Lorde our God is one Lord onely And thou shalte loue the Lord thy God with all thy harte with al thy soule with all thy might And these woordes which I commaunde thee thys day shalt thou take to harte and shalt rehearse them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thyne house and whē thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe and when thou rysest vp And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall bee a token of remembrance before thine eies thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house and vpon the gates If ye harken vnto my commaundemēts which I commaund you this day that ye loue the Lorde your God and serue hym with all your hart wyth all your soule then will I geue rayne vnto your lande in due season earlye and late that thou mayest gather in thy corne thy wine and thine oyle and I wyll geue grasse vppon thy fielde for thy cattell that ye maye eate and be fylled But beware that your harte bee not deceyued that ye goe aside and serue other gods and worship them and then the wrathe of the Lorde waxe whote vppon you and he shutte vppe the heauen that there come no rayne and the earth geue not her encrease and ye perish shortly from the good land which the lord hath geuen you Put vp therefore these my woordes in your hartes and in your soules and binde them for a signe vpon your handes that they bee a token of remembraunce before your eyes and teache them your childrē so that thou talke of them when thou sittest in thine house or walkest by the way when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and write them vpon the postes of thine house and vpon the gates that thou and thy children may liue long in y e land which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers to geue them as long as the dayes of heauen endure vpon earth Let my doctrine encrease as rayne and my speach flow as doth the dew Euen as the rayne vppon the grasse and the drops vpon the herbe Take to heart all the wordes which I testifie vnto you this day that ye cōmaūd your children to obserue and do all these woordes of this lawe For it is no vayne worde to you but it is your lyfe and this worde shall prolong your life Be strong and verye bolde that thou mayest keepe and doe euery thing according to the lawe that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee Turne not aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left that thou maiest deale wisely whether soeuer thou goest And let not the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouthe but exercise thy selfe therin day and nighte that thou mayest keepe and doe euery thing according to it that is written therin Then shalt thou prosper in thy wayes and deale wisely Lo I haue commaunded thee to be strong and bolde Fear not and be not afrayde for the Lord thy God is with thee whersoeuer thou goest Blessed is the man that deliteth in the law of the Lord and exerciseth himself in his law both day and night Lay hand on the learning lest the Lord be angry so ye perish frō the right way The law of the Lord is pure it turneth soules The witnesse of the Lord is faith full it geueth wisdom euen vnto babes The statutes of the Lord are right they reioyce the hart the commaundement of the Lord is bright and lighteneth the eyes The feare of the Lord is holy it endureth for euer the iudgements of the Lorde are true and righteous altogether they are more pleasaunt and worthy more to be desired then golde and precious stone yea they be sweter then the hony and the hony combe The Lord shall tell in the Scriptures of the people and of those Princes that were in her Blessed is the man whom thou hast nur tered O lord and taught him thy lawe He hath sent his word healed them deliuered them from their destructions Blessed are thei y e search his testimonies seeke after him with their whole harte Thou hast geuen strait charge that thy commaundements should be kept Oh that my wayes were stablished to kepe thy statutes then should not I be cō founded while I haue respect vnto all thy commaundements Where with all shall a younge man clenfe his way Uerely by ruling himselfe according to thy worde With my whole hart haue I sought thee oh let me not goe wrong out of thy commaundements Thy wordes haue I hid within my hart that I should not sinne against thee Thou rebukest y e proud cursed are they that depart from thy commaundements In thy testimonies is my delite yea thy statutes are my counsellers Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall kepe it vnto the ende Oh geue me vnderstanding and I shall kepe thy law yea I shall kepe it with my whole harte Leade me in the path of thy commaundements for that is my desire Enclyne my hart vnto thy testimonies and not vn to couetousnes The law of thy mouthe is better vnto me then thousandes of gold and siluer The wicked mē haue told me tales but nothing agreable to thy law For all thy commaundements are true yet haue the vngodly persecuted me If my delite wer not in thy law I shuld perish in my trouble Oh how swete are thy wordes vnto my throte yea more then honye is vnto my mouth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathe It is hie time for thee O Lord to laye to thyne hand For they haue destroyed thy lawe For I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde and precious stone The preachinge of the worde geueth sighte yea and