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
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
great-man in the land of Canaan and thy father sorroweth for thee in sackcloth Then I could fain have wept yet I refrained my selfe for shaming of my brethren and said I know if not for I am a bondman Then they took counsell amongst themselves whither or to whom they might sell me lest I should be found in their hands for they feared Jacob lest he should be revenged of them for they had heard that he was mighty both to God and man Then said the Merchant to them Redeem him now from the judgement of Putiphar they hearing this went and asked for me saying that they had bought me for mony he delivered me Memphitica spake unto her husband to buy me for she said I hear say they would sell him And they sent an Eunuch to the Ismaelites desired to buy me and when he could not bargain with them his returned shewed his Lady that they asked a great price for the childe she sent again another Eunuch saying Although they aske two besaunces of gold see that thou spare not for money but buy the childe and bring him to me He paid 80 golden Crowns for me said to his Lady that he paid 100 and I perceiving this held my peace lest the Eunuch should have been searched Behold my sonnes what I have sustained love one of you another and with continuance cast out from among you deceitfull minds for God delighteth in the concord of brethren hath pleasure also in the love choice of a proved heart For when my brothers came out of Egypt and knew me I gave them their money and never gave reproach unto them but comforted them after the death of Jacob I loved them more aboundantly and all that ever he commanded me I did very gladly and they marvelled because I suffered not them to be troubled for a small cause for all that was in my power I gave them Their children were reputed to me as mine own and mine own children as their servants Their life was my life and their sorrow was my sorrow and all their infirmity or disease was mine my Land was their land my counsel was the counsel of them and I never exalled my self above them in pride for mine own worldly glory but was amongst them as one of the least Tâ—erefore my sons if ye walk in the Commandements of the Lord the Lord shall exalt you and blesse you in ricâ—â—s pâ—rpetual And if any man will do evâ—ll to you with meeknesse look that ye pray for him and God shall deliver you from all evill For behold and see that for my long sufferance the Daughter of my Lord was given me to wife and there was given to me with her an hundred talents of Gold for God made them to serve me and gave me beauty that I should be as a flower above them that were faire in Israel and he kept me unto mine age both in strength and beauty because I was like to Jacob in all things And what dreams I have seen my children now heare There were xii Harts feeding and nine were divided abroad in the earth also I saw how that of Juda was a Virgin born having a white silken robe and of her came forth an immaculate Lamb And on the left hand of the said Lamb was as it were a Lyon and all Beasts made against him and the Lamb overcame them and trod them under his feet and in him joyed the Angels the men and all the earth These things shall come to passe in their time that is to say in the latter dayes Therefore my Sons keepe the commandement of the Lord and honour Juda and Levi For of them to you shall spring the Lamb of God which by his grace shall preserve all Gentiles and Israel The Kingdome of him is a Kingdome eternall which shal never passe For my Kingdome shall be ended in you aâ— the keeping of an Orchard for after the harvest it shall appear no more I know right well that after my death the Egyptians shall trouble you but God shall revenge you and bring you to the promised land which he share to Abraham Isaac and Jacob But carry my bones with you for in so doing the Lord shal be in the light with you against the Egyptians and Belial shal be in darknesse with the Egyptians Also carry wiâ—h you your Mother Zilphâ— and â—igh unto the valley neer unto Rachel bury her When he had said these words he stretched forth his feet and slept the sleep of all the World Then they imbalmed him with spices putting him in a Chest in Egypt after he had lived 110. years who saw Ephraims Children unto the third generation For unto Machir the sonne of Manasseâ— were children born on Josephs knees After this all 〈◊〉 of Israel bewailed him and all the Egyptians with a great mourning For he had compassion of Egypt as of his own proper members and assisted them both with his labour and counsell and did them good at all times and seasons The Testament of BENIAMIN made to his Children at his death concerning a clean minde Lo what true faithfull love doth mean All you that Lovers be It is in heart and not in lust As here you plainly seâ— The Testament of Benjamin THe Copy of Benjaminâ— words which he uttered to his Children being of the age of an hundred and twenty years He kissed them and said As Isaac was born in the hundreth year of Abraham so was I in the hundreth year of Jacob and because Rachel dyed at my birth I sucked her Bond-woman Bilha For after that Rachel had born Joseph she was barren twelve years And when she had prayed to the Lord in those twelve years she conceived and bare me for my father loved Rachel exceedingly and wished to see two Sonnes by her and therefore I was called Benjamin that is to say the sonne of my dayes or the sonne of my sorrow because my Mother dyed in the birth of me When I came first into Egypt and that my brother Joseph knew me he said to me What sayd they to me Father when they had sold me I answered They stained thy Coat with bloud and bringing it to him said See if this be thy Sons coat or no And my Brother also sayd unto me Truly when the Ismaelites took me one of them stripping me out of my coat gave me a thin shirt to put on and lashing me with a wâ—ip bade the run And as he went aside to hide my garment a Lion met him and flew him and his partners being afraid sold me is their fellowes You therefore my Children love the God of Heaven and obey his commandements following that good and holy man Joseph and let your mind be set upon goodnesse as ye know that mine hath been He that hath a good minde looketh rightly upon all things Feare God and love your neighbours and then although the spirit
pot the beare the bed doe note the strength the lust Of Ruben and unconstant head who therefore was accurst The Testament of Ruben THis is the copy of Rubens testament concerning all the things which hee gave in charge to his children before he died in the 125. yeare of his life Two yeares after the decease of Joseph his children and childrens children came to visit him in his sicknesse and be said unto them My children I die goe the way of my Fathers And seeing there his brethren Iuda Gad and Aser he said unto them Lift me up my brethren that I may tell you and my Children the things that I have hidden in my heart for I am henceforth drawing to my long home Then standing up he kissed them and weeping said Harken my brethren and you my children give ear to the words of your father Ruben mark what I give in charge to you Behold I command you this day before the God of Heaven that ye walke not in the ignorance of youthfulnesse and fornication wherein I overshot my selfe and defiled the bed of my Father Jacob For I assure you that the Lord did therfore strike me with a sore plague in my flanks the space of 7 moneths a I had perished if my Father b Jacob had not prayed to the Lord for mee because he was minded to have slaine mee I was thirty yeares old when I did this evill in the sight of the Lord and seven moneths was I sick to the death and with a free heart did I seven yeere penance before the Lord I drank no wine nor strong drink no flesh came within my mouth I tasted not any fine bread but I mourned for my sinne for it was great and there shall none such bee done in Israel And now my sonnes heare mee that I may shew you what I saw concerning the seven spirits of error in my repentance Belial giveth seven spirits against a man which are the welsprings of youthful workes and seven spirits are given man in hâ—s creation wherby all his works are done The first is the spirit of life wherewith is created his being The second is the spirit of seing wherwith cometh lusting The third the spirit of hearing wherwith cometh learning The 4 th is the spirit of smelling wherewith cometh delight by drawing in of the aire and by breathing of it out againe The fift is the spirit of speech wherewith knowledge is made The sixt is the spirit of Tasting whereof cometh the feeding upon things that are to be eatâ—n and drunke and through them is engendered strength because the substance of strengâ—h is in meat The seventh is the spirit of seed and generation wherewith entereth in the lust of pleasure For this cause it is the last of creation and the first of youth because it is full of Ignorance and Ignorance leadeth the yonger sort as a blind body into the ditch and as an ore to the stall Among all these is the eight spirit which is of sleep with whom is created the wasting away of Nature and the Image of Death With these spirits are mingled the spirits of errour Whereof the first is the spirit of lechery who lieth within the nature and senses of man The second spirit of unsatiablenes lieth in the belly The third spirit of strife lieth in the Liver in choler The fourth spirit is of bravery and gallantnes that the party may seeme comely by excesse The fifth is the spirit of Pride which moveth a man to minde over great things or to think well of himself The sixt is the spirit of lying or vain gloriousnesse in boasting a mans selfe and in desire to file his talke concerning his own kindred and acquaintance The seventh is the spirit of unrighteousnesse which stirreth up the affections that a man should perform the lustfull pleasures of his heart For unrighteousnesse worketh with all the other spirits by taking guile unto him Vnto all these spirits is matched the eight spirit which is the spirit of sleep or sluggishnesse in errour imagination and so the soules of young folkes perish because their minds are darkned and hidden from the truth understand not the law of the Lord neither obey the doctrine of their Fathers as befell to me in my youth But now my children love the truth and that shall preserve you Harken to your Father Ruben and let not your eyes 1. run a gazing after women neither bee ye 2. alone with a Woman that is married neither doe ye seeke about 3. what Women are doing For if I had not seene Bilha bathing her selfe in a secret place I had not fallen into that great wâ—ckednes But my mind raâ—so so upon the naked Woman till it suffered mee not to sleepe till I had committed abhomination For while my Father Jacob was away at his Father Isaacks and I in Gader hard by Euphrata a house of Bethlehem Bilha fel 4. drunken and as she lay asleepe uncovered in her chamber I went in so and seeing her nakednesse wrought wickednesse with her leaving her asleepe went my way By and by an Angel of God bewrayed my wickednes to my father Jacob who comming home mourned for mee and touched not Bilha any more Therefore looke not upon the beautie of women neither muse you upon their doings but walke ye with a single heart in the feare of the Lord God busying your selves about some worke and keeping your selves occupied either in learning or about your flockes untill such time as God give you such wives as he listeth lest you doe suffer as I have done I durst not looke my Father in the face to his dying day nor speake to any of my brethren for shame My conscience biâ—eth me even yet still for my sin But my Father comforted me and prayed for me unto the Lord that his wrath might passe away from me as the Lord himselfe shewed unto me Therefore from that time forth I was kept from sinning any more And you my children likewise keepe ye that I shall tell you and you shall not sinne For Fornication is the destruction of the Soule separating it from God and making it to draw unto Idols because it leadeth the minde and understanding into errour and bringeth men to their grave before their time For whoredom hath undone many men although a man be ancient or noble yet doth it shame him and make him a laughing stock both before Belial and the sons of men But Ioseph because he kept himselfe from all Women and cleansed his thoughts from all fornication found favour both before the Lord and men The Egyptian Woman did much so him by using the helpe of witches and by offering him slaubar sauces but the purpose of his mind admitted no noysome desire For this
