of one master and Pastour ¶ For there is none ende in making of bookes HEre he toucheth the infelicitie of mās nature seeming to imitate and followe these good men and wryters but full vntowardly vnhandsomely This he meaneth Thou hast to doe in the world where thou shalt happē on innumerable bookes set out to edifie the people but abyde thou within a certen numbre of thē prescribed And hold thy selfe vpon the scripture Much study and reading is a wearines of the fleshe THis he saith not of the wearynes of the person that wryteth but of his disciples or hearers as if he would saye These men with their many wrytinges and bookes doe nothing but cause men to weary themselues whō yet they would séeme to benefit alwayes learning and neuer attayning vnto the truth This I say is the fruite of these bookes ▪ to trouble mens consciences and to weary that people Therefore we must persist and abyde in the opinion of one Teacher We must cleaue either to one or to a fewe which haue the trewe forme of doctrine Other we must beware of which go about onely to séeme to bring some newe deuyse and to séeme better learned then others as nowe many Sectaryes and their likes doo Well therefore doth S. Iames saye Be ye not many maisters Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commaundementes THat is this is the sūme of all feare God and worshipp him and set hym alwayes before thine eyes and so shalt thou perfourme all I haue written in this booke For vnlesse a man feare God he can accomplishe none of these thinges He hath set forth the examples of them which haue lyued wisely and notablye without feare who when aduersitie and distresse commeth waxe insolent and trouble themselues But they that feare the Lorde can contemne and set light all aduersityes troubles when they come giue God thankes whē they come not ¶ For this is the dutie of all men THat is belongeth to all men and is profitable for all mē By other trades and kindes of lyfe men seeke for gayne by this for godlynesse The same Paule affirmeth in this wise These thinges be proffitable for men As for vaine talke auoyde For God wil bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secreat thing whether it be good or euell THat is all thinges at length shall come vnto iudgement Be they good or be they euil vaine talkers backbiters fooles at length shall be confounded and their opinions shall no lenger endure Thus zoilus at length was throwen downe aliue from the topp of a mountaine But Homer abydeth the Prince of all Poetes still in despight of all the zoili or of whosoeuer is more wicked then they Thus all other good authors especially of the sacred Scriptures by Gods power and appoyntment are likewyse hetherto preserued ¶ With euery secret thinge THat is to saye hypocrisie Because these Apes counterfet a shewe of lyfe and good doctrine So in the 25. Psalme also it is sayd I will not keepe companye with dissemblers that is such as Christ calleth hipocrites Paule sayth They haue a shewe of Godlines Therefore God shall Iudge euery worke that that may remayne and abyde that is perfect and sincere all coulor fainednes being taken away wherewith they hid and cloked their workes He speaketh not of the latter iudgment but after the maner of the Scripture in generall of all iudgments eyther such as heretikes be iudged and put to death by or what so euer sorte of wicked persons All these thinges haue their iudgment and time appointed them of God which they must abyde Thus the Pope euen at this day is brought to iudgement is almost condēned Thus was Arius and diuerse other heretikes brought to this iudgment and the Lorde reueled their shamefullnes as Peter saith In the time of his visitation and inquirie FINIS Psal. 119. Nun. Iames. 1. Iames. 1. He blameth the abusing of this booke The errour of the Schoolemē in this booke The doctrine of doubtyng tooke begynnyng of this booke The errour of holy fathers in misunderstādyng of this booke The begynnyng of Monkishe lyfe Errour of the interpretours The title of this booke He meaneth Plato The obscuritie or hardnes of this booke Two causes why it is so obscure The vse of this booke The Argumēt and intent of this booke The errour of them cōfuted which condemne Gods creatures The creatures of God are good The abuse of Gods creatures naughty affections of men are condemned in this booke The errour of them that vnderstand not this booke What thyngs Salomon condemneth in this booke What the matter and content of this booke is What the affectiōs of man are The doctrine of this booke is to vse our goods with thankes geuyng S. Augustines saying The corruption of mās nature and miserie of mans affections What thinges are reprehended in this booke The title of the booke Why this booke is called the Preacher Salomons phrase and speach The cause why one worde is doubled The theame and argumēt of this booke Mens deuises and enterprises are vaine