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Lately published, price 3s. in boards,
EVERY MAN's ASSISTANT,

AND

THE SICK MAN's FRIEND.

BY JAMES STONHOUSE, M. D.
Formely of St. John's College, Oxford;
Rector of Great and Little Cheverel, Wiltshire.

THE SECOND EDITION.

Printed by and for S. Hazard Bath, J. F. and C. Rivington, London, and fold by them; by E, Palmer, Bristol, J. and W. Eddowes, Shrewsbury, and all other Bookfeliers.

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SHREWSBURY HOUSE OF INDUSTRY,
ITS ESTABLISHMENT AND REGULATIONS;

WITH

HINTS TO THOSE

WHO MAY HAVE

SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS IN VIEW.
BY I. WOOD.

TO WHICH IS ADDED,

THE SECOND EDITION OF THE

BYE-LAWS, RULES, AND ORDINANCES,

OF THE SAID HOUSE.

Shrewsbury: Printed by J. and W. Eddowes; and fold by T. Longman, Pater-nofter-Row, T. Cadell, Strand, and J. Johnfon, St. Paul's Church Yard, London.

The Book of PROVERBS.

INTRODUCTION.

WE have here another book, and another author, namely, Solomon, the wisest of men, who had uncommon abilities, and large experience. It contains excellent maxims for the conduct of life. The word proverb fignifies, a ruling fpeech, or obfervation, that ought to have great weight with mankind; a Short, fententious fpeech, of great excellency and importance: and fuch among the antients being chiefly fimiles and comparisons, in which one thing looked to another for the better illuftration of it, it became in common use to fignify any wife, important maxim. The first nine chapters are more connected than the rest, and contain a commendation of and exhortation to true wisdom; which is the fear of God. The remaining chapters contain directions how to govern ourselves in all circumstances and relations in life. -Other parts of Scripture are like a rich mine, where the precious ore runs along in one continued vein, but this book is like a heap of pearls, which, tho' they are loofe and unftrung, are not therefore the lefs valuable.

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CHAPTER I.

HE proverbs of Solomon the fon of David, king of Ifrael; To know wifdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to make men know when good advice is given, and how to give it to others; or to teach them to avoid errors, and to 3 correct thofe they have fallen into; To receive the inftruction of wisdom, juftice, and judgment, and equity; that is, to make them good in every circumstance, condition, 4 and relation in life; To give fubtilty to the fimple, to the young man knowledge and difcretion; they are defigned to teach caution and fagacity to the unexperienced; but they are not intended for them alone, there is that in them VOL. V. B

which

5 which may improve the wifeft. A wife. [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding 6 fhall attain unto wife counfels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wife, and their dark fayings; to understand the meaning of parables, figures, and other ways of inftruction.

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The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools defpife wifdom and inftruction. This verfe is a key to the whole book. By wisdom, he does not mean common fagacity, carnal policy, or great learning, but true religion; and by fools here, are not meant those who want common fense, but who are thoughtless, and oppose 8 themfelves to all true religion and piety. My fon, hear the inftruction of thy father, and forfake not the law of thy mother; meaning not his own fon merely, but all his readers, efpecially the young, whom he addresses with tender 9 affection as his children: For they [fhall be] an ornament

of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck; 10 better than any gay drefs. My fon, if finners entice 11, thee, confent thou not. If they fay, Come with us, let

us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the inno 12 cent without caufe: Let us fwallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as thofe that go down into the pit; there is no more danger of a discovery, than if they 13 were fwallowed up at once by an earthquake: We shall find all precious fubftance, we fhall fill our houfes with fpoil; not only get enough to furnish out a short entertainment, 14 but to live upon in a fplendid manner hereafter: Caft in 15 thy lot among us; let us all have one purfe: My fon, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot 16 from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make 17 hafte to fhed blood.. Surely in vain the net is spread in

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the fight of any bird, but wicked men are more foolish, they 18 fee their danger, and yet run into it. And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives; the vengeance of the magistrate, or of God, will

overtake

It is probable that xury prevailed in the peace and plenty of Solomon's reign; and young men who had spent their fortunes might turn highwaymen and plunderers; therefore they fay, Do as we do, and thou, tho a new comer, fhalt fare as we fare, tho' we have been longer at the trade.

19 overtake them. So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; they are like a bird taken in a fnare; [which] taketh away the life of the owners thereof, the owner's life to get it, or rather, his own life when he has got poffeffion of it, and thinks himself fecure.

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Wisdom, in the abstract, which is here reprefented as a perfon, crieth without; fhe uttereth her voice in the streets; that is, by confcience and providence, by the fcrip21 tures and prophets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city fhe 22 uttereth her words, [faying,] How long, ye fimple ones, will ye love fimplicity, that is, folly? and the fcorners delight in their fcorning, and fools hate know23 ledge? that is, religion and good advice. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you; I will communicate my whole mind to you, and explain things in 24 the clearest manner. Because I have called, and ye refufed; I have stretched out my hand, and no man re25 garded; But ye have fet at nought all my counfel, and 26 would none of my reproof: I alfo will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; if you difregard my counsel, I will as little regard what becomes of 27 you; When your fear cometh as defolation, and your

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deftruction cometh as a whirlwind; when diftrefs of 28 body and anguish of mind cometh upon you. Then fhall they call upon me, but I will not anfwer; they fhall feek me early, but they fhall not find me. Here is a remarkable change of perfons; divine wisdom began its fpeech as to them; but while fpeaking it turns from them, and fpeaks only concerning them; as if he had faid, I will have no more to say to them, but thus and thus fhall it be 29 done unto them: For that they hated knowledge, and go did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none 31 of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. There

fore fhall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices; fuffer the natural confe32 quences of their folly. For the turning away of the fimple from the paths of piety, fhall flay them, and the

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eafe or profperity of fools shall destroy them; make them proud, Scornful, and forgetful of God, and fo hasten their 33 ruin. But whofo hearkeneth unto me fhall dwell fafely, and fhall be quiet from fear of evil; not only from real evil, but even the fear of it.

I.

IN

REFLECTION S.

Norder to profit by the instructions of this book, the fear of God is neceffary. This is the first principle which Solomon lays down; and it is indeed a very important one. We should be duly sensible that there is a God; that it is our highest wisdom to please him, and to be careful of offending him. This is the foundation of all useful knowledge. Without fome degree of this principle, no inftructions will profit. It should recommend this book to our study, that it far exceeds all other systems of morality among the antients, and that it infists so much on our regard and duty to God; of which they take little or no notice.

2. It is our duty to pay a ferious attention to the inftructions which are delivered by our parents and other teachers. Children fhould hear the inftructions of their fathers, and forget not the law of their mothers; (fee v. 8.) for the divine law fecures a regard to mothers. If children think themselves wife enough, and too wife to learn, let them remember what Solomon fays, v. 5. a wife man will hear and will increafe learning. It is a mark of wisdom to hear; and none of us fhall lose our labour by studying this book. The aged and experienced, as well as the young, may improve in knowledge and piety by it, and fhould therefore seriously attend to it.

3. Let us be thankful that we have fo many good inftructions, for gaining knowledge and regulating our conduct. God ufes various methods to communicate wisdom to us such as reafon and confcience, his providence, the holy scriptures, his minifters, and spirit. Inftructions are given to all of us; they are plain and open, frequently repeated, ftrongly and affectionately urged, and have been long con

tinued.

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