of the visions that I had seene but he would not â—o with us unto Bethel But when we came to Bethel my father Jacob saw in a vision concerning mee that I should be their priest before the Lord And he arose in the morning and tithed all things to the Lord by me Then came we to Hebron to dwell there and by and by Isaac called me to expound the law of the Lord accâ—rding as Gods angell had shewed it to me and he taught mee the law of Priesthood Sacrifices Burnt offerings â—irâ—â—â—ings Free-will offerings and offerings for health Every day he taught me understanding and called upon me continuâ—lly before the Lord saying My son give no care to the spirit of fornication for he will follow thee and defile the holy things by thy seede Therefore take thee a Wife in thy youth such an one that hath not any blemish nor uncleannesse nor is of the kindred of the Allophytes or of the Gentiles And before thou enter into the Holies wash and likewise ere thou sacrificest also when thou hast done offer unto the Lord the fruites of the twelve trees that are ever green as my father Abraham taught me to do and the fruite of all clean beastes and of clean soules offer thou in sacrifice Likewise offer up thy first-born of all things and the first fruits of thy Vine and sprinkle thy Sacrifices with Salt Now therefore my Sons keep ye all the things that I command you for whatsoever I have heard of my Fathers that have I told unto you I am clear from all the wickednesse and sin which you shall commit to the end of the world Ye shall work wickedness against the Saviour of the world and ye shall seduce Israel stirring up much evill against him from the Lord and dealing wickedly with him so that Jerusalem shall not continue by reason of your naughtinesse The Veil of the Temple shall be rent in sunder to discover your foulnesse and ye shall be scattered as prisoners amongst the Heathen and be scorned cursed and trodden under-foot Neverthelesse the House which the Lord shall choose shall be called Jerusalem as the Book of Enoch the righteous containneth Therefore when I was twenty and eight years old I took a Wife whose name was Melcha and she conceived and bare me a son called his name Gershon because we were but strangers in our land for Gershon signifieth vanishment Now I knew of him that he should not be of the chief degree The second was Caath who was born the five and thirtieth year I saw a vision Eastward how all the congregation stood up aloft and therefore I called his name Caath which signifieth the beginning of greatnesse and learning The third was Merari who was born in the five and fiftieth year of my life And because his mother was hardly delivered of him she called him Merari which is as much to say as my bitterness And in the threescore and fourth year of my life was my daughter Jochebed born in Eâ—â—pt and so was I honorable among my â—rethren Also my son Gershon took him a wife which bare him Lybni and Schimi The sons of Caath were Amram Yshvar Hebron and Uziel and the sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi An the fourscore and fourteenth year of my life Amram took unto wife my daughter Jochebed because that be and she were born both on one day I was eight year old when I entred into the Land of Canaan and eighteen year old when I entred into the office of Priesthood At eight and twenty yeares 〈◊〉 a Wife and at fourtie yeares â—ld I enâ—red into Egypt and behold ye be â—ow my childrens children in the third generation Joseph died in the hundreth and tenth year And now my Children I warn you feare the Lord your God with all your heart and walke plainely in all thinges according to his Law Moreover bring up your children in learning that they may have understanding by reading the law of God without ceasing all their life long For whosoever knoweth Gods law shall be honoured and go wheresoever he will be shall be no stranger also he shall have more friends than his forefathers had 〈◊〉 many shall be glad to serve him and 〈◊〉 heare the law at his mouth My sonnes deale rightfully upon earth that you may finde Heaven and sowe good things in your minds that you may finde them in your life For if ye sowe evill things ye shall finde and reape all manner of combrance and trouble Get yee wisedome iâ— the feare of God for if captivitie come and Cities and Countries be destroyed gold and silver and all possessions perish but none can take away the wise man wisedome save only the blindnesse of ungodlinesse and sinne For his wisedome shall become a shield to him among his enemies and make a strange countrey to be as his owne home and cause him to find friendship in the midst of his foes If he teach and doe such things he shall sit with Kings as did our brother Joseph And truly my Children I know by the writings of Enoch that in the end ye shall doe wickedly laying your hands most spitefully upon the Lord and through you your brethren shall be confounded and made a scorning stock to all nations Howbeit our Father Israel is cleare from the wickednesse of the high Priests which shall lay hands upon the Saviour of the World The Heaven above the earth is cleane you be the lights of the heathen as the Sun and the Moone What shall all the heathen do if you be overdarkned with wickednesse and bring cursednesse upon your country folke for whose sakes the light of the World is put into you to inlighten all men withal this light of the World shall you most wilfully steal and teach commandements contrarie to the righteousnes of God Ye shall purloin the Lords offering and filch away pieces of it Before you do your sacrifices unto the Lord ye shall steale away the choicest things and eat them disdainfully with Harlots teaching Commandements of covetousnesse Ye shall defile maryed women and inforce maidens in Jerusalem you shall match your selves with whoâ—es and Harlots you shall take the daughters of the Heathen unto wife purifying them with unrighteous purifying and your mingling shall be like unto Sodom and Gomorrha and ye shall be swoln with wickednesse in the Priesthood insomuch that you shall most disdainfully and spitefully laugh the holy things to scorn not only vaunting and boasting your selves against men but also being puffed and swoln up with pride against the Commandements of God For this cause shall the Temple which the Lord shal have chosen be undoubtedly left desolate in uncleannesse and you your selves become captives to all Nations and be loathed and abhord among them and receive endlesse shame and confusion through Gods righful judgement and all that see you shall shun
you And were it not for our Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob there should not one of my seed be left upon earth Furthermore I know by the Book of Enoch that ye shall goe astray by the space of threescore and ten wreks and defile the Priesthood stain the Sacrifices destroy the Law despise the sayings of the Prophets frowardly persecute righteous folk hate the godly abhor the sayings of soothfast men and call him Hereticke that goeth about to renew the Law by the power of the Highest and in the end ye shall kill him out of hand as you think not knowing that he shall rise again and so shall ye receive his innocent bloud wilfully upon your own heads For his sake shall your holy places be left desolate which you shall have defiled even by utter forswearing and your dwelling shall not be clean but you shall be accursed among the Heathen and despair shall vex you till he visite you again and mercifully receive you through faith and water And forsomuch as ye have heard of the threescore and ten weeks hear ye also of the Priesthood For in every Iubilie shall be Priesthood In the first Iubilie the first anointed into the priesthood shall be great talke to God as to his father his priesthood shall be full of the feare of the Lord and in the day of his gladnesse he shall rise up unto the salvation of the world In the second Iubilee the anointed shall be conceived in the heavinesse of the beloved sort and his priesthood shall be honourable and he shall be glorified amongst all men The third priest shall be taken up in sorrow and the fourth shall be in griefe because the multitude of iniquities shall be laid upon him and throughout all Israel every man shall hate his neighbour The fift shall be held fast in darknesse and likewise the sixt and the seventh And in the seventh shall be such abhomination both before God and man as I am not able to expresse Howbeit that the doers thereof shall not be known For this cause shall they be in captivity corruption and their land and substance shall be destroyed but in the fifth weeke they shall retuâ—ne into their desolate country and renew the Lords house In the seventh weeke shall come idolatrous priests covetous warriours unrighteous scribes and filthâ—e abusers of men children and beasts After that the Lord hath sent vengeance upon them in the priesthood then will God raise up a new Priest unto whom all the Lords word shall be opened and he shall execute true judgement upon earth many dayes and his starre shall arise in heaven As a King shall hee shed forth the light of knowledge in the open sunshine of the day and he shall be magnified over all the World and be received and shine as the Sun upon the earth and drive away all darknesse and there shall be peace upon all the earth In his dayes the heavens shall rejoyce the earth shall be glad the clouds shall be merry the knowledge of the Lord shall bee powred out upon the earth as the waters of the Seas and the angels of glory that are in the Lords presence shall rejoyce in him The heavens shall be opened out of the temple of glory shall sanctification come upon him with the Fathers voyce as from Abraham the Father of Isaac and the glory of the highest shall be