women and cleansed hys thoughtes from all fornication found fauour both before the Lord and men The Egiptian woman did much to him by vsing the helpe of witches and by offering him slaversawees but the purpose of his minde admitted no noysome desire For this cause the God of my fatherâ— deliuered him from al death bâ—tâ— séene and vnséene for if fornicatioÌ„ ouerrule not your minde neyther shall Belial preuayle against you women are hurtfull thinges my sonnes because that when they waÌ„t power and strength against a man they worke guilfully to draw him to them by traines whom they cannot ouermatch in streÌ„gth hym they ouercome by deceit For the Angel of the Lord which taught me folde meâ—e of them that they be ouermaistred by the spirit of fornicatioÌ„ more then men be and that they be euer practising in their harts agaynst meÌ„ first making their mindes to erre by decking of them selues theÌ„ sheadyng their poison in to them by sight finally catching them prisoners by their doynges for a woman is not able to inforce a man. Therfore my sonnes flee fornication charge your wiues and daughters that they trim not their heades will them to chasten their lookes for euery woman that dealeth deceitfullye in these things is reserued to y punishmeÌ„t of the world to come For by such meanes were y Watchers deceiued before the floud as soone as they saw theÌ„ they fell in loue one with another conceiued a workâ—ng in their mindes and turned them selues into the shape of meÌ„ and appeared to them in their companying with their husbandes and the womeÌ„ by conceiuing the desire of them in the imagination of their mynd brought forth Giants For the â— Watâ—here appeared to them of heigth vnto heauen Therefore keepe your selues from fornication if ye intend to haue a cleane mynde keepe your senses from all women and forbid them likewise the company of men that they may haue also cleane mindes For although coÌ„tinuall companyings do not alwâ—res worke wickednesse yet breede they incurâ—ble stinges to them and to vs euerlasting shame before Belial because that fornication hath neither vnderstandyng nor godlynes in it and all enuiousnes dwelleth in the desire therof and for that cause shall ye enuy the childreÌ„ of Leâ—y and seeke to be exalted aboue theÌ„ but ye shall not be able to compasse it for god will â—duenge them and you shall dye a daungerfull death for vnto I cuy Iâ—da hatl the Lord geuen the souereinty and vnto me and Dan and Ioseph hath he graunted to be princes with theÌ„ Wherfore I charge you heare Leuy for he shal know the law of the lord and deal forth â—udgement and offer sacrifices for all Israel til the full time of Christ the chief priest because the Lorde hath spoken it I charge you by the GOD of heauen that euery of you deale faithefully with his neighbour and sticke vnto Leuy in humblenesse of hart that ye maie receiue blessyng at his mouthe for he shall blesse Israell and Iuda God hath chosen Iuda to be the kyng of all people wherefore worship you his seede for he shall dye for you in battailes bothe visible and inuisible and shall raigne ouer you worlde without ende Ruben hauyng geuen his children the foresaied charge and blessed them died Then thei put him in a coffin and caried him out of Egipte buried hym at Hebron in the double caue where his fathers slepte Finis ¶ The Testament of Simeon made to his Children at his death concernyng 〈◊〉 The harte in womâ—ns mouthe the face the sworde the Wolfe the cap All these paint out the cauious race that runne to their mishap THe copie of Simeons wordes whiche he spake to his Sonnes at his death in the hundred and twenteth yere of his life in the whiche Ioseph died For they came to visite hym vpon his death bed and he sittyng vp kissed them saiyng Harken my children heare me your father Simeon whatsoeuer I haue in my hart I am my father Iacobs second soÌ„ne and my Mother Lea named me Simeon because the Lorde heard her praier I became very mightie I went through with my doynges and was not afraied of any thyng For my harte was stout my minde vnmoueable and my stomack discourageable for hardinesse is giuen of the highest inâ—o mennes soules and bodies In those daies I enuied Ioseph because my father loued hym I hardened my harte againste hym to kill hym because the Prince of errour sendyng forthe the spirite of enuie blynded my mynde that I could not take heede to spare my Father Iacob But his God the God of his fathers seÌ„dyng his Angel did rid hym out of my handes For while I weÌ„t into Sychem to crary tarre for our flockes and Ruben into Dotaiâ—â— where all our necessaries were laied vp in store our brother Iuda solde hym to the Ismalits and therefore when my brother was come againe he was sorie for he intended to haue conueyed hym safe againe to our father But I was angrie with Iuda for lettyng hym go aliue and bare him grudge fiue monthes after howbeit God â—etted me and restrained the woorkyng of my handes for my right hande was halfe withered vp for vii daies together Then did I perceiue my Sonnes that that befell me for Iosephes sake whereupon I repented sone after and besought the lord to restore my hande and I would abstaine from all rancour enuie and follye For I knewe I had conceiued a wicked thought against the Lorde and against my Father Iacob for my brother Iosephes sake whoÌ„ I enuied Now therefore my children kepe your selues froÌ„ the spirites of error and enuie For enuie ouerruleth the. mynde of euery manâ—â—e sufferyng hâ—m not to eate or drinke in rest â–ª or to doe any good thyng is alwaies eggyng him to slaie the partie whom he enuieth and â—inyng away at his prosperitie Twoo yeres together I punished my soule with fastyng in the feare of the Lorde For I knewe that the waie to deliuer me from enuie was the feare of the lorde If a maÌ„ flee to the lorde the wicked spirit fleeth froÌ„ hym so as his mynde becommeth meke and of spitefull he becoÌ„meth pitifull bearyng no grudge towardes suche as loue hym so his enuie ceaseth And because my father sawe me sadde he asked me the cause of it To whom I lied saiyng I haue a paine in my stomacke for I was foriest of all my brothers for that I had been the cause of Iosephes sellyng into Egipte And when I came into Egipt and was put in ward by hym as a spie Then perceiued I that I was iustly punished and I was not sorie for it But Ioseph beyng a good man and hauyng Gods spirite in hym beyng ful of pitie and mercie mynded not to doe me any harme but loued me
whose fruites come by painestakyng for our Father Iacob blessed me with the benefites of the yearth and the firstelynges of fruites Leuy and Iuda are glorified of the lorde among the children of Iacob For God hath planted hym self in them geuyng to the one the Priesthoode and to the other the kyngdome Therefore obey ye them and walke plainly as our Father Iacob did For vnto Gâ—d it is geuen to destroye the temptations of Israell My Children I knowe that in the laste daies your children shall forsake plainnesse and cleaue to coueteousnesse let goe innocencie and followe lewdnesse Leaue Gods commaundementes and sticke vnto Beliall geue ouer Housbandrie and gadde after wicked deuices and therefore shall they be scattered among the Heathen and become bondeslaues to their enemies Wherefore warne your children of it that if they synne they maie retourne quickly to the Lorde for he is mercifull and will deliuer them and bryng theÌ„ home againe into their owne lande I am now an hundreth and twoo and twentie yeares olde and I knowe not any deadly lynne vppon me I haue not knowen any woman but my wife neither haue I committed whordome in the luste of mâ—neeyes I haue not drâ—nke Wine vnto droukeunelie neither haue I coueted any pleasant thyng of my neighbours There hath been no guile in my hart nâ—ither hath there any liyng gon out of my lippes I haue been foriâ— with euery man that was in heauâ—nesse and giuen my bread to the poore I haue not â—aten my ineate alone nor remoued the bouÌ„des and buttels of landes I haue been pitifull all the daies of my life and deaâ—te truely in all cases I haue loued the lorde with all my strength and all