the vvordes of the mouth of the vvise doe beare grace as specially the speches in David for the Kingdome of Christ but the lippes of the foole Ieroboam svvalovved vp all his house vvhen he bade vvorship calves at Dan and Bethel and forbade to go vp to Ierusalem The begining of the vvordes of his mouth vvas foolishnes and the end of his mouth an evell madnes The other Kinges foolish before God multiplyed vvordes against Iudah but savv not their fall Great toyle they tooke familie after family and vvearied them selves in their Idoles being as men that knevv not the vvay to the city And such vvere all the Kinges of Israell and the vvicked of Roboams Kingdome And vvo be to the kingdome vvhere the Princes be given to feasting as the true noble and sobre bring happines A King dome is like an house vvher by slougth the timber vvork rotteth and by dissolute hād the house vvilbe dropped through vvhen they make feastes for laughter and that vvine chear the hart and mony must affordall And herein the meddlers vvith Kinges find their ovvne ruine this vanitie is comon But they that look to the kingdome of Christ vvill not in thought medle vvith Caesar for listeners vvill fly to report all that is once vttered But men should ambitiously seke to meddle vvith their ovvne matters and to do good for the hope to come as Pilgromes strangers This vvil be a casting of seede vpon moyst ground vvhich vvill fructifie that as one soovveth he shall reape Therfore vvhile vve have time vve should doe good to all lest God alter our ability or occasion The cloudes and trees teach that the cloudes fall to moysten the hearbes and vvher the trees fruct falleth gatherers vvilbe ready And herein vve should not be casting doubtes eyther for others successe or lest vve in time vvant our selves of our joyes The husbandman plovv eth in hope not loking to the cloudes for sovving or reaping as vve knovv not the vvindes vvay nor the Embryones grouth so vve knovv not hovv sone God altereth times from life to death from planting to vnrooting from building to breaches from laughter to vveping from seking to losing from spech to silence from love to hatred from peace to vvarre from youth to old age morning and evening vve should not be vveary doing good for in due tyme vve shall reape yf vve doe not faint It is a good thing for one to chere his ovvne life vvill mans hart say but long and mery life vvilbe nothing sauing vanity vvhen vve thinke vpon the tyme after this life hovv it shall never haue end This thought vvill make yong men litle joy in the morning of age considering that God vvill bring them into judgement And the vvekenes of our earthly tabernacle should put vs in mind hourely For dayes void of all delite vvill sone come vvhen our eyes ribbes armes stomake eares and tongue and all helpes of voice the legges faile graynes buddeth vve are shaken off like a grashopper and the chine liuer brain pan all vvil be rent and man returneth to his endlesse home mourners go about in the strete This may teach vs hovv all temporall thinges be vainesse teach from Scriptures to find out Christ his Kingdome that vvhen the outvvard man is corrupted the invvard man be fully renued For Christ is our life and to die in him that is all our gain And mans sone passage hence vp to Goddes throne to receaue according to the vvorkes done by the body good or evell should print this in our hartes And vve should giue more aboundant hede to Koheleth his vvordes lest they flovv aside from our eyes as they from Ephraim Prov. 3. and from the men of Ierusalem Eb. 2. vvhom sin platting about them entangled to destruction Koheleth as all the other Prophets hath vvordes of delite Scripture of right vvordes of truth as Goades to direct vs nailes fastened in the shepe foldes geuen from Christ the only Shepheard of vvhom Dauid spake Psa 72. his last vvordes therin these Blessed be the Eternall God the God of Israell blessed be his glorious name for euer and let all the earth be filled vvith his glory Amen yea amen A TREATISE OF THE Holy Trinity NOW for the trinity I will folow those textes at which the very Iewes be amased I will make my style alltogether from theyr wordes saving that their future for MESSIAS to come I will turne into the tyme passed In the Babylonian Thalmud in Sanedrin fol. 38. excellent places be cited for vnity plurality touching also MESSIAS from Dan. 7. wher Rabbi Sadaias speaketh matter worthy regard also from Ex. 23. wher Ramban writteth well I saak Ben Arama vpon Ex. bringeth the whole Thalmudique consent that MESSIAS is greater then the Angels inferreth therupō that he must be God which matter Koheleth toucheth for plura lity of Persones in Boreeicha Thy creatours I have ioined an Ebrew style to the English that the one may help the other OF THE VNITY IN GOD-HEAD AND PLVRALITY of Persons THE ETERNALL our God the Eternall is one his nature is made knovven by himself for the Persons the father the Sōne the holy Ghost vve must folovv marke the mystery of the Scriptures for the plurall number and for the Sonne òf God and for the holy Spirit In these there is a great mystery Let VS make man according to OVR image This