equity to yeeld to gain. The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To cut, or wound. <HI>Cut them in the head,</HI> or <HI>wound them,</HI> &s;aith the marg, Amos 9.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. To be covetous, or greedy of gain; for &s;uch will cut and wound others in their bodies &s;ometimes, as robbers do. So the word is u&s;ed. <HI>He that is greedy of gain troubleth his owne hou&s;e,</HI> Prov. 15.27.</P>
<P N="3">3. To fini&s;h a thing. <HI>When the Lord hath performed his whole work,</HI> I&s;a. 10.12. for covetous or greedy men are very defirous to fini&s;h their work.</P>
<PB N="134" REF="72">
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, and it is ob&s;erved, that in that &s;ignification it is never taken in a good &s;en&s;e, for a lawfull de&s;ire, or lawfull gain, but alwayes in an ill &s;en&s;e, for being &s;o greedy of gain, that they u&s;e unlawfull means to get it.</P>
<P><HI>Which.</HI> This word is not in the originall. It may be left out, and read, <HI>He taketh away the life of the owners thereof.</HI> That is, the covetous man doth it. Some would read, <HI>It.</HI> That is, gain, or riches, for many lo&s;e their lives for their wealth. But it is rather to be under&s;tood of the robber, or covetous man, who will not onely deceive or cou&s;en, but al&s;o kill men for their money.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Taketh away.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 3. on the word <HI>Receive.</HI> The <HI>Hebrews</HI> have no compounds, and therefore the word &s;ignifieth to take away, as well as to take.</P>
<P><HI>The life.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 18.</P>
<P><HI>Of the owners thereof.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 17. Some under&s;tand it of the theeves, intimating, that when they had gotten wealth, they &s;hould be never the richer, it would bring them to the gallows. But it is rather to be interpreted of rich men, whom they would cou&s;en or rob; and if they finde them too &s;trong for them, or likely to reveal them, then they will kill them. This agrees with all the former ver&s;es, e&s;pecially the eleventh. The word &s;ometimes &s;ignifieth an husband that hath right to his wife: So here it &s;ignifies lawfull po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors, that have right to their goods, and have onely authority to di&s;po&s;e of them.</P>
<P>The &s;umme of all is: They take away that which be|longs to others (which they have nothing to do withall) and the owners lives withall.</P>
<P>Figures. 1. Wayes for Cu&s;tomes. A Metaphor.</P>
<P N="2">2. A figure of the cau&s;e for the effect. Soule for Life. Mark,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The note of coherence, <HI>So.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The matter. And therein,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The cau&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The effect.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the cau&s;e note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>He that is greedy of gain.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct of number, <HI>Every one.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="135" REF="72">
<P>The effect is &s;et out,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In generall, <HI>The wayes.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In particular. And therein,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The action, <HI>He taketh away.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>The life.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>Of the owners.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The adjunct, <HI>Thereof.</HI> Of that gain, or tho&s;e riches:</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>He &s;aith not, <HI>So is the way.</HI> But, <HI>&s;o are the wayes.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There are many wicked wayes in the world. Three are mentioned, P&s;al. 1.1. <HI>The coun&s;ell of the ungodly, the way of &s;inners, the &s;eat of the &s;cornfull.</HI> Many, Ho&s;. 4.2. <HI>Swearing, lying, killing, &s;tealing, adultery.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. From particulars. There are wayes of error concerning God, his Word, Chri&s;t, the Sacraments. Wayes of impiety, as &s;wearing, bla&s;phemy. Wayes of inju&s;tice, as fraud, robbery, fal&s;e &s;entences, fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es. Ways of uncharitablene&s;&s;e, not giving, not lending to the poor, not &s;etting them on work, or giving them le&s;&s;e then their work is worth. Wayes of gluttony, drunkenne&s;&s;e, and unclean|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e there are divers corrupt principles within, and devices, which break out in evill wayes.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us be circum&s;pect and carefull to keep the right way, having &s;o many by wayes before us. As a bird that hath many &s;nares, or a fi&s;h that hath many baits laid for it, had need be wary. If the devill cannot draw a man to Athei&s;me, he will draw him to Idolatry; if not to Profanene&s;&s;e, then to Super&s;tition; if not to Pride, then to ba&s;e Flattery; if not to Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, then to Prodigality.</P>
<P><HI>Of every one, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> As there are many evill wayes, &s;o there are many that walk in them. The&s;e evill wayes are not like <HI>the high|wayes in the dayes of Jael, unoccupyed,</HI> Judg. 5.6. <HI>All fle&s;h had corrupted their way,</HI> Gen. 6.12. <HI>Many there be which go in the way of de&s;truction,</HI> Mat. 7.13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. From particular evill wayes. Many walk in the way of Idolatry. <HI>All the world wondered after the bea&s;t,</HI> Rev. 12.3. In the way of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. <HI>All &s;eek their owne,</HI> Phil.
<PB N="136" REF="73">2.21. Of wantonne&s;&s;e. <HI>Every one neighed after his neighbours wife,</HI> Jer. 5.8. Of deceitfulne&s;&s;e. <HI>With a double heart do they &s;peak,</HI> P&s;al. 12.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e there is no way &s;o bad, but it is plea&s;ing to any wicked men; and what men delight in, that they pur&s;ue.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It confutes the Papi&s;ts, that make Univer&s;ality a note of the true Church. It may be a note of their malig|nant Church, for many follow evill wayes. <HI>Major pars me|liorem vincit. Seneca. The greate&s;t part overcomes the better. Nunquam cum rebus humanis tam faelicit&egrave;r actum est, ut meliora pluribus placerent. Senec. de vita beata. Mens affairs were never in &s;o happy a condition, that the best things plea&s;ed mo&s;t men.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Do.</HI> Many in the world are greedy of gain. <HI>For from the lea&s;t of them, even unto the greatest of them, every one of them is given unto covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> Jer. 6.13. <HI>her Prophets have taken the trea&s;ure and precious things. Her Princes in the mid&s;t thereof are like wolves ravening the prey to &s;hed blood, and &s;o de&s;troy &s;ouls, to get di&s;hone&s;t gain. The people of the land have u&s;ed oppre&s;&s;ion, &amp;c.</HI> Ezek. 22.25, 27, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is the means of a comfortable life. Rich men can command plenty of the be&s;t food, apparell, dwellings, Eccl. 2.4, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It rai&s;es men to honour, and makes others to attend and ob&s;erve them like demi-gods.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To teach us to labour to be free of this common di&s;|ea&s;e, as men fly from infected Cities. Let us not follow the &s;winge of the world.</P>
<P N="4">4. There is a propriety of goods in this world. It ap|pears in the parable of the Vineyard. <HI>Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with my owne?</HI> Mat. 20.15. And in the para|ble of the talents, <HI>The Ma&s;ter delivers unto the &s;ervants his goods,</HI> Matt. 25.14. And becau&s;e Parabolicall divinity proves not, look into Act. 5.4. <HI>While it remained, was it not thine owne? Render therefore to all their dues,</HI> Rom. 13.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. The Law of nature confirms it. Bea&s;ts that live promi&s;cuou&s;ly have common pa&s;tures. It is not fit for men &s;o to doe, that may marry, and have chil|dren.</P>
<PB N="137" REF="73">
<P N="2">2. The Law of Nations. The <HI>Barbarians</HI> have di&s;tinct dwellings, and cattle.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Law of trading by exchange, or money, confirms it, Gen. 23.16.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Law of God, el&s;e were there no eight Comman|dement. No man could be guilty of theft, if there were no propriety of goods.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It affords us comfort in what we enjoy by Gods law and mans. Propriety is a great comfort. <HI>Luther</HI> was wont to &s;ay, There was much divinity in Pronounes. Men love &s;ome children better then others, becau&s;e they are theirs. It is the great comfort of godly men, that God is theirs. <HI>My work is with my God,</HI> I&s;a. 49.4.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men &s;eek to break this propriety of goods. <HI>Ahab</HI> would have <HI>Naboth</HI>'s vineyard, 1 King. 21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they envy any good that others enjoy.</P>
<P N="2">2. They would live ea&s;ily and plentifully.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames tho&s;e that take other mens goods where they come, without any order from God or man.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Deceitfull and covetous per&s;ons will kill others rather then lo&s;e their prey. <HI>Ahab</HI> will kill <HI>Naboth</HI> for his vineyard, 1 King. 21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of inbred covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of inbred cruelty.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of giving way to deceit or covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, le&s;t ye end in blood. Love of gain will draw blood. Some expound all <HI>Solomon</HI>'s coun&s;ell by way of hurt to the evill doers, thus. My Son, go not in, nay enter not into their wayes, for though they devi&s;e mi&s;chief for others, they wil bring evill on them&s;elves, and as fowlers oft-times lay nets to no purpo&s;e for birds, &s;o will they for others. Their craft will tend to their owne de&s;truction. They are greedy of gain, and when they have gotten it, it will procure their ruine. But it rather aims at the hurt of others, thus, My Son, take heed of their cour&s;es, for they are cruell, and &s;eek the hurt and death of others, and that unju&s;tly, without any wrong done them, and by crafty and &s;ubtil means. So will all covetous per&s;ons &s;eek the life of others, that they may get from them with ea&s;e, what they have gotten with much labor.</P>
<PB N="138" REF="74">
<P>For the fir&s;t interpretation it is objected, that the net is &s;aid to be laid in the fight of any bird, and therefore the meaning is, <HI>in vain,</HI> not <HI>without cau&s;e.</HI> That is, the bird &s;ees the danger, and e&s;capes.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The meaning may be, nets are laid, where birds are. As in the fir&s;t Commandement, Thou &s;halt have no other gods before my face; that is, before me.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Object.</HI> There is no antecedent to tell who&s;e lives are meant.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The antecedent follows &s;ometimes in Scripture language. As P&s;al. 87.1. <HI>His foundation is in the holy moun|tains.</HI> Who&s;e? <HI>A. v.</HI> 2. <HI>The Lords.</HI> So here, <HI>For their lives;</HI> that is, <HI>For the lives of the owners of tho&s;e riches,</HI> which they would take away, <HI>v.</HI> 19.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd interpretation, the words are the &s;ame with <HI>v.</HI> 11. There they are cleerly &s;poken of the lives of others, not of the robbers. So <HI>v.</HI> 16. They lu&s;t to &s;hed other mens blood, not their owne. And the owners, <HI>v.</HI> 19. are tho&s;e who&s;e blood and life is &s;ought, <HI>v.</HI> 18. The former intimates no &s;ucce&s;&s;e, this fignifies a bad event. The former to them|&s;elves, this to others. There being more difficulty in the former interpretation, le&s;&s;e in the latter, let the indifferent Reader judge which is the better.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 20.</BIBL> Wi&s;dome eryeth without, &s;he uttereth her voyce in the &s;treets.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>Solomon</HI> like a good Phy&s;ician, having fir&s;t &s;hewed the dan|ger of the di&s;ea&s;e, to make willing to take phy&s;ick; and like a good Chirurgeon, having u&s;ed corra&s;ives, now gives curing medicines, and lenitive plai&s;ters. Or, having before given antitodes to keep men from ill cour&s;es, now he gives cordials to encourage them to good. Having forewarned the young man to take heed of bad company, now he brings in Wi&s;|dome inviting him to her &s;chool. So the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> fir&s;t di&s;|&s;wades them from ungodly wayes, and then invites men to delight in the Law of the Lord, P&s;al. 1.1, 2. Fir&s;t <HI>depart from evill,</HI> then <HI>do good,</HI> P&s;al. 34.14. This is the way to <HI>dwel for ever|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">are,</HI> P&s;al. 37.27. He had &s;hewed the arguments of &s;inners
<PB N="139" REF="74">before to &s;educe men, and an&s;wered them; now, that his ad|monition might have the more weight, be by a <HI>Pro&s;opopeia</HI> brings in Wi&s;dome her &s;elf to the confu&s;ion of fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e and ignorance, &s;oliciting him to good wayes. If the young man &s;hould &s;ay, that he de&s;ires nothing more then to avoyd the &s;ociety of &s;inners, and follow the dictates of wi&s;dome, but he is di&s;couraged by the difficulty of attaining it. No, &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> it is ea&s;ie to attain, it is not hidden any where, nor far off to be &s;ought after, but offers it &s;elf to all, rich and poor, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>For the words of Wi&s;dome note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A preface, <HI>v.</HI> 20, 21.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;peech it &s;elf, to the end of the Chapter.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the preface note,</P>
<P N="1">1. The beginning of Wi&s;domes proclamation. In the fields and villages, <HI>v.</HI> 20.</P>
<P N="2">2. The progre&s;&s;e of it in more publick places, as in wal|led Towns and Cities, <HI>v.</HI> 21.</P>
<P>For the words of this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dome,</HI> Heb. <HI>Wi&s;domes.</HI> For the word it &s;elf, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 2. But why <HI>Wi&s;domes,</HI> in the plurall? Some think the rea&s;on to be, becau&s;e it includes all true wi&s;dome in it, and all be|fide this holy wi&s;dome is but folly. And becau&s;e it gives us divers and many documents for the good of our &s;ouls. It contains many things to direct us in faith and life. So &s;e|ven Spirits are mentioned, Rev. 1.4. to &s;et forth the mani|fold graces of Gods Spirit. Or, it is called Wi&s;domes, be|cau&s;e it is the mo&s;t excellent wi&s;dome, divine, heavenly wi&s;|dome, which teacheth us how to attain eternall life. So <HI>Behemoth</HI> is put for a great bea&s;t, Job 40.15. Thus this word may be u&s;ed here for principall wi&s;dome. As al&s;o chap. 9.1. <HI>Wi&s;domes hath builded her a hou&s;e.</HI> And P&s;al. 49.3. <HI>My mouth &s;hall &s;peak of wi&s;domes.</HI> Some would read, <HI>wi&s;dome of wi&s;domes.</HI> So &s;ome read for <HI>Behemoth, the bea&s;t of bea&s;ts,</HI> Job 40.15. And, <HI>Remember to remember to keep boly the Sabbath day,</HI> in the fourth Commandement. And, <HI>The Song of Songs,</HI> Cant. 1.1. that is, the be&s;t Song, as appears by Gods choyce, who pre|&s;erved that when all the re&s;t were lo&s;t. Hereby is meant the highe&s;t wi&s;dome, called by St. <HI>James, the wi&s;dome from above,</HI>
<PB N="140" REF="75">Jam. 3.17. Wi&s;dome is brought in here as &s;ome great Lady or Prince&s;&s;e, the word is feminine, calling on young men as her growing Subjects, to hearken to her godly coun&s;els. And the word is plurall, as God is called <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <GAP DESC="foreign"> in the plurall number, to &s;et out his &s;tate and ma|je&s;ty, to may Wi&s;dome. Others take it to be meant of Chri&s;t, the eternall wi&s;dome of God the Father. And &s;o it is com|monly interpreted, <HI>ch.</HI> 8.1. And may be here. For he did cry before he was born, even in the dayes of <HI>Noah,</HI> 1 Pet. 3.19, 20. And he is called Wi&s;dome here, becau&s;e he is the eter|nall wi&s;dome of God, and al&s;o to fit the title to the matter. As God is called the Father of mercies in promi&s;es, to com|fort afflicted ones; and the ju&s;t God in threatnings, to &s;care &s;inners; and the Lord in commandements, to move to obe|dience: &s;o here, Chri&s;t may be called Wi&s;dome, to coun&s;el &s;imple ones.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Cryeth.</HI> The word &s;ignifies a &s;trong cry, &s;uch an one as Souldiers u&s;e to &s;end forth in the beginning of a bat|tle, or after a victory. Thus men cry out in finging for joy, or weeping for &s;orrow; in prayer, or prai&s;e; in teaching, or admoni&s;hing others, as here. She &s;peaks not low, but loud, that all men may hear, and to &s;hew forth her earne&s;tne&s;&s;e. It may be meant either of this proclamation of Wi&s;dome here, and in other places of Scripture left on record to be publi|&s;hed all the world over; or of Chri&s;t &s;peaking by his Mi|ni&s;ters in all ages, and inviting men to look after &s;aving wi&s;|dome.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Without.</HI> Some take this to be all one with the words following, to &s;hew, that Wi&s;dome &s;peaks, and that boldly to, in all places. But more particularly the word &s;ignifies &s;ometimes the &s;treets of a City, which are with|out in re&s;pect of the hou&s;es. <HI>Jeremy</HI> mu&s;t have a piece of bread out of the Bakers <HI>&s;treet,</HI> Jer. 37.21. Sometimes, the Countrey villages and fields, which are out of the walled Townes, and lie open to all comers. <HI>The &s;uburbs of the City &s;hall reach from the wall of the City, and outward, a thou&s;and cu|bits round about,</HI> Numb. 35.4. So here, for all other places are mentioned after. Countrey-men as well as Citizens may hear Wi&s;domes voyce.</P>
<PB N="141" REF="75">
<P><HI>She uttereth,</HI> Heb. <HI>&s;he giveth.</HI> That is, &s;he giveth out, or putteth forth her voyce. The <HI>Hebrews</HI> want compounds. For the word, See on <HI>v.</HI> 4. Wi&s;dome, as &s;he &s;peaks loud, that all may hear, &s;o &s;he &s;peaks freely, plainly, and di&s;tinctly, that all, even the meane&s;t, may under&s;tand.</P>
<P><HI>Her voyce.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ometimes fignifieth a voyce, or &s;ound in generall, though not articulate. <HI>That there be no more thunderings,</HI> Heb. <HI>voyces of God,</HI> Exod. 9.28. Sometimes it &s;ignifies words di&s;tinctly &s;poken. <HI>In all that Sarah hath &s;aid unto thee, hearken unto her voyce,</HI> Gen. 21.12. So is it u&s;ed here.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>In the &s;treets.</HI> The Hebrew word hath its origi|nall from <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to be broad,</HI> as <GAP DESC="foreign"> in Gr. becau&s;e &s;treets of Towns and Cities are wide, for men, hor&s;es, and carts to pa&s;&s;e by one another. She cryes not in a corner, or within dores onely, or in fields or villages alone, but in the &s;treets of Towns and Cities, where hou&s;es are neerer then in the Countrey, that &s;o all men may hear, City and Countrey ring of her in&s;truction.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Wi&s;dome,</HI> either a <HI>Pro&s;opopeia,</HI> if it be meant of Wi&s;dome it &s;elf: or a Metonymie of the &s;ubject for the ad|junct, if &s;poken of Chri&s;t, the fountain of wi&s;dome. <HI>Voyce</HI> Heb. <HI>Sound.</HI> A Synecdoche of the generall for the &s;peciall. A &s;ound for a voyce, which is the be&s;t &s;ound. More is to be gotten by mens words then by lowing of oxen, or bleating of &s;heep. The beginning of Wi&s;domes &s;peech in villages is in the beginning of this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> The progre&s;&s;e of it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In Streets, Cities, and Towns, in the end of this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In other places there, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 21.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the beginning of the &s;peech note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Cryer, <HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>cryeth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject place, <HI>without.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the Country Villages, and unwalled Towns. In her progre&s;&s;e in the &s;treets, note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>&s;he uttereth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>her voyce.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject place, <HI>in the &s;treets.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="142" REF="76">
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Heavenly wi&s;dome is worth the looking after. As things publickly cryed and proclaimed are worth taking no|tice of. Hence the &s;earch of it is &s;o much pre&s;&s;ed, and the worth of it &s;o much &s;et out in this Book, <HI>chap.</HI> 2.2. &amp; 4.5, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The hear, heart, voyce mu&s;t be u&s;ed, as men do to get &s;ilver, and hid trea&s;ures. This wi&s;dome mu&s;t be gotten, and not forgotten, and kept as the principall thing.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In regard of the excellency of it. It excells all humane arts and &s;ciences, more then gold doth iron.</P>
<P N="2">2. In regard of the la&s;ting of it. All objects of humane &s;cience peri&s;h, but the object of heavenly Wi&s;dome la&s;ts for ever in another world.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Choo&s;e the&s;e &s;tudies then. <HI>Di&s;camus ea in terris, qua nobi&s;cum maneant in caelis. Hieron. Let us on earth learn tho&s;e things which may remain with us in heaven.</HI> It is a fools part to look after bables, and neglect &s;erious things. <HI>Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wi&s;dome, &s;eeing he hath no heart to it?</HI> Prov. 17.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> This heavenly wi&s;dome is to be found onely in Je&s;us Chri&s;t. <HI>In whom are hid all the trea&s;ures of wi&s;dome and knowledge,</HI> Col. 2.3. <HI>The onely begotten, which is in the bo&s;ome of the Father, he hath declared him,</HI> Joh. 1.18. <HI>Neither knoweth any man the Father, &s;ave the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him,</HI> Matt. 11.27.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e as the Son of God he knew the Fathers will from eternity.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God &s;pake by him even before his incarnation, as in the delivering of the Law. <HI>Chri&s;ts voyce then &s;hook the earth,</HI> Heb. 12.26. Therefore he is called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the Word,</HI> or <HI>Speech,</HI> Joh. 1.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e <HI>God hath given him the Spirit beyond mea&s;ure,</HI> Joh. 3.34. He hath more wi&s;dome and holine&s;&s;e then any man or Angel. He is <HI>the mo&s;t lively image of God,</HI> Heb. 1.3. And a principall part of Gods image is knowledge, Col. 3.10.</P>
<P N="4">4. All wi&s;dome that others have in heavenly things is from him. <HI>Chri&s;t of God is made unto us wi&s;dome,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.30. No Philo&s;ophy can teach is. They had good Morall pre|cepts, but wilde ones in Divinity.</P>
<PB N="143" REF="76">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Go to the right &s;hop for heavenly knowledge. To Chri&s;ts &s;chool. Search not on earth, for it is vain. Neither man, earth, nor &s;ea can afford it. Neither gold, &s;ilver, nor precious &s;tones can purcha&s;e it, Job 28.12. Seek it then from the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is the wi&s;dome of God, 1 Cor. 1.24.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> God is very de&s;irous men &s;hould get heavenly wi&s;dome. Therefore he cryes loudly, earne&s;tly, affectio|nately, <HI>&V;nder&s;tand, O ye bruiti&s;h among the people, when will ye be wi&s;e?</HI> P&s;al. 94.8. <HI>God hath written to the people the great things of his Law,</HI> and will be angry if <HI>they be counted as a &s;trange thing,</HI> Ho&s;. 8.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e as he gives light naturall in creatures, and arts, &s;o &s;upernaturall in Scripture revelations.</P>
<P N="2">2. He gives &s;ight of &s;uch things ordinarily by rea&s;on, ex|traordinarily by illumination, and common graces.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To admire why men are poor in this heavenly knowledge, &s;eeing God is &s;o willing men &s;hould have it. Who would &s;tarve where a Prince keeps open Court to en|tertain all comers?</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI> This heavenly knowledge is offered to the mea|ne&s;t. It is preached in villages. <HI>The poor have the Go&s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l prea|ched to them,</HI> Mat. 11.5. God hath <HI>hid the&s;e things from the wi&s;e and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes,</HI> Mat. 11.25. <HI>Bring in hither the poor and the maimed, and the halt, and the blinde,</HI> Luk. 14.21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To &s;hew that <HI>God re&s;pects no per&s;ons,</HI> Act. 10.34. A thing that brings much hurt in the world.</P>
<P N="2">2. To binde them the more to God, as a begger-woman without bloud, or portion, married to a King, is the more engaged to him.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To per&s;wade mean ones to get this heavenly wi&s;dome. They cannot get Arts perhaps for want of means of breeding. This is offered freely. <HI>Ho, every one that thir&s;teth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: Come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money, and without price,</HI> I&s;a. 55.1.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> The way to this heavenly knowledge is plain, and ea&s;ie. It is cryed about the &s;treets. It is taught in all lan|guages.
<PB N="144" REF="77"><HI>Knowledge is ea&s;ie to him that under&s;tandeth,</HI> Pro. 14.6. That is, that gives his minde to under&s;tand it. <HI>Parthians, Medes, &amp;c. We do hear them &s;peak in our tongues the wonder|full works of God,</HI> Act. 2.9, 11. It is taught by earthly &s;imili|tudes, as in parables abundantly, Matth. 13.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Seek earne&s;tly for it then. The way is ea&s;ie, and the end profitable.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Means of &s;alvation are offered to great Towns. To <HI>Chorazin</HI> and <HI>Beth&s;aida,</HI> Mat. 11.21. To <HI>Capernaum,</HI> Mat. 11.23. To <HI>Corinth,</HI> Act. 18.1, 4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e much good may be done there, as much fi&s;h may be catcht in the Sea.</P>
<P N="2">2. God may have much work to do there. Therefore <HI>Paul</HI> mu&s;t preach boldly at <HI>Corinth,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>God hath much people there,</HI> Act. 18.9, 10.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ble&s;&s;e God for the means here. The Go&s;pel is more plentifully preached, then in other places. Walk worthy of it.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 21.</BIBL> She cryeth in the chief places of concour&s;e, in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters">ings of the gates, in the City &s;he uttereth her words, &s;aying,</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The text is a part of the preface of Wi&s;domes &s;peech. Her beginning in the Countrey villages was &s;et out in the begin|ning of the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> And her progre&s;&s;e to the &s;treets of walled Town in the end thereof. Now follows her further progre&s;&s;e in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> And that,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. To Market-Towns.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To Shire-Towns, or places of Judgement.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. To Cities, or chief places in a Kingdome or Nation.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P>Wi&s;dome like &s;ome great Queen cryes out, calling her Subjects from bad cour&s;es to good. <GAP DESC="foreign">, It is a mo&s;t fruitfull word, having abundance of &s;ignifications in the Scriptures.</P>
<P N="1">1. It &s;ignifies to cry, or make a noy&s;e. I&s;a. 58.1. <HI>Cry aloud, &s;pare not, lift up thy voyce like a trumpet.</HI> From the Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign">, comes our Engli&s;h word, <HI>Cry.</HI></P>
<PB N="145" REF="77">
<P N="2">2. To proclaim or publi&s;h a thing. <HI>I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee,</HI> Exod. 33.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. To exclaim, or cry out. <HI>I lifted up my voyce and cryed,</HI> Gen. 39.15.</P>
<P N="4">4. To read. <HI>He read all the words of the Law,</HI> Jo&s;h. 8.34.</P>
<P N="5">5. To impo&s;e a name. <HI>She called his name Reuben,</HI> Ge. 29.32.</P>
<P N="6">6. To call one by his name. <HI>The Lord called Samuel,</HI> 1 Sam. 3.4.</P>
<P N="7">7. To call upon, or pray to God. <HI>Call upon me in the day of trouble,</HI> P&s;al. 50.15.</P>
<P N="8">8. To call one to him. <HI>As they called them, &s;o they went from them,</HI> Ho&s;. 11.2.</P>
<P N="9">9. To invite to a fea&s;t. <HI>To morrow I am invited to her with the King,</HI> E&s;t. 5.12.</P>
<P N="10">10. To call into judgement, or call to account. <HI>And the Lord God called unto Adam,</HI> Gen. 3.9.</P>
<P N="11">11. To meet with one. <HI>Jo&s;eph went up to meet I&s;rael his Fa|ther,</HI> Gen. 46.29.</P>
<P N="12">12. To happen, or come to pa&s;&s;e unexpectedly. <HI>As I hap|pened by chance upon Mount Gilboa,</HI> 2 Sam. 1.6. Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for proclaiming or publi&s;hing, as appears by the &s;peech following.</P>
<P><HI>In the chief place,</HI> Heb. <HI>the head.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 9. Here it is taken for the chief place of meeting. Some would take it for an higher place, wherein the Preacher &s;tands above others, that he may be heard. But that agrees not well with the re&s;t, which all mention the place of the hearers, ra|ther then of the &s;peaker.</P>
<P><HI>Of concour&s;e,</HI> Hebr. <HI>of tumults,</HI> or <HI>of &s;uch as make a noy&s;e,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, In Market-Towns and Fairs, where great con|cour&s;e of people is, and abundance of noy&s;e and bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. It is called a place of tumults and tumultuous per&s;ons, be|cau&s;e men &s;peak not there by order, as in other meetings, but all will be heard. The word is feminine, becau&s;e women are frequent in Markets: But principally, to hold on the Metaphor, and to make the hearers like the &s;peaker, for <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>wi&s;domes,</HI> was plural and feminine, <HI>v.</HI> 20 as <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>concour&s;es,</HI> is here.</P>
<P><HI>In the opening of the gates.</HI></P>
<PB N="146" REF="78">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Enquire what is meant by the gates.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. What by the openings of the gates.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>For the fir&s;t, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>of the gates.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The gate of a Town or City, where men goe in and out for trading, and therefore much people may quickly be gathered there to hear. <HI>And Hamor and Shechem his Son came unto the gate of their City, and communed with the men of their City,</HI> Gen. 34.20.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Town or City that hath gates, and lies not open to the fury of the enemies. <HI>I will fan them with is fan in the gates of the land,</HI> Jer. 15.7. That is, in the Cities, or walled. Towns.</P>
<P N="3">3. The palce of Judicature, that u&s;ed in tho&s;e dayes to be neer the gates, that all comers in and out might be witne&s;|&s;es of the ju&s;t proceedings there. <HI>Thou &s;halt bring forth that man, or that woman unto thy gates,</HI> Deut. 17.5. That is, to be judged, as appears by the production of witne&s;&s;es and exe|cution of ju&s;tice there mentioned. So it is taken here, for places of ju&s;tice, where many meet to &s;ee ju&s;tice done, and that both Citizens and Countrey people, goers in, and comers out, and therefore &s;hould be ready to hear good coun|&s;el there. Seats of In&s;truction may be where &s;eats of Ju&s;tice are.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the openings.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The opening of a gate, or dore. <HI>Keep the dores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy be&s;ome,</HI> Mic. 7.5. Reveal, not thy &s;ecret thoughts to her. <HI>The entrance of thy words giveth light,</HI> P&s;al. 119.30. That is, the opening of them.</P>
<P N="2">2. A dore of an hou&s;e or tent. <HI>Abraham &s;ate in the tent dore,</HI> Gen. 18.1. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for ju&s;tice is done, when gates are open, that all may hear; and not when the gates are &s;hut, and the people kept out. As &s;oon, or when the gates are open, e&s;pecially for judgement, Wi&s;dome &s;peaks, as &s;ome would have it; but the place it &s;elf is rather meant, as in the re&s;t of the <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P><HI>She uttereth her words,</HI> Heb. <HI>&s;he &s;aith her &s;ayings.</HI> She utte|tereth what &s;he hath to &s;ay, <GAP DESC="foreign">. What her words are, appeares afterwards; words of Reproof, and of In|&s;truction.</P>
<PB N="147" REF="78">
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>In the City.</HI> The word comes from <GAP DESC="foreign">, to <HI>awake,</HI> or <HI>&s;tir up,</HI> becau&s;e a City is a building awaked, as it were, or &s;tirred up out of the du&s;t, as a man out of &s;leep. It is put,</P>
<P N="1">1. For the City it &s;elf. <HI>The men of the City, even the men of Sodome,</HI> Gen. 19.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the inhabitants of the City. <HI>The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City,</HI> Mic. 6.9. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for a City, or chief place in a Kingdome or Nation. Some take it all to be meant of the &s;ame place. Wi&s;dome cryes with|out in the skirts of the City, within in the Streets, Market|places, Courts, and any other place in the City where people meet. But I cannot re&s;train it to Cities alone, but rather take it to be an elegant gradation of heavenly Wi&s;dome re|vealing it &s;elf by &s;everall degrees, fir&s;t in the Villages, then in greater Towns, after that in Market-Towns, then in Shire-Towns, and places of Judgement; and la&s;tly, in Cities, the chief places in Kingdomes and Nations.</P>
<P>Figures. She. A <HI>Pro&s;opopeia,</HI> bringing in Wi&s;dome her &s;elf as &s;ome great Queen &s;peaking to affect the more. Mens owne words affect far more then other mens relations of them. So Judg. 9.8. the Trees are brought in &s;peaking. Or the adjunct for the &s;ubject. Wi&s;dome for wi&s;e men, godly Prophets, Apo&s;tles, Mini&s;ters, or Chri&s;t him&s;elf, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. Head, for chief place. A metaphor, for &s;treets have no heads. Tumults, or tumultuous per&s;ons, for concour&s;e; the effect for the cau&s;e; concour&s;e breeds tumults. Gates, for the places of Judicature; the &s;ubject place for the adjunct bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e done there.</P>
<P>Parts. <HI>Note</HI> 1. The agent, <HI>She,</HI> Wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="2">2. A double act, <HI>cryeth, uttereth her words.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. A threefold place, <HI>in the chief place of concour&s;e, in the openings of the gates, in the City.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Saying,</HI> is added in other letters to u&s;her in the &s;peech.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Common reproofs &s;hould be publick. Wi&s;dome reproves in the chief places of concour&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. That gro&s;&s;e &s;inners may be a&s;hamed. Private re|proofs will hardly work &s;hame in them. <HI>Rebuke them &s;harply, that they may be &s;ound in the faith,</HI> Tit. 1.13.</P>
<PB N="148" REF="79">
<P N="2">2. That others may fear, even the &s;toute&s;t of &s;inners. 1 Tim. 5.20. <HI>Them that &s;in, rebuke before all, that others al&s;o may fear.</HI> It is good to &s;trike the Dog before the Lion.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove faint hearted Mini&s;ters, who are more afraid to reprove then others are to &s;in. Wi&s;dome reproves here openly, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22. So did <HI>Elias</HI> reprove King <HI>Ahab,</HI> and <HI>John</HI> Bapti&s;t King <HI>Hered.</HI> And the Prophets reproved &s;infull people. So God commands, <HI>Shew my people their tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions, and the hou&s;e of Jacob their &s;ins,</HI> I&s;a. 58.1. If Mini&s;ters reprove but faintly, and by the by, &s;inners are &s;o &s;ound on &s;leep that they will not be awaked. <HI>Have no fellow&s;hip with the unfruitfull works of darkne&s;&s;e, but reprove them rather,</HI> Eph. 5.11.</P>
<P N="2">2. To reprove open &s;inners, that cannot endure open re|proof. They would be content that we &s;hould damne them|&s;elves and us by &s;ilence. <HI>When I &s;ay unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou &s;halt &s;urely die, if thou doest not &s;peak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man &s;hall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand,</HI> Ezek. 33.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Common in&s;tructions &s;hould be publick. So are Wi&s;domes, <HI>v.</HI> 23. <HI>Je&s;us went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues,</HI> Mat. 4.23. <HI>I ever taught in the Synagogue, and in the Temple, whither the Jews alwayes re&s;ort, and in &s;ecret have I &s;aid nothing,</HI> Joh. 18.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. To &s;hew that we are not a&s;hamed of the Go&s;pel, but profe&s;&s;e it openly, Rom. 1.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. That we are not afraid to &s;uffer for it, if we be called thereunto. This was <HI>Paul</HI>'s re&s;olution, <HI>I count not my &s;elfe dear unto my &s;elf, &s;o that I may fini&s;h my cour&s;e with joy, and the Mini|&s;tery which I have received of the Lord Je&s;us, to te&s;tifie the Go&s;pel of the grace of God,</HI> Act. 20.24.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It condemns the enemies of the Go&s;pel, that can bear any thing better then a powerfull preacher. The&s;e are Bats and Owls, that cannot endure the light.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> No place is unfit to do good in. Wi&s;dome cryes in City and Countrey. <HI>Chri&s;t went about doing good,</HI> Act. 10.38. He taught at <HI>Jacob</HI>'s Well, Joh. 4.6. Among the <HI>Samaritans,</HI> Joh. 4.40.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is in every place, and looks for &s;ome good from us there.</P>
<PB N="149" REF="79">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e we are allowed to do evill in no place.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the folly of ignorant people, who think they may do what they will, except they be in a Church.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Ignorant per&s;ons are inexcu&s;able. For Wi&s;dome cryes to them in all places. <HI>He that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, &s;hall be beaten with few &s;tripes,</HI> Luk. 12.48. <HI>Chri&s;t will take vengeance on them that know not God,</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 1.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e Wi&s;domes voyce is every where to be heard. In Villages, Towns, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Yea, in places of greate&s;t concour&s;e to make men inexcu&s;able. As proclamations are made in great Cities to binde a whole Kingdome or Nation, becau&s;e all come there to Market, or may hear of them by &s;uch as come there, &s;o that no man can pretend igno|rance.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e no man is &s;o ignorant, but acts &s;ometimes again&s;t knowledge.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It takes away the fooli&s;h plea of the people, that under means of knowledge excu&s;e all their &s;ins by igno|rance. Chri&s;t will &s;ay to them at the day of Judgement, <HI>Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee, O thou wicked &s;ervant;</HI> Luk. 19.22. Thou hearde&s;t my word, but would&s;t be ig|norant, therefore thou art ju&s;tly condemned.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men may be known by their words. Wi&s;dome utters her words, words befitting her, &s;avouring of wi&s;|dome. A good tree mu&s;t bring forth good fruit, and a good man &s;peak good words, Matt. 12.33, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> A trea&s;ure of wi&s;e thoughts is in a wi&s;e mans heart, and he is willing to vent it, Mat. 12.35.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be wary of your words if you would be well e&s;tee|med. <HI>For by thy words thou &s;halt be ju&s;tified, and by thy words thou &s;halt be condemned,</HI> Mat. 12.37.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> All opportunities mu&s;t be taken to do good. <HI>Preach the Word, be in&s;tant in &s;ea&s;on, out of &s;ea&s;on,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.2. <HI>E&s;ter</HI> takes occa&s;ion at a banquet to &s;et on foot her Petition for the good of Gods Church, E&s;t. 5.7, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Lo&s;e no opportunity of doing good.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="150" REF="80">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 22.</BIBL> How long ye &s;imple ones will ye love &s;implicity? and the &s;corners de|light in &s;corning, and fools hate knowledge?</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Here begin the words of Wi&s;dome, and la&s;t to the end of the Chapter. In which there is,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A reproof or expo&s;tulation, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. An exhortation to repentance, <HI>v.</HI> 23.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. A promi&s;e to enforce it, <HI>Ibid.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. A variety of threatnings, from <HI>v.</HI> 24. to <HI>v.</HI> 33.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The conclu&s;ion, <HI>v.</HI> 33.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, the reproof. Wi&s;dome begins with a great deal of earne&s;tne&s;&s;e, as willing to per&s;wade. She out of a Motherly affection bewails mens continued errors, and kindly invites them to reformation. See the like, P&s;al. 4.2. <HI>O ye Sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into &s;hame? How long will ye love vanity, and &s;eek after lea&s;ing?</HI></P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>How long.</HI> Ye have continued too long in the&s;e wicked cour&s;es. It is high time to think of returning to God.</P>
<P><HI>Ye &s;imple ones.</HI> Wi&s;dome doth not tell others of their &s;im|plicity, who may tell them of it again, but falls directly upon them, and calls them &s;imple ones to their faces. Wi&s;|dome cannot flatter. She chides tho&s;e that keep childi&s;h man|ners, when they be men. The word &s;ignifies &s;uch as are ea&s;ily drawn to beleeve any thing that comes into their heads, or that others &s;ugge&s;t to them, though never &s;o er|roneous. <HI>The &s;imple beleeveth every word,</HI> Prov. 14.15. See for the word on <HI>v.</HI> 4.</P>
<P><HI>Will ye love.</HI> Will ye be carried away with worldly vani|ties, as men in love? It is a weakne&s;&s;e to be &s;imple, one to be in love with ones own &s;implicity is a madne&s;&s;e. <HI>Mala &s;ua amare malorum ultimum e&s;t: For a man to love his owne evils is the wor&s;t of all evils. Sen.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Simplicity.</HI> The &s;ame word as before. See on <HI>v.</HI> 4.</P>
<P><HI>And the &s;corners.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 6. upon the word <HI>Interpretation,</HI> where we &s;hewed that the word &s;ignifies to interpret, to &s;peak cloquently, and to &s;coffe at one in &s;corn.</P>
<PB N="151" REF="80">
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Delight in.</HI> Count it a thing very plea&s;ing to them to &s;coffe at goodne&s;&s;e. So the word is u&s;ed, Gen. 2.9. <HI>Every tree that is plea&s;ant to the &s;ight. It is a &s;port to a fool to doe mi&s;chief,</HI> Prov. 10.23. or <HI>de&s;ire it for them&s;elves,</HI> as Jo&s;h 7.21. <HI>Then I coveted them,</HI> Heb. <HI>Then I de&s;ired them for my &s;elf.</HI> As if they thought it portion or religion enough for them&s;elves to be able to &s;coffe at others. The word may &s;ignifie either way here, or include both; for the things we de&s;ire, when we want them, we delight in when we have them. Yet delight being a fuller affection then de&s;ire, it is well tran&s;lated <HI>De|light in.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Their &s;corning,</HI> Heb. <HI>&s;corning for them&s;elves.</HI> The former is u&s;ually expre&s;&s;ed by the affix. And the latter &s;ometimes is a <HI>Pleona&s;mus,</HI> &s;o that <HI>&s;corning for them&s;elves</HI> is no more then <HI>&s;cor|ning.</HI> As Gen. 12.1. <HI>Get thee out of thy Countrey,</HI> is no more then <HI>Go out of thy Countrey.</HI> Or it may be read, <HI>Delight them|&s;elves in &s;corning&punc;</HI> But it cannot be read, <HI>De&s;ire them&s;elves in &s;corning.</HI> And the charge is then more full. Men may de&s;ire &s;ome things that they di&s;like when they come to pa&s;&s;e. But delighting in a thing, argues full content and plea&s;ure.</P>
<P><HI>And fools.</HI> So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is tran&s;lated. <HI>A fooli&s;h man de&s;pi&s;eth his Mother,</HI> Prov. 15.20. El&s;ewhere it &s;ignifieth a &s;tar, called <HI>Orion. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, &amp;c.</HI> Job 9.9. Becau&s;e as fools are very incon&s;tant, &s;carce an hour together in one minde, &s;o that &s;tar brings uncertain weather. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e. Fools are &s;uch as have an habit of folly or wicked|ne&s;&s;e in them, becau&s;e they &s;eek not after knowledge, as being above their capacity or beleef. Such as know not tre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> wi&s;dome, though learned otherwi&s;e. Men that are not righ|teous, that is, <HI>right wi&s;e,</HI> as the <HI>Saxons</HI> writ it. So <HI>Cicero,</HI> one of the wi&s;e&s;t of the Heathen, is reported to cry out at his death. <HI>O me nunquam &s;apieutem! Alas! I was never wi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Hate.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To hate &s;o as to &s;eek ones de&s;truction. <HI>E&s;au hated Jacob,</HI> Gen. 27.41.</P>
<P N="2">2. To contemne, as men de&s;pi&s;e things hated. <HI>If the later husband hate her,</HI> Deut. 24.3.</P>
<P N="3">3. To love one le&s;&s;e then another. <HI>When the Lord &s;aw that
<PB N="152" REF="81">Leah was hated,</HI> Gen. 29.31. that is, loved le&s;&s;e then <HI>Rachel, ver&s;.</HI> 30.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for hating knowledge. For threce &s;orts of &s;inners are here reproved in three &s;everal degrees, like &s;teps of a ladder, where men &s;tep from the one to the other, and each &s;tep argues greater wickedne&s;&s;e then the former. It is bad to love &s;implicity, wor&s;e to &s;coffe at piety, wor&s;t of all to hate knowledge.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Knowledge.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 2. &amp; 4. Figure none. <HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The charge of &s;imple ones.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Of &s;corners.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Of fools.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;ons accu&s;ed, <HI>ye &s;imple ones.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>will ye love.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct of time, <HI>how long.</HI> Which al&s;o is under|&s;tood in the other parts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>&s;implicity.</HI> A thing unworthy of any love.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;ons indited, <HI>and the &s;corners.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>delight in.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>their &s;corning.</HI> To wit, of goodne&s;&s;e, which &s;hould be honoured.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the third note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;ons complained of, <HI>and fools.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>hate.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>knowledge,</HI> which de&s;erveth love.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Wi&s;dome had long forborne them, before &s;he did thus &s;harply reprove them.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Reproof mu&s;t not be &s;harp at fir&s;t. Such was <HI>Pe|ter</HI>'s reproof, 1 Pet. 4.3. <HI>The time past of our life may &s;uffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles. The &s;ervant of the Lord must not &s;trive, but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient,</HI> 2 Tim. 2.24.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To try if gentle means will prevail. So Phyfi|cians give gentle purges fir&s;t. <HI>Of &s;ome have compa&s;&s;ion, making a difference,</HI> Jude <HI>v.</HI> 22.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;hew our love to the per&s;ons reproved, that our words may work the more with them for their good.</P>
<PB N="153" REF="81">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames them that are all vinegar, and cannot min|gle kind words with reproofs, that put no difference between weak, and ob&s;tinate &s;inners. <HI>Non &s;anat qui vulnerat, non monet qui mordet: He heals not that wounds, he admoni&s;hes not that bites.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sharp reproofs mu&s;t follow, if gentle ones will do no good. So here Wi&s;dome calls them &s;imple ones, &s;cor|ners, fools. The Phari&s;es are &s;harply reproved by Chri&s;t, <HI>Woe unto you Scribes, and Phari&s;es, hypocrites,</HI> Matth. 23.13. <HI>Elymas</HI> by <HI>Paul, O full of all &s;ubtilty, and all mi&s;chief, thou childe of the devill, thou enemy of all righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> Act. 13.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of their long continuance in &s;in. A hand hardened by labour mu&s;t be &s;trook hard, before it can feel. Cu&s;tome in fin hardens.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they &s;top their ears again&s;t goodne&s;&s;e. He that is in danger of death, and will not open his mouth to take phy&s;ick, mu&s;t have it poured down his throat by violence.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames tho&s;e that have no vinegar at all in their reproofs, that mildely reprove greate&s;t and longe&s;t finners. <HI>Eli</HI> broke his neck for dealing &s;o mildely with his Sons, that were &s;o wicked.</P>
<P>Here are three &s;orts of finners mentioned one above ano|ther.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> There be degrees of finners, &s;ome wor&s;e then others, though all in their naturall e&s;tate be in the way to Hell. There are <HI>ungodly, &s;inners, &s;corners,</HI> P&s;al. 1.1. There are <HI>empty clouds, withered trees, raging waves, wandring stars,</HI> Jude v. 12, 13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e corruption &s;preads more in &s;ome then in others, by their giving more way to it, as poy&s;on &s;preads in the body where the joynts are not bound.</P>
<P N="2">2. Some are more re&s;trained then others by outward ob|jects of fear and &s;hame. A fierce hor&s;e may be kept in by a bridle.</P>
<P N="3">3. Some are more violently tempted then others, and therefore &s;in more, as an hor&s;e &s;purred will run fa&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves tho&s;e that are Phari&s;ees in religion, that <HI>thank God they are not like other men,</HI> Luk. 18.11. The&s;e have but <HI>Sodoms</HI> ju&s;tification, they are not &s;o bad as <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> Ezek. 16.51.</P>
<PB N="154" REF="82">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> We are by nature &s;o &s;imple that we love &s;impli|city. <HI>Man is born like a wilde A&s;&s;es colt,</HI> Job 11.12. The <HI>Laodicean</HI> Angel flatters him&s;elf in his ignorance, Rev. 3.17. being &s;piritually poor, he thinks him&s;elf very rich.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e our &s;implicity is our owne, and men love their owne children.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e naturally we know no better. The Moon is a fine light to him that never &s;aw the Sun. <HI>Mantua</HI> was a brave City to the &s;hepherds that never &s;aw <HI>Rome. Virgil. Eclog</HI> 1.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e we look in a deceitfull gla&s;&s;e, that makes things look more beautifull then they are. And &s;o &s;implicity &s;eems lovely to us.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us bewail our naturall condition, that not only are &s;imple, but love &s;implicity. To be &s;ick is ordinary, to love &s;ickne&s;&s;e is unu&s;uall, yet we love &s;implicity.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Some are &s;o bad that they &s;corn and &s;coffe at all goodne&s;&s;e. So <HI>Sanballat</HI> and <HI>Tobiah</HI> &s;coffe at the <HI>Jews</HI> buil|dings, Neh. 4.2, 3. <HI>Peter</HI> prophe&s;ies of &s;coffers in the la&s;t days, that &s;hould &s;coffe at the very coming of Je&s;us Chri&s;t to judge|ment, 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. Such &s;coffe,</P>
<P N="1">1. At good men, becau&s;e the good lives of them condemne their bad ones. This moved one to give his vote to bani&s;h <HI>Ari&s;tides, Hoc tant&ugrave;m me mal&egrave; habet, qu&ograve;d ju&s;tus ubi&abque; audit. This onely troubles me, that every man counts him a ju&s;t man.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. They &s;coffe at good Mini&s;ters, becau&s;e they reprove their &s;ins, and &s;o perplex their con&s;ciences.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us expect &s;co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">. <HI>Others had triall of cruell mockings,</HI> Heb. 11.36. <HI>I&s;aac</HI> the heir of <HI>Abraham,</HI> and Son of the pro|mife, could not &s;cape. <HI>I&s;hmael</HI>'s mocking <HI>I&s;aac</HI> is called per&s;e|cution, Gal. 4.29. No, nor Chri&s;t him&s;elf the Son of God. <HI>They laughed him to &s;corn,</HI> Mart. 9.24. Scorners have a chair, P&s;al. 1.1. but it is but a chair of pe&s;tilence, as the Vulgar Tran&s;lation reads it.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Some grow wor&s;e yet, &s;o that they hate know|ledge it &s;elf. <HI>Every one that doth evill hateth the light,</HI> Joh. 3.20. <HI>They &s;ay anto God, Depart from is, for we de&s;ire not the knowledge of thy wayes,</HI> Job 21.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. <HI>Rati<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne acqui&s;ition is laborio&s;e.</HI> Men are idle, and Ioth to take pan&s;s for knowledge.</P>
<PB N="155" REF="82">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Ratione propriae impletion is veneno&s;ae.</HI> They are full of bad liquor, and have no room for good.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e they know not the worth of it, el&s;e would they love it, and choo&s;e it, <HI>v.</HI> 29.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e it will not let them &s;in freely, but rai&s;es whirle|winds in their con&s;ciences. The evill doer <HI>comes not to the light, lest his deeds &s;hould be reproved,</HI> Joh. 3.20.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Wonder not if &s;ome will not be won by long and powerfull preaching. They hate knowledge.</P>
<P N="2">2. Take heed of the height of evill. They &s;hut reprovers out of dores, as naughty boyes doe School-ma&s;ters. <HI>Glem. Strom. l.</HI> 7. This damns many. <HI>They have both &s;een and hated both me and my Father,</HI> Joh. 15.24. Wi&s;dome is accu&s;ed by bad men, but <HI>ju&s;tified by her children,</HI> Mat. 11.19.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 23.</BIBL> Turn you at my repreof; behold, I will pour out my &s;pirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Wi&s;dome having &s;earched into their &s;ores, and di&s;covered their di&s;ea&s;es to them in the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> doth now apply plai&s;ters to them, which may heal them. After a &s;hort re|buke of their folly and contempt, &s;he admini&s;ters good coun|&s;ell in an exhortation. Having &s;hewed them that they were out of the way, now &s;he &s;hews them how to get in again. She had blamed them before for &s;taying &s;o long in wicked wayes. Now &s;he bids them turn &s;peedily. And this exhor|tation is backed afterwards with threats and promi&s;es.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Turn you,</HI> or <HI>return.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To return to a place from which one went away be|fore. <HI>Abraham returned unto his place,</HI> Gen. 18.33.</P>
<P N="2">2. To return from anger, or to be friends with one. <HI>Surely his anger &s;hall turn from me,</HI> Jer. 2.35.</P>
<P N="3">3. To repent or return to God, from whom we are all na|turally gone a&s;tray. <HI>And &s;halt return unto the Lord thy God,</HI> Deut. 30.2.</P>
<P N="4">4. To doe the &s;ame thing again. <HI>I&s;aac digged again</HI> (Heb. <HI>returned and digged</HI>) <HI>the wells of water which they had digged
<PB N="156" REF="83">in the dayes of Abraham his Father,</HI> Genens ch. 26. v. 18.</P>
<P N="5">5. To make to return, or bring back. <HI>Then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity,</HI> Deut. 30.3.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the third &s;en&s;e, for turning from the wayes of folly to the wayes of true wi&s;dome, from Satan to God. A &s;imilitude taken from travellers that are gone out of their way, or from children, &s;ervants, &s;ouldiers, or &s;cho|lars, that run away from their governours, and undoe them|&s;elves. So <HI>Hagar</HI> fled from <HI>Sarah,</HI> and is bidden to returne, Gen. 16.6, 9.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>At my reproof.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Verball reproving in words. <HI>Thus &s;he was reproved,</HI> Gen. 20.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. Reall reproving, that is, correcting. <HI>Oh Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger;</HI> that is, as follows, <HI>cha&s;ten me not in thy hot di&s;plea&s;ure,</HI> P&s;al. 6.1. Here it is u&s;ed in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for the words of wi&s;dome in the former <HI>ver&s;i</HI> or &s;uch like. Seeing yeers have not brought you to di&s;cretion, nor ye have wit enough to return from your evill wayes of your &s;elves, do it at my reproof.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Behold.</HI> She puts a note of admiration before the pro|mi&s;e, becau&s;e abundance of grace, e&s;pecially in them, who have lived long in wick edne&s;&s;e, is a thing worthy to be won|dred at by all, as it is for a Virgin to bear a Son. I&s;a. 7.14. <HI>Behold, a virgin &s;hall conceive and bear a Son.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I will poure out.</HI> It &s;ignifies abundance of grace to be given, as a fountain poures out plenty of water. It notes great fulne&s;&s;e in wi&s;dome, and great affection to others. I will willingly poure it out of a full heart, as water out of a fountain. So abundance of folly and evill is poured out of a wicked heart. <HI>The mouth of fooles poureth out folly,</HI> Prov. 15.2. <HI>The mouth of the wicked poureth out evill things,</HI> Prov. 15.28.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>My &s;pirit.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The wind. <HI>There came a great wind from the wilderne&s;&s;e,</HI> Job 1.19.</P>
<P N="2">2. Vanity, a thing of no &s;ub&s;tance, empty like the wind. <HI>What profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?</HI> Eccle&s;. 5.16.</P>
<P N="3">3. A corner, or place, or quarter of the earth, where the
<PB N="157" REF="83">wind may blow. <HI>In four quarters were the porters,</HI> 1 Chron. 9.24.</P>
<P N="4">4. The breath of a living creature, which is kinde of wind. <HI>Neither is there any breath in their mouths,</HI> P&s;al. 135.17.</P>
<P N="5">5. A Spirit or Angel. <HI>Then a &s;pirit pa&s;&s;ed before my face,</HI> Job 4.15.</P>
<P N="6">6. The &s;oul of a man. <HI>The &s;pirit of Jacob their. Father revi|ved,</HI> Gen. 45.27.</P>
<P N="7">7. The life. <HI>Thou ha&s;t granted me life,</HI> Job 10.12.</P>
<P N="8">8. The Holy Gho&s;t the third Per&s;on in Trinity. <HI>The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,</HI> Gen. 1.2.</P>
<P N="9">9. The gifts of the Holy Gho&s;t. <HI>I will pour out my Spirit upon all fle&s;h,</HI> Joel 2.28. So it is taken here for &s;pirituall graces. All three Per&s;ons are clo&s;ely mentioned in this <HI>ch.</HI> The Father, called the Lord, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. The Son, called Wi&s;|dome, <HI>v.</HI> 20. The holy Gho&s;t, called the Spirit, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Some take it for illumination onely, and gifts of knowledge. So it agrees well with the words, that follow. <HI>I will make known my words unto you.</HI> If ye hearken to my reproof, I will tell you more of my minde. Ye &s;hal know more of heavenly truths. So that pouring out of the Spirit is emptying of the &s;oul, declaring what Wi&s;dome thinks, which is worth the knowing. And I will declare it as fully, as if it flowed out of a fountain. Others take it for &s;anctifying gifts of the Spirit. The former agrees be&s;t with the words follow|ing.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto you.</HI> By making my minde known unto you. By my words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I will make known.</HI> By pouring out my &s;pir it, and declaring my whole minde unto you.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>My words.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. A word. <HI>Hear the word of the Lord,</HI> I&s;a. 1.10.</P>
<P N="2">2. A thing. For things are revealed by words. <HI>The thing proceedeth from the Lord,</HI> Gen. 24.50. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto you,</HI> Heb. <HI>I will make you to know my words.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;umme of all is. If ye will turn from your fooli&s;h wayes to hearken to me, I will fill you with true wi&s;dome.</P>
<PB N="158" REF="84">
<P>Not that men have power to repent of them&s;elves, but the&s;e exhortations of Gods Mini&s;ters &s;et home by Gods Spirit, are means to bring &s;inners to repentance.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Turn.</HI> A Metaphor from men out of the way, that mu&s;t return or never come to their journeys end.</P>
<P><HI>Poure out.</HI> A Metaphor from a fountain that poures out water abundantly.</P>
<P><HI>My Spirit.</HI> A figure of the cau&s;e for the effect. The gifts of my Spirit, or meaning of it.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. An exhortation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A promi&s;e to encourage them.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>He begins with a promi&s;e here, and ends with another, <HI>v.</HI> 33. and fills the middle with threatnings.</P>
<P>In the exhortation note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. An act, <HI>Turn you.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The motive to it, <HI>at my reproof.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The promi&s;e is double,</P>
<P N="1">1. Of the Spirit. 2. Of knowledge.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of admiration, <HI>Behold.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The agent, <HI>I.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>will poure out.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>my Spirit.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The &s;ubject, <HI>unto you.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd promi&s;e note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The agent, <HI>I.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>will make known.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>my words.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The &s;ubject, <HI>unto you.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Mini&s;ters mu&s;t &s;hew the way of healing, as well as the di&s;ea&s;e, I&s;a. 1.4. with <HI>v.</HI> 16, 17. <HI>Ab &s;infull Nation, &amp;c. Wa&s;h you, make you clean, &amp;c.</HI> Ho&s;. 10.9. with <HI>v.</HI> 12. <HI>O I&s;rael, thou ha&s;t &s;inned from the dayes of Gibeah, &amp;c. Sow to your &s;elves in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, reap in mercy, &amp;c.</HI> Rom. 3.9. with <HI>v.</HI> 21. <HI>We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under &s;in. But now the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God without the Law is mani|fe&s;ted,</HI> 1 Pet. 4.3. with <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. <HI>The time pa&s;t of our lives may &s;uffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, &amp;c. The
<PB N="159" REF="84">end of all things is at hand, Be ye therefore &s;ober, and watch.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e they &s;hould be like <HI>Job</HI>'s friends, <HI>Phy&s;icians of no value,</HI> Job 13.4. Who cares for a Phy&s;ician, that onely can tell him, he mu&s;t die?</P>
<P N="2">2. They could el&s;e do no good to men by their Mini&s;tery. He that tells a man he is in the wrong way, or that the ene|my comes upon him, and cannot guide him in the right way, or to a &s;afe tower, doth no good.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let Mini&s;ters teach men, as to ca&s;t off &s;olly, &s;o to hearken to Wi&s;domes voyce to come out of by wayes and darkne&s;&s;e, unto the right way, and light. El&s;e they are like him that &s;nuffs a lamp, and puts in no oyl.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Dict.</HI> Reproof may turn &s;ome, that would never turn of them&s;elves. The Angels &s;peech made the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> weep, Judg. 2.1, 4. <HI>Peter</HI>'s &s;peech pricked the <HI>Jews</HI> to the heart, and made them cry out, <HI>Men and brethren, what &s;hall we doe?</HI> Act. 2.14, 37.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we are naturally in &s;en&s;ible of our dan|gers, as a man neer death o&s;t-times feels no pain.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are not inqui&s;itive after wayes of e&s;caping, as a mad-man never &s;eeks to a Phy&s;ician. No &s;u&s;picion, no in|quifition.</P>
<P N="3">3. Reproof rouzes up mens con&s;ciences, and makes them look about them, as a roaring canon wakes a man out of a dead &s;leep.</P>
<P N="4">4. It enflames their affections, and makes them to look after &s;alvation. As pain felt makes a man look after a Phy|&s;ician, that &s;lighted him before.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us highly e&s;teem of reproofs (it may be we &s;hould have gone on &s;leeping to hell el&s;e) So did <HI>David,</HI> P&s;al. 141.5. <HI>Let the righteous reprove me, it &s;hall be an excellent oyl.</HI> Giving ear to reproof is the high way to wi&s;dome. <HI>The ear that heareth the reproof of life, abideth among the wi&s;e,</HI> Prov. 15.31.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wonderfull gifts are given by Gods Spirit. There|fore Wi&s;dome faith, <HI>Behold.</HI> See a catalogue of them, 1 Cor. 12.4, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Act. 2.17. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Gi&s;es of knowledge, wi&s;dome, healing, miracles, tongues, prophe&s;ie. See <HI>Abraham</HI>'s admi|rable faith, Heb. 11.9, 10. He had <HI>Canaan,</HI> yet like a &s;tranger
<PB N="160" REF="85">looked for heaven. See <HI>Job</HI>'s &s;trange patience, Job 1. Won|der at <HI>David</HI>'s hearty thankfulne&s;&s;e, whereof the <HI>P&s;alms</HI> are witne&s;&s;es, and <HI>Solomon</HI>'s va&s;t wi&s;dome &s;et out in his rare <HI>Pro|verbs.</HI> The&s;e could not grow in the Wilderne&s;&s;e of corrupted nature, and therefore mu&s;t come out of a garden planted by Gods Spirit.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Acknowledge God in the gifts of his &s;ervants. Na|ture, Art, Experience, cannot produce tho&s;e admirable ef|fects, and gifts, which &s;ome men have attained. Though <HI>dayes may &s;peak, and multitude of years may teach wi&s;dome.</HI> Yet, <HI>there is a &s;pirit in man, and the in&s;piration of the Almighty giveth them under&s;tanding,</HI> Job 32.7, 8.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Abundance of &s;pirituall gifts are given to belie|vers. A fountain is poured out on them. <HI>The water that I &s;hall give him, &s;hall be in him a well of water &s;pringing up into ever|la&s;ting life,</HI> Joh. 4.14. This well is opened, Joh. 7.39. <HI>This &s;pake he of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him &s;hould re|ceive.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the per&s;ons are many, yea many thou|&s;ands. An hundred forty and four thou&s;and <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> be&s;ides an innumerable company of believing <HI>Gentiles,</HI> Rev. 7.4, 9. And if every one had but one &s;everal gift, they mu&s;t needs be many.</P>
<P N="2">2. Every one of the&s;e hath many gifts, as knowledge, ho|line&s;&s;e, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, meekne&s;&s;e, &s;obriety, patience, magna|nimity, faith, hope, charity, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> All then mu&s;t needs mount to an huge &s;umme.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Pray for abundance of &s;pirituall gifts, they are the be&s;t trea&s;ure. Lo&s;e nothing for asking.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> They that will turn to God, &s;hall not want the plentifull help of Gods Spirit to direct them. <HI>If any man will do his will, he &s;hall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I &s;peak of my &s;elf,</HI> Joh. 7.17. <HI>The Spirit of truth &s;hall testifie of me,</HI> Joh. 15.26.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they will pray for Gods Spirit, and God will <HI>give the Spirit to them that ask it,</HI> Luk. 11.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God is &s;o free, that he gives the Spirit to them that go away from him; as to <HI>Paul,</HI> Act. 9. Much more will he give it to them that return to him. Chri&s;t that &s;eeks the lo&s;t &s;heep, will give his Spirit to the returning &s;heep.</P>
<PB N="161" REF="85">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It encourages men to turn to God, for then they &s;hall have his Spirit for their In&s;tructer, Sanctifier, Comfor|ter.</P>
<P N="6">6 <HI>Doct.</HI> The Spirit and the Word mu&s;t go together to guide. Both are joyned in this <HI>ver&s;. The comforter &s;hall bring all things to your remembrance, what&s;oever I have &s;aid unto you,</HI> Joh. 14.26. The Spirits mu&s;t be <HI>tryed, whether they be of God,</HI> 1 Joh. 4.1. How &s;hall that be known? By hearing Gods Word. <HI>Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the &s;pirit of error,</HI> 1 Joh. 4 6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e contradiction, untruth, double dealing, is put upon God. For if his Word &s;ay one thing, and his Spirit another, he contradicts him&s;elf, and mu&s;t needs &s;peak fal&s;ely in one of them, for contraries cannot be true. If it be day, it is not night. If a man bid his &s;er|vant before men to do one thing, and whi&s;per the contrary in his ear, Is not this double dealing?</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e there is no other &s;ure way to di&s;tingui&s;h be|tween a true &s;peaking and a fal&s;e &s;peaking Spirit.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves tho&s;e that cro&s;&s;e the Word under pretence of the Spirit, and revelation, and &s;o &s;et God at daggers draw|ing with him&s;elf, and make him incon&s;tant to &s;ay and un|&s;ay. God in his Word bids read the Scriptures, hear the Word, &s;aith, <HI>Paul</HI> the great Apo&s;tle knew but in part. Men deny all the&s;e by the Spirit. A lying &s;pirit mu&s;t it needs be, that contradicts Gods plain Word. <HI>To the law, and to the te&s;ti|mony; if they &s;peak not according to this Word, it is becau&s;e there is no light in them,</HI> I&s;a. 8.20.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 24.</BIBL> Becau&s;e I have called, and ye refu&s;ed; I have &s;tretched out my hand, and no man regarded.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>In the two la&s;t ver&s;es, Wi&s;dome hath per&s;waded wicked men to repentance by expo&s;tulations, exhortations, and pro|mi&s;es; now &s;he declareth the mi&s;erable e&s;tate of wilful per|&s;ons, with comminations, menaces, and threatning. Seeing notwith&s;tanding the plenty of means, many would not get
<PB N="162" REF="86">knowledge, Wi&s;dome threatens great mi&s;chiefs to them, and &s;hews the cau&s;e to be their rejecting whol&s;ome coun&s;els, dili|gently given to them. Here is a three&s;old threatning, and all very &s;ore.</P>
<P N="1">1. Wi&s;domes deri&s;ion of them in their mi&s;eries, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 24, 25, 26.</P>
<P N="2">2. Her denying audience and help to them in their extre|mity, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 27, 28.</P>
<P N="3">3. Self-de&s;truction, without hope of repair, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 29, 30, 31, 32.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t threatning note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Their ob&s;tinacy in finfull wayes, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 24, 25.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Their heavy puni&s;hment, <HI>v.</HI> 26.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t &s;he oppo&s;eth their unkindne&s;&s;e to her kind|ne&s;&s;e, in four particulars. Two in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 24. The other two in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 25.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t oppo&s;ition note, 1. Her call, and 2. their relu&s;ing to come in.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd, Her &s;tretching out her hand, and their di&s;|regarding it.</P>
<P>In the third, Her giving good coun&s;ell, and their de&s;pi|&s;ing it.</P>
<P>In the fourth, Her reproving them for their-evill wayes, and their rejecting it. She had been every way kind to them, and they were every way ungratefull unto her.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Becau&s;e.</HI> This word doth not give a rea&s;on of what went before, but of what follows after, to wit, of the de|&s;truction of ungodly men, &s;poken of <HI>v.</HI> 26. It is a word u&s;ed onely in retribution of good or evill. <HI>Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t done this thing, &amp;c. in ble&s;&s;ing I wil ble&s;&s;e thee, &amp;c.</HI> Gen. 22.16, 17. <HI>Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t defiled my Sanctuary, &amp;c. I will al&s;o dimini&s;h thee, &amp;c.</HI> Ezek. 5.11. The cau&s;e of the judgement is &s;et down fir&s;t, that Wi&s;domes kindne&s;&s;e to them, their unkindne&s;&s;e to her, and the ju&s;tice of their de&s;truction might the more &s;ully appear, and &s;o God get glory. So <HI>David</HI> gives glory to God, <HI>Again&s;t thee, thee onely have I&s;inned, and done this evill in thy &s;ight; that thou mighte&s;t be ju&s;tified when thou &s;peeke&s;t, and be vleer when thou judge&s;t,</HI> P&s;al. 51.4.</P>
<PB N="163" REF="86">
<P><HI>I have called.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 21. There it &s;iguified crying, here it notes out-calling or inviting to come to Wi&s;dome, that they might be in&s;tructed by her, and obey her pre|cepts.</P>
<P><HI>And ye refu&s;ed.</HI> Ye refu&s;ed to come to me, that ye might hear, learn, and obey.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I have &s;tretched out.</HI> The word imports,</P>
<P N="1">1. Holding out, or &s;tretching out a thing at full length. <HI>I will redeem you with a &s;tretched out arm,</HI> Exod. 6.6.</P>
<P N="2">2. To decline, or go downward. <HI>My dayes are like a &s;ha|dow that declineth,</HI> P&s;al. 102.11. For &s;hadows grow longer in the declining of the day, and then &s;uddenly vani&s;h away. <HI>The day goeth away, for the &s;hadows of the evening are &s;tretched out,</HI> Jer. 6.4. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for &s;tretching out.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>My hand.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. That member of the body &s;o called. <HI>Thine hand upon thine head,</HI> Jer. 2.37.</P>
<P N="2">2. Strength, or power. <HI>When he &s;eeth that their power is gone,</HI> Heb. <HI>their hand,</HI> Deut. 32.36.</P>
<P N="3">3. Coun&s;ell and advice. <HI>Is not the hand of Joah with thee in all this?</HI> 2 Sam. 13.19.</P>
<P N="4">4. A &s;troke or plague. <HI>Withdraw thine hand far from me,</HI> Job 13.21.</P>
<P N="5">5. A place. <HI>Thou &s;halt have a place al&s;o without the camp,</HI> Deut. 23.12.</P>
<P N="6">6. Power over a thing, or poffe&s;&s;ion of it. <HI>Behold he is in thine hand,</HI> Job 2.6.</P>
<P N="7">7. Action, which for the mo&s;t part is done with the hand. <HI>He that hath clean hands,</HI> P&s;al. 24.4.</P>
<P N="8">8. An in&s;trument, for the hand is the in&s;trument of many actions. <HI>From men which are thy hand, O Lord;</HI> or <HI>with thy hand,</HI> P&s;al. 17.14.</P>
<P N="9">9. Bounty. <HI>Be&s;ides that which Solomon gave her of his royall bounty,</HI> 1 King. 10.13. Heb. <HI>hand.</HI> For men give with the hand.</P>
<P N="10">10. Labour. Which is done by the hand. <HI>If a &s;tranger wax rich by thee,</HI> Heb. <HI>if the hand of a &s;tranger get;</HI> that is, if he thrive by his labour.</P>
<PB N="164" REF="87">
<P>The word is taken here literally, but the phra&s;e is figura|tive. <HI>Stretching out</HI> is literall, and <HI>hand</HI> is literall, yet <HI>&s;tret|ching, out the hand</HI> is figurative. So in the Sacrament of the the Lords Supper, <HI>This is my body,</HI> Mat. 26.26. <HI>This</HI> is lite|rall, and <HI>my body</HI> is literall, yet <HI>this is my body</HI> is a figurative &s;peech. The figure is not in the words &s;everally, but in the joyning of them together in a &s;entence. Stretching out the hand imports,</P>
<P N="1">1. To &s;trike, or puni&s;h, for men &s;tretch out the hand to give the greater blow. <HI>I will al&s;o &s;tretch out my hand upon Ju|dah,</HI> Zeph. 1.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. To call one to us. <HI>I &s;tretch out my hands unto thee,</HI> P&s;al. 143.6. As we call on God to come to help us in our mi|&s;eries, &s;o Wi&s;dome calls &s;imple ones here to come to her for help and in&s;truction. As if &s;he had &s;aid, Ye were as deaf men, or men far off, that could not hear my voyce; there|fore I gave you a figne to come to me. The meaning is, I left no outward means of calling you uneffected.</P>
<P><HI>And no man reguarded,</HI> Heb. <HI>and there was no regarder.</HI> Not, that none at all did hearken to Wi&s;domes voyce, but the generality did not. So Joh. 3.32. <HI>No man receiveth his te&s;ti|mony.</HI> They that attended to it were as none in compari&s;on of the multitude who &s;lighted it, or none of you regar|ded it.</P>
<P>Figures. Stretching out the hand, for beckening one to us. A figure of the figne or adjunct, for the thing &s;ignified, or &s;ubject.</P>
<P>Note two charges in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The call.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The refu&s;all. In the call note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The illative particle, <HI>Becau&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The per&s;on calling, <HI>I.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>have called.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the re&s;u&s;all note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;ons re&s;u&s;ing, <HI>and ye.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>refu&s;ed.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd charge note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The invitation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The rejection.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="165" REF="87">
<P>In the invitation note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The party inviting, <HI>I.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>have &s;tretched out my hand.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the rejection note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The party rejecting. <HI>And no man.</HI> Every one, or mo&s;t men rejected Wi&s;domes invitation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>regarded.</HI> They gave no heed to it.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Threatnings follow lo&s;t exhortations and re|proofs. Becau&s;e Wi&s;domes words are not regarded in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> therefore &s;he threatens, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26. This method is ob|&s;erved, Deut. 8.11. with <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19. De&s;truction is there threat|ned to tho&s;e that forget Gods words. See the like, Deut. 11.26. where a ble&s;&s;ing and a cur&s;e is &s;et before the people, ac|cording as they prove obedient or di&s;obedient.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is willing to u&s;e many means of ture before he de&s;troy finners. <HI>The axe is laid to the root of the trees,</HI> before they be cut down, Mat. 3.10. This is Gods me|thod, to exhort, di&s;&s;wade, threaten, before he de&s;troy.</P>
<P N="2">2. He will not fight before he proclaim war, nor come as an enemy cowardly before warning given, or behinde a mans back. He threatens <HI>Nineveh</HI> before he would de&s;troy it, Jonah 3. <HI>Cur minatur Deus, antequam puniat? Sc. ne puniat. Chry&s;o&s;t. Minatur, ne caedat: He threatens that he may not strike. Augu&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It is good to know Gods method or manner of pro|ceeding in his Court, as well as mens in their Courts. Men know not el&s;e how to prepare for tryal, or prevent danger, Threatning is the la&s;t help, if men &s;light that, the threatned judgement will follow. El&s;e God were not true, neither would his threats be at all regarded.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods judgements never come without a cau&s;e. They never did &s;o, as appears,</P>
<P N="1">1. In Gods letting man lo&s;e his image, who had &s;o &s;hame|fully abu&s;ed it. So rebellious Citizens lo&s;e their privi|ledges.</P>
<P N="2">2. In laying the cur&s;e on man and his po&s;terity. The ground is cur&s;ed for <HI>Adam</HI>'s fin, Gen. 3.17. So traitors and their po&s;terity are tainted in blood, and their lands con|fi&s;cated.</P>
<PB N="166" REF="88">
<P N="3">3. In the de&s;truction of the old world by the flood. The cau&s;e was, becau&s;e <HI>the earth was filled with violence,</HI> Gen. 6.13.</P>
<P N="4">4. In the de&s;truction of <HI>Sodome</HI> by fire and brim&s;tone from heaven, <HI>becau&s;e their &s;in was very grievous,</HI> Gen. 18.20.</P>
<P N="5">5. In <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> de&s;truction by the <HI>Romans,</HI> for <HI>killing the Prophets,</HI> Luk. 13.34, 35.</P>
<P N="6">6. In the ruine of the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> Rev. 2. &amp; 3. Neither will Gods judgements ever fall on any without ju&s;t cau&s;e. The fall of <HI>Babylon</HI> will be very ju&s;t. Rev. 18.24. For <HI>in her was found the blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were &s;lain upon the earth.</HI> So will the de&s;truction of Antichri&s;t and Popery be mo&s;t ju&s;t, for deceiving many, Rev. 19.20. The end of the world, and lo&s;&s;e of all worldly comforts, Luk. 17.26, 27. Hell it &s;elf will ju&s;tly fall upon unmerciful men, that relieve not the poor, Mat. 25.41, 42.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us give God the glory of his ju&s;tice in all his judgements. So doth the P&s;almi&s;t &s;ing, <HI>Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgements,</HI> P&s;al. 119.137. So the Em|peror <HI>Mauritius</HI> confe&s;&s;ed in the &s;ame words, when he &s;aw his children murdered before his face, and was him&s;elf after them to be &s;lain by <HI>Phocas.</HI> Many can do it in generall, and for judgements on others, that are loth to do it in their owne ca&s;e in particular. But Gods people &s;tick not to &s;hame them|&s;elves, to honour God. <HI>O Lord, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e belongeth unto thee, but unto us confu&s;ion of faces,</HI> Dan. 9.7. <HI>The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled again&s;t his commandement,</HI> Lam. 1.18.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> God calls us to repentance many wayes.</P>
<P N="1">I. By verball wayes; as,</P>
<P N="1">1. By admonitions, &s;hewing us, we are out of the way. <HI>Ye have not obeyed my voyce. Why have ye done this?</HI> Judg. 2.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. By reproofs, chiding them for their fin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. He makes them wor&s;e then Oxen and A&s;&s;es, and calls them a &s;inful na|tion, with other opprobrious names, I&s;a. 1.3, 4.</P>
<P N="3">3. By dehortations, calling them from their finfull wayes. <HI>Wa&s;h you, make you clean, put away the evill of your do|ings from before mine eyes, cea&s;e to do evill,</HI> I&s;a. 1.16.</P>
<P N="4">4. By di&s;&s;wafions, urging them by rea&s;ons to for&s;ake
<PB N="167" REF="88">their &s;ins. <HI>I have no plea&s;ure in the death of him that dyeth, &s;aith the Lord God: wherefore turne your &s;elves, and live ye,</HI> Ezek. 18.31.</P>
<P N="5">5. By threats terrifying them. <HI>I will not drive them out from before you, but they &s;hall be as thorns in your &s;ides,</HI> Judg. 2. <HI>v.</HI> 3.</P>
<P N="6">6. By promi&s;es alluring them. <HI>I &s;hould &s;oon have &s;ub|dued their enemies, and turned my hand again&s;t their adver&s;aries,</HI> P&s;al. 81.14.</P>
<P N="2">II. By &s;pirituall wayes. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. By checks of con&s;cience. <HI>Their con&s;cience bearing wit|ne&s;&s;e, and their thoughts accu&s;ing one another,</HI> Rom. 2.15.</P>
<P N="2">2. By monitions of his Spirit. <HI>Behold, I &s;tand at the dore, and knock: if any man hear my voyce, and open the dore, I will come in to him, and will &s;up with him, and he with me,</HI> Rev. 3.20.</P>
<P N="3">III. By reall wayes. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. By examples. <HI>I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">btained mercy for a pattern to them which &s;hould hereafter beleeve,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. By judgements on others. <HI>Aholah</HI> is delivered into the hand of her enemies, that <HI>Abolibah</HI> might be warned, Eze. 23.9, 10, 11. So Gods judgements on the rebellious <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> in the Wilderne&s;&s;e are examples to us, <HI>upon whom the ends of the world are come,</HI> 1 Cor. 10.11. <HI>Bel&s;hazzar</HI> mu&s;t be &s;lain, be|cau&s;e he knew what befell his Father, yet repented not, Dan. 5.22.</P>
<P N="3">3. By judgements on them&s;elves. <HI>I have dimini&s;hed thine ordinary <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ood, and have delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee,</HI> Ezek. 16.27.</P>
<P N="4">4. By mercies. <HI>I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them, as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them,</HI> Ho&s;. 11.4.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us bewail the de&s;peratene&s;&s;e of our natural con|dition, whom none of tho&s;e calls will draw to God.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many refu&s;e Wi&s;domes call. Three grounds to one are naught, Matt. 13.4, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The invitation to the hea|venly Kings Sons wedding is &s;lighted by tho&s;e that were invited. <HI>But they made light of it, and went their wayes, one to his farm, another to his merchandi&s;e,</HI> Matth. 22.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;ome are in love with their owne in|ventions.
<PB N="168" REF="89"><HI>This evill people, which refu&s;e to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart,</HI> Jer. 13.10.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e others are in love with worldly plea&s;ures, pro|fits, or preferments.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us not follow the multitude in refu&s;ing Gods call. Say not, I will not be fingular. Why &s;hould I regard it more then they? I &s;hall &s;cape as well as my neighbours. Con&s;i|der who calls. God, who is great and good, can and will prefer thee. He may &s;ay more truly then <HI>Balak, Did I not earne&s;tly &s;end unto thee to call thee? Wherefore came&s;t thou not un|to me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?</HI> Numb. 22.37. Con&s;ider to what he calls. To holine&s;&s;e, which is mo&s;t commendable; to happine&s;&s;e, which is mo&s;t profi|table. <HI>Follow holine&s;&s;e, without which no man &s;hall &s;ee the Lord,</HI> Heb. 12.14.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> We are by nature far out of Gods way. A call will not be heard, nor a beck regarded. <HI>They are all gone a&s;ide,</HI> P&s;al. 14.3. <HI>They are all gone out of the way,</HI> Rom. 3.12. The <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> were once <HI>without God in the world,</HI> Eph. 2.12. Yea, the Fathers of the Patriarchs were Idolaters, Jo&s;h. 24.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we are gone clean out of hearing. We regard not Gods Word.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are gone clean out of fight, which is further out of the way, for men cannot hear &s;o far as they can &s;ee. We re|gard not Gods works.</P>
<P N="3">3. We are gone far in the wayes of the world. The fur|ther in a by-way, the further out of the high-way.</P>
<P N="4">4. We are gone far in the wayes of Satan. The further men go in a contrary way, the further are they out of the right way.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us ble&s;&s;e God the more for bringing us into the right way, when we look upon other mens dangerous errors. <HI>Such were &s;ome of you,</HI> 1 Cor. 6.11. Yea, all of us: <HI>We our &s;elves, al&s;o were &s;ometimes fooli&s;h, di&s;obedient, &amp;c.</HI> Tit. 3.3. Such we &s;hould have been &s;till, if God had not wonderfully re|claimed us. In&s;ult not then over others, but pity them, and pray for them, and thank God heartily for reducing you.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> The generality of men regard not the fignes,
<PB N="169" REF="89">whereby God calls them to repentance. They regard not outward means, as rain and fruitfull &s;ea&s;ons, Act. 14.17. Jer. 5.24. nor the &s;ending of Chri&s;t to &s;ave them. <HI>He was in the world, and the world knew him not,</HI> Joh. 1.10. Not onely &s;tran|gers, but <HI>Jews</HI> refu&s;ed him. <HI>He came to his owne, and his owne received him not,</HI> Joh. 1.11. Neither do the mo&s;t receive the Go&s;pel preached. The wi&s;e <HI>Athenians</HI> mock at it, Act. 17.32.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It informs us of the un&s;afene&s;&s;e of following the generality. Mo&s;t men go in the broad way, and will lead their followers to hell. <HI>Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to de&s;truction, and many there be which go in thereat,</HI> Mat. 17.13.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 25.</BIBL> But ye have &s;et at nought all my coun&s;ell, and would none of my reproof.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Wi&s;dome proceeds in &s;etting down the cau&s;e of the great judgement threatned, <HI>v.</HI> 26. which was ob&s;tinacy and per|ver&s;ene&s;&s;e in them, illu&s;trated by her kinde dealing with them, and their ingratitude towards her, and contempt. This was &s;et out in two particulars in the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Her call, and their refu&s;ing to come; her beckening, and their di&s;re|garding. In this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> it is amplified by two more. She not onely calls and beckens, but al&s;o gives good coun&s;el, which they &s;et at nought. And when that was &s;lighted, &s;he chid and reproved them, as &s;he had ju&s;t cau&s;e, but they would none of that neither.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>But,</HI> Heb. <HI>And.</HI> Yet it is often tran&s;lated <HI>But,</HI> and carries with it an oppofition to what went before, with an aggra|vation. As ch. 10.14. <HI>Wi&s;e men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the fooli&s;h is neer destruction.</HI> See the like, ch. 12.12. and in mo&s;t ver&s;es of that Chapter. So here, though ye re|fu&s;ed to come to me when I called you, and would not hearken when I made fignes to you, yet I neglected nothing fit for me to doe. I might have let you go on and peri&s;h. But
<PB N="170" REF="90">I was mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e carefull of you, then ye were of your &s;elves. I came to you, and gave you good coun&s;el, which ye de&s;pi|&s;ed. Yet, I went further and reproved you, but ye would not regard it neither. See more on <HI>ch.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Ye have &s;et at nought.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To reject a thing, as e&s;teeming it not worth the looking after, or receiving. <HI>Poverty and &s;hame &s;hall be to him that refu&s;eth in&s;truction, ch.</HI> 13.18.</P>
<P N="2">2. To go back from a thing &s;poken, as if it were not wor|thy to be performed. <HI>I the Lord have &s;poken it, it &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, and I will do it; I will not go back, &amp;c.</HI> Ezek. 24.14.</P>
<P N="3">3. To make one naked, and liable to &s;hame, fit to be con|temned. <HI>Aaron had made the people naked unto their &s;hame among their enemies,</HI> Exod. 32.25.</P>
<P N="4">4. To revenge and de&s;troy men, as e&s;teemed not fit to live any longer. <HI>Prai&s;e ye the Lord for the avenging of I&s;rael,</HI> Judg. 5.2.</P>
<P N="5">5. To make to cea&s;e, or to be idle <HI>Wherefore do ye Mo&s;es and Aaron let the people from their works?</HI> Exod. 5.4.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for rejecting a thing as vile. The <HI>Latins</HI> call it <HI>de&s;picere,</HI> to look down upon a thing as beneath us, lying on the ground, and not worthy of a look from us; as on the contrary, <HI>&s;u&s;picere,</HI> to reverence, is to look up at a thing, as above us, and worthy of reve|rence from us. We &s;et a thing at nought, when out of con|tempt we never look after it. Others pre&s;&s;e the word fur|ther, to the deriding of good coun&s;el, but I doubt whether the word will carry &s;o much or no. And there be other words for that, as <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26. Yet this implyes more than bare refu&s;ing; ye counted it of no value at all.</P>
<P><HI>All.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>My coun&s;ell.</HI> Some take it for advice, how to do well; and reproof, for di&s;&s;wa&s;ion from evill. But Coun&s;el here is to be taken for all the whole&s;ome precepts and admonitions given by Wi&s;dome, whether to do good, or avoyd evill. And reproof is chiding men for not hearkening to coun&s;ell. I would by my coun&s;ell have kept you from much evill, and done you much good. I &s;hewed you how to e&s;cape hell, and attain heaven. But ye regarded not my coun&s;el at all, though
<PB N="171" REF="90">given for your good. It is a fault to refu&s;e good coun&s;ell given by any, though by a &s;imple man; but a greater fault to refu&s;e Wi&s;domes coun&s;ell, which alwayes gives good coun&s;el. It is a fault to refu&s;e any of Wi&s;domes coun&s;els, a greater to refu&s;e all.</P>
<P><HI>And would none of,</HI> Heb. <HI>would not have.</HI> That is, ye rejected it, or ye re&s;olved not to obey it. <HI>Meio&s;is.</HI> Some &s;tretch it further, to refu&s;ing to hear. But the word properly &s;igni|fies, to re&s;t in a thing as well plea&s;ed with it, and being wil|ling to follow it. And here is intimated the not liking of Wi&s;domes reproof, and re&s;olving not to be amended by it. And this is more then &s;lighting it, or counting it a thing un|profitable.</P>
<P><HI>My reproof.</HI> Neither coun&s;elling nor chiding would mend you. For the word &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 23.</P>
<P>The &s;umme is. Ye de&s;pi&s;ed all my whole&s;ome coun&s;els which I gave you for your good, and continued in bad wayes that tend to de&s;truction, that you might &s;pend your time unprofitably, and take no pains to get wi&s;dome, and therefore ye mu&s;t needs peri&s;h.</P>
<P>Figures none. In the third charge note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The note of oppofition, <HI>But.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The parties accu&s;ed, <HI>Ye.</HI> Ye &s;imple ones, &s;corners and &s;ools, <HI>v.</HI> 22. for all the&s;e were guilty.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>have &s;et at nought.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>coun&s;ell.</HI> Aggravated,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. From the giver, <HI>my.</HI> Wi&s;domes coun&s;ell.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. From the extent, <HI>all.</HI> Not &s;ome onely. This is a great &s;lighting of Wi&s;dome, as if &s;he &s;pake fooli&s;hly always, and were not worthy to be heard at any time.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fourth charge note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The note of conjunction, which &s;hews it to be a new charge, <HI>And.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>would none of.</HI> Ye utterly refu&s;ed it.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>my reproof.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Good coun&s;ell is profitable to men in it &s;elfe. El&s;e would not Wi&s;dome have blamed men for &s;lighting it. Therefore Chri&s;t gives it to the Angel of <HI>Laodicea. I coun&s;ell thee to buy of me gold tryed in the fire, &amp;c.</HI> Rev. 3.18. <HI>David</HI>
<PB N="172" REF="91">prai&s;es God for it, though given him by a woman: <HI>Ble&s;|&s;ed be the Lord God of I&s;rael, which &s;ent thee to meet me this day; And ble&s;&s;ed be thy advice, and ble&s;&s;ed be thou,</HI> 1 Sam. 25.32, 33. It is profitable,</P>
<P N="1">1. To inform our ignorance. For no man knows al|wayes what is be&s;t for him&s;elf. A &s;tander by may &s;ee more then a Souldier, and give good warning.</P>
<P N="2">2. To cure our heedle&s;ne&s;&s;e. Many of the faults of Gods &s;ervants come from hence, and may by others good coun&s;ell be prevented.</P>
<P N="3">3. To repair our falls; for we lie in &s;in &s;ometimes till we be admoni&s;hed by others. <HI>Nathan</HI> tells <HI>David</HI> of his &s;in before he thought of repenting, 2 Sam. 12.</P>
<P N="4">4. To comfort our &s;ouls. As it is an ea&s;e to let out our &s;orrows, like corrupt matter, into our friends bo&s;ome, &s;o to receive oyl of con&s;olation from them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It &s;hould make us willing to give good coun&s;ell. This they may give that have no &s;ilver nor gold, and it is worth giving. And then may we &s;ay as <HI>Peter</HI> in another ca&s;e, <HI>Silver and gold have I none, but that which I have</HI> (good coun&s;el, which is better) <HI>give I unto thee,</HI> Act. 3.6.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;hould make us willing to take good coun&s;ell. We would take good money of any, why not good coun&s;ell, which is far better, though given by mean men?</P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;hews us the excellency of the Mini&s;tery, who&s;e main end is to give good coun&s;ell to mi&s;erable men, yea the be&s;t coun&s;el. We love them that will &s;hew us the way to live with comfort here, much more &s;hould they highly be e&s;tee|med, that teach us the way how to live for ever. <HI>How beau|tifull are the feet of them that preach the Go&s;pel of peace, and bring glad tydings of good things?</HI> Rom. 10.15. It is al&s;o one of Chri&s;ts titles, he is called, <HI>Coun&s;ellour,</HI> I&s;a. 9.6.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Though good coun&s;ell be very profitable, yet are &s;ome &s;o bad, that they will not take it. So <HI>Elie</HI>'s Sons <HI>hearkened not to the voyce of their Father,</HI> 1 Sam. 2.25. So <HI>Rehoboam for&s;ook the coun&s;ell of the old men,</HI> 1 King. 12.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of love of &s;in. Men love not them that &s;peak again&s;t their friends.</P>
<PB N="173" REF="91">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of cu&s;tome in fin. This &s;tops mens ears to good coun&s;els.</P>
<P N="3">3. For pride of heart. They think it a di&s;paragement to be guided by others, as if they were not wi&s;e enough to guide them&s;elves.</P>
<P N="4">4. For prejudice. Either they that coun&s;el them are infe|riour, and &s;o thought not wi&s;e enough, nor good enough to advi&s;e; or &s;uch again&s;t whom they have taken di&s;plea|&s;ure, and &s;o think they &s;peak out of ill will; or el&s;e they are aged, and would have them grave before their time (as in <HI>Terence, Volunt nos illic&ograve; na&s;ci &s;enes; They would have us old men, as &s;oon as we are born.</HI>) Or la&s;tly, they are Mini&s;ters, and would bring all under their girdle.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us like good coun&s;ell the better, becau&s;e many de&s;pi&s;e it. The greater part are &s;eldome good husbands for the world, much le&s;&s;e for heaven. Wicked mens de&s;pi&s;ing Gods law, made <HI>David</HI> love it the more. <HI>They have made voyd thy law, therefore I love thy commandements above gold; yea, above fine gold,</HI> P&s;al. 119.126, 127.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is a dangerous condition not to hearken to good coun&s;ell. <HI>Elie</HI>'s Sons not hearkening to the good coun|&s;ell of their Father, was a &s;igne <HI>the Lord would &s;tay them,</HI> 1 Sam. 2.25. So &s;aith the Prophet to <HI>Amaziah, I know that God hath determined to de&s;troy thee, becau&s;e thou h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t not hear|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ened to my coun&s;el,</HI> 2 Chr. 25.16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it layes a man open to &s;pirituall evils, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to hardne&s;&s;e of heart. <HI>My people would not hearken to my <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">yce, &s;o I gave them up unto their owne hearts lu&s;t; and they wal|ked in their owne coun&s;els.</HI> P&s;al. 81, 11, 12.</P>
<P N="2">2. It <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ayce a man open to temporall evils. So &s;aith <HI>Jere|my</HI> to <HI>Zedekiah, If thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babylons Princes, th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;hall this City be given into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they &s;hall burn it with fire, and thou &s;hall not e&s;cape out of their h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">,</HI> Jer. 38.18.</P>
<P N="3">3. It brings death here, as it did to good <HI>Jo&s;iah.</HI> He was warned to avoyd the danger, but would not, 2 Chron. 35.21, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. It brings eternall death, 2 The&s;&s;. 1.8. They that <HI>obey <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> the Go&s;pel,</HI> mu&s;t peri&s;h for ever.</P>
<PB N="174" REF="92">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves tho&s;e that not only are naught of them|&s;elves, but al&s;o &s;o bad that they are pa&s;t all good coun&s;ell. They lay them&s;elves open to many rocks and quick&s;ands. Their condition is very bad, and well-nigh de&s;perate.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Reproof, although it &s;eem rough, is very pro|fitable. <HI>David</HI> de&s;ires it <HI>as an excellent oyl,</HI> P&s;al. 141.5. <HI>Paul</HI> requires it for a good end, <HI>Rebuke them &s;harply, that they may be &s;ound in the faith,</HI> Tit. 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a gla&s;&s;e to &s;hew us our &s;ins, when we cannot &s;ee them our &s;elves, nor admonition will not make us look into our &s;elves. If a Fathers telling wil not &s;erve, he mu&s;t chide.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a bridle to keep us from &s;in for time to come, when no warning will &s;erve. For it carries anger with it in the reprover, and &s;hame in the reproved.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us not be offended at reprovers, but love them. Reproofs may work, when promi&s;es, exhortations, admo|nitions will not.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Though reproof be very profitable, yet many regard it not. <HI>&V;zziah</HI> was wroth, when reproved by the Prie&s;t, 2 Chr. 26.19. The <HI>Jews</HI> regarded not <HI>I&s;aiah</HI>'s reproof, I&s;a. 1.4, 5. <HI>A&s;a</HI> was wroth with the reproving Seer, and puts him into pri&s;on, 2 Chr. 15.10. <HI>They hate him that rebu|keth in the gate,</HI> Amos 5.10. <HI>Ahab</HI> cryes out to <HI>Elijah, Ha&s;t thou found me, O mine enemy?</HI> 1 King. 21.20. <HI>Nulli grata reprehen&s;io.</HI> Reproof is a bitter pill, it goes down with few men.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a kind of di&s;grace unto them, and an accu&s;ation of folly. Had they done well, they needed not to have been reproved.</P>
<P N="2">2. It cro&s;&s;es their decre&s;t &s;ins, and men cannot abide to be cro&s;&s;ed in what they love.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us &s;hew our &s;elves wi&s;e men, by looking rather, what is profitable for us, then what is plea&s;ing to us&punc; Intem|perate per&s;ons feed on ill meats, and die; &s;ober men for|bear, and live. So mu&s;t we in &s;pirituall things. Look on reproofs as profitable, look off the bitterne&s;&s;e of them, and be amended by them.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is a dangerous condition to reject all reproofs. <HI>Poverty and &s;hame &s;hall be to him, that refu&s;eth in&s;truction, but he that
<PB N="175" REF="92">regardeth reproof &s;hall be honoured,</HI> ch. 13.18. If <HI>the ear that heareth the reproof of life, abideth among the wi&s;e,</HI> Prov. 15.31. then he that rejecteth it, mu&s;t dwell among fools.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e then Gods Word hath delivered them over to Gods &s;word, which is very &s;harp. If <HI>Gods Word be &s;harper then any two edged &s;word,</HI> Heb. 4.12. (which yet can kill a man) how &s;harp is Gods &s;word then?</P>
<P N="2">2. Such a man may take <HI>David</HI>'s oath &s;afely, <HI>As the Lord liveth, there is but a &s;tep between me and death,</HI> 1 Sam. 20.3. Nothing but &s;ome heavy judgement between him, and hell. Little el&s;e likely to recover him. He is like a man at Sea, &s;ome three inches from death.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It blames them that think they are &s;afe, becau&s;e no reproof will &s;tir their con&s;cience. This is their mi&s;ery, not their liberty. No Canon will make a dead man afraid, yet a living man is far better. No danger will fright a mad man; yet a man in his wits is in a far better con|dition. Hearken then to reproof, that ye may live in &s;afety.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 26.</BIBL> I al&s;o will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your &s;ear cometh.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The cau&s;es of their mi&s;eries were expre&s;&s;ed before, the grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e thereof is expre&s;&s;ed in the&s;e words, and tho&s;e that follow. They &s;hould be comfortle&s;&s;e, helple&s;&s;e, and ruined. God would &s;hew him&s;elf righteou&s;ly unmercifull to them. They had de&s;pi&s;ed calls, becks, coun&s;els, reproofs, and God would de&s;pi&s;e them in their mi&s;eries.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I.</HI> The Pronoune is added in the Originall, for Empha&s;is &s;ake, which el&s;e needed not, as being included in the verb. <HI>I,</HI> even <HI>I will laugh.</HI> Not onely men your enemies, but (which is far more grievous) I the wi&s;dome of God will deride you.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Al&s;o.</HI> It imports a proportionable revenge. Ye &s;corned good coun&s;el, and I will laugh at your calamity. This particle doubled, imports,</P>
<PB N="176" REF="93">
<P N="1">1. A di&s;tribution. <HI>Neither by Prophets nor by dreams,</HI> 1 Sam. 28.15.</P>
<P N="2">2. A conjunction of two things together. <HI>Both the Pro|phet and the Prie&s;t,</HI> Jer. 14.18.</P>
<P N="3">3. A compari&s;on of things in a way of likene&s;&s;e or equa|lity. <HI>As Babylon hath cau&s;ed the &s;lain of I&s;rael to fall; &s;o at Babylon &s;hall fall the &s;lain of all the earth,</HI> Jer. 51.49.</P>
<P N="4">4. An augmentation or increa&s;e of a thing. <HI>Neither here|tofore nor &s;ince thou ha&s;t &s;poken unto thy &s;ervant,</HI> Exod. 4.10.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Will laugh.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Slighting of a thing. <HI>He &s;corneth the multitude of the City,</HI> Job 39.7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Smiling upon one in good will. <HI>If I laughed on them, they beleeved it not,</HI> Job 29.24.</P>
<P N="3">3. Je&s;ting or being in &s;port. <HI>Whether he rage, or laugh,</HI> Prov. 29.9.</P>
<P N="4">4. Dariding or laughing to &s;corn. <HI>He that &s;itteth in the heavens &s;hall laugh; the Lord &s;hall have them in deri&s;ion,</HI> P&s;al. 2.4. So it is taken here. Some by Gods laughing under&s;tand the plea&s;ure that God taketh in the execution of his ju&s;tice upon wicked men. But it rather intimates Gods &s;trange carriage toward them, then any content in God. The an|ger of Wi&s;dome comes from upbraiding unto threatning. Some take it for not pitying them in their mi&s;ery, as men pity not tho&s;e whom they laugh at. For God hath no face to laugh. <HI>Ridere Dei est nolle hu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">anarum afflictionum mi&s;ereri. Greg. Moral. l.</HI> 9. <HI>c.</HI> 15. <HI>Gods laughing is not pitying mens afflictions.</HI> A &s;imilitude from Men. It is a mi&s;ery to be in trouble, but a double mi&s;ery to be laughed at by them who only can help. Others take it for deriding or &s;lighting their coun&s;els or pro|jects for delivery, and leaving them helple&s;s. Others take it for bringing them into &s;o mi&s;erable a condition, that they &s;hould be a deri&s;ion, and made a laughing &s;tock to all men. But this is &s;omewhat far fetcht. It is taken here for for&s;aking them utterly, and having no more compa&s;&s;ion on them, then men have on one going to execution, when they laugh at him, and make &s;port at his torments.</P>
<P><HI>At,</HI> Heb. <HI>In.</HI> But &s;ometimes it notes the object or cau&s;e of a thing. <HI>That they die not in their uncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI> Lev. 15.31.
<PB N="177" REF="93">it, for their uncleanne&s;&s;e. So here God will laugh, not onely in the time of, but at their calamity. Your trouble &s;hall be my joy.</P>
<P><HI>Your.</HI> Your calamity, who refu&s;e all good coun&s;ell.</P>
<P><HI>Calamity,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. The word literally &s;ignifies a cloud, or mi&s;t, as in a dark day. <HI>There went up a mist from the earth,</HI> Gen. 2.6. Figuratively, it &s;ignifies calamity and affliction, which is uncomfortable and trouble&s;ome, like a foggy mi&s;ty day. <HI>The calamity of Moab is neer to come, and his affliction ha&s;teth Ja&s;t,</HI> Jer. 48.16. So here it fignifies affliction &s;o &s;ore that it darkens men like a cloud, and affords them no light of comfort, or hope of delivery.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I will mock.</HI> The meaning is, that as he that mocks another ca&s;ts his former cour&s;es in his teeth with contempt, &s;o God in their mi&s;eries will cau&s;e them to think of all their evill wayes with &s;hame. This is a further addition to their mi&s;ery.</P>
<P><HI>When,</HI> Heb. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>in the coming of.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Your fear.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Fearing, or the act of fear. <HI>The fear of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdomes,</HI> 2 Chr. 17.10.</P>
<P N="2">2. The per&s;on feared. <HI>Jacob &s;ware by the fear of his Father I&s;aac,</HI> Gen. 31.53.</P>
<P N="3">3. The thing or evill feared. <HI>Be not afraid of &s;udden fear,</HI> Prov. 3.25. So it is taken here. Wicked men are afraid of trouble, death, lo&s;&s;e of goods, and life; and all the&s;e things &s;hall come upon them. Which becau&s;e it will be terrible unto them, and make them &s;ore afraid, it is called by the name of fear it &s;elf. So Job 39.22. <HI>He mocketh at fear.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Cometh.</HI> The word &s;ignifieth,</P>
<P N="1">1. Coming to a place. <HI>When we came to the Inne,</HI> Gen. 43.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. When it is &s;poken of the Sun, it &s;ignifieth the &s;etting of it. <HI>Becau&s;e the Sun was &s;et,</HI> Heb. <HI>came,</HI> Gen. 28.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. When &s;poken of a Woman, it &s;ignifies carnall copula|tion. A mode&s;t expre&s;&s;ion. <HI>After David had gone in to Bath|&s;heba,</HI> P&s;al. 51. in the title.</P>
<P N="4">4. When it is &s;poken of dayes, it &s;ignifies old age. <HI>Abra|ham
<PB N="178" REF="94">was old, and well &s;tricken in age,</HI> Gen. 24.1. Heb. <HI>come into dayes.</HI> See the marg. there.</P>
<P N="5">5. When it is &s;poken of words, it &s;ignifies the fulfilling of them. <HI>Where is the Word of the Lord? let it come now,</HI> Jer. 17.15.</P>
<P N="6">6. When it is &s;poken of Corn, and Fruit, it intimates the gathering of them. <HI>Ye bring in little,</HI> Hag. 1.6. Heb. <HI>ye have made little to come.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. When it is &s;poken of a congregation, or &s;ociety of men, it notes admi&s;&s;ion into, as a member to enjoy all the priviledges of it. <HI>A Moabite &s;hall not enter into the congregation of the Lord,</HI> Deut. 23.3.</P>
<P N="8">8. When it is &s;poken of a Covenant, it &s;ignifies making of it, or accepting of it. <HI>Which had entred into the covenant,</HI> Jer. 34.10.</P>
<P N="9">9. When of going to Fathers, it &s;ignifies dying. <HI>Thou &s;halt go to thy Fathers,</HI> Gen. 15.15.</P>
<P N="10">10. When it is joyned with going out, it &s;ignifies admi|ni&s;tring an office in the Common-wealth, Church, or Family. <HI>Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them,</HI> Numb. 27.17.</P>
<P N="11">11. When it is &s;poken of a thing without life, it notes the coming to pa&s;&s;e of a thing. <HI>There came a great wind,</HI> Job 1.19. So here. When tho&s;e things ye fear &s;hall come upon you.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Laugh at,</HI> a Metaphor taken from Scorners. <HI>Calamity,</HI> a Metaph. from a Mi&s;t. <HI>Mock,</HI> a Metaph. <HI>Fear,</HI> a Me|tonymie of the adjunct for the &s;ubject. <HI>Cometh,</HI> a Metaphor from living creatures.</P>
<P>Note a double threatning in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>Al&s;o.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The agent, <HI>I.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>will laugh.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The cau&s;e, or object, <HI>at your calamity.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>I will mock.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct of time, <HI>when your fear cometh.</HI> In the time of your mi&s;ery.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="179" REF="94">
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> God payes wicked men in their owne kinde. Ye &s;lighted my coun&s;els, and I will &s;light your mi&s;eries. The old world was de&s;troyed by a flood of water, for a flood of &s;ins. <HI>Sodome</HI> by fire, for fiery lu&s;t. <HI>Aegyptians</HI> children &s;lain, for &s;laying the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> Children. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s brethren hardly u&s;ed for u&s;ing him &s;o. So they confe&s;&s;e that was the cau&s;e of their di&s;tre&s;&s;e, Gen. 42.21. So <HI>Adonibezek</HI> that cut off the thumbs and great toes of three&s;core and ten Kings, had his owne cut off, and confe&s;&s;eth, <HI>As I have done, &s;o God hath requited me,</HI> Judg. 1.7. So <HI>Shallum</HI> and <HI>Pekah</HI> Kings of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> flew their predece&s;&s;ors, and were &s;lain by their Succe&s;&s;ors, 2 King. 15. As <HI>David</HI> defiled <HI>&V;riah</HI>'s Wife, &s;o <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> defiles his Concubines, 2 Sam. 12.10, 11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. That God may cleerly declare his own ju&s;tice before all men.</P>
<P N="2">2. That men may cleerly &s;ee their owne fin written, as it were in their puni&s;hment.</P>
<P N="3">3. That men in greatne&s;&s;e and power may take heed of wronging others, le&s;t God &s;hould &s;et up others to pull down them.</P>
<P N="4">4. To &s;et a pattern of doing ju&s;tice before Magi&s;trates, as God did in his Law. <HI>Who &s;o &s;heddeth mans blood, by man &s;hall his blood be &s;hed,</HI> Gen. 9.6. <HI>Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, &amp;c.</HI> Exod. 21.24.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;erves to teach men that complain of hard dealing from others, to look back and &s;ee if they have not dealt ill with others in the like kinde. Mini&s;ters complain of peoples not hearkening to them: Have they hearkened to God? Ma|gi&s;trates complain of Subjects breaking their laws: Have they not broken Gods law? Parents complain of Children &s;lighting their words: Have not they &s;lighted Gods Word? Ma&s;ters cry out of the fal&s;hood of Servants: Have not they been fal&s;e to God? Let &s;uch as are guilty, give glory to God, who hath paid them in kind. <GAP DESC="foreign">? <HI>Euripid. Ore&s;t. Should not they that act heavy things, &s;uffer heavy things? Non e&s;t injuria pati, quod prior feceris. Sen. de ira, l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 30. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>It is fit a man &s;hould &s;uffer what he doth. Pindar. Nom.</HI> 4. See I&s;a. 33.1. <HI>Qui praedam vult e&s;&s;e merit&ograve; fit praeda: He that will eat the prey, de&s;erves to be made a prey. Aug. in P&s;.</HI> 38.</P>
<PB N="180" REF="95">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God him&s;elf will &s;hew him&s;elf an enemy to un|godly men. His anger will con&s;ume ob&s;tinate &s;inners. Deut. 29.19, 20. <HI>&V;pon the wicked he &s;hall rain &s;nates, fire and brim|&s;tome, and a horrible tempe&s;t; this &s;hall be the portion of their cup,</HI> P&s;al. 11.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hates wicked men, and that hear|tily al&s;o. <HI>The wicked, and him that loveth violence, his &s;oul hateth,</HI> P&s;al. 11.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. He denounceth a perpetuall war again&s;t them. <HI>The Lord hath &s;worn, that the Lord will have war with Amalek, from generation to generation,</HI> Exod. 17.16.</P>
<P N="3">3. Nothing will &s;at is fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> him but their utter de&s;truction. <HI>I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under hea|ven,</HI> Exod. 17.14.</P>
<P N="4">4. After their death he will never be reconciled to one wicked man, no not to eternity. <HI>Who &s;hall be puni&s;hed with ever|la&s;ting de&s;truction,</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To reprove &s;uch as flatter them&s;elves in their wic|ked wayes, under hope of mercy from God, while they continue in tho&s;e wayes that God hates. Who would have &s;o wi&s;e and powerfull an enemy? Nothing can follow but nertain de&s;truction. <HI>For our God is a con&s;uming fire,</HI> Heb. 12.29.</P>
<P N="3">3 <HI>Doct.</HI> God will take no more pity of wicked men in their &s;orrows, then men that laugh at other mens mi&s;eries. <HI>I will da&s;h them one against another, even the Fathers and the Sons together, &s;aith the Lord. I will not pity, nor &s;pare, nor have mercy, but de&s;troy them,</HI> Jer. 13.14. He bids his &s;ervant lay load on <HI>Babylon: Reward her even as &s;he rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works; in the cup which &s;he hath filled, fill to her double,</HI> Rev. 18.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is immutable. He hates wicked men, and cannot affect them, if they live and die &s;o. It is again&s;t his nature.</P>
<P N="2">2. His decrees concerning the end of wicked men are for eternity. He hath preordained all their mi&s;ery, and cannot alter.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the vilene&s;&s;e and venemous nature of &s;in, and abominablene&s;&s;e of it, that provoken the great God, that hath more pity in him then all Angels and men, &s;o to be di&s;plea|&s;ed,
<PB N="181" REF="95">that when the creature &s;hall be in mi&s;ery, he will let it abide &s;o for ever, and &s;hew it no more pity in hell then they that laugh at men in their mi&s;eries. <HI>Quod Deus loquitur cum ri&s;u, tu legas, cum fletu: If God laugh, thou ha&s;t good cau&s;e to cry. Augu&s;t.</HI> It makes God merry at his creatures mi&s;ery, who otherwi&s;e delights in mercy, Mic. 7.18. <HI>Trap.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> God will ca&s;t wicked mens &s;ins in their teeth in their mi&s;eries. <HI>Ye have for&s;aken me, and &s;erved other gods; wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have cho&s;en, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation,</HI> Judg. 10.13, 14. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall deny me before men, him will I al&s;o deny before my Father which is in heaven,</HI> Matth. 10.33.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Not that God will vouch&s;afe to &s;peak to them in hell, but will cau&s;e all their &s;ins to come into their me|mory; which is as much as if he from heaven told them of them, P&s;al. 50.25.</P>
<P N="2">2. Not onely their memories &s;hall bring them to their re|membrance, whether they will or no, but God will al&s;o &s;it in their con&s;ciences, and check them to eternity. The con|&s;cience &s;hall never lo&s;e his force. Excu&s;e it cannot in hell, therefore it will accu&s;e for ever.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Think of this ye that live in &s;infull cour&s;es, your fins will never be obliterated. God will upbraid you to eter|nity. Men are a&s;hamed to be mocked a few dayes; how much more for ever?</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men live in fear. <HI>Through the fear of death they are all their life time &s;ubject to bondage,</HI> Heb. 2.15. <HI>I will &s;end a faintne&s;&s;e into their hearts, and the &s;ound of a &s;haken leaf &s;hall cha&s;e them,</HI> Lev. 26.36. <HI>A dreadfull &s;ound is in his ears,</HI> Job 15.21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they think every thing threatens death to them, which be&s;ides the pain of it, is the Io&s;&s;e of all good had and hoped for.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their con&s;cience tells them of, and makes them fear evill after death, even hell it &s;elf.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> See now if many wicked men be not gro&s;&s;e hypo|crites. They &s;peak &s;toutly, and brag, as if they were the mo&s;t fearle&s;&s;e men in the world; yet God that knows their
<PB N="182" REF="96">hearts, pronounces them timorous creatures. <HI>Tuliius Hosti|lius</HI> wor&s;hipped Fear and Palene&s;&s;e. <HI>Lact. In&s;titut. Cataline</HI> was afraid at any &s;udden noy&s;e. <HI>Salu&s;t. Richard</HI> the third, after the murder of his Nephews, could never &s;leep in quiet. <HI>Daniel Chron.</HI> Nor <HI>Charles</HI> the nineth after the <HI>Paris</HI> Ma&s;&s;acre. <HI>Thuan.</HI> The&s;e Tyrants became more terrible to them&s;elves then ever they were to others. <HI>Trap.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> That which wicked men fear, will certainly come upon them. The <HI>Romans</HI> did come and de&s;troy <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> as the <HI>Jews</HI> feared, Joh. 11.48. <HI>The fear of the wicked it &s;hall come upon him,</HI> Prov. 10.24. <HI>I will bring their fears upon them,</HI> I&s;a. 66.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Death will certainly come, which is mo&s;t ter|rible to wicked men.</P>
<P N="2">2. Hell will certainly come, with which their con&s;cience frighteth them here.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the gro&s;&s;e &s;elf-flattery that is in ungodly men. They make us beleeve they fear not evils, and are confident they will never come on them, but they are decei|ved in both. <HI>Becau&s;e ye have &s;aid, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing &s;courge &s;hall pa&s;&s;e thorow, it &s;hall not come unto us: Your covenant with death &s;hall be di&s;anulled, and your agreement with hell &s;hall not &s;tand, when the overflowing &s;courge &s;hall pa&s;&s;e thorow, then ye &s;hal be trodden down by it,</HI> I&s;a. 28.15, 19.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 27.</BIBL> When your fear cometh as de&s;olation, and your de&s;truction cometh as a whirlewind, when di&s;tre&s;&s;e and angui&s;h cometh upon you.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Wi&s;dome comes now to a &s;econd judgement to be denoun|ced again&s;t fools, that de&s;pi&s;e in&s;truction. And that is help|le&s;ne&s;&s;e. They &s;hall cry to her for help, but all in vain. She will not hear, <HI>v.</HI> 28. The judgement is &s;et down,</P>
<P N="1">1. By the cau&s;e of their crying, to wit, the greatne&s;&s;e of their mi&s;ery, and grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e of their puni&s;hment, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. By the fruitle&s;ne&s;&s;e of it. They &s;hould cry in vain, and to no purpo&s;e, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 28. The cau&s;e of their cry, and
<PB N="183" REF="96">grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e of their puni&s;hment, is &s;et out by &s;oure &s;imi|litudes.</P>
<P N="1">1. From an enemy or flood, that &s;weeps all away.</P>
<P N="2">2. From a whirlewind, which none can re&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. From bands that gird in a man, and pain him &s;o as he cannot get out, or from a be&s;ieged City.</P>
<P N="4">4. From a di&s;ea&s;e that cleaves to a man, &s;o that he can|not be rid of it. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>When your fear cometh.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22. it is called <HI>their fear,</HI> becau&s;e they &s;hould have feared it, or did fear mi&s;chief in ge|nerall, though they went not the right way to work to pre|vent it. Hereby is meant e&s;pecially death, for many wicked men fear not hell, though that be mo&s;t to be feared. See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>As de&s;olation.</HI> The word &s;ignifies an utter laying wa&s;te of a Country in war by an Army of Souldiers, who lay heaps upon heaps, and leave not a &s;tone upon a &s;tone, Matt. 24.2. or by a flood or &s;torm coming with a great noy&s;e and violence, and &s;uddenly carrying all before it. <HI>Therefore &s;hall evill come upon thee, thou &s;halt not know from whence it ri&s;eth, and mi&s;chief &s;hall fall upon thee, thou &s;halt not be able to put it off, and de&s;olation &s;hall come upon thee &s;uddenly, which thou &s;halt not know,</HI> I&s;a. 47.11. <HI>They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters, in the de&s;olation they rolled them&s;elves upon me,</HI> Job 30.14.</P>
<P><HI>And your de&s;truction.</HI> The &s;ame word that was tran&s;&s;ated <HI>ca|lamity, v.</HI> 26.</P>
<P><HI>Cometh.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 26. This <HI>v.</HI> expoundeth the end of the la&s;t <HI>ver&s;.</HI> before.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>As a whirlewind.</HI> Suddenly, and irre&s;i&s;tibly, and with a terrible noy&s;e, and fragor. It comes from a word that &s;ignifies to be con&s;umed, or ended. It &s;ets out a vio|lent wind, that blows all away before it like chaffe, and con&s;umes it. Hereby is intended death taking away all tho&s;e lovely things, which men have been &s;o long working for, and gotten with &s;o much &s;weat. Sudden death like a grie|vous whirlewind will blow them out of the world. Some take it for a tempe&s;t at Sea, that ri&s;eth &s;uddenly after a long calm, when men are &s;ecure, and lifts the waves up and
<PB N="184" REF="97">drowns the &s;hip. <HI>Aquila</HI> takes it for an earthquake; and that &s;uddenly &s;hakes the earth it &s;elf, and throws downe Hou&s;es, and Ca&s;tles, and &s;wallows up men alive in the bowels of the earth. However, it &s;ets out an unlooked for, and unavoydable judgement.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>When di&s;tre&s;&s;e cometh.</HI> It comes from a word that betokens to keep in, &s;traiten, or be&s;iege a man or a City, &s;o that men have not room enough to breathe, or to get things nece&s;&s;ary, I&s;a. 29.2, 3. It imports any great grief or trouble of minde, whereby the heart is as it were &s;trait|ned, and kept in, and oppre&s;&s;ed. When ye are &s;o di&s;tre&s;&s;ed with troubles, that ye are &s;traitned like men in a narrow way, in great danger, yet finding no way to get out.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And angui&s;h.</HI> It comes from a word that fignifies cleaving fa&s;t to one, like a di&s;ea&s;e that cannot be parted from the body, though it pain a man &s;ore. <HI>An evill di&s;ea&s;e (&s;ay they) cleaveth fa&s;t unto him; and now that he lieth, he &s;hall ri&s;e up no more,</HI> P&s;al. 41.8. It may be meant of bodily pain. Some think that both the&s;e words &s;ignifie the &s;ame thing, and two words of the &s;ame &s;ignification are u&s;ed to heigh|ten the &s;ignification, and to &s;ignifie extreme trouble, great fear and grief &s;hall accompany your Ie&s;truction and death. As if one word were not &s;ufficient to &s;et out the horror of it. See the like, Job 14.10, 11, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">. Where death is &s;et out in divers phra&s;es. So many words and &s;imilies are u&s;ed here to &s;hew the grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e of their de&s;truction. It is called fear, becau&s;e it will make them &s;ore afraid. De&s;ola|tion &s;uriou&s;ly breaking in upon them. De&s;truction making an end of them. A whirlewind blowing away not onely light things, as chaffe, but al&s;o blowing down trees, hou|&s;es, and &s;trong buildings. Angui&s;h and di&s;tre&s;&s;e grievou&s;ly afflicting both &s;oul and body, and all to &s;hew how &s;harply God will proceed again&s;t impenitent &s;inners. As if an ene|my came with a noy&s;e to de&s;troy a City, or a great hou&s;e fell by a hideous earthquake, with a terrible noy&s;e, or a &s;hip &s;unk in a raging &s;torm, or the corn were &s;mote down with hail, or floods overran all the fields: So terrible will the de&s;truction of wicked men be.</P>
<P><HI>&V;pon you.</HI> On you &s;imple ones, &s;corners and fools, <HI>v.</HI> 22.</P>
<PB N="185" REF="97">
<P>Figures. <HI>Cometh,</HI> Befalleth you. A Metaphor, attributing a living action to a dead thing, as Job 1.19. <HI>There came a great wind from the wilderne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>The mi&s;ery to come upon the&s;e wicked ones, is &s;et out,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Literally.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. By &s;imilitudes.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The object, <HI>When your fear.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act attributed to it, <HI>cometh.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The &s;imilitudes are taken,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. From a Countrey laid de&s;olate, <HI>as de&s;olation.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. From things thrown down by a tempe&s;t. And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The mi&s;ery, <HI>and your de&s;truction.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>cometh.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The manner, <HI>as a whirlewind.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The third fimilitude may be taken from a body &s;traitned, or a City be&s;ieged, <HI>when di&s;tre&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>The fourth from a painfull di&s;ea&s;e cleaving to a man, And in it,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The evill, <HI>angui&s;h.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>cometh.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>upon you.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>As if it came down from heaven by the hand of God, who will lay on load as an enemy invading you.</P>
<P>The points we &s;hall handle, &s;hall be only of the conditions of wicked mens de&s;truction, as they naturally ari&s;e out of the former &s;imilitudes. Enemies lay a place de&s;olate quickly. Tempe&s;ts &s;oon throw down trees and hou&s;es.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of wicked men &s;hall be &s;udden and unexpected. <HI>Sodoms</HI> de&s;truction was in a Sun-&s;hiny mor|ning when they expected comfort, but were &s;oon de&s;troyed. Gen. 19.23, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> in the Wilderne&s;&s;e were de|&s;troyed <HI>while the meat was in their mouths,</HI> P&s;al. 78.30, 31. So the old World was unexpectedly de&s;troyed. <HI>They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, untill the day that Noe entred into the Ark, and the flood came and de&s;troyed them all,</HI> Luk. 17.27. <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI>'s ca&s;ting down, came &s;ud|denly, Dan. 4. and <HI>Bel&s;hazzar</HI>'s death, Dan. 5. <HI>When they &s;hal &s;ay, Peace, and &s;afety, then &s;udden de&s;truction cometh upon them,
<PB N="186" REF="98">as travail upon a woman with childe, and they &s;hall not e&s;cape,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e their &s;ins hinder them, and blind them &s;o, that they cannot &s;ee the danger, till it be upon them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their bu&s;ine&s;&s;es hinder them, and leave them no time to think of danger.</P>
<P N="3">3. Their plea&s;ures &s;o content them, that no fear of alte|ration can &s;ink into them many times, and then lightly dan|ger comes.</P>
<P N="4">4. Their hearts will not let them think of danger, but &s;oon ca&s;t out &s;uch thoughts, le&s;t they make them melan|choly.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> 1. Let not wicked men flatter them&s;elves. Danger may be neere&s;t when they think it farthe&s;t off. It is more ter|rible to peri&s;h &s;uddenly then by degrees. Trees, hou&s;es, &s;hips, that are &s;trong are &s;uddenly overthrown by a ri&s;ing wind. <HI>As the whirlewind pa&s;&s;eth, &s;o is the wicked no more,</HI> Prov. 10.25. <HI>Thou breakest the &s;hips of Tar&s;hi&s;h with an Ea&s;t wind,</HI> P&s;al. 48.7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let them prepare for a better condition. They know not how &s;oon they may lo&s;e this. Who would live a Te|nant at will, that may get a Lea&s;e of yeers, or a Fee-&s;imple? Make &s;ure of heaven quickly, and then all will be well.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of wicked men is irre&s;i&s;tible. Who can refi&s;t a &s;trong invading enemy, or a whirlewind? <HI>And what will ye do in the day of vi&s;itation, and in the de&s;olation which &s;hall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?</HI> I&s;a. 10.3. <HI>Therefore &s;hall evill come upon thee, thou &s;halt not know from whence it ri&s;eth, and mi&s;|chief &s;hall fall upon thee, thou &s;halt not be able to put it off, and de&s;o|lation &s;hall come upon thee &s;uddenly, which thou &s;halt not know,</HI> I&s;a. 47.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e their de&s;truction comes from God, who&s;e power and wi&s;dome no man can re&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. He can goe beyond all their power and wi&s;dome, though the greate&s;t that is or can be in any or all the crea|tures.</P>
<P N="3">3. He can di&s;appoint all their friends, and all &s;upplies.</P>
<PB N="187" REF="98">
<P N="4">4. He can &s;et all creatures again&s;t them. And how can the &s;tronge&s;t creature re&s;i&s;t all other in heaven, earth, and hell?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the great mi&s;ery of ungodly men, they can|not re&s;i&s;t de&s;truction. If an enemy come into a Land, or be&s;iege a City, if there be force enough to re&s;i&s;t, de&s;truction will not follow; el&s;e all will be laid wa&s;te. Wicked men cannot re&s;i&s;t God, therefore they mu&s;t needs peri&s;h.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of wicked men &s;hall be totall, or univer&s;all. An enemy layes all wa&s;te, Cities, Hou&s;es, Gar|dens. A whirlewind or flood &s;weeps all away.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It appears in particulars. Their credit will be gone. Not onely their good name &s;hall decay, but their name it &s;elf &s;hall be lo&s;t, as a rotten thing &s;tinks and wears away. <HI>The name of the wicked &s;hall rot,</HI> Prov. 10.7. Their goods &s;hall be gone. <HI>Thou fool, this night &s;hall thy &s;oul be re|quired of thee; then who&s;e &s;hall tho&s;e things be, which thou ha&s;t provided?</HI> Luk. 12.20. Yea, <HI>Cujus eris tu? Who&s;e &s;halt thou be?</HI> &s;aith <HI>Bernard.</HI> Their life &s;hall be lo&s;t. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall &s;ave his life</HI> (by &s;inful wayes) <HI>&s;hall lo&s;e it,</HI> Mat. 16.25. Yea, their &s;oul and all &s;hal be lo&s;t. <HI>What is a man profited, if he &s;hall gain the whole world, and lo&s;e his own &s;oul?</HI> Mat. 16.26.</P>
<P N="2">2. By the cau&s;es of it. Their fins are univer&s;all. Their thoughts, words, deeds, altogether &s;infull. Humours that run over all the body, make all the body &s;ick. They &s;in again&s;t all Gods commandements, and that wilfully and con|&s;tantly, and therefore mu&s;t peri&s;h wholly.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let wicked men labour to get out of this condition. A man would be loth to live in a trade wherein he &s;hould get nothing, more loth to live in a calling wherein he were &s;ure to lo&s;e all, and &s;pend his &s;tock. This is the wicked mans condition, get out of it, el&s;e ye peri&s;h totally.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of wicked men will be irrecove|rable. Such was the de&s;truction of tho&s;e two rich fools, Luk. ch. 12. &amp; 16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are carried clean out of the world. Here a man may be poor one day, and rich another; after this life, poor once, and poor for ever.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are carried to hell immediately after death, and out of hell is no redemption.</P>
<PB N="188" REF="99">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of impenitency, le&s;t it bring you to irre|coverable puni&s;hment. <HI>Bajazet</HI> the great Turk could &s;ay, <HI>Re|&s;ipi&s;centia &s;era nulli unquam profuit: Too late repentance never did any man good.</HI> Men inclining to a drop&s;ie or con&s;umption, wil &s;eek for cure before it grow incurable. Repent in time, le&s;t ye peri&s;h for ever. <HI>Ad Deum redeundum, aut per Deum pereundum. Return to God, or peri&s;h by God.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of wicked men will be mi&s;e|rable. Such was the de&s;truction of old <HI>Babylon,</HI> Jerem. 49.25, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> A &s;word upon men and bea&s;ts. Such of new <HI>Ba|bylon,</HI> Rev. 18.7, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Torment, death, mourning, famine, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is helple&s;&s;e condition. Evill men cannot help others, if they would, for they are in the &s;ame danger, and need help them&s;elves. Good men would not help them if they could, becau&s;e they are Gods enemies, de|voted by him to eternal de&s;truction.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a comfortle&s;&s;e condition. No ea&s;e or comfort will be afforded to them. Not <HI>a drop of cold water to cool the tongue,</HI> Luk. 16.24.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us ble&s;&s;e God, that frees us from &s;o great a de|&s;truction, which we have de&s;erved as much, yea more then many that are in hell. Should not we prai&s;e God for deli|verance from &s;o a great a de&s;truction, who <HI>are in the &s;ame con|denmation?</HI> Luk. 23.40.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of ungodly men is lamentable. <HI>Jeremy</HI> takes the de&s;truction of the people &s;o to heart, that he wi&s;hes his head a fountain of waters, and him&s;elf in a wilderne&s;&s;e, to weep his belly full alone, without inter|ruption, Jer. 9.1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Kings and Merchants mu&s;t weep and lament for the downfall of <HI>Babylon,</HI> Rev. 18.9, 11. See the truth of it in two gla&s;&s;es, one here, the other hereafter. The one in the <HI>Aegyptians,</HI> who had dominatered over the <HI>I&s;rae|lites,</HI> yet at la&s;t the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> &s;ee them &s;wimming dead on the Sea, Ex. 14. The other in hell, <HI>where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched,</HI> Mar. 9.44. This cau&s;eth <HI>weeping and gna&s;hing of teeth,</HI> Mat. 8.12.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Remember the woe to them that laugh now, their &s;tate &s;hall be lamentable, Luk. 6.25. Wicked mens joy termi|nates in this world. Better weep for &s;in here, then for puni&s;h|ment in hell.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="189" REF="99">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 28.</BIBL> There &s;hall they call upon me, but I will not an&s;wer; they &s;hal &s;eek me early, but they &s;hall not finde me.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Wi&s;dome having &s;et out their mi&s;ery before, now re|moves all help from them in their mi&s;ery. And their an|gui&s;h is encrea&s;ed by the fruitle&s;ne&s;&s;e of their prayers. A &s;ad condition to be mi&s;erable and helple&s;&s;e, yet a mo&s;t ju&s;t puni&s;hment, that they that would not hear God, &s;hould not be heard of God. Ye heard the cau&s;e of their crying in the la&s;t ver&s;e, extremity of mi&s;ery, now ye have the fruit|le&s;ne&s;&s;e of it in this ver&s;e.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Then,</HI> In that moment when they &s;ee their de&s;truction coming upon them. I called in their pro&s;perity, and they would not hear. They &s;hall call in their adver&s;ity, and I will not hear. There is both an Empha&s;is in that particle, and an Antithe&s;is. Now I call, and they will not hear. Then they &s;hall be glad to call to me, but I will not hear. When their hearts are full of di&s;tre&s;&s;e and angui&s;h, then their tongues &s;hal be compelled through extremity of torment and danger, to cry to me.</P>
<P><HI>They.</HI> They, who have thus &s;lighted me. Which &s;lighting Wi&s;dome takes &s;o unkindly, that &s;he will no more &s;peak to them in all the Chapter. Onely, &s;he tells other men what &s;hall become of them. She &s;peaks not in the &s;econd per&s;on, as before, but changes it to the third. No more <HI>ye,</HI> but &s;till <HI>they;</HI> &s;peaking at a di&s;tance, as if they were unworthy to be &s;poken to directly any more.</P>
<P><HI>Shall call.</HI> They &s;hall pray for help. For the &s;everall &s;igni|fications of this word, See on <HI>v.</HI> 21.</P>
<P><HI>&V;pon me.</HI> Whom they would not hear before.</P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 25.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I will not an&s;wer.</HI> This word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To &s;peak, or begin a &s;peech. <HI>And Job &s;pake and &s;aid,</HI> Job 3.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. To cry out, or &s;peak aloud. <HI>And the wilde bea&s;ts of the I&s;lands &s;hattery,</HI> I&s;a. 13.22.</P>
<PB N="190" REF="100">
<P N="3">3. To &s;ing. <HI>Sing unto the Lord with thank&s;giving. Sing prai&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 147.7.</P>
<P N="4">4. To &s;peak for or again&s;t one, or bear witne&s;&s;e. <HI>Thou &s;halt not bear fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e,</HI> Exod. 20.16.</P>
<P N="5">5. To hear what is &s;aid, or regard it. <HI>Behold, I ery out of wrong, but I am not heard,</HI> Job 19.7.</P>
<P N="6">6. To give an an&s;wer to what is &s;aid. <HI>Then an&s;wered Bildad,</HI> Job 8.1.</P>
<P N="7">7. To grant what is de&s;ired, which is a reall an&s;wer. <HI>They cryed, but there was none to &s;ave them; even unto the Lord, but he an&s;wered them not,</HI> P&s;al. 18.41.</P>
<P N="8">8. To be afflicted. <HI>I was greatly afflicted,</HI> P&s;al. 116.10.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;eventh &s;en&s;e. I will not grant what they pray for, &s;o that they &s;hall pray to no purpo&s;e, and without &s;ucce&s;&s;e. And none el&s;e can help them, there|fore their ca&s;e is de&s;perate, and they mu&s;t needs peri&s;h, being for&s;aken both of God and men.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>They &s;hall &s;eek me early,</HI> Heb. <HI>They &s;hall &s;eek me in the morning.</HI> For then comes the light, by the benefit whereof things &s;ought for may be found out. They &s;hall &s;eek me not coldly nor faintly, but as diligently, as men that ri&s;e be|times in the morning, as &s;oon as they can &s;ee, to &s;eek &s;ome|what lo&s;t. The greatne&s;&s;e of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es &s;hal make them to &s;eek me quickly, very diligently and carefully, they &s;hal &s;pare for no pains, they &s;hall break their &s;leep in the morning to do it. So diligent men u&s;e to &s;eek things they would finde. So the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> went early in the morning to &s;eek for <HI>Manna.</HI> They &s;hall &s;eek me diligently, as men that begin in the mor|ning betimes, and hold on till night.</P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 25.</P>
<P><HI>They &s;hall not finde me.</HI> They &s;hall not finde me gracious and mercifull unto them in the time of their perplexities. Seeking here is praying, and finding is &s;peeding. <HI>Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is neer,</HI> I&s;a. 55.6. <HI>Ask, and it &s;hall be given unto you; &s;eek, and ye &s;hall finde,</HI> Mat. 7.7. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 13.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Call upon me.</HI> A figure of the generall for the particular. The meaning is, Pray to me.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;wer.</HI> I will not grant what they ask. The &s;ame figure
<PB N="191" REF="100">as before. For a man may an&s;wer and deny. <HI>Seek me early,</HI> Pray earne&s;tly to me, as men &s;eek good things lo&s;t. So &s;hall they pray fervently to me to deliver them. A Meta|phor. <HI>Not finde me,</HI> Not have their de&s;ires of me, nor be &s;atisfied, as men are that finde what they &s;eek for. A Meta|phor.</P>
<P>Note a double threatning.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Mans call.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Gods refu&s;all.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In mans call note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The adjunct of time, <HI>Then.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>&s;hall they call.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>upon me.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In Gods refu&s;all note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;on, <HI>but I.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>will not an&s;wer.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd threatning note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Mans endevouring.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Gods rejecting.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In mans endevouring note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;ons, <HI>They.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>&s;hall &s;eek early.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>me.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In Gods rejecting note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The parties, <HI>They.</HI> They that &s;eek me.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>&s;hall not find.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>me.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Affliction makes men &s;eek to God, that &s;lighted him before. So the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> did, <HI>Their cry came up unto God by rea&s;on of the bondage,</HI> Exod. 2.23. When they were &s;mit|ten down by their enemies they would pray, 1 King. 8.33.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. <HI>Poena aperit oculos, quos culpa tenebat clau&s;os. Greg.</HI> Men are dull &s;ighted in pro&s;perity, and quick &s;ighted in ad|ver&s;ity.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they know not where to get help el&s;e. As the prodigall child, when none el&s;e would relieve him, thought of returning to his Father, Luk. 15.16, 17. Wicked men will try all wayes ere they will &s;eek to God, he is their la&s;t refuge.</P>
<P N="3">3. Su&s;picion begins to work when trouble begins to
<PB N="192" REF="101">come. Wicked men are often called <HI>Fools</HI> in this Book. Fools fear nothing, till they feel &s;omething, and then they fear more then needs.</P>
<P N="4">4. Con&s;cience then begins to terrifie them, &s;etting fin before them in its colours, with death and hell attending it, Rev. 6.8.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> 1. To mitigate our &s;orrows in our afflictions. They bring &s;ome good. They have honey as well as a &s;ting. They oftentimes drive men to God. <HI>Foelix nece&s;&s;itas quae cogit ad Chri&s;tum: Happy nece&s;&s;ity that drives men to Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To condemne tho&s;e that keep aloof from God even in affliction. Men may keep out at Sea in a calm, but they that keep out in a &s;torm are de&s;perate. So are &s;uch as call not on God in trouble. Sea-men will pray in a &s;torm, that &s;wear in a calm.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Prayer is an invocation or calling upon God. <HI>Call upon me in the day of trouble,</HI> P&s;al. 50.15. <HI>They call not upon the Lord,</HI> P&s;al. 14.4. A man that in want or trouble calls upon his neighbour for help, 1 &s;ees that he needs help, 2 de&s;ires to be helped, 3 &s;ues to another for it, 4 to one that is able. So do we in prayer, confe&s;&s;e our want, de|fire relief, &s;ue to God for it, who is able to deliver us, Heb. 5.7.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It in&s;tructs us in the nature of prayer. It is not with Papi&s;ts or ignorant per&s;ons, mumbling over words we under&s;tand nor, but &s;preading our wants before God, and &s;uing for &s;upply. <HI>O Lord, I am oppre&s;&s;ed, undertake for me,</HI> I&s;a. 38.14.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> God will not give ea&s;e to them that never call on him but in trouble. <HI>They cryed, but there was none to &s;ave them; even unto the Lord, but he an&s;wered them not,</HI> P&s;a. 18.41. <HI>Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voyce, yet will I not hear them,</HI> Ezek. 8.18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they had no acquaintance with God before. Men look after their acquaintance in time of trouble, not after &s;trangers, that have no dependence on them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they look meerly after their own ea&s;e for the mo&s;t part, and have no love to God, el&s;e they would have re|garded his &s;ervice in their pro&s;perity, Ho&s;. 7.14.</P>
<PB N="193" REF="101">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us to get intere&s;t in God betimes, even in pro&s;perity, to follow <HI>Solomon</HI>'s coun&s;ell, Eccl. 12.1. <HI>Re|member now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth.</HI> We would be glad to have God to hear us in the troubles of old age. Let us then be mindefull of him in youth.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Affliction makes men earne&s;t in prayer. <HI>In their affliction they will &s;eek me early,</HI> Ho&s;. 5.15. <HI>When he &s;lew them, then they &s;ought him,</HI> P&s;al. 78.34.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e affliction is compared to fire. <HI>When thou walke&s;t through the fire,</HI> I&s;a. 43.2. and fire will heat. So doth affliction heat mens affections.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they finde much need of help, which in their pro&s;perity they felt not. A begger wil pray earne&s;tly.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It condemns our cold prayers both in fa&s;ts and other times in the&s;e &s;ad dayes. If ye will not pray earne&s;tly now, when will ye? Wicked men will ri&s;e in judgement again&s;t you. They pray earne&s;tly in trouble.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Prayer is a &s;eeking of God. <HI>Neither do they &s;eek the Lord of ho&s;ts,</HI> I&s;a. 9.13. <HI>Seek ye the Lord,</HI> I&s;a. 55.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. He is as it were lo&s;t when he doth not help us. <HI>God is departed from me, and an&s;wereth me no more,</HI> 1 Sam. 28.15.</P>
<P N="2">2. He may be found an helper upon intreaty.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> No marvell if many never found God. They never &s;ought him by hearty prayer in all their lives, and mu&s;t quite lo&s;e him at their death.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a time when God will not be found of &s;ome men, though they &s;eek him earne&s;tly. <HI>Though they &s;hall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them,</HI> Jer. 11.11. <HI>When ye make many prayers, I will not hear,</HI> I&s;a. 1.15. <HI>Then &s;hall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear,</HI> Mic. 3.4.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. For the time.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. For the per&s;ons.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>For the the time. That is twofold:</P>
<P N="1">1. After a time of long calling on them to return, yet &s;lighted by them. <HI>He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer &s;hall be abominable,</HI> Prov. 28.9. Yea, true repentance then, though it may deliver from the cur&s;e, yet &s;ometimes not from the cro&s;&s;e. God would de&s;troy <HI>Je|ru&s;alem</HI>
<PB N="194" REF="102">for <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> his &s;ins, though he repented, and <HI>Jo|&s;iah</HI> reformed, 2 King. 23.26.</P>
<P N="2">2. After this life. It is too late to cry for mercy in hell. Not a drop of water to be gotten, Luk. 16. God hears not impenitent finners here, much le&s;&s;e in hell. Here is time of repentance, there none. The dore of mercy is &s;hut up for ever by death, Mat. 25.10. When the golden time of life is gone, no trading for &s;ouls health. No phy&s;ick after death. For the per&s;ons, they are,</P>
<P N="1">1. Impenitent &s;inners. <HI>God heareth not &s;inners,</HI> Joh. 9.31. Prayer and repentance mu&s;t go together, el&s;e no audience.</P>
<P N="2">2. Unbelievers. The Word without faith doth no good No more doth prayer. An unbeliever mu&s;t <HI>not think that he &s;hall receive any thing of the Lord,</HI> Jam. 1.7.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hypocrites, that have no religion, but in &s;hew, and pray accordingly. <HI>Will God hear the hypocrites cry, when trouble cometh upon him?</HI> Job 27.9. Sure he will not.</P>
<P N="4">4. Uncharitable men. A father will not hear them that are cruel to his children.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It teacheth us to take heed of putting off repen|tance. We may be in hell in a moment; or God may be &s;o offended with our peevi&s;h wayes, that he will not give us true repentance, nor hear us. A great revenge. It would vex a man that his friend would not hear him in extremity. If we follow not Gods in&s;truction in our pro&s;perity, he will not follow us with help in our mi&s;ery. He that meant to &s;ay, <HI>Lord have mercy on me,</HI> cryed out at his death, <HI>Hor&s;e and man, and all to the Devill. Perkins government of the tongue.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Let us hearken to God in our pro&s;perity, that he may hearken to us in our extremity, el&s;e we peri&s;h eternally. <HI>Quid aequius? quid ju&s;tius? non re&s;peximus, non re&s;picimur; non audivimus, non audimur. Salv. What more equall? what more ju&s;t? we regarded not, we are not regarded; we heard not, we are not heard. I &s;peake unto thee in thy pro&s;perity, but thou &s;aid&s;t, I will not hear; this hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeye&s;t not my voyce. The wind &s;hall eat up all thy pa&s;tours, and thy lovers &s;hall go into captivity; &s;urely then &s;halt thou be a&s;hamed and confounded for all thy wickedne&s;&s;e,</HI> Jer. 22.21, 22.
