known by his doings whether his work be pure and whether it be right 11. It is not hard to give a shrewd conjecture what a child is like to prove when he is a man For not onely youths but little children make early discoveries by their behaviour by their contrivances by their dealings one with another nay by their very sports and past-times and such things wherein they delight whether their future life will probably be modest and honest free that is from lasciviousness impurity and such-like vices and void also of fraud and guile and malignity of spirit See Arg. f 12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye the LORD hath made even both of them 12. As the Lord is to be acknowledged the fountain of all good particularly of those excellent and usefull senses whereby the knowledge of all things is conveyed to us So the towardly disposition which we observe to be in any child to lissen to instruction and a clear understanding to discern with a sound judgment to resolve aright are likewise above all things to be peculiarly ascribed to the divine Grace See Arg. g 13. Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread 13. But our Industry must be joined with God's blessing in the faithfull improvement of those faculties or good inclinations He hath given us And therefore let not idleness make thee indulge thy self in too much sleep which is the way to beggery but get up betime and apply thy self with attentive care to some honest labour and then thy desire of all things necessary shall not want satisfaction 14. It is nought it is nought saith the buyer but when he is gone his way then he boasteth 14. The buyer sometimes is as unjust and deceitfull as the seller v. 10. for when he cheapens a commodity he disparages it to such a degree as if he thought it nothing worth but having purchased it upon his own terms he goes away and brags how subtil he was and laughs at the simplicity of him that sold it at so vile a rate See Arg. h 15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel 15. Some think themselves rich and powerfull and happy because they have treasures of Gold or perhaps heaps of Pearls or other precious Stones but among all the Jewels or ornaments or furniture that are most esteemed there is none comparable unto true Wisedom especially joined with Eloquence which can doe more than them all See Arg. i 16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger and take a pledge of him for a strange woman 16. It is rank folly to trust him who is so rash as to be bound for one whose ability and fidelity is utterly unknown to him especially for a woman whose loose way of life makes her credit justly suspected therefore have nothing to doe with such an inconsiderate person without the utmost security that he can give thee for the payment of what he owes thee 17. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel 17. Do not satisfie thy appetite of wealth by fraud lying or bribery nor thy desires of pleasure by adultery or fornication For though this may be sweet for the present it is but like the pleasure of greety bread which may relish well to an hungry man when it is first tasted but being chawed hurts the pallate cuts the gums or breaks the teeth with the sharp and rough gravel that is in it See Arg. k 18. Every purpose is established by counsel and with good advice make war 18. Rashness spoils the best designs which must be carried on prudently and with good advice if we would have them prove successfull and above all other war-like expeditions are not to be undertaken without great deliberation nor can be well managed without exact conduct and subtil contrivance unto which the Victory is commonly more to be ascribed than unto force 19. He that goeth about as a tale-hearer revealeth secrets therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips 19. He whose trade it is to ingratiate himself by defaming others will not stick most treacherously to discover the secrets wherewith they have intrusted him XI 13. Therefore suspect a fawning fellow and have no familiarity with him for his drift is to intice thee to talk what he intends to carry about to others 20. Whoso curseth his father or his mother his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness 20. He that not onely slights and despises but reproaches and wishes mischief to his Father or Mother shall bring the heaviest punishments on himself and on his posterity who the happier they were before shall be the more miserable by falling from a flourishing into the most dismal condition 21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed 21. Make not too much haste to be rich for though with a great deal of bustle and stir an estate may in a short time be heaped up yet the foundation of it being laid in rapine extortion or fraud it moulders away many times as suddenly as it was gotten and it is certain will not prosper unto many generations 22. Say not thou I will recompence evil but wait on the LORD and he shall save thee 22. Be patient and do not so much as resolve to take revenge for any injury thou hast received of which thou art not the proper Judge nor like to doe exact justice in it but leave thy cause to the Lord and expect his righteous sentence believing stedfastly He will not onely doe thee right but defend thee from farther injuries which thou fanciest perhaps thou shalt invite by thy forgiving those that are past 23. Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD and a false ballance is not good 23. To buy by one weight and to sell by another is extremely odious not onely to all honest men but much more to the Lord which was said before v. 10. but is a sin so heinous and yet so commonly practised that this is fit to be repeated again that it is a most wicked thing to cheat another though it be but in a little matter v. XI 1. 24. Mans goings are of the LORD how can a man then understand his own way 24. There is no man great or small that can take one step towards any thing he designs without the permission and direction also of the Lord who over-rules their motions unto ends so far distant from mens thoughts that it is impossible for them to know what the event shall be of any thing they undertake 25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make enquiry 25. There are two pieces of prophaneness which intangle him that is guilty of them in great troubles nay bring ruin upon him First when he makes no distinction
and make peace is an incomparable blessing to the place where he lives and makes it a paradise But he that abuses his tongue to poison men with ill principles to lie to calumniate to make bates doth most miserably disturb mankind and like a biting wind blasts all the comforts of their life 5. A fool despiseth his fathers instruction but he that regardeth reproof is prudent 5. He that regards not or rejects the instruction of his Father or Tutour or other Superiour whose love is equal to his authority will always be a fool But he that is willing to receive even rebukes from whomsoever they come and carefully observe them hath already attained a great degree of wisedom and prudently consults his own welfare and happiness 6. In the house of the righteous is much treasure but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble 6. A truly just and mercifull man is very rich whether he hath little or much because he is well contented and what he hath is likely to continue in his family But there is much disquiet and trouble in the greatest revenues of the wicked which can neither stay long with him nor give him satisfaction while he enjoys them 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so 7. Wise and good men are neither envious nor sparing of their pains to disperse their knowledge which they freely communicate and diligently propagate unto others but evil men are such fools that either they have nothing to impart or no heart to doe any good with what they have 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD but the prayer of the upright is his delight 8. It is impious to think to please God with mere gifts and sacrifices which when they are presented from wicked men who have no thought of amending their lives are abominable to the Divine Majesty but the very prayers of upright men though they are not able to bring Him any costly offerings are exceeding acceptable and prevail for great blessings from Him See Arg. b 9. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness 9. For the whole way of a wicked man his designs contrivances and course of life are all odious and abominable to the Lord which make even his sacrifices no better but He loves him whose thoughts affections and indeavours are earnestly bent to an unwearied pursuit of piety and vertue 10. Correction is grievous to him that forsaketh the way and he that hateth reproof shall die 10. Sharp and grievous punishments shall be inflicted on him that forsakes the vertuous path in which he began to tread for he is not easily reclaimed because it is unpleasing to him to hear of his faults and in time he hates reproof and then must certainly perish 11. Hell and destruction are before the LORD how much more then the hearts of the children of men 11. The Lord is perfectly acquainted with things most hidden and secret to us with the grave the infernal places and things perished and quite consumed how much more therefore with the souls of all men living upon earth if they have but so much as an intention or inclination to depart from Him 12. A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him neither will he go unto the wise 12. A prophane man who makes a mock of God and of Religion loves not to argue with himself about such matters and hates those that reprove him which makes him avoid the acquaintance and society of wise and vertuous men for fear he should meet with their reprehension 13. A merry heart maketh a cheerfull countenance but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken 13. When the mind of a man is inwardly satisfied and full of joy it doth good to his body too as appears in his cheerfull countenance But when grief and sorrow seises on the heart it dejects infeebles and breaks the most couragious spirit 14. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness 14. An intelligent man who is heartily in love with wisedom greedily seeks for solid knowledge but men void of understanding gape after and relish nothing but frivolous vain and unprofitable things which are like meat and drink unto them 15. All the days of the afflicted are evil but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast 15. All the days of a poor man are full of anxiety and trouble especially if when any affliction befalls him he be discontented with his condition and cannot bear with disappointments but a good heart and cheerfull spirit is a cure for this especially a mind conscious to it self of designing well whatsoever the success prove is a perpetual comfort and a higher satisfaction than the most delicious banquet of the rich and prosperous See Arg. c 16. Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith 16. A small estate with a fear of offending the Divine Majesty by discontent or any other sin is much better than vast Treasures with disquiet and confusion of thoughts which without a religious sense of God are wont to attend upon abundance of wealth 17. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith 17. The meanest fare with the love of him that invites and with agreement among the guests is much better than the most sumptuous entertainment of him that hates us or among those that quarrel and contend even then when all differences should be forgotten See Arg. e 18. A wrathfull man stirreth up strife but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife 18. A man prone to wrath will easily disturb the most peaceable company being apt to quarrel for very trifles but a meek and patient person is so far from raising strife that he will indeavour to compose it when he finds it is begun by others 19. The way of the slothfull man is as an hedge of thorns but the way of the righteous is made plain 19. A slothfull man when he hath any thing to doe feigns to himself most grievous difficulties which he fancies or pretends are impossible to be overcome but those very things seem easie to the industry of honest hearted men who go on smoothly in their business and conquer all impediments See Arg. d 20. Awise son maketh a glad father but a foolish man despiseth his mother 20. A pious Son as hath been said before X. 1. and cannot be repeated too often is a great joy to his Parents especially to his Father who hopes he will support his Name and Family but a wicked man is as great a grief unto them especially to his Mother whose indulgence perhaps makes him more irreverend towards her when he bears no regard to her nay despises her commands and admonitions and makes her contemptible unto others 21. Folly is joy to him
as concerns our selves onely they are by all means to be born withall but when they impose a necessity upon us to behave our selves just as they would have us towards other men it is a very hard and unreasonable condition of Friendship Wherefore it highly concerns us as Solomon here admonishes for the preserving of the peace and safety of our life that we intermingle not our matters with men of a cholerick nature and such as easily provoke or undertake Quarrels and Debates For such kind of Friends will perpetually engage us in contentions and factions so that we shall be constrained either to break off Friendship or to be wanting to our own personal safety i In the two next verses v. 26 27. he seems to warn men against such Friendships as will engage them to be bound for the debts of others There are several Admonitions before against being surety for a stranger VI. 1. XI 15. and in one place XVII 18. he seems to caution against rash engagements though for a neighbour or friend but especially he here adds when a man is conscious to himself that he hath no estate and doth but deceive him to whom he stands bound for another man's debt And so by pretending to be more able than he is deprives himself of the benefit of that Law mentioned XXII Exod. 26 27. and repeated XXIV Deut. 6. k What is said in the 28 verse against the removing of the Boundaries whereby one man's possessions are distinguished from anothers and that by ancient consent is applied by all sorts of Writers as a caution against innovations And it is a great mistake to imagine that onely Popish Authours make that use of it for the best of the Protestants have thought fit to accommodate it to the same purpose And among the rest Melancthon hath very judiciously explained it in this manner This Precept is not obscure if it be cited allegorically for not changing the Laws which Antiquity by Grave Authority hath delivered unless there be an evident necessity For this is often repeated among the precepts of political life not rashly to change the ancient Laws And here he quotes a long passage out of Demosthenes against Timocrates concerning the people of Locri who ordained that he who proposed a new Law to them should doe it with an halter about his neck c. And if there were such severity now saith Melancthon we should not have so many new Dogmatists and Lycurgus's about Wax-candles and Bells and such-like things of whose change as there is no necessity at all so it would bring no utility And wise men require us to pardon and indulge some small inconveniences to custom lest by motion as it is in sick bodies the Commonwealth should suffer a greater evil It is necessary indeed here to add this caution when any Doctrine is impious and the Law establishes impious opinions and Idols then we ought to prefer Rules before them and to obey God rather than man But when such amendment is necessary the boundaries and limits of our Fathers are not taken away but restored because we onely return to the Doctrine delivered by God to our first Father according to that of Tertullian Primum quodque verissimum est All our care therefore herein is to enquire diligently what is the true Antiquity for that is a great