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contenteth himself with that object; whereas the eyes of a fool are inconstantly wandering every where, and his thoughts settle upon nothing that may avail to his good.

XVII. 27 A man of understanding is of an excellent (or cool) spirit.

A man of understanding is of a well tempered spirit; not too forward in putting forth himself.

XVIII. 1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

He, that, in a fervent desire of knowledge, hath set himself apart to his continual study, laboureth to inform himself in all points of wisdom; so that he may not be a stranger in any kind of learning.

XVIII. 3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt. Wheresoever the wicked man cometh, he is apt to cast reproach and contempt upon every man's face.

XVIII. 4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

A wise man utters not all he knows his words are like to deep waters, the bottom whereof cannot easily be fathomed; and his wisdom is as a living spring, which sends up full brooks, that are ready to overflow their banks; so plentiful is he in good discourse and wholesome counsel.

XVIII. 9 He also that is slothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster.

The slothful man is little better than a great spender: he equally consumes the estate, wherewith he is entrusted.

XVIII. 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower.

The goodness, mercy, and power of the Lord, is a safe and strong refuge to all those, who trust unto it.

XVIII. 14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

A resolute and undaunted spirit is able to bear up both its own infirmities, and those of the body also; but if the heart of a man be wounded, and dejected with whatsoever cross befals unto it, what means hath a man any longer to subsist, and sustain him. self? there is no remedy, but he must droop and yield.

XVIII. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

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It is a great power, which the tongue hath, whether for life or death good words tend to life; evil, unto death, whether to ourselves or others; and according as a man would rather to improve it, so it shall speed with him either way.

XIX. 2 He that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

He, that falls rashly upon his determinations, without weighing all due circumstances, cannot but offend.

XIX. 3 The foolishness of a man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.

It is through a man's own foolishness, that he miscarries in his business, and that he takes lewd courses; and, when he justly smarteth through his own fault, his heart fretteth, and his tongue muttereth against the Lord, as the author of all his harm and misery. XIX. 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Houses and riches may be derived to us by way of inheritance from our forefathers, without our care or endeavour, but a prudent and virtuous wife is a special blessing of God's immediate choosing; and must therefore be obtained by our prayers at the hand of the giver.

XIX. 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

A man, that is subject to often and extreme passions of anger, cannot avoid many and great inconveniences, which he brings upon himself; and if thou do, in a friendly manner, free him from some dangerous effects of his wrath, yet he will put thee to it again.

XIX. 22 The desire of a man is his kindness and a poor man is better than a liar.

That, which should be the chief desire of a man, is his beneficence and kindness to others; and if a rich man promise much and perform nothing, a poor man, that is unable either to undertake or perform, is better than he,

XX. 1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging.

Excess of wine beguiles a man of his wits and senses, and exposeth him to the scorn and derision of every beholder; and strong drink inflames the blood, and makes a man apt to fall into raging distempers.

XX. 5 Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters. See Prov. xviii. 4.

XX. 10 Divers weights, and divers measures.

A fraudulent diversity of weights and measures, is abominable to

the Lord.

XX. 11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

It is not hard, by the carriage and disposition of the childhood, to judge, what is to be hoped or feared, of a man's riper age: either good or evil begins to shew itself betimes.

XX. 12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

There are ears that hear not, and eyes that see not; but if a man have a hearing ear and a seeing eye, he is doubly bound to God, both for his sense and the improvement of it.

XX. 15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

Men esteem much of gold and precious stones; but the man, that is furnished with learning and knowledge, deserves to be held of far greater price, than all these earthen treasures.

XX. 17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

The bread, which a man hath got by fraud and cozenage, seems sweet and pleasant, at the first taste of it; but by that time he hath chewed it a little, he shall find it to be but harsh gravel, that crasheth between his teeth, galls his jaws, and wounds his tongue, and offends his palate.

XX. 20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

Whoso curseth his parents, his comfort and help shall be sure to be taken from him, when he hath the most need of it; and he shall be left utterly miserable and disconsolate.

XX. 24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

It is the Lord, that disposeth of all the actions and events of man: he hath ordered them, he overrules and governs them, according to his own will: it is not in the power of man, either to know what will betide himself, or to set himself in any good way, to will or to do ought that may be pleasing unto God.

XX. 25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

He entangleth his soul in the snares of death, who resumeth unto a profane use, that which is once consecrated unto God; and who, after he hath vowed ought unto the Lord, argues within himself, how to alter that holy purpose, and to defeat God of his due.

