A20559:222
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And therefore howsoever foolish persons are ready to excuse themselves that they be not book-learned, and therefore they cannot talk of scripture, but they have a good hart, and if one could see into them, he should see wonders forsooth, and many great matters they have in their hart, as this by the way must be marked for a general rule, that as every man is more empty of goodness, so he is most full of bragging, and the most ignorant persons be the greatest boasters, those that neither know God nor themselves, nor have any spark of grace and repentance, of all others, these will make you the most flourishing show in words, what a good hart they have, how good a faith, how they serve God day and night, and many excellent things, rare men they be, if you will believe ⟨p. 56⟩their own report; for such persons I say, that have all their goodness locked up so that it can never come abroad, they may say what they will of themselves, but Christ saith, that a good man out of the good treasure of his hart, brings forth good things. This is such a treasure as must needs be brought to light now and then, yea continually, for if one say, he hath a coffer full of good gold, and yet can fetch nothing out but counters, no man ever saw him bring an handful of pure gold out of his chest, but every day counters good store, sure by this that comes abroad, one may quickly guess what store is within, and few wise men will count him ever the richer for his golden words, when he hath nothing but brass comes out of his purse. And so in the Pro. the wise man saith, that the tongue of the righteous is a tree of life, and that it feedeth many. And therefore he that can feed no man, how comes this to pass, surely he is not a tree of life, he wants grace. So that as a man must not speak idly and peruertinglie of Gods word, so he must not hold his peace neither, as if he were dumb, but he must have the law of grace under his lips, and speak of it reverently to edification, and he that doth not so, breaks the third commandment.
And therefore howsoeuer foolish persons are readie to excuse themselues that they bee not booke-learned, and therefore they cannot talke of scripture, but they haue a good hart, and if one could see into them, hee should see wonders forsooth, and many great matters they haue in their hart, as this by the way must be marked for a general rule, that as euery man is more emptie of goodnesse, so he is most full of bragging, and the most ignorant persons be the greatest boasters, those that neither know God nor themselues, nor haue any sparke of grace and repentance, of all others, these will make you the most florishing shew in words, what a good hart they haue, how good a faith, how they serue God day and night, and many excellent things, rare men they bee, if you will beleeue