Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4

CHAP. IV.

HEare, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know underderstanding. This fourth Chapter according to Muffet, is a fourth Sermon, of Solomon, to stir up to get wisdom with all the earnestness that may be, and he varyeth his word before used, My son, in the singular number, into a plural ye children, wherein he speaketh in his father David's phrase, who often spake thus to all the children of God, as Psal. 34. Psal. 113. &c. because he now would remember, how he was by him instructed, as he doth v. 3. I was my fathers son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. Heb. tender, and the only one in the sight of my mother. Some, saith Arboreus, because he calleth himself, his mothers only son hold, that Bathsheba had no more sons but Solomon and that the three other, Samaa, Sabab and Nathan were the sons of Uriah, Bathshebahs former husband; but in saying her only son, he meaneth not, that she had, no more by David, but that she loved and tendered him above all, neglecting the other three in comparison; for the Scripture is plain, that she bare four sons to David, whereof Solomon was the youngest. He also mentioneth three Expositions of these words.

1. That Solomon was the most dearly beloved son of David, and Bathsheba his mother, and therefore by them both instructed and taught in the way of virtue most carefully.

2. That when he saith, I was my fathers son, &c. It is meant of God his heavenly Father, as it was said to David of him, He shall be my son, and I will be his Father; and the son of the Jewish Church most beloved.

3. That this is spoken in the person of Christ, who saith thus of God the Father, or rather God saith of him, Thou art my Son; and again, This is my beloved Son, and he was the only Son of his mother the Virgin Mary, but of all these he preferreth the first as the best. About the minority or seniority of Solomon, in respect of his other brethren, divers conjecture diversely, some that he was the youngest, as he is named last; but some that he was the eldest of those four, and only mentioned last, because there was more to be said of him, and that by this, The only one of his mother, is meant her first-borne living, and that he was the eldest, they prove from that, which is said after the death of the Infant begotten in adultery, David comforted his wife, and she bare him a Son called Solomon. But in all this there is no weight to prove him the first, but there is much more in the order of reckoning up his Sons to prove him the youngest of the four, because he is so reckoned not only 1 Chron. 3. but also 2 Sam. 5. after his other Sons reckoned in order, first, second, third, &c. Moreover, the young age of Solomon, when David his Father died, evinceth it, he being then but twelve or thirteen years of age; whereas that of 2 Sam 12. is urged, as if it were meant that Solomon was begotten the next after him that died: I answer, that the other three, and the begetting of them is in that place passed over, it being nothing pertinent to the history of that place to tell of them borne of her before Solomon, it being thought enough to reckon them up elsewhere, as had been done before, 2 Sam. 5. But then he went in to her, and comforted her, because her comfort was greater of her bearing Solomon, then all the rest, for so much as he was the Son promised that should build the Lord an house. For Solomon's saying, that he was tender; some think, that hereby was meant his young age, when his Father died, so that what instructions he had from him, he had then, yet being so young he laid them up in his heart, and forgot them not, and this he mentioneth now as a motive to stir other children up to do likewise, by the instructions of wisdom to hold them, and never to forget them, when more years come upon them. Some again, that his dainty and delicate education was meant, able to fascinate a youths mind so with pleasure, as to make him uncapable of good instructions: yet he even in the midst of all pleasures of the Court received and held his Fathers instructions most firmly, therefore let all other children do likewise. Some also, because he saith, that he was tender and young, that his rudeness and ignorance was meant, even as it is with other children, too much cockered by their parents, yet by attending to his fathers and mothers instructions, he had now attained, through God's grace, to be a miracle of wisdom, and therefore there was no reason, why they should despair of coming to wisdom also, but hope looking at his example, to be made wise. Lastly, others, that in saying, he was tender, he meaneth docible, and easy to have good impressions by instructions made in his mind, as soft wax by setting a seal upon it: So Basil and Ambrose compare the docible to soft wax, such as youth is, so that as the seal being set on, whilst it is soft makes an impression, but if it be not then done, it hardens, and then cannot be done; so in tender youth impressions may be made, but if that time be let slip, it will hardly be done afterwards. Of all these Expositions, I think none is to be rejected, except that of being delicately brought up; for of his education in a virtuous way, great care was had, and Nathan the Prophet had the oversight thereof. The first of his being young whilst his Father lived, but yet minding his instructions ever since, and tender, that is docible, and easy to have good impressions made in him, are ad appositum, to show the coherence of these words with the former, as being considerations very forcible to [Note.] move all children and young ones, as they prefer Solomon's glorious estate, to imitate him in their young and tender age, not to hear good instructions, without an heart affected therewith, like blocks, or stocks, or without care to remember them ever after. To this effect the Gloss saith, That there is nothing more apt to work upon the mind of a youth, then to set before him examples of youths that betimes gave their minds to learn, and so proved famous being come to man's estate. For the instructions given by David to Solomon his son; See 1 Chron. 28. 9, 10. But that being short, is here set forth in more words.

Let thy heart retain my words, keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. This his exhortation to get wisdom was made before, but because young men especially are so hard to be wrought upon by such exhortations, he repeateth and inculcateth the same again and again, alleging the authority of his father David, a great Prophet. The word rendered get in this place, signifieth also to possess, as the Vulg. renders it, or to buy, as some others, which, I think, is rather to be followed, as most significant, for thus we are taught to be at cost for understanding, and not this way to be sparing, that which we buy and purchase being so precious. We may buy other things, and yet have no profit hereby, but by wisdom we shall have the greatest point in the world; we shall by wisdom live, be safe and be promoted, as here is said.

Now we purchase wisdom, saith Lyra. after King Solomon, when we are as cost to maintain a Master, or Teacher, by whose learned and grave instructions we may get learning according to God, which is the same with that which the Apostle teacheth, Gal. 6. 6.

To buy wisdom also is to buy the Bible, and such books as are written thereupon, and then not to spare for time in reading and studying hereupon, which is also a price giving, because time, especially in those that live upon their labor in pari is equivalent to money. But being at all this charge we must not forget what we read or hear, but set our hearts hereupon, and be affected accordingly, for which it is added, Forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. And the charge here given is doubled, Get wisdom, get understanding; implying, that to understand and not to do, is no wisdom, but folly.

Basil and Jerome here note, that David's principal care for his Son was, not that he might be rich, but wise, and intelligent; for this he embraced him, as it were with the greatest demonstrations of love that might be, that he might was him hereunto; whereas other Parents are all in embracing and kissing, and making much of their Children, without one word speaking to this effect; but they are [Note.] herein like unto the Ape, hugging her young one to the destruction thereof. True love to Children is to insinuate into them, that they may be brought to be in love with wisdom.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee, love her, and she shall keep thee; the vulg. more significantly, Ne dimitt as, put her not away; as alluding to a man's putting away of his wife. For the most beloved wife of an husband is not more dear to him, then wisdom must be to thee. He doth hereby intimate the nearest conjunction with wisdom that may be, to continue to the end of thy days: and good reason, if a good wife be so dearly beloved, that thou shouldest thus dearly love wisdom; for whereas a man that hath taken a wife, must preserve and keep her; contrariwise, wisdom will keep thee, and herein act the man's part towards thee, by saving thee from all dangers, so that thou shalt be sufficiently provided for, and by means of her live comfortably all thy days; according to this Olympiodorus saith, Wisdom is our wife to live together with us. And Augustime, First, the Flesh is our wife, and Wisdom is our wife; as Abraham had two wives, Sarah and Hagar, but Hagar was subject, and kept under, but Sarah as Mistress ruled and bare sway; so we must keep the flesh under, but hearken to wisdom, Tanquam Dominae.

Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy gettings get understanding. the vulg. The beginning of wisdom, so doubtfully spoken, that it hath given occasion to divers expositions, but Hebr. it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Wisdom the head; and chap. 1. 7. the same word is used touching the fear of the Lord, and rendered beginning: but as there hath been shown, it may also be understood, that it is the principal point of wisdom, so here it is best rendered Wisdom is the principal thing: and upon this ground a repetition of the former charge most aptly followeth. Therefore get wisdom: and where the word signifying also to buy, and possess is used, as ver. 5. implying not only an having of wisdom, betwixt which, and buying, and possessing Plato makes this difference, He that buyeth and possesseth a Garment, or anything, weareth or useth it as properly belonging to him, but he who hath it and is not possessor of it cannot so do, but only lay it up; so he that hath wisdom, but possesseth it not, never hath it as an habit, but only hath it by him without doing him any good.

Now besides the price given for wisdom before spoken of, thou must by way of barter change away other things for it, sinful pleasures, profits, love of the things of the world, pride in apparel, wrath, envy, intemperance, yea and thy worldly goods also by liberality to the poor, and as the case requireth, letting them go to persecutors, and thy life also; With all thy gettings get understanding; That is, count them not gettings whatsoever things they be that thou gettest, unless gotten together with wisdom, otherwise thou gettest only shadows, and loosest the substance, as the dog in the Fable.

Exalt her and she shall promote thee, vulg. Arripe eam, & exaltabit te; but the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth exa • t▪ or make an Highway, or Causie for her of earth▪ and small stones elevated, as showing hereby in how high esteem thou hast her; as it is observed, that a man of old marrying a woman wealthy and well descended, brought her home in a Chariot, or on Horse-back, the way being made for the purpose, but if she were poor on foot, so that he continueth the Allegory of a wife still, and the best and most worthy that may be. And he that thus exalts wisdom shall not loose his labor, but shall accordingly be promoted by her; the Hebr, word is, She shall lift thee up on high, being in one Hebrew gloss well set forth thus; She shall bring thee riding into heaven. Whereby is intimated the facility of coming thither to the wise.

But what is the way so elevated, for wisdom to pass into the heart? one answereth well, a good Conscience. Ambrose saith, A Chariot composed of the four Cardinal Virtues, being carried hereupon as upon four wheels; Basil, A Chariot of two, the understanding, and the will. When thou shalt embrace her; The law of Marriage requireth, that there should be mutual love and embraces betwixt the Husband and Wife; so in saying, When thou imbracest wisdom she shall exalt thee, he intimateth, that this her exalting thee shall be as the most pleasing and delightful imbrasing in the world, wherefore Augustine excellently seteth forth the embraces of wisdom thus.

No pleasantness of wood, no purpled coloured flowers, no ornaments of costly apparel, no sound of sweetest well-stringed Instruments, no embraces of the greatest beauty are comparable to the inspiration, the sweetness, the soments, and embraces of wisdom. And the Sept. expresseth it by wisdoms embraces of thee rendering it, Honor her and she shall embrace thee, of the arms wherewith we embrace wisdom, Hugo saith well, That they are contemplation, and action; and hereunto we may add, That her two arms where-with she embraceth us, are peace, and joy unspeakable.

She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace, a crown of glory, That is wisdom shall be a grace to thee here, thy face being made hereby to shine, as be afterwards speakech, and hereby thou shalt be brought at last to a Crown of glory in the Kingdom of Heaven, of which St. Paul speaketh, saying, Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness; thus Arboreus.

Some think that in the Crown here spoken of, David who is brought in thus, speaking to his Son Solomon, alludeth to that which he was destined unto, viz. The Kingdom, urging him from hence to get wisdom, because that so he should be in wonderful grace amongst his Subjects, that beauty where-with he was naturally endued being thus augmented, and he made more amiable in all men's eyes, and the Crown of the Kingdom, with which he was crowned made far more glorious.

Lyra thinks the Crown in the second place spoken of, to be spoken of by way of explication of the first passage, She shall give an ornament of grace to thy head; That is, a Crown of glory, which is the greatest ornament of all others. And of a Crown, some think he speaketh in alluding to the custom of old, to set Crowns upon the heads of wise men of Bayes, Ivy, or Myrtles. It is spoken to the same effect with it, chap. 1. 9. For the particular applying of it to Solomon, this is not so to be received, but if it should be so great a grace to a King, much more to private persons, making them herein like unto Kings: Wisdom is hereby magnified above a Father, a King, who giveth his Crown to his Son, but wisdom a Crown of glory. The vulg. for these words, Shall deliver a crown of glory to thee, hath, Shall protect thee, and the word cometh of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a shield, but because it signifieth also to give, or deliver, it is in N. Tr. so rendered; but taking it according to the vulg. the sense will be very good thus: Whereas a Crown commonly is accompanied with dangers to those that wear it, so that by means hereof some of them loose their lives by treasonable conspiracies, that given by wisdom shall not only be a crown to make glorious, but also a shield to protect him that weareth it; so that he shall reign in safety.

And to this Lavater agreeth, following also the same reading; Protect thee as a shield; The years of thy life shall be many: Hebr. Of thy lives, implying the years of the natural life, the life of grace, and of glory, as some gather, although some others understand it is of someone of these. See more of this, ch. 3. 16.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened, &c. Here is another benefit of wisdom, of which see before, chap. 3. 17. 23. and how this way, said to be straight else-where, is here said to be large, and it is also large, because whereas wickedness brings men to great straits in this life, the wise shall be kept out of them, as David saith, Thou hast set my seat in a large place, verse. 13. charging not to let wisdom go is the same with ver. 6. ver. 14, 15. he returneth again to dehort from going in the ways of the wicked, of which he gave warning at the first, chap. 1. 10. 11. &c. then he addeth a new, touching their eagerness to do evil.

They cannot sleep except they have done mischief, their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. Herein they are like to Serpents, of which Pliny writeth, That they sleep not all the summer, whilst they are full of poison, but in winter, this being spent, they sleep; so robbers and murderers, whilst they have spent the poison of mischievous intentions, which lurketh in their hearts, cannot sleep as other men do in the night, yea the night is the time wherein they go about these wickednesses; as they are led by the Devil, the prince of darkness; so they take the opportunity of the dark to act their wickednesses in. A strong motive to us to abhor from consorting with them, because they that do come under the worst Master in the world, who will not suffer them to sleep at [Note.] the time that nature requireth, but works them in desperate services in the very night, not suffering them to sleep, or take their rest.

To confirm this further to be his meaning, he saith, ver. 18, 19. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, the way of the wicked is like darkness, they stumble they know not at what. But before this, ver. 17. They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence, is not to be passed ones in silence. Hugo expounds this of the holy Communion, which these wicked ones unworthily receiving, have it counted to them, not as Bread and Wine to salvation, but to damnation; but this is far fetched, both because they had no Communions then, and it is meant plainly of their getting their living by the wicked courses before spoken of.

Augustine here notes, That they practiced such wickedness as a daily trade, or course of life, for saith he, A man sometimes eats flesh, sometime fish, sometime other things, but with all he eats bread from day today; in saying therefore that they eat the bread of wickedness, he meaneth, that they feed daily and continually upon mischievous practices, they being as it were meat and drink unto them, so greatly do they delight in them.

To come now to ver. 18. The path of the just is compared to the Sun, shining in the morning by some little glimmering light at the dawning of the day, but increasing, as the light of the day doth: whereby is shown, that as a man that takes his reft in the night riseth betimes in the morning to his work, is not idle when he is up, but although he cannot yet see perfectly to do some works, yet some he can do, and doth them, but the light increasing; so that he seeth more perfectly, he now doth the most curious works which he hath to do, and perfects them; in like manner the just, according to the little light received at the first, work and do some things, but their grace and light after this, increaseth more and more, and then they do all more perfectly. And yet the time shall come, when it shall be more perfect day-light unto them, by that day-light in the new Jerusalem that shall never have end. But on the contrary side, the way of the wicked is darkness, and tendeth to utter darkness for evermore, and in this way of darkness they stumble unawares, as a man going in the dark, before they are aware of it, and fall into a pit never to come out again. For even of the wicked few are sensible of the danger to which they are near, till they come to be swallowed up [Note.] hereby: They are as confident by repenting before they die, as the thief upon the cross, to provide for their salvation, that they make no doubt of it at all. But let us take notice, that they are in the dark; and how can a ship in the dark see rocks and sheives to avoid them, and therefore come into, and keep in the way that is light, that so we may see all dangers towards us, and in time provide against, and not run upon them to unavoidable destruction and to this end turn from wickedness to righteousness, as out of a dark, into a light way.

Some there are that expound the perfect day-light, of profiting so in knowledge and grace in this life, as to come in time to perfection herein, but the perfect day-light, is most commonly understood of that knowledge, whereby we shall know, as we are known, which is not till the end of this life. According to this Gregory saith, the good desires of the just are the beginning of the day, when they are joined with light of understanding arising within, and growing in knowledge and grace from time to time, the increase of the day-light which is in the end of this life, cometh to be perfect day. And Chrysost. speaking upon the morning, after morning at the Creation, saith, When a man by repentance turneth from sin, it is morning to him, then the light beginneth to shine. The light, we may truly say of God's countenance, bringing true joy and comfort, which is increased as the light of the day in this world, and becomes perfect day-light, when this life is ended. The Apostle Peter seemeth to make two mornings, where he saith, Till the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts; the first, as Gregory hath it, of the preaching of the Gospel, for then the day beginneth where it was night before; the second, of knowledge and grace wrought in the heart, the first being the dawning of the day, the second the rising of the day-star in our hearts. And for the way of the wicked, it is to be noted, that he saith not. It is dark, but darkness in the abstract; that is, dark added to dark, as August. speaketh of sinners, that will not confess their sins, saying, To live in sin, is to live in darkness; but when one that doth so, confesseth not his sins, his darkness is now increased, darkness is poured out upon darkness, and such a man's way is darkness indeed, palpable darkness.

