A COMMENTARIE VPON THE BOOKE OF THE PROVERBES OF SALOMON Published for the edification of the Church of God The words of the wise are as goads and as nailes fastened they are the chiefe of choise deliuered by one shepheard Ecclesiastes 12.13 DEVS IMPERAT ASTRIS AT LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Robert Dexter dwelling in Pauls church-yard at the signe of the Brasen serpent 1592. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE LORD THE LORD EDWARD EARLE of Bedford grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ AMONG sundrie meanes and helps of furthering of the Gospell of Christ Iesus right noble Earle vvhereby since the time of the blessed Apostles much good hath bin done to the Church of God the vvriting and printing of godly treatises hath bene one of the chiefest For as hereby not onely ancient heresies of all sorts haue long ago bin confuted and laid in the dust but in later times the nevve damnable doctrines of the Antichrist of Rome conuinced and quite in a maner ouerthrovvn so not only the principall points of true religion haue excellently bene handled and generallie made knovvn but manie obscure and hard places of the sacred Scripture illightened and vnfolded For this cause being desirous to employ my poore talent to the greatest aduantage that I can and to vse the best meanes I am able of doing good I thought good to bestovve my labour and leisure in furthering of the Church of God by inke and paper and to vvrite a commētarie on some part of Canonicall Scripture and namely on this excellent booke of the Prouerbes The causes vvhy I rather chose to handle interpret this booke then any of the other as they vvere verie manie so among the rest these vvere the chiefest to vvit that the morall sentences therein contained are most fit to be considered in these carnall times that they are the verie keyes of knovvledge and rules of all righteousnesse that sometimes I had publikely read and expounded them all and finally that they are peerelesse pearles meet to be presented vnto such persons of high degree as your Lordship is There is no parcell of the vvrittē vvord but you may receiue exceeding frute thereby if it please your Lordship to looke thereinto so that if you take anie part of the Scripture to reade or to exercise your selfe in you can not take amisse as vve are vvont to say The sacred histories contained in the fiue bookes of Moses and in the bookes of Iosua Iudges Ruth Samuell Kings Chronicles Ezra Nehemia Hester vvhereunto the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles are to be added vvill tell you things past and done manie yeares ago The prophesies among vvhich the Reuelation of S. Iohn is to be numbred and doth indeed excell vvill shevve you vvhat things are to come to passe hereafter and vvere after the vttering of them to be accomplished in their times Ecclesiastes or the booke of the Preacher vvill admonish you of the vanitie of the vvorld a point verie needfull as for all mortall vvights so especially for noble personages to consider In the Epistles of S. Paule Iames Peter Iohn and Iude you may see and heare vvhat the Lord saith to the Churches and vvhat duties he requireth at the hāds of all Christians By the Psalmes of Dauid and the song of songs you may be taught stirred vp to pray and sing inasmuch as the mones and grones of the Prophets in the one are registred euerie vvhere and the voice as it vvere of the bridegrome and the bride resounded in the other To conclude the lamentation of the Prophete Ieremie vvhich Gregorie Nazianzen neuer read but the tears did trickle dovvn his cheeks vvil moue you to mourne for the afflictiōs of Sion and dravve you to performe that dutie vvhereunto the Apostle exhorteth vvhen he vvilleth vs to vveepe vvith those vvho vveepe Euen as then the busie bee vvhen she flieth into some faire and pleasant garden and lighteth sometimes here and sometimes there as it falleth out sucketh out some svveetnesse out of euerie floure and herbe vvhereon she sitteth so your Lordship looking into the volume of the sacred Scripture and reading sometimes this parcell thereof sometimes that shall receiue by euerie booke therein such comfort and profit as vvill cause you to preferre the same before the hony and the honie combe But if there be anie part of the vvord of God among the rest vvhich may be called a garland of heauenly flovvers or out of vvhich your Lordship may reape most precious frute it is this vvorthie booke of Salomons Prouerbs For herein as it vvere in a cristall glasse you shall see the nature of God the maners of men the comely countenance of vertue the vglie shape of vice the image of the true church the state of the vvhole vvorld Hovve manie and hovv notable things are herein