stant aim and endeavour: he that keepeth his way, looks well to his actions, preserveth his soul from sorrow and destruction. 18 Pride [goeth] before destruction, in this world and in the next,

and an haughty spirit before a fall; to be proud of any thing is. 19 the way to lose it. Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud; an humble man is happier in afflictions, than an haughty, insolent man in the midst of prosperity and triumph. Here Solomon not only opposes the blessings of virtue to the rewards of vice, (that would be doing vice too much honour ;) but he opposes the naked virtue, and that the least magnificent of all others, to the advantages of the most exalted vice; the spirit of meekness to the spoils of pride. 20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good, respect and success and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy [is] he; true re21 ligion only can make a man happy. The wise in heart shall be called prudent, that is, have the honour of their wisdom: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning; eloquence adds a new value to it; makes it more agreeable, diffusive, and instructive. 22 Understanding [is] a wellspring of life unto him that hath it; it streams forth for the instruction of others: but the instruction of fools [is] folly; they only betray their own folly, and no good is to 23 be got by them. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips; he speaks from experience, which 24 makes what he says the more regarded. Pleasant words, such words of wisdom as before described, [are as] an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones, are not only pleasant, but wholesome; like honey, they have an agreeable taste, 25 and a medicinal virtue. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof [are] the ways of death; this is 26 repeated to teach us not to deceive ourselves. He that laboureth, laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him; honest industry is necessary for the preservation of life, but more neces27 sary in the concerns of the soul. An ungodly man diggeth up evil; is always contriving to do mischief; with great labour and industry diving into what is secret by surmises and suspicions : and in his lips [there is] as a burning fire; his lying, slanderous 28 speeches are very mischievous. A froward man soweth strife where there is love and peace; and a whisperer separateth chief 29 friends, by carrying tales and misrepresentations. A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way [that is] not good; contrives to do him the greatest injury. Let us aim at a contrary character, and attempt to draw our friends into the 30 ways of religion. He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things; he does it with deliberation and contrivance: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass; giving signs to his associates, that they 31 may execute their wicked projects. The hcary head [is] a crown of glory, [if] it be found in the way of righteousness; it is an hon ourable thing to be an aged saint : such should be reverenced, and young people should be engaged to be good betimes, that they may 32 have this honour if they should live to be old: [He that is] slow to VOL. V.

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anger, not easily put into a passion, nor resents a provocation, [is] better than the mighty: and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city; some of the most glorious conquerors amidst the greatest success and triumph, have been, through the violence of their own passions, the objects of pity to all who read their his33 tory; as Alexander, and others. The lot is cast into the lap: but the whole disposing thereof [is] of the LORD; his providence determines the most casual events, therefore we should be reconciled to our condition, and patient and contented in every state.

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CHAP. XVII.

ETTER [is] a dry morsel, a dry crust, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices [with] strife; than the greatest feast upon the remains of the most costly sacrifices: all fami« lies, especially the poor, should cultivate peace, and thus secure the 2 most valuable enjoyment of life. A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame: and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren; a wise servant often gets money sufficient to 3 buy the estate which foolish children are obliged to sell. The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts; afflictions discover the dross, and prove what is good. 4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; it is a sign of a wicked disposition to give credit to every malicious story raised and spread: [and] a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue; liars love 5 to strengthen and justify one another. Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker who made him so, who has taken the poor under his protection, and will punish the reproachers : [and] he 6 that is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished. Children's children [are] the crown of old men; it is an honour to live to be old and see many descendants: and the glory of children [are] their fathers; it is an honour for children to be descended from 7 worthy parents. Excellent speech becometh not a fool; his 8 manners contradict it: much less do lying lips a prince. A

gift [is as] a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it, scattering its rays from every side, is sparkling and beautiful: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. This intimates the unhappy influence which interest has to make men act against reason, con9 science, and the public good. He that covereth a transgression, maketh the best of every thing, seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter, and probably aggravates it, separateth [very] friends; such talebearers as these are very hernicious persons, and should be checked by those who are friends to peace and love. 10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man, maketh a greater impression upon him, than an hundred stripes into a fool. An evil [man] seeketh only rebellion, or mischief: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. This is a warning pot to

entertain seditious councils and designs, lest the prince should send 12 an executioner, as was customary in the east. Let a bear robbed

of her whelps, the most mischievous animal in enraged circumstances, meet a man rather than a fool in his folly; rather than a 13 man under the influence of strong and vicious passions. Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house; 14 it may be punished in the next generation. The beginning of strife [is as] when one letteth out water: therefore leave off con tention, before it be meddled with; a beautiful allusion to a well known fact, when a breach is once made in a dam no one can tell where it will stop, it will grow wider and larger, therefore let us not med15 dle with it at all. He that justifieth the wicked, treating him as, and pronouncing him to be righteous, and he that condemneth the just, censures and condemns those who are sincere and upright for some little indiscretions, even they both [are] abomination to 16 the LORD. Wherefore [is there] a price in the hand of a fool,

an opportunity and advantage to get wisdom, seeing [he hath] 17 no heart, neither skill, resolution, nor desire [to it?] A friend

loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity; they only 18 are true friends who stick to us and help us in adversity. A man