My son attend unto my words, Let them not depart from thine eyes. Chearfull attention in hearers, saith Chrysost. stirreth up the Teacher, and bringeth unto him great plenty of sentences, so as nothing doth more. For the eyes, some think the eyes of the mind only to be meant, others better, both the eyes of the mind and body also, the one being employed in reading, and by this means the other in daily meditation; of looking into the law of perfect liberty see Jam. 1. 25. and this he doth, that is a diligent reader of the word, touching which, as James hath a comparison taken from a Looking glass, wherein a man beholdeth his natural face, is by Plutarch compared to the seeing of a man's self in the eye of another; for so saith he, doth the man that readeth other men's books, he may therein be hold himself, and what the issue of his doings is like to be. For this Chrysost. greatly commendeth the eyes not being of the holy Scriptures, which he indeed commendeth not only to persons sequestered from the world, but even to worldly men, and to those that are full of other employments also; for he saith, Thou wilt say, O man of the world, I have great businesses of the world to look after, I cannot stand so much to look upon the Scriptures, let them do that who are professed students: What sayest thou, O man? the more full of worldly employments, the more need to read the Scriptures, that hereby as by a skillful governor of a ship, sitting at the stern continually, thy ship may be guided aright in the midst of the waves of worldly businesses, and at last come safe to the haven where thou wouldest be. Again, in commending to us the reading of the Scriptures, he compareth them to a meadow, and a garden, saying, Whatsoever delight is in both these, is much more in reading of the Scriptures, there flowers may be gathered, here the flowers of sentences more sweet and excellently coloured; there the flowers growing soon fade again, here they remain immarcessible always; there is the singing of the grasshopper, here the sweet heavenly harmony of the Prophets and Evangelists; there the south wind blowing, things flourish that grow, here the Spirit blowing keepeth all things green continually; there an hedge of thorns fenceth about to keep out beasts, here God's all powerful providence; there also if herbs be good for necessary uses, they hold but in the Summer, here both Summer and Winter that may be gathered which is only necessary, as Christ said to Martha, both herbs always green and growing, and fruit with the heaviness thereof weighing down the trees. Ambrose compareth the daily reading of the word to anointing of the limbs, a thing much used of old by Champions when they were to come into the place of trying Masteries; No man, saith he, dares come to try his strength against an adversary in this place, but he that hath often used to enter these lists, and therefore hath often anointed his limbs with oil, but being used to these things, he comes in without fear; so he that is frequent in reading the Scriptures, needs not to fear to encounter with the temptations of the adversary, but otherwise he is no way able to make opposition against them.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it come the issues of life. The word rendered, Keep, signifieth to keep, as they that watch in the night, Wardsmen: As a man, that knoweth that thieves will come, watcheth that night that they may not break through into his house and steal, and kill, as they will do, if a diligent watch be not kept: So a man must most carefully watch over his heart to prevent the danger that he shall otherwise lie open to. Pliny writeth of the Dragon, that he hath in his head a stone in the form of an heart, which men use to get by strewing some water upon his head, that hath virtue to make him sleep soundly, and then coming upon him they cut out this stone, not being otherwise to be had, but the Dragon being found sleeping; So our adversary the Devil seeks to find us asleep, and not keeping a watch over our hearts, and then, and not otherwise, he cuts them as it were out, which is the thing he desireth, and then we perish.

Now the heart is kept, when a man keeps a good conscience in all things; for so as Remigius saith, A man doth, as it were, lay up a clean thing in a safe place, and this is done, when it is kept from all defilement of sin. And August. showing further the keeping of the heart, saith, it is by giving it to God, as it is said, My son give me thy heart; And how is this done, but by opening to God, and shutting it against the world? Now the heart hath two doors, as a two-leaved door, desire and fear; these are shut against the world, when our desires are not set upon worldly things, neither do we fear man, and opened to God, when we desire the Kingdom of God, and fear hell fire. Again, the same August. in another place showeth another way to keep the heart upon these words, To bind their Nobles with chains, and their Kings with fetters of iron; saying, Who are these Kings, but evil lusts, and affections, ruling, and reigning as Kings in men's hearts and lives? these even in Kings and Nobles are bound as with fetters, when through fear they are kept from following their evil lusts, and going in their evil ways of Idolatry and Tyranny, and go in the way of Christianity, and they are bound as with chains of iron, whilst they for fear do thus, but let them do so for love, and then they become chains of gold. Bernard speaking of keeping the heart, insists upon a word setting forth a watch set in the night in all the parts thereof, which are called Watches, and are four, and these saith Origen, set forth the four parts of man's life, childhood, youth, man's estate, and old age, in all which the heart is kept, when one slyeth the vices of everyone of these, ignorance in childhood, wildness in youth, licentiousness to do evil in man's estate, and covetousness in old age: And this is the watching of servants against the coming of their Master commended unto us by our Lord, Matth. 24. And a hint of this touching every watch of the night is given in the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 above, or more then any watch, watch thine heart, for out of it are the issues of life; that is, if the heart be thus diligently kept, there is life, and all things that bring to life and salvation: For the heart, as Hippocrates teacheth, hath in it two little receptacles, according to Pliny 3. if with Hippocrates we hold two, these are the love of God, and of our neighbor, which are in an heart thus kept, if with Pliny 3. they are faith, hope, and charity, and these are said to be the issues of life, because life shall undoubtedly follow for evermore to all those that are endued with these.

Lavater takes this charge of watching the heart, as alluding to the watch kept about a Castle or City in time of war, that the enemy may be kept out, intimating, that such is our case as long as we live in this world, and therefore we have need always to keep this watch with all diligence. Thy body saith One, is thy Castle, but more truly we may say, thy heart is thy Castle thus to be kept; The Arms wherewith we must keep this Castle against our enemies, the Flesh, the World, and Devil, are the Armor of Chastity against the Flesh, the shield of Liberality against the World, and the helmet of Charity against the Devil; For the issues thereof are life: As the heart natural is to the natural body, the first thing living, and the last dying, so that other parts being hurt or decayed a man liveth still, as long as his heart is kept unhurt, but if it be decayed, the whole body decayeth accordingly, and dieth: So the heart spiritually understood, as here, if it liveth, and be safe, the whole spiritual man is safe, although some members be diseased, but if it be corrupted, as it is, when there are evil thoughts in the heart of adultery, murder, theft, &c. the whole man is defiled, and there is certain danger to the life forever. A care then of this is above all things to be taken, that no evil lurk therein, but that thou beest sincere and upright in all things, although thou laborest with infirmities in other parts; [Note.] yet as a man, having life in his heart, is grieved at the wounds or sores, or tumors causing pain, or deformity in his members, and endeavoreth by all means that he can, to have them healed, and that with speed; so the spiritual man grieveth for his imperfections, tumors, or scars, or wounds made by sin upon any of his members; his tongue, if he hath therewith lied, blasphemed, cursed, or talked corruptly; his eyes if they have been libidinous, or covetous; his ears, if they have been deaf to hear good counsel, but open to evil; his head, if that hath been made giddy by dimness; his hands tainted with taking bribes, or practicing any oppression or wrong; his feet, if he hath therewith gone into vain and wicked company; or his body, if he hath defiled it by whoredom, or lascivious embraces. And he not only sorroweth, but endeavoreth with all good care to be in every of them healed; if there be any man that doth not, but beareth himself upon this, that he hath a good heart, he deceiveth himself if he thinketh that he is sound and well within; for certainly, his heart, wherein the life of the inner man standeth, is dying, or dead, otherwise it were impossible, that he should thus neglect the restitution of health to his members.

Put from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips, Heb. the perverseness of the mouth, and the pravity of the lips. After a charge given to keep the heart, here followeth another to keep the tongue, which commonly bewrayeth the heart, and showeth whether it be kept so diligently as hath been said, or no, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, and as the common Proverb is Lingua est index mentis, the tongue is the bewrayer of the mind. By a froward tongue or the frowardness of the tongue, Some understand the tongue of another, that cometh to thee with tales against thy neighbor, as if it were meant, have no familiarity with such, keep them far from thee, as dangerous persons to stir up contention betwixt neighbor and neighbor. But more truly and generally his tongue is meant, that is bidden before to keep his heart, and in this verse his tongue from detraction by slandering or backbiting, and his lips from cursing, railing, mocking, and all bitter and corrupt speaking, and therefore to express two sorts of evils in a man's speaking he saith, The tongue of frowardness, and the lips of pravity: How hard a lesson this is to be learned, S. Jam. teacheth, showing, that when all other things are subdued by the skill of man, yet of this he can find no remedy; as Arbor. observeth, that there is a remedy against the poison of any creature, but against the poison of an evil tongue, none; and herein also the evil tongue of a man exceeds all other the most poisonous creatures that be in the world, for one Serpent hurteth not another with its poison, but one man doth hurteth another with his tongue: And the hurt of an evil tongue is so great, as that by taking away a man's good name, hereby he doth him more hurt, then if he hanged him up, seeing that according to the Proverb, an evil name is worse then an hanging. And if it be a deriding or insulting tongue over a man in misery, it is to bring him to the extremity of misery, for which Plutarch calleth this extremam improbitatis line • m, the uttermost line of dishonesty. Lavater from the observation of the fence about the tongue two two leaved doors, as it were, of our lips and teeth, noteth, how careful we should be to speak nothing corrupt or evil, and what cautelousnesse we should use in bringing our words forth, and not suffer the tongue to run before the wit, as many [Note.] do. As also in regard of this, that it is a singular gift by God given unto man above other creatures, to be able by speaking to utter his mind, and therefore take we heed, that we no way abuse this gift, but use it aright to God's glory.

Let thine eyes look right on, and thine eye-lids straight before thee. Next unto the tongue, he concludeth the instructions of his father David with that, which he chargeth him touching his eyes, which was not to look any way, but right forth, that he might go straight on with his feet in the way of God's commandments, without declining to the right hand, or to the left, as is further declared, verse. 26. and 27. by a speech taken from Deut. 5. 38. Now he looketh right on, that casteth not his eye upon any unlawful object, another man's wife to lust after her, another man's prosperous estate to envy him therefore, another man's beast, servant, house, or land, gold, or silver, or any other desirable thing to covet that; another man's fame or estimation to detract from that, wherein especially this rightly followeth that before going, against a perverse tongue. He also looketh aright, that being a Judge as David's son Solomon was to be, is without respect of persons in judging, and looketh only at the equity and righteousness of the cause brought before him, contemning, for any favor to one more then another, or for bribes, to go an hairs breadth from the way of truth in any sentence giving. Lastly, a man's eyes look right on, when he doth nothing, but having first considered it, and the way and means to effect it; for he that neglects, saith Gregory, to fore-see by consideration what he doth, extendeth his steps, but shutteth his eyes, he makes a journey by going forward, but doth not by fore-seeing go before himself, and therefore he falleth the sooner, because he attendeth not by the eyes of counsel, where to set the foot of his operation; For as a man that goeth a journey beholds the way first with his eyes, and then goeth it with his feet; so a wise man considereth the way whereby he may effect what he intendeth, and then goeth that way, not casting his eyes hither and thither, but warily looking to the said way, that he may not take another instead thereof.

Basil understanding, it as spoken of the eyes beholding right things, saith, As a man by fixing his eyes upon green herbs, or things, hath his sight refreshed, but being set upon the diseased, he is in danger to be infected with the same disease; so he that setteth his eyes upon the beauty of an Whore is infected, but he that looketh upon the wise, uttering instructions of Wisdom, is made wise to his exceeding great comfort. And again, one having set his eyes upon beauty, which he should not, an impression is hereby made in his heart, as in wax by a seal, so that although the object be gone, this impress worketh still, and illudes the mind by images.

Ponder the path of thy feet, let all thy ways be established: Having seen the right way with thine eyes, let thy feet be directed accordingly, as a man that weigheth things in balances, equally poising as it were thy steps, that thou mayest in all things walk orderly, and keep an equal pace, not sometime being too quick through preposterous zeal, and sometimes too slow through lukewarmness.

Turn not to the right hand, or the left, but keep thy foot from evil. Here by right hand, 1. Some understand prosperity, by the left hand adversity, saying, he turneth to the right hand, that is puffed up by the one, and he to the left, that is cast down by the other: 2. Some, friends and enemies, saying, He declineth to the right, that is led by favor or affection to his friend, to do injustice for his sake, and he to the left that for hatred to one, that is his enemy, doth it. 3. Some, by the right hand understand good works, by the left evil; saying, He turneth to the right, that having done good is puffed up, and taketh the praise to himself; he to the left that doth evil. 4. Augustine hath another, By turning to the right hand understand, him that saith, He hath no sin; to the left, him that is set upon all wickedness, without any fear of punishment. 5. Beda also hath another; To turn to the right is to be wiser then it becomes a man to be, That is, above that which is written, to the left, to be foolish and ignorant, not regarding knowledge. Lastly, some say, that to turn to the right is the same with that, Eccles. 7. 16. Be not wise over much, nor over foolish; That is, as is by and by expounded, Over righteous, or over wicked; and over righteous is he, that propounds more rules of holiness and righteousness then God hath propounded; and he over wicked that abridgeth them, and makes them fewer; both which the Pharisees did, they propounded more in their traditions, and abridged them in their glosses upon sundry Commandments commemorated, Matth. 5. 22. 28. 33. And after the Pharisees the Papists do, for they also propound unwritten traditions, and abridge that precept touching the Lord's Supper, Drink ye all of this, as if there were no such Scripture; Unless ye drink the blood of the Son of Man, ye have no life in you. To reckon up no more here, although they have many.

CHAP. V.

MY Son, attend to my wisdom, and bow thine ears to my understanding; Here Solomon begins another Oration, or Sermon, especially tending to make incontinency and fleshly lusts odious unto us; and in saying, Attend, and then, bow thine ears, he meaneth, Attend both with the bodily ear and the mind, as instructions most desirable to all those that would be wise. That thy lips may keep knowledge; That thou mayest be ready when temptation cometh to any incontinent action, to say with Joseph, Shall I do this evil and sin against God? thus Muffet; and it is meant also, that thou mayest have nothing in thy mouth, but tending to continency and against whoredom, for this wickedness beginneth first in the words of thy mouth, but he that keepeth knowledge in his lips, keeps himself by refraining from obscene speeches, and uttering words of distaste of this abomination, from the very first degree or beginning hereof; so Lavater; And from hence we learn, that it is necessary, as to get knowledge, so to be ready when need requireth, to utter that which may be a fence [Note.] to ourselves and others against sin, and to turn here-from, especially from the way that the whorish woman would bring us into.

Some, by thy lips keeping knowledge understand silence, whereby as in the School of Pythagoras knowledge is kept in, till that by serious meditation and study more is attained, as these words joined to the former, that thou mayest regard discretion, imply, being in the vulgar Latin rendered, That thou mayest keep cogitations; and Hebr. To keep cogitations; That is, by serious meditating upon my instructions, imprinting them in thy mind, which being done, thy lips, that is, thy speeches shall also be conformable to the same. And in saying before, that by keeping knowledge in our lips, uttering it is meant, there is no contradiction, for it is not meant of uttering, till by serious meditation attained. But keeping knowledge in our lips, indeed implieth keeping, and showing it only, and not vanity and folly by loose and corrupt talking.

For the lips of a strange woman drop as the Honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother then oil. Having made his exordium in the former words, now he cometh to the Argument of this Chapter, which is to give warning against the allurements of Harlots; and in doing this, first he showeth, how alluring they are by the show of all pleasure and joy that they shall have, who consent unto them; Secondly, that within a while all this sweetness shall be turned into bitterness. The sweetness of Honey, and the virtue of Oil, the one to the taste, the other to the limbs and sinews by suppleing them, do much affect and draw men's minds to them, if we consider what use they made of Oil anciently for the purpose aforesaid; now both these, or something like both these, is in the mouth of the Harlot, her words seem to be so sweet, and such good in the embracing of her, that if a man be not wise, to discern whether the present pleasure offered tendeth, he shall not be able to withstand her temptations.

But wisdom telleth him, that Her end is bitter like worm-wood, sharp as it two-edged sword. Thus the seeming sweetness that is in following fleshly-lusts, and satisfying them, is in a short time turned into the greatest bitterness, and the sanative virtue, as of Oil to the limbs, into a sharp sword, cutting, wounding, and killing without remedy, the silly deceived lecherous young man. But to return to each Word in particular, most significant is this saying; Her lips drop as the Honey-comb, for hereby are denoted two things;

1 That the pleasure of an Harlot is to be looked upon but as an Honey-comb taken out of the Hive, and dropping, which dropping indeed is sweet to him that licks it in for the present, but the Honey in a short time is dropped all out, and then what remaineth but a little harsh unsavory Wax, that hath no sweet taste anymore?

2 That the pleasure of an Harlot is yet more momentary, viz. no longer lasting then the sweetness of Honey in the palate of the mouth, whilst it is going down.

Again, in comparing her mouth to Oil, if it be considered, that a young man, or any carnal man by reason of the lust in him is as fire, he implieth the great danger that is in consorting with her, even as when Oil and Fire come together. Some by her lips and mouth here, understand her sweet singing, where-with her lovers are taken, because it is prophesied of Tyre, that she should sing as an Harlot; which implieth this to have been the custom of Harlots, by singing to inchant their Paramours; but if she singeth not, but frameth her speeches such a way as may be apt to allure, it is all one. Some expound it of her kisses, it may best be understood of all, both her singing, speaking, and kissing.