men as myne owne children My sonnes if you also doe â— the like all the spirites of Belial will flie from you and nothyng that mischieuous menne can doe against you shall haue power ouer you You shall bryng all wilde beastes in subiection to you because yâ— haue the Lorde of heauen with you if yâ— walke with menne in singlenesse of harte And he willed them to carie his bodie into Hebron and to burie hym there in the Caue with his Fathers Thus he stretched out his feete and died in a good age hauyng all his limmes strong and founde and sâ—epte the sleep of all the worlde ¶ The Testament of ZabuloÌ„ made to his Children at his death concerning compassion and mercie The poore man at home Zabulon fed The straungers vnknowen also clothed When Ship did saile God did not faile But gaue his wit To gouerne it THe charge that Zabulon gaue to his children in the hundreth and fourteenth yere of his life twoo and thirtie yeares after the decease of Ioseph And he saied vnto them heare ye me ye Sonnes of Zabulon a good gifte to my Father and Mother For when I was begotten my Father was greatly encreased in Shepe and cattell by reason of the good lucke that he had through the straked roddes I wiste not my Children I wiste not that I synned in those daies For I considered not that I dealt wickedly through ignorance in Iosephes case and moreouer concealed it with my Brothers from our Father howbeeit that I wepte muche for it in secret for I was afraied of my Brothers because they had all conspired together to kill hym with the Sworde that should beâ—â—aie that secrete Neuerthelesse when they would haue killed hym I besought them moste earnestly with teares that they would not dooe suche wickednesse For Symeon and God came vpoÌ„ Ioseph to haue killed hym and Ioseph fallyng vpon his knees saied vnto them haue pitie vppon me my Brethren haue pitie vppon the bowelles of our Father Iacob Laye not your handes vppon me to shead innocente bloude for I haue not synned againste you If I haue doen amisse nurture me with chastisemente but laye not your handes vpon me for our Father Iacobs sake Upon his saiyng of these wordes I beyng moued with compassioÌ„ came and wepte and my harte melted within me and all the substaunce of my bowels were loosened vppon my soule Also Ioseph wepte and I with hym and my harte trembled and the ioyntes of my bodye quaked and I was not able to stande And when he sawe me weepyng with hym and them commyng towardes hym to kille hym he fledde behinde me and besoughte them to pitie hym Then Ruben stepping in saied My brethren lette vs not kille hym â—nt lette vs caste hym into the drye pitte that our fathers digged and founde no water in it For GOD suffred no water to spryng vp in it because it should bee a sauegarde for Ioseph And so God did til they sold him to the I smaelites Thus gaue I no consente to the synne againste Ioseph but Symeon Gâ—d and the other of my Brothers takyng money for Ioseph bought Shoes with it for them selues their Wiues and their Children â–ª saiyng Lette vs not eate it because it is the price of our Brothers bloud but lette vs treade it vnder our feete because he saied he should raigne ouer vâ— and wee shall see what his dâ—eames will come vnto Therefore in the Sâ—â—pter of Cnoches Lawe it is written of hym that would not raise vp â—eede to his brother I haue loosed Iosephes Shoâ—e For when wee came into Egipte the younge menne vnbuckeled Iosephes Shooes at the gate and so wee worshipped Ioseph as it had been Pharao and not onely worshipped hâ—m but also kneeled downe before hym with blushyng and so were putte to shame before the Egiptians fâ—r afterwarde the Egiptians heard of all the ill that wee had doen vnto Ioseph After the laiyng of him in the pit my Brothers sette meate vppon the Table to eate But I mournyng for Ioseph did 〈◊〉 no meate by the space of two daies and two nightes together neither would Iuâ—â— ente with them but had an eye to the Pitte because he feared leaste Symâ—on and Gad should step there and kille hym When they sawe that I eate nothyng they set me to keepe hym till he was sold. He was in the pitte three daies and three nightes without repast ere he was solde Ruben hearyng that he was solde in his absence rente his garmentes and wepte saiyng how shall I looke my Father Iacob in the face And therewith all takyng money he ran after the Marchauntmen but he could not finde them For they had left the kynges high waie and were gone awai eapace by bye Lanes and Ruben eate no meate that daie Dan therefore commyng vnto hym saied weepe not neither bee sad for the boye for I wote what wee maie saie to our Father Iacob Wee will kill a Kid and staine Iosephes coate with the bloud of it and saie to hym See if this be thy sonnes coate or no. For wheÌ„ they entended to sell Ioseph they stripped hym out of our fathers coate and put vppon hym an old coate of a bondseruaunte
and Leuy caughte holde of the Sunne and Iudas iumpyng vp caught holde of the Moone and were bothe of them lifted vp with theÌ„ And wheÌ„ as Leuy became as the Sunne a certain yong man deliuered hym twelue Boughes of Palme tree and Iuda shined as the Moone twelue beames or raies were vnder his feete And Leuy and Iuda runnyng together vphelde one an other And beholde there was a Bull vpoÌ„ yearth that had greate hornes and Eagles vinges vppon his backe and we would haue caught hym but wee could not for Ioseph steppyng before vs caught hym and mouÌ„ted alofte vppon hym And beholde there appeared-vnto vs an holie writyng saiyng the Assirians Medes Elamites Gelathites Caldes and Sirians shall holde the Scepter of Israell in thraldome And again a seuen monethes after I sawe our Father Iacob standyng in the sea of I amma and vs his sonnes with hym And beholde there came a ship sailyng by full of dried fleshe without Marriner or Pilote UpoÌ„ the ship was written Iacob and our father saied to vs let vs goe into our ship when wee were within it there rose a sore tempest and a mightie gale of winde and our Father who helde the sterne flewe awaie from vs and wee beyng tossed with the storme were caried into the Sea and our ship was filled with Water and weather beaten torne on all sides Then Ioseph fled out in the boate and we all were deuided vpoÌ„ twelue bordes and Leuy and Iuda were amoÌ„g vs so were we scattered on all costes and Leuy being clad in sackclothe praied to the Lorde for vs all As sone as the tempest was laied the Shippe came quietly to lande and behold our Father Iacob came and wee reioyced all together with one minde I told my Father these twoo dreames he saied to me these thynges muste bee fulfilled in their tyme and Israell muste endure many thynges Then said he further to me I beleue that Ioseph is aliue For I see that the Lorde doeth alwaies number hym with vs. And he saied thou liuest my sonne Ioseph but yet I se thee not neither seest thou Iacob that begat thee truly he made vs to wepe at these woordes of his and my bowelles glowed within me to bewraye to hym that Ioseph was solde but I was afraied of my brothers Beholde my Sonnes I haue shewed you the last times and all the thynges that shall be doen in Israell You therefore commaunde your children to be helpfull vnto Leuy and Iuda For by Iuda shall health and welfare spryng vp vnto Israell and in hym shall Iacob bee blessed For by his Sccpter shall God appeare and dwell among men vpon yearth to saue the stacke of Israel and to gather the righteous from among the Heathen My children if you doe well bothe menne and Angelles shall blesse you and GOD shall bee glorified by you among the Gentiles the Deuell shall slee from you thâ— beastes shall stande in awe of you and the Angelles shall receiue you For like as if a man bryng vp his childe well the childe endeuoureth alwaies to bee mindfull and thankfull So of good workes there is a good remembraunce with GOD. But as for hym that doeth not good hym shall meÌ„ and Angels curse and God shall be dishonored through hym among the Gentiles and the Deuell shall possesse hym as a peculiar vessell and instrument and all beastes shall ouermaster hym and the Lorde shall hate hym For the