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giving figns to his associates, that they may execute their 31 wicked projects. The hoary head [is] a crown of glory, [if] it be found in the way of righteoufnefs; it is an honourable thing to be an aged faint; fuch fhould be reverenced, and young people should be engaged to be good betimes, that they may have this honour if they fhould live to 32 be old. [He that is] flow to anger, not easily put into a paffion, nor refents a provocation, [is] better than the mighty and he that ruleth his fpirit than he that taketh a city; fome of the most glorious conquerors amidst the greatest fuccefs and triumph have been, thro' the violence of their own paffions, the objects of pity to all who read their 33 hiftory; as Alexander, and others. The lot is caft into the lap: but the whole difpofing thereof [is] of the LORD; his providence determines the moft cafual events, therefore we should be reconciled to our condition, and patient and contented in every state.

'BE

CHA P. XVII.

ETTER [is] a dry morfel, a dry crust, and quietnefs therewith, than an houfe full of facrifices [with] ftrife; than the greatest feast upon the remains of the most coftly facrifices: all families, especially the poor, Jhould cultivate peace, and thus fecure the most valuable en2 joyment of life. A wife fervant fhall have rule over a fon that causeth shame: and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren; a wife fervant often gets money fufficient to buy the estate which foolish children are 3 obliged to fell. The fining pot [is] for filver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts; 4 afflictions discover the drofs, and prove what is good. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; it is a fign of a wicked difpofition to give credit to every malicious ftory raifed and spread: [and] a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue; 5 liars love to strengthen and justify one another. Whofo mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker who made him So, who has taken the poor under his protection, and will punish the reproachers: [and] he that is glad at calamities

E 4

fhall

6 fhall not go unpunished. Children's children [are] the crown of old men; it is an honour to live to be old and fee many defcendants: and the glory of children [are] their fathers; it is an honour for children to be defcended from 7 worthy parents. Excellent fpeech becometh not a fool; his manners contradict it: much lefs do lying lips a prince. 8 A gift [is as] a precious ftone in the eyes of him that hath it, fcattering its rays from every fide, is fparkling and beautiful: whitherfoever it turneth, it profpereth. This intimates the unhappy influence which intereft has to make men act against reason, confcience, and the pub9 lick good. He that covereth a tranfgreffion, maketh the best of every thing, feeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter, and probably aggravates it, feparateth [very] friends; fuch talebearers as thefe are very pernicious perfons, and fhould be checked by those who are friends to peace 10 and love. A reproof entereth more into a wife man,

maketh a greater impreffion upon him, than an hundred 11 ftripes into a fool. An evil [man] feeketh only rebellion, or mischief: therefore a cruel meffenger fhall be fent against him. This is a warning not to entertain feditious councils and defigns, left the prince should send an exe12 cutioner, as was customary in the east. Let a bear robbed of her whelps, the moft mifchievous animal in enraged circumftances, meet a man rather than a fool in his folly; rather than a man under the influence of strong and vicious 13 paffions. Whofo rewardeth evil for good, evil fhall not

depart from his houfe; it may be punished in the next 14 generation. The beginning of ftrife [is as] when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with; a beautiful allufion to a well known fact, when a breach is once made in a dam no one can tell where it will stop, it will grow wider and larger, therefore let us 15 not meddle with it at all. He that juftifieth the wicked, treating him as, and pronouncing him to be righteous, and he that condemneth the juft, cenfures and condemns thofe who are fincere and upright for fome little indifcretions, even 16 they both [are] abomination to the LORD. Wherefore

[is there] a price in the hand of a fool, an opportunity and advantage to get wisdom, feeing [he hath] no heart,