The Fathers most generally expound this Allegorically of human wisdom, which hath her enticing words, according to the Apostle, who saith, Not with the enticing words of man's eloquence; and this wisdom indeed may well be set forth by an Harlots bewitching the simple by her pleasing speeches, against believing the Gospel, to the destruction of their souls; For the end of this sinful pleasure being bitter like Worm-wood, it is commonly observed, that sweet things being eaten are turned into bitterness; and therefore in alluding to this, it may be taken as thus spoken: but by bitter like Worm-wood here, as in other places, that which is deadly poisonous is meant, and so the sweet speeches, singing, and kisses of the Harlot are soon turned into deadly poison. But the Physicians, as one noteth, have found out, that vinegar is a means to qualify the bitterness of Worm-wood, and to make it sweet; so bitter sorrow for this sweet sin takes away the bitterness thereof again, that a man is not now anymore endangered hereby, as by poison. And to a two-edged sharp sword is an Harlot compared, because by her, both the body is wounded as it were; and consumed to death, and the soul also.

Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell; That is, by going in the way that lust brings thee into, nothing else can be expected, but death and damnation forever; So Gal. 5. 19. having shown, that Fornication and Adultery are fruits of the flesh, he saith, They that do such things shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven; And Col. 3. 5. For which things sake the wrath of God comes upon the Children of disobedience. For the more full understanding of this, look back to chap. 2. 18, 19. where the like sayings to this and that, ver. 6. have been already opened.

Lest thou shouldst ponder the path of life; or that thou mayest not think of going in the path of life, which by following Harlots is so obscured to the eye of thy mind, that thou canst never see to turn into it, and so thou canst not be saved but perish everlastingly, as ch. 2. 19. it is said, None that go to her return again, neither take hold of the paths of life; as one that goeth down into a dark pit, cannot see the way to come out again, but as the Egyptians, plagued with three days darkness, did none of them, nor could remove out of their places; [Note.] so cannot he that goeth into an Whore-house, there is no thinking for him that he will not be so entangled, but that he will come away again, when he listeth, as many such wicked ones do; and the Philosopher going unto a Whore sometime; said, I will possess her, she shall not possess me; but this wickedness will possess thee, and hold thee to the destruction both of thy soul and body, when thou thinkest in the end to return to life, it being said to thee, and to all such as thou art, Depart ye workers of iniquity, I know you not.

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house. Even as a man that would avoid the infection of the Plague, he must this, more dangerous, and to this end keep far off, and not come nigh her door, for he that will not evil do, must do naught that belongs thereto. So Muffet, who noteth in this and the former verse two means of being kept from the danger of this sin, 1. Vers. 7. To be a diligent hearkener to the Word of God. 2. Here, not to come near an whores house. Then he addeth the reason, ver. 9.

Least thou give thy honor to others, and thy years to the cruel.

1. By going to whores thy comliness and credit are lost, wherein thy honor lieth, and now thou art counted base, and vile, and looked upon with loathing.

2. If thou committest Adultery with another man's wife, thou art in danger of being cut off by her Husbands rage through jealousy; if it be to one, a Sister, by her Brothers, as Shechem by the brethren of Dinah.

3. Vers. 10. Least strangers be filled with thy labors, and thy riches be in another man's house; For he that goeth to whores, spends like the Prodigal his patrimony upon them, yea, and if he hath by his labor gotten somewhat, it goeth thus away for a little vain and sinful pleasure.

4. Least thou mourn at the last, and say, &c. ver. 11. This sin will bring thee to misery in the greatest measure, for which thou shalt mourn, but have no remedy, when thy flesh and body are consumed. Here he showeth one cause that the Adulterer shall have to mourn, viz. for the wasting of his body and strength, by diseases coming through his incontinency; and ver. 14. he showeth another; I was almost in the midst of the congregation in all evil; That is, saith Arboreus, This makes me sorrow the more, because I was carried away almost to all manner of wickedness in the midst of the Church; That is, of Doctors and Teachers, by whom I had admonitions to fly wickedness, given me from time to time, so that I cannot for the extenuating of my sins say, that I was ignorant, or knew not, how great and dangerous an evil this was. And this the Whoremonger is brought in speaking, his flesh and body being consumed, and he now in a weak estate, and ready to die, as was said before, ver. 11. and he now upon this crying [Note.] out against himself, that he was so desperately ungracious, as not to hearken to the instructions of his teachers; which should be a warning to all wicked persons more to regard holy instructions, to be kept hereby from misery coming by sin, by being turned there from before it be too late. And hereby is intimated, that this doth not a little aggravate the sins of Christians, that they live under means [Note.] of holy and zealous teaching, as the wickedness of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are aggravated, Matth. 11. and chap. 12. and of the Jews in general, Joh. 3. 16. Joh. 15. 22.

Touching the two words here used, Congregation, and Assembly, or Church, Arboreus saith, That one did set forth the Synedrion, or Congregation of the seventy, the other the assembly of all the faithful, to pray, and hear the Word in the public places consecrated for this purpose. But to say something more of all things in particular, from ver. 8. Remove thy way far off from her; That is, fly from her, as Joseph did from his Mistress. This, as Augustine saith, speaking upon that, 1 Cor. 6. 18. Fly fornication, is a kind of suffering Martyrdom; For although these, saith he, be times of peace, yet they are times of suffering martyrdom, for he that flieth fornication, is a Martyr, his members upon earth are thus mortified, and by the Spirit he mortifieth the flesh, and shall live, and be crowned with glory. He that thus slyeth, fighteth no less valiantly, then he that sighteth in the face of the enemy, and therefore it is no shame, but a praise; for the honor by adultery given to another, this is by the disgrace which a man thus doth to himself; according to which Cyprian saith, An Harlot bringeth a man to manifold destructions, by infinite disgraces, and they are called infinite, because the disgrace thus coming, is never amongst men worn away again to his dying day; for the next words, thy years to the cruel: Some hereby understand the woman that is an harlot, of whom Chrysost. saith, That she is of all beasts the most cruel in inveighing against Herodias for asking John Baptists head; for the next words, v. 10. Strangers being filled with thy wealth, the Vulg. with thy strength, is likewise Heb. wealth is meant, because that herein lieth a man's strength, or might, as the word is also used, Hos. 7. Job 30. Esa. 3.

Chrysost. To express the consumption of a man's wealth upon harlots, calleth them the quicksands, and rocks of Patrimonies, which Fulgentius further prosecuting, saith, That the Poets feign Scylla one of the great Rocks of the sea to have been an Harlot, that casting her self into the sea, was turned into a most dangerous Rock, splitting and drowning the ships that are beaten upon her; so very great and rich ships of Patrimonies are dashed in pieces, and perish. For the words v. 11. And thou mourn at the last, the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifieth to roar, and in using it he alludeth to a Lion being ready to starve for hunger, and roating out therefore; so that the extreme poverty, to which the Whoremonger is brought in the end, is hereby denoted, And thy flesh and body be consumed; For as Physicians note, the brain thus wasted, and the spina dorsi, the moisture in the nerves, the back is weakened, the eyes made dim, the belly pained, the reins, the teeth, the loins, the heart, the liver, the breast, the bladder, and the feet, according to Galen, Hippocrates, Avicen, Cornel. Celsus, and divers others. Lastly, for the words v. 14. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation. Some by evil understanding sin, as hath been said before; by the congregation, will have the company of evil persons meant; some, as if he said, I was a publicly noted sinner. Others, by evil understanding the Devil, say, I was amongst the devils of hell, as it were, although I lived amongst men. Lastly, others by evil understanding misery, I was in all misery, whereinto my inordinate life brought me; and for the word almost, they understand it of a short time; as if he had said, I was soon brought to all manner of misery, which arrideth me most, but for the evil here spoken of, we may best understand sin and misery; and from the exposition of the Congregation, I think it not good to recede from the first.

Drink waters out of thine own cesterne, and running waters out of thine own well. Here after a serious charge given against whoredom, a remedy is prescribed, by being fully satisfied with a man's own wife, whom he hath singularly once chosen, and vowed forsaking all others to cleave only to her. As he that hath a Well of his own, which as he hath professed, seemed to him the best and most delectable of all others, cares not for going out to fetch water to drink elsewhere, because his own is best; so he that hath a wife should be so delighted in her love, as to be fully satisfied herewith at all times as long as she liveth, setting light by all other women in comparison of her; see somewhat like this. Eccl. 9. 9. and the Poet Ovid seemeth to have taken that which he writeth from hence. That thirst wherewith thou burnest, thou must fill here we yield, that thou mayest drink out of the midst of the river, and enjoy thy own wench always without the control of any man. In these words is a manifest allowance of Matrimony, as a remedy against whoredom, so 1 Cor. 7. 1. Heb. 13. 4. being restrained to some, but extended to all men that have not the gift of continency.

And Cyprian writing of chastiry, and ascribing to the unmarried the first degree thereof, yieldeth that the second is of the married, when every man keeps him to his own wife, and every woman to here own husband. So that it is Antichristian to inhibit Clergy-men from marriage, and devilish, as may be gathered from 1 Tim. 4. 1. 3. For the setting forth of a wife by the similitude of waters, Lavater saith, that heathen writers do the like, as Hesiod. saying, A man goeth not over a river, but having first poured out his prayers to the gods: whereby Johan. Grammat. understandeth, that it is meant of a wife, with whom a man must not may not come together, but prayers being first offered up to God for the sanctifying of the marriage: Plutarch saith, that anciently at marriages they used water and fire, the one to signify the fervent heat of the desire both of the man to the woman, and of the woman to the man, the other to signify their coming together in marriage to be a means, as by water, of quenching this fire. There is the like in a man drawn after whores and in the whore, for there is also fervent heat of lust, but there is not the like effect of water, for hereby the fire is so far from being allayed as that it burneth the more, as water cast upon brimstone on fire, it burneth the more, according to which August. speaking of it saith, Their lust is brimstone, it burneth very much, and cannot be extinguished, Esa. 51. 1. it is said, Look to the hole of the pit from whence ye were digged; where the word rendered pit is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth a woman, so that a woman, if we look to the denomination of her name is not unaptly set forth by a Pit or Well of water; or as Chrysost. noteth, to a Cistern into which no water cometh but from above, so Sarah spoken of by this name was not fruitful, but by the singular blessing of God coming down from heaven, and hereby any wife is made as a Cistern of running waters, or a Well issuing out by children, as followeth Vers. 16.

Let thy fountain be dispersed abroad, and rivers of water in the streets; which is spoken of children brought forth and well educated, and so coming forth, afterwards being profitable members of the Commonwealth, of whom others have joy, as they that dwell in hot and dry places, of springs of water coming out. And that when it is thus, it is by God's blessing as is shown, v. 18. But it is to be noted, that here are two words used 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendered Cistern, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Well, intimating that through the blessing of God, the wife, who is as a Cistern without water, is made a Well full of water, and issuing out from generation, to generation into multitudes as God pleaseth, and we may see in Abraham's wife Sarah, whose children's children increased so mightily both in Egypt and afterwards: Whereas some by Cistern here understand worldly goods, as if the charge given were to make use of a man's own, and not either by oppression, or theft, or deceit, to take other men's, it is not to the purpose here, the argument in hand being nothing tending to this, but to commend continency, and to make a man out of love with sinful lusts after harlots. But whereas others by this Cistern, or Well understand the Spirit of God speaking in his word, and by these waters good and true instructions drawn from thence, whereunto every faithful soul hath a thirsting desire: I cannot, but approve of this as a fit and profitable allegorical interpretation: According to this then, drink waters out of thine own Cistern, is, as if he had said, Drink not in pudly and venomous instructions out of the muddy ditches and ponds of heretics that derive them from their own addle brains, trust not every spirit to be lead hereby, but out of the clear fountain of the Scriptures, which God hath given thee, and his Spirit speaking therein for thy guide. Gregor. Thou that art a Preacher, having a fountain of waters, which from thee flow forth to others, drink thereof thyself, teach thyself first, and then teach thy congregation, and then do thy waters come forth rightly into the streets, and are dispersed as followeth, v. 16. If this allegory from waters to the Scriptures be followed, by the harlot likewise the heretical Synagogue is to be understood, and all things spoken before touching her accordingly to be applied, as they may well be.

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, &c. This is to be understood either of bestowing children in marriage, about which parents ought to be careful, when they observe their inclinations, and not let them go as waters that run down an hill without a channel, but being kept within bounds, as waters running in channels made for them in the street, or of their placing them so, as that they may follow one, one honest Trade, and another, another; or of their children's coming forth after them in public places, they being nothing ashamed to be known to be their parents, as adulterers and harlots are, but glorying in them, as being rightly bred and brought up in a virtuous, and good course of life.

Let them be thine, and thine only, &c. Here some go on again, as before, expounding this of worldly goods, as if a man were hereby warned not to communicate them to others, either Bauds or Whores; but others understand them of a man's wife, as if direction were given to keep a vigilant eye over her, that she may have no starting hole left whereby to go aside to others, that so the children which she bringeth forth, may freely be thine own; some, of a man's so keeping him to his own wife being virtuous, as that he may not by consorting with an harlot be necessitated to bring up and provide for children begotten of her, as well as for his own, which may indeed be the children of another man, as well as his, we may take it both these last ways, and so we shall have the full meaning.

Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Here the imparative may be taken for the future, as amongst the Heb. it is the second future, thy fountain, that is, thy wife then shall be blessed by being made fruitful, as Psal. 127. where having spoken of the blessing upon one that feareth God, it is said further to show wherein this blessing should lie, Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, and thou shalt rejoice in the wife of thy youth; that is, thou living in chaff wedlock with her, the joy and pleasure which thou hast in her shall continue even when she is old, and thou also, as if she and thou were both still young, such difference shall there be betwixt keeping thee to her only, and going after a harlot, the one being old, thou shalt loath, as by whom thy health and wealth being wasted, but still always love the other, as by whom rather both have been preserved, as Gallen teacheth, That Venery moderately used with a man's own wife, doth avail to the preservation of the health and strength of the body, to set forth which Pausanias, that the Spartans had a Picture of Venus married with this superscription, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 deferring old age, as meaning that marriage doth not hasten, but defer old age, so that man married be wise to moderate, and not to follow his lusts.

Let her be as the loving hind, and pleasant roe, &c. As the Buck is taken with the love of the Hind so, as that leaving the rest of the herd of Deere, he followeth her from place to place, so let thy wife be to thee: Thus Muffet and Lavater, either as the Hind for her great love to her young, and the Roe for the love thereof to the damme; or as great men love the flesh of these beasts, and extraordinarily delight in keeping them: I prefer the first, understanding both by the Hind and the Roe, the same female of the Buck, because it is Heb. a feminine, and not the love betwixt the damme, and the young, can be thought a fit similitude to set forth the love that should be betwixt a man and his wife, but betwixt the male and the female. And amongst all other creatures, it is taken from the Buck, and the Hind his female, because the Buck is observed to be most ardently set upon his love, and is most impatient of any corrival. Some looking at the docibility of the Hind, and how easily she may be tamed being young, think this to be respected here, as implying also the tractability of a good wife, being easily brought to conform her self to the manners of her husband, and this he must endeavor to do betimes, whilst she is young, it being vain to attempt it afterwards, as to make an Hind tame, that is now past an hinnula, as the Roe is in that called: For her breasts delighting thee always, hereby is meant the embraces of her, Vulg. Let them inebriate thee; that is, fill thee so, as wine or strong drink, wherein one delighteth so as not to desire any other, and this must be always to the end of her life, and not only whilst she is young and beautiful. And therefore it stands a man in hand when he taketh a wife to think upon this, that he may not be lead by wealth, or blind affection to beauty, but make the fear of the Lord his loadstone, which will not draw for a time but always retain the same virtue to hold the thing touched herewith, and the iron together.

And why wilt thou (my Son) be ravished with a strange woman? Here Solomon laboreth yet further in dissuading from intanglement with an harlot, from this consideration, That every man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his paths, as Psal. 139. So that if any one shall slatter himself, thinking that it shall not be known, he will go so secretly to work, he shall be herein deceived, for nothing that he doth can be hidden from God; and when he seeth such abominations, he doth not presently pass them over, but pondereth them; That is, weigheth the foulness of the fact, as a Judge, before whom Cases come, and Malefactors, and so giveth sentence against all the wicked, the officers employed to apprehend them being their own sins, of which he saith, ver. 22. That they shall lay hold upon him as Serjeants, or Bailiffs, to Arrest him, and carry him to prison, and as a Jailor binding him there, as it were with cords and setters, and so keeping him fast till the day of Judgment; as it is said of the evil Angels, that they are kept in chains of darkness till then.

And when that time cometh, He shall die for want of instruction; That is, because he regarded it not, to be moved hereby to take heed of the abomination before-said, but against it hardened himself, to wander on in his great folly, and so in the way leading to destruction, being herein a very fool, as the event shall prove; although he thought himself wise, and cunning enough to take his pleasure, and yet to keep out of danger. For the eyes of God beholding wickedness committed in secret, see Syracides, c. 23. and Seneca, and Bernard exhorting lascivious persons to think upon Cato, or Laetius, or some other grave Senator beholding them, and if this would strike a fear into them, to think upon God's presence will do it much more. Hereby the Heathen used to dissuade and terrify from sin, by saying, The gods behold and see thee, as Hesrod. And David found it to be so by experience, when he so secretly committed this soul sin of Adultery.

