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. The best must look for stripes, if they will take liberty to sin against God. True it is that the Lord taketh not advantage of infirmities, he passeth by them, he winketh at them, he smiteth not his children for them: but when they grow too bold, he will nurture and awe them with correction. In this sense he may be said to be no respectre of persons, that as he will not endure the sinfulness of the wicked, though they be never so great: so he will not allow of the sins of the godly, though they be never so good. The virtues that men have, do not warrant them to fall into any vice: their religion and graces do not privilege them to do those things which are unseemly for religious and gracious persons to practise. Few points are more fully confirmed by manifest proofs than this. The Scriptures propose many examples, our ears have heard many reports, our eyes do daily behold many presidents for this purpose, and they that will not be persuaded by these, shall find it true by experience in themselves. What doleful complaints doth the Church make every where in the Lamentations of Jeremiah? Behold, O Lord, how I am troubled: my bowels swell: mine heart is turned within me, for I am ¹full of heaviness: the Lords sword spoileth abroad, as death doth at home. The Lord is righteous: for I have rebelled against his commandment. How lamentably do the godly bemoan themselves, and the state of the Church, in the prophecy of Isaiah? Be not angry, O Lord, above measure, neither remember iniquity for ever: ²lo, we beseech thee behold, we are all thy people. Thine holy cities lie waste: Zion is a wilderness, and Jerusalem a desert. The house of our sanctuary, and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt up with fire, and all our pleasant things are wasted. In what pathetical ⟨p. 109⟩manner doth the Prophet express the burden of his afflictions, in the book of the Psalms? Thine arrows have light upon ³me, and thine hand lieth upon me. There is nothing sound in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there rest in my bones, because of my sin.

Doct. The best must looke for stripes, if they will take libertie to sin against God. True it is that the Lord taketh not aduantage of infirmities, he passeth by them, he winketh at them, he smiteth not his children for them: but when they grow too bold, he wil nurture and awe them with correction. In this sense he may be said to be no respecter of persons, that as he will not endure the sinfulnes of the wicked, though they be neuer so great: so hee will not allow of the sinnes of the godly, though they bee neuer so good. The vertues that men haue, doe not warrant them to fall into any vice: their religion and graces doe not priuiledge them to doe those things which are vnseemly for religious and gracious persons to practise. Few points are more fully confirmed by manifest proofes than this. The Scriptures propose many examples, our eares haue heard many reports, our eyes doe daily behold many presidents for this purpose, and they that will not be perswaded by these, shall finde it true by experience in themselues. What dolefull complaints doth the Church make euery where in the Lamentations of Ieremy? Behold, O Lord, how I am troubled: my bowels swell: mine heart is turned within me, for I am