spread out upon him and the Spirit of understanding sanctification shall rest upon him whereof he shall give abundantly and mightily to his children in truth for evermore and there shall none succeed him from generation to generation world without end In his Priesthood all sin shal come to an end and the unrighteous shall cease from their naughtiness but the righteous shall rest in him and he shall open the gates of Paradise and stay the threatning sword against Adam and feed the Lambs with the fruit of life and the spirit of holiness shall be in them He shall binde up Belial and give his own children power to tread down hurtful spirits and the Lord shall rejoyce in his children and accept them as his beloved for evermore Then shall Abraham Isaac and Jacob be glad and then shall I and all Saints rejoyce Now my children ye have heard all Therefore choose unâ—o you either light or darkness either the Law of the Lord or the works of Belial and we answered our Father saying We will walk before the Lord according to his law And our Father said the Lord is witness and his Angels are witnesses and I am a witness and you your selves are witnesses of the words of my mouth And when we had answered We will be witnesses Levi rested with this charge given unto his children And stretched out his feet and was put to his fathers when he had lived a hundred and seven and thirty years and they laid him in a coffin and buried him afterward in Hebron besides Abraham Isaac and Jacob The Testament of JVDA made to his Children at his death concerning valiantnesse covetousnesse and fornication Lo here the blessed Princely state Of Juda suffering not his mate The Scepter Lion Purse and Crowne Betoken glory and renowne The Testament of Iuda THe Copie of all the sayings of Juda which he spake unto his Children at the time of his death when they were come together before him he said unto them I was my fathers fourth son and my mother called me Juda saying I thank the Lord for that he hath given me a fourth sonne I was swift of foot and painfull in my youth and obeyed my Father in all things and blessed my mother and my mothers sisters And when I came unto mans estate my father Jacob praied over me saying Thou shalt be a King and prosperous in all things Behold God gave me grace in all my workes both abroade at home Vpon a time I saw a Hind and ran after her and caught her made good meate of her for my father Also I outran the Roes and overtook all things that were in the fields insomuch that I caught a wild Mare and tamed her I plucked a Kidde out of the mouth of a Beare taking him by the pawe overthrew him and rent asunder all wilde beasts that turned upon me as if I had been a Dog I encountered with a wilde Boar and overrunning him tare him in pieces In Hebron a bastard Lyon leapt upon a Dog and I catching him by the tail flung him away by and by and be brast asunder In the borders of Gare a wilde Bull was feeding in the fields and I took him by the horns and swinged him about and finally killed him There came two Kings of the Chananites armed upon our flock and much people with them and I alone running unto the flock stept to King Sur and striking up his legs overthrew him and so slew him Also I killed another King
father Jacobs commandements but did whatsoever be willed me And Abraham the Father of my fathers blessed me to fight for Israel so did Isaac blesse me likewise I know that the kingdome shall stand by mee but I have read in the boks of Enoch the righteous that ye shall work wickednesse in the latter daies Therfore my Children keepe your selves from lecherie and covetousnes and give ear unto your father Juda for those things withdraw men from Gods law blind the understanding of their minds teach them a pride neither suffer they any man to shewe mercy b to his neighbour they bereave his soule c of all good things hold it downe in paines and sorrowes also they disappoint him of his rest sleepe d and consume his flesh Fâ—nally e they hinder Gods sacrifices neglect his blessings disobey the speaking of the Prophets and are offended at the word of godlinesse for these two passions are contrary to the commandements of God He that serveth them cannot obey God because they dazell mens minds and walke abroad as well a nights as of dayes My children covetousnesse leadeth men to Idolatry For through doting upon money he calleth them gods which are not and compelleth the infected party to growe most vilely out of kinde For monies sake I lost my children and had not the penance of the flesh and the humbling of my soule had not the prayers of my father Jacob been I had died as now without Children But the God of my fathers being mercifull and full of pitie and compassion knew that I sinned through ignorance For the prince of error had blinded mee and I overshot my selfe as a fleshly man and being corrupted with sinne knew not mine owne infirmitie but thought my selfe to be invincible Know ye therefore my sons that two spirits doe waite upon a man that is to wit the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour and in the middest betweene them is set the Spirit of understanding of the minde whose propertie is to incline which way it listeth the things that belong both to truth and untruth are written in the breast of man and God knoweth every whit of it and none of all mens works can bee hidden at any time from him because all the privities and secrets of mens hearts are written before the Lord and the spirit of truth beareth witnesse of all things and accuseth all and he that sinneth hath a burning in his heart and cannot lift up his face to his Iudge And now my children love ye Levi that yee may abide and exalt not your selveâ— above him lest yee perish The Lord hath given unto me the Kingdome and unto him the Priesthood and hath puâ— the Kingdome a under the Priesthood Vnto Levi is given the Priesthood anâ— unto Juda the Kingdome and God hatâ— put the kingdome under the Priesthood Vnto me he hath given the things thaâ— are upon the Earth and unto b him the things that are in heaven As farre as the Heaven surmounteth the earth so farâ— doth c the priesthood surmount the kingdom that is upon the earth For the Loâ—â— hath chosen him above me to approch uâ—to him and to eat of his table and to takâ— the firstlings of the children of Israel and thou shalt bee as a Sea to him For like as in the Sea both the righteous and unrighteous are in danger and the one sort are caught Prisoners and the other sort are inriched even so shall all kinde of men be hazarded in thee some sinking in misery other some floting in prosperity For in thee shall raign great whales which shall swallow up men as fishes and bring free mens sons and daughters into bondage They shall take away Mens Houses Lands Cattell and money by force and wrongfully they shall feed ravens other greedy fowles with many folkes flesh and they shall prosper and flourish in naughtinesse and be exalted through covetousnesse and there shall be false Prophets like stormes which shall persecute all righteous men But the Lord shall set them together by the eares among themselves there shall be continuall warres in Israel and my kingdome shall be knit up in strangers till the saviour of Israel come even till the comming of the God of righteousnesse that Jacob all nations may rest in peace and he shall maintain my kingdom in peace for ever For the Lord hath sworn to me that the kingdome of me and of my seede shall never faile world without end But I am very sorry my Children for the filthinesse trechery idolatry which ye shall worke against the Kingdome by following Witches and Conjurers by vowing your Daughters to deceitfull Divels by making them inchanters charmers and Strumpets and by intermedling your selves with the abhominations of the heathen for the which things the Lord shall bring upon you a famine b pestilence death and c sword wrathfull d besiegement e devouring dogs reproach f of friends and foes losse g paine of eies slaughter h of your children ravishings i of Wives spoile of your goods the burning k of your temple the desolation l of your country and the m captivity of your selves among all nations which shall geld some of you to make Eunuches for their wives but if ye returne to the Lord with hearty repentance humility walke in all the commandements of God he will visite you with mercy and lovinglie deliver you from the bondage of your enemies After this shall rise among you a Star out of Jacob and a man shall spring out of my seed which shall walk as the Day-sun of righteousnesse among the children of men in peace and meekenesse and righteousnesse and no sin shall be found in him The heavens shall open upon him to pour out the spirit of blessednesse upon him from the Father and he shall shed out the spirit of grace upon you and you shall be his children in truth walking in his flest and last Commandements This is the off-spring of the most high God and the well-spring of life to all flesh Then shall the Scepter of my Kingdom shine bright and out of your root shall spring the vessel of planting in whom shall grow up the Rod of righteousnesse unto the Gentiles to judge and save all such as call upon him After this shall Abraham Isaac and Jacob rise up again to life and I and the Princes my brethren shall be your Scepter in Israel Levi first I next Joseph the third Benjamin the fourth Simeon the fift Isachar the sixt and so all the rest And the Lord hath blessed us Levi shall be the messenger of my presence Simeon the power of my glory Reuben Heaven Issachar the earth Zabulon the Sea Joseph the Mountains Benjamin the Tabernacle Dan the lights Neptalim the Dainties
