vievv streight before thee 26 Ponder the path of thy foore and let all thy vvayes be ordered aright 27 Turne not to the right hand or the left remoue thy foote from euill In this cōclusion of the Chapter we haue the last instruction of Dauid set downe The summe of it is that his sonne should keep all the parts of his body powers of his soule in the obedience of Gods commaundements Ephes 5.15 Let thine eyes looke directly on afore c. Walke circumspectly not as the vnwise but as the wise redeeming the time For to take heede to the way to looke on strait before and not to turne aside hither or thither are properties of a wise traueller Now what a daungerous thing it is to looke awry neuer so litle the example of Lots wife may testifie Iob cōsidering this point verie deepely made as he witnesseth a couenant with his eyes not to looke on a mayd The roote of these preceptes is to be found in the fift of Deutronomie and the thirtie and eight verse where the Lord speaketh thus to the people of Israell You shall take heede that you doe as the Lord your God commaundeth you see that ye decline not either to the right hand or the left THE V. CHAPTER 1 My sonne hearken vnto my vvisedome bow dovvne thine eare to mine vnderstanding 2 That thou mayst regarde counsell and thy lips preserue knovvledge SAlomon in this Chapter beginneth a new Oratiō wherof this is the Preface My sonne harken vnto my wisedome stirre vp the affections of thy minde applie the powers of thy soule vnto my sage doctrine Bowe downe thine eare to mine vnderstanding applie also the senses of thy body and listen with thine eare as they vse to do who are desirous to heare anie speech which they thinke to concerne them That thou mayst regard coūsell To the end that by this means thou mayst be endued with spirituall pollicie and thy lips preserue knowledge to the end also that thou mayst haue the word of God in thy month as a buckler to repell all the firie darts of Sathan and namely the allurements of the harlot as Ioseph did the entisemēts of his mistresse 3 Albeit the lips of a strange woman drop as an honie combe and the roofe of her mouth is softer then oyle 4 Yet her later end is bitter as wormwood and sharpe as a two edged sword 5 Her feet go downe to death her steps go downe to the graue 6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the way of life her pathes wander thou knowest not whither In these verses Salomon describeth an harlot painting her out most liuely in her colours to the ende that his sonne may grow into the greater detestation of her Albeit the lips of a straunge woman drop as the hony combe the roofe of her mouth is softer then oyle Although the naughtie womans wordes flow from her without pressing and are sweet to flesh and blood inasmuch as they tickle the senses with promise of ioyes and pleasures although also they are without any roughnesse yea they are verie plausible foopling the vains and sinewes with flatteries and smooth shewes yet her latter end is bitter as wormewood sparpe as a two edged sword Neuerthelesse for all this her effects are most grieuous and deadly being sorow of heart shame destruction and damnation Her feete go downe to death her steps go downe to the graue As she her selfe is neare to a plague so she leadeth her louers vnto miserie punishment both of bodie and soule Lest thou shouldest ponder the way of life her pathes wander thou knowest not whither To conclude vnto the end that thou mayest not find or discerne the way of holinesse and righteousnesse wherein thou art to walke her speeches gestures and dealings are so craftie and crooked as that like by-pathes full of turnings they will leade thee hither and thither cause thee to stray in such sort as that thou art sure to misse the kingdome of God for no vncleane person shall inherit the kingdome of heauē as the Apostle witnesseth Heb. 13.14 but on the contrary side fornicators and adulterers the Lord God will iudge 7 Now therefore ô sonnes hearken vnto me and depart not from the wordes of my mouth 8 Put thy way far off from her and draw not neare to the doore of her house 9 Lest thou giue thine honor vnto other and thy yeares to the cruell 10 Lest strangers be filled with thy riches and thy labours be in another mans house 11 And thou mourne at the last after that thy flesh and thy bodie haue bene consumed 12 And say how haue I hated instruction and my soule despised correction 13 And haue not hearkened to the voyce of my teachers and not enclined mine eare to mine instructors 14 * So the Hebrew word here vsed is taken Psal 81.15 cahal a counsell gneda a multitude howsoeuer assembled Within a litle space I am in all euill in the middest of the congregation and assembly In these verses the spirituall father partly admonisheth his sonne to vse all meanes whereby he may be preserued from adulterie partly alledgeth