spoken of Gods Predestination prouidence iustice vvisedome and mercie Hovv diuinely are the natures the offices and the vvorkes of Iesus Christ herein described Hovv liuely are adulterers drunkards sluggards misers proud vvrathfull foolish and enuious persons herein painted out as it vvere in their colours On the contrarie side hovv excellently are the properties and revvards of the faithfull the iust the meeke the thriftie the liberall and the vvise declaclared and pictured as it vvere in the parables of this booke To conclude hovve notably is the vse of lots the force of gifts the povver of affections and the disposition of sundrie brutish creatures therein expressed So many points of great importance and of singular frute being comprehended in this one litle booke of Salomons Prouerbes you can not most noble Earle better bestovv your labour then in meditating therein both night and day and in binding the sentences thereof as it vvere frontlets before your eyes Novv to the end that the meaning of these diuine sayings may be made manifest vnto you first and so to other into vvhose hāds this small treatise shall come I haue translated the text as faithfully as I could looking into the translatiōs of the best writers both old and nevve but especially into the Hebrue copie so farre foorth as my poore talent did enable me and my leisure suffer Moreouer to the same intent and purpose I haue gathered into mine exposition the pith and marrovv onely of all those obseruations vvhich either I had by me of mine ovvne or receiued from other by vvhose conference or vvriting I vvas helped Finally that as much light might be giuen to these sacred Prouerbs as vvel could be for the time by me in the margent I haue referred the reader to the rootes of diuerse parables pointed to sundrie examples noted here and there some reasons of the translation and quoted for proofe or declaration infinite places of Scripture All the vvhich paines notvvithstanding I confesse and acknowvledge that I am farre from handling of manie points exactly vvhich fault my distractions and encumbrances about other necessarie affaires may
excuse the vvhich vvere so great as that euen I could not be present to lend anie help to my poore booke vvhen it vvas vnder the presse for the vvhich cause I request your Lordship and the curteous reader to pardon the escapes of the print and to correct them according to the direction of the printer aftervvard set dovvne But it may be there vvill be some vnto vvhom this my simple commentarie vvill seeme scant large and full inough but too briefe and too much contracted I ansvver vnto these that I follovved breuitie of set purpose lest the volume should be too large and too deare and lest I in vvriting or other in reading may be said to loose time And yet neuerthelesse if the length of a treatise be to be iudged not by the number of the vvordes but by the matters therein contained this commentarie is in deed verie long But as concerning large discourses they are fitter for sermons then for vvritings and rather to be vsed by those vvho intend to apply some frutefull instruction then by those vvhose onely drift is to open and cleare hard and darke places of Scripture Neuerthelesse againe to the end that the mislikers of breuitie may haue somevvhat in this commentarie vvhich may like and please their humour I haue somevvhat largely handled the foure last chapters Novv if there shal be any vvho carrying ill vvill or ill minds in them vvill either not be satisfied vvith a reasonable ansvver or seeke to disgrace my labours because they haue an enuious eye and a backbiting tongue I leaue them as vnreasonable and vncharitable men to their crooked vvayes Against such cauillers and carpers your Lordships fauour and acceptation of my booke may be no small defence vnto vvhom I haue dedicated it not onely for that intent but for diuerse other as namely to testifie my thākfulnesse for that honorable curtesie and fauour vvhich I haue found both at your Lordships hands and in the eyes of the tvvo choise Ladies your Aunts the Countesses of VVarvvick and of Cumberland And againe in these your young and tender years to direct and guide you the best I can in the vvay vvherein you are to vvalke In deed if you shall receiue this booke onely as a nosegay reioycing in it for a day and then vsing it no more you can reape no frute at all in a maner thereby But if you shall frō time to time addresse your selfe thereby as it vvere by a looking glasse it vvill do you more good then can be spoken For as there is no vice from vvhich it vvill not dissvvade you so there is no vertue or praise vvhereunto it vvill not moue you VVhen you shall sit at a table richly furnished it vvill aduise you to consider diligently vvhat