him and to put him to death if it be possible for hatred worketh with spitefulnesse and is alway sorry to hear or see men go forward or prosper in well-doing For like as love beareth good will then to the dead and wisheth them alive and would if it were possible stay them from death which are condemned to die So hatred seeketh to stay the living and deemeth them unworthy of life which have offended never so lightly For the spirit of hatred doth through cankred frowardnesse of heart work joyntly with Sathan in all things even to the death and destruction of men But the spirit of love doth through long sufferance worke with Gods Law to the welfare of men Hatred is evil because it abideth with lying speaking continually against the truth making a great adoe of small matters overshadowing the lâ—ght with darknesse counting sweet to be sowre teaching slanderousnesse war wrong and aboundance of all mischief and finally filling the heart with divellish poison My children I speak these tâ—ings upon experience to the intent you should eschew hatred and stick to godly love Righteousnesse driveth out hatred and lowlinesse killeth it for a righteous and lowly person is ashamed to doe wrong not for feare of rebuke but for conscience sake because God seeth his intent He backbiteth no man because the feare of the highest overcommeth hatred for the feare of the Lord offendeth not neither wil do any man wrong no not even in thought At length I came to the knowledge of these things when I had repented the of my dealings toward Joseph For the true Repentance that is according to Gods will mortifieth a man to obedience chaseth away darknesse inlightneth the eyes giveth knowledge to the minde and leadeth the soul to salvation And whatsoever men know not of themselves that doth repentance teach them For it brought upon me the pain of the heart and if my father Jacobs prayers had not beene surely I had died out of hand For loâ—k wherein a man sinneth by the same he is punished Forasmuch therefore as my heart was mercilesse toward Joseph I suffered Gods rigorous justice in my heart by the space of xi moneths that the time of my punishment might fall out even with the time that I urged the selling of Joseph Now therefore my children each of you love his brothers and put away hatred from your hearts loving one another in deed word and tâ—ought of minde For before my fathers face I spake mildly of Joseph but behinde his backe the spirit of hatred darkened my understanding and tempted my minde to kill him Wherefore love ye one another heartily and if any of you offend other tell him of it gently driving out the poyson of hatred and fostering no deceit in heart And if the offender confesse it and be sorry for it give it him and if he deny it strive not with him lest he fall to swearing and so sinne double Let no stranger hear you uttering one anothers secrets in variance lest he turn to be your ill-willer and worke some great mischief against you For he will talke guilefully with thee and undermine thee to do thee a shrewd turn taking his poyson at thine own hand Therefore if he deny it and he ashamed of it and hold his peace when he is rebuked draw him not out for in denying he repenteth him so as he will no more offend thee but honour thee and fear thee and be in quiet But if he be unshamefac't and abide by his naughtiness then refer the revengement of it to God with all thy heart If another man prosper more then thou be not grieved at it but pray for him that he may have perfect prosperity For peradventure it may be to your own benefit And if he be exalted more and more envy him not but remember that all flesh shall die and praise God for it who giveth good and profitable things to all men Seek the Lords judgements and so thy mind shal let him alone and be in quiet Now if a man be enriched by evill means as Esau my Fathers brother was envy him not for in so doing ye controll the Lord who either taketh away his benefits from the wicked or leaveth them still to the repentant or else reserveth them in the unrepentant to their endlesse punishment For the poore man having sufficient of all things giveth thanks unto the Lord and is enriched of all men because men wish him no harm Therefore my children away with hatred out of your hearts and love one another with a right meaning minde Also will you your children to honour Levi and Juda for out of them shall the Lord make the Saviours of Israel to come I know that in the end your children shall depart from them and walke in all manner of mischief naughtinesse and corruption before the Lord And after a little pausing he said again My sonnes hear me your Father bury me by my fathers And so plucking up his feet he slept in peace and after five years they carryed him thence and laid him with his Fathers in Hebron The Testament of ASER made to his Children at his death concerning two Faces of Vice and Vertue Two wayes saith Aser are prepar'd for men the one for joy The last for death 〈…〉 The Testament of ASER. THe Copy of Aser his Testament and of the things that he spake to his Children in the 120. year of his life Being still in health he said unto them Ye children of Aser hearken unto your father and I will shew you all things that