bringeth forth vnderstanding euen vnto the very babes Helthe is far from the vngodlye for they regard not thy statutes But great is the peace that they haue which loue thy lawe and they are not offended at it My Sonne if thou wilte receiue my wordes and kepe my commaundementes by thee that thine eare may harken vnto wisedome apply thine hart then to vnder standing For if thou criest after wisdome and callest for knowledg if thou sekest after her as after mony diggest for her as for treasure then shalt thou vnderstande the fear of the lord and find the knowlege of God For it is the Lorde that geeueth wisdome out of his mouthe commeth knowledge and vnderstandinge He preserueth the welfare of the righteous and de◅ēdeth them that walk innosētly he kepeth thē in the right path and preserueth the way of the saintes Then shalt thou not vnder stand rightuousnesse iudgement and equi tie yea and euery good path If wisedome enter into thine harte and thy soule delite in knowledge then shall councel preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee That thou maiest be deliuered frō the euill waye and from the
wyll caste an hunger vppon the earth not the hunger of breade nor the thirst of water but of bearing the word of the Lord. And they shal go from sea to sea and walke aboute from the South to the East sekinge the worde of the Lorde and yet shall they not finde it ☞ Examples out of the 〈◊〉 Testament GOd the Father wrote the law of the ten coÌ„maundements in tables of stone with his finger and commaunded Moyses to declare them vnto the people The people are commaunded of God not only to rede his holy law but also diligently to exercise them selues in the me ditation therof so long as they liue and to teach it their childreÌ„ yea to talk of it both in their house and when they go abroad and to write it vpon tâ—…e thresholds dores and postes of their houses that it may bee â—…er in their sight For man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that procedeth from the mouth of God A kinge is commaunded to reade the boke of the law of the Lorde all the dayes of his life that he may feare the Lorde his God Iosua was commaunded that the boke of the Lordes law should not depart from his mouth but that he shoulde study in it day and night that he might kepe and do all thinges that are written in that boke King Saul was cast down from his roy all estate because he was negligente and disobedient to the law of God When Dauid lay on his deathe bed he saide to Sallomon thou shalt prosper and come to great renoume if thou kepest the commaundementes and ordinaunces which the Lord commaunded Moses Ioas when he was crowned in y â— temple had the law of the Lord deliuered vnto his handes that he shoulde keepe and maintaine the same Iosaphat that walked in the commaundementes of the Lord loued Gods word so entierly that he sent hys princes Leuites and priestes to teach in all partes of Iuda which had the booke of the Lordes law with them and went about in all the cities of Iuda and taught the people Ezechias diligently walked in the law of the Lord purged his realme of all idolatry set vp againe the true worshipping of God exhorted all his subiectes to followe the lawe of their Lord God Iossas that most godly king which walked so purely in the waies of the lord that he declined neither on the ryght hand nor on the left when the boke of the law was deliuered vnto him did not only cause the booke to be red before hym but he himself also red it before all his people both small and great and all idolatry destroyed restored the true religion to hys kingdome Esdras red the law of the Lord plainly and distinctly to the people they gaue very earnest and diligent attendaunce to the bearing of it Susan from her infanciâ—… was so diligentlye brought vp of her parentes in the lawe of God that she did not onely feare god but also chused rather to be stoned vn to death then she would once transgresse the law of god by committing adultery Sentences out of the newe Testament Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God Uerely verely I say vnto you this age shal not passe till all these things be done Heauen and earth shall passe awaye but my wordes shall not passe away Blessed are they that heare the word of god and kepe it Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither will they beleue though one shoulde rise from the dead Thys is condemnation that lyghte is come into the world and that men loued darkenes more then lyght because theyr workes were euill For euery man that doth euill hateth the lyght neyther commeth he to y â— light least his workes should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to light that his deedes myghte bee known how they are wrought in god Search the scriptures for ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe in them and these are they which testifie of me neyther will ye come vnto me that ye may haue life The wordes that I speake to you are spirite and life Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting lyfe He that is of god heareth the wordes of god But ye heare not bicause ye are not of god If a man kepeth my worde he shal neuer see death My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and thei folow me and I geue them euerlasting lyfe Walke while ye haue light least darknes ouerwhelme you He that walketh in darknes knoweth