wife and commit aduontrie with his neighbours wife dying let them die both the adulterer and the aduoutresse †He that lieth with his stepmother and reuealeth the ignominie of his father dying let both die their bloud be vpon them †If anie man lie with his daughter in law let both die because they haue done an heinous fact their bloud be vpon them †He that lieth with man as if he should companie with woman both haue committed abomination dying let them die their bloud be vpon them †He that besides his wife the daughter marieth her mother hath done wickednes he shal burne aliue with them neither shal there so great abomination remaine in the middes of you †He that shal companie with beast and cattel dying let him die the beast also doe ye kil †The woman that shal lie vnder anie beast shal be killed together with the same their bloud be vpon them †He that taketh his sister the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother and seeth her turpitude and she beholdeth her brothers ignominie they haue committed a shameful thing they shal be slaine in the sight of their people because they haue reuealed one an others turpitude and they shal beare their iniquitie †He rhat compaineth with a woman in her menstrual fluxe and reuealeth her turpitude and she openeth the fountaine of her bloud both shal be destroyed out of the middes of their people †The turpitude of thy aunt by thy mother and of thy aunt by thy father thou shalt not discouer he that doeth this hath disclosed the ignominie of his flesh both shal beare their iniquitie †He that compaineth with the wife of his vncle by the father or of his vncle by the mother and reuealeth the ignominie of his kinted both shal beare their sinne without children they shal die †He that marieth his brothers wife doth an vnlawful thing he hath reuealed his brothers turpitude they shal be without children †Keepe my lawes and iudgementes and doe them lest the land which you shal enter into and inhabite vomite out you also †Walke not in the ordinances of the nations which I wil expel before you For al these thinges haue they done and I haue abhorred them †But to you I speake Possesse their land which I wil geue you for an inheritance a land flowing with milke and honie I the Lord your God that haue seperated you from other peoples †Therfore doe you also seperate the cleane beast from the vncleane and the cleane foule from the vncleane pollute not your soules in beastes and birdes and al thinges that moue on the earth and which I haue shewed vnto you to be polluted †You shal be holie vnto me because I the Lord am holie and I haue separated you from other peoples that you should be mine †Man or woman in whom is a pithonical or diuining spirite dying let them die they shal stone them their bloud be vpon them CHAP. XXI At what funerals Priests may not be present 7. VVhat wemen they may not marie 9. a priests daughter committing fornication must be burned 10. The high Priest shal not vncouer his head nor rent his garment nor be present at anie funeral nor at al goe forth of the holie place 13. when he marieth he must take a virgin 16. None that hath a blemish in his bodie though he be of Aarons stock shal minister in the Sanctuarie nor approch to the Altar OVR Lord said also to Moyses Speake to the priestes the sonnes of Aaron and thou shalt say to them Let not a priest be contaminated in the deathes of his citizens †but onlie in his kinne and nigh of bloud that is to say vpon his father and mother and sonne and daughter brother also †and sister being a virgin which hath not bene maried to a husband †but neither in the prince of his people shal he be contaminated †Neither shal they shaue their head nor beard nor make incisions in their flesh †They shal be holie to their God and shal not pollute his name for the burnt sacrifice of the Lord and breades of their God doe they offer and therfore they shal be holie †A whore and a vile strumpette he shal not take to wife nor her that is put away from her husband because they are coÌ„secrated to their God †and offer the breades of proposition Be they holie therfore because I also am holie the Lord that sanctifie them †The daughter of a priest if she be taken in whordome dishonour the name of hir father shal be burnt with fire †The grand bishoppe that is to say the priest that is greatest among his brethren vpon whose head hath bene poured the oyle of vnction and whose handes were consecrated in priesthood and who was reuested with the holie vestimentes shal not vncouer his head he shal not rent his garments †and to no dead person shal he enter in at al. vpon his father also and mother shal he not be contaninated †Neither shal he goe forth out of the holie places lest he pollute the SaÌ„ctuarie of the Lord because the oyle of the holie vnction of his God is vpon him I the Lord. †He shal take a virgin vnto his wife †but a widow and her that is put away and a filth and a whore he shal not take but a maide of his owne people †that he mingle not the stocke of his kinred with the common people of his nation because I am the Lord that sanctifie him †And our Lord spake to Moyses saying †Speake to Aaron The man of thy seede throughout their families that hath a blemish shal not offer breades to his God †neither shal he approch to his ministerie If he be blinde if lame if he haue a litle or a great or a crooked nose †if his foote be broken if his hand †if he be crooke backed or blere eyed or haue a pearle in his eye or a continual scabbe or drie scurffe in his bodie or be burnt †Euerie one that hath a blemish of the seede of Aaron the priest shal not approch to offer the hostes to the Lord nor the breades to his God †He shal eate notwithstanding of the breades that are offered in the Sanctuarie †yet so that he enter not within the vâ—ilen or approch to the altar because he hath a blemish and he must not contaninate my Sanctuarie I the Lord that sanctifie them †Moyses therfore spake to Aaron and to his sonnes and to al Israel al thinges that had bene commanded him CHAP. XXII VVho may eate of sanctified things 17. And what things may be offered OVR Lord also spake to Moyses saying †Speake to Aaron and to his sonnes that they beware of those that are the consecrated thinges of the children of Israel and contaninate not the name of the thinges sanctified to me which
desire nor anie of the rest is in a mans owne powre as of himself so much as to thinke a good thought but Gods grace preuenteth sturreth men vp and continually assisteth in al good beginninges progresse and perseuerance as the same diuine auctor teacheth a litle before v. 14. wisdom preuenteth them that couete her that she first may shew herself vnto them Then to admitte or refuse is in their powre that haue good motions And therfore sinne is rightly imputed and damnation iustly inflicted vpon the wicked because as Nehemias 2. Esd 9. v. 17. testifieth of the vngratful people they would not heare And they hardened their neckes and gaue the head to returne to their seruitude as it were by contention or striuing against God through their owne free wil which appeareth here to remaine in sinners On the other side the same Nehemias in confidence of reward for good workes and of his voluntarie cooperating with Gods grace feared not to pray 2. Esd 5. v. 19 in these wordes Remember me my God to good according to al thinges which I haue done to this people Some men moreouer besides the commandments of the law voluntarily professed a peculiar state of holie life a plaine figure or rather an example of Euangelical counsels As in the former ages the Nazerites whose rule is prescribed Numeri 6. practised by Sampson Iudic. 13. and Samuel 1. Reg. 1. and the Rechabites Iere. 35. so in this last age next before Christ the Assideans or Esseni 1. Mach. 2. v. 42. of whom Iudas Machabeus in his time was head or captaine 2. Mach. 14. v. 6. Ieremie the prophet ch 16. v. 2. by Gods ordinance liued single vnmaried al the time of the captiuitie Thou shalt not take a wife and thou shalt not haue sonnes and daughters in this place to witte in Ierusalem Neither did he marie when he was afterwardes in Aegypt But of his owne accord remayned a virgin al his life as S. Ierom writeth li 1. aduers Iouinianum Prayers of Sainctes after they are departed from this world is wanifestly deduced of the sacred text lere 15. v. 1. of Moyses and Samuel not to be heard if they should pray for the people whom God had decreed to punish were consequently to be heard in some other case And more expresly 2. Mach. 15. v. 12. 14. is recorded that Onias and Ieremie did pray for al the people and for al the holie citie Reuerent estimation of Reliques and other holie thinges is manifest by the fact of the same Prophet Ieremie who by Gods ordinance 2. Mach. 2. v. 1. 5. hid the holie fire and the Tabernacle and the Arke the Altar of incense in a caue that they should not be prophaned by infidels ransaking Ierusalem and the temple Other holie ornaments also and vesseles were restored by the fauorable king Cyrus 1. Esd 1. v. 7. ch 8. v. 30. In figure also of the holie Crosse on which Christ was to redeme mankind those that mourned for the abominations in Ierusalem Ezec. 9. vvere signed in their foreheades vvith the letter Thau or T. and so were saued from the common slaughter of the vnsigned Prayer and Sacrifice for the dead is likewise clere 2. Mach. 12. v. 43. c. if either the text may be admitted for Canonical saying v. 46. It is a holie and healthful cogitation to pray for the dead or for good testimonie of Iudas fact being Highpriest and doing that which the whole Church practised and which the Iewes yet obserue to this day Of the General Resurrection is good testimnie in the same place v. 43. and 44. as the ground of Iudas his pietie towardos the dead wel and religiously thincking of the Resurrection For vnles he hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it should seme superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead But seing he did beleue the Resurrection he did right wel and piously And seing the beleefe of resurrection is true it foloweth as this auctor inferreth that it is a holie thing to pray for the dead Malachie the last of the Prophetes in the last chapter foresheweth and describeth the General iudgement in the end of this world wherin the wicked hal be condemned and the iust eternally rewarded Which day shal come sayth he kindled as a surnace Al that do impietie dying in that state shal be stubble and that day shal in flame them And there shal rise to you that feare my name the Sunne of iustice and health in his winges or glorious beames healing and curing al body lie infirmities and defectes Before which day he foretelleth of two signes v. 5. The coming of Elias the Prophet and. v. 6. the conuersion of the Iewes to Christ And thus much may here suffice for particular pointes of religion in this age It resteth to view the state and gouernment of the Church in this time Which may be considered according to the foure Monarchies of heathen nations the Chaldees the Medes Persians the Grecians and the Romanes Vnder the Chaldees whose Emperial citie was Babylon they were in captiuitie seuentie yeares By the Medes and Persians for that Monarchie consisted of those two nations they were released from captiuitie with manie fauoures yet sometimes afflicted Vnder the Monarchie of the Grecians they were partly in extreme persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and of other Grecian kinges and princes partly in warres for defence of Gods lawes Before and after which persecution and warres as wel vnder the Grecians as the Romans til Christs Passion the Church was for most part in peace yet some times afflicted But omitting manie intricate diffiâ—uliies about the times and reignes of sundrie heathen kinges it wil suffice our purpose to shew the general state of the Iewish nation with their owne particular gouerners spiritual and temporal with more or lesse fauour of forreine Princes First therfore concerning their estate in their captiuitie in Babylon we may here obserue Gods prouidence in that before the citie and temple of Ierusalem were destroyed and the whole nation made captiue Ioachin otherwise called Iechonias the sonne of Ioachaz who was also called Iechonias king of Iuda was transported into Babylon and his mother and manie other principal persons 4. Reg. 24. v. 15. Likewise Iosedech sonne of Saraias highpriest 1. Paral. 6. v. 15. was caried into Babylon And in the meane time Sedecias vncle to Ioachin reigned in Iuda who in the eleuenth yeare was taken and caried captiue into Babylon and there died Ioachin yet liuing in prison And Saraias the Highpriest with others was slayne in Rebla when Ierusalem was destroyed 4. Reg. 25. v. 18. 21. To whom Iosedech succeded in the highpriesthood So that both the issue of Dauid in the right line of our Sauiours genealogie and the Highpriest of Aarons stocke were in Babylon before the whole bodie of the nation was brought thither
prophecied of al his twelue sonnes and in Iudas of Christ Gen. 49. v. 10. And then dyed  Iob either of the progenie of Nachor or as semeth more probable of Esau liued the same time in which the children of Israel were pressed with seruitude in Aegypt Himselfe writte the historie of his affliction in the Arabian tongue which Moyses translated into Hebrew m 2286. Amrā Esron n Ioseph buried his father in Chanaan and nourished his bretheren with their families as their patron superior Gen. 50. v. 18.   o 2340.   o He dyed at the age of 110. yeares Gen. 50. After his death the Superioritie of the children of Israel descended not to his sonnes but to his bretheren and rested in Leui the third brother liuing longest of al the twelue to the age of 137. yeares Exodi 6. v. 16. whose genealogie is there declared to shew the descent of Aaron and Moyses About this time was Atlas the great Astronomer brother of Prometheus grandfather to Mercurius the elder whose nephew Mercurius otherwise called Tris megistus the master of moral philosophie must nedes be a good while after Moyses S. Aug. li. 18. c. 39. de ciuit Also Cecrops the first king and builder of Athens was in Moyses time after him Cadmus built Thebes and the first that brought letters into Grece more ancient then manie Pammes goddes S. Aug. li. 18. c. 8. c. The booke of Exodus conteyneth the affliction and deliuerie of the children of Israel precepts of Gods law p 2401. Aaron borne Aram. r Moyses an infant of three monethes was put in a basket on the water taken thence by Pharaos daughter nurced by his owne mother and brought vp in Pharaos court Exod. 2.   q 2404. Moyses borne  s At the age of fourty yeares he went to his bretheren to comfort them Where killing an Aegyptian that oppressed an Israelite he was forced to flee into Madian Exod. 2.   s 2244.   t After other fourtie yeares God appeared to Moyses in a bush burning not wasting Sent him into Aegypt with powre to worke miracles to bring the children of Israel out of that bondage   t 2484.  Aminadab v Pharao and the Aegyptians resisting were plaged with tenne sundrie afflictions At last the Israelites were deliuered and Pharao with al his armie drowned Exo. 3. to 15.   THE END OF THE THIRD AGE THE BEGINNING OF THE FOVRTH AGE Anni mūdi High-priests The line of Iudas The sacred historie Schismes and infidelitie Scriptures    w The law was geuen in Mount Sina the fifteth day after their going out of Aegypt Exod. 19. 20. In the absence of Moyses the people forcing Aaron to consent made adored a golden calfe for God Exod. 32.   x 2485.   x The tabernacle with al thinges perteyning therto was prepared in the first yeare and erected the first day of the second yeare of their abode in the desert Exod. 40.     Aaron  y In the same second yeare Aaron was consecrated Highpriest and his sonnes Priestes for an ordinarie succession Moyses remayning Superior extraordinarie during his life Leuit. 8. Nadab Abiu offered strange fire in sacrifice and were burnt to death Leuit. 10. Leuiticus conteyneth the Rites of Sacrifices Priestes Feastes Fastes and Vowes Numeri so called because in it are numbered the men of twelue tribes able to beare armes also the Leuites deputed to Gods seruice about the tabernacle and the mansions of the people in the desert with other thinges happening in the 40. yeares of their abode there     z Balaam a sorcerer hyred by Balac king of Moab to curse the Israelites was forced by Gods powre to prophecy good things of them Num. 22. 23. 24. Chore Dathan Abiron with manie others murmuring rebellīg against Moyses Aaron were partly swalowed aliue into the earth others burnt with fire from heauen Num. 16.      a Moyses and Aaron doubting that God would not geue water out of a rock to the murmuring people were foretold that they should dye in the desert and not enter into the promised land Num. 20.    b 2523. Eleazar  b Aaron dyed in the mount Hor and his sonne Eleazar was made Highpriest Num. 20.    c 2524.   c Moyses repeted the law commending it earnestly to the people Then dyed and was secretly buried by Angels in the valley of Moab Deut. 34.      To whom Iosue succeded in temporal gouernment his spiritual remayning in the Highpriest Nu. 27. v 20. d Al the children of Israel that came forth of Aegypt aboue the age of twentie yeares dyed in the desert except two Iosue Caleb Num. 26. v. 64. 65. Al nations generally besides the Iewes seruing many false goddes those thought themselues most religious that were most supersticious studious of art Magike Nigromancy the like And euerie countrie yea almost euerie towne village had their peculiar imagined goddes as S. Athanasius discourseth Orat contra idola Deuteronomie is an abridgement and repetition of the law conteyned more largely in the former bookes    e Presently after Moyses death Iosue brought the people ouer Iordan into Chanaan Iosue ◠And in the space of seuen yeares conquered the land Iosue 6. c.   f 2531   f And diuided the same amongst the tribes Iosue 13.   g 2533.   g The tribes of Ruben Gad and half Manasses hauing receiued enheritance on the other side of Iordan Num. 32. v. 33. and now returning thither made an altar by the riuer side which the other tribes suspecting to be for sacrifice and so to make a schisme prepared to fight against them but they answering that it was only for a monument al were satisfied Iosue 22.  The booke of Iosue is the first of those which are properly called Historical declaring how the Israelits conquered possessed the land of Chanaan it conteyneth the historie of 32. yeares   Naasson  The Romanes otherwise most prudent accoūted al inuenters of artes conqueroures of countries al archiuers of great explores at least after their deathes to be goddes And not only men but also manie other thinges were held for goddes  h 2556. h Iosue at the age of 110. yeares dyed Iosue 24. v. 29. had no proper successor     i 2556.   i Eleazarus the Highpriest dyed the same yeare Iosue 24. v. 33. And his sonne Phinees succeded    Phinees  k After the death of Iosue the people were afflicted by forreine nations God so permitting for their sinnes but repenting he raised vp certaine captaines who were called Iudges of diuers tribes without ordinarie succession to deliuer defend the countrie from inuasions These were in al fourtenne
loaues and fishes Ioan 6. And some real effect Christs blessing must nedes worke also in the blessed Sacrament Mat. 26. VVhich can be no other but changing bread and wine into his bodie bloud seing him selfe expresly sayeth This is my bodie this is my bloud And though Gods blessing in this place be also a precept yet it is not to al men for euer but for the propagation of mankind which being long since abundantly propagared the obligation of the precept ceaseth the cause ceasing So S. Cyprian S. Ierome S. Augustin and other Fathers expound this place And confirme the same by the text for immediatly God signifying to what end he spoke saith and replenish the earth VVhich benig replenished Gods wil is therin fulfilled CHAP. II. The worke of six dayes being finished God rested the seueÌ„th day blessed it 8. Then placing man in paradise planted with bewtiful swete trees witered with foure riuers 16. comandeth him not to eate of the tree of knowledge of good euil 18. formed a woman of a ribbe of Adam THE heauens therfore the earth were fully finished and al the furniture of them †And the seuenth day God ended his woorke which he had made rested “ the seuenth day from al woorke that he had done †And he blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because in it he had ceased from al his woorke which God created to make †These are the generations of heauen earth when they were created in the day when our Lord God made the heauen and the earth †And euery plant of the filde before it shotvp in the earth And euerie herbe of the ground before it sprang for our Lord God had not rayned vpon the earth and man was not to til the earth †But a spring rose out of the earth watering al the ouermost part of the earth †Our Lord God therfore formed man of the slyme of the earch and breathed into his face the breath oflife man became a liuing soule †And our Lord God had planted a Paradise of pleasure from the beginning wherin he placed man whom he had formed †And our Lord God brought forth of the ground al maner of trees fayre to behold and pleasant to eate of the tree of life also in the middle of Paradise and the tree of knowledge of good euil †And a riuer issued out of the place of pleasure to water Paradise which from thence is diuided into four heades †The name of the one is Phison that is it which compasseth al the land of Heuilath where gold groweth †And the gold of that land is very good there is sound bdelium the stone onyx †And the name of the second riuer is Gehon that is it which compasseth al the land of Ethiopia †And the name of the third riuer is Tygris that same passeth along by the Assirians And the fourth riuer the same is Euphrates †Our Lord God therfore tooke man put him in the Paradise of pleasure to woorke keepe it †And he commanded him saying Of euerie tree of Paradise eate thou †But “ of the tree of knowledge of good euil eate thou not For in what day soeuer thou shalt eate of it “ thou shalt dye the death †Our Lord God also said It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him a helpe like vnto him selfe †Our Lord God therfore hauing formed of clay al beastes of the earth and foules of the ayre brought them to Adam that he might see what to cal them for al that Adam called any liuing creature the same is his name †And Adam called al beastes by their names and al foules of the ayre and al cattel of the filde but vnto Adam there was not found an helper like him selfe †Our Lord God therfore cast a dead sleepe vpon Adam and when he was fast a sleepe he tooke one of his ribbes filled vp flesh for it †And our Lord God built the ribbe which he tooke of Adam into a woman and brought her to Adam †And Adam said This now is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shal be called woman because she was taken out of man †Wherfore man shal leaue his father mother shal cleaue to his wife they shal be two in one flesh †And they were both naked to wit Adam his wife and were not ashamed ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 2. The seuenth day Al creatures benig made in their kindes in six dayes complete and perfect God not neding as men often do in their workes to perfect poolish or amend the same rested the seuenth day and therfore the natural perfection of Gods workes is attributed to the seventh day and the supernatural perfecting of men in eternal life after the Resurrection is attributed to the eight day as S. Augustin and other fathers teach And for this cause God blessed and sanctifyed the seuenth day and after we haue in the Decalogue or tenne commandments that this day al should rest and abstaine from workes yea and kepe it festiual occupying them selues in spiritual exercises seruice and special worshipe of God as the Iewes did euen til Christs and his Apostles time praying and hearing the word of God read and expounded in the Sabboth day VVherby we see that distinction of dayes pertayneth to Religion the people of God thus obseruing the Sabboth in memorie of the Creation diuers other feastes in memorie of other benefites And we now kepe the Sunday holie in memorie of Christs Resurrection and other feastes in gratful remembrance of other Mysteries of Christs Natiuitie the coming of the Holie Ghost and the like Yea also feastes of his blessed Mother and other Sainctes for the benefites receiued from Christ by them and for more honour to Christ in them So this Catholique obseruation of feastes is neither Iudaical which also in the law was good but now is abrogated nor heathnish for we honour not Iupiter nor Iuno noranie false god or goddesse but our Lord God Creator Redemer for his sake his best seruants VVherof see the Annotations in the English new Testament 4. chap. to the Galathians VVherto we here only adde these wordes of S. Basil VVhich may serue for a general answer to the most common obiection Honor seruorum redundat in communâ—m Dominâ—m The honour of the seruantes redoundeth to the common Lord or Maister So saith he the honour of Sainctes is the honour of Christ their Lord and ours 17. Of the tree of knovvledge Besides the law of nature by which Man was bound to direct al his actions according to the rule of reason and besides the supernatural diuine law by which he was bound to beleue and trust in God and to loue him aboue al things hauing receiued the giftes of faith hope and
other things in the first age were figures of Christs Sacraments the Spirite of God geuing powre to the waters as Tertullian S. Hierom and others expound it and the floud of Noe by S. Peters testimonie were figures of Baptisme Mariage instituted in Paradise is the very paterne of holie Matrimonie a Sacrament in the Church of Christ where one man and one wife are on lie lawful and not more at once in anie wise Christ reforming that which in Moyses law was tolerated for hardnes of mens hartes and for auoyding murther to put away one wife and take an other to this first institution as it was in the beginning two in one flesh not three nor more The repentance of Adam and Eue was a perfect and examplare figure of the Sacrament of Penance First they were ashamed couering their nakednes and hiding them selues which shewed their griefe and sorow for the sinne committed Secondly they confessed their fault and by what meanes it happened For God examining Adam he answered truly and simply saing The woman which thou gauest me to be my companion gaue me of the tree and I did eate Likwise Eue confessed sincerly saying The serpent deceiued me and I did eate Thirdly God gaue them penance besides death before threatned and other penalties annexed that Eue should in paine and trauel bring forth her children and Adam should eate his bread in the sweate of his face And withal cast them forth of Paradise But not forth of his fauoure as appeared by his making them garments of skinnes granting them and their posteritie the rest of the earth to liue and labour in especially to serue him and do penance with admonition to remember that of duct man was made and into dust he shal returne Al which were signes of loue and that finally he would bring them and manie more to eternal saluation The first borne and heades of families were Priests al the time of the law of nature vntil the law being changed God tooke Priests only of the stock of Aaron and the rest of the Leuites to assist them in that function Aaron his sonnes thou shalt appoint saith our Lord ouer the seruice of Priesthood for I haue taken the Leuites of the children of Israel for euerie first borne And ◠Paul teacheth that changing of Priesthood and changing of the law goe alwayes together shewing euidently that euerie lawful communitie or commonwealth vnder God hath external Priesthood So that if there had benne no distinct order of external Priesthood in the law of nature or now were none in the law of grace as Protestantes say there is not there were no law at al. See more of this point in the Annotations chap. 7. ad Hebre. Here we only obserue that Abel Seth Enos and other Patriarches were Priestes and exercised priestlie functions yea Cain also was a Priest though a bad one and offered Sacrifice But external offices or ministerie without a wel disposed mind and sincere vertues producing Good workes did neuer iustifie anie man And therfore Cains Sacrifice offered with a peruerse mind was not respected by God as Abels was wherupon he becoming worse and more malicious God sharply reproued his anger and enuie conceiued without iust cause saying If thou doest wel shalt thou not receiue againe but if thou doest il shal not thy sinne forwith be present at the dore clerly shewing that euerie one shal receiue according to his workes This place also euidently sheweth Freewil yea in a wicked man For this expostulation had neuer benne vttered by our most reasonable Lord and Maister if Cain had benne depriued of freewil For he might haue excused himselfe and must needes haue benne holden excused if he had benne forced to do as he did But God charged him as inexcusable and as one that knew or ought to know that he had freewil And doth further inculcate that he had and should haue powre and freewil ouer his concupiscence to correct the same if he would saying The lust therof shal be vnder thee and thou shalt haue domion ouer it So that no sinner be he neuer so wicked much lesse a iust man lacketh freewil yet Luther abhorreth the very word and Caluin wisheth it out of the world Temporal punishment is proued to be due for sinne remitted by that both death and other penalties are inflicted by Gods iustice vpon men after iustification and by the particular punishments laid vpon Adam and Eue confessing their faultes Purgatorie is also proued by the same iustice of God For when anie dieth penitent and yet haue not madeful satisfaction they must suffer for that remaineth after death and be purged before they can enter into rest which remnant of debt our B. Sauiour calleth The last farthing and saith it must be payed The lewes also at this day hold the doctrin of Purgatorie by tradition And consequently they Pray for soules departed not only to God but also to the ancient Patriarches which likewise sheweth Inuocation of Saincts in these wordes Yee fathers which sleepe in Hebron open to him the gates of Eden that is of Paradise which was planted in Eden And Hebron is the place where Adam was buried and his sepulcher religiously conserued in the time of Iosue aboue 1500 yeares after his death The same is the place which Abraham bought and there buried Sara where also him selfe and Isaac and Iacob were buried and to which finally the bodies of the twelue sonnes of Iacob were translated from Sichem As Iosephus writeth And sichem also was specially honored because such persons had benne buried there as S. Hierom witnesseth of his owne knowledge in his time Againe by religious care of burying the dead in this first age Enoch was more certainly knowen to be Translated aliue and not to be dead For the seuentie Interpreters and S. Paul say He was not found which importeth that they sought diligently for him and that his bodie could not be found for God translated him By al which we see mutual offices and communion of good workes amongst good men aliue and dead which is called Cōmunion of Saincts And herein Angels lacked not their offices For God set Cherubins to kepe the gate of Paradise that neither man should enter being iustly expelled for sinne nor diuels as S. Augustin noteth left they should take fruite of the tree of life and geuing it to men allure them to more sinne And now Saincts being exalted to Angels glorie haue like honorable offices towards other men as Angels haue Yea the bloud of Abel vniustly shed by Cain and iustly to be reuenged by God sheweth the peculiar honour which God bestoweth vpon his Saints for their vertues and merites in this life especially in their death For Precious in the sight of our Lord is the
