with her Vpon a time while I was away she maried Sylon to a woman of Chanaan which her deed when I understood I cursed her in the bitternesse of my soule so she died in the wickednesse of her sons A two years after these things as I went to sheare my sheepe Thamar decking herselfe live a Bride sat her downe at the gate of the City For it was the custom of the Amorites that their brides do set them selves forth at the gates of their cities by the space of 7 daâ—es together to be abused by fornication I therefore being drunken with the waters of Horek knew her not by reason of wine insomuch that her beauty together with the attire in decking of her selfe deceived mee and thereupon turning aside unto her I said shall I come in unto thee and she answered what wilt thou give mee and I gave her my staffe and my Gyrdle and the Crowne of my kingdome Vpon my companying with her she conceived afterward I not knowing my self to have been the doer thereof would have put her to death for it But she having kept my pledges in store shamed me with them and when I had heard my owne words of her in secret which I had spoken to her when I lay with her in my drunkennes I could not put her to death because it was of the Lords doing but I touched her not any more to my dying day For when I had done this abhomination in Israel lest she might worke wyles with me I sayd I would fetch my pledges again of her but when I enquired for her the townsmen said there was no bride in the city because she came from another place and had sit there but a little while she deemed that no man knew of my going in unto her Afterward we came into Egypt to Ioseph because of the dearth Six and forty years old was I when we came hither threescore thirteen yeares have I lived here And now my Sonnes heare me your father in all things that I charge you withal and keepe you all my sayings in doing all manner of Righteousnesse before the Lord and in obeying the commandements of the Lord God and walke not after your own lustes nor after conceits of your own mindes in the pride of your hearts neither glorie in the workes of the strength of your youth because it is sinfull in the sight of the Lord For in as much as I gloried in my battailes and upbraided my brother Ruben with Bilha my fathers Wife because no face of any beautifull woman had yet deceived mee therefore the spirit of fondnesse and fornication fel upon me so that I was overtakâ—n both in Bethuse the Chanaanite and in Thamar the Wife of my owne sons And I said unto my father in Law I have made my father privie to the matter therefore I will take thy daughter to my wife Hereupon he shewed me an infinite masse of gold in his daughters beâ—alf for he was â— king decking her with Gold and Pearl willed her to poure out wine to us at the Supper The beauty of the woman and the wine together dazled mine eyes and voluptuousnes did so darken mine understanding that I fell in love with her and brake the commandement of God and of my fathers tooke her to wife According to the intent of my heart the Lord paied me home for it for I had no joy of the children that I had by her Now therefore my Children be not drunken with wine for wine turneth a Mans understanding away from the truth and kindleth in him the fire of lust leadâ—ng his eyes into errour insomuch as wine is a servant to the spirit of lechery to further the feeding of the mind with voluptuousnesse and so these twayne bereave a man of all power For if a man drink wine till he be drunken he traineth his minde unto the filthy thoughts of lechery and kindleth the body to carnall copulation And if desired occasion serve sinne is wrought without shame Such a thing is wine my sons for a drunken man is ashamed of nothing Behold it made both me Thamar do amisse so as I blushed not at the multitude in the city but went aside unto her in the sight of all men and committed a great sinne in discovering the uncleane privities of my own sons Through drinking of wine I was not ashamed to break Gods Commandement in taking a woman of Chanaan to Wife Wherefore my sonnes he that drinketh wine had need of discretion the discretion that every man ought to use in drinking of wine is that he be ashamed to over-drink himself For if he passe that bond he forgoeth his understanding cleaveth to the spirit of errour which causeth the drunken man to talke filthily to do wickedly not to be ashamed but to boast of his lewdnes thinking it to be good He that committeth whoredome is bereft of his libertie and becommeth a bond-slave of lecherie and cannot get out of it again after the same manner that I was made naked For I gave over my staffe that is to say the stay of my tribe my girdle that is my power my crown that is the glory of my kingdome Hâ—wbeit repenting these things I forbare all wine and flesh unto mine old age and was utterly unacquainted with all mirth And the Angell of God shewed me that women should from time to time over-master all men as well Kings as captives and bereave great men of their glorie For the poverty of a poore man is a greater fence to him than is the strength of a mighty man Therefore my children keep measure in drinking for there are in it foure noysome spirits that is to wit of concupisence of heart burning of lechery and