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.

8 Scornefull men bring a citie into a snare: but wise men turne away wrath.

Wee haue proued by experience in al times, and yet doe trye that the kinges and princes, the rulers and superiours of the earth rise vp, and fight one against the other, and labor to destroy houses, castles, villages & to wnes. And they do the same, being led with am∣bition and desire of reigning, to waxe riche, and to be great, orels being mooued with wrath and indignation, with hatred and desire of vengeance. And albeit that men doe such thinges of their owne will and set malice, yet doe they come to passe by the iust iudge∣ment of God, which by such vprores, dissentions and warres doeth punishe the contempt of his worde, reuenge the violences and op∣pressions, the filthinesse and vncleannesse, the offences and dissolu∣tions, the deceite & guile that the mightie of the world commit & the common people, who despise the threatenings that God maketh them by his seruants, scorning at his iudgements, as though they shoulde neuer bee attainted, albeit the examples are set before their face: as the iudgementes that hee hath exercised in the time of Noe by the flood: in the time of Lot, vpon Sodome and Gomor∣rha: in the time of Moses, vpon Pharao and his people, in the time of Dauid vpon Saule: and many times vpon the children of Israel and other wicked scorners: whome wee may reproche with male∣diction. Woe bee to them that drawe wickednesse as it were with cordes of vanitie, &c. And to declare the punishment of suche as Esay doeth foretel them, saying, As the flame of the fire consumeth the reede, and the flame consumeth the strawe: euen so shall their

roote be like rottennesse: and their budde shal ascende as dust. By the abouesaide examples, and the foresaide reproches and threate∣ninges, we see that scornful men bring a Citie into a snare. For looke howe the destruction of birdes is, when they are taken in the net, or snare: euen so doeth a countrie runne to destruction, when the people thereof is giuen vnto the foresaide scornings: & chiefly when the Rulers and Superiours are infected therewith. For if they scorne God, when hee sendeth them his souldiours for to chasten them, they wil easily also mocke at men: and so they wil kindle them more, and hasten them to make destruction of the countrie: as it is wel prooued by the warres that are raised vp in our time. One Prince doeth scorne an other, and doe so mooue and stirre vp one another, that the one spoileth of the one side, & another of the o∣ther. Contrarily, if through the feare of the Lord, the rulers & supe∣riours of one countrey doe giue themselues vnto wisedome, and that they are careful to cause the people to walke therein, then they shal not snarle the citie, but shall appease and swage the wrath aswel of God, as of his organs and instruments, and shal deliuer the people from perdition. This is that which Solomon pronounceth saying,

But wise men turne away wrath. Hereof we haue diuers ex∣amples first of al in Noe, who by his wisdom turned away the wrath of God from his family. Secondly, Ioseph preserued and saued E∣gypt, and the house of his father that they perished not by famine. Thirdly, Moyses did often turne away the wrath of God from the people of Israel.

Fourthly it is saide that a little towne, where there were but fewe men within it, was beseeged of a greate king: and there was a poore wise man founde, who saued it by his wisedome, &c. Fifth∣ly, it is saide that a wise woman saued a citie from ouerthrowing by the souldiours of Ioab.

Notes

• Esay. 5. 18. 19 & 28. 14. 15 & 5. 24. & 28. 7.
• Exo. 14. 10. & 16. 2. & 17. 2. & 32. 1. Num. 11. 1. & 14. 1. & 16. 46. Eccle. 9. 14. 2. Sam. 20, 16