and seruants of Christ being ouercome not by force of armes but by patience peacable endeuours of those whom they most hated VVherof excellently saith S. Leo Ser. 1. in Natali Apost Although Rome renowmed by manie victories dilated her Empyre by land and by sea yet was it lesse that martial trauel subdued then that which Christian peace hath obtained The Bishops of Rome hauing larger Iurisdiction spiritual then euer the Roman Coesars had temporal Dominion CHAP. XXVII Iacob by his mothers counsail getteth his fathers blessing in place of Esau 42. And by her is aduised for auoiding Esaus wrath who threatned to kil him to flie to his vncle Laban in Haran of Mesopotamia AND Isaac was old and his eyes were dimme and he could not see and he called Esau his elder sonne and said to him my sonne Who answered Here I am †To whom his father Thou seest quoth he that I am old and know not the day of my death †Take thy instruments thy quiuer and bowe and goe abrode and when thou hast taken any thing by hunting †make me broth therof as thou knowest I like and bring that I may eate and my soule may blesse thee before I dye †Which when Rebecca had heard and he was gone into the field to fulfil his fathers commandement †she said to her sonne Iacob I heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother and saying to him †Bring me of thy hunting and make me meates that I may eate and blesse thee in the sight of our Lord before I dye †Now therfore my sonne assent to my counsel †and go thy way to the flocke bring me two kiddes of the best that I may make of them meat for thy father such as he gladly eateth †which when thou hast brought in and he hath eaten he may blesse thee before he dye †To whom he answered Thou knowest that Esau my brother is an hearie man and I am smooth †if my father shal feele me and perceaue it I feare lest he wil thinke I would haue deluded him and I shal bring vpon me a curse for a blessing †To whom his mother said This curse my sonne light vpon me only heare thou my voice and go fetch me the things which I haue said †He went and brought and gaue them to his mother She dressed meats euen as she knew his father liked †And she did on him the garments of Esau verie good which she had at home with her †and the litle skinnes of the kidds â—â—e put about his hands and couered the bare of his necke †And she gaue him the broth and deliuered him bread that she had baked †Which when he had caried in he said My father But he answered I heare Who art thou my sonne †And Iacob said I am thy first begotten Esau I haue done as thou didest command me arise sit and eate of my hunting that thy soule may blesse me †And againe Isaac to his sonne How couldest thou said he find it so quickly my sonne Who answered It was the wil of God that that which I would came quickly in my way †And Isaac said Come hither that I may feele thee my sonne and may proue whether thou be my sonne Esau or no. †He came nere to his father and when he had felt him Isaac said The voice verely is the voice of Iacob but the hands are the hands of Esau †And he knew him not because his hearie hands had made him like vnto the elder Blessing him therfore †he said Art thou my sonne Esau He answered I am †But he said Bring me the meats of thy hunting my sonne that my soule may blesse thee Which when they were brought and he had eaten he offred him wine also which after he had drunke †he said to him Come nere me and geue me a kisse my sonne †He came nere and kissed him And immediatly as he felt the fragrant sauoure of his garments blessing him he said Behold the sauoure of my sonne is as the sauoure of a plentiful field which our Lord hath blessed †God geue thee of the deaw of heauen and of the fatnes of the earth abundance of corne and wine †And let peoples serue thee and tribes adore thee be thou lord of thy brethren and thy mothers children bowe they before thee He that shal curse thee be he cursed and he that shal blesse thee be he replenished with blessings †Isaac had scarce ended his wordes and Iacob now gone forth abroad but Esau came †and brought in to his father meates made of his hunting saying Arise my father and eate of thy sonnes hunting that thy soule may blesse me †And Isaac said to him Why who arth thou Who answered I am thy first begotten sonne Esaù †Isaac was amazed and astonied exceadingly and marueling more then a man can beleue said Who is he then that euen now brought me venison that he had taken and I did eate of al thinges before thou camest and I haue blessed him and he shal be blessed †Esau hauing heard his fathers wordes roared out with a great crye and being dismaied said Blesse me also my father †Who said Thy brother came deceiptfully and tooke thy blessing †But he said again Rightly is his name called Iacob for he hath supplanted me loe the second time my first-birth-right he tooke before and now the second time he hath stollen my blessing And againe to his father he said Hast thou not reserued me also a blessing †Isaac answered I haue appointed him thy Lord and al his brethren I haue made subiect to his seruice with corne and wine I haue established him and for thee my sonne what shal I doe more after this †To whom Esau said Hast thou one only blessing father I besech thee blesse me also And when he wept that he howled againe †Isaac being moued said to him In the fat of the earth and in the deaw of heauen from aboue †shal thy blessing be Thou shalt liue by the sworde and shalt serue thy brother and the time shal come when thou shalt shake of and loose his yoake from thy necke †Esau therfore alwaies hated Iacob for the blessing wherwith his father had blessed him and he said in his hart The daies wil come of the mourning of my father and I wil kil Iacob my brother †These things were told to Rebecca who sending calling Iacob her sonne said to him Behold Esau thy brother threatneth to kil thee †Now therfore my sonne heare my voice and get thee vp and flye to Laban my brother into Haran †and thou shalt dwel with him a few daies til the furie of thy brother be asswaged †and his indignation cease and he forget those things which thou hast done to him afterward I wil send and bring thee from thence hither Why shal I be depriued of both
the thunders may cease and the haile that I may dismisse you and ye tarie not here any longer †Moyses said When I shal be gone forth out of the citie I wil stretch forth my handes to our Lord and the thunders shal cease and the haile shal not be that thou maist know that the earth is our Lords †but I know that neither thou nor thy seruantes do yet feare the Lord God †The flexe therfore and the barley were hurt because the barley came vp grene and the flaxe now was boulled †but the wheate and other winter corne were not hurt because they were late ward †And Moyses going forth from Pharao out of the citie stretched forth his handes to our Lord and the thunders haile ceased neither did there droppe raine any more vpon the earth †And Pharao seing that the raine and the haile and thunders were ceased he increased his sinne †and his hart was aggrauated and the hart of his seruantes and indurate exceedingly neither did he dismisse the children of Israel as our Lord had commanded by the hand of Moyses CHAP. X. The eight plague of Locustes 21. the ninth darknes Pharao yeldeth that al men and children should goe to the desert but not the cattle 28. At last commandeth Moyses to come no more in his sight which Moyses forecelleth shal so be AND our Lord said to Moyses Goe in to Pharao for I haue indurate his hart and the hart of his seruantes that I may worke these my signes in him †and thou maist tel in the eares of thy sonne and of thy nephewes how often I haue broken the Aegyptians wrought my signes in them and you may know that I am the Lord. †Moyses therfore and Aaron went in to Pharao and said to him Thus saith the Lord the God of the Hebrewes Til when wilt thou not be subiect to me dismisse mv people to sacrifice vnto me †But if thou resist and wilt not dismisse them behold I wil bring in to morow the locust into thy coastes †which may couer the face of the earth that nothing therof appeare but that which the haile hath left may be eaten for it shal gnawe al trees that spring in the fieldes †And they shal fil thy houses and the houses of thy seruantes and of al the Aegyptians such a number as thy fathers haue not seene nor grand-fathers since they arose vpon the earth vntil this present day And he turned him selfe away and went forth from Pharao †And Pharaoes seruantes said to him How long shal we endure this scandal Dismisse the men to sacrifice to the Lord their God Doest thou not see that Aegypt is vndone †And they called back Moyses and Aaron vnto Pharao who said to them Goe sacrifice to the Lord your God who are they that shal goe †Moyses said With our young and old we wil goe with our sonnes and daughters with our sheepe and heardes for it is the solemnitie of the Lord our God †And Pharao answered So be the Lord with you as I shal dismisle you and your litle ones who doubteth but that you intend very wickedly †It shal not so be but goe ye men only and sacrifice to the Lord for this your selues also desired And immediatly they were cast out from Pharaoes sight †And our Lord said to Moyses Strech forth thy hand vpon the Land of Aegypt vnto the locust that it come vpon it and deuoure euerie herbe that remained after the haile †And Moyses stretched forth his rodde vpon the Land of Aegypt and our Lord brought in a burning wind al that day night and when it was morning the burning winde raised the locustes †which came vp ouer the whole Land of Aegypt and sate in al the coastes of the Aegyptians innumerable the like as had not bene before that time nor shal be afterward †And they couered the whole face of the earth wasting al thinges Therfore the grasse of the earth was deuoured and what fruites soeuer on the trees which the haile had left there was also nothing at al left that was greene in the trees and in the herbes of the earth in al Aegypt †For the which cause Pharao in hast called Moyses and Aaron and said to them I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you †But now forgeue me my sinne this time also and pray to the Lord your God that he take away from me this death †And Moyses going forth from Pharaoes sight prayed to our Lord †who made a very vehement wind to blow from the west and taking the locustes it threw them into the Red sea there remained not so much as one in al the coastes of Aegypt †And our Lord did indurate Pharaoes hart neither did he dismisse the children of Israel †And our Lord said to Moyses Stretch for thy hand toward heauen and be there darkenesse vpon the Land of Aegypt so thicke that it be palpable †And Moyses stretched forth his hand toward heauen and there was made horrible darkenesse in the whole Land of Aegypt three dayes †No man saw his brother nor moued himselfe out of the place where he was but wheresoeuer the children of Israel dwelt there was light †And Pharao called Moyses and Aaron and said to them Goe sacrifice to the Lord let your sheepe only and heardes remaine let your litle ones goe with you Moyses said Hostes also holocaustes thou shalt geue to vs which we may offer to the Lord our God †Al the flockes shal goe with vs there shal not a hoofe remaine of them the which are necessarie vnto the seruice of the Lord our God especially wheras we know not what must be offered til we come to the very place †And our Lord did indurate Pharaoes hart and he would not dismisse them †And Pharro said to Moyses Getre thee from me and beware thou see not my face any more in what day soeuer thou shalt come in my sight thou shalt dye †Moyses answered So shal it be as thou hast spoken I wil not see thy face any more CHAP. XI God biddeth Moyses cause the people of Israel to borow siluer and gold vessels of the Aegyptians 4. Fortelleth one other plague the death of the first borne 9. and that Pharao wil stil be obdurate AND our Lord said to Moyses Yet with one plague more wil I touch Pharao Aegypt and after this he shal dismisse you and compel you to goe forth †Thou shalt sav therfore to al the people that euerie man aske of his frend euery woman of her neighbour vessels of siluer of gold †And the Lord wil geue grace to his people in the sight of the Aegyptians And Moyses was a very great man in the Land of Aegypt in the sight of Pharaoes seruantes of al the people †And he said This saith our Lord At midnight
slaine the peoples hoste pray for them as our Lord hath coÌ„manded †And forthwith Aaron approching to the altar immolated the calfe for his sinne †the bloud wherof his sonnes brought to him wherin dipping his finger he touched the hotnes of the altar and poured the rest at the foote therof †And the fatte and the litle kidneis and the caule of the liuer which are for sinne he burnt vpon the altar as our Lord had commanded Moyses †but the flesh and skinne therof he burnt with fire without the campe †He immolated also the victime of holocaust and his sonnes brought him the bloud therof which he poured in the circuite of the altar †The hoste also it selfe being cut into peeces they brought with the head and euerie member Al which he burnt with fire vpon the altar †hauing first washed the entralles and the feete with water †And offering for the sinne of the people he slew the bucke goat and expâ—ating the altar †he made the holocaust †adding in the sacrifice the libaments which are offered withal and burning them vpon the altar be side the ceremonies of the morning holocaust †He immolated also the oxe and the ramme the pacifique hostes of the people and his sonnes brought him the bloud which he poured vpon the altar round about †The fatte also of the oxe and the rump of the ramme and the two little kindneis with their fatte and the caule of the liuer †they put vpon the brests and after the fatte was burnt vpon the altar †their brests and the right shoulders Aaron did seperate eleuating them before our Lord as Moyses had commanded †And stretching forth his hand to the people he blessed them And so the hostes for sinne and the holocaustes and the pacifiques being finished he descended †And Moyses and Aaron going into the tabernacle of testimonie and afterward comming forth blessed the people And the glorie of our Lord appeared to al the multitude †and behold a fire coming forth from our Lord deuoured the holocaust and the fatte that was vpon the altar Which thing when the multitude had senne they praised our Lord falling on their faces CHAP. X. Nadab and Abiu the sonnes of Aaron for offering strange fire are burnt to death and cast out of the campe 6. for whom the people mourne but not the Priests 8. Priests are forbid to drinke wine when they enter into the tabernacle 12. and are commanded to eate the residew of oblations in the holie place 16. which this timein part they omitted and are excused being sorowful for that vvhich happened to Nadab and Abiu AND Nadab and Abiu the sonnes of Aaron catching censors did put in fire and incense therupon offering before our Lord strange fire which was not commanded them †And fire comming forth from our Lord deuoured them and they dyed before our Lord. †And Moyses said to Aaron This is it which our Lord hath spoken I wil be sanctified in them that approch to me and in tbe sight of al the people I wil be glorified Which Aaron hearing held his peace †And Moyses calling Misael and Elisaphan the sonnes of Oziel the vncle of Aaron said to them Goe and take away your bretheren from the sight of the Sanctuarie and carie them without the campe †And going forthwith they tooke them as they lay reuested with linnen tunikes did cast them forth as it had bene commanded them †And Moyses spake to Aaron to Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes Vncouer not your heades and rent not your vestiments lest perhaps you die and indignation come vpon al the assemblie Let your brethren and al the house of Israel lament the burning that our Lord hath raised †and your selues shal not goe out of the dore of the tabernacle otherwise you shal perish for the oyle of holie vnction is vpon you Who did al thinges according to the precept of Moyses †Our Lord also said to Aaron †Wine and anie thing that may make drunke you shal not drinke thou and thy sonnes when you enter into the tabernacle of testimonie lest you die because it is an euerlasting precept through your generations †And that you may haue knowledge to discerne betwen the holie and prophane betwen the polluted and cleane †and may teach the children of Israel al my ordinances which the Lord hath spoken to them by the hand of Moyses †And Moyses spake to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes that were left Take the sacrifice that is remayning of the oblation of our Lord and eate it without leauen beside the altar because it is Holie of holies †And you shal eate it in a holie place which is giuen to thee and thy sonnes of the oblations of our Lord as it hath bene commanded me †The brest also that is offered and the shoulder that is seperated you shal eate in a most cleane place thou and thy sonnes and thy daughters with thee For they are laid apart for thee and thy children of the healthful hostes of the children of Israel †because the shoulder and the the brest and the fatte that is burnt on the altar they haue eleuated before our Lord and they pertaine to thee and to thy sonues by a perpetual lawe as our Lord hath commanded †Among these thinges when Moyses sought for the bucke goate that had bene offered for sinne he found it burnt and being angrie against Eleazar and Ithamar the sonnes of Aaron that remained he said †Why did you not eate the hoste for sinne in a holie place which is most Holie and geuen to you that you may beare the iniquitie of the multitude and may pray for it in the sight of our Lord †especially wheras of the bloud therof there hath not bene caried within the holie places and you ought to haue eaten it in the Sanctuarie as it was commanded me †Aaron answered This day hath bene offered the victime for sinne and the holocaust before our Lord and to me that is chanced which thou seest how could I eate it or please our Lord in ceremonies hauing a sorowful hart †Which when Moyses had heard he was satisfied with his answere CHAP. XI The distinction of cleane and vncleane in beastes fish birdes and other things 43. With commandment to be holie and impolluted AND our Lord spake to Moyses and Aaron saying †Say to the children of Israel These are the beasts which you ought to eate of al the liuing things of the earth †Euerie one that hath the hoofe diuided and cheweth the cudde among the cattel you shal eate †But whatsoeuer in dede cheweth the cudde and hath an hoofe but diuideth it not as the camel and others that you shal not eate and among the vncleane you shal repute it †Cherogril which cheweth the cudde and diuideth not the hoofe is vncleane †The hare also for that also cheweth
might be your God CHAP. XVI Core and his complices making schisme against Moyses and Aaron 31. some are swalowed in the earth with their families and substance 35. other two hundred and fiftie offering incense 41. and fourtene thousand seuen hundred of the common people murmuring in behalfe of the sedicious are consumed with fire from heauen AND behold Core the sonne of Isaar the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leui and Dathan and Abiron the sonnes of Eliab Hon also the sonne of Pheleth of the children of Ruben †“ rose against Moyses and other of the children of Israel two hundred fiftie men princes of the synagogue and which in the time of assemblie were called by name †And when they had stoode vp against Moyses and Aaron they said Let it suffice you that al the multitude consisteth of holie ones and our Lord is among them Why lift you vp your selues aboue the people of our Lord †Which when Moyses had heard he fel flatte on his face †and speaking to Core and al the multitude he said In the morning our Lord wil make it knowne who pertaine to him and the holie the wil ioyne to him selfe and whom he shal choose they shal approch to him †This do therfore Take euerie man their censars thou Core and al thy councel †and taking fire in them to morrow put vpon it incense before our Lord and whom soeuer he shal choose the same shal be holie you do much exalt your selues ye sonnes of Leui. †And he said againe to Core Heare ye sonnes of Leui †Is it a smal thing vnto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from al the people and ioyned you to him selfe that you should serue him in the seruice of the tabernacle and should stand before the ful assemblie of the people and should minister to him †did he therfore make thee and al thy brethren the sonnes of Leui to approch vnto him that you should chalenge vnto you the priesthood also †and al thy companie should stand against our Lord for what is Aaron that you murmur against him †Moyses therfore sent to cal Dathan and Abiron the sonnes of Eliab Who answered We come not †Why is it a smal matter to thee that thou hast brought vs out of a land that folowed with milke and honie to kil vs in the desert vnles thou rule also like a lord ouer vs †In deede hast thou brought vs into a land that floweth with riuers of milke and honie hast thou geuen vs possessions of fieldes vineyardes What wilt thou plucke out our eies also We come not †Moyses therfore being very wrath said to our Lord Respect not their sacrifices thou knowest that I haue not taken of them so much as a little asse at anie time neither haue afflicted anie of them †And he said to Core Thou and al thy congregation stand ye apart before our Lord and Aaron to morrow apart †Take euerie one your censars and put incense vpon them offering to our Lord two hundred fiftie censars Let Aaron also hold his censar †Which when they had done Moyses and Aaron standing †and had heaped together al the multitude against them to the dore of the tabernacle the glorie of our Lord appeared to them al. †And our Lord speaking to Moyses and Aaron said †Separate your selues from the middes of this congregation that I may sodenly destroy them †Who felilatte on their face and said Most mightie God of the spirites of al flesh when one sinneth shal thy wrath rage against al †And our Lord said to Moyses †Command the whole people that they separate them selues from the tabernacles of Core and Dathan and Abiron †And Moyses arose and went to Dathan and Abiron and the ancientes of Israel folowing him †he said to the multitude Depart from the tabernacles of the impious men and touch not the thinges that pertaine to them lest you be wrapped in their sinnes †And when they were departed from their tentes round about Dathan and Abiron coming forth stood in the entrie of their pauilions with their wiues and children and al the multitude †And Moyses said In this you shal know that our Lord hath sent me to do al thinges that you see and that I haue not forged them of my owne mind †If they die the accustomed death of men and if the plague wherwith others also are wont to be visited do visite them out Lord did not send me †but if our Lord do a new thing that the earth opening her mouth swallow them downe al thinges that pertaine to them and they descend quicke into hel you shal know that they haue blasphemed our Lord. †Immediatly therfore as he ceased to speake the earth brake insunder vnder their feete †and opening her mouth deuoured them with their tabernacles al their substance †and they went downe into hel quicke couered with the ground and perished out of the middes of the multitude †But al Israel that stoode round about fled at the cric of them that perished saying Lest perhappes the earth swallow vs also †But a fire also coming forth from our Lord slew the two hundred fiftie men that offered the incense †And our Lord spake to Moyses saying †Command Elâ—zar the sonne of Aaron the priest that he take vp the censars that lie in the burning fire and that he sprinkle the fire hither and thither because they be sanctified †in the deathes of the sinners and let him beate them into plates and fasten them to the altar because there hath bene offered incense in them to the Lord and they are sanctified that the children of Israel may see them for a signe and a monument †Eleazar therfore the priest tooke the brasen censars wherin they had offered whom the burning fire deuoured and bette them into plates fastening them to the altar †that the children of Israel afterward might haue wherwith to be admonished that no stranger approch and he that is not of the seede of Aaron to offer incense to our Lord lest he suffer as Core hath suffered and al his congregation according as our Lord spake to Moyses †And al the multitude of the children of Israel murmured the day folowing against Moyses and Aaron saying You haue killed the people of our Lord. †And when there rose a sedition and the tumult grew farder †Moyses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of couenant Which after they were entred the cloude couered it and the glorie of our Lord appeared †And our Lord said to Moyses †Depart from the middes of this multitude euen now wil I destroy them And as they lay vpon the ground †Moyses said to Aaron Take the censar and drawing fire from the altar put incense vpon it going quickly to the people to pray for them for euen now is the wrath come forth
seruantes the same in possession and make vs not passe ouer Iordan †To whom Moyses answered Why shal your brethren goe to sight and wil you sitte here †Why subuert you the mindes of the children of Israel that they may not be bold to passe into the place which our Lord wil geue them †Did not your fathers so when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the Land †And when they were come as farre as the Valley of cluster hauing viewed al the countrie they subuerted the hart of the children of Israel that they should not enter the coastes which our Lord gaue them †Who being wrath sware saying †If these men that came vp out of Aegypt from twentie yeares and vpward shal see the land which vnder othe I promised to Abraham Isaac and Iacob and they would not folow me †except Caleb the sonne of Iephone the Cenezeite and Iosue the sonne of Nun these haue fulfilled my wil. †And our Lord being wrath agaynst Israel led him about through the desert fourtie yeares vntil the whole generation was consumed that had done euil in his sight †And behold quoth he you are risen vp in steed of your fathers the ofspring and disciples of sinful men to augment the furie of our Lord agaynst Israel †But if you wil not folow him he wil leaue the people in the wildernesse and you shal be the cause of the death of al. †But they coming nere said We wil make shepcottes and stalles for our cattel for our litle ones also fensed cities †and we our selues armed and girded wil march on to battle before the children of Israel vntil we bring them in vnto their places Our litle ones and whatsoeuer we can haue shal be in walled cities because of the lying of wayte of the inhabitantes †We wil not returne into our houses vntil the children of Israel possesse their inheritance †neither wil we seeke any thing beyound Iordan because already we haue our possession on the east side therof †To whom Moyses said If you doe that you promisse march on wel appointed before our Lord to fight †and let euerie man of warre passe ouer Iordan vntil our Lord subuert his enemies †and al the Land be subdued to him then shal you be blamelesse before our Lord and before Israel and you shal obteyne the countries that you would in the sight of our Lord. †But if you doe not that which you say no man can doubt but you sinne against God and know ye that your sinne shal apprehend you †Build therfore cities for your litle ones and sheepecotes and stalles for your sheepe and cattel and accomplish that which you haue promised †And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moyses We are thy seruantes we wil do that which our lord commandeth †We wil leaue our litle ones and our wiues and sheepe and cattel in the cities of Galaad †and we thy seruantes al wel appoynted wil march on to the warre as thou my lord speakest †Moyses therfore commanded Eleazar the priest and Iosue the sonne of Nun and the princes of the families by the tribes of Israel and he said to them †If the children of Gad and the children of Ruben passe with you ouer Iordan al armed to the warre before our Lord and the Land be subdued to you geue them Galaad in possession †But if they wil not passe armed with you into the Land of Chanaan let them take places to dwel in among you †And the children of Gad and the children of Ruben answered As our lord hath spoken to his seruantes so Wil we doe †our selues atmed wil march before our Lord into the Land of Chanaan and we confesse that we haue already receiued our possession beyond Iordan †Moyses therfore gaue to the children of Gad and Ruben and to the halfe tribe of Manasses the sonne of Ioseph the kingdome of Sehon king of the Amorrheite and the kingdome of Og king of Basan and their land and the cities therof round about †Therfore the sonnes of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer †and Etroth and Sophan and Iazar and Iegbaa †and Bethnemra and Betharan cities fensed aud sheepecotes for their sheepe †But the children of Ruben builded Hesebon and Eleale and Cariathaim †and Nabo and Baalmeon changing their names Sabama also geuing names to the cities which they had built †Moreouer the children of Machir the sonne of Manasses went into Galaad and wasted it killing the Amorrheite the inhabiter therof †Moyses therfore gaue the land of Galaad to Machir the sonne of Manasses who dwelt in it †And Iair the sonne of Manasses went and tooke the villages therof which he called Hauoth Iair that is tho say the Villages of Iair †Nobe also went and tooke Canath with the villages therof and he called it by his owne name Nobe CHAP. XXXIII The 42. mansions of The children of Israel betwen Aegype and the Land of promise are recited 50. they are commanded to kil al the inhabitents to purge the land of idolatrie and diuide it among them THESE are the mansions of the children of Israel that went out of Aegypt by their troupes in the hand of “ Moyses and Aaron †which Moyses described according to the places of the campe which by our Lords commandement they changed †They children of Israel therfore departing from Ramesses the first moneth the fiftenth day of the first moneth the morow after they made the Phase in a mightie hand al the Aegyptians seeing them †and burying their first borne which our Lord had strooken yea and on their goddes also he had exercised vengeance †they camped in Soccoth †And from Soccoth they came into Etham which is in the vttermost borders of the wildernesse †Departing thence they came ouer against Phihahiroth which looketh toward Beelsephon and camped before Magdal †And departing from Phihahiroth they passed through the middes of the sea into the wildernesse and walking three dayes through the deserr Etham they camped in Mara †And departing from Mara they came into Elim where there were the twelue fountaines of waters and the seuentie palme trees and there they camped †But departing thence also they pitched their tentes vpon the Redde sea And departing from the Redde sea †they camped in the defert Sin †From whence departing they came into Daphca †And departing from Daphca they camped in Alus †And departing from Alus they pitched their tentes in Raphidim where the people wanted water to drinke †And departing from Raphidim they camped in the desert of Sinai †But departing also from the desert Sinai they came to the Sepulchres of concupiscence †And departing from the Sepulchres of concupiscence they camped in Haseroth †And from Haseroth they came into Rethma †And departing from Rethma they camped in Remmonphares †Whence departing they came into Lebna â€
