Commentary Upon Proverbs, Title page – Dedication
A COMMENTARIE VPONUPON THE BOOKE OF THE PROVERBES OF SALOMON.
Published for the edification of the Church of God.
The words of the wiſe are as goads, and as nailes faſtened, they are the chiefe of choiſe, deliuered by one ſhepheard:
Eccleſiaſtes 12.13.
DEVS IMPERAT ASTRIS
AT LONDON, Printed by Richard Field for Robert Dexter dwelling in Pauls church-yard at the ſigne of the Braſen ſerpent. 1592.
TO THE RIGHT NOBLE LORD, THE LORD EDWARD, EARLE of Bedford, grace merciemercy and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
AMONG ſundrie meanes and helps of furthering of the Goſpell of Chriſt Ieſus, (right noble Earle) vvhereby, ſince the time of the bleſsed Apoſtles, much good hath bin done to the Church of God: the vvriting and printing of godly treatiſes hath bene one of the chiefeſt. For as hereby not onelyonly ancient hereſies of all ſorts hauehave long ago bin confuted and laid in the duſt, but in later times the nevve damnable doctrines of the Antichriſt of Rome, conuinced and quite in a maner ouerthrovvn: ſo not only the principall points of true religion, hauehave excellently bene handled and generallie made knovvn, but manie obſcure and hard places of the ſacred Scripture illightened and vnfolded. For this cauſe being deſirous to employ my poore talent to the greateſt aduantage that I can, and to vſe the beſt meanes I am able of doing good, I thought good to beſtovve my labour and leiſure in furthering of the Church of God by inke and paper, and to vvrite a commē tarie on ſome part of Canonicall Scripture, and namely on this excellent booke of the Prouerbes. The cauſes vvhy I rather choſe to handle & interpret this booke then any of the other, as they vvere verie manie, ſo among the reſt theſe vvere the chiefeſt, to vvit, that the morall ſentences therein contained are moſt fit to be conſidered in theſe carnall times, that they are the verie keyes of knovvledge, and rules of all righteouſneſſe, that ſometimes I had publikely read and expounded them all, and finally, that they are peereleſſe pearles, meet to be preſented vntounto ſuch perſons of high degree as your Lordship is. There is no parcell of the vvrittē vvord, but you may receiue exceeding frute thereby, if it pleaſe your Lordship to looke thereinto: ſo that if you take anie part of the Scripture to reade or to exerciſe your ſelfe in, you can not take amiſſe as vve are vvont to ſay. The ſacred hiſtories, contained in the fiue bookes of Moſes, and in the bookes of Ioſua, Iudges, Ruth, Samuell, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemia, Heſter, vvhereunto the Goſpels and the Acts of the Apoſtles are to be added, vvill tell you things paſt and done manie yeares ago. The propheſies, among vvhichwhich the Reuelation of S. Iohn is to be numbred and doth indeed excell, vvill shevve you vvhat things are to come to paſſe hereafter, and vvere, after the vttering of them, to be accomplished in their times. Eccleſiaſtes or the booke of the Preacher, vvill admonish you of the vanitie of the vvorld, a point verie needfull as for all mortall vvights, ſo eſpecially for noble perſonages to conſider. In the Epiſtles of S. Paule, Iames, Peter, Iohn, and Iude, you may ſee and heare vvhat the Lord ſaith to the Churches, and vvhat duties he requireth at the hāds of all Chriſtians. By the Pſalmes of Dauid, and the ſong of ſongs, you may be taught & ſtirred vp to pray and ſing, inaſmuch as the mones and grones of the Prophets in the one are regiſtred euerie vvhere, and the voice as it vvere of the bridegrome and the bride reſounded in the other. To conclude, the lamentation of the Prophete Ieremie, vvhichwhich Gregorie Nazianzen neuer read but the tears did trickle dovvn his cheeks, vvil moue you to mourne for the afflictiōs of Sion, and dravve you to performe that dutie vvhereunto the Apoſtle exhorteth, vvhen he vvilleth vsus to vveepe vvith thoſe vvho vveepe. Euen as then the buſie bee, vvhen she flieth into ſome faire and pleaſant garden, and lighteth ſometimes here and ſometimes there as it falleth out, ſucketh out ſome ſvveetneſſe out of euerie floure and herbe vvhereon she ſitteth: ſo your Lordship looking into the