of filthy gaine If yee drinke wine merrily in the feare of the Lord with shamefastnes ye shall live But if ye drink without regard of shame feare of God then turneth it to drunkennes dishonesty stealeth in And if yee drink none of all then shall ye not sin neither in slanderous words nor in quarrelling nor in railing nor in breach of Gods commandements neither shall ye perish before your time For wine discloseth the secrets of God man unto Strangers like as I bewrayed the secrets of God and of my Father Jacob to Bethsue the Chanaanite which God hath forbidden to bee disclosed Also wine is a cause of warre and sedition Moreover I charge you my sons that you love not money ne look upon the beauty of women for mony womanly beauty made me to overshoote shoote my self in Bethuse the Chanaanite And I am sure that these two things shall corrupt mine of-spring and mar the wise men of my linage and hurt the kingdome of Juda which God hath given me for obeying my Father for I never repined at my
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
cause the God of our fathers delivered him from all death both seen and unseen For if fornication over-rule not your minde neither shall Belial prevaile against you Women are hurtfull things my sonnes because that when they want power and strength against a man they worke guilefully to draw him to them by traines whom they cannot overmatch in strength him they overcome by deceit For the Angel of the Lord which taught me told me of them that they be overmastered by the spirit of fornication more than men be and that they be ever practising in their hearts against men first making their mindes to erre by decking of themselves then shedding their poison into them by sight and finally catching them prisoners by their doings for a woman is notable to enforce a man Therefore my sons flie fornication charge your wives and daughters that they trim not their heads and will them to chasten their lookes for every woman that dealeth deceitfully in these things is reserved to the punishment of the world to come For by such means were the watchers deceived before the floud as soone as they saw them they fell in love one with another conceived a working in their minde and turned themselves into the shape of men and appeared to them in their companying with their husband and the woman by conceiving the desire of them in the imagination of their minde brought forth Giants For the Watches appeared to them of height unto heaven Therefore keepe your selves from fornication and if yee intend to have a cleare minde keepe your selves from all Women and forbid them likewise the company of men that they may have also cleane minds For although continuall companyings do not alwaies worke wickednesse yet breede they incurable stings to them and to us everlasting shame before Belial because that fornication hath neither understanding nor godlinesse in it and all enviousnes dwelleth in the desire thereof and for that cause shalt yee envie the Children of Levi and seeke to be exalted above them but ye shall not be able to compasse it for God will avenger them and you shall die a dangerous death for unto Levi and Iuda hath the Lord given the soveraignty and unto mee and Dan and Joseph hath hee granted to be Princes with them Wherfore I charge you heare Levi for he shall know the law of the Lord deale forth judgement and offer sacrifices for all Israel till the full time of Christ the chiefâ— priest because the Lord hath spoken it I charge you by the God of heaven that every of you do deale faithfully with his neighbour and flicke unto Levi in humblenesse of heart that ye may receive blessing at his mouth for he shall blesse Israel and Juda. God hath chosen Juda to bee the King of all people wherefore worship you his seed for he shall die for you in battels both visible and invisible and shall raigne over you world without end Ruben having given his Children the foresaid charge and blessed them dyed Then they put him in a coffin carrying him out of Egypt buried him at Hebron in the double Cave where his Fathers slept The Testament of SIMEON made to his Children at his death concerning Envie The heart in womans mouth the face the sword the wolfe the cap All these paint out the envious race That run to their mishap The Testament of Simeon THe copy of Simeons words which hee spake unto his sons at his death in the hundreth twentieth yeare of his life in the which Joseph died For they came to visit him upon his death-bed and he sitting up kissed them saying Hearken my Children heare me your father Simeon whatsoever I have in my heart I am my father Jacobs second son and my mother Lea named me Simeon because the Lord heard her prayer I became very mighty I went through with my doings and was not affraid of any thing For my heart was stout my mind unmoveable and my stomack undiscourageable for hardiness is given of the highest into mens soules and bodies In those daies I envied Joseph because my father loved him I hardened my heart against him to kill him because the prince of errour sending forth the spirit of envie so blinded my mind that I could not take heed to spare my father Jacob But his God the God of his fathers sending his angell did rid him out of my hands For while I