for the persons And for the vnity of natures this God created man after his owne image So Come Let VS goe downe and Let VS confound there theyr Lippe And the Lord Went downe to see the city and the towre And For there Elohim WERE reucaled vnto him the God which heard me in the day of my distresse And who is like thy people Israel one nation on the earth for whom THEY went euen Elohim to redeme them vnto him selfe for a People And Vntill THRONES were set vp and the Euerlasting Sate what is to be said of that One for himself one for the Sonne of David as it is written behold with the cloudes of heauen one like the Sonne of Man came This is Messïas our righteousnes And is it not written of the Messias Meeke and riding vpon an Asse In deed he came in humblenes came not vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horses with pride And wheras it was written with the cloudes of heaven They are the Angels of the host of heaven This is the great dignity which the Creatour gave Messias And to the Everlasting did they bring him as it is writtē The Eternall sayd vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand c. A certen Saducie said to Rabbi Idith in the Babil Thal. San. fol. 38. It is written to Moses he said Come vp vnto the Eternall vnto me he should have said This is Matatron the Angel that led the People of whome it
is written My name is in him It is written rebell not against him he will not beare with your sinnes Mark also the commentary of Ramban vpon these wordes Behold I send myne Angel before thee to keep thee in the way to bring thee into the place which I have prepared regard him obey his voyce Provoke him not for he will not for bear your Sinnes for my name is in him Thus there speaketh Ramban In the propriety of the text this Angell which is promised here is the Angell the redemer in whom the great Name God is For in Iah Iehova is the Rock Everlasting And the same said I am the God of Bethel It is the manner of the King to tary in his house And the Scripture calleth him Angel because the world is governed by this Person And vvordes of the generall Rabines concerning Christ are these in Isaak Ben Arama vpon the Lavv fol. 76. Our Doctours say who art thou great mountayne This is Christ. Ana wherfore is his name called greate because he shal be greater then the Fathers as it is written Behold my servant that prosper he shal be high exalted I le shal be higher then Abraham exalted above Moses he shal be farre above the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ministery of whom it is written Ezek. â— They had height they had terrour And if they mark vnderstand this they doo know that the dignity of Messias is above the Angels of ministery In that sense should not he be God him self as they appropriate vnto him this honorable title This hath Ben Arama And most playnly doth the same mans vvordes say that God spake this of Messias ps 89. I wil be his father he shal be my sonne As Aben Ezra saith of Kisse the Sonne This is Messias And of the holy Spirit Gen. 1. 2. they say This is the Spirit of Messias the King Zohar vpon Gen and comonly from Ieremy 23 as in Bathra sect 5. fol. 75. B. That he is Iehouah our righteousnes And thus they doe in vvordes agree vvith our holy Apostles But they turne aside like a vvarping bovv vvherof I vvil novve speake by the helpe of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OF IVDAISME DISANNVLLING COHELETH AND ALL the Bible One great Rabbin who lived 42 3 yeeres agoe who gathered the Ierusalem Thalmud and the Babylonian into an easier order translated what he bringeth into familiar Ebrew they be rare Iewes that vnderstand the Ierusalemy or the Babylonian specially He endeth his volumes in the common place of Messias who shal be translated cited in his own wordes to shew howe the whole nation misseth extreamely of Christ the end of the law though in toung they agreed with the Apostles Rambam or R. Moses Ben Maymony in Misnaioth Tom. 4. tract Kinges Sect. 11. 12 thus writeth Messias the King shall stand vp restore the Kingdome of the house of Dauid to the old state of the first gouerment he shall build the temple gather the dispersed of Israel the Lawes shal be restored They shall offer their offringes and keepe the seauenth yeeres rest according to euery commaundement deliuered in the Law And euery one that beleueth not in him and he that looketh not for his comming he denieth not onely all the other prophets but also the Law Moses our Doctour For behold the Law testifieth of him as it is said And the Eternall thy Elohim shall restore thy captivity and pity thee and gather thee againe c. After thy dispeâ—â—ion shal be into the extremity of the heauens Yet the Eternall will bring thee againe And these speche set fourth in the Law they are abridgements of all the speches which are spoken by all the prophets And specially in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Section of Balaam as is spoken and there he speaketh of two Messias of the first Messias which is David which saued Israell from the hand of their enemies And of the latter Messias which shall stand vp of his children which shall