is left naked and exposed to many dangers and euils But as I said before it cannot hold out in comparison with wisedome For it is more excellent in that it giueth life to the owners thereof Money is but as drugges and lenitiue oyntments to mitigate the swellings and diseases of the body whose root remaineth still within and pullulateth againe after the same or some other manner but wisedome is a spirit incorporated into the radicall humour giuing health strength and life to the body to extirpate the rootes of all diseases The life of a man standeth not in his riches but wisedome giueth life By wisedome is not meant worldly craftinesse and the deepe counsels of sinners which is nothing but execrable malice and follie Ecclâ—s 19. 22. but that which is ioyned with the feare of God It is the knowledge of the law and works of God and the practise of his wisedome is prudence by which a man is directed alwaies in the best safest and neerest way to happinesse Monie is ordered by wisedome For without wisedome it is but a knife in a childes hand For the prosperitie of fooles shall destroy them Prou. 1. 23. The rich man trusted to riches Luk. 12. 19. Diues trusted to riches Luk. 16. The king of Tyrs trusted to riches Ezech. 28. Haman trusted to his wealth so did Craesus King of Lydia Nabuchadnezzar trusted to the strength of Babilon and Xerxes to the multitude of his souldâ—ers as did Senacherib also But these defences were nothing For riches auaileth not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse deliuereth from death The wicked in hell confesse too late Wisd 5. 8. What hath pride profited vs or the pompe of riches brought vs If a man hath tooles and want wisedome to vse them what is he the better Nabal was a rich foole and his riches for want of wisedome destroyed him But thou wilt say what can a wise man doe without riches But wisedome is good with an inheritance Yea and without an inheritance For if a wise man desire riches he can by wisedome obtaine riches and honour for out of the prison-house commeth he to raigne as Solomon said before If he desire not temporall goods he is rich already For no man wanteth that which he desireth not nor yet desireth that which hee needeth not The wise man is rich in God he hath therefore whatsoeuer is for his good and more is but a superfluity If pouerty be the way to life and riches the way to death whether is the better way Whether is the better defence or shadow Whether is the better that is brought lowe to rise higher as Iob was or that riseth high to fall as Haman did Wisedome is a strong Tower to the wise but a rich man is a shippe tossed on the waues But a wise man with riches is better then a wise man without monie I but tiches infatuate the heart of the wise and are often a snare to him For he that hath riches commonly wanteth himselfe they are strong tempters and therefore wicked Mammon Howsoeuer a man is more troubled to keepe a good conscience with riches then he that wanteth them Neither indeede can a wise man want seeing that there is as much vse of wisedome and the wise as of wealth and the rich For the world is gouerned by wisedome not by riches Therefore wisedome shall alwaies haue the preheminence and riches attending on it Verse 13. Consider the worke of God for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked AS before he propounded in generall the profit and excellencie of wisedome to arme a man against impatience and all other vanities so here he beginneth to expresse the benefit and vse thereof more particularly shewing what the practise of wisedome is and how it is a defence comfort and life to a man in this vale of misery First the practise of wisdome standeth in a right consideration of the workes of God verse 13. The right consideration of the workes of God is not to search into the depth of his vnsearchable wisedome but to rest contented in the worke of his ordinance He doth all things after the counsell of his owne will No man is his counsellour his owne counsel must stand Therfore consider the worke of God All things are ordered by the wisedome of God and it is thy wisdome not to coyne worlds and policies at thy pleasure and will by violence and turnings of deuices but thou must rest and relie on God and let him worke his owne worke otherwise impatience shall carry thee headlong into sinne against God and against thy selfe The reason of this practise is in the next words figured by a communication For who can make that straight which he hath made crooked If thou seest oppression and wrong and peruerting of iustice which may mooue thee to impatience anger reuenge insurrection c. oppose not sinne against sinne but feare God and know that God is euen now in doing a worke of iustice on some by these and afterward will doe a worke of iustice on these If Iosiah the best King that euer raigned will needes goe out to fight against Pharaoh whom the Lord had sent out for an executioner of iustice he shall be slaine The Lord maketh vse of crooked things for his glorie which thou canst neuer make straight Walke thou vprightly and speake thou vprightly that they may know their crookednesse if so be that God will reueale it to them and returne to thy vprightnesse if God giue them power to lay it to heart but let their crookednesse be their owne and fall vpon their owne heads Rest thou on God tarrie his leisure all