went into Sichem to carrie fare for our flockes and Ruben into Dotaim where all our necessaries were laid up in store our brother Juda sold him unto the Ismaelites therefore when my brother was come againe he was sorry for he intended to have conveied him selfe againe to our father But I was angry with Juda for letting him goe alive and bare him grudge five moneths after howbeit God letted me and restrained the working of my hands for my right hand was halfe withered up for vii dayes together Then did I perceive my sonnes that that befell me for Josephs sake whereupon I repented soon after and besought the Lord to restore my hand and I would abstain from all rancor envie and folly For I knew I had conceived a wicked thought against the Lord and against my Father Jacob for my brother Josephs sake whom I envied Now therefore my children keep your selves from the spirits of error and envy For envie overruleth the a mind of everie Man suffering b him not to eate or drink in rest or so do any good thing and is alwaies egging him to c slay the party whom he envieth and d pining away at his prosperitie Two yeares together I punished my soul with fasting in the fear of the Lord For I knew that the way to deliver me from envie was the feare of the Lord If a man flie unto the Lord the wicked Spirit flieth from him so as his minde becommeth meeke and of spitefull he becommeth pitifull bearing no grudge towards such as love him and so his envie ceaseth And because my father saw me sad he asked me the cause of it In whom I lied saying I have a pain in my stomach for I was sorâ—iest of all my brothers for that I had been the cause of Josephs selling into Egypt And when I came into Egypt and was put inward by him as a sâ—te then perceived I that I was justly punished and I was not sorry for it But Joseph being a good man and having Gods spirit in hâ—m and being full of pitie and mercy minded not to doe mee any harm but loved me as well as the residue of my brethren Therefore my children keep your selves from all spite and envie and walke in singlenesse of minde and good conscience after the example of your fathers brother that God may give you grace glory and blessedness upon your heads as you see in him Of all
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
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
the daies of his life he did never cast us in the teeth with it but loved us as his owne soule and more than his owne Children honouring us and giving us riches cattell and corne abundantly You therefore my children love yee one another with a good heart and put from you the spirit of Envie for it maketh a Mans sou'e to grow savage marreth his body breedeth wrath and war in his thoughts setteth his bloud on fire driveth him out of his wits and suffereth no reason to beare any sway or rule Moreover it taketh away his sleep disquieteth his minde and maketh his body to tremble For even in sleep some spice of imagined malice gnaweth him cumbring his soule with Spirits of mischiefe making his body ghastly and his mind affrighted with trouble and appearing unto men as it were with a pernicious Spirit and powring out of poyson Therefore was Joseph faire of face beautifull and comely to behold because no wicked thing dwelt in him for he had a countenance cleare from cumverance of mind And now my children let your hearts be meek before the Lord and walke right before man so shall ye finde favour both with God man and beware that ye fall not to whoredome For whoredome is the mother of all naughtines separating a man from God sending him to Belial For I have seene in Enochs writings that you and your children shall be corrupted with whoredome and do Levi wrong by the sword But they shall not prevaile against Levi because he shall fight the Lords battels and take all your tents and very few shall be divided in Levi and Juda for hee shall be your Captaine as my Father Jacob prophesied in his blessings Behold I tell you all these things aforehand that I may be cleare from the sin of your soules Now if you put from you all enviousnes and all stiffneckednes all my bones shall flourish as a rose in Israel and my flesh as a Lilâ—ie in Jacob and my savor shall be as the sent of Libanus my holy ones shall be multiplied as the Cedars for ever their boughs shall spreade out in length for evermore Then shall the seed of Canaan perish together with all the remnant of Amalek All the Cappadocians shall perish and all tâ—e Sethians shall likewise be destroyed Then shall the land of Cham faile and all the people goe to wreck Then shall the Earth rest from trouble and all men under Heaven from war Then shall Sem be glorified when the great Lord God of Israel appeareth upon earth as a man to save Adam in him Then shall the spirits of errour he troden under foote and men shall reign over hurtfull fiends then shall I arise again in joy and blesse the highest in his wonderful works for God taking a body upon him and eating with men shal save men And now my children obey Levi and you shall be delivered by Juda and advance not your selves above these two tribes for of them two shall the saving health of God spring unto us For the Lord shall set up of Levi the prince of priests and of Juda the King of Kâ—ngs God man