Thus the slouthful and other wicked doe not keepe the path of wel speaking vnto the honour and praise of God but as they are vnprofitable and vaine so doe they giue their mouthes to take the name of God in vaine For beeing ydle they labour to take some recreations according vnto their desire the which are ful of vanitie Wherefore out of the abundance of their vaine hartes they speake vanitie in al dissolutenesse and abhomination in mingling the name of GOD in their iestes in blaspheming him in singing dishonest songes and speaking wantonly Also they hold not the way of well speaking of their neighbours but as they are frowarde and wicked euen so by their words they labour not but maliciously and wickedly to hurte and to hinder their neighbours by slandering by bearing false witnesse against them and in swearing to their losse This is more prooued then is needeful that the ydle and slouthful do gouerne themselues thus simplie euen in al estates c. 13 Hee maketh a signe c. Because that the frowarde and wicked man would not bee knowne nor counted such it is needful for him that hee often holde his peace for seeing that hee is euil he cannot continue speaking wel and so his malice shoulde bee too much seene against his wil and for this cause somewhat to hyde himselfe he disguiseth and vseth dissimulation and fainednesse hee conterfaiteth and turneth himselfe nowe on this sorte and then of another Solomon doth signifie the same by the signe of the eyes by the speaking of the feete and by the token of the fingers The froward the wicked do thus counterfaite themselues in diuers sorts byting in their woordes for albeeit they haue no desire but to speake wickedly yet doe they spare to speake because they woulde not bee knowen and yet notwithstanding cannot keepe in but that they giue some signification of their malice vnto their fellowes or els dissemble somewhat to deceiue those which they wil drawe vnto their wickednesse If they would in no wise bee knowne Solomon woulde not expresse their fictions and coulorings by signe woorde and token For they which doe signe speake and shew do not seeke to be vnderstood but the wicked giueth the watch word as it is sayde they haue their tokens and manners of dooinges whereby one of them may be knowen to another what is to bee done that they may catche and beguile them which are none of their companie or winne others to consent vnto them 14 Lewde things are in his harte c. Wee must not maruell though the frowarde and wicked haue such manners and customes for there cannot come any other thing out of the sacke then that which is within The frowarde as Solomon saieth are stuffed at the hart not with one malice alone but with diuers for lewde things are in their heartes and albeeit that no man seeketh to doo them hurte yet is their hearte so poysoned and embrued with lewde thinges that they can neuer cease from thinking and seeking meanes howe they may execute their displeasure for to hurte them which doe them no wrong Solomon doeth wel expresse it when hee saieth that hee ymagineth euil at all tymes Nowe the euil that they ymagine is to set al in troubles and confusion by dissention that they stirre vp through the frowardnesse of their mouthes by their dissimulations and by the lew denesse of their heartes Solomon doeth signifie the same saying That they rayse vp contentions But as they deuise the destruction of their neighbours euen so also sooner then they thinke of they shal bee destroyed without remedie as he saith 15 Therfore shal his c. Howe the wicked after alitle time of prosperitie at the last fal into destruction is in other places very Psa 7. 37. Pro. 1. 26. wel described 16 These sixe thinges doeth the Lord hate yea his soule abhorreth seuen 17 The hautie eyes a lying tongue and the hands that shed innocent blood 18 An heart that ymagineth wicked enterprises feete that be swift in running to mischiefe 19 A false witnes that speaketh lies him that rayseth vp contentions amongst brethren It is a thing that wee ought not to doute of that the thing which pleaseth not God cannot long endure Wherfore we must not wonder though the destruction of the froward and wicked shal sodenly fall without any helpe Hee pleaseth not God therefore hee doeth abhominable things Solomon hath something touched it before hee saide that hee shoulde bee destroied that hee shoulde bee sodenly strocken but for to shewe that it cannot otherwise bee done hee declareth vnto vs more amply what are the manners and customes of the frowarde and wicked and doeth affirme vnto vs that they are much displeasing vnto God And for to begin this declaration hee saieth There are sixe things that God abhorreth as if he had not expressed a number sufficient he correcteth himselfe saying that there are seuen and as if the hatred were not ynough for to shew that the frowarde and wicked deserueth wel to be destroied and that his liuing is not acceptable vnto God hee addeth that God abhorreth them And forasmuch as in God we liue Acts. 17. 28. and haue our beeing it is necessary that what hee hateth and abhorreth must come to decay verse 12. Nowe as heere before hee hath noted the frowarde and the wicked by his mouth eyes feete and handes or fingers and by his heart and by the contentions euen so nowe for to shewe that it is necessarie hee perish hee declareth that God hateth and detesteth these thinges not that God is ledde with troubled affections as men which are often ledde as their affections doe carrie them GOD neuer changeth but in all thinges hee woorketh according as hee hath determined from euerlasting and before the foundation of the worlde was laide Hee proceedeth not then by hatred and anger to destroy the wicked but because that they which he destroieth and ouerthroweth according as they haue deserued doe feele him as if hee hated them the Scripture doeth attribute hatred vnto him as the transgressor wil deeme of the iudge that sendeth him vnto the gallowes Also albeeit that God hath not a soule distinct from the rest of his substance and essence for there is nothing in him that can be parted nor diuided as the man which is compounded of a soule and a body the which may bee separated by temporall death yet the scripture doeth attribure a soule vnto him where with hee loueth the righteous and hateth and detesteth the wicked that the good may learne that the promises of life are not made vntoo them faynedly and coulorably and the wicked shoulde knowe that it is no play nor pastime when they are threatened with death and damnation c. 17 The hautie eyes c. The first thing of the seuen that the Lord hateth and abhorreth are the hautie eyes the which are proude the which not onely praise themselues so
spende so much tyme in drinking and drinke so excessiuely they finde it very sweete and thinke that nothing is better then to drinke wel They perswade themselues that in this manner they keepe themselues wel in this life and to liue long there is nothing else to bee done but to bee merie and so they thinke not on the ende vnlesse they perswade with themselues that if they haue liued at their ease to day they shal be to morrow better so that one may put them in the number of those which say Come I wil bring wine and wee wil fill ourselues with Esa 56. 12. strong drinke and to morowe shal bee as this day and much more abundant Heerein they are farre deceiued for although the wine goe downe pleasantly and that they finde it of a good taste yet neuerthelesse when they vse it not soberly it is mortal poyson as Solomon pronounceth it saying 32 In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent and hurte like a Cockatrice Hee vseth heere twoo similitudes to signifie one thing And it is to affirme the danger which is in wine when one is giuē too much theretoo And so he imployeth himselfe to restraine vs from drunkennesse and seeketh to perswade vs that as the byting of a serpent and hurte of a Cockatrice are venemous and mortal euen so drunkardes by too much drinking poyson themselues and kill themselues yea more mortally then if they were so hurte with the Cockatrice for such hurting toucheth but the body but the olde serpent and that greate Dragon which is the Diuell stingeth the soules of drunkardes alluring them by disordinate affection to vse wine excessiuely and so obaying the Diuel they are depriued of the kingdome of God and by consequence goe to 1. Cor. 6. 10 death euerlasting And so let vs knowe that Solomon according to the maner of the scripture by corporal similitudes sheweth vs in what danger the soules of them are which giue themselues to drunkennesse Not that drinke which is a good creature of God and verie necessarie bringeth with it damage to the soule but that by disordinate concupiscence man is hurt and bitten Afterwards whē concupiscence hath conceiued shee bringeth forth sinne and sinne being perfourmed engendreth death 33 Thine eyes shal looke vpon strange women thine heart shal speake leude thinges He continueth here the matter which he began with of drunkardes and so wil doe til he come to the ende of this Chapter And in continuing hee sheweth that of drunkennesse ensueth whoredome and other mischiefes Whoredome is noted when he saieth Thine eyes shal looke vpon strange women So that by such loking one commeth to soile and pollute himselfe as is seene by common experience and we haue many examples thereof as of the children of God of Sichem of Iuda Thamer of the wife of Iosephes maister and of Dauid and Bethsabee And though the effect folow not yet such lookes are notwithstanding vnchast and it is whoredome The other mischiefes that folowe dronkennesse are marked when he saith And thine heart shal speake lewde thinges He attributeth pronunciation to the heart because of the abundance of the mischieuous and wicked infection of the same the mouth speaketh Gen. 6. 2. 34. 1. 2. 38. 15. 39 7. 2. Sam. 11. 2. Mat. 5. 28. thinges infected and filthie wicked and vniust and the other members are forced to doe thinges contrarie to al honestie and religion iustice and righteousnesse Then seeing it is a verie dangerous thing to giue ones selfe to whoredome and other mischiefes which proceede of drunkennesse It foloweth wel that drunkennesse is verie perillous as alreadie hath bene seene and yet Solomon setteth before vs some danger saying 34 And thou shalt be as hee that sleepeth in the heart of the sea and as he which sleepeth in the toppe of the Mast To shew the great danger wherin drunkards put themselues hee compareth them to those which haue no regarde to the perils of the sea nor thinke on them And although they be in the heatt or midst of the sea verie farre from the shore and likewise in the highest part of the ship as in the toppe of the Mast exposed to the windes yet neuerthelesse through the litle care that they haue they let themselues fal a sleepe and so the tempest rising and raging hurleth them downe easily without al remedie So they which perseuer and fal a sleepe in dronkennesse fal and perishe not in the depth of the sea but in the gulphe of hel for they are depriued of the kingdom of God And in tarying til suche destruction happen them they are tossed with many mischiefes to the which they haue no regarde as they ought and thinke not that thee doe betide them for their drunkennesse so dul and blockish they are made by ouermuch drinke Whereto they are so much addicted that what euil soeuer they indure yet they purpose no way to absteine but rather to perseuer in excessiue drinking Solomon setteth foorth suche blockishnesse and lewde affection when he saith 35 Then shalt thou say They haue stricken me but I was not sicke They haue beaten mee and I haue not felte it when I shal awake I wil put my selfe forth and seeke it stil Although we adde heere Then shalt thou say To declare that it is a drunkardes talke to say They haue striken mee c. Yet neuerthelesse Solomon expoundeth to vs heere rather the disposition and affection of drunkardes then these wordes They are so transposed by the wine that they fal asleepe so soundly and so deepely that although one thumpe them tosse them and torment them with great blowrs or though they fal from high yet they haue no hurt thereby nor feele nothing They are so giuen to drinke excessiuely that although they perceiue well that the wine hath done them hurte yet neuertheles as soone as they are againe awake they goe to seeke out good drinke and to drinke agayne And feeling themselues yl at ease with the wine which they haue drunke the day before to heale themselues they say that they must haue a heare of the same dogge which bit them In this we may see that drunkards are lesse sensible then brute beaste for although they sleepe yet one can come neuer so little neere them but they perceiue him then much more will they feele him that toucheth them any way One may see also that they are lesse reasonable for beastes wil neyther touch Ose 4. 11. Esai 5. 11 Luk. 21. 34 Rom. 13. 13 Ephe. 5. 18 1. Thes 5. 6 meate nor drinke which they perceiue to be hurtful for them But whoordome wine and must take away their heartes Such drunkardes are wel woorthie of curses And so it is not without cause that we haue many admonitions by the which we are taught to folowe sobrietie and flye gluttonie and drunkennesse The xxiiii Chapter 1 BE not thou enuious against euel men neither desire to be with
diligent man are precious Solomon doeth exhorte vs by this sentence vnto care and diligence that we shoulde not suffer that to be lost which we possesse but knowing that it is God which giueth vs that that we haue bee it litle or much that we shoulde make great account thereof to preserue the same for to vse when wee haue neede Now for to induce vs theretoo and to turne vs from slouthfulnes he compareth the slouthful vnto an hunter but not in al things For the slouthful Pro. 6. 9. sleepeth and maketh no account to occupie himselfe in labour and trauaile as Solomon hath reprooued him else where contrariwise the hunter is watchful and with great care and diligence hee considereth the meanes whereby hee may come vnto the ende to take some peece of flesh hee pitcheth his toyles and his nets hee trimmeth his pitfals hee goeth and runneth vp and downe according as hee seeth needful to pursue the pray that it may not escape from him But it happeneth that the hunter which is vndiscreete and taketh no heede after he hath taken the veneson knoweth not howe to trimme and dresse it for to preserue it from corruption that hee may make thereof his profit And in this sort it is that Solomon compareth the slouthful vnto the hunter as hee doeth shewe it when he doth say The slouthfull man rosteth not that he tooke in hunting Hee calleth the hunting of the slouthful not that which he hath got by his labour and trauaile for the slouthful refuseth to labour as it is but too much prooued and Solomon hath already shewed it wil shew it heereafter but the hunting of the slouthful are the goods that are come to him by the labour of other the which he possesseth by right of succession or by gifte or by theft polling and briberie Forasmuch as the slouthful wil not occupie himselfe for to get his liuing by honest labour and that hee careth not to busie himselfe about good woorkes hee is often compelled to rauish the goods of his neighbours and albeit that to do the same he watcheth and taketh great paines yet ceaseth not hee to be slouthful for that which hee doeth is done for nothing else but to auoide the labour that God hath appointed to enioye the pleasures of the body with the hurt hinderance of his neighbors Such slouthful are the most dangerous after the outward apparance also after the iudgement of the flesh but their bellies whereof S. Paule speaketh are yet worse for liuing ydlely and slouthfully they doe not only rauishe the temporal goods and doe not onely kil the Rom. 16. 18. Phi. 3. 19. Tit. 1. 10. body but in so much as in them lyeth they pul away the soules from God and giue them to bee deuoured of the Deuil of the which number are the Pope and al his whome a man may wel curse after the example of Iesus Christ Wo be to you ye Scribes Pharisees Mat. 23. 13. hypocrites for yee shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men for neither yee yourselues enter in nor suffer them that woulde to enter therein Al such people shal not roste that they toke on hunting they take no profit of that which they haue gotten by gaine dishonestie for either they spende the same vnprofitably or it is taken from them or else they are compelled to leaue the same without hauing any vse thereof This same is proued and we haue some Luke 12. 20. 15. 13. 16. 23. Ephe. 4. 28. 2. Thess 3. 