Works of Joseph Hall, Book 2
SALOMONS ETHICKS. THE SECOND BOOKE. PRƲDENCE.
§. 1. Of Vertue:
Wherein it conſiſteth.
Whereby it is ruled and directed.
VErtue conſiſts in the meane; vice in the extremes. Pr. 4.26. Pr. 4.27.Let thy waies be ordered aright; Turne not to the right hand, nor to the left, but remoue thy foot from euill; The rule whereof it Gods Law: Pr. 6.23. Pr. 30.5. Pr. 4.20. Pr. 4.21. Pr. 4.22.for the commandement is a Lanterne, and inſtruction a light; and eueryevery word of God is pure. My ſonne hearken to my words, incline thine eare to my ſayings; let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the midſt of thine heart. For, they are life vntounto thoſe that finde them, and health vntounto all their fleſh.Pr. 7.2. Pr. 7.3. Keepe my Commandements, and thou ſhalt liue, and mine inſtruction as the apple of thine eye: Binde them vponupon thy fingers, and write them vponupon the Table of thine heart.
All vertue is either
Prudence,
Iustice,
Temperance,
Fortitude.
1. Of Prudence: which comprehends
Wiſdome,
Prouidence,
Diſcretion.
§. 2. Of wiſdome; the
Deſcription;
Effects, It procures
Knowledge,
Safety
from ſinne,
from iudgement.
Good direction
for actions,
for words.
Wealth, Honour, Life.
THe prudent man is he, whoſe eyes are in his head to ſee all things, and to fore-ſee: Ec. 2.14. Ec. 10.2. Pr. 8.12. Pr. 14.8. Pr. 9.12. Pr. 3.13.and whoſe heart is at his right hand to doe all dexterouſly, and with iudgement. Wiſdome dwells with Prudence, and findeth forth knowledge, and counſels. And to deſcribe it: The wiſdome of the Prudent is to vnderſtand his way; his owne: If thou be wiſe, thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelfe: An excellent vertue, for Bleſſed is the man that findeth wiſdome,Pr. 3.14. Pr. 16.16. Pr. 3.15. Pr. 3.16. Pr. 3.17. Pr. 3.18. Pr. 15.14. Pr. 18.15. Pr. 19.2. Pr. 10.14. Pr. 13.16. Pr. 14.18. Pr. 2.10. Pr. 2.11. Pr. 2.12. Pr. 2.13. Pr. 15.24. Pr. 8.20. Pr. 16.23. Pr. 10.12. and getteth vnderſtanding: The merchandiſe thereof is better than ſiluer, and the gaine thereof is better than gold: It is more precious than pearles, and all the things that thou canſt deſire, are not to be compared to her. Length of daies is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and glory: Her waies are waies of pleaſure, and all her paths proſperity: She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her, and bleſſed is he that receiueth her. The fruits of it are ſingular: for firſt, A wiſe heart doth not onelyonly ſeeke, but get knowledge, without which the minde is not good: and the care of the wiſe, learning: And not get it only, but lay it vp, and not ſo onelyonly, but workes by it: and yet more, is crowned with it. Beſides knowledge, here is ſafety. When wiſdome entreth into thy heart, and knowledge delighteth thy ſoule, then ſhall counſell preſerue thee, and vnderſtanding ſhall keepe thee: and deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that ſpeaketh froward things, and from them that leaue the waies of righteouſneſſe, to walke in the waies of darkneſſe: and as from ſinne, ſo from iudgement. The way of life is on high, the prudent to auoid from hell beneath. Thirdly, good direction. 1. For actions: Wiſdome cauſeth to walke in the way of righteouſneſſe, and in the mids of the paths of iudgement. 2. For words, The heart of the wiſe guideth his mouth wiſely, and addeth doctrine to his lips:Pr. 19.25. Pr. 8.21. So that the words of the mouth of a wiſe man hauehave grace: yea, he receiues grace from others. Either inſtruct or reproue the Prudent, and he will vnderſtand knowledge.Ec. 8.11. Pr. 3.35. Pr. 16.22. Not to ſpeake of wealth: ſhe cauſeth them that louelove her, to inherit ſubſtance, and ſilleth their treaſures: ſhee giueth not onelyonly honour: for the wiſdome of a man doth make his face to ſhine, and the wiſe man ſhall inherit glory; but life: Vnderſtanding is a well-ſpring of life, to him that hath it: and he that findeth mee (ſaith Wiſdome) findeth life,Pr. 8.34. Pr. 4.5. Pr. 4.6. Pr. 4.7. Pr. 4.8. and ſhall obtaine fauour of the Lord. Wherefore get wiſdome: get vnderſtanding: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forſake her not, and ſhe ſhall keepe thee: louelove her, and ſhe ſhall preſerue thee. Wiſdome is the beginning: get wiſdome therefore, and aboue all poſſeſſions get vnderſtanding: Exalt her,Pr. 4.9. and ſhe ſhall exalt thee: She ſhall bring thee vntounto honour, if thou embrace her: ſhee ſhall giuegive a goodly ornament to thine head: yea, ſhee ſhall giuegive thee a crowne of glory.