is set before you Pro. 23.1 VVhen you shall be at your pleasant recreation it vvil admonish you not to be drovvned therein nor to loue it aboue measure Pro. 21.1 VVhē your reuenues and riches shall come in abound it vvill put you in minde to honour God vvith your substance Pro. 3.9 VVhē it shall please the Lord to lay some crosse vpon you it vvil exhort you not to refuse the chasticement of the Lord. Pro 3.11 VVhen you shall go about to open your lips to speake of anie matter it vvill teach you that vaine talke is not seemely in an excellent man or noble person Pro. 17.7 VVhen you shall see the innocent oppressed or the poore anie vvay vvronged it vvill stirre you vp to deliuer them that are vniustly pursued Pro. 24.11 and to open your mouth in the cause of all the children of destruction To conclude for it vvould be infinite thus to folovv all the particulars vvhen you shall haue occasion to chuse any seruants into your Honorable familie it vvill direct you to admit and accept those vvhose lips are iust Pro. 16.12.13 and vvho speake vpright things and to reiect those vvho are vvorkers of iniquitie VVherefore seeing this booke of the Prouerbs of Salomon is able to instruct you in euerie good vvay to make your Lordship fit to performe euerie good vvorke Accept it right noble Earle and meditate therein continually Stories record that Darius propounded great revvardes vnto those vvho could find out vvittie poesies that Alexander vvould neuer sleepe vvithout Homer vnder his pillovv that Plinie vvould haue all men alvvayes carrie Tullies Offices in their hands and that Sophrons book vvas found vnder the head of Plato vvhen he vvas dead If these Princes and Philosophers so esteemed humane and heathenish vvritings hovv deare and neare should these diuine sentences and parables of Salomō be vnto your Lordship But no vvhit doubting either that you vvill exercise your selfe in the sacred Prouerbes of that renovvned king or that you vvill fauourably accept my commentary on the same together vvith my litle Catechisme as an handmaid adioyned thereunto I commit your Lordship to the blessing and protection of the Almightie beseeching him that as he hath cast vpon you exceeding great honor and adorned you vvith nobilitie as vvith a golden chain so he vvold in suh sort enrich and sanctifie you vvith the giftes and graces of his spirit as that you may become and long continue an ornamēt of the Gospel a piller of the Church a pearle of the common vvealth and an inheritor of the kingdome of heauen Your Lordships most humble and heartie vvelvvisher in the Lord Iesus P. M. A COMMENTARIE VPON THE WHOLE BOOKE OF THE PROVERBES THE I. CHAPTER Verse 1. The prouerbes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid king of Israell TWo things are contained in this first verse the one the matter of this whole booke in this worde Prouerbes the other the author therof in these titles of Salomon the sonne of Dauid king of Israell Prouerbes are certaine generall short and pithie sayings vsed or to be vsed in euery mans mouth Albeit sundry parables are to be found in the writings of the Prophets the Euangelists and the Apostles yet this booke is onely in the Scripture intituled by the name of Prouerbes because it alone powreth out continuall parables without intermission and without mixture of stories or prayers or other matters therewithall Now in the second place Salomon is affirmed to haue bene the author of this booke or vtterer of these Prouerbes who was a peaceable Prince aunswering to his name which signifieth peaceable the which the Lord him selfe therefore gaue him 1. Chro. 22.12 because he purposed to graunt peace in his dayes Albeit there is no mention of any other Salomon sauing this one in the Scripture yet some other might afterward be called by this name for which cause as wel to distinguish this our Salomon frō all other Salomons as to shew for honors sake that he had a most godly man to his father it is futhermore sayd of him that he was the sonne of Dauid In the last place he is affirmed to haue bene king