7. examples thereof Nowe that wee may not bee of the number of such people let vs folowe the counsel of Saint Paule let him that stole steale no more and also so much as wee possibly can folowe his example Thus dooing we shal not loose that which we tooke in hunting for want of rosting but that which wee haue taken we shal keepe it diligently and shal holde it deere and precious as Solomon doth signifie it saying But the riches of the diligent man are precious It seemeth wel vnto the couetous and vsurers which take greate paine to gather treasures in this world that they holde their riches for very precious when they dare not vse their treasures for feare to diminish them and then it seemeth that in thus dooing they keepe and preserue them wel and make no smal account of them But sith God hath created al things that they shoulde bee occupied for the vse of man wee shoulde knowe that then our riches are precious vnto vs when wee make them serue according as God hath ordeined them For so doing we suffer them not to goe to losse but do keepe them togither Wee shoulde esteeme a thing wel kept when it is applyed where it ought to be and that it serueth and profiteth They then that are almose giuers charitable haue their riches precious for they doe wel bestowe it and put it foorth to good profit Giue and Luke 6. 38. 1. Tim. 6. 17. it shal be giuen to you Commande them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded 28 Lyfe is in the way of righteousnes and in that pathway there is no death Forasmuch as there is none but desireth to liue to flye death except it be for great sorow that he suffereth hee doe desire death not preferring and choosing it before life but for the afflictions that he beareth and except hee were vnpatient and did dispaire to bee exempted from such sorowes in this world he would desire life and abhorre death as indeed he doth for being in his straights he thinketh himself to be in a death more hard thē if his soule were separated frō his body That we may obteine our desires we must know where life is founde without the danger of death Solomon doeth teach vs it when he saith Life is in the way of righteousnes c. When any man hath neede to make a voyage and vnderstandeth that the high way is dangerous for theeues and robbers that watch who come by he wil not take that way if hee may auoide it by any meanes but seketh some path that wil bring him to the place where he would bee and so he liueth and auoideth death whereof he had bene in danger if he had passed by the high way Wee are Pilgrimes Hebr. 13. 14 in this world For wee haue heere no continual dwelling Citie c. In folowing then the Faith of Abraham and of other holie Patriarkes dwelling in this world we shal walke as strangers looking for Hebr. 11. 10 the Citie that hath a sure foundation So doing God wil not be ashamed to be called our God For to accomplishe this voyage and to come to this Citie wee must take good heede from taking the Mat. 7. 13. high way for it leadeth to damnation because it is ful of theeues robbers and filchers which seeke for nothing but our destruction As our lustes the worlde and
earth and that they may teach their children And I will giue them one hearte and one way that they may feare me for euer for Ier. 32. 39. Psal 34. 12. Pro. 10. 11. 13. 14. the welth of them of their children after them So also they may teach others according to that which is written Come children hearken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lorde Solomon doeth signifie it also somewhat in his 5. chapter and. 16. verse but more manifestly in other places We must not be niggardes in distributing of these waters for in giuing of them we diminish nothing at all thereby but rather encrease and in so doing we giue nothing of our owne but are onely the ministers and stewardes of our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom onely belongeth these waters and hee onely giueth and therfore we must resort to him for he also doeth Esa 55. 1. Iohn 4. 10. 14. 7. 37. 38. call vs. If we obey to this calling wee shal want nothing Beholde thus much concerning the first similitude As touching the seconde where Solomon sayth to auoyde the snares of death Let vs note that the state of those which feare God is such that as it is written Rom. 8. 36. For thy sake are wee killed al day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter And Satan the worlde and their owne fleshe doe set nettes for to take them and to destroy them for euer but by the feare of the Lord they which doe leade them to conforme themselues vnto his wil to obey him and to put their trust in him doe auoyde death for albeit that the wicked kil the body yet haue they no power ouer the soule the which not consenting vnto the temptations of Satan nor to the lustes of the fleshe ouercommeth death and al his forces and perceth vnto the heauenly blisse from the which it shal neuer bee put backe And thus they auoyde the snares of death not of themselues but for that that the Lorde doeth heare them and deliuer them Wee see therefore that it is very profitable for vs to obey the exhortation of Saint Paule which Psa 34. 18. Phi. 2. 12. sayth So make an ende of your owne saluation with feare trembling That which Solomon attributeth heere vnto the feare of the Lorde hee doeth in an other place attribute vnto instruction of the Pro. 13. 14. wise and that very sitly for whosoeuer is truly wise hath the feare of the Lorde and hee that feareth him is wise and his instruction tendeth to leade his neighboors vnto this feare which is the first chiefe parte of wisedome 28 In the multitude of the people is the honour of a king for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince Solomon by the king and by the Prince doeth vnderstande all those which haue power and are ordeined for to gouerne some countrie or religion Such kinde of men commonly do thinke themselues in high honour and maiestie when by the credite and authoritie that isgiuen to them by flatterers eyther by violences that they exercise or by the abundance of their riches they make themselues to bee reuerenced and feared and that no man dare beholde them but in trembling wise or in hauing them in more highe admiration then they ought for they also knowe wel as they thinke howe to mainteine their honour euen with the contempt of God without whome neuerthelesse they haue no preheminence nor authoritie And if it were not that God causeth his maiestie to shine in them for to make his ordinance to be regarded and that pollice should be ordered to put away confusion and that the good and innocent might liue in peace and rest no man woulde make any more account of them then of the wormes of the earth for their owne partes they are no better albeeit that for the degree and dignitie that God hath giuen them they are called the children of God and that wee ought to submit ourselues with al humblenesse Psa 82. 6. reuerence and obedience vnto them so that it bee according as God wil haue it But in seeking magnifically these former things they abuse themselues greatly as Solomon doeth shewe it when he sayth In the multitude of people is the honour of the king c. The Lordes and Princes of the earth for to come to honour must labour then to get a multitude of subiectes and to hold them vnder their obedience and gouernement The which shal easilie bee done if first they doe yeelde themselues obedient vnto God folowing his Deut. 17. 16 commandement and that they become not like vnto Pharao king of Egipt who afflicted the children of Israel lest that they shoulde multiply in his lande but let them cause the lawe touching straungers to be obserued and let them folowe good Kings as Dauid Iosaphat Leui. 19. 33. 34. Ezekias and Iosias So doing they shal defende themselues and shal be truly reuerenced and feared and shal not falsly and in vaine vsurpe these titles so honourable the which doe not appertaine vnto fauourers and nourrishers of seditious and rebelles of dissolute and careles of wicked scorners and contemners of God and of his worde but doe belong vnto them which truly confesse their soueraigne Lorde of whome they receiue their honour vphold good pollicie not only Ciuil but also Ecclesiastical to the ende that their people may learne to feare and honour God by liuing i◠peace and quietnesse in loue and good brotherly concord togither Otherwise the people shal be constrained to scatter abroade and to bee dispersed as sheepe going astray when they haue no shephearde Nowe as a shephearde loosing his flocke is vndone euen so Kinges and Princes suffering by euil gouernement their people to scatter heere and there are voide of honour and doe ouerthrowe and destroy themselues Solomon doeth so affirme when hee sayth And for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince First of al let vs note that the want of people commeth not chiefly through changing of countrie when they flye from the yoake of their natural prince but when there is confusion amongst the people by diuisions sectes conspiracies seditions insurrections sturres debates vproares and rebellions Then principlaities and kingdomes cannot stande whereupon followeth the destruction of the prince for he can bee no prince without a princedome no more then an head is a head of those members that cleaue and ioyne not vnto him Secondly let vs note that forasmuch as the honour of the king stādeth in multitude of people not in a cōfused scattered multitude that thereof it wel foloweth that such a multitude is not worthy to bee named a people but a sorte of Lyons wolues serpents dogges swyne yea Deuils incarnate Thirdly that it is laweful for kings and Princes to desire a greate people and to labour to increase the number of their subiectes by good gouernement and not by warres
not ouerthrowe vs with the wicked to destroy 2. Cor. 2. 14. vs but if we bee comprehended with the wicked in temporal destruction God wil gather vs againe to himselfe and deliuer our soules from perdition but he wil destroy for euer the soules of the wicked without any remission 13 Hee that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore shall crye himselfe also and not bee heard God hath shewed himselfe very merciful towardes vs when before wee euer called vpon him hee prouided for our necessitie creating al things for our vse and giuing vs plentie thereof Neuerthelesse to the ende we shoulde not be vngrateful but acknowledge whence this comes he permitteth vs to haue pouertie and wil that we vnderstand that without his grace liberalitie and blessing our goods profit vs nothing to the ende that wee may bee careful to craue that he wil giue vs our daily bread as Iesus Christ teacheth vs to aske and as our good God and father is merciful vnto vs and giueth vs liberally that which wee request So hee wil that wee resist according to our power the pouertie of our neighbours distributing to them any goods as wee woulde they shoulde doe vnto vs if wee were in their cace And heerein hee requesteth nothing but that which is reasonable as wee ought naturally to vnderstande without scripture Notwithstanding to waken our nature which is negligent to doe good to the needie and to shewe vs that hee hath great care ouer the poore hee recommendeth them to vs by diuers commandementes in the Lawe and Prophetes and in the wrytings of the Apostles and Euangelistes adding promises and also threatenings to the commandementes to giue hope to the liberal and pityful and to afray the cruel and vnmerciful and make them the more inexcusable As hath beene alledged heeretofore But because that God executeth not presently his threatnings Pro. 14. 31. 19. 17. or forgetteth them easilie and therefore it is needful that one repeate them as Solomon wel knewe For this cause to the former promises and threatnings he addeth another saying Hee that stoppeth his eare c. This present threatning is executed often in this life For one seeth that by warres lawing famine and euil gouernement many riche men are impouerished and when they craue any thing then they obtaine not that which they desire and whereof they haue need The scripture also giueth vs examples thereof As of Esau who soulde his byrthright One seeth Gen. 25. 29. 27. 34. Heb. 12. 17. Luke 16. 19. Mat. 25. 14. Iam. 2. 13. that Esau was giuen to his pleasures which is a signe that hee made no accompt of the poore As also the yonger of the twoo sonnes spending his portion prodigally sheweth well that hee had no care nor regarde of the poore It is executed also very horribly after this lyfe in hell in damnation and death eternal as is seene in the scriptures Also as wee ought to bee liberal of our earthly goods towardes the indigent to susteine this bodily life so wee ought to haue pitie on the soules of them which haue neede to haue their fautes pardoned Otherwise God will not Mat. 12. 14. 15. 18. 23. pardon vs ours 14 A priuie rewarde pacifieth displeasure And a gift in the bosome stilleth furiousnesse When men beganne to multiply on the earth it was corrupted Gen. 6. before God and replenished with extortion and wrong Wherein wee haue argument that the feeble and weake were oppcessed that the poore and needy were despised and forgotten For this cause God was much an angred and destroied the worlde by the flood Also the Lorde saide The cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is multiplyed Gen. 18. 20. and their sinnes are very grieuous c. Ezechiel expoundeth Eze. 16. 49. what this cry and sinne was For this cause Gods wrath was kindled against them and hee destroied them Heerein wee ought to bee aduertised that if wee resemble them wee shal also perishe by the iust vengeance of God Nowe to shunne this yre and furie Solomon sheweth vs what wee haue to doe when hee saieth A priuie gift c. Wherein wee haue to note that to imprint surelie in our hartes that which hee teacheth hee saith one thing twise Also the doctrine which hee giueth vs heere is so excellent and necessary that it deserueth wel to be repeated and also declared and expounded Of it Iesus Christ himselfe is a good expositour If wee take this present sentence in this sense wee haue together with the doctrine Mat. 6. 1. therein promise of euerlasting life for seeing that God refreineth his anger and rage when wee giue to the poore for his sake it foloweth wel that wee shal not perish but that by his grace and goodnesse we shal liue eternally But if we vnderstande this sentence of brybes and giftes that the iudges and gouernours of the earth take to peruert the lawe and equitie it be hooueth vs to say that Solomon accuseth the Magistrates and rulers of rapine which Rom. 13. ought in their anger to roote out the wicked But to spare and fauour them they let themselues bee corrupted by giftes and brybes for the which they doe wrong to the innocent and fauour the wicked as hath beene alreadie spoken of diuers times In this sense wee haue a menace of eternal death against wicked iudges that spoile and rob For theeues and couetous persons haue no parte in the kingdome of God They are also accused that they and those which giue them giftes and bribes proceede against their consciences 1. Cor. 6. knowing wel that they doe wickedly when they dare not publikely before the worlde the one giue nor the other take which thing Solomon signifieth wel speaking of priuie giftes and of bosome 15 The iust man hath ioy to do iustice but horror is to them that worke iniquitie Wee al desire to reioyce and be merie and to bee exempt from al feare and horrour But there are very fewe which knowe howe they ought to reioice nor in what For after the common trade of the worlde the manner of reioicing is to take pleasure in laughing at vanitie and follie at filthinesse and villanie at dissolution and naughtinesse and this is when one reioiceth at the desires of the flesh As when one hath abundance of riches credite and power or when one commeth to the end of his enterprises and findeth no resistance but rather eche one fauoureth him and seeketh to please him in al things I say namely that this is the common trade of the worlde whereof the iust man is not And therefore hee reioiceth not in this manner nor at such thinges But hee reioiceth in doing wel and helping those which haue neede of his aide defending and deliuering them which are oppressed Such a care according to the worlde is but trouble griefe and sadnesse for dooing thus one hath neuer good day as worldlings say and thinke But making no
