THE BOOKS of Solomon namely. Proverbia Ecclesiastes Cantica canticorum. Sapientia. Ecclesiasticus or jesus the son of Syrach. ¶ The proverbs of Solomon. ¶ The praise of wisdom. We may not hearken unto the voluptuous provocation and intisynges of sinners, wisdom complaineth to be despised of all men, and prophesieth destruction unto her despisers. Capi. Primo. THe proverbs of Solomon the son of David king of Israel, to learn wisdom, and instruction, and to perceive the words of understanding & thereby to receive prudence, righteousness judgement, and equity. That the very simple might have wit and that young men might have knowledge, and understanding. By hearing, the wise man shall come by more wisdom, and he that is endued with understanding, shall obtain wit to perceive a parable, and the interpretation thereof, the words of the wise, and the dark speeches of the same job. 28. d Eccle. 1. c Psa. 26. b Prou. ix. c The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom: but fools despise wisdom, and instruction. My son hear thy father's doctrine and forsake not the law of thy mother for that shall bring grace unto thy heed and shall be as a chain about thy neck. My son, consent not unto sinners, if they entice thee, and say, come with us, we will lay wait for blood, and lurk privily for the innocent without a cause we shall Psa. 124 a swallow them up like the hell, and devour them quick, and whole, as those that go down into the pit. So shall we find all manner of costly riches, and fill our houses with spoils. Cast in thy lot among us, and let us have all one purse. My son, walk not thou with them, refrain thy foot from their way. For Psa. 14. a their feet run to evil, and are hasty to shed blood. But in vain is the net laid forth before the birds eyes. Yea, they themselves lay wait one for an others blood, and one of them would slay an other. These are the ways of all such as be covetous, that one would ravish another's life, Pro. 13. ● wisdom crieth without, and putteth forth her voice in the streets. She calleth before the congregation in the open gates, and showeth her words thorough the city saying. O ye children, how long will you love childishness? how long will the scorners delight in scorning, and the unwise be enemies unto knowledge? O turn you unto my correction, lo, I will express my mind unto you, and make you understand my words. Esa. 55. b jere. 8. a I have called, and ye refused it: I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded it, but all my counsels have ye despised, & set my correction at nought Therefore shall I also laugh in your destruction, & mock you when that thing that ye fear, cometh upon you, even when the thing that ye be afraid of, falleth in suddenly like a storm, and your misery like a tempest, yea when trouble and heaviness cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not hear, they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. And that because they hated knowledge, and received not the fear of the Lord, but abhorred my council, and despised all my correction. Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and be filled with their own inventions. For the turning away of the unwise shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shallbe their own destruction. Pro. 3. d But who so hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell safely, and be sure from any fear of evil. ¶: wisdom is to be embraced and set by, which teacheth fear and knowledge, wisdom directeth us in the way of God. And an adulterous woman is to be eschewed. Capi. two. MY son, if thou wilt receive my words, and keep my commandments by thee, that thou wilt incline thine ears unto wisdom, apply thine heart then to understanding. For if thou criest after wisdom, and callest for knowledge if thou seekest after her as after money, and dyggest for her as for treasure, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. jaco. 1. a Eccle. 1. a and .7. c For it is the Lord that giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He preserveth the welfare of the righteous, 3. Re. 3. b and .4. d and defendeth them that walk sincerely, he keepeth them in the right path, and preserveth the way of such is serve him with godliness. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, judgement, and equity, yea and every good way. When wisdom entereth in to thine heart, and thy soul delighteth in knowledge then shall council preserve thee, and understanding shall keep the. That thou mayest be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh froward things. From such as leave the right paths and walk in the ways of darkness, which rejoice in doing evil, and delight in wicked things, whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths. That thou mayest be delivered also Pro. 5. a and .7. a from the strange woman, and from her that is not thine own, which giveth sweet words, and which forsaketh the husband of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house is inclined unto death and her paths unto hell. Al they that go in unto her, come not again, neither take they hold of the way of life. Therefore, walk thou in the way of such as be virtuous, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the just shall dwell in the land and they that be perfect, shall remain in it, but the ungodly shallbe rooted out of the land, and the wicked doers, shallbe rooted out of it. ¶ The Commandments of God, must be diligently regarded: and observed. Capi. iii. MY son Deut. 11. a forget not thou my law, but see that thine heart keep my commandments. For they shall prolong the days and years of thy life, and bring the peace. Let mercy and faithfulness never go from thee, bind them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thine heart So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of god, and men, Put thy trust in god, with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own wit In all thy ways, have respect unto him, and he shall order thy goings. Esa. 10.2 Be not wise in thine own conceit but fear the Lord and depart from evil, so shall thy navel be whole, Rom. 12. c and thy bones strong. Tob. 4. b Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the fyrstelynges of all thine increase Deut. 21. a Mal. 3. b Exo. 23. c and .34. c Heb. 12. b Apoc. 3. d (give unto the poor) so shall thy barns be filled with plentuosnes, and thy presses shall flow over with sweet wine. My son despise no the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, him he chasteneth, and yet delighteth in him, even as a father in his own son. Well is him that findeth wisdom, and opteineth understanding, for the getting of it is better than any merchandise of silver, and the profit of it is better than gold. Prou. 8. a wisdom is more worth than precious stones, and all the things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared unto her. Upon her right hand, is long life and upon her left hand, is riches and honour. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peaceable. She is a Gene. 2. b tree of life to them that laid hold upon her, & blessed is he that keepeth her fast. With wisdom hath the lord laid the foundation of the earth, and thorough understanding hath he stablished the Heavens. Thorough his wisdom the depths break up, and the Clouds drop down the dew. My son, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but keep my law and my council, so shall it be life unto thy soul, and grace unto thy mouth. Then shalt thou walk safely in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble. Pro. 1. d If thou sleepest, thou shalt not be afraid, but shalt take thy rest, and sleep sweetly. Thou needest not to be afraid of any sudden fear, neither for the violent rushing in of the ungodly, when it cometh. For the lord shall stand by thy side & keep thy foot, that thou be not taken. Withdraw no good thing from them that have need, so long as thine hand is able to do it. say not unto thy neighbour, go thy way and come again, to morrow will I give thee, where as thou haste now to give him. Intend no hurt unto thy neighbour saying he doth dwell in rest by the. strive not lightly with any man, where as he hath done the no harm. Pro. 1. c Follow not a wicked man, & chose none of his ways, for the Lord abhorreth the froward, but his counsel is among the righteous The curse of the Lord is in the house of the ungodly, but he blesseth the dwellings of the righteous. As for the scornful, doth not he laugh them to scorn? but he giveth grace unto the lowly The wise shall have honour in possession, but shame is the promotion that fools shall have. ¶ wisdom and her fruits, & her ways, ought to be sought. Capi. iiii. Hear, O ye children, the father lie exhortation, and take good heed, that ye may learn wisdom. For I have given you a good doctrine forsake not ye my law. For when I myself was my father's dear son, and tenderly beloved of my mother he taught me also, and said unto me. Deu. 6. b 11. c. 32. g Let thine heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live. Get the wisdom, and get the understanding, forget not the words of my mouth, and shrink not from them. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee, love her, and she shall keep the. The chief point of wisdom, is that thou be willing to obtain wisdom, and before all thy goods, to get the understanding. * Make moche of her, and she shall promote the. Yea, if thou embrace her, she shall bring the unto honour. She shall make the a gracious heed, and garnish the with a crown of glory Hear my son, & receive my words & the years of thy life shall be many. I have showed thee, the way of wisdom, and led the in to the right paths. So that if thou goest therein, there shall no straightness hinder thee, and when thou ruimest, thou shalt not fall. Take fast hold of doctrine, and let her not go, keep her: for she is thy life. Psal. 1. a and .27. a Come not in the path of the ungodly, and walk not in the way of the wicked. Eschew it, and go not therein, depart aside, and pass over by it. For they can not sleep, except they have first done some mischief, neither take they any rest, except they have first done some harm. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of robbery. The path of the righteous shynneth as the light, that is ever brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. But the way of the ungodly is as the darkness, wherein men fall, Deut. 6. ● and .11. c or they be aware. My son, mark my words, and incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes but keep them even in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto all those that find them, and health unto all their bodies. Keep thine heart with all diligence, for thereupon hangeth life. Put away from the a froward mouth and let the lips of slander be far from the. Let thine eyes behold the thing that is right, and let thine eye lids look straight before the. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be ordered a right. Deut. 5. d and .27. d Turn not aside, neither to the right hand, nor to the left, but withhold thy fore from evil. * (For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand). As for the ways that be on the lift hand, they be froward. For he shall direct thy goings, and thy ways shall he guide in peace. ¶ He warneth to eschew whoredom, he forbiddeth wasteful spending, he willeth us to live of our own labours. Men must love their wives Capi v. MY son, give heed unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear unto my prudence, that thou mayst regard good council, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. Pro. 2. b and .7. a Apply not thou thyself to the desceytfulnes of a woman. For the lips of an harlot are a dropping honey comb, and her throat is softer than oil. But at the last, she is as bitter as wormwood and (her tongue) as sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down unto death, and her steps pierce thorough unto hell. She regardeth not the path of life, so unsteadfast are her ways, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore (O my son) and depart not from the words of my mouth. Keep thy way far from her, and come not nigh the doors of her house. That thou give not thy strength unto other, and thy years to the cruel. That other men be not, filled with thy goods, and that thy labours come not in a strange house. Yea, that thou mornest not at the last (when thou hast spent thy body and goods) and then say, Alas, why hated, I nurture: why did my heart despise correction? Wherefore was not I obedient unto the voice of my teachers? and hearkened not unto them that informed me? I am come almost into all misfortune in the midst of the multitude and congregation. Drink of the water, of thine own well, and of the rivers that run out of thine own springs. Let thy wells flow out abroad, that there may be rivers of water in the streets, but let them be only thine own, and not strangers with the. Let thy well be blessed, and be glad with the wife of thy youth. Loving is the hind, and friendly is the roo, let her breasts alway satisfy the and hold the ever content with her love. My son, why wilt thou have pleasure in an harlot, and embrace the bosom of an other woman? job. 31. a and .34. c For every man's ways are open in the sight of the Lord, and he pondereth all their goings. The wickedness of the ungodly shall catch himself, and with the snares of his own sins shall he be trapped. He shall die without amendment, and for his great foolishness: he shall go astray. ¶ The slothful and slougyshe is pricked and stirred to work. The schismatic is reproved. adultery ought to be earnestly avoided. Capi. vi. MY son Pro. 17. a and .20. e if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and haste fastened thine hand for an other man thou art bound with thine own words, and taken with thine own speech. Therefore, my son, do this, and thou shalt be discharged, when thou art come into thy neighbours danger. Go thy ways then soon, and entreat thy neighbour, let not thine eyes sleep, nor thine eye lids slumber. Save thyself as a do from the hound and as a bird from the hand of the fouler. Go to the Emmet (thou slouggarde) consider her ways and learn to be wise. Pro. 13. a Pro. 24. d Pro. 30. c She hath no guide, no teacher, no leader: yet in the summer she provideth her meat, and gathereth her food together in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, thou slouggyshe man? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yea sleep on still a little, sloumber a little, fold thine hands together a little, that thou mayst sleep: so shall poverty come unto the as one that travaylethe by the way, and necessity like a weaponed man. A dissembling person, a wicked man goeth with a froward mouth, he winketh with his eyes, he tokeneth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers, he is ever imagining mischief, & frowardness in his heart, and causeth discord. Therefore shall his destruction come hastily upon him suddenly shall he be all to broken, and not be healed. Pro. 12. ● These six things doth the Lord hate, and the seventh he utterly abhorreth. A proud look, a dissembling tongue, hands that shed innocentes blood, any heart that goeth about wicked imaginations, Psalmus. 14. a. Pro. 1. a feet that be swift in running to do mischief, a false witness that bringeth up lies, and such one as soweth discord among brethren. My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Put them up together in thine heart, and bind them about thy neck, That they may lead thee, where thou goest, preserve the when thou art a sleep, and that when thou awakest thou mayst talk of them. For Psalmus 119. the commandment is a lantern, and the law a light, ye chastening and nurture is the way of life, that they may keep the from Pro. 5. a. and .7. a. the evil woman and from the flattering tongue of the harlot, that thou lust not after her beauty in thine heart, and lest thou be taken with her fair looks. An harlot will make a man to beg his bread, but a married woman will hunt for the precious life. May a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be brent? Or can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be hurt. Even so, who soever goeth in to his neighbours wife, and toucheth her, can not be unguilty. Exo. 22. a Men doth not utterly despise a thief that stealeth to satisfy his Soul, when he is hungry, but if he may be gotten, he restoreth again seven times as much or else he maketh recompense with all the good of his house. But who so committeth adultery with a woman, he is a fool, and bringeth his life to destruction. He getteth himself also shame, & dishonour, such as shall never be put out For the yelousy and wrath of the man will not be entreated, no though thou wouldest offer him great gifts to make amends, he will not receive them. ¶ God ought to be feared and honoured, his commandments ought to be kept, wanton appetites and desires ought to be shouned. Capitulo. seven. MY son Deu. 6. b. and .11. a, keep my words, and lay up my Commandments by the. Keep my commandments and my law, even as the apple of thine eye, and thou shalt live. Bind them upon thy fingers, and write them in the table of thine heart. say unto wisdom, thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman, Pro. 2. b. and .5. a. that she may keep the from the strange woman, and from the harlot which giveth sweet words. For out of the window of my house I looked thorough the latysse, and beheld the simple people, & among other young folks I spied one young fool, going over the streets, by the corner in the way toward the harlots house in the twilight of the evening, when it began now to be night and dark. And behold, there met him a woman in Eccle. 9 d an harlots apparel (a deceitful) wanton and an unsteadfast woman, whose feet could not abide in the house now is she without, now in the streets, and lurketh in every corner, she caught the young man, kissed him, and was not ashamed, saying, I had a vow of peace offerings to pay, and this day I perform it. Therefore came I fourth to meet thee, that I might seek thy face, & so I have found the. I have decte my bed with coverings and clothes of Egypte. My bed have I made to smell of Myrrh Aloes, and Cinnamon. Come let us lie together, and take our pleasure till it be day light. For the good man is not at home, he is gone far of. He hath taken the bag of money with him, who can tell when he cometh home? Thus with many sweet words she overcame him, and with her flattering lips she enticed him to follow her as it were an ox led to the slaughter, & like as it were a fool to the stocks, to be punished, so long till she had wounded his liver with her dart, like as if a bird hasted to the snare, not knowing that the apparel of his life lieth thereupon Hear me now therefore. O my children, & mark the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart wander in her ways, and be not thou deceived in her paths. For many one hath she wounded and cast down, yea many a strong man hath been stain by means of her. Her houses are the way unto hell, and bring men down into the chambers of death. ¶ The praise of the wisdom of God. Capi. viii. DOth not * wisdom cry? doth not understanding put forth her voice? Standeth she not in the high places in the streets and ways? doth she not cry before the whole City, and in the gates where men go out and in? It is you, O ye men (saith she) whom I call (unto the children of men) do I life up my voice. Take heed unto knowledge, O ye ignorant, be wise in heart, O ye fools. give ear, for I will speak of great matters, and open my lips to tell things that be right. For my throat shallbe talking of thy truth, and my lips abhor ungodliness. All the words of my mouth are righteous, there is no frowardness: nor falsehood therein. They are plain, to such as will understand, and right to them that find knowledge. receive my doctrine, and not silver, and my knowledge more than fine gold For Pro. 3. b wisdom is more worth than precious stones, ye all things that thou canst desire, may not be compared unto it. I wisdom, have my dwelling with knowledge, and prudent council is mine own. The fear of the lord abhorreth wickedness, pride, disdain, and the evil way, and a mouth that speaketh wicked things, I utterly abhor. I can give council, and be a guide, I have understanding, I have strength. Deut. 17. d Sapi. 6. a Thorough me, Kings reign, thorough me, Princes make just laws. Thorough me, do Princes bear rule, and all judges of the earth execute judgement. I am loving unto those that love me and Luke. 11. b they that seek me early, shall find me. riches and honour are with me, ye excellent goods and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold and precious stone, & mine increase more worth than fine silver. I will guide the in the way of righteousness, and in the street of judgement. That I may send prosperity to those that love me, and to increase their treasure. ✿ : Sapi. 9 b. The lord himself had me in possession in the beginning of his ways or ever he begun his works aforetime. Eccl. 24. ● I have been ordained from everlasting, and from the beginning or ever the earth was made. When I was borne, there were neither depths nor springs of water. Before the foundations of the mountains were laid, ye before all hills was I borne. The earth and all that is upon the earth was not yet made, no not the ground itself. Sapi. 9 b For when he made the heavens, I was present, when he set up the depths in order, when he hanged the clouds above, when he fastened the springs of the deep. When he shut the see within Gene. 1. a. job 2.6. a and .38. a Psalmus 104. certain bounds, that the waters should not go over their marks. When he laid the foundations of the earth I was with him, ordering all things, delighting daily, and rejoicing alway before him. As for the round compass of this world, I make it joyful, for my delight is to be among the children of men. Therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, blessed are they that keep my ways. O give ear unto nurture, be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, and giving attendance at the poostes of my doors. For who so findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But who so offendeth against me, hurteth his own soul. And all they that hate me, are the sowers of death. ¶ wisdom moveth all men to embrace her. The property of a whore. Capi. ix. wisdom hath builded herself an house and hewn out seven pillars, she hath killed her victuals powered out her wine, and prepared her table. She hath sent fourth her maidens to cry upon the highest place of the City Who so is ignorant, let him come hither. And to the unwise she said, O come on your way, eat my bread, and drink my wine, which I have poured out for you. Forsake ignorance, and ye shall live and see that ye go in the way of understanding. Who so reproveth a scornful person, getteth himself dishonour, and he that rebuketh the ungodly, staineth himself. Reprove not a scorner, least he own the evil will but rebuke a wise man, & he will love the. give a discrete man but an occasion, and he willbe the wiser, teach a righteous man, and he will increase in knowledge. job. 28. d. Psa. 111. b Pro. i. a The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of holy things is understanding. Eccle. 1. c For thorough me thy days shallbe prolonged, & the years of thy life shallbe many If thou be wise, thy wisdom shall do thyself good, but if thou thinkest scorn thereof. It shall be thine own harm. A foolish reckless woman, full of words, and such a one as hath no knowledge, sitteth at the door of her house, & in the high places of the City, to call such as go by, & that walk straight in their ways. Who so is ignorant (saith she) let him come hither, and to the unwise she saith, stolen waters are sweet, and the bred that is privily eaten, hath a good taste And he doth not consider, that they are but dead which be there, and that her gests are in the deep of hell. For he that will be joined unto her, shall go down to hell, but he that avoidethe from her, shallbe saved. ¶: In this Chapter, and in all that follow unto the thirty, the wise man exhorteth by divers Sentences, which he calleth Parables, to follow virtues and flee vices. And showeth also what profit cometh of wisdom, and what hindrance proceedeth of foolishness. ¶ proverbs of Saloman. Capi. x. A : wise Pro, 1●. c son maketh a glad father, but an undiscreet son, is an heaviness unto his mother. Pro. 11. a Eccle. 5. b treasures that are wickedly gotten, profit nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death. Psa. 34. b The Lord will not let the soul of the righteous suffer hunger, but he putteth the ungodly from his desire. An idle hand maketh poor, but a quick labouring hand, maketh rich. Who so regardeth losings, feedeth the wind, and doth but follow birds that have taken their flight. Who so gathereth in Summer, is wise, but he that is slougishe in harvest, bringeth himself to confusion. Blessings are upon the head of the righteous, and the mouth of the name of the ungodly keepeth mischief in secret. Psa. 112. a The memorial of the just shall have a good report, but the name of the ungodly shall stink. A wise man will receive warning, but a fool will sooner be smitten in the face. Psa. 23. a He that leadeth an innocent life, walketh sureli but who so goth a wrong way shallbe known. Eccl. 27. d He that winketh with his eye, will do some harm, but he that hath a foolish mouth, shallbe beaten. The mouth of a righteous man is a vain of life, but the mouth of the ungodly keepeth mischief in secret. Evil will steereth up strife, 1. Pet. 4. b and .1. Cor 13. b but love covereth the multitude of sins. In the lips of him that hath understanding, a man shall find wisdom, but the rod belongeth to the back of the foolish. wise men layeth up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is nigh destruction. The rich man's goods are his strong hold, but poverty oppresseth the poor. The righteous laboureth to do good but the ungodly useth his increase unto sin. To take heed unto the chastening of nurture, is the way of life, but he that refuseth to be reformed deceiveth himself. Pro. 11. b Dissembling lips keep hatred secretli, and he that speaketh any slander is a fool. Where much babbling is there must needs be offence, and he that refraineth his lips is wise. An innocent tongue is a noble treasure but the heart of the ungodly is nothing worth. The lips of the righteous, feed a whole multitude, but fools, shall die in their own folly. The blessing of the Lord: maketh rich men, job. 42. c Eccl 11. b ps. 126. a. ma. 6. c. d as for careful travail, it doth nothing thereto. A fool doth wickedly, and maketh but a sport of it, nevertheless it is wisdom for a man to beware of such. The thing that the ungodly are afraid of, shall come upon them, but the righteous shall have their desire. The ungodly: is like a tempest that passeth over and is no more seen but the righteous remaineth sure for ever. As vinegar is to the teeth, & as smoke is unto the eyes, even so is a slougyshe person to them that send him forth. The fear of the lord maketh a long life, but the years of the ungodly shall be shortened. The patient abiding of the righteous shall be turned to gladness, but the hope of the ungodly shall perish. The way of the Lord giveth a courage unto the godly, but it is a fear for wicked doers. psa. 124. a The righteous shall never be overthrown, but the ungodly shall not remain in the land. psal. 36. b. The mouth of the just will be talking of wisdom, but the tongue of the froward shall perish. The lips of the righteous are occupied in acceptable things, but the mouth of the ungodly taketh them to the worst. Capitulo. xi. A Pro. 16. b and .20. c False balance is an abomination unto the Lord, but a true weight pleaseth him. Where pride is there is shame also and confusion, but where as is lowliness there is wisdom. The innocent dealing of the just shall lead them, but the wickedness of such as dissemble, shall be their own destruction. Pro. 10. a. Eccle. 5. b Riches help not in the day of vengeance, but righteousness delivereth from death. The righteousness of the innocent ordereth his way, but the ungodly shall fall in his own wickedness. The righteousness of the just shall deliver them, but the wicked shallbe taken in their own ungodliness. Sapi. 5. b. When an ungodly man dieth, his hope is gone, the confidence of richesse shall perish. The righteous shall be delivered out of trouble, and the ungodly shall come in his stead. Thorough the mouth of the dissembler is his neighbour destroyed, but thorough knowledge shall the just be delivered. When it goeth well with the righteous, Pro. 14. d. the City is merry and when the ungodly perish, there is gladness. When the just are in wealth, the City prospereth, but when the ungodly have the rule, it decayeth. A fool bringeth up a slander of his neighbour, but a wise man will keep it secret. Pro. 10. c. A dissembling person will discover privy things, but he that is of a faithful heart, will keep counsel. 3. Ro. 12. a Where no good counsel is, there the people decay, but where as many are that can give counsel, there is wealth. Pro. 6. a 27. c He that is surety for a stranger, hurteth himself, and he that meddleth not with sureteshyp, is sure. A gracious woman maintaineth honesty, as for the wicked, they maintain riches. Psalmus. 37. c. He that hath a gentle liberal stomach is merciful but who so hurteth his neighbour, is a tyrant. The labour of the ungodly prospereth not, but he that soweth righteousness shall receive a sure reward. Like as righteousness bringeth life, even so to cleave unto evil, bringeth death. The Lord abhorreth them that be of a perverse heart, but he hath pleasure in them that are of an undefiled conversation. It shall not help the wicked, though they lay all their hands together but the sede of the righteous shall be preserved. A fair woman without discrete manners, is like a ring of gold in a swine's snout. The desire of the righteous is acceptable, but the hope of the ungodly is indignation. Psalmus. 37. d. and .112. d. Some man giveth out his goods and is the richer, but the niggard (having enough) will depart from nothing, and yet is ever in poverty. 2 Cor. 9 d He that is liberal in giving, shall have plenty, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself. Psa. 1. a jere. 17. b Who so hoardeth up his corn, shlabe cursed among the people, but blessing shall light upon his head that giveth food. He that laboureth for honesty, findeth his desire, but who so seeketh after mischief, it shall happen unto him. He that trusteth in his riches, shall have a fall, but Psal. 13. a jere. 17. b the righteous shall flourish as the green lief. Who so maketh disquyetnesse in his own house, he shall have wind for his heritage, and the fool shallbe servant to the wise. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that endeavoureth himself to win men's souls is wise. 1. Pe. 4. d If the righteous be recompensed upon earth, how moche more than the ungodly and the sinner? Capi. xii. WHo so loveth wisdom, will be content to be reformed, but he that hateth to be reproved, is a fool. Gen. 4. a A good man is acceptable unto the lord, but the wicked will he condemn A man can not endure in ungodliness but the rote of the righteous shall not be moved. A steadfast woman is a crown unto her husband, but she that behavethe her life unhonestly, is a corruption in his bones. The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the imagination of the ungodly are deceitful. The talking of the ungodly is how they may lay wait for blood, but the mouth of the righteous will deliver them. Psa. 17. f Or ever thou canst turn the about, the ungodly shallbe overthrown, but the house of the righteous shall stand. A man shallbe commended for his wisdom, but a fool shallbe despised. Eccl. 10. d A simple man which laboureth and worketh, is better than one that is gorgeous and lacketh bread. A righteous man regardeth the life of his cattle, but the ungodly have cruel hearts. Eccl, 20. d He that tilleth his land, shall have plenteousness of bread, but he that followeth idleness, is a very fool. ✿ Who so hath pleasure to continue at the wine, leaveth dishonesty in his own dwelling. The desire of the ungodly hunteth after mischief, but the rote of the righteous bringeth forth fruit. The wicked falleth into the snare thorough the malice of his own mouth, but the just shall escape out of apparel. Every man shall enjoy good: according to the fruit of his mouth, and after the works of his hands shall he be rewarded. Look what a fool taketh in hand, he thinketh it well done, but he that is wise will be counseled. A fool uttereth his wrath in all the haste but a discrete man forgiveth wrong. A just man will tell the truth, and show the thing that is right, but a false witness deceiveth. A slanderous person pricketh like a sword, but a wise man's tongue is wholesome. A true mouth is ever constant, but a dissembling tongue is soon changed They that imagine evil in their mind will deceive, but the counsellors of peace shall have joy following them. There shall no misfortune happen unto the just, but the ungodly are full of evil The Lord abhorreth deceitful lips but they that labour for truth: Prou. 9 d pleaseth him. He that hath understanding doth hide wisdom, but an undiscrete heart telleth out his foolishness. A diligent hand shall bear rule, but the idle shallbe under tribute. Pro. 15. b and .17. d. Eccle. ●0 c heaviness dyscorageth the heart of man, but a good word maketh it glade again. The righteous is liberal unto his neighbour, but the way of the ungodly will deceive themselves. A deceitful man shall not find the thing that he hunteth for, but 2. Ti vi. b Hebr. 13. a he that is content with that he hath, is more worth than gold. In the way of righteousness there is life, and in the same way there is no death. Capi. xiii. A wise son will hearken unto his father's warning, but he that is scornful, will not here, when he is reproved. A good man shall enjoy the fruit of his mouth, but he that hath a froward mind shallbe spoiled. He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his life, but who so speaketh unadvised, findeth harm. The slougarde would fain have, and cannot get his desire, but the soul of the diligent shall have plenty. A righteous man abhorreth lies, but the ungodly shameth both other and himself. righteousness keepeth the innocent in the way, but ungodliness doth overthrow the sinner. Psa. 37, b and .112. a. Pro. 11. c Some men are rich, though they have nothing, again, some men are poor having great riches. With goods every man delivereth his life, and the poor will not be reproved. The light of the righteous maketh joyful, but Pro. 24. c the candle of the ungodly shallbe put out. Among the proud there is ever strife but among those that do all things with advisement, there in wisdom Hastily gotten goods are soon spent but they that be gathered together with the hand shall increase. Long tarrying for a thing that is differed, grieveth the heart, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Who so despiseth any thing, shallbe hurt for the same, but he that feareth the commandments, shall have the reward. A desceytful son shall have no good, but a discrete servant shall do full well and his way shall prosper. The law is a well of life unto the wise, that it may keep him from the snares of death. Good understanding giveth favour but hard is the way of the despisers. A wise man doth all things with discretion, but a fool will declare his folly. An ungodly messenger falleth into mischief, but a faithful Ambassatoure is wholesome. He that thinketh scorn to be reformed, cometh to poverty and shame, but who so regardeth correction, shall come to honour. When a desire is brought to pass, it delighteth the soul, but fools, count it abomination to depart from evil. He that goeth in the company of wise men, shallbe wise, but who so is a companion of fools, shallbe hurt. Mischief followeth upon sinners, but the righteous shall have a good reward. He that is virtuous, leaveth an inheritance unto his childers children, job. 27. c. & the riches of the sinner is laid up for the just. There is plenteousness of food in the fields of the poor, Eccle. 30 a. Hebre. 3. b. but some gather with out discretion. Psalms. 34. b. He that spareth the rod, hateth his son, but who so loveth him, holdeth him ever in nurture. * The righteous eateth, and is satisfied, but the belly of the ungodly hath never enough. Capi. xiiii. Wise women uphold their house, but a foolish wife plucketh it down. He that walketh in the right path of the Lord feareth him but he that turneth himself away from his ways, despiseth him. In the mouth of the foolish is the boasting of pride, but the lips of the wise willbe ware of such. Where no oxen are, there the crib is empty, but where the oxen labour, there is much fruit. A faithful witness will not dissemble, but a false record will make a lie. A scornful body seeketh wisdom, & findeth it not, but Pro. 8. a. knowledge is easy to come by, unto him that will understand. See that thou meddle not with a fool, in whom thou perceivest to be no knowledge, The wisdom of him that hath understanding, is to take heed unto his way but the foolishness of the unwise disceiveth Fools make but a sport of sin, but there is favourable love among the righteous. The heart of him that hath understanding will neither despair for any sorrow nor be to presumptuous for any sudden joy. The house of the ungodly shallbe overthrown, but the Tabernacle of the righteous shall flourish. Pro. 16. c Deut. 12 a Esa. 55. b. There is a way which some men think to be right, but the end thereof leadeth unto death. The heart is sorrowful even in laughter, and the end of mirth is heaviness. An unfaithful person shallbe filled with his own ways, but a good man shall live of his fruits. An ignorant body believeth all things, but who so hath understanding, looketh well to his goings. * (A deceitful son shall have no good, but a discreet servant shall do full well, and his way shall prosper.) A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil, but a fool goeth on presumptuously An unpatient man dealeth foolishly, but he that is well advised, doth other ways The ignorant have foolishness in possession, but the wise are crowned with knowledge. The evil shall bow themselves before the good, and the ungodly shall wait at the doors of the righteous. The poor is hated even of his own neighbours, but the rich hath many friends. Who so despiseth his neighbour doth a miss, but Psa. 41. d blessed is he that hath pity of the poor. * He that putteth his trust in the lord loveth to be merciful. They that imagine wickedness, shallbe disappointed, but they that muse upon good things, unto such shall hap mercy and faithfulness. diligent labour bringeth riches, but where many vain words are, truly there is scarcenesss. riches are as a crown unto the wise, but the ignorance of fools is very foolishness. A faithful witness delivereth souls, but a liar deceiveth them. The fear of the lord is a strong hold and his children are under a sure defence. The fear of the lord is a well of life to avoid the snares of death. The increase and prosperity of the comens is the kings honour, but the decay of the people is the confusion of the Prince. He that is patient, hath much understanding, but he that is soon displeased provoketh foolishness. A merry heart is the life of the body, but rancour consumeth away the bones. Pro. 17. a Mat. 25. d He that doth a poor man wrong, blasphemeth his maker but who so hath pity of the poor, doth honour unto god The ungodly is afraid of every parel but the righteous hath a good hope even in death. wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding, & he shallbe known among them that are unlearned Pro. 11. b righteousness setteth up the people, but wickedness bringeth folk to destruction. A discrete servant is a pleasure unto the King, but one that is not honest provoked him unto wrath. Capi. xv. A Pro. 25. c. Soft answer putteth down displeasure, but froward words provoke unto anger. The tongue of such as be wise, useth knowledge a right as for a foolish mouth it blabbeth out nothing, but foolishness The eyes of the Lord look on every place, both upon the good and bad. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but he that abuseth it, hath a broken mind. A fool despiseth his father's correction, but he that taketh heed when he is reproved, shall have the more understanding. Where righteousness is plentiful there is very great power, but the imagination of the ungodly shall be rooted out. The house of the righteous is full of riches, but the increase of the ungodly is nigh destruction. A wise mouth poureth out knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so. Pro. 21. d. Ecclesi. 34. c. Esaie. 66 a. The Lord abhorreth the sacrifice of the ungodly, but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable unto him. The way of the ungodly is an abomination unto the Lord, but who so followeth righteousness, him he loveth. He that forsaketh the right way, shall be sore punished, and who so hateth correction, shall die. Hell and perdition are known unto the Lord, how much more than the hearts of men? Sapi. 2. c. A scornful body loveth not one that rebuketh him, neither will he come unto the wise. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, Pro. 12. d. and .17. d. Eccle. 30. c but an unquiet mind maketh it heavy. The heart of him that hath understanding, doth seek after knowledge, but the mouth of fools is fed with foolishness. All the days of the poor are miserable, but a quiet heart is as a continual feast. Psalmus 26. b. 1. Ti. 6. b. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, them great treasure with sorrow. Better is a mess of pottage with love, than a fat ox with evil will. Pro. 15. a. An angry man steereth up strife, but he that is patient, stilleth discord. The way of a sloughfull man is as it were hedged with thorns, but the way of the righteous is well cleansed. Pro. 10. a. A wise son maketh a glad father, but an undiscrete body shameth his mother. A fool rejoiceth in foolish things, but a wise man looketh well to his own goings. Unadvised thoughts shall come to naught, but where as men are that can give counsel, there is steadfastness. A joyful thing is it when a man giveth a convenient answer. And very pleasant is a word spoken in due season. The way of life leadeth unto heaven, that a man should be ware of hell beneath. The Lord will break down the house of the proud, but he shall make fast the borders of the widow. The Lord abhorreth the imaginations of the wicked, but pure words are pleasant unto him. The covetous man roteth up his own house, but who so hateth rewards shall live. * Thorough mercy and faith are sins purged, and thorough the fear of the Lord doth every one eschew evil. A righteous man museth in his mind how to do good, but the mouth of the ungodly bringeth forth evil things. The Lord is far from the ungodly, but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. Like as the clearness of the eyes rejoiceth the heart, so doth a good name feed the bones. The ear that hearkeneth of the reformation of life, shall dwell among the wise. He that refuseth to be reformed, despiseth his own soul, but he that submitteth himself to correction, is wise. The fear of the Lord is the right science of wisdom, and lowliness goeth before honour. Capytulo. xvi. A Man may well purpose a thing in his heart, but the answer of the tongue cometh of the lord Pro. 21. a. Psal. 33. b A man thinketh all his ways to be clean, but it is the Lord that judgeth the minds. psal. 37, a. commit thy works unto the lord and look what thou devisest, it shall prosper. The Lord doth all things for his own sake, ye and when he keepeth the ungodly for the day of wrath. The Lord abhorteth all such as be of a proud heart, there may neither strength nor power escape. * The beginning of a good life is to do righteousness, for that is more accepted unto God, then to offer up sacrifices With loving mercy and faithfulness sins be forgiven, and who so feareth the Lord escheweth evil. When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh his very enemies to be his friends, Better is it to have a little thing with righteousness, then great rents wrong fully gotten. pro. 19 c A man deviseth a way in his heart but it is the Lord that ordereth his goings. When the prophecy is in the lips of the king, his mouth shall not go wrong in judgement. Pro, 11. a and .20. b. A true measure and a true balance are the Lords, he maketh all weights. It is a great abomination when kings are wicked, for a kings seat should he holden up with righteousness. Righteous lips are pleasant unto Kings, and he that speaketh the truth shallbe beloved. The kings displeasure is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify him The cheerful sustenance of the king is life, and his loving favour is as the evening dew. prove. 3. a To have wisdom in possession is better than to have gold, and to get understanding, is more worth than to have silver. The path of the righteous is to eschew evil, & who so looketh well to his way; keepeth his own soul. presumptuousness goeth before destruction, and after a proud stomach there followeth a fall. Better is it to be of humble mind with the lowly, them to divide the spoils with the proud. He that handleth a matter wisely, opteynethe good, and psalm. 2. b blessed is he, that putteth his trust in the Lord. Who so hath a wise understanding shallbe called to counsel, and he that can speak fair, shall have the more learning. Understanding is a well of life unto him that hath it, as for the chastening of fools, it is but foolishness. A wise heart ordereth his mouth wisely and amendeth the doctrine in his lips. Fair words are an honey comb, a refreshing of the mind, and health of the bones. Pro. 14. b Deu. 12. a. Esa. 50. b. There is a way that men think to be right, but the end thereof leadeth unto death. A troublous soul disquyeteth herself for her own mouth hath brought her thereto. An ungodly person steereth up evil, & in his lips he is as hot burning fire. A froward body causeth strife, and he that is a blab of his tongue, maketh division among Princes. A wicked man beguileth his neighbour and leadeth him in the way that is not good. He that winketh with his eyes, imagyneth mischief, and he that biteth his lips, will do some harm. Age is a crown of worship, if it be found in the way of righteousness. A patient man is better than one strong and he that can rule himself, is more worth than he that winneth a city. The lots are cast into the lap, but the ordering thereof standeth all in the Lord. Capi xvii. BEtter is a dry morsel with quietness, them a full house & many far cattles with strife. Eccle. 