¶ Of the discrecyon and prayse of the preacher, and of the hearer. Of the feare, fayth, and cōfydence of God.
CAPI. XXXII.
YF thou be made a ruler, * 1.1 pryde not thy [unspec A] self therin / but be thou as one of the peo¦ple. * 1.2 Take dylygent care for them and loke well therto: and when thou hast done all thy dewtye / syt the downe / that thou mayest be mery with them / and receyue a crowne of ho¦nour. Talke wysely and honestly / for wys∣dome becommeth the ryght wel. Hynder not musycke. Speake not, where there is no au∣dyence: * 1.3 and poure not forth wysdome out of tyme / at an importunite. Lyke as the Car buncle stone shyneth that is set in golde / so doth a songe garnysh the wyne feast: and as the Smaragde that is set in golde, so is the swetnesse of Musycke by the myrth of wyne, (Geue eare, and be styll / and for thy good be∣hauour thou shalte be loued.)
Thou yonge man / speake that becōmeth [unspec B] the, and that is profytable, & yet scarse when thou art twyse asked. Comprehende muche with fewe wordes. In many thynges be as one that is ignoraunt / geue eare, and holde thy tonge withall. Yf thou be amonge men of hyer auctoryte / desyre not to compare thy selfe vnto them: and when an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes therin. Before the thonder goeth lyghtenynge / and before nurtoure and shamefastnes: goeth loue and fauour. Stande vp by tymes / and be not the laste: but get the home soone, and there take thy pastyme / and do what thou wylt: so that thou do no euell / and defye no man. But for all thynges geue thankes, vnto hym y• hath made the / & replenyshed the with his goods.
Who so feareth the Lorde / wyll receyue his doctryne: and they that get them to hym [unspec C] by tymes / shall fynde grace. He that seketh the lawe shall be fylled withall: As for hym that is but fayned, he wyll be offended therat They that feare the Lorde / shall fynde the iudgement, and theyr ryghtuousnesse shalbe kyndled as a lyght. An vngodly man wyll not be refourmed, but can help him self with the example of other in his purpose. A man of vnderstandynge despyseth no good coun¦cell: but a wylde and proude body hathe no feare (Yee euen whan he hath dealt rashly wt another man, but his owne doynges shall be his rebuke.) My sonne, do nothyng without aduisement, so shal it not repent the after the dede. Go not in the waye where thou mayest fal / nor where thou mayest stomble agaynst the stone. Geue not thy selfe into a laborious slyppery waye, and beware of thyne owne chyldren, (and take hede of theym that be of thyne owne housholde.) In all thy worckes put thy trust in God frō thy whole herte, for that is the kepynge of the commaundemen∣tes. Who so beleueth Gods worde / taketh hede to the commaundementes: and he that putteth hys trust in the Lorde, shall wante nothynge.