wherof is to be found in the fourth commandement of the morall law Secondly a promise is made also of peace that is to say of prosperitie euen in these outward things for godlinesse hath the promises both of this life the life to come But here may some say how are these promises performed seeing oftentimes the wicked liue as long or longer then the godly and enioy outward blessings more then they To answer briefly vnto this doubt first the promises of God touching outward blessings are not absolute or simple but conditional Secondly the obedience of the godly is not full but in part and therefore no maruell it is if in part onely they are made partakers of outward blessings Last of all the Lord giuing his children in heauen eternitie and glorie performeth a great deale more then here he doth promise 3 Let not * or Goodnesse or bountie mercie and truth forsake thee bind them about thy necke write them vpon the table of thine heart 4 And thou shalt find fauor and good successe before the eyes of God and man In these verses two points or precepts are summarily propounded which throughout the whole chapter afterward are seuerally handled To be briefe herein two vertues are commended and two rewards promised vnto the practise of them The former vertue is mercie whereby all sorts of duties seruing to the benefiting of mē are to be vnderstood as almes visiting of the fatherlesse and widowes and such like The later is truth vnder which gift faith vnfained sinceritie in all actions is comprehended For indeed the end of the law as Paule speaketh to Timothie is loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1.5 and faith vnfayned And behold saith Dauid in the Psalme vnto the Lord Behold thou art delighted with truth Psal 51.8 and in secret hast made wisedome knowne vnto me Now euen as signes frontlets which are bound about the face or neck are alwayes present so both these vertues must alwayes be meditated on and practised Again as notes or letters written in paper or grauen in mettall continue so these graces must continually be thought on and firmely written not in paper or in stone but in the fleshly tables of our hearts The self same thing is here signified which is set downe in Deuteronomie where it is sayd lay vp these my words in your hearts and minds and bind them for a signe on your hands Deut. 11.8 place them betweene your eyes A like phrase is vsed by the Apostle Paule to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3. Heb. 8. and by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The rewards promised to the forenamed vertues being also two the former of them is fauour whereby is meant the well liking of the Lord before whose eyes the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptiblenesse of a gentle meeke spirit is much worth and most amiable The later reward is good successe that is prosperitie and acceptation among men who are wont to loue and recompence such as do them good This promise then is all one in a manner with that which the Apostle Paule setteth downe in the Epistle to the Romanes where speaking of righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.18 he saith that he which in these things serueth Christ pleaseth God and is acceptable to men 5 Trust in the Lord with thy whole hart but leane not vnto thine owne vnderstanding 6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he will direct thy pathes The first particular dutie which we are exhorted to performe to the Lord is herein set downe Trust in the Lord with thy whole heart doubt not of Gods fauour in Christ or of the truth of anie of his promises but leane not vnto thine owne vnderstanding on the contrarie side thinke not by thine owne pollicie to auoyd euils or to attaine vnto good things For in deed so long as we put any confidence in our owne gifts we can neuer truly or surely relye on God alone or looke for helpe from him onely Yea that which is more the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to God and the naturall vnderstanding of man is not able to comprehend spirituall mysteries but disputeth against the plaine truth of Gods word or promises In all thy wayes acknowledge him In all the actions of thy life set the Lord onely before thee aske counsell what is best to be done at his word calvpon him by prayer giue him thankes and referre all things to his glorie And he will direct thy pathes The Lord will blesse thy counsel and enterprises For it can not be but that we must needes find God an approuer and defender of those actions and courses which we attempt and go about in his name and feare hauing him for our author and captaine 7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes feare God and depart from euill 8 So health shall be vnto thy nauell and moisture