ours must be euen holy salutations as being hearty prayers Salutations must be holy and wherein we craue the greatest blessings that are at the Lords hands for the persons saluted here then are many kinds of salutations censured First the prophane salutation of swearing Swaggerers Not prophane and rude Ruffians which is not any holy forme or prayer vnto God but a most fearfull tearing and rending of the name of God in pieces by most horrible Oathes Secondly the perfidious saluation such a one Not perfidious as IVDAS his was who betrayed his Master with a kisse and IOABS who cloking his inward malice with sweet and sugred salutations most villanously murthered valiant ABNER euen in the act of saluting Thirdly the formall and customarie and with Not formall all nice curious and affected kind of saluting when men are so full of their ceremonies and complements that they make themselues foolish and ridiculous And herein consists all their grace of their greetings in courting and congeying and ducking and such other gestures but that which is the very pith and marrow of a Christian salutation the lifting vp of the heart to God in desiring the welfare of those they salute is wholly wanting Gestures in saluting are good and commendable so they may stand with comelinesse and the simplicity of Christianitie But this is a fault euen in many who yet are not so fond and so full of affectation in their salutations as others that in saluting their Brethren with those good and holy formes in common vse as God be with you God saue you c. they take the holy Name of God in vaine not hauing their hearts lifted vp to God whose name they call vpon but only speaking of custome and so not minding what they say A fault in most and it ought to be a matter of humiliation vnto vs as being an argument both of the want of feare to God and loue to our Neighbour Salutations are Prayers to the Lord and therefore the name of the Lord must with all reuerence be thought vpon when they are vsed Some hence take occasion to neglect this dutie because they are Prayers and they thinke it not lawfull to wish well in Prayer to euery one wee meete who sometimes may haply be going about some wicked enterprise But besides that Charitie biddeth vs to thinke and hope the best in matters of vncertaintie they should haue remembred that of our Sauiour Luke 10. Into whatsoeuer house yee goe say Peace be vnto this house and if the Sonne of peace be in the house your peace shall come vpon it if not your peace shall returne vpon you So then there is no hurt done whomsoeuer we salute so it be not a notorious Heretike or some such offender not much vnlike 2. Ioh. but if wee salute the children of God wee doe good to them our salutations are effectuall meanes through the blessing of God to bring vpon them the good desired If others we doe good to our selues that good wee desire to them shall bee granted to our selues The summe then of this whole point of salutation in a word is thus much first that we conscionably performe this dutie both by word and writing Superiours to their Inferiours as well as on the contrary euen Kings to their Subiects to strangers as well as to those of our acquaintance Luk. 10. 2. that we doe it in a holy manner feeling our hearts with reuerence both affected to God and inlarged in loue to our Brethren Thus much in generall In this salutation more particularly wee are to consider these two points 1. The things that PAVL wisheth 1. Grace 2. Peace 2. From whom hee wisheth them 1. From God the Father 2. From Iesus Christ our Lord. First for the things desired The former of them is Grace This word Grace often is taken for the gifts of the Spirit by a Metonymie of the efficient because they come vnto vs by the grace and free fauour of God as Iohn 1. 16. And of his fulnesse haue we all receiued Grace how taken grace vpon grace and Verse 17. Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ and 2. Cor. 12. My grace is sufficient for thee But this grace is not here principally meant by the Apostle in this place Therefore there is a second and that more proper signification of this word Grace for the fauour and good will of God as Ephes 2. 8. For by grace are yee saued through faith And this is that which here the Apostle wisheth to PHILEMON Now this Grace and Fauour of GOD is twofold First that fauour of God whereby he purposeth Two degrees of Gods loue to make vs capable of his fauour and fit to be fauoured of him when as in our selues there was no matter of fauour but only of displeasure The giuing of Christ vnto vs and all the benefits which wee receiue in Christ are made fruits and effects of this fauour Rom 5. 