sundry reasons to this intent and purpose One meanes of auoiding the allurements of the strumpet is listening to good counsell or the word of God contained in these words Now therefore ô sonnes hearken vnto me Another is flying of the place where she keepeth Put thy way farre off from her and draw not neare to the doore of her house For in deed as it is in our common prouerbe he that would no euill do must do no thing which longs thereto Men will shunne the doore of an house infected with the pestilence much more then is the habitation of the harlot to be auoyded who is infinitely more contagious and dangerous then anie plague The first reason set downe by the holy Ghost to disswade men from passing by the way where the adulteresse keepeth is lest thou giue thine honor to other lest thou loose by this meanes thy beautie strength and good name The second reason is lest thou giue thy yeares to the cruell lest thou by this meanes incurring the fierce wrath of the naughtie womans husband or kinsfolke or friends be cut off by their crueltie as Shechem was by Shimeon and Leui before the naturall course of thy life be expired The third cause is lest strangers be filled with thy riches and thy labors be in another mans house Lest also like the prodigall sonne thou spend thy goods vpon harlots bauds ruffians and ill companions yea euen that thy substance which thou hast got by labour and earned dearely with the sweat of thy brows The last argumēt is lest thou mourn at the last finally lest when it is too late thou howle and crie as the beasts which are drawne or stricken to be slaine or as desperat men are wont to do after that thy flesh and bodie haue bene consumed when as now thy vitall spirits haue
doctrine Paule teacheth the Corinthians when he saith whether any aske the question concerning Titus be is my fellow and fellow helper vnto you whether of the brethren they are the messengers of the Churches the glorie of Christ Therefore shew the declaration of your loue and of our boasting of you in the sight of the Churches Thus much concerning the title Now as concerning the instructions we are therin also to obserue foure points wherof the first is that the author thereof did not know holy things by the light of nature the second that this is true knowledge to know God the father and his sonne Christ the third that the word of God being the meanes of this heauenly knowledge is most pure the last that this word is to be beleeued and sincerely obeyed When as Agur saith I haue bene brutish since I haue bene a man and there is not the vnderstanding of a man in me he plainly confesseth and openly proclaimeth that of him selfe he is voyde of sauing knowledge For he which speaketh after this sort of him selfe declareth that he wanteth his reason and common sense in spirituall things And certainlie as Ieremie speaking more generally witnesseth Euery man naturally is more brutish Ierem. 10. then that he can perceiue for the naturall man perceiueth not the things which belong to God yea the oxe knoweth his owner Esay 1. and the asse his crib but I sraell hath no knowledge and the people of God no vnderstanding Were it possible that Idolaters should be so blockish as they are to kneele down to a peece of wood or of stone vnles they were by nature brutish As concerning the second point the question is demaunded what his name is who ascended vpinto heauen and descended c. and what is his sonnes name The answere vnto the former question is that it is not any mā or creature but the true God onely wise onely mercifull and onely iust who onely doth these actions as may appeare in that they are attributed vnto him Amos. 9. Psal 104 Esay 40. Iob. 38. For first he by his effectes ascended and descended Gen. 2.1 perfecting both heauen and earth and all their hosts at the beginning of the world neither doth he still cease working in these places Iohn 3. Ephe. 4. Indeede our Sauiour after a speciall manner ascended into heauen and descended but here those workes are meant and mentioned which the father worketh in common with him as the mouing of the sunne and the starres Amos. 9. and as Amos speaketh the building of his vpper chambers in heauen the founding of his armies vpon the earth Againe God holdeth the winds in his fist There are no members of a body in the Lord but these things by a borrowed speech are ascribed to him to shew that there is some what like in regard of his effectes Euen as then he which holdeth any thing in his fist hath full power ouer it to dispose thereof so God disposeth the winds and ruleth ouer the element of the aire Therefore Dauid saith Psal 135. that the Lord maketh the lightning and raine and bringeth the wind out of his treasures Furthermore the Lord bindeth the waters in his cloke for as men vse to wrap vp things which they will carrie and to tye vp loose trinkers in cloths