accounted with them to be partakers of their prosperitie Solomon did something touch it before when he saide And treade not hee vseth a worde that signifieth to blesse or to thinke ones selfe happy as if hee did say doe not count thy selfe happy to walke in the wayes of the wicked for contrarily blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the wicked For this cause Solomon Psal 1. 1. studieth earnestly to beate into vs to make vs vnderstād in what horror execratiō we ought to haue the waies of the wicked for hauing saide Enter not walke not he proceedeth yet further and because of our rudenesse and dulnesse hee gathereth together many wordes as Auoide goe not turne from it and passe by By this heape of wordes hee sheweth wel that there is great danger of communicating with the wicked and vngodly is like as if a man would giue himselfe into the handes of theeues He compareth a man heere vnto a merchant that sendeth out his seruant or his sonne laden with golde and siluer to buie and sell withall and fearing hee shoulde bee spoyled and robbed and slaine by theeues and robbers warneth him to auoide the suspecte passages to turne out of the pathe til he be past the dangerous way But besides this we haue to marke that if wee communicate with the manners and conditions of the wicked and thinke ourselues blessed to keepe them company that then wee are lost albeit that in such estate we woulde be aduaunced and labour to goe forward yet do we fall backwarde in steede of gooing forwarde one step and become like vnto Creafishes or Seacrabbes which goe backewarde There is no going forwarde but in wisdome and righteousnesse for in them the yeeres of life are prolonged the which is lost through wickednesse and vngodlinesse and that rightly as Solomon doeth shewe alledging the reason wherefore wee shoulde auoide the way of the wicked saying 16 For they cannot sleepe Heereby he sheweth the great desire that the wicked haue to hurt their neighbours and too bring them hinderance when he saith that they cannot sleepe before they haue executed their displeasure and therewith hee sheweth that looke wherein they most delight that is to doe euill euen thereby are they most tormented seeing they loose their sleepe Pro. 2. 14 which is one of the chiefest partes of the ease of this life If thou sleepest thou shalt not bee afraide It is then vpon good cause Pro. 3. 24 that Solomon doth admonish vs to auoide the way of the wicked For sith they are depriued of this gift of this sleepe that God giueth to the wise and righteous and whereby this life is mainteined it followeth that they cannot remaine long in this worlde whereof also they are vnworthie and if they be not worthie of it so much the lesse are they worthie of eternall life As then they depriue themselues of sleepe through vehement desire that they haue to do euill the which they neuer obteine so also they cannot be partakers of eternall rest but are sent downe deepe into darkenesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth If then wee communicate with them after we haue been in distresse wee shall fal into destruction Wherfore we must take heede from hurting of our neighbors and to worke their destruction we shal be preserued from damnation after this reason hee giueth vs yet another why we ought to shunne the way of the wicked saying 17 For they eate the bread c. Forasmuch as there is none but would be counted wise and righteous therefore to obteine this reputatiō truely we must abstaine frō al iniurie violence and to doe wrong to no person the which the wicked in no wise doe but labouring to liue at ease they rauish the goodes of their neighbours by vnlawfull meanes by lawing and subtiltie by force and violence and thus they eate the bread of wickednesse Pro. 1. 31 wherevpon their destruction followeth Wherefore they shal eate of the fruite of their waies c. It is thē vpon good cause that Solomon hath exhorted vs to eschew their way It may also be said that he sheweth by this reason how the wicked doe not sleepe except they haue wrought some euil first For euen as it is accustomed by men to take their meate before sleepe euen so it followeth seing they feede themselues with wickednesse and violence seeing they delight to doe wrong to their neighbours and to spoile them that doe not sleepe before they haue doone euill by ouerthrowing and destroying their neighbours Furthermore by this reason we may learne to flee farre from the company of these wicked ones and greatly to feare communicating with them in their meates and drinkes For as the body is partaker of the nature of meates it receiueth euen so if we communicate with the meates and drinkes of wickednesse and violence wee must needes become wicked and outragious and haue our heartes and mindes corrupted wherevpon followeth death c. 18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day 19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenesse they knowe not wherein they shal fall Forasmuch as heere aboue in the 14. and 15. verses he hath forbidden vs to enter into the path of the wicked and that before in the 11. verse he hath affirmed that he hath taught vs the way of wisedome and then in the 12. verse hath promised vs that when we walke or runne in the way of wisedome that we shall not bee shut vp in distresse and that wee shall meete with nothing which may make vs fall to bring vs to destruction To the intent that we shoulde make no excuse for hauing forsaken this way because we coulde neither see nor knowe it he sheweth vs that wee cannot pretend this excuse for that this way is as cleare as the day at high noone and that in the same there is nothing darke or mistie that may hide the same from vs to bee seene and knowne for to be our way Solomon doth so meane when he compareth the pathes of the iust man whom he calleth wise and righteous vnto a Light If then we knowe nothing therin it is not because that the righteous doe not shewe themselues plaine enough by sound doctrine holynesse of life and honest conuersation for they are the salt of the earth but because we are either blinde or els by malice Matth. 5 enuie do close the eies of our vnderstāding that we wil not know any thing but which worst is there are some which seek by al meanes to quench this light by blaspheming the holy doctrine persecute the professors therof But wil or nil they the path of the righteous shall shine and they that will walke in the same shall reioyce and prosper the which shall not be taken from them but rather shal go forward in growing vntil the day
Neuerthelesse Gen. 6. 2. 34. 1. 2. Sam. 11. 2. when Solomon sayth Desire not her beauty he regardeth not only that it is easie to come from the rebellion of the heart to shewe an outward disobedience but also by vnshamefast life men come vnto great pouertie and danger of life he sheweth it when he sayeth 26 For because of the whorish woman c. He doeth shewe vs that the harlots are vnsatiable and care not though their companions consume all their substaunce vppon them and come to beggerie and which worst is they pitie no whit their destruction but as an hunter doeth not willingly leaue the wild beast when hee hath once seene her but doeth hunt her vnto death euen so the harlot neuer ceasseth to solicite him to euil which hath once consented vnto her and in this sort she not only maketh him to begge his bread but bringeth him to destruction both of bodie and soule the which is called precious not for the vertues wherewith it is adorned nor for any goodnesse wherevnto the same is giuen for the soule of suche a man is voide of al vertue and is corrupted through wickednes but it is precious because God doeth esteeme it so as Gen. 1. 27. he hath shewed in creating man after his Image and likenesse and giuing him an immortal soule Euen so the harlot so muche as in them lieth doe labour to destroy the image of God and cause that the precious blood of our Lorde Iesus Christ to bee in vaine and without fruite the which hath beene shed for the saluation of the whole worlde And this is the principal wherein God hath wel shewed that man his soule is very deare vnto him when he would that his Sonne should paye suche a deare price Or els if we shal say that the soule of man is saide to bee precious because that the discreete man doeth keepe it carefully there is no absurditie therein Such a poore estate and destruction ought wel to feare the whoremongers and adulterers but for further to feare the whoremongers and to shewe them that their maners and customes are abhominable both before God men and that they shal not escape without punishment Solomon compareth the lawe which condemneth the adulterers vnto the fire which spareth nothing that is put vnto it or that it can catch but consumeth it for this to doe he sayeth 27 Can a man take fire in his bosome and not his clothes be burnt 28 Or can a man goe vpon coales and his feete not bee burnt 29 So he that goeth into his neighbours wife shal not be innocent whosoeuer toucheth her If we reuerence the word of Solomon not his but Gods which is declared vnto vs by him as wee may see it wee ought to haue Deut. 22. 21 whoredome in great abhomination and to be greatly abashed and astonished at the whoredomes that are commited through all the worlde for it is but so much fire kindled And in this wee see the consumption of these miserable adulterers the which is more horrible and more intollerable then if al the world burned with fire were consumed visibly for their fire shal neuer be quenched nor their worme neuer die but they shal burne and shal be bitten euerlastingly For the Lord wil condemne al fornicatours and adulterers Notwithstanding the Scripture cōdescending vnto our rudenesse Hebr. 13. 4. doeth giue and set before vs the inuisible thinges by the visible for to turne vs away from euil to cause vs to desire the good and that the wicked may be touched in their consciences minds and that they may not excuse themselues that they haue not beene warned of the euil which is prepared for them For this cause Solomon compareth the lawe which condemneth the adulterers vnto fire that is caried about or otherwise is touched then ought to be it can not be auoided but it wil hurt and burne that which it toucheth and herein hee sheweth that by whore hunting they themselues beare their owne destruction from the which they can not escape And this comparison that Solomō maketh is very fitly done for wee must vnderstande that the lawe foloweth the nature of the Deut. 4. 24. Hebr. 12. 29. Deut. 33. 2. lawe giuer For he sayeth The Lorde thy God is a consuming fire The Lawe therefore burneth as also Moyses doeth shewe And the Lorde came with ten thousande of Saintes and at his right hand a firie Lawe for them Wee see then that whorekeepers and adulterers doe consume and destroy themselues although they loue and praise themselues Secondly that God knoweth wel howe to punish them as wicked and ful of iniquitie But by looking that God should execute his vengeance and make the adulterers feele it he◠hath other roddes wherewith he striketh the adulterers the which to declare Solomon setteth the Thiefe in opposite of adulterie whē hee sayeth 30 Men doe not despise a thiefe when he stealeth to satisfie his soule because he is hungrie 31 But if he be found he shal restore seuen fold or hee shall giue al the substance of his house There is no man wil take it in good parte if any take away his goods without his leaue for men desire rather to increase in riches then to decrease Wherefore theeues are hated and are pursued euen to death Yet when we knowe that the thiefe hath stolen but for neede he is excused and is not iudged to be wicked but he is borne withal if he make satisfaction or that there can be so much founde in his house for to recompence it Solomon doeth signifie it saying 4 But if he be founde c. Solomon requireth here no more of the thiefe then the lawe but he sheweth that the thiefe shal rather Exo. 22. 1. 4. giue more then he ought that he may escape if he be apprehended that his offer shal be takē he accepted allowed of again when he hath done what he can Albeit then that Solomon doeth not here condemne the thiefe to death yet hee excludeth him not from sinne otherwise he should gaine say the Lawe Thou shalt not steale Only for to shew how abhominable and miserable the whormongers are he setteth the thiefe against the adulterer and sheweth that the thiefe may be redeemed and that after his satisfaction hee is not marked by ciuilitie of infamie but that it is not so with adulterie 32 But he that committeth adulterie with a woman hee is destitute of vnderstanding he that doeth it destroyeth his owne soule 33 He shal finde a wounde and dishonour and his reproche shal neuer be put away 34 For iealousie is the rage of a man therefore hee wil not spare in the day of vengeance 35 He can not beare the sight of any ransome neither will he consent though thou augment the gifts He sheweth here that the adulterer deserueth wel to be despised in that hee is not led to this filthines but by wickednes and not
tary and waite for him So great desire haue we to come to the end of that which wee desire that we continew stil looking And if in worldly things we haue such perseuerance by a more strong reason we ought to be very watchful after wisdom folowe her counsel and commandementes in much constancie perseuerance and neuer to cease seing that wee haue alwaies neede of her as she doth wel signifie when shee woulde haue vs alwayes to watch at her gates to keepe the postes of her house Wherin againe we learne that it is not ynough for vs to heare but it behooueth vs also to be led with an earnest affection to vnderstand what belongeth to wisedom and to folow it not for any litle time of our life but continually whiles wee are in this worlde If wee doe thus assuring ourselues of the goodnes of GOD towards vs wee shal not bee voide of wisedome for by asking it in true faith it shal bee giuen vs. Beeing thus indued with wisedome Mat. 7. 7. Ia. 1. 5. though wee were the most miserable and cursed of al the Worlde after the sense of the fleshe and outwarde apparance wee shal neuer perish 34 For he that findeth me c. As S. Paule saith The giftes and callings of God are without repentance Whereof foloweth that this life which commeth of wisedome is prolonged more and Rom. 11. 29. more and that this fauour is not withdrawne but rather encreaseth For vnto euery one that hath shal be giuen he shal aboūde And seeing that by wisedome wee haue these riches that is to say Mat. 25. 29. life and the fauour from whence life proceedeth it foloweth wel that by our woorkes we do not deserue that God shoulde fauoure vs and holde vs in his grace otherwise it should bee no grace not fauour but recompence and reward that God did owe vs. Neither also doe we deserue life seing it commeth of fauour Nowe that life commeth of fauour the creation of man doeth witnesse it for hee had not deserued that God shoulde place him in the worlde Wee haue yet a more manifest witnesse after the fal of man For albeeit hee had deserued death as God had threatened him yet in steede Gen. 2 17. of eternal death as hee had deserued hee receiueth promise of life And sith it is by promise it commeth not by woorkes otherwise the promise shoulde bee abolished Seeing also that of wisedome wee haue life and fauour it foloweth that wisedom is not a qualitie gotten by the industrie and labour of men but it commeth from the Sonne of God by whome we haue life and fauour The lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and trueth came by Iesus Christ As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must also the sonne Iohn 1. 17. ◠14. 11. 25. of man be lifted vp That whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perish but haue eternal life I am the resurrection and the life saieth the Lord c. Now seeing that by finding wisedom we obtein such riches wee ought to bee very careful to seeke it and to seeke her in trueth and not as the Hipocrytes vnto whome it is saide What haue I to doe with the multitudes of your sacrifices sayth the Lorde c. Wee must seeke it by fayth and repentance Esay 1. 11. 55. 6. Mat. 7. 7. Seeke the Lorde whiles hee may be found cal vpon him whiles hee is nye Thus dooing we shal finde and obteine that which wee seeke for Aske and yee shal haue c. If then wee wil finde wisedome and thereby obteine life and fauour towards God we must renounce the euil that displeaseth wisedome taking heede that wee doe not offende her and doe nothing by hatred against her In this maner we shal finde grace before the Lorde wherby wee shal preserue our soules from death 35 But he that sinneth c. We may inferre this same of that which hath bin attributed heeretofore to wisedome to her children For it followeth that hee which seeketh wisedome reuerently and with such loue as he ought and findeth her hee findeth fauour and life and that they which desire wisedome and doe not vouchsafe to seeke her and so doe offend and hate her that they seeke death as a thing of them beloued and desired And so they do great wrong vnto their soules for they do altogither destroy them And sith also that Solomon setteth to offende against to finde wee ought to vnderstand that they which despise the woorde whereby wisedome doth offer herselfe vnto vs to the ende that wee might finde her and do skorne her and refuse her and offende wisedome sinne against her and sith that wisedom hath so much so great riches as it hath bin saide wherof without her we cannot bee partakers it foloweth that they which offende her doe wittingly depriue themselues and so doe wrong to their soules depryuing them of greate riches without the which wee cannot but looke for all misery And whē in opposition of drawing fauour he setteth hate he sheweth vs that the contemners of the grace of God doe hate wisedome and consequently their life and seeing there is no meane way betweene life and death it is necessary that if they hate wisedome the which only giueth life that they loue death Wherein we may knowe that they are out of their wittes and that they haue not so much vnderstanding as brute beastes the which can tel to fly from that which hurteth them and to desire and seeke that which is profitable for their life The nienth Chapter 1 WIsedome hath built her house and heawen out her seuen pillers 2 She hath killed her victuals drawen her wine and prepared her table 3 She hath sent foorth maidens and cryeth vpon the highest places of the Citie saying 4 Who so is simple let him come hither and to him that is destitute of wisedome she saith 5 Come and eate of my meate and drinke of the wyne that I haue drawne ALbeit that a greate and mighty king of this worlde hath many Castells Townes Cities and Prouinces vnder his power and that hee may abyde and dwel where it pleaseth him yet wil hee builde or choose some certaine place the which hee will call his because hee will take there his most delight and wil dwell there about more commonly then in any other place of his countrie Euen so although the iurisdiction of wisedome stretcheth farre and that al the worlde doe appertaine vnto her and that she filleth both heauen and earth notwithstanding shee hath built her an house the which shee calleth hers because shee hath built the same for to dwel and therein to take her sporte and pastime and to mainteine the same that it perish not nor go to decay And sith that wisdome hath an house wherein shee keepeth her continual and dayly residence if wee wil finde her wee must seeke for her at her house there wil