Of whose labour and trauel Salomō speaketh He speaketh of mēs enterprises not of Gods workes Gods creatures are firme and stable but men are caryed and vexed with diuerse desires False interpretatiō blamed Gods creatures abyde within theyr bondes but men stray out of theirs The sunne rayseth the wyndes with hys mouyng The cause of sprynges and fountaines All thinges are led with their own course and order What the meaning of this comparison is The errour of Sophisters vpon this place The vanitie of man greater thē can be expressed with wordes The insatiable gulfe of mans hart Alexander Magnus Mans mynde is vnsatiable Vanitie of mans hart In man there is no new thyng but concupiscence naughty inclamtiōs dwell in all men God worketh newe thinges in some men Men are not mooued with the examples of their predecessours He begynneth hys doctrine 〈◊〉 the exāple of himselfe which hee setteth out to all men to folow Of his owne example by an argument a maiore He speaketh of hys owne workes enterprises Mē troubled wyth their owne wisdome The care of man to his vocation ruled by the worde of God good and necessary Mās coūsels not ruled by gods word are deceaued We must abstayne not trust to our owne counsels but to gods word onely Where the greatest wisdome of man is without the feare of God there is most foolishnes Vnhappy is the good intention that is not ruled by the worde of God and fayth The cause why all thynges cā not be ruled by our counsell All thinges must be cōmitted to God and he desired to order our deuises and to geeue them good successe The wisedome of kyng Salomon What knowledge i◠What wisdome is The continuation of the former chapiter with this present Mourning companion vnto pleasure Loue is bitter We must vse Gods giftes with the acknowledgyng
dayly runne into the Sea. The Sea againe by certaine secrete conduites and vaines in the mountaines soketh droppeth as it were into springes Riuers and the earth is a very strainer through the which the water is clarified Thus we sée that Salomon in fewe wordes comprehendeth the meruelous disposition and motion of the fower elementes within themselues naming the earth the Sunne the wâ—â—de flouds I suppose Salomon meaneth by the allegory of these naturall alterations to bring vs to the matter that he treateth of and frameth this similitude vnto vs As if he shoulde say Euen as all these thinges abide in their chaungeable courses so doe all our affayres likewise The sunne is neuer wearied notwithstaÌ„ding his continuall course the waters runne into the Sea and yet are not spent and consumed c. EueÌ„ so fareth it wyth meÌ„ They still doe as their elders haue done which gaue themselues vnto vanitie EueÌ„ as they nothing preuailed no more doe we No man amendeth by an others example or taketh euer the more héede by an others dainger Iulius was most vainely occupyed Cicero sought to bee eloquent But what was the end of their trauell most vaine because they atteyned not to that they desired If he had vsed his eloquence not after his owne deuise but as tyme and place had serued him doubtles he shoulde haue béene a most happy man These mens examples doe we follow c. Therefore all mens deuises rise fall goe forward come backeward and continue as they alway haue done So there is in these wordes not onely a description of the kingdome of vanitie but also a similitude and comparison of mans deuises All thinges are hard to be knowen neither is any man able to expresse them THis text the Sophisters haue corrupted while they thinke the study of Philosophie is here repreheÌ„ded whereby meÌ„ search out the nature causes of things as though this were an euill thyng not able to be declared But it is not euill to search out the nature and properties of thynges Moreouer the causes of all things are most manifest so farre of is it that they be hard and difficult This therfore he meaneth that he wil speake of the vanitie of maÌ„ but that the same is so much and so great that he thinketh he can not sufficiently expresse the same It can not be vttered he sayth how great the vanitie of man is which thyng Persius the Poete declareth saying O what great vanitie is in the world And an other writer sayth No man lyueth content with his estate And euery man ought to lyue within his boundes and coÌ„passe vanitie stretcheth farther than can be rekoned in all mens affaires Therfore it is but litle that I can say of vanitie if a man consider the greatnes therof It is to grosse and to much For so great is this worldes vanity that I can not with any wordes expresse it The thyng is greater then either men can conceaue or I am able to vtter It is an hard matter to declare the varietie of mens deuises and desires what it is that Iulius coueteth what AlexaÌ„der what Salomon what Cato what Scipio what Pompey The affections of men are alwayes more then the toung of man can expresse And now he prooueth that he