neſs with an evil intent, with an exp2&ation cr defire, or deſign of bringing Gods wrath upon him,burt only he forete!'s what wou'd heppen,anddiſwades him from taking Vengeance,and provokes him to Kindneſs inſtead of ir,becauſe Vengeance 1s Gods peculiar Work which he will certainly infli&t upon ſuch perſons;which Argument 3s uſed to that very purpoſe by St. Parl, Rom: 12; 19. Or,2.in a good ſenſe, Thou ſhalt nie!t him into Repentance,and inflame bim with Love and Kindneſs to thee for ſo unexpe&ed and undeſerved a Fa- vour;he ſha] be as tearrily grieved and rormenred with the Thoughrs of his vile and w.cked Carriage to thee,as a man would be that had burning Coals of Fire heaped upon his head. Bur if theſe Coals of Fire do not melt him, bur ſtil} he hardens his heart againſt thee, they wil} conſume him. Thus either by the one or by rhe other way thou ſhalt b: ſecured and delivered from him. The Metaphor may ſeem to be taken from Founders, who melt rhe. bardeſt; Metals by heaping Co.'s of Fire upon rhem. And the Head may be here mentiones racher than any other part, becauſe in Scripture-phraſe both Bleſſings aid Curſes are ſa:d to fall ugon mens Hs+d5.;:e.upon them, Heads being frequent y pur for Perſons f Thy Charity ro him ſha) be fu'ly recompenſc: to thee, if not by himzy«<t by God,which 1s far better. | RED re SS 23 * || The North-wind driveth away rain : ſo doth an angry countenance ga backbiting rongue bh. g In the Hearer, who by his Countenance ſheweth his Diſl.ke of ſuch Perſons and Practices. 4 Heb. # ſecrct Tongue, woich privily
nind briti= [andereth his Neighbour, as it is expreſſed P[al.ro1: 5. and as the man» geth forth ner of Backbiters is. But this Verte is otherwiſe readred in the Mar-
gent, and by diverſe others, The North wind brimgeth forth ( as this Verb properly and moſt freque.rly ſignifies, and -s it is rendred by
buckbitrug all the Ancient Interpreters,and by mary others ) Ram: which it | Imgue an doth in _Judes, becauſe the Sea lies Northward as weil as Weſtward agryCoun-from it, as alſo in A#ica, as Ar:ſtotleg ſerves, though it drive away
Rain in Countries of another ſituation ) ſo dorh a backbiting- Tong :e ( cauſe ) an angry Countenance ir cauſet'; nuc': Anger and Miſchief,
both to the Perſon ſlindered, and ro the Slanderer, and to other |}:
Perſi:ns who may be concerned with or for cither of taem,as is ma» nifeſt from common Experience.
24 * Itis bercer ro dwell ina corner-of the houſe
2545 coid waters to a thirlty ſou], /o is from a far country 52. | | ; Becauſe it comes thither more rarely and difficultly,afterir hath
good news
been long expecred andearneſtly deſired ; all which Circumſtances ||
make it more acc-ptable, | ns 26 A righteous man fai'ing down& before the wick- ed, 3s a5 a troubied fountain,and a corrupt fpcing.
k Either 1, int2Sin... So the Senſe is When a juſt Mn is either allured or ferrifi:d into any'infulPractice before wicked mcn,or 1t - to any baſe and ſervil: Comp'tance with rheir 48, he who by his excellent Counſels wis like a Fountain or Wellof Life, as his Mo::th is calle Prov; 10; 11. ſending, forth refreſhing Streams for th<« Bzn*» fir of many,” is now corrupted and and rendred unter-vice»b'e. Or rather, 2. into Miſery, of which kind of falling this Word is cone ſtan'ly uſed, and never ro my remembra'ice of falling inro Sin And {o tne Senſe js this, when rightzous M-nare oppreſſed and devour- ed by the Wicked, the itate of chat Commonwealth is as deplorable, as if the pu »Iick Fountains, from whence al! the People fetch their Water, vere corrupted, and it is a ſign that the Fountains of Ju: ſtice are poitoned. x ep.
27 * It is not good /to eat much honey ; fo for men Mm to ſearch their own glory », is net glory s- =
I To wit, for the hea'ch ofthe Body. m Which words are eaſi)y underſtood both our of the forego-ngCl:uſe, where theHoney is (up- poſed to be eaten by M-n,and out f tie following wad. whic' are evidently meant of them. » Induſtricufl to ſeek for Honor and Applauſe from Men, o Is not only fntu!, bur ſhametul alto and a fignofa vain and mean Spirit- T. e Negative Partic e Nor, is here underſtood out of the former part of the Verſe, as ic is P/al: x. 5, and 9 18 i 28 * He that hath no rule over his own ſoirit p, 3s ke a City that is broken down end without walls 9s
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