A Caveat for Sureties, Sermon 2
THE SECOND SERMON.
WE hauehave heard already what Suertiship is, how many sortes of Suerties there be and the lawfulnesse of Suertiship, as▪ also how selfe-louelove doth play her part in those men, which do binde themselues from so necessarie, and so Christian a duty, we will now consider how it commeth to passe that so many men are hindred by it, yea and beggered by it, as by dayly experience we see in the world, then we will see how men in auncient time became Suerties, and lastly Gods counsell vntounto Suerties for their safetie.
As touching the first point of these three: we are to know, that the God of all wisedome, and Lord of mercy hath not commanded any thing for the vndoing and destroying of men, but whatsoeuer he hath ordained, is for the singular benefite and comfort of man: but such is our corruption, that we abuse all the ordinances of our most gracious God to our owne hinderance and destruction. Meates and drinkes were appointed to sustaine nature, but not to surfet nature, yet many do surfet of their excessiue eating and drinking, and immoderat dieting of themselues. Water is appointed for mē to wash themselues in, not to drowne themselues: yet many foole-hardie men by venturing too far hauehave bene drowned, when by taking heede they might hauehave bene saued. The horse is made to carrie, but if he be ouerladen he will sinke downe vnderunder the burden. And so is suertiship a burden which hath made manie to lie downe, but that was when the burden was too heauie, and themselues were too weake. Suertiship is like a deepe water and a mightie streame, that hath drowned some, & carried other some away (God knowes whither) that they could neuer recouer themselues againe, therefore, when a man seeth his neighbour in this deepe, let him do what he can to helpe him out, but so as hee may saue himselfe: let him not run in at all aduentures, but first feele the bottom as hee goeth, lest he be drowned together with his neighbour. Zacheus (because he is a Luke 19.little man, and of a low stature) must runne vp into a tree to see Christ as hee passed by, when tall men may goe vponupon the plaine ground and see him. And the child must be carried in his fathers arms amidst the prease if he will see as much as his father: but if he will presume to goe vponupon the ground aswel as his father, a thousand to one but the throng of people will beare him downe, and treade vponupon him.
Some men wil by suertiship take vppon them to beare other men, when they had more neede to be borne themselues like children: Some are as little, and as low in credit, and welth, and abilitie euerie way, as Zacheus was in bodily stature, and yet they will presume to goe amongst the highest and strongest, when they had more neede clime vp into a tree to saue themselues: and hereof commeth all their ruine and decay: And to speake more plainlie, the cause why manie men are impouerished by suertiship is, because they are not so carefull and circumspect in giuing their word as they should be: Therefore (saith Salomon) A māvoid of vnderstanding▪ toucheth the hand, and is suertie for his neighbour, Pro. 17. 18.to shew that such matters must not rashly be taken in hand, but euerie man must vnderstand what he doth, and not promise rashlie, and vaingloriouslie we care neither what, nor yet for whom. Therefore in another place hee saith, Take his garment that is suertie for a Pro. 20. 16.stranger, and take a pledge of him for the stranger, as if he were not to be trusted without a pledge that will promise hee care not for whom. And he nameth [his garment:] to shew, that if a man promise, he must performe his promise, though it be to his owne hinderance, euen to the losse of the garment from his backe, which can worst be spared. And therefore it standeth Christians in hand (which make a consciēce of their word) to take great heede both what they promise and for whom they giuegive their word. In all these places the Lords meaning is, that we must not so vnaduisedlie (as manie doo) giuegive our wordes, or passe our promise, for such deceiuers as care not whether euer or neuer their debtes be paid, and hauing once vnburdened themselues vppon other mens shoulders, would neuer trauel or labour to get any thing to pay their debt. Therefore when Christians are about to become Suerties for other men, they must first sit downe and wisely consider with themselues of these three pointes. First, thine own abilitie, if thou be a single 3. things to bee considered in suertiship.man. Secondly, the estate and condition of thine owne familie, if thou hauehave one to looke vntounto. Thirdly, the estate and condition of that partie for whom thou art to giuegive thy word.
Thy owne abilitie is to be considered, for what wise man will vndertake to beare more thē he is able to carry? As in vowes to God, mē must cōsider whether it be in their power or no, to performe that which they vow, so in making of promises to men, thou must consider Our owne abilitie.whether thou be able to performe that which thou hast promised, if it be required at thy hands: for when thou doest promise, thou must thinke that it may fall vppon thee by one meanes or other. Further, in regard of thy owne credit, it will stand thee in hand to looke to thy owne estate, as he that is about to build a house, must first sit downe and cast his account, whether he be able to finish it or no, lest when it is begun, it stand still Luk. 14. 28at a staie, and so turne to the reproach of the builder.
Thy owne estate is further to be considered in respect of thy person, and in regard of thy profession: for if thou be not able to performe that which thou hast promised for an other man, then thy person must answere the matter in prison, or if the fairest come, thou art driuen for feare to keepe thy house, or with shame to flie thy countrey: which way so euer thou goest, be sure that feare, care, and shame, will attend vponupon thee. And if thou be a yoong man, discredite wil hunt thee, but if thou be an old man, sorrow & griefe will surprise thy soule: heauinesse will lodge in thy heart, vexation of spirit will be sawce to thy meate, and many troublesome thoughtes will busie thy head (if grace do not preuent them) and all these will gnaw vpō thee Pro. 17. 22.as a dog vponupon a bone, vntil thy bones be dried vp, and thy health be decaied, and thy bodie be consumed, & thy strength be wasted, and thy heart be broken, and thy life ended, and thy olde age carried with dishonour to the graue, and therefore in regard of thy person, take heede what thou doest promise, lest thou become a murtherer of thy selfe.
Againe, thou must remember that when thy person is arrested, thy profession is also arested therewithall. Therefore, for thy profession sake thou shouldest looke vntounto thy selfe, lest the name of God be euil spoken of by thy fal, as it 2. Sam. 12. 11.was by Dauids. For what wil the enemy of the Gospell say? or rather, what will he not say to make the profession thereof to becom odious? Is this the man that was so strict & precise in all his waies? Is this the wisedom of the Gospel? & is this the life of a professor? doth it become a Christian to be so vnaduised? or doth rashnesse and vaine glorie beseeme the sonnes of God?