of Israel not onely to set foorth the riches of Gods mercie toward him who as if it were too litle to fill Salomons heart with wisedome did moreouer set the crowne of dignitie on his head but to assure vs that euen he was the author of the sentences of this booke of whom it is said in the sacred story 1. Kings 432. that he spake three thousand Prouerbes as also to moue vs highly to esteeme of these princely sayings which proceded from a Prince of high degree and of most excellent glorie 2 To know wisedome and instruction and to vnderstand * Or speeches the words of prudence In this second verse two endes or vses of the Prouerbes cōtained in this booke are pointed vnto The former end is the knowing of wisedome and instruction that is to say the attaining of two most excellent vertues the later is the vnderstanding of the words of Prudence that is to say the perceiuing or receiuing of most notable and profitable speeches and sayings Wisedome is an effectuall knowledge of spirituall things which are to be beleeued or to be done Instruction is a practising of those duties which the Lord requireth at our hands whereby we rightly vse our wisedome or knowledge The words of prudence or the sayings of skilfulnesse are those speeches or doctrines whereby a man may be made prudent to get and to keepe instruction and wisedome 3 To receiue the instruction of vnderstanding of iustice of iudgement and of all * or Righteousnesse equitie Sundry particular points or parcels as it were of that instruction which hath bene mentioned in the verse going before are now in this specified and rehearsed The instruction of vnderstanding according to the Hebrue phrase may here verie well be put for the instruction which giueth vnderstanding to wit of these three points iustice iudgement and all equitie Iustice is that vertue whereby euery ones due is giuen vnto him Iudgement is that vertue whereby the streight rule of Gods lawe is so put into practise as that nothing is done but that which hath some ordinance of the Lord for a warrant neither any thing in any actiō otherwise performed then as the statute in the word of God prescribeth or enioyneth Equitie is the vertue whereby whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer comely whatsoeuer iust whatsoeuer holy Philip. 48. whatsoeuer acceptable whatsoeuer of good report of aine praise or of any vertue are thought on practised or followed after 4 To giue vnto the simple * or Warinesse sharpnesse of wit and to the child knowledge and * or Wittinesse discretion That wisedome which was spoken of in the second verse is now in this diuided into certaine branches as namely into sharpnesse of wit knowledge and discretion As the Prophet Dauid affirmeth in the nineteenth Psalme that the testimony of the Lord which is true giueth wisdome to the simple so in this place it is sayd of the Prouerbes of this booke that they giue vnto the simple sharpnesse of wit or warinesse By the simple here they are vnderstood who are slow of vnderstanding heedlesse in their dealings rude or vnlearned By sharpnesse of wit or warinesse not only a quicke conceipt or a good capacitie but a forecast in foreseeing of dangers preuenting of harms is meant Moreouer as the same Prophet Dauid in the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme affirmeth Psal 119.99 that by the precepts of the word of God he became more learned then his teachers and more prudent then his elders so in the later part of this sentence the Prouerbes of this booke are sayd to be profitable to giue vnto the child knowledge and discretion By the child in this place that childish person is noted out who wanteth experience or stayednesse or who like to children is caried about as the Apostle speaketh with euery blast of doctrine Ephes 4.14 By knowledge an vnderstanding of truth and error or of the mysteries of the word is signified By discretion a ripenesse of wit ioyned with a soundnesse of iudgement and stayednesse in affection is insinuated 5 A wise man shall heare and increase in learning and a man of vnderstanding shall attaine vnto wise counsels 6 To * or To vnderstand teach a parable and an eloquent speech the words of the wise and their darke sayings This reading of this sentence the words do beare the matter seemeth to require 7 The feare of God which is the beginning of knowledge of wisedome and of instruction fooles despise The words of prudence mentioned before in the second verse of this chapter are in these sentences so distributed into their seuerall sorts and kindes as that withall is declared that the godly wise attaine vnto these speeches of prudence but as for the wicked who are fooles indeed whatsoeuer worldly pollicie they haue or account they carrie among such as are like them selues that they despise the reuerence of the Lord which is the fountaine of that knowledge wisedome and instruction which before haue bene spoken of A wise man shall heare and increase in learning Such a one as alreadie in part knoweth spirituall or holy things shall by hearing these parables see into diuine mysteries more cleerly and fully then euer he did And a man of vnderstanding shall attaine vnto wise counsels Moreouer he that is a profound clearke or a singular learned man shall by these instructions be furnished with such skill and cunning that he shall be mightie in words and deeds For as concerning the speeches of prudence mentioned before in the second verse he shall be able either