So shall he save all the Gentiles the off-spring of Israel For these things sake I charge you to command your children to keepe these things thoroughout all their generations And Simeon making an end of these his sayings and commandements to his children slept with his fathers when as he was of the age of an hundred twenty yeares And then they laid him in a coffin of wood that rotteth not that they might cary his bones againe into Hebron they conveyed him privily in the warte of the Egyptians For the Egyptians kept the bones of Joseph in the Kings treasure For their inchanters told them that whensoever Josephs bones were carried away there should be such a plague of miste and darknesse among the Egyptians as one brother should not know another no not even by torchlight and Symeons children bewailed there Father according to the Law of mourning continued in Egypt till the day of their departing thence under the hand of Moyses The Testament of LEVI made to his Childrena this death concerning Priesthood Flie sinne be just rage not give light Ye Preachers of Gods Word For what else sheweth Sun and Moone Dame Venus Wolfe and Sword 〈…〉 THe Copy of Levies words namely which hee spake to his children concerning all the things which they should doe and which should happen unto them untill the day of judgement Hee was in health when he called them unto him for he knew before when he should die So when they were come together he said unto them I Levi was bred and borne in Charran and afterward came with my father into Sichem I was at that time but young about 20 yeers old when I helped my brother Simeon to revenge our sister Dina against Hemor Now as we were â—eeding of our flocks in Abelmuel the spirit of the understanding of the Lord came upon me I saw all men undermining their own waies and how unrighteousnes had builded her selfe a fortresse wickedness sat upon the throne thereof And I was sory for mankind besought the Lord to save them Then there fell a sleep upon me and I saw a very high mountain It was the mountaine of Aspis in Abelmuel And behold the heavens opened and the Angell of God said unto me Levi come hither and went from the first heaven to the second and there saw the water hanging betweene the one and the other And I saw the third heaven much brighter than them both for the height thereof was infinit And I said to the angell what meaneth this And the Angell answered me Marvel not at these things for thou shalt see foure heavens yet brighter without comparison when thou commest up to them For thou shalt stand by the Lord be his Minister and utter his secrets unto men and preach of the deliverer of Israel which is to come by thee and by Juda the Lord will appear to men to save all mankind in them Thy life shall depend upon the Lord by him shalt thou have thy fields vineyards fruits gold and silver Therefore harken as touching the seven heavens The lowest is most lowring because it is neerest to all the unrighteousnes of men The second hath fire snow yce prepared by the Lords appointment against the day of Gods rightfull judgement In it are all the spirits of vengeance for the punishing of the wicked In the third are the powers of hosts ordaâ—ned against the day of iudgement to take vengeance upon the spirits of error and Belial In the fourth above these are the saints for in the higher places dwelleth great glory in the holy of all holies above all holinesse In the next unto this are the angels that do serve in Gods presence and seek his
favour in all the ignorances of the righteous They offer to the Lord the sweet savor of a reasonable service a sacrifice without bloud In the other that is under this are the Angels that bring answers from the Angels in Gods presence In that which is above it are the thrones and potestates wherein is continuall offering up of hymnes unto God Therefore whensoever the Lord looketh upon us all of us are moved yea and even heaven earth the bottomlesse deep are moved at the sight of his greatnesse but the children of men being witles shall sin and provoke the highest unto wrath Now therefore understand that the Lord will execute iudgement upon the children of men Because that men will still continue in unbeliefe and unrighteousnesse even when the stone shall cleave asunder the sunne be darkned the waters dryed up the fire quake all creatures be troubled at the fainting of the invisible Spirit and the spoiling of hell in the passion of the highest therefore shall they be condemned to punishment The highest then hath heard thy prayer to separate thee from unrighteousnesse and to make thee his sonne and servant and a minister in his presence a lanterne of knowledge to lighten Jacob throughly and to be as a day sunne among the children of Israel and unto thee and thy seed shall the power of blessing be given till God visit all nations in the bowels of the mercy of his Sonne for ever Neverthelesse thy sons shall lay their hands upon him to crucifie him and for this cause is wisedome and understanding given unto thee to give thy children knowledge of him because that if they blesse him they shall be blessed and they that curse him shall perish in his sight And the angell opened me the gates of heaven and I saw the holy Temple and the highest sitting