An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Thus Solomon concludes for Wisdom (Prov. 8.36.) He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. He that sinneth, wrongs Christ, but Christ passeth that over, and seemeth to say, I will bare your wrongs, but pray take heed to your selves, will you not love your selves? will you not abstain from sin out of love to your selves? he that sinneth against me wrongs his own soul; all that hate me (that is, my ways) they love death: And surely there is no great beauty in death, that we should love it and desire it. They choose very ill for themselves, that choose sin, the wages whereof is death. I grant, to choose affliction is but a hard choice (affliction ⟨p. 328⟩is not good in it self) but affliction, if chosen, may prove good; it may be very good to us, it may bring in much good to us: and therefore there is wisdom, not only in choosing any affliction, rather than sin, but in choosing some one affliction rather than another. But what good doth he choose, that chooses sin? Happy is the man that endures correction, or affliction, saith the Scripture in many places; but doth it say any where, Happy is the man that commits iniquity? If you choose affliction rather than iniquity, you choose a great deal of good. First, David could say upon trial (Psal. 119.71.) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Did ever David say, it is good for me that I have sinned, which is to unlearn or break Statutes? did he ever please himself in thinking that he had sinned? he did even please himself that he had been afflicted; that was good, because he learned Commandments by it; he grew a better Scholar, then he was in that best learning of all, the knowledge of the Commandments of God.

Thus Solomon concludes for Wisdom (Prov. 8.36.) He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. He that sinneth, wrongs Christ, but Christ passeth that over, and seemeth to say, I will bare your wrongs, but pray take heed to your selves, will you not love your selves? will you not abstain from sin out of love to your selves? he that sinneth against me wrongs his own soul; all that hate me (that is, my wayes) they love death: And surely there is no great beauty in death, that we should love it and desire it. They chuse very ill for themselves, that chuse sin, the wages whereof is death. I grant, to chuse affliction is but a hard choyce (affliction