that thou shalt perish vtterly †As the Nations which our Lord destroyed at thyne entrie so shal you also perish if you be disobedient to the voice of the Lord your God CHAP. IX Lest they should impute the victories which they shal haue to them selues 6. they are put in mind of their often prouoking Gods wrath 12. by idolatrie 22. by murmuring by concupiscence by contempt and other sinnes 25 for which they should haue bene destroyed but God spared them for his prouâ—â—se made to Abraham Isaeac and Iacob HEARE Israel Thou shalt goe ouer Iordan this day to possesse verie greate nations and stronger then thy selfe huge cities and walled euen vnto heauen †a great people and tal the sonnes of the Enacims whom thou hast seene and heard against whom no man is able to resist †Thou shalt know therfore this day that the Lord thy God him selfe wil passe ouer before thee a deuouring and consuming fyre who shal destroy and abolish and bring them to nothing before thy face quickly as he hath spoken to thee †Say not in thy hart when the Lord thy God shal haue destroyed them in thy sight For my iustice hath our Lord brought me in to possesse this land wheras these nations were destroyed for their impieties †For not because of thy iustices and equitie of thy hart doest thou enter in to possesse their landes but because they haue done impiously at thy entring in they are destroyed and that our Lord might accomplish his word which by oath he promised to thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob †Know therfore that not for thy iustices hath the Lord thy God geuen thee this excellent land in possession wheras thou art a verie stiffe necked people †Remember and forget not how thou didst prouoke the Lord thy God to wrath in the wildernesse From the same day that thou camest out of Aegypt vnto this place thou hast alwayes contended against our Lord. †For in Horeb also thou didst prouoke him and being wrath he would haue destroyed thee †when I went vp into the mounte to receiue the tables of stone of the couenant which our Lord made with you and I continewed in the mounte fourtie daies and nightes not eating bread nor drinking water †And our Lord gaue me two tables of stone written with the singer of God and conteyning al the wordes that he spake to you in the mounte from the middes of the fyre when the assemblie of the people was gathered †And when fourtie dayes were passed and as manie nightes our Lord gaue me the two tables of stone the tables of couenant †and he said to me Arise and goe downe from hence quickly for thy people which thou didst bring out of Aegypt haue quickly forsaken the way that thou hast shewed them and haue made them a molten idol †And againe our Lord said to me I see that this people is stiffe necked †suffer me that I may destroy them and abolish their name from vnder heauen and may set thee ouer a Nation that is greater and stronger then this †And when I came downe from the burning mounte and held the two tables of couenant with both handes †and saw that you had sinned to the Lord your God and had made you a molten calfe and had quickly forsaken his way which he had shewed you †I cast the tables out of my handes and brake them in your sight †And I fel downe before our Lord as before fourtie dayes and nightes not eating bread not drinking water for al your sinnes which you committed against our Lord and prouoked him to wrath †for I feared his indignation and anger wherwith being moued agaynst you he would haue destroyed you And our Lord heard me this time also †Against Aaron also being exceeding angrie he would haue destroyed him and for him in like maner did I pray †And your sinne that you had committed that is the calfe I tooke and burnt it with fyre and breaking it into peeces and bringing it wholy into dust I threw it into the torrent that deâ—cendeth from the mount †In the burning also and in the tentation and in the Sepulchres of concupiscence you prouoked our Lord †and when he sent you from Cadesbarne saying Goe vp and possesse the Land that I haue geuen you and you contemned the commandement of your Lord God and did not beleue him neither would you heare his voice †but were alwaies rebellious from the day that I beganne to know you †And I lay before our Lord fourtie dayes and nightes in the which I humbly besought him that he would not destroy you as he had threatened †and praying I said Lord God destroy not thy people and thyne inheritance which thou hast redemed in thy greatnes whom thou didst bring out of Aegypt in a strong hand †Remember thy seruantes Abraham Isaac and Iacob regard not the stubbournes of this people and his impietie and sinne †lest perhappes the inhabitantes of the land out of which thou hast brought vs say The Lord could not bring them in vnto the Land that he promised them and he hated them therfore did he bring them forth that he might kil them in the wildernes †Which are thy people and thyne inheritance whom thou didst bring forth in thy great strength and in thy stretched out arme CHAP. X. Moyses receiuing the second tables of the tenne commandments and making an arke put them therin 6. with mention of certaine places where the children of Israel had camped of Aarons death and to the Leuites offices and possesstons 12. be inculcateth the feare and loue of God and the keping of his precepts 16. namely to circumcise the hart 19. to loue strangers 20. and not to serue nor sweare by false goddes AT that time our Lord said to me Hewe thee two tables of stone as the former were and come vp to me into the mounte and thou shalt make an arke of wood †and I wil write in the tables the wordes that were in them which before thou didst breake and thou shalt put them in the arke †I made therfore an arke of the wood Settim And when I had hewed two tables of stone like to the former I went vp into the mount hauing them in my handes †And he wrote in the tables according as he had written before the ten wordes which our Lord spake to you in the mount from the middes of the fyre when the people was gathered and he gaue them to me †And returning from the mount I came downe and put the tables into the arke that I had made which are there til this present as our Lord commanded me †And the children of Israel remoued their campe from Beroth of the children of Iacan into Mosera where Aaron died and was buried for whom Eleazar his soone did the function of priesthood †Thence they came into Gadgad from the which place departing
6. how nere soeuer they be in kinred or freindshipe 12. The whole citie that shal permite false doctrin must be vtterly destroyed men beastes and al moueables and neuer be built againe IF there rise in the middes of thee a prophete or one that saieth he hath seene a dreame and foretel a signe and a wonder †and it come to passe which he spake and he say to thee Let vs goe and folow strange goddes which thou knowest not and let vs serue them †thou shalt not heare the wordes of that prophete or dreamer for the Lord your God tempteth you that it may appeare whether you loue him or no with al your hart and with al your soule †Folow the Lord your God and feare him and keepe his commandementes and heare his voice him you shal serue and to him you shal cleaue †And that prophete or forget of dreames shal be slaine because he spake that he might auert you from the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Aegypt and redemed you from the house of seruitude that he might make thee to erre from the way that the Lord thy God commanded thee and thou shalt take away the euil out of the middes of thee †If thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or daughter or thy wife that is in thy bosome or thy freind whom thou louest as thy soule wil perswade thee secretly saying Let vs goe and serue strange goddes which thou knowest not nor thy fathers †of al nations round about that be nigh or farre from the beginning vnto the end of the earth †consent not to him nor heare him neither let thyne eie spare him to pitie and hide him †but forthwith thou shalt kil him let thy hand be first vpon him and after thee al the people lay hand on him †With stones shal he be stoned to death because he would haue withdrawen thee from the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt from the house of seruitude †that al Israel hearing may feare and may doe no more any thing like to this †If in one of thy cities which the Lord thy God shal geue thee to inhabite thou heare some say †There are gone forth children of Belial out of the middes of thee and haue auerted the inhabitants of their citie and haue said Let vs goe and serue strange goddes which you know not †inquire carefully and diligently the truth of the thing being looked into if thou finde it certaine that is said and that this abomination is in act committed †thou shalt forthwith strike the inhabitantes of that citie in the edge of the sworde and shalt destroy it and al thinges that are in it vnto the very beastes †What stuffe also soeuer there is thou shalt gather together in the middes of the streares therof and shalt burne it with the citie it selfe so that thou consume al thinges to the Lord thy God and it be a heape for euer it shal be built no more †and there shal nothing sticke in thy hand of that anathema that our Lord may be turned from the wrath of his furie and may haue mercie on thee and multiplie thee as he sware to thy fathers †when thou shalt heare the voice of the Lord thy God keeping al his preceptes which I command thee this day that thou mayest doe that which is pleasing in the sight of the Lord thy God CHAP. XIIII Gentiles maner of mourning for the dead is prohibited 3. Likewise to eate things vncleane with mention of certaine cleane and vncleane beastes 9. fishes 11. and birdes 21. Also preceptes of pietie clemencie paying tithes first fruites 27. nourishing of Leuites strangers orphanes and widowes BE YE the children of the Lord your God you shal not cutte your selues nor make bauldnes for the dead †because thou art a holie people to the Lord thy God and he chose thee to be his peculiar people of al nattions that are vpon the earth †Eate not the thinges that are vncleane †This is the beast that you ought to eate The oxe and the sheepe and the goate †the hart and the doa the buffle the chamois the pygargue the wilde beefe the cameloparde †Euerie beast that diuideth the hoofe in two partes and cheweth the cudde shal you eate †But of them that chew the cudde and diuide not the hoofe these you shal not eate as the camel the hare the cherogril because they chew the cudde and diuide not the hoofe they shal be vncleane to you †The swine also because it diuideth the hoof and cheweth not the cudde shal be vncleane their flesh you shal not eate and their carcasses you shal not touche †These shal you eate of al that abide in the waters Such as haue finnes and scales eate †them that are without finnes and scales eate not because they are vncleane †Al birdes that are cleane eate †The vncleane eate not to witte the eagle and the grype and the osprey †the ringtaile and the vulture and kite according to their kinde †and al of the rauens kinde †and the ostriche and the owle and the sterne and the hawke according to his kinde †the herodian and the swanne and the stroke †and the diuer the porphyrion and nightcrow †the onocratal and the charadrion euerie one in their kinde the lapwing also and the batte †And al that creepeth and hath litle winges shal be vncleane and shal not be eaten †Al that is cleane eate †But whatsoeuer is dead of it selfe eate not therof To the stranger that is within thy gates geue it to eate or sel it to him because thou art the holie people of our Lord thy God Thou shalt not boyle a kidde in the milke of his damme †The tenth part thou shalt seperate of al thy fruites that spring in the earth euerie yeare †and thou shalt eate in the sight of our Lord thy God in the place which he shal choose that his name may be inuocated therin the tithe of thy corne and wine and oile and the first borne of thy heardes and sheepe that thou mayest lerne to feare our Lord thy God at al time †But when the way and the place which our Lord thy God shal choose are farre and he hath blessed thee and thou canst not carie al these thinges thither †thou shalt sel and bring al into a price and shalt carie it in thy hand and shalt goe to the place which our Lord thy God shal choose †and thou shalt buy with the same money whatsoeuer pleaseth thee either of heardes or of sheepe wine also and sicere and al that thy soule desireth and thou shalt eate before our Lord thy God and shalt feast thou and thy house †and the Leuite that is within thy gates beware thou forsake him not because he hath no other part in
our Lord saying Who shal goe vp before vs against the Chananeite and shal be captaine of the warre †And our Lord said Iudas shal goe vp behold I haue deliuered the Land into his handes †And Iudas said to Simeon his brother Come vp with me into my lotte and fight against the Chananeite that I also may goe forward with thee into thy lotte And Simeon went with him †And Iudas went vp and our Lord deliuered the Chananeite and the Pherezeite into their handes and they stroke in Bezec ten thousand men †And they found Adonibezec in Bezec and fought against him and stroke the Chananeite and the Pherezeite †And Adonibezec fled whom pursewing they tooke cutting of the extreme partes of his handes and feere †And Adonibezec said Seuentie kinges hauing the extreme partes of their handes and seete cut of gathered vp the reliques of meates vnder my table as I haue done so hath God repayed me And they brought him into Ierusalem and there he died †Therfore the children of Iudas assaulting Ierusalem tooke it and stroke it in the edge of the sword setting the whole citie on fyre †And afterward going downe they fought against the Chananeite which dwelled in the mountaines and southward and in the champaine countries †And Iudas going forward against the Chananeite that dwelled in Hebron the name wherof was before time Cariatharbe stroke Sesai and Ahiman and Tholmai †and departing thence went to the inhabitantes of Dabir the old name wherof was Cariath Sepher that is a citie of letters †And Caleb said He that shal strike Cariath Sepher and spoile it I wil geue him Axa my daughter to wife †And when Othoniel the sonne of Cenez the yonger brother of Caleb had taken it he gaue him Axa his daughter to wife †Whom going on her way her husband admonished to aske a field of her father To whom when she had sighed sitting on her asse Caleb said What aileth thee †But she answered Geue me a blessing for a drie land thou haft geuen me geue me also a waterie Caleb therfore gaue her a watrie ground aboue waterie beneath †And the children of the Cineite the cosin of Moyses went vp from the citie of palmes with the children of Iudas into the deset of his lotte which is at the south side of Arad and dwelt with him †But Iudas went with Simeon his brother and together they stroke the Chananeite that dwelt in Sephaath and slew him And the name of the citie was called Horma that is Anathema †And Iudas tooke Gaza with the coastes therof Ascalon and Accaron with their boundes †And our Lord was with Iudas and he posessed the mountaines neither could he destroy the inhabitantes of the valley because they had manie hooked chariotes †And they gaue to Galeb Hebron as Moyses had said who destroyed out of it the three sonnes of Enac †But the Iebuseite the inhabiter of Ierusalem the children of Beniamin destroyed not and the Iebuseite dwelt with the children of Beniamin in Ierusalem vntil this present day †The house also of Ioseph went vp into Bethel and our Lord was with them †For when they besieged the citie which before was called Luza †they saw a man comming out of the citie and said to him Shew vs the entrrance of the citie and we wil shew thee mercie †Who when he had shewed them they stroke the citie in the edge of the sword but that man and al his kinred they dismissed †Who being dismist went into the Land of the Hetthims and built there a citie and called it Luza which is so called vntil this present day †Manasses also destroyed not Bethsan and Thanac with their litle townes and the inhabitantes of Dor and Ieblaam and Mageddo with their litle townes And the Chananeite began to dwel with them †But after that Israel was waxen strong he made them tributaries and would not destroy them †Ephraim also killed not the Chananeite that dwelt in Gazer but dwelt with him †Zabulon destroyed not the inhabitantes of Cetron Naalol but the Chananeite dwelt in the middes of him and was made tributarie to him †Aser also destroyed not the inhabitantes of Accho and of Sidon of Ahalab and Achazib and Helba and Aphec and Rohob †and he dwelt in the middes of the Chananeite the inhabiter of that Land neither did he kil them †Nepthali also destroyed not the inhabitantes of Bethsames Bethanath and he dwelt in the middes of the Chananeite the inhabiter of the Land and the Bethsamites Bethanites were tributaries to him †And the Amorrheite straytened the children of Dan in the mountaine and gaue them not place to goe downe to the playne †and he dwelt in mount Hares which is inter preted shelles in Aialon and Salebim And the hand of the house of Ioseph was agrauated and he became tributarie to him †And the border of the Amorrheite was from the Ascent of the Scorpion the rocke and the higher places CHAP. II. An Angel reciting manie benefites of God towardes Israel and their ingratitude 4. they weepe for their faultes 10. After the death of Iosue and other antientes of his time the people often fal and repenting are deliuered from afflictions 19. but stil fal againe worse and worse AND the Angel of our Lord went vp from Galgal to the place of weepers and said I brought you out of Aegypt and haue brought you into the Land for the which I sware to your fathers and I promised that I would not make frustrate my couenant with you for euer †onlie so that you should not make a league with the inhabitantes of this Land but should ouerthrow their altares and you would not heare my voice why haue you done this †For the which cause I would not destroy them from before your face that you may haue enemies and their goddes may be a ruine vnto you †And when the Angel of our Lord spake these wordes to al the children of Israel they lifted vp their voice and wept †And the name of that place was called the place of weepers or of teares and there they immolated hostes to our Lord. †Iosue therfore dismissed the people and the children of Israel went euerie one into his possession to obtayne it †and they serued our Lord al his daies and the daies of the ancientes of them that liued a long time after him and knew al the workes of our Lord which he had done with Israel †And Iosue the sonne of Nun the seruant of our Lord died being a hundred and ten yeares old †and they buried him in the borders of his possession in Thamnathsare in the mount of Ephraim on the North side of mount Gaas †And al that generation was gathered to to their fathers and there rose others that knew not our Lord and the workes which he had done with
and about thy husband and about thy sonne Who answered Wel. †And when she was come to the man of God into the mount she caught his feet and Giezi came to remoue her And the man of God said Let her alone for her soule is in anguish and our Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told me †Who said to him Did I aske a sonne of my Lord Did I not say to thee Mocke me not †And he said to Giezi Girde thy loynes and take my staffe in thy hand goe If a man meete thee salute him not and if any man salute thee answer him not and thou shalt put my staffe vpon the face of the childe †Moreouer the mother of the childe said Our Lord liueth and thy soul liueth I wil not leaue thee He arose therfore and folowed her †But Giezi was gone before them and had put the staffe vpon the face of the childe there was not voice nor sense and he returned to meete him and told him saying The childe is not risen †Eliseus therfore went into the house and behold the childe lay dead on his bed †and going in he shut the doore vpon him vpon the childe prayed to our Lord. †And he went vp and lay vpon the childe and he put his mouth vpon his mouth his eies vpon his eies his handes vpon his handes and he bowed him self ouer him and the childes flesh was warmed †But he returning walked vp and downe in the house once hither thither he went vp and lay vpon him and the childe gaped seuen tymes and opened his eies †And he called Gierzi said to him Call this Sunamite Who being called went in vnto him Who said Take thy sonne †She came and fel at his feete and adored vpon the ground and tooke her sonne and went out †and Eliseus returned into Galgal And there was a famine in the land and the children of the prophetes dwelt before him and he sayd to one of his seruantes Sette on a greate potte and seeth broth for the children of the prophetes †And one went out into the field to gather wilde herbes and he found as it were a wilde vine and gathered of it the colocynthides of the field and filled his mantel and returning cut it into the potte of broth for he knew not what it was †They therfore powred it to their felowes to eate and when they had tasted of the broth they cried saying Death is in the potte man of God And they could not eate †But he sayd Bring meale and when they had brought it he cast it into the potte and said powere in for the multitude that they may eate And there was no more anie bitternesse in the potte †And a certaine man came from Baaâ—sahâ—a bringing to the man of God loaues of the first fruites twentie barley loaues and new wheate in his scrippe But he said Geue to the people that they may eate †And his seruant answered him How much is this that I should sette it before an hundred men Agayne he said Geue to the people that they may eate for thus saith our Lord They shal eate and there shal be leaft †He therfore sette it before them who did eate and there was leaft according to the word of our Lord. CHAP. V. Naaman the general captaine of Syria is clensed of deprosie by washing him self as Eliseus appointeth him seuen times in â—oraan 15. professeth his bel of in one God promising to serue him 20. Giezi taketh giftes of Naaman 25. and is stricken with leprosie NAAMAN the General of the warfare of the king of Syria was a great man with his lord and honorable for by him our Lord gaue health to Syria and he was a valiant man and rich but a leper †Moreouer out of Syria there were come forth robbers and had led away captiue out of the Land of Israel a litle girle which wayted vpon the wife of Naaman †Who said to her maistresse I would my lord had bene with the prophete that is in Samaria surely he would haue cured him from the leprosie which he hath †Naaman therfore went into his lord and told him saying Thus and thus hath the wench of the Land of Israel spoken †And the king of Syria sayd to him Goe I wil send letters to the king of Israel Who when he was sette forward and had taken with him ten talentes of siluer and six thousand peces of gold and ten change of rayment †he brought the letters to the king of Israel in these wordes when thou shalt receiue this letter know that I haue sent to thee Naaman my seruant that thou mayest cure him of his leprosie †And when the king of Israel had read the letters he rent his garmentes and said Am I God that I can kil and geue life because this man hath sent to me that I should cure a man of his leprosie marke and see that he seeketh occasions against me †Which when Eliseus the man of God had heard to witte that the king of Israel had rent his garmentes he sent to him saying Why hast thou rent thy garmentes let him come to me and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel †Naaman therfore came with horses and chariotes and stood at the doore of the house of Eliseus †and Eliseus sent a messenger to him saying Goe and be washed seuen times in Iordan and thy flesh shal receiue health and thou shalt be cleane †Naaman being angrie departed saying I thought he would come out to me and standing would inuocate the name of the Lord his God and touch with his hand the place of the leprosie and cure me †What are not Abana and Pharphar the riuers of Damascus better then al the waters of Israel that I may be washed in them and be made cleane Therfore when he had turned him self and went away with indignation †his seruantes came vnto him spake to him Father if the prophet had sayd a great thing to thee certes thou shouldest haue done it how much more wheras now he sayd vnto thee Be washed and thou shalt be cleane †He went downe washed in Iordan seuen times according to the word of the man of God and his flesh was restored as the flesh of a litle childe he was made cleane †And returning to the man of God with al his trayne he came and stood before him sayd In very deede I know that there is no other God in al the earth but only in Israel I besech the therfore to take a benediction of thy seruant †But he answered Our Lord liueth before whom I stand I wil not take it And when he would haue forced him he did in nowise agree †And Naaman sayd As thou wilt but I besech thee graunt vnto me thy seruant that I may take of the earth
24. The Syrians besiege Samaria 26. For extreme famine a mother eateth her child 31. And the king commandeth to kil Eliseus AND the children of the prophetes sayd to Eliseus Behold the place wherin we dwel before thee is streite for vs. †Let vs goe as far as Iotdan and take out of the wood euerie man some timber that we may build there a place to dwel in Who said Goe †And one of them sayd Come therfore thou also with thy seruantes He answered I wil come †And he went with them And when they were come to Iordan they cut wood †And it chanced that when one had cut downe timber the head of the axe fel into the water and he cried out and said Alas alas alas my lord this same also I did borow †And the man of God sayd where â—el it and he shewed him the place he therfore cut of a pece of wood and cast it thither and the yron did swimme †and he said Take it vp Who stretched forth his hand and tooke it †And the king of Syria fought against Israel and tooke counsel with his seruantes saying In that and that place let vs lay embushementes †Therfore the man of God sent to the king of Israel saying Beware thou passe not into such a place because the Syrians are there in embushementes †The king of Israel therfore sent to the place which the man of God had told him and preuented him and looked wel to himself there not once or twise †And the hart of the king of Syria was trubled for this thing And calling together his seruantes he sayd Why doe you not tel me who is the betraier of me to the king of Israel †And one of his seruantes sayd Not so my lord king but Eliseus the prophet which is in Israel telleth the king of Israel al wordes whatsoeuer thou shalt speake in thy priuy chamber †And he sayd to them Goe and see where he is that I may send and take him And they told him saying Behold in Dothan †He therfore sent thither horses and chariotes and the force of his armie who when they were come in the night they besette the citie †And the seruant of the man of God rising early went out and saw an armie round about the citie and horses and chariotes and he told him saying Alas alas alas my lord what shal we doe †But he answered Feare not for there are more with vs then with them †And when Eliseus had prayed he sayd Lord open the eies of this man that he may see And our Lord opened the eies of the seruant and he behold and loe the mountaine ful of horses and of firie chariotes round about Eliseus †But the enemies went downe to him moreouer Eliseus prayed to our Lord saying Strike I besech thee this people with blindenesse And our Lord smote them that they saw not according to the word of Eliseus †And Eliseus sayd to them This is not the way neither is this the citie folow me I wil shew you the man whom you seeke He therfore led them into Samaria †and when they were entered into Samaria Eliseus said Lord open the eies of these men that they may see And our Lord opened their eies and they saw them selues to be in the middes of Samaria †And the king of Israel said to Eliseus when he had sene them Shal I strike them my father †And he said Thou shalt not strike them for thou didst not take them with thy sword and thy bow that thou mayst strike them but set bread and water before them that they may eate and drinke and goe to their maister †And a great preparation of meates was sette before them and they did eate and drinke and he dismissed them and they went away to their maister and the robbers of Syria came no more into the Land of Israel †And it came to passe after these thinges Benadad the king of Syria gathered together al his armie and went vp and besieged Samaria †And there was a great famine in Samaria and so long it was besieged til the head of an asse was sold for foure score siluer peeces the fourth part of a cabe of pigeons dung for fiue siluer peeces †And when the king of Israel passed by the wall a certayne woman cried out to him saying Saue me my lord king †Who sayd No our Lord saue thee how can I saue thee of the floore or of the presse And the king sayd to her What ayleth thee Who answered †This woman sayd to me Geue thy sonne that we may eate him to day my sonne we wil eate to morrow †We therfore boyled my sonne and did eate him And I sayd to her the next day Geue thy sonne that we may eate him Who hath hid her sonne †Which when the king had heard he rent his garmentes and passed by the wal And al the people saw the hearecloth which he ware next vpon his flesh †And the king sayd These thinges doe God to me and these adde he if the head of Eliseus the sonne of Saphat shal stand vpon him this day †But Eliseus sate in his house and the ancientes sate with him He therfore sent a man before and before that messenger came he sayd to the ancientes Doe you know that this murderers sonne hath sent to cut of my head See therfore when the messenger shal come shut the doore and suffer him not to enter in for behold the sound of his maisters feete is behinde him †Whiles he was yet speaking to them the messenger appeared which came to him And he sayd Behold this so great euil is of our Lord what shal I looke for more of our Lord CHAP. VII Eliseus prophecieth plentie of corne the next day and death to a chief man that wil not beleue it 3. Foure Lepers going to yeld themselues to the Syrians 6. who by Gods prouidence are frighted and fled away 9. bring newes therof to Samaria 12. which by trial is found true 16. And so there is plentie of corne and the incredulous nobleman is trod to death with presse of multitude in the gate as the prophet fortold AND Eliseus sayd Heare ye the word of our Lord Thus sayth our Lord At this time to morow a bushel of floure shal be at one stater and two bushels of barley at one stater in the gate of Samaria †One of the Dukes vpon whose hand the king leaned answearing the man of God sayd If our Lord shal make fludgates in heauen can that possibly be which thou speakest Who sayd Thou shalt see it with thine eies and shalt not eate therof †There were therfore foure men lepers beside the entrance of the gate who sayd one to an other What meane we to be here til we die †Whether we enter into the citie we shal die for famine or whether we tarie
