abhorreth all meanes and instruments of iniustice Before 11.1 16. â—1 11 Euen a child is knowen by his doinges whether his worke be pure and right Indeede the proofe is all but yet young impes oftentimes declare by certaine signes what they are what they will be Euen a child is knowen by his doinges not onely the old So did Daniell on the one side and I smaell one the other but the young shew by their actions or behauiour whether his worke be pure and right whether the thing he doth be sincerely performed by him or no or proceedeth from a true and plaine heart 12 The Lord hath made both these euen the eare which heareth and the eye which seeth The Lord hath not only formed all the parts of meÌ„s bodies namely these two the eare the eye Exod. 4.11 Psal 94.9 but he it is who enableth quickneth theÌ„ to do their office 13 Loue not to sleepe least thou come vnto pouertie open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread Sleepe not too much that thou become not a begger watch in thy calling and thou shalt haue plenty 14 It is naught it is naught saith the buyer 1. Thess 4.6 but when he is gone apart he boasteth Albeit the ware cheapened is well worth the money demauÌ„ded by the seller yet the couetous buyer to the end he may get it verie cheape disprayseth it to the vtmost and sayth that it is not worth halfe so much as it is prised at but when he hath bought the thing and is come home theÌ„ he will say to his friend had I not a good penieworth it is euen worth twise as much as I payd for it Thus to deale is to call good euill and to speake contrarie to a mans owne knowledge and conscience 15 There is gold and a multitude of pretious stones but the lips of knowledge are a most pretious treasure Worldly treasures are herein compared with true and gracious wordes There is gold and a multitude of pretious stones there are in the world mettals and stones of great price but the lippes of knowledge are a most pretious treasure but plaine dealing in word deede is the best iewel for indeed the one come out of the earth the other are giuen from heauen The one are esteemed by men the other by the Lord the one are corruptible the other immortall the one serue vnto the vses of this life the other are profitable to edifie the soule Balaam him self saw thus much for which cause he said to Balaak that if he should giue him an house full of gold and siluer he could not goe besides the word of God 16 Take his garment who is suretie for a straunge man and a pledge of him who is suretie for a straunge woman Rash suretieship is againe forbidden in this verse Although the garment of thy poore brother who flyeth vnto thee in his necessitie to borrow somewhat of thee Exod. 22.26 is not in any case to be kept by thee froÌ„ him neither yet his pawn to be retained yet when any person who is indeed in poore estate shall so dissemble or take on him the person of a rich man as to offer him selfe vnto thee to be surety for another thou mayest with a good conscience deale streightly with him and require thine owne of such a one 17 The bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterward his mouth shall be filled with * Or sharpe stones grauell Great reasoÌ„ there is why all men should take heed of craftie dealing For the bread of deceit is sweet to a maÌ„ In the beginning goodes ill gotten are verie pleasant and delitesome to a craftie person but afterward his mouth shal be filled with grauell Neuertheles in the end he shall for the same meete with troubles For such sweet meate as we say will haue sowre sawce 18 Establish thy thoughtes by counsell and by prudent aduise make warre In all matters of doubt whatsoeuer seeke for and follow the direction and counsell of wise and faithfull men but especially bend thine owne wits to deuise all the pollicies in the world and take aduise also with other of skill and experience in so weightie matters as warre is Luc. 14. wherein the life of many a man is hazarded 19 To him who discloseth a secret going about as a * Or backbiter tale bearer and to him who flattereth with his lippes ioyne not thy selfe Take counsaile with wise meÌ„ about thine affaires but make not blabs acquainted therwith neither referre thy matters vnto those who will but faune vpon thee or glose with thee saying as thou sayest and doing all thinges to please thee not regarding their owne dutie or thy good 20 He who curseth his father or his mother shall haue his candell put out in obscure darkenesse That child doth curse his father or his mother See the roote of this sentence Exod. 21.17 who wisheth some euill vnto them or reuileth them His candell shall indeed be put out for his prosperitie and life shall be taken awaye See beneath 30.11 This shall be done in obscure darkenesse in as much as all his glorie shall not onely be taken away but turned into extreme miserie in a day of wrath and vengeance Disobedience then to parents is threatened in this sentence 21 An heritage is hastely gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Substance by ill meanes or with greedinesse heaped together in short time at the last vanisheth or is accursed 22 Say not I will recoÌ„pence euill but wayt on the Lord and he will saue thee Neither in heart intend nor in speeches threaten reuenge Possesse thy soule rather in patience Rom. 12.19 See the fouÌ„taine of this precept Leuit. 