<PB N="195" REF="102">To conclude, God will hear a penitent &s;inner at any time; yea, even at the houre of death, as he did the penitent thief; but he often denies true repentance to tho&s;e that &s;light the means of grace, and alwayes denies audience to tho&s;e that <HI>cry not with their hearts to him, when they howle on their beds for corn and wine,</HI> Ho&s;. 7.14. Let not then an im|penitent &s;inner ever pre&s;ume, nor a penitent de&s;pair.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 29.</BIBL> For that they hated knowledge, and did not choo&s;e the fear of the Lord.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>We are come to the third judgement denounced, where|in Wi&s;dome fir&s;t &s;ets downe the cau&s;es of the judgement, <HI>v.</HI> 29, 30. Secondly, the judgement it &s;elf, <HI>v.</HI> 31, 32.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, Wi&s;dome repeats the former ju&s;t cau&s;es, to ju&s;tifie her accu&s;ation, yet with &s;ome elegant change of words and order, to affect the more with the variety of them, and to drive the cau&s;es of their ruine the more home to their hearts, that at length they might repent and prevent it. An u&s;uall thing in humane judgements, that the &s;entence may appear to be ju&s;t. The Clerk reads the cau&s;es of the condem|nation, and the Judge oftentimes repeats them. Their plagues are fearfull, therefore Wi&s;dome would have the cau|&s;es of them well known. If any man &s;hould ask, Why Lord art thou &s;o inexorable and hard toward them? The an&s;wer may be in the text, <HI>For that they hated knowledge.</HI> So the words may look backward and forward. Thus he &s;hews that they did ju&s;tly peri&s;h, and were ju&s;tly neglected. Four cau&s;es mentioned before are here repeated. The two fir&s;t in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> The two la&s;tin <HI>v.</HI> 30.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> is hating knowledge, mentioned <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22.</P>
<P>The &s;econd in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> al&s;o, is not choo&s;ing the fear of the Lord, intimated, <HI>v.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>The third in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 30. is rejecting Wi&s;domes coun&s;el, men|tioned <HI>v.</HI> 25.</P>
<P>The fourth in <HI>v.</HI> 30. al&s;o is de&s;pi&s;ing Wi&s;domes reproof, mentioned likewi&s;e <HI>v.</HI> 25. And in an elegant order. For,</P>
<PB N="196" REF="103">
<P N="1">1. Knowledge is to be gotten.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fear of the Lord.</P>
<P N="3">3. Good coun&s;ell to be hearkened to, for direction of life.</P>
<P N="4">4. Reproof to be regarded when we &s;in, that we may reform. For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>For that,</HI> Heb. <HI>In &s;tead of that.</HI> For their &s;in they &s;hall be puni&s;hed.</P>
<P><HI>They hated knowledge.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 2, 4, 22.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And have not cho&s;en.</HI> To wit, in their pro&s;pe|rity; when they might and &s;hould have done it, they did re|fu&s;e to doe it, or de&s;pi&s;e it, as <HI>v.</HI> 24, 30.</P>
<P><HI>The fear of the Lord.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>Figures none. Foure cau&s;es of judgement are here &s;et down. Two in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Two in the next.</P>
<P>In this <HI>ver&s;.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Hating knowledge.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Not choo&s;ing the fear of the Lord.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the next,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Refu&s;ing coun&s;ell.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. De&s;pi&s;ing reproof.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>For that.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>they hated.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>knowledge.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act; <HI>and did not choo&s;e,</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>The fear of the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The &s;ame things having been &s;poken of and handled before, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7, 22, 25. I &s;hall onely in&s;i&s;t upon &s;ome ge|neralls.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Repetitions in Scripture are u&s;efull. Compare Phil. 3.1. with Phil. 4.4. <HI>Rejoyce in the Lord, rejoyce in the Lord alway, and again I &s;ay rejoyce. I will not be negligent to put you al|wayes in remembrance. I think it meet as long as I am in this Ta|bernacle, to &s;tir you up by putting you in remembrance,</HI> 2 Pet. 1.12, 13. The &s;ame thing repeated in two ver&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. They are great helps to the memory. Often reading imprints them deep there. Therefore in the <HI>Go&s;pels,</HI> the &s;ame Hi&s;tories, Miracles, Precepts, and Doc|trine of Sacraments, are repeated. The &s;ame things are
<PB N="197" REF="103">often found in the &s;econd Epi&s;tle of <HI>Peter,</HI> and <HI>Jude.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. They are great helps to the under&s;tanding, becau&s;e of &s;ome different expre&s;&s;ions and additions. As in the doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper &s;ome things are added, 1 Cor. 11. which are not in the <HI>Go&s;pels.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. They are great helps to the affections. Every new rea|ding with delight works more love, or joy, or &s;orrow, or fear. The oftener men view what they love, the more they like it.</P>
<P N="4">4. They are great helps to practice. The more we &s;ee things in Gods Book, the more de&s;irous we are to &s;ee them in our lives.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It reproves the quea&s;ie &s;tomachs of the people, that had rather hear fal&s;hoods under a glittering colour of new truths, then the &s;ame things inculcated on their &s;ouls, though never &s;o &s;ound. They like the &s;ame meat again and again, e&s;pecially if the &s;auce and dre&s;&s;ing differ a little, and why not then the &s;ame points of religion?</P>
<P N="2">2. It calls upon Mini&s;ters to pre&s;&s;e the &s;ame truths. Re|ligion follows not new fa&s;hions, as Clothes do. Hence come errors, for want of a good foundation. <HI>Plantas &s;aepius ad|aquare conducit. Prima&s;. Gardeners often water their plants with the &s;ame water.</HI> God lays downe the rea&s;ons now the &s;econd time, why he de&s;troyes the&s;e ungodly men.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God cleers him&s;elf abundantly in his Word, of the de&s;truction of ungodly men. Had not God cau&s;e to de|&s;troy the old World? See Gen. 6.11. <HI>The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.</HI> God examines the cau&s;e of <HI>Sodom,</HI> and condemns them ju&s;tly, Genefis 18. So he deals with <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> 2 King. 17. with <HI>Judah,</HI> 2 Chr. 36. with the Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> Rev. 2. with <HI>Laodicea,</HI> Rev. 3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;in the cau&s;e of it, is from us, and not from God. He neither compels, nor coun&s;els, nor allures, nor con&s;ents to it, but forbids it, and threatens to puni&s;h it. <HI>O I&s;rael, thou ha&s;t de&s;troyed thy &s;elf,</HI> Ho&s;. 13.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is ju&s;tice in God to puni&s;h &s;in, and not cruelty, as in a Judge to condemne murderers.</P>
<P N="3">3. God foretells their de&s;truction in his Word, and by his Mini&s;ters.</P>
<PB N="198" REF="104">
<P N="4">4. He u&s;eth many means to prevent it. By mercies, judge|ments, ordinances, checks of con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It blames tho&s;e who lay their di&s;honour upon Gods head. He will lay it back on theirs, as <HI>Solomon</HI> did <HI>Joab</HI>'s murder, and <HI>Shimei</HI>'s cur&s;e. <HI>Their bloud &s;hall return upon the head of Joab,</HI> 1 King. 2.33. <HI>The Lord &s;hall return thy wicked|ne&s;&s;e upon thine owne head,</HI> 1 King. 2.44. God will &s;ay, as <HI>Paul, I take you to record, that I am free from the blood of all men,</HI> Act. 20.26. In Sin-offerings, the per&s;ons hand that brought it, was to be laid on the head of it, and not the Prie&s;ts, to &s;hew that God was not the cau&s;e of death, but the &s;in|ner.</P>
<P N="2">2. Give God the glory of his judgements publick, or par|ticular, on others, or our &s;elves. He &s;mites not without a cau&s;e. Say with the Church, <HI>The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled again&s;t his commandement,</HI> Lam. 1.18. <HI>I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becau&s;e I have &s;inned again&s;t him,</HI> Mic. 7.9. Knowledge is put before the fear of God as a foundation.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is no fear of God where there is no know|ledge. <HI>Who knows the power of thine anger? according to thine anger, &s;o is thy fear,</HI> P&s;al. 90.11. <HI>Who is the Lord, that I &s;hould obey his voyce, to let I&s;rael go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let I&s;rael go,</HI> Exod. 5.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e knowledge is the light of the &s;oul. Men cannot work without light. Nor affections do their part without knowledge. <HI>Ignoti nulla cupido. Men love not, de&s;ire not, fear not, hope not, without knowledge of the object.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Knowledge is the guide and mover of the &s;oul. It &s;hews arguments to fear God, as well as whom to fear. So the great wheel of the Jack makes the re&s;t to go; if it be &s;till, the re&s;t are &s;o. There is then no fear of God without knowledge.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> No marvell that many are &s;o de&s;titute of the fear of God. They dare &s;wear and lie. They are <HI>Ignoramu&s;&s;es.</HI> They know not Gods power, el&s;e they dur&s;t not do it; nor his goodne&s;&s;e, el&s;e they would not do it.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many care neither for the knowledge nor fear of God. <HI>I&s;rael doth not know, my people doth not con&s;ider,</HI> I&s;a. 1.3.
<PB N="199" REF="104">The unju&s;t Judge did <HI>not fear God, nor regard man,</HI> as him|&s;elf confe&s;&s;eth, Luk. 18.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e knowledge and the fear of God are dif|ficult to obtain. There are &s;o many things to be known, and &s;o high above Nature, and Art, that they are not ea&s;ily reached. And the fear of God is harder to get then knowledge. For many get the one, and never come to the other.</P>
<P N="2">2. They cro&s;&s;e our corruptions, and curb them. The fear of God keeps men from many &s;ins, to which their corrupt nature would lead them. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> would not wrong his Brethren, for (&s;aith he) <HI>I fear God,</HI> Gen. 42.18. <HI>But &s;o did not I, becau&s;e of the fear of God,</HI> Neh. 5.15. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> lac|ked not power nor opportunity, onely Gods fear kept him back. Knowledge flies in mens faces after they have &s;inned. Ignorant men are quiet after &s;in, becau&s;e they know not that they have done ami&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be not offended at hard u&s;age from ungodly men. They want knowledge. <HI>Had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.8. Sure they want the fear of God, and then no good u&s;age is to be expected from them. <HI>I thought &s;urely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will &s;lay me for my wives &s;ake,</HI> Gen. 20.11.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge &s;hould be the guide of our choyce. <HI>Now we beleeve, for we know that this is indeed the Chri&s;t,</HI> Joh. 4.42. <HI>We beleeve, and are &s;ure, that thou art that Chri&s;t,</HI> Joh. 6.69.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It appears <HI>in credendis,</HI> in things to be be|leeved. How can men without knowledge tell what to be|leeve of the World, or of the Church, or of the world to come?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>In agendis.</HI> In things to be done. How can men tell what is to be done toward God, men, them&s;elves, if they have no knowledge?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> We &s;ee here the &s;ad condition of an ignorant man. He mu&s;t needs be an Infidel, and injurious to God and man, for he knows not what to beleeve or do. Knowledge is the eye of the &s;oul. A blind man knows not, which way to take.</P>
<PB N="200" REF="105">
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> They that choo&s;e not piety mu&s;t be damned, as well as they that hate knowledge, and they that refu&s;e Wi&s;domes coun&s;els and reproofs as well as either. <HI>My people would not hearken to my voyce, and I&s;rael would none of me:</HI> So, <HI>I gave them up unto their owne hearts lu&s;t, &amp;c.</HI> P&s;al. 81.11, 12. And what could follow then but damnation? <HI>Chri&s;t will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Christ,</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 1.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the&s;e things &s;top up the way to heaven. Want of piety and the fear of God keep them out. So doth refu&s;all of good coun&s;els and rebukes. And he that goes not to heaven, mu&s;t go to hell.</P>
<P N="2">2. They &s;hut them up in the way to hell, and leave them no breach, whereat they may get out. Some men begin to be frighted with the fear of God, when they think of his power, or judgements. Others, that have no &s;uch thoughts, are drawn out by the coun&s;el of others that are e&s;caped. Others that &s;light coun&s;el, are moved with reproof. The&s;e &s;light all, and peri&s;h.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Think not your &s;elves in a good condition, be|cau&s;e ye are not the wor&s;t of men, and hate not knowledge. Such as fear not God, nor regard coun&s;ell, nor re|proof, mu&s;t peri&s;h al&s;o. Though ye put not out the light, nor ca&s;t away phy&s;ick, yet ye get no good if ye u&s;e it not well.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 30.</BIBL> They would none of my coun&s;ell, they de&s;pi&s;ed all my reproof.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The third and fourth cau&s;e of the following judgements are &s;et down in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> which was all, but one word, in|terpreted before in <HI>v.</HI> 25. And in the tran&s;lation there al|&s;o is another word, the &s;ame in &s;en&s;e. Setting at nought, and de&s;pi&s;ing, intend the &s;ame thing, though they be different words in the Originall. A little alteration there is. There coun&s;ell is de&s;pi&s;ed and reproof refu&s;ed; here coun&s;ell refu&s;ed and reproof de&s;pi&s;ed. To &s;hew that wicked men do both refu&s;e and de&s;pi&s;e both coun&s;ell and reproof, and &s;o
<PB N="201" REF="105">are in a de&s;perate condition. For the words, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 25. Their &s;in is aggravated, and ri&s;eth by degrees, to &s;hew the ju&s;tice of their puni&s;hment. They not onely rejected know|ledge, but al&s;o the fear of God; and not that onely, but al&s;o his coun&s;els; and not that onely, but al&s;o his reproofs. What remains, but that they eat of the cur&s;ed fruits of their owne labours?</P>
<P>There is but one word new to be expounded, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>they de&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> which imports a contempt of a thing upon a light account of it. They had a &s;mall e&s;timation of Wi&s;|domes reproof, and therefore would not be mended by it, and &s;o are inexcu&s;able. Let Wi&s;dome chide, if &s;he would, they cared not for it, but would do as they li&s;t.</P>
<P>Figures none.
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Note</HI> 1. The third cau&s;e of the judgement.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The fourth.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the third note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>They would none of.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>my coun&s;ell.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fourth note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>They de&s;pi&s;ed.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>all my reproof.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The particular doctrines have been handled on <HI>v.</HI> 25. For the words are the &s;ame in effect, and well-nigh in &s;yllables. The generall ones are to be &s;een on <HI>v.</HI> 26.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 31.</BIBL> Therefore &s;hall they eat of the fruit of their owne way, and be filled with their owne devices.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The complaint was renewed in the two former <HI>ver&s;es.</HI> The commination follows. The cau&s;e there, the effect here. In their mi&s;ery note,</P>
<P N="1">1. The effect, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Another cau&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 32. Seeing ye have &s;uch an ob|&s;tinate minde, and hard heart, that ye would admit of no cure, what remains, but that you be filled with tho&s;e evils which your &s;ins have de&s;ervedly brought upon you? God cleers his ju&s;tice by a common proverb then in u&s;e. It
<PB N="202" REF="106">is ju&s;t that men &s;hould eat out of their owne work, and reap what they &s;ow. This proverb by way of &s;imilitude &s;hews, that as it is ju&s;t and equall that Planters or Plowmen &s;hould eat of the fruit or grain which they have laboured for, or &s;own; and if they have great encrea&s;e of fruit, or &s;owne much corn, or taken much pains about either, that they &s;hould be partakers of the labours of their hands plenti|&s;ully; &s;o it is ju&s;t with God, that the&s;e &s;hould feel much &s;orrow and confu&s;ion, which their di&s;&s;olute lives, and froward hearts de&s;erve. They &s;hall have plagues an&s;wera|ble to their fins, and bear the puni&s;hment of their evill coun&s;els. For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Therefore.</HI> So it is tranflated, Job 35.16. <HI>Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain.</HI> And Prov. 6.34. <HI>Therefore he will not &s;pare.</HI> Becau&s;e they were &s;ufficiently admoni&s;hed, yet would not hearken unto me, but followed their own lu&s;ts, and walked in vanity, they &s;hall &s;ee what they &s;hall get by it, when their &s;ins have brought irreparable lo&s;&s;es upon them, when they &s;hall be for&s;aken of me, as I was of them. As they have gone their owne wayes, &s;o they &s;hall &s;uffer the wofull i&s;&s;ue of them, becau&s;e they refu&s;ed my coun&s;els and corrections.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>They &s;hall eat.</HI> The word literally fignifies devou|ring of meat, as Exod. 34.28. <HI>He did neither eat bread, nor d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ink water.</HI> Metaphorically it fignifies devouring any thing el&s;e; even by &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e things, as by the fire, <HI>The fire of God hath con&s;umed the &s;heep,</HI> Job 1.16. By the &s;word, <HI>Shall the &s;word devoure for ever?</HI> 2 Sam. 2.26. By the earth, <HI>The land eateth up the inhabitants thereof,</HI> Numb. 13.32. Al&s;o it is u&s;ed for receiving things brought upon men by their own wayes, or procured by their works, be they good or bad. <HI>A man &s;hall eat good by the fruit of his mouth,</HI> Prov. 13.2. <HI>Thou &s;halt eat the labour of thine hands,</HI> P&s;al. 128.2. So here. They &s;hal receive a ju&s;t reward of their wickedne&s;&s;e. They &s;hall eat as they baked, drink as they brewed. They that &s;ow the wind of iniquity, &s;hall reap the whirlwind of mi&s;ery.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Of the fruit.</HI> Not part of it, as this particle is u&s;ed <HI>of the fruit of the tree, ye &s;hall not eat of it;</HI> Gen. 3.3. but feed upon it to the full, as follows in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<PB N="203" REF="106">
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies, 1. The fruit of a tree. <HI>Of the fruit of the tree,</HI> Gen. 3.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. That which proceeds from, or comes forth out of another thing, or is cau&s;ed by it, be it good, as ch. 8.19. <HI>My fruit is better then gold. Give her of the fruit of her hands,</HI> ch. 31.31. Or be it bad, <HI>I will puni&s;h the fruit of the stout heart of the King of A&s;&s;yria,</HI> I&s;a. 10.12. <HI>I will bring evill upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts,</HI> Jer. 6.19. And &s;o here. They &s;hall have evill fruit of evill wayes. They &s;hall be abundantly pu|ni&s;hed for for&s;aking my coun&s;els, and following their owne. They &s;hall be left to them&s;elves till they peri&s;h, P&s;alm 81.12.</P>
<P><HI>Of their owne way.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15. They have promi&s;ed them&s;elves much plea&s;ant fruit out of their evill wayes, but they &s;hall finde them&s;elves deceived in the end, and finde bit|ter and deceitfull fruit far other then they expected. They &s;hall bring de&s;truction upon them&s;elves by following their owne coun&s;els, that would not be &s;aved by following mine.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And be filled.</HI> The word properly &s;ignifies to be &s;atisfied. In &s;atisfaction there are two things, fulne&s;&s;e and content. Therefore the word (e&s;pecially when it is ap|plyed to evil things) fignifies fulne&s;&s;e alone; for no man is content with mi&s;ery, but he may be as full of it to his end|le&s;&s;e &s;orrow, as they are of good things, who are fully &s;atisfied with them. They &s;hall be as full of tho&s;e evils, their &s;ins bring upon them, as a man well filled is of meat. They de&s;pi&s;ed the plea&s;ant fruits of wi&s;dome, and &s;hall feed on the bitter fruits of &s;in.</P>
<P><HI>With their owne devices,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. It &s;ignifies devi|ces, coun&s;els, or con&s;ultations. Though they could never make an end of inventing and practifing evill, yet they &s;hall be &s;quatted at la&s;t, and &s;urcharged with the evill effects thereof.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Eat,</HI> Receive. A Metaphor from Meats.</P>
<P><HI>Fruit,</HI> Effect. A Metaphor from Trees.</P>
<P><HI>Way,</HI> Practice. A Metaphor from Travellers.</P>
<P><HI>Be filled,</HI> Hebr. <HI>&s;atisfied.</HI> A figure of the effect for the cau&s;e.</P>
<PB N="204" REF="107">
<P><HI>Devices,</HI> for evill devices. A figure of the generall for the &s;peciall. As, I&s;a. 1.8. <HI>They &s;hall be as wool.</HI> That is, as white wool.</P>
<P>Here are two &s;imilitudes to &s;et out the&s;e mens mi&s;eries. The fir&s;t is taken from Eating. The &s;econd from Fulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>Therefore.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The per&s;ons, <HI>they.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>&s;hall eat.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>of the fruit of their owne way.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>Be filled.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>with their owne devices.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sins bring mi&s;eries upon men. <HI>Ye have plowed wickedne&s;&s;e, ye have reaped iniquity, ye have eaten the fruit of lies,</HI> Ho&s;. 10.13. <HI>He that &s;oweth iniquity &s;hall reap vanity,</HI> Pr. 22.8. And that,</P>
<P N="1">1. In a morall way, when God puni&s;heth men according to their &s;ins. The <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> are &s;lain, while the meat which they Iu&s;ted for, was in their mouths, Numb. 11.33. What more ju&s;t, then that men &s;hould reap that they &s;ow?</P>
<P N="2">2. In a phy&s;icall or naturall way. And that,</P>
<P N="1">1. When fins breed di&s;ea&s;es, as drunkenne&s;&s;e breeds drop&s;ies; gluttony, &s;urfets; wantonne&s;&s;e, foul di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. When God leaves men to their owne fooli&s;h cour|&s;es, which ruine them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Let no man accu&s;e God or others for his trou|bles or condemnation. His own &s;ins bring them upon him. <HI>Nemo laeditur ni&s;i a &s;eip&s;o: No man is hurt but by him&s;elf. Qui nolunt regi &agrave; prudentia Dei, nece&s;&s;e e&s;t, ut regantur ab impruden|tia &s;ua, &amp; in multos errores, mala, damna labantur: They that will not be ruled by Gods prudence, mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be ruled by their owne imprudence, and fall into many errors, mi&s;chiefs, damages.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. When troubles come upon us, let us look back to our fins, yea to the fins of our youth, that we may be humbled for them, as <HI>David</HI> was, P&s;al. 25.7. <HI>Remember not the &s;ins of my youth.</HI> And <HI>Job,</HI> ch. 13.26. <HI>Thou make&s;t me to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the iniquities of my youth.</HI> Harve&s;t follows long after &s;eed-time. So may mi|&s;ery after &s;in.</P>
<PB N="205" REF="107">
<P>The &s;ins mentioned before were not about matters of Ju|&s;tice, or Morality, but of Religion.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sins in matter of Religion bring heavy judge|ments on men, yea on whole Nations. How co&s;tly was Idolatry in the Judges dayes? It made Gods people &s;laves to <HI>Canaanites,</HI> and many othe adver&s;aries. What co&s;t <HI>Jeroboam</HI>'s Calves, <HI>Ahab</HI>'s Baal, <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> Idolatry? Lo&s;&s;e of the Kingdome, and Captivity, 1 King. 17. The like effect had <HI>Judas</HI> &s;ligh|ting Gods Prophets, 2 Chr. 36. The &s;even golden candle|&s;ticks were ruined by impiety, Rev. 2. &amp; 3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e duties of Religion more neerly con|cern Gods glory, therefore &s;uch &s;ins more highly offend him, as being not again&s;t his image onely, but again&s;t him&s;elf, not mediately, but immediately.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e Gods honour is of more weight then mans good; for God is far greater then man, and we far more engaged to him, then to any man.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It di&s;covers how different mens judgements are now adayes from Gods, how little love they have to God, how much &s;elf-love, that would have the lea&s;t &s;in again&s;t man pu|ni&s;hed by the Magi&s;trate, but not the greate&s;t again&s;t God. They are like the Turks, who whip men for &s;peaking again&s;t God, and kill them for &s;peaking again&s;t <HI>Mahomet,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>God can revenge him&s;elf, Mahomet cannot.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Take heed of impiety. Morall men may condemn in|ju&s;tice more, but God condemns impiety mo&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Con&s;tant and continuall evils come on &s;inners. See variety of judgements one in the neck of another, Lev. 26.18, <HI>&amp;c. Gods hand is &s;till &s;tretched out</HI> again&s;t them, I&s;a. 9.12, 17, 21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e evill men are con&s;tant in &s;in. Now evil of &s;in is not barren. It breeds evil of puni&s;hment. <HI>Rar&ograve; an|tecedentem &s;cele&s;tum de&s;eruit pede paena claud<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">: Sin was never &s;o quick-footed, nor puni&s;hment &s;o lame, but that the latter could overtake the former.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. God is con&s;tant in ju&s;tice. If they &s;in &s;till, he wil pu|ni&s;h &s;till. A thief mu&s;t be puni&s;hed the &s;econd and third time, as well as the fir&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews us, that fools and wicked men are not in
<PB N="206" REF="108">vain confounded in this Book of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> and the words promi&s;cuou&s;ly u&s;ed. What are they but fools that heap &s;or|rows on their heads, by continuance in &s;in, and will not give over till they peri&s;h eternally?</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men drive a trade of &s;inning. They walk, &s;tand, fit in wicked wayes, P&s;al. 1.1. They commit &s;in daily, as working in a &s;hop, 1 Joh. 3.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> In a trade are two things con&s;iderable. Con&s;tant labour, and expectation of gain. Walking for health is no trade, nor expectation of gifts is no trade. A wicked man labours con&s;tantly in &s;in. He may &s;tumble on a good action, as a good man on a bad, but his head and heart both labour in &s;in. Gain he looks for from it. His Motto is, <HI>Dulcis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">dor lucri &egrave; re qualibet: Gold &s;mels well, though raked out of a dunghill.</HI> He can gain by wantonne&s;&s;e, oppre&s;&s;ion, lying, flattery, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Here is an help to judge of our e&s;tate. Is our way a way of &s;in, or of goodne&s;&s;e? We mu&s;t not try our &s;elves by one act, either to cleer our &s;elves for one good act, or to condemne our &s;elves for one bad one. Our cour&s;e of life mu&s;t cleer or condemne us.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Abundance of troubles &s;hall come upon wicked men. <HI>The back-&s;lider in heart &s;hall be filled with his owne wayes,</HI> Prov. 14.14. <HI>Many &s;orrows &s;hall be to the wicked,</HI> P&s;al. 32.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Their fins bring on them &s;tore of &s;pirituall evils, as &s;hame, grief, de&s;pair, wherewith the mind is over|burdened, as the flomach overpre&s;t with meat, and made fick of a &s;urfet.</P>
<P N="2">2. Bodily evils, as di&s;ea&s;es, pains, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Their ill life brings an ill death, violent or de&s;pai|ring.</P>
<P N="4">4. Wicked men cannot be filled with &s;in here, but they mu&s;t be filled with mi&s;ery in hell. A way of &s;in here, and a way of eternal &s;orrow there.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It declares to us what is the portion of &s;inners. They take great content in &s;infull wayes, as if they were the onely free and happy men; but their end will be mi|&s;ery.</P>
<PB N="207" REF="108">
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Ungodly men have many devices to undoe them|&s;elves. So <HI>Achitophel</HI> and <HI>Judas</HI> were wi&s;e enough to hang them&s;elves.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God overpowers them in their owne way, and beats them at their owne weapons, and takes them in their &s;ubtilty. He countermines, and voyds their mines. <HI>He taketh the wi&s;e in their owne craftine&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 Cor. 3.19.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e their Wi&s;dome is imperfect. They know not how to prevent all dangers.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> See the mi&s;ery of wicked men. Their wittends to &s;elf-de&s;truction.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 32.</BIBL> For the turning away of the &s;imple &s;hall &s;lay them, and the pro&s;perity of fools &s;hall de&s;troy them.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Wi&s;dome having in the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> &s;et out the effect; to wit, the de&s;truction of ungodly men; here &s;he concludes her threatnings with another cau&s;e of it. This <HI>ver&s;.</HI> gives a rea&s;on why wicked men &s;hall be &s;o horribly and inevita|bly de&s;troyed. And therein both expounds the former <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> and gives an&s;wer to a &s;ecret objection. It might be demanded, Who are they that &s;hall eat of the fruit of their labours? The an&s;wer is in the text, &s;imple ones and fools, that turn away from Wi&s;domes in&s;tructions. It might be further de|manded, But how &s;hall they eat of the fruit of their labors? The an&s;wer is in the Text again, They will &s;lay them, and bring them to de&s;truction. But then it may be objected, Wicked men thrive mo&s;t, and they that &s;light Wi&s;domes coun&s;els, grow riche&s;t. The an&s;wer is ready, It may be &s;o, but yet it will turn to their de&s;truction in the end, as the Oxe to be &s;lain, goes in the be&s;t pa&s;tures. The Sun|&s;hine of pro&s;perity ripens the &s;in of the wicked. <HI>Bernard</HI> calls it, <HI>Mi&s;ericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem.</HI> A mercy that he had no minde to; as being <HI>wor&s;e then all cruelty.</HI> What good is there in having a fine Suit with the plague in it? As &s;oon may a man mi&s;carry upon the &s;oft &s;ands, as upon the hard rocks.</P>
<PB N="208" REF="109">
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> It gives a rea&s;on of what was &s;aid before. See on <HI>v.</HI> 9. They cannot ju&s;tly complain of my &s;everity, becau&s;e they them&s;elves are the cau&s;e of their owne ruine. They will not be taught how to e&s;cape it, though they have not wit enough of them&s;elves to do it. Others read it <HI>But,</HI> as it is tran&s;lated, ch. 9.18. <HI>But he knoweth not that the dead are there.</HI> And then they under&s;tand the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> thus, God will &s;uffer wicked men to eat of their labours, and pro&s;per for a time, but will de&s;troy them in the end by their owne pro&s;perity. The former reading agrees be&s;t with the &s;cope, which is neer threatning.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The turning away.</HI> Some take it to be meant of tur|ning away from God and goodne&s;&s;e, to error, and wickedne&s;&s;e of life. Others take it for their turning away from &s;eeking after heaven to look after the world. <HI>So Demas for&s;ook Paul, having loved this pre&s;ent world,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.10. Others take it for turning away from Wi&s;domes coun&s;els given before, which they are charged withall, <HI>v.</HI> 25.30. An unwilling|ne&s;&s;e to be taught by Gods Mini&s;ters. And that agrees well with what went before. When men will not be taught by Gods Mini&s;ters, de&s;truction follows.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Of the &s;imple.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 4.22.</P>
<P><HI>Shall &s;lay them.</HI> Shall de&s;troy them&s;elves.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And the pro&s;perity.</HI> The word fignifies quietne&s;&s;e and abundance, which u&s;eth to follow peace.</P>
<P><HI>Of fools.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 22.</P>
<P><HI>Shall de&s;troy them.</HI> Shall lay them open to death, temporal and eternall. This is Scripture language. <HI>In the day thou eatest thereof, thou &s;halt &s;urely die,</HI> Gen. 2.17.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Turning away.</HI> A Metaphor from a Traveller that mi&s;&s;eth his way.</P>
<P><HI>Shall &s;lay them.</HI> Shall be the cau&s;e of their death. A Me|taphor from an Executioner. So al&s;o in <HI>De&s;troy them.</HI></P>
<P>Wi&s;dome &s;ets down two cau&s;es of their de&s;truction.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is an aver&s;ene&s;&s;e to in&s;truction.</P>
<P>The &s;econd is, love of pro&s;perity. The&s;e two concur in mo&s;t &s;infull men, and had before puni&s;hment an&s;werable &s;et down, to wit, Gods not hearing them, and their de&s;truction.</P>
<PB N="209" REF="109">
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>the turning away.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The agent, <HI>of the &s;imple.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The effect, <HI>&s;hall &s;lay.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The object, <HI>them.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the later ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The cau&s;e, <HI>And the pro&s;perity of fools.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The effect, <HI>&s;hall de&s;troy them.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> God is content to give a rea&s;on of his judge|ments, though he need not. Here are two things to be proved:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. That God need not give a rea&s;on of his judgements.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. That God will give a rea&s;on of them neverthele&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. God need not give a rea&s;on of his judgements. <HI>Who &s;hall &s;ay unto him, What do&s;t thou?</HI> Job 9.12. <HI>O man, who art thou that replye&s;t again&s;t God?</HI> Rom. 9.20. The Potter need give no rea&s;on why one piece of clay is made a ve&s;&s;ell of honour, and another of di&s;honour.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is of &s;upreme authority. Superi|ors need not give account to Inferiors of their proceedings: Inferiors mu&s;t to Superiors.</P>
<P N="2">2. He is in infite in ju&s;tice. No doubt but his judgements are all ju&s;t, though men do not alwayes under&s;tand the rea|&s;on of them. A man may be mi&s;-informed, or judge ami&s;&s;e out of pa&s;&s;ion, but God cannot.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd. God will give a rea&s;on of his judgements, though he need not.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of his love to man, being willing to inform him of his proceedings. God will not hide his pro|ceedings about <HI>Sodome</HI> from <HI>Abraham,</HI> becau&s;e he &s;hall have a great po&s;terity, and will acquaint them therewith, and &s;o bring much glory to God, Gen. 18.17, 18.</P>
<P N="2">2. For mans good, that he may bring him to repentance. How &s;hall the Childe mend, if the Father tell him not why he &s;trikes?</P>
<P N="3">3. That God may cleer his owne ju&s;tice.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It ets out Gods goodne&s;&s;e plainly before our eyes, who being above all, yet is plea&s;ed to make men acquainted with the rea&s;ons of his proceedings.</P>
<PB N="210" REF="110">
<P N="2">2. Let us make good u&s;e of this information. Let us ob&s;erve the rea&s;ons of Gods judgements, recorded in Scri|pture, that we may avoyd the like &s;ins, and prevent the like judgements, for God is as ju&s;t now as ever. Did he puni&s;h <HI>Adam</HI> and <HI>Eve</HI> for di&s;obedience, <HI>Cain</HI> for murder, the old Word for violence, <HI>Sodome</HI> for Iuxury? He will puni&s;h others for it now. They are examples to us, <HI>upon whom the ends of the world are come,</HI> 1 Cor. 10.11. Did he not &s;pare <HI>Noah,</HI> nor <HI>David,</HI> when they &s;inned again&s;t him? neither wil he &s;pare his offending children now. Let us then be wi&s;e, and be ware.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> They are &s;imple that do not hearken to heavenly in&s;tructions, <HI>v.</HI> 22, 23.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are made acquainted with the greate&s;t danger to their &s;ouls, that can be, and yet will not avoyd it. If a man were told of a pit in his way, out of which there were no e&s;caping, and would for all that run into it, were he not a &s;impleton?</P>
<P N="2">2. The way to attain greater good then all the world can afford them, and that for eternity, is made known unto them plainly, &s;o as they cannot deny it, and yet will not look after it: As if a man were &s;hewed an ea&s;ie way to get a Kingdome, and yet would live a begger. Is not &s;uch a man very &s;imple?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the great di&s;tance between Gods judgement and mans. Many of tho&s;e that are of great account for wit and policy in the world, God accounts to be very &s;imple, and &s;o they will prove in the end. They mu&s;t prove &s;o, that will not hearken to the coun&s;els of the God of Wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Not hearkening to good coun&s;ell brings de&s;tru|ction. <HI>They de&s;pi&s;ed Gods words, and mi&s;u&s;ed his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord aro&s;e again&s;t his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldeans, who &s;lew their young men with the &s;word, &amp;c.</HI> 2 Chr. 36. 16, 17. <HI>They ea&s;t thy Law behinde their backs. Therefore thou delivered&s;t them into the hand of their enemies,</HI> Neh. 9.26, 27.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it brings many temporall judgements upon men. God will &s;et the brand of his di&s;plea&s;ure, and their di&s;obedience, upon them, in letters of blood.</P>
<PB N="211" REF="110">
<P N="2">2. If it bring not viol nce upon their bodies, yet it brings both body and &s;oul to perdition for ever. No man can invent a way to heaven. If he will not then go the way that God hath revealed, he mu&s;tiperi&s;h.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let this drive men to hearken to good coun&s;ell. If the odious name of &s;imple ones will not do it, let fear of eternall wrath open our ears and hearts.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men in pro&s;perity will &s;eldome hearken to good coun&s;el. <HI>I &s;pake unto thee in thy pro&s;perity, but thou &s;aid&s;t, I will not hear,</HI> Jerem. 22.21. <HI>Woe to them that are at ea&s;e in Sion,</HI> Amos 6.1. The Prophet had little hope to doe good on them.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they think they are good enough al|ready.</P>
<P N="2">2. They think they &s;hall continue &s;o, and look for no change. <HI>Becau&s;e they have no changes, therefore they fear not God,</HI> P&s;al. 55.19. <HI>David &s;aid in his pro&s;perity, I &s;hall never be removed,</HI> P&s;al. 30.6.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let rich men take heed, and not think them&s;elves too good to hearken to good coun&s;ell. They are in more danger then meaner men. Their ears are &s;topt with their wealth.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Pro&s;perity and folly go often together. Rich <HI>Nabal</HI> was a fool both in name and nature, 1 Sam. 25.25. God calls the rich man fool, Luk. 12.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e wealth is not alwayes gotten by wi&s;|dome. It may come by gift or favour of Princes, or by in|heritance, or by painful &s;ervants, as <HI>Laban</HI>'s by <HI>Jacob</HI>'s pains, <HI>Potiphar</HI>'s by <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e rich men are from their youth cockered by pa|rents, and flattered by others, which keeps them from the knowledge of the truth. Therefore &s;aid the Philo&s;opher, <HI>Great men learn nothing &s;o well as to ride well, becau&s;e the hor&s;e will not flatter.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Do not imitate rich men becau&s;e of their wealth. They may be fools for all that, and then why &s;hould wi&s;e men be guided by them? An Ape of a Fool is very ridicu|lous. Pro&s;perity and folly are well joyned together, for where is mo&s;t wealth, there often times is lea&s;t wi&s;dome.</P>
<PB N="212" REF="111">
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Pro&s;perity is the ruine of many. As of tho&s;e two rich men, Luk. 12.16. &amp; 16.19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It often makes men let go piety, and then as boys learning to &s;wim, they let go their bladders, and &s;ink. <HI>Quando hoc incautis non fuit ad di&s;ciplinam, quod ignis ad ceram, quod &s;olis radius ad nivem, vel glaeiem: Pro&s;perity to unwary per&s;ons is like fire to wax, or the Sun beams to &s;now or ice. Bern. de Con&s;i|deratione, l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 12. <HI>Magnus e&s;t qui incidens in adver&s;a, non exci|dit &agrave; &s;apientia, nec minor cui prae&s;ens faelicitas &s;i arri&s;it, non irri&s;it. Ibid. He is a great man, who falling into adver&s;ity, falls not out of wi&s;dome; and he is no le&s;&s;e, on whom pre&s;ent felicity &s;miling, mocks him not.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It is harder to bear pro&s;perity well, then adver&s;ity. The <HI>Dutch</HI> Proverb is, <HI>The feet mu&s;t be &s;trong that carry pro&s;perity.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Xenoph. Cyropaed. It &s;eems to me an harder thing to bear good things well, then bad; for the latter make many a laughing &s;tock, but the former makes all men wi&s;er.</HI> Peacocks let down their proud feathers when they &s;ee their black feet. <HI>Hannibal</HI>'s Army having overcome the trouble&s;ome <HI>Alps,</HI> was &s;poy|led by the <HI>Italian</HI> dainties. <HI>Tribulatio probat unam patientiam; pro&s;peritas ver&ograve; omnes virtutes examinat. An&s;elm. in Sentent. Adver&s;ity tryes Patience onely, but Pro&s;perity examines all vir|tues.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Pro&s;perity layes men open to many &s;ins. To in|ju&s;tice in getting it. <HI>Qui agit &s;emper faelicit&egrave;r, iniqu&egrave; agit. Euripides. He that doth alwayes pro&s;perou&s;ly, doth unju&s;tly. Qu&agrave;m grave onus homo faelix in&s;ipiens! nam &s;tultitia germana e&s;t iniqui|tatis. Ae&s;chylus. How great a burden is a rich fool? For foo|li&s;hnes is &s;i&s;ter to iniquity Fortuna quem nimi&ugrave;m fovet, &s;tultum facit. Whom fortune cockers, him &s;he makes a fool. Mimus.</HI> And our Saviour calls riches <HI>the Mammon of iniquity,</HI> becau&s;e hardly gotten without it, Luk. 16.9. It is often abu&s;ed to &s;en|&s;uality. One rich man cryes, <HI>Soul take thine ea&s;e, eat, drink, and be merry,</HI> Luk. 12.19. The other <HI>was clothed in purple, and fine linnen, and fared &s;umptuou&s;ly every day,</HI> Luk. 16.19. It makes men &s;ecure. Living long in pro&s;perity, they neither fore&s;ee, nor
<PB N="213" REF="111">&s;eek to prevent their ruine. It hardens men in &s;in, as it did <HI>Pharaoh.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. It brings Gods judgements upon them. <HI>Noverca virtutis pro&s;preitas; &s;ic bajulis &s;uis applaudit, ut noceat. Convivis &s;uis ab initio propinat dulcia, ut cum inebriati fuerint, let hale vulnus ad|mi&s;ceat. Chry&s;ol Pro&s;perity is the Step mother of virtue. She &s;o applauds her porters, that &s;he hurts them. She gives her gue&s;ts plea&s;ant cups at the beginning, that when they are drunk, &s;he may give them a deadly wound.</HI> So <HI>Amnon</HI> was &s;lain, <HI>when his heart was merry with wine,</HI> 2 Sam. 13.28. Is he happy that is &s;trong to kill him&s;elf, or that runs fa&s;t, and climbes high to break his neck? Like tho&s;e that eating of the juyce of &s;ome poy &s;on|full hearbs, die laughing. It ha&s;tens and heightens judge|ment.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Dote not on pro&s;perity, le&s;t ye de&s;ire your ruine. I may &s;ay to you, as Chri&s;t to the two Di&s;ciples, with their Mother, <HI>Ye know not what ye ask,</HI> Mat. 20.22. Are ye able to bear that burden? Rather u&s;e <HI>Agur</HI>'s prayer to God, <HI>Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me,</HI> Prov. 30.8. Many might have &s;ailed &s;afe to the &s;hore, if they had not put out their top and top-gallant. Keep then the golden mean, and be &s;afer.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 33.</BIBL> But who &s;o hearkneth unto me, &s;hall dwell &s;afely, and &s;hall be quiet from fear of evill.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Wi&s;dome having &s;ent forth three &s;ore threatnings to ter|rifie ungodly men from following their vain and dangerous wayes, now concludes her &s;peech with a comfortable promi&s;e to per&s;wade them to hearken to her whole&s;ome coun&s;els.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>But.</HI> It often &s;ignifies <HI>And,</HI> and joyns like things toge|ther. But &s;ometimes it is a note of oppo&s;ition, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 25. See there. The pro&s;perous condition of tho&s;e that hearken to Wi&s;domes whole&s;ome coun&s;els, is oppo&s;ed to the ruine of tho&s;e that de&s;pi&s;e them.</P>
<PB N="214" REF="112">
<P><HI>Who&s;o hearkeneth.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 5. Here it is taken for regar|ding Wi&s;domes coun&s;ell, and obeying it.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto me.</HI> To me <HI>Wi&s;dome,</HI> and tho&s;e coun&s;els that I have given, or &s;uch like other given in Gods Word, or by his Mini&s;ters agreeable to it.</P>
<P><HI>Shall dwell.</HI> Shall perpetually abide in &s;afety. As a man that lives quietly in his owne hou&s;e.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Safely.</HI> Free from danger, or <HI>confidently.</HI> Free from fear; as follows. Knowing he &s;hall be &s;afer and therefore need fear no evill. After that he hath hearkened to my coun|&s;el, and gotten wi&s;dome according to my advice, God will keep him &s;afe within the compa&s;&s;e of his protection. He &s;hall be out of danger of de&s;truction.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>And &s;hall be quiet.</HI> The word &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. One that is quiet outwardly, and inwardly, in &s;tate, and minde. <HI>One dieth in his full &s;trength, being wholly at ea&s;e and quiet,</HI> Job 21.23.</P>
<P N="2">2. One that lives &s;ecurely in &s;in, and fears no danger, though he have cau&s;e. <HI>Woe to them that are at ea&s;e in Sion,</HI> Amos 6.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. One that is proud and in&s;olent, for pro&s;perity and qui|etne&s;&s;e makes men &s;ecure and proud. <HI>The &s;corning of tho&s;e that are at ea&s;e,</HI> and <HI>the contempt of the proud,</HI> are joyned together, P&s;al. 123.4. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for a good &s;ecurity or quietne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>From fear.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 26. He &s;hall lead a mo&s;t quiet life, being free not onely from evill it &s;elf, but from the very fear of it. He &s;hall not need &s;o much as to fear adver&s;ity.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>of evill.</HI> Sometimes it fignifies evill of &s;in, which is committed by man. <HI>Mans thoughts are onely evill continually,</HI> Gen. 6.5. Sometimes evill of puni&s;hment inflicted by God. <HI>Shall there be any evill in the City, and the Lord hath not done it?</HI> Amos 3.6. So it is taken here. He &s;hall need fear no hurt at all. Figures none.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The condition required. 2. A double promi&s;e.</P>
<P>In the condition note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of oppo&s;ition, <HI>But.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The per&s;on, <HI>who &s;o.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>hearkeneth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>unto me.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="215" REF="112">
<P>In the fir&s;t promi&s;e note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The thing promi&s;ed, <HI>Shall dwell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct, <HI>&s;afely.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd promi&s;e note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The good promi&s;ed, <HI>And &s;hall be quiet.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>from fear of evill.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> All men &s;hall not be in a &s;afe condition. <HI>There is no peace, &s;aith my God, to the wicked,</HI> I&s;a. 57.21. <HI>When they &s;hall &s;ay, Peace and &s;afety, then &s;udden de&s;truction cometh upon them,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e many remain yet in their natural con|dition, as children unregenerate, and there is no &s;afety in being born &s;ubject to Gods wrath, Eph. 2.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. Many are drencht deeper in that e&s;tate of condemna|tion, by innumerable actuall &s;ins, as young men who fol|low the lu&s;ts of their owne eyes, and con&s;ume the cream of their time in vanity.</P>
<P N="3">3. Men are deeper in it then they, as men that have made &s;ome &s;hew of goodne&s;&s;e, and afterwards either return with <HI>Demas</HI> to the world, 2 Tim. 4.10. or <HI>with the dog to the vomit,</HI> or <HI>the &s;ow to the mire,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.21.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us examine our &s;elves whether our condition be &s;afe, or no. There is no &s;afety to be had, unle&s;&s;e we be reconciled to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. It is not wit, nor wealth, nor &s;trength that can &s;ave thee, nor multitude of friends. Onely Chri&s;t can &s;helter thee from Gods wrath. He &s;hel|ters none but his owne members, and that not in profe&s;&s;ion onely, but in truth. Cyphers in his Arithmetick, neither advance them&s;elves nor other numbers. Try if thou be a true member of Chri&s;t by the&s;e notes:</P>
<P N="1">1. If thou have another heart, as <HI>Saul</HI> had, when God made him a King. That heart becomes not a member of Chri&s;t, that became a limbe of Satan.</P>
<P N="2">2. What ha&s;t thou done or &s;nffered to honour Chri&s;t? This was the <HI>Philippians</HI> mark. Your &s;ufferings <HI>are unto you an evident token of &s;alvation, and that of God,</HI> Phil. 1.28. They mu&s;t look for no &s;poyls, that will not fight for their Ge|nerall.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ct.</HI> Wi&s;domes coun&s;els are worth hearkening to.
<PB N="216" REF="113">Hitherto tend Wi&s;domes earne&s;t per&s;wa&s;ions, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22, 23. <HI>ch</HI> 9.4. In both which places &s;imple per&s;ons are earne&s;tly &s;olicited to give audience to Wi&s;domes precepts. Hitherto tend her &s;weet promi&s;es of communicating <HI>excellent and right things,</HI> ch. 8.6. &amp; 9.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are &s;afe. There may be danger in following other coun&s;els. None in following Wi&s;domes. It is in Religion as in the State; folly ruling overthrows it, and not wi&s;dome. The fooli&s;h Pilot overthrows the &s;hip, not the wi&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. All &s;afe things are not honorable, but Wi&s;domes coun|&s;els are like <HI>Achitophel's, as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God,</HI> 2 Sam. 16.23. or like <HI>Solomon</HI>'s wi&s;e &s;ayings, which men came from far to hear. <HI>And there came of all people to hear the wi&s;dome of Solomon, from all the Kings of the earth which had heard of his wi&s;dome,</HI> 1 King. 4.34.</P>
<P N="3">3. All things honorable are not profitable. Many die honorably in fighting for their Countrey, that get nothing by it; but Wi&s;domes wayes are profitable al&s;o. <HI>Godline&s;&s;e is profitable to all things, having promi&s;e of the life that now is, and of that which is to come,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.8. Wi&s;dome brings happine&s;&s;e, and many particular comforts, Prov. 3.13, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> We &s;ee wi&s;e men thrive in Trades, when fools &s;pend their patrimony.</P>
<P N="4">4. All things profitable, are not comfortable, as Matches made for money, but Wi&s;domes coun&s;els are comfortable al&s;o. <HI>Her wayes are wayes of plea&s;antne&s;&s;e, and all her paths are peace,</HI> Prov. 3.17.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us open both our hearts and ears to &s;uch coun|&s;els as the&s;e &s;cattered in the Book of God, the fountain of wi&s;dome. We are too prone to hearken to fooli&s;h coun|&s;els, as <HI>Ab&s;alon</HI> was to give ear to the un&s;afe coun&s;ell of <HI>Hu&s;hai,</HI> 2 Sam. 17.14. And to the &s;infull coun&s;el of <HI>Achita|phel,</HI> to go in to his Fathers Concubines, 2 Sam. 16.21, 22. The whole world fooli&s;hly hearkens to the unprofitable coun&s;ell of &s;ome idle ring-leaders at the Tower of <HI>Babel,</HI> Gen. 11.4. The <HI>Jews</HI> to the uncomfortable coun&s;ell of their Captains, to go back into <HI>Aegypt,</HI> Jerem. 43.5. Let us for time to come, rather hearken to Wi&s;domes coun&s;els,
<PB N="217" REF="113">which are &s;afe to the Soul, honorable to the Body, profita|ble to the State, comfortable to the whole man. And of &s;uch coun&s;ell we &s;hall never need to repent. It is &s;trange that the World &s;hould call, and men run; the Devill call, and men fly; but when God calls, they will not creep.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Con&s;tant &s;afety is prepared for good men. <HI>Tru&s;t in the Lord, and do good, &s;o &s;halt thou dwell in the Land, and verily thou &s;halt be fed,</HI> P&s;al. 37.3. <HI>Great peace have they which love thy Law, and nothing &s;hall offend them,</HI> P&s;al. 119.165. <HI>Thou &s;halt &s;ee the good of Jeru&s;alem all the dayes of thy life. Yea, thou &s;halt &s;ee thy childrens children, and peace upon I&s;rael,</HI> P&s;. 128.5, 6. <HI>For I, &s;aith the Lord, wil be a wall of fire unto her round about,</HI> Zec. 2.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have a guard of Angels &s;et about them by God. <HI>He &s;hall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes,</HI> P&s;al. 91.11.</P>
<P N="2">2. God him&s;elf is their guard. <HI>He that dwelleth in the &s;e|cret place of the mo&s;t high, &s;hall abide under the &s;hadow of the Almighty,</HI> P&s;al. 91.1. <HI>Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto &s;alvation,</HI> 1 Pet. 1.5.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us learn &s;pirituall policy in the&s;e dangerous times. Who would not be glad to be &s;afe in the&s;e &s;torms? Follow Wi&s;domes coun&s;el. Labour for piety, and thou &s;halt be &s;afe.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Quietne&s;&s;e al&s;o is the portion of Gods &s;ervants. <HI>When he giveth quietne&s;&s;e, who then can make troubles,</HI> Job 34.29. 1. Quietne&s;&s;e outwardly, if God &s;ee it fit for them. <HI>O that thou had&s;t hearkened to my commandements! then had thy peace been as a river,</HI> I&s;a. 48.18.</P>
<P N="2">2. Quietne&s;&s;e inwardly. <HI>Being ju&s;tified by faith, we have peace with God,</HI> Rom. 5.1. Quietne&s;&s;e in life. <HI>The meek &s;hall inherit the earth, and &s;hall delight them&s;elves in the abundance of peace,</HI> P&s;al. 37.11. Quietne&s;&s;e in death. <HI>Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace,</HI> P&s;al. 37.37. In the grave, which is their bed. <HI>He &s;hall enter in|to peace; they &s;hall re&s;t in their beds, each one walking in his up|rightne&s;&s;e,</HI> I&s;a. 57.2. After death for ever. None can pa&s;&s;e the great gulf between them and hell, to mole&s;t them, Luk. 16.26. <HI>They rest from their labours,</HI> Rev. 14.13.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Woe to tho&s;e that &s;eek to di&s;quiet the people of
<PB N="218" REF="114">God. They go about to cro&s;&s;e Gods will, and he will cro&s;&s;e theirs.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good man need not fear any trouble. <HI>Thou &s;halt not be afraid of destruction, when it cometh,</HI> Job 5.21. <HI>Thou &s;halt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day,</HI> P&s;al. 91.5. <HI>He &s;hall not be afraid of evill tydings, his heart is fixed, tru&s;ting in the Lord.</HI> This fearle&s;ne&s;&s;e proceeds,</P>
<P N="1">1. From &s;ome inward principles. A good man may be like a &s;hip at Sea, in &s;uch a &s;torm, that he hath no anchor|room abroad, nor haven neer, all that &s;u&s;tains him mu&s;t be within: As,</P>
<P N="1">1. An equall and proportionable ballancing by balla&s;t, or goods. So a good man may have peace of con&s;cience, which may make him fearle&s;&s;e. He that knows him&s;elf at peace with God, what need he fear the wrath of all the creatures? Such may <HI>glory in tribulation,</HI> Rom. 5.3. and take delight in them, as in &s;weet &s;melling ro&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. The skill of the Ship-ma&s;ter makes them not to fear. God gives &s;piritual wi&s;dome to his, how to carry them in and get out of any trouble. Wi&s;dome onely can teach men how to keep an eternall Sabbath of re&s;t in the &s;oul.</P>
<P N="3">3. Labour of &s;hip-men is needfull to pre&s;erve the &s;hip. <HI>Except the&s;e abide in the &s;hip, ye cannot be &s;aved,</HI> Act. 27.31. So God gives &s;pirituall courage and grace to his, to hold up their heads in all troubles.</P>
<P N="2">2. From outward helps: As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Gods protection. <HI>I will give peace in the land, and ye &s;hall lie down, and none &s;hall make you afraid,</HI> Lev. 26.6. They know that God who hath undertaken to deliver them, hath many wayes to doe it, and they re&s;t upon that, and are quiet and fearle&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. He hath a guard of Angels about him. <HI>The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them,</HI> P&s;. 34.7. But it may be objected, that good men have a pa&s;&s;ion of fear as well as others, and at &s;ome times are afraid of trou|bles. It may be an&s;wered, that becau&s;e no man can perfectly obey Wi&s;domes coun&s;els, they be&s;t in infirmity may be per|plexed, but not quite overcome with fear; they will reco|ver, <HI>Fides non tollit omnem dubitationem, &s;ed vincentem. Faith
<PB N="219" REF="114">takes not away all doubting, but prevailing doubting. Scotus in Sentent. He that walketh uprightly, walketh &s;urely,</HI> Pr. 10 9. Perfect freedome from fear is re&s;erved for them in heaven. Wicked men dwel in fear, as &s;trangers; good men in hope, as inhabitants. Further it may be objected, Good men had need to fear troubles, for the world hates them, and doth often per&s;ecute them. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> Troubles may befall a good man, but he need not fear any hurt by them. <HI>Surely in the flouds of great waters, they &s;hall not come nigh unto him,</HI> P&s;al. 32.7. They can detract nothing from his felicity. He &s;hall be happy in pro&s;perity and ad|ver&s;ity. Trouble &s;hall not be evill to him, but doe him good, and lead him to good. <HI>For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.17. It may be God may &s;ometimes try his &s;ervants, but ordinarily they change their manners, before God changes their pro&s;perity. <HI>Fortunam &s;ui cui&abque; fin|gunt mores. Cornelius Nepos in vita Pompeij. Every mans manners carve out his owne condition. Fortune is a con&s;tant wife to good men, and an incon&s;tant &s;trumpet to bad men, &s;aid Heathen Plutarch. Apo|phthegm.</HI> She is nailed to good men, not well fa&s;tned to bad men. Evill mens troubles will be endle&s;&s;e, good mens not &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Behold a great encouragement to hearken to Wi&s;|domes coun&s;els, and to be pious. We &s;hall attain to a con|dition that need not fear any troubles. <HI>I will not fear, though the earth be removed; and though the mountains be carried into the mid&s;t of the Sea. Though the waters thereof roar, and be troubled, though the mountains &s;hake with the &s;welling thereof,</HI> P&s;al. 46.2, 3. <HI>Si fractus illabatur orbis, Impavidum ferient ruinae. Horat.</HI> A godly mans Ark is pitched within, and without, to&s;&s;ed it may be, but not drowned; &s;haken, but not &s;hivered. No Kingdome in the world, no Empire hath &s;uch a privi|ledge.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Trouble is evill in it &s;elf. <HI>The yeers wherein we have &s;een evill,</HI> P&s;al. 90.15. <HI>Shall there be any evill in the City, and the Lord hath not done it?</HI> Amos 3.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is evill to the body, helping to con|fume it by di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<PB N="220" REF="115">
<P N="2">2. It is evil to the &s;oul, helping to vex it with grief and di&s;quietne&s;&s;e. It makes a man cry out, <HI>Why art thou ca&s;t downe, O my &s;oul, and why art thou di&s;quieted within me?</HI> P&s;al. 43.5.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us ble&s;&s;e God our heavenly Phy&s;ician, that turns our troubles to our good, and makes an antidote of poy&s;on.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="221" REF="115">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 1.</BIBL> My Son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commande|ments with thee.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>Solomon</HI> having before in the words of Wi&s;dome threat|ned ob&s;tinate finners with de&s;truction, now in his owne words falls to in&s;truct &s;uch as are tractable. Now that the&s;e things are &s;poken in the words of <HI>Solomon,</HI> and not of <HI>Wi&s;|dome,</HI> appears by the title given to the young man in this ver&s;e, <HI>My Son.</HI> Which is al&s;o given him by <HI>Solomon, ch.</HI> 1.8. But never by <HI>Wi&s;dome</HI> in all this Book. And by <HI>ch.</HI> 3. <HI>v.</HI> 13. He &s;aith, <HI>Happy is the man that findeth wi&s;dome.</HI> If Wi&s;dome had &s;poken, &s;he would have &s;aid, <HI>that findeth me.</HI></P>
<P>In this Chapter the Wi&s;e-man &s;hews,</P>
<P N="1">1. How to get true wi&s;dome, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5.</P>
<P N="2">2. What good is gotten by getting it, to the end of the Chapter. And that,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Po&s;itively, from <HI>v.</HI> 5. to <HI>v.</HI> 10.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Privatively, from thence to the end. And this latter,</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. By preventing danger from bad men, from <HI>v.</HI> 10. to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16.</P>
<P N="2">2. From bad women, from <HI>v.</HI> 16. to the end.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t thing, the way to attain true wi&s;dome, it is,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. By getting a docible minde, <HI>v.</HI> 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. By learning it of them that are wi&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 2.</ITEM>
<PB N="222" REF="116">
<ITEM>3. By prayer to God for it, <HI>v.</HI> 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. By our owne &s;tudies and endevours, <HI>v.</HI> 4.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>To return to <HI>v.</HI> 1. And fir&s;t for the words.</P>
<P><HI>My Son.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.1, 8. It is a title often repeated to beget attention and obedience.</P>
<P><HI>If thou wilt receive.</HI> See on <HI>chap.</HI> 1.3. If thou wilt bring with thee a willing minde to learn of me, and to receive my words into thy under&s;tanding, will, and affections. So <HI>Lira</HI> interprets it of a Scholar, docible, and willing to learn. <HI>Hugo Cardinalis</HI> takes it for a Metaphor from the earth, which being plowed and opened, receives the &s;eed into it, and brings forth corn. So doth a docible Scholar. As on the contrary, <HI>Petrarch. Dialog.</HI> 41. &s;peaking to a Schoolma&s;ter that had or might have an undocible Scholar, &s;aith, <HI>Di&s;cipulum indocilem babes? Perdis operam, littus aras, &s;emina projicis, natura non vin|citur. Terrae aridae colonus es? Solve boves. Quid te torques? Ha&s;t thou an indocible Scholar? Thou loo&s;e&s;t thy labour, thou throwe&s;t away thy &s;eed, nature cannot be overcome. Art thou a tiller of a barren ground? &V;nloo&s;e thy oven. Why vexe&s;t thou thy &s;elf?</HI> The word argues a greedine&s;&s;e of hearing, as the dry earth ga&s;ps for rain, and drinks it in greedily, Heb. 6.7. Others read it, <HI>If thou wilt buy my words.</HI> So the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed, <HI>She con&s;idereth a field, and buyeth it,</HI> Heb. <HI>taketh it;</HI> to wit, by purcha&s;e. For what men buy, they may lawfully take, <HI>ch.</HI> 31.16. Now wi&s;dome is bought by time and labour. <HI>Metrocles dicebat res alienas pecuni&acirc;, ut domum, &amp; ve&s;tem, &amp; alia; di&s;ciplinas autem emi tempore, atque labore. Metrocles &s;aid, that other mens goods were to be bought with money, as hou&s;es, and gar|ments, and other things; but arts were to be bought with time and labour. Laert. l.</HI> 6. <HI>c.</HI> 6. It argues a greedy de&s;ire of knowledge, &s;paring for no co&s;t, time, nor labour to attain it. <HI>Ab. Ezra</HI> expounds it thus, <HI>Thou &s;halt be my Son, if thou wilt receive my words.</HI> But it is better to draw the coherence to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5. thus, <HI>If thou wilt receive my words, &amp;c. then &s;halt thou under&s;tand the fear of the Lord, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>My words.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.21. Some under&s;tand it of the words in the foregoing Chapter. But it includes all &s;poken by him in this Book.</P>
<P><HI>And hide.</HI> Lay them up &s;afe in thy heart, and memory, as
<PB N="223" REF="116">men lay up trea&s;ures, <HI>v.</HI> 7. Or, at husband-men hide their corn in the earth to fructifie. Or, as men lay up jewels they would have kept. There is no &s;afer place to keep good coun&s;el in, then the che&s;t of mans heart and memory. Then will it not be forgotten.</P>
<P><HI>My commandements.</HI> Such as I have received from God, and enjoyned thee. The&s;e they mu&s;t hide in their memory, that Satan beguile them not of the knowledge of them, but they may be ready for practi&s;e upon all occa&s;ions, as money in a Trea&s;ury, or victuals in a Storchou&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>With thee.</HI> Not from others, for thou mu&s;t teach them, but lay up the knowledge of them for thy owne u&s;e. Some things are &s;o dear to us, that we will not tru&s;t our che&s;ts with them, but carry them alwayes about with us. So mu&s;t we doe with wi&s;e precepts. <HI>Maximus</HI> reports that <HI>Euripides</HI> the Philo&s;opher &s;eeing a young man buying many Books, &s;aid, <HI>Non arcae, O adole&s;cens, &s;ed pectori: O young man, the&s;e are not to be put into thy che&s;t, but into thy brea&s;t. Commu|nium Sermonum</HI> 17. I have heard that famous <HI>Buchanan,</HI> King <HI>James</HI> his Ma&s;ter, when a <HI>Germane</HI> Doctor coming into <HI>Scotland,</HI> de&s;irous to &s;ee him, and ob&s;erving his few books, and great learning, &s;aluted him thus, <HI>Salve Doctor &s;ine libris: God &s;ave you Mr. Doctor without books;</HI> going into <HI>Germany</HI> af|terwards, and &s;eeing in that Doctors Study a multitude of books, and thinking him little learned, retorted bitterly, <HI>Salvete libri &s;ine Doctore: God &s;ave you books without a Doctor.</HI> Intimating, that few books well read, were better then many never looked upon. He is the fir&s;t in the &s;hip of fools, that buyes many books, and reads them not. To this purpo&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;eems to &s;peak to the young man here, as if he had &s;aid, I have and will do my part to fill thee with good in&s;tructions, &s;ee thou do thine in receiving them into thine heart, and keeping them there.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>My Son,</HI> a Metaphor. For <HI>Solomon</HI> meant others to be taught by him, as well as his Sons.</P>
<P><HI>Receive.</HI> A Metaphor from the earth receiving &s;eed.</P>
<P><HI>Hide,</HI> a Metaphor from trea&s;ures locked up.</P>
<P>In the text there is,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Avi ditas au&s;cultandi.</HI> A greedy de&s;ire of hearkening.</ITEM>
<PB N="224" REF="117">
<ITEM>2. <HI>A&s;&s;iduitas memorandi.</HI> A daily care of remembring.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;on &s;poken to, <HI>My Son.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act required, <HI>if thou wilt receive.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>my words.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And hide.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>my commandements.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject place, <HI>with thee.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Ob&s;ervations. <HI>My Son.</HI> This word is often repeated, be|cau&s;e good children u&s;e readily to receive their parents coun&s;els, as judging them alwayes to come out of love.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men &s;oone&s;t hearken to coun&s;els that come out of good will. Therefore, your. cunning Orators, before they propound the matter they would urge, make a plau&s;ible preface fir&s;t, to catch the hearers hearts. See how <HI>Abigails</HI> coun&s;el wrought on <HI>David,</HI> 1 Sam. 25.24. He ble&s;&s;es God for it, and ble&s;&s;es her, <HI>v.</HI> 32, 33. there. <HI>Paul</HI>'s coun&s;ell to the <HI>Corinthians</HI> wrought in them <HI>&s;orrow to repentance,</HI> 2 Cor. 7.8, 9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e all &s;u&s;picion of malice (which taints good coun&s;ell like a dead fly) is taken away.</P>
<P N="2">2. All fear of di&s;gracing us, is likewi&s;e gone. We con|ceive that the&s;e cannot dwell in a loving heart.</P>
<P N="3">3. Love hath a &s;ympathizing power. If it be in the heart both of the &s;peaker, and of the hearer, it draws as the Load&s;tone doth the iron. <HI>Magnes amoris amor: Love is the Load&s;tone of love.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Love hath a creating or begetting power. It is a fruitfull tree, and can beget love where none was before.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It &s;hews us a rea&s;on why &s;ome mens coun&s;els will not be &s;wallowed. There is too much vinegar in them, lit|tle &s;igne of love.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let Mini&s;ters like wi&s;e Phy&s;icians, temper their bitter pills of reproof with &s;ugared affections. Many look more at the good reli&s;h of phy&s;ick, then at the event of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> A docible minde mu&s;t fir&s;t be got by him that will be wi&s;e. The Apo&s;tles Chri&s;ts be&s;t Scholars &s;hew it, by asking much. <HI>Why &s;peake&s;t thou to them in parables?</HI> Mat.
<PB N="225" REF="117">13.10. <HI>Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field,</HI> Mat. 13.36. And <HI>Nicodemus</HI> asks, <HI>How can a man be born when he is old?</HI> Joh. 3.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e the work will go on very diffi|cultly, like plowing on rocks, or as the <HI>Aegyptian</HI> chariots, when the wheels were off. <HI>God took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily,</HI> Exod. 14.25.</P>
<P N="2">2. The work is as good as half done, where a docible heart is. Poure in knowledge, and the ve&s;&s;ell will receive it.</P>
<P N="3">3. Dociblene&s;&s;e of heart will make a man painfull. De&s;ire of knowledge &s;ets a capable &s;oul, and body on work.</P>
<P N="4">4. It will bring a greater progre&s;&s;e, then a greater capa|city in one not willing to learn, can produce. As in &s;chools, boyes of mean parts, and great de&s;ires, get more learning then others of &s;tronger parts, and le&s;&s;e de&s;ires of it.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It &s;hews us, why many get no good by many good Sermons, they have no heart to it. It is hard rowing again&s;t the &s;tream. <HI>Why is this? A price in the hand of a fool to get wi&s;dome, &s;eeing be hath no heart to it,</HI> Prov. 17.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. Get a docible heart, el&s;e all your owne pains and your Teachers is lo&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Good coun&s;els not received do no good. The Word mu&s;t be received with meekne&s;&s;e, Jam. 1.21. El&s;e it profits not. The <HI>Corinthians</HI> had not been &s;aved by the Word that <HI>Paul</HI> preached, had they not received it, 1 Cor. 15.1, 2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It appears in naturall things. The earth bears no corn, if it receive not the &s;eed. In Civill things al&s;o. Men expect no gain where they put in no &s;tock. In Medi|cines, Phy&s;ick cures not, if not received.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e two things are required to make good coun|&s;el profitable, that it be good, and rightly applyed. Good meat not eaten nouri&s;heth no more then bad.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be carefull to receive all good coun&s;ell, or look for no good from it. A man that would learn to paint, or build, when he hears a good Workman di&s;cour&s;e well of &s;uch works, goes a&s;ide, and takes a tool, and draws a draught of it. Do thou &s;o in Divinity.</P>
<PB N="226" REF="118">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge is very nece&s;&s;ary. <HI>My people are de|&s;troyed for lack of knowledge,</HI> Ho&s;. 4.6. <HI>I&s;rael doth not know, my people doth not con&s;ider,</HI> I&s;a. 1.3. <HI>Solomon</HI> calls often on us to embrace it. Heathens prized it above all outward things. <HI>Pro &s;cientia emenda, omnia vendenda: All is to be &s;old to buy knowledge. Plato.</HI> The wi&s;e Merchant &s;old all to buy the pearl of price, and made no ill bargain, Matt. 13.46. All things prove unprofitable or hurtfull to him that knows not how to di&s;tingui&s;h good from evill, as he that knows not meat from poy&s;on, may &s;oon peri&s;h. <HI>Woe unto them that call evill good, and good evill,</HI> I&s;a. 5.20.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Pity tho&s;e blinde &s;ouls, that prefer all things above knowledge. Their money will peri&s;h with them.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Words of truth are worth laying up. <HI>Mary kept all the&s;e things,</HI> Luk. 2.19. <HI>Let thine heart retain my words,</HI> Prov. 4.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are precious like jewels, or &s;eed hidden in the earth.</P>
<P>Becau&s;e of the good that comes by them. They &s;hew the way to eternall happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us bewail our lo&s;&s;e that have lo&s;t &s;o many jewels for lack of laying up. We doe not &s;o with gold and &s;ilver. We leave them not on the benches, but lay them up in che&s;ts, that they may be &s;afe and forth coming when we have need of them. To receive words of truth, and not hide them, is to take them with the one hand, and throw them away with the other.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Mans heart is the be&s;t place wherein words of truth may be hid. <HI>Thy Word have I hid in my heart,</HI> P&s;al. 119.11. <HI>His Mother kept all the&s;e &s;ayings in her heart,</HI> Luk. 2.51. For there they are &s;afe&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Lay not up then holy in&s;tructions in a che&s;t of &s;ilver, but in the cabinet of thy heart. So wilt thou finde them when thou ha&s;t need of them.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="227" REF="118">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 2.</BIBL> So that thou incline thine ears unto wi&s;dome, and apply thine heart un|to under&s;tanding.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>We are now come to the &s;econd way of getting heavenly wi&s;dome; namely, by learning it of them that are able to teach it.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>So that.</HI> This &s;hews a dependence on the former words. Thou mu&s;t be &s;o willing to learn, and remember that thou imploy both ear and heart to get knowledge.</P>
<P><HI>Incline thine ear,</HI> Heb. <HI>to make thine ear to hear,</HI> or <HI>regard.</HI> So that there is no colour for Popi&s;h Commenters to de&s;cant of humility, as they do, and how it fits men to get wi&s;dome. The word hath no &s;uch notion in it. And if it were <HI>Incline,</HI> yet that were token of humility, but of carefull hearkening. Here is nothing meant but applying the ear, not to hear onely, but al&s;o diligently to hearken and attend to things taught. As a Mu&s;ician bowes his ear to tune his Lute, and the hearer afterwards, not in &s;igne of any humility, but to hear the better. Yet the following word, <GAP DESC="foreign">, may &s;eem to look that way, but that al&s;o &s;ignifies &s;tretching out the heart to hear, rather then bowing it down. Others think it imports lifting up the ear to attend, as wilde bea&s;ts quick of hearing do upon a &s;udden noy&s;e. It argues unwilling|ne&s;&s;e to lo&s;e a word of Wi&s;domes in&s;tructions, and quick|ne&s;&s;e to hear. Others, as <HI>Pi&s;cator</HI> reads it, <HI>If thou encline,</HI> taking <HI>If</HI> out of the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> and &s;o carry the word &s;traight on to the reddition in the fifth <HI>ver&s;.</HI> and make this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> to have no dependence on the fir&s;t, and the things alto|gether &s;everall running into the fift <HI>v.</HI> as &s;everall rivers into the Sea, to be &s;wallowed up there. But the fir&s;t way an&s;wers be&s;t to the Heb. text, yet may there be &s;everall means to at|tain wi&s;dome, although the fir&s;t be an help to the &s;econd, as the lower &s;teps in a ladder help to mount up to the higher.</P>
<P><HI>Thine ear.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> in the Originall, comes from a
<PB N="228" REF="119">word that &s;ignifies <HI>to hear,</HI> which is the proper function of the ear. And it &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The ear, the in&s;trument of hearing. <HI>Mo&s;es put of the blood upon the tip of Aarons right ear,</HI> Lev. 8.23.</P>
<P N="2">2. The act of hearing. <HI>Thou &s;halt read this Law before all I&s;rael, in their hearing,</HI> Heb. <HI>in their ears,</HI> Deut. 31.11. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto wi&s;dome.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.2.</P>
<P><HI>And apply,</HI> Heb. <HI>Bow down.</HI> For man is naturally proud, and &s;corns to &s;toop to in&s;truction. <HI>Omnes nati &s;umus in monte &s;uperbiae: We are all born in the mountain of pride. Eucherius.</HI> And as fooli&s;h as the wilde A&s;&s;es there, Job 11.12. Or, <HI>&s;tretch out.</HI> For we are by nature far &s;hort of it, and unwilling to hear of it. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>chap.</HI> 1.24. on the word <HI>&s;tretched out.</HI> It may import a willing attendance on in&s;tru|ction, rather then humility.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Thine heart.</HI> The word is taken,</P>
<P N="1">1. For that fle&s;hly member, which we call by that name. <HI>Joab thru&s;t three darts through the heart of Ab&s;alom,</HI> 2 Sam. 18.14.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the middle of any things, becau&s;e the heart lies in the mid&s;t of the body. <HI>Thou ha&s;t ca&s;t me in the mid&s;t of the Seas,</HI> Jonas 2.3.</P>
<P N="3">3. For the &s;oule it &s;elfe, which brings life, and re&s;ides fir&s;t and la&s;t in the heart. <HI>Davids heart &s;mote him,</HI> 1 Sam. 24.5.</P>
<P N="4">4. For the thought of the heart. <HI>It may be my Sons have cur&s;ed God in their hearts,</HI> Job 1.5.</P>
<P N="5">5. For the affection. <HI>Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thine?</HI> 2 King. 10.15.</P>
<P N="6">6. For knowledge or under&s;tanding. <HI>He that heareth re|proof, getteth under&s;tanding,</HI> Heb. <HI>getteth an heart.</HI></P>
<P>Here it is taken in the third &s;en&s;e, for the &s;oul it &s;elfe, which mu&s;t be applyed in hearing, as well as the ear, and is more needfull al&s;o for learning.</P>
<P><HI>To under&s;tanding.</HI> The &s;ame thing in divers words. Heavenly knowledge is &s;et out in many terms in this Book.</P>
<P>The &s;umme is: That thou may&s;t injoy this excellent trea|&s;ure, thy ears both of body and &s;oul mu&s;t be taken off from
<PB N="229" REF="119">worldly and tran&s;itory things, and fully &s;et to get true wi&s;dome. The one will do no good without the other. Both together by Gods ble&s;&s;ing may attain it.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Apply,</HI> a Metaphor from corporall things that are applyed to their objects by bowing them downe, or &s;tretching them out. So much the Hebr. word imports. But the &s;oul cannot be applyed to learning in that corpo|rall way; but in a &s;pirituall way, by giving heed to what is taught.</P>
<P>For the parts. Two means of attaining &s;pirituall wi&s;|dome, are here pre&s;cribed.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. An outward one. Inclining the ear.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. An inward one. Applying the heart.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>So that thou encline.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>thine ear.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>unto wi&s;dome.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And apply.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>thine heart.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>to under&s;tanding.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> The ear mu&s;t be fir&s;t employed in hearing, if we would get knowledge. <HI>Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell in Jeru&s;alem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words,</HI> Act. 2.14. As if he had &s;aid, All I &s;hall &s;peak will do you no good, except ye hearken to it. <HI>Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,</HI> Mat. 13.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In generall, becau&s;e the ear is one fit in&s;tru|ment of learning from others, what our eyes cannot teach us. <HI>Auris &s;en&s;us di&s;ciplinae: The ear is the &s;en&s;e of learning. Ari&s;t. Ethic.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. In particular. It is a quicker way of learning by hea|ring, then by any other &s;en&s;e, or any labour of our own. A man may teach that in a quarter of an hour, for which he hath &s;tudyed many dayes. El&s;e Schools and Sermons were needle&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Think not &s;corn to learn of others. Ble&s;&s;e God for thine ears. <HI>Faith cometh by hearing,</HI> Rom. 10.17. Man is like the Hart, of which <HI>Ari&s;totle lib. 9. de Hi&s;tor. Animal.</HI> writes,
<PB N="230" REF="120">that when he pricks up his ears he quickly hears the lea&s;t &s;ound, but when he hangs them downe, he is deaf, and ta|ken and killed. So men &s;tretching out the ear to hear, hear quickly, and e&s;cape, when dull and deaf ones pe|ri&s;h.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> The ear doth no good, if the heart attend not. <HI>My Son, forget not my Law, but let thine heart keep my comman|dements,</HI> ch. 3.1. El&s;e hearing helps not. <HI>Let thine heart retain my words, keep my commandements, and live,</HI> ch. 4.4. <HI>God opened the heart of Lydia, that &s;he attended unto the things which were &s;po|ken of Paul,</HI> Act. 16.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it makes no change in man, if the word &s;trike not on the heart. And without a whole change, no &s;alvation is to be expected. <HI>Except a man be born again, he cannot &s;ee the Kingdome of God,</HI> Joh. 3.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. El&s;e there will be no belief of the Word, nor &s;ubmi&s;|&s;ion to it, without which it doth the &s;oul no good. <HI>The Word preached did not profit them, being not mixed with faith in them that heard it,</HI> Heb. 4.2.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be &s;ure to bring attentive hearts, as well as atten|tive ears. Be not hypocrites. Give not bodies without &s;ouls. Be not like the pillars of the Church, to be pre&s;ent, and get nothing. If the heart be not drawn off the world, no good comes by the Word.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t not re&s;t in hearing, till we come to compleat wi&s;dome. As Preachers are to preach for the edi|fying of Chri&s;ts body, till it be perfect, Eph. 4.11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So are we to hear, till we have attained to perfection of know|ledge; that is, all our life long we mu&s;t give heed to the &s;ure word of prophe&s;ie, untill the day dawn, and the day|&s;tar ari&s;e in our hearts.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e then, and not till then, ye under&s;tand things aright, 2 Pet. 1.19.</P>
<P N="2">2. El&s;e all your labour is lo&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be no more removed from Gods ordinances, then the Sun is from his cour&s;e. So <HI>Valerius Maximus, l.</HI> 5. com|mends <HI>Fabritius</HI> and <HI>Pyrrhus,</HI> that the Sun might as &s;oon be turned out of his way, as they out of the way of ju&s;tice or virtue.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="231" REF="120">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 3.</BIBL> Yea, if thou crye&s;t after knowledge, and lifte&s;t up thy voyce for un|der&s;tanding.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The third help to get true wi&s;dome follows, and that is, earne&s;t prayer unto God.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Yea.</HI> This word here adds an Empha&s;is to this means above the former. As if he had &s;aid, A docible nature is good, and in&s;truction of men; but both the&s;e cannot beget knowledge without Gods ble&s;&s;ing. Prayer therefore mu&s;t be added. So this particle adds increa&s;e. <HI>Yea, ten acres of vine|yard &s;hall yeeld one Bath,</HI> I&s;a. 5.10. &amp; P&s;al. 21.3. where it &s;hould be rendred, <HI>yea thou prevented&s;t him.</HI> Thou not onely gave&s;t him what he de&s;ired, <HI>v.</HI> 2. but much more, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 3. See more of this word, ch. 1.9. on the word <HI>For.</HI></P>
<P><HI>If.</HI> See on ch. 1.10.</P>
<P><HI>Thou crye&s;t.</HI> See on ch. 1.21. Some under&s;tand this of an earne&s;t de&s;ire of knowledge, as a Childe hath of the brea&s;t, when he cryes for it. Others under&s;tand it better of prayer to God, which al&s;o includes the former.</P>
<P><HI>After knowledge,</HI> or <HI>for knowledge,</HI> as it is tran&s;lated in the end of the ver&s;. <HI>for under&s;tanding.</HI> And that is neerer to the Hebr. text. For the word, &s;ee on ch. 1.2. on the word <HI>know.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And lifte&s;t up thy voyce,</HI> Heb. <HI>give&s;t</HI> or <HI>uttere&s;t thy voyce.</HI> See on ch. 1.20.</P>
<P><HI>For under&s;tanding.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Crye&s;t. Lifte&s;t up thy voyce. Synecd. generis.</HI> If thou pray. For a man may cry and &s;peak loud, and yet not pray. Hereby is meant the particular earne&s;tne&s;&s;e of a man in prayer for wi&s;dome. The &s;ame thing is &s;et out in two &s;everal expre&s;&s;ions. to &s;hew the nece&s;&s;ity of prayer for wi&s;dome, and earne&s;tne&s;&s;e that &s;hould be in it.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t expre&s;&s;ion note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The aggravation, <HI>Yea.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>if thou crye&s;t.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>after knowledge.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="232" REF="121">
<P>In the &s;econd expre&s;&s;ion note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And lifte&s;t up.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>thy voyce.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>for under&s;tanding.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>As if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;aid, Though humane in&s;truction and a docible di&s;po&s;ition be needfull to get wi&s;dome, yet they are not &s;ufficient to get it. God mu&s;t be fought to for a ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is more help from God to get wi&s;dome, then from men. <HI>Every good, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,</HI> Jam. 1.17. And &s;ure wi&s;dome is one. <HI>I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increa&s;e,</HI> 1 Cor. 3.6. <HI>I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit,</HI> I&s;a. 48.17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is the principall cau&s;e, men but in&s;trumentall. The chief builder in making a hou&s;e, and the chief Pilot in guiding a &s;hip, afford mo&s;t help, and de&s;erve mo&s;t prai&s;e. The Husband-man can ca&s;t &s;eed into the ground, but God mu&s;t quicken it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e &s;ome grow wi&s;er then their Teachers, there|fore God gives them the overplus of wi&s;dome. Men cannot give what they had not. Such a Scholar was <HI>David, I have more under&s;tanding then all my Teachers,</HI> P&s;al. 119.99. <HI>And therefore, David</HI> prays &s;o often in that P&s;alm, that God would teach him.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Give God the prai&s;e, if thou get much wi&s;dome. Look not with the Swine to the earth where the acorns lie, but up to the tree where they grow.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Prayer mu&s;t be u&s;ed for the getting of knowledge. So did <HI>Solomon, Give thy &s;ervant an under&s;tanding heart,</HI> 1 Kin. 3.9. So St. <HI>James</HI> bids us. <HI>If any man of you lack wi&s;dome, let him ask of God,</HI> Jam 1.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we are not able to root out the thorns, and di&s;pel the clouds of errors in our hearts, which will hinder the good &s;eed of the Word.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are not able to bring in the light of truth. Pray then to God to doe it. It grows not in Natures garden, el&s;e we need not ask it, nor God would not bid us ask, if he meant not to give it, for he is not covetous to promi&s;e much, and give little.</P>
<PB N="233" REF="121">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Add prayer to diligence. <HI>Sine ope divina vacillat huma|num &s;tudium. Without Gods help mans &s;tudy faints. Valer. Max.</HI> Pray before Sermon, and after, for a ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Prayer for knowledge mu&s;t be earne&s;t. We mu&s;t cry, and lift up our voyce, as if our voyce were con&s;ecra|ted to that work onely. We mu&s;t ask, &s;eek, and knock for it, Mat. 7.7. The need is great and the benefit will be an&s;we|rable.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Add fire of vehemency to your incen&s;e of prayer for wi&s;dome. A cold Suitor &s;peeds not in the Court of heaven. <HI>Wil&s;on.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 4.</BIBL> If thou &s;eeke&s;t her as &s;ilver, and &s;earche&s;t for her as for hid trea|&s;ures.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;e-man is now come to the top of the Ladder, which doth bring us to true wi&s;dome. The lowe&s;t &s;tep was a docible heart, <HI>v.</HI> 1. The next, humane in&s;truction, <HI>v.</HI> 2. The next above that, prayer to God, <HI>v.</HI> 3. The la&s;t, &s;tudy and painfull endevour through Gods ble&s;&s;ing to obtain it in this <HI>v.</HI> We mu&s;t not lie in a ditch, and cry, God help. We mu&s;t not &s;o tru&s;t to our prayers, that we give over our endevours.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>If.</HI> See on <HI>chap.</HI> 1.10.</P>
<P><HI>Thou &s;eeke&s;t her.</HI> If thou u&s;e all diligence, labour, care and co&s;t to finde wi&s;dome, as men do to finde things they have lo&s;t, or have need of. This word intimates,</P>
<P N="1">1. A lo&s;&s;e or want of &s;omething. El&s;e men &s;eek not for it.</P>
<P N="2">2. A knowledge of this want or lo&s;&s;e. El&s;e men fit &s;till.</P>
<P N="3">3. Some goodne&s;&s;e indeed, or in our opinion, in the thing lo&s;t or wanting. Men are or &s;hould be content to lo&s;e what is evill.</P>
<P N="4">4. Some benefit to our &s;elves in it. El&s;e few will &s;eek it, though good in it &s;elf.</P>
<P N="5">5. An earne&s;t de&s;ire to find it. El&s;e men have no heart to &s;eek it.</P>
<PB N="234" REF="122">
<P N="6">6. A con&s;tant enqu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ry after it, where&s;oever there is any hope to finde it. El&s;e we &s;eek in vain. So it is in &s;eeking after wi&s;dome, we mu&s;t want it, and know that we want it, and &s;ee good in it, and that to our &s;elves, and &s;eek it ear|ne&s;tly and con&s;tantly, if we would find it.</P>
<P><HI>As &s;ilver.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, comes from a word which &s;ig|nifies <HI>to de&s;ire,</HI> becau&s;e all men de&s;ire mony, and it can help them to all outward de&s;irable things, if they be to be had, as meat, drink, cloaths, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. It &s;ignifies &s;ilver in the oar, or lump. <HI>The &s;ilver is mine,</HI> Hag. 2.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. When it is joyned with words of number, it &s;ignifies &s;ilver coyned, or money made of &s;ilver. <HI>Four hundred &s;hekels of &s;ilver,</HI> Gen. 23.16.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e. For the &s;eeking here &s;poken of, is not taken from covetous men, toyling to get money, but from Miners digging for &s;ilver oar, as the words following declare. This may be taken either for mens care in digging in divers places, till they find a vein of &s;ilver, or for their labour in digging to the bottome, when they have found it. So when men want knowledge, they will <HI>wander from Sea to &s;ea, and from the North even to the Ea&s;t, they will run to and fro to &s;eek it,</HI> Amos 8.12. <HI>Many will run to and fro, that knowledge may be increa&s;ed,</HI> Dan. 12.4. From one Book to another, from one Sermon to another, and they will be diligent in the u&s;e of all good means, till wi&s;dome be found out. They know, that <HI>&s;urely there is a vein for the &s;ilver,</HI> Job 28.1. Yet they are not &s;atisfied with that, but enquire further, <HI>Where &s;hall wi&s;dome be found?</HI> Job 28.12. It may well be, that &s;eeking for a mine may be meant by this fir&s;t part of the <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Cunning men, when they &s;ee &s;prings i&s;&s;uing from the bottome of mountains, know by the &s;and, or by the ta&s;te of the water, where &s;ilver mines are. So mu&s;t men gue&s;&s;e by goodne&s;&s;e of doctrine and life, where wi&s;dome is likelye&s;t to be gotten. Men are not con|tent to &s;eek in one place for a mine, but if they &s;peed not there, they dig in another. So mu&s;t we for wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>And &s;earche&s;t for her.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies &s;earching in generall, which yet is &s;omewhat more then &s;eeking. A
<PB N="235" REF="122">man may &s;eek that looks onely in &s;ome likely places, but &s;ear|ching is looking in every room and corner of an hou&s;e. <HI>They &s;hall &s;earch thine hou&s;e, and the hou&s;es of thy &s;ervants; and it &s;hal be, that what&s;oever is plea&s;ant in thine eyes, they &s;hall put it in their hand, and take it away,</HI> 1 King. 20.6. This was a through &s;earch indeed, &s;o mu&s;t the &s;earch of knowledge be. Now there is no way to &s;earch for &s;ilver, but by digging. Miners dig on, till they have got all the &s;ilver out of the mine. So mu&s;t we dig for wi&s;dome as long as we live, for the vein of it is bot|tomle&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>As for hid trea&s;ures.</HI> Not hid in the che&s;ts, which theeves hunt after, nor in the ground, to be &s;aved in times of war from the enemy, which Souldiers &s;earch for, but in Mines, in the bottome of the earth, which men dig deep &s;o. Such pains &s;hould we take for wi&s;dome.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Seek, Search.</HI> Metaphors from men that hunt up and down for things mi&s;&s;ing. It intends to &s;et out our con|tinued pains, which we &s;hould take to get heavenly wi&s;|dome.</P>
<P>Here are two &s;imilitudes.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t taken from Miners care to find veins of &s;ilver.</P>
<P>The &s;econd from their pains in digging it out of the earth.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>If thou &s;eek her.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The manner of performing it, <HI>as &s;ilver.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And &s;earche&s;t for her.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The manner, <HI>as for hid trea&s;ures.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Heavenly wi&s;dome is of great price. Like &s;ilver, and hid trea&s;ures. <HI>More to be de&s;ired then gold; yea, then much fine gold,</HI> P&s;al. 19.10. Yea, then jewels, or precious &s;tones, Job 28.16, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e as wi&s;dome is more excellent then ri|ches, or &s;trength, &s;o heavenly wi&s;dome far exceeds all other wi&s;dome; yea, the mo&s;t curious Arts. All things that ex|cell other in their kinde, are of greate&s;t price. Be&s;t books are deare&s;t: Scholars know it. Be&s;t food is deare&s;t: Citi|zens know it. Be&s;t clothes are deere&s;t: Gentlemen know it.
<PB N="236" REF="123">So &s;hould the be&s;t knowledge be of be&s;t account. <HI>All the earth &s;ought to Solomon, to hear his wi&s;dome,</HI> 1 King. 10.24.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is mo&s;t u&s;efull. Other wi&s;dome tends to, and ends in the comforts of this tran&s;itory life, for to get hou&s;es, food, apparell, which mu&s;t peri&s;h. This wi&s;dome looks after eternity.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To prize this above all other Arts. Things of greate&s;t price &s;hould be mo&s;t prized, and of highe&s;t account with us.</P>
<P N="2">2. To take mo&s;t pains for it, as men do for things that are of greate&s;t price. Scholars take great pains in the Uni|ver&s;ity for one Art. So do Trade&s;-men in the &s;hop for one Trade. How much more pains &s;hould we take for the chie|fe&s;t wi&s;dome?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Heavenly wi&s;dome is far remote and hidden from us. As mines buryed deep in the earth. It is hid from <HI>the eyes of all living, &amp;c.</HI> Job 28.20. <HI>It is to the Jews a &s;tumbling block, and unto the Greeks fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.23.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is beyond our invention. Many witty things have been invented by men, but no man &s;o wi&s;e, that could ever &s;tumble upon the way to heaven. <HI>No man hath &s;een God at any time; the onely begotten Son, which is in the bo&s;ome of the Father, he hath declared him,</HI> Joh. 1.18.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is beyond our apprehen&s;ion. Sen&s;e and rea&s;on with|out illumination cannot conceive of divine truths manife&s;ted to us in Scripture. <HI>Thou ha&s;t hid the&s;e things from the wi&s;e and prudent, and ha&s;t revealed them unto babes,</HI> Matth. 11.25. <HI>The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.14.</P>
<P><HI>Object. The commandement is not hidden from us, neither far off.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is neer in regard of Gods revelation, though not in regard of our acceptation, as the Sun &s;hines on a blinde man, that &s;ees it not.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ble&s;&s;e God for any mea&s;ure of heavenly truth made known to thee. He gave both light and &s;ight.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t &s;earch for the means of obtaining hea|venly wi&s;dome. As they that will dig for &s;ilver, mu&s;t get Mattocks, and Spades, and finde out mines. <HI>Come, and &s;ee,</HI> Joh.
<PB N="237" REF="123">1.46. The people follow Chri&s;t by &s;hipping to be taught, Joh. 6.24.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God doth not work by miracle now, as he did, when he gave tongues, and healing power, Act. 2.3, 4.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e wi&s;dome grows not every where. <HI>Non omnis fert omnia tellus.</HI> Severall Lands have &s;everall Hearbs, Trees, li|ving Creatures.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Seek to live under godly Mini&s;ters, where Gods Word drops like dew from <HI>Sion,</HI> to make the valleys fruit|full. There are the <HI>Indies,</HI> where mines of golden truth are to be found. And men &s;pare for no co&s;t to travell to the <HI>Indies,</HI> nor fear no perill.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t u&s;e the means when we finde them. So men dig when they have found a mine. <HI>Cornelius</HI> is at co&s;t to &s;end to <HI>Joppa</HI> for <HI>Peter</HI> to in&s;truct him, as God enjoyned him, Act. 10.32, 33. <HI>The next Sabbath day came almost the whole City together, to hear the Word of God,</HI> Act. 13.44.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hath appointed them. And his will is a law to us, to u&s;e them, although we had no need of them, or thought other means better, as <HI>Naaman</HI> thought his <HI>Syrian</HI> rivers better then <HI>Jordan,</HI> 2 King. 5.12.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e we have great need of them, and cannot attain true wi&s;dome without them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It cryes down tho&s;e that cry down Gods ordinances. They had need put this text out of the Bible. It will be a &s;trong witne&s;&s;e again&s;t them el&s;e at the day of judgement. Men will dig in Gold mines, yea in Coal mines, while any thing is left. They can never dig the Scripture dry. But men of this generation are wi&s;er for the world, then for heaven.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>D.</HI> We mu&s;t take pains in the u&s;e of the means of know|ledge. So do men in digging for &s;ilver. <HI>We mu&s;t watch daily at Wi&s;domes gates, and wait at the po&s;ts of her dores,</HI> ch. 8.34. <HI>Give attendance to reading,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e worldly men take &s;o much pains for wealth, which is not to be compared to knoweldge. Miners take great care, &s;tudy, pains, and are at great co&s;t; and &s;pend much time to get gold and &s;ilver out of the earth, and after|ward
<PB N="238" REF="124">to purge it from the dro&s;&s;e. Merchants are at much co&s;t, and run many dangers by &s;torms and Pirats to get gain. All their heart runs after it. So &s;hould ours after wi&s;dome. <HI>Omnis cupiditas in illam tendatur.</HI> We &s;hould &s;eek it with as vehement de&s;ire, as covetous men &s;eek after money. Not that covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e is to be commended, but that we &s;hould be a&s;hamed not to &s;eek after wi&s;dome &s;o earne&s;tly, as they do after riches. See how patiently they that love money, labour and &s;weat for it, forbear plea&s;ure, and delight, take all occa&s;ions of gain, avoid all occa&s;ions of lo&s;&s;e. And we do not &s;o much for heavenly wi&s;dome, which is far better. For riches dimini&s;h by u&s;e, wi&s;dome encrea&s;es. So Chri&s;ts coming is &s;et out by a theeve's in the night, 1 The&s;&s;. 5.2. We are &s;poken to here after the manner of men, Rom. 6.19. For wi&s;dome &s;hould be &s;ought with more diligence then riches.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e though God could give it us without our la|bour, yet he will not, that we may the more e&s;teem it, being hardly gotten. So Husbandmen, Shepherds, Gardiners, Labourers, Inkeepers, Merchants, learn Languages, Arith|metick, incur many dangers. <HI>Per mare pauperiem fugiens, per &s;axa, per ignes, Impiger extremos currens Mercator ad Indos. Horat. The greedy Merchant runs to the Indies through &s;ea, rocks, and fires to avoyd poverty.</HI> The unju&s;t Steward cannot dig. It requires no great skill, but is too great a labour for him, Luk. 16.3.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e we mu&s;t not <HI>fodere</HI> only, but <HI>effodere;</HI> not only dig, but dig out. All the Diggers labour is lo&s;t, if he dig not till he dig the oar out of the ground. Yea, men dig till they dig it all out. So mu&s;t we labour till we attain the height of knowledge.</P>
<P N="4">4. The plea&s;ure and profit will an&s;wer all the pains. It brings happine&s;&s;e and better profit then merchandi&s;e of gold and &s;ilver, <HI>chap.</HI> 3.13, 14. It will make amends if a man &s;ell all he hath for it, Matth. 13.44. The fruit is an&s;we|rable to the labour. The trea&s;ure an&s;wers the Miners pains, and fills him with joy, when his labour is done. He fares the better for it all his life long.</P>
<PB N="239" REF="124">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us be a&s;hamed that we have taken no more pains in the u&s;e of the means to get heavenly wi&s;dome. We may &s;ay of Knowledge, as <HI>Simonides</HI> &s;aid of Virtue, <HI>Fertur in ru|pibus aditu difficilibus habitare: It is reported to dwell in rocks hardly acce&s;&s;ible. Sudor ante virtutem po&s;itus: Sweat goes before virtue. Clem. Strom. l.</HI> 4. A man mu&s;t climbe or dig for it, if he will have it. Worldly men dig where they have hope of a Mine, though with much uncertainty. We may be a&s;ha|med of doing &s;o little, where there is certainty of finding wi&s;dome. <HI>Vi&s;cera terrae extrahimus, ut digito ge&s;tiatur gemma, quam petimus. Quot manus afferuntur, ut unus niteat articulus? Simili &s;tudio, indu&s;tri&acirc;, con&s;tanti&acirc;, &s;apien iae inqui&s;itioni incumbendum erat. Plin. l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 65. <HI>We draw out the bowels of the earth to get a jewell we de&s;ire to wear on a finger. How many hands are worn out, that one finger may &s;hine? The like &s;tudy, indu&s;try, con&s;tancy, &s;hould we u&s;e in &s;earching for wi&s;dome.</HI> We may then marvell at, and bewail our &s;lothfulne&s;&s;e in &s;eeking wi&s;dome, who all our life long are &s;o diligent to &s;eek for wealth.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t be con&s;tant in our pains in the u&s;e of the means of getting wi&s;dome. So are men unweariable in digging for trea&s;ure. <HI>This Book of the Law &s;hall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou &s;halt meditate therein day and night,</HI> Jo&s;h. 1.8. <HI>The ble&s;&s;ed man meditates in Gods Law day and night,</HI> P&s;al. 1.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the Mini&s;ters are to preach con&s;tantly. <HI>Preach the Word in &s;ea&s;on, out of &s;ea&s;on,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.2. And if Schoolma&s;ters mu&s;t keep hours, it is fit Scholars do &s;o al&s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. We &s;hall not be perfect in knowledge while we live, no not if we had attained to <HI>Paul</HI>'s &s;tature. <HI>We &s;hould know but in part, till that which is perfect come,</HI> 1 Cor. 13.9, 10. And we mu&s;t not give over means, till we attain to a full mea&s;ure of knowledge. As a &s;ick man gives not over phy&s;ick and diet, till he be fully recovered.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let &s;uch take it to heart, who have found &s;weetne&s;&s;e in Gods ordinances, and now finde none. Where is their con&s;tancy? <HI>Qui the&s;aurum effod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nt in mundo, lic&egrave;t infinitas ca|piant divitias, non pri&ugrave;s ab&s;i&s;tunt. qu&agrave;m totum exhau&s;erint. Non enim ut multa tollant, &s;ed ut nihil relig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uant haec eos praecipu&egrave; cura
<PB N="240" REF="125">tenere &s;olet. Multo mag&igrave;s hoc nos in divinis facere the&s;auris opertet tamdi&ugrave; effodere quoad totum exhau&s;erimus apparens. Apparens au|tem dixi, quoniam omnia exhaurire non datur. Chry&s;o&s;t. in Homil. &s;uper orat. Annae. They that dig out trea&s;ures in the world, although they get infinite riches, yet cea&s;e not till they have drawn the Mine dry: For this is their chief care, not to get out much, but to leave none be|hinde. Much more &s;hould we do thus, dig &s;o long, till we draw out all that appears. Now I &s;ay that appears, becau&s;e no man hath power to draw out all. Arborem quam &s;umma con&s;picis viriditate laetari, ni&s;i fimo &amp; humore &s;ubterraneo foveatur, continu&egrave; exare&s;cet, nec viror corticis quicquam valet, ni&s;i virtus stipitis humorem continuum &s;ibi trahat. Sic &amp; homo, quantumcunque in &s;apientia vire&s;cat, &s;i novum humorem continu&egrave; &s;ibi non trahat per &s;tudium, acqui&s;ita viriditas facilit&egrave;r exare&s;cit.</HI> Ca&s;&s;iodor. <HI>l.</HI> 2. <HI>The tree which thou &s;ee&s;t enjoy the mo&s;t greenne&s;&s;e, unle&s;&s;e it be continually cheri&s;hed with dung, and underground moysture, will be dryed up; neither is the greenne&s;&s;e of the bark worth any thing, unle&s;&s;e the force of the trunk draw moy&s;ture to it continually. So a man, how green &s;oever he be in knowledge, if he draw not daily new moy&s;ture to him|&s;elf by &s;tudy, his greenne&s;&s;e gotten will ea&s;ily be dryed up.</HI> The cau&s;e why many get not &s;aving knowledge, is, becau&s;e di&s;|couragement makes them give over labour. But <HI>&s;eek and ye &s;hall find,</HI> Matth. 7.7. <HI>Plantin</HI> the curious Printers Motto was, <HI>Labore &amp; con&s;tantia: By labour and con&s;tancy.</HI></P>
<P>But what are tho&s;e means that we mu&s;t u&s;e to get know|ledge?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Light and &s;ight. So in worldly things, light of the Sun, and our eyes mu&s;t be u&s;ed to di&s;tingui&s;h objects. The light is manifold:</P>
<P N="1">1. Of Creatures, which mu&s;t be u&s;ed by ob&s;ervation of Gods power, wi&s;dome, goodne&s;&s;e characteri&s;ed in them. Rom. 1.20. <HI>The invi&s;ible things of God are &s;een from the creation of the world.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Of Scriptureu&s;ed by reading. <HI>Nihil invenitur, ni&s;i quod per viam &s;uam quaeritur: Nothing is found, unle&s;&s;e &s;ought in the right way.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Of the Word preached, u&s;ed by hearing.</P>
<P N="4">4. Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, u&s;ed by re|ceiving.</P>
<PB N="241" REF="125">
<P N="5">5. Of good parts given to others, u&s;ed by conference.</P>
<P N="6">6. Of principles in our &s;elves, u&s;ed by meditation.</P>
<P>The fight is twofold. As the body hath two eyes, &s;o likewi&s;e hath the &s;oul.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is Rea&s;on, whereby man mu&s;t &s;eek to under&s;tand all the former means of knowledge truely.</P>
<P>The &s;econd is Illumination, whereby he is made able to under&s;tand &s;uch things as Rea&s;on could not reach. This is the cleerer eye of the twain.</P>
<P>The&s;e mu&s;t be continually poring upon the former grounds, that we may under&s;tand the words of Wi&s;dome. The&s;e are the means to attain true wi&s;dome, a docible mind, in&s;truction by others, prayer to God, and diligent &s;tudy. Where all the&s;e are joyned, there is no doubt of good &s;uc|ce&s;&s;e. U&s;e them all then, and fare well: one tool will never build an hou&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 5.</BIBL> Then &s;hall thou under&s;tand the fear of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The way to true wi&s;dome hath been &s;et down before, now follow the benefits of it, to allure us to take pains, and ob&s;erve the former directions to get it, and tho&s;e are &s;et down,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Pofitively, to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 10.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Privatively, to the end of the <HI>chap.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. It contains promi&s;es of good things to be gotten by &s;earching for wi&s;dome. After the precepts and in&s;tructions, followeth the promi&s;e of good &s;ucce&s;&s;e to every one which is tractable, and per&s;waded to ob&s;erve the directi|ons propo&s;ed. Here is promi&s;ed,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Wi&s;dome to direct us how to carry our &s;elves toward God, <HI>v.</HI> 5, 6, 7, 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Towards men. <HI>v.</HI> 9.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t part note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The things promi&s;ed, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The rea&s;ons why we may expect them.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. From Gods liberality, <HI>v.</HI> 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. From divine in&s;truction, <HI>v.</HI> 6. al&s;o.</ITEM>
<PB N="242" REF="126">
<ITEM>3. From his plentifull provi&s;ion, <HI>v.</HI> 7.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. From his defence of them again&s;t errors and follies, <HI>v.</HI> 7. al&s;o.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. From his direction in matters of truth, <HI>v.</HI> 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. From his pre&s;ervation of them that are his in practicall duties of Religion, <HI>v.</HI> 8. al&s;o.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The &s;umme is: They &s;hall under&s;tand how to know and fear God aright, becau&s;e God will give them light and fight, and &s;tore of it; and power to avoyd errors in judgement and practi&s;e, and to keep truth and piety. For the things pro|mi&s;ed in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Then.</HI> When thou ha&s;t u&s;ed all the former means. But if thou go any other way to &s;eek true wi&s;dome, then God hath appointed, thou art &s;ure to go without this heavenly trea&s;ure. For the word &s;ee on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.28.</P>
<P><HI>Thou &s;halt under&s;tand.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.6.</P>
<P><HI>The fear of the Lord.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>And find.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>The knowledge.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.4.</P>
<P><HI>Of God.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, comes from a word that &s;ignifies power. For all power is from God. It is u&s;ed,</P>
<P N="1">1. For the true God. <HI>In the beginning God created the hea|ven and the earth,</HI> Gen. 1.1. And it is the fir&s;t name that is gi|ven to God in Scripture.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is attributed to Idole, and fal&s;e gods, as the picture of a man is called a man. So are they called gods, becau&s;e they &s;eem &s;o to men, though they be utterly unworthy of that name, and have no divine power in them at all. <HI>All the gods of the Nations are idals,</HI> P&s;a. 96.3. <HI>They have ca&s;t their gods unto the fire, for they were no gods,</HI> I&s;a. 37.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is put for the images of the true God. <HI>The&s;e be thy Gods, O I&s;rael,</HI> Exod. 32.8. The Galf was made for an image or repre&s;entation of the true God, as appears by what &s;ol|lows, <HI>which have brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt.</HI> Such were <HI>Jeroboam</HI>'s Calves, not Images of <HI>Bual,</HI> but of the true God, 1 King. 12.28.</P>
<P N="4">4. For the Angels, which are neere&s;t to God in glory and power, far excelling all earthly and bodily creatures in
<PB N="243" REF="126">both. <HI>Thou ha&s;t made him a little lower then the Angels,</HI> P&s;a. 8.5.</P>
<P N="5">5. For men that come neere&s;t to God in &s;tate and power, e&s;pecially Magi&s;trates and Judges. <HI>I have &s;aid, Ye are gods,</HI> P&s;. 82.6.</P>
<P N="6">6. It is u&s;ed to &s;et out the greatne&s;&s;e or excellency of a thing, though unrea&s;onable, in that wherein it excells all other things of the &s;ame kinde, and &s;o comes neerer to God then they do. <HI>Nineveh was an exceeding great City,</HI> Hebr. <HI>a great City of God.</HI> Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for the true God, for the knowledge of other gods will do us no good, without the knowledge of him, but hurt rather. <HI>Their &s;orrows &s;hall be multiplyed that ha&s;ten after another God,</HI> P&s;a. 16.4.</P>
<P>The &s;umme of all is: That he which con&s;cionably u&s;eth all the former means, &s;hall experimentally be acquainted with true piety and religion, and &s;oundly &s;ea&s;oned with an holy illumination, and made judicious in Scripture truths, and matters of faith; &s;o that he &s;hall be well able to di&s;cern between light and darkne&s;&s;e, between truth and errors, in mea&s;ure competent for his &s;alvation.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>The fear of the Lord Syneed. Speciei.</HI> Hereby is meant true religion and piety, which be&s;ides the fear of God requires many other graces, but this is one of the principall, and put for all the re&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Finde.</HI> A Metaphor from Seekers. The benefits to be gotten are two.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The fear of God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The knowledge of God.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the fir&s;t note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The time, <HI>Then.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>thou &s;halt under&s;tand,</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>the fear.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>of the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And find.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>the knowledge,</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>of God.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="244" REF="127">
<P>Here the <HI>Ifs</HI> end, and the &s;entence is compleated thus: If thou do all the former things, thou &s;halt have heavenly knowledge.</P>
<P><HI>Then,</HI> is to be taken,</P>
<P N="1">1. Inclu&s;ively, when thou ha&s;t u&s;ed all the former means, thou may&s;t expect it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Exclu&s;ively. Never look for it, till thou have u&s;ed them all.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men that con&s;cionably u&s;e all means of getting true wi&s;dome, appointed by God, may expect good &s;ucce&s;&s;e from him. So did <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peed, who records his Fathers in&s;tructions, from <HI>ch.</HI> 4.4. to <HI>ch.</HI> 9. <HI>end,</HI> and his Mothers, <HI>ch.</HI> 31. He al&s;o u&s;ed &s;tudy, and gave his heart to it, Eccl. 1.13. He prayed for it, 2 Chr. 1.10. and &s;o got a great mea&s;ure of it. <HI>Meditate upon the&s;e things, give thy &s;elf wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e Gods promi&s;e is voyd, and then his truth will be que&s;tioned. Men may fail of performing promi&s;es, for want of wit to fore&s;ee inconveniences, and power to effect what they &s;ay. But God wants neither.</P>
<P N="2">2. The means appointed by God would be &s;lighted. Who would ever &s;tudy Law or phy&s;ick, if after all his pains he could not attain to the profitable knowledge of them?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let this encourage you to &s;tudy for true wi&s;dome. Here is a fair promi&s;e, God will not fail us, if we take pains to get wi&s;dome. Many of the people fooli&s;hly com|plain, that they cannot know the way to true wi&s;dome. Great Scholars cannot agree upon it. Sure if they &s;ought as diligently by reading the Scriptures and Prayer, and other good means, as they and others labour for wealth, they would find wi&s;dome. The rich young man came to Chri&s;t, as de|firous to learn, yet preferring his wealth before true wi&s;|dome, went without it. When men &s;ee Merchants returne home rich, and Husband-men have great crops, they are en|couraged to tho&s;e Trades. So &s;hould we be encouraged to &s;eek wi&s;dome by what others have got. Try the means, and let what you get encourage you to &s;eek for more; as men work &s;till, and harder in their Trades, when gain comes. <HI>Salomon</HI> finding his <HI>Ophir</HI> trade for gold to thrive, 1 King.