And surely it is no maruell, though religion thriue no better in many which are accounted good men: for through their rashnesse & foolish kindnesse, they are so ouer reached and entangled, that afterward their heads are wholly possessed with care, partly how to keep credit, and partly how to recouer themselues again: like the vniust steward in the Gospel Luke 16. 3.that could not tel what to do whē he had wasted his maisters goods: to labour some cannot, & some wil not, and to beg some are ashamed. And, ifthere be no remedie, but either some protection must be procured, or some collection must be made for one that is decaied by suertiship (workes of charitie no doubt) but what infamie and slaunder do fall vntounto the Gospell thereby, besides the wounding of many a weake conscience, who doth not see by daily and woful experience? Thus we see how our profession as wel as our person, doth earnestly craue this at our hands, that we will take, heed, how, and what, we do promise.
The 2. thing that a christian is to consider of before he become suertie, is the state of his owne familie, ouer which Our familie.the lord hath made him an ouerseer. He is worse then an infidel saith the Apostle, 1. Tim. 5. 8.and hath denied the faith which will not prouide for his familie, that is, for his wife, for his children and for his seruantes. Then what account shalbe made of thē that do whollie defeat their families of their right, or shal willingly & carelesly put that in hazard, which is alreadie prouided for their maintenāce? Therfore as S. Paul saith, Do good to all men, but especially to the houshold of faith. Gal. 6. 10.So againe, he restraneth that doing of good, more especially to thy owne houshold, because he that doth not good especially to his own houshold, hath denied the faith. Therefore as Ioseph sent meat to all his brethren, so we must help (to our power) all our brethren, both according to the flesh, & according to the faith: but as Beniamins messe had fiue times so much as the rest of his brethren, Gen. 43. 34because he loued him best. So our care must be for our family, fiue times greater then for any body else, or else we cannot say that we louelove our familie best. And whom should a man louelove better then his owne wife and children? When the famine was in Samaria, the womē went to the king with their children in their armes, crying most pitifully, Helpe O king, we perish else: Some 2. King. 6. 26.bread, O king we die else. Now euerie mā in his own family is as a king, whose office is not onelyonly to make lawes for his family, but to prouide also all necessaries for the same. And when want shal come, to whō shall the wife go but to her husband, to whom shall the children go but to their father? to whō shall the seruant go, but to his maister? And wil not all of them call & cry vntounto thee? Husband giuegive vsus bread, or else we perish, shall thy wife say: father giuegive vsus meate or else we die, shall thy children say, Maister giuegive me my meate & drinke, and giuegive me my wages, or else I starue, or else I must beg, shall thy seruant say. What a lamentable hearing wil this be? but what answere wilt thou giuegive vntounto them? whē the woman of Samaria cried vntounto the king, his answere was: Seeing the Lord doth not succour thee, how should I helpe thee 2. King. 6. 27.with the barne, or with the wine presse? That is, seeing God doth deny thee meat and drinke, how should I giuegive it thee? but thou canst not say so, for God gaue thee things necessarie for thy family, but through thy folly & rashnesse, strangers hauehave seazed vppon them, therefore thou maist say to thy own shame, and to their litle comfort) O my wife and children, seeing as suertiship hath eaten vp me, how should I succour you? And (when that day commeth) thou wilt saie, that the mā which is brought into the fooles paradise, by the allurements of a harlot, is in as happy a case as thou art, and thou art at as good a staie as he, and all one: For the lips of a strange woman (saith Salomon) Prou. 5. 3.drop as an hony combe, & her mouth is more soft then oyle, but the foolish man doth not consider, that the end of her is bitter 4.as wormewood, and sharp as a two edged sword. So the lips of a strange man may drop words vponupon thee as sweet as hony, and his mouth may be more soft then oyle: but remember & be wel aduised, for if thou hauehave a family, & thou be not able, the ende will be as bitter as wormewood, and sharpe as a two edged sword. Therefore take now that counsel which is there giuen to that man, & that is this: If rashnesse & vainglory do entise thee, Verse 89.to be suertie for a straunger, or for anie 10.bodie else to thy owne vndoing: Keepe 11.thy way farre from them, and come not 12.neare the doore of their house, lest thou giuegive thy honour vntounto others, and thy yeares vntounto the cruell: lest the straunger should be filled with thy strength, & thy labours be in the house of a straunger: and thou mourne at thy end, euen when all is gone, and say: How hauehave I wanted [I say not hated] instruction, and my heart despised correction. And thus we see, how our familie doth also request this at our hands: namely, that we take great heed, both how, and for whom we passe our promise.