Tertuliian compareth an Adulterer going in the dark to his Whore to an Ostridge. which hath a great body, but if his head be hidden in bushes he is secure, thinking because he seeth nobody, that nobody can see him; The like doth the Doterell in England, for his sins laying hold upon him, and binding him as cords, one saith well; That not only the guiltiness of sin is as cords to his conscience, which looks upon the sinner as bound, like a prisoner, being ready to come in against him when God will, to charge him there-with; but the sins themselves are as cords, or fetters, binding the sinner that delighteth herein, and will not be warned, so fast, that he cannot get loose there-from anymore, till that hereby he be yielded up to death without remedy; wherefore Isaiah compareth s • nes to cords, and Cart-ropes, saying, Woe to them that draw on iniquity with Cart-ropes, &c. And again, Lest your bands, That is, the bands of your sins be made strong by your continuing in sin against all admonitions. For the last words, He shall die, &c. they follow most aptly after these promises, being taken, as if he had said; He thinketh haply to come out of these cords when he will, as having a long time yet to live, but this his imagination deceiveth him at the last, death bodily preventeth him, and so departing without repentance he dieth un-instructed, and after the bodily, immediately followeth the [Note.] death of the soul for evermore. To express which trust of his to a longer life, the Sept. hath it; He is cast down out of the multitude of his life; the life of which he thought that there had been many days to come, fails him before he is aware of it, and so he perisheth. And thus shall it be with all that persist in sin against instruction, upon hope to live to repent afterwards.

CHAP. VI.

THis Chapter containeth many good instructions, and warnings against divers Sins, and against Adultery also, which hath been so much inveighed against before; And,

First, He giveth warning against Surety-ship, whereby many men unadvisedly run a great hazard to their worldly estate, and sometimes to their utter undoing, in ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. wherein both warning is given here against, and direction what to do in case that a man be thus entangled, viz. To seek with all diligence by all means to be delivered again; as the timorous Roe, or young Hind, or the Bird in a Net, who being in such danger take no rest, till they be again at liberty; no more should a Surety, but partly by importuning his friend, for whom he is Surety, to keep touch, and to pay the Debt, that he may not be damnified, and partly by entreating the Creditor to spare him, and to exact his Debt of the Debtor. If it be demanded here, whether all Surety-ship be not forbidden? I answer no, but circumspection herein is prescribed, that a man may not be taken hereby, as it were in a Net, for Paul was Surety to Philemon for Onesimus; and the Wise man saith, An honest man is surety for his neighbor, but an impudent man leaveth him; And yet, ver. 19. he saith, A wicked man falleth into Surety-ship; as if it were by a Judgment upon him, that any man becometh a Surety: but the scope of all is to show, 1. That Surety-ship for any man may have danger in it, and therefore is generally to be taken heed of by those that would live comfortably in the world, of which it was last spoken, chap. 5. showing that to this end he must keep constant to his own Wife, and not be allured by Harlots.

Now aptly followeth another Charge against Surety-ship, the which will otherwise interrupt the joy of the Married, when a man must either pay another's Debt to his great hindrance, or go to prison; therefore hence comes the Proverb, Sponde, noxa prope, Be Surety, and hurt is near. For the goods of this world are uncertain, so that he who hath wealth now, and where withal to satisfy his Creditor, may soon become so poor, as not to be able to do it, and then the Surety is looked after; It is therefore here meant, that a man should not undertake, 1. For such as by evil courses bring themselves to poverty. 2. When for an honest man, not to engage himself very deep, to be sure, not beyond his own present ability; so that although he be forced to pay, yet he may have where withal to live still. For thus to help a poor man that is in distress, by being in Debt, through the hard-heartedness of the Creditor, is to do a great act of charity; and rich men are to be encouraged to undertake, and if need be to pay also in this case; but if otherwise thou hast inconsiderately undertaken, know that thou art in danger, and therefore do as hath been said before, and seeking to the Creditor for mercy, humble thyself, and be not stout, so shalt thou come off with the less loss, which because some Sureties will not do, they are forced to suffer all extremity.

Beda, Gregory, Chrysostom, Tho. Aquin. and Bernard, by the Surety here, allegorically understand the Pastor, who taking a charge of souls upon him undertaketh for them, so that he had need to be very careful, lest any perishing now through his neglect, or default, God, who is yet a friend, touch not being kept with him, become a Stranger, and accordingly proceed against him with rigor, according to Bernard, who saith, God is a friend in thy undertaking, but a stranger in calling thee to an account. And Gregory, To be Surety for thy friend, is to put the danger of another man's soul upon thy conversation, for before thou begannest to be a Preacher unto him, thou wert free, now by thy own words thou art bound, because he that speaks good words to others is first bound to keep them himself, and if he doth not, he is entangled; and it is just with God to exact so much good of thee, as thou hast commanded and required of others. And Chrysostom saith, The Rector must give account of all men, women, and children committed to him, wherefore he bringeth so great a sine upon his head, that I marvel how any Rector can be saved: but this is spoken more to terrify, and to stir up to circumspection, then to determine; for so it were enough to discourage any man from this office, and so to make the people Pastorlesse; whereas St. Paul encourageth hereunto, saying. He that desireth the office of a Bishop, desireth a worthy work.

Go to the Pismire thou sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom. Having given a charge against one great evil, namely Surety-ship, tending so much to the prejudice of the married in respect of thriving; now he giveth warning against another and that is Idleness; and he propoundeth the little Ant for an example of industry and providence, as if he had said; If the examples of holy men, and their increase in worldly wealth by industry, and the decree of God, that man should get his bread with the sweat of his brows, will not move thee, yet be moved in considering the industry, wit, and providence of this little Creature, of which Pliny writeth; That with often passing and repassing, they wear tracks even in Rocks. And Aristotle, That they gather up and carry Corn shed, being upon the ground, greater then themselves, and when they have brought it to their barbour, they divide it, that it may not grow again, and so be made unuseful for them, and being thus divided by gnawing it asunder, they observe fair days to lay it out into the Sun to dry, that it may not grow musty.

To these Pismires we are sent, (because of them many things may, and ought to be learned, and we need not to go far to see them and their doings;

1. We may learn by their wearing the very way where they go, although [Note.] stony hard, through often going, so as that furrows be as it were made therein; That nothing is so difficult, but by labor we may overcome.

2. By their keeping to one track, one following after another, to keep all of us to the same way and straight path of virtue, and never to go out of it.

3. If they having no King nor Leader do thus, much more the people living under Teachers, and Leaders, ought to do so, and being destitute of such at any time, not yet to desist; and that everyone, as there is none of them but travelleth, •• d laboreth thus, all the time that they can labor.

Thus Chrysostom, Ambrose, and Basil apply this Similitude, praising from hence industry, and providence in our worldly Callings; but Augustine not only so, but also applying it spiritually, saith, We should learn of the Pismire in the summer of our prosperity, whilst we enjoy the means, to gather grains of consolation into the closets of our breasts, hiding them there against the winter of adversity, and then we shall have in secret within us where-with to be supported, and ••• pine and famish for want of spiritual repast.

Basil, and Cyril, by the grains to be gathered, understand Alms, which are laid up in Heaven, the benefit whereof they shall have that are charitable when the time cometh, that will be more terrible to the uncharitable, then any hardest winter. Clemens Alexand. saith, That the Heathen Poets thought it nothing derogatory from Jupiter, to tell, That he turned himself into the likeness of a Pismire; and of Endimidosa begat the Myrmidons: hereupon some liken Christ to this little Creature, saying, That to him we are mystically sent to learn, and do as our duty requireth; For as the Pismire consisteth of two parts, like Globuses joined together in the midst; so Christ of two Natures; and as the hinder part is as it were dragged upon the earth after the fore part, but that is more erect, so Christ's Humanity by his Divinity; Thus divers wits make divers applications: but I rest in the former, only let me add one thing more out of Jerome; That Pismires, when one amongst them is dead, carry it forth orderly and bury it.

And one Antizoes further saith, That in doing this none but black appear, if any red or yellow chanceth to come amongst them, they fall upon it and tear it in pieces. Whither these things be true or no, Penes authors fides esto. The scope of this place is by the example of the Pismire to stir men and women up to labor, and to fly idleness. 2. To do this in time. 3. To be provident for time to come, keeping some-what, as we say, for a black winter.

Touching labor and industry; For laboring in our callings, not only the-holy Scriptures condemn the idle and flothfull, and straitly forbid this sin, but also men led only by the light of nature, as Lavater showeth. Draco the Lawgiver of the Athenians, adjudged the idle, and such as would not work, to die. The Areopagites also punished the ilde, and suffered none amongst them, but such as being from time to time examined could show that they had a trade of life wherein they labored to get their living; and the Massilians did the like: And good reason, because of idleness come many soul and gross sins, fleshly unleannesse, as was proved even in David, according to that saying, Otia si tollas, periere Cupidinis arcus.

2. Theft, lying, fraud, and deceit: for he that is in want, will rather steal, or cozen, or cheat, then starve, and he that liveth in idleness cannot but want, as it followeth v. 11

Thy poverty comes as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

3. All sin, that the devil by his suggestions shall attempt to draw a man to, because idleness is his advantage, continual labor keeps off his assaults, as Jerome showeth well, saying, Pray, and when thou art weary of praying, read, and after reading labor, be always doing something that is good, that the devil coming and not finding thee idle, may not be able to fasten any temptation upon thee.

4. Besides the sins caused by idleness to the hurt of the soul, much evil also cometh hereby to the body, and the outward state, of one of which is expressly spoken v. 11. as hath been already noted; and another is, that the body is hereby corrupted, and so a foundation of sickness and death is laid, according to another saying,

2. For providence and saving that which a man hath gotten, the Pismire doth so, and likewise the Be, which the Sept. Tr. bringeth in here also: and as August. noteth, Christ himself had a bag, wherein the money brought in unto him was kept to be afterwards laid out, as need should require; so also 1 Tim. 5. 8. whereas he saith, Care not for tomorrow, and consider the fowls of the air which have no storehouses, &c. His meaning is, not to beat down lawful providence, and frugal keeping the remainder of a man's goods for afterwards, but distracting cares, as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth, when one is anxiously solicitous about the means of living afterwards, being distrustful of God's providing for him, whereby a man greatly wrongeth his providence, which is over lesser things, and therefore much more over him, as made after his own image; for Joseph is set forth for an example of that providence before spoken of, and it is plainly commended to us in the Pismire, who provideth her meat in Summer against Winter; yet it is a false collection, which Adimantus the Manichean made from hence, for the justification of covetous hoarding up of worldly treasures, against which August. writeth, confuting him by this, That the charge given here, is spiritually to be understood, as hath been said before, but this, saith he, Adimantus not understanding, inferreth hereupon, that the Scripture is contrary to it self, that of Christ to this of Solomon; but the best reconciliation of these places hath been already shown.

For the third, that time must taken whilst it is, to do that which a man hath to do either for body or soul: to this tendeth the saying, Whilst years and strength suffer, take pains, old age will soon come on, and then thou canst not; and again, Time is hairy on the forehead, and so to be laid held upon, but bald behind, so that if th •• dost not now labor, afterwards it will be too late. He then, that will do wisely must both in youth labor, that he may have wherwithall to live when he is old, and having gotten something, not to fall from his diligence and providence to live idly and prodigally, but using the like industry and providence as long as he is able to his lives end. And in youth he must remember his Creator, beginning as Josiah and Timothy, betimes to fear God. Esau coming for his fathers blassing too late lost it, and many shall strive to enter in and shall not be able, if the Master of the house hath shut to his doors, and be gone to bed. If the Ant or Be should not labor the former part of the year, but defer going out to seek provision to live upon till the coming on of Winter, they must needs starve then, and die; so he that in the time of his youth and strength, gathereth not for his soul, at [Note.] the approach of death, shall be destitute of that whereby he should live forever, and so be shut out, as the foolish Virgins, that went then to get oil in their lamps, but all in vain.

And touching laboring in youth, and providing even in respect of these worldly things, for afterwards; there be certain considerations which may make any man so to do, as namely either that he may then by some infirmity be disabled, or by sickness, which may continue long upon him, or his Trade, or course of life, may fail him▪ or lastly, times of scarcity may come, wherein it will not suffice, which he shall be able to get at that time to maintain him, therefore let everyone, whilst he is young, and hath strength, use the industry and providence before spoken of, as also that he may be the better able to bear the charges of wife and children, which may haply also then be much greater, and let none wastefully spend what by labor, or otherwise they have gotten, lest misery betide them in the end, when they shall have most need of this worlds goods. But let no man on the other side, that is addicted to the gathering of worldly goods, take advantage hence, to say, That if he, like the Pismire, give himself wholly to follow the world, and gather, none can blame him, although as some others, he goeth not so much to Sermons, or spends no time in prayer, and reading of the word. For although all diligence in the works of our callings only be commended to us here, and nothing be said expressly of any industry likewise to be used to get spiritual riches, yet both ch. 3. and 4. we are first and chiefly exhorted hereunto under the name of wisdom, and he is conversant about the chief merchandise of the world, in getting that which is better then gold, and most precious stones, that laboreth to get wisdom into his heart, and this is •• e true fear of God, as is taught, Job 28. 28.

A naughty person, a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth, Heb. A man of Belial; That is, who casteth off the yoke, that lives licentiously. Having stirred up to diligence by the example of the Pismire, and threatened poverty and want to the idle, now most aptly he subjoineth an invective against such licentious ones, as, say the Wiseman what he can, will live still in idleness and sensuality, and so being brought to poverty, are bold to run into all manner of sin.

1. Froward speeches, that is, such as are prohibited in the word of God, oaths, curses, perjuries, blasphemies, railings, corrupt and filth communication, profane, and vain talk of all sorts; for froward speeches are contrary to right, and those are right which be according to the rule of righteousness, the word of God, wherefore they are froward that be contrary.

2 When the wicked are so curbed, that they durst not speak with their mouths, then they speak with their feet, wink with their eyes, teach with their fingers; that is, by all these their members they make what signs they can to show the malignity of their hearts.

3. If neither by outward signs they dare express themselves, yet they are of evil and perverse hearts, and although the evil thoughts here break not out, yet they defile a man.

4. They make contention, and machinate mischief at all times; that is, they are studying how to circumvent, and to do mischief to the righteous without ceasing night and day, both whilst these righteous persons live, and when they are dead, as experience hath often taught. And for contention stirring up, this is verified in their stirring up of wars betwixt those of the same Nation, and for the rooting out of the faithful, and it is a black brand of men most corrupt in heart, that they practice and devise the making of contention betwixt one neighbor, and another continually.

Lastly, for all this he showeth what shall come unto them, Destruction shall suddenly come unto them; this shall be the end of all licentious livers, neither shall any of them ever be delivered again. The Vulg. rendereth the word Belial, here Apostate, one that falleth away, but I see no reason to go from the former reading, since the word Apostate doth imply one that hath formerly embraced the truth, but now is fallen from it.

About speaking with his feet, teaching with his fingers, &c. I find divers Expositions made by divers; Gregory, whom Beda followeth, and Bernard expound it only in general, that he showeth by the inordinate motion of all these parts of the body, the great wickedness, either pride, or incontinency, or dissimulation that is in him. Lyra, he winketh with his eyes, that is upon the whorish woman in complying with her. He teareth with his feet, for so the Vulg. renders it, Heb. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fignifying cutting off, but he expounds it of wearing evil and filthy ways by often going in them, as foot-paths are worn: He speaketh with his singer, by putting it out proudly showing what he would have done, but without discretion or choice. But the word rendered speaking is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 teaching, as in N. Tran. But Cajetan, He winkes with his eye, thus dissembling to him, whom he meaneth to hurt but showing that mind to his complices; He tears with his feet, when by stamping, herewith he showeth that he would have them, against whom, brought under his feet; He speaks with his fingers, he arrongateth so much knowledge to himself as to be able to point at the meaning with his finger, most exactly determining touching anything. So that according to Cajet. three vices are here denoted out, 1. Dissimulation; 2. Cruelty; 3. Pride, and self-conceitedness. Some expound all this of dissimulation only. Lastly, some by winking with the eye say, that divers things are set forth; 1. Fearfulnesse, for such as Pliny noteth, wink much. 2. Foolishness, for the foolish do likewise. 3. Dissimulation, for which conniving is commonly used for dissembling. 4. Lasciviousnesse and pride, as Esa 3. the proud daughters of Jerusalem are said to walk with haughty eyes and stretched out necks, tinkling with their feet. 5. Derision in way of indignation, and hatred, as Psal. 35. They hated me without a cause, and winked with their eyes. 6. Assentation or flattery. Again, by speaking or tearing with the feet, is set forth either an applause given to that which is spoken by another, so Cicero; or according to the use at this day, a dislike by stamping with the feet, shown. 2. Giving a sign with the foot by one wicked man's secretly treading upon the foot of another. 3. Stately and pompous going forth. Lastly, teaching with the fingers is either showing by the lifting up of the hand a consent, or in way of scorn, or derision, or by signs giving the fingers what one would have done. Many ways then, whereby the wicked express the great wickedness that is in them, are here set forth, when they do not plainly utter anything with their tongues, but hereby it is shown, that even these inordinate motions of the members coming from [Note.] an evil heart, are abominable before God, and the wicked shall be judged therefore.

Arboreus, keeping to Vulg. Translation an apostate, saith, That an heretical teacher, who is fallen, from the true faith, is here set forth in his colors, He wink; with his eyes, by looking disdainfully, tears with his feet, by proudly setting his steps in a composed manner, and speaks with his singers, petulantly stretching them in acting his part, as if he went beyond all others: yet all pointing with the finger, is not here condemned, nor all beckning with the hand, or stretching the hands out in teaching: for John the Baptist pointed out Christ with the finger, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, and Paul beckned with the hand to procure silence, whilst spake, and the Lord saith, I have stretched out my hands all the day long to a stiff-necked and gain-saying people.