<PB N="245" REF="127">9.28. &s;ent thither every three yeers, 1 King. 10.22. So let us be encouraged by what we have got already, to get more wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is no expectation of attaining true wi&s;|dome, without a con&s;cionable u&s;e of all good means. The Kings of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> could not obtain true wi&s;dome, nor the wic|ked Kings of <HI>Judah,</HI> becau&s;e they u&s;ed not the means pre|&s;cribed to them to cau&s;e the Law to be written out for them, and to read therein all the dayes of their life, Deut. 17.18, 19, 20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God will not ble&s;&s;e their labours, that go not his way. They may as well expect &s;trength without food, health without phy&s;ick, warmth without clothes or fire, crops without plowing or &s;owing.</P>
<P N="2">2. God will cro&s;&s;e tho&s;e that go their owne wayes to get wi&s;dome. For they a&s;cribe to them&s;elves a power above God, and a wi&s;dome &s;utable, that pull down his way to &s;et up another.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews us a rea&s;on why many have not true wi&s;|dome, becau&s;e they &s;eek it not in Gods way, and God will not give it in theirs. They have no mind to learn it, hear &s;eldome, pray &s;eldomer, never &s;tudy.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much wi&s;dome is needfull to find out the true religion. <HI>Timothy from a childe had learned the holy Scriptures, which were able to make him wi&s;e to &s;alvation,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15. <HI>The wi&s;dome that is from above, is fir&s;t pure, then peaceable, &amp;c.</HI> Jam. 3.17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is high above us; &s;en&s;e nor rea&s;on cannot reach it.</P>
<P N="2">2. There are many &s;hews of fal&s;e religions to deceive us. As <HI>voluntary humility, and wor&s;hipping of Angels; a &s;hew of wi&s;dome in will-wor&s;hip, &amp;c.</HI> Col. 2.18.23. All is not gold that gli|&s;ters.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Marvell not that men are &s;o ready to imbrace fal&s;e re|ligions, Popery, Idolatry, Herefie. It is for want of true wi&s;dome. They think them&s;elves wifer then they are. <HI>Vainman would be wi&s;e, though man be born like a wild A&s;&s;es colt,</HI> Job 11.12. The name here given to God is <HI>Jehovah,</HI> which &s;ignifies <HI>being.</HI></P>
<PB N="246" REF="128">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t look upon God as the fountain of all being. <HI>In him we live, and move, and have our being,</HI> Act. 17, 28. <HI>Of him, and through him, and to him are all things,</HI> Rom. 11.36.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e this will be glorious to God when we &s;ee him in all things.</P>
<P N="2">2. It will be plea&s;ing to us, as to men, to read their genea|logies; and to children, to &s;ee their parents love in their clothes, victuals, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It will be profitable to others, and keep us from wron|ging others. He who made them, will right them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us, as &s;ee God in our being, &s;o prai&s;e him <HI>while we have any being,</HI> P&s;al. 146.2.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> The knowledge of God is worth the finding. <HI>Let him that gloryeth, glory in this, that he under&s;tandeth and know|eth me, that I am the Lord,</HI> Jer. 9.24. <HI>I count all things but lo&s;&s;e for the excellency of the knowledge of Chri&s;t Je&s;us my Lord,</HI> Phil. 3.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e Acquaintance with good men brings much good; much more with God, who can do us more good then all the creatures can.</P>
<P N="2">2. Heaven is not to be had without it. <HI>This is life eternal, that they might know thee the onely true God,</HI> Joh. 17.3. No ad|mi&s;&s;ion to live in a palace without the owners acquaintance. Heaven is Gods palace.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Woe be to them that &s;eek &s;o much to get acquaintance on earth, but never look after acquaintance with God. They may &s;eek it when it is too late. When they come to die, and would &s;crape acquaintance with God, he will &s;ay, <HI>I never knew you: Depart from me,</HI> Matt. 7.23. Therefore <HI>acquaint thy &s;elf now with him, and he at peace, thereby good &s;hall come unto thee,</HI> Job 22.21.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t look upon God as mo&s;t powerfull. <HI>God hath &s;poken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God,</HI> P&s;al. 62.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e we may have need of more then a created power, which is not to be found but in God.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> When men over-power you, look up to Gods power. This may ea&s;e your &s;pirits.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="247" REF="128">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 6.</BIBL> For the Lord giveth wi&s;dome; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and under&s;tanding.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Here are the two fir&s;t rea&s;ons, why they which con&s;cio|nably u&s;e all the former means, &s;hall attain true knowledge. And they are taken from Gods liberality in giving wi&s;dome inwardly to make the &s;oul &s;ee the truth, and his outward in&s;truction of things fit to be di&s;cerned by that wi&s;dome wrought in the &s;oul within. God gives fight and light. Both are nece&s;&s;ary, and both from God.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.9. Some the the&s;e words to the third <HI>v.</HI> as giving a rea&s;on why we &s;hould pray to God for knowledge; becau&s;e he is ready to give it. Others knit it to the &s;ourth <HI>v.</HI> thus, by way of qualification. Though thou mu&s;t u&s;e all diligence to get heavenly wi&s;dome, yet know, that all thy wit and labour cannot reach it, but God mu&s;t give it to thee, or thou wilt never have it. But it is be&s;t to knit it to the <HI>ver&s;.</HI> immediately before. If any man &s;hould &s;ay, I de|&s;pair of getting heavenly wi&s;dome. My pains cannot reach it, and God will not hear my prayers. <HI>Bolomon</HI> an&s;wers in the text, De&s;pair not, for God is as ready to give, as thou art to a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">k it.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord.</HI> See on <HI>chap.</HI> 1.7. God gives true wi&s;dome inclu&s;ively. He can do it. And exclu&s;ively. None el&s;e can do it.</P>
<P><HI>Giveth,</HI> Heb. <HI>will give;</HI> to wit, if thou pray and labour for it, as before. For the word &s;ee on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.4.</P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.2.</P>
<P><HI>Out of his mouth.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. That member which we call the mouth of the body. <HI>They have months, but they &s;peak not,</HI> P&s;al. 115.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. The manife&s;tation of ones mind by &s;peech, or words which come out of the mouth. <HI>According to thy Word &s;hall all my people be ruled,</HI> Gen. 41.40. The word is in Hebr. <HI>thy mouth.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The wound top of a well, or garment, or ve&s;&s;el, which
<PB N="248" REF="129">is like a mouth. <HI>A great &s;tone was upon the wells mouth,</HI> Gen. 29.2.</P>
<P N="4">4. The edge of a &s;word which devours or de&s;troys men, as the mouth doth meat. <HI>And they &s;lew Hamor, and She|them his Son with the edge</HI> (Heb <HI>the mouth</HI>) <HI>of the &s;word,</HI> Gen. 34.26.</P>
<P N="5">5. The end or corner of a place. <HI>The hou&s;e of Bael was full from one end to another,</HI> Heb. <HI>mouth,</HI> 2 King. 10.21.</P>
<P N="6">6. A part or portion, as the mouth is a part of the face. <HI>By giving him a double portion,</HI> Heb. <HI>mouth,</HI> Deut. 21.17.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e for the manife&s;tation of truth by God in his Word, or by his Mini&s;ters.</P>
<P><HI>Cometh.</HI> It is not in the Originall, but added by the Inter|preters fitly to make up the &s;en&s;e, and therefore it is printed in &s;maller letters.</P>
<P><HI>Knowledge.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.4.</P>
<P><HI>And under&s;tanding.</HI> See on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. of this <HI>chap.</HI> Some take wi&s;dome, knowledge, and under&s;tanding, to be all one here. As if the wi&s;e man bore &s;o great affection to it, that he could not name it often enough, nor finde words &s;ufficient to expre&s;&s;e the worth of it. <HI>Baine</HI> di&s;tingui&s;heth them thus, By Wi&s;dome is meant the knowledge of heavenly things; by knowledge, things needfull to be known here in the world; by Under&s;tanding, di&s;cretion to carry our &s;elves well among men. But it is mo&s;t likely, that they are <HI>Synonymas,</HI> and in|tend no more but knowledge of what we &s;hould beleeve, and how we &s;hould carry our &s;elves religiou&s;ly, and &s;o it an&s;wers well to the former <HI>ver&s;.</HI> and gives a good rea&s;on to confirm it. Thou &s;halt under&s;tand, becau&s;e God gives wi&s;|dome, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Figures. Gods mouth is put here for his revealing truth.</P>
<P N="1">1. By a Metaphor, attributing a mouth to God, and &s;pea|king of him after the manner of men, although he have no body, nor bodily members.</P>
<P N="2">2. By a Metonymie of the cau&s;e for the effect. Hereby is meant Gods revealing his will, as men do by their mouths make their minde known, yet in another way more befitting Gods &s;pirituall e&s;&s;ence, by a &s;ound from Heaven, or by
<PB N="249" REF="129">Angels, or by his Servants, Prophets, and Mini&s;ters; or in|wardly, by his Spirit.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Gods liberality.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. His in&s;truction.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The per&s;on &s;poken of, <HI>the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>giveth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>wi&s;dome.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The two gifts, <HI>knowledge and under&s;tanding.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The way of be&s;towing by divine information, <HI>cometh out of his mouth.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. God gives the &s;oul eyes by illumination.</P>
<P N="2">2. He gives light by revelation. We &s;hall &s;ee the fruit of our labour in &s;earching for heavenly wi&s;dome, for God will give it.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> What we cannot do in &s;earch of true wi&s;dome, God will &s;upply. So he taught <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Daniel</HI> what <HI>Aegyptian</HI> and <HI>Chaldean</HI> wi&s;dome could not teach them. So he taught <HI>David</HI> what his Teachers could not. So he confe&s;&s;es, <HI>I have more under&s;tanding then all my Teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation,</HI> P&s;al. 119.99. So he taught <HI>Solomon</HI> more then any of the children of the <HI>Ea&s;t,</HI> or all the Wi&s;e men of <HI>Aegypt</HI> knew, 1 King. 4.30. So he would teach the <HI>Philip|pians,</HI> what they could not teach one another. <HI>If in any thing ye be otherwi&s;e minded, God &s;hall reveal even this unto you,</HI> Phil. 3.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of Gods mercy, He will not leave his &s;ervants in the &s;uds. If he will have birds fly, he gives them wings. If he give an heart to &s;eek for wi&s;dome, he &s;upplyes by his Spirit where means fall &s;hort.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of Gods glory. He will perfect the work, that he may have the honour of the whole. <HI>Je&s;us is the author and fini&s;her of our faith,</HI> Heb. 12.2. He will not lo&s;e his glory for mens imperfections, but will &s;upply what is wan|ting.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> This may encourage Gods people to labour for wi&s;|dome. If aboy willing to learn had a Schoolma&s;ter, that
<PB N="250" REF="130">would &s;ay to him, Study hard; when you &s;tick, I will help you out. My head is better then yours. Would he not &s;tudy? So do ye. God will &s;upply what ye want.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 2. When ye &s;tick at difficulties, pray to God to re|&s;olve you. He will help you out of the ditch.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dome is a free gift: If a man ask wi&s;dome of God, <HI>it &s;hall be given him,</HI> Jam. 1.5. <HI>I have given thee a wi&s;e and under&s;tanding heart,</HI> &s;aith God to <HI>Solomon,</HI> 1 Ki. 3.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. <HI>A parte ant&egrave;,</HI> from our condition before. We have no &s;pirituall wi&s;dome naturally, nor &s;trength that can get it, nor wealth that can purcha&s;e it. We are born fools, and <HI>dead in &s;ins and tre&s;pa&s;&s;es,</HI> Eph. 2.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>A parte po&s;t.</HI> We can give no requitall to God, who gives it. We cannot teach him wi&s;dome. <HI>Who hath known the minde of the Lord, or who hath been his coun&s;ellour, or who hath fir&s;t given to him, and it &s;hall be recompen&s;ed unto him again?</HI> Rom. 11.34, 35. Neither can we with all our wi&s;dome, no not, when we are in heaven, add any thing to Gods happine&s;&s;e, who is perfection it &s;elf. Poor Apprentices, when they get skill in their Trades, may help to make their Ma&s;ters rich. We cannot do &s;o to God.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To teach us to receive wi&s;dome being a free gift. There is none among us, which would not onely think him|&s;elf to be out of his wits, if he &s;hould refu&s;e a thing, which he could not want, but al&s;o would judge him&s;elf mo&s;t un|thankfull, if he did not receive it with hearty thank&s;giving, when it was freely offered him. We would hardly pur|cha&s;e heavenly wi&s;dome, if we will not receive it of free gift.</P>
<P N="2">2. To teach us humility. If we get true wi&s;dome, let us not attribute it to our own &s;trength, nor crow over others. Fi&s;hermen got it, when Phari&s;ees could not.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dome comes from the Lord alone. Hither the Apo&s;tle <HI>James</HI> &s;ends us to beg it. <HI>If any of you lack wi&s;|dome, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbrai|deth not,</HI> Jam. 1.5. <HI>Solomon</HI> prayes to God for it, and obtains it of God, 1 Kin. 3.9, 12. If (as a learned man &s;aith) that all profitable learning in the world came out of <HI>Adam</HI>'s mouth at fir&s;t, as from a mo&s;t wi&s;e teacher and fountain;
<PB N="251" REF="130">how much better may the &s;ame be &s;aid of <HI>the onely wi&s;e God?</HI> Jude <HI>v.</HI> 25. <HI>who is wonderfull in coun&s;ell, and excellent in working,</HI> I&s;a. 28.29.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. The Law, the mo&s;t compleat rule of life came from him. No Laws of <HI>Solon,</HI> or of the wi&s;e&s;t men come neer it. No man could find out &s;uch.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Go&s;pel is from him alone. As he gave the Law by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> &s;o the Go&s;pel by <HI>Christ,</HI> Joh. 1.17. Angels could not have found out a way to &s;atisfie Gods ju&s;tice, and &s;ave us.</P>
<P N="3">3. All prophe&s;ies are from him alone. <HI>The Word of the Lord that came unto Ho&s;ea,</HI> Ho&s;. 1.1. <HI>The revelation of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which God gave unto him,</HI> Rev. 1.1. None can tell things to come, but God.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Let us then not tru&s;t to the rivers, but go to the fountain for waters of wi&s;dome. You may learn humane wi&s;dome from <HI>Plato</HI> and <HI>Ari&s;totle,</HI> but divine wi&s;dome is not to be &s;ought in the books of Heathen writers, and Infidels, but in tho&s;e books which come out of Gods owne mouth. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;ends us thither for it, from whence he had it him|&s;elf. <HI>Origo fontium, &amp; fluminum omnium mare e&s;t: virtutum, &amp; &s;cientiarum, Dominus Je&s;us Chri&s;tus. Bern. in Cant. Serm.</HI> 13. <HI>The originall of all fountains and rivers is the Sea. The originall of all virtues and &s;ciences, is the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Ad &s;apientem pertinet con&s;iderare cau&s;am alti&s;&s;imam, per quam certi&s;&s;im&egrave; de aliis judicatur, &amp; &s;ecundum quod omnia ordinari oportebit. Ari&s;totle. It belongs to a wi&s;e man to con&s;ider of the highe&s;t cau&s;e by which he may mo&s;t certainly judge of others, and according to which all things mu&s;t be ordered. Non Chaldaeorum in&s;titutio, &s;ed divina gratia pueros intelligentes fecit. It was not the in&s;truction of the Chaldeans, but Gods grace which made the young men wi&s;e. Theodor. in Dan.</HI> 1.17.</P>
<P N="2">2. Take notice that our wi&s;dome is not from our &s;elves, but from God. It is not in our power to get it. Be not then proud of thy wi&s;dome, as if God were a debtor to thee for u&s;ing thy wi&s;dome to his glory. He hath paid thee be|forehand, he gave thee thy wi&s;dome, and if thou u&s;e it to his glory, he will pay thee again with eternall glory. Proud per&s;ons then mu&s;t be dumb, unle&s;&s;e they make <HI>Solomon</HI>
<PB N="252" REF="131">a liar, who &s;aith, <HI>The Lord giveth wi&s;dome.</HI> What wi&s;dome then &s;oever we have, we mu&s;t not prai&s;e our &s;elves for it, as if we were &s;omething more then others, which are voyd thereof: but without advancing our &s;elves, we mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e with St. <HI>James,</HI> that <HI>every good, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,</HI> Jam. 1.17. Otherwi&s;e we &s;hould well de&s;erve to hear, <HI>Who maketh thee to differ from another? And, what ha&s;t thou, that thou did&s;t not re|ceive? Now, if thou did&s;t receive it, why do&s;t thou glory as if thou had&s;t not received it?</HI> 1 Cor. 4 7.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> All manner of heavenly knowledge is from God. <HI>God, who at &s;undry times, and in divers manners, &s;pake to our Fathers by the Prophets, hath in the&s;e la&s;t dayes &s;poken to us by his Son,</HI> Heb. 1.1, 2. <HI>Fle&s;h and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Fa|ther, which is in heaven,</HI> Mat. 16.17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e none can teach us to know God, but God him&s;elf. Who can con&s;ider of the highe&s;t cau&s;e, but by influence from the highe&s;t cau&s;e? Who can &s;ee the Sun, but by influence from the Sun?</P>
<P N="2">2. We cannot know heaven but by Gods revelation. As we know not what is in the <HI>Indies,</HI> but by relation of &s;uch as dwell or have been there.</P>
<P N="3">3. We know not the way to heaven but by Gods direction. Mens brains may make a ladder to climbe to Kingdomes, but <HI>Jacob</HI>'s ladder, where God &s;tands at the top, can onely reach to heaven.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Try your wi&s;dome, whether heavenly or no, in di|vine things, by the originall of it. The con&s;cience is trou|bled with the guilt of &s;in; God &s;ets Chri&s;ts blood alone before thee; Papi&s;ts &s;et merits, works of &s;upererogation, Popes pardons, to help clen&s;e it. Gods way is the be&s;t. The &s;oul is oppre&s;&s;ed with filth of &s;in. God offers his Spirit to clen&s;e this &s;oul &s;table. Papi&s;ts talk of whippings, ab&s;tinence from fle&s;h, yet are many of their votaries, <HI>homines, quos &s;i vel foeno pa&s;ceres, la&s;civirent. Era&s;mi vita. Men that would be wanton, if they eat nothing but hay.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods Word and Mini&s;ters mu&s;t be regarded in the &s;earch of wi&s;dome. <HI>To the Law, and to the Te&s;timony; if they &s;peak not according to this Word, it is becau&s;e there is no light in
<PB N="253" REF="131">them,</HI> I&s;a. 8.20. <HI>Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternall life, and they are they which te&s;tifie of me,</HI> Joh. 5.39. <HI>Quench not the Spirit. De&s;pi&s;e not prophe&s;yings,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5.19, 20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the Scriptures are the fountains of hea|venly wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are the touch-&s;tone of divine truths. Spirits mu&s;t &s;ubmit to be tryed by them, 1 Joh. 4.1, 2.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Mini&s;ters are the conduit-pipes through which God ordinarily &s;ends forth the waters of heavenly know|ledge.</P>
<P N="4">4. They are Gold&s;miths, that know be&s;t how to u&s;e the touch&s;tone of the Word to try truths. It is their &s;tudy and their trade.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To &s;hew us the vanity of tho&s;e men who tru&s;t to revelations and their owne Spirits, in &s;tead of Gods; and &s;light the Scriptures, and de&s;pi&s;e the Mini&s;ters. Certainly they are far from true wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="2">2. To exhort us to read the Scriptures diligently, and to hearken to Gods Mini&s;ters reverently. For though men mu&s;t u&s;e their owne endevours to get true wi&s;dome (el&s;e praying to God for it is but mocking of God) yet they cannot by any labour of their owne attain it. Therefore mu&s;t our ears and hearts be enclined to our Teachers, <HI>v.</HI> 2. By them doth God open his mouth to give us wi&s;dome. We &s;hould then re&s;ort to the preaching of the Word, not &s;lackly, or for cu&s;tome &s;ake, as hypocrites, &s;uper&s;titious per&s;ons, and Idolaters do, but to the end that we may re|ceive and learn wi&s;dome of God, through his grace and goodne&s;&s;e, whereby we knowing him, may walk in his fear. It is promi&s;ed as a ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>Thine eyes &s;hall &s;ee thy Teachers,</HI> I&s;a. 30.20.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Inward capacity, and outward di&s;covery come both from God. He gave <HI>Solomon</HI> wi&s;dome to comprel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">end many things, which others could not under&s;tand. He gave <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;es</HI> knowledge of the Creation of the world.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> He gave man eyes to &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> withall, el&s;e he could not have had any comfortable view of the excellency of the crea|tures. He placed the Sun and Moon in the firmament, el&s;e eyes
<PB N="254" REF="132">would have done no good. Much more is there need of Chri&s;ts help for &s;pirituall light and &s;ight. <HI>Quod lux e&s;t viden|tibus &amp; vi&s;is, id Deus e&s;t intelligentibus &amp; intellectis. Thala&s;&s;tus in Hecatontade. That which light is to them that &s;ee, and to things &s;een, the &s;ame is God to under&s;tanding men, and things under&s;tood.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Seek both of God by his revelation of the truth in his Word, and illumination to conceive it in the preaching of it by his Spirit. El&s;e no &s;ound wi&s;dome is to be gotten, nor no &s;piritual light nor &s;ight.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 7.</BIBL> He layeth up &s;ound wi&s;dome for the righteous, he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The two next rea&s;ons follow, why right &s;earchers &s;hall obtain true wi&s;dome. The one from Gods plentifull pro|vi&s;ion. The other from his protection from errors.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>He layeth up,</HI> Heb. <HI>he hideth.</HI> He had &s;aid before that wi&s;|dome mu&s;t be &s;ought like an hidden trea&s;ure, now he &s;hews where it is hidden, not with men, nor in the bowels of the earth, but with God. Men lay up trea&s;ure, God layes up wi&s;dome, and that in Chri&s;t, <HI>in whom are all the trea&s;ures hid of wi&s;dome and knowledge,</HI> Col. 2.3. <HI>And who is the wi&s;dome of God,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.24. Now, God doth not hide it to deprive men of it, but that as a trea&s;ure he may keep it &s;afe, and bring it out to give to his children, as they need it. And it &s;hews withall that God hath abundance of wi&s;dome, enough to &s;erve him&s;elf, and all creatures, becau&s;e he layes it up as men do riches, who have much more then they have pre|&s;ent u&s;e of. And he layes it up for the good of his, as he doth goodne&s;&s;e. <HI>O how great is thy goodne&s;&s;e which thou ha&s;t laid up for them that fear thee!</HI> P&s;al. 31.19. So it is ready and at hand for them upon all occa&s;ions. So we keep things care|fully, that we lay up for our children. As the men of <HI>China</HI> do hide matter to make <HI>China</HI> di&s;hes, in the earth, to make portions for their children.</P>
<P><HI>Sound wi&s;dome.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. E&s;&s;ence, or being or &s;ub&s;tance of a thing. Hence may
<PB N="255" REF="132">come the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>That they are double to that which is,</HI> Job 11.6. <HI>How ha&s;t thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?</HI> Job 26.3. <HI>Thou di&s;&s;olve&s;t my &s;ub&s;tance,</HI> Job 30.22. And &s;o it &s;tands in oppo&s;ition to <HI>that which is not.</HI> So riches are de|&s;cribed, <HI>Wilt thou &s;et thine eyes upon that which is not?</HI> ch. 23.5. Heaven onely hath a foundation, earth hath none, but is hanged upon nothing. <HI>Abraham looked for a City which hath foundations,</HI> Heb. 11.10. But <HI>God hangeth the earth upon nothing,</HI> Job 26.7. Wi&s;dome hath &s;olid &s;ub&s;tance in it, and true worth, whereas opinion onely &s;ets the price upon all out|ward things.</P>
<P N="2">2. The word &s;ignifies working or operation, which is an effect of e&s;&s;ence. Things mu&s;t be, before they can work, and are to &s;mall purpo&s;e, if they work not. <HI>God i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> excellent in working,</HI> I&s;a. 28.29.</P>
<P N="3">3. Wi&s;dome, which is one of the mo&s;t excellent things that have a being. <HI>Keep &s;ound wi&s;dome,</HI> ch. 3.21. Other things pa&s;&s;e away, when it remains and &s;upports many things be|&s;ides. <HI>Sapientia e&s;&s;entiae appellationem &s;ortita e&s;t, qu&ograve;d &s;it, at&abque; ad omnem aeternitatem duret. Ab. Ezr. Wi&s;dome hath got the name of e&s;&s;ence, becau&s;e it is, and endures to all eternity.</HI> It is al&s;o lear|ned from things that have a being, and is excellently &s;een in them. Some take it in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, and interpret it of that glorious being which God re&s;erves for the righteous in heaven. But it is be&s;t to under&s;tand it of &s;ound wi&s;|dome, which is &s;aid to be Gods gift in the former <HI>ver&s;e.</HI> God is not like a bad Father, which wa&s;teth his goods, but like a provident one, who layes up trea&s;ure for his chil|dren.</P>
<P><HI>For the righteous.</HI> He had &s;hewed before what God gave, namely, Wi&s;dome. Now he &s;hews to whom he gives it, not to all, but to the righteous. He layes it up for them that will make a good u&s;e of it. <HI>Rectus e&s;t, qui &s;uam voluntatem di|vinae conformat volens de omni re id quod Deus vult eum v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lle. Ambro&s;. He is right, who conforms his will to G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ds, willing in every thing that which God would have him to will.</HI> It may be tran&s;|lated, <HI>For the upright.</HI> So, <HI>gladn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e for the upright in heart,</HI> P&s;al. 97.11.</P>
<P><HI>He is a buckler.</HI> The Lord, mentioned before <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 6.
<PB N="256" REF="133">Others read, <HI>which is a buckler.</HI> To wit, &s;ound wi&s;dome, mentioned in the beginning of this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> The former is the better. God as a &s;hield &s;ets him&s;elf between his, and all dangers, e&s;pecially &s;pirituall. It might have been objected, The godly are &s;ubject to many dangers and errors. The text an&s;wers, God will be their buckler to &s;tand between them, and what might hurt them. The Hebr. word <GAP DESC="foreign">, comes from a word that &s;ignifies to cover and defend. A Buck|ler defends men again&s;t blows and weapons. It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. A &s;hield or buckler, literally, &s;uch as are u&s;ed in wars. <HI>Was there a &s;hield &s;een?</HI> Judg. 5.8. <HI>There the &s;hield of the mighty i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> vilely ca&s;t away,</HI> 2 Sam. 1.21.</P>
<P N="2">2. By a Metaphor it &s;ignifies a protection or protector from dangers. <HI>I am thy &s;hield,</HI> Gen. 15.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. Rulers, who are the protectors of the people. <HI>Her rulers</HI> (Heb. <HI>her &s;hields</HI>) <HI>with &s;hame do love, Give ye,</HI> Ho&s;. 4.18. <HI>The &s;hields of the earth belong unto God,</HI> P&s;al. 47.9.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, and &s;o God protects his from innumerable dangers, and &s;o doth Wi&s;dome al&s;o. But it may better be under&s;tood according to the coherence, that God wil be a buckler to defend them again&s;t all &s;ophi&s;try and errors that would wound their &s;ouls, and rob them of that wi&s;dome which God hath laid up for them. There is no want with God, neither is he &s;paring in giving wi&s;dome to his. As he layes it up plentifully for them, &s;o he will bring it out plentifully to them, and make it a buckler to keep them &s;afe from all hurt of errors, e&s;pecially &s;uch as might endanger their &s;alvation.</P>
<P><HI>To them that walk.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>&V;prightly,</HI> or <HI>aright.</HI> Who&s;e lives and actions are &s;incere and agreeable to Gods Word.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>He layeth up.</HI> A Metaphor from parents laying up trea&s;ure, or portions for children, 2 Cor. 12.14.</P>
<P><HI>A buckler.</HI> A Metaphor from War, wherein Souldiers u&s;e bucklers to prevent wounding.</P>
<P><HI>To them that walk.</HI> A Metaphor from Travellers, to &s;et out a con&s;tant cour&s;e of piety.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. Gods provi&s;ion.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gods protection.</P>
<PB N="257" REF="133">
<P>In the former note,</P>
<P N="1">1. The per&s;on, <HI>He;</HI> that is, the Lord.</P>
<P N="2">2. The act, <HI>layeth up.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The object, <HI>&s;ound wi&s;dome.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The &s;ubject, <HI>for the righteous.</HI></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,</P>
<P N="1">1. The benefit, <HI>He is a buckler.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The per&s;ons to whom, <HI>to them that walk uprightly.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> God hath &s;tore of wi&s;dome. <HI>His under&s;tanding is infinite,</HI> P&s;al. 147.5. <HI>O the depth of the riches, both of the wi&s;|dome and knowledge of God,</HI> Rom. 11.33. Men have &s;tore of gold that can &s;pare it to trea&s;ure it up. So hath God of wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> It appears,</P>
<P N="1">1. By Gods works. Of Creation. <HI>In wi&s;dome ha&s;t thou made them all,</HI> P&s;al. 104.24. Of Providence, in upholding the world, wherein there are are &s;o many contrary di&s;po&s;i|tions in all &s;orts of creatures, that threaten ruine to it.</P>
<P N="2">2. In his Writings. The Law and Go&s;pel, Old Te&s;tament and New, the be&s;t books in the world, if mens eyes were open to &s;ee the my&s;teries of them. <HI>Open mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law,</HI> P&s;al. 119.18.</P>
<P N="3">3. In his Scholars. <HI>Bezaleel</HI> and <HI>Aboliab</HI> filled by God with under&s;tanding in all manner of curious works, Exod. 31.2, <HI>&amp;c. David</HI> by Gods Word made wi&s;er <HI>then his enemies, teachers, ancients,</HI> P&s;al. 119.98, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The Prophets, Apo&s;tles. We count them be&s;t Schoolma&s;ters, and wi&s;e&s;t, out of who&s;e Schools come rare Phy&s;icians, Lawyers, Divines. All learned men come out of Gods School. His is the heavenly Aca|demy.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us admire at Gods infinite wi&s;dome, and &s;eeing our owne &s;mall &s;tore, let us &s;ubmit our judgement to his in all things, for he is wi&s;e&s;t. It &s;eems &s;trange to fle&s;h and blood to be &s;aved by the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t. It &s;eemed &s;o to <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Greeks. Chri&s;t crucified is unto the Jews a &s;tumbling-block, and unto the Greeks fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.23. That is, to all the wi&s;e men of the world. For the re&s;t of the world had little learning then, and were counted <HI>Barbarians.</HI> Let us look for &s;alvation no way el&s;e but from the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t. It
<PB N="258" REF="134">&s;eems &s;trange to us, that death &s;hould be de&s;troyed by death, yet it is eafie to God. It &s;eems no le&s;&s;e &s;trange, that God &s;hould work by contraries. Yet he doth &s;o. He brings light out of darkne&s;&s;e, and leads many to heaven through an hell of con&s;cience. It &s;eems &s;trange to us that we &s;hould be fick or poor, when others are well or rich; but God in his wi&s;|dome &s;ees &s;ome good in it to us, which we &s;ee not. Let us therefore be patient.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God provides wi&s;dome for others. Parents, as they provide food and apparell, &s;o al&s;o they lay up portions for their children. God hath wi&s;dome &s;ufficient for him&s;elf to guide the world, and layes up enough to make others wi&s;e. He layes it up,</P>
<P N="1">1. In the Creatures. <HI>The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament &s;heweth his handy work,</HI> P&s;al. 19.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. In his Word. <HI>The&s;. are written, that ye might beleeve that Jo&s;us is the Chri&s;t the Son of God, and that beleeving ye might have life through his mine,</HI> Joh. 20.31.</P>
<P N="3">3. In the Sacraments. They are my&s;teries, 1 Cor. 11.23, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. In Chri&s;t. <HI>He is made of God unto us wi&s;dome,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.30. <HI>And of his fulne&s;&s;e we all have received, and grace for grace,</HI> Joh. 1.16.</P>
<P N="5">5. In the government of the World. He brings down great men, di&s;appoints their plots, delivers his people, Exod. 15.</P>
<P N="6">6. In the government of the Church. He makes his people to increa&s;e under per&s;ecution, as the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> did in <HI>Aegypt,</HI> Exod. 1.12. <HI>Sanguis Mirtyrum &s;emen Eccle&s;iae. The blood of the Martyrs was the &s;eed of the Church.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. In Heaven. <HI>Eye hath not &s;een, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.9.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> De&s;pair not of getting &s;tore of knowledge, if ye dig where and how God appoints. We are ill keepers of wi&s;|dome. <HI>Adam</HI> &s;oon lo&s;t it. Therefore God keeps it for us. Otherwi&s;e it would &s;oon be lo&s;t out of the world. Wit|ne&s;&s;e barbarous times. Seek therefore for true wi&s;dome in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;te Creatures, by Ob&s;ervation; in the Word, by Au&s;cul|tation;
<PB N="259" REF="134">in the Sacraments, by Meditation; in Chri&s;t, by Supplication; in the World, by Contemplation; in the Church, by Con&s;ideration; in Heaven, by Premedita|tion.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Upright men &s;hall not want nece&s;&s;ary wi&s;dome. God hath laid up &s;tore for them. <HI>If any man will do his will, he &s;hall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I &s;peak of my &s;elf,</HI> Joh. 7.17. <HI>What man is he that feareth the Lord? him &s;hall be teach in the way that he &s;hall choo&s;e. The &s;e|cret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will &s;hew them his covenant.</HI> Or, as your marg. reads, <HI>And his covenant to make them know it,</HI> P&s;al. 25.12, 14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is liberal, and like to great Prin|ces, u&s;eth not to give one gift alone unto his Favourites. They give riches and honour. He gives righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and wi&s;dome. <HI>He ble&s;&s;eth us with all &s;pirituall ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> Eph. 1.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e he knows, that they will u&s;e it well. To &s;uch children as u&s;e clothes well, and other gifts, Parents give more. So doth God.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It comforts Gods people. They have an heart to do well, but often complain, that they cannot under&s;tand what is right in many particulars. Be of good comfort, God that hath given thee that heart, will give thee convenient knowledge.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> God will keep his from dangerous errors. So he kept the <HI>Antiochians</HI> by the Apo&s;tles and Councell at <HI>Je|ru&s;alem,</HI> Act. 15.1, 2, 31. The <HI>Galatians,</HI> by <HI>Paul</HI>'s Epi&s;tle, Gal. 1.8, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God would not be di&s;honoured, nor have his way nor him&s;elf be evil &s;poken of by them. A Fa|ther had rather any &s;hould think ill of him then his chil|dren.</P>
<P N="2">2. He would not have them peri&s;h. Men may peri&s;h by damnable errors, as well as by wicked lives, 2 Pet. 2.1. A Father would not have his children take &s;uch cour&s;es as &s;hould lead them to the gallows. God hath more care to keep his from hell.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us prai&s;e God for keeping us free from the dam|nable errors of the time about God, his Word, Re&s;ur|rection,
<PB N="260" REF="135">into which others run greedily. It is not our care, but Gods, that keeps us pure.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> True wi&s;dome is a great means to keep men from errors. So &s;ome read it, <HI>which is a buckler,</HI> meaning <HI>wi&s;dome. By them is thy &s;ervant warned,</HI> P&s;al. 19.11. What to do? To take heed of errors, which him&s;elf &s;ees not, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12. <HI>Beware, le&s;t ye be led away with the error of the wicked.</HI> How &s;hall we avoyd it? By <HI>growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.17, 18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e wi&s;dome takes away tho&s;e things that make us go out of the way. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Ignorance of the right way. This makes a Traveller take the wrong way for the right. <HI>Ye do erre, not knowing the Scriptures,</HI> Matt. 22.29. Wi&s;dome removes this, and &s;hews us the right way.</P>
<P N="2">2. Darkne&s;&s;e. He that knows the way be&s;t, may erre in the dark. So may Gods &s;ervants in difficult things, not &s;o cleerly revealed in Scripture. Here al&s;o wi&s;dome helps them out.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It di&s;covers to us a way how to di&s;cover errors, and avoyd them, which is by getting wi&s;dome. <HI>Verum e&s;t index &s;ui, &amp; obliqui. Truth di&s;covers what is right, and what it wrong.</HI> Men that have true weights at home, weigh things they buy, and are not cou&s;ened by fal&s;e weights abroad. So wi&s;e men weigh opinions by the Scripture, and are not de|ceived.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Uprightne&s;&s;e both of heart and life is needfull for them that would be kept from errors. Witne&s;&s;e <HI>David</HI>'s pre&s;ervation, and <HI>Solomon</HI>'s failing in religion.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e God takes no care of keeping &s;uch who deny him heart or life.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Behold another means of keeping you from errors, that may endanger your &s;alvation. Get upright hearts and lives, and ye &s;hall be &s;afe.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="261" REF="135">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 8.</BIBL> He keepeth the paths of judgement, and pre&s;erveth the way of his Saints.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Here are the two la&s;t benefits, or rea&s;ons, why &s;uch as u&s;e the right means, &s;hall attain to the knowledge of God; to wit, Gods direction in matters of judgement, and pre|&s;ervation in matters of practi&s;e. He not onely &s;hews that God will give that wi&s;dome to his &s;ervants, which he hath laid up for them; but al&s;o what good fruit it &s;hall bring forth in them. God provides &s;ound wi&s;dome for good men, which is a buckler to defend them, that they may walk &s;afely in good wayes, and God pre&s;erves them therein.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>He keepeth.</HI> Some under&s;tand it of God in regard of him|&s;elf, that he alwayes doth ju&s;tly in what he doth. Others, of God, in regard of his people. He keeps them in right wayes, and will not &s;uffer them to erre to perdition. But the words are, <HI>To keep the paths of judgement;</HI> that is, God layeth up wi&s;dome in &s;tore for them, and gives it them, and gives withall under&s;tanding to di&s;cern errors, that they may judge rightly of divine truths, and not go a&s;tray from them.</P>
<P><HI>The paths.</HI> The rules of truth. See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.19.</P>
<P><HI>Of judgement.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.3. Yet to handle it more fully, the Heb. word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Law, or Word of God, by which judgement is to be given. <HI>The judgements of the Lord are true,</HI> P&s;. 19.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;uit or ca&s;e to be tryed in judgement. <HI>Mo&s;es brought their cau&s;e before the Lord,</HI> Numb. 27.5.</P>
<P N="3">3. The &s;entence pa&s;t in judgement. <HI>They gave judgement upon them,</HI> 2 King. 25.6.</P>
<P N="4">4. The crime or cau&s;e of that &s;entence. <HI>They who&s;e judge|ment was not to drink of the cup,</HI> Jer. 49.12.</P>
<P N="5">5. The puni&s;hment inflicted by virtue of the &s;entence. <HI>So &s;hall thy judgement be,</HI> 1 King. 20.40.</P>
<P N="6">6. Ju&s;tice, which ought to be in every &s;entence. <HI>Which executeth judgement for the oppre&s;&s;ed,</HI> P&s;al. 146.7.</P>
<PB N="262" REF="136">
<P N="7">7. The in&s;truments of executing the &s;entence, or judge|ment. <HI>When I &s;end my four fore judgements upon Jeru&s;alem,</HI> Ezek. 14.21.</P>
<P N="8">8. The Judiciall Law of God. <HI>Remember the Law of Mo|&s;es, with the &s;tatutes and judgements,</HI> Mal. 4.4.</P>
<P N="9">9. Wi&s;dome and di&s;cretion, which are very needfull in judgement. <HI>The Lord is a God of judgement,</HI> I&s;a. 30.18.</P>
<P N="10">10. Moderation, which is very requi&s;ite in judgement. El&s;e, <HI>Summum jus, &s;umma injuria: The highe&s;t Law, the highe&s;t injury. O Lord, correct me, but with judgement, not in thine an|ger, lest thou bring me to nothing,</HI> Jer. 10.24.</P>
<P N="11">11. Righteous promi&s;es. <HI>Quicken me according to thy judge|ments,</HI> P&s;al. 119.156.</P>
<P N="12">12. The rite, cu&s;tome, or manner of doing a thing, which &s;hould be done with judgement. <HI>How &s;hall we order the childe?</HI> Heb. <HI>What &s;hall be the manner of the childe?</HI> Judg. 13.12. that is, How mu&s;t the childe be bred?</P>
<P N="13">13. The form or &s;hew of a per&s;on or thing. <HI>What manner of man was he?</HI> Hebr. <HI>What was the manner of the man?</HI> 2 King. 1.7.</P>
<P N="14">14. Right or title to a thing. <HI>This &s;hall be the Prie&s;ts due from the people,</HI> Dent. 18.3.</P>
<P N="15">15. A pattern, according to which a thing is to be made. <HI>And thou &s;halt rear up the Tabernaele, according to the fa&s;hion thereof, which was &s;hewed thee in the Mount,</HI> Exod. 26.30. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, God keeps his in paths of truth agreeable to his Word.</P>
<P><HI>And pre&s;erveth.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To pre&s;erve by keeping out of &s;in or trouble. <HI>Keep me from the &s;nare which they have laid for me, and the grins of the workers of iniquity,</HI> P&s;al. 141.9. <HI>Thy vi&s;itation hath pre&s;erved my life,</HI> Job 10.12.</P>
<P N="2">2. To keep in pri&s;on. <HI>Am I a Sea, or a Whale, that thou &s;ette&s;t a watch over me?</HI> Job 7.12. <HI>Keep this man,</HI> 1 King. 20.39.</P>
<P N="3">3. To watch exactly, what is done by our &s;elves, or others. <HI>I will keep my mouth with a bridle,</HI> P&s;al. 39.1. <HI>All my familiars watched for my halting,</HI> Jer. 20.10. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, to keep from &s;in or danger.</P>
<PB N="263" REF="136">
<P><HI>The way.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.15. Here is meant the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, or undertaking, or practicall cour&s;e of Gods Saints.</P>
<P><HI>Of his Saints.</HI> It comes from a word that &s;ignifies <HI>mercy</HI> in the Originall, <GAP DESC="foreign">, from <GAP DESC="foreign">. Some gives this rea|&s;on, becau&s;e men come to be Saints by Gods mercy, not by their owne merits. Which is mo&s;t true. But the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifying actively &s;uch an one as &s;hews mercy, as <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;uch as do ju&s;tly, it may rather be that they are &s;o called, becau&s;e they are mercifull like God. <HI>Be ye therefore mercifull, as your Father al&s;o is mercifull,</HI> Luk. 6.36. Hence comes <GAP DESC="foreign">, a <HI>Storke,</HI> a bird kinde to her aged pa|rents.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Paths. Way.</HI> Metaphors from Travellers.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Gods direction.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. His pre&s;ervation.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Note in the former,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;on, <HI>He.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>keepeth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>the paths.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The adjunct, <HI>of judgement.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And pre&s;erveth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>the way.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>of his Saint.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a certain path of truth. <HI>This is life eter|nall, that they might know thee the onely true God, and Je&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent,</HI> Joh. 17.3. This path in Scripture is more &s;ure, then if God &s;hould &s;peak from heaven. There was <HI>a voyce from heaven.</HI> But there was <HI>a more &s;ure word of prophe&s;ie,</HI> 2 Pet. 1.17, 19. Written &s;tatutes are more &s;ure di|rections then words of Princes.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e there is a nece&s;&s;ity that all the world may be deceived. If there be no certain knowledge in &s;ee|ing or hearing, where there is no ob&s;tacle, then no man can tell whether another man be a man or a bea&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is no comfortable conver&s;e with God, if we know not what to beleeve of his Mercy, Ju&s;tice, and other attri|butes. <HI>He that cometh to God mu&s;t beleeve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently &s;eek him,</HI> Heb. 11.6. There
<PB N="264" REF="137">is no plea&s;ing a man without knowing his qualities.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is no e&s;caping hell without a certain rule of truth; for our nature being corrupt, and there being many wayes of error leading to hell, no man can e&s;cape damna|tion.</P>
<P N="4">4. No more getting heaven then getting a Port at Sea, if there be no certainty in the Compa&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews the wildne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e that plead for liberty of con&s;cience for all errors. As if a man &s;hould inform the State that there were no certain way to <HI>London,</HI> and petition that all men might go at all adventures, and no man be tied to go the ordinary way, but every one go what way he thinks to be neere&s;t, over hedges and ditches, and over mens grounds and gardens. Ye will &s;ay this were injurious to men. But are not here&s;ies and bla&s;phemies more injurious to God? Are not mens con&s;ciences as corrupt as their wils and affections? Why then &s;hould not others petition for liberty of will and affections, to love whom they will, and hate whom they will? The be&s;t is, that the Text tells us, that God keeps his in the way of judgement. If men will not keep theirs within their bounds, God will keep his. However, there is a right way, and men ought to labour to keep them&s;elves and theirs in it.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Good men mu&s;t keep in the &s;ure way of truth. <HI>We have al&s;o a more &s;ure word of prophe&s;ie, whereunto ye do well, that ye take heed,</HI> 2 Pet. 1.19. <HI>Beware, le&s;t ye be led away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your owne &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;&s;e,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of divine illumination, God &s;hews the wayes of error, that we may avoyd them, as Mariners take notice of rocks at Sea.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of divine direct on. He guides them in the right way, like a tender Father. <HI>As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the Sons of God,</HI> Rom. 8.14. God gave the Sun that men &s;hould &s;ee to avoyd wrong wayes, and fol|low right.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves all <HI>Gallio</HI>'s followers, that look after right and wrong, but not after truth and error; after the world, not after heaven. Sure if God give light, he looks that men &s;hould make u&s;e of it.</P>
<PB N="265" REF="137">
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Heavenly wi&s;dome is given to men by God to that end, that men may keep in the way of truth. To this end <HI>the Comforter (which is the holy Gho&s;t) &s;hall teach you all things,</HI> Joh. 14.26. He is therefore called, <HI>the Spirit of truth,</HI> Joh. 15.26.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> So it is in all the &s;en&s;es. Eyes are given to di&s;tin|gui&s;h colours, Ears to di&s;tingui&s;h &s;ounds, No&s;e to di&s;tin|gui&s;h &s;mells, Palates to di&s;tingui&s;h ta&s;tes, Hands to di&s;tin|gui&s;h hard things from &s;oft. Much more is heavenly wi&s;|dome given us to direct in the way of truth.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To reprove &s;uch as boa&s;t of heavenly wi&s;dome, illu|mination, revelation, and yet maintain gro&s;&s;e errors, con|trary to Scripture, that &s;et Gods Word and his Spirit toge|ther by the ears. Woe be to tho&s;e eyes that pronounce light, darkne&s;&s;e; and call darkne&s;&s;e, light: and to tho&s;e palates, that call bitter, &s;weet; and &s;weet, bitter, I&s;a. 5.20.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a right way for the Saints to walk in. <HI>That thou may&s;t walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous,</HI> Ver&s;. 20. <HI>I have led thee in right paths,</HI> ch. 4.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e it were wor&s;e living in Gods King|dome, then in any other Kingdome. For all Kingdomes have rules of &s;afety, and of living.</P>
<P N="2">2. God &s;hould be in a wor&s;e condition then the meane&s;t Ma&s;ter of a family. He &s;hould have no certain &s;ervice.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us keep in the right way of the Saints. All other wayes, though never &s;o &s;pecious, lead to hell. Therefore a cloud of witne&s;&s;es that have walked in this way to heaven is &s;et before us, Heb. 11.1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &amp; 12.1.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God onely can keep us in the right way. <HI>He will keep the feet of his Saints,</HI> 1 Sam. 2.9. <HI>Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my foot&s;teps &s;lip not,</HI> P&s;al. 17.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e he onely can give light in his Word to di&s;cover the right way.</P>
<P N="2">2. He onely can give &s;ight to di&s;cern it by his Spirit.</P>
<P N="3">3. He onely can give might to walk in it, and to keep our feet from &s;tumbling; otherwi&s;e Gods people would &s;oon go a&s;ide on the right hand, or on the left, and &s;oon fall into the way of &s;inners.</P>
<PB N="266" REF="138">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 2. When we are at a &s;tand in the way for want of any of the&s;e, pray to God for direction and help. When all our &s;trength and friends fail us, God will direct us. He &s;ent food to <HI>Elijah,</HI> becau&s;e the journey el&s;e <HI>would have been too great for him,</HI> 1 King. 19.7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Comfort your &s;elves that have &s;o good a guide, and &s;o &s;trong a keeper to guide and keep you in the right way. Well may they walk uprightly, that are &s;o &s;trongly &s;up|ported. Gods hand is ever under his, they cannot fall be|neath it.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods Saints are mercifull people. So was <HI>Corne|lius, one that feared God, and gave much alms to the people,</HI> Act. 10.2. So was <HI>Zacheus,</HI> when he was converted, <HI>The half of my goods I give to the poor,</HI> Luk. 19.8. A &s;trange alteration, from cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e to liberality, as well as from wickedne&s;&s;e to holi|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of our renewed nature, that takes away hardne&s;&s;e of heart in part, and makes us pitifull, as the hea|ven is, that drops &s;howers on the earth, and looks for no|thing back again.</P>
<P N="2">2. They love to be like their God, <HI>who maketh his Sun to ri&s;e on the evill, and on the good, and &s;endeth rain on the ju&s;t, and on the unju&s;t,</HI> Mat. 5.45.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> I would make an u&s;e of tryal, but I &s;car&s;e dare. I am afraid, if every one that hears me now, &s;hould faith|fully try his e&s;tate, which he knows, laying it in one bal|lance, and his good deeds in another, and God &s;hould hold the &s;cales, as one day he will do, we &s;hould finde but a few Saints. Many would be found in <HI>Bel&s;hazzar</HI>'s condition, <HI>too light, when they are weighed,</HI> Dan. 5.27. Our abundance and finene&s;&s;e in food and apparell, compared with the wants of the poor, would condemne us. In the Law, the Mini&s;ters had the tenth of mens profits: Now Mini&s;ters, Schooles, Poor, Churches Education of our owne children in lear|ning, have it not. Our note of Saints now is to rail upon carnall men, and do duties outwardly, and hold fa&s;t our pur|&s;es. God amend it. They are hypocrites and no Saints, what &s;hew of holine&s;&s;e &s;oever they make that are not merci|full. <HI>Pure religion and undefiled, is to vi&s;it the fatherle&s;&s;e and
<PB N="267" REF="138">widows in their affliction,</HI> Jam. 1.27. The &s;entence at the la&s;t Judgement, is according to mens mercifull or unmercifull carriage, Matth. 25. and they that &s;hew no mercy now mu&s;t look for none then, Jam. 2.13.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 9.</BIBL> Then &s;halt thou under&s;tand righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and judgement, and equity; yea, every good path.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>In this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the &s;econd benefit of Wi&s;dome is &s;et down, to teach us how to carry our &s;el&s;es wi&s;ely towards men. Ha|ving &s;poken largely concerning the former, and backed it with rea&s;ons, now he briefly propounds the latter, it being more ea&s;ie to know how to carry our &s;elves towards men, then towards God.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Then.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.28. The&s;e words mu&s;t depend upon the fir&s;t 4 <HI>ver&s;es,</HI> as the former <HI>Then, v.</HI> 5. did.</P>
<P>The &s;umme of all is, When thou ha&s;t u&s;ed all the former means, then thou &s;halt know how to carry thy &s;elfe to|wards men, as well as towards God. Others knit it to the words following, <HI>Then &s;halt thou under&s;tand, &amp;c. when wi&s;dome entreth, &amp;c.</HI> But that particle <GAP DESC="foreign">, u&s;eth to follow, as <HI>ch.</HI> 1.28. not to go before: and there is another reddition to that, <HI>v.</HI> 10. under&s;tood, <HI>v.</HI> 11. Then <HI>di&s;cretion &s;hall pre&s;erve thee.</HI> Al&s;o, the mark in the beginning of <HI>v.</HI> 10. in our Tran&s;la|tion, &s;hews that the Interpreters conceived the &s;entence be|gan there; and the&s;e words <HI>v.</HI> 9. depended on the words be|fore.</P>
<P><HI>Shalt thou under&s;tand.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.6.</P>
<P><HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and judgement, and equity.</HI> For the&s;e words, &s;ee on <HI>chap.</HI> 1.3. and for <HI>judgement,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. of this <HI>cha.</HI> We mu&s;t do things lawfully, di&s;creetly, and equally.</P>
<P><HI>Yea every good path.</HI> A genus to the re&s;t, and &s;umme of all delivered in the conclu&s;ion, or an <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as if he had &s;aid, In a word, if there be any good path that comes not within the compa&s;&s;e of the&s;e, yet thou &s;halt under&s;tand it. That I may comprehend much in few words, thou &s;halt not onely know the former particulars, but all hone&s;t wayes,
<PB N="268" REF="139">how to carry thy &s;elf towards men. For wi&s;e carriage to God was promi&s;ed before, <HI>v.</HI> 5. Thou &s;halt increa&s;e in know|ledge, and grow from the knowledge of tho&s;e good things, to know all el&s;e needfull of that kinde.</P>
<P>For the word <HI>Every,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>chap.</HI> 1.13. on the word <HI>All.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Good.</HI> It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. That which is right and ju&s;t. <HI>See thy matters are good and right,</HI> 2 Sam. 15.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. That which is profitable. <HI>Hou&s;es full of all good things,</HI> Deut. 6.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. That which is plea&s;ing. <HI>Do what is good in thine eyes.</HI> 2 Sam. 19.27.</P>
<P N="4">4. That which is full, and compleat. <HI>Thou &s;halt be buried in a good old age,</HI> Gen. 15.15.</P>
<P N="5">5. That which is joyfull and delightfull. A fe&s;tivall. <HI>We come in a good day,</HI> 1 Sam. 25.8.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for right and ju&s;t wayes.</P>
<P><HI>Path,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. It &s;ignifies properly a Wheel-track, and be|cau&s;e &s;uch are found in paths or wayes, therefore it &s;ignifies &s;o too. In a Common the way is di&s;cerned by wheel-tracks. Thou &s;halt &s;ee the tracks wherein godly men have gone be|fore thee, as a man may &s;ee the track of a Cart-wheel. It may be read, <HI>every path of good.</HI></P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Path,</HI> or <HI>Wheel track.</HI> A Metaphor.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The adjunct of time, <HI>Then.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The act, <HI>thou &s;halt under&s;tand.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Three particular objects, <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and judge|ment, and equity.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. One generall object, containing all the re&s;t of that kinde, that may be imagined, <HI>yea every good path.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Then.</HI> When thou ha&s;t painfully and carefully u&s;ed all the former means.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Pains mu&s;t be taken to know how to carry our &s;elves towards men. Therefore the Apo&s;tle gives many dire|ctions to that end, Rom. 12.15, 16, 17, 18. 1 The&s;&s;. 5.14, 15. See the places.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there are many commandements which
<PB N="269" REF="139">concern duty to men, as all the &s;econd Table, wherein are more commandements for number then in the fir&s;t. So care|full is God for mans good.</P>
<P N="2">2. There are many duties in every commandement that concerns men, as fear of offending unju&s;tly, loving carriage, good example, coun&s;el, liberality, patience, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. There are many faculties of the &s;oul, and members of the body to be imployed in every duty, as the Under&s;tan|ding, Will, Affection, Tongue, Hand, Foot.</P>
<P N="4">4. There are many objects of duty to man. All &s;orts of men, friends, enemies, &s;trangers. Men of all conditions, rich, poor, wi&s;e, fooli&s;h, whole, &s;ick. In all things that concern them, to help them in their &s;ouls, bodies, &s;tates, cha&s;tity, good name, contentedne&s;&s;e. And what pains is &s;ufficient to under&s;tand all the&s;e particulars?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;erves, 1. To blame tho&s;e who think all men &s;hould plea&s;e them, and take no care to give content to others. The&s;e &s;horten Chri&s;ts &s;umme of the &s;econd Table, and make it, <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy &s;elf.</HI> And leave out <HI>thy neigh|bour.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To reprove them that take no care to breed their chil|dren, &s;o as they may know how to carry them&s;elves to|wards others, but rather bear them out in wronging other men.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God will give &s;uch wi&s;dome to tho&s;e that &s;eek it, that they &s;hall know how to carry them&s;elves towards others. So God taught <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> how to get re&s;pect among &s;trangers, in <HI>Potiphar</HI>'s hou&s;e, in the pri&s;on, and in <HI>Pharaoh</HI>'s Court, Gen. 39.4, 21.22. &amp; 45 16. God taught <HI>David</HI> how to get the favour of the people, 1 Sam. 18.5, 6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God loves concord among men. See how he commends it, and &s;ets it out by excellent &s;imili|tudes, of precious oyntment, and dew, and pronounces a ble&s;&s;ing upon it, P&s;al. 133. There can be no concord, where men know not how to offer right, nor &s;uffer wrong.</P>
<P N="2">2. God would have the prai&s;e of it, both of giving it, and of the fruits of it. Men agree not well whom God joyns not in affection.</P>
<PB N="270" REF="140">
<P N="3">3. All the comfort of the Common-wealth depends up|on mens good carriage one towards another.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Churches good depends upon the good carriage of every member, even of the meane&s;t, as the Bodies do, 1 Cor. 12. God would have Church and Common-wealth to flou|ri&s;h, if mens &s;ins hinder not.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as &s;eek not this wi&s;dome from God, but carry them&s;elves proudly, and look that all men &s;hould do duty, and more then duty to them, but care not &s;o much as to take notice of any re&s;pect they owe to others, or &s;hewed to them by others. They are far from <HI>Job</HI>'s minde, who <HI>did not de&s;pi&s;e the cau&s;e of his Man &s;ervant, or of his Maid-&s;ervant, when they contended with him,</HI> Job 31.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. To blame &s;uch as have this wi&s;dome given them from God, to carry them&s;elves wi&s;ely and well towards others, but bring up their children &s;o fondly, that they neither know what they owe to their parents, nor to any el&s;e. The&s;e ruine their parents e&s;tates, and prove the ruine of Church and Common-wealth. Such cannot look that God &s;hould give wi&s;dome to them or theirs, nor look that any man &s;hould regard them.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Nothing is better then wi&s;dome, it is here pro|mi&s;ed as a great favour, and ble&s;&s;ing. It is worth asking, Jam. 1.5. It was <HI>Solomon</HI>'s great reque&s;t, 2 Chr. 1.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it will help at a dead lift, when all humane power fails, as the poor mans wi&s;dome did help to &s;ave the City, Eccle&s;. 9.14, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So a poor wi&s;e woman delivered the City <HI>Abel,</HI> when all the &s;trong men in the Town could not do it, 2 Sam. 20.16, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It will guide us to heaven, which no power nor force can reach.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us with <HI>Solomon</HI> make it our great reque&s;t to God to give us wi&s;dome. We have more need of it to get to hea|ven, then he had to rule a Kingdom already gotten. Let other men pray for wealth, let us pray for wi&s;dome.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many things are required to good carriage to|wards men. <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, judgement, and equity.</HI> Some things required of the people, &s;ome of the Phari&s;ees, &s;ome of the Souldiers, Luk. 3.10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Some dues to Magi&s;trates, &s;ome to People, Rom. 13.1, 7, 8.</P>
<PB N="271" REF="140">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In regard of different per&s;ons, which look for different duties. That will not befit an equall, that fits an inferiour; nor a &s;uperiour, that fits an equall; nor a &s;tran|ger, that fits an enemy; nor a neighbour, that fits a &s;tranger; nor a friend, that fits a neighbour.</P>
<P N="2">2. Knowledge alone &s;erves not, but Will and all the Af|fections are to be employed in coun&s;el, ob&s;ervance, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It reproves &s;uch as never &s;tudy Ethicks, the Scripture is full of them. How can they expect that others &s;hould be|have them&s;elves wel towards them, when they know not how to carry them&s;elves as becomes them?</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men mu&s;t grow from knowledge of &s;ome good duties to knowledge of others. They mu&s;t go on till they know every good path. <HI>Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.18. <HI>That ye may grow up, into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ,</HI> Eph. 4.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e Gods ordinances are be&s;towed in vain upon them, as &s;oyl upon Corn-fields, Gardens, and Orchyards, where nothing grows.</P>
<P N="2">2. All our labour is lo&s;t in reading, hearing, meditating, and conferring; as a Scholars pains are lo&s;t that grows not in learning.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Look to your growth more then to duties perfor|med. See if they bring increa&s;e and profit. El&s;e you drive a poor trade.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Our carriage to others mu&s;t be ju&s;t and right in every thing. That we may &s;ay with <HI>Samuel, Who&s;e Oxe have I taken? or, who&s;e A&s;&s;e have I taken? or, whom have I defrauded? &amp;c.</HI> And may be like <HI>Ananias, who had a good report of all the Jews that dwelt in Dama&s;cus,</HI> Act. 22.12. <HI>The grace of God teacheth us to live ju&s;tly,</HI> Tit. 3.11, 12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e one &s;pot blemi&s;hes a who&s;e garment, or fair face. So one wilfull failing di&s;graces a mans whole life.</P>
<P N="2">2. One mi&s;carriage layes a man open to puni&s;hment, and all his former good actions cannot free him; as one mur|ther layes a man open to death, though free every way el&s;e.</P>
<PB N="272" REF="141">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be watchfull over all your wayes all your life long. <HI>David</HI> is tainted for his unkinde carriage to <HI>Mephibo&s;heth.</HI> Let good men take warning thereby.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 10.</BIBL> When wi&s;dome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge is plea&s;ant unto thy &s;oul.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;e-man having formerly &s;hewed the good that Wi&s;dome would do to us to encourage us to get is; now he &s;hews, what evill it will keep us from, when we have got it. And that,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In generall, <HI>v.</HI> 10, 11.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In particular.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. To keep us from hurt by the &s;ociety of bad men, from <HI>v.</HI> 12. to <HI>v.</HI> 16.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of bad women, to the end of the <HI>chap.</HI></P>
<P>For the generall; note,</P>
<P N="1">1. The per&s;ons that are to be kept from hurt by Wi&s;|dome. They are &s;uch as cheerfully entertain it, <HI>v.</HI> 10.</P>
<P N="2">2. The pre&s;ervation it &s;elf, <HI>v.</HI> 11.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>When.</HI> Some read it <HI>Becau&s;e.</HI> Intimating, the cau&s;e of their pre&s;ervation to be the ready receiving of wi&s;dome, and &s;o make the words to depend on the former. Thus it is u&s;ed <HI>ch.</HI> 1.9. But it is rather to be read when, and referred to the latter, and &s;hews the difference in point of pre&s;ervation from &s;in, between wi&s;e men and fools. So it is u&s;ed, Deut. 7.1. <HI>When the Lord thy God &s;hall bring thee into the Land.</HI> And the reddition, <HI>v.</HI> 11. confirms it, <HI>Then di&s;cretion &s;hall pre&s;erve thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dome.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1, 2.</P>
<P><HI>Cometh.</HI> S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.26.</P>
<P><HI>Into thine heart.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 2. of this <HI>chap.</HI> It mu&s;t not enter into the head alone, but into the heart al&s;o.</P>
<P><HI>And knowledge.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.2, 4.</P>
<P><HI>Is plea&s;ant.</HI> It &s;ignifies &s;uch a plea&s;ure as men take in be|holding beautifull objects, which ravi&s;h the &s;oul, and carry it away captive. It is tran&s;lated <HI>beauty,</HI> P&s;al. 90.17. <HI>Let the
<PB N="273" REF="141">beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.</HI> Hence <HI>Naomi</HI> had her name, Ruth 1.20. <HI>Call me not Naomi</HI> (that is, <HI>plea&s;ant,</HI> or <HI>beautifull</HI>) but <HI>call me Marah</HI> (that is, <HI>bitter</HI>) when knowledge &s;hall appear &s;o bright and lovely to thee, that thou receive and retain it in thy heart and &s;oul, with wonderfull plea|&s;ure and delight, as the palate delights in &s;weet meat.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto thy &s;oul.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.18. upon the word <HI>Lives.</HI> For the word is the &s;ame in the Originall. But here it is taken for the &s;oul, the fountain of life.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Entreth.</HI> A Metaphor from a &s;tranger coming in|to the hou&s;e, and joyfully entertained by the Ma&s;ter of the hou&s;e, for his excellent parts, and the good that may be gotten by his &s;ociety.</P>
<P><HI>Is plea&s;ant.</HI> A Metaphor from the content the eyes take in beholding beautifull objects, or the palate in plea&s;ing meats. <HI>If &s;o be ye have ta&s;ted that the Lord is gracious,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.3. So it is with the &s;oul, when it begins to &s;ee the beauty of wi&s;|dome, and take delight in it.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The &s;imilitude of a &s;tranger entertained.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of a delightfull object fed upon.</P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;tranger, <HI>When wi&s;dome.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The entertainment, <HI>entreth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The entertainer, <HI>into thine heart.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The object, <HI>And knowledge.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The feeding on it, <HI>is plea&s;ant.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The feeder, <HI>unto thy &s;oul.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men are naturally voyd of heavenly wi&s;dome. <HI>Man is born like a wilde A&s;&s;es colt,</HI> Job 11.12. The <HI>Gentiles had their under&s;tandings darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, becau&s;e of the blindne&s;&s;e of their heart,</HI> Eph. 4.18. Neither are we any better, being <HI>all by nature</HI> (<HI>Paul</HI> and all) <HI>children of wrath, even as others,</HI> Eph. 2.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It appears in our carriage our thoughts are vain. <HI>The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity,</HI> P&s;al. 94.11.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But his words are better.</P>
<PB N="274" REF="142">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No. <HI>Their throat is an open &s;epulchre, with their tongues they have u&s;ed deceit, the poy&s;on of A&s;ps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cur&s;ing and bitterne&s;&s;e,</HI> Rom. 3.13, 14.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But their deeds are better. The Heathen man &s;aid, <HI>Mu&s;a joco&s;a mihi, vita pulica tamen: Although my mu&s;e do je&s;t and &s;port of cha&s;tily, my life's not &s;hort.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Their lives are an&s;werable to their thoughts and words. <HI>They are all gone out of the way, they are together be|come unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one,</HI> Rom. 3.12.</P>
<P N="2">2. It appears in their bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. In worldly things they are born fooli&s;h. <HI>Nemo na&s;citur artifex: No man is born an ar|tificer.</HI> Much more fooli&s;h are they then in heavenly things, which are further above their reach.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But in things of God which mo&s;t concern them, I hope they are wi&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No. <HI>The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spi|rit of God, for they are fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e unto him; neither can he know them, becau&s;e they are &s;piritually di&s;cerned,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.14.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> But in matters that concern their &s;alvation, they are wi&s;er. Sure they will not damn their owne &s;ouls.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They are no wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er in &s;uch matters. <HI>All have &s;inned, and come &s;hort of the glory of God,</HI> Rom. 3.23.</P>
<P N="3">3. In their &s;everal ages. In childehood they mind nothing but vanity. <HI>Childhood and youth are vanity,</HI> Eccl. 11.10.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> It may be for want of wit they may follow their plea|&s;ure then, but their manly age will reclaim them.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No. Then the world takes them up, profit drowns them. There are many thorny grounds in the world. In whom <HI>the care of this world, and the deceitfulne&s;&s;e of riches choke the Word, and they become unfruitfull,</HI> Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 13.21, 22.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But old age will &s;urely teach them more wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They, will learn none but the wi&s;dome of the fle&s;h, which is <HI>enmity again&s;t God,</HI> Rom. 8.7.</P>
<P N="4">4. The cau&s;e of it proves it. The lo&s;&s;e of Gods image by <HI>Adam</HI>'s fall, which makes us born without that wi&s;|dome, which <HI>Adam</HI> had by Creation.</P>
<PB N="275" REF="142">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let this humble us. Let not fools be proud of wi&s;|dome that have none. That have fooli&s;h thoughts, words, deeds, in worldly, &s;pirituall, heavenly things; in youth, manly age, old age. And cannot without grace be any thing but fools, being born &s;o. Remember <HI>Agur</HI>'s &s;peech, <HI>Surely I am more bruti&s;h then any man, and have not the under&s;tan|ding of a man. I neither learned wi&s;dome, nor have the knowledge of the holy,</HI> Prov. 30.2, 3. Apply this to your &s;elves.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> We cannot attain to true wi&s;dome by our owne &s;trength. We cannot force it into our hearts, it enters of it &s;elfe. <HI>Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,</HI> Jam. 1.17. <HI>The wi&s;dome that is from above, &amp;c.</HI> Jam. 3.17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e tho&s;e grounds that we have cannot reach it. Our ladder is not high enough. Sen&s;e, rea&s;on, common principles, humane in&s;tructions cannot attain un|to it.</P>
<P N="2">2. We have not the wings that &s;hould mount us up to this heavenly knowledge; to wit, revelation and illumination. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>dilabitur &s;apientia, non in hortulo no&s;tro na&s;citur. Plantam hanc implantet Pater coele&s;tis nece&s;&s;um e&s;t, condus promus, &amp; the&s;aurarius coele&s;tis in penum no&s;trum reponere debet. This wi&s;dome &s;lides down from abroad, from without, and from a|bove, it grows not in our little garden. It is nece&s;&s;ary that the hea|venly Father plant this plant in us. The heavenly Butler and Trea|&s;urer mu&s;t lay it up in our &s;torehou&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. This &s;hould lay us yet lower in our own eyes. Though we be born without &s;aving knowledge, yet if we could get it of our &s;elves, it were &s;omething. Many a man born fooli&s;h for the world, poor, mean, yet by Art im|proving Nature, proves worldly wi&s;e, rich, great. But we cannot get heavenly wi&s;dome &s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. Get it of God by prayer, and go out of your &s;elves, el&s;e ye will never attain it, as being naturally blinde and unable to &s;ee the way to heaven, Rev. 3.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is not enough that wi&s;dome come into the head, unle&s;&s;e it come into the heart al&s;o. <HI>So that thou incline thine ear unto wi&s;dome, and apply thine heart to under&s;tanding, ver&s;.</HI> 2. of this <HI>chap. Let thine heart keep my commandements,
<PB N="276" REF="143">chap.</HI> 3.1. <HI>Let thine heart keep my words, chap.</HI> 4.4. <HI>His mother kept all the&s;e &s;ayings in her heart,</HI> Luk. 2.51. <HI>God opened the heart of Lydia, that &s;he attended unto the things which were &s;poken of Paul,</HI> Act. 16.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e truths will not be regarded, nor af|fected.</P>
<P N="2">2. They will not be remembred, nor retained.</P>
<P N="3">3. Neither will they be applyed nor practi&s;ed. In effect neither affections, memory, nor life will do their part.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us then receive heavenly truths into the heart with joy, that we may be wi&s;e. Let us &s;et open the dores of our hearts to let in the King of glory, P&s;al. 24.9. It is not enough that truth come into thine ears by hearing, or touch thy heart by under&s;tanding, but it mu&s;t enter into it by plea&s;ing admi&s;&s;ion, and be received in love, 2 The&s;&s;. 2.10. Wi&s;dome mu&s;t enter into thee, as a man into his own hou&s;e. <HI>Ab Ezr.</HI> taking po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of all the faculties of thy &s;oul. Thou mu&s;t not onely conceive aright of truth, but willingly receive it. There is an Empha&s;is in the word <HI>En|tring,</HI> or <HI>coming in.</HI> Mans heart is a dark labyrinth. It is hard for the light to come in, but very u&s;efull. It is need|full for all the corners of the &s;oul. The Soul (&s;aith <HI>Maca|rius Hom.</HI> 5.) is a great &s;hop, wherein are many rooms and ware hou&s;es. There is the Trade of upright dealing in ju&s;tice, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Every affection keeps &s;hop by it &s;elf, and is ve|ry unruly. Much wi&s;dome is needfull to direct every one, as much light in every corner of a &s;hop. The outward light of the world may &s;erve to direct the body, but wi&s;|dome mu&s;t direct the &s;oul. <HI>Salazar.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge is better then all outward riches. He doth not &s;ay, <HI>riches,</HI> or <HI>honour,</HI> but <HI>knowledge is plea&s;ant.</HI> This dying <HI>David</HI> e&s;pecially commends to living <HI>Solomon. Thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father,</HI> 1 Chron. 28.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> It will &s;tand by us at death, when all outward comforts for&s;ake us, and mu&s;t be left.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Labour more earne&s;tly for it then for riches or ho|nor, for which worldly men take &s;o much care and pains.</P>
<PB N="277" REF="143">
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is much plea&s;ure and delight in know|ledge. Gods judgements are <HI>&s;weeter then honey and the honey|combe,</HI> P&s;al. 19.10. <HI>How &s;weet are thy words unto my ta&s;te! yea, &s;weeter then honey to my mouth,</HI> P&s;al. 119.103. <HI>Plea&s;ant words are as an honey combe, &s;weet to the &s;oul, and health to the bones,</HI> Prov 16.24.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it gives wonderfull &s;atisfaction to mens expectation. And &s;uch things are plea&s;ing to men.</P>
<P N="2">2. It ea&s;es a mans minde in the mids of worldly cares and bu&s;ine&s;&s;es. It is as a <HI>Noah</HI> to <HI>Lamech: This &s;ame &s;hall comfort us concerning our work, and toyl of our hands,</HI> Gen. 5.29.</P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;weetens all worldly cro&s;&s;es, which are very bitter to fools. It brings in Chri&s;t to help bear the burthen.</P>
<P N="4">4. It &s;weetens all worldly ble&s;&s;ings, by teaching us how to u&s;e them aright. <HI>I know both how to be aba&s;ed, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things I am in&s;tructed, both to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to &s;uffer need. I can do all things, through Chri&s;t which &s;trengtheneth me,</HI> Phil. 4.12, 13.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> We may well wonder then, why knowledge, which is &s;o &s;weet in it &s;elf, is &s;o bitter to many, and they will take no pains to get it. Surely it is not entred into their hearts. They are yet carnall. To good men it is &s;weeter then all worldly comforts. Fables and Tales are plea&s;ing to others, but Gods Word and knowledge to the&s;e. It is like honey to them, and outward comforts like gall, in compa|ri&s;on of it. As when a man hath taken honey, other things are bitter to him. Exerci&s;e makes that &s;weet to one man, which is bitter to another.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Knowledge will rai&s;e up a drooping &s;oul. The &s;ight of the Sun much rejoyceth dulled &s;pirits; the know|ledge of Gods Word much more. <HI>The Law of the Lord is per|fect, comforting the &s;oul. The &s;tatutes of the Lord are right, rejoy|cing the heart,</HI> P&s;al. 19.7, 8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e trouble of minde comes from a double ignorance.</P>
<P N="1">1. We are ignorant of our nature, as if we were not &s;ubject to change. Not onely Rivers, but Seas ebbe and flow.</P>
<PB N="278" REF="144">
<P N="2">2. We are ignorant of the nature of things, who take things to be hurtfull, that are not. <HI>Non &s;unt omnia mala, quae hominibus videntur mala. Nauta queritur &s;ilere ventos; mundum non laedit tranquillitas. Arnob. All things are not evill, which &s;eem evill to men. The Mariner complains, that the winds lie still; yet &s;till weather hurts not the world. Homines pertur|bantur non rebus, &s;ed opinionibus. Si mors malum e&s;&s;et, Socrati ita videretur. Epict. cap.</HI> 10. <HI>Men are troubled, not with things, but with opinions. Had death been an evill, it would have &s;eemed &s;o to Socrates. Me occidere po&s;&s;unt, &s;ed ladere non po&s;&s;unt.</HI> Ibid. <HI>cap.</HI> 78. <HI>They may kill me, but they cannot hurt me.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Knowledge gives grounds of comfort from the &s;ugar of Gods promi&s;es, of profit, &s;trength, &s;ingular deliveran|ces.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Love this knowledge better then ever ye did. What good will all the world doe you, if ye have trou|bled &s;pirits? Knowledge onely can lay the&s;e &s;torms.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 11.</BIBL> Di&s;cretion &s;hall pre&s;erve thee, under&s;tanding &s;hall keep thee.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Now for the pre&s;ervation it &s;elf of tho&s;e per&s;ons that receive and entertain wi&s;dome, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> They &s;hall be de|livered from many &s;pirituall and corporall dangers, which fooli&s;h men fall into, and they them&s;elves are &s;ubject unto, by rea&s;on of the remainder of &s;in in them, and allurements of others, both men and women. As if he had &s;aid, God &s;hall give thee &s;uch warine&s;&s;e and under&s;tanding of the true nature of things, that thou &s;hall be carefull to keep thy &s;elf from all evils which would weaken thy whole life, by means of pot-companions, and &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">umpets, who will conti|nually be ready to &s;et upon thee in thy young and &s;lippery age, to undoe thee, if they can. This pre&s;ervation is a great benefit.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Di&s;cretion.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.4. It imports a carefull examining things in the minde before we do them, that we may avoyd evill. The <HI>Syriack</HI> reads, <HI>a good thinking;</HI> that is, to think
<PB N="279" REF="144">well before-hand, whither thou goe&s;t, and what thou do&s;t, &s;hall keep thee from going and doing ami&s;&s;e. <HI>Cogito, qua&s;i coagito. Notat &s;ereitatem. Beeman. To think, is to bring thoughts trgether in the minde. It notes &s;eriou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> Such is the care of the Wife, <HI>how &s;he may plea&s;e her husband,</HI> 1 Cor. 7.34. She ca&s;ts this way, and that way, how &s;he may give content. So <HI>every wi&s;e woman buildeth her hou&s;e, ch.</HI> 14.1. She &s;tudies in every bu&s;ine&s;&s;e how to &s;et every thing in order. So the Car|penter &s;tudies how to &s;et every thing in joynt.</P>
<P><HI>Shall pre&s;erve thee.</HI> As a buckler keeps from wounds, <HI>v.</HI> 7. or as a guard which Princes and great men are wont to have about them, for the &s;afety of their per&s;ons. Their &s;ouls &s;hall be as &s;afe as the bodies of tho&s;e great ones, who have a Band of men alwayes waiting on them. Or, as Ci|ties that have a &s;trong garri&s;on to keep them from danger of a&s;&s;aults by the enemy. Di&s;cretion &s;hall pre&s;erve thee from all enemies and di&s;a&s;ters.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nder&s;tanding.</HI> Carefull examination will give thee under|&s;tanding to &s;ee what is fit to be done, and what to be a|voyded For the word, See on <HI>v.</HI> 2.</P>
<P><HI>Shall keep thee.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 8. It &s;hall keep watch and ward over thee. It brings del<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ght and &s;afety. The &s;ame thing &s;poken in the beginning of the <HI>v.</HI> in other words, for a&s;&s;u|rance, and to enlarge our affections to wi&s;dome, as if no words could &s;ufficiently &s;et out this benefit of pre&s;ervation by it, and to urge us to entertain it, and rejoyce in it, as in a mo&s;t beautifull &s;pou&s;e. If we &s;o do, it will &s;hew us the way how to be free from &s;infull cour&s;es.</P>
<P>Figures <HI>Pre&s;erve thee.</HI> A Metaphor from per&s;ons or Towns kept by a guard. <HI>Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto &s;alvation,</HI> 1 Pet. 1.5. The word &s;ignifies kept as with a band of Souldiers in a garri&s;on. The &s;ame benefit is twice inculcated.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The pre&s;erver, <HI>Di&s;eretion and under&s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The act, <HI>&s;hall pre&s;erve, &s;hall keep.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The per&s;on pre&s;erved, <HI>thee.</HI> He that joyfully en|tertains it, and takes plea&s;ure in it, &s;hall be kept by it.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men are &s;ubject to many dangers till they get wi&s;dome. <HI>He goeth after her &s;traightway, as an Oxe goeth to the
<PB N="280" REF="145">&s;laughter, or as a fool to the correction of the &s;tocks. Till a dart &s;trike through his liver; as a bird ha&s;teth to the &s;nare, and knoweth not that it is for his life,</HI> ch. 7.22, 23. <HI>Thou fool, this night &s;hall thy &s;oul be required of thee; then, who&s;e &s;hall tho&s;e things be which thou ha&s;t provided?</HI> Luk. 12.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e their reputation is in danger, and men had as leeve lo&s;e their life as their credit, if they be gene|rous. Folly will give occa&s;ion of di&s;grace.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their goods and e&s;&s;ate will be in danger, which is a great lo&s;&s;e. How many lo&s;e them by folly, breaking out into un&s;eemly words and deeds?</P>
<P N="3">3. Their body and life is in danger, which are dearer then credit and goods. <HI>Skin for skin, yea all that a man hath, will be give for his life,</HI> Job 2.4. <HI>Is not the life more then meat, and the body then rayment?</HI> Mat. 6.25.</P>
<P N="4">4. The &s;oul is in danger, and lies open to eternall mi&s;ery. Therefore &s;in which damns the &s;oul is called folly. <HI>He had wrought folly in I&s;rael in lying with Jacobs daughter, which thing ought not to be done,</HI> Gen. 34.7. And wicked men that go to hell are chronicled for fools all over this Book of <HI>Proverbs.</HI> And this is the greate&s;t danger of all. <HI>What is a man profited, if he &s;hall gain the whole world, and lo&s;e his owne &s;oul?</HI> Matth. 16.26.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It di&s;covers to us the cau&s;e of many troubles and calamities in the world, want of wi&s;dome to prevent the oc|ca&s;ions. I &s;ay, not of all, but of many, for Gods &s;ervants are often per&s;ecuted without a cau&s;e, and for tryall of their graces; yet we may do well to attribute our &s;ufferings to our folly, as <HI>David</HI> did. <HI>My wounds &s;tink and are corrupt, becau&s;e of my fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 38.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Young men are mo&s;t in danger of allurement. For he &s;peaks to his Son all along, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> He that is &s;educed by the Strumpet, is &s;aid to be <HI>among the youths, ch.</HI> 7.7. Such are mo&s;t &s;ubject to <HI>walk in the wayes of their heart, and in the &s;ight of their eyes,</HI> Eccl. 11.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Brcau&s;e they are more &s;ubject to be &s;et upon by &s;trumpets, riotous, theeves, as having lea&s;t gravity to keep &s;uch off. <HI>My Son</HI> (a young man) <HI>if &s;inners intice thee,</HI> ch. 1.10. Old men they will not &s;et upon &s;o &s;oon. Nay, the thought
<PB N="281" REF="145">of an old grave man pre&s;ent might keep men from &s;ecret &s;ins; as the Heathen man &s;aid, <HI>Think Socrates or Plato &s;ees thee, and thou wilt not commit folly.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Young men have lea&s;t wit and experience to re&s;i&s;t &s;uch temptations, and therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> writ his <HI>Proverbs</HI> to teach <HI>the young man knowledge and di&s;cretion,</HI> ch. 1.4.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e old men want fuel for many &s;ins to be kindled by temptations and allurements. They cannot exerci&s;e wantonne&s;s, riotou&s;ne&s;s, robbing, killing, for want of bodily &s;trength. <HI>The gra&s;&s;ehopper to them is a burden, and de&s;ire fails,</HI> Eccl. 12.5. <HI>They cannot ta&s;te what they eat and drink, nor hear the voyce of &s;inging men, or &s;inging women,</HI> 2 Sam. 19.35. Old men have &s;een the mi&s;chief that falls upon evill cour&s;es of life, and therefore are not ea&s;ily drawn to them. Old birds will not be caught with chaffe.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed young men, you think your &s;elves &s;tron|ge&s;t, and you are weake&s;t, your &s;trength and heat of blood will &s;oone&s;t draw you to folly: for lu&s;t is &s;tronge&s;t in young men, by rea&s;on of natural heat. Therefore <HI>Paul</HI> bids <HI>Timothy, Fly youthfull lu&s;t,</HI> 2 Tim. 2.22. Be not proud and carele&s;&s;e, but humble and watchful.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> When men get di&s;cretion and knowledge, they will be free from many enormities, into which others fall. So the prodigall Son, who fed on husks before, when he came to him&s;elf, found bread enough in his Fathers hou&s;e, Luk. 15.17. So the Angel of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> might be freed from blindne&s;&s;e, poverty, and nakedne&s;&s;e, if he would follow Chri&s;ts coun&s;el, Rev. 3.17, 18. Truth hath a freeing power. <HI>Ye &s;hall know the truth, and the truth &s;hall make you free,</HI> Joh. 8.32.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e Satan is daunted by repul&s;es, as he was by Chri&s;t. <HI>Then the devil leaveth him,</HI> Mat. 4.11.</P>
<P N="2">2. Wicked men give over &s;oliciting, when they &s;ee it can|not prevail, as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e did, who though &s;he brought him to pri&s;on, could not bring him to adultery, Gen. 39.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e men &s;eeing the ugline&s;&s;e of &s;in, grow more wa|ry, and &s;o e&s;cape &s;nares. A blinde man &s;ees no rubs in the way, but follows his guide carele&s;ly. He that &s;ees, looks at &s;tumbling-blocks, and goes be&s;ide them.</P>
<PB N="282" REF="146">
<P N="4">4. God watches over &s;uch, and men that have a guard are free from many dangers, into which others fall. If a Rulers word hath power, Gods Word hath more.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hews a rea&s;on why &s;ome e&s;cape tho&s;e &s;ins and dan|gers, that lay hold on other men, and them&s;elves had formerly incurred; becau&s;e they have got more di&s;cretion and true wi&s;dome. They were once in much danger, now they are more free.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dome is a great antidote and pre&s;ervative a|gain&s;t evill. <HI>When thou goe&s;t, it &s;hall lead thee; when thou &s;leepe&s;t, it &s;hall keep thee; and when thou walke&s;t, it &s;hall talk with thee,</HI> ch. 6.32. Wi&s;dome <HI>may keep thee from the &s;trange woman,</HI> chap. 7.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e wi&s;dome &s;hews the right end we &s;hould aim at, the right means to attain that end, and the fitte&s;t time to u&s;e tho&s;e means. And all the&s;e help to pre&s;erve us from &s;in, judgement, evill practi&s;es; from dangers, corporal, &s;pi|ritual, and from hell it &s;elf.</P>
<P N="2">2. It teaches a man how to make u&s;e of all times; of time pa&s;t, el&s;e you lo&s;e your life; of time pre&s;ent, el&s;e ye live ill; of time to come, el&s;e ye lie open to all dangers. <HI>Who&s;o keepeth the commandement, &s;hal feel no evill thing; and a wi&s;e mans heart di&s;cerneth both time and judgement. Becau&s;e, to every purpo&s;e there is time and judgement; therefore the mi&s;ery of man is great upon him,</HI> Eccl. 8.5, 6.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Make u&s;e of this wi&s;dome in carefull watchfulne&s;&s;e for your owne pre&s;ervation. Ye are encompa&s;&s;ed with a thou&s;and dangers. Ye are naturally carele&s;&s;e, watchfulne&s;&s;e will keep ye out of them. Thinking often of perill, is the way to prevent perill. Other virtues are armed &s;ouldiers in the field, ready to fight for the &s;ouls &s;afety. Wi&s;dome is the Watchman or Sentinel of the &s;oul, to foretell danger. <HI>Salazar.</HI> Where wi&s;dome enters not into the heart, there are no &s;aving thoughts, nor coun&s;els, whereby men may be &s;afe; for the incon&s;tancy of mans mind is wonderful, and the blindne&s;&s;e and frailty of it great. Men think more frequently of vain and pernicious things, then of hone&s;t and godly, unle&s;&s;e wi&s;dome be pre&s;ent, which may &s;upply hearty and heavenly thoughts, which may &s;hut up the entrance again&s;t
<PB N="283" REF="146">our enemy; as follows in the next <HI>ver&s;. To deliver thee from the way of the evill man.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Pre&s;ervation from &s;infull wayes is a great benefit and ble&s;&s;ing. So it is promi&s;ed here as a choyce mercy. <HI>I withheld thee from &s;inning again&s;t me, therefore &s;uffered I not thee to touch her,</HI> Gen. 20.6. It was a great mercy of God to keep <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> from adultery, Gen. 39.10. <HI>David</HI> found not &s;o much favour from God, 2 Sam. 11. <HI>Tibi deputo peccata, quae non feci. To thee (O Lord) I impute it, that I have not committed &s;uch and &s;uch &s;ins. Aug.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In regard of good mens account, who &s;et a great price upon it, and pray earne&s;tly for it. So doth <HI>David, Set a watch (O Lord) before my mouth, keep the dore of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evill thing, to practi&s;e wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties,</HI> P&s;. 140.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. In regard of evils prevented, as Gods frowns, pangs of con&s;cience, di&s;ea&s;es, troubles, hell.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of the co&s;t of recovery. It co&s;t Chri&s;t his heart blood to recover Gods favour to &s;inners. It will co&s;t us many prayers and tears, as it did <HI>David,</HI> P&s;al. 51.</P>
<P N="4">4. In regard of the &s;candall of our &s;ins, whereby others may be drawn to hell, and which all our following good works will not wipe off.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us ble&s;&s;e God, if we &s;ee others fall into gro&s;&s;e &s;ins, and our &s;elves kept from them, as we would do if all the hou&s;es about us were infected, and ours kept free. <HI>Rahab</HI> e&s;caped when <HI>Jericho</HI> was de&s;troyed. An antidote is better then a cure. It &s;aves much pain both of di&s;ea&s;e and healing. Men mu&s;t be made more &s;ick ere they be healed. It is no &s;mall matter of little importance that is here promi&s;ed, but &s;afety and re&s;t, which all the world cannot give us, though it &s;tood armed round about us to defend us. Then give God great prai&s;e for it.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is need of under&s;tanding and care to keep us from evill. <HI>I &s;aid, I will take heed to my wayes,</HI> P&s;al. 39.1. <HI>Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not &s;in again&s;t thee,</HI> P&s;al. 119.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. There is need of much under&s;tanding. El&s;e we may think, that we do very well, when we do very ill. <HI>I
<PB N="284" REF="147">verily thought</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul</HI>) <HI>with my &s;elf, that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Je&s;us of Nazareth,</HI> Act. 26.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is need of great care, el&s;e knowledge is in vain. Knowing men will &s;in negligently, or wilfully, if care be wanting.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Provide the&s;e two wings &s;till, and care to flee from evill. A watch-man mu&s;t both wake and watch. So mu&s;t we &s;piritually, if we will &s;cape &s;in.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 12.</BIBL> To deliver thee from the way of the evill man, from the man that &s;peaketh froward things.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>Here begins the deliverance from dangers that may come to us by evill mens &s;ociety. The benefit is propounded in the beginning of this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> The evill mans way from which he is to be delivered, is &s;et out by divers effects.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In his words, in the end of this <HI>ver&s;.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In his works, <HI>v.</HI> 13.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. In his affections, <HI>v.</HI> 14.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. In his ob&s;tinacy, <HI>v.</HI> 15.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>To deliver thee.</HI> The Heb. word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To &s;poyl a man or take his goods from him. <HI>All the riches that God hath taken from our Father,</HI> Gen. 31.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. To take away a man from trouble, or deliver him. <HI>And delivered our hou&s;es;</HI> Exod. 12.27. So here.</P>
<P><HI>From.</HI> So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is tran&s;lated, <HI>From the hand of all his enemies, and from the band of Saul,</HI> P&s;al. 18. <HI>in the title.</HI> Sometimes it is <HI>out of. He hath delivered me out of all trouble,</HI> P&s;al. 54.7. Here it may be under&s;tood either way. Wi&s;dome is good to de|liver men from ill wayes, that they fall not into them; and to deliver them out of them, when they are faln into them; to keep them out, or bring them out. But it is be&s;t to under|&s;tand it in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, as it is tran&s;lated. For it is a grea|ter mercy to be kept out of ill wayes, then to be brought out of them. As it is a greater favour to be kept in health, then to be healed. It agrees al&s;o be&s;t with the &s;cope of the place,
<PB N="285" REF="147">which is, to keep young men from entring into evill wayes.</P>
<P><HI>The way.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.15. It &s;ignifies their wicked cour|&s;es of life, which as a wrong way leads to a bad end. Wi&s;|dome will keep us from following bad example, and deligh|ting in the company of bad men, and &s;o getting hurt by them. From walking in their way with them, or after them. From joyning with them in &s;in, or doing the like &s;ins.</P>
<P><HI>Of the evill man;</HI> that is, <HI>of evill men.</HI> The &s;ingular for the plurall; as is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>v.</HI> 13. <HI>Who leave the wayes of upright|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> or <HI>of evill;</HI> that is, from all evill wayes, or <HI>from the evill way;</HI> that is, from evill cour&s;es. As appears by what follows by way of explanation in the words following. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.16.</P>
<P><HI>From the man.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. A man by kind oppo&s;ed to a bea&s;t, either male or female. <HI>Whether it be bea&s;t or man,</HI> Exod. 19.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. A male, or a man oppo&s;ed to a woman. <HI>There was a man in the Land of &V;z,</HI> Job. 1.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. An Husband, oppo&s;ed to a Wife. <HI>She gave al&s;o to her Husband,</HI> Gen. 3.6.</P>
<P N="4">4. A great man, or a valiant man. <HI>Art not thou a valiant man?</HI> 1 Sam. 26.15.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the third &s;en&s;e, for a man oppo&s;ed to a woman, <HI>v.</HI> 16.</P>
<P><HI>That &s;peaketh.</HI> That is, &s;o full of wickedne&s;&s;e, that he can|not keep it in, but it breaks out in his words.</P>
<P><HI>Froward things.</HI> Contrary to what he &s;hould &s;peak. Cro&s;&s;e things to truth, holine&s;&s;e or righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. That gives &s;uch untoward coun&s;el as is mentioned, <HI>ch.</HI> 1.11. <HI>Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, &amp;c.</HI> Whereby men are &s;educed to evil. Words tending to the &s;ubver&s;ion of Gods honour, and mans good, temporall and eternall, whereby men are perverted. Such as &s;peak di&s;torted words, as if the upper lip &s;tood where the neather lip &s;hould.</P>
<P>The &s;umme is, as if <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;hould have &s;aid, Unle&s;&s;e wi&s;dome enter into thy heart as a keeper, how can&s;t thou conver&s;ing among&s;t men, who for the mo&s;t part walk in an evill way, be freed from the gro&s;&s;e&s;t errors, or mo&s;t cor|rupt
<PB N="286" REF="148">manners of them that &s;peak perver&s;e things, &s;eeking to infect others by their &s;ubverting per&s;wa&s;ions. Thus &s;ome do in matters of opinion. <HI>Al&s;o, of your owne &s;elves &s;hall m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n ari&s;e, &s;peaking perver&s;e things, to draw away di&s;ciples after them,</HI> Act. 20.30. Others doe the like in matters of practi&s;e. <HI>Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.32. Di&s;cre|tion then, and under&s;tanding deliver us from evill mens wayes, and words of perver&s;e men; not by taking us out of the world, but by not &s;uffering us to beleeve their evill words, or to follow their lewd cour&s;es.</P>
<P>Figures none.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The deliverance.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The de&s;cription of the per&s;on, from whom he is delivered.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>To deliver.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>thee.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the de&s;cription of the per&s;on from whom he is delive|red; note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The danger, <HI>from the way.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The cau&s;e, <HI>of the evill man.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The effect, <HI>from the man that &s;peaketh.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>froward things.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Young men are in danger of bad company. This lo&s;t <HI>Rehoboam</HI> his Kingdome, 1 King. 12.8. <HI>He con&s;ulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which &s;tood before him.</HI> This was the undoing of the prodigall Son. <HI>He wa&s;ted his &s;ub&s;tance with riotous living,</HI> Luk. 15.13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In re&s;pect of the &s;ociablene&s;&s;e of their nature, which puts them forth to &s;eek for company, as &s;oon as they are fit for action. <HI>Adam</HI> could not be alone. Man loves to give, and to receive. <HI>Homo e&s;t animal politicum: Man is a &s;o|ciable creature. Ari&s;t.</HI> Now, mo&s;t are bad, and that makes men for the mo&s;t part to light on bad company.</P>
<P N="2">2. In re&s;pect of the nece&s;&s;ity of their callings. He mu&s;t buy, &s;ell, trade with others. His owne calling cannot furni&s;h him with all things needful. Now many are bad in all callings, and the skilfulle&s;t workmen oftentimes mo&s;t given to drin|king, by which others are &s;poyled that trade with them.</P>
<PB N="287" REF="148">
<P N="3">3. In re&s;pect of the band of their relations. Husbands, Wives, Parents, Children, Kindred, may be naught, and with them they mu&s;t keep company, becau&s;e they owe duty to them, and &s;o may more ea&s;ily be corrupted by them, then by &s;trangers, whom they le&s;&s;e love. <HI>Jezebel A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ab's wife, &s;tir|ved him up to work wickedne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 King. 21.25.</P>
<P N="4">4. In re&s;pect of the corruption of mans nature. The young man is corrupt him&s;elf by nature. Therefore <HI>David</HI> calls on a <HI>young man to clean&s;e his wayes,</HI> P&s;al. 119.9. So are all others. And like will to like.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Choo&s;e good company at fir&s;t. So did <HI>David. To the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight,</HI> P&s;al. 16.3. <HI>I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts,</HI> P&s;al. 119.63. Much good may be gotten by the company of &s;uch, for &s;oul, bo|dy, e&s;tate, and credit.</P>
<P N="2">2. Refu&s;e all bad company, as far as thy calling and relations will permit, el&s;e thou wilt burden them in their &s;ins, and learn to be like them. <HI>Con&s;tantius</HI> the <HI>Arrian</HI> Empe|ror, de&s;ired the orthodox Chri&s;tians to joyn with the <HI>Arrians,</HI> not onely in wor&s;hip, but al&s;o in &s;ociety. They an&s;wered, <HI>Arriani &s;unt mortui in delictis, &amp; non po&s;&s;umus vivi cum mortuis conjungi: The Arrians are dead in &s;ins, and we that are alive may not be joyned with the dead. Scultet. in Lucif. Caral. p.</HI> 376. <HI>Nazian|zen</HI> per&s;wades his Brother <HI>Ce&s;arius</HI> to come out of <HI>Julian</HI>'s Court, where he had an office, le&s;t he did <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;mell of the &s;moak, if not be burnt with the fire.</HI> He might be tainted, though not perverted.</P>
<P N="3">3. In conver&s;ing with &s;uch evill men as thou art tyed to by calling or relation, go not beyond thy bounds. Take heed of their &s;ins. Be more ready to do them good then to get hurt by them.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Young men are in danger of bad example. <HI>Jo|&s;eph</HI> not old, had learned in <HI>Aegypt</HI> to &s;wear <HI>by the life of Pha|raoh,</HI> Gen. 42.15. Therefore old women mu&s;t be a <HI>pattern to young,</HI> and <HI>Titus in all things mu&s;t &s;hew him&s;elf a pattern of good works,</HI> Tit. 4.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there is a multitude of bad examples in the world, in young men like them, in grown men, in old men. Among many &s;nares one may take.</P>
<PB N="288" REF="149">
<P N="2">2. They are more ready to be won by examples, e&s;peci|all of great ones, then by precepts, prohibitions, promi&s;es, threats. <HI>The other Jews di&s;&s;embled likewi&s;e with Peter, in&s;omuch that Barnabas was al&s;o carried away with their di&s;&s;imulation,</HI> Gal. 2.13.</P>
<P N="3">3. Young men are more ready to be led by example then others, becau&s;e they know their owne want of experience, and pre&s;ume upon the knowledge of the ancient. <HI>I &s;aid, Dayes &s;hould &s;peak, and multitude of yeers &s;hould teach wi&s;dome,</HI> Job 32.7.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Be wary whom ye imitate. Do not imitate wic|ked men, nor civil men, but men truely godly.</P>
<P N="2">2. Be wary how ye imitate them. Not in their infirmi|ties, but take St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s coun&s;el. <HI>Be ye followers of me, even as I al&s;o am of Je&s;us Christ,</HI> 1 Cor. 11.1. Follow them no fur|ther then the rule of Gods Word leads them.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Young men are in danger of bad coun&s;ell. Thus <HI>Amnon</HI> was drawn to execute his wantonne&s;&s;e by the coun&s;ell of <HI>Jonadab,</HI> 2 Sam. 13.3, 5. Therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> advi&s;es his Son to take heed of bad coun&s;el. <HI>My Son, if &s;inners entice thee, con&s;ent thou not, ch.</HI> 1.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e evill men will be continually provo|king them to evill, for they de&s;ire to make others like unto them&s;elves; as &s;ome &s;ay, that infected per&s;ons de&s;ire to in|fect others.</P>
<P N="2">2. Wicked men are &s;ubtil, and can allure young men by flattering words, and crafty &s;peeches, which like &s;ugar go down quickly.</P>
<P N="3">3. Evill men can take all advantage of time, place, di&s;po|&s;ition, occa&s;ions to &s;educe young men, and therefore are the more likely to prevail. They will di&s;&s;wade them from fea|ring God, or tru&s;ting on him; and then all fear and hope being gone, young men may be ea&s;ily drawn to any evill.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Let young men labour to get heavenly wi&s;dome, that they may be able to di&s;tingui&s;h good coun&s;el from evil. El&s;e they cannot be &s;afe.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let them take heed of being familiar with bad men. What can be looked for from them, but bad coun&s;el? What
<PB N="289" REF="149">from a bad tree, but bad fruit? <HI>A corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit,</HI> Mat. 7.17.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is a great ble&s;&s;ing to be kept out of evil wayes. <HI>I withheld thee from &s;inning again&s;t me,</HI> &s;aith God to <HI>Abimelech, therefore &s;uffered I thee not to touch her,</HI> Gen. 20.6. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that walketh not in the coun&s;ell of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of &s;inners,</HI> P&s;al. 1.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it keeps us from all the danger of the way, as he that &s;capes a theevi&s;h way, &s;capes robbing.</P>
<P N="2">2. It prevents the danger in the end of the way. In the world, a man may have a foul way to a profitable Market. In the &s;ea, he may have a &s;tormy pa&s;&s;age to a gainful Mart. Here the end is alwayes like the way, good or bad.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Prai&s;e God that ye &s;cape errors and &s;ins that others fall into. So ye &s;cape way-dangers, and end-dangers, that are eternall.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God &s;ets characters on men who&s;e wayes &s;hould be avoyded by us. Two notes are &s;et out in the text, evill Livers, and evill Teachers. Such as walk in evill wayes, and &s;uch as &s;peak froward things. So bad men are de&s;cri|bed, <HI>They are all gone a&s;ide, they are altogether become filthy, there is none that doth good, no not one,</HI> P&s;al. 14.3. And &s;o bad women are &s;et out, <HI>She is loud and &s;tubborn, her feet abide not in her hou&s;e. Now &s;he is without, now in the &s;treets, and lieth in wait in every corner,</HI> ch. 7.11, 12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> God doth this,</P>
<P N="1">1. For the good of his people, that they may not be decei|ved by them, whereof they are in great danger. <HI>If it were po&s;|&s;ible they would deceive the very elect,</HI> Mat. 24.24.</P>
<P N="2">2. To make wicked men inexcu&s;able. They might have known tho&s;e that mi&s;lead them, and have avoyded them. For God gave them plaine characters of &s;uch in his Word.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us &s;tudy the characters of ungodly men &s;et out in Gods Word, not to imitate them, but to take heed of them, as Sea-men &s;eek to know rocks and quick|&s;ands.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Some are &s;o &s;hamele&s;&s;e, that they will give mo&s;t lewd coun&s;ell. So do theeves. <HI>Come with us, let us lay wait for
<PB N="290" REF="150">innocent blood, ch.</HI> 1.11. So do oppre&s;&s;ors; <HI>Come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation,</HI> P&s;al. 83.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Out of naturall inclination to undo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> others, as Pirates are &s;aid to hang out fal&s;e lights on rocks and &s;ands, to draw &s;hips thither, that they may have the &s;poyl of them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Out of pride of their owne wit, that they may brag they have mi&s;led others.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of &s;uch coun&s;ellours, count them wicked men, and hearken not to their words. Take <HI>Solomon</HI>'s coun|&s;ell, <HI>Cra&s;e my Son to hear the instruction that cau&s;eth to erre from the words of knowledge,</HI> Prov. 19.27. Old men have been drawn away by bad coun&s;ell, as <HI>Solomon</HI> by his Wives, 1 King. 11.4. <HI>Joa&s;h</HI> was drawn to Idolatry after <HI>Jehojadah</HI>'s death, 2 Chron. 24.17, 18. <HI>Julian</HI> is &s;aid to be drawn to Apo&s;ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e by <HI>Libanius.</HI> Young men then, and un&s;etled, had mo&s;t need to take heed of bad coun&s;ell. Thoughts are not mentioned in this de&s;cription, becau&s;e we know them not. We mu&s;t judge of men by their words and deeds, and em|brace, or &s;hun them accordingly.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 13.</BIBL> Who leave the paths of uprightne&s;&s;e, to walk in the wayes of darkne&s;&s;e.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;eman now comes to the &s;econd note of wicked men, who&s;e wayes are to be avoyded, and that is wicked|ne&s;&s;e of life. Neither doth he &s;et them out by any one kinde of &s;in, but by &s;uch generall &s;ymptomes as are com|mon to all wicked men, that all wicked wayes may be di&s;covered. He &s;hews his great care of our &s;alvation, in con|tinuing &s;till to &s;hew from what per&s;ons and from what dan|gers God doth deliver the children of wi&s;dome.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Who leave.</HI> He changes the number, and puts it into the plurall, to &s;hew that there are many &s;uch wanderers in the world. The word imports an utter for&s;aking of good wayes, and having nothing to do with them, as a Whore that for&s;akes her Husbands hou&s;e, and &s;ets up a Stewes, <HI>v.</HI> 17.</P>
<PB N="291" REF="150">
<P><HI>The paths.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.19.</P>
<P><HI>Of uprightne&s;&s;e.</HI> The known and beaten wayes of equity agreeable to divine Laws, and the Law of Nature. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 7.</P>
<P><HI>To walk.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.11. on the word <HI>Come.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In the wayes.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Of darkne&s;&s;e.</HI> Wayes of uprightne&s;&s;e are well oppo&s;ed to wayes of darkne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e they are in the light, and wayes of darkne&s;&s;e are crooked. By wayes of darkne&s;&s;e here are meant wayes di&s;agreeable to Gods Laws and Nature, whether errors of judgement, or wickedne&s;&s;e of life, as appears by what was &s;aid before of the contrary wayes of uprighene&s;&s;e. The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. Darkne&s;&s;e of the night oppo&s;ed to the light of the day. <HI>When it was dark,</HI> Jo&s;h. 2.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. The grave, the dark habitation of dead bodies. <HI>A land of darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> Job 10.21.</P>
<P N="3">3. A &s;ecret place, where men cannot &s;ee what is done, no more then in the night. <HI>In a dark place of the earth,</HI> I&s;a. 45.19.</P>
<P N="4">4. Afflictions, which make men &s;ad, and fearfull, and ig|norant, how to get out, as in a dark night. <HI>He beleeveth not that he &s;hall come out of darkne&s;&s;e, and he is waited for of the &s;word,</HI> Job 15.22.</P>
<P N="5">5. Ignorance and &s;in, which is the night and darkne&s;&s;e of the &s;oul. <HI>The people that walked in darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> I&s;a. 9.2. So it it is taken here, as appears by the oppo&s;ition to the <HI>paths of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Figures. A Metaphor from Travellers in the whole <HI>ver&s;.</HI> who leave the high-wayes that are light &s;ome and right, to go through dark and crooked wayes. Now becau&s;e many men are &s;o cunning to hide their fins with fair colours, therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> gives further marks by which the&s;e Impo|&s;ters may be known, that men may avoyd them.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The high-way for&s;aken.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The by-way entertained.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>Who leave.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>the paths.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="292" REF="151">
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>of uprightne&s;&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>To walk.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>in the wayes.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>of darkne&s;&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many are out of the right way. <HI>Some have not the knowledge of God,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.34. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith more el&s;e|where. <HI>They are all gone out of the way,</HI> Rom. 3.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e naturall ignorance and corruption mi&s;leads many. Fire will burn if it meet with fuel.</P>
<P N="2">2. Worldly plea&s;ures mi&s;lead them. Baits take the fi&s;h, though there be hooks to catch them.</P>
<P N="3">3. Profits will carry men away. Piracy thrives at a chea|per rate then Merchandi&s;e. Plea&s;ures la&s;t but our lives. Profits la&s;t to childrens children.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Devils &s;leights mi&s;lead thou&s;ands. Swords may be kept off with bucklers, bullets with mud-walls. No keeping off Miners. Satan works all under ground. Coun|termining is uncertain, unle&s;&s;e we could &s;ee where Satan digs.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed whom ye follow. <HI>Major pars meliorem vin|eit: The greater part overcomes the better part.</HI> Mo&s;t are bad, if ye look on Per&s;ons, Families, Towns, Nations. <HI>Thou &s;halt not follow a multitude to do evil,</HI> Exod. 23.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Some are &s;o quite out of the right way, that they have clean le&s;t it. <HI>Rehoboam for&s;ook the Law of the Lord, and all I&s;rael with him,</HI> 2 Chro. 12.1. <HI>Demas hath for&s;aken me, having loved this pre&s;ent world,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To begin where we ended in the rea&s;ons of the la&s;t point. The Proverb is, <HI>He mu&s;t needs go, whom the devill drives.</HI> Satan (like a skilfull Generall in the War) if he once &s;cale the walls, plunders the City, layes &s;iege to the Ca&s;tle, gives not over, till he take it, that &s;o he may command City and Countrey.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God hath for&s;aken them, when they leave the wayes of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. He was wont to cha&s;ti&s;e them, while they kept the way, becau&s;e they &s;lipped &s;ometimes; but if they once go out of the way quite, then he will cha&s;ti&s;e them no more, but let them have a joviall journey to hell.
