thingis lyuinge man hath the moste disceaightful harte vnable to be serehed who then shal knowe it euen I the lorde bothe ensercher of herte espyerout of raynes to rewarde euery man aftir his owne wayes and according to the frute of his counsellis He maketh him a neste but hatcheth no eggis that gatherth goodis wrongefully In the middis of his lyfe he muste leaue them and laste of all be fownde a fole But thou Lorde who le seate is moste noblest highest and aunciaunt which dwellest in the place of our holy reste thou arte the hope of Israel All that forsake the ar confounded All bakflyders from the ar writen in the erthe not in heuen For they sorsake the Lorde euen y e well of euerlasting waters Heale me Lorde I shal be holl Saue me Lorde I shal be salfe for thou arte my prayse For lo these men saye vnto me Where is the worde of y e Lorde let it comeforth I praye y e Whiles I me selfe was now leading the flok in thy pathes I constrayned noman violently nor yet coueted I any mannis dethe as thou wel knowest But my wordes were right in thy sight oh lorde Be not fearful vnto me for thou arte he in whō I hope whā any perelis present Let my persuers be confounded let not me be confoūded Let thē be afrayde not me be afrayde Thou shalt bringe a troublouse tyme vpō thē destroye thē with a great destrucciō Forthermore thus sayd the Lorde vnto me Go stāde in y e. gate of y e peple for whose cause y e kinges of Juda come yn oute in al y e gatis of Jerusalem sayng vnto thē Hear y e worde of the Lorde ye kinges of Juda with all Juda all the cytesens of Jerusalem which passe thorow these gatis Thus cōmandeth the Lorde Take hede to your selues leste ye take vp your burdens in y e Sabbat daye to bringe them in thorowe these gatis Nether karye ye oute of your houses any burdēs in y e Sabbat daye Nor do you any worke but sauntifye y e Sabbat daye as I cōmaunded your fathers albeit they obayed me not nor gaue eare but rather hardened their stiffe neckes to th entent they wolde not be reclaymed receyue my disciplyne But you if ye will hearme saith y e Lorde not carye in your burdens thorow y e gatis of this cyte in y e Sabbat daye doing in it no werke than shal y e kingis princes of this cyte which shal sit vpō y e seat of Dauid go thorow these gatis karyed in charietis vpon horse bothe they their princes al Juda with their cytesens shal passe thorow them this cyte shal abyde for euer And men shal come from the cytes of Juda and from the felde of Jerusalem and the lande of Beniamin from the playnes and mountayns from the wildernes bringing brente sacrifices and beastis slayne to be offred vp encense offeringe vp prayse and thankis in the house of the Lorde But if ye obaye me not I shal sanctifye the sabbat daye so that ye shal take vp no burden to bringe it in thorow these gatis of Jerusalem in the Sabbat daye I shal set the gatis on fyer which shal deuower the houses of Jerusalem so that it maye not be 〈◊〉 ¶ The .xviii. Chapiter THe sermon of the Lorde shewed vnto Jeremye saying Aryse go downe into the potters house that I myght there certyfye the more of my mynde And whā I came vnto the potters house I fownde him making his worke vpō a whele And that vessel which he ofayned out of claye broke vnder y e hādis of this potter which then his mynde changed made a nother vessel therof as it semed him beste for his purpose And here thā the Lorde spake vnto me May not Jeuen as this potter do vnto you o house of Israel saith the Lorde Lo ye be in my hande oh house of Israel euen as the claye is in the hande of the potter Anon as I haue determined to pluck vp by the rotes to destroye to cut awaye any nacion or kingdom and if y t same nacion wil returne from their malice vpon which I begane nowe to take my counsel by and by it repenteth me of y e plage which I determyned to caste vpon thē And agen and as I am purposed to buylde and to plante any nacion or kingdom the same folke wil do euyl in my sight and not hear my voyce by and by it repēteth me of that goodnes wherby I purposed to edyfye and to encrese thē Wherfore I praye the tell all Juda and euery cytesen of Jerusalem Thus saith the Lorde Beholde I am deuysing a plage and will conspire agenste you Turne ye therfore euery man from his owne euyl wayes both do thinke well But here shal they saye ▪ Let these wordis passe for as for vs we will walke aftir our owne mynde and we wil euery man do aftir the luste of our owne herte Wherfore thus sayd the Lorde Enquyre I praye ye among the gentyles if any man hath committed any siche lyke abominacions as hath Israel y e virgen done and that so greuously May the snowe that lyeth melting vpon y e rockis of Libanus fayle the feldis Or the vaynes of springes euē from the