with 3 sore instruments bitter speech treachery and violent hands yeelding fruit not much unlike as you may reade as you may see Wilt thou be taught the ready path to that that thou dost seek Two wayes there be saith Aser Vice the one the other Vertue Neptalims race Embrace the latter eschew the former But hee that walketh in them both blindeth men deceiveth himselfe and mocketh GOD whose double faced dealing shall bee double punished Such are the covetous such are they that are mercifull in evilnesse such are they saith Aser that fast from meats but not from fornication Have therfore a simple heart with righteous Ioseph the blessed of the Lord that right figure of Iesus Christ for hatred hee shewed love being cursed hee blessed being shot through he did not so much as bend his bow albeit his brethren would have slain him albeit they cast him into a Well though they sold him as a bond-slave and that to strangers and such as hated shepheards to the death of whom hee was whipped and tormented yet he when they stood in feare gave them comfort when they were well-nigh famished gave them food when by his authority he might destroy he by his authority did preserve being their Lord using them as his betters being their brother accepting them as his children their unkindnesse not spoken of their conspiracies forgotten their cruell dealing most lovingly most mercifully forgiven You have heard his love towards his neighbour hearken his obedience toward God when he was miserably afflicted did hee rage swell when he was made a bond-slave of a free mans sonne did he cry out on heaven being utterly forsaken did he impatiently accuse Gods justice no Expectans expectavit Dominum And at the last the Lord which hid his face did shew his countenance of a caitife in respect making him free of a freeman wealthy of a wealthy subject an honourable personage Lord President of Pharo's land whom the Egyptians being alive loved being dead lâ—ved being rotten loved whom living neither wealth nor woe could mâ—ke to swell neither promise or threats of the Egyptian strumpet could make slide and therefore being dead neither world devill nor mans policy could make forgotten O that our mortall race might thus begin thus persevere might thus thus O Lord most happily finish The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Learne therefore of Benjamin to enflame thy heart that thou maist be ready both in body and soule Let us saith Ecclesiast commend and so say I let us behold the noble famous men and the generation of our fore-elders For many glorious acts hath the Lord done in them shewed his great power ever since the beginning Upon the consideration whereof and especially for that I would have nothing wanting in this book that might serve thy contentation I thought it as well pertinent to deal with the righteous Father as with the godly children For to shadow a face only without a body hath his deserved commendation but who so painteth a leg without a body or a body without a head it shall not be amisse as I suppose aswell to tearme him a foolish painter as to judge the thing undiscreetly painted Wherefore as wel to see the head as the leg to hear the Father as the children I have faithfully drawn out of Scripture and not according to my fancy fashioned the death testament of Iacob that blessed and right happy Father added to this ancient monument of the Children Therefore to recompense my pains read them but read them diligently neither read only but be content to follow For the imitation of good and godly men is the direct way course to godlinesse So may we account of Iacobs blessing So may we throughly challenge to be his children Children I meane not by flesh but spirit The Lord which made heaven and earth the Lord which gave his Sonne to shed his heart-blood for us GOD which disposeth all things to his pleasure preserve our King increase our faith and make us thankfull for his benefits Amen Richard Day The Testament of Iacob made at his death to his twelve sons the Patriarchs concerning what should betide them in the last dayes gathered out of Genesis 48 49. and added unto this book Come hearken my Sonnes two things I give my blessing and my ban The first to them that godly live the last to wicked man The Testament of Iacob IAcob the sonne of Isaac borne of Rebecca in the yeare of the world 2108. his Father being threescore yeares of age was a perfect man and rigâ—â—eous dwelling in Lents not given to plâ—aâ—ure and hunting as his elder brother elder by nature not by grace For the elder shall serve the younger saith the Lord Why not for that Iacob had so deserved but GOD had so appoâ—nted Wherefore when he thus by the determinate will of God and heavenly disposition which ordereth all things whatsoever had got his brothers birth-right and his Fathers blessing his parents considering that the slippery dayes of carnall copulation did approach and warily fearing his Brother Esau for that he conceived murder in his heart instituted a birth-day for his divelish purpose sent him from Bersaba to Mesopotamia to Laban his mothers brother there honestly to take a wife and quietly to live For matrimony without consent of Parents and due consideration