to vnderstand him selfe or to vtter to other That these foure words are to be distinguished may appeare not onely by the signification of thē in the Hebrewe toung but by the vse therof in the scripture as Habacuk 2.6 Eccles 12.13 See the roote of this sentence Iob 28.29 That the feare of God is the beginning of wisedome is also taught Psal 111.10 That instructiō commeth by it is also affirmed in the 15. of this booke verse 33. Examples of the feare of God wee haue in Noah Ioseph the midwiues in Egypt and Cornelius first a parable or a common prouerbe secondly an eloquent speech or a fine description of a matter thirdly the words of the wise or choise termes full of Art or euidence of the spirit last of all their darke sayings or hard and obscure riddles which shadowe or couer some secret meaning Thus then as well the learned as the vnlearned shall be greatly instructed helped by these diuine Prouerbes both in deeds and in words inasmuch as hereby they shall attaine not only to wisedome or instruction but to the speeches of prudence or of vnderstanding But on the contrary side the wicked neither will seeke after neither can be made partakers of these vertues or graces neither shall reape any profit by these instructions or any other like vnto them For as is added in the seuenth verse the
is not sparing of words but very talkatiue Secondly she is not of a meeke spirit but disobediēt to God and her husband yea very stout Last of all she is not an house-doue but a gadder to and fro Now she is without now in the streets She hath this propertie also to lye in wayt for the chastitie of men in euerie place as Thamar did when she sate in the high way to tempt Iudah vnto whoredome 13 Then she taking hold on him kissed him and hardening her face sayd vnto him I haue at home sacrifices of thankesgiuings this day haue I payed my vowes 15 For this cause I am come foorth to meet thee whilest earnestly I seeke thy face in good time I find thee Those speeches of the harlot are here set downe wherein she intreateth him to sup with her Then she taking hold on him kissed him The whorish woman saluteth the young man in a most bold and wanton manner not with an holy but with a filthie kisse As Potiphars wife laid hold on Ioseph to stay him so she layeth hold on the yong mā to draw him toward her house I haue at home sacrifices of thankesgiuing Sith I haue very good fare at home saith she I pray thee come and sup with me God commanded in his law that when any offred peace offrings for their prosperitie part of those sacrifices should be burnt part giuen to the Priest part reserued to be eaten by thē who brought the same Of this part then she speaketh in this place For this cause I am come foorth to meete thee c. Here is great good will pretended but this loue was not true loue in deed because none can loue his neighbour aright but he which loueth God as he ought The sense of these words is as if she should haue sayd Because I beare thee most entire good will I haue not sent a messenger for thee but come my selfe what good lucke is this that I meete with thee 16 I haue decked my bedsted with couerlits with sundry picture workes with curtaines of Egypt 17 I haue perfumed my bed with mirrhe aloes and cynamome The harlot in these words intreateth the yong man hauing now supped with her to stay and lodge in her house all night The reason which she bringeth to this intent is taken from the ornaments and furniture of her bedding I haue princely lodging for thee saith she therefore I pray thee refuse not to stay with me all night Come thy way let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning let vs delite our selues with amorous ioyes 19 For mine husband is not at home he is gone a farre iourney 20 He tooke in his hand a bag of money at the day appointed he will returne home The naughtie woman in these verses entiseth the young man vnto the verie act of adulterie To this ende she bringeth two reasons whereof the one is pleasure a subtill bayte to take the young manby the other is securitie telling him that her husband is gone a farre iourney which long absence of her husband is confirmed by two fignes thereof the great bag of money which he tooke with him and the set day wherein he appointed to returne 21 She drew him by * or The store of her craft her great craft by the flatterie of her lips she prold him on 22 He followeth her forthwith as an oxe goeth to the slaughter Ce gneces el musar euil I turn these words as Drusius doth who thus rēdreth them in Latin Sicut stultus ad castigationem compedis Pro. class 1. lib. 4. and as a foole to the correction of the fetters 23 Vntill a sharpe pointed weapon cleaueth his liuer like as a bird hasteneth to the snare not knowing that it is set for her life