hath abroad; but when the wicked get up into power, it makes a rueful change, being wholly employed in finding reasons to ruin others, whose safety then lies in concealing themselves in their estate. See

ver. 28.

Ver. 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.] He that studies to hide and extenuate, rather than to leave his sins, shall be so far from escaping by his impudent denial, that he shall make himself obnoxious to severer punishments; but he that ingenuously acknowledges he hath done amiss, and not only promises to do so no more, but gives some proof of his amendment, shall obtain pardon both from God and

man.

Ver. 14. Happy is the man that feareth alway; but be that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.] From which happiness if he would not relapse, let him constantly preserve a pious fear and dread of God and of his displeasure in his mind, and be cautious and circumspect in all his actions; for if he be presumptuously confident and careless, and, because God is so gracious, regard neither his commands nor his threatenings, he will fall back into deeper guilt and misery.

Ver. 15. As a roaring lion, and a raging bear, so is a wicked ruler over the people.] A lion and a bear are not more dreadful to the weaker beasts, especially when hunger presses them to seek a prey, than a needy prince, who fears not God and loves not man, is to the poorer sort; who have not wherewithal to fill his unsatiable desires, and are the surest to be invaded, because the least able to resist his power. See Arg. [e]

Ver. 16. The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor; but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.] But it is very great ignorance, not only of religion, but of all things else, that makes a prince grievously oppress and pillage his people; which makes his reign short, as well as unhappy; while he that, hating such exactions, is kind to his subjects, prolongs his days in much tranquillity. See Arg. [f]

Ver. 17. A man that doth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.] He that murders a man, and, pressed with the weight of his guilt, or pursued by the avenger of blood, flies to save himself, shall never think himself safe, but lead a restless life to his very grave: for all men looking upon him as a common enemy, shall refuse to succour him; no, though they see him falling headlong into a pit, which he is not aware of, they shall not stop him, but let him perish.

Ver. 18. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved; but he that is perverse in bis ways shall fall at once.] There is no such way to be safe, as to be honest and sincere in all a man's words and actions; for he that endeavours to preserve himself by fraud and deceit, though he can wind and turn, and hath several shifts, he thinks, to save himself by, yet in one or other of them he shall perish; for the time will come, when he will blindly choose the wrong course, and com

monly when he begins to fall, he sinks utterly, and cannot possibly recover himself.

Ver. 19. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.] He that is a good husband in the management of his estate, shall have the satisfaction of providence sufficiently, if not plentifully, for himself and his family; but he that is careless, and follows the courses of loose and wicked companions, can reap no other fruit of his negligence, but the most miserable want and beggary.

Ver. 2c. A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.] He that is true to his word, and just in all his dealings, shall have abundance of blessings from God, and be well spoken of by men; but he whose eager desires make him heap up wealth, by right or by wrong, brings such guilt upon himself as makes him execrable unto both.

Ver. 21. To have respect of persons is not good: for, for a piece of bread that man will transgress.] It is a wicked thing in a judge to incline to consider the quality of the person, and not the merits of the cause that is brought before him: for though perhaps at the first he could not be corrupted under a great sum of money, yet having accustomed himself to it, he will at last sell his sentence at the lowest rates, nay, be moved by the smallest considerations to forsake the rules which ought to guide him. See Arg. [g]

Ver. 22. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereih not that poverty shall come upon him.] An envious, covetous wretch, that cannot look upon what another hath without grudging, is pushed on, by his impatient desires, to get riches, without making any distinction between good and evil; never considering, in that disturbance of mind wherein he lives, that all may be gone in a moment, and he then stand in need of the mercy of those whom he would not pity.

Ver. 23. He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.] He that rebukes a man for his evil courses may displease him, nay, anger him at the first; but when he considers that he could have no other end in it but his good, he will have a greater kindness for such a man, than for one that humours him in every thing, and with flattering words soothes him up in those faults which he ought to take the freedom to reprehend.