Commaundementes of the lawe are of twoo sortes and are fulfilled in woorke For there is a tyme for a man to companie with his wife and a tyme to forbeare her that he maye geue hymself to praier There are twoo Commaundementes whiche breede synne excepte they be doen in their due order And so is it in the rest of the commaundementes Therefore bee ye wise and skilfull in the Lorde knowyng the order of his commaundementes and the lawes of all thinges that God maie loue ye Hauyng commaunded them many other suche thinges he praied them to conueigh his bones to Hebron and to burie hym by his fathers And so eatyng and drinkyng with a mery harte he couered his face and died And Neptalims Children did all thynges accordyng as their Father had commaunded them Finis ¶ The Testamente of Gad made to his Children at his death concernyng hatred You that excell in marciall feates Loe Gad but God obeye Least in Gads wrathe you God offende And lose your hoped praie THe copie of Gads Testament and of y thynges that he spake to his Children in the C.vii. yere of his life saiyng I was Iacobs seuenth sonne and skilfull stroÌ„g in kepyng of sheepe I kept the flockes by night and when there came any Lion Libard Wolue Beare or other wilde beaste vpon our cattell I ran to it and killed it Ioseph also did feede shepe with vs about a thirtie daies who being tender fel sicke by reason of ouermuche heate and wente home to Hebron to his Fatherâ— whom he lodged by hym self because he loued hym And Ioseph told our father that y sonnes of Billa wasted his goods at Zelpha and made hauock of them without the knowledge of Iuda and Ruben For he kuewe that I had rescued a laÌ„be out of a Beares mouthe and killed the Beare and that because the Lambe could not liue whiche thyng greeued me we killed it also eate it He told our father of it our brothers were greatly disconteÌ„ted with his doyng euen to the daie that he was solde into Egipte and the spirite of hatred was in me in so muche that I could not finde in my harte to heare Ioseph speake or to se him because he had rebuked vs openly for eating the laâ—â—ibe without Iuda To beshore he made our Father beleue whatsoeuer he tolde hym But nowe I acknowledge my synne my Children that I was often in minde to haue killed hym for I hated him from my hart and I was vtterly without coÌ„passion towardes hym and the cause of this my great hatred towardes hym was his dreames Therefore I would haue deuoured him as an oxe eateth vp grasse froÌ„ the yearth And for that cause I and Iuda sold hym to the I smalites for 30. gildreÌ„s of the whith we kept awaisx priuely and showed the other xâ— to our brethren And so coueteonsnesse perswaded me to wishe his death But the God of our fathers deliuered hym out of my handes to the entent I should not do suche wickednesse in Israell And now my Children geue eare to the wordes of truthe that ye maie liue righteously kepe the law of the highest and not goe astraie through the spirite of hatred for what is euill in at a mannes doynges Whatsoeuer an other man doeth that doth the hater mislike and abhorre If one kepeâ— the lawe of the lorde he praiseth it not if one feare the lorde and deale rightcouslie hym he loueth not but dispraiseth the truthe
he enuieth hym that ordereth his waies aright he embraceth backbityng he loueth scornefulnesse and because y hatred hath blinded his mynde he doeth to his neighbor as he did to Ioseph therefore my children kepe your selues froÌ„ hatred bicause it committeth wickednesse euen against the lorde for it will not heare the wordes of Gods commaundement concerning the louyng of a mans neighbour but synneth spitfully againste god If a brother offende by by it blaseth hym abroad and is hastie to haue him condemned and killed or punished for his offence And if the offender be a seruaunt or a bondman it accuseth hym to his maister and deuiseth all meanes that maie be to persecute hym and to put hym to death if it be possible for hatred woorketh with spitfulnesse and is alwaies forie to heare or see men goe forward or prosper in well doyng For like as loue beareth good wil euen to the deade and wisheth them aliue and would if it were â—ossible staye them from death whiche are condemned to die So hatred seeketh to flea the liuyng and demeth theÌ„ vnworthie of life whiche haue offended neuer so lightly â–ª For the spirite of hatred doeth through cankred frowardnes of harte worke iointly with Sathan in all thynges euen to the death and destruction of men But the spirite of loue doth through long sufferance worke with Gods lawe to the welfare of men Hatred is euil because it abideth with liyng speakyng continually against the truthe makyng a great adoe of small matters ouershadowing the light with darknes comptyng swete to be sower teachyng slaunderousnesse warre wrong and aboundance of all mischief and finally filling the harte with deuelishe poison My children I â–ª speake these thynges vpon experience to the entent ye should eschew hatred and sticke to godly loue Righteousnes driueth out hatred and lowlinesse killeth it for a righteous and a lowly persons is ashamed to doe 1. wronge not for feare of rebuke but for conscience sake because God feeth his entent He backbiteth no man because the feare of the highest ouercommeth hatred â–ª for the feare of the lorde offeÌ„deth not neither will do any man wroÌ„g no not euen in thought At length I came to the knowledge of these thynges when I had repented me of my dealinges towardes Ioseph For the true repentaunce that is accordyng to Gods will mortifâ—eth a man to obedience chaseth awaie darknesse enlighteneth the eyes geueth knowledge to the minde and leadeth the soule to saluation And whatsoeuer men knowe not of themselues that doeth repentance teache theÌ„ For it brought vppon me the paine of the hart and if my father Iacobs praiers had not been surely I had died out of hande For looke wherein a man synneth by the same is he punished For as muche therefore as my hart was mercilesse towardes Ioseph I suffered Gods rigorous iustice in my harte by the space of a .xi. monethes that the tyme of my punishemente might fall out euen with the tyme that I vrged the â—ellyng of Ioseph Now therefore my childreÌ„ eche of you loue his brothers and put awaie hatred froÌ„ your hartes louyng one an other in deede worde and thought of mynde For before my Fathers face I spake mildely of Ioseph but behinde his backe the spirite of hatred darckened my vnderstandyng and tempted my mynde to kill hym Wherefore loue ye one an other hartely and if any of you offende other â–ª tel him of it gently driuyng out the poison of hatred and fosteryng no deceipt in harte And if the offender confesse it and be sorie for it forgeue it hym if he deny it striue not with hym least he fal to swearyng and so synne double Lette no straunger heare you vtteryng one an others secretes in variaunce least he turne to be your ilwiller worke some greate mischief against you For he will talke gilefully with thee and vndermine thee to doe thee a shrewde tourne takyng his poison at thyne owne hande Therfore if he deny it and be ashamed of it and hold his peace wheÌ„ he is rebuked drawe hym not out for in deniyng he repenteth him so as he will no more offende thee but honour thee and feare thee and be in quiet But if he be vnshamefaste and abide by his naughtinesse then refer the reuengement of it to God with all thy harte If an other man prosper more then you bee not agreeued at it but praye for hym that he maie haue perfecte prosperitie For peraduenture it maie be to your owne benefite And if he bee exalted more and more enuie hym not but remember that all fleshe shall dyeâ— and praise God for it who geueth good and profitable thy ages to all men Seeke the Lordes iudgementes and so thy mynde shall let hym alone and be in quiet Now if a man be enriched by euill meanes as Csau my Fathers brother was enuie him not for in so doyng ye controll the Lorde who either taketh awaie his benefites from the wicked or leaueth them still to the repentant or els reserueth theÌ„ in the vnrepentant to their endlesse punishement For the pooreâ—man hauyng