¡îerfe.I5°. PROVERBS. 4Ç Are thcfe the friends ofthepeople?Doe they with them to bec preferued from perifhing ? doe they defire and labour for the health oftheir nation? Verfe t 5. He that isPureyfora f rangerfhallwholy be broken: but he that hateth thofe that clap hands,isfure. . HIs purpofe here is to giue men admonition to beware of furetiThip:which hedoth inferre by two reafons,firfl from the hurt anddanger which they runne into that benot wel adui- fed therein :and fecondly,from thepeace and fafety which they inioy that heedfullyauoyd theperill thereof. Now he doth not abfolutely condemne all furetifhip ( for then wouldPaulhaue neuer vndertaken for Onefimus)but raffines onely therein,is that which is here,and in other places reprooued. For it may fome- times be aworke ofmercy to become furety,as well as to lend, or giue. Byflranger, is not meant all,or onely vnknowneper- fons.For it may fall out to be a dutyofChriftian loue, that way tohelpe & relieue force fuch aswe were neuer before acquain- ted with, and a neeee neighbour, a familiar friend, a kinfirian,a brother may in this cafe be a f }ranger tovs,when it is not fafe to vndertake for him As fira,ifthere be like to grow detrimentto theborrower,as taking mony,or anyother commodities vpon hard conditions,and at vnreafonablc rates, or for needleife ex- pences,&vnthriftines,orany way to thehurt ofhis Elate or con fcience.Secondly,ifit tend to the hurt & damageofthe lender, that he is in danger to be defeatedofhis owne, and to fuílaine loífe by our meanes. Ifwee our felues are to be intangled by it,the fumme and valew of the debt being more thenweeare able either to pay,or well to fpare:when ones owne creditours by that occafió,muft be defrauded oftheir due when our wines children,and families whichhauealto an interefi in our fubftáce (hall be robbedoftheirportion and rnaintenance,andbereaued ofthe fruit oftheir owne labours. Then he íheweth a remedy againil it,tohate fuchas clappehands, that is, tohate and feare tobe clapper ofháds our felues,for the ratifying and confirma- tionofpromifes in this vnaduifed furetiíhip, and fowe fhall bee G 3 fafe
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