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xxv. 7. xxv. 15. xvii. 9. Ec. viii. 2. Pr. xxii. 29. xiii. 12. xvii. 8. xix. 6. xxi. 6.

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EVERY government presupposeth subjects. In the multitude of the people is the honour of the king; and for the want of people, cometh the destruction of the prince: Of whom God requires, in respect of the prince, reverence, obedience: That they should reverence and seek the face of the prince; not cursing the king, so much as in their thought, nor the rich in their bed-chamber; but fearing the Lord, and the king, and not meddling with the seditious, which only seek evil. For, as the fowl of the heaven shall carry the voice, and the master of the wing declare the matter: so (for revenge) a cruel messenger shall be sent against them, their destruction shall arise suddenly, and who knoweth their ruin? For their due homage therefore and obedience to laws, they take heed to the mouth of the king, and the word of the oath of God; and if a law be enacted, they violate it not, nor strive for innovation. He that breaks the hedge, a serpent shall bite him. He, that removeth stones, shall hurt himself thereby and he, that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby. And if they have offended, they haste not to go forth of the prince's sight, nor stand in an evil thing: for he will do whatever pleaseth him; but rather if the spirit of him that ruleth rise up against them, by gentleness pacify great sins. Pr. xiv. 18. xix. 9. xxix. 26. Ec. x. 20. Pr. xxiv. 21. xvii. 11. Ec. x. 20. Pr. xvii. 11. xxiv. 22. Ec. viii. 2. x. 8. x. 9. viii. 3. x. 4.

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In respect of themselves, he requires due regard of degrees: whether of superiors. The rich ruleth the poor; and as the fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, so is every man tried according to his dignity; so as they that come from the holy place be not forgotten in the city, where they have done right: or whether of inferiors; for, 4 poor man, if he oppress the poor, is like a raging rain that leaveth no food: yea (less than oppression,) He that despiseth his neighbour, is both a sinner, and destitute of understanding: or, lastly, of equals; and therein quiet and peaceable demeanour, not striving with others causeless; not to begin contentions; for, the beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters ; therefore ere it be meddled with, he leaveth off: and being provoked debateth the matter with his neighbour. And as he goes not forth hastily to strife; so much less doth he take part in impertinent quarrels: He, that passeth by and meddleth with the strife that belongs not to him, is as one that takes a dog by the ear; and one of the six things that God hates, is he that raiseth up contentions among neighbours. Secondly, mutual commerce, and interchange of commodities; without which, is no living: The abundance of the earth is over all: and the king consists by the field that is tilled. The husbandman therefore must till his land, that he may be satisfied with bread for much increase cometh by the strength of the ox: and, moreover, he must sell corn that blessings may be upon him, which if he withdraw, the people shall curse him; so that, the slothful man, whose field is overgrown with thorns and nettles, is but an ill member: and, again, The merchant must bring his wares from far; and each so trade with other, that both may live. They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforts the living, but silver answereth to all. Pr. xxii. 7. xvii. 21. Ec. viii. 10. Pr. xi. 12. xiv. 21. iii. 30. xvii. 14. xxv. 9. xxv. 8. xxvi. 17. vi. 16, 19. Ec. v. 8. Pr. xxviii. 19. xiv. 4. xi. 26. xxiv. 30, 51. xxxi. 14. Ec. x. 19.

For less public society, is required 1. due reservation of property; not to remove the ancient bounds which his fathers have made; not to enter into the field of the fatherless; for he, that redeemeth them, is mighty: not to increase his riches by usury and interest; not to hasten overmuch to be rich; for such one knoweth

not that poverty shall come upon him; and that an heritage hastily gotten in the beginning, in the end thereof shall not be blessed and that in the mean time, The man that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house. 2. Truth of friendship. A man that hath friends ought to shew himself friendly: for a friend is nearer than a brother: Thy own friend therefore, and thy father's friend forget thou not for whether he reprove thee, The wounds of a lover are faithful; or whether he advise, As ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel: or whether he exhort; Iron sharpens iron, so doth a man sharpen the face of his friend; and all this, not in the time of prosperity only, as commonly, Riches gather many friends, and the poor is separated from his neighbour, but contrarily, A true friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity: in all estates therefore, as the face in the water answers to face, so the heart of man to man. Who yet may not be too much pressed: Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee; neither enter into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: nor, again, too forward in proffering kindness to his own loss; A man destitute of understanding, toucheth the hand and becometh_surety for his neighbour: If therefore thou art become surety for thy neighbour (much more if thou hast stricken hands with the stranger) thou art snared with the words of thine own mouth, thou art even taken with the words of thine own mouth. Do this now, my son, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour (not having taken a pledge for thy suretyship) go and humble thyself, and solicit thy friends: Grve no sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eye-lids. Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler; and take it for a sure rule, He, that hateth suretyship, is sure. Pr. xxii. 28. xxiii. 10. xxiii. 11. xxiii. 4. xxviii. 22. xxviii. 20. xx. 21. xv. 27. xviii. 24. xxvii. 10. xxvii. 6. xxvii. 9. xxvii. 17. xix. 4. xvii. 17. xxvii. 19. xxv. 17. xxvii. 10. xvii. 18. vi. 1, 2, &c. vi. 3. xxvii. 13. vi. 4. vi. 5. xi. 15.

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