Works Volume 4

Places of the Old Testament incidentally explained.

GEN.

Chap.	Ver.	Pag.	Col.
VI	11	29	1
X	6	274	1
XIV	19	384	1
22	353	1
XVIII	4	367	2
XLI	40	11	1
44	353
XLIX	14	193	1

EXOD.

I	21	328	2
366	1
IV	16	136	1
XV	21	401	1
XIX	24	307	2
XXXII	32	272	1
XXXIII	13	290	2
18

LEVIT.

XX

5

104

1

DEUTER.

II	7	390	1
XI	10	4	2
XXV	7	197	1
XXXII	42	328	1
6	384

JUDG.

I	15	242	1
365
V	16	193	1
XII	3	355	2
XXI	15	307	2

RUTH.

III	11	197	1
IV	11	328	2
VI	1	197	1

1 SAM.

I	18	104	1
XIX	5	355	2
XXVIII	21	Ibid.

2 SAM.

V	20	307	2
VII	11	328	2
VIII	13	176	1
XII	25	315	2
XV	20	162	1
XIX	10	150	1

1 CHRON.

XVI	7	306	1
XVIII	12	176	1

2 CHRON.

XXVI

21

250

1

NEHEM.

IX

6

403

2

HEST.

II	19	197	1
21

JOB

XIII	14	355	2
XVI	14	307	2
XXI	33	163	1
XXXVIII	13	284	2
XL	15	401	2
XLI	29	296	2

PROV.

XI	22	353	2
XIV	18	390	2
XXI	1	4	2

ECCLES.

V	6	380	2
X	1	156	1
11	387	2

CANT.

I	5	328	1
VIII	6	216	1

ISAI.

IX	1
6	243	2
334
13	362	1
XIII	22	333	1
XVIII	1	247	2
XIX	11	224	2
13
XXI	14	68	1
XXVIII	16	306	2
XXXV	25	323	2
XL	31	260	1
290
XLI	4	160	1
XLIV	20	287	1
LIII	6	145	2
11
LVIII	6	206	1
LX	5	352	1
LXV	11	274	1

JEREM.

II	8	274	1
IV	20	293	2
V	31	333	1
XLVI	15	73	1

EZECH.

XIV	9	351	1
XXII	30	307	2
XXVI	20	392	1
XXIX	10	274	1
XXX	9	Ibid.

HOSE.

VI	9	68	2
IX	4	230	1
XII	5	325	1

AMOS.

IV	1	73	1
5	333
V	21	338	1

OBAD.

12

333

1

MICH.

I	16	260	1
VI	6	68	1
VII	17	59	2

HAB.

II	4	113	2
III	7	328	1

ZECHAR.

XI

17

274

1

MAL.

II

3

338

1

CHAP. I.

1. THE Proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King of Israel.

Paraphrase.

1. This ensuing book was pen'd by that great and famous servant of God, King Solomon, that reigned over all the people of Israel, immediately after David his Father; and was endowed by God, in answer to his request, with a more eminent spirit of wisdom and knowledge, than ever was afforded to any mere man, 1 King. 3.12. And it is a Compilement or Collection of divine Sentences, documents, or instructions of life, taken from his meditation, and observation of all sorts of things in the world, and adapted to the uses of all sorts of men, and that they may the more sharply and lively affect them, be more gratefully received, and more easily retained, and make the deeper impression on their minds, they are many of them framed by way of parable, or comparison, or similitude; which as they have somewhat of obscurity in them, before they be explained, and when they are so, (the Cabinet opened, where the treasure is laid up) they are found to contain somewhat out of the common road, above vulgar observation; so by these advantages they may hope to gain the firmer rooting in the intelligent readers heart; and continue to him ready at hand on all occasions, to guide and direct the actions of his life.

2. To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the [ a] words of understanding.

Paraphrase.

2. And the proper aim designed by the Author, in collecting and publishing them, was to engage men's hearts to the study and practice of that which alone is true wisdom, the skill of regulating their lives, with that exactness, which may be acceptable in the sight of God, that great spiritual prudence, by which all our actions are to be managed and conducted, and withal to raise their understandings above an ordinary pitch, to comprehend obscure expressions that have especial weight and acuteness in them.

3. To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity.

Paraphrase.

3. To persuade men effectually to take off their hearts from the empty grosser entertainments, or studies, or pursuits of the world, and to be vacant for these nobler employments, 1, exercising their faculties in finding out sublime conceptions. 2. Imbibing most profitable rules for the conducting their actions of all kinds, by measures of perfect justice and charity toward all they have to deal with, of impartial distribution of punishments and rewards in public judicatures, and of probity and uprightness in all their thoughts and enterprises.

4. To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

Paraphrase.

4. The reading this book will be an armature to all facile, flexible, seducible persons, to young men especially, which want experience in affairs, and so are subject to be misled and ensnared. The precepts here scattered will infuse into such, a pious craft, an honest and necessary cunning, enable them to countermine the deceits and stratagems of Satan, and other seducers, render them more truly wise and sagacious to defend and secure themselves, than the subtlest machinators are to over reach them.

5. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise [ b] counsels.

Paraphrase.