sayd by an example The eye is not satisfied with seyng nor the eare with hearyng THat is to say mans eyes and senses haue neuer any rest If I should goe about to declare but onely the pleasures we conceaue by seeyng and hearyng I should take an endles labour in hand If the eye be not satisfied with seyng how shall I be able to vtter all the vanitie of man To be short naught and vnsearcheable is the hart of maÌ„ Such is the diuersitie of mans affections and desires that that the eyes haue neuer seene ynough Now they desire to sée one thyng now an other wheÌ„ they haue their wish yet is not their mynde contented The hart is a gulfe alwayes gaping it coueteth all things and though it haue all it desireth yet stil séeketh it for more CoÌ„sider Alexander Magnus who being Lord almost of the whole world yet wheÌ„ he heard there were innumerable worldes sighed saying and I haue not yet vanquished one world Thus in his hart hee coueted infinite worldes What man is so eloquent that he can expresse this most vayne affectioÌ„ of the hart This vanitie and gréedynes of mans hart can not be expressed That whiche hee hath doth not like hym and wisheth for that which hee hath not The eye is not satisfied with seeing vnderstand this generally not as they haue expounded it It is not satisfied with beholdyng of heauen What thing is that that hath been euen the same that is to come What is that that hath been done euen the same that shall be done And there is no new thyng vnder the sonne Is there any thyng wherof it may be sayd Loe this is new for the lyke hath been in the times that haue been before vs There is no remembraunce of thinges past no more shall there be any remembraunce of thynges to come hereafter HEre do the Sophisters trifle agayne vnderstandyng these wordes of the Creatures their selues where Salomon playnely signifieth he speaketh of mens affections and desires saying The eye is not satisfied c. Bycause hearyng and seyng are such senses as soonest perceaue things are most delighted with them And thus he meaneth What is that that hath been THat is to say after thou hast prepared that thou desirest yet is not thy mynde quyeted the same affection abydeth still after thy desire that thou haddest before The mynde is neuer contented Alexander when he had ouercome the world had no more then he had before For his mynde was neuer the more satisfied Iulius thought to establish a common weale so thought Brutus too but neither of them brought it to effect This is it that hee sayth What is that that hath been Verely euen the same that hath been downe afore that is to say the same affection still remaineth which will neuer bee satisfied That that hee desireth or studyeth to haue or bryng to passe is euen the same hee hath all ready To bee short What a man hath to day of the same will he couet more to morow For here is signified the restles and insatiable appetite and vanitie of mans hart that caÌ„ not be satisfied with things present whatsoeuer they bee That I haue done this day is nothing although I haue had my purpose I am not content I will still prooue other wayes Thus doe all meÌ„ so did Iulius so Pompey so Alexander And euen as they did doe all other They desier things to come and lothe thinges present RemeÌ„ber therfore that SalomoÌ„ speaketh here of mans doings and not of Gods either already done or to be done For he speaketh alway of the thynges which are done vnder the sunne in this kingdome of the
as the prouerbe sayth knowen mischiefes are best We must not therefore so flye and abhorre aduersities considering we know that the ende of all mē is to haue enuye flaunder myseryes and death Therefore if thou wilt wade through them all thou must learne these things by continuall vse Such griefes come vpon fooles vnlooked for but to the Godly by reason of long vse they séeme light as vnto whom this worlde is counted but as donge and death séemeth pleasaunt And in that they lyue they lyue onely for gods sake which will haue them so to lyue And the liuing shal lay it to his hart THe lyuing is he that liueth in wealth and pleasure The naturall lyfe the Hebrewes cōmonly call the soule and the vsuall and pleasaunt lyfe they call to liue He truely expresseth what the experience of aduersitie doth namely that he that lyueth in pleasure layeth it to his hart that is that he is compelled in mynde or harte to learne by such aduersities And he that wil not suffer aduersitie learneth nothing and so remayneth still a foole Anger is better then laughter for by a sad looke the harte is made better THis is all one saying with that afore But how agreeth this with that he sayd afore We must not be angry but reioyce in all our labor And here he saith anger is better then laughter I aunswere He speaketh rather of sadnes then anger not that foolish sadnes which men counterfet But euen as he speaketh of the house of mourning so he speaketh of anger