sharpened their appetite as they desire continually to eate Instruction to approue our wisedome and righteousnes in Vse 1 proceeding to be more wise and righteous and so shall wee best please God himselfe 1. Thes 4. 1. So shall we be inriched with more full holinesse 2. Cor. 7. 1. So shall wee bee established more firmely and kept from all apostacie and backesliding 2 Pet. 3. 17. 18. Reproofe of Non-proficients which are taught much and learne little and practise nothing at all Secondly of full persons which thinke they haue attained to a sufficiencie they haue plyed it hitherto and now they may giue ouer their labours they haue gotten inough and now what neede they seeke any more But let them heare what the spirit of God testifieth of their case to the conceited Laodicians when they Apoc. 3. 17. said they were rich and increased with goods and wanted nothing then they were wretched and miserable and poore and had nothing Hee that hath as much grace as euer hee did desire did neuer truely desire to haue any And hee that doth purpose neuer to bee better will presently grow to bee worse and last of all proue to bee starke naught Consolation for such as bee of the mending hand though they haue defects and imperfections and bee drawne aside sometimes with lusts and corruptions yet if they still get ground of these enimies and some addition come daily to their vnderstanding and desires by euery Sermon and other good exercise let them beleeue the testimonie of the holy Ghost they bee in the number of the wise and righteous The beginning of Wisedome is the feare of the Lord and Verse 10 the knowledge of holie men is vnderstanding Hauing so much commended Wisedome and so earnestly perswaded men vnto it he sheweth now wherein it doth consist that men might not be deceiued by the counterfait colour of it discriding it First by the matter that is true pietie and religion called commonly in the word the feare of God because it is an essentiall part thereof and this is not a case contingent as though wisedome and pietie might sometimes concurre in one person and sometimes bee disseuered but necessary and perpetuall the one being alwayes the beginning of the other Secondly by the manner that it is not the knowledge of naturall things that is in Philosophers nor the knowledge of ciuill affaires that is in Politicians nor the historicall and artificiall knowledge of points of Religion that is in hypocrites but the misticall knowledge of the misteries of saluation which the spirit of God doth reueale to the hearts of Christians 1. Cor. 2. 10. 11. No man can be truely wise before he be vnfainedly religious Doct. 1 Salomon had experience both of heauenly wisedome and Religious men onely are wise humane wisedome of the shew of the one and soundnesse of the other and thus doth hee declare his iudgement Let vs Eccle. 12. 13. feare God and keepe his commaundements for this is the whole man nothing but this can make a man to be a man without which he is in worse state then a beast his glory and excellencie consisteth in it and all his profit and comfort proceedeth from it First God himselfe doth vsually in his word call all vnregenerate Reasons 1 men fooles especially euery where in this booke Deut. 32. 28. 29. now he seeth all things as they be and not as they seeme to be and foreseeth all euents that shall fall out heereafter and therefore his testimonie is to be receiued Secondly Wisedome is a streame that floweth onely from the word and that to them that make conscience and not a bare profession of it So hee speaketh by the Prophet concerning hippocrites Loe they haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is there in them Ier. 8. 9. Many infallible fruites of the spirit be inclosed in it and issue from it and are euermore in company with it as puritie gentlenes readines to be intreated mercie and fulnesse of good fruites sinceritie c. Iam. 3. 17. The miserable condicion of all irreligious people whereas euery one is happy that is wise Instruction that if we would haue the estimation comfort Vse 1 direction successe or any benefite of wisedome let vs not labour for a polliticke head but a holy and sanctified hart not so much for learning and abilitie to dicourse and dispute of points of religion as for faith to beleeue and a good conscience to performe obedience Deut. 4. 6. Confutation of them that esteeme all to bee wise that goe beyond others in wittand them especially that compasse great liuings and wealth was not Achitophell more wittie then any and did he not â—â—t play the foole more then all hath not Sathan more subtilty and cunning then all the men in the world and yet the most foolish creature to worke his owne woe that euer God made in the world The Scripture calleth him a principallitie and a power and speaketh of his craft but no where giueth him the testimonie of wisedome And to them that know how to feather their nests and increase their state The rich man in the gospell may be a president he could get and saue and keepe and thriue as long as hee liued and yet God Luke 12. 