vnto thy bones In these verses we haue the second dutie of pietie commended vnto vs. Be not wise in thine owne eyes folow not thy corrupt reason neither in matters of religiō nor in the ordering of thy life and conuersation but follow the line of Gods word in all things For indeed conceipt and selfe loue causeth men to erre most grossely and to thinke they do very well when they do very ill as also to be secure in their sinnes yea to defend them selues in their most wicked deedes as may appeare in Saules offting of sacrifice and sparing of Agag Feare God and depart from euill 1. Sam. 13.9 Item 15.13 Be not so bold as to worship God after thine owne conceipt but follow the direction of his word reuerence his maiestie who will grieuously plague thee if thou continuest obstinately in thy wil-worship or euill course of life Wherfore if thou hast bene ouertaken with any sinne forsake it because thou canst not please God nor do good before thou hast departed from that which is euill So health shall be vnto thy nauell and moysture vnto thy bones When thou confessest and forsakest thine iniquitie then if thou art visited with sicknesse or any aduersitie thou shalt be restored to health enioy the welfare both of bodie and soule The Prophet Dauid felt the experience hereof in his own person for all the while that he kept close his sinne Psal 32.2.3 4.5 c. his humors were turned into the drought of summer but when he made it knowne or confessed it then the Lord tooke away the punishment of his iniquitie so that on the contrary side there was health to his nauell and moisture to his bones 9 Honor God with thy substance and with the first frutes of thy whole increase 10 So shall thy barnes be filled with plentifulnesse and thy wine presses breake in sunder with new wine These verses containe a precept wherin the third dutie of godlinesse is prescribed Honour God with
men of apparel or food but onely to shew that such as walke painfully fully in their calling shall not want their daily bread but haue wherewith to maintaine themselues and theirs THE XXVIII CHAPTER 1 Euerie vvicked man flieth vvhen none pursueth but the iust are like a yoong Lyon vvhich is couragious The force of the conscience in men is shewed herein to be great on either side either to worke terror or securitie This sentence is a confirmation of that threatning of the law which is set downe in the â—6 of Leuit. 17. ver In the former part of this sentence is declared that euen then when outward troubles be not present or neare yet the vngodly are tormented and vexed in their spirits as if there were great molestatioÌ„s on them or toward them The vengeance of God the sting of conscience and the temptations of Sathan cause them as Hindes or Does to flie and remoue out of their places or out of the comfortable estate wherein they are This befalleth not one wicked man alone but all the vngodlie who are in the state of nature defend an euill cause go about some mischiefe and commit that which is euill Their remembrance of their sinnes their dreames the sightes of their eyes and the rumors of Gods wrath make them in perplexitie and at their wittes end See an example in Cain Indeed whilest things go prosperously with the vngodly and whilest hardnesse of heart benummeth and possesseth them they commit sinne with ioy and not onely despise but destroy other Neuerthelesse when the Lords hand shall but worke a little against them and the byting of their own consciences returne then all their courage falleth downe on a sudden and as dastardes they take themselues to flight On the contrary side the righteous man is confident as a yoong Lyon which is of more courage then the old neither feareth to meete with any beast but walketh securely and confidently in euery place Wherfore it is no small but an exceeding great confidence which is in the faithfull man who being iustified by faith and purged from his sin by Christ hath peace with God and being certain of a good cause and a witnesse to himselfe of an vpright heart dreadeth no danger nor obiection Euery one then is to labour to haue a good conscience which onely shall bring sound and constant boldnesse to a man There bee foure sortes of consciences or the conscience rather is affected after foure sorts First there is a conscience both troubled good secondly there is a conscience both quiet and good thirdly there is a conscience both troubled and euill last of all there is a couscience both quiet and euill 2 * In the sinning of a realme For the transgression of a land there are many Princes therof but by a prudent and skilfull man it prolongeth the state As the force of the conscience is great so likewise great is the efficacie of sinne that it polluteth the place where it is committed crying for vengeance