Six thing doth the Lord hate, the seventh is an abomination to him, a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, an heart devising wicked imaginations, feet that run to mischief, a false witness, and him that soweth discord amongst brethren. Touching pride, this is first named, because it was the first sin, against which the wrath of God was provoked both by the Angels that fell, and by Adam and Eve, and still God despiseth, and is ready to pull down all that be proud, and hath done it from time to time, as Pharaoh, Sennacharib, Nebuchadnezzar, and Herod, with many more. And for the coherence of these words with the former, it is to be noted, that he beginneth with haughty eyes, and then goeth to the hands, that shed innocent blood, and after this to the feet, that run to every evil way, as before he had taxed these three members for the wickednesses hereby expressed: From whence it seemeth most probable (whatsoever conjectures have been before delivered) that haughty eyes are the winking eyes there spoken of the feet tearing, such as go to evil, the fingers or hands speaking or teaching, are the hands shedding blood; for thus as by a lively voice with his hands, the murderer speaketh and teacheth, how desperately wicked and sinful he is, although he saith nothing. And so he fitly resumeth the same argument again after the laying open of such wicked persons, and what remediless destruction they should come to, here showing how odious they are to God, so that none other end can be expected by them; and as he there censured the froward tongue, and the heart machinating evil cogitations also; so here the lying tongue, and the false witness, speaking lies with his tongue, to the doing of greatest mischief, are mentioned as two other of the six things hated by the Lord, and then such an heart.

Lastly, as there he is said to make dissention, so here, to make it amongst brethren, and this seventh, as an abomination, the Lord's soul is said in special to abhor, for this is the Heb: expression, and so the Vulg. renders it, wherein yet a soul is but improperly ascribed to him, nothing else being hereby meant, but as in New Translation, to him, and it is so spoken, because men use commonly so to speak, when they would show the greatest detestation of anything.

Next unto the haughty eyes, followeth a lying tongue; the first God hateth, because so diametrically opposite unto him: for man to be elate is in effect to equalize himself to God, who only is high and excellent, and expects that all men should look lowly before him, as if a subject should set him up a throne by his Kings throne, as proud Lucifer is accused to have done.

The second God hateth, because man being his creature, and made after God's image, is by lying made like the devil.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood, for this is a breach of the first express law of God given after the Flood, He that sheddeth the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, and the reason is rendered, For after the image of God made be him. God tenders his image as his glory, for so man is said to be the image and glory of God: kill a man then and strike at God's glory, and destroy that; therefore most heinous must this needs be, yet not all shedding of man's blood, but of the innocent. But of killing see more upon Command. 6. in my Catechism.

4. The heart devising evil, if thou breakest not out into murder, yet if thy heart be bent to cruelty through the hatred that is in thee, and thou studiest how to be revenged upon him, whom thou hatest, as all the malicious do, God hateth thee for this, for he seeth into the heart, and this hatred, and these malicious plottings are murder before him, although they never come into act, for which it is said, He that hates his brother is a murder. A point to be considered by them, that account [Note.] their thoughts as no sins, so that they never do, as they in their minds devise, yet this toucheth not those, that have evil thoughts come into their minds, for which they are humbled, and whereof they heartily repent; For God doth not hate, but pardon such, and to this he labors to bring us all by declaring how he hateth the very imaginations of the heart, if they be evil.

5. The feet that run to mischief, for this commonly followeth after mischievous imaginations in the mind, to go to this or that evil, to commitadultery, fornication, theft, idolatry, or any other, as going to Wizards, or Witches in time of sickness or loss: So that under this, all other foul sins are comprehended, besides those before and after named. There needs not then any question to be moved here, as Lavater doth, whether these be all the grossest sins that are, and answereth no, but these are specified, because by worldly men not accounted so great, which cannot hold, because no sin is even amongst such counted greater then murder, and false witnessing. But this Query is prevented, if thy feet running to mischief, or to evil▪ as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth, we understand any other notorious wickedness, as hath been said.

6. A false witness, that speaketh lies, this is an higher degree of sin, then bare lying, as tending to the overthrowing and undoing of men! so that a Common-wealth is by false Witnesses over-thrown, and the well being of any State; for which, false Witnesses are by God adjudged to bear the same punishment, that he should have done against whom they came, to the loss of goods life, or liberty; for in witnessing before those, to whom the power of Judicature is committed, false Witnesses do not only lie, but swear falsely, against which God's curse as a great flying book is prepared.

7 The sower of dissention amongst brethren; That is, the Tale-bearer, and Back-biter, the evil counselor stirring up the Prince against his Subjects or them against him; the husband against the wife, Parents against their children the wife, children, or servants, against husband, father, or master; one kinsman or friend, or neighbor against another; for the word Brethren is not to be restrained to those that come of the same parents, but to be extended to the whole Church, or Nation, where the truth is embraced, as Abraham said to Lot, We are brethren; and the Kings subjects are said to be his brethren, Deut. 17. See also, Matth. 23. 8. 1 Joh. 3. Matth. 18. &c. the Tale-bearer then, that by telling to one what another said of or against him, soweth the seed of dissention and is of all other sinners an abomination to the Lord, and so are all incendiaties to strife and war, by counseling, commanding, or compelling thereunto; for sowing dissention any way is a sowing of the seed of blood-shed, and that not of a few but many times of thousands, so that such are greater sinners then the shedder of the blood of one, or two, of which it was spoken before; yea, if a man be but a Tale-bearer, he is said to stand against the blood of his neighbor. But it is to be noted, that he saith not contention amongst any, but brethren; for otherwise Christ sowed dissention, when by his coming the Father was against the Son, and the Son against the Father, the Mother against the Daughter &c. It is therefore to be understood, that there are some with whom we are not to have peace, as the [Note.] Israelites might not with the Canaanites; That is, Apostates, that fall away from the truth, sometime received and held in the Church of God, when the greatest light shined therein, as did in the Apostles days; and dissention with such is not here taxed, or in any other place, but rather commended and required, as Jud. Epist. where he writeth to Christians to contend for the Faith; and touching the Whore of Babylon, it is said, Render to her double, according to that which she hath done in shedding the blood of the Saints: and the Word of God riding out upon a white Horse, and Armies of God following after, kill and slay abundantly.

The Levites also are called to go with their swords among Apostate Brethren, that had so foully sinned with the golden Calf, and to kill and slay them, without sparing their nearest Kinsmen, and are therefore afterwards blessed. See also, Deut. 13. Wherefore the Papists cannot justly object against us, the Ministers of the reformed Religion, That we are sowers of dissention, because by our teaching so great a breach is made in the Church, and so much fighting and blood-shed hath followed hereupon, for the foundation of this dissention was long ago laid by their Apostasy from the Truth to so many gross errors, whereof there is no ground in the Apostles writings; for they to whomsoever these are discovered, are bound to quit themselves from them, whatsoever followeth thereupon, and for so doing cannot be counted sowers of the dissensions that follow, but they that seek by force to reduce them to their vomit again. Yet I cannot justify those of our Religion, that being Subjects have sought by taking up Arms to purchase themselves the liberty of professing it, as our brethren in France at the first did, whereby occasion of much Civil War and blood-shed was given, which could not be suppressed again in forty years, neither could they ever prevail to bring it to be the Religion of the Kingdom, but when most, to have it only tolerated.

But our Fore-fathers of England patiently waiting upon God, when they were persecuted in the time of Queen Mary, were soon delivered from her tyranny, and were blessed with a glorious Queen of their own profession, who settled it for the Religion of the Kingdom, that of Popery being no more so much as tolerated here. For that was away to which the French were transported by preposterous zeal, and not according to the rule at first given by our Lord, With patience possess your souls; and followed by a cloud of Witnesses for three hundred years together, whilst heathen Persecutions lasted, there being none in all that time that sought by force of Arms to obtain this liberty, but by patient laying down their Lives: And so God in his good time blessed them with an Emperor, that did the like in all the Roman Monarchy, that Queen Elizabeth did here in England. But we, since after more then eighty years enjoyment of the Gospel, and withal of prosperity and peace unparalleled in any age, have stirred up dissention amongst ourselves, entering into Wars, and that not as they in France, but Protestants against Protestants: Thus, whilst we pretended a more thorough and glorious Reformation, bringing in a Babel- like confusion, and aspersing our Religion, always hitherto unspotted with the soul crimes of Disloyalty, blood-shed, and rapines. The Lord open our eyes yet at length, that we may see into our errors, and there may be an healing of our sins and miseries.

My Son, keep thy Fathers commandments, and forsake not the Law of thy Mother. Solomon having, chap. 5. given a charge against the foul sin of Adultery, and Fornication, and dissuaded here-from by considering the misery and want that Whoremongers fall into through God's just Judgment upon them; and in the former part of this chapter against Surety-ship and idleness, and the evil courses that idle persons coming to want take into, all which make greatly against the happiness of the married in this life; now he returns to the same theme against Adultery again, and prosecutes it to the end of this chapter; and in this verse, and ver. 21, 22, 23, 24. as one that enters upon an Argument of great moment.

He again makes a Preface, as chap. 5. 1. and as chap. 1. 8. to move the the more, he propounds it not only as his command, but of his mother also; and as chap. 3. 17. and 4. 10. 12. So here showeth again, how safe he shall be, that applied his heart to walk so wisely, as his commandments teach, upon which I will say no more here, but refer the Reader to that which hath been already said upon those places.

Lust not after her beauty, &c. The whorish woman brings a man to a morsel of bread. After the Preface, the Commandment followeth, and because the Harlot by her beauty insnareth men, and specially by her wanton alluring eye, a waming is given here-against, which is enforced with divers reasons. 1. Because the fruit of Adultery or Whoredom is poverty: for although some Adulteresses allure men by gifts, which they give most shamelessly to them, yet most commonly when they have taken a man with the snare of their beauty, they draw rich gifts from them, and thus in time they are wasted in their estates, and improverished and brought so low, that they want even bread, as the Prodigal did.

Thus Cajetan, who distinguisheth also the words of this verse, applying the first to an Harlot by trade or profession, A Whore brings a man to a morsel of bread, the last to a wife of another man, an Adulteress, A woman hunts for the Precious life of a man, or as the word signifieth, his soul; although she takes nothing, yet by her he looseth much more then an Whores hire, his life, if the Law be prosecuted against him, because the punishment of Adultery is death, and his soul forever, of which our Lord saith; What shall it profit a man to win the whole world, and to loose his soul?

Notable upon this is the saying of Augustine, O how great iniquity is this Adultery, how great a perverseness! the soul redeemed by precious blood of Christ, is thus for the pleasure of an hour given to the Devil, a thing much to be lamented and bewailed, when that which delighteth is soon gone, that which tormenteth, remaineth without end.

This exposition of a man being brought to a morsel of bread by an Harlot is generally followed, and agreeth best to the Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but the vulg. tenders it, The price of an Harlot is scarce one bread; expounded commonly by such as follow that reading of a little matter, that is given to her, but withal the soul is hazarded, which is far more precious; and to approve this, they bring for example, Judah giving a Kid to his Daughter-in-Law Tamar, in the habit of an Whore, to lie with her, which was in those days a thing of small value. And the Athenians made a Law, that a small gift only should be given her, as Suida • saith. And thus Augustine understanding this place saith, turning it yet to another sense. The pleasure of whoredom is no more, but as of a piece of bread, which a man being hungry eats greedily with delight, but it is soon done and digested, and then he is hungry again, but the loss sustained is unspeakable and everlasting, namely, the loss of the soul. Some by this bread understand, that which is by Hunters given to a wild Beast, so made, as that the Beast eating it, is cast into a sleep, and so easily taken.

This last seemeth to me the best, and the Hebr. will bear it being thus rendered, word for word; By reason of the whorish woman, even a crust of bread, a woman hunts after the precious soul of a man; That is, offering, or giving only a piece of bread, as it were, as the cunning Hunter dealeth by the Beast, when she yieldeth the use of her body to him, she taketh and destroyeth his soul; the pleasure that he thus hath, being no more then that of a piece of bread to the hungry for the present, but of as evil consequence, as the bread confected purposely by the Hunter, being eaten by the beast. The Reader may follow either this, or the first exposition, for it agreeth well either way, but if the first be followed, here are two evils coming by Adultery, and Whoredom, the one extreme poverty, the other the loss of the soul, enough to prevail with any man to make him fly this soul sin, and not to be taken with the Harlots beauty: touching which, hear therefore what Chrysostom saith; When thou seest a fair woman looking with a pleasant countenance upon thee, pull off her skin, and then thou shalt see all the vileness of her elegancy; dwell not upon the outward aspect, but pierce in thy cogitation into her inner parts, and what shalt thou see there, but bones, veins, and sinews? And again, thus having seen her beauty outwardly, and her deformity inwardly, thou wilt say, that the fineness of her body is nothing else but a sepulcher plastered and whited over, but full of filthiness within.

Again, look not upon a woman's beauty, for that soon passeth away, but woundeth, and the wound hereby made passeth not away, but remaineth and stayeth, even as an Hart wounded by the dart of the Hunter, although he escapeth away, yet he dieth of his wound. And Ambrose saith, The eye of the Harlot is the snare of the Lover, in alluding to that, woman's hunting after a man's soul.

Do but think then (O man full of lust) that when beauty appears, a Net is spread for thee, as by a Fowler before a Bird a Net is spread; and seeing this, be not more foolish then the silly Bird, before whom the Net is spread in vain if it be seen, for then she flieth away, and keeps afar off, as was said before, chap. 1. 17.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt? Can he go upon coals, and his feet not be burnt? Because, as Lavater hath it, some are not moved by that which hath been said, but harden themselves to the committing of this sin, upon this ground, That whatsoever affections by seeing are stirted up in them, yet they shall go no further, but they will keep them within their own breasts, and so they shall never hurt them.

Against this a Comparison is here taken from Fire, as if he had said; The eyeing of beauty in a woman, is like unto the opening of the bosom to take in fire, or treading with the feet upon fire, but neither of these can a man do without burning; no more can he fix his eyes upon beauty, or with his affections, which are the feet of his mind, go as it were hereupon, but the fire of lust, by this means kindled, will burn within him, and hurt and bring him to much pain and loss afterwards, if the burning proveth not unquenchable, and utterly destructive. [Note.] And if beholding alone hath this dangerous effect, much more kissing and wanton dalliance, for which chambering and wantonness are censured, as fruits of the flesh, excluding out of the Kingdom of heaven.

Nile following this comparison taken from Fire, saith, She is more dangerous then fire, because if a man feels himself burn by fire, he goeth from it, and is pained, but from this fire burning he goeth not, but comes nearer, instead of pain, feeling nonothing but delight till that he be destroyed hereby.

August. Fire doth little hurt if it be shaken off so soon as it flieth upon us, but if delay be made before this be done, it burneth; so seeing beauty hurteth not, but fixing the eye upon her eyes cannot possibly be without burning, the heart is now be witched with the eye by the eye. And he distinguisheth betwixt fire here spoken of in the bosom, and fiery coals, upon which one goeth with his feet; the fire in the bosom is some beautiful woman, a stranger of the better sort beheld with pleasure; the burning coals under the feet set forth a Maid-servant, with lust towards whom by too much familiarity thou mayest also be taken and burned, although she be of an inferior condition, as it were, under thy feet. Some expound it of a blemish thus gotten, that is not worn away again; some hence condemn not only fixing the eye, but the slightest conversing with her that may be, as he that with his bare feet goeth upon burning coals, cannot be without all hurt hereby, make what hast he can to get off. And because the Garment burning is spoken of, Basil noteth, That it is dangerous to meddle with a woman, although a garment be between thee and her, for lust is stirred up even by the touch of her garment, verse. 29.

So he that goeth in to his neighbors wife, who so toucheth her shall not be innocent; That is, as he that goeth upon burning coals cannot but be hurt, so he that goeth in unto his neighbors wife, that is by lying with her, he is hurt, as it were by fire in his bosom, and if he doth not so, but only toucheth, or wantonly kisseth her, he shall not escape without all hurt: God counts not him that goeth but thus far as an innocent man, he is even by this blemished before him, although [Note.] carnal men count this as nothing; a good lesson for wanton men, that will be kissing and hugging of any woman that cometh in their way; hereby let them learn to leave this sinful custom, as making them guilty before God, as well as Adultery, though not so greatly.

There is also according to some, another thing intimated in saying, Fire in his besom; that is, the lustful person may think that his wickedness shall be kept secret, but that is impossible as for him, that hath fire in his bosom, to conceal it, for it will burn his garments and so cause a smell, whereby it shall be perceived; so such foul sins will come out.