not whether he goeth While ye haue light beleue in the lyghte that ye may be the children of lyght He that hath my preceptes and keepeth them he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we shall come to him and dwell with hym This is euerlasting life euen to knowe thee the alone true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Euery one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The gospell of Christ is the power of god vnto saluation for so many as beleue Except the Lorde of bostes had left vnto vs sede that is hys most blessed word we had bene as Sodom and might well haue bene likened to Gomorra Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whatsoeuer thyngs are written afore time are writteÌ„ for our learning that we thorowe pacience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The word of the crosse is to them that perishe folishnesse but to vs â–ª that obtaine saluation it is the power of God If the gospell of Christ be yet byd it is byd among them that are loste in whom y â— god of this world hath blinded y â— minds of them which beleue not least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shyne vnto theÌ„ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wysedome Teach and monish one an other Quench not the spirite Despise not the studies and preachinges of the holy Scripture Proue all thinges and that is good holde faste God will all men to be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Geue thy minde to reading exhortation and doctrine continue in these things Continue in reading the holy scripture which is able to make thee wyse vnto saluatioÌ„ thorow the fayth which is in Christ Iesus For all Scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to improue to amend and to instructe in ryghteousnes that the man of god may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes The word of God is
deuise thinges which be to harde to be kept through which the poore are oppressed on euerye side and the innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement Wo be to those shriÌ„kiÌ„g childreÌ„ saith y â— lord which seke counsel but not at me whiche take a web in haÌ„d but not after my will y â— they may heap one sinne vpon an other Thus saith the Lorde my thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes but as farre as the heaueÌ„s are higher then the earth so far do my wayes exceade youres and my thoughtes your thoughtes Your lippes speake leasinges and your tong setteth out wickednes No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truly Euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth disceite conceiueth wickednes and bringeth forth euil They breede Cockatrices egs weaue the spiders web Whosoeuer eâ—…eth of their egs dieth but if one tread vpon them their commeth vp a serpent Their webbe maketh no cloth and they maye not couer them with their laboures Their deedes are the deedes of wickednesse and the worke of robbery is in their handes their feete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloude Theyr councels are wicked councels hate and destruction is in their wayes but y â— way of peace they know not In their goings is no equitie their waies are so crooked y â— who so goeth therin knoweth nothing of peace My people haue committed two greate euils They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and digged them pits pits I say that are broken and can hold no water Take bâ—…de saithe the Lord ye truste in coâ—…sels that begile you do you no good Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that preach their owne dreames Heare O ye house of Israel saith the lord Is not my way right or ar not your waies rather wicked The children of thy people saye tushe the way of the Lord is not right where as their way is rather vnright Examples out of the olde Testament Ieroboam kynge of Israel contrary to gods word made two calues of gold and set them vp to be worshipped of people as their goddes but both he and his posteritie were greuously punished for it How greuously god punished al such as brought in strauÌ„ge worshippings of god or any matters concerning Idolatrye or ought els contrary to y â— word of God although y â— authors of theÌ„ made the simple people to beleeue y â— they were verities although vnwritteÌ„ as the Papistes do now adaies y â— holy scriptures in diuers places do euideÌ„tly shew namely in the bokes of the kinges and of the chronicles ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament Except your righteousnesse dooth excede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen Beware of false Prophets which câ—…me vnto you in sheepes clothing and inward ly are rauening wolues Why do ye transgresse the commaundenâ—…ent of God for your tradicions Euery plant y â— my heaueÌ„ly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rotes This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am wel pleased heare ye him Teache them to kepe all thinges that I haue commaunded you Ye leaue the commaundemeÌ„t of god and maintaine your owne constitutions Well ye do caste aside the commaundemeÌ„t of god to kepe your own tradicions If ye abide in my worde ye are my disciples in deede and ye shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall make you fre He that is of god heareth the wordes of God My sheepe heare my voice I knowe them and they