The force or issue of the straunge womans oratiō is declared in these verses First of all herein she is resembled to a schoole-mistresse which leadeth and draweth her nouices and scholers to follow her and do what she prescribeth or perswadeth Secondly he the young man I meane is resembled first to an oxe which followeth rhe drouer to the shambles where he is knockt on the head For indeed in like maner the wanton youth followeth the harlot to her house where the good man comming in at vnawares reuengeth him In the next place the young man is compared to a foolish malefactor led to the prison there to be kept in chaines vntill the day of execution at which time the executioner thrusteth him through with some sharpe pointed sword That the executioners in those times vsed with the sword to thrust through or kill malefactors may appeare 1. Kings 2.25 other places of Scripture to the end that his heart or liuer being cleft or cut in sunder his life may quite be taken away For after this maner it fareth with the witlesse youth who either by the harlots husband or the publike magistrate is at last takē and put to death Last of all the young man is likened to a bird which flying greedily toward the lure is caught in the snare to her destruction For he committing folly with the naughtie woman is by one meanes or other plagued and reuenged 24 Now therefore ô sonnes listen vnto me and hearken to the words of my mouth 25 Let not thy soule go astray toward her wayes wander not aside toward her paths 26 For she hath wounded and strucke downe many and mightie men of all sorts haue bene slaine by her 27 The wayes to her house are the wayes to the graue going dovvne to the secret vautes of death In this conclusion of the chapter Salomon cometh to apply the former parable First he sheweth the remedies of adulterie one whereof is the hearing of the word another the flying of the place where the harlot keepeth Secondly he declareth the ruines which the adulteresse hath wrought in the world whereof one is that she hath slaine innumerable people as may appeare in the destruction of the old world the plaguing of the Israelites for their wantonnesse and the warres betweene the Grecians and Troians another is that the mightie potentates of the world haue also by her meanes bene brought to miserie or death as Sampson Dauid this our Salomon with infinite other THE VIII CHAPTER 1 Doth not wisedome crie and vnderstanding lift vp her voyce 2 On the top of the high places standing by the high way in the place of many pathes 3 At the side of the gates in the comming in of the citie in the entrie of the dores they sing saying THe excellencie of wisedome and vnderstanding is at large set downe in this chapter which containeth two points the one the manner of their calling vnto men to come vnto them in these three verses the exposition whereof is set downe in the interpretation of the twentith and one and twentith verses of the first chapter of this booke the other is the summe or matter of their proclamation
in his heart I dare not make knowen my Religiō or declare my loue of the truth least the persecutor slay me Thus the sluggard flyeth smal troubles as if they were great and feareth vncertaine daungers as if they were certaine But put the case ô slouthfull mā that there were a Lyon abroad indeede yet when thy calling bindeth thee to go foorth thou art to proceede to the workes thereof setting aside all vayne excuses and fond feares Did Dauid leaue his fathers sheepe because of the Lyon did Daniell cease from praying vnto God because it was decreed that he who should so do should be cast into the Lyons denne Hath not God made a promise to those who walke in their callings that they shall tread vpon Lyons and not be hurt Sluggishnesse then is in any case to be shaken off which causeth a man to feare the dangers of this life more then God yea which oftentimes causeth him to imagine that a moule hill is a mountaine a Lambe a Lyon an easie matter hard a small daunger great 14 The mouth of straunge women is as a deepe pit he who is a detestation to the Lord shall fall therein They are called here strāge womē who are harlots or wantons The mouth of such strumpets is cōpared to a pit because with their speeches they go about to intangle the simple to cause them to fall into fornication It is said that he who is a detestation to the Lord shall fall therein because the Lord vseth to reuenge a notorious offendor Eccle. 