Gad the Day-sunne and Aser an Olive-tree And there shall be one people of the Lord and one tongue and there shall be no more the false spirit of Belial because he shall be cast into endlesse fire They that are buryed in sorrow shal rise in joy and they that were poor for the Lords sake shall be made rich They that suffered penury shall have plenty and they that were weak shall be made strong they that died for the Lords sake shall wake up unto life and run in Jacob yea they shall run skipping and leaping and they shal flie as Eagles for joy But the ungodly shall be sorrowfull and the sinners shall mourn and all people shall glorifie the Lord for ever Therefore my children keep all the law of the Lord for there is hope for all such as walk aright A hundred and nineteen years old doe die in your sight Let none of you bury me in costly Cloaths nor rip my belly for so will Rulers doe but carry me back into Hebron with you With these words Juda dyed and his Children doing in all things as he commanded them buried him with his Fathers in Hebron The Testament of ISACHAR made to his Children at his death concerning a single heart Learn here a simple life Not void of pain but strife The Sythe the Spade the Asse Set forth what man he was The Testament of Isachar THE Copie of Isachars words He calling his children about him said unto them Ye children of Isachar hear your Father and hearken to the words of the beloved of the LORD I am Jacobs fift son in the reward of mandrake For Ruben brought Mandrakes out of the field Rachel meeting him took them of him Thereat Ruben wept and at his noise my mother Lea came out Now the Mandrakes were sweet sented Apples which the Land of Aram bringeth forth in high countries by the water vallies And Rachel said I wil not give thee these apples because they shall help me to children Now there were two of these apples and Lea said doth it not suffice thee that thou hast gotten away the husband of my virginity but that thou wilt have this alâ—o She answered Let Jacob lie with thee to night for thy sons Mandragoras Lea said unto her Doe not boast nor brag for Jacob is mine and I am the wife of his youth And Rachel answered How so was he not first handfasted unto me and served he not our Father fourteen years for me What shal I do to thee For many are the wiles and policies of men and guile goes forward upon earth If it had been otherwise thou shouldest not have seen Jacob in the face at this day For thou art not his wife but wert guilefully put to him in my stead My father deceived me and conveying me away that night suffered me not to see him For had I been there this had not come to passe Wherefore take the one Mandrake and in lieu of the other I grant thee him for one night and Jacob knew Lea who conceiving bare me and called my name Issachar because of the hire Then an Angel of the Lord appeared unto Jacob and said that Rachel should bear but two sonnes because she had forsaken the company of her husband and chosen continency and if my mother Lea had not given the two Apples for his company she should have born eight children whereas by reason of that she bare but six Rachel two and because God visited her in the Mandrakes For he knew that she greatly desired to company with Jacob for Issues sake and not for lust of pleasure for she layed up the Mandrake and delivered it unto Jacob the next day and therefore God heard Rachel in the Mandrakes because that although she had a mindâ— unto them yet she ate them not but offered them to the Priest of the most High which was in those dayes and laid them up in the Lords House Therefore my Children when I came unto mans state I walked with an upright heart and became Bayliff of Husbandry unto my fathers and brought them the fruits of their Lands in their due seasons and my father blessed me when he saw how I walked plainly and simply I was no busie body in my doings I was not hurtfull nor spitefull to my neighbour I rayled not upon any man neither dispraysed I the life of any that walked in singlenesse of minde By reason hereof when I was thirty years old I took a Wife because labour had consumed my strength I never knew the pleasures of a woman through wantonnesse but my labour made me to sleep soundly and my father did alwayes rejoyce of my simplicity For whatsoever pains I took first of all I offered all the first fruits and the first ingendred cattel unto the Lord by the Priest and then gave my Father the rest and the Lord doubled his benefits in my hands Yea and Jacob himself perceived well that God wrought with my plain dealing For unto every poor man and to every man in adversity gave I of the fruits of the earth with a single heart And now my children hearken and walk in singlenesse of minde for I know that the Lord is very well pleased with it The single-hearted man coveteth not gold undermineth not his neighbour lusteth not after diversity of meats desireth not shift of apparel nor behighteth himself long time but only hath an eye to Gods will and the spirits of errour can doe nothing against him For he cannot skill to entertain a fair woman lest he should defile his own minde wrath overmastereth not his wit envie melteth not his soul neither doth his minde run covetously upon gain For he leadeth an upright life and beholdeth all things with a single eye excluding all hurtfulnesse of worldly errour lest he should oversee any of the Commandements of God Therefore my Children keep Gods Law and hold fast plainnesse walk on in innocency and be not too inquisitive into Gods secrets or of your neighbours doings but love God and your neighbour pitty the poor and weak bow down your back to Husbandry and labour in rilling of the Earth in all manner of Husbandry offering presents to the Lord with thanksgiving who blessed the earth with encrease and a new spring of fruits as he blessed all holy men from Abel to this day for there is none other portion given thee than of the fatnesse of the Earth whose fruits come by pains taking for our Father Jacob blessed me with the benefits of the Earth and the firstlings of fruits Levi and Juda are glorified of the Lord among the Children of Jacob For God hath planted himself in them giving to the one the Priesthood and to the other the Kingdom Therefore obey ye them and walk plainly as our Father Jacob did For unto Gad it is given to destroy the temptations of Israel My Children I know that in the last dayes
your Children shall forsake plainness and cleave to covetousnesse let goe innocency and follow lewdnesse leave Gods Commandements and stick unto Belial give over husbandry and gad after wicked devices and therefore shal they be scattered amongst the heathen and become bondslaves to their enemies Wherefore warn your Children of it that if they sin they may return quickly to the Lord for he is mercifull and will deliver them and bring them home again into their own Land I am now an hundred and two and twenty years old and I know not any deadly sinne upon me I have not known any woman but my Wife neither have I committed whoredome in the lust of mine eyes I have not drunk wine unto drunkennesse neither have I coveted any pleasant things of my neighbours There hath been no guile in my heart neither hath there any lying gone out of my lips I have been sorry with every man that was in heaviness and given my bread to the poor I have not eaten my meat alone nor removed the bounds and buttels of lands I have been pitiful all the dayes of my life dealt truly in all cases I have loved the Lord with all my strength and all men as mine own children My sons if you also do the like all the spirits of Belial will flie from you and nothing that mischievous men can doe against you shall have power over you You shall bring all wilde Beasts into subjection to you because ye have the Lord of Heaven with you if ye walke with him in singlenesse of heart And he willed them to carry his body into Hebron and to bury him there in the cave with his fathers Thus he stretched out his feet and died in a good age having all his limbs strong and sound and slept the sleep of all the world The Testament of ZABULON made to his Children at his death concerning compassion and mercy The poor man at home Zâ—bulon fed The stranger unknown also clothed When shâ—p did sail but gave him wit to govern it God did not fail but gave him wit to govern it The Testament of Zabulon THE charge that Zabulon gave to his Children in the hundred and fourteenth year of his life two and thirty years after the decease of Joseph And he saith unto them Hear ye me ye sons of Zabulon a good gift to my Father and Mother For when I was begotten my Father was greatly increased in Sheep and Cattel by reason of the good luck that he had through the straked rods I wist not my Children I wist not that I sinned in those dayes For I considered not that I dealt wickedly through ignorance in Josephs case and moreover concealed it with my brothers from our Father howbeit that I wept much for it in secret for I was sore afraid of my Brothers because they had all conspired together to kill him with the sword that should bewray that secret Neverthelesse when they would have killed him I besought them most earnestly with tears that they would not doe such wickednesse For Simeon and Gad came upon Joseph to have killed him and Joseph falling upon his knees said unto them Have pity upon me my Brethren have pity upon the bowels of our Father Jacob Lay not your hands upon me to shed innocent bloud for I have not sinned against you If I have done amisse nurture me with chastisement but lay not your hands upon me for our Father Jacobs sake Vpon his saying of these words I being moved with compassion came and wept and my heart melted within me and all the substance of my bowels were loosned upon my soul Also Joseph wept and I with him and my heart trembled and the joynts of my body quaked and I was not able to stand And when he saw me weeping with him and them coming towards him to kill him he fled behinde me and besought them to take pity of him Then Ruben stepping in said My brethren let us not kill him but let us cast him into the drie pit that our Fathers digged and found no water in it GOD suffered not any water to spring up in it because it should-be a safeguard for Joseph And so God did till they sold him to the Ismaelites Thus gave I no consent to the sinne against Joseph but Simeon Gad and the other of my brothers taking money for Joseph bought thooes with it for themselves their Wives and their Children saying Let us not eat it because it is the price of our Brothers bloud but let us tread trample it under our feet because he said he should raign over us and we shall see what his dreams will come unto Therefore in the Scepter of Enochs Law it is written of him that would not raise up seed to his brother I have loosed Josephs Shooe For when we came out of Egypt the young men unbuckled Josephs shooes at the Gate and so we worshipped Joseph as if it had been Pharaoh and not only worshipped him but also kneeled down before him with blushing and so were we put to shame before the Egyptians for afterward the Egyptians heard of all the ill that we had offered and done to Joseph After the laying of him in the pit my brothers set meat upon the Table to eat But I mourning for Joseph did tast no meat by the space of two dayes and two nights together neither would Juda eat with them but had an eye unto the pit because he feared lest Simeon and Gad should step there and kill him When they saw that I ate nothing they set me to keep him till he was sold He was in the Pit three dayes and three nights without repast yet he was sold Reuben hearing that he was sold in his absence rent his garments and wept saying How shall I look my Father Jacob in the face And therewithall taking money he ran after the Merchantmen but he could not finde them for they had left the Kings high-way and were gone away apace by by-lanes and Ruben ate no meat that day Dan therefore comming unto him said Weep not neither be sad for the Boy for I wot what we may say unto our Father Jacob We will kill a Kid and stain Josephs coat with the bloud of it and say unto him See if this be thy Sons coat or no For when they intended to sell Joseph they stripped him out of our Fathers coat and put upon him an old coat of a bond-servant Symeon had gotten his coat and would not deliver it us but was minded to have cut it in pieces with his sword and he was angry that he was yet alive that he had not slain him Then all my brethren rising up together said unto him Why shouldest thou not give it us seeing that thou only art the worker of this mischief in Israel Hereupon he gave it them and they did as Dan had counselled And now my children