15. Much more the grace of God and the gift by grace hath abounded to many The gift by grace is iustification and reconciliation with God A man would thinke wee could not be in the loue and fauour of God till Christ had reconciled vs. I but that Christ is giuen vnto vs to be our Reconciler Whence comes this but of the fauour of God namely this first kind of fauour whereby God goeth about to fit and prepare vs for his fauour So the Apostle directly affirmeth Rom. 5. God setteth out his loue vnto vs that when we were sinners Christ dyed for vs and Christ himselfe Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne which is to be vnderstood of such a kind of loue and fauour whereby hee is willing as it were and desirous to fauour vs and not otherwise For how then could wee be said to be reconciled to God by Christ if before wee were actually in the loue and fauour of God And of this grace our election is made a fruit Ephes 1. 5 6. Who hath predestinated vs to the glorie of his grace whereby hee hath freely made vs accepted in his Beloued that is whereby he hath predestinated vs. Secondly there is another degree of Gods fauour when hauing a desire to fauour vs and a free disposition to doe vs good and because it would not stand with his Iustice to fauour the vile and abominable hauing further of his owne good pleasure in Christ fitted vs for his fauour he doth now take a singular pleasure and delight in vs. So then there is a fauour whereby God makes vs as I may say fauourable such as may be fauoured and it is the description of the Apostle himselfe Ephes 1. 6. By the which grace he hath made vs accepted And there is a further fauour whereby hauing made vs accepted that is such as may be accepted he doth indeed accept vs and is exceedingly well pleased with vs. This may be called the fauour of complacency
dead and deiected spirits which Paul right well knowing hauing commanded vs to reioyce and that euermore euen in our afflictions 1 Thess 5. 16. 17. addeth immediately a commaundement of praying continually as the onely speciall and soueraigne meanes whereby sound ioy and comfort is carried and conueied into the soule of man Would wee then reioyce and refresh our spirits cast downe and lift them vp againe with consolatory meditations See then that thou remember the Apostles rule to pray continually and in prayer to acquaint God with those thy meditations prayer being that which wringeth and presseth out that sweet iuyce and precious liquor of that heauenly comfort which is contained in them They be the sighes of the Spirit in prayer that fetch out the comforts of the Spirit in the word And to them onely and to no other are the doctrines of the word comfortable in affliction who in prayer can vtter them to the Lord with the same spirit wherewithall the Holy Ghosts Secretaries wrote them And this is the reason that many learned men which know the comforts of the word yet reape no benefit by them because they want the Spirit of Prayer to vtter them This one meditation of the blessednesse of the man chastised and taught by God yeeldes comfort onely to him who with this holy Prophet can in the apprehension of this meditation aduance his heart to God and say Blessed is the man whom thou chastizest O Lord c. And surely good reason is there if wee rightly consider of it that matter of comfort conceiued in our harts should be vttered in prayer vnto the Lord. For whence was it that any matter of comfort came into thy minde Was it not of God who hath this as part of his style to be the God of comfort was it not he that poured those comforts into thy soule good reason then thou shouldest againe poure them forth into his bosome and returne them backe to him that is the Father and fountaine of them And in truth such is the nature of spirituall comfort that being shed into our hearts it so enlarges and dilates them that it makes them to poure forth themselues in prayer vnto the Lord. The sweete comfortable rayes of this sunne when once they haue lighted vpon our hearts by our reading and meditating in the word doe forthwith againe rebound and reflect backe vpon God from whom they came by our earnest and feruent prayers sent vp to him And therefore no sooner could the Lord minister an answere to the obiection which rose in the Prophets minde out of his former argument of consolation but the Prophet forthwith as ye see returnes this answere to the Author thereof therein giuing him the glory of that comfort which hee reaped by it saying Blessed is the man c. So much of the scope and coherence of the text The words themselues containe an attribution of blessednes to the man chastised of God and taught by him in his Law In the man therefore here pronounced blessed two things are propounded 1. He is one of Gods