The third thing that Christians are 3.to consider of, in becomming suerties, is The party for whom.the condition and dispositiō of the partie for whom he doth promise, for else thou maist be soone ouerreached with counterfet cōpanions, as Ioshua was with Iosh. 9. 6.the Gibeonites, who made him beleeue that they had trauelled from a far, when indeed they dwelt fast by, so some in the world perhaps may make thee beleeue that they are in more need thē they be, of purpose to deceiue thee. As S. Paul said to Timothy in another case: Lay not hāds Tim.rashly vponupon eueryevery one: so I say to thee, giuegive not thy hand rashly to eueryevery one, but know him well. In the party for whom In him cō sider three things.thou woldest be suerty, cōsider 3. things. 1. His cause. 2. His abilitie. 3. His religiō. As touching his cause, so it be lawful before God and man, or else, the filthinesse therof wil cleaue vntounto thee, as the leprosie of Naamā did cleaue to Gehezi. And 2. Kin. 5. 27he that vndertaketh for a bad man in a bad matter, shalbe suspected to be but litle better thē an accessary vntounto it: as for example: what if two be consenting in euil, & agreed vpō the price? as Iudah & Thamar his daughter in law were: Iudah Gen. 38. 17. 18.promiseth Thamar akid of the goats, for the vnlawful vse of her body: who shalbe suerty for Iudah to Thamar, for the paiment of the goat at the day appointed: or what if Iudah wold giuegive ready mony, that Thamar shall meete him in such a place at such a time, for such a purpose? who shal (without suspitiō of a common bawde) make promise for such a harlot? Again: what if a broker bring a gētlemā & the vsurer togither for the louelove of mony, or the price of any fained cōmoditie? ye gētlemā & the vsurer be agreed for the vsury, if he cā find suerties for M. vserer. And what if thou be required to come in bonds for thy friend to the vsurer? Maist thou (knowing the case) without checke of cōscience, vphold them in sin? And he that is suertie for his neighbor in such a case, what doth he but hold his brother fast, that the vsurer like some wild beast may pray vpō. Therfore if thou become suertie for any, see whether his cause be good or no. Next, if the cause begood, see whether he be able to discharge thee or no, for who will giuegive his word yt a begger which goeth frō doore to doore, shal giuegive a 1000. poūd for a purchase, except he meaneth to pay it himself? If the party be welthy, cōsider whether that abūdāce of wealth which he possesseth, be his owne or no, or whether he came vntounto it with a good conscience, lest the spoiles of the poore come into thy possession, while thou become Suertie (perhaps) for a theefe, or for a vile person. And then feare lest the cry of the poore preuaile against both him & thee too. And know for a certaine, that the vengeance of the Almightie doth hang ouer thy house, while thou keep in possession the goods of other mē, although thou takest them to be his goods. As the plague of God hanged ouer the house of Abimelech the king of Gerar, for keeping of Abrahams Gen. 20. 6. 7.wife, though he tooke her but for Abrahams sister, and therfore thought it lawful inough for him to keep her. And consider againe, that some are like the diuell in promising, for, as hee shewed Christ the kingdomes of the world and said: All these will I giuegive thee, if thou wilt Mat. 4. 9.fall downe and worship me: when indeede he had no right to any part or parcell thereof. So it may be some may come to thee, or hauehave thee home, and shew thee a great deale more then is his owne, and say: All this wil I pledge to thee, if thou wilt be my Suertie for so much, &c. whē So some cosoners come by their wiuesin truth it is not his to pledge, & then thou art in the briers. Therfore whē thou wouldest enter into Suertiship without any hurt to thy selfe & thy family, know thy friend wel, & how able he is in truth to discharge thee.
Last of all, if his cause be good, & his wealth his owne before God and man, then cōsider of his religion, that is, whether he be a man fearing God or no, and one that in trueth without hypocrisie, worshippeth God: for he that is a stranger, or a professor of a strange religion, is the greatest stranger in the world, and he that is false to God, wil hardly be true to men, especially to those that are of a contrary religion, no more then Hagar Gen. 21.and Sarah could dwell quietly in one house togither. And yet I deny not out an idolater, as Papists, &c. may, and many of them do keepe their word, and so do many of the Turkes, &c. keepe promise better then many others do. And this is but Sathans pollicie to credite a bad religion, with the shewe of a good life, as also to discredite the truth with some shew of euill in the professours of the same, & so much for thy frends cause, abilitie, & religiō. Many men complaine and sorrow for their goods, because they are gone from them, as Rachel mourned Mat. 2. 18.for her children because they were not, but they hauehave more cause to weepe then Rachel had, because she lost her children whē she could not keepe them, but they through their owne folly hauehave lost their goods when they might hauehave kept them still, for they were in their owne power (as Peter said to Ananias) & they were no Act. 5. 4.more cōstrained to giuegive their word, thē Ananias was compelled to lie vntounto God.
Amongst men which complaine of their losses by sueriship, commonly the burden of their dolefull song is this: I will take heede while I liue how and for whom I giuegive my word againe: which in effect is but this much, if they had bene well aduised at the first, they had done wel enough. And so it is indeede, that for want of consulting with the word of God, it commeth to passe that many in a vaine vaine, to be coūted kind hearted (& I cannot tell what) do feed others till they starue themselues, they cloth others and goe naked themselues, they saue others from drowning, and sinke themselues, they discharge others and charge themselues, they also release others and lie by it themselues: what shall I say? they doe for others and vndoo themselues: like the builders of Noes Arke which prepared for others, Gen. 7.and perished themselues.
On the other side it commeth to passe, that they which listen to Gods counsell and follow that, they lend, and borrow not, they giuegive and take not, they feast and fast not, they redeeme others, and come in no bondage themselues: yea, they doo for others, and neuer vndoo themselues, but the more they helpe, the more they may helpe, like the blessed widow of Sarepta, whose oile and meale 1. King. 17. 14.were no whit diminished, but rather encreased, and yet were daily spent of for 2. Kin. 4. 7.the nourishing of Elias and herselfe, all hir debts discharged. The reason hereof was this: if she had bestowed her meale and her oile vppon euerie one that had come, without respect of persons, to hauehave bene counted a good fellow, or a kind hearted woman (as the manner of some is) no doubt but all had bene consumed long before: but she kept her liberalitie for Elias the Lords Prophet, who was in great distresse, and could no where else be relieued but at her hands: and then she succoured him according to her poore abilitie, of louelove and conscience for the Lordes sake, and therefore the Lord blessed her. So let vsus do, & God will likewise blesse vsus: wouldest thou then giuegive to others and not want thy selfe? wouldest thou redeeme others and be at libertie thy selfe? wouldest thou feede others, and not starue thy selfe? wouldest thou reioice others, & not mourne thy selfe? In a word (because the duties of louelove are infinit) wouldest thou do for others and not vndo thy selfe? then giuegive not to al, lend not to all, prouide not for all, promise not for all, lest in the end thou be driuen to pay for all, and then be constrained to beg of all, not onelyonly thy goods but thy selfe too, when thou shalt be shut vp, and thrust out from the companie of all: but giuegive to those to whom God hath appointed thee to giuegive, and God will giuegive it thee againe: help those whom God hath sent vntounto thee to be relieued, and that according to thy abilitie, and God will helpe thee againe. To conclude this point, be thou aduised by thy heauēly father, and take counsell of his word: and in so doing thou shalt both saue thy selfe, and helpe others.
