Agere Sequitur Esse

Deeds of Solomon

1 She preserued the first formed father of the world that was created alone, and brought him out of his fall,

2 And gaue him power to rule all things.

3 But when the vnrighteous went away from her in his anger, he perished also in the fury wherwith he murdered his brother.

4 For whose cause the earth being drowned with the flood, Wisedome againe preserued it, & directed the course of the righteous, in a piece of wood, of small value.

5 Moreouer, the nations in their wicked conspiracie being confounded, she found out the righteous, and preserued him blamelesse vnto God, and kept him strong against his tender compassion towards his sonne.

6 When the vngodly perished, shee deliuered the righteous man, who fled from the fire which fell downe vpon the fiue cities.

7 Of whose wickednesse euen to this day the waste land that smoketh, is a testimonie, and plants bearing fruite that neuer come to ripenesse: and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an vnbeleeuing soule.

8 For regarding not wisedome, they gate not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good: but also left behind them to the world a memoriall of their foolishnes: so that in the things wherein they offended, they could not so much as be hid.

9 But Wisedome deliuered from paine those that attended vpon her.

10 When the righteous fled from his brothers wrath, she guided him in right paths: shewed him the kingdome of God: and gaue him knowledge of holy things, made him rich in his trauailes, and multiplied the fruit of his labours.

11 In the couetousnesse of such as oppressed him, she stood by him, and made him rich.

12 She defended him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those that lay in wait, and in a sore conflict she gaue him the victory, that he might knowe that godlinesse is stronger then all.

13 When the righteous was solde, she forsooke him not, but deliuered him from sinne: she went downe with him into the pit,

14 And left him not in bonds till she brought him the scepter of the kingdom and power against those that oppressed him: as for them that had accused him, she shewed them to be liers, and gaue them perpetuall glory.

15 She deliuered the righteous people, and blamelesse seed from the nation that oppressed them.

16 She entred into the soule of the seruant of the Lord, and withstood dreadfull kings in wonders and signes,

17 Rendred to the righteous a reward of their labours, guided them in a marueilous way, and was vnto them for a couer by day, and a light of starres in the night season:

18 Brought them through the red sea, and led them thorow much water.

19 But she drowned their enemies, and cast them vp out of the bottome of the deepe.

20 Therefore the righteous spoiled the vngodly, & praised thy holy Name, O Lord, and magnified with one accord thine hand that fought for them.

21 For wisedome opened the mouth of the dumbe, and made the tongues of them that cannot speake, eloquent.

Chap 11

1 She prospered their works in the hand of the holy Prophet.

2 They went thorough the wildernesse that was not inhabited, and pitched tents in places where there lay no way.

3 They stood against their enemies, and were auenged of their aduersaries.

4 When they were thirsty they called vpon thee, and water was giuen them out of the flinty rocke, and their thirst was quenched out of the hard stone.

5 For by what things their enemies were punished, by the same they in their neede were benefited.

6 For in stead of a fountaine of a perpetuall running riuer, troubled with foule blood,

7 For a manifest reproofe of that commandement, whereby the infants were slaine, thou gauest vnto them abundance of water by a meanes which they hoped not for,

8 Declaring by that thirst then, how thou hadst punished their aduersaries.

9 For when they were tryed, albeit but in mercy chastised, they knew how the vngodly were iudged in wrath and tormented thirsting in another maner then the Iust.

10 For these thou didst admonish, and trie as a father: but the other as a seuere king thou didst condemne and punish.

11 Whether they were absent, or present, they were vexed alike.

12 For a double griefe came vpon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.

13 For when they heard by their owne punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feeling of the Lord.

14 For whom they reiected with scorne when hee was long before throwen out at the casting forth of the infants, him in the end, when they saw what came to passe, they admired.

15 But for the foolish deuises of their wickednesse, wherewith being deceiued, they worshipped serpents voyd of reason, and vile beasts: thou didst send a multitude of vnreasonable beasts vpon them for vengeance,

16 That they might knowe that wherewithall a man sinneth, by the same also shall he be punished.

17 For thy Almighty hand that made the world of matter without forme, wanted not meanes to send among them a multitude of Beares, or fierce Lyons,

18 Or vnknowen wild beasts full of rage newly created, breathing out either a fiery vapour, or filthy sents of scattered smoake, or shooting horrible sparkles out of their eyes:

19 Whereof not onely the harme might dispatch them at once: but also the terrible sight vtterly destroy them.

20 Yea and without these might they haue fallen downe with one blast, being persecuted of vengeance, and scattered abroad thorough the breath of thy power, but thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.

