A plain and familiar exposition of the eleventh and twelfth chapters of the Proverbs…A plaine and familiar exposition of the eleuenth and twelfth chapters of the Prouerbes…

Doct. Of all people, none do so much good as the godly. Look how far the tree of life, which was the best in paradise, excelled all the brambles and briers which are the worst on the wild wast, so far do such as fear God surmount the godless in goodness. In the first Psalm, religious men which give themselves to the exercise of piety are compared to trees, that yield the most, and best and ripest fruit; and sinful men which give themselves to the practise of vanity are likened to chaff, or rather the dust of chaff, ¹which is good for nothing. In the second of the Canticles the godly are resembled to the most beautiful and pleasant lilies ²which yield delight to those that gather them; and the wicked to thorns or thistles which do annoy those that meddle with them. In other places of scripture the servants of God are called sheep; which for lamb, and fleece, and flesh, and every other way, are commodious, insomuch that they make the very ground the better which they fit upon; and the slaves of sin are called by the names of Wolves, and Foxes, and such kind of beasts, which are very hurtful, and be ready to do mischief wheresoever they come. In what respect the fruit of the righteous is so profitable, it will appear by the proportion it hath with the tree of life whereunto it is compared. Reasons. 1 First in regard of the cause, it is said that it groweth by the river of life, whose waters feed the root ³thereof, and the root sendeth up the sap, and the sap sendeth out the fruit. And so the good which a good man doth, ariseth not from his wit, nor natural disposition, nor fleshly wisdom, but springeth from the word, and spirit of God in his heart, Gal. 5. 22.

Doct. Of all people, none doe so much good as the godly. Looke how farre the tree of life, which was the best in paradise, excelled all the brambles and briers which are the worst on the wild wast, so farre doe such as feare God surmount the godlesse in goodnes. In the first Psalme, religious men which giue themselues to the exercise of pietie are compared to trees, that yeeld the most, and best and ripest fruite; and sinful men which giue themselues to the practise of vanity are likened to chaffe, or rather the dust of chaffe,