vp into heauen It hath many fearfull effectes but among other this that it causeth the Lord to take away good Princes and that it maketh many rulers succeede one an other For hereby it commeth to passe that there are great oppressions maruellous vprores and new lawes in the common wealth But where men on the contrarie side are prudent and wise so that they feare God and worship him rightly there the Prince prolongeth his life and the state continueth in one stocke or forme of gouernment Vnto the godly King the Lord maketh expresly this promise that so hee decline not from this precept neither to the right hand â—eut 17. nor to the left he shall prolong his daies in his kingdome hee and his sonnes in the midst of Israell Now if those which are neere vnto the King be also vertuous and wise or the people obedient vnto the Lords lawes and zealous this shall bee also a great preseruation to the person of the Prince safetie of the common wealth as may appeare in the speech of Elizeus calling Elias the chariots and horsmen of Israell 3 * Whether here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to bee read or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I leaue to the consideration of the learned Apoore man oppressing the needie is like raine sweeping so clean as that it leaueth no food The rage of a poore wretch dealing with poore people is also a thing of great efficacie Nature indeed and the grace of God so worketh that the godly afflicted which are in miserie pitie and succor such as are in affliction But some are vnnaturall fierce as that seruant in the Gospell that tooke his fellow who ought him an hundreth pence by the throat saying paie me that which thou owest Therefore euen as a great tempest or flood of water sweeping away and choaking the seed and oppressing as it were the ground maketh it barren and bringeth a dearth so the mercilesse poore man spoyleth an other who is needie of his goods his foode his garments and all that he hath We may here obserue then that inhumanitie raigneth not onely in the rich but in the poore yea in them sometimes most of all other But as for those who feare God whether poore or rich they haue learned that lesson of Paul that they put on the bowels of compassion Col 3. 4 They which forsake the law praise the wicked but they which obserue the law make warre with them The iudgement of the vngodly is verie corrupt and peruerse Such as giue themselues to idolatrie couetousnesse lying drunkennesse do not onelie commit these sinnes but commend them in those who are like themselues For in their affections they like very well of them in their speeches they call them good teachers professors subiects neighbours in their deedes they flatter maintaine and aduance them But on the contrary side they which loue the truth liue soberly and feare God not onely dispraise them but striue with them They rebuke them rouÌ„dly conuince them oppose themselues to them yea they spare not to punish them if they be magistrats Neuerthelesse neither are the euill to be dispraised for their good actions nor the good to be allowed in their faultes The cause of the diuers iudgements of men is the diuers courses of life which they take But to iustifie the wicked as before we heard out of this booke is abhomination vnto the Lord. 5 Men * Of euill giuen to euill perceiue not what is right but they which seeke the Lord perceiue all things The natural man perceiueth not the things which belong to God but the spirituall man discerneth all things For the wicked are so blinded by naturall ignorance and malice that both Christ and the law to them is a mysterie Albeit sometimes they are lightened in their vnderstanding yet their knowledge neuer is sincere full or effectuall They erre in opinion they perceiue not their particular dutie what is to be
and foolish toyes 15 All the dayes of the afflicted person are euill but a good heart is * Or a merry heart Or his dayes who hath a merry heart are a continuall feast But the sense is all one a continuall feast Great difference there is betweene a woful wight and a merry hearted man All the dayes of the afflicted person are euill he who being vnder some great aduersitie is vexed in minde as one not well cōtented with his estate can neither sleepe eate worke nor ioy in any thing at any time but both night day seemeth long greeuous vnto him because the grief which pained him causeth him to mislike what soeuer is present How true this is it may appeare in Iob who being pressed downe with manifold and sore afflictions cōplaineth and crieth out vnder the burthen of the same that he had as an inheritāce the mouths of vanitie and that painefull nightes had bene appointed vnto him When saith he I layd me downe I sayd when shall I arise and measuring