10. d A discrete servant shall have more rule, than the sons that have no wisdom, and shall have like heritage with the brethren. Like as silver is tried in the fire, Sapi. 3. a 1. pe. 1. b. and gold in the furnace, even so doth the Lord prove the hearts. A wicked body holdeth much of false lips, and a froward person giveth ear to a deceitful tongue. Who so laugheth the poor to scorn, Pro. 14. d job. 31. c. blasphemeth his Maker, and he that is glad of an other man's hurt, shall not be unpunished. Chylders' children are a worship unto the elders, and the fathers are the honour of the children. An eloquent speech becometh not a fool, a dissembling mouth also beseemeth not a prince. Liberalyte is a precious stone unto him that hath it, for where so ever he becometh, he prospereth. Who so covereth an other man's offence, seeketh love, but he that discloseth the fault, setteth the Prince against himself. One reproof only doth more good to him that hath understanding, than an hundredth stripes unto a fool. 1. Reg. 120 A seditious person seeketh mischief, and therefore is a cruel messenger sent against him. It were better to come against a she Bear rob of her whelyes, them against a fool * (trusting) in his foolishness. Rom 12. b 1. Tes. 5. b Who so rewardeth evil for good, the plague shall not departed from his house. He that soweth discord and strife, is like one that diggeth up a water broke but an open enemy is like the water that breaketh out and runneth abroad. The Lord hateth aswell him that justifieth the ungodly, as him that condemneth the innocent. What helpeth it to give a fool treasure in his hand, where as he hath no mind to buy wisdom. Who so buildeth his house to high, seeketh destruction, and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into mischief. He is a friend that alway loveth, Pro. 1. a & in adversity a man shall know who is his brother. Pro. 9 a Who so promiseth by the hand, and is surety for his neighbour, he is a fool. He that delighteth in sin, loveth strife & who so setteth his door to high, seeketh after a fall. Who so hath a froward heart, obtaineth no good, and he that hath an overthwart tongue, shall fall into mischief. An unwise body bringeth himself in to sorrow, & the father of a fool can have no joy. Pro. 12 d. and. 15. b Eccle. 30. a Eccle 2 c and. 8. a A merry heart maketh a lusty age, but a sorrowful mind drieth up the bones. The ungodly taketh gifts out of the bosom, to wrest the ways of judgement wisdom shineth in the face of him that hath understanding, but the eyes of tolls wander thorough out all lands Pro. 19 b. An undiscrete son is a grief unto his father, and an heaviness unto his mother. To punish an innocent, and to smite the Princes that give true judgement, at both evil. 1. joh. 1. b. and .3. a He is wise and discrete, that tempereth his words, and he is a man of understanding, that maketh much of his Spirit. joh. 13. a. Ye, a very fool (when he holdeth his tongue) is counted wise, & to have understanding, when he shutteth his lips. Capi. xviii. WHo so hath pleasure to so we discord, picketh a quarrel in every thing. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only in those things where in his heart rejoiceth. When the ungodly cometh, them cometh also disdain, & so there followeth shame and dishonour. The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters, & the well of wisdom is like a full stream. Pro. 24. c. It is not good to regard the person of the ungodly, or to put back the righteous in judgement. A fools lips are ever brawling, & his mouth provoketh unto battle. A fools mouth is his own destruction, and his lips are a snare for his own soul. The words of a slanderer are very wounds, and go thorough unto them most parts of the body. * Fear casteth down him that is slothful, and the souls of such as live in voluptuousness shall hunger. Who so is sloughtful and slack in his labour, is the brother, of him that is a waster. The name of the Lord is a strong castle, the righteous flieth unto it, and shallbe saved. But the rich man's goods are his strong hold, yea he taketh them for an high wall round about him. After pride cometh destruction, and honour after lowliness. Eccle 11. b He that giveth sentence in a matter before he hear it, is a fool, and worthy to be confounded. A good stomach driveth away a man's disease, but when the spirit is vexed, who may bide it. A wise heart laboureth for knowledge, and a prudent ear seeketh understanding Liberalyte bringeth a man to honour and worship, and setteth him among great men. The righteous accuseth himself first of all, if his neighbour come, he shall find him. The lot pacifieth the variance, and parteth the mighty asunder. A brother that is grieved with sin, is more worth than a very strong castle, & they that hold together are like the bar of a palace. A man's belly shallbe satisfied with the fruit of his own mouth, and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the instrument of the tongue, and they that love it, shall enjoy the fruit thereof. Pro. 24. c. Who so findeth a (good) woman findeth a good thing, and receiveth an wholesome benefit of the lord. * He that putteth away a good woman putteth away a good thing, but he that keepeth an harlot, is a fool and unwise. The poor maketh supplication, and prayeth meekly, but the rich giveth a a rough answer. A friend that delighteth in love, doth a man more friendship, and sticketh faster unto him, than a brother. Capi. nineteen. BEtter Pro 28. a is the poor that liveth godly, than the blasphemer that is but a fool. Where no discretion is, there the soul is not well, and who so is swift on foot stembleth hastily. foolishness maketh a man to go out of his way, and then is his heart unpatient against the lord. riches make many friends, but the poor is forsaken of his neighbour. Deu 19 b A false witness shall not remain unpunished, & he that speaketh lies, shall not escape. The multitude hangeth upon great men, and every man favoureth him that giveth rewards. As for the poor, he is hated among at his brethren, ye his own friends forsake him, and he that giveth credence unto words, getteth nothing. He that is wise, loveth his own soul and keepeth understanding, that he may prosper. A false witness shall not remain unpunished, & he that speaketh lies, shall perish. Pleasure becometh not a fool, much more unseemly is it, a bond man to have the rule of Princes. A wise man can put of displeasure, and it is honour to let some faults pass. Pro. 28. c. Kings disfavour is like the roaring of a Lion, but Psa. 233. a his friendship is like the dew upon the grass. Pro. 17. d An undiscreet son is the heaviness of his father, ‡ pro, 27. b and a brawling wife is like the top of an house, where thorough it is ever dropping. House and riches may a man have by the heritage of his elders, but Pro. 18. d a discrete woman is the gift of the Lord, Slothfulness bringeth in sleep, & an idle soul shall suffer hunger. Who so keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul, but he that regardeth not his way, shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor, dareth unto the lord, and look what he layeth out it shallbe paid him again. christian thy son while there is hope but let not thy Soul be moved to slay him. For great wrath bringeth harm, therefore let him go, and so mayst thou teach him more nurture. O give care unto good counsel, and be content to be reformed, that thou mayst be wise here after. Pro. 16. v There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the lord shall stand. * (for ever) It is a man's worship to do good, and better it is to be a poor man, then a dissembled. The fear of the lord preserveth the life, ye it giveth plenteousness, without the visitation of any plague. Pro. 26. b A slothful body hideth his hand in his bosom, and disdaineth to put it to his mouth. If thou smitest a scornful person the ignorant shall take better heed, Prou. 11. b and if thou reprovest one that hath understanding, he will be the wiser. He that hurteth his father, or shutteth out his mother, is a shameful and an unworthy son, My son, hear no more the doctrine that leadeth the unto errors from the words of understanding. A false witness laugheth judgement to scorn, and the mouth of the ungodly eateth wickedness. punishments are ordained for the scornful, and stryppes for fools backs Capi. xx. Wine maketh a man to be scornful and drunkenness causeth a man to be unquiet. Who so delighteth therein, shall never be wise. Pro. 19 b. The king ought to be feared as the roaring of a Lion, who so provoketh him unto anger, offendeth against his own soul, It is a man's honour to keep himself from strife, but they that have pleasure in brawling, are fools every one. A slothful body will not go to plough for cold, therefore shall he go a begging in Summer, and have nothing. wise council in the heart of man, is like a water in the deep of the earth, and a man that hath understanding draweth it forth. Many there be that are called good doers, but where shall one find a true faith full man. Psalmus. 37. c. Who so leadeth a godly and an innocent life, is righteous & happy shall his children be whom he leaveth behind him. A King that sitteth in judgement, & looketh well about him, driveth away all evil. 1. johan. 1 d 3. re. 8. c. 2. Pa. 6. g. Eccle. 7. c. Who can say, my heart is clean, I am innocent from sin? To use two manner of weights, or two manner of measures, both these are abominable unto the Lord. A child is known by his conversation, whether his works be pure & right. As for the hearing of the ear, and the sight of the eye, the Lord hath made them both. delight not thou in sleep, lest thou come unto poverty, but open thine eyes, that thou mayst have bread enough. It is naught, It is nought saith he that buyeth any thing, but when it is gone they give it a good word. A mouth of understanding is more worth than gold, many precious stones, and costly jewels. Pro. 9 a. and, 17. c. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for the unknown man's sake. Every man liketh the bread that is gotten with disobeyed, but at the last his mouth shallbe filled with gravel. Thorough council the things that men devise, go forward, and with discretion ought war to be taken in hand. Meddle not with him that bewrayeth secrets, and is a slanderer, and deceiveth with his lips. Exo. 20. b. Levi. 20. b. Deu. 27. c. Who so curseth his father and mother, his light shallbe put out in the midst of darkness. ●re, xv. a. The heritage that cometh in hastily at the first, shall not be praised at the end. Math 5. c. Ro. 12. c. say not thou, I will recompense evil, but put thy trust in the Lord, and be shall defend the. Pro. 11. a. and. 16. b. The Lord abhorreth two manner of weights, and a false balance is an evil thing. jere. 10. d. The Lord ordereth every man's goings how may a man than understand his own way? It is a snare for a man to blaspheme that which is holy, and then to go about with vows. 1. Reg. 15. ● A wise king destroyeth the ungodly and bringeth the wheel over them. The lantern of the Lord is the breath of man, & goeth thorough all the inward parts of the body. Pro. 29. b Mercy and faithfulness preserve the King, and with loving kindness his seat is holden up. The strength of young men is their worship, and a grey head, is an honour unto the aged. Wounds drive away evil and so do stripes the inward part of the body. Capi. xxi THe 4. Reg. 1. c. Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, like as are the rivers of water, he may turn it whither soever he will. Every man thinketh his own way to be right, but the Lord judgeth the hearts. Miche. 6 b To do righteousness and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord than Sacrifice. A presumptuous look, a proud stomach, and the lantern of the ungodly is sin. The devices of one that is diligent, bring plenteousness, but he that is unadvised, cometh unto poverty. Who so hoardeth up riches with the disceytfulnes of his tongue, he is a fool, and like unto them that seek their own death. The robberies of the ungodly shall be their own destruction, for they will not do the thing that is right. The ways of the froward are strange but Titum. 1. c the works of him that is clean, are right. Pro. 25. d. It is better to dwell in a corner under the house top, them with a brawling woman in a wide house. The soul of the ungodly wisheth evil and hath no pity upon his neighbour. Pro. 19 d When the scornful is punished, the ignorant take the better heed, and when a wise man is warned, he will receive the more understanding. The righteous wisely considereth the house of the ungodly, and he seeth that God overthroweth the vngodli for their own wickedness. Ma. 18. d. Who so stoppeth his ear at the crying of the poor, he shall cry himself and not be herd. A privy reward pacifieth displeasure and a gift in the bosom, stilleth furyousnesse. The just delighteth in doing the thing that is right, but the workers of wickedness abhor the same. The man that wandereth out of the way of wisdom, shall remain in the congregation of the deed. Pro. 23. c. He that hath pleasure in banquets, shallbe a poor man. Who so delighteth in wine and delicates, shall not be rich, The ungodly shallbe given for the righteous, and the wicked for the just. Eccle. 25. c It is better to dwell in a wilderness, than with a chiding and an angry woman. In a wise man's house there is great treasure & plenteousness, but a foolish body spendeth up all. Who so followeth righteousness & mercy, findeth both life, righteousness, and honour. A wise man winneth the City of the mighty, and as for the strength that they trust in, he bringeth it down. Pro. 12. b. Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue, the same keepeth his own Soul from troubles. He that is proud and presumptuous, is called a scornful man, which in wrath dare work maliciously. The voluptuousness of the slothful is his own death, for his hands will not labour. He coveteth and desireth all the day long, but the righteous is alway giving, and keepeth nothing back. The sacrifice of the ungodly is abomination, how moche more when they offer the thing that is gotten with wickedness. Pro. 19 a. A false witness shall perish, but he that will be content to hear, shall always have power to speak himself. An ungodly man goeth forth rashly, but the just reformeth his own way. Esaie. 1. b. and .4.6. b There is no wisdom, there is no understanding, there is no council against the Lord. Psalmus. 33. c. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but the Lord giveth the victory. Capi. xxii. A Ecclasi. 41 b. Ecclesia. 7. a. Good name is more worth than great riches, & loving favour is better than silver & gold. The rich and poor met together, the Lord is the maker of them all. A wise man seeth the plague, and hideth himself, but the foolish go on still and are punished. The end of lowliness and the fear of God is riches, honour, prosperity, and health. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward, but he that doth keep his soul, will flee from such. Teach a child in his youth what way he should go, for he shall not leave it, when he is old. The rich ruleth the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. He that soweth wickedness, shall reap sorrow, and the rod of his cruelty shall perish. Eccle. 31. d He that hath a loving eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread unto the poor. Who so giveth rewards, shall obtain victory & honour, but he taketh away the soul of such as receive them Cast out the scornful man, & so shall strife go out with him, ye variance & slander shall cease. Who so delighteth to be of a clean heart and of gracious lips, the King shall be his friend. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, but as for the words of the despiteful, he bringeth them to nought. The slothful body saith, there is a Lion without, I might be slain in the street. Pro. 23. c, The mouth of an harlot is a deep pit, wherein he falleth that the lord is angry with all. foolishness sticketh in the heart of the land, and the rod of correction shall drive it away from him. Who so doth a poor man wrong to increase his own riches, and giveth unto the rich, at the last cometh to poverty himself. My son, bow down thine ear, and hearken unto the words of wisdom, apply thy mind unto my doctrine, for thou shalt be excellent if thou keep it in thin heart, and practise it in thy mouth, that thou mayst put thy trust in the lord. I have showed the this day the thing that thou knowest. Have not I warned the very oft with council & learning? that I might show the truth, and that thou with the verity mightest answer them that send unto thee? See that thou rob not the poor, because he is week, and oppress not the simple in judgement, for the Lord himself will defend their cause, and do violence unto them that have used violence. Make no friend ship with an angry wilful man, and keep no company with the furious, lest thou learn his ways, and receive hurt in thy soul. Prou. 6. a and .11. b. and .27. c Be not thou one of them that bind their hand upon promise, and art sureti for debt, for if thou hast nothing to pay they shall take away thy bed from under the. Pro. 23. b Deu. 27. c Thou shalt not remove the land mark, which thy fore elders have set. Seest thou not, that they which be diligent in their business, stand before kings and not among the simple people. Capi. xxiii. WHen thou sittest at the table to eat with a Lord, order thyself mannerly with the things that are set before the. Measure thine appetite, and if thou wilt rule thine own self, be not over greedy of his meat, for meat beguileth & disceyvethe. Take not over great travail and labour to be rich, beware of such purpose Eccl. 27. a jere. 17. b ● Ti 6. b Why wilt thou set thine eye upon the thing, which suddenly vanisheth away For riches make themselves wings and take their flight like an Eagle into the air. Eat not thou with the envious, and desire not his meat, for he hath a marvelous heart. He saith unto thee, eat and drink, where as his heart is not with the. Yea, the morsels that thou hast eaten shalt thou parbreak, and lose those sweat words. Tell nothing into the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. Pro. 22. d. Deu. 27. ● Remove not the old land mark, and come not within the field of the fatherless. For he that delivereth them, is mighty, even he shall defend their cause against the. Apply thine heart unto correction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. Pro. 13. d Eccle. 30 a withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die thereof. for If thou smite him with the rod thou shalt deliver his soul from hell. My son, if thy heart receive wisdom, my heart also shall rejoice, yet my reins shallbe very glade, if thy lips speak the thing that is right. Pro. 24. a and c. Let not thine heart be jealous to follow sinners, but keep the still in the fear of the Lord all the day long, for the end is not yet come, and thy patient abiding shall not be in vain. My son give ear and be wise, so shall thine heart prosper in the way. Pro. 21. c. Keep no company with wine bybbers & riotous eaters of flesh, for such as be drunkards and riotous shall come to poverty, and he that is given to much sleep, shall go with a ragged cote. give ear unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Labour for to get the truth, sell not away wisdom, nurture, and understanding (for a righteous father is marvelous glad of a wise son, and delighteth in him) so shall thy father be glade, & thy mother that bore thee, shall rejoice. My son give me thine heart, and let thine eyes have pleasure in my ways. Pro. 22. b For an whore is a deep grave, and an harlot is a narrow pit. She lurketh like a thief, and bringeth unto her such men as be full of vice. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath strife? who hath brawling? & who hath wounds without cause? Or who hath red eyes? Even they that be ever at the wine, & seek excess. Look not thou upon the wine, how red it is, and what a colour it giveth in the glass. It goeth down softly, but at the last it bytteth like a serpent, and stingeth as an Adder. So shall thine eyes look unto strange women, and thine heart shall muse upon froward things Ye thou shalt be as though thou steptest in the myddeste of the sea, or upon the top of the mast. They wounded me (shalt thou say) but it hath not hurt me, they smote me, but I felt it not. When I am well wakened, I will go to the drink again. Capi. xxiiii. BE Pro. 23. d and .24. c. not thou jealous over wicked men, and desire not to be among them. For their heart imagineth to do hurt and their lips talk of mischief. Thorough wisdom is an house builded, and with understanding is it set up Thorough discretion shall the chambers be filled with all costly & pleasant riches. A wise man is strong, ye a man of understanding, is better than he that is mighty of strength. For with discretion must wars be taken in hand, and where as are many that can give counsel, there is the victory. wisdom is an high thing, yea even to the fool, for he dare not open his mouth in the gate. He that imagineth mischief, may well be called an ungracious person. The thought of the foolish is sin, and the scornful is an abomination unto men. If thou be overseen & negligent in time of need, then is thy strength but small. deliver them that go unto death, and are led away to be slain, and be not negligent therein. If thou wilt say I knew not of it. thinkest thou that he which made the hearts, doth not consider it? & that he which regardeth thy soul, seeth it not? Shall not he recompense every man according to his works. My son eatest thou honey & the sweet honey comb, because it is good & sweet in thy mouth. Even so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul, as soon as thou hast gotten it. And there is good hope, ye thy hope shall not be in vain. Say no privy wait wickedly upon the house of the righteous, and disquiet not his resting place. Psa. 37. d For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the ungodly fall into wickedness. Pro. 17. a Rejoice not thou at the fall of thine enemy, and let not thine heart be glade when he stumbleth. least the lord (when he seeth it) be an grye, and turn his wrath from him unto the. Pro. 23. b and .24. a Let not thy wrath and jealous move the to follow the wicked and ungodly. And why? the wicked hath nothing to hope for, and job 21. b the candle of the ungodly shall be put out. Pro. 13: a Pro. 20. a My son, fear thou the Lord and the king, and keep no company with the slanderous, for their destruction shall come suddenly, and who knoweth the adversity of them both? These are also the sayings of the wise Pro. 18. b It is not good to have respect of any person in judgement. He that saith to the ungodly, thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, ye the comment ye shall abhor him. But they that rebuke the ungodly, shall be commended, and and a rich blessing shall come upon them. Every man shall kiss his lips, that giveth a good answer. first make up thy work that is with out, and look well unto that which thou hast in the field, & then build thine house Be not false witness against thy neighbour, and hurt him not with thy lips Say not, I will handle him, even as he hath dealt with me, and will reward every man according to his deed I went by the field of the slothful & by the vineyard of the foolish man. And lo, it was all covered with nettles and stood full of thistles, and the stone wall was broken down. This I saw, and considered it well, I looked upon it, & took it for a warning Pro. 9 b. Ye sleep on still (I say) a little, slumber a little, fold thine hands together yet a little, so shall poverty come unto the as one that travaileth by the way and necessity like an armed man. ¶ These also are the parables of Solomon, which the men of Ezekyah king of juda copied out. Capi. xxv IT is the honour of God to keep a thing secret, but the kings honour is to search out a thing. The heaven is high, the earth is deep, & the kings heart is unsearchable. Take the dross from the silver, and there shallbe a clean vessel thereof. Take away ungodliness from the Kings sight, & his seat shallbe stably shed in righteousness. Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and press not in the place of great men. Luc. 14. b For better is it that it be said unto the, come up hither, them thou to be set down in the presence of the prince whom thou sayst with thine eyes. Eccl. 8. a. Mat. 5. c. Be not hasty to go to the law, least happily thou order thyself so at the last that thy neighbour put the to shame. Handle thy matter with thy neighbour himself, & discover not an other man's secret, least when men hear thereof, it turn to thy dishonour, and least thine evil name do not cease. * Grace and friendship doth deliver which see that thou keep for thyself least thou be reproved. A word spoken in due season, is like apples of gold in a silver dish. The correction of the wise is to an obedient ear, a golden chain and a jewel of gold. Like as the cold of snow in the harvest so is a faithful messenger to them that send him for he refresheth his masters mind. Who so maketh great boostes and giveth nothing, is like clouds & wind without rain. With patience is a Prince pacified, & Pro. 15 a. Gen. 32. a 1. Re. 25. a. with a soft tongue is rigorousness broken. If thou findest honey, eat so much as is sufficient for thee, least thou be over-full and parbracke it out again. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours house least he be weary of thee, and so abhor the. Who so beareth false witness against his neigheboure, he is a very spear, a sword, and a sharp arrow. The hope of the ungodly in time of need, is like a rotten tooth and a slipperi foot. Who so taketh away a man's garment in the cold wether, is like vinegar upon chalk, or like him that singeth songs to an heavy heart. * Like as a moth hurteth a garment, and a worm the tree, so doth the heaviness of a man hurt the heart. Ro. 12. c 1. Ro. 30. b. If thine enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst, give him, drink, for so shalt thou heap cools of fire upon his heed, and the Lord shall reward the. The North wind driveth away the rain, even so doth an earnest sober countenance a backbiters tongue. Pro. 21. a. It is better to sit in a corner under the roof, then with a brawling woman in a wide house, A good report out of far country, is like cold water to a thirty soul. A righteous man falling down before the ungodly, is like a troubled well and a spring that is destroyed. Like as it is not good to eat to much honey, Eccle. 3. c. even so he that will search out high things, it shallbe to heavy for him. He that can not rule himself, is like a City which is broken down, and hath no walls. Capi. xxvi. Like as snow is not meet in summer, nor rain in harvest, even so is worship unseemly for a fool. Like as the bird and the swallow take their flight and flee here and there, so the curse that is given in vain, shall not light upon a man. Psalmus. 32. b. Unto the horse belongeth a whip, to the Ass a bridle, and a rod to the fools back. give not the fool an answer after his foolishness, least thou become like unto him, but make the fool an answer to his foolishness, least he be wise in his own conceit. He is lame of his feet, ye drunken is he in vanity, that committeth any thing to a fool. Like as it is an unseemly thing to have legs and yet to halt, even so is a parable in a fools mouth. He that setteth a fool in high dignity, that is even as if a man did cast a precious stone upon the galouse. A Parable in a fools mouth is like a thorn that pricketh a drunken man in the hand. A man of experience discerneth all things well, but who so hireth a fool, hireth such one as will take no heed. 2. Pe. 2. d. Like as the dog turneth again to his vomit, even so a fool beginneth his foolishness again a fresh. If thou seest a man that is wise in his own conceit, there is more hope in a fool then in him. Pro. 22. b. The slothful saith, there is a leopard in the way, and a Lion in the midst of the streets. Like as the door turneth about upon the threshold, even so doth the slothful welter himself in his bed. Pro. 16. c. The slothful body thrusteth his hand into his bosom, and it grieveth him to put it again to his mouth. The slogard thinketh himself wiser than seven men that sit and teach. Who so goeth by and meddleth with other men's strife, he is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. Like as one shooteth deadly arrows & darts out of a privy place, even so doth a dissembler with his neighbour. And then saith he * (when thou art taken) I did it but in sport. Where no wode is, there the fire goeth out. Even so where the backbiter is taken away, there the strife ceaseth. Eccle. 28 b As Cools kindle heat, and wood the fire, even so doth a brawling fellow steer up variance. A slanderers words are like flattery but they pierce the inward parts of the body. venomous lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. An enemy shall be known by his talking, and in the mean season he imagineth mischief, but when he speaketh fair, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart. Who so keepeth evil will, secretly to do hurt, his malice shallbe showed before the whole congregation. Eccle. 10. d Ec. 27. d. Who so diggeth up a pit, shall fall therein, and he that weltreth a stone, shall stumble upon it himself. A dissembling tongue hateth one that rebuketh him, and a flattering mouth worketh mischief. Capi. xxvii. MAke not thy boast of to morrow Luce. 2. c. Eze. 28. a. jam. 4. b. for thou knowest not what may happen to day. Let an other man praise thee, and not thine own mouth, ye other folks lips, and not thine. The stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but a fools wrath is hevier than they both. Wroth is a cruel thing, and furyousenesse is a very tempest, ye who is able to abide envy? An open rebuke is better than a secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a lover, but the kisses of an enemy are cruel. He that is full abhorreth an honey comb but unto him that is hungry, every sour thing is swear. He that oft times frytteth, is like a bird that forsaketh her nest. The heart is glad of a sweet ointment and savour, but a stomach that can give good counsel, rejoiceth a man's neighbour. Thine own friend, and thy father's friend see thou forsake not, but go not into thy brother's house in time of thy trouble. For better is a friend at hand, than a brother far of. My son, be wise, and thou shalt make me a glad heart, so that I shall make answer unto my rebukes. A wise man seeing the plague, will hide himself, as for fools they go on still, and suffer harm. Prou. 10. c Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for the unknown man's sake. He that is to hasty to praise his neighbour above measure, shallbe taken as one that giveth him an evil report. Pro. 19 b A brawling woman and the roof of the house dropping in a rainy day, may well be compared together. He that refraineth her, refraineth the wind, & holdeth oil fast in his hand Like as one iron whetteth an other, so doth one man comfort another. Who so keepeth his fig tree, shall enjoy the fruits thereof, even so he that waiteth upon his master, shall come to honour. Like as in one water there appear divers faces, even so divers men have divers hearts. Eccle. 1. a. Like as hell and destruction are never full, even so the eyes of men can never be satisfied. Eccl. 14. a. and .27. c. Silver is tried in the mould, & gold in the furnace, and so is a man, when he is openly praised to his face. * The heart of a wicked man seeketh after mischief, but a true heart seeketh for knowledge. Though thou shouldest bray a fool with a pestle in a mortar like otemeell, yet will not his foolishness go from him: See that thou know the number of thy cattles thyself, and look well unto thy stocks. For riches abide not alway, and the crown endureth not for ever. The hay groweth, the grass cometh up, and herbs are gathered in the mountains. The lambs shall clothe thee, and for the goats thou shalt have money to thy husbandry. Thou shalt have goats milk enough to feed thee, to uphold thy household, & to sustain thy maidens. Capi. xxviii. THe ungodly flieth when no man chaseth him, but the righteous standeth stiff as a Lyon. Luci. 26. c Because of sin, the land doth oft change her Prince, but thorough men of understanding and wisdom a Realm endureth long. One poor man oppressing an other by violence, is like a continual rain that destroyeth the fruit. They that forsake the law, praise the ungodly, but such as keep the law, abhor them. 1. Cor. 2. d Wicked men discern not the thing that is right, but they that seek after the Lord discuss all things. Pro. 19 a A poor man leading a godly life is better than the rich that goeth in froward ways. Who so keepeth the law, is a child of understanding, but he that is a companion of riotous men, shameth his father. Who so increaseth his riches by vantage and winning, let him gather them to help the poor withal. Prou. 1. b He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer shallbe abominable. Who so leadeth the righteous into an evil way, shall fall into his own pit, but the just shall have the good in possession. The rich man thinketh himself to be wise, but the poor that hath understanding, can perceive him well enough. Ecce. 10. a Pro. 29. a When righteous men are in prosperity, then doth honour flourish, but when the ungodly cometh up, the state of men changeth. He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper, but job. 13. c Psa. 32. b 1. job. 1. b who so knowledgeth them and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. Well is him that standeth alway in awe, as for him that hardeneth his heart he shall fall into mischief. Like as a roaring Lion and an hungry Bear, even so is an ungodly prince over the poor people. Where the Prince is without understanding, there is great oppression and wrong, but if he be such one as hateth covetousness, he shall long reign. Gene. 4. b He that by violence sheddeth any man's blood, shallbe a runagate unto his grave, and no man shallbe able to secure him. Pro. 10. d Who so leadeth a godly and an innocent life, shallbe saved, but he that goeth froward ways, shall once have a fall. Pro. 12. b. Eccl. 20. d He that tilleth his land, shall have plentuousness of bread, but he that followeth ydylnesse, shall have poverty enough. A man that dealeth faithfully, shallbe filled with blessings, and 1. Ti. 6. b Pro. 23. a he that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be unguilty. To have respect of persons in judgement is not good. And why? A man will do wrong, ye even for a piece of bread He that will be rich all to soon, hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. He that rebuketh a man, shall find more favour at the last, than he that flattereth him. Ma. 15. a Who so robbeth his father and mother, and sayeth it is no sin, the same is like unto a destroyer. He that is of a proud stomach, steereth up strife, but he that putteth his trust in the Lord, shallbe well fed. He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool, but he that walketh wisely, shallbe safe. 2. Cor. 9, b He that giveth unto the poor, shall not lack, but he that turneth away his eyes from such as be in necessity, shall suffer great poverty himself. Pro. 28. b and .29. a When the ungodly are come up, men are fain to hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase. Capi. xxix. HE that is stiffnecked, and will not be reformed, shall suddenly be destroyed without any help. Pro. 28. b Eccl. 10. a When the righteous have the over hand, the people are in prosperity, but when the ungodly beareth rule, there the people mourn. Who so loveth wisdom, maketh his father a glad man, Prou. 5. a Luke. 15. c but he that keepeth company with harlots, spendeth away that he hath. With true judgement the king setteth up the land, but if he be a man that is covetous, he turneth it up side down. Who so flattereth his neighbour, layeth a net for his feet. * The sin of the wicked is his own snare, but the righteous doth sing and rejoice. The righteous considereth the cause of the poor, but the ungodly regardeth no understanding. Wicked people bring a City in decay, but wise men set it up again. If a wise man go to law with a fool (whether he deal with him fryndely: or roughly) he getteth not rest. The blood thirsty hate the Righteous, but the just seek his soul. A fool poureth out his Spirit all together, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward. If a Prince delight in lies, all his servants are ungodly. The poor and the lender met together and the lord lighteneth both their eyes Pro. xx. d. The seat of the King that faithfully judgeth the poor, shall continue sure for evermore. The rod and correction minister wisdom, but if a child be not looked unto he bringeth his mother to shame. When the ungodly come up, wickedness increaseth, but the righteous shall see their fall. nurture thy son with correction, and thou shalt be at rest, ye he shall do the good at thine heart. When the word of God is not preached, the people perish, but well is him that keepeth the law. A servant will not be the better for words, for though he understand, yet will he not regard them. If thou seest a man that is hasty to speak unadvised, thou mayst trust a fool more than him. He that delycatelye bringeth up his servant from a child, shall make him his master at length. An angry man steereth up strife, and he that beareth evil well in his mind, doth much evil. After pride cometh a fall, job. 22. d but a lowly spirit bringeth great worship, Who so keepeth company with a thief hateth his own soul, he heareth blasphemies, and telleth it not forth. He that feareth men, shall have a fall, but who so putteth his trust in the Lord is without danger. Many there be that seek the princes favour, but every man's judgement cometh from the Lord. The ryghtuousse abhorreth the ungodly, but as for those that be in the the right way, the wicked hate them. * A child that keepeth the word shall be without destruction. ¶ The pureness of the word of God, and what we ought to require of God, with certain wonderful things that are in this world. Capi. thirty. THe words of Agur the son of jakei, and the prophecy that the same man spoke unto ithiel, even unto Ithyell, and Vchall, I am more foolish than any man, and have no man's understanding, I never learned wisdom nor had knowledge of holy things? Who hath climbed up into heaven? Who hath come down from thence? Who hath holden the wind fast in his hand? Who hath comprehended the waters in a garment? Who hath set all the ends of the world? What is his name, or his sons name canst thou tell? Psa. 19 ● All the words of God are pure and clean, for he is a shield unto all them, that put their trust in him. Deut. 4. a and .12. d Put thou nothing unto his word least he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. Two things have I required of thee, that thou wilt not deny me before I die. Remove fro me vanity and lies, give me neither poverty, nor riches, only grant me a necessary living. Lest if I be to full, I deny thee, & say Exo. 5. c Deut. 8 c and .31. c job, 21. b. who is the Lord? And lest I being constrained thorough poverty, fall unto stealing, and take the name of my god in vain. Accuse not a servant unto his master lest he speak evil of thee, & thou be hurt. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a Generation that think themselves clean, and yet is not cleansed from their filthiness. There is a Generation that hath a proud look, and doth cast up their eye lids. There is a generation whose teeth are swords, & with their chawebones they consume and devour the Simple of the earth, and the poor from among men. The horse leech hath two daughters crying bring hither, bring hither. There be three things that are never satisfied, & the fourth saith never hoo. The grave, a woman's womb, and the earth that hath never water enough. As for fire, it saith never hoo. Exo. 21. v. Deu. 27. c Who so laughteth his father to scorn and setteth his mother's commandment at naught, the ravens pike out his eyes in the valley, and devoured be he of the young Aegels. There be three things to high for me, and as for the fourth, it passeth my knowledge. The way of an Eagle in the air, the way of a Serpent over a stone, the way of a ship in the see, and the way of a man with a young woman. Such is the way also of a wife that breaketh wedlock, which wipeth her mouth like as when she hath eaten, and saith, As for me, I have done no harm. Thorough three things the earth is disquieted, and the fourth may it not bear. Thorough a servant that beareth rule, thorough a fool that hath to much bread thorough an idle house wife, & thorough an handmaiden that is heir to her mastresse. These be four things in the earth, the which are very little, but in wisdom they exceed the wise. The emmettes are but weak people Pro. 6. a. yet gather they their meat together in the harvest. The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their couches a 'mong the rocks. The grasshoppers have not a guide, yet go they forth together by heaps. The spider laboureth with her hands and is in Kings places. There be three things that go still ye but the going of the fourth is the good liest of all. A Lion, which is strongest among beasts, and giveth place to no man. A greyhound strong in the hinder parts: A ram also, and a King, against whom no man ariseth up. If thou haste done foolishly when thou waste in high estate, or if thou haste taken evil council, than lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Who so chyrmeth milk, maketh butter, & he that rubbeth his nose, maketh it bleed, Even so he that causeth wrath, bringeth forth strife. ¶ The words of king Lamuell, and the lesson that his mother taught him. ¶ Kings ought to judge justly. The property of an honest married wife. Capi. xxxi. MY son, thou son of my body, O my dear beloved Son, give not over thy strength and ways unto women which are the destruction even of Kings. O Lamuel, give Kings no wine, give Kings and Princes no strong drink, least they being drunken forget the law, and regard not the cause of the poor, and of all such as be in adversity. give strong drink unto such as be condemned to death, & wine unto those that mourn that they may drink it, & forget their misery and adversity. Be thou an advocate, and stand in judgement thyself, to speak for all such as he dumb and suckerles. Open thy mouth, defend the thing that is lawful and right, and the cause of the poor and helpless. Who so findeth an honest faithful woman, she is much more worth than perls The heart of her husband may safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoils. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She occupieth will and flax, & laboureth gladly with her hands. She is like a merchants ship that bringeth her victuals from a far. She is up in the night season, to provide meat for her household, and food for her maidens. She considereth land, and buyeth it, and with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and courageth her arms. And if she perceive that her houswyfrie doth good, her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her fingers to the spyndell and her hand taketh hold of the distaff. She openeth her hand to the poor, ye she stretcheth forth her hands to such as have need. She feareth not that the cold of winter shall hurt her house, for all her household folks are double clothed. She maketh herself fair ornaments her clothing is white silk and purple. Her husband is much set by in the gates, when he sitteth among the rulers of the land. She maketh cloth of silk and selleth it, and delivereth a girdle unto the merchant. Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter day she shall rejoice. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of grace. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not her bred with ydilnesse. Her children shall arise, and call her blessed, and her husband shall make much of her. Many daughters there be that gather riches together, but thou goest above them all. As for favour, it is deceitful, and beauty is a vain thing, but a woman that feareth the lord, she is worthy to be praised. give her of the fruit of her hands, & let her own works praise her in the gates. ¶ The End of the proverbs of Solomon. ¶ The book of the Preacher, otherwise called Ecclesiastes. ¶ All that is in this world is vanity, Capi. Primo. THese are the words of the Preacher, the son of david, King of jerusalem. Eccle. 12. c All is but vanity (saith the Preacher) All is but plain vanity. For what else hath a man, of all the labour that he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, an other cometh, but the earth abideth still. The Sun ariseth, the sun goeth down, and returneth to his place that he may there rise up again. The wind goeth toward the South, and fetcheth his compass about unto the North, and so turneth into himself again. job. 14. b. All sloudes run into the see, and yet the see is not filled, For look unto what place the waters run, thence they come to slow again. All things are so hard that no man can express them. Pro. 17. Goe 14. b. c The eye is not satisfied with sight, the ear is not filled with hearing. Eccle. 3. b. The thing that hath been, cometh to pass again, and the thing that hath be done, is done again, there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, lo this is new: For it was long ago in the times that have been before us. The thing that is past, is out of remembrance. Even so the things that are for to come, shall no more be thought upon among them that come after. I myself the Preacher, was King of Israel at jerusalem, and did apply my mind to seek out and search for the knowledge of all things that are done under heaven. Such travail and labour hath God given unto ✿ the children of men, to exercise themselves therein. Thus I have considered all the things that come to pass under the Sun, and lo, they are all but vanity, and vexation of mind. The crooked can not be made straight, and the faults cannot be numbered. I commoned with mine own heart saying, lo, I am, come to a great estate, & have gotten more wisdom, than all they that have been before me in jerusalem. Ye my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge, for thereunto I applied my mind, that I might know what were wisdom and understanding, what were error and foolishness. And I perceived, that this also was but a vexation of mind, for where much wisdom is, there is also great travail and dysquyetnesse, and * the more knowledge a man hath, the more is his care. ¶ Abundance of riches, of pleasure and of building are vain things. Capi. two. THen said I thus in my heart, Now go to, I will take mine ease, and have good days. But lo, that is vanity also, in so much that I said unto laughter, thou art mad, and to mirth, what dost thou? So I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, to apply my mind unto wisdom & to comprehend foolishness until the time that (among all the things which are under the sun) I might see what were best for men to do so long as they live under heaven 3. Re. 3.4.5.6.7. I made gorgeous fair works. I builded me houses, & planted vineyards. I made me orchards and gardens of pleasure, & planted trees in them of all manner fruits. 