Ver. 24. Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer.] He that lays hands upon all that he can rap and rend from his father or mother, and thinks it no sin, or no great one, (pretending they keep him too short, and have no need of it themselves, or do not use it, &c.), not only keeps the company of spendthrifts, but is wicked enough to be a highwayman, and murder others, to feed his own luxury.

Ver. 25. He that is of a proud heart, stirreth up strife; but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.] A man of a proud and insolent spirit, of ambitious and vast desires, is never quiet; but as he lives in perpetual quarrels, so hath no satisfaction in

what he enjoys, nay, many times wastes it all in suits and contentions; but he who, confiding in the good providence of the Almighty, hath an humble and contented mind, lives peaceably with others, and comfortably within himself; nay, thrives many times, and abounds with plenty of all good things.

Ver. 26. He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool; but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.] He that relies wholly upon his own judgement is like to miscarry, because he follows the conduct of a fool; but he that, distrusting himself, takes good advice, and follows it, escapes many mischiefs, into which the other rashly runs, and is delivered out of many dangers, in which the other perishes.

Ver. 27. He that giveth unto the poor, shall not lack; but he that bideth his eyes, shall have many a curse.] He that relieves those that are in want, shall be so far from wanting himself, that he shall thereby procure God's blessing to increase his estate; but he that regards not the miseries of others, nor is willing so much as to know them, for fear of having his compassion moved towards them, shall draw upon himself the curse of God as well as men, and fall into many and grievous misfortunes.

Ver. 28. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves ; but when they perish, the righteous increase.] When wic. ked men are advanced unto power and authority, they favouring such only as are like to themselves, it makes good men scarce, who are forced to withdraw, and hide themselves from their tyranny; but when they perish, (as they shall at last), and good men come in their place, then the righteous openly shew themselves, and the number of them increase by their example, and by the encouragement they enjoy under righteous, governors. See Arg. [h]

CHAP. XXIX.

THE ARGUMENT.-[a] This chapter includes the collection of Proverbs, made by the men of Hezekiah, and contains more advices proper to a prince (as he was) than any of the rest; but ushers them in with a general admonition, how dangerous it is not to profit by reproofs or corrections, (such as he and his people had by the hand of Sennacherib); which when they work upon men's spirits, there is some hope of them; but when they become refractory, inflexible, and obstinately reject This them, they are near to a final destruction. wicked, temper of mind he expressses by hardening the neck, which is a metaphor, as Bochartus truly observes, (1. iii. de Sacris Animal. c. 41. p. 2.), taken from oxen, who being put forward, draw back, and withdraw their necks and shoulders from the yoke; and sometimes are so headstrong and stiff-necked, that they cannot be brought to submit to it; unto which the scriptures often allude, both in the Old Testament and the New; for instance, Exod. xxxii. 9. Acts, vii. 51. And hither belong those expressions, Isa. xlviii. 4. where he saith his people had an iron sinew, &c, and that in

Jer. v. 5. where he saith, they " had broken the yoke, and burst the bands."

[b] Then follows a tacit admonition to princes, to be good, by describing the happiness which a nation then enjoys; which they had noted twice before in the foregoing chapter, ver. 12. & 28. but thought so considerable and so needful, that they insert it here again, and the latter part of it once more, ver. 16. being a famous observation of his father David, Psal. xii. 9. where he takes notice, "how the wicked flourish, and go about confidently into every place, nay, take the liberty to do as they list, when men of no account are exalted to power; who take no care to oppose growing wickedness, and to keep every man within the bounds of his duty."

