(Exod. xxii. 1. &c.), though that perhaps may be no less than all that he is worth. See Arg. [e]

Ver. 32. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh understanding: he that doth it, destroyeth his cwn soul.] But the adulterer robs a man of his wife, without any such necessity, there being other and honest ways to satisfy his desires; and therefore hath no excuse, but must be looked upon as a stupid fool, void of common understanding; and when he is found out, be punished, not merely in his estate, but with the loss of his life, Lev. xx. 10.

Ver. 33. A round and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.] And, besides the quarrels and other troubles wherein this sin may engage him, his reputation shall receive a deadly wound, and it will make him infamous as long as he lives, and when he is dead; for while his name lasts, it shall not be mentioned without reproach, but have a brand of disgrace set upon it, which shall never be blotted

out.

Ver. 34. For jealousy is the rage of a man: there"fore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.] For no restitution can be made, nor satisfaction given in this case, as there may be in the other; no prayers, neither, or submission, shall prevail with the injured husband, whose justly provoked indignation rises up to a furious rage, which will not pity or spare the adulterer, (though the public justice should be asleep), when he finds an opportunity to be revenged. See Arg. [b] Ver. 35. He will not regard any ransom; neither will be rest content, though thou givest many gifts.] Though he may be willing to expiate his crime, and redeem his life at any rate, it will not be accepted; the largest gifts will be refused, and though greater and greater be still offered, they will not appease his wrath, which pursues the adulterer implacably, and never rests contented but in his utter ruin.

CHAP. VII.

THE ARGUMENT.-Chastity is a virtue of that consequence, and impurity such a pernicious bane of youth, that the wise man thought he could not too often make mention of the danger of the one, to move men carefully to preserve the other. And therefore is not contented with what he had already said about this matter, in the latter end of the 2d chapter, and in the whole 5th chapter, and now in the latter part of the 6th; but again repeats it with renewed importunities, desiring to be heard attentively, especially in the cautions he gives against adultery, the avoiding of which he represents as a high point of wisdom, ver. 1.-4. And the better to secure those that desire to be happy from this snare, he represents, together with the silliness of young men, thecunning and crafty devices of an impudent adulteress. Which is admirably set forth from ver. 6.-21. Where he begins to shew the effects of her courtship, and its lamentable conclusion. And thereupon, ver. 24. renews his intreaties to beware of such women, who have undone many and great persons, and to

stop at the very first motion or inclination towards

her.

The sum of all is, that it is a singular benefit a man hath by true wisdom, to be preserved from such sins and such miseries; and therefore we should study wisdom, which alone can secure us from being deceived by such flatteries, as bewitch silly and incautious souls to their ruin, And herein the vigilance of magistrates is required to watch and observe (as Solomon did, ver. 6. 7.) the manner of their subjects, that they may the better obviate and correct their vices; but especially every man's diligent consideration is necessary, of such things as Solomon here sets before him, to divert him from such wicked courses. Particularly the character of these lewd women is to be studied, who are then most abominable, when they put on the mask of piety and devotion: As this strumpet doth (ver. 14.) in her speech which she makes to the young man; where there are two things in my Paraphrase, of which I owe some account to the reader.

[a] The one is in the beginning of it, ver. 14. where I have taken Schelamin, peace-offerings, of which there were three sorts, (Lev. vii. 11. 12. 16.), for the last of them, offerings of thanksgiving for blessings already obtained, not of prayer for the impetration of blessings from God (as Grotius and others understand the word) not yet received. My reason is, because she was so solici. tous to have company at her feast upon this sacrifice that very day. Every body knows that such sacrifices were to be of the best, either of bullocks, sheep, or goats, (Lev. iii. 1. 6. 12.), and that the greatest part of them fell to the share of the person who offered them, that he might feast with God; that is, all except the fat upon the kidneys, and rump of the sheep, and the breast and right shoulder, which was sufficient to make a liberal entertainment for his friends. But this is not so commonly observed, that though they might keep this flesh two days, before it was all spent, because there was such plenty of it, yet that is to be understood only of the two first sorts of peace-offerings, for obtaining blessings; not of the Eucharistical, or thank-offerings, which, as Philo observes, were to be eaten the very same day they were offered; that they who had readily received favours from God, might as readily, and without delay, communicate to others. Which is the account Abarbinel also gives of this matter; and it is observable, that all sorts of bread were to be joined with this sacrifice, that every thing might be ready for the feast.