XX. 27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

The reasonable soul is as a bright candle, which God hath set up in man, which gives light unto him for the finding out of the strange secrets of nature.

XX. 30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

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Scourgings and woundings are the best cure of the lewd misbehaviour of wicked men only fear and smart can restrain them; even such stripes, as may pierce to the very inward parts of the body.

XXI. 4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

The wicked man hath a haughty look and a proud heart; neither are his misdispositions only sinful, but those his very actions and endeavours, which in another man would be harmless, are in him no other than sin.

XXI. 5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness ; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

The thoughts and projects of him that is truly diligent, are still to excellent purpose, and tend to the advancing and enriching of a man's estate; but the hasty and rash thoughts of him that is too eager of the world, disappoint a man, and bring him to want.

XXI. 6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

The wealth, that is gotten by falsehood and lies, is altogether uncertain and transitory; neither shall continue long, in any one hand; and besides, procures the utter destruction both of soul and body, to him that unjustly gets it.

XXI. 18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

It many times falls out, through the wise and just Providence of God, that those calamities, which threatened to seize upon the godly and righteous man, do balk him, and fall upon the wicked and unconscionable.

XXI. 24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

He, that deals proudly in his anger, is worthy to be branded with the name of an insolent scorner.

XXI. 25 The desire of the slothful killeth him.

The vain and fruitless desire of a slothful man affamisheth him; while he longs for that which he will not set his hand to purchase, but will rather sit still and starve.

XXII. 2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

The wisdom of God hath not thought fit to make all men rich, or all poor, but hath intermixed the one with the other, that each of them might have use of other; neither is it for the wealthy to insult upon or oppress the needy, since it is God, that hath made them both such as they are, and he both can and will revenge any unjust measure, that is offered by the one to the other.

XXII. 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward. The froward and perverse, is as a man on all sides encompassed with thorns and snares: his stubbornness brings him into infinite perplexities, out of which he can find no issue.

XXII. 13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way. The slothful man feigns idle excuses, and pretences of danger, when he should go about his business.

XXII. 14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

The plausible and smooth tongue of a harlot is no less dangerous, than a deep pit fairly covered into which if a man once fall, there is small hope of recovering himself; and it is a fearful sign and effect of God's anger, to be given over to her enticements.

XXII. 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

There is a foolish waywardness, that is natural to the child, and cleaves close to his disposition; yet not so, but that it may be, with due correction, whipt out of him.

XXII. 16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

As well he, that unjustly takes from the poor to enrich himself, as he, that gives to the rich that which he unduly withholds from the poor, shall, through the just judgment of God, come to want.

XXIII. 2 Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

Be careful, by all means, to restrain thy wanton appetite, if thou be a man given to please thy palate.

XXIII. 4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Do not too eagerly affect and labour to be rich; and follow not thine own carnal wisdom, which suggests unto thee wrong ways to the hasty purchase of wealth.

XXIII. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Wilt thou be so foolish, as to fix thy heart and thine eyes, upon that, which hath no constant being? For surely riches are of a fitting, uncertain condition: they will not abide with thee, but, as with eagles' wings, will fly away from thee.

XXIII. 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

Be not thou beholden to a niggard for his bread; neither do thou wish to take part with him, in any dainty dish:

XXIII. 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

For, as in his heart he doth inwardly grudge thee every bit thou eatest, so, in his countenance and gesture, he betrays it: he bids thee, after his churlish fashion, to eat and drink; but his heart repines at thy presence, and wishes thee further off.

XXIII. 8 The morsel which thou hast caten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

So shalt thou be vexed with thy grudging entertainment, that thou shalt wish the churl's meat were out of thy belly; and shalt repent of all those kind words, that thou hast cast away upon so harsh and unworthy a host.

XXIII. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

For surely there shall be a happy and wished end, and a blessed reward of all thy holy endeavours; and thine expectation of a joyful retribution shall not be disappointed.

XXIII. 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not.

Be thou glad to purchase the truth, at any rate: whatsoever it cost thee, the pennyworth is not dear; but when thou hast it, do not part with it upon any terms.

XXIII. 27 A whore is a deep ditch. See Prov. xxii. 14.
XXIII. 28 She increaseth the transgressors among men.

She is the means to draw men into much wickedness.

XXII. 29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

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