to Anna his wife How like is this yongman to my sisters sonne †And when he had spoken these wordes he sayd Whence are you ye yongmen our brethren †But they sayd We are of the tribe of Nephthali of the captiuitie of Niniue †And Raguel sayd to them Know you Tobias my brother Who sayd We know him †And when he spake much good of him the Angel sayd to Raguel Tobias of whom thou askest is this mans father †And Raguel put forth him selfe and with teares kissed him and weeping vpon his necke sayd Blessing haue thou my sonne because thou art the sonne of a good and most vertuous man †And Anna his wife and Sara theyr daughter wept †And after they had talked Raguel commanded a wether to be killed and a banket to be prepared And when he desired them to sitte downe to dinner †Tobias said I wil not eate nor drinke here this day vnlesse thou first assure my petition and promise to geue me Sara thy daughter †Which word Raguel hearing was sore afrayd knowing what had chanced to those seuen husbands which went in vnto her and he began to feare lest perhaps it might chance to him also in like maner and when he doubted and gaue no answer to him demanding †the Angel sayd to him Feare not to geue her to this man for to him fearing God is thy daughter dewe to be his wife therfore an other could not haue her †Then sayd Raguel I doubt not but God hath admitted my prayers and teares in his sight †And I beleue that therfore he hath made you come to me that this mayde might be ioyned to her kinred according to the law of Moyses and now haue no doubt but I wil deliuer her to thee †And taking his daughter by the right hand gaue it into the right hand of Tobias saying The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob be with you and he ioyne you together and fulfil his blessing in you †And taking paper they made a writing of the mariage †And after these things they made merie blessing God †And Raguel called to him Anna his wife and commanded her to prepare an other chamber †And she brought Sara her daughter in thither and she wept †And she sayd to her Be of good cheere my daughter our Lord of heauen geue thee ioy for the tediousnesse which thou hast suffered CHAP. VIII Tobias bruling part of the fishes liuer Raphael bindeth the diuel 4. Tobias and Sara pray 11. Raguel fearing that Tobias is dead maketh a graue for him but vnderstanding that he is wel filleth it vp againe 21. prepareth a feast geueth the half of his goodes presently for Saraes dawrie the other halfe after her parents death AND after they had supped they brought in the yong man to her †Tobias therfore remembring the Angels word brought forth out of his bag part of the liuer and layd it vpon liue coales †Then Raphael the Angel tooke the diuel and bound him in the desert of higher Aegypt †Then Tobias exhorted the virgin sayd to her Sara arise and let vs pray to God to day and to morow and the next morow because these three nights we are ioyned to God and when the third night is past we wil be in our wedlocke †For we are the children of holie men we may not be ioyned together as gentiles that know not God †And they rising together prayed both together that health might be geuen them †And Tobias sayd Lord God of our fathers the heauens the earth and the sea fountaynes and riuers and al thy creatures that are in them blesse thee †Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth gauest him Eue an helper †And now Lord thou knowest that not for fleshlie lust doe I take my sister to wife but only for the loue of posteritie in the which thy name may be blessed for euer euer †Sara also sayd Haue mercie on vs Lord haue mercie vpon vs and let vs grow old both together in health †And it came to passe about the cock crowing Raguel bad his seruantes to be called for they went with him together to digge a graue †For he sayd Lest perhaps it may chance to him as also to the other seuen husbandes that went in vnto her †And when they had prepared the pitte Raguel returning to his wife sayd to her †Send one of thy handmaydes and let her see if he be dead that I may burie him before it be day †But she sent one of her handmaydes who going into the chamber found them safe and sound sleeping both together †And returning she brought good tydings and they blessed our Lord to witte Raguel Anna his wife †and sayd We blesse thee Lord God of Israel because it hath not chanced as we thought †For thou hast done thy metcie with vs hast excluded from vs the enemie that persecuted vs. †And thou hast taken pitie vpon two the only children Make them Lord blesse thee more fully and to offer vp to thee a sacrifice of thy prayse and of their health that al nations may know that thou art God onlie in al the earth †And forth with Raguel commanded his seruantes that they should fil vp the pitte which they had made before it were day †And he bad his wife make readie a feast and prepare al thinges that for victuals were necessarie to them that goe a iourney †He caused also two fatte kyne and foure wethers to be killed and great chere to be prepared for al his neighbours and al his freindes †And Raguel adiured Tobias that he should abide with him two weekes †And of al thinges which Raguel possessed he gaue the halfe part to Tobias and made this writing that the halfe part which was remayning after their decease should come to the dominion of Tobias CHAP. IX The Angel Raphael goeth to Gabelus receiueth the money and bringeth him to the mariage 8. They salute ech other and Gabelus wisheth al prosperitie to yong Tobias and his spouse THEN Tobias called the Angel to him whom he thought to be a man and he sayd to him Brother Azarias I pray thee harken to my wordes †If I should deliuer my self to be thy seruant I shal not deserue thy prouidence †Howbeit I besech thee that thou take vnto thee beastes and seruantes and goe to Gabelus into Rages the citie of Medes render him his handwriting and receiue of him the money and desire him to come to my mariage †For thyself knowest that my father numbreth the dayes and if I slacke one day more his soule is made sorowful †And surely thou sâ—est how Raguel hath adiured me whose adiuring I can not dispise †Then Raphael taking foure of Raguels seruantes two camels went into Rages the citie of Medes
face they blessed God and rysing vp they told al his maruelous workes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 12. I offered thy prayer to our Lord. Here the Angel Raphael reporteth certaine good offices which he had done for Tobias He did other like for his sonne and for Raguel and his daughter which are likewise recorded in this booke And the whole world especially Gods seruantos receiue continual great benefites by holie Angeles as partly may be gathered in this holie historie and more els where For first the office of Angeles is to assist or be alwayes readie as most diligent seruitoures of God expecting what his diuine goodnes wil appoint them whither to goe and what to doe for the benefite of men as holie Raphael was sent when yong Tobias wanted a guide Secondly Angels offer the prayers of the faithful or as the Greke text â—eadeth v. 15 Angels present the prayers of Sainctes that is of godlie men and wemen to God so Raphael testifieth here him self that he offered Tobias prayers to our Lord. Thirdly Angeles ayde and assist those that loue puritie of life sincere seruice of God hate vice embrace vertue do workes of mercie so Raphael assisted Tobias when he traueled to butie the dead fleing from the kings furie and hiding himself ch â— v. 21. 23. Fourthly Angels exhort to good workes as in this 12. chapter v. 6 8 9 10 18 Fiftly they sâ—â—gest â—â—d instruct what to do ch 6. v. 4. 5. Raphâ—â—â—â—â—â—ght yong Tobias to â—ake the fiâ—h vâ—b wel him reserue partes therof 〈…〉 〈◊〉 aâ—â—ised him to lodge at Raguels house to demand Sâ—ra to wife and v. 16. 17. iâ—structed him against whom diuels haue powre Sixthly they expel diuels from persons and places ch 8. v. 3. Raphael tooke and bound the diuel Asmodeus in the desert of hiegher Egypt Seuenthly they deliuer men from dangers and euiles c. 6. v. 3 as when the great fish assaulted Tobias and Sara from molestation and slaunder and old Tobias from blindnes chap. 3 v. 10. ch 11. v. 8. ch 12. v. 14. Eightly VVhen it redoundeth to the honour and more seruice of God and good of the soule Angeles procure riches and worldly commodities ch 12. v. 3. Yong Tobias gratfully confessed the great benefites receiued by his guide concluding generally by him vve are replenished sayth he vvith al good thinges Ninthly Good Angels also proue men for their more merite so the Angel witnesseth ch 12. v. 13. Because thou vvast acceptable to God it vvas necessarie that tentation should proue thee Tenthly and finally for we remite the reader to larger documentes of others after proofe of patience fortitude and other vertues holie Angeles comforte good men so Raphael encoraged old Tobias saying ch 5. v. 13. his blindenes should shortly be cured ch 12. v. 12. shewed him how gratful his prayers with teares and woorkes of mercie were in Gods fight He comforted Raguel and his familie by bringing yong Tobias to their house ch 7. v. â— Much more ch 8. v. 16. both them and al Tobias his familie by driuing away the diuel and lastly by reuealing himselfe vnto them So holie Angeles especially the proper gardian patrones of euerie one are alwayes readie to helpe men guard them exhort them to good do instruct them do expel euil spirites and deliuer men from many euils dangers do procure them temporal commodities proue their vertues offer their prayers and good workes assist them al their liues and at their deathes then also bring their soules to the Iudgement seate and if they die in good state to eternal ioy and glorie wherof the ancient fathers writinges are ful S. Gregorie the great in his Dialogue li. 4. c. 58 S. Athanasius li. de communi essentia S. Chrisostom ho. 3. in Epist. ad Colloss li. 6. de Sacerdotio Gregorius Turonen li. de gloria Martyrum Confessorum S. Augustin Epist ad probam c. 9. Epist 68. ad fratres in eremo li. 11. c. 31. ciuit octoginta trium qq q. 79. Our Sauiour himself testifieth that Angels reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Luc. 15. and therfore they know and haue care of mens states in this life and finally Angeles caried the soule of poore Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Luc. 16. CHAP. XIII Tobias the father prayseth God exhorting al Israel to do the same 11. prophecieth the restauration and better state of Ierusalem AND Tobias the elder opening his mouth blessed our Lord and sayd Thou art great Lord for euer and thy kingdom world without end †because thou scourgest and sauest leadest downe to hel and bringest backe agayne and there is none that may escape thy hand †CoÌ„fesse to our Lord ye children of Israel and in the sight of the Gentiles prayse him †because he hath therfore dispersed you among the gentiles which know not him that you may declare his maruelous workes and make them know that there is no other God omnipotent besides him †He hath chastised vs for our iniquities and he wil saue vs for his mercie †Behold therfore what he hath done with vs and with feare and trembling confesse ye to him and extol the king of the worldes in your workes †And I in the land of my captiuitie wil confesse to him because he hath shewed his maiestie toward a sinful nation †Conuert therfore ye sinners do iustice before God beleuing that he wil doe his mercie with you †And I and my soule wil reioyce in him †Blesse ye our Lord al his elect celebrate daies of gladnes and confesse to him †Ierusalem the citie of God our Lord hath chastised thee in the workes of thy handes †Confesse to our Lord in thy good thinges and blesse the God of the worldes that he may reedefie his tabernacle in thee and may cal backe al the captiues to thee thou mayst reioyce for euer and euer †Thou shalt shine with a glorious light and al the coastes of the earth shal adore thee †Nations from far shal come to thee and bringing giftes they shal adore our Lord in thee and shal esteeme thy land for sanctification †For they shal inuocate the great name in thee †Cursed shal they be that shal contemne thee and damned shal they be that shal blaspheme thee and blessed shal they be that shal build thee †And thou shalt reioyce in thy children because they shal al be blessed shal be gathered together to our Lord. †Blessed are al that loue thee and that reioyce vpon thy peace †My soule blesse thou our Lord because he hath deliuered Ierusalem his citie from al her tribulations the Lord our God †Blessed shal I be if there shal remayne of my seede to see the glorie of Ierusalem †The gates of Ierusalem shal be built of Saphire and the Emerauld and al the compasse of the walles therof of pretious stone †With white
illuminate them with the light of the liuing †Attend Iob and heare me and hold thy peace whiles I speake †But if thou hast what to speake answer me speake for I would thee to appeare iust †And if thou haue not heare me hold thy peace and I wil teach thee wisedom CHAP. XXXIIII Againe Eliu chargeth Iob with blasphemie and other crimes 10. sheweth the equitie of Gods iudgement 20. and that al thinges are subiect to Gods powre and knowlege ELIV therfore pronouncing spake these wordes also †Heare ye wise men my wordes and ye learned harken to me †For the eare proueth wordes and the throate discerneth meates by the ras◠†Let vs choose vs iudgement and among vs let vs see what is the better †Because Iob sayd I am iust and God hath subuerted my iudgement †For in iudging me there is a lie mine arrow is violent without anie sinne †What man is there as is Iob that drinketh skorning as it were water †That goeth with them that worke iniquitie and walketh with impious men †For he hath sayd Man shal not please God although he runne with him †Therfore ye discrete men heare me far from God be impietie and iniquitie from the Omnipotent †For he wil render a man his worke and according to the waies of euerie one he wil recompence them †For in verie deed God wil not condemne without cause neither wil the Omnipotent subuert iudgement †What other hath he appointed ouer the earth or whom hath he sette ouer the world which he made †If he direct his hart to him he shal drawe his spirit and breath vnto him †Al flesh shal faile together and man shal returne into ashes †If then thou haue vnderstanding heare that is sayd and harken to the voice of my speach †Can he that loueth not iudgement be healed and how doest thou so far condemne him that is iust †That sayth to the king Apostata that calleth dukes impious †Who accepteth not the persones of princes nor hath knowen the tyrant when he contended against the poore man for al are the worke of his handes †They shal sodenly die and at midnight peoples shal be trubled and shal passe and take away the violent without hand †For his eies are vpon the waies of men and he considereth al their steppes †There is not darkenesse and there is not shadow of death that they may be hid there which worke iniquitie †For it is no more in mans powre to come to God into iudgement †He shal destroy manie innumerable shal make other to stand for them †For he knoweth their workes and therfore he shal bring night and they shal be destroyed †As impious men he hath stroken them in the place of them that see †Who as it were of purpose haue reuolted from him and would not vnderstand al his waies †That they caused the crie of the needie man to come to him and he heard the voice of the poore †For he granting peace who is there that can condemne After he shal hide his countenance who is there that may behole him both vpon nations and vpon al men †Who maketh a man that is an hypocrite reigne for the sinnes of the people †Therfore because I haue spoken to God thee also I wil not prohibite †If I haue erred teach thou me if I haue spoken iniquitie I wil adde no more †Doth God require it of thee because it hath displeased thee for thou beganst to speake and not I but if thou know anie better thing speake †Let men of vnderstanding speake to me and let a wiseman heare me †But Iob hath spoken folishly and his wordes sound not discipline †O my father let Iob be proued euen to the end cease not from the man of iniquity †Who addeth blasphemie vpon his sinnes let him be restrayned in the meane time among vs and then let him prouoke God to iudgement with his speaches CHAP. XXXV Eliu pretending that Iob had sayde God to be vniusts she weth that mans pietie nor impietie neither profiteth nor disprofiteth God 13 and that he iudgeth al thinges rightly THERFORE Eliu againe spake these wordes †Doth thy cogitation seme iust to thee that thou sadyst I am iuster then God †For thou saydst That which is right doth not please thee or what wil it profite thee if I sinne †Therfore wil I answer to thy wordes to thy frendes with thee †Looke vp to heauen and see and behold the skie that it is higher then thou †If thou sinne what shalt thou hurt him and if thine iniquiries be multiplied what shalt thou doe against him †Moreouer if thou doe iustly what shalt thou geue him or what shal he receiue of thy hand †Man that is like to thee thy impietie shal hurt and thy iustice shal helpe the sonne of man †Because of the multitude of calumniatours they shal cry and shal waile for the force of the arme of tyrantes †And he hath not sayd Where is God that made me that hath geuen songs in the night †Who teacheth vs aboue the beastes of the earth and instructeth vs aboue the foules of the ayre †There shal they crie and he wil not heare because of the pride of the euil †God therfore wil not heare without cause and the Omnipotent wil behold the causes of euerie one †Yea when thou shalt say He considereth not be iudged before him expect him †For he doth not now inferre his furie neither doth he reuenge wickednesse excedingly †Therfore Iob in vaine openeth his mouth and without knowledge multiplieth wordes CHAP. XXXVI Yet further Eliu sheweth that God by his powre and wisdome geueth to euerie one that is iust 16. inferring falsly that al Iobs affliction is for his sinnes 22. discoursing stil of Gods poure wisdom and prouidence ELIV also adding speake these wordes †Beare with me a litle and I wil shew to thee for as yet I haue what to speake for God †I wil repete my knowledge from the beginning and I wil proue my maker iust †For in deede my wordes are without lye and perfect knowledge shal be proued to thee †God doth not cast away the mightie wheras as himself also is mightie †But he saueth not the impious and he giueth iudgement to the poore †He shal not take away his eyes from the iust man and he placeth kinges in the throne for euer and there they are extolled †And if they shal be in cheines and be bound with the ropes of pouertic †He shal shew them their workes and their wicked deedes because they haue bene violent †He also shal reuele their eare to chastise them and shal speake that they may returne from iniquitie †If they shal heare and obserue they shal accomplish their daies in good and their years in
glorie †But if they heare not they shal passe by the sworde and shal be consumed in folie †Dissemblers and crastie men prouoke the wrath of God neither shal they crie when they are bound †Their soule shal dye in tempest their life among the effeminates †He shal deliuer the poore out of his distresse and shal reuele his eare in tribulation †Therfore he shal saue thee most largely out of the narrow mouth and not hauing foundation vnder it and the quietnesse of thy table shal be ful of fatnesse †Thy cause is iudged as an impious mans cause and iudgement thou shalt receiue †Let not therfore anger ouercome thee that thou oppresse anie man neither let multitude of gifres in cline thee †Lay downe thy greatnes without tribulation and al the puissant of strength †Protract not the night that peoples may come vp for them †Beware thou decline not to iniquitie for thou hast begunne to folow it after miserie †Behold God is high in his strength and none is like to him among the lawgeuers †Who can search his waies or who can say to him Thou hast wrought iniquitie †Remember that thou knowest not his worke wherof men haue song †Al men see him euerie one beholdeth far of †Behold God is great surmounting our knowledge the number of his yeares is inestimable †Who taketh away the droppes of raine and powreth out showers as it were gulfes of water †Which flow out from the clowdes that couer al thinges from aboue †If he wil stretch forth clowdes as his tent †And lighten with his light from aboue he shal couer also the endes of the sea †For by these he iudgeth peoples and geueth victuals to manie mortal men †In his handes he bideth the light and commandeth it that it come agayne †He sheweth his freind therof that it is his possession and that he may ascend to it CHAP. XXXVII Eliu continueth his discourse shewing Gods wisdom powre and iustice by his meruelous workes of Meteors 14 and vse therof to mans commoditie 18. which the wisest mâ—n sufficiently vnderstand not much lesse may presume as he vniustly chargeth Iob to contend with God VPON this my hart is sore afrayd and is moued out of his place †Heare ye his speach in the terrour of his voice and the sound proceding out of his mouth †Vnder al the heauens he considereth and his light is vpon the endes of the earth †After him shal sounding roare he shal thunder with the voice of his greatnes shal not be found out when his voice shal be heard †God shal thunder in his voice meruelously he that doeth great vnsearcheable thinges †He that commandeth the snow to descend vpon the earth and the winter raines and the shower of his strength †He that signeth in the hand of al men that euerie one may know his workes †The beast shal enter into his couert and shal abide in his denne †From the inner partes shal tempest come forth and cold from Arcturus †When God bloweth frost congeleth and againe waters are powred most largely †Corne desireth clowdes and the clowdes spred their light †Which goe round about whither soeuer the wil of the gouerner shal lead them to al that he shal coÌ„mand them vpon the face of he whole earth †Whether in one tribe or in his land or in what place so euer of his mercy he shal command them to be found †Harken to these things Iob stand and consider the maruels of God †Doest thou know when God commanded the raines that they shew the light of his clowdes †Knowest thou the great pathes of the clowdes and the perfect knowledges †Are not thy garments hote when the earth shal be blowen with the South winde †Thou perhaps madst the heauens with him which are most sound cast as it were of brasse †Shew vs what we may say to him for we are wrapped in darkenes †Who shal tel him the things that I speake yea if man shal speake he shal be deuoured †But now they see not the light sodenly the ayre shal be thickned into clowdes and the wind passing by shal driue them away †From the North gold cometh toward God fearful praysing †We can not find him worthely great of strength and iudgement and iustice and he can not be vttered †Therfore shal men feare him and al that seme to themselues to be wise shal not dare to behold him CHAP. XXXVIII God after terrour of a whirlewind by way of examining his client Iob of diuers creatures about their nature sheweth that no man hath perfect knowlege of them much lesse of Gods immensitie BVT our Lord answering Iob out of a whirlewind sayd †Who is this that wrappeth in sentences with vnskilful wordes †Gird thy loynes as a man I wil aske thee and answer thou me †Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth tel me if thou hast vnderstanding †Who set the measures therof if thou know or who stretched out the line vpon it †Vpon what are the foundations therof grounded or who let downe the corner stone therof †when the morning starres praised me together and al the sonnes of God made iubilation †Who shut in the sea with doores when it brake forth proceding as it were out of a matrice †When I made a clowde the garment therof and wrapped it in darkenes as in cloutes of infancie †I compassed it with my boundes and put barre and doores †And I sayd Hitherto thou shalt come and shalt not procede farder here thou shalt breake thy swelling waues †Didst thou after thy birth command the morning and shew the dawning his place †And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them and hâ—st thou shaken the impious out of it †The seale shal be restored as clay and shal stand as a garment †From the impious their light shal be taken away and the high aâ—me shal be broken †Hast thou entered into the depthes of the sea and walked in the lowest partes of the great depth †Haue the gates of death bene open to thee and hast thou sene the darkesome doores †Hast thou considered the bredth of the earth tel me if thou know al things †In what way the light dwelleth and what is the place of darkenesse †That thou canst bring euerie thing to his borders and vnderstand the pathes of the house therof †Didst thou know then that thou shouldest be borne and didst thou know the number of thy dayes †Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow or hast thou beheld treasures of haile †Which I haue prepared for the time of the enemie for the day of fight and battel †What way is the light spred is
†Let the enemie persecute my soule and take it and treade downe my life in the earth and bring downe my glorie into the dust †Arise Lord in thy wrath and be exalted in the coastes of myne enemies And arise ô Lord my God in the precept which thou hast cōmanded †and a sinagogue of peoples shal compasse thee And for it returne on high †our Lord iudgeth peoples Iudge me ô Lord according to my iustice and according to my innocencie vpon me †The wickednesse of sinners shal be consumed and thou shalt direct the iust which searchest the hart and raynes ô God †My iust helpe is from our Lord who saueth those that be right of hart God is a iust iudge strong patient is he angrie euerie day †Vnlesse you wil be conuerted he shal shake his sword he hath bent his bow and prepared it †And in it he hath prepared the vessels of death he hath made his arrowes for them that burne †Behold he hath bredde with iniustice he hath conceiued sorow and brought forth iniquitie †He hath opened a pit and digged it vp and he is fallen into the diche which he made †His sorrow shal be turned vpon his head and his iniquitie shal descend vpon his crowne †I wil confesse to our Lord according to his iustice and wil sing to the name of our Lord most high PSALME VIII God is magnified praised for his meruelous worke of creatures 5. but especially of mankind singularly exalted by the Incarnation of Christ. †Vnto the end for “ presses the Psalme of Dauid O LORD our Lord how meruelous is thy name in the whole earth Because thy magnificence is eleuated aboue the heauens †Out of the mouth of infantes and sucklinges thou hast perfected praise because of thine enemies that thou mayest destroy the enemie and reuenger †Because I shal see thy heauens the workes of thy fingers the moone and the starres which thou hast founded †What is man that thou art mindful of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him †Thou hast minished him a litle lesse then Angels with glorie and honour thou hast crowned him †and hast appointed him ouer the worke of thy handes †Thou hast subiected al thinges vnder his feete al sheepe and oxen moreouer also the beastes of the field †The birdes of the ayre and fishes of the sea that walke the pathes of the sea †O Lord our Lord how meruelous is thy name in the whole earth ANNOTATIONS PASLME VIII 1. Presses Most Hebrew Doctors say the word Gittith may either signifie the place where this Psalme was made or the musical instrument on which it was song But most Christian Doctors expound it literally of Christs Passion who was stretched on the Crosse and al his sacred bloud pressed and drawne out of his bodie VVhich Metaphor Isaias also vseth demanding of Christ VVhy is thy clothing redde and thy garments as theirs that tread in the vine presse and answereth in Christs person I haue troden the presse alone S. Augustin also applieth it morally to the Church where Christ is the vine the Apostles are the branches spreaders that is preachers of the Ghospel Christians are the grapes Christian vertues are the wine Namely patience and fortitude in afflictions VVherby the good are purified and seuered from amiddes the reprobate as wine is pressed out of the grapes barreled and laid vp in sellers and * the huskes and carnels cast to hogges or other beastes PSALME IX The Church prayseth God for her protection 4. in repelling the enemies force 8. in punishing the wicked and rewarding the iust †Vnto the end for the secrets of the sonne the Psalme of Dauid I WIL confesse to thee ō Lord with al my hart I wil tel al thy meruelous thinges I wil be glad and reioyce in thee I wil sing to thy name ō most High †In turning mine enemie backward they shal be weakened and perish before thy face Because thou hast done my iudgement and my cause thou hast sitte vpon the throne which iudgest iustice Thou hast rebuked the Gentiles and the impious hath perished their name thou hast destroyed for euer and for euer and euer †The swordes of the enemie haue fayled vnto the end and their cities thou hast destroyed †Their memorie hath perished with a sound and our Lord abideth for euer He hath prepared his throne in iudgement †he wil iudge the whole world in equitie he wil iudge the people in iustice †And our Lord is made a refuge for the poore an helper in opportunities in tribulation †And let them hope in thee that know thy name because thou hast not forsaken them that seeke thee ô Lord. †Sing to our Lord which dwelleth in Sion declare his studies among the Gentiles †Because he requiring bloud remembred them he hath not forgotten the crie of the poore †Haue mercie on me ô Lord See my humiliation by my enemies †Which exaltest me from the gates of death that I may declare al thy prayses in the gates of the daughter of Sion †I wil reioyce in thy saluation the Gentiles are fastened in the destruction which they made In this snare which they hid is their foote taken †Our Lord shal be knowen doing iudgements the sinner is taken in the workes of his owne handes †Let sinners be turned into hel al nations that forget God †Because to the end there shal not be obliuion of the poore man the patience of the poore shal not perish in the end †Arise Lord let not man be strengthned let the Gentiles be iudged in thy sight †Appoint Lord a lawgeuer ouer them that the Gentiles may know that they be men The 10. Psalme according to the Hebrevves †Why Lord hast thou departed far of despisest in opportunities in tribulation †Whiles the impious is proude the poore is set on fyre they are caught in the counsels which they deuise †Because the sinner is praysed in the desires of his soule and the vniust man is blessed †The sinner hath exasperated our Lord according to the multitude of his wrath he shal not seeke †There is no God in his sight his waies are defiled at al time Thy iudgementes are taken away from his face he shal rule ouer al his enemies †For he hath sayd in his hart I wil not be moued from genetion vnto generation without euil Whose mouth is ful of cursing and bitternesse and guile vnder his tongue labour and sorrow †He sitteth in waite with the rich in secrete places to kil the innocent †His