are right before the Lord The Lord hath given two wayes unto the Sons of men two mindes two doings two places and two ends and therefore all wayes may be one yea though they be contraries as are the wayes of good and evill Also there are two mindes in our breasts which doe move us either to honesty or dishonesty Therefore if a man be led to goodnesse all his doings are occupied about righteousnesse and if that be doe any thing amisse by and by he repenteth him for in as much as his minde is bent unto righteousnesse he putteth away naughtinesse and out of hand amendeth his misdeeds and correcteth the corruptions of his mind But if his minde incline unto evill all his doings tend unto naughtinesse in so much that he thrusteth away the good and taketh unto him the bad because he is under the dominion of Belial and if he doe any good thing he turneth the same unto evill For if he begin to do any good he bringeth the end of his doings to an evil work because the treasure of his heart is infected with the venome of a divelâ—sh and mischievous Spirit and therefore the evill overmastereth the good in his minde and bringeth the end of the thing to naughtinesse Some man sheweth compassion upon him that serveth his turn in naughtinesse that man hath two faces and that deed
done but it shall be open A godly caveat Labour a preservative from fornication A guilty conscience is a great burden The fruit of fornication 1. Destruction of the soule 2. Idolatry 3. Shortnes of life 4 Ignominious shame Josephs chastity rewarded Properties of unchast women A note for garish attire and wanton lookes An example of this mischiefe Gen. 6. Teachers infectious company corrupteth the minde Envie accoÌ„panieth fornication shame followeth Gen 4.9 He prophecieth of Christ Faithful dealing with neighbours Gen. 5.49 Gen. 29. Hardiness of whom it is Gen. 37. Man purposeth God disposeth Envie descâ—ibed a Blindeth the mind b hindreth â—â—stenance c Provoketh murder d Pineth aâ— mens prosperity A remedy against envie Gen. 42. Joseph mercifull to his brethren Gen. 50. A sure token of good Properties of Envie 1 Corruption of life 2 Distemperature of body 3 Small sleep Gen. 39. A token of a quiet minde Effects of whoredome Gen. 49. Parents teaching not their Children are guilty Commodities of concord Exod. 17. Ioh. 1. The fruite of obedience Gen. 49. A note for Parents Levi hâ—s birth and countâ—ey Gen. 34. Christ Christ A minister what hee should be of himself not righteous Mat. 5. End of the priesthood prophesied Christ his passion prophesied Christ Gen. 34. Christ our redeemer The zeale of a Minister Gen. 34. Gen. 34. Gen. 49. The manner not the doing rebuked The sin of the Sichemites Raped Dina Persecuted strangers Gen. 12. Ravished their wives Gen. 35. The ministerie described Exod. 28. Levit. 8. The three blessings of the family of Levi Christ prophecied A distributing excludeth the sole receiving of the Sacrament Exod. 29 Levi. 1.2 3. An exhortation for Ministers A minister may be married Levit. 21. He must come with a pure mind to exâ—cute his office Levit. 1.2 3 4 A comfort for godly parents Prophecy of the destruction of Israel The Realm plagued whose Ministery is wicked Gen. 36. Levi his progenie Exod. 6. Levi made Priest at 18 years Married at 28. A note for Parents Blessings of the learned Minister Wisedome a precious jewell Sin blindeth wisedome Commodities of wisedome Christ his death and spitefulnes of the Jews prophesied Mat. 27. Ministers what they are The wicked Priesthood and their misery described 1 Sam. 2. A Prophecy of their destruction A prophecy of Christs persecution Mark the right portraiture of the Shaveling generation Christ and his members Ergo faith the holy Ghost justifieth and not merits Christ his true mnistery described Christ lighneth the world Baptisme of Christ prophecied No Priesthood shall succeed Christ Priesthood of Christ how beneficial Christ our propitiator Christ giveth power to his to tread down spirits Juda his exhortation The duty of children Valiantnes of Juda the gift of God The manhood of Juda. The valiantnes of Jacob Er Anan slaine for not using the benefit of lawfull mariage FornicatioÌ„ a fruit of drunkennes Gen. 38. An intolerable custome of the Amorites Apparell Beauty wine provoketh whoredome FornicatioÌ„ is chargeable Happy are they that can cease from doing ill It is sinful to any man to glory in his felicity See what it is to upbraid men their vice Children that marry without consent of parents plagued Discommodities of wine 1. Blindeth understanding 2. Servant of lechery Fruite of drunkennes A drunken man is shamelesse Example Who ought to drinke wine Properties of a drunken man is filthy talk wicked deeds Discommoditie of whoredome Four noisome Spirits follow drunkeÌ„nes 1. Concupiscence 2. Heart burning 3. Lechery 4. Covetousnes Astibnenc from wine what commodity it hath 2. It slandreth not 2. It quarreleth not nor raileth 3 It breaketh not the commandements 4. It perisheth not before the time Obedience to parents how profitable The discommodites of covetousnesse a Fill of Pride b Merciles c Disquiets the soule d Consumes the body e Contemnes Gods holy word The covetous lecherous cannot feare God Idolatry the fruit of covetousnesse