þ i: e. Attempts tq imother or bridic her paſſon,that it may not break forch to her ſhawe,and to his own diſcomfort and reproach. i Undertakes that which is impoſſible. k Which being the great inſtrument of ation by its much ſtirring diffuſeth rhe ſavour of it.
17 Iron ſharpeneth iron /, ſo a man ſharpeneth the countenance of his friend wm.
1 Tron Cutting-tools are made bright, and ſharp, and fir for uſe by rubbing them againſt the File, or ſome other Iron. m2 So a Man who being alone is ſad, and dull,and ur: Aive,by the Company and Converſation of hisFriend is greatly refreſh<d,his very wits are ſhar= pened, and his Spirit revived, and he is both firred for and provok-
<dto Action. The Countenance is here put for- the Mind or Spirit, Þ
who!e Temper or Diſpoſition is commonly viſible in Mens Coun- TCenances.
13 Whoſo keepeth the fig-tree », ſhal eat the fruit thereof; ſo he that waiteth on his maſter o ſhal be ho- noured p.
n Which he mentions becauſe they abounded in Canaan,and were more valued and regarded then other Trees, o That terves him faicrhfully, prudeatly, and diligently. p Shal receive that reſpe& and Recompente which he deſerves.
19 As 11 water face anſwereih tQ face, ſo the heart of man to man q,
q The ſenſe is :1ther 1: As the image of a Mans Face in the wa- ter anſwers to i:1s natural Face who looks into 1t;or,as in water one Mans Face is like anothers, the Difference of Mens Faces being nor there viſiole ſo one Man icſembles another, either in the Temper of his Mi 1d or Body, in which many Men are alike one to another; or in the Corruption of his Nature, in whichal! are alike. Or 2.As a Man may ſeehis own Face if helcok into the Water, which is Na- rurzs Looking glaſs,or into any other Looking-glaſs,jo a Man! may ditcern his own Heart, if he look into thoſe Glaſſes whereby ic dil- covers it ſelfzif he examine his Thoughts and Inclinations, together with the general courte of his Acti:ns, Or, 3. As the Face ofa Man ſtanding by the Waters, 1s viſible not only to himſelf, bur to others,by the Shadow or Image of it in the Waters,ſfo the Heart of a Man is in ſome meaſure diſcernible, not only to himſelf, but to o- thers allo, who obſerve his Diſpoſition and Carriage.
20 *Helland deſtruttion are F never full e, ſo * the
eyes s of man are never ſatisfied. r The Graye devours all rhe Bodies which are put into it, and is
fHcb. not- alwaysready to rec ive and devour more and more without end,
"Feel; 8.5 5: e, The Defres which work and diſcover themſzIves by the Eyes
1 John 2. 16. and other Senſes : for otherwiſe che Eyes in themiclves are neither capable of Satisfaction nor of Diſfarisfaction. 21 * As the fining- pot for ſilver :, and the furnace
for gold, ſo is a man to- his praiſe «.
tis appointed an4 uſed for the trial of S;1ver, and the Detection ad ſeparation of the Drois fiom it. « Or, accoraing to his Praiſe, The fenfe is. Soa Man is known by his Praites, -either 1. By the quality of thoſe who praiſe and applaud him; and as they are good or bad ſois he thought to be.Or 2.By his Carriage under Prailſes; as he carries himſeJfeither kumb'y and mod:ſt'y with Thankfuilnefs to God, aid a due feofe of his own Infirmittes, which is the Caſe and and Temper of a good Man; or aibiticuſly and vaingloriouſly ta- king to kimlelf che tonour which he thouid give to God,as ungod- ly M-n g:nerally do in that Caiz, |
22 Though thou (bouideit bray a foolx in a mortar, among wheat with a peiti!, yer will not his fooliſhneſs depart from him.
x Not a natural but a moral and wi'ful Fool, who by long con- t nuance in Sin is hardened and ſtupified, and ſo incorrigible un des all the means of Ameniment. 23 Be thou diligent ro know che ſtate of thy flock y 4 + look well zto thy herds.
y Thar thou may ſt preſerve and improve what thou 13ſt, and take Care thag thine Expentes may not exceed thing Incomes: Flocks and |
P RR OF-E 8 Ras
Herds are here put for all Riches and Poſſeſſions, becauſe anciently they were the chief part of a Mans Riches. x Heb. ſer thine hears, Truſt nor wholly to thy Servants, as many do,thart they may give up themſelves wholly ro Eate and Pleaſure, bur make uſe of thine own Eyes and Reaſon for the Condu& of rhine Afffairs, leſt thou come to ruin?, as many have done by this very means.
endure | to every generation?
take care to preſerve and improve it. a condition of the greateſt Fionour and Plenty. If a man had the Wealth ofa Kingdom without provident Care and due Diligence, ir would quickly be brought ro nothing. Hence the greateſt Kings have minded Husbandry, as Solomon, Uzziah, and others.
25 The hay appeareth,and the tender graſs ſheweth itſelf c,and herbs of the mountains d are gathered e.
c Tn their proper Seaſons. Theſe things may be here mentioned, either 1. As the matrer of his Diligence. and Graſs may be well managed, and ſeaſonably gathered for the ute of thy Cattel. Or rather 2. As another Argument and Encourage- ment to Diligence, becauſe God invites thee to it by the plentitul . proviſions wherewith he hath enriched the Earth for thy ſake. Thou
necdeft not compaſs Sea and Land for them, for God puts them in- to thy hand if thou will ſt butreceive them. d Even the moſt barren parts afford thee their help. e Or, are to be gathered.as ſuch Paſlive
Verbs are oft ofed; they areRipe and ready for the gathering. So this Clauſe ſuits beſt with the former.
are the price of the field g.
f By their Wool and Skins, either uſed to cloath thy ſelf with;or ſold to purchaſe all manner of Cloathing for thy ſelf and Family. z By the Sale whereof thou may'ſt either pay the Rent of the Field which thou hiceſt, or purchaſe Fields or Lands for thy ſelf. Either Goats are put for all Cattel,or he mentions Geats,becauſe theſe might better be ſpared and fold than Sheep, which brought a more certain and coſtanr profit to the Owner» |
27 And thou ſhalt have goats milk enough for thy food b, for the food of thy houſhold, and for F maintenance for thy maidens z. |
b Or, If thou chuſeſt rather to keep than to ſe!] thy Goats, the Milk of them will ſerve thee for Food to thy ſc!f,and to thyFamily. In ancient times men uſed a plain and ſimple Diet,and neither knew nor uſed that Curioſity and Luxury in it which Afffer- Ages inven- ted, i Who are named, becauſe this Nouriſhment was more pro- per for the weaker Sex, whereas men required a ſtronger Dier.
C H A Þ., XXVIII. |