chastised 2. He is one of Gods taught And here for the right vnderstanding of the words wee must remember that blessednesse is giuen in both these respects ioyntly together and not seuerally in regard of each The Prophets meaning is not that he who is chastised of God is blessed and so also he that is taught of God but that he in whom both these meete together to bee both chastised and taught of God that such an one is blessed In the handling of the words I will speak of these two points 1. Of the qualities of the man here blessed by the Prophet 2. Of that blessednesse which here is ascribed vnto him in regard of those qualities For the first the qualities are two 1. He is chastised of God Here it may seeme strange that the Prophet speaking of afflictions which came by wicked men vnto the Church as appeares by the former part of the Psalme should yet ascribe them vnto God But wee must know that it is not the Prophets meaning hereby any thing at all to excuse the wicked Persecutors who besides the euill of punishment in correcting the Church which is Gods iust and holy worke are to bee charged with the euill of sinne in that they do this work of God blindly and ignorantly propounding to themselues the satisfying of their owne malicious and spightfull affections as the onely end of that they doe and no such thing as God intendeth What then Surely hereby he would teach vs that Gods holy Doct. hand hath a speciall stroke in those afflictions which come to his Church and children euen by meanes of euill and vnreasonable men Is there any euill in the Citie and I haue not done it Amos 3. 6. And yet we know that many if not most euills are done by some bad men or other But for all that God wil haue all acknowledged as his own doing Hereupon Ioseph though of his enuious brethren sold into Aegypt saith that God sent him thither And Iob robbed of the Sabaans saith The Lord hath taken away Iob 1. The Lords hand in the punishment inflicted on his by euill ones shewes it selfe in these three actions 1. From all eternities he did appoint them Act. 4. 28. to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and counsell hath appointed to be done 2. He being able to hinder and restraine them doth not but willingly suffers them yea he withdrawes that which might hinder as his retaining grace which before kept them in and other outward impediments yea he sends those things which hee knowes through their corruptions will further and forward them as outward obiects and occasions 3. Hee ordereth and disposeth these punishments turning them to his owne glory and the good of his Church Thus Ioseph said of his selling into Aegypt God disposed it to good though his brethren thought euill against him Gen. 50. 20. This must teach vs patience when we are wronged Vse iniuried and oppressed in any sort by euill men because then being vnder them we are vnder Gods rod as Ashur is called Is 10. This vse Dauid made Ps 39. 10. Absalon rising vp against him I was dumbe and said nothing because it was thy doing And this made him so patiently endure Shimies rayling not suffering his seruants to take reuenge because the Lord had commaunded him to curse 2. Sam. 16. 10. As in that persecution of the tongue so likewise in the persecution of the hand it may bee said The Lord hath commaunded Tyrants to imprison to impouerish to beate to banish and to behead his children And therefore as noble men condemned to die do patiently suffer the stroake of death at the hands of the base Executioner therein shewing their subiection and obedience to their Prince so must we patiently and meekly endure all the indignities and iniuries of wicked worldly men therein giuing testimonie of our obedience to God who vseth them as instruments of his
iustice to correct vs. In corrections comming immediately from Gods hand we are not ordinarily so impatient as in those which come by means of wicked instruments The reason is because in these latter we cast our eye too much vpon the malice hatred and spight of the instruments and cannot therein behold the Lords holy hand striking vs with these rods But if we would consider that it is God that scourges vs by them we should then be ashamed of our folly in being angrie at the rod without any regard of the Smiter in snarling like dogs at the stone neuer looking at the flinger Yea wee should then frame our selues to greater patience putting our mouth in the dust and giuing our cheeke to him that smites vs because it is the Lords doing more then his and though he be vniust vnmercifull vnfaithfull and vnkinde yet God therein is most iust mercifull faithfull and kinde vnto vs. 2. It is a doctrine of singular cōfort to the children Vse of God being in the hands of