times and workes are in his hands They cannot be hastened nor slackned by the wit or strength of man Verse 14. In the day of prosperity be ioyfull but in the day of aduersitie consider God also hath set the one ouer against the other to the end that man should finde nothing after him SEcondly the practise of wisedome stands in the right vse of the times and seasons which are in Gods owne hands These seasons are either of prosperity or aduersity of wealth or want of peace or troubles In the day of prosperity be ioyfull when God giueth thee thy hearts desire for the necessitie and comfort of thy body receiue it thankefully vse it ioyfully cheere thine heart therewith and let others be partakers of thy ioy For to what other purpose hath God sent it Make not a curse of his blessing nor his goodnesse an occasion of sinne either by depriuing thy selfe or others of the vse thereof or by abusing the same to the hurt of thy body or mischieuing of others Glorifie God in peace and plenty comfort thy selfe glad the heart of thy neighbour let him praise God in the feeling of his blessings with thee and not enuy thy wicked prosperity But in the day of aduersity consider Fall not to vnprofitable murmuring grudging complaining cursing c. It is
foolishnesse and he that is foolish is farthest from happinesse though he be a Monarch Yea hee is neerest to greatest misery as Iehoâ—akim Saul Zedekiah c. Samuel was better then Heli and Dauid then Saul And through the like folly were ten tribes rent from Rehoboam The highest estate or dignitie that a man can attaine to and which men commonly count the happiest is the state of a king For a king hauing all other in subiection and vnder command is in that worldly respect the neerest vnto God whose immediate vicegerent he is And therefore in respect of supremacy in the execution of Iustice and iudgement Kings are tearmed comparatiuely Gods But notwithstanding that high place and supreame power if hee want discretion and wisedome to sway the scepter in Iustice and iudgement according to the law of the highest he is worse than a poore subiect or inferiour that hath wisedome to order his priuate and particular state aright Yea though he be old and rich yet is he worse then one that is yong and euen a childe and poore because this hath wisedome that is is capable teachable tractable and so is in possibility and hope But contrarily the other being old and by reason of age and long experience should be of a wise and vnderstanding heart to discerne truth and equity but yet is foolish and carryed with the sway of wandring and fruitlesse lusts as children commonly are neither yet through wilfulnesse will be admonished that is will not heare nor yeeld to the aduice and counsell of sage and prudent counsellers but like Rehoboam Zedekiah Ahab Nebuchadnezzer setleth himselfe vpon his lees the other I say is better then hee All this comparison is figured by a Synecdoche of the Speciall For by king is meant all men of any externall power place wealth kindred beauty strength age or any prerogatiue Contrarily by the poore childe is meant any one that wanteth these prerogatiues and is the most inferiour Verse 14. For out of prison hee commeth to raigne whereas also he that is borne in his kingdome becommeth poore A Confirmation of the Antithesis or contrariety by the contrary effects of wisedome and folly in them both For out of prison he commeth to raigne That is though he be a captiue and kept in hold vnder chaines as Ioseph was yet by wisedome he commeth not onely to obtaine liberty but also riseth by degrees to the scepter So that he which was a bondman is now become a King contrarily he that is borne in the kingdome becommeth poore as if he should say the other was a made bondman but borne a king this made a king but borne poore because that the other was in his birth and bondage of a kingly heart and disposition as was Dauid though of meane parentage but this in his kingly birth and royall preheminence is of a declining and degenerating heart and disposition as was Iehoiakim and Comah Ier. 22. Whereby it commeth to passe that he looseth the reuerend and awefull regard of his subiects as did Sardanapalus c. By folly and wilfulnesse are great houses and kingdomes ouerthrowne and translated to others whereof the Scriptures affoord diuers examples By prison-house is meant any of meane estate or low degree as Dauid was and as Ioseph was according to the Psalme 113. 7. 8. and specially Psalme 106. 17. 18. 19. 20. By borne King is meant any of higher estate degree or preheminence in outward things by the figure Synecdoche Such like were Zedekiah Iehoiakim Coniah Verse 15. I considered all the liuing which walke vnder the Sun with the second child that shall stand vp in his stead THis third example of vanity and vexation belonging to royall state is figured by the preuention of an obiection thus What though sometimes it fall out that Kings are led aside either through their owne folly or deceits of wicked Counsellours as the flattering Princes corrupted Ioash 2 Chron. 24. 