so that anger is a kinde of sadnes or gréefe that causeth a kinde of heauynes as when it was tolde Dauid that all the kinges children were slayne he fell sadd There is the same worde that is in this place which surely can not there signifie anger but heauynes so that it is all one with that we say in the Dutch tounge He was abashed and much troubled Aduersities dusken the countenance and make it heuye So he that is in office publicke or pryuate Such a one can leaue his laughing so that he be a good man and will doo his duetye truely there shall he finde such gréefe that he shall be compelled to saye The deuyll be a burrow master or gouernour for there is nothing but more sorow trouble in it Such sorowes cause sadnes in the countenaunce of those men as wish all thinges well in so much that they thus reason and thinke cease of geue ouer thou nothing preuailest but gettest thy selfe griefe and enuie Here Salomon withstandeth these thinges counselleth and warneth thée saying yelde not but goe thorough with it For it is better thou take indignatiō be sad that thou must bite away the same laughing that thou shewe heauines in thy countenaunce and behauiour and that thou be compelled to shewe it namely by reasō of griefe then to laugh The reason is Because thorough a sadde countenaunce the hart is made better THis may be vnderstāded two wayes first through a sad countenaunce the hart to say of others is amended So Paule in a Byshop requireth grauitie in manners and cōuersation that he offend not men by reason of lightnes c. So Salomon would haue him that is in auctoritie to reioyce in hart but to shew himselfe graue outwardly that other might thereby be amended For if a mā behaue himself in such wise that his hart be meary and his countenaunce graue so that he shew no lightnes in his apparell and gesture him will other feare and reuerēce and his familie will be of no dissolute demeanour Secondly it may thus be expounded In an heauy countenaunce the hart goeth well that is there is no cause but the hart may be meary although the countenaunce outwardly be heauy so that the meaning may be thus It is better to leade a graue and seuere lyfe thē a lyght and dissolute The Hebrewes call laughing such a kynde of lyfe as our Papistes lead which liue most dissolutely contemning and deriding all thinges And thys meaning pleaseth me better then that whereby it is thought that the hart of a foole or godles body can be corrected by any mās sadnes or grauitie It may séeme that a wicked body feareth the grauitie of an other but his hart is all one still I take this saying therfore to be vnderstanded of thine owne hart that in the middle of troubles it may be good It is an Hebrew phrase a good hart for a pleasaunt and meary hart And Salomon speaketh after this sort to dyrect his hearer to the marke of his meaning that is to teach them to be meary howsoeuer the world goeth But where before he sayd It is good to reioyce c. here he séemeth to affirme a contrary Sadnes is better then laughter Surely these two séeme not to agrée but godly matters are alwayes difficulte they are alwayes wrested to a contrary sence If we teach that nothing iustifieth but onely faith then the wicked neglecte all good works Againe if we teach that faith must be declared by workes then they attribute iustification to workes A foole alway swerueth too much on one side So hard a thyng it is to kéepe the highe way So here Salomon requireth neither sadnes alone nor mirth alone but will haue a meane kept betwéene them bothe The mynde must be meary at libertie settled bearing it selfe euen in worldly matters betyde whatsoeuer aduersitie or prosperitie In the sadnes of the countenaunce c. AS if he should say I distinguishe betwéene sadnes of countenaunce and sadnes of hart I will haue all mē meary in hart inwardly for it can not be but outwardly some sadnes will happen As the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 6. As sad and alwayes meary c. so that the one must be referred to the outward sadnes the other to inward The hart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the hart of fooles is in the house of myrth ALl these things seeme cōtrary to that he hath sayd before except we make a difference betwene these two the inward myrth and the outward and inward sadnes and outward He contynueth on in cōforting exhorting saying follow not those fooles which chaunge their mindes with euery chaunge of thinges in hart cleaue to them they be meary in prosperitie but when aduersitie commeth they mourne and are sad In the house of mourning THe Hebrewes call a house not that building onely which is made of tymber and stone but what place so euer any thing is donne in So with their Grammariās euery letter is a house of words that beginneth with the same letter But why is the hart of the wise in the house of mourning Because wise men are not ouercomed of aduersitie neither chaunge with euery alteratiō Fooles follow outward myrth and flye aduersytie a most troublesome kinde of men taking many things in hande with great rashenes and feruencie and when neuer so lytle trouble appeareth