their cruell and crafty aduersaries because their aduersaries also are in the hands of God as a rod in the hand of the Smiter And therefore as the rod of it selfe can doe nothing any further then the force of the hand vsing it giues strength vnto it no more can they doe any thing vnto vs as our Sauiour told Pilate further then it is giuen them from aboue Ioh. 19. A merciful father though he take a great swindging rod into his hands to correct his childe yet he will not spend it wholly vpon his tender childes backe he will strike but softly and so will not doe him all the hurt which hee might vsing the rod to the vttermost when the poore child sees such a terrible rodde he might iustly be afraid knew hee not that his louing Father would so handle the rodde that it should doe him no more harme then a smaller one would When God le ts loose vpon vs bloody and boysterous Tyrants whose throat is an open sepulchre whose feet are swift to shed blood and whose mercies are cruell this might well dismay vs knew we not that God by his ouer-ruling hand did moderate and restraine them Otherwise if as their power is the rod so their malice were the hand that had the ordering thereof there would bee no hoe with them but they would soone make a finall dispatch and riddance of Christians from the face of the earth But sith God is the hand wherein these rods are holden wee need not to feare the greatest of them though liuing rods For howsoeuer Dauid 1. Sam. 24. oppose the hand of God and man and saith It is better to fall into the hands of God then of man yet wee must know that euen that vvhich Dauid calls the hand of man is the hand of God And therefore although it be better for vs to fall into the hand of God immediatly correcting vs then mediatly by euill men as it is better for the child to haue a boxe on the eare with his fathers hand then to bee scourged with a whip and that God shewes more mercy ordinarily in the former kind of correction then in the latter yet mercy also doth hee shew vnto vs in the latter in that hee bridles and curbs yea oftentimes mollifies and mitigates the minds euen of most fierie and furious aduersaries suffring them to doe no more then he himselfe hath appointed 2. Thing to be cōsidered in this our blessed man is that he is taught of God in his Law And teachest in thy Law Here note that happines is not ascribed to the Doct. man chastised vnlesse as he is chastised so also he be taught of the Lord in his Law See then who is the man that may challenge part in this blessednes which is here giuen to the afflicted Hee who is schooled and nurtured of the Lord by the meane of his affliction and thereby learnes many godly lessons which he knew not before Afflictions in themselues are tokens of Gods anger curses rather then blessings but yet when God by his wonderfull power drawing light euen out of darknes shall turne them to our good to the increase of grace sanctification in vs then are they vndoubted badges of our blessednes Examine thy selfe therfore what thine affliction hath taught thee otherwise if thine affliction finding thee vntaught so likewise leaue thee I debarre thee that blessednes which appertaines to Gods people in their afflictions Nay cursed art both thou and thine affliction too thine affliction is but a fore-runner of worser things likely to befall thee when it departs from thee without leauing behind it the stampe of this holy learning in thine heart But more particularly to handle this teaching here spoken of Teaching implyes both a Schoolemaster a Teacher instructing and lessons taught In this Teaching both these points are here noted out And for the first namely the Schoolemaster it is two fold 1. The outward affliction and chastifement Whom thou chastisest teachest that is whom by chastising thou teachest 2. God himselfe who is the chiefe and principall head Schoolemaster the other being but an inferiour and subordinate one Whom thou teachest And for the second point The lessons taught they are included generally in those words In thy Law To beginne then with the Schoolemasters and first with the first The first Schoolemaster is Affliction A sharp Doct. and seuere and swinging Schoolemaster indeed so much the fitter for such stout and stubborne schollers as we are Who because wee will not be ouercome by faire meanes must needs therfore be dealt withall by foule For God doth not willingly afflict vs but being necessarily thereunto inforced by that strength of corruption in vs which otherwise will not be subdued So Physicions and Chirurgions are constrained to come to cutting launcing and burning when milder remedies will not preuaile Let vs therefore hereby take notice of the hardnes of our hearts the fallow