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.

12 The wicked desireth the net of euils: but the roote of the righteous giueth fruite.

The hunter or the fouler that desireth to make his profit in hun∣ting or fouling, doeth not onely set and lay to take one beast or one foule, but many: and to obtaine his desire, hee prepareth his lawnes toyles and nettes, and doeth place them as hee knoweth they will serue him best to make greatest spoyle of beastes: for he doeth not hunt after them for to nourish and keepe them aliue, but to kil and ea••e them, and to satisfie his desire: euen so the wicked is not con∣tented to commit one euil, but doeth inuent many, and against ma∣ny persons, and chiefly against the weake and feeble, against the simple and innocent, which want power or wisedom to resist the wicked, as doe the beastes that the huntsman or fouler pursueth. And to come to the ende of his deuises and enterprises, hee vseth diuers artes, according as they are fit to bring him his desire, and come to the ende of his enterprise: one while hee proceedeth by craft and subtiltie, another time by force and violence, some∣times by cruel woordes, as by rebukes, false witnesse bearing and threateninges. Solomon doth signifie the same in fewe woordes, when hee saieth, The wicked desireth, &c. And as it is more amplie described in the Psalmes: Saule against Dauid, Absalon a∣gainst * 1.1 his Father Dauid: Iudas with the Scribes and Pharisees a∣gainst Iesus Christ haue wel shewed that they did desire a multitude of euils. The Pope and his souldiours, tyrantes and enemies of truthe doe wel shewe that they desire a multitude of euils against the children of God. Wee feele that other wicked men also, as iudges and vngodly counsellers, murtherers, theeues, vsurers, co∣uetous,

whoremōgers and adulterers do wish a net of euils. For al these haue bent themselues theretoo, & doe dayly. Whereuppon it commeth that the Psalmist prayeth and often complaineth, Drawe * 1.2 mee out of the net that they haue layde priuily for mee. A∣gaine, Let them bee confounded and put to shame that seeke af∣ter my soule, &c. Againe, I cryed vnto the Lorde with my voyce: with my voyce I prayed vnto the Lorde. I powred out my meditation before him and declared my affliction in his presence. Though my spirit was in perplexitie in mee, yet thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, haue they priuily layde a snare for mee.

But as it is commonly saide, that hunters doe often loose their pathes: euen so also the Lorde bringeth to nought the away∣tinges, enterprises, and ymaginations that the wicked woorke a∣gainst the faithful: as Ioseph, Moyses, Dauid, Ezekias, the Pro∣phetes, our Lorde Iesus Christ and his Apostles, and as the true faithful doe also feele at this day. For after that GOD hath exercised and tryed them a certaine time through the pursute of these wicked hunters and huntsmen, in the ende at most neede he doth deliuer them, and perceyuing and knowing themselues to bee deliuered, they say, Who so dwelleth in the se∣crete * 1.3 of the most high, shall abyde in the shadowe of the Al∣mightie. Againe, Praysed bee the Lorde, which hath not gi∣uen * 1.4 vs as a praye vnto their teeth. Our soule is escaped, euen as a byrd out of the snare of the foulers: the snare is bro∣ken and wee are deliuered. But when these wicked huntsmen are sent of GOD for to followe after the vngodly, to destroy them, then they loose not the way. As the Prophete Ieremy saieth, Beholde saith the Lorde, I wil sende out many fishers, and they * 1.5 shall fishe them, and after, wil I sende out many hunters, and they shal hunt them from euery mountaine and from euery hill, and out of the caues of the rockes. Nowe as Solomon hath compared the wicked vnto the huntsman which pitcheth and set∣teth a long net: euen so contrarily hee compareth the righteous, that is to say, those which haue no desire to hurte, but ra∣ther would profit their neighbours, hee doeth liken them, I say,

vnto a tree which is strongly planted and soundly rooted: as also they are in other places likened theretoo. Solomon making the like * 1.6 comparison, saith,

But the roote of the righteous giueth frute. As hee hath attri∣buted vnprofitablenesse, hurte, hinderance and destruction vnto the wicked, whereupon commeth their damnation: euen so con∣trarily, hee attributeth frutefulnesse or profite vnto the righteous: * 1.7 whereupon it doeth folowe that they shal continue, as hath beene treated vpon. The frutefulnesse that the righteous doe bring foorth, commeth from within, as Solomon doeth signifie, when hee attri∣buteth fruite to come from the roote. Let vs then learne that all our inwarde partes must bee sounde and good, if we wil bring forth * 1.8 any excellent frute. Solomon calleth the inward partes of man A roote, and that very aptly for first of al, as the roote of the tree ly∣eth hidde in the earth: euen so can we not see the affections and de∣sires of man. For what is hee that knoweth the things of men? Se∣condly, as by the frute wee come to knowe what the roote of the tree is: euen so a man by his woordes and woorkes doeth reueale * 1.9 what hee is within. Thirdly, as the tree without the roote cannot spring nor bring foorth frute: euen so man cannot bee occupied to profit his neighbours, but so farre as his wil and affection do leade and guide him. Nowe that the roote doeth signifie the inwarde parte, wee may vnderstande it, when Solomon doth place it against desires. Not hee alone doeth vse it in this signification, but Moy∣ses * 1.10 also, And the Apostle to the Hebrewes. Saint Paule also doeth shewe the same speaking of them that are entred by the Gospel, when he speaketh, he hath planted, and Apollo watered, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 10. 7. & 50. 16.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 31. 4. Psal. 35. 4. & 142. 1. 2. ••
• * 1.3

  Psal. 91. 1.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 124. 6. & 7.
• * 1.5

  Iere. 16. 16.
• * 1.6

  Psa. 1. 3. Ier. 17. 8.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 7. 15. & 9. 16. Pro. 2. 21. & 3. 2.
• * 1.8

  Mat. 12. 35.
• * 1.9

  Mat. 7. 16. & 20.
• * 1.10

  Deu. 29. 18. Heb. 12. 15. Rom. 11. 16. 1. Cor. 3. 6.