3. Re. 4.9 I made poles of water, to water the grieve & fruitful trees with al. I bought servants & maidens & had a great household. As for cattle and sheep I had more substance of them, than all they that were before me in Jerusalem. I gathered silver & gold together, even a treasure of kings & lands. I provided me singers & women, which could play of instruments, to make men mirth and pastime. I gate me psalteries and songs of music. And I was greater & in more worship, than all my predecessors in Jerusalem. For wisdom remained with me and look what so ever mine eyes desired I let them have it, and wherein so ever my heart delighted, or had any pleasure, I with held it not from it. Thus my heart rejoiced in all that I did, and this was my portion of all my travail. But when I considered all the works that my hands had wrought, and all the labour that I had taken therein, so, all was but vain & vexation of mind, and nothing of any value under the sun. Then turned I me to consider wisdom, error, and foolishness (for what is he among men that might be compared to me the king in such works) and I saw, that wisdom excelleth foolishness, as far as light doth darkness For a wise man hath his eyes in his heed but the fool goeth in the darkness. I perceived also, that they both had one end. Then thought I in my mind, if it happen unto the fool as it doth unto me what needeth me them to labour any more for wisdom? So I confessed within my heart, that this also was but vanity. For the wise are ever as little in remembrance as the foolish, and all the days for to come shall be forgotten, ye the wise man dieth as well as the fool. Thus began I to be weary of my life, in so much that I could away with nothing that is done under the sun, for all was but vanity and vexation of mind. Yea I was weary of all my labour, which I had taken under the sun, because I should be feign to leave them unto an other man that cometh after me. And who knoweth whether he shallbe a wise man or a fool? And yet shall he be lord of all my labours which I with such wisdom have taken under the Sun. This is also a vain thing. So I turned me to refreine my mind from all such travail, as I took under the Sun, for so much as a man should weary himself with wisdom, with understanding, and opportunity, and yet be fain to leave his labours unto another that never sweet for them. This is also a vain thing and great misery, For what getteth a man of all the labour and travail of his mind, that he taketh under the Sun, but heaviness, sorrow, and disquietness all the days of his life In so much that his heart cannot rest in the night, this is also a vaynt thing! Eccle. 5. d. Is it not better then for a man to eat and drink, & his Soul to be meri in his labour? Ye, I saw that this also was a gift of god. For who will eat or go more lustily to his work than I? And why? he giveth unto man, what it pleaseth him, whether it be wisdom, understanding, or gladness. But unto the sinner he giveth weariness * (& superfluous care) that he may gather & heap together the thing that afterward shallbe given unto him, whom it pleaseth God. This is now a vain thing, ye a very disquietness and vexation of mind. ¶ All things come in their time, and pass away in their time. Capi. iii. every thing hath a time, ye all that is under the heaven, hath his convenient season. There is a time to be borne, and a time to die. There is a time to plant, and a time to pluke up the thing, that is planted. A time to slay, and a time to make whole. A time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to win and a time to lose A time to spare, and a time to spend. A time to cut in pieces, and a time to sow together. Eccl. 20. a 31. d. 32. a A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace What hath a man else (that doth any thing) but weariness and labour? For as touching the travail and carefulness which god hath given unto men. I see that he hath given it them, to be exercised in it. All this hath he ordained marvelous goodly, to every thing his due time. He hath planted ignorance also in the hearts of men, that they should not comprehend the ground of his works, which he doth from the beginning to the end So I perceived, that in these things there is nothing better for a man, than to be merry and to do well so long as he liveth. For all that a man eateth and drinketh, ye what soever a man enjoyeth of all his labour, that same is a gift of god I considered also that what so ever god doth, it continueth for ever, and that no thing can be put unto it, nor taken from it and that God doth it to the intent, that men should fear him. Eccle. 1. d. The thing that hath been, is now, & the thing that is for to come hath been afore time, for god restoreth again the thing that was passed. Moreover, I saw under the Sun ungodliness in the stead of judgement, & iniquity in stead of righteousness. Then thought I in my mind, god shall separate the righteous from the ungodly, & then shallbe the time and judgement of all counsels & works. I comened with mine own heart also, concerning the children of men, how god hath chosen them, and yet letteth them to apere as though they were beasts, for it happeneth unto men as it doth unto beasts, and as the one dieth so dieth the other, ye they have both one manner of breath, so that (in this) a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast, but all are subdued unto vanity. They go all unto one place, for as they be all of dust, so shall they all turn unto dust again. Sapi. 2. a. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the breath of the beast that goeth down into the earth? Wherefore I perceive, that there is nothing better for a man, then to be joyful in his labour, for that is his portion. But who will bring him to see the thing that shall come after him? ¶ The miseries of the innocent. The superfluous labours of men. The child that is poor and wise etc. Capi. iiii. SO I turned me, and Abac. 1. d Eccle. 5. b. considered all the violent wrong that is done under the sun, and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and there was no man to comfort them, or that would deliver and defend then from the violence of their oppressors. Wherefore I judged those that are deed, to be more happy than such as be alive, ye him that is yet unborn to be better at ease than they both because he seeth not the miserable works that are done under the sun. Again, I saw that all travail and diligence of labour was hated of every man. This is also a vain thing, and a vexation of mind. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth up his own flesh. One handful is better with rest, than both the hands full with labour & travail of mind. Moreover, I turned me & behold yet an other vanity under the Sun. There is one man, no more but himself alone, having neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of his careful travail, his eyes can not be satisfied with riches, * (yet doth he not remember himself, and say. For whom do I take such travail? For whose pleasure do I thus consume away my life? This is also a vain & a miserable thing. Therefore two are better than one, for they may well enjoy the profit of their labour. For if one of them fall, his companion helpeth him up again. But woe is him that is alone, for if he fall, he hath not another to help him up. Again, when two sleep together, they are warm, but how can a body be warm alone? One may be overcome, but two may make resistance. A three fold thread is not lightly broken. A poor child being wise, is better than an old king that doteth, & cannot beware in time to come. Gen. 41. b 1. Re. 16 c 3. Reg 13 e 2. par. 33. s 4. Re. 25. a Some one cometh out of prison, and is made a king: and an other which is borne in the kingdom, cometh unto poverty. And I perceived that all men living under the Sun, go with the second child, that cometh up in the stead of the other. As for the people that have been before him, and that come after him they are innumerable: yet is not their joy the greater thorough him. This is also a vain thing & a vexation of my ade. When thou comest into the house of God keep thy foot and draw nigh, that thou mayst hear, 1. Re. 15. e that is better than the offerings of fools, for they know not what evil they do. ¶ A monition to be ware of rayshe communication. ¶ We ought not to marvel at the oppression of the poor. ¶ The covetous is not satisfied with his riches. Capi. v. BE not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart speak any thing rashly before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few. For where much carefulness is, there are many dreams, and where many words are, there men may hear fools. Deu. 23. d. Baruc. 6 c If thou make a vow unto God, be not slack to perform it. As for foolish vows, he hath no pleasure in them. If thou promise any thing, pay it: for better it is that thou make no vow them that thou shouldest promise, and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh for to sin, neither say thou before the angel, that it is thy ignorance For then god will be angry at thy voice and destroy all the works of thine hands. And why? where as are many dreams and many words, there are also divers vanities: but look that thou fear God Eccle. 4. a Abac. 1. a. if thou sayst the poor to be oppressed: and wrongfully dealt withal, so that equity, and the right of the law is wrested in the land, marvel not thou at such a thing, for one great man keepeth touch with an other, and the mighty help themselves together. The whole land also with the fields, and all that is therein, is in subjection & bondage unto the king. He that loveth money, will never be satisfied with money: & who so delighteth in riches, shall have no profit thereof. This is also a vain thing. Where as much riches is, there are many also that spend them away. And what pleasure more hath he that possesseth them, saving that he may look upon them with his eyes? A labouring man sleepeth swetlye, whether it be little or much that he eateth, but the abundance of the rich, will not suffer him to sleep. Yet is there a sore plague, which I have seen under the Sun (namely) riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession For oftimes they perish with his great misery & trouble, & if he have a child it giveth nothing. job. 1. d. Ti. 6, b, Like as he came naked out of his mother's womb, so goeth he thither again, and carrieth nothing away with him of all his labour. This is a miserable plague, that he shall go away even as he came. What helpeth it him, then that he hath laboured in the world? All the days of his life also he did eat in the dark, with great carefulness, sickness, and sorrow. Eccle. 2. d, Therefore me think it a better and a fairer thing, a man to eat and drink, and to be refreshed of all his labour, that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life which god giveth him, for this is his portion. For unto whonesoever god giveth richesse, goods, and power he giveth it him to enjoy it, to take it for his portion and to be refreshed of his labour: this is the gift of God. For he thinketh not much how long he shall live, for so much as God filleth his heart with gladness. ¶ The misery of the rich and covetous. The difference of a fool and wiseman. Capi. vi. THere is yet a plague which I beheld under the Sun, and it is a general thing among men when God giveth a man riches, goods, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing of all that his heart can desire: & yet god giveth him not leave to enjoy the same, but an other man spendeth them. This is a vain thing and a miserable plague. If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that his days are many in number, and yet can not enjoy his good, neither be buried, as for him I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. For he cometh to naught, & goeth his way into darkness, & his name is forgotten. More over he seeth not the sun, and knoweth not of it: yet hath he more rest than the other. Ye though he lived two thousand years, yet hath he no good life. Come not all to one place? All the labour that a man taketh is for himself, and yet his desire is never fulfilled after his mind. For what hath the wise more than the fool? What helpeth it the poor, that he knoweth to walk before the living? The sight of the eyes is better, then that the soul should so depart away. How be it, this is also a vain thing and a disquietness of mind. The thing that hath been, is named already, and known that it is even man himself: neither may he go to law with him that is mightier than he. Many things there be that increase vanity, and what hath a man elles. For who knoweth what is good for man living, in the days of his vain life which is but a shadow? Or who will tell a man, what shall hap after him under the Sun? ¶ That which passeth our strengths & wits ought we not to seek after. Capi. seven. A Pro. 22. a Good name is more worth than ‡ Cant. 1. a a precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of birth. It is better to go into an house of mourning, them into a banqueting house. For there is the end of all men, and he that is living, taketh it to heart. It is better to be sorry than to laugh, for when the countenance is heavy, the heart is reformed. The heart of the wise is in the mourning house, but the heart of the foolish is in the house of mirth. Pro. 17. a It is better to give ear to the chastening of a wise man, them to hear the song of fools For the laughing of fools is like the cracking of thorns under a pot. And that it but a vain thing. Who so doth wrong, maketh a wise man to go out of his wit, and destroyeth a gentle heart. The end of a thing is better than the beginning. The patient of spirit is better than the high minded. Be not hastily angry in thy mind, for wrath resteth in the bosom of fools. say not thou: What is the cause, that the days of the old time were better, than they that be now? for that were no wise question. wisdom is better than riches, ye much more worth than the eye light. For wisdom defendeth as well as money, and the excellent knowledge and wisdom giveth life unto him that hath it in possession. Consider the work of God, how that no man can make the thing strait which he maketh crooked. Use well the time of prosperity, and remember the time of misfortune, for God maketh the one by the other, so that a man can find nothing else. All things have I considered in the time of my vanity that the Just man perisheth for his righteousness sake, & the ungodly liveth in his wickedness Therefore Ro. 12. c. be thou neither to righteous nor over wise, that thou perish not, be neither to unrighteous also nor to foolish least thou die before thy time. It is good for the to take hold of this, & not to let that go out of thy hand. For he that feareth God, shall escape them all. wisdom giveth more courage unto the wise, than ten mighty men of the city: 3. Re. 8. c. 2 par. 6. g. Pro 20. b. 1. joh. 1. d. for there is not one Just upon earth that doth good and sinneth not. Take not heed unto every word that is spoken, least thou hear thy servant curse thee, for thine own heart knoweth, that thou thyself also haste oft-times spoken even by other men. All these things have I proved in wisdom. I will I said be wise, job. 18. c. but she went farther fro me than she was before, ye, and so deep that I might not reach unto her. I applied my mind also unto knowledge, and to seek out science, wisdom, & understanding: to know the foolishness of the ungodly, and the error of doting fools. And I found, that Pro. 7. d. a woman is bitterer than death: for she is a very angle, her heart is a net, & her hands are chains. Who so pleaseth God, shall escape from her, but the sinner will be taken with her. Behold (saith the preacher) this have I diligently searched out and proved, that I might come by knowledge: which as yet I seek, & find it not. Among a thousand men I have found one, but not one woman among all. Lo, this only have I found, that Genes. 1. d god made man Just, and right but they sought many inventions. ¶ The Kings commandment ought to be obeyed. Gladness is one of the chief things under the Sun. Capi. viii. WHo is wise? Who hath knowledge to make answer? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, Pro. 17. d job. 9 d. but malice putteth it out of favour. I must keep the Kings commandment, and the oath that I have made unto God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight, and see thou continue in no evil thing: for what so ever it pleaseth him, that doth he. Like as when a king giveth a charge, his Commandment is mighty. Even so job. 9 b. who may say unto him: what dost thou? ‡ Leu. 1●. a Who so keepeth the commandment, shall feel no harm, but a wise man's heart discerneth the time and manner. For every thing will have opportunity and judgement, and this is the thing that maketh men full of carefulness and sorrow. And why? A man knoweth not what is for to come, for who will tell him? Nether is there any man that hath power over the spirit, to keep still the spirit, nor to have any power in the time of death: it is not he also that can make an end of the battle, neither may ungodliness deliver them that meddle with all. All these things have I considered, and applied my mind unto every work that is done under the Sun? how one man hath lordship upon an other to his own harm. For Psalmus 37. c. I have oft seen the ungodly brought to their graves, and fallen down from the high holy place: in so much that they were forgotten in the city, where they were had in so high and great reputation. This is also a vain thing. Because now that evil works are not hastily punished, the heart of man giveth himself over unto wickedness. But though an evil person offend an hundred times, and have a long life: yet am I sure, that it shall go well with them that fear God, because they have him before their eyes. Again, as for the ungodly, it shall not be well with him, neither shall he prolong his days but even as a shadow so shall he be that feareth not god. Yet is there a vanity upon earth. There be just men, unto whom it happeneth, as though they had the works of the ungodly. Again, there be ungodly, with whom it goeth as though they had the works of the righteous. This have I called also a vain thing. Therefore I commend gladness, because a man hath no better thing under the Sun, than to eat and drink and to be merry: for that shall he have of his labour all the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. And so I applied my mind to learn wisdom, and to know the travail that is in the world (& that of such a fashion, that I suffered not mine eyes to sleep neither day nor night) I understood of all the works of God, but it is not possible for a man to attain unto the works that are done under the Sun: & though he bestow his labour to seek them out, yet can he not reach unto them: ye though a wise man would undertake to know them, yet shall he not find them. ¶ A man wotteth not by the righteousness of his own works, whether he be worthy of lo●e or hate. A man ought to live merely with his wife. A praise of wisdom. Capi. ix. FOr all these things purposed I in my mind to seek out. The righteous and wise, ye and their Servants also are in the hand of God, & there is no man, that knoweth either love, or hate, but all things are before them. It happeneth unto one as unto an other: It goeth with the righteous as with the ungodly: job. 9 c with the good and clean as with the unclean: with him that offereth, as with him that offereth not, like as it goeth with the Virtuous, so goeth it also with the Sinner. As it happeneth unto the perjured, so happeneth it also unto him that is afraid to be forsworn. Among all things that come to pass under the Sun, this is a misery that it happeneth unto all a like This is the cause also that the hearts of men are full of wickedness, & mad foolishness is in their hearts as long as they live, unytl they die. And why? As long as a man liveth, he is careless, for a quick dog (say they) is better than a deed Lion: for they that beliving, know that they shall die, but they that be deed know nothing, neither deserve they any more. For their memorial is forgotten, so that they be neither loved, hated, nor envy, neither have they any more part in the world, in all that is done under the Sun. Go thou thy way then, eat thy bread with joy, & drink thy wine with a glad heart, for thy works please God Let thy garments be always whit, and Mat. 6. b. let thine head lack none ointment. ‡ Pro. 5. c Use thyself to live joyfully with thy wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy life, which is but vain, that God giveth the under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for that is thy portion in this life, of all thy labour and travail that thou takest under the sun. What so ever thou takest in hand to do, that do with all thy power, for in the grave thou goest to, there is neither work, council, knowledge nor wisdom. So I turned me unto other things under the sun, & I saw in running, it helpeth not to be swift: in battle, it helpeth not to be strong to feeding it helpeth not to be wise: to riches, it helpeth not to be subtle: to be had in favour it helpeth not to be cunning: but that all liveth in time and fortune. For Luke. 21. d a man knoweth not his time, but like as the fish are taken with the angle, and as the birds are catched with the snare. Even so are men taken in the perilous time, when it cometh suddenly upon them. This wisdom have I seen also under the Sun and me thought it a great thing. There was a little city, and a few men within it: so there came a great king and besieged it, and made great bulwarks against it. And in the city there was found a poor man (but he was wise) which with his wisdom delivered the City: yet was there no body, that had any respect unto such a simple man. Then said I, wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, a simple man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. A wise man's counsel that is followed in silence, is far above the crying of a captain among fools. Sapi. 6. a 3. Re. 22. c 1. Re. 17. c For wisdom is better than harness but one unthrift alone, destroyeth much good. ¶ The difference betwixt a fool and a wise man. Fortunate & happy is that Realm which hath a wise Prince. Capi. x. A Deed fly doth corrupt sweet ointment and maketh it to stink. Even so oft-times he that is made of for wisdom & honour, is abhorred: because of a little foolishness. A wise man's heart is upon the right hand, but a fools heart is upon the left. A doting fool thinketh, that every man doth as foolishly as himself. If a principal spirit be given the to bear rule, Rom. 1 2. b be not negligent then in thine office: for he that can take cure of himself, avoideth great offences. another plague is there, which I have seen under the sun, nameli the ignorance that is commonly among Princes, in that a fool sitteth in great dignity, and the rich are set down beneath. I have seen servants ride upon horses, and Princes going upon their feet as it were a servant. Pro. 26. a Eccl. 27. d But he that diggeth up a pit, shall fall there in himself, & who so breaketh down the hedge a serpent shall bite him. Who so removeth stones, shall have travail withal, and he that heweth wood, shallbe hurt there with. When an iron is blonte, and the point not sharpened, it must be whet again, and that with might. Even so doth wisdom follow diligence. A babbler of his tongue is no better, than a Serpent that slingeth without hissing. The words out of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will destroy himself. The beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the last word of his mouth is stark madness. A fool is full of words, and a man cannot tell what shall come to pass: who will then warn him of it that shall follow after him▪ The labour of the foolish is grievous unto them, while they know not how to go into the city. Woe be unto thee (o thou land) whose King is but a child, and whose Princes are early at their banquets. But well is thee, (O thou land) whose king is come of nobles, and whose Princes eat in due season, for necessity, & not for lust. Thorough slothfulness the balks fall down, and thorough idle hands it raineth in at the house. Meat maketh men to laugh, and psa. 104. ● wine maketh them merry, but unto money are all things obedient. Wish the king no evil in thy thought, and speak no hurt of the rich in thy privy chamber: for a bird of the air shall betray thy voice and with her feathers shall she bewray thy words. ¶ richesse aught to be destrybute unto the needy. Capi. xi. Send thy victuals over the waters, and so shalt thou find them after many days. give it away among seven or eight, for thou knowest not what misery shall come upon earth. When the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. And when the tree falleth (whether it be toward the south, or north) in what place so ever it fall, there it lieth. He that regardeth the wind, shall not sow: and he that hath respect unto the clouds, shall not reap. Now like as thou knowest not the way of the wind nor how the bones are filled in a mother's womb: Even so thou knowest not the works of God, which is the work master of all. Cease not thou therefore with thy hands to sow thy seed, whether it be in the morning or in the evening, for thou knowest not whether this or that shall prosper, & if they both take it is better. The light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to look upon the Sun, If a man live many years, and be glad in them all, let him remember the days of darkness, which shallbe many: and that followeth, all things shallbe but vanity. Be glad then (O thou young man) in thy youth▪ and let thine heart be merry in thy young days, follow the ways of thine own heart, and the lust of thine eyes: but be thou sure, that God shall bring the into judgement for all these things. ¶ From youth: ought we to consider and regard the goodness of God. Capi. xii. Put away displeasure out of thine heart, and remove evil from thy body: for childhood and youth is but vanity. Remember thy maker in thy youth, or ever the days of adversity come, and or the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: I have not pleasure in them, before the Sun, the light, the moon, and stars be darkenned, and or the clouds turn again after the rain when the keepers of the house shall tremble and when the strong men shall bew themselves: when the millers stand still, because they be so few, and when the sight of the windows shall wax dim: when the doers in the streets shallbe shirt, and when the voice of the mister shallbe laid down: when men shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and when all the daughters of music shallbe brought low, when men shall fear in high places, and be afraid in the streets: when the Almond tree shall flourish and be laden with the greshoper and when all lust shall pass (because when man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets,) Or ever the silver lace be taken away, and or the golden band be broken: Or the pot be broken at the well, and the wheel upon the cistern. Then shall the dust be turned again unto earth from whence it came, and the spirit shall return unto god, which gave it. Eccles. 1. a All is but vanity (saith the preacher) all is but plain vanity. The Preacher was yet more wise, & taught the people knowledge: he gave good heed, sought out the ground, & set forth many parables, his diligence was to find out acceptable words, right scripture, & the words of truth. For Hebre. 4. c the words of the wise are like pricks & nails that go thorough, wherewith men are kept together for they are given of one shepherd only. Therefore beware (my son) that above these thou make the not many and innumerable books, nor take divers doctrines in hand, to weri thy body withal Let us hear the conclusion of all things. Fear god & keep his commandments: For that toucheth all men: For God shall judge all works & secret things, whether they be good or evil. ¶ The end of the book of the Preacher, otherwise called. Ecclesiastes. ¶ The Ballet of Ballettes of Solomon, called in Latin Canticum Canticorum. ¶ A mystical song of the spiritual and godly love, between Christ the spouse and the church or congregation his spousess. Solomon made this ballad or song by himself and his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, under the shadow of himself figuring Christ, & under the person of his wife the Church. Capi. Primo. ¶ The voice of the Church. O That he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is more pleasant than wine, & that because of the good and pleasant savour. Thy name is Eccle. 7. a a sweet smelling ointment, therefore do the maidens love the draw thou me unto thee, we will run after the. ¶ The spousess to her companions. The King hath brought my into his privy chambers. We will be glad & rejoice in thee, we think more of thy love then of wine. They that be righteous love the. ¶ The voice of the Church in persecution. I am black (O ye daughters of jerusalem) like as Gene. 25. b 2. Par. 3. c the tents of the Cedarnes, and * as the hangings of Solomon but yet am I fair & well favoured with al. Marvel not at me that I am so black for why? the sun hath shined upon me. ¶ The voice of the synagogue. My mother's children had evil will at me they made me a keeper of the vineyards but mine own vineyard have I not kept ¶ The voice of the church to Christ. Tell me of him whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest, where thou makest them to rest at the noon days, for why shall I be like him, that goeth wrong about the flocks of thy companions? ¶ christ to the Church. If thou know not thyself (O thou say rest among women) then go thy way forth after the foot steps of the ship and feed thy goats beside the shepherds rents. Unto Exod. 14. c the host of pharao's charettes have I compared thee, O my love. Thy cheeks & thy neck is beautiful as the turtles, & hanged with spangs and godly jewels: a neck band of gold will we make the with silver buttons. ¶ The voice of the Church. When the King sitteth at the table he shall smell my Nardus: a bondell of Myrrh is my love unto me: he will lie betwixt my breasts. A cluster of grapes in the vineyards of Engaddy is my love unto me. Cant. 4. a O how fair art thou (my love) how fair art thou: thou haste doves eyes ¶ christ to the Church. O how fair art thou (my beloved) how well favoured art thou? ¶ The Church to Christ. Our bed is decte with flowers, the selynges of our houses are of cedar tree, and our balks of Cypress. Capi. two. The voice of christ. I Am the Lilye of the field, and Rose of the valleys: as the Rose among the thorns: so is my love among the daughters, ¶ The voice of the Church. Like as the appletre among the tres of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. My delight is to sit under his shadow, for his fruit is sweet unto my throat he bringeth me into his wine seller, & loveth me specially well. Refresh me with grapes, comfort me with apples for I am sick of love. Canti. 8. a his left hand lieth under my heed, and his right hand shall embrace me. ¶ The voice of Christ. Canti. 3. b I charge you, O ye daughters of jerusalem by the Roes and hinds of the field, that ye wake not up my love, nor touch her, till she be content herself. ¶ The voice of the Church. Me think I hear the voice of my beloved: lo, there cometh he hopping upon the mountains, and leaping over the little hills. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in at the window, and pepeth thorough the gate. My beloved answered and said unto me. ¶ The voice of Christ. O stand up my love, my beutyful, and come: for lo, the winter is now past, the rain is away and gone. The flowers are come up in the field, the time of the birds singing is come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. The fig tree bringeth forth her figs and the vines bear blossoms, and have a good smell. O stand up my love, my beutyful▪ and come (O my dove) out of the canes of the rocks, out of the holes of the wall: O let me see thy countenance & hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, & fair is thy face. ¶ The voice against the heretics. Get us the Foxes, ye the little foxes, that hurt the wines, for our wines bear blossoms. ¶ The voice of the Church. Canti. 7 ● My love is mine, and I am his, which feedeth among the roses, until the day break, & till the shadows be gone. Come again (O my beloved) and be like as a roe, or a young heart upon the wide mountains. Capi. iii. ¶ The voice of the Church which is chosen out of the Heathen. BY night in my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth: ye diligently sought I him, but I found him not I will get up thought I & go about the city, upon the market & in all the streets will I seek him whom my Soul loveth: but when I sought him, I found him not. The watchmen also that go about the City, found me. ¶ The church speaking of Christ. Saw ye not him whom my soul loveth? So when I was a little past them, I found him whom my soul loveth. I have gotten hold upon him, and will not let him go, until I bring him into my mother's house, and into her chamber that bore me. ¶ The voice of Christ. Canti. 2. b I charge you, O ye daughters of jerusalem, by the Roes and hinds of the field, that ye wake not up my love nor touch her, till she be content herself. ¶ The voice of the synagogue, marveling in itself at the Church of Christ. Who is this, that cometh up out of the wilderness like vapours of smoke, as it were a smell of Myrrh, frankincense, & all manner spices of the apothecary? ¶ The voice of the Church. Behold, about salomon's bedstede there stand forty valiant men of the most mighty in Israel. They hold swords every one, & are expert in war Every man also hath his sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the night: King Solomon had made himself a palace of the wood of Libanus, the pillars are of silver, the covering of gold, the seat of purple, the ground is plesauntli paved with love for the daughters of jerusalem. ¶ The church speaking of Christ. Go forth (O ye daughters of Zion) & behold King Solomon in the crown, wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his marriage, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. Capi. iiii. ¶ The voice of Christ. O Cant. 1. d. Cant. 6. a How fair art thou my, love how fair art thou? thou haste doves eyes, beside that which lieth hid within * Thy heaty lucks are like the will of a Rock of sheep that he shorn upon mount Gilead. Thy teeth are like sheep of the same by guess, which went up from the washing place: where every one beareth two twines & not one unfruitful among them. Thy lips are like a rose coloured ribonde, thy words are lovely: thy cheeks are like a piece of a pomegranate, besides, that which lieth hid within. Thy neck is like the tower of David builded with bulwark whereupon there hang a thousand shields, ye all the weapons of the giants. Canti. 8. a Thy two breasts are like two twins of young Roes, which feed among roses. ¶ The spouse speaketh to himself. O that I might go to the mountain of Myrrh, & to the hill of frankincense till the day break & till the shadows be passed away. ¶ The voice of Christ speaking to the Church. Thou art fair, O my love, and no spot there is in the. Come to me from Lybanus (O my spouse) come to me from Lybanus: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanit, and hermon, from the lions dens, and from the mountains of the Leopards. Thou haste wounded my heart, O my sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart, with one of thine eyes, and with one chain of thy neck. O how fair are thy breestes, my sister, my spouse? Thy breasts, are more pleasant than wine, and the smell of thine ointments passeth all spices. Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey comb, ye milk and honey is under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lybanus. A well kept garden, is my sister, my spouse, a well kept waterspring, and a seized well. The fruits that sprout in thee, are like a very paradise of Pomgarnates with sweat fruits: as Cypress, Nardus, and Saffron, Calamus, and Synamoin, with all sweet smelling trees: Myrrh, Aloes, and all the best spices, a well of gardens a well of living waters, which run down from Lybanus. Up thou North wind, come thou South wind, and blow upon my garden, that the smell thereof may be carried on every side: ye that my beloved may come in to my garden, and eat of the sweet fruits that grow therein. Capi. v. ¶ Christ speaketh to the church. I Am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my Myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honey with my honey comb, I have drunk my wine with my milk. ¶ Christ speaketh to the Apostles. Eat, O ye friends, drink and be merry, O ye beloved. ¶ The voice of the Church. I sleep, and my heart waketh, I hear the voice of my beloved, when he knocketh. ¶ Christ to the Church. Open to me, O my sister, my love, my dove, my darling: for my heed is full of dew, and the locks of my hear are full of the night drops. ¶ The voice of the spousess. I have put of my cote, how can I do it on again? I have washed my feet, how shall I file them again. ¶ The voice of the Church speaking of Christ. My love put in his hand at the hole, and my heart was moved within me. I stood up to open unto my beloved, and my hands dropped with Myrrh, and the Myrrh ran down my fingers upon the lock. I opened unto my beloved, but he was departed and gone his way. Now when he spoke, my heart was gone: I sought him, but I could not find him: I cried upon him, nevertheless he gave me no answer. ¶ The Church complaineth of her persecutors. So the watchmen that went about the City, found me, smote me, & wounded me, Ye they that kept the walls, took away my garment fro me. ¶ The spousess speaketh to her companions. I charge you therefore, O ye daughters of jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him how that I am sick for love. ¶ The voice of the synagogue Who is thy love above other lovers, O thou fairest among women? Or what can thy love do, more than other lovers, that thou chargest us so straightly. ¶ The church answering of Christ. As for my love, he is white and red coloured, a singular person among many thousands, his head is as the most fine gold, the locks of his hear are bushed & black as a crow, his eyes as as the eyes of doves by the water brooks washen with milk, and remaining in a plenteous place. His cheeks are like a garden bed, where in the apothecaries plant all manner of sweet things: his lips are like Roses that drop Myrrh, his hands are full of gold rings and precious stones, his body is as the puer ivory, decte over with sapphires: his legs are as the pillars of marble set upon sockets of gold, his face is as Libanus, and as the beauty of the cedar trees, his throat is sweet, ye he is altogether lovely. Such one is my love, O ye daughters of jerusalem, such one is my love. Capi. vi. ¶ The voice of the synagogue. speaking to the Church. Whither is thy love gone then (O thou fairest among women) whither is thy love departed? we will seek him with thee? ¶ The voice of the Church. My love is gone down in to his garden, unto the sweet smelling beds, that he may refresh him self in the garden, & gather roses. My love is mine & I am his, which feedeth among the roses. ¶ christ to the Church. Thou art pleasant (O my love) even as loveliness itself, thou art fair as jerusalem, fearful as an army of men, with their banners. Turn away thine eyes fro me, for they have set me on fire Canti. 2. c Thy hairy locks are like a flock of goats upon the mount of Gilead. Thy teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep, which go out of the washing place where every one beareth two twins, & not one unfruitful among them. Thy cheeks are like a piece of pomegranate, besides that which lieth hid within. There are 1. Re. 11. a xi Queens lxxx wives, and damsels without number. One is my dove, one is my derlinge. She is the only beloved of her mother, and dear unto her that bore her. When the daughters saw her, they said she was blessed. Ye the Queens and wives praised her. ¶ The voice of the synagogue. What is she this, that pepeth out as the morning? fair as the moan, clear as the sun, and fearful as an army of men with their banners. ¶ Christ to the synagogue.. I went down into the nut garden, to see what grew by the brooks, and to look if the vinyeard flourished, or if the pomegranates were shot forth. ¶ The voice of the synagogue. I knew not that my Soul had made me the people that be under tribute. ¶ Christ to the synagogue. What will ye see in the Sulamyte? She is like men of war that be in a dance ¶ The voice of the Church calling again the synagogue. Turn again, turn again, O thou perfect one: turn again, turn again and we will look upon the. Capi. seven. ¶ Christ to the Church. O How pleasant are thy treadings with thy shoes, thou Prince's daughter? Thy thighs are like a fair jewel which is wrought by a cunning work master. Thy navel is like a round goblette, which is never without drink. Thy womb is like a heap of wheat that is set about with roses. Cant. 4. a Thy two breestes are like two twins of young rooes. Thy neck is as it were a tower of ivory: thine eyes also are like the water poles that are in Hesebon, beside the port of Bathrabbim: thy nose is like the tower of Libanus, which looketh toward Damascus. That heed that standeth upon the is like Carmel, and the bear of thy head is like the Kings purple, folden up in pleats. O how fair and lovely art thou, my darling, in pleasures? Thy stature is like a Palm tree, and thy breasts like a cluster of grapes. ¶ The spouse speaking of the Cross. I said I will climb up into the palm tree, and take hold of his braunchesse. ¶ The Spouse speaking to the spousess. Thy breasts also shall be as the vine clusters, the smell of thy nostrils like the smell of apples, and thy throat like the best vine. This shallbe puer and clear for my love, his lips & teeth shall have their pleasure There will I turn me unto my love, and he shall turn him unto me. ¶ The Church speaking unto Christ. O come on my love, we will go forth into the field, and take our lodging in the villages. In the morning will we go see the vineyard: if it be sprung forth, if the grapes be grown, and if the pomegranates be shot out. There will I giveth my breasts: the Mandragoras give their smell: and beside our doors are all manner of pleasant fruits: both new and old: which I have kept for thee, O my beloved. Capi. viii. ¶ The voice of the patriarchs▪ speaking of Christ. O That I might find the without, and kiss thee, who I love as my brother, which sucked my mother's breestes: and that thou wouldest not be offended, if I took thee, & brought the into my mother's house: that thou mightest teach me, and that I might give the drink of spiced wine, and of the sweet sap of my pomegranates. Canti. 2. a His left hand shallbe under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. ¶ The voice of Christ. I charge you, ye daughters of jerusalem, that ye wake not up my love, nor touch her, till she be content herself. ¶ The synagogue speaking of the church. What is she this, that come up from the wilderness, and leaveth upon her love? ¶ The voice of the spouse, before the spousess. I waked the up among the apple trees where thy mother brought the into the world ¶ The church speaking to Christ O set me as a seal upon thine heart, and as a seal upon thine arm, for love is mighty as the death, and jealousy as the hell. Her coals are of fire, & a very flame of the Lord: so that many waters are not able to quench love, neither may the streams drown it. Ye if a man would give all the good of his house for love she should count it nothing. ¶ christ speaking of the Church to the synagogue. Our sister is but young, and hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister, when she shall be spoken for? ¶ The answer of Christ for the Church If she he a wall, we shall build a silver bulwerke there upon, if she be a door, we shall fasten her with borders of cedar tree ¶ The Church answereth unto the synagogue. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, than was I as one that hath found favour in his sight. The synagogue speaking to the Church. Solomon hath a vineyard at Baal Hamon, and this vineyard delivered he unto the keepers: that every one for the fruit thereof should give him a thousand pieces of silver. ¶ The voice of Christ. My vineyard is in my sight: thou (O Solomon) must have a thousand, & the keepers two hundred with the fruit. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, O let me hear thy voice, that my companions may hearken to the same. ¶ The voice of the Church speaking unto Christ. O get the away, my love, and be as a roe, or a young heart upon the sweet smelling mountains. ¶ The End of the Ballette of Ballettes of Solomon called in Latin, Canticum, Canticorum. ¶ The book of wisdom. ¶ An exhortation for judges, and rulers to love wisdom. The spirit of wisdom hateth falsehood, dissimulation, and hypocrisy, rebuketh unrighteousness, and abhorreth wicked doers. Capi. Primo. O Set your affection upon wisdom ye that be judges of the earth. Have a good opinion of the Lord, and seek him in the singleness of heart. ●●ar. 15. a For he will be found of them that tempt him not, and appeareth unto such as put their trust in him. As for froward thoughts, they be separated from God, but virtue (if it be allowed) reformeth the unwise. And why? wisdom shall not enter in to a froward Soul, nor dwell in the body that is subdued unto sin. For the holy ghost abhorreth feigned nurture, & with draweth himself from the thoughts that are with out understanding: and where wickedness hath the upper hand, she fleeth from thence. Galat. 5. c For the spirit of wisdom is loving, gentle, and gracious, & will have no pleasure in him that speaketh evil with his lips. Esay. 6. a jere. 23. d jero. 7. c For God is a witness of his reins, a true searcher out of his heart, & an hearer of his tongue. For the spirit of the Lord filleth the round compass of the world, and the same that up holdeth all things, hath knowledge also of the voice. Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things, can not be hid, 3. Reg. 2. g Mat. 6. a Hebre. 