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…

Instruction for every man with all heedfulness to take heed that they fink not into so great a sin as scornfulness is, that will draw down so grievous a plague as scornfulness doeth, Though no hurt seemeth to come by it, but benefit rather. If the outward state of many scorners be respected, yet nothing but mischief & misery ensueth upon it, if the state of their souls be considered, they all lose all their labour, and return frustrate & disappointed, when other of meaner place, and natural parts have happy & prosperous success: they are rejected of the Lord, as contemptible persons, and abjects, when others whom they despise, are graced with his presence & countenance: they are shut out of doors, & excluded from all spiritual commodities, when others whom they malign, are let into Gods treasury, and stored with all heavenly riches. They therefore that are tending towards it, let them stay themselves before they go too far: they that are come to the gate thereof, let them beware how they enter in: they that are already in the house, yet let them return back again, and not sit down in the chair: for then their case is desperate. And this is not one lie to admonish men that they become not scorners, but that also they satisfy not themselves with every slight and superficial seeking of wisdom. It is not enough to seek, (for the worst men, we see, may do that) but to seek so as we may find, which none can do but they that are good and godly. A greater blessing God giveth to none in this world, than to make his ordinances forcible to them for wisdom, and comfort: and a greater judgement is not executed upon any before their going to hell, than the withholding from them grace & understanding. No sickness, no pain, no poverty, no disgrace, no imprisonment, no banishment, no loss of limbs, or life is so dangerous and hurtful as this is. Though the eyes should be plucked out of the head, yet if there be sight within the mind there can be no extremity of darkness, and though the heart were plucked out of the body, yet if religion abide in the soul, the happiness remaineth, but then is the state of men woeful ⟨p. 60⟩when there internal shape is changed, and they are transformed into dumb idols, when it may be said of them as it was of the heathen Gods:

Instruction for euery man with all heedfulnesse to take heed that they finke not into so greate a sinne as scornefulnes is, that will drawe downe so grieuous a plague as scornefulnesse doeth, Though no hurt seemeth to come by it, but benefite rather. If the outward state of many scorners be respected, yet nothing but mischiefe & misery insueth vpon it, if the state of their soules be considered, they all lose all their labour, and returne frustrate & disappointed, when other of meaner place, and naturall partes haue happy & prosperous successe: they are reiected of the Lord, as contemptible persons, and abiects, when others whome they despise, are graced with his presence & countenāce: they are shut out of dores, & excluded from all spiritual cōmodities, when others whom they maligne, are let into Gods treasurie, and stored with all heauenly riches. They therfore that are tending towards it, let them stay themselues before they go too far: they that are come to the gate thereof, let them beware how they enter in: they that are already in the house, yet let them returne back againe, and not sitte downe in the chaire: for then their case is desperate. And this is not one lie to admonish men that they become not scorners, but that also they satisfie not themselues with euery slight and superficiall seeking of wisedome. It is not ynough to seeke, (for the worst men, we see, may do that) but to seeke so as we may finde, which none can doe but they that are good and godly. A greater blessing God giueth to none in this world, than to make his ordinances forcible to them for wisedome, and comfort: and a greater iudgement is not executed vpon any before their going to hell, than the withholding from them grace & vnderstanding. No sicknesse, no paine, no pouerty, no disgrace, no imprisonment, no banishment, no losse of limmes, or life is so dangerous and hurtfull as this is. Though the eies should bee plucked out of the heade, yet if there be sight within the mind there can bee no extremity of darknes, and though the hearte were plucked out of the body, yet if religion abide in the soule, the happinesse remaineth, but then is the state of men wofull