An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

I have seen] Experience is the mistress of truth. Truth is called the daughter of time, because experience bringeth forth many truths; and the word of God is made visible in the works of God. I have seen (saith he) This truth hath run into my eye. In experiences the promises of God stand forth, and in experiences, the threatenings of God stand forth, and show themselves: all the experiences that we have in the world, are only so many exemplifications of the truths contained in the promises or threatenings of the word.

I have seene] Experience is the mistresse of truth. Truth is called the daughter of time, because experience bringeth forth many truths; and the word of God is made visible in the works of God. I have seen (saith he) This truth hath run into my eye. In experiences the promises of God stand forth, and in experiences, the threatnings of God stand forth, and shew themselves: all the experiences that we have in the world, are onely so many exemplifications of the truths contained in the promises or threatnings of the word.

The foolish] I shall not stay to open that term, for we met ¹with it in the former verse, wrath slayeth the foolish one. Only in a word, this foolish man is one, who acts without counsel, and whose will is too hard for his understanding. He hath no reason for what he doth, but because he hath a mind to do it. A foolish man is a wicked man, and here the foolish man is a wicked man at ease, a wicked man in his fullness and abundance of outward comforts: A fool is ever worst, when he is at ease. And as he more abounds in comforts, so, he abounds more in sin. All mercies are to him but fuel for his folly, and meat and drink for his madness. That rich man who pleased himself so in his worldly successes is called a fool, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be taken from thee, and then whose shall all these things be which thou possessest? (Luke 12. 20) All wicked men are foolish, and wicked rich men have ever the greatest stock of folly. And they are therefore more foolish then others, because they think themselves wiser then all. If a man can get riches, if his root be well settled in the earth, and his branches spread fairly out, he accounteth himself very wise, and so do many others account him too. A thriving sinner is a foolish and an unprosperous man, but he that plots how to thrive by sin, is the most foolish man in the world, and therefore in all his prosperity most unprosperous. As the foolish take root, so, that by which they take root is often times their folly.