I warn you keep the Lords commandements be mercifull to your neighbours and have inward compassion towards all not only men but also beasts For in that respect the Lord blessed me insomuch that when all my brothers were sick I escaped without sickness For God knoweth every mans intent Therefore my children have compassion in your bowels because that as any man dealeth with his neighbour so wil God deal with him For the children of my brothers fell sick also and died for Josephs sake because their fathers pitied him not but my children were preserved without sickness as you know And while I was upon the Sea-coast of Canaan I fell to fishing for my father Jacob and whereas many others were drowned in the Sea I abode unbuâ—t I was the first that made a Fisher-boat to float on the sea for God gave me understanding and wisdom therein so that I did set up a masâ— in the boat and fastned a sail to the midst of the wood and coasing along the shore in it I fished for my fathers houshold till we came into Egypt and for pity sake I gave of my fishing to every stranger that I met with if there were any foreiner born or any sicke body or any aged person I boiled my fish and dressed it well according to every mans need and carried it to them comforting them and having compassion with them And therefore God made me to catch much fish in the sea For hee that giveth his neighbor receiveth the things multiplied of the Lord Five yeares did I fish giving to every man â—hat I saw and serving all my Fathers house sufficiently in harvest time I fished and in winter time I fed sheep with my brothers Now will I tell you what I did I â—aw a miserable man in the deep of winter and having compassion upon him I stole a garment privily out of my house and gave it the naked man You therefore my Children take pity indifferently of all men and shew mercy with the things which the Lord giveth you and deale them abroad to all men with a good heart And if ye have not wherewith to succour the needy out of hand yet have compassion on him with inward mercy I know that my hand forslowed not to give to him that wanted and to spend the time with him insomuch that I have walked above vii furlongs with such a one weepiâ—g and my heart yerned upon him for compassion You therefore my children have earnest and inward mercy towards all that are in mâ—sery that God having pitty upon you may be mercifull to you likewise For in the last daies God will send his mercy upon the earth and wheresoever he findeth inward and hearty mercy there will he dwel For looke how much mercy man sheweth to his neighbour so much wâ—ll God shew to him againe Now when we came down inâ—o Egypt Joseph minded not our evill dealing with him but when he saw me it made his heart yerne whom look ye upon my children and learne to forget the harm that is done to you Love ye one another and do not one of you thinke upon anothers ill dealing for that breaketh unity and displeaseth all kiâ—dred and troubleth the minde For he that is mindfull of harm past hath not the bowels of mercy Marke the water and see how it washeth away the sand when the stones and timber are removed asunder And if a brook be drawn into many streams the earth sucketh it up and it cometh to nothing and so shall you if you be divided among your selves Therefore divide not your selves into 2. heads for all things that God hath created have but one head apiece He hath given a man two shoulders two hands and two feet but yet do all the members obey one head I know by the writings of my fathers that in the last dayes ye shal depart from the Lord and be divided in Israel following two Kings working all abomination and worshipping all manner of Idols and your enemies shall take you prisoners and you shall sit among the heathen in all misery tribulation and sorrow of mind and afterward you shall remember the Lord and repent and he shall turn you again for he is mercifull and full of compassion and thinketh not upon the lewdnesse of the children of men because they be flesh and the spirits of errour beguile them in all their doings After this shall God himselfe raise up unto you the light of righteousness and wholesomeness mercy are in his punishments He shall redeem all men from the bondage of Belial and all the spirits of errour shall be trodden down and he shall turn all nations to the following of him and ye shal see God in the shape of man for God hath chosen Jerusalem and God is his Name neverthelesse by the wickednesse of your words you shal provoke him to wrath and ye shall be cast off till the time of full finishing And now my children be not sad for my death neither be ye out of heart because I leave you For I shall rise up again among you as a Captain in the middest of my Tribe among as many as have kept the law of the Lord and the commandements of their father Zâ—bulon But as for the wicked God shall bring everlasting fire upon them and destroy them for ever I return to my rest as my fathers have done now fear you the Lord your God with all your strength all the dayes of your life As he had spoken these words he fell asleep to his singular benefit and his sonnes laid him in a Coffin and carrying him back again unto Hebron buried him there with his fathers The Testament of Dan made to His children at his death concerning anger and lying The Serpent with weapon and Dan declare The intent of those men that wrathfull are The Testament of Dan. THe copy of Dan his words which he spake unto them in his last daies in the hundred five and twentieth yeare of his life he called his tribe unto him and said Yee Children of Dan heare my sayings and give heed to the wordes of your Fathers mouth I lâ—ked in mine heart and shewed in my whole life the thing that is good for truth joyned with right dealing pleaseth God well I have hated hurtfull things as lying and anger because they teâ—câ— a man all manner of naughtinesse I confesse unto you my Children this day that I was glad in my heart at the death of Joseph that true and good man and rejoyced of the selling of him because our Father loved him more then us For the spirit of spitefullnes and pride said unto me Thou art his son â—eo as wel as he And one of the spirits of Belial wrought with me saying Take this sword and slay Joseph with it and when he is dead thy father shall love thee This was that spirit of
spitefulnesse which counselled me to devoure Joseph as the Leopard devoured a Kid But the God of our Father Jacob did not put him into my hands nor suffer me to finde him alone that I might dispatch two Scepters in Israel by committing that wickednesse And now my children I tall you of a truth that unlesse you keep your selves from this spirit of lying and wrath and love truth and long sufferance ye shall perish Wrath is blind my children and no wrathfull man looketh truth in the face because that although they were a his Father and mother yet doth he hold them all his enemies Though he be his brother yet he b knoweth him not though he be the Lords c prophet yet obeyeth he him not though he be a d righteous man yet he regardeth him not and though he be his e friend yet he considereth it not For the Spirit of wrath besetteth him with the snares of error blinding his naturall eyes and dimming the eyes of his minde by falsehood and giving to him a sight of his own making And wherein bleareth he his eyes In hatred of heart for he giveth him a self-willed heart against his brother to spite him and envy him My Sonnes wrath is mischievous for it becommeth a soul to the soul and subdueth the body to it self by overmastering the soul and giveth power to the body to work all wickednesse And when the soule hath wrought it justifieth the thing done because it seeth not Therefore he that is wrathfull if he be a man of might hath trebble power in his anger One through the help and furtherance of his Servants Another of his riches wherethrough he perswadeth and overcometh his unrighteousnesse and a third of the nature of his own body which of it self worketh evill And though he that is angry be a poor man yet hath he his naturall power doubled For the said Spirit doâ—h alwayes further his wickednesse by causing his deeds to be matched with lying Wherefore consider the power of wrath how vain it is For he is bitter in speech and walketh at Satans right hand that his deeds may be wrought in untrustiness and lying For Satan doth first of all sting him by speech and when he hath once pricked him forward be strengthneth him by deeds and troubleth his understanding with bitter nips and losses and so provoketh his minde to excessive wrath Therefore when any man speaketh against you be not moved to anger and if he praise you as good men be not puffed up nor changed into voluptuousnesse and sternesse of countenance For when a man heareth a thing that misliketh him first it tickleth him and stingeth his mind so that he thinks he hath just cause to be angry Now therefore my children if ye fall into any losse and hinderance be not out of patience for the spirit of impatience maketh men to lust for the things that is forgone and to be angry for the want of it Beare your losses willingly and be not out of quiet for it for unquietnes engendereth anger and untruth and it is evill to have a double face Anger and untruth talke one to another to trouble the understanding And when the mind is cumbred with disdain the Lord departeth from it and Belial getteth the dominâ—on of it Therefore my children keepe the Lords commandements and lawes eschew untruth and hate it that the Lord may dwell in you and Belial flâ—e from you Speak every of you the truth to his neighbour that ye fall not willingly into incomberance and so shall ye be in quiet and ye shall have the God of peace war shall not prevaile against you Love the Lord all your life long and love ye one another with a soothfast heart For I am sure that in the latter daies ye shall deparâ— from the Lord and walk in naughtines workâ—ng the abhominations of the Gentiles and haunting wicked women in all lewdnes by the working of deceitfull spirits in you For I have read in Enoch that Sathan is your prince and thaâ— all the spirits of fornication and pride shall ply themselves in laying snares for the children of Dan to make them sinne before the Lord But my children stick ye unto Levi and looke upon him in all things The children of Juda shall snatch away other mens goode like Lyons through covetousnesse For this cause shall ye be led away with them into captivity and there receive all the plagues of Egypt and all the malice of the heathen whereupon â—e shall returne to â—hâ— Lord and obtaine mercy and he shall bring you into â—is holy place and proclaim peace to you The Lorâ—s saving health shall spring up unto you out of the Tribes of Juda and Levi He shall make warre against Belial and give our young men the victory in revengement He shall deliver the imprisoned souls of the Saints from Belial and turn your unbelieving hearts to the Lord and give everlasting peace to such as call upon him The Saints shall rest in him and the righteous shall rejoyce in the new Jerusalem which shall glorifie GOD for ever Jerusalem shall no more be wasted nor Israel led into captivity because the Lord shall be conversant among men in the midst of it and the holy one of Israel shall raign over you in lowlinesse and poverty and he that believeth in him shall certainly reign in Heaven Now my Children feare the Lord and beware of Satan and his spirits And draw neer to God and to the angell that excuseth you for he is the Mediator between God and man to set peace in Israel He shall stand against the Kingdom of the enemy and therefore will the enemy labour to overthrow all that call upon the Lord for he knoweth that whensoever Israel decayeth then shall his enemies Kingdome come to an end But the said Angel shal strengthen Israel that he come not to an evill end At that time shall Israel depart from iniquity and the Lord shall visit such as doe his will in all places of Israel and among the heathen his name shall be The Saviour Therefore my children keep your selves from all noysome dealings and put from you wrath and all untruth Love truth and mildnesse and look what you have heard of your father deliver it over to your children that the Father of Nations may receive you For he was soothfast long suffering meek lowly and a teacher of Gods law by his own works Therefore depart from all unrighteousnesse that ye may stick to the righteousnesâ— of the Lords Law and bury ye me by my Fathers In saying these things he kissed them and slept the sleep of the world And his sonnes buried him laying his bones by Abraham Isaac and Jacob And like as Dan had prophesâ—ed to them that they should one day neglect Gods law and estrange themselves from the off-spring and native Countrey of Israel so came