of either partie contracted as it breedeth their disquietness so it provoketh Gods displeasure Iacob therefore after long travell being placed with his Vncle Laban and serving him foureteene yeeres in labour and paine albeit bee was the Childe of promise the Blessed of the Lord borne of a Free woman and that which is more his Vncles bone and flesh and Lord of Canaan not arguing with himselfe as the worldly Children of this earth saying Shall I which am a free and wealthie mans sonne bee made a servant Shall I be a drudge in my kinsmans house being sent to marry and not to serve had given him by Laban to Wife for his good service by which GOD blessed that little that Laban had before his two daughters Lea first then Rachel with their handmaids Bilha and Zilpha of whom according to the promise made to him in Bethel that his seed should be multiplied hee begat twelve sonnes twelve godly Fathers of the earth Ruben Simeon Levi. Juda. Dan. Neptalim Gad. Aser Isachar Zabulon Joseph Benjamin Thus he being blessed of the Lord as well in Children as in substance returned againe to his native Countrey hee and his Children there to live and there to die But behold the divine providence of God! after three and thirty yeeres expired he was removed from Canaan to Gosen in Egypt by meanes of his sonne Joseph chiefe Steward of Pharaohs land whom his brethren heretofore had sold Where when he had lived 17. yeeres and seene his family encreased exceedingly to his great
joy and comfort no doubt especially all the other Countries about being plagued with a great famine and he by Gods mercy not greatly feeling the same perceiving also his troublesome pilgrimage drawing to an end called his Sonne Joseph unto him and said If I have found grace in thy sight oh put thy hand under my thigh for in this order they tooke an oath in Jacobs time deale mercifully with me and truly bury me not in Egypt but let me sleep with my Fathers Where noting his sure faith in the promise of God made to his Fathers willed him to looke for Canaan his hoped inheritance and not to trust in Pharaohs land To which his request when Joseph his loving son obediently did condescend Jacob taking a little more strength unto him and sitting up desirous also to shew forth the great goodnesse of the Lord in preserving him and his said God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the Land of Canaan and blessed me saying Behold I will make thee fruitful and cause thee to multiply wil make a great number of people of thee and will give this Land unto thy seed for an everlasting possession Thy sonnes Manasses and Ephraim I take as mine own their own brethren shall be called after their name As I came from Mesopotamia Rachel dyed in the Land of Canaan and was buried by the way to Ephrata the same is Bethlehem Then Jacob albeit somewhat dimme for age beholding Josephs two sonnes said What are these To whom Joseph answered They are my sonnes which God hath given me O bring them to me said Iacob and let me blesse them I had not thought to have seen thy face Ioseph yet lo God hath shewed me thy seed God in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walke GOD which hath fed me all my life long unto this day and the Angell which hath delivered me from all evill blesse these lads and let my name be named on them and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac and that they may grow into a multitude in the midst of the Earth Then as Joseph lifted his Fathers hand from Ephraim to Manasses the elder Jacob said Let it be I know wel my sonne he shall also be a great people but his yonger brother shal be greater in thee let Israel blesse and say God make thee as Ephraim Manasses After this he fainting said Behold Joseph I die God shal be with you bring you again to the land of your fathers Moreover I give unto thee a portioÌ„ of land above thy brethreÌ„ which I conquered by sword and bow of the Amorites And come you hither also O my children that I may tell you what shall come on you in the last dayes Gather yee together and heare ye sonnes of Iacob hearken unto Israel your Father Ruben my fiâ—st borne my might my strength excellent in dignity and power unconstant as water thou shalt not excell because thou didst defile my couch Simeon and Levi Brethren in evil who in your wrath slew a man in your selfewill digged down a Wall Cursed be your wrath for it was shameless your fiercenesse for it was cruell I will divide you in Iacob and scatter you in Israel Iuda thy hand shall be on the necke of thine enemies Thy brethren shall stoope unto thee as a Lyons whelpe shalt thou come up from the spoile thou shalt couch as a Lyon and as a Lyonesse who shall stir thee up 2. The Scepter shall not depart from thee nor a law-giver from betweene thy feet untill Shiloh come all Nations shall seeke after him 3. Thou shalt binde thy Asse Fole to the Vine and the Asses Colt to the best Vine thou shalt wash thy garment in wine and thy cloake in the bloud of grapes thy eyes shall be red with Wine and thy teeth white with Milke Zabulon thou shalt dwell by the sea side and thou shalt be an Haven for ships thy border shall be unto Zidon Isachar thou shalt be a strong Asse couching down between