sufficient of all thynges geueth thankes vnto the Lorde and is enriched of all men because men wishe him no harme Therefore my childreÌ„ away with hatred out of your harts and loue one an other with a right meanyng mynde Also will you your children to honor Leuy and Iuda for out of them shall the lorde make the Sauiour of Israel to come I knowe that in the ende your children shall depart from them and walke in all manner of mischief naughtinesse and corruption before the lorde And after a litle pausyng he said againe my sonnes heare me your father â–ª burie me by my fathers And so pluckyng vp his fete he slept in peace and after â—iue yeres they caried him thence and laied hym with his Fathers in Hebron ¶ The Testament of Aser made to his children at his death concernyng twoo faces of Vice and Veâ—tue Twoo waies saieth Aser are preparde For men the one for ioye The laste for death the firste is beste But this breedeth sore annoye THe copie of Aser his Testamente and of the thynges that he spake to his childreÌ„ In the hundred and twentie yere of his life beyng still in healthe he saied vnto them Ye children of Aser harken to your Father and I will shewe you all thynges that are righte before the Lorde The Lorde hath geuen twoo waies to the sonnes of menne twoo myndes twoo doynges twoo places and twoo endes and therfore all twooes may bee one â–ª yea though they bee contraries as are the waies of good and euill Also there are twoo myndes in oure breastes â–ª whiche moue vs either to honestie or dishonestie Therefore if a manne bee ledde to goodnesse all his doinges are occupied about righteousnesse and if he dooe any thyng amisse by and
by he repenteth him for in as muche as his minde is bent vnto righteousnesse he putteth awaie naughtinesse and out of hande amendeth his missâ—deedes and correcteth the corruptnesse of his mynde But if his mynde encline to euill all his doynges tende to naughtines â–ª in somuche that he thrusteth awaye the good and taketh to hym the bad because he is vnder the dominion of Beliall and if he dooe any good thing he tourneth the same vnto euill For if he beginne to dooe any good he bringeth the ende of his dooynges to an euill worke because the treasure of his harte is infected with the venime of a deuellishe and mischeuous Spirite and therfore the euill ouermastereth the goâ—d in his mynde and bryngeth the ende of the thyng to naughtinesse Some man sheweth compassion vppon hym that serueth his tourne in naughtinesse that manne hath twoo faces and that deede of his is starke lewdenesse An other man loueth vngratiousnesse and he is leude likewise and althoughe he could finde in his harte to dye for the compassyng of his euill yet it is maniâ—este that he is double-faced and his doyng is altogether starke naught For his loue beyng but leudnesse dooeth as it were cloke his euill with a good name whereas the dâ—ist of his doynges tendeth to a wicked ende An other stealeth doeth open wroÌ„g pilleth and polleth is coueteous pitieth not the poore He also hath a double face and all this is starke naughte for in bâ—yng nigardly towardes his neightbor he prouoketh gods wrathe and denieth the highest in not pitiyng the poore He despiseth and spiteth the Lorde whiche is the commaunder of the lawe he suffereth not the poore to rest he defileth his owne soule to make his bodie gaie he killeth many and pitieth few this is the part of a double faced persone Another committeth whoredome and fornication or vexeth many menne piteously with his power and riches and yet absteineth from meates His faste is naught for he doeth the commaundementes with an euil conscience and that is a double faced dealyng whiche is all together naughte Suche maner of folke are like swine and Hares for they seeme to bee halfe cleane but in very deede they be vtterly vnclean You therefore my childreÌ„ become not like them neither beare ye in one hoode twoo faces the one of goodnesse and the other of naughtinesse but sticke alonely vnto goodnes For in goodnes doeth God rest and men like well of it ShuÌ„ naughtines and kill the deuell in your good workes for they y are double faced serue not god but their owne lustes because they seeke to please Belial and suche as are like theÌ„ selues Now although plaindealing men and suche as pretende but one face are taken for offenders at the handes of suche as beare twoo faces yet are they righteous before god For many in killyng wicked persones dooe twoo woorkes at once namely good by euill but in deede the whole worke is good because that he whiche hath rooted out the euill hath destroyed it Some man hatyng his neighbour mercifully blameth hym for his aduoutrie or thefte suche a one is double faced but yet is the whole woorke good because he followeth the Lordes example not respectyng what seemeth good when it is euill in deede An other wil not make merrie with riotters leaste he should bee stained by them and deâ—ile his owne soule This manne also is double faced but yet is al his doyng good and he is like a Roâ— or a Stagge whiche in common wilde herde some to bee vncleane and yet are altogether cleane because he walked in the zeale of the Lorde shunnyng and hatyng those â–ª whom God willeth to bee shunned in his commaundementes and so killeth he euill with weldoyng Se therefore my Sonnes how there are twoo in all thynges one against the other and the one hidden vnder the other Death succedeth to â—fe shame to glorie night to daie and darkenesse to lighte All righteous thynges are vnder light and life therefore doeth eternall life ouermaister death It is not to be â—aied that truthe is vntruth righteousnesse vnrighteousnesse or right wroÌ„g because that as al thinges are vnder God so all truthe is vnder light I haue practized all these thynges in my life and not straied from the truthe of the Lorde but sought out the commaundementes of the highest to the vttermost of my power and walked with one face in goodnesse Take heede therefore my Children to the Lordes Commaundementes and followe the truthe with one face in goodnesse Take heede therefore my Children to the Lordes Commaundementes and followe the truthe with one single face For they that are double faced shall be double punished The spirite of errour hateth the man that sighteth against it Keepe the lawe of the Lorde and regarde not euill that seemeth good but haue an eye to the thyng that is good in deede and keepe the same retournyng to the lorde in all his Commaundementes and restyng vpon hym for the endes where at menne doe ame dooe shewe their righteousnesse And knowe the Angelles of the Lorde from the Angelles of Sathan For if ye cleaue to wicked spirites your soules shall bee tormented of the wicked spirite whom ye serue in wicked lustes and woorkes But if ye quietly and cherefully acquainte your selues with the Aungell of peace he shall comforte you in your life tyme My Children become not like the Sodomites whiche knewe not the Aungell and perished for euer For I am sure that you shall synne and bee deliuered into the handes of youre enemies your â—ande shall bee laied waste and your selues shal be scattered into the fower corners of the yearth and bee despised as vnprofitable Water in youre dispersyng abroade vntill â—he highest dooe visite the yearth eatyng and drinkyng as a manne with menne and breakyng the Serpentes head in peeces without noice He shall saue Israel and all the Heathen by water â—eyng GOD hidden in manne Therefore tell your children these thynges that they neglecte not Gods Lawe written in the Tables of heauen For the tyme will come that thei shall geue no credite to the Lawe of the Lorde And you fallyng to naughtinesse shall deale wickedly against GOD geuing no heede to his Lawe but to mennes commaundementes For this cause shall ye bee scattered abroade as my brothers Gad and Dan whiche were not acquainted with their owne Countrey tribe and tongue Neuerthelesse the lorde shall gather you together again in * faith for the hope of his mercie for Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake When he had so saied he commaunded them to burie hym in Hebron And he died slepyng a good slepe and afterward his sonnes doyng as he had willed them caried hym backe and buried hym with his fathers ¶ The Testamente of Ioseph made to his brethren children at his death concernyng chastiâ—â—e and pacience Let Ioseph teache thee â–ª Loâ—â—e and Chasâ—itie So shalte thou haue A blessed long life Voyde of all