saying the Assyrians Medes Elamites Galathites Caldees and Syrians shall hold the Scepter of Israel in thraldome And again a seven moneths after I saw our father Jacob standing in the sea of Jamma and us his Sonnes with him And behold there came a ship sayling by full of 〈◊〉 flesh without Mariner or Pilate Vpon the ship was written Jacob and our Father said to us Let us go to our ship When we were within it there rose a sore tempest and a mighty gale of winde and our father who held the stern flew away from us and then we being tossed with the storm were carried into the sea and our ship was filled with water and weather-â—eatâ—n and torn on all sides Then Joseph fled out in the boat and we all were divided upon twelve boards and Levi and Juda was among us so were we scattered on all coasts and Levi being clad in sackcâ—oth prayed unto the Lord for us all As soon as the tempest was allayed the ship came quickly to land and behold our Father Jacob came and we rejoyced all together with one minde I told my father these two dreams and he said to me these things must be fulfilled in their time and Israel must indure many things Then said he further to me I believe that Joseph is alive for I see that the Lord doth alwayes number him with us And he said thou livest my sonne Joseph but yet I see thee not neither seest thou Jacob that begat thee truly he made us to weep at these words of his and my vowels glowed within me to bewray unto him that Joseph was sold but I was afraid of my brothers Behold my sons I have shewed you the last times and all things that shall be done in Israel You therefore command your children to be helpfull unto Levi and Juda. For by Juda shall health and welfare spring up unto Israel and in him shall Jacob be blessed For by his Scepter shall God appeare and dwell among men upon earth to save the flock of Israel and to gather the righteous from amongst the Heathen My children if you do well both men and angels shall praise and blesse you and God shall be glorified by you among the Gentiles the Divell shall flâ—e from you the beasts shall stand in awe of you and the Angels shall receive you For like as if a man bring up his children well the child giveth and endeavoureth alwayes to be mindefull and thankfull So of good works there is a good remembrance with God But as for him that doth not good him shall men and Angels curse and God shall be dishonoured through him among the Gentiles and the Divel shall possesse him as a peculiar vessell and instrument and all beasts shall overmasâ—er him and the Lord shall hate him For the commandments of the law are of two sorts and are fulfilled in work For there is a time for a man to company with his wife and a time to forbear her that he may give himselfe to prayer There are two commandements which breed sinne except they be done in their due order and so it is in the rest of the commandments Therefore be you wise and skilfull in the Lord knowing the order of his commandements and the laws of all things that God may love ye Having commanded them many other such things he prayed them to conveigh his bones to Hebron and to bury him by his Fathers And so eating and drinking with a merry heart he covered his face and died And Neptalims children did all things according as their Father had commanded them The Testament of GAD made to his Children at his death concerning Hatred You that excell in Martiall feats Loe Gad but GOD obey Lest in Gads wrath you GOD offend And lose your hoped prey The Testament of Gad. THe Copy of Gads Testament and of the things that he spake to his Children in the hundred and seventh year of his life saying I was Jacobs seventh son and skilfull and strong in keeping of sheep I kept the flocks by night and when there came any Lion Leopard Wolf Beare or other wilde Beast upon our Caâ—tel I ran to it and killed it Joseph also did feed sheep with us about a thirty dayes who being tender fell sick by reason of overmuch heat and went home to Hebron to his father whom he lodged by himselfe because he loved him And Joseph told our father tâ—at the sons of Bilha wasted his goods at Zâ—lpha and made havock of them without the knowledge of Juda and Ruben For he knew that I had rescued a lamb out of a Bears mouth and killed the Bear and that because the lamb could not live which thing grieved me we killed it also and ate it He told our father of it and our brothers were greatly discontentâ—d with his doing even to the day that he was sold into Egypt and the spirit of hatred was in me insomuch as I could not finde in my heart to hear Joseph speak or to see him because he had rebuked us openly for eating the lamb without Juda. To be shorâ— he made our father believe whatsoever he told him But now I acknowledge my sinne my children that I was often in minde to have killed him for I hated him from my heart and I was utterly without compassion towards him and the cause of this my great hatred towards him was his dreams Therefore I would have devoured him as an Oxe eateth up grasse from the earth And for that cause I and Juda sold him to the Ismaelites for 30 gildernes of the which we kept away ten privily and shewed the other xx to our brethren And so covetousnesse perswaded me to wish his death But the God of our Fathers delivered him out of my hands to the intent I should not do such wickedness in Israel and now my children give eare to the words of truth that ye may live righteously and keep the law of the highest and not go astray through the Spirit of hatred for that is evill in all mens doings Whatsoever another man doe hâ— that doth the hater mislike and abhorre If one keep the law of the Lord he praiseth it not if one feare the Lord and deal righteously him he loveth not but dispraiseth the truth he envieth him that ordereth his wayes aright he embraceth backbiting he loveth scornfulnesse and because that hatred hath blinded his minde he doth to his neighbours as we did to Joseph therefore my Children keep your selves from hatred because it committeth wickednesse even against the Lord for it will not hear the words of Gods commandement concerning the loving of a mans neighbour but sinneth spitefully against God If a brother offend by and by it blazeth him abroad and is hastie to have him condemned and killed or punished for his offence And if the offender be a servant or bondman it accuseth him to his master and deviseth all means that may be to persecute
him and to put him to death if it be possible for hatred worketh with spitefulnesse and is alway sorry to hear or see men go forward or prosper in well-doing For like as love beareth good will then to the dead and wisheth them alive and would if it were possible stay them from death which are condemned to die So hatred seeketh to stay the living and deemeth them unworthy of life which have offended never so lightly For the spirit of hatred doth through cankred frowardnesse of heart work joyntly with Sathan in all things even to the death and destruction of men But the spirit of love doth through long sufferance worke with Gods Law to the welfare of men Hatred is evil because it abideth with lying speaking continually against the truth making a great adoe of small matters overshadowing the lâ—ght with darknesse counting sweet to be sowre teaching slanderousnesse war wrong and aboundance of all mischief and finally filling the heart with divellish poison My children I speak these tâ—ings upon experience to the intent you should eschew hatred and stick to godly love Righteousnesse driveth out hatred and lowlinesse killeth it for a righteous and lowly person is ashamed to doe wrong not for feare of rebuke but for conscience sake because God seeth his intent He backbiteth no man because the feare of the highest overcommeth hatred for the feare of the Lord offendeth not neither wil do any man wrong no not even in thought At length I came to the knowledge of these things when I had repented the of my dealings toward Joseph For the true Repentance that is according to Gods will mortifieth a man to obedience chaseth away darknesse inlightneth the eyes giveth knowledge to the minde and leadeth the soul to salvation And whatsoever men know not of themselves that doth repentance teach them For it brought upon me the pain of the heart and if my father Jacobs prayers had not beene surely I had died out of hand For loâ—k wherein a man sinneth by the same he is punished Forasmuch therefore as my heart was mercilesse toward Joseph I suffered Gods rigorous justice in my heart by the space of xi moneths that the time of my punishment might fall out even with the time that I urged the selling of Joseph Now therefore my children each of you love his brothers and put away hatred from your hearts loving one another in deed word and tâ—ought of minde For before my fathers face I spake mildly of Joseph but behinde his backe the spirit of hatred darkened my understanding and tempted my minde to kill him Wherefore love ye one another heartily and if any of you offend other tell him of it gently driving out the poyson of hatred and fostering no deceit in heart And if the offender confesse it and be sorry for it give it him and if he deny it strive not with him lest he fall to swearing and so sinne double Let no stranger hear you uttering one anothers secrets in variance lest he turn to be your ill-willer and worke some great mischief against you For he will talke guilefully with thee and undermine thee to do thee a shrewd turn taking his poyson at thine own hand Therefore if he deny it and he ashamed of it and hold his peace when he is rebuked draw him not out for in denying he repenteth him so as he will no more offend thee but honour thee and fear thee and be in quiet But if he be unshamefac't and abide by his naughtiness then refer