outward inward and in this sort they beginne heere their hel the which shal not forsake them For as they esteeme not to make their wayes right as wel by blindnes and ignorance as by hardnes obstinacie that attributing al vnto fortune chance in their affliction they knowe not that it is the hande of God that striketh them neither also doe they make any haste to turne vnto God for to craue of him repentance and amendement of their sins and deliuerance from euil and so they must needes perish in them But albeit that after the outwarde apparance and the sense of the flesh the iust perfect suffer in this word the like or more grieuous afflictions yet do they not here begin their hel For they knowing that they be the roddes of God their Father doe aske deliuerance and are assured to obteine the same And thus on what side soeuer that the afflictiōs do come to the iust perfect because they know that God is their keeper and deliuerer they are not afrayde as discouraged and desperate but in al assurance they say Yea though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I wil feare Psal 23. 4. 27. 1. none euil Againe The Lorde is my light and my saluation whome shal I feare The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe of whom shal I bee afrayde They knowe this same because of the infallible promise and cal vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee The Lorde is neere vnto al that Psal 50. 15. 145. 18. Mat. 11. 28. Luk. 12. 32. 1. Cor. 10. 13. call vppon him yea to all that call vppon him in trueth Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome And GOD is faythful which wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you bee able but wil euen giue the issue with the temptatiō that ye may be able to beare it The wicked can not thus speake indeed for although they thinke themselues so safe and sure that they can not be more and that they trust in their owne strength yet because they are hated of God he can wel finde them out and bring their enterprises to naught and destroy them by their owne counsels He hath made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the pit that he made His mischiefe shal returne vppon his Psal 7. 15. 16. owne head and his crueltie shal fal vpon his owne pate The heathen are suncken downe in the pit that they made in the nette that they hid is their foote taken Psal 9. 15. 10 Hee that wincketh with the eye worketh sorow and hee that is foolish in talke shal be beaten Amongst them which peruert their wayes there are some more cloase and couerte then other some are some there bee that are knowne foorthwith and others againe for a certaine time lye hid and are secret The close and hid are most hurtful pernitious For a time they make a goodly shewe and beare a smooth countenance and seeme that they laugh at the prosperitie of their neighbour as though they were readie to do them pleasure but yet for all that they delight to mocke to inuent some treason Solomon doth signifie the same by wincking or making signe with the eye But when at last their dissimulation and hypocrisie is knowne and that they are seene to counterfaite and dissemble by the fruites which come from them then feele we greater sorowe and more grieuous payne then if wee had knowne them openly at the first Solomon doth signifie the same when he sayeth That he worketh sorowe that wincketh with his eye If they which by suche maners bring hurt either to the bodie or to this worlds good do worke sorow that we be careful to take heede therof by a more strong reason must wee take heed of Monkes Friers which haue a goodly shew for with this Mat. 7. 15. Rom. 16. 18. 1. Tim. 6. 5. Mat. 15. 14. that they deuoure tēporal riches iudging gain to be godlines so do they also destroy the soules of those that folow thē For if the blind lead the blind both shal fal into the ditch the which is a sorow and griefe vnexpressable and without any remedie except wee prouide helpe in good time for the same They which openly declare and shewe foorth their foolishnes and wickednes are not so dangerous they bring not so much sorow to them which haue any wit to fiye and auoide them or to turne them away from their enterprises or to suppresse their insolencie Also looke where there is good order when they shewe themselues suche they are admonished and rebuked they are chastened and punished And therfore they can not bring so much sorowe and griefe Solomon doeth signifie it saying He that is foolish in talke shal be be beaten There is here no vertue compared or set against vice but a greater vice vnto a lesser The first part of the sentence conteineth a rebuke of hypocrisie flatterie dissimulation and counterfaiting with aduertisement of the euil that commeth thereof Wherein we ought to learne not to be children in vnderstanding but of ripe wit and good discretion seeing 1. Cor. 14. 20 there is none but is grieued when he feeleth himselfe to be deceiued By the second part hee sheweth what the foolish and wicked doe deserue and warneth them that are aloft and in authoritie to doe their duetie and to take away offences and slanders so much as in them lieth And moreouer because that no man would gladly be beaten hee exhorteth vs to be wise and to be of good holie and honest conuersation If thus doing we suffer wrong as haue the holie Patriarks Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and other seruants of God let vs not be grieued Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake And who is it that wil harme Mat. 5. 10. 1. Pet. 3. 13 4. 12. you if ye folowe that which is good Dearely beloued think it not strange concerning the firie trial which is among you to proue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you 11 The mouth of the righteous is a welspring of life but iniquitie couereth the mouth of the wicked For when a verie cleare spring and pure floweth with water running here and there by fordes then it serueth to refreshe them which drinke therof and preserueth them from dying by thirst and so it is healthful vnto them doth also as cōcerning the body quicken the same The mouth of the righteous wil speake of wisedome Psal 37. 3◠and his tongue wil talke of iudgement Then doeth it profite them which beleeue his counsels for they are deliuered from death insomuch as they are freed from sin made seruants to God they haue their fruit
sentence he compareth the couetous foole vnto him which breaketh pearseth through the walles of an house so that the wind entereth in on al sides Now as the wind vanisheth cannot be holdē back euen so they which spēd their riches to the hinderance of their family shal not enioy them at their desire but shal be depriued of them miserably and shal receiue no profite of thē The winde is taken after this signification in Oseas For they haue sowen the winde and they shal reape the whirlewind Againe Ephraim is Oseas 8. 7. 12. 1 fed with the wind and foloweth after the East wind Also such as are prodigal riotous spenders of goods shal be heires of wind For as in consuming their goods without discretion and good aduise they doe loose them if they did cast chaffe in the winde the which doeth carry and scatter it so farre abroade that it cannot be recouered but they are worthy to beheires of wind that is to say to haue nothing for also they trouble their owne house bringing their family into necessitie of begging their bread and they themselues likewise constrained to beg and for to obteine that which they desire either in al or in part they must humble themselues before good houskeepers which haue the discretion wisdome to gouern and to spend their goods with reason We may see this same by experiēce in folowing that which Solomon in the second part of this sentence sayth The foole shal be seruant to the wise in heart The prodigal childe hath Luke 15. 14 proued his part c. Furthermore they inherite the wind which are so much giuen vnto quarrelling and law that they care not against whome they begin sute and for to get peace and loue they will quit neither forgiue any thing howe little soeuer it bee that they thinke doeth belong vnto them but rather then they woulde want of their purpose to obteine the victorie they become enimies vnto al men Such kind of people are worthie to haue nothing but wind for they trouble their owne houses experience doeth also shew it that not only their houses but also the kingdomes through braules and quarrels are ouerthwrone and they which possesse them are driuen out and are faine to become subiect vnto them whiche before were lesse then they I haue seene the seruantes on horseback and the Princes trot on foote as seruantes And if the maister of an houshold ought to be wise by a more strong reason thē ought kings princes to be wise which haue the townes prouinces kingdomes in gouernmēt to the end that they should not trouble their subiectes nor guide them as becommeth and that it doeth happen that their lordships kingdomes must be transported vnto others and that in this manner beeing spoyled they inherite winde and in steede of ruling are brought vnder the power of another by the sufferance of the Lorde vnto whome it belongeth to remoue kingdomes and to giue them vnto whome soeuer it pleaseth him As the Prophets do teach vs declaring that such mutatiōs do oftē happen Dan. 2. 21. 4. 14. 29. for the contempt of the Word as hath bin seene amongst those miserable poore men which haue receiued that deuilish interim 30 The fruite of the righteous is a tree of life and hee that winneth soules is wise The righteous is not like vnto the couetous niggarde neither vnto the witlesse prodigal neither the quarrelling rufler who doe profite no body but doe trouble al men and doe set all in disorder so that they destroy themselues and doe not bring profite vntoo their neighbours but hurte But as the righteous hath not his trust in men but doeth depende vppon the goodnesse of GOD which taketh care of his and as hee prouideth what so euer is necessary giuing him al thinges aboundantly for to vse euen so doeth hee dispose them in such wise to the profite of his neighbours that hee bringeth foorth fruite the which doth quicken his neighbours Solomon doeth signifie this same first of all when he calleth the workes of the righteous fruit as also the holie Scripture doeth often in other places For as the tree doeth not bring Psal 1. 3. Iere. 17. 8. Mat. 7 12. foorth his fruit for it selfe but for another euen so the true righteous doeth not regard his own particular profite but theirs which haue to doe with him And as the fruite of the tree doeth nourishe and giue strength euen so the righteous laboureth by his works to refreshe and quicken Solomon doeth wel expresse it when hee is Gen. 2. 9. not contented to say is as a tree but he addeth of life wherein hee alludeth vnto the tree of life which was planted in the midst of the garden of pleasure For as if Adam in steede of eating of the tree of knowledge had eaten of the tree of life hee had not dyed but had bene quickened for euer and had reuiued his posteritie the which hee hath made subiect vnto death euen so the righteous doth profite his neighbours for the benefite of life not onely temporal but also eternal For hee hath not care of the bodie onely but also and that chiefly of the soules Hee doeth his workes for to helpe the necessities of his neighbours and therewith and by the same he tendeth to edifie them to saluation giuing them a good example that they may be warned to prayse God and to giue him praise for that that he leaueth them not vnprouided of good succour and helpe and are taught that after their power they ought to doe vnto their neighbours as they would their neighbours should doe vnto them Beeing thus builded they shal liue eternally and also they who so doe build them Beholde howe the fruite of the righteous is as the tree of life Secondly Solomon doeth signifie vnto vs that the righteous doeth bring foorth fruite which doth giue life vnto his neighbours when he sayeth And he that winneth soules is wise Wherein for to signifie that the righteous by his good deeds and wel doing doth drawe vnto him and winne mens soules and doeth not suffer them to perishe but doeth saue them according vnto the wisedome that God hath giuen him Solomon compareth the iust man vnto a fisher For as the fisher to take fishe is faine to vse deceit and craft suttletie and discretion otherwise hee taketh no fishe but doeth driue them away and so doth spende his time in vaine and looseth his labour euen so the righteous hath neede of wisedome the which may guide him so wisely in his affaires that hee may winne his neighbours And also because our Lord saieth vnto his Apostles Folow me and I wil make you fishers of men Feare not henceforth Mat. 4. 19. Luk. 5. 10. thou shalt take men hee doeth endue them with great wisedome filling them with his holie Spirite for to guide and gouerne them in the taking of men And in this we must
the Deuil doe draw vs and lay baites 1. Pet. 4. 3 Ioh. 3. 3. 1. Cor. 6. 9 Rom. 6. 23 Gal. 5. 21. Mat. 7. 13. Hebr. 12. 1 1. Pro. 2. 1 for vs that delighting in the pleasures of the heathen that knowe not God we should walke dishonestly So doing we can not finde life The reward of sinne is death but wee must seeke for a straight pathe that may leade vs vnto life And for to runne wel therein let vs laye away al that presseth vs downe and putting away al malice let vs abstaine from carnal lustes which fight against the soule If we thus walke we shal finde life for that way is the path of righteousnes wherein as Solomon saith is life and no death therein When Solomon tooke his doctrine from the lawe whereunto it is lawfull for no man to adde or diminish we must vnderstande that he speaketh Deut. 4. 5. 8. 2. Cor. 1. 20 heere of eternal life chiefly For albeit that God by Moyses gaue vnto the children of Israel promises concerning this temporal life as neuertheles seeing that God doeth esteeme none but his children whom he hath erected to eternal life worthie of his promises for al his promises are yea and Amen in Christ wee must vnderstand that in these temporal and earthly promises are enclosed the heauenly and spiritual as the Fathers Hebr. 11. 9. 10 13. Leu. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 5. did wel vnderstande and also Moyses doeth signifie the same saying The which if a man shal doe he shal liue in them the which Saint Paule expoundeth of eternal life Then when Solomon saith Life is in the way c. Let vs vnderstand it of the blessed and eternal lyfe as he himselfe declareth it saying And in that path way there is no death For temporal life is not without death as experience teacheth alwayes and the Scripture witnesseth vnto vs I say vnto you brethren that fleshe and blood can not inherite the kingdome 1. Cor. 15. 50. Hebr. 9. 29 of God Men are appointed once to dye Wee must also take death heere for eternal death as doeth our Lord Iesus Verely verely I say vnto you that he which heareth my word is passed from death vnto life If any man keepe my worde he shal not see death Ioh. 5. 24. 8. 51. 11. 