Two Spirits waite upon a man a In respect that heavenly things are better then earthly not in externall rule government b Ergo iure divino the Pope can challenge no earthly power c Not in power and rule but in the excelâ—eÌ„cy of the office appertaining to God Tyrants wicked men described and prophesied Mutuall discord is a plague for tyrants Christ prophesied Note this ye that seeke after witches for lost goods The misery of Jerusalem a Famine b Pestilence c Death Sword d Besiegement e Devouring dogs f Daily reproche g Losse paine of eyes h Slaughter of children i Ravishing of Wives k Burning of the Temple l Desolation of the country m Captivity A remedy for these First Repentance Obedience The most heavenly benefit of Christ his second coming A sweet comfort for the godly Christian Matth. 5. Note The blessed estate of the elect after death The exhortation Gen. 30. The godly life of Issachar his true dealing An example for godly children A pattern of a vertuous life With a plain dealing man the Lord is pleased A single-hearted man described who and what he is Learn you children of the earth Obedience and plain dealing commended A Plague for disobedience The innocency of Issachar A godly pattern to follow Hearken you Land-Lords Learn you wealthy of the earth His exhortation when it was given Gen. 30. The love of Zabulon towarâ— Joseph A good conscience refuseth no triall Love between brethren is as a precious ointment Mutuall love is mutuall safety A figure of the trechery and covetousnesse of Judas read Matth. 27. Juda carefull for his Brother Reuben his love toward Joseph Mark the wicked policy of the ungodly Zabulon his exhortation Compassion is to be shewed as well to beasts as men The unmercifull punished both they and their children Fishers Boats fiâ—st invented by Zabulon but God gave the wisdome Gen. 49. The singular compassion of Zabulon Note Zabulon his mercy in giving food A mercyfull deede to clothe the naked Inward compassion wanting ability serveth A rare example of a mercifull heart God dwelleth â—n a mercifuâ—l heart Joseph rewarded good for evill He that is mindful of injuries is not mercâ—full Apt similitudes An exhortation to concord The end of discord is misery The state of the wicked at the latter day Heart and outward profession must be consociate Lies anger school-masters of evill life Selfe-love thinketh himself as good as other Desire of prerogative entiseth to murther Man purposeth but God disposeth A wrathfull man lively described a He accounteth his Parents as enemies b He knoweth not his brother c He obeyeth not the Minister d He regardeth not the righteous e He considereth not his friend The properties of wrath A wrathfull man worketh three wayes 1 By servants 2 By riches 3 By himself Two instruments of wrath bitter speech violent hands Remedy against wrath is forbearing of words The effect of impatience He prophesieth their wickednes A note for covetousnes Repentance obtaineth mercy A prophecy of Christ his humanity Christ lively described Christ our mediator Christ assisteth us in all temptations His birth Why he was called Neptalim Why Joseph was like Neptalim his family The swiftnesse of Neptalim Gen. 49. God his wisdome in creating us lively set forth All things must be done in time and order The reason Neptalim prophesieth the misery of his children A Vision Remorse of conscience moveth open confession By doing well God is glorified men blessâ—d the divel vâ—nquished Gad a good and valiant shepheard Gad hated Joseph for his complaining to his father 2. For his dreams A comparison The property of hatred A righteous man described Love consisteth in deed in word and minde Envy no mans prosperity It may be perchance your profit A poor man how he is rich A prophecy of Christ Two wayes for a man to walk in Two mindes in a man of good of evil Diverse sorts of double faces The covetous mans wickedness described God abideth with the plain dealer The preposterous judgement of the world makes not good or bad Other kindes of double faced men Aser his righteous living Double faced double punished A prophecy of Câ—rist his humanity Josephs afflictions God helpeth in distresse God never forsaketh his Joseph constant in temptations Sufferance what it is A present medicine in temptation Not from meat but from wanton fare A crafty practise of a woman Flattery the Divels sweet bait A token of a zealous heart Hypocrites are of all religions for luere Double faced men GOD abhorreth Note the fruit of lust Joseph did first admonish not proclame The Name of God fear of infamy pricketh the conscieece Note this A remedy against teÌ„ptation Note a subtile woman Josephs singular chastity A property of a Harlot The commodity of praier and sufferance Josephs lowlinesse in prosperity An amiable countenance a token of a liberall mind A covetous heart like Achaâ— A token of mercy if it were not for an ill end Note a flattering woman A good nature Thus the Righteous be bought and sold Concord between brethren pleaseth God Josephs mercifull heart declared A promise for them that pray for their enemies God provideth for his Elect. Josephs dreams Christ prophesied Benjamin what it signifieth Josephs distress revenged by God Temptation shaâ— not overcome them that fear the Lord Joseph aright figure of Jesus Christ A good man 1 OvercoÌ„meth evil 2 Loveth the righteous 3 Envieth not 4 Praiseth the valiant 5 Defendeth him that feareth God 6 Admonisheth the Sinner 7 Pitieth the poore The example of a godly man converteth Sinners The properties of a righteous man Disobedience the father of seven mischiefs 1 Envy 1 Desperation 3 Sorrow 4 BoÌ„dage 5 Needinesse 6 Trouble 7 Desolation An example of Cain An apt similitude to a mind resisting sinnes A prophecy of the nativity of Christ Of his passion Matth. 27. Of the comming of the holy Spirit Of his ascension A prophecy of the last comming of Christ The resurrection judgement described A prophecy of the nativity of Christ Christ described Christ wipeth away our sins