the euening I am full with tossing too and fro Iob. 7.3.4 vnto the dawning of the day But a good heart is a continuall feast On the contrary side he who being in prosperitie carieth in him a cheareful minde or being in aduersitie is of good courage or being in any conditiō of life is content with his estate and quiet in his conscience passeth away his life and dayes so pleasantly as they doe the time who being at a wedding feast there tast of dainty delicats see most deliteso me spectacles and heare most sweet instrumēts of Musicke For indeede a merrie heart continually refresheth a man with securitie and comforteth him in all aduersitie But this is diligently to be obserued that none can haue a chearefull minde indeede but onely such as through faith in Christ hauing peace with God pollute not their consciences with detestable iniquities For indeede euils enter in into such to trouble their mindes to prophane their ioyes and to pul thē from the continuall feast of securitie here spoken of who either walke in the committing of grosse offences or are close hypocrites and dissemblers 16 Better is a litle with the feare of the Lord then a great treasure and trouble therewith Better is a litle Psal 37.16 a small portion of goods is more profitable and comfortable with the feare of the Lord with godlynesse causing a contented minde yea and working ioy in the holy Ghost than great treasure thē the aboundāce of wealth and trouble therewith with feare care sorrow or the checke of an ill conscience For what good can the greatest store of treasures or pleasures do a man when he hath not an heart to enioy them 17 Better is a dinner of greene herbes where loue is then a stalled oxe and hatred therewith Better is a dinner of greene herbes where loue is slender fare where concord and hartie good will is is indeed better cheare than a stalled oxe and hatred therewith thā daintie dishes with ill will or brawling For indeede loue recompenceth the slendernesse of the fare but hatred and brawling causeth most delicate meates to seeme vnsauerie 18 An angrie man stirreth vp contention but he that is slow to wrath appeaseth strife The angrie man the furious person whose very presence is hurtfull stirreth vp contention maketh debate where none was before but he that is slow to wrath as for him who can suffer much appeaseth strife he causeth contention already raised to cease so profitable is the very presence of the patient man 19 The way of a slothfull mā is as an hedge of thornes but the path of the righteous is as a paued causey The way of a slothfull man the course which the sluggard taketh in going about his affaires is as an hedge of thornes is slow and hard For he goeth creepingly about his busines yea his feares griefes pricke him and stay him like thornes or briars But the path of the righteous is as a paued causey The order which the godly man taketh is most plaine and easie who so readely and lustely runneth on in the workes of his calling as if he walked on a paued causey 20 A wise sonne reioyceth his father but a foolish man despiseth his mother A godly child at all times by his obediēce comforteth his father But a foolish man despiseth his mother an vngodly youth when he commeth to mans age maketh no account of his parents but especially contēneth or disobeyeth her who bare him being a great heauinesse vnto her by this meanes This sentence then teacheth that we owe obediēce to parents both whilest we are yong and whilest we are old 21 Foolishnesse is a ioy to him who is destitute of vnderstanding but a man of vnderstanding will walke vprightly Foolishnesse is a ioy to him who is destitute of vnderstanding a vayne mā is delited in seeing hearing and doing of vayne things But a mā of vnderstanding will walke vprightly The ioy of a prudent person is to make his pathes streight or to do the will of God 22 Without coūsell thoughts come to nought but by store of coūsellors they shall be established Intentes not aduised on vanish or haue vnluckie issue but those enterprises which are considered on or debated by learned counsell are afterward executed with very good successe 23 Ioy cōmeth to a man by the * Or speech answere of his mouth and how good is a word in his season This sentence conteineth a commēdation of wise speeches Ioy commeth to a mā by the answere of his mouth A gracious speech bringeth gladnesse to him who vttered it For he reioyceth either for the honor which is giuen him for his wordes or for the profite which he seeth other thereby receiue And how good is a word in his season How profitable and delitesome is counsell or instruction giuen in time of necessitie and when it falleth out well 24 The way to life aboue is walkt in by the wise man to the end that he may depart from hell below Mat. 