25. Whosoeuer beleeueth in me though hee were dead yet shal he liue If then wee wil liue without death let vs walke in the path of righteousnes as wee are taught by the Scriptures aforesaide The which shal be done if hauing the assured hope of our saluation in the righteousnes of our Lord we giue ourselues to liue after his commandements conteined in his lawe There is no death For albeit the righteous are the most that are slaine yet they dye not but doe passe from death vnto lyfe The xiii Chapter 1 A wise sonne wil obey the instruction of his father but a scorner wil heare no rebuke FOrasmuch as instruction consisteth in commandemēts counsels exhortations corrections and reprehensions wherof the rude simple and ignorant haue neede and not they that are indewed with so much wisdom as they neede ought to haue and liue according thereto before the world and walke so wisely that they are without reprehension haue no need that any man should shew them any thing Wee vnderstand not by the wise Sonne a man hauing wisdome premeditated for suche a man hath no need that his father should shewe him either reprooue or correct him but by a wise sonne we wil vnderstand him that humbleth himselfe vnto his father feareth and reuerenceth him wil receiue doctrine and endeuoureth to serue him and to be at his commandement This sonne is wise though ther be in him many things which require either admonitions exhortations or corrections Albeit then that wee haue many imperfections yet doe wee not cease therfore to be called wise by the Scriptures which lie not so that we confessing ourselues to be such as wee are doe become easie to bee Rom 13. 7. Ephe. 4. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13 taught tractable and endeuour to yeeld subiection obedience feare honour to them that wee ought folowing the counsel of S. Paul Giue vnto euery man that which is due to him c. So doing we shal be wise sonnes and wil take instruction of them to whome we are committed and to whom we owe honour obedience As then we see Solomon calleth children inferiours vnto wisdō that the youth the common people should not take licence to remain in ignorance as though wisdome did nothing belong to them For gladly such people are wont to say that they need not to be so wise they think that wisdō is not necessary for thē but for men in authority dignitie He doth also exhort thē to receiue instruction of the father vnder the which name of father let vs vnderstād al such as we owe obedience and honour vnto but as they make no account of wisedome euen so doe suche people commonly hate instruction though it be necessary for them It is too common a vice that things most necessarie are most despised in the world there is almost none but feareth to be either too wise or too honest wherin they are like to children who according as they are borne of fleshe doe loue that which is not good for them Now though we must be like vnto litle children yet when we are here called to be wise and to receiue instruction Mat. 18. 3 let vs folow the admonition of S. Paul Brethren in vnderstanding be not children but in malice let vs be children Take heed 1. Cor. 14. 20 Ephe. 5. 15 1. Pet. 2. 1 therefore that ye walke circumspectly c putting away al malice c. If we make no count of such instructions we are not wise but scorners as Solomon doth shew vs saying But a scorner wil heare no rebukes Wisdom hath complained here aboue Chaper 1. verse 22. and for their refusal hath threatened them afterwardes verse 24. By this sentence other alreadie alledged Chap. 9. verse 7. 8. we may vnderstand that scorners are proude wicked corrupted hardened vncorrigible Such people labour to make themselues beleeue Esai 28. 15 that what euil soeuer doth happen they shal be exempted And therfore they scorne al reprehension It is not to say that they are assured for their conscience in spight of their teeth wil reprooue them whereupon they are feared with the iudgement of God They shew thēselues verie bold as if they were in great assurance but the wicked are as the raging of the sea c. There is no peace to the wicked saieth God Besides this let vs note first of al that scorners haue Esai 57. 20 eares but they heare not they are of the number of them of whom Esai speaketh Goe say to this people heare and vnderstande not see and know not
blessednes which is a rewarde not of merite but of grace and liberal goodnesse Secondarily let vs note that if wee wil vnderstande this sentence of the sayings of Kings and Princes they ought to learne heere that their office is to roote out the wicked and to set good men at rest for we may also expounde the last woorde of this sentence by To obteine peace Mat. 24. 25. Thirdly let vs note that the worde Worde after the Hebrewe phrase doeth signifie a thing and after this signification wee may say that hee shal be destroyed which despiseth the thing that is committed vnto him 14 The instruction of a wise man is as the wel spring of life to turne away from the snares of death As the man which fainteth for want of drinke if hee meete with a fountaine of water and drinke thereof doeth slake his thirst and is so quickened that hee is out of danger to dye by thirst euen so when wee haue Lords and gouernous which do their duetie in politike gouernement when fathers and mothers are carefull of their families as behoueth and when the Pastours of the church doe employe themselues diligently vnto wholesome doctrine then haue wee wise men whose admonitions counselles and corrections if wee receiue then doe wee drinke of the fountaine of liuing water the which wil preserue vs from death and wil quicken vs when by such instructions the holy Ghost woorketh in vs sanctifying and making vs obedient by faith and repentance For without the working of the holie Ghost instruction is dead and is deadly to them to whom it is offered when they doe not willingly receiue it Solomon doeth exhort vs to drinke of this spring and fountaine when hee sayeth The instruction of a wise man c. For to drinke rightly of this fountaine let vs resort thither whither Esay calleth vs saying Al yee that bee a thirst come to the waters Esai 55. 1. Therefore for to receiue well the instruction of the wise and to be refreshed and to auoyde the snares of death wee must come vnto Iesus Christ that hee may make vs partakers of the graces and giftes of his Spirite teaching vs by the doctrine of his Gospel For as wee are corporally nourished with bread wine milke and water euen so ought wee to vnderstande that our soules are susteyned with the doctrine of the Gospel with the holie Ghost and other giftes of Iesus Christ and are so nourished and sustayned therewith that wee shal neuer neede any thing If thou knewest Ioh. 4. 10. 7. 37. the gift of God c. Againe whosoeuer drinketh of this water c. If any man thirst let him come to mee and drinke c. Ouer and besides this let vs note first of al that they which take vpon them to instruct others shoulde bee wise that no man may reprooue or blame them Thou which teachest an other teachest thou not thy selfe And they must be wise not as Turkes and Papists Rom. 2. 21. which thinke themselues verie wise when they are verie diligent to publishe humane doctrines and diuellishe traditions by the which they seduce the heartes of the simple and so doe drawe them to death and doe not quenche the thirst of the people with the spring of life they are not administratours of the waters of this liuely spring but they leade the people to a forsaking of the liuing God which is the fountaine of liuing water but they must folowe the wisedome of Moyses of the Prophetes and Apostles of good iudges and kings which haue ministred this liuely water Secondly let vs note that where there are no wise men there is no spring of life but al are snared in the nettes of death Whereupon wee may vnderstande howe greate the miserie is wherein the Turkes and Papistes are and to consider howe much more miserable are they which haue wise men and do despise them They are more miserable then they of Sodom and Gomorrha Mat. 10. 1â— Thirdly let vs note seeing that the scripture doeth attribute snares vnto death that it is not in our power to deliuer ourselues from death no more then it is in the power of a litle byrde to escape the net when he is entangled therein Let vs not boast ourselues therfore of our free wil as if thereby wee had the power to saue ourselues But when wee drinke of this spring of life that wee taste and digest it let vs knowe that it commeth because that our Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 15. 55 Psal 124. 7. Ephe. 2. Titus 3. Christ hath broken the bandes of death And therefore let vs confesse this grace and say Our soule is escaped as a byrde out of the snare of the fouler c. 15 Good vnderstanding maketh acceptable but the way of the disobedient is hated When Solomon speaketh thus it is not to say that there is any euil vnderstanding but hee so speaketh to distinguishe it from the same that the worlde esteemeth so much the which is but foolishnesse before God and consequently before them which are indued with the spirite of the Lorde This hee doeth also for to make vs to loue it and to induce vs to seeke it seeing that naturally wee loue that which is good Therefore when Solomon saieth Good vnderstanding c. It is asmuch as if hee did say Take heede yee order not your manners after the custome of them which thinke that they haue vnderstanding before the worlde It doeth nothing profite but to puffe vp men and to cause them to dispise their neighbours and often to become angrie enuious But giue yourselues vnto good wisedome and vnderstanding which wil not swel nor contemne other it maketh the man of vnderstanding acceptable vnto his neighbours whome hee by his wisedome doth admonishe and comfort administring vnto them the helpes of saluation Beholde howe good vnderstanding getteth fauour aswel to him that possesseth it as also to the neighbours which are holpen thereby either spiritually or corporally Both of these may bee seene in Ioseph and in Moyses And to the ende that wee shoulde knowe howe wee ought to gouerne vs after good vnderstanding Solomon doeth teache vs rightly wherein it consisteth to wit in faythfulnesse vprightnesse and trueth in gentlenesse easinesse and softnesse Wee may vnderstande this same by the Antithesis when hee saith But the way of the disobedient is hated Against good vnderstanding hee setteth the way of the vnfaythful and against grace or acceptation hee setteth heere sharpenes or hatred Whereupon wee may gather what is ment by good vnderstanding and that they which are indued therewith ought to be acceptable vnto their neighbours seeing that they become tractable and are at their commaundement in what soeuer they can as God willeth Let vs also note that the vnfaithful and disobedient can hardly counterfaite for to bee founde honestmen and in the meane time to worke the destruction of their neighbours And they which haue to doe with them
For there is no man which had not rather loose al his goods then to loose his life But because euery man knoweth not the way how to proceede to saue his neighbours life therefore Solomon doeth teache it vs when he saith A faythful witnesse deliuereth soules And forasmuch as there is none but God only which is true vnlesse hee communicate his trueth by his woorde wee cannot doe this pleasure vnto our neighbours to saue their liues except we be diligent to receiue the woorde to speake after it and to giue ourselues to doe the workes which it teacheth vs. This is the way which wee must holde for to bee a true witnesse But albeit there is but this one way yet may wee shewe ourselues true witnesses in diuers sortes If being called in iudgement for to beare witnesse of the trueth or beeing ordeined iudges wee speake trueth although that vpon our deposition othe or sentence they leade our neighbour to the gallowes and that hee be hanged yet doe we not cease to be true witnesses and to deliuer soules For when Solomon speaketh of the deliuerance of soules hee meaneth the innocent who are wrongfully troubled are in danger of their liues except that God rayse them vp true witnesses And also when wee witnesse or speake truth against the wicked for to sende him to death though wee saue not his life yet doe wee not cease to bee a true witnesse and to saueliues For in purchasing the punishement of the wicked wee are cause that diuers doe liue in peace and rest and thus doe we preserue and saue liues the which is a very acceptable thing before God who wil haue the Magistrate Deut. 17. 6. Rom. 13. 3. 1. Tim. 2. 2. to punish the malefactor vppon the othe of twoo or three witnesses that the euil being purged wee might liue in peace Now if the Lorde be careful of such corporal and temporal sauing and preseruing let vs vnderstande that by a farre stronger reason hee taketh care for the spiritual and eternal sauing of liues as hee hath alwayes shewed when hee hath raysed vp true men which haue giuen themselues to shewe the way of truth vnto his people as were Noe Abraham Loth Moyses Iosua the Iudges the holy kings and Prophetes And not content heerewith hee hath sent his owne Sonne who not onely was a true and faythful witnes for to preach deliuerance as a minister and seruant but by himself hath made the purgation of our sinnes sheadding his most precious blood for the eternal redemption of our soules And if the deliuerance of our Heb. 1. 3. 9. 12. Rom. 8. 32. soules be so precious before God that he hath not spared his owne Sonne it foloweth therefore that we must be careful thereof before al other things otherwise we are great contemners of God and renoūce to be saued redeemed by Iesus Christ the which is to do him greate iniurie and consequently to put our soules in bondage with the Deuil for to loose them and not to deliuer and saue them Nowe for to be careful of our deliuerance we must as Iesus Christ hath sent vs his Apostles and disciples for to be true witnesses vnto vs and asmuch as lay in their ministerie haue deliuered vs from death and damnation euen so stil nowe wee shoulde demande of him such Pastours and ministers which wil bee true witnesses who wil declare nothing vnto vs but the pure woorde of God to the which if wee cleaue by fayth and repentance they shal deliuer our soules But if in steede heereof wee haue itching eares let vs looke 2. Tim. 4. 3. for bondage and destruction as Solomon doeth signifie when hee saith But a deceiuer speaketh lyes Forasmuch as he setteth the deceiuer against a true witnesse and lyes against deliuerance hee teacheth vs that false witnesses seeke nothing else but to holde their neighbours captiue and to destroy them folowing therein their father the Deuil who from the beginning hath beene a lyer and a murtherer But as they are the most profitable witnesses which Iohn 8. 44. preach vnto vs Iesus Christ euen so the most exquisite deceiuers are they which vnder the shadowe of religion doe set foorth mens traditions and doctrines of Deuils vaine speculations and subtill questions For such so much as they can doe shut vp the kingdome of heauen from men and doe deliuer them vnto the Deuil And the other deceiuers doe bring hurt either vnto our goods or to our name or to this present life the which is but a small damage in comparison of the losse of our soules Neuerthelesse the worlde is so much giuen vnto temporal riches and maketh so great account of his good name and loueth this life so wel that he careth nothing for his saluation and feareth more the deceiuers which bring temporall hurte then those which destroy them for euer yea hee is so blinde that he honoreth them 26 In the feare of the Lorde is an assured strength and his children shall haue hope It is a great comfort for vs when we thinke that our neighboures are so wel affectionate towardes vs that we may trust them that they wil not labour to doe vs any hurte but shewe vs al fauour pleasure and gentlenes Nowe forasmuch as al men are lyers and their helpe vayne and that there is none but God onely true and that hope onely in him confoundeth not in as much as hee neuer fayleth to graunt as he requireth wee must therefore conclude that they which trust in him shal not loose their hope If we may once knowe his good affection towardes vs and so trust in him assuring ourselues that he would vs nothing but good we should be therby a greate deale more be comforted then with all the good opinions wee can conceiue of men For let the man bee neuer so wise or good yet is hee vnconstant and mutable but God is faythfull Num. 23. 19. Esay 55. 8. 9 10. 11. and changeth not his mynde But to the ende that we conceiue not a vayne consolation falsely beleeuing that we haue a strong hope in God when we haue but a light opinion of his promises and yet wil giue ourselues licence to doe after our owne fantasie and are bold to folow our good intentes or to liue in al dissolutenes after the affection of our corrupt nature the which demandeth nothing but libertie of the fleshe to the ende I say that wee conceiue not this vayne consolation Solomon doeth teach vs where wee shall finde strong hope when he saith In the feare of the Lord is an assured strength If then we wil be assured that God wil not destroy vs but assist vs and prouide for vs al thinges necessarie both for our soule and bodie and will not forsake vs til he hath placed vs in his heauenly kingdome we must then haue the feare of the Lord as the good olde fathers fearing God stayed themselues vppon him Heb. 11. 4.