botome be so takē awaye that they flowe nomore forthe to water and to make plentuouse And yet my peple hath forgoten me In somich that they brenne offer vnto vayne Idols in folowing their owne wayes ar fwarued and wandred frō the lawful comen waye ar gone a waye by an vntroden priuate pathe For the which thinge they haue geuen vp their lande into a perpetual desolaciō and outehissinge So that euery man passinge thorowe may be woundresly astonned and shake his head I shal therfore scater them in the sight of their enymes with a contrary skorching este wynde And whan their destruccion is at hande I shal turne my backe to them and not my face And than they sayde Come and let vs go and conspire agenste Jeremye We be the Priestis to whom the lawe is committed that it perisshe not And ye be the elders endewed with wysedome We be the Prophetes that neuer ar withoute the worde of the Lorde Let vs I saye than go and kutoute his tonge that we be nomore cōstrayned to hear his sermons Attende vnto me Oh Lorde and heare the noyse of my aduersares Is not euil for good reqcquyted me while they digge this pitte for me Remember how I stode before the to speke the best for them and to turne thy wrathe from thē Nowe therfore betake their chyldern into honger and caste them agenste the violence of swerde Let their wyues be chyldelesse and housbandlesse their housbandis put to dethe and the yongemen slayne with swerde in batayle Let oute cryes aryse frō their houses theues breaking yn vpō
And y e laste y e shal al to breke their bones is this Nebuchadrezar kinge of Babylon Wherfore thus saith y e lorde of powrs the God of Israel Beholde I shal viset the kinge of Babylon his kingdom euen as I visited the kinge of Assyrie And shal bringe Israel agene vnto hir plesaunte pasturs they shal fede vpon Carmelus Basan And in y e mounte Ephraim Galaad shal they be wel filled In these dayes this tyme saith y e Lorde If y e wikednes of Israel be sought for ther shal none be fownde If the syn of Juda be sought it shal not be fownde For I shal be mercyful vnto this litel reaÌ„nant escaped by me Ascende oh auenger vnto this cruel lordely londe viset hir inhabitours take vengeauÌ„ce laye vpoÌ„ their backis saith y e lorde finisshe al y t I haue coÌ„manded the. The rumor of batail grete destruccion shal fle thorow the londe men talking How is this grete hammer of al the worlde ihus now broken alto peses How hapeneth it that Babylon amoÌ„ge al y e nacioÌ„s is thus brought into desolatioÌ„ It was I that layd waite for the thou wast taken oh Babylon thou wast espyed vnwares and thus trapped because thou prouokedst the Lorde to anger The Lorde layd opon his house of ordinance brought forthe the dartes of his indignacion For this is y e wurk of the Lorde God of powers done of him in the londe of Calde These thingis shal come vpon hir at laste They shal breke ynto hir preuey tresure houses leue hir as bare as stones takeÌ„ caste vpon an heape And they shal so cut hir awaye that nothinge be lefte of hir They shal destroye al hir valeaunt soldeyers and put them to dethe Wo be to them for y e day howr of their visitacion shal be at hande Me thinketh I here euen now the noyse bothe of men fleyng and escapen froÌ„ the londe of Babylon which voice or noyse shal declare in Zion y e vengeaunce of our Lorde God eueÌ„ the taking vengeaunce for his temple and also the noyse of men cryinge Cal vp agenst Babylon the multitude of al the bowemen Pitche your tentes ageÌ„st hir rowndaboute y e none escape Serue hir aftir hir owne dealinge and as she haue done to other so do to hir agen For she presumed to boldely agenst the Lorde euen him that sanctifyeth Israel Wherfore hir myghty soldiers shal be smyten downe in the stretis al hir noble men of warre shal be layed a slepe togither in that daye saith y e Lorde It it I lo y t tell it the oh thow prowde saith the Lorde God of powers For y e daye shal come euen the hower of thy visitacion and the prowde shal fall sodenly and be al to broken nomaÌ„ to lyfte him vp agene I shal sette fyer on his cites which shal ete vp al rownd aboute hiÌ„ These thingis saith the Lorde of powers The chyldern of Israel Juda shal suffer both a lyke grete violence and wronge Whoso haue taken them shal holde theÌ„ faste lothe to let them go But their stronge auenger and mighty redemer whose name is y e lorde of powrs shal so defende their cause y t he wil ster vp a dissension amonge themselues sette the chirche of Babylon togither by the eares The swerde vpon y e Caldes saith the Lorde and vpon the inhabitours of Babylon vpon hir rulers and vpon hir wyse men the swerde vpon hir soithe sayers they shal be made foles The swerde vpon hir bolde valeaunt and they shal be