4 ● neither may he escape the judgement of reproof. And why? Inquisition shall be made for the thoughts of the ungodly, & the report of his words shall come unto god, so that his wickedness shallbe punished. For the ear of jealousy heareth all things, and the noise of the grudgings, shall not be hid. Therefore beware of murmuring, which is nothing worth, and refrain your tongue from slander. Luk. 12. ● For here is no word so dark and secret, that it shall go for nought: and the mouth that speaketh lies, slayth the soul. O seek not your own death in the error of your life, destroy not yourselves thorough the words of your own hands. Deu. 4. c For God hath not made death, neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living. For he created all things, that they might have their being: ye all the people of the earth hath he made that they should have health, that there should be no destruction in them, and that the kingdom of Hell should not be upon earth (for righteousness is everlasting and immortal, but unrighteousness bringeth death.) Nevertheless, the ungodlis call her unto them, both with words & works, & while they think to have a friend of her, they come to nought: for the ungodly that are confederate with her, & take her part: are worthy of death. ¶ The imaginations and desires of the wicked, and their counsel against the faithful. Capi. two. FOr the ungodly talk & imagine thus among themselves (but not right) the time of our life is but short and tedious, job. 7. a Mat. 22. b 1, Cor. 15. d and when a man is once gone, he hath no more joy: nor pleasure, neither know we any man that turneth again from death, for we are borne of nought: & we shall be hereafter as though we had never been. e For our breath is a smoke in our nostrils, & the words as a spark to move our heart. As for our body it shallbe very ashes that are quenched, and our soul shall vanish as the soft air. Our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, & come to nought as the mist that is driven away with the beams of the Sun and put down with the heat thereof. Our name also shall be forgotten by little and little, & no man shall have our works in remembrance. For our time is a very shadow that passeth away, & after our end, 2. pa.. 30. c Esa. 22. b and .16. c Sapi. 5. b there is no returning, for it is fast sealed, so that no man cometh again. Come on therefore, let us enjoy the pleasures that be present, & let us seen use the creature like as in youth. We will fill ourselves with good wine, & ointment, there shall no flower of the time go by us. We will crown ourselves with roses afore they be withered. Theridamas shallbe no fair meadow but our lust shall go thorough it. Let every one of you be partaker of our voluptuousness. Let us leave some token of our pleasure in every place, for that is our portion, else get we nothing. Let us oppress the poor righteous, let us not spare the widow nor old man, let us not regard the heeds that are grey for age. Let the law of unrighteousness be our authority, for the thing that is feeble is nothing worth. Therefore let us defraud the righteous, & why? he is not for our profit, ye he is clean contrary to our doings. He checked us for offending against the law, and slandereth us as transgressors of all nurture. He maketh his boost to have the knowledge of god, john 7. a Esay. 7. a ye he calleth himself God's son, He is the bewraier of our thoughts: It grieveth us also to look upon him, for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of an other fashion. He counteth us but vain persons, he withdraweth himself from our ways as from filthiness, he commendeth greatli the latter end of the just, & maketh his boast that God is his father. Let us see then if his words be true, let us prove what shall come upon him: so shall we know what end he shall have. For if he be the true son of God, he will receive him and deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Let us examen him with despiteful rebuke and tormenting, Psal. 2●. a Mat. 27. e jere. 11. d that we may know his dignity, and prove his patience. Let us condemn him with the most shameful death: for like as he hath spoken, so shall he be rewarded. Such things do the ungodly imagine, and go astray, for their own wickedness hath blinded them. As for the mysteries of God, they understand them not: they neither hope for the reward of righteousness, nor regard the worship that holy souls shall have. Gene. 2. a. Gene. 3. a joh. 2. d For God created man to be undestroyed, ye after the image of his own likeness made he him. Nevertheless, thorough envy of the devil came death unto the world, and they that hold of his side, do as he doth. ¶ The conservation and assurance of the righteous. The reward of the faithful Capi. iii. But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, Deut. 32. a Sapi. 5. a. Hebre. 11 ● and the pain of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they appear to die, and their end is taken for very destruction. The way of the righteous is judged to be utter destruction, but they are in rest. And though they suffer pain before men, Rom. 8. c. 1. Cor. 5. a 1. Petri. 1 c yet is their hope full of immortality. They are punished but in few things, nevertheless, in many things shall they be well rewarded. For God proveth them, & findeth them meet for himself: ye as the gold in the furnace doth he try them, and receiveth them as a brent offering, and when the time cometh: they shallbe looked upon. Mat. 13. e 1. Cor 15. e Mat. 19 c 1. Cor. 6. a. The righteous shall shine as the sparks that ren thorough the red bush. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in him, shall understand the truth, and such as be faithful, will agree unto him in love: for his chosen shall have gifts and peace. Ma. 25. d But the ungodly shallbe punished according to their own imaginations, for they have despised the righteous, and forsaken the Lord. Whoso despiseth wisdom and nurture, he is unhappy, and as for the hope of such, it is but vain, their labours unfruitful, and works unprofitable. Their wives are undiscreet, and their children most ungodly. Their creature is cursed. Blessed is rather the barren & undefiled, which hath not known the sinful bed: she shall have fruit in the reward of the holy Souls. And blessed is the gelded, which with his hands hath wrought no unrighteousness, nor imagined wicked things against God. Esa. 5 6. b For unto him shall be given the special gift of faith, and the most acceptable portion in the temple of God. For glorious is the fruit of good labour, and the rote of wisdom shall never fade away. As for the children of adulterers, they shall come to an end, & the sede of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out. And though they live long, yet shall they be nothing regarded, & their last age shallbe without honour. If they die hastily, they have no hope neither shall they be spoken to in the day of knowledge. For horrible is the death and end of the unrighteous ¶ Of the chaste generation of the faithful and of their felicity. Of the death of the righteous, and of the condemnation of the unfaithful. Capi. iiii. O How fair is a chaste generation with virtue? The memorial thereof is immortal, for it is known with good men. When it is present, men take example thereat: and if it go away, yet they desire it. It is alway crowned & holden in honour & winneth the reward of the undefiled battle. But the multitude of ungodly children is unprofitable, jere. 17. b Mala. 1. a Mat. 7. c. and the things that are planted with whoredom, shall take no deep rote, nor lay any fast foundation, Though they be green in the branches for a time, yet shall they be shaken with the wind, for they stand not fast, and thorough the vehemence of the wind they shallbe rooted out. For the unperfect brauncesse shallbe broken, their fruit shall be unprofitable and sour to eat, ye meet for nothing. And why? all the children that are borne of the wicked, must bear record of the wickedness against their fathers and mothers, when they be asked But though the righteous be overtaken with death, Age. yet shall he be in rest. Age is an honourable thing. Nevertheless it standeth not only in the length of time nor the multitude of years: but a man's wisdom is the grey here, and an undefiled life is the old age. He pleaseth god and was beloved of him: so that where as he lived among sinners, he translated him. Hebre 11. d Ye suddenly was he taken away, to the intent that wickedness should not alter his understanding, and that hypocrisy should not beguile his soul. For the crafty bewitching of lies make good things dark, the unsteadfastness also and wickedness of voluptuous desire turn aside the understanding of the simple. Though he was soon deed, yet fulfilled he much time. For his soul pleased god therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked. This the people see and understand it not: they lay not up such things in their hearts, how that the loving favour and mercy of god is upon his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen. Thus the righteous that is deed, condemneth the ungodly which are living & the youth that is soon brought to an end, the long life of the unrighteous. For they see the end of the wise, but they understand not what god hath devised for him, and wherefore the Lord hath taken him away. And why? they see him and despise him, therefore shall god also laugh them to scorn: Psal. 2. So that they themselves shall die hereafter (but without honour) ye in shame among the dead for evermore. For without any voice, shall he hurste those that be put up, and remove them from the foundations, so that they shall be laid waist unto the highest. They shall mourn, and their memorial shall perish So they being afraid shall remember their sins, and their own wickedness shall bewray them. ¶ The constauntnesse of the righteous before their persecutors. The hope of the unfaithful is undurable and vayur. The blessedness and fortunatenes of the saints and godly. Capi. v. THen shall the righteous stand in great steadfastness, Mat. 19 c against such as have dealt extremely with them and taken away their labours. When they see it, they shall be vexed with horrible fear, and shall wonder at the hastiness of the sudden health, groaning for a very distress of mind and shall say within themselves, having inward sorrow, and mourning for veri anguish of mind. These are they, whom we sometime had in derision, Sapi. 3. a and jested upon. We fools thought their life very madness, and their end to be without honour. But lo, how they are counted among the children of god, and their portion is among the saints. Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding, rose not up upon us. We have we ryed ourselves in the way of wickedness & destruction. Tedious ways have we gone: but the way of the Lord we have not known. What good hath our pride done unto us? Or what profit hath the pomp of richesse brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a messenger renewing before: 1. Pa. 30. c Sapi. 2. b Pro 30. b as a ship that passeth over the waves of water which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the path of it in the floods. Or as a bird that flieth thorough the air, and no man can see any token where she is flown, but only heareth the noise of her wings, beating the light wind, parting the air thorough the vehemence of her flight, and flieth on shaking her wings, where as afterward no token of her way can be found Or like as when an arrow is shot at a mark, it parteth the air, which immediately cometh together again, so that a man can not know where it went thorough. Even so we in like manner as soon as we were borne, began immediately to draw to our end, and have showed no token of virtue, but are consumed in our own wickedness. Such words shall they that have sinned speak in the hell: job. 8. a for the hope of the ungodly is like a dry thistle flower (or dust) that is blown away with the wind like as thine scum that is scattered abroad with the storm, Psal. ●. b Pro. 10. d and 11. a jacob. 1. b like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with the wind, and as the remembrance of a starunger that tarrieth for a day, and then departeth. Psa. 39 a But the righteous shall live forevermore, their reward also is with the lord, & their remembrance with the highest. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom & a beutyful crown of the lords hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, ✿ Ephe. 6. b and with his own arm shall he defend them, his jealousy also shall take harness, and shall arm the creature to be avenged of the enemies. He shall put on righteousness for a breast plate, and take sure judgement in stead of an helmet. The invincible shield of equity, shall he take, his cruel wrath shall he sharpen for a spear, and the hole compass of the world shall fight with him against the unwise. Then shall the thunder bolts go out of the lightenings, and come out of the rainbow of the clouds to the place appointed out of the hard stony indignation there shall fall thick hails, and the water of the see shall be wrath against them, and the floods shall run roughly together. Ye a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and a storm shall scatter them abroad. Thus the unrighteous dealing of them shall bring all the land to a wilderness, & a wickedness shall overthrow the dwellings of the mighty. ¶ The calling of Kings, Princes, and judges: which are also exhorted to search wisdom. Capi. vi. Wisdom is better than strength, and a man of understanding is more worth: than one that is strong. wisdom Eccle. 9 d Psal. 3. b Kyng●s. Rom. 13. a Hear therefore (O ye Kings) and understand O learn ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. give ear ye that rule the multitudes, & delight in much people. For the power is given you of the lord, and the strength from the highest: which shall try your works and search out your imaginations. How that ye being officers of his kingdom, have not executed true judgement, have not kept the law of righteousness, nor walked after his wil horribly and that right soon shall he apere unto you: for an hard judgement shall they have that bear rule. Mercy is granted unto the simple, but they that be in authority shall be sore punished. Eccle. 10. ● For God which is Lord over all, shall except no man's person, neither shall he stand in awe of any man's greatness: for he hath made the small & great and careth for all alike. But the mighty shall have the sorer punishment. Unto you therefore (O ye Kings) do I speak, that we may learn wisdom & not go amiss: for they that keep righteousness, shallbe righteously judged and they that are learned in righteous things, shall find to make answer. Wherefore set your lust upon my words and love them, so shall ye come by nurture. wisdom is a noble thing, and never fadeth away: ye she is easily seen of them that love her, and found of such as seek her. She preventeth them that desire her, that she may first show herself unto them. Who so awaketh unto her by times, shall have no great travail, for he shall find her sitting ready at his doors. To think upon her, is perfect understanding, and who so watcheth for her, shallbe safe, and that soon. For she goeth all out, seeking such as are meet for her, showeth herself cheerfully unto them in their goings, and meeteth them with all diligence. For the unfeigned desire of reformation is her beginning to care for nurture is love, Rom. 13. b and love is the keeping of her law. Now the keeping of laws is perfection & an uncorrupt life, & an uncorrupt life makeeh a man familiar with God. And so the desire of wisdom leadeth to the kingdom everlasting. Nu. 27. c If your delight be then in royal seats & cepters (O ye Kings of she people) set your lust upon wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore. 2. Re. 14. c 3. Reg. 3. a O love the light of wisdom, all ye that be rulers of the people. As for wisdom what she is, and how she came up. I will tell you, & will not hide the mysteries of God from you: but will seek her out from the beginning of the nativity, and bring the knowledge of her in to light, & will not keep back the truth: Nether will I have to do with consuming envy, for such a man shall not be partaker of wisdom. But the multitude of the wise, is the welfare of the world, and a wise King is the upholding of the people. O receive nurture then thorough my words, and it shall do you good. ¶ wisdom ought to be preferred before all things. Capi. seven. I Myself also am a mortal man, like as all other, and am come of the earthly generation of him that was first made, and in my mother's womb was I fashioned to be flesh: In the time of ten months, was I brought together in blood thorough the seed of man, and the commodious appetite of sleep. When I was borne, I received like air as other men, and fell upon the earth (which is my nature) crying and weeping at the first, as all other do. I was wrapped in swaddling clothes, & brought up with great cares. For there is no king that hath had any other beginning of birth. All men than have one entrance unto life, job. 1. c 1. Ti. 6. b and one going out in like manner. Wherefore I desired, and understanding was given me: I called, and the spirit of wisdom came into me. I set more by her then by kingdoms and Royal seats, and counted richesse nothing in comparison of her. As for precious stone I compared it not unto her: job. 28. b. for all gold is gravel unto her, and silver shallbe counted but clay before her sight. I loved her above welfare & beuti, and purposed to take her for my light, 3. Reg. 3. b Mat. 6. d for her shine cannot be quenched. All good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches thorough her hands. I was glad in them all, for this wisdom went before me, & I knew not that she was my mother of all good things. Now as I myself learned unfeignedly, so do I make other men partakers of her, and hide her richesse from no man, for she is an infinite treasure unto men, which who so use, become partakers of the love and friendship of God, and are except unto him for the gifts of wisdom. God hath granted me to talk wyslye, and conveniently to handle the things that he hath graciously lent me. For it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, Sapi. 3. a and teacheth to use wisdom a right. In his hand are we and our words, ye● all our wisdom, our understanding and knowledge of all our works. For he hath given me the true science of these things: so that I know how the world was made and the power of the elements the beginning, ending, and midst of the times how the times altar, how one goeth after an other, and how they are fulfilled the course of the a yer: the ordinances of the stars: the natures and kindness of beasts: the furiousness of beasts: the power of the winds, by the imaginations of men: the diversities of young plants, the virtues of roots, and all such things as are secret and not looked for, have I learned. For the workemayster of all things hath taught me wisdom. In her is the spirit of understanding which is holy, manifold, one only, subtle, courteous, discreet, quick, undefiled plain, sweet, loving, the thing that is good, sharp, which forbiddeth not to do well, gentle, kind, steadfast, sure, free: having all virtues, circunspecte in all things receiving all spirits of understanding being clean and sharp, For wisdom is nimbler than all nimble things she goeth thorough: and attaineth to all things because of her cleanness. For she is the breath, of the power of God, and a pure clean expressing of the clearness of almighty God. Hebre. 1. a Therefore can no undefiled thing come unto her: for she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the undefiled mirror of the majesty of God, and the image of his goodness. And for so much as she is one, she may do all things: and being steadfast herself she reneweth all, and among the people conveyeth she herself into the holy Soul. She maketh God's friends and Prophets: for God loveth no man, but him in whom wisdom dwelleth. For she is more beautiful than the Sun, and giveth more light than the stars, and the day is not to be compared unto her: for upon the day cometh night. But wickedness cannot overcome wisdom, and foolishness may not be with her. ¶ The effects of wisdom. Capi. viii. Wisdom reacheth from one end unto an other mightily, and lovingly doth she order all things. I have loved her and laboured for her even fro my youth up: I did my diligence to marry myself with her, such love had I unto her beauty. Who so hath the company of God, commendeth her nobility, ye the Lord of all things himself, love her. For she is the scolemastresse of the nurture of God and the chooser out of his works. If a man would desire riches in this life: what is richer than wisdom, that worketh all things? thou wilt say: understanding worketh. What is it among all things that worketh more than wisdom? If a man love virtue and righteousness, let him labour for wisdom, for she hath great virtues. And why: she teacheth soberness, and prudence, righteousness, and strength, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in their life. If a man desire much knowledge, she can tell the things that are past, and discern things for to come, she knoweth the subtleties of words, & can expound dark sentences. She can tell of tokens & wounderous things, or ever they come to pass, and the end of all times and ages. So I purposed after this manner: I will take her unto my company, and comen lovingly with her: no doubt, she shall give me good counsel, and speak comfortably unto me in my carfulnes & grief For her sake shall I be well and honestly taken, among the comens & Lords of the counsel. Though I be young, yet shall I have sharp understanding, so that I shall be marvelous in the sight of great men, and the faces of Princes shall wonder at me. When I hold my tongue, they shall abide my leisure: when I speak, they shall look upon me: job. 26. c. & if I talk much, they shall lay their hands upon their mouth Moreover by the means of her. I shall obtain immortality, and leave behind me an everlasting memorial, among them that come after me. I shall set the people in order, and the nations shall be subdued unto me. Horrible tyrant shall be afraid, when they do but hear of me among the multitude. I shall be counted good, and mighty in battle. When I come home, I shall find rest with her: for her company hath no bitterness, and her fellowship hath no tediousness, but mirth and joy. Now when I considered these things by myself, and pondered them in my heart, how that to be joined unto wisdom is immortality, and great pleasure to have her friendship: how that in the works of her hands are infinite riches: how that, who so keepeth company with her shallbe wise, and that he which talketh with her shall come to honour. I went about seeking, to get her unto me. For I was a child of a ripe wit, and had a good understanding. But when I grew to more understanding I came to an undefiled body. Nevertheless when I perceived that I could not keep myself chaste, jacob. 1. b Chastity. except god gave it me (and that was a point of wisdom also to know whose gift it was) I stepped unto the Lord, and besought him, and with my hole heart I said after this manner. A Prayer of Solomon to obtain wisdom. Capi. ix. O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy (thou that hast made all things with thy word, 3. Reg. 3. d Gene. 1. c and ordained man thorough thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creature which thou hast made: that he should order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgement with a true heart, give me wisdom which is ever about thy seat: Psa. 115 b and put me not out from among thy children: for I thy servant and son of thy handmaiden am a feeble person of a short time, and to young to the understanding of judgement and thy laws. And though a man be never so perfect among the children of men, 1. Pa 29. b yet if thy wisdom be not with him he shallbe nothing regarded. But thou hast chosen me to be a king unto thy people, and the judge of thy sons & daughters, Exo. 25. d Actu. 7. f Hebre. 8. b thou hast commanded me to build a Temple upon thy holy mount, and an altar in the city wherein thou dwellest: a likeness of thy holy Tabernacle which thou hast prepared from the beginning and thy wisdom with the which knoweth thy works which also was with thee, Prou. 8. c john. 1. a when thou madest the world, and knew what was exceptable in thy sight, and right in thy commandments. O send her out of the holy heavens and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with me, and labour with me: that I may know, what is acceptable in thy sight. For she knoweth & understandeth all things: and she shall lead me soberli in my works, and preserve me in her power. So shall my works be acceptable, and then shall I govern thy people righteously, and be worthy to sit in my father's seat. Esa. 40. b Rom. 11. d 1. Cor. 1. b. For what man is he, that may know the council of God? Or who can think what the will of god is? For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our forecasts are but uncertain. And why? a mortal and corruptible body, 1. Cor. 5. a is heavy unto the soul, and the earthly mansion keepeth down the understanding that museth upon many things. Very hardly can we discern the things that are upon earth, and great labour have we or we can find the things which are before our eyes: Who will then seek out the ground of the things that are done in heaven? Oh Lord, who can have knowledge of thy understanding and meaning, except thou give wisdom and send thy holy ghost from above? that the ways of them which are upon earth may be reformed: that men may learn the things that are pleasant unto the and be preserved thorough wisdom. The deliverance of the righteous cometh thorough wisdom. Capi. x. wisdom preserved the first man, whom god made a father of the world when he was created alone brought him out of his offence, Genes. 1. d and .2. d took him out of the mould of the eatth, & gave him power to rule all things. When the unrighteous went away in his wrath from this wisdom the brotherhood perished thorough the wrath of murder. Again, Gene. 4. b Goe 6.7.8. when the water destroyed the hole world, wisdom preserved the righteous thorough a poor tree, whereof she was governor herself. More over when wickedness had gotten the upper hand, so that the nations were puffed up with pride, she knew the righteous, preserved him faultless unto God, and laid up sure mercy for his children. She preserved the Righteous, when he fled from the ungodly that perished, Gen. 19 c what time as the fire fell down upon the five Cities: Like as yet this day the unfruitful, waist, and smoking land giveth testimony of their wickedness: ye the unripe and untimely fruits that grow upon the trees. And for a token of a remembrance of the unfaithful soul, there standeth a pillar of salt. For all such as regarded not wisdom got not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good but also left behind them unto men, a memorial of their foolishness: so that in the things wherein they sinned, they could not be hid. But as for such as take heed unto wisdom, she shall deliver them from sorrow. When the righteous fled because of his brother's wrath, Gen. 28. d wisdom led him the right way, showeth him the kingdom of god, gave him knowledge of holy things, made him rich in his labours, and brought to pass the things that he went about. In the deceitfulness of such as defrauded him, she stood by him and made him rich. She saved him from the enemies, and defended him from the dysceivers. She made him strong in battle, and gave him victory, that he might know, Gen. 37. ● Acto. 7. b how that wisdom is stronger than all things. When the righteous was sold, she forsook him not, but delivered him from sinners. She went down with him into the dungeon, and failed him not in the bands: till she had brought him the sceptre of the Realm, Gen. 41. ● and power against those that oppressed him. And those that had accused him, she declared them to be liars, and brought him to perpetual worship. Exo. 1. d. ● 3.4.5.7.9. She delivered the righteous people: and faultless seed, from the nation that oppressed them, She entered into the soul of the servant of God, and stood by him in wonders and tokens against the horrible king. She gave the righteous the reward of their labours, and led them forth a marvelous way, on the day time she was a shadow unto them, and a light of stars in the night season. Exo. 14. ● She brought them thorough the red see, and carried them thorough the great water she drowned their enemies in the see and brought them out of the deep. So the righteous took the spoils of the ungodly, and praised thy holy name, o Lord, & magnified thy victorious hand with one accord. Exod. 15. a Psal. 8. a Math. 2. b For wisdom openeth the mouth of the dumb, and maketh the tongues of babes to speak. ¶: The miracles done for Israel. The vengeance of sinners. The great power and mercy of God. Capi. xi. SHe ordered their works in the hands of the holy Prophet: Exo. 16. a so that they went thorough the wilderness that was not inhabited, and pitched their tents in the waste desert. Exo. 17. b They stood against their enemies and were avenged of their adversaries. When they were thirsty, they called upon the and water was given them out of the rock and their thirst slakened out of the hard stone. For by the things, where thorough their enemies were punished, were they helped in their need. For unto the enemies thou gavest man's blood in stead of living water. And where as they had scarceness in the rebuke when the children were slain thou gavest unto thine own a plenteous water unlooked for declaring by the thirst that was at the time, how thou wouldst bring thin own unto honour, and slay their adversaries. Deut. 8. a For when they were tried & nurtured with fatherly mercy, they knowledged how the ungodly were judged, and punished thorough the wrath of god. These hast thou exhorted as a father, and proved them: but unto the other thou haste been a boisterous king, laid hard to their charge, and condemneth them. Where they were absent or present, their punishment was alike. For their grief was double: namely, mourning, & the remembering of things passed. But when they perceived that their punishments did them good, they thought upon the lord, and wundered at the end. For at the last they held much of him, of whom in the out casting they thought scorn, as of an abject. Nevertheless the righteous did not so when they were thyrsti: but even like as the thoughts of the foolish were, so was also their wickedness. Sapi. 7 c Roma. 1. c Where as certain men now, thorough error, did worship dom Serpents and vain beasts, thou sendest a multitude of dom beasts upon them for a vengeance that they might know that wherewith a man sinneth, by the same also shall he be punished. Len. 26. d Sapi. 16 a jere 8. c. For unto the almighty hand, that made the world of nought, it was not unpossible to send among them an heap of bears, or would Lions, or cruel beasts of a strange kind, such as are unknown, or spout fire, or cast out a smoking breath, or shoot horrible sparks out of their eyes, which might not only destroy them with hurting, but also kill them with their horrible sight. Ye without these beasts might they have been slain with one wind, being persecuted of their own works, & scattered abroad thorough the breath of thy power. Nevertheless thou hast ordered all things in measure number & weight: for thou hast ever had great strength and might, and who may withstand the power of thine arm? And why? like as the small thing that the balance weieth so is the word before thee: ye as a drop of the morning dew, that falleth down upon the earth. Roma. 2. a Thou hast mercy upon all, for thou hast power of all things and makest thee, as though thou sawest not the sins of men, because they should amend. For thou lovest all the things that are, and hatest none of them whom thou hast made: neither didst thou ordain or make any thing of evil will. How might any things endure if it were not thy will? Or how could any thing be preserved, except it were called of thee: But thou sparest all, for all are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls. ¶: The mercy of God toward sinners, the works of God are unreprovable God giveth leisure to repent us. Capi. xii. O Lord, how gracious, & sweet is thy spirit in all things? Therefore chastenest thou them mesurabli that go wrong, and warnest them concerning the things wherein they offend: thou speaketh unto them, o Lord, and exhortest them to leave their wickedness, and put their trust in the. As for those old inhabiters of thy holy land thou mightest not away with them, Deut. 9 ● 12. d. 18. b for they committed abominable works against thee: as witchcraft, sorcery, & idolatry: they slew their own children without mercy, they eat up men's bowels, and devoured the blood: ye because of such abominations, misbyleves, & offerings, thou showest the fathers of the desolate souls by the hands of our forefathers, that the land which thou lovest above all other might be a dwelling for the children of God. Nevertheless thou sparedst them also as men, and sendest the forerunners of thine host even hornets to destroy out by little & little. Not that thou waste unable to subdue the ungodly unto the righteous in battle, or with cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them together: But thy mind was to drive them out by little and little, Exo. 23. d Deut. 7. d giving them time and place to amend, knowing well that it was an unrighteous nation, and wicked of nature, & that their thought might never be altered: for it was a cursed seed from the beginning, & feared no man: yet hast thou pardoned their sins. For who will say unto the why hast thou done that? Or who will stand against thy judgement? Or who will come before thy face, an avenger of unrighteous men. Or who will blame thee, if the people perish whom thou have made? For there is none other God but thou, 1. Pe. 5. a that carest for all things that thou mayst declare how that thy judgement is not unright there dare neither king ne tyrant in thy sight require accounts of them whom thou hast destroyed. job. 9 a For so much then as thou art righteous thyself, thou orderest all things righteously, and punishest even him that have not deserved to be punished, and takest him for a stranger and an alliant in the land of thy power. For thy power is the beginning of righteousness: & because thou art Lord of all things therefore art thou gracious unto all. When men think the not to be of a full strength, thou declarest thy power, and boldli deliverest thou them over that know the not But thou Lord of power judgest quietly and orderest up with great worship, for thou mayst do as thou wilt. By such works now hast thou taught thy people, that a man also should be just and loving, and haste made the children to be of a good hope: for even when thou judgest, thou givest room to amend from sins. For in so much as thou haste punished, and with such diligence delivered the enemies of thy servants which were worthy to die (wherethrough thou gavest them ●yme and place of amendment, that they might turn from their wickedness with how great diligence than punishest thou thine own children unto whose fathers thou hast sworn and made covenants of good promises? so where as thou dost but chasten us, thou punishest our enemies divers ways, to the intent that when we punish, we should remember thy goodness: and when we ourselves are punished, to put our trust in thy mercy. Wherefore where as men have lived ignorantly and unrighteously thou haste punished them sore, Sapi. 11. c Roma. 1. c even thorough the same things that they worshipped: for they went astray very long in the way of error, and held the beasts which even their enemies despised for Gods living as children of no understanding Therefore haste thou sent a scornful punishment among them, as among the children of ignorance. As for such as would not be reformed by those scorns and rebukes, they felt the worthy punishment of God. For the things that they suffered, they bore them unpaciently, being not content in them, but unwilling And when they perished by the same things that they took for gods, they knowledged them that there was but one true God, whom afore they would not know therefore came the end of their damnation upon them. All things be vain, except the knowledge of God. idolatries and idols are mocked. Capi. xiii. Roma. 1. c Vain philosophers. Vain are all men, which have not the knowledge of God: as were they that out of the good things which are seen knew not him, that of himself is everlasting. Neither took they so much regard of the works that are made, as to know who was the craftsman of them: but some took the fire some the wind or air, some the course of the stars, some the water, some took sun and moon, or the lights of heaven, which rule the yarthe for Gods. But though they had such pleasure in their beauty, that they thought them to have been gods, yet should they have known how much more fairer he is that mad them, for the maker of beauty hath ordained all these things. Or if they marveled at the power and works of them they should have perceived thereby that he which made these things is mightier than they. For by the greatness & beauty of the creature, the maker thereof may plainly be known. notwithstanding they are the less to be blamed that sought God, & would have him found, and ●et miss, and why for in as much as they went about in his works, and sought after them, it is a token that they regarded and held much of his works that are seen, howbeit, they are not wholly to be excused. For if their understanding & knowledge was so great that they could discern the world and the creatures, Roma. 1. c why did they not rather find out the Lord thereof. He mocketh the idolaters. But unhappy are they, and among the dead is their hope that call them Gods, which are but the works of men's hands: gold, silver, and the thing that is found out by cunning, the similitude of beasts, or any vain stone that hath been made by hand of old. Or as when a carpenter cutteth down a tree out of the wode, and pareth of the bark of it cunnynlye, and so with the one part maketh a vessel to be used, and dressed meat with the residue As for the other part that is left, which is profitable for nothing (for it is a crooked piece of wood and full of knobs) he carveth it diligentli thorough his vanity and according to the knowledge of his cunning, images. he giveth it some proportion, fashioneth it after the similitude of a man or maketh it like some beast, streketh it over with red, and painteth it, & look what foul spot is in it he casteth some colour upon it. Then maketh he a convenient Tabernacle for it, setteth it in the wall and maketh it fast with iron, providing so for it, least it hap to fall, for it is well known that it can not help itself. And why? it is but an image, and must of necessity be helped. Then goeth he & offereth of his goods unto it, for his children, and for his wife, he seeketh help at it, he asketh counsel at it, he is not ashamed to speak unto it that hath no Soul, for health: he maketh his petition unto him that is sick for life, he prayeth unto him that is deed he calleth upon him for help, that is not able to help himself, and to send him a good journey, he prayeth him that may not go. And in all the things that he taketh in hand (whether it be to obtain any thing or to work) he prayeth unto him that can do no manner of good. The detestation and abomination of images. A curse of them and of him that maketh them The evils that come of idolatry. Capi. xiiii. Again, an other man purposing to sail, & beginning to take his journey thorough the raging see, calleth for help unto a stock that is far weker than the tree that beareth him. For as for it covetousness of money hath found it out and the craftsman made it with his cunning. But thy providence, o father, governeth all things from the beginning: for thou hast made away in the see, and a sure path in the midst of the waves: declaring thereby, that thou hast power to help in all things, ye though a man went to the see, without ship. Nevertheless that the works of thy wisdom should not be vain, thou hast caused an ark to be made, & therefore do men commit their lives unto a small piece of wood passing over the see in a ship, Gene. 6. ● and are saved. For in the old time also when the proud giants perished, Gen. ●. ● he (in whom the hope was left to increase the world) went into the ship which was governed thorough thy hand, and so left seed behind him unto the world. Psalmus 114. b and 134. c Bar. 6. d Psal. 7. a For happy is the tree where thorough righteousness cometh, but cursed is the image of wood, that is made with hands, ye both it and he that made it. He because he made it: and it, because it was called god where as it is but a frail thing. For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both like abominable unto god. Even so the work and he that made it also shall be punished together. Therefore shall there a plague come upon the images of the heathen, for out of the creature of god they are become an abomination, a temptation unto the souls of men, & a snare for the feet of the unwise. And why? the seeking out of images is the beginning of whoredom and the bringing up of them is the destruction of life. For they were not from the beginning, neither shall they continued for ever. The welthi idleness of men hath found them out upon earth, therefore shall they come shortly to an end. When a father mourned for his son that was taken away from him, he made him an image (in all the haste) of his deed sun and so began to worship him as a God which was but a deed man, and ordained his servants to offer unto him. Thus by process of time, and thorough long custom, this error was kept as a law and tyrants compelled men by violence to honour images. As for those that were so far of, that men might not worship them presently, their pictur was brought from far (like the image of a king whom they would honour) to the intent that with great diligence they might worship him which was far of, as though he had been present. Again, the singular cunning of the craftsman gave the ignorant also a great occasion to worship images. For the workman willing to do him a pleasure that set him a work, laboured with all his cunning to make the image of the best fashion. And so thorough the beute of the work, the comen people was deceived, in so much that they took him now for a god which a little afore was but honoured as a man. And this was the error of man's life, when men (either for to serve their own affection or to do some pleasure unto Kings) ascribed unto stones and stocks the name of God, which ought to be given unto no man. Moreover this was not enough for them that they erred in the knowledge of God: but where as they lived in the great wars of ignorance, those many & great plagues called they peace. For either they slew their own children, and offered them and did sacrifice in the night season, Deut. 18. b jere. 8. a and. 19 a or else held unreasonable watches: so that they kept neither life nor marriage clean: but either one slew an other to death maliciously, or else grieved his neighbour with adultery. And thus were all things mixed together: blood, manslaughter, theft, dissimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, sedition: perjury, disquieting of good men, unthankfulness, defile of souls, changing of birth, unsteadfastness of marriage misorder, of adultery, and uncleanness, And why? the honouring of abominable images is the cause, the beginning and end of all evil. For they that worship idols, Image worshippers. either they are mad when they are merry, or prophecy lies, or live ungodly, or else lightly forswear themselves for in so much as their trust is in the idols, which have neither soul nor understanding, though they swear falsely, yet they think it shall not hurt them. Therefore cometh a great plague upon them, and that worthily: for they have an evil opinion of God, giving heed unto idols swearing unjustly to deceive, and despising righteousness: for their swearing is no virtue, but a plague of them that sin and goeth ever with the offence of the ungodly. The voice of the faithful praising the mercy of god, for whose graces sake they serve not idols. Capi. xv. But thou o, our God, art sweet, long suffering & true, & in mercy orderest thou all things. Though we sin, yet are we thine, for we know thy strength. If we sin not, then are we sure that thou regardest us. For to know the perfect righteousness. Ye to know thy righteousness & power, is the root of immortality. As for the thing that men have found out thorough their evil science, it hath not deceived us: as the painting of the picture (& unprofitable labour) and carved image with divers colours, whose sight enticeth the ignorant: so that he honoureth & loveth the picture of a deed image that hath no soul. Nevertheless they that love such evil things are worthy of death: they that trust in them, they that make them, they that love them, and they that honour them. The potter also taketh & temporeth soft earth, laboureth it, and giveth it the fashion of a vessel, what so ever serveth for our use: and so of one piece of clay he maketh some clean vessel for service, and some contrary. But whereto every vessel serveth, that knoweth the potter himself So with his vain labour he maketh a God of the same clay: this doth even he which a little afore was made of earth himself, and within a little while after (when he dieth) turneth to the earth again notwithstanding he careth not the more because he shall labour, nor because his life is short but striveth to excel gold smiths, the syluersmythes, and copper smiths, and taketh it for an honour to make vain things. For his heart is ashes, his hope is but vain earth, & his life is more vile than clay: for so much as he knoweth not his own maker, that gave him his soul to work, & breathed in him the breath of life. Images. They count our life but a pastime, and our conversation to be but a market, and that men should ever be getting, & that by evil means. Now he that of earth maketh frail vessels and images, and knoweth himself to offend above all other. All the enemies of thy people & that hold them in subjection, Psa. 113. d are unwise, unhappy, and exceeding proud unto their own souls for they judge all the idols of the heathen to be gods, which neither have sight to see, nor noses to smell, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands for to grope: & as for their feet, they are to slow to go: for man made them & he that hath but a borrowed spirit fashioned them. But no man can make a God like unto him: for seeing he is but mortal himself, it is but mortal that he maketh with unrighteous hands. He himself is better than they whom he worshippeth, for he lived though he was mortal, but so did never they. Ye they worship beasts also, which are most miserable: for compare things that can not feel unto them, and they are worse than those. Yet is there not one of these beasts that with his sight can be hold any good thing, neither have they given praise nor thanks unto God. The punishment of idolaters, and the benefits done unto the faithful. Capi. xvi. FOr these and such other things have they suffered worthy punishment, and thorough the multitude of beasts are they rooted out. In stead of the which punishments, thou haste graciously ordered thine own people, Nu. 21. a and given them their desire that they longed for: a new and strange taste preparing them quails to be their meat, to the intent that by the things which were showed and sent unto them, they that were so greedy, might be withdrawn even from the desire that was necessary. But these within short time were brought unto poverty and tasted a new meat: For it was requisite that (without any excuse) destruction should come upon those which used tyranny, and to show only unto the other, how their enemies were destroyed. For when the evil woodness of the beasts came upon them, they perished thorough the stings of cruel serpents. notwithstanding thy wrath endured not perpetually, but they were put in fear for a little season, that they might be-refourmed, having a token of salvation, to remember the commandment of thy law, for he that converted, was not healed by the thing that he saw: but by the o saviour of al. So in this thou showedst thine enemies, that it is thou which deliverest from all evil. Exo. 12. d As for them when they were bitten with grasshoppers & flies they died, for they were worthy to perish by such: But neither the teeth of dragons nor of venomus worms overcame thy children, for thy mercy was ever by them and helped them. Therefore were they punished to remember thy words, but hastily were they healed again: least they should fall into so deep forgetfulness, that they might not use thy help. It was neither earbe nor plaster that restored them to health, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things. It is thou, O Lord, Deut. 31. ● 1. Reg. 2. d that haste power of life and death: thou leadest unto deaths door and bringest up again. But man thorough wickedness sleeth his own Soul and when his spirit goeth forth, it turneth not again, neither may he call again the soul that is taken away: It is not possible to escape thy hand. Exod. 9 For the ungodly that would not know thee, were punished by the strength of thine arm: with strange waters, hails, & rains were they persecuted, & thorough fire were they consumed. For it was a wondrous thing that fire might do more than water, which quencheth all things, but the world is the avenger of the righteous Sometime was the fire so tame, that the beasts which were sent to punish the ungodly, brent not: & that because they should see and know that they were persecuted with the punishment of god. And sometime brent the fire in the water on every side, that it might destroy the unrighteous nation of the earth. Again thou hast fed thine own people with angels food, Exo. 16. a and sent them bread ready from heaven, without their labour, being very pleasant and well gusted. And to show thy richesse and sweetness unto thy children, thou gavest every one their desire, so that every man might take what likes him best. But the snow & ice abode the violence of the fire, & melted not, that they might know that the fire burning in the hail & rain, destroyed the fruit of the enemies, the fire also forgot his strength again, that the righteous might be nourished. For the creature that serveth thee (which art the maker) is fierce in punishing the unrighteous, but is easy & gentle to do good, unto such as put their trust in the. Therefore did all things alter at the same time, and were all obedient unto thy grace, which is the nurse of all things according to the desire of them that hath need thereof, that thy children, Deut 8. a Mat. 4. a o Lord, whom thou lovest, might know that it is not nature and the growing of fruits that feedeth men, but that it is thy word which preserveth them that put their trust in thee: for look what might not be destroyed with the fire, as soon as it was warmed with a little sun beam, it melted: that all might know that thanks ought to be given unto the before the sun rise and that thou oughtest to be worshipped before the day spring: for the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter ice, and perish as water that is not necessary. ¶ The judgements of God upon the egyptians. Capi. xvii. GReat are thy judgements, o Lord & thy counsels can not be expressed therefore men do are, Rom 11. d Exod. 10 ● that will not be reformed with thy wisdom. For when the unrighteous thought to have thy holy people in subjection, they were bound with the bonds of darkness and long night, shoot under the roof, thinking to escape the everlasting wisdom. And while they thought to be hide in darkness of their sins they were scattered abroad in the very midst of the dark covering of forgetfulness, put to horrible fear and wondrously vexed for the corner where they might not keep them from fear: because the sound came down & vexed them: ye many terrible and strange visions made them afraid. No power of the fire might give them light, neither might the clear flames of the stars lighten that horrible night, for there appeared unto them a sudden fire very dreadful. Exod. 7. b At the which (when they saw nothing) they were so afraid, that they thought the thing which they saw to be the more fearful. As for the sorcery & enchantment that they used, it came to derision, and the proud wisdom was brought to shame for they that promised to drive away the fearfulness, and dread from the week souls were sick for fear themselves, and that with scorn. And though none of the wonders feared them, yet were they afraid at the beasts which came upon them, and at the hissing of the serpents. In so much that with trymbling they swooned, and said they saw not the air, which no man yet may escape. For it is an heavy thing, when a mans own conscience beareth record of his wickedness and condemneth him. And why? a vexed and wounded conscience, taketh ever cruel things in hand. Fearfulness is nothing else, but a declaring that a man seeketh help and defence to answer for himself. Psa. 45. a And look how much less the hope is within, the more is the uncertainty of the matter for the which he is punished. But they that came in the mighty night slept the sleep that fell upon them from under & from above: sometime were they afraid thorough the fear of the wonders, and sometime they were so week that they swooned with all: for an hasti and sudden fearfulness came upon them. afterward, if any of them had fallen he was kept and shut in prison, but without chains. But if any dwelt in a village, if it had been an heard or husbandman he suffered intolerable necessity: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness. Whether it were a blazing wind, or a sweet song of the birds among the thick branches of the trees, or the vehemence of hasty running water, or great noise of the falling down of stones, or the playing and running of beasts whom they saw not, or the mighti noise of roaring beasts, or the sound that answereth again in the high mountains, it made them swoon for very fear. For all the earth shined with clear light, and no man was hindered in his labour. Only upon them there fell an heavy night, an image of darkness that was to come upon them. Ye they were unto themselves the most heavy and horrible darkness. ¶: The free light that the israelites had in egypt. The persecution of the faithful The Lord smote all the first borne of Egypte. The sin of the people in the wilderness. Aaron stood betwixt the live and the deed, with his censor. Capi. xviii. Nevertheless thy holy had a very great light (and the enemies heard their voice but they saw not the figure of them.) And because they suffered not the same things, they magnified the and they that were vexed afore (because they were not hurt now) thanked thee, Exo. 13. a and besought thee, O God, that there might be a difference. Therefore had they a burning pillar of fire to lead them in the unknown way, and thou gavest them the son for a free gift without any hurt. Reason it was that they should want light, and be put in the Prison of darkness, which kept thy children in captivity, by whom the uncorrupt light of the law of the world was for to be given. When they thought to slay the Babes of the Righteous being laid out (and preserved to be leader unto the other) Exodi. 