19.18 looking for defence from the Lord. So doing thou shalt be preserued by him from the future dangers and deliuered out of thy present troubles 23 Diuers waightes are abhomination to the Lord Before 11.1 and false ballances are not good All meanes and measures of iniustice are detestable in Gods sight and hurtfull to those men who vse them 24 Amans steppes are of the Lord but what doth a man vnderstand of his way God not only knoweth but ruleth all the thoughts Psal 139. words deeds goings of a maÌ„ On the coÌ„trary side man perceiueth litle or nothing of the counsell or dealing of the Lord in gouerning the world 25 It is a * Or snare destruction for a man to deuoure that which is coÌ„secrated after vowes made to call backe See the roote of this precept Deut. 23.21 alike instruction Eccl. 5.3 an example of the daÌ„ger of breaking it Act. 5.1 the warrant of vowing Psal 76.11 what doings are not to be vowed Deut. 23 18. Iudg. 11.30 gather what a vow is out of the 30. Num. 3.4.5.6 vers See an example in Iudas who was a theefe froÌ„ the beginning That it was the
done what is to be belieued In mind they are corrupt and vnable rightly to practise their duties they are not able to discerne betweene true doctrine and false the right course of teaching and the wrong But such as seeke the Lord in his word vnfeinedly shall know all things needfull for saluation for auoyding of error yea sometime for temporall good finally for the discharge of the duties of their calling wherein the wicked haue no vnderstanding Psal 82. 6 Better is the poore man who * In his vprightnesse then he which is peruerse in his waies walketh vprightly then hee who peruerteh his wayes though he be rich Men are to bee esteemed not according to their wealth but vertue See chapter 19.1 7 He which keepeth the law is a prudent sonne but he which keepeth company with banquetters shameth his father Among sundry vices which yoong men are to take heed of riotousnesse is one of the chiefe whereunto that age is peculiarly inclined Godly parentes charge their children to liue soberly to take heede of wasting and prodigalitie Hee then which keepeth this law of God and other duties which parents out of the word teach apply to their children is a wise sonne For by this meanes he auoydeth the wrath of God who in his law commanded such children to be punished as were dissolute disobedient vnto their parents Deut. 21. Moreouer by this meanes he reioyceth and honoureth them who haue begotten him and well brought him vp But on the contrary side he which not regarding the law spendeth his time and his substance in feasting and gaming is not only foolish but a blemish vnto his father for what will bee sayd but that such a one brought not vp his children well or that such a stocke is naught or if the parents of such a prodigall youth see him come to pouertie cast into prison or drawne to punishment for his sin how can they but blush and euen hang downe their heads for shame 8 Hee which increaseth his substance by vsurie and * Or giue franklie interest shall gather it for him who will be liberall to the poore As the Lord alloweth not the wastfull spender so neither doth he like of the vniust and cruell getter of goods Such are said to get their goods by vsurie and interest who in lending or letting the same to hyre byte and oppresse the poore either by an hard bargaine or by misreckoning them Now it may be these cormorantes sometimes do gather great wealth into their handes pilling and polling the poore who stand in need of their helpe and borrow of them after the hardest rate But by the iust iudgement of God such an heire shall succeed those miserable oppressors as will lend to the poore looking for nothing again and pitie their wantes for either the children or the kinsmen or the friends or the executors of these misers proue liberall or prodigall persons oftentimes Let therfore as the Apostle exhorteth none oppresse or circumuent his brother in any matter seeing the Lord is the reuenger of all these thinges There are many which cry out against vsurie who are most grieuous oppressors and vsurers indeed Some buy of the poore which are indebted a field very cheap and sell it very deare They are vsurers Some suffer their poore neighbour to fetch much on the score then set on more then was taken or make him pay double the worth of that which he hath fetcht These are vsurers Some get a great deale of bad mony and paie it away These also are