<PB N="293" REF="151">So he &s;aith by his Prophet, <HI>I will not puni&s;h your daughters when they commit whoredome, nor your &s;pou&s;es, when they commit adultery; the people that doth not under&s;tand, &s;hall fall,</HI> Ho&s;. 4.14. <HI>Why &s;hould ye be &s;tricken any more? ye will revolt more and more,</HI> I&s;a. 1.5. <HI>Nulla poena, maxima poena: No puni&s;hment is the greate&s;t puni&s;hment. Greg. Magn.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of giving over the wayes of piety. It is likely thou wilt never return, God will for&s;ake thee, and the Devil drive thee. If the &s;heep go out of the fold, ten to one, he never returns. Wolves will devour him, or ditches drown him.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods wayes are right wayes, in which men may walk &s;afely. <HI>I have led thee in the right paths,</HI> ch. 4.11. <HI>The opening of my lips &s;hall be right things,</HI> ch. 8.6. Therefore Gods way is called <HI>the way,</HI> Rom. 3.12. And, <HI>the way of peace,</HI> Rom. 3.17. Intimating, that there is no other &s;afe way, nay none worthy of the name of a way.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. There is no way leading to the right end but this, to Gods glory, and mans eternall &s;alvation. Mens inventions lead to hell, not to heaven. All &s;uch are <HI>lying</HI> wayes, P&s;al. 119.163.</P>
<P N="2">2. It brings joy and comfort, when other wayes bring &s;orrow and trouble. <HI>The children of I&s;rael &s;aid unto the Lord, We have &s;inned,</HI> Judg. 10.15. This confe&s;&s;ion came from them when God had delivered them into the hands of their ene|mies, for their Idolatry, <HI>v.</HI> 6, 7. there.</P>
<P N="3">3. Gods &s;ervants have prayed to be directed in it; and they know be&s;t of all the world, which is the be&s;t way. <HI>Teach me (O Lord) &s;he way of thy statutes,</HI> P&s;al. 119.33.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us keep in Gods way, el&s;e we lo&s;e much la|bour, and in the end are di&s;appointed of our hope, which is a double vexation.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many prefer bad wayes before good. <HI>They hated knowledge, and did not choo&s;e the fear of the Lord,</HI> ch. 1.29. <HI>Bre|thren, be ye followers of me; for many walk as the enemies of the cro&s;&s;e of Christ,</HI> Phil. 3.17, 18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. It appears in particulars. Let us anatomize the world. Sub&s;tract Heathen, Turks, Jews, Papi&s;ts; and among Prote&s;tants, Athei&s;ts, Hereticks, Bla&s;phemers, Ignorant ones,
<PB N="294" REF="152">Worldly profane ones, Hypocrited. All the&s;e prefer bad wayes before good. Tell me then what is le&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. It appears by the ground of it. All are naturally foo|li&s;h, none wi&s;e but tho&s;e few that are enlightened from hea|ven. Turn a company of fools to &s;eek a way they know not, the mo&s;t will take the wor&s;t wayes, for they look at the breadth and plea&s;ure of the way, not at the end. They con&s;ider not <HI>that broad is the way that leadeth to de&s;truction, and many there be that go in it; but narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it,</HI> Mat. 7.13, 14.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e there are more bad wayes, then good, and it is hard to di&s;tingui&s;h them.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e bad wayes are more plea&s;ing to our naturall corruption then good. As on the contrary, Gods wayes are irk&s;ome to our corrupt nature, wherein a man mu&s;t as <HI>Hierom</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>interficere in &s;e radicem &s;uam, and mortifie his own root in him&s;elf.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Judge of your wayes ye &s;hould walk in, not by your company, but by the goodne&s;&s;e of them. Keep not company with others in foul and &s;infull wayes. Men will not walk with their friends in the dirt, but in fair wayes.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men do continue ob&s;tinate in evil doing. <HI>They walk in the coun&s;el of the ungodly, and &s;tand in the way of &s;inners, and fit in the &s;eat of the &s;cornfull,</HI> P&s;al. 1.1. So did <HI>Pha|raoh</HI> till he was drowned in the &s;ea. <HI>I knew that thou art ob&s;ti|nate, and thy neck is an iron &s;inew, and thy brow bra&s;&s;e,</HI> I&s;a. 48.4. <HI>That cannot cea&s;e from &s;in,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.14. <HI>They wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.13. So did <HI>Ahaz,</HI> 2 Chr. 28.22.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are naturall to them, and come out of internall, corrupt, and fle&s;hly principles, as folly is to a fool, which makes him con&s;tant in fooli&s;h actions. <HI>Though thou &s;hould&s;t bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pe&s;til, yet will not his fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e depart from him,</HI> ch. 27.22.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e cu&s;tome, which is another nature, hardens him in it. As many men cannot &s;leep without a pipe of Tobacco at their mouths, &s;o wicked men take no re&s;t till they do mi&s;|chief, <HI>ch.</HI> 4.16. Yea, &s;ome care not for &s;leep, but are &s;o con|&s;tant in their evil, that they fit up all night to game and drink. See the power of cu&s;tome. <HI>Can the Ethiopian change his
<PB N="295" REF="152">skin? or the Leopard his &s;pots? then may ye al&s;o do good that are accu&s;tomed to do evil,</HI> Jer. 13.23.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To call upon us to beware of lying long in any known &s;in. It will harden the heart, recover thy &s;elf &s;pee|dily by repentance. <HI>Shall they fall, and not ari&s;e? &s;hall he turn away, and not return?</HI> Jer. 8.4. <HI>Peccatum, quod per poenitentiam non deletur, &s;uo pondere trahit aliud: Sin not repented of, draws on other &s;in. Greg. Mag.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To teach us con&s;tancy in good duties. It is a &s;hame that wicked men &s;hould continue in &s;inning, and we be incon|&s;tant in well-doing. We know that their work is in vain, yea hurtfull, but ours profitable, 1 Cor. 15.58. Other crea|tures are con&s;tant in their wayes; Sun, Moon, Stars keep their cour&s;e; Fi&s;hes &s;wim in the water, Birds fly in the air, Fire burns, Wicked men &s;in. Should we onely be incon&s;tant in good wayes?</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wayes of &s;in are wayes of darkne&s;&s;e. <HI>The fool wal|keth in darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> Eccl. 2.14. They are called, <HI>the unfruitfull works of darkne&s;&s;e,</HI> Eph. 5.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e men choo&s;e the night wherein to com|mit adultery, and to be drunk, 1 The&s;&s;. 5 7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e &s;inners fall into dangers before they be aware. In the day men can &s;ee &s;tumbling-blocks, and avoyd them; in the night they cannot.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e they that walk in &s;infull wayes, erre and go out of the right way, for want of &s;pirituall light to direct them. <HI>He that walketh in darkne&s;&s;e knoweth not whither he goeth,</HI> Joh. 12.35. We would be angry with them that &s;hould lead us out of the right way, more angry if they lead us into a Wood, to be robbed by theeves. So &s;in mi&s;&s;eads us into woody, &s;hady, perillous wayes.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e they lead men into eternall darkne&s;&s;e, <HI>into outer darkne&s;&s;e, where &s;hall be weeping and gna&s;hing of teeth,</HI> Matth. 8.12.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Take heed of &s;infull wayes, they may &s;eem good, but they are &s;tark naught. Wicked men, <HI>Noctem babent in ocu|lis. Seneca. They have night in their eyes.</HI> They are like Owls flying in the dark, whom all birds whoot at when they &s;ee them in the day. So &s;hould we &s;hew our di&s;like of ungodly men
<PB N="296" REF="153">in their <HI>ungodly</HI> ways. Men love not to walk abroad in the <HI>dark</HI> night, then they lie in bed and &s;leep. Sinfull wayes are wor&s;e then dark nights. Therefore &s;et not a foot out of dore to|ward them, much le&s;&s;e walk in them, but bid them adieu for ever, that <HI>ye may be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light,</HI> Col. 1.12.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 14.</BIBL> Who rejoyce to do evill, and delight in the frowardne&s;&s;e of the wicked.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The third note of a wicked man follows, which is the expre&s;&s;ion of his affections in the content he takes in doing evill, and joy in &s;infull cour&s;es. The Wi&s;e-man counts them wicked, who are grown to &s;uch an height of impiety, that they take plea&s;ure in the many and great &s;ins they have committed; or do commit and triumph in gro&s;&s;e &s;ins done by them, or by others at their per&s;wa&s;ion, or in their &s;ight or hearing. This di&s;order of affections much aggravates the naughtine&s;&s;e of their words and actions. They not onely do evill, but come to it with much de&s;ire, and practi&s;e it with much delight. Men that have not onely a di&s;po&s;ition to doe evil, but an habit al&s;o, and are hardned in &s;in. This is the rea&s;on why they leave good wayes to walk in bad, becau&s;e they delight in doing evill. In the former <HI>chap. ver&s;.</HI> 10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> he di&s;&s;wades the young man from &s;inning for profit; here he warns him to take heed of &s;infull plea&s;ures. He had before &s;et out the plea&s;ure wi&s;dome brings to keep us from the plea&s;ures of &s;in. It is not enough that they do any mi&s;|chief, but they rejoyce in doing tho&s;e things that nature and rea&s;on forbid. They are in the dark, <HI>v.</HI> 13. and &s;ee not their danger. Yet rejoyce they in their deeds of darkne&s;&s;e. This aggravates their blindne&s;&s;e, as well as their wicked|ne&s;&s;e. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Who rejoyce,</HI> Heb. <HI>rejoycing.</HI> They plot, and practi&s;e &s;in with great delight, and without controll of con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>To doe.</HI> The Heb. word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To work, make or do a thing. <HI>God &s;aw every thing that he had made,</HI> Gen. 1.31.</P>
<PB N="297" REF="153">
<P N="2">2. To bring forth corne or fruit, or buds, or branches, or the like. <HI>In the &s;even plenteous years, the earth brought forth by handfuls,</HI> Gen. 41.47.</P>
<P N="3">3. To dre&s;&s;e or prepare. <HI>He took the Calfe which he had dre&s;&s;ed.</HI> Gen. 18.8. <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">phibo&s;heth had not dre&s;&s;ed his feet, nor trim|med his beard,</HI> 2 Sam. 19.24. <HI>The Prie&s;t &s;hall prepare his burnt-offering,</HI> Ezek. 46.2.</P>
<P N="4">4. To keep or ob&s;erve. <HI>The children of I&s;rael kept the Pa&s;&s;e|over,</HI> Jo&s;h. 5.10.</P>
<P N="5">5. To get or procure. <HI>Of that which was of our fathers Jacob hath gotten all this glory,</HI> Gen. 31.1. <HI>My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth,</HI> Deut. 8.17. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for <HI>Doing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Evill.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.16.</P>
<P><HI>And delight.</HI> With &s;o great delight, that they cannot keep it in, but &s;hew it externally in ge&s;tures by leaping, dan|cing, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The former word <HI>rejoycing</HI> intimates the inward joy of the mind: this word <HI>delighting</HI> &s;ets out the declarati|on of it outwardly in the body. <HI>Lira.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In the frowardne&s;se.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 12. Heb. <HI>Frowardne&s;&s;e,</HI> that is, Froward actions.</P>
<P><HI>Of the wicked.</HI> Of the wicked man. For it is &s;ingular in the Originall. Figures none.</P>
<P>Note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Their internall joy in &s;in.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Their externall triumph.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>rejoycing.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>to do evill.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>delighting.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>in the frowardne&s;&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>of the wicked man.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Neither profit, nor plea&s;ure &s;hould draw us to &s;in. Plea&s;ure could not draw <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> who &s;lighted his Mi|&s;tre&s;&s;e her temptation, <HI>Gen.</HI> 39.9, 10. Nor profit draw <HI>Peter,</HI> who de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>Simon Magus</HI> his mony, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.19, 20. Neither the plea&s;ures, nor trea&s;ures of <HI>Egypt</HI> could move <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to for|&s;ake Gods people, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.25, 26.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e all the plea&s;ures, and profits of
<PB N="298" REF="154">the world cannot countervalle the mi&s;eries that follow &s;in.</P>
<P N="1">1. In regard of mea&s;ure. The plea&s;ures and profits of the earth are &s;mall, not great, &s;hort, not full. Never any man enjoyed all the world &s;o, as to make u&s;e of all plea&s;ures and profits in it. And if he had all, and could u&s;e all, it would not bring &s;o much comfort, as there is mi&s;ery in hell What is a thou&s;and pound to a thou&s;and millions? What is a river to the Sea? <HI>What is a man profited, if he &s;hall gain the whole world, and lo&s;e his own &s;oul?</HI> Mat. 16.26.</P>
<P N="2">2. In purity. The&s;e profits and plea&s;ures are mixed with lo&s;&s;es and &s;orrowes. Never any man found it otherwi&s;e. But there is no mixture of profit, or plea&s;ure with hell torments. Nothing but comfort for <HI>Lazarus</HI> in heaven: nothing but torment for the rich man in hell, <HI>Luk.</HI> 16 24.25. What is water intermixed with wine to pure wine? or rather, what is it to deadly poy&s;on? What is gold ore to gold purified by the fire? or rather, what is it to perpetuall fetters of iron?</P>
<P N="3">3. In durance. The&s;e worldly comforts, and gain la&s;t but for a time. <HI>Finem habent autuum, aut &s;uum.</HI> Augu&s;tin. <HI>Either they have thy end, or their end.</HI> Hell torments have no end. <HI>The&s;e &s;hull go away into everla&s;ting puni&s;hment,</HI> Mat. 25.46. Who would live a King for a year, to be in a cauldron of &s;cal|ding Lead ever after? What is a Lea&s;e to a fee &s;imple? What is time to eternity?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It condemnes &s;uch as are bewitched with the plea&s;ures of the world, and &s;eek to glut them&s;elves with them in &s;infull wayes. <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> whom no force could over|come, was overcome by a <HI>Dalilah.</HI> This makes men carele&s;&s;e of them&s;elves, and of all others. Let their &s;ouls, bodies, &s;tates, wives, children, neighbours, &s;ink or &s;wim, be &s;aved or damned; God be plea&s;ed or di&s;plea&s;ed, all is one. What care they, &s;o they may follow their plea&s;ures? We &s;hould remember that of <HI>Cyprian, De bono pudicit. Voluptatem vici&s;&s;e vo|lupt as e&s;t maxima. Nec alla major e&s;t victoria, qu&agrave;m ea quae de'cupldi|tatious refertur. To overcome plea&s;ure is the greate&s;t plea&s;ure. Nei|ther is there any greater victory then that which is gotten over plea&s;ure.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It reproves &s;uch as follow the world &s;o clo&s;e for gain,
<PB N="299" REF="154">that they will have it by hook or by crook, and &s;o run them&s;elves upon manny rocks of &s;orrowes. So they fill their &s;oules with cares, and fears, while they live. <HI>Mens in terrenis occupata &s;emper e&s;t in angu&s;tiis.</HI> Bern. <HI>De modo ben&egrave; viven|di.</HI> Cap. 8. <HI>A minde imployed in earthly things, is alwayes in &s;traits.</HI> They fill their bodies with labour day and night, trouble them&s;elves, and all theirs, and go to hell for ever. The world is the &s;ea, profit the wind, the &s;oul the &s;hip ea&s;i|ly drowned.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Delight in &s;in drawes men from good wayes to bad. As it did <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> the &s;tronge&s;t man, and <HI>Solomon</HI> the wi&s;e&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it drownes all plea&s;ure men take in good wayes, as water quenches fire.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;ets men on fire to follow bad wayes. So many go from thir&s;t to drunkenne&s;&s;e. <HI>It is as a &s;port to a fool to do mi&s;chief,</HI> Chap. 10.23.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hewes us the rea&s;on why &s;ome that have made a &s;hew of goodne&s;&s;e grow very bad &s;candals to Religion, grief to them&s;elves, and to all their friends that fear God. De|light in &s;in hath made them ca&s;t off all goodne&s;&s;e, and wal|low in all wickedne&s;&s;e. <HI>Facilis de&s;cen&s;us Averni; It is ea&s;ie to go down to hell.</HI> They that run down a &s;teep hill, cannot &s;tay till they come to the bottome. When men cannot have their plea&s;ure in a lawfull way, it is but an ea&s;ie &s;tep over the bridge to unlawfull things. <HI>Hircum lex non &s;acrificat, prae|terquam propter &s;olam malorum ablegationem, quandoquidem volup|tas e&s;t vitii metropolis.</HI> Clem. Strom. l. 7. <HI>The law did not &s;a|crifice a Goat, except only for the putting away of evils, becau&s;e plea|&s;ure is the metropolitane City of vice.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Plea&s;ure of wi&s;dome &s;hould kill plea&s;ure of &s;in in us. <HI>Wherewithall &s;hall a youngman clean&s;e his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word,</HI> P&s;al. 119.9. <HI>Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not &s;in again&s;t thee,</HI> P&s;al. 119.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e wi&s;dome affords us many daggers to &s;tab &s;in to the heart. As prohibitions, which if we regard God our Kings authority, are very prevalent. Threatnings, which if we regard the power of God our Ma&s;ter, have great
<PB N="300" REF="155">force to kill &s;in in us. Promi&s;es, which if we regard the af|fection of God our Father are very per&s;wa&s;ive not to of|fend him. Directions how to avoid &s;in, which if we regard God our Phy&s;itian, will prevail with us to prevent &s;in, which is hurtfull to &s;oul and body.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It &s;hewes us why many take &s;o much plea&s;ure in fin. Becau&s;e they have no plea&s;ure in wi&s;dome. There|fore wicked men are called fooles frequently in Scri|pture.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us take &s;o much delight in &s;pirituall duties, that it may kill the plea&s;ure of &s;in in us. <HI>Carnis amor &s;piritus amore &s;uperatur, de&s;iderio re&s;tinguitur,</HI> Hieron. <HI>The love of the fle&s;h is over|come by the love of the &s;pirit.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many delight to do evill, and take fingular plea|&s;ure in committing &s;in. <HI>They &s;leep not, except they have done mi&s;chief; and their &s;leep is taken away, unle&s;&s;e they cau&s;e &s;ome to fall. They eat the bread of wickedne&s;&s;e, and drink the wine of vio|lence.</HI> Chap. 4.16, 17. <HI>Woe to them that devi&s;e iniquity, and work evill upon their beds: when the morning is light, they practi&s;e it, becau&s;e it is in the power of their hands. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and hou&s;es, and take them away: &s;o they oppre&s;&s;e a man, and his hou&s;e, even a man and his heritage,</HI> Mic. 2.1, 2. <HI>It is a &s;port to a fool to do mi&s;chief,</HI> Prov. 10.23. <HI>When thou do&s;t evill, then thou rejoyce&s;t.</HI> Jer. 11.15. <HI>Some have plea&s;ure in unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 2.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of their great de&s;ire of &s;inning. They are like a woman with child, at no ca&s;e till they be delive|red of their wicked projects by word or deed. And then they are full of joy, when their lu&s;t is &s;atisfyed, like a longing woman, that hath what &s;he longs for.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they find &s;in plea&s;ing to their corrupted na|ture. In mo&s;t &s;ins there is fle&s;hly plea&s;ure, earthly profit, or worldly honour, which delight carnall men, as the bait doth the fi&s;h.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of cu&s;tome in &s;inning, which makes har&s;h things plea&s;ant, and brings a vicious habit which cau&s;eth delight in &s;in. <HI>Signum habitus-generati e&s;t delectatio in opere,</HI> Ari&s;tot. Ethic. 2. <HI>The &s;igne of an habit gotten is delight in the worke.</HI></P>
<PB N="310" REF="155">
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e of ignorance. They walke through darke wayes, <HI>v.</HI> 13. and know not whither they go. For if they did look upon the puni&s;hments to which their &s;infull cour&s;es tend, they would &s;top their &s;teps, and correct their harme&s;ome mirth by whole&s;ome tears.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Here is a note of triall to di&s;cern our &s;pirituall e&s;tate. Wicked men rejoyce in &s;in; good men &s;orrow more for &s;in, then for troubles, as being more offen&s;ive to God. <HI>Ahab</HI> is &s;ick till he have <HI>Naboths</HI> Vineyard, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 21. Good men rejoyce in doing good, like their Saviour, who&s;e <HI>Meat it was to do the will of him that &s;ent him,</HI> Joh. 4.34. Wicked men are like them that are drawn in by cheaters, and lo&s;e all their money at play: or like the Gra&s;hopper, that &s;ings merrily a while, and then dyeth with hunger and cold. Of &s;uch an one &s;aith <HI>Nazianzen, Oblector&abque; malis, mortem&abque; in pectore fixam Rideo Sardonico ri&s;u. I am delighted in evils, and laugh at death by a Sardonian</HI> (or deadly) <HI>laughter.</HI> There is a certain herb, the juice whereof being taken makes a man laugh till he di|eth; the like is al&s;o &s;aid of &s;ome touching certain poi&s;o|nous &s;piders, that the leap and dance till they die, <HI>Eu&s;eb. Emi&s;&s;e.</HI> The&s;e cannot be merry, unle&s;&s;e the Devill be their play fellow. <HI>Sed-melior e&s;t tri&s;titia iniqua patientis, qu&agrave;m laetitia iniqua facientis,</HI> Augu&s;tin. <HI>But better is the &s;adne&s;&s;e of him, that &s;uffereth unju&s;t things, then the gladne&s;&s;e of him, that doeth them.</HI> It ye be &s;uch, flatter not your &s;elves, but be a&s;&s;ured ye are wicked men.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Dect.</HI> Many triumph in their evill deeds, and brag of them. Many mans <HI>glory is in their &s;hame,</HI> Phil. 3.19. <HI>Why boa&s;te&s;t thou thy &s;elf in mi&s;chief, O mighty man?</HI> P&s;al. 52.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have no good to boa&s;t of. And men are naturally proud, and would boa&s;t of &s;ome|thing.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they goe beyond others in wickedne&s;&s;e. <HI>Si|meon</HI> the Sorcerer <HI>gave out, that him&s;elf was &s;ome great one.</HI> Act. 8.9.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us to bewail the madne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e men, that brag of their wicked exploits, how many they have made drunke, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> They &s;hew their joy herein by leaping, dancing, and other outward &s;ignes. How can they chu&s;e but be mad,
<PB N="302" REF="156">that boa&s;t of &s;uch things, as godly men are a&s;hamed of? <HI>Tale est quod facimus, quale cum rident phrenetici. Nulla verior mi&s;eria, qu&agrave;m fal&s;a laetitia.</HI> Bern. <HI>That which we do, is like the laughter of a frantick man. There is no greater mi&s;ery then fal&s;e joy. Non dolere qu&ograve;d peccaveras magis offendit Deum, qu&agrave;m quod ant&egrave; pec|caveras.</HI> Chry&s;o&s;t. <HI>Not grieving that thou ha&s;t &s;inned, offends God more then that thou had&s;t &s;inned before.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many love to have others take notice of their &s;ins. <HI>Ab&s;olon went in unto his Fathers Concubines in the &s;ight of all I&s;rael,</HI> 2 Sam. 16.22.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they think their &s;infull cour&s;es to be a credit to them, &s;hewing, that they dare do that, which o|thers dare not.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they would have others know, that they fear no puni&s;hment from God or man, like the unrigh|teous Judge, <HI>Which feared not God, neither regarded man,</HI> Luk. 18.4.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Of all men in the world take heed of tho&s;e, Tru&s;t not them, that will betray them&s;elves to eter|nall wrath. They will not be afraid to ruine you to e|ternity.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 15.</BIBL> Who&s;e wayes are crooked, and they froward in their paths.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>It is no wonder, that wicked men goe in crooked wayes. Where el&s;e can they go that leave the right way, which turnes not a&s;ide to the right hand, nor to the left? It is as if the wi&s;eman &s;hould have &s;aid, Let no man think that he may conver&s;e with them, and yet go aright in the wayes of up|rightne&s;&s;e. It cannot be wi&s;dome only will free thee from hurt by wicked men, and from walking in their crooked wayes. The la&s;t mark of a wicked man is &s;et down here in the text, which is ob&s;tinacy in evill paths. Here is a gradation. Every &s;tep exceeds the other. Ill words are naught, <HI>v.</HI> 12. Ill deeds are wor&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 13. Boa&s;ting of &s;in wor&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 14. Ob&s;tinacy wor&s;t of all, <HI>v.</HI> 15. Such are de&s;pe|rately incorrigible.</P>
<PB N="303" REF="156">
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Who&s;e wayes.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.19.</P>
<P><HI>Are crooked.</HI> Swarve from the right rules of Gods word, and being compared with it, are found not to be &s;trait.</P>
<P><HI>And they froward.</HI> The word &s;ignifies going backward, or out of the way.</P>
<P><HI>In their paths.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 9.</P>
<P>Figures. A metaphor from travellers, who ob&s;tinately go on, and per&s;i&s;t in wrong wayes.</P>
<P>Note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The wickedne&s;&s;e of their wayes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Their ob&s;tinacy in them.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>Who&s;e wayes.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct, <HI>Are crooked.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The adjunct, <HI>And they froward.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>In their paths.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> The Scripture delights much in metaphors. <HI>Cains</HI> &s;in is like a dog lying at his door, watching for his going out to devour him, <HI>Gen</HI> 4.7. <HI>Jotham</HI> &s;ets out the unkind|ne&s;&s;e of the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> to his father <HI>Gideon,</HI> in preferring <HI>Abi|melec</HI> a ba&s;tard before his lawfull &s;ons, by the trees &s;etting a bramble to rule over them, <HI>Judg.</HI> 9.14, 15. <HI>Jehoa&s;h</HI> com|pares <HI>Amaziahs</HI> proud de&s;ire, to a thi&s;tles de&s;ire to marry his &s;on to the Cedars daughter, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 14.9. The pro|gre&s;&s;e, and profit of the Go&s;pell preached, is by Chri&s;t compared to &s;eed &s;own in a good ground, corn a|mong tears, fi&s;hes taken in the net, bread leavened, trea&s;ure hid in a field, a pearl of price, <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. The difference be|twixt Gods people under the law and under the Go&s;pell, is &s;et out by Allegories, of <HI>Sarah, Hagar, Sinai, Sion, Gal.</HI> 4.14. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The flying and killing of Kings, and great per&s;ons un|der the &s;imilitude of I&s;lands, and mountains vani&s;hing away, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e this is a great help to the under&s;tan|ding, as &s;pectacles to the eyes. By worldly things which we know, we are taught heavenly things, which we know not.</P>
<PB N="304" REF="157">
<P N="2">2. It is a great help to the memory. Things that we for|get (as we are very ready to forget things belonging to the &s;oules good) are brought to our mind upon the fight, and hearing of tho&s;e metaphors.</P>
<P N="3">3. It works much upon the affections. Many outward things are very plea&s;ing to us. By comparing &s;pirituall things to tho&s;e things we love, and take comfort in in the world, our affections are drawn higher. Therefore God is called a Father and an husband.</P>
<P N="4">4. It workes upon the con&s;cience. I am Gods &s;ervant, child, wife. When I &s;ee the carefulne&s;&s;e of mine to do duty to me, my con&s;cience &s;mites me, and tels me, I am not &s;o carefull to do duty to God.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It condemnes the Papi&s;ts, who in many points to confirme their erroneous opinions turn metaphors into a literall &s;en&s;e. As to prove that children, who die unbap|tized, cannot be &s;aved, they interpret that <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.5. of out|ward water in Bapti&s;me, which is &s;poken of the Spirit wa&s;hing away the filth of &s;in like water. To prove the cor|porall pre&s;ence of Chri&s;ts body in the Lords Supper, they quote, <HI>This is my body,</HI> overthrowing the nature of the Sa|crament, taking the figne quite away, and de&s;troying the nature of Chri&s;ts body by making it to be in many places at once. So that there is neither Sacrament, nor Chri&s;ts body. To e&s;tabli&s;h their feigned Purgatory, they interpret 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.13. of naturall fire, which is &s;poken of the tryall of mens works by the judgement of Chri&s;t at the la&s;t day, when all mens works &s;hall be revealed, as gold is tryed by pa&s;&s;ing the fire, and when their Purgatory will be at an end, as them&s;elves con|fe&s;&s;e. To e&s;tabli&s;h prayer to Saints, they urge the cu&s;tome of Kings Courts, wherein men come to Kings by Nobles, not con&s;idering that Kings are ignorant, and in danger, and &s;oon wearied by many addre&s;&s;es, and therefore mu&s;t be in|formed, protected, ea&s;ed by them, that are about them; but God need not. Yea they drive men from reading Scri|ptures, becau&s;e of the&s;e metaphors taken from humane af|faires, which God put in of purpo&s;e to draw men to it. So Mr. <HI>Fox</HI> in <HI>Latimers</HI> life, mentions a Priour in <HI>Cambridge</HI> that di&s;&s;waded men from reading the Scriptures, le&s;t reading
<PB N="305" REF="157"><HI>Luk.</HI> 9.26. and 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.6. Plow-men looking back, and Bakers leavening the bread too little &s;hould de&s;pair. To which <HI>Latimer</HI> an&s;wers, If a painter &s;hould picture a Fox in a Pul|pit, in a Fryers coul, no Clown that &s;hould &s;ee it, would imagine, that the Painter thought a Fox could preach, but intended to &s;ignifie Fryers did preach like Foxes.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us labour to apply Metaphors aright, and then we &s;hall profit by them. When we read <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. &s;ee what &s;ap we receive from Chri&s;t the &s;pirituall vine, and whether we be his &s;heep. And &s;o in other parables.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> The &s;ame thing is &s;et out by divers &s;imilitudes in Scripture. As the progre&s;&s;e of the Go&s;pel, Matth. 13. Our union with Chri&s;t by a Vine, Joh. 15. a Graffe, Rom. 11. a Body, 1 Cor. 12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e variety is very plea&s;ing. Many different &s;trings make good mu&s;ick.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is very profitable. A fi&s;her had need of many baits. If one take not, another may.</P>
<P N="3">3. Man hath many affections, and &s;ome outward objects work more upon love and joy, others upon &s;orrow and ha|tred, others upon fear, others upon confidence.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> In every thing that concerns thy &s;oul, make u&s;e of &s;uch &s;imilitudes in Scripture as may mo&s;t affect thee. As of the love of Mothers, when thou doubte&s;t of Gods favour. The &s;tore of &s;ap the vine gives to the branches, may com|fort thee, when thou feele&s;t little grace in thee, and art grie|ved for it. And &s;o may&s;t thou make u&s;e of other &s;imilitudes, according to thy need.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked wayes are crooked wayes. <HI>Such as turn a&s;ide to their crooked wayes,</HI> P&s;al. 125.5. <HI>They have made them croo|ked wayes,</HI> I&s;a. 53.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they differ from the rule of Gods Word, which is a mo&s;t &s;traight rule for all mens actions, and from which men ought not to bow neither to the right hand, nor to the left.</P>
<P N="2">2. Mens own affections bow their wayes and make them crooked. No wit of man can decypher the innumerable crooked paths, to which mens crooked affections lead them.</P>
<PB N="306" REF="158">
<P N="3">3. Mens mindes are bowed by earthly things, and then their wayes mu&s;t needs be crooked. Therefore the Apo&s;tle bids us, <HI>Set our affections on things above, and not on things on the earth,</HI> Col. 3.2.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Let us loath wicked wayes becau&s;e they are croo|ked. Many men go a&s;ide like the Sea-crab. As the Wagoner &s;eeks by-wayes to avoyd hillocks, le&s;t he overturn his wa|gon: &s;o wicked men &s;eek perver&s;e ways to avoyd dangers. Yet &s;uch are &s;elf-condemned, for every man would have a &s;traight way, that he may the &s;ooner be at his journeys end. We like not crooked arrows, mea&s;ures, bodies. The woman bound by Satan was bowed together till Chri&s;t made her &s;traight. Luk. 13, 11, 13. Satan hath made many crooked in their wayes. How ju&s;tly may God &s;ay to &s;uch as the Crab in the Fable did to the Serpent, when he had given him his deaths wound for his crooked conditions, and then &s;aw him &s;tretch him&s;elf out &s;traight, <HI>At oportuit, &s;ic vixi&s;&s;e: It is too late now, you &s;hould have lived &s;o.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Let us take heed of apo&s;ta&s;ie, and back-&s;liding, for then we are &s;ure to walk in crooked wayes. Such <HI>are all gone a&s;ide, they are altogether become filthy,</HI> P&s;al. 14.3. <HI>They are turned a&s;ide like a deceitfull bow,</HI> P&s;al. 78.57. Some there are that go back from the good things which they have practi&s;ed. They have heard the Word, now they are proud; and above ordinances. They have prayed in their families, now they follow the world. They have been &s;ober, now they haunt Taverns. They have been ju&s;t, now they have learned to cheat and de|ceive. Others go from their former profe&s;&s;ion, and turn Pa|pi&s;ts, and Separati&s;ts from Gods people, for&s;aking Gods or|dinances, that were formerly dear unto them. Others go from their promi&s;es, from their vow in Bapti&s;me, and cleave to the world, and Satan; their Nationall covenant, promi&s;ing reformation of them&s;elves and their families, they are yet un|reformed. Others go back from the duties they owe to God, as the duties of piety, &s;obriety, ju&s;tice, which had they never practi&s;ed, profe&s;&s;ed, nor promi&s;ed, yet are they due to God by their Creation, &amp; neither mans Fall, nor Redemption can free them from them; nay, Heaven will not to eternity. Let gro&s;&s;e wicked per&s;ons then (drunkards, adulterers, &s;wea|rers,
<PB N="307" REF="158"><HI>&amp;c.</HI>) view their ugly condition. If we &s;hould &s;ay, they were turned Papi&s;ts, Jews, Turks, Heathen, they would be angry; Apo&s;tata's and back&s;liders are as bad, al|though they ca&s;t not off the vail of Religion. They will continue in their crooked wayes, unle&s;&s;e God deliver them miraculou&s;ly. <HI>Thou ha&s;t &s;tricken them, but they have not grie|ved; thou ha&s;t con&s;umed them, but they have refu&s;ed to receive correction; they have made their faces harder then a rock, they have refu&s;ed to return,</HI> Jerem. 5.3. <HI>Evill men, and &s;educets &s;hall wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e, deceiving and being deceived,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.13. Cu&s;tome in &s;in hardens them. How hard a thing it is for men to do good, that are accu&s;tomed to do evill, &s;ee Jerem. 13.23. No words will alter them. Some <HI>take Gods covenant in their mouth, that hate in&s;truction,</HI> P&s;al. 50.16, 17. No blows will mend them. <HI>When they are &s;tricken, they will revolt more and more,</HI> I&s;a. 1.5. No kindne&s;&s;e will reduce them. God u&s;ed all loving means to reclaim the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> but they refu&s;ed to re|turn, Ho&s;. 11.4, 5. No marvell then that Gods Mini&s;ters lo&s;e many exhortations be&s;towed on many of their people. It is not becau&s;e they exhort not aright, but becau&s;e the people are refractary, re&s;olving not to amend, though their cour&s;es be damnable, and they like re&s;ty Jades, go backward when they are &s;purred; precepts, examples do no good, Mini&s;ters and friends are di&s;heartened from dealing with them, as fin|ding them incurable. So men thru&s;t through the heart di&s;cou|rage Phy&s;icians and Chirurgeons. Men had need have no &s;o|ciety with back&s;liders, unle&s;&s;e nature or their vocation re|quire it, and then al&s;o they had need beware of hurt by them, for they are de&s;perate.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Ob&s;tinacy in &s;in is a great height of wickedne&s;&s;e. So God accounts it. <HI>I knew that thou art ob&s;tinate, and thy neck is an iron &s;inew, and thy brow bra&s;&s;e,</HI> I&s;a. 48.4. So he puni&s;heth it. <HI>If ye will not for all this hearken unto me, then I will puni&s;h you &s;eaven times more for your &s;ins,</HI> Lev. 26.18.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Repent of &s;in quickly, le&s;t ye grow ob&s;tinate. Wounds not healed at fir&s;t grow incurable. Ob&s;tinacy in &s;in breeds hardne&s;&s;e of heart, and that leads to eternall de&s;truction. Be warned, beware, and be &s;aved.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="308" REF="159">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 16.</BIBL> To deliver thee from the &s;trange woman, even from the &s;tranger which flattereth with her words.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The deliverance from evill men was de&s;cribed before; now follows the deliverance from evill women, which are as dan|gerous to him, if not more, in regard of their crafty allure|ments. Men pre&s;ented unlawfull gain, <HI>ch.</HI> 1.11. Women of|fer unlawfull plea&s;ure here.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The deliverance, <HI>v.</HI> 16, 17, 18, 19.</P>
<P N="2">2. A generall application of good that may come, when coun&s;els of evill men and women are for&s;aken, <HI>v.</HI> 20, 21, 22.</P>
<P>In the deliverance there is,</P>
<P N="1">1. A de&s;cription of the party that endangers the young man, <HI>v.</HI> 16, 17.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of the danger if they be overcome, <HI>v.</HI> 18, 19.</P>
<P>The party is de&s;cribed,</P>
<P N="1">1. By her condition, <HI>v.</HI> 16. She was <HI>a &s;trange woman,</HI> and <HI>a &s;tranger</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. By her conver&s;ation.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In her flattery, <HI>v.</HI> 16.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In her fal&s;hood to her Husband, <HI>v.</HI> 17.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>For the fir&s;t, and fir&s;t for the words.</P>
<P><HI>To deliver thee.</HI> The coherence &s;tands thus: <HI>When wi&s;dome entreth into thine heart,</HI> v. 10. <HI>under&s;tanding &s;hall keep thee,</HI> v. 11. <HI>To deliver thee from the &s;trange woman, &amp;c.</HI> To &s;natch thee out, as out of the hand of an enemy, or the paws of a Lion, as <HI>David</HI> was delivered, 1 Sam. 17.37. or as a brand out of the fire, as <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> was, Zec. 3.2. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 12.</P>
<P><HI>From the &s;trange woman,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a woman;</HI> from <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a man. She &s;hall be called woman, becau&s;e &s;he was taken out of man,</HI> Gen. 2.23. Becau&s;e &s;he had her body out of his, and therefore &s;hould be an helper to him in piety, and not an hinderer. By a &s;trange woman here is meant the adultere&s;&s;e, which be|ing another mans Wife, God hath forbidden thee to touch or u&s;e as a Wife, and in that kinde &s;hould be a &s;tranger to thee. So a &s;trange God, P&s;al. 81.9. is one whom we ought
<PB N="309" REF="159">not to wor&s;hip. Strange fire was &s;uch as ought not to be u&s;ed in Sacrifices, Lev. 19.1. So men may dwell in a City, and yet be &s;trangers for trade, if they be not Free men.</P>
<P><HI>Even from the &s;tranger.</HI> This is another word in the Origi|nall, and often &s;ignifies a woman of another Nation. For commonly &s;trumpets were odious, and it is likely that few <HI>I&s;raeliti&s;h</HI> women would be &s;uch, being &s;o branded. <HI>There &s;hall be no whore of the daughters of I&s;rael,</HI> Deut. 23.17. It may be &s;trangers took the more liberty to be naught there, becau&s;e <HI>I&s;raeliti&s;h</HI> women dur&s;t not. And if any of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> lived &s;o lewdly, they were e&s;teemed as <HI>Gentiles,</HI> and that was a good argument to move young men to avoyd them. Some bring in unmarried women that &s;et up naughty hou&s;es for gain. But that is contrary to <HI>v.</HI> 17. which &s;peaks plainly of mar|ried women.</P>
<P><HI>Which flattereth with her words,</HI> Heb. <HI>which maketh her words &s;mooth.</HI> Like butter and oyl, which will ea&s;ily goe downe, P&s;al. 55.21.</P>
<P>The &s;umme is:</P>
<P>Heavenly wi&s;dome, if thou embrace it, will give thee knowledge and &s;trength, not onely to &s;ee and avoyd the &s;nares of evill men, but al&s;o to keep thee out of, or bring thee out of the nets of wicked women, which are no le&s;&s;e dangerous to young men unexperienced, and prone to lu&s;t, through the corruption of nature. Yea, and the more per|nicious, becau&s;e women are more skilfull in &s;ugared words and have drawn away the wi&s;e&s;t and &s;tronge&s;t men, as <HI>Solomon</HI> and <HI>Sam&s;on.</HI></P>
<P>Figures none, unle&s;&s;e a Metaphor in the word <HI>Making &s;mooth.</HI> As in &s;mooth paths men &s;tick not, but go on cheerfully, with|out any rub or let, &s;o &s;trumpets &s;tudy to compo&s;e their words, that the young man that hath beauty to &s;atisfie their lu&s;t, may &s;tand at nothing, but readily hearken to their <HI>Si|rens</HI> Songs.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a medicine in Scripture for every di&s;|ea&s;e of the &s;oul. Before there was a pre&s;cript again&s;t the ve|nome of evill men, now, an Antidote again&s;t the poy&s;on of evill women. <HI>The weapens of our warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God to the pulling down of &s;trong holds, ca&s;ting down
<PB N="310" REF="160">imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it &s;elf again&s;t the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. <HI>The Word of God is quick and powerfull, and &s;harper then any two edged &s;word, piercing even to the dividing a&s;under of &s;oul and &s;pirit, and of the joynts and mar|row, and is a di&s;cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,</HI> Heb. 4.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the Scripture is Gods Word, who is the catholick Phy&s;ician of the &s;oul. Phy&s;icians keep pre&s;cripts for the cure of all di&s;ea&s;es in a book. Apothecaries have me|dicines in their &s;hops for all maladies. The Scripture is Gods book and &s;hop. It is Gods Armoury, in which are &s;pirituall &s;hields, &s;words, and all manner of weapons to deal with all manner of enemies. See the whole armour of God de&s;cribed, Eph. 6.13, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. An induction of particulars will prove it. See a &s;hield again&s;t the three great Idols of the world. <HI>Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lu&s;t of the fle&s;h, the lu&s;t of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world, and the world pa&s;&s;eth away, and the lu&s;t thereof,</HI> 1 Joh. 2.15, 16, 17. Again&s;t pride in par|ticular. <HI>God re&s;i&s;teth the proud,</HI> Jam. 4.6. And they cannot e&s;cape whom God will ruine. Again&s;t covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. More is lo&s;t then gotten, if a man could get all the world, which never any one yet did. <HI>For, what is a man profited, if he &s;hall gain the whole world, and lo&s;e his owne &s;oul? Or, what &s;hall a man give in exchange for his &s;oul?</HI> Mat. 16.26. Again&s;t voluptu|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e. See the rich man in hell, Luk. 16.23. All his wealth could not keep him out.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is a fence again&s;t &s;everall degrees of &s;in. Again&s;t evill thoughts. <HI>Mens thoughts will accu&s;e one another in the day when God &s;hall judge the &s;ecrets of men,</HI> Rom. 2.15, 16. A|gain&s;t evill words. <HI>Every idle word that men &s;hall &s;peak, they &s;hall give account thereof in the day of Judgement. For by thy words thou &s;halt be condemned,</HI> Matth. 12.36, 37. Again&s;t evil deeds. This <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> knew, &s;aying, <HI>How can I do this great wickedne&s;&s;e and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> Gen. 39.9.</P>
<PB N="311" REF="160">
<P N="4">4. There are many remedies for the &s;ame &s;in. As, prohi|bitions, examples of good men avoyding it, threatnings a|gain&s;t, and judgements upon &s;uch as do it. As, again&s;t Bla&s;phemy. It is forbidden in the third Commandement, <HI>Thou &s;halt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.</HI> It was avoyded by <HI>Job.</HI> When his Wife bids him, <HI>Cur&s;e God and die: Job &s;aid unto her, Thou &s;peake&s;t as one of the fooli&s;h women &s;pea|keth,</HI> Job 2.9, 10. It was threatned and puni&s;hed. <HI>He that bla&s;phemeth the Name of the Lord, he &s;hall &s;urely be put to death.</HI> And &s;o was the Bla&s;phemer, Lev. 24.16, 23. Sabbath brea|king is forbidden in the fourth Commandement. <HI>In it thou &s;halt do no manner of work, &amp;c.</HI> It is avoyded or prevented by <HI>Nehemiah</HI>'s care, Neh. 13.15, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> He forbids it, and threa|tens puni&s;hment. The like is, Ezek. 20.13. <HI>My Sabbaths they greatly polluted; then I &s;aid, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderne&s;&s;e to con&s;ume them.</HI> It was puni&s;hed by the <HI>Babylo|nian</HI> Captivity. <HI>&V;ntill the Land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as &s;he lay de&s;olate, &s;he kept Sabbath,</HI> 2 Chron. 36.21. God made the land keep Sabbath, becau&s;e the people would not. Murder is forbidden in the &s;ixt Commandement. <HI>Thou &s;halt do no murder.</HI> Avoyded by <HI>David.</HI> He would not kill <HI>Saul</HI> when he had him in his power, 1 Sam 24.4 6. Threatned. <HI>Who&s;o &s;heddeth mans blood, by man &s;hall his blood be &s;hed,</HI> Gen. 9.6. Puni&s;hed in <HI>Joab,</HI> 1 King. 2.31, 34. Adultery is forbidden in the &s;eventh Commandement. <HI>Thou &s;halt not commit adultery.</HI> Avoyded by <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> Gen. 39.9. Threatned with de&s;truction, Prov. 6.37, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Puni&s;hed in <HI>Zimri</HI> and <HI>Cozbi,</HI> Numb. 25.8.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Let us ob&s;erve our di&s;po&s;itions, and tentations, to &s;eek for prevention or fit cure. El&s;e the medicine may be un|fit for the &s;ore, and do no good.</P>
<P N="2">2. Ob&s;erve tho&s;e places of Scripture that make again&s;t tho&s;e &s;ins to which thou art mo&s;t enclined or tempted. So men in Gardens and Apothecaries &s;hops pick out what will cure their di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. Keep them in thy minde, as men do medicines for their owne infirmities in their hou&s;es, to be ready in time of need. A man may die that hath his medicine to &s;eek.</P>
<PB N="312" REF="161">
<P N="4">4. Apply them when corruption or temptation works; as Chri&s;t did, Mat. 4. who had a place of Scripture ready to repell every temptation of Satan.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> As we are in danger of evill men, &s;o likewi&s;e of evill women. So was <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> in danger of his Mi&s;tris, Gen. 39.7. And the young man in danger of the Harlot, Prov. 7.7, 10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of their loo&s;e and wanton carriage, which is a bait to take mens naturall corruption, and &s;uell for that fire.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of their impudent &s;ollicitations, which may work on them that never intended wantonne&s;&s;e, as fire may take an hou&s;e in which it was not kindled.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> If you &s;ee light and wanton carriage in women, come not in their company. Hurt ye may get much, good ye can expect none. Either &s;in or a pri&s;on may follow, as in <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s ca&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is good for men to know all things dangerous for their &s;ouls. Therefore many fins are reckoned up, as Idolatry, adultery, cruelty, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Ezek. 18.11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Swea|ring, lying, killing, &s;tealing. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Ho&s;. 4.2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they all are hurtfull to the &s;oul.</P>
<P N="2">2. A man can never be &s;afe el&s;e. If one &s;een &s;in be e&s;caped, another un&s;een will lay hold on him.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Labour to know all &s;ins, that thou fall into none. As a Mariner ob&s;erves all rocks and &s;ands at Sea, and a Traveller marks all &s;tones and holes in the way, to avoyd them.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The danger from evill women is great. <HI>By means of an whori&s;h woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; and the adultere&s;&s;e will hunt for the precious life,</HI> ch. 6.26. <HI>Dalilah</HI> deprives <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> of the eyes of his body, Judg. 16.19, 21. Strange women deprived <HI>Solomon</HI> of the eyes of his minde, 1 King. 11.1, 4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e as good women are mode&s;t, &s;o Whores are un&s;atiable in filthine&s;&s;e. Witne&s;&s;e the &s;tews in other Countreys, where men goe in all the day long to one woman.</P>
<PB N="313" REF="161">
<P N="2">2. As good women are mo&s;t tenderly affected, &s;o are wicked ones mo&s;t cruell. It is ob&s;erved, that where-women are in company, murder follows robbery.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Come not neer women noted for wickedne&s;&s;e. Be wi&s;e, and &s;ee danger in their faces, and e&s;cape it. Fooli&s;h men fear no danger in adultery, till they feel it. It is a troden path, and therefore they think it &s;afe. Why then &s;hould the Wi&s;e-man tell us, that God gives us wi&s;dome to keep us from the evill woman, if there were no danger? Be|leeve God, and e&s;cape the evill woman.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a propriety of Husbands and Wives one to another, which no power on earth may violate. There|fore other mens Wives mu&s;t be &s;trangers to us. So they are called, <HI>ch.</HI> 5.3. &amp; 6.24. &amp; 7.5. So <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> accounted of his Mi&s;tris. <HI>My Master hath kept nothing back from me, but thee, be|cau&s;e thou art his Wife,</HI> Gen. 39.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e adultery were no &s;in, no more then theft, if there were no propriety in goods.</P>
<P N="2">2. El&s;e no man had a right in his Children, or at lea&s;t could not know his right, if he had no propriety in his Wife.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Infringe not this propriety. Remember that all but thine owne Husband and Wife are &s;trangers to thee. To this end,</P>
<P N="1">1. Refrain thy looks from thy neighbors wife. Adultery begins at the eyes. It creeps into the heart at tho&s;e windows. Say with <HI>Job, I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then &s;hould I think on a maid?</HI> Job 31.1. <HI>Commit not adultery with a woman in thine heart, by looking on her, to lu&s;t after her,</HI> Matth. 5.28.</P>
<P N="2">2. Keep thy tongue from &s;olliciting her to &s;in. Say not as <HI>Amnon</HI> to <HI>Tamar, Come lie with me,</HI> 2 Sam. 13.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. Thy hands from laying hold on her, as <HI>Amnon</HI> did on <HI>Tamar,</HI> 2 Sam. 13.11.</P>
<P N="4">4. Bani&s;h her out of thy thoughts, as the tenth Com|mandement bids, <HI>Thou &s;halt not covet thy neighbours wife.</HI> So &s;halt thou not wrong thy neighbours bed, nor infringe his propriety.</P>
<PB N="314" REF="162">
<P N="6">6. <HI>Dect.</HI> Strumpets are full of flattering &s;peeches. See the Harlots alluring words, <HI>ch.</HI> 7.14, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and <HI>Dalila</HI>'s, Judg. 16.6, 10, 13, 15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they liveidly, and have time to &s;tudy fine words.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they &s;eek by flattery to accompli&s;h their ba&s;e ends.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed of being overcome by their &s;mooth lan|guage. They will tell thee, they love none el&s;e, and that they cannot be hired by others, and that they will die for thee. But they love thy wealth or beauty, and will leave thee, when they fail. The <HI>Dutch</HI> Proverb is, <HI>The Vintner hangs not out his bu&s;h for one gue&s;t. Balaam</HI> per&s;wades the <HI>Midia|nites, &V;t non viri &s;ed multeres cum I&s;raelitis certarent, quae armorum vice corporis venu&s;tate, &amp; verborum illecebris e&s;&s;ent praeditae. Theod. That not their men but their women &s;hould fight with the I&s;raelites, who in &s;tead of weapons were indued with bodily beauty, and enti&s;ing words.</HI> And the&s;e got the victory, and made <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to &s;in, and brought the plague upon them, Numb. 31.16. Such wo|mens lips are nets; their hands, bands; words, cords to draw a man, <HI>as a fool to the &s;tocks, or an oxe to the &s;laughter,</HI> chap. 7.22. Be wi&s;e, and fly from the &s;trange woman, though <HI>her lips drop as an honey combe, and her mouth be &s;moother then oyl,</HI> ch. 5.3.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 17.</BIBL> Which for&s;aketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>We are now come to our &s;econd note, Her fal&s;hood to her Husband. Le&s;t any <HI>I&s;raelite</HI> &s;hould conceive that he did not offend, unle&s;&s;e he dealt with idolatrous Heathen wo|men, now he expounds what he meant by a &s;trange woman. Another mans Wife, that dealt unfaithfully with her Hus|band.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Which for&s;aketh.</HI> The word &s;ignifies for&s;aking or failing one that is committed to our charge, or to whom we are tyed by any bands to be helpfull. See on <HI>v.</HI> 13. upon the word <HI>Leave.</HI> She for&s;akes her Husband, either by taking
<PB N="315" REF="162">other Lovers to her privily, or &s;eeking them abroad, or by leaving her Husbands hou&s;e, and living from him, that &s;he may more freely follow her lu&s;ts. <HI>Pot<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">har's</HI> Wife, had <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> hearkened to her, had for&s;aken her Husband in affection, though &s;he had &s;tayed in the hou&s;e with him. The Harlot (<HI>ch.</HI> 7) kept in her Husbands hou&s;e, though &s;he took advan|tage of his ab&s;ence (<HI>v.</HI> 19.) there. Few &s;o impudent, as quite to leave their Husbands, for then all the world would take notice of their lewdne&s;&s;e: but many deal fal&s;ly with them underhand.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The guide.</HI> It comes from a word that &s;ignifieth to <HI>teach,</HI> for teachers are guides. <HI>A guide of the blinde,</HI> and <HI>a tea|cher of babes</HI> go together, Rom. 2.19, 20. And women are required to learn of their Husbands at home, who are their guides, 1 Cor. 14.35. The guide here is the Husband. <HI>The head of the woman is the man,</HI> 1 Cor. 11.3. Now we know, the head guides the body. Some under&s;tand it of God, who is called <HI>the guide of Judah's youth,</HI> Jer. 3.4. And &s;o they draw the words to Idolatry, which rather &s;et out adultery, as ap|pears by the words before and after the text. And this aggra|vates the &s;in of the adultere&s;&s;e, &s;hewing that &s;he is not only unfaithfull, but al&s;o di&s;obedient, rebellious, and unthank|full, in di&s;obeying her ruler and guide.</P>
<P><HI>Of her youth.</HI> The word contains infancy, childhood, youth, all our time till 25 yeers of age. But it is put for the time when they are fir&s;t marriageable, and married young. And the Husband is called the guide of her youth, becau&s;e &s;he choo&s;eth him to guide her, and promi&s;eth to be guided by him, which guidance &s;he hath mo&s;t need of in her youn|ger yeers, and he is &s;et over by Gods appointment, as a guide, and therefore &s;he ought to be guided by him. Here is meant the fir&s;t Husband, to whom &s;he is fir&s;t married, and fir&s;t love u&s;eth to be &s;tronge&s;t. And &s;he that will be fal&s;e to him to whom &s;he fir&s;t gave her heart, will make no &s;cruple to be &s;o to any &s;ucceeding Husband. So a Hus|band loves the fir&s;t Wife be&s;t commonly, being taught to <HI>rejoyce with the wife of his youth,</HI> ch. 5.18. Affection is hotte&s;t in youth. Virgins u&s;e to be more ready to pre&s;erve faithful love, as Virgin-wax is pure&s;t. Yet this uncha&s;te young wo|man
<PB N="316" REF="163">leaving her guide and Husband, to whom &s;he was married being a young Virgin, follows the adulterer. <HI>Magnum impudicitiae, &amp; impudentiae argumentum. Bain. A great argument of impudicity and impudence.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And forgetteth.</HI> Negligently, as the word imports.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The covenant.</HI> It comes from a word which &s;igni|fies <HI>to choo&s;e.</HI> It is an agreement between two choo&s;ing one another, and tying them&s;elves by covenant one to another up|on &s;uch tearms as both parties like.</P>
<P><HI>Of her God.</HI> Whom &s;he profe&s;&s;eth to wor&s;hip. For <HI>Solomon</HI> writes to the people of God. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>v.</HI> 5. It is called the covenant of God,</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e God in&s;tituted marriage.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God is a witne&s;&s;e of the mutuall promi&s;e of fidelity which is made in marriage, and takes e&s;pecial notice of the breach of it, to puni&s;h it, although the husband know it not. <HI>The Lord hath been witne&s;&s;e between thee, and the wife of thy youth, again&s;t whom thou ha&s;t dealt treacherou&s;ly; yet is &s;he thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant,</HI> Mal. 2.14. The &s;in of the adultere&s;&s;e is aggravated by every word. She not onely fails in her duty to her Husband, but for&s;akes him, and deals fal&s;ly with him. She for&s;akes her guide that took care of her, and that in her youth, when &s;he had mo&s;t need of a guide. She quite forgets not onely a promi&s;e but a cove|nans, and that &s;olemnly made, not onely in the &s;ight of men, but of the great God, the in&s;tituter of marriage, wit|ne&s;&s;e of the contract, whereby &s;he bound her &s;elf to cleave to him onely &s;o long as they lived together, the judge and the avenger of the breach. But now without regard of the love and benefit pa&s;t, or of the &s;trong binding covenant of God &s;he breaks thus &s;hamefully out, not onely to the en|dangering of her own &s;oul, but of them al&s;o that are al|lured by her. The young man al&s;o is here by &s;trong rea&s;ons moved to take heed of her; for though &s;he might flatter him, and profe&s;&s;e much love to him, yet que&s;tionle&s;&s;e &s;he that had been fal&s;e to her Husband, her fir&s;t Love, and dur&s;t violate the covenant of her God, would never be true to him, but make u&s;e of him, till &s;he had wa&s;ted his body and e&s;tate, and then leave him.</P>
<PB N="317" REF="163">
<P>Figures none.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Her &s;in.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The aggravation of it.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>Which for&s;aketh,</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>the guide.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>of her youth.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>And forgetteth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>the covenant.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>of her God.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is no tru&s;ting of them that will fail God and their neer friends. If <HI>Ab&s;olon</HI> abu&s;e his God, and in duty fail his Father, 2 Sam. 15. the people that follow him pe|ri&s;h. So in <HI>Adonijah.</HI> What got <HI>Joab</HI> and <HI>Abiathar</HI> by fol|lowing him? 1 King. 2. <HI>Naboth</HI> is condemned by two fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es that dealt unju&s;tly with God and him, 1 King. 21.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e they that have broken the greater bands, will not &s;tick at the le&s;&s;er. If they fail God, they will fail men for their advantage. If they &s;ail friends, much more &s;trangers or enemies. <HI>Qui &s;emel verecundiae limites tran&s;ilierit, gravit&egrave;r fit impudens: He that once is gone beyond the bound of &s;hame|fa&s;tne&s;&s;e, becomes very impudent. Tully.</HI> If <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> can carry away the gates of <HI>Gaza,</HI> he will make no bones of the beam and web, Judg. 16.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. It reproves &s;uch as keep company with tho&s;e who are notoriou&s;ly fal&s;e to God, and their parents, or neere&s;t friends.</P>
<P N="2">2. Tho&s;e who imploy &s;uch in bu&s;ine&s;&s;es of weight. What good can they expect from them? They will be left in the lurch.</P>
<P N="3">3. Tho&s;e that marry &s;uch per&s;ons. If they knew their fal&s;hood to God or their Parents before, it is in vain to com|plain afterwards of their fal&s;hood to them. Who will pity them?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> No bridle will keep in wantonne&s;&s;e where it reigns. Neither fear of God, nor loving Husband in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> None will &s;erve <HI>Tamar</HI> but <HI>Judah</HI> her Father in Law,
<PB N="318" REF="164">Gen. 38. None will &s;erve <HI>Amnon</HI> but his Si&s;ter <HI>Tamar,</HI> 1 Sam. 13. None will &s;erve <HI>Her<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d</HI> but <HI>Hered<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">as</HI> his Brother <HI>Philip</HI>'s Wife, Matth. 14. Neither Fathers coun&s;ell, <HI>chap.</HI> 5. nor Mothers, <HI>chap.</HI> 31. will keep <HI>Solomon</HI> from &s;trange wo|men, 1 King 11. The ince&s;tuous per&s;on mu&s;t have his Fathers Wife, 1 Cor. 5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e where lu&s;t reigns, it over-rules all civill and naturall bands, as a great river overflowing hides all the neighbouring &s;treams. Such to &s;atisfie their lu&s;ts, regard not friends, kindred, parents, children. See Pope <HI>Alexan|der</HI>'s &s;trumpets Epitaph.</P>
<Q><LG>
<L><HI>Conditur hoc tumulo Lucretia nomine, &s;ed re</HI></L>
<L><HI>Thais, Alexandri filia, &s;pon&s;a, nurus.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Within this Tombe <HI>Luerece</HI> by name,</L>
<L><HI>Thais</HI> indeed, here lies,</L>
<L>Pope <HI>Alexander</HI>'s Daughter, Wife,</L>
<L>Daughter in law likewi&s;e.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> We need not marvell then to hear of Adulteries, In|ce&s;ts, Sodomies in the world, where lu&s;t is let loo&s;e it breaks all bands.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many arguments may be given again&s;t Adultery. Two out of the text. Unkindne&s;&s;e to her Husband, and fal&s;hood towwards God, which &s;hall be handled &s;everally. Add the breach of the Marriage-band, which &s;hould be a &s;trong band to cha&s;tity. She &s;hould go to no mans bed, but to her Husbands. But <HI>Adulterium, qua&s;i ad alterum,</HI> or <HI>ad al|terius torum. Beeman. To another man,</HI> or <HI>to another mans bed.</HI> The wanton never wants one, though her Husband be never &s;o near. Add al&s;o the defiling of her owne body, which is a great infamy; the di&s;ea&s;es that follow that &s;in, the wants when all is con&s;umed upon lu&s;t, death by partners rage, or others violence; the di&s;gracefull name of Ba&s;tards &s;tamped upon children, and Hell it &s;elf in the <HI>ver&s;es</HI> follow|ing.</P>
<PB N="319" REF="164">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let the&s;e things &s;care men and women from Adul|tery, and bring &s;uch to hearty &s;orrow and repentance in time, who are guilty of it, le&s;t they eternally de&s;troy them|&s;elves and others. Many think adultery to be but a &s;mall &s;in, but they forget the&s;e many arguments again&s;t it. Let us re|member the dangers, and take heed.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Adultery in a Wife is a great wrong to the Hus|band. <HI>Every one neighed after his neighbours wife,</HI> Jer. 58. The wrong done to God by Idolatry is &s;et out by this &s;imilitude. <HI>Thou hast gone a whoring from thy God,</HI> Ho&s;. 9.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it wrongs him in his greate&s;t propriety, dearer to him then friends or children.</P>
<P N="2">2. It breaks the greate&s;t obligation, for he is her guide. If he leave her, &s;he is in perpetual danger. Her lovers having &s;atisfied their lu&s;t will leave her.</P>
<P N="3">3. It may put the Husband to labour to provide for other mens children, and is not that a great injury?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let women when they are tempted to wantonne&s;&s;e, think what wrong they do their Husbands. So great, that though they may repent, and be pardoned by God, yet they can never make their Husbands amends. This is a &s;overaign antidote again&s;t Adultery.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> The Wi&s;e &s;hould be guided by her Husband. <HI>Wives &s;ubmit your &s;elves unto your own Husbands,</HI> Eph. 5.22. See the &s;ame words, Col. 3.18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the Husband is the guide, as in the text.</P>
<P N="2">2. He is the head, and the body mu&s;t not rule. It were a mon&s;ter in nature to &s;ee the body placed above the head</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let Wives be content to be &s;ubject. A man that being &s;ober overturns the &s;hip, and drowns the pa&s;&s;engers, is not fit to guide it when he is drunk. If innocent <HI>Eve</HI> mi&s;&s;ed <HI>Adam,</HI> Wives now in the &s;tate of corruption are not fit to guide, but mu&s;t be guided.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> An adultere&s;&s;e &s;ins again&s;t God, as well as again&s;t her Husband. She breaks the &s;eventh Commandement, where God forbids it, and &s;eparates tho&s;e whom God the author of marriage hath joyned together, and joyn them to|gether, and joyns them together whom God hath &s;eparated.</P>
<PB N="320" REF="165">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let Wives think of this, and of <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s carriage to prevent adultery; &s;aying, <HI>How can I do this great wickedne&s;&s;e, and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> Gen. 39.9. And if they be guilty, let them &s;ay with <HI>David, Again&s;t thee have I &s;inned,</HI> P&s;al. 51.4. And repent, that they may be &s;aved.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 18.</BIBL> For her hou&s;e enclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Wi&s;e-man proceeds to &s;hew the greatne&s;&s;e of the mercy of pre&s;ervation from evill women by the greatne&s;&s;e of the danger, from which men are kept thereby. That is, from death it &s;elf, which is mo&s;t terrible in the thoughts of wan|ton per&s;ons, and which, if often thought of, would keep them from wanton cour&s;es. This danger is &s;et out,</P>
<P N="1">1. In the kinde of it, in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Death. <HI>omnium terribilium terribili&s;&s;imum: The mo&s;t terrible of all terrible things.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. By the irrecoverablene&s;&s;e or hardne&s;&s;e to return, <HI>v.</HI> 19.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. That the young man might &s;ee <HI>Solomon</HI>'s coun&s;el was not in vain, he &s;ets down the great mi&s;chief that befalls &s;uch as follow the Harlots wayes, and enter into her hou&s;e. And how great evils he &s;hall e&s;cape that comes not there; is &s;et out by the di&s;orders of her hou&s;e, and deadly wayes of them that live there.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> This is no rea&s;on of the la&s;t <HI>ver&s;.</HI> why &s;he wrongs her Husband, and &s;ins again&s;t God. She did not do it that &s;he might peri&s;h her &s;elf, and undoe others, but that &s;he might &s;atisfie her owne lu&s;t and covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. But tho&s;e words depend upon the beginning of <HI>v.</HI> 16. to &s;hew the young man what a great mercy of God it was to keep him from the &s;trum|pets acquaintance, and by con&s;equence from utter de&s;tru|ction. The <HI>Genevah</HI> tran&s;lation reads <HI>&s;urely.</HI> As the &s;ame par|ticle <GAP DESC="foreign"> is tran&s;lated, <HI>Surely in vain the net is &s;pread, &amp;c. ch.</HI> 1.17. And then it is an ab&s;olute &s;entence; as if he had &s;aid, Make account of nothing el&s;e, but utter ruine, if once thou enter into her hou&s;e, and joyn in her wayes. <HI>Bain</HI> reads, <HI>&s;eeing.</HI> And &s;o ties it to the following <HI>v.</HI> as giving a rea&s;on why few return; to wit, becau&s;e her hou&s;e leads to death;
<PB N="321" REF="165">as if he had &s;aid to the young man, If thou wilt not hear|ken to me, but wilt enter into the Harlots hou&s;e, thou wilt finde death there, and a great difficulty of returning.</P>
<P><HI>Her hou&s;e.</HI> The filthy manners, and wicked conver&s;ation u&s;ed in her hou&s;e. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.13. Some under&s;tand it of the &s;trumpet her &s;elf, which leaving her hus|bands poor hou&s;e, lives with &s;ome adulterer in a &s;tately hou&s;e, or hires one to entertain her lovers, and thinks to live gal|lantly there; but leaving her Husbands hou&s;e, ha&s;tens to the grave, the hou&s;e of darkne&s;&s;e; and for&s;aking the covenant of her God, goes to eternall darkne&s;&s;e. But it is rather a cau|tion to the young man to take heed of coming into her hou&s;e, becau&s;e he &s;hall find nothing there but death and de|&s;truction.</P>
<P><HI>Enclineth,</HI> Heb. <HI>boweth downward.</HI> Not onely tends that way, but with a de&s;cent and humiliation, and laying low. There is in her hou&s;e a road-way to death and hell, and that down|ward, as men go down an hill apace, not &s;taying till they come to the bottome.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto death.</HI> It brings &s;peedy death unto men, both of &s;oul and body.</P>
<P><HI>And her paths.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 9.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto the dead.</HI> It comes from a word that &s;ignifies to heal, or cure, by an <HI>Antiphra&s;is,</HI> becau&s;e the dead are pa&s;t skill and cure of the Phy&s;ician. So a mountain, <HI>mons &agrave; movendo,</HI> becau&s;e it moves not. And a Wood, <HI>lucus &agrave; lucendo,</HI> becau&s;e it wants light. Wantonne&s;&s;e takes men away from among the living, and brings them to the dead in body and &s;oul, which have dyed before them, either by a naturall death, or by &s;uch like wanton cour&s;es as the&s;e men take. <HI>Death</HI> and the <HI>dead</HI> here mu&s;t include both &s;pirituall and temporall death, the grave, and hell. For it &s;eems not a &s;ufficient rea&s;on to keep men from adultery, and from Harlots hou&s;es, that they mu&s;t die, for this is common to all men. A man may &s;ay, as mockers do, Let us commit adultery without any fear, for nothing &s;hall befall us which doth not befall the cha&s;te&s;t men. They mu&s;t die as well as we. It mu&s;t needs therefore include hell al&s;o, unle&s;&s;e we &s;hould interpret it of a violent or early death, which often befalls adulterers, and may &s;care others
<PB N="322" REF="166">more then hell. For the one they &s;ee; the other, they be|leeve not. Many murders attend on adultery, and ruine of whole families. Others tran&s;late it, <HI>unto the giants.</HI> As the word is u&s;ed, Deut. 2.11. <HI>which al&s;o were accounted giants.</HI> And then it comes from <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to heal,</HI> becau&s;e they are &s;trong and &s;tout, and need no Phy&s;ician; or <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>to be faint</HI> or <HI>weak,</HI> becau&s;e the very &s;ight of them makes others faint as if they had the pangs of death upon them. And by the&s;e <HI>giants</HI> &s;ome mean the devils, the tormentors of adulterers in hell; others under&s;tand men of great might, and great rebels again&s;t God, &s;uch as tho&s;e in the old world, who abu&s;ed their &s;trength to wickedne&s;&s;e and wantonne&s;&s;e, who&s;e bodies are now in the grave, and &s;ouls in the deepe&s;t place of hell. To both which places adulterers mu&s;t de&s;cend, to keep &s;uch wicked wretches company in eternall mi&s;ery, whom in their life they have imitated in &s;infull cour&s;es.</P>
<P>The &s;umme is: That all the cour&s;es that are u&s;ed in the hou&s;e of the adulterers tend to death both of body and &s;oul; that &s;o the young man, if he love the &s;afety of his own &s;oul and body, &s;hould take heed of coming there.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Her hou&s;e.</HI> The &s;ins comitted in her hou&s;e. The &s;ubject for the adjunct. <HI>Her paths.</HI> A Metaphor from Travel|lers, often u&s;ed in this Book.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The hurt gotten in her hou&s;e. Death.</P>
<P N="2">2. The bad company it brings men to. Dead, and damned men, wor&s;e then to bring men among Lazars in the Ho&s;pitall.</P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The cau&s;e, <HI>her hou&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The effect, <HI>inclineth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>unto death.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The way, <HI>And her paths.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The end, <HI>unto the dead.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much hurt is gotten by conver&s;ing with lewd women. If <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> were alive, he would tell you how by <HI>Dalilah</HI>'s acquaintance he loft his &s;trength, liberty, &s;ight, li&s;e, be&s;ides the danger of his &s;oul. <HI>Solomon</HI> would inform you,
<PB N="323" REF="166">how he fell from God to Idolatry by &s;uch company, and how thereby his po&s;terity lo&s;t the greate&s;t part of their King|dome.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e nothing can be expected from crea|tures but what their nature yeelds. Fire will burn, Seas drown, Ravenous birds feed on carka&s;&s;es, Wilde bea&s;ts de|vour them. Evil women are naught. Evil trees bring forth bad fruit, not good, Mat. 12.33, 35. All the hou&s;hold of the adulterers, and all her wayes, tend to death temporall and eternall, as in the text.</P>
<P N="2">2. All men and women &s;peak according to their di&s;po&s;i|tion and employment.</P>
<Q><LG>
<L><HI>Navita de ventis, de tauris narrat arator,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Enumerat miles vulnera, pa&s;tor eves.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Of Winds the Sea-man, of his Bulls</L>
<L>The Plow-man &s;peaks, his Wounds</L>
<L>The Souldier reckons, of his Sheep</L>
<L>The Shepherd talk propounds.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P>A covetous man &s;peaks of bargains, a voluptuous man of games, a proud man of titles, an angry man of injuries, a &s;trumpet of wantonne&s;&s;e. <HI>Evil communication corrupts good man|ners,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.33.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Letus ob&s;erve the carriage of women, and if we evi|dently &s;ee wantonne&s;&s;e in their words and deeds, &s;et a cro&s;&s;e upon their hou&s;es, with <HI>Lord have mercy upon them,</HI> as over hou&s;es infected. <HI>Cum foemin&acirc; &s;emper e&s;&s;e, &amp; non cogno&s;cere foe|minam plus e&s;t, quam mortuum &s;u&s;citare. Bern. in Cant. Serm.</HI> 65. <HI>To be alwayes with a woman, and not to know a woman, is more then to rai&s;e up a dead man.</HI> Touch not pitch, le&s;t ye be defiled. Ye have fire enough in your owne natures, &s;eek not fuell abroad. The young man when he grows acquainted with &s;trumpets, hopes to &s;pend his dayes merrily in fine hou&s;es, and is &s;uddenly carried to death and hell. He looked for a &s;torehou&s;e of plea&s;ure, fine gardens, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and behold de&s;o|lation. The Heathen man could &s;ay, <HI>Nolo tanti poenitentiam emere: I will not buy repentance &s;o deer.</HI> And the Proverb is,
<PB N="324" REF="167"><HI>Caveat emptor, Let the buyer beware.</HI> It &s;erves then to admoni&s;h us to take heed of haunting the company of Harlots, le&s;t we defile our &s;elves, and con&s;ent to their filthine&s;&s;e. We would not willingly come neer a rotten and ruinous hou&s;e, le&s;t it &s;hould fall, and brui&s;e or kill our bodies. There is more rea&s;on to avoyd the company of Harlots, who&s;e &s;ociety may not onely break our bones, but eternally damn our &s;ouls.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many mi&s;eries attend upon adultery. It co&s;t the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> and the <HI>Benjamites</HI> deer, the lo&s;&s;e of many thou&s;and lives, and almo&s;t the de&s;truction of an whole Tribe, Judg. 19. &amp; 20. &amp; 21. It co&s;t <HI>David</HI> deer, 2 Sam. 12. The lo&s;&s;e of his childe, the abu&s;e of his wives, a la&s;ting &s;word on his hou&s;e, be&s;ides the rape of <HI>Tamar,</HI> and rebellion of <HI>Ab&s;olon</HI> and <HI>Adonijah,</HI> with the murder of <HI>Amnon.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it was death by Gods Law, and &s;o it is now by ours. Lo&s;e life and lo&s;e all comfort.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is infamous all the world over. No mode&s;t per&s;ons care for joyning with adul torous families.</P>
<P N="3">3. It breeds many quarrels between the Husband and the Adulterers, Wives, and Strumpets, Adulterers one among another, and Strumpets al&s;o.</P>
<P N="4">4. It brings many murders. <HI>The adulterers will hunt for the pretious life, chap.</HI> 6.26. The Husband enraged will kill the Adulterer, <HI>ch.</HI> 6.34, 35.</P>
<P N="5">5. It brings ba&s;tards, which is a di&s;grace to po&s;terity.</P>
<P N="6">6. It procures di&s;inheriting of Children, when men &s;u&s;pect their Wives want of cha&s;tity.</P>
<P N="7">7. It breeds di&s;ea&s;es in the body, and &s;hamefull ones too, as characters of that wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="8">8. It brings poverty on the &s;tate, by Gods cur&s;e, or the Whores covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. <HI>For by means of a whori&s;h woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread, ch.</HI> 6.26.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Think of the many mi&s;chiefs that attend upon adul|tery, when thou art tempted to it. A needfull theam, for we naturally look not at &s;in, as it is in it &s;elf, but as it is to us, not in its odious and filthy nature (as we &s;hould doe, though no danger followed it) but in its hurtfull effects, which is to fear the &s;moak more then the fire. Yet &s;o to look at it, may be profitable to keep us from the fin; if not,
<PB N="325" REF="167">for hatred of it, yet for fear of the en&s;uing mi&s;chiefs. Think with thy &s;elf, there is great danger and much wickedne&s;&s;e in adultery, el&s;e God, which is &s;o mercifull, would never puni&s;h it with a double death, temporall and eternall. Re|member that all conver&s;ing with &s;trumpets tend to de&s;tru|ction. And though &s;he &s;peak flattering words, yet &s;hamefull death follows adultery, as well as theft or murder. In <HI>A|drian</HI>'s <HI>Gymna&s;ium,</HI> or place of exerci&s;e, <HI>Venus</HI> is &s;et forth as the anciente&s;t of the De&s;tinies, not &s;pinning the thread of life, but cutting it a&s;under.</P>
<Q><LG>
<L><HI>Quid Venus e&s;t quaeris? e&s;t antiqui&s;&s;ima Parca,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Fil&aacute;que mox re&s;ecans, at ne&abque; nens eadem.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thou aske&s;t what <HI>Venus</HI> is? She is</L>
<L>The ancient'&s;t De&s;tiny,</L>
<L>That quickly cuts the threads of li&s;e,</L>
<L>But knits them not truly.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P><HI>Plutarch</HI> writes of a Temple in&s;cribed, <HI>Saerum Veneri homi|cidae: Sacred to Venus the Man-&s;tayer, Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> on P&s;al. 50. &s;aith <HI>What is an whorr&s;h woman, but a &s;epulchre? and the com|mon burying place of mankinde is her hou&s;e.</HI> And in <HI>Rome,</HI> becau&s;e old Harlots were not permitted openly, they harboured in caves of earth, called <HI>Fornices,</HI> from whence the word <HI>Forni|cation</HI> cometh; and in this regard, it is fitly &s;ald in the text, <HI>Her hou&s;e enclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.</HI> To the grave, an hole in the earth, where the dead are laid. A dark place fit for &s;in, and fit for puni&s;hment. <HI>Terence</HI> calls Harlots <HI>Cruces,</HI> becau&s;e they crucifie men. Venery is deaths quicke&s;t Harbinger. Pope <HI>John</HI> 12. being taken with an Adul|tere&s;&s;e, was &s;tabbed to death by her Husband. <HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">xander</HI> the Great, and <HI>Otho</HI> the third lo&s;t their lives by their lu&s;ts. But how many (alas) by this means have lo&s;t their &s;ouls? fle&s;hly lu&s;ts do in an e&s;peciall manner fight again&s;t the &s;oul, 1 Pet. 2.11. And nothing hath enriched hell &s;o much (&s;aith one) as beautifull faces. Let the young man think on the&s;e great examples, and tremble.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wantonne&s;&s;e &s;hortens mens dayer. <HI>Give not thy
<PB N="326" REF="168">&s;trength unto women, nor thy wayes to that which de&s;troyeth Kings,</HI> Prov. 31.3. <HI>The adultere&s;&s;e will hunt for the precious life, ch.</HI> 6.26.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it wa&s;ts a mans &s;trength, and when &s;trength fails, life will fail. If fuell decay, the fire goes out. <HI>And thou mourn at the la&s;t, when thy fle&s;h and thy body are con&s;umed, ch.</HI> 5.11.</P>
<P N="2">2. It breeds noy&s;ome di&s;ea&s;es, which oft-times prove in|curable.</P>
<P N="3">3. It hath gluttony and drunkenne&s;&s;e for companions, which alone can &s;horten mens lives, much more accompa|nyed with wantonne&s;&s;e. <HI>Plures gul&agrave;, qu&agrave;m gladio perii&s;&s;e certum e&s;t. It is an undoubted truth, that more peri&s;h by the throat then by the &s;word.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Strumpets kill men in private, either for their money which they have about them, or for want of money, when all is &s;pent, le&s;t they &s;hould be a burden to them on whom they have &s;pent it.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us quench lu&s;t with this water. If our life be gone, all is gone. Men are at great co&s;t to pre&s;erve life by phy&s;ick. They forbear many plea&s;ing meats, and keep a diet. But no phy&s;ick nor diet will keep an adulterer long alive. Strum|pets will wa&s;te more then tho&s;e helps can do good. If they do not, yet may the Magi&s;trates &s;word, or Gods judgement do it. The King of <HI>Babylon</HI> cau&s;ed <HI>Ahab</HI> and <HI>Zedekiah</HI> to be <HI>ro&s;ted in the fire, becau&s;e they have committed villany in I&s;rael, and have com|mitted adultery with their neighbors wives,</HI> Jer. 29.22, 23.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> He that will &s;cape an Harlot mu&s;t keep out of her hou&s;e. Had not <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> been in <HI>Potiphar</HI>'s hou&s;e, he had not been in his Mi&s;tri&s;&s;es danger, Gen. 39. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> &s;capes by get|ting him out of the hou&s;e. The young man (Prov. 7.) is undone by going into the Harlots hou&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e her hou&s;e is full of baits, <HI>ch.</HI> 7.16, 17. Fine fare, and ornaments.</P>
<P N="2">2. It hath locks, and keyes, and private opportunities of &s;inning.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> If ye know &s;uch hou&s;es, keep out of them. Strum|pets like Cocks, crow on their owne dunghills. They count all their owne that comes within their dores. Keep out then, and be &s;afe.</P>
<PB N="327" REF="168">
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> The hou&s;e of uncleanne&s;&s;e is the gatehou&s;e of death. <HI>Come not neer the dore of her hou&s;e, le&s;t thou give thy yeers unto the cruel.</HI> ch. 5.8, 9. <HI>Her hou&s;e goes down to the chambers of death,</HI> ch 7.27.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In re&s;pect of &s;pirituall death. For what life of grace can be expected in a &s;tews?</P>
<P N="2">2. In re&s;pect of corporal death, and that many wayes, as ye heard before. The Strumpets hou&s;e is the Devils armory, wherein are weapons of all &s;orts to de&s;troy men, for <HI>the devill was a murderer from the beginning,</HI> Joh. 8.44.</P>
<P N="3">3. In re&s;pect of eternal death both of &s;oul and body. Her hou&s;e is like <HI>Sodom.</HI> If <HI>Lot</HI> go not out of it, he mu&s;t be burned with fire and brim&s;tone. His condition that conver&s;es there, grows &s;till wor&s;e and wor&s;e. His &s;oul is dead, his body will be &s;oon dead, and then no &s;pace for repentance, and &s;o he dies eternally.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Pity tho&s;e gallants that pity not them&s;elves, that go from their own hou&s;es into naughty hou&s;es, and from thence to the grave and hell. Out of a le&s;&s;er and temporary fire into a greater, and eternall.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Adulterers go downward. <HI>Her feet go down to death, ch.</HI> 5.5. And que&s;tionle&s;&s;e her adulterer goes down with her. <HI>Let not thine heart decline to her wayes, for &s;he hath ca&s;t down many wounded, ch.</HI> 7.25, 26.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they go downward in their &s;trength, as was &s;hewed before.</P>
<P N="2">2. In their e&s;tates. For much is &s;pent upon &s;trumpets, to the impoveri&s;hing of them&s;elves and theirs.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let &s;uch repent quickly, le&s;t they go &s;o low that they never get up again.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 19.</BIBL> None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold on the paths of life.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The wounds gotten in the Harlots hou&s;e which are dead|ly, were &s;et out in the former <HI>v.</HI> The ordinary neglect of them, and irrecoverablene&s;&s;e, is &s;et out in this <HI>v.</HI></P>
<PB N="328" REF="169">
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>None.</HI> Not onely her &s;elf, but al&s;o all her cu&s;tomers are in danger of peri&s;hing. Hebr. <HI>not all,</HI> which in Scripture lan|guage is <HI>none.</HI> As P&s;al. 143.2. <HI>In thy &s;ight &s;hall no man living be ju&s;tified,</HI> Heb. <HI>not every one living.</HI> See more on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.24. on <HI>No man.</HI> Some of the anciente&s;t have hence concluded, that adultery is an unpardonable &s;in. But they forget, that <HI>all manner of &s;in and bla&s;phemy &s;hall be forgiven unto men, &s;ave onely the &s;in again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t,</HI> Mat. 12.31. Not none of any con|dition, or none of all &s;imply (though the word be u&s;ed both the&s;e wayes in &s;everall places) but none in compari&s;on, or very few. So few return from adulterous cour&s;es; that in re&s;pect of them which do not return, they are as none. So, <HI>None calleth for ju&s;tice,</HI> I&s;a. 59.4. <HI>There is none that calleth upon thy name,</HI> I&s;a. 64.7. That is, very few do &s;o. He compa|reth them which are given to adultery, to Souldiers that go into the war, and there place and thru&s;t them&s;elves &s;o for|ward, that they are &s;lain. We &s;ay, All the City went to &s;ee &s;uch a &s;ight; that is, the mo&s;t of them. It may be &s;ome could not, and others would not. We know that <HI>David</HI> did repent of adultery, but we read of few more that did it. Some un|der&s;tand it, that none do or can return by their owne wit, or &s;trength, have they never &s;o good naturall parts; but by Gods extraordinary grace &s;ome may and do return. But the former interpretation is better.</P>
<P><HI>That go unto her.</HI> That go in unto her to commit adultery with her. A mode&s;t expre&s;&s;ion of a &s;ecret or foul action, frequent in Scripture. <HI>Jacob went in unto Leah,</HI> Gen. 29.23. <HI>David had gone in unto Bath&s;hebab,</HI> P&s;al. 51. in the title. Or, that go into her hou&s;e to conver&s;e familiarly with him. Or, that go into an untimely death by wantonne&s;&s;e. Or, figura|tively, that fall into her &s;inful wayes, and &s;o are &s;piritually dead. <HI>She that liveth in plea&s;ure is dead while &s;he liveth,</HI> 1 Tim. 5.6. That interpretation of few returners from adultery, is be&s;t, becau&s;e he had &s;poken before of the &s;inful and deadly cour&s;es u&s;ed in her hou&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 18. And now he intimates that her &s;nares are like lime-twigs, they hold fa&s;t all that con|ver&s;e with her in her hou&s;e, and &s;o fa&s;t, that very few or none think of returning. So that this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> is an explication
<PB N="329" REF="169">men, becau&s;e they are &s;o bewitched with the unlawful plea|&s;ure <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of her hou&s;e, that they &s;carce ever think of leaving tho&s;e finful wayes while they live. For the word <HI>Goe,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.26. on the word <HI>Cometh.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Return again.</HI> Some under&s;tand it of returning to pro&s;pe|rity. Gods judgement follows them for the mo&s;t part, and wa&s;tes them, and their e&s;tate, to the con&s;umption of both. But it is rather meant of returning by repentance, leaving tho&s;e &s;inful paths of death to walk in the good wayes of life, as follows in this <HI>v.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.23. on the word, <HI>Turn.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Neither take they hold of;</HI> or, <HI>touch.</HI> They come not neer them, or at lea&s;t will not cleave in&s;eparably to them.</P>
<P><HI>The paths.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.19. on the word <HI>Wayes of life.</HI> That lead to life. To a pro&s;perous life here, or an happy one in heaven. This <HI>v.</HI> an&s;wers an objection that might have been made again&s;t the precedent <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Some may &s;ay Adultery is not &s;o deadly a &s;in, as you would make it. You threaten death, but we will repent before we go out of the world, and &s;o help all. This is a common objection. But who doeth &s;o, &s;aith the Wi&s;eman? Ye &s;hall finde very few or none that repent, if ye ob&s;erve their cour&s;es, for commonly Adulterers go on impenitently till death.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>None.</HI> That is, very few. Hyperbole.</P>
<P><HI>Take hold.</HI> A metaphor from &s;uch as lay fa&s;t hold on a thing to keep it, for men lay not hold on wayes with their hands, but walke in them with their feet. It argues &s;eriou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and con&s;tancy.</P>
<P><HI>Paths.</HI> A metaphor from travellers.</P>
<P><HI>Of life.</HI> A metony my of the effect or adjunct, that bring life or are &s;ignes of it. with a Synecdoche of the generall for the &s;peciall. Life for eternall life.</P>
<P>Note 1. Their not returning.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their incon&s;tancy, if they begin to look back, they fall into a relap&s;e.</P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Their ea&s;ie entrance, <HI>None that go in unto her.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Their hard returning, <HI>return again.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="330" REF="170">
<P>In the &s;econd part ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>Neither take they hold.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>of the paths of life.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct</HI> It is an hard thing for an Adulterer to repent. The prodigall &s;on leaves not his harlots, till all be &s;pent, nor returnes to his Father, till &s;wines meat be denied him. <HI>Luke</HI> 15. <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> and <HI>Solomon</HI> very hardly returned, if ever.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the flattering tongues of &s;trumpets, who have fine words at command to keep young men with them. The harlot hath &s;uch arts, and armes to hold them in, that her pri&s;oners &s;eldome break pri&s;on. They are &s;o bewitched with the flatteries, and <HI>Sirens</HI> &s;ongs of Adultere&s;|&s;es, that they cannot &s;ee their own filthine&s;&s;e: or if in part they do &s;ee it, yet the harlots flattering charmes are &s;o &s;trong, that they cannot leave them, as many have confe&s;&s;ed, <HI>The harlots heart is &s;nares, and nets, and her hands as hands.</HI> Eccl. 7.26. <HI>An where is a deep ditch, and a &s;trange woman is a narrow pit.</HI> Ch. 23.27. It is as hard then for the Adulterer to get out, as for a man falne into a narrow deep pit, out of which it is as difficult a thing to come up, as for a dead man to come out of the grave. So &s;aith <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome, It is as hard a thing to convert an whorema&s;ter, as it is to rai&s;e one out of the grave, that is dead and buried.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of tho&s;e carnall delights wanton hou&s;es af|ford, as dainty fare, plea&s;ing mu&s;ick, la&s;civious pictures, decked chambers, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Such baits as they that have ta&s;ted of them, by rea&s;on of their corrupted nature, &s;tick &s;o fa&s;t to her, that they know not how to leave her. They &s;o glut them&s;elves with the thoughts of their unlawfull plea&s;ures, that no re|proofes can &s;inke into their heads. <HI>They are like unto the deaf Adder, that &s;toppeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming never &s;o wi&s;ely</HI> P&s;al. 58.4, 5.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of mans naturall un&s;atiablene&s;&s;e in finne, which drives him from one degree of wickedne&s;&s;e to ano|ther.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e they are become &s;laves of &s;in, boared, as it were, through the ear to &s;erve &s;in for ever. The Devill &s;till &s;tirs them
<PB N="331" REF="170">up to to the remembrance of their former &s;infull plea&s;ures to lead them to further flavery.</P>
<Q><LG>
<L><HI>&V;t ferrum magnes, &s;ic carnalem trahit Agnes.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As load&s;tone is by iron drawne,</L>
<L>So carnall men by &s;trumpets tane.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P N="5">5. Such are dead in &s;ins and tre&s;pa&s;&s;es. The harlots hou&s;e is a grave. It is an hard thing to come out from thence. The re&s;urrection of the dead is a miracle. So is it for a man en|tangled to get out of an harlots hou&s;e.</P>
<P N="6">6. Becau&s;e Gods cur&s;e followes &s;uch men, women and cour&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Take heed then of Adultery, and lewd hou&s;es. The &s;trumpets hou&s;e is like the Lions den.</P>
<Q><LG>
<L><HI>Onmia te adver&s;um &s;pectantia, nulla retror&s;um.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>We &s;ee all foot&s;teps forward go</L>
<L>To thee ward, none returning fro.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P><HI>Amor celerem habet ingre&s;&s;um, tardum regre&s;&s;um. Love</HI> (or rather, lu&s;t) <HI>hath a quick entrance; but a &s;low return.</HI> Theophra&s;tus. Thou wilt be &s;o bewitched, that when thou art old, and pa&s;t acting &s;uch &s;ins, thou wilt delight thy &s;elf with thinking and &s;peaking of &s;uch things as thou haft done, and &s;o die in thy fins without Repentance in a contemplative Adultery, which is a kind of acting over their former fins. Thou wilt have thy &s;ins &s;till &s;ticking in thy bones, and they will be like a wood burnt down, the &s;moke and &s;tinke whereof &s;till re|mains. This &s;in makes men &s;otti&s;h like brute bea&s;ts, <HI>Whore|dome, and wine, and new wine take away the heart,</HI> Ho&s;. 4.11. <HI>Who &s;o committeth Adultery with a woman, lacketh under&s;tanding,</HI> Ch. 6.32. Seeing then there is &s;o great perill in Adultery, and &s;o much difficulty in returning, it is &s;afe&s;t to keep out at fir&s;t. Who would go that way out of which &s;carce ever any man returned?</P>
<PB N="332" REF="171">
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Few return from adulterous cour&s;es. <HI>Mo&s;t go on till a dart &s;trike through their liver,</HI> Ch. 7.23. It may be <HI>one man of a thou&s;and</HI> may return, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.28.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> Becau&s;e of the hardne&s;&s;e of returning proved in the former doctrine. Few men adventure on hard things, as to travell to remote parts, to be excellent in Arts and Sci|ences.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. If any have entred into this cour&s;e, let them think of a &s;peedy return. The further men travell in dirty wayes, the wor&s;e to go back. Burning and mad lu&s;ts will in time &s;o blind thy heart, that without great and rare grace, thou can&s;t not repent. Better then to be of the num|ber of the few, that repent; then of the many, that peri&s;h.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let &s;uch as have returned from Adulterous cour&s;es, heartily ble&s;&s;e God for his e&s;peciall grace and favour in redu|cing them. Thou could&s;t not return of thy &s;elf, but by Gods helping and re&s;toring grace, &s;o great was the weight of thine in quity to keep thee under in impenitency. Attribute not therefore the prai&s;e of thy return to thy &s;elf, but to Gods grace. Onely &s;ee that thy repentance be true. For many will profe&s;s repentance when they think they &s;hall die, that prove as bad as ever when they recover. Such repentance is far from a true repentance.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of Adulterers without repentance is certain. <HI>Whoremongers mu&s;t have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brim&s;tone. Rev.</HI> 21.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e all &s;in is mortall, and without the cure of repentance will bring men to hell.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God will be avenged for the abu&s;e of his image, and Temple by wantonne&s;&s;e, unle&s;&s;e men &s;ubmit and reforme.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Here is a cooling card for wantons. They look at their pre&s;ant plea&s;ure, not at their future pain. Fools look at things pre&s;ent in the way: wi&s;emen fore&s;ee things future in the end. A green way to a robbing place, a calm pa&s;&s;age to a rock, or quick &s;and is perilous. A riotous per&s;on wal|lowes in plea&s;ure, and dies in a pri&s;on. Let Adulterers think of their end, and they will have little plea&s;ure in their &s;in.</P>
<PB N="333" REF="171">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The de&s;truction of impenitent adulterers is gene|rall as well as certain. <HI>Wheremongers and Adulterers God will judge, Heb.</HI> 13.4. That may he &s;aid to them, that is &s;aid to impenitent &s;inners, <HI>Except ye repent, ye &s;hall all likewi&s;e peri&s;h, Luk.</HI> 13.3, 5.</P>
<P><HI>Raa&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e the de&s;truction of &s;uch is certain, as was proved in the former point. And then it mu&s;t needs be gene|rall. If it be certain, that man mu&s;t die, then all men mu&s;t die, except God extraordinarily di&s;pen&s;e with &s;ome. But this he never did to any impenitent &s;inner. If it be true, that man hath a rea&s;onable &s;oul, then every man hath &s;o, though fools and mad men make little u&s;e of it. So if it be certain, that impenitent adulterers peri&s;h, then it is generall, and all &s;uch mu&s;t peri&s;h.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let no man &s;tand upon priviledges of birth, wit, wealth. If he be an impenitent Adulterer he mu&s;t die. Let no man pre&s;ume upon repentance. He may be killed in the act, as <HI>Zimri</HI> and <HI>Cosbi</HI> were, <HI>Numb.</HI> 25.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> No hope of comfort from God here, or hereafter for wanton per&s;ons till they repent. Not here, <HI>They were as fed hor&s;es in the morning: every one neighed after his Neighbours wife. Shall I not vi&s;it for the&s;e things? &s;aith the Lord, and &s;hall not my &s;oul be avenged on &s;uch a Nation as this?</HI> Jer. 5.8.9. Not hereafter, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.9, 10. <HI>Fornicatours and Adulterers &s;hall not inherit the Kingdome of God.</HI> And God accounts them &s;uch till they repent of their filthine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e they live in a way of rebellion again&s;t God; and by con&s;equence make them&s;elves Gods, following their own will in all things.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let Adulterers give over their trade. Who will fol|low a cour&s;e of life, that he were &s;ure to have no comfort of in life or death?</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> There are cro&s;&s;e wayes in the world, paths of life and paths of death. Cro&s;&s;e-wayes and gates <HI>Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to de&s;truction. But &s;trait is the gate, &amp; nar|row is the way which leadeth unto life, Mat.</HI> 7.13, 14. There is <HI>a way of &s;inners,</HI> and <HI>a law of the Lord, P&s;ol.</HI> 1.1, 2. Some walke in the one, and &s;ome in the other.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e the ends are fully oppo&s;ite. Eternall weale,
<PB N="334" REF="172">eternall woe. <HI>The&s;e &s;hall go away into everla&s;ting puni&s;hment: but the righteous into life eternall, Mat.</HI> 25.40. And &s;ure the &s;ame wayes cannot lead to &s;o different ends. They are not &s;uitable to them.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let &s;ecure per&s;ons take heed. They think all &s;hall go to heaven, none to hell. But they are deceived; mo&s;t go to hell. The &s;trait way is hardly found, and by few: the broad way ea&s;ily, and by many. <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.13, 14.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 20.</BIBL> That thou maye&s;t walke in the wayes of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>So much for the deliverance: Now for the generall application of all for the good that will come to tho&s;e that avoid the &s;ociety of evill men and women. Which is,</P>
<P N="1">1. Set out in this <HI>ver&s;e</HI> to be a pre&s;ervation in &s;uch wayes.</P>
<P N="2">2. Illu&s;trated,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. By the benefit of &s;uch wayes, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 21.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. By the mi&s;eries that contrary wayes bring, <HI>v.</HI> 22.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t in this <HI>ver&s;.</HI> This is the la&s;t part of the Chapter, wherein <HI>Solomon</HI> having before exhorted the young man to the &s;tudy of wi&s;dome, now &s;hewes the la&s;t benefit of it. The end of our &s;tudy of wi&s;dome &s;hould be to walke in good wayes. The benefit of all &s;poken before is here &s;um|med up together. So that this <HI>ver&s;e</HI> depends upon <HI>v.</HI> 11, 12, 16. in this manner wi&s;dome will deliver thee from all evill wayes, words, men, and women, that thou maye&s;t more freely conver&s;e with good men in good wayes, whereby much good may be learned.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>That.</HI> It teaches us, that <HI>Solomons</HI> end in teaching men how to get Wi&s;dome to avoid all the former inconveniences, was not that they &s;hould be idle, but that they &s;hould go on in good wayes without interruption or incumbrances. So the word is u&s;ed, <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 4.24. <HI>That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.</HI></P>
<PB N="335" REF="172">
<P><HI>That thou maye&s;t walke.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>In the way.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Of good men.</HI> That thou maye&s;t follow the godly, and virtuous examples of Patriarchs, and Prophets, and others that fear God and walke in his wayes.</P>
<P>But, Where &s;hall we finde the&s;e good men? Our ble&s;|&s;ed Saviour tels us, <HI>There is none good but one, that is God, Mat.</HI> 19.17.</P>
<P>We an&s;wer, God'y men though they be not perfectly good, but have many imperfections, yet being &s;incere are good in Gods account. For men are counted good or bad in Scripture language, not according to &s;ome par|ticular act, but according to their con&s;tant cour&s;e and &s;cope.</P>
<P><HI>And keep.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 8.</P>
<P><HI>The paths.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.19. on the word <HI>wayes.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Of the righteous;</HI> or, <HI>Of the ju&s;t.</HI> The word is taken,</P>
<P N="1">1. For one perfectly ju&s;t, that is not guilty of any &s;in be|fore God. <HI>How &s;hould man be ju&s;t with God?</HI> Job 9.2. <HI>God hath made man upright,</HI> Eccl. 7.29.</P>
<P N="2">2. For one ju&s;t or righteous in his own opinion, or the opinion of other men. <HI>He that is first in his own cau&s;e &s;eemeth ju&s;t,</HI> ch. 18.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. For one truly ju&s;t, though not perfectly, who intends in all things to deal ju&s;tly and righteou&s;ly with God and man. And this is the common acception of the word in Scripture, for there are none perfectly ju&s;t upon earth. So <HI>Neah was a ju&s;t man,</HI> Gen. 6.9.</P>
<P N="4">4. For one ju&s;t in &s;ome particular cau&s;e. <HI>They turn a&s;ide the ju&s;t for a thing of nought.</HI> I&s;a. 29.21. <HI>She hath been more righteous then I,</HI> Gen. 38.26. Here it is taken in the third &s;en&s;e, for one truly ju&s;t and righteous, though not per|fectly.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Walke, wayes, paths,</HI> Metaphors from travel|lers.</P>
<P><HI>Keep.</HI> A metaphor from Watch-men, arguing care and con&s;tancy in walking in Gods wayes. For men do not u&s;e to &s;tand &s;till to look upon wayes, but to go on in them. There|fore the &s;ame thing is &s;et down in two different expre&s;&s;ions of walking in, and keeping Gods wayes.</P>
<PB N="336" REF="173">
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>That thou maye&s;t walke.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>in the way.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>of good men.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve likewi&s;e,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>and keep.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>the paths.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The &s;ubject, <HI>of the righteous.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men cannot walke in good wayes, unle&s;&s;e they leave bad. It is as hard for men <HI>accu&s;tomed to do evill, to do good,</HI> as for an <HI>Ethiopian to change his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">kin, or a Leopard his &s;pots, Jer.</HI> 13.23. <HI>No man can &s;erve two Masters. Ye cannot &s;erve God, and Mam|non. Mat.</HI> 6.24.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. In generall. Becau&s;e good and evill being con|traries the one will keep out the other. So cold keeps out heat, and heat keeps out cold till it be overcome. Foul wa|ter in a bottle keeps out good wine, till it be poured out.</P>
<P N="2">2. In particular. Evill thoughts keep out all thoughts of doing good. The mind like the Smith can hammer but one iron at once.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Evill words</HI> draw from good actions, and <HI>corrupt good man|ners,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.33.</P>
<P N="4">4. Evill deeds, and practi&s;es keep from good cour&s;es. They give a double impediment,</P>
<P N="1">1. By &s;atisfying corrupt nature they &s;teal away the affe|ction from all good.</P>
<P N="2">2. By imploying it in evill they leave no time for good, for men by nature never have plea&s;ure enough in fin.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> 1. For di&s;covery. It &s;hews us a rea&s;on, why many are &s;trangers to all good wayes, becau&s;e they are ver&s;t in evill, and cannot leave it. Can an husbandman look for a crop if he plow not up thornes and thi&s;tles? Can a Gardiner look for good herbs, if he weed not his Garden? Will not Ivie, if it be let grow, overtop and kill trees? No marvell then, if evill doers follow not that which is good.</P>
<PB N="337" REF="173">
<P N="2">2. For direction. Let us by leaving evill wayes &s;eriou&s;ly &s;hew, that we intend to do good. When one puls down an old hou&s;e, men think he means to build a new, not el&s;e, though he talk often of it. Who will believe, that a man means to live &s;oberly, or cha&s;tly, that dayly haunts Taverns, and wanton places? <HI>Pythagoras</HI> his letter <HI>Y</HI> &s;hewed, that men going alike in their childhood, afterwards, if they followed evill, for&s;ook good; <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Cea&s;ing from evill is the beginning of motion to virtue,</HI> Chry&s;o&s;t. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Alienation from evill is an appropinquation to good,</HI> Chry&s;o&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is not enough to avoid evill, but we mu&s;t al&s;o do good. <HI>Cea&s;e to do evill, learn to do well.</HI> I&s;a. 1.16, 17. <HI>Depart from evill, and do good.</HI> P&s;al. 34.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e for&s;aking evill is but a foundation for a greater building, and no man can dwell in a foun|dation.</P>
<P N="2">2. Ju&s;tice in all Common-wealths requires as ma|ny good offices, as doing no harme. So al&s;o in Gods Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. God gives us wi&s;dome as to direct us how to a|void evill, &s;o to do good: and that is the principall office of wi&s;dome; el&s;e none &s;hould be the better for it.</P>
<P N="4">4. The reward for avoiding evill is but privative, e&s;caping mi&s;ery: but the reward of doing good is po|&s;itive, eternall happine&s;&s;e. A bea&s;t, nay a &s;tone goes not to hell.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Here is a le&s;&s;on of &s;pirituall ambition to teach us not to be content only to leave &s;in, but to be in love with good wayes. Not to be not mi&s;erable, and avoid hell, but <HI>to lay up for our &s;elves trea&s;ures in heaven, Mat.</HI> 6.20.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> One chief and principall end of wi&s;dome is wel|doing. <HI>Keep therefore, and do them, for this is your wi&s;dome,</HI> Deut. 4.6. <HI>The&s;e Commandements the Lord commanded to teach you, that ye might do them.</HI> Deut. 6.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e no ble&s;&s;ing attends upon our knowledge, no more then upon a man that knowes what is
<PB N="338" REF="174">good to pre&s;erve his life, and by neglect thereof dies. So do knowing, and not doing men lo&s;e heaven. <HI>If ye know the&s;e things, happy are yee if ye do them,</HI> Joh. 13.17. Not el&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e a cur&s;e followes upon knowledge without practi&s;e. <HI>Cur&s;ed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them,</HI> Deut. 27.26. <HI>That &s;ervant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not him&s;elf, neither did according to his will, &s;hall be heaten with many &s;tripes,</HI> Luk. 12.47.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To blame tho&s;e, that u&s;e their knowledge to do evill, they can never get good by it, but the more harme. They only know how to undoe their &s;oules. So the Adulterer hath wit to b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">naught, which others want. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Apollodorus. <HI>And let the door be &s;hut with barres. But no workman can make the door &s;o &s;trong, that a cat, or an Adulterer cannot enter.</HI> So the Adulterer takes advantage of day and night. <HI>In the darke they dig through hou&s;es, which they had marked for them&s;elves in the day time,</HI> Job 24.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. To exhort us to make the be&s;t advantage of our know|ledge for well doing. Then we hit the marke, otherwi&s;e we mi&s;&s;e it. This is the conclu&s;ion of this Chapter, and &s;hewes the end of the former Precepts of avoiding hurt by bad men, and women, that we might do good. <HI>Artium omnium finis est ben&egrave; viverdi di&s;ciplina, quam vit&acirc; magis qu&agrave;m literis no|biles &s;unt &s;ecuti. The end of all arts is the di&s;cipline of living well, which noble per&s;onages have followed more in life, then in learning.</HI> Tu&s;c. qu. l. 4. <HI>Optimus qui&s;que maluit facere, qu&agrave;m dicere. Every excellent man had rather be doing, then talking, Salu&s;t.</HI> At <HI>Athens</HI> a grave man coming into the Theater, no man ro&s;e to give him place, though they knew, they ought to have done it by the City law. The <HI>Lacedemonian</HI> Amba&s;|&s;adors being there, the old man coming toward them, they ri&s;e, and give him the chief place. At which the people gave a great &s;hout, and one of the <HI>Lacedemonians</HI> to their &s;hame &s;pake thus, <HI>Ergo Athenien&s;es, quid &s;it rectum &s;ciunt: at illud facere ex toto negligunt. Belike then the Athenians know,
<PB N="339" REF="174">what is right: and yet altogether neglect to do it,</HI> Valer. l. 10. c. 5.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dome not only &s;hewes a man how to avoid evill, but al&s;o how to do good. <HI>If thou encline thine ear unto wi&s;dome, then &s;halt thou under&s;tand righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and judgment, and equity, yea, every good path,</HI> Ch. 2.29. <HI>I have &s;et before you life and death, ble&s;&s;ing and cur&s;ing; therefore chu&s;e life, that both thou, and thy &s;eed may live, That thou maye&s;t love the Lord thy God, and that thou maye&s;t obey his voice,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Deut.</HI> 30.19.20.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it perfectly &s;hewes us the difference be|tween good and evill, that we may not mi&s;take the one for the other. So cannot naturall principles, civill education, nor morall Philo&s;ophy.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;hewes us the means of e&s;caping the one, and pur|&s;uing the other, what occa&s;ions are to be avoided, or taken, what helpe to do both is to be had from Gods word and Spirit.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us labour to get this true wi&s;dome. Men give much money with their children, and children &s;erve many years to learne a Trade to avoid poverty, and get wealth. We then &s;hould &s;pare for no co&s;t nor labour to get true wi&s;dome to direct us to flie all evill, and doe all good.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is &s;afer to imitate good men, then bad. <HI>Look|ing unto Je&s;us the authour, and fini&s;her of our faith, who for the joy that was &s;et before him, endured the cro&s;&s;e, de&s;pi&s;ing the &s;hame, and is &s;et down at the right hand of the throne of God,</HI> Heb. 12.2. <HI>Follow the faith of your teachers, con&s;idering the end of their conver|&s;ation,</HI> Heb. 13.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the way of good men, is better then the way of bad men. A fair way of piety excels a dirty way of licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their end is better. Heaven is far better then hell. Remember, <HI>There is no condemnation to them that are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who walke not after the fle&s;h, but after the &s;pirit, Rom.</HI> 8.1.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. To condemne tho&s;e that follow the wor&s;t per|&s;ons, where they live. If but one drunkard, or &s;trum|pet in a pari&s;h, others will follow them, not regarding
<PB N="340" REF="175">&s;uch as live better, <HI>who&s;e conver&s;ation is in heaven.</HI> Phil. 3.20.</P>
<P N="2">2. Shew that ye have the &s;ame &s;pirit by following god|ly men, and walking in their wayes, that &s;o ye may come to the &s;ame ble&s;&s;ed end the &s;alvation of your &s;ouls. And why &s;houlde&s;t thou not rather follow the example of <HI>Abra|ham, Job, Jo&s;eph, David,</HI> then of <HI>I&s;hmael, E&s;au,</HI> and other pro|fane per&s;ons? Sheep will not follow wolves, but they will follow one another. So do thou follow good men to heaven, rather then bad men to hell.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Good example &s;ometimes prevailes to draw others to piety. <HI>The people &s;erved the Lord all the dayes of Jo&s;hua, and all the dayes of the Elders that outlived Jo&s;hua, Judg.</HI> 2.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;hame is taken away by good exam|ples going before.</P>
<P N="2">2. Fear is taken away. If a man &s;ee another go over a frozen river, he dares go over the ice.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Set the be&s;t examples before you to imitate. <HI>Pru|dentis viri e&s;t magn&acirc; men&s;ur&acirc;&s;e metiri, atque ad excellentium vi|rorum imitationem &s;e componere.</HI> Nazianzen Epi&s;t. ad Nicobul. <HI>It is the part of a wi&s;eman to mea&s;ure him&s;elf by a great mea&s;ure, and to compo&s;e him&s;elfe to the imitation of excellent men. Ignari locorum cum &s;olertibus viarum iter adoriri ge&s;tiunt.</HI> Ambro&s;. Offic. l. 4. c. 47. <HI>They that know not the places de&s;ire to travell with &s;uch as are skilfull in the ways. Columbam avolantem &s;equuntur omnes, equum genero&s;um totum armentum, ovem totus grex.</HI> Chry&s;oft. de continent. Jo&s;ephi. <HI>All the doves follow one, that flies away, all the drove followes a generous hor&s;e, all the flock followes one &s;heep.</HI> So &s;hould we follow the choi&s;e&s;t examples for goodne&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 21.</BIBL> For the upright &s;hall dwell in the land: and the perfect &s;hall re|main in it.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The Chapter is concluded with the reward of good and bad men. In this <HI>ver&s;e</HI> is &s;et out a gracious promi&s;e to en|courage men to walke in upright wayes. In the next a threat|ning to di&s;courage them from bad wayes.</P>
<PB N="341" REF="175">
<P>For the fir&s;t.</P>
<P>Here is a motive to follow the righteous, and not the wicked, by an argument taken from that which men natu|rally mo&s;t de&s;ire, long life upon earth, together with an e&s;ta|bli&s;hment in our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, and not through Gods judge|ments to be wa&s;ted, and decay in our e&s;tates, and &s;o come to poverty, or to die ignominiou&s;ly, and not to live out half our dayes. Withall he &s;hews that we are not good and righ|teous, except we walk uprightly and &s;incerely.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P><HI>The upright.</HI> See on <HI>v.</HI> 7.</P>
<P><HI>Shall dwell in the Land. Solomon</HI> &s;peaks after the cu&s;tome of the Old Te&s;tament, wherein God purpo&s;ing not &s;o fully to reveal &s;pirituall and heavenly things and ble&s;&s;ings to his peo|ple, as now, did &s;ecretly &s;hadow them under earthly com|forts, and encourage his people to obedience by &s;uch promi|&s;es. As in the fi&s;t Commandement long life is promi&s;ed to tho&s;e that honour parents. So many temporall ble&s;&s;ings are promi&s;ed to &s;uch as obey Gods Law, Deut. 11. &amp; 28. By dwelling in the land, is meant long life, and health, and &s;trength, and plenty of all good things in that Land of <HI>Ca|naan</HI> that flowed with milk and honey. It is not bare dwel|ling there that is promi&s;ed, but accompanyed with all things fit, commodious, comfortable and profitable. This is that &s;afe dwelling, promi&s;ed <HI>ch.</HI> 1.33. And this God performed to the <HI>Jews,</HI> while they wor&s;hipped him aright; and when they fell to. Idolatry, he &s;ent them captives to <HI>Babylon.</HI> So that this <HI>v.</HI> &s;hews who &s;hall be kept from evil; to wit, ju&s;t and upright men. Yet &s;ome enlarge this promi&s;e to fignifie grace here, and glory in heaven, &s;hadowed under the type of the Land of <HI>Canaan.</HI> Others take it more largely then for that Land, intimating, that ordinarily in any parts of the earth, where godly men live, God u&s;ually ble&s;&s;es them, unle&s;&s;e he plea&s;e to correct his people for their fins, or to try their graces, or to call them out to bear witne&s;&s;e to his truth. If it be objected, that godly men &s;uffer hard&s;hip and hunger here; it may be an&s;wered, that in that e&s;tate they
<PB N="342" REF="176">enjoy great tranquillity, content, and felicity, as &s;eeing God in all, and depending upon him for help. It is well with them for the pre&s;ent, and it will be bet|ter hereafter. Heaven will make amends for all. If it be fur|ther objected, that good men &s;ometimes live le&s;&s;e while on earth then others; it may be &s;aid, that God makes them a|bundant amends in heaven, in the land of the living. If it be further urged, that this is no encouragement to godline&s;&s;e, becau&s;e wicked men have as much, and oftentimes more in the earth, then godly men have; I an&s;wer, that the&s;e may have more comfort in what they have, as having not onely a ci|vill title, but a &s;pirituall one al&s;o, and &s;o &s;hall never be in|dited as u&s;urpers at the day of judgement.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The land,</HI> or <HI>earth.</HI> Which laft word may well come from it, the letters are &s;o like. It &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. That part of the world, which is oppo&s;ed to heaven, containing Sea and Land, wherein men dwell, and bea&s;ts and fi&s;hes lodge. <HI>The earth is given into the hand of the wicked,</HI> Job 9.24. <HI>The earth is the Lords, and the fulne&s;&s;e thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein,</HI> P&s;al. 24.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. The dry part of the world, oppo&s;ed to &s;ea and ri|vers. <HI>The earth is full of thy riches, &s;o is this great Sea,</HI> P&s;al. 104.24, 25.</P>
<P N="3">3. Some particular Land or Countrey. <HI>In the Land of &V;z,</HI> Job 1.1.</P>
<P N="4">4. For the inhabitants of the earth, or of &s;ome Land or Countrey in it. <HI>The earth al&s;o was corrupt before God, and the earth al&s;o was filled with violence,</HI> Gen. 6.11. <HI>For the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of a Land many are the Princes thereof,</HI> Prov. 28.2.</P>
<P>Here it is taken in the third &s;en&s;e, for the dry land, or more particularly for the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> wherein <HI>Solomon</HI> dwelt, and of which he &s;pake; the plenty and comfort whereof they well knew to whom he &s;pake, and might be much encouraged thereby to obedience.</P>
<P><HI>The perfect.</HI> See on <HI>ch.</HI> 1.12. on the word <HI>whole.</HI> Hereby is meant &s;uch as are perfect in heart, and &s;incere; and al&s;o perfect in parts having all needfull graces in them, as a childe hath all members, that a man hath, though not &s;o large. For as for perfection of degrees, none on earth hath attained to
<PB N="343" REF="176">it. <HI>Shall remain in it.</HI> They &s;hall not onely finde an abiding place there, but al&s;o when adulterers, and other wicked li|vers &s;hall wa&s;te their e&s;tates, and &s;hotten their dayes by their &s;infull cour&s;es, and &s;o be gone out of the land by death or exile, they &s;hall live quietly and pro&s;perou&s;ly in it. An op|po&s;ition to <HI>v.</HI> 18. &amp; 22.</P>
<P>Figures none.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. A comfortable dwelling promi&s;ed to the righ|teous.</P>
<P N="2">2. A con&s;tant abiding, even when others are cut off.</P>
<P>In the former note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence, <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The per&s;ons, <HI>the upright.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The act, <HI>&s;hall dwell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>in the Land.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;ons, <HI>And the perfect.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>&s;hall remain.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>in it.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> The Scripture gives many encouragements to men to walk in good wayes. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Precepts. All the ten Commandements, the mo&s;t exact rule of a godly life, that ever was.</P>
<P N="2">2. Exhortations. <HI>I be&s;eech you therefore Brethren, by the mer|cies of God,</HI> Rom. 12.1. Who would not be per&s;waded, when God him&s;elf exhorts by his Mini&s;ters, that might com|mand?</P>
<P N="3">3. Examples of the excellente&s;t men that ever lived on the face of the earth. See &s;tore of them recorded and commen|ded, who lived before Chri&s;ts incarnation, Heb. 11. Apo&s;tles afterwards. Yea, Chri&s;t him&s;elf the example of examples. <HI>Be ye followers of me, as I al&s;o am of Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 Cor. 11.1.</P>
<P N="4">4. Rich promi&s;es. <HI>If ye be willing and obedient, ye &s;hall eat the good of the Land,</HI> I&s;a. 1.19. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the meek, for they &s;hall inherit the earth,</HI> Mar. 5.5.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Go&s;pel, which &s;hews us a &s;econd and greater ground of of godly life, then the Law or Creation did. <HI>The grace of God, that bringeth &s;alvatien hath appeared to all
<PB N="344" REF="177">men, teaching us, that denying ungodline&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> Titus 2.11, 12.</P>
<P N="6">6. It &s;ets out the help of the Spirit. Some <HI>walk after the Spirit,</HI> and <HI>are led by the Spirit,</HI> Rom 8.1, 14. Without this help we might utterly de&s;pair of walking in good wayes. We could no more do it, then a man could choo&s;e, or walk in a fair way in the world, that had not a &s;oul or &s;pirit in him to direct him.</P>
<P N="7">7. Gods acceptation is there &s;et out. Our be&s;t actions are &s;infull. God likes not &s;uch. And if they may not be accepted, who would lo&s;e his labour to do them? <HI>Cornelius his prayers and alme&s;-deeds, were come up for a memoriall before God,</HI> Act. 10.4.</P>
<P N="8">8. Gods commendation. This is more then acceptation. When a Father proclaims to others what a good Son he hath, it &s;hews abundance of love in him, and encourages the childe to plea&s;e him. So God doth animate us, <HI>I know thy works,</HI> Rev. 2.2, 9, 13, 19.</P>
<P N="9">9. Gods pre&s;ervation of us in good wayes, when our hearts are &s;et upon them, and we are ignorantly in danger. So he kept <HI>Abimelech</HI> from touching <HI>Sarah,</HI> Gen. 20.6.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It &s;hould encourage Chri&s;tians to be more carefull of their wayes then all the world be&s;ides. We &s;hould be brighter then others, as the &s;tars are brighter then the fir|mament. Heathen have few encouragements in compari|&s;on of us. Turks have not much more. Jews want the New Te&s;tament. Papi&s;ts may not read the Scriptures. We have all encouragements to good wayes. Let us therefore &s;ay with the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>I will run the way of thy commandements, when thou &s;halt enlarge my heart,</HI> P&s;al. 119.32.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> When wicked men are cut off, God &s;ometimes &s;pares the good. The truth will appear, if you compare this <HI>v.</HI> with the next. And al&s;o in <HI>Noah</HI>'s deliverance from the Flood, and <HI>Lot</HI>'s in <HI>Sodom. When the wicked are cut off, thou &s;hall &s;ee it,</HI> P&s;al. 37.34.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. To &s;hew Gods &s;pecial care and providence over them. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s parti-coloured coat, and <HI>Benjamin</HI>'s large me&s;&s;e, were &s;ignes of &s;peciall love.</P>
<PB N="345" REF="177">
<P N="2">2. To draw men to piety. We are in part carnall. <HI>Abra|ham</HI> hath <HI>Canaan</HI> and a numerous po&s;terity promi&s;ed him, to encourage him in piety.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. If we be pre&s;erved when others peri&s;h, let us ac|knowledge Gods favour to be the cau&s;e of it. We had &s;ins as well as they, and de&s;erved to be cut off as well as they.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us be encouraged to piety. If there be any way in the world to e&s;cape judgements, this is it. Landlords do not u&s;e to turn their tenants out of dores, while they keep co|venants. Good men are &s;aid to inherit the earth, bad men onely to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e it.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Uprightne&s;&s;e is expected of tho&s;e that expect Gods ble&s;&s;ing. <HI>Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace,</HI> P&s;al. 37.37. <HI>Light is &s;own for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart,</HI> P&s;al. 97.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hates hypocrifie. It is mo&s;t con|trary to the God of truth.</P>
<P N="2">2. He hates evill ends.</P>
<P N="3">3. He hates &s;elf-ends in men, who &s;hould all &s;erve his ends.</P>
<P N="4">4. He hates by-ends, when men aim at any thing that tends not to his glory.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Try if ye be &s;incere. El&s;e your <HI>hopes are like &s;piders webs,</HI> Job 8.13, 14. Try it by the&s;e notes. An upright man is he,</P>
<P N="1">1. To whom nothing is di&s;plea&s;ing that God hath done.</P>
<P N="2">2. To whom God is plea&s;ing in all the good the man him|&s;elf doth.</P>
<P N="3">3. To whom God is not di&s;plea&s;ing in any evill, that he &s;uffers.</P>
<P N="4">4. That doth not re&s;i&s;t God his Father, when he goes about to mend him.</P>
<P N="5">5. That baleeves God his Father in all he promi&s;es.</P>
<P N="6">6. That layes all his &s;ins upon him&s;elf.</P>
<P N="7">7. He that attributes all his good deeds to God.</P>
<P N="8">8. He that directs his will by Gods will, as the Clock is ordered by the Sun-dial.</P>
<P N="9">9. He that doth all good from the heart.</P>
<PB N="346" REF="178">
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Perfection is expected of them that look for Gods ble&s;&s;ing. <HI>Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven is perfect,</HI> Mat. 5.48. <HI>I will behave my &s;elf wi&s;ely in a perfect way, O when wilt thou come unso me? I will walk within my hou&s;e with a perfect heart,</HI> P&s;al. 101.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e all perfections are required of &s;uch as ex|pect happine&s;&s;e. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Perfection of &s;incerity. This was proved in the for|mer point. A fincere man is a perfect man. An hypocrite is but a picture of a man.</P>
<P N="2">2. Perfection of parts. Every &s;aving grace mu&s;t be had and u&s;ed. So a childe is a perfect man. A defective mon&s;ter is not.</P>
<P N="3">3. Perfection of integrity. When our obedience is uni|ver&s;all to all Gods commandements.</P>
<P N="4">4. Perfection of degrees. That is required intentionally, and &s;hall be given us actually, before we come to heaven. So a childe is not a perfect man, till he come to his full growth.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Be like good trees, &s;ound within and without, in root, body, branches, and grow higher toward heaven &s;till. El&s;e look for no ble&s;&s;ing from God.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God often gives good men a comfortable and quiet continuance in their habitations. As to <HI>David,</HI> after his troubles from <HI>Saul</HI> and <HI>Ab&s;olon.</HI> To <HI>Solomon,</HI> for a long time.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. That they may have the more time to &s;erve God, and do good. A breathing time, that <HI>the Churchet having re&s;t, may be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed fied, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Gho&s;t, may be multiplyed,</HI> Act. 9.31.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they may have the more encouragement to do it. Mens &s;pirits are down in trouble, and have enough to doe to &s;uffer patiently. They are freer for action in quiet|ne&s;&s;e. Where God looks for &s;uffering, he puts not to action.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Ble&s;&s;e God for the quietne&s;&s;e and comfort we have had in this City in all the&s;e dangerous times, both for &s;oul and