1. c thou broughtest out the hole multitude of the children and destroiedst these in the mighty water. Exo. 14. c. Of the night were our fathers certified afore, that they knowing unto what oaths they had given credence, might be of good cheer. Thus thy people received the health of the righteous, but the ungodly were destroyed. For like as thou hast hurt our enemies, so haste thou promoted us whom thou calledst afore. For the righteous children of the good men offered secretly, and ordered the law of righteousness unto unity, that the just should receive good and evil in like manner, singing praises unto the father of all men. Again there was herd a disacording voice of the enemies, & a piteous cry for children that were bewailed. The master & the servant were punished in like manner For they all together, had innumerable that died one death, Neither were the living sufficient to bury the deed, for in the twincksing of an eye, Exod. 11. c the nobliest nation of them was destroyed. As oft as god helped them aforeier would it not make them believe, but in the destruction of the first borne, they knowledged that it was the people of God. For while all things were still, and when the night was in the midst of her course, thy almighty word, o Lord, leapt down from Heaven out of thy royal Throne as a rough man of war, in the midst of the land that was destroyed: and the sharp sword performed their straight commandment, standing and filling all things with death, ye it stood upon the earth, and reached unto the heaven. Then the sight of the evil dreams vexed them suddenly, and fearfulness came upon them unwares. Then lay there one here, an other there, half deed, half quick, and showed the cause of his death. For the visions that vexed them, showed them these things afore so that they were not ignorant wherefore they perished. The temptation of death touched the righteous also, & amongst the multitude in the wilderness there was insurrection, but thy wrath endured not long. Nu 16. g. For the faultless man went in all the haste, and took the battle upon him, brought forth the weapon of his ministration: even prayer, and the censors of reconciling: set himself against the wrath, & so brought the misery to an end declaring thereby, that he was thy servant. For he overcame not the multitude with bodily power, nor with weapons of might but with the word he subdueth him that vexed him, putting the in remembrance of the oath & covenant made unto the fathers. For when the deed were fallen down by heaps one upon an other, Ex. 28. b. c he stood in the midst, pacified the wrath, & parted the way unto the living. And why? in his long garment was all the beauty, and in the four rows of the stones, was the glory of the fathers graven, and thy majesty was written in the crown of his heed. Unto these the destroyer gave place and was afraid of them: for it was only a temptation worthy of death. The death of the egyptians, and the great joy of the hebrews. The meat that was given at the desire of the people. The elements serve not only to the will of God, but also the will of man. Capi. nineteen. AS for the ungodly, the wrath came upon them without mercy unto the end. For he knew what should happen unto them, how that (when they had consented to let them go, & had sent them out with great diligence) they would repent and follow upon them. For when they were yet mourning and making lamentation by the graves of the deed, Exo. 14. a they devised an other foolishness, so that they persecuted them in their fleeing, whom they had cast out afore with prayer. Whorty necessity also brought them unto this end, for they had clean forgotten the things that happeneth unto them afore. But the thing that was wanting of their punishment, was requisite so to be fulfilled upon them with torments, that thy people might have a marvelous passage thorough, and that these might find a strange death. Then was every creature fashioned again of new according to the will of their maker, obeying thy commandements that thy children might be kept without hurt. For the cloud overshadowed their tents: & the dry earth appeared, where afore was water, so that in the red see, there was a way without impediment, and the great deep became a green field, where thorough all the people went that were defended with thy hand, seeing thy wondrous & marvelous works. For as the horses, so were they fed, & leapt like lambs praising thee, o lord, which hadst delivered them And why? they were yet mindful of the things that happened while they dwelled in the land, how the ground brought forth flies in stead of cattle, and how the river scrauled with the multitude of frogs in stead of fishes. But at the last they saw a new creation of birds, Exo. 17. c Num. 11. g what time as they were deceived with lust: & desired delicate meats. For when they were speaking of their appetite the quails came up to them from the see, and punishments came upon the sinners, not without the tokens which came to pass afore by the vehemence of the streams: for they suffered wortheli according to their wickedness, they dealt so abominably & churlyslye with strangers. Some received no unknown gests, some, brought the strangers into bondage that did them good Beside all these things there were some that not only received no strangers with their wills, but persecuted those also, & did them much evil, that received them gladly. 3. john. b. Therefore were they punished with blindness, like as they that were covered with sudden darkness, at the doors of the righteous, so that every one sought the entrance of his door. Gen. 19 ●. 3. Reg. 6, d Thus the elements turned into themselves, like as when one tune is changed upon an instrument of music, and yet all the residue keep their melody, which may easily be perceived by the sight of the things that are come to pass The dry land was turned in to a watery, & the things that afore swam in the water, went now upon the dry ground The fire hath power in the water (contrary to his own virtue) and the water forgot his own kind, to quench. Again, the flames of the noisome beasts hurt not the flesh of them that went with them neither melted they the ice, which else melteth lightly. In all things haste thou promoted thy people (O Lord) and brought them to honour: thou haste not despised them, but alway and in all places haste thou stand by them. ¶ The end of the book of wisdom. ¶ The book of jesus the Son of Sirach: which is called in Latin, Ecclesia sticus. or jesus ¶ The Prologue of jesus the Son of Syrache unto his book. Many and great men have declared wisdom unto us, out of the law, out of the Prophets & out of other that followed them. In the which things Israel ought to be commended by the reason of doctrine, and wisdom: Therefore they that have it, and read it, should not only themselves be wise there thorough, but serve other also with teaching and writing. After that my grandfather jesus had given diligent labour to read the law, the Prophets & other books that were left us of our fathers, and had well exercised himself therein: he purposed also, to writ some thing of wyesdom, and good manners: to the intent that they which were willing to learn and to be wise might have the more understanding, and be the more apt to lead a good conversation. Wherefore I exhort you to receive it lovingly, to read it with diligence, and to take it in good worth, though our words be not so eloquent as the famous orators. For the thing that is written in the Hebrew tongue, soundeth not well, when it is translated into an other speech. Not only this book of mine, but also the law, the Prophets, & other books, sound far otherwise, than they do, when they are spoken in their own language. Now in the xxxviii year when I came into Egypt, in the time of Ptolemy Euerges, and continued there all my life, I got liberty to read & writ many good things. Wherefore I thought it good and necessary, to bestow my diligence and travail to interpret this book. And considering that I had time. I laboured & did my best to perform this book, and to bring it unto light: that the strangers also which are disposed to learn might apply themselves unto good manners and live according to the law of the Lord. ¶ wisdom proceedeth and cometh of God. A praise of the fear of God. righteousness is a degree to come by wisdom. Capi. Primo. ALl wisdom cometh of God the Lord, 3. Reg. 3, b and .4. c job. 28. a. jacabi. 1. a and hath been ever with him, and is before all time. Who hath numbered the sand of the see the drops of the rain and the days of the time. Who hath measured the height of heaven the breadth of the earth, and the deepness of the see? Who hath sought out the ground of God's wisdom, which hath been before all things? wisdom hath been before all things, & the understanding of prudence from everlasting. (gods word in the height, is the well of wisdom, & the everlasting commandments are the entrance of her.) Unto whom hath the rote of wisdom been declared? Or who hath known her wit? Unto whom hath the doctrine of wisdom been discovered & showed: & who hath understand the manifold entrance of her. There is one: even the highest, the maker of all things the almighty, the king of power (of whom men ought to stand greatly in awe) which sitteth upon his throne, being a god of dominion: he hath created her thorough the holy ghost: he hath seen her, numbered her, and measured her He hath poured her out upon all his works, and upon all flesh, according to his gift: he giveth her richly unto them that love him. The fear of the lord is worship, and triumph, gladness, and a joyful crown. The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, giveth gladness, joy and long life. Who so feareth the lord it shall go well with him at the last, and in the day of his death he shall be blessed. The love of God is honourable wisdom: look unto whom it appeareth, they love it, for they see what wondrous things it doth. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Psa. 110 b Prou. 9 b and was made with the faithful in the mother's womb: it shall go with the chosen women, & shall be known of the righteous & faithful. The fear of the Lord is the right gods service, that preserveth and justfieth the heart and giveth mirth and gladness. Who so feareth the Lord, shall be happy: and when we have need of comfort▪ he shallbe blessed. To fear God is the wisdom that maketh rich, and bringeth all good with her. She filleth the hole house with her gifts, and the garners with her treasure. The fear of the lord is the crown of wisdom, Fear of the Lord. & giveth plenteous peace and health. He hath sent her and numbered her: knowledge & understanding of wisdom hath he poured out as rain: and them that held her fast, hath he brought unto honour. The fear of the lord is the rote of wisdom, and her branches are long life. In the treasures of wisdom, is understanding and devotion of knowledge, but wisdom is abhorred of sinners. The fear of the lord driveth out sin, for he that is without fear, can not be made righteous, and his wilful boldness is his own destruction. A patient man will suffer unto the time, & then shall he have the reward of joy. A good understanding will hide his words for a time, & many men's lips shall speak of his wisdom. In the treasures of wisdom is the declaration of doctrine, but the sinner abhorreth the worship of God. My son, if thou desire wisdom, keep the commandment, and God shall give her unto thee: for the fear of the Lord is wisdom & nurtur, he hath pleasure in faith and loving meekness, and he shall fill the treasures thereof. Be not obstinate & unfaithful to the fear of the Lord and come not unto him with a double heart. Be not an hypocrite in the sight of men, and take good heed what thou speakest. Mark well these things, lest thou happen to fall, and bring thy soul to dishonour, and so God discover thy secrets, and cast the down in the midst of the congregation: because thou wouldst not receive the fear of god, and because thy heart is full of feignedness and deceit. ¶ He exhorteth the servants of God to righteousness, love, understanding, and patience, & exhorteth him that feareth god, to believe, to hope and to love: because God never confounded nor forsaketh them that trust in him, A curse upon the subtle, fear, and impatient of heart Capi. two. MY son, if thou wilt come in to the service of God, Mat. 4, a 2. Tim ●. b 2. Pet. 4. b stand fast in righteousness and fear, and arm thy soul to temptation, settle thine heart, and be patient: bow down thine ear receive the words of understanding and shrink not away, when thou art enticed. Hold the fast upon god, join thyself unto him and suffer, that thy life may increase at the last. What so ever happeneth unto thee, receive it: suffer in heaviness, and be patient in thy trouble For like as gold and silver are tried in the fire, even so are exceptable men in the furnace of adversity. Sapi. 4. a Pro. 17. a Believe in God, and he shall help thee, order thy way a right, and put thy trust in him. Hold fast his fear, and grow therein. O ye that fear the Lord, take sure hold of his mercy, shrink not away from him, that ye fall not. O ye that fear the Lord believe him, and your reward shall not be empty. O ye that fear the Lord put your trust in him, and mercy shall come unto you for pleasure: O ye the fear the Lord set your love upon him and your hearts shallbe lightened. Consider the old generations of men (O ye children) & mark them well, was there ever any one confounded, that put his trust in the Lord? Psal. 30. a Esai. 26. a Who ever continued in his fear and was forsaken? Or whom did he ever despise, that called faithfully upon him? For God is gracious and merciful, he forgiveth sins in the time of trouble, and is a defender for all them that seek him in the truth. Who be unto him that hath a double heart wicked lips, and evil occupied hands, and to the sinner that goeth two manner of ways. Woe be unto them that are lose of heart, which put not their trust in God, and therefore shall they not be defended of him. Woe be unto them that have lost patience, forsaken the right ways, and are turned back in to froward ways. What will they do, when the Lord shall begin to visit them? They that fear the Lord, will not mistrust his word, and they that love him, will keep his commandment. They that fear the Lord, Ioh 14. ● will seek out the things that are pleasant unto him and they that love him shall fulfil his law. Rom. 13. b They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, & humble their souls in his sight. 2. Re. 24. c They that fear the Lord keep his commandments and will be patient till they see himself, saying: better it is for us to fall into the hands of the lord, then into the hands of men: for his mercy is as great as himself. ¶: To our father and mother ought we to give double honour. Of the blessing and curse of the father and mother. No man ought over curiously to search out the secrets of God. Capi. iii. THe children of wisdom are a congregation of the righteous, Fathers. and their exercise is obedience & love. Hear me your father (O my der children) and do thereafter, that ye may be safe. Exo. 20. b Deut. 5. b Ephe. 6. a For the Lord will have the father honoured of the children, and look what a mother commandeth her children to do, he will have it kept. Who so honoureth his father, his sins shall be forgiven him & he that honoureth his mother is like one that gathereth treasure together. Who so honoureth his father: shall have joy of his own children, and when he maketh his prayer he shall be heard. He that honoureth his father, shall have a long life, and he that is obedient for the Lords sake, Ephe. 6. a his mother shall have joy of him. He that feareth the Lord, honoureth his father & mother, and doth them service as it were, unto the lord himself Honour thy father in deed, in word, and in all patience, Gen. 27. d and .49. a Deut. 33. a that thou mayst have his blessing: for the blessing of the father buildeth up the houses of the children, but the mother's curse roteth out the foundations Rejoice not when thy Father is reproved for it is no honour unto thee, but a shame For the worship of a man's father, is his own worship, & where the father is with out honour, it is the dishonesty of the son My son, make much of thy father in his age, & grieve him not as long as he liveth. And if his understanding fail, have patience with him, and despise him not in thy strength. For the good deed that thou showest unto thy father, shall not be forgotten: and when thou thyself wantest it shall be rewarded thee (and for thy mother's offence, thou shalt no be recompensed with good, ye it shallbe founded for the inryghtuousnes) & in the day of trouble thou shalt be remembered: thy sins also shall melt away, like as the ice in the fair warm wether. He that forsaketh his father, shall come to shame: and he that defieth his mother is cursed of god. My son, perform thy works with loving meekness, so shalt thou be loved above other men. The greater thou art, the more humble thyself (in all things) and thou shalt find favour in the sight of God. Pro. 25. d. Rom. 12. a Deut. 4. a For great power belongeth only unto God, & he is honoured of the lowly. Seek not out the things that are above thy capacity, and search not the ground of such things as are to mighty for thee: but look what God hath commanded thee, think upon that always & be not curious in many of his works For it is needful for the to see with thine eyes, the things that are secret. Make not thou to much search in superfluous things, and be not curious in many of his works: for many things are showed unto the already, which be above the capacity of men. The meddling with such hath beguiled many a man, and tangled their wits in vanity. Now he that loveth peril, shall, perish therein. An hard heart shall far evil at the last (an heart that goeth two ways, shall not prosper: and he that is froward of heart: will ever be the worse and worse.) A wicked heart shallbe laden with sorrows and the ungodly sinner will heap one sin upon an other. The counsel of the proud hath no health, for the plant of sin shallbe rooted out in them. The heart of him that hath understanding shall perceive high things, and a good ear will gladly hearken unto wisdom. An heart that is wise and hath understanding, will abstain from sins, & increase in the works of righteousness. Psa. 40 a Deut. 4. d Mat. 5. a Water quenched burning fire, and mercy reconcileth sins. God hath respect unto him that is thankful he thinketh upon him against the time to come, so that when he falleth, he shall find in a strong hold. Alms must be done with all meekness. The study of wisdom and her fruit. A judge ought to be merciful. An exhortation to eschew evil and to do good. Capi. iiii. MY son, defraud not the poor of his alms and turn not away thine eyes from him that hath need. Deu. 15. d Mat. 23. c Despise not an hungry soul, and defy not the poor in his necessity: grieve not the heart of him that is helpless, and with draw not the gift from the needful Refuse not the prayer of one that is in trouble, and turn not away thy face from the needy. Cast not thine eyes aside from the poor, that thou give him not occasion to speak evil of the. For if he complain of the in the bitterness of his soul his prayer shall be heard: even he that made him, shall hear him. Be courteous unto the company of the poor, humble thy soul unto the elder, and bow down thy head to a man of worship. Let it not grieve the to bow down thine ear unto the poor, but pay thy det, and give him a friendly answer, and that with meekness. deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the oppressor, and be not faint hearted when thou sittest in judgement. Gen. 14. c Exo. 2. b Be merciful unto the fatherless as a father, & be in stead of an husband unto their mother, so shalt thou be as an obedient son of the highest, and he shall love the more than thy mother doth. wisdom breatheth life into her children receiveth them that seek her, and will go before them in the way of righteousness He that loveth her loveth life: & they that seek her diligently, shall have great joy They that keep her, shall have the heritage of life: for where she entereth in, there is the blessing of God. They that honour her, shall be the servants of the holy one & they that love her, are beloved of God Who so giveth ear unto her, shall judge the heathen: and he that hath respect unto her, shall dwell safely. He that believeth her shall have her in possession, and his generation shall endure: for when he falleth, she shall go with him before all. Fear, dread, and temptation shall she bring upon him, and try him in her doctrine: till she have so proved him in his thoughts, that he commit his soul unto her. Then shall she stablish him, bring the right way unto him, make him a glad man, show him her secrets, and heap upon him the treasures of knowledge, understanding, and righteousness. But if he go wrong, she shall forsake him, and give him over into the hands of his enemy. My son make much of the time, Ephe. 5. b Mat. 10▪ c eschew the thing that is evil, and for thy life, shame not to say the truth. For there is ashame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth worship and favour. Accept no person after thine own will, Levi. 19 d that thou be not confounded to thine own decay. Be not ashamed of thy neighbour in his adversity, and keep not back thy counsel when it may do good, neither hide the wisdom in her beauty, For in the tongue is wisdom known, so is understanding, konwledge, & learning in the talking of the wise & steadfastness in the works of righteousness. In no wise speak against the word of truth, but be ashamed of the lies of thine own ignorance. Shame not to confess thin error, submit not thyself unto every man because of sin. Withstand not the face of the might, and strive not against the stream. But for the truth strive thou unto death, and God shall fight for the against thine enemies. Be not hasty in thy tongue, neither slack and negligent in thy works. Be not as the Lion in thine own house, destroying thy household folks and oppressing them that are under the. Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, Act. 20. a. & shut when thou shouldest give In riches may we not put any confidence. The vengeance of god ought to be feared, and to repentance may we not be slow. Capi. v. Trust not unto thy riches, & say not: tush, Luke. 12. b Eccle. 1●. ● I have enough for my life (For it shall not help in the time of vengeance and temptation.) Follow not the lust of thine own heart in thy strength, & say not: tush, how have I had strength, or who will bring me under because of my works? for doubtless god shall avenge it? And say not: I have committed more sins, but what evil hath happened me? For the almighty as a patient rewarder. Because thy sin is forgiven thee, Rom. 6. a Eccle. 21. a be not therefore without fear neither heap one sin upon an other. And say not: tush, the mercy of the lord is great, Eccl. 16. b he shall forgive me my sins, be they never so many. For like as he is merciful so goeth wrath from him also, and his indignation cometh down upon sinners. Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord, & put not of from day to day: for suddenly shall his wrath come, and in the time of vengeance he shall destroy the. Pro. 10. a and .11. a Ezech. 7. b Sepho. 1. c Trust not in wicked riches, for they shall not help the in the day of punishment and wrath. Be not carried about to every wind, and go not into every way: for so doth the sinner that hath a double tongue. Stand fast in the way of the lord be steadfast in thy understanding, abide by the world, and follow the word of peace and righteousness. Be gentle to hear the word of god, jaco. 1. ●. that thou mayst understand it, and make a true answer with wisdom. Be swift to hear, but flow and patient in giving answer. If thou hast understnading, shape thy neighbour an answer: If no, lay thine hand upon thy mouth: least thou be trapped in an undiscrete word, and so confounded. Honour and worship is in a man's wise talking, but the tongue of the undiscrete, is his own destruction. Be not a prive accuser as long as thou livest, Levi. 19 d and use no slander with thy tongue. For shame and sorrow goeth over the thief, and an evil name over him that is double-tongued: but he that is a privy accuser of other men, shallbe hated envy & confounded. Se that thou justify the small and great alike. ¶ It is the property of a sinner to be evil tongued. The doctrine and good council of the wise is to be embraced wisdom should bescarched for. The profit thereof. Capi. vi. BE not thy neighbour's enemy for thy friends sake, for who so is evil shall be the heir of rebuke & dsyhonour, & who soever beareth envy & a double tongue offendeth. Rom. 12. c Phili. 2. a Be not proud in the device of thine understanding, least thy leaves wither, and thy fruit be destroyed, and so thou be left as a dry tree For a wicked soul destroyeth him that hath it, maketh him to be laughed to scorn of his enemies (and bringeth him to the portion of the ungodly. Eccl. 20. b ) A sweet word multiplieth friends and pacifieth them that be at variance, and a thankful tongue will be, plenteous in a good man. Hold friendship with many, nevertheless have but one counsellor of a thousand. Friends. If thou gettest a friend, prove him first and be not hasty to give him credence. For some man is a friend, but for a time and will not abide in the day of trouble And there is some friend that turneth to enimite, Deut. 23. b add. 23. b. Mich 7. a Mat. 10. c Eccl. 37. a and taketh part against thee: and if he bnowe any hurt by thee, he telleth it out, again, some friend is but a companion at the table, and in the day of need he continueth not. But a sure friend will be unto the even as thine own self, and deal faithfully with thy household folk if thou suffer trouble and adversity he is with thee, & hideth not himself from the Depart from thine enemies, ye and beware of thy friends. A faithful friend is a strong defence: who so findeth such one findeth a noble treasure. A faithful friend hath no peer, the weight of gold and silver is not to be compared to the goodness of is faith. A faithful friend is a medicine of life, & they that fear the Lord shall find him. Who so feareth the Lord shall prosper with friends: & as he is himself so shall his friend be also. My son receive doctrine from thy youth up, so shalt thou find wisdom till thou be old. Go to her as one that ploweth, & soweth, & wait patiently for her good fruits For thou shalt have but little labour in her work, Eccle. 5. a but thou shalt eat of her fruits right so one O how exceeding sharp is wisdom to unlearned men: an unsteadfast body will not remain in her. Unto such she is as it were a touchstone, & he casteth her from him in all the haste, for wisdom is with him but in name, there be but few that have knowledge of her. But with the that know her, she abideth even unto the appearing of god. give ear, my son, receive my doctrine, & refuse not my counsel. Put thy foot into her links, & take her yoke upon thy neck, bow down thy shoulder under her, bear her patiently, Mat. 6. a & be not weary of her bands. Come unto her with thy hole heart, & keep her ways with all thy power. Seek after her & she shall be showed thee: and when thou hast her, forsake her not. For at the last thou shalt find rest in her, & that shall be turned to thy great joy. Then shall her letters be a strong defence for thee, and her yoke a glorious raiment. For the beauty of life is in her & her hands are the coupling together of salvation. Ye a glorious raiment is it, thou shalt put it on, and the same crown of joy shalt thou wear, My son, if thou wilt take heed, thou shalt have understanding and if thou wilt apply thy mind thou shalt be wise. If thou wilt bow down thin ear, thou shalt receive doctrine and if thou delight in hearing, thou shalt be wise. Stand with the multitude of such elders as have understanding, & consent unto their wisdom with thine heart that thou mayst hear all godly sermons, and that the worthy sentences escape the not. Eccle. 5. a And if thou see a man of du●rete understanding, get the son unto him, and let thy foot tread upon the steps of his doors. Psal. 1. a Let thy mind be upon the commandments of God, & be earnestly occupied in his laws: so shall he stablish thy heart, & give the wisdom at thine own desire. ¶ We must forsake evil, and yet not justify ourselves. The behaviour of the wise toward his wife, his friend, his children his servants, his father and mother, priests. etc. Capi. seven. DO no evil, so shall there no harm happen unto the. Depart away from the thing that is wicked, & no misfortune shall meddle with thee, My son, sow no evil things in the furrows of unrighteousness, so shalt that not reap them seven fold. Labour not unto man for any lordship, Psa. 142 a Eccle. 7. c. job. 9 a e Luke. 18. b. neither unto the king for the seat of honour. justify not thyself before God (for he knoweth the heart) and desire not to be reputed wise in the presence of the king. Make no labour to be made a judge, except it so were, that thou couldst mightily put down wickedness: for if thou shouldest stand in awe of the presence of the mighty, thou shouldest fail in giving sentence. Offend not in the multitude of the city, Eccle. 12. ● and put not thyself among the people. Bind not two sins together, for in one sin shalt thou not be unpunished. say not tush, God will look upon the multitude of my oblations, & when I offer to the highest god, he will accept it. Be not faint hearted when thou makest thy prayer, neither slack in giving of Alms. 1. Re. 2. b. Laugh no man to scorn in the heaviness of his soul, for god (which seeth all things) is he that can bring down, & set up again. Accept no losing against thy brother, neither do the same against thy friend. Use not to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good, Mat. 6. b. Make not many words when thou art among the elders: & when thou prayest, Rom. 12. d make not much babbling. Let no laborious work be tedious unto thee, neither the husbandry which the almighty hath created. Make not thy boast in the multitude of thy wickedness, but humble thyself even from thine heart: & remember that the wrath shall not be long in tarrying, & that the vengeance of the flesh of the ungodly is a very fire & worm. give not over thy friend for any good, nor thy faithful brother for the best gold. Depart not from a discreet & good woman, that is fallen unto the for thy portion in the fear of the lord for the gift of her honesty is above gold Where as thy servant worketh truly: Levit. 19 c entreat him not evil, nor the hireling that is faithful unto the. Love a discrete servant as thin own soul defraud him not of his liberty, neither leave him a poor man If thou have cattles, Deut. 25 a Eccle. 30 a look well to them: & they be for thy profit keep them. If thou have sons, bring them up in nurtur & learning and hold them in awe fro their youth up If thou hast daughters, keep their body and show not thy face cheerful toward them. Marry thy daughter, & so thou shalt perform a weighty matter: but give her to a man of understanding. If thou have a wife after thine own mind, forsake her not (but commit not thyself to the hateful.) Honour thy father from thy hole heart & forget not the sorrowful travail that thy mother had with thee: Eccle. 3. a Tobi. 4. a remember that thou wast borne thorough them, and how canst thou recompense them the things that they have done for thee? Deut. 12. a Fear the Lord with all thy soul, & honour his ministers. love thy maker with all thy strength, Nu. 18. b. c and forsake not his servants Fear the Lord with all thy Soul, and honour his priests. give them their portion of the first fruits and increase of the earth, like as it is commanded the give them the shoulders, & their appointed offerings and firstlings. Reach thin hand unto the poor, that God may bless the with plenteousness. Gala. 6. b Tobi. i. d Be liberal unto all men living: yet let not but do good even to them that are deed. Let not them that weep be without comfort, but mourn with such as mourn. Rom. 12. b Mat. 25. a Let it not grieve the to visit the sick, for that shall make the to be beloved What so ever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss. ¶ Against thy better is no striving. Of the death of thine enemy mayst thou not rejoice, nor depsyse thy neighbours, nor the words of the wise. Capi. viii. strive not with a mighty man, Math. 5. c Eccle 31. a lest thou chance to fall into his hands Make no variance with a rich man lest he happen to bring up an hard quarrel against the. For gold and silver hath undone many a man, ye even the hearts of kings hath it made to fall. Strive not with a man that is full of words, & lay no sticks upon his fire: Keep no company with the unlearned, lest he give thy kindred an evil report. Despise not a man that turneth himself away from sin, & cast him not in the teeth withal: Galat. 6. a 2. Cor. 2. b but remember that we are frail every eachone. Think scorn of no man in his old age, for we wax old also. Levi. 19 g. Be not glad of the death of thine enemy, but remember that we must die all the sort of us (and feign would we come into joy.) Despise not the sermons of such elders as have understanding, but acquaint thyself with the wise sentences of them: Eccle. 6. c for of them thou shalt learn wisdom and the doctrine of understanding, and how to serve great men without complaint. Go not from the doctrine of the elders, for they have learned it of their fathers. For of them thou shalt learn understanding, so that thou mayst make answer in the time of need. Kindle not the cools of sinners, lest thou be brent in the fire flames of their sins. Resist not the face of the blasphemer, that he lay not wait for thy mouth. Eccle. 26 a Lend not unto him that is mightier than thyself: If thou lendest him, count it but lost. Be not surety above thy power: if thou be, then think surely to pay it. Go not to law with the judge for he will judge according to his own honour. Travail not by the wai with him that is brainless, lest he do the evil: for he followeth his own wilfulness, & so shalt thou perish thorough his folly. Gene.. b Strive not with him that is angry & cruel, & go not with him in to the wilderness for blood is nothing in his sight, Pro. 20. d Esay. 3. a. Eccle. 9 c & .37. a. b. & where there is no help, he shall murder the. Take no counsel at fools, for they love nothyg but the things that please themselves. Make no counsel before a stranger, for thou canst not tell what will come of it. Open not thin heart unto every man, lest he be unthankful to thee, and put the to reproof. ¶ The ieoperdes of chasteness are to be eschewed. An old friend is to be preferred before a new. The glory and riches of sinners. Righteous men should be bidden to geste. Labour is the chief thing in a work man, and wisdom in a Prince. Capi. ix, BE not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, that she show not some shreed point of wicked doctrine upon the give not the power of thy life unto a woman, lest she come in thy strength, & so thou be confounded. Look not upon a woman that is desirous of many men, lest thou fall into her snares. Use not the company of a woman that is a player & dancer, and hear her not, lest thou perish thorough her enticing. Behold not a maiden, that thou be not hurt in her beauty Cast not thy mind unto harlots in any Prou. 5. a. manner of thing lest thou destroy both thyself & thine heritage. Go not about gazing in every lane of the city, neither wander thou abroad in the streets thereof Turn away thy face from a beautiful woman, and look not upon the fairness of other. Math. 5. c Many a man hath perished thorough the beauty of women, for thorough it the desire is kindled as it were a fire. Gen. 34. a 2. Reg. 11. a judit. 10. and .11.12. An adulterous woman shall be trodden under foot as mire, of every one that goeth by the way. Many a man woundering at the beauty of a strange woman, hath been cast out, for her words kindle as a fire. Sat not with an other man's wife by any means, lie not with her upon the bed, make no words with her at the wine lest thine heart consent unto her, and so thou with thy blood fall into destruction. Forsake not an old friend, * Old friends. for the new shall not be like him, A new friend is new wine, let him be old and thou shalt drink him with pleasure. Desire not the honour & riches of a sinner, for thou knowest not what destruction is for to come upon him. delight not thou in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in, being sure that the ungodly shall not be accepted until their grave. Keep the from the man that hath power to slay, so needest thou not to be afraid of death. And if thou comest unto him, make no fault, lest he hap to take away thy life. Remember that thou goest in the midst of snares, and upon the bulwarks of the city. Eccl. 8 a c & .37. a b. Beware of thy neighbour as nigh as thou canst, & meddle with such as be wise and have understanding Let just men be thy geftes, let thy mirth be in the fear of god, let the remembrance of god be in thy mind and let all thy talking be in the commandments of the highest. Deut. 6. b. and .11. c 3. Reg. ●. b In the hands of craftsmen shall the works be commended so shall the princes of the people in the wisdom of their talking. A man full of words is perilous in his cite: & he that is temerarious & passed shame in his talking, is to be abhorred. ¶ Of kings and judges Pyrde, and covetousness, are to be abhorred. Labour is praised. Capi. x. A wise judge will order his people with discretion, kings. Pro. 29. b. and where a man of understanding beareth rule, there goeth it well, As the judge of the people is himself even so are his officers and look what manner of man the ruler of the city is such are they that dwell there in also. An unwise destroyeth his people but where they that be in authority are men of understanding, 3. Re. 12. a there the city prospereth. The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and when his time is, he shall set a profitable ruler upon it, in the hand of god is the power of man, & upon the scribes shall he lay his honour. Remember no wrong of thy neighbour, & meddle thou with no unrighteous works. Levit. 19 c Pride is hateful before god and man and all wickedness of the heathen is to be abhorred. Because of unrighteous dealing wrong, jere. 17. a Dani. 4. c blasphemies, & divers deceit a realm shallbe translated from one people to an other. There is nothing worse than a covetous man. why art thou proud oh thou earth and ashes? There is not a more wicked thing then to love money. And why? such one hath his soul to sell: jet is he but filthy daunge while he liveth. And though the physician show his help never so long, yet in conclusion it goeth after this manner, to day a king to morrow deed. For when a man dieth, he is the heyer of serpents, beasts, and worms. The beginning of man's pride, is to fall away from god: and why? his heart is gone from his maker, for pride is the original of all sin. Who so taketh hold thereof, shall be filled with cursings, & at the last it shall overthrow him. Therefore hath the lord brought the congregations of the wicked to dishonour, and destroyed them unto the end. God hath destroyed the seats of proud Princes, and let up the meek in their stead. God hath withered the roots of the proud heathen, Sapi. 6. b Luke. 1. d 14. b. 18. b. Gene. 19 a & planted the lowly among them, God hath overthrown the lands of the heathen, and destroyed them out of the ground. He hath caused them to wither away, he hath brought them to nought, and made the memorial of them to cease from out of the earth. (God hath destroyed the name of the proud, and left the name of the humble of mind.) Pride was not made for man, neither wrothfulnes for men's children: the seed of man that feareth God, shall be borough to honour, but the seed which transgresseth the commandments of the Lord, shall be shamed. He that is the ruler among brethren is holden in honour among them, and he regardeth such as fear the lord The glory of the rich, of the honourable, and of the poor is the fear of God. Despise not thou the Just poor man, and magnify not the rich ungodly. Great is the judge, and mighty in honour, yet is there none greater than he that feareth god. Pro. 17. a 1. Re. 12. b Unto the servant that is discrete, shall the free do service. He that is wise & well nurtured, will not grudge when he is reformed, and an ignorant body shall not come to honour. Be not proud to do thy work, & despair not in the time of adversity. Better is he that laboureth and hath plenteousness of all things, them he that is gorgeous and wanteth breed. My son, keep thy soul in meekness and give her, her due honour. Who shall justify him that sinneth against himself who will honour him that dishonoureth his own life? The poor is honoured for his faithfulness & truth, but the rich is had in reputation, because of his goods He that ordereth himself honestly in poverty. How much more shall he behave him self honestly in riches: And who soordereth himself unhonestly in riches, how much more shall he behave himself unhonestly in poverty. ¶ The praise of humility. After the outward appearance ought we not to judge. Of hedy & rash judgement. The rich is not without offence. All things come of God. All men are not to be brought into thy house. Capi. xi. Gene. 41. f Dani. 6. a THe wisdom of him that is brought low, shall lift up his heed, and shall make him to sit among great men. Commend not a man in his beauty, neither despise a man in his utter appearance. The Bee is but a small be'st among the fowls, Actu. 12. d yet is her fruit exceeding sweet. Be not proud of thy raiment, and exalt ot thyself in the day of thy honour: for the works of the highest only are wondered ye glorious, secret, & unknown are his works. 