Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A27991
|
The proverbs of Solomon paraphrased with the arguments of each chapter, which supply the place of a commentary / by Symon Patrick ...
|
Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
|
1683
(1683)
|
Wing B2635; ESTC R18386
|
254,828
|
624
|
it but it can never be made consistent with honesty and goodness to have respect to the person not to the cause which is brought before one in judgment for by that means the wicked is favoured because he is rich or because he is a friend c. and the just man loses his right and is oppressed because he is poor or none of the Judge's acquaintance 6. A fools lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes 6. If a fool find others scolding or contending he will thrust himself into the quarrel but is so unskilfull that instead of making them friends he increases the difference till from words they come to blows in which he escapes not without some share of them to him self 7. A fools mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul 7. For in all other cases a fool uses his tongue so imprudently that he ruins himself by his own discourse and if he go about to defend what he saith he is but the more intangled to the certain hazard of his life 8. The word of a tale-bearer are as wounds and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly 8. A whisperer of false stories makes a great show of harmlesness if not of love and kindness when he backbites others nay seems perhaps to doe it very unwillingly with great grief of heart and not without excuses for the persons from whom he detracts but his words give them the most deadly wound and sink deep into the mind of those that hear them See Arg. d 9. He also that is slothfull in his work is brother to him that is a great waster 9. There is so little difference between a slothfull man and a prodigal that they may be called Brethren for he that looks not after his business must needs come to poverty as well as he that is a spend-thrift 10. The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe 10. The Almighty power and goodness of the great Lord of the World is the securest defence in all manner of dangers unto which a vertuous man may have the confidence cheerfully to resort and hope to find protection nay to be there as safe as if he was in an impregnable fortress See Arg. e 11. The rich mans wealth is his strong city and as an high wall in his own conceit 11. The worldly-minded man indeed thinks otherwise and places his security in heaps of wealth which he fancies hath a power to doe any thing and is able to defend him like a high bulwark which none can scale from all assaults but alas this is onely his own vain opinion he is safe merely in imagination 12. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty and before honour is humility 12. When a man's spirit grows lofty by prosperity forgetting God and despising his brethren it is a certain forerunner of his utter destruction as on the other side humility meekness and patience in a low condition is the best preparation for honour and preferment 13. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is folly and shame unto him 13. He that is so forward as to answer to a business before he hath heard the state of it that is before he understand it thinks perhaps to show the quickness of his apprehension but by his impertinent discourse declares his egregious folly and makes himself ridiculous See Arg. f 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear 14. There is a vast difference between outward and inward evils for a manly spirit will support us under bodily sicknesses and outward afflictions but if the mind it self have lost its courage and become abject cast down and oppressed with grief and sadness it is not in the power of man to raise and lift it up 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge 15. He therefore that hath so much understanding as to consider what is good for himself will take the greatest care to possess his mind with the true knowledge of God and of his duty to him and be so wise as to lissen to those that can give him right information for it is this alone that can preserve the mind from being dejected and broken 16. A mans gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men 16. There is no man so mean but he may make his way whithersoever he desires by gifts and presents which will procure his inlargement if he be in prison and more than that bring him into favour with great men nay purchase him the honour to wait upon Princes 17. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him 17. A man may seem to have a good cause who hath got the start of his neighbour till he come also to examine his information and open the whole matter before the Judge nay more than this he hath a great advantage who first possesses the Judge's mind with the justice of his cause for it will not be easie for his adversary to find out his tricks and to confute him without a diligent search and curious inquiry into what he hath alledged See Arg. g 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease and parteth between the mighty 18. But in some cases it is very hard to make an end of suits where the reasons are strong on both sides or the parties contending both very powerfull to maintain their pretensions and then the casting of lots is an equal way to determine the controversie and put each of them in quiet possession of that which falls to his share 19. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city and their contentions are like the bars of a castle 19. But there are no contentions so sharp and obstinate as those among Brethren who grow so refractory when they have transgressed against each other that it is easier to take a strong City or to break the barrs of a Castle than it is to compose their differences and remove all the obstructions that lie in the way to their hearty reconciliation 20. A mans belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled 20. The Tongue is so hard to govern and so much depends upon it that it cannot be too oft repeated XII 14. XIII 2. we ought to take as great care about the words we speak as we do about the fruit of our Trees or the increase of the earth which we are to eat for according as they are wholsome and good or unsavoury and bad so will the pleasure or the pain be wherewith we shall be filled 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof 21. The good or the harm that the Tongue can doe both to a man's