17. that argueth not that wise Princes behauing themselues prudently in all their wayes should be subiect to vanity that is depriued of happy contentation as other inferiour degrees are I answer that vanity and vexation in royall state is not onely increased by their owne folly or produced by an inward cause but also it proceedeth from an outward cause to wit occasioned if he were guarded from all other euils and discontentments by the vnconstancy and the instability of the passionate people his subiects For they are fickle and restlesse carried to and â—ro as euery blast of discontentment and idle fancies tosse their humours and are oft times like the Sea that maketh a noyse when no winde is stirring when they haue no cause but onely disquieted with an itch affectation of nouelties changes though it be for the worse as the Israelites being weary of Iudge ordained of God would be gouerned by Kings as other Nations were 1 Sam. 8. 6. 7. As they that being weaâ—y of rest must be exercised with labour verse 11. to 18. that they may be brought to know their happy estate which through fickle and wanton discontent they are ignorant of like to children that hauing too much of their owne will cry for the roode for nothing else will quiet them Deliciousnesse and fulnesse in euery thing groweth loathsome Howsoeuer men know not or are forgetfull of their owne good This then is a griefe and vexation to a King that the people rest not contented in him and if they doe yet when he is old they begin for the most part to turne their hearts towards the second euen the child or heire that shall reigne after him And this is not one of the least griefes of old age the contempt or neglect of the younger when as they see themselues growing out of request their names account and memoriall decaying by little and little with their bodies and with death vanishing quite away As this is to others so to Kings also a vexation to see already the common aspect of their people bent vpon another obiect before the time Old age is iealous and suspitious of the contempt of youth Verse 16. There is no end of all the people euen of all that haue bâ—â—ne before them they also that come after shall not reioyce in him surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit A Reason why people are with the second child that shall stand vp in the Kings stead namely their vnconstancy There is no end of all the people that haue beene before them End hath not relation to time or perpetuall succession of generations but signifieth a fixed resolution and resistfull contentation or ioyfull complacence which is not to be found in the people which are wauering as the Sea and variable as the Moone For former people little regarded the present Kings Grand-father being old and in their desires turned after his Father being young whom againe now being old the present people are weary of and are all for his sonne and that for sinister respects
inordinate affection shall be carried head-long into all folly For wrath is an euill counsellour it cannot keepe secrets nor couer infirmities It is like Rehoboams young counsellours and Hushai counselling Absolon and inwrappeth a man in manifold troubles dangers and mischiefes If he preuaile in his reuengefull and moody courses then is he hated of all men if he be preuailed against then is his impacience either turned to fury madnes and he becommeth an odious miscreant or else shall be derided of his aduersaries and bewray his folly to all men and this shal be his inheritance Anger therfore resteth in the breast of a proud malitious man but the wise-man will consider the worke of God both of his ordinance and prouidence and so according to the vnderstanding and mature discerning of the matter proceed or surcease c. For the prouidence of God shall surely be accomplished but clamour wrath violent wilfull and preposterous courses shall redound vpon the head of passionate fooles of what degree place or condition soeuer they be whether their contention be against their superiours equals or inferiours An example of foolish anger and wisedome See Act. 5. 33. 34. c. Act. 19. 28. to the end Act. 23. 2. and verse 5. 6. Verse 10. Say not thou what is the cause that the former dayes were better then these for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this THese words containe the complaint of impatient people and are a common obiection of wrathfull fooles whereby to excuse yea approoue and cherrish their moody and reuengefull passions which wanting particular causes of iust anger open their mouthes wide against the world but indeed against God himselfe in whose hands the gouernment of the world is This complaint is continually in the mouthes of the wicked moody and the wicked needy The moody Papist would murther all the godly that haue Scripture in their mouthes yea and liues also For they be Canaanites and Hagarens And the needy prophane would murther the rich for they are lyons in the grate What these would doe appeareth by their complaints groaning like mute theeues and murtherers vnder the presse For the weight of the Law lyeth heauy vpon them by occasion of their owne malice For to the iust and godly euery law is a law of liberty Say not thou why were the former dayes better then these These next words are an answere Thou dost not wisely inquire concerning this Thou dost not consider of times according to wisedome but art a foole to expostulate with God who according to his owne infinite wisdome ordereth the times and seasons in iudgement iustice and mercy Solomon giueth no other reasons because this common complaint is a common folly and the murmuring of stubborne and reasonlesse persons