the land in Charets horsemen buryed him in y place which Iacob had appointed ¶ The Testament of Ruben made to his Children at his death concerning the thinges that he had in his minde by the suggestion of the spirite of foreknowledg â–ª Behold the pot the heare the bed doe note the strength the lust Of Ruben and vnconstant head who therefore was accurst THys is the copye of Rubens Testament concerninge all the thynges whiche hee gaue in charge to hys children before hee dyed in the hundred fiue and twenty yeare of his life Two yeares after the decease of Ioseph his children childrens children came to visite him in his sicknes and he sayd vnto them My children I dye and goe the way of my fathers And saying there his brethren Iuda Gad and Aser he sayd vnto them Lift me vp my brethren that I may tell you and my children the thinges that I haue hidden in my hart for I am henceforth drawing to my long home TheÌ„ staÌ„ding vp he kissed theÌ„ and weeping sayde Harken my brethren and you my childreÌ„ geue care to the word of your father Ruben mark what I giue in charge to you Behold I coÌ„maund you this day before y God of heaueÌ„ that ye walke not in the ignoraunce of youthfulnesse and fornicatioÌ„ whereintâ— I ouershot my selfe and deâ—â—â—ed the bed of my father Iacob For I assure you that the Lord did therfore 〈◊〉 me with a sore plague in my flankes by the space of seuen monthes and ‡ I had perished if my father Iacob had not prayed to the Lorde for mâ—e because he was minded to haue slayne mee I was thirtye yeares old when I did this euill in the sight of the Lorde seuen monethes was I sick to y death and ‡ with a free hart did I seuen yeare penance before the Lord I dranke no wine nor stronge drinke no fleshe came within my mouth I tasted not any fine bred but I mourned for my sinne for it was great there shall none such be done in Israell And nowe my sonnes heare me that I may shewe you what I sawe concerninge the seuen spyrites of error in my repentaunce Belyall geueth seuen spirites agaynst a man whiche are the welspringes of youthfull workes and seuen spirites are géuen man in his creation whereby all hys works are done The first is the spirit of life wherewith is created hys béeing The second is the spirite of séeing wherwith cometh lusting The y spirite of hearing wherew t cometh learning The is y spirit of smelling wherw t cometh delight by drawing in of y ayre by breathing of it out agayn The is the spirit of speech wherwith knowledge is made The is y spirit of tascing wherof commeth y feedyng vpon thinges y are to be eaten drunke through them is ingendred strength because the substaunce of strength is in meate The seuenth is the spirit of séede and generation wherwith entreth sinne through y lust of pleasure For this cause it is the last of creation the first of youth because it is full of ignoraunce and ignoraunce leadeth the yonger sort as a blynd body into the ditch and as an Oxe to the stal AmoÌ„g all these is the eight spirit which is of sléep with whoÌ„ is created the wasting away of nature and the image of death With these spirites are mingled the spirites of error Wherof the first is the spirite of Lechery who lyeth within in the nature and senses of man. The second spirit vnsatiablenesse lyeth in the belly The third spirite of strife lyeth in the lyuer and in choler The fourth spirite is of brauery and galantnesse that the partie may seeme coâ—ly by excesse The fistbe is the spirte of pride which moueth a man to minde ouer great thinges or to thinke well of himselfe The â—rth is the spirit of Lying or vayne gloriousnes in boasting a mans selfe and in desire to â—ile his talke concerning his owne kinâ—ed and acquaintauÌ„ce The seuenth is the spirit oâ— vnrighteousnes whiche stirreth vp the affections that a man should performe the lustfull pleasures of his harte For vnrighteousnes worketh with all the other spirits by taking guile vnto him Unto all these spirites is matched the viiâ— spirit which is the spirite of sléepe or sluggishnes in error and imagination and so the soules of young folkes perishe because their mindes are darâ—kned from the truth and vnderstand not the law of the Lord neither obey the doctrine of their fathers as beâ—el to me in my youth But now my childreÌ„ loue the truth and that shall preserue you Harken to your father Ruben and let not your eyes runne gazing after women neither be ye alone with a woman that is maried neither seeke you about what women are a doing For if I had not sene Billa bathing of her selfe in a secret place I hadde not fallen into that great wickednes But my mind ran so vpon the naked woman that it suffered me not to sleepe till I had committed abhomination For while my father Iacob was away at his Father Isaackes I in Gader hard by Ephrata a house of Bethleem Billa fell drunken as shee lay a sleepe vncouered in her chamber I went in and seeyng her nakednes wrought wickednesse with her and leauing her a sléepe went my way By and by an Angell of God besâ—rayed my wickednes to my Father Iacob who comming home mourned for me touched not â–ª Billa any more Therefore looke not vppon the beâ—uâ—tye of women neyther muse you vpon theyr deâ—nges but walke ye with a single harte in the feare of the Lorde busiâ—nge your selues about some worke and keeping your selues occupyed either in 〈◊〉 â–ª or aboute your flockes till God geue you such wiues as he lifteth leaste 〈◊〉 suffer as I haue bone I durst not looke my father in the face to hys dying day nor speake to any of my brethren for shaine My conscience byteth meâ— eueÌ„ yet still for my sinne But my father comforted me and prayed for me to the Lorde that his wrath myght passe away from me as the Lorde himselfe shewed vnto me Therefore from that time forth I was kept from sinning any more And you my children likewise keepe ye all that I shall tell you and you shal not sinne For fornication is y destruction of the soule separating it from God 4 making iâ— to draw vnto Idols because it leadeth the minde and vnderstanding into error and bringth men to their graâ—e before their time For whorâ—â—om hath vndone many men And although a man be auncient or noble yet doth it shaâ—e him make hym a laughingstock both before Belial the sonnes of meÌ„ But Ioseph because he kept himselfe from all
this shall Abraham Isaac and Iacob rise vp againe to life and I and the Princes my brethren shall be your Sâ—â—pter in Israell Leuy firste I next Ioseph the third Beniamin the fourth Symeon the fifth Isachar the sixth and so all the reste And the Lorde hath blessed vs Leuy shall bee the Messenger of my presence Symeon the Power of my glorie Ruben Heauen Isachar the Hearth ZabuloÌ„ the Sea Ioseph the Mountaines Beniamin the Tabernacle Dan the lightes Heptalim the 〈◊〉 God the Daysunne and After an Oliue tree And there shall be one people of the lorde and one tongue and there shall bee no more the false Spiritie of Beâ—â—â—â— â–ª because he shall bee cast into endlesse fire They that are buried in sorrowe shal 〈…〉 and they that were poore for the Lordes sake shall be made riche Thei that suffered penurie shall haue plentie and they that were weake shall bee made strong They that died for the lordes sake shall wake vp vnto life and runne in Iacob yea they shall runne skipping and leapyng and they shal flie as Eagles for iov But the vngodlie shall be sorrowfull and the synners shall mourne and all the people shall glorifie the Lorde for euer Therefore my children keepe all the lawe of the Lorde for there is hope for all suche as walke aright A hundreth and nineteene yeares olde doe I dye in your fight Lette none of you burie me costly clothes nor rippe my beallie for so will Rulers doe But cary me backe into Hebron with you With these woordes Iuda died and his children doyng in all thynges as he