their harts all the dayes of their lyfe THis is againe a copiousnes of Salomon as though he should saye The worlde is all together vnquyet and vnkinde there is as small remembraunce of good men as of euell This is to be vnderstanded on the worldes behalfe not on Gods. The righteous men that lyue are conteyned of the world and in the world But with God they stand in good case as he sayd before He that feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him The worlde rewardeth the good and the bad alyke This is the woorst of all things that are donne vnder the Sunne THat is mans hart is to weake to heare this peruersenes They that haue not the feare of God can not patiētly suffer this ingratitude and that there should be no difference betwéene good mē and euill but that it should happen to both alyke This is the cause therefore that mēs hartes are fylled with wyckednes THat is to say with indignation Intollerable sorow Because they haue not vnderstanding nor can not frame them selues to doe as God doth which sendeth rayne to the good and euyll alyke I suppose that the Philosophers Monkes are here quipped which because they could not beare with these thinges forsooke the worlde They would not serue in such an vnkinde worlde But Salomon will haue vs to be busyed in the worlde and to know the worlde and not to be feared with the ingratitude thereof from doing but to follow our heauenly father which letteh his sunne to arise vppon the good and euill Math. v. And foolishnes remayneth in their hartes vntill they dye THat is they die without hauing done any worke euen as though they had neuer lyued They are lyke a shadow in this lyfe profitable to no body None enioyeth any part of their seruice or goodnes And that they hope after is preuented by death So their ende is nothing but death they leaue no goodnes for posteritie But doe thou so order thy lyfe that thou séeke to be meary and to doe good vnto others For among all men lyuing hope is chosen for a lyuing dogge is better then a dead Lyon. BY this place Salomon prepareth an exhortation for vs to doe good whyle we are able that we be nothing mooued with the ingratitude of the worlde but that we holde on in doing our dutye and haue a good hope and trust Because there is hope in all men as long as they lyue as if he should say Doe not so contemne or despise this lyfe that thou eyther despayre or forsake the felloship of men for hope or trust is the best thing that is among men For as long as men are lyuing there is hope Therfore we must doe as much as we are able For because of the remnaunt we must serue the whole Thus a good minister of the worde of God for the good Citizēs sake preacheth the worde of God although many blame the same So if a good schoolemaster haue two good schollers he must take paynes for their sakes although he haue twenty other naughty disposed and hopeloftes Thus must ech magistrate also doe if he can not bring the whole City to doe their dutie yet he shal perhaps finde some one or two whom he shall bring to good passe c. This is it therefore that Salomon sayth Let vs not be discouraged through dispayre nor yet presume or take so much vpon vs For we must not so despayre of the lyuing as we doe of the dead of whome there is no hope We must beare with the importunities of men and not despayre of all men although many be wicked and vngratious For a lyuing dogge is better then a dead Lyon. HE enter laceth a prouerbe meanyng thus It suffiseth to correcte redresse something in the worlde as a lyue dog although he be a beast of no great accompt yet is he better then the great carcasse of the strōgest Lyon. This we speakē and vtter in this wyse Better is a Sparrow sure in hand then a Crane in doubt Againe in the Dutch toung The childe must not be poured out with the water that it hath beene bathed in For the lyuing know that they shall die but the dead know nothing at all neyther haue they any more a rewarde for their remembraunce is forgotten Also their loue and their hatred and their enuy is now perished and they haue no more portion for euer in all that is done vnder the Sunne THe lyuing sayth he know they shal die therfore in their life they haue this hope Let them not therefore put of frō day to day to worke and to doe well lyke fooles maycockes which alwayes looke on other mens examples and wyll neuer geue any onset by themselues before they see other beginne to doe well The dead know nothing at all neither are they rewarded any more SAint Hierome wrested this place foolishly to the rewarde of the dead which were in purgatory For Salomō séemeth to thinke that the deap are without all manner of féeling And I thinke there is not