20. 22 called him foole when he died and so saith he is euery one that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich in God Consolation against the reproches that are cast vpon men when they set themselues to feare the Lord now saith the world they begin to be fooles hitherto they haue liued in good account esteemed for sensible wise men and henceforth they will bee nothing set by now saith the Lord they beegin to be wise hitherto they could haue no approbation from God or good men but now they take the way for good vnderstanding And the knowledge Sound and sanctified knowledge is the Doct. 1 mother of all Christian deuotion where that faileth there can No true deuotion without true knowledge be no sincere pietie so saith God himselfe in the first Chapter ver 29. They hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. Which Iob reproues in the wicked worldlings of his time they say to God depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy Iob. 21. 14. 15. wayes who is the Almightie that we should serue him and what profit shall wee haue if we should pray to him wherein they declare that they hate his presence and reiect the knowledge of his will and cast off all care of his worship and so there is an irreligious heart an ignorant minde and an impious behauiour First faith doth neuer goe without it for faith is a perswasion Reasons 1 and that perswasion is an high degree of knowledge the heart beeing firmely assured of the truth of that which Gods promise did giue them to vnderstand Secondly the vnderstanding is the eye of the soule to giue direction and the
that impudency as to giue assault to the names of harmelesse persons their obtrectations requoyling vpon themselues to their owne shame how would they insult ouer vs if they had iust aduantage against vs Thirdly not to bee credulous to the clamorous reports of vngodly men which raise vp rumours against Christians You shall find the greatest offendours to be the most grieuous accusers they would couer their faults by bearing the world in hand that such as vse to finde fault with them bee most faultie Rebuke not a scorner lest hee hate thee c. Verse 8 In the former verse was shewed how scorners vse to deale with them that rebuke them and heere the holy Ghost teacheth how wee must deale with scorners Namely sithens wee shall needelessely stirre vp hatred against our selues and performe no good to them that therefore we desist from them and let them alone Wheerein notwithstanding good discretion is to be vsed that none which may bee corrigible be reiected for a scorner but such as vpon sufficient triall haue declared themselues by a continued obstinacie to bee so And in this case also though priuate reproofes are to be spared yet must they publikely bee pursued by the ministrie and censured by the Church and punished by the magistrate The benefite of Christian counsell is no to bee offered to Doct. an obstinate sinner So doth the holy Ghost teach in another Obstinate persons are vnworthie a reproofe place of this booke Cap. 23. 9. Speake not in the eares of a foole for he will despise the wisedome of thy words He would not haue the gracious speaches of godly Christians to bee powred into his eares which is well knowen not to suffer them to sinke into his heart to worke grace there but setteth hart and lippes and life contemptuously to despise them First it is a certaine losse of labour to deale with them and Reasons 1 to as good purpose to lay a plaister to a dead mans wound as to endeauour to heale them Secondly it is a losse of those precious admonitions the holie things of God are throwen to dogs and the pearles and ornaments of Christians are cast to vnteachable swine that will trample them vnder feete Mat. 7. 6. Thirdly it cannot bee without perill to our selues which God doth not call vs vnto for their hatred is like to worke disgrace or violence or other hurts which their distempered affections doe threaten So Christ sayth that dogs will all to rent them that so offer to feede them Instruction to bee very circumspect what persons we deale Vse 1 with that there bee some hope of successe If after walking and standing in wicked wayes they sit at rest in the scorners chaire let vs leaue them there and disquiet them no further For if wee molest them they will trouble vs and going beyond our bounds against the rule of Christ where is our warrant of safetie against their malice or of patience wisedome and moderation to containe our selues But rebuke a wise man c. Verse 8 Now hee commeth on the contrary side to commend the competent hearers of Wisedome vpon whom good lessons are well beestowed And they are described first by their willing receiuing of instruction that they loue them the better that shall deale plainely with them Secondly by the good vse they make of it increasing both in knowledge and practice of vnderstanding and therefore are called wise and righteous