7.13.14 Col. 3.2 Phil. 3.20 There is a double way the one streight which leadeth to life and this onely the wise do find the other broad which leadeth to destruction and this the vngodly walke in but the prudent auoyde it Wherfore the meditation of the faithfull is on holy things yea their conuersation is heauenly to this end that not being intangled with sinne or the world they may be preserued frō destruction dānatiō Thus then doth the path of vertue bring the godly at last to lifeaboue whō not onely it raiseth vp to heauenly thoughtes actions but lifteth vp in the end to celestiall glory 25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud but he will establish the border of the widow This sentence commendeth the iustice of God vnto the terrifying of mightie oppressours See the root hereof Exod. 22.22 and vnto the comforting of the poore people who are
the Philistins that the Israelitish women moued by his worthie and valiant exploits vnto reioycing sung in triumphing wise that Saul had slaine his thousands and Dauid his ten thousandes The latter part of the sentence declareth on the contrary side that the rule of the wicked ministreth matter of griefe and miserie vnto the whole multitude The estate of the poore people ouer which foolish persons or cruell persecutors haue the rule or tyrannize becommeth lamentable sundrie waies First the Lord himselfe vsually plagueth the land with iudgements from heauen wherein an enemie of his holdeth the scepter Secondly wolues in such a kingdome hauing the place of shepheards but the nature of deuouring beastes spoyle oppresse and eate vp the silly lambes and sheepe Thirdly the people liuing without all good order or meanes of their prosperitie fall daily into all sorts of sinnes and pits of destruction Sundry occasions then of griefe being continually offered the people through the carelesnesse or crueltie of euill gouernours if peraduenture they dare not openly complain for feare of further trouble yet how can they but sigh secretly in corners Certainly so did the Israelites oppressed in Egipt and Elias persecuted by Achab and Iezabell Euen as then the welfare of the sheepe dependeth on the shepheard and euen as such is the constitution of the bodie as is the dispositiō of the head so the condition of the people answereth in wo or wealth to the goodnesse or badnesse of the magistrates 3 A man that loueth wisedome reioyceth his father but he that keepeth companie with harlots vvasteth his substance Fornication This drift of the spirit in this instruction is to declare that whoredome bringeth beggerie at the last Two sorts of loue herein are spoken of one spirituall another carnall The spirituall loue is commended which is a wonderfull liking of and following after wisedome Such as are enamoured with this virgin of heauenly wisedome which is holy peaceable moderate full of mercy and good works Iam. 3.17 as Iames speaketh shall not onely by this meanes please the Lord or be profitable vnto themselues but comfortable vnto their parents Sundry waies doth a wise sonne cheare vp his fathers heart First by the vertues which are in him Secondly by the fame which is spread of him Thirdly by the hope which his father conceiueth that he wil be thriftie Last of all by his liberalitie and kindnesse towardes his parentes if peraduenture by reason of his gifts he be at any time exalted to honor as Ioseph was who also in this respect reioyced his father As concerning the carnall loue spoken of in the latter part of the sentence that is condemned and threatned with pouertie The vaine youthes of this world hauing shaken off the yoake of obedience and despised wisdome fall in loue with naughtie women with whom they are daily conuersant making them good cheare bestowing gifts on them and mainteining them in braue apparrell Hereby not onely they defile themselues with wandring lusts but spend their patrimony consume their parents goods so bringing sorrow vpon them in stead of the ioy wherewith they ought to labour to comfort them Such a lewde course tooke the prodigall sonne who hauing wasted his substance was put to feed with the swine Among other reasons then disswading from whoredome this is not the least to be regarded that strumpets are dangerous rocks and vnfatiable gulphes 4 A king by iudgement establisheth his realme but a man * A man of offrings which is a slaue to giftes that are offered destroyeth it Herein againe the holy Ghost admonisheth rulers of their dutie Iniustice He entreateth in this verse of two matters one the executing of iudgement an other the auoyding of bribes In the former place is shewed that iudgement is the prop or pillar of kingdomes when iustice is ministred without partialitie in such sort that the godly are rewarded and the wicked