a place in the scripture of more force for the dead that are fallen in sléepe vnderstanding naught of our state and condition against the inuocation of Saintes and fiction of Purgatory It is an Hebrew phrase They haue no more any rewarde WHich we thus expresse in the Dutch speach It is all in vaine with thē that be dead All they can doe is of no auayle they now can doe nothing that may profite them lyke as is sayd other wheres thy worke shall be rewarded And as Paule sayth your trauell shall not be in vayne ¶ Their loue their hatred c. VNderstand all these thinges actiuely as before that is to say the benefits they did by louing by obeying c. are forgotten And where as Saint Hierome caueleth that although they know not what is donne in the worlde yet they know the thinges that are donne in heauen it is an error and a folly ¶ Moreouer they haue no parte or portion in this worde THat is they haue nothing to doe with vs He describeth the dead as lyke to sensles Carkasses He will therfore haue vs vse this lyfe while we may and to labour all that we are able We are compelled to leaue the greater parte of the world vnto Satan we can scarce bring the thousandth parte vnto god Therefore if the Lyon dye kyll not the Dogg also Goe therefore and eate thy breade with ioy and drinke thy wine wyth a cherefull hart For now thy works please God. AS Salomon is wont after a rehersal of vanitie in this worlde to ioyne immediately some comfort and exhortation for vs to be meary and of good cheere euē so doth he in this place as though he should say Seing we are constrayned to lyue in this peruersitie it shall be best for vs to be meary and quyet For we can not chaunge these thinges neyther shall we
captayne preuayleth among fooles and a foolishe prince heareth a foolishe Counsellers words because he speaketh that which pleaseth him Thys I say that thou must consider as is sayd in the prouerbes The foole wyll not heare vnles thou speake that he phāsieth in his harte because affections rule all in the fooles hart therefore he regardeth not what thou sayest vnles thou say that he desireth For they which thus are led with their owne affections wysdome will heare nothing els Therefore thou shalt not preuaile thou shalt not be heard where myndes are not quyeted that is to say blinded with affections So now a dayes it is in vayne to write agaynst the Sectaries and heretikes for thou shalt doe no good Which thing Paule affirmeth also A man that is an heretike after once or twise warnyng auoyde c. And it falleth not thus out in matters of religion onely but also in ciuile affayres Thus it fareth in worldly affayres if thou geue good counsell thou shalt not preuayle nor be heard but with Neutrals whose myndes are setled and will take parte wyth none But setled myndes at quyet can truely iudge that the crying of a Captayne is but foolishe We must abyde therfore till the affections be appeased for then shall he heare Euen as troubled-water is not cleare but if thou wilt sée the bottome thou must tarry till the water be setteled so all men that haue conceaued any perswasion in their mynde will not be disswaded agayne vnles that conceit of theirs wherwith they be as it were bewitched be put away This Salomon in an other place expresseth in thys wyse It is better to meete a Beare or a Lyon robbed of her whelpes then a man trusting in his owne foolyshenes Better is wisdome then weapons of warre but one sinner destroyeth much good THis sentence he hath proued with the ensample gone before And at thys day all that follow warres prooue the same namely that warlyke engines are naught worth without wisdome counsell and that wysedome is of more force and auayle in warre then is strength For there are many suddaine and diuers chaunces and awaytes c. Thus the Romanes boast that they ouercame the world not by strength but by wysdome Wisedome therfore beareth the stroke in thys worlde but shée is not heard or cōsidered For one Synner destroyeth much good FOr both in peace and warre there are such vnthriftes and naughty persons as disturbe all thinges There is a counseller stādeth vp and speaketh for peace straight way a thrasonicall mate lubber dasheth all whom thou shalt resiste but in vayne because men are led wyth their owne affections and will geue no eare to such as geue contrary aduise so that as Homere sayth the greater parts most tyme preuaileth agaynst the better Dead flyes cause the most precious oyntment to stinke THis is a prouerbiall sentence against fooles howbeit Salomon hath very hard translations The translatiō would haue béene more comely if he had added according to the prouerbe It is as men say The prouerbe is taken from things in vse among this people which accompt and estéeme oyntmentes among their most precious thinges It séemeth to vs the similitude is the more vnpleasaunt and straunge because we haue litle vse of such thinges as that