THE Testament of the twelve Patriarchs the sons of Iacob translated out of Greek into Latin by Robert Grosthead sometime Bishop of Lincolne and out of his Copie into French and Dutch by others and now Englished To the credit whereof an ancient Greeke Copie written in parchment is kept in the Vniversity Librarie of Cambridge London Printed by E C for the Companie of Stationers 1658. To the Christian Reader ALbeit these our happy dayes in some respect good Christian have and enjoy divers â—nd sundry workes tending â—o the subversion of Belial and the erection of godlinesse yet considering that as earthly so we spirituall souldiers seldome run to the watch without allarme I thought it convenient to call upon you with this grave and godly booke of long time hid in Hebrew now come to light in English The malice of the Jewish people in concealing it by reason of Christ the righteous so often prefigured was intolerable but the singular providence of God in preserving it unspeakable and now at last though chargâ—able yet fruitfull is the expressing and printing in our naturall language of this so worthy so golden a writ being of it selfe without the accessary painting of eloquent speech a Mirrour for Princes a Preacher for all Christians a beautifull glasse for women for children servants and such like a wise plausible and most ready schoolemaster for to apply to every particular estate his peculiar property Art thou a Prince a Magistrate a Rule let Iuda rule thee If thou thinkest upon manly courage hee teacheth valiantnesse if thou seeke to governe a right hee willeth thee to flye tyranny if thou thirst after manners of life hee foundeth it out that vaine-glory fornication and discord blemish weaken at length utterly consume nobility Let mee proceed farther aske a question Art thou a Bishop a Minister a preacher of Christs birth life and death behold Levi as a Lanterne Thou canst teach thy selfe but he can teach thee better thou speakest to others hearken to him that talketh to thee of thy office how holy it is how honourable the contemners thereof how miserable by whom begun continued and confirmed of thy state of life what how it should be Nunquam sine Sale sine Sole to be short of thy blessednesse if thou art godly wise learned of thine and their plagues where thou livest if wicked and ignorant What should I say more Looke upon Iacob O you Parents peruse the 12 godly Fathers in time and order learne of him his to pray to God in Christ his name for your children have regard to their instruction the want of the former your children shal misse the neglect of the latter you your selves shall bewail For the hearty prayer of a Father to the almighty for his children is a right singular benefit but he that for foolish pity giveth them the bridle is before God accounted a guilty partaker of their sinfull race View this book therefore hearken how to teach your selves and your children You have already handled a Sicke mans Salve enjoy now at length a Sicke mans tongue to instruct them when you leave them and what to leave them when you die else their end will be lamentation but yours lamentable misery And come you hither you children of the earth read see and say that old father Ruben with his good brethren readily and rightly describe the blessed path of righteousnesse and the forlorne way of Belial the one to flye the other to follow Wilt thou begin with the eldest for that old age seemeth wisest stop not then the eares of thy heart body to so wise sweet a charmer O the number O the uglisome portraiture of those deadly spirits that he hath so orderly numbred and cunningly coloured Lechery Envy Gluttony Bravery Pride Vaine-glory Vnrighteousnesse Wilfull ignorance All these as they seem are indeed pernicious but the former is most detestable the end whereof is consumption of this earthly body destruction of the soule Which welspring puddle of evil if thou wilt have dryed up cease from drunkennes if not see it have not a narrow and greedy eye upon a beautifull face if not drink yet stoppe thy mouth from busie questions with women to conclude if not therein be ducked and drowned use labour tame youthfulnesse For in this I overshooting my selfe saith Ruben to his Children defiled my Fathers bed Therefore looke not upon the beauty of women muse not upon their doings but keepe your selves occupied either in learning or some worke charge your wives and daughters that they trim not their heads will them to