a Nation doth not lie merely in the multitude of the people but in the number of wise men to direct and govern all affairs XI 14. See Arg. b 7. Wisedom is too high for a fool he openeth not his mouth in the gate 7. Who are the more valuable because it is no easie thing to be an accomplished person in all the parts of wisedom which are above the reach of vain rash and heady men who are not admitted either to judge or to advise in the common Council of the City where wise men are not afraid nor ashamed to speak and that with great authority 8. He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person 8. He that deviseth new ways and arts of cheating or doing mischief unto others is one of the worst of men and shall be branded with the odious name of An inventour of evil things I. Rom. 30. 9. The thought of foolishness is sin and the scorner is an abomination to men 9. To contrive any thing that is hurtfull unto others though out of rashness and folly is a sin but he that makes a jest of it when it is done and laughs at those who tell him it is a sin is such a pestilent wretch that he is or ought to be extremely abhorred of all mankind 10. If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small 10. To despond and desist from any good design much more to despair of deliverance when thou fallest into any distress is an argument of great weakness and feebleness of mind and yet if thou art remiss in the study of Wisedom in a prosperous condition thy spirit will be apt to sink and be dejected in a worse See Arg. c 11. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain 11. Use thy best indeavours to deliver innocent persons who by false accusations or other ways are dragged to execution or are in present danger of losing their life and do not think thou canst with a safe conscience withdraw thy self from succouring them in that distress 12. If thou sayest Behold we knew it not doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy sould doth not he know it and shall not he render to every man according to his works 12. I know the common excuse which men are apt to make in this case protesting that they did not understand their innocence or how to save them but dost thou think such things will pass with God though they do with men Canst thou deceive Him with false pretences Him that searcheth into the secrets of all mens hearts Him that observeth every the very least motion of thy Soul by whose 〈◊〉 Providence which serves all men in their kind thou thy self shalt be deserted as thou hast deserted others See Arg d 13. My son eat thou hony because it is good and the hony-comb which is sweet to thy taste 13. Do not slight much less nauseate such precepts as these my dear Child but as honey is most acceptable to thy palate both for its wholesomeness and for its pleasure especially that pure part of it which drops of it self immediately from the honey-comb See Arg. e 14. So shall the knowledge of wisedom be unto thy soul when thou hast found it then there shall be a reward and thy expectation shall not be cut off 14. So let that knowledge be to thy mind which tends to make thee wise and vertuous for as nothing is more necessary for thee nothing more delightfull so if it be seriously studied and thoroughly digested it will abundantly reward thy pains with prosperous success in all thy undertakings and never put thee in hope of any thing which shall not answer thy expectation 15. Lay not wait O wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous spoil not his resting-place 15. It is possible indeed that a good man's condition may be very mean nay afflicted sometime in this world but let not that tempt the wicked subtilly to contrive to ruin much less by open violence to disturb his innocent repose nay cast him out of his small habitation with which he is contented 16. For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again but the wicked shall fall into mischief 16. For though a good man should meet with so many troubles that thou imaginest he cannot fail to perish in them he shall overcome them all and flourish again when the wicked shall sink under the calamity that befalls them and never be able to recover out of it See Arg. f 17. Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth 17. It is a great piece of wisedom and vertue also to pity others in their trouble and not to shew any sign of joy and mirth when thou seest any man though he be thy enemy in a calamitous condition no not so much as upon thy own account to take any inward pleasure in his downfall 18. Lest the LORD see it and it displease him and he turn away his wrath from him 18. For though no body sees it God doth and such inhumane affections are so displeasing to Him that they may provoke Him to translate the calamity from thy enemy unto thee and thereby damp thy sinfull joy with a double sorrow first to see him delivered from his trouble and then to find thy self involved in it 19. Fret not thy self because of evil men neither be thou envious at the wicked 19. Let not thy anger kindle or if it do quench it presently that it may not tempt thee to impatience when thou seest naughty men thrive and prosper and do not imagin them to be happy men and thereby be provoked to follow them in their impious courses See Arg. g 20. For there shall be no reward to the evil man the candle of the wicked shall be put out 20. For though a wicked man may live bravely for a time yet it shall end quite otherways than he expected and his splendour such as it is if not in his own days yet in his posterity be utterly extinguished 21. My son fear thou the LORD and the king and meddle not with them that are given to change 21. Take care therefore my dear Child that thy Religion which teaches thee in the first place to worship reverence and obey the great Lord and Governour of all the world make thee humbly obedient to the King as God's Vicegerent here on earth and have nothing to doe with those whose discontent with the present state of things or their love of novelty makes them affect a change of Government and depart from their duty both to God and man See Arg. h 22. For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both 22. For an unexpected and dreadfull calamity shall unavoidably and violently seise on them but when and how either God or the King will punish them