<PB N="347" REF="178">body. Other parts, both beyond Sea, and in this Land, have not been dealt &s;o bountifully withall. <HI>He &s;heweth his word unto Jacob, his &s;tatutes and his judgements unto I&s;rael. He hath not dealt &s;o with any Nation; and as for his judge|ments, they have not known them. Prai&s;e ye the Lord,</HI> P&s;al. 147.19, 20. We have al&s;o had &s;o much agreement be|tween godly men of different judgements, as is &s;carce any where el&s;e to be found. Let God have the prai&s;e, as we have the comfort.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> God many times makes good men thrive upon earth. As <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Jacob.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. That it may appear that God doth not grudge earth to tho&s;e to whom he will give heaven. <HI>He that &s;pared not his owne Son, but delivered him up for us all, how &s;hall he not with him al&s;o freely give us all things?</HI> Rom. 8.32. <HI>Seek ye fir&s;t the Kingdome of God, and his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and all the&s;e things &s;hall be added unto you,</HI> Mat. 6.33.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they may have the more means to glorifie God, having the larger talents.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> If God give any good man wealth and pro&s;perity, let him u&s;e it well, that he may give a good account of it. He is but a factor. He mu&s;t honor his Ma&s;ter, if he will en|rich him&s;elf. This Gods bounty requires, and he that doth &s;o, may look for comfort from God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="348" REF="179">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>Ver&s;. 22.</BIBL> But the wicked &s;hall be cut off from the earth, and the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors &s;hall be rooted out of it.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>If fair means will not &s;erve, foul mu&s;t be u&s;ed. The Wi&s;e|man having given a promi&s;e to allure, now concludes with a threatning, to drive &s;uch as will not be drawn. The Wri|ter proceeds in a right method; and having &s;poken many things of the differing wayes of godly and wicked men, now he concludes with their different ends. So he doth, <HI>ch.</HI> 1. onely he puts the end of wicked men fir&s;t. <HI>The tur|ning away of the &s;imple &s;hall &s;lay them, and the pro&s;perity of fools &s;hall de&s;troy them. But who &s;o hearkeneth unto me, &s;hall dwell &s;afely, and &s;hall be quiet from fear of evill, ch.</HI> 1.32, 33.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>But,</HI> Heb. <HI>And.</HI> It is u&s;ed &s;ometimes as a figne of con|nexion. <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and judgement, and equity, ver&s;.</HI> 9. Sometimes as a &s;igne of oppo&s;ition. <HI>But ye have &s;et at nought all my coun&s;el, ch.</HI> 1.25. Sometimes of a&s;&s;imilation. <HI>As a man pleadeth for his neighbor,</HI> Job 16.21. Sometimes of augmenta|tion. <HI>I am their &s;ong; yea, I am their by word,</HI> Job 30.9. A proverb or by-word is more, and goes further then a &s;ong.</P>
<P>Here it is taken by way of oppo&s;ition. Good men &s;hall flouri&s;h, and bad men peri&s;h in the end.</P>
<P><HI>The wicked.</HI> Re&s;tle&s;&s;e and unquiet people. Such as are alwayes doing mi&s;chief. The Heb. word <GAP DESC="foreign">, comes from a word that fignifies motion, or unquietne&s;&s;e. <HI>Who then can make trouble?</HI> Job 34.29. <HI>The wicked are like the troubled Sea,</HI> I&s;a. 57.20. <HI>Ahab,</HI> and &s;uch like wicked men, accu&s;e Gods people for troublers of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> 1 King. 18.17. and of the City, Act. 16.20. and of all the world, Act. 17.6. But they may an&s;wer with <HI>Elijah,</HI> that wicked men are indeed the troublers of them&s;elves, and of the world, 1 King. 18.18.</P>
<PB N="349" REF="179">
<P><HI>Shall be cut off.</HI> As a bough from a tree, &s;o that it &s;hall grow no more. Adulterers, and &s;uch like evill doers &s;hall be de&s;troyed. It &s;ignifies an untimely death, as a bough cut off before it withers. They &s;hall be taken away in the mid&s;t of their pro&s;perity, and that &s;uddenly.</P>
<P><HI>From the earth.</HI> Not onely out of that Land, but out of all the world. For the word &s;ee on, <HI>v.</HI> 21. on the word <HI>Land.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors.</HI> The word &s;ignifies treacherous dea|lers. <HI>They have dealt treacherou&s;ly with thee,</HI> Jer. 12.6. So it is al&s;o tran&s;lated, I&s;a. 21.2. &amp; 24.16. For tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, that go beyond the bounds that God hath &s;et them, deal treacherou&s;ly with God, to whom they owe all &s;ub|jection.</P>
<P><HI>Shall be rooted of it.</HI> If cutting them off will not &s;erve to terrifie others, God will root them out, or pluck them quite out of the earth, and de&s;troy their po&s;terity al&s;o.</P>
<P>Figures. A Metaphor from a Tree, in the words <HI>cutting off,</HI> and <HI>rooting out.</HI> If a wilde tree, and offen&s;ive grow in a gar|den, and the Gardner cut off the top of it, if it &s;end forth new &s;prouts, as bad as the former, he digs up the root it &s;elf. So doth God deal with wicked men. He takes them away; and if their po&s;terity follow their cour&s;es, he pro|ceeds to root out the whole name and family. <HI>Cut off, Rooted out,</HI> Metaphors from Trees.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Gods judgement on wicked men.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. On their memory and po&s;terity.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of oppo&s;ition, <HI>But.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>the wicked.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct, <HI>&s;hall be cut off.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object, <HI>from the earth.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter note,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>And the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct <HI>&s;hall be rooled out of it.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="350" REF="180">
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> God will &s;ometimes in this world, put a diffe|rence between good men and bad. <HI>Then &s;hall ye di&s;cern between righteous and the wicked,</HI> Mal. 3.18. So God made a diffe|rence between the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> and the <HI>Aegyptians,</HI> in the darkne&s;s, and death of the fir&s;t-born, and at the Red &s;ea, Exod. 10. &amp; 12. &amp; 14. So did he di&s;tingui&s;h between the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> and <HI>Ca|naanites</HI> in rooting out the one out of the Land, and planting the other in it, Jo&s;h. 10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So he put a difference between <HI>Micaiah</HI> and <HI>Zedekiah,</HI> when the one dur&s;t &s;hew his face, and the other hid his, 1 King. 22.24, 25. Between <HI>Jeremiah</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;hur,</HI> when one was a comfort to him&s;elfe and his friends, and the other a terror to both, Jer. 20.4. Be|tween <HI>Ahaz</HI> and <HI>Hezekiah;</HI> the one made a prey to the enemy, the other delivered from <HI>Senacharib,</HI> 2 Chron. 28.5. &amp; 32.21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. That men may &s;ee that there is a God. While they &s;ee no difference between good and bad men, they think there is no over-ruling God. The Heathen man confe&s;&s;es it. <HI>Sollicitor nullos e&s;&s;e putare Deos: I am &s;ollicited to think there is no God. Ovid.</HI> In a Common-wealth, or in an Army, where no difference is made between good and bad people and &s;ouldiers, men think there is no Magi&s;trate or Generall there. So in the Church. But when God puts a difference, they cry out, <HI>Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth,</HI> P&s;al. 58.11.</P>
<P N="2">2. That men might &s;ee by this fore-running provi|dence, a pattern and proof of the generall judgement to come.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> When God &s;hall do &s;o with us, let us acknowledge Gods mercy to us. He might de&s;troy us like wicked men. <HI>Are there not with you, even with you, &s;ins again&s;t the Lord your God?</HI> 2 Chr. 28.10. See Gods di&s;tingui&s;hing mercy in it, and proclaim it.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men are re&s;tle&s;&s;e in evill. <HI>The wicked are like the troubled &s;ea, when it cannot re&s;t, who&s;e waters ca&s;t up mire and dirt,</HI> I&s;a. 57.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">0. <HI>He devi&s;eth mi&s;chief upon his bed, he &s;etteth him&s;elfe in a way that is not good, he abhorreth not evill,</HI> P&s;al. 36.4.</P>
<PB N="351" REF="180">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have a body of &s;in in them, which hath many active <HI>members upon earth, fornication, unclean|ne&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> Col. 3.5. A fountain will run, and fire will burn.</P>
<P N="2">2. They have objects of &s;in in the world in abundance, in all places, to feed their eyes, ears, and all their &s;en&s;es. A fountain will run, if it find a river. Fire will burn, if it meet with fuel.</P>
<P N="3">3. God hath not healed wicked men by his &s;anctifying Spirit: Bad humours will work in mens bodies, till they be purged away. And the more purged away, the le&s;&s;e they work.</P>
<P N="4">4. God is plea&s;ed &s;ometimes not to re&s;train wicked men, but to let them run on to their own perdition, and the hurt of many others. So an unruly hor&s;e with the bri|dle out of his mouth runs furiou&s;ly, till he overthrow him&s;elf, and his rider.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Marvell not, that men are never weary of &s;inning. The drunkard is never weary of the Alehou&s;e. The adul|terer of places of wantonne&s;&s;e. Is it marvell that birds fly, or fi&s;hes &s;wim? why el&s;e have they wings or fins?</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us be provoked to be re&s;tle&s;&s;e in good. El&s;e wicked men <HI>the children of this generation</HI> re&s;tle&s;&s;e in their wayes to give them&s;elves content, <HI>are wi&s;er then we,</HI> that profe&s;&s;e our &s;elves to be <HI>the children of light,</HI> Luk. 16.8. And the Queen of <HI>Sheba,</HI> who came &s;o far to hear <HI>Solomon</HI>'s wi&s;dome, will condemne us at the day of judgement, Matt. 12.42.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wicked men lives are often cut &s;hort by their wicked cour&s;es. <HI>Bloudy and deceitfull men &s;hall not live out half their dayes,</HI> P&s;al. 55.23.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Drunkenne&s;&s;e breeds drop&s;ies, gluttony breeds feavers, wantonne&s;&s;e foul di&s;ea&s;es, all murderers, and &s;hor|ten mens lives, as the floud drowned many young men in the world. When the &s;trength of the body is worne by drin|king and whoring, men mu&s;t die. All the Phy&s;icians in the world cannot put in new marrow into dead bones.</P>
<PB N="352" REF="181">
<P N="2">2. Trouble of con&s;cience &s;ometimes ends their dayes. Sin of betraying his Ma&s;ter made <HI>Judas</HI> hang him&s;elf. <HI>Spira</HI> would have killed him&s;elf, and did wa&s;te his body to death for his Apo&s;ta&s;ie. Some in our times have ended their dayes in pangs of con&s;cience for &s;in.</P>
<P N="3">3. By Gods ju&s;t judgements, who like a Gardiner pulls up weeds, roots out unfruitfull trees, and like a wind blows out the candle; or like a &s;torm, lodges the corn before it be ripe.</P>
<P N="4">4. By enemies, and tho&s;e often of their owne &s;tamp. One drunkard kills another in his drink, even his neere&s;t friend, as <HI>Alexander</HI> murdered <HI>Clitus.</HI> One adulterer kills another, becau&s;e the &s;trumpet loves him better.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e</HI> 1. Gaze not too much at the pro&s;perity of &s;inners, le&s;t thou be tempted to do like them. The common peo|ple are like boyes, who when they &s;ee knaves upon the &s;tage, gorgeou&s;ly apparelled, and acting Kings, think them happy, and could wi&s;h to be like them; but they con&s;ider not the poverty and mi&s;ery that may befall them, when they are &s;tript of their gay clothes. So the com|mon people are bewitcht with the riches of &s;inners, not confidering they may die, or lo&s;e all before their age.</P>
<P N="2">2. Grudge not at their pro&s;perity. They may die &s;ooner then meaner men. <HI>Every plant</HI> (&s;aith our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour) <HI>which my heavenly Father hath not planted, &s;hall be rooted up,</HI> Mat. 15.13. Who would be a flouri&s;hing tree, to be roo|ted out? or an oxe fatted, to be killed? <HI>A bruti&s;h man knows not, neither doth a fool under&s;tand this. When the wicked &s;pring as the gra&s;&s;e, and when all the workers of iniquity do flou|ri&s;h; it is that they &s;hall be de&s;troyed for ever,</HI> P&s;al. 92.7. They &s;hall be cut off certainly, &s;uddenly, utterly. <HI>Tum fer&egrave; auferuntur &agrave; terra, cum maxim&egrave; velint vivere. Then are they for the mo&s;t part taken away from the earth, when they are mo&s;t de&s;irous to live in it. Baine.</HI> When they have feathered their ne&s;t, and reckon upon long life, as the fool in the Go&s;pel, Luk. 12. God will de&s;troy them, when they lea&s;t look for it. Therefore, <HI>Fret not thy &s;elf, becau&s;e of evill
<PB N="353" REF="181">doers, neither be thou envyous again&s;t the workers of iniquity. For they &s;hall &s;oon be cut down like the gra&s;&s;e, and wither as the green herb,</HI> P&s;al. 37.2.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors deal treacherou&s;ly with God. <HI>The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherou&s;ly,</HI> I&s;a. 21.2. <HI>The treache|rous dealers have dealt treacherou&s;ly; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherou&s;ly,</HI> I&s;a. 24.16. <HI>They are all adulterers, and an a&s;&s;embly of treacherous men,</HI> Jer. 9.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they fail in the tru&s;t committed to them, as a Servant or Steward deceiving his Ma&s;ter is trea|cherous. So was he that had received one talent, though he had not &s;pent it, becau&s;e he did not improve it. <HI>Thou wicked and &s;lothfull &s;ervant, &amp;c.</HI> Mat. 25.26.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they act again&s;t their tru&s;t, which is an higher degree of treachery. As if a Servant or Steward &s;hould ri&s;e up again&s;t his Ma&s;ter, in &s;tead of obedience. So <HI>Judas</HI> is called <HI>the traitor,</HI> Luk. 6.16.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e they betray Gods honour, as much as in them lies. An Emba&s;&s;ador is treacherous, that di&s;honors his Prince in &s;tead of honoring him.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e they labour to undoe Gods Church. Is not a &s;ervant treacherous, that &s;hould go about to poy&s;on all the family? So are wicked men, endevouring to ruine the Church by bad coun&s;el and example.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Let us hate all &s;infull cour&s;es. Trea&s;on is odious. Men that love the Trea&s;on, hate the Traitor. God hates both it and them. Many fair promi&s;es are made by men to Traitors, but an Halter or an Axe is their end. So Satan promi&s;es much to &s;inners, but will bring them to hell.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Sin roots out the po&s;terity of wicked men. <HI>He &s;hall neither have Son nor Nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwelling,</HI> Job 18.19. So it did <HI>Je|roboam</HI>'s. His po&s;terity mu&s;t lo&s;e the Kingdome, and his good Son mu&s;t die, 1 King. 13.34. &amp; 14.10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So <HI>Ahab</HI>'s numerous po&s;terity mu&s;t die for his Idolatry, 2 King. 10.7, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="354" REF="182">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;in goes by propagation; and no wonder then if the Serpents brood be cut off. We kill young Snakes for the poy&s;on they have from the old ones.</P>
<P N="2">2. Sin goes by imitation. If children of godly parents will imitate other men in evill, rather then their parents in good, no wonder if children of ungodly parents be evill like their parents, and peri&s;h with them. We read not of one good among all the Kings of the ten Tribes. All were idolatrous, like their predece&s;&s;ors.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Hate &s;infull cour&s;es, which God &s;o much hates, that he will puni&s;h them in children to the fourth generation; as in the &s;econd Commandement. And no wonder if God hate finfull cour&s;es, as being contrary both to his nature and will. Let us therefore &s;hew our love to God, in hating what he hates. <HI>Ye that love the Lord, hate evill,</HI> P&s;al. 97.10.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> If men will not for their owne &s;akes for&s;ake &s;in, they &s;hould do it for their childrens &s;ake. God pro|mi&s;es good to children, if their parents be obedient. <HI>O that there were &s;uch an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep my commandements alwayes, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever,</HI> Deut. 5.29. Therefore they mu&s;t take heed they bring not evill on their children by di&s;obe|dience. <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh</HI> brings de&s;truction on <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> after his death, though he repented in his life. <HI>Surely at the comman|dement of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his &s;ight for the &s;ins of Mana&s;&s;eh, according to all that he did,</HI> 2 King. 24.3. And <HI>Ahab</HI> brought Gods judgement on his po&s;terity, though he humbled him&s;elf. <HI>See&s;t thou how Ahab humbleth him&s;elf before me? Becau&s;e he humbleth him&s;elf before me, I will not bring the evill in his dayes, but in his Sons dayes will I bring the evill upon his hou&s;e,</HI> 1 King. 21.29.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e much evill may come on our po&s;terity for our &s;ins; as hereditary di&s;ea&s;es, poverty, lo&s;&s;es, cro&s;&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. Our affection is great to our children. We prefer them before friends, and many times before our &s;elves. Why then &s;hould we doe any thing to hurt them?</P>
<PB N="355" REF="182">
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us to bewail the madne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e pa|rents, that are &s;o fond of their children, that they love the ground the better they tread on, and yet live in tho&s;e &s;ins that &s;horten their childrens dayes, and lay them under ground before their time by nature. They give them bad examples, and no correction for their &s;ins, and &s;o are ac|ce&s;&s;ary to their ruine. Let us be wi&s;er, and give good example and correction to our children, and then may we look to &s;ee much good of them. Which God grant to all godly parents, through Je&s;us Chri&s;t our onely Lord and Saviour, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB REF="183">
<PB N="369" REF="183">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 1.</BIBL> My Son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my com|mandments.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe order of <HI>Solomon</HI> is to be ob&s;erved; he had formerly exhorted the young man to &s;eek after Wi&s;dome, and &s;hewed him what evils it would pre&s;erve him from; now he gives him &s;ome directions how to practi&s;e what he &s;hould be taught, and &s;hews what good he &s;hould get by it: He had di&s;&s;waded him from cruelty in the fir&s;t Chapter, and from adultery in the &s;econd; now he per&s;wades him to piety and equity in this Chapter: and le&s;t the keeping of &s;o many precepts impo&s;ed upon the young man, &s;hould trouble him, he promi&s;eth in general, and afterwards interlaceth in par|ticulars, divers promi&s;es of good and &s;ure rewards, to allure him to audience and obedience. <HI>Solomon</HI> had a floud, or a wood of words, a <HI>Sylva Synonymorum,</HI> and therefore urges the &s;ame things with elegant variation of phra&s;e, as a Fa|ther often inculcats the &s;ame things daily in other words to affect his child the more, that &s;o, what works not upon him at fir&s;t, may at la&s;t. The two fir&s;t ver&s;es are a general preface to the re&s;t of the Chapter, wherein is, 1. an exhortation in the fir&s;t ver&s;e: 2 ly. a promi&s;e to &s;et it on, Ver&s;e 2.</P>
<P>For the words, <HI>My Son,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.18. He often u&s;eth the amiable name of a Son; intimating, that he &s;peaks not as an Enemy, nor a Neighbour, or Friend, or Ma&s;ter, or King, but as a loving Father to his beloved child: And wel might he call the hearer or reader his Son, on whom he had be&s;towed &s;o many godly in&s;tructions, and whom he goes on to in&s;truct &s;til, like a Father.</P>
<P><HI>Forget not.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.17. Let my law &s;tick fa&s;t in thy memory; what&s;oever thou forget, either children, bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, or whatever els is deer unto thee, be &s;ure thou forget not my Law: &s;ooner forget mu&s;ick and &s;inging, as the godly Jews would rather forget them, then <HI>Jeru&s;alem. P&s;al.</HI> 137.5.6.</P>
<P><HI>My Law.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.8. Here it is taken for tho&s;e good
<PB N="370" REF="184">in&s;tructions <HI>Solomon</HI> gave, and which are written in this book; therefore he calls it his Law, which being agreeable to Gods Law, his children were tyed to ob&s;erve. So Gods law is called <HI>Mo&s;es Law, Mal.</HI> 4.4. This book is a Law how to guide our life, containing many excellent practical in&s;tru|ctions.</P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.25.2.22. an oppo&s;ition between kee|ping and forgetting.</P>
<P><HI>Let thine heart.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.2. The heart here may be taken for the memory, which is the che&s;t of the &s;oul; or ra|ther for the wil, which is King in the Soul, and to which the under&s;tanding is councellor, and the affections are &s;er|vants.</P>
<P><HI>Keep.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.11. Keep them both in memory, and life. He &s;peaks not of a bare remembring, but of a practical keeping al&s;o, &s;hewing, that it is not profitable for us to have them in our heart, unle&s;&s;e we al&s;o exerci&s;e them in our con|ver&s;ation. The &s;um is, that we mu&s;t remember the&s;e precepts to <HI>keep and do them, Deut.</HI> 7.12. For remembring the law in the heart without practi&s;ing it in the life, will not bring the ble&s;&s;ing annexed, <HI>Ver.</HI> 2. <HI>Length of daies, &amp;c.</HI> Thou mu&s;t re|member them &s;o, that thou hearcily practi&s;e them, and that thy heart not only have the knowledge of them ready upon all occa&s;ions, but al&s;o be ever &s;tudying for occa&s;ions, and how to do them.</P>
<P><HI>My commandments.</HI> See on <HI>Chap</HI> 2.1. Thou mu&s;t not only look to this book in general, but have re&s;pect to every parti|cular direction in it, that concernes thee; then &s;halt thou be like <HI>Zechariah</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth, walking in all the command|ments and ordinances of the Lord blamle&s;&s;e, Luke</HI> 1.6. And mai&s;t conclude with the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>Then &s;hal I not be a&s;hamed when I have re&s;pect unto thy commandements, P&s;alm</HI> 119.6. The &s;um is, as if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;aid, Thou ha&s;t heard, O my Son, that thou art not able by thine own pains and &s;tudy to get Wi&s;|dome, but thou mu&s;t get teachers, and accommodate the ears both of thy &s;oul and body to their words; yet is not this e|nough to make thee wi&s;e, but thou mu&s;t al&s;o retain tho&s;e in|&s;tructions in thy memory, ready for practi&s;e when opportu|nity &s;hal be offered.</P>
<PB N="371" REF="184">
<P><HI>Figures none.</HI> Note.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A prohibition.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. An Exhortation.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former note.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The per&s;on &s;poken to, <HI>My&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The thing forbidden. <HI>Forget not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Object. <HI>My Law.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter ob&s;erve.</P>
<P N="1">1 The oppo&s;ition, or rather augmentation. <HI>But,</HI> Or, it may be read, <HI>Yea,</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22. Be &s;o far from forgetting, that thou remember to practi&s;e my Commands on all oc|ca&s;ions.</P>
<P N="2">2. The agent, <HI>Let thine heart.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Act. <HI>Keep.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The object. <HI>My Commandments.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Great affection ought to be in a teacher. He mu&s;t look upon his hearers, as upon his Children. This is <HI>Paul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> tone, <HI>My little Children Of whom I travail in birth again.</HI> Gal. 4.19. <HI>Wherefore? Becau&s;e I love you not! God knoweth.</HI> 2 Cor. 11.11. <HI>I will glad<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y &s;pend, and be &s;pent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the le&s;&s;e I be loved.</HI> 2 Cor. 12.15. Spoken as by an indulgent Father. This is <HI>Iohns</HI> tone, <HI>My little Children, the&s;e things write I unto you, that ye &s;in not.</HI> 1 Joh. 2.1. This is Chri&s;ts own tone, <HI>O Hieru&s;alem, Hieru&s;a|lem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.</HI> Mat. 23.37. Like a tender Father complaining of an un|thrifty &s;on, <HI>We were gentle among you, even as a nur&s;e cheri&s;heth her children</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul.</HI> 1. <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e his Mini&s;tery &s;hall never doe any good. His directions will be &s;lighted, his promi&s;es thought flatteries, his reproves di&s;graces, his threatnings, fruit of malice.</P>
<P N="2">2. He doth el&s;e not imitate God, who hath more rea&s;on to take &s;tate; yet teacheth his with his abundance of &s;weetne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch teachers, as &s;eldome conver&s;e with tho&s;e, whom they take charge of, and &s;hew &s;mall affection to them. It is fit Mini&s;ters &s;hould &s;tudy. They can never di&s;pen&s;e the bread of life well, if it be not well baked. A Phy&s;itian mu&s;t &s;tudy: Yet if the one vi&s;it not, nor conver&s;e lovingly with his people, nor the other with his patients, they will do little good.</P>
<PB N="372" REF="185">
<P N="2">2. It blames the criticall &s;ort of the people, who &s;ay, if a Mini&s;ter be familiar, and cheerfull with tho&s;e, whom he teach|eth, he lo&s;eth repute, di&s;credits him&s;elf, and his calling. <HI>At indignus tu, qui diceres tamen.</HI> But yet it becomes not you to &s;ay &s;o. Would you have your teachers &s;trange to you? what comfort then can ye take in them, or what good will ye get by them.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Great re&s;pect in an hearer ought to be toward a teacher. As in a &s;on to a Father. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;pake Proverbs, as well as writ them, and &s;o had teachers, as well as readers. <HI>He &s;pake three thou&s;and Proverbs.</HI> 1 King. 4.32. That of <HI>Paul</HI> proves it, cited out of the Prophets, as being the Doctrine of the old, and new Te&s;tament. <HI>How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Go&s;pell of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!</HI> Rom. 10.15. Such good re&s;pect <HI>Paul</HI> found from the <HI>Galathians. Ye received me as an Angell of God, even as Chri&s;t Je&s;us. I bear you record, that, if it had been po&s;&s;ible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.</HI> Gal. 4.14, 15.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The end, why &s;uch re&s;pect &s;hould be &s;hewed to our teachers.</P>
<P N="2">2. The manners how.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t. The rea&s;ons are.</P>
<P N="1">1. For Gods cau&s;e, becau&s;e they are his Emba&s;&s;adors, and for the time of teaching repre&s;ent his per&s;on.</P>
<P N="2">2. For our &s;ake, we will el&s;e not regard, nor get good by their words.</P>
<P N="3">3. For their &s;ake, that they may not be di&s;couraged in their office.</P>
<P N="4">4. For others &s;ake, that our example may draw them to learn of them.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd. The manner how we mu&s;t re&s;pect them.</P>
<P N="1">1. By due re&s;pect to their per&s;ons, by reverencing them, and <HI>e&s;teeming them very highly in love for their works &s;ake.</HI> 1 The&s;. 5.13.</P>
<P N="2">2 To their preceps by obedience; <HI>Obey them, that have the rule over you, for they watch for your &s;oules.</HI> Heb. 13.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. By &s;peaking well of them, <HI>I ought to have been commended of you.</HI> 2 Cor. 12.11.</P>
<PB N="373" REF="185">
<P N="4">4. By dealing kindly with them, <HI>Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things, Gal.</HI> 6.6.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. For complaint of neglect of teachers, by their hea|rers. An heathen Prince &s;eeing Gods Mini&s;ters &s;et at the bot|tom of the Table by a Chri&s;tian Emperor, &s;aid, <HI>He would ne|ver be of that Religion, where the teachers were contemned.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Let men &s;hew all due re&s;pect to their teachers, e&s;pecially in &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nding fa&s;t to truth taught by them, that they may be encouraged to teach Gods truth &s;till.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Precepts of Parents and Teachers, agreeable to Gods Law, ought to be regarded. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;pake and wrote both as a Father, and as a teacher, and he did regard his fa|thers in&s;truction, <HI>Chap.</HI> 4.4. his Mothers, <HI>Chap.</HI> 31.1. and <HI>Agurs, Chap.</HI> 30.1. It &s;eems he regarded them well, that left them in writing for us.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e Parents &s;hould be teachers, and not breed their children like brute bea&s;ts.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e teachers &s;upply the defect of Parents, taking upon them to in&s;truct us, when our parents cannot, for want of time or abilitie.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. It reproves ungracious children, that &s;leight the whole&s;ome coun&s;els of their own Parents; &s;ure they will never regard any others in&s;truction.</P>
<P N="2">2. It blames unprofitable &s;cholars, that make their parents co&s;t, and teachers labour in vain.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Such precepts ought never to be forgotten. <HI>Let thine heart retain my words, decline not from the words of my mouth. Chap.</HI> 4.4, 5. <HI>Remember the Law of</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>my &s;ervant. Mal.</HI> 4.4</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e <HI>Oblivio Mater, aut proles ingratitudints Senec. de beneficiis. Oblivion is the mother or child of unthank fulne&s;&s;e.</HI> Men remember what they think worthy of thanks, and forget other things; and thankfulne&s;&s;e wil cau&s;e them to remember benefits. 2. It is the &s;tepmother, or hinderer of &s;piritual pro|fit: No good is gotten by things forgotten. <HI>Sicut in unoqu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> que oper&ecirc; mater e&s;t constantia, ita univer&s;ae doctrinae invenitur oblivio noverca. Boet. do di&s;ciplin. Scholar.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> Think it not enough to learn good things, unle&s;&s;e you remember them. It availes little to hear good in&s;tructions,
<PB N="374" REF="186">except ye keep them in memory: it is not &s;ufficient to talk of Gods word with the mouth, unle&s;&s;e we remember it in the heart. <HI>Who among you wil give eare to this, who wil hearken and hear for the time to come? I&s;a.</HI> 42.23. Say as <HI>Cenis</HI> to her Lady <HI>Antonia, Frustr&agrave; Domina ju&s;&s;i&s;ti, haec enim, atque caetera <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mnia, quae mihi imperas, it a &s;emper in memoria habco, ut ex ca deleri non po&s;&s;int. You need not, Madam bid me do your bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, for the&s;e things, and all other which you command me, I have them alwaies &s;o in my memory, that they cannot be blotted out of it. Deo</HI> or as another, <HI>Ju&s;&s;a mihi tam velle &s;equi, qu&agrave;m po&s;&s;e, nece&s;&s;e e&s;t. It is as nece&s;&s;ary for me to be willing, as to be able to keep your commands.</HI> As the Ark kept the two Tables, and the Pot, the hidden Manna; &s;o &s;hould we keep godly precepts in our hearts; els are we like many cunning Arti&s;ts, that get much, yet live poorly, becau&s;e they can keep nothing.</P>
<P><HI>Doct</HI> 5. Such precepts ought to be put in practi&s;e. <HI>All the commandments which I command thee this day, &s;hall ye ob&s;erve to do, Deut.</HI> 8.1. <HI>The words of Jonadab the &s;on of Rechab, that he commanded his &s;ons, are performed. Jer.</HI> 35.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are good &s;eed for a &s;piritual crop; and men will be carefull to pre&s;erve &s;eed corn, el&s;e they may &s;tarve. 2. Becau&s;e they are lights to direct our &s;teps, not only to &s;ee the way, but how to walk in it. <HI>Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. P&s;al.</HI> 119.105. Men go not in the dark without a lanthorn.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Draw out into practi&s;e what ye have learned by your parents and teachers. If a man had the Philo&s;ophers &s;tone, if he u&s;ed it not, he would have no gold. A known medicine helps not, if not taken; keep then good precepts actually, as wel as cordially: in deed, as wel as in heart; they that do not &s;o, forget them, or at lea&s;t keep them not: delight thy &s;elfe with keeping them in thine heart, and honour thy God with ob&s;erving them in thy life.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 6. Such precepts mu&s;t be practi&s;ed heartily. <HI>Thou</HI> Solomon <HI>my &s;on, know thou the God of thy father, and &s;erve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind.</HI> 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 28.9. <HI>Servants, obey in all things your Ma&s;ters according to the fle&s;h, not with eye &s;ervice, as men-plea&s;ers, but in &s;inglene&s;&s;e of heart, fearing God: And what&s;oever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
<PB N="373" REF="186">Lord, and not unto men.</HI> Col. 2.22, 23. <HI>Ye have obeyed from the heart the form of Doctrine, which was delivered you</HI> Rom. 6.17. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the heart is the fountain of life. Dead &s;ervices plea&s;e neither God, nor men. It is like the &s;peaking of Parrots. <HI>Acceptable &s;ervice to God must be rea&s;onable &s;ervice.</HI> Rom. 12.1.</P>
<P>It is like the Fountain of joy, and comfort, and therefore where it is not, men can have no comfort in any thing they do.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See where your hears are, when ye do what Parents, and Teachers advi&s;e you. If ye do it unwillingly, it is not thank|worthy.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 2.</BIBL> For length of daies, and long life, and peace &s;hall they adde unto thee.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe Exhortation was in the former Ver&s;e. The promi&s;e to encourage us to obedience is in this. That men might with more courage endeavour to obey <HI>Solomons</HI> wi&s;e directi|ons, God joynes the reward to the work, and promi&s;es tho&s;e things, which all men, but e&s;pecially young men mo&s;t of all de&s;ire, and long for, and are mo&s;t dear to men of tender years, to wit, a long, quiet, and happy life. Some di&s;tingui&s;h the three things promi&s;ed thus, That by length of daies &s;hould be meant a life on earth as long as may be drawn out by any &s;trength of nature. By long life, or years, of life eternall life in another world. By peace, peace of con&s;cience. But they may rather be under&s;tood thus, By length of daies may be un|der&s;tood a life that la&s;ts long. By long life, or years of life an healthfull life. By peace a pro&s;perous life.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 19. A rea&s;on of the former Exhortation.</P>
<P><HI>Length of daies.</HI> They bring a long life to a man, not be|yond the time appointed by God, but as God hath determi|ned, &s;o by his ble&s;&s;ing he gives long life to tho&s;e that o|bey him. This is under&s;tood of bodily life here which the Law al&s;o promi&s;es in the fir&s;t commandment. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Day</HI> in Scripture is u&s;ed.</P>
<P N="1">1. For a naturall day, confi&s;ting of 24 hours. <HI>Neither eat nor drink three daies.</HI> E&s;t. 4.16.</P>
<PB N="376" REF="187">
<P N="2">2. For an artificiall day oppo&s;ed to the night. <HI>The greater light to rule the day, and the le&s;&s;er light to rule the night,</HI> Gen. 1.16.</P>
<P>In the plurall for a long day, and circular, till that day come again a full year. <HI>This man went up out of</HI> his Citty <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>From daies to daies:</HI> which <HI>ver.</HI> 7, is <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>year by year.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. For a certain time, e&s;pecially to come. <HI>In that day &s;hall this &s;ong be &s;ung in the land of Judah.</HI> I&s;a. 26.1.</P>
<P N="5">5. For a time of trouble. <HI>Remember, O Lord the children of</HI> Edom <HI>in the day of</HI> Jeru&s;alem: who &s;aid, <HI>Ra&s;e it, Ra&s;e it, even to the foundation thereof.</HI> P&s;al. 137.7. <HI>Their day is come, the time of their vi&s;itation.</HI> Jer. 50.27. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for naturall daies.</P>
<P><HI>And.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.9.22. on the word <HI>But long life.</HI> Heb. <HI>Years of life.</HI> For <HI>life</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.19. Le&s;t any man &s;hould think, that long life may be mi&s;erable, he &s;aith not years of &s;ickne&s;&s;e, or weakne&s;&s;e, which are but puttings off, or rather years of death, but <HI>years of life,</HI> that is of health, and &s;trength. <HI>Non est vivere, &s;ed valere vita. It is not worthy the name of a life barely to live, but to be in health, and strength.</HI> So a life in Hea|ven is called eternall life, whereas a life in Hell which la&s;ts as long, is called the &s;econd death.</P>
<P><HI>And peace.</HI> Le&s;t any thing &s;hould be wanting to a long, and healthfull life, peace is added. And well too, for the &s;horte&s;t life is be&s;t without peace? By peace is meant pro&s;perity, riches, liberty. So the Hebrews u&s;e the word. <HI>And he &s;aid unto them, Is he well?</HI> And they &s;aid, <HI>He is well,</HI> Heb. <HI>Is there peace to him? There is peace.</HI> Gen. 29.6, <HI>Go &s;ee, if it be well with thy bre|thren?</HI> Heb. <HI>See the peace of thy brethren.</HI> Gen. 37.14. And in|deed pro&s;perity is the fruit of peace: adver&s;itie of war.</P>
<P><HI>Shall they adde to thee.</HI> They &s;hall prolong the years of thy life, health, and wealth. Not forgetting, but ob&s;erving Gods commands will do all this. The &s;um is, If thou &s;light not my commands, but ob&s;erve them, thou &s;halt have a long, health|full and pro&s;perous life. Long life without health is trouble|&s;ome, and health without other comforts of life cannot give content.</P>
<P><HI>Ob&s;erve.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Figures none.</HI> 1. The word of coherence. <HI>For.</HI></P>
<PB N="377" REF="187">
<P N="2">2. The benefits. <HI>Length of daies, and long life, and peace.</HI> A long, healthfull, and pro&s;perous life.</P>
<P N="3">3. The means of procuring the&s;e is obedience. <HI>Shall they adde unto thee.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> God might have required full obedience without rewards, yet he promi&s;eth large ones. That he might require it without reward, appears in the preface of the commande|ments. Obey, for <HI>I am Jehovah,</HI> that gave thee thy being, <HI>Thy God,</HI> in covenant with thee, <HI>That brought thee out of the Land of</HI> Aegypt. A great benefit. <HI>Out of the hou&s;e of bondage.</HI> A great deliverance. That he will give full rewards, appears in the end of the &s;econd, and fifth Commandements. For&s;ake Idolatry, and wor&s;hip me aright; For <HI>I &s;hew mercy to thou&s;ands of them, that love me and keep my Commandements. Honor thy Father, and thy Mother, that thy daies may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.</HI> So he promi&s;es <HI>Abraham</HI> to be <HI>his &s;hield, and exceeding great reward.</HI> Gen. 15.1. For the fir&s;t part, That God may require obedience without any reward, appears</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e hee is not any way indebted to us for our obedi|ence. He hath all of him&s;elf, and nothing from us. Nor gets no addition of happine&s;&s;e by our obedience.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are indebted to him for all the good things we have, as Life, Health, Food, Goods, World Heaven; we have all from him, and that of free grace. And it is &s;trange for a debtor to require mony of his creditor; wee cannot then merit any thing from him, that cannot adde any thing to him; neither doth he need any thing. Hee that merits of ano|ther, mu&s;t &s;ome way &s;upply his wants. Sacrifices could not do it. And if they could do it, he need not take them of us that owes all the cattell of the World. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50.9. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And if God did need, how &s;hould we &s;upply his wants, that cannot &s;upply our own for &s;oul or body? He that cannot keep his own Fa|mily, cannot relieve others.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e God is ab&s;olute Lord over all, and may com|mand what hee li&s;t without rewarding any creature in Heaven or in Earth. For the &s;econd, that yet he will give a full reward, appears.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e he is mercifull, and &s;tands upon his honor. And where ju&s;tice will give no reward, mercy will. So Fathers
<PB N="378" REF="188">promi&s;e many things to their children, to encourage them to do their dutie: Here is long, and healthful years, and pro|&s;peritie; and what needs a man more in this life?</P>
<P N="2">2ly. Becau&s;e God is faithful, and hath promi&s;ed a full reward to every good action, &s;o that mercy and truth ap|pear in it, though ju&s;tice require it not.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> 1. To acknowledge, that if God ble&s;&s;e us in &s;oul or bodie, it is of his free grace, not of the merit of our obedience. He might by his right over us, require &s;ervice without pay: yet he is &s;o merciful, that he wil not. So a father may look for duty freely from a child, yet he provides for him, and gives him an inheritance,</P>
<P N="2">2ly. Let this encourage us to dutie: we owe it to God, therefore doe it; we &s;hal have a ful reward, therefore do it cheerfully: this is a double band, kindne&s;&s;e u&s;eth to work more upon mens &s;pirits, then dutie; &s;o let it do with us to|ward God. This encouraged <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> he knew he de&s;erved nothing, yet, <HI>had re&s;pect unto the recompence of reward. Heb.</HI> 11.26</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Gods rewards are &s;uch, as men like wel, ordinari|ly. He gives his people <HI>a land of brooks, fountains, wheat, bar|ley, wines, fig-trees, &amp;c. Deut.</HI> 8.7. A land that had <HI>goodly hou&s;es, many herds</HI> of greater cattel, <HI>many flocks</HI> of le&s;&s;er, <HI>much &s;ilver and gold, &amp;c. Deut.</HI> 8 &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> It appears, 1. in the particulars in the Text, God promi&s;es long life, peace, and plenty, what would man have more for his body? who loves not all the&s;e? Men love long life; for that end they are choice in meat, drink, apparel, baths, phy&s;ick, they &s;pare for no co&s;t; &s;o do worldly men dote on peace and plenty. The&s;e God promi&s;es. 2ly. it appears by the prayers of men; no doubt they pray for what they love be&s;t, and God often gives it, as he gave wi&s;dome to <HI>Solomon</HI> to guide a great Kingdome, when he prayed for it. 3ly. By Gods aditional gifts to <HI>Solomon,</HI> as honour, and riches, which he asked not, yet could not but like wel, when God gave them. So he gives a comfortable earthly pa&s;&s;age to them, that &s;eek for heaven: <HI>&s;eeke ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and all the&s;e things &s;hal he added unto you. Mat.</HI> 6 33. Who likes not a good way, to a good end? It is a dou|ble mercy.</P>
<PB N="379" REF="188">
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Be careful to plea&s;e God, and tru&s;t him for rewards; he will give &s;uch as thou like&s;t, and can&s;t no where el&s;e get: Gods precepts well kept, wil be in &s;tead of Diet, Phy&s;ick, Guard, and other means of pre&s;erving life: If other means fail, God wil pre&s;erve by the&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Long life is a ble&s;&s;ing. God gave <HI>Abraham a good old age, Gen.</HI> 25.8. <HI>The hoary head is a crown of glory, &amp;c. Chap.</HI> 16.31. It is a &s;weet mercy, and generally de&s;ired. <HI>What man is he that de&s;ireth life, and loveth many daies, that he may &s;ee good? P&s;al,</HI> 34.12. As if he had &s;aid, every man naturally doth de&s;ire it. Men love life, and abhor death! <HI>With long life wil I &s;atisfie him, P&s;al.</HI> 91.16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e life it &s;elfe is a ble&s;&s;ing, therefore the con|tinuance of it is &s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2ly. Becau&s;e God promi&s;eth it to his &s;ervants, as in the fift commandement; and God u&s;eth to promi&s;e good things, and threaten bad: And this promi&s;e Wi&s;dom u&s;eth, as con|ceiving it wil much work upon the &s;pirits of men; <HI>for by me thy daies &s;hal be multiplyed, and the years of thy life &s;hal be in|crca&s;ed. Chap.</HI> 9.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is a type of heaven, which had it all the perfections of joy it hath, yet were it not la&s;ting, it could not afford full happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. It is a re&s;emblance of Gods eternity, who is called <HI>The antient of daies, Dan.</HI> 7.13.</P>
<P N="5">5. Short life is accounted a cur&s;e. God theatens <HI>Eli,</HI> that <HI>there &s;hould not be an old man in his hou&s;e,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2.31. Sure then the contrary is a ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Obj.</HI> How is it a ble&s;&s;ing, when wicked men often live long.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> It is a ble&s;&s;ing in it &s;elfe, and to good men, who have the more time to &s;erve God; though it may be none, yea, a cur&s;e to wicked men, who may &s;in the more, and have the more pain in hel.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Obj.</HI> Good men often have it not, but die &s;oon, as <HI>Jo&s;iah.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>An&s;.</HI> It is in perilous times, when it is better to die, then to live. <HI>From henceforth, ble&s;&s;ed are the dead which die in the Lord, Rev.</HI> 14.13. It might have been a ble&s;&s;ing to live long, before in the time of the Churches pro&s;peritie, but not then, in the time of her per&s;ecution, then <HI>the righteous are taken away from the evil to come, I&s;a.</HI> 57.1.</P>
<PB N="380" REF="189">
<P N="2">2. If in other times God take them away, they lo&s;e not, but get by it; they get by death a longer, and an happier, yea, an eternal life.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Obj.</HI> Men may live long in mi&s;erie, and that is a cur&s;e ra|ther then a ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> God wil give his &s;ervants pro&s;perity with their long life, if he &s;ee it fit for them; if not, he wil turn their afflictions to their good. <HI>We know that all things worke together for good to them that love God. Rom.</HI> 8.28. A Phy&s;ician can make an hea|ling medicine out of poi&s;on, &s;o can God make afflictions profitable to his.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. It &s;hewes the folly of many men, who would have long life, yet look not after heavenly wi&s;dome, the means of continuing life: Such &s;hew them&s;elves to be fooles, as by adul|tery, drunkenne&s;&s;e, quarrels, kill them&s;elves, or are killed by others, becau&s;e they follow not wi&s;dome, and holy directions; they might live longer, if they lived wi&s;ely, and godlily: Such complain in vain of &s;hortne&s;&s;e of life, which they bring on them&s;elves.</P>
<P N="2">2. It teaches us not to complain for the troubles of old age, but to ble&s;&s;e God for the comforts we have &s;een, more then others in the length of our daies. Remember that <HI>God hath &s;et the one over again&s;t the other. Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.14. <HI>Sicut nun hirunde non facit ver, nec una linea Geometram: &s;ic nec una dies, vel breve tempus reddit hominem foelicem. Recuperus. As one &s;wallow makes not a &s;pring, nor one line a Geometrician, &s;o neether</HI> one day, nor a &s;hort time makes a man happy.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Health in our daies is a great ble&s;&s;ing al&s;o. So it is promi&s;ed, <HI>It &s;hal be health to thy navil, and marrow to thy bones. ver&s;e</HI> 8. <HI>They are life unto tho&s;e that find them, and health to all their fle&s;h, Chap.</HI> 4.22.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it gives a man much comfort in body, bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e, and &s;ocietie of friends; yea and in Soul al&s;o, for the Soul hath a fellow-feeling of the bodies joy or &s;orrow, in regard of the neer conjunction of them.</P>
<P N="2">2. From the contrary, becau&s;e &s;ickne&s;&s;es, and di&s;ea&s;es are threatned as cro&s;&s;es and &s;ometimes as cur&s;es. See <HI>Deut.</HI> 28.29. <HI>&amp;c. The lepro&s;ie of</HI> Naeman <HI>&s;hall sleave unto thee, and unto thy &s;eed for evers.</HI> 2 Kings 5.27.</P>
<PB N="381" REF="189">
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e health fits us for duty to God and men, &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e makes us un&s;erviceable to both.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To inform us, that we may lawfully pray for health; becau&s;e in it &s;elf it is a ble&s;&s;ing. Spirituall ble&s;&s;ings are be&s;t worth asking, yet temporall not to be de&s;pi&s;ed.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Pro&s;perity al&s;o is a ble&s;&s;ing in it &s;elf, the Devill con|fe&s;&s;es it to be &s;o to <HI>Iob. Thou hast ble&s;&s;ed the work of his hands, &amp; his &s;ub&s;tance is encrea&s;ed in the land.</HI> Job. 1.10. <HI>Abraham</HI>'s &s;er|vant confe&s;&s;es it in his Ma&s;ter. <HI>The Lord hath ble&s;&s;ed my Master greatly, and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and heards, and &s;ilver, and gold, and men-&s;ervants, and maid-&s;ervants, and Camells, and A&s;&s;es.</HI> Gen, 24.35.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a gift of God. <HI>I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor.</HI> 2 Chron. 1.12.</P>
<P N="2">2. He hath given it to &s;ome of his choi&s;e&s;t &s;ervants, as to <HI>A|braham, Jo&s;eph, David, Solomon.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Abu&s;e it not to luxury, or oppre&s;&s;ion. To be naught thy &s;elf more freely, or to hurt others more powerfully. Re|member outward pro&s;perity is Gods gift, u&s;e it then to Gods honor, and ble&s;s him for it. Take heed it proves not as <HI>Ter|tullian</HI> calls it, <HI>Campus quo ambitio decurrat.</HI> A field, in which ambition may run his cour&s;e.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Long life, health, pro&s;perity are &s;ometimes the re|wards of well doing and obedience. <HI>If ye be willing, and obedi|ent, ye &s;hall eat the good of the Land.</HI> I&s;a. 1.19. <HI>O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandments? then had thy peace been as a river.</HI> I&s;a. 48.18 That is, thy pro&s;perity; as was &s;hewed in the expo&s;ition of the Text.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of Gods bounty, who be&s;ides Heaven of|ten gives comforts to his here.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of mans frailty, who is by pro&s;perity much en|couraged to obedience, and di&s;couraged by the con|trary.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Object.</HI> Godly men oftentimes live but a while, and in much pain, and and poverty.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Be&s;ides what was &s;aid before on the third Doctrine,</P>
<P>I an&s;wer. 1. That their obedience is but in part, and the reward is an&s;werable.</P>
<PB N="382" REF="190">
<P N="2">2. Promi&s;es of outward things are but conditionall. And God by &s;hort life, or &s;orrows keeps them from corruption, or per&s;ecution, and trouble.</P>
<P N="3">3. God gives them a longer, and better life in Heaven. So God verifies his promi&s;e with advantage. As if a man &s;hould promi&s;e twenty &s;hilling a week for a year, and at the fir&s;t months end void the bargain, and give the party a thou&s;and pound. What cau&s;e had the receiver to complain, either of fal&s;hood in the promi&s;er, or of lo&s;&s;e to him&s;elf.</P>
<P N="4">4. Their &s;hort life have more &s;un-&s;hiny daies, and true, and &s;pirituall comforts there, then any wicked mans long life. Summer fruit may be as ripe as winter fruit, though gathered &s;ome months before.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> 1. It blames tho&s;e, who think, that the &s;tudy of wi&s;|dom and piety, &s;hortens their childrens daies. They &s;ay, they are too wi&s;e, or too good to live long. Such bring up their chil|dren fooli&s;hly, and impiou&s;ly, and &s;o &s;horten their daies, which they would prolong.</P>
<P N="2">2. It encourages us to get wi&s;dom and obedience. Ungodly men think, there is no better way in the world to make them live long, then to be merry, and to put away &s;orrow by letting &s;lip the bridle to all manner of concupi&s;cence: but let us re|member, that a long, healthfull, pro&s;perous life is the reward of obedience, and live accordingly.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 3.</BIBL> Let not mercy and truth for&s;ake thee: bind them about thy neck, write them upon the Table of thine heart.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>NOw follow particular duties to bee performed to God and Man, enterlarded with many excellent promi&s;es and rewards for encouragement to obedience. And fir&s;t the wi&s;e man begins with two duties to men, &s;etting the Exhor|tation to mercy and truth in this Ver&s;e, and the encouraging promi&s;e in the next.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Let not mercy and truth.</HI> The&s;e two are oft enjoyned together in Scripture: and it is pitty, that they being &s;o nearly joyned in them&s;elves &s;hould ever be &s;eparated. Sometimes they are
<PB N="383" REF="190">jointly attributed to God. <HI>His mercy is everla&s;ting, and his truth endureth to all generations.</HI> P&s;al. 100.5. <HI>His merciful kindne&s;s is great towards us, and the truth of the Lord eudureth for ever.</HI> 117.2. Sometimes to man. <HI>Mercy and truth pre&s;erve the King.</HI> Chap. 20.28. When they are attributed to God, then Gods mercy is &s;hewed in promi&s;ing or giving man a|ny good, that de&s;erves nothing but ill of him. His truh is &s;hewed in performance of his promi&s;es: When they are &s;po|ken of man, then is mercy &s;een in giving freely to the poor, who de&s;erve nothing of us, yea to enemies, who de&s;erve ill of us. Truth is manife&s;ted in doing what we owe by promi&s;e, or debt to men. <HI>Mi&s;ericordia e&s;t gratia, qua ex no&s;tro libero animo benefacimus alteri, non ex debito, non ex pa&s;&s;ione. Veritas, qu&acirc; ex|clu&s;a omni fictione adaequamus facta dictis, verba cordi, corde|bitis: Gratia, qua gratuita, veritas, qua debita exhibemus. Caje|etan. Mercy is favour, whereby out of our own free mind we doe good to another man, not out of debt, not out of pa&s;&s;ion. Truth is that vertue, whereby &s;hutting out all feigning, we do equall our deeds to our words, our words to our haart, our heart to our debts. Grace</HI> (or mercy) <HI>is, whereby we give free things; Truth, whereby we pay</HI> (or re&s;tore) <HI>things due</HI> to others. Some inter|pret the Text here of Gods mercy and truth, and that two waies.</P>
<P N="1">1. So carry thy &s;elf, that God may deal mercifully, and truly with thee. But this cannot be the &s;en&s;e. For though a man may &s;o carry him&s;elf, that God will not deal mercifully with him; yet he cannot carry him&s;elf &s;o badly, that God will not deal truly with him, for that were a blemi&s;h to God. If he be upright, God will perform his promi&s;es to him: if not, God will execute his threatnings upon him: which&s;oever God doth, he &s;hewes forth his truth.</P>
<P N="2">2. By way of promi&s;e, not of exhortation. And they read it, <HI>Mercy and truth &s;hall not for&s;ake thee.</HI> And they tie it to the former words, if thou forget not my Law, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> then God wil deal mercifully with thee, and perform all his promi&s;es to thee. But</P>
<P N="1">1. This cro&s;&s;es the ordinary &s;en&s;e of <GAP DESC="foreign"> for a prohibition, and that without need.</P>
<P N="2">2. The words following are imperative.</P>
<PB N="394" REF="191">
<P N="3">3. In the fir&s;t and &s;econd Ver&s;es ye have a prohibition, and promi&s;e. This method is al&s;o ob&s;erved in the ver&s;es follow|ing: and mo&s;t likly &s;o here in this Ver&s;e, and the next. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies.</P>
<P N="1">1. Mercy or favour, <HI>All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.</HI> P&s;al. 25.10.</P>
<P N="2">2. By the contrary it is taken for reproch, or di&s;honour. <HI>Sin is a reproach to any people.</HI> Chap. 14.34. So <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;igni|fies to ble&s;&s;e, and cur&s;e: and other Hebrew words admit of contrary &s;ignifications. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Truth</HI> comes from a word, that &s;ignifies to be firm, and &s;table; for truth will abide, when all lies fail. And the Hebrew word for believing, comes from the &s;ame root, for truth is worthy to be believed, and relied upon. <HI>This is a faithfull &s;aying, and worthy of all acceptation,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>For&s;ake thee.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.17. An Hypallage. For&s;ake not thou them, for then will they for&s;ake thee. A great elegan|cy in it, intimating.</P>
<P N="1">1. That their for&s;aking us is more then our for&s;aking them. Our for&s;aking them may come out of our weakne&s;&s;e, but their for&s;aking us comes out of our wilfullne&s;&s;e, and hardne&s;&s;e of heart, in not entertaining them.</P>
<P N="2">2. It &s;ets out the ea&s;ine&s;&s;e of the lo&s;&s;e of them through our corruption. <HI>Fugax e&s;t natura boni, Good things naturally flye away.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;ets out our great need of them. <HI>Neque ver&ograve; dixit, ip&s;as ne de&s;eras, &s;ed ne de&s;erant te, o&s;tendens nos e&s;&s;e, qui illarum egea|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">us, non ip&s;as nostri, Chry&s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t. Hom.</HI> 1 <HI>in Philip. For he doth not &s;ay, For&s;ake not thou them, but l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t them not for&s;ake thee, &s;hewing, that we have need of them, but they have no need of us.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. It imitates our great care, and paines needfull for the re|taining of them. They are ea&s;ily lo&s;t, but hardly kept. An Hawk mu&s;t be well tamed, before he be let flye: el&s;e he will return no more. The&s;e graces mu&s;t be as carefully kept as pro|vidently gotten, like riches. <HI>Non minor est virtus, qu&ugrave;m qua|rere, parta tueri. It is no le&s;&s;e vertue to keep wealth, then to get it. Non dicit, &s;emel facias, aut &s;ecundo, aut tertio, neque decies, ne|que centies, &s;ed perpetuo, Non de&s;erant te Chry&s;ost. He doth not
<PB N="385" REF="191">&s;ay, Be carefull once, or twice, or the third time, no nor ten times, nor an hundred times, but take care perpetually, that they for|&s;ake thee not.</HI> And both mercy, and truth mu&s;t be kept for ever. <HI>Difficile e&s;t &s;imul nos mi&s;ereri, &amp; &s;apere. Sen. It is an hard task for us to pitty, and be wi&s;e both together.</HI> El&s;e mercy may lie to do good, and truth may reveal without cau&s;e, what may do hurt. Therefore joyn both, as God doth, <HI>Mercy and truth are met together.</HI> P&s;al. 85.10. El&s;e Gods mercy would &s;ave all, or his truth damn all.</P>
<P><HI>Bind them.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies.</P>
<P N="1">1. To bind one thing to another, as a yoke is bound about an Oxes neck. <HI>Thou &s;halt bind a stone to it.</HI> Jer. 51.63.</P>
<P N="2">2. To bind men together in love. <HI>His life is bound up in the lads life.</HI> Gen. 44.30.</P>
<P N="3">3. To bind them together in a plot, or con&s;piracy. <HI>The &s;er|vants of</HI> Amnon <HI>con&s;pired again&s;t him,</HI> 2 King. 21.23. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for putting them, and the neck together, yet not without a figure, as will appear anon. By <HI>them</HI> is not meant <HI>the Law,</HI> and <HI>Commandments.</HI> ver. 1. But <HI>Mercy and truth,</HI> as in this.</P>
<P><HI>About thy neck.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 19. Hereby is meant.</P>
<P N="1">1. To have them fa&s;t, &s;o that they may not be lo&s;t; as men tie their Jewels about their necks.</P>
<P N="2">2. To have them ready to u&s;e, when occa&s;ion is offered, as a jewell about the neck, that hath vertue in it, is at hand for u&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. To keep &s;ome externall memorialls to put us in mind of the&s;e vertues upon the beholding of them, as jewells on the neck, may put us in mind of bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, being ever in fight.</P>
<P N="4">4. To delight in them, as men doe in jewells which they hang about their necks.</P>
<P N="5">5. To count it an ornament to us to deale mercifully, and truly with others. The children of Nobles, when they were little, were wont to wear &s;ome jewell about their neck, that they might be known to be of high birth. So &s;hould wee make our heavenly parentage known by works of mercy, and truth.</P>
<P><HI>And write them upon the Table of thine heart.</HI> Have them in per|petual
<PB N="386" REF="192">all remembrance, as things not written in Tables of &s;tone, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Law was, but in thy heart, as in a Table of perpetu|all memory, as Gods Law was written at fir&s;t in <HI>Adams</HI> heart, and as we write in our Tablebooks tho&s;e things, of which wee would keep a preci&s;e memorandum. They &s;hould be mo&s;t dear unto us. So Queen <HI>Mary</HI> &s;aid, <HI>They that &s;hould rip her, &s;hould find Callis at her heart.</HI> Some have the images of their deare&s;t friends in form of an heart, which they hang upon their brea&s;t the &s;eat of the heart. So mercy and truth &s;hould have &s;o deep an impre&s;&s;ion upon the under&s;tanding, that they never go out of the memory. Some under&s;tand by <HI>binding them about the neck,</HI> &s;peaking of them, and teaching them to others, for the throat is the in&s;trument of &s;peaking. And by <HI>writing them on the Table of the heart</HI> th'inking of them, and remembring them. But the former interpretation is more &s;o|lid.</P>
<P><HI>For heart.</HI> See on <HI>ver.</HI> 1. and on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.2. Here is one thing &s;et out by divers &s;imilitudes in an eminent gradation like three &s;teps of a ladder one above another. Mercy and truth are compared.</P>
<P N="1">1. To companions, that mu&s;t not depart from us.</P>
<P N="2">2. To a chain about the neck, which is nearer then a com|panion.</P>
<P N="3">3. To a thing written in a Tablebook, which is nearer to the book, then a chain, that hangs loo&s;e about the neck.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> A double metaphor, wherin keeping mercy and truth, or exerci&s;ing them outwardly is compared to tying a gold chain about the neck for Ornament. And retaining them in the heart is compared to things written in a Tablebook, that they may not be forgotten.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The duty &s;et down plainly.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Figuratively.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the former note.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The double &s;ubject. <HI>Let not mercy and truth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct. <HI>For&s;ake thee.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the latter note.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The fimilitude from a chain.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. From a Tablebook.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the fir&s;t ob&s;erve.</P>
<PB N="387" REF="192">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>Bind them.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>about thy neck.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the &s;econd, note</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act, <HI>write them.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>upon the table of thy heart.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. Duties to men are to be made con&s;cience of, as wel as duties to God: See the fir&s;t enjoyned, the &s;econd conjoyn|ed. <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy &s;oul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the &s;econd is like unto it, Thou &s;halt love thy neighbour as thy &s;elfe. Mat.</HI> 22.37, 38, 39. Though the Pha|ri&s;ees did dutie to God, yet are they blamed for neglect of dutie to men. <HI>Wo unto you Scribes and Phari&s;ees hypocrites, for ye devour widowes hou&s;es, and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore ye &s;hal receive the greater damnation. Mat.</HI> 23.14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hath a care of the pre&s;ervation of his Image; In all the world, no creature &s;o like God, as man.</P>
<P N="2">2. God made laws to that purpo&s;e, as good rulers make laws, not for their own honour only, but for their &s;ubjects peace and wealth al&s;o.</P>
<P N="3">3. God appointed Magi&s;trates to execute tho&s;e laws, to be <HI>custodes utriu&s;&abque; tabulae, keepers of both tables:</HI> And he gave to them more honour and power then to other men, for that purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. He him&s;elfe wil puni&s;h tho&s;e wrongs done to men, at the day of judgment, which his deputies do not puni&s;h here, and wil puni&s;h them al&s;o for not doing it.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To condemn hypocrites, who profe&s;&s;e religion, but want humanity: of &s;uch the beloved Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>If a man &s;ay I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. And this com|mandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother al&s;o.</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.20.21.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Mercy and Truth &s;hould alwaies go together. <HI>If ye wil deal kindly and truly with my Master, tell me, Gen.</HI> 24.49. <HI>Lie not one to another. Put on bowels of mercies. Col.</HI> 3.9.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e both are ornaments to us: Men wear lace on good clothes, &s;o doth mercy adorn truth.</P>
<P N="2">2. both are profitable to others: &s;ometimes truth alone ties us to do good to other men, when we are by dutie or pro|mi&s;e,
<PB N="388" REF="193">engaged to them: but certainly mercy will &s;upply o|thers wants, where no particular engagment is.</P>
<P N="3">3. The want of the one, buries the commendation of the other; &s;uch an one is a merciful man to the poor, but there is no truth in him, no man can build upon his word; &s;uch a man is very ju&s;t in all his dealings, but as hard as flint; he hath a good e&s;tate, but the poor fare never the better for it.</P>
<P N="4">4. Both are together in God, el&s;e could we look for no favour from him, nor expect the performance of any promi&s;e made by him for we daily give him cau&s;e to break them all.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To blame &s;uch as brag of one of the&s;e, but want the other; one brags of his charity to the poor, and thinks at his death he mu&s;t needs go to heaven for it, though he got all his wealth by fraudulent dealing: Another boa&s;ts of his ju&s;t dealing, no man can &s;ay, black is his eye, though no poor man ever ta&s;ted of his cup: One is no &s;ign of &s;alvation, when the other leads to hel. In Logick, <HI>Conclu&s;io &s;emper &s;equitur partem debiliorem, The conclu&s;ion alwaies followes the weaker part.</HI> So here, hel claim her own.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 2. Be not content with one of the&s;e alone, make a mar|riage of them in your heart, and life: Tho&s;e whom God hath joyned together, let no man put a&s;&s;under; then may you &s;ay with <HI>David, I wil &s;ing of mercy and judgment, unto thee O Lord wil I &s;ing. P&s;al.</HI> 101.1.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Good mu&s;t be done to them to whom we owe nothing. This is to be a true neighbour in Chri&s;ts judgment, and mens; <HI>Which now of the&s;e three thinkest thou</HI> &s;aith our Savi|our to the <HI>Lawyer</HI>) <HI>was neighbour unto him that fel among the Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eves? And he &s;aid, he that &s;hewed mercy on him. Then &s;aid Je&s;us unto him, go thou, and do likewi&s;e, Luk.</HI> 30.36.37. <HI>Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou amay. Mat.</HI> 5.42. This mu&s;t be done,</P>
<P N="1">1. For the creatures &s;ake, we are Gods creature, &s;o are they, God would not have us neglect them, we &s;hould not do it.</P>
<P N="2">2. For mans &s;ake, they are not bea&s;ts, but men, as well as we; and while we are men, we may need others: no man can &s;tand wholly on his own bottom.</P>
<P N="3">3. For Gods &s;ake, who requires it, and to whom we can &s;hew no other real requital, for he needs not us, nor ours, but
<PB N="389" REF="193">enjoynes us to do good to others freely, for his &s;ake.</P>
<P N="4">4. For pitties &s;ake, every facultie of the &s;oul mu&s;t be ex|erci&s;ed, el&s;e it is in vain placed there.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To condemn hard hearted per&s;ons, who &s;ay to the poor, <HI>What do I owe you?</HI> The&s;e are <HI>Cains</HI> generation, who taught them their le&s;&s;on long &s;ince. <HI>Am I my Brothers Keeper?</HI> Gen. 4.9. And they may expect <HI>Cains</HI> reward, <HI>A fugitive, and a vagabond &s;halt thou be in the earth.</HI> Gen. 4.12.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Truth is required in all our dealings. <HI>Abimelech</HI> ex|pects it from <HI>Abraham. Swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt not deal fal&s;ly with me.</HI> Gen. 21.23. God likes it, and ab|hors the contrary. <HI>Lying lips are abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly, are his delight.</HI> Chap. 12.22.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e then wee &s;hall bee like God, who never breaks his word, though tho&s;e he deales withall, deal fal&s;ly with him, as the be&s;t of men do. This is his glory, let us imi|tate him, and it will be our credit.</P>
<P N="2">2. All men will be willing to deal with us, if they finde truth in our words, and deeds. El&s;e they will more willing|ly deal with poorer men.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> This &s;erves to cry up the forgotten trade of truth, when men &s;eek eva&s;ions to avoid contracts, and if them&s;elves &s;ee but a finger of gain, care not for a handfull of truth.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> We &s;hould have outward mementoes of our duties to men. <HI>This heap be witne&s;&s;e, and this pillar be witne&s;&s;e, that I will not pa&s;&s;e over this heap to thee, and that thou &s;halt not pa&s;&s;e over this heap, and this Pillar to me for harme.</HI> Gen. 31.52. <HI>Pauls</HI> chain put him in mind of <HI>One&s;iphorus</HI> his kindne&s;&s;e. <HI>Hee was not a&s;hamed of my chain.</HI> 2. Tim. 1.16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. The creatures may put us in mind of it. See how kind Heaven i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">to Earth, that affords it &s;hine, and &s;howers to ripen the fruits of it; yet gets nothing by it. Gra&s;&s;e feeds bea&s;ts; bea&s;ts feed us.</P>
<P N="2">2. Mens faces, and habits put us in mind of true, and merci|full dealing with them. The poores ragges, and pittifull words, other mens kind lookes and carriage mind us of both.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> Make u&s;e of &s;uch gla&s;&s;es, as the&s;e. How can ye look up to the Heaven, or down to the Earth, or the ragges of the
<PB N="390" REF="194">poor, or faces of the rich, and yet deal fal&s;ly, or har&s;hly with others.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> We mu&s;t be hearty in duties to men. <HI>Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart.</HI> 2 King. 10.15. <HI>The &s;oul of</HI> Jonathan <HI>was knit with the &s;oul of David.</HI> 1 Sam. 18.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. We would have men deal &s;o with us: we care not for their out&s;ides.</P>
<P N="2">2. We can then give a good account, not to men onely with whom we deal, but al&s;o to God, who knows, how wee dealt with them.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To blame &s;uch as doe good offices, but unwillingly, grudgingly, and as it were by con&s;traint. The&s;e are dead, and heartle&s;&s;e kindne&s;&s;es. Such forget, <HI>that God loveth a chearfull giver.</HI> 2 Cor. 9.7. And therefore mu&s;t not look for any reward from him.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. IV.</BIBL> So &s;halt thou find favour, and good understanding in the &s;ight of God and man.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE wi&s;e man having pre&s;&s;ed two duties, that go again&s;t the hair in our corrupted nature, mercy, and truth, now he urges them with promi&s;es of rewards often inculcated el&s;e|where, and &s;uitable to the things required. Hee that &s;hewes mercy to men, &s;hall find mercy with God. And he that deales truly with men, &s;hall have under&s;tanding, how to manage his affairs wi&s;ely in the world: or to joyn them together. Hee that deals mercifully, and truly, &s;hall be loved of God, and e&s;teemed wi&s;e among men. The&s;e are two &s;purs to the former two duties. For the word</P>
<P><HI>So.</HI> Heb. <HI>And.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.9. and on <HI>ver.</HI> 22. there on the word <HI>But.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Shalt thou find.</HI> Heb. <HI>Find thou.</HI> The imperative for the fu|ture. The commanding phra&s;e for the promi&s;ing. So, <HI>Keep my Commandments, and live.</HI> Chap. 4.4. That is, <HI>And thou &s;halt live.</HI> For where God promi&s;es, mercy, there he <HI>commands a ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> P&s;al. 133.3. And all creatures mu&s;t help to bring it. Thus the Poets &s;peak al&s;o, <HI>Si faetura gregem &s;uppleverit, aure|us esto Virgil. If thy flock bring forth abundantly, be thou a gol|den</HI>
<PB N="391" REF="194">(or, <HI>rich</HI>) <HI>man.</HI> That is, thou &s;halt be &s;o. So on the con|trary the future, or promi&s;ing ten&s;e is put for the Imperative, or commanding. <HI>Thou &s;halt have no other Gods.</HI> That is, <HI>Have not.</HI> For Gods command ties us, as much as mans promi&s;e ties him. For <HI>Find.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13. Some read it, <HI>And find favour.</HI> As if wi&s;dom did admoni&s;h men to &s;eek for favour by tho&s;e vertues.</P>
<P><HI>Favour.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.9. on the word, <HI>Grace.</HI> Thou &s;halt find comfort, kindne&s;&s;e, liking, good acceptation. As men by their comely per&s;onage, or wi&s;e carriage, or good offices find &s;avour with Princes.</P>
<P><HI>And good under&s;tanding.</HI> Thou &s;halt be e&s;teemed a wi&s;e man. <HI>The Nations &s;hall &s;ay, &s;urely this great Nation is a wi&s;e, and un|derstanding people.</HI> Deut. 4.6. For <HI>Good.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.9. For <HI>understanding.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 13. on the word <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In the &s;ight.</HI> Heb. <HI>In the eyes.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 11.17. <HI>Of God.</HI> See <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.5.</P>
<P><HI>And man.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. Signifies.</P>
<P N="1">1. A man in generall. <HI>Man that is born of a woman.</HI> Iob. 14.1.</P>
<P N="2">2. It was the name of the fir&s;t man, that ever was. <HI>Adam knew his wife.</HI> Gen. 4.1. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, yet collectively, <HI>man</HI> for <HI>men;</HI> as often el&s;e where. The la&s;t words admit of a threefold &s;en&s;e. Some under&s;tand them thus, Thou &s;halt know how to carry thy &s;elf well in all offices to bee done to God, or man. But that is onely toward God, and man. In the <HI>&s;ight</HI> of them is more. As in the fir&s;t Commandement, <HI>Thou &s;halt have no other Gods in my &s;ight.</HI> It is a greater fault for a woman to lie with an adulterer in her husbands &s;ight, then el&s;e where. Others thus, God, and man will favour thee, and acknowledge, that thou ha&s;t carried thy &s;elfe wi&s;ely. Others thus, Thou &s;halt have good &s;ucce&s;&s;e: For that the word will al&s;o bear. God will be &s;o gracious to thee, and men &s;o friendly, that thou &s;halt thrive wonderfully, and men &s;hall take no|tice, and bear witne&s;&s;e of it. The &s;econd way is be&s;t, and mo&s;t agreeable to the common u&s;e of the original word. The &s;um is, if thou exerci&s;e mercy and truth toward men, God, and men will favour thee, and approve, and bear witne&s;&s;e of thy great under&s;tanding.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> A metaphor in <HI>Find.</HI> Thou &s;halt obtain it, as men
<PB N="392" REF="195">get things they find. Another metaphor in the <HI>eyes,</HI> or <HI>&s;ight of God.</HI> For God hath no eyes, yet wil he take notice of it, as men do of what they &s;ee. <HI>In the eyes of men,</HI> that is, <HI>in their &s;ight:</HI> for men take notice of tho&s;e things that come within the reach of their eyes. The meaning is, they wil look upon thee with delight: a metonymie of the cau&s;e for the effect.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The things promi&s;ed which are two. 1. <HI>So &s;halt thou find favour.</HI> 2. <HI>And good under&s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The large extent of them, <HI>in the &s;ight of God and man.</HI> Some things plea&s;e men, that offend God; other things plea&s;e God, that offend men: thy waies &s;hal plea&s;e both. This is a great, but a rare ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. Good things cannot be too often inculcated. This is familiar with <HI>Solomon</HI> in this book of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> to urge the &s;ame things, though with &s;ome variety of words. My <HI>&s;on, hear the in&s;truction of thy father. Chap.</HI> 1.8. <HI>My &s;on, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandements with thee. Chap.</HI> 2.1. <HI>My &s;on, forget not my Law, but let thine heart keep my com|mandments. Chap.</HI> 1.3. This cour&s;e is approved by Saint <HI>Paul. To write the &s;ame things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is &s;afe. Phil.</HI> 3.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the dulne&s;&s;e of our apprehen&s;ion; matters of truth and holine&s;&s;e may be &s;poken often, before we under|&s;tand them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of the deadne&s;&s;e of our affections, that have no love to either, naturally.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e we are more forgetfull of good things, then of other.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemnes the nicene&s;&s;e of men, that cannot endure to hear old fundamental truths often pre&s;&s;ed, but are &s;o plea|&s;ed with new things, that they run into old errors: a Mini|&s;ter mu&s;t bring forth old things for matter, new for manner. <HI>Every Scribe which is in&s;tructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven, is like unto a man that is an hou&s;e-holder, which bringeth forth out of his trea&s;ure things new and old. Mat.</HI> 13.52. <HI>Brethren, I write no new commandament unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word, which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new comman|dement I write unto you, which thing is true in him, and in you,
<PB N="393" REF="195">becau&s;e the darkne&s;&s;e is pa&s;t, and the true light now &s;hineth.</HI> 1 <HI>John.</HI> 2.7.8.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. God gives fit rewards. For good carriage to men, he gives favour with men: For <HI>Nebuchadnezzars</HI> &s;ervice in taking <HI>Tirus,</HI> God gives him the land of <HI>Aegypt. Son of man,</HI> Nebuchadnezar, <HI>King of</HI> Babylon, <HI>cau&s;ed his army to &s;erve a great &s;ervice against</HI> Tyrus. <HI>Every head was made bald, and every &s;houlder was peeled: yet he had no wages, nor his Army for</HI> Tyrus, <HI>for the &s;ervice that he had &s;erved against it. Therefore thus &s;aith the Lord God, behold I wil give the land of</HI> Aegypt <HI>unto</HI> Nebuchadnezar <HI>King of</HI> Babylon, <HI>and he &s;hal take her multitude, and take her &s;poile, and take her prey, and it &s;hal be the wages of his army. I have given him the land of</HI> Aegypt <HI>for his labour, wherewith he &s;erved against it, becau&s;e they wrought for me, &s;aith the Lord God. Ezek.</HI> 29.18, 19.20. Tho&s;e that ho|nour God with their encrea&s;e, God wil give to them a greater increa&s;e. <HI>Honour the Lord with thy &s;ubstance, and with the first fruits of all thine increa&s;e, &s;o &s;hal thy barnes be filled with plenty, and thy pre&s;&s;es &s;hal burst out with new wine.</HI> ver&s;e 9, 10. of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Chap.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. To allure men the more to do good offices; &s;uita|ble wages makes a &s;ervant diligent.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;hew Gods great approbation of them, by the like|ne&s;&s;e of the rewards to the duties.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Ob&s;erve the proportion of your rewards to your du|ties, &s;ee Gods mercy and wi&s;dome in it, and give him glory.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Mercy and truth find favour with God. So did <HI>Jo|&s;eph, Mo&s;es, David, Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are a part of Gods image, and that he likes, where ever he finds it: God doth good to all, he keeps his word, and likes them that do &s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. Though God get no good by them in us, yet his Church doth: &s;ometimes his people need mercy from men, &s;ometimes truth in performances, and upright dealing in tho&s;e with whom they have to doe. This God counts as done to him|&s;elfe. <HI>In a&s;much as ye have done it unto one of the lea&s;t of the&s;e my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Mat.</HI> 25.40.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us be encouraged to deal mercifully, and truly with all men: If others, or they with whom we deal regard it
<PB N="394" REF="196">not, God will, we &s;hal have great need of his favour in death, and judgment, if we will not &s;ee what need we have of it now.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Mercy and truth will find favour with Men. The former examples prove it.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. In regard of men, they love to be dealt mercifully and truly with all them&s;elves, even they that deal not &s;o with others, and therefore they commend it in others, and think well of them, and wi&s;h well to them out of &s;elfe-love, as many an Adulterer likes a cha&s;t Wife: And as other men, &s;o e&s;pecial|ly they that get good by our merciful, and ju&s;t dealing, wil favour us, and &s;peak well of us.</P>
<P N="2">2. God will encline mens hearts to favour &s;uch, as deal mercifully and truly; yea, oftentimes God, who gives credit, and fa&s;hioneth mens opinions, and enclines mens hearts as he plea&s;e, makes &s;trangers, heathens, yea enemies, that u&s;e to hate all religion and goodne&s;&s;e, by nature, and have par|ticular quarrels with the per&s;ons of godly men, makes them, I &s;ay, to commend godly men, for their mercy and truth, and &s;ometimes to do them much good. Thus <HI>Sau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lents, and confe&s;&s;es <HI>David</HI>'s innocency. <HI>Thou art more right<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ous then I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evill.</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24.17. This <HI>Ezra</HI> ble&s;&s;es God for; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put &s;uch a thing as this into the Kings heart, and bath extended mercy unto me before the King, and his councellors, and before all the Kings mighty Princes. Ezr.</HI> 7.27.28.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Behold a &s;econd motive to merciful and true dealing: O, &s;ay they, men wil not do &s;o to us. We an&s;wer, they &s;hould do &s;o, and if God &s;ee it fit, he wil make them to deal &s;o with you.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 5. Mercy and truth teach a man how to direct his waies before God. It is &s;een in the Centurion, <HI>He loveth our Nation, and hath built us a Synagogue. Then Je&s;us went with him. Luk.</HI> 7.5.6. And in <HI>Cornebus,</HI> who was <HI>a devout man, and one that feared God, which gave much almes to the people, and prayed to God alwaies. Acts</HI> 10.1, 2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the&s;e things are plea&s;ing to God, though done to men, and therefore he teacheth &s;uch, how to carry them&s;elves wi&s;ely before him&s;elfe al&s;o.</P>
<PB N="395" REF="196">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e there is a chain of graces, and they love to go to|gether. Like will to like.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Lo a third motive to be merciful, and true dealing: wi&s;e carriage before God is to be got, as a reward of it. And that is a great mercy, &s;uch an one, as all people may wonder at, and and &s;ay, <HI>Surely this great Nation is a wi&s;e and understanding people.</HI> Deut. 4.6.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 6. Mercy and truth teach a man how to direct his waies before men al&s;o. So they taught <HI>David.</HI> They taught him to behave him&s;elf wi&s;ely, &s;o that <HI>He was accepted in the &s;ight of all the people, and al&s;o in the &s;ight of Sauls &s;ervants.</HI> 2 Sam. 18.5. So it taught <HI>Jo&s;eph.</HI> When they heard that <HI>Jo|&s;ephs brethren were come, it plea&s;ed Pharaoh well, and his &s;er|vants.</HI> Gen. 45.16. His good carriage got this re&s;pect to him|&s;elfe, and his. So did <HI>Abrahams</HI> among the <HI>Canaanites. Thou art a mighty Prince among us: in the choice of our Sepul|chres bury thy dead.</HI> Gen. 236.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they conduce much to direct us in our carriage in the world.</P>
<P N="2">2. The want of either makes men noted for folly in their affairs.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See a fourth argument to mercifull and true dealing. They that care not for obeying God, yet would with <HI>Saul</HI> be honoured before the people. Mercy and truth will be a good means to bring this honour from men, as giving us the &s;er|pents &s;ubtlety with the doves innocency.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 5.</BIBL> Tru&s;t in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own under&s;tanding.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre follow certain precepts concerning our carriage to God, with promi&s;es annexed to &s;ome of them. In this Ver&s;e tru&s;ting in God, is commended to us: and &s;elf-confidence the contrary to it, is forbidden. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Trust.</HI> Put confidence in God, and re&s;t on him, and repo&s;e thy &s;elf on this fatherly providence for deliverance from all evill, and the fruition of all good here, and hereafter. Tru&s;t may be oppo&s;ed to doubting, and fear, and &s;o may intimate
<PB N="396" REF="197">not onely relying on God, but waiting with a&s;&s;urance of a good event, e&s;pecially if we wait upon the right per&s;on, and that upon good grounds. Some writers make a coherence here. Some of them tie it to the fir&s;t ver&s;e, as if it had re&s;pect to the keeping of the Law, thus, Do not be affraid, that by rea&s;on of thy weakne&s;&s;e thou can&s;t not keep Gods command|ments; neither think on the other &s;ide, that thou can&s;t know them by thy naturall wit, or do them by thy natural &s;trength: but tru&s;t in the commander, and hee will make thee able in &s;ome good mea&s;ure to do what he enjoines: others knit the&s;e words to the third Ver&s;e. Becau&s;e thou art not able to keep mercy and truth, tru&s;t in God, and he will make thee able: o|thers tie it to the fourth ver&s;e. Shew that thou ha&s;t good un|der&s;tanding indeed by tru&s;ting in God, and not in thine owne wi&s;dom. Others to the words following, If thou tru&s;t in God, and not to thine own wit, thou wilt wi&s;ely and readily per|form all the duties following to God, and man. But it is better to take the words without any coherence according to the for|mer interpretation. Believe that God will not fail thee in any nece&s;&s;ity; but thy own wit may; and act accordingly. Some re&s;train this tru&s;ting in God to matters of &s;alvation, but that is too &s;trait, for we mu&s;t tru&s;t in God for earth, as well as for Heaven.</P>
<P><HI>In the Lord.</HI> Heb. <HI>on the Lord.</HI> Not in any creature. Faith, and confidence &s;houd have no meaner object, then God. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>With all.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>Thine heart.</HI> Not in word onely, but in truth: not in part, but wholy. Not partly on Gods care, and partly on thine own wit; but altogether on him. For <HI>Heart,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.2.</P>
<P><HI>And lean not.</HI> As a man leans upon a &s;taffe to &s;upport him from falling. Pre&s;ume not upon thine own wit. Tru&s;t not to it.</P>
<P><HI>Unto thine own understanding.</HI> Think not thy &s;elf &s;o wi&s;e, that thou knowe&s;t all means of providing good things, or free|ing from evill. Some re&s;train it to carnall wi&s;dome, which is corrupt, and &s;infull. But it reaches al&s;o to naturall wit, deepe reach, and policy: which though it may lawfully be u&s;ed, ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mu&s;t it not be re&s;ted upon, &s;o as to di&s;parage Gods overruling
<PB N="397" REF="197">providence. He mentions onely wi&s;dom, or under&s;tanding, becau&s;e men are more ready to lean to that, then to &s;trength or riches. Yet the&s;e are excluded all &s;o figuratively here, and expre&s;ly in other places of &s;cripture from being ob|jects of our confidence: neither mu&s;t a man re&s;t on any of them any more, then on under&s;tanding. And le&s;&s;e rea&s;on to tru&s;t on them, for wit can do no more in war, or peace, then &s;trength, or riches. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.2. The &s;um is, Take heed thou be not high-minded, becau&s;e of mens fa|vour, nor arrogate too much to thy &s;elf, becau&s;e of thy &s;ubtil pate: but think meanly of thy &s;elf, and tru&s;t in God, not faint|ly, nor in part, but with thy whole heart, and &s;oul.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> 1. A metaphor from an old, or &s;ick man leaning on his &s;taffe, who el&s;e mu&s;t fall intimating, that if all our tru&s;t bee not in God, we are &s;ure to peri&s;h. <HI>Lean not,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2. A figure of the part for the whole, <HI>The understanding</HI> for all things, that men u&s;e to relie on, be&s;ides God.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. An injunction.</P>
<P N="2">2. An inhibition.</P>
<P>In the injunction ob&s;erve.</P>
<P N="1">1. An act. <HI>Tru&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. An object. <HI>In the Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The manner, <HI>With all thine heart.</HI></P>
<P>In the inhibition note.</P>
<P N="1">1. The act prohibited. <HI>And lean not.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Obiect. <HI>To thine own under&s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Our happine&s;&s;e is not from our &s;elves, but from God. El&s;e needed we not tru&s;t in him. <HI>O I&s;rael, thou hast de|&s;troyed thy &s;elf, but in me is thy help,</HI> Ho&s;. 13.9. <HI>So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God, that &s;heweth mercy.</HI> Rom. 9.16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. It is not from our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e our unhappine&s;&s;e is from our &s;elves, therefore our happine&s;&s;e is not. <HI>No Foun tain can both yield falt water, and &s;weet.</HI> Iam. 3.12. A bad husband that wa&s;ts all, cannot make him&s;elfe rich.</P>
<P N="2">2. We irrecoverably undoe our own &s;elves in regard of our own help. We are not like a man, that makes him&s;elf lame,
<PB N="398" REF="198">or &s;ick, and may heal him&s;elfe again, but like a man that puts out his eyes, or kills him&s;elfe, who cannot recover his &s;ight or life. It is from God.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e no earthly creature can give happine&s;&s;e. <HI>Nil dat, quod non hab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t. Nothing can give what it hath not.</HI> If the conduit pipe hath no water, it can give no water.</P>
<P N="2">2. No heavenly creature can give it, for they are like &s;tand|ing pooles, top-ful of water, not like well-&s;prings running over. Therefore God mu&s;t give it, or we can never have it.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> 1. Seek not for happine&s;&s;e in any thing in your power, as in honour, wealth, plea&s;ure: this is but to wa&s;h a black. Moor.</P>
<P N="2">2. Seek to God for it, if you de&s;ire it, you mu&s;t mount above earth and heaven, and &s;ue to the throne of Grace for it, or never have happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. God is the only object of &s;afe confidence. <HI>O Lord of hosts, ble&s;&s;ed is the man that tru&s;teth in thee. P&s;al.</HI> 84.12. <HI>Put not your tru&s;t in Princes, nor in the &s;on of man, in whom there is no help. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, who&s;e hope is in the Lord his God. P&s;al.</HI> 146.3, 5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e all other confidence may fail us in &s;ome ca&s;es; as in deliverance from &s;in, pangs of con&s;cience, hour of death and hel: put men or angels to it, they are at a &s;tand, they can go no-further then natural &s;trength, fen&s;e, or rea&s;on wil reach, and all the&s;e are infinitely &s;hort in the former ca&s;es: if they had power, yet would fail &s;ometimes, they might be &s;o provoked, they would not do what they could, nor what they promi&s;ed.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is no ca&s;e, in which God cannot, or will not help his: He need not fail his, becau&s;e he is omni&s;cient, and omnipotent: He will not, becau&s;e he is merciful and true; we are certain, that God will not, nor cannot go again&s;t his promi&s;es of provi&s;ion, and protection, and deliverance, made to his, for he is the infallible truth, and no power can let him to keep promi&s;e: He is the Almightie, who &s;aith, <HI>My coun&s;el &s;hal &s;tand, and I wil do all my plea&s;ure. I&s;a.</HI> 40.10.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Let us not tru&s;t in wit, wealth, &s;trength, friends, good intantions, merits; all the&s;e will fail us in things that concern this life, or a better: As no man can pa&s;&s;e the Sea,
<PB N="399" REF="198">without a light &s;hip, that can &s;ail over the waters, for if he walk on them, he will be drowned; &s;o no man can e&s;cape perils of &s;oul and body by his &s;trength, he mu&s;t have Gods &s;pirit to make him light, that he may walk on the&s;e waters. <HI>Macar. Hom.</HI> 44.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us take notice, that all our &s;trength is in God, in whom we may &s;ecurely tru&s;t, and not in our own prudence, or ought el&s;e. Among the fir&s;t precepts of wi&s;dome, humi|litie is commended, and confidence in God, whom to have alwaies before our eyes, and to call for his help is the high|e&s;t wi&s;dome, as on the contrary, to lean to our own prudence is the greate&s;t folly. For <HI>what ha&s;t thou that thou did&s;t not re|ceive?</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.7. Let us u&s;e means, but place all our tru&s;t in God, when all means in heaven and earth fail us, he wil &s;upply us. If a man had a &s;hip with &s;ailes, mariners, all provi&s;ions need|ful, yet if the wind fail, he cannot go on in his voyage. If that &s;erve, wor&s;e tackling wil &s;erve. So nothing can do good without Gods ble&s;&s;ing, any thing wil do good with it. <HI>Ba&s;il. Hom. de &s;pirit. Sanct. Deo dante nil pote&s;t livor, eo negante nil pote&s;t labor. Greg. Naz. If God give, envy cannot hinder, if he deny, labour cannot further. Elinandus, Lib.</HI> 4. mentions a tree, which protected creatures from Dragons while they were under the &s;hadow of it, but when they went out, they were devoured. An emblem of Gods providence. <HI>He that dwelleth in the mo&s;t &s;ecret place of the most high, &s;hal abide under the &s;ha|dow of the Almighty. P&s;al.</HI> 91.1. <HI>Valerius Maximus, lib.</HI> 3. <HI>c. de fiducia,</HI> reports, that one telling a &s;ouldier, going to war again&s;t the Per&s;ians, that they would hide the Sun with their Arrowes, he an&s;wered, <HI>We shall fight ba&s;t in the shade.</HI> Tru&s;t God for deliverance from troubles, and &s;upply of help, when all means fail, he never fails his: confidence is the lea&s;t, and yet the be&s;t we can render to the Lord; for hereby we acknow|ledge his &s;overaignty, and as it were, &s;et the crown upon his head, if we put tru&s;t in his &s;hadow. <HI>Judg.</HI> 9.15. Remember then that of the Prophet, <HI>In quietne&s;&s;e, and in confidence shal be your &s;trength. I&s;a.</HI> 30.15. And that of the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>They that tru&s;t in the Lord shal be as mount Sion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. P&s;al.</HI> 125.1.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. God mu&s;t be re&s;ted on heartily. <HI>My heart tru&s;ted in him. P&s;al.</HI> 28.7.</P>
<PB N="400" REF="199">
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God knowes the heart, which men does not.</P>
<P N="2">2. If we only make &s;hews of tru&s;ting in him, he wil only make &s;hewes of helping us, but fail us, as we do him. He wil do to men as they beleeve. <HI>Mat.</HI> 8.13.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To &s;hew us that there are but a few that tru&s;t in the Lord as they ought, for the greate&s;t part of the World, &s;et their hearts on other things, by rea&s;on of their ignorance of the in&s;ufficiency of all creatures, and contempt of Gods word, which abundantly &s;ets forth the &s;ufficiency of the Al|mighty. The heart rules our words and deeds, and therefore an heartle&s;&s;e profe&s;&s;ion of tru&s;ting in God is to no purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Look that your confidence in God be hearty, and &s;incere, els look for no good from God; if you que&s;tion his &s;ufficiency, or fidelity, you &s;hal get no good by either.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. God mu&s;t be re&s;ted on entirely, and univer&s;ally. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that maketh God his tru&s;t. P&s;al.</HI> 40.4. <HI>Thou art my hope O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">al.</HI> 72.5. To &s;uch as tru&s;t in God wholly, God is made their tru&s;t, and is their tru&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> Becau&s;e God will have all or none, as in our love, which mu&s;t be <HI>with all the heart, all the &s;oul, and all the mind. Mat.</HI> 22.37. And with all our &s;ervice, <HI>Ye cannot &s;erve God and Mammon. Mat.</HI> 6.24. So with all our confidence, and in all things: He will allow no partner, but will be tru&s;ted in alone, and <HI>wil not give kis glory to another, I&s;a.</HI> 42.8. nor have his &s;ole-&s;ufficiency que&s;tioned.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See your confidence be not divided, part on God, part on men; &s;uch a confidence may keep you from the Lions, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 17.25. but it cannot keep you out of hel. An hou&s;e built partly on firm ground, partly on &s;and, or propt on one &s;ide, not on the other wil fall. To tru&s;t on God then, is to be unbottomed of thy &s;elfe, and of every creature, and &s;o to lean upon God, that if he fail thee, thou &s;inke&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 5. Selfe-confidence cannot &s;tand with tru&s;ting in God. <HI>Solomon</HI> makes an oppo&s;ition here between <HI>leaning on our un|der&s;tanding,</HI> and <HI>tru&s;ting in the Lord. Say not in thine heart, my power, and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. But Thou &s;halt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth
<PB N="401" REF="199">their power to get wealth. Deut.</HI> 8.17.18. <HI>Cur&s;ed be the man that tru&s;teth in man, and maketh fle&s;h his arme, and who&s;e heart de|parteth from the Lord. Jer.</HI> 17.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it undermines our tru&s;t in God. For while we think we have help in our &s;elves &s;ufficient, we think it needle&s;&s;e to look for help from God.</P>
<P N="2">2. It oppo&s;eth tru&s;ting in God; &s;elfe-confidence is an act of pride, tru&s;ting in God is an act of humility. We conceive God an enemy naturally, and who wil tru&s;t in an enemy?</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> It &s;hewes us the way that ruines many, that we may avoid it; they tru&s;t in them&s;elves, and cannot help them&s;elves; and God wil not help them, becau&s;e they tru&s;t not in him.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 6. It is a dangerous thing for the wi&s;e&s;t man in the world to tru&s;t in his own brain. Witne&s;&s;e <HI>Achitophel,</HI> who&s;e policy brought him to hang him&s;elf, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 17.23.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a &s;taffe of reed, which wil both fail and hurt; as a man, or hou&s;e falling, when &s;taffe or props fail, are left helple&s;&s;e, and hurt them&s;elves or others.</P>
<P N="2">2. This was the great cau&s;e of Idolatry, leaving &s;cripture direction, and leaning to &s;elfe-under&s;tanding. A refined Ido|latry, Saint-wor&s;hip came in from Court-&s;tate.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed of this Rock of being &s;elfe-conceited, as if thou thought&s;t thy &s;elfe the wi&s;e&s;t man in the world, and all events of thine actions depended on thy brain: What a vanity, madne&s;&s;e, dangerous error is it, for a man, mortal, &s;ubject to a mi&s;erable life, changeable in Soul and body, loaden with &s;o many &s;ins, in danger of &s;o many temptations, and corrup|tions, and eternal pains, and by nature de&s;titute of under&s;tan|ding, to tru&s;t to his own skil? He mu&s;t needs fall, the faire&s;t blo&s;|&s;omes of mens endeavours wither, and the unproblable&s;t things come to pa&s;&s;e, where men tru&s;t to their own wi&s;dome: One &s;aith of General Coun&s;cels, they &s;eldome were &s;ucce&s;sful, becau&s;e men came with confidence, leaning to their own un|der&s;tanding, and &s;eeking for victory rather then verity. Take then the Apo&s;tles coun&s;el, <HI>Become a fool that thou mai&s;t be wi&s;e,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. A pur&s;e ful of counters mu&s;t be emptied, before it can be filled with gold: A ve&s;&s;el mu&s;t have water powred out that is in it, before it can be filled with wine: a Table-book mu&s;t be cleared of all unprofitable &s;criblings, before learned
<PB N="402" REF="200">ob&s;ervations can be written in it. Thou mu&s;t ca&s;t off all &s;elf-confidence, before thou can&s;t depend on divine providence: Thou mu&s;t pull down thy proud &s;ailes of &s;elf-confidence: el&s;e they will &s;ink thee in a &s;ea of mi&s;ery.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 6.</BIBL> In all thy waies acknowledge him, and he &s;hall direct thy paths.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>COnfidence on God was required in the la&s;t Ver&s;e, and that in the heart. Here homage to God is required, and acknowledgement of him in all our waies. And an encoura|ging promi&s;e is added of better &s;ucce&s;&s;e, then we could other|wi&s;e expect. God will direct our paths to a better end, then we look for. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>In all.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13. Not in &s;ome one way, but in all.</P>
<P><HI>Thy waies.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.15. Here is meant the actions of our life, in which we continue, and go on, as travailers in their way. It is &s;eldom u&s;ed for thoughts, which are internall, or words, but for deeds, or cour&s;es of life in &s;cripture phra&s;e; Yet is God to be acknowledged in them al&s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Acknowledge him.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.2. on the word, <HI>Know.</HI> For tho&s;e whom we will not acknowledge, wee make the world believe, we know them not. Some under&s;tand it of ac|knowledging God in the beginning of our works, or in the contriving of them. To acknowledge him, as a Catholick en|joyner, or director, and not to dare to goe about any thing not agreeable to his word, nor in any way di&s;agree able.</P>
<P>To take notice what God appoints to be done, and how, and to what end, and to proceed accordingly, and commit the &s;ucce&s;s to him, as a &s;ervant, or letter-carrier doth his bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e appointed, not taking care whether it be likely to prove wel or ill. Others under&s;tand it of acknowleding God in the progre&s;&s;e of our works. And that either as a perpetual over&s;eer, which will keep us from evill, and encourage us to good. So God bids <HI>Abraham, walk before me, and be thou perfect.</HI> Gen. 17.1. Or as an enabler, without whom wee can do no good, nor get no good by what we doe, and therefore pray to him
<PB N="403" REF="200">for &s;trength to do what we undertake, and a ble&s;&s;ing upon it: others interpret it of the &s;ucce&s;&s;e of our workes, if it be good, then to acknowledge God the giver of it, or rewarder. If bad, then to acknowledge God the revenger, if we did ill, or trier of our graces, if wee did well, and &s;peed ill. Under the&s;e heads come the many interpretations of commenters. It is hard to &s;ay preci&s;ely, which is intended. I conceive, Not the fir&s;t, becau&s;e he &s;peaks not of the preparations for our journey, but of the journey it &s;elf. Nor the la&s;t, for that is the end of the way, not the way it &s;elf. Nor the fir&s;t part of the &s;econd in|terpretation taking God as an over&s;eer. But the &s;econd part of it, looking to him for all &s;trength, which is a greater acknow|ledgment of him, as it is more to enable one to doe the work, then to look on, while he doth it. Al&s;o it agrees well with what went before. Tru&s;t in him onely, and no way to thy &s;elf, and &s;o acknowledge all &s;trength to be in him, and &s;eek to him for it. It agrees well with what followes.</P>
<P><HI>And.</HI> That is, Then, when thou ha&s;t &s;o done, thou maie&s;t boldly expect a good i&s;&s;ue from him of all thou doe&s;t accor|ding to his will. So this particle is tran&s;lated, <HI>Then he is gra|cious unto him.</HI> Iob 33.24.</P>
<P><HI>He &s;hall direst thy paths.</HI> For <HI>paths</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.19. on the word <HI>waies.</HI> Some under&s;tand this of informing men, what they may lawfully doe, and what not. But it is better inter|preted of relation to the end. He will make thy waies to pro&s;|per, and give a comfortable &s;ucce&s;&s;e: So that here is not a bare reward, but a &s;uitable one. Acknowledge thou all thy &s;trength to come from God, and pray to him to a&s;&s;i&s;t thee, and he will ble&s;&s;e thy labours, that thou &s;halt effect more then thou could&s;t expect.</P>
<P><HI>Figures. Direct thy paths.</HI> A metaphor from a guide, that leads an ignorant man in a right way to the place, to which he would go, but knows not, how to get thither.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. A precept.</P>
<P N="2">2. A promi&s;e.</P>
<P>In the precept ob&s;erve.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Act. <HI>Acknowledge.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Object. <HI>Him.</HI> The Lord mentioned, <HI>ver.</HI> 5.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Adjuncts.</P>
<PB N="404" REF="201">
<P N="1">1. Of quality. <HI>In thy waies.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Of quantity. In them <HI>all.</HI></P>
<P>In the promi&s;e note.</P>
<P N="1">1. The ble&s;&s;ing, Gods direction. <HI>And he &s;hall direct.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2 The objects, Mans waies. <HI>Thy paths.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good mans life is a journey. It appears by <HI>Peters</HI> charge. <HI>Dearly beloved, I be&s;eech you, as strangers and Pilgrims, ab&s;tain from fle&s;hly lusts, which war against the &s;oul.</HI> 1 Pet 2.11. It appears al&s;o by <HI>Pauls</HI> profe&s;&s;ion, <HI>Brethren I count not my &s;elfe to have apprehended: but this one thing I doe, forgetting tho&s;e things, which are behind, and reaching forth unto tho&s;e things, which are before, I pre&s;&s;e toward the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Phil. 3.13, 14.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. In regard of the beginning of it. It begins as &s;oon as grace is wrought in the heart. Then comes the fir&s;t &s;tep of our &s;pirituall journey; <HI>Paul</HI> converted went <HI>immediately</HI> a|bout this journey, and <HI>conferred not with fle&s;h and blood</HI> to delay him.</P>
<P>In re&s;pect of motion. He is ever moving from one good du|ty to another, as a traveller from one Town to another.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of progre&s;&s;e. Hee grows in knowledge, and grace, as a traveller daily &s;hortens his journey.</P>
<P N="4">4. In re&s;pect of &s;trangene&s;&s;e. Men marvell at a &s;trangers ha|bit, and carriage, and he at theirs. So in piety. Wicked men <HI>think it &s;trange, that</HI> godly men <HI>run not with them into the &s;ame exce&s;&s;e of riot.</HI> 1 Pet. 4.4. And godly men marvell as much at the extravagant cour&s;es of wicked men. <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> &s;eeing the indolatry of the <HI>Lystrians rent their cloths, and cry out,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Sirs, why do ye the&s;e things?</HI> Act. 14.14, 15.</P>
<P N="5">5. In regard of perill. Strangers are expo&s;ed to dangers eve|ry where. So are godly men. The <HI>Lystrians,</HI> that would have wor&s;hipped <HI>Paul</HI> as a God, pre&s;ently after at the per&s;wa&s;ion of the <HI>Antiochians,</HI> and <HI>Iconians</HI> &s;tone him. <HI>Act.</HI> 14.19. He might well then by experience &s;ay, <HI>We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.</HI> Act. 14.22.</P>
<P N="6">6. In re&s;pect of the aimed-at end, which is &s;ome rich, faire, or mart by the traveller, Heaven by the godly man.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Let us re&s;olve to bear all the inconveniences of the
<PB N="405" REF="201">way, wants, and affronts. The end will pay for all.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us mind our end, and be diligent in our way, that we may be at re&s;t, and in happine&s;&s;e. So a merchant labours and travells in his youth to have re&s;t, and wealth in his' age.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good man hath many good actions of &s;everall good kinds to do. So a traveller hath fair paths, and foule, green, &s;tony waies, and good &s;tore of each to travell over. <HI>Rem.</HI> 12. All over contains &s;everall duties. The Go&s;pell <HI>teach|eth us to live &s;oberly, righteou&s;ly, and godlily in this pre&s;ent world.</HI> Tit. 2.11.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Many duties to God are to be done, as praying, hea|ring Gods word, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Many to our &s;elves, as ruling our appetite, and anger.</P>
<P N="3">3. Many to our fellow-travellers the Saints by the u&s;e of our &s;pirituall, and temporall talents.</P>
<P N="4">4. Many to &s;trangers, as worldly men, through who&s;e Country we travell. We mu&s;t ob&s;erve the rules of equity, and charity.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Make no account of an idle life on earth. Many acti|ons admit little re&s;t, as in Governours in War, and peace. An husbandman plows, harrows, &s;ows, gathers corn, thre&s;hes it, finds &s;omewhat to do all the year long.</P>
<P N="2">2. Plea&s;e thy &s;elf with variety of imployments. Go from private duties to publick, from common to holy. Thou &s;halt have re&s;t enough in Heaven.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good man mu&s;t look up to God for &s;trength in his actions. <HI>Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments. Incline my heart unto thy te&s;timonies.</HI> P&s;al. 119.35, 36. <HI>Set a watch (O Lord) before my mouth: keep the door of my lips.</HI> P&s;a. 141.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the Fountain of all &s;trength is with God. We are too weak to think of a good work, much more to effect it. This is to acknowledge God in al our waies, when we confe&s;&s;e we can do nothing without him, and therefore mu&s;t in all things depend upon him, pray to him, and tru&s;t in him. <HI>Ian&s;enius.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e then we may look for good &s;ucce&s;&s;e, and not el&s;e.
<PB N="406" REF="202">for God being neglected will cro&s;&s;e and bla&s;t our &s;tronge&s;t en|deavours.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Be frequent in prayer to God for a ble&s;&s;ing, though thy bu&s;ine&s;&s;es be never &s;o well contrived. El&s;e thou wilt not thrive. If God drive not the Chariot of the &s;oul, the hor&s;es the affections will be too unruly for any man to guide.</P>
<P N="2">2. If any thing &s;ucceed well upon thy hearty prayer, and faithfull endeavours, acknowledge help found from God. So <HI>Paul;</HI> when he looks upon any good done by him, &s;traitway cries out, <HI>Not I, but the grace of God, which was with me.</HI> 1 Cor. 15.10. Let &s;uch thoughts bee the balla&s;t of the &s;hip to humble thee in great atchievments. So the Bee carries what &s;he gathers, or el&s;e little &s;tones upon her wings, that the wind blow her not away. So <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> call men off from wor&s;hipping them to wor&s;hip God. <HI>Act.</HI> 14.15. <HI>Ambro&s;. Gre|gory</HI> on <HI>Revel.</HI> 3.10. &s;ets out well the humility, and thankful|ne&s;&s;e of the Elders, <HI>Sibi victorias non attribuunt, &s;ed totum Deo a&s;cribunt, qui vires ip&s;is ad vincendum &s;ugge&s;&s;it. They do not at|tribute their victories to them&s;elves, but a&s;cribe all to God, who, gave them strength to overcome</HI> Plinie reports, that the Roman Generall after a Victory, brought in his Garland, and laid it in <HI>Jupiters</HI> lap in the Capitoll. <HI>David</HI> doth the like, &s;peaking of his great preparations for the building of Gods Temple, <HI>Who am I, and what is my People, that we &s;hould be able to offer &s;o willingly after this &s;ort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.</HI> 1 Chron. 29.14. He a&s;cribes all to the true God. <HI>Non magnum e&s;t humil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m e&s;&s;e in abjestione, &s;ed magna pror&s;us, &amp; rara virtus humilitas honorata.</HI> Bern. in Cant. Ser. 33. <HI>It is no great matter to be humble in a low e&s;tate, but it is certainly a great, and a rare vertue for men in honor to be humble. Non mirum e&s;t, &s;i ventus pulverem &s;ecum ferat, &amp; rapiat; Nos pulvis &s;umus. An&s;elm. de &s;olitudine. No wonder, if the wind carry and &s;natch away the du&s;t with it. We are du&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good man mu&s;t &s;eek for &s;trength from God, not in &s;ome of his actions alone, but in all, even in the lea&s;t. <HI>With|out me ye can do nothing.</HI> Ioh. 15.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> The &s;trength to do the lea&s;t things is from God, even to breath. <HI>He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.</HI> Act. 17.25. And he can take it away, when he plea&s;e, and &s;o &s;poile
<PB N="407" REF="202">all our actions. <HI>His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts peri&s;h.</HI> P&s;al. 146.4.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It reproves tho&s;e, who pray not to God for a ble&s;&s;ing on their ordinary labours. Onely they &s;eek unto him in difficult ca&s;es, when <HI>they are at their wits end,</HI> as Seamen pray in a &s;torm. P&s;al. 107.27, 28. It may be they pray not, before they work, and therefore God lets them be forty years, as the <HI>I&s;|raelites</HI> in the Wilderne&s;&s;e, about that which might be done in fourty daies.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Such as &s;eek for Gods help may expect Gods ble&s;&s;ing. <HI>Cail upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee.</HI> P&s;al. 50.14. <HI>Jabez called on the God of</HI> I&s;rael, &s;aying, <HI>Oh that thou woulde&s;t ble&s;&s;e me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him, that which he reque&s;ted</HI> 1 Chron. 4.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. He will make thy waies right.</P>
<P N="2">2. He will make them full, and compleat.</P>
<P N="3">3. He will make them &s;ucce&s;&s;efull.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See the rea&s;on, why many mens waies pro&s;per not. They go on in their own &s;trength. <HI>God is not in all their thoughts.</HI> P&s;. 10.4. So <HI>Pharaoh</HI> went de&s;perately into the Sea, and was drowned. <HI>P&s;.</HI> 136.15. They &s;eek not for &s;trength from God, and God will not ble&s;&s;e them.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> The chief director of our waies for good is God. <HI>I have rai&s;ed him up in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and I will direct his waies: he &s;hall build my City.</HI> I&s;a. 45.13. <HI>I will direct their work in truth.</HI> I&s;a. 61.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the wi&s;e&s;t man in the world canot direct his own waies &s;o, as to make them alwaies &s;ucceed well. <HI>O Lord I know that the way of man is not in him&s;elfe: it is not in man, that walketh, to direct his steps.</HI> Ier. 10.23.</P>
<P N="2">2. God hath wi&s;dom enough to guide us through all difficulties.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Do nothing without Gods direction in his word. A man that had an hou&s;e to build, would in all things follow the direction of a skilfull workman, le&s;t he lo&s;e his co&s;t. So let us follow Gods guidance. El&s;e all our labour is lo&s;t. None de&s;ires to go a&s;tray out of his way, except he be fir&s;t gone out of his wits. Every man will rather take a guide to
<PB N="408" REF="203">directhim the right way, and give money to that end. If we be careful to acknowledge God in our waies, we &s;hal not wander out of them, for we &s;hal have a tru&s;ty guide, who offereth him&s;elfe freely in the Text, <HI>to direct our paths.</HI> God led the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> through the wilderne&s;&s;e, not the &s;hort|e&s;t but the &s;afe&s;t way; So wil God do for all them that make him their guide. The Athenians conceived that their Godde&s;s <HI>Minerva</HI> turned all their evil coun&s;els into good to them: the Romans thought their Godde&s;&s;e <HI>Videlia</HI> &s;et them again in the right way, when at any time they were out. All this, and more then is undoubtedly done by the true God, for all that commit their waies unto him, and depend upon him for direction and &s;ucce&s;&s;e. Then may we conclude, <HI>This God is our God for ever and ever, he wil be our guide even unto death. P&s;al.</HI> 48.14.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 7.</BIBL> Be not wi&s;e in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this ver&s;e is a &s;cale of duties, con&s;i&s;ting of three &s;teps, Mans for&s;aking his own wi&s;dome, leads him to the fear of God; and the fear of God keeps him from &s;in. A promi&s;e of health followes in the next ver&s;e; for the words, <HI>Be not wi&s;e,</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.5. <HI>In thine own eyes.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.17. on the word <HI>&s;ight.</HI> For the phra&s;e, being wi&s;e in our own eyes, is being &s;o in our own conceit, as the <HI>Doway</HI> Bible reads it; and it comprehends the&s;e particulars under it, that a man &s;hould not think him&s;elfe &s;ufficiently wi&s;e, &s;o as by that he &s;hould be able to guide him&s;elfe in all his actions, to know what is right, what wrong, what &s;ucce&s;&s;e will follow, good, or bad, and that he hath a deeper reach then other men, and is able to dive into the greate&s;t matters. <HI>Solomon</HI> doth not &s;ay, <HI>be not wi&s;e,</HI> for then &s;hould he contradict other &s;criptures, and him&s;elfe too, that bid us labour for wi&s;dome; his meaning is not then, that we &s;hould not &s;eek to under&s;tand &s;cripture, and to be able to give a rea&s;on of all we do, and know, when we judge aright of things, and when not; for that were to make a man a bea&s;t, but that he &s;hould not think him&s;elfe wi&s;er then other godly men, nor at any time oppo&s;e his own wi&s;dom to God, &amp;
<PB N="409" REF="203">take heed alwaies, that his judgment be not blinded by natu|ral ignorance, or &s;elfe-love, it differs a little from leaning to our own under&s;tanding. <HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 5. This is the cau&s;e, that the effect, we lean to our own under&s;tanding, becau&s;e we are wi&s;e in our own eyes. This is in the judgment, that in the af|fection of confidence; this is Theorical, that is Practical. There may al&s;o be a Meiofis in it: think meanly of thy &s;elfe, take notice of thine own ignorance, and think other men wi|&s;er then thy &s;elfe.</P>
<P><HI>fear the Lord.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>And depart.</HI> The word &s;ignifies, to turn away from a thing which a man di&s;likes.</P>
<P><HI>From evil.</HI> It is put, 1. for evil of &s;in, which is the cau&s;e; 2. of trouble which is the effect: He that avoides the fir&s;t, &s;hal e&s;cape the la&s;t; the fir&s;t is here meant. See more on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.33.</P>
<P><HI>Figures. In thine own eyes.</HI> 1. A metonymie of the cau&s;e for the effect. <HI>In thine eyes;</HI> that is, <HI>in thy &s;ight.</HI> So it is tran&s;lated, <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.17. <HI>in the &s;ight of any bird. Heb. in the eyes;</HI> as the margin there &s;hewes: and &s;o it might have been tran&s;lated here. 2. A metaphor. <HI>In thy &s;ight:</HI> that is, <HI>in thy judgment.</HI> For the judicial faculty is the eye of the Soul: The Soul pa&s;&s;es &s;entence on things by judgment, as the body by &s;ight: &s;o Gods eyes are on good men, though poor. <HI>I wil look to him that is poor, and of a contrite &s;pirit. I&s;a.</HI> 66.2. <HI>The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. P&s;al.</HI> 34.15. So are <HI>Davids. Mine eyes &s;hal be up|on the faithful of the land. P&s;al.</HI> 11.1.6. It &s;ignifies approba|tion. <HI>Depart.</HI> A metaphor from a traveller, that being in a wrong way, leaves it, to go in a right path: So mu&s;t we leave tho&s;e &s;inful waies, in which we walk naturally. Note, 1. A le&s;&s;on of humility; 2. of the fear of God; 3. of avoiding evil. In each of the&s;e is an act, and an object; in the fir&s;t, the act is, <HI>Be not wi&s;e,</HI> the object, <HI>in thine own eyes.</HI> In the &s;econd, the act, <HI>Fear;</HI> the object, <HI>the Lord.</HI> In the third, the act, <HI>And de|part;</HI> the object, <HI>from evil.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. A good man &s;hould look into his own condition, to know the truth of it; el&s;e, he may &s;oon think better of him|&s;elfe, then there is cau&s;e. <HI>Give diligence to make your calling and election &s;ure,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.10. <HI>Let him that thinketh he &s;tand|eth, take heed le&s;t he fal,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there is a difference of mens conditions,
<PB N="410" REF="204">el&s;e no need of &s;earch: Some are in the broad way to hel, others in the narrow way to heaven.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are all naturally in the wor&s;t condition, and &s;hould therefore take notice of it, and &s;eek to get out of it.</P>
<P N="3">3. It may be doubtful whether we be out of it or no, be|cau&s;e of the likene&s;&s;e between common and &s;aving graces. There is in wicked men &s;ometimes, &s;ome kind of repentance, and faith. <HI>There is a way which &s;eemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the waies of death. Chap.</HI> 14.12. Try which is right.</P>
<P N="4">4 It is a difficult thing to di&s;cern, for a wicked man may go far in outward performances, and forward profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To tax all &s;uch as have no mind to look into their &s;pirituall condition; they are forward to ca&s;t up their books to know their temporal e&s;tates, and upon every di&s;temper to advi&s;e with the Phy&s;ician, for their bodies, for fear of a di&s;|ea&s;e breeding in them; only the poor &s;oul is neglected: we fear &s;uch as eat and drink any thing, and have no regard of diet, that they wil be &s;ick; and &s;uch as love not to look into their debt-bookes, that they wil be bankrupts: So we may fear, that they are yet in their natural e&s;tate, that look not whether they be out of it or no.</P>
<P N="2">2. To exhort us to be more diligent to &s;earch out our &s;pi|ritual, then our worldly, or bodily condition, that we may not be deceived in our &s;elves. To move us to &s;eek to know our &s;piritual condition truly, let us think of the&s;e motives.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the &s;piritual e&s;tate is be&s;t; we look more after health then wealth, becau&s;e the body is better then the e&s;tate; the Soul is much more better then the body.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it is a more la&s;ting e&s;tate. Every man prefers a &s;ee-&s;imple, before a lea&s;e: Heaven la&s;ts longer then any fee|&s;imple, infinitely more then it doth beyond a lea&s;e. Follow then Ma&s;ter <HI>Greenhams</HI> coun&s;el, <HI>Of all pri&s;oners, often vi&s;ite thine own &s;oul.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. A good man &s;hould not think highly of him&s;elf. <HI>David</HI> did not; he profe&s;&s;ed as much before God; <HI>Lord, my heare is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exerci&s;e my &s;elfe in great matters, or in things too high for me. P&s;al.</HI> 131.1. He would keep none &s;uch in his hou&s;e. <HI>Him that hath a high look, and a proud heart wil I not &s;uffer. P&s;al.</HI> 101.5.</P>
<PB N="411" REF="204">
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e an high conceit of our own wi&s;dome and parts, cannot &s;tand with the fear of God, which is required in this ver&s;e: And therefore this it &s;et before it, as a removal of a great let of it, which i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;elfe liking; It wil never agree with Gods fear, which among other grounds, ari&s;eth out of the &s;ight of our own vilene&s;&s;e, compared with Gods greatne&s;s and Maje&s;ty: &s;uch an opinion then of our own wi&s;dome would make us rebels again&s;t God, and di&s;obedient.</P>
<P N="2">2. It cannot agree with departing from evil, which al&s;o is required in this ver&s;e, for it makes men &s;ecure in their acti|ons, not trying them before hand, whether they be good or evil, becau&s;e we tru&s;t too much to our own wi&s;dome, and &s;o bring them not to Gods Law to be examined, which is the only true touch-&s;tone. Al&s;o it will make a man &s;eek out witty &s;hifts and devices, to excu&s;e his &s;ins, that &s;o he may continue in them. So the Phari&s;ees had their Corban to bring in gain from children by neglect of Parents. <HI>Mark</HI> 7.11.12.</P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;hewes and upholds ignorance in a man. It &s;hewes it, becau&s;e wi&s;emen di&s;cern their ignorance, but fooles &s;ee it not. <HI>Menedemus aiebat multos navigare Athenas, qui primum e&s;&s;ent &s;apientes, deinde fieri &s;apientiae amatores, deinde Rhetores, po&s;tre|mo idiotas. In Philo&s;ophia quo magis profeceris, eo minus turge|bis fa&s;tu. Plutarch. ut &agrave; Maximo citatur. Serm. de ignorantia. Menedemus &s;aid, that many &s;ailed to Athens, who fir&s;t were wi&s;e,</HI> (to wit, in their own eyes) <HI>and after that became lovers of wi&s;|dome, then Oratours, and last of all Idiots</HI> (they faw their own folly, which they could not di&s;cern before.) <HI>In Philo&s;ophy, by how much the more you profit, the le&s;&s;e will you &s;well with pride.</HI> It upholds ignorance, becau&s;e he that thinks him&s;elfe wi&s;e, thinks it a ba&s;e and unbe&s;eeming thing to learn of others. <HI>Fa|miliarit&egrave;r dome&s;tica a&s;picimus, &amp; &s;emper judicio favor officit; puto multos potui&s;&s;e ad &s;apientiam pervenire, ni&s;i puta&s;&s;ent &s;e per|veni&s;&s;e. Quis unquam &s;ibi ip&s;i verum docere au&s;us e&s;t? Quis inter blandientium, adulantiumque po&s;itus greges plurimum tamen &s;ibi ip&s;is a&s;&s;entatus non e&s;t? Senec. de ira. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>c.</HI> 36. <HI>We look fami|liarly at things at home, and favour alwaies hinders judgment. I &s;uppo&s;e that many might have attained to wi&s;dome, had they not thought they had attained it already. Who ever dur&s;t teach him|&s;elfe truth? Who being placed among the flocks of fawning and
<PB N="412" REF="205">flattering companions, hath not yet mo&s;t of all flattered him&s;elfe?</HI> And therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> here de&s;iring to have his precepts re|garded, per&s;wades the young man not be wi&s;e in his own eyes.</P>
<P N="4">4. It is the cau&s;e of all errors and here&s;ies, the broachers whereof are ob&s;erved in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical hi&s;tories to be learned men, proud of their wi&s;dome, and <HI>in his qui &s;ibi credunt, Dae|mon &s;aep&egrave; propheta fit. Climachus. Grad.</HI> 3. <HI>In them, that beleeve them&s;elves, the devil oftentimes becomes a Prophet. Many pro|fe&s;&s;ing them&s;elves to be wi&s;e, became fools. Rom.</HI> 1.22. There|fore <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> compares the heart of a man wi&s;e in his own conceit, to a labyrinth; his own good opinion of him&s;elfe leads him into it, but there are &s;o many wandrings and turnings of error in it, that he knowes not how to get out of it. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t. Hom.</HI> 2. <HI>in Epi&s;t. ad Rom.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;.</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as are guilty of this over-weening conceit of their own wi&s;dome, and &s;o &s;ooth up them&s;elves in ignorance and evil. <HI>Nunquam &s;atisfacit arti cui &s;emper artificium &s;atisfacit. He never doth things wel, that is alwaies plea&s;ed with what he doth.</HI> This cur&s;ed &s;elf-love infects our &s;ouls with the dangerous plague of pride. Every man, though a fool, thinks him&s;elfe wi&s;e naturally; this engenders in him a great contempt of other men. <HI>Bis de&s;ipit qui &s;ibi &s;apit. He is twi&s;e a fool that thinks him&s;elf wi&s;e.</HI> This &s;elfe conceit &s;poiles all. <HI>Socrates</HI> was e&s;teemed the wi&s;e&s;t of men, becau&s;e he &s;aid, <HI>hoc &s;cio, quod nihil &s;cio; This I know, that</HI> I <HI>know nothing. Con&s;ilii &s;atis in me mihi. I know wel enough how to advi&s;e my &s;elfe,</HI> may be the proud fooles po&s;y. He that wil be wi&s;e mu&s;t <HI>become a fool that he may be wi&s;e.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. <HI>Intus exi&s;tens prohibet a|lienum</HI> A conceit of wi&s;dome, barrs out wi&s;dome. <HI>Socrates</HI> was wont to &s;ay, if a cryer &s;hould call all Taylors, and Shoo-ma|kers in a company to ri&s;e, they would ri&s;e, and other trades|men would &s;it &s;til; but if he &s;hould bid all wi&s;e-men ri&s;e, no body would &s;it &s;til. The heathen man, <HI>Cicero</HI> could &s;ay, <HI>E&s;t illud maximum animo ip&s;o animum videre; It is the greatest matter by the &s;oul it &s;elf, to &s;ee the &s;oul.</HI> As it is an hard matter by the Suns light to &s;ee the Sun, it is ea&s;ier to di&s;cern other things by it. <HI>Simonides</HI> hearing a man brag of his wi&s;dome, bid him remember that he was a man. Take the Apo&s;tles coun&s;el then, <HI>Be not wi&s;e in your own conceits. Rom.</HI> 12.16.