followe mee neither shall they at any time pearishe nor yet shall any man pluck them out of my hand He that hathe my commaundementes and kepeth them he it is that loueth mee If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my law Ye are my frends if ye doe those things that I commaund you Euery one that is of the truthe heareth my voyce I dare not speak of any of these things that Christ hath not wrought by me I beseeche you brethern marke them that make deuision and geue occasions of euil contrarye to the doctrine y â— ye haue learned and auoid them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesu Christe but their own bellies with swete preachiÌ„gs and flattering words deceiue the harts of the simple Though we our selues or an Angel froÌ„ Heauen preache any other Gospel to you then that whiche we haue preached vnto you holde him accursed As I saide before so say I now againe if any man preach any other thing vnto you then that ye haue receiued holde him accursed Thoughe it be but a mans testament yet no maÌ„ despiseth it or addeth any thing therto when it is once alowed How much more ought nothing to be added to the tes tament of the moste highe God nor yet be taken from it Be no more children from heÌ„ceforth wandring and caried with euerye winde of doctrine by the wilines of men crafts whereby they lay awaite for vs to deceiuâ—… vs but let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is thy head that is to say Christ. Caste away vngodlye olde wiues fables exercise thy self vnto godlines If any man teache otherwise is not content with the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christe and with the doctrine of godlines He is pufte vp knoweth no thing but wasteth his brains about questioÌ„s strife of wordes wherof spring enuye strife rayling euill surmisinges and vaine disputations of menne of corrupte mindes and destitute of the truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes From suche seperate thy self If any man speake let him speake as though it came of gods owne mouth Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath bothe the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring not this lerning him receiue not to house neither bid him god spede For he that bid deth him god spede is partaker of his euil deedes Be not caried about with diuers and straunge learninges If any man addeth to these thinges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are written in this booke And if any maÌ„ shall minish of the wordes of this boke of this Prophecy god shal take away hys parte oute of the booke of life and out of the holye citie and from those thynges which are written in this booke Examples out of the newe Testament Christ rebuketh the pharises for bringing their traditions into the churche of God by that meanes defacyng the glory of Gods most holy worde Blessed Sainct Paule reproueth them which be dead with Christ from the commaundements
¶ The Gouernaunce of Uertue teaching all faythful christiaÌ„s how they oughte daily to leade their lyfe fruitfully to spend their time vnto the glorye of God the health of their owne soules Newlye corrected augmeÌ„ted by Thomas Becon 1566 ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day ⧠CVM PRIVILEGIO Regie Maiestatis THOMAS BECONVS SACROSAÌ„CTAE THEOLOGIAE PROFESSOR AETATIS SVAE 41 AN o. DNÌ„I 1553. Ora expressa vides viuos immitantia vultus Quod potuit calamo pictor arte vides Mentis quam Nullus potuit tibi redere pictor Effigiem scriptis prebuit ipse suis To the Godly Reader GRace groweth after gouernaunce Is an olde saide saw in eche place If gouernaunce hath good resemblance Grace delighteth to folow the trace Grace glorieth in godly gouernance Grace hasteth â—…o her haule and palace Grace doth godly gouernaunce auaunce And cause it to excel in eche place Where gouernaunce is godly wise Sage Sober Honest and Prudent There doth grace gloriously deuise To haue her seate aye permanent But if gouernaunce be wicked Idle wanton vndiscrete and vaine Grace whiche is godly disposed With such gouernaunce can not remaine This boke shall thee instruct therfore Thy life vertuously to leave That grace with thee may euermore Remaine as Gods moste blessed seede To fight against Sathan and sinnes To represse errours and heresies To pray to God his grace to winne In this boke to learne thou maiest deuise Take thou it therfore in good part As a ioyful Iewel for thy welth And geue God thankes withall thy hart Which by his worde worketh thy helth As for my trauaile and paine I craue none other recompence But thy life vertuously to traine That thou maiest enioy gods presence â–ª FINIS 3. Regum 1. If a man be vertuous ther shal not an heare of his fal to the ground But if wickednesse shal be found in him he shall dye for it Tobi. 4. Loue vertue all the dayes of thy life and walk not in the wayes of wickednes For while thou studiest for vertues thou shalt haue good successe in al thinges that thou goest about and so shall all they that loue goodnesse A Table to fynde the principall matters contayned in this booke AN exhortacion to the Reader The Epistle dedicatory How a man should be haue himself in the morning when he riseth A prayer in the morning A confession of our sinnes vnto God the father How thou shouldst behaue thy selfe before thou go to dinner A prayer before dinner Of the behauiour at the