chasten their looks for every woman that deales deceitfully in those things is reserved to the punishment of the world to come Which trade of life to eschew seeing it is difficult without the fulfilling of the law and the law partly consisteth in mutuall love strive with Simeon the second brother to avoid strife which blindeth the mind pineth the body provoketh murder The remedy whereof is both forgiving and forgetting Take to thee Iosephs cheerefull countenance a perfect platform of a quiet mind yet set before thine eyes Simeons withered hand a right plague for such a sin All which disquietness and mischief safely to set a side let not Iuda be set a part Gather by him experience that for a man to glory in his own works is sinfull hee which upbraideth another mans vice standeth slippery Iuda choked Ruben his eldest brother with his fornication mark who sinned immediatly but envious rayling Iuda Did he not offend after the flesh in the Canaanites house did he not take a wife without consent of his Parents two great sins and alas in these our dayes too much used yet punished the one with want or at least small joy of children saith father Iuda the Patriarch but the other with intolerable danger of body and soule saith S. Paul Wherefore abstraine from wine abhor drunkennesse for such a one slandereth not rehearseth not another mans sins breedeth no sedition but embraceth love and charity in a single heart as good Father Isachar who never railed nor was hurtfull and spitefull to his neighbour never ate his meat alone but gave part to the poore never removed the bounds and markes of other mens ground but loved all men as his naturall children O that as we read this so we might expresse the same in life and conversation Mercy and Love is a precious Jewell the maintainers whereof being jointly connexed prosper once dissevered come to nought For the waters saith Zabulon wash away the sand when the stones and timber are dissolved whose mercy and singular compassion was rewarded singularly Sift his testament resemble his rare charity in cloathing the naked and feeding the hungry knowne unknown as well strangers as his countrimen Let not the spirit of Dan possesse your minde Suffer not the wrath of Gad to settle in your heart for such work
your Children shall forsake plainness and cleave to covetousnesse let goe innocency and follow lewdnesse leave Gods Commandements and stick unto Belial give over husbandry and gad after wicked devices and therefore shal they be scattered amongst the heathen and become bondslaves to their enemies Wherefore warn your Children of it that if they sin they may return quickly to the Lord for he is mercifull and will deliver them and bring them home again into their own Land I am now an hundred and two and twenty years old and I know not any deadly sinne upon me I have not known any woman but my Wife neither have I committed whoredome in the lust of mine eyes I have not drunk wine unto drunkennesse neither have I coveted any pleasant things of my neighbours There hath been no guile in my heart neither hath there any lying gone out of my lips I have been sorry with every man that was in heaviness and given my bread to the poor I have not eaten my meat alone nor removed the bounds and buttels of lands I have been pitiful all the dayes of my life dealt truly in all cases I have loved the Lord with all my strength and all men as mine own children My sons if you also do the like all the spirits of Belial will flie from you and nothing that mischievous men can doe against you shall have power over you You shall bring all wilde Beasts into subjection to you because ye have the Lord of Heaven with you if ye walke with him in singlenesse of heart And he willed them to carry his body into Hebron and to bury him there in the cave with his fathers Thus he stretched out his feet and died in a good age having all his limbs strong and sound and slept the sleep of all the world The Testament of ZABULON made to his Children at his death concerning compassion and mercy The poor man at home Zâ—bulon fed The stranger unknown also clothed When shâ—p did sail but gave him wit to govern it God did not fail but gave him wit to govern it The Testament of Zabulon THE charge that Zabulon gave to his Children in the hundred and fourteenth year of his life two and thirty years after the decease of Joseph And he saith unto them Hear ye me ye sons of Zabulon a good gift to my Father and Mother For when I was begotten my Father was greatly increased in Sheep and Cattel by reason of the good luck that he had through the straked rods I wist not my Children I wist not that I sinned in those dayes For I considered not that I dealt wickedly through ignorance in Josephs case and moreover concealed it with my brothers from our Father howbeit that I wept much for it in secret for I was sore afraid of my Brothers because they had all conspired together to kill him with the sword that should bewray that secret Neverthelesse when they would have killed him I besought them most earnestly with tears that they would not doe such wickednesse For Simeon and Gad came upon Joseph to have killed him and Joseph falling upon his knees said unto them Have pity upon me my Brethren have