a frayde The swerde vpoÌ„ hir horsemen chariets and vpon al the comeÌ„ peple in hir so that they be al lyke womeÌ„ The swerde vpon hir tresurs that they be stolen awaye The swerde vpon their waters that they be dryed vp For this londe is an image seruer and delyteth in strange wounderouse inuencioÌ„s Wherfore these cruel vnsaciable satyris with marmesaits apes mermaydes shal inhabite hir nether shal she be inhabited for euer nor dwelled yn from age to age Lyke as God subuerted Sodome Gomor w t their cytes annexed saith the Lorde euen so shal ther here noman dwell nether the sone of Adam shal inhabit hir Beholde peple shal come from the northe with grete power many kinges stered vp froÌ„ the coosts of y e crtâ—e They bear bowe buckler they be cruel mercyles their noyse is lyke a fyerce swelling sea They come houeriÌ„g on horsebak they come forth well armed to fyght agenst the oh daughter Babylon The fame of these men once herde the kynge of Babylons handis shal tremble for fere Anguisshe and sorowe ful peine shal holde hym as a woman traueling of childe As the lyoÌ„ lo cometh vpfrome y e grene fennes of Jordane vnto y e fatte fayer pasturs of Ethan eueÌ„ so shal I prick theÌ„ forthwarde stere theÌ„ vp agenst hir But whoÌ„ shal I chose chefe capitayne to do this dede Who is lyke vnto me or may stryue with me or whiche one of the herdemeÌ„ may resiste my face Wherfore heare the counsel of the Lorde conceyued agenst Babylon heare his enteÌ„te entered agenst the londe of Caldey That is to wyt eueÌ„ the most weake and lowest of y e flocke shal teare them in pieses And their most plesaunt placis with their owne selues also shal be desolate Al the worlde shal tremble quake at the fame of the taking of Babylon and the rumor of hir shal be herde into amonge the gentyles ¶ The .li. Chapiter THus sayd the Lorde Beholde I shal stere vp a pestelent wind agenst Babylon and hir cytesens whiche ar beÌ„te cruelly agenst me And than shal I sende wenowers into Babylon which shal we now hir and destroye hir felde For they shal close hir in rownd aboute in the daye of hir affliccion Also vnto the archers and harnest men enteringe the walles thus sayd the Lorde Spare not hir men of armes Of with the hedis of al hir hoste that they maye lye dead thorow the felde of the Caldes and smyten thorow in hir stretes For Israel and Juda although they haue filled y e erthe with their synnes yet shal they not be forsaken of their God y e Lorde of powrs maker holy of Israel so lefte vnto the worlde Fle from oute of y e middis of Babylon let euery maÌ„ saue himselfe Let nomaÌ„ dissemble y e wykednes of Babylon For the tyme of the vengeaÌ„ce of the Lorde is now present For he wil acquyte hir ageyne Babylon was y e golden cuppe in the lande of y e Lorde Which cuppe hath made dronken al y e worlde Of hir wyne y e peple hathe dronkeÌ„ wherfore they ar oute of their wittis But sodenly BabyloÌ„ is fallen alto brokeÌ„ Bewayle hir therfore laye y e plaster of resyne vnto heir wouÌ„dis y t if thus paradueÌ„ture she may be
is good paciently to suffer and softely to waite for that sauing helth from the Lorde verse Teth. Oh how goodly a thiug is it for a man to take and beare the yoke euen from his yougeth verse Jod He sitteth alone ful still that is contente with himselfe verse Jod He setteth his mouth vnto y e erthe if paradueÌ„ture any hope wil offer hir selfe verse Jod He offreth his cheke vnto the smyter is wel content with obprobrye verse Caph. For the Lorde neuer forsake the nor spurneth vs a waye for euer verse Caph. But if he cast vs of yet for his abundant mercye he forgeueth agene verse Caph. For he scourgeth not nor repelleth not the chyldern of men of herte and mynde verse Lamed As thoughe he wolde breke trede vnder his fete al that be bownde in preson on the erthe verse Lamed To auoyde turne from mannis iugement in y e sight of y e most highest verse Lamed Nether to vexe vniustly any maÌ„nis cause the Lorde knoweth it uot verse Mem. Who then dare saye y t any thinge is done w t oute goddis coÌ„mandement verse Mem. Both good yll go they not forthe of y e mouthe of the moste highest verse Mem. Wheryn then is man yet lyuing so stroÌ„ge He is valeaunt in the goodly actes of synne verse Nun. Let vs therfore serche remember our own wayes turne to y e Lorde verse Nun. Let vs lifte vp our hertis handis vnto the Lorde which is in heuen verse Nun. We be verely y e synners the disobedieâ—tâ— but thou shalt thou not forgeue verse Samech Thou hast harnest thyselfe w t wrath and persued vs thou hast slayne vs with out grace verse Samech Thou hast harnest thyselfe with a clowde that our prayer shulde not pearse thorow vnto the. verse Samech Thou hast made vs the dregges dirte euen