Table in dinner time A thankes geuinge after dinner What is to be done after dinner Of Supper A prayer before Supper Of the behauiour at the table in supper time A thankes geuing after supper Of going to bed A prayer to be sayd when we goe to bed A prayer to be sayd â–ª when thou art in bed Remedies against all kindes of temptacions Against Idolatry Against infidelity or misbeliefe Against the heresy of such as deny Iesus Christâ—… to be god Against the heresy of them which holde that Iesus Christe the sonne of God tooke no fleshe of Mary his Mother Againste the grosse and fantasticall opinion of the Papistes which affirm that Christes naturall body and bloud is carnally eaten and dronken in the Lords supper Against the plucking away of thy trust and confidence from Christ and his merites to put in the merites of other creatures or in thine own good workes or in the intercession of Saintes or in sacrifice of the popish Masse Against such as go about to diswadâ—… the christian people from the studiing reading or hearinge of Goddes woorde Against strange religion or newe found woorshipping of God Against mens traditions and vnwritten verities Against the folowing of vngodly forefathers Against the wicked olde customes longe vsages Againste suche as slaunder Christes gospell by cal linge it newe learninge Against pensiuenes and thought taking for the life Against hunger pouerty or carefulnes of liuing Against keping of euill company Against idlenes Against swearing Against lying slaundering â–ª and filthy or vncleane talke Against pride or vayneglory Against feasting glotony and dronkennes Against fornication and adultery Against couetousnes Against rebellion and disobedience Against malice grudge enuy hatred and anger Against the temptation of the faythfull in consideringe their owne miserye and contrarywise the wealth of the wicked Against the most horrible and dampnable sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost Against the despising of gods word and of the plagues that folow the same Against carnall security and fleshly liuing without the feare of God Against the flacknes of doing good workes Against the troublous tempestes of sicknes of losse of goods or any other kind of aduersity Against the temptation of the Deuill for noâ—…t satis fieng the lawe of God and for thy sinfull liuing â–ª Against desperation for thy late conuersion and tur ning vnto God Against sinne death and helâ—… To the right honorable and moste vertuous young Lady Iane Semer daughter to the highe and mightie Prince Edward Duke of Somerset his grace Thomas Becon wisheth increase of godlye knowledge in Christe Iesu our Lord. THere are no Parents most godlye Ladye that deserue better of the Christen publique weale then they whiche thorow gods gift hauing Children employ all their endeuours to traine them vp euen from theire verye cradels in good letters in the knowledge of gods moste blessed wil that with their young yeres learning vertue and godlines may grow and encrease and the younglinges by this meanes be made at the last auncient and perfect schollers in the mistery of Christes schole This careful study and studyous care for the vertuous bringing vp of youth god in time paste earnestlye required of all Fathers and Mothers in the common weale of hys people the Israelites and according to gods holy commaundement suche as vnfainedlye feared the Lorde their God and wished wel to their countrey refused no laboure no paine nor cost that their children might be made profitable members of the publique weale As I may pas ouer the auncient and holye Patriarches whiche were before the law of Moyses of whose diligeÌ„ce in the vertuous bringing vp of their yonglinges it is more than double wickednesse to doubt seing we haue this euident testimony of Abraham euen of gods own mouth Shall I hide froÌ„ Abraham saith god that thinge which I entend to do Seing that Araham shal be a great and a mighâ—…ye people and all the nations of the earth shal be blessed in him I know this also that he wil commaund his Children and his housholde after him that they keepe the way of the Lorde and do after righte and conscience What earnest diligence did the moste noble and vertuous King Dauid shew in the godly bringing vp of his Children speciallye of Salomon that he might become a Prince worthye both for his godlynes learning wisedome and pollicye to rule in the common weale after him What godly
man that speaketh froward thinges from such as leaue the high streat walk in the way of darknes which reioyce in doing euill and delite in wicked thinges whose wayes are crooked and their pathes slaunderous That thou maiest be delited also from the straunge woman and frō her that is not thine owne which geueth sweet wordes forsaketh the husbande of her youth and forgetteth the couenaunte of her God For her house is enclined vnto death and her pathes vnto Hell All they that go in vnto her come not againe neither take they holde of the waye of life That thou walk in the good way and keepe y ◠pathes of the righteous For the iust shall dwell in the lande and the innocentes shall remaine in it but the vngodly shall be rooted out of the lande and the wicked doers shal be taken out of it Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome and obtaineth vnderstanding for y e getting of it is better then any m◅rchandise of siluer and