§. 3. Of Prouidence:
What ſhe is,
What her obiects,
What her effects.
Ec. 8.5.PRouidence is that whereby the heart of the wiſe fore-knoweth the time, and iudgement;Ec. 8.6. the time when it will be; the iudgement how it will be done: both which are appointed to eueryevery purpoſe vnderunder Heauen:Ec. 8.7. Not that man can foreſee all future things: No, he knoweth not that, that ſhall be; For who can tell him when it ſhall bee? not ſo much as concerning himſelfe. Ec. 9.12.Neither doth man know his time, but as the fiſhes are taken with an euill net, and as the birds which are caught in the ſnare; ſo are the children of men ſnared in the euill time, when it falleth on them ſuddenly; yea, the ſteps of a man are ruled by the Lord;Pr. 20.24. Pr. 22.3. how ſhould a man then vnderſtand his owne way? But ſometimes he may: The prudent man ſeeth the plague a farre off, and fleeth: and as for good things, Pr. 30.2, 5.With the Piſmire he prouideth his meat in Summer; working ſtill according to fore-knowledge; Ec. 11.4.yet not too ſtrictly and fearefully: for he that obſerueth the wind, ſhall not ſow; and he that regardeth the clouds, ſhall not reape.
§. 4. Of Diſcretion:
what it is.
what it worketh
for our acts,
for our ſpeeches.
Pr. 16.20. Pr. 16.23. Pr. 14.15. Ec. 3.1.DIſcretion is that whereby a man is wiſe in his buſineſſes, and whereby the heart of the wiſe guideth his mouth wiſely, and addeth doctrine to his lips; For actions: The Prudent will conſider his ſteps, and make choice of his times: for To all things there is an appointed time; and a time for eueryevery purpoſe vnderunder heauen;Ec. 3.2. Ec. 3.3, 4. Ec. 3.8. Pr. 24.5. Pr. 14.24. a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp that which is planted; a time to ſlay, and a time to heale, &c. a time of warre, and a time of peace: from hence it is that the wiſe man is ſtrong, and rich; for by knowledge ſhall the Chambers bee fild with precious things, which he knowes how to employ well. The crowne of the wiſe is their riches; from hence, Pr. 13.15.that his good vnderſtanding maketh him acceptable to others. For ſpeeches. Pr. 15.2. Pr. 10.13. Pr. 10.12. Pr. 25.11. Pr. 15.23. Pr. 20.15. Pr. 14.3. Pr. 12.18. Pr. 16.24.The tongue of the wiſe vſeth knowledge aright, and in the lips of him that hath vnderſtanding, wiſdome is found; and his words hauehave grace, both 1. for the ſeaſonableneſſe, A word ſpoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of ſiluer: and how good is a word in due ſeaſon! 2. for the worth of them, The lips of knowledge are a precious iewell: laſtly, for their vſe: The lips of the wiſe ſhall preſerue them, and their tongue is health, and with health, pleaſure: Faire words are as an hony-combe, ſweetneſſe to the ſoule, and health to the bones.
§. 5. The extremes,
Ouer-wiſe,
Fooliſh,
Who he is.
What kindes there bee of Fooles;
the meere foole,
the raſh foole,
the wicked foole.
What ſucceſſe.
