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CHAP. XXVII.

OAST not thyfelf of to-morrow, what thou wilt do, or expecteft to receive; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth; it may render fruitless all thy defigns and expectations; death, or a thousand accidents, 2 may do it. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a ftranger, and not thine own lips; to praise thyself is indecent and imprudent; it difpofes others to undervalue thee, and defraud thee of thy juft commendation. 3 Aftone [is] heavy, and the fand weighty; but a fool's wrath [is] heavier than them both; he can neither correat it himself, nor can another reftrain it by any rational confiderations, till it break out in the most insatiable cruelty. 4 Wrath [is] cruel, and anger [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to ftand before envy? A man can better guard against the effects of anger than envy, as that works fecretly 5 to do another an injury. . Open rebuke [is] better than fecret love; a friend who reproves is better than one who may have an equal degree of love, but doth not show it that 6 way. Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; Sharp reproofs therefore ought to be thankfully received; but the kiffes of an enemy [are] deceitful; compliments and flat7 tering expreffions ought therefore to be fufpected. The full foul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry foul every bitter thing is fweet: this shows the advantage of 8 poverty, and the vanity of riches. As a bird that wandereth from her neft, and leaves her eggs to be broken or her young ones to be deftroyed, fo [is] a man that wandereth from his place, who forfakes the ftation in which providence hath placed him. When heads of families are needlessly abfent from home, their domeftick affairs take a bad turn, and the love of pleasure and of gadding abroad often 9 exposes young people to temptation and ruin. Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: fo [doth] the sweetness of a 10 man's friend by hearty counsel. Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, whom thou and he have found fincere, forfake not; neither go into thy brother's houfe in the day of thy calamity: [for] better [is] a neighbour [that is] near, than a brother far off; we often meet

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with more kindness in trouble from friends than from near relations; therefore be friendly, get and keep good friends, and Show fome regard to the antient friendships of the family. 11 My fon, be wife, and make my heart glad, that I may anfwer him that reproacheth me, and charges thy mif12 carriages upon my want of care in thy education. A prudent [man] forefeeth the evil of fin and future mifery, [and] hideth himself from it; [but] the fimple pafs on, [and] are punished. This is applicable to this world and 13 another. Take his garment that is furety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a ftrange woman; if a man be bound for others, he knows not who, especially perfons of bad character, do not trust him without good fe14 curity, for he is in the way to ruin. He that bleffeth his friend with a loud voice, rifing early in the morning, it fhall be counted a curfe to him; there is an excess and officioufnefs of complaifance, which instead of ferving and 15 pleafing hurts and difobliges. A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike; a man cannot go abroad with comfort, or stay at home with 16 quiet. Whofoever hideth her hideth the wind; he who would keep her tongue under government or conceal her Shame, may as well undertake to keep the wind from blowing; and the ointment of his right hand, [which] be. wrayeth [itfelf;] a man may grafp a perfume in his hand, and think thereby to conceal it, but growing warm, it will 17 fmell the more. Iron fharpeneth iron; fo a man fharpeneth the countenance of his friend; friendship if rightly managed is of the greatest ufe; wife friends whet one another's minds, and increase each other's piety and useful18 nefs. Whofo keepeth the figtree fhall eat the fruit thereof: fo he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured; he who is diligent in his business, and watcheth over his master's reputation and fubftance, fhall be respected 19 and rewarded. As in water face [anfwereth] to face, fo the heart of man to man: there is a great refemblance runs thro' human nature; by knowing one's own heart, we may make a good guess at others; therefore let us take pains to 20 know our own. Hell and deftruction, or the grave, are never full; fo the eyes of man, that is, the defires of

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a worldly man after worldly things, are never fatisfied. 21 [As] the fining pot for filver, and the furnace for gold, · for its trial and examination; fo [is] a man to his praise; a man of vanity and little worth is elevated and intoxicated with it, but a man of a truly worthy and valuable character will not be fo; he will direct all to God, make allowances for the partiality of his friends, and use it with caution. 22 Though thou shouldft bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a peftle, [yet] will not his foolishness depart from him; tho' you should use the most violent methods for his reformation, and to reproof and chiding add rebukes and blows, yet they will have no good effect upon fuch an ob23 ftinate creature. Be thou diligent to know the ftate of thy flocks, [and] look well to thy herds. An admirable rule, not only for husbandmen, but for all masters and mistresses: they should look to their affairs themselves, and not trust to 24 fervants. For riches [are] not for ever: and doth the crown [endure] to every generation? The greatest plenty and the largest estate may be lost for want of prudence and good economy; even a princely fortune may be funk without 25 care. The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered; thefe grow, and there is a time for gathering them, after which they will be spoiled; therefore make hay while the fun fhines, and gather herbs in their season, then they will turn 26 to a good account. The lambs [are] for thy clothing, and the goats [are] the price of the field, to pay the rent, 27 yea, by good management, to purchase the eftate. And [thou fhalt have] goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and [for] the maintenance for thy maidens. The meaning of thefe verfes is, that as in husbandry men must look to their affairs, attend to the proper feafon of doing business, fowing, reaping, hearing, &c. fo muft all others be diligent to know the state of their affairs, prudent in the management of them, and punctual in the dispatch of business and payment of debts; then, with the bleffing of God, they will profper.-Thefe cautions are very neceffary, fince we fee fo many reduced to diftrefs for want of attending to them, from whofe calamities we should learn wisdom. CHAP.