the revengement of it to God with all thy heart If another man prosper more then thou be not grieved at it but pray for him that he may have perfect prosperity For peradventure it may be to your own benefit And if he be exalted more and more envy him not but remember that all flesh shall die and praise God for it who giveth good and profitable things to all men Seek the Lords judgements and so thy mind shal let him alone and be in quiet Now if a man be enriched by evill means as Esau my Fathers brother was envy him not for in so doing ye controll the Lord who either taketh away his benefits from the wicked or leaveth them still to the repentant or else reserveth them in the unrepentant to their endlesse punishment For the poore man having sufficient of all things giveth thanks unto the Lord and is enriched of all men because men wish him no harm Therefore my children away with hatred out of your hearts and love one another with a right meaning minde Also will you your children to honour Levi and Juda for out of them shall the Lord make the Saviours of Israel to come I know that in the end your children shall depart from them and walke in all manner of mischief naughtinesse and corruption before the Lord And after a little pausing he said again My sonnes hear me your Father bury me by my fathers And so plucking up his feet he slept in peace and after five years they carryed him thence and laid him with his Fathers in Hebron The Testament of ASER made to his Children at his death concerning two Faces of Vice and Vertue Two wayes saith Aser are prepar'd for men the one for joy The last for death 〈…〉 The Testament of ASER. THe Copy of Aser his Testament and of the things that he spake to his Children in the 120. year of his life Being still in health he said unto them Ye children of Aser hearken unto your father and I will shew you all things that are right before the Lord The Lord hath given two wayes unto the Sons of men two mindes two doings two places and two ends and therefore all wayes may be one yea though they be contraries as are the wayes of good and evill Also there are two mindes in our breasts which doe move us either to honesty or dishonesty Therefore if a man be led to goodnesse all his doings are occupied about righteousnesse and if that be doe any thing amisse by and by he repenteth him for in as much as his minde is bent unto righteousnesse he putteth away naughtinesse and out of hand amendeth his misdeeds and correcteth the corruptions of his mind But if his minde incline unto evill all his doings tend unto naughtinesse in so much that he thrusteth away the good and taketh unto him the bad because he is under the dominion of Belial and if he doe any good thing he turneth the same unto evill For if he begin to do any good he bringeth the end of his doings to an evil work because the treasure of his heart is infected with the venome of a divelâ—sh and mischievous Spirit and therefore the evill overmastereth the good in his minde and bringeth the end of the thing to naughtinesse Some man sheweth compassion upon him that serveth his turn in naughtinesse that man hath two faces and that deed
of his is stark lewdnesse Another man loveth ungraciousnesse and he is lewd likewise and although he could finde in his heart to die for the compassing of his evill yet it is manifest that he is double faced and his doing is altogether starke naught For his love being but lewdnesse doth as it were cloak his evill with a good Name whereas the drift of his doings tendeth unto a wicked end Another healeth doth open wrong pilleth and polleth is covetous and pitieth not the poor He also hath a double face and all this is stark naught for in being niggardly towards his neighbour he provoketh Gods wrath and denyeth the highest in not pitying the poor He despiseth and spiteth the Lord which is the commander of the law he suffereth not the poor to rest he defileth his own sent to make his body gay he killeth many and pâ—â—ieth few this is the part of a double faced person Another committeth whoredome and fornication or vexeth many men piteously with his power and riches and yet abstaineth from meats his fast is naught for he doth the commandements with an evil conscience and that is a double faced dealing which is altogether naught Such manner of folke are right Swine and Hares for they seem to be half clean but in very deed they be utterly unclean You therefore my children become not like them neither beare you in one hood two faces the one of goodnesse and the other of naughtiness but stick all only unto goodness for in goodnesse doth God rest and men like wel of it Shun naughtiness and kill the Divel in your good works for they that are double faced serve not God but their own lusts because they seeke to please Belial and such as are like themselves Now though plain dealing men and such as pretend but one face are taken for offenders at the hands of such as beare two faces yet are they righteous before GOD Fâ—r many in killing wicked persons doe two works at once namely good by evill but indeed the whole worke is good because that he which hath rooted out the evil hath destroyed it Some man hating his neighbour mercifully blameth him for his advoutry or theft such a one is double faced but yet is the whole work good because he followeth the Lords example not respecting what seemeth good when it is evill in deed Another will not make merry with Rioters lest he should be stained by them and defile his own soul This man also is double faced but yet is all his doings good and he is like a Roe or a Stagge which in a common wilde berd seem to be unclean and yet are altogether clean because he walked in the zeale of the Lord shunning and hating those whom God willeth to be shunned in his Commandements and so killeth be evil with weldoing See therefore my Sonnes how there are two in all things one against the other and the one hiddeâ— under the other Death succeedeth to life shame to glory night to day and darkenesse unto light All righteous things are under light and life therefore doth eternall life overmaster death It is not to be said that truth is untruth righteousness unrighteousness or right wrong because that as all things are under God so all truth is under light I have practised all these things in my life and not strayed from the truth of the Lord but sought out the Commandements of the Highest to the uttermost of my power and walked with one face in goodness Take heed therefore my Children to the Lords Commandements and foâ—low the truth with one single face For they that are double faced shall be double punished The spirit of errour hateth the man that fighteth against it Keep the law of the Lord and regard not evill that seemeth good but have an eye to the thing that is good indeed and keep the same returning to the Lord in all his Commandements and resting upon him for the ends whereat men doe aym doe shew their righteâ—usnesse And know the Angels of the Lord from the Angels of Sathan For if ye cleave to wicked spirits your souls shall be tormented of the wicked Spirit whom ye serve in wicked lusts and worke But if ye quietly and cheerfully acquaint your selves with the Angel of Peace he shall comfort you in your life time My children become not like the Sodomites which knew not the Angel and perished for ever For I am sure that you shall sinne and be delivered into the hands of your enemies your land shal be laid waste and your selves shal be scattered into the four corners of the earth and be despised as unprofitable water in your dispersing abroad untill the Highest do visit the earth eatâ—ng and drinking as a man with men and breaking the Serpents head in pieces without noise He shall save Israel and all the Heathen by water being GOD hidden in man Therefore tell your children these things that they neglect not Gods Law written in the Tables of heaven For the time will come that they shall give no credit to the Law of the Lord And you falling unto naughtiness shall deal wickedly against God giving no heed to his Law but unto mens commandments For this cause shall ye be scattered abroad as my Brothers Gad and Dan which were not acquainted with their own countrey tribe and tongue Neverthelesse the Lord shall gather you together again in faith for the hope of his mercy for Abraham Isaac and Jacobs sake When he had so said he commanded them to bury him in Hebron And he died sleeping a good sleep and afterward his sonnes doing as he had willed them carryed him back and buryed him with his Fathers The Testament of JOSEPH made to his Children at his death concerning Chastity and Patience Let Joseph teach thee Love and Chastity So shalt thou have A long blessed life Void of all strife Even to thy grave The Testament of Ioseph MY sons and my brethren hear ye Joseph the well-beloved of Israel My children hear your Father I hâ—ve known in my life Envy and Death with the which my brethren would have destroyed me For they hated me and God loved me they would have killed me and the God of my Fathers kept me they put me into a pit and the most high brought me out again I was sold as a bondman and the Lord made me free and his strong hand helped me I was kept in hunger and the Lord himself nourished me I was left alone and the Lord comforted me I was sick and the Lord visited me I was in prison and the Saviour made me glad I was fastned in Chaines and the Lord unbound me He pleaded my cause in the accusations of the Egyptians and not only delivered me from Envy and Deceit but also exalted me insomuch that Putiphar chief Steward of Pharaohs house did lend me ladging where I was in jeopardy of my life by reason of a