are saide of thee ô cittie of God †I wil be mindeful of Raab and Babylon knowing me Behold the foreners and Tyre the people of the Aethiopians these were there †Shal it not be said of Sion Man and man is borne in her and the Highest himselfe founded her †Our Lord wil declare in scriptures of peoples and of princes of those that haue bene in her †The habitation in thee is as it were of al reioycing PSALME LXXXVII A faithful person sore and long afflicted lamentably complaineth praying God 15. not stil to repel him being leift desolate 19. without al consolation of freindes A Canticle of a Psalme to the children of Core vnto the end for Maheleth to answer of vnderstanding to Eman the Ezrahite O †Lord the God of my saluation in the day haue I cried and in the night before thee †Let my prayer enter in thy sight incline thine eare to my petition †Because my soule is replenished with euils and my life hath approched to hel †I am accounted with them that descend into the lake I am become as a man without helpe †free among the dead as the wounded sleeping in the sepulchres of whom thou art mindeful no more and they are cast of from thy hand †They haue put me in the lower lake in the darke places and in the shadowe of death †Thy furie is confirmed vpon me and al thy waues thou hast brought in vpon me †Thou hast made my familiars far from me they haue put me abomination to themselues I was deliuered and came not forth †myne eies languished for pouertie I cried to thee ô Lord al the day I stretched out my handes to thee †Wil t thou doe meruels to the dead or shal phisicians raise to life and they confesse to thee †Shal any in the sepulchre declare thy mercie and thy truth in perdition †Shal thy meruelous workes be knowne in darkenes and thy iustice in the land of obliuion †And I ô Lord haue cried to thee and in the morning shal my praier preuent thee †Why doest thou o Lord reiect my prayer turnest away thy face from me †I am poore and in labours from my youth and being exalted humbled and troubled †Thy wrathes haue passed vpon me and thy terrours haue trubled me †They haue compassed me as water al the day they compassed me together †Thou hast made frend and neighboure far from me and my familiars because of miserie PSALME LXXXVIII Gods mercie and truth with his great promises to Dauid 6. his powre in the whole world and iust iudgements are the true ioy of his seruantes 20. Christs kingdom shal remaine for euer 31. yea manie offending yet al shal not perish 39. but after great affliction 47. God wil respect mans infirmitie 50. his owne promise and the enimies reproching his seruantes and himselfe 53. who is blessed for euer Of vnderstanding to Ethan the Ezrahite THe mercies of our Lord I wil sing for euer In generation and generation I wil shewe forth thy truth in my mouth †Because thou saidst Mercie shal be built vp for euer in the heauens thy truth shal be prepared in them †I haue ordained a testament with mine elect I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant †for ever wil I prepare thy seede And I wil build thy seat vnto generation and generation †The heauens shal confesse thy meruelous workes ô Lord yea and thy truth in the church of saintes †For who in the cloudes shal be equal to our Lord shal be like to God among the sonnes of God †God who is glorified in the counsel of saintes great and terrible ouer al that are round about him †O Lord God of hoastes who is like to thee thou art mightie ô Lord and thy truth round about thee †Thou rulest ouer the powre of the sea and the mouing of the waues therof thou doest mitigate †Thou humbledst the proud one as one wounded in the arme of thy strength thou hast dispersed thine enimies †The heauens are thine and the earth is thine the round earth and the fulnes therof thou hast founded †the north and the sea thou hast created Thabor and Hermon shal reioice in thy name †thy arme is with might Let thy hand be confirmed and thy righthand exalted †iustice and iudgement is the preparation of thy seat Mercie and truth shal goe before thy face †blessed is the people that knoweth iubilation Lord they shal walke in the light of thy countinance †and in thy name they shal reioyce al the day and in thy iustice they shal be exalted †Because thou art the glorie of their streingth and in thy good pleasure shal our horne be exalted †Because our protection is of our Lord and of the holie one of Israel our king †Then didst thou speake in vision to thy saintes and saidst I haue put helpe on the mightie one and haue exalted an elect one of my people †I haue found Dauid my seruant with myne holie oyle haue I anointed him †For mine hand shal helpe him and myne arme shal strengthen him †The enimie shal nothing preuale in him and the sonne of iniquitie shal not adde to hurt him †And I wil cut downe his enimies before his face and them that hate him I wil put to flight †And my truth and my mercie with him and in my name shal his horne be exalted †And I wil put his hand in the sea and his righthand in the riuers †He shal inuocate me Thou art my Father my God and the protector of my saluation †And I wil put him the firstbegotten high aboue the kings of the earth †I Wil kepe my mercie vnto him for euer and my testament faithful to him †I wil put his seed for euer and euer and his throne as the daies of heauen †But if his children shal forsake my lawe and wil not walke in my Iudgementes †If they shal profane my iustices and not kepe my commandmentes †I wil visite their iniquities with a rod and their sinnes with stripes †But “ my mercie I wil not take away from him neither wil I hurt in my truth †Neither wil I profane my testament and the words that procede from my mouth I wil not make frustrate †Once I haue sworne in my holie if I lie to Dauid †his seede shal continewe for euer †And his throne as the Sunne in my sight and as the Moone perfect for euer and a faithful witnesse in heauen †“ But thou hast repelled and dispised thou hast differred thy Christ †Thou hast ouerthrowne the testament of thy seruant thou hast profaned his
Idumea †Wil t not thou ô God which hast repelled vs and wilt not thou goeforth ô God in our hoastes †Geue vs helpe out of tribulation because mans saluation is vayne †In God we shal doe strength and he wil bring our enemies to nothing PSALME CVIII Christ by the mouth of Dauid requesteth of God to be iustly declared innocent and his enimies punished 6. particularly describing Iudas the traitors malice 21. and his owne temporal afflictions 26. prayeth 30. and praiseth God for his deliuerie †Vnto the end a Psalme of Dauid O God conceale not my prayse because the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful man is open vpon me †They haue spoken against me with deceitful tongue and with wordes of hatred they haue compassed me and they haue impugned me without cause †For that they should loue me they backbited me but I prayed †And they set against me euil thinges for good and hatred for my loue Appoint a sinner ouer him and let the diuel stand on his righthand †When he is iudged let him comeforth condemned and let his prayer be turned into sinne †Let his dayes be made fewe and let an other take his bishopricke †Let his children be made orphans and his wife a widow †Let his children be transported wandering and let them begge and let them be cast out of their habitations †Let the vsurer search al his substance and let strangers spoile his labours †Let there be none to helpe him neither let there be anie to haue pittie on his pupilles †Let his children come to destruction in one generation let his name be cleane put out †Let the iniquitie of his fathers returne to memorie in the sight of our Lord and let not the sinne of his mother be blotted out †Let them be before our Lord alwayes and let the memorie of them perish out of the earth †For that he remembred not to doe mercie †And he persecuted the poore and needie man and the compunct in hart to kil him †And he loued cursing and it shal come to him and he would not blessing and it shal be far from him And he put on cursing as a garment and it entred as water into his inner partes and as oile in his bones †Be it to him as a garment wherwith he is couered and as a girdle wherwith he is alwayes girded †This is the worke of them that detract from me before our Lord and that speake euils against my soule †And thou Lord Lord doe with me for thy names sake because thy mercie is swete Deliuer me †because I am needie and poore and my hart is trubled within me †As a shadow when it declineth am I taken away and I am shaken as locustes †My knees are weakened with fasting and my flesh is changed by reason of oile †And I am made a reproch to them they saw me and wagged their heades †Helpe me ô Lord my God saue me according to thy mercie †And let them know that this is thy hand and thou ô Lord hast done it †They wil curse and thou shalt blesse let them that rise vp against me be confounded but thy seruant shal reioyce †Let them that detract from me be clothed with shame and let them be couered with their confusion as with a duble patched cloke †I wil confesse to our Lord excedingly with my mouth and in the middes of manie I wil prayse him †Because he hath stood on the righthand of the poore that he might saue my soule from the persecutors PSALME CIX Christ rising and ascending into heauen sitteth on the right hand of God 2. beginning in Ierusalem reigneth in the Church of the whole earth 4. vseth the Priesthood of Melchisedechs order to the end of the world 6. and shal iudge the world †A psalme of Dauid OVR Lord sayd to my Lord Sitte on my right hand til I make thine enemies thy footestoole of thy feete †Our Lord wil sendforth the rod of thy strength from Sion rule thou in the middes of thine enemies †With thee the beginning in the day of thy strength in the brightnes of holie thinges from the wombe before the day starre I begat thee †Our Lord sware and it shal not repent him Thou art “ a Priest for euer “ according to the order of Melchisedech †Our Lord on thy righthand hath broken kinges in the day of his wrath †He shal iudge in nations he shal fil ruines he shal crush the heads in the land of manie †Of the torrent in the way he shal drinke therfore shal he exalt the head ANNOTATIONS CIX 4. A Priest for euer In two respectes Christ is a Priest for euer in that from the first instant of his incarnation he was and remaneth a Priest now also in heauen and al other Priestes are his ministerial vicares not successors So that al priestlie functions which they doe he by them doth the same as the principal Priest VVherupon saith S. Paul 1. Cor 4. So let a man thincke of vs as of the ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God Secondly Christ dayly offering Sacrifice by the handes of his Priestes doth continually pacifie Gods wrath in behalf of those sinners for whom it is duly applied euen to the end of the world VVheras the Priesthood of Aaron and of al others in the old Testament ceassed by their deathes both in the office and in the effect 4 According to the order of Melchisedech As Melchisedech king of peace and iustice without father mother or genealogie expressed in holie Scriptures or otherwise knowen to the world was Priest or the Hieghest offered bread and wine an vnbloudie sacrifice communicating with both Chananeites and Hebrewes blessed Abraham and tooke tithes of him and his subiectes so Christ the true King of peace iustice without father of his humanity without mother of his Diuinitie the Sonne of God of ineffable genealogie borne of a virgin in his humanitie the Priest of God offereth Sacrifice not only bloudie on the Crosse but also vnbloudie in the formes of bread and wine continueth the same by the ministerie of other Priestes maketh al nations partakers therof blesseth them and receiueth of them al dutiful and rellgious seruice as of his subiectes PSALME CX Praise of God for benefites 4. especially for the B. Sacrament of the Eucharist 6 with other graces imperted to the Catholique Church Alleluia I Wil confesse to thee ô Lord with al my hart in the counsel of the iust and b the congregation †The workes of our Lord are great exquisite according to al his willes †Confession and magnificence his worke
vpon hote coales that his soales be not burnt †so he that goeth in vnto his neighbours wife shal not be cleane when he shal touche her †It is no greate fault when a man shal haue stollen for he stealeth to fil his hungrie soule †also being taken he shal restore seuenfold and shal geue vp al the substance of his house †But he that is an aduouterer for penurie of harr shal destroy his owne soule †shame and ignominie he gethereth to himsefe his reproch shal not be blotted out †Because the zele and furie of the husband wil not spare in the day of reuenge †neither wil he yeld to any mans prayers neither wil he take for redemption verie many giftes CHAP. VII He further exhorteth youngmen to seke wisdom 5. especially to flee from the intisements of harlots largely describing the same 22. and the ruine of them that are so deluded MY sonne keepe my wordes and my preceptes hide with thee Sonne †keepe my commandmentes and thou shalt liue and my law as the apple of thine eie †binde it on thy fingers write it in the tables of thy hart †Say to wisdom thou art my sister cal prudence thy freind †that she may keepe thee from the strange woman and from the forenrer which maketh her wordes sweete †For out of the window of my house I looked out through the lattise †and I see litle ones I behold a foolish youngman †which passeth through the streates by the corner and goeth nigh the way of her house †in the darke the day being toward euening in the darkenes of the night and dimnes †And behold the woman meeteth him in harlotes atyre prepared to deceiue soules babling and wandering †impatient of rest nor able to consist in the house on her feete †now abrode now in the streates now lying in wayte neere the corners †And taking the youngman she kisseth him and with malepert countenance speaketh fayre saying †I vowed victimes for welfare this day I haue payed my vowes †Therfore I am come forth to meete thee desirous to see thee and I haue found thee †I haue wouen my bed with cordes I haue adorned it with tapestrie pictured out of Aegypt †I haue sprinkled my bed with myrâ—he aloes and cinamome †Come let vs be inebriated with brestes and let vs enioy desired embracings til the day appeare †For my husband is not at home he is gone a very long iourney †he caried with him a bagge of money in the day of the ful moone he wil returne to his house †She intangled him with many wordes and with flatterie of lippes drewe him †Immediatly he foloweth her as an oxe led to be a victime as a lambe playing the wanton and not knowing that he is drawen as a foole to bondes †til the arow pearse his liuer as if a birde should make haste to the snare and knoweth not that his life is in danger †Now therfore my sonne heare me and attend to the wordes of my mouth †Let not thy mind be drawen away in her wayes neither be thou deceiued with her pathes †For she hath cast downe manie wounded and al the most strong are slaine by her †Her house the wayes of hel penetrating to the inner partes of death CHAP. VIII Wisdom is preached in conspicious and most frequented places that none may pretend wante of admonition 7. her doctrin is true godlie profitable necessarie to al sortes of men 12. wisdom increated which is God himselfe is eternal 32. and bringeth eternal happines DOTH not wisdom crie and prudence geue her voice †Standing in the high loftie toppes ouer the way in the middes of the pathes †beside the gates of the citie in the verie doores she speaketh saying †O men to you I crie and my voice is to the children of men †O litle ones vnderstand subtiltie and ye vnwise marke †Heare ye because I wil speake of great thinges and my lippes shal be opened to preach right thinges †My throte shal meditate truth and my lippes shal detest the impious †Al my wordes are iust there is no wicked nor peruerse thing in them †They are right to them that vnderstand and iust to them that finde knowlege †Receiue ye discipline not money choose doctrine rather then gold †For wisdom is better then al most precious riches and whatsoeuer is to be desired can not be compared to it †I wisdome dwel in counsel and am present in lerned cogitations †The feare of our Lord hateth euil arrogancie and pride and wicked way and a duble toungued mouth I doe detest †Myne is counsel equitie prudence is mine strength is mine †By me kinges doe reigne and the makers of law decree iust thinges †By me princes rule and the mightie decree iustice †I loue them that loue me and they that watch toward me shal finde me †With me are riches and glorie glorious riches and iustice †For my fruite is better then gold and precious stone and my blosomes then chosen siluer †I Walke in the wayes of iustice in the middes of the pathes of iudgement †that I may enriche them that loue me and may replenish their treasures †Our Lord possessed me in the beginning of his wayes before he had made any thing from the beginning †From eternitie I was ordayned of old before the earth was made †The depthes were not as yet and I was now conceiued neither had the fountaines of waters as yet gushed forth †the mountaines with heauie hugenesse stoode not as yet before the litle hilles I was brought forth †he had not yet made the earth and the riuers and the poles of the round world †When he prepared the heauens I was present when with a certaine law and circuite he compassed the depthes †When he established the firmament aboue poysed the fountaines of waters †when he compassed the sea with her limites and set a law to the waters that they should not passe their boundes when he hanged the foundations of the earth †I was with him framing al thinges and was delighted euetie day playing before him at al time †playing in the world my delights to be with the children of men †Now therfore children heare me blessed are they that keepe my wayes †Heare ye discipline and be wise and reiect it not †Blessed is the man that heareth me that watcheth at my doores dayly wayteth at the postes of my doore †He that shal finde me shal finde life and shal draw saluation of our Lord †but he that shal sinne against me shal hurt his owne soule Al that hate me loue death CHAP. IX Wisdom hauing built her house with seuen pillers inuiteth al to a prepared banquette 11. promising to multiplie ioyful dayes 13. Folie
found of them that seeke her †She preuenteth them that couete her that she first may shew herself vnto them †He that awaketh early to her shal not labour for he shal find her sitting at her doores †To thinke therfore of her is perfect vnderstanding and he that watcheth for her shal quickly be secure †Because she goeth about seeking them that be worthie of her and in the wayes she wil shew her self to them cheerefully and in al prouidence she wil meete them †For the beginning of her is the most true desire of discipline †The care therfore of discipline is loue and loue is the keeping of her lawes and the keeping of the lawes is the consummation of incorruption †and incorruption maketh to be next to God †Therfore the desire of wisdom leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom †If therfore you be delighted with thrones and with scepters ô ye kinges of the people loue wisdom that you may reigne for euer †Loue the light of wisdom al ye that beare rule ouer peoples †But what wisdom is and how she was made I wil declare and I wil not hide from you the mysteries of God but from the beginning of her natiuitie I wil search out and sette the knowlege of her into light and wil not let passe the truth †neither wil I goe with pyning enuie because such a man shal not be partaker of wisdom †But the multitude of the wise is the health of the round world and a wise king is the stabilitie of the people †Therfore take ye discipline by my wordes and it shal profite you CHAP. VII Wheras al men haue the like birth and death 7. Wisdom maketh great difference bringing al goodnes 13. and knowlege 17. as wel of natural thinges 22. as moral 25 Which heauenlie gift is a sparckle and participation of wisdom increated God himself I also certes am a mortal man like to al and of the earthlie kinred of him that was made first and in the wombe of my mother was I fashioned flesh †the time of ten monethes was I brought together in bloud of the seede of man and the delectation of sleepe concurring †And I being borne receiued the common ayre and fel vpon the earth that is made alike and the first voice like to al men did I put forth weeping †I was nourished in swadling clothes and great cares †For none of the kinges had other begynning of natiuitie †There is one entrance therfore into life to al men and like departure †For this cause I wished and vnderstanding was geuen me and I inuocated and the spirit of wisdom came vpon me †and I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones and riches I counted to be nothing in comparison offer †Neither did I compare the precious stone to here because al gold in comparison of her is a litle sand and siluer in the sight of her shal be estemed as clay †Aboue health and beautie did I loue her and purposed to haue her for light because her light can not be extinguished †And al good thinges came to me together with her and very much honestie by her handes †and I reioyced in al because this wisdom went before me and I was ignorant that she is the mother of al these †Which I lerned without fiction and doe communicate without enuie and her honestie I hid not †For she is an infinite treasure to men which who so haue are made partakers of the frenship of God commended for the gifts of discipline †And to me God hath geuen to speake according to my minde and to presume thinges worthie of those that are geuen me because he is the guide of wisdom and the creator of the wise †for in his hand are both we our wordes and wisdom and the knowlege and discipline of workes †For he gaue me the true knowlege of those thinges which are that I may know the disposition of the round world and the vertues of the elements †the beginning end middes of times the permutations of changeable seasons and consummations of times †the courses of the yeare and dispositions of the starres †the natures of beastes and furies of wilde beastes the force of windes and the cogitations of men the differences of plantes and vertues of rootes †and whatsoeuer are hid thinges and not forsene I haue lerned for wisdom the worker of al taught me †For in her is the spirite of vnderstanding holie onlie manifold subtil eloquent moueable vndefiled sure swete louing good sharpe who nothing hindereth wel doing †gentle benigne stable certaine secure hauing al powre forseing al thinges and that conteyneth al spirites intelligible cleane subtile †For wisdom is more moueable then al moueable thinges and reacheth euerie where because of her cleannes †For she is a vapour of the powre of God a certaine sincere emanation of the glorie of God omnipotent and therfore no defiled thing cometh vnto her †For she is the brightnes of eternal light the vnspotted glasse of Gods maiestie and the image of his goodnes †And wheras she is one she can doe al thinges and permanent in herselfe she reneweth al thinges and by nations transporteth herself into holie soules she maketh the frendes of God and Prophetes †For God loueth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom †For she is more beautiful then the sunne and aboue al disposition of the starres being compared to light she is found the first †For night succedeth to it but malice ouercometh not wisdom CHAP. VIII VVisdom excelling al thinges that can be desired 9. is worthely preferred as the cause of much estimation 13. and of immortal glorie 16. without molestation 21. Alwhich is Gods gift SHE reacheth therfore from end vnto end mightely and disposeth al thinges swetely †Her haue I loued and haue sought her out from my youth and haue sought to take her for my spouse and I was made a louer of her beautie †She glorifieth her nobilitie hauing consociation with God yea and the Lord of al hath loued her †For she is the mistresse of the discipline of God the chooser of his workes †And if riches be desired in life what is richer then wisdom which worketh al thinges †And if vnderstanding doe worke who is the worker of those things that are more then she †And if a man loue iustice her labours haue great vertues for she teacheth sobrietie and prudence and iustice and strength then the which nothing is more profitable in life to men †And if a man desire multitude of knowlege she knoweth thinges past coniectureth of thinges to come she knoweth the subtilities of wordes and the solution of arguments she knoweth signes and wonders before they be done and the euentes of times and ages †I purposed therfore to
and his hope vaine earth and his life viler then clay †because he was ignorant who made him and who inspired into him the soule which worketh and who breathed into him the vital spirite †Yea and they estemed our life to be a pastime and the conuersation of life made for a gayne that we must get euerie way euen of euil †For he knoweth that he offendeth aboue al men which of the matter of earth fashioneth frayle vessels and sculptils †For al the vnwise and vnhappie aboue measure of the soule proude are the enemies of thy people and rule ouer them †because they haue estemed al the idols of the nations for goddes which neither haue vse of eies to see nor nosthrels to take breath nor eares to heare nor fingers of the hands to handle yea and their feete are slow to walke †For a man made them and he that borowed breath the same fashioned them For no man can make God like to himself †For wheras himself is mortal he maketh a dead thing with his wicked handes For he is better then they whom he worshippeth because he in deede liued though he were mortal but they neuer †But they worship also most miserable beasts for the senslesse thinges compared to these are worse then they †Yea neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts But they haue fled from the prayse of God and from his blessing CHAP. XVI God plaguing the Aegyptians for idolatrie and crueltie deliuered the Israelites 5. Chasticed them also but againe shewed them mercie 20. and fedde them with Manna FOR these thinges and by the like to these they haue worthely suffered torments and were destroyed by a multitude of beasts †For the which torments thou didst wel dispose of thy people to whom thou gauest the desire of their delectation a new taste preparing them the quaile for meate †that they in deede coueting meate because of those thinges which were shewed and sent them might be turned away euen from necessarie concupiscence But they in short time being made needie tasted a new meate †For it behoued that without excuse destruction should come vpon them exercising tyrannie but to these onlie to shew how their enemies were destroyed †For when the cruel wrath of beastes came vpon them they were destroyed with the bytings of peruerse serpents †Howbeit thy wrath endured not for euer but for chastisement they were trubled a short time hauing a signe of saluation for the remembrance of the commandment of thy law †For he that turned to it was not healed by that which he saw but by thee the sauiour of al †and in this thou didst shew to our enemies that thou art he which deliuerest from al euil †For the bitings of locusts and flies killed them and there was found no remedie for their life because they were worthie to be destroyed by such thinges †But neither the teeth of venemous dragons ouercame thy children for thy mercie coming healed them †For in memorie of thy wordes they were examined were quickly saued lest falling into deepe obliuion they might noâ— vse thy helpe †For neither herbe not plaâ—ster healed them but thy word ô Lord which healeth al thinges †For iâ— is thou ô Lord that hast powre of life and death and bringest downe to the gates of death and fetchest agayne †but man certes killeth by malice and when the spirit is gone forth it shal not returne neither shal he cal backe the soule that is receiued †but it is vnpossible to escape thy hand †For the impious denying to knowe thee haue bene scourged by the strength of thine arme suffering persecution by strange waters and haile and rayne and consumed by fyre †For that which was meruelous in water which extinquisheth al thinges fyre more preuayled for the world is reuenger of the iust †For a certayne time the fyre was mitigated that the beasts which were sent to the impious might not be burnt but that they seing might know that by Gods iudgement they suffer punishment †And at a certaine time the fyre aboue his powre burnt in water on euerie side that it might destroy the nation of a wicked land †For the which thinges thou didst nourish thy people with the meate of Angels and bread prepared thou gauest them from heauen without labour hauing in it al delectation and the sweetnes of al taste †For thy substance did shew thy sweetnes which thou hast toward thy children and seruing euerie mans wil it was turned to that that euerie man would †Yea snow and yee susteyned the force of fyre and melted not that they might know that fyre burning in hayle and lightening in rayne destroyed the fruites of the enemies †And this againe that the iust might be nourished it forgat also his owne strength †For the creature seruing thee the Creatour is fierce into torment against the vniust and is made more gentle to doe good for them that trust in thee †For this cause euen then being transformed into al thinges they serued thy grace the nource of al at their wil that desired thee †that thy children might know whom thou louedst ô Lord that not the fruites of natiuitie doe feede men but thy word preserueth them that beleue in thee †For that which could not be destroyed by fyre forthwith being heated with a litle beame of the sunne did melt †that it might be knowen to al men that we ought to preuent the sunne to blesse thee and at the rysing of light to adore thee †For the fayth of the vngratful shal melt as winter yee shal perish as vnprofitable water CHAP. XVII Horrible darkenes falling in Aegypt 19. the rest of the world had ordinarie light FOR thy iudgements ô Lord are great thy wordes inexphcable for this cause the soules lacking discipline haue erred †For whiles the wicked are perswaded that they can rule ouer the holie nation fettered with the bands of darknes and long night shut vp vnder roofes they haue lyen fugitiues from the euerlasting prouidence †And whiles they thincke that they lie hid in obscure sinnes they were dispersed by the darke couert of obliuion being horribly afrayd and disturbed with exceding admiration †For neither did the denne that conteyned them keepe them without feare because the sound coming downe trubled them and sorowful visions appearing to them put them in feare †And no force certes of the fyre could geue them light neither could the clere flames of the starres lighten that horrible night †But there appeared to them soden fyre ful of feare and being stroken with the feare of that face which was not sene they estemed the thinges that were sene to be worse †and there were added derisions of the magical art and contumelious rebuke of the glorie of
