tured fouls have erred. 8 For they that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a fick foul, were fick themselves of fear worthy to be laughed at. 9 For though no terrible thing did fear them: yet being scared with beasts that paffed by, and hiffing of ferpents, 2 For when unrighteous men thought to opprefs the holy nation; they being fhut up in their houses, the prifoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay [there] exiled from the eternal providence. 3 For while they fuppofed to lie hid in their fecret fins, 10 They died for fear, dethey were scattered under anying that they faw the air, dark vail of forgetfulness, be- which could of no fide be ing horribly aftonished, and avoided. troubled with (ftrange) apparitions. 4 For neither might the corner that held them, keep them from fear but noifes, (as of waters) falling down, founded about them, and fad vifions appeared unto them with heavy countenances. 5 No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night. 6 Only there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itfelf, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they faw to be worse than the fight they faw not. 7 As for the illufions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with difgrace, II For wickedness condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being preffed with confcience, always forecasteth grievous things. 12 For fear is nothing else, but a betraying of the fuccours which reason offereth. 13 And the expectation from within being lefs, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the 16 So then, whosoever there fell down, was ftraitly kept, fhut up in a prifon without iron bars. 17 For whether he were hufbandman or fhepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that neceffity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness. 18 Whether it were a whiftling wind, or a melodious noife of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleafing fall of water running violently, 3 Inftead whereof thou gaveft them a burning pillar of fire, both to be a guide of 19 Or a terrible found of the unknown journey, and ftones caft down, or a run-an harmless fun to entertain ning that could not be feen them honourably, of skipping beafts, or a roaring voice of moft favage wild beafts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains: thefe things made them to fwoon for fear. 20 For the whole world fhined with clear light, and none were hindered in their fabour: 21 Over them only was fpread an heavy night, an image of that darknefs, which fhould afterwards receive them but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness, 4 For they were worthy to be deprived of light, and imprisoned in darkness, who had kept thy fons fhut up, by whom the uncorrupt light of the law was to be given unto the world. 5 And when they had determined to flay the babes of the faints, one child being caft forth, and faved, to reprove them, thou tookest away the multitude of their children, and deftroyedit them altogether in a mighty water. 6 Of that night were our fathers certified afore, that afluredly knowing unto what oaths they had given credence, firft-born.they acknowledged this people to be the fons of God. dence, they might afterwards upon the deftruction of the be of good cheer: 7 So of thy people was accepted both the falvation of the righteous, and deftruction of the enemies. 8 For wherewith thou didft punish our adverfaries, by the fame thou didst glorify us whom thou hadft called. 14 For while all things were in quiet filence, and that night was in the midft of her fwift courfe, 15 Thine Almighty word leapt down from heaven, out of thy royal throne, as a fierce 9 For the righteous chil-man of war into the midst of dren of good men did facri- a land of deftruction, fice fecretly, and with one confent. made a holy law, that the faints fhould be like partakers of the fame good and evil, the fathers now finging out the fongs of praife. 10 But on the other fide there founded an ill according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable noife was carried abroad for children that were bewailed. 11 The mafter and the fervant were punished after one manner; and like as the king, fo fuffered the common períon. 16 And brought thine unfeigned commandment, as a fharp fword, and standing up filled all things with death; and it touched the heaven, but it flood upon the earth. 17 Then fuddenly vifions of horrible dreams troubled them fore, and terrors came upon them unlooked for. 18 And one thrown here, and another there half dead, fhewed the cause of his death. 19 For the dreams that troubled them did forefhew this, left they should perish, and not know why they were afflicted. 20 Yea, the tafting of death touched the righteous 12 So they all together had innumerable dead with one kind of death; neither were the living fufficient to bury them for in one mo-alfo, and there was a destrucment the nobleft offspring of them was destroyed. tion of the multitude in the wilderness but the wrath endured not long : 21 For then the blameless man made hafte, and food Kk 4 forth forth to defend them, and 2 How that having given bringing the fhield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and the propitiation of incenfe, fet himself againft the wrath, and fo brought the calamity to an end, declaring that he was thy servant. 22 So he overcame the destroyer, not with ftrength of body, nor force of arms, but with a word fubdued he him that punished, alledging the oaths and covenants made with the fathers. 23 For when the dead were now fallen down by heaps one upon another, fstanding between, he stayed the wrath, and parted the way to the living, 24 For in the long garment was the whole world, and in the four rows of the ftones was the glory of the fathers graven, and thy majefty upon the diadem of his head. 25 Unto these the deftroyer gave place, and was afraid of them for it was enough that they only tafted of the wrath. them leave to depart, and fent them haftily away, they would repent and purfuc them. 3 For whilft they were yet mourning, and making Íamentation at the graves of the dead, they added another foolish device, and pursued them as fugitives, whom they had entreated to be gone. 4 For the destiny, whereof they were worthy, drew them unto this end, and made them forget the things that had already happened, that they might fulfil the punishment which was wanting to their torments: 5 And that thy people might pass a wonderful way; but they might find a strange death. 6 For the whole creature in his proper kind was fashioned again anew, ferving the peculiar commandments that were given unto them, that thy children might be kept without burt: 7 As namely, a cloud shadowing the camp; and where water stood before, dry land appeared; and out of the Red fea, a way without impediment; and out of the violent ftream, a green field: 8 Wherethrough all the people people went that were de- 15 And not only fo, but, fended with thy hand, feeing peradventure, fome refpect thy marvellous ftrange won-fhall be had of those, because ders. they used strangers not friendly. 9 For they went at large like horses, and leaped like lambs, praifing thee, O Lord, who hadft delivered them. II But afterwards they faw a new generation of fowls, when being led with their appetite, they afked delicate meats. 12 For quails came up unto them from the fea, for their contentment. 16 But these very grjevoufly afflicted them, whom they had received with feastings, and were already made partakers of the fame laws with them. 17 Therefore even with blindnefs were these ftricken, as those were at the doors of the righteous man: when, being compaffed about with horrible great darkness, every one fought the paffage of his own doors. 18 For the elements were changed in themselves by a kind of harmony, like as in a pfaltery notes change the name of the tune, and yet are always founds, which 13 And punishments came may well be perceived by the upon the finners, not with-fight of the things that have out former figns by the force been done. of thunders; for they suffered juftly, according to their own wickedness, infomuch as they used a more hard and hateful behaviour towards ftrangers. 19 For earthly things were turned into watery, and the things that before fwam in the water, now went upon the ground. 20 The fire had power in the water, forgetting his own virtue, and the water forgat his own quenching nature. 14 For the Sodomites did not receive thofe whom they knew not when they came: but these brought friends into 21 On the other fide, the bondage, that had well de-flames wafted not the flesh ferved of them. of the corruptible living things, |