[b] The other thing is at the latter end of her speech, ver. 20. where by the word Haccese I understand the full moon, as the vulgar Latin doth. With which translation interpreters find fault, because it looks like a contradiction, they say, to call that day by a name, which signifies the moon to be covered; and therefore they translate it rather the new moon, as we do in the margin of our Bibles. But

they that can consult Lud. de Dieu, upon Psal. lxxxi. 3. will find good reason to take it quite other wise; for the full moon, which giving light then all the night, made it a fit time for a journey, either in winter, (as by the darkness of the night, ver. 9. I suppose it might now be), when the days are short; or in summer, when the heat made them unfit for travel.

The proverbial sayings in this chapter, some make three, others four; all contained in two verses, 22d and 23d. With which I shall not trouble the reader, because I have made them plain enough in the paraphrase, and intend not to fill this book with like sayings out of other authors. [c] I should only add, that rabbim, in the first verse but one, signifying great men as well as many, I have expressed both; and Solomon himself, as well as Sampson, became an example of the mighty men there mentioned, who were undone by lewd

women.

Ver. 1.

MY son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.] There is great reason, then, my son, (Prov. ii. 1.), to repeat the caution. I have often given thee, against this and other vices; and to beseech thee to observe my instructions, and to lay up my commandments in such faithful remembrance, that they may not fail to produce the fruit of obedience.

Ver. 2. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.] For if thou wilt be ruled by them, assure thyself (as I have said before, iv. 4.) thou shalt enjoy long happiness; therefore observe them carefully, with a tender affection to them; and, looking upon them as thy safest guide and director, consent as soon to wound the apple of thine eye, as in the least to violate any of my laws.

Ver. 3. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.] Do not merely read what I write, imagining thou canst have continual recourse. to them here in this book, but be so well acquainted with them, as to have them (as we speak) at thy fingers ends;, or rather, let them be transcribed from hence into thy very heart.

Ver. 4. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman;] There embrace them with ardent love, and set such an high esteem on wisdom, that thou mayest invite it more and more unto thee, till it be as familiar with thee as an only sister, born at the same time with thee, and thou understand and delight in all her precepts, as so near a-kin to thee, that thou find them to be the very reason and sense of thy own mind.

Ver. 5. That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.] Which will be a powerful preservative to thee from the snares of the naughty woman; who, though her company be so pernicious that God would have thee perfectly estranged from her, as if she were not of the commonwealth of Israel, yet hath powerful charms about her, to flatter those into her embraces, who are not heartily in love with wisdom.

Ver. 6. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement ;] Of which a memorable instance comes now into my mind; for looking one day from my chamber, through the lattices of the window of my palace,

Ver. 7. And bebeld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,] I observed, among the undisciplined and unexperienced striplings of the city, one that was as childish and void of consideration, as he was youthful and eager in his desires;

Ver. 8. Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house.] Who, as if he had a mind to be undone, passed idly through the street, till he came to a corher where naughty women used to haunt; walking in as stately a manner as he could devise, directly towards one of their houses.

Ver. 9. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night;] It was in the twilight, while he might see his way and yet hope to be concealed, in the close of the day, which was followed by a night as dark as pitch, and fit for such works of darkness.

Ver. 1o. And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an barlot, and subtile of heart.] There, on a sudden, I was surprised with the sight of a woman starting forth, who did not stay till he came up to her, but went to meet him in a gawdy lascivious dress, apt to allure a weak young man ; who thought presently she was in love with him, when her heart, as full of subtilty as his was of folly, is reserved only to herself.

Ver. 11. (She is loud and stubborn, her feet abide not in her house).] This is her character; she is full of talk, and of bold unseemly courtship, unruly, and not to be controuled or broke of her will; idle also, and always gadding abroad, as if she had no business (but with her foolish lovers) at home.

Ver. 12. Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.] Sometimes she stands before her door; and, if that will not do, she goes further into the streets and places of greatest concourse; and more especially, waits at every corner (where she may look into two streets at once) to insnare such as are apt, like silly birds, to be taken by her..

Ver. 13. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,] At one of those corners (as I said) she met this young fool, and, contrary to all the rules of modesty, caught him hard about the neck, and kissed him; and after these amorous caresses put on still a bolder face, and without any blushing made this following speech to him:

Ver. 14. I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.] I am a happy woman, in many blessings that God hath bestowed upon me, for which I have given him solemn thanks this very day; and, as religion and custom bids me, I have provided as good a feast as those sacrifices would afford, which I formerly vowed, and now have paid, having no want of any thing, but of some good company at home to rejoice with me. See Arg. [a]

Ver. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face; and I have found thee.] Which made me go abroad to try if I could meet with thee,

(who art the very person whom I came to seek), that I might invite and earnestly beseech thee to be so kind as to bear me company; and to my great joy, this is added to all my other happiness, that I have found thee speedily and most opportunely.