on the throne of glorie and he said unto me Levi I have given thee the blessings of the Priesthood till I come my selfe to dwell in the midst of Israel Then the angell brought mee downe to the earth and gave me a shield and a sword saying Execute vengeance in Sechem for Dina and I will be with thee for God hath sent me And at that time I slew the sonnes of Hemor as it is written in the tables of Heaven And I said unto him Lord I pray thee tell me thy name that I may call upon thee in the time of my trouble And he answered I am an Angell which excuseth Israel that he might not be stricken for ever because all wicked spirits he in waite for him Afterward being waked as it were out of sleep I blessed the most highest and the angel that excuseth the ofspring of Israel and all righteous men And when I came to my Father I found an Aspe of bâ—â—sse whereupon the hill took the name of 〈◊〉 is which is hard by Gebat on the rigâ—â— side of Abila And I laid up these sayings in my hearâ— and I counselled my father anâ— my brother Ruben to perswade the sons of Hemâ—r to bee circumcised because I was zâ—â—lously grieved for the abominâ—â—ion which they had wrought in Israel For first fall I killed Sichem then Simeon killed Hemor and after this came our brethren who smoâ—e the Citie with the edge of the sword When my father heard of it hee was angrie because they had received circumcision and were killed afterward and therefore he dealt otherwise with us in blessing For wee sinned in doing it against his will he fell sicke the same day But I knew then the Lord intended evill to the Sichemites because they had heretofore purposed to have done the like unto Sara as they did unto our sister Dina but GOD letted them And they persecuted our father Abraham as then a stranger caried away his cattel and furthermore did beat Jeblao very sore who was born in his house After the same manner dealt they with all othâ—r strangers taking away their wives from them by force driving the men themselves out of their country For which cause the wrath of the Lord came upon them in the end And I said to my father Sir bee not offended for God will bring the Canaanites to nothing before thee give their land unto thee unto thy holy one after thee For from henceforth Sichem shall be called the city of fooles because that as men do scorn fools so have we scorned them for their working of folly in Israel in taking away our sister for to defile her Then came we into Bethel and there when I had sacrificed threescore and ten dayes together I saw the thing again as I had seen it before And I saw seven men in white rayment saying unto me Vp put on the Stole of Priesthood the crowne of righteousnesse the Reasonal of understanding the Robe of truth the Brestplate of faith the Mitre of holiness and the Ephod of Prophecie And so every of them bringing something with him did put them upon me saying Be thou henceforth the Lords Priest thou and thy seed for evermore The first of them anointed me with holy Oyl and gave me the Scepter of judgement The second washed me with cleane water and fed me with Bread and Wine that is to wit with the most Holy of Holies and clothed me with a glorious Robe downe to the ground The third did put upon me a Silken garment like to an Ephod. The fourth girded me with a girdle like to Purple The fift gave unto me an Olive bough very full of fatness The sixt did set the Mitre of Priesthood upon my head The seventh filled my hands with incense to the intent I should execute the office of a priest unto the Lord And he said unto me Levi unto three principall things is thy seede appointed of God namely to be a signe of the glorious Lord that is to come he that believeth shall be the first The great lot shall not fall upon him the second shall be in Priesthood and the third shall have a new name because a King shall rise up in Juda and renew my priesthood according unto the figure of the Gentiles among all nations But the comming of him is unutterable as who shall be the Prophet of the highest born of our Father Abraham All the pleasant things of Israel shall be given unto thee to thy seed and you shall eat all that is faire to see to and thy seed shall distribute the Lords Table and of them shall be high Priests Iudges and Scribes for in their mouth shall the holy things be kept When I awoke I perceived that this vision was like the other and I laid it up in mine heart and shewed it not unto any man living upon the earth The first two dayes I Iuda went to our grandfather Isaac and he blessed me according to all the sayings
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
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