HEre are two extremes: On the right hand; Make not thy ſelfe ouer-wiſe,Ec. 7. wherefore ſhouldeſt thou be deſolate? On the left: Neither be fooliſh;Ec. 7.19. Pr. 21.16. Pr. 17.16. Pr. 15.2. why ſhouldeſt thou periſh not in thy time? The foole is that man that wandreth out of the way of wiſdome, which hath none heart, that is, is deſtitute of vnderſtanding, either to conceiue, or to doe as he ought: Of which ſort is, 1. The meere foole; That foole,Pr. 14.24. Pr. 17.16. Pr. 24.7. Pr. 29.20. Pr. 29.11. Pr. 19.2. Pr. 29.20. Pr. 1.7. Pr. 14.9. Pr. 13.19. Pr. 15.21. Pr. 10.3. Pr. 13.16. Pr. 27.22. Pr. 26.11. who when he goeth by the way, his heart faileth, whoſe folly is fooliſhneſſe, in whoſe hand there is a price in vaine to get wiſdome, which is too high for him to attaine: laſtly, in whom are not the lips of knowledge. 2. The raſh foole, that is haſty in his matters, that powreth out all his minde at once: which the wiſe man keepes in, till afterward; that haſteth with his feet, and therefore ſinneth. There is more hope of the other foole than of him. 3. The wicked foole; That deſpiſeth wiſdome and inſtruction, that maketh a mocke of ſinne; to whom it is abomination to depart from euill; to whom fooliſhneſſe is ioy; yea, it is his paſtime to doe wickedly, and his practice to ſpread abroad folly. And this man is obſtinate in his courſes; for though thou bray a foole in a morter among wheat, brayd with a peſtell, yet will not his fooliſhneſſe depart from him: and though it ſeeme to depart, yet as a dogge turneth againe to his vomit, ſo returnes hee to his fooliſhneſſe. Spare thy labour therefore, ſpeake not in the eares of a foole;Pr. 23.9. for hee will deſpiſe the wiſdome of thy words. To theſe ſaith wiſdome, O ye fooliſh,Pr. 1.23. how long will ye louelove fooliſhneſſe, and the ſcornfull take pleaſure in ſcorning, and fooles hate knowledge?Pr. 1.23. Turne you at my correction. Loe, I will poure out my minde vntounto you, and make you vnderſtand my words. Becauſe I hauehave called, and ye refuſed; I hauehave ſtretched out my hand,Pr. 1.24. & none would regard; but ye hauehave deſpiſed all my counſell, and would none of my correction; I will alſo laugh at your deſtruction, and mocke when your feare commeth,Pr. 1.25. Pr. 1.26. Pr. 1.27. Pr. 1.28. Pr. 1.29. Pr. 1.30. like ſudden deſolation; and your deſtruction ſhall come like a whirle-wind; when affliction and anguiſh ſhall come vponupon you. Then ſhall they call vponupon mee, but I will not anſwer: they ſhall ſeeke me early, but they ſhall not finde me; becauſe they hated knowledge, and did not chuſe the feare of the Lord; they would none of my counſell, but deſpiſed all my correction; therefore ſhall they eat of the fruit of their owne way,Pr. 1.21. and be filled with their owne deuices: and what is that fruit but ſorrow? Pr. 14.13.Euen in laughing their heart is ſorrowfull; and the end of that mirth is heauineſſe: and like the noiſe of thornes vnderunder a pot, ſo (ſhort and vaine) is the laughter of fooles: what but ſtripes? Ec. 6.8. Pr. 10.13. Pr. 26.3. Pr. 10.8, 10.A rod ſhall be for the backe of him that is deſtitute of vnderſtanding, yea, it is proper to him. To the Horſe belongeth a whip, to the Aſſe a bridle, and a rod to the fooles backe: wherewith not only himſelfe ſhall be beaten,Pr. 13.20. Pr. 10.21. Pr. 21.16. Pr. 10.14. Pr. but the companion of fooles ſhall bee afflicted. Laſtly, what but death? Fooles ſhall die for want of wit, and remaine in the congregation of the dead: yea the mouth of the foole is preſent deſtruction; and, The lips of a foole ſhall deuoure himſelfe, and that which ſhould ſeeme to preſerue him, Pr. 1.32.very eaſe ſlaieth the fooliſh, and the proſperitie of fooles deſtroyeth them.