vsurers Now vsury is not onely in mony but in other creatures Deut. 23. Giue not vsury to thy brother vsury of thy mony vsury of thy meate vsury of any thing that is giuen to vsury As therefore such as lawfully gaine by monie or other creatures offend not so such as vnlawfully gaine by corne wine or other such marchandise no lesse are vsurers then such as abuse their mony It may be diuers here expect some large discourse of vsurie but they may be satisfied by the briefe handling of three needful points pertaining to this question First what is vsurie properly taken secondly why it is vnlawfull thirdly what is to be thought of the vsuall compacts and dealings of vsurers in these times Vsury properly taken is a simple binding of the receiuer or borower of mony or goods to repaie the whole summe receiued and the aduantage thereof agreed on be it more or lesse This simple binding or compact is vnlawfull first because it is contrary to charitie equitie as may appeare in that it is a thing vnequall that the summe decaying through no negligence or fault of the receiuer but by Gods prouidence or some casualtie as by fire and water hee is bound to so great inconuenience as to make it good Secondly because the Lord hath enacted a law quite contrarie to this dealing as well touching borrowing as hyring the equitie whereof still remaineth as being grounded on Gods will and nature The law of borrowing is this Exod. 22.14.15 If any borrow ought of his neighbour and it be hurt or else dye the owner thereof not being by he shall surelie make it good If the owner thereof be by he shall not make it good Marke here the principall in such cases is not to be required The law of hiring followeth If it were a thing hired it came for his hire he shall not repay it for that is to be repeated Marke here the vantage may be required but not the principall Now this is euident that in vsurie the thing is lent or hired By the equitie then of the law of God to bind both to the principall and to the vantage is a sinne and vnlawfull Hereby appeareth that the cōpacts now a dayes in vse are vngodly yea that they are horrible sinnes and plaine murderings both of the rich and poore Euery on almost now which hath a stocke of money to spare will let it out if the end be cōsidered seeking his owne cmmoditie if the persons to Christians if the manner binding them simply whether God blesse thē or no to paye such a sum of money after ten or more in the hundred Otherwise if the borrower do not to prison hee must his wife and children staruing in the meane season And can there be more cutthroat dealing then this Much more may be said but it is needlesse the summe is this there may be a gaine agreable to charitie in hiring in letting in borrowing and lending but all vsurie is vnlawfull I meane all simple binding and compelling of any rich or poore to repay the principall and the aduantage 9 Whosoeuer turneth away his eare from hearing the law euen his prayer is abhomination Sinners may flatter them selues and namely adulterers murtherers such vsurers stubburne children as before haue ben spoken of but if any willingly and wittingly turne away his eare from knowing or obeying the will of God so that he
an example Iames. 4 13. neither set downe things to come so certainly in thine heart as if that thou couldest do what thou wouldest For where thou lookest for a furtherance there may be an hinderance neither canst thou tell whether time to come will bring forth vnto thee health or sicknes losse or gaine life or death 2 Let astrangers mouth praise thee Vaine glorie but not thine ovvne mouth another mans lippes but not thine ovvne Speake not thy selfe vaingloriously of thine owne wisedome or good deedes but let those who neuer knew thee or are of no acquaintance with thee commend thee and staie till thy neighbours praise thee 3 A stone hath heauinesse sand vveightinesse but the vvrath of a foole is heauier then them both 4 In anger is crueltie Wrath. Rage and in vvrath an ouerflovving but vvho can stand before enuie See an example in the Israelites to whom the Egyptians rage was more greeuous then their burdens It is not so hard or greeuous a thing to carry heauy burthens as to beare the displeasure of a furious person When anger doth but begin to arise it presently thirsteth for blood like the horseleach Now when it increaseth waxing greater and greater it ouerthroweth the welfare good name and life of many But when it commeth to the height so that it groweth to fiercenesse spite enuy then as a flame it consumeth all sortes of persons Iob. 5 2. yea the foole himselfe in whose bosome it resteth 5 Open rebuke is better then secret loue Secretloue 6 The vvoundes of a friend are faithfull but the kisses of an enemy are to be detested Reprouing of friends for their offences and wounding of them by sharpe wordes is better then either good will no way expressed or outwarde signes of friendship tending to deceiue For first Leuit. 