A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

1 A wise sonne maketh a glad father: but a foolish sonne is an heauinesse to his mother.

WE haue said at the beginning of this booke, that Solomon in the niene first Chapters did make a Preface & preamble vpon these notable sentē∣ces that he would publish. That this is true, partly is seen by this, that the former wordes doe followe now & then betweene, and may be ioyned togeather, as we haue already she∣wed: partly also by this, that now in the beginning of this tenth Chapter, he giueth the title, saying, The Prouerbes of Solomon: as though he began a newe booke. And these sayings, as may be seene, are halfe and parted sentences, for the

ioyning whereof we need not to take any great paines. But we must vnderstande that these sayinges are groundes and rules spoken ac∣cording to the worde of the Lorde: whereby he instructeth the man∣ners, and correcteth the errour, and the faultes of carnal wisedome. And almost there is no verse heereafter, but hath his rule and sen∣tence, and for the most part diuided in twaine: for euen in one verse you shall finde the praise of vertue, and the blame of the contrarie vice. The first sentence praiseth the wise childe, and blameth the foo∣lish. It sayth nothing which is not aproued true of all thē that haue any iudgement at all: And also that which is heere pronounced, is commonly prooued of euery one, according as he is counted ey∣ther wise or foolishe. The one sort haue a true experience, and the other false and vaine, after as the one hath knowledge of wise∣dome: and the other (which are the greatest number) after as they beleeue lyes, and are giuen to vanitie. The supersticious and idola∣ters, the carnall wise worldlinges are glad when their children are like vnto them, and count them very wise: but as this wisdome is reproued of God (who wil destroy it) as hath been saide: (I wil de∣stroy * 1.1 the wisedome of the wise, &c. For the wisedome of this worlde, and of the princes therof, shal perish:) so also their ioy shall not be of any continuance, for it is worldly and carnall, and therfore it shall vanish away quickly. Solomon speaketh not heere of this wisedome and gladnesse, but of that which is after God, the which continewe for euer, seeing that the giftes and callinges of God are without repentance. It is a gift and calling of GOD, when the * 1.2 childe, be it sonne or daughter, is wise, and that the father reioyceth therein, and that truely, and thus it is not a thing which quickly va∣nisheth away. But to the ende that wee might knowe which are the children that do truely make glad their fathers, we must vnder∣stande, what true wisedome is, and wherein it standeth. Moses * 1.3 doeth shewe it, Beholde I haue taught you Ordinances and Lawes, euen as the Lorde God hath commanded me: yee shall doe them therefore, and keepe them, for this is your wisedome. And foras∣much as there is no father being of sound iudgement, but reioyceth at the wisedome of his children. Therefore it followeth, first of al that the fathers and mothers, and al superious and gouerners ought to ber careful to see their children and subiectes to bee instructed in

the worde, and not to be delighted with their follies, wickednesse, and dissolutenesse as are many: but it oftentimes happeneth, that the ioy of the fathers and mothers, is turned into weeping & mour∣ning, when theyr children being euil brought vp, doe diuersly worke them iniurie and wrong both by worde and deede, or when they see them miserablie perishe. And in this manner is somewhat fulfilled that the foolish childe is sorowe vnto his mother, & that iustly: for these wicked fathers & mothers, these negligent superiours, & care∣lesse gouernours, which doe not diligently take heede to gouerne their children, and them which are vnder their charge: but suffers, or seemes not to see when they commit follies, and runne astray, do wel deserue to haue much sorowe therefore. Secondly, it followeth that the children and vnderlings which desire to make their fathers and mothers glad, and their superiours & gouernours ioyful, ought to giue themselues to folow the worde of God, without declining therefrom, either to the right hande or to the left: that if in this sort their parentes and superiours doe not reioyce, yet, they ceasse not to be wise, and so much as in them lyeth doe make them glad. They ought aboue al thinges to bee giuen vnto the feare and reue∣rence of God, as hee requireth in the first table of the Lawe: and then to giue reuerence and honour vnto them, vnto whome it is due, and then afterwardes to be gentle towardes their neighbours. Heerin they shall shewe foorth true wisedome, whereat their pa∣rentes and superiours, and men of honestie wil reioyce and be glad: but the wicked wil persecute them, as those places where the Pope raigneth, doe proue it to be true: For they call euil, good; & good, euill. Such kinde of people, striuing against this present instruction, * 1.4 are greeued at the wise, and reioyce at fooles, whose parentes being led by the spirite of God, cannot reioyce, but are in continual so∣rowe and griefe. For as Solomon saith, A foolishe childe is an heauinesse to his mother: &c. And because that Solomon labou∣red to giue vs short sentences, hee expresseth not in plaine wordes what he woulde haue vs to vnderstande. Hee speaketh heere of children onely in the masculine gender: yet hee meaneth aswell to instruct the daughters as the sonnes, the women aswellas the men, according to the common manner of the Scripture. Also he

expresseth not in the first part of this sentence but the father, and in the 2. but the mother. For if we be people of a sounde iudgement, wee haue all one affection towardes our children, so that it is suche towards our daughters, as towards our sonnes. And it is not with∣out cause that we haue said that fathers and mothers, and al superi∣ours and gouernors ought to be carefull. For first of all they are or∣deined of GOD to bee as schoole maisters, and to keepe them in discipline that are committed vnto their charge. Secondly, children doe passe little for wisedome, neither make any count to at∣taine the same, except they bee thrust forwarde by some of their friendes: and the common people are easie to runne astray, except the Magistrate be very carefull to keepe them in straight, &c. Euen so the wisedome of children and inferiours, standeth in obedience and sufferance to be ruled after the worde of God, and not in go∣uerning others. For the Lorde wil haue the weake to bee subiect, and to be taught obedience by the worde. As Dauid sayeth, Wher∣in shal a young man redresse his way? in taking heede according * 1.5 to thy worde. If children and inferiours doe thus wisely gouerne themselues, they neede not to feare any aduersitie: for the Lorde wil keepe and defende them, and make them blessed. The which Solomon doth wel signifie by the ioy of the father. For there is no∣thing that more reioyceth the father, then to see and knowe that his children doe prosper. And so wee may vnderstande that in the fathers ioye, there is promise of health enclosed: and contrarily, that in heauinesse of the mother, there is threatning of death and dam∣nation. Besides this, let vs note that this which is saide of parents & carnal children, may likewise bee stretched vnto the ministers, and to their charge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay. 29. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 19. &. 2. 6.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 11. 24.
• * 1.3

  Deut. 4. 5
• * 1.4

  Esay. 5. 20
• * 1.5

  Psal. 119. 9.