their wisdom †For they which promised that they would expel feares and perturbations from the languishing soule these with derision languished ful of feare †For although none of the monsters disturbed them being moued with the passing by of beasts and hissing of serpents they perished trembling and denying that they saw the ayre which by no meanes any man could avoyde †For wheras wickednes is fearful it geueth testimonie of condemnation for a trubled conscience doth alwayes presume cruel thinges †For feare is nothing els but a bewraying of the aydes of cogitation †And whiles inwardly there is lesse expectation the greater doth he count the ignorance of that cause which maketh the torment †But they that during the night in deede impotent and coming vpon them from the lowest and highest hel slept the same sleepe †were sometime molested with the feare of monsters sometime fayled by passing away of the soule for soden feare and vnlooked for came vpon them †Moreouer if any of them had fallen downe he was kept shut vp in prison without yron †For if one were a husbandman or if a shepheard or worker of the labours in the silde were sodenly taken he susteyned necessitie ineuitable †For with one chayne of darkenes they were al tyed together Whether it were the hissing winde or among the thicke boughes of trees the sweete sound of birdes or the force of water running downward exceedingly †or the mightie sound of rockes tumbled headlong or the running of playing beasts that were not sene or the mightie noyse of roaring beastes or an Echo resounding from the highest mountaynes they made them swoone for feare †For al the world was illuminated with a cleare light none was hindered in their workes †But ouer them onlie was layd an heauie night the image of darkenes which was to come vpon them They therfore were vnto themselues more heauie then the darknes CHAP. XVIII In the Aegyptian darknes the Israelites saw clerly and were not sene of their enimies 5. For the Aegyptians crueltie against the Hebrewes infants al their owne first borne were slaine and their whole armie drowned in the redsea 20. But fire deuouring the rebellions in Chores schisme was quenched by Aarons intercession BVT to thy saincts there was very great light and their voyce in deede they heard but figure they saw not And because themselues also did not suffer by the same thinges they magnified thee †and they that before had bene hurt because they were not hurt gaue thankes and that there might be a difference they asked a gift †For the which cause they had a burning pillar of fyre for a guide of the vnknowen way and thou gauest them the sunne without hurt of a good harbour †They in deede worthie to lacke light and to suffer the prison of darkenes which kept thy children shut vp by whom the vncorrupt light of the law began to be geuen to the world †When they decreed to kil the infantes of the iust and one child being layd forth and deliuered thou to the reprouing of them didst take away a multitude of children and destroyedst them together in the mightie water †For that night was knowen before of our fathers that they knowing in deede what othes they had credited might be of better comfort †And by thy people in deede the health of the iust was receiued but destruction by the vniust †For as thou didst hurt the aduersaries so vs also thou didst magnifie prouoking vs. †For the iust children of the good sacrificed secretly and disposed the law of iustice in concorde that the iust should receiue both good euil alike singing now the prayses of the fathers †But there sounded a disagreing voyce of the enemies and a lamentable moorning was heard for the bewayled infants †And the seruant with the master was afflicted with like punishment and a man of the vulgar sort suffered the like thinges to the king †Al therfore alike by one name of death had dead ones innumerable For neitheir did the liuing suffice to burie them because in one moment that which was the nobler nation of them was destroyed †For concerning al thinges being incredulous because of the inchantments but then first when there was destruction of the first begotten they promised to be the people of God †For when quiet silence conteyned al thinges and the night was in the midde way of her course †thy omnipent word salying out of heauen from the royal seates lighted as a seuere conquerour vpon the middes of the land of destruction †a sharpe sword carying thy vnfeyned commandment and standing filled al with death and reached euen to heauen standing on the earth †Then incontinent the visions of naughtie dreames trubled them and feares vnlooked for came vpon them †And one here an other there cast forth halfe aliue shewed for what cause of death he died †For the visions that trubled them forewarned these thinges that they might not perish as ignorant why they suffered euils †But then there touched the iust also a tentation of death and a disturbance of the multitude was made in the wildernes but thy wrath did not long continew †For a man without blame hasting to pray for the people bringing forth the shilde of his ministerie prayer and by incense alleaging supplication resisted the wrath and made an end of the necessitie shewing that he is thy seruant †And he ouercame the multitudes not in strength of bodie nor with might of armour but with a word subdewed he him that vexed him rehearsing the oathes of the parents and the testament †For when they were now fallen dead by heapes one vpon an other he stood betwen and cut of the violence and seperated that way which leadeth to the liuing †For in the vesture downe to the foote which he had was al the world and the glorious thinges of the fathers were grauen in the foure iewels of stones thy magnificence was written in the diademe of his head †And to these he that destroyed gaue place these did he feare for the proofe onlie of wrath was sufficient CHAP. XIX Aegyptians persecuting the Hebrewes were drowned 10. hauing bene plagued before with flies and frogges 11. Quailes were geuen to the people of Israel 13. The barbarous not receiuing or euil intreating Gods people were strooken with blindnes 17. And al creatures serue God in punishing the impious and rewarding the godlie BVT vpon the impious euen to the later end there came wrath without mercie For he foreknew also the thinges that should come vnto them †because when they had permitted that they should depart and had sent them away with great diligence they repenting pursued them For hauing as yet moorning betwen their hands and lamenting at the graues of the dead they tooke to themselues an other cogitation of follie and whom by
not the sinful man that is rich †The great one and the iudge and the mightie is in honour and there is none greater then he that feareth God †Free men wil serue a seruant that is wise and a man that is prudent and hath discipline wil not murmur being rebuked and the ignorant shal not be honoured †Extol not thyself in doing thy worke and linger not in the time of distresse †better is he that worketh and abundeth in al thinges then he that glorieth and lacketh bread †Sonne in mildenes keepe thy soule and geue him honour according to his desert †Him that sinneth agaynst his owne soule who shal iustifie and who shal honour him that dishonoureth his owne soule †The poore man is glorified by his discipline and feare there is a man that is honoured for his substance †But he that is glorified in pouertie how much more in substance and he that is glorified in substance let him feare pouertie CHAP. XI Wisdom by humilitie meriteth exaltation 7. Iudge not before examination 16. Trust not in riches 14. God sendeth both prosperitie and aduersitie for the good of his seruants 31. Take heede of the deceiptful THE wisdom of the humble shal exalt his head shal make him sitte in the middes of great men †Prayse not a man in his beautie neither despise a man by his looke †The bee is smal among fowles and her fruite hath the beginning of sweetnes †In apparel doe not glorie at any time nor be extolled in the day of thine honour because the workes of the Highest onlie be meruelous and his workes are glorious and secrete and not seene †Manie tyrantes haue sitte in the throne and he whom no man would thincke hath worne the crowne †Manie mightie men haue bene greatly oppressed and the glorious haue bene deliuered into the handes of others †Before thou enquire blame no man and when thou hast enquired chasten iustly †Before thou heare answer not a word and in the middes of ancients adde not to speake †Striue not for that thing which doeth not molest thee and consiste not in the iudgement of sinners †Sonne let not thy doings be in manie thinges and if thou be rich thou shalt not be free from sinne for if thou pursew thou shalt not attayne and if thou runne before thou shalt not escape †There is one that laboureth and hasteneth and is a sorowful impious man and so much the more he shal not abound †There is a lither man that wanteth recouerie more fayling in strength and abunding in pouertie †and the eie of God hath respected him in good and hath erected him from his low estate and hath exalted his head and manie haue merueled at him and haue honoured God †Good thinges and euil life and death pouertie and honestie are of God †Wisdom and discipline and the knowlege of the law are with God Loue and the wayes of good thinges are with him †Errour and darkenes are created with sinners and they that reioyce in euils waxe old in euil †The gift of God is permanent to the iust and his prospering shal haue successe for euer †There is that is enriched by doing sparingly and this is the portion of his reward †in that he sayth I haue found me rest and now I wil eate of my goods alone †and he knoweth not that time passeth death approcheth and he must leaue al to others and shal die †Stand in thy couenant and commen therein and grow old in the worke of thy commandements †Abide not in the workes of sinners But trust in God and tarie in thy place †For it is easie in the eies of God sodainly to enrich the poore man †The blessing of God hasteth to the reward of the iust and in a swift houre his prospering fructifieth †Say not What neede I and what good shal I haue by this †Say not I am sufficient for my self and what shal I be made worse by this †In the day of good thinges be not vnmindful of euils and in the day of euils be not vnmindful of good thinges †because it is easie before God in the day of death to reward euerie one according to his wayes †The malice of an houre maketh obliuion of great voluptuousnes and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his workes †Before death prayse no man because a man is knowen in his children †Bring not euerie man into thine house for there be manie traynes of the deceitful man †For as the stomakes belche of stinking breathes and as the partriche is brought in the cage and as the doe into the snare so also the hart of the proude and as a watche man that seeth the fal of his neighbour †For turning good thinges into euil he lyeth in wayte and on the elect he wil lay a blot †For of one sparke fire is increased and of a deceitful man bloud is increased and a sinful man lyeth in wayte for bloud †Take heede to thy self of the pestiferous person for he forgeth euils lest perhaps he bring vpon thee derision for euer †Admitte a straunger to thee and he shal ouerthrow thee in an hurlewind shal make thee an aliene from thine owne CHAP. XII Vse beneuolence towards good men 10. Trust not enemies ouer much IF thou wilt doe good know to whom thou doest it and there shal be much thanke in thy good deedes †Doe good to the iust and thou shalt finde great rewarde and if not of him assuredly of our Lord. †For it is not wel with him that is euer occupied in euil thinges and that geueth not almes because the Highest both hateth sinners and hath mercie on them that are penitent †Geue to the merciful and receiue not the sinner both to the impious to sinners he wil repay vengeance keping them vnto the day of vengeance †Geue to the good and receiue not a sinner †Doe good to the humble and geue not to the impious prohibite to geue him bread lest therin he be mightier then thou †for thou shalt finde duble euils in al the good whatsoeuer thou shalt do to him because the Highest hateth sinners and wil repay vengeance to the impious †A freind shal not be knowen in prosperitie and an enimie shal not be hid in aduersitie †In the prosperitie of a man his enimies are in sorow and in affliction a freind is knowne †Credite not thyn enemie for euer for as a brasse potte his wickednes rusteth †and if humbling himself he goe crouching be aduised in thy mind and beware of him †Place him not by thee neither let him sitte on thy right hand lest perhaps turning into thy place he seke after thy seate and at the last thou know my wordes and be pricked in my sayinges †Who
and al thinges whatsoeuer I shal command thee thou shalt speake †Be not afraide of their face because I am with thee to deliuer thee saith our Lord. †And our Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and our Lord saied to me Beholde I haue geuen my wordes in thy mouth †Behold I haue appointed thee this day ouer the Gentiles and ouer kingdomes that thou maist pluck vp and destroy and waste and dissipate and build and plant †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying What seest thou Ieremie And I said I see a rodde watching †And our Lord sayed to me wel hast thou seene because I wil watch vpon my word to doe it †And the word of our Lord was made to me the second time saying What seest thou And I said I see a pot boyling hote and the face thereof from the face of the North. †And our Lord saied vnto me From the North shal euil be opened vpon al the inhabitantes of the land †Because loe I wil cal together al the kinredes of the kingdomes of the North saith our Lord and they shal come and shal sette euerie one his throne in the entring of the gates of Ierusalem and vpon al the walles therof round about and vpon al the cities of Iuda †And I wil speake my iudgements with them touching al the wickednes of them that haue forsaken me and haue offered to strange goddes and haue adored the worke of their owne handes †Thou therefore girde thy loynes and rise and speake to them al thinges that I command thee Be not afraied of their face for I wil make thee not to feare their countenance †For I haue geuen thee this day to be as a fenced citie and as an yron pillar and as a brasen walle ouer al the land of the kinges of Iuda to the princes thereof to the priestes and to the people of the land †And they shal fight against thee and shal not preuaile because I am with thee saith our Lord to deliuer thee CHAP. II. God expostulateth with the Iewes 6. that they regard not his great benefites 8. Some priestes and pretended prophetes seruing false goddes 23. and denying their fault 25. are obstinate in idolatrie 36. for which they shal be confounded AND the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Goe and crie in the eares of Ierusalem saying Thus saith our Lord I haue remembred thee pitying thy youth and the charitie of thy despousing when thou didest folow me in the desert in a land that is not sowen †Israel is holie to our Lord the first fruites of his fruites al they that doe deuoure it doe sinne euil shal come vpon them saith our Lord. †Heare ye the word of our Lord ô house of Iacob and al ye kinredes of the house of Israel †thus saith our Lord What iniquitie haue your fathers found in me that they haue made themselues far from me and haue walked after vanitie and are become vaine †And they haue not said Where is our Lord that made vs come vp out of the land of Aegypt that led vs through the defert through a land inhabitable and without way through a land of thirst the image of death through a land wherein no man walked nor anie man dwelt †And I brought you into the land of Carmel that you might eate the fruite thereof and the best thinges therof and being entered in you haue contaminated my land and made mine inheritance an abomination †The priestes haue not said Where is our Lord and they that held the law knew me not and the pastours haue transgressed against me and the prophets haue prophecied in Baal and haue folowed idoles †Therefore wil I yet contend in iudgement with you saith our Lord and I wil plead with your children †Passe ye to the iles of Cethim and see and send into Cedar and consider earnestly and see if there hath the like thing bene done †If a nation hath changed their goddes and surely they are not goddes but my people hath changed their glorie into an idol †Be astoined ô heauens vpon this and ô gates thereof be ye desolate exceedingly saith our Lord. †For two euils hath my people done Me they haue forsaken the fountaine of liuing water haue digged to them selues cesternes broken cesternes that are not able to holde waters †Why is Israel a bondman or a seruant borne in the house why then is he become a praye †The lions haue roared vpon him and haue geuen their voice they haue made his land a wildernes his cities are burnt vp there is none to dwel in them †The children also of Memphis and Taphnes haue defloured thee euen to the crowne of the head †Is not this done to thee because thou didest forsake the Lord thy God at that time when he led thee by the way †And now what wilt thou in the way of Aegypt to drinke the trubled water And what hast thou to doe with the way of the Assyrians to drinke the waters of the riuer †Thy malice shal reproue thee and thine apostacie shal rebuke thee Know thou see that it is an euil and a bitter thing for thee to haue left the Lord thy God and that my feare is not with thee saith our Lord the God of hostes †From the beginning thou hast broken my yoke thou hast burst my bonds and thou saidst I wil not serue For on euerie litle high hil and vnder euerie greene thicke tree thou wast laied downe as an harlot †But I planted thee an elect vineyard al true seede how then art thou turned vnto me into that which is depraued ô strange vineyard †If thou shalt wash thyself with nitre and multiplie to thy self the herbe borith thou art spotted in thine iniquitie before me saith our Lord God †How sayst thou I am not polluted I haue not walked after Baalim see thy wayes in the valley know what thou hast done a swift courser that rideth his wayes †The wild Asse accustomed to the wildernes in the desire of his soule hath drawen the winde of his loue none shal turne her away al that seeke her shal not faile in her monethlie flowres they shal finde her †Stay thy foote from nakednes and thy throate from thirst And thou saidest I haue despayred no I wil not doe it for I haue loued strangers and I wil walke after them †As the theefe is confounded when he is taken so is the house of Israel confounded they and their kinges the princes and priestes and their prophetes †saying to wood Thou art my father and to stone Thou hast begotten me they haue turned the backe to me not the face and in the time of their affliction they wil say Arise and deliuer vs. †Where are the goddes whom thou
he hath gathered riches and not in iudgement in the middes of his dayes he shal leaue them and in his latter end he shal be a foole †A throne of glorie of height from the beginning the place of our sanctification †O Lord the expectation of Israel al that forsake thee shal be confounded they that depart from thee shal be written in the earth because they haue forsaken the vaine of liuing waters our Lord. †Heale me ô Lord and I shal be healed saue me and I shal be saued because thou art my praise †Behold they say to me Where is the word of our Lord let it come †And I am not trubled folowing thee the pastour and the day of man I haue not desired thou knowest That which hath proceeded out of my lippes hath bene right in thy sight †Be not thou a terrour vnto me thou art mine hope in the day of affliction †Let them be confounded that persecute me and let not me be confounded let them be afrayd and let not me be afrayd bring vpon them the day of affliction and with duble destruction destroy them †Thus saith our Lord to me Goe and stand in the gate of the children of the people by which the kinges of Iuda come in and goe out and in al the gates of Ierusalem †and thou shalt say to them Heare the word of our Lord ye kinges of Iuda and al Iuda and al the inhabitants of Ierusalem that enter in by these gates †Thus saith our Lord Take heede to your soules and carie not burdens on the Sabbath day neither bring them in by the gates of Ierusalem †And cast not forth burdens out of your houses on the Sabbath day and al worke you shal not doe sanctifie the Sabbath day as I commanded your fathers †And they heard not nor inclined their eare but hardned their necke that they would not heare me and that they would not take discipline †And it shal be if you wil heare me saith our Lord that you bring not burdens in by the gates of this citie on the Sabbath day and if you wil sanctifie the Sabbath day that you doe not al workes therein †there shal enter in by the gates of this citie kinges and princes sitting vpon the throne of Dauid and mounting on chariotes and horses they and their princes the men of Iuda and the inhabiters of Ierusalem and this citie shal be inhabited for euer †And they shal come from the cities of Iuda and from round about Ierusalem and from the land of Beniamin and from the champaine countries from the mountaines and from the South carying holocaust and victime and sacrifice and frankincense and they shal bring in oblation into the house of our Lord. †But if you wil not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath day not to carie burden and not to bring in by the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath day I wil kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shal deuoure the houses of Ierusalem and it shal not be quenched CHAP. XVIII As clay in the hand of a potter so is Israel in Gods hand 8. He pardoneth penitents 10. and punisheth the obstinate 18. They conspire against Ieremie for which he denounceth miseries hanging ouer them THE word that was made to Ieremie from our Lord saying †Arise and goe downe into the potters house and there thou shalt heare my wordes †And I went downe into the potters house and behold he made a worke vpon the wheele †And the vessel was broken which he made of clay with his handes and turning he made it an other vessel as it pleased in his eies to make it †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Why shal I not be able to doe vnto you as this potter ô house of Israel Behold saith our Lord as clay in the hand of the potter so are you in my hand ô house of Israel †I wil sodenly speake against nation and against kingdom to roote out and destroy and wast it †If that nation shal repent them of their euil against whom I haue spoken I also wil repent me of the euil that I haue thought to doe to it †And I wil sodenly speake of nation and of kingdom to build and plant it †If it shal do euil in mine eies that it heare not my voice I wil repent me of the good that I haue spoken to do vnto it †Now therefore tel the man of Iuda and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem saying Thus saith our Lord Behold I forge euil against you and deuise a deuice against you let euerie man returne from his euil way and direct ye your waies and your studies †Who said We are desperate for we wil goe after our cogitations and we wil do euerie one the peruersitie of his euil hart †Therefore thus saith our Lord Aske the Nations Who hath heard such horrible thinges as the virgine of Israel hath done exceedingly †Why shal the snow of Libanus faile from the rocke of the field or can the cold waters gushing forth and runing downe be drawen out †Because my people hath forgotten me sacrificing in vaine and stumbling in their waies in the pathes of the world that they might walke by them in a way not trodden †that their land might be made into desolation and into an euerlasting hisse euerie one that shal passe by it shal be astonied and wagge his head †As the burning winde wil I disperse them before the enemie the backe and not the face wil I shew them in the day of their perdition †And they said Come and let vs finde deuises against Ieremie for the law shal not perish from the priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the prophet come and let vs strike him with the tongue and let vs not attend to al his wordes †Attend ô Lord vnto me and heare the voice of mine aduersaries †Why is euil rendred for good because they haue digged a pitte for my soule Remember that I haue stood in the sight to speake good for them and to returne away their indignation from them †Therefore geue their children into famine and lead them into the handes of the sword let their wiues be made without children widowes and let the husbands be killed by death let their youngmen be pearced through with the sword in battel †Let a crie be heard out of their houses for thou shalt bring the robber vpon them sodenly because they haue digged a pitte to take me and haue hid snares for my feete †But thou ô Lord knowest al their counsel against me vnto death be not propicious to their iniquitie let not their sinne be cleane put out from thy face let them be made falling in thy sight in the time of thy furie deale with them CHAP. XIX The prophet holding an earthen bottel in his
hath wept in the night and her teares are on her cheekes there is none to comfort her of al her deare ones al her freindes haue despised her and are become her enimies Iudas is gone into transmigration because of affliction and the multitude of bondage she hath dwelt among the Gentiles neither hath she found rest al her persecuters haue apprehended her within the straites The waies of Sion mourne because there are none that come to the solemnitie al her gates are destroyed her priestes sighing her virgins lothsome and herself is oppressed with bitternes Her aduersaries are made in the head her enemies are enriched because our Lord hath spoken vpon her for the multitude of her iniquities her litle ones are led into captiuitie before the face of the afflicter And from the daughter of Sion al her beautie is departed her princes are become as rammes not fynding pastures and they are gone without strength before the face of the pursewer Ierusalem hath remembred the dayes of her affliction and preuarication of al her thinges worthie to be desyred which she had from the daies of old when her people fel in the enimies hand and there was no helper the enemies haue sene her and haue scorned her sabbathes Ierusalem hath sinned a sinne therfore is she made vnstable al that did glorifie her haue despised her because they haue sene her ignominie but she sighing is turned backward Her filthines is on her feete neither hath she remembred her end she is pulled downe excedingly not hauing a comforter see ô Lord mine affliction because the enemie is exalted The enimie hath thrust his hand to al her thinges worthie to be desyred because she hath sene the Gentiles enter into her sanctuarie of whom thou gauest commandment that they should not enter into thy church Al her people sighing and seeking bread they haue geuen al precious thinges for meate to refresh the soule see ô Lord and consider because I am become vyle O al ye that passe by the way attend and see if there be sorow like to my sorow because he hath made vintage of me as our Lord hath spoken in the day of the wrath of his furie From on high he hath cast a fyre in my bones and hath taught me he hath spred a net for my feete he hath turned me backward he hath made me desolate al the day consumed with sorow The yoke of mine iniquities hath watched they are folded together in his hand and put vpon my necke my strength is weakened our Lord hath geuen me into the hand from which I can not rise Our Lord hath taken away al my magnifical ones out of the middes of me he hath called a time against me to destroy mine elect our Lord hath troden the winepresse to the virgin the daughter of Iuda Therfore am I weeping and mine eye shedding teares because a comforter is made far from me conuerting my soule my children are become desolate because the enemie hath preuayled Sion hath spred forth her handes there is none to comfort her our Lord hath commanded against Iacob round about him are his enemies Ierusalem is become as a woman polluted with menstrous floores among them Our Lord is iust because I haue prouoked his mouth to wrath heare I beseech al ye peoples and see my sorow my virgins and my pong men are gone into captiuitie I haue called my freindes they haue deceiued me my priestes and my ancientes are consumed in the citie because they haue sought meat for themselues to refresh their soule See ô Lord that I am in tribulation my bellie is trubled my hart is ouerturned in myself because I am ful of bitternes the sword killeth abrode and at home it is lyke death They haue heard that I doe sigh and there is none to comfort me al mine enimies haue heard mine euil they haue reioyced because thou hast done it thou hast brought a day of consolation and they shal be made lyke to me Let al their euil enter in before thee and vintage them as thou hast vintaged me for al mine iniquities for my sighings are manie and my hart is sorowful CHAP. II. HOW hath our Lord in his furie couered the daughter of Sion with darknes cast forth the noble one of Israel from heauen to the earth and hath not remembred the footestoole of his feete in the day of his furie Our Lord hath cast downe headlong and hath not spared al the beautiful thinges of Iacob he hath destroyed in his furie the munitions of the virgin of Iuda and cast it downe to the ground he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes therof He hath broken euerie horne of Israel in the wrath of furie he hath turned away his right hand backward from the face of the enemie and he hath kinled in Iacob as it were the â—yre of a flame deuouring round about He hath bent his bow as an enemie he hath fastned his right hand as an aduersarie and he hath killed al that was fayre to behold in the tabernacle of the daughter of Sion he hath powred out his indignation as fyre Our Lord is become as an enemie he hath cast downe Israel headlong he hath cast downe headlong al her walles he hath destroyed the munitions therof and hath replenished in the daughter of Iuda the humbled man and humbled woman And he hath destroyed his tent as a garden he hath throwen downe his tabernacle our Lord hath brought festiuitie and sabbath in Sion to obliuion and king and priest into reproch and into the indignation of his furie Our Lord hath reiected he hath cursed his sanctification he hath deliuered the walles of the towers therof into the hand of the enemie they haue made a noyse in the house of our Lord as in a solemne day Our Lord hath meant to destroy the wal of the daughter of Sion he hath streched out his corde and hath not turned away his hand from destruction and the forewal hath mourned and the wal is destroyed together Her gates are fastned in the ground he hath destroyed and broken ber barres her king and her princes in the Gentiles there is no law and her prophets haue not found vision from our Lord. The ancients of the daughter of Sion haue sitten on the ground they haue held their peace they haue sprinkled their heades with dust they are girded with heare clothes the virgins of Ierusalem haue cast downe their heades to the ground Myne eies haue fayled for teares my bowels are trubled my liuer is powred out on the earth for the destruction of the daughter of my people when the litle one and the sucking faynted in the streetes of the towne They sayd to their mothers Where is wheate and wyne when they faynted
