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.

4 Anger is cruell, and wrath is raging: but who can stand before enuie?

An angry man is cruel: as we may see by Caine, Esaw, and the brethren of Ioseph. And a man that is furious, is like vnto a flood of water that descendeth with raging: as wee may see in Pharao, Ab∣solon, and Roboam. Nowe that which is seene by experience, Solo∣mon doth pronounce, when he saith, Anger is cruel. &c. Wherein he doth aduertise that the companie of the wrathful & furious mā is very hurtful and dangerous, and for this cause that we should not desire the same, but should rather shunne and auoide it. And foras∣much as we desire not that any man should fly our company, as frō cruel and wrathful, furious and vnmerciful men, and also that wee would not haue our neighbours to be such towards vs, let vs vnder∣stand that Solomon doeth admonish vs to put from vs al bitternes, anger, wrath, and roaring, as doeth S. Paule. The angry and wrath∣ful are very dangerous, but the enuious are far more cruel: as Solo∣mon doeth pronounce, when he saith,

But who shal stande before enuie? For besides crueltie and ra∣ging, the which wee may correct in the angry and wrathful, the en∣uious is ambitious and arrogant, a dissembler, purposing malice, obstinate and harde of heart against his conscience, so that they are altogither without reconciliation: as wee may see in the Scribes and Pharisees against Iesus Christ our Lorde. Thus we are aduerti∣sed to take diligent heed of the enuious, and also that we ourselues fal not too it: folowing the admonition of S. Peter.

Notes

• Gene. 4. & 27. & 37. Exo. 14. 1. Sam. 18. 2. Sam. 15. 1. Kings. 12.
• Eph. 4. 31. 32. Col. 3. 8.
• 2. Pet. 2. 1.