<PB N="413" REF="205">Fear the woe of the Prophet, <HI>woe unto them that are wi&s;e in their own eyes, and prudent in their own &s;ight.</HI> I&s;a. 5.21. In the next Ver&s;e. Hee &s;ends forth another woe again&s;t drunkards. <HI>Woe unto them, that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink.</HI> I&s;a. 5.22. As if men &s;elfconceited were &s;piritually drunk. Remember that of <HI>Augu&s;tine, Qui &s;ibi pla|cet &s;tulto placet. He that plea&s;eth him&s;elf, plea&s;eth a fool.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 2. Labour to cure this pride, and &s;elf-love, that makes thee think highly of thy &s;elf. To this purpo&s;e,</P>
<P N="1">1. Mea&s;ure thy thoughts by Scripture, that is, thy wi&s;dom by Gods. Then thou wilt &s;ee, that thou art a fool.</P>
<P N="2">2. Di&s;tru&s;t thine own judgemnt, and be willing to hear o|ther mens of every thing propounded. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was taught by God, yet was he content to hear <HI>Jethro;</HI> and thinke&s;t thou, that thou ha&s;t need to hear no body? He is wi&s;e in his owne eyes, who hearkens not to tho&s;e, that rightly admoni&s;h him.</P>
<P N="3">3. Examine thine actions pa&s;t. <HI>Re&s;pice velut in &s;peculo acti|ones tuas, ut bonas augeas, &amp; ornes, malas corrigas, &amp; retractes Bias. Look back upon thine actions as in a gla&s;&s;e, that thou mai&s;t encrea&s;e, and adorne the good, and correct, and retract the bad.</HI> Then wilt thou not be wi&s;e in thine own eyes.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good man &s;hould think very meanly of him&s;elf, and of his own wi&s;dom. So did <HI>Paul, We know in part, wee &s;ee through a Gla&s;&s;e darkly.</HI> 1 Cor. 15.9.12. So did <HI>Agur, Surely I am more bruti&s;h then any man, and have not the under&s;tanding of a man.</HI> Prov. 30.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e as in natural things men are not born work|men, &s;o much le&s;&s;e in Divinity, and things of God. Men that are quick&s;ighted in other things, are bleareyed in the&s;e. The be&s;t hath cau&s;e enough to think lowly of them&s;elves.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Acknowledge then your own ignorance, and bee humble.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> A good man mu&s;t nouri&s;h the fear of God in his &s;oul. <HI>The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.</HI> Chap. 1.7. See this Doctrine more largely handled there. <HI>And unto man he &s;aid, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wi&s;dom.</HI> Iob. 28.28. This is true wi&s;dom, and who would not be wi&s;e?</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there is abundant cau&s;e in God, why wee
<PB N="414" REF="206">&s;hould fear him. He is to be feared, for his truth, ju&s;tice, power, wi&s;dom, greatne&s;&s;e goodne&s;s.</P>
<P N="2">2. Much good comes to us by it. It guides us aright in our journey to Heaven, as a rider guides the hor&s;e, or as a Pilot guides the &s;hip, and prevents ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> dangers in the way, as a watchman on a Tower. It is in the heart of the Text here, and is a way to make us think meanly of our &s;elves, as it did <HI>Jo&s;eph, It is not in me.</HI> Gen. 41.16. And it will al&s;o keep us from evill, as it did to <HI>Jo&s;eph, How can I do this great wickedne&s;s, and &s;in again&s;t God.</HI> Gen. 39.9.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See ye alwaies fear to offend God. A reverend and religi|ous man had written in his &s;tudy, <HI>Noli peccare: Nam Deus vi|det, Angeli a&s;tant, diabolus accu&s;abit, con&s;cientia te&s;tabitur, infernus cruciabit. Sin not; For God &s;ees, Angells &s;tand by, the Devill will accu&s;e, thy con&s;cience will bear witne&s;&s;e, Hell will torment thee. Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that feareth alwaies.</HI> Chap. 28.14. Carnall &s;ecurity is naught in worldly affairs, but wor&s;t of all in matters of religion. If ye fear him not here in time, ye mu&s;t feel him in Hell to eternity.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> A godly man mu&s;t take heed of every &s;in, and make a totall departing from evill. <HI>Depart from evill.</HI> P&s;al. 34.14. <HI>Cea&s;e to do evill.</HI> I&s;a. 1.16.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is the beginning of true obedience to a|void di&s;obedience, as of wi&s;dom to get away fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e. <HI>Vir|tus e&s;t vitium fugere, &amp; &s;apientia prima Stultiti&acirc; carui&s;&s;e: Ver|tue it is to flye vice, and the beginning of wi&s;dom to be without folly.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Ba&s;il. The be ginning to the receiving of good things is the departing from evill things.</HI> If men can keep their unruly affections from doing evill, they will be ready to do good. Fight then daily again&s;t &s;in, for this is an hone&s;t, and nece&s;&s;ary War.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a notable proofe, and effect of the fear of God, if it be generall, &s;o that wee endeavour to refrain from all evill in thought, word, and deed.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed then of tho&s;e baits, that lead thee to thy former &s;ins, or any other, le&s;t thou be in&s;nared, and fall into new &s;ins, or relaps into old.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> We naturally chu&s;e &s;infull waies. El&s;e the wi&s;e man would not bidus to depart from them. <HI>In time pa&s;t ye walked
<PB N="415" REF="206">according to the cour&s;e of this Wold. We all had our conver&s;ation in times pa&s;t in the lusts of our fle&s;h fulfilling the de&s;ires of the fle&s;h.</HI> Eph. 2.2, 3. <HI>The Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, and have given them&s;elves over unto la&s;civiou&s;ne&s;&s;e to work all uncleanne&s;&s;e with greedine&s;&s;e.</HI> Eph. 4.17.19. <HI>We our &s;elves al&s;o were &s;ometimes fooli&s;h, di&s;obedient, &amp;c.</HI> Tit. 3.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we have no better light to guide us, then corrupted rea&s;on, which is but moon&s;hine at the mo&s;t, and cannot &s;erve well for curious works becomming the day.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e even then al&s;o our corrupt affections over&s;way our judgements, and lead us to many evills, which the light of na|ture condemnes.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us bee alwaies &s;u&s;picious of our &s;elves in all our waies. <HI>Naturam expellas furc&acirc; licet, u&s;que recurret. Nature will return, though driven out with a pitchfork. Quo &s;emel e&s;t im|but a recens &s;ervabit odorem Testa diu. What &s;avour the Ve&s;&s;ell</HI> receives at fir&s;t, it will keep long, Corruption will &s;trive with grace, and &s;ometime overcome it: Therefore take heed of &s;in|full waies betimes, le&s;t ye repent too late.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 8.</BIBL> It &s;hall be health to thy Navell, and Marrow to thy bones.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE promi&s;e follows to encourage us to the performance of the duties in the la&s;t Ver&s;e before. Some conceive it to be meant of &s;pirituall health and &s;trength, that under bodily health &s;hould be covered, and &s;ignified a right di&s;po&s;ition of the &s;oul. Others think pro&s;perity of a mans e&s;tate to be &s;hadowed out by it. I take it plainly for a promi&s;e of bodily health, for &s;uch did God give to his people plenti|fully in tho&s;e younger times of the Law, whereas the Go&s;pell is more full of promi&s;es of &s;pirituall things. Some joyn this promi&s;e to Ver&s;e 5, 6, 7. as if God &s;hould promi&s;e tho&s;e that acknowledge him in all their waies not onely to direct them in right paths, but al&s;o to give them health and &s;trength to walk wi&s;ely in tho&s;e paths. But they mu&s;t remember, that this promi&s;e is made to other good duties. Ver&s;e 7. The &s;um is,
<PB N="416" REF="207">humility, fear of God, and avoiding evil will bring bodily health. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>It &s;hal be,</HI> or <HI>So there &s;hal be.</HI> The former directions ob&s;er|ved, &s;hal bring health, and &s;trength. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Health.</HI> A reco|very, or pre&s;ervation from all &s;ickne&s;&s;es, and infirmities, which the want of tho&s;e former duties had, or might bring upon thy body. So the word &s;ignifies, coming from another word that &s;ignifies to heal, as <HI>health</HI> doth in Engli&s;h. It &s;hal be healthful to thee.</P>
<P><HI>To thy navil.</HI> The child is nouri&s;hed by the navil in the womb, and it knits the upper and lower parts together, and plai&s;ters laid to it, cure many maladies, e&s;pecially in little children. By the navil here may be meant all the internall &s;oft parts of the body; as the heart, liver, lungs; if the&s;e be wel, the body is likely to be in health, and &s;trength; el&s;e it is &s;ickly and weak.</P>
<P><HI>And marrow.</HI> Heb. <HI>Watering and moistning.</HI> For dry bones without marrow argue weakne&s;&s;e, ful ones argue &s;trength.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>To thy bones.</HI> The bones are the &s;upporters of the body, if they fail all falles, as the hou&s;e falls with the pillars. And as the bones grow bigger or longer, &s;o doth the body <HI>Albert, l.</HI> 16. <HI>de anima libus,</HI> e&s;pecially if tho&s;e bones be ful of mar|row, as in great fat Oxen. <HI>Ari&s;tot. lib.</HI> 4. <HI>de animal.</HI> But when the bones are ful of wind, not of marrow, then they break in pieces. <HI>Avicen.</HI> So &s;ickne&s;&s;e comes. By the bones here may be meant, all the harder and firmer parts of the body. The bones have their names from &s;trength, for indeed they are the &s;tronge&s;t parts of the body; or by the navil may be meant the external part, the fle&s;h of the body, which is knit together by the navil, as with a button; and by the bones, the internal parts un&s;een, and by health in the navil, the health of the whole body; by marrow in the bones, the &s;trength of it. The &s;um then is, that the former vertues mentioned, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 7. will keep the whole body in perfect health, for when both the&s;e parts are wel, all is well: For our health depends upon the tender parts, which are vital, and the bones, which are the pillars of the body. So the &s;trength of <HI>Behemoth,</HI> is in his na|vil, and in his bones, <HI>His force is in the navil of his belly, his bones are as &s;trong pieces of bra&s;s, his bones are like bars of Iron. Job</HI> 40.16.18.</P>
<PB N="417" REF="207">
<P><HI>Figures. It &s;hal be health and marrow.</HI> It &s;hal procure health and &s;trength. A metonymie of the effect for the cau&s;e, <HI>Navil,</HI> and <HI>Bones,</HI> for all the tender and hard parts of the body. <HI>Sy|nech. Membri.</HI> or for the whole body, of the outward parts, whereof the navill is the center, and of the inward, whereof the bones are the circumference,</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. A promi&s;e of health.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of &s;trength.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t,</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The gift, <HI>It &s;hal be health.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The object, <HI>To thy navil.</HI></P>
<P>In the &s;econd,</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The gift, <HI>and marrow,</HI> that is, &s;trength; for without it, the &s;tronge&s;t bones con&s;ume.</P>
<P N="2">2. The object, <HI>to thy bones.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. A godly life is the be&s;t Phy&s;ick to pre&s;erve the bo|dy in health and &s;trength. Alas, fickne&s;&s;e came after his di|&s;tru&s;ting God, and &s;ending the gold of the Temple to <HI>Ben|hadad,</HI> and impri&s;oning the Seer, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 16. <HI>How &s;hould one cha&s;e a thou&s;and, and two put ten thou&s;and to flight, except their Rock had &s;old them, and the Lord had &s;hut them up? Deut.</HI> 32.30. <HI>If thou wilt give ear to the commandements of the Lord, I wil put none of tho&s;e di&s;ea&s;es upon thee, which I have brought up|on the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exod.</HI> 15.26.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is the &s;afe&s;t Phy&s;ick to pre&s;cribe: there may be danger in purges, and vomits, they may kill in &s;tead of healing. But there is no danger in a godly life, no &s;uch man ever mi&s;caried.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is the ea&s;ie&s;t to take by them that are godly. <HI>My yoke is ea&s;y, and my burden is light. Mat.</HI> 11.30. To &s;ome natures pills go &s;o hardly down, they will rather adventure a dying then take them: But to good men, Gods Phy&s;ick is very plea|&s;ing.</P>
<P N="3">3. It works kindlie&s;t: &s;ome phy&s;ick works &s;o &s;trongly, it makes men deadly &s;ick, before it heale them; this plea&s;es a good man in the working, he likes the very motions and en|deavours of good.</P>
<P N="4">4. It is the &s;ure&s;t in operation. Sinne hinders bodily Phy&s;ick, and many a poor man fearing God, recovers of
<PB N="418" REF="208">dangerous Sickne&s;&s;es without it.</P>
<P N="5">5. It is the be&s;t Phy&s;ick. Some things are good Antidots, that are not good recoverers: Some things good cordials, that are not good purges, and &s;o contrary. This is all, Anti|dotes, Purges, Cordials, Cure, and all; it &s;upplies all to the body to many a poor godly man, that cannot go to the co&s;t of Phy&s;ick, yet through Gods mercy this heals them.</P>
<P N="6">6. It makes the mo&s;t la&s;ting cure; it may be bodily Phy&s;ick may work more &s;peedily, but the party may fall into a relaps and die, but this cure la&s;ts longe&s;t, and in the end cures for good and all. <HI>Job</HI> marvailes at the fat and &s;trength of the wicked. <HI>Job</HI> 21.7.8. <HI>Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? &amp;c.</HI> So doth <HI>A&s;aph. Their eyes stand out with fatne&s;&s;e. P&s;al.</HI> 73.7. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Yet he &s;aw, <HI>they were &s;et on &s;lippery places, &amp;c. ver&s;e</HI> 18. There is great odds between a Bul|lock, kept wel for labour, and an Oxe fatted for the &s;laugh|ter; and between a body fat and flouri&s;hing by good meat, and an other &s;welled with tumours by bad. So <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> and <HI>Caleb</HI> died in <HI>Canaan</HI> in a good old age, who obeyed God, when thou&s;ands of Rebels died in the Wilderne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove tho&s;e that &s;pend much money in Phy|&s;ick, and yet overthrow the health and &s;trength of their bo|dies by &s;inful cour&s;es: they forget the Text, A godly life is <HI>health to the navil, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To per&s;wade us to u&s;e this new pre&s;cript for bodily health: Mo&s;t men love to try new medicines; yet this new (perhaps to us) is as old as <HI>Solomon,</HI> and hath found many a <HI>probatum e&s;t,</HI> both in Scripture, and in after times. Phy&s;icians need not be angry with me for this pre&s;cript, for God would have their art u&s;ed al&s;o, but this never to be neglected. There is none of us, but if we were a&s;&s;ured the Phy&s;icians potion would heal, would take it, though trouble&s;ome and hard. We are wont to &s;ay, <HI>There is nothing but I will do it, &s;o I may recover health.</HI> U&s;e this direction, and thou &s;halt be &s;ure either to have health here, or happine&s;&s;e in heaven.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Health is a great ble&s;&s;ing. It is the fir&s;t que&s;tion we ask concerning our friends, <HI>Art thou in health my brother?</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 20.9. <HI>Is he wel? Gen.</HI> 29.6. It is the an&s;wer to the &s;ame que&s;tion, <HI>Thy &s;ervant, our father is in good health, Gen.</HI> 43.28.</P>
<PB N="419" REF="208">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. No other earthly comfort is plea&s;ing without it. Wee take no content in friends, children, wealth in &s;ickne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The contrary &s;hews it. Great and la&s;ting di&s;ea&s;es are ve|ry burden&s;ome.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Prai&s;e God for it, that thou lie&s;t not groning in thy bed &s;ick of the &s;tone, or gout, or &s;ome other painfull di&s;ea&s;e, but art able to goe about thy bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and take comfort in thine. Remember it is a great mercy and unde&s;erved; be thank|full for it, and walk worthy of it.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Bodily &s;trength is a great ble&s;&s;ing. It is commended in <HI>Davids</HI> worthies, and in <HI>Samp&s;on.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. It &s;erves for a mans own defence. The weake&s;t goes to the wall.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the defence of our Country, which would bee over|run by cruel enemies, if &s;tout &s;ouldiers did not defend it.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It is then lawfull to pray for &s;trength of body, &s;o it bee with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the will of God.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The more full our health, and &s;trength is, the grea|ter is the ble&s;&s;ing. <HI>His hand was restored whole as the other.</HI> Mar. 3.5. <HI>Immedintely the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.</HI> Ioh. 5.9. <HI>Are ye angry at me, becau&s;e I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?</HI> Ioh. 7.23.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e it is &s;o in all ble&s;&s;ings &s;pirituall, and corporeall: The greater mea&s;ure, the greater ble&s;&s;ing, if not abu&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> Let &s;uch as have compleat health, and &s;trength, endea|vour to do God more, and greater &s;ervice, then weaker men. El&s;e have they a greater account to give of the&s;e Talents.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 9.</BIBL> Honour the Lord with thy &s;ub&s;tance, and with the fir&s;t fruits of all thine increa&s;e.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this Ver&s;e is a co&s;tly commandment for the maintenance of Gods wor&s;hip more heavy then the former, be|cau&s;e it toucheth the pur&s;e. And le&s;t men &s;hould think that
<PB N="420" REF="209">the way to beggar them&s;elves, as many doe, he addes a &s;uita|ble reward. Ver&s;e 10. a great, and unlooked for increa&s;e. So much doth Gods judgements differ from mans.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Honor.</HI> Shew that due re&s;pect thou owe&s;t to God. Our co&s;t for Gods wor&s;hip mu&s;t not be done for by-ends, or that wee may get glory, but that God may be honoured. And indeed, though God need it not, nor wee can adde nothing to him thereby; yet God counts him&s;elf honoured not onely by our humble confe&s;&s;ion of our own folly, and confidence in his bounty &s;poken of before, but al&s;o by u&s;ing tho&s;e outward means, which God gives us, to maintain his wor&s;hip, and &s;ervice. In maintaining whereof &s;eek his prai&s;e, not (thine) el&s;e hee accounts, thou do&s;t not honour him, but thy &s;elf.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>With thy &s;ub&s;tance.</HI> With thy wealth. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13. Bain an Engli&s;h man, a <HI>Cambridge</HI> Scholer, but profe&s;&s;our at <HI>Paris</HI> accurately di&s;tingui&s;hes betweene <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;ub|stance,</HI> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>increa&s;e.</HI> The former &s;ignifies Wealth, as Gold, and Silver, which we do not u&s;e immediately for food, or apparell; and increa&s;e intends the yearly income of corne, cattell, fruit. All the&s;e are Gods ble&s;&s;ings, and God mu&s;t bee honoured with them all. But it mu&s;t <HI>be thy</HI> &s;ub&s;tance; not o|ther mens, gotten by thy labour, or by gift, or inheritance, not by defrauding or oppre&s;&s;ing others.</P>
<P><HI>And with the fir&s;t fruits.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7. on the word <HI>Be|ginning.</HI> It is the &s;ame word <GAP DESC="foreign"> in the originall. It may be taken for the fir&s;t, or for the be&s;t of our crops, or Harve&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Of all.</HI> Not of &s;ome. See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>Thy increa&s;e.</HI> For the word &s;ee on the words before in this Ver&s;e. <HI>With thy &s;ubstance.</HI> Some bring in here giving to the poor, and the vulgar Bible very boldly addes it in the Text, <HI>Dapauperibus,</HI> Give to the poor of the fir&s;t of all thy corn, or fruits. But the tran&s;lator forgot, that all the fir&s;t fruits were for <HI>Aaron</HI> and his &s;ons, and for them to eat, <HI>Numb.</HI> 18.9, 10. And the poor might no more eat of them, then the rich. And here it is worth the noting, that the Doway Popi&s;h Engli&s;h tran&s;la|tion, the Ape of the vulgar for the mo&s;t part here leaves it, and reads, <HI>Give to him,</HI> that is, to the Lord. Here it is meant of
<PB N="421" REF="209">Leviticall dues at the time of the writing of it, as tithes in the beginning of the Ver&s;e, and fir&s;t fruits in the end of it. And by the rule of equity requires co&s;t for the maintenance of Gods wor&s;hip, and the furtherances of it under the new Te&s;tament. For by the&s;e is God more immediately honoured, then by gi|ving to the poor. Thus men doe homage to God in paying dues to Gods Mini&s;ters required by the Laws, where they live, and by gifts to pious u&s;es in their life, or at their death.</P>
<P><HI>Figures none.</HI> Note. 1. An Act. <HI>Honour.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Object. <HI>The Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The matter, wherewith God is to be honoured, which is double.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>With thy &s;ubstance.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>With the first fruits of all thine increa&s;e.</HI> In which ob&s;erve.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Subject. <HI>Of thine increa&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Adjuncts.</P>
<P N="1">1. Of quality. <HI>With the fir&s;t fruits.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Of Quantity. <HI>All.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men mu&s;t bee at co&s;t to maintain the &s;ervice God. <HI>Bring ye all the tiths into the &s;torehou&s;e, that there may be meat in mine hou&s;e.</HI> Mal. 3.10. See <HI>Davids</HI> re&s;olution; <HI>I will not offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that, which doth co&s;t me nothing.</HI> 2 Sam. 24.24.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we owe &s;o much to God: Had not hee given us bodily members, and put life into them, and given us rea&s;on to guide them, we could never have been rich. A pren|ti&s;e owes his Wealth originally to his Ma&s;ter, that taught him his trade, or to his friends, that &s;tocked him. So wee owe ours to God, that gives us life.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e this is a reall confe&s;&s;ion, that we have all from God by a &s;econd donation, who as he gives &s;trength, &s;o hee ble&s;&s;es our labours. Wee cannot make the Sun to &s;hine, nor rain to fall upon our ground to make our corn grow. All our labour, and co&s;t is lo&s;t, unle&s;&s;e God <HI>make his Sun to ri&s;e, and &s;end rain.</HI> Mat. 5.45. God in the Law had the fir&s;t fruits, and the tenths afterwards to &s;hew, that hee gave &s;trength to man, &amp; bea&s;t to plow, and &s;ow, and to the earth to bring forth. <HI>He gives rain, both the former, and the latter in his &s;ea&s;on: he re&s;erveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.</HI> Jer. 5.24. <HI>Quae Dei
<PB N="422" REF="210">dono accepimus, ad Dei cultum referre debemus, et in ejus opere con&s;umere, quae eju&s;dem &s;ump&s;imus largitate. Salv. contra avar. l.</HI> 1. <HI>What we have received of Gods gift, we must u&s;e for Gods wor&s;hip, and &s;pend that in his work, which we have gotten from his bounty. Sicut &agrave; deo e&s;t, quicquid habemus et &s;umus, ita in Di cultum expendere debemus. Hilar. As all we have, and are, is from God, &s;o we ought to expend it on Gods wor&s;hip.</HI> Hu&s;bandry, and Merchandice without Gods ble&s;&s;ing are in vain; he gives wind and weather. <HI>Deo negante non proficit labor, eo dante non of|ficit livor. Greg. Nazian. If God deny, labour cannot further, if be give, envie cannot binder.</HI> The Apo&s;tles fi&s;h all night in vain, til Chri&s;t come, and then they catch a great draught. <HI>Luk.</HI> 5.5.6. Give God then of his own, and make <HI>David</HI>'s confe&s;&s;ion withal, <HI>Of thine own have we given thee.</HI> 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29.14. Yet God in mercy cals it ours, to make us &s;hew our love to him as freely, as if it were our own, we give.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e hereby we &s;hal &s;hew, that we are willing to give all to God again: for he that out of love gives much to God, would give all if need &s;o required: So did the primitive Chri&s;tians. <HI>Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many as were po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors of lands, or hou&s;es, &s;old them, and brought the prices of the things that were &s;old, and laid them down at the Apostles feet, and distribution was made to every man ac|cording as he had need. Acts</HI> 4.34, 35.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e it is plea&s;ing to God, to &s;ee, that we not only give him good words, but al&s;o of our goods: This argues real and &s;trong love to God.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as wil part with nothing for reli|gion, or the &s;ervice of God to uphold it; for plea&s;ure, or friends, they wil part with any thing, nothing for God. <HI>Si u&s;us rerum cuipiam alterius beneficio tribuatur, i&s;&abque; imemor illius avertere ab eo proprietatem conetur, noune ingrati&s;&s;imus omnium hominum, at&abque; infideli&s;&s;imus judicetur? Sic nos, &s;i u&s;um &agrave; Des bonorum habentes, cum proprietate &s;poliare conemur. Salv. l.</HI> 1. <HI>contra avar. If the u&s;e of things be allowed to any man by the be|nefit of another, and he unmindful of his benefactor, &s;hould endea|vour to take away the propriety from him, may he not be judged the most ungrateful, and unfaithful of all men? So may we, if having the u&s;e of good things from God, we &s;eek to &s;poil him of his propri|etie
<PB N="423" REF="210">in them.</HI> If a Tenant refu&s;e to pay his rent, he is turned out of doores: So may, God reenter, if we refu&s;e to maintain his wor&s;hip. We mu&s;t lo&s;e all when we die, why do we not leave &s;ome to God while we live, before he take all away by death, which is no thank to us? Let us imitate the Stork, which (as travellers report) throwes one of her young ones down the chimney, for rent to her Land-lord. Worldlings are &s;o wi&s;e in their own conceit, that they think it a good point of poli|cy to pay as little as they can, toward the upholding of reli|gion; yea, it may be none at all, nor any offerings of a free|will; they hold, that all is well &s;pared, that is kept back this way, and a great lo&s;s to them and theirs which is given.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 2. To exhort us, to be careful for time to come, to be at co&s;t for Gods &s;ervice, while we live. Motives ye had before, <HI>adde</HI> that of the Jews <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>No me at, no law.</HI> And that of <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom, take away the oyle, and the lamp wil out.</HI> particu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lars wil follow.</P>
<P N="1">1. We &s;hould be free towards the maintenance of Schooles and learning. They that cannot read nor write, how can they know, or teach others how to wor&s;hip God? His book is &s;eal|ed to them, gifts of tongues are cea&s;ed, they do not pretend any thing to them, who claim other extraordinary gifts. <HI>Julian</HI> the Apo&s;tate is thought to have done more hurt to the Chri&s;tian Religion, by forbidding the children of Chri&s;tians &s;chool-breeding, then other heathen Emperours by fire and faggot.</P>
<P N="2">2. Towards the maintenance of Univer&s;ities, which &s;tand in &s;tead of the &s;chooles of the Prophets, mentioned 2 <HI>King.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<P N="3">3. Towards the maintenance of Mini&s;ters: the&s;e are they whom God tru&s;ts with all his publick work, Prayer, Prai&s;e, Word, Sacraments; they are taken off from worldly affairs, to attend on the&s;e: Gods publick wor&s;hip &s;inks, if they &s;inke. The Papi&s;ts were very forward to give to maintain Ma&s;&s;es, men are not &s;o forward now to give to maintain Sermons.</P>
<P N="4">4. Towards nece&s;&s;aries for Gods &s;ervice, as Bookes, Bread, and Wine, &amp;c. Sacrifices were much more co&s;tly in the old Te&s;tament, yet freely and willingly given by Gods people.</P>
<P N="5">5. Toward Churches and meeting places, where Gods peo|ple may conveniently meet to &s;erve him: the&s;e things ought
<PB N="424" REF="211">to be done, though no law of man require it, and in a greater mea&s;ure then mans law requires; be&s;ides enjoyned offerings, God expected free-wil offerings in the law. It is a &s;hame to &s;ee how forward Papi&s;ts were to maintain Mona&s;teries, and idle Fryars. <HI>Inania pondera terra, the empty burdens of the earth,</HI> and how backward. Prote&s;tants are to maintain Gods wor&s;hip; what men do in this kind, mu&s;t be done willingly, and cheerfully, el&s;e God regards it not. A cipher added, makes one to be ten. The good-wil of the poor widow makes her two mites to be more in Chri&s;ts account, then the rich mens <HI>great gifts. Luk.</HI> 21.2.3.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. It is an honour to God for men to be at co&s;t for his &s;ervice. The Temple built by <HI>Solomon,</HI> is &s;aid to be built <HI>for the name of the Lord God of</HI> I&s;rael. 1 <HI>King.</HI> 8.20. As niggard|line&s;&s;e, in offering the blind and lame in &s;acrifice di&s;honours God, <HI>Mal.</HI> 1.7.8. &s;o liberality for his &s;ervice honors him. <HI>Contrariorum contraria e&s;t regula, Contraries have contrarie rules.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it brings honour to God immediately, for it is an act of homage, or acknowledging his power over all things in the world.</P>
<P N="2">2. Mediately by maintaining Gods Wor&s;hip and Mini&s;ters, by which he is daily prai&s;ed and honoured.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as are niggardly towards pious u&s;es; they not only hinder religion, but al&s;o di&s;honour God: He can get no good, if we be never &s;o liberal in this kind, honour is all he lookes for from us, and if that be denyed him, he gets nothing by us.</P>
<P N="2">2. To teach us in all our co&s;t for Gods &s;ervice, to look at Gods honour, not at our own; his glory &s;hould be our prin|cipal intention. To encourage us hereunto, con&s;ider, that God takes it as an honour, when we are at co&s;t for his &s;er|vice, though it be out of his own, and wil reward it, as if it were ours, and as if he got much by it, who indeed gets nothing at all.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Our co&s;t for Gods &s;ervice mu&s;t be out of our own goods, that God hath given us. <HI>David</HI> &s;aith to <HI>Ornan, I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.</HI> 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 21.24. <HI>Thou &s;halt not bring the hire of an
<PB N="425" REF="211">where into the hou&s;e of the Lord thy God for any vow.</HI> Deut. 23.18. Gods &s;ervice mu&s;t be maintained out of goods lawfully gotten.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e el&s;e we doe not maintain Gods &s;ervice our &s;elves, but force others to do it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it is not thank-worthy to give of another mans, no more then to be patient in de&s;erved troubles. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.19.20.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemnes the co&s;t of many be&s;towed on Churches, and Lectures, when they die, out of goods gotten by oppre&s;&s;i|on all their life long. Men cannot buy out co&s;enage by giving part to God, <HI>I the Lord hate robbery for burnt offering.</HI> I&s;a. 61.8. When the <HI>Athenians</HI> demanded mony for &s;acrifices, Pho|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion pointed to an u&s;urer, to whom he ought mony, and &s;aid, <HI>Puderet me, &s;i v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">is acce&s;&s;iones cede<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">em, huic autem &s;ua non rea|derem. Recuperus. I &s;hould be a&s;hamed to adde to your offerings, and not pay this man his own. De &s;ub&s;tantia aliorum tollere, &amp; Deo ind&egrave; afferre non crit utique offerre, &s;ed more latronum Patroci|nium alterius quaerere, &amp; velle Deum violentiae &s;ocium facere. Chry&s;oft. Hom.</HI> 43. <HI>To take out of other mens &s;ub&s;tance and offer thereof to God, is not at all to offer, but as theeves doe, to &s;eek the Patronage of another, and to be willing to make God a partner in our violence. Eleemo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nam Deus dete&s;tatur, quae de Lachrym<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s alienis praestatur. Quid enim prae&s;tat, &s;i unus benedicat, ubi plures maledicunt? Augu&s;t. L. de verb. Dom. God hates an almes, which is given out of other mens tears. For what gain is it, if one ble&s;&s;e, where many cur&s;e?</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The co&s;t be&s;towed on Gods wor&s;hip mu&s;t be out of all our profit. <HI>Abraham gave Melchizedec tithes of all.</HI> Gen. 14.20. <HI>Let him that as taught in the word, communicate unto him, that teacheth, in all good things.</HI> Gal. 6.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e all the good things wee have come from God: and therefore his &s;ervice &s;hould fare the better for all.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It reproves tho&s;e, that care not how little they give for pious u&s;es living, or dying. They have forgotten above half their le&s;&s;on. They &s;hould honour God, not with &s;ome, but with all their &s;ub&s;tance. Such as can &s;pend all on Haukes,
<PB N="426" REF="212">Hounds, and Harlots, leave nothing to maintaine Gods wor&s;hip.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God mu&s;t not lo&s;e his part of our fir&s;t profit. <HI>What|&s;oever is first ripe in the land, which they &s;hall bring unto the Lord, &s;hall be thine.</HI> Numb. 18.13. So &s;aith God to <HI>Aaron</HI> his Prie&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e it is good to remember God in the youth of our gain.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemnes tho&s;e, that will give nothing to good u&s;es, till they die, They are like &s;wine, that never do good alive, and dying give every one a pudding.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> The co&s;t be&s;towed on Gods &s;ervice mu&s;t be out of the be&s;t of our good: <HI>All the best of the Oyle, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the fir&s;t fruits of them, which the, &s;hall offer unto the Lord, have I given thee.</HI> Numb. 18.12. <HI>Abe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> brought the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, and the Lord had re&s;pect unto</HI> Abel, <HI>and to his offering.</HI> Gen. 4.4. Fir&s;t fruits were mo&s;t dear, and precious as the fir&s;t born.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e that God, that gives the be&s;t, is worthy of the be&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;hew our willingne&s;&s;e in giving to God. Men that willingly &s;end pre&s;ents to their friends, &s;end of the be&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To reprove &s;uch as think the wor&s;t good enough for God, and good u&s;es. <HI>Ye brought that which was torne, and the lame, and the &s;ick;</HI> Mal. 1.13. God requires the be&s;t: the world is ungratefull, and hardly affords him the wor&s;t to maintaine his wor&s;hip. They think Gods Mini&s;ters are indebted to them for meanes, when God &s;aith it is his, and men owe it to him, and he requires it for his Mini&s;ters, and wor&s;hip. The Apo&s;tle makes the people the greater debters, <HI>If we have &s;own unto you &s;pirituall things, is it a great matter if we &s;hall reap your carnall things?</HI> 1 Cor. 9.11.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="427" REF="212">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 10.</BIBL> So &s;hall thy barnes be filled with plenty, and thy pre&s;ses &s;hall bur&s;t out with new wine.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this Ver&s;e is the &s;uitable, yea, exceeding reward of tho&s;e, that to their co&s;t maintain Gods wor&s;hip. It containes an an&s;wer to a &s;ecret objection. Many men are timerous, and fear, le&s;t by this liberality, they &s;hould hinder them&s;elves, and theirs, and not have enough left to maintain them in a com|fortable fa&s;hion, and &s;o may be much hindred, yea, it may bee want nece&s;&s;aries for them&s;elves, and after much hard labour for po&s;terity, leave little to their children. The text an&s;wers by adding a &s;weet promi&s;e &s;uitable to the duty. It &s;hall bee &s;o farre from dimini&s;hing your e&s;tate, that God will fill your barnes, and Winepre&s;&s;es, &s;o that ye &s;hall receive far more then ye give away. Fear not what &s;hall become of you, your Wives, and Children, God will give you much more to leave them. Thou need&s;t not &s;u&s;pect, that thy pious liberality, will bring thee to want: it wil rather increa&s;e thy wealth, and fill thee with all things needfull, and comfor|table. Seeing God cannot well be honoured in the way, that he hath appointed without co&s;t, and no charge goes &s;o neare a carnall heart, as that which is &s;pent to main|tain Gods wor&s;hip, by rea&s;on of that naturall &s;trange|ne&s;&s;e, and emnity that is between God us, &amp; God gives us en|couragement to bear this co&s;t by a promi&s;e of a greater re|ward hyperbolically &s;et out, intimating, that wee &s;hall be &s;o far from being impoveri&s;hed by it, that we &s;hall grow richer, and have as much corn, as our barnes can hold, and &s;o much wine, that oue Winepre&s;&s;es, and Ve&s;&s;ells cannot hold it, and other comforts an&s;werable; and this is the &s;um of this Ver&s;e.</P>
<P>Now for the words.</P>
<P><HI>So.</HI> Heb. <HI>And.</HI> Te meaning is <HI>Therefore,</HI> or for that rea&s;on, as that particle often &s;ignifies, and <HI>Lira</HI> wel hints upon the text. Se on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22. on the word <HI>But.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Shall thy barnes.</HI> The receptacles of thy Corn, Barnes, or Granaries.</P>
<P><HI>Be filled.</HI> More then formerly, &s;o that thine eyes &s;hall &s;ee that thy co&s;t be&s;towed upon God is not in vain. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<PB N="428" REF="213">
<P><HI>With plenty.</HI> With abundance of Gorn, &s;o that both thine eye and thy belly &s;hall be &s;atisfied, and thy family plentifully nouri&s;hed. In a word, Thou &s;halt have a very plentifull Harve&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>And thy Pre&s;&s;es.</HI> Thy Winepre&s;&s;es, wherein the grapes are troden to &s;cruze out the Wine.</P>
<P><HI>Shall bur&s;t out.</HI> They &s;hall be &s;o full, that they &s;hall run over. Thou &s;halt have &s;o great a vintage, that thy Pre&s;&s;es, and tubs &s;hall not be able to hold thy wine. The wine &s;hall bur&s;t out of the pre&s;&s;es for abundance. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies</P>
<P N="1">1. To break down a thing, as a wall or the like. <HI>A time to break down.</HI> Eccl. 3.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P N="2">2. To break out, or make a breach. Hence <HI>Pharez</HI> had his name. <HI>How ha&s;t thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee. Therefore his name was called</HI> Pharez. Gen. 38.29.</P>
<P N="3">3. To break forth into plenty, or multitude, as a river o|verflowing the banks, or a man having many children. <HI>The flould breaketh out from the inhabitant,</HI> Job. 28.4. <HI>And thy &s;eed &s;hall be as the du&s;t of the earth, and thou &s;halt &s;pread abroad</HI> (Heb. <HI>break forth</HI>) <HI>to the</HI> We&s;t, <HI>and to the</HI> Ea&s;t, <HI>and to the</HI> North, <HI>and to the</HI> South, <HI>Gen.</HI> 28.14.</P>
<P N="4">4. To break out by way of urging, or compelling another. <HI>And he urged him.</HI> 2 King, 5.28. Here it is taken in the third &s;en&s;e for breaking forth into plenty.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>With new wine.</HI> It hath its name in the originall from a word, that &s;ignifies to expell, or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e, for it drives all the wit out of the drunkards head, and takes po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the fort of his heart.</P>
<P><HI>Figures. Plenty.</HI> Heb. <HI>Satifaction,</HI> which comes from plenty. A figure of the effect for the cau&s;e. <HI>Bur&s;t out.</HI> That is, run forth, as things do, that break out. A figure of the cau&s;e for the effect. Here is a double promi&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. Of a plentifull Harve&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of an abundant Vintage.</P>
<P>In the former note</P>
<P N="1">1. The Subject. <HI>So &s;hall thy barnes</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Adjunct. <HI>Be filled.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Object. <HI>With plenty.</HI> To wit, of corn, which u&s;eth to be lodged in barnes.</P>
<PB N="429" REF="213">
<P>In the latter, note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject, <HI>and thy pre&s;&s;es.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The adjunct, <HI>&s;hal bur&s;t out.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>with new wine.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. To do, pay, or give what God appoints, is not the way to impoveri&s;h men, but to enrich them. This in general, if man obey Gods commandements, appears by the ble&s;sings following, <HI>Deut.</HI> 28.1. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> whereof the&s;e things are part.</P>
<P N="1">1. If men do what God requires, they lo&s;e not by it, as in not hoarding up corn to make it dear, but &s;elling it. <HI>He that witholdeth corn, the people &s;hal cur&s;e him, but ble&s;&s;ing &s;hal be on the head of him that &s;elleth it. Prov.</HI> 11.26. <HI>Vox populs, vox Dei, the voice of the people is Gods voice</HI> in this kind, and God will cur&s;e them al&s;o.</P>
<P N="2">2. In paying dues, and not denying, or putting men to trouble to &s;ue for them. <HI>Bring ye all the tithes into the store|hou&s;e, and I wil rebuke the devourer for your &s;akes, and he &s;hal not de&s;troy the fruits of your ground, neither &s;hal your vine ca&s;t her fruit before the time in the field, &s;aith the Lord of ho&s;ts. Mal.</HI> 3.10.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. In giving. <HI>The righteous &s;heweth mercy, and giveth, for &s;uch as are ble&s;&s;ed by him, &s;hal inherit the earth. P&s;al.</HI> 37.21, 22.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of Gods command, who doth not u&s;e to command his to their lo&s;s; or if to temporal lo&s;&s;e, yet he re|quites it in grace, or in glory. <HI>There is no man that hath left hou&s;e, or brethren, or &s;i&s;ters, or father, or mother, or wife, or chil|dren, or lands for my &s;ake, and the Go&s;pels, but he &s;hal receive an hundred fold now in this time, hou&s;es, and brethren, and &s;i&s;ters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with per&s;ecutions, and in the world to come eternal life. Mat.</HI> 10.29.30.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of Gods promi&s;e, which he never failes to per|form, in that kind, or a better, as in the place la&s;t quoted.</P>
<P N="3">3. Experience proves it; we &s;ee many ble&s;t outwardly, that are con&s;cionable in the&s;e things, and many undone, that doe otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemnes tho&s;e that make no con&s;cience of hoard|ing up corn, till it be naught, to the endangering of many mens lives, who&s;e blood they mu&s;t needs be guilty of, and though it be the blood of poor men, yet God will require the
<PB N="430" REF="214">blood of poor men, as wel as rich: <HI>When he maketh inqui&s;ition for blood, he remembereth them, he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. P&s;al.</HI> 9.12. And &s;uch al&s;o are here condemned, as care for paying no debts without &s;uits, nor to part with any thing for the poor: Oh, &s;ay they, what &s;hal our wives and children do, if we be &s;o free and con&s;cientious? <HI>An&s;.</HI> God wil give thee much more: So the Prophet an&s;wers <HI>Amaziah,</HI> asking, <HI>What &s;hall we doe for the hundred Talents? the Lord is able to give thee much more then this.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 25.9. All creatures have gotten much by him, no creature ever lo&s;t by him.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. To maintain Religion, and Gods wor&s;hip with co&s;t, doth not impoveri&s;h men, but inrich them. Witne&s;s <HI>Davids</HI> co&s;tly preparations for building the Temple, and <HI>Se|lomons</HI> great charge in building it. The Jews daily co&s;t in &s;a|crifices encrea&s;ed rather then dimini&s;hed their cattle. <HI>Since the people began to bring the offerings into the hou&s;e of the Lood, we have had enough to eat, &amp; have left plenty; for the Lord hath ble&s;sed his people, and that which is left is this great &s;tore.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 31.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e this co&s;t to maintain Gods wor&s;hip, is a &s;anctified u&s;ury, it is a di&s;po&s;ing of money in a lawful way, with expectation of great gain: other u&s;ury is unlawful, and often hurtful, this is lawful and profitable.</P>
<P N="2">2. Ic is a ble&s;&s;ed u&s;ury; for as in giving to the poor, <HI>men lend unto the Lord, Prov.</HI> 19.17. &s;o in maintaining Gods wor&s;hip, God is the borrower, and he u&s;eth to pay with increa&s;e. <HI>Vile e&s;t, quod datur, ubi tam grande e&s;t, quod recipitur, That is of little worth which is given, where &s;o great a reward is received. Salv. contra. avar.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It is a politick u&s;ury: Gods &s;ervants mu&s;t <HI>be wi&s;e as &s;erpents. Mat.</HI> 10.16. This is the wi&s;e&s;t way to be&s;tow money, and brings in greate&s;t increa&s;e, Gods glory mu&s;t be our chiefe end herein, but we may al&s;o expect Gods ble&s;&s;ing on our trading in this kind; and Gods people are the more likely to trade with us, and do us good, if we be at co&s;t for Gods &s;ervice: which they like as well as we: but this mu&s;t be an inferiour end, lea&s;t of all regarded.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To exhort us to exerci&s;e this ble&s;&s;ed u&s;ury, and to think nothing lo&s;t, that is lent to God. Riches and tithes have the &s;ame letters in Hebrew, they differ only by a &s;top on the top of
<PB N="431" REF="214">a letter, as appears in the Hebrew proverb <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>pay tithes that thou mai&s;t be rich. Augu&s;tin</HI> &s;peaking of tho&s;e who had their corn &s;mitten with bla&s;ting, and mildew, who would not willingly pay their tythes, &s;aith, <HI>Reckon now, O covetous wretch: nine parts are withdrawn from thee, becau&s;e thou would&s;t not give the tenth:</HI> And he addes this rea&s;on, <HI>Dei enim ju&s;ta con&s;uetudo est, ut &s;i es decimam non dederis, tu ad deci|mam revoceris, novem partibus &s;c. detractis. For this is Gods ju&s;t custom, if thou wilt not give the tenth to him, thou &s;halt be brought to the tenth, nine parts being taken away.</HI> So Land|lords enter on all, when their rent is not paid. Men take care how to u&s;e their money to their be&s;t advantage by &s;ea, or buy|ing land or cattle, or by u&s;ury, an ea&s;ie trade: thy be&s;t trade wil be to maintain Gods wor&s;hip; the Jews have a proverb to this purpo&s;e, to wit, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>T. thes are the hedge of riches. Pirke Aboth. cap.</HI> 3. <HI>Fig.</HI> 13.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Abundance of good things follow upon co&s;t be&s;tow|ed on Gods wor&s;hip. <HI>Bring ye all the Tithes into the &s;tore-hou&s;e, that there may be meat in mine hou&s;e, and prove me now herewith, &s;aith the Lord of hosts, if I wil not open you the windowes of hea|ven, and powre out a ble&s;&s;ing, that there &s;hal not be room enough to receive it. Mal.</HI> 3.10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hath abundance and gives according|ly. Fountaines abound in water, and therefore communi|cate it more freely then &s;tanding pooles. It becomes great men to give largely, though receivers de&s;erve it not.</P>
<P N="2">2. God wil &s;hew hereby what a great price he &s;ets upon his wor&s;hip, when he &s;o liberally rewards the furtherers of it.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Ob&s;erve ye that are large in giving to pious u&s;es, how God deals with you; I doubt not but ye will find it in your books at the years end, if no &s;inful cour&s;e of life make ob&s;tructions.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Provi&s;ions of all &s;orts attend upon this co&s;t. See the place quoted before, <HI>Mal.</HI> 3.10.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> Becau&s;e God is both able and willing to be&s;tow all &s;orts of good things on them that love and maintain his wor&s;hip.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Ob&s;erve what varietie of good things God be&s;tows on you for upholding his wor&s;hip, and be thankful.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="432" REF="215">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 11.</BIBL> My Son, de&s;pi&s;e not the cha&s;tning of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre is an an&s;wer to to an objection, that might be made out of the former ver&s;e. It might be &s;aid, good men have not alwaies the plenty you &s;peak of, they are many times in want and poverty. <HI>A.</HI> Then mu&s;t they be patient, if wants and cro&s;&s;es come upon them from God, for it is for their good: If God do not pro&s;per, but cro&s;&s;e us, we mu&s;t not be offended. Before <HI>Solomon</HI> had taught his &s;on the do|ctrine of reverence, to have higher thoughts of God then of him&s;elfe, Ver&s;e 5, 6, 7. here he teacheth him the doctrine of patience; he had before per&s;waded him to &s;hew reall thank|fulne&s;&s;e to God in his co&s;t for Gods wor&s;hip, Ver&s;e 9.10. now he moves him to &s;hew his real patience in bearing cro&s;|&s;es from God: That precept belonged principally to rich men, that want nothing; this to poor men, that live in want, or to &s;uch as are otherwi&s;e afflicted by the hand of God. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>My &s;on.</HI> A kind appellation to pierce the deeper into our hearts. To whom will he hearken that will not hearken unto his father? For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.18.</P>
<P><HI>De&s;pa&s;e not.</HI> Count not &s;leightly of it, but ob&s;erve well for what end it is &s;ent; &s;eek not to ca&s;t it off with contempt, and hatred, count it not a burden in&s;upportable. Some &s;erve God in pro&s;perity, and leave him in adver&s;itie: Therefore the wi&s;e-man exhorts him, whom he had before taught how to live in pro&s;perity, not to faint in adver&s;itie, that &s;o when infirmity, or poverty, or the like triall comes, he may not lo&s;e that piety which he &s;eemed to have in his tranquillity.</P>
<P><HI>The cha&s;tning.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.2. on the word <HI>in&s;truction:</HI> the &s;ame word in the original &s;ignifies both, and it belongs equally, to a loving father to in&s;truct, or correct, as occa&s;ion is offered.</P>
<P><HI>Of the Lord.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>Neither be weary.</HI> Faint not under the burden of Gods cor|rection; let it not be like meat upon the &s;tomach, that over|charges
<PB N="433" REF="215">it, and the man is never well, till he be rid of it, and can endure no more of it.</P>
<P><HI>Of his correction.</HI> Remember it is but correction, not wrath. See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.25. on the word <HI>Reproofe,</HI> for it fignifies both: The &s;um of this ver&s;e is, as if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;aid to the young man, My &s;on, God will give thee pro&s;perity, if thou obey him: but if God &s;hall &s;ee it fitter for thee to give thee fickne&s;&s;e for health, and dry bones for marrow, and make thee full of paines, and weakne&s;&s;es, do not make a light ac|count of his correcting hand, neither if thou think his &s;troak to be too long, or heavy, be thou offended with him, but bear it patiently</P>
<P><HI>Figures none. Note.</HI> 1. The Exhortation in this ver&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The rea&s;on inforcing it, ver&s;e 12.</P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. The per&s;on &s;poken to. <HI>My &s;on.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;peech, wherein note a double exhortation, or rather dehortation. And in the former.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act di&s;&s;waded. <HI>De&s;pi&s;e not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object. <HI>The cha&s;tning of the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the latter note.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Act forbidden. <HI>Neither be weary.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object. <HI>Of his correction.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Arguments, or titles of love &s;hould often be repea|ted. <HI>My little Children.</HI> 1 Ioh. 2.1. <HI>Brethren.</HI> 1 Ioh. 2.7. <HI>Be|loved.</HI> 1 Ioh. 4.1.7.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of all arguments they are the mo&s;t pierce|ing. They go from heart to heart. They will work, when ar|guments of terror will not.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e as they quickly pierce the affection, &s;o they la&s;t till death in the memory, and work love back again, as the &s;unbeams beating on a wall reverberat, and cau&s;e heat in the air near it.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> 1. To blame &s;trangene&s;&s;e, and &s;harpne&s;&s;e of carriage in Chri&s;tians, e&s;pecially in words, when reproofes, and admo|nitions &s;avour rather of height of &s;pirit, then of love. Little good comes by them.</P>
<P N="2">2. To teach all &s;uperiours, Mini&s;ters e&s;pecially to breath forth words full of affection, e&s;pecially to tho&s;e, that are god|ly,
<PB N="434" REF="216">though differing from them in matters of le&s;&s;er moment. Loving carriage is glue, it will unite. Strangene&s;&s;e is a thaw, of a &s;evering quality, and will breed enmity.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Afflictions come from God. <HI>Shall there be evill in a City, and the Lord hath not done it?</HI> Am. 3.6. <HI>The Lord hath troden under foot all my mighty men in the mid&s;t of me: hee hath called an a&s;&s;embly again&s;t me to cru&s;h my young men; The Lord hath troden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine pre&s;&s;e.</HI> Lam. 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;ome are &s;uch as none el&s;e can inflict, as the plague, and deadly di&s;ea&s;es, the infection of the air, pangs of con&s;cience.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e none el&s;e can bring any affliction on us without his leave. Satan cannot touch any thing of <HI>Jobs</HI> without a commi&s;&s;ion from God. <HI>Iob.</HI> 1.12.2, 6. Nor the devills enter into &s;wine, if Chri&s;t permit not. <HI>Mat.</HI> 8.31, 32.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. It taxeth worldly men, who in their afflictions look altogether unto outward means, not eying God the &s;triker, neither do they come to him for remedy. If they be &s;ick, they blame their diet, or the air, and &s;eek onely to the Phy&s;ician for help. If they be wronged, they blame their neighbours, and fly to the Lawyer for help. If they be impoveri&s;hed, they blame their oppre&s;&s;ors, and flie to their rich friends for reliefe, but lea&s;t &s;ee God in their affliction, upon whom they &s;hould mo&s;t of all look. Therefore afflictions rather do them hurt, then good. They make them full of &s;pleen again&s;t the in&s;tru|ments: they work confidence in men; but do not humble them before God, nor make them amend their waies. The end is like to be mi&s;erable. Afflictions are burdens, and whom they do not bow, they break: look up then to the fir&s;t mover in troubles.</P>
<P N="2">2. It teacheth good men in all their afflictions to look up to God. This will make us patient. Weak Chri&s;tians, when they &s;ee wicked men pro&s;per, and godly men afflicted, are tempted with impatience, as appears at large. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73. This Ver&s;e is an Antidote again&s;t &s;uch temptations. Wee mu&s;t receive afflictions from the hand of God with all patience, as from him, that doth all things ju&s;tly. This will make us cheerful in afflictions al&s;o, if we remember, they are Gods Phy&s;ick to cure the di&s;ea&s;es of the &s;oul. Every wi&s;e man takes Phy&s;ick
<PB N="435" REF="216">willingly, as overloooking the bitterne&s;&s;e of the pill, and fa&s;tning his eyes on the health en&s;uing. So &s;hould we do in afflictions &s;ent by God. <HI>O &s;ervum illum beatum, cujus emenda|tioni Dominus in&s;tat, cui dignatur ira&s;ci, quem admonendi di&s;&s;imu|latione non decipit. Tertullian, in lib. de Patientia. Oh ble&s;&s;ed is that &s;ervant, for who&s;e amendment God is earne&s;t, with whom God vouch&s;afes to be angry, and whom he doth not deceive by concealing admonition.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Afflictions are ordinarily cha&s;ti&s;ements for &s;in, <HI>There is no &s;oundne&s;&s;e in my fle&s;h becau&s;e of thine anger: neither is there any rest in my bones becau&s;e of my &s;in.</HI> P&s;al. 38.3. <HI>When thou with rebukes do&s;t correct a man for iniquity, thou make&s;t his beauty to con&s;ume away like a moth.</HI> P&s;al. 39.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. In re&s;pect of God, that he may &s;hew forth his di&s;|like of &s;in really, not in words alone, but in deeds. If he &s;hould never &s;mite &s;inners, both they, and others wouldthink, he li|ked their &s;infull waies. <HI>The&s;e things ha&s;t thou done, and I kept &s;ilence: thou thought&s;t, that I was altogether &s;uch an one as thy &s;elf.</HI> P&s;al. 50.21. To drive them out of this fooli&s;h conceit, God threatens to reprove them, to make them &s;ee their &s;ins, and to tear them in pieces, if they repent not. <HI>ver.</HI> 21, 22. there.</P>
<P N="2">2. In re&s;pect of &s;inners, that they may be brought to repen|tance, as the prodigall child was by want. <HI>Luk.</HI> 15.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take your afflictions then as corrections. Look not upon them alwaies, as tryalls of grace, le&s;t ye be proud: but ordina|rily look at them, as cha&s;ti&s;ements for thy &s;ins, and be hum|bled. Ran&s;ack thy life, look what thou ha&s;t done ami&s;&s;e, con|fe&s;&s;e with forrow, give glory to God, and amend. So &s;hall thy afflictions be both in&s;tructions, and corrections. <HI>Where|&s;ore doth a living man complaint a man for the puni&s;hment of his &s;ins.</HI> Lam. 3.39.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Such cha&s;ti&s;emenes mu&s;t not be &s;lighted. <HI>Behold hap|py is the man, whom God correcteth: therefore de&s;pi&s;e not thou the cha&s;tning of the Almighty.</HI> Job. 5.17. See the words of <HI>the text quoted.</HI> Heb. 12.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e then God, him&s;elf is &s;lighted, and his pow|er, and ju&s;tice contemned. God is to be feared in the lea&s;t of his works, yea, in his word. He hath a whole forre&s;t of rodds
<PB N="436" REF="217">to correct them withall, that &s;in again&s;t him, if few, or &s;mall ones will not work upon us.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they come out of love, and love-tokens &s;hould not be de&s;pi&s;ed: The father &s;trikes not the child to break a limb, or an arme, or to kill him, but to beat down his &s;tub|born heart, not to make him run away, but return.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as &s;leight, not only mens blows, but Gods: Some take no notice of any judgment that lights upon them, as coming from God, but by chance, and therefore re|gard it not; they &s;ay with the Phili&s;tines, <HI>It was a chance that happened unto us.</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.9. Others attribute it to inferiour cau&s;es, and think them ea&s;ie so be avoided, forgetting, that they have to do with the mighty God; others are &s;encele&s;&s;e, and think it a goodly thing to bear out a cro&s;s by head and &s;houlders, as if they were armed again&s;t all Gods arrowes: of the&s;e a man may &s;ay with <HI>Au&s;tin, Perdidi&s;tis fructum af|flictionis, me&s;errimi facti estis &amp; pe&s;&s;im&egrave; perman&s;i&s;tis. De civit. Dei. l.</HI> 1. <HI>c.</HI> 33. <HI>Ye have lo&s;t the fruit of affliction, ye are made ve|ry mi&s;erable, and ye remain very bad.</HI> The&s;e are pa&s;t &s;hame, fear, or &s;orrow: e&s;pecially, men are &s;encele&s;&s;e in le&s;&s;er blowes, which devour like a moth in&s;en&s;ibly; and &s;ometimes in grea|ter. <HI>Jonah</HI> could &s;leep in a &s;torm. Drunken men feel no blowes, the&s;e are &s;piritually drunk.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us not &s;leight Gods corrections, as things of no force or u&s;e, but rather &s;toop at the fir&s;t, and lea&s;t blow, and fear the very &s;haking of his hand at us; el&s;e we cau&s;e God as it were to lo&s;e his labour in nurturing of us. A child is grace|le&s;&s;e that &s;heds no tears, when he is corrected. It argues want of grace in us, if we melt not when God him&s;elfe corrects us. A great mans anger is feared, Gods wrath is much more to be feared.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 5. Gods cha&s;ti&s;ements are for our correction and good. <HI>Before I was afflicted, I went a&s;tray, but now have I kept thy word. P&s;al.</HI> 119.67. <HI>It is good for me that</HI> I <HI>have been afflicted, that</HI> I <HI>might learn thy &s;tatutes. P&s;al.</HI> 119.71.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. It is for our good here, to draw us from &s;in to re|pentance. <HI>Foris per flagellum tundimur, ut intus in templum Do|mini di&s;ponamur. Greg. Past. We are beaten with the &s;courge without, that we may be made the Temple of God within.</HI></P>
<PB N="437" REF="217">
<P N="2">2. It is for our good hereafter, that we may not peri&s;h e|ternally. <HI>When we are judged, we are cha&s;tned of the Lord, that we &s;hould not be condemned with the world.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.32.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Be not over-fearful of afflictions; there may come more good to thy Soul, then by pro&s;perity. Bitter phy&s;ick is better then &s;weat-meats.</P>
<P N="2">2. Here is ground for an exhortation to patience, a vertue very needful in this old age of the world, in which one breach followes another, like waves in the Sea; we are all impatient by nature, but grace &s;hould make us patient, when for our good we are corrected.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 6. We mu&s;t not be weary of afflictions, though they be great and frequent. <HI>Con&s;ider him that endured &s;uch contra|diction of &s;inners, lest ye be weary, and faint in your minds; ye have not yet re&s;isted unto blood, striving against &s;in. Heb.</HI> 3.4. <HI>Thou hast born and ha&s;t patience, and for my names-&s;ake ha&s;t laboured, and ha&s;t not fainted. Rev.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we are Gods creatures. He hath &s;upream and ab&s;olute power over us, and therefore may lay on us what he will. Say with the Jews, <HI>We are the clay, and thou our potter. I&s;a.</HI> 64.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. Fainting makes us unfit for all good duties, either of re|ligion or of our callings: we can do nothing truly good, or acceptable to God, without cheerfulne&s;&s;e. A weary man can|not walk or work with comfort, his &s;pirits are &s;pent already.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as are weary and faint under af|flictions, &s;ome bear little ones, or great ones a while, and then give over; &s;ome utterly de&s;pair of help, and conclude they are quite undone; others mur mur again&s;t God; others &s;eek freedome by unlawfull meanes, as <HI>Saul</HI> by a Witch. All the&s;e faint under Gods hand, and &s;in again&s;t him. This is the o|ther extream, we heard before that &s;ome made light of af|flictions, and &s;leighted them; now we &s;ee that others de&s;pair &amp; &s;ink under them. <HI>Non quia dura, &s;ed quia molles patimur. Not becau&s;e the things are hard, but becau&s;e we that &s;uffer are tender. Seneca.</HI> Though it be profitable for us to be arflicted, yet our fle&s;h is impatient, and de&s;ires nothing but plea&s;ure and ea&s;e, and &s;o di&s;courages us under affliction, as if God intended to de&s;troy us: the Devill tells us as much, and we are ready to believe him. But we &s;hould <HI>not forget the exhortation, which
<PB N="440" REF="218">&s;peaketh unto us as unto children, My &s;on, de&s;pi&s;e not thou the cha&s;tning of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Heb.</HI> 12.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. Re&s;olve &s;till to bear while God afflicts, remember it is for correction, not for confu&s;ion: And that we are naturally impatient, and had need of patience, which as <HI>Nazianzen</HI> calls it, is <HI>Nervus animae, the &s;inew of the &s;oul.</HI> Say with <HI>Tertullian, To|tus mundus mihi pereat, dum modo patientiam lueis faciam: Let me lo&s;e all the world, &s;o I may get patience. Lib. de patientia.</HI> If that &s;hrinks, all failes; if afflictions, like waves of the &s;ea, come rouling one in the neck of another, expo&s;tulate not with God, but pray, and wait for deliverance: be &s;uch as the Apo&s;tle bids you to be, <HI>Rejoycing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. Rom.</HI> 12.12.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 12.</BIBL> For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth, even as a father the &s;on, in whum he delighteth.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>BEcau&s;e as it is a hard thing to part with our &s;ub&s;tance for God, &s;o it is as hard, if not harder, to endure Gods cor|recting hand, which we are alwaies ready to &s;u&s;pect to come out of hatred; therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> takes away that thought, and a&s;&s;ures us, that &s;uch corrections come from Gods love, and tend to our good. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P><HI>Whom the Lord.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>Loveth.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.22.</P>
<P><HI>He correcteth.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies,</P>
<P N="1">1. To rea&s;on a ca&s;e by arguments, and an&s;wers. <HI>How forcible are right words? But what doth your arguing reprove? Job</HI> 6.25 <HI>Should he rea&s;on with unprofitable talk? Job</HI> 15.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. To convince, confute, or reprove &s;uch as are in the wrong. <HI>Do ye imagine to reprove words? Job</HI> 6.26.</P>
<P N="3">3. To correct, or &s;courge one for &s;in. <HI>O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, neither cha&s;ten me in thy hot di&s;plea&s;ure. P&s;al.</HI> 6.1. And in that &s;en&s;e it is taken here. See more on <HI>Chap.</HI> 9.7.</P>
<P><HI>Even as a father.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.8.</P>
<P><HI>The &s;on.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.1.8.</P>
<PB N="439" REF="218">
<P><HI>In whom he delighteth.</HI> With whom he is wel plea&s;ed.</P>
<P>The &s;um of the ver&s;e is, as if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;aid, Thou mu&s;t not de&s;pi&s;e, nor be weary of Gods correction, becau&s;e it comes not out of anger, but from abundance of love. For as a godly Father &s;eeks by correction to amend his child, or a wi&s;e Phy&s;itian to cure his patient by bitter potions, &s;o doth God u&s;e by afflictions to keep every one in order, whom hee loves, or to call him back, if he have &s;inned, le&s;t he grow wor&s;e, and lo&s;e the comfortable &s;en&s;e of Gods favour. For as Pa|rents according to the fle&s;h u&s;e to correct their children ac|cording to their offence, when they neglect their duty, or do evill, &s;o doth God exerci&s;e his children with cro&s;&s;es, that they may not be proud; or live loo&s;ely, but more warily, and wi&s;ely for time to come.</P>
<P><HI>Figures none. Note</HI> 1. The truth nakedly &s;et down.</P>
<P N="2">2. By Smilitude.</P>
<P>In the former note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence. <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Agent. <HI>The Lord.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Act. <HI>Correcteth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Patient. <HI>Whom he loveth.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the latter note.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Note of &s;imilitude. <HI>Even as.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Corrector. <HI>The Father.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The corrected &s;et out.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. By his relation. <HI>The Son.</HI> Not the &s;ervant onely.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="2">2. By his Fathers affection. <HI>In whom he delighteth, Abra|ham</HI> mu&s;t offer <HI>I&s;aac, whom he loves.</HI> Gen. 22.2. God offers up his Son Chri&s;t, <HI>in whom he is well plea&s;ed.</HI> Math. 3.17. Though God cha&s;ti&s;e his children &s;orely, yet he takes plea&s;ure in them.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> God gives rea&s;ons of his proceedings, that need not give any at all. So in the preface to the commandemens. <HI>Exod.</HI> 20.1. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Ye mu&s;t obey, for I am <HI>Jehovah,</HI> that gave you your being, I am <HI>your God,</HI> in convenant with you, and I &s;hewed my love to you <HI>in bringing you out of</HI> Aegypt.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd Commandment God rea&s;ons from his jea|lou&s;ie to idolaters, and his kindne&s;&s;e to true wor&s;hippers, and their po&s;terity long after them. <HI>For I the Lord thy God, am a
<PB N="440" REF="219">jealous God vi&s;iting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third, and fourth generation of them, that hate me: And &s;he wing mercy unto thou&s;ands of them that love me; and keep my Commandments.</HI> In the third Commandement hee argues from his judgements on &s;uch as abu&s;e his name. <HI>For the Lord will not hold him guiltle&s;&s;e, that taketh his name in vain.</HI> In the fourth from his liberall allowance of &s;ix daies to us for our own occa&s;ions, who may well therefore afford him one in &s;e|ven. <HI>Six daies maist thou labour, &amp; do all thy work.</HI> For &s;o indeed it &s;hould be tran&s;lated, being a permi&s;&s;ion, not a command: for labour in our callings belongs to the eighth Commande|ment. And from his own example, who after &s;ix daies worke re&s;ted one day. <HI>For in &s;ix daies the Lord made Heaven, and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and re&s;ted the &s;eventh day: Wherefore the Lord ble&s;&s;ed the &s;eventh day, and hallowed it.</HI> In the fifth Commandment from the good that comes by honouring Parents; A long, and comfor|table life, which all men de&s;ire, <HI>That thy daies may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.</HI> There are no rea&s;ons given for the re&s;t, becau&s;e mans rea&s;on can tell him, that his own life, the comfort of his marriage, his e&s;tate, his credit, his content are wrapt up in them.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. That God may work upon mans judgement, that &s;o if his command will not work upon mans will, as it &s;hould, rea&s;on may convince their judgement.</P>
<P N="2">2. That he may work upon their affections. Upon their love by recording former benefits, and promi&s;ing more, as to <HI>David, I annointed thee King over</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>and I delivered thee out of the hand of</HI> Saul, <HI>And I gave thee thy Masters hou&s;e, and thy Ma&s;ters wives into thy bo&s;ome, and gave thee the hou&s;e of</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>and of</HI> Judah, <HI>and if that had been too little, I would more|over have given unto thee &s;uch, and &s;uch things. Wherefore ha&s;t thou de&s;pi&s;ed the Commandement of the Lord.</HI> 2 Sam. 12.7. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Kindne&s;&s;e breeds love. God works upon fear by judgements, and threatning more. Upon hatred by &s;eting out the ugline&s;s of &s;in, and the hurt it brings on all the World, and in particular on our &s;elves. Upon confidence by &s;etting out his great pow|er, and infinite mercy, which are the two main Pillars of con|fidence</P>
<PB N="441" REF="219">
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> To lament our wretched &s;infull di&s;po&s;ition, that have by nature &s;o far ca&s;t off Gods &s;overaignty, that he is, as it were forced to u&s;e rea&s;ons to per&s;wade us to obey his Com|mands, which we &s;hould do without any rea&s;on given. Yea, which is more, that we will not be per&s;waded by a world of rea&s;ons laid down in &s;cripture, but remain di&s;obedient: who would keep a &s;ervant that neither of him&s;elf, nor by per&s;wa&s;i|on would be obedient? God keeps thou&s;ands of &s;uch in the World. Yea, the be&s;t of men are guilty of di&s;obedience to the Commands of God again&s;t duty, and known rea&s;ons. <HI>Da|vid</HI> knew, that though he were a King, yet he might not com|mit adultery, nor murder, and therefore is &s;aid not <HI>to be ig|norant of,</HI> but <HI>to de&s;pi&s;e</HI> Gods Commandement. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12.9. And it co&s;t him dear. Hee paid for it in both kinds by the &s;word, and the abu&s;e of his own Concubines. Let every one of us lay it to his own heart, and mourne for his own known di&s;obedience.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Teachers &s;hould not onely informe, but per&s;wade al&s;o. So <HI>Paul</HI> exhorts wives to do their duty from their &s;ub|jection to the husband, as to the head, and from the Churches exampl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Wives &s;ubmit your &s;elves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church, and he is the Saviour of his body. Therefore as the Church is &s;ubject unto Christ, &s;o let the wives be unto their own husbands in every thing.</HI> Eph. 5.22. 23, 24. Husbands are pre&s;t to their duty from Chri&s;ts example. <HI>Hu&s;|bands love your wives, even as Chri&s;t al&s;o loved the Church.</HI> Eph. 5.25. From marriage union. <HI>So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies.</HI> Eph. 5.28. From leaving Parents for a wife. <HI>For this cau&s;e &s;hall a man leave his Father, and Mother, and &s;hall be joyned to his wife, and they two &s;hall be one fle&s;h,</HI> Eph. 5.31. Children are urged to their duty from right, and Gods promi&s;e. <HI>Children obey your Parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy Father, and Mother (which is the fir&s;t Commande|ment with promi&s;e) That it may be well with thee, and that thou mai&s;t live long on the earth.</HI> Eph. 6.1.2.3. Servants from re|ward. <HI>Servants be obedient to them, that are your Ma&s;ters,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Knowing that what&s;oever good thing any man doth, the &s;ame &s;hall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond, or free.</HI> Eph. 6.5.
<PB N="442" REF="220">8. Ma&s;ters from their account to God. <HI>And ye ma&s;ters doe the &s;ame things unto them, forbearing threatning, knowing that your Master al&s;o is in heaven, neither is there re&s;pect of per&s;ons with him. Eph.</HI> 6.9. See the like duties pre&s;&s;ed with rea&s;ons, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.18. and 4.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. That the hearers may be brought to believe what is taught, which bare information will not do.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they may be brought to obey it; per&s;wa&s;ive argu|ments are weights to draw to obedience.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Think not much that Mini&s;ters do not coldly deliver divine truths, but earne&s;tly pre&s;&s;e them, it were ea&s;ier for them to do otherwi&s;e, but ye have need of it, and it is for your good.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Correction comes from Gods love. <HI>Thou &s;halt al&s;o con&s;ider in thine heart, that as a man chastneth his &s;on, &s;o the Lord thy God cha&s;tneth thee. Deut.</HI> 8.5. <HI>As many as I love, I rebuke, and cha&s;ten. Rev.</HI> 3.9. <HI>You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I puni&s;h you for all your iniquities. Ames</HI> 3.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. God doth it to prevent much evill that might o|therwi&s;e befall them, and that is a &s;ign of love, as not corre|cting is of hatred. <HI>I will not puni&s;h your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your &s;pou&s;es when they commit adultery, therefore the people that do not understand &s;hall fall. Ho&s;.</HI> 4.14. So a tender father by timely correction keeps his children from untimely ends. A Phy&s;ician keeps his patient from death, by putting him to pain. <HI>Gregory</HI> the great afflicted with the gout, and other bodily infirmities, cries out, <HI>In hoc mi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i pla|cent, quod nihil in ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mundo placere permittunt. Herein they plea&s;e me, in that they &s;uffer nothing in this world to plea&s;e me.</HI> By correction, God keeps his children from many &s;ins, or brings them to repentance. <HI>E&s;t in eo, qui corripitur &agrave; Domius aliquid, quod di&s;plicet, id &s;c: propter quod eum ca&s;tigat, et quod e|mendatum cupit. Jan&s;en. in Text. There is in him, that is chast|ned by the Lord, &s;omething that di&s;plea&s;eth God, to wit, that for which he corrects him, and which he would have amended.</HI> God al&s;o by correction, keeps his from eternall perdition. Affli|etions are a bridle, that keeps the hor&s;e from falling, and the rider from breaking his neck: So doth God by them, keep
<PB N="443" REF="220">his children from many &s;ins, that might bring on them &s;pee|dy de&s;truction. The child of God may &s;ay to God with <HI>Au|gu&s;tine in P&s;al.</HI> 98. <HI>Et cum blandiris, pater es, &amp; cum caedis, pater es. Blandiris, ne deficiam, caedis, ne peream. Both when thou stro|ke&s;t, and when thou &s;trskest, thou art afather: Thou &s;trokest, that I &s;hould not faint, thou &s;trikest that I &s;hould not peri&s;h.</HI> And on the &s;ame P&s;alm. <HI>Illi Deus ira&s;citer quem peccantem non fla|gellat. Nam cui ver&egrave; propitius e&s;t, non &s;olum donat peccata, ne noceant ad futurum &s;eculum, &s;ed etiam ca&s;tigat, ne &s;emper pec|care delectet. God is angry with him, whom he doth not &s;courge for &s;in. For whom he favours indeed, to him he not only forgives &s;ins, that they may not hurt him in the world to come, but al&s;o cha&s;tens him, that he may not delight to be alwaies &s;inning.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. God corrects his children to do them Good; hereby he exerci&s;eth and increa&s;eth many graces in them, as faith, and patience: he al&s;o fits them for glory hereafter, as &s;ouldi|ers by pains and perills are fitted for &s;poiles, and trophies; and Merchants pa&s;&s;ing through many &s;tormes get riches to live on in their old daies. <HI>For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory.</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. That God may take more delight in them, when the dro&s;&s;e of their corruption is purged away by the fire of af|fliction, and they made wi&s;er, purer, and better. So a tender father &s;ends his &s;on beyond Sea, that he may come home bet|ter bred, and be deerer to him.</P>
<P N="4">4. It appears by Gods loving expre&s;&s;ion of him&s;elfe to them, and &s;miles afterwards, like a kind father, &s;hewing that his heart was with them before, though he frowned and &s;mote them; he makes them to know, that <HI>he is the health of their countenance, and their God. P&s;al.</HI> 43.5. <HI>That he hath dea't boun|tifully with them, what ever they thought of him in their afflicti|ons. P&s;al.</HI> 116.7.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove many good people, who as they take too much liberty in pro&s;perity, &s;o are too much dejected in adver&s;itie, as if God had quite for&s;aken them. <HI>Duos habet filies pater, alter peccat, et non caeditur, alter &s;imulac movet ad peccandum, caeditur. cae&s;o haeredit as &s;ervatur, alter exhaere|datus dimittitur. videt pater eum non habere &s;pem, et dimittit e|um
<PB N="444" REF="221">facere quod vult. Augu&s;tin. in P&s;al.</HI> 93. <HI>A father hath two &s;ons, the one &s;ins, and is not &s;mitten, the other, a&s;&s;oon as he moves to any &s;in is &s;mitten: the inheritance is kept for him that is &s;mitten; the other is &s;ent away di&s;inherited: the father &s;ees him hopele&s;&s;e, and lets him loo&s;e to do what he list. Servus offendens dominum non flagellatur, &s;ed dome ejicitur. Filius autem patrem offendens flagellatur, &s;ed &egrave; domo non pellitur. Augu&s;tin. contempl. l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 21. <HI>The &s;ervant offending his Ma&s;ter, is not &s;courged, but ca&s;t out of doo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s; but the &s;on offending his father, is &s;courged, but not turned out of doores.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 2. Let us look upon afflictions as tokens of Gods father|ly love, and then we &s;hall bear them comfortably, and get much good by them. This meditation will be oile to molli|fie the pain of our afflictions: think with thy &s;elfe, God cor|rects me for my &s;ins, but lets others peri&s;h in their &s;ins: What a mercy is this? Gods love is &s;weet to his children, even when they &s;uffer the bitterne&s;&s;e of his cha&s;tning; the mo&s;t tender father &s;mites &s;ometimes. <HI>David</HI> confe&s;&s;es, that <HI>God had afflicted him in faithfulne&s;&s;e. P&s;al.</HI> 119.75. The le&s;&s;e rea&s;on we have to murmur at Gods correcting us, the more certainly we know that corrections are a pledge of his fatherly love toward us, for he corrects the &s;on, <HI>quem unic&egrave; diligit,</HI> whom he loves a|bove the re&s;t. <HI>Qui excipitur &agrave; numero flagellatorum, excipitur &agrave; numero filiorum; He that e&s;capes affliction may well &s;u&s;pect his adoption. Theophylact.</HI> So &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>If ye be without cha&s;ti&s;ement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye ba&s;tards, and not &s;ons. Heb.</HI> 12.8.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Gods proceedings may be &s;een in ours, he deals with us, as we do with our children. Hence comes it, that the names of men in office are given to God; he is called a Judge: Judges right &s;uch as are wronged, and puni&s;h &s;uch as do wrong. He is called an husband I; husbands love their wives, yet be angry with them for their mi&s;carriage. He is called a father; fathers correct their children for their faults, yet are tender over them, when they are &s;ick, He is called a Ma&s;ter; Ma&s;ters employ their &s;ervants, and provide for them.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let the world be our looking gla&s;s, to &s;ee Gods way in the commendable cour&s;es of our &s;uperiors, for our directi|on in pro&s;perity, and con&s;olation in adver&s;ity.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 5. Pac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters"> cerrect their deere&s;t children, el&s;e they love
<PB N="445" REF="221">them not. <HI>He that &s;pareth his rod, hateth his &s;on, but he that loveth him, chastneth him betimes. Chap.</HI> 13.24. They can do it, though they love them, yea they do it becau&s;e they love them: So they force them to take bitter pills for their health, and regard not their tears.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Children mu&s;t not think their parents love them not; becau&s;e they &s;trike them; but commend their wi&s;e love, that &s;trike them for their good.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 6. Correction, and dilection may go together. See the place quoted for the proof of the la&s;t Doctrine.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> Becau&s;e both are for the childs good.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> To reprove fond Parents, who think it want of love to &s;trike offending children.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 13.</BIBL> Happy is the man that findeth wi&s;dome, and the man that getteth under&s;tanding.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THough this book of the Proverbs afford not every where a fit coherence of &s;everal ver&s;es, yet where it may con|veniently be had, it is not to be neglected. <HI>Solomon</HI> had before per&s;waded to patience under Gods afflicting hand; now to per|&s;wade the more to it, he tells us, it is one way to get both wi&s;dome and happine&s;&s;e: as if he had &s;aid, faint not un|der affliction, for it is not an happine&s;&s;e to be free from af|fliction, but to get wi&s;dome: What though thou &s;uffer cha|&s;ti&s;ment, and that be bitter unto thee? if thou get wi&s;dome by it, thou art happy; yet it mu&s;t not be re&s;trained to that way alone, for there are other waies by which wi&s;dome may be gotten be&s;ides afflictions, as prayer, reading, hearing, medi|tation, conference, con&s;ideration of Gods works: which way &s;oever a man get true wi&s;dome, he is happy, and not unhappy, though it be by afflictions, he hath not only made a &s;aving, but a gaining bargain. <HI>Solomon</HI> had before given &s;ome par|ticular precepts of wi&s;dome, and now to &s;tir up our &s;oules to &s;eek earne&s;tly after it, he &s;ets out the prai&s;es of it, as being able to bring men to true happine&s;&s;e, which they mo&s;t de&s;ire, and no worldly wealth or greatne&s;&s;e can be&s;tow upon them. How ble&s;&s;ed wi&s;dome makes a man, may appear, by many pro|mi&s;es going before, and many following after. The worth
<PB N="446" REF="222">of wi&s;domes gain is largely &s;et out, comparatively in the ver&s;es following, it is better then &s;ilver. <HI>Object.</HI> Thereare more pretious things then &s;ilver in the world. <HI>An&s;.</HI> It is bet|ter then fine gold. <HI>Object.</HI> Yet Jewels and pearls may be better then that. <HI>An&s;.</HI> She is more pretious then Rubies. <HI>Object.</HI> There may be better things then Rubies, though we know them not. <HI>An&s;.</HI> De&s;ire what thou can&s;t, thou can&s;t de&s;ire no|thing &s;o good as wi&s;dome. Then he &s;ets out the prai&s;e of wi&s;|dome &s;imply without compari&s;on, it brings long life. <HI>Object.</HI> what is a long poor life worth? <HI>An&s;.</HI> She brings riches withall, <HI>Obj.</HI> Many a rich man is &s;ordid and de&s;pi&s;ed. <HI>An&s;.</HI> She brings honour al&s;o. <HI>Object.</HI> Many have all the&s;e, yet live &s;ad|ly by rea&s;on of &s;ickne&s;&s;e and pain. <HI>An&s;.</HI> Her waies are plea&s;ant. <HI>Object.</HI> war &s;poiles all comfort. <HI>An&s;.</HI> All her paths are peace. <HI>Object.</HI> yet death will take away all the&s;e. <HI>An&s;.</HI> She is a tree of life. Therefore I conclude as I began, with the happine&s;&s;e of the man that finds wi&s;dome: only I add this qualification, if he retain her, when he hath found her. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Happy.</HI> Or <HI>O the happine&s;s of the man, &amp;c.</HI> He begins his com|mendation of wi&s;dome with an exclamation, &amp; admiration of the good it brings to men, which Gods people wonder at, though others be blind &amp; Iee it not: he had &s;poken great things of the benefits of wi&s;dome before, <HI>ver.</HI> 2. as bringing along com|fortable and peaceable life; but here he &s;peake in higher lan|guage, it will bring happine&s;&s;e, which is an affluence, or ra|ther confluence of all good things, and that for eternity. A man that hath &s;ome good things may want other to content him. If a man had all things that are good for him, but for a time, fear of lo&s;&s;e will afflict him, while he hath them, and his grief will be the greater when they are lo&s;t, by rea&s;on of his former experience of the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of them. A wi&s;e man is happy here, <HI>&s;pe, in hope,</HI> he &s;hall be happy hereafter, <HI>re, in deed.</HI> He doth not &s;ay, <HI>ble&s;&s;ed is the wi&s;e man,</HI> but &s;peaks by a circumlocution, <HI>ble&s;&s;ed is the man that findeth wi&s;dome, and the man that getteth understanding.</HI> So he compares the wi&s;e man to a man not left rich by his parents, but grown rich by Gods ble&s;&s;ing on his labours. Men count them happy, that are grown rich by their own indu&s;try; God counts them happy that labour for wi&s;dome and do obtain it.</P>
<PB N="447" REF="222">
<P><HI>Is the man.</HI> Heb. <HI>Adam.</HI> For the word &s;ee on Ver&s;e 4. It is taken from the Earth to put man in mind of his ba&s;e Originall.</P>
<P><HI>That findeth.</HI> Though the word &s;ometimes &s;ignifie <HI>to find a thing by accident</HI> without looking after it, yet here it rather &s;ignifies getting it by labour, as was noted before, and appears by the end of the ver&s;e. And <HI>Solomons</HI> &s;cope is to per&s;wade men to labour for it, becau&s;e of the worth of it in it &s;elfe, and the good it brings to us. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13.2.5.</P>
<P><HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI> True, and heavenly wi&s;dom, not humane acts, and &s;ciences: they canot make a man happy. One may have much in&s;ight in them, and yet go to Hell. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.2. By wi&s;dom here may be meant Je&s;us Chri&s;t the wi&s;dom of the father, as <HI>Chap.</HI> 8.</P>
<P><HI>And the man.</HI> The &s;ame word in the Originall, that was before.</P>
<P><HI>That getteth.</HI> The Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies to draw out a thing, that lay hid before, as de&s;ires out of the heart by effecting them. <HI>Further not his wicked device.</HI> Heb. <HI>Draw not out.</HI> P&s;al. 140.8. Or corn out of a Granary. <HI>That our Granaries may be full affording all manner of &s;tore.</HI> P&s;al. 144.13. or draw|ing forth good will in the heart to plentiful reliefe with the hand. <HI>If thou draw out thy &s;oul to the hungry.</HI> I&s;a. 58.10. Some under&s;tand it here of increa&s;ing knowledge, and drawing out &s;ome further truths out of tho&s;e grounds we know, by rea&s;on, or con&s;equence. Others of drawing it forth into words to in|&s;truct others. Others of drawing it forth into deeds by pra|cti&s;e. But it is rather to be under&s;tood of bringing it forth by &s;tudy out of Gods word, and workes, wherein it is hid, as wa|ter in a well, or a trea&s;ure in the earth.</P>
<P><HI>Under&s;tanding.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> Two Metaphors. One from finding a thing by en|quiry, the other from getting a thing by labour. Both &s;hew, that travail, and paines are to be u&s;ed to get wi&s;dom. It will quit co&s;t, nay, bring great advantage.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The Adjunct. <HI>Happy.</HI> Happine&s;&s;eis a thing that all men de&s;ire, but mo&s;t men mi&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Subject, &s;et out.</P>
<PB N="448" REF="223">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In Generall. <HI>Is the man.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In particular by two &s;imilitudes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. From &s;eekers.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>And therein note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Act. <HI>That findeth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object. <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. From <HI>traders.</HI> And therein &s;ee.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. The Act. <HI>And the man that getteth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object. <HI>Under&s;tanding.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom may be gotten out of Gods corrections. <HI>It is good for me, that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy &s;tatutes.</HI> P&s;al. 119.71. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man, whom thou chastene&s;t, O Lord: and teache&s;t him out of thy law.</HI> P&s;al. 94.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it teacheth us many things concerning God. And therefore it is called by <HI>Patianus in Paraen. ad poenit. Re pertorium divinorum, &amp; inventarium cognitionis Dei.</HI> It is an Index of divine things, and an inventary of the knowledge of God.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is a repertory, or index of a Book, whereby the good things in the book are readily found. El&s;e men may &s;eek long enough, and turn over the whole book, and yet mi&s;&s;e what they &s;eek. So affliction brings to us many things of God, of which in pro&s;perity we take no notice. An Almanack al&s;o is a kind of repertory, whereby men on the Earth &s;ee the Eclip|&s;es, and cour&s;e of the Sun and Moon in Heaven. So wee in affliction &s;ee many things of God.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is an Inventary. Lawyers require an Inventary of mens goods, wherein all particulars mu&s;t be written, that they may the better judge of their e&s;tates. Afflictions make us look out, what good things there are in God for us to make u&s;e of, in time of need. And</P>
<P N="1">1. They &s;hew us Gods wi&s;dom, and omni&s;cience, that can find out our &s;ecret fins, and cha&s;ti&s;e us for them. This <HI>Judah</HI> confe&s;&s;eth, <HI>God hath found out the iniquity of thy &s;ervants.</HI> Gen. 44.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. They &s;hew us Gods holine&s;&s;e, that cannot endure iniqui|ty, but will cha&s;ti&s;e his deare&s;t children for &s;in.</P>
<P N="3">3. Afflictions &s;hew us Gods ju&s;tice, that will puni&s;h men for &s;in.</P>
<PB N="449" REF="223">
<P N="4">4. His power, that can puni&s;h the greate&s;t &s;inners.</P>
<P N="5">5. His mercy, that brings many to repentance by afflictions, that they may be &s;aved. So the prodigal &s;on was brought home to his &s;athers hou&s;e. <HI>Luk.</HI> 15.1.</P>
<P N="6">6. His truth, that &s;o maketh good all his threatnings by his judgements.</P>
<P N="2">2. Affliction teacheth us &s;ome good things concerning our &s;elves. As</P>
<P N="1">1. That we are &s;infull: We think our &s;elves very good in our pro&s;perity for want of examination, Affliction is a gla&s;&s;e, that makes us &s;ee the ugline&s;&s;e of our &s;ins, and to loath, and leave tho&s;e &s;infull cour&s;es on which we formerly doated.</P>
<P N="2">2. That we are fooli&s;h, and like unwi&s;e children, that will not leave doing evill, till we bee whipt. They make us &s;ay with <HI>David, My wounds stink, and are corrupt, becau&s;e of my foo|li&s;hne&s;&s;e</HI> P&s;al. 38.4. And &s;o afflictions compell us to goe to God, in prayer to teach u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, what he would have us to doe, and to enable us to do accordingly.</P>
<P N="3">3. Afflictions teach us &s;ome good things as in regard of others. As</P>
<P N="1">1. That they mu&s;t not be condemned for wicked men, be|cau&s;e they are afflicted, for then mu&s;t we go to Hel for company</P>
<P N="2">2. That they &s;hall be pittied, and relieved in their &s;orrows, as we would be in ours.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. It teacheth us to bear afflictions patiently, looking more at the good, that comes by them, then the paine, that comes from them. <HI>No cha&s;tening for the pre|&s;ent &s;eemeth joyous, but grievous: neverthele&s;&s;e after|ward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e unto them which are exerci&s;ed thereby.</HI> Heb. 12.11. So &s;ick men, and wounded bear pils, and inci&s;ions in hope of recovery. Al|though we be afflicted, yet if we be withall in&s;tructed, it is well. <HI>Vexatio dat intellectum. Bought wit is dear.</HI> It may then be be&s;t prized. <HI>Schola crucis &s;chola lucis. Gods hou&s;e of correcti|on is his &s;chool of in&s;truction.</HI> They do well together, though &s;eldom joyned by men. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Correptiones correcti|ones. Pa&s;&s;ions are in&s;tructions. Cha&s;ti&s;ements are corrections.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Let us take &s;peciall notice, what good we get by afflicti|ons: what wee know more of God, of our &s;elves, or of o|thers,
<PB N="450" REF="224"><HI>and &s;in no more le&s;t a wor&s;e thing come unto us. John</HI> 5.14.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Wi&s;dome is to be admired. In God, <HI>O the depth of the riches both of the wi&s;dome and knowledg, of God. Rom.</HI> 11.33. In men. When the Queen of <HI>Sheba</HI> had &s;een <HI>Solomons</HI> wi&s;e orders in his hou&s;e, <HI>there was no more &s;pirit in her.</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 10.4. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. We admire things for their nature, if it be more excellent then other things, it takes off our eyes from them to view it, and our mind to con&s;ider it: So the &s;hining. Sun is more excellent then gra&s;&s;e or flowers, we can &s;ee no beauty in them but by it. Thus wi&s;dome is admirable, it can do more then wealth or &s;trength, in taking townes, finding out &s;ecrets, guiding Soules to happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. We admire things for their &s;pecies or kind, if they be more excellent then other things of the &s;ame nature: &s;o we admire heavenly lights, Sun, Moon, Starrs, more then earthly, as Fire, Glow-worme, Candles: So we mu&s;t ad|mire heavenly light in Gods word, more then all skill of Arts, though they al&s;o be good, and u&s;efull in their kind.</P>
<P N="3">3. We admire things more then others, according to their degree, though they be of the &s;ame kind: among heavenly lights we mo&s;t of all admire the Sun, becau&s;e it exceeds the Moon and Starres in brightne&s;&s;e: &s;o mu&s;t we admire true wi&s;|dome mo&s;t, where there is mo&s;t of it, as in antient Profe&s;&s;ort, grave Mini&s;ters, godly Magi&s;trates, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It reproves our folly. We admire to &s;ee a poor man to have wit to get a great e&s;tate, or a mean man to get honour by the warrs, but we make no accouut of &s;uch as abound in heavenly wi&s;dome, therefore we get little or none of it our &s;elves, for <HI>intelligentia&s;apientiae admirationem ciere &s;olet, &amp; ad|miratio de&s;iderium ejus inve&s;tigandae, et inve&s;tigatio adeptionem parit, et adeptia fruitionem, et i&s;ta fruitio beatos facit in &s;uprem<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;orte humani fastigit con&s;titutos. Recuperus, Understanding u&s;eth to &s;tir up admiration of wi&s;dome, and admiration breeds a de&s;ire of &s;earching for it, and &s;earching breeds obtaining, and obtam|ing brings forth fruition, and this fraitton makes men happy, being placed in the highe&s;t condition of human preferment.</HI> Let us no longer then mea&s;ure a mans worth by his wealth, but by his wi&s;dome: prai&s;e not him that &s;ells lead, and buyes gold, but
<PB N="451" REF="224">prai&s;e him that parts with money for heavenly wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. What ever men think, God thinks wi&s;e men happy. <HI>Who &s;o findeth me, findeth life, and &s;hall obtain favour of the Lord. Chap.</HI> 8.35. Finding wi&s;dome, is like finding trea&s;ures, yea, like finding life, without which trea&s;ures are nothing worth; yea like finding Gods favour, without which, life is nothing worth.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e <HI>Adam</HI> was both wi&s;e and happy before his fall, and fooli&s;h and mi&s;erable after it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e there is no way to get true happene&s;&s;e again, but by getting true wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See the folly of men; &s;ome count rich men happy, that enjoy &s;uch trea&s;ures, as come within the compa&s;&s;e of the &s;en|&s;es; but <HI>happy is that people who&s;e God is their Lord. P&s;al</HI> 144.15. Or rather, as it &s;hould be read, <HI>who&s;e God is Jehovah;</HI> For o|ther Gods cannot make them happy. <HI>Si quid in opibus beatum foret, illis dii carere nollent. If there were any happine&s;&s;e in riches, the Gods would not want them. Seneca p.</HI> 74. <HI>Si ad naturam vi|vas, nunquam eris pauper, &s;i ad opinionem, nunquam dives, idem ep.</HI> 61. <HI>If thou live according to nature, thou wilt never be poor, if according to opinion, thou wilt never be rich.</HI> Others place happine&s;&s;e in honour or plea&s;ure, but God places it in true wi&s;dome. <HI>Si honor beatos efficit, ubicunqu: est dignitas, ibi e&s;&s;et beatitudo. At hoc fal&s;um. Boet. de con&s;ol. l.</HI> 3. <HI>pro&s;.</HI> 2. <HI>If honor make men happy, then where&s;oever dignity is, there &s;hould be hap|pine&s;&s;e: But this is fal&s;e.</HI> The conclu&s;ion ea&s;ily followes, there|fore honor brings not happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Man &s;hould often think of his ba&s;e beginning. God rubs up his memory &s;o &s;oon as he had &s;inned, <HI>Du&s;t thou art and unto du&s;t &s;halt thou return. Gen</HI> 3.19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a means to humble us, whereas looking upon us in our height, will make us proud. A begger extolled, and forgetfull, will ea&s;ily lift up him&s;elfe above others.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is a means to make us thankful. A man rai&s;ed from great poverty to great wealth, is the more thankfull, if he look upon his former wants.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It reproves tho&s;e, who neither of the~&s;elves are willing, nor that others &s;hould mind them to think of their mean original. What! tell a &s;trong man he was once as weak as du&s;t; or a
<PB N="452" REF="225">beautifull woman, &s;he was once as foul as dirt. This is petty Trea&s;on. But they &s;hall know it, when they come to die, though now they will not.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom is hid from u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">naturally. <HI>Profe&s;&s;ing t'em|&s;elves to be wi&s;e, they became fooles.</HI> Rom. 1.22. This was &s;po|ken of the wi&s;e Philo&s;opers among the heathen.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a puni&s;hment of the fall: Wee lo&s;t our wi&s;dom, as we did our holine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. It appears by the variety of wor&s;hips in the world, and the fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e of many of them: &s;ome wor&s;hipping &s;torckes, and &s;tones, and &s;ome the Devill, that hee may not hurt them.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Pitty poor ignorant creatures, that are wi&s;e to the World, and can get great e&s;tates, but are fooles to God. <HI>Luk.</HI> 12.20, 21. And &s;uch were once not &s;ome, but all of you. Therefoe have compa&s;&s;ion on others.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Much paines mu&s;t be taken to get wi&s;dom. See much to this purpo&s;e on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2, 3, 4. and on <HI>Chap.</HI> 4.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the worth of it. <HI>Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos. The diligent Merchant runs to the utmo&s;t Indies for Gold.</HI> But wi&s;dom is more worth then all trea&s;ures, as will appear, when we come to the following ver&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of the difficulty of attaining it. Which appears in that, there are &s;o few truly wi&s;e in the word.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> Double your files. Bee diligent in &s;tudy of heavenly wi&s;dom. And becau&s;e your &s;trength cannot reach it, draw it out of the Fountain of Gods word by &s;tudy, and begge it earne&s;tly of God in prayer. So &s;hall ye bee both wi&s;e and happy.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 14.</BIBL> For the Merchandi&s;e of it is better then the Merchandi&s;e of &s;ilver: and the gain thereof then fine gold.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE good that comes by wi&s;dom is &s;et out.</P>
<P N="1">1. Comparatively by preferring it before the be&s;t trading and commodities in the word. <HI>ver.</HI> 14, 15.</P>
<P N="2">2. By the effects of true wi&s;dom. <HI>ver.</HI> 16, 17, 18. In the for|mer it is preferred.</P>
<PB N="453" REF="225">
<P N="1">1. Before &s;ilver and gold. <HI>ver.</HI> 14.</P>
<P N="2">2. Before rubies, ard all de&s;irable things. <HI>ver.</HI> 15. The men of the world think their happine&s;&s;e to con&s;i&s;t in &s;tore of gold, and &s;ilver. But God accounts it to bee in wi&s;dom, to which merchandi&s;e being compared, whereby pure &s;ilver, and &s;hining gold is gotten, ought to be had in no account.</P>
<P>For the words. <HI>For.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P><HI>The merchandi&s;e of it.</HI> The profit, that is gotten by it, or with it, as Merchants lay out their mony to get gain by it, and by the commodities purcha&s;ed with it. Merchandi&s;e is one of the mo&s;t profitable trades in the World, and the dearer the commodities, in which Merchants trade, the greater is the gain. Therefore the gain gotten by wi&s;dom here is compared to the riche&s;t merchandi&s;e, yea, preferred before it to draw mens affections to pur&s;ue more eagerly after &s;pirituall, and heavenly wi&s;dom. Ths word <GAP DESC="foreign"> fignifi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s a going about or compa&s;&s;ing of Sea or Land to get wi&s;dom, as Merchants do for gain. So the Phari&s;aicall Merchants did to get a Pro&s;elyte. <HI>Math.</HI> 23.15.</P>
<P><HI>Is better.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.9. on the word. <HI>Good.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Then the Merchandi&s;e.</HI> See before in this Ver&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Of Silver.</HI> See on on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.4.</P>
<P><HI>And the gain thereof.</HI> It is tran&s;lated, <HI>Increa&s;e. ver.</HI> 9. For Merchandi&s;e brings greater income, or increa&s;e, or benefit, then husbandry.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Then fine gold.</HI> The word comes from <HI>cutting</HI> in the O|riginall, either becau&s;e gold is, as it were, cut out of the Earth at fir&s;t, or el&s;e becau&s;e after it is purified by the fire it is cut to make rings or Coin.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> Two Metaphors. One in <HI>Marchandi&s;e:</HI> The other in <HI>gain.</HI> Merchants lay out their mony for gain: &s;o may wi&s;|dom be improved to &s;ingular benefit.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The Trade.</P>
<P N="2">2. The gain of it. Both &s;et out by a compari&s;on from preci|ous things. A &s;ilver trade is very profitable; a trade of wi&s;dom is more profitable. Gold is excellent; yet more is gotten by wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men naturally &s;eek &s;till for encrea&s;e of what good things they have. So it is intimated in the text, that they who
<PB N="454" REF="226">are wi&s;e, having obtained &s;ome wi&s;dom de&s;ire to increa&s;e it, as he that hath gotten &s;ome worldly wealth by Merchandi&s;e, de&s;ires the &s;ame way to increa&s;e it. God &s;hews it by Parables taken from men, as of the Vineyard. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.1.1. <HI>&amp;c</HI> Good fruit was lookt for from it. Of the talents <HI>Luk</HI> 19.11. Gain was expected thence.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hath put into all living creatures a naturall principle of de&s;ire of increa&s;e, and growth, as in trees, and bea&s;ts.</P>
<P N="2">2. Man hath more help to put this principle in practi&s;e by the benefit of rea&s;on.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemns tho&s;e that care not for increa&s;e in heavenly wi&s;dom. It is an ill &s;igne, that nature is &s;trong in them, and grace weak. We would grow in the world, but not toward Heaven. We cro&s;&s;e <HI>Solomons</HI> &s;cope here, which is to per&s;wade us to labour for increa&s;e in true wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dome drives the greate&s;t trade in the world. <HI>More to be de&s;ired are (wi&s;doms precepts) then gold, yea, then much fine gold.</HI> P&s;. 19.10. <HI>Wi&s;dom is better then rubies: and all the things, that may be de&s;ired, are not to be compared unto it.</HI> Prov. 8.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it trades in greater commodities, then a|ny Merchant. In &s;oules of men, the la&s;t, and greate&s;t commo|dity mentioned, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18.12, 13. one whereof is more worth then a world, and the lo&s;&s;e of it not to be recovered by the gain of the whole world. <HI>Math.</HI> 16.26. when the quinte&s;&s;ence, and &s;pirits are drawn out of herbs. and flowers, what are they good for? and how comfortable and profitable are tho&s;e ex|tracted &s;pirits? So mens &s;ouls are immortall, their bodies without them are but dead carka&s;&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2. This trade extends it &s;elf further, then any trade in the world. Silver will pa&s;&s;e in all Countries, Trades, Profe&s;&s;ions: Merchants can trade with it by &s;ea, and land, and all the world over. But wi&s;dom trades in Heaven, and Earth. We by it trade with God by prayer, he with us by heavenly in&s;piration.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To per&s;wade all to become wi&s;doms &s;cholars. If any man could tell you of a trade, that would in time put down all other trades, every man would be for it. This trade will do it. Je&s;us Chri&s;t will put down the four great Empires of
<PB N="455" REF="226">the world, and wi&s;dome will put down all worldly affaires in the end.</P>
<P><HI>Doct:</HI> 3. Wi&s;dome brings more profit then any worldly riches. <HI>My fruit is better then gold</HI> (&s;aith wi&s;dome) <HI>yea then fine gold, and my revenues then choice &s;iluer. Chap.</HI> 8.19.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> Becau&s;e it brings better things then riches can. We e&s;teem the goodne&s;&s;e of things by their own worth, or our e&s;teem, or de&s;ire, or their effects. The profit of wi&s;dome is bet|ter then of riches.</P>
<P N="1">1. In its own value. <HI>Nil aliud &s;unt aurum, et argentum, qu&agrave;m terra rubra &amp; alba. Gold and &s;iluer are nothing el&s;e, but red and white earth. Bern.</HI> Wi&s;dome is as much better then the&s;e things, for which men fight &s;o &s;toutely, and which they &s;eek to obtain with &s;uch huge labour, as the good things of the &s;oul are better then outward things.</P>
<P N="2">2. In mens e&s;teem and account it is better, if they be wi&s;e. A dunghill Cock may prefer a barly corn before a pearl, a Jeweller will not.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of de&s;ire: it is more de&s;ireable, and &s;hould be more de&s;ired then any thing in the world.</P>
<P N="4">4. In regard of the effects of it.</P>
<P N="1">1. It can quiet a mans mind, which no wealth can do. Rich men have many cares, and griefs; Crownes are crownes of thor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s, nothing but wi&s;dome can give tranquillity of &s;pirit, and poize the &s;hip of the &s;oule in all tempe&s;ts.</P>
<P N="2">2. It affords a ladder to climbe to eternall things, like <HI>Ja|cobs</HI> ladder, that did reach from <HI>Bethel</HI> on earth, to <HI>Bethel</HI> (Gods hou&s;e) in heaven. Men with their money may peri&s;h, <HI>Act.</HI> 8. &s;o may hou&s;es, &s;tuffe, fields, friends; but unperi&s;hable things may be gotten by wi&s;dome, no po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion then, how large &s;oever, no &s;tore of gold or &s;ilver is comparable to wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> To engage us yet further in the &s;earch of true wi&s;dom. We &s;hall be rich in God. <HI>Et quem ille divitem fecerit, nemo pauperem faciet. Cyprian. Epi&s;t. ad Donatum. And whom God makes rich, no man &s;hal make poor. Si aliqua ami&s;i&s;tis ga<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">dia, ne|gotiatio est aliquid amittere, ut majora lucremini. Tertul. ad Martyres. cap.</HI> 2. <HI>If ye have lo&s;t &s;ome joyes, it is a good trading to lo&s;e &s;omewhat, that ye may get greater matters.</HI> If men under|go &s;o many labours, griefs, wants, dangers of life for &s;eeming
<PB N="456" REF="227">riches, &amp; gilded pearles, what &s;hould we do for true riches? <HI>Si tanti vitrum, quanti verum margaritum? Tertul. in Scorpiac. cap.</HI> 4. <HI>If gla&s;s be &s;o dear, what is the true pearle?</HI> Sure that is worth much more. We &s;hould think it no labour to take pains for wi&s;dome. <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith a Father, while we gain, we feel no pain. Sing a &s;ong of profit, and men will hearken. The Ja&s;&s;ians in <HI>Strabo,</HI> delighted with the mu&s;ick of an excellent harper, ran all away a&s;&s;oon as the marken bell rang, &s;ave a deaf old man, and he went away al&s;o a&s;&s;oon as he heard of it. What is gold and &s;ilver, but the guts and garbage of the earth? And what is all the pomp and glory of the world, but dung and dogs meat? <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.7, 8 labour then more for wi&s;dome, then for the choice&s;t &s;ilver, or for the fine&s;t gold, and be rich to eternity.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 15.</BIBL> She is more pretious then Rubies, and all the things thou can&s;t de&s;ire, are not to be compared unto her.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THe wi&s;eman in the former ver&s;e had preferred wi&s;dome before &s;ilver and gold. But &s;ome man might object, pre|tious &s;tones may be better then wi&s;dome. No, &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> wi&s;dome is of greater price then they. It might be further objected, there may be more de&s;irable things in the world then Rubies, though we know them not, and they may be bet|ter then wi&s;dome. He an&s;wers, nothing can be more de&s;ira|ble then wi&s;dome, of all things that can be imagined. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>She is more pretious.</HI> Of greater valew. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>Then Rubies.</HI> A pretious &s;tone of great price, and account, of a ruddy collour. It is likely our engli&s;h word <HI>Ruby,</HI> comes from <HI>rubedo, redne&s;&s;e</HI> in Latine. <HI>Her Nazarites were more ruddy in body then Rubies. Lam.</HI> 4.7. If the mountaines were pearl, the huge rocks, rubies, and the whole globe a &s;hining chry&s;olite, yet all this were not to be named the &s;ame day with wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>And all the things thou can&s;t de&s;ire.</HI> Heb. <HI>And all thy de&s;ires.</HI> That is, all that thou can&s;t de&s;ire; or, any thing that thou can&s;t
<PB N="457" REF="227">de&s;ire, be it the choi&s;e&s;t thing in the world. So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed without a negative particle added to it, though not ob&s;erved by any Grammarian, or dictionary, that I have met withall. <HI>Surely in vain the net is &s;pread in the &s;ight of any bird.</HI> Prov. 1.17. <HI>It withereth before any herb.</HI> Job 8.12. So that it is a cli|max from one particular thing de&s;irable to another &s;till bet|ter, and better; but not a generall &s;um of all things de&s;ireable. By de&s;ire here is not meant the act of de&s;iring, but the thing de&s;ired, as the tran&s;lation intimates. So faith is put for the thing believed, and hope for the thing hoped for: What is <HI>the faith once delivered to the Saints,</HI> Jude ver. 3. But the Doctrine of the Go&s;pell, the Object of faith? And what is <HI>the hope laid up for us in Heaven.</HI> Col. 1.5. but the glory of Hea|ven, the object of hope?</P>
<P><HI>Are not to be compared unto her.</HI> They are not equall to her, much le&s;&s;e of greater value. The value of things is be&s;t known by comparing them together. Wi&s;dom will appear to be bet|ter then what&s;oever is laid again&s;t it. <HI>Figures. De&s;ires.</HI> Things de&s;ired. A figure of the adjunct for the object. Wi&s;dome is preferred</P>
<P N="1">1. Before jewells.</P>
<P N="2">2. Before all other de&s;irable things in the world, if there be any thing better then jewells.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Jewells and pearls are of great account among men. One may be better then a merchants e&s;tate. <HI>The merchant &s;old all he had to buy one pearle of great price. Mat.</HI> 13.44, 46. Therefore are they called <HI>pretious stones. Rev.</HI> 18.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of their beauty. They are of divers colours, and very &s;pecious.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of their vertue. They are good to &s;tench blood, and heal di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of their price. A little &s;ilver is worth more then much coyn. A little Gold then much &s;ilver. A pretious &s;tone then much Gold.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us &s;ee and admire Gods power, and wi&s;dom, that hath put &s;o much beauty, vertue, value into a little &s;tone. A fly is more wonderfull then an Elephant. It hath eyes, wings, body, feet in a little compa&s;&s;e. In artificiall things many faces in a cherry &s;tone are mo&s;t admired, and &s;uch like other &s;mall things. It is a wonder to &s;ee &s;o much vertue within a little
<PB N="458" REF="228">gla&s;&s;e of &s;trong waters. Give the great God all the glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> The be&s;t things in the world are not comparable un|to wi&s;dom, <HI>How much better is it to get wi&s;dom then gold? and to get under&s;tanding rather to be cho&s;en then &s;ilver?</HI> Chap. 16.16. See <HI>Job</HI> 28.15, 16, 17, 18, 19. ver&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e wi&s;e men have really &s;o e&s;teemed wi&s;dom, and parted with all for it, as in the parables of the trea&s;ure, and pearle. <HI>Math.</HI> 13.44, 45, 56. and in <HI>Pauls</HI> account, and practi&s;e, <HI>who had &s;uffered the lo&s;&s;e of all things for it.</HI> Phil. 3.7, 8. They would not ca&s;t away outward comforts, if they looked not for better in &s;o doing. <HI>Ye took joyfully the &s;poiling of your goods, knowing in your &s;elves, that ye have in heaven, a bet|ter, and an enduring &s;ub&s;tance.</HI> Heb. 10.34.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it lo&s;eth nothing by communicating to others. The more mony we give, the le&s;&s;e we have: but it is not &s;o in communicating wi&s;dom. It is like the Sun, that hath given light to all men &s;ince the world began, and is as bright &s;till, as ever it was. Hence comes the Arabian Proverb, <HI>Get Wealth in mea&s;ure, but wi&s;dom without mea&s;ure.</HI> Get as much wealth as may &s;erve for this life, but get wi&s;dom <HI>in infinitum.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e it cannot be taken away from us, as wealth, ho|nour, plea&s;ures may: and therefore while we have it, wee are both rich and happy. <HI>Omnia mea mecum porto. All mine I carry with me,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Bias,</HI> giving a rea&s;on, why hee carried none of his goods out of his Country, as counting nothing his own, but his wi&s;dom, which the Enemies could not take from him.</P>
<P N="4">4. It alone can &s;atisfie the &s;oul. Wealth, and all worldly comforts cannot give content. <HI>He that loveth &s;ilver, &s;hall not be &s;atisfied with &s;ilver, nor he that loveth abundance with in|crea&s;e. This is al&s;o vanity.</HI> Eccl. 5.10. Wi&s;dom containes all trea&s;ures virtually in it &s;elf. Rich men have not all good things. <HI>Concupi&s;centia pl&ugrave;s long&egrave; stimulatur ab his, quas nondum peperit, quam partes expletur. Salazar. Concupi&s;cence is more stung with the things it hath</HI> not gotten, then &s;atisfied with what it hath. But men may &s;ay with <HI>David, I have rejoyced in the way of thy te&s;timonies, as much as in all riches.</HI> P&s;al. 119.14.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To condemn the folly of tho&s;e men, who endanger life, and &s;oul for tran&s;itory wealth, and neglect that which is far
<PB N="459" REF="228">more precious then any riches. This argues blindne&s;&s;e, and blocki&s;hne&s;&s;e. For &s;uch men &s;ee not that wi&s;dom is more worth &s;eeking, then all &s;ublunary comforts. Delights, and riches are peri&s;hing comforts, and nothing in compari&s;on of heavenly wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Nothing can be imagined that is comparable to wi&s;dom. So <HI>Solomon</HI> thought, who being put to his choice, de|&s;ired nothing el&s;e of God. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 1.7. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So <HI>Paul</HI> thought, who de&s;ired <HI>not to know any thing &s;ave Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> the wi&s;dom of the Father. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.2. A man may de&s;ire meat, drink, &s;ilver, gold, yea his fancy can imagine new worlds, but all is not comparable to true wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e none of tho&s;e things man can imagine, or devi&s;e, or de&s;ire, can free him from Hell. No ran&s;om can doe it, nor force. It is a warning from Heaven mu&s;t direct us how to e&s;cape Hell: <HI>Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?</HI> Math. 3.7. Sure none but God.</P>
<P N="2">2. No &s;uch thing can &s;hew us the way to Heaven. Onely true wi&s;dom out of Gods word can do it. <HI>The &s;criptures</HI> onely <HI>can make</HI> a man <HI>wi&s;e unto &s;alvation.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Cea&s;e de&s;iring, and imagining how to find out meanes of happine&s;&s;e in the World, and labour for true wi&s;dom, which onely can make thee happy. A diver that &s;tops his breath longe&s;t, gets mo&s;t pearles; &s;o he that breaths lea&s;t for the world, gets mo&s;t wi&s;dom.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 16.</BIBL> Length of daies is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>LE&s;t any man &s;hould think, that wi&s;dom were needy and beggarly her &s;elf, and could not be&s;tow upon her fellows the riches promi&s;ed, &s;he &s;hews now, that &s;he knows, what humane infirmity mo&s;t needs, and what men mo&s;t de&s;ire, and hath in a readine&s;&s;e to be&s;tow on them. Thou feare&s;t death, poverty, di&s;honour. Wi&s;dome hath long life, riches, honour to be&s;tow upon thee, if thou entertain her. Wi&s;dom, or the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t is here &s;et out unto us like &s;ome &s;tately Queen, &s;itting on a Throne with both hands full of good things to reward her faithfull &s;ervants. The particular rewards &s;hall be expoun|ded in the words.</P>
<PB N="460" REF="229">
<P><HI>Length of daies.</HI> A long life, &s;ee on Ver&s;e 2. This is the fir&s;t thing promi&s;ed, becau&s;e it is the principall; and riches and honour are but acce&s;&s;aries, and can afford no comfort, if life be taken away, and but little, if life be &s;hort. And therefore al&s;o it is &s;aid to be in the right hand, as the principall gift &s;he hath to be&s;tow. Men mo&s;t of all de&s;ire long life, and riches and honour in the &s;econd place; they could be content to live, though poorly, though in pain, rather then to die; they de&s;ire long life more then riches, and fear death more then poverty. There is no merchandi&s;e in the world, how good &s;oever, nor pearles, how pretious &s;oever they be, that can a&s;&s;ure us of long life. But the greate&s;t traders are mo&s;t affraid to die, as having more to lo&s;e then other men; and their death is more de&s;ired then other mens: yea, many lie in wait to kill them, for their riches: But wi&s;dome will bring long life with it.</P>
<P><HI>Is in her right hand.</HI> This is &s;aid to be in the right hand, be|cau&s;e the right hand is preferred before the left, and that for the&s;e rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e it is ordinarily, and in mo&s;t men the &s;tronge&s;t, and nimble&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Motion begins at the right hand. Porters lay their bur|den on the left &s;houlder, becau&s;e the right leg moves fir&s;t. <HI>A|ri&s;tot. de gre&s;&s;u animal.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The right hand is for defence, we fight with it.</P>
<P N="4">4. It is the place of honour. <HI>Bath&s;hebah was &s;et on</HI> Solomon <HI>right hand.</HI> 1. <HI>King.</HI> 2.19.</P>
<P N="5">5. It is u&s;ed as a token of faithfulne&s;&s;e, we give it in marriage and contracts.</P>
<P N="6">6. It is u&s;ed to &s;et out good &s;ucce&s;&s;e, as the left hand for bad. <HI>Saepe &s;inistra cava praedixit ab ilice cornix. The Raven often fortold left-handed</HI> (that is, bad) <HI>things from the hollow Oak.</HI> Though in the Greek <GAP DESC="foreign"> the left be u&s;ed, for good &s;uc|ce&s;&s;e. It &s;eemes the fa&s;hion of tho&s;e countries was to prefer the left hand, as <HI>Xenophon</HI> reports, who &s;aith, they u&s;ed to place their gue&s;ts at the left hand, as being neere&s;t the heart. Now in the Law, earthly comforts were types of heavenly: So was long life to an obedient child in the fift commandement a type of heaven, el&s;e it were but a &s;mall ble&s;&s;ing to live long here, and then go to hell for ever. <HI>Longitude dierum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">itas est,
<PB N="461" REF="229">Non enim hic aliquid longum e&s;&s;e pote&s;t in tanta brevitate. Length of daies is eternity. For nothing can be long here in &s;o much brevi|ty. Recuperus. With long life will I &s;atisfie him, and &s;hew him my &s;alvation. P&s;al.</HI> 91.16. In &s;encele&s;&s;e creatures, long continuance is but a continuance of being,, not of com|fort, as in man, but not in rocks; the one is <HI>aeternitas,</HI> the o|ther <HI>aeviternitas.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I&s;id. Pelu&s;. l.</HI> 3. <HI>ep.</HI> 149 <HI>Eternity is eternal life.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed.</P>
<P N="1">1. For a right hand. <HI>Though Coniah were the &s;ignet upon my right hand. Jer.</HI> 22.24.</P>
<P N="2">2. For power and &s;trength, which is exerci&s;ed commonly with the right hand. <HI>Thy right hand, O Lord, hath da&s;hed in pieces the enemy. Exod.</HI> 15.6.</P>
<P N="3">3. For the South; becau&s;e a man &s;tanding with his face to the ri&s;ing Sun, hath the &s;outh on his right hand: And &s;ou|thern countries are more fertile, northern, on the left hand more barren. <HI>Omne malum ex Aquilone. All evil out of the North. The North, and the South, thou ha&s;t created them. P&s;al.</HI> 89.12.</P>
<P N="4">4. For Oaths or Covenants, which were confirmed with the right hand. <HI>Their right hand is a right hand of fal&s;hood. P&s;al.</HI> 144.8. That is, they kept no covenants. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>And in her left hand.</HI> Riches and honour are &s;aid to be in wi&s;domes left hand, becau&s;e though u&s;efull, yet not &s;o u&s;efull, or good, as life it &s;elfe. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies</P>
<P N="1">1. The left hand. <HI>Toward I&s;raels left hand. Gen</HI> 48.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. The North, becau&s;e it is on the left hand, if ones face be toward the ri&s;ing Sun. <HI>On the left hand of Dama&s;cus. Gen.</HI> 14.15. that is, on the North &s;ide of it. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Riches.</HI> Money, and lands, and temporal po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions. The&s;e al&s;o are types of all &s;ufficiency in heaven, as <HI>Canaan,</HI> the land flowing with milk and honey was.</P>
<P><HI>And honor.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies re&s;pect from others: it comes from a word that &s;ignifies to be heavy, or weighty, for honour, as it ari&s;es from the weight of good qualities in men, &s;o it addes weight to men per&s;ons, and makes them of greater account then others; and this al&s;o may be a type of heavenly glory. Yet good men oftentimes neither have long