ground whereof cannot be broken vp but by this sharpe plough of Affliction See what dullards and block-heads we are how slowe to vnderstand spirituall things not able to conceiue of them by the instruction of words vnlesse they be euen beaten and driuen into our braines by blowes So thick and brawny is that foreskin which is drawne ouer our vncircumcised eares and hearts that no doctrine can enter vnless it be pegged and hammered and knocked into vs by the fists of this sowre and crabbed Schoolemaster The second Schoolemaster is GOD himselfe Doct. Afflictions of themselues though curst Schoolemasters yet can do vs no good vnlesse God come by his Spirit and teach our hearts inwardly Let vs therefore pray that as in the ministry of Gods Word so also of his works and iudgements wee may be all taught of God For it is his Spirit that quickneth and animateth the outward meanes which otherwise are a dead letter And this is the reason that many men haue rather grown worse by their afflictions then any
into the court of conscience 1. The acknowledgement is in those words If hee hath wronged thee or owes thee ought that is I grant hee hath wronged thee bee it confessed In which acknowledgement note the termes in which he acknowledges it If he hath wronged If he owes not If he hath stolne rather vsing the name of Iniury then Theft The faults of repenting sinners should not be rehearsed Doct. and repeated but with mollifying and mitigating Mildnesse to bee vsed in naming the sins of the penitent termes PAVL knowes not how to call ONESIMVS a theefe or a runnagate now hee is humbled for his sinne and become a new man If the man be new why should the old names of his sinnes remaine and be cast in his teeth In a mans conuersion olde things are passed away and all things are become new A new life and a new course should not be disgraced nor discouraged with the odious rehearsalls of a mans olde sinnes Their sinnes that haue repented should not bee rehearsed at all but when there is some necessary cause yea and euen then without all rigidity and harshnesse of broad language and in such easie and gentle phrase as it may appeare that wee are vnwilling but to remember what is past Indeede the repenting sinner himselfe speaking of his sinnes especially in his confessions to God thinkes he cannot haue termes odious enough wherewithall to aggrauate his offences he speakes of them in the broadest and fowlest manner he can but yet when hee hath repented and testified the same we must auoyd the harshnesse and speak of them in the easiest māner we can PAVL confesses of himselfe more then LVKE reports of him I was a blasphemer a persecuter 1 Tim 1. 13. LVKE reports of him Acts 9. that hee breathed out threatnings but not that hee breathed out blasphemies If GOD haue haue remitted why should we retain why should not we pardon where hee doth How doth it appeare that wee pardon when wee speake with the harshest and roughest of an offendor How gently doth the Scripture speake of DAVIDS fowle fact after his repentance He was a man after GODS owne heart in all things saue in the matter of Vriah 1 King 15. 5. both forgetting many offences and speaking of that grosse one with an easie phrase saue in the matter of Vriah not saue in the murther of Vriah It is good in the praises of our brethren to giue them the full of their desart but in their falls vpon their repentance to bee compassionate and gentle But we are most commonly of a cleane contrary disposition In praises we haue our diminuent and extenuating termes in offences yea after repentance wee haue the gift of amplification To speake easily in a mans praises as it argues enuy so to speak harshly of a repenters offences argues rigor and seuerity How many of vs haue the elder brothers euill eye and euill tongue Luk. 15. 15. The Prodigalls father after his sons repentance neither tels him of ryoting nor whoring but onely this This my son was dead and is aliue he was lost and is found How easily and like a father speakes hee of his sonnes grosse misdemeanours But how speaks the elder brother surely broadly enough and not like a brother for as hee can neither brooke to call him brother but this thy sonne so neither spares hee to speake plainely and with the most odious aggrauating termes But when this thy sonne was come which hath deuoured thy liuing with harlots c. Hee broadly charges him with ryot and whoredome at once But Christian moderation teaches more milde language and carriage towards poore penitent sinners It is good to turne this vindictiue edge vpon our owne sinnes and to set them out to the full in our confessions If this sharp edge were more vsed against our owne sinnes other mens should finde and feele it