commaunded them buried hym with his fathers in Hebron Finis ¶ The Testament of Isachar made to his Children at his death conceâ—nyng a single harte Lâ—â—râ—e here a simple life Not voide of paine but strife The Sythe the Spade the Asse Sâ—â— forthe what man he was THe copie of Isachars woordes He callyng his children about hym saied vnto them Ye childreÌ„ of Isachar heare your Father and harken to the woordes of the beloued of the Lorde I am Iacobs fifth sonne in the reward of Mandrake For Iacob broughte Mandrakes out of the fielde and Rachell meetyng hym tooke them of hym Thereat Ruben wept and at his noise my mother Lea came out Now the Mandrakes were sweete sented apples whiche the lande of Aran bryngeth forthe in high countreis by the waterualleis And Rachell saied I will not geue thee these Apples because they shal helpe me to children Now there were twoo of these Apples And Lea said doth it not suffice thee that thou hast gotten awaie the housbande of virginitie but that thou wilte haue this also She aunswered let Iacob lye with thee to night for thy sonnes Mandragoras Lea saied vnto her do not boste nor brag for Iacob is myne and I am the wife of his youth And Rachell aunswered howe so was he not first handfasted vnto me and serued he not our Father fowerteene yeres for me What shall I doe to thee For many are the wiles and policies of menne and gile goes forward vpon yearth If it had been otherwise thou shouldest not haue sen Iacob in the face at this daie For thou arte not his wife but werte guilfully putte to hym in my steade My father deceiued me and conueiyng me awaie that nighte suffered me not to see hym For had I been there this had not come to passe Wherefore take thee one Mandrake and in lewe of the other I graunte thee hym for one nighte And Iacob knewe Lea who conceiuyng bare me and called my name Isachar because of the hire Then an Angell of the lorde appeared vnto Iacob and said that Rachel should beare but two sonnes because she had forsaken the companie of her housebande and chosen continencie And if my mother Lea had not geuen thee twoo Apples for his companie she should haue borne eighte children whereas by reason of that she bare but sixe and Rachell twoo because GOD visited her in the Mandrakes For he knewe that she desired to company with Iacob for issues sake and not for luste of pleasure For she â—â—ned vp the Mandrake and deliuered it to Iacob the next daie and therefore God heard Rachell in the Mandrakes because that although she had a mynde to them yet she eate them not but offered them to the Prieste of the moste highest whiche was in those daies and laied them vp in the Lordes house Therefore my children when I came to mannes state I walked with an vprighe harte and became Bayliffâ— of Housebandrie to my Fathers and broughte them the fruites of their Landes in their due seasons and my Father blessed me when he sawe howâ— I walked plainly and â—mplie I was no busie bodie in my dooynges I was not hurtfull nor spitefull to my neighbour I raiâ—ed not vpon any manne neither dispraised I the life of any that walked in singlenesse of mynde By reason hereof when I was thirtie yeres olde â–ª I tooke a wife beâ—ause labour had coÌ„sumed my strength I neuer knewe the pleasure of a woman through wantonnesse but my laboure made me to sleepe soundlie and my Father did alwaies reioice of my simplicity For whatsoeuer paines I tooke first of al I offered al the first fruites and the first ingendered cattle to the Lorde by the Priest and then gaue my Father the reste and the Lorde doubled his benefites in my handes Yea and Iacob hym self perceiued well that GOD wrought with my plain dealyng For vnto euery poore man and to euery man in aduersitie gaue I of the frutes of the yearth with a single harte And nowe my children harken and walke in singlenesse of mynde for I knowe that the lorde is verie well pleased with it The single-harted manne coueteth not golde vndermineth not his neighbour lusteth not after diuersitie of meates destreth not shifte of apparell nor behighteth hym self long tyme but onely hath an eye to Gods will and the spirites of error can doe nothyng against hym For he can no skill to entertaine a faire woman least he should destie his owne mynde wrathe ouermaistereth not his witte enuie melteth not his soule neither doeth his mynde run coueteously vpon gain For he leadeth an vpright life and beholdeth all thynges with a single eye excludyng all hurtfulnesse of worldly errour leaste he should ouersee any of the Commaundementes of God Therefore my children keepe Gods Lawe and holde faste plainnesse walke on in â—â—nocencie and bee not to inquisitiue in Gods secretes or of your neighbours doynges but loue God and your neighboure pitie the poore and weake bowe doune your backs to Housbandrie and labour in tillyng of the yearth in all maner of Housbandrie offering presentes to the lorde with thankesgeuyng who blesseth the yearth with encrease and newe spryng of fruites as he blessed all holy men from Abell to this daie for there is none other portion geueÌ„ thee then of the fatnesse of the yearth â–ª
Simeon had gotten his coate and would not deliuer it vs but was mynded to haue cutte it in peeces with his sworde and he was angry that he was yet aliue and that be had not slain hym Then all my brethreÌ„ risyng vp together saied vnto hym why shouldest thou not geue it vs seeyng that thou onely art the worker of this mischief in Israell Hereupon he gaue it them and they did as Dan had counselled And now my children I warne you kepe the Lords Commaundementes be mercifull to your neighbours and haue inward compassion towardes all not onely men but also beastes For in that respect the Lorde blessed me insomuche that when all my brothers were sicke I scaped without sicknes For God knoweth euery mans intent Therefore my children haue compassion in your bowels because that as any man dealeth with his neighbor so will God deale with hym For the children of my brothers fell sicke also and dyed for Iosephes sake beecause their fathers pitied hym not but my children were preserued without sicknes as you know And while I was vpon the Sea coast of Chanaan I fell to fishing for my Father Iacob and whereas many others were drowned in the Sea I abode vnhurt I was the firste that made a fisher boate to float on the sea for God gaue me vnderstandyng and wisedome therein so that I did set vp a Mast in the boate and fastned a sayle to the middes of the wood and castyng along the shore in it I fished for my fathers houshold till we came into Egypt and for pities sake I gaue of my fishyng to euery stranger that I met with If there were any forrner borne or any sicke bodie or anie aged person I boyled my fish and dressed it well accordyng to euery mans neede and caried it to them comfortyng them and hauing compassion with them And therfore God made me to catch muche fishe in the Sea. For he that geueth his neighbour receiueth the thinges multiplied of the Lorde Fiue yeares did I fish geuing to euery man that I saw and seruing all my fathers house sufficieÌ„tly In haruest time I fished and in wintertyâ—â—e I fed sheep with my brothers Now will I tell you what I did I saw a miserable man in the depe of winter and hauyng compassion vppon hym I stale a garment priuily out of my House and gaue it the naked man You therefore my Children take pity indiffereÌ„tly of all men and shew mercy with the thinges whiche the Lorde geueth you and deale them abroad to all men with a good hart Aud if ye haue not wherewith to succour the needie out of hand yet haue compassion on him with inward mercy I know that my hand forâ—lowed not to geue to hym that wanted and to speÌ„d that time with him insomuch that I haue walked aboue seuen furloÌ„gs with such a one weeping and my hart yirned vpon hym for compassion You therfore my children haue earnest and inwarde mercy towardes all that are in misery that God hauyng pitie vppon you may be mercifull to you likewise For in the last dayes God will sende his mercy vppon the earth and wheresoeuer he findeth inward and hartie mercy there will he dwell For looke how muche