it to passe The Testament of Neptalim made to his Children at his death concerning goodnes Run Neptalims race but run apace Embrace his goodnesse and trustinesse If your state you see servants to be Then God will you blesse give successe The Testament of Neptalim THe copy of Neptalims Testament concerning the things which he discoursed at the end of his time in the hundreth and two and thirtieth year of his life At the comming of his Children together in the seaventh moneth the fourth day of the moneth he being yet in good health commanded a sumptuous feast and great chear to be prepared When he awoke in the morning from sleep because he was even at deaths doore he praised the Lord that had strengthned him and began to speak to his children in this wise My Children give eare to Neptalim hearken to your fathers words I was borne of Bilha and because Rachel dealt craftily in putting Bilha to Jacob in her owne stead and Bilha was delivered of mee in Rachels lap therefore was I called Neptalim And Rachel loved mee because I was borne on her lap and shee kissed me when I was a little one saying God let me see a brother of thine out of mine owne wombe after thee By reason whereof Joseph was like to mee in all things according to Rachels request Now my mother Bilha was the daughter of Rotheus the brother of Debora Rebecca's nurse and was born the self-same day that Rachel was born for Rotheus was a Chaldean of Abrahams kindred a worshipper of GOD freeborn and a noble man Howbeit forsomuch as he was taken prisoner Laban bought him and married him so a bond-woman of his called Eve who brought him forth a son whom he named Zeliphas after the name of the Castle wherein he was taken Afterward she bare Bilha calling her her new hasty daughter because she was fond of the Dug as soon as she was born And because I was as swift of foot as a Stag my father Jacob appointed me to run of all messages and errands and blessed me by the name of Stag For as the Potter knoweth what his vessel shall contain and tempereth his quantity of clay thereafter so the Lord maketh a mans body proportionable to the spirit that he will put unto it and fliteth the spirit to the ability of the body so as there is no inequality or oddes betwixt them for all the Lords creatures are made by weight measure and rule And as the Potter knoweth the use of every of them to what things they be meetest so the Lord knoweth the body how farre forth it is fit for goodnesse and when it beginneth in evill For there is not any Creature reasonable nor unreasonable which the Lord knoweth not for he hath created all men after his own image and as mans strength is so is his worke as is his will so is his worke as is his forecast so is his doing as is his heart so is his mouth as is his eye so is his sleep and as is his minde so is his talke either of the Law of the Lord or of the Law of Belial And looke what diversity is betweene light and darknesse or between sight and hearing the same diversity is there in man and woman Neither is it to be said that there is any bitternesse in any thing either of the face or of other like things For God hath made all things good in their order or degres he hath set the five wits in the head and knit the head to the neck and covered it with hair for his glory Moreover he hath assigned the heart to wisdome the bellâ— to the avoidance of the stomach 〈…〉 health the Liver to anger the gall to bitternesse the spleen to laughter the kidnies to craftinesse the loins to strength the ribbes to comelinesse the seed to lustinesse and so forth So my children doe all things in order and in the feare of God neither doe ye any thing disorderly in scorn or out of due season For thou canst not command the eye to beare neither canst thou doe the works of light in darknesse Therefore haste you not to marâ— your doings through covetousnesse or to beguile your own souls with fond talke For by holding your peace with a cleane heart ye shall be able to keep the will of God and to cast away the will of the divell the Sunne Moon and Stars break not their order neither break you Gods law in the order of your doings The Gentiles by going astray and by forsaking the Lord have changed their order and followed stocks and stones and spirits of errour But do you not so my children know ye that your onely one God is the Lord in the skies on the earth in the Sea and of all creatures for he is the mâ—ker of them And be not like Sodom which altereth the order of her Nature likewise the waters altered the order of their nature and they whom God cursed in the flood making the earth desolate and fruitless for their sakes My children I say these things because I have read in the holy writings of Enoch that you also shall depart from the Lord and walk in all the wickednesse of Sodome and the Lord shall bring thraldome upon you so as you shal serve your enemies and be pinched with all manner of tribulation and pain till God consume you every one and when ye be made few and small ye shal turn again and know the Lord your God and he shal bring you again into your own land according to his manifold mercy And it shall come to passe that when they shall be come into the countrey of their fathers they shall forget the Lord again and deal wickedly so as the Lord shall scatter them all over the face of the whole earth till in the mercy of the Lord come a man that poureth out mercy and righteousness upon all men both far and neer For in the xl year of my life upon mount Olivet toward the east side of Jerusalem I saw the Sun and Moon stand still and behold Isaac my fathers father said to us Come hither apace and every one of you take hold according to his strength for the Sunne and Moone may be caught And we came running all togethâ—r and Levi caught hold of the Sunne and Juda jumping up caught told of the Moon and were both of them lifted up with them And when as Levi became as the Sunne a certain young mâ—n delivered him twelve boughs of Palm tree and Juda shined as the Moon and twelve beams or rayes were under his feet and Levi and Juda running together beheld one another And behold there was a Bull upon earth that had great horns and Eagles wings upon his backe and we would have caught him but we could not for Joseph stepping before us caught him and mounted aloft upon him And behold there appeared unto us an holy writing