conteyn truth they agree also with the Antithesis For when Solomon saieth but the rightoous hath hope in his death he sheweth that the righteous shal be sure and stable and that he shal be preserned that no euil shall happen to destroy him His body may be put to death but it shal not be to cast him away for his malice for the faith hee hath in God the which worketh by loue is imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and no malice is attributed vnto him but all his iniquities are blotted out neuer more for to be remembred before God His body shal suffer much affliction calamities by the which he might faint but because he hopeth in God the which confoundeth not he shal obteine according therevnto shal not be cast away in his afflictions but the Lord wil receiue him to himselfe and deliuer him His body shal be subiect to receiue much euil euen to be slaine but seeyng that his conseience doth not reproue him to haue inuented Psal 34. 20. euil against his neighbor he feareth not by dying to be cast away froÌ„ God for to be recompensed him but shal stande sure in this hope that by his death he shal obtein the reward of the righteous which is euerlasting life Herein doeth Solomon geue vs a sufficient proofe for to make euery one of vs to coÌ„sider whether we shal be cast away or whether we haue hope For sith it is the righteous that hath hope it doeth wel followe that they which are geuen vnto wickednesses cannot hope but do looke to bee cast away and too receiue a worthy rewarde of their mallice Contrarily sith that righteousnes is set against malice or euil it followeth that the righteous who is contrary vnto al euil and doth abhorre it hopeth not to bee cast away For albeit that his righteousnesse is not worthy of that which he hopeth for yet he knoweth and is assured that God is true in his promises according to the which he cannot perishe And therefore what grieuous afflictions soeuer he suffer and albeit he haue motions and sightes which are harde and sharpe for him to beare yet doeth he not vexe himselfe for to distrust the mercy of God On the other side forasmuch as we cannot haue this hope but by the woorde of God which is refused almost of al it foloweth that the number of the righteous is very rare and that very few haue hope True it is that so long as afflictions shal not presse vs we make ourselues beleeue to be of ioly courage but when wee bee touched to the quicke or thinke thereof then wee faint Further more let vs note though that by the corruption of our nature the malice of vs al is so great that wee deserue to bee cast away yet God is so merâ—iful that he imputeth our hope vnto righteousnes and doth not suffer vs to perishe Wherein we may know that it is very necessary for vs continually to meditate the word of our Lord and to labour to conforme our liues therereafter 33 Wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding and is knowne in the middes of fooles There is none but doth naturally esteeme himselfe to be wise also there is none that would endure to be counted a foole and yet almost al do despise knowledge and vnderstanding and chiefly diuinity the which is the most necessary and that there are but a very few but wil be troubled when a man speaketh to theÌ„ therof Some of theÌ„ would think themselues hypocrites and superstitious if they gaue themselues therevnto some thinke themselues too young for to set their heartes therevppon and thinke it is nothing but Melancholy the which agreeth not with young folkes but that it belongeth vnto those which are olde to be geuen to learning and vnderstanding And when they are waxen old it is great paine trouble for them to leaue their wonted trade And thus alwayes they refuse knowledge and vnderstanding and yet they cease not to attribute to themselues wisedome though they be altogether voide therof as Solomon doeth wel signifie when hee saieth Wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding c. Therefore of what age soeuer wee be we must if we wil get wisedome be prudent and for to be suche let vs not reiect knowledge and vnderstanding as doe the foolish which nothing esteeme the pure worde of God which is the prudence and intelligence of the faithful which loue wisedome and are careful to seeke and enioy her And when he saieth that wisedome resteth let vs not thinke that shee is idle and of no power but let vs vnderstand that if we be prudent wee are so seased of wisedome and doe so carefully possesse her that we can not suffer to bee depriued thereof And notwithstanding shee is not vnprofitable and they which possesse her doe not disdaine to open her and to sende her foorth that shee may doe her office and may gaine that whereabout she is appointed Also the prudent doe cause their wisedome to shine euen amongst fooles and if it lay in them the fooles shoulde bee made wise and prudent for from the abundance of the hearte the mouth speaketh and other members also doe execute their office Solomon doeth signifie it saying And is knowne in the mids of fooles It is not to say that the fooles doe receiue her to bring her foorth into light and to imparte her vnto their neighbors for if they should vse her so they should not be fooles but wise but it is to say that the prudent man walking amongst fooles whereof the world is ful doth not frame himselfe after their maners nor foloweth their trade as they which say wee must barke with the dogge and houle with the wolfe and disguise ourselues after al fashions for to apply vs to them with whom we chance to meete but hee sheweth himselfe wise and prudent in his deedes and wordes so that they which haue sounde iudgement doe easily knowe him from amongst other Al true faythful Christians ought to bende theretoo Brethren bee not children in vnderstanding 1. Cor. 14. 20 Ephe. 5. 15. Col. 4. 5. Ephe. 4. 11. 14. but in malice be as children Againe Take heede therfore that ye walk circumspectly not as fooles but as wise Againe Walk wisely toward them that are without and redeeme the season This is the cause also why the Gospel is preached And hee therfore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and some Pastours and teachers That we hencefoorth be no more children wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine c. But the Pastours of the Church should chiefly make their wisdome to bee knowne in the mids amongst fooles For to them doth Iesus Christ say Ye are the salt of the earth c. And S. Paule demandeth Mat. 5. 13. 2. Timo. 3. 2. Tit. 1. 6. 17. of them greate prudence The Nicodemites cannot boast that they
guideth his mouth wisely and addeth doctrine to his lippes For want of hauing wisedome surely printed in our heartes we are naturally inclined to speake at aduenture neither doe wee make any account to take heede for to speake well For this cause if wee bee reprooued for speaking euill and that wee can not deny it wee excuse ourselues to haue spoken it without thinking to speake it This excuse shoulde be true if wee did adde this woord well saying that we haue spoken euil without wel thinking of that which we shoulde haue sayde We cannot speake without thinking for first of al if we speake ioyfully it is because we delight therein and that our heart taketh pleasure so to doe And if wee speake angerly or sorowfully it is because that we are troubled in our heartes for the matter whereof we speake Secondly wee must not belye the infallible trueth the which sayth that from the abundance of Mat. 12. 34. the hearte the mouth speaketh Solomon hath wel shewed vs that some doe speake at aduenture and euil also through want of wisedome Pro. 10. 8. 13. 14. 20. 21. 15. 2. because he hath attributed it to the same Hee doeth shew vs the same nowe also when he saith The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely c. Hee sayth not simply and onely the heart but he addeth of the wise for the heart alone of it selfe is nothing woorth whervpon foloweth that it can do nothing that is ought woorth It must be reformed by wisdome for to guyde our mouthes well and prudently If then wee bee voyde of wisedome wee cannot speake as we ought but where wisedome is there shal bee a good woorde as Solomon doeth declare the same when hee addeth And addeth doctrine to his lips That is to say that the hart of the wise doth teach his lips how they ought to be opened for to speake wel or that the hearte of the wise by his lippes teacheth other and giueth them doctrine These twoo senses are diuers but they agree wel together for a wise man also doeth them both and the second is not without the first 24 Fayre woordes are as an honie combe sweetenes to the soule and health to the bones The fleshe reioyceth and is pleased when a man is praysed and flattered it alloweth well of the woordes that are vttered as hee thinketh none coulde speake better to him nor vtter any thing which should please him more but howe long soeuer it be they which listen and giue their eares vnto such prayses and flatteringes shall feele that insteede they thought to eate honie they haue eatengal and that in steede of drinking some sweete liquor they haue drunken vinegre and insteede of hauing health they haue beene taken with death As Adam and Eue which beleeued the serpent as Roboam which beleeued his yong counsellers and as the children of Israel which cleaued vnto the false Prophets which preached to them peace when the Prophets of God did foretel them the greate miseries and calamities that were at hand Solomon also doeth Pro. 5. 3. 4. giue it vs to vnderstand The Papistes also shall feele what the woordes and preaching of their Friers are I haue sayde expresly that the fleshe and sensualitie doeth wel allowe of flattering words and not that they are so indeed Solomon doeth well shewe it when he doth giue vnto fayre woordes three titles which agree with the woordes of God The first is that they are likened vnto the honie combe the second that they are sweete vnto the soule the thirde that they are health vnto the bones For that which is proper vnto the woorde of the Lorde cannot agree with the woordes which come both from the diuel the flesh and it were a great blasphemy to attribut vnto them such fayrenes Nowe that these titles belong vnto the woordes of God the Scripture doeth shewe vs. The lawe Psa 19. 7. 119. 103. Pro. 4. 20. 21 22. of the Lord is perfit conuerting the soule c. Howe sweete are thy promises vnto my mouth yea more then hony vnto my mouth Wee will not then say with the worldlinges O howe wel is that spoken when men talke of matters pleasant to the flesh albeit that the woordes seeme to be of God and spoken of deuotion True it is that the gracious and gentle woordes of freendes are very fayre and are profitable as well to the soule as to the bodie when by them we proceede as God teacheth vs by his woorde and not when some haue respect onely to please men and to winne their fauour and good will 25 There is a way that seemeth right vnto man but the yssue thereof are the waies of death As it is not without cause nor vnprofitable that Solomon repeateth the sentence woorde for woorde that hee set in the fourteenth chapter and twelfth verse Euen so ought wee to bee carefull to meditate the same and therein to beholde our corrupt nature which followeth his fantasie and good intent turning away from the path that GOD teacheth vs by his woorde also to beholde therein our destruction that wee may labour to auoyde it 26 The person that trauelleth trauelleth for himselfe for his mouth craueth it of him There is none except he be impudent or blockish which doth deny that wee must beare the yoke of the Lorde willingly yet do we al naturally deny it not by woord but indeede For God hath layde payne labour and trauell vppon our backes and yet wee loue rest ydlenes slouthfulnes as wee are conuinced by our conscience and the rich worldlinges doe shew it when they liue after the pleasure of their fleshe making themselues beleeue that it is laweful for them to take their ease delightes and pleasures without applying themselues too some honest and profitable vocation for because that they haue abundance of goods for to liue without doing ought they would thinke it too vile and bace a thing for their maistership and worship to set hande to woorke or to giue themselues to some vocation wherin they might get some mony or serue their neighbours Al that serue and are hired either for a yeere or from day to day and doe not their worke so carefully and faithfully in the absence of their Maisters as in their presence either bee it in presence or in absence doe make no account to doe their worke wel do also shewe it And albeit that diuers euen of those which are not taught in the worde of God bee very earnest and stoute at their worke yet is it not to say that they worke willingly but it is because they loue themselues and desire to gaine something for their profit Solomon doeth signifie it saying The person or soule that trauaileth c. Or that most commonly they feare to haue nothing put in their mouthes and to eate The reason that Solomon giueth doeth shewe it when hee sayeth for his mouth craueth it He sheweth that it commeth not of
this care bee naturall in vs notwithstanding wee prosper not if wee haue not the hearte in good plight as they say indewed with natural vnderstanding and that wee bee of a quicke wit and foresight For the foolishe and brainelesse sort oft put their life in great hazarde and in steede of finding goods loose the same and marre al they goe about and if wee loue so much this brief and transitorie life and the fraile and brickle goods for the maintenance of the same wee ought farre more to loue the heauenly life and felicitie which is eternal but of ourselues we cānot come to this loue for we are fooles wicked negligent slouthful and so we are loose of courage and faint hearted whervpon ensueth the destruction of our soules and way to death and to loue our soules wel and to enriche them it behoueth vs to bee prudent in heart as Solomon saith He that hath a heart loueth his soule and keepeth prudence to finde riches But when wee haue naturally a lacke of hearte wee cannot haue it of ourselues because wee cannot or will not change our nature That is the worke of GOD as wee ought to vnderstande by his promises wherefore we ought to pray Deut. 30. 6 Iere. 24. 7. Ezech. 11. 19 36. 26. O God create in mee a pure hearte and renewe in mee the spirite of righteousnesse And also by that which hath bin oftentimes touched of him that wanteth heart and is loose of courage And by that which hath beene touched in the 15. Chapter and the 31. 32. wee may and ought to vnderstande that hee possesseth hearte which is so instructed by the worde of GOD that by the same he hath sound iudgement and good aduise to conduct himselfe in the feare and reuerence of the Lorde and hath a good will and right affection to yeelde himselfe obedient to God and helpeful too his neighbours He that is such a one loueth his soule and not as Worldlinges doe and Epicures which studie to liue at heartes ease and haue the fauour and support of the worlde without any contradiction or resistance Such men are much deceiued as our Lorde Iesus Christe sheweth vs. But the man that hath a hearte loueth his soule in such maner that he hath a care to gouern it according Mat. 16. 24 Iohn 12. 25. to the wil of God prest to endure with pacience al maner afflictions which it shal please the Lorde to sende In this manner hee keepeth prudence which leadeth him to those goods which are proper to preserue his soule whom he loueth Now the goods which he getteth is the fauour acceptable to the Lorde by the which hee obteineth that his sinnes bee not imputed to him but is made partaker of the iustice of Iesus Christe by the which he commeth to euerlasting life Let vs note in the rest that although there bee none but God which prouideth of his owne meere grace and good wil al that which is necessary for vs for the time present and the time to come aswel for our bodies as our soules Notwithstāding this letteth not but with sound iudgement prudence and good aduise wee may followe those meanes by the which wee prouide for this life and doe that which is good and necessary for our health For it is no inconuenience that GOD doethal and wee bee his instruments by the which hee worketh What heart then soeuer wee professe what prudence or vnderstanding wee haue let vs reknowledge in veritie that it is onely God which willeth and accomplisheth and to him let vs giue all praise and glorie in al thinges 9 The false witnesse shall not escape vnpunished and hee that speaketh lyes shal perish Beteweene the fift sentence of this Chapter and this is no difference sauing in the ende of the fift sentence there is Shall not escape and in this Shall perishe which is the exposition of shall not escape And so this is here a repetition not vnprofitable to the wel disposed for they are againe warned that God greatly detesteth false witnesse bearers and lyars and therefore they to bee careful to thinke and say the trueth and flee all lying This repetition also serueth to make the false witnesse bearers and lyers more blame woorthy when they haue once despised so many warninges and not taken heede to amend 10 Pleasures are not seemely for a foole much lesse for a bound man to haue rule ouer Princes Although the wicked which despise true sapience and are therefore called fooles haue commonly good store of goodes eyther by succession or giftes or by their owne industry and that they enioy them in delight and heartes ease at theyr owne pleasure and that because they spende the time gallantly and make good cheere they are therefore accompted worthy to liue and haue abundance of riches notwithstanding because they haue not the feare of God with them and be not his children it were more fit for them to haue no riches at all And that which they haue they vsurpe it wrongfully by what title soeuer they possesse it Wherevpon ensueth that they cannot vse it nor rightfully enioy it at their ease and pleasure Solomon pronounceth it saying Pleasures are not seemely c. As when we know any one to be a thiefe liue by robbery we cannot nor ought not to allowe his wickednesse nor affirme his life good and honest but rather iudge it disordinate and detestable So before God who knoweth the foolish it is not found fit that they liue at their pleasure and ease of theyr fleshe although hee permit them as is seene For there is none in the world according to outward apparance that haue more their pleasures then the foolish and wicked And as God which knoweth all alloweth not that the foolish haue their pleasures to the damage of the miserable afflicted Euen so when God hath opened the eyes of his seruantes and principally those which he hath lifted vp in preheminence and geuen too vnderstande the wickednesse of the foolishe they ought too detest and hate those fooles whome they see so at theyr ease For they cannot enioy the delightes of this worlde without greate disorder And although a man cannot perceaue it alwayes yet it ceasseth not to boe a greate hinderaunce to the feeble simple and innocent of whome the foole makes no accompt but rather studieth to afflict vex them pilling and polling them or refusing to pleasure them to enioy the better his owne ease and pleasure Then if pleasures are not seemely for fooles who notwithstāding seeme fit to enioy them because they are rich or of noble parentage and in authoritie or because afore time they haue taken paynes to liue lastly at their ease If to such people I say pleasures are not seemely by a farre more reason it is not fitting that inferiours shoulde enterprise ought against or aboue their superiours to put themselues in their ease or haue their pleasures to the preiudice of their