The sinnes which Gods spirit reproueth Twoo things to be avoided by Suerties.in suerties are especially two: the one is amibition, the other is rashnesse, the one begetteth the other, when a mās friend commeth vntounto him, he giueth his word, because hee would seeme to be 1. Ambition.courtous and kind hearted, to bepraised 2. Rashnesof men, not considering whether he be able to discharge it or no, nor his familie, nor the dsposition of the partie: this is ambitious and vaineglorious vanity which poisoneth all, euen our best … ons. And herein they are not like the builders of Babel, who …ld make a tower whose top should reach to heauen, Gen. 11.and onelyonly … get a name: but because they vndertake that (in the pride of their heart) which is aboue their reach: therefore they must looke that Babel (that is to say, confusion) shall fall vponupon their heads.
But this is our comfort, that God hath geuen to his children such grace as they will neuer let it raigne in them, but will alwaies beate it downe, and kepe it vnderunder, that they may say as Dauid said, By this I know (O Lord) that thou louest Psal. 41.me, because my enemie doth not triumph against me. So by this Gods children do know, that God doth louelove them, not because vainglorie doth neuer trouble them, but because this enemie of ambition doth not triumph against them.
The Philosophers are wōt to say, Gloria calcar habet, that is, they account vainglorie a spurre, and a pricke to help forward a sharpe witte: and so do our profane professors think it a good thing too▪ that it be done wisely and handsomly (as … manner of some men is to dispraise the g…d giftes and graces of Note thatGod in themselue… … purpose onelyonly to heare other men praise …m, and commend them: and this is a prettie kind of seeking after ambition and vanitie.
It is a good thing (I confesse) for men to see soberly and modestly, what gifts God hath bestowed vponupon them: but to giuegive the glorie to God, and see that we seeing the mercies of God in vsus, may with sobrietie and modestie bee stirred vp to vse the giftes, and graces of God in vsus to the glorie of God.
The 2. sin (with which Suerties are ouertaken) is rashnesse, that is, when wee Rashnessepromise for him that we know not: and rashnesse commeth of ambitiō, for ambition is the root of rashnesse: therefore when we hauehave done any thing rashly, let vsus suspect that ambition went before. Therefore to escape this rocke of mischiefe Salomons counsel is to be folowed, Prou. 4. 26.Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy waies he ordered aright: for a good man is mercifull and lendeth (saith Dauid) but therewith he addeth, that he ordereth al Psal. 112. 5his affaires, iudgement and deliberation to teach vsus, that all things done rashly and vaingloriously are euer out of order, because discretion is wanting, which should marshall them, and set them in order: & where there is no order in our dealinges, what can wee looke for but confusion in the ende.
Now let vsus see brieflie how men in ancient time became Suerties one for an other. It appeareth in the wordes of the Text, that they did but strike handes together, and giuegive their word one to another, whereby they were so snared, that they could not breake their bondes.
Such was the simplicitie of ancient times, in making of bargaines: which practice bewraieth the notable trecherie of our time, which is such, that no bond or writing is so sure for most men now, as the touching of the hand, or speaking the word was then. Men think that fraud doth so ouerflow, that the cā not vse too many words in their bonds, and bargaines. And on the contrarie side they thinke that fraud lyeth and lurketh in multitude of words: and that they be fit matter for wrangling heads to worke vppon. And yet as men do sweare much because one man wil not trust another, so in bargaining men do vse manie words, because one man doth vse to deceaue another. Whatsoeuer is added in communication (saith the Lord Iesus) more then yea and nay, is of the Deuill. So in bargaining, whatsoeuer Matth. 5.is vrged more then a mans promise, it doth shew, that there is falshood and deceite in the world.
It was most for the Centurions credit, when he said to Christ: Lord trouble not thy selfe to come home vntounto me, only Luke. 7.speake the word, and my seruant shal be whole. So likewise this would make most for the credit of Christians, if we could say one to another, trouble not your selfe for bondes making, &c. OnelyOnly speake the word, and I do beleeue you: But deceit delighteth in multitude of wordes, and starting holes, when truth seeketh no corners like Balaam (whose false heart sought for a bribe & therfore he must hauehave seuen alters built here, & Num. 24. 1seuen more built there, and vponupon eueryevery alter must be offred forsooth a bullock, and a ramme, and partly to couer his owne hipocrisie, and partly to deliuer the king of Moab (as Monkes and Friers deluded men in poperie) wheras indeed he knew before how the matter stood.
Furthermore in the Text it is said, that the Suertie was taken and snared with the wordes of his mouth. Now wordes are counted but wind: and men will aske, what hauehave you to shew for it? &c. but wordes are bondes and snares that men cannot vntie: and Salomon noteth that a man is taken with the wordes of his mouth as sure as with an obligation, that he cannot breake it without trecherie, by which we may perceiue that God seeth all our wordes, and will call vsus to reckoning for them.
Againe, some will say, it is no howling among Wolues, he is a cosoner, &c. he beguiled me with deceit, and therefore I will meet with him, let him get it how he can, &c. so because (fraud is driuen out with fraud) they thinke themselues discharged. But here Gods spirit meeteth with such fellowes: for because thou wert ambitious or rash, & not so circumspect as thou shouldest hauehave bene. And forasmuch as the follie of thine owne mouth hath entangled thee: therefore thou must stand to it. If he had lied vntounto thee, and so deceaued thee, the law would hauehave helped thee. In other sinnes, we are readie to lay the fault vponupon others as Adam did, but now it will not be, thou art holden with the cordes of thine owne sinne: for howsoeuer others did entice thee, thou hast lurking sinnes in thine owne heart, Psal. 19.which Dauid called his secret sinnes.