punished and euery man hath right done to him the Lord will blesse the lande the good will loue theyr Prince the bad shall be cut off and not be able to do any hurt This may be obserued throughout the stories of the kings of Iudah that all the while they gaue themselues to set vp true religion or to punish sinne their kingdomes were in peace and they got the victory ouer their enemies In the latter part of this sentence is declared that the receiuing of bribes is the ouerthrow and bane of a common wealth The reasons hereof are manifest and sundry First to respect persons which bribe takers do is an abhomination to the Lord and therefore such a transgression as pulleth downe his vengeance on the place wherein it is committed Secondly by this meanes no place being left for right but for gifts there must needes grow factions and mutinies Last of all a window being set open through such partialitie to hope of impunitie all sorts of sinnes the plagues of common wealths must needes daily multiply and increase 5 A man which flattereth his friend spreadeth a net against his feete In this sentence is declared Flatterie that flatterers are a very hurtfull and pernicious kinde of people They are fitly here compared vnto hunters For euen as the hunter spreadeth the hay or net to in tangle the poore beast which commeth by it Rom 16. Luke 20.29 euen so flatterers be sweet speeches or salutations seduce the hearts of the simple and by their shewes of friendship righteousnes go about to get some aduantage at their handes thereby to drawe them into trouble Of this wicked dealing Micheas complaineth Mich. 7.2 saying The good man in perished out of the earth and there is none vpright among men as many as are lye in waite to slaie euerie one hunteth his brother with nets Flatterie then is no better then a secret or subtill kinde of murther in as much as therby diuerse are drawne either to receiue errors or to commit sinne so to fall into the snare of endlesse damnation or into danger of law or hazard of life 6 In the transgression of the wicked man there is a snare but the iust man singeth and is merrie Here is shewed what an hurtfull thing sinne is in generall Disobedience as before was declared how dangerous an euill flattery is How soeuer the act of iniquitie is ioyned with pleasure yet the end and wages thereof is paine and death The snare here spoken of is some losse or crosse as pouertie sicknesse griefe of minde punishment of law and the wrath of God all which pursue and follow the offender Hence it commeth to passe that in as much as the plagues of this world or of the world to come commonly molest the wicked they are in feare sorrow silence shame and confusion But the iust man singeth and is merry There is none so righteous as that hee is without sin but such are called iust heere who are iustified by faith in Christ and sanctified in
some acceptable measure by the spirit In as much as the faithfull walke in their callings with an vpright conscience and are blessed by the Lord many waies exceedingly they both outwardly magnifie him with psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs and inwardly are chearfull being filled with ioy of the holy Ghost Indeed none are more in afflictions then they but they are so farre off from mourning in this respect that they count it exceeding when they fall into manifold trials When the Apostles were beaten for publishing the Gospel Acts. 5.41 they went out from the face of the councell reioycing that they were counted worthie to be disgraced for the name of Christ Paul and Sylas being cast into prison Acts. 16.25 praised and sang euen at midnight 7 The righteous man knoweth the cause of the poore the wicked man applieth not his minde to know it Negligence in iudging or determining cases in controuersies herein is condemned By knowing of a person or cause oftentimes in the Scripture the protecting fauouring and furthering thereof is meant Thus the Lord is said to know the way of the righteous and to know those who are his that is to fauour them and to take care for them Here then is meant that although the poore man hath no money to giue bribes or wealthie friends to take his part yet the godly man discerning his cause to be right by all meanes and with all paines defendeth it against the rage of the mightie aduersarie Such an vpright iudge was Iob who protesteth that in the dayes of his prosperitie and authoritie he was a father to the poore Iob 19. and searched out the cause which he did not vnderstand So Dauid prophesying of Christ in the Psalme affirmeth that he should defend the poore people Psal 62.4 and saue the sonnes of the needie But the wicked man as the same Prophet complaineth in another place and here Salomon testifieth hath no regard Psal 82. or