nation had Lyke therfore as flyes destroy a most precious oyntment so some vnthrift and naughtipacke destroyeth the best counsell in a common weale in the Parliamēt chamber and in warre Therefore as we are constrayned to beare with such noysome flyes so are we compelled to beare with such pestilent counsellers Therefore a lytle folly sometyme is better then wisdome and glory THis is a consolatiō against such chaūses and naughtye Counsellers He calleth it lytle folly besause of the litle tyme it endureth as the Poetes vse to say To seeme foolish in place where is holden for high wisedome Therefore when thou séest a naughty man preuaile in the Counsell or in the Parlament house c. let thy counsell geue place and leaue of thy wisedome because thou séest it is not lyked and vexe not thy selfe It is better thou séeme a foole for a season and let them go on in their foolishnes because they wil giue no eare to thée For by force thou canst not preuaile For a foole will be led by no counsell vnlesse thou speake according to his mynde Therefore thou must let them alone whē thou hast shewwed thy counsell and donne what thou cāst For if thou wilte goe through wyth thy purpose thou shalt wrath these waspes and méete with an angry Beare and endaūger thy self without necessitie These counsels be very good for vs which dwell in this ingratefull worlde which harkeneth not to our good counsell whatsoeuer we saye or threaten Glory signifieth not onely fame but pompe ornamentes riches which are cause of fame So Math. 6. God so clotheth the lylyes of the feelde that Salomon in all his glory that is to say in all his ryches and pompe was not so arayed ¶ The harte of a wise man is as his right hande but the hart of a foole is at his left THis also is a kinde of Prouerbe that is a wise man hath his harte in hys owne rule and power If he perceaueth that they are foolish and wil geue no eare vnto him he can for a tyme holde his peace He cā vse his wisedome according to the place and persons and as he shall perceaue his counsell is lyke well or euil to succéede But a foole is not master of his owne hart but according to his affection will runne through with them It is a great matter to rule and moderate the harte which no man doth or can doe but he that is wel acquainted with the world and hath an eye to Gods iudgementes A foole walking in the way and being him selfe neuer so much a foole thynketh yet that all other are fooles THat is he is not content that himselfe preuaileth with his naughty counsel so that thou must yelde to him but also thou shalt be cōpelled to beare with him in being glorifyed for his foolishnes and naughty counsell and in shaming the wisedome of other men For if thou geue good counsell he will straight way be vpon thy back and reprooue thy wise saying and counselling But aūswere thou thus I haue shewed my counsell I compell no man but haue said that I thinke good First therefore a foole will not heare thée nexte he will throng with his owne imagination and last of all whatsoeuer thou sayst to the contrary as thou art bound but not to follow it if thou thinke it will not preuaile he will deride it reproche it as foolishe and wicked This we sée in our dayes and finde true by our selues Therefore if the spirit of thy superiour haue his purpose against thy mynde be not thou discontented for to giue place pacifieth great euill THis we thus expresse in
thou not want so that thou hast to geue and gyuest of thine owne as Christ sayth in his gospell Because thou knowest me what euell c. THat is it may come to passe that to morrow thou shalt dye and leaue thy goodes to vnworthy mē or els some other calamity may suddeinly fall then thou repent thée that thou didst not geue or bestowe thy goodes and now being willing arte not able Geue therefore thy goodes while thou haste them and art able thou knowest not what wil afterwarde betide For when Princes gather and masse vp infinite treasures they doe but minister occasion of warres and rich men doing the lyke minister matter of lawe and contention ¶ If the Cloudes be full they will powre fourth rayne vpō the earth THese be meere exhortatiōs threats If the cloudes that is the poore be full they will send downe rayne into the earth This may be vnderstanded two wayes First thus Doe as the cloudes doe which when they are full let the raine fall euen so doo thou poure out vpon the poore Secondly it may be a promise which I lyke better after this sorte If thou hast substaunce geue it to thē which be like wandring cloudes and haue nothing Fill I say these cloudes and thou shalt see thy selfe also filled The commination followeth ¶ The tree whether it falleth to the South or to the North in the place that it falleth there it shall be THat is thou knowest not how longe thou shalt liue and possesse thy goods As a trée when it is cutt downe whether it fall to the South or to the North remayneth