volume of the ſacred Scripture, and reading ſometimes this parcell thereof, ſometimes that, shall receiue by euerie booke therein ſuch comfort and profit, as vvill cauſe you to preferre the ſame before the hony and the honie combe. But if there be anie part of the vvord of God among the reſt, vvhichwhich may be called a garland of heauenly flovvers, or out of vvhichwhich your Lordship may reape moſt precious frute, it is this vvorthie booke of Salomons Prouerbs. For herein, as it vvere in a criſtall glaſſe, you shall ſee the nature of God, the maners of men, the comely countenance of vertue, the vglie shape of vice, the image of the true church, & the ſtate of the vvhole vvorld. Hovve manie and hovv notable things are herein ſpoken, of Gods Predeſtination, prouidence, iuſtice, vviſedome and merciemercy? Hovv diuinely are the natures, the offices, and the vvorkes of Ieſus Christ herein deſcribed? Hovv liuely are adulterers, drunkards, ſluggards, miſers, proud, vvrathfull, foolish, and enuious perſons, herein painted out as it vvere in their colours? On the contrarie ſide, hovv excellently are the properties and revvards of the faithfull, the iuſt, the meeke, the thriftie, the liberall, and the vviſe, declaclared and pictured as it vvere in the parables of this booke? To conclude, hovve notably is the vſe of lots, the force of gifts, the povver of affections, and the diſpoſition of ſundrie brutish creatures, therein expreſſed? So many points of great importance and of ſingular frute, being comprehended in this one litle booke of Salomons Prouerbes, you can not (moſt noble Earle) better beſtovv your labour, then in meditating therein both night and day, and in binding the ſentences thereof, as it vvere frontlets before your eyes. Novv to the end that the meaning of theſe diuine ſayings may be made manifeſt vntounto you firſt, and ſo to other into vvhoſe hāds this ſmall treatiſe shall come, I hauehave tranſlated the text as faithfully as I could, looking into the tranſlatiōs of the beſt writers both old and nevve, but eſpecially into the Hebrue copie, ſo farre foorth as my poore talent did enable me and my leiſure ſuffer. Moreouer, to the ſame intent and purpoſe, I hauehave gathered into mine expoſition, the pith and marrovv onelyonly, of all thoſe obſeruations vvhichwhich either I had by me of mine ovvne, or receiued from other by vvhoſe conference or vvriting I vvas helped. Finally, (that as much light might be giuen to theſe ſacred Prouerbs as vvel could be for the time by me) in the margent I hauehave referred the reader to the rootes of diuerſe parables, pointed to ſundrie examples, noted here and there ſome reaſons of the tranſlation, and quoted for proofe or declaration, infinite places of Scripture. All the vvhichwhich paines notvvithſtanding, I confeſſe and acknowvledge, that I am farre from handling of manie points exactly, vvhichwhich fault my diſtractions and encumbrances about other neceſſarie affaires may excuſe, the vvhichwhich vvere ſo great, as that euen I could not be preſent, to lend anie help to my poore booke vvhen it vvas vnderunder the preſſe, for the vvhichwhich cauſe I requeſt your Lordship and the curteous reader, to pardon the eſcapes of the print, and to correct them according to the direction of the printer aftervvard ſet dovvne. But, it may be there vvill be ſome, vntounto vvhom this my ſimple commentarie vvill ſeeme ſcant large and full inough, but too briefe, and too much contracted. I anſvver vntounto theſe, that I follovved breuitie of ſet purpoſe, leſt the volume should be too large and too deare, and leſt I in vvriting or other in reading may be ſaid to looſe time. And yet neuertheleſſe, if the length of a treatiſe be to be iudged not by the number of the vvordes, but by the matters therein contained, this commentarie is in deed verie long. But as concerning large diſcourſes, they are fitter for ſermons then for vvritings, and rather to be vſed by thoſe vvho intend to apply ſome frutefull inſtruction, then by thoſe vvhoſe onelyonly drift is to open and cleare hard and darke places of Scripture. Neuertheleſſe againe, to the end that the miſlikers of breuitie, may hauehave ſomevvhat in this commentarie