two burdens And thou shalt see that rest is good and that the Land is pleasant and shalt bow thy shoulder to beare and shalt be subject unto tribute Dan thou shalt judge the people as one of the tribes of Israel Dan thou shalt be a serpent by the way an Adder by the path biting the horse heele so that his Rider shall fall backward Then Jacob foreseeing in his minde the great calamitie that should betide his posterity comforting himself and resting in gods promise cried out with heart and minde O Lord I have waited for thy salvation Gad an hoast of men shall overcome thee but thou shalt overcome at the last And what shall I say to Aser his bread shall be fat and he shall have pleasures for a King Neptalim is a hinde sent for a present giving goodly words Ioseph is a flourishing Bough by a Welside the small boughs shall ruâ— upon the Wall The Archers shot against him and hated him but his bough was made strong and his Armes strengthned by the hands of the almighty God of Iacob Out of him shall come an Heardman a stone in Israel All these things shall come from my Fathers God which hath helped thee and blessed thee with blessings of the Heaven with blessings of the deep beneath with blessings of the breast and wombe The blessings of me thy father that I give thee are stronger than the blessings that I had of mine elders Untill the end of the hils of the world they shall be on thy head Benjamin shall ravine as a Wolfe in the morning hee shall devoure the prey and at night divide the spoil And now when I shall be gathered to my people bury me with my father in the cave that is in the Field of Ephron the Hethite in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan which Abraham bought with the Field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to burie in where as were buried Abraham and Sara his wife and Isaac with Rebecca and there I buried Lea. The Field and the Cave that is therein was bought of the Children of Heth. When Jacob had made an end of commanding all that he would unto his sons having lived one hundred forty and seven years he plucked up his feet into the bed and quickly died Then Joseph falling upon his Fathers face and kissing him with teares caused him to be embalmed by Physicians to the space of forty dayes and mourned for him threescore and tenne dayes Who departing from Egypt into Canaan with noble men of the Land in Chariots and horsemen buried him in the place which Jacob had appointed The Testament of Ruben made to his Children at his death concerning the things that he had in his minde by the suggestion of the spirit of fore-knowledge Behold the
named Thaphes sitting on his Horse and so scatterd all their people I overtook King Achor a Giant on Horse-back shooting forward and backward and throwing a stone of threescore pound weight upon his Horse I overthrew him and killed him and fighting two houres with Achor at length I câ—ave his shield and maimed his feet and finally slew him As I was pulling off his brestplate behold eight of his friends assailed me whereupon I filled my hands with stones and flinging them at them with a sting slew four of them and put the other foure to flight Also our Father Jacob slue the Giant Beelisa King of all the Kings who was mighty and huge of the stature of twelve cubits By reason whereof feare fell upon them and they left their fighting against us For this cause my father was carefull of me when I was in battaile with my brethren Hee saw in a vision concerning mee that the Angell of strength followed me every where to the intent I should not be evercome The second handsell was a greater battell to us then that which wee had at Sichem in so much that in fighting valiantly with my Brethren I chased a thousand men and slue of them two hundreth persons foure of their Kings and following after them skaled the walls of their citie there slew two Kings more so we delivered Hebron led them all away as prisoners Then the next day we went to a strong walled unapprochable citie called Areca which threatned to kill us Therefore I Gad went to the east side of the city and Ruben and Levi unto the West South side They that stood upon the wals supposing there had been no mo but Gad I did set fire upon us while in the mean time my brother that lay in stale brake out upon the other two sides and skaling the wals with ladders entred the citie ere our enemies wist it so we won it by the Sword and set fire upon the Lower and burnt it up with such as were fled into it As we returned the men of Thaffie lay in waite for our prey and took it with our children But we followed them to Thaffie slew them and buried their City spoiling all that was in it And while I was at the waters of Gureba we fell upon the men of Jobel that came against us in battaile and slue and spoiled both them and also their complices that came to their aide from Selon so as we gave them no respite to returne againe upon us The fift day after there came men from Machir to fetch away our prisoners whom we met in battell notwithstanding that they were a mighty boast and slew them before they could get up to the place that they came from And when we came to their City their women tumbled down stones upon us