standing of a man in me; for I have not learned wisdom, and have not attained to the knowledge of holy things. But doth he want it ere the more? No: With the lowly is wisdom, and The ear, that hearkeneth to the corrections of life, shall lodge among the wise: Better it is therefore to be of an humble mind with the lowly, than to divide the spoils with the proud: for before honour goeth humility; and he, that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy; yea, the humble of spirit shall enjoy glory: and the reward of humility, and the fear of God, is riches, and glory, and life. Pr. xxix. 23. xxx. 2. xxx. 3. xi. 2. xiii. 31. xvi. 19. xv. 33. xviii. 12. xxviii. 13. xxix. 13. Ec. xxii. 24.

Contrary whereto; There is a generation, whose eyes are haughty, and their eye-lids are lift up: There is a generation, that are pure in their own conceit, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. Yea, All the ways of Yea, All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the spirits; and, not so only, but Many men will boast of their goodness: but It is not good to eat much honey, so to search their own glory is not glory: Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. This overweening is commonly incident to great men. The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor, that hath understanding, can try him Hence it is that he affects singularity; According to his desire he, that separates himself, will seek, and occupy himself in all wisdom: but seest thou a man thus wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him: yea, he is a fool in this: In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride: I thought, I will be wise, but it went far from me; it is far off, what may it be? and that a wicked fool; A haughty look, and a proud heart, which is the light of the wicked, is sin: If therefore thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, and if thou hast thought wickedly, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, for God hateth an haughty eye; yea, he so hateth it, that all that are proud in heart are an abomination to the Lord; and though hand join in hand, they shall not be unpunished: and what punishment shall he have? The Lord will destroy the house of the proud man; and his very pride is an argument of his ruin : Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty: Pride goeth before destruction, and a high mind before the fall: Before it? yea, with it when pride cometh, then cometh shame. Now the height of pride is scornfulness: He, that is proud and haughty, scornful is his name, who worketh in the pride of his wrath: and this man despiseth his neighbour, and therefore is destitute of understanding: when the wicked cometh, then cometh contempt; and with the vile man is reproach: but of all, him that reproves him: He, that reproveth a scorner, purchaseth to himself shame; and he, that rebuketh the wicked, getteth him

self a blot therefore judgments are prepared for the scorners, and stripes for the back of fools; so as others are hurt by his sin: for a scornful man bringeih a whole city into a snare : SO they shall be likewise bettered by his judgment: when the scorner is punished, the foolish is wise. Pr. xxx. 13. xxx. 12. xvi. 2. xxi. 2. xx. 6. xxv. 27. xxvii. 2. xxviii. 11. Ec. xviii. 1. Pr. xvi. 12. xiv. 3. Ec. vii. 25. vii. 26. Pr. xxi. 4. xxx. 32. vi. 17. xvi. 5. xv. 25. xviii. 22. xvi. 18. xi. 2. xxi. 24. xi. 12. xviii. 3. ix. 7. xix. 29. xxix. 8. xxi. 11.

Continency

SECT. 4.

Of Lust,

Lof Anger.

Of

With their Contraries.

Of the first kind, is he that drinks the waters of his own cistern; that desires not the beauty of a stranger in his heart; neither lets her take him with her eye-lids: contrarily, the incontinent is he that delights in a strange woman, and embraces the bosom of a siranger; or she that forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of God; she lieth in wait for a prey, and she increaseth the transgressors amongst men. For a whore is as a deep ditch, and a strange woman as a narrow pit: Yea, I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares, and whose hands as bands : he, that is good before God, shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. Pr. v. 15. vi. 25. v. 20. ii. 17. xxiii. 28. xxiii. 27. Ec. vii. 28. See more of this vice. Econ. sect. 2. and 3.

Of the second, is he that is slow to anger, slow to wrath; whose discretion deferreth his anger, and whose glory is to pass by an offence: which moderation as it argues him to be of great wisdom (for wise men turn away wrath) so it makes him better than the mighty man, and procures him just honour; for It is the honour of a man to cease from strife; contrary to which, is he that is of a hasty spirit to be angry; which as it proves him foolish, (for anger resteth in the bosom of fools, and he that is hasty to anger, not only committeth folly, but exalteth it) so it makes him dangerous: Anger is cruel, and wrath is raging; and a furious man oboundeth in transgressions : wherefore make no friendship with an angry man, lest thou learn his ways, and receive destruction to thy soul. Pr. xvi. 32. xiv. 29. xix. 11. xiv. 29. xxix. 8. xvi. 23. xx. 3. Ec. vii. 11. vii. 11. Pr. xiv. 17. xiv. 29. xxvii. 4. xxix. 22. xxii. 24. xxii. 25.

FORTITUDE is that, whereby the spirit of a man sustains his infirmities; which makes the righteous bold as a lion: contrarily, the weak of strength is he, that is faint in the day of adversity; whose fear bringeth a snare upon him, and that desperate: A wounded spirit who can bear? which is often caused through guiltiness: The wicked fleeth when none pursueth him. Confidence is, to trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and not to lean to thine own wisdom; but in all thy ways to acknowledge him, and to commit thy works to the Lord, and to have hope in thy death: and though in other things, The hope, that is deferred, is the fainting of the heart; yet in this, he, that trusteth in the Lord, shall be fat; for, from hence, not only his thoughts and ways are directed, but he receiveth safety and protection: He is a shield to those that trust in him. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but salvation is of the Lord. Yea, The name of the Lord is a sirong tower: the righteous runneth to it, and is exalted. So that, He, that trusleth in the Lord, he is blessed; whereas, he, that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool: and it is a vain thing to boast thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth. Pr. xviii. 14. xxviii. 1. xxiv. 10. xxix. 25. xviii. 14. xxviii. 1. iii. 5. iii. 6. xvi. 3. xiv. 32. xiii. 12. xxviii. 25. xvi. 3. iii. 6. xxx. 5. xxi. 31. xviii. 12. xvi. 20. xxviii. 26. xxvii. 1.

Patience is, not to refuse the chastening of the Lord, neither to be grieved with his correction: The patient man, in the day of wealth is of good comfort, and in the day of affliction considereth, God also hath made this contrary to that, that man should find nothing afier him, whereof to complain knowing that the Lord correcteth whom he loveth; and that the patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladness: Contrarily, the heart of the fool fretteth against the Lord; he is careless, and rageth: but to what purpose? Man cannot strive with him, that is stronger than he; yea, rather, the man, that hardeneth

his neck when he is rebuked, shall suddenly be destroyed, and cannot be cured: In respect of men's injuries. He saith not, I will recompence evil; but waits upon the Lord, and he shall save him. In which regard, the patient in spirit that suffers, is better than the proud of spirit that requites. Pr. iii. 11. Ec. vii. 16. Pr. iii. 12. x. 28. xix. 3. Ec. vi. 10. Pr. xxix. 1. xx. 22. Ec. vii. 10.