confirmation of our Faith when we understand the true state of the Church in all Ages to follow the testimony of those who retain the Foundation l In the last verse Solomon doth not merely commend Industry and Diligence as some understand it taking this to be the same with the Greek Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but something more which the Hebrew word Mahir plainly imports viz. speed swiftness readiness and cheerfulness in the dispatch of business To which is required a quickness of apprehension in discerning the fittest means and a dexterity in the application of them so that the business is not onely done but done speedily and without much noise and bustle On such a person if he can be found Solomon here makes this remark that he is likely to come to great preferment For there are no qualities as is observed by the Lord Bacon B. VIII Ch. II. Parab XIX which Princes more respect and require in the choice of a Minister or Servant than celerity and alacrity in the dispatch of business which is above all the rest as he shows by this induction Men of profound Wisedom are many times suspected by Kings as too prying and able by the strength of their wit as with an Engine to turn and wind about their Masters insensibly whether they will or no. Then popular persons are hated as those that stand in the light of Kings and draw the eyes of the people too much unto themselves Men of courage are commonly taken for turbulent spirits and more daring than is meet Honest men who are valuable for their integrity are thought too stiff not so pliable as their Masters desire to their will and pleasure in every thing To conclude saith he there is not any other good quality which presents not some shaddow wherewith the mind of Kings may be offended onely quickness of dispatch in the execution of commands hath nothing in it that doth not please The motions also of the minds of Kings are swift and not very patient of delays For they imagine they can doe any thing this onely being wanting that it be done out of hand Vpon which account above all other qualities celerity is to them most acceptable 1. A Good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favour rather than silver and gold 1. RIches are not so great a good as men imagine for a wise man will prefer the fame of using them well or any other vertue much before them and chuse much rather to be esteemed and beloved of good men than to be possessed of abundance of silver and gold See Arg. a 2. The rich and poor meet together the LORD is the maker of them all 2. The World doth not consist all of rich nor all of poor but they are mixed together and have need one of another and will agree well enough and not clash one against another if they both consider that there is one Lord who is the Creatour of both and hath by his Providence ordered this inequality for their mutual good See Arg. a 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the sâ—…ple pass on and 〈◊〉 punished 3. He whose long experience and observation of things hath made him cautious and circumspect foresees a calamity before it come and withdraws himself from the danger into a place of safety but an incautious and credulous person is easily abused by crafty men to overlook the mischief which even they intend against him and so he goes on securely in his accustomed track till it overtake him 4. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honour and
of a Serpent or the stinging of a Basilisk See Arg. i 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women and thine heart shall utter perverse things 33. Thy thoughts will not onely grow confused and all things appear to thee otherways than they are but lustfull nay adulterous desires will be stirred up which thou canst not rule and thy mouth being without a bridle will break forth into unseemly nay filthy scurrilous or perhaps blasphemous language without respect to God or man 34. Yea thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast 34. And which is worst of all thou wilt grow so perfectly sensless that thy most important business will not onely lie neglected but thou wilt sottishly run thy self into the extremest hazards without any apprehension of danger being no more able to direct thy course than a Pilot who snorts when a Ship is tossed in the midst of the Sea or to take notice of the peril thou art in than he that falls asleep on the top of the Mast where he was set to keep the watch 35. They have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will seek it yet again 35. And to compleat thy misery shouldst thou be not onely mockt and abused but beaten also thou thy self wilt confess afterward that it made no impression on thee nay shouldst thou be most lamentably battered and bruised thou wilt neither know who did it nor at all regard it but as if no harm had befal'n thee no sooner open thy eyes but stupidly seek an occasion to be drunk and beaten again CHAP. XXIV ARGUMENT a The proneness of good men especially while they are weak and onely in the beginnings of Goodness to be dejected at the prosperity of the ungodly and so to be tempted to imitate them is the reason that the admonition we meet withall in the first verse is so often repeated Which we find before III. 31. XXIII 17. and comes again v. 18. of this Chapter b And in like manner for the incouragement of well-disposed persons to depend