Rebuke Men of best knowledge and pieâ—â—â—â—ust sometimes Doct. 1 bee admonished of their faults So was Dauid so was The best may mend Iehosaphat Ezechias Peter and many other Rich garments require brushing and fine linnen hath neede of washing and the most pleasant and delightfull gardens must oftentimes be weeded First originall corruption doth cleaue vnto their nature and Reason 1 infect their hearts and many times desile their behauiour and though they make it langish through wounds that they giue it yet it will neuer be starke dead so long as they be aliue Secondly God hath ordained it as a medecine for humilitie against pride that they shall stand in neede of the helpe of their brethren and sometimes also come vnder their censures Thirdly it is a bond whereby one Christian is knit to an other when the one doth declare loue by giuing of faithfull counsell and the other by thankefull receiuing of it Instruction First that the good gifts of Gods children cause Vse 1 vs not to denie this duetie to them when their wants and our oportunitie call for it Secondly to conceiue louingly of them that shew vs this kindenesse they doe good to our soules and befriend vs in our names by couering our sinnes from others and shewing them to our selues which else might breake out to our infamie Iac. 5. 20. And by this meanes God shall bee serued and his Scripture obayed on both sides whiles the one part doth brotherly admonish according to the precept that heere is giuen and the other part doth kindely accept it according to the reason anexed Confutation of them that too far iustifie the waies of good men approuing their errours in opinion their slips in speaches their slidings in actions and all else to bee well and warrantable and imitable if the men bee wise and godly Nothing of them is to bee misliked that hath an example of any good men practising the like but they consider not that some things may grow on the slips that spring from the roote and not all on the sience that is ingrafted It is a note of a man that is truely religious to increase in Doct. 2 grace and vnderstanding It appeareth that they liue by their Hee is truely gracious that growes in grace meate and haue good digestion of it when they grow in stature strength and stomacke So was it said in the first Chapter A wise man shall heare and increase in learning The bare hearing doth not necessarily argue a wise man For fooles doe often bring their eares to the word but to heare and learne and to learne with increase that doth testifie an holy wisdome Gods blessing doth accompany such as haue sinceritie in Reasons 1 them to adde to their stocke and from such as haue no more but a shew he taketh away that also that they may appeare to be dissemblers Luke 8. 18. Secondly sound vnderstanding doth discouer the defect of vnderstanding what great neede they haue what little store they haue and the dore of Gods storehouse and treasure opened to them for their full supplie Thirdly they know the wants of these heauenly Iuels that their price is inestimable and therefore they grow insatiable in their desires and though they get much yet still they labour for more and bee as greedie and hauing as though they had nothing at all Fourthly the former tasting feeding on this coelestiall food hath brought them to a perpetual longing after it the more they receiue the more hungrie they are the exercise of eating hath so
shall bee taught that they may as well looke to thriue by vnthriftinesse as to increase their stock by deceit or profit themselues by rapine and wrong doeing Obiect But it appeareth that their successe is correspondent to their expectation the euent proueth that they make a gaine of it The Prophet testifieth that as a cage is full of Birds so their houses are full of deceit and thereby they are Ierem. 5. 27. become great and waxen rich Answere They may get things into their hands and yet be preuented of the fruition of them They may haue them for a time and lose them at the last as the same Prophet also teacheth as the Partridge gathereth or layeth egges and hatcheth Ier. 17. 11. not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the middest of his daies and in the end dye like a foole They haue not a broode of comforts so soone as they sit vpon their nest of riches they may be trodden vpon or addle or eaten vp Euill may befall them beefore they can doe them any good or if their goods remaine themselues may soone be remoued from their goods and in the meane time haue the crosse of God on soule bodie which is much more grieuous then to be smitten in outward estate But the hand of the diligent c. They greatly help their Doct. 2 owne estate that are painefull and faithfull in their vocations A man faithfull in his calling betters his estate Among many testimonies whereby this point is confirmed that is to be noted which is in the 13. Chapter of this booke The soule of the diligent shall haue plentie or be made fat as the Prouerb 13. 