Ver. 16. i have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.] There shall no other pleasures be wanting when our feast is done, but from the table we will remove to my bed, which I have richly adorned with every thing that may please the eye, and made it as soft. also as heart can wish.

Ver. 17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.] Where thou shalt be entertained likewise with the sweetest perfumes that ours or the neighbouring countries could furnish me withal, such as myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon, wherewith I have sprinkled my bed, to render it more grateful to all thy senses.

Ver. 18. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves:] Why do we waste our time then here in the street? Come along with me, and let us go thither, and there satisfy our desires to the full with love; we will solace our selves with the sweetest pleasures, which shall not end till the morning-light.

Ver. 19. For the good man is not at home, he is gone a long journey.] For there is no fear they should be interrupted or disturbed, the man (whom they call my husband) being from home, and not likely to return in haste; for he is gone to a place a great way off:

Ver. 20. He bath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.] Where he hath much business to dispatch, which will detain him so long, that I am sure it will be full moon (and now the new doth scarce yet appear, ver. 9.) before he can be at home again. See Arg. [b]

Ver. 21. With much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.] In the representing of these, and many other like specious pretences, (of great affection to him, of all sorts of pleasure, of secrecy and safety in their enjoyments), she shewed herself such a mistress of her art, that she bowed the heart of the young man to become her disciple; and, having wrought upon his inclinations, she pursued her advantage with so much cunning, that she rather compelled than attracted him, by her charming voice, and her soft alluring language.

Ver. 22. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; For he made not the least objection, but away he went immediately, and followed her, like a great calf, (as we speak in our language), or a stupid ox, that fancies he is led to the pasture, when he is going to be killed; or like a fool, who takes it for an ornament, when the stocks are brought for his correction, to be clapt upon his legs.

Ver. 23. Till a dart strike through his liver, as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for bis life.] Just so he hastily threw himself into her VOL. III.

embraces, and dreamt of nothing but pleasure, till, like a rash soldier that falls unexpectedly into an ambush, he received a mortal wound by that which he fancied would be his highest satisfaction; or like a silly bird, that, greedy of tire bread which is laid to entice it, never minds the snare that is laid together with it; so he, eagerly longing to taste of her feast and the following delights, had not so much as a thought that this was a design upon his life, and would not end but in miseries infinitely greater than all his joys. Ver. 24. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.] ¶This is a true representation, my dear children, (whom I love unfeignedly, not deceitfully, like those harlots), of the folly and danger of these lewd courses, in which youth is prone to be engaged; and therefore do not look upon it as an idle speculation, but give diligent heed unto it, and be ruled by my advice. Ver. 25. Let thine heart decline to her ways; go not astray in her paths.] Let not one of you so much as entertain a thought of going to such a woman, much less of consenting to her enticements: or if any of you have been so unhappy as to be engaged in her company, let him think it is too much that he hath adventured to turn aside out of the right way, and not wander till he hath utterly lost himself in those strange paths, and cannot find his way back again.

Ver. 26. For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men have been slain by ber.] Do not presume of being safe in such courses, and of making a good retreat at last; for many have been the examples of no mean persons, who have fallen in their reputation, their estates, their healths, their comforts of life, and in truth have utterly perished by her: innumerable are the mighty men, both for valour and for wisdom, whom she hath brought to ruin. See Arg. [c]

Ver 27. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chamber of death.] In short, to follow her unto her house, as this young man did, is the direct way to hell; every step that is taken to her bed, (unto which she invited him to ascend), is in truth a going down to the dismal chambers of death, and to the most horrid miseries.

CHAP. VIII.

THE ARGUMENT.-The folly and danger of yielding to those brutish lusts and affections whereby so many are misled, having been plainly discovered and lively described in the foregoing chapter, the wise man proceeds in his design, by appealing to all that read these things, whether they be not sufficiently cautioned against those courses which ruin them, and abundant care be not taken to make them really wise and happy. For he knew none could answer those questions negatively which he asks in the beginning of the chapter, (ver. 1. 2. &c.), but all must confess they have been informed in the doctrine of wisdom. Whom he represents as present every where, and commending itself to all sorts of persons with a sincere affection, (ver. 6.