5. He that shall diligently study and be versed in them, will gain much knowledge, and approve himself to be a wise man in thus employing his time, and by help of the directions and rules that are here given, both Ethical and Political, for private men, and for Magistrates also, every considering person will arrive to a great proficiency of skill and dexterity, both in managing the affairs of his life, especially of his soul, moderating and ordering his affections, which is the prime piece of moral prudence, and also, if need be, for the governing of a Kingdom (the precepts of this wise Prince extending to that also.

6. To understand a Proverb, and the [ c] interpretation, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

Paraphrase.

6. And so likewise will his study of this book bring him acquainted with the most elegant, acute, and profound composures which are anywhere to be met with, and teach him the understanding of them, (Thus various and manifold are the uses and advantages of the diligent studying of this book, if we can attain to the full importance of the severals contained in it.)

7. The fear of the Lord is the [ d] beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom, and instruction.

Paraphrase.

7. And the first lesson I shall commend to you, is most worthy very great consideration, being of a signal importance to our whole spiritual well-being, and 'tis this, that all saving knowledge, as that includes practice, answerable to knowledge, an uniform persevering obedience to all the commands of God, is founded in true humility (that fear signifies that, see Annot. on Phil. 11. c.) and piety, and holy awe and reverence to God, and a tender fear to displease him, and a readiness to receive and embrace and lay up in an honest heart his word and his grace, whensoever it shall be revealed and afforded him. This is the only kindly temper of soil, where God's seed takes root, and abundantly fructifies, (and is itself a work not of nature, but of God's preparing and preventing graces, when they are successful and attain their desired effect in us) whereas folly, and pride, contumacy, and all manner of impiety go together. Those that are not (by God's preventing graces taking deep root in them) molded into this humble, docible, pious temper, so as to be receptive of those good sober counsels (which God commends to them, and by his grace accompanies them, and promises and never fails to cooperate with them in all that effectually receive them, and traffick with them) but on the contrary, either resist or neglect, either vex and grieve, or, by not receiving and employing, scatter and quench these graces of his spirit, they never attain to true saving wisdom, but remain in the dregs and on the lees of their corrupt natural state of folly and sin, wherein they were born, daily adding to, and improving that original stock of wretchedness, by actual and habitual sins, wherein all impiety and (at least practical) Atheism consisteth.

〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉

8. My Son, hear the instruction of thy Father, and forsake not the Law of thy Mother.

Paraphrase.

8. To this purpose are the wholesome, and early advices and rules of direction, which parents give their children, on purpose to infuse into them betimes these seeds of all virtue; which benefit of a good education, with the early graces of God accompanying it, are the foresaid preventions of his spirit. And therefore if I were, as a Father to a dearest Son, to give thee one fundamental counsel, which should have a signal influence on all thy future weal, it should be this, that thou most humbly and obedientially receive, and perform what thy parents thus direct or command thee, and never forget or neglect or transgress their rules in anything.

9. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Paraphrase.

9. And to engage thee thereto, let me assure thee, this constant cheerful uniform obedience shall be so far from proving an ungrateful weight or burden to thee, that it shall be to thyself (as experience will teach thee) the most pleasurable employment, a yoke, but that a gracious one, Matth. 11.30. and in the sight of all men most comely, and ornamental above any other sort whether of natural or artificial beauty, 1 Pet. 3.4. and over and above most acceptable and rewardable in the sight of God, and so as far from being wearisome in any respect, as a royal crown is from being a pressure, or as a golden chain about the neck is from being a yoke or collar.

10. My Son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Paraphrase.

10. Of this sort of paternal advices or precepts, a first is, to beware and keep thyself from the seductions of wicked men. Great store of such trials of thy constancy thou shalt be sure to meet with, and there is but one armature can secure thee against them, a standing steady, and yielding no consent to any. If thou do thus, thou art as safe from the temptations of men, as he that resists the devil, is from being polluted by him; resist and they will fly from thee; thy not consenting, renders thee conqueror; but if thou yield, thou art ensnared and captivate.

11. If they say, come with us, [ α] Let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause,

12. Let us swallow them up alive, as the grave, [ β] and whole, as those that go down into the pit.

Paraphrase.

11, 12. These enticements are of many sorts and kinds; I shall instance in one, by which thou mayst estimate the rest: Suppose a knot of bloody fellows, which fear nothing but the eyes of men, dread not the foulest commissions, if they can hope to keep them undiscovered, shall without any provocation, design the slaughter of innocent persons, and invite thee to take part with them in it, promising to contrive it so secretly, that it shall not be discerned, either at the present, so as to prevent it, or afterwards, so as to avenge, or bring any peril on the actours, assuring thee, they have such ways to dispach them, as shall leave no remainders or footsteps behind for discovery, anymore than when the earth opens on a sudden, and swallows one up, and all that belongs to him, such therefore, as shall prevent all possibility of so much as pursuit, or enquiry after him, and so secure thee both of success, and of impunity (That this was a prediction of the crucifying Christ, is affirmed by St. Augustine de Civ. Dei, l. 17. c. 20. See Matth. 21.38.)

13. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil.

14. Cast in thy lot among us, let us all have [ γ] one purse.

Paraphrase.

13, 14. Adding to the promise of perfect safety, assurance of rich spoils, such as will maintain you plentifully all your life after; and if you will but enter into the confederacy with them, vowing to allow you as great a share in the prey, as any of them.