there still so howsoeuer death taketh the in whatsoeuer state or condition thou remaynest in the same If the Lorde finde thee in the South that is to say fruitefull and rich in good woorkes it is happye for thée If in the North that is to say with no good woorkes woe to thée Howsoeuer thou shalt be founde so thou shalt be iudged so thou shalt receiue also He that obserueth the wynde shall not sowe and he that regardeth the Cloudes shall not reape THis also apperteyneth to exhortatiō We in the Dutche tounge expresse this sentence thus He that is afrayde of the bushes must neuer come into the woodes or forrest It séemeth to him the geueth that he shall leaue nothinge at home but lose all And this is the cause we geeue so vnwillingly Therefore sayth he If thou wilt feare penurye ingratitude of men thou shalt neuer be beneficiall He that regardeth the substance he geueth more then the woorde of the promiser beleueth he shall not be nourished in tyme to come nor haue inough Therfore looke vpon the woorde and promises of God Man lyueth not by bread onely If thou wilt beléeue this woorde he will blesse the in thée féelde at home c. Therefore he soweth not the regardeth the windes nor reapeth that obserueth the raine For in the haruest raine is not good but men looke for fayre wether and reape not till that be come I would geue gladly say some if I knew I should not lacke my selfe Thou wilt geue onelye that whereof thou hast no néede But thou must know that the poore must eate with thée so that thou shouldest rather somewhat defraude thy selfe then he shoulde lacke But he that beleueth not the Lord will doo no good He that omitteth his worde will omitt his worke also As thou knowest not which is the waye of the Spirites nor how the bones doe growe in the wombe of her that is with Childe So thou knowest not the worde of God that worketh all SAlomon vseth this copiousnes of exhortation to awake and styrre vp our slouthfulnes Euen sayth he as thou knowest not the waye of the winde and how the bones are ioyned together c euen so thou knowest not the worke that God doth euery where or in all mē Thou knowest not what God will determine of thy selfe or of any other whether thou shalt lyue or dye to morrowe whether thou shalt be sicke or haue any other myshapp If God would haue prolonged our lyfe and our dayes so that we might haue knowē how long we woulde haue beene the woorst Creatures on the earth But now know we not whether we shall lyue one hower and yet we wil not cease our euill doing This similitude Christ vseth in the thirde of Saynte Iohn Thou hearest the blowing of the wynde and yet thou knowest not whēce it cōmeth nor whether it will and no more knowest thou whether thou shalte goe As therefore thou feelest the wynde present so vse thou thy present goodes And how the bones be ioyned together LIkewise saith he are beastes and men made in their mothers wombe thou knowest not how Psal. 38. My bones are not bid from thee though 〈◊〉 be made secretly in all that Psalme of Domine probasti c. And though the wombe were opened yet could we not sée how these thinges came to passe For we all sée that trées doe growe and yet we sée not how the bowes leaues and fruites of them doe grow neither can we shewe any reason thereof Euen so other men sée that we growe Seing therefore we vnderstand not thinges present and before our eies how shall we vnderstand things to come To cōclude Gods works are to vs vnknowen and so are those things that are to come In the morning sowe thy seede and in the euening let not thine hand rest For thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall be alyke good HE speaketh not this of tyllage onely but generally of all the woorkes of man and chiefly of doing good workes as Paule sayth Let vs doo good while we haue time In the morning that is betimes or alway The reason is because thou knowest not which will soonest grow Cast thou thy séede in the ground and doe that thou oughtest and then commit all thy labour successe hereof to god Doe wel vnto all men marke not the windes nor care not for that is to come Thus must we doe our good works not looke for our thankes here If the world doth giue no thankes God thanketh if both cometh to passe so much is it the better And if Daungers ensue receiue them thankfully We sée therefore in all this booke that Salomon teacheth vs to vse the thinges present that God sendeth and armeth vs against daūgers and calamities to come that when they light we take them not as straunge That that followeth is a kinde of wish or prayer such as we vse in our sermons and exhortations in Dutch on this wyse woulde to God it went so to woorke Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the Sunne THis is an allegory he meaneth if were a pleasant thing if a mā would expresse this doctrine in lyfe If the Princes and people would folow this doctrine which I haue taught doe