from the top of the hill whereon their city stood but I Simeon coasting to the back side of the towne got unto the higher places and destroyed the whole city The next day it was told us that the cities of two Kings came against us with a huge Hoast I therefore and Dan faining our selves to be Amorrheans and Fellowes with them went into their City and taking the entrances in the dead time of the night did set the gates wide open to our brethren that came after us by meanes whereof we destroyed them all that they had when we had sacked the city one did cast downe the three wals thereof Then went we to Thamua which was the refuge of all the Kings for their wars Where being angry for a hurt that I tooke I charged upon those that stood above me but they threw downe stones out of slinges upon me and shot arrowes at me had killed me but that my brother Dan reskued me Therefore we came running upon them in a rage and put them all to flight and they passing by another way went and sued humbly unto my Father who made a Covenant with them so as we did them not any more harme but received them into league with us delivered them all their prisoners Then builded I Chamma my father builded Rambahel Twenty years old was I when this warre was made and the Chanaanites were afraid of me and my Brethren I had much cattell my chiefe heardsman was Yran of Odellam in whose company I saw Bersa King of Odellam who made us a feast with much intreatance gave me his daughter Bethsue to wife which brought me forth Er Anan and Sylon of which three God slue two Childlesse For Sylon lived of whom some of you be the Children My Father and we made eighteene yeares peace with his brother Esau and his children When the eighteen yeares were past after our coming out of Mesopotamia in the fortieth yeare of my life Esau our Fathers brother came upon us with a great strong Hoast was slaine by the Bowe of Jacob conveyed away dead unto Mount Seir. Wee also followed upon the Children of Esau but his city was very strong with high Walles and gates of yron and brasse so as we could not enter into it howbeit wee did shut them up within it and besieged it Now when they shewed not themselves abroad in twenty daies together I put my Helmet upon my head and in fight of them all set up a ladder and skaling the wals slue four of their noble men with a stone of the weight of three talents The next day Ruben and Gad went and slew threescore others Then they offered peace and wee by our Fathers advise received them into tribute And they gave us two hundred quarters of corne five hundreth bates of oile and a thousand five hundred measures of Wine untill we went downe into Egypt After this my Sonne Er married Thamar of Mesopotamia the Daughter of Aram. Now Er was a very wicked Impe and doubted much of Thamar because shee was not of the land of Chanaan Therefore the Angel of the Lord slew him the third night after his mariage when he had not yet accompanied with her by reason of his mothers subtletie and so died in his naughtinesse for she was loth that he should have had any children by her When Anan was marriageable I gave Thamar unto him and hee likewise of a spite accompanied not with her notwithstanding that he lived a full yeer with her and when I threatned him then he companied with her but yet by his mothers commandement he let his seed fall upon the ground and so also he died in his wickednes I minded to have given her unto Sylon also but my wife Bethsue would not suffer mee For she spited Thamar because she was not of the daughters of Chanaan as her selfe was Now I knew the of-spring of Chanaan was mischievous but yet did youthfull fancie blind my heart And as I beheld her powring out wine I was deceived with drunkennesse and fell in love
he is in heaven When Joseph was in Egypt I longed to see his person and the form of his countenance And through the prayers of my Father Jacob I saw him awake in the day of his full and perfect shape Now therefore my Children know you that I shall die Wherefore deale every of you truly and rightfully with his neighbour worke ye justly and faithfully and keep ye the law and commandement of the Lord for that doe I teach you instead of all Inheritance And give you the same to your Children for an everlasting possession For so did Abraham Isaac and Jacob they gave us all these things for an Inheritance saying Keep the Lords commandements till he reveale his saving health unto all Nations Then shall ye see Enoch Noe Sem Abraham Isaac and Jacob rising at his right hand with joyfulnesse Then shall we rise also every of us to his own Scepter worshipping the King of heaven which appeared on earth in the base shape of man As many as beleeve in him shall rejoyce with him at that time And all these shall rise again to glory and the residue unto shame And the Lord shall first of all judge Israel for the unrighteousnesse committed against him because they beleeved not in God that came in the flesh to deliver Then shal he judge all Nations as many as believed not in him when he appeared upon earth and he shâ—ll reprove Israel among the chosen of the Gentiles as he reproved Esau in the Midianites that seduced his brethren by fornication and Idolatry