21 For thou canst shew thy great strength at all times when thou wilt, and who may withstand the power of thine arme?

22 For the whole world before thee is as a litle graine of the ballance, yea as a drop of the morning dew that falleth downe vpon the earth.

23 But thou hast mercy vpon all: for thou canst doe all things, and winkest at the sinnes of men: because they should amend.

24 For thou louest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for neuer wouldest thou haue made any thing, if thou hadst hated it.

25 And how could any thing haue endured if it had not beene thy will? or beene preserued, if not called by thee?

26 But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou louer of soules.

Chap 12

1 For thine vncorruptible spirit is in all things.

2 Therefore chastnest thou them by little, and little, that offend, and warnest them by putting them in remembrance, wherin they haue offended, that leauing their wickednesse they may beleeue on thee O Lord.

3 For it was thy will to destroy by the handes of our fathers, both those old inhabitants of thy holy land,

4 Whom thou hatedst for doing most odious workes of witchcrafts, and wicked sacrifices;

5 And also those mercilesse murderers of children, & deuourers of mans flesh, and the feasts of blood;

6 With their Priests out of the midst of their idolatrous crew, and the parents that killed with their owne hands, soules destitute of helpe:

7 That the land which thou esteemedst aboue all other, might receiue a worthy colonie of Gods children.

8 Neuerthelesse, euen those thou sparedst as men, and didst send waspes forerunners of thine hoste, to destroy them by little and little.

9 Not that thou wast vnable to bring the vngodly vnder the hand of the righteous in battell, or to destroy them at once with cruel beastes, or with one rough word:

10 But executing thy iudgements vpon them by little and little, thou gauest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a naughtie generation, and that their malice, was bred in them, and that their cogitation would neuer be changed.

11 For it was a cursed seed, from the beginning, neither didst thou for feare of any man giue them pardon for those things wherein they sinned.

12 For who shall say, What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy iudgement, or who shall accuse thee for the nations that perish whom thou hast made? or who shall come to stand against thee, to be reuenged for the vnrighteous men?

13 For neither is there any God but thou, that careth for all, to whom thou mightest shew that thy iudgement is not vnright.

14 Neither shall king or tyrant bee able to set his face against thee, for any whom thou hast punished.

15 For so much then as thou art righteous thy selfe, thou orderest all things righteously: thinking it not agreeable with thy power to condemne him þt hath not deserued to be punished.

16 For thy power is the beginning of righteousnesse, and because thou art the Lord of all, it maketh thee to be gracious vnto all.

17 For when men will not beleeue, that thou art of a full power, thou shewest thy strength, and among them that know it, thou makest their boldnesse manifest.

18 But thou, mastering thy power, iudgest with equitie, and orderest vs with great fauour: for thou mayest vse power when thou wilt.

19 But by such workes hast thou taught thy people, that the iust man should be mercifull, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope, that thou giuest repentance for sinnes.

20 For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy children, and the condemned to death with such deliberation, giuing them time and place, wherby they might be deliuered from their malice.

21 With how great circumspection diddest thou iudge thine owne sonnes, vnto whose fathers thou hast sworne, and made couenants of good promises?

22 Therefore whereas thou doest chasten vs, thou scourgest our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that when wee iudge, wee should carefully thinke of thy goodnesse, and when we our selues are iudged, wee should looke for mercy.

23 Wherefore, whereas men haue liued dissolutely and vnrighteously, thou hast tormented them with their owne abominations.

24 For they went astray very farre in the wayes of errour, & held them for gods (which euen amongst the beasts of their enemies were despised) being deceiued as children of no vnderstanding.

25 Therefore vnto them, as to children without the vse of reason, thou didst send a iudgement to mocke them.

26 But they that would not bee refourmed by that correction wherein he dallied with them, shall feele a iudgement worthy of God.

27 For looke, for what things they grudged when they were punished, (that is) for them whom they thought to be gods, [now] being punished in them; when they saw it, they acknowledged him to be the true God, whome before they denyed to know: and therefore came extreme damnation vpon them.