farre more blunt But because the backe edge is toward our selues therefore is the sharp edge against others If hee owes thee ought PAVL then acknowledges Doct. 2 that ONESIMVS was indebted to PHILEMON by Communion of Saints makes not a community of goods reason of that wrong done him The Communion of Saints then makes not an absolute community of goods For were the right of mens goods common ONESIMVS now being become a Christian was vpon those tearmes to haue beene forgiuen the debt and PAVL needed not to haue beene ouer officious in taking the debt vpon himselfe That community of the Anabaptists takes away the distinction of borrower and lender of debitour and creditour Though as before wee sayd the Saints haue all things common yet this communion preiudices not their priuate rights and possessions Priuate possessions will stand with the Saints Communion Else from this Community might ONESIMVS or PAVL for him haue pleaded an Immunity both from restitution and punishment If IOHN BAPTIST had beene an Anabaptist he would both haue condemned the souldiers for their callings and haue commended or at least not haue condemned them for their courses Luk. 3. 14. For what wrong or violence is it for a man to take that to which hee hath as good a right as another If goods be common he does another no violence that takes his goods And to what end doth the Apostle euery where so stirre vp men to the duty of Almes if hee allowed this community in which euery man might be his own caruer releeue himselfe as his need was There is no place for almes where all are ioynt and equall owners Our Sauiour teaches to pray for our daily bread and PAVL enioynes men to eat their owne bread 2 Thess 3. 12. If wee may haue bread of our owne why not all other things of our owne Indeede the Apostle wishes vs so to buy as though wee possessed not and to vse this world as though wee vsed it not 1 Cor. 7. 30. 31. But hee doth no more forbid possessions in the world then the vse of the world If not lawfull to possesse then not lawfull to vse the world and if lawfull to vse then lawfull to possesse The Apostle forbids not possessing in but being possessed of the world It remaines that they that haue wiues be as they that haue none saith the Apostle in the same place Now doth hee thinke wee thereby giue liberty to vncleannesse and prostitute other mens wiues by a Nicolaitan community Nothing lesse for vers 2. of the same chapter hee enioynes euery man to haue his owne wife and euery woman to haue her owne husband He therfore no more allowes community of goods then of wiues The drift of that place sutes with that parable wherein one pleads hee had bought a farme when his farme had bought him another that hee had married a wife when his wife had married him and teaches not a community but an holy kinde of neglect of all earthly things and to haue our conuersion in heauen while wee liue heere on earth 2. The vndertaking
of the debt That is in these words Put that on mine account I Paul haue written it with mine owne hand I will repay it He vndertakes it by giuing him a bill of his hand If there were no remedy but satisfaction must be made though yet hee hoped for a remission then hee vndertakes for him hee will bee his surety and make the debt his owne It is not vnlawfull for one man to become surety Doct. 1 for another It is a worke of mercy and a worke Suretiship lawfull but with cautions which not onely may be done but sometimes must be done So IVDAH became surety to his father for BENIAMIN Gen. 43. 9. I will bee surety for him of mine hand shalt thou require him So the good Samaritan vndertooke and became surety for the wounded man Luk. 10. 35. And Heb. 7. 22. CHRIST became our Surety Had it beene vnlawfull though PAVL hoped for remission yet would he haue abstained from all appearance of euill and would not haue engaged himselfe for ONESIMVS It is a poynt indeed in which men may miscarry on both hands both by an ouer great forwardnesse to wrong themselues and an ouer great backwardnesse in helping others Heere therefore wee must remember some cautions in the practise of this poynt For true charity is alwayes guided by the wisdome of God to walke betweene credulity and suspicion so as neither to wrong a mans selfe nor yet others in the neglect of any duty of loue The cautions to be obserued therefore are in regard 1. Of the person for whom we are bound 2. Of the person to whom we are bound 3. Of the person himselfe that is bound and becomes surety 1. For the person for whom we are sureties we must be sure he be no stranger to vs. Pro. 11. 15. Hee that becomes surety for a stranger shall be sore broken but he that hates suretiship namely rash suretiship for strangers is sure Prou. 20. 