and the toppe therof is eleuated among the thicke boughes †The waters haue nourished him the depth hath exalted him the riuers therof ranne out round about the rootes therof and he sent forth her riuers to al the trees of the countrie †Therfore was his height eleuated aboue al the trees of the countrie and his groues were multiplied and his boughes were eleuated because of manie waters †And when he had spred forth his shadow in his boughes al the foules of the heauen made nests and vnder his leaues al beasts of the forrests engendred and vnder his shadow dwelt the assemblie of verie manie nations †And he was most faire in his greatnes and in the enlarging of his groues for his roote was nere manie waters †The ceders were not higher then he in the paradise of God the firretrees matched not his toppe and the plane-trees were not equal to his boughes no tree of the paradise of God was likened to him and to his beautie †Because I made him beautiful and with manie thicke boughes and al the trees of pleasure that were in the paradise of God did emulate him †Therfore thus saith our Lord God For that he is extolled in height and hath geuen his toppe greene and thicke and his hart is eleuated in his height †I haue deliuered him into the handes of the strongest of the nations doing he shal doe to him according to his impietie I haue cast him out †And aliens and the most cruel of the nations shal cut him downe and shal throw him forth vpon the mountaines and in al valleis his boughes shal fal and his groues shal be broken on al rockes of the land and al the peoples of the earth shal depart from his shadow and shal leaue him †In his ruine dwelt al the foules of heauen and in his boughes were al the beasts of the fielde †For which cause there shal not be eleuated in their height al the trees of the waters neitheir shal they put their highnes among the wooddie and thicke ones neither shal they stand in their height al that are watered with waters because they are al deliuered into death to the lowest earth in the middes of the children of men to them that goe downe into the lake †Thus saith our Lord God In the day that he went downe to hel I brought in mourning I couered him with the depth and I stayed his riuers and kept in manie waters Libanus was made sad vpon him and al the trees of the filde were shaken †At the sound of his ruine I moued the Gentils when I brought him downe to hel with them that descended into the lake and al the trees of pleasure goodlie and glorious in Libanus al that were watered with waters were comfourted in the lowest earth †For they also shal goe downe with him to hel to the slaine by the sword and the arme of euerie one shal sitte vnder his shadow in the middes of the nations †To whom art thou likened ô thou noble and loftie among the trees of pleasure Behold thou aâ—t brought downe with the trees of pleasure to the lowest earth in the middes of the vncircumcised shalt thou sleepe with them that are slaine by the sword the same is Pharao and al his multitude saith our Lord God CHAP. XXXII The Prophet lamenteth the destruction of Aegypt 11. prosecuting his prophecie of the most lamentable destruction therof 17. foreshewing that the more it is exalted in strength and glorie so much more miserable shal be the fal therof AND it came to passe the twelth yeare in the twelth moneth in the first of the moneth the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Sonne of man take vp a lamentation vpon Pharao the king of Aegypt thou shalt say to him Thou art likened to the Lion of the Gentils and the dragon that is in the sea and thou didst strike with the horne in thy riuers and didst truble the waters with thy fete and didst conculcare their streames †Therfore thus saith our Lord God I wil spred my nette vpon thee in the multitude of manie peoples and I wil draw thee out in my nette †And I wil throw thee forth on the ground vpon the face of the filde wil I cast thee away and I wil make al the foules of heauen to dwel vpon thee and I wil fil of thee the beastes of al the earth †And I wil geue thy flesh vpon the moutaines and wil fil the litle hilles with thy corruption †And I wil water the earth with the stinche of thy bloud vpon the mountaines and the valleis shal be filled of thee †And I wil couer the heauens when thou shalt be extinguished and I wil make the starres therof to waxe blacke the sunne I wil couer with a cloude and the moone shal not geue her light †I wil make al the lightes of heauen to mourne vpon thee I wil geue darkenes vpon thy land saith our Lord God when thy wounded shal fal in the middes of the land saith our Lord God †And I shal prouoke to anger the hart of manie peoples when I shal haue brought in thy destruction in the Gentils vpon the landes which thou knowest no◠†And I wil make manie peoples to be astonied vpon thee and their kinges with exceding horrour shal be afraid vpon thee when my sword shal beginne to flie vpon their faces and they shal be astonied sodenly euerie one for his life in the day of thy ruine †Because thus saith our Lord God †The sword of the king of Babylon shal come to thee in the swordes of the valients wil I ouerthrow thy multitude inuincible are al these Gentils and they shal waste the pride of Aegypt and the multitude therof shal be dissipated †And I wil destroy al the beasts therof that were vpon verie manie waters and the foote of man shal truble them no more neither shal the hoofe of beasts truble them †Then wil I make their waters most pure and their riuers I wil bring as oile saith our Lord God †When I shal haue made the Land of Aegypt desolate and the land shal be made desert of her fulnes when I shal haue strooken al the inhabitaÌ„ts therof they shal know that I am the Lord. †It is lamentation and they shal lament it the daughters of the Gentils shal lament it vpon Aegypt and vpon the multitude therof they shal lament it saith our Lord God †And it came to passe in the twelfth yeare in the fiftenth of the moneth the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Sonne of man sing a mourning song vpon the multitude of Aegypt and plucke her downe herself and the daughters of the strong nations to the lowest earth with them that goe downe into the lake †Fayrer then whom art thou Descend and sleepe with the vncircumcised †In
thy God out of the Land of Aegypt I wil yet make thee sitte in tabernacles as in the dayes of festiuitie †And I haue spoken vpon the prophets and I haue multiplied vision and in the hand of the prophets I haue bene resembled †If an idol in Galaad then in vaine were they in Galgal immolating with oxen for their altars also as heapes vpon the furrowes of the filde †Iacob fled into the countrie of Syria and Israel serued for a wife and for a wife he kept her †But by a prophete our Lord brought Israel out of Aegypt and by a prophete he was preserued †Ephraim hath prouoked me to wrath in his bitternes and his bloud shal come vpon him and his reproch his Lord wil restore to him CHAP. XIII For their obstinacie in idolatrie 7. greatest plagues are threatned 10. from which none shal be able to deliuer them 14. But at last Christ coming wil redeme al by his death EPHRAIM speaking horrour inuaded Israel and he sinned in Baal and died †And now they haue added to sinne and they haue made to themselues a molten of their siluer as it were the similitude of idols the whole is the worke of craftesmen the these they say Immolate men adoring calues †Therfore they shal be as a morning cloude and as a morning dew passing away as dust caught with a whirlewind out of the floore and as smoke out of the chimnie †But I the Lord thy God out of the Land of Aegypt and God beside me thou shalt not know and there is no Sauiour beside me †I knew thee in the desert in the land of wildernes †According to their pustures they were filled and were made ful they haue lifted vp their harr and haue forgotten me †And I wil be vnto them as a lionesse as a leopard in the way of the Assyrians †I wil meete them as a beare her yong being violently taken away and I wil breake in sunder the inner partes of their liuer and wil consume them there as a lion the beast of the filde shal teare them †Perdition is thine ô Israel onlie in me thy helpe †Where is thy king Now especially let him saue thee in al thy cities thy iudges of whom thou saydst Geue me kinges and princes †I wil geue thee a king in my furie and wil take him away in mine indignation †The iniquitie of Ephraim is bound together his sinne is hidden †The sorowes of a woman in trauel shal come to him he a sonne not wise for now he shal not stand the confraction of the children †Out of the hand of death I wil deliuer them from death I wil redeme them I wil be thy death ô death thy bitte wil I be ô hel consolation is hidden from mine eyes †Because he shal diuide betwen bretheren our Lord wil bring a burning winde rising from the desert and it shal drie vp his vaines and shal make his fountaine desolate and he shal spoyle the treasure of euerie vessel that is to be desired CHAP. XIIII The prophet forewarning the people of their future afflictions 2. exhorteth them to repentance and confession of their sinnes 5. foreshewing that God wil geue much grace to the penitent 10. Al which mysteries only the godlie wise shal vnderstand LET Samaria perish because she hath stirred vp her God to bitternes let them perish by the sword let their litle ones be dashed and let the wemen with child be cut in sunder †Conuert ô Israel to our Lord thy God because thou art fallen in thine iniquitie †Take wordes with you and conuert to our Lord and say to him Take away al iniquitie and receiue good and we wil render the calues of our lippes †Assur shal not saue vs we wil not mount vpon horse neither wil we say any more Our goddes the worke of our handes because thou wilt haue mercie on that pupil which is in thee †I wil heale their confractions I wil loue them voluntarily because my furie is auerted from them †I wil be as dew Israel shal spring as the lillie and his roote shal breake forth as that of Libanus †His boughes shal goe and his glorie shal be as the oliuetree and his smel as of Libanus †They shal be conuerted that sitte vnder his shadow they shal liue with wheate and they shal spring as a vine his memorial as the wine of Libanus †Ephraim what haue I to doe any more with idols I wil heare and I wil direct him as a verdant firretree out of me thy fruit is found †Who is wise and shal vnderstand these thinges of vnderstanding and shal know these thinges because the wayes of our Lord be right and the iust shal walke in them but preuaricatours shal fal in them THE PROPHECIE OF IOEL IOEL the sonne of Phatuel borne in Bethoron of the tribe of Issachar prophecied the same time or part therof with Osee according to S. Ieromes rule approued by most expositers that when anie of these twelue Prophetes expresseth not what time he writte the same time is vnderstood which the precedent prophet noteth He prophecied to the kingdom of Iuda as appeareth by expresse mention of Sacrifice Priestes house of God Ierusalem and Sion but describeth also the whole land of twelue tribes consumed by the Eruke Locust Bruke and Blast And after the euersion of the former people the coming of the Holie Ghost vpon the seruants of God men and wemen the 120. faithful gathered in the chamber in Sion Finally foreshewing the general Iudgement and future eternal world CHAP. I. The Chaldees shal miserably waste the kingdom of Iuda 9. take away sacrifice by destroying the temple 10. and so make the land barren spiritually and temporally THE word of our Lord that was made to Ioel the sonne of Phatuel †Heare this ye ancients and harken with your eares al ye inhabitants of the land if this hath bene done in your dayes or in the dayes of your fathers †Vpon this tel you to your children and your children to their children and their childred to an other generation †“ The residue of the eruke hath the locust eaten the residue of the locust hath the bruke eaten and the residue of the bruke hath the blast eaten †Awake you that be drunke and weepe and how le al ye that drinke wine in sweetnes because it is perished from your mouth †For a nation is ascended vpon my land strong innumerable his teeth as the teeth of a lion and his checkteeth as of a lions whelpe †He hath layd my vineyard into a desert and hath pilled of the barke of my figtree stripping he hath spoiled it and cast it forth the boughes therof are made white †Mourne as a virgin girded with sackcloth vpon the husband of her
†and the men of strength approched and he assaulted that citie al the day and al the night and the citie was deliuered into his hand and they slew euerie male in the edge of the sword and he rooted it vp and tooke the spoiles therof and passed through al the citie vpon the slaine †And they pâ—ssed ouer Iordan in the great playne against the face of Bethsan †And Iudas gathered together the hin most and he exhorted the people throughout al the way til they came into the land of Iuda †and they went vp into mount Sion with ioy and gladnes offered holocausts because none of them was fallen til they returned in peace †And in the dayes that Iudas and Ionathas were in the land of Galaad and Simon his brother in Galilee against the face of Prolomais †Ioseph the sonne of Zacharie heard and Azarias the princes of the band the thinges wel atcheiued and the battels that were made †and he sayd Let vs also make vs a name and let vs goe fight against the heathen that are round about vs. †And he commanded them that were in his armie and they went to Iamnia †And Gorgias went forth out of the citie and his men to meete them into battel †And Ioseph and Azarias were chased in flight euen vnto the borders of Iurie and there fel that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men and there was made a great tumult in the people †because they heard not Iudas and his bretheren thinking that they should doe manfully †But they were not of the seede of those men by whom saluation was made in Israel †And the men of Iuda were magnified excedingly in the sight of al Israel and of al nations where their name was heard †And they came together vnto them with acclamations for their good successe †And Iudas went out and his bretheren and they expugned the children of Esau in the land that is toward the South and they stroke Chebron and her daughters and the walles therof and the towres he burnt with fyre round about †And he remoued the campe to goe into the land of the aliens and he walked through Samaria †In that day fel the priests in battel whiles they wil doe manfully whiles they goe forth without counsel into battel †And Iudas declined to Azotus into the land of the aliens and he threw downe their altars and the sculptils of their goddes he burnt with fyre and he tooke the spoiles of the cities and returned into the land of Iuda CHAP. VI. Antiochus repulsed from Elimais 5. and hearing of the ouerthrow of his armie in lurie falleth vehemently sick 11. and acknowleging his calamities to haue happened for he hath done against the Iewes dyeth 17. His young sonne Antiochus Eupator succedeth 18. Iudas besiegeth the Macedonians fortresse 21. Relapsed Iewes solicite the king 28. and he cometh with a terrible huge armie 32. Iudas therfore leauing the siege meeteth the enemie 43. Eleazar going vnder an elephant killeth him and so himselfe is also slaine 47. The king taketh Bethsura by composition 51. and bendeth his forces against Ierusalem 55. By Lysias aduice the king maketh peace with the Iewes 62. but breaking his othe destroyeth the wal of Sion 63. and returning recouereth Antioch from Philippe AND king Antiochus walked through the higher countries and he heard that there was a citie Elymais in Persis most noble and plentiful in siluer and gold †and a temple therin exceding rich and couerings thereof gold and brigantines and shildes which Alexander philips sonne the king of Macedonia that reigned first in Grece left there †And he came and sought to take the citie and to spoile it and he could not because the word was knowen to them that were in the citie †And they rose vp into battel and he fled from thence and departed with great sorow and returned into Babylonia †And there came one that told him in Persis that the campes that were in the land of Iuda were put to flight †and that Lysias went with great powre with the first and was put to flight before the face of the Iewes and they grew strong with armour and force and manie spoiles which they tooke out of the campes which they destroyed †and that they threw downe the abomination which they had builded vpon the altar that was in Ierusalem and the sanctification they compassed about as before with high walles yea and Bethsura his citie †And it came to passe as the king heard these wordes he was sore afrayd and was moued excedingly and he lay downe vpon his bed and fel into sicknes for sorow because it was not chanced to him as he thought †And he was there for manie dayes because there was renewed in him great sorowfulnes and he made account to dye †And he called al his freindes and sayd to them Sleepe is departed from mine eyes and I am fallen away my hart is gone for pensifenes †and I sayd in my hart Into how great tribulation am I come into what waues of sorow wherin now I am who was pleasant and beloued in my powre †But now I remember the euils that I haue done in Ierusalem from whence also I tooke away al the spoiles of gold and of siluer that were in it and I sent to take away the inhabitants of Iewrie without cause †I know therfore that for this cause haue these euils found me and loe I perish with great sorow in a strange countrie †And he called philip one of his frendes and he made him chiefe ouer al his kingdom †And he gaue him the crowne and his robe and ring that he should bring Antiochus his sonne should bring him vp to reigne †And Antiochus the king died there in the yeare an hundreth fourtie nine †And Lysias vnderstood that the king was dead and he appoynted Antiochus his sonne to reigne whom he brought vp a young man and he called his name Eupator †And they that were in the castel had inclosed Israel round about the holie places and they sought them euils alwayes and the strengthning of the Gentils †And Iudas thought to destroy them and he called together al the people to besiege them †And they came together and besieged them in the yeare an hundredth fiftie and they made balists and engins †And certaine of them that were besieged went forth some impious men of Israel ioyned them selues vnto them †and they went to the king and sayd How long doest thou not iudgements and reuengest our bretheren †We decreed to serue thy father and to walke in his precepts and obey his edicts †and the children of our people for this alienated them selues from vs and whosoeuer were found of vs they were slayne and our inheritances were spoiled †And not to vs only
length he may punish vs. †For which cause he neuer certes remoueth away his mercie from vs but chastening his people by aduersitie he forsaketh them not †But let these thinges be sayd of vs in few wordes for an admonition of the readers And now we must come to the storie †Therfore Eleazarus one of the chief of the Scribes a man striken in age and comely of countenance with open mouth gaping was compelled to eate swines flesh †But he embracing rather a most glorious death then an hateful life went before voluntarily to the punishment †And considering how he ought to come patiently susteyning he determined not to committe vnalwful thinges for loue of life †But they that stood by moued with vnlawful pitie for the old frendshipe of the man taking him in secrete desired that flesh might be brought which it was lawful for him to eate that he might feyne to haue eaten as the king had commanded of the flesh of the sacrifice †that by this fact he might be deliuered from death and for the old freindshipe of the man they did him this courtesie †But he begane to thinke vpon the worthie preeminence of his age and ancientnes and the houre heares of natural nobilitie his doinges from a childe of very good conuersation and according to the ordinances and the holie law made of God he answered quickly saying that he would rather be sent vnto hel †For it is not meete quoth he for our age to feyne that manie young men thinking that Eleazarus of foure score yeare tenne is passed to the life of Aliens †they also through my dissimulation and for a litle time of corruptible life may be deceiued and hereby I may purchase a stayne and a curse to mine old age †For although at this present time I be deliuered from the punishments of men yet neither aliue nor dead shal I escape the hand of the Almightie †Wherfore in departing manfully out of this life I shal appeare worthie of mine old age †and to yong men I shal leaue a constant example if with readie mind and stoutly I suffer an honest death for the most graue and most holie lawes These thinges being spoken forthwith he was drawen to execution †And they that led him and had bene a litle before more milde were turned into wrath for the wordes spoken of him which they thought were vttered through arrogancie †But when he was now in killing with the strokes he groned and sayd O Lord which hast the holie knowlege thou knowest manifestly that wheras I might be deliuered from death I doe susteyne sore paines of the bodie but according to the soule for thy feare I doe willingly suffer these thinges †And this man certes in this maner departed this life leauing not only to yong men but also to the whole nation the memorie of his death for an example of vertue and fortitude CHAP. VII The noble Martyrdome of seuen refusing to eate swines flesh and boldly admonishing king Antiochus of his damnable state 41. Lastly the mother hauing encoreged her sonnes likewise dyeth gloriously AND it came to passe that seuen brethren together with their mother being apprehended to be compelled by the king to eate against the law swines flesh were tormented with whippes and scourges †But one of them which was the first sayd thus What seekest thou and what wilt thou lerne of vs we are readie to dye rather then to transgresse the lawes of God coming from our fathers †The king therfore being wrath commanded frying pannes and brasen pottes to be heated †the which forth with being heated he commanded his tongue that had spoken first to be cut out and the skinne of his head being drawen of the endes also of his handes and feete to be chopped of the rest of his bretheren and his mother looking on †And when he was now made in al partes vnprofitable he commanded fire to be put vnto him and that breathing as yet he should be fried in the frying panne wherin when he was long tormented the rest together with the mother exhorted one an other to dye manfully †saying Our Lord God wil behold the truth and wil take pleasure in vs as Moyses declared in the profession of the Canticle And in his seruants he wil take pleasure †That first therfore being dead in this maner they brought the next to make him a mocking stocke the skinne of his head with the heares being drawen of they asked if he would eare before that he were punished throughout the whole bodie in euerie member †But he answering in his countrie speach said I wil not doe it Wherfore this also in the next place receiued the torments of the first †and being at the verie last gaspe thus he said Thou in dede ô most wicked man in this present life destroyest vs but the king of the world wil raise vs vp which dye for his lawes in the resurrection of eternal life †After him the third is had in derision and being demanded his tongue he quickly put it forth and constantly stretched out his handes †and with confidence he said From heauen doe I possesse these but for the lawes of God now doe I contemne these selfe same because I hope that I shal receiue them againe of him †So that the king and they that were with him merueled at the yong mans courege because he estemed the torments as nothing †And this being thus dead the fourth they vexed in like maner tormenting him †And when he was now euen to dye thus he said It is better for them that are put to death by men to exspect hope of God that they shal be raysed vp againe by him For to thee there shal not be resurrection vnto life †And when they had brought the fifth they tormented him But he looking vpon him †sayd Thou hauing power among men wheras thou art corruptible doest what thou wilt but thinke not that our stock is forsaken of God †And doe thou patiently abide and thou shalt see his great power in what sort he wil torment thee and thy seede †After him they brought the sixth and he beginning to dye sayd thus Be not deceiued vainely for we suffer this for our owne sakes sinning against our God and thinges worthie of admiration are done in vs †but doe not thinke that thou shalt escape vnpunished for that thou hast attempted to fight against God †But the mother aboue measure meruelous and worthie of good mens memorie which beholding her seuen sonnes perishing in one dayes space bare it with a good hart for the hope that she had in God †exhorted euerie one of them in their countrie language manfully being replenished with wisedome and ioyning a mans hart to a womans cogitation †she sayd to them I know not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I
Babylon and was trubled lying in my chamber and my cogitations came vp ouer my hart †because I saw the desolation of Sion and the abundance of them that dwelt in Babylon †And my spirit was tossed excedingly and I began to speake to the highest timorous wordes †and sayd O Lord dominatour thou spakest from the beginning when thou didst plant the earth and that alone and didst rule ouer the people †and gauest Adam a dead bodie but that also was the worke of thy handes didst breath into him the spirit of life and he was made to liue before thee †and thou broughst him into paradise which thy right hand had planted before the earth came †And him thou didst command to loue thy way and he transgressed it forth with thou didst institute death in him and in his posteritie and there were borne nations and tribes and peoples and kinreds wherof there is no number †And euerie nation walked in their owne wil they did meruelous thinges before thee and despised thy preceptes †And agane in time thou broughst in the floud vpon inhabitantes of the world and didst destroy them †And there was made in euery one of them as vnto Adam to dye so to them the floud †But thou didst leaue one of them Noe with his house and of him were al the iust †And it came to passe when they began to be multiplied that dwelt vpon the earth multiplied children and peoples and manie nations and they begane againe to doe impietie more then the former †And it came to passe when they did iniquitie before thee thou didst choose thee a man of them whose name was Abraham †And thou didst loue him and to him on lie thou didst shew thy wil. †And thou didst dispose vnto him an euerlasting testament and toldst him that thou wouldst neuer forsake his seede And thou gauest him Isaac and to Isaac thou gauest Iacob and Esau †And Iacob thou didst seuer to thy selfe but Esau thou didst separate And Iacob grewe to a great multitude †And it came to passe when thou didst bring forth his sede out of Aegypt thou broughst it vpon mount Sinai †And thou didst bowe the heauens and fasten the earth and didst shake the world and madest the depthes to tremble and trubledst the world †and thy glorie passed foure gates of fire and of earthquake and winde and frost that thou mightst geue a law to the seede of Iacob and to the generation of Israel diligence †And thou didst not take away from them a malignant hart that thy law might bring forth fruite in them †For Adam the first bearing a viâ—ious hart transgressed and was ouercome yea and al that were borne of him †And it was made a permanent infirmitie and the law with the hart of the people with the wickednes of the roote and that which is good departed and the wicked remayned †And the times passed the yeares were ended and thou didst raise vp vnto thee a seruant named Dauid †and spakest vnto him to build a citie of thy name and to offer vnto thee in it frankencense and oblations †And this was done manie yeares and they that inhabited the citie forsooke thee †in al things as Adam and al his generations For they also vsed a wicked hart †And thou didst deliuer thy citie into the hands of thyne enimies †Why doe they better thinges that inhabite Babylon And for this shal she rule ouer Sion †It came to passe when I was come hither and had sene the impieties that can not be numbred and my soul saw manie offending this thirteth yeare my hart was astonied †because I saw how thou bearest with their sinne and didst spare them that did impiously and didst destroy thine owne people and preserue thine enimies and didst not signifie it †I nothing remember how this way should be forsaken doth Babylon better thinges then Sion †Or hath anie nation knowen thee beside Israel or what tribes haue beleued thy testamentes as Iacob †Whose reward hath not appeared nor their labour fructified For passing through I passed among the nations and I saw them abound and not mindeful of thy commandmentes †Now therfore wey our iniquities in a ballance and theirs that dwel in the world thy name shal not be found but in Israel †Or when haue not they sinned in thy sight that inhabite the earth or what nation hath so obserued thy commandmentes †These cettes by their names thou shalt finde to haue kept thy commandmentes but the nations thou shalt not finde CHAP. IIII. Mans witte and reason is not able to vnderstand the counsel and iudgement of God 22. why his people are afflicted by wicked nations 33. nor of times and thinges to come AND the Angel answered me that was sent to me whose name was Vriel †and sayd to me Thy hart exceding hath exceded in this world thou thinkest to comprehend the way of the Highest †And I sayd It is so my Lord. And he answered me sayd I am sent to shew thee three wayes to propose to thee three similitudes †Of the which if thou shalt declare to me one of them I also wil shew thee the way which thou desirest to see and wil teach thee whence a wicked hart is †And I sayd Speake my Lord. And he sayd to me Goe wey me the weight of the fire or measure me the blast of the winde or cal me backe the day that is past †And I answered and sayd what man borne can doe it that thou askest me of these thinges †And he sayd to me If I should aske thee saying How great habitations are there in the hart of the sea or how great vaines be there in the beginning of the depth or how great vaines be there aboue the firmament and what are the issues of paradise †thou wouldest perhaps say to me I haue not descended into the depth nor into hel as yet neither haue I ascended at anie time into heauen †But now I haue not asked thee sauing of the fire and the winde and the day by the which thou hast passed and from the which thou canst not be separated and thou hast not answered me of them †And he sayd to me Thou canst not know the thinges that are thine which grow together with thee †and how can thy vessel comprehend the way of the Highest and now the world being outwardly corrupted vnderstand the corruption euident in my sight †I sayd to him Better were it for vs not to be then yet liuing to liue in impieties and to suffer and not to vnderstand for what thing †And he answered me said Going forth I went forward to a wood of trees in the filde and they deuised a deuise †and sayd Come and let vs goe and make watre against the sea that it