and clouts so the Lord incloseth the waters and compasseth them about with his decree with the bankes of the earth Iob. 38. with the clouds which in this respect Iob calleth the Lords bottels The waters at the beginning were gathered by the Lord into one place and now the sea is wrapped as it were in swaddling bands as Iob speaketh To conclude the Lord establisheth the boundes of the earth euen as a cunning builder of an house For at the beginning he said let the drie land appeare and now he so preserueth the earth by the word of his power that it remaineth still firme and vnmoueable But the name of this true God cā not be knowen aright vnlesse also we know his sonnes name and therfore the question is demaunded what is his sonnes name if thou canst tell The answere hereunto is that his name is wonderfull counseller the Prince of peace God manifested in the flesh and iustified in the spirit coëternall coëquall coëssentiall with the father he also who ascended and descended Now then let vs know the sonne of God and we shall know the true God For he is the angell in whō Gods name is written he is the grauen image of his glorie Therfore our Sauiour saith to his Apostles If ye had knowē me Iohn 14. ye had also knowē my father Now thē the summe of this diuine doctrine is that which Iohn setteth down this is eternall life to know thee to be the only true God and whō thou hast sent Iesus Christ But as touching the word of God which sheweth these misteries it is said that the whole word of God is most perfectly purified Albeit none by nature can perceiue the forenamed mysteries yet by the word of God they may be vnderstood in some sort in some cōfortable measure Therefore Paul saith to the Romanes Say not in thine heart who shall go vp into heauen for the word is neare in thy mouth and in thine heart And euery part of this word is pure both the preceptes and the promises the stories and prophesies finally the law the Gospell Nay it hath bene purified as the siluer in the fining pot most perfectly For what iotte or title of Gods word euer fell to the ground What did God euer say which came not to passe Yea Abraham found it true euen when he was about to slaie Isaac the Israelites tried the truth of it in the firie furnace of Aegipt Dauid had perished in his afflictions but for it Philosophie is vaine mens words are full of deceit flesh and blood is fantasticall but the word neuer seduceth neuer faileth any that laie hold on it God therefore the authour of this word is to be beleeued who as is added is a buckler to those who betake themselues vnto him God therefore giueth vs his word that faith thereby being wrought in vs we should flie to him for helpe which doing we shall be preserued from dangers from euill men yea from sinne and Satan by his mightie power for the Lord is not onely a light as Dauid speaketh that is a giuer of good things but a buckler that is a preseruer of vs from euill Sorrow sticketh in vs trouble is on vs temptations cease not to assault vs. Satan preuaileth against vs because we flie not to the name of God as wee ought But the word of God must also sincerely be obeyed Adde not to his words that he do not reproue thee and thou become a lier To search out with modestie or to deliuer truly the sense of the scripture is not to adde thereunto but to consent vnto it But they are said to
adde to the word who infect the puritie thereof or say or do any thing contrary thereunto Such adders vnto the word were in old time the Scribes Pharisies who taught for doctrines the traditions of men Saul also when he spared Agag added his owne carnall reason to the commandement of God Agur disswadeth from adding to the word of God by a reason taken from the punishment which the Lord vseth to bring on those who this way offend The Lord threatneth in the Reuelation that he will adde vnto such the punishments written in that booke For this sinne Nadab and Abihu were consumed with fire from heauen and Vzzah perished most fearefully Last of all the greatnesse of this sinne is shewed to the end it may be auoyded Lest thou be found a liar To belie men were a great offence how much more then to be found a false witnesse concerning God It is treason to falsifie and corrupt the Princes coine and image what high treason must it needs be then to counterfeit or corrupt the pure word of God Let vs learne here to be content with the simplicitie of the word in all things not adding our owne inuentions or customes nor pursuing togither with it our profits and pleasures 7 Two things I request of thee forbid them not from me * whilest yet I die not so long as I liue 8 Remoue farre from me vanitie and * A word of lying lying giue me not pouertie nor riches feede me with the food of mine allowance 9. Lest being filled I lie and say who is the Lord Or lest becomming poore I steale to conclude * Laeie hold