&c.), as infinitely better than all the treasures which they greedily seek, (ver. 10.), and to be desired and valued upon so many accounts, that it is not easy to number them. Particularly, for that prudence and that authority which it gives to those who are endued with it, (ver. 12. 14. 15. &c.) ; and more than this, because it makes them approach near unto God, the fountain of wisdom and goodness, and the original pattern of them, ver.

21. 22. &c.

This is expressed in such magnificent language, that though Solomon, I suppose, thought of nothing but the wise direction God had given them in his word, revealed to them by his servant Moses and the prophets, yet the ancient Christians thought his words might better be applied to the wisdom revealed unto us in the gospel by the Son of God, nay, to the Son of God himself, the eternal Word and wisdom of the Father.

[a] Whom the Arians, by a false interpretation of a passage in this chapter, ver. 22. endeavour to prove a creature; but according to the Hebrew verity, if this text belong to that matter, appears to have been, as St John speaks, "with the Father in the beginning," being his only-begotten before all worlds. And so the word map which we trans-late possess, sometimes signifies in scripture; and as it is thus rendered by the LXX. in Zach. xiii. 5. so ought it to be translated in Gen. iv. 1. (not I have gotten or possessed, but)" I have brought forth a man from the Lord;" as Bochartus discourses in his Phaleg, p. 784.

But I said, if it belong to that matter, because the Fathers themselves are not resolved, whether these words, ver. 22. may not rather be applied to our blessed Saviour, according to his human nature. For so the great Athanasius himself sometimes expounds them, (though at other times he goes the other way), allowing the Arian sense of Tis, he created me: This is not to be understood, saith he, (in his Expositio Fidei, p. 242. Tom. I.), of the divinity of Christ, "but owμarıμõs sis v 'Inošy ygular, is written of Jesus bodily, as he was born of the Virgin Mary. For of this Kugiaxes For of this Kugiaxes pos, (as he speaks), whom he sent for our salvation, it may be said truly that he was the beginning of God's ways; we have access by him to God the Father; as he himself saith, "I am the way which leads to the Father." And afterward, in his epistle about the decrees of the Nicene council, p. 262. he glosses upon these words in this manner: "The person who here speaks, is indeed our Saviour, who is to be conceived to say this, when he took a body, The Lord created me in the beginning of his ways.' For, as with respect to his being the Son of God, it is most agreeable to say, he was always, and in the bosom of the Father; so being made a man, this saying was very becoming, The Lord created me." And, to name no more places, he interprets it thus several times in his third Oration against the Arians, p. 415 417. &c. where he hath these words, "It is as if

he had said, My Father made me a body, and created me to be among men for their salvation." But this not being the sense of the words which Solomon first intended, I shall not build my paraphrase upon it; but take wisdom here, as it signifies in other places of this book, and hath been hitherto described. Whom Solomon now celebrates for her most venerable antiquity, (as Aristobulus observes to Ptolomy, in Eusebius his Præper. Evang. 1. xiii. p. 667.), and introduces like a most beautiful person, no less than a queen; or rather some divine bcing, (infinitely to be preferred before that base strumpet, spoken of in the foregoing chapter). Who having finished her own praises, which, the truth is, better agree to that heavenly doctrine afterwards delivered by our Lord Jesus Christ, (who was the wisdom of the Father, both as the eternal Aoroz subsisting with him before all worlds, and as he was anointed by the Holy Ghost to declare to us all the counsel of God), concludes with an earnest invitation unto all to become acquainted with her instructions, if they meant to be happy, and would avoid the greatest miseries, ver. 32. 33. &c. There are so many notable lessons to be learnt out of this chapter, that it would make this preface too long, if I should mention them all. I shall therefore name only one doctrinal point, that if this chapter be at all to be understood of the divinity of the Son of God, (which the Arians believed), then both his eternity is most plainly here asserted, and also his distinct subsistence and personality, as we speak, ver. 22. 30. And these two practical. First, that it is a vain pretence we make to wisdom, if the fear of God and true virtue be wanting, ver. 13. 20.; and, secondly, the whole chapter supposes what the last verse more particularly expresses, that every man's death and destruction is from himself, who wrongs his own soul, and that against the desire and earnest frequent importunities of the wisdom of God; unto which he will not hearken, but perversely rejects the seasonable reproofs, and the wholesome advices, which, on many occasions, he meets withal to prevent his ruin.

They that follow the vulgar Latin, fancy they find a proverbial saying, ver. 13. where that which we translate a froward mouth, they translate a mouth with two tongues; but I have followed the Hebrew, which speaks of a worse sort of perverse language than that phrase alone signifies.

