An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

A wicked man interprets all reports in one of these two mischievous senses, either To the discredit of others, ¹or to the disquiet of himself: Bring what text of providence you can to him, he corrupts it with one of these glosses. Yea, the faithful counsels of his own Friends, are dreadful sounds unto him for he hath a suspicion that while they are counselling him for good, it is but a contriving of evil against him, or a setting of snares to catch him.

A wicked man interprets all reports in one of these two mischievous senses, either To the discredit of others, ¹or to the disquiet of himselfe: Bring what text of providence you can to him, he corrupts it with one of these glosses. Yea, the faithfull counsells of his owne Friends, are dreadfull sounds unto him for he hath a suspicion that while they are counselling him for good, it is but a contriving of evill against him, or a setting of snares to catch him.

1. 1Pessimus in dubiis Augur timor — Stat

Again, sometimes God creates a sound, or causeth the wicked to hear a dreadful sound (2 Kings 7.6.) The Lord made the Host of the Syrians to hear a noise of Chariots, and a noise of Horses, even the noise of a great Host, &c. Upon this dreadful sound, they arose and fled. Sometimes a wicked heart creates a sound, and what the Prophet threatens, he hears, the stone out of the Wall, the beam out of the Timber crying against him. The Story tells us of one who thought that the Swallows in the Chimney spake, and told tales of him. We say in our Proverb, As the Fool thinketh, so the Bell clinketh; much more may we say, As an evil conscience thinketh, so every thing clinketh. As he that hath a prejudice against another, takes all he hears spoken of him, and all that he hears him speak in ⟨p. 98⟩