teach Israel in the end And in the former place he saith I shall see him But not now I shall view him but not neare This is King Messias A star from Iacob This is Dauid a scepter That is King Messias And He shall smit the Lordes of Moab He is David as it is said And he stroke Moab And measured them by corde And he shall vnwall all the sonnes of Seth He is Christ the King as it is said And he shall rule from sea to sea And Edom shal be an inheritance Euen to David as it was said And Edom became servants to David And Seyr shal be an inheritance c. This is to Messias the King As it said And Sauiours shall arise on mount SioÌ„ c. Also concerning the cities of refuge he saith thou mayst adde yet three cities c. But this hath neuer bene done And the Lord did not commaund any thing in vaine But the case standeth according to the wordes of the Prophets it needeth no disputing for all bookes are full of this matter And Let it neuer come to thy minde that Messias the King needeth to worke by signes and wonders For behoâ—h Rabbi Akiba was a great Doctor among the Doctours of the Thalmud he was Harnes bearer to Ben Coziba the King he thought that he was the King Messias Both he deemed and all the Doctours of his age that he was King Messias vntill he was killed for Sinne. when he was killed they knew he was not And the Doctours asked of him for no signe for no wonder And the grouÌ„d of the matters thus standeth That the Law that the statutes rightes of it staÌ„d for euer yea for euer euer And nothing maye be added nothing may be taken away And if a King stand vp from the house of David studieng the Law busiedin the coÌ„maundementes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as David his father according to the written Law the Law of traditions and compel Israel to walk in it to repair the ruins of it to fight the warres of the Eternall behold this is sure that he is the Messias yf his doing prosper he build the temple in place gather the dispersed of Israel behold that man is Messias out of all doubt And he will settle al the world to serue the Lord togeither As it is said then I will turne vnto nations pure Lippes that all may call vpon the name of the Eternall serue him with one accord Perek or Section 12. the last of all his Thalmud Let it not come into thy hart that in the dayes of Messias any thing shal be abrogated from the custome of the world or that any newnes shal be in the frame of the world Nothing so The world goeth on in the same rate and that which is said in Esay And the wolf shal dwell with the Lambe the Leopard
to aske vvhy vvere the former dayes better then these VVisdome is good vvith vvelth vvhile men liue Both bring a sheltre But vvisdome is the better it saueth him that hath it And here vvisdome shevveth it selfe euen in hamblenes not hoping to streighten that vvhich God hath made croked rejoyce vvith the rejoycing and vvepe vvith the vveping dayes God hath so set one by the other that none can finde fault The just perisheth in too straite justice the toylesome holdeth one long in his toyle Be not toylsome to much nor too vvise and play not the foole it vvill bring death before the ordinarie course It is good to kepe betvvixt both as they that feare God vvill VVisdome vvill strengthen more then ten rulers though in many thinges all stumble And this poinct of vvisdome hath great vse not to regard all evel tongues for all speak evell of others the tōgue cā not be bridled This Kohe leth tried sought still to find reasons for all cariages But that vvas far off Novv the far off and the depe vvho can find out But in trying the madnes of folk Koheleth found by his thousand vvives that an evell vvomā vvas bitterer then death This he found examining one thing by an other to find out devises But this he could not find out though in men one of a thousand Koheleth vvold find out the subtilest devises yet of a subtile vvomans devises in all that number he could not They made him build houses to strange Gods vvhervpon the Kingdome first rented aftervvardes perished And this Koheleth found generally true that God made Adam plain but they found out many invētiones And so doe their children in all folly And vvho is as the vvise man vvho is like him that knovveth the nature of matters VVisdome lighteth the face of a man and the hardenes of his face vvilbe changed As vnlernednes bredeth boldnes and judgement lothnes to be medling And it avoideth the calamities that come from governoures oppression Herein visdome vvold kepe the Kinges lavves in the Lord and not resist auctority for he earieth not the svvord in vain But he that doth vvell shall have praise of the King But here men brede them selves much sorovv not knovving vvhat vvill befall them And this vanitie is comon that men consider not rulers nor subiectes hovv sodenly death vnexorable against vvhich ther is no striving ceaseth vpon men By vvant of vvisdome herein men vvilbe ruling men to their ovvne harme In that case Koheleth savv the vvicked buried vvhen they vvent avvay and passed from the holy place of judgement vvere forgottē in the citie vvher they had so done And this vanitie might teach that no