If we were so precise and strict as we ought to bee in all our waies, none could deceaue vsus, for no man is hurt but of himselfe, and (as Saint Paul saith) euerie man is tempted, when hee is drawen away and entised by his owne concupiscence. It is impossible that the secret thoughtes of another should hurt vsus, as wee thinke: no man maketh a snare for him selfe, and whatsoeuer euill is in vsus, it commeth from our owne heart. Therefore it is in vain for men to trāsferre their sinnes vntounto others, and say this and that, &c. but know that thine own sinne hath brought thee to that that thou art come vntounto: Thou art snared with the words of thine owne mouth: and so much brieflie of the simplicitie which was vsed in ancient time in bargenning and becomming of Suertie one for another, as also the trecherie of our time, because no man will trust another. Now let vsus see what counsell God giueth vntounto such men as are snared with suertiship, which followeth in the 3. verse in these wordes. Do this now my son, & deliuer thy selfe, seeing thou Text. vers. 3art come into the hand of thy neighbour, go and humble thy selfe, & sollicite thy friends &c.
In this third verse, wee see the fatherlie louelove of God and of Salomon to the sonne. He first checketh him with the wordes of his owne mouth: Thou seest hovv thou art taken vvith thine ovvne vvords, and snared in thine ovvne follie: thou must take it to thy selfe. Then hauing thus checked him for his fault he doth not here leaue him to himselfe, but giueth him a remedie.
By this practise of the holie Ghost in Salomon are manie reprehended which will say when men are in trouble, thou through thine owne follie hast brought thy selfe into trouble, get out as thou canst for all me.
They will lay out the follie of their brethren and set their sinnes before thē, but they wil not helpe to binde vp their woundes, like the good Samaritane. They can point and laugh at the nakednesse of their bretheron, as Ham that cursed Luke.child of Noah did at his fathers nakednes, but they wil not take any paines Gen 9. 22. 23.to couer their nakednesse, as blessed Sem and Iapheth did.
But on the cōtrarie the godly wil help vp their brethrē which are fallē through Gal. 6. 1.occasion, & that with the spirit of meeknesse considering themselues (as the Apostle saith) lest they also be tempted. And here is a holy difference betweene charitable vpbraiding, and vncharitable condēning. For Sathā can tel mē of their follie▪ & when they are down he can lay loads vponupon them: yea it is his ioy to see the chidren of God vnderunder feet: & surely it is a deuillish imitation when men see their brethrē down, they wil check them, but they will not put their little finger to helpe them vp againe. And this (I say) is a verie deuillish imitation indeede. It is farre otherwise with the children of God, they imitate their mercifull God and Father in heauen, for God indeede will not spare his people, but hee will also tell them how to rise againe, as in Esay the 1. When the Lord had told Esay. 1.the Iewes of their hipocrisie, and with what bloudie handes and hartes they kept his sabboths, his new Moones and other daies appinted, all which his soule did abhorre, because of their wickednes, yet in the end he saith: Wash you and be cleane, and then let vsus reason together, & then though your sinnes were as red as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow. So the children of God will tell their brethrēof their sinnes, and raise thē vp againe to their power, and comfort thē with the bloud of Iesus Christ: For if there be charitie in vsus, we wil not choke them with their sinnes but admonish them of their sinnes. And in any case wee must take heede that we do not so presse them downe, as that there be no roume for our handes to go vnderunder to lift them vp againe.
And we must not rebuke them slenderlie neither, but lay out thy brothers sinnes to the most, that when hee shall see them vncased and vnfolded hee may see the hiddē mischiefs that were wrapped vp in them before, and so take better heede of them another time, but still take pitie of him.
Now men wil charge the preacher with railing & malice, & I know not what, if he be earnest in rebuking mens sinnes, and in telling thee what the Lord saith as to ring the larum bel, when he seeth the enemie comming vpō thee: but how can this be? Is Paul become your enemie because he telleth you the truth? what? doth the Preacher reproue thy faultes? he doth so: but doth hee not also giuegive thee a remedie for thy sinne, as he rebuketh thy sinne? why dost thou say then, hee hath a delight to checke and and taunt, and to be girding at thee when thy conscience is bitten a little?
And this also sheweth how man ought to deale with man, & thou oughtest to make a profite of thy verie enemies, as men make phisicke of poisons. For thine enemies will tell thee of that which thy worldly frendes will not tell thee for feare they should displease thee, and although he speake in enuie and malice vntounto thee (which is his fault) yet see whether it be so and then know, that God hath opened his eies for thy welfare, as he opened the mouth of Balams Num. 23.Asse for the good of his master.
Now to the counsell it selfe, wherin we hauehave to obserue two thinges. First, what be the particular points therof. Gods coū sell to Suerties.Secondly, what be the reasons for the same. As touching the particular Vers. 3.points of the counsell which God giueth Vers. 4.vntounto Suerties they are three. 1. Go humble thy selfe. 2. Sollicite thy frends. 3. GiueGive no sleepe to thine eies, nor slumber to thine eie lids.
First he faith, Go humble thy felfer his meaning is, that hee must go to his creditor, & in good words submit himselfe to his curtesie, crauing some respite to pay the debt, or the thing that was promised. This is hard counsel, if wee consider to whom it is giuen, namely to ambitious minded mā, that stands vponupon his credit, such a one as wil not heare cō monly of any such matter for stomach, but indeed (saith God by Salomon) this is the way, to go and humble thy selfe, and to beat downe that ambitious humor, yea, if thou goest in silks and veluets, or if thou wearest gold and siluer, this is the counsell that God giueth thee: Go and humble thy selfe. But the world can Of shifting debters. The 1. sortshift it many waies better then this: shal I go and humble my selfe saith one? not I, I cā cōuey away my goods vnderunder a col lution, & a false title, & then let him do what he cā, & this is a cunning shift: whē search is made, ther is nothing to be foūd but a blocks end & a pillow stuft with goats haire. Shal I go hūble my self, saith another? not I, I wil go to prison and lie 2. sort.ther while I liue, rather thē I wil pay the debt: I wil hold him tack with his owne. So there they wil lie & spēd their creditors A spitefull shifte of bāckrupts.money. And surely this is a spiteful shift, and a common shift of all banckrupts, wil they go humble thēselues and seek for fauor? no: then wil they build & go brauely in their extreame pouertie. And when they owe a thousand pound more then they are worth, they will defie their creditors to their face, & set all at sixe and seuen, thinking that they can but goe to prison. These men seeke to ouerthrow all lawes, they will do what they list, they will spende other mens money at dice and cardes, they cā delude the lawes, and mock magistrates in despight of their teeth.