Here finally a comparison is made betwixt a thief and an adulterer, He is not despised that stealcth to satisfy his hunger &c. His punishment that stealeth indeed is great, although he be miserably poor, for if he be found, and hath not wherewith to make restitution, by the Law of God he was to be sold for a servant, and so restitution was to be made, but the adulterer by the same Law was to die, and the whorish woman's husband, whom he had defiled, he might be sure, would prosecute the Law against him to the uttermost, and not be pacified, although he would give him great gifts, yea all that he hath, because he hath robbed him of his chiefest treasure, for which he cannot make him amends whatsoever he doth. Chrysost. saith, that adultery is not only greater then theft, but then Idolatry, because the adulteress is to be put away, but the idolatresse to dwell still with her husband, if she will; some others affirm it to be greater then any other evil committed against man, except Treason against the Prince, so greater then perjury, because bringing more detriment to the Commonwealth. But to hold to the comparison made by Solomon, as most apt, because both theft, and adultery are acted in secret, both are great wrongs, and as hunger putteth on to the one, so an evil appetite to the other, a question ariseth here, because he saith, That he shall restore sevenfold, and another because it is added. And give all his substance; for in the Lawfour-fold or five-fold is the greatest restitution appointed, and in some case but twofold. Some say that in other Nations a sevenfold restitution was required, but this is only conjectural; Some that two and five are put together to make seven, if part of the thing stolen remaineth alive and part be gone, for the one twofold restitution being made, for the other five-fold; Some by sevenfold understand a perfect and full restitution, because the number of seven, is a number of perfection: and this do I prefer as most probable. For the other question And is sometimes in Hebrew put for Or, and so it is meant, or give all his substance, whereby it seemeth, that if a thief had any worldly goods, although not sufficient to countervail the worth of that which was stolen twice or four times over, yet the man robbed must accept of these as a satisfaction, but if he had not then he was to be sold, and with his price restitution to be made, because Exod. 22. it is ordained that he should be sold, here in case he hath not enough to satisfy for the thing stolen, that he should give all his substance. But why is it said, The thief is not despised in the case here put? and in Vulg. Latin, It is no great fault; Is there any necessity that dispenseth with God's Law, Thou shalt not steal? Stealing, by whomsoever, is condemned for so great a sin, as that whosoever doth it, shall not inherit the Kingdom of heaven. A poor man therefore howsoever put to it, for food or raiment▪ or other necessaries, ought rather to perish bodily, then by stealing to hazard his soul: It is so far from being a little sin, as that it is sometime linked with the foul sin of adultery, Thou sawest a thief, and didst run with him, and tookest part with the adulterer, and a charge is given against it, as well under the New Testament, as under the Old. Let him that stole, steal no more, but work with his hands the thing that is good. The scope therefore of this place is not to extenuate this sin, that any man in want may be bold to commit it, but to aggravate the sin of adultery, as far more heinous. The thief is infamous, and all honest men are averse from such as will steal, and from having to do with them; but the poor man who is just and true, they esteem well of, though he be very poor, and are ready to be helpful to him, as there is good reason, because he liveth by precept, being industrious and painful in his calling, and not wasting what he getteth by running [Note.] to any excess of riot, as others do, and so either by idleness or drunkenness, come to be clothed with rags, and to be ready to starve through hunger; for such fear not God, and therefore are none of his poor members, neither doth any good spoken of the poor pertain to them, as that they receive the Gospel, and are rich in faith, for these are the privileges only of the poor that work, and abhor from all stealing and injustice. Wherefore David declaring to what poor he did good, saith, To the Sa • nts, and such as excel in virtue, and Christ in rewarding the Charitable, praiseth not the feeding or giving drink to any, but his poor members, but giving to them he praiseth and rewardeth, which should make us to order our charity with this discretion, as David saith of the righteous, He distributeth and giveth to the poor, he ordereth his ways with discretion. We ought indeed to do good to all, but especially to those of the household of faith, yea to enemies when they hunger; but this is to be done more sparingly to prevent perishing through want only, not to maintain them in their idle ways, but reproving them therefore that they may cease from a vagabond and idle life, and so the evils that follow by maintaining such may be prevented, and not daily increased as now they are.

But to return to that, for which stealing is here spoken of by way of comparison, extenuating this sin thus, doth no more justify him that steals for necessity, then the condemning of the Jews, in comparison of the Sodomites, justified them, The abomination of adultery appeareth hereby to be the greater because the adulterer doth more vilely then the thief; 1. For that necessary enforceth the one, but there is no necessity to enforce the other, but either he hath a wife of his own, to whom he may go in for the necessity of his nature, or if he hath not, he may take one. 2. Such a thief steals but a little bread or clothe, but the adulterer stealeth away the heart of another man's wife, which is more to him then all worldly wealth, yea he robbeth his family of credit, his children being by this means counted bastards, and of his inheritance, and goods which go to strangers, yea and of his goods also, that by his whorish wife are given unto him, and in his absence spent upon him. 3. The thief stealing brandeth not the party from whom with a note of disgrace by this fact, but the adulterer doth the husband of such a wife▪ he undergoeth the odious name of a Cuckld, a Baud to his wife, if he suffereth this wrong, and seeks not to bring the Adulterer to condign punishment, and his wife turned an harlot also. The consideration of this, should make Adulterers ashamed, and not being guilty of so soul an evil, lift up their heads, as worthy still to be well accounted of; for the thief, whom thou so much despisest is nothing so [Note.] wicked and vile, as thou Adulterer art. And therefore great is the imperfection in our Laws, whereby a poor thief is hanged, but the Adulterer goeth unpunished; whereas the Law of God is only for restitution, unless in case of breaking into an house in the night, but for stoning the adulterous to death. And amongst the heathen, lead only by the light of nature, death hath also been the punishment. The Saxons who of old inhabited this land, strangled the Adulteress being taken, and then burnt her body with fire, and hanged the Adulterer over a flaming fire, burning him by degrees, till he died, as Boniface Archbishop of Mognuts writeth in his Epistle to a King in this land, who being a Christian lived in Adultery. Julius Capitolinus writeth of Opilius Macrinus an Emperor, that he caused the bodies of the Adulterer, and the Whore to be joined together, and so burnt with fire. Aurelianus caused the Adulterers legs to be bound to the boughs of two trees bent together, and then violently being lifted up again, his body was torn asunder. And the Julian Law amongst the Romans punished Adultery with death by cutting off the head. Lastly, the Turks stones Adulterers to death. Amongst many people that be Christian, it is not now so, but the Adulterous go scot-free▪ only being put to a little penance, and this seemeth to have been grounded upon John 8. where to the woman, taken in Adultery, Christ saith, when he had asked her, Hath no man condemned thee? and she answered, No man, Lord: Neither do I condemn thee. But it is to be noted, that he saith not thus, but after he heard that no man passed sentence against her, hereby intimating, that he would not interrupt the course of the Law, but if according to it, she had been proceeded against, he would not have released her, but she being brought to be judged by him, and condemned to die, he did no more in effect, but put off from him the Judicatory office, as he did also Luke 12. the time now not [Note.] being for him to judge, but to convert, and forgive, and save; make up therefore the defects of your Laws, ye Law-givers in respect of Adultery, and pull down their excess against theft without violence, remembering him, that hath said, Not one jot or title of the Law shall pass, till all be fulfilled; For what are the penalties annexed to God's Laws, but parts thereof? Lavater conjectureth, that connivency and lenity towards the Adulterous sprang first from the forced single life of Priests with whom it would have gone hardly for their incontinency, if this Law had still been kept up.

But for so much as we are separated from that superstition, let the Law return, in God's name, to the ancient course again, without which we cannot be altogether, but only almost good Christians, yea good Naturalists, or truly rational: For the revenge, which he saith, the man wronged will take in this case, it is conceived, that this is not meant of slaying the Adulterer immediately with his own hands, but by prosecuting the Law against him, because private revenge is forbidden, and this were the way to send him hence without repentance, and so into everlasting destruction; yet the Law favoreth a man wronged in this case so far, that it suffereth him to go unpunished, if through extreme impatience at so great an indignity, he being transported with jealousy, slayeth the Adulterer taken in the act. And hereof Cassiodor yieldeth this reason, it is natural in other living creatures to be enraged at wrongs done them in this kind in their females as in the Hart being at deadly feud with another Hart about the Do, the Ram pushing with his borne with all his might in the like case, and the Horse and Bull likewise; yet it cannot be said, it is no sin in him that thus revengeth his own wrong for the reasons before going, and therefore every man is rather to be exhorted to refrain himself, and commit it to public judicature.

CHAP. VII.

HEre Solomon after another Preface, made not much unlike the former, giveth his Son to understand what the qualities of the whorish woman are, and and how fairly spoken she is, so that he that is not well instructed, and by wisdom, and serious consideration resolved against this sin, cannot escape insnaring by her; And lastly, to what miseries young men are brought by being allured by her.

In saying, ver. 2. Keep mine instructions as the apple of thine eye, he intimateth, saith Muffet, that instruction, enlightening the understanding, is like unto the sight of the eye, and therefore of it we ought to be as careful, that no hurt cometh to it, as doth by sin. He that receives not instruction is without the apple of his eye, and therefore although he hath eyes he seeth not; and having received instruction, but not regarding to do accordingly in eschewing sin, he hurteth it, and [Note.] is in danger of having the sight thereof put out again. In saying, Call understanding thy brother, and wisdom thy sister, that a man ought to be most familiar and well acquainted with wisdom, neither should it be as a stranger to him, but co-habiting, and conversing with him continually, as it is when he is much in reading, hearing, and meditating upon the Word of God.

There is nothing, saith Lavater, that we love so dearly as the apple of our eye, and therefore a comparison is often borrowed from hence, to express the greatest love that can be, as Psal. 17. Keep me as the apple of an eye, Zec. 2. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye; and Andromache in Euripides calleth her Son, the eye of her life.

For the keeping of the apple of the eye Basil observeth, 1. That the eye hath a brow hanging over it set with hairs; and 2. As it hath an upper brow, or lid, so it hath a nether, to keep it safe from anything that might hurt it; and 3. By the prominency or hanging over of the upper eye-brow, the eye being placed more inward, it seeth directly on afar of; And lastly, That eye-brow keeps the sweat which through labor ariseth upon the fore-head, from running into the eye to hurt it. So there ought to be in us, if we would keep instruction as the apple of our eye, 1. A purpose of heart to live according to it in all things, and from this purpose frequent prayings, and ejaculations as hairs upon the brow should spring up daily, that our eye may be the better fenced; that is, we may the better put in execution what we piously intend. 2. A nether eye-lid ready as occasion serveth to close with the upper, that there may be no vacant place for anything to come in and hurt the eye; as it is with the Lions eye, who because he hath no nether eye-lid hath his eyes continually open to danger: and this nether eye-lid is the renewing of the same godly purpose of keeping the Commandment every day, as Ignatius applieth it, saying, Then the two eye-lids close to save the eye, when this purpose is in us in the morning, and again at noon. 3. An eye-brow of a right intention to direct our purposes of living according to instruction to the due end; that is, not for the praise of men, but that God may be glorified, he being blessed for our charity by the poor, and his grace acknowledged by all about us to be of great power to keep us, that are by nature corrupt as well as others, in so good and perfect a way. 4. An eye-brow keeping the sweat of worldly labor from running into our eyes, which is, When although in the sweat of our faces we get our living here▪ and by great pains-taking increase in worldly goods, our hearts yet are not taken with the love hereof, as we are enjoined; but this is kept off and let run down to our feet, through the contempt wherein we have the things of this world, in comparison of heavenly things, as Paul accounted all things as dross, and dung in this regard. Some number four, some five membranes by nature placed about the eye, or the apple thereof, or tunicles: 1. That called specularis, because it is lightsome. 2. Reticularis, because it is inter-woven with arteries like a net, called rete. 3. Uvea, like the leaf of a vine about the grape which is, uva. 4. Cornea, Horney because it resembleth an horn. 5. Agnata whereby the sight is kept together from flying about: and they apply them, some by comparing them to the five books of Moses, by the diligent perusing whereof the eye of the mind is well furnished, and fenced, to the keeping of all good instruction, as Galatinus saith the Jews apply them, and as Augustine: Some, to understanding, memory, will, practice, and good intention; but for as much as the eye doth rather consist of these, I hold me to the first.

At the window of my house I looked through my casement; Here Solomon having made way by his Preface to renew his admonition against being ensnared with the enticing allurements of Harlots, proceedeth not, as before, by giving warning, but by way of parable relating how one fool was taken, makes the deeper impression in the mind of the Hearer, to make him take heed of being catched in like manner, because examples move more then precepts.

In saying, That he looked out at his window, where he might hear, and see, and not be seen, he teacheth it to be a good policy in Magistrates, sometimes to look, and pry into the manners of the people, when they know not of it, that disceming them they may know the better how to provide for a Reformation; and [Note.] likewise for Ministers, who are set to be Watch-men, that they may know which way they are endangered by the common enemy, sin, to admonish them thereof, as Ezekicl was shown, to this end, the abominations committed by the Children of Israel in secret, after that God had appointed him to be their Watch-man; for they will not do in the open presence of such, that which they are bold to do, when they think themselves to be out of their sight; yet they know that no wickedness can be acted so secretly but God seeth it, with whom the darkness and the light are all one and who is ever, though concealed, about all our ways, and all our paths. In this parable, first is the description of a foolish man impetuously carried by his Lust towards an Whore-house in the night. 2. Of an whorish woman. 3. Of his being taken by her, and the mischief redounding to him thereby.

For the first, The night is ordained for man to take his rest and sleep in, after his labor and travel in the day: it is therefore a perverting of the course of nature when there is no necessity, to walk abroad in the night, and none, but wicked and evil-minded persons, do so. Therefore the night is by Ovid numbered amongst the things that are dangerous temptations, saying, The Night, Wine, and Lust persuade nothing moderable, this takes away shame, Wine and Lust fear. And the Apostle saith, They that are drunken, are drunken in the night, 1 Thess. 5 And the Thiese digs through in the night the place by him marked in the day. For his going towards a corner of the Harlots house, hereby a warning is given against coming near such places, as a man that would not be infected with the Piague, comes not near to a Pest-house.

For the description of the Harlot; A woman met him with the attire of an Harlot, and subtle in heart she is loud and stubborn, and her feet abide not in the house. The vulg. Prepared to catch souls prattling, and wandering. Lavater, With open signs of wheredome her heart was hidden, Hebr. the ornament of an harlot, an heart kept close, By the first of which the Harlots curious dressing of her self, painting her face, curling her hair, or wearing it so, as that she may most stir up Lust in the beholder, and putting on costly apparel, leaving neck, breast, and arms naked is meant; for thus she showeth the immodesty of her mind, and casteth out her net as it were to catch souls, as the vulgar hath it, looking more at the sense then at the words; A thing to be considered by Gentle-women, and other young women, yea and some old also, that they may cover their nakedness, and flee such vain curiosities, that they may not so much as have any appearance of evil in their outward habit or dress, as it is commanded, where it is said, Abstain from all appearance of evil, but array themselves with modesty and meekness, as women fearing God did of old. By the heart kept close, R. Joseph rendering it, destitutum, for costoditum, saith, an heart destitute of virtue is meant; but I rather assent to them, who expound it of her heart set to ensnare foolish young men, as her Lust moveth her, making show of nothing but love to them, when as the event of yielding to her allurements will be sad and miserable in the end; she propounds nothing but pleasure and delight that they shall have, but in her heart she knoweth, that her Husbands jealousy and rage will be thus stirred up to take revenge upon them, touching whom she seeks to make them secure. R. Levi ben Gerson, by the heart bound, as he rendereth it, understands the breast bound about with costly apparel, but the parts upward naked.

Not much unlike to this Rodolph. saith, That they make themselves fine about the breast, and herein much glory, or they lace them here close, that by the swelling of their bodies no loss of their virginities may appear, or wearing their garments loose like women downward, they are begirt upward as a man, all modesty of a woman being put off, and the impudency of a man put on; but Vatabl. and most are for the first: let the Reader follow which he pleaseth. For her much prattling and gadding abroad, which follow next, these are evil signs of levity, and therefore to be avoided. That it stands not with the modesty of a woman to speak in the Congregation, Paul teacheth, and both prattling and going abroad much is taxed in young widows; and Dinah is set forth for example, that women may learn to keep at home, as Paul also exhorteth. The Ancients do show painted Venus in the shell of an Hand-maid, as having her house still over her head.

So she caught him, and kissed him; where it is to be noted, That Adukery beginneth with kissing, and how much lust is stirred up hereby hath been already shown upon Chap. 6. 29. that all may take heed of this lascivious behavior; unto her kissing, she addeth next enticing speeches, I have peace-offerings, &c. When Peace-offerings were made, some small part of the Beast was offered to the Lord, and the greatest part spent in feasting; according to this custom she speaketh, meaning, that now she had very good cheare prepared, to which she inviteth this fool; And to allure him the more, she telleth him of divers other things well pleasing to him, and then for his secure enjoying of his pleasure with her, she telleth him of her Husbands being forth in a far journey; by all which he is so taken, that he followeth her, As an Ox to the house of slaughter, or a fool to the stock: vulg. And as a wanton Lamb, and ignorant, that a fool is drawn to bands. Hebr. it is, As an Ox to the staughter, and as to the correction of the Stocks the fool.

Here are two Comparisons, 1. To an Ox, or as some have it, a Bull following a Cow, as some butchers use to draw him the more willingly to the place of execution by driving a Cow before, which I must needs say agreeth most aptly to the libidinous man's following the Whore, thinking to have pleasure, but it is turned to his destruction, sometimes of the body, but always of the soul. Some conceive an allusion to be made to the drawing of an Ox with a rope to the place of slaughter, as if the great force that is in the Harlots actions and words were denoted, like a rope forcibly drawing the Ox.

2 To a fool bound to be punished, or corrected, for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth fetters, as well as stocks; and sometime it is put for a bell in a fools cap, whereby he may be known, which is to him delightful, but notifying him to the world to be a fool, to his great disgrace: and if it be thus understood, it may be rendered thus, As a bell is the erudition of a fool; so that he comes both to destruction and shame, as a natural fool, that hath no wit, who is drawn by an Harlors enticements.

