A20559:590
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.
A third thing wherein one plays the thief in his own goods is by suretyship. For Solomon names idleness and suretyship as two sins that men make little account of, but God doth mark them, and esteems them as foul faults. For this suretyship how ever men think it comes from a kind nature, and a loving disposition, that they would be willing to do good to any; but it is nothing so, it proceeds from an unwise heart, and a great measure of foolishness for true kindness at home, and love if it be true love, will do most where it owes most, but this is a foolish cruelty when one under the show of mercy to an other, will undo himself and his wife and children. I speak not this, but that a man may and ought to be surety, and this is a duty to be performed to a good man with a good calling; and according to ones ability, that he breaks not his own back with bearing an other mans burden. Therefore in suretyship keep these two rules, first, look what a kind of man he is that you would pane your credit for, a man must not do ⟨image 163⟩his hand over his head for every one that will ask, but only for such as he is bound unto by some bond of duty, either for religion and charity, or else for some knot of friendship or of kindred; else if one be so careless to be surety for he cares not who, Solomon takes his coat, pity him not, let him feel the smart of his foolish and sinful rashness.
A third thing wherein one plaies the theefe in his own goods is by suretiship. For Salomon names idlenesse and suretiship as two sinnes that men make little account of, but God doth marke them, and esteemes them as foule faults. For this suretiship how euer men thinke it comes from a kinde nature, and a louing disposition, that they would be willing to doe good to any; but it is nothing so, it proceeds from an vnwise heart, and a great measure of foolishnesse for true kindnesse at home, and loue if it be true loue, will doe most where it owes most, but this is a foolish crueltie when one vnder the shew of mercie to an other, will vndoe himselfe and his wife and children. I speake not this, but that a man may and ought to be suretie, and this is a dutie to be performed to a good man with a good calling; and according to ones abilitie, that he breakes not his owne backe with bearing an other mans burthen. Therefore in suretiship keepe these two rules, first, looke what a kinde of man he is that you would paune your credit for, a man must not do ⟨image 163⟩