both good euil nn this life :: Feare on mans paâ—t and hope in God do wel consist together So both presumption and desperation are auoided :: Holie Iob knowing it to be vnpossible that God calumniateth anie man inquireth what is the cause why his goodnes afflicteth the iust :: In that I am thy creature thou maist iustly destroy me but in deede because I am thy creature thou 〈◊〉 spare me through thy mâ—â—c◠〈◊〉 me thy grace which if I vse wel thou wilt also geue me eternal rest :: Repentance is alwayes necessarie but most especially at the houre of death The third conflict :: Sophar might haue applied the vice of much speaking to himself and his felowes alleaging manie thinges which proued not their opinion wheras Iobs allegations proued directly that which he affirmed :: Iobs owne conscience affirmed the contrarie c. 6. v. 3. :: He could not iustly confesse iniqeitie which he had not coÌ„mitted :: God suffereth his simple true meaning seruantes to be scorned for the time but afterward the wicked shal be forced to confesse that those whom they derided are worthily in honour before God Sap. 5. â— 3. :: Craftie plotters of deuises at last by Gods iust punishement commit so great absurdites that the meanest may see their foâ—lie :: Iobs state of sinne or innocencie was best knowen to God next to his owne conscience not at al to his aduersaries that presumed to iudge therof :: It semed to his aduersaries that of desperation he would teaâ— his flesh and so kil himself and to be so nere death as if one held his soule in his hand readie to bet it sâ—l from him :: He was in extreme anguish but stil trusted in God :: He denieth that he is guiltie in conscience but desireth to know of God if he haue anie hiâ— sinnes which himself knoweth not :: Al children taking their sâ—bstance from the mother and hauing only a temporal life continually tending to death can not but be subieâ—t to â—anie 〈◊〉 â—â—â—s 〈…〉 itselfe though it may some long is a limited thin◠〈…〉 is very 〈…〉 yea 〈…〉 proportion in respect of eternitie which is infinite yet God hath care to bring this weake creature to life eternal :: The parentes after death are not afflicted with the state of their children as they be in this life The fourt conflict :: Eliphaz not able to answer Iobs solide reasons raileth against him as if he were iniurious to God or taught others to cast away feare :: It is a very rare priuilege to be without spot :: But spot of venial sinnes may be in a iust man :: Al these miseries are incident to the wicked but are falsly applied to holie Iob who â—ndede was iust :: True and freindlie comforters ought to heare the afflicted with patience and not vnmercifully charge him with crimes which they neither know nor his conscience is guiltie of :: A great affliction when one ful of paine and distres is also forced to defend his owne innocencie against calumniators :: As the aduersaries stil obiect great iniquitie to him so he yeldeth them the same true answer :: Not hauing committed such sinnes as he was charged withal in this duble bitternes of corporal paine and calumniation his eye was stil vpon God expecting to be deliuered * Seâ—l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infernus :: This texâ— sheweth euidently that there was a place of rest called hel The fifth conflict :: Baldad perceiuing Iob to speake confidently as the common doctrin of manie opposeth him self neuertheles against him and al that thincke as he doth and so speaketh as to manie in the plural number vvil ye speake and of himselfe his felowes are vve reputed c. So holie Iob a figure of the Church defended the common cause his aduersaries a figure of here tâ—kes speaking some truthes mixed false thinges therwith S. Greg. li. 14. c. 1. :: Blessed Iob saith S. Gregorie li. 14. c. 16. 17 looking sincerly on his owne life saw that his affliction was greater then his sinnes deserued and in that respect was not equal yet it was iust for God being iust geueth a iust reward a crowne of iustice as S. Paul speaketh of himself 2. Tim. 4 :: Al refused holie Iob in his affliction euen those whom he had loued most who therfore ought most to haue loued him againe :: An expresse profession of his faith of the Resurrection :: VVe shal rise againe not as one tree riseth in place of an other but the self same persones changed in qualities not in substance The sixth conflict :: Al mans life is short and as a moment in comparison of eternitie but it is not alwayes true that thewiked are shortly punished in respect of this life as this disputer applieth it to proue Iob to impious Therfore Iob answereth in the next chapter â— 13. That ordinarily the wicked lead their dayes to witt their whole life in vvealth and then in a moment goe downe to hel So the rest of these mens assertions are for most part true in some sense but il applied :: Though he disputed with three men yet it was concerning diuine thinges not humaine but of Gods prouidence and iustice of the resurrection of eternal life and punishment :: See ch 20. v 5. :: The same word is in Hebrew Greke and Latin for hel as in the 7 and 17. chap. other places which sheweth that besides hel of the daÌ„ned the resting place also of holie fathers in the old Testament was called by the general name of hel * a riuer of hel The seuenth conflict :: In dede wheÌ„ a iust man hath donne his dutie he is vnprofitable to God but he is profitable to himself which greatly pleaseth God who desireth mans good and it redoundeth to Gods glorie that he hath such seruantes â—â—at 5. v. 17. :: After imputation of false crimes this 〈…〉 chargeth 〈…〉 also with 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 error of the Aegyptians that God hath no prouidence of men in this world Aristotel li. dâ— mundo textu 84. So some heretikes in their phrensic accuse Catholiques of condemned heresies :: VVhiles he expected some comforth of his freindes they stil afflicted him more and more chargeing him with falâ—â— crimes and so aggrauating his grief both of bodie and mind :: Therfore he appealeth to Gods iudgement seate for sentence :: Gods seruantes know that he wil punish wickednes but know not when the wicked presume that he wil neuer punish them :: Heretikes doing and teaching against their owne knowledge are afterward striken with blindnes that they can not see the truth S. Greg. li. 16. c. 26. :: Sinners running into both extremes of defect and excesse are likewise punished with contrarie tormentes :: Man by powre of free wil ofteÌ„ presumeth to spend the time in sinning which God granteth him to do penance for former sinnes Rom. 2. The eight conflict :: Iob answered before ch 9. yet blind
al other nations to erre for their sinnes in their fond phantesies of false goddes reserued the Israelites for his Church e establishing the principalitie therof in Sion f For obtaining and conseruing of Sion from wicked Infidels God ouerthrewe al sortes of contrarie forces g God not only gaue his people temporal victories ouer their enimies but also illuminated their mindes with knowlege of true religion h others are often trubled in mind hearing the truth but are not conuerted through their obstinate follie i VVorldlie men in supine carlesnes as in a sleepe passe ouer this life and afterwards find themselues excluded from heauen for lacke of merites and good workes with the foolish virgins k God vndertaking the defence of his people and threatning the aduerse part l they failed in courage as men ouercome with drowsines of sleepe m Euen from the first notice of thy wil the aduersaries were deiected fearing thy poâ—eâ—â— wrath n Terrible signes from the firmament appearing before the day of iudgement :: The Prophetes â—â— often speake in the pretertence for the assurance of the thinges to come o persecuters and others being terrified shal be astonied and silent p God vvil come to iudge the vvorld more especially for the iusts sake q Men that shal seriously thinke and meditate vpon these thinges vvil praise and thanke God for them r and the effect and svvere repast of such meditation shal make as it vvere a great festiual day in the deuout soule spiritually ioyned vvith God Å¿ The soule thus inflamed with Gods loue is then apt of gratitude for his goodnes tovvardes man to make vovves of thinges vvherto vve are not obliged t but most necessarie it is to be maturely aduised and not rashly nor lightly to vovv for being once vovved vve are strictly bound to vvhatsoeuer vve haue lavvfully promised And it is great sinne to vâ—vv vndiscretly v Remembring that for vovves and al other vvorkes vve must ansvver to God vvho is a terrible iudge readie to punish in bodie and soule sparing none for their greatnes not princes nor kinges nor vulgar sorte for al are to him alike Gods special protection of the Ievves the. 4. key a For Idithun to sing or to make tune for it b For the faithful congregation to consider Gods benefites c Hauing heretofore prayed Psal 14â— d I haue obtayned e Especially being in tribulation and praying vvith hart and handes lifted vp as vvel in the night as day f I vvas not frustrate of my prayer g I vvas sometimes in such anguish that nothing semed comfortable h but I 〈…〉 d vpon God so firmly i that my spirite came inâ—o an exâ—asie oâ—â—â—aunce k I arose early before the ordinarie time of avvay king l my hart being attentiue invvardly I vttered nothing vvith my tongue m I diligently examined my conscience n Assuredly God vvil not reiect for euer but he vvil be pleased with his Church o VVhiles I thus thought I erred greatly novv I see and confesse that God suffereth al calamities for the good of his seruantes p and this I knevv not by my selfe but by the inspiration of God making this change in me by his gracious hand q The progenie of Iacob receiued and nourished in Aegypt for Iosephs sake as his adopted children r The read sea and Iordan felt thy diuine powre and obeyed thy wil. Å¿ Noise of vvaters meeting after the Israelites vvere passed thunders and lightninges also hapened to the terror of the persecutors though not mentioned in Exodus Exâ— 14 By the ministerie of Moyses and Aaron Gods great Benefites bestovved vpon the levves and their ingratitude the 4 key a Commended to Asaph a chiefe musitian that the people might vnderstand and consider Gods benefites b Neither the lavv not the people vvas Dauids but presenting Gods perso n he speaketh in his name or authoritie vvith vvhose inspitation he vvas replenished S. Greg. Prefat in Iob. c. 2. Mat. â—â— 5. 35. c Albeit the prophet reciteth historically thinges donne yet the same vvere parables similitudes and figures of other thinges d yea of secret hidden Mysteries obscurly signified in the old Testament and reueled in the nevv e which partly we know by written holie Sriptures f partly by Traditions g God of his mercie without precedent merite raised vp a peculiar people of Abraham Isaac and Iacob h and gaue them a particular law first of Circuncision more largely by Moyses i So Abraham instructed his children and his house after him Gen. 18. k in like sorte others taught their children l For three causes God gaue his law that his people may haue confidence in him he shewing his care to instruct and gouerne them m that they remember his benefites n and kepe his commandmentes o The Iewish nation very often and in great numbers murmured rebelled and committed other great sinnes and therfore Dauid exhorted the people of his time not to do the like And this exhortation perteyneth more especially to Charistianes as S. Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 10. p They first trusting in their owne strength without Gods commandment Num. 14. went forth to batle and were ouerthrowne 1. Par 7 v. 21 â— Par. 7. â—â—â— q Tanis the principal citie in Aegypt nere the riuer Nilus where Moyses wrought his great miracles 〈◊〉 14. This cloude shadowed them from the heate of the sunne in the day and the fire shined in the night al the time that they were in the desert Å¿ In mount Horeb and there was continual water in al the campe which occupied nere foure miles in length and breadth t Which naturally wanted water but by miracle had abundance v Not content with Manna they demanded to haue flesh vv Stil incredulous not beleuing Gods omnipotencie they thought that albeit he had geuen them manna and water yet he could not geue them flesh x By bread in general is vnderstood al competent meate vsual for a table y For this incredulitie murmuring and other sinnes God kept the children of Israel fourtie yares in the desert tâ—l al hat were of age when they came from Aegypt were dead except only Iosue and Caleb z In the meane time amongst other punishments manie mutmurers woâ—c burnâ—â—o death with strange fire Num. 11. a Manna made by Angels b God so changed the wind that it brought abundance of quailes and other birdes into their campe Exo. 16. Nu. 11. c Immediately after a moneth for so long they had abundance of these birdes ibid. v. 20. they were striken with a plague and manie died for their concupiscence d The most fresh strong men died and so were hindered from possessing the promised land of Chana an e In fourtie yeares aboue six hundred thousand died f They offered morning sacrifice g But were not sincere in their hartes h Howsoeuer multitudes of people committe great sinnes and are seuerely punished yet Gods mercie preferueth some by his effectual grace and neuer suffereth the
our sinnes al his life l He prayed also for his resurrection and glorification m VVith al possible confusion Christs exaltation the 5. key Mat. 22. Act. 2. 1. Cor. 15. Heb. 1. 10. a God the Father b To God the Sonne the Lord of Dauid and of al mankind yet the sonne of Dauid according to his humanitie c He limiteth not the time but excludeth al time wherin the enimie might imagine that Christs kingdom should cease signifying that Christ shal reigne til al his enimies be subdued much more afterwards in al eternitie d The Church of Christ beginning in Ierusalem on whitsunday the fiftith day from his Resurrection continueth euer more e Thou shalt haue principalitie f in the day of thy powrful conquest and rising from death g in excellencie of al holie spiritual mysteries and graces h because I God the Father of my substance begate thee God the Sonne in eternitie The same which Micheas saith c. 5. v. 2. His comingforth from the beginning from the dayes of eternitie i God most firmly and vnchangeably affirmed that thou Christ our Messias art not only a King but also a Priest Heb. 5. v. 7. k not for a time as Aaron was but for euet l neither of Aarons order but according to the Order of Melchisedec m Kinges that sometimes persecute Christans are subdued with other people to Christ n He shal iudge and punish the incredulous people o make great slanghters amongst those that resist p and bring princes with their populous kingdome to nothing q He shal in the meane time and also his best seruants suffer much tribulation in this life r and for the same â—e highly exalted in life euerlasting Christs Priesthood for euer both in function and in effect The resemblance of Christs and Melchisedecs Priesthood Graces geuen to the Church the 6. key a I wil praise God both in secret for discharge of myn owne conscience b and in publique for edification of others This Psalme in the Hebrew is composed with euerie verse and middle of verse begunning with a distinct letter in order of the Alphabet c Gods wil is the whole cause of al his workes d Euerie worke of his is praise worthie and magnifical e God hath leift one most special and beneficial memorie of al other benefites his owne bodie and bloud in memorie of his Passion and our redemption f the spiritual foode and sustinance of al the soules that rightly feare him g Of his promise to conserue his Church perpetually h the powrable operation of his death and of al his mysteries i Gods commandments do iustifie al that kepe them k He also of his mercie redemed man that he might be able to kepe his precepts l Begingning with feare of God bringeth at last by other degrees to true wisdom which two are the first and last of the seuen giftes of the Holie Ghost The meanes to be happie the 7. key a The Septuagint Interpreters added this mention of Aggeus and Zacharie returning from captiuitie to signifie that this Psalme was very proper meete to be coÌ„mended to the people at that time wherby they might lerne that their sinnes were the cause of their captiuitie and of al their miseries and if they desired temporal or spiritual prosperitie they must obserue the meanes here prescribed to obtayne the same b He that sincerly feareth God wil take great delight in keping his commandments This Psalme is also composed by the Alphaber as the next before Psal 1. c So doing he and his shal prosper d The iust shal not only prosper in this world but also in the next e God wil also comfort the iust in tribulations f That shal geue discrete and wholsome counsel to the afflicted g Workes of mercie are also called iustice because they concurre to mans iustification 2. Cor. 9â— h and to his saluation Gods prouidence the 3. key a Al Gods seruants b In respect of God al creatures are low though they be in heauen c See the example of Ioseph so aduanced d of Sara Rebecca Rachael and other wemen made fruictful The meruelous passage of Israel from Aegypt the 4. key a People of false religion counted barbarous especially such as also persecute the true Religion for otherwise the Aegyptians were both ciuil in maners and lerned in manie sciences b The people of Iewes were more notoriously renowmed in the world from the time of their deliuerie out of Aegypt for the peculiar people whom God sanctified and in whom as in his elected enheritance or dominion he dwelled and reigned c The Psalmist writing in verse doth often describe thinges in poetical maner but more truly then prophane poetes for that in very dede al creatures otherwise sensles as the sea do in a sorte feele the powre of their Creator obey his wil d VVhen the Israelites went forth of Aegypt e when they entred into Chanaan f Either there was an earthquake or some other mouing of hilles not mentioned by Moyses or els the Psalmist speaketh of the rockes of the torrentes which bowed that the Israelites might rest in Ar and lie in the borders of the Moabites Num 21 v 15 g By the figure Apostrophe he speaketh to the sea riuer and hilles vsing also Prosopopoeia as if senfles thinges vnderstood and should answer h An other miraculous benefite that the rocke yelded them water in their necessitie * Here some Hebrewe Rabbins beginne an other Psalme but by the coherence of the matter S. Augustin proueth that it iâ— but one Psalme where is shewed that the true inuisible God is knowen by such workes as are here recited and contratiwise that the GeÌ„tils idoles are not goddes because they are made of siluer gold or other matter by mens handes hauing resemblance of liuing thinges are altogether sensles i Thou didstal this ô God of mere mercie towards thy people k for thy truths sake seing thou didst promise to protect them l that the Gentiles should not take occasion to blaspheme m This is a iust prayer of the zelous conforming their desires to Gods wil But if God geue idolaters grace to amend then al the iust wil also reioice in their cenuersion n Though manie Iewes fel to idolatrie yet there alwayes remained so manie in Gods true seruice that it mighst stil be truly saide The house of Israel hath hoped in our Lord as is here auerred o This in effect al worldlie politikes say in their hartes as it were quitting their interest of heauen to God p and contenting themselues with earthlie possessions q But when such prophane men are dead they make no shew at al of praising r for parting from the earth they descend into hel and there eternally blaspheme God God â— Å¿ Contrarivvise the iust aspiring to heauen vvhich is the proper kingdom of God vsing this vvorld as they ought to do for a meanes to ascend into heauen shal
certaine that Salomon was sometime innocent and holie but was peruerted by wemen 3. Reg. 11. 3 Reg. 3. v 9. 12. :: Here againe it is euident that the Auctor reporteth Salomons speaches 1. Paral. 28. v. 5. 2. Par. 1. v. 9. :: VVisdom increated is with God yea is God him selfe Prou. 8. v. 22. :: VVisdom vvhich is geuen to men procedeth from God as a gift created :: Mans wisdom vvithout special wisdom from God is not sufficient to gouerne ourselues much lesse others The 3. part The excellent effectes of wisdom iustice :: Adam Gen. 1. v. 27. :: By this it is certaine that our first pareÌ„t Adam truly repented and had remission of his sinne Gen. 4. v. 8. Gen. 6. :: Noe. :: Abraham Gen. 19. :: Lot :: In al trees about Sodom there is only shew of fruite which when it is touched falleth into dust :: Lots wife an example of inconstancie :: Iacob Gen. 28. Gen. 37. :: Ioseph Gen. 41. :: Gods peculiar people Exo. 1. Exo. 3. Exo. 14. Exo. 12. Exo. 15. :: Moyses Exo. 16. Exo. 27. :: The Amalachites Exo. 17. Num 20. :: VVhen the Israelites wanted water God gaue them abundance out of rockes :: But turned the Aegyptians waters into blood :: After affliction the benefite of peace is more gratful :: Moyses was reiected when he iudged betwen his bretheren Exo. 2. :: 14. but was afterwards the deliuer of the whole people Act. 7. v. 45. Leuit. 26. v. 22. Iere. 8. v. 17. â— Aegyptians seruing beasts for goddes were plaged by frogges stuiphes flees and locustes :: God made no creature euil as the Manichees foolishly imagined neither is there any God but one who alone created al thinges :: From the land of Iurie called sacred because God was there tightly serued in the old testament and mans redemption vvas wrought there by Christ Exo. 23. Deut. 7. :: By custom malice became as it were natural after that nature was corrupted :: Gods powre being almightie is only limited by his vvil Rom. 1. v. 23. :: Serpents battes moles like beastes which seme not only super fluous in the world but also hurtful yet were estemed as goddes :: Knowing him to be the only true God by vvhom they saw their false goddes destroyed yet they did not serue him as God :: Gods most proper name is HE WHICH 1â— Exo. 3. v. 14. Rom. 1. Deut. 4. :: Seing no creature how excellent soeuer is or may be estemed a god it is more foolish to thinke an Image or statua or anie thing framed by mans handes can be God Isa 4. Iere. 10. God is the beginning of al thinges absolute and independing :: Great madnes to inuocate a wodden idol more base commonly more corruptible then the wood of a shippe :: As the Israelites went through the redsea :: The auctor prophetically alludeth to the wood of the Crosse on which our Sauiour redemed mankind :: From whole death procedeth mans iustification :: Inuention of Idols brought men to spiritual fornications corruption of maners :: This first idolatrie was only prâ—uâ—tly exercised by the father and his seruants at their masters coÌ„mandment by which occasion publique idolatrie came into the world wicked custom in time preuailing :: The name GOD in the proper signification can not be geuen to anie creature Manie enormious crimes procede from dolatrie :: Two sort es of periurie swearing by false goddes and swearing vntruthes Caluin falsly chargeth this booke vvith â—râ—or Gen. 31. Images of false goddes are rightly called idols Idolatrie begane by vvorshipping images of dead men vvith diuine honour Priuate idolatrie was before publique :: Of the diueâ—s sortes of idols and â—dolaters see our brife Annotion vpon the 113. Psal :: Idolaters hauing forsaken and forgot the onlie true God become as Atheists making their temporal gaine of false goddes :: And so waxing insolent contemte and persecute the seruants of God :: Some idolaters worshipped brute beastes for goddes as being better then sensles images but al are abominable :: The Aegyptians were plagued for their idolatrie :: And that by beastes because they worshipped beastes for goddes and by death of their first begotten for their crueltie against Gods people :: God punished his owne people as a father for their amendment :: The brasen serpent not by anie vertue inherent but as a signe of Gods fauoure vvas the meanes of curing the people Num. 21. :: VVith the plague of haile there vvas also fire mixed Exo. 9. v. 24. VVhich destroyed the profitable cattle :: But burnt not other beastes that plagued the Aegyptians :: Haile did not extinguish the fire by Gods povvre aboue nature :: See the miracles of Manna Annoe Exod 16. :: He speaketh againe of Manna :: The vaine imagination of the vvicked that himself shal be saued vvil faile him Exo. â— 10. :: Literally the 〈…〉 s â—â—â—â—a knes thâ—er dayes together Exo 10. v. 22. Morally they other gâ—nâ— les vvere in darknes vvithout faith in God til Christs Resurrection the third day :: A trubled conscience is a great torment :: This signified the conuersion of al nations to Christ :: The Church is called holie because it professeth holines and hath alwayes some holie men without the Church there is no sanctitie :: VVhen the Aegyptians drowned the Hebrews children Moyses was saued and reserued to guide the Israelites when the Aegyptians were drowned :: A prophecie of Christ comming into this world when there was temporal peace but extreme darkenes of â—gnorance :: An other example of difference in Gods punishing his people for their â—mendment and of the obstinate vnto their â—uine Exo 14. â— â—8 Num. 16. â— 46. Num 10 :: God foreseing the Aegyptians malice permitted them to persecute his people but was no way the cause nor auctor of their sinne Exo. 14. Exo. 16. :: The Amorrheites refused to grant them passage Num 21. v. 21. The Aegyptians brought them into seruitude Exo. 1. God changing the natural properties of elementes by them wrought iustice on sinners S. Greg. â—â— 35. in Euang. Exo. 9. v. 24. Exo. 16. v. 2â— Particular testimonies that this booke is holie Scripture It was written in Hebrew translated into Greke Difference betwen Ecclesiasticus and Ecclesiastes Panaretos The contents diuided into two partes By reason of a more perfect law the people of Israel were more renowmed then anie other nation in the world Deut. 4. :: Translations into other languages hardly expresse the seâ—se of the original tongue The 1. part Praises and preceptes of vvisdom :: Mans vvisdom is not able to comprehend the vvorkes of God :: Eternal glorie is the fruicte of the feare of our Lord not that this one vertue sufficeth but it is the beginning grounded in true faith and bringeth forth other vertues diuine giftes vvith the fruites of the Holie Ghost a ioyful crowne in the end Prou. 1. 9. :: Men drowned in
This Iechonias or Ioachin remained in prison til the death of Nabuchodonosor the space of thirtie seuen yeares and was then deliuered by Euilmerodach and by him entertayned courteously as a prince 4. Reg. 25. v. 27. He maried there and had issue Salathiel and Salathiel hâ—d Zorobabel Who together with Iosue sonne of Iosedech highpriest Esdras Nehemias others recited 1. Esd 2. conducted the children of Israel from Babylon into their countrie There were also in a former transmigration Daniel and the other three children Ananias Misael Azarias of the royal or principal bloud in the third yeare of Ioakim otherwise called Eliacim sonne of Iosias 4. Reg. 23. v. 34 king of Iuda Dan. 1. v. 1. 6. These with others were caried â—s hostages into Babylon and brought vp more liberally Where seruing God sincerely abstayning from vnlawful meates were protected by God much also estemed and promoted in that place For Daniel about the age of twelue yeares conuinced the two wicked Iudges and deliuered Susanna from their cruel handes Dan. 13. And afterwardes for declaring and interpreting the kings dreame Dan. 2. and excellent wisdom and gift of prophecie was admired by al aduanced by the king but maligned by certaine enuious sorcerers and great men Wherby he was sometimes in great danger but stil deliuered by Gods powre protecting him Dan. 6. 14. The other three children were likewise aduanced Dan. 2. v. 49. and therfore by diuers enuied and for refusing to adore an idol set vp by Nabuchodonosor were cast into a hote burning furnace and there preserued Dan. 3. Ieremie who before this time begane to prophecie whiles he was a childe Iere. 1. continued in the time of captiuitie in Ierusalem and Iurie with much affliction and stil prophecying finally dyed in Aegypt Baruch his scribe and also a Prophete went sometimes into Babylon and returned into Iurie Baruch 1. instructing and exhorting the people Ezechiel was caried with king Iechonias and Iosedech into Babylon and there prophecied ch 1. v. 2. part of the same time with Daniel in great part the same thinges with Ieremie And during the captiuitie king Iechonias Iosedech the highpriest Ieremie Baruch Ezechiel prophetes innumerable others some Martyres and manie Confessors parted from this world But Daniel yet liued And in place of Iosedech Highpriest Iosue succeded and the progenie of king Iechonias continuing in Salathiel and Zorobabel the nation â—ad them and other eminent men with temporal dependence vpon forreine princes in the next Monarchie of the Medes and Persians For when Darius king of Medes had slaine Baâ—â—azar king of the Chaldees and so possessed Babylon with the whole countrie he brought the Monarchie to the Medes Persians Dan. 5. v. 31. and within the space of one yeare he dyed and Cyrus succeding granted leaue to al the Iewes to returne into Iurie and there to build vp their temple and citie of Ierusalem which Nabuchodonosor had destroyed At which time Daniel had his vision that Christ our Sauiour should come into the world within seuentie weekes of seuen yeares to the weke that is in foure hundred ninetie yeares after the perfect finishing of the temple and citie Dan. 9. v. 24. 25. But when they were so built againe that the wekes beganne to be counted is very obscure as it was the wil of God that the prophecie being certayne in itself should not be ouer clere to euerie mans vnderstanding but as likewise manie other prophecies shut and sealed Dan. 12. v. 6. 9. 13. In this time of the Medes and Persians Monarchie Mardocheus remayning in Chaldea after the relaxation had that vision in a dreame Esther 11. after which folowed the historie of him Quene Esther and wicked Aman with the danger and deliuerie of al the Iewes in those partes Some thinke it likewise probable that the historie of Iudith happened after the captiuitie though others suppose that it was in the time of Manasses king of Iuda which not being our purpose to discusse and decide we wil passe to thinges more certayne The prophetes Aggeus Zachatias nere twentie yeares after the relaxation earnestly exhorted the princes people to build vp the temple which had bene begunne and now was neglected vpon vaine feare thincking the time was not yet come of building the house of our Lord. Aggeus 1. v. 2. Wherupon the prophet reproueth them expostulating thus Why is it time for you to dwel in embowed houses and this house of our Lord desert And assureth them v. 10. that their ground should remaine barren and ch 2. v. 15. their sacrifices vngratful til they should build the temple promising moreouer that this new temple should be more glorious by Christs personal presence therin then the former temple built by Salomon But especially the Church of Christ presigured by the temple should farre excel the Synagoge of the old testament ch 2. v. 10. Great shal be the glorie of this last house more then of the first Which Zacharie confirmeth inuiting the Gentiles to come and the Iewes to returne into Christs Church ch 2. v. 6. O flee out of the land of the North sayth our Lord because into the foure windes of heauen haue I dispersed you v. 7. O Sion flee thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon And by diuers other visions and prophecies they forshew the conuersion of the Gentiles and reiection of the Iewes for their obduration but in the end they also shal be conuerted Malachie prophecied after the finishing of the temple exhorting al to offer their sacrifices with puritie of hart reprehending both priestes and people for not so doing ch 1. He also foresheweth the reiection of the Iewes calling of the Gentiles with the change of the old sacrifices and institution of a new farre more excellent and more effectual to be offered euerie where v. 10. 11. He concludeth his prophecie ch 4. foretelling the terrible day of Iudgement and life or death euerlasting These later prophetes yet liuing as Iosephus Eusehius Theodoretus and others testifie in their histories the Grecians obtained so great a Monarchie by king Alexander the Great of Macedo that being parted after his death amongst manie yet al were great kingdomes some longer some shorter time In the beginning wherof when king Alexander came to Ierusalem as Iosephus writeth li. 11. c. 8. Antiquit. Iaddus the highpriest going forth in his pontifical attyre to mete him the same king straightwayes fel downe at his feete with al reuerence And being demanded by his freindes the princes of his armie why he so much honored the highpriest he answered that he honored noâ— the man for himself but for his office and God in him who had appeared to him in slepe in that very habite and ornaments when he in Macedonia discoursed in his minde of making battel against the Persians promising him assured victorie Shortly