Therefore these men would be hamperd by the godly magistrate: for the prison ought not to be a place of pleasure for bankerupts and cosoners to liue in as the list in spending of their owne goods and their creditors also.
Others will humble themselues before they neede, & all to defraude other men of their right. They can cunningly agree for iiij. s. in the pound, or such a trifle, paying a litle for a great deale, truly A third sort.these are intollerable in a common-welth, for these men when they owe a hundred, or a thousand, can handle, the matter so handsomly that their creditors shalbe driuen to say, take thy bil & write but fiftie, or twentie, or ten, not like the vniust steward who had wasted his maisters goods, but like vniust debters which can paie, but will not. And when they hauehave agreed with men for litle or nothing, they can set vp their saile againe, and liue as merily as can be, but then the wise Magistrate, and other men may see their hipocrisie, and constraine them to paie to eueryevery byrd his owne feather againe. These fellowes are lyke the counterfait and cosoning Gibeonites, who made Ioshua beleeue that they came Iosh. 9. 21.from a farre country, when they dwelt hard by, and by their old bottles, moulded bread, and ragged cloathes, seemed to him poorer by many degrees, then they were indeed: but when they were once knowne, Ioshua set them to draw water, and to hew wood for all the congregation of Israel, & if these men were serued so too, Ioshua should do well. For that which the Gibeonites did, was for verse. 4.exceeding feare of their liues, but that which these fellowes do, is of a couetous affectiō to saue their goods, and of a malicious intent to deceiue their creditors, which is a cursed thing in the sight of God and man.
But the poore debter can take no better course, then to goe and humble himselfe. And if we stand so much vponupon our selues, that we wil not stoupe, we are vnworthy to be helped. And surely, he that will not stoupe to help himselfe, hath no charitie in him to helpe another: for now he is cōstrained to help himselfe, and if he will not yeeld, when he is thus bitten, he will not yeeld, nor stoupe, nor yet once cast his eyes vppon his poore neighbour to helpe him at his need, or to lift him out of the dust. And there is no childe of God, but if he hath any bowels of mercy in him, wil be good to his poore debter, when he doth thus humble himselfe vntounto him. And he that will not shew him mercy when he doth hūble himself & entreat for mercy, surely that hard hearted man must looke for no mercy himselfe, either of God or man. For seeing as the Lord hath pitie on vsus to forgiue vsus all, ought not we also to hauehave pitie on our fellowes and brethren, if not to forgiue them all, yet at the leastwise to forbeare them, till they may be able to paie? But he that will take his poore debter by the throate, and say pay Mat. 18. 32 33. 34that thou owest, or else thou shall lye in prison till thou rottest, and I will make dice of thy bones except thou do paie me. Now verely God shall shut vp the harts of other men against him likewise, when he is in distresse, and God himselfe shall take him by the throat, as it were, and deliuer him vp to the iayler of hell (if he repent not) neither shall he come foorth vntil he hath paid the vttermost farthing. For this is a principle neuer to be altered: There shalbe iudgement mercilesse, Iam. 2. 13.to him that sheweth no mercy.
Go and humble thy selfe: Humilitie is contrary to pride, and to be humbled, is contrary to being exalted. And he that exalteth himselfe shalbe brought lowe, saith the scripture, but he that humbleth himselfe shalbe exalted. Now therefore here let vsus note againe, that Salomon dealeth with such a one as careth not how farre he rusheth. And therefore he rebuketh him, because he seeketh for nothing but for credit: this was because he was not humbled, a proud folly. But marke how low God bringeth him, he would be aloft: now God biddeth [Him] come downe, and humble himselfe, who before thought to set himselfe aloft by a vaine kindnesse. Now are the words of Salomon found true: When pride commeth, then commeth shame: but with the lowly is Pro. 11. 3.wisedome, to shew that all proude men are but fooles. Againe, in another place he saith: The pride of a man shall bring him lovv, but the humble in spirit shal enioy glorie. Pro. 29. 23.So here, his pride was so great, that he cared not what danger he did incurre, so he might be counted kinde and liberall, & I know not what. And thus doth God deale with his childrē, and though he were thus ouershot, yet he calleth him his sonne, that is appliable to doctrine, and giuen to serue God. Whereby we may note, that ambition waiteth vppon Gods children, as the shadow doth vponupon the bodie: yea, they hauehave a continuall battle with it, for the force thereof is not so soone abated, but therefore God doth as it were, pricke the bladder, and let out their windinesse. This humour wayted Mat. 26. 69on Peter, when he boasted to dye with Christ, for not long after, this vaine man was brought to shame, his courage was cooled, and his bladder prickt, that his proud winde went out at the voice of a silly damosell. Thus we see how pride and shame go togither foote by foote: for shame was not long after this vaine brag which Peter made in the fond conceit of his owne strength. Now, if this did so grow vp in a greene tree ful of the sap of Gods spirit, what is in the dry and seare trees, which hauehave nothing of the spirit of God? truly though they see it not now, yet their pride shalbe their cō fusion, and shame shal fall vppon them, when credit and estimation (which they so much hunt after,) shal flie away from them.