void of understanding striketh hands, [and] becometh surety in 19 the presence of his friend, who is able to answer for himself. He loveth transgression that loveth strife, that is, brawling, contentions, law suits, and disputes in religion : [and] he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction; he who affects grandeur and magnificence, his substance and his estate all run out at his pompous gate, and make way for destruction to enter in this is the ruin of 20 multitudes of young people. He that hath a froward heart, a perverse, fretful disposition, findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue, a deceitful, ill natured tongue, falleth into mis21 chief, brings it upon himself by his own perverseness. He that' begetteth a fool, a wicked son, [doeth it] to his sorrow and the father of a fool hath no joy in any thing else. Such parents are greatly to be pitied; and in order to prevent this, they cannot be 22 100 careful in the education of their children. A merry heart, that is, a cheerful temper, doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones; weakens the strength, and con23 sumes the vital parts. A wicked [man] taketh, or accepteth, a gift out of the bosom of the giver, he does it secretly, to pervert 24 the ways of judgment. Wisdom [is] before him that hath understanding; he has his thoughts about him, looks before him, and considers the consequences of things: but the eyes of a fool [are] in the ends of the earth; he hath a roving, dissipated spirit, meddling with things that he hath no concern in, and that are of no im25 portance. A foolish son [is] a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him: this is a maxim that Solomon often repeats; probably he had his own son Rehoboam in his eye. It is of great im26 portance for parents and children to attend to it. Also to punish the just [is] not good, [nor] to strike princes for equity; it is a crime in a magistrate to punish the just, but for a king to punish,

his nobles for equity is most horrible, because it is discouraging them from doing good when in their power, and weakening his own 27 hands. He that hath knowledge spareth his words, is not fond of talking, speaks only when it is fit and may be useful: [and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit, or rather, a cool spirit, as in the margin of our bibles, for to be calm, dispassionate, and not easily firovoked, is a mark of wisdom and an excellent spirit. 28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: [and] he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding; the concealment of folly is wisdom, and sometimes wisdom uttered is folly; men's abilities are chiefly discovered by their discourse, and talkative persons proclaim their own folly. Let every man therefore be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

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CHAP. XVIII.

HROUGH desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh [and] intermeddieth with all wisdom; or rather, à man of retirement seeketh after his desire, and intermeddleth with 2 all wisdom. Retirement is of great use to improve the mind. A fool hath no delight in understanding, in its real use, only for ostentation or amusement, but that his heart may discover itself; 3 all his delight is to vent his own folly and wickedness. When the wicked cometh, [then] cometh also contempt upon God and religion, and every thing valuable; and with ignominy reproach, reproachful language concerning o'hèrs: if a man speaks reproachfully and contemptibly of others, mark him for a wicked man. 4 The words of a wise man's mouth [are as] deep waters, [and] the well spring of wisdom [as] a flowing brook; it is an iner5 haustible spring of entertainment and improvement. [It is] not

good to accept, to favour or justify, the person of the wicked, in 6 order to overthrow the righteous in judgment. A fool's lips enter into contention, he uses passionate and provoking language, and his mouth calleth for strokes; he brings sorrow and punish7ment upon himself. A fool's mouth [is] his destruction, and his lips [are] the snare of his soul; it will especially appear to be so at the judgment day, when by our words we shall be justified, and 8 by our words we shall be condemned. The words of a talebearer, who picks up stories, pries into secrets, and carries them from house to house, who relates falsehoods, who misrepresents things, or whispers about things which should not be spoken of, though true, the words of such [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly; the wounds are mortal though silent, and destroy the reputation and interest of the persons 9 spoken of, and the love of those spoken to. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great wast10 er; they are both criminal, and both come to poverty. name of the LORD, his power, goodness, and promises, [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe;

The

there he seeks for protection by faith and prayer, and there he finds 11 it, together with a rich supply of all his wants. The rich man's wealth [is] his strong city, and as an high wall in his own con ceit; he thinks himself securely intrenched, so that no danger can come near him, forgetting his dependence upon God; but it is only in his own conceit, and he finds his high walls thrown down by a 12 variety of accidents. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour [is] humility; when a man finds himself disposed to be proud of any of his endowments and possessions, he has need to be alarmed, as it is an intimation that he is in 13 danger of being deprived of them. He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it,] who thinks to show his quickness of apprehension, and pronounces dogmatically without hearing both sides, 14 it [is] folly and shame unto him. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, bear up under dangers and troubles; but a wounded spirit who can bear? What hath a man to comfort and uphold him, if he has not the reason of his own mind, the testimony of his conscience, and a sense of God's favour? Great care therefre should be taken to govern the passions, and keep the spirits 15 calm, in order to prevent such a dreadful crisis. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge; a diligent application to the means of improving in knowledge, both by study and conversation, is a sign of true wis16 dom. A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. This ancient custom of bringing presents when 17 they wait upon their superiors, is still retained in the east. [He that is] first in his own cause [seemeth] just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him; one story is good till another is told, therefore we should not be rash and hasty in our determina18 tions, but hear both sides. The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. Solomon here advises to refer troublesome matters to lot, and to sit down contented with the event; 19 this may be very useful still, if not superstitiously performed. A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle: the nearness of the relation heightens the provocation, therefore we should be careful 20 not to offend or despise our near relations or friends. A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; [and] with the increase of his lips shall he be filled; he shall have pleasure or un21 easiness, as he speaks well or ill. Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue; a great deal of good or evil is done by it, and they that love it, that love life, and give conversation a wise 22 turn, shall eat the fruit thereof. [Whoso] findeth a wife, or (as some ancient versions render it) a good wife, findeth a good [thing,] and obtaineth favour of the LORD, and he ought to acknowledge the goodness of God in giving him a suitable companion. 23 The poor useth entreaties, are forced to make submissions and use entreaties, even for what is their due; but the rich answereth roughly; riches are a temptation to haughtiness and arrogance, 24 which very much lessen the value of them. A man [that hath]