he diſcomends it that he may bring down the price of it. þ With the commodity purchaſed. i That by his wit he hath over: reach- ed the Seller, and got a great advantage to himſelf, This he notes as a Common bur reproveable prittice, _ q ; Is There is gold &, and a multitude of rubies, but Ch. xi, * the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel 7. 68 6 & Te wit in the World, in divers mens hands, by whom it is high- ly prized, / But wiſe ſpecches proceeding from an underſtand- ing or honeſt Heart are of far greater worth and uſe, both to him that uttereth them, and to thoſe that receive and improve them to their own benekit. "Y I6 * Take his garment ” that is ſurety for a ftran- *Ch.22.27 ger 2; and takea pledge of him s» foraſtrange woman p. © *7: 13: m To wit, as a pledge,without which he ought not to be truſted becauſe by this a&ion he ſheweth himſelf to be a Fool, and he tak- eth the ready way to beggery. Obj. This precept contradi&s that Law which torbad the taking of a Garment for a Pledge, Exod. 22. 26:4nſw. It doth not contradi& it,for the caſes vaſtly differ;for that Law concerned only the poor,who were forced to borrow for their own neceſlity, and theretore deſerve pity ; whereas this reacheth only thoſe who are or would be thought rich and ſufficient Secu- rity for others, and who borrow not for their own need, but for a meer Stranger: for which folly they deſerve tobe ſeverely puniſhed. Beſides, this may be only a PrediCtion, though 1t be delivered in the form of a Precept, as many prediCtions are 5 and ſo ſhews what
diſcovered. m By prudent Queſtions and Diſcourſes, and a dili-
LORD
may be expeCted by him that is guilty of ſuch folly, even that he | ſhal be ſtripped of his Garments and other neceffaries. »n For a For- | Teigner or a Perſon unknown to him- o That is ſurety : which | words are to be underſtood out of the foregoing Clauſe. p For an ' Harlot, who 1s ſo called, Prov. 2: 16. and elſewhere.
17 * f Bread of deceit q is {weet to a man,
terwards his mouth ſhal be filled with gravel 7. 9 Gain or pleaſure procured by unrighteous courſes. r It ſhall bread of ly« e bitrer and pernicious at laſt, like gritty Bread which offends the 75; 1 ; Teeth & Stomach: It will certainly bring upon him the horrors of a falſpocd,) ' guilty Conſcience,& the wrath and judgments of the Almighty God 'Ch ' 18 * Every purpoſe is eſtabliſhed by counſel s, and "Chas 6
# * with good advice make war.
s The way to bring our purpoſes and deſires to a good effeR, is to manage them with ſerious conſideration and good advice. t Or, therefore, This is neceſſary in every common undertaking,and much more in a thing ef ſuch high importance as War is. | | 19 * He that goeth about as a tale-bearer, revealeth ſecrets « ; therefore x meddle not with him that || flat-
tereth with his lips z.
z He that delighteth in and accuſtometh himſelf to the praftice of ſpreading Tales or evil Reports, will not forbear to publiſh the greateſt ſecrets which are committed ro his truſt. Or, as others render it, and as the words lie in the Hebrew Text, He that revealeth ſeerets ( contrary to his promiſe or the truſt repoſed in him, you | may by that token be aſſured that ) he doth and will go about as 8 | Tale-bearer, He who divulgeth fecrets cannot or will not forbearto | publiſh other things, and ſo is nor fit to be truſted with any thing, x To prevent that miſchief, Heb. and So the folfowing Sentence isnot inferred from the former, but only added to it. y Avoid frequent and familiar fociety and converſation with him. z By which artifice he ſeeks to gain thy affe&i-ons, and ſo to fiſh out all thy ſe- crets, which he may impart to others whom he may oblidge here- by, and ſo render his company more acceptable.
20 * Whoſo curſeth his father or « his mother, his «py; || lamp b ſhal be put out in obſcure darkneſs c. Lev.20:9.
a Heb. and ; which is uſed for or, Exod. 12; 5. Levit. 6. 3. and Mat.15,4. elſewhere. b His comfortand happineſs, his Name and Memory [|Or, Caz- which are oft compared in Scripture toa Lamp or Lightt & Shall dle. utterly periſh ; he ſhal die childleſs, and with Tgnominy.
21 * An inhericance may be gotten haſtily ar the be- +cy, .g.z0 =inning 4; but theend thereof shal not be bleſſed e.
d An Eſtate ſometimes is got ſuddenly in the very beginning of a Man's labours for it, in which caſe it may be preſumed that ſome undire& and unrighteous courſes were uſed, for the getting of it, becauſe Riches are. very ſeldom given by God, or gotten by men, without mens diligence.But this,as well as many otherProverbs,are to be underſtood of the common courſe, although it admit of ſome exceptions, For ſometimes Merchints or others get great Eſtates ſpeedily by one happy Voyage, or by ſome other proſperous event. This Tranſlation follows the Hebrew Marginal reading, butaccor- ding to the Textual reading, it may be thus rendred and unders- ſtood. An Inherit ance gotten in the beginning ( to wit, of a mans en= deavours ) is abominable, to wit, unto God, being ſuppoſed to be unjuſtly gotten, as was now faid. c Art laſt it ſhal be curſed and
but af- *Ch.g.; T Heb: 'y
SEES
*Ch: 11; [|Or, intice eth.
wither by God's juſt judgment. ; *Deur.32, 22 * Say not thou f, I will recompenſc evil ; but wait =. et /< 38
on the LORD, and he $hal fave thee. "agg F In thy Heart © give not way to any ſuch evil Thoughts or R «32.69.
Purpoſes. g To whom it belongs to execute vengeance, and to |ph.f 5,
deliver his People from all their Enemies. __ :
* Divers weights are an abomination unto the |, p«; 3. 95.
h, and þ a falſe ballance is not good 3, *Ver. 10. h Of which ſee above on v. 10. #«. Is very wicked and hateful tHeb-hal- to God and men. Lancts 0 24 * Man's goings & are of the LORD 7; how can cw: a man then underſtand his own way w ? 6-4 L k All mens purpoſes and aftions. 1 Are ordered and over-ruled by God's wiſe & powerful Providence to accompliſh his own counſel and good pleaſure, and not what men liſt or intend. #2 Either 1. what courte he ought totake; which he cannot know withoutGod's dire&ion and affiſtance, Compare Pro. 16. 9. Fer. 10. 23+ Or 2. what the iſſue of his deſigns will be, whether they ſhal ſucceed or be diſappointed ; the way being taken for the end or event to.
it is naughe ſaith the buyer g, but |
which it leads, as it is in many other places, The ſcope of the ' Proverb is to ſhew, that all the events of humane life are neither or-