vvhichwhich may like and pleaſe their humour, I hauehave ſomevvhat largely handled the foure laſt chapters. Novv if there shal be any, vvho carrying ill vvill or ill minds in them, vvill either not be ſatiſfied vvith a reaſonable anſvver, or ſeeke to diſgrace my labours, becauſe they hauehave an enuious eye, and a backbiting tongue, I leaue them as vnreaſonable and vncharitable men to their crooked vvayes. Againſt ſuch cauillers and carpers, your Lordships fauour and acceptation of my booke may be no ſmall defence, vntounto vvhom I hauehave dedicated it, not onelyonly for that intent but for diuerſe other, as namely to teſtifie my thākfulneſſe for that honorable curteſie and fauour vvhichwhich I hauehave found both at your Lordships hands and in the eyes of the tvvo choiſe Ladies, your Aunts, the Counteſſes of VVarvvick and of Cumberland. And againe, in theſe your young and tender years, to direct and guide you the beſt I can in the vvay vvherein you are to vvalke. In deed if you shall receiue this booke onelyonly as a noſegay, reioycing in it for a day and then vſing it no more, you can reape no frute at all in a maner thereby. But if you shall frō time to time addreſſe your ſelfe thereby, as it vvere by a looking glaſſe, it vvill do you more good then can be ſpoken. For as there is no vice from vvhichwhich it vvill not diſſvvade you, ſo there is no vertue or praiſe, vvhereunto it vvill not moue you. VVhen you shall ſit at a table richly furnished, it vvill aduiſe you to conſider diligently vvhat is ſet before you.Pro. 23.1. VVhen you shall be at your pleaſant recreation, it vvil admonish you not to be drovvned therein, nor to louelove it aboue meaſure.Pro. 21.1. VVhē your reuenues and riches shall come in & abound, it vvill put you in minde to honour God vvith your ſubſtance.Pro. 3.9. VVhē it shall pleaſe the Lord to lay ſome croſſe vponupon you, it vvil exhort you not to refuſe the chaſticement of the Lord.Pro 3.11. VVhen you shall go about to open your lips to ſpeake of anie matter, it vvill teach you that vaine talke is not ſeemely in an excellent man or noble perſon.Pro. 17.7. VVhen you shall ſee the innocent oppreſſed or the poore anie vvay vvronged, it vvill ſtirre you vp to deliuer them that are vniuſtly purſued,Pro. 24.11. and to open your mouth in the cauſe of all the children of deſtruction. To conclude (for it vvould be infinite thus to folovv all the particulars) vvhen you shall hauehave occaſion to chuſe any ſeruants into your Honorable familie, it vvill direct you to admit and accept thoſe vvhoſe lips are iuſt,Pro. 16.12.13 and vvho ſpeake vpright things, and to reiect thoſe vvho are vvorkers of iniquitie. VVherefore, ſeeing this booke of the Prouerbs of Salomon is able to inſtruct you in euerie good vvay, & to make your Lordship fit to performe euerie good vvorke. Accept it (right noble Earle) and meditate therein continually. Stories record, that Darius propounded great revvardes vntounto thoſe vvho could find out vvittie poeſies, that Alexander vvould neuer ſleepe vvithout Homer vnderunder his pillovv, that Plinie vvould hauehave all men alvvayes carrie Tullies Offices in their hands, and that Sophrons book vvas found vnderunder the head of Plato vvhen he vvas dead. If theſe Princes and Philoſophers ſo eſteemed humane and heathenish vvritings, hovv deare and neare should theſe diuine ſentences and parables of Salomō be vntounto your Lordship? But no vvhit doubting, either that you vvill exerciſe your ſelfe in the ſacred Prouerbes of that renovvned king, or that you vvill fauourably accept my commentary on the ſame, together vvith my litle Catechiſme as an handmaid adioyned thereunto, I commit your Lordship to the bleſsing and protection of the Almightie, beſeeching him, that as he hath caſt vponupon you exceeding great honor, and adorned you vvith nobilitie as vvith a golden chain, ſo he vvold in ſuh ſort enrich and ſanctifie you vvith the giftes and graces of his ſpirit, as that you may become and long continue, an ornamēt of the Goſpel, a piller of the Church, a pearle of the common vvealth, and an inheritor of the kingdome of heauen.
Your Lordships moſt humble and heartie vvelvvisher in the Lord Ieſus. P. M.