that are not capable of any reason or else will not be perswaded by reason but are rather worse when they are reasoned withall They are most commonly but moody needy greedy and malecontented fooles that make this complaint and it is vaine to argue according to wisdome with vncapable ignorants and indocible stubborne ones For they will despise the wisedome of the wise and tread vnder foot their precious pearles and glory in their mad contempt Yet to try whether the foole will leaue his folly I will giue two or three answeres to this idle obiection not worth the answering First let him recount from the dayes that God placed man vpon the earth till the present time and shew mee when this good world was antiquae meliora The more ancient the purer saith the prouerbe in another respect How good were the dayes that Cain and Abel liued in How good were the dayes of the old world till the Flood The dayes of Sem and Cham The dayes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in Canaan Of the Israelites in Egypt How good were the dayes of the Iudges The dayes of the Kings of Iuda and Israel How good were the dayes of Solomon those peaceable and wealthy dayes Did not the people complaine of the grieuous burden of those dayes and were ready to rebell as afterward they did How good was the world in the dayes of Christ and of the Apostles If it were not then good when should it be good How good in the times of the Primitiue Church boyling in the heat of persecutions and heresies How good were and are the times of Antichrist Of all times we find grieuous complaints And of the times of Popery hinc illae Lachrymae we find great complaint in the Fathers These times were full of warres bloudshed massacres treasons rebellions robberies c. caused by that man of sinne Fryar Mantuan discouereth the goodnesse of the world then And Euerard Arch-bishop of Canterbury wrote a volumne called Obiurgatorium temporis the Rebuke of the time Wicked and monstrous were those daies yea exceeding the heathen about two hundreth yeares agoe the goodnesse whereof our wicked ignorants so much admire But Elmerius a Monke of Malmesbury counted them the dayes of greatest woe and misery and thereupon gathered the certainty of Anti-christs present raigne Fullwell doe these proud murmurers shew their tyrannicall and rebellious hearts When they had a Pope to absolue them from their alleagiance and to quench their thirst with the blood one of another the world was good When the Pope partly with subtilty partly with violence wrested Nobles yea Kings out of their possessions yea whom he lusted after one manner or another then was there cheapnesse and plenty The Fryars made Robin-hoods penny-worthes and this is all that these greedy blood hounds commend the old world for The Fryars bound the commons to them by making good penny-worths of other mens liuings both of the Cleargy and Laity wrung from them by all deceitfull meanes for which the Commons were but their slaues and fooles praised their bounty for giuing them a cake of their owne meale It is an easie matter to be liberall on other mens purses Neither yet considering the times then were there any such penny-worths Your fore-Fathers groaned vnder the burthen of those penny-worths surely when they put vp a bill in a Parliament in the dayes of King Henry the fourth the contents whereof was to take away Temporall Lands inordinately spent by the Cleargie Which Lands were sufficient to maintaine fifteene Earles fifteene hundred Knights sixe thousand and two hundred Esquires one hundred Almes-houses fifteene hundred Priests and to allow twenty thousand pound yeerely to the King allowing to euery Earle three thousand markes by yeere to euery Knight one hundred markes and foure plow-land to euery Esquire forty marks and two plow-land to euery Almes-house for to maintaine such surplusage of poore as Cities and Townes were not able to maintaine one hundred markes and to euery Priest seuen markes Fabian chron in Hen. 4. ann 1410. Say not therefore Why were the old times in those respects better then these A second answere is that sinne and death hath ouerspread all places and times all the sonnes of Adam are
times a small errour at the first occasioneth great euils and who is he that saith or doth not sometimes that whereof he repenteth him not Therefore may too quicke obedience displease afterwards as well as present slacknesse Againe a Prince is not himselfe but all his subiects inclusiuely euen the whole body or state of the Kingdome So that in a King there is not onely an vnion of body and spirit as in all men but also of his person and the politike body or state Now if in commanding he swerue from this vnion here is the difficulty of wisedome Answer All this is true But the wise man in obeying obserueth time and iudgement and so in slacknesse also Opportunity calleth him forth iudgement biddeth him speake and hold his peace Doeg was destitute of vnderstanding both in his words and deedes 1 Sam. 22. 9 10. But the Kings Sergeants shewed wisedome verse 17. Ioab answered wisely 1 Chro. 21. 3. but too harshly 2 Sam. 19. 5. 