4. word signifieth Where though by soule he vnderstandeth the whole man yet that part is not named in vaine Their bodie and outward man shall haue inough and the soule and inward man shall be content and satisfied with inough and much refreshed by it First it is appointed to man by the decree of God not onely Reasons 1 as a dutie to trauell and labour but also as a portion to eate his bread thereby and inioy the fruit of his labour Gen. 3. 19. Psal 128. 2. Secondly diligence and painefulnesse is a seruice to God and they that here haue the promise made to them are such as performe their works in conscience and obedience to his will therfore may wel be assured of allowance to maintain them As for such as work for the worlds sake in pride and couetousnesse or vpon coaction and necessitie or for any other sinister respect they may be said to be great doers that medle in much dealing but nothing diligent and therefore it is no maruell though all their toyle and trauell doe seldome take any good effect Thirdly their paines and labours are for the common good they serue for the vse and profit of mankinde for they that spinne the spiders web and are more busie then well occupied are not to be counted in the number of these and therfore shall not faile of the benefit of it themselues Fourthly faithfull imployment and paines taking is a medicine against pride and helpeth to worke humilitie and Eccles 1. 13. therefore maketh ready the way for all good prosperitie Fiftly by this meanes they are kept from vicious companions and sinfull exercises and all kinde of such vnthriftie courses as whereby the states of many men come to vtter ruine and ouerthrow Instruction to all degrees from the highest that sitteth on Vse the throne vnto the lowest that clenseth the chanels or grinddeth at the mill that euery one attend with heedefulnesse to the duties of his calling without remisnesse or negligence Art thou great and substantiall as we vse to say take this way to increase thy greatnesse and inlarge thy substance and as the multitude of riches and titles doth not diminish thy liking and estimation of them so let it not abate thy industrie and diligence in any seemely seruices And thou which art poore and of inferiour place let it not repent thee to trauaile in woorkes that others peraduenture would disdaine to exercise but proceede in hope and know for thy comfort that in all labour there is abundance Chap. 14. 23. And albeit now thou art at the commandement of others and according to their wils art wholy vsed in their workes yet remember that the hand of the diligent shall beare rule Chap. 12. 14. From a seruant thou maist grow to bee a master from a labourer or hireling thou maist attaine to be an officer and haue others at thy commandement But whatsoeuer thy state proue to be amongst men assure thy selfe of the reward of inheritance from God for thou seruest the Lord Christ Col. 3. 24. Hee that gathereth in sommer is a sonne of vnderstanding Verse 5 and hee that sleepeth in haruest is a sonne of confusion The drift of these wordes is to teach men to redeeme the time and make the best aduantage of the seasons comparing oportunitie to sommer or haruest when the fruits of the earth are ripe and ready to be gathered and the persons to whom it is offred to husbandmen that haue commodities growing in the fields And therefore we iudge him prudent which so stirreth himselfe and hasteneth his people to cut downe his corne and to inne it when it is ripe and the weather is seasonable so God heere calleth him a sonne of vnderstanding that is a wise man which taketh time while time serueth for any good purpose and occasion And as the world cryeth fie on him that sleepeth in haruest that is doth no more labour or looke to his affaires then if hee were in a dead sleepe and so sustaineth the losse of all his croppe by meanes whereof hee ouerthroweth the state of all his familie so the Lord termeth him a sonne of confusion or which bringeth confusion that is to say misery and shame vpon himselfe and his friends which striueth not to take his part of Gods blessing in due season It is a matter of great importance to make our vse of a good Doct. oportunitie when it is offred The example of the Ant is to that Oportunitie not to be omitted end proposed Chap. 30. 25. That we might learn of the vnreasonable creatures and those which are also of no account and reckoning They are led onely by sence and instinct of nature we haue reasō that may perswade to it they haue none to giue them admonitiō or to call vpon them we haue guides to direct vs and the word of God seriously instructing vs in the duetie And that is there commended in them which incomparably will be more effectuall in Christians namely that wisedome supplyeth the defect of strength and prouidence effecteth that which other things cannot bring to passe by their power Examples heereof we haue in Ioseph who in the time of great plentie prouided against the yeares of scarcitie and in the Church of Antiochia who