mercie man sheweth to hys neighbour so much wil God shew to him again Now when wee came downe into Egipt Ioseph minded not our euill dealing with him but when he saw me it made hys hart yirne Whom looke ye vpou my children and learne to forget y harme that is done to you Loue ye one another doe not one of you thinke vppon anothers ill dealyng for that breaketh vnitie and displaceth all kinred and troubleth the mynde For hee that is mindful of harme past hath not the bowells of mercie Marke the water and see how it washeth away the Sande when the stones and timber are remoued asunder And if a brooke be drawâ—e into many streames the earth sucketh it vp and it commeth to nothyng and so shall you if you be deuided among your selues Therfore deuide not your selues into two heades for all thinges that God hath created haue but one head a peece He hath geuen a man two shoulders two handes and two feete but yet do all the members obey one head I know by the writinges of my Fathers that in the last dayes ye shall depart from the Lord and be deuided in Israell folowyng two kynges workyng all abhomination and worshippyng all maner of Idols and your enemies shall take you prisoners and you shall fit among the heathen in all misery tribulation and sorowe of mynd And afterward you shall remember the Lord and repent and he shal turne you againe for he is mercifull and full of compassion and thinketh not vppon the â—ewdnes of the Children of men because they be flesh and the spirites of errour beguile them in all their doyngs After this shall GOD himself ryse vp vnto you the light of righteousnes and holsonnes and mercy are in his punishments He shall redeeme all men from the bondage of Beliall and all the spirites of error shal be troden downe and he shall turne all nations to the folowyng of hym ye shall see God in the shape of man for God hath chosen Ierusalem and God is his name Neuerthelesse by the wickednes of your words you shall prouoke hym to wrathe and ye shall be caste of till the tyme of full finishing And now my children bee not sad for my death neither be ye out of hart because I leaue you For I shall rise vp againe among you as a captaiue in the middes of his childreÌ„ And I shal reioyce in the middest of my tribe among as many as haue kept the lawe of the Lorde aud the commaundementes of their Father Zabulon But as for the wicked God shall bring euerlastyng fire vpoÌ„ them and destroy them for euer I returne to my reste as my Fathers haue don now feare you the Lorde your GOD with al your strength all the dayes of your life As he had spoken these wordes he fell a sleepe to hys singular beneâ—ite and his sonnes said hym in a coffin and cariyng hym backe againe vnto Hebron buryed hym there with his Fathers ¶ The Testament of Dan made to his Children at his death concernyng anger and liyng The Serpent With weapon And Dan declare The intent Of those men That wrathfull are THe Copy of Dan hys words which he spake to them in hys laste dayes In the hundred and fiue and twenteth yeare of his life he called hys Tribe vnto hym and sayd Ye children of Dan heare my saiynges and geue heede to the words of your Fathers mouth I lyked in my hart and shewed in my whole lyfe the thing that is good for truth iâ—yned with right dealyng pleaseth God well I haue hated hurtfull thinges as liyng and anger because they teache a
Eunuch should haue beene searched Beholde my sonnes what I haue sustained Loue one of you another with continuaunce cast out from among you deceitfull mindes for God deliteth in the concord of brethren and hath pleasure also in y loue choise of a proued harte For when my brethren came out of Egipt knew me I gaue theÌ„ again their money I neuer gaue reproch vnto them but comforted them And after y death of Iacob I loued them more aboundantly all that euer he commaunded me I did very gladly they marueâ—led because I suffered not them to bee troubled for a smale cause for all that was in my power I gaue to them Their children were reputed to me as mine own and mine owne children as their seruants Their life was my life and their sorow was my sorow all their infirmitie or disease was mine my lande was their land my counsell was y counsel of theÌ„ And I neuer exalted my selfe aboue theÌ„ in pride for mine owne worldly glory But was amongest them as one of y least Therefore my Sonnes if ye walke in the commaundementes of my Lorde the Lorde shall exalt you and blesse you in riches perpetuall And if any man will doe euill to you with meekenes looke that ye pray for hym and GOD shall deliuer you from all euill Nowe beholde and see that for my long sufferaunce the daughter of my Lord was geuen me to wife and there was geuen to mee with her an hundreth talentes of Gold. For God made them to serue me gaue mee beauty that I should be as a flower aboue them that were faire in Israell and he kept me vnto mine age both in strength and beauty because I was like to Iacob in al things And what dreames I haue seene my children nowe heare There were 12. Hartes feeding aâ—d 9. were deuided abroad in the earth Also I sawe howe that of Iuda was a virgin borne hauyng a white silkin Robe and of her came forthe an immaculate Lambe And on the left hand of the saide Lambe was as it were a Lyon and all beastes â–ª made against hym and the Lambe ouercame them and troad them vnder his feet and in hym ioyed the Angels the men and all the earth These thinges shall come to passe in their tyme that is to say in the later dayes Therfore my sonnes keepe the commaundement of the Lord and honour Iuda and Leuy For of them to you shall springe the lambe of God whiche by hys grace shall preserue all Gentiles and Israell The kingdome of hym is a kingdome eternall which shal neuer passe For my kingdome shall bee ended in yoâ— as the keepyng of an Orchard for after the haruest it shall appeare no more I knowe right well that after my death the Egiptians shall trouble you But God shall reuenge you and bryng you to the promised land whiche he sware to Abraham Isaac and Iacob But cary my bones with you for in so doing the Lord shal be in the light with you against the Egiptians Belial shall be in darknes with the Egiptians Also cary with you your mother Zilpha nigh vnto the valley nere vnto Rachell bury her When he had said these wordes he stretched forthe hys feete and slept the sleep of all y world Then they enbaumed him with spices putting hym in a chest in Egipt after he had liued 110. yeares who saw Ephraims Children vnto the 3. generatioÌ„ For vnto Machir the sonne of Manasses were children borne on Iosephes knees After this all they of Israell bewailed hym and all the Egiptians with great mournyng For he had compassion of Egypt as of hys owne proper members and assisted them bothe with his labour and counsell and did them good at all tymes and seasons ¶ The TestameÌ„t of Beniamin made to his Children at his death concernyng a clâ—â—ne mynde Lo what true faitfull loue doth meanâ— All you that louers be It is in hart and not in Lust As here you plainly see THe Copie of Bensamins wordes whiche he vttered to his children beyng of the age of a huÌ„dred and twentie yeares Hee kissed them and saied As Isaac was borne in the hundreth yeare of Abraham so was I in the hundreth yearâ— of Iacob and because Rachell died at my birth I sucked her bondwoman Billâ— For after that Rachell had borne Ioseph she was barren xii yeares And when she had praied to the Lord in those xii yeares she conceiued and bare me For my father loued Rachell excedingly and wished to see 2. sonnes by her and therefore I was called Beniamin that is to say the sonne of my daies or the sonne of my sorrow because my mother died in the birth of mee When I came first into Egypt and that my brother Ioseph knewe mee hee sayde to mee what saide they to my Father when they had solde mee I aunswered They staiâ—ed thy coate with bloud and bringyng it to hym sayde See if this bee thy sonnes coate or no. And my Brother also saide vnto mee Truely when the Ismalites tooke me one of theÌ„ stripping mee out of my coat gaue me a thinne shirt to put on and lashyng me with a Whyp bad mee runne