6. Verse 6. Because to euery purpose there is a time and iudgement therefore the misery of man is great vpon him AN explication of the answereshewing a reason why that a wise man obseruing time and iudgement shall feele none euill at least so farre forth as by mans wisedome can be auoyded Because to euery purpose c. All things are in the hands of God and the hearts of Kings also and his purpose in the least thing is vnchangeable So that for euery thing there is a time prefined of God together with a most wise and right meanes and manner wherevpon euery euent necessarily dependeth Now he that obserueth this worke of God shall auoide all euils A thing in his kinde good may by euill vsage be made naught and a good deede must be ordered by time and iudgement If time be preuented it shall be frustrate yet afterwards though otherwise effected For God doth all in time and season and will haue them cloathed with his owne circumstances also but the vaine imaginations of man are innumerable and hee is giuen to take too much vpon him as though all things were in his hand But God will make him know that hee is but vaine man Therefore is the misery of man great vpon him A consequence or collection of the manifold and great miseries of man applyed to the disobedient and ouer-wise Because there is a due time and right meanes and manner in the prouidence of God for euery thing to his owne glory which is the ground and guide of good wisedome therefore is there so much vanity in all counsels wordes and workes and the endlesse troubles and miseries of presumptuous man are occasioned from hence Verse 7. For he knoweth not that which shall be for who can tell him when it shall be A Reason why that the vanitie and miserie of man should be increased by the most wise and good prouidence of God For he knoweth not what shall be The good wisedome of God is not the cause of vanities in politicke state but an occasion and mans ignorance and malice is the cause For being depriued of wisedome and iustice through his owne malice his imaginations are all foolish and vaine and his follie is vpon him The deliberation of the wise standeth in comparing things past and to come but the one is farre off and the other is deepe as was said in the former chapter But foolish men impatient and ouer-wise are altogether ignorant of that which shall be neither doe they regard whether it shall be or no in the prouidence of God but they haue a prouidence of their owne a false coyned or apish world to which by their subtilty and violence they thinke to cause all things to incline and to make Gods prouidence and wisedome to stoupe downe to theirs perswading themselues that that shall be which they haue purposed and closely plotted and deuised the meanes and manner how it shall be effected Here is vanity and misery enough If a man stand in opposition for a good thing he cannot tell whether that good thing shall be or no. For there are many things good in our vnderstanding which are not so in the wise prouidence of God But as it is good so must it be well and it cannot be well but in Gods appointed time with all circumstances fitting Who can tell when it shall be Although this good to be effected or euill to be reformed is to be taken in hand because it shall be done in the common iudgement and desire of men yet who can tell a man when it shall be done and how it shall be done If a King himselfe would doe a thing he must depend on Gods prouidence and tarry till the appointed season For God is the chiefe Pilate of the ship and the Watch-man of the city And if a thing shall be done by him yet the time and manner is vncertaine Hee must not striue against God neither must thou being a particular branch of particular capacitie striue against the root that beareth thee and all the branches whose generall good first and consequently particulars in their kindes it respecteth as thou doest thine owne Well seeing that a man either knoweth not what shall be or else knoweth not how and when it shall be his contention intangleth himselfe in great errours troubles and dangers and his disobedience and contention shall be punished he shall not escape He must depend vpon the prouidence of God and opportunitie offered of God and not stand in an euill thing nor euilly in a good thing before the higher power Verse 8. There is no man that hath power ouer the spirit to receiue the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that warre neither shall wickednesse deliuer those that are giuen to it AN exposition of the miseries that the foolish and rebellious runne into There is no man hath power ouer the spirit to preserue the spirit c. Although that the man of strength and subtiltie verily thinketh through his power wealth and subtle plots to effect his wicked designes and to escape punishment yet is this but foolishnesse and imprudence caused of hautinesse of stomacke For his life is not in his owne hands neither hath he power to liue or free himselfe from death by any meanes or deuice when the king requireth it as a iust reward of his wickednesse There is no discharge in that warre There is no casting of weapons then to ouer-power the kings power which is to alter and change the state of a kingdome a great worke of Gods prouidence For when the king in iustice exacteth his life the whole burthen of the kingdome presseth him to death But if there be iniustice or rigorous extremitie in the matter who shall stand vp in defence for him against the king Who shall take vp armes with him Neither shall wickednesse deliuer those that are giuen to it It is the custome of the wicked to seek to auoid imminent