1. Reg. 15 ● 1. Hest. 67 Many tyrants have been feign to sit down upon the earth, and the unlikely hath worn the crown. Many mighty men have been brought low, and the honourable have been delivered in to other men's hands. Deut. 13. b and .7. b joshua. 7. c and .20. c Pro. 18. b Condemn no man before thou haste tried out the matter, and when thou hast made inquisition, then reform righteously. give no sentence before thou hast heard the cause, but first let men tell out their tales. strive not for a matter that toucheth not thyself, and stand not in the judgement of sinners. My son, Mat. 19 c 1, Ti. 6. b. Pro. 10. c. meddle not with many matters: and if thou wilt be rich, thou shall not get it, and though thou runnest thy way afore: yet shalt thou not escape. There is some man that laboureth, and the more he weryeth him self, the less he hath. Again, some man is slothful, hath need of help, job. 13. c wanteth strength and hath great poverty & Gods eye looketh upon him to good, setteth him up from his low estate, and lifteth up his heed, so that many men marvel at him and give honour unto God. job. 1. c Eze. ●●. a. prosperity and adversity, life, and death, poverty and richesse come of the Lord. (Wisdom, nurture, and knowledge of the law are with god: love, & the ways of good are with him. Error and darkness are made for sinners: and they that exalt themselves in evil, wax old in evil.) The gift of god remaineth for the righteous & his good will shall have prosperity for ever. Luke. 12. d Some man is rich by living niggardly, and that is the portion of his reward in that he saith: Luk. e 12. c now have I gotten rest & now will I eat & drink of my goods myself alone. And yet he considereth not that the time draweth nigh (and death approacheth) that he must leave all these things unto other men, and die himself. Stand thou fast in thy covenant and exercise thyself therein, and remain in the work unto thy age. Continue not in the works of sinners but put thy trust in god, & bide in thine estate: for it is but an easy thing in the sight of god, to make a poor man rich, and that suddenly. The blessing of god hasteth to the reward of the righteous, & maketh his fruits soon to flourish and prosper. say not: what helpeth it me? & what shall I have the while? Again say not: I have enough, how can I want? Eccle. 18. c When thou art in welfare, forget not adversity: & when it goeth not well with thee, have a good hope that it shall be better, For it is but a small thing unto God, in the day of death to reward every man according to his ways: The adversity of an hour maketh one to forget all pleasure: and when a man dieth, his works are discovered. Praise no body before his death, for a man shall be known in his children. Bring not every man in to thine house, for the deceitful layeth wait diversly. Like as a partrych in a mand, so is the heart of the proud: and like as a spy, that looketh upon the fall of his neighbour. For he turneth good unto evil, and slandereth the choose. Of one spark is made a great fire (and of a disceyteful man, is blood increased) & an ungodly man layeth wait for blood. Beware of the deceitful, for he imagineth wicked things, to bring the in to a perpetual shame. If thou takest an ale aunt unto thee, he shall destroy the in unquietness, & drive the from thine own ways, ¶ Unto whom we ought to do good. Enemies ought to be eschewed. Capi. xii. WHen thou wilt do good, know to whom thou dost it, & so shalt thou be greatly thanked for thy benefits. Gala. 6. a Tim. 5. a Do good unto the unrighteous, and thou shalt find great reward, though not of him: yet (no doubt) the lord himself shall reward the. He standeth not in a good case that is alway occupied in evil, and giveth no alms: for the highest hateth the sinners, & hath mercy upon them that show the works of repentance. give thou unto such as fear god and receive not a sinner. As for the ungodly & sinners, he shall recompense vengeance unto them, and keep them to the day of wrath. give thou unto the good, & receive not the sinner: do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly Let not the bred be given him, that he be not mightier than thyself therein: For so shalt thou receive twice as much evil, in all the good that thou dost unto him. And why? the highest hateth sinners, and shall reward vengeance to the ungodly In prosperity, a friend shall not be known, and in adversity an enemy shall not be hid. For when a man is in wealth, it grieveth his enemies: but in heaviness & trouble a man shall know his friend. Trust never thine enemy, for like as an iron rusteth, so doth his wickedness▪ and though he make much crouching and kneeling, yet keep well thy mind, & beware of him Set him not by thee, neither let him sit at thy right hand: lest he turneth him, get into thy place, take thy room & seek thy seat, and so thou at the last remember my words, and be pricked at my sayings. Who will have pity of the charm, that is stinged of the serpent, or of all such as come nigh the beasts? Even so is it with him that keepeth company with a wicked man: & lappeth himself in his sins For a season will he bide with thee, but if thou stumble, he tarrieth not ¶ An enemy is sweet in his lips, jer. xli. b & imagineth disobeyed in his heart, to throw the into the pit: ye he can weep with his eyes, & if he may find opportunity: he will not be satisfied with blood if adversity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first, & though he pretend to do the help, yet shall he undermine yt. he shall shake his head, & clap his hands over the for very gladness: & while he maketh many words, he shall disgyse his countenance. ¶ The companies of the proud, and of the rich are to be eschewed▪ The love of God. Like do company with their like. Capi. xiii. WHO SO TOUCHETH pitch, shall be filled with all: and he that is familiar with the proud, shall clothe himself with pride. He taketh a burden upon him, that accompanieth a more honourable man then himself. T erfore keep no familyarytie with one that is richer than thyself. How agree the ketell & the pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken. The rich dealeth unrighteously, and threateneth withal but the poor being oppressed & wrongfully dealt withal, suffereth scarceness, and giveth fair words. if thou be for his profit, he useth thee: but if thou have nothing, he shall forsake the. As long as thou hast any thing of thine own he shall be a good fellow with thee: ye he shall make the a bare man, and not be sorry for thee? if he have need of thee, he shall defraud thee: & (with a privy mock) shall he put the in an hope, and give the all good words, and say: what wantest then? Thus shall he shame the in his maet until he have supped the clean up twice or thrice, and at the last shall he laugh the to scorn. Afterward, when he saith that thou hast nothing, he shall forsake thee, & shake his head at the. (submit thyself unto God▪ and wait upon his hand, Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy simpleness. Be not to humble in thy wisdom: least when thou art brought low, thou be deceived thorough foolishness, if thou be called of a mighty man, absent thyself, so shall he call the to him the more oft. Press not thou unto him, that thou be not shut out: but go not thou far of least he forget the. Withdraw not thyself from his speech, but believe not his many words. forthwith much communication shall he tempt thee, and (with a privy mock) shall he question the of thy secrets. The unmerciful mind of his shall mark thy, words he shall not spare to do the hurt, and to put the in prison. Be ware, and take good heed to thyself, for thou walkest in parel of thy overthrowing. Now when thou hearest his words make the as though thou wert in a dream and wake up, Love god all thy life long, and call upon him in thy need, Every beast loveth his like, even so let every man love his neighbour. All flesh will resort to their like, and every man will keep company with such as he is himself. But as the wolf agreeth with the lamb, so doth the ungodly with the righteous. two. Cori. vi. c What fellowship should an holy man have with a dog: How can the rich and the poor agree together: The willbe Ass is the Lions pray in the wilderness, even so are poor men the meat of the rich. Like as the proud may not away with lowliness, even so do the rich abhor the poor▪ if a rich man fall, his friends set him up again: but when the poor falleth, his acquaintance forsake him▪ if a rich man fall into an error, he hath many helpers he speaketh proud works, and yet men justify him. But if a poor man go wrong he is punished: ye though he speak wisely, yet can it have no place. When the rich man speaketh, every body holdeth his tongue: and look what he saith, they praise it unto the clouds. But if the poor man speak, they say: What fellow is this? And if he do amiss, they shall destroy him. richesse are good unto him that hath no sin in his conscience, and poverty is a wicked thing in the mouth of the ungodly. The heart of man changeth his countenance, whether it be in good or evil. A cheerful countenance is a token of a good heart, for else it is an hard thing to know the thought, ¶ The offence of the tongue. 〈◊〉 is but a vain thing Happy is he that continueth in wisdom. Cap. xiiii. BLessed is the man, Eccle. 16. c and xxv c, jacob. ●. a that hath not fallen with the word of his mouth And is not pricked with the conscience of sin. Happy is he that hath no heaviness in his mind, and is not fallen from his hope. It becometh not a covetous man and a niggard, to be rich, and what should a niggard do with gold. He that with all his carefulness heapeth together unrighteously, gathereth for other folks and an other man shall make good cheer with his goods He that is wicked unto himself, how should he be good unto other men. how can such one have any pleasure of his goods: There is nothing worse than when one disfavoureth himself, and this is a reward of his wickedness. if he do any good, he doth it not knowing thereof, and against his will, & at the last he declareth his ungraciousness. A niggard hath a wicked eye, he turneth away his face: Pro. 17. c. Eccle. ●. & despiseth his own soul. A covetous man's eye hath never enough in the portion of wickedness, until the time that he wither a way, & have lost his own soul. A wicked eye spareth breed, and there is scarceness upon his table. My son, do good to thyself of that thou hast. & give the lord his due offerings. Remember that death tarrieth not, & how that the covenant of the grave is showed unto therefore the covenant of this world sh●l die the death. Eccle. 4. Tobi. 4. b, Luke. 16. b Do good unto thy friend before thou die: and according to thy habilyte reach out thine hand and give unto the poor Be not disappointed of the good day, & let not the portion of the good day, overpass the. Shalt thou not leave thy travails and labours unto other men. In the dividing of the heritage, give and take, and sanctify thy soul. Work thou r●ghtuousnesse before thy death, for in the hell there is no meat to find. ¶ All flesh shall fade away like grass, Esaie. 1●. ● i. Pe. i. d. jacob. i. b and like a flourishing leaf in a green tree. Some grow some areca down ne: even so is the generation of flesh and blood: one committed to an end, an other is borne. All transitory things shall fail at the last, and the works thereof shall go withal. Every chosen work shall be justified, and he that meddleth withal, shall have honour therein. Blessed is the man that stepeth him in wisdom, and exerciseth himself in understanding, and with discretion shall he think upon the foreknowledge of God Which considereth the ways of wisdom in his heart, hath understanding in her secrets, goth after her (as one that seeketh her out) & continueth in her ways. He looketh in at her windows, and harekeneth at her doors. He taketh his rest beside her house, and fasteneth his stake in her walls. He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her hand, and in his tent shall good things rest for evermore. He shall set his children under her covering, and shall dwell under her branches. Under her covering shall he be defended from the heat and in her glory shall he rest, ¶ The goodness that followeth him which feareth god, god rejecteth & casteth of the sinner, god is not the auctor of evil. Capi. xv. HE that feareth god, will do good: and who so keepeth the law, shall obtain wisdom. As an honourable mother shall she meet him, and as a virgin shall she receive him. mat. ●. ●. joh. 4. a With the breed of life and understanding shall she feed him * and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink. if he be constant in her, he shall not be moved: and if he hold him fast in her, he shall not come to confusion. She shall bring him to honour among his neighbours, and in the mids of the congregation shall she open his mouth. With the spirit of wisdom and understanding shall she fill him and clothe him with the garment of glory. She shall heap the treasure of mirth and joy upon him and give him an everlasting name to heritage. foolish men will not take hold upon her: but such as have understanding will meet her (foolish men shall not see her) for she is far from pride and deceit. Men that go about with lies will not remember her: but men of truth shall be found in her, and shall prosper even unto the beholding of god. Praise is not seemly in the mouth of the ungodly, for he is not sent of the LORD. For of God cometh wisdom, and the praise shall stand by the wisdom of god, and shall be plenteous in a faithful mouth, and the lord shall give her unto him. say not thou, It is the lords fault that I am gone by for thou shalt not do the thing that God hateth. say not thou: he hath caused me to do wrong, for he hath no need of the ungodly. God hateth abomination of error, and they that fear God will love none such. Genes. 1. d. ¶ God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his council. He gave him his commandments and precepts: if thou wilt observe the commandments, jere. 1. b. and keep acceptable faithfulness for ever, they shall preserve the. ¶ He hath set water and fire before thee, reach on thine hand unto which thou wilt. Before man is life and death good and evil: look what him liketh, shall be given him. For the wisdom of god is great and mighty in power, and beholdeth all men continually. The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth all the works of man. He hath commanded no man to do ungodly, neither hath he given any man space to sin. ¶ Of unhappy and wicked children. No man can hid himself from god. An exhortation to the receiving of instruction. Capi. xvi. delight not thou in the multitude of ungodly children, and have no pleasure in them, if they fear not god. Trust not thou to their life, and regard not their labours: for one son that feareth God, is better, than a thousand ungodly. And better it is for a man to die without children, then to leave behind him such children as are ungodly. For by one that hath understnding, may a whole city be upholden but though the ungodly be many, yet shall it be wasted thorough them many such things hath mine eye seen, & greater things than these have I heard with mine ears. Eccle. 21. b ¶ In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire burn, and among unfaithful people shall the wrath be kindled. ¶ The old giants obtained no grace for their sins, Gone, vi. a which were destroyed, trusting to their own strength Neither spared he them among whom Loth which was a Goe nineteen. ●. stranger, but smote them and abhorred them because of the pride of their words. He had no pity upon them, but destroyed all the people, that were so stout in sin ¶ And for so much as he over awe not the six hundredth thousand, Nu. xiiii. r and xxvi t that gathered themselves together in the hardness of their heart: it were marvel if one being hard necked should be free. ¶ For mercy and wrath is with him: eccle. v. a he is both mighty to forgive & to pure out displeasure. Like as his mercy is great, even so is his punishment also, he judgeth a man according to his works. The ungodly shall not escape in his spoil, and the long patience of him that showeth mercy shall not bide behind. All mercy shall make place unto every man according to the worthiness of his works, and after the understanding of his pilgrimage. say not thou: I will hide myself from God, for who will think upon me from above. I shall not be known in so great a heap of people for what is my soul among so many creatures? Behold, the heaven, ye the heaven of heavens, the deep, the earth, and all that there in is, shall be moved at his presence: the mountains, the hills, and the foundations of the earth shall shake for fear when God visiteth them. These things doth no heart understand, but he understandeth every heart, and who understandeth his ways: No man saith his storms and the most part of his works are secret. Who will declare the works of his righteousness: or who shall be able to abide them? For the covenant is far from some and trienge out of men is in the end. He that is humble of heart, thinketh upon such things: but an unwise & erroneous man casteth his mind unto foolish things. My son, hearken thou unto me, and learn understanding, and mark my words with thine heart. I will give the a sure doctrine, and plainly shall I instruct thee (mark my words then in thine heart for in righteousness of the spirit do I speak of the wonders that God hath showed among his works from the beginning. And in the truth do I show the knowledge of him.) God hath set his works in good order from the beginning, and part of them hath he sundered from the other. He hath garnished his works from everlasting, and their beginnings, according to their generations. None of them hindered an other, neither was any of them disobedient unto his words. After this, God looked upon the earth, & filled it with his goods. With all manner of living beasts hath he covered the ground, and they all shall be turned unto earth again. ¶ The creation of man, and the goodness that god hath done unto him. Of alms and repentance. Capi. xvii. GOd shape man of the earth, and made him after his own image and turned him unto earth again, Gone, i. d and clothed him with his own strength He gave him the number of days and certain time, ye and gave him power of the things that are upon earth. He made all flesh to stand in awe of him, so that he had the dominion of all beasts and fowls. ¶ He made out of him an helper like unto himself, and gave them discretion and tongue, Gene. two. d. eyes and ears, and a heart to understand, and filled them with instruction and understanding. He created for them also the knowledge of his spirit, filled their hearts with understanding, & showed them good and evil. He set his eye upon their hearts, declaring unto them his great & noble works: that they should praise his holy name together, rejoice of his wonders, Exo ●●. a. Deu. 4. v. and ix and be telling of his noble acts. Beside this, he gave them instruction, and the law of life for an heritage He made an everlasting covenant with them, and showed them his righteousness and judgements. They saw his glory with their eyes, and their ears hard the majesty of his voice. And he said unto them: beware of all unrighteous things he gave every man also a commandment concerning his neighbour. Their ways are ever before him, and are not hid from his eyes. Ro. xiii. a. Deu. iii. c, and ten c. He hath set a ruler upon every people, * but Israel is the lords portion. Al their works are as the sun, in the sight of God, and his eyes are alway looking upon their ways. All their unrighteousness are manifest unto him, Eccl. xxixb. and all their wickednesses are open in his sight. ¶ The mercy that a man showeth is as it were apurse with him, mat. 33. c. and the grace that is given to man preserveth him as the apple of an eye. At the last shall he awake, and reward every man upon his head, and shall turn them together into the nethermost parts of the earth. Acre. iii, c. ¶ But unto them that will repent, he hath given the way of righteousness. As for such as be weak, he comforted them, suffered them, and sendeth them the portion of the verity. O turn then unto the Lord, forsake thy sins, make thy prayer before the Lord do the less offence, thine again unto the Lord, forsake thine unrighteousness, be an utter enemy to abomination, learn to knew righteousness and judgements of God, stand in the portion that is set forth for the and in the prayer of the most high God. Go in the portion of the hole world, Psal. vi●● Es. 38. d with such as be living and give thanks unto god. Who will praise the Lord in the hell? Abide not then in the error of the ungodli, but give him thanks before death. As for the deed, thankfulness perished from him as nothing: give thou thanks in thy life, ye while thou art living and whole shalt thou give thanks, and praise God, and rejoice in his mercy. O how great is the loving kindness of the Lord, and his merciful goodness unto such as turn unto him. Fo● all things may not be in man: and why the son of man is not immortal, and he hath pleasure in the vanity of wickedness. What is more clear than the Sun? yet shall it fail Or what is more wicked than the thing that flesh and blood hath imagine and that same shall be reproved? The Lord seeth the power of the high heaven: and all are but earth and ashes. ¶ The marvelous works of God, the misery and wretchedness of man. Against God ought we not to complain. Pray must we continually. Capi. xviii. HE that liveth for evermore, made all things together. Gene. i. a. Psal, c.u. a Eccle. 45. d God only is righteous and remaineth a victorious king for ever. ¶ Who shall be able to express the works of him? Who will seek out the ground of his noble acts. Who shall declare the power of his greatness? Or who will take upon him to tell out his mercy? As for the wondrous works of the Lord, there may nothing be taken from them, nothing may be put unto them, neither may the ground of them be found out. But when a man hath done his best, he must begin again, and when he thinketh to be come to an end, he must go again to his labour. What is man Whereto is he worth: Psal. cx. a. What good or evil can he do. ¶ if the number of a man's days be almost an hundredth year, two. Pe. 3. b it is moche. Like as the drops of rain are unto the see, and as a gravel stone is in comparison of the sand: so are these few years to the days of everlasting. Therefore is the lord patient with them and poureth out his mercy upon them. He saw and perceived the thoughts and imaginations of their heart, that they were evil: therefore heaped he up his merciful goodness upon them, and showed them the way of righteousness. The mercy that a man hath, reacheth to his neighbour: but the mercy of god is upon all flesh. He chasteneth, he teacheth and nourtoureth: ye even as a shepherd turneth again his flock: so doth he all them that receive chastening, nurture and doctrine. Esa. xlvi. a ¶ Mercyfullis he unto them that stand in awe of his judgements. My son when thou dost good, make no grudging at it, and what soever thou givest, speak no uncomfortable works. Pro. 1● a. ● 25. c. Eccle. xli. b. Shall not the dew cool the heat: even so is a word better than a gift ¶ Is not a friendly word a good honest gift? but a gracious man giveth them both. ¶ A fool shall cast a man in the teeth and that roughly, & a gift of the niggard putteth out the eyes. Get the out righteousness before thou come to judgement. Learn before thou speak, and go to physic or ever thou be sick i Corin. xi. examine judge thyself before the judgement came, & so shalt thou find grace in the sight of God. Humble thyself afore thou be sick, and in time of thy disease show thy conversation. Let not to pray alway, & stand not in fear to be reformed unto death, Luke. 18. a Tes. ux. e. for the reward of god endureth for ever. Before thou prayest, prepare thy soul, & be not as one that tempted god. Think upon the wrathful indignation that shallbe at the end, and the hour of vengeance, Ecle. xi. d, when he shall turn away his face. when thou hast enough: remember the time of hunger: and when thou art rich, think upon the time of poverty and scarceness. From the morning until the evenige the time is changed and all such things are soon done in the sight of god. A wise man feareth god in all things, and in the days of transgression he keepeth himself from sin. A discrete man hath pleasure in wisdom, & the that findeth her, maketh much of her. They that have had understanding, have dealt wisely in words, have understand the truth and righteousness, Ro. vi. b. and xiii c. and have sought out wise sentences and judgements. Follow not thy lusts, but turn the from thine own will. For if thou givest thy soul her own desires, it shall make thine enemies to laugh the to scorn. Take not thy pleasure in great voluptuousness, & meddle not to much withal. Make not to great cheer of the thing that thou hast won by advantage, least thou fall into poverty, & have nothing in thy purse. ¶ wine and whoredom bring men to poverty. In thy words must thou use discretion. The differaunce of the wisdom of God and man, whereby thou mayst know what is in a man. Correction must be vesd without anger Capi, nineteen. A Labouring man that is given unto drunkenness, shall not be rich: and he that maketh not much of small things: shall fall by little & little ⊣ Wine and women gene. 19 ● i. i. Re. xi. a make wise men runagates: & put men of understanding to reproof: & he that accompanieth adulterers, shall become a wicked man. Moths & worms shall have him to heritage, ye he shallbe set up to a greater example, and his soul shallbe rooted out of the number. iosu. 22. c. He that is hasty to give credence, is light minded, and doth again himself. Who so rejoiceth in wickedness shall be punished: he that hateth to be reformed, his life shallbe shortened & he that abhorreth babbling of words, quencheth wickedness. He that offendeth against his own soul, shall repent it: and he that rejoiceth in wickedness, shallbe punished Rehearse not a wicked and churlish word twice, and thou shalt not be hindered. Show thy secrets neither to friend nor foe, & if thou hast offended, tell it not out. For he shall hearken unto the & mark thee: and when he findeth opportunity, he shall hate thee (and so shall he be always about thee) & if thou hast heard a word against thy neighbour, Ecle. 21. d and .17. c. let it be deed with in thee: & be sure, thou shalt have no harm thereby. A sole travaileth with a word, like as a woman that is pained with bearing of a child. Levi. nineteen. d mat. 17. b. Like as an a-row shot in a dogs thigh, so is a word in a fool's heart. Tell thy friend his fault lest he be ignorant, & say. I have not done it, or if he have spoken, th●t he do it no more Reprove thy neighbour, that he keep his tongue, & if he have spoken, that he say it no more. Tell thy neighbour his fault for oft-times an offence in made, & give not credence to every word. A man falleth sometime with his tongue, but not with his will. For Eccle. 14. a and x●v. a jame. ●. b what is he, that hath not offended ● his tongue. give thy neighbour warning, before thou threaten him, & give place unto the law of the lord. The fear of god is all wisdom, & he that is a right wise man, keepeth the law. As for the doctrine of wickedness, it is no wisdom, & the prudence of sinners is no good understanding: it is but wickedness & abomination & a blaspheming of wisdom A simple man of small understanding that feareth God, is better than one that hath much wisdom, & transgresseth the law of the highest. A crafty subtle man can be wise, but he is unrighteous, and with gifts he wresteth the open & manifest law, A wicked man can behave himself humbly, and can duck with his head, and yet is he but a disceyver within. He hideth his face. ‡ mat. vi. and disguiseth it: & because he should not be known: he preventeth thee. And though he be so weak that he can do the no harm, yet when he may find opportunity, he shall do some evil. A man may be known by his face and one that hath understanding, may be perceived by the look of his countenance. A man's garment, laughter, Eccle. 31. ● and going, declare what he is. ¶ Of correction and repentance, of the gift of the wise man and of the sole, of lying. Cap. xx. SOme man Eccle. 31. d reproveth his neighbour oft times, but not in due season. Again, some man holdeth his tongue, & he is wise & discreet. It is much better to give warning & to reprove than to bear evil will: for he that knowledgeth himself openly, shall be preserved from hurt and destruction. Like as when a gelded man thorough desire & lust defileth a maiden, even so is it with him that useth violence: and unrighteous in the law, O how good a thing is it, a man that is reproved, to show openly his repentance, for so shalt thou escape wilful sin. Some man keepeth silence, & is found wise: but he that is not a shamed what he saith, is hateful. Some man holdeth his tongue, Eccle, three a. Eccle. 32. c because he hath not the understanding of the laguage: & some man keepeth silence, waiting a convenient time▪ A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity, but a wanton & undiscreet body shall regard no time. He that useth many words, shall hurt his own soul & he that taketh authority upon him unrighteously: shallbe hated, some man hath oft times prosperity in wicked things Again: some man getteth much, & hath harm & loss. There is some gift that is nothing worth. Again there is some gift, who see reward is double? Some man getteth a fall for being to proud, and some cometh to worship from low estate. Some man buyeth much for a little price, and must pay for it seven fold, Eccl. 18. ●. A wise man with his works maketh himself to be loved, but the favours of fools shall be poured out. The gift of the unwise shall do the no good: for his eyes are seven fold, ★ Hen shall give little, & say he gave much: he openeth his mouth & crieth out, as it were one that crieth out wind. To day he dareth, to morrow asketh he again, and such a man is to be hated, The fool saith: I have no friend I have no thank for all my good deeds ye even they that eat my bread, speak no good of me. O how oft, & of how many shall he be laughed to scorn. He taketh a more perilous fall by such words than if he fell upon the ground: even so shall the falls of wicked men come hastily. In the mouth of him that is untaught, are many unconvenient and unmere words A wise sentence shall not be allowed at the mouth of the fool, for he speaketh it not in due season. Some man sinneth not, be cause he hath not wherewithal, & in his rest he shallbe stinged. Some man there is that destroyeth his own soul with shame & for an unwise bodies sake destroyeth he it, and w●th accepting of people shall he undo himself. Some man promiseth his friend a gift for very shame, and getteth an enemy of him for nought, A is a wicked shame in a man, yet shall it be ever in the mouth of the unwise. A thief is better, than a man that is accustomed to lie, but they both shall have destruction to heritage. The conditions of liars are unhonest, and their shame is ever with them A wise man shall bring himself to honour with his words: & he that hath understanding, shallbe set by among great men. gene 41. ●. Dani. 11. g. Pro. x 1. b. and .2.8. v. He that tilleth his land, shall increase his heap of corn: he that worketh righteousness, shallbe exalted, & he that pleaseth great men, shall escape much evil ⊣ Eccle. ●3 a Deu. 17. b Eccle. ●●● Rewards and gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and make him dom, that ●e cannot tell men their faults ⊣ Wisdom that is hid, & treasure that is hoarded up what profit is in them both? Better is he that keepeth his ignorance secret, them a man that hideth his wisdom. ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance of si●. we may not heap sin upon sin. Th' boldness of an heretic. The end of sinners. Of the sole and of the wise man Of him that curseth the devil. Capi. xxi. Ec. 5. ●. 7 d and. ●●●. ●. p●al. Psal. ●●. a Luc. 1● c. MI son, if thou haste sinned, do it no more: but pray for thy foresynnes, that they may be forgiven the. flee from sin, even as from a Serpent: for if thou comest to nigh her, she will bite the The teeth thereof are as the teeth of a lion, to slay the souls of men The wickedness of man is a sharp two edged sword, which maketh such words that they can not be healed. Sirne & wrong dealing shall waste away a man goods, & through pride a rich house sh●lbe brought to nought: so the riches of the proud shallbe rooted out? Exo. iii. b. ● xxii. c The prayer of the poor goeth out of the mouth, & cometh unto the ears, and his vengeasice (for defence) shall come, and that hastily who so hateth to be reformed, his a token of an ungodly petition, but he that feareth god, will comen cr himself. A mighty man is known a far of by his tongue but he that hath understanding, perceiveth that he shall have a fall. Who so buildeth his house with other men's cost▪ is like one that gathereth stones in winter. ⊢ Eccle. 16 a. The congregation of the ungodly is like stubble gathered together, th●ir end is a flame of fire. The way of the ungodly is set with stones, but in their end is hell, darkness and pains: He that keepeth the law, will hold fast the understanding thereof, and the end of the fear of god is wisdom & understanding. He that is not wise: will not be taught in good but the unwise man aboundeth in wickedness: and where bitterness is, there is no understanding. The knowledge of the wise shall flow like water that runneth over & his council is like a fountain of life The heart of a fool is like a broken vessel he can keep no wisdom. When a man of understanding heareth a wise word, he shall commend it, and make much of it. But if a volypteous man hear it: he shall have no pleasure therein, but cast it behind his back. The talking of a fool is like an heavy burden by the way, but to hear a wise man speak, it is a pleasure. Where a doubt is in the congregation, it is asked at the mouth of the wise, & they shall ponder his wordesin their hearts. Like asis a house that is destroyed, even so is wisdom unto a fool. As for the knowledge of the unwise, it is but dark words. Doctrine is unto him that hath no understanding, even as fetters about his feet & like manacles upon his right hand. ★ Eccle, 19 b, A fool lifteth up his voice with laughter, but a wise man shall scarce laugh secretly Learning is unto a wise man a jewel of gold, & like an armeler upon his right arm. A foolish man's foot is soon in his neighbour's house: but one that hath experience, shallbe ashamed at the person of the mighty. A fool will peep in at the window into the house, but he that is welnurtered, will stand without. A foolish man standeth hearkening at the door, but he that is wise, will be ashamed, The lips of the unwise will be telling foolish things but the words of such as have understanding, shallbe weighed in the balance. The heart of fools is in their mouth, by the mouth of the wise is in their heart. When the ungodly curseth the blasphemer, he curseth his own soul, ⋆ A privy accuser of other men shall detyle his own soul, and be hated of every man (but he that keepeth his tongue: and is discrete, shall come to honour.) ¶ The purgation of the sloughtfull. Of the foolish son and daughter, we must have discretion how and to whom we ought to preach of sorrowing upon the deed. A fool is not to be much talked withal. Injuries & wrongs do break friendship and amity, Cap. xxii. A Sloughtfull body is moulded of a stone of clay, & every man will speak to his dispraise. A slothful body is made of the dung of orens & every one that toucheth him: must wash his hands agyn. A mysnurtored son is the dishonour of the father, A foolish daughter shall be little regarded. A wise daughter is an heritage unto her husband but she that cometh to dishonesty, bringeth her father in heaviness. A daughter that is past shame, dishonoureth both her father & her husband: the ungodly shall regard her, but they both shall despise her. The playing of music is not meet where heaviness is, even so is the correction and doctrine of wisdom: ever unpleasant unto fools. Who so teacheth a fool, is even as one that glueth a potsherd together, as one that telleth a tale to him that heareth him not, & as one that raiseth a man out of an heavy sleep. Who so telleth a fool of wisdom, is even as a man, which speaketh to one that is a sleep. When he hath told his tale, he saith, what is the matter? When one dieth lamentation is made for him, because the light calleth him: even so let men mourn over a fool for he wanteth understanding. Make but little weeping because of the dead, for he is come to rest, but the life of the fool is worse than the death. Seven days do men mourn for him that is deed, but the lamentation over the unwise and ungodly should endure all the days of their life talk no● much with a fool, and go not with him that hath no understanding Beware of him, least it turn the to travail, and thou shalt not be defiled with his sin. Depart from him, and thou shall find rest, and shalt not be drawn back into his foolishness. What is heavier than lead, And what should a fool be called else but lead. prove. 37. Sande, salt, and a lump of iron is easier to bear then an unwise, foolish, and ungodly man. Like as the band of wood bound together in the foundation of the house can not be loused: even so is it with the heart that is stablished in the thought of council. The thought of the wise shall neither fear nor be offended at any time. Like as a fair plastered wall in a winter house, & an high building, may not abide the wind and storm, even so is a fool's heart afraid in his imagination, he feareth at every thing, & cannot endure. (A wavering heart in the imagination of a fool will not ever stand in awe, but he that abideth in the commandments of god, will always fear) He that ●yppeth a man's eye, bringeth forth tears: & he that pricketh the heart, bringeth forth the meaning & thought Who so casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away, & he that blasphemeth his friend breaketh the friendship: though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despair not, for thou mayst come again to thy friend. if he speak sourly, fear not, for ye may be agreed together again except it be that thou blaspheme him: disdain him, open his secrets & wound him traitorously: for all such things shall drive away a friend, Be faithful unto thy neighbour in his poverty, that thou mayst rejoice with him also in his prosperity: Abide steadfast unto him in the time of his trouble, that thou mayst be heir with him in his heritage. Like as the vapour and smoke goeth out at the oven before the fire, even so evil words, rebukes and threatenings go before blodsheding Be not ashamed to defend thy friend: as for me, I will not hide my face from him though he should do me no harm. Who so ever heareth it, shall beware of him Who shall set a watch before my mouth and a sure seal upon my lips, Psal. c.xli a that I fall not, with them: and that my tongue destroy me not. ¶ A prayer against pride, lechery, and gluttony Of oaths, blasphemy, and of wise communication. of the three kindness of sins, Many sins proceed of aduoutry●. Of the fear of god. Cap. xxiii. O Lord, father and governor of my life, leave me not in their imagination and council. Oh let me not fall in such reproof. Who will keep my thought with the scourge, & the doctrine of wisdom in mine heart: that he spare not mine ignorance, that I fall not with them, least mine ignorances increase that mine offences be not many in number and that my sins exceed not, lest I fall before mine enemies, & so my adversary rejoice. O Lord thou father & god of my life, leave me not in their imagination. O let me not have a proud look, but turn away all voluptuousness fro me. Take fro me the lusts of the body, let not the desires of uncleanness take hold upon me, & give me not over into an unshame fast & obstinate mind. Hear me (O ye children) I will give you a doctrine, how ye shall order your mouth: who so keepeth it shall not perish through his lips, nor be hurt thorough wicked works As ●●r the sinner, he shallbe taken in his own vanity, he that is proud & cursed shall fall therein. Let not thy mouth be accustomed with swearing, for in it there are many falls. Exo. xx. d. Ecc. 27. ● Mat. v. d Let not the naming of god be continually in thy mouth: (and meddle not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not be excused of them) for like as a servant which is oft punished cannot be with out some sore, even so what so ever he be that sweareth & nameth god, shall not be clen purged from sin, A man that useth much swearing, shallbe filled with wickedness, & the plague shall never go from his house If he beguile his brother, his fault shallbe upon him: if he knowledge not his sin, he maketh a double offence, and if he swear in vain, he shall not be found righteous for his house shall be full of plagues: The words of the swearer bringeth death god grant that it be not found in the house of jacob, jeu. 24. c But they that fear God eschew all such, as lie not weltringe in sin Use not thy mouth to unhonest and fill thy talking, for in it is the word of sin Remember thy father & thy mother, Ephe. v. a when thou art set among great men: least god forget the in their sight, & lest thou doting in thy custom, suffer rebuke, & wish not to have been borne, and so curse the day of thy nativity. ⊢ The man that is accustomed with the words of blasphemi will never be reformed all the days of his life. To sin twice is to much but the third bringeth wrath & destruction: An hot stomach cannot be quenched (even like a burning fire) till it have swallowed up some th●ng●, even so an unchaste man hath no rest in his flesh till he have kindled a fire. All breed is sweet to an whoremonger he will not leave of, till he have his purpose. A man that breaketh wedlock, and regardeth not his soul, Esai. 29. but saith. Tu●h who saith me? I am compassed about with darkness. the wales cover me no body seeth me whom need I to fear. The highest will not remember my sins. He understandeth not that his eyes see all things for all such fear of men driveth away the fear of GOD from him: for he feareth only the eyes of men, & considereth not that the eyes of the Lord are much clearer than the son, beholding all the ways of men and the ground of the deep & looking even to men's hearts in secret places. The lord god knew all things or ever they were made, & after they be brought to pass also he looketh upon them al. The same man shallbe openly punished in the streets of the city, & shallbe ch●se abroad like a young horse fool: & when he thinketh least upon it, he shall be taken Thus shall he be put to shame of every man, because he would not understand the fear of the Lord. And thus shall it go also with every wife. that leaveth her husband, & getteth inheritance by a strange marriage. first she hath been unfaithful unto the law of the highest▪ secondly, she hath forsaken her own husband. Thirdly, she hath played the whore in adultery: & gotten her children by an other man. She shallbe borough out of the congregation, and her children shallbe looked upon, Her children shall not take rote: & as for fruit, her branches shall bring forth none, A shameful report shall she leave behind her, & her dishonour shall not be put out, And they that remain, shall know, that there is nothing better, than the fear of God. & that there is nothing sweeter than to take heed unto the commandments of the lord. A great worship is it to follow the lord. for long life shallbe received of him. ¶ A praise of wisdom proceeding forth of the mouth of god. of her works and place where she resteth Cap. xxiiii: wisdom shall praise herself, and be honoured in god, & rejoice in the mids of his people: In the congregations of the highest, shall she open her mouth, and triumph in the beholding of his power. In the mids of her people shall she be exalted, & wondered at in the holy fullness. In the multitude of the chosen she shallbe commended & among such as be blessed she shallbe praised, and shall say: I am come out of the mouth of the highest. first born before all creatures, I caused the light that faileth not to arise in the heaven, & covered all the earth as a cloud. My dwelling is above in the height, & my seat is in the pillar of the cloud. I myself alone have gone round about the compass of heaven & pierced the ground of the deep. I have walked in the floods of these, and have stand in all lands: my dominion is in every people and in every nation, and with my power have I trodden down the hearts of all, both high and low. In all these things also I sought rest & a dwelling in some inheritance. So the creator of all things gave me a commandment: and he that made me, appointed me a tabernacle, & said unto me: Let thy dwelling be in jacob, and thine inheritance in Israel, and rote thyself among my chosen. Prou. 8. c I was created from the beginning and before the world, & shall not leave of unto the world to come. Exod. 31. a In the holy habitation have I served before him and so was I stablished in Zion. Psal. 13● a In the holy City rested I in like manner: and in jerusalem was my power, I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the lord and in his heritage, and kept me in the fullness of the saints. I am set up an high like a Cedar upon Libanus & as a Cypers tree upon the mount Hermon. I am exalted like a palm tree in Cades and as a rose plant in jericho. As a fair olive tree in the field: and am exalted like as a planteyne tree by the water side. I have given a smell in the streets, as the Cinnamon and Balm, that hath so good a savour: ye a sweet odour have I given as it were myrrh of the best. I have made my dwellings to smell as it were of Rosin Balbanum, of Cloves, and Incense, and as Lybanus when it is not hewn down and mine odour is as the pure Balm. As the Terebynt have I stretched out my branches, & my branches at the branches of honour and loving favour. ●●hū. 15. a As the vine have I brought forth fruit of a sweet savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches. I am the mother of beauty, of love, of fear: of knowledge & of holy hope. ●ob. 14. a In me is all grace of life & truth. In me is all hope of life & virtue. O come unto me all ye that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits: for my spirit is sweeter than honey and so is my inheritance more than the honey comb: the remembrance of me endureth for evermore. They that eat me shall have the more hunger: and they that drink me, shall thirst the more. Who so harkeneth unto me, shall not come to confusion: and they that work in me, shall not offend. They that make me to be known, shall have everlasting life. All these things are the book of life, the covenant of the highest, and the knowledge of the truth. Exo. 20. a 〈◊〉. 