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HE wicked flee when no man purfueth; an evil confcience makes men cowards: but the righteous are bold as a lion; they proceed with refolution in the most hazardous undertakings; what reason then is there 2 to pray that our foldiers and failors may be righteous! For the tranfgreffion of a land many [are] the princes thereof; many changes are in the government, at least in thofe that adminifter it: but by a man of understanding [and] knowledge the ftate [thereof ] fhall be prolonged; one wife and upright minister may reduce every thing to 3 order, and fecure its profperity. A poor man that oppreffeth the poor [is like] a fweeping rain which leaveth no food; like a violent torrent destroying the fruits of the 4 earth, instead of refreshing them. They that forfake the law praise the wicked; finners keep one another in countenance: but fuch as keep the law contend with them : it 5 is a fign of real piety to oppofe the wicked. Evil men understand not judgment; their minds are depraved, and they cannot judge between right and wrong: but they that feek the LORD understand all [things;] they that feek 6 direction from his word and spirit will not err. Better [is] the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than [he that is] perverfe [in his] ways, though he [be] rich; who gains his riches by dishonest practices, or by shuffling ways, 7 which is the proper fenfe of the word. Whofo keepeth the law, who obferves the rules of fobriety, temperance, and other virtues, [is] a wife fon, and his parents have honour and comfort in him: but he that is a companion of riotous [men] fhameth his father, who ought to have restrained 8 him and taught him better. He that by ufury and unjust gain encreaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor, who will exercise the charity he 9 has neglected. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [fhall be] abomination, 10 inflead of making up the deficiency of his actions. Whofo caufeth the righteous to go aftray in an evil way, wha attempts to feduce upright men into dangerous practices, he fhall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright fhall

have good [things] in poffeffion; the peculiar reward of that virtue, which triumphs over the fnares of a feducing I world. The rich man [is] wife in his own proud conceit; but the poor that hath understanding fearcheth him out; in his difcourfe he finds him to be but a fool. 12 When righteous [men] do rejoice, [there is] great glory: but when the wicked rife, a man is hidden; men are glad to conceal themselves for fear of ill usage. 13 He that covereth his fins, who excufes or leffens them, fhall not profper: but whofo confeffeth and forfaketh [them] fhall have mercy; confeffion and reformation must 14 go together. Happy [is] the man that feareth alway; who has an habitual awe and reverence of the divine Being and his own confcience: but he that hardeneth his heart 15 fhall fall into mifchief. [As] a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; [fo is] a wicked ruler over the poor 16 people, who are not able to refift his power. The prince that wanteth understanding [is] alfo a great oppreffor: [but] he that hateth covetousness shall prolong [his] days; a maxim applicable to private as well as publick life. 17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of [any] perfon fhall flee to the pit; let no man ftay him; he fall be fo univerfally abhorred that his neighbours fhall not endeavour to fave him. It is wrong to intercede for fuch perfons, and it is the glory of a king not to pardon them, tho' 18 of the highest rank. Whofo walketh uprightly shall be faved: but [he that is] perverse [in his] ways fhall fall at once; he who thinks to fave himself by artifice and deceit Shall fometime or other fall, fo that nothing can preferve 19 him. He that tilleth his land fhall have plenty of bread; prudent, frugal perfons fhall thrive: but he that followeth after vain [perfons,] frequents idle and loofe company, to the neglect of his bufinefs, fhall have poverty 20 enough. A faithful man, both in word and deed, fhall abound with bleffings from God and man: but he that maketh hafte to be rich fhall not be innocent; he brings mifery upon himself: it is impoffible to be very eager after 21 riches, without violating integrity and a good confcience. To have refpect of perfons [is] not good; for for a piece of bread [that] man will tranfgrefs; he will get fuch a

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