The harmonie of Holie Scriptures vvith the seuerall sentences of sundry learned and vvorthy vvriters : collected for the comfort of all such as are desirous to seeke after theyr soules health / by I.B.

¶ Against enuie, hatred, malice, anger, wrath, & murder.

§. 1.

THou shalt not (saith the Lord) hate thy* 1.1 neighbour [or brother] in thine heart, but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neigh∣bour, and suffer him not to sinne.

Thou shalt not auenge, nor be mindfull* 1.2 of wrong against the chyldren of thy peo∣ple, but shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe.

Say not thou, I will recompence euill:* 1.3 or, I will doe to him, as hee hath doone to mee: but waite vpon the Lord, & he shall saue thee.

For, where enuying and strife is, there is* 1.4 sedition, and all manner of euill workes.

§. 2.

Enuie, (saith Plato) is the daughter of* 1.5 Pride, the authour of murther & reuenge, the beginner of all secret sedition, and the perpetuall enemie to vertue.

So that there is not a more wicked thing, thē for a man to hate, or be enuious: by the* 1.6 which effect, the deuils be most miserable.

And, the onely difference betweene en∣uie* 1.7 and hatred is this: the first, worketh

euill secretly: the second, pursueth after reuenge publiquely.

§. 3.

As of all vices Pride is the greatest, so of* 1.8 all euils, Enuie is the most auncient, and Gluttony the foulest.

Enuie neuer walkes abroad, without his* 1.9 companion Slaunder in his company: for they are as it were two brothers, linked to∣gether to worke wickednesse.

And, as enuie intends euill against his* 1.10 neighbour secretly in his thought, so slaun∣der endeuoureth priuily to defame him with his tongue.

§. 4.

The malicious man, doth alwayes drink* 1.11 the most part of his owne poyson. And, like as yron is consumed with rust, so the harts of the enuious, are daily eaten & con∣sumed by enuie.

The man also that is enuious, becom∣meth* 1.12 euer-more a troublesome tormentor to himselfe during his life; and neuer hur∣teth any man else by his hatred whilst hee liueth, so much as hee harmeth himselfe at the time of his death.

An example heereof may be seene in the* 1.13 actions of Ahitophell; who hauing greatly

abused his wit, by beating his braine to giue wicked counsel to king Dauids sonne against his Father; & seeing afterward his purpose preuented, and his counsell con∣temned, he was presently so molested with inward malice, and ouer-come of secret enuie, that more Asse-like then the Asse vvhich hee rode on, he made hast home to hang himselfe.

§. 5.

Be not thou (saith Salomon) of an hasty* 1.14 spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.

And, as the vapour and smoake of the* 1.15 chimney goeth before the fire, so euill words, rebukes, and threatnings, goe be∣fore blood-shedding.

§. 6.

If thy anger be but a small time deferred,* 1.16 thou shalt plainly perceiue that it will ther∣by be greatly abated; but if thou nourish and suffer the same to continue, it will ne∣uer cease, vntill by reuenge it bring thee to ruine.

He therefore may well be said to be con∣querour* 1.17 ouer a stoute enemy, that can by his wisedome and patience, ouercome his owne anger.

For, hee that delights in peace and qui∣etnesse,* 1.18 sleepeth secure: but he that loueth strife and anger, is continually subiect to wrath and danger.

§. 7.

Yee haue heard (saith Christ) that it was* 1.19 said vnto them of the old time; Thou shalt not kill: for, who-soeuer killeth, shall be culpable of iudgement.

But I say vnto you, whosoeuer is angry* 1.20 with his brother vnaduisedly, shall be cul∣pable of iudgement.

If any man kill with a sword, he must be* 1.21 killed by a sword.

And who so sheddeth mans bloode, by* 1.22 man shall his blood be shed: for in the I∣mage of GOD hath the Almightie made man.

§. 8.

Cease from anger, and leaue off wrath:* 1.23 fret not thy selfe also to doe euill: for euill dooers shall be cut off; and they that waite vpon the Lorde, they shall enherite the Land.

Be angry, but sin not; let not the Sunne* 1.24 goe downe vpon thy wrath: neyther giue place to the deuill.