Till a dart strike through his Liver, as a Bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is laid for his life. Here are two Comparisons more to set forth such a fool, as is drawn by an Harlot:

1. From an Hart wounded and slain by the Hunts-man, when in following his female, after whom he is most earnestly carried, he shooteth him; For the Huntsman, they say, makes a noise like the Do to the Hart, which being heard he is drawn near to the place of his standing, and suddenly stricken. But this striking is by some expounded of Lust, which woundeth, as an arrow or dart, the Liver, the seat of love, of which wound he dieth afterwards without remedy, unless as some say he eateth some of the herb called Virginale: so the wounded by Cupids dart, unless he repenteth and turns chaste forever after: By some, of his being suddenly stricken by the woman's husband in his rage of jealousy, being taken with her; it may be understood of both.

The second comparison is taken from a bird flying to the snare, which is to be understood in a place, where corn only is seen, and the snare hidden, so that the bird hastens thither being drawn by the corn, but whilst he is well pleased with feeding, the snare takes him, and he dieth: So the Adulterer seeth nothing in the case before put, but good cheare and pleasure to satisfy his lust, but suddenly, he is ensnared and destroyed.

The Parable being ended, Solomon now cometh hereupon to dehort again from whoredom, renewing his reason, taken from the danger of death incurred by him, that will not be dissuaded, used before, Chap. 5. 5. Only he further saith here, that by such women, the strongest men have been overcome, that no man may presume upon his strength to keep himself from this danger, but having such examples before his eyes, beware that he cometh not near an harlot. Beware saith Jerome, of abiding in the same room, for thou art not stronger then Sampson, not holier then David, nor wiser then Solomon, who were all overcome by women; yea a woman caused the casting of Adam out of Paradise, whereupon this distich is made, Adam, Samsonem, Petrum, Davidem, Salomonem Decepit mulier, quis modo tutus erit? where Peter is brought in, because even Bishops, and chief Bishops, pretending Peters spirit and authority, have been overcome by women. Hear for this Cyprian, How great, and what manner of Bishops and Clericks, and Lay-men, after confessions and victories gotten against persecutors, and signs and wonders shown everywhere, have been known with these to suffer shipwreck.

CHAP. VIII.

DOth not Wisdom cry, and Understanding put forth her voice? 2. She standeth in the top of the high places, &c. Solomon having hitherto inveighed against the foolish young man, through his simplicity deceived by an harlot, now before he passeth to the body of his Parables, which beginneth Chap. 10. touching all other things, the knowledge of which conduceth to wisdom, he returns again to the care that wisdom hath to insinuate her self into men's hearts, and to show the antiquity and excellency hereof, beginning here as Chap. 1. 20, 21. and proceeding verse. 10 11. as Chap. 3. 13, 14. and verse. 22. &c. as Chap. 3. 19. So that upon the same things iterated again, we shall not need to go anew, but refer the Reader to that which hath been there said; only what is more said here, I shall speak upon: Vers. 2. it is said, Upon the top of the high places, Chap. 1. 21. In the chief places of concourse: The phrase being thus varied here, to show the loud sound of the voice of wisdom, so that none in the Church can say they hear it not, but are left without excuse, if they be not converted hereby.

To you (O men) I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. Here by men, Lavater understandeth the greater and better sort; by the sons of men, the meaner and common sort; For Christ, by the word Wisdom here set forth, instructed all sorts, and admonished all, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, the Scribes and Pharisees, who were of an higher rank and quality, and the common sort that flocked unto him, sometime in the Temple and Synagogue, sometime in houses, sometime in the wilderness, and sometime out of ships at sea, as Wisdom is said to have cried to all men in all places. To intimate this diversity of men here spoken to the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is used in the first place, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the second signifying earth, as the first men of quality lifted up somewhat higher by their wealth and honor in this world; this also Chrysostom and August. who together with the rest of the Fathers, generally understand Christ by wisdom here speaking; and Beda his teaching upon the Mountain by this in high places, his teaching those that followed him in the ways that he went, by this, by the way an the places of the paths; and his teaching himself to be the Christ by the famous miracle wrought upon the widows son of Nam in the gate of that City, raising him up from the dead, by this, In the gates at the entering of the City.

Hear ye simple ones, the opening of my mouth shall be of right things. Here because amongst the common and meaner sort of people there be many simple, and of less capacity then others, Christ is brought in speaking to them, to show that none are so weak in respect of their natural parts, but by Christ's teaching they were made to understand yea and to understand that, which they that had more wit and learning did not, as he saith, I thank thee (O Father) that thou hast hid these things from the wise, and revealed them to babes; that is, babes in understanding. The Jesuits apply this, which is spoken, not only to Christ, but also to the Virgin Mary, which some of them labor to make good, but in vain; neither can any mere creature be thus spoken of without deifying it, and so committing Idolatry; to let this pass as a fruit of their superstition. Here are many things, whereby Christ commendeth his word unto us; 1. It is touching excellent things, the subject matter thereof, is not base or trivial, but of the highest nature, Faith, Regeneration, and Salvation, 2. Right things, for it is perfect and sound in all parts, and there is nothing corrupt or unsound herein, as in things that come from men; and the man of God is hereby made perfect and righteous. 3. Truth, as also it is said, Psal. 19. The word of the Lord is true, and righteous altogether. There is nothing therein contained but truth, so that a man by following it, shall be sure to follow the truth and no error in anything, and what promise soever is here made of blessing and reward to come to those that keep it, shall in God's good time be fulfilled, neither shall anything herein spoken fail, but be certainly accomplished. 4. Just, for the condemning of those that are justly to be condemned, but commending the commendable, here is no partiality shown towards one more then another, but everyone is sentenced, as he is, and continueth either repentant or unbelieving, 5. Plain and easy to the spiritual man, who discerneth all things. 6. Beneficiall, as gold and precious stones for the purchasing of inheritances here, for the attaining of the heavenly inheritance hereafter. 7. Sweet and delightful, as it is also said, Psal. 19. as the honey comb; and all this is to be understood as spoken in opposition to the deceitful, enticing, flattering, and in the end bitter-proving words of the harlot spoken of Chap. 7.

Lyra for the excellent things here set forth, understandeth hereby great and weighty matters, as hath been said, Rodolphus things profitable and tending to inform touching good manners. But they are called excellent, as August. showeth, because none but weighty matters were by Christ set forth, whereas in the Old Testament Precepts were given of lesser matters, carnal sacrifices and rites, which were but as shadows fit for the Church in the infancy, these greater, and of more moment, for heirs come to full age, these being but shadows, little light, but all things here made plain, which pertain to salvation: For the next words, My mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is the abomination of my lips. The last are by one inverted thus, The wicked hath my lips in abomination, or My lips are an abomination to the wicked; for it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and being thus rendered, the meaning is, Although I speak nothing but the truth, the wicked will hate me therefore, as was verified touching Christ in the hatred of the Pharisees stirred up against him, when he spake truly against their wickedness.

The next words also, All my speeches are right, show he is free from all hypocrisy and dissimulation, which was the sin wherewith they were grossly tainted.

I wisdom, dwell with prudence, or subtlety, and find out knowledge of w ••• y inventions: The Vulg. better, of cogitations, Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 evil cogitations, or abominations. Here afetr the praise of wisdom, it is shown where she dwelleth, if any man desireth to find her out, and to possess himself of her, and so of the inestimable treasure and pleasure before spoken of, She dwelleth in the prudent, that is, such as have sharpness of wit and understanding to pry into the wily fetches of enemies, that they may not through simplicity be overtaken herewith. For then doth a man attain to the knowledge of evil cogitations in the minds of the wicked against them, when they trust not to every show or appearance of well meaning, but as he is innocent like a dove, so he is wise as a serpent. And that especially to discern the stratagems of our great adversary the Devil, that craftily seeks the destruction of our souls, and the wily inventions of his cursed instruments tempting him to evil: for an instance of one sort of which, the woman spoken of Chap. 7. is put. Here is, according to the most proper meaning of those words also, meant wit and subtlety, to discern snares of fair shows, and speeches laid for the righteous to bring them into the danger of destruction here; we are indeed simple, before that Christ comes by his Spirit to dwell in our hearts, but then this prudence entereth into us, whereby we know best what to do to be preserved [Note.] in time of temptation for the safety both of our souls and bodies; and this is not attained to without instruction, and hereby knowledge of the word and will of God; ignorant persons then, that care not for divine knowledge, have not this wisdom dwelling in them, and so are in continual danger to be circumvented to their destruction. These words may also be applied to Christ in respect of his discerning the thoughts of men's hearts to censure and judge them therefore, as he is often said to have done.

The fear of the Lord hateth evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, the froward mouth do I hate. Having hitherto spoken in the name of Wisdom, now he changeth the word, and speaks in the name of the Fear of God, which Chap. 1. 7. is said to be the beginning of wisdom, and Job 28. 28. Wisdom; it is the mother of wisdom then bringing her forth in whomsoever she is, and hereby it may be known in whom she is, viz. in him or her that hateth evil: this is the effect of the noble filial fear, it makes one like unto God, who is said to hate evil also, Chap. 6. 16. Six evils especially being there enumerated, yea seven, as here are three answerable to them.

1. Pride and haughtiness of spirit.

2. The evil way, which is as much in effect as there is said, The hands that seed innocent blood, and the feet that run to mischief, which the heart before devised and meditated upon, and this by being iterated again and again, becomes a beaten path or way.

3. The froward mouth, which is as much in effect as the lying tongue, the false witness speaking lies, and the sower of dissention: And these are summarily a • l greatest evilis comprehending all others under them, neither can he justly count himself to be one that hath the fear of God in him, that hateth not all these, and out of an hatred of them, escheweth them continually, and not only out of a slavish fear of judgments, of which before, Chap. 1. 7. according to a remarkable distich.

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom, Heb. Counsel is mine and substance the Vulg. Equity but the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 substance or essence: and this most aptly agreeth to Christ, as verse. 12. 13. I wisdom dwell with prudence to find out, &c. That is, have prudence cohabiting with me, so that no evil cogitations are hid from me; I also hate pride, and evil ways, and tongues, as he abundantly shows by his invectives often made against the proud Pharisees, and their evil ways and speeches. For the counsel here spoken of, Christ also is called the Counselor by Isaiah, and said to have the Spirit of counsel and understanding upon him; For his being Essence, he saith, Before Abraham was I am, and for his power, Heb. 1. 2. Upholding all things by the word of his power.

By me Kings reign, and Princes decree justice. As Wisdom, that is, Christ ascribeth to himself four things, Vers. 14. Counsel, essence, or substance, understanding, and strength, so here, and verse. 16. are four sorts of Rulers, and men in authority mentioned, as coming to these high and eminent places by him, 1 Kings, who are the supreme, who have none upon earth above them, but God alone.

2. Princes called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a word coming of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to understand, and therefore most probably the Counselors to Kings are hereby meant, who advise the King, and counsel him, that he may make just and righteous Laws, and they in whose power, together with the King, it is to make Laws.

3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendered also Princes, which is a general name for all chief men in a State, who are set up in high place to rule over others, as if one should say, principal men; but specially the word is put for chief Captains, or Generals of Armies.

4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Spontanei, Liberates, Magnificias, in N. Tr. Nobles; From whence we may rightly gather, that all these are the Ordinances of God, as Paul calleth the higher Powers, and therefore not to be resisted or divided, the one thus banding against the other, or any of them annulled. For if they, being the orders of a Kingdom set up by God, are put down, confusion is brought in, which is not without much calamity to any Kingdom, and he that is the Author of these Orders, and the gifts suitable to them, will not long suffer it, or the Authors thereof, how potent soever they be, to go unpunished: unless in case of necessity, the Supreame allowing to the Subordinate no power together with him, but seeking their extirpation, and the bringing in of a new way of Government absolutely Anarchicall, prejudicial to his Subjects states, and lives, not suffering them to comply with him, as the King of Spain did by the Lord's of the Low Countries, whereby they were enforced to arm against him, and to cast him off, and his Posterity to this day. But this doth not justify any other Nation doing the like, unless the case be in all things alike.

For the coherence of these words with the former, it is this; Christ, the wisdom of the Father having declared four excellencies to be in him, Counsel, Essence, Understanding, and Fortitude; now showeth, that according to one of these he giveth Essence to Kings, according to another, Counsel to Counselors of State, according to another, Fortitude to Generals of Armies, and according to another, Understanding to Nobles, and Judges of the earth, to do justice to all men, and being thus qualified by his special providence sets them up, that by means of their Government, the people living under them may enjoy peace, their goods, estates, lives, and prosperity, which otherwise would be daily hazarded. But it may be demanded here, how Kings reign by Christ, who never was himself but [Quest.] a titular King, only he had a spiritual Kingdom over the faithful; 1. Subjecting them unto him by tuming them to the faith, and then ruling and reigning in their hearts by his Spirit.

Ans. Although he did not exercise a Kingly power, and said, That his kingdom was not of this world, yet as God is King of all the Kingdoms of the world, so the man Christ by virtue of his union with the God-head, is King of all Kingdoms, for which he is prophesied of as of a King, that should have given unto him the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. His Kingdom yet, as he said, was not of this world, because he did not take worldly royalty and majesty upon him, yet the power over all was in him, as he said; All power is given unto me in heaven, and in earth, and therefore the Kings of the earth reign by him, or his appointing them to their Kingdom, and for him, as Vice-royes and Deputies, which should make them to have a great care in all things to reign according to his will; if any do not, but are wicked and tyrannical, yet they are to be accounted Deputies by him appointed, and their Subjects ought to bear their evil manners, waiting till God will be pleased either to amend or end them, lest in resisting them, they resist God's Ordinance, and so reap unto themselves damnation. They have only prayers to fly unto, according to that of Saint Paul, Let prayers be made for Kings, and for those in Authority, that we may live a peaceable and quiet life, in all godliness and honesty under them.

If Kings be evil, saith Augustine, we must not say, that it is just with God to set them up, for he doth it, that the patience of the righteous may be proved, and the sin of the wicked punished. By the power given to the Devil Job was tried, that he might appear to be just; and Peter was tempted, that he might not pres 〈…〉 of himself; Paul was buffered, that he might not extol himself; and 〈◊〉 condemned, that he might not hang himself. Some by Kings understand Apostles, by Princes Ministers of the Gospel, that both teach and write, by Nobles, all the rest of the Ministry; some, Spiritual persons of all sorts, that reign, and get the dominion over their lusts.

I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me. Having shown where wisdom dwelleth, now he further declareth how it may be attained; there must first be a love, and earnest desire hereof wrought in the heart, and then this rich possession shall be enjoyed; the love of wisdom makes it easy, but if the love hereof be wanting, it shall be an harsh and hard thing. And this is the cause why so many are averse from living in the fear of God, preferring to follow their own Lusts, and thinking it a bondage to live in strict obedience to God's Laws, they love it not, but hate it; and why do they not love it? because [Note.] they neither see▪ nor know the excellency of it; fear God, think they, and bid adieu to all pleasure, to profit, and to honor in the world, and so have no joy of a man's life; for who live so melancholy, so poorly, and are so much despised as they?

Against all this, Wisdom here telleth us of riches incomparable, and honor, that shall be to them that fear God, and then what life for joy and comfort, can be comparable to a life led in the fear of God? of which see before, Chap. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17. But it is to be noted, that he who loveth wisdom seeketh her early, he is none of those that put off a godly care of turning from his sins till afterwards, but in the prime of his age, and first in the morning, every day he seeketh it, by praying for it, waiting diligently at the posts of Wisdomes gate, ver. 34. That is, upon the Ministry of the Word, whereby faith and grace to fear God is attained▪ and this of loving wisdom is subjoined after that, which is said of Kings and Princes, for whom wisdom is most necessary of all other sorts of men, for the • ell managing of the great and weighty affairs committed to them; and to intimate, that to them especially the love of wisdom is commended for this end. It is said, verse. 20. I lead in the way of righteousness, and in the paths of judgment, which are afterwards said to be establishers of the throne.

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. From hence to ver. 32. Wisdom commends her seife to us from her antiquity, and working together with God, in making all the parts of the world, and always since their Creation governing them, and keeping them in so good order; which also most aptly agreeth to the matter in hand, the praise of wisdom being here special • y entered upon for their ache, who are Kings, Princes, and Judges of the world; for what King will not esteem of, and love that which the most wise Architect of the whole world, and Lord and Governor thereof esteemed of as the most excellent possession, and used in all his works of Creation, and doth daily use in his governing the world? But it is to be understood, that having hitherto commended this Wisdom, his Son, in the created effects hereof, which are in men fearing God; now he proceedeth to substantial and uncreated Wisdom, which is Christ co-eternal with the Father, and co-equal. And it is said, The Lord blessed me in the beginning of his ways; That is in his beginning to create the world, and all things therein. The Son was with the Father from all Eternity indeed but then he possessed him as it were, when by and with him he acted, and did these great works, making this his most excellent possession known to men, who are ignorant of what he did before: and it were a presumptuous wickedness for any man to inquire what, because it is not revealed, but kept secret, and so belongs not to us, but to the Lord only: for that this substantial Wisdom was not only first then when the world was created, but before from all eternity appeareth herein, He saith, Before the earth was made, from everlasting, ver. 23. wherefore the Sept. tr. which hath for possessed, created me in the beginning, is to be taken heed of, as from whence the Manichees took occasion to teach, That Christ the Son of God was a Creature, from which this context doth utterly abhor. The same then is here taught, that is, Joh. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and this Word was with God, and this Word was God; not a Creature of God, but Co-essential, and Co-eternal, and by it all things were made; And Revel. 1. 8. The Alpha and Omega, which is, was, and is to come, even the Almighty.