who were estranged from God and fell away from the Inheritance of the Children because they feared not God But if you walke in holinesse before the Lord ye shall dwell in Hope again in me And all Israel shall be gathered to the Lord and I shall no more be called a ravening Wolfe for your Robberies sakes but I shall be called the Lords Workmâ—n which gâ—veth food unto such as doe good And in my seed shall be raised up the Beloved of the Lord whose voice shall be heard upon the earth and he shall give new knowledge and enlighten all Nations with the light of understanding and shall come up to save Israel He shall take from them as a Wolfe and give to the Synagogue of the Gentiles aâ—d continue in the Sâ—nagogue of the Gentiles to the worlds end Hâ— shall be among their Princes as musical melody in the mouths of all men and his doings and sayings shall be written in â—oly books He shaâ—l be the Lords Dearling for evermore And as concerning him my Father Jacob taught me saying He shall ameâ—d the defaults of thy Tribe And when he had ended tâ—ese sayings he commanded his Children to carry his bones out of Egypt and to bury them in Hebron by his Fathers So Benjamin dyed in hundred and five and twenty years old in a good age and they put him in a Coffin and in the fourscore and eleventh year before the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt they and their brethren conveyed their Fathers bones privily againe into the Land of Chanaan and buried him in Hebron at the feet of his Fathers and returned again out of the Land of Chanaan and dwell in Egypt till the day of their departure thence all together FINIS How these Testaments of the twelve Patriarchs were first found and by whose means they were translated out of Greek into Latine THese Testaments were hidden and concealed a long time so as the Teachers and the ancient Interpreters could not finde them Which thing happened through the spitefulnesse of the Iewes who by reason of the most evident manifest and often Prophecies of Christ that are written in them did hide them a long while At length the Greeks being very narrow searchers out of ancient writings tought these Testaments warily and got them more warily and translated them faithfully out of Hebrew into Greek Nevertheless this writing continued yet still unknown because there was not any man to be found that was skillfull both in the Greek and Latine nor any Interpreter that might procure the translation of this noble work untill the time of Robert the second surnamed Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne who sent diligent searchers as far as Greece to fetch him a Copy of the said writing without respect of their charges which he bare most liberally Therefore to continue the memories of those most lightsome Prophecies to the strengthening of the Christian faith that reverend Bishop did in the year of our Lord 1242. translate them painfully and faithfully word for word out of Greek into Latine in which two tongues he was counted very skilfull by the help of M. Nicholas Greek Parson of the Church of Datchot and Chaplain to the Abbot of St. Albons to the intent that by that means the evident Prophecies which shine more bright than the day light might the more gloriously come abroad to the greater confusion of the Iewes and of all Hereticks and enemies of the Church of Christ to whom be praise and glory for ever Amen 1658. At LONDON Printed for the Company oâ— the STATIONERS Levi Iacob Simeon Iudas Isachar Zabulon Dan. Gad. Aser Neptalim Ioseph Benjamin Eccles 14â— Gen. 23. Simple for innocence Jacob beloved not of merit Rom. 9. but of grace Gen. 25. Gen. 26. Gen. 27. A caveat for mariage Trouble paine are destined to the Elect. An example for children A godly note for servants Mans life is but a pilgrimage God alway provideth for the righteous Parents ought to tell their children Gods blessings That is shall be uÌ„der their tribes Christ Counted as one of his children not that they should pray unto him being dead as Eckius gathered God hath mercy on whom he will By saith Jacob divideth the Land a yet but hoped for Begotten in my youth Levi had no Tribe Simeon was under Juda. Jud. 1. Blessings of Juda a worthy captaine A noble Prince Christ A fertile Land Judge 13.14.15.16 Josh. 1.21 Num. 33. Judg. 4.5 The blessing of Joseph Encrease of family All things come of God Not for the holinesse of the place but for memory of Gods promise A token of a good conscience Death is our long home Fornication plagued Gen. 15. a Prayer and repenâ—â—nce stayeth Goâ—â— wrath b The blessing prayer of a father to god for his children of what benefit In repentance the heart is to be considered not externall action The eight Instruments whereby man worketh the effect of them 1 Life 2 Seeing 3. Hearing 4 Smelling 5. Speech 6 Tasting 7. Seed of what property 8 Sleep of what property Eight spirits of errour of what property 1. Lechery 2. Gluttony 3. Envie 4. Bravery 5. Pride of what propertie 6. Vaine-glory in what it consisteth 7. Unrighteousnesse 8. Wilful ignorance Discommodities of ignorance Ringleaders to fornicatioÌ„ 1. a greedy eye 2. Close company with women 3. Bâ—sie questions 4. Drunkennesse Nothing so secretly