on God's blessing in the exercise of a vertuous prudence for the getting increasing and preserving of an estate v. 3 4 5. he repeats another observation v. 6 7. of the advantage which Wisedom hath over mere strength which we had several times before XI 14. XV. 22. XX. 18. c And then having shown that it is not Wisedom to invent new ways of doing hurt v. 8 9 he advises to diligence in the acquiring of true Wisedom while we are in a good condition For else we shall not be able to support our selves when Adversity comes So some understand v. 10. which we translate otherways and so do most Interpreters and therefore I have expressed the sense of our translation first and onely annexed the other to it There is a third which I have taken no notice of in my Paraphrase because it doth not seem to me to be genuine which is this If adversity deject thee and break thy spirit thou wilt be so much the more unable to get out of it But it is an excellent observation and therefore I thought good here to mention it though the simplest sense seems to be that which we follow and in brief is this Thou art not a man of courage if thou canst not bear adversity with an equal mind d And there is a courage to be exercised in our charitable succouring of others as well as in our own distresses which he commends in the following words v. 11 12. Where he presses with a great deal of warmth as will appear to those that understand the Hebrew language and reade the last words with an interrogation the necessity of giving our assistance for the rescuing of innocent persons when their lives are in danger either by counselling them or petitioning others on their behalf or purchasing their release with money or using our authority or power if we have any and can do it lawfully for their deliverance For this chiefly belongs to Magistrates and those that are in publick Office who ought not to be over-awed by great men from undertaking the protection and relief of those who are unjustly oppressed This I think Melancthon hath expressed as well or better than any I have met withall in this manner God commands both the Magistrate and private men not to murther the innocent and likewise not to assist unjust cruelty But quite contrary the Magistrate ought to be the Guardian of innocent mens lives and private persons in their places ought to oppose without sedition unjust severity as much as they are able There are many examples of this in the Scripture Jonathan opposed his Father and helpt to preserve David not onely by the good testimony he gave of him but by other good offices Obadiah fed the Prophets whom Jezabel designed to have killed The Eunuch pulled up Jeremiah out of the dungeon and the Egyptian Midwifes saved the Israelites children as Rahab afterward did the spies In the time of Dioclesian a noble person in the city of Nicomedia in Bithynia publickly tore down the Edict of the Emperour for putting Christians to death that he might show he detested that unjust cruelty Examples to the contrary are such as that of Doeg who in compliance with Saul's fury slew the innocent Priests and many now either openly or by their silence confirm the unjust severity which is exercised against our Churches Let such think of these words of Solomon If thou forbear to deliver them e Who shows with what pleasure such Instructions should be received and how profitable nay necessary they are by the example of Honey v. 13 14. which was not onely reckoned the sweetest thing in those Countries as appears by many places of Scripture but one of those which was most necessary for humane life as appears by the words of the Son of Sirach XXXIX 41. For it was usefull for food for drink for medicine for preserving of dead bodies and was so natural to them that it seems to have been the food of Infants VII Isa 15. Whence the ancient Christians were wont to give a little milk and honey to those who were baptized as persons newly regenerate and born again because Honey as well as Milk was the nutriment of little children in those days and countries How refreshing it was appears by the story of Jonathan 1 Sam. XIV 17. and in what common use by the example of our Saviour after his Resurrection XXIV Luk. 41 42. Which may all be applied to Wisedom from whence the mind derives the greatest satisfaction and therefore ought to be as it were our daily diet without which we cannot subsist from the beginning of our days unto the end of them f For many gracious promises are made to it which must not be so understood he shows as if no evil thing
shall prolong his days 16. But it is very great ignorance not onely of Religion but of all things else that makes a Prince grievously oppress and pillage his people which makes his reign short as well as unhappy when he that hating such exactions is kind to his Subjects prolongs his days in much tranquillity See Arg. f 17. A man that doeth violence to the bloud of any person shall flee to the pit let no man stay him 17. He that murthers a man and pressed with the weight of his guilt or pursued by the avenger of bloud flies to save himself shall never think himself safe but lead a restless life to his very grave for all men looking upon him as a common enemy shall refuse to succour him no though they see him falling headlong into a pit which he is not aware of they shall not stop him but let him perish 18. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once 18. There is no such way to be safe as to be honest and sincere in all a man's words and actions for he that indeavours to preserve himself by fraud and deceit though he can wind and turn and hath several shifts he thinks to save himself yet in one or other of them he shall perish for the time will come when he will blindly chuse the wrong course and commonly when he begins to fall he sinks utterly and cannot possibly recover himself 19. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough 19. He that is a good husband in the management of his estate shall have the satisfaction of providing sufficiently if not plentifully for himself and his family but he that is careless and follows the courses of loose and wicked companions can reap no other fruit of his negligence but the most miserable want and beggary 20. A faithfull man shall abound with blessings but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent 20. He that is true to his word and just in all his dealings shall have abundance of blessings from God and be well spoken of by men but he whose eager desires make him heap up wealth by right or by wrong brings such guilt upon himself as makes him execrable unto both 21. To have respect of persons is not good for for a piece of bread that man will transgress 21. It is a wicked thing in a Judge to incline to consider the quality of the person and not the merits of the cause that is brought before him For though perhaps at the first he could not be corrupted under a great sum of money yet having accustomed himself to it he will at last sell his Sentence at the lowest rates nay be moved by the smallest considerations to forsake the rules which ought to guide him See Arg. g 22. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him 22. An envious covetous wretch that cannot look upon what another hath without grudging is push't on by his impatient desires to get riches without making any distinction between good and evil never considering in that disturbance of mind wherein he lives that all may be gone in a moment and he then stand in need of the mercy of those whom he would not pity 23. He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue 23. He that rebukes a man for his evil courses may displease him nay anger him at the first but when he considers that he could have no other end in it but his good he will have a greater kindness for such a man than for one that humours him in every thing and with flattering words sooths him up in those faults which he ought to take the freedom to reprehend 24. Whoso robbeth his father or his mother and saith It is no transgression the same is the companion of a destroyer 24. He that lays hands upon all that he can rap and rend from his father or mother and thinks it is no sin or no great one pretending they keep him too short and have no need of it themselves or do not use it c. not onely keeps the company of spend-thrifts but is wicked enough to be a high way man and murther others to feed his own luxury 25. He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat 25. A man of a proud and insolent spirit of ambitious and vast desires is never quiet but as he lives in perpetual quarrels so hath no satisfaction in what he injoys nay many times wastes it all in suits and contentions but he who confiding in the good Providence of the Almighty hath an humble and contented mind lives peaceably with others and comfortably within himself nay thrives many times and abounds with plenty of all good things 26. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but whoso walketh wisely he shall be delivered 26. He that relies wholly upon his own judgment is like to miscarry because he follows the conduct of a fool but he that distrusting himself takes good advice and follows it escapes many mischiefs into which the other rashly runs and is delivered out of many dangers in which the other perishes 27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse 27. He that relieves those that are in want shall be so far from wanting himself that he shall thereby procure God's blessing to increase his estate but he that regards not the miseries of others nor is willing so much as to know them for fear of having his compassion moved towards them shall draw upon himself the curse of God as well as men and fall into many and grievous misfortunes 28. When the wicked rise men hide themselves but when they perish the righteous increase 28. When wicked men are advanced unto power and authority they favouring such onely as are like to themselves it makes good men scarce who are forced to withdraw and hide themselves from their tyranny but when they perish as they shall at last and good men come in their place then the righteous openly shew themselves and the number of them increases by their example and by the incouragement they enjoy under righteous Governours See Arg. h CHAP. XXIX ARGUMENT a This Chapter concludes the Collection of Proverbs made by the men of Hezekiah and contains more advices proper to a Prince as he was than any of the rest but ushers them in with a General admonition how dangerous it is not to profit by reproofs or corrections such as He and his people had by the hand of Senacherib which when they work upon mens spirits there is some hope of them but when they become refractory inflexible and obstinately reject them they