19 17. Mat. 18.15 God commandeth vs to rebuke our brethren secondly sharpe reproofes do winne men to repentance last of all as secret loue engendreth suspitions so the flatterie of enemies worketh mischiefe 7 The soule which is full Psal 141.5 Hunger * Or treadeth vnder foote despiseth an houie combe but to the hungry soule euerie bitter thing is sweet Hunger is the best sauce wherefore a moderation is to be vsed in meares and drinks and all sorts of delightes Changing of a mans dwelling or calling 8 As a byrd vvhich vvandreth from her neast so is a man vvhich vvandreth from his place None is to leaue the standing place whereunto God hath assigned him For euen as a silly bird which vnnecessarily by reason of a certain lightnesse wherwith shee is carried wandreth from place to place doth not onely by this meanes leaue her yoong ones in great danger but wearieth her owne winges hazardeth her owne life meeting sometimes with a net sometimes with a pellet so the person who rolleth from house to house or rashly chaungeth his charge or profession by this his inconstancie greatly hurteth himselfe and his in often remoues meeting with manifold losses and troubles 9 As an ointment and perfume reioyce the heart so doth the * Hebrew Sweetnesse Friendes A friends counsaile is called sweet Psalme the 55. Friendship is resembled to an oiniment Psalm 153. That a friends counsaile doth much delight and is very good may appeare in the example of Ionathan comforting Dauid in the Lord and of Iethro aduising Moses to appoint of ficers vnder him sweet aduise of a friend reioyce euerie one rather then a mans owne counsaile 10 Thy friend and thy fathers friend forsake thou not neither enter into the house of thy brother in the day of thy calamitie a neighbour neere is better then a brother farre off Euen as there is great force both in a pretious ointment and perfume vnto the quickening of the spirits and comforting of the sences so the aduise of a friend doth greatly ease refresh a perplexed and pensiue heart but a man is not so fit or able be he neuer so wise by himselfe or his owne cogitations to comfort himselfe when he is sad Seeing there is so great vse of a faithfull friend breake not off familiaritie or amitie with an old or tried acquaintance but maintain friendship with him and vse him in thy necessitie Enter not then rather into the house of thy kinsman then of thy friend in the time of thine affliction for nature is not too much to bee trusted neither are brethren commonly kind but vnnaturall rather to their brethren in aduersitie See an example in Iosephs brethren 1. Pet. 2.17 Cherish also neighbour-hood as a kind of friendship which is very necessary and profitable For one who is neere both in affection and place may and will at a pinch helpe and pleasure thee more then a naturall kinsman far off in dwelling albeit hee beare thee much good wil. As we say in our English prouerbe if thou hast a good neighbour thou shalt haue a good God-morrow 11 My sonne be wise reioyce mine heart Children that I may be able to answere him who would fayne reproch me with some matter O my child by thine obedience and discretion fulfill my ioy that I may proue to the face of mine aduersaries who would gladly picke an hole in my coate and staine me with some infamie that I haue performed the dutie of a good father toward thee Wisedome or warinesse 12 The prudent man foreseeing an euill hideth him selfe but fooles going on still are punished The prudent escape daunger by their auoyding of perilous places and actions See before 22.3 where this sentence is at large expounded Suretishi but the foolish by their simplicitie fall into euill 13 Take his garment who hath bene suretie for a strange man and take a pledge of him vvho hath become suretie for a strang ewoman Make the rash suretie smart for his follie See the 20. chap 16. vers according as he deserueth to do 14 Vnto him who blesseth his friend with a loud voyce betimes in the morning rising vp early a curse shall be imputed Importunate flatterie Impornate flatterie or flattering importunitie is hatefull and often condemned by those toward whō it is expressed To him who blesseth his friend that person who saluteth or praiseth his neighbour with a loude voyce after an importunate manner and so as all may heare See an example in Absalon 2. Sam. 15. betimes in the morning in a season of good lucke as it were rising early shewing him selfe with the first or before all other to the end that he may seeme the chiefest well willer or valentine as it were a curse shall be imputed in stead of a great reward looked for shall for this his fauning and vnseasonable dealing but be the more suspected and ill spoken of 15 A continuall dropping in the time of a most vehement shower Women and a contentious woman are alike 16 Euery one who hideth her may as wel hide the wind