<PB N="462" REF="230">life, riches, nor honour. Temporall promi&s;es are conditio|nal, and to be performed, as they may &s;tand with Gods glo|ry, and our good, and what is wanting, &s;hall abundantly be made good in heaven. Wi&s;dome doth not be&s;tow the&s;e earth|ly ble&s;&s;ings alwaies on her followers, yet oftentimes &s;he doth: wi&s;dome is the ready way to obtain the&s;e, and many thereby come from a poor &amp; low e&s;tate, to a plentiful and high condi|tion, and enjoy it long in this world. The &s;um of all is, God rewardeth his with both hands, promi&s;ing eternall life, and competent means in this life. Chri&s;t, the wi&s;dome of the Fa|ther is immortall, he hath overcome death, and with his immortall hand, holds forth immortality to us. If thou wilt have riches and honour, be wi&s;e, and he will hold out his left hand and be&s;tow them on thee, if they be fit for thee.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> The whole ver&s;e is metaphorical in the principall &s;cope of it, though verified literally to &s;ome wi&s;e and good men: It intimates, that as a Queen hath greater or le&s;&s;er re|wards for her &s;ervants, &s;o hath wi&s;dome for hers: For &s;he hath no right hand nor left, but diver&s;ity of gifts, &s;ome greater, &s;ome le&s;&s;er, &s;ome in this world, &s;ome in the world to come.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The greater gift.</P>
<P N="2">2. The le&s;&s;er.</P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. The gift. <HI>Length of daies.</HI> Long life.</P>
<P N="2">2. The worth of it, <HI>Is in her right hand.</HI> It is a right handed gift.</P>
<P>In the latter, note</P>
<P N="1">1. The gift it &s;elfe, which is double, <HI>And riches, and honour.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The valew of it, <HI>In her left hand.</HI> It is a left-handed gift, u&s;efull, but of le&s;&s;er valew then the former.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. Many good things attend upon true wi&s;dome. This is proved in this Chapter, from Ver&s;e 14. to ver&s;e 18.</P>
<P N="1">1. Comparatively, it is better then &s;ilver, yea then fine gold, yea then Rubies, yea then any thing imaginable, or de&s;ira|ble.</P>
<P N="2">2. Particularly, &s;he brings long life, and riches to &s;weeten that, and honour to make it more acceptable, and plea&s;antne&s;s to comfort again&s;t cro&s;&s;es, and peace for quiet enjoyment of what we have; and life after death, when all worldly comforts fail.</P>
<PB N="463" REF="230">
<P N="3">3. Summarily. It brings happine&s;&s;e, which contains all good things in it. So he concludes. <HI>ver.</HI> 28. as hee began. <HI>ver.</HI> 13. with happine&s;&s;e attending on true wi&s;dom, if it be not onely laid hold on, but retained.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Many good things attend on wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="1">1. By way of concomitancy. As beads, and pearles hang many on one &s;tring, and many le&s;&s;er attend upon one greater, &s;o other good things are joyned with, and attend upon wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="2">2. By what way of efficiency. Wi&s;dome hath a plotting head. If any good thing be to be had, it will find it out, and reach it.</P>
<P N="3">3. By way of remuneration from God. So God rewarded <HI>Solomons</HI> de&s;ire of wi&s;dom with riches, and honour. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 1.7. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Who would not enjoy many good things? Go then the neare&s;t way to the wood: get true wi&s;dom. Hee that knew, what would be dear, need be a Merchant but a year. If one told you of a commodity would make you rich, ye would get &s;tore of it quickly. Do &s;o of wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom brings long life. See on <HI>ver.</HI> 2. and on <HI>ver.</HI> 8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e wi&s;dome fore&s;ees, what is profitable to prolong, or hurtfull to &s;horten mens daies, and carefully pro|vides the one, and avoids the other.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it rules our unruly pa&s;&s;ions of fear, grief, anger, which overrule many men, that want wi&s;dom, and bring them early to their grave, by murtherers, robberies, wanton|ne&s;&s;e, gluttony, drunkenne&s;&s;e, &s;urfets, pal&s;ies, gouts, pluri&s;es, Apoplexies, and afterwards &s;end them to Hell for ever. But wi&s;dom makes men &s;tout, cheerfull, patient, which vertues help to prolong mens daies.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e it teacheth a man temperance, and moderation, in the u&s;e of meat, and drink, which keeps men from &s;urfet, and is the mother of health, and long life. Experience &s;hews, that temperate men live longe&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e of Gods promi&s;e of long life to &s;uch as are wi&s;e, as in the text.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let this particular mercy al&s;o &s;tirre us up to &s;eeke after true wi&s;dom. Long life is a &s;weet mercy, and generally de|&s;ired
<PB N="464" REF="231">Seek it in the waies of wi&s;dom. Folly brings many to untimely ends.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom brings riches al&s;o. <HI>Abraham I&s;aack, Ja|cob, Jo&s;eph, David</HI> were both wi&s;e, and rich.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e wi&s;dom teacheth a man to make con&s;ci|ence to labour in his calling, which is the high way to riches. He knows that God requires it, and his family, the Church; and the Commonwealth.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gods ble&s;&s;ing follows it. For when he gives one ble&s;&s;ing, he gives another. If hee give wi&s;dom, hee can afford riches.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To blame tho&s;e, that would be rich, but care not for being wi&s;e. Wi&s;dom can make men rich; but riches cannot make men wi&s;e. It is often ob&s;erved, that the elder brotheri carry away the land, and the younger the wit. So God di|vides his gifts, when he plea&s;e. They that &s;eek mony before wi&s;dom, count learning the way to beggery. But God reckons otherwi&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom brings honour al&s;o. Wee &s;ee it in <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> who for his wi&s;dom was made ruler over the land of <HI>Aegypt. Gen.</HI> 41.38, 39. And <HI>Daniel</HI> for the &s;ame rea&s;on was <HI>made ru|ler over the whole Province of</HI> Babylon. <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.48.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hath cut out &s;uch, and &s;tamped them for honour, which he will not give to fooles, that know not how to u&s;e it, or to carry them&s;elves &s;uitably. <HI>Honour is not &s;eemly for a fool.</HI> Prov. 26.1. He will do hurt with it, <HI>as a &s;tone in a &s;ling.</HI> Prov. 26.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. God cau&s;eth great men, and &s;tates to advance &s;uch, for they know, they will be fit in&s;truments for their &s;ervice, and the publick good.</P>
<P N="3">3. Good men will honour wi&s;e men, who know be&s;t, what belongs to honour.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To blame tho&s;e who look not after that honour, that wi&s;dom brings, but &s;eek to get honour by ba&s;ene&s;&s;e, flattery, and humouring others in &s;infull waies. This honour hangs on a rotten bough. It will &s;urely fall. Seek rather by wi&s;dom to get honour, which will la&s;t for ever.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Long life is better then riches, or honour. Therefore it is mentioned as the greate&s;t promi&s;e. <HI>With long life will I &s;atisfie him, and &s;hew him my &s;alvation.</HI> P&s;al. 91.16. This
<PB N="465" REF="231">crownes all the former mercies mentioned in that P&s;alme. This is commended in good men at their death, when no mention is made of riches, or honour: <HI>Abraham died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years.</HI> Gen. 25.8. It is there doubled, yea, trebled in different expre&s;&s;ions as a &s;ingular mercy, never to be fogotten.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e long life is the ba&s;is, and foundation of the comfort of both the other. Riches and honour doe little good, or bring little comfort, where life is &s;hort. Life is an internall principle, without which there is no comfort in ex|ternall things, no more then to a jewell &s;et in gold.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e long life may bee comfortable without either riches or honour. Many live very cheerfully too, and in old age, that never had any great means, or preferment.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To comfort us again&s;t the cro&s;&s;es, and infirmities of old age. Many are dejected, becau&s;e they are not &s;o much re|&s;pected, nor &s;o rich as others. Think with thy &s;elf, long life is better. The&s;e could do thee no good, if life were gone, and thou mai&s;t have comfort without them.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Riches and honour are ble&s;&s;ings in them&s;elves, though by many abu&s;ed. They are wi&s;doms gift. <HI>Riches, and honour are with me.</HI> Chap. 8.18. They are Gods gift. <HI>I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour.</HI> 2 Chron. 1.12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are reckoned up among&s;t tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ings, that God gives to them, that obey him. <HI>Them that honour me I will honour.</HI> 1 Sam. 2.30. It comes in among ble&s;&s;ings promi&s;ed to Gods obedient people. <HI>Deut.</HI> 28.2. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The contraries are reckoned among&s;t Gods cur&s;es. <HI>See Deut.</HI> 28.17.33.44.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To reprove tho&s;e, that turn ble&s;&s;ings into cur&s;es: Of whom we may &s;ay, it had been good for them, if they had ne|ver been rich, nor honorable. <HI>There is a &s;ore evill which I have &s;eeen under the Sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.</HI> Eccl. 5.13. And the like had <HI>Solomon</HI> ob&s;erved con|cerning honour, <HI>There is a time', wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt</HI> Eccl. 8.9. Such riches and preferment be far from Gods people. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="466" REF="232">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 17.</BIBL> Her waies are waies of plea&s;antne&s;s: and all her paths are peace.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre is another motive to get wi&s;dom: would&s;t thou goe in plea&s;ant waies, and live in peace, and quietne&s;&s;e? All wi&s;doms waies are &s;uch. The man who gets wi&s;dom, gets true happine&s;&s;e, and delight. When Merchants go by Sea, or pa&s;&s;en|gers by land, they are glad, when they find fair way, and a quiet pa&s;&s;age. They de&s;ire not to be &s;taid, nor hindred in their journey, but to go at ea&s;e without any di&s;turbance, which yet &s;ometime they mi&s;&s;e. But &s;uch as walk wi&s;ely, find waies of plea&s;ure, and peace. The&s;e words are fitly knit to the former, for long life, and riches, and honour are not &s;ufficient to make a man happy. He may meet with many occa&s;ions of &s;orrow, and of War, and trouble, which may make his life very uncom|fortable. Here therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> addes to the former ble&s;&s;ings, plea&s;ure, and peace, to &s;hew, that nothing is wanting to a wi&s;e man. Hee had commended wi&s;dom before <HI>ex parte termini,</HI> from happine&s;&s;e in the end: now he commends it <HI>ex parte medii,</HI> from the comfort of the way. The allective power of wi&s;dom is &s;et out in this ver&s;e, the con&s;ervative in the next.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Her waies</HI> Her precepts, or the walking in them. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.13.</P>
<P><HI>Are waies of plea&s;antne&s;&s;e.</HI> Very plea&s;ant waies, and &s;uch as men may walk in with delight, like green fields full of flow|ers, the plea&s;ure whereof makes a man forget his wearine&s;&s;e, and come to his journies end, before the bee aware. They are no way tedious, though they be never &s;o long. Wi&s;dom is the true <HI>Naomi</HI> (for &s;o the Hebrew word &s;ounds) who&s;e beauty may allure all to it: but never will bee turned into a <HI>Marah,</HI> bitterne&s;&s;e, as &s;he was. <HI>Ruth</HI> 1.20. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.10.</P>
<P><HI>And all.</HI> Secon <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13. Or <HI>Any.</HI> Take which of them you will, even the harde&s;t, you cannot chu&s;e ami&s;s: it will bring peace. See on Ver&s;e 15.</P>
<P><HI>Her paths.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Are peace.</HI> Are paths of pea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, that a man may walk in pea|ceably,
<PB N="467" REF="232">and that lead to true and la&s;ting peace; thereby is meant, that they are not only plea&s;ant, but al&s;o &s;afe and pro|&s;perous. Many plea&s;ant waies on earth may be un&s;afe, as robbing waies, and many &s;afe waies unplea&s;ant, as dirty waies; but wi&s;domes waies are plea&s;ant and &s;afe. <HI>Kabvenaki.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on Ver&s;e 2.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> A metaphor in <HI>waies,</HI> and <HI>paths,</HI> which &s;ignifie a con&s;tant cour&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. A promi&s;e of comfort.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of peace and pro&s;perity.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note.</P>
<P N="1">1. The &s;ubject, who&s;e waies are comfortable. <HI>Her waies.</HI> Wi&s;doms waies, not follies.</P>
<P N="2">2. The adjunct &s;hewing what they are, <HI>Are waies of plea|&s;antne&s;&s;e.</HI> Not profitable onely, but delightfull al&s;o.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd ob&s;erve.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Subject. <HI>And her paths.</HI> That is, the paths of wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Adjunct of quantity. <HI>All</HI> of them.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Adjunct of quality. <HI>Are peace.</HI> They are peaceable, and pro&s;perous.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Nothing is wanting to a man truly wi&s;e. This text with the coherence proves it abundantly: what would a wi&s;e man have? would he have long life? Here it is. If rich|es, here al&s;o. If honour, it is ready for him. If plea&s;ure, it is at hand. If peace, it is prepared for him. If health, loe here it is. If happine&s;&s;e it &s;elfe, the wi&s;e man offers it fir&s;t and la&s;t. Ver&s;e 13.18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of Gods favour. Wi&s;e men are Gods fa|vourites. And what may not Princes favourites have in a Nation.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of Gods promi&s;e to <HI>&s;uch as walk uprightly,</HI> as wi&s;e men do, that <HI>no good thing &s;hall be withheld from them.</HI> P&s;. 84.11. <HI>To &s;uch as fear him, There is no want to them.</HI> P&s;al. 34.9. And that wi&s;e men do. <HI>The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wi&s;dom.</HI> Chap. 1.7. <HI>Lions,</HI> &s;tronge&s;t creatures <HI>&s;hall lack and &s;uffer hunger;</HI> which if the world afford food, they will not do: but <HI>they that &s;eek the Lord</HI> (as all truly wi&s;e do) <HI>&s;hall not want any good thing.</HI> P&s;al. 34.10. They can lack nothing that can God give.</P>
<PB N="468" REF="233">
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of their capacity, and indu&s;try to get good things. If any know how, and be willing to take paines to get good things, wi&s;e men do. They lie not in a ditch, and cry God help. They know, that will not do it.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Here is a further encouragement to labour for wi&s;dom. Who would not bee in &s;uch a &s;tate to want nothing that is good? <HI>Jacobs</HI> condition is better then <HI>E&s;aus</HI> in the originall, and better then your tran&s;lation makes it, which makes them both alike, for in it both &s;ay <HI>I have enough</HI> but in the Hebrew. <HI>E&s;au</HI> &s;aith, <GAP DESC="foreign"> I <HI>have much, Jacob</HI> &s;aith <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>I have all.</HI> Gen. 33.9.11. And &s;o he had indeed for he had God, and all. An unwi&s;e man may have many good things; a wi&s;e man hath all.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom hath waies of her own. So had wi&s;e <HI>Solo|mon</HI> &s;trange waies to the Queen of <HI>Shebah.</HI> She admires them. 1 <HI>King.</HI> 10.5. And Chri&s;t had &s;trange waies to the Jews, who much &s;trange at them. <HI>Matth.</HI> 11.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. It appears in humane wi&s;dom. The waies of Lawyere, Phy&s;ltians, Mathematicians, Archiects, are &s;trange to others.</P>
<P N="2">2. And principally in heavenly wi&s;dom. Her waies are &s;trange to Philo&s;ophers, who&s;e rules reach but to morality. Strange to Hereticks, who &s;et up them&s;elves, not God by all their practi&s;es, and opinions. Strange to carnall Go&s;pellers, who mu&s;t have plea&s;ure, or profit with profe&s;&s;ion of religion. Strange to Hypocrites, who would be accounted godly, though they be Athei&s;ts in heart.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Here is a touch&s;tone to trie, whether we bee truly godly or no. Are our waies &s;infull, and worldly, or holy, and hea|venly. This will try us. We mu&s;t not bee watermen in religi|on, loook one way and row another.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> One wi&s;e action &s;ufficeth not, but all mu&s;t bee gui|ded by wi&s;dom; El&s;e we &s;hall &s;hame our &s;elves. <HI>Dead flies cau&s;e the ointment of the Apothecary to &s;end forth a stinking &s;avour: &s;o doth a little folly him, that is in reputation for wi&s;dom, and ho|nour.</HI> Eccl. 10.1. It was <HI>Jehus</HI> &s;hame, that when <HI>he had de|stroyed</HI> Baal <HI>out of</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>he departed not fnom the &s;ins of</HI> Jero|boam <HI>the &s;on of</HI> Nebat, <HI>who made</HI> I&s;rael <HI>to &s;in.</HI> 2 King. 10.28, 29.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e no man &s;hall bee tryed at the day of
<PB N="469" REF="233">judgment by any one act, but by the cour&s;e of his life: &s;o good men judge of mens e&s;tates here. An Ho&s;pitall built can|not &s;ave a murderer from the gallows.</P>
<P N="2">2. Many fooli&s;h actions outweigh one wi&s;e one; a fool may &s;peak or do wi&s;ely &s;ometimes, yet is not therefore deemed wi&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Here is a &s;econd tryall of true wi&s;dom, if it appears not &s;ometimes, but in the cour&s;e of our lives, not in &s;ome one action, but in all, or in the mo&s;t: one Swallow makes not a Summer, nor one good Apple, a good Apple-tree.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. There is much true delight in wi&s;domes waies. <HI>My yoke is ea&s;ie, and my burden is light. Mat.</HI> 11.30. <HI>More to be de&s;ired are they then gold, yea then much fine gold; &s;weeter al&s;o then honey and the honey comb. P&s;al.</HI> 19:10. Some waies are plea&s;ant in the pa&s;&s;age, but bitter in the end, others foul in the pa&s;&s;age, but comfortable in the end; wi&s;domes waies are plea&s;ant in both.</P>
<P N="1">1. In the way, and that 1. Spiritually. And therein.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e <HI>they are wrought in God,</HI> and by Gods &s;trength all along. <HI>John</HI> 3.21. <HI>Principium, vector, dux, &s;emita, terminus idem. God is the beginning, carier on, guide, way, and end</HI> of good mens actions: No marvell then if he give them comfort in them.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are lovely in them&s;elves, and have in them all things that may afford true delight, but nothing loth&s;ome to rai&s;e di&s;like; &s;infull fooli&s;h cour&s;es on the contrary, have much in them to affright, nothing to delight.</P>
<P N="3">3. They have nothing truly difficult in them, though they may &s;eem to men to have. Smooth waies have nothing in them to make men &s;tumble, yet men may &s;lip by carele&s;ne&s;&s;e in the &s;moothe&s;t way. Here is no offering up of children in Gods waies, which the heathen did to fal&s;e Gods: yea, it is now &s;moother then the Jews way was in the old Te&s;tament; no painfull Circumci&s;ion, nor extream co&s;tly Sacrifices, no <HI>thou|&s;ands of Rams, nor ten thou&s;and rivers of Oile. Mic.</HI> 6.7.</P>
<P N="4">4. They have <HI>pramium ante praemium, a reward before-hand.</HI> Much comfort in wi&s;e actions, while they are in doing them, as in praying, &s;inging, giving, &amp;c. &s;ome degree of comfort followes every good action, as heat followes fire, as beams of light, and influences come from the &s;hining Sun. The heathen
<PB N="470" REF="234">found &s;ome comfort in morall actions, Chri&s;tians may find more in &s;pirituall imployments. <HI>In keeping of them there is great reward. P&s;al.</HI> 19.11.</P>
<P N="2">2. As in &s;pirituall, &s;o in temporall things, wi&s;e men find much comfort in their waies, when fooles bring &s;orrow upon them&s;elves. Likewi&s;e in the end, as well as in the way, wi&s;e men find comfort; yea, more in the end then in the way: the hope of heaven makes the way comfortable, al|though it &s;hould be tedious in it &s;elfe, and meet with many rubs.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> This &s;hould encourage us, not only to &s;eek to know wi&s;domes waies, but al&s;o to walk cheerfully in them, in de|&s;pight of all di&s;couragements.</P>
<P>If any object, it is difficult to get the knowledge of tho&s;e waies, and much more difficult to walk in them.</P>
<P>The an&s;wer is, there is plea&s;ure in them as well as profit, and that will make them ea&s;ie and delightfull. <HI>Omne tulit pun|ctum, quimi&s;cit utile dulci. Joyn profit and plea&s;ure together, and men will never talk of difficulty.</HI> Now wi&s;dom makes a marriage of profit with plea&s;ure; her waies may &s;eem difficult at fir&s;t, by rea&s;on of the corruption of the fle&s;h, but when the fir&s;t brunt is over, they prove ea&s;ie and plea&s;ant, whereas the waies of folly are plea&s;ant at fir&s;t, and bitter at la&s;t. Let us therefore admire at wi&s;domes waies, get the knowledge of them, practi&s;e them, and rejoyce in them.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 5. Peace attends upon wi&s;domes waies. <HI>Mark the per|fect man, and behold the a pright, for the end of that man is peace. P&s;al.</HI> 37.37. Now none but men truly wi&s;e, are perfect, and upright.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. They bring inward peace of mind, and quietne&s;&s;e: Mens own follies do more di&s;tract them, then other mens ma|lice, or plots again&s;t them. God gives wi&s;emen quietne&s;&s;e of mind, both in pro&s;perity and adver&s;ity; it is contrary with worldly men, they have no re&s;t in their minds, nor are not plea&s;ed in any condition, but godly wi&s;emen are quiet in e|very e&s;tate.</P>
<P N="2">2. They bring outward peace: wi&s;dome teaches men how to avoid occa&s;ions of quarrells, by which fooli&s;h men are ru|ined.</P>
<P N="3">3. They bring peace with God, which is be&s;t of all, for it
<PB N="471" REF="234">brings men to the knowledge of Chri&s;t, the onely reconciler of God and man, and &s;o affords that peace, <HI>which the world cannot give.</HI> Ioh. 7.27. and <HI>which pa&s;&s;eth all understanding.</HI> Phil. 4.7. and &s;o drives all &s;tormes out of the con&s;cience, a&s;&s;uring beleevers, that <HI>they have peace with God.</HI> Rom. 5.1. And that <HI>there is no condemnation to them.</HI> Rom. 8.1.</P>
<P N="4">4. Peace with our neighbours. For it teacheth us to give every one their own. And what ground have they then to quarrell with us? yea, if they do us hurt, it teacheth us to doe them good. And this is the way to quench all fire of con|tention.</P>
<P N="5">5. It &s;hews us the way to eternall peace by Chri&s;t our Savi|our, that wee may walk on quietly to Heaven, while others contend for inheritances on Earth. Thus it brings peace ex|ternall, internall, eternall, and makes not onely the end plea|&s;ant, but al&s;o the way. And as travellers in their weary jour|neies comfort them&s;elves not onely with thoughts of re&s;t at night, but al&s;o with comfortable objects in the way, &s;o do men truly wi&s;e joy here in the thought of Heaven here|after.</P>
<P N="6">6. They are waies pre&s;cribed by God, who is, <HI>The God of peace.</HI> Heb. 13.20.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Object.</HI> How can wi&s;e, and godly men have externall peace, when <HI>all that will live godly in Christ Je&s;us mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecution.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.12.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. They have not alwaies times of per&s;ecution, but &s;ometimes peace.</P>
<P N="2">2. God gives them &s;uch a valiant &s;pirit, that they overcome all oppo&s;ition, as the Martyrs did the fire.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Object.</HI> How can they have internall peace, when as long as they live, they have civill wars within? <HI>The fle&s;h lu&s;t|eth against the &s;pirit, and the &s;pirit again&s;t the fle&s;h: and the&s;e are contrary the one to the other, &s;o that ye cannot do the things that ye would.</HI> Gal. 5.17.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. The&s;e wars tend to peace: yea, they are a &s;ure to|ken of eternall peace, in the end: for there is no &s;uch combat in the &s;oules of wicked fools.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the mid&s;t of the&s;e wars there is peace with God: and then the&s;e conflicts may be counted as nothing, as when a man hath peace with Giants, and is at war with Pigmies.</P>
<PB N="472" REF="235">
<P N="3">3. <HI>Ob.</HI> But how can they be &s;ure of eternall peace in the end; when God &s;ometimes frowns upon them, and they are forced to cry out, <HI>Hath God fogotten to be gracious?</HI> P&s;al. 77.9.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This is but &s;ometimes, when God will correct, or try them. But he brings them back again, and makes them to &s;ay. <HI>This is mine infirmitie, O the years of the right hand of the mo&s;t high!</HI> P&s;al. 77.10. This is more pa&s;&s;ionate, and empha|ticall, then to adde, <HI>But I will remember,</HI> as the Tran&s;lation do.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Ob.</HI> But we are alwaies in danger of temptations. Wee walk between two extreams of &s;in, and are way-laid by Devils, and ungodly men, like travellers, that pa&s;&s;e between two Countries at war one with another, where the waies are full of robbers. How can our waies then be peaceable, walk wee never &s;o wi&s;ely?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> They are peaceable, not that they free us from all op|po&s;ition; But</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e they keep us &s;afe in the mid&s;t of all oppo&s;ition. Country-Villages are &s;ubject to plundering in war, but &s;trong Ca&s;tles are &s;afe, &s;o long as they want not provi&s;ion, not ammunition.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they lead us to a quiet end for ever, when the&s;e &s;torms are all gone, and over; who ever peri&s;hed in the&s;e waies? A whole world died by fooli&s;h waies, as in the floud, when <HI>Noah</HI> walking in the&s;e waies e&s;caped. <HI>Gen.</HI> 6.13, 14.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To &s;hew us the va&s;t difference between godly, and fle&s;h|ly wi&s;dom. The former brings lawfull plea&s;ure, and certain peace. The latter brings &s;orrows, and troubles upon mens minds, bodies, e&s;tates here, and for ever by their own plots. True wi&s;dome goes no where, but all her waies are &s;trowed with plea&s;ure, and walled in with peace.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> No way of wi&s;dom breeds trouble in it &s;elf. See <HI>Davids</HI> wi&s;dom in ordering his for the preventing of trouble in his family, in the City, and in the Land. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101. It may be by accident trouble may attend on the wi&s;e&s;t waies by rea|&s;on of corruption in others, and our &s;elves, for wi&s;dom is imperfect in us, and them, but that comes not from wi&s;dom, but from lack of it.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the waies of wi&s;dome are ju&s;t waies</P>
<PB N="473" REF="235">
<P N="2">2. They are mercifull waies. Ju&s;tice and mercy bring not troubles naturally, but inju&s;tice and cruelty.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See the cau&s;e of all our troubles, want of wi&s;dom. Be|wail it, and beware for time to come.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 18.</BIBL> She is a tree of life to them, that lay hold on her, and happy is every one, that retaineth her.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>SOlomon</HI> goes on to &s;et out the commendation of wi&s;dome, that he may allure men to &s;eeke the more earne&s;tly after her. He had &s;et out her excellency by &s;ilver, gold, pearles, <HI>She is &s;ilver to poor men, gold to Noble men, and Pearles to Prin|ces. Aeneas Silvius.</HI> See Acts and Monuments in the end of the reign of <HI>Henry</HI> 6.2. <HI>Edit.</HI> Now he &s;ets out wi&s;doms ex|cellency</P>
<P N="1">1. By comparing her to the tree of life.</P>
<P N="2">2. By promi&s;ing happine&s;&s;e to them, that get, and keep her. For the words. <HI>She.</HI> Wi&s;dom &s;poken of <HI>ver.</HI> 13. and com|pared to a rich, and beautifull Queen. <HI>ver.</HI> 16.</P>
<P><HI>Is a tree of life.</HI> Like to a living tree, that brings forth &s;tore of plea&s;ant fruit to delight and pre&s;erve the life of the eaters. Or more particularly, as mo&s;t writers agree, it is an allu&s;ion to the tree of life in Paradi&s;e. <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.9. which was a &s;ign to <HI>A|dam,</HI> that he &s;hould live for ever. <HI>Gen.</HI> 22. and that in health, &s;trength, and comfort upon Earth, if he &s;inned not. So wi&s;|dom re&s;tores us to that we lo&s;t in <HI>Adam,</HI> eternall life, but in a better place in Heaven. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies.</P>
<P N="1">1. Drie wood, &s;uch as we burn. <HI>Behold the fire and the wood.</HI> Gen. 22.7.</P>
<P N="2">2. A tree, from which wood u&s;eth to be cut. <HI>He &s;hall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.</HI> P&s;al. 1.3.</P>
<P N="3">3. A &s;tick, or table of wood to write on. <HI>Take thee one stick, and write upon it.</HI> Ezek. 37.16.</P>
<P N="4">4. An Idol of wood. <HI>Saying to a &s;tock</HI> (or, <HI>wood</HI>) <HI>thou art my Father.</HI> Jer. 2.27.</P>
<P N="5">5. A pair of gallows. <HI>Pharach &s;hall hang thee on a tree.</HI> Gen. 40.19.</P>
<P N="6">6. A woodden ve&s;&s;ell. <HI>In ve&s;&s;ells of wood.</HI> Exod. 7.19.</P>
<PB N="474" REF="236">
<P N="7">7. The &s;taffe of a &s;pear. <HI>The &s;taffe of who&s;e &s;pear was like <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> a weavers beam.</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> Sam. 21.19. Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e for a green and fruitfull tree. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Life is the d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|all number, for there is a life here, and a life in heaven, as <GAP DESC="foreign"> waters above the firmament, and below, and <GAP DESC="foreign"> the hea|vens &s;tarry and aery.</P>
<P><HI>To them that lay hold upon her.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies a fa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> laying hold on a thing, as ones own, and as not willing to let it go.</P>
<P><HI>And.</HI> Or <HI>Then.</HI> Or <HI>Therefore.</HI> A conclu&s;ion drawn from the former words. If &s;he bring eternall life, then without que&s;ti|on all that retain her are happy.</P>
<P><HI>Happy.</HI> He &s;hall walk on pro&s;perou&s;ly, for &s;o much the word imports.</P>
<P><HI>Is every one that retaineth her.</HI> Heb. <HI>They that retain her, he is ble&s;&s;ed.</HI> A participle &s;ingular, with a plurall. That is, eve|ry particular man of them is happy. See the like, <HI>Numb.</HI> 24.9. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that ble&s;&s;eth thee.</HI> Wi&s;dome doth not only pre|&s;erve mens lives, as a tree of life, but al&s;o makes men happy: but this happine&s;&s;e is not to every one, as fruit doth not do good to them that that look on it, or touch it, or &s;mell to it, but that gather, cat it, and dige&s;t it: So wi&s;domes fruit doth no good to them that &s;eek it &s;leightly, or think a little e|nough but to them that take pains to get, and care to keep it, that will not let her go till they have &s;ound out the depth of her crea&s;ure, that ob&s;erve all her commands, even the lea&s;t, and per&s;evere in &s;o doing to the la&s;t. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies &s;ometimes to lay fa&s;t hold, &s;o as not to part with a thing. <HI>Judgment and ju&s;tice take hold on thee. Job</HI> 36.17. Sometimes to uphold a thing. <HI>Thy right hand upholdeth me. P&s;al.</HI> 63.8. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, for laying fa&s;t hold on wi&s;|dome, as meaning never to part with it: It cannot be taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e for upholding wi&s;dom, for it upholds us, not we it.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> A metaphor in <HI>the Tree of life.</HI> Wi&s;dome is like it in the good fruits thereof. As al&s;o metaphors in laying fa&s;t hold on it, and retaining it, or locking it up fa&s;e, that it may not be lo&s;t, as men lock up fruit and trea&s;ures.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A de&s;cription of the excellency of wi&s;dom:</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The happine&s;&s;e of the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ore of it.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="475" REF="236">
<P>In the former note.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. What &s;he is, <HI>She is a tree of life.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To whom &s;he is &s;o, <HI>To them that lay hold on her.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In the latter, ob&s;erve</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The adjunct, <HI>And happy.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>Is every one that retaineth her.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. Scripture mu&s;t be under&s;tood by Scripture. Wi&s;|dome is not only a living tree, but a tree that not alone &s;ig|nifies continuance of life, as the tree of life did, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.9. but al&s;o brings eternall life. So the one text gives light unto the other. A wi&s;e man is as it were re&s;tored into Paradi&s;e in this life, <HI>Erat Adae in lignis caeteris alimentum, in ligno vitae &s;acra|mentum &s;apientiae, Adam had aliment in the other trees, but in the tree of life he had a Sacrament of wi&s;dome,</HI> &s;aith a learned wri|ter.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they were written by an infallible &s;pirit, and therefore the writers could not erre in giving their own meaning, or the meaning of one another.</P>
<P N="2">2. None have an infallible &s;pirit now, and therefore the be&s;t may erre in interpreting &s;ome place of Scripture.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> How can we interpret Scripture by Scripture?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> 1. By con&s;ulting with the originall. As if children differ about their fathers legacy, <HI>Non itur ad tumulum, &s;ed curritur ad Testamentum, They go not to the Tomb, but run to the Te&s;tament. Optat.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. By ob&s;erving the coherence with what goes before, and what followes; as we pick out the meaning of a friends letter by the Scope of it, and by the re&s;t of the words.</P>
<P N="3">3. By paralell places, as by comparing divers letters to one purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. By plain places or grounds of religion, to interpret the re&s;t, that are built thereupon, as we do in Logick and other Arts.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To blame the Papi&s;ts, who &s;ubmit the &s;en&s;e of the Scriptures to Fathers, Councels, and to the Pope &s;ingly.</P>
<P N="2">2. To teach us to u&s;e this help in difficult places, and not to allow of any &s;en&s;e of any place of Scripture, not agreeing with other Scriptures. So about Bapti&s;me, <HI>Go teach all nations.</HI> The originall is, <HI>Make Di&s;ciples of all nations, Mat.</HI> 28.19. And that by <HI>Baptizing,</HI> as followes in the words,
<PB N="476" REF="237">and <HI>Teaching</HI> followes afterwards, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 20. So that this place makes nothing again&s;t Infants bapti&s;me. So about the re&s;urre|ction, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.50. is pleaded again&s;t it, yet all the Chapter before and after pleads for it. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith there, <HI>Fle&s;h and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God:</HI> His meaning is, mortall, and corruptible fle&s;h and blood cannot come to hea|ven, till it be changed: &s;o he expounds him&s;elfe in the end of that Ver&s;e, and the Ver&s;e following, <HI>Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.</HI> And, <HI>We &s;hall all be changed.</HI> Thus <HI>John</HI> 14.28. is brought to di&s;prove Chri&s;ts divine Nature Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>My father is greater then I:</HI> This mu&s;t be under&s;tood of his human nature, for in regard of his divine, the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>He thought it no robbery to be equall with God. Phil.</HI> 2.6. The Jews under&s;tood this, that <HI>He made him&s;elfe equall with God. John</HI> 5.18. which had been bla&s;phemy indeed, had not he been true God. So for excluding bread out of the Lords Sup|per, <HI>Mat.</HI> 26.26. <HI>This is my body,</HI> is cited by the Papi&s;ts; but it mu&s;t be under&s;tood figuratively, not literally: The meaning is, this is the &s;ign of my body; for <HI>Paul</HI> calls it <HI>bread,</HI> when it is <HI>eaten,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.26. God cannot contradict him&s;elfe.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Wi&s;dome affords true nouri&s;hment: Not for a time, as fruits of trees do, but for ever; therefore it is com|pared to <HI>milk for babes, and &s;trong meat for men. Heb.</HI> 5.12, 13, 14. And to <HI>milk</HI> again. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it &s;hews how to get, and dre&s;&s;e food for the body.</P>
<P N="2">2. How moderately to exerci&s;e the body, without which food will not di&s;ge&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. How to keep a cheerfull mind, without which, food will not be profitable to the body, nor nouri&s;h it.</P>
<P N="4">4. It &s;hews how the &s;oul may be nouri&s;hed by ju&s;tification, through the blood of Chri&s;t, without which it pines away under the &s;en&s;e and of guilt of &s;in, and of the wrath of God.</P>
<P N="5">5. How it may be nouri&s;hed by &s;anctification, that &s;o all &s;ins, which are as ob&s;tructions, being killed, all the graces of Gods Spirit may be encrea&s;ed in us.</P>
<P N="6">6. How it may be fullfed to glorification, where it &s;hall need no more food.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Labour for this true wi&s;dome, as men doe for food to nouri&s;h them: This is to be found in the word of God. Let
<PB N="477" REF="237">others de&s;pi&s;e the &s;cripture (as <HI>Aenaeas Silvius</HI> &s;peaks of coun|cills) &s;o may we &s;ay of Gods word, <HI>call bread stones, if you will, &s;o you give it me to nouri&s;h me. Acts and Monuments, in the end of the raign of Henry the &s;ixth. All the labour of man is for his mouth. Eccle&s;.</HI> 6.7. Men plow, &s;ow, plant, work, for bo|dily food; why &s;hould we not labour more for wi&s;dome, that will feed the body here, and the &s;oul to eternity? <HI>Praeclar&egrave; Plato beatum ait, cui etiam in &s;enectute contigerit, ut &s;apientiam, vera&s;que opiniones a&s;&s;equi po&s;&s;it. Cic.</HI> 5. <HI>de finibus. Plato excel|lently &s;aith, He is happy that in his old age can attain wi&s;dome, and true opinions.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Wi&s;dome makes a perfect cure. The <HI>leaves did heal the nations. Rev.</HI> 22.2. <HI>The Scriptures are able to make us wi&s;e unto &s;alvation.</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.15.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it cures hereditary di&s;ea&s;es, which Phy&s;i|cians cannot, as the darkne&s;&s;e of the mind, perver&s;ne&s;&s;e of the will, cro&s;ne&s;&s;e of the affections, received from our Parents.</P>
<P N="2">2. It cures infectious di&s;ea&s;es, as &s;infull cour&s;es received from others, by bad coun&s;ell or example.</P>
<P N="3">3. It cures the thoughts of the heart, which no law of man, nor Phy&s;ick can do.</P>
<P N="4">4. It cures the tongue and words, and teaches how to &s;peak wi&s;ely and profitably.</P>
<P N="5">5. It cures the life, and teaches how to avoid temptations, and provocations to &s;in.</P>
<P N="6">6. It cures the body too from &s;ome di&s;ea&s;es here by Phy|&s;ick, and other good means, and perfectly at the Re&s;urrecti|on: Then, <HI>God &s;hall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there &s;hall be no more death, nor &s;orrow, nor crying, neither &s;hall be any more pain, for the former things are pa&s;&s;ed away. Rev.</HI> 21.4.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Prai&s;e God for communicating this wi&s;dome to you in his word, e&s;pecially, if ye have found good by this cour&s;e of &s;pirituall Phy&s;ick already, it is Gods work, and he will fini&s;h it.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 4. Wi&s;dom doth good to none, but to tho&s;e that get it fully, and firmly. As fruit of trees doth no good to them that &s;eek it only, or touch it; &s;o the fruit of wi&s;dome to none but tho&s;e that eat, that is, obtain it; that &s;eek it not &s;leightly, or think a little enough, but that take pains &s;till for more: not that look over the precepts as men look over an Almanack,
<PB N="478" REF="238">but as men &s;eriou&s;ly &s;tudy good books, <HI>John Bapti&s;ts,</HI> and Chri&s;ts preaching did no good, but to them, that regarded it. <HI>We have piped unto you, but ye have not danced, &amp;c.</HI> Mat. 11.17. <HI>Pauls Go&s;pell is hid to them that are lo&s;t.</HI> 2 Cor. 4.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there mu&s;t be a conjunction of things, be|fore there can be an operation of the one upon the other. The &s;oul mu&s;t be infu&s;ed into the body, before it can work on the body to make the tongue to &s;peak, the foot to goe, the hand to work. A man mu&s;t be married to a woman before hee can take care for her, as for a wife. So mu&s;t wi&s;dom be joyned to the heart, before it can worke on heart, &s;oule, or body.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it is &s;o in all other gifts of God. A man cannot be liberal, to whom God gives no riches, nor fight &s;tout|ly, to whom God gives no &s;trength, nor doe any good with wi&s;dom, or get any good by it, to whom God gives it not.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See the cau&s;e, why many get no good by the word of wi&s;dom &s;o long preached to them; Becau&s;e they lay not fa&s;t hold on it. They hear many &s;ermons, but regard them not. <HI>The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.</HI> Heb. 4.2. Seed grows not, if the ground receive it not. Rain doth no good, till the earth bee &s;oftned.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom mu&s;t not onely be received into the heart, but retained there, as &s;eed in the ground, till it bring forth fruit. They are the good ground, who <HI>having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.</HI> Lu. 15. Many &s;how|ers, and &s;un-&s;hines mu&s;t come, before the Corn bee ripe: The word mu&s;t abide like a graft in a tree <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.21.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Becau&s;e things work not at fir&s;t. Trees mu&s;t grow before they bring fruit. Meat mu&s;t be dige&s;ted before it nou|ri&s;h. So mu&s;t wi&s;dom be reteined, and gotten to a habit, be|fore it can work well.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e when it is left, it leaves working, as meat when it is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;t out upward, or downward.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To blame tho&s;e, that entertain wi&s;dom, but retain it not, give it a good countenance, and reject it, u&s;e it as a &s;tranger, afford it a good meale, and turn it out of doors. So do the Hereticks, Apo&s;tates, Worldlings, men above ordinan|ces,
<PB N="479" REF="238">for &s;ure Gods ordinances are full of wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> Such as not onely receive wi&s;dom; but retaine it, are happy indeed: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man, that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the po&s;ts of my doors. For who &s;o findeth me, findeth life: and &s;hall obtain favour of the Lord.</HI> Chap. 8.34, 35. <HI>Happy are thy men, happy are the&s;e thy &s;ervants which &s;tand continually before thee, and hear thy wi&s;dom.</HI> 1 King. 10.8. Wi&s;|dome doth good to them, that will not let her go, till they find out the depth of her trea&s;ure.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e true wi&s;dom, and happine&s;&s;e are in&s;epara|ble They are &s;o in God. They are &s;o in the Creature. <HI>Adam,</HI> while he was wi&s;e, was happy, His folly did undo him&s;elfe, and the world. <HI>Solomon</HI> was happy, till he dealt unwi&s;ely, and was gulled by &s;illy women. <HI>When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other Gods.</HI> 1 King. 11.4. Therefore God rent his Kingdome from his Son, ver&s;e 11, 12. there.</P>
<P N="2">2 Becau&s;e &s;uch are Gods in&s;truments to make others hap|py, and that not by accident, but out of an earne&s;t de&s;ire in them&s;elves. And God will reward them.</P>
<P N="3">3. They have Gods word for it. <HI>They that be wi&s;e, &s;hall &s;hine as the brightne&s;&s;e of the Firmament.</HI> Dan. 12.3. That Word that made a world of nothing, and all the comforts wi&s;e men have in it, can make wi&s;e men happy.</P>
<P N="4">4. They have God him&s;elf for their portion, who is the Fountain of all happine&s;&s;e. How can he want water, that hath a perpetuall fountain? <HI>David</HI> was wi&s;e, and claimed this por|tion. <HI>O Lord I &s;aid, Thou art my portion in the Lord of the living.</HI> P&s;al. 142.5.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as lay a claim to happine&s;&s;e, but without a ground, as they that de&s;pi&s;e wi&s;dom, or that brag of it, but have it not, or have ca&s;t it off. They may bee rich; they cannot be happy.</P>
<P N="2">2. To exhort us to take the right way to true happine&s;&s;e. Studiou&s;ly to &s;eek true wi&s;dom, and carefully to keep it, as the riche&s;t jewell in the world. Though thou be de&s;pi&s;ed by the world, as a poor &s;nake, or contemptible caitiffe, yet God counts thee wi&s;e, and will make thee happy.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="480" REF="239">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 19.</BIBL> The Lord by wi&s;dom hath founded the Earth, by under&s;tand|ing hath he e&s;tabli&s;hed the heavens.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN this Ver&s;e and the next, <HI>Solomon</HI> flies high, and com|mends wi&s;dom from working by it, and from the things which he wrought. As if he had &s;aid, what need I &s;ay more in commendation of wi&s;dom? The whole world, which yee &s;ee, was made by it. Here he &s;hews, how it comes to pa&s;&s;e that wi&s;dom makes men happy. It was that, whereby God made the World, and therefore he can make men happy by it. Great things were attributed to wi&s;dom before, but greater here. As if <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;aid, O young man, thou ha&s;t heard many things in commendation of wi&s;dom, now hear more, and grea|ter, that thou mai&s;t bee the more inflamed with the love of it. It is not a wi&s;dom found out by men, as the Philo&s;ophers imagined, who thought all wi&s;dom depended upon their precepts, and might be gotten by humane indu&s;try. The wi&s;|dom, whereof I &s;peak, is far antienter then the world, for the very foundations of the world were laid by it. Think not then this wi&s;dom a thing feigned in the braines of men, and pe|ri&s;hing with them, and therefore to be de&s;pi&s;ed, but look up|on her, as upon Je&s;us Chri&s;t the eternall &s;on of God and Creatour of the World together with God the Fa|ther. <HI>Solomon</HI> doth not now &s;et out wi&s;dome by benefits to us, as before, but by the maje&s;ty thereof, and the greatne&s;&s;e of the workes, that God doth by it. Among which the making of Heaven, and Earth, and all things therein is exceeding commendable: But it may be objected: <HI>Solomon</HI> had before commended wi&s;dom, as it is in men: why doth hee now &s;ore &s;o high from wi&s;dom in men to wi&s;dom in God, there being &s;o va&s;t a difference? The wi&s;e&s;t man on Earth is but a fool to God, and mu&s;t never expect by his wi&s;dom to do &s;uch great things, as God hath done.</P>
<P>I an&s;wer. 1. Becau&s;e <HI>Solomons</HI> intention was to commend wi&s;dom in generall, bee it in the Creator, or in the Creature.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e wi&s;dome in man hath &s;ome re&s;emblance of that wi&s;dom, that is in God, though it be farre &s;hort of it.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e it is a little &s;tream coming from that infinite
<PB N="48" REF="239">fountain of wi&s;dome that is in God, yet not materially, for God hath never the le&s;&s;e, but effectively, as wrought in us by it. When a man hath commended the &s;tream, and &s;hewed the vertues of it, it addes to the credit of it to &s;hew the fountain, whence it comes, and the admirable effects thereof: So it is a commendation to mans exqui&s;it wi&s;dom, to &s;hew, that it comes from the infinite wi&s;dom of God, by which heaven and earth were made.</P>
<P N="4">4. To prove it may well guide a man in all his affairs in the world, and make him happy (as Ver&s;e 18.) &s;eeing it comes from that wi&s;dom by which God made all things, the &s;et|ling of &s;olid things, as heaven, and earth, are &s;et down in this ver&s;e, and of liquid things, as waters, and rain, Ver&s;e 20.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>By wi&s;dome.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7. Wi&s;dome may be under&s;tood as of an attribute of God, for his infinite wi&s;dome was u&s;ed in the creation of the world: But it is better to under&s;tand it of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the wi&s;dom of the father, <HI>By whom all things were made, &amp; without whom, was not any thing made, that was made. Joh.</HI> 1.3.</P>
<P><HI>Hath founded.</HI> Hath laid the foundations of the earth &s;o &s;ure, that though it hang in the mid&s;t of heaven, yet it &s;ub&s;i&s;ts of it &s;elfe, remains unmovable, and upholds the re&s;t of the world. It is like the rock upholding the hou&s;e. <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.24, 25. The earth is the lowe&s;t of all the elements, the center of the re&s;t, upholding them all without any thing under it, to uphold it. Thus men and bea&s;ts have room, where they may live and breath: though it have no foundation, yet it &s;tands as fa&s;t, as if it had a &s;trong foundation, an&s;werable to the greatne&s;&s;e of it. The words may admit a double &s;en&s;e, either that God did at fir&s;t by his infinite wi&s;dome, &s;o ju&s;tly poi&s;e the earth, that it &s;hould be upheld by its own equall weight, and have no inclination to move upward, downward, or a&s;ide; or el&s;e, that Gods power immediately &s;till without any thing wrought in the earth at fir&s;t, upholds it, as a &s;ure foundation, and makes it a la&s;ting foundation to uphold all the vi&s;ible world. God by his infinite wi&s;dome &s;o placed the earth as a foundation, that &s;hould never remove out of his place, le&s;t the foundation failing, the re&s;t of the building &s;hould fall and peri&s;h.</P>
<P><HI>The earth.</HI> Not only the body of the earth, but al&s;o all the
<PB N="482" REF="240">creatures that are, or live in it: for it is oppo&s;ed to the hea|vens. He mentions the earth fir&s;t, becau&s;e it is the center of the heavens, and therefore &s;aith, he hath founded it: But he is &s;aid to &s;tabli&s;h the heavens above, which have the earth for a foundation beneath. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>By understanding.</HI> God u&s;eth divers words to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e, to &s;hew, that all kind of wi&s;dom is in God, and his Chri&s;t. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.2.</P>
<P><HI>Hath he establi&s;hed.</HI> So fitted all the parts of heaven, that they continue fa&s;t together, and each ob&s;erve their &s;everall motions, as Planets, fixed Starres, fir&s;t mover in their places, Orbes, or Sphears. This mu&s;t be under&s;tood of the vi&s;ible Heavens, the beauty whereof we &s;ee, and admire at Gods wi&s;dome in it. For unto us, <HI>The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament &s;heweth his handy work P&s;al.</HI> 19.1. This word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is tran&s;lated, <HI>fa&s;hioning. Did not one fa&s;hion us in the womb? Job</HI> 31.15. To wit, by fitting and framing all the mem|bers of the body in the womb: He covered the earth as it were with a roof, the heavens he adorned with many Starres: He hath not made the heavens unmovable like the earth, but unweariable in their motion, and not &s;ubject to diminution, or di&s;&s;olution. This &s;hews Gods infinite wi&s;dom, for palaces built by men fail.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>The heavens.</HI> The &s;tarry heavens, &s;o it is u&s;ed, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.14. <HI>Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven.</HI> Though &s;ometimes it be put for the Aire, for there are fouls of heaven mentioned as well as &s;tarres of heaven, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.20. I find not the Hebrew word u&s;ed at any time in the old Te&s;tament, for the invi&s;ible heaven, which was not then &s;o plainly made known, although the Greek word in the new Te&s;tament be &s;o u&s;ed, <HI>Our conver&s;ation is in heaven. Phil.</HI> 3.20. That is, hea|venly, like the carriage of Saints, and Angells there: It hath its name in Hebrew from <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>There are waters.</HI> And it intimats two kinds of waters, one in the heavens above, the other in the earth beneath, which al&s;o may be intimated by <GAP DESC="foreign"> being the duall number, and by <GAP DESC="foreign"> of the duall number al&s;o, two vi&s;ible heavens, Starry, and Airy.</P>
<P><HI>Figures. Founded.</HI> A metaphor, for the earth hath no foun|dation under it, but God hath made it as fa&s;t, as if it had a &s;trong foundation to uphold it. <HI>Earth.</HI> For the earth and all
<PB N="483" REF="240">things in or on it. The part for the whole. So likewi&s;e in the word <HI>Heaven.</HI> The part put for the whole, comprehending &s;tars and all.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The foundation of the earth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The e&s;tabli&s;hment of the heavens.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Agent. <HI>The Lord.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The in&s;trument. <HI>By wi&s;dom.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Act. <HI>Hath founded.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Object. <HI>The Earth.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Agent. <HI>He.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The In&s;trument. <HI>By under&s;tanding.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Act. <HI>Hath. e&s;tabli&s;hed.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Object. <HI>The Heavens.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> The world had a beginning <HI>In the beginning God cre|ated the Heaven and the Earth.</HI> Gen. 1.1. <HI>Through faith we un|der&s;tand, that the worlds were framed by the word of God.</HI> Heb. 11.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the world could not make it &s;elfe, and the refore the maker mu&s;t needs be before it. <HI>Cau&s;a prior cau&s;a|to. The cau&s;e is before the thing cau&s;ed.</HI> A builder mu&s;t needs bee before a hou&s;e in time.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it is compounded of Heaven, Air, Earth, Sea, Stones, Trees, Bea&s;ts, Men, Angells. Bodies are compounded of the Elements. Souls of faculties. Empires of divers people. A garment &s;ewed together, had a beginning.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e the world is mutable in all parts of it. Some|times the Sun &s;hines in Heaven, &s;ometimes the Moon, &s;ome|times the &s;tarrs, &s;ometimes none of them are &s;een. The air is &s;ometimes clear, &s;ometimes &s;tormy. The Sea &s;ometimes calm, &s;ometimes tempe&s;tuous. The Earth &s;ometimes dry, &s;ome|times wet. Kingdomes one while in peace, another while in war. Living creatures one while well, another while &s;ick. All mutable things had a beginning: Who can change that which is eternall?</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e it will have an end, as appears in the parts of it. Fi&s;hes, Birds, Men die. Sea eats up Earth, Bea&s;ts; Earth expells Sea by mans art, and labour. Some things had a beginning, which by the mercy, wi&s;dom, and power of the Creator &s;hall
<PB N="484" REF="241">be kept from having an end, who gives to all Creatures du|rance long or &s;horter, as he plea&s;e. To men for their genera|tions. To &s;tars to the worlds end, to Angells, &s;oules of men, and their bodies al&s;o after the re&s;urrection for eternity. But nothing that hath an end, was without a beginning It could not be at fir&s;t without him, that can take the being of it away, when he plea&s;e. If it were from eternity, it can keep it &s;elfe to eternity.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> 1. It confutes tho&s;e, who think the world to have been from eternity. Their owne bodies may teach them the contrary.</P>
<P N="2">2. It confutes tho&s;e that think not the world formally, but materially to be from eternity. I &s;ay with <HI>Tertullian, Quod non lego, non credo. What I read n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t, I believe not.</HI> Of it &s;elf it could not be &s;o, being a dead thing: By God it could not be made &s;o; For every thing hath his being before it produce any other thing. It were di&s;honourable to God to have any thing eter|nall be&s;ide him&s;elf. It would take away from him the credit of making the world, or at lea&s;t of making it out of nothing, which is a divine priviledge. Singular priviledges are chiefe&s;t ornaments. It is &s;ome derogation, that others can do, what we can. The Magicians were put to filence by lice, and con|fe&s;&s;ed, <HI>This is the finger of God.</HI> Exod. 8.19. And this opinion wil help to bring in the form from eternity too. For? &s;ome forme it had, if it had a being: and who can alter the form of that which is eternall. And &s;o by con&s;equence God made not the world. And &s;coffers will grow more bold, and &s;ay, <HI>All things continne,</HI> not <HI>as they were from the beginning of the Creation.</HI> 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. But as they were before the Creati|on from eternity.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> The wolrd was made by God. <HI>Where wa&s;t thou, when I laid the foundations of the Earth;</HI> Job 38.4. <HI>By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made: and all the ho&s;t of them by the breath of his mouth.</HI> P&s;. 33.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it was not from eternity, as appears by the changes in it.</P>
<P N="2">2. It made not i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;elf. That were a contradiction. It could not be <HI>in fieri, &amp; facto;</HI> made, and to be made both at one time. It mu&s;t then work before it be.</P>
<P N="3">3. There was none el&s;e before the world was, to make it but
<PB N="475" REF="241">God onely. If an hou&s;e be found in an I&s;land, wherein never any man, but one was, hee mu&s;t needs build that hou&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. None el&s;e had wi&s;dom enough to do &s;uch a work, if there had been men, or Angells before the world. As no bea&s;t could build the fore&s;aid hou&s;e, if there had been many in the I&s;land.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Give God the glory of it, and of all the comforts ye en|joy here, or &s;hall in heaven.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> God &s;heweth wonderfull wi&s;dom in making the world. <HI>O Lord, how manifold are thy workes! in wi&s;dom hast thou made them all.</HI> P&s;al. 104.24. <HI>To him, that by wi&s;dom made the Heaven.</HI> P&s;. 136.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e he made this &s;pacious world out of no|thing. The wi&s;e&s;t man in the world, or Angell in Heaven can|not work without matter. But God made the whole world of nothing; Onely his infinite wi&s;dome could doe &s;uch a work.</P>
<P N="2">2. That excellency, that is in the world &s;hews the Makers infinite wi&s;dom. What is the mo&s;t curious picture of a man, bea&s;t, tree, &s;tar to the thing it &s;elf? Like a dark &s;hadow to the &s;hining Sun. So low do mens be&s;t works lie below Gods. This &s;hews, that <HI>the fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e of God is wi&s;er then men.</HI> 1 Cor. 1.25. For that work of God, in which he &s;hews lea&s;t wi&s;dom, argues more, then that wherein the wi&s;e&s;t man in the world &s;hews mo&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of the variety of the&s;e excellent workes, both of &s;everall kinds, and of &s;everall di&s;po&s;itions in each kind. Stars, Rivers, Trees, Bea&s;ts, Men, Angells, Hills, Vallies, what tho|&s;ands of each? No created wi&s;dom can number them, much le&s;&s;e make them. How many thou&s;ands of men are in the world? yet every face differs from one another.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e of their excellent order. The &s;tars are above our heads to give light, the air about us to breath in, the Earth under us to tread on. Severall grounds for corn, pa&s;ture, gardens, orchards. What not?</P>
<P><HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> 1. Let us in the view of the creatures not onely take de|light in the fight, and u&s;e of them, but al&s;o take notice of the wi&s;dome of the Creatour, and prai&s;e him for it. The Earth is a Colledge built by God, that in it we may &s;tudy his wi&s;dom
<PB N="486" REF="242">The Heavens a Common-wealth or Kingdom e&s;tabli&s;hed by him. The Sun the King, the Moon the Queen, the Starrs the Nobility, Clouds the commons, Spheres the Provinces. So we &s;ee a mans wi&s;dom in his workes and books, and God &s;hews us his in the Heavens, and in his Law. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19.1, 7. <HI>Comparata omnia creata ad Deum, &s;icut artificia ad artificem. Recuperus. All created things compared to God, are as artificiall works to the cunning workman.</HI> As they &s;hew the workmans wi&s;dom, &s;o do the&s;e Gods, Yea, much more. For if we admire a watch made by the art of man for the rare workman&s;hip, and frame of the wheels and their motions, how much more &s;hould we admire the wi&s;dom of God in making the glorious lights of Heaven with their revolutions, without which no watch could ex|actly mea&s;ure time? And in the variety of earthly creatures, without which our lives could afford us no comfort?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed of finding any faults in the workes of God. They were all made in wi&s;dom, though thy &s;hallow brain cannot reach them.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> God upholds the Earth &s;trangely. <HI>The world is esta|bli&s;hed, that it cannot be moved.</HI> P&s;. 93.1. No man can tell <HI>whereupon the Foundations of the Earth are fastned.</HI> God po&s;es <HI>Job</HI> with this que&s;tion. <HI>Iob</HI> 38.6. and may po&s;e all the world. They mu&s;t an&s;wer with him, <HI>God hangeth the Earth upon no|thing.</HI> Job. 26.1.</P>
<P>And that 1. Becau&s;e there is nothing above it, or under it to uphold it. It is the lowe&s;t Element: and the Heavens above cannot uphold it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it is above the power of nature to do it, or to know how it is done.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> When we tread on the earth, let us take notice who up|holds it, and makes it able to uphold us. No creature can do it The earth would &s;ink under us, if God did not &s;trangely up|hold it for us. Give God the glory then of your &s;u&s;tentation.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God pre&s;erves the heavens, and heavenly creatures in their motion. It is God, that <HI>in them hath &s;et a Tabernacle for the Sun to run a race.</HI> P&s;al. 19.4, 5. <HI>Thou make&s;t the outgoings of the morning, and of the evening to rejoyce.</HI> P&s;al. 65.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the Heavens, and the Sun, Moon, and &s;tars have no principle of life in them, whereby to move them|&s;elves, much le&s;&s;e of rea&s;on to direct them in their various cour&s;es.</P>
<PB N="487" REF="242">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e no creature, either man or angell, hath wi&s;dom or power enough to do it.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take occa&s;ion from the daily motion of the heavenly bodies to ble&s;&s;e God; our &s;pirits are comforted, and bodies directed by them, they are watches to keep time for us, God keeps them in their motion, el&s;e would they deceive us, and deprive us of their light and comfort.</P>
<P><HI>Doct</HI> 6. All manner of wi&s;dom is in God. It is expre&s;&s;ed by divers words in the Text, <HI>Wi&s;dome,</HI> and <HI>Vnder&s;tanding.</HI> We may well cry out with the Apo&s;tle, <HI>O the depth of the riches, both of the wi&s;dome and knowledge of God. Rom.</HI> 11.33.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. His word &s;hews it to us, in which are the grounds of all arts and &s;ciences, and higher things then they.</P>
<P N="2">2. His works &s;hew it, none hath wi&s;dom to do the like.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Be humble, and &s;ee thine own folly: be thou never &s;o wi&s;e, thou art but a fool in re&s;pect of God, thou wante&s;t &s;ome wi&s;dome, he hath all: Thou maye&s;t &s;ay of thy wi&s;dom, as <HI>David</HI> of his <HI>age, P&s;al.</HI> 39.5. <HI>My</HI> wi&s;dome <HI>is nothing before thee. Verily every man at his be&s;t &s;tate is altogether vanity. Se|lah.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 20.</BIBL> By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>GODS infinite wi&s;dome was &s;et out in the former ver&s;e, by the higher parts of the world, <HI>the heavens,</HI> and by the lower, <HI>the earth;</HI> or, as was mentioned in the former ver&s;e, by &s;etling &s;olid &s;ub&s;tances there, and liquid ones here, and by ordering the two middle elements, aire, and water.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>By his knowledge.</HI> Not by our knowledge of God, as the word is taken for our knowledge of Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53.11. <HI>By his know|ledge &s;hall my righteous &s;ervant justifie many.</HI> But by Gods own wi&s;dom. The words are varied, to &s;hew the plenty of &s;crip|ture language. Here is Gods wi&s;dome, under&s;tanding, know|ledge. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.2.4.</P>
<P><HI>The depths.</HI> Some under&s;tand this of the &s;prings and rivers, that break out of the earth continually, and run into &s;treams, through many countries, and tho&s;e oftentimes are &s;trangely
<PB N="488" REF="243">brought out of rocky hills, God wi&s;ely and wonderfully o|pening a pa&s;&s;age for them, being of them&s;elves weak, and una|ble to pa&s;&s;e through &s;uch difficult places, others under&s;tand it of the floud, which indeed was not a work of nature, but of God, who cau&s;e <HI>all the fountaines of the great deep to be broken up. Gen.</HI> 7.11. But it is be&s;t to under&s;tand it of the works of God at fir&s;t, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.9. in making room for the Sea, and for the rivers, that men might live on the drie land: for he &s;peaks here of works of creation, as founding the earth, e&s;tabli&s;hing the heavens, making the &s;ea, rivers, and clouds: all this was done at the beginning of the world. It is a de&s;cription of the great channels made at fir&s;t, to hold all the waters, and the waters of the &s;ea and rivers are included. So Gods wi&s;dom is &s;et out in &s;table and remaining things, as the earth, heaven, waters, clouds, which abide, and do not &s;ucceed one another, as men, bea&s;ts, trees do, whereof we may &s;ee the &s;ame that <HI>Adam</HI> did <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies</P>
<P N="1">1. The whole inferiour globe of earth and water. <HI>Darkne&s;&s;e was upon the face of the deep. Gen.</HI> 1.2.</P>
<P N="2">2. The waters in the &s;ea, or &s;ea it &s;elfe. <HI>The fountains of the great deep were broken up. Gen.</HI> 7.11.</P>
<P N="3">3. Great mi&s;ery and trouble, which drownes men in de|&s;pair, as it were in the bottom of the &s;ea. <HI>Deep called unto deep. P&s;al.</HI> 42.7.</P>
<P N="4">4. A thing that cannot be found out, no more then the bot|tom of the &s;ea can be found out. <HI>Thy judgments are a great deep. P&s;al.</HI> 42.7. Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for the &s;ea and channells of waters.</P>
<P><HI>Are brokon up.</HI> Heb. <HI>Cleft.</HI> So that it &s;eems at fir&s;t the earth was circular, and fully round under the water, till God made, as it were, clefts for the &s;ea, and rivers.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>And the clouds.</HI> They have their name from thin|ne&s;&s;e in the Originall, becau&s;e they are &s;o, and therefore Gods wi&s;dome is the more &s;een in them, in that they hold the rain, till God &s;end a commi&s;&s;ion to powre it down upon the earth: Yet &s;ometimes the word is put for the skies, wherein the clouds are. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 22.12.</P>
<P><HI>Drop down Or Which drop down.</HI> See the like addition, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104. <HI>Bread which &s;trengtheneth mans heart.</HI> And the &s;en&s;e re|quires it: for Gods wi&s;dom is not here commended for cau|&s;ing
<PB N="489" REF="243">the clouds to rain now, but for making them at fir&s;t, which are &s;till &s;o u&s;efull to us, as well as heaven, earth, &s;ea: An act of creation, not of providence. The clouds &s;upplie the drine&s;s of unwatered places; vapours drawn up from the wa|ters, or moi&s;ter places of the earth, fall down in rain to moi|&s;ten the drier parts of the ground; and they are &s;aid to &s;end it down by drops, for the comfort of the earth, and not to powre it down in &s;treams to drown it, as in the deluge. So the Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies to drop down like a &s;till.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>The dew.</HI> It hath its name from covering, becau&s;e it co|vers the earth: It is taken for moi&s;ture falling from heaven. <HI>As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that de&s;cended upon the mountains of Zion. P&s;al.</HI> 133.3. It may comprehend moderate rain al&s;o, and gentle &s;howers, that do good to the earth.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> Two figures of the part for the whole, one in <HI>Depths,</HI> for all waters below, the other in <HI>Dew,</HI> from all profi|table moi&s;ture coming from above.</P>
<P><HI>Note</HI> 1. The making of the&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of the clouds.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The efficient, <HI>By his knowledge.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The effect, <HI>The depths are broken up.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. Another effect of Gods wi&s;dom, <HI>And the clouds.</HI> Le&s;t earthly moi&s;ture &s;hould be wanting, God hath provided a &s;tore-hou&s;e above, to &s;upplie the drine&s;&s;e of the earth.</P>
<P N="2">2. The effect of the&s;e clouds, which are yet profitable in dropping down the rain gently, for the grouth of herbs, trees, &amp;c. <HI>Which drop down the dew,</HI> for &s;o it &s;hould be read, as was ob&s;erved before.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. The &s;cripture often pre&s;&s;eth the &s;ame things by va|rious expre&s;&s;ions. At Chri&s;ts Incarnation, <HI>God was manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h.</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>The word was made fle&s;h. John</HI> 1.14. <HI>Of whom concerning the fle&s;h, Chri&s;t came, who is God over all, ble&s;&s;ed for ever. Rom.</HI> 9.5. <HI>In him dwelleth all the fulne&s;&s;e of the Godhead bodily. Col.</HI> 2.9. So in the &s;acrament of the Lords &s;upper, <HI>Take eat, this is my body. Mat.</HI> 26.26. <HI>The bread which we eat, is it not the communion of the body of Chri&s;t?</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.16. <HI>As often as ye eat this bread, ye &s;hew the Lords death untill he come.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.26.</P>
<PB N="490" REF="244">
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. To &s;hew the plenty of wi&s;dome, and great variety of words, which are in the &s;cripture, we much commend Oratours, that can expre&s;&s;e them&s;elves variou&s;ly to the &s;ame purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;hew the truth of Scripture-principals, not only in their concord, but al&s;o becau&s;e they who under&s;tand not one expre&s;&s;ion, may under&s;tand another.</P>
<P N="3">3. To work upon mens affections, we are &s;o dull, that once &s;peaking will not rai&s;e them up, neither will often &s;peaking in the &s;ame words do it, but rather dull us more, as meat of|ten dre&s;&s;ed the &s;ame way, plea&s;eth not the palat, but in diffe|rent waies, and divers &s;auces, it plea&s;eth well: &s;o do divers expre&s;&s;ions, for &s;omewhat more may be perceived in the one, then in the other.</P>
<P>Again&s;t 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>God manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h,</HI> it may be objected, &s;o it may be, though Chri&s;t were not incarnate.</P>
<P>The an&s;wer may be out of <HI>John</HI> 1.14. <HI>The word was made fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ob.</HI> So it may be, though Chri&s;t be not God.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;. Rom.</HI> 9.15. <HI>He is God over all, ble&s;&s;ed for ever.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ob.</HI> It may be he is not e&s;&s;entially God for all this.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;. Col.</HI> 2.9. <HI>In him dwells all the fulne&s;&s;e of the Godhead bo|dily.</HI></P>
<P>So for the Sacrament. <HI>Ob.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.26. it is called bread, and bread will do our &s;ouls little good.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;. Mat.</HI> 26.26. <HI>It is Chri&s;ts body</HI> &s;piritually.</P>
<P><HI>Ob.</HI> Then belike the bread is turned into Chri&s;ts body.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> No, it is but a <HI>remembrance of it.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.26.</P>
<P><HI>Ob.</HI> A remembrance of a thing pa&s;t doth little good.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> It is a <HI>communication of his body,</HI> and the benefits there|of. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.16.</P>
<P N="4">4. To affect &s;everall men, which have &s;everall ta&s;ts; that dre&s;&s;ing of meat plea&s;eth one man, which plea&s;eth not another, that bait takes one fi&s;h, which takes not another, that expre&s;|&s;ion prevailes with one man, which prevailes not with ano|ther.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us read the Scriptures with delight, in which is &s;o much con&s;ent in truth, with &s;o many various expre&s;&s;ions. Divers men, at divers times, and in divers places, writing in divers expre&s;&s;ions, yet delivering the &s;ame truths. Here is <HI>utile
<PB N="491" REF="244">dulci</HI> profit mixt with plea&s;ure to alure the under&s;tanding reader.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God parted the Earth, and the water at the be|ginning. The one was within the other, till God &s;eparated them. <HI>Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry laud appear: and it was &s;o,</HI> Gen. 1.9. <HI>Thou covered&s;t the Earth with the deep as with a garment: the waters &s;tood above the Mountains. At thy rebuke they fled,</HI> &amp;c. P&s;al. 104.6, 7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e Earth and Water being dead things, could not part them&s;elves &s;o as to bee confounded no more.</P>
<P N="2">2. There was none el&s;e living then to make that &s;eparation. Light onely was created, and that might drive away darkne&s;s, but could not drive away waters. Neither had it heat &s;ufficient to drie it away, that cannot now drie up the Sea, though gathered into the body of the Sun.</P>
<P N="3">3. Had there been Angells, or men then created, they had not had &s;trength &s;ufficient to drive away the waters from off the face of the Earth.</P>
<P N="4">4. Neither had they had wi&s;dom enough to know where to impri&s;on them, and keep them from returning.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us acknowledge Gods goodne&s;&s;e in this &s;eparation. It is long &s;ince it was done, but we enjoy the benefit of it this day. As may appear by villages drowned in the Sea.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods great wi&s;dom appear'd in this &s;eparation of the waters from the Earth. <HI>O Lord how manifold are thy works! In wi&s;dom ha&s;t thou made them all.</HI> P&s;al. 104.24. When God had divided the waters from the earth, <HI>God &s;aw that it was good.</HI> Gen. 1.10. There is a particular acknowledgement of the goodne&s;&s;e of that &s;eparation there.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God &s;hews great wi&s;dom in all he doth, yea, when men think he worketh fooli&s;hly. <HI>The fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e of God is wi&s;er then men.</HI> 1 Cor. 1.25.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e thereby he provided a &s;ub&s;i&s;tence for men, and bea&s;ts, which cannot walk upon the waters without a miracle, as Chri&s;t did on the Sea. <HI>Math.</HI> 14.25.</P>
<P N="3">3. He provided for their breathing in the air, which they could not do in the water.</P>
<PB N="492" REF="245">
<P N="4">4. For their continuance of life, which the water would &s;oon have taken away.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us admire at Gods wi&s;dom, that could find a way to do that, which neither men nor Angells could do, to di&s;|per&s;e &s;uch huge waters, and to make places to receive them, and keep them in, <HI>that they turn not again to cover the Earth.</HI> P&s;. 104.9. The Philo&s;ophers them&s;elves were forced to con|fe&s;&s;e this to be a work of Divine wi&s;dom. Much more &s;hould we cry out with the Apo&s;tle, <HI>O the depth of the riches, both of the wi&s;dom, and knowledge of God!</HI> Rom. 11.33.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> God made the clouds to be receptacles for a&s;cen|ding vapours. They are Gods clouds, as an hou&s;e is his that builds it. <HI>He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds.</HI> Iob 26.8. They are <HI>the bottles of Heaven,</HI> that hold the rain there. <HI>Job</HI> 38.37.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God made all other parts of Heaven: and who then &s;hould make the clouds but he? So hee that builds the walls of the hou&s;e, lates the cro&s;&s;e beams to beare up chambers.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e we &s;ee the clouds dark, and full before rain, like a woman with child, and after it a clear Heaven, like a woman delivered.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Ble&s;&s;e God, that befides the waters below hath provi|ded another &s;torehou&s;e above, that may &s;upply the earth, when moi&s;ture fails it. El&s;e were it a great labour to water the earth with our feet, as they were forced to do in <HI>Aegypt. Deut.</HI> 11.10. El&s;e mu&s;t the corn and herbs peri&s;h.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> God makes the clouds to &s;end down rain: <HI>Who can&s;eth it to rain on the Earth, where no man is?</HI> Iob 38.27. <HI>Thou vi&s;ite&s;t the Earth, and watere&s;t it; Thou makst it &s;oft with &s;how|ers.</HI> P&s;. 65.9, 10.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e he provides it, and lodges the afeending vapours in the clouds; as in the former doctrine.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e he onely hath the key to open the clouds, as well as to &s;hut them. <HI>Optatus</HI> finding fault with the Donati&s;ts for &s;wearing by men, bids them to call upon tho&s;e men by whom they &s;wear to bring rain. Hereby it might appear, whether they were Gods or no, and might be &s;worne by, or no.</P>
<PB N="493" REF="245">
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Ble&s;&s;e God, that unlocks his &s;torehou&s;e, and gives rain in time of need, and doth not keep his trea&s;ure to the hurt of others, as covetous men do.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> God &s;hews his wi&s;dom in &s;ending &s;ea&s;onable raine. <HI>He giveth both the former, and the later rain in his &s;ea&s;on.</HI> Ier. 5.24. <HI>I cau&s;ed it to rain upon one City, and cau&s;ed it not to rain upon another City.</HI> Am. 4, 7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. In the regard of the thing it &s;elf. Hee knows the Earth to be dry and cold, and therefore he cau&s;eth the Sun to warm it, and the rain to moi&s;ten it. <HI>Math.</HI> 5.45. Therefore is God &s;aid by his knowledge, or fore-knowledge to &s;end the rain, or make the clouds, that &s;end it, as knowing what need the earth hath of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. In regard of the time. Hee &s;endeth it, when the Earth mo&s;t needs it. Former rain to bring forth the corn out of the Earth, and latter rain to bring forth the latter crop, hay, or gra&s;&s;e. An hermit being asked why his little ground thrived more then anothers greater, who prayed for rain, and faire weather, when he thought it needfull, an&s;wered, becau&s;e I pray to God, who is wi&s;er then I, to &s;end &s;uch weather, as he plea&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. In regard of the manner. That it &s;hould drop down &s;oft|ly like water out of a &s;till. For if it &s;hould come violently, it would not refre&s;h, but de&s;troy the fruits of the Earth, as &s;ome|times at Sea it hath faln &s;o violently, that it hath &s;unk &s;hips.</P>
<P N="4">4. In regard of the mea&s;ure of it, in &s;ending what is needful. El&s;e la&s;ting rain is a judgement, and cau&s;es dearth.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Pray to God for rain when ye need it and prai&s;e him, when ye have it in convenient time. As the key of the womb, of the grave of the earth is his, &s;o is al&s;o the key of the clouds. He gives rain wi&s;ely. Trace his wi&s;dom by &s;teps in the former Ver&s;e, and this. See how &s;tedfa&s;tly the earth is &s;etled, &s;o that it upholdeth great buildings, and high Mountains without re|moving. See how the heavenly bodies keep their cour&s;e without &s;haking or wearine&s;&s;e. See how the &s;ea keeps her bounds with|out drowning the land. See how the clouds drop down raine yeerly, and make fruitfull &s;ea&s;ons. Then &s;ay with the P&s;almi&s;t again, <HI>O Lord how manifold are thy works! in wi&s;dom ha&s;t thou made them all.</HI> P&s;al. 104.24.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="494" REF="246">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 21:</BIBL> My &s;on, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep found wi&s;|dom and di&s;cretion.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>SOlomon</HI> having before mentioned the great effects of wi&s;|dom, now renews his exhortation, to remember all her precepts. Hee would not have men to have a low opinion of wi&s;dom, whereof he had given &s;o large commendations be|fore, and gives more afterwards in this Chapter, propound|ing more benefits, that will come hereby. Wi&s;dom is a trea|&s;ure ine&s;timable, wonderfull, profitable, and full of plea&s;ure, as we have heard, and &s;till may hear out of this book, when we &s;ee that <HI>Solomon</HI> is not content with the former prai&s;es, whereby he hath declared unto us the profit, and plea&s;ure, that they have, which are po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with wi&s;dom, but doth admo|ni&s;h us in the text carefully to keep it.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>My Son.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.1.8.</P>
<P><HI>Let not them.</HI> Some carry it back to the words foregoing, and conceive that <HI>Solomon</HI> charges the young man to be care|full to think often of Gods wi&s;dom appearing in the Creati|on of Earth, Heaven, Water, and Air, <HI>ver.</HI> 19.20. But it is rather to be referred to the words following in this ver&s;e, re|quiring him to remember &s;uch precepts of wi&s;dom, and di&s;|cretion, as <HI>Solomon</HI> had or &s;hould teach him in this book. His end being to bring the young man to get wi&s;dom, hee urgeth this as a principall means. Thus the antecedent follows. <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 87.1, 2. <HI>His foundation is in the holy Mountains. The Lord lo|veth the gates of</HI> Zion.</P>
<P><HI>Depart.</HI> Be forgotten. For things forgotten by us, are de|parted from our minds.</P>
<P><HI>From thine eyes.</HI> From the eyes of thy mind. Let them never &s;tep out of thy memory, no more then jewells, that hang in thy &s;ight. <HI>ver.</HI> 3. Do not think of them onely at lei&s;ure times, but meditate of them continually. Keep wi&s;dom once gotten as charily, as men do things, which they affect &s;o much, that they will never let them go out of their fight, but watch them perpetually, as God doth <HI>Zion, Behold I have graven thee upon
<PB N="495" REF="246">the Palmes of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. I&s;a.</HI> 49.16. Let them be as the delight of thine eyes, on which thou can&s;t never look enough, as the Prophets wife was to him, <HI>I take away from thee the de&s;ire of thine eyes. Ezek.</HI> 24.16.</P>
<P>For <HI>eyes,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.17. on the word <HI>&s;ight.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Keep.</HI> Con&s;tantly in thy memory, and ready for practi&s;e. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.8.</P>
<P><HI>Sound wi&s;dome.</HI> H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b. <HI>E&s;&s;ence,</HI> or <HI>Being.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.7.</P>
<P><HI>And di&s;cretion.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.4.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> A metaphor in <HI>Eyes,</HI> taken from the eyes of the body, and applyed to the &s;oul. Let thy heart look upon them by meditation.</P>
<P>Note 1. The negative part.</P>
<P N="2">2. The affirmative.</P>
<P>In the negative, or prohibition, ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. The per&s;on &s;poken to, <HI>My &s;on.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The action forbidden, <HI>Let them not depart from thine eyes.</HI> Wi&s;domes precepts mu&s;t not be forgotten, as if they were out of &s;ight, and out of mind.</P>
<P>In the affirmative, or injunction, note</P>
<P N="1">1. The act, <HI>Keep.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The object. <HI>Sound wi&s;dom, and di&s;cretion.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. Wi&s;dome once gotten, mu&s;t never be forgotten. This is one of the la&s;t le&s;&s;ons of the old Te&s;tament, <HI>Remember the Law of Mo&s;es my &s;ervant, &amp;c. Ho&s;.</HI> 4.4. It is required in the new, <HI>Remember how thou ha&s;t received, and heard, and hold fa&s;t. Rev.</HI> 3.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the excellency of wi&s;dome &s;hewed be|fore, we do not ea&s;ily forget things excellent, either for beauty or u&s;e: Who forgets the virgin he is in love withall? or the medicine that heals him?</P>
<P N="2">2. For the profit of them: we ea&s;ily forget things that bring no gain, but who forgets his gold, or trade, though he be old? <HI>Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Acts</HI> 19.25.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of the lo&s;&s;e, that followes on the lo&s;&s;e of wi&s;|dome, which is very great, the lo&s;&s;e of all tho&s;e good things, which wi&s;dom would procure for us, temporall, &s;pirituall, or eternall; be&s;ides, the lo&s;&s;e of memory it &s;elfe, that when it hath unburdened it &s;elfe of that which is good, will ea&s;ily forget meaner things.</P>
<PB N="496" REF="247">
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e of the danger that followes this forgetfulne&s;&s;e, it will bring all tho&s;e evills in the world, which wi&s;dome re|tained might prevent. He that forgets his medicine, mu&s;t bear his pain. It will al&s;o bring eternall mi&s;ery in another world.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. To reprove &s;uch as have lo&s;t more knowledge, then they have left, who&s;e blo&s;&s;omes were fair, but are fallen off: they are like many witty trad&s;men, that &s;pend money as fa&s;t as they get it.</P>
<P N="2">2. To exhort us to remember the good things we have got|ten.</P>
<P><HI>Motives</HI> 1. Wi&s;domes precepts co&s;t us much pain to get, and &s;hould not then ea&s;ily be lo&s;t; we &s;trove again&s;t natures &s;treams to get it.</P>
<P N="2">2. We look for much good by it, which will be lo&s;t with it.</P>
<P><HI>Means.</HI> 1. Think often of wi&s;e in&s;tructions, e&s;pecially the principall. So Archers think often of the mark, Pilots of the guiding &s;tarre, travallers of the marks of the way. The Jews wore Phylacteries to keep Gods commandements in their memories, <HI>Numh.</HI> 15.38.39. The way is hard to hit, and dangerous to mi&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Set your affections upon them, el&s;e other things will take you off from thinking of them. Children ea&s;ily forget what they learn, play takes them off. Men are &s;erious in what they like. As the &s;tone on the &s;till waters makes circles one af|ter another, and &s;o the former peri&s;h, &s;o doth bu&s;ine&s;&s;e put out wi&s;doms precepts.</P>
<P N="3">3. Speak often of wi&s;e things. A Ma&s;ter learns by teaching &s;cholars.</P>
<P N="4">4. Practi&s;e them. No man forgets his trade, while he is able to work in it. To conclude this point, think how carefull worldly parents are to call upon their children to keep tran|&s;itory riches; and take notice how gently, and often <HI>Solomon</HI> calls upon us in this book, not to forget wi&s;domes precepts, le&s;t we lo&s;e &s;pirituall profit here, and eternall glory hereafter offered to us, and &s;o peri&s;h eternally, and then forget wi&s;dome precepts if thou can&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Wi&s;doms precepts mu&s;t be dear to us. As dear as <HI>&s;ilver,</HI> and as pretious as <HI>hid trea&s;ures. Chap.</HI> 2.4. Dearer then <HI>&s;ilver, gold, rubies. Chap.</HI> 8.10, 11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they have been &s;o alwaies to Gods people,
<PB N="497" REF="247">as the delight of their eyes, without which they could not be &s;atiated, nor &s;atisfied. So they were to <HI>David, O how I love thy Law! it is my meditation all the day. P&s;al.</HI> 119.97. So to <HI>Paul, I count all things but lo&s;&s;e for the excellency of the know|ledge of Chri&s;t Je&s;us my Lord. Phil.</HI> 3.8.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they are &s;o to them in all conditions: the plea|&s;ures of pro&s;perity cannot take off their affection from them, nor the cro&s;&s;es of adver&s;ity.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To reprove tho&s;e who &s;et light by wi&s;doms precepts: many books will down with them, and human hi&s;tories, but Gods word is &s;leighted by them.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Wi&s;doms precepts mu&s;t be carefully laid up by us. So did <HI>David, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, P&s;al.</HI> 119.11. So did the Virgin <HI>Mary, His Mother kept all the&s;e &s;ayings in her heart, Luke</HI> 2.51.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. For direction in time of pro&s;perity, for then our waies have much danger in them.</P>
<P N="2">2. For con&s;olation in time of adver&s;ity, of which we have much need.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us do with wi&s;doms precepts, as worldly men do with needfull in&s;truments, not throw them about the hou&s;e, but lock them up, that they may be ready in time of need. Keep by meditation what is got by &s;tudy.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 22.</BIBL> So &s;hall they be life unto thy Soul, and grace to thy neck.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>UNto the former exhortation are added many gratious promi&s;es of life and honour in this Ver&s;e, and of &s;afety, Ver&s;e 23.24. He &s;hews hereby what good wi&s;dome brings to the &s;oul, body and e&s;tate: it brings life, honour, &s;ecurity: He had &s;aid as much before, ver&s;e 18. but in a &s;imilitude, <HI>She is a tree of life:</HI> here he &s;peaks more plainly, &s;he is life it &s;elfe, and that to the Soul al&s;o. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>So &s;hall they.</HI> To wit, wi&s;dome and di&s;cretion, well kept and followed. <HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 21.</P>
<P><HI>Be life.</HI> Be the means to bring &s;pirituall life into thy &s;oul, and to keep it there. For life, &s;ee on <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 2.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto thy Soul.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.18. on the word <HI>lives.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And grace to thy neck.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.9. Only take notice
<PB N="498" REF="248">of the &s;trange note of the Popi&s;h Engli&s;h <HI>Doway</HI> Bible, which reads, <HI>Grace to thy jaws,</HI> and in the margin thus, <HI>Merit for the words of thy mouth.</HI> So willing are Popi&s;h writers every where to take a &s;leight occa&s;ion to &s;et up mans merit, and pull down Gods grace; forgetting, that the&s;e two are contrary. If the reward be <HI>of grace,</HI> then <HI>not of works, if of works, then not of grace. Rom.</HI> 11.6. So if of grace (as in the Text) then not of merit (as in the Popi&s;h note.) However, it is very &s;trange to call grace merit.</P>
<P><HI>Figures. Life.</HI> The cau&s;e or means of life unto the &s;oul, the cau&s;e for the effect.</P>
<P>Note 1. What they bring to the &s;oul.</P>
<P N="2">2. What to the body.</P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. The cau&s;e, <HI>So &s;hall they.</HI> To wit, Wi&s;dome, and di&s;cre|tion.</P>
<P N="2">2. The effect. <HI>Be life.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The object. <HI>Unto thy Soul.</HI></P>
<P>In the latter note</P>
<P N="1">1. The gift. <HI>And grace.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;ubject of it. <HI>Vnto thy neck.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. A fooli&s;h Soul, is a dead Soul. <HI>Having the under|standing darkned, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, becau&s;e of the blindne&s;&s;e of their heart. Eph.</HI> 4.18.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e there is no life in the Soul, till knowledge come into it. There was no living creature in the world, till light was made. God clears the under&s;tanding before he rectifie the will, and affections; he keeps the &s;ame method in the little world, that he did in the great world. We are no better by nature then the Ephe&s;ians, of whom the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks in the place newly cited. As the body is dead without the &s;oul, &s;o the Soul is dead without wi&s;dome, which is the &s;oul of the &s;oul: Though the Soul be the life of the body, yet it &s;elfe is dead, if without knowledge, and &s;uch a man dif|fers not from a bea&s;t, unle&s;&s;e it be in being &s;ubject to e|ternall mi&s;erie. That a man then may live &s;piritually, and not &s;en&s;ually like a bea&s;t, it is the gift of heavenly wi&s;dom; and thy &s;oul hath life with God if thou keep wi&s;domes precepts, although thy fle&s;h be pre&s;&s;ed down under the di&s;cipline of correction, or of the fear of death it &s;elfe.</P>
<PB N="499" REF="248">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e as the fooli&s;h &s;oul hath no life, being without ju&s;tification, &s;o it can have no health nor &s;trength, being with|out &s;anctification. Health is a &s;econd life, without which, the fir&s;t is a burden: Better not to live, then to live in pain, or weakne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. It hath no &s;pirituall breath, and without breath, no life; It cannot breath out prayers nor prai&s;es to God.</P>
<P N="4">4 It hath no &s;pirituall motion, and all living things move in one way or another; dead things do not. No motion to any &s;pirituall duty, till wi&s;dome take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the &s;oul.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Pitty tho&s;e thou&s;ands of poor &s;ouls, that walk in the world, yet are &s;piritually dead. Ignorant men think dead bo|dies walk, but we know dead &s;ouls walk. Many are like &s;c|pulchers, that have only the names of living men written on them.</P>
<P N="2">2. See if thy &s;oul be not one of the&s;e dead &s;ouls. If thou have not true wi&s;dome, <HI>thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Rev.</HI> 3.1. It is not thy great birth, wealth, nor &s;trength, that can make thee alive, it mu&s;t be wi&s;dome.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Wi&s;dome makes the &s;oul live. <HI>Keep my commande|ments and live. Chap.</HI> 7.2. <HI>Hear, and your &s;oul &s;hal live. I&s;a.</HI> 55.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. From the confe&s;&s;ion of the heathen. <HI>Is proprie, vere|que homo e&s;t, cujus omnis in anima rationali &s;ubstantia existit. Qua propter quicquid extra hunc hominem &s;it, id ad &s;e minim&egrave; per|tinet. Plato in Alcibiade. He is properly and truly a man, all who&s;e &s;ub&s;tance is in the rea&s;onable &s;oule; wherefore what&s;oever is out of this man, that belongs not to him,</HI> in his own account.</P>
<P N="2">2. From the contrary. Folly is the death of the &s;oul; &s;in that kills it, is commonly called folly in Scripture.</P>
<P N="3">3. From the beginning of life. Wi&s;dom is, as it were, the &s;eed of &s;pirituall life.</P>
<P N="4">4. From the Progre&s;&s;e; it maintaines the life of the &s;oul, as meat doth the life of the body.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Take pains to get true and heavenly wi&s;dome. What pains doth the Husbandman take, to get his &s;eed into the ground? he plows, and &s;ows. What pains do poor men take for food? they work hard early and late, and all, or almo&s;t all for the belly. So do thou for wi&s;dome: And as the merchant runs through pain and perill for wealth, &s;o do thou for un|der&s;tanding.</P>
<PB N="500" REF="249">
<P N="2">2. Spare for no co&s;t to get it. The husbandman, Trad&s;eman, Merchant, drive on their trades with great co&s;t; wi&s;doms trade is better. It concerns eternity. Spare then no co&s;t to get, and keep it.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Wi&s;dom is a great grace to any man. <HI>The wi&s;e &s;hall inherit glory.</HI> ver. 35. <HI>of this</HI> Chap. <HI>They &s;hall be an orna|ment of grace unto thy head, and chaines about thy neck.</HI> Chap. 1.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is a &s;ign of worth and dignity in a man. Men nobly born, or in great place wear gold chains, and jew|ells. Wi&s;e men are Gods children of the highe&s;t birth, and more honoured with &s;pirituall graces, and holy behavi|our, then any other can be with gold and &s;ilver, though never &s;o rich &amp; co&s;tly. They need not fear coming into Gods pre&s;ence, nor di&s;grace from men, for good men will reverence them, though they be never &s;o mean, and none will contemn them, but wicked men, which are them&s;elves the mo&s;t contemptible of all the creatures.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it doth adorn men as gold-chains do. Such as are beautifull them&s;elves, are more beautifull in co&s;tly dre&s;&s;ings. A wi&s;e man is more worthy to be looked at, then <HI>Agrippa</HI> with all his pompous train, that was but a fancy, as the Greek text calls it, He came <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>with much fancy.</HI> Act. 25.23. A wi&s;e mans honour is reall.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It di&s;covers the blindne&s;&s;e of worldlings, who cannot &s;ee this heavenly wi&s;dom, as moles and earthworms &s;ee not the Sun&s;hine. Let us then account tho&s;e mo&s;t honourable, that have mo&s;t of this heavenly wi&s;dom, though they want world|ly honour. <HI>Paul</HI> was truly honourable with God, though <HI>made as the filth of the world, and the off&s;couring of all things.</HI> 1 Cor. 4.13.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 23.</BIBL> Then &s;halt thou walke in thy way &s;afely, and thy foot &s;hall not &s;tumble.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>NOw the wi&s;e man &s;hews, how wi&s;dom brings to a man &s;ecurity from all evills, and that at all times, and in all places, in this ver&s;e and the next. For all a mans time is &s;pent either in bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in the day, or re&s;t in the night, at home, or
<PB N="501" REF="249">abroad: and wi&s;dom &s;ecures him in all the&s;e from evill of &s;in and puni&s;hment. Mans actions are waking, or &s;leeping. Ha|ving &s;poken of life before he goes on in the &s;ame way. Thou &s;halt neither be blind, nor carele&s;ly &s;tumble in the way. Wi&s;|dom &s;ecures a man waking, or &s;leeping. It makes him do his bu&s;ine&s;&s;e quietly in the day, and afterwards to &s;leep &s;ecurely at night.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Then.</HI> When thou ha&s;t gotten, and while thou keepe&s;t and o|beye&s;t wi&s;dom and di&s;cretion.</P>
<P><HI>Shalt thou walk.</HI> Go on con&s;tantly. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Ch.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Safely.</HI> Confidently and boldly. Not onely without hurt, but without fear of hurt &s;halt thou go about thine affairs. See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.33.</P>
<P><HI>And thy foot &s;hall not stumble.</HI> No &s;tumbling block &s;hall be in thy way. Nothing to hinder thee or hurt thee. Thou &s;halt comfortably effect all thy bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. For <HI>Foot,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Figures. Walk in thy way.</HI> Do all thy bu&s;ine&s;&s;e A figure of the part for the whole. For man hath many works to do be|&s;ides travelling. And it is oppo&s;ed to &s;leeping in the night: &amp; therefore mu&s;t comprehend all the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of the day. El&s;e the enumeration is unperfect; and a wi&s;e man might be un&s;afe in &s;ome of his lawfull waies. <HI>Thy foot.</HI> Thou thy &s;elf. A figure of the part for the whole expre&s;&s;ed by that member, which u|&s;eth to &s;tumble. As the eye is &s;aid to &s;ee, and the ear to hear; yet the man doth it by them. <HI>The eye is not &s;atisfied with &s;eeing, nor the ear with hearing.</HI> Eccl. 1.8. <HI>Stumble,</HI> A metaphor. Thy bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e &s;hall not be hindred.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The &s;afety of the way.</P>
<P N="2">2. The pre&s;ervation in it.</P>
<P>In the former ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. The Agent. <HI>Then &s;halt thou.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Act. <HI>Walk.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Object. <HI>In thy way.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The Adjunct. <HI>Safely.</HI></P>
<P>In the latter note</P>
<P N="1">1. The Agent. <HI>And thy foot.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Act. <HI>&s;hall not &s;tumble.</HI></P>
<PB N="502" REF="250">
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> A godly wi&s;e man may be quiet in all conditions. <HI>I laid me down and &s;lept; I Awaked, for the Lord &s;u&s;tained me.</HI> P&s;al. 3.5. <HI>God is our refuge, and strength: a very pre&s;ent help in trouble. Therefore wil we not fear, though the earth be removed. and though the Mountains bee carried into the mid&s;t of the Sea. Though the waves thereof roar, and be troubled, though the Mountains &s;hake with the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">elling thereof. Selah.</HI> P&s;al. 46.1, 2, 3. And well might he put his <HI>Selah</HI> to it, for the lea&s;t of the&s;e might make an other man tremble.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e he knows the wor&s;t, that can befall him, as &s;ickne&s;&s;e, poverty, death, and the like.</P>
<P N="2">2. He knows how to bear all the&s;e, and to make a good u&s;e of them.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hee knows they will have an end, and therefore <HI>is not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do.</HI> Luk. 12.4.</P>
<P N="4">4. He knows much good will come after, and that <HI>his light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for him a far more exceeding, and eternall weight of glory.</HI> 2 Cor. 4.17.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To &s;hew us the va&s;t difference, that is between the condi|tion of the wi&s;e man, and the fool, the godly, and the ungodly. The one is like a flouri&s;hing tree that bears fruit in &s;ummer, and keeps leaves and greenne&s;&s;e all the winter: the other not &s;o, but like chaffe &s;cattered by every wind. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1.3, 4. The one hath pro&s;perous daies, and quiet nights, in this ver&s;e and the next: the other hath trouble&s;om labour in the day, and un|quiet re&s;t in the night. <HI>It is vain for you to ri&s;e up early, to &s;it up late, to eat the bread of &s;orrows. For he rightly giveth his beloved &s;leep.</HI> P&s;al. 127.2. So it &s;hould be tran&s;lated, as the &s;ame par|ticle <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed el&s;e where. <HI>The daughters of Zelophchad &s;pake right.</HI> Numb. 27.7. The one hath peace of con&s;cience to quiet him within, and Gods protection to &s;ecure him without. <HI>Be|ing ju&s;tified by faith he hath peace with God.</HI> Rom. 5.1. And <HI>he is kept by the power of God unto &s;alvation.</HI> 1 Pet. 1.5. The o|ther hath no peace within, nor &s;afety without. <HI>The wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot re&s;t, who&s;e waters ca&s;t up mire, and dirt, There is no peace, &s;aith my God, to the wicked.</HI> I&s;a. 57.20.21. And if he &s;ay &s;o, it mu&s;t needs be &s;o; chu&s;e your condition. None but fooles will prefer the wor&s;er.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> A wi&s;e man may boldly go about all his affairs. <HI>I
<PB N="503" REF="250">am continually with thee, thou ha&s;t holden me by my right hand. P&s;al.</HI> 73.23. Why &s;hould not <HI>A&s;aph</HI> then go on boldly? <HI>Thou &s;halt tread upon the Lion and Adder, the young Lion and the Dra|gon &s;halt thou trample under feet. P&s;al.</HI> 91.13. Why &s;hould &s;uch an one fear any danger?</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. His integrity towards God and man gives him peace and comfort within, and &s;o makes him bold in his waies; he goes on, like the water of a cleer fountain, that hath no dirt mingled with it. A fooli&s;h &s;oul is like a pudly &s;tream, it finds many impediments.</P>
<P N="2">2. Le&s;t any &s;hould &s;ay, though he give men no cau&s;e, yet wicked men may do him hurt, he hath God to protect him: &s;o he hath a double guard, <HI>Gods peace within to keep his heart and mind. Phil.</HI> 4.7. And Gods power without. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.5. And his faith in the&s;e promi&s;es of God, confirmes him again&s;t all doubtings, and againg all fear of dangers; and by &s;taying him, &s;elfe upon this word of God, he overcoms all lets, and rubs that the fle&s;h, the world, or the devill can ca&s;t in the way.</P>
<P N="3">3. He hath a guare of Gods Angells, and though in un|known waies men fear many evills, yet he need not fear &s;o much as <HI>the da&s;hing of his foot again&s;t a &s;tone. P&s;al.</HI> 91.11, 12. If devills and ungodly men encamp again&s;t them, they need not fear, for <HI>the angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. P&s;al.</HI> 34.7.</P>
<P N="4">4. He hath a &s;mooth way, no rubs in it, while he keeps in wi&s;domes way. <HI>The way of the righteous is made plain. Chap.</HI> 15.19. The enemy laies rubs clo&s;e by the way, if he go never &s;o little out of it, but there are none in the way: And therefore the promi&s;e of &s;afety in the Text is made to us, while we keep in the right way, and if we go but out of that, it belongs not unto us.</P>
<P N="5">5. He is in league with all creatures, defen&s;ive, and offen|&s;ive. <HI>At de&s;truction and famine thou shalt laugh, neither shalt thou be affraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shalt be in league with the &s;tones of the field, and the bea&s;ts of the field shall be at peace with thee. Job</HI> 5.22.23. What need he then be af|fraid to travail any where about his lawfull bu&s;ine&s;&s;e?</P>
<P N="6">6. He knows nothing can hurt him; for he hath &s;uch a com|mand over all the faculties of his &s;oul by Gods grace, and the wi&s;dom given him from above, that he can make them harken unto rea&s;on.</P>
<PB N="504" REF="251">
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> To encourage good men in trouble&s;ome times, to go about their affairs without fear. He that hath &s;o many, and &s;o &s;trong guards, why &s;hould he fear? Let <HI>Adam</HI>'s children fear, who are yet in their naked condition; but let <HI>the righteous be bold as a Lyon. Chap.</HI> 28.1.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Nothing can hinder a godly wi&s;e man from good &s;ucce&s;&s;e. <HI>What&s;oever he doth &s;hall pro&s;per.</HI> P&s;al. 1.3. <HI>He &s;hall eat the labour of his hands.</HI> P&s;. 128.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. In regard of the things them&s;elves, there is great probability of good &s;ucce&s;&s;e; for wi&s;dome is of more force then power to effect any great de&s;ign in peace or war. And di|ligence is not wanting to a godly wi&s;e man, who &s;tudies pra|cticall divinity, as well as theoricall; and Gods ble&s;&s;ing attends him, which crowns every good action.</P>
<P N="2">2 In re&s;pect of the per&s;on; he is he unto whom God hath engaged him&s;elfe to do good in the end, though he afflict him in the way. Speed well in the end, and &s;peed well ever.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> to teach us a le&s;&s;on of policy. Who would not have good &s;ucce&s;&s;e in what he undertakes? Riches, &s;trength, power, friends, carnall policy, may fail him, but godly wi&s;dome will never fail him. Strange things have been effected by hu|man policy, what may not be effected by heavenly wi&s;dome? Good &s;ucce&s;&s;e in the way may be cro&s;&s;ed again, what is crowned with good &s;ucce&s;&s;e in the end can never be cro&s;&s;ed. Be therefore godly wi&s;e, and pro&s;per to eternity.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 24.</BIBL> When thou lie&s;t down, thou &s;halt not be affraid; yea, thou &s;halt lie down, and thy &s;leep &s;hall be &s;weet.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>A Man awake walking, or working, can look to him&s;elfe, and u&s;e means to avoid. danger; he hath mo&s;t need of a guard for &s;afetie, when he is laid down to &s;leep, wi&s;dom will watch over him then al&s;o, and keep him &s;afe. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>When thou liest down.</HI> As he had promi&s;ed the wi&s;e man &s;ecu|rity in motion in the former ver&s;e, &s;o here &s;afety in re&s;t. The particle <GAP DESC="foreign"> ordinarily &s;ignifies <HI>If:</HI> but here it &s;ets not out a condition, but a time, and is well tran&s;lated <HI>When.</HI> So <HI>When the Jubile of the children of I&s;rael &s;hall be, Numb.</HI> 36.4. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Lying down here is to &s;leep, or take re&s;t; it is under&s;tood
<PB N="505" REF="251">&s;ometimes of the &s;leep of death, <HI>When thou &s;halt &s;leep with thy Fathers.</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7.12. but here of naturall &s;leep: for it is op|po&s;ed to the motion and travells of the day in the former ver&s;e; and a man need not fear trouble, nor cannot feel &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e, when he is dead, and laid in the grave.</P>
<P><HI>Thou &s;halt not be affraid.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.26.</P>
<P><HI>Yea.</HI> This word not only couples things together, but aug|ments. Thou &s;halt be &s;o far from being affraid, that thou &s;halt &s;leep continually, and &s;weetly without interruption, or frightings. <HI>Thou &s;halt lie down, and none &s;hall make thee affraid. Job</HI> 11.19.</P>
<P><HI>Thou &s;halt lie down.</HI> See on this ver&s;e before.</P>
<P><HI>And thy &s;leep.</HI> This &s;hews, that the former lying down was for &s;leep.</P>
<P><HI>Shal be &s;weet.</HI> Shall be very plea&s;ing; no &s;udden accidents, nor dreams &s;hall fright thee.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Sweet.</HI> A metaphor. It &s;hall be as plea&s;ing to thee; as &s;weet meat, or drink is to the ta&s;t.</P>
<P>Note 1. A promi&s;e of &s;afe &s;leep.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of &s;weet &s;leep. <HI>Excludit timorem, includit &s;aporem. He ex|cludes fear, he includes favour. Holcot.</HI></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t, note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The adjunct of time, <HI>When thou lie&s;t down.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>Thou &s;halt not be affraid.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd, note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The adjunct of time, <HI>Yea, thou &s;halt lie down.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;ubject, <HI>And thy &s;leep.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The adjunct of quality <HI>Shall be &s;weet.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. God affords us re&s;t after labour. <HI>Man goeth forth un|to his work, and to his labour, untill the evening. P&s;al.</HI> 104.23. <HI>For &s;o</HI> (or <HI>rightly</HI>) <HI>he giveth his beloved &s;leep. P&s;al</HI> 127.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is not an hard Ma&s;ter; as he requires &s;tore of work, &s;o he affords &s;ufficient time for re&s;t, which covetous men do not to their &s;ervants.</P>
<P N="2">2. To make men the more willing to &s;erve him, every man is willing to offer his &s;ervice to a kind Ma&s;ter.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e he knows his &s;ervice cannot be done, unle&s;&s;e he allow his &s;ervants competent re&s;t. Life and &s;trength will fail for want of re&s;t, as for want of food.</P>
<P N="4">4. It would be uncomfortably done, and neither give con|tent
<PB N="506" REF="252">to him, nor to his &s;ervants, as drou&s;ie work gives no content to men.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> 1. Let us ble&s;&s;e God, that takes care as well for our re&s;t, as for his work.</P>
<P N="2">2. Let us do his work with the more cheerfulne&s;&s;e in the day, being refre&s;hed with comfortable re&s;t the night before, &s;o may we the night following comfortably betake us to our bees gain, not to fall to immoderate &s;leep, but expecting good &s;leep from God, who allowes it, and can only give it, and we mu&s;t thereby be fitted for the &s;ervice of &s;o good a Ma|&s;ter day by day.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. A godly wi&s;e man may go to bed without fear. <HI>Thou &s;halt lie down, and none &s;hall make thee affraid. Job</HI> 11.19. <HI>Ye &s;hall lie down, and none &s;hall make thee affraid. Levit.</HI> 26.6.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e he carries him&s;elfe &s;o inoffen&s;ively when he is awake, that he gives no ju&s;t occa&s;ion to any man living to hurt him, when he is a&s;leep. <HI>Neminem laedens neminem time|bis. Senec. Hurt no man, and fear no man. Metus cum venit, rar&ograve; lo um habet &s;omnus. Mimus. Fear will &s;eldome give way to &s;leep.</HI> He that is quiet in his mind, by rea&s;on of the hope of a good con&s;cience, treads underfoot cares and vexations.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God, who is his keeper, is alwaies awake, and watcheth to defend him, when he cannot defend him&s;elfe. <HI>Behold he that keepeth I&s;rael &s;hall neither &s;lumber nor &s;leep. The Lord is thy keeper. P&s;al.</HI> 121.4, 5.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e he is a member of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and he will lo&s;e none of his members. The Shepheard wakes, when others a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e a&s;leep, that he may keep his &s;heep from the woolfe. So the heathen man de&s;cribes a good Prince, he is one who wakes that others may &s;leep. <HI>Securus dormit, et vigilat, et quie&s;cit, et ambulat, qui &s;e innocent<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m ante Deum meminit. He &s;leeps, wakes, re&s;ts, walks &s;ecurely, who remembers that he is innocent before God. Glo&s;&s;. Ordin.</HI> Every member of Je&s;us Chri&s;t is &s;o through faith in him. <HI>Obdormit in Deo, et in &s;tatu &s;alutis. Lyra. He &s;leeps in God, and in the &s;tate of &s;alvation.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e if they be hurt, Chri&s;t accounts him&s;elfe hurt. <HI>Saul, Saul, why per&s;ecute&s;t thou me. Acts</HI> 9.4. So doth God the Father al&s;o. <HI>He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye. Zach.</HI> 2.8. <HI>In all their afflictions he was afflicted. I&s;a.</HI> 63.8.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Labour for godly wi&s;dom. Who would not be in &s;uch
<PB N="507" REF="252">a condition, that he may, when he hath done his work, go to bed without fear! Such may &s;leep quietly, when the wind blowes abroad, when it thunders, and all the world is affrighted, as if the end of the world were at hand, they need not be frighted, as others, that know not what will become of them. So <HI>Peter</HI> feared not to &s;leep in pri&s;on, <HI>Acts</HI> 12.6. &s;o Ma&s;ter <HI>Rogers,</HI> our fir&s;t Martyr in Queen <HI>Maries</HI> daies, could &s;carce be waked, when the keeper came to warn him to prepare for the fire, which warning he could but expect be|ing condemned to be burnt alive. This &s;hews the Philo&s;o|phers ob&s;ervation to be fal&s;e, that happy men differ not from mi&s;erable men half their time, to wit, when they are a&s;leep. For a godly wi&s;e man is happy, when he is a&s;leep: a fooli&s;h &s;in|ner is then mi&s;erable: wicked men alwaies fear that other men are laying &s;nares for them for the evills they have done them. They know that enemies then are mo&s;t ready to lay &s;nares for them, and have mo&s;t hope to prevail again&s;t them, when they are a&s;leep. Al&s;o their covetous mind runs upon their trea&s;ure, being in continuall fear of lo&s;ing their riches. Hence comes terrible affrighting fancies into their minds, and fearful dreams by rea&s;on of their ill con&s;cience, and wickedne&s;&s;e, whereas godly wi&s;e men &s;leep quietly, being kept by wi&s;dome which they have embraced. <HI>Pertran&s;cuntibus autem &agrave; vigilia, &s;cilicet, ad &s;omnum, meliora &s;unt phanta&s;mata virtuo&s;orum, qu&agrave;m quorumcunque.</HI> Ari&s;tor. Ethic. 1.1. <HI>When men go, to wit, from waking to &s;leeping, the imaginations of vertuous men are better then of any other.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> The &s;leep of a godly wi&s;e man is &s;weet, and plea|&s;ing. So <HI>Jacob</HI> &s;leeps &s;weetly on the cold ground. <HI>Gen.</HI> 28.11. And had a plea&s;ing dream. <HI>ver.</HI> 12, 13. there. Such was <HI>Davids</HI> &s;leep. <HI>I will both lay me down in peace, and &s;leep: for thou Lord onely make&s;t me dwell in &s;afety.</HI> P&s;. 4.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they meditate of Gods word in the day time, which is a great comfort to them. And tho&s;e things, that men mu&s;e on in the day, they often dream of in the night.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are diligent in their callings, and &s;o being wearied in the day, they &s;leep &s;weetly in the night. <HI>Dulce &s;opor fe&s;&s;is. Sleep is a &s;weet thing to weary men.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e they empty them&s;elves before they &s;leep, of all
<PB N="508" REF="253">that troubles them. <HI>Pythagoras</HI> his rule to his &s;cholars was, <HI>Non te prius &s;omno tradideris, qu&agrave;m diurna operater mente revol|veris. Betake not thy &s;elf to &s;leep; till thou have in thy mind gone thrice over the works of the day.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> See the difference between godly wi&s;e men, and fooli&s;h wicked men. The ones &s;leep is &s;weet: the others trouble&s;ome. <HI>Richard</HI> the third after the murder of his two nephews had fearfull dreams, and would leap off his bed, take his &s;word, and &s;eek an enemy. <HI>Charles</HI> the ninth after the French Ma&s;&s;a|cre was laid to &s;leep every night, and wakened by Mu&s;icians. Take heed of &s;uch wicked actions. Be wi&s;e, and fear God, and your &s;leep &s;hall be &s;weet.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 25.</BIBL> Be not afraid of &s;udden fear, neither of the de&s;olation of the wicked, when it cometh.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE wi&s;e man having &s;hewed the benefits of wi&s;dom be|fore, now exhorts the young man to make &s;uch u&s;e of it, that though fearfull things, &s;uch as are mo&s;t horrid to mortall men, as ho&s;tile incur&s;ions that lay all de&s;olate and wa&s;t, all by fire and &s;word, to the great con&s;ternation of mens minds, &s;hould come &s;uddenly, befo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e wi&s;dom could fore&s;ee them, yet he be not &s;haken thereby, and although &s;uch things &s;hould not onely come, but al&s;o prevail over wicked men, yet he &s;tar|tle no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> at it, as if he thought, he &s;hould be ruined by it al&s;o.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Be not afraid.</HI> Some read, <HI>Thou &s;halt not be afraid.</HI> The&s;e make it a promi&s;e, and joyn it to the former words, intimating that wi&s;dom will keep &s;uch fears away. But the common, and &s;afe&s;t &s;ignification of <GAP DESC="foreign"> is imperative, not indicative: and that is to be followed, where it will &s;tand well. Neither doth God here attribute it directly to wi&s;dom, but charges us to u&s;e wi&s;dom to that end, when we have gotten it. Nature will make a good man afraid of evills, and troubles; but hee mu&s;t by wi&s;dom &s;o recollect his &s;pirits, that he be not overcome by that fear, as if it &s;hould ruine him, but expect a &s;ure delive|rance from God. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>ver.</HI> 7.</P>
<P><HI>Of &s;udden fear.</HI> Of troubles that come unexpectedly, and therefore affright men the more. For the word, <HI>Fear,</HI> &s;ee on
<PB N="509" REF="253"><HI>Chap.</HI> 1.26. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Sudden,</HI> comes from a word, that &s;ignifies <HI>a fool,</HI> for &s;uch do all things &s;uddenly without a|ny deliberation, as not having wit to foreca&s;t conveniencies or inconveniences ari&s;ing from their actions.</P>
<P><HI>Neither of the de&s;olation.</HI> Such troubles as lay all things wa&s;t, See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.27.</P>
<P><HI>Of the wicked.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>When it cometh.</HI> Some under&s;tand it actively. Be not afraid, when wicked men lay all things wa&s;t, and &s;eek to de&s;troy thee. So the Doway Bible reads, <HI>Dread not at &s;udden terrror, and the power of the impious falling upon thee.</HI> But it is better under|&s;tood pa&s;&s;ively, when wicked men are de&s;troyed for their &s;ins, fear not thou, that thou &s;hould&s;t peri&s;h with them. So the word u&s;ed, is <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.2. It may be read, <HI>That it &s;hould come, to wit, on thee.</HI> So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed, <HI>what is my &s;trength, that I &s;hould hope? and what is mine end, that I &s;hould prolong my life?</HI> Job 6.11. Figures; <HI>Fear,</HI> For the thing feared. The adjunct for the &s;ubject. <HI>Cometh.</HI> A metaphor form living things, for troubles come not of them&s;elves, but are brought on us by others.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. An A&s;&s;ertion.</P>
<P N="2">2. An Explication. The de&s;olation of the wicked is that, which a good man &s;hould not need to fear. In the a&s;&s;ertion note</P>
<P N="1">1. The Act forbidden. <HI>Be not afraid.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Object. <HI>Of fear,</HI> or terrible things.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Adjunct. <HI>Sudden.</HI> That comes unexpected. In the Ex|po&s;ition note</P>
<P N="1">1. The Adjunct of quality. <HI>Neither of the de&s;olation.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Subject. <HI>Of the wicked.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Another adjunct of time. <HI>When it cometh.</HI> Thou neede&s;t not fear the like, not onely when it is threatned, or hangs over the heads of wicked men, but when it actually, and unexpect|edly falls upon them.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> A godly man ought not to fear ruine. <HI>Thou &s;halt be hid from the &s;courge of the tongue, neither &s;halt thou be afraid of de&s;truction when it cometh.</HI> Job 5.21. <HI>Thou &s;halt not be afraid of the terror by night: nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pe&s;tilence, that walketh in darkne&s;&s;e: nor for the de&s;truction, that wasteth at noon day.</HI> P&s;al. 91.5, 6.</P>
<PB N="510" REF="254">
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e tho&s;e things, that ruine men, come from God. And he will &s;o order things, that whom&s;oever they un|doe, they &s;hall not ruine his. A good child fears not ruine by any thing, that comes from his father. Gods children know, that their enemies can go no further, then God permits, and therefore they fear nothing.</P>
<P N="2">2. God will keep his children out of tho&s;e troubles, that ruine others, if he &s;ee it fit, as he did <HI>Noah,</HI> and <HI>Lot:</HI> and that oftentimes &s;trangely, and miraculou&s;ly, as he did the three Jews out of the fiery furnace, which devoured their enemies. <HI>Dan.</HI> 3. And <HI>Daniel</HI> him&s;elf from the Lions, which con&s;umed his adver&s;aries. <HI>Dan.</HI> 6.</P>
<P N="3">3. If God &s;uffer them to come on thee, hee will keep thee, that they &s;hall not ruine thee, though they undo wicked men. He will take away the poi&s;on of tho&s;e &s;nakes, and then we may play with them.</P>
<P N="4">4. He will bring the out of them, when thou art neare&s;t to ruine, and when they fall thicke&s;t upon thee. Though thou <HI>fall &s;even times,</HI> yet &s;halt <HI>thou ri&s;e up again.</HI> Prov. 24.16. And when they are gone from thee, they cannot hurt thee.</P>
<P N="5">5. If thou die by them with wicked men, yet thou art not ruined with them. Their troubles are a gulf &s;inking them down into Hell: thine are a ladder mounting thy &s;oul up to Heaven <HI>Saeviant per&s;e quendo, nihil in me moritur, ni&s;i mortale: erit in me aliquid, ubi per&s;ecutor pervenire non po&s;&s;it, ubi Deus meus habitat. Augu&s;t. in</HI> P&s;al. 26. <HI>Let men be &s;harp in per&s;ecuting, no|thing dies in me, but what is mortal: there will be &s;omthing in me, at which the per&s;ecutor cannot come, where my God dwells.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It &s;erves to uphold the hearts of godly men in &s;ad times. Ye may be troubled, ye cannot be ruined. Be not then ca&s;t down in thy &s;pirit, but &s;tand upright in all &s;tormes, <HI>like the Mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abideth for ever.</HI> P&s;. 125.1. Sabeans rob <HI>Job,</HI> yet he fears not, but ble&s;&s;es God, and God gives him more then he lo&s;t. Let a <HI>David walk through a valley of the &s;hadow of death,</HI> ye <HI>he will fear no evill.</HI> P&s;al. 23.4. Dreadfull things in the Heavens will appear in the end of the World, yet they need not fear, <HI>who&s;e redemption draweth nigh.</HI> Luk. 21.28. <HI>Quia dum finitur mundus, cujus amici non e&s;tis, prop&egrave; &s;it redemptio quam quae&s;i&s;tis.</HI> Greg. Hom. 1. in Evang.