24. a Moses commanded the law in the precepts of righteousness for an heritage unto the house of jacob, ●salmus. 1●. b. & committed the promises unto Israel. (Out of David his servant he ordained to raise up a most mighty King, sitting in the seat of honour for evermore.) Acts. 7 b. Deut. 4. a and .29. b This filleth with wisdom: like as the flood of Physon, & as the flood of Tigris, when the new fruits are a growing. joshua. 3. c This bringeth a plenteous understanding like Euphrates, and filleth it up, as jordane in the time of harvest. This maketh nurtur to break forth as the light, and as the water Gihen in the harvest. The first hath not known her perfectly, no more shall the last seek out the ground of her. For her thought is fuller than the see: & her council is profunder than the great deep. I wisdom have cast out floods. I am as a great waterbroke out of the river. I am as the river Doryx, and as a water conduit am I come out of the garden of pleasure, I said: I will water the garden of my young plants, and fill the fruit of my birth. So my waterbroke became exceeding great: & my river approached unto the see. For I make doctrine to be unto all men as light as the fair morning, and I shall make it to be ever the clearer. I will pierce thorough all the lower parts of the earth, I will look upon all such as be a sleep, and lighten all them that put their trust in the Lord. I shall yet pour out doctrine, like as prophecy, and leave it unto such as seek after wisdom, and their generations shall I never fail unto the holy everlasting world. Eccl. 33. b Behold, how that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek after the truth. ¶ Of three things which pleaseth God: and of three which he hateth. Of nine things that be not to be suspect, & of the tenth chiefly of the malice of a woman. Capi. xxv. Three things there are, that my spy rite favoureth which be also allowed before God, and men. Gen. 13. b Rom 11. a The unity of brethren, ‡ Ex. 40 a the love of neighbours, and man and wife that agree well together Three things there be which my soul hateth, & I utterly abhor the life of them A poor man that is proud, A rich man that is a liar, Gene. 18 b and an old body that doteth, and is unchaste. If thou hast gathered nothing in thy youth, what wilt thou find then in thine age. O how pleasant a thing is it: when grey heeded men are discrete: when the elders can give good counsel▪ O how comely a thing is wisdom unto aged men: ye understanding and council is a glorious thing. The crown of old men is to have much experience: and the fear of god is their worship. There be nine things, which I have judged in my heart to be happy, and the tenth will I tell forthunto men with my tongue. A man that while he liveth, hath joy of his children, and saith the fall of his enemies. Well is him that dwelleth with a housewife of understanding Eccl. 19 c and 24. a. jame. 3. c & that hath not fallen with his tongue, & that hath not been fain to serve such as are unmeet for him. Well is him, that findeth a faithful friend: and well is him, which talketh of wisdom to an ear that heareth him. O how great is he, that findeth wisdom and knowledge? Yet is he, not above him, that feareth the lord. The fear of god hath set itself above all things Blessed is the man, unto whom it is granted to have the fear of god. Unto whom shall he be likened: that keepeth it fast? The fear of god is the beginning of his love & the beginning of faith is to cleave fast unto it. The heaviness of the heart is all the punishment, and the wickedness of a woman goeth above al. All punishment and plague is nothing in comparison of the plague of the heart, even so all wickedness is nothing to the wickedness of a woman. What soever happeneth unto a man is nothing in comparison of it, that his evil willers do unto him: and all vengeance is nothing to the vengeance of the enemy. There is not a more wicked heed then the head of the serpent, & thereiss no wrath above the wrath of a woman. I will rather dwell with a Lion & dragon then to keep house with a wicked wife. E●o. ●1. a The wickedness of a woman: changeth her face, she shall moffel her countenance as it were a Bear, and as a sack shall she show it a 'mong thy neighbours, her husband is brought to shame among his neighbours, & when he heareth it: it maketh him to sigh. All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman, the portions of the ungodly shall fall upon her. Like as to climb up a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, even so is a wife full of words to a still quiet man Eccl. 42. b 2. Re. 11. a. ●nd .13. a Look not to narrowly upon the beauty of a woman, least thou be provoked in desire toward her. The wrath of a woman is dishonour and great confusion. If a woman get the mastery, then is she contrary to her husband. A wicked wife maketh a sorry heart an heavy countenance and a dead wound. Gene. 3. a ● Ti. 2. b (Weak hands and feeble knees is a woman that her husband is not the better for.) Of the woman came the beginning of sin, & thorough her we all are deed. give thy water no passage no not a little neither give a wicked woman her will. Ye she walk not after thy hand, she shall confound that in the sight of thy enemies. Cut her of them from thy flesh, that she do not all way abuse the ¶ The praise of a good woman. Of the fear. of three things and of the fourth Of the jelouze and drunken woman. Of two things that cause sorrow, and of the third which moveth wrath. Capi. xxvi. Happy is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his years shall be double. An honest woman maketh her husband a joyful man, and she shall fill the years of his life in peace. A virtuous woman is a noble gift, which shallbe given for a good portion unto such as fear God: Whether a man be rich or poor, he may have ever a merry heart, and a cheerful countenance. There be three things that my heart feareth, and my face is afraid of the fourth. Treason in a city, a seditious people, & noisome tongues, all these are heavier than the death. But when one is jealous over his wife, it bringeth pain & sorrow unto the heart: and a woman that telleth out all things, is a scourge of the tongue. When one hath an evil wife, it is even as when an unlike pair of Oxen must draw together, judi. ●6. a He that getteth her getteth a scorpion, A drunken woman is a great plague, for she can not cover her own shame. The whoredom of a woman may be known in the pride of her eyes and eye lids Eccl. 42. b If thy daughter be not shame fast, hold her straightly, least she abuse herself thorough over much liberty Beware of all the dishonesty of her eyes and marvel not if she do against the. Like as one that goeth by the way and is thirty, so shall she open her mouth & drink of every next water that she may get. By every hedge shall she set her down and open her quiver against every a-row. A loving wife rejoiceth her husband, & feedeth does bones with her wisdom. A woman of few words is a gift of god, and to all well nurtured minds may nothing be compared. An honest and mannerly woman is a gift above other gifts, & there is no weight to be compared, unto a mind that can rule his self. Like as the sun when it ariseth, is an ornament in the high heaven of the lord, so is a virtuous wife the beauty of all her house. Like as the clear light is upon the holy candlestick, so is the beauty of the face upon an honest body. Cant. 5. d Like as the golden pillars are upon the sockets of silver, so are the fair legs upon a woman that hath a constant mind. Perpetual are the foundations, that be laid upon a whole stony rock, so are the commandments of god upon the heart of an holy woman. There be two things that grieve my heart, & in the third is a displeasure come upon me. When an expert man of war suffereth scarceness and poverty When men of understanding & wisdom are not set by: And when one departeth from righteousness unto sin. Who so doth such the Lord hath prepared him unto the swearde. There be two manner of things which me think to be hard & perilous: a merchant cannot lightly keep him from wrong neither a taverner himself from sin. ¶ Of the poor that would be rich. The probation of the man that feareth God. The unconstantnes of a fool. The secrets of a friend are not to be uttered. The wicked imagineth evil, which returneth upon himself. Capi. xxvii. BEcause of poverty have many one offended, & he that seeketh to be rich, turneth his eyes aside. Like as a nail in the wall sticketh taste betwixt two stones, even so doth sin stick betwixt the bier & the seller. If he hold him not diligently in the fear of the lord: his house shall soon be over thrown. Like as when one sifteth, the filthiness remaineth in the sive: So remaineth there some unclean thing in the thought of man. The oven proveth the potters vessel, Sapi. 3, a 1. Pet. 1. a so doth temptation of trouble try righteous men Mat. 7. b The tree of the field is known by his fruit so is the thought of man's heart known by his words. Praise no man except thou have heard him, for a man is known by his words. If thou followest righteousness, thou shalt get her & put her upon the as a fair garment. And thou shalt dwell with her, & she shall defend the for ever, & in the day of knowledge thou shalt find steadfastness. The birds resort unto their like, so doth the truth turn unto them that be occupied withal. The Lion waiteth the pray: so do the sins lurk upon the works of wickedness. The talking of him that feareth god, is nothing but wisdom: as for a fool, he changeth as the Moon. If thou be among the undiscrete, keep thy word to a convenient time, but among such as be wise, speak on hardly. The talking of fools is abomination, and their sport is voluptuousness and misnurtoure. Eccl. 22. b Much swearing maketh the hear to stand up: and to strive with such, stoppeth the ears. The strife of the proud is bloodsheding, and their blaspheming is heavy to hear. Eccl. 19 b and .22. d. Who so discoverethe secrets, leaseth his credence, & findeth no friend after his will. love thy friend, and bind thy self in faithfulness with him: but if thou bewrayest his secrets: thou shalt not get him again. For like as the man is that destroyeth his enemy, so is he also that dealeth falsely in the friendship of his neighbour, Like as one that letteth a bird go out of his hand, cannot take her again. Even so thou: if thou give over thy friend thou canst not get him again: Ye thou canst not come by him: for he is to far of. He is unto the as a roe escaped out of the snare for his soul is wounded. As for wounds, they may be bound up again: & an evil word may be reconciled: but who so bewrayeth the secrets of a friend, there is no more hope to be had unto him. He that winketh with the eyes, Pro. 10. b imagineth some evil: and no man shall take him from it. When thou art present, he shall highly commend and praise thy words: but at the last he shall turn his tail, and slander thy saying. Many things have I hated but nothing so evil, for the lord himself also abhorreth such a one. Exod 21. b who so casteth a stone on high, it shall fall upon his own head, and he that smiteth with guile woundeth himself. Who so diggeth a pit: shall fall therein: (& he that layeth a stone in his neighbours way, shall stumble thereon) & he that layeth a snare for an other shallbe taken in it himself. H●ste. 7. b Psal. 7. b Pro. 26. c Eccl. 10. a Who so giveth a wicked noisome counsel, it shall come upon himself, & he shall not know from whence The proud blaspheme, and are scornful but vengeance lurketh for them as a lion They that rejoice at the fall of the righteous, shallbe taken in the snare, anguish of heart shall comsume them before they die. Anger & rigorousness are two abominable things, & the ungodly hath them both upon him. We ought not to desire vengeance but to forgive the offence Of the vices of the tongue, & of the dangers thereof. Capi. xxviii. HE Deut. 32 c Rom. 12. c that seeketh vengeance, shall find vengeance of the Lord, which shall surely keep him his sins. Math. 5. b 6. b. 18. b forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done thee, and so shall the sins be forgiven the also: when thou prayest A man that beareth hatred against an other, how dare he desire forgiveness of God He that showeth no mercy to a man which is like himself, how dare he ask forgiveness of his sins? If he that is but flesh beareth hatred and keepeth it, who will in treat for his sins? remember the end and let enmity pass: which seeketh death & destruction: and abide thou in the commandments. Remember the commandment so shalt thou not be rygoruse over thy neighbour. Think upon the covenant of the highest, and forgive thy neighbour's ignorance. Eccle. 8. a Beware of strife, & thou shalt make thy sins fewer. For an angry man kindleth variance, & the ungodly disquieteth friends, & putteth discord among them that be at peace. Pro. 26. c The more wood there is, the more vehement is the fire: & the mightier that men be, the greater is the wrath: and the longer the strife endureth, the more it burneth. An hasty brawling kindleth a fire, and an hasty strife sheddeth blood: A tongue also that beareth false witness, bringeth death. If thou blow the spark: it shall burn. If thou spit upon it: it shall go forth & both these out of the mouth. Eccle. 21. c The slanderer & double tonged is cursed, for many one that be friends setteth he at variance. The third tongue hath disquieted many one, & driven them from one land to an other. Strong cities of the rich hath it broken down, and overthrown the houses of great men (the strength of the people hath it brought down and been the decay of mighty nations) The third tongue hath cast out many an honest woman, and rob them of their labours. Who so hearkeneth unto such, shall never find rest, & never dwell safely. The stroke of the rod maketh yedders, but the stroke of the tongue smytteth the bones in sunder. There be many that have perished with the sword, but many more thorough the tongue. Well is him that is kept from an evil tongue: & cometh not in the anger thereof: which draweth not the yoke of such, as be not bound in the bands of it. For the yoke thereof is of iron, & the hand of it of steel. The death thereof is a very evil death, hell were better for one than such a tongue. But the fire of it may not oppress them that fear god, & the flame thereof may not burn them. Such as forsake the Lord, shall fall therein: & it shall burn them, and no man shallbe able to quench it. It shall fall upon them as a Lion, and devour them as a leopard Thou hedgest thy goods with thorns why dost thou not rather make doers & bars for thy mouth? Thou weyest thy gold & silver: why dost thou not weigh thy words also upon the balance? Beware, that thou slide not in thy tongue & so fall before thine enemies, that lay wait for thee, (& thy fall be incurable, even unto death.) ¶ How we ought to lend our money, and do alms Of a faithful man answering for his friend. Of liberality and hospitality. Capi. xxix. WHo so will show mercy, Deut. 15. a Luce. 6. d. let him lend unto his neighbour: & he that is able, let him keep the commandment. Lend unto thy neighbour in time of his need, & pay thou thy neighbour again in due season. Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him, and thou shalt alway find the thing that is necessary for thee. There have been many, that when a thing was lent them, reckoned it to be found, & made them travail & labour, that had helped them. While they receive any thing they kiss the hands of such as give them & for their neighbours good they humble their voice. But when they should pay again, they keep it back, & give evil words, and make many excuses by reason of the time: & though he be able, yet giveth he scarce the half again, & reckoneth the other to be found. And if he with hold not his money, yet hath he an enemy of him, and that undeserved. He payeth him with cursing & rebuke, & giveth him evil words for his good deed. There be many one which are not glad for to lend, not because of evil, but they fear to lose the thing that they lend. Yet have thou patience with the simple, and withhold not mercy from him. Help the poor for the commandments sake: & let him not go empty from the because of his necessity. Lose thy money for thy brother & neighbour's sake, and bury it not under a stone: where it rusteth & corrupteth, gather thy treasure after the commandment of the highest: Mat. 6. c Luce. 12. d i Ti. 6. d Tobi. 4. b Dani, 4 d Luce. 12. d Acts. 10 d and so shall it bring the more profit than gold: Say up the alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall keep the from all evil. A man's alms is as a purse with him and shall keep a man's favour as the apple of an eye and afterward shall it arise and pay every man his reward upon his heed. It shall fight for the against thine enemies, better than the shield of a grant or spear of the mighty. A good honest man is surety for his neighbour: but a wicked person letteth him come to shame Forget not the friendship of thy surety for he hath given his soul for the. The ungodly despiseth the good deed of his surety, and the unthankful & ignorant leaveth his surety in danger. Some man promiseth for his neighbour & when he hath lost his honest, he shall forsake him Suertyshyp hath destroyed many a rich man: & removed them as the waves in the see. Mighty people hath it driven away and caused them to wander in strange countries. An ungodly man transgressing the commandment of the Lord, shall fall into an evil suertyshyp: & though he force himself to get out, yet shall he fall in to judgement. help thy neighbour out after thy power and beware that thou thyself fall not in such det. Eccl. 39 ● The chief thing that keepeth in the life, is water & bred: clothing & logging, to cover the shame. Better is it to have a poor living in a man's own house then delicate fare among the strange Psa. 35. b 1. Ti. 6. b. Hebr. 13. a Be it little or much that thou haste hold the content with all, and thou shalt not be blamed as a vagabond: for a miserable life is it, to go from house to house: and where a man is friend, he dare not open his mouth, though one be lodged, & have meat and drink, yet shall he be taken as unworthy, and hear many bitter rough words, namely thus: Go thy way thou stranger, and prepare a table for thyself and feed me also of that thou haste. Away thou strange (so that he regardeth his honour no more) my brother cometh into my house, & so he telleth him the necessity of his house. These things are heavy to a man that hath understanding: namely the forbidding of the house, & that the lender casteth him in the teeth. Of the correction of children Of the commodity of health. Death is better than a sorrowful life. Of hid wisdom. Of the joy and sorrow of the heart. Capi. thirty. WHoso loveth his child Pro. 13. c and .23. b holdeth him still under correction that he may have joy of him afterward (and that he grope not after his neighbours doors) Deut. 6. a He that teacheth his son shall have joy in him, and need not to be ashamed of him among his acquaintance. Whoso informeth & teacheth his son grieveth the enemy: and before his friends he may have joy of him. Though the father die, yet is he as though he were not deed: for he hath left one behind him that is like him. In his life he saw him and had joy in him, and was not sorry in his death, neither was he ashamed before the enemies. For he left behind him an avenger against his enemies, and a good doer unto the friends. For the life of children he shall bind the wounds together & his heart is grieved at every cry. An untamed horse will be hard, and a wanton child willbe wilful. If thou bring up thy son delycatly, he shall make the afraid, and if thou play with him he shall bring the to heaviness. Laugh not with him, lest thou weep with him also, and lest thy teeth be set on edge at the last. Eccle. 7. c give him no liberty in his youth, and excuse not his folly Bow down his neck while he is young hit him on the sides while he is yet but a child, lest he wax stubborn, & give no more force of thee, & so shalt thou have heaviness of soul. Teach thy child, and be diligent therein, lest it be to thy shame Better is the poor being whole & strong than a man to be rich, & not to have his health: health & welfare is above all gold & a whole body above all treasure. There is no riches above a found body, and no joy above the joy of the heart. Death is better than a wretched life, and eternal rest better than continual sickness. The good things that are put in a close mouth are like as when meat is laid upon the grave. What good doth the offering unto an idol? * Bel. d. For he can neither eat, taste, nor smell. Even so is he that is chased of the lord, & beareth the rewards of iniquity. He saith with his eyes, & groaneth like a gelded man, that lieth with a virgin and sigheth. Pro. 12. d. 15 b. 17. d. Eccl. 38. e Pro. 14. b give not over thy mind into heaviness, & vex not thyself in thin own council. The joy and cheerfulness of the heart is the life of man, and a man's gladness is the prolonging of his days Love thine own soul, and comfort thin heart: as for sorrow and heaviness, drive it far from thee, for heaviness hath slain many a man, & bringeth no profit: 2. Co. 7. b zeal & anger shorten the days of the life: carefulness & sorrow bring age before the time, unto a meri heart every thing hath a good taste that he eateth ¶ We ought to give diligent heed to honesty. Of them that take pain to gather riches. The praise of a rich man without a fault, we ought to the drunkenness and follow soberness. Capi. xxxi. 1. Ti. 6. b. Travail and carefulness for riches taketh away the sleep & maketh the flesh to consume. When one lieth & taketh care, he waketh ever up, like as great sickness breaketh the sleep. The rich hath great labour in gathering his riches together, & then with the pleasure of his riches he taketh his rest and is refreshed. But who so laboureth & prospereth not, he is poor, and though he leave of, yet is he a beggar. He that loveth riches, shall not be justified: & who so followeth corruption, shall have nought thereof. Eccle. 8. a Mani a one are come in great misfortune by the reason of gold: & have found their destruction before them. It is a tree of falling unto them that offer it up, & all such as be foolish fall therein. Blessed is the rich, which is found without blemish: and hath not gone after gold, nor hoped in money and treasures. Where is there such a one? and we shall commend him & call him blessed, for great things doth he among his people. Whoso is tried, and found perfect in such things, shallbe commended and praised. Who might offend and hath not offended? Who could do evil, & hath not done it? Therefore shall his good be stablished, and the whole congregation shall declare his almesses. If thou sit at a great man's table, open not thy mouth wide upon it: & make not many words. Remember, that an evil eye is a shrew. What thing created is worse than a wicked eye? therefore weepeth it before every man's face? Say not thine hand upon every thing that thy eye saith: & strive not with him in the dish. Mat. 7. ● Ponder by thyself what thy neighbour would fain have, & be discrete in every point. Eat the thing that is set before the mannerly, as it becometh a man: and eat not to much, lest thou be abhorred. Leave thou of first of all because of nurture, lest thou be he whom no man may satisfy, which may turn to thy decay. When thou sittest among many men, reach not thine hand first of all. Eccl. 37. d O how well content is a wiseman with a little wine? so that in sleep thou shalt not be sick thereof nor feel any pain. A sweat wholesome sleep shall such a one have, & feel no inward grief. He riseth up by times in the morning: and is well at ease in himself. But an unsatiable eater sleepeth unquietly, and hath ache & pain of the body. If thou feleste that thou haste eaten to much, arise, go thy way, cast it of thy stomach, and take thy rest: & it shall ease the so that thou shalt bring no sickness unto thy body. My son, hear me, & despise me not, & at the last thou shalt find as I have told thee. Rom. 12. c In all thy works be diligent and quick, so shall there no sickness happen unto the. Pro. 22. a Who so is liberal in dealing out his meat many men shall bless him: & praise him with their lips: and the same is a sure token of his love, and faithfulness. But he that is unfaithful in meat, the whole city shall complain of him: and that is a sure experience of his infidelity & wickedness. Ephe. 5. d judi. 13. a Be not thou a wine bibber: for wine hath destroyed many a man. The fire proved the hard iron, even so doth wine prove that hearts of the proud, when they be drunken. 〈◊〉. 31. a 〈◊〉. 4 c Wine soberly drunken, quickeneth the life of man. If thou drink it measurably, thou shalt be temperate. What life is it, that may continue without wine? (What taketh away the life? even death) Wine was made from the beginning to make men glad (and not for drunkenness.) Wine mesurablye drunken is a rejoicing of the soul & body. (A measurable drink is health to soul and body.) But if it be drunken with excess, it maketh bitterness & sorrow unto the mind. Drunkenness filleth the mind of the foolish with shame and ruin, minished the strength & maketh wounds. Eccl. 20 a Rebuke not thy neighbour at the wine, & despise him not in his mirth give him no despiteful words: & press not upon him with contrary sayings. ¶ Of the discretion and praise of the preacher, and of the hearer. Of the fear, faith, & confidence of God. Capi. xxxii. IF thou be made a ruler, Deu. 17 d Rom. 12. b pride not thyself therein, but be thou as one of the people. Take diligent care for them and look well thereto: & when thou hast done all thy duty, sit the down: that thou mayst be merry with them, & receive a crown of honour. Talk wisely & honestli, for wisdom becometh the right well hinder not music. Speak not where there is no audience: Eccle. 3. a Eccl. 20 a and pour not forth wisdom out of time, at an importunity Like as the Carbuncle stone shineth that is set in gold, so doth a song garnish the wine feast: and as the smaragd that is set in gold, so is the sweetness of Music by the mirth of wine. (give ear, and be still, & for thy good behaviour, thou shalt be loved.) Thou young man, speak that becometh thee, and that is profitable, & yet scarce when thou art twice asked. Comprehend much with few words. In many thing be as one that is ignorant, give ear, hold thy tongue withal. If thou be among men of higher authority, desire not to compare thyself unto them: & when an elder speaketh make not many words therein Before the thunder goeth lightening, & before nurtor & shamefastness goeth love and favour. Stand up by times, & be not the last: but get the home soon, and there take thy pastime, and do what thou wilt: so that thou do no evil, & defy no man. But for all things give thanks, unto him that hath made thee, and replenished the with his goods. Who so feareth the lord, will receive his doctrine: & they that get them to him by times, shall find grace. He that seeketh the law shallbe filled withal: As for him that is but feigned, he will be offended thereat. They that fear the lord, shall find the judgement, & their righteousness shallbe kindled as a light. An ungodly man will not be reformed, but can help himself with the example of other in his purpose. A man of understanding despiseth no good council: but a wild & proud body hath no fear (Ye even when he hath dealt rashly with an other) man, but his own doings shallbe his rebuke.) My son, do nothing without advisement, so shall it not repent the after the deed. Go not in the way where thou mayst fall, nor where thou mayst stumble against the stone. give not thyself into a laborious slippery way & beware of thine own children, (& take heed of them that be of thine own household.) In all thy works put thy trust in god from thy whole heart, for that is the keeping of the commandments. Who so believeth God's work, taketh heed to the commandments: and he that putteth his trust in the lord, shall want nothing. ¶ The deliverance of him that feareth god. The answer of the wise. The little discretion of a fool. Man is in the hand of god, as the earth is in the hand of the potter▪ we ought not to dispose ourselves to become subject to other. Capi. xxxiii. THere shall no evil happen unto him that feareth god, but when he is in temptation, the Lord shall deliver him and keep him from evil. A wise man hateth not the law, but an hypocrite is as a ship in raging water. A man of understanding giveth credence unto the law of god, & the law is faithful unto him. Be sure of the matter, them talk thereof: Be first well instruct, thou mayst thou give answer. The heart of the foolish is like a cart wheel, & his thoughts ren about like the axeltre, Like as a wild horse that naieth under every one that sitteth upon him: so is it with a scornful friend. Why doth one day excel an other, seeing all the days of the year come of the sun? The wisdom of the lord hath so parted them asunder, and so hath he ordained the times and solemn feasts. Some of them hath he choose & hallowed before other days. And all men are made of the Gene. 2. ● ground, and out of the earth of Adam. In the multitude of science hath the Lord sundered them, and make their ways of divers fashions. Some of them hath he blessed, made much of them, hallowed them, & claimed them to himself But some of them hath he cursed: brought them low, & put them out of their estate Like as the clay is in the potter's hand and all the ordering thereof at his pleasure, Rom. 9 c so are men also in the hand of him that made them: so that he may give them as it liketh him best 1. Cor. 6. c Against evil is good and against death is life: so is the ungodly against such as fear God. Behold these are the works of the highest, & there are ever two against two, & one set against an other. I am a waked up last of all, as one that gathereth after in harvest. In the gifts of god & in his blessing I am increased, and have filled my wine press, like a grape gatherer Eccl. 24. c Behold how I have not laboured not only for myself, but for all such as love nurture & wisdom Hear me O ye great men of the people and hearken with your ears, ye rulers of the congregation. give not thy son & wife: thy brother and friend power over the while thou livest and give not away thy substance and good to an other, least it repent thee, & thou be feign to beg therefore thyself. As long as thou livest and hast breathe, let no man change thee: For better it is thy children to pay thee, then that thou shuldeste be fain to look in their hands. In all thy works be excellent, that thy honour be never stained. At the time when thou shalt end thy days, & finish thy life, distribute thine inheritance. The fodder, the whip, and the burden belongeth unto the Ass: Meat, correction, & work unto the servant. If thou set thy servant to labour, thou shalt find rest. But if thou let him go idle, he shall seek liberty. The yoke & the whip bow down the hard neck, but tame thou thy evil servant with bonds and correction Send him to labour, that he go not idle. For idleness bringeth much evil. Set him to work, for that belongeth unto him, & becometh him well. If he be not obedient, bind his feet: but do not to much unto him in any wise, and without discretion do nothing. Eccle. 7. c If thou have a (faithful) servant, let him be unto the as thine own soul: (entreat him as a brother) for in blood hast thou gotten him. If thou have a servant, hold him as thyself: for thou hast need of him as of thyself. If thou entreatest him evil, & keepest him hard, and makest him to be proud and to ren away from thee, thou canst not tell what way thou shalt seek him. ¶ Of dreams, divinations: and enchantments We ought to confute vain hope and lying. The praise of them that fear god. Of divers works of men. God doth not allow the works of an unfaithful man. Capi. xxxiiii. Unwise people beguile themselves with vain and deceitful hope, and fools trust in dreams, Who so regardeth dreams is like him that will take hold of a shadow, and follow after the wind: Even so is it with the apperinges of dreams. Before the face is the likeness of a face. Who can be cleansed of the unclean? Or what truth can be spoken of a liar? sooth saying, witchcraft, sorceri, & dreaming is but vanity: like as when a woman travaileth with child, & hath many fantasies in her heart. Where as such visions come not of god, set not thine heart upon them. For dreams have deceived many a man, and they failed, that put their trust therein. The law shallbe fulfilled without lies, and wisdom is sufficient to a faithful mouth. What knowledge hath he that is not tried? A wise man that is well instruct, understandeth much: and he that hath good experience can talk of wisdom: he that hath no experience, knoweth little, & he that erreth causeth much wickedness. He that is not tried, what things knoweth he? Who so followeth no rule, is full of wickedness. When I was yet in error, I learned much also: ye I was so learned, that I could not express it all, and came oft in parel of death thereover, till I was delivered from it (thorough the grace of God.) Now I see, that they which fear God, have the right spirit: for their hope standeth in him, that can help them. And the eyes of the Lord are on them that love him. Who so feareth the Lord, standeth in awe of no man, and is not afraid, for the Lord is his hope and comfort. Blessed is the soul of him that feareth the Lord: In whom putteth he his trust: who is his strength? Par. 16. b For the eyes of the Lord have respect unto them, that love him. He is their mighty protection, and strong ground: A defence for the heat, a refuge for the hot none day, a succour for stumbling, & an help for falling. He setteth up the Soul, and lighteneth the eyes: He giveth life and blessing. He that giveth an offering of unrighteous, good, his offering is refused, and the scornful dealings of the unrighteous: please not god (The Lord is theirs only, that patiently abide him in the way of the truth & of righteousness. The highhest doth not allow the gifts of the wicked. Pro. 15. a ) And God hath no delight in the offerings of the ungodly, neither may sin be reconciled in the multitude of oblations. Who so bringeth an offering out of the goods of the poor, doth even as one that killeth the son before the father's eyes. The bread of the needful is the life of the poor: he that defraudeth him their of, is a man of blood. Who so robbeth his neighbour of his living, doth as great sin as though he slew him to death. De●. 24 c Ecc●e. 7. c He that defraudeth the labourer of his hire, is a blood shedder. When one buildeth & an other breaketh down, what profit have they then but labour. When one prayeth and an other curseth, whose voice will the Lord hear? Nu. 19 b He that washeth himself because of a deed body, & then toucheth the dead again, what doth his watching? Pro. 26. b 2. Pe. 2. b So is it with a man that fasteth for his sins, & doth them again: who will hear his prayer? Or what doth his fasting, help him? ¶: It is well done to pray, and to do sacrifice. The prayer of the fatherless, & of the widow, and him that humbleth himself. Capi. xxxv. WHo so keepeth the law, Jere, 7. c. bringeth offerings enough. He that holdeth fast the commandment, offereth the right health offering. He that is thankful and recompenseth, Hebre. 13c Phili. 4, c offereth fine flower. Who so is merciful and gueth alms, that is the right thanckoffring God hath pleasure, when one departeth from sin & to forsake unrighteousness reconcileth us with him. Exo. 43. a Thou shalt not appear empty before the lord: Gene. 4. a for all such is done because of the commandment. The offering of the righteous maketh the altar fat, & a sweat smell is it before the highest. The offering of the righteous is acceptable unto god, and shall never be forgotten. give god his honour with a cheerful heart: & keep not back the firstlings of thy hands. In all thy gifts show a merciful countenance and hallow thy tithes unto god with gladness give unto god, 2. Cor. 9 b according as he hath enriched and prospered thee, Tob. 4. b & look what thine hands is able, give with a cheerful eye: for the Lord recompenseth, & giveth the seven times as much again. give no unrighteous gifts, for such will he not receive. Beware of wrongeous offerings, for the Lord is a righteous judge: & regardeth no man's person: He accepteth not the person of the poor, but he heareth the prayer of the oppressed. He despiseth not the desire of the fatherless, judi. 4. b nor the widow when she poureth out her prayer before him Doth not god see the tears that rem down the cheeks of the widow? Or heareth he not the complaint, over such as make her to weep. For from her cheeks do the tears go up unto heaven, & the lord which heareth them, doth accept them: Who so serveth god after his pleasure: shallbe accepted & his prayer reacheth unto the clouds Tren. 3. d ●●te. 10. a The prayer of him that humbleth himself, goeth thorough the clouds, till she come nigh. She will not be comforted, nor go her wai: till the highest god have respect unto her, give true sentence, & reform the judgement. And the Lord will not be slack in coming, nor tarry long till he have smitten insunder the backs of the unmerciful, & avenged himself of the heathen: till he have taken away the multitude of the cruel, & broken the sceptre of the unrighteous, till he give every man after his works, & reward them after their doings till he have delivered his people maintained their cause, & rejoiced then in his mercy. O how fair a thing is mercy in the time of anguish & trouble? It is like a cloud of rain that cometh in the time of a drought. ¶ A prayer to god in the person of all faithful men with the praise of a good woman. Capi. xxxvi. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, thou God of all things. Have respect unto us show us the light of thy mercies and send thy feat among the Heathen and strangers, which seek not after thee? that they may know, how that there is no god but thou: and that they may show thy wondrous works. Lift up thy hand over the outlandish heathen: that they may learn to know thy might & power. Like as thou art hallowed in us before them: so bring to pass, that thou mayst be magnified also in them before us: that they may know thee, like as we know the. For there is none other god, but only thou O lord Renew the tokens: & change the wondrous works. Show thine hand, and thy right arm gloriousli, raise up thy indignation, and pour out thy wrath. Take a way the adversary, and smite the enemy Make the time short, rememberthe covenant that thy wondrous works may be praised. Let the wrath of the fire consume them that live so careless: & let them perish that do thy people hurt. Smit insunder the head of the princes, that be our enemies, and say: there is none other but we. Gather all the Tribes of jacob together again, that they may know: how that there is none other god but only thou that they may show thy wondrous works: & be thou thy people's heritage, like as from the beginning. O Lord have mercy upon the people that hath thy name and upon Israel, Exo. 4. e. whom thou hast likened to a first borne son. O be merciful unto Jerusalem the city of thy sanctuary, 1. par. 6. g. the city of thy rest. Fill Sion with thy unspeakable virtues, & thy people with thy glori. Give witness unto thy creature, whom thou madest from the beginning, and raise up the prophecies that have been showed in thy name. Reward them that wait for thee, that thy Prophets may be found faithful. O Lord hear the prayer of thy servants according to the blessing of Aaron over thy people (& guide thou us in the way of righteousness) that all they which dwell upon the earth, Nun 6 d may know, that thou art the Lord the eternal god, which is from everlasting. The belly devoureth all meats yet is one meat better than an other Like as the tongue tasteth venison, 1. Cor. 2. b. so doth an heart of understanding mark falls words. A froward heart giveth heaviness, but a man of exeperience lifteth him up again The woman receiveth every man, yet is one daughter better than a other. A fair wife rejoiceth her husband: & a man loveth nothing better. If she be loving and virtuous withal: them is not her husband like other men. He that hath gotten a virtuous woman, hath a goodly possession: she is unto him an help, & pillar where upon he resteth. Where no hedge is there the goods are spoiled: & where no housewife is, there the friendless mourneth. Like as there is no credence given to a robber, that goeth from one cite to an other: So is not the man believed, that hath no rest, and must turn in, where he may abide in the night. ¶ How a man should know friends: and counsellors, and search the company of a holy man. Capi. xxxvii. every friend saith: I will be friendly unto him also. But there is some friend, which is only a friend in name. Remaineth there not heaviness unto death, when a companion and friend is turned an enemy? O most wicked presumption: From whence art thou sprung up to cover the earth with falsehood and deceit? There is some companion, which in prosperity rejoiceth with his friend: but in the time of trouble, he taketh part against him. There is some companion that mourneth with his friend for the belisake: Eccle. 6. b but when trouble cometh, he taketh hold of the shield Forget not thy friend in thy mind, and think upon him in thy richesse. Seek no counsel at thy kinsmen: and hide thy council from such as bear the no good will Eccle. 8. c. and. 9 c Every counselor bringeth forth his council. Nevertheless, there is some that counseleth, but for his own profit: Beware of the counsellor, & be advised afore whereto thou wilt use him, for he will council for himself. Lest he cast the lot upon thee, and say unto the. Thy way and purpose is good, and afterward he stand against thee, and look what shall become of the. Ask no counsel at him, that suspecteth the for an enemy, and hide thy council from such as hate the. Ask no council at a woman, concerning the things that she longeth for: nor at a fearful and faint hearted body, in matters of war: or at a merchant, how dear he will chepen thy wares towards his: or at a bier of selling: Or at an envious man, of thanks giving: Or at the unmerciful of loving kindness, (or at an unhonest man of honesty.) Or at the slothful, of working: Or at an hireling which hath no house, or profit or wealth. (An idle body would not gladly here speak of much labour.) Take no such folks to council but be diligent to seek council at a virtuous man that feareth God, such one as thou knowest to be keeper of the commandments, which hath a mind after thine own mind, and is sorry for the when thou stomblest And hold thy council fast in thine heart: for there is no man more faithful to keep it than thou thyself. For a man's mind is sometime more disposed to tell out, then seven watchmen that sit above in an high place looking about them. And above all this pray the highest, that he will lead thy way in faithfulness & truth. Before all thy works ask counsel first: and or ever thou dost any thing, be well advised. There be four things that declare a changed heart, whereout there springeth evil and good, death and life and a masterful tongue that babbleth much Some man is apt and well instruct in many things, & yet very unprofitable unto himself. Some man there is, that can give wise & prudent council, and yet is he hated, & continueth a beggar: for that grace is not given him of God, to be accepted. An other is rob of all wisdom yet is he wise unto himself, & the fruit of understanding is commendable in his mouth. A wise man maketh his people wise, and the fruits of his wisdom fail not. A wise man shallbe plenteously blessed of god: & all they that see him, shall speak good of him. The life of man standeth in the number of the days, but the days of Israel are innumerable. A wise man shall obtain faithfulness and credence among his people, and his name shallbe perpetual. My son, prove thy soul in thy life & if thou see any evil thing, give it not unto her 1. Cor. 6. c. and. 10. c. For all things are not profitable for all men, neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing. Be not greedy in every eating, and be not to hasty upon all meats. Ecc. 30. b. for excess of meats bringeth sickness and gluttony cometh at the last to an unmeasurable heat. Thorough surfeit have many one perished: but he that dieteth himself temperately, prolongeth his life. ¶ A physician in sickness ought we to pray. to find a physician which healeth by prayer, The beweping of the dead. Sadness, wisdom, Artificers or craftsmen. Capi. xxxviii. Honour the physician, honour him because of necessity. God hath created him (for of the Highest cometh medicine) and he shall receive gifts of the King. The wisdom of the physician: bringeth him to great worship, and in the sight of the great men of this world, he shall be honourably taken. The Lord hath created medicine of the earth: and he that is wise will not abhor it: Exo. 15. d. 3. Re. 4. c. Was not that bitter water made sweat with a tree? that men might learn to know the virtue thereof. The Lord hath given me, wisdom, & understanding, that he might be honoured in his wondrous works. With such doth he heal men, and taketh away their pains: Of such doth the apothecary make a confection, yet can no man perform all his works. For of the Lord cometh prosperous wealth over all the earth. My son, despise not this in thy sickness, but 2 Pa. 16. d Esa. 38. a. pray unto the Lord, and he shall make the whole. Leave of from sin and order thy hands a right: cleanse thine heart from all wickedness. give a sweet savoured offering, and the fine flower for a token of remembrance: make the offering fat, as one that giveth the first fruits, and give room to the Phisytion. For the Lord hath created him, let him not go from thee: for thou hast need of him. The hour may come, that the sick may be helped thorough them, when they pray unto the Lord, that he may recover, and get health to live longer, He that sinneth before his maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician. My son, Eccle. 22. e bring forth thy tears over the dead: and begin to mourn, us if thou hadst suffered great harm thyself: and then cover his body after a convenient manner, and despise not his burial: Enforce thyself to weep, and provoke thyself to mourn, 1. Tes. 4. & make lamentation expedyently: & that a day or two, least thou be evil spoken of: and then comfort thyself because of the heaviness. Prou. 12. d and. 17. d Eccle. 