If thou haue not so much power ouer* 1.25 thy selfe, as presently to refraine thine an∣ger; yet striue to dissemble it, and so by lit∣tle and little forget it.

For, hee that is slowe to anger, is better* 1.26 then the mighty man: and hee that ruleth his owne minde, is better then he that win∣neth a Cittie.

§. 9.

Beware of strife, and thou shalt make* 1.27 thy sinnes fewer: for an angry man kind∣leth strife.

The more wood there is, the more ve∣hement* 1.28 is the fire, and the mightier that a man is, the greater is his wrath: & the lon∣ger the strife endureth, the more vvrath is enflamed.

An hastie brauling kindleth a fire: and* 1.29 an hastie fighting sheddeth blood.

Meddle therefore as little as thou mayst,* 1.30 vvith the man that is not able to rule his owne anger: for, eyther by his company keeping, thou shalt be made like him: or else on the suddaine, thou shalt receiue some vnloo-ked-for-euill by him.

§. 10.

Striue not with a mighty man, least thou* 1.31 happen to fall into his hands: neither make

any variance with a rich man, least hee on the other side wey downe thy weight: for, gold and siluer hath destroyed many, and hath subuerted the harts of Kinges. Striue not with a man that is full of words; ney∣ther lay thou any sticks vpon his fire.

Trauaile not by the way with him that is* 1.32 rash, least hee doe thee iniurie: for such a man will follow his owne wilfulnes; and so shalt thou perrish through his folly.

As innocent Abel perrished by the* 1.33 hands of his elder brother Caine, in his vn∣aduised rage and furie.

§. 11.

If thine enemie haue threatned thee, be* 1.34 not too hastie to giue credite to his flatte∣ring speeches: for Serpents neuer sting so deadly, as when they bite without any hys∣sing.

Hee that hateth, will counterfet with his* 1.35 lippes; but in his hart hee hourdeth vp de∣ceit.

VVherefore,] if hee speake thee fayre,* 1.36 beleeue him not; for there are many abho∣minations in his hart.

Blood is as nothing in such a mans sight,* 1.37 and when thou least thinkest harme, hee wil then be most ready to hurt thee.

As may for example be perceiued, by the trecherous dealing of Ioab, with Abner &* 1.38 Amafa; whose blood hee spilt Iudas-like; saluting thē with outward signes of peace, and inward intent of murder.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Leuit, 19, 17
• * 1.2

  Leuit, 19, 18
• * 1.3

  Prou, 20, 22. & 24, 29
• * 1.4

  Iames, 3, 16
• * 1.5

  Plato.
• * 1.6

  Mar. Aur.
• * 1.7

  Aristotle.
• * 1.8

  Socrates.
• * 1.9

  Pythag.
• * 1.10

  Phocilides.
• * 1.11

  Seneca.
• * 1.12

  Boetius.
• * 1.13

  2. Sam, 17. 1, 2, 3, 4. &c.
• * 1.14

  Eccles, 7, 11.
• * 1.15

  Eccl{us}. 22. 24
• * 1.16

  Dion.
• * 1.17

  Chilo.
• * 1.18

  Perdicas.
• * 1.19

  Math, 5, 21,
• * 1.20

  verse, 22.
• * 1.21

  Reue, 13, 10
• * 1.22

  Gene, 9, 6,
• * 1.23

  Psalm, 37. 8. 9.
• * 1.24

  Ephe, 4, 26, 27.
• * 1.25

  Hermes.
• * 1.26

  Prou, 16, 32
• * 1.27

  Ecclus, 28, 8,
• * 1.28

  Eccl{us}, 28, 10.
• * 1.29

  verse. 11.
• * 1.30

  Thales.
• * 1.31

  Eccl{us}, 8, 1. 2, 3,
• * 1.32

  Eccl{us}, 8, 15,
• * 1.33

  Gene, 4, 8,
• * 1.34

  Plutarch.
• * 1.35

  Prou, 26, 24
• * 1.36

  verse, 25,
• * 1.37

  Hermes.
• * 1.38

  2, Sam. 3. 27 and 20. 10.