<PB N="511" REF="254"><HI>Becau&s;e when the world is ended, who&s;e friends ye are not, the re|demption draws nigh which ye have &s;ought.</HI> It is not &s;o with ungodly men, they may well fear ruine when troubles come; for fear is due unto them which have not the fear of God: they think them&s;elves &s;afe, becau&s;e God forbears them for a time, but they &s;hall be overtaken with evills, which they cannot e&s;cape, and this is the &s;udden fear that good men need not be affraid of, but will overtake wicked men, as followes in the Text, <HI>The de&s;olation of the wicked, when it commeth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Troubles often come unexpectedly. <HI>Your de&s;truction commeth as a whirlewind. Prov.</HI> 1.27. So &s;hall the eternall de&s;truction of ungodly men come at Chri&s;ts &s;econd appea|ring. <HI>The day of the Lord commeth as a thief in the night, For when they &s;hall &s;ay peace and &s;afety, then &s;udden destruction commeth upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they &s;hall not e&s;cape.</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.2.3. This appears</P>
<P N="1">1. In inva&s;ions by enemies, who come before looked for, and &s;uddenly lay wa&s;t a whole country: and foes come often out of ambu&s;hes, and de&s;troy &s;tout men, overpowring them with multitudes, before they be aware. Thus the old world, and <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorrah,</HI> and <HI>Corah, Dathan,</HI> and <HI>Abiram</HI> peri&s;hed.</P>
<P N="2">2. In Gods judgments, as in the three former examples.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> In the Sun&s;hine of your pro&s;perity, get God to be your refuge, le&s;t a &s;udden &s;torm de&s;troy you, then need you not fear any &s;torm, el&s;e every &s;torm will ruine you.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Sudden troubles are very terrible to wicked men. So <HI>Jobs</HI> friends &s;peak of him, conceiving him to be a wicked man. <HI>Therefore &s;nares are round about thee, and &s;udden fear troubleth thee. Iob</HI> 22.10. When <HI>Nabal</HI> heard of the mi&s;chief intended to him, <HI>his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25.37.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they come unexpectedly; for wicked men are fooles, and neither look nor prepare for changes, as godly men do, who are wi&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they have no &s;ure refuge to fly to at hand, as godly men have.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Wonder not that wicked men &s;uddenly &s;ink in trou|bles: they are neither forewarned, nor fore-armed.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="512" REF="255" MS="y">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 26.</BIBL> For the Lord &s;hall be thy confidence, and &s;hall keep thy foot from being taken.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IT being a great matter, and hard for a good man to do, to expect deliverance, when he &s;ees wicked men ruined, in regard he hath naturall fear in him, as well as they; <HI>Solomon</HI> adds a &s;trong rea&s;on, and very &s;ufficient, to wit, the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the great God, who, according to the hope of a wi&s;e man, re&s;ting upon him, will keep him from falling into &s;nares; and well may &s;uch a man be confident, that it cannot be other|wi&s;e then well with him, as the fir&s;t word of the Text inti|mates, <HI>For,</HI> which carries a &s;trong rea&s;on with it. For that word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>Shall be thy confidence.</HI> Heb. <HI>Shall be in thy confidence.</HI> So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is tran&s;lated <HI>In, Chap.</HI> 1.20. <HI>In the &s;treets.</HI> Or, <HI>For thy confi|dence.</HI> So it is tran&s;lated, <HI>For an inheritance: Numb.</HI> 36.2. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies <HI>Folly,</HI> or <HI>Foolishne&s;&s;e. This their way is their folly. P&s;al.</HI> 49.13.2. Becau&s;e they that want wit to or|der their own affairs, had need to tru&s;t others, it &s;ignifies con|fidence or hope of good from another. <HI>That they might &s;et their hope in God. P&s;al.</HI> 78.7. 3. It &s;ignifies the flank. <HI>He ma|keth collops of fat on his flanks. Job</HI> 15.27. Some take it in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, the Lord &s;hall be with thee in thy fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e, when thou ha&s;t brought thy &s;elf into trouble, and knowe&s;t not how to e&s;cape, God will deliver thee. Others in the third &s;en&s;e; the Lord &s;hall be at thy flank, or &s;ide, as &s;ouldiers in the flank in battle, or as a guard to &s;ecure a man. Hence <HI>latrones,</HI> antient|ly &s;ouldiers of a Princes guard, <HI>qua&s;i laterones. Side-men.</HI> And the vulgar reads it, <HI>in latere tuo.</HI> Doway, <HI>at thy &s;ide.</HI> But the &s;econd &s;en&s;e is be&s;t, and the word is frequently &s;o, u&s;ed in &s;cripture, <HI>The Lord &s;hall be thy confidence.</HI> That is, one in whom thou mai&s;t &s;afely confide in all dangers: He &s;hall be to thee in &s;tead of a &s;helter.</P>
<P><HI>And shall keep.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.11.</P>
<P><HI>Thy foot.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.16.</P>
<P><HI>From being taken.</HI> He &s;hall keep thee from the danger of the &s;ecret plots of thine adver&s;aries; for wicked men are fowlers, and hunters, alwaies laying &s;nares in the way to catch Gods
<PB N="513" REF="255">people, like birds, and bea&s;ts, by the feet. <HI>The grin shall take him by the heel, the &s;nare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. Job</HI> 18.9.10. Which, though there &s;poken of wicked men, is often true of good men. So <HI>David</HI> praies, <HI>Keep me from the &s;nare which they have laid for me, and from the grins of the workers of iniquity. P&s;al.</HI> 141.9. But God keeps his out of tho&s;e dangers they &s;ee not.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Confidence.</HI> A figure of the adjunct for the &s;ubject. God is he on whom thy confidence may &s;afely repo&s;e it &s;elfe.</P>
<P><HI>Thy foot.</HI> A metaphor from bea&s;ts, or birds, taken by the foot in a &s;nare.</P>
<P>Note 1. The ground of a godly mans &s;afety.</P>
<P N="2">2. The means of it.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t ob&s;erve</P>
<P N="1">1. The &s;ubject, <HI>For the Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The adjunct, <HI>Shall be thy confidence.</HI></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note</P>
<P N="1">1. The act, <HI>And shall keep.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The object, <HI>Thy foot from being taken.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. The &s;afety of Gods people, is not in their own power or care. <HI>The name of the God of Iacob defend thee. P&s;al.</HI> 20.1. <HI>Their own arme did not &s;ave them, but thy right hand, &amp;c. P&s;al.</HI> 44.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e in &s;ome ca&s;es, no man in the world can help, as <HI>Ionah</HI> in the whales belly.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God can cro&s;&s;e the wi&s;e&s;t mans cares, and the &s;tronge&s;t mans diligence.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To teach us to acknowledge our own weakne&s;&s;e, and in&s;ufficiency to pre&s;erve our &s;elves. What need the Lord be our confidence, if we had power to keep our &s;elves from &s;ud|den fear, and mi&s;ery? But if we be left unto our &s;elves, we are like unto feeble bea&s;ts, which run into the net, and are taken in the &s;nare, out of the which they cannot e&s;cape. Let us not then, being con&s;cious of our own weakne&s;&s;e, tru&s;t in our wit, &s;trength, wealth, nor brag of kindred, leagues, ca&s;tles; all the&s;e are but ca&s;tles in the air, and may fail us. <HI>Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the &s;on of man, in whom there is no help. P&s;alm</HI> 146.3.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. The &s;ure confidence of a godly man is in God. <HI>The Lord &s;ustained me. P&s;al.</HI> 3.5. <HI>Thou Lord only makest me dwell in &s;afety P&s;.</HI> 4.8.</P>
<PB N="514" REF="256">
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of Gods great care of them. <HI>He bears them on eagles wings. Exod.</HI> 19.4. The eagle carries not her young ones in her claws, as other birds do, but on her back, that they who will kill her young ones, mu&s;t &s;hoot through her. <HI>Perirent ju&s;ti, ni&s;i Dominus inter eos et ho&s;tes &s;e interponeret. Shel. Iarchi. in Exod. Just men would perish, if God did not interpo&s;e him&s;elfe betwixt them and their enemies.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of Gods infinite power: they that put their con|fidence in man, or Angell, may be deceived and peri&s;h; but Gods power is infinite, He is the Almighty, as appears in ma|king the world out of nothing, with a world of creatares in it. When <HI>Davids</HI> father and mother could not help him again&s;t <HI>Sauls</HI> cruelty, God could, and did &s;o: he &s;aith, <HI>When my fa|ther and mother for&s;ook me, then the Lord took me up. P&s;.</HI> 27.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of Gods infinite wi&s;dome, who both knows the mi&s;chiefs intended again&s;t godly men, and how to prevent them: He is a compleat Phy&s;ician for &s;oul and body; He is the Lord of ho&s;ts, and a wi&s;e Generall, to find out mines and to countermine.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e of the experience Gods people have had of Gods delivering them before, as <HI>Ionah</HI> out of the whales belly, <HI>Da|vid</HI> from the Lion and the bear, <HI>Paul</HI> from dangerous &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e, <HI>when he had the &s;entence of death in him&s;elfe, that he &s;hould not tru&s;t in him&s;elfe, but in God, which rai&s;eth the dead.</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.9. Yea, that we our &s;elves have had in many &s;ickne&s;&s;es, journeys, troubles every one of us, more or le&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> 1. To comfort Gods people that have &s;o &s;ure a refuge: Not only <HI>Solomon</HI> tells us &s;o, but the holy Scriptures are full of &s;uch witne&s;&s;es, and examples. Having then &s;o many proofs, that this help is &s;o ready at hand, that <HI>God is our refuge and strength, a very pre&s;ent help in trouble. P&s;al.</HI> 46.1. an that this help &s;urmounts all heavenly, earthly, and infernall powers, we mu&s;t in no wi&s;e fear, but hold an invincible a&s;&s;urance a|gain&s;t all the afflictions of the world; otherwi&s;e we do not beleeve that God is on our fide, and bely the &s;criptures, and do count the examples thereof to be but fables. Seeing the Lord is thy confidence, he will keep thee, who ever tru&s;ted in him, and was for&s;aken? He can keep thee from temporall and &s;pi|rituall evils. Certainly this ought to be great con&s;olation to godly people, that they have not only Angells, but God him|&s;elfe
<PB N="515" REF="256">for their keeper, not far ab&s;ent from them, but alwaies pre|&s;ent with them, as being in every place. Therefore their heart may rejoyce with <HI>David,</HI> and &s;ay, <HI>I have &s;et the Lord alwaies before me: becau&s;e he is at my right hand, I &s;hall not be moved.</HI> P&s;al. 16.8, 9.</P>
<P N="2">2. To teach us if we be a&s;&s;ured again&s;t &s;udden fear, and the mi&s;eries, that happen unto wicked men to attribute all to God, and to confe&s;&s;e it comes of the only help of God, and not to give any part of the glory to men, to meanes, to our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> God will prevent private plots again&s;t his people, as well as publick oppo&s;itions. <HI>Surely he &s;hall deliver thee from the &s;nare of the fouler, and from the noi&s;om pestilence.</HI> P&s;al. 91.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. That it may appear to be Gods work, when no finger of man is in it, as the lice in <HI>Aegypt</HI> made the Magici|ans to con&s;e&s;&s;e, <HI>This is the finger of God.</HI> Exod. 8.19. So the di&s;covery of the Powder-trea&s;on, and the di&s;comfiture of the Spani&s;h Armado were Gods work: for wee had no knowledge of them, nor preparation again&s;t them.</P>
<P N="2">2. That it might appear to bee a work of meer mercy in God, where man could not prevent the evill. As for a man to give to one, that never askes, or to heale one pa&s;t his &s;en&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Here is a cure for our jealou&s;ies. We fear inva&s;ions from abroad, in&s;urrections at home. O that we would all fear God; and then he that hath, will &s;till deliver us from the mo&s;t &s;ecret plots of all our enemies.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 27.</BIBL> Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>SOlomon</HI> having encouraged the young man to &s;earch for wi&s;dom by &s;etting out the great benefits it brings, now returnes to give him particular rules of wi&s;dom to direct him how he may carry him&s;elf in the cour&s;e of his life. As he had in the beginning of the <HI>Chap.</HI> in&s;tructed him how to carry him&s;elfe towards men, Ver&s;e 3. and towards God, Ver&s;e 5. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;o now hee teaches him how to forbeare injurying men.</P>
<PB N="516" REF="257">
<P>The words are variou&s;ly read. The vulgar thus. <HI>Forbid not him to do good, that can; but if thou cau&s;t, do good al&s;o.</HI> And this way runne the Popi&s;h writers, but farre from the Hebrew words.</P>
<P>For the words in particular. <HI>Withhold not.</HI> Keep it not un|ju&s;tly in thy hands, that belongs to another again&s;t the ow|ners will. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.15. on the word <HI>Refreine.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Good.</HI> Any thing profitable, which thou owe&s;t him. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.9.</P>
<P><HI>From them to whom it is due.</HI> Heb. <HI>From the Ma&s;ters thereof.</HI> That is, from them that have a right to it, and power over it to di&s;po&s;e of it. Mo&s;t interpreters under&s;tand it of giving to the poor, and trouble them&s;elves much to know, how the poor are owners of other mens goods. An hard phra&s;e, and not to be found in Scripture in this &s;en&s;e, which u&s;ually calls it giving freely, and Almes, and poor men are taught to ask for mercy, not to demand it as due. And they who make them owners of other mens goods open a great gap to them to take it by foul means, if they cannot have it by intreaty, and to &s;ay, <HI>May I not take mine own goods, where I find them? what &s;hould hinder?</HI> Some &s;ay, poor men have an intere&s;t in other mens goods, becau&s;e of their goods, becau&s;e of their wants; others, that they have it by nature, being men as we are; others, be|cau&s;e God bids us relieve them. But the&s;e titles will hardly make them to be ma&s;ters of what is not theirs. The interpre|ters run this way, becau&s;e the next Ver&s;e mentions giving to the poor. But as this interpretation an&s;wers not well to the Hebrew words, &s;o it confounds two duties, paying debts in this ver&s;e, and giving to the poor in the next. Neither will it &s;erve to &s;ay, This Ver&s;e requires giving, and the next doing it &s;peedily, for the word, of <HI>not withholding</HI> in this Ver&s;e requires &s;peedy payment: e&s;pecially joyned to the words following, <HI>when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.</HI> I conclude therfore, that paying of debts to creditors, or labourers is here meant, who ought to have, what others injuriou&s;ly keep from them. And this is a work of ju&s;tice, not of mercy. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.17. on the word <HI>Bird.</HI> Heb. <HI>Master of a wing.</HI></P>
<P><HI>When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.</HI> When thou art able
<PB N="517" REF="257">to pay it. For if God lay lo&s;&s;es, and poverty on a man, hee cannot pay his debts then: neither is it his &s;in, if his lo&s;&s;es came not by his own negligence. Others under&s;tand it, when thou ha&s;t power to keep it away from him. Do not co&s;en thy creditour, though thou could&s;t do it by force, or fraud. <HI>The hand</HI> in the Heb. is u&s;ed</P>
<P N="1">1. For the member of the body &s;o called. <HI>The one put out his hand</HI> Gen. 38.28.</P>
<P N="2">2. For power, and &s;trength, for the hand is u&s;ed in &s;trong actions. <HI>Whom God had delivered from under the hand of the E|gyptians.</HI> Exod. 18.9.</P>
<P N="3">3. Help, and a&s;&s;i&s;tance, which is often afforded by the hand. <HI>Their hand al&s;o is with David.</HI> 1 Sam. 22.17.</P>
<P N="4">4. A blow, or plague inflicted by the hand. <HI>My &s;troke.</HI> Heb. <HI>hand, is heavier then my groning.</HI> Job. 23.2.</P>
<P N="5">5. A place. <HI>Thou &s;halt have a place al&s;o without the camp.</HI> Deut. 23.12.</P>
<P N="6">6. The man him&s;elf, who&s;e hand it is. <HI>He leaneth on my hand.</HI> 2 King. 5.18. So here <HI>In the power of thine hand, that is, in thy power.</HI></P>
<P><HI>To do it.</HI> The word &s;ignifies</P>
<P N="1">1. To do a thing. <HI>What hast thoudone?</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To make a thing. <HI>God &s;aw every thing, that he had made,</HI> Gen. 1.31.</P>
<P N="3">3. To bring forth. <HI>The Earth brought forth by handfulls.</HI> Gen. 41.47.</P>
<P N="4">4. To prepare, or dre&s;&s;e. <HI>Hee ha&s;ted to dre&s;&s;e it.</HI> Gen. 18.7.</P>
<P N="5">5. To advance, or make great, <HI>It is the Lord that advanced Mo&s;es.</HI> 1 Sam. 12.6.</P>
<P N="6">6. To Get. <HI>The &s;oules, that they had gotten in Haran.</HI> Gen. 12.</P>
<P N="5">5. Here it is is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for doing.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Hand.</HI> For the man. A figure of the part for the whole.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. An Act forbidden. <HI>Withhold not.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Object. <HI>Good.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The &s;ubject. <HI>From them to whom it is due.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. The Adjunct of time <HI>When it it in the power of thine hand to do it.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Outward comforts are good in them&s;elves. It is
<PB N="518" REF="258">reckoned as a great favour for man to have dominion over the creatures, <HI>Thou mad&s;t him to have dominion over the works of thine hands. P&s;al.</HI> 8.6. Sure it is then a ble&s;&s;ing. And <HI>P&s;alns</HI> 104. begins, and ends with prai&s;ing God for outward pro|vi&s;ions. This is be&s;t proved by particulars. Aske a hungry man if meat be a ble&s;&s;ing? He will tell you it is, otherwi&s;e he mu&s;t die: Ask a thir&s;ty man if drink be a ble&s;&s;ing? He will &s;ay, he mu&s;t choak el&s;e: So for clothing, cattle, fruits of the earth, and of trees.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To blame tho&s;e, that by abu&s;e of the&s;e comforts, turn ble&s;&s;ings into cur&s;es; &s;o doth the glutton, and the drunkard. It is a &s;ad thing for a man to go to hell for tho&s;e comforts, which he may have and go to heaven.</P>
<P N="2">2. The&s;e outward comforts may be lent, and convayed from one man to another; lending is a Chri&s;tian dutie as well as giving. <HI>The righteous man is ever mercifull, and lendeth. P&s;al.</HI> 37.26. <HI>Do good, and lend. Luke</HI> 6.35. So is trading, ex|change, buying, and &s;elling lawfull; <HI>Abraham</HI> bought <HI>a field, and the trees of it. Gen.</HI> 23.17. The father of the faithfull thought it lawfull, and knew how to drive a bargain.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we may have &s;omething to &s;pare, that other <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> may need, and they may have &s;omewhat we may need, which may be communicated from one to another without lo&s;&s;e: And then, both humanity, and communion of Saints, teach us to communicate to others.</P>
<P N="2">2. Men may want that at pre&s;ent, which afterwards they may repay, or requite, and need not to receive of gift.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us a willingne&s;&s;e to lend to others, and to trade with others; the time may come, we may need to bor|row of them, or trade with them; &s;o we may help both them, and our &s;elves.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Con&s;cience is to be made of paying debts, and re&s;toring things to the right owners. <HI>If a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall &s;urely make it good. Exod.</HI> 22.14. <HI>Render to all their dues. Owe nothing to any man, but to love one another. Rom.</HI> 13.7.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e nature teacheth, that debts mu&s;t be paid. Why do we look for dutie from children or &s;ervants, but becau&s;e it is a debt?</P>
<PB N="519" REF="258">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e el&s;e we prejudice others, with whom we have to doe, and expo&s;e them to want, who have by trading, or lending relieved our wants, which is to doe evill for good.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It &s;erves to ery out again&s;t uncon&s;cionable men, that make no con&s;cience of paying debts; it will &s;tick as a &s;pot up|on our religion; many among the Turks are &s;aid to be more ju&s;t in this particular: I have heard a Turky merchant of good Note &s;ay, that when he was to come away from <HI>Con&s;tantino|ple,</HI> &s;ome of the Turks came to him, not &s;ent for, to pay their debts: And a <HI>Morocco</HI> Merchant affiming, that when the King died there, who traded much with the Engli&s;h Mer|chants, the Queen &s;ent for them to Court, and paid them e|very penny. But e&s;pecially, this &s;hould trouble their con&s;ci|ences, who, though rich, and able, yet detain poor labourers wages; they would be loth to be &s;o dealt withall them&s;elves, if they were in want. <HI>Behold the cry of the labourers which have reap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cryeth, and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">me.</HI> 5.4. Con&s;cience al&s;o is to be made of re&s;toring things found, committed to our tru&s;t, or borrowed; and that with &s;peed, without delaying men: for ju&s;tice requires not only due payment, but in due &s;ea&s;on al&s;o, le&s;t deteriment come to the owners; and the Text requires it pre&s;ently, <HI>if there be power in thy hand to do it.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 28.</BIBL> Say not unto thy neighbour, go, and come again, and to morrow I will give, when thou ha&s;t it by thee.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN the former ver&s;e, <HI>Solomon</HI> had &s;tirred up the young man to a work of ju&s;tice, to pay his debts; now he &s;tirrs him up to a work of mercy, to do good to the poor, if he be able, and that &s;peedily. When men are in want, pittile&s;&s;e men turn them away with the unprofitable almes of vain breath, that need &s;peedy &s;uccour, &s;aying, Friend, I cannot help you now, go away and come another time: yet they have no mind to help at any time, but only to put off at this time: this delay is here forbidden. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Say not.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.11. Put him not off with &s;o vain an excu&s;e.</P>
<PB N="520" REF="259">
<P><HI>Unto thy neighbour.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> comes from feeding, and &s;ignifies &s;uch as are known one to another, as cattell that feed together; it is &s;ometimes tran&s;lated a friend, <HI>O friends drink. Cant.</HI> 5.1. Sometimes a neighbour, <HI>If I have laid wait at my neighbours door. Job</HI> 31.9. Yet it is not to be re&s;trained to acquaintance, as if we were tyed to do good to them only, but extends to all in need, although &s;trangers: So it is u&s;ed in the ninth commandement, <HI>Thou &s;halt not bear fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e a|gainst thy neighbour.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Go.</HI> Depart for the pre&s;ent. See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.11. on the word, <HI>come;</HI> it is the &s;ame in the originall.</P>
<P><HI>And come again.</HI> Return another time. See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.23. on the word <HI>Turn,</HI> the &s;ame word is u&s;ed for turning, re|turning, and turning away. The Hebrews have no compound verbs.</P>
<P><HI>And.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22. on the word, <HI>But.</HI></P>
<P><HI>To morrow.</HI> Another time. But the neere&s;t time is named to make him more willing to go away, in hope of &s;peedy pay|ment. Sometimes the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies the next day punctu|ally. <HI>Tomorrow get you early on your way. Judg.</HI> 19.9. Other|wi&s;e it &s;ignifies time to come, long after. <HI>When thy &s;on asketh thee in time to come. Exod.</HI> 13.14. Here it is u&s;ed in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for the next day, el&s;e were it no encouragement for the man to go away, nor no direction, when to return.</P>
<P><HI>I will give.</HI> I will relieve thy wants. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.4.</P>
<P><HI>Wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n.</HI> Heb. <HI>And.</HI> But it is thus tran&s;lated el&s;e where. <HI>When as yet the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e was none of them. P&s;al.</HI> 139.16.</P>
<P><HI>Thou ha&s;t it by thee.</HI> Heb. <HI>It is with thee.</HI> Thou ha&s;t that in thy power, which he needs and de&s;ires; for it is no &s;in to de|ny that a man hath not to give. Some make the&s;e words a part of the denyers &s;peech, <HI>Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give, for thou hast it by thee.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, why do&s;t thou trouble me now? thou ha&s;t enough to keep thee at pre&s;ent; come another time when thou wante&s;t, and I will relieve thee.</P>
<P>Figures none. Note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. An uncomfortable repul&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A requiring of a double labour:</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. A frivolous promi&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="521" REF="259">
<P>In the fir&s;t, ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The act prohibited, <HI>Say not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The object, <HI>To thy neighbour.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The injunction, <HI>Go.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd, note, a reinvitation, including a double la|bour, <HI>And come again.</HI></P>
<P>In the third, a ready offer, and therein</P>
<P N="1">1. The time. <HI>And to morrow.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The act, <HI>I will give.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. His hypocri&s;ie, <HI>When thou ha&s;t it by thee.</HI> He might do it now, and &s;hould, but will not.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. There is an unwillingne&s;&s;e in able men to give to the poor. It appears by this mans delaying here, and by <HI>Na|bals</HI> churli&s;h an&s;wer, <HI>Who is David, and who is the &s;on of Je&s;&s;e?</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25.10. <HI>Lazarus,</HI> ready to &s;tarve, could not get <HI>the crumbs that fell from the rich mans table. Luke</HI> 16.21.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e we love the world too well, and would gladly keep as much of it as we can, and more then we need.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e we love our lu&s;ts, and they are very co&s;tly; Na|ture is content with little, Grace with le&s;&s;e, but gluttony, drunkenne&s;&s;e, wantonne&s;&s;e, co&s;t much, and hinder us from relieving others.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e we think it is enough to provide for our own, e&s;pecially, if we have great families, then we think we are not tyed to &s;upply others wants.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Marvail not at rich mens backwardne&s;&s;e in relieving the poor, it is a weed that growes in corrupted natures Gar|den, and will hardly be rooted out.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. We are ready to flatter our &s;elves, and to excu&s;e this our unwillingne&s;&s;e. So doth he in the Text. <HI>The wicked man flattereth him&s;elfe in his own eyes. P&s;al.</HI> 36.2. This is true in generall of all wickedne&s;&s;e, but in particular, <HI>Nabal</HI> thinks he doth right in denying <HI>Davids</HI> &s;uit, el&s;e he &s;hould main|tain runawaies, and fail his own labourers. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25.10, 11. The excu&s;es of covetous men will prove the point; one, though rich, objects the weakne&s;&s;e of his e&s;tate, &s;uch an one worth much more then I, gives little or nothing; as if the o|thers greater neglect could excu&s;e his le&s;&s;er. Another &s;aith, the poor are idle, and he will not give to maintain them in their idlene&s;&s;e; He forgets, that it is better to give to two that
<PB N="522" REF="260">need not, then to deny to one that needs. Another &s;aith the times are naught, trading is dead, and he may live to want him&s;elfe: as if he dur&s;t not tru&s;t God for the future, who ne|ver failed him in all his life. The&s;e things argue &s;elfe flattery.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Away with fond excu&s;es. Flatter not thy &s;elfe to main|tain thy covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Say with <HI>Paul, Neither at any time u&s;ed we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, God is witne&s;&s;e.</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.5.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. We are tied to relieve others &s;peedily, according to their wants, and our abilities. <HI>To do good, and to communi|cate forget not, for with &s;uch &s;acrifices God is well plea&s;ed. Heb.</HI> 13.16. Chri&s;t, the great judge, at the great day, will com|mend, and reward liberall givers, and condemn the contra|ry, <HI>Math.</HI> 25.34. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. We are tyed to relieve them, becau&s;e we are Gods &s;tewards; He gives us more then we need, that like conduit pipes, we might powre out to others.</P>
<P N="2">2. We mu&s;t do it &s;peedily, for thou maie&s;t &s;uddenly die, or they, and then thou can&s;t not do it. <HI>Thou knowe&s;t not what a day may bring forth. Chap.</HI> 27.1. Or, they may be relieved by others, and that is no thanks to thee, and thou mai&s;t peri&s;h for thy neglect. So <HI>Mordecai</HI> tells <HI>He&s;ter,</HI> that if &s;he neglected to help Gods people, God would &s;et up others to do it, and &s;he, and her fathers hou&s;e &s;hould be de&s;troyed for neglecting &s;o fair an opportunity of doing good, put into her hands by God. <HI>E&s;t.</HI> 4.14. A gift in &s;ea&s;on is be&s;t, and double worth to that which is long deferred. <HI>Qui cit&ograve; dat, his dat. Give quick|ly, and thou give&s;t twice. Gratia tarda ingrata e&s;t. Ingratum e&s;t beneficium, quod diu inter manus dantis haefit. Seneca. Slow fa|vour is no favour. It is an unplea&s;ing benefit that sticks long be|tween the hands of the giver. As we have opportunity, let us do good to all men. Gal.</HI> 6.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. We mu&s;t do it comfortably according to their wants; to give a dying man one meal, or a naked man one ho&s;e, will not keep him alive.</P>
<P N="4">4. We mu&s;t do it liberally, according to our ability. Plen|tifull fountains, give plenty of water. <HI>To whom&s;oever much is given, of him &s;hall be much required. Luke</HI> 12.48.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemnes unwilling givers: For &s;uch 1. Put off all till death, like hogs good for nothing till they die. 2. They
<PB N="526" REF="260">give &s;paringly, and with long intreaty, if at all. Often drawing makes the Well fuller, and &s;weeter. Standing &s;till makes it &s;tink. So in giving almes: <HI>Ba&s;il.</HI> Opportunity lo&s;t may be irre|coverable. Thou mai&s;t be as poor as <HI>Job</HI> to morrow, and have nothing to give. God gives the creatures <HI>their meat in due fea|&s;on.</HI> P&s;al. 145.15. <HI>Job</HI> did <HI>not withhold the poor from their de|&s;ire, nor cau&s;e the eyes of the widdow to fail.</HI> Job 31.16. His almes was alwaies ready when they needed it. They need not wait long for it. Go thou, and do likewi&s;e. So mai&s;t thou ex|pect, that God in mercy will not make thee wait long, but will &s;oon an&s;wer thy prayers.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 29.</BIBL> Devi&s;e not evill again&s;t thy neighbour, &s;eeing he dwelleth &s;e|curely by thee.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE wi&s;e man having per&s;waded before to the payment of debts, and &s;peedy giving to the door, now he di&s;&s;wades from evill offices, as from mi&s;chievous plots in this ver&s;e, from contentious &s;uits. <HI>ver.</HI> 30. From envy. <HI>ver.</HI> 31. Then gives rea&s;ons both why the&s;e good offices &s;hould be done, and why the bad ones &s;hould be avoided; and that to the end of the Chapter. The words run &s;o, as if a man were allowed to plot mi&s;chief again&s;t a &s;tranger, or enemy, becau&s;e it forbids it onely again&s;t a neighbour. But this is &s;et out as a grievous &s;in with its aggravations: yet the other not permitted. He doth not tolerate &s;mall &s;ins, but &s;et out greater, to make them the more odious. As if he had &s;aid, Though thou mu&s;t not devi&s;e evill again&s;t any man, yet e&s;pecially not again&s;t &s;uch as live near thee, and expect no ill from thee; Deceive not their expecta|tion.</P>
<P>Fore the words.</P>
<P><HI>Devi&s;e not.</HI> Plot not evill again&s;t him in thy mind. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies to plow, or fit the ground for the &s;eed.</P>
<P><HI>They that plow iniquity.</HI> Job 4.8. And &s;econdarily to ima|gine, and plot mi&s;chief in the mind, by thinking and &s;tudy|ing, that &s;o it may be ready for execution, when occa&s;ion is offered. Sometimes, but rarely, it is u&s;ed for devi&s;ing good things. <HI>Mercy and truth &s;hall be to them that devi&s;e good.</HI> Ch. 14.22. It &s;ignifies al&s;o to be &s;ilent. <HI>O Lord keep not &s;ilence.</HI> P&s;.
<PB N="524" REF="261">35.22. Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for plotting and devi&s;ing. <HI>Bain</HI> tells us, that one of the Hebrew writers inter|prets this word of &s;u&s;pition of evill in a neighbour. But him|&s;elf likes it not. The Doway Bible reads it, <HI>Practi&s;e not.</HI> But I find not the word any where &s;o u&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>Evill.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.33.</P>
<P><HI>Against thy neighbour.</HI> Devi&s;e nothing, that may tend to his hurt. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>ver,</HI> 28.</P>
<P><HI>Seeing.</HI> One cau&s;e why thou &s;hould&s;t not hurt him, is, be|cau&s;e he &s;u&s;pects no harme from thee, and therefore cannot prevent it. This particle. I is tran&s;lated thus el&s;ewhere, <HI>See|ing he judgeth tho&s;e that are high.</HI> Iob 21.22.</P>
<P><HI>He dwelleth.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies</P>
<P N="1">1. To &s;it. <HI>He that &s;itteth in the Heavens.</HI> P&s;al. 2.4.</P>
<P N="2">2. To abide or remain. <HI>Hee that abideth of old,</HI> P&s;al. 55.19.</P>
<P N="3">3. To dwell. <HI>He that dwelleth in the &s;ecret place of the mo&s;t high.</HI> P&s;al. 91.1. So here.</P>
<P><HI>Securely.</HI> Fearing no hurt from thee, but rather expecting a good, as from a neighbour. See on Ver&s;e 23. on the word <HI>&s;afely.</HI></P>
<P><HI>By thee.</HI> Near thy dwelling.</P>
<P><HI>Figures none. Note.</HI> 1. A prohibition.</P>
<P N="2">2. The rea&s;on thereof.</P>
<P>In the prohibition note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Act forbidden. <HI>Devi&s;e not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object of the thing. <HI>Evill.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Object of the per&s;on. <HI>Against thy neighbour.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the rea&s;on note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The &s;ubject. <HI>Seeing he dwelleth by thee.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Adjunct. <HI>Securely.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Plotting to hurt others is a great &s;in. It is made a note of a wicked man. <HI>He devi&s;eth mi&s;chief upon his bed. P&s;.</HI> 36.4. <HI>Hee devi&s;eth wicked devices to de&s;troy the poor. I&s;a.</HI> 32.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is an abu&s;e, and ill imployment of the mo&s;t noble faculty of the &s;oul, as of rea&s;on, and affections, which &s;hould be u&s;ed to do good to others, and not to hurt men; But are often u&s;ed to plot evill again&s;t men contrary to Gods command.</P>
<PB N="525" REF="261">
<P N="2">2. It is a concatenation of divers &s;ins, as of malice, craft, voluntary iniquity, and wilfull contempt of Gods Command|ment.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To condemn tho&s;e who think there is no &s;in, where there is no hurt done to others, but place all &s;in in outward actions. This was the Phari&s;ees religion. <HI>Math.</HI> 5. yet Chri&s;t &s;hews there; that though a man, or woman have not hurt, yet anger, and lu&s;t are &s;ins. If we ought to &s;tudy, how to do men good, though not de&s;ired, then is it a &s;in to devi&s;e evill a|gain&s;t them, though not executed.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is a greater &s;in to devi&s;e evill again&s;t a neigh|bour. <HI>Let none of you imagine evill in your hearts again&s;t his neighbour. Zech.</HI> 8.17. He mu&s;t go to Heaven, <HI>that doth not e|vill to his neighbour. P&s;al.</HI> 15.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of cohabitation. If he like thee &s;o well, that he chu&s;e to live by thee, do not thou devi&s;e evill again&s;t him. Continuall conver&s;e &s;hould keep thee from doing it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e thou maie&s;t get good by him, more then by &s;trangers, that are farther off, when thou &s;hould&s;t need their help. <HI>Aliquid boni propter vicinum bonum.</HI> Some good comes by a good neighbour. An heathen man being to &s;ell, or let his hou&s;e, put in this commodity among the re&s;t, that it &s;tood among good neighbours.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Bani&s;h all ill cau&s;ele&s;&s;e thoughts again&s;t thy neigh|bours good out of thy heart. This is the way to live with comfort.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> It is yet a greater &s;in to devi&s;e evill again&s;t &s;uch as take us for their friends, expecting no hurt, but good from us <HI>It was not an enemy, that reproached me; But it was thou a man, mine equall, mine guide, and mine acquaintance. P&s;al.</HI> 55.12.13. <HI>If I have rewarded evill to him, that was at peace with me; P&s;al.</HI> 7.3, 4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e &s;uch &s;u&s;pect no evill from us; and there|fore may more ea&s;ily be ruined by us. Natures Law will teach us not to imagine evill again&s;t them that tru&s;t to us, and &s;u&s;pect it not. The <HI>Italian</HI> Proverb is, <HI>God keep me from them I tru&s;t; and I will keep my &s;elf from them I trust not. Antigonus,</HI> when he &s;acrificed, prayed to be kept from counter&s;et friends, and being asked why he did &s;o, an&s;wered, <HI>Becau&s;e I can my &s;elf take heed of known enemies. Bona fide agendum e&s;t cum iis, qui nobis
<PB N="523" REF="262">bene fidunt. We mu&s;t deal faithfully with them, who faithfully put tru&s;t in us.</HI> It is a &s;hamefull thing to lay &s;nares for them, that &s;u&s;pect no evill from thee, and think thou love&s;t them. Thou do&s;t egregiou&s;ly di&s;&s;emble, that under a fai: face, and countenance to them, hide&s;t a foul heart again&s;t them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e they de&s;erve no evill of us, and tho&s;e ill offices are wor&s;t, that are done to &s;uch as neither de&s;erve, nor fear ill from us.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e &s;uch expect good of thee: and what can be wor&s;e, then to deceive him, that expects good from thee?</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e they de&s;erve good of thee; and therefore thou &s;hould&s;t not &s;o much as cheri&s;h a thought of evill again&s;t them.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It condemns tho&s;e that plot evill again&s;t their neare&s;t friends. The&s;e are <HI>traitors.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.4.</P>
<P><HI>Juda&s;&s;es,</HI> that betray with a ki&s;&s;e. Such are dangerous enemies. Such we had need take heed of, as the Prophet warnes. <HI>Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bo&s;om.</HI> Mic. 7.5. The&s;e are the plagues of all meetings, &s;ocieties, fea&s;ts, which are upheld by love, and faithfullne&s;&s;e. <HI>Nulla pe&s;tis gravior ad nocendum, qu&agrave;m familiaris inimicus. Lyra. There is no plague more hurtful, then a familiar enemy.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 30.</BIBL> Strive not with a man without cau&s;e, if hee have done thee no harm.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IN the former ver&s;e, &s;infull plots again&s;t others were con|demned: here &s;infull words and actions are blamed. In a word, all unlawfull contentions are forbidden. Here is a pro|hibition of all manife&s;t violence, and &s;ecret deceitfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Strive not.</HI> Neither in judgement by &s;uits of Law, nor by har&s;h words out of judgement.</P>
<P><HI>With a man.</HI> See on <HI>ver.</HI> 13.</P>
<P><HI>Without cau&s;e.</HI> Being provoked by no injury. This forbids not complaints or &s;uits upon ju&s;t grounds, but ra&s;h and
<PB N="527" REF="262">cau&s;ele&s;&s;e ones: For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.17. on the word, <HI>In vain.</HI></P>
<P><HI>If he have done thee no harme.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies to do good or evill, as well without de&s;ert, as with it. To begin, as well as to repay. Our tran&s;lators take it in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e, as an expo&s;ition of tho&s;e words, <HI>without cau&s;e.</HI> That is, if he have not fir&s;t wronged thee. <HI>Bain</HI> a great Hebrician, and a learned Commenter takes it in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e, for requiting, and reads it thus, <HI>If he do not requite thee.</HI> And makes it the forme of an oath, under&s;tanding the&s;e words, <HI>Then &s;ay, I am a liar,</HI> or <HI>believe me no more.</HI> Meaning, hee will certainly be revenged on thee, and do like for like. Thou picke&s;t a quarrell with him without a cau&s;e, and mu&s;t expect the like mea&s;ure from him. See the like expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>If he do not cur&s;e thee to thy face.</HI> Iob 1.11. Then &s;ay, I am a liar. The meaning is, as it is well tran&s;lated there, <HI>And he will cur&s;e thee to thy face.</HI> So it may be here, <HI>Strive not with a man without a cau&s;e: then,</HI> or, <HI>el&s;e he will do thee harm.</HI> To wit, if thou vex him cau&s;le&s;ly. For harm, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.33. on the word <HI>Evill.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> May wee then &s;trive with a man, that hath done us harm?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Yes lawfully before a Magi&s;trate, and without &s;harpe words. The &s;um of this Ver&s;e then is, Contend with no man, if thou can&s;t chu&s;e. But if nece&s;&s;ity or publick profit re|quire it, thou mai&s;t do it, yet take heed, thou exerci&s;e not pub|lick or private contention with any man, that hath not offended thee, or done thee wrong.</P>
<P><HI>Figures none. Note.</HI> 1. The Act forbidden. <HI>Strive not.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Object. <HI>With a man.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Adjunct of qualification, &s;et out</P>
<P N="1">1. Generally. <HI>Without cau&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Particularly. <HI>If he have done thee no harm.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Mans nature is very apt to contend cau&s;le&s;ly. What cau&s;e had <HI>Ahab,</HI> or <HI>Jezebel,</HI> or the elders to contend with <HI>Na|both?</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 21. What cau&s;e have wicked men to contend with Gods people? Ju&s;t as much, as Wolves have to contend with &s;heep. <HI>Math.</HI> 10 16, 17.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e men are naturally proud: and pride cau|&s;eth contention. Yea there is &s;ome pride and defire of victory
<PB N="528" REF="263">in every contentation. <HI>Onely by pride cometh contention. Chap.</HI> 13.10.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e we are naturally covetous: and we know, that earthly mindedne&s;&s;e breeds a world of &s;uits, and conten|tions.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> It teacheth us not to wonder, that men love to go to Law without cau&s;e, e&s;pecially with &s;imple men, whom they think they can ea&s;ily overcome. Such men are proud of their wit, and brag, that they can ea&s;ily bring under others, though their cau&s;e be never &s;o unju&s;t. An <HI>Abbat,</HI> being asked, why he went to Law &s;o often, e&s;pecially knowing his cau&s;e was not alwaies ju&s;t, an&s;wers, that hee did as boyes going by a nut-tree, who fling &s;tones and &s;ticks at it, to &s;ee what nuts will fall. It is as naturall for &s;infull men to contend, as for birds to fly, or for worms to creep. And therefore it is no matter of admiration.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. Cau&s;ele&s;&s;e contention is not allowed by God, or wi&s;e men. <HI>If I have rewarded evill to him that was at peace with me, let the enemy per&s;ecute my &s;oul and take it. P&s;al.</HI> 7.4, 5. <HI>Without cau&s;e have they hid for me their net in a pit, which with|out cau&s;e they have digged for my &s;oul. P&s;al.</HI> 35.7. <HI>The A&s;&s;yrian oppre&s;&s;ed them without cau&s;e. I&s;a.</HI> 52.4.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they know the iniquity and unfitne&s;&s;e of it, and that there is no ju&s;t ground of cau&s;ele&s;&s;e &s;trife.</P>
<P N="2">2. They know the danger of it, and neither God nor wi&s;e men will allow that in others, that brings them to utter ruine.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> To reprove tho&s;e that are &s;till in contentions, whether they have cau&s;e or no: they are like Salamanders, that cannot live out of the fire, they forget that <HI>Con&s;ilium malum con&s;ulto|ri pe&s;&s;imum, ill coun&s;ells are wor&s;t for the coun&s;ellors.</HI> They think to ruine others, but are ruined them&s;elves: As if a man &s;hould throw a &s;tone at another, and it &s;hould recoile, and wound him&s;elfe; or dig a ditch for another, and fall into it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 7.15, 16. or hide a net for another, and him&s;elfe be caught in it <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 35.8. How many have been undone by need|le&s;&s;e law&s;uits? How can they thrive, who&s;e cour&s;es are abhorred by God, and all wi&s;e men?</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. Contention without ju&s;t provocation is a great
<PB N="529" REF="263">&s;in. <HI>David</HI> complaines of it, <HI>Fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es did ri&s;e up, they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evill for good, to the &s;poiling of my &s;oul. P&s;al.</HI> 35.11, 12.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is again&s;t the law of charity, which re|quires good to be done to others freely, much more not to hurt them by cau&s;ele&s;&s;e contentions.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is again&s;t the law of equity: for &s;uch not only do not, as they would be done by, but do not as they are done by: they trouble others that trouble not them.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is again&s;t the law of humanity, and &s;ociety, which is pre&s;erved by concord, and de&s;troyed by di&s;cord.</P>
<P N="4">4. It is again&s;t the law of piety, which bids do good for evill, and then much more forbids doing evill without a cau&s;e. A Chri&s;tian &s;hould abhor nothing more, then unprofitable contentions. <HI>Non contentio, &s;ed collatio debet e&s;&s;e inter chri&s;tia|nos. There &s;hould be no contention, but communication among Chri&s;tians. Recuperus. In&s;ont is tutor, aut vindex e&s;t judex, ant cert&egrave; Deus. The tutor, or revenger of the innocent man, is the Judge, or certainly God. Lapide.</HI> If the Judge will not right them, &s;urely God will.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed therefore for time to come of cau&s;ele&s;&s;e con|tentions. Continuance in known &s;ins certainly damns men. The heathen man could &s;ay, <HI>Cum pari contendere anceps e&s;t, cum &s;uperiore furio&s;um, cum inferiore &s;ordidum. Seneca. To con|tend with an equall is a doubtfull bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, to contend with a &s;uperiour a mad prank, to contend with an inferiour is &s;ordid.</HI> It is madne&s;&s;e for a man to delight in needle&s;&s;e con|tentions. It may become Papi&s;ts to do &s;o, as Cardinal <HI>Wol&s;ey,</HI> when he was Lord Chancellor, paid home Sir <HI>James Paulet</HI> without any provocation then, onely becau&s;e hee had laid him by the heeles, when he was a &s;choolma&s;ter. <HI>Cranmer</HI> would not &s;trive with them, that gave him cau&s;e, when hee was Archbi&s;hop. It was a proverb then, Do the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Canter|bury</HI> a &s;hrewd turn, and you &s;hall have him your friend ever after. And <HI>Robert Holgat</HI> Archbi&s;hop of <HI>York,</HI> though he was a Papi&s;t, being, when he was a Prie&s;t, &s;ued by Sir <HI>Francis Askew;</HI> when he was Lord Pre&s;ident of the <HI>North,</HI> &s;hewed him all lawfull favour in a &s;uit, &s;aying, He was much behold|den to him, for had not he been, hee mu&s;t have lived a poor
<PB N="530" REF="264">hedge-Prie&s;t all the daies of his life: yet may a godly man by lawfull means keep off injury, maintain his right, and puni&s;h &s;in. This is not cau&s;ele&s;&s;e contention.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 31.</BIBL> Envy thou not the oppre&s;&s;our, and chu&s;e none of his waies.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE Dehortation is not needle&s;&s;e. It comes to pa&s;&s;e &s;ome|times in the world, that many men thrive, and grow ve|ry rich by wicked plots. Then proud men envy them. Why &s;hould not I thrive, as well as they? They were of as meane Parentage as I, and it may be, of meaner. Covetous men imi|tate them. If the&s;e waies will make them rich, they will make me rich al&s;o. I am not a fool, I can paly my game as well as they to go beyond others. There was need therefore to warn the young man, that he erre not on the right hand out of pride, nor on the left hand out of covetou&s;ne&s;s. This precept is fitly joyned to the former. For as we mu&s;t not abu&s;e other mens &s;implicity, nor innocency to do them hurt, &s;o wee mu&s;t not abu&s;e their pro&s;perity to envy them, nor imitate their wicked waies of gain. For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Envy thou not.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is taken &s;ometimes in a good &s;en&s;e, and then it is con&s;trued with <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>for. He was zealous for his God. Numb.</HI> 25.13. And then it &s;ignifies to grieve, that a per|&s;on, or thing dear unto one, &s;hould be abu&s;ed by another, and to &s;eek to defend, or vindicate him, or it. Then it is tran&s;la|ted <HI>zealous.</HI> Sometimes it is taken in a bad &s;en&s;e. <HI>I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. Exod.</HI> 20.5. And then the verb is or|dinarily con&s;trued with <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Rachel envied her fister. Gen.</HI> 30.1. And it imports a grieving, and envying, that another &s;hould enjoy what we de&s;ire, or think to belong to-us. Then it is tran&s;lated to be jealous, or to envy. And &s;o it is taken here for envying, that others are richer then we.</P>
<P><HI>The oppre&s;&s;our.</HI> or, <HI>Be not envious again&s;t the oppre&s;&s;our.</HI> So <GAP DESC="foreign"> is tran&s;lated. <HI>Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob, Numb.</HI> 23.23. Heb. <HI>The man of violence.</HI> That is, an ungodly man, that grows rich by oppre&s;&s;ing others. Men may di&s;like him for his cruelty, but they would not envy him, unle&s;&s;e hee
<PB N="531" REF="264">were rich. <HI>Invidus alterius rebus macre&s;cit opimis. The envious man grows lean to &s;ee other mens e&s;tates grow fat.</HI> Be not troubled, that wicked men thrive by wicked waies. Look not on &s;uch as happy men to be envied, nor applaud the cour&s;es they take, nor follow them to get wealth by tho&s;e unlawfull waies. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed.</P>
<P N="1">1. For a man by nature, whither male, or female, as oppo|&s;ed to a bea&s;t. <HI>I am God, and not Man. Ho&s;.</HI> 11.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. For any man. <HI>None &s;hall deliver out of my hand.</HI> Heb. <HI>Not aman.</HI> That is, not any man. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 2.10.</P>
<P N="3">3. For a male oppo&s;ed to a female. <HI>The male, and his female. Gen.</HI> 7.2.</P>
<P N="4">4. For an husband. <HI>She gave al&s;o unto her Husband. Gen.</HI> 3.6.</P>
<P N="5">5. For an excellent man for &s;trength, or nobility. <HI>Art not thou a valiant man?</HI> 1 Sam. 26.15. Heb. <HI>Art not thou a man?</HI> Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e for a man oppo&s;ed to a bea&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>And chu&s;e none of his waies.</HI> Do not do wickedly, as hee doth, that thou mai&s;t be as rich as he. Although &s;ome of his e|vill waies may be fairly covered over with vizards, that the evill of them may not be &s;een, or be more gainfull then other, yet &s;hew, that thou ha&s;t more wi&s;dom, then to prefer any way above good waies, or to chu&s;e one wicked way, though thou refu&s;e other, for they are all to be refu&s;ed. Regard not worldly wickedne&s;&s;e joyned with greatne&s;&s;e, neither bee wicked as they are, that thou mai&s;t be great as they are. Be not allured by the ungodly mans example, however he &s;peed in the world, to follow him in the &s;ame &s;teps. For as wicked mens pro&s;perity makes other men to envy them at the fir&s;t, &s;o it makes them to imitate them at la&s;t, that they may be rich al&s;o. For <HI>chu&s;e,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.29. For <HI>None,</HI> or <HI>Not any,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13. on the word <HI>All.</HI> For <HI>Waies,</HI> &s;ee on Chap. 1.15.</P>
<P><HI>Figures.</HI> A Metaphor in the word <HI>waies.</HI> Men that oppre&s;&s;e, do not now and then do an unju&s;t action, but walk on con|&s;tantly in &s;uch cour&s;es to their death, as travellers do in their way; till they come to their journies end. Two &s;ins are here forbidden
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Envying of evill rich men.</ITEM>
<PB N="532" REF="265">
<ITEM>2. Imitating of them. In the fir&s;t, note</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. The Sin forbidden. <HI>Envy not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object. <HI>The oppre&s;&s;our.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Sin forbidden. <HI>And chu&s;e not.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Object. <HI>Any of his waies.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Many live by oppre&s;&s;ing others. So vild bea&s;ts and great birds and fi&s;hes live on the weaker, and &s;maller; <HI>By rea|&s;on of the multitude of the oppre&s;&s;ions they make the oppre&s;&s;ed to cry. Job.</HI> 35.9. <HI>I con&s;idered all the oppre&s;&s;ions, that are done under the Sun.</HI> Eccl. 4.1.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e it is an ea&s;ie way of living, when men need not work them&s;elves, but make others to work for them, as men go ea&s;ily in a Coach, or by water, where they &s;it &s;till, and others work: but it is harder, and more weari&s;om to go on foot.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it is a profitable way, for many things may be gotten by indirect waies, that cannot by lawfull means. There may be cou&s;enage in Wares, Weights, Titles, and many o|ther waies, that few can prevent, for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o man is exerci&s;ed in all trades. And it is an ea&s;ie thing for a skilfull &s;eller to co&s;en an unskilfull buyer. It is the ones trade, not the others. And trades are called my&s;teries, as having many &s;ecrets in them concealed from others.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Marvail not, that &s;o many complain of injuries, and wrongs. Where there are many &s;uits, there is much injury. And where there are many oppre&s;&s;ours, there are many op|pre&s;&s;ed. There are many wor&s;hippers of Mammon in the World, and all his wor&s;hip is fal&s;e wor&s;hip.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men may grow rich by oppre&s;&s;ion. <HI>They covet fields, and take them by violence, and hou&s;es, and take them away: &s;o they oppre&s;&s;e a man, and his hou&s;e, even a man, and his heritage. Mic.</HI> 2.2. <HI>Some remove the land-marks, they violently take a|way flocks, and feed thereof.</HI> Job 24.2. &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they quickly get away a great part of o|ther mens e&s;tates. A poor man may labour long to get a little. An oppre&s;&s;our &s;weeps a way much at once.</P>
<P N="2">2. They get all away from others, and great heirs are often|times wiped by them of all they have. That which is true of poor oppre&s;&s;ours, is al&s;o true of many rich ones, who never
<PB N="533" REF="265">think them&s;elves rich enough, <HI>Like a &s;weeping rain, they leave no food Chap.</HI> 28.3.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed of oppre&s;&s;ion. If there were no bait, no bird, nor fi&s;h would meddle with an hook. If no gain, no man would oppre&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Such as grow rich by oppre&s;&s;ion mu&s;t not be envied by us. <HI>David</HI> the Father, and <HI>Solomon</HI> the Son joyn in this in|&s;truction. <HI>Solomon</HI> here in the text. <HI>David</HI> in the P&s;almes. <HI>Fret not thy &s;elf becau&s;e of evill doer, neither be thou envious again&s;t the workers of iniquity. P&s;al.</HI> 37.1. <HI>A&s;aph</HI> confe&s;&s;es his fault, <HI>I was envious at the fooli&s;h, when I &s;aw the pro&s;perity of the wicked. P&s;al.</HI> 73.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e hereby we &s;hall wrong God, and cen|&s;ure his proceedings, as dealing better with bad men, then with good, whereas wee &s;hould acknowledge Gods wi&s;dome in it, who gives the be&s;t things, as the graces of his &s;pirit to good men, and riches, which will peri&s;h, hee gives often to bad men. Heaven he gives to godly men, and the world to ungodly. Fathers make them fare harder then &s;trangers, for whom they provide an inheritance. Hereby he &s;hews, that grace is good, &s;in evill, and riches of a middle condition, good, or bad, as they are u&s;ed. <HI>Haec bona ne putentur mala, dantur &amp; bonis, ac rur&s;us, ne putentur &s;umma, dantur &amp; malis. Item auferuntur i&s;ta bonis, ut probentur, &amp; malis, ut cru|cientur. August. Epi&s;t.</HI> 7. <HI>The&s;e good things, that they may not be thought evill, are given to good men al&s;o, and that they may not be thought the chiefest good things, are given to evill men al&s;o. Again, the&s;e things are taken away from good men, that they may be proved, and from bad men, that they may be vexed.</HI> And what art thou, that by thy envy, and di&s;content cen&s;ure&s;t the deep wi&s;dom of God?</P>
<P N="2">2. We &s;hall condemn the generation of the righteous, and think wickne&s;&s;e better then goodne&s;&s;e. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73.15.</P>
<P N="3">3. We do not con&s;ider the end of the&s;e men, that <HI>God doth &s;et them in &s;lippery places, and will ca&s;t them down into destructi|on. P&s;al.</HI> 73.17.18. Gods cur&s;e will eat out all their &s;ub&s;tance. <HI>Mal&egrave; parta, mal&egrave; dilabuntur. Ill gotten goods are ill &s;pent. De mal&eacute; quae&s;itis non gaudet tertius haeres. Of ill gotten goods the third heir never joyes.</HI> If they that get them, &s;pend them not, their children will. The world runs upon wheeles. A cove|tous
<PB N="534" REF="266">Father begets a prodigall Son. He that knows not with what pains it was got, knows with what ea&s;e it may be &s;pent. Had&s;t thou rather have riches, that will end in poverty, or po|verty, that will end in riches? No great witneedfull to chu&s;e, yet envious per&s;ons &s;hew them&s;elves fooles in chu&s;ing the wor&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. We look not at the great account they have to give for getting their goods by oppre&s;&s;ion, for deteining relief from the poor, or for prodigall &s;pending what they have gotten by oppre&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let this pull down our &s;pirits, that they ri&s;e not up a|gain&s;t rich oppre&s;&s;ours. Nature thru&s;ts us forward to envy. <HI>Do ye think the Scripture &s;aith in vain, The &s;pirit that dwelleth in us, lu&s;teth to envy? Jam.</HI> 4.5. Wee think we are as good as they, and why &s;hould we not fare as well? The Heathen man could &s;ee this fault in morall men: <HI>Socrates</HI> being asked, what was mo&s;t trouble&s;ome to good men? an&s;wered, The pro&s;peri|ty of wicked men. And grace cannot keep this envy alwaies out of good men, as was &s;hewed before out of <HI>A&s;aphs</HI> ca&s;e in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73. who &s;hews by his own experience, what force there is in bad mens pro&s;perity to trouble good mens minds; and how perilous this trouble is to pervert their waies, as appears in that P&s;alm at large. It is no ea&s;ie thing then for good men to behold the pro&s;perity of bad men without vexation. Take heed therefore of this envy; wilt thou envy a Porter, or an A&s;&s;e, that carries heavy burdens of gold and &s;ilver, but is never the better for it in the end? wilt thou envy a viper, or a &s;er|pent, that is full of poy&s;on? So riches prove to wicked men through their corruption. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t.</HI> in <HI>Rom. Hom.</HI> 7.44.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Doct.</HI> The Devill hath more waies then one to undo us. If he cannot get good men to envy at the pro&s;perity of rich men, he will get bad men to follow their evill waies. Hee had three temptations for Chri&s;t. <HI>Math.</HI> 4. Many &s;nares of per&s;ecu|tion for <HI>Paul.</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e he works according to mens predomi|nant affections. He draws proud men to envy others, covetous men to imitate the waies of rich worldlings, angry men to revenge, loo&s;e men to wantonne&s;&s;e. So hee puts fuell to the fire, which quickly takes.</P>
<PB N="535" REF="266">
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of his long experience in temptation for five thou&s;and years. If a &s;ouldier could live &s;o long, hee would be very skilfull.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Be alwaies &s;u&s;picious, and watchfull. Hee that goes where many blocks are, or &s;nares, had need look to his feet. A &s;nake may bee among ro&s;es. A &s;nare among&s;t the be&s;t things.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Doct.</HI> Men are ready naturally to follow bad examples. So bad men do. <HI>From the &s;ins of</HI> Jeroboam <HI>the Son of</HI> Nebat, <HI>who made</HI> I&s;rael <HI>to &s;in,</HI> Jehu <HI>departed not.</HI> 2 King. 10.29. So good men do. <HI>Peters di&s;&s;imulation carries away the other Jews, and Barnabas al&s;o.</HI> Gal. 2.13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e of the corruption of nature, which re|mains in the be&s;t. Many di&s;po&s;itions not &s;o bad as others are ruined by following others.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e in tho&s;e waies there is gain, plea&s;ure, or &s;afety. And all men look after &s;ome of the&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;et good examples before us, even the be&s;t, and be a&s;hamed to follow tho&s;e, that are wor&s;e then our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Doct.</HI> None of the oppre&s;&s;ours waies mu&s;t be imitated, no not the mo&s;t cleanly, plea&s;urable or profitable. One would think, it were &s;afe to follow a multitude in evill; yet that is forbidden. <HI>Exod.</HI> 23.2. <HI>He that followeth vain per&s;ons, is void of understanding.</HI> Prov. 12.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e their waies, though never &s;o plea&s;ing to them&s;elves, are perver&s;e, and cro&s;&s;e to all men. They care not whom they wrong, &s;o they &s;atisfie their own lu&s;ts.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e their waies are de&s;tructive. They undo many, and will lead us clo&s;ely to hell, though men may approve of them.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Regard not worldly greatne&s;&s;e joyned with wicked|ne&s;&s;e, and be not wicked as others are, that thou mai&s;t be great as they are. Tho&s;e waies may bring plea&s;ure, or gain, and be cunningly carried, &s;o that no man can &s;ee the iniquity of them, but God &s;ees it, and will take plea&s;ure to ruine them, whom men cannot ruine.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="536" REF="267">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 32.</BIBL> For the froward is an abomination io the Lord: but his &s;ecret is with the righteous.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE rea&s;ons that follow to the end of the Chapter are by &s;ome writers applyed to the former precepts. <HI>ver.</HI> 27. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> To wit, that we &s;hould not any way wrong our neighbour, becau&s;e God will revenge it. Others tie them to <HI>ver.</HI> 31. as rea&s;ons why we &s;hould neither envy nor imitate oppre&s;&s;ours, becau&s;e God hates them. Rather follow good men, whom God loves, and to whom he reveales his &s;ecrets, and &s;hews them, what mi&s;ery he will bring on rich oppre&s;&s;ours. In this ver&s;e and tho&s;e which follow there is a fourfold oppo&s;ition be|tween good men, and bad &s;et forth by divers names, cur&s;es, and ble&s;&s;ings. The names, <HI>Froward,</HI> oppo&s;ed to <HI>righteous; Wick|ed</HI> to <HI>just; Scornrs</HI> to <HI>lowly; Wi&s;e</HI> to <HI>fooles;</HI> The cur&s;es, and ble&s;&s;ings. <HI>Gods abominating</HI> to <HI>reveiling his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">. His cur&s;e on the family;</HI> to <HI>his ble&s;&s;ing on it; Scorning,</HI> to <HI>giving grace; Inheri|ting glory</HI> to <HI>&s;hame.</HI></P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>For.</HI> A rea&s;on of what went before. Envy them not, nor follow them, for theirs is but &s;eeming felicity, God abhors them, and will certainly puni&s;h them. Do not thou lo&s;e thy labour. God will break them to pieces. Therfore thou had&s;t more need to pitty them, then to envy them, or chu&s;e any of their waies. For <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P><HI>The froward.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.15. Here it may well be under&s;tood of the oppre&s;&s;our mentioned. <HI>ver.</HI> 31. For &s;uch are contentious per&s;ons, and common barators.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>An abhomination.</HI> Extreamly hated, as hatred it &s;elf. Not onely hated, but abominated, as a &s;tinking carca&s;e, that we cannot endure near us. It &s;ignifies a thing, which offends the &s;en&s;es, from which men turn away ears, eyes, no&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> It &s;hews Gods utter di&s;like of the ungodly. <HI>Lo, &s;hall we &s;a|crifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?</HI> Exod. 8.26.</P>
<P><HI>To the Lord.</HI> Heb. <HI>Of the Lord.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.17.</P>
<PB N="537" REF="267">
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>His &s;ecret.</HI> Some under&s;tand it of that &s;ecret, that God in|tends to de&s;troy the oppre&s;&s;ours, though he let them thrive for a time. Others of the way to Heaven, which is a &s;ecret to the world. Others of &s;ecret con&s;olation. Though they meet with troubles abroad, God gives them &s;tore of comfort within. Others of Gods protection in times of trouble. They have Gods &s;ecret place, wherein to hide them, till the &s;torm be over. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 91.1. But the beginning of this ver&s;e by way of oppo&s;ition, and the next ver&s;e by way of expo&s;ition &s;hews, that it is a de&s;cription of friend&s;hip, and that God is &s;poken of after the manner of men, who di&s;like &s;ome men &s;o much, that they will not admit them to &s;ecret famili|arity, nor tru&s;t them with any private bu&s;ine&s;&s;e: but they love others &s;o well, that they will often conver&s;e in private, and communicate their &s;ecret intentions to them. So God hates and cur&s;es evill men: but loves, and ble&s;&s;es good men. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies</P>
<P>A &s;ecret. A thing kept from others. <HI>The &s;ecret of the Lord is with them that fear him.</HI> P&s;al. 25.14.</P>
<P N="2">2. A plot devi&s;ed privily to bring mi&s;chief on others, which is commonly kept &s;ecret, le&s;t it &s;hould be prevented. <HI>O my &s;oul come not thou into their &s;ecret. Gen.</HI> 49.6.</P>
<P N="3">3. An a&s;&s;embly of men, that lay their heads together to con|&s;ult, for &s;uch con&s;ultations u&s;e to be carried in &s;ecret. <HI>I will pour it out upon the a&s;&s;embly of young men together.</HI> Ier. 6.11. Here it is taken in the fir&s;t &s;en&s;e. He acquaints them with what he keeps &s;ecret from others.</P>
<P><HI>With the righteous.</HI> Such as fret not at the pro&s;perity of wicked men, or rather &s;uch as do not imitate them in op|pre&s;&s;ing others, but deal ju&s;tly with all men. For the word &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.21.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>An abomination</HI> for <HI>an abominable thing.</HI> The ad|junct for the &s;ubject.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The portion of the wicked.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of the godly. In the former ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of coherence. <HI>For.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Subject. <HI>The froward.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Adjunct. <HI>Is an abomination.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Object. <HI>To the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="538" REF="268">
<P>In the latter note.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of oppo&s;ition. <HI>But.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Adjunct. <HI>His &s;ecret.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Object. <HI>Is with the righteous.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> There is a great difference between the condition of a good man and of a bad. This is &s;hewed at large. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1. and <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 33. all over. It is al&s;o proved by the particulars in the text, and after it.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e God loves the one, and hates the other. And this appears in that he communicates his &s;ecrets unto the one, as to friends, but conceals them from the other, as from ene|mies in this ver&s;e. And</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e he cur&s;es the wicked, and bla&s;ts all their endea|vours, and ble&s;&s;es the other in all they do enjoy. <HI>ver.</HI> 33. wicked mens comforts are cur&s;ed, and godly mens cro&s;&s;es are ble&s;&s;ed to them.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e he &s;cornes, and contemns ungodly men; but he favours all that are godly. <HI>ver.</HI> 34. Now his favour is better then life, his anger wor&s;e then death.</P>
<P N="4">4. Hee prefers godly men to glory, that will la&s;t for ever: but hee &s;ends the wicked a&s;hamed to Hell. <HI>ver.</HI> 35.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Labour with <HI>Mary</HI> to chu&s;e the better part. Who would not rather be in a low condition with his Princes favour, that can rai&s;e him, then in an high one with his anger, that can pull him down, when he will?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God hates ungodly men. <HI>They that are of a froward heart, are an abomination to the Lord. Chap.</HI> 11.20. <HI>The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Chap.</HI> 15.9.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e though men flatter, and commend them, yet God alwaies &s;peaks ill of them, and their waies, and hee alwaies &s;peaks, as he thinkes. Hee will not &s;peak ill of them he likes, nor well of them hee likes not. Hee cannot di&s;&s;emble.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e hee is re&s;olved to ruine all that live and die wicked. Men prefer and &s;et up wicked men for their own ends: but if God do prefer them in the world, it is but to ruine them for ever. <HI>Tolluntur in altum, ut lap&s;u graviore ruant. They are lifted on high, that they may have the heavier fall.</HI></P>
<PB N="539" REF="268">
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Contemne the pro&s;perity of wicked men, for God will certainly ruine them, notwith&s;tanding their wealth.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> God intimatly loves godly men. <HI>The mercy of the Lord is from everla&s;ting to everla&s;ting upon them that love him. P&s;al.</HI> 103.17. <HI>The Lord loveth the righteous P&s;al</HI> 106.8.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1 Becau&s;e he communicates his &s;ecrets to them; as in the text. Where Gods &s;ecret is, there is his heart, yea him|&s;elf. He makes them of his privy coun&s;ell. <HI>I have called you friends, for all things, that I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you. Ioh.</HI> 15.15.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e he will have them with him for ever in Heaven: and wee love them well, whom wee de&s;ire never to part withall.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let us be godly, that we may be great in Gods books. No matter then, though the world count us ba&s;e, afflict, and oppre&s;&s;e us. God will make us of his coun&s;ell here, and hap|py for ever. <HI>P&s;at.</HI> 73.24.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VERSE 33.</BIBL> The cur&s;e of the Lord is in the hou&s;e of the wickeed: but he ble&s;seth the habitation of the just.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IT might be objected again&s;t the former <HI>ver.</HI> that it doth not appear, that God lothes wicked men, and loves good men, for he makes evill men rich, when better men are poor. <HI>Solomon</HI> an&s;wers in this ver&s;e, that it may &s;o come to pa&s;&s;e &s;ometimes, but yet, the plenty of evill men carries Gods cur&s;e with it, which, like a moth, eats it up, and the want of good men carries Gods ble&s;&s;ing with it, which brings com|fortable &s;upply. So he confirms the former propo&s;ition by the effects of Gods hatred, and love.</P>
<P>Fore the words.</P>
<P><HI>The cur&s;e.</HI> His plagues, and judgements are threatned, and prepared, and in time &s;hall be executed on them. Some un|der&s;tand it of want, and the ble&s;&s;ing, of plenty; for the one is threatned to the wicked, the other promi&s;ed to the godly in the Law. Gods cur&s;e will bring the wicked rich man to po|verty, and his ble&s;&s;ing will bring the poor godly man to plen|ty.
<PB N="540" REF="269">This God often doth, but not alwaies: therefore the for|mer interpretation is better.</P>
<P><HI>Of the Lord.</HI> Sent by the Lord. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>Is in the hou&s;e.</HI> Though it bee never &s;o &s;tately a Palace: yea, on all in his hou&s;e, as wife, children, goods, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P><HI>Of the wicked.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>He ble&s;&s;eth.</HI> His good providence watcheth over it for good. The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifyeth</P>
<P N="1">1. To bow the knee. <HI>Solomon kneeled down upon his knees.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 6.13.</P>
<P N="2">2. To ble&s;&s;e. <HI>Ble&s;&s;e the Lord, O my &s;oul. P&s;al.</HI> 103.1.</P>
<P N="3">3. To cur&s;e. <HI>It may be, that my &s;ons have &s;inned, and cur&s;ed God in their hearts.</HI> Iob 1.5. Here it is taken in the &s;econd &s;en&s;e for ble&s;&s;ing, as it is tran&s;lated. Yet not for Verball ble&s;&s;|ing, as wee ble&s;&s;e God; but for a reall one, as hee ble&s;&s;eth us. <HI>I will ble&s;&s;e thee, and make thy name great, and thou &s;halt be a ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Gen. 12.2.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The habitation.</HI> The word &s;ignifies a &s;hepheards Cotage, and is u&s;ed al&s;o for any hou&s;e. If a godly man have but a poor Cottage, yet Gods ble&s;&s;ings &s;hall be on him, and on all his in it.</P>
<P><HI>Of the just.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.20. on the word <HI>Righteous.</HI></P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Hou&s;e,</HI> and <HI>Habitation</HI> for the dwellers in them. As, <HI>The Lord ble&s;&s;ed Obed Edom, and all his hou&s;hold.</HI> 2. <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.11. The &s;ubject place for the adjunct.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> 1. The extent of Gods cur&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of his ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Author. <HI>Of the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Action. <HI>The cur&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Object. <HI>Is in the hou&s;e of the wicked.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Author. <HI>But he.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Act. <HI>Ble&s;&s;eth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Object. <HI>The habitation of the just.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods cur&s;e is on wicked men, in all their waies. See <HI>Levit.</HI> 26.14. <HI>&amp;c. Deut.</HI> 28.15. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e their poverty, lo&s;&s;es, and cro&s;&s;es are not
<PB N="541" REF="269">trialls as the afflictions of Gods people are, but beginnings of &s;orrows, and an earne&s;t of Hell, a&s;&s;urances, that they &s;hall have no true comfort here, nor hereafter</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e their wealth and outward comforts are turned in to cur&s;es; In enjoying them they meet with many cro&s;&s;es in wives, children, &s;ervants; and are forced &s;ometimes to wi&s;h their wealth in the bottom of the Sea. In lo&s;ing them they meet with much &s;orrow, and cannot bear want &s;o well as they that never were rich. Gods cur&s;e con&s;umes wealth, hou&s;e, meat, drink, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Strumpets never are rich, though they have great gifts. Deceitfull trade&s;men often break. The u&s;es may be taken out of <HI>ver.</HI> 31.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>&V;&s;e.</HI> Envy not thou their worldly pro&s;perity. Would&s;t thou have their riches with Gods cur&s;es? It will weigh thee down to Hell.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>U&s;e.</HI> Imitate not their wicked cour&s;es to get wealth. They may enrich you before the world; but they bring with them the &s;ting of Gods cur&s;e to ruine you for ever.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Gods ble&s;&s;ing is on godly men in all their doings. See <HI>Levit.</HI> 26.3, <HI>&amp;c. Deut.</HI> 28.1. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e if they have but little, yet they have con|tent with it, which wicked rich men have not with all their wealth. And he that hath content, hath enough in a journey. He may look for plenty when he comes home.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e God will turn his poverty into plenty, if he &s;ee it fit for him.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Embrace good waies. What can&s;t thou have more, then Gods ble&s;&s;ing, which brings content in the way, and happi|ne&s;&s;e in the end?</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Whole families may fare better, or wor&s;e for good, or bad Governours. <HI>Obed-Edom</HI> was a godly man, and entertained the Ark of God, <HI>and the Lord ble&s;&s;ed</HI> Obed-Edom, <HI>and all his hou&s;hold.</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.11. <HI>The Lord give mercy to the hou&s;e of</HI> One&s;iphorus: <HI>for he oft refre&s;hed me, and was not a&s;hamed of my chain.</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.16. <HI>David</HI> had like to have de&s;troyed all the males of <HI>Nabals</HI> family for their Ma|&s;ters churli&s;hne&s;&s;e. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25.22.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e under good Governours they have good example to encourage them to do well, and good in&s;truction to &s;hew them, how to do well. <HI>Happy are thy men, happa are
<PB N="542" REF="270">the&s;e thy &s;ervants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wi&s;dom,</HI> &s;aith the Queen of <HI>Sheba</HI> to <HI>Solomon.</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 10.8. And under bad Governours they have bad example, and coun&s;ell.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e although they &s;hould not regard either the one, or the other, yet God pro&s;pers them outwardly for their Go|vernours &s;ake &s;ometimes, as <HI>Cham</HI> fared well in the Ark for <HI>Noahs</HI> &s;ake, and the pri&s;oners fared well, while <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> guided there. So did they that lived in <HI>Abrahams, I&s;aacs, Jacobs, Da|vids, Solomons</HI> family. And on the contrary, &s;ervants may &s;uffer for bad Ma&s;ters, as <HI>Nabals</HI> innocent &s;ervants had done, if God in mercy to them had not pacified <HI>Davids</HI> ra&s;h anger by <HI>Abigails</HI> wi&s;e coun&s;ell.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed of living in bad families, and get into &s;uch, as have godly Governours. <HI>There is a ble&s;&s;ing in it, as in the clu&s;ter on the Vine. I&s;a.</HI> 65.8. <GAP DESC="foreign">: <HI>The Gods are within al&s;o,</HI> &s;aid the Philo&s;oper of his poor cottage. Much more may the &s;ervants of the true God &s;ay, in who&s;e hou&s;es God him|&s;elf dwells, and <HI>in who&s;e hou&s;es are Churches of God.</HI> Philem. ver. 2. Their cottages are better to dwell in, then royall Pa|laces. Dwell then in &s;uch with comfort, and expect Gods ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 34.</BIBL> Surely he &s;corneth the &s;corners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>GODS &s;everity again&s;t all kind of &s;inners was declared before. Now he &s;hews, that God hath a &s;peciall quarrell again&s;t &s;corners, and mockers at Gods word, and admoniti|ons, his promi&s;es, and threatnings, his &s;ervice, and &s;ervants. Wicked men deride tho&s;e, that tru&s;t to Gods promi&s;es, or fear his threats: therefore God &s;cornes them. Here are many names for wicked men; Froward, wicked, &s;corners, fooles. Many for good men; righteous, ju&s;t, lowly, wi&s;e. Many evills threat|ned to the one, abomination, cur&s;e, &s;corn, &s;hame. Many good things promi&s;ed to the other, as knowledge of Gods &s;ecrets, his ble&s;&s;ing, favour, glory.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>Surely.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies</P>
<PB N="543" REF="270">
<P N="1">1. If. <HI>If it be afore.</HI> Exod. 1.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. It notes a que&s;tion. <HI>Am I a Sea?</HI> Job 7.12.</P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;ignifies when. <HI>When he went in unto his brothers wi&s;e.</HI> Gen. 38.9.</P>
<P N="4">4. Though. <HI>Though thou detain me. Iudg.</HI> 13.6.</P>
<P N="5">5. Seth, or, Seeing. <HI>But fith ye &s;ay.</HI> Jer. 23.38.</P>
<P N="6">6. Surely. <HI>Surely your turning of things up&s;ide down. &amp;c.</HI> I&s;a. 29.16. So here. And then it may come from <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>truth,</HI> the la&s;t letter being lo&s;t. And &s;o our Saviour &s;aith in a like word made Greek. <HI>Amen, Amen. Verily, verily</HI> Ioh. 1.51.</P>
<P><HI>He &s;corneth the &s;corners.</HI> See on Chap. 16. upon the word, <HI>In|terpretation.</HI> God lightly e&s;teems of tho&s;e, that &s;et light of his Ordinances, and &s;coffe at religion. And &s;ometimes he &s;hews them, that they are deluded by puni&s;hing them openly, and giving them over to be&s;corned by others, as <HI>he poureth contempt upon Princes.</HI> Iob 12.21.</P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>He giveth.</HI> See on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.4.</P>
<P><HI>Grace.</HI> Re&s;pect from him&s;elf, and men, as on the contrary, he &s;cornes proud per&s;ons, and makes men contemn them al&s;o. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.19.</P>
<P><HI>Unto the lowly.</HI> The&s;e are fitly oppo&s;ed to &s;corners, who are proud. <HI>Proud and haughty &s;corner is his name. &amp;c.</HI> Chap. 21.24. Some read, <HI>to the poor.</HI> For &s;uch are often lowly, when rich men prove proud &s;corners. <HI>Our &s;oul is exceedingly filled with the &s;corning of tho&s;e, that are at ea&s;e, and with the contempt of the proud.</HI> P&s;al. 123.4. But the former reading is better, for poor men are not alwaies lowly, nor rich men proud &s;corners.</P>
<P>Figures none. <HI>Note.</HI> 1. Gods oppo&s;ition to the &s;corners.</P>
<P N="2">2. His favour to the lowly.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of a&s;&s;urance. <HI>Surely.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The per&s;on. <HI>He.</HI> God &s;cornes them.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Act. <HI>Scorneth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Object. <HI>The &s;corners.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd note.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The word of oppo&s;ition. <HI>But.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Act. <HI>Giveth.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="544" REF="271">
<ITEM>3. The Object of the thing, <HI>Grace.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The object of the per&s;on, <HI>Unto the lowly.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. Wicked men are called by divers bad names in &s;cripture, and good men by divers good. It appears in the la&s;t ver&s;es of this Chapter, where ungodly men are called fro|ward, wicked, &s;corners, fooles, names of di&s;grace, and good men are called righteous, ju&s;t, lowly, wi&s;e, names of credit: So in other places, ungodly men are called <HI>Goats, Math.</HI> 25.33. <HI>Dogs, Swine,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.22. <HI>Foxes, Cant.</HI> 2.15. Good men are called <HI>Gods peculiar trea&s;ure, P&s;al.</HI> 135.8. <HI>His jewels, Mal.</HI> 3.17. <HI>His Sheep, Math.</HI> 25.33. <HI>His &s;ons, Gen.</HI> 6.2.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God thinks no one name bad enough to &s;et out his di&s;like of wicked men, nor good enough, to &s;et out his delight in good men.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e there are many vices in evill men, and many vertues wrought by God in good men; yet one is predominant: we &s;ay, one man is cholerick, though he have other humors, becau&s;e that prevailes: So among wicked, &s;ome are froward to men, others are impious towards God, others &s;corners of piety, others fooli&s;h in their waies: Among good men, &s;ome are more righteous and ju&s;t, &s;ome more lowly or wi&s;e then others, and &s;ome of the&s;e names may fit one good man, and &s;ome another.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Seeing God declares his hatred of &s;inners, and love of Godly men by &s;o many &s;everall names, let us learn to &s;hew our di&s;like of the one, and love of the other, by &s;everall waies. <HI>In our eyes let a vile per&s;on be contemned, but let us ho|nour them that fear the Lord. P&s;al.</HI> 15.4. It becomes a Citizen of the heavenly <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> to be affected like God. If <HI>Aha|&s;huero&s;h</HI> honour <HI>Mordecas,</HI> he expects the people &s;hould do it too, and therefore &s;hews him in &s;tate to the people, with a proclamation&punc; <HI>Thus &s;hall it be done to the man whom the King will honour. Es<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 6.9. If he will di&s;grace <HI>Haman,</HI> his &s;ervants at the fir&s;t word cover his face: <HI>As the word went out of the Kings mouth, they covered</HI> Haman<HI>'s face. Est.</HI> 7.8. So &s;hould we honour tho&s;e whom God honours, and lightly e&s;teem of others.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. God &s;ets light by proud &s;cornfull men. <HI>If thou &s;cornest, thou alone &s;halt bear it Chap.</HI> 9.12. <HI>He that &s;itteth in the &s;eat of the &s;cornfull, God will make him like the chaffe, which the wind driveth away. P&s;al.</HI> 1.1, 4.</P>
<PB N="545" REF="271">
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God hath more rea&s;on to &s;corn them, then they to &s;corn others: There is more difference between God, and the wi&s;e&s;t, riche&s;t, &s;tronge&s;t man in the world, then is between him, and the fooli&s;he&s;t, poore&s;t, weake&s;t creature in the world.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e nothing is more ju&s;t, then <HI>lex talionis, the law of requital.</HI> It was the Magi&s;trats rule in the Law, <HI>Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, &amp;c. Exod.</HI> 21.22, 23. <HI>Adonibezeck</HI> acknowledges it, <HI>As I have done, &s;o God hath requitted me. Judg.</HI> 1.7. So <HI>with the froward, thou wilt &s;hew thy &s;elfe froward. P&s;al.</HI> 18.26. And by proportion God will &s;corn &s;corners. This is a gla&s;&s;e to &s;hew &s;corners how ill it becomes them.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Take heed of &s;corning: If men dare not &s;et you as light as you &s;et them, God will. If your height make you de|&s;pi&s;e others, God will either bring you low in this world, or take you out of it, and &s;end you to hell, to &s;hew, that he &s;ets as light by you, as you do by others.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. God &s;hews great re&s;pect to humble men. <HI>He giveth grace unto the humble. Jam.</HI> 4.6.1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.5.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. He gives to &s;uch grace and favour in his own &s;ight. <HI>I will look to him that is poor, and of a contrite &s;pirit. I&s;a.</HI> 66.2. <HI>Nihil est tam Deo gratum qu&agrave;m &s;eip&s;um in po&s;tremis numerare. Chry&s;ost. Nothing is &s;o plea&s;ing to God, as for a man to reckon him&s;elfe among the meane&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e he makes them to find favour with men. <HI>Man&s;u|etude reddit hominem gratio&s;um non &s;ol&ugrave;m coram Deo. &s;ed etiam coram hominibus. Meekne&s;&s;e makes a man gratious, not only be|fore God, but al&s;o before men. Lyra.</HI></P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Bani&s;h all proud thoughts, and labour for true humi|lity; &s;uch are plea&s;ing both to God, and good men, and there|fore though evill men &s;corn them, they &s;hall be no lo&s;ers. Humility is both a grace, and a ve&s;&s;ell to receive grace. Men let the ve&s;&s;ell down into the water to fill it in a river: &s;o mu&s;t he that will find favour with God, lie down in the du&s;t, and cry, <HI>Non &s;um dignus, at &s;um indigen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. I am not worthy, but I am needy.</HI> He &s;hall then have cau&s;e to &s;ay, <HI>I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh on me. P&s;al.</HI> 40.17.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="546" REF="272">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>VER. 35.</BIBL> The wi&s;e &s;hall inherit glory, but &s;hame &s;hall be the promoti|on of fooles.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>HEre is the la&s;t motive to &s;tir us up to get wi&s;dome, and for&s;ake the waies of wickedne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e the one brings glory, the other &s;hame; and it is fitly knit to the former: for the humble, who are the only wi&s;e ones, go from grace to glory: and the proud &s;corner, who is the greate&s;t fool, &s;hall fall from honour to &s;hame. Seeing humble men are counted &s;imple, and proud men wi&s;e, and &s;in prefers many, and grace makes many contemned in the world, he therefore rai&s;es up the dejected heart of the one, and ca&s;ts down the proud &s;pi|rit of the other, by pronouncing the lowly wi&s;e, and the &s;corners fooles, and by promi&s;ing honour to the one, like to men in a ri&s;ing condition, and threatning di&s;grace to the other, as to men going down the wind. Glory followes fitly after grace, and &s;hame after &s;corning; for men honour tho&s;e they favour, and put them to &s;hame whom they &s;corn.</P>
<P>For the words.</P>
<P><HI>The wi&s;e.</HI> Godly men, who are wi&s;e indeed. For the word, &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.5.</P>
<P><HI>Shall inherit.</HI> Shall firmly injoy it for continuance, as chil|dren enjoy their inheritance left them by their parents: they &s;hall not have glory for a moment of time, but for ever, by an hereditary right. The Papi&s;ts bring merit out of this word, but it rather concludes the contrary, for no child de&s;erves his inheritance.</P>
<P><HI>Glory.</HI> They &s;hall be honoured by God and men. <HI>Lyra</HI> tells us, that the commentator on the fir&s;t book of the Ethicks (I &s;uppo&s;e he means <HI>Ari&s;totles</HI>) &s;aith, that reverence, honour, glory, exceed one another. I may reverence a man for any cau&s;e; yea, though it be but out of fear: but if I reverence a man for his vertue, then I give him honour, though it be in &s;ecret, and before a few: But when I commend him, or preferre him for vertue openly before many, then I give him glory, which is a cleer acknowledgment with prai&s;e: He addes, Wi&s;dome makes a man honorable before a multitude, not on|ly
<PB N="547" REF="272">in earth, but al&s;o in his heavenly country. For the word, &s;ee on ver&s;e 16. on the word <HI>Honour.</HI></P>
<P><HI>But.</HI> See on Chap. 2.22.</P>
<P><HI>Shame.</HI> Contempt from God and man, which may make them hold down their heads for &s;hame. As the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> that &s;ignifies <HI>glory,</HI> comes from a word that &s;ignifies <HI>weight,</HI> So the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> that &s;ignifies <HI>&s;hame,</HI> in the originall Text comes from a word that &s;ignifies <HI>lightne&s;&s;e:</HI> For as there is weight in true honour, &s;o nothing but emptine&s;&s;e in di&s;grace:</P>
<P><HI>Shall be the promotion of fooles.</HI> Shall be the greate&s;t honour wicked men can attain: They look for great honour by their wicked devices, but they &s;hall end in infamy. Others read, <HI>Fooles carry away &s;hame:</HI> they bear it away for their portion. And then it is a Noun plurall, with a Verb &s;ingular, inti|mating, that it is the portion of every fool. Others thus, <HI>Shame taketh away fooles.</HI> That is, de&s;troyeth them, and all their hope of good. Others thus, <HI>The exaltation of fooles is &s;hame.</HI> That is, their honour ruines them, becau&s;e they know not how to u&s;e it: The filthine&s;&s;e of their fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e mo&s;t ap|pears when they are exalted, as the deformity of the Apes buttocks appeares mo&s;t, when he climbs up on high. For <HI>fooles,</HI> &s;ee on <HI>Chap.</HI> 1.32.</P>
<P>Figures. <HI>Inherit.</HI> A metaphor: they &s;hall have it as &s;urely, as children their inheritance. <HI>Promotion.</HI> An hard metaphor, as <HI>&s;perare, to hope,</HI> for <HI>timere, to fear.</HI> Promotion for puni&s;h|ment. Note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The wi&s;e mans portion.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The fooles.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the fir&s;t, ob&s;erve
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The heir, <HI>The wi&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The act, <HI>Shall inherit.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>Glory.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the &s;econd, note
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The portion, <HI>But &s;hame.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The be&s;towing of it, <HI>Shall be the promotion.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The object, <HI>Of fooles.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1. God counts godly men wi&s;e, and wicked men fools. <HI>Fooles becau&s;e of their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion are afflicted. P&s;al.</HI> 107.17. <HI>The righteous &s;hall &s;ee it, and rejoyce. Who &s;o is wi&s;e, and will ob&s;erve tho&s;e things, &amp;c. P&s;al.</HI> 107.42 43. <HI>A wi&s;e man will
<PB N="548" REF="273">hear, and will increa&s;e learning. Chap,</HI> 1.5. <HI>Fooles de&s;pi&s;e wi&s;|dome. Chap.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e good men walk in the right way, which is a &s;ign of wi&s;dome: and wicked men mi&s;&s;e the way to happi|ne&s;&s;e, which is a &s;ign of folly.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e the former &s;peed well in the end, and that for ever, whereas wicked men like fooles, undoe them&s;elves eter|nally.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Let not us think our &s;elves wi&s;er then God. Let us e&s;teem &s;imple good men righteous, or right wi&s;e men, for &s;o the Saxons write it, and wicked men fooles, as Chri&s;t doth, though never &s;o worldly wi&s;e. <HI>Thou hast bid the&s;e things from the wi&s;e and prudent, and ha&s;t revealed them unto babes. Matth.</HI> 11.25.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> Honour is the wi&s;e mans inheritance. <HI>They that be wi&s;e &s;hall &s;hine, as the brightne&s;&s;e of the Firmament.</HI> Dan. 12.3.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. He hath a proper right to it, as the heir hath to his inheritance. Laws of men &s;ettle the one: Gods word who can perform it again&s;t all the world, &s;ettles the other. <HI>The Scriptures are able to make thee wi&s;e unto &s;alvation.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15.</P>
<P N="2">2. They have a perfect, and unque&s;tionable right given them by God, who is <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or of Heaven, and Earth.</HI> Gen. 14.19. And Gods gift is a &s;ure title. No creature can que&s;tion it: with this argument <HI>Jepthtah</HI> pleads again&s;t the King of the <HI>Ammonites, Wilt not thou po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e that which</HI> Chemo&s;h <HI>thy God giveth thee to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e? &s;o whom&s;oever the Lord our God &s;hall drive out from be|fore us, them will we po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e.</HI> Iudg. 11.24.</P>
<P N="3">3. They have it by perpetuall right, not for term of life one|ly, but for eternity in another world. Wicked men may get honour here, but they lo&s;e it for eternity when they die.</P>
<P N="4">4. They have a right to make u&s;e of all good re&s;pect from God, and men, both here, and hereafter.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Which of you would not have glory both in this world, and that which is to come? Hee that would not, let him live, and die with &s;hame, like a fool. He that would, let him &s;hew him&s;elf wi&s;e in knowing, and coming to God, and walking according to his will. Then will eternall glory follow him, as the &s;hadow doth the Sun.</P>
<PB N="549" REF="273">
<P N="3">3. <HI>Doct.</HI> Shame is the fooles preferment. <HI>My &s;ervants</HI> (who are wi&s;e) &s;hall rejoyce, but ye (fooli&s;h &s;inners (<HI>&s;hall be a&s;ha|med.</HI> I&s;a. 65.13.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e if they do get promotion, it is but a &s;hame to them, becau&s;e they know not how to u&s;e it: <HI>Stultus in gloria, &s;imia in purpura. Lapids. A fool in glory is an ape in purple.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e their glory ends in their temporall infamy &s;ome|times, but alwaies in eternall mi&s;ery. There &s;hall not be one fool in heaven.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Envy not wicked fooles. Shamefull promotion is good enough for them, unle&s;&s;e they were better. Honour here is a gibbet to &s;end them to Hell hereafter. <HI>Fret not thy &s;elf then becau&s;e of evill doers, neither be thou envious again&s;t the work|ers of iniquity. For they &s;hall &s;oon be cut down like the gra&s;&s;e: and wither as the green herb.</HI> P&s;al. 37.1, 2.</P>
<P><HI>Thus endeth the Expo&s;ition of</HI> Solomons <HI>Preface to his Proverbs. To God alone be glory through Je&s;us Chri&s;t for ever, and ever.</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="enclosed table">
<PB REF="274">
<PB REF="274">
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign"></HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Table of Hebrew words expounded in this Book.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> Chap. 1.8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.4.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.19.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.28.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.12.3.31.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.31.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.17.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> c. 1.10.3.24.34.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.11.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.11.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.21.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.16.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.26.3.26.31:</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.12.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.33.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.12.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.17.19.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.19.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.33.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.17.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.14.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.14.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.30.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.9.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.6.23.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.11.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.15.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.3.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.11.15.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.21.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.23.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.14.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">8.25.31.2.22.3.24.29.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.16.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.20.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> ch. 1.12.3.18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.20:</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.22.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.11.17.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.29.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.13.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.20.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.24.3.27.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.2.</ITEM>
<PB REF="275">
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.12.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.16.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.12.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.29.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign"></HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.19.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.9.17.2.3.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.14</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.17.3.17.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.19.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.17.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.22.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.4.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.3.19.2.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.5.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign"></HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.16.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.28.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.31.2.12</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.15.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.3.2.8.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign"></HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.23.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.33.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.24.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.16.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.12.16.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.11.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.15.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.14.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.32.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.27.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.14.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.17.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.21.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.28.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.14.3.27.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.31.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.29.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.25.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.4.22.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.20.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.27.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.35.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.31.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.21.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.15.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.23.</ITEM>
<PB REF="275">
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.16.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.20:</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.20.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.16.33.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.28.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.20.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.22.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.17.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.12.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.33.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.31.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.27.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.23.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.26.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.20.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.28.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.24.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.32.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.16.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.19.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.21.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.20.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.23.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.32.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 2.7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 3.10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><GAP DESC="foreign"> chap. 1.12.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="enclosed table">
<PB REF="276">
<PB REF="276">
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign"> A Table of the Do|ctrines ari&s;ing from the words.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD>A.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>ABle men are often unwilling to give to the poor.</HI> Chap. 3.28. Doct. 1. <HI>They are ready to excu&s;e their unwillingne&s;&s;e.</HI> Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Adulterers go downward.</HI> Chap. 2.18. Doct. 6. <HI>Hard for them to repent.</HI> Chap. 2.19. Doct. 1. <HI>Few do it.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Their de|&s;truction certain without repen|tance.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It is general al&s;o.</HI> Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Adultery condemned by many arguments.</HI> Chap. 2.17. Doct. 3. <HI>In a wife it is a great wrong to the husband.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>A &s;in a|gain&s;t God as well as again&s;t husbands.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>It brings many mi&s;eries.</HI> Chap. 2.18. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Afflictions make men &s;eek to God, who &s;lighted him before.</HI> Chap. 1.28. Doct. 1. <HI>They make men earne&s;t in prayer.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>They come from God.</HI> Chap. 8.11. Doct. 2. <HI>They are ordina|rily cha&s;ti&s;ements for &s;in.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>They mu&s;t not bee &s;lighted.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>They are for our cor|rection, and good.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>Wee mu&s;t not be weary of them</HI> Do. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Allurements to &s;in are no excu&s;e for &s;in.</HI> Chap. 1.15. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Arguments, or titles of love &s;hould often be repeated.</HI> Chap. 3.11. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>B.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Bad examples are very preva|lent by nature.</HI> Chap. 3.11. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Bad wayes preferred by &s;ome before good.</HI> Chap. 2.13. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Being of all creatures is from God.</HI> Chap. 1.7. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Benefit great of living under wi&s;e rulers.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 9.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Boldne&s;&s;e in all his affairs be|comes a wi&s;e man.</HI> Chap. 3.23. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Book of Proverbs of excellent u&s;e.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 1. ver. 2. <HI>In the beginning.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>C.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Carriage towards men requires many things.</HI> Chap. 2.9. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Cau&s;ele&s;&s;e contention is not ap|proved by God, or wi&s;e men.</HI> Ch. 3.30. Doct. 2. <HI>It is a great &s;inne.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Characters of wicked in Scrip|ture.</HI> Chap. 2.12. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Children mu&s;t obey, and believe Parents good coun&s;ells.</HI> Chap. 1.8. Doct. 4. <HI>They mu&s;t never be drawn from them.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>They
<PB REF="277">mu&s;t not &s;leight mothers coun&s;els.</HI> Doct. 7. <HI>They mu&s;t re&s;pect them as a law.</HI> Doct. <HI>This will bring them publick approbation.</HI> Chap. 1.9. Doct. 3. <HI>It will al&s;o bring them preferment.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>child|dren godly be&s;t memor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">all of Pa|rents.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 5. <HI>They &s;hould hearken to Parents good coun&s;ell, rather then to other bad.</HI> Chap. 1.15. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Communion of wicked men.</HI> Ch. 1.14. Doct. 1.4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Company in &s;in excu&s;es no man. man.</HI> Chap. 1.15. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Condition of a good man differs much from a bad mans.</HI> Chap. 3.32. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Confidence of good men is &s;afely placed on God.</HI> Ch. 3.26. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Con&s;cience mu&s;t be made of paying debts, and re&s;toring things lo&s;t.</HI> Chap. 3.17. Doct. 3. <HI>As al&s;o of other duties to men.</HI> Chap. 3.3. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Continuance in &s;in is dangerous.</HI> Chap. 1.15. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Corrections come from Gods love.</HI> Chap. 3.12 Doct. 3. <HI>Cor|rection and dilection may go to|gether.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Co&s;t for Gods &s;ervice mu&s;t be out of our own goods.</HI> Chap. 3.9. Doct. 3. <HI>Out of all our profit,</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>It enricheth men.</HI> Ch. 2.10. Doct. 2. <HI>It brings abun|dance of good things.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It brings provi&s;ions of all &s;orts.</HI> Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e makes men cruel.</HI> Chap. 1.11. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Coun&s;ell mu&s;t bee backt with rea&s;ons.</HI> Chap. 1.16. Doct. 1. <HI>If good, it is profitable to men in it &s;elf.</HI> Chap. 1.25. Doct. 1. <HI>Some will not take it.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Their condition dangerous.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It doth &s;uch no good.</HI> Chap. 2.1. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Creatures have a lawfull pow|er over their members.</HI> Chap. 1.17. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>D.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>David Author of the fourth, fifth, &s;ixth, &s;eventh, eighth, ninth. Chapters of the Proverbs.</HI> Ch. 1.1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Deceitfull, and covetous men will kill for gain.</HI> Chap. 1.19. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Delight in &s;in draws men from good waies to bad.</HI> Chap. 2.14. Doct. 2. <HI>It is found in many.</HI> Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Dependance on others a great hinderance to teachers.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 10.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>De&s;truction of wicked men &s;ud|den, and unexpected.</HI> Chap. 1.27. Doct. 1. <HI>Irre&s;i&s;tible.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Totall, and univer&s;all.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>Irrecoverable.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Mi&s;era|ble.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>Lamentable.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>De&s;truction comes on &s;uch, as hearken not to good coun&s;ell.</HI> Ch. 1.32. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Devills have more waies, then
<PB REF="277">one to undoe us.</HI> Chap. 3.31. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Difference great between a wi&s;e mans cour&s;e, and a fooles.</HI> Ch. 1.5. Doct. 7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Di&s;cretion mu&s;t be laboured for.</HI> Chap 1.4. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Di&s;cretion, and knowledge free me<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> from many enormities.</HI> Ch. 1.2. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Divine truths mu&s;t bee enqui|red into.</HI> Chap. 1.2. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Docible minds needfull.</HI> Chap. 2.1. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doing, paying, or giving what God appoints enricheth men.</HI> Ch. 3.10. Doct. 1</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Duties to men mu&s;t be perfor|med heartily.</HI> Chap. 3.3. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>E.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Ears mu&s;t be fir&s;t imployed in hearing.</HI> Chap. 2.2. Doct. 1. <HI>Without the heart they do no good.</HI> Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Earth &s;trangely upheld by God.</HI> Chap. 3.19. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Earth and water parted by God.</HI> Chap. 3.20. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>End of reading Scriptures &s;hould be alwaies before our eyes.</HI> Chap. 1.2. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Enti&s;ers will &s;et on men well bred.</HI> Chap. 1.10. Doct. 6. <HI>They cannot hurt us, if we con&s;ent not.</HI> Doct. 7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Entrance into &s;infull waies dangerous.</HI> Ch. 1.15. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Envying rich oppre&s;&s;ours a &s;in.</HI> Chap. 3.31. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Evill men intend to go through with their plots.</HI> Chap. 1.2. Doct. 3. <HI>They will invite others to their &s;ociety.</HI> Chap. 1.14. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Evill wa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es avoided a great ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Chap. 2.12. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Evill women dangerous.</HI> Chap. 2.16. Doct. 2. <HI>Very dangerous.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Conver&s;ing with them doth much hurt.</HI> Chap. 2.18. Doct. 1. <HI>The way to e&s;cape them is to keep out of their hou&s;es.</HI> Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Examples of piety may draw o|thers.</HI> Chap. 2.20. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>F.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Families may fare better or wor&s;e for Governours.</HI> Chap. 3.33. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fear of God cannot be without knowledge.</HI> Chap. 1.29. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fooli&s;h &s;oules are dead &s;ouls.</HI> Chap. 3.22. Doct.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>G.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Ga<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n cau&s;e of much mi&s;chiefe.</HI> Chap. 1, 13 Doct. 1. <HI>Much got by unlawful means.</HI> Chap. 1.14. Doct. 3. <HI>It draws many.</HI> Chap. 1.19. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gods love more worth then all the world.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 6 <HI>Gods people had need of govern|ment.</HI>
<PB REF="278">Chap. 1.1. Doct. 11. <HI>God gives rea&s;ons for his com|mands.</HI> Chap. 1.9. Doct. 1. <HI>He gives rewards for obeying them:</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>He is very de|&s;irous men &s;hould get heavenly wi&s;dome.</HI> Chap. 1.20. Doct. 3. <HI>He cals us to repentance ma|ny waies.</HI> Chap. 1.24. Doct. 3. <HI>He paies wicked men in their own kind.</HI> Chap. 1.26. Doct. 1. <HI>He will &s;hew him&s;elfe an enemy to ungodly men.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>He will pitty them no more, then &s;uch as laugh at men in their &s;orrows.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>He will ca&s;t their &s;ins in their teeth, in their mi&s;eries.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>He will not give ea&s;e to them that never call on him, but in trouble.</HI> Chap. 1.28. Doct. 3. <HI>At &s;ometime he will not be found of &s;ome men that &s;eek him earne&s;tly.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>He cleers him&s;elfe fully from guilt of mens de&s;truction.</HI> Chap. 1.29. Doct. 2. <HI>He is content to give a rea&s;on of his judg|ments.</HI> Chap. 1.32. Doct. 1. <HI>He mu&s;t be looked upon as the fountain of all being.</HI> Chap. 2.5. Doct. 4. <HI>He mu&s;t be eyed as mo&s;t powerful.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>He hath &s;tore of wi&s;dome.</HI> chap. 2.7. Doct. 1. <HI>He provides wi&s;dome for others.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>He will keep his from dangerous errors.</HI> Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>God will teach his how to carry them&s;elves towards men.</HI> Chap. 2.9. Doct. 2. <HI>He &s;pares good men &s;ometimes, when he cuts off bad.</HI> Chap. 2.21. Doct. 2. <HI>He oftentimes gives good men a com|fortable and quiet continuance in their habitations.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>He many times makes good men thrive upon earth.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>He puts a difference here between good and bad, &s;ometimes.</HI> Chap. 2.22. Doct. 1. <HI>He gives re|wards, though he need not.</HI> Chap. 3.2. Doct. 1. <HI>And tho&s;e plea&s;ing.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>and fit ones.</HI> Chap. 3.4. Doct. 2. <HI>He is the only ob|ject of &s;afe confidence.</HI> Chap. 3.5. Doct. 2. <HI>He mu&s;t be re&s;ted upon heartily.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>Entirely, and univer&s;ally.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>He is the chief director of our waies for good.</HI> Chap. 3.6. Doct. 6. <HI>He mu&s;t not lo&s;e his part of our fir&s;t profit.</HI> Chap. 3.9. Doct. 5. <HI>Nor of the be&s;t of our goods.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>He gives rea&s;ons of his proceedings.</HI> Chap. 3.12. Doct. 1. <HI>His proceedings may be &s;een in ours.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>All manner of wi&s;dome is in him.</HI> Chap. 3.19. Doct. 6. <HI>His great wi&s;dome ap|pears in parting earth and wa|ter.</HI> Chap. 3.20. Doct. 3. <HI>He made the clouds to hold a&s;cending vapours.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>He makes them &s;end down rain.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>And that &s;ea&s;onably, to &s;hew his wi&s;dome.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>He will pre|vent private plots again&s;t his people.</HI> Chap. 3.26. Doct. 3.
<PB REF="278"><HI>he hates ungodly men.</HI> Chap. 3.22. Doct. 2. <HI>He intimately loves good men.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>His cur&s;e is on wicked men in all their waies.</HI> Chap. 3.33. Doct. 1. <HI>His ble&s;&s;ing is on godly men in all their doings.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>He &s;ets light by proud &s;cornfull men.</HI> Chap. 3.34. Doct. 2. <HI>He &s;hews great re&s;pect to humble men.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>He counts godly men wi&s;e, and wicked men fooles.</HI> Chap. 3.35. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Godly life pre&s;erves health.</HI> Chap. 3.8. Doct. 1. <HI>Godly wi&s;e|men may go to bed without fear.</HI> Chap. 3.24. Doct. 2. <HI>Good go|vernours, great ble&s;&s;ings to a &s;tate.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 8. <HI>Good men need not fear any trouble.</HI> Chap. 1.33. Doct. 5. <HI>They &s;hould &s;eek to know their &s;piri|tuall condition.</HI> Chap. 2.7. Doct. 1. <HI>They &s;hould not think highly of them&s;elves.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>But meanly.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>They &s;hould nouri&s;h the fear of God in their &s;oules.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>They &s;hould take heed of every &s;in.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>Their life is a journey.</HI> Chap. 3.6. Doct. 1. <HI>They have many good actions to do.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>They mu&s;t look up to God for &s;trength.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>And that in all their actions.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>They have many good names in Scripture.</HI> Chap. 3.34. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Good things mu&s;t be done, as well as evill avoided.</HI> Chap. 2.20. Doct. 2. <HI>And that to them we owe nothing.</HI> Chap. 3.3. Doct. 3. <HI>They cannot too often be inculcated.</HI> Chap. 3.4. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>H</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Happine&s;&s;e is from God.</HI> Chap. 3.5. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Haters of knowledge are found in the world.</HI> Chap. 1.22. Doct. 6. <HI>Hearers &s;hould &s;hew great re|&s;pect to their teachers.</HI> Chap. 2.1. Doct. 2. <HI>Hearing divine truths without under&s;tanding, doth men no good.</HI> Chap. 1.2. Doct. 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Heavenly wi&s;dome de&s;pi&s;ed only by ignorant per&s;ons.</HI> Chap. 1.7. Doct. 6. <HI>It is worth the looking after.</HI> chap. 1.20. Doct. 1. <HI>It is to be found only in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It is offered to the meane&s;t.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>It hath a plain and ea&s;ie way to it.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It is of great price.</HI> Chap. 2.4. Doct. 1. <HI>It is far remote, and hidden from us.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Means of obtaining it mu&s;t be &s;earched for.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>They mu&s;t be u&s;ed.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>And with pains taking.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>And that con&s;tantly.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>Heavenly knowledge of all &s;orts is from God.</HI> Chap. 2.5. Doct. 4. <HI>Men are naturally void of it.</HI> Chap. 2.10. Doct. 1. <HI>It cannot be attained by our own &s;trength.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It mu&s;t come into the heart.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It is better then all outward riches.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Much plea&s;ure
<PB REF="279">and delight in it.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It will rai&s;e up a drooping &s;oul.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>Without it, men are &s;ubject to many dangers.</HI> Chap. 2.11. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Heavens, and heavenly creatures pre&s;erved by God in their motion.</HI> Chap. 3.19. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Health in our da<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es is a great ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Chap. 3.2. Doct. 4. Chap. 3.8. Doct. 2. <HI>Honour is given to God by our co&s;t for his &s;ervice.</HI> Chap. 2.9. Doct. 2. <HI>It is the wi&s;e mans inheritance.</HI> Chap. 3.35. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Hou&s;es of uncleanne&s;&s;e, are gate-hou&s;es of death.</HI> Chap. 2.18. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>I</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Jewels and pearles are of great account among&s;t men.</HI> chap. 3.15. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ignorant per&s;ons inexcu&s;able.</HI> chap. 1.21. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Imitation of good men, &s;afer then of bad.</HI> chap. 2.20. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Indu&s;try, with Gods ble&s;&s;ing brings much knowledge.</HI> chap. 1.5. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Inju&s;tice, &s;tore in the world.</HI> chap. 1.17. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Innocent per&s;ons are the ob|ject of bad mens wrath.</HI> chap. 1.2. Doct. 1. <HI>&s;ubject to many &s;nares.</HI> chap. 1.18. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>In&s;truction is the means to get wi&s;dome.</HI> chap. 1.2. Doct. 7. <HI>Common &s;hould be publick.</HI> chap. 1.21. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Inticer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to &s;in &s;peak the be&s;t, and hide the wor&s;t.</HI> Chap. 1.14. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Inward capacity, and out|ward di&s;covery, come both from God.</HI> Chap. 2.6. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Irreligious per&s;ons are in Gods account the fooles of the world.</HI> Chap. 1.7. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Judgment from God never comes without a cau&s;e.</HI> Chap. 1.24. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>K</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Knowledge of trivial things is little worth.</HI> Chap. 1.2. Doct. 9. <HI>Knowledge of divine truths will do us much good.</HI> Chap. 1.2. Doct. 10. <HI>It is ordinarily re|ceived from others.</HI> Chap. 1.3. Doct. 2. <HI>Frequently comes in at the ear.</HI> Chap. 1.5. Doct. 2. <HI>Sufficient for one of meaner ca|pacity is not &s;ufficient for one of greater.</HI> Chap. 1.6. Doct. 1. <HI>It is a matter of great excellen|cy.</HI> Chap. 1.7. Doct. 4. <HI>Know|ledge and fear of God &s;leighted by many.</HI> Chap. 1.29. Doct. 4. <HI>Knowledge &s;hould be the guide of our choice.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It is ve|ry nece&s;&s;ary.</HI> Chap. 2.1. Doct. 4. <HI>Knowledge of God is worth the finding.</HI> Chap. 2.5. Doct. 5. <HI>Knowledge of good duties mu&s;t be increa&s;ed daily.</HI> Chap. 2.9. Doct. 5. <HI>Knowledge of things dangerous to the Soul is needful.</HI>
<PB REF="279">Chap. 2.16. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>L</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Long life, how a ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Chap. 2.21. <HI>In the expo&s;ition, it is a ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Chap. 3. Doct. 2.3. <HI>Long life, health, pro&s;peri|ty, are &s;ometimes the rewards of well doing.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>Long life is better then riches or honour.</HI> Chap. 3.16. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>M</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Magi&s;trats mu&s;t be kind to their &s;ubjects.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 4. <HI>Many love to have o|thers take notice of their &s;ins.</HI> Chap. 2.14. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Meanes of &s;alvation are offe|red to great Townes.</HI> Chap. 1.20. Doct. 6. <HI>Members of the body, even the meane&s;t, may be in&s;tru|ments of &s;in.</HI> Chap. 1.16. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Men regard not &s;ignes cal|ling to repentance.</HI> Chap. 1.24. Doct. 6. <HI>They are not all in a &s;afe condition.</HI> Chap. 1.33. Doct. 1. <HI>Men &s;oone&s;t hearken to coun&s;els, that come out of good will.</HI> Chap. 2.1. Doct. 1. <HI>They cannot walk in good waies, unle&s;&s;e they leave bad.</HI> Chap. 2.20. Doct. 1. <HI>They mu&s;t be at co&s;t to maintain Gods &s;ervice.</HI> Chap. 2.9. Doct. 1. <HI>They &s;hould often think of their ba&s;e begin|ning.</HI> Chap. 3.13. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mercy and truth &s;hould al|waies go together.</HI> Chap. 3.3. Doct. 2. <HI>They find favour with God.</HI> ch. 3.4. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oct. 2. <HI>And with men.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>They teach a man how to direct his waies before God.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>And before men.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mini&s;ters mu&s;t &s;hew the cure of &s;pirituall di&s;ea&s;es.</HI> Chap. 1.23. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Moderation in ju&s;tice requi|&s;it.</HI> Chap. 1.3. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mothers mu&s;t teach their children.</HI> Chap. 1.8. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>N</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Nat rall life depends upon the pre&s;ence of the Soul.</HI> chap. 1.18. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Naturall parts well u&s;ed help much in religion.</HI> chap. 1.5. Doct. 5. <HI>Naturally men are &s;imple, and ea&s;ily led into error.</HI> chap. 1.4. Doct. 3. <HI>We are far out of Gods way.</HI> chap. 1.24. Doct. 5. <HI>We chu&s;e &s;infull waies.</HI> chap. 2.7. Doct. 6. <HI>Naturally wi&s;dome is hid from us.</HI> chap. 3.13. Doct. 5. <HI>Men &s;eek &s;till for increa&s;e of good things gotten.</HI> chap. 3.14. Doct. 1. <HI>We are apt to contend cau&s;e|le&s;ly.</HI> chap. 3.30. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>None of the oppre&s;&s;ours waies mu&s;t be imitated.</HI> chap. 3.31. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Nothing is better then wi&s;e|dom<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> chap. 2.9. Doct. 3. <HI>No|thing can hinder a godly wi&s;e|man from good &s;ucce&s;&s;e.</HI> chap. 3.23. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>O</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Ob&s;tinacy in &s;in, is a great
<PB REF="280">height of wickedne&s;&s;e.</HI> chap. 2.15. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Opportunities of doing good mu&s;t be taken.</HI> Ch. 1.28. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Oppre&s;&s;ion of others is many mens livelihood.</HI> chap. 3.31. Doct. 1. <HI>Hereby men grow rich.</HI> Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Outward comforts are good in them&s;elves</HI> chap. 3.27. Doct. 1. <HI>They may be lent, or conveyed from one man to another.</HI> Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Outward mementoes of duties to men needfull.</HI> Chap. 3.3. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>P.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Paines mu&s;t be taken to di&s;tin|gui&s;h reall truths from apparent.</HI> chap. 1.2. Doct. 6. <HI>And to know how to carry our &s;elves towards men.</HI> chap. 2.9. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Parents &s;hould give good names to children.</HI> chap. 1.1. Doct. 2. <HI>They &s;hould be re&s;pected next af|ter God.</HI> ch. 1.8. Doct. 1. <HI>Their in&s;truction oftentimes begins pie|ty in children.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Their good coun&s;ells &s;hould keep others bad coun&s;ells out of childrens hearts.</HI> chap. 1.10. Doct. 1. <HI>They correct their deare&s;t children.</HI> chap. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.12. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Perfection is expected of &s;uch as would be ble&s;&s;ed</HI> chap. 2.21. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Places all fit to do do good in.</HI> chap. 1.21. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Plea&s;ure of wi&s;dom &s;hould kill plea&s;ure of &s;in.</HI> ch. 2.14. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Plenty de&s;ired by ill men, not caring how they get it.</HI> chap. 1.13. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Plotting to hurt others is a great &s;in.</HI> chap. 3.29. Doct. 1. <HI>Grea|ter again&s;t a neighbour.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Greater yet again&s;t a friend.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Practicall matters mu&s;t be re|ceived.</HI> chap. 1.3. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Prayer is an invocation, or cal|ling upon God.</HI> chap. 1.28 Doct. 2. <HI>It is a &s;eeking of God.</HI> Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Precepts of Parents and teach|ers agreeable to Gods word to be re&s;pected.</HI> chap. 2.1. Doct. 3. <HI>Never to be forgotten.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Are to be put in practi&s;e.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>To be practi&s;ed heartily.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Pre&s;ervation from &s;infull waies is a great benefit.</HI> Chap. 2.11. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Profit nor plea&s;ure &s;hould not draw to &s;in.</HI> chap. 2.14. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Propriety of goods.</HI> chap. 1.19. Doct. 4. <HI>By wicked men viola|ted.</HI> chap. 1.19. Doct. 5. <HI>Propri|ety of husbands, and wives.</HI> chap. 2.16. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Pro&s;perity hinders hearkning to good coun&s;ell.</HI> chap. 1.32. Doct. 4. <HI>It is often joyned with folly.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It is the ruine of many.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>It is a ble&s;&s;ing in it &s;elf.</HI> chap. 2.2. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Q.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Quietne&s;&s;e is the portion of Gods &s;ervants.</HI> chap. 1.33. Doct. 4.
<PB REF="280"><HI>And that in all conditions.</HI> chap. 3.23. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>R.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;ons many needfull to di&s;|&s;wade from evill.</HI> chap. 1.17. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;ons brought to confirm truth mu&s;t be &s;ol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d ones.</HI> chap. 1.17. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Refu&s;ers of Knowledge mu&s;t damned.</HI> chap. 1.29. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Relief mu&s;t be given to others &s;peedily according to their wants, and our abilities.</HI> chap. 3.28. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Repenting &s;inners &s;hall not want Gods help.</HI> chap. 1.23. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Repetitions in Scripture u&s;eful.</HI> chap. 1.62. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Reproofes common &s;hould be publick.</HI> chap. 1.21. Doct. 1. <HI>They mu&s;t not be &s;harp at fir&s;t.</HI> chap. 1.21. Doct. 1. <HI>They mu&s;t be &s;harpe after if &s;lighted.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>They may turn &s;ome, that meant it not.</HI> chap. 1.23. Doct. 4. <HI>Yet not regarded by many.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>Great danger in the rejecting them.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Re&s;olutions again&s;t &s;ollicitations to evill nece&s;&s;ary.</HI> chap. 1.10. Doct. 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Re&s;t after labour afforded by God.</HI> chap. 3.24. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Re&s;ting in hea ing will keep us from compleat wi&s;dom.</HI> chap. 2.2. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rich men innocent are in dan|ger.</HI> Chap. 1.11. Doct. 8.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Riches and honour are ble&s;&s;ings in them&s;elves.</HI> chap. 3.16. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Right mu&s;t be pre&s;erved to eve|ry one.</HI> chap. 1.3. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Right way mi&s;&s;ed by many.</HI> ch. 2.13. Doct. 1. <HI>Quite left by &s;ome.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Gods waies right waies.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Robbers &s;ometimes deal ju&s;tly, and liberally among them&s;elves.</HI> chap. 1.14. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>S.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Safety con&s;tant is prepared for good men,</HI> chap. 1.33. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Safety of Gods people is not in their power, or care.</HI> chap. 3.26. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Saints have a right way to walk in.</HI> chap. 2.8. Doct. 4. <HI>God will keep them in that way.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>They are mercifull people.</HI> Doct. 6</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Scripture books &s;ome &s;hould be more carefully read, then other.</HI> chap. 1.1. Doct. 2. <HI>It containes &s;tore of good matter &s;ufficient to inform &s;imple ones.</HI> chap. 1.4. Doct. 1. <HI>It be&s;t teaches &s;ubtlety to prevent dangers.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Rightly under&s;tood it will keep from errours.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>It brings increa&s;e of knowledge.</HI> chap. 1.5. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Scripture learning the be&s;t learning.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Brings no good not under&s;tood.</HI> chap. 1.6. Doct. 2. <HI>Affords a man know|ledge enough to teach others.</HI>
<PB REF="281">Doct. 3. <HI>Harde&s;t things in it may be under&s;tood by labour.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Difficulties in it need expo&s;ition.</HI> Doct 6. <HI>It cannot be under&s;tood without much paines.</HI> chap. 1.18. Doct. 4. <HI>It delights much in metaphors:</HI> chap. 2.15. Doct. 1. <HI>It &s;ets out the &s;ame thing by divers &s;imilitudes.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It affords a medicine to every &s;pirituall d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ea&s;e.</HI> chap. 2.16. Doct. 1. <HI>It gives many encou|ragements to good waies.</HI> chap. 2.21. Doct 1. <HI>Scripture mu&s;t be under&s;tood by &s;cripture.</HI> chap. 3.18. Doct. 1. <HI>It pre&s;&s;eth the &s;ame thing oftentimes by divers ex|pre&s;&s;ions.</HI> chap. 3.20. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Scoffers at goodne&s;&s;e.</HI> chap. 1.22. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Secre&s;ie is a great bait to wick|edne&s;s.</HI> chap. 1.11. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Seekers for Gods help may ex|pect Gods ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> chap. 3.6. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Self-confidence cannot &s;tand with tru&s;ting in God.</HI> chap. 3.5. Doct. 5. <HI>It is dangerous.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Shame is the fools preferment.</HI> chap. 3.35. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Shamele&s;&s;e per&s;ons will give ve|ry lewd coun&s;el.</HI> chap. 2.12. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Similitudes rightly applied are of great u&s;e.</HI> chap. 1.18. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Simple per&s;ons hearken not to heavenly in&s;tructions.</HI> chap. 1.32. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Simplicity is beloved of us by nature.</HI> chap. 1.22. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sin is truly evil, and hurtfull.</HI> chap. 1.16. Doct. 4. <HI>It is readi|ly &s;wallowed by wicked men, though great.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>It brings mi&s;ery upon men.</HI> chap. 1.31. Doct. 1. <HI>In matters of religion it brings heavy judgements.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It brings con&s;tant, and conti|nuall evills.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It roots out wicked mens po&s;terity.</HI> chap. 2.22. Doct. 5. <HI>Men &s;hould leave &s;in for their childrens &s;ake.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sinners, &s;ome remain in a &s;inful e&s;tate.</HI> chap. 1.10. Doct. 3. <HI>They want not patheticall ex|pre&s;&s;ions to draw others to &s;in.</HI> chap. 1.12. Doct. 6. <HI>They are very nimble about &s;inful actions.</HI> chap. 1.16. Doct 5. <HI>They ad|mit of degrees.</HI> Chap. 1.22. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sleep to a godly man is &s;weet.</HI> chap. 3.24. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Slighting means of knowledge, is &s;leighting knowledge.</HI> chap. 1.7. Doct. 7. <HI>Snares often la<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d for innocent men.</HI> chap. 1.18. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Solomon's <HI>works: Number of his Proverbs, time of uttering, &s;peakers, compo&s;ing, manner of &s;peech, divi&s;ion of the book, my manner of handling it.</HI> Chap. 1.1. <HI>In the expo&s;ition.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Spirit and word mu&s;t go to|gether to guide.</HI> chap. 1.23. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Spirituall wi&s;dome is re|quired
<PB REF="281">to guide all our actions.</HI> chap. 1.3. Doct. 3. <HI>Spirituall gifts given to bele<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">vers in abun|dance.</HI> chap. 1.23. Doct. 4. <HI>Strength of body is a great mer|cy.</HI> chap. 2.8. Doct. 3. <HI>The ful|ler, the greater ble&s;&s;ing.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>Study is needfull to know how to judge of intere&s;ts.</HI> chap. 1.3. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Strumpets are full of flatte|ring &s;peeches.</HI> chap. 2.16. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>T</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Teachers mu&s;t have the af|fection of parents.</HI> chap. 1.10. Doct. 2. <HI>They mu&s;t &s;hew great affection.</HI> chap. 2.1. Doct. 1. <HI>They mu&s;t per&s;wade.</HI> chap. 3.12. Doct. 2. <HI>Threatnings follow lo&s;t exhortations and reproofes.</HI> chap. 1.24. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ours deal treache|rou&s;ly with God.</HI> chap. 2.22. Doct. 4. <HI>Triumphing in evill deeds is found in many.</HI> chap. 2.14. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Trouble is evill in it &s;elfe.</HI> chap. 1.33. Doct. 6. <HI>It comes often unexpectedly.</HI> chap. 3.25. Doct. 2. <HI>Then it is very trouble|&s;ome to wicked men.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Tru&s;t is not to be given to them that will fail God and their nee|re&s;t friends.</HI> chap. 2.17. Doct. 1. <HI>Truth hath a certain path.</HI> chap. 2.8. Doct. 1. <HI>Good men mu&s;t keep in that path.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>To that end, God gives them heavenly wi&s;dome.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>Truth is required in all our dea|lings.</HI> chap. 3.3. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>U</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Vi&s;ible creatures vi&s;ibly di|&s;tingui&s;hed.</HI> chap. 1.17. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Under&s;tanding and care, need|full to keep men from evill.</HI> chap. 2.11. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ungodly men are cruel men.</HI> chap. 1.12. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Upright men &s;hall not want ne|ce&s;&s;ary wi&s;dom.</HI> chap. 2.7. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Uprightne&s;&s;e of heart and life needfull to keep men from dange|rous errors.</HI> chap. 2.7. Doct. 6. <HI>It is expected of tho&s;e that would be ble&s;&s;ed.</HI> chap. 2.21. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>W</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Waies of &s;in are waies of dark|ne&s;&s;e.</HI> chap. 2.13. Doct. 6. <HI>They are crooked waies.</HI> chap. 2.15. Doct. 3. <HI>Waies cro&s;&s;e in the world.</HI> chap. 2.19. Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wantone&s;&s;e will be kept in by no bridle.</HI> chap. 2.17. doct. 2. <HI>It &s;hortens mens daies.</HI> chap. 2.18. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wantons have no hope of com|fort without repentance.</HI> chap. 2.19. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wicked men de&s;ire to make others as bad as them&s;elves.</HI> ch. 1.10. Doct. 4. <HI>They have a no|table in&s;inuating faculty to de|ceive others.</HI> chap. 1.10. Doct.
<PB REF="282">5. <HI>They promi&s;e them&s;elves &s;uc|ce&s;s of their mi&s;chievous plots.</HI> chap. 1.11. Doct. 6. <HI>And im|punity.</HI> Doct. 7. <HI>Their &s;pleen a|gain&s;t &s;uch as wrong them not.</HI> chap. 1.12. Doct. 2. <HI>They could wi&s;h there were no foot&s;teps left of their iniquity.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>They care, not if all men be empty, &s;o they be full.</HI> chap. 1.13. Doct. 5. <HI>They dream of no want nor cro&s;ses in their ungodly cour&s;es.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>They have a great de|&s;ire, affection, and pronene&s;s to wickedne&s;s.</HI> chap. 1.16. Doct. 3. <HI>They have cunning devices to do mi&s;chief.</HI> chap. 1.17. Doct. 4. <HI>As they per&s;wade others to mi&s;chief, &s;o they act it them|&s;elves.</HI> Chap. 1.18. Doct. 2. <HI>They have heads to invent, and hands to execute evill.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>They have many wicked waies.</HI> Chap. 1.19. Doct. 1. <HI>Many wicked men walk in them.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>They live in fear.</HI> chap. 1.26. Doct. 5. <HI>That they fear will certainly come on them.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>They drive a trade of &s;inning.</HI> chap. 1.31. Doct. 4. <HI>They bring many troubles on them&s;elves.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>They have many devices to un|do them&s;elves.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>They continue ob&s;tinate in evill doing.</HI> chap. 2.13. Doct. 5. <HI>They are re&s;tle&s;&s;e in evill.</HI> chap. 2.22. Doct. 2. <HI>Their lives oft cut &s;hort by wickedne&s;&s;e.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>They have many bad names in &s;crip|ture.</HI> chap. 3.34. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wickedne&s;&s;e will break out.</HI> chap. 1.1. Doct. 2. <HI>It hath ma|ny devices to come forth.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It will brag and boa&s;t.</HI> chap. 1.13. Doct. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wi&s;dome is to be gotten out of &s;cripture.</HI> chap. 1.2. Doct. 2. <HI>It is needfull to guide the under|&s;tanding, and the will.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>It is de&s;pi&s;ed by many.</HI> chap. 1.7. Doct. 7. <HI>Her call not heard by them.</HI> chap. 1.24. Doct. 4. <HI>Her coun&s;els worth hearkning to.</HI> chap. 1.33. Doct. 2. <HI>It is gotten more by help from God, then from men.</HI> chap. 2.3. Doct. 1. <HI>It mu&s;t be gotten by prayer.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Tea, and by earne&s;t prayer.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>Gods means con&s;cionably u&s;ed will bring it.</HI> chap. 2.5. Doct. 1. <HI>No expectation of it otherwi&s;e.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It is much needfull to find out the true religion.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>What we cannot do in &s;earch of it, God will &s;upply.</HI> chap. 2.6. Doct. 1. <HI>It is a free gift.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It comes from the Lord alone.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>Gods word and Mini|&s;ters mu&s;t be regarded in the &s;earch of it.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It is a great means to pre&s;erve men from dangerous errors.</HI> chap. 2.7. Doct. 5. <HI>It is a great antidote again&s;t evill.</HI> chap. 2.11. Doct. 4. <HI>It &s;hews how to do good, and avoid evill.</HI> chap. 2.20. Doct. 4. <HI>It may be got out of correcti|ons.</HI> chap. 3.13. Doct. <HI>It is to
<PB REF="282">be admired.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>It mu&s;t be gotten with much paines.</HI> Doct. <HI>It drives the greate&s;t trade.</HI> ch. 3.14. Doct. 2. <HI>It brings more profit then worldly riches.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It excells the be&s;t things in the world.</HI> Chap. 3.15. Doct. 2. <HI>Yea all things imaginable.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It brings many good things.</HI> chap. 3.18. Doct. 1. <HI>It brings long life.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>And riches.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>And honour.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>It hath waies of its own.</HI> chap. 3.17. Doct. 2. <HI>It mu&s;t guide all our actions.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It brings much true delight.</HI> Doct 4. <HI>And peace.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>And no trouble in it &s;elf.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>It affords true nouri&s;hment.</HI> chap. 3.18. Doct. 2. <HI>It makes a perfect cure.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>It doth good onely to &s;uch as get it fully, and firm|ly.</HI> Doct. 4. <HI>It mu&s;t be reteined in the heart.</HI> Doct. 5. <HI>It brings happine&s;&s;e to them, that retain it.</HI> Doct. 6. <HI>Once gotten mu&s;t never be forgotten.</HI> chap. 3.21. Doct. 1. <HI>Her precepts mu&s;t be dear to us.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>They mu&s;t be care|fully laid up by us.</HI> Doct. 3. <HI>Wi&s;|dom makes the &s;oul to live.</HI> chap. 3.22. Doct. 2. <HI>It is a great grace to any man.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wi&s;e mens words words carry great weight with them.</HI> chap. 1.6. Doct. 5. <HI>Wi&s;e men are coun|ted happy by God.</HI> Chap. 3.13. Doct. 3. <HI>They want nothing.</HI> Ch. 3.17. Doct. 17. Doct. 1. <HI>wi&s;e &s;ons of godly fathers make a &s;weet harmony.</HI> Chap. 1.1. Doct. 7. <HI>Wi&s;e&s;t men may learn more.</HI> chap. 1.5. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wives &s;hould be guided by their husbands.</HI> chap. 2.17. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Words &s;hew what is in men.</HI> ch. 1.21. Doct. 5.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Words of truth are worth laying up.</HI> chap. 2.1. Doct. 5. <HI>They are be&s;t in the heart.</HI> Doct. 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Wonderfull gifts are given by Gods &s;pirit.</HI> chap. 1.23. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>World had a beginning.</HI> chap. 3.19. Doct. 1. <HI>It was made by God.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>Gods wonderfull wi&s;dom appeared in making it.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Worldly things very precious to carnall eyes.</HI> chap. 1.13. Doct. 2.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Worth of things &s;hould &s;way our account of them.</HI> chap. 7. Doct. 3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Y.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Young men &s;hould get wi&s;dome to know good coun&s;ell from bad.</HI> chap. 1.15. Doct. 2. <HI>They are mo&s;t in danger of allurement.</HI> ch. 2.11. Doct. 2. <HI>Al&s;o of bad ex|ample.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>And of bad company.</HI> ch. 2.12. Doct. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Youth is the time of mo&s;t dan|ger for going a&s;tray.</HI> chap. 1.4. Doct. 5. <HI>As al&s;o for being drawn away to &s;infull cour&s;es.</HI> chap. 1.11. Doct. 1. <HI>Al&s;o of bad exam|ple.</HI> Doct. 2. <HI>And of bad coun&s;el.</HI> Doct. 3.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