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[c] And after an admonition, (ver. 3.), that the study of wisdom is the only preservative against the lusts of uncleanness, which in the preface to this book, as it is observed, destroys abundance of young men, and their estates also, (for lust is very blind and very prodigal), the next observation (ver. 4.) is concerning kings again; where ish terumath, which we translate a man that receiveth gifts, is in the Hebrew phrase a man of oblations. For so the word terumoth always signifies, throughout the whole Bible, heave-offerings which were offered to God; which would make one think that ish terumoth (a man of heave-offerings) fignifies here a prince that is sacrilegious, and robs the church of its proper goods; or, if we will not take it in that strict sense, it denotes one that will suffer himself to be pacified by gifts, and bribed to wink at the most enormous ctimes, which he ought to have severely punished; or that is so unjust, as to find fault perhaps with the most innocent persons, on purpose that they may appease him, offering him a part of their estate to save all the rest: One or other of these is the most literal exposition of the words. But I have contented myself, with the LXX. (who render it gos), to use only general expressions in the paraphrase, which include all these, and whatsoever else that is contrary to the duty of his office. Rabbi Solomon doth not differ much from the sense of the LXX. when he translates it a proud man, who heaves and lifts up himself in his own thoughts, imagining he is above all laws, and not bound to observe them.

[d] In the next verse, (ver. 5.), I have not wholly neglected the sense to the LXX. who refer the last clause to the flatterer himself; who cannot escape the hatred of those whom he hath ruined by his pernicious praises, or base compliances, with all their humours, &c. which is more fully expressed in the following sentence, ver. 6. where I have interpreted one part of the verse by the other. [e] And then seems to follow again, a double admonition to princes, or those that govern under them. First, not through laziness, or contempt, to refuse to examine a poor man's complaint, and do him right, ver. 7. Secondly, not through profaneness, pride,

or carelessness, to scorn admonition, especially any warning that is given of danger, &c. ver. 8. For when he says, "The righteous considers the cause of the poor," he seems to mean a righteous prince, or judge, (and so I have explained it in the paraphrase); for who else is to consider of the din, (as it is in the Hebrew), the cause of the poor which is to be judged? None but they, and the advocates who are to plead it; all which persons are obliged in conscience to search into the truth of things; not to be sparing of their pains, (though matters be intricate, though the labour be like to be long, though they shall get nothing by it), to find out the bottom of a business; which he that refuses to do, nay, perhaps rejects the complaint of the poor, or beats them off with big words, or out of the hardness of his heart, or the love of ease, or fear of great men, or any other respect, will not give them audience, or not consider and redress their grievance, Solomon pronounces him a wicked, an impious person, and accordingly God will proceed against him.

[f] Such men indeed may scorn these threatenings, nay, laugh at them; but thereby they will endanger the bringing all things into confusion, as Solomon observes in the succeeding words, ver. 8. where men of scorn (as it is in the Hebrew) signify such as mock at religion, and at all things that are se rious; whom the LXX. call aves, lawless, pestilent men, that regard neither God nor man, but only their own wicked humour; which brings the kingdom or place where they live into the greatest danger. Which we express by the word ensnare, and other translations by words of the import; which I have expressed in the paraphrase, but shall not mention here, because I would leave room to insert the most admirable discourse of the Lord Bacon upon this verse. "It may seem strange," saith he, (b. viii. Advanc. of Learn. chap. ii. part 12.), "that in the description of men, made and framed, as it were, by nature to the ruin and destruction of a state, Solomon hath chosen the character not of a proud and insolent man, not of a tyrannical and cruel, not of a rash and violent, not of an impious and lewd, not of an unjust and oppressive, not of a seditious and turbulent, not of an incontinent and voluptuous, no, nor of a foolish and unable person; but of a scorner. But this is a judgement most worthy the wisdom of that great king, who best knew the causes of the preservation or subversion of a state. For there is not commonly the like plague unto kingdoms and commonwealths, as when counsellors or senators, and such as sit at the helm of government, are by nature scorners. For, 1st, Such persons, that they may win the reputation of undaunted statesmen, do ever extenuate the greatness of dangers, and insuit over those who give them their just weight, as timorous and faint-hearted people. 2dly, They scoff at all mature delays, and meditated debatings of matters by consultations and deliberation, as a thing too much tasting of an oratory vein, and full VOL. III.

of tediousness, but nothing conducing to the sum and issue of business. 3dly, As for fame, at which a prince's counsels should especially level, they contemn it as the spittle of the vulgar, and a thing that will quickly be blown over. 4thly, The power and authority of laws they regard not at all, but look upon them as cobwebs, that ought not to stop matters of consequence. 5thly, Counsels and precautions, foreseeing of events afar off, they reject as mere dreams, and melancholy apprehensions. 6thly, Men truly prudent, and well seen in affairs, of great resolution and counsel, they defame with jibes and jests. In a word, they do at once overturn all the foundations of civil government; which is the more to be attended to, because they secretly undermine it, and do not assault it by open force. And it is a practice which is not yet so suspected among men as it deserves."

