Clever - BS1465 D5 1614

rowing, fo it commeth to paffe inbayling, that bad prifoners haue feldotnebetter fureties,and men that be greatly offentiue, moil commonly offer their word for grieuous offendours.And many times theyare caught,andbrought into the trappe, their deare friends ofwhomthey had fo good opinion,dogiue them the flip,and leaue them in the lurch, and then they clamour, and crie out,yet onlyagainf} thevnfaithfulneffeofthe manwhonie theybeleeued fowell,but not againfi their ownvnfaithfulneffe, whichwouldnot beleeueGodwho forewarned them ofthepe_, rill.Nay they fill clear themfelues,though their own folly con_ uincethem, they giue commendations of their owne courfe, though friends,and family, thoughGods te(limony, and their ownewoful experience condemn them.Theirloue,theyfay,and friendfhip,theirgoodnature,and kind heart hath wrought them all that forrow.Nay,rather it was cruelty,andvnmercifulneffe to your ownehoufe.It was rafhnes,abad nature,and a foolifh hart that brought you into this mifery.Haue you defperatly thrown your felues into aquick fand,&willyou lay all theblameupon others for your flicking in themire? Defence ofthemwhich arenot flexible to ferue euerymans turne withbond & couenants,but will Mtknow theperfon for whom theymake their promife, and bee acquaintedwith his truth andhonefty,andwithhishate and hability; andconfider alfooftheir owne fufficiency, whether they can without any great difficulty,difcharge that which they take vpon thé,iftheir neighbour fhouldfaile.But this is want ofgoodneighborhood fay they.But this is a point ofgoodwifedome, faithGod,who neuer alloweth that neighbourhoodfor good, which fwarueth fromholydifcretion.His commandement is:Thou (halt Ioue thy neighbor as thy felfe, andthe rforeno man is bound to loue him more thenhimfelfe,efpeciallywhen it is with hatredofhimfelf, andhurt ofmanyothers.And indeed it is no workoftrue loue, but offlefhly friendthip:for loue doth neuer leadeaman todoe any thingwhichGod appointethhim tohate,as in this placehe lothall rafhfuretifhip. Vcrf,ió,

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