the profit of it is better then gold Wisdom is more worth then precious stones and all the thinges that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her Upon her ryght hand is long life and vppon her lefte hande is ryches and honor Her wayes are pleasaunt waies and al her pathes ar peaceable She is a tree of life to them that lay hold vpon her and blessed are thei that kepe her fast My son let not these thinges depart frō thine eies but kepe my law and counsail so shall it be life vnto thy soule and grace vnto thy mouthe Then shalte thou walke safely in thy waye and thy foote shall not stumble If thou slepest thou shalt not be afrayed but shalt take thy rest and slepe swetely Thou shalte not nede to be afrayed of any soden feare neither for the violent rushing in of the vngodly whē it commeth For the lord shall be beside thee and kepe thy fote that thou be not taken Let thine heart receiue my words kepe my commaundementes and thou shalt◅ lyue Get the◅ wisdome get thee vnderstandinge forget not the wordes of my mouth and shrink not from thē Forsake her not and shee shall preserue thee loue her and she shal kepe thee The chief point of wisedome is that thou willingly to obtaine wisedome and before all thy goods to get vnderstandinge Make much of her and she shall promote thee yea if thou embracest her she shall bringe thee vnto honour She shall make thee a gracious head garnishe thee with the crowne of glory Heare my son receiue my wordes that the yeres of thy life may be manye I will shew the way of wisdome and lead thee in the righte pathes So that if thou goest therin there shal no straitnes hinder thee and when thou runnest thou shalt not fall Take faste holde of doctrine let her not go kepe her for she is thy life The commaundement is a lantern and the law is a light and the way of life Wher no knowlege of gods word is the soule is not wel Apply thy heart vnto learning and thine eare to the wordes of knowledge Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe his prayer shal be abhorred When the preachinge of Gods worde faileth then perisheth the people Euerye worde of GOD is pure and cleane yea it is a shield to them that trust in it Uaine are all those men in whom no knowledge of god is Neither hearbe nor emplasture hathe healed thē but thy worde O Lord which healeth all thinges The fountaine of wisedome is the the word of god Be make and lowly to heare the word of god that thou mayest vnderstand and bring forth a wise and true answer Haue all thy pleasure in the commaun dements of god and in his lawes be thou most of al occupied and he shall geue thee an hart and a desire of wisdome shal be ge uen thee Be not slacke to beleue the worde of God Learnig is a precious iewel to a wisemā Nothing is better then the feare of god and nothing is sweter then to haue a respect to the commaundements of the Lord My people is led captiue because they haue no knowledge They haue caste away the lawe of the Lorde of hostes and the worde of the holy one of Israell haue they blasphemed Therfore is the wrath of the lord who◅ agaynst his people and he wyl stretche oute his hande and destroye them Make hast vnto the law and witnesse If they speake not according to this word they shall not haue the morning light All ye that are a thirst come vnto the waters and ye that haue no mony make haste by and eat Come I say by without mony and without any ◅xchaunge wyne and milke Why lay ye out your monye for that that is not breade in deede and spend your labor about that that shall neuer satisfye you Heare me heare I saye and eate that which is good that ye may be well liking Geue eare and come vnto me heare me I say and your soule shall liue As raine and snowe commeth downe ◅rom heauen and returneth not th◅ther agayne but watereth the earth and maketh it to bud and bring forth the fruit so that it geueth sede to the sower breade to the eater so shall my word be that shal come out of my mouth It shall not returne vnto me boyde but shall do what soeuer I wil and prosper in them to whom I send it Let not the wise man reioyce in his wysedome nor the stronge man in hys strength nor yet let the riche man glorye in his riches but let him that reioyseth reioyce in this thing that he know me that I am y e Lord which doth mercy iudgemēt and righteousnes in the earth Withdrawe not the woorde from the people if peraduenture they heare turne from their wicked way so that it may repent me of the euil which I haue determi ned to do vnto them for the maliciousnes of their councels Heare Israel the commaundements of life geue eare that thou maiest become wise Howe chaunced it O Israell that thou arte in the lande of thine enemies Thou art worne out in a straunge lande thou art defiled with the dead Thou art◅ reputed with them that go down to Hell Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisedome For if thou haddest walked in the way of god vndoubtedlye thou haddest dwelt in rest vpon the earth Learne therfore where wisedome is and vnderstanding is that thou maiest also know where continuance of life is and all thinges necessary for to maintaine the same agayne where the light of the eyes and peace is This is the booke of the commaundementes and the lawe whyche abideth for euer All that keepe it shall come vnto life but they that forsake it shall come vnto death Behold the day is come sayth y ◠Lord that I