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[g] The latter end of the next verse, (ver. 9.), some refer to the fool, others to the wise man. They that refer to the fool understood it two ways, much to the same purpose. Some thus, "The fool will always be angry, or deride, so that the wise man cannot put in a word." Others thus, "The wise man shall be either irritated or derided by the fool perpetually." As much as to say, he shall get nothing, if he contend with a fool, but either to be derided or provoked to anger by him. This I have taken some notice of in my paraphrase but the other being the most common opinion, that he speaks of the way of awise man's dealings with a fool, I have principally regarded. And the Lord Bacon hath made this pertinent reflection upon it, (in the forenamed book and place, parab. 3.), which it will be profitable to set down here. "It is accounted a wise rule, not to contend with our betters;' but it is a no less useful admonition, which Solomon here gives us, not to contend with a worthless person,' whom we cannot meddle withal but upon disadvantageous terms. For to overcome, is no victory; but to be conquered, a foul disgrace.' And it is all one, in the management of his contention, whether we deal sometime in a jesting way with him, and sometime in a way of disdain and scorn. For which way soever we turn, we shall come off with the loss of our credit, and not be able handsomely to disengage ourselves. But the worst of all is, when the person with whom we contend hath something of the fool in him, (as Solomon speaks); that is, if he be both witless and witful; have some heart, but no brain."

[h] The 10th verse I have expounded of a magistrate, that hath the courage to make inquisition after, and prosecute notorious offenders; and in the latter part of it, have put two senses together. As I have done also in the next, (ver. 11.), where the word ruach, spirit, being differently interpreted, hath produced several expositions. For some take it to signify anger, others to signify words, or the sense of the mind. They that take it for anger, expound it thus: "A fool shews all his anger immediately; but

a wise man keeps it in, till he hath a fitting opportunity to express it most to purpose." If we understand it of words, the sense is; "A fool blurts out every thing that comes in his head, but a wise man speaks only as much as is necessary." If it signify the sense of the mind, then this is the meaning; "A fool utters all that he knows; but a wise man conceals many things." But the great person before named (in the same chapter, parab. 15.) thinks none of these hit the mark. For this parable," saith he, "corrects principally, not the futility of vain men, who utter easily as well what ought to be kept secret, as what may be spoken; nor the bold liberty of such as without discretion and judgement fly upon all men, and upon all matters; nor talkativeness, which troubles others even to a surfeit; but another vice more close and retired, viz. that ill government of discourse which of all other is not prudent and politic. And that is, when a man so orders his discourse in private conferences, as whatsoever is in his mind, which he conceives any way pertinent to his purpose, out it comes at once, and as it were in one birth, and in a continued speech. This is that which doth much prejudise business. For, first, A speech broken off by interlocutions, and instilled by parts, penetrates deeper than that which is continued; because that in a continued discourse, the weight of things is not precisely and distinctly taken, nor by some convenient pauses suffered to fix; but one reason drives out another, before it be thoroughly settled in the mind of the hearer. Secondly, There is no man master of such powerful and happy eloquence, as to be able, at the very first dash, as we speak, to strike him dumb and altogether speechless with whom he discourses; but he will have something to answer, and perhaps to object on the other side. And then it falls out, that those things which should have been reserved for replication and refutation, being disclosed already, and tasted before-hand by this unadvised anticipation, quite lose their strength and their grace. Thirdly, If a man do not pour out all he hath to say at once, but deliver himself by parcels, now one thing, and anon casting in another, he shall perceive by the looks and the answer of him with whom he discourses, how every particular passage affects him, and what acceptance they find with him; so as what is yet remaining to be spoken, he may with the greater caution either suppress or select what is to his purpose." Thus that great person, who herein hath followed the LXX. who express the sense, rather than translate the words, in this manner; 66 a man void of understanding brings out his whole mind; but a wise man dispenses it part by part