abiectes of all peple verse Ain All our enymes potted and mowed with their mouthes vpon vs. verse Ain Fear snare a liftinge vp a throwing-downe chaunched vpon vs. verse Ain My eyes gusshedout water for the throyngdowne and brekinge of the daughter which is my peple verse Pe. My eyes powerout water ceasse not because ther apereth no reste verse Pe. When wilt thou se and beholde vs oh Lorde frome heuen verse Pe. My eye wasteth my herte for al y e daughters sake of my cyte verse Zadic My enymes honted me sharpely lyke a birde ye that with oute a cause verse Zadic They thrusted downe my lyfe into the pitte layed a stonne vpon me verse Zadic They powered water vpon my head I sayd now am I done verse Kuph I called vpon thy name oh Lorde euen from a right depe graue verse Kuph And thou herdst my voyce and turnedst not thy earis fro my sobbing and crying verse Kuph Thou didist come to me euen when I called vpon y e sayng vnto me be not a frayd verse Res. Lorde thou defendedst my cause and redemedst my lyfe verse Res. Lorde thou sawest my synnes take vp and defende my cause verse Res. Thou espyedst all their study to hurte me al their counsel agenst me verse Sin Lorde thou herdist their obprobriouse reuylingis and all their thoughtis to hurte me verse Sin And thou herdest the lippes of them that stode vp ageÌ„st me their conspirisons dayly conspired agenst me verse Sin Thou seist their downsittinge and vpstandinge I am the mater of their songes verse Thau Requyte them Lorde aftir the workis of their owne handis verse Thau Rewarde them the harpe of their owne herte euen their owne curse to light vpon them verse Thau Folow vpon them Lorde with thy indignacion and pluk them vp by the rotes from all that ar vnder heuen The .iiii. Chapiter verse Aleph OH How is the golde thus dimned hir so oriastâ— colour chaÌ„ged How ar the stones of y e holy temple dispersed sâ—rewed vnto y e endes of euery strete verse Beth. The noble sonnes of Zion sometyme decked with the purest golde How ar they now lyke erthen potsherdis made with y e potters hande verse Gimel These â—amies geue souâ—â—e their whelps w t their bare brestis but y e daughter of my peple now lyke a wylde beast dwelleth in the wyldernes lyke StruthioÌ„s verse Daleth The soukelings tongue cleued to the rofe of his mouthe for thirste the lytelons asked brede but ther was none that wolde geue it them verse He. They that fed somtyme dilicately dyed in y e stretis they that wer brought vp in purple were now â—ledde w t a torde verse Dau. And y e synne of y e daughter of my peple is reputed greter then the synne of Sodome subuerted in the twynkling of an eye withoute any mannis hande verse Zain Her Nazarens wer whyter then the snowe or mylke they were roidirer than the diamonde or any of the oother preciouse stones their fresshe beutye did shyne lyke the Saphyre verse Heth. But now is their beutye blacker theÌ„ the very derkenes it selfe thou woldest not know theÌ„ in the stretis their skinnes eleue to their bones they be withred vp lyke a drye blok verse Teth. The slayne with swerde wer beter at ease then those that perisshed for honger whiche famesshed for the famyn of y e felde verse Jod The wemen naturally ful of pyte seethed their own chyldern with their own handis to eat them in that miserable famyne of the daughter of my peple verse Caph. The Lorde finesshed his wrath powered forth his hot indignacion and did sette fyer on Zion which deuowered hir fouÌ„dacions verse Lamed Nether the kinges of the lande nor yet al the worlde wolde not haue beleued y t their enymes shuld euer haue comen yn thorow y e gatis of Jerusalem verse Mem. Which thinge not withstandinge yet came it to passe for the synnes of her prophetis and myscheif of hir priestis whi che shed in hir the bloude of innocentis verse Nun. So y t these blynde betells went staggeringe in the stretis wrestlyng with blode saynge yet in y e mean ceason we maye not towche their clothes verse Samech But cryed vnto euery man fle frome blodeshedinge auoyde get ye hence touche them not Nethelesse thus sayng they cause men to be burned to fle frome place to place at laste neuer more to inhabite their owne countrye verse Ain Wherfore the grimme countenaÌ„ce of the Lorde hath banesshed them neuer more to beholde them for nether they their selues reuereÌ„tly fered the face of the priestis nor yet had thy any pyte of their elders verse Pe. Wherfore euen yet our eyes dazel and fayl while we loke for our vayn helpe sekyng besely siche folke that canne not helpe vs. verse Zadic They layd a waite and made slyber our pathes so that we coude not go in the stretis then was our ende comeÌ„ our dayes wer done our departing was present verse Kuph Our persuers were