But now, some wil say: shal I be humble? Obiect.why then all men wil tread vppon me, and no man wil esteeme me. Indeed the wicked wil like of none but such as Answer.ioyne with them in the purchase of folly and shame, and they speake euil of all that wil not run with them to the same excesse of ryot, and therfore they speake euil of them saith the Apostle Peter. But 1. Pet. 4. 4.if we ioyne with the proud, and will not come vnderunder the yoke of humilitie, it is the next way to bring shame vponupon our heads, for God himselfe doth make war with the proud, and wil bend their owne bowes against their faces: so yt the next way to get glorie is, to go by the way of humilitie, for as Salomon saith, That pride bringeth shame, so if thou be hūble, thou shalt say, I am lifted vp (saith Iob) when others Iob 22. 29.are cast downe, for god shal saue the hūble person: as if he shuld say the humble mā indeed is vnderunder eueryevery bodies feet, that none would thinke he shuld escape, but yet he shalbe lifted vp, for God himselfe will saue him. We vse to say, it is good beating a proud man: for indeed pride is odious, that it is abhominable in all sorts of men. The children of God cā not abide him, nor the wicked cannot abide a proud man, & in the end God wil set a greater iudgement vppon him, for Absoloms haire shalbe Absoloms halter, and the proud shalbe troden downe vnderunder the feete of God, to the bottome of hell, which is without bottome, therfore (My sonne) go and humble thy selfe.
The second part of Gods counsell is this: Sollicite thy friends. Some thinke this The 2. par… of Gods counsell.to be read in the plurall number, but it is not so, though it may be so. Sollicite thy frend of thy neighbor (as Tremelius saith) that is, stir him vp (for whom thou hast giuē thy word) & neuer leaue him vntil he hath paid his debt & discharged thee.
This point noteth out, how carelesse the world is, whē they hauehave vnburdened themselues vponupon other mens shoulders, for then they sleep sincerely vponupon both elbowes, not caring how their debt be paid, nor how their frend may be discharged. There is thē no respect of Christianitie, no respect of their own profit, & as litle regard of their brothers profit. They care not, sincke he or swim he, many are at a point: therfore we must hauehave a care whom we take to be our friends.
Again, some wil say, I had rather loose it, then aske it so often. This may seem at the first sight a good affection, & indeed it may be so, in some childrē of god, for it is not good to be too churlish like Naball: but for the most part, it is a signe of ambition in manie men, for they are so ambitious yt they wil not, because they would be counted patient & kind harted, &c. But indeed here is a fault in neglecting and loosing of that which God hath sent thee for thy selfe, and for thy family. And here God teacheth vsus, that it is no shame to aske our owne, but that we may aske it, yea and that we ought to be euen vrgent in the cause.
The third part of Gods counsell is in The third part of Gods coū sel.the fourth verse. GiueGive no sleepe to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eye lids, &c. Some think they may rest, if they hauehave spoken once Verse 4.to him, for whom they hauehave promised: no, no, it is not inough, thou must not leaue, till he hauehave found some remedie to paie his debts, & that is the meaning of this point. For the burthen of a promise is so great, that wee ought not to sleep, till we hauehave found out some remedie to performe that promise, for Dauid saith, he is a iust mā that seeketh to keep his promise, though it be to his own hinderance. But he sets the contrarie, as a brande vppon a wicked mans forehead, and makes it a note to knowe a wicked Psal. 15.man by. The wicked borroweth, and paieth Psal. 37. 21not againe, but the good man is merciful and lendeth▪ to shewe that how soeuer there is mercy and goodnesse in lending to our brother in time of neede, yet he that borroweth must hauehave a care to restore againe at the day: but if hee shall thinke all fish that commeth to his net (as the maner of some is) the holy Ghost hath branded that man for a cruel and a wicked man. And therefore, as holy soeuer as wee pseeme to be, if this bein vsus, there is no feare of God before our eies. And therefore we must not onelyonly paie, but striue to paie at the daie for God wil hauehave mercy, and not sacrifice, mercy I meane, in paying to others that which is their owne. If thou canst not, (being preuented in the meane time, as thou maiest by sicknesse, or losses vnlooked for, &c.) then signifie so much vntounto thy Creditor, go and humble thy selfe vntounto him at the least. And so much shortly, for the third pointe of Gods counsell vntounto Suerties, and not only to Suerties, but to all debters, and whosoeuer else maketh anie promise vntounto his neighbour.
The reason of the former counsel, followeth in the next verse: Deliuer thy Verse. 5.selfe as a Doe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. The effect of the reason is this, If we do The reason of the counsell.follow Gods counsell, deliuerance will come vntounto vsus, but if we do not follow it, destruction wil come vponupon vsus. And it standeth thee in hande to looke obout thee, if thou be in suertiship: For as easily shall the Doe escape out of the hunters hands, and a bird out of the hand of the fowler, as thou shalt get out of some mens bonds, whē thou art once in them. And therfore follow Gods counsell, and afterward be as wary of their wiles and snares, as the Doe is of the hunter, or the bird of the fowler. And therefore thou oughtest to be wary and verie circumspect, because the world is full of fowlers and hunters, which are not without their snares, their ginnes, their trappes, and their huntsmen. But by the way, we may obserue here, that the best way to escape them is the way of God, or else no way: therefore he which walketh according to the word of God, doth walke most safely: neither is there any man so entangled, but by vsing of Gods meanes in his word, and relying vppon Gods promises, he may escape and get at libertie againe: for God blesseth his owne meanes, when all waies else shall be accursed.
In this verse he compareth couetous men, craftie heads, and cruell persons, to hunters and fowlers, because they go about to praie vppon simple men. There be of hunters, as there be of fishers, some are hunters of beastes, and some of men, as Peter was a fisher of men, but there is great difference. Some are called mightie hunters, as Nimrod was, some are called Gen. 10. 9.cunning hunters, as Esaw was. So, of Gen. 25. 27these hunters whereof Salomon speaketh, some be mightie hunters as Nimrod was. Whereof some hunt for the goods, some for the offices, some for the liuings, and some for the liues of men: Of which the Prophet Michah complaineth in his time. 7. Chapter. Verse 2. The good man Mich. 7. 2.is perished out of the earth, there is none righteous among men: they all lye in vvait for blood, eueryevery man hunteth his brother with a net. These are ful of craft & crueltie, craftie, because they hunt with nets, that is, with deuises hidden and couered as nets be: cruell, because they lie in wait for blood. And therefore in Ieremy, the enemies of Gods people (with whom there is no merciemercy) are called hunters. I vvil send out many hunters saith the Lord, and they shall hunt them from eueryevery mountain; Ier. 16. 16.& frō eueryevery hill, & out of the caues of the rockes. Now if we hunt our brethren with nets as they did in Micha his daies, let vsus feare lest the Lord send out manie hunters to hunt vsus, as he did threaten his people in Ieremy his daies.