[i] The like observation he makes upon the next verse, (ver. 12.), where, by lies or words of falsehood, (as the Hebrew hath it), the LXX. truly understand der ädixer, an unjust report, that hurts our neighbour by calumnies, or false accusations, (as the word commonly signifies in scripture, particularly Psal, lii.); unto which if a ruler lend his

ear, he will never want lewd informers, or rather slanderers in his court, to work upon that inclination. Melancthon hath observed upon this verse, that the love of lies (as he translates it) comprehends a great many vices; according as there are divers sorts of lies; which are all repugnant to that eminent virtue of truth, in which a prince ought to excel; viz. "vanity or perfidiousness, breach of promises, calumnies, suspicions, sophistry ;" which defends bad causes by colourable pretences to please great men, and persuades the prince, by plausible arguments, that he is tied to no rules; unto any of which if a prince be inclined, his ministers will not fail to make him break his word perpetually, to abuse him with false stories, to infuse into his mind unjust suspicions, and to find colour for any thing, though never so wicked; of all which he gives examples.

But none hath opened this parable comparably to the Lord Bacon, in the place before-mentioned, (parab. 13.), "Where he takes it for an easy credulous temper in a prince to believe detractors and sycophants, without examination. From whence proceeds such a pestilential breath, as infects and corrupts all his servants. For some of them feel out the fears and jealousies of the prince, and increase them by fictitious tales; others awake and stir up the furies of envy, especially against all those that are best deserving in the state. Others seek to wash away their own guilt, and the stain of a foul conscience, by defaming better men. Others promote the suits of their friends, and their preferments, by traducing and debasing the merit of their competitors. Others compass fabulous representations of their enemies, as if they were upon a stage; and innume. rable such like. And these are the arts of such of the prince's servants, as are of a more wicked disposition. As for those who are by nature better inclined, and by education more civilized, when they perceive their innocence to be no safe sanctuary, (their prince not knowing how to distinguish between truth and falsehood), they put off the probity of their manners, and accommodate themselves also to the air of the court, and are carried about therewith in a servile manner. For, (as Tacitus saith of Claudius), there is no safety with that prince, into whose mind all things are conveyed, as it were, by infusion and direction from others. And Comines saith very well, It is better to be servant to a prince, whose suspicions have no end, than to one whose credulity hath no measure.”

After this there follows, in the next verse but one, another admonition to princes, ver. 14. And then a double admonition to private parents, to take care of the good education of their children, as the best way to make a kingdom happy, and to prevent the increase of wickedness. About which he interposes an observation between these two. In the explanation of all which verses, I have had some respect to the LXX. without any injury to our translation. [k] And so I have done in the next, ver. 18. where by vision, or rather prophecy, they understood.

rs, an expounder of the laws of God to the people; which was the office of the prophets: who had a great stroke also in the government, (as Melancthon observes), and by their counsels, when they were followed, made the kingdom flourishing. As Elisha for about 70 years governed the counsels of their kings in the greatest calamities, particularly in the siege of Samaria; after whose death the kingdom endured not much above an hundred years, agitated by perpetual seditions. Thus Isaiah, by his counsels to Hezekiah, a good part of the people were saved. From such examples, saith he, we may gather, that when prophecy ceased, the people were scattered, (so he translates the word para), because, for want of wholesome counsellors, there follow in empires, strifes of ambition, and seditions, which all tend to utter ruin; yet the second part of this sentence, saith he, admonishes us, that a remnant should be safe in their dispersions, viz. such as kept the divine doctrine. For want of which God takes away men's instructors, when they are not obedient to wholesome precepts. So the LXX. translate this verse, (minding the sense rather than the words), "there is no expounder of the law to a wicked lawless nation," &c. God strips them even of their teachers; as some translate the word para, perish; which hath various significations, most of which I have expressed in the paraphrase; because they all agree well enough to this place.

