nso â 6 PROVERBS. Chap.' I. cottage whichwill fhake it to peeces in amoment. Verfe u. By the bleffing of the righteous the city is exalted: but it £fubu erred by the mouth ofthewicked. T He meaningis,that iufl men areverybeneficial to the focie- ties ofnienby their religious,prudent, and profitable fpee- ches :for fo the word bleffing fignifieth in many places : and fo it is here ment as the antithefisfheweth: and fo apoor man inad- uerfity,may as well be an inftrument of good to his country, as arichman inprofperity,as Salomon tcflifieth,Eccle.9. i 5.On the otherfide,the wicked with his mouth and hurtfull words, Both workemifchiefe among whomhe conuerfeth. By thebleffing, c.)A godly man will alwaies do good to the placewherehe dwelleth,that many shall fare the better for him. The land ofIudah found the truth ofthis by comfortable ex- periencein thedaies oftheir goodKings,and Prophets,as Ieho- faphat,Hezechias,Ifaiah and others, who obtained wonderfull deliueracesfor their peopleat the handofthe Lord.The landof If raell found the truthofit in the daies oftheir holyProphets Eliah andElifha,whoprocuredhelp againfl drowth,famine,and enemies and therefore were called the chariots,& horfemen of Ifrael.What should I fpeake oflofeph,ofMofes,and Samuel,and Dauid,ofNehemiah,andEzra,ofHefier,andMordecai,and ma- ny others,amóg whom S.Paulmull be ofthe juorum,as one of eminét note,fpeciallyofthat marueilous preferuationofal that failed inthe fhippe,with him, notwithstanding they were very infidels. Firfl,he will preferre thewelfare ofthe publike Rate, before his owne private aduantage and profit. When Mofes might haue continued afauorite, hevoluntarilyfor his brethrens fake incurred theKings..difpleafure: whenhemight haue been great in AEgypt,he rather forfooke AEgypt : when hemight haue li- ned incredit,pleafure, andplenty likeaprince, he chofe to liue óbfcurely, painfully, and hardly as afhepheard. WhenHefter wasbid to ask,and haue to the halfeofan ample& largeempire íhe fet afide all refpe61oflands and linings, andonly craued the hues ofher people. Secondly,.
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