anſwer him ? Af. Eaſily, by confidering the difference of Perſons, and Times, and P'aces,and ocher Circumſtances and of the manner of anſw-cring. And luch teemingly contradifory Precepts are not only uſed by,bur are eſteemed elegant in other Authors Anſwer him net, when he is incorrigible,or when he is enflamed with Paſſion or Wine, &c. or when it is not neceſfary,or likely to 49 ' him ' goods. Anſwer him, when he is capable of receiving good by it,or ' when it. is neceſſary for the Glory of God, or for the Diſcharge of a Mans Duty, or for the good of others. + So as to imitate his Folly, by. ſuch paſſionate, or reproachful, or fooliſh Speeches as he uſeth tg thee. 7 Shew thy ſelf tobeas great a Fool as he. & ' a 5 Anſwer a fool according to his folly &, leſt he be + Heb: his wiſe 1n+ his own conceic L. - , 0wReJes. k So as his Folly needs and requires, convincing him. ftrongly;re= proving him ſharply, - expoſing him to juſt Shame, and corretting: - him with a Rod,when he deſervesit,and thou haſta juflf power to- uſe it. 1 Leſt thy ſilence make him arcogant and preſumptuous, as ifhis Words were unanſ{werable, .- _. 8 + 6 He thatfendeth a meſſage by the hand ofa foot m, 4 cutteth off the feet, anddrinketh || damage o. : [Or, 7i64 m He that employeth a Fool upon any important Errand or Buſi- lemce- neſs, which 1s roo hard for him. -» To wit, of his Meſſenger; he bids one go that wants Legs ; he ſends one who watits' that Diſcretion, | which is as neceflary for that Employment as Legs - are for going. o He bringeth upon himſelf abundance of Loſs _ Miſchief,nor one: ly ſpoiling that buſineſs about which he ſends bim,but making him- + ſ:-1f cont<mptible to the Perſon to whom he ſends him, &to others: with him,as if he had net commonPrudence to chuſe a firMeſſenger,: -and giving accaſion,by the Folly of his Mefſenger,to farther Miſune derftandings, and Jealouſies, and Inconveniencies... - For the Phraſe, « e may obſerve that Drinking in Scripture frequently notes-the plen«. tiful doing or receiving of any thing,as they who multiply Sins are: {ard ro drink Iniquity like water, Job 15: 16. and 34:' 7. and they who are greatly — commonly ſaid radrink the Cup. ; 7 Thelegs of che lame Þ ace not equal p, fo is apara- + Hob:a2 blein the mouth of fools q. | | —_— ified oy p H-b.As(which note of Similifude 1s p'ainly underſtood from the ve Particle ſo in the following Cauſe.) the legs wd the lame are lifted up, to wit,in going, or rather in danCing, which is done with great In- equaliry and Uncomelineſs: q No leſs abſurd and indecent are wiſe and þ Speecnes from a fooliſh aid ungod'y man, whoſeA ions Fgroſly contradit them, whereby he makes taem contemptible, and
.
himſelf ridiculous. :
8 || As he that bindeth a ſtone in a ſling r,ſo is he that giveth honour to a fool 5. | |
[Or, As PLES : hee that put r Whereby he hinders h's own Deſign of throwing the Stone out teth a pre of it. Or,who faſtens it there only for a ſeaſon,thar he may /peedily cious/fene - and violently throw it away, Or, as it is rendred in our. Margent, in #»- heap and by. many others, 4 he pu:reth.a precious fone ( Heb & ſtone which of ſtones. is ofr emp atically uſed for a preciousStone,borh inScriprure,asfxod. 39* 10, 1 Chron. 29. 8. and ©.ſewhere, and alſo in other Authors) in #heap of Stones where it is obſcured and loſt. 5 No leſs abſurd is he chat giveth'ro a Fool that Honour and Praiſe which he is not cap» ble either. of receiving, ar retaining, oruſingaright, but is quite waſted upon him. 2nd doth him more hart than goed. 6. 9 Asa thorn goethup into the hand of a drunkardz, ſo « isa parable in the mouth .of fools. | x t Asas Fhornisin a Drunkards hand, which he cannot hold and manage cautiouſly, bur employerh to his own andcthers hurt.u As . inproper and unproficable, and, by accident, hurtful to him{elf and. others. See on Yrſe 5, . - TL aq 10.]| The great God that formed'all things, bot hre= - _ wardeth the fool, and rewardeth'tranſgrefſiors x» - :| Or, 8 : x God, who is0ft called great, as Pſal; 86: 1c: and 135: 5, &c great man, and is deſcribed by the name of rhe moſt high, as Pſal: 9: 2. & 2137, gricveth al &c. who created aÞ things, and rher= fore otſerveth and governerh. he hrreth al Men and 7 hings, will certainly give that Recompenſe which is the fool he | +eet for and deſerved by Foals and Tranſgreſſouvs, i: e. by ſuch as Sin hireth .alſe
cirhec through Ignorance and Heedleisnef\.or wilfully and wicke's Tranſgreſ>
ty.Or,zs it is inthe Margenr, 4 great man( a Prince orPorentate,who f-r5: are called by this Tutte, Efb, 1. 8. Dan; 1: 3, &c. )grievsth rn Vord
"OY «
Wear).
Oc «us 44 raged..
WI
that ma- tkerh hims ls mad. t Heb: flames or
Parks.
+ Heb: "without 00d. *Ch:;2 2:10 Os, whe eb: is ſ.-nt, *Ca5.18 29, 22. t Hes: chambers..
«
| ] Or, 5
known.
THeb:mas | keth his p Voice £ra-
crous. _
[| Or . ha-
gred is © i0- ered in
ſecres.” * *Pſ: 7:15,
57:65 - Eccles: - 10:8,
Chap.
2 Pet: 2.
2. Heb: :te- aeth his burdenſome and vexatious it was to him. z Such like is the Imp dence and Madaeſs of Sinners, who having ſmarted for their Sins, and been forced t» forſake them for a time, do afterwards return to
*ch:29;20
*c%:19- 24.
+ Heb. one rows, and deathm :
neſs ſhal be ſhewed before the whole congregation x.
+ he thal be brought ro publick Shame and Puniſhment.
16 & 9:15 that rolleth a ſtone z it will return upon him.
XXVI- Word is uſed, ia: 51.9. and 53: 5
right or wrong, that they may be rheir Inſtruments in that Work. turnech to his folly z. y To lickup that which
the Commiſſion of them.
there is more hope of a fool bthan of him.
a W ho, being a Fool, thinks himſelf wiſe,and therefore ſcorneth the Counſe!s of others. bþ Of doing good to one who is a Fool, and
ſenſible of his Folly; and ready to receive Inſtruction.
13 The flothful men laith b, There is a lion in the
way, a lions in the {treets.
b To excuſe his Idleneſs, and keeping himſelf at heme. See on {ſo doth
Chap: 224 13e« : : 14. Asthe door turneth upon his hinges c, the ſlothful upon his bed.
c Moving hitherand thither upon it, but not removing one Jot
from its place-
15 * The ſlot? ful hideth his
4 He will aot take the leaſt pains for che moſt neceſſary things. 16 The ſluggard is wiſer in his own conceit e, than
ſeven men that can render a reaſon f.