[1] There is an exposition of the next words, ver. 19. which would be very natural, if the wise man spoke only of the commands of ministers to their servants; which they pretend sometime not to hear, that they may not do as they are bidden. But he speaks of their not amending the faults of which they have been already told; which is not the quality of all servants, and therefore I have said a slave. Or else we must interpret it, as the LXX. do of oixirns oxλngós, a stubborn obstinate servant, whose heart is hardened against all words that can be spoken to him, good or bad.

[m] But I must make no more glosses, for fear of prolonging this preface too much beyond its just bounds. And therefore I shall conclude it with the Lord Bacon's observation upon ver. 21. (where the LXX. have expressed but a little part of the sense), "that both princes and private masters should keep a mean in the dispensation of their grace and favour towards servants; which mean is threefold. First, that servants be promoted by steps, (or degrees), not by leaps. Secondly, that they be now and then accustomed to repulses. Thirdly, (which Machiavil well advises), that they have ever in their sight before them, something whereunto they may farther aspire. For unless these courses be taken in raising of servants, princes shall, instead of thankful acknowledgements, and dutiful observance, be repaid with nothing but disdain and contumacy. For from sudden promotion arises insolence; from constant attainment of their desire proceeds impatience of being denied; and there being nothing re

maining that they can farther wish, alacrity and industry will cease."

Ver. 1. HE that, being often reproved, hardeneth bis

neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.] He that, having received frequent reproofs from good men, and perhaps corrections from God, will not yield in the least, but absolutely refuse to be guided by them, and submit unto them, is in danger to fall, and that on a sudden, into utter and irreparable ruin. See Arg. [a]

Ver. 2. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.] When just and merciful governors make virtuous men grow numerous, (xxviii. 28.), a kingdom is happy; but when an unjust man rules, the wicked get into places of trust, and make the people miserably groan under their oppressions. See Arg. [b]

Ver. 3. Whoso loveth wisdom, rejoiceth his father; but he that keepeth company with harlots, spendeth his substance.] A young man, whose love of wisdom and virtue preserves his body as pure as his mind, and his estate as entire as both, gives the greatest joy to his father; as on the contrary, nothing can be a greater grief to him, than to see his son so sottish as to maintain a company of harlots; whose covetousness being as unsatiable as their lust, devoureth all that he hath. See Arg. [c]

Ver. 4. The king by judgement stablisheth the land ; but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.] A king that administers justice exactly to all his subjects, restores his kingdom to a good estate, though it had been before in great disorder; but he who, having no respect to equity and right, takes the most illegal courses to enrich himself, subverts it utterly, though it be never so well settled. See Arg. [c]

Ver. 5. A man that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his feet.] He that soothes up his neighbour, by commending all that he doth, though never so di.. rectly against his interest, is so far from being his friend, as he imagines, that he is a traitor to him, and leads him unawares into such dangers, that when he finds himself perplexed in them, he will treat that flatterer as his greatest enemy. terer as his greatest enemy. See Arg. [d]

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Ver. 6. In the transgression of an evil man, there is a snare; but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.] naughty man hath an heavy heart at last, when he finds himself undone by those very arts, whereby he thought to have ruined others; but pious men are always chearful, nay, full of joy; both to think that they are in safe and secure ways, and to see the evildoer caught in his own wickedness.

Ver. 7. The righteous considereth the cause of the poor; but the wicked regardeth not to know it.] A righteous man, when he is in authority, not only readily receives, and patiently weighs, the complaints of the poorest person, but is at the pains to study his cause, that he may fully understand it, and do him right, though he thereby incur hatred to himself from the adverse party; but a wicked man will not attend unto it, or not use due care to be well instructed in it. See Arg. [e]