be

will counterfeit with his lips, and in his heart he layeth up deceit; such one, though he speak favourably, believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart. Hatred may covered with deceit, but the malice thereof shall (at last) be discovered in the congregation. There is a vain-glorious dissembler, that maketh himself rich, and is poor: and, a covetous: There is that makes himself poor, having great riches: and this both 1. in bargains: it is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer but when he is gone apart, he boasteth; and 2. In his entertainment; The man that hath an evil eye: as though he thought in his heart, so will he say to thee, Eat, and drink, but his heart is not with thee. Lastly, an impenitent; He, that hideth his sins shall not prosper: but, he, that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. The flatterer praiseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning: but with what success? To himself: It shall be counted to him for a curse to his friend: A man, that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his steps; he spreadeth and catcheth: for a flattering mouth causeth ruin. The only remedy then is: Meddle not with him, that flattereth with his lips: for It is better to hear the rebuke of wise men, than the song of fools. Pr. x. 18. xxvi. 24. xxvi. 25. xxvi. 26. xiii. 7. xiii. 7. xx. 24. xiii. 6. xxiii. 7. xxviii. 13. xxvii. 14. xxix. 5. xxvi. 28. xx. 19. Ec. vii. 7.

SECT. 8.

Practices,

To do right,
with joy.

Truth in dealings :

wherein is the true dealer's

Reward, Good memorial. s God's love,

The uprightness of the just shall guide them, and direct their way; which is ever plain and straight: whereas the way of others is perverted, and strange. Yea, as to do justice and judgment is more acceptable (to the Lord) than sacrifice; so it is a joy to the just himself, to do judgment: all his labour therefore tendeth to life, he knoweth the cause of the poor, and will have care of his soul: His work is right, neither intendeth he any evil against his neighbour; seeing he dwelleth by him without fear: and what loseth he by this? As the true balance, and the weight are of the Lord, and all the weights of the bag are his work so God loveth him that followeth righteousness : and with men. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour and Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that perverteth his ways, though he be rich. Yea, finally,

The memorial of the just shall be blessed. Pr. xi. 3. xi. 5. xxv. 19. xxi. 8. xxi. 3. xxi. 25. x. 16. xxix. 7. xxix. 10. xxi. 8. iii. 29. xvi. 11. xv. 9. xii. 16. xxviii. 6. xx. 7.

CONTRARY to this is deceit: whether in a colour: As he, that feigneth himself mad, casteth fire-brands, arrows and mortal things so dealeth the deceitful man, and saith, Am I not in sport? As this deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: so in their hands are divers weights; and divers balances: or, directly, He that is partner with a thief, hateth his own soul, and dangerous are the ways of him that is greedy of gain; much more publicly, I have seen the place of judgment, where was wickedness; and the place of justice, where was iniquity: I thought in mine heart God will judge the just and the wicked, yea, oft times speedily; so as The deceitful man roasteth not what he took in hunting: or if he eat it; The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel. Pr. xxvi. 18. xxvi. 19. xii. 10. xx. 10. xxix. 24. i. 19. Ec. iii. 6. iii. 17. Pr. xii. 27. xx. 17.

LOVE to God: I love them that love me: and they that seek me early, shall find me; and with me, blessings: I cause them that love me, to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures. 2. To men, (1.) In passing by offences; Hatred stirreth up contentions, but love covereth all trespasses, and the shame that rises from them: so that he only that covereth a transgression,

seeketh love. (2.) In doing good to our enemies: If he that hateth thee be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. Here therefore do offend, 1. the contentious, 2. the envious. Pr. viii. 17. viii. 21. x. 12. xii. 16. xvii. 9. xv. 21.

The contentious,

SECT. 11.

whether in raising ill rumours,

or whether by pressing matters too far.

THE first is he, that raiseth contentions among brethren: which once raised, are not so soon appeased. A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bar of a palace. This is that violent man, that deceiveth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way which is not good, the way of discord, whether 1. by ill rumour; The fools lips come with strife; and as the coal maketh burning coals, and wood a fire, so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife, and that even among great ones: A froward person soweth strife, and a talebearer maketh division among princes: or 2. by pressing matters too far: When one churneth milk, he bringeth forth butter; and he, that wringeth his nose, causeth blood to come out: so he, that forceth wrath, bringeth forth strife, the end whereof is never good: for if a wise man contend with a foolish man, whether he be angry or laugh, there is no rest. Pr. vi. 19. xviii. 19. xvi. 19. xviii. 6. xxvi. 11. xvi. 28. xxx. 33. xxix. 9.