And Augustine and other Ancients not condemning the Sept. tr. expound it of Christ's Humanity; but how this could be said to have been created in the beginning, which was not, till four thousand years after, I see not, unless his creating be understood of his decree to Create, and then that which followeth, ver. 23.

I was set up from everlasting, is applied to his Divinity; the word is by some rend ed, I was anointed from everlasting, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth neither set up, nor anointed, but covered or concealed, by R. Abrah. rendered I had the principality; so likewise by Jerome, by the word covered best agreeth, Christ the Son of God, as touching his Incarnation and Passion to follow; for our Redemption was concealed, and covered from the knowledge of men of old, as being not declared but obscurely, and by types and figures. God indeed from eternity decreed this, for which he is said to be the Lamb of God slain from the beginning of the world, but before the time of the Creation altogether concealed, and began then first to be revealed, when our first Parents having sinned, it was said to the Serpent, He shall break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

When he prepared the heavens I was there. Wisdom having hitherto shown her antiquity, here proceedeth to show her works of Creation of Heaven and earth, and the deep waters, which are all with infinite wisdom made, placed and ordered in the best manner, together with clouds, as bottles holding the water, where-with the earth is watered at God's good pleasure from time to time, and made fruitful. Then was I by him, as one brought up with him. I was daily his delight, &c. Here the dear love betwixt the Father and the Son is set forth, as it was afterwards said, when the Heavens were opened upon Jesus, This is my be loved Son in whom I am well pleased. It is therefore here spoken as of a tender-hearted Father, bringing up his Son with great delight and pleasure-takeing in him; as Machirn the Son of Manasseh is said to have been brought up upon Josephs knees; which commendeth infinitely the love of God to us, in that he spared not his Son, so greatly beloved, to be a ransom for us, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life. And this his love towards man is expressed. verse. 31. Rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were in the sons of men; for herein he prophesieth of his Incarnation, or taking flesh that he might be our Redeemer and Savior, washing his Church by his blood that she might be glorious, an holy Spouse unto him, and without blame; for what is this, but unparaleld love and delight in the sons of men?

Now therefore hearken to me (O ye children) blessed are they that keep my ways; upon the premises now Wisdom cometh to exhort to hearken to all that she shall say throughout the rest of this book following: for who would not hearken to God's darling so long dwelling in him, and working with him, and out of his love to Man-kind making himself like unto poor mortal man, and suffering for them to deliver them, and by suffering attaining such experience of ou • sufferings and sympathy herein, that if we suffer walking in his ways, he is always at hand to provide against our suffering above that, which we are not able to bear, and making our very sufferings easy and comfortable? And to that end we may hearken, as is required, we must be daily at The gates of wisdom, and wa ••• at the posts of her door.

By the Posts and Gates the Doctors of the Church are generally understood▪ who are like unto Janus, from whom Janua a Gate hath the name▪ having two faces, one to look unto God by prayer, study, and meditation, to receive from him learning divine, fit for their doct • inall Function, and another to look upon the infirmities of the common people, to apply themselves to speak so, as that they may come to understanding and reformation of life accordingly. And it is alluded to the Gates of the Temple built by Solomon, and the two pillars of brass, Jachin and Boaz standing there because to the door of the Tabernacle or Temple, not into them might the people come, from the Priests lips to receive knowledge. All diligence, according to Cajetan, in coming hither, is here commended, as of a man that comes daily to the Court seeking preferment, a beggar to the door waiting there for alms, or a woer to his Loves chamber door, there he may obtain her love and marry her. It is not then a little seeking by fits and girds, that will make men wise to salvation, but continual and daily seeking is necessary for this: Sometime frequenting Sermons, sometime reading their books written to enlighten [Note.] in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures, and sometime getting into their company by asking questions, and moving doubts seeking to draw from them more knowledge as the Queen of the South did by Solomon, and the Apostles by Christ.

And to stir up all men the more thus to do, he con ••• death, Who so findeth me, findeth life, he that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul, he that hateth me, loveth denth. Heb. for life is lives, that is, a spiritual life, to which he cometh so soon as he is converted at the voice of Wisdom, being before dead in sins and trespasses. 2. Everlasting life, which shall undoubtedly follow after this. 3. Life and comfort also in this world prolonged to many years, for which it was before said, On her right hand is long life, on her lest, riches, and honor, who so sinneth against me &c. that is, not regarding, but hating to live according to my precepts following, which is called an hating to be resormed, of which sin all notorious wicked livers are guilty, although they say that they desire to live better, for they do but herein dissemble, they do in their hearts love sin, and hate virtue, and by consequence they love death, which is the wages of sin, which shall certainly be paid unto them.

CHAP. IX.

WIsdome hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars. Because Chap. 7. he had spoken of the harlot that prepared a feast, by telling of which, she sought to draw, and drew the foolish young man to her house to his destruction; he now in opposition hereunto, telleth of the feast which Wisdom maketh and inviteth all unto, that would avoid destruction, and attain everlasting life; so that no man, unless he be most stupid, as an Ass, and void of all understanding, but will, considering the end of the feast of the one, and of the other, fly going to the harlots house, and death it self, and hell, and with all earnestnese of desire come to Wisdomes house, as to the entrance of heaven, and everlasting life.

The house, which Wisdom, that is Christ, is said to have built, is the Church or Congregation of the faithful, called the House and Church of the living God, the ground and pillar of truth: A curious fabric or frame of truth, most probably is meant by this house in this place, and the Church of God is called his house, because the truth is hereby supported, and borne up as by a pillar, for which it is also said to be the pillar of truth; not that the truth always dependeth upon the most visible Church, for sometime the Church is as a woman fled into, and hid in the wilderness, and a company of corrupt men, who are in many fundamentals gone from the truth, lift up their heads for some articles of the Christian saith held still, as the Catholic Church of God, as is this day, and long hath been done in the greatest and most populous Kingdoms of Europe; the Church of Rome challenging to be this house, and condemning all others as heretics and schismatics, who have been therefore, and are still compelled in many places to lurk in secret. For as it was in the days of Elijah, so it may be in these our days, as then the seven thousand that were the true Church were hidden, and the Prophet himself knew not where they were, and the rest being the far greater number that were of Ahab's and Jezebel's religion went for the Church; so now in many Countries they of the Reformed Religion, which be the true Church, are hid, and the Roman Catholics, notwithstanding their many gross Idolatries, bear themselves as the Church, and because the Church, as having that privilege inseparably annexed to them, such as cannot err, and therefore are the ground and pillar of truth, although in that Church nothing be less held up then the truth; many gross errors instead thereof being stiffly maintained; wherefore the house built by Wisdom, is the goodly frame of truth, without mixture of errors in faith, or divine worship; and of this pure truth the pillars are here said to be seven, and these do constituere Ecclesiam constitute the Church of God, for which it is worth the while to inquire what they be; Some say, the manifold gifts and graces of the Spirit, as Chrysostom set forth by the number of seven, because this is the number of perfection, both Esa. 11. 1. where seven are named, and Rev. 1. where the seven Spirits of God are spoken of. Some all particular Churches of the world, which make the Catholic, or Universal, because seven Churches are mentioned, Rev. 1. for all. Some the seven Sacraments, but without all color of probability, Gal. 2. Peter, James, and John are called pillars, because main upholders of the truth of the Gospel, from whence we may gather, that as they, so others of the same order, even all the holy Apostles were pillars, and to them we may take the Prophets, consonant to whose, their teaching was in all things, for which they are together spoken of as the foundation of, this building, Christ himself being the chief corner stone.

They were indeed many more then seven, but thus called, because this, as hath been already said, is the number of perfection, the number whereby all holy reckonings went of old; the seventh day must be the Sabbath, at the end of seven weeks the feast of Pentecost, and the end of seven times seven years, the Jubilee, seven Priests, with seven Trumpets of Rams horns compass Jericho, seven days, and the walls thereof fall down, besides the seven graces and seven Spirits before spoke of, wherewith these pillars were endued. And these pillars Wisdom is said to have hewed out, in alluding to his choosing and fitting them for their high and weighty calling with gifts and graces to discharge it. The whole scope of this place is to stir us up to come to the house of Wisdom, and to the feast here prepared, and not by any allurements to be drawn to the house of the Harlot; and this is done, when we embrace and cleave to the truth taught and set forth by the Prophets and Apostles, and follow their doctrine and example in all things, and not our own carnal lusts. He that doth otherwise, goeth to an house, which is the way to hell, and goeth down to the chambers of death; but Wisdomes house is strongly borne up, as by pillars enough, so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, and hath a fair and high standing, as a City set upon an hill, which cannot be moved; so that come hither, and be safe against all enemies, though never so potent, forever. But let none mistake this City, concluding for the visibility and outward flourishing estate of any Church, this is it, but seriously consider whether all truth, and only the truth [Note.] be taught and maintained there, and judge thereof accordingly. For this was the rule by which they went in the primitive times, when there was no visible face of a Church in all the time of persecution, beginning at the death of Christ, and from thence full three hundred years to the days of Constantine the Great. Besides this exposition of the Church being the House here spoken of, and the Prophets and Apostles the pillars and the faithful Doctors of the Church successively, which is most commonly followed by the Fathers, there are other expositions, as of the Hebrews, who by this house understand the Temple, and by the pillars, the pillars thereof, and by the feast the sacrifices.

2. That mentioned by Origen the encyclopaideia of all Arts, which are seven Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, which Hugo doth thus further paraphrase upon; By these seven are set forth all the parts of honesty, which are not in dishonest and wicked men: no grammar in detractours, tractours, because by their evil tongues many barbarismes and solecismes in their speeches come from them, aspersing foully the good name of their neighbors; no Logic in flatterers, because that speaks reason, they unreasonably praise, and so abuse their friends; No Rhetoric in filthy speakers, and the scurrilous, for this teacheth Ornate, and the best manner of teaching; no Arithmetic have the proud and disdainful, for that teacheth to put Numbers together, but these, as if they were too good to consort with others, stand aloof, magnifying themselves above all; No Music do Schismatics know, for this teacheth consent and harmony, but they practice discrepancy and harsh sounding discord; no Geometry do the Covetous know, for they measure not things according to justice or equity, but as their covetous minds carry them, passing all bounds of right, they leap upon other men's estates.

Lastly, the Luxurious know no Astronomy, which makes a man look up to Heaven, and the Stars, but they, like Swine, wallow in the mire of sensual pleasure; but upon well speaking of our Neighbors plainly reproving sin in all, uttering grave, holy, and modest speeches, humble, and gentle, and meek speeches, and behavior, just dealing in all things, and an heart lifted up to Heaven, as upon seven Pillars both Ethics, Politicks, and Metaphysics, that is, Divinity are built and founded.

3 Anastasius, Ambrose, Gregory, by this house understand the Human nature of Christ, and by the seven pillars the seven gifts of the Spirit, said to be upon him, Esa. 11.

4 Athanasius by this house understands the just man's soul, and the seven Pillars supporting are by Bonaventure found, Jam. 3. to be chastity, peace, modesty, teachablenesse, consenting to the good, full of mercy, and judging without dissimulation, for such is the wisdom that is from above said to be, but the two last in N. Tr. without partiality, without hypocrisy

She hath killed her beasts, Hebr. her killing, mingled her wine; All that is spoken Allegorically, it being hereby shown, That they who come to wisdoms house, shall find a table there fully furnished; that is, Be satisfied with Spiritual food, as well as if they had filled their bodies with all good cheare and wine, that is commonly at Feasts, of one of which, a most abominable one, he hath spoken before, chap. 7. Not much unlike to Wisdom thus preparing and inviting, speaks our Lord of himself in Parables, under the name of a King, Matth, 22. where the Reader may see what is meant by these things; and the Maidens here said to be sent out, are there said to be servants, Christ's Ministers.

Lyra understanding it of the Lord's Supper acknowledgeth, That anciently as Bread, so Wine was given to all at the Lord's Supper, but now for fear of spilling the Wine, Bread only; and some, because the Wine is said to be mingled, infer, that in the Lord's Supper it ought so to be, but the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth as well pouring out, as mingling, and a word from the same root signifieth a drink-offering, and therefore here is no ground for that Tenet, which is yet so generally held in the Church of Rome.

She crieth in the highest places; That is, when her voice may best be heard, for which, Pulpits out of which we preach, are set up on high, as in the days of Ezra, and hereby is declared the far and wide piercing sound of the Gospel preached, for which the sound is said to have gone through all Lands. And who are invited to this feast? Simple ones, and such as want understanding. Which was notably fulfilled, when the mysteries of the Gospel were revealed to babes in understanding, the wise having them hid from them; That is, the Scribes and Pharisees, and Expounders of the Law, and the noble and great ones of the Land. yea, unless one be a fool and simple in himself, he cannot be made wise thus. Such hungry ones are filled with good things, as the blessed Virgin Mary saith, but the rich in wisdom and understanding, who think highly of themselves, are sent empty from this feast away. See also. 1 Cor. 1. 20. Not many wise or noble, God hath chosen.

And herein the Lord is contrary to the Philosopher, who being about to set forth his Ethics would have no simple ones to come to his teaching, but either intelligent or apt to learn. Wherefore let none be discouraged for their natural weakness, [Note.] if they be willing; that is all which the Lord requires, that they may be Guests at Wisdomes Table, and feed, and be filled here to everlasting life, and as to a feast, and that most sumptuous and complete must we go to holy Exercises; the want of which consideration is the cause of so great a neglect in many, who come to Church, as to a House of Correction; or tr •• antly Scholars to School being most glad when they have liberty to return home again, or to their sinful pleasures; or as the Israelites, who having been long fed with Manna, which at the first they thought most delicate food, when they had been long used to it day after day, loathed it.

The vulg. verse. 3. for these words, She hath cried from the high places of the City, hath it, that they might call to the tower, and the walls of the City; That is, saith Lavater, as some expound it, to heavenliness of mind, the heats being lifted up on high, when a man cometh to this spiritual feast; Some, that the house, to which they are called, is as a tower on high, in which Captains used to give their Soldiers some repast of good meat and wine, that thence they descending again might go into the Battle with more courage; so wisdom dealeth by those, whom she inviteth, feeds them with Spiritual food, thus filling their hearts with more courage to spiritual encounters.

These things I grant are true, and very useful for such as are going to holy exercises, especially the first; but the words in Hebr. will not bear this exposition, and therefore some, that hold to that reading, say, that she calleth he maidens to this Tower, that speaking from aloft they might be the further heard, and so they come to the same in effect, which I said before.

Touching the simple ones, and destitute of understanding, or as it is Hebr. of an heart, Hereby most probably two sorts are set forth; 1. Of young ones; 2. Of such as have years enough, but are weak in understanding; for the will of the Lord is, that children should come to this holy Feast, as well as men of years, for which cause children are often spoken to before.

He that reproveth a scorner, gets himself shame. Having hitherto in the name of Wisdom invited to her feast, now he showeth, who shall not come in hither, viz. the proud and scornful, or any wicked person bent to go on in his sins, how effectually soever he be dissuaded there-from, yet such are brought in also; for both good and bad are said to have been brought in, Matth. 22. but no good doth redound to the souls of such; neither hath wisdom any credit, but a blemish by their means, through their living, and coming into her house or congregation.

But how doth he get himself a blot, that reproveth a scorner? Gregory answereth well, by the scorners retorting upon him the vices objected, where-with he is charged, yea and more to his disgrace amongst many Hearers; and Clemens Alexandrin expresseth this well by the similitude of a Looking-glass, upon which a man full of sores and blemishes upon his face looking, the like appear in the Glass; so the scorner makes his reprover seem as vicious as he. Here between the scorner and the wicked is this difference, the scorner is one that hath some knowledge, but for this he thinketh himself wiser then his Teacher, and so mocketh at what he saith, and contemneth it; the wicked is one that sinneth not out of weakness, but maliciousness, these two being opposed to the two before spoken of, young ones, and weak in understanding like children, although of men's years, and so through weakness and ignorance sinning, but upon better information ready to reform.

And a blot saith Augustine he getteth to himself that laboreth, by reproving and laying open the sins of such, because the profiting of the Hearer is the reward of the Teacher; but he that laboreth for a reward, and knoweth that he shall have none, cannot escape unblemished with folly.

Reprove not a scorner least he hate thee, reprove a wise man, and he will love thee. This is added, to show that we are not only to forbear instructing and reproving scorners, least by so doing we get a blot, but least for our good will we be requited with hatred. But must we therefore let scorners go unreproved altogether, doth not love bind us without regard to the harm that will redound unto us to do our duty? and what is this but to reprove sin in whomsoever, and specially the teacher, who is as a watchman, and shall be in peril of losing his life for his life, if he giveth not every sinner warning.

Sol. Some answer, that there is another way of reproving, although a man saith nothing, and that is by doing so, as that he may be ashamed: Some that although his hatred, by reproof procured, be spoken of, and a blot to the reprover, yet this is not the only thing for which he must forbear, but lest he being reproved add unto his sin, by being more exasperated to the increase of sin in him, and consequently of damnation, which is illustrated by divers comparisons: As a muddy place being stirred stinks the more, and fire burns the more ardently, and a mad man rages the more he is opposed; so the scorner.

2. As a foul, having divers sorts of eggs under her, by sitting upon them produceth divers sorts of young ones, some good, some bad, as the eggs are; so it is with those, that are under the reproof of a teacher, if they be docible and tractable, they come out reformed, if scorners, more increased in sin.