A plain and familiar exposition of the ninth and tenth chapters of the Proverbs…A plaine and familiar exposition of the ninth and tenth chapters of the Prouerbs…

Instruction, first to fence our selves against the imitation Use. of the wicked, and desire of their state, by considering how wretched, and miserable their condition is. Even presently they are arrested, and after a sort apprehended with fears: hell and destruction do sometimes show themselves unto their souls; and in time to come, unless they repent, they shall have full possession of them. Secondly, to free our selves from all our fears, by flying to the Lord for succour, against the mischiefs which we would not fall into, & for repentance & humiliation against the sins that would draw them upon our heads.

Instruction, first to fence our selues against the imitation Vse. of the wicked, and desire of their state, by considering how wretched, and miserable their condition is. Euen presently they are arrested, and after a sort apprehended with feares: hell and destruction doe sometimes shew themselues vnto their soules; and in time to come, vnlesse they repent, they shall haue full possession of them. Secondly, to free our selues from all our feares, by flying to the Lord for succour, against the mischiefes which we would not fall into, & for repentance & humiliation against the sins that wold draw them vpon our heads.

But God will grant, &c. The best way to have our wills Doct. 2 satisfied, is to be Godly. For to such there is a promise made ¹that God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him. Wherein yet these rules are to be observed: First, that our will be agreeable to Gods will, the desire must be holy, and seasoned with the spirit; and not carnal, and corrupted by the flesh. David in a passion would needs know how long he was to ²live. And James and John would have fire to come from heaven to destroy a whole town, and an other time they made suit to be the second men of the whole earth. These petitions were not granted, because they were not advisedly asked, nor safe for them to be obtained. Secondly, that sometimes lawful desires are not performed in the same kind, but exchanged for better, and that which doth more good is bestowed in stead of them. Moses desired to enter into the land of Canaan, he was denied that, but he entered sooner into the heavenly and blessed rest of everlasting life. Paul would have been perfectly freed from all original corruption, or at least from the stirrings, and working of it, but it stood not with the wisdom of God to yield that unto him: but he assisted him with grace against it, which was much more for his own glory, and the sound comfort of Pauls conscience.