wil pleade their cause against thee This is as though he said because Orphans are weake quyte voide of al humane succour thou art so hardie as to polle and oppresse them but although men haue no care to take their cause in hand withstand the outrage violence that thou vsest to them or that thou thinkest thy selfe the strongest and none dare nor can resist thee yet neuerthelesse they are not voide of succour They haue a redeemer who not only hath good wil to deliuer them from thy hands and violence but also power which power he wil imploy against thee and thou shalt not resist him And as Orphans and fatherlesse children through their weakenesse and smal strength cannot let thee to eate them and destroy them euen so what valiancie soeuer thou hast yet canst thou not let but God wil bee reuenged vpon thee and wil put thee to perdition Hee is their father wherefore hee wil doe his duetie to maintaine his children The Play of Psa 68. 6. the strong redeemer shal be that he wil make knowne the wickednesse of the oppressours he wil condemne them and reuenge himselfe vpon them and they shal notwithstande nor haue any succour at al. 12 Apply thy hart to vnderstanding and thy eares to words of knowledge Esa 10. 2. 3. Oftentimes already Solomon hath sought to make vs attentiue to the doctrine of God the which hee calleth one while lawe another while instruction and another while wisdome science and vnderstanding He doth the same againe in this present sentence And it is because we haue great need to be ofteÌ„ aduertised of that which appertaineth to the glorie and honour of God to our saluation the edification of our neighbours for of our owne nature wee are so giuen to the worlde that wee despise that which is of God and it seemeth to vs that it is but time lost to apply ourselues theretoo because we be not thereby the more exalted to wordly honours nor more enriched with substance but the rather despised and reiected polled and oppressed Neuerthelesse if wee wil be exalted to true and perpetual honours and enioy the goods which wil not perish wee ought to followe that which Solomon hath alreadie often taught vs and that which presently he doeth teache vs. And to doe this same we ought to apply al our vnderstanding to learne to serue God and our neighbours and therein to spare neither bodie nor minde as God hath created both the body and the spirites and wil that wee bee wholy his and our neighbours True it is that the harte is the principal as wee ought to vnderstande it by many witnesses of the holy scriptures wherein is saide that God beholdeth the hartes and that wee are admonished to feare him and loue him with al our hart and that true worshippers worship the father in spirite and trueth And Solomon signifieth it heere somewhat when in the first place he requesteth the applying of the heart And afterwardes sheweth vs that by the right affection of the heart the outward senses ought to bee applyed to receiue instruction which hee calleth wordes of knowledge And in this manner hee sheweth vs that we are not sufficiently instructed if wee giue not our hearing to the woorde of the Lorde the which is our knowledge And so that the preaching of the word is very necessary for vs insomuch that without this holy ministery wee are all ignorant Not that God is not sufficient and of power to instruct vs otherwyse without outward meanes by reuelations and secret inspirations But he wil haue vs to folowe the order which he hath established in his Churche and that by mens meanes we be taught 13 Withdraw not correction from the childe if thou beate him with a rod he wil not dye It hath beene spoken of the chastizing and correction of children But because for the most parte children are very harde to gouerne Prou. 13. 24. 19. 18. 22. 15. and almost vncorrigible and there are many foolish fathers and worse mothers which wil neither chastise nor suffer others to correct their children for they striue to persuade themselues that they feare that one wil kil their children because they are tender and delicate in which doing they thinke themselues more wise theÌ„ the holy Ghost And yet they loue not their children so tenderly as they ought and haue not that care ouer them which they shoulde haue For perswading themselues that they preserue the bodies of their children not willing that they should in any wise be touched they send as much as in them lyeth their soules to perditioÌ„ maintayning them in folly and wickednesse for this cause Solomon not content with the former admonitions sheweth nowe that they ought not to be afraide that the rod wil hurt the children when he saith Withdraw not c. He is not content to say Correct thy child but considering how profitable it is to continewe in brydling and correcting children he wil not that parents hauing once begunne to chastice them shoulde leaue of incontinent and grieue to take the paine and care about them to correct them As many parents will giue ouer their children after that for one or two corrections they cannot make them to amende Either they despaire of them or else are afraide to make them dul and blockish or else vtterly to kil theÌ„ Solomon wil haue fathers and gouernours of children to continew in correcting and chastising them according as they shal see needful and therefore hee saith Withdraw not correction c. And to shewe that hee meaneth not correction only of wordes he addeth If thou beat him with a rod c. He knewe that children woulde put no beleefe in woords nor make no account of verbal speeches therfore he would haue one to deale with the rod and promiseth that the bodie shall not be hurt therewith so that death shal folow for he sayth Hee shoulde not dye Wherein he instructeth parents and sheweth them that they ought not to spare the rod but shoulde make â—heir children feele it sharply to make them remember to behaue â—hemselues wel and not to returne to their wonted folly And sheweth them that the markes or little woundes which they shall make with the rod vpon the bodie of their children shall not bee mortall Also parentes are admonished that in chastising their children they seeke not to kil them One may say moreouer that when Solomon sayth He should not dye That he giueth vs somewhat to vnderstande that those parentes which are carefull too correct their children doe saue them from the gallowes and doe let them from being executed by iustice Contrariwise they which make no account to chastice them send them to the galowes as much as they can but Solomon sheweth vs another deliuerance which is greatly to be set by when he sayth 14 Thou shalt beate him with a rod and deliuer his soule from hell The temporall gallowes or gibbet
destroyeth but the body for a certaine time but hel swalloweth the soule for euer yea and the body to after resurrection to remayne in perpetual torments both bodie and soule Wherefore if fathers and gouernours ought to be careful to keepe the bodies from the gallowes by chastizing and beating their children with rods by a farre more reason when by meanes of the rod one may keepe them from death eternal they ought not to be negligent to vse the rodde and yet neuertheles noâ— thinke that the materiall rodde which one holdeth in his hande hath such vertue of it selfe alone for it is an instrument that GOD maketh to preuaile as he thinketh good The principall rod to deliuer children from hel is the woorde of the Gospell which is the power of God to saue al beleeuers And so it is not ynough nor yet the principall point of correction and chasticement To beate with the rod but with the same the principall and most necessarie is that fathers and gouernors bring vp their children in the knowledge and wayes of the Lorde And therefore they that haue Ephe. 6. 4. children in charge ought to beecareful to shewe them good examples in liuing soberlie in this present world so that no filthy worde proceede out of their mouthes but only that which is good to the Tit. 2. 12. Ephe. 4. 29. vse of edifying c. 15 My sonne if thy heart be wise my heart shal reioyce and I also Carnal and worldly fathers are maruellously reioiced when they see their children increase in beautie or temporal prosperitie when they see their bodies are in good health and they receiue pursely profit in augmenting earthly goods and when they haue the craft to maintaine themselues ciuilly with their neighbours to haue them stil at their commandement And yet they are not careful a whit howe they dispose of their soules They haue no care but of that which is seene with the eye and reioice in no other thing Likewise the children of such men for the most parte resemble their fathers and reioice not but in worldly matters But the faythful and true Christians reioice principally when their children inwardly are wel disposed by wisedome Solomon sheweth it when he saith My sonne if thy heart bee wise c. When Solomon is not content to say simply my heart shall reioyce but addeth and I also hee admonisheth vs very wel that the greatest ioy of parents ouer their infants ought to be when they see them wise but not after the worlde for the wisedome of this worlde is but folly before God but that they bee filled with diuine wisedome although this world reprooue it Therefore when man beholdeth but the face and there is none but God which seeth the hart one may aske how fathers mothers may reioyce at the wisedome of the heartes of their children The answere is that if the heart be wise it will shewe himselfe so by workes and words which are of God For the hart which is truly giuen to wisedome suffereth not the outwarde members to bee ydle but as much as in him lyeth forceth them to say and doe things which are to the glory and honour of the Lorde and to the profite and health of his neighbours And so it behoueth the children to reioyce their parentes imploying themselues to say and doe things good and honest iust and righteous Solomon signifyeth it saying 16 And my reines shal leape for ioy when thy lips speake righteous things See heere how the wisdome of the hart is manifested by the lips by the which we shal vnderstand al other members which we must turne from wickednesse and apply to wel doing according as God teacheth vs by his word But Solomon to shunne prolixitie speaketh but of lips and the rather of them than of other members because they are readiest to manifest the inward partes and most fit to shew forth the praises of God and likewise to mainteine the heart that it wander not heere and there out of wisedome as we prooue for when wee thinke of any thing it is streightwaies gone out of our hearts except we common and talke of it and speake with our mouthes And also when the lippes speake according as the heart is affectionate the other members are the more ready to execute that which is vttered And when he saith My reines shal leap for ioy he vseth repetition which is familiar in the scriptures It is the same which he hath said My heart shal reioyce and I also For the reines are taken for that which is most profoundly hidden in man which is the hart as may bee vnderstoode in that the knowledge thereof is reserued to the Lord and when he ioineth speaking of righteous things to the wisedome of the heart he sheweth that Iere. 17. 9. 10. wisedome resteth not in phantasies and good intentions of men but in true knowledge of the wil of God the which he declareth to vs by his word which is the perfect rule to guide vs to wil thinke lay and doe that which is right and equitie which resteth onely in this that we yeelde the honour to God which appertaineth to him and that wee aide one another in true charitie and brotherlie loue This thus considered wee see whereof it is that parentes ought to reioyce principally in regarding the conuersation of their children The superiours in seeing their subiectes And the ministers in considering the flocke that they haue to feede Therefore sith folly is bounde in the heart of the childe it foloweth wel that al they which haue any gouernement of youth ought Prou. 22. 15. very carefully to obey that which Solomon commandeth them ver 13. 14. Otherwise they cannot haue true ioy for folly remayneth And so the lips speake not of righteous things where at all faythful and Christian gouernours ought greatly to reioice And therfore according to the estate that they occupy they ought to vse correction to driue a way folly which is bound in the harts of children the magistrates in one sorte the ministers in another and the fathers in another for they haue not al one and the same power The ministers force consisteth onely in the worde Magistrates haue the sworde and fathers the rod and also they may vse warnings and admonitions by the worde For although it appertaineth onelye to ministers to preache the worde publikely yet neuerthelesse as magistrates and parents ought to gouerne themselues by the same so ought they to vse it towardes them which they haue in gouernement 17 Let not thyne hart bee enuious against sinners but let it bee in the feare of the Lorde continually It seemeth wel to yong folkes that they are wise ynough if they folowe the multitude and seeke to raise themselues vp and bee of value in aduauncing themselues and working their owne profit although it bee to the damage of their neighbours and so they are sinners that is to say hauing their hartes infected and corrupted