neither

17 neither skill, refolution, nor defire [to it?] A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adverfity; they only are true friends who stick to us and help us in adverfity. 18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, [and] becometh furety in the presence of his friend, who is 19 able to answer for himself. He loveth tranfgreffion that loveth ftrife, that is, brawling, contentions, law fuits, and difputes in religion : [and] he that exalteth his gate feeketh deftruction; he who affects grandeur and magnificence,. his fubftance and his eftate all run out at his pompous gate, and make way for deftruction to enter in: this is the ruin of 20 multitudes of young people. He that hath a froward heart, a perverfe, fretful difpofition, findeth no good: and he that hath a perverfe tongue, a deceitful, illnatured tongue, falleth into mischief, brings it upon himself by his own per21 verfeness. He that begetteth a fool, a wicked fon, [doeth it] to his forrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy in any thing else. Such parents are greatly to be pitied; and in order to prevent this, they cannot be too careful in the 22 education of their children. A merry heart, that is, a cheerful temper, doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken fpirit drieth the bones; weakens the ftrength, and 23 confumes the vital parts. A wicked [man] taketh, or accepteth, a gift out of the bofom of the giver, he does it 24 fecretly, to pervert the ways of judgment. Wisdom [is] before him that hath understanding; he has his thoughts about him, looks before him, and confiders the confequences of things: but the eyes of a fool [are] in the ends of the earth; he hath a roving, diffipated fpirit, meddling with things that he hath no concern in, and that are of no impor25 tance. A foolish fon [is] a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him: this is a maxim that Solomon often repeats; probably he had his own fon Rehoboam in his eye. It is of great importance for parents and children 26 to attend to it. Alfo to punish the juft [is] not good, [nor] to ftrike princes for equity; it is a crime in a magiftrate to punish the just, but for a king to punish his nobles for equity is most horrible, because it is difcouraging them from doing good when in their power, and weakening 27 his own hands. He that hath knowledge fpareth his

words

words, is not fond of talking, speaks only when it is fit and may be useful: [and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit, or rather, a cool fpirit, as in the margin of our bibles, for to be calm, difpaffionate, and not easily provoked, is a mark of wisdom and an excellent fpirit. 28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wife: [and] he that shutteth his lips [is efteemed] a man of understanding; the concealment of folly is wisdom, and fometimes wisdom uttered is folly; men's abilities are chiefly difcovered by their difcourfe, and talkative persons proclaim their own folly. -Let every man therefore be fwift to hear, flow to speak, and flow to wrath.

I

TH

CHA P. XVIII.

HROUGH defire a man, having feparated himself, feeketh [and] intermeddleth with all wisdom; or rather, a man of retirement feeketh after his defire, and intermeddleth with all wisdom. Retirement is of 2 great ufe to improve the mind. A fool hath no delight in understanding, in its real ufe, only for oftentation or amufement, but that his heart may discover itself; all his delight 3 is to vent his own folly and wickedness. When the wicked

cometh, [then] cometh alfo contempt upon God and religion, and every thing valuable; and with ignominy reproach, reproachful language concerning others: if a man Speaks reproachfully and contemptibly of others, mark him 4 for a wicked man. The words of a wife man's mouth [are as] deep waters, [and] the well-fpring of wifdom [as] a flowing brook; it is an inexhaustible spring of en5 tertainment and improvement. [It is] not good to accept, to favour or justify, the person of the wicked, in order to 6 overthrow the righteous in judgment. A fool's lips enter into contention, he uses paffionate and provoking language, and his mouth calleth for ftrokes; he brings 7 forrow and punishment upon himself. A fool's mouth [is] his deftruction, and his lips [are] the fnare of his foul; it will efpecially appear to be fo at the judgment day, when by our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall

be

8 be condemned. The words of a talebearer, who picks up ftories, pries into fecrets, and carries them from houfe to houfe, who relates falfehoods, who mifreprefents things, or whispers about things which fhould not be spoken of, tho' true, the words of fuch [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermoft parts of the belly; the wounds are mortal tho' filent, and destroy the reputation and intereft of the perfons Spoken of, and the love of those spoken to. 9 He also that is flothful in his work is brother to him that is a great wafter; they are both criminal, and both 10 come to poverty. The name of the LORD, his power, goodness, and promises, [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is fafe; there he feeks for protection by faith and prayer, and there he finds it, together II with a rich fupply of all his wants. The rich man's wealth [is] his ftrong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit; he thinks himself fecurely intrenched, fo that no danger can come near him, forgetting his dependance upon God; but it is only in his own conceit, and he finds his high walls 12 thrown down by a variety of accidents. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour [is] humility; when a man finds himself disposed to be proud of any of his endowments and poffeffions, he has need to be alarmed, as it is an intimation that he is in danger of being 13 deprived of them. He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it,] who thinks to show his quickness of apprehenfion, and pronounces dogmatically without hearing both 14 fides, it [is] folly and fhame unto him. The fpirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, bear up under dangers and troubles; but a wounded fpirit who can bear? What hath a man to comfort and uphold him, if he has not the reafon of his own mind, the teftimony of his confcience, and a fenfe of God's favour? Great care therefore should be taken to govern the paffions, and keep the spirits calm, in order to 15 prevent fuch a dreadful crifis. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wife feeketh knowledge; a diligent application to the means of improving in knowledge, both by study and converfation, is a fign 16 of true wisdom. A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. This antient cuftom of bring

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