throneacceptable vnto God can be found in this vvorld But by not knovving Gods dealing herein men fill this vvorld vvith vanity Because judgemēt is not shevved quickly vpon evel vvorkes mens hartes be fully caried to doe mischief But the vvise Koheleth vvould tell though the vvicked doe vvickedly an hundreth fould and live long yet it shal be vvell vvith the Godly not vvith the vvicked vvhose dayes are but a shadovv An other secret government of God teacheth the vanity of this life that the just are plagued and the vvicked prosper This teacheth that ther is an other vvorld of recompense as in the Parable of Lazarus and Dives In this diversity quiet enioyng of the present vvelth is all that a man can have of his travell And for mans busines restles and slepelesse not the vvisest can see the reason of Gods vvorkes By outvvard prosperity the just and vnjust are not discovered often tymes Hence Epicures exhort one an other vvith longe orationes to present pleasures vvhile not the svvift have the gool nor the valiant the victory nor the vvise the bread nor the cunning favour but a tyme and occurrant befalleth all And men knovv no more their time then fish or foule that be caught in a net and snare VVithout speciall vvisdome this vvill not be shunned VVisdome is soone contemned This example may be pregnant A litle citie besieged of a great King by a poore mans vvisdome hath ben saved But that poore man is soone forgotten yet vvisdome is better then strength though the vvisdome of the poore is contemned his vvordes are not heard The vvordes of the vvise in quietnes are heard more then the cries of Lordes over fooles VVisdome is better then armour of vvarre and one that misseth of it as a Lord over fooles vvill lose much good As one dead flye putrifieth much precious oinctement so a little folly marreth a man precious for vvisdome glory VVisdome is rare and to have the hart on the right hand But to have the hart on the left hand that is comon to the foole vvhose hart faileth in the plain vvay and he telleth all that he is a foole And in such a vvorld vvhat study of the Lavv can brede a blessed throne on earth The Spirit of rulers often riseth against a dutifull subiect as did Salomons against Ieroboam he left his place and fled to Egipt and became the ruine of Salomons throne Here a soft cure might have delayed much sinne An other evel is great and comon appearing notably in the vnlavvfull kingdome of Ephraim The fooles of the ten tribes vvere set on high and false Prophetes and the truly rich sate dovvne lovv Servantes sate on horseback Princes vvalked vpon the ground This people might knovv that great is the vanity of governements here Roboam in Iuda likevvise payd the price of that extolling foolish yonge men and contemning old sages And King Ioas most notably yelding from his rich counsellers to the foolish Idoleservers And his grandfather Ioram greatly vvanted vvisdome that lost all Edoms subjection and advaunced fooles to kill his ovvne bovvels and to dye by torment of bovvels And as Saul by folly hoping to defeate David digged a pit vvhich him self fell into So King Ochozias joyning vvith Israel brake an hedge that the Serpent Iehu stange him And of all Kinges vvanting vvisdome and of all in high place and of ill bent avvay from God these Proverbes vvilbe verified he that removeth stones vvilbe greved by them and he that cleaveth vvood shal be indangered by it yf the iron be blunt and a man vvhett not the edge but be vehemēt in strength vehemency in a blunt cause vvill cause dāger VVisdome from Gods vvordes of right vvill only bring good successe teaching to bevvare of Satans deceites vvher a sting at the first is past cure All the Kings of Israel folovved Ieroboams vvorshipping of calves being so sttong at the first vvithout vsing holy aduise that aftervvardes ther could be no vse of enchanters All the Prophetes vvarninges vvere nothinge all that Ionas vvhale and Nineuie taught all that Osec Amos Esai and Micha told vvroght litle good As deaf adders they stopped their eares and vvold not heare the voice of any inchanter Yet
cōmeth according to the work of the just I thought that this also is vanitye 15. And I praysed joy For a man hath no better thing then to eate to drinke and to rejoyce for this will stick to him of his labour the dayes of his life that God hath given him vnder the sunn 16. VVhen I applyed myne hart to know wisdome to behold the busines that is done on the earth how day night a man would not see slepe with his eyes 17. Then I marked all workes of GOD that man cannot find out the worke which is done vnder the sunne Though man laboure never so much to seeke yet he cannot find it yea allthough the wisest thinke to know it he cannot find it Chap. 9. 