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
done but it shall be open A godly caveat Labour a preservative from fornication A guilty conscience is a great burden The fruit of fornication 1. Destruction of the soule 2. Idolatry 3. Shortnes of life 4 Ignominious shame Josephs chastity rewarded Properties of unchast women A note for garish attire and wanton lookes An example of this mischiefe Gen. 6. Teachers infectious company corrupteth the minde Envie accoÌ„panieth fornication shame followeth Gen 4.9 He prophecieth of Christ Faithful dealing with neighbours Gen. 5.49 Gen. 29. Hardiness of whom it is Gen. 37. Man purposeth God disposeth Envie descâ—ibed a Blindeth the mind b hindreth â—â—stenance c Provoketh murder d Pineth aâ— mens prosperity A remedy against envie Gen. 42. Joseph mercifull to his brethren Gen. 50. A sure token of good Properties of Envie 1 Corruption of life 2 Distemperature of body 3 Small sleep Gen. 39. A token of a quiet minde Effects of whoredome Gen. 49. Parents teaching not their Children are guilty Commodities of concord Exod. 17. Ioh. 1. The fruite of obedience Gen. 49. A note for Parents Levi hâ—s birth and countâ—ey Gen. 34. Christ Christ A minister what hee should be of himself not righteous Mat. 5. End of the priesthood prophesied Christ his passion prophesied Christ Gen. 34. Christ our redeemer The zeale of a Minister Gen. 34. Gen. 34. Gen. 49. The manner not the doing rebuked The sin of the Sichemites Raped Dina Persecuted strangers Gen. 12. Ravished their wives Gen. 35. The ministerie described Exod. 28. Levit. 8. The three blessings of the family of Levi Christ prophecied A distributing excludeth the sole receiving of the Sacrament Exod. 29 Levi. 1.2 3. An exhortation for Ministers A minister may be married Levit. 21. He must come with a pure mind to exâ—cute his office Levit. 1.2 3 4 A comfort for godly parents Prophecy of the destruction of Israel The Realm plagued whose Ministery is wicked Gen. 36. Levi his progenie Exod. 6. Levi made Priest at 18 years Married at 28. A note for Parents Blessings of the learned Minister Wisedome a precious jewell Sin blindeth wisedome Commodities of wisedome Christ his death and spitefulnes of the Jews prophesied Mat. 27. Ministers what they are The wicked Priesthood and their misery described 1 Sam. 2. A Prophecy of their destruction A prophecy of Christs persecution Mark the right portraiture of the Shaveling generation Christ and his members Ergo faith the holy Ghost justifieth and not merits Christ his true mnistery described Christ lighneth the world Baptisme of Christ prophecied No Priesthood shall succeed Christ Priesthood of Christ how beneficial Christ our propitiator Christ giveth power to his to tread down spirits Juda his exhortation The duty of children Valiantnes of Juda the gift of God The manhood of Juda. The valiantnes of Jacob Er Anan slaine for not using the benefit of lawfull mariage FornicatioÌ„ a fruit of drunkennes Gen. 38. An intolerable custome of the Amorites Apparell Beauty wine provoketh whoredome FornicatioÌ„ is chargeable Happy are they that can cease from doing ill It is sinful to any man to glory in his felicity See what it is to upbraid men their vice Children that marry without consent of parents plagued Discommodities of wine 1. Blindeth understanding 2. Servant of lechery Fruite of drunkennes A drunken man is shamelesse Example Who ought to drinke wine Properties of a drunken man is filthy talk wicked deeds Discommoditie of whoredome Four noisome Spirits follow drunkeÌ„nes 1. Concupiscence 2. Heart burning 3. Lechery 4. Covetousnes Astibnenc from wine what commodity it hath 2. It slandreth not 2. It quarreleth not nor raileth 3 It breaketh not the commandements 4. It perisheth not before the time Obedience to parents how profitable The discommodites of covetousnesse a Fill of Pride b Merciles c Disquiets the soule d Consumes the body e Contemnes Gods holy word The covetous lecherous cannot feare God Idolatry the fruit of covetousnesse Two Spirits waite upon a man a In respect that heavenly things are better then earthly not in externall rule government b Ergo iure divino the Pope can challenge no earthly power c Not in power and rule but in the excelâ—eÌ„cy of the office appertaining to God Tyrants wicked men described and prophesied Mutuall discord is a plague for tyrants Christ prophesied Note this ye that seeke after witches for lost goods The misery of Jerusalem a Famine b Pestilence c Death Sword d Besiegement e Devouring dogs f Daily reproche g Losse paine of eyes h Slaughter of children i Ravishing of Wives k Burning of the Temple l Desolation of the country m Captivity A remedy for these First Repentance Obedience The most heavenly benefit of Christ his second coming A sweet comfort for the godly Christian Matth. 