30. c For of heaviness cometh death the heaviness of the heart breaketh strength heaviness and poverty grieveth the heart in temptation and offence. Take no heaviness to heart, drive it away, and remember the last things. Forget it not for there is no turning again. Thou shalt do him no good, but hurt thyself Remember his judgement, thine also shall be like wise: unto me yester day unto the to day. 2. Re. 12. a Let the remembrance of the dead cease in his rest, and comfort thyself again over him, saying his spirit is departed from him. The wisdom of the Scribe is at convenient time of rest: and he that ceaseth from exercise & labour, shall be wise. He that holdeth the plough, & hath pleasure in prodding, and driving the Oxen, and goeth about with such works, he can speak of Oxen: He setteth his heart to make furrows, and is diligent to give the kine fodder. So is every carpenter also and workemayster, that laboureth still night and day: he carveth, graveth, & cutteth out, and his desire is in sundry cunning things, his heart imagyneth, how he may cunningly cast an image. his diligence also & watching performeth the work. The iron smith in like manner bideth by his stithy, and doth his diligence to labour the iron. The vapour of the fire brenneth his flesh, and he must fight with the heat of the furnace. The noise of the Hammer soundeth ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the thing that he maketh. He hath set his mind thereupon: that he will make out his work, & therefore he watcheth, how he may set it out, and bring it to an end. So doth the potter sit by his work, he turneth the wheel about with his feet he is deligent and careful in all doings and his labour & work is without number. He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and with his feet he temporeth it. His heart imagineth how he may make it pleasant, and his diligence is to cleanse the oven. All these hope in their hands, & every one thinketh to be cunning in his work. Without these may not the Cities be maintained, inhabited, nor occupied, and come not high in the congregation: in the council of the people, they be not required, they understand not the covenant of the law: they cannot declare equity & judgement: they cannot find out the dark sentence, but thorough them shall the creature of the world be maintained: their prayer concerneth only the work and labour of cunning. ¶ A wise man. The works of God. Unto the good, good things do profit: but unto the evil: even good things are evil. Capi. xxxix. HE that applieth his mind to understand the law of God doth diligently seek out the wisdom of them of the old time, and exerciseth himself in the Prophets. He keepeth the sayings of famous men, & presseth to the understanding of dark sentences of wisdom. He seeketh out the mystery of secret sayings, and exerciseth himself therein continually. He doth service among great men, and appeareth before the Prince: He goeth in to a strange country, and travaileth thorough it: look what good or evil is among men, he proveth it and seeketh it out. He purposeth in his heart, to resort earli unto the Lord that made him, and to pray before the highest God. He openeth his mouth in prayer, and prayeth for his sins. When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the Spirit of understanding, that he may then pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer. He shall order his device, and lead his knowledge a right, & give him understanding of secret things. He shall show forth the science of his learning, and rejoice in the covenant of the law of the Lord. The whole Congregation shall commend his wisdom, and it shall never he put out. The remembrance of him shall never be forgotten, Ec. 44. b. & his name shall continue from one generation to an other. His wisdom shall be spoken of, among the people, and the whole Congregation shall openly declare his praise. While he liveth, he hath a greater name than a thousand beside, and after his death, the same name remaineth unto him. Yet will I speak of no men of understanding, for I am full as the Moon. hearken unto me (ye holy virtuous children) bring forth fruit, as the rose that is planted by the brooks of the field, and give you a sweet smell as Lybanus. flourish as the Rose garden, sing a song of praise. O give thanks unto god over all his works. give glory and honour unto the lord, show his praise with your lips. Ye even with the song of your lips, with haps and playing, and in giving thanks unto him, say after this manner. Gene. 1. d. All the works of the Lord are exceeding good, and all his commandments are meet and convenient in due season. A man need not to say: what is that? what is that? for at time convenient they shall all be sought. At his commandment the water was as a wall, and at the word of his mouth the water stood still. Gene. 7. b In his commandments is every thing acceptable and reconciled, and his health cannot be minished. The works of all flesh are before him, and there is nothing hid from his eyes. He saith from everlasting to everlasting, & there is nothing to wondered or high unto him. A man need not to say then, what is this or that? For he hath made all things to do good unto man. His blessing shall run over as the stream, and moisture the earth like a flood of water. Like as he maketh the water for drought, so shall his wrath fall upon the heathen. Osee. 14. a Rom. 3, d His ways are plain and right unto the Just, but the ungodly stumble at them. For the good, are good things created from the beginning, and evil things for the ungodly. Eccle. 29. c All things necessary for the life of man are created from the beginning: water, fire, iron, & salt, meel, wheat, and honi, milk, and wine, oil, and clothing. 1. Ti. 4. a All these things are created for the best to the faithful: But to the ungodly shall all these things be turned to the hurt and harm. There be spirits that are created for vengeance, and in their rigorousness have they fastened their torments. Mat. 25. d In the time of the end they shall pour out their strength, and pacify the wrath of him that made them. Ecc. 40. b Fire, hazel, hunger and death: all these things are created for vengeance. The teeth of wild noisome beasts, the Scorpions, Serpents: & the sword are created also for vengeance, to the destruction of the ungodly. They shall be glade to do his Commandments: and when need is, they shallbe ready upon earth and when their hour is come, they shall not overpass the commandment of the Lord. Therefore have I taken a good courage unto me from the beginning, & thought to put these things in writing, and to leave them behind me. Gene. 1. b. All the works of the Lord are good, and he giveth every one in due season, and when need is so that a man need not to say this is worse than that. For in due season they are all pleasant and good: And therefore praise the Lord with whole heart, and mouth, and give thanks unto his name. ¶: Many miseries light in a man's life. All things pass away, but a firm and stable faith remaineth Of the blessing of the righteous, & prerogatyffe of the fear of God. Capi. xl. A Great travail is created for all men, and an heavy yoke upon the children of Adam from the day that they go out of their mother's womb, till they be buried in (the earth) the mother of all things: namely, their thoughts & imaginations, fear of the heart, counsel, meditations, longing and desire, the day of death: from the highest that sitteth upon the glorious seat, unto the lowest and most simple upon the earth: from him that is gorgeously arrayed and weareth a crown, until him that is, but homely and simply clothed. There is nothing but wrath, zeal, fearfulness, unquietness, & fear of death, rigorous, anger, and strife. And in the night when one should rest and sleep upon his bed, the sleep changeth his understanding and knowledge. A little or nothing is his rest, in the sleep as well as in the day of labour. He feareth and is disquieted in the vision of his heart, as one that runneth out of a battle: and in the time of health he awaketh and marveleth that the fear was nothing: Such things happen unto all flesh, both man and beast: but seven fold to the ungodly. Moreover death, bloodshedding, strife, and sword oppression, hunger, destruction, and punishment: Eccle. 39 e these things are all created against the ungodly, and for their sakes came the flood also. Gene. 7. d. and. 3. d. All that is of the earth, shall turn to earth again: and all waters ebb again into the see. All bribes and unrighteousness shall be put away, but faithfulness and truth shall endure for ever. The substance and goods of the ungodly shall be dried up: and shrink away as a water flood, and they shall make a sound like a great thunder in the rain. Like as the righteous rejoiceth when he openeth his hand, so shall the transgressors be faint, when their goods vanish and consume away. Eccl. 41, b The children of the ungodly shall not obtain many branches: & the unclean roots upon the high rocks shall be rooted out before the grass by the water side and upon the river banks. Frendlynesse and liberality in the increase and blessing of God, is like a paradise and garden of pleasure: such mercy also and kindness endureth for ever. 1. Ti. 6 b Phil. 4, b To labour and to be content with that a man hath: is a sweet pleasant life and that is to find a treasure above all treasures. To begytte children and to repair the city, maketh a perpetual name but an honest woman is more worth than they both. Eccl. 32. a Wine and minstrelsy rejoice the heart, but the love of wisdom is above them both. Piping and harping make a sweet noise, but a friendly tongue goeth beyond them both. Thine eye desireth favour and beauty, but a green sede time rather than they both: A friend and companion come together at opportunity, but above them both is a wife that agreeth with her husband. One brother helpeth an other in the time of trouble, but alms shall deliver more than they both. Gold and silver fasten the feet, but a good council is more pleasant than they doth. Temporal substance and strength lift up the mind, but the fear of the Lord more than they both. The fear of the Lord wanteth nothing, and needeth no help. The fear of the lord is a pleasant garden of blessing, and nothing so bewtyful as it is. My son lead not a beggar's life, for better it were to die then to beg. Who so looketh to an other man's table, taketh no thought for his own living, how to uphold his life, for he feedeth himself with other men's meat: But a wise and well nurtoured man will beware thereof. Begging is sweet in the mouth of the unshamefast, but in his belly there burneth a fire ¶ Of the remembrance of death. Death is not to be feared. A curse upon them that forsake the law of god. Good name and fame. An exhortation to give heed unto wisdom. Of what things a man ought to be ashamed. Capi. xli. O DEATH, how bitter is the remembrance of thee, to a man that seeketh rest and comfort in his substance and riches, unto the man that hath nothing to vex him, & that hath prosperity in all things, ye unto him that yet is able to receive meat? O death how acceptable and good is thy judgement unto the needful, & unto him whose strength faileth, and that is now in his last age, and that in all things is full of care and fearfulness: unto him also that is in despair, & hath no hope nor patience? Be not thou afraid of death: remember, them that have been before the and that come after thee: this is the judgement of the lord over all flesh. gene. 8. d. And why wouldest thou be against this pleasure of the highest. Whether it be ten, an hundredth, or a thousand years: death asketh not how long one hath lived. The children of the ungodly are abominable children, Ec. 40. c. and so are they that keep company with the ungodly The inheritance of ungodly children shall come to nought, and their posterity shall have perpetual shame and confusion. The children complain of an ungodly father: & why? for his sake they are rebuked and despised. Woe be unto you, (O ye ungodly) which have forsaken the law of the Highest god: if ye be borne, ye shall be borne to cursing, if ye die, the curse shall be your portion. Eccle, xi. d All that is of the earth, shall turn to earth again, so go the ungodly also out of the curse into destruction, The sorrow of men is in their body: but the same of the ungodly shall be put out. Eccle, 22. a. Labour to get the a good name, for that shall continue surer by thee: then a thousand great treasures of gold. A good life hath a number of days, but a good name endureth ever. Eccle. xx. d. My children, keep wisdom in peace: for wisdom that is hid and a treasure that is not seen, what profit is in them both? A man that hideth his foolishness, is better than a man that hideth his wisdom. Therefore be ye turned at my words: for it is not good, in all things and alway to be ashamed. True faith must prove and measure it. Be ashamed of whoredom, before father and mother, Be ashamed of losing, before the Prince and men of authority Of sin, before the judge and Ruler. Of offence, before the Congregation and people. Of unrighteousness: before a companion and friend: Of theft, before thy neighbours. Roma. i b. As for the truth of god and his covenant, be not ashamed thereof. Be ashamed to lie with thine elbows upon the bread: Be ashamed to look upon harlots, Be ashamed to turn away thy face from thy friend: Be ashamed to take & not to give. Be ashamed also to look upon an other man's wife: & to make many trifling words with her maiden, or to stand by her bed side. Be ashamed to upbraid thy friend: when thou givest any thing, cast him not in the teeth withal. ¶ Secrets may not be opened The law of God must be taught. A daughter. A woman. God knoweth all things, ye even the secrets of the heart. Capi. xlii. REHEARSE not a thing twice, and disclose not the words that thou hast heard in secret. Be shamefast and well mannered in deed, So shall every man favour the. Of these things be not thou ashamed, and accept no person to offend. Namely, of these things be not ashamed: Of the law of God, of the covenant, of judgement to bring the ungodly from his ungodliness unto righteousness, and to make him a good man: to deal faithfully with thy neighbour and companion, to distribute the heritage unto the friends: to be diligent to keep true measure and weight: to be content, whether thou gettest much or little, to deal truly with temporal goods in buying and selling to bring up children with diligence, to correct an evil servant, to keep that thine is from an evil wife, to set a lock where many hands are what thou deliverest and gavest out to be kept, to tell it, and way it, to write up all thy outegeving and receiving, to inform the unlearned and unwise: Of the aged, that are judged of the ionge. If thou be diligent in these things, truly thou shalt be learned and wise, and accepted of all men. The daughter maketh the father to watch secretly, and the carefulness that he hath for her, taketh away his sleep ye in the youth, lest she should overgrow him, And when she hath an husband, least she should be hated, least she should be defiled or ravished in her virginity, or gotten with child in her father's house (Or when she cometh to the man) lest she behave herself not right, or continue unfruitful. ★ If thy daughter be wanton, keep her straightly, least she cause thine enemies to laugh the to scorn and the whole City to give the an evil report, and so thou be feign to hear thy shame of every man, and be confounded before all the people Eccl. 25. c. Behold not every bodies beauty, and have not much dwelling among women. For like as the worm and moth cometh out of clothing, gene. iii. d so doth wickedness come of women. It is better to be with an evil man then with a friendly wife that putteth one to shame and rebuke. I will remember the words of the Lord, and declare the thing that I have seen, In the words of the Lord are his works. The sun overloketh all things with his shine, and all his works are full of the clearness thereof. Hath not the Lord brought to pass, that his Saints should tell out all his wondrous works, which the almighty Lord hath stablished. All things endure in his glory. He seeketh out the ground of the deep & the heart of men, and he knoweth all their imagination and wisdom, For the Lord knoweth all science, and he looketh into the token of the time. He declareth the things that are passed and for to come, and discloseth things that are secret job. 42. a. No thought may escape him, neither may any word be hid from him He hath garnished the high excellent works of his wisdom, Esa. 29. c. and he is from everlasting to everlasting. Unto him may nothing be added neither can he be minished, he hath no need also of any man's council. O how amiable are all his works, and as a spark to look upon. They live all, and endure for ever: and when so ever need is, they are all obedient unto him. They are all double, one against an other: he hath made nothing that hath fault or blemish, Deu. 32. a He hath stablished the goods of every one, and who may be satisfied with his glory, when he saith it. ¶ The sum of the creation of the works of god. Capi. xliii. THE Glory of the Heygthe, is ‡ the fair and clear firmament the beauty of the heaven is his glorious clearness. The Sun when it appeareth, declareth the day in the going out of it, Psal. 8, a. a marvelous work of the high. At noon it burneth the earth, and who may abide for the heat thereof. Who so keepeth an oven when it is hot, three times more doth the sun burn upon the monutaynes, when it breatheth out the fiery beams and shineth with the brightness of it, it blindeth the eyes. Great is the lord that made it, & in his commandment he causeth it to rem hastily. gene, i. b The moon also is in all, and at convenient season it showeth the times and is a token of the time. Exo. xii. a The token of the solemn feast, is taken of the Moon, a light that minisheth and increaseth again. The month is called after the Moon, it groweth wondrously in her changing. The army of heaven also is in the Height in the firmament of heaven it giveth a clear and glorious shine. This is the clearness of the Stars, the beautiful apparel of heaven, the apparel that the lord lighteneth in the height In his holy word they continued in their order, and not one of them faileth in his watch. gene. ix. a Look upon the rain bow, and praise him that made it, very beautiful is it in her shine. He compasseth the Heaven about with his clearness, & glory, the hands of the highest have bended it. Thorough his commandment he maketh the snow to fall, and the thunder of his judgement to smite hastily. Thorough his commandment the treasures are opened, and the clouds i'll as the fowls. In his power hath he strengthened the clouds, and broken the hail stones. The mountains melt at the sight of him, the wind bloweth according to his will. The sound of his thunder beateth the earth, and so doth the storm of the North: the whirl wind also lighteth down as a feathered foul, casteth out, and spreadeth the snow abroad, and as the grasshoppers that destroy all, so falleth it down. The eye marveleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is afraid at the rain of it. He poureth out the frost upon earth, like salt and when it is frozen, it is as sharp as the prick of a thistle. When the cold north-wind bloweth hard Crystal cometh of the water. He lighteth down upon all the gatherings together of water, and putteth on the waters as a breast plate. He devoureth the mountains, & burneth the wildernesses, & look what is green, he putteth it out like fire. The medicine of all these is, when a cloud cometh hastily, and when a dew cometh upon the heath, it shall be refreshed again. In his word he stilleth the wind In his council he setteth, the deep, and (the Lord) jesus planted it. They that sail over the see, tell of the parels & harms thereof: and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat. For there be strange wondrous works, divers manner of nice beasts and whalefish. Thorough him are all things set in good order and performed, and in his word all things endure. I speak moche, but I can not sufficiently attain unto it, for he himself only is the perfection of all words. We should praise the lord after ol our power, for he is great in all his works The Lord is to be feared, ye very great is he. ⊣ and marvelous in his power. Praise the Lord, and magnify him as much as ye may, yet doth he far exceed all praise. ‡ psal. xcvi. a. Psal, cvi. a. O magnify him with all your power, and labour earnestly, yet are ye in no wise able sufficiently to praise him. Who hath seen him, that he might tell us. ⊢ Deu. v. c john. i b. Who can magnify him so greatly as he is: For there are hid yet greater things than these be as for us, we have seen but few of his works. For the lord hath made all things, and given wisdom to such as fear god. ¶ The praise of certain holy men, Henoche, No●, Abraham, Isaac, and jacob. Capi. xliiii. LET us commend the noble famous men, and the generation of our fore elders and Fathers. Many more glorious acts hath the lord done, and showed his great power ever sense the beginning. The noble famous men reigned in their Kingdoms, and bare excellent rule: In their wisdom & understanding, they followed the council showed in the Prophecies. ⊢ Exo. xviii. c They led the folk thorough the Council and wisdom of the Scribes of the people. wise sentences are found in their instruction, They sought the sweetness and melody of Music, and brought forth the pleasant songs in Scripture. They were rich also, and could comfort & pacify those that dwelled with them. All these were very noble and honourable men in their generations, as were well reported of in their times. These have left a name behind them, so that their praise shall always be spoken of. afterward there were some, whose remembrance is gone ‡ gene. seven. d. They came to nought and perished, as though they had never been: & became as though they had never be borne, ye & their children also with them. Nevertheless these are loving men whose righteousness shall never be forgotten, but continue by their posterity. Their children are an holy good heritage: Their seed endured fast in the covenant. For their sakes shall their children and seed continue for ever, and their praise shall never be put down. Their bodies are buried in Peace, but their name liveth for evermore. The people can speak of their wisedomme, and the congregation can talk of their praise. ⊣ Ec. 49. 6. gene. v. 6. Enoche walked right and acceptably before the lord. Therefore was he translated for an ensample of amendment unto the Generations. ★ gene. vi. s and .7.8. No was a steadfast and Ryghtuousman, and in the time of wroth he became a reconciling. Therefore was he left a remnant unto the earth, when the flood came. An everlasting covenant was made with him, that all flesh should ★ gene. ix. c perish no more with the water. Abraham was a ⊣ gene. xvii. a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him. He kept the law of the highest, and came into a covenant with him He set the covenant in his flesh, and when he ★ gene. xxii. a was proved, he was found faithful: Therefore swore god unto him with an oath, that he would bless all people in his seed, that he would multiply and increase him as the dust of the earth and exalt his seed as the Stars: ye and that his seed should have the possession, and inheritance of the land from see to see, and from the river unto the borders of the world. ⊣ gene. xxvi. a With Isaac did he stablish the same covenant, for Abraham his father's sake: ye that gracious blessing and health of all men, and covenant did he stablish with Isaac, and made it to rest upon the head of jacob. He knew him ‡ ge. xxviii. c. 29.30. in that he prospered him so well and richly, and gave him an heritage, and sundered his portion by itself, ⊣ joshua. xviii an. nineteen. & parted it among the twelve Tribes. Merciful men brought he out of him which found favour in the sight of all flesh: ¶ The praise of Moses, Aaron, and Phynches. Capi, xlv. MOSES ‡ Exo. ix. a Acts. 7. c. beloved of God and men, whose remembrance is in high praise: him that the Lord made like in the glory of the Saints and magnified him: so that the enemies stood in awe of him, thorough his words he did great wonders. He made him great in the sight of kings, gave him Commandment before his people, and showed him his glorious power, ⊣ Nu. 12. a. He stablished him with faithfulness and meekness, and those him out of all men. For he heard his voice, and led him in the dark cloud ‡ Exo. nineteen. d. and there he gave him the commandments, ye the law of life and wisdom that he might teach jacob his covenant, and Israel his laws. He chose Aaron his brother also out of the tribe of Levy, exalted him, & made him such like. ⊣ Exo. xxviii. An everlasting covenant made with him, and gave him the priesthood in the people. He made him glorious in beautiful array, & clothed him with the garment of honour He put perfect joy upon him, and girded him with strength. He decte him with side clothes, & a tunicle, with an overbodye cote, also a girdle. Round about made he him bells of gold, and that many, ‡ Exo. xxviii that when he went in, the sound might he heard, that they might make a noise in the Sanctuary, and give the people warning. The holy garment was wrought and broderd with gold, yellow ●ilke and purple. And in the breastlap there was a goodly work wherein was fastened light and perfectness. ¶ Upon the same also there was a work fastened, and set with costly precious stones, all bound with gold: Exo. iiii. and this he brought in his ministration. The stones were fastened for a remembrance, after the number of the twelve Tribes of Israel. Upon his mitre there was a plate of puer gold, a graven image of holiness, a famous and noble work, garnished and pleasant to look upon. Before him were there seen no such fair ornaments, and these it behoveon him alway to use: There might none other put them on, but only his children and his childer's children perpetually. Daily performed he his burnt offerings two times. Levi. 8. a Moses filled his hands, and anointed him with holy Oil. This was now confirmed him with an everlasting covenant, & to his seed as the days of Heaven, namely, that his childrenne should always minister before him: and perform the office of the Preesthoode, and wish the people good in his name. Before all men living chose he him, that he should offer incense before the lord, and make odours for a sweet savour and remembrance, that he should reconcile the people of the lord with him again. ⊣ Deu. 17. c and xxi a. Mala. two. a He gave him authority also in his commandments, and in the covenant, that he should teach jacob the statutes & testimonies and to inform Israel in his law. ✚ Nu. 6. a. Therefore there stood up certain against him, and had envy at him in the wilderness: namely, they that were of Dathan, and abiram's side, and the furious Congregation of Chore. This the lord saw and it displeased him, and in his wrathful indignation were they consumed. A great wonder did he upon them, and consumed them with the fire. ● Beside this, he made Aaron yet more honourable and glorious. He gave him an heritage, and parted the first fruits unto him. ★ Nu. xvii. b Exo. xxv. f Levi. 24. b. Unto him specially he appointed the bread for sustenance (for the priests did eat of the offerings of the Lord) this gave he unto him and his seed. had he no heritage nor portion in the land and with the people. Deu. xii. d. and xviii Eze. 44. a For the lord himself in his portion and inheritance. The third noble and excellent man is Phinches the son Eleazar, which pleased the God of Israel, because he had the zeal and fear of the Lord. For when the people were turned back, he put him self forth right soon, and that with a good will, to pacify the wrath of the Lord toward Israel. Therefore was there a covenant of peace made with him, that he should be the principal among the righteous & the people, that he and his posterity should have the office of the priesthood for ever (Like as there was made a covenant with david of the Tribe of juda, that from among his sons only there should be a King:) And that Aaron also and his seed should be the heritage, to give us wisdom in our heart, to judge his people in righteousness, that his goods should not come in to forgetfulness, and that their Honour might endure for ever. ¶ The praise of joshua. Caleb, and Samuel. Capi. xlvi. MANLI and strong in battle was jesus the Son of Nave, which in stead of Moses the Prophet was given to be captain of the people which according unto his name was a great saviour unto the elect of God, josu. xii. e Nu. 27. b. Deu. 34. a joshua. i. ● to punish the enemies that rose up against Israel, that Israel might obtain their inheritance. O how great, noble, and excellent was he when he lift up his hand, and drew out his sword against the Cities? Who stood so manly before him? For the Lord himself brought in the enemies. ¶ Stood not the son still at his commandment, joshua. x. and one day was as long as too? He called upon the hieste and most mighty, when the enemies pressed upon him on every side: and the lord heard him w●th the hail stones. They smote the Heythenesse people mightily and in falling down: they slew all the adversaries, so that the heathen knew his host, and all his defence, that the lord himself fought against them, for he followed upon the mighty men of them. Nu. xiiii. a In the time of Moses also heand Caleb the son of jephune, did a good work, which stood against the enemies withheld the people from sin, & stilled the wicked mourning. Nu. 26. ●. And of six hundredth thousand people of foot they two were preserved, to bring them into the heritage, namely, a land that floweth with milk and honey. josu. 24. ● The Lord gave strength also unto Caleb, which remained with him unto his age so that he went up into the high places of the land, and his seed conquered the same for an heritage, that all the chyldrenn● of Israel might see, how good a thing it is, to be obedient unto the Lord. And the judges or rulers (every one after his name) whose heart went not a whoring, nor departed from the Lord and that forsook not the Lord unfaithfully, whose remembrance hath a good report, ye their bones flourish out of their place, and their names shall never be changed (but honour remaineth still with the children of those holy men.) Samuel the prophet beloved of the lord his god 1. Re. x. a. and xvi b. ordained a King and anointed the Princes over the people. In the law of the Lord, he judged the congregation, and the lord had respect unto jacob. The prophet was found diligent in his faithfulness, and he is known faithful in his words. 1. Re. seven. a He called upon the Lord the almighty, when the enemies pressed upon him on every side, what time as he offered the sucking lambs. And the Lord thundered from heaven and made his voice to be heard with a great noise. He discomfited the Princes of tire, and all the Rulers of the Philistines. ●re. xx. a. Before his last end he made protestation in the sight of the Lord, and his anointed, that he took neither substance nor good of any man, no not so much as a and no man might accuse him. After this he told, that his end was at hand and showed the King also his end and death, and from the earth life he up his voice in the Prophecy, that the ungodly people should perish. ¶ The praise of Nathan, David and Solomon. Capi. xlvii. afterward in the time of King David, 2. Re. xii. there rose up a Prophet called Nathan: For like as the fat is taken away from the offering, so was David chosen out of the Childrenne of Israel He took his pastime with the Lions & as with kids, and with Bears like as with lambs. 1. Reg. 17. f Slew he not a giant when he was yet but young, and took away the rebuke from his people? What time as he took the stone in his hand, and smote down the proud goliath with the sling. For he called upon the Highest Lord, which gave him strength in his right hand, so that he overthrew the mighty Giant in the battle, that he might set up the horn of his people again. * Thus brought he him to worship above all Princes, Re. 18. b. & made him to have a good report in the praise of the Lord that he should were a crown of glory. two. Re. v. b. For he destroyeth the enemies on every side, rooted out the Philistines his adversaries, and broke their horn in sunder, like as it is broken yet this day In all his works he praised the Highest and holiest, and ascribed the honour unto him. With his whole heart did he praise the Lord, and loved god that made him. 2. pa. 26. a. He set fingers also before the Altar, & in their tune he made sweet songs. He ordained to keep the holy days worshipfully, & that the solemphne feasts thorough the whole year should be honourably holden, with praising the name of the Lord, and with singing by times in the morning in the Sanctuary. ¶ The Lord took away his sins and exalted his horn for ever. He gave him the covenant of the kingdom, & the throne of worship in Israel: .2 reg. 2. d 3. Re. 3, c After him there rose up the wise son called Solomon, and for his sake he drove the enemies away far of. This Solomon reigned with Peace in his time (for God gave him rest from his enemies on every side, that he might build him an house in his name, and prepare the Sanctuary for ever/ like as he was well instruct in his youth and filled with wisdom and understanding, as it were with a water flood. he covered and filled the whole land with similitudes and wise prudent sentences. His name went abroad in the Isles because of his peace he was beloved All lands marveled at his songs, proverbs, similitudes, and at his Peace, and at the name of the Lord GOD which is called the God of Israel. 3. re. x. d. 3. re. xi. He gathered gold as tin, and he had as much silver as lead ‡ he was moved in inordinate love toward women, & was overcome in affection. He stained his honour and worship, ye his posterity defiled he also, in bringing the wrath of the lord upon his children, 3. re xii. e. 2. re. 7. c. and sorrow after his joy, so that his kingdom was divided, and Ephram became an unfaithful and an unconstant kingdom. ‡ Nevertheless god forsook not his mercy, neither was he utterly destroyed: because of his works that he should leave him no posterity. As for the seed that came upon him which he loved, he brought it not utterly to nought, but gave yet a remnant unto jacob, and a rote unto david out of him Thus rested Solomon with his Fathers, and out of his seed left behind him a very foolishness of the people, and such one as had no understanding 3. re. xii. b even. Roboam, which turned away the people through his counsel, and Jeroboam the son of Nabat, 3. re. xii. d. which caused Israel to sin, and showed Ephraym the way of ungodliness: In so much that their sins and misdeeds had the upper hand so sore that at the last they were driven out of the land for the same: ye he sought out and brought up all wickedness, till the vengeance came upon them. ¶ The praise of Eliah, Elizeus, Hezekiah, and Esay. Cap. xlviii. THAN stood up 3. re. 17. ● Eliah the prophet as a fire, and his word brent like a cressette. He brought an hunger upon them, and in his zeal he made them few in number. For they might not away with the commandments of the Lord. Thorough the word of the lord he shut the heaven. * and three times brought he the fire down. Thus became Elyah honourable in his wondrous deeds, Who may make his boast to be like him? 3. re. 18. c. 4. re. 1. c. One that was dead raised he up from death, 3. reg. 17. c. and in the word of the highest he brought him out of the grave again. ¶ He cast down Kings and destroyed them, and the honourable from their seat. Upon the mount Sina he heard the punishment, and upon Horeb the judgement of the vengeance. He prophesied recompensing unto Kings, ⊢ ●. re. nineteen. And ordained Prophets after him. ⊣ 4. reg. 2. c He was taken up in the storm of fire, in a Charette of horses of the Lord. He was ordained in the reprovinges in time to pacify the wrath of the Lord. ★ Luke. 1 a to turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children and to set up the Tribes of jacob again Blessed were they that saw thee, & were garnished in love, for we live in life (but after death we shall have no such name ★ Elias was covered in the storm, but Helyzeus was filled with his spirit. While he lived: he was afraid of no prince, and no man might overcome him There could no word deceive him. ⊣ 4. Reg. 2. c three iiii. and after his death his body prophesied. He did wonders in his life, and in death were his works marvelous For all this, 4. reg. xiii. d iiii. reg. b. 6. 7. 1●: the people amended not, neither departed they from their sins, till they were carried away prisoners out of the land, 4. Reg. 1●. b and were scattered abroad in all countries, so that of them there remained but a very little people, & a prince unto the house of David. Howbeit some of them did right, and some heaped up ungodliness. ¶ Hezekias made his City strong, conveyed water into it, digged thorough the stony rock with iron, 2. Pa. 32. a▪ 4. reg. 18. c. Esa. 36. a & made up a well by the water side. ¶ In his time came Sennaherib up, and sent Rabsakes, lift up his hand against Zion, and defied them with great pride. Then trimbled their hearts and hands, so that they so rowed like a woman travailing with child So they called upon the lord, which is merciful, and lift up their hands before him. Immediately the lord heard them out of heaven: he thought no more upon their sins, nor gave than over to their enemies:) but delivered them by the hand of Isaiah, ¶ He smote the host of the Assyrians, and his Angel destroyed them. For Hezekias had done the thing that pleased the Lord, 5. reg. nineteen. g. & remained steadfastly in the way of David his father, as Esay the great and faithful Prophet in the sight of God, had commanded him. 4. re. xx. b. Esa. 38. b In his time the Son went backward, and he lengthened the kings life. With a right spirit prophesied he, what should come to pass at the last, and to such as were sorrowful in Zion he gave consolation, wherewith they might comfort themselves for evermore. He showed things that were for to come & secret, or ever they came to pass. ¶ Of josiah, Hezechiah, David, jeremy, ezechiel▪ zorobabel, jesus, Nehemiah, Enoch and joseph. Capi. xlix. THE remembrance of 4. re, 22. a and xxiii 1. pa. 34 a josias is like as when the Apotercarye maketh many precious sweet smelling things together. His remembrance shall be sweat as honey in all mouths, and as the playing of music at a banquet of wine. He was appointed to turn the people again, and to take away all abomination of the ungodly. He directed his heart unto the Lord and in the time of the ungodly he set up the worship of God again. All Kings (except David: Hezechiah, and josyah committed wickedness, for even the Kings of juda also forsook the law of God. For they gave their horn unto other, their honour and worship also to a strange people, Therefore, was the elect City of the Sanctuary brent with fire, 4. re. 25. b and the streets thereof lay desolate and waste, in the land of jeremy, for they entreated him evil, which nevertheless was a prophet ordained from his mother's womb that he might root out, break of, jere. 1. a. and destroy, and that he might build up, and plant again, Eze. 1. a. ezechiel saw the glory of the Lord in a vision, which was showed him upon the charette of the cherubins. For he thought upon the enemies in the rain, to do good unto such as had ordered their ways a right. And the bones of the twelve prophets flourished from out of their place for they gave comfort and consolation unto jacob, and delivered them faithfully. Agg. two. a. 1. Es. three a. 3. Esd. 5. a How shall we praise zorobabel, which was a ring in the right hand Agge. two. c. and ii a. So was jesus also the Sun of josedec: these men in their times builded the house, and set up the Sanctuary of the Lord again, 2. Esd. i, a. 2. Es. 7. a. which was prepared for an everlasting worship. ¶ And Nehemyas is alway to be commended, which set up for us the walls that were broken down, made the ports and bars again, and builded our houses of the new: ‡ But upon earth is there no man created like Enoche, for he was taken up from the earth. gene. v. c. Eccl. 44. c. Heb. xii. a gene. xli. f, 42. a. 45. e. And joseph: which was Lord of his brethrenne, and the upholder of his people: his bones were covered and kept. Seth and Sem were in great honour among the people: and so was Adam above all the beasts, when he was created. ¶ Of Simon the Son of Oniah. Capi. l. SIMON ●. Mac. 3.4. the Son of Onyas the high Priest, which in his life set up the house again, and in his days made fast the Temple. The height of the Temple also was founded of him, the double building, and the high walls of the Temple. In his days the wells of water flowed out, & were exceeding full as the see. He took care for his people, and delivered them from destruction. He kept his City and made it strong, that it should not be besieged. He dwelled in honour and worship among his people, and enlarged the entrance of the house, and the court. He gave light as the morning Star in the midst of the Clouds, and as the Moon when it is full: He shined as the Sun in the Temple of God. He is as bright as the rain bow in the fair clouds, and flourisheth as flowers and Roses in the spring of the year, and as lilies by the rivers of water. Like as the branches upon the mount Libanus in the time of Summer, as a fire and in sense that is kindled. Like as an whole ornament of puer gold, set with all manner of precious stones, and as an olive tree that is fruitful, & as a Cypress tree which groweth up an high. When he put on the garment of honour, and was clothed with all beauty When he went to the holy Altar, to garnish the covering of the Sanctuary, when he took the portions out of the priests hand, he himself stood by the hearth of the altar, and his brethrenne round about in order As the branches of cedar tree upon the mount Libanus, so stood they round about him, And as the branches of the olive tree so stood all the sons of Aaron in the glory, and the Oblations of the Lord in their hands, before all the Congregation of Israel And that he might sufficiently perform his service upon the altar: and garnish the offering of the highest GOD, he stretched out his hand, and took of the drink offering, and poured in of the wine: so he poured upon the bottom of the Altar a good smell unto the highest Prince. Then began the sons of Aaron to sing, and to blow with trumpets, and to make a great noise, for a remembrance and praise unto the Lord. Then were all the people afraid, and fell down to the earth upon their faces, to worship the Lord their God, and to give thanks to the almighty GOD They song goodly also with their voices, so that there was a pleasant noise in the great house of the lord. And the people in their prayer: be sought the Lord the highest, that he would be merciful, till the honour of the Lord were performed. Thus ended they their ministration and service. Then went he down and stretched out his hands over the whole multitude of the people of Israel, that they should give praise and thanks out of their lips unto the Lord, and to rejoice in his name. He began yet once also to pray: that he might openly show the thanks giving before the Hieste, namely thus. O give praise and thanks (ye all) unto the lord our god, which hath ever done noble and great things which hath increased our days from our mother's womb, and dealt with us according to his mercy, that he will give us the joyfulness of heart: and peace for our time in Israel. Which faith fully keepeth his mercy for us evermore and alway delivereth us in due season There be two manner or people that I abhor from my heart: as for the third whom I hate, it is no people. They that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, the Philystynes, and the foolish people that dwell in Sichimis. I jesus the son of Syrach Eleazarus of jerusalem, have tokenned up these informations and documents of wysdomme and understanding in this book, and poured out the wisdom of my heart. Blessed is he that exerciseth himself therein, & who so taketh such to heart, shallbe wise for ever. if he do these things, he shall be strong in all. For the light of the lord, leadeth him. ¶ The praise of jesus the son of Syrach. Capi, li. I WILL thank thee, O Lord, and King, and praise the O God my Saviour. I will yield praise unto thy name, for thou art my Defender and helper, and haste preserved my body from destruction, from the snare of traitorous tongues, and from the lips that are occupied with lies. Thou hast been my helper, from such as stood up against me, and haste delivered me, after the multitude of thy mercy, and for thy holy names sake. Thou haste delivered me from the roaring of them: that prepared them selves to devour me: out of the hands of such as sought after my life: from the multitude of them that troubled me, & went about to set fire upon me on every side, so that I am not brent in the midst of the fire. From the deep of hell, from an unclean tongue, from lying words, from the wicked King, & from an unrighteous tongue. My soul shall praise the Lord unto death, for my life drew nigh unto hell downward. They compassed me round about on every side, and there was no man to help. I looked about me, if there were any man that would succour me: but there was none. Then thought I upon thy mercy, O LORD, and upon thy Acts that thou haste done ever of old, namely, that thou deliverest such as put their trust in thee, and ryddest them out of the hands of the Heathen. Thus lift I up my prayer from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death. I called upon the LORD: the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me without help, in the day of my trouble, and in the time of the proud: I will praise thy name continually, yielding honour, and thanks unto it, and so my prayer was heard. Thou savedst me from destruction, and deliverdest me from the unrighteous time. Therefore will I acknowledge & praise thee, and magnify thy name, O LORD. When I was yet but young, or ever I went astray, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer. I came therefore before the Temple, and sought her unto the last. Then flourished she unto me, as a grape that is soon ripe. My heart re●oysed in her, than went my foot the right way ye from youth up, sought I after her, I bowed down mine ear & received her I found me much wisdom, and prospered greatly in her. Therefore will I ascribe the glory unto him, that giveth me wisdom: for I am advised to do thereafter. I will be jealous to clean unto the thing that is good, so shall I not be confounded. My soul doth wrestled with her, and I have been diligent to be occupied in her I lift up mine hands on high, than was my soul lightened thorough wisdom, that I knoledged my foolishness. I ordered my soul, after her, she and I were one heart from the beginning and I found her in cleanness. And therefore shall I not be forsaken. My heart longed after her, and I got a good treasure. Thorough her the lord hath given me a new tongue, wherewith I will praise him Eccl. lv. a. O come unto me ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of wysdomme, withdraw not yourselves from her, but talk and comen of these things, for your Souls are very thirsty. I opened my mouth, and spoke. O come and by wisdom without money, bow down your neck under her yoke, and your soul shall receive wisdom. She is hard at hand, and is content to be found. Behold with your eyes. Eccl. vi. ● how that I have had but little labour, and yet have found moche rest. O receive wisdom, and ye shall have plentuousness of silver and gold in possession. Let your mind rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise. Work his work by times and he shall give you your reward in due time. ¶ Here endeth the book of jesus, the son of Syrache, which is called in Latyn ECCLESIASTIcus. FINIS huius libri. ❧ Imprinted at London in Paul's churchyard at the sign of the kings arms by William Bonham.