shamelesse woman which entised me to do naughtinesse with her through the flamâ— of voluptuousnesse burning about her breast I was cast in prison for her I was beaten and mocked for her yet the Lord caused the Keeper of the Prison to be moved with mercy towards me He forsaketh not them that feare him neither in darknesse neither in bonds neither in tribulations or necessities God is not ashamed as man neither dreadeth he as men neither shaketh or shrinketh he for fear as earthly men He is present in all places and in their most grievous sorrowes he comforteth his He goeth away for a season to try the thoughts of their minde He found me trusty in ten Temptations and in every one I was constant and preserved For sufferance is a great medicine and causeth much goodnesse How often did the Egyptian threaten my death How often was I punished and yet the woman called me again How often did she threaten me to die because I would not have to do with her She said unto me thou shalt have governance of me and all that be mine if thou wilt give thy selfe unto me and obey my desire and thou shalt be Lord over us But I remembred the words of my father Jacob and entring into my chamber made my prayer to the Lord and fasted seven dayes yet I appeared unto the Egyptian in the self same estate of body as if I had lived in pleasures and delights For they that fast for GOD receive beauty of face When I had wine given unto me I drunk none and fasting three dayes I took my meat daily and gave it to the sick and needy and early I awaked unto the Lord and wept for Metemphetica the Egyptian because she was evermore troubling of me She came unto me in the night as though she would have visited me And first truly because she had never a son she fained to take me as her son And I prayed to God to send her a sonne untill which time she embraced me as though I had been her sonne and perceived not the cause And for a conclusion she drew me to have done fornication with her and I remembring my self was sorrowful to the death And when she was gone out I came to my self and sorrowed many dayes for I perceived her deceit and errour And I spake unto her the words of the most high God if peradventure she might be turned away from her pernicious concupiscence Many times as to a holy man she spake flattering words to me not without deceit lauding my chastity before her Husband which would utterly have destroyed me both manifestly and secretly she said unto me Fear not my Husband for he is perswaded of thy chastity For if so be that any man shewed him of thee and me he would not believe it For because of this thing I covered me with sackcloth and layd me flat upon the Earth and prayed unto Almighty God that he would deliver me from this woman of Egypt When she could doe nothing this way she came unto me again armed with other reasons thâ—t is to say that she would fain learn the word of God of me and began to speak after this manner If thou wilt have me to forsake mine Idols follow my desire and I will perswade my husband the Egyptian to go from his Idolatry and we shall walke in the law of thy God I made answer to these things GOD will have none to worship him with uncleannesse neither hath he any pleasure in adulterers and she held her peace desiring to fulfill her concupiscence And I fasted and prayed that God might deliver me from her Again at another time she said unto me If thou wilt not do adultery with me I will kill my Prince and so by the law I shall take thee to my Husband When I heard that I rent my garment and said Woman I pray thee be ashamed of these things before GOD and feare God and do thou not such an abominable thing Neither despayre utterly that thou drown not thy self in thine own evil for if thou go about I shall utter and declare the thoughts of thine iniquity She fearing these things prayed me that I would not bewray her naughtinesse and so departed Yet again she went about to beguile me with gifts sending unto me all things that men have need of and she sent me meat strewed about with Inchantment And as the Eunuch brought it in I beheld and saw a terrible fellow giving me a sword with the dish and I perceived that she went about to deceive me And when he was gone I wept and touched not that meat nor any other of her sending for a good while after A day after that she came to me and said What is the matter that thou hast not eaten of the meat And I said unto her because thou hast poysoned it Therefore thou shalt know that I will not come unto Idols but only unto God Now understand therefore that the God of my Father by his Angel hath shewed thy mischief unto me and I have kept the meat to thy shame if perchance thou mightest repent or learn that the malice of wicked doers prevaileth not against them that worship the Lord in chastity And I took and did eat before her saying The God of my fathers and the Angell of Abraham shall be with me and then she fell down at my feet and wept Then lifting her up I exhorted her many wayes and she promised unto me that she would never do such iniquity after that day Yet because her heart was mourning and did burn toward me in adultery with sighes comming from the depth of her stomacke she cast down her countenance The Egyptian her husband perceiving her said Wherefore holdest thou down the face She answered I am even sorrowfull at the heart and he comforted her that was not sick yet again she entred in to me her Husband being without and said I am strangled or choaked either I will break thy neck or else drown my selfe without thou wilt obey me And I perceiving that the Spirit of Belial troubled and vexed her prayed unto the Lord my God and said thus wherefore art thou vexed and troubled all blinde in sinne Remember thy selfe for if thou do kill thy self the concubine of thy husband called Secon envying thee shall beat thy children and destroy the memory of thee from the earth And she said unto me Have done have done I perceive that yet thou hast some care for me I have even enough that thou defendest my life and my childrens I have good hope in time to come that I shall obtain my wished desire And she perceived not that for the love of my Lord God I said so and not for her sake Whatsoever he be that followeth the concupiscence of his most filthy and pernicious desire is made servant unto the same as this woman was And if he hear any
of Belial tempt you to all naughtinesse to trouble you yet shall it not get the uppermost hand of you no more then it did of my brother Joseph How many folk would have killed him and yet God still defended him For he that feareth God and loveth his neighbour cannot be wounded of the aiery Spirit Belial and he that is shielded with the fear of the Lord is safe from harm both of man and beast and cannot be overcome because he is helped by the love of God which he hath towards his neighbour for Joseph beâ—ought our father Jacob to pray for my brethren to the Lord that he would not lay unto their charges the mischief that they had devised against him Whereat Jacob cried out O son Joseph thou hast overcome my heart And therewithall embracing him he kissed him two hours together and said In thee shal the prophecy of Heaven be resembled to the full concerning the Lamb of God and Saviour of the world that the unspotted sâ—all be delivered for the wicked dâ—â—ers and he that is without sinne shall die for the sinners in the blood of his testament to the salvation both of the Gentiles and of Israel and he shall dash Belial and all his servants My Children 〈◊〉 upon the end of that good man and follow his mercifulnesse with a good minde that you also may have a Crown of glory upon your heads A good man hath not a dark eye for he is mercifull and pitifull to all men yea though they be sinners and have devised mischief against him and he that doth good overcommeth evill 1 by the defence of goodnesse and loveth 2 the righteous as his own soul If another 3 man be honoured he envieth it not if a man be enriched it grieveth him not If a man be strong 4 or valiant he praiseth him and believing him also to be chaste he defendeth 5 him that hath the feare of God He worketh together with him that loveth God and if a man forsake the 6 Almighty he warneth him to return again Whosoever hath the grace of the good spirit him doth he love as his own life He 7 pitieth the poor succoureth the weak and praiseth and honoureth God My children if ye have a good minde evill men shall stand in awe of you and unthrifts shall for very shame be converted to goodnesse So that covetous men shall not only depart from their niggardlinesse but also give of their aboundance too the needy If ye be good doers both unclean spirits shall flee from you and shrewd beasts shall shun for feare of you For where the regard of good works is in the minde there darknesse flyeth away For if he doe wrong to any holy man he is sorry for it And if a holy man receive wrong he pâ—tieth the doer and putteth it up with silence And if any man betray a righteous soul and the righteous pray for his betrayer the betrayed is not a little disgraced and the Righteous becommeth much more notable afterward as did my Brother Joseph The guilefull spirit of Belial hath no power over a good mans minde for the Angell of peace guideth his soule He looketh not affectionately upon corruptible things â—e â—aketh together riches in the desire of voluptuousnesse He is not delighted with pleasures He grieveth not his neighbour he stuffeth not himself with meat neither wandreth he in the pride of his eyes For the Lord is his portion He taketh no glory for giving good counsell he passeth not how men dishonour him neither can he skill in any fraud or guile untruth strife or slanderousnesse for the Lord dwelleth in him and inlightneth his mind and he rejoyceth before all men in a good time A good minde hath not two tongues one to blesse with and another to curse with one to slander with and another to honour with one of sorrow and another of joy one of quietnesse and another of trouble one of dissimulation and another of truth one of poverty and another of riches but it hath one only disposition pure and uncorrupt towards all It hath no double sight nor double hearing For in all things that he doth speaketh or seeth he knoweth that the Lord beholdeth his heart and therefore he cleanseth his minde that he may not be found faulty before God and man But all the works of Belial are double and utterly void of simplicity Wherefore my children shun the naughtinesse of Belial for at the first he delighteth those that obey him but in the end he is a sword and the father of seaven mischiefs For when the minde hath once conceived by Belial it bringeth forth first envy secondly desperatenesse thirdly sorrow fourthly bondage fifthly needinesse sixthly trouble somness seaventhly desolation and for that cause was Cain tormented with seven punishments by God for in 7. yeares together God brought every yeare a new plague upon Cain Two hundred years he suffered and in the nine hundredth year the earth was made desolate with the Floud for his righteous brother Abels sake In seven hundred years is Cain judged and Lamech in seventy times seven for they that are like Cain in spightfulnesse hatred towards their brethren shall be punished with the same punishment for ever as he was You therefore my children eschew malice envy and hatred towards your brethren and cleave to goodnesse and lovingnesse He that hath a mâ—nd clean in love looketâ— not upon a woman in way of lechery Foâ— he hath no defiâ—ing in his heart because the spirit of the Lord resteth in him For as the Sun is not defiled by shining upon a puddle or dunghill but doth rather dry up and drive away the stinke even so a pure minde striveth against the uncleannesse of the earth and overcommenth it but is not defiled it selfe And I perceive by the sayings of the righteous Enoch that there shall be evil deeds among you For you shall defile your selves with the foâ—nication of Sâ—dom and perish all save a few multiply inordinate lusts in Women and the reign of the Lord shall not be among you for he shal take it away suddenly Neverthelesse the Lords Temple shall be made in our portion and it shall be glorious among you For the Lord himselfe shall take the Kingdome upon him and the twelve Tribes shall be gathered together there and all Nations shall resort thither untill the most High send his salvation in the visitation of his onely begotten And he shall enter into the first Temple and there the Lord shall suffer wrong and be despised and be lifted up unto a piece of timber And the veil of the Temple shall be rent asunder and the Spirit of the Lord shall come down upon the Gentiles poured out as fire and rising up from the grave he shall ascend from earth to Heaven He shall remember how base he hath been upon earth and how glorious