by the eternal prouidence of God which is immutable bee wee certaine and assured that hee loueth vs and therefore what tribulation soeuer happen to 1. Cor. 10. 13 vs bee it neuer so greeuous yet he will not forsake vs but wil apply al his power to defende our cause for hee is faithfull and wil not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee bee able c. Also to keepe wel that our vertue waxe not feeble let vs not tarry too meditate these thinges vntil the trouble bee come vppon vs but let vs watch at al times foreseeing calamities as Iesus Christe admonisheth vs Mat. 24. 42. Mar. 13. 33. Ephe. 6. 10. thereof and arme ourselues with the harnesse of God as S Paule biddeth vs. 11 Deliuer them that are drawne to death and wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slame God hath giuen many commandements by the which he sheweth Gen. 9. 6. Deut. 24. 14 that hee wil that the wicked be not spared but that they bee put to death Then sith that the commandements of God bee such Exod. 21. 12 Num. 35. 16 Deut. 13. 8. Rom. 13. 1. it foloweth that we ought to obay them and that we shoulde in no case let them to bee executed And likewise he hath ordeined superiour powers to be his ministers and shewe vengeance and yre vpon them which doe euil And they which resist this resist the ordinance of God Wherefore it might seeme at the first shewe that Solomon repugned the lawe and the ordinance of God when hee saith Deliuer them that are drawen to death c. The answere is that as God wil yeeld death to the wicked and that the magistrates punish them yea with death if the cace require it Euen so hee will that one haue pitie of the innocent and that wee suffer none to doe them violence but deliuer them from the handes of those that oppresse them and vexe them this is first the office of them which are placed in preheminence and holde the seate of iustice Moses vnderstoode it wel as one may see it by the Sermon of Saint Stephen and therefore hee smote the Egyptian Also the Lorde raised vp to the people of Israel many iudges for to deliuer and saue thē Act. 7. 23. Exod. 2. 11. 12. Psa 82. 2. Esay 1. 23. from the hands of those which molested and vexed them as one may see by the booke of Iudges And God sheweth Iudges wel that such is their office when he reprehendeth them for the fauour that they beare to the wicked and commandeth them to doe right to the miserable and Orphan c. It is secondly the office of euery one of vs in asmuch as hee can not vsurping the authoritie of the Magistrate or resisting him which turneth to a scandale and euil example It is also to euery one of vs that God speaketh Washe yourselues then bee yee cleane take away the euil of your workes from before myne eyes c. Doe iustice and iudgement and deliuer Esay 1. 16. Iere. 22. 3. him which is oppressed from the handes of him which wrongeth him But it is chiefly the office of Magistrates which are placed in the seate of God who attributeth to himselfe this office of deliuering Also the scripture calleth him the only Sauiour and by good right for they which deliuer their neighbours from oppression are Gen. 15. 13. 14. Psa 50. 15. Esa 49. 25. 26. but the Organs instrumēts of this great Sauiour who doth this honor to his creatures to constitute thē in his place meanewhile as it is said euery one of vs ought to apply himself to aide the oppressed not going aboue nor against the magistrate no although he exercise tyranny Dauid shewed it wel when hee suffered not that they shoulde trouble Saule which was a wicked man and woulde not himselfe trouble him although hee were the annointed of the Lorde Iesus Christ also sheweth it wel to Saint Peter Notwithstanding 1. Sam. 24. 26. Math. 26. 52. this is not to say that one shoulde not resist and stande against vniust and cruell magistrates but then the swoorde that they shoulde vse must bee spiritual to wit the worde of God which the Prophetes and Apostles vsed in admonishing reprehending and threatening by the same those kinges and princes of the earth which were wicked and cruel this is the way that they shoulde vse which are not in authoritie to deliuer those which are drawne to death 12 If thou say behold wee knewe not of it hee that pondereth the heartes doeth not hee vnderstande it and hee that keepeth thy soule knoweth hee it not and will not hee also recompence euery one according to his workes Saint Paule warneth vs that wee should not euery one regard the thinges which are our owne but also those which are other mens and complaineth greatly that al men seeke the thinges that are Phi. 2. 4. 21. their owne and not those of Iesus Christe which complaint may bee vttered almost to al kinges princes and magistrates of the earth which are led by ambition and care not but to make themselues great and make no account to minister true iustice they force not if the innocent the poore and feeble bee oppressed For although the wrong which men doe to the innocent bee wel knowne vntoo them and that the bruite thereof bee spread al abrode yet neuerthelesse as though they were blinde and deafe they make semblant to know nothing therof if one come not and make great plaints to thē and furnish thē out with money to make information of that which they knowe wel enough And yet to fauour the wicked the more they wil not informe themselues as they ought They which can speak of it best which would tel the truth shal not be heard nor they wil not examine them and yet they wil bee so impudent Lyers that they wil say wee haue inquired diligently but wee cannot finde it so as they report it they may wel make excuses before men to appeare honest but that wil serue them but for more condemnation before God who knoweth al and can wel at time conuenient render ech one his hyre Therefore let no man make himselfe blind nor deafe but let euery one according to his power deliuer his neighbor from the violence and oppression which is doone to him let vs not seeke to finde excuses when we haue not doone our dueties as wee ought for it is not good that wee should striue to deceaue God with our falshood no although it coulde bee yet we shoulde not wil it Solomon telleth vs that we should not make excuses when he saith If thou say behold we knewe not of it This is as though hee saide thou shalt not say wee haue not knowne this same And by by hee sheweth vs by three reasons that wee ought not to vse suche excuse that it wil serue vs to no purpose And to
doe runne away from vs as doeth water yet shal wee not remoue For they that trust in the Lord are as mount Sion which cānot Psal 125. 1. be remoued but standeth fast for euer Contrarily if forsaking our God we put our trust in men we shal be frustrate and voide of our hope and shal be accursed Albeit then that God hath created set vs in this worlde for to serue one another yet for to haue a sure Iere. 17. 5. Psal 129. 1. helpe we should looke to the Lord as Dauid teacheth vs. 20 The graue and destruction can neuer be ful so the eyes of man can neuer be satisfied At the beginning man was created after the ymage of God after the which he was exempted from death and destruction into the Gene. 1. 27. 2. Pet. 2. 4. Iude. 6. which the Angels fel to wit those that sinned Now the Deuil seeing himself thus depriued of glorie and felicitie and to bee damned for euer did enuie the glory blessed estate wherin mā was placed therfore from the beginning he hath made his batteries that he might throw man headlōg into the same damnatiō Now man hath Gene. 3. not resisted the assaultes of the Deuil but hath easily yelded vnto him by his rebellion disobediēce hath put out this ymage introducing sinne into the world and by sinne death And as the Deuill Rom. 5. 12. Iohn 8. 44. 1. Peter 5. 8. Ephe. 6. 10. Mat. 12. 43. Iohn 8. 44. from the beginning hath beene a lyer and murtherer euen so doeth hee not cease to pursue his worke S. Paule doeth wel signifie the same And thus the Deuil is neuer filled nor satisfied with the damnation of mankinde as also Iesus Christ our Lorde doeth signifie it wel And forasmuch as by the continual enuie of the Deuill and by the sinne of man who hath consented to the Deuil al humaine creatures tende to death and goe to the graue and that in mans iudgement and outwarde experience the sepulcher or graue corrupteth and bringeth al the body which it receiueth to nothing and neuer refuseth any nor neuer yeeldeth any backe againe but consumeth them without any remedie as the worldlinges and carnall men esteeme and as it is seene before our eyes and by experience in al worldes for this cause that which is proper to the Diuel is attributed vnto the graue and is called destruction that neuer can bee ful For when Solomon hauing named the graue setteth afterwards destruction this is by Repetition or expositiō For it is as if he said the graue which consumeth and swalloweth what soeuer is giuen too it is neuer wearie of receiuing corrupting al that is brought vnto it Nowe that which Solomon pronounceth in this place is seene by experience to the eye and therfore Solomon tendeth not to teache vs the nature of the graue the which is knowne but rather he wil set before vs our miserie and partly shewe vs the fruites of our sinnes which are death and destruction For if there had beene no sinne we had had no neede of graue and without sinne there had bin no temporal nor eternal death but because of sinne Iohn 11. 25. 26 we must dye and be buried Notwithstanding if we dye in the feare of the Lord being assured that he is our resurrection our life the graue shal not be our destruction but as a rest wherein our bodies doe sleepe looking for the blessed resurrection and our death is a ready passage from death to life Contrarily to the vnfaythful the graue and temporal death are their entrance vnto eternal destruction For albeit that at the last they shal rise againe yet shal it not bee to liue but to be tormented in paines euerlasting the which is a very sharpe hard death which neuer shal haue end Solomon thē Dan. 12. 2. Ioha 5. 29. doth rebuke mē for their vnsatiablenes cōparing their greedy desires vnto the graue and destruction as he doth shewe when he addeth So the eyes of man can neuer be satisfied Wherin we haue to note that hee speaketh of the man that is left in his natural corruption who suffereth himselfe to be transported by his euil concupiscences and disordinate affections For they that are regenerate and made newe creatures by the holy Ghost are satisfied and craue nothing further but onely that the good wil of God should be done and fulfilled And for to conserue this satisfying wel they fight labouring for to destroy and kil the relikes of sin which are stil in their fleshe the which because of the same relikes lusteth against the spirite And so Solomon speaketh not of the eyes of the children of God but of the euil affections of the children of Adam which also Gal. 5. 17. are the children of the Deuil And as the Deuil is not filled nor satisfied to see to pursue the decaie and destruction of men euen so his children haue neuer satisfied enough their affections but doe daily growe as we prooue it by experience in many as in the ambitious couetous vsurers Solomon calleth such affections eyes and not without cause for whatsoeuer is set before mans eye hee stil desireth to see more Euen so wee can neuer satisfie our affectiōs and chiefly when they tende to ruine and destructions wherunto they which tende thither are like vnto their father the Deuil who is neuer satisfied with the destruction of men 21 As is the fining pot for siluer and the furnace for gold so is euerie man according to his dignitie Wee haue alreadie had this same sentence sauing that in place of So doeth the Lorde trye the heartes we haue heere So is euerie Pro. 17. 3. man according to his dignitie This is not to say that man of himselfe hath any dignitie or excellencie wherby he should deserue to be so handled or thus or to haue suche and suche reputation for al men of themselues are nothing worth they are nothing but earth and durt filthinesse and corruption and are filled with malice and wickednesse and so they deserue not to be esteemed nor praysed But as the gold is more precious then the siluer not of it owne selfe for it is a dead creature and serueth to no vse except because that we trimme and dresse it for to serue vnto profite S vnto delight euen so one man shal be more woorthie and more excellent then an other because that God by his fauour esteemeth him and dresseth him for to make him serue as he shal thinke good as Saint Paul saith For who separateth thee and what hast thou that thou 1. Cor. 4. 7. hast not receiued c. And daily the more that God esteemeth and setteth by an humane creature so much the more doth he examime and trie him the more narrowly exerciseth him by great assalts as our holie auntient fathers haue alwayes tried by experience and aboue al Iesus Christ our Lorde who of
vs in his wayes So dooing we shal not walke in ouer weening and arrogancie for boldly to giue ourselues vnto al kinde of sinnes we shal not abide in ignorance for to dout of the doctrine and religion that we should holde neither shal we be destitute of consolation for to fal into dispaire nor wee shal not be left in the power of the Deuil for to be troubled in our consciences by his crueltie and tyrannie and to fal vnder his temptations Let 2. Pet. 1. 9. Amos. 8. 11. vs therefore be attentiue and giue diligent heed vnto the worde of the Prophetes and suche famine as the Iewes are threatened withal shal not fal vpon vs. 19 A slaue wil not be chastized with wordes though hee vnderstand yet he wil not answere It is a common thing in the world that men labour to do contrarie to that that is commanded them is forbidden them though they wel vnderstande it is reason to obeye And therein wee shewe ourselues of a slauishe condition though that in despising the forbiddings and resisting the commandementes wee thinke to be exempted from bondage and to liue at libertie and in freedome For being rebellious against that which is and that we know to be reasonable we serue and obey our vnbrideled lusts and wicked desires Contrarily we are in true libertie when with a free heart minde without constraint wee submit ourselues vnto that which is reasonable Whereupon it rightly foloweth that we are not at libertie of ourselues For neither we wil nor can be gouerned but after the desire of our fleshe the which is enimitie against God And thus this is verified in vs that a slaue wil not be chastized c. It were in vaine to preach vnto vs to admonishe vs to reprooue vs and to Rom. 1. 7. threaten vs except that God did set vs at libertie and make vs free by his Spirite we serue our lustes by the which with al our power we rebel against God and thinking to set ourselues at libertie wee become more the slaues of sinne Wherefore we must humble ourselues and confesse with Saint Paule that we are bondeslaues sold vnder sinne and that there is a lawe in our members fighting against the lawe of our minde And therfore we ought to weepe with him saying O wretched men that we are who shal deliuer vs from Iohn 8. Rom. 7. 14. 24. the body of this death And wee must pray with Dauid O create in mee a cleane hearte and rene we a right spirite within mee c. And in the meane while to giue our hearts vnto the word of truth and therin to perseuer and in this sort we shal not be seruants that Psal 51. 12. 13. 14. wil not answere but framing our liues vnto the worde of trueth wee shal be free by the grace of the Sonne of God Beholde howe we must learne to knowe and to chaunge our seruile state when Solomon reprooueth seruantes for that that beeing admonished of their duetie albeit that they rightly knowe that it is reason they Iohn 8. 31. should obey and not be deaffe yet esteeme nothing thereof For if seruantes that are bought for monie are to be reprehended when they yeeld not obedience to them that haue bought them or possesse them by succession and that for the doing of their dutie they ought to be subiect in al things vnto their maisters as Saint Paul Ephe. 6. 5. Col. 3. 22. 2. Tim. 6. 1. Tit. 2. 9. 1. Pet. 2. 18. 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. 1. Cor. 6. 29. 30. 7. 23. Luke 12. 47. doeth admonish them by a stronger reason then we are rightly to be condemned if we be not obedient vnto our God who hath redeemed vs with a most precious raunsome For this cause Saint Paul doeth admonish vs that we should confesse such a benefite Let vs take heede to make as though we heard not such admonitions the which are so cleare and plaine that we can not excuse vs not to haue heard them Otherwise after that God by wordes shal haue opened vnto vs his wil hee wil punish vs for our disobedience And albeit that Solomon speaketh here of those that were of seruile condition because they were gotten bought with monie or taken in warre notwithstanding we may stretch this sentence vnto hirelings who during the time that they gaine the monie of an other are slaues but the greatest number of them for al the things that are shewed them and admonitions that are giuen them yet do they not passe to doe their dutie Some of them desire nothing but to passe away the time in idlenesse other somelabour to deceiue and to steale and so albeit that they wel vnderstand and heare yet wil they not answere They know wel enough that whatsoeuer is demanded of them is reasonable as they wel shew when before their maisters they wil appeare good seruantes and in their absence doe the worst they they can But if they be not beaten of their maisters as were the poore slaues yet shal they not escape the whippe of GOD as dailie is seene 20 Seest thou a man hastie in his matters there is more hope of a foole then of him As we haue seene heretofore in diuers places that fooles are obstinate past correction and for this cause they are rebuked and dispised threatned and condemned as people in whom there is looked no amendment and of whome we vtterly dispaire And therefore when Solomon saith That there is more hope of a foole then of him that is hastie in his matters or in his wordes let vs not vnderstand that wee must hope for any thing of a foole but that the hastie man in his matters is not onely a foole but worse thā a foole and if it bee a harde matter to bring a foole to goodnesse it is a thing much more harde to be done with him that is hastie in his matters And thus albeit that Solomon setteth the hastie man against the foole yet let vs not thinke that Solomon goeth about to blame the diligence that a man giueth to folowe his vocation whome hee hath praysed and commended before by rebuking of the slouthfull For also there is great difference betweene the diligent and hastie man the diligent doeth carefully looke to what he hath to doe and laboureth not to loose the time but to spende the same in woorkes that may profite him and bring no domage vnto his neighbours hee is not enuious towardes his neighbours for to hinder them from their profite but wil rather helpe them and bee glad of their prosperitie A hastie man is without care he is feruently minded hee is earnest about his matters without considering what shal be the ende hee careth not though hee troubleth his neighbours hee proceedeth ignorantly and suffers himselfe to be caried with a loose bridle after his vnbrideled lustes hee casteth God at his backe hee maketh no count of his word and reiecteth his