f Not only in great undertakings, but in his daily converſation with mengin his looks and geſtures,and common talk. g Orgbe wants an Heart, as if he had ſaid, did I ſay, his Heart is at his left hand ? I muſt recal it, for in truth he hath no heart in him. +4 He publick- ly diſcovers his folly to all that meet him or converſe with him.
4 If the ſpirit ; of a ruler riſe up againſt thee, leave not thy place z; for * yielding & pacifieth great of- 'Pr025:15 fences m. | | ; The paſſion or wrath,as it is manifeſt from the following words, which is oft called Spir:r, as Judg: 8:3; 2 Chrox: 21: 16. Prov: 25: 28: Eccleſ. 7:9, i Towirt, in angeror diſcontent. Withdraw not thy ſelfraſhly and haſtily from his preſence and ſervice. accor- ding to the advice, Chap: 8: 3. Continne in a diligent and faichfu] diſcharge of thy duty, as becomes a Subje&; do not return anger for anger. bur modeſtly and humbly ſubmir thy ſelf to him, & Heb. healing, a gentle and ſubmiſſive carriage, which is of an healing na« ture ; whereas pride ard paſſion do exaſperate and widen the breach already made. Heb. maketh them to reſt or ceaſe,preventeth or re- moveth th:m. m Heb, great ſins, either 1. ſuch fins as the offended Ruler might commit in #he proſecution of his wrath againſt thee. Or rather 2+ ſuch as poſſibly thou haſt committed againſt him for which he is incenſed againſt thee ; or the greateſt offences or inju- ries that one Man commits againſt another, and much more thoſe flight miſc2rriages of thine towards the Ruler. Let not therefore a falſe opinion concerning his unreconcilableneſs to rchee,make thee deſperate and draw thee unto Rebellion. *
f Heb; his
art.
5 There is at evil which I bave ſeeri under the ſun », Web: om as an error which proceedeth + from: the ruler 0. ire 7 F have obſerved another great vanity and miſdemeanour amongſt ”* men 0 So the ſenſe is like rhoſe errours which Rulers commonly commit. Or rather,which ts indeed an errour proceeding from the Ru-| ter. For the following miſcarriage muft needs'come from thoſe who have Power of conferring Honour and Power, &:. $o the Hebrew, |
tell what ſhall be; and * 'catx tell him oF;
"what he will do, which
and take away their fruits or by that meaiis enlarge his own adjoyn= ing Fields. Poflibly he may have a particular reſpe& unto Magi- ſtrates or Rulers, whom God hath hedged or fenced in, both with his own Inſtitution of Magiſtracy,and with his Laws,ſtrifly requir- ing Obedience from their Subje&s; and fo he notes the danger of ri-, ſing and rebelling againſt them.s Which oft lurks in kedge;;and bites thole who come within its reach» 4 hp
9 Wholo removeth ſtones b ſhall be hurt therewith es and he that cleaveth wood 4 ſhall be endangered there- by e. ;
b Either r. The ſtones which belong to others, ahd limit or diſtinguiſh their Grounds, of which ſee Dent: 27; 17. Or, 2: Great ſtones too heavy for them. Which rafhly attempt things too: high and hard for them. Whioh ſeems better ro agree with the fol- lowing clauſe than the former Interpretation doth. c May eaſily re- ceive hurt by the ſtones falling unexpe&edly and violently upon him» & With the iron inſtrument,as the manner is,ke being unskil- ful in that art. Poflibly he deſigns a man who cauſeth diſorder and- miſchief among Friends, or ina Family, or Kingdom. e May per. adventure cut himſelf. | -
io Ifthe Iron e be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then muſt he put tomore ſtrength f; but Wiſdoni :s profitable to direc g. | - br”
e To wit, the Ax whereby he cut the wood in the former Verſe, which by the danger there mentioned may beſuppoſed to be ſharp, but now ſaith he,if it happen to be blunt. f Which is neceſſary to. make it cut, g Heb. and wiſdem, &c. And as Wiſdominftrudts a man in the ſmalleſt matters, as in this very matter of cutring of. Wood, where it teaches him in this cafe touſe his utmoſt ſtrength, ſo it is uſeful for a mans dire&ion in all his great and weighty affairs. And ſo he inſenfibly ſlides into the commendation of Wiſdom, and- the cenſbre of folly, which is the principal deſign and bufineſs of ._ . this Chapter.
I1 Surely the ſerpent will bite * without inchant- ment 4h, and F a babler 7 isno better. |
þ Tf not ſeaſonably prevented by the Art and care of the Char- | mer ; which praQice he doth nor juſtifie, bur only mention by way
of reſemblance. See on Pſa: 58; 5. #i Heb. a mater of the tongue + which may be underſtood, either 1. Of the DetraQor or Slanderer, who like a Serpent bites ſecretly ; who may be ſo called,. becauſe he takes liberty to uſe his Tongue as he liſts, withour any regard ei- ther to the offence of God, or tothe injury of others ; - like them who ſaid, Our Lips ave our own; Whe is Lordover w ? Butl do not ſee either why this Phraſe ſhould be limited to the DetraRor,, which equally belongs ro all abuſers of the Tongue in any ocher way or how this particular Vice of Detra&ion comes to be inſerted here among things cf a quite differing natures Or, 2. Of an Eloquenr; Perſon, who may well be called # Meftr of the Tongue, or, © of Speech, nothing being more uſual in' the Hebrew, than tocall a Man Maſter of that which he excels in,or hath a full and free power to uſe. And, | this.clauſe is and may be rendred thus, And there is no excelency or profit to the Maſter of the Fongue, i. e« The moſt Eloquent perſon, who! doth not underſtand, and in due time uſe the Charmers Art, cannot by all his eloquence afterward hinder the biting of the Serpenr, or. miſchievons effeAs of ir. Andſo this agrees with the principal ſcope of the Canapter, which is to ſhew the neceſficy and uſcfulneſs of Wiſdom, and the miſchief of Folly. . |
12 * The words of a wiſe mans mouth
& : but the lips * of a fool will ſwallow up himlfelf 1 k Heb. Grace 3 as profitable, fo alſo acceptable to others, pro- curing him favour with thoſe who hear hime - 7 His diſcourſe "+ Es and offenſive to othzrs, and therefore pernicious to him- elf. | | | | n 12 The beginning of the words of his . mouth ;; fooliſhneſs z madnels m. He mouth. m All his talk from the beginning to the-end is fooliſh ang: miichievour, and the more he talks, the more doth'his folly an. pear ; he proceeds from evil to worie, ,and adds: wilfulneſ; ro, this: hs mn never defiſts till he hath done miſchief to himſelf or to - OTNers, . « "19
14 * A foolalſo + is full of words ».: a man cannot *p
* Jer: THebs
tongue.
'T Heb.