A plain and familiar exposition of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of the Proverbs…A plaine and familiar exposition of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of the Prouerbs…

Admonition to those simple persons whom prosperity doth so much puff up & make to swell, that they learn more moderation & sobriety. The king of Babel was justly taunted for increasing that which was not his, & for lading himself with thick clay, & why then do not these that are so proud & hie minded, aswell deserve to be derided, for boasting of that which is not theirs, even of thick clay wherewith they have laden themselves. Were it not absurd for a Tailor to take himself to be a better man than ¹all his neighbours, because he hath a garment of silk or velvet hanging in his shop, which is put to him to be made? or for a common cowherd to overcrow all his masters, because he hath more cattle before him every day then any one of them? Let all wicked worldlings know, that the preferment promised to the godly, is a debasing threatened against them, when the Lord faith, The strangers shall stand and feed your sheep, and the sons of strangers shall be your ploughmen, and dressers of your vines. These str•ngers are they, that are reputed to be the native inhabitants, these keepers of the sheep pretend to be the owners of the sheep: these ploughmen and dressers of vines take themselves to be Lords of² the lands and vineyards, but the Scripture describeth them according to that which they be, and not which they think to be, or seem to be: for that is altogether contrary to the condition which the Lord hath appointed them unto.

Admonition to those simple persons whome prosperity doth so much puffe vp & make to swell, that they learn more moderation & sobriety. The king of Babel was iustly taunted for increasing that which was not his, & for lading himselfe with thick clay, & why then doe not these that are so proud & hie minded, aswell deserue to be derided, for boasting of that which is not theirs, even of thick clay wherewith they haue laden themselues. Were it not absurde for a Tayler to take himselfe to be a beter man thā ¹all his neighbours, because he hath a garmēt of silk or veluet hāging in his shop, which is put to him to be made? or for a common cowheard to ouercrow al his masters, because he hath more cattle before him euery day then any one of them? Let all wicked worldlings know, that the preferment promised to the godly, is a debasing threatned against them, when the Lord faieth, The strangers shall stand and feed your sheepe, and the sonnes of strangers shall be your plowmen, and dressers of your vines. These strngers are they, that are reputed to bee the natiue inhabitants, these keepers of the sheep pretend to be the owners of the sheep: these plowmen and dressers of vines take themselues to bee Lords of