DOTH

Ver. 1. not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth ber voice] Can you then hereafter pretend ignorance, and say you never had any caution given you against these snares? Or rather, have I not the greatest reason to chide you for your stupidity in hearkening unto those secret allurements to the deeds of darkness, when their shamefulness is so apparent; and you have had so many open and loud admonitions given you to be wiser; and such serious and earnest endeavours have been used, by repeated instructions and reproofs, to reclaim you from your folly?

Ver. 2. She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.] There is no public crier better heard and understood by all, when from an high place he makes proclamation to the people, than the rules of wisdom and virtue are; which do not lie concealed, nor can be altered at our pleasure, but present themselves continually to men's thoughts wheresoever they go, being as plain as the high-way, and remaining unmoveable and fixed, notwithstanding all the attempts that have been made to subvert them. Ver. 3. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.] Let their business be what it will, whether in the courts of judgement, or among those that traffic in the city, or in their own private habitation, still they know what their duty is; which their own conscience, as well as God's ministers, rings so continually in their ears, that they cannot avoid such informations.

Ver. 4. Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.] Which they hear as plainly and distinctly, as if wisdom itself should call them from above, saying, Hearken, O men, of whatsoever rank and condition you be, whether high or low, rich or poor; for my instructions are common to you all.

Ver. 5. O ye simple ones, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be ye of an understanding beart.] Your fault is, that you are inconsiderate, and easily cheated, (vii. 21. 22.), or, which is worse, stupidly bent to follow your sensual appetite, as if you had no better inclinations; but if you will attend, I will make you more circumspect and wary, and dispose you to be led by prudent counsels.

Ver. 6. Hear, for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.] Do not turn away your ears, but listen to my words; for I will teach you things most worthy of your notice and choice; which will conduct you safely in all the passages of your life, and lay before you such a plain, direct, and easy path, that if you walk in it, you shall not miss of being happy.

Ver. 7. For my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.] For I will utter nothing rashly, or contrary to the truth; all falsehood, deceit, and whatsoever may do hurt, being so detestable to me, and so far from my thoughts, that the correction of such wickedness is the aim of my dis

Ver. 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.] But, whatsoever they may seem to inconsiderate and prejudised minds, they will all manifestly appear equal and just unto him that uses his reason, and approve themselves, as I said, exactly conformable to the strictest rules of righteousness, unto well-disposed minds, who will be

at the pains to know the difference between right and wrong, or between that which is good and that which is evil for them.

Ver. 10. Receive my instruction, and not silver ; and knowledge rather than choice gold.] They will not think me unreasonable, when I commend the very rebukes which I give them, (though administered by some sharp affliction, iii. 14.), and set such a high price upon them, as to advise every one to accept them rather than silver; and to value the knowledge of God, and of themselves, and of all things else, (which these corrections teach them), above the choi cest gold.

Ver. 11. For wisdom is better than rubies ; and all the things that may be desired, are not to be compared to it.] For true wisdom is such an inestimable jewel, that the most precious pearls are trash to it; nor can our boundless fancies present any, thing to our wishes, that is worthy to come in competition with it.

Ver. 12. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.] For what is there comparable to a prudent mind, which is not crafty to deceive, but so cautious as not to be deceived! and this I may boast is solely in my power to endow men withal; who ever give the safest, nay, infallible advice, and direct men to discreeter resolutions in the most difficult cases, than the subtilest head in the world, that consults not with me, can invent for his clients.

Ver. 13. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.] And my rules are as short as they are sure; for I teach men, in the first place, religiously to worship and stand in awe of the Divine Majesty ; which is but a vain pretence, I further instruct them, if it do not make them abominate all manner of evil, though but in design; more particularly, I hate that vain opinion men have of their own abilities to compass their designs, which makes them forget God, and despise the wholesome advice of honest men; as I likewise do the use of all unlawful means, though the end be good, especially lying, calumny, detraction, breach of faith, which every one must renounce who will have my friendship;

Ver. 14. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.] Who am the ablest counsellor in all deliberations, and give men the most certain, solid, and never-failing advice, for the effecting their desires, or being contented with disappointments; for I comprehend whatsoever is fit to be done or omitted in all undertakings, and inspire men also with courage to persist in good resolutions, which are neither rashly taken nor wrongfully pursued.

Ver. 15. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.] Kings themselves sit not fast on their thrones, though placed there by God himself, unless they be ruled by me; the wisest senators cannot support themselves and them, but by persuading them to enact and execute just and merciful laws, for the government of their people.

Ver. 16. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.] In vain do their great captains,