And as hee went aside to hide my garment a Lyon met hym and slew him and so his partners being afraid sold mee to their fellowes You therefore my children loue the God of heauen and obey hys commaundementes followyng that good and hâ—lâ—e man Ioseph and let your mynde bee set vppon goodnes as ye know that mine hath beene He that hath a good mynde looketh rightly vppon all thinges Fâ—are God and loue your neighbours and then although the spirit of Belial tempt you to all naughtinesse to trouble you yet shall it not get the vpper hand of you no more then it did of my Brother Ioseph How many folke would haue killed hym and yet GOD deâ—ended hym For he that feareth God and loueth hys neighbour cannot be wounded of the ayry spirit Beliall and he that is shielded with the feare of the Lord is safe from harme both of man and beast and cannot be ouercome because hee is helped by the loue of God whiche he hath towardes hys neighbour For Ioseph be sought our father Iacob to pray for my Brethren to the Lorde that he would not lay to their charges â–ª the mischiefe that they had deuised againste hym Wherat Iacob cryed out O sonne Ioseph thou hast ouercome my hart And ther withall imbracyng him he kissed him twoo houres together and sayde In thee shall the prophesie of heauen be resembled to the full concernyng the lambe of God and Sauiour of the worlde that the vnspotted shall bee deliuered for the wicked doers and hee that is without sinne shall dye for the Sinners in the bloud of hys Testament to the saluation bothe of the Gentiles and of Israell and he shall dashe Beliall and his seruauntes My children looke vpon
firise Euen to thy graue MN sonnes and dry 〈◊〉 thren beardye Ioseph the welbeloued of Israell My Children heare your 〈…〉 haue knowen in my life Enuie and death with the whiche my brethren would haue bestoyed me For they hated me and God loued me they would haue killed me and the GOD of my Fathers kepte me they put me into a pitte and the moste highest brought me out againe I was folde as a 〈◊〉 maner and the Lorde made me free and his stronge hande helped me I was kepte in hunger and the Lorde hym self nourished me I was lefte alone and the Lorde comforted me I was sickr and the Lorde visited me I was in prison and the Sauiour made me glad I was fassned in cheynes and the Lorde vabaunde me He pleaded my cause in the accusations of the Egiptians and not onely deliuered me from eunie and dereipte but also exalded me in so muche that Putipher Chiefe Stewarde of Pharaes house did lende me lodgyng where I was in ieapardie of my life by reason of a shamelesse woman whiche entised me to do naughtines with her through the slame of volupteousnesse burnyug about her breaste I was caste in prison for her I was beaten and mocked for her yet the Lorde caused the keeper of the prison to bee moued with mercie towardes me He forsaketh not them that feare him neither in darcknesse neither in bondes neither in tribulations or necessities God is not ashamed as manne neither dreadeth he as men neither shaketh or shrinketh he for feare as yearthly men He is presente in all places and in their moste greuous sorrowes he comforteth his He goeth awaie for a reason to try the thoughtes of their mynde He founde me trustie in tenne temptations And in euery one I was constant and preserued For sufferaunce is a greate medicen and causeth muche goodnesse Howe often did the Egiptian threaten my death Howe often was I punished and yet the woman called me againe how often did she threaten me to dye because I would not haue to dooe with her She saied vnto me thou shalte haue gouernaunce of me and all that bee myne if thou wilte geue thy self vnto me and obeye my desire and thou shalte bee lorde ouer vs. But I remembred the wordes of my Father Iacob and enteryng in to my Chamber made my praier to the Lorde and * fasted seuen yeares yet I appeared vnto the Egiptian in that state of bodie as I had liued in pleasures or delightes For they that faste for GOD receiue â–ª â—autie of face When I had wine geuen vnto me I dronke none and Fastyng three daies I tooke my meate daiely and gaue it to the sicke and needie and earely I waked vnto the lorde and wepte for Memphetica the EgiptiaÌ„ because she was euermore troublyng of me She cam vnto me in the night as though she would haue visited me And firste truely because she had neuer a soonne she fained to take me as her sonne And I praied vnto God to sende her a sonne vntill whiche tyme she embraced me as thoughe I had been her sonne And I perceiued not the cause And for a conclusion she drew me to haue doen fornication with her I rememberyng my self was sorowfull vnto y death And when she was gone out I came to my self and sorrowed many daies For I perceiued her deceipte and errour And I spake vnto her the woordes of the moste highest GOD if by chaunce she mighte bee tourned awaie from her pernitious concupiscence Many tymes as to a holie man she spake flatteryng woordes to me not without deceipte laudyng my chastitie before her housebande whiche would vtterly haue destroied me Bothe manifestly and secretely she saied vnto me feare not my housbande for he is perswaded of thy chastitie For if so bee that any manne shewed hym of thee and me he would not beleue it For because of this thyng I couered me with Sackclothe and laied me flatte vpon the yearth and praied vnto almightie GOD that he would deliuer me from this woman of Egipte When she could doe nothyng this waie she came again armed with other reasons that is to saie that she would faine learne the worde of God of me and began to speake after this maner If thou wilte haue me to forsake myne Idolles followe my desire â–ª and I will perswade my housbande the Egiptian to goe froÌ„ his Idolatâ—â—â—â— and we shall walke in the lawe of thy god I made answere to these thynges GOD will haue â—oâ—e to worship hym with vncleannesse neither hath he any pleasure in Adultereâ—s And she helde her peace desiryng to fulfill her concupiscence And I fasted and praied that God mighte deliuer me from her Againe at an other tyme she saied vnto me If thou wilt not doe adulterie with me I will kille my Prince and so by the Lawe I shall take thee to my housbande When I heard that I rent my garmente and saied Woman â–ª I praie thee bee ashamed of these thynges before GOD and feare GOD and dooe thou not suche an abhominable thyng Neither dispaire vtterly that thou droune not thy self in thine owne euill for if thou goe aboue it I shall vtter and declare the thoughtes of thyne iniquitie She fearyng these thynges praied me that I should not bewraie her naughtinesse and so departed Yet againe she went about to begile me with giftes senoyng vnto me all thynges that menne haue neede of and she sent me meate strewed about with inchantment And as the Cunuke brought it in I beheld and saw a terrible fellowe geuyng me a sword with the dishe and I perceiued that she went about to deceiue me And wheÌ„ he was gon I wept and touched not that meate nor any other of her sendyng for a good while after A daie after that she came to me and saied what is the matter that thou haste not eaten of the meate And I saied vnto her because thou haste poysoned it Therefore thou shalte knowe that I will not come vnto Idolles but onely vnto GOD. Now vnderstande therefore that the GOD of my Father by his Aungell hath shewed thy mischiefe vnto me and I haue kepte the meate to thy shame if perchaunce thou mightest repente or learne that the malice of wicked dooers preuaileth not againste them that worshippe the Lorde in Chastitie And I tooke and did cate before her saiyng the GOD of my Fathers and the Angell of Abraham shal bee with me and then she fell doune at my feete and wepte Then liftyng her vp I exhorted her many waies and she promised me that she would neuer doe suche iâ—â—quitie after that daie Yet because her harte was mournyng and did burne towarde me in adulterie with sighes commyng from the depth of her stomacke she cast boune her countenaunce The Egiptian her housbande perceiuyng her faied wherefore holdest thou doune thy face she aunswered I am euen sorrowfull at the harte