SECT. 12.

At our neighbour,

The kinds

At the wicked.

Envy

to others,

The effects

itself.

THE second is that injustice, whereby the soul of the wicked wisheth evil, and his neighbour hath no favour in his eyes: that moveth him to be glad when his enemy falleth, and his heart to rejoice when he stumbleth; and this is a violent evil. 1. To itself; A sound heart is the life of the flesh; but envy is the rotting of the bones. 2. To others; Anger is cruel, and

VOL. VIII.

G g

wrath is raging: but who can stand before envy? But of all other, it is most unjust when it is set upon an evil subject. Fret not thyself because of the malicious, neither be envious at the wicked, nor chuse any of his ways: neither let thine heart be envious against sinners, nor desire to be with them; for as their heart imagineth destruction, and their lips speak mischief, so the froward is an abomination to the Lord; and there shall be none end of the plagues of the evil man; and his light shall be put out. Prov. xxi. 10. xxiv. 17. xiv. 30. xxvii. 4. xxiv. 20. iii. 31. xxiii. 17. xxiv. 1. xxiv. 2. iii. 32. xxiv. 20.

SECT. 13.

Justice to man (others Mercy
only: First, to 1. in

The quality.

The gain of it.

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them on thy neck, and write them upon the table of thine heart; this suffereth not to stop thine ear at the cry of the poor: yea, the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: no virtue is more gainful: for By mercy and truth iniquity shall be forgiven; and By this thou shalt find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man: good reason; For he honoureth God, that hath mercy on the poor: yea, he makes God his debtor; He, that hath mercy on the poor, lendeth to the Lord, and the Lord will recompence him : so that The merciful man rewardeth his own soul; for He, that followeth righteousness and mercy, shall find righteousness, and life, and glory; and therefore is blessed for ever. Pr. iii. 3. xxi. 13. xii. 10. xvi. 6. iii. 4. xiv. 31. xix. 17. xi. 17. xxi. 21. xiv. 21.

SECT. 14.

1. Unmercifulness.

Against mercy offend 2. Oppression.
3. Blood-thirstiness.

is

1. That (not only) the rich ruleth the poor, but that the poor hated of his own neighbour; whereas the friends of the rich are many; of his neighbour? Yea all the brethren of the poor hate him how much more will his friends depart from him? though he be instant with words, yet they will not. Pr. xxii. 7. xiv. 20. xix. 7.

2. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaws as knives, to eat up the afflicted out of the earth. These

are they that oppress the poor, to increase themselves, and give to the rich; that rob the poor because he is poor, and oppress the afflicted in judgment; that take away the garment in the cold season, and therefore are like vinegar poured upon nitre, or like him that singeth songs to a heavy heart; that trouble their own flesh, and therefore are cruel; an ordinary sin. I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the sun; and behold the tears of the oppressed, and none comforteth them; and the strength is of the hand of those that oppress them, and none comforteth them. None? Yes, surely, above. If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the defrauding of judgment, and justice, be not astonished at the matter; for he, that is the higher than the highest, regardeth, and there be higher than they, which will defend the cause of the poor, to cause the oppressor to come to poverty: in which estate he shall cry and not be heard. Pr. xxx. 14. xxii. 16. xxii. 22. xxv. 20. xi. 17. Ec. iv. 1. v. 7.

3. The bloody man is he, which not only doth hate him that is upright, but layeth wait against the house of the righteous, and spoileth his resting place; yea, that doth violence against the blood of a person: such as will say, Come with us, we will lay wait for blood, and lie privily for the innocent without a cause. We will swallow them up alive like a grave, even whole; as those that go down into the pit. But, my son, walk not thou in the way with them: refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to bloodshed. Certainly, as without cause the net is spread before the eyes of all that hath wings, so they lay wait for blood and lie privily for their lives: Thus the mercies of the wicked are cruel: but shall they prevail in this? The causeless curse shall not come: The just man may fall seven times in a day, but he riseth up again, while the wicked shall fall into mischief; yea into the same they had devised: he, that diggeth a pit, shall fall therein; and he, that rolleth a stone, it shall fall upon him, and crush him to death: for He, that doth violence against the blood of a person shall flee unto the grave, and they shall not stay him. Pr. xxii. 23. xii. 16. xxi. 13. xxix. 10. xxiv. 15. xxviii. 17. i. 11. i. 12. i. 15. i. 16. i. 17. i. 18. xii. 10. xxvi. 2. xxiv. 16. xxvi. 27. xxviii. 17.