16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger Therefore is it worth our nothing to see how SALOMON ioynes those two verses together Prou. 27. 12. 13. a prudent man sees euen the plague and danger of rash suretiship and hides himselfe by a wise refusall whereas going on rashly are punished with the losse of their garments and goods It is therefore requisite heere to remember these cautions 1. That wee know him that hee bee not a stranger in regard of our knowledge of his person for though hee may bee one happily for whom a man may safely vndertake yet is it neither wisdome nor discretion for a man to be so ouer officious to be bound for he knowes not whom 2. That we know his condition meanes and ability whether his sufficiency bee such as may free and secure a man from such snares and nets as suretiship brings commonly with it 3. That we know him to be one religious of the houshold of faith that makes conscience of his dealings one whose fidelity and integrity may plead for him A mans neighbour must bee a stranger in this case if so bee hee bee a stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel It were no strange thing if such an one should giue thee the slip and leaue thee in the lurch It were strange being a stranger if hee should deale otherwise 4. That wee know the reason and cause of his neede of our suretiship If his necessities haue been brought vpon him by the immediate hand of GOD for the causes of GOD and the Church without his owne carelesnesse negligence in his calling or vaine wasting of his substance then heere is place for this duty some other things following being answerable otherwise if intemperancy negligence haue beene the causes then let the same hand bring him out that brought him into debt 2. For the person to whom wee are bound and become surety Surely it were to bee wished that so neere as could bee he might not also bee a stranger which SALOMON seemes to caution Prou. 6. 1. for thy neighbour to a stranger For howsoeuer the surety is so to make his account that be the creditor what he will bee good or bad that hee is to see the debt payd yet it is a great deale better to fall into the hands of a PHILEMON then of NABAL of a religious then a rigorous person It being alwayes to be presumed that the conscience of the same commandement which made the one vpon good grounds to become surety will also mooue the other vpon the same grounds to shew pitty either in remitting part of the debt or at least in forbearing the rigorous exaction of the whole at once and in giuing the longer day of payment For surely so much doth that speech seeme to import Prou. 20. 16. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger that is if a man bee so silly and so rash to bee a surety for one hee knowes not or knowes to be a vile person and that by vile courses hath brought himselfe into necessity neuer spare such an one let him abide the smart of it and learne to pledge honester men Therefore it followes on the contrary Take not his garment that is surety for one that is no stranger but vpon iust and lawfull grounds in pitty and commiseration of a poore Saint became his surety Take not his garment doe not exact the full but beare thou part of the burden and help thou also to releeue that poore man for whom the other is become surety 3. For a mans selfe that is to become surety First be not ouer hasty to thrust thy selfe in be not to forward to offer thy selfe Prou. 17. 18. A man voyd of vnderstanding strikes hands and becomes surety before his friend that is before his friend desires and seekes for it Heerein is more hast then good speed Secondly when thou vndertakest and becommest surety for another let it bee for no more then thou art willing and well able to part withall A man is not bound to plucke a thorne out of another mans foot to put it into his owne Thou must loue thy neighbor as thy self but not better then thy self to raise him with thine owne ruine Euery surety that vndertakes for another makes the debt his owne and hee stands in conscience charged withall This is cleere Gen. 44. 32. 33. Doubtlesse thy seruant became surety for the childe to my father and sayd If I bring him not vnto thee againe then will I beare the blame vnto my father for euer Now therefore I pray thee let thy seruant bide for the childe as a seruant to my Lord and let the childe goe vp with his brethren This would bee well thought vpon by such as are sureties before they become bound Now then consider what is the summe tell it out in ready money and looke well on it and bethinke thy selfe whether thou art able to part with it whether will it not breake thy backe cracke thine estate vndoe thy children and make thy life