1. FOR all this have I applied vnto myne hart even to try out all this that the just the wise ther workes are in the handes of God neither love nor hatred doth men discerne by all that is before them 2. Euen all they finde as if all had one happ the iust the vniust the good the cleane and the vncleane the sacrificing he that sacrificeth not the good the bad have alike the swearer as he that reverenceth an oath 3. This is the most grievous of all that is done vnder the sunne that all have one hap Also the hart of the sonnes of man is full of euill and madnes is in their heartes whiles they live and afterward they go to the dead 4. For all that be yet accompanied vnto all the Living say the men of an euill hart they have assurance For it is better vvith the dog alive then vvith the Lion that is dead 5. For the living knovv that they shall dye but the dead knovv nothing at all neither have they any more a revvard For their remembrance is forgotten 6. Also their love and their hatred their envy is already gone they have no more portion for euer in all that is done vnder the sunne 7. Goe eat thy bread vvith joy drinke thy vvine vvith a cheerefull hart For God novv accepteth thy vvorkes 8. At all times let thy garments be vvhite let not oyle be lacking vpon thine head 9. Enjoy life vvith the vvife vvhich thou doest love all thy dayes of vaine life vvhich HE hath given thee vnder the Sunne all thy vaine dayes For this is thy portion in life in thy Labour vvhich thou doest take vnder the sunn 10. All that thy hand can finde to doe do it as thou canst For there is nether vvorke nor invention nor knovvledg not vvisdome in the grave vvhither thou goest 11. Againe I marked vnder the sunne That the suift winne not the race nor the valiant the victory nor the wise the bread nor nor the subtile riches nor the cunning favour But a time occurrent happeneth to them all 12. For assuredly man knoweth not his time As fishes are taken in a mischevous net as birdes are caught in the snare So they the sonnes of man are intangled at the evill time when it falleth vpō them suddēly 13. I have also seene this wisdome vnder the sunne me thought it great 14. A little city had few men in it and a great King came against it compassed it about builded fortes against it 15. And there was found therein a poore wise man he saved the city by his wisedome But none remembred this poore mā 16. Then sayd I. Better is wisdome then strength yet the wisedome of the poore is despised his words are not heard 17. The words of the wise are more heard in quietnes then a Lords cry over fooles 18. Better is wisedome then weapons of warre as one vncircūspect destroyeth much good Chapter 10. 1. One dead fly putrifieth corrupteth much precious oyntment so doth a little folly him that is in estimatiō for wisdome for glory 2. The hart of a wise man is at his right hand but the hart of a foole is at his left hād 3. And also when the foole goeth by the way his hart fayleth and he telleth vnto all that he is a foole 4. If the spirite of him that ruleth riseth vp against the leave not thy place For a soft cure pacifieth great sinnes 5. There is an euill that I have seene vnder the sunne as an errour that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth 6. Folly is great height and the rich sitt in low place 7. I have seene seruants on horses and princes walking as seruants on the ground 8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it And he that breaketh dovvne a hedge a serpent shall sting him 9. He that removeth stones shal find sorrow therby And he that cleaveth wood shal be heated therby 10. when the Iron is dul the mā whetteth not the Edge but vseth might But the best helpe to bring a thing to good passe is wisedome 11. when the serpēt hath bit before charming then the cūning charmer profiteth nothing 12. The words of the mouth of a wise mā give grace but the lippes of a foole devour himself 13. The begining of the wordes of his mouth is foolishnes and the later end of his mouth is wicked madnes 14. And the foole will multiply wordes But the man knoweth not what shal be And who can tell him what is following him 15. The labour of the foolish doth weary him For he knoweth not how to go into the city 16. woe to the O land whose King is a childe whose princes eat in the morning 17. Blessed art thou O land whose King is the sonne of nobles and whose Princes eat in time for strength not to drink 18. By slothfulnes beames come to decay by holding downe the hands the house droppeth thorow 19. Men making feastes to be merry that wine make glad the living mony must affoard all 20. Curse not the King no not yet in thy thought neither curse the rich in thy bed chamber for the foule of the heauen will cary the voice the winged bird will declare the matter Chapter 11. 1. Cast thy seede vpō the moist groūd for after many dayes thou shalt finde it 2. Give a portion to seauē also to eight For thou knowest not what evill shal be vpō the earth 3. If the cloudes be full they will poure fourth rayne vpon the earth And if the trees fruite fall toward the South or toward the North ī the place that the trees fruict falleth there fruite gatherers will be 4. He that looketh vpon the winde will not sow he that looketh vpon the cloudes shall not reape 5. As thou knowest not the way of the winde as nor of the bones in the belly of her that is with childe so thou knowest not the worke of God that worketh all 6. In the morning sow thy seede in the euening remit not thy hand For thou knowest not whether will come to good this or that or