on I abuse the name of my God 10 * Offend not with thy tongue Accuse not a seruant vnto his maister lest he curse thee and thou be * Or arraigned blamed These verses containe a praier which Agur made and an admonition which he gaue In the praier we are to obserue the preface which he vseth to the lord before it and the matter of it The preface is this Two things I request of thee forbid them not from me whilst I liue There is no doubt but that Agur desired euen a thousand things at Gods hands for he stood in need of so many necessaries yea and of infinit more as also we all do But he begged two things principally particularly as most needfull for him in regard of glorifying God and his owne good Let vs learne by his example to looke before we come to pray what we stand in need off especially and to consider what sutes we will put vp to the Lord. Now as concerning the time wherein he desireth to enioy the things for which he praieth it is so long as he should liue not for a day or moneth or yeare onely Hee doth then craue as it were not a lease but a fee simple of the Lords benefits So doth Dauid when he saith Psal 27. One thing haue I intreated of Iehouah that I will request euen that I may remaine in the house of I ehouah all the daies of my life The matter of the praier consisteth of certain sutes and of certaine reasons of those sutes The sutes are of two sorts as first for the graces desired secondly for the meanes whereby those graces may be attained One of the graces is Remoue farre from me vanitie that is to say let not pride vnthankfulnesse worldlinesse or idolatrie or such like vanities of this world take hold on me at anie time The prophet in the psalme affirmeth this to be one of the properties of a citizen of heauen Psal 24. That he lifteth not vp his soule vnto vanitie Certainly it is a verie hard thing not to trust in riches or not to delight in this world aboue measure and therfore we are no lesse earnestly then Agur did to sue for this holy grace The other grace by him requested is That a false matter or a lying speech may be remoued from him that is to say all vnfaithfull dealing craft forgerie cousenage periurie hipocrisie The prophet in the psalme in like sort ioyneth both these togither when he saith How long will ye loue vanitie Psal 4. and seeke after leasing This is a special and a rare grace as may appeare in that all estates of people in all places almost are giuen to dissimulation Ephe. 4. The Apostle willeth vs to put away lying but before we can so do we must pray that the Lord would remoue it farre from vs. Now as concerning the meanes of attaining to these two graces Agur in the former place requesteth that he may not haue too litle saying Giue me not pouertie that is to say suffer me not throughout my life to be in extreme want as not to haue food and raiment or the necessaries of this life It may be thought by some that this desire to auoyd extreme penurie in Agur was not lawfull For was not Lazarus exceedingly poore and yet the seruant of God and not driuen by his want to vnfaithfull dealing Again was not Paul needie oftentimes and yet walked vprightly because he knew how to want and how to abound Rather as it may seeme Agur was to pray for that gift which Paul had then that he should not be so extremely poore But in as much as Agur doth not abhorre pouertie simply or otherwise then for the danger of sinning which it bringeth men often vnto and might cast him into and for the obtaining of truth and plaine dealing his heart being rightly disposed the praier which he maketh to this entent is holie and was acceptable no doubt vnto God In this sort to the ende we may glorifie God the better we may pray against sicknesse and aduersaries wants including alwaies this condition as he did to wit if God saw it good for him and to this effect that we be neuer tried aboue that which we shall be able to beare In the next place Agur praieth and saith Giue me not viches feed me with the food of mine allowance A seruant of God as appeareth in Abraham Dauid and Ioseph of Arimathea may haue riches and yet performe his dutie Agur thē simply praieth not against wealth or altogither condemneth riches but he requesteth that he may haue the food of his allowance that is the daily portion which God hath cut out for him in his decree to the supplying of his wants Lue. 11. and the furthering of him in his seruice be it neuer so meane rather then such abundance as would be an hinderance of him in holinesse or an inducement to commit euill Thus to pray against abundance is as lawfull as when we come to a table well furnished to beseech the Lord that we may take so much of the food set before vs as may strengthen our bodie and make our soules more fit to his seruice and not cramme in more then wil do vs good or so much as will oppresse our hearts As concerning the reasons