7.26 whom he loatheth for his former sinnes by this most fearefull iudgement that deliuering him vp into a reprobate sense he suffreth him to be seduced by the mouth of the adulteresse and chaseth him as a beast into that pit Rom. 1.26 15 Foolishnesse is bound vp in the heart of a child but the rod of correction will driue it away Foolishnesse is bound vp in the heart of a child frowardnesse stubburnnesse and vanitie or wickednesse dwelleth in all the members of a youth but specially hath abode in their minds For their reason is weake their will peruerse their whole heart inclined to all euil Hence it is that Iob affirmeth that man new borne Iob. 11.12 is like a wild asse colt But the rod of correction will driue it away Neuerthelesse chastisement by stripes remoueth and beateth out the corruption which is in a child 16 Both he who oppresseth the poore to increase his owne substance and he which giueth to the rich shall surely come to pouertie That person who pulleth to him selfe the goods of such as stand in neede shall at last be punished with penurie Againe he who in the humor of vainglorie spendeth his owne goods on the wealthy by sending them rich presents or by feasting them sumptuously shall come to want in the end 17 Incline thine eare and hearken to the wordes of the wise and applie thine heart vnto my knowledge 18 For it shall be pleasaunt if thou keepe these sayings in thy belly and if they be directed together in thy lippes 19 To the end that thy confidence may be in the Lord I haue shewed knowledge this day vnto thee 20 Haue not I writtē vnto thee most Princely sayings in counsels and in vnderstanding 21 Making knowen vnto thee that which is certaine and speeches of truth that in thy speeches thou mayest returne the truth to those who send vnto thee A graue exhortation enforcing the preceptes going before and following after is contained in this place of Scripture It containeth certaine admonitions and certaine reasons enforcing the same The former admonition is incline thine eare c. apply with all diligence thine outward senses to the instructions of this booke The latter is and apply thine heart vnto my knowledge Moreouer bend the inward powers of thy soule to my doctrine The former reason is For it will be pleasant if thou keepe these sayings in thy belly c. For if thou shalt remēber talke of my lessons they will be vnto thee sweeter then the hony or the hony comb To the end that thy confidence may be in the Lord c. The secōd reason is set down in these wordes The summe of it is that the doctrine of this booke is to be embraced by euery one sith he shall receiue this double fruit thereby that both he may be confirmed thereby in the true faith See a like sentence 1. Pet. 3.15 Item Rom. 15.14 and be enabled to render a reason of his beliefe and doings to euery one who shall call him to account 22 Rob not the poore because he is poore neither tread downe the afflicted in the gate 23 For the Lord pleadeth their cause and will spoile their soule who spoile them Rob not the poore because he is poore do wrong to no mā but in no case to the poore man least of all in this respect that he is not able to resist thee or to reuenge thee See the roote hereof Exod. 22.21 c. Neither tread downe the afflicted in the gate aboue all thinges abuse not thy might euen in the seat of iustice to ouerthrow the right of the afflicted For the Lord pleadeth their cause for God much mightier then thou is the defendor of the needy of the comfortlesse And will spoile their soule who spoile them And will take away their life who put them to death 24 Make no friendship with an angry man neither go with a furious person 25 Lest thou learne his wayes and receiue * Or a snare destruction to thine owne soule Make no friendship with an angry man chuse not him to be thy friend who is giuen to wrath neither goe with a furious person and auoyd the very presence of a moodie man lest thou learne his wayes lest by his example thou be infected with his vices and receiue destruction to thine owne soule and lest thou meete with a deadly blow at his handes For indeede furious people are wont in their moodynesse sometimes to slay their nearest and dearest friends 26 Be not of the number of them who Or clap touch the hand nor of them who promise to pay debtes 27 If thou hast not wherewith to make recompence why causest thou that the creditor should take thy bed from vnder thee Be not a rash suretie for by this meanes thou shalt cast thy selfe into thy creditors daunger in such sort Before 20.16 as that he may by law distraine vpō all thy goods the very bed whereon thou lyest not excepted 28 Thou shalt not remoue the auncient boundes which thy forefathers haue set This Prouerbe teacheth that those things are not rashly or lightly to be chaunged which by law or by the custome of the elders are receiued Thou shalt not remoue the auncient bounds Thou shalt not encroch vnlawfully on other mens possessions nor deceitfully displace the marke of thine inheritance which being remoued the grounds or lands would be confoūded