The fowler also laith nets for the fowle, and to these are flatterers compared in Prou. 29. 5. Amā that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his steps. Sometime men are called not onelyonly fowlers which lay nets, but the verie nets and snares themselues as though the Deuill were the fowler, and men were his nets, and snares to catch soules withall: such were the wicked gouernors, the flattering teachers, and the deceitfull people of Israel, against whom the Prophet Hose denounceth the iudgemēt of God; Hose. 5. …because they had bene a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread vponupon Tabor.
When a simple man walketh in the streets, and heareth how men call chapmen, & offreth them good peniworths, let him take heed, because a net is spread. Of these fowlers the Prophet Ieremie complaineth thus: As a cage is full of Birdes, so are their houses full of deceit: thereby they are become great, and waxen rich.
The fowle is in danger many waies, for if he flie from one, he is in danger of another, either of the net which is couered, or of the limetwigs, or of the peece which commeth creeping vntounto him as though hee did him great obeisance.
Some are like sparrow catchers that sit vnderunder the hedge with their cal counterfeiting in such sort the sparrows note, that the poore birdes resort vntounto him, thinking it to be one of their own companie. So, many can so cunninglie bemone the wants of others, as if they had but one heart, and one voice betweene them both, which deceiueth many a simple man.
Some by extreme couenants & bargaines do seaze vppon goods, lands, bodies and liues too if they might be suffered, like the Scribes and Pharisies which vnderunder pretēce of long praier, deuoure widowes howses. Such are the Pro. 1. 19.vvaies of euerie one that is greedie of gaine (saith Salomon) he vvould take avvay the life of the ovvners thereof. In Esay these persons are compared to milstones▪ which grind the corne to powder: What hauehave yee to do, that ye beat my people to pieces, Esa. 3. 15.and grind the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen the Lord of hostes.
In Micah these people are compared to wolues, or to some other rauenous beast: They plucke off their skinnes from them, and their flesh from their bones. And Mic. 3. 3.they eate also the flesh of my people, and flay off their skin from them, and they breake their bones, & chop them in pieces, as to the pot, and as flesh within the Caldron.
They are worse then beastes, yea worse then wilde and any sauadge beast: for though beastes do rauen being hungry, yet they giuegive ouer when they are full: but couetousnesse is neuer satisfied.
Deliuer thy selfe as a Doe from the hand of the hunter, &c.
The practises that are now vsed in the world, do make this propertie of hunters and fowlers to fit couetous men verie wel: for first, how do they hunt to entrap vnaduised men in bonds for houses and landes? Secondly, how do creditors perswade their debters, and make thē get some to pay their desperat debt?
And this is a subtill pollicie, Dauid doth notably paint out these men in the 10. Psalme vers. 8. 9. 10. Hee lieth in waite in the villages: in the secret places doth hee Psa. 10. 8. 9. 10.murther the innocent: his eies are bent against the poore. 9. Hee lieth in waite secretly, euen as a Lion in his den, he lieth in waite to spoile the poore, he doth spoile the poore, when he doth draw him into his net. 10. Hee croucheth and boweth: therefore heaps of poore do fall by his might. So play these couetous vsurers, which liue vponupon extortion, and feede vppon the people, eating them as if they were bread. And in their dronken matches, how do they wrap men in their bondes?
How are yong gentlemen and vnthrifts taken in the vsurers nets, and the broker is his bawd & the huntsman too. The broker can feed a yong gentleman, & emptie his purse as fast as he can fil it, and all at the brothell howses: hee shall want none: but surely he shall buy his gold too deare: therefore take heede of these fowlers and hunters.
It is a sin to venture rashly into their handes. God hath forewarned you to flee from the couetous, and yet you will venture, therefore are you not iustly serued, if you be deuoured of them?
Some say they must needs deale with the vsurer, they cannot liue else, and vsurie is counted no sinne: but thou must be then iustly plagued and deuoured, all that thou hast, because thou wilt not follow Gods counsell.
Againe, on the other side: If it bee a sinne to bee wittingly deceiued, how much greater sinne is it to deceiue wittingly and willingly?
Therefore consider thus with thy self, if I would hauehave no man lay snares and nettes for me, then I must laie none for others. He that deceiueth a simple man, doth not him so much mischiefe, as he hath himselfe. The simple man is deceiued, but the hunter, & the fowler is more deceiued: for while he hunteth after the poore silly man, the diuell hunteth after his soule. And if his soule be caught in the snares of the diuel, had he not better loose all the world? For what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world, and Mat. 16. 26loose his ovvne soule?
Last of all, here we may learne to be very careful for our soules. For if the spirit of God be so carefull to make vsus take heed of him that hūteth after our goods: how much more would he hauehave vsus to take heed of him that hunteth after our soules? They are foolish and blockish, that can seeke to escape the snares of mē, and yet neuer seeke to escape the snares of the diuel. If we must take heed of the earthly fowler, much more of the hellish fowler. This maketh the childrē of God so sad, and to be so troubled in spirit as they are manie times, because they see that they are takē in the snares of Sathan. duplicate page duplicate page For can the prisoner sleepe so quic… with his boltes vponupon him, as when … at libertie? The wicked are taken … it not, but go on as though they were a… libertie, as some fish being taken of th… fisher goeth on at his scope, with th… hooke in his belly: & at last he is taken… We are all taken in his snares eueri… day, but through the blood of Iesu… Christ we are set at libertie againe, if w… hauehave faith in his name: blessed be Go… for euer. And thus much of the reaso… of that counsell which God giueth to Suerties: and thus much be spoken of Suertiship if selfe.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Burton, A Caveat for Sureties (1593)