5. Note The blessed estate of the elect after death The exhortation Gen. 30. The godly life of Issachar his true dealing An example for godly children A pattern of a vertuous life With a plain dealing man the Lord is pleased A single-hearted man described who and what he is Learn you children of the earth Obedience and plain dealing commended A Plague for disobedience The innocency of Issachar A godly pattern to follow Hearken you Land-Lords Learn you wealthy of the earth His exhortation when it was given Gen. 30. The love of Zabulon towarâ— Joseph A good conscience refuseth no triall Love between brethren is as a precious ointment Mutuall love is mutuall safety A figure of the trechery and covetousnesse of Judas read Matth. 27. Juda carefull for his Brother Reuben his love toward Joseph Mark the wicked policy of the ungodly Zabulon his exhortation Compassion is to be shewed as well to beasts as men The unmercifull punished both they and their children Fishers Boats fiâ—st invented by Zabulon but God gave the wisdome Gen. 49. The singular compassion of Zabulon Note Zabulon his mercy in giving food A mercyfull deede to clothe the naked Inward compassion wanting ability serveth A rare example of a mercifull heart God dwelleth â—n a mercifuâ—l heart Joseph rewarded good for evill He that is mindful of injuries is not mercâ—full Apt similitudes An exhortation to concord The end of discord is misery The state of the wicked at the latter day Heart and outward profession must be consociate Lies anger school-masters of evill life Selfe-love thinketh himself as good as other Desire of prerogative entiseth to murther Man purposeth but God disposeth A wrathfull man lively described a He accounteth his Parents as enemies b He knoweth not his brother c He obeyeth not the Minister d He regardeth not the righteous e He considereth not his friend The properties of wrath A wrathfull man worketh three wayes 1 By servants 2 By riches 3 By himself Two instruments of wrath bitter speech violent hands Remedy against wrath is forbearing of words The effect of impatience He prophesieth their wickednes A note for covetousnes Repentance obtaineth mercy A prophecy of Christ his humanity Christ lively described Christ our mediator Christ assisteth us in all temptations His birth Why he was called Neptalim Why Joseph was like Neptalim his family The swiftnesse of Neptalim Gen. 49. God his wisdome in creating us lively set forth All things must be done in time and order The reason Neptalim prophesieth the misery of his children A Vision Remorse of conscience moveth open confession By doing well God is glorified men blessâ—d the divel vâ—nquished Gad a good and valiant shepheard Gad hated Joseph for his complaining to his father 2. For his dreams A comparison The property of hatred A righteous man described Love consisteth in deed in word and minde Envy no mans prosperity It may be perchance your profit A poor man how he is rich A prophecy of Christ Two wayes for a man to walk in Two mindes in a man of good of evil Diverse sorts of double faces The covetous mans wickedness described God abideth with the plain dealer The preposterous judgement of the world makes not good or bad Other kindes of double faced men Aser his righteous living Double faced double punished A prophecy of Câ—rist his humanity Josephs afflictions God helpeth in distresse God never forsaketh his Joseph constant in temptations Sufferance what it is A present medicine in temptation Not from meat but from wanton fare A crafty practise of a woman Flattery the Divels sweet bait A token of a zealous heart Hypocrites are of all religions for luere Double faced men GOD abhorreth Note the fruit of lust Joseph did first admonish not proclame The Name of God fear of infamy pricketh the conscieece Note this A remedy against teÌ„ptation Note a subtile woman Josephs singular chastity A property of a Harlot The commodity of praier and sufferance Josephs lowlinesse in prosperity An amiable countenance a token of a liberall mind A covetous heart like Achaâ— A token of mercy if it were not for an ill end Note a flattering woman A good nature Thus the Righteous be bought and sold Concord between brethren pleaseth God Josephs mercifull heart declared A promise for them that pray for their enemies God provideth for his Elect. Josephs dreams Christ prophesied Benjamin what it signifieth Josephs distress revenged by God Temptation shaâ— not overcome them that fear the Lord Joseph aright figure of Jesus Christ A good man 1 OvercoÌ„meth evil 2 Loveth the righteous 3 Envieth not 4 Praiseth the valiant 5 Defendeth him that feareth God 6 Admonisheth the Sinner 7 Pitieth the poore The example of a godly man converteth Sinners The properties of a righteous man Disobedience the father of seven mischiefs 1 Envy 1 Desperation 3 Sorrow 4 BoÌ„dage 5 Needinesse 6 Trouble 7 Desolation An example of Cain An apt similitude to a mind resisting sinnes A prophecy of the nativity of Christ Of his passion Matth. 27. Of the comming of the holy Spirit Of his ascension A prophecy of the last comming of Christ The resurrection judgement described A prophecy of the nativity of Christ Christ described Christ wipeth away our sins