applyeh not his minde to know it either because he giueth him selfe to pleasure or because the poore is not able to giue bribes 8 * Of scorning Scornefullmen * Blow that is by blowing enflame set a Citie on fire but the wise turne away wrath Here is shewed that deriders of God and godlinesse such as either iest at other or in rage contēne other do much hurt to the societie of mankind The hurt which they do is like the hurt of fire yea much greater then it For they ouerthrow Religion peace concord of neighbours and loue of friends This they do eitheir by their false doctrines malitious speeches euill examples or wicked practises How true this is may appeare in Demetrius who set Ephesus in an vprore Indeede sometime this crime is layd to their charge who are of all other furthest from it as it was by Achab to Elias and by Tertullus to Paule The reason hereof is because the wicked cannot or will not put a difference betweene the fire and sword which our Sauiour came to put into the world and that fiame which Sathan and his instruments kindle As for those who are indued with the wisedome whereof I ames speaketh which is peaceable and lowly and heauenly they are so farre off from kindling of dissentions or raysing vp tumultes that either by their authoritie or counsaile or grauitie or long suffring they appease all the strifes and quench as it were the fires which arise and begin to kindle when Seba the sonne of Bochri through his sedition and pride had subdued the Citie Abela and by reason of his conspiracie it was now in danger of ouerthrowing a certaine wise womā deliuered and freed it from the siege by appeasing the wrath of Ioab who went about to destroy it 2. Sam. 20. 9 If a wise man debate a matter with a foole whether he be moued to wrath or whether he smile yet is there no quietnesse They are noted with infamie in this sentence who are vnreconciliable and past amendment Albeit the wise pacifie some vnrulie people as in the sentence before set downe hath bene affirmed yet other there are who neuer cā or'will be perswaded to cease from their tumultes or wicked course which they haue entred into Two meanes commonly are vsed by the godly and prudent seruants of God vnto the reclayming of fooles by whom proud wrathfull stubburne ignorant and wicked persons here are meant from their follie and madnesse The former of these is to be moued as here Salomon speaketh that is to say to be in good sadnesse to deale earnestly to looke with a sterne and austere countenance to alledge weightie reasons or to vse forcible speeches of perswasion and round represhension The Apostle Paule calleth this manner of dealing a comming vnto offenders with the rod. The other meanes is smiling or as the same Apostle speaketh the spirit of mildnesse that is to say humble entreatie faire speeches and friendly lookes tokens of good will common or speciall curtesies and such like gentle meanes of winning mens hearts Let now a godly or peaceable person come to instruct or pacifie a froward or wilfull foole he laboureth in vayne For either because he is proud he contemneth faire entreaties and gentle curtesies or because he is fottish and furious or malitious he no more regardeth reasons or rought dealing then feathers or the wind Such fooles the Pharises were whom whether our Sauiour confuted by reasons at any time or allured by soft speeches and a meeke conuersation he preuailed with thē neuer a whit The other Iewes were for the most part of the same disposition who like froward childrē would neither mourne after the dolefull pipe of Iohn the Baptist nor daunce when Christ Iesus went about to stirre them vp to gladnesse by a more chearefull pipe and tune then his forerunner sounded 10 Bloudie men hate the vpright person but the iust seeke His soule So beneath 24. after him Here is shewed that this is the proper note and a certain signe of wicked hurtfull and mercilesse men to be at deadly enmitie with euery one who hath any goodnesse in him The principall reasons of this hatred are that the light of the one reproueth the darkenesse of the other and the course of both their conuersations is quite contrary Cain being a bloudy man at the beginning of the world in a manner hated Abell to the death Esaus wickednesse is in the scripture offred to our view in the hatred he bare to Iacob Sauls in his dealing with Dauid the Pharisies in their raging against our Sauiour This must needs be a great sinne seeing the enmities which are exercised against the godly endued with heauenly graces redound vnto God the authour of euery good thing But they who feare God seeke the soule of the righteous Psal 142. that is loue him and labor to preserue his life For so this phrase is vsed in the scripture and is here to be taken as the opposing of the