pity upon the bowels of our Father Jacob Lay not your hands upon me to shed innocent bloud for I have not sinned against you If I have done amisse nurture me with chastisement but lay not your hands upon me for our Father Jacobs sake Vpon his saying of these words I being moved with compassion came and wept and my heart melted within me and all the substance of my bowels were loosned upon my soul Also Joseph wept and I with him and my heart trembled and the joynts of my body quaked and I was not able to stand And when he saw me weeping with him and them coming towards him to kill him he fled behinde me and besought them to take pity of him Then Ruben stepping in said My brethren let us not kill him but let us cast him into the drie pit that our Fathers digged and found no water in it GOD suffered not any water to spring up in it because it should-be a safeguard for Joseph And so God did till they sold him to the Ismaelites Thus gave I no consent to the sinne against Joseph but Simeon Gad and the other of my brothers taking money for Joseph bought thooes with it for themselves their Wives and their Children saying Let us not eat it because it is the price of our Brothers bloud but let us tread trample it under our feet because he said he should raign over us and we shall see what his dreams will come unto Therefore in the Scepter of Enochs Law it is written of him that would not raise up seed to his brother I have loosed Josephs Shooe For when we came out of Egypt the young men unbuckled Josephs shooes at the Gate and so we worshipped Joseph as if it had been Pharaoh and not only worshipped him but also kneeled down before him with blushing and so were we put to shame before the Egyptians for afterward the Egyptians heard of all the ill that we had offered and done to Joseph After the laying of him in the pit my brothers set meat upon the Table to eat But I mourning for Joseph did tast no meat by the space of two dayes and two nights together neither would Juda eat with them but had an eye unto the pit because he feared lest Simeon and Gad should step there and kill him When they saw that I ate nothing they set me to keep him till he was sold He was in the Pit three dayes and three nights without repast yet he was sold Reuben hearing that he was sold in his absence rent his garments and wept saying How shall I look my Father Jacob in the face And therewithall taking money he ran after the Merchantmen but he could not finde them for they had left the Kings high-way and were gone away apace by by-lanes and Ruben ate no meat that day Dan therefore comming unto him said Weep not neither be sad for the Boy for I wot what we may say unto our Father Jacob We will kill a Kid and stain Josephs coat with the bloud of it and say unto him See if this be thy Sons coat or no For when they intended to sell Joseph they stripped him out of our Fathers coat and put upon him an old coat of a bond-servant Symeon had gotten his coat and would not deliver it us but was minded to have cut it in pieces with his sword and he was angry that he was yet alive that he had not slain him Then all my brethren rising up together said unto him Why shouldest thou not give it us seeing that thou only art the worker of this mischief in Israel Hereupon he gave it them and they did as Dan had counselled And now my children
I warn you keep the Lords commandements be mercifull to your neighbours and have inward compassion towards all not only men but also beasts For in that respect the Lord blessed me insomuch that when all my brothers were sick I escaped without sickness For God knoweth every mans intent Therefore my children have compassion in your bowels because that as any man dealeth with his neighbour so wil God deal with him For the children of my brothers fell sick also and died for Josephs sake because their fathers pitied him not but my children were preserved without sickness as you know And while I was upon the Sea-coast of Canaan I fell to fishing for my father Jacob and whereas many others were drowned in the Sea I abode unbuâ—t I was the first that made a Fisher-boat to float on the sea for God gave me understanding and wisdom therein so that I did set up a masâ— in the boat and fastned a sail to the midst of the wood and coasing along the shore in it I fished for my fathers houshold till we came into Egypt and for pity sake I gave of my fishing to every stranger that I met with if there were any foreiner born or any sicke body or any aged person I boiled my fish and dressed it well according to every mans need and carried it to them comforting them and having compassion with them And therefore God made me to catch much fish in the sea For hee that giveth his neighbor receiveth the things multiplied of the Lord Five yeares did I fish giving to every man â—hat I saw and serving all my Fathers house sufficiently in harvest time I fished and in winter time I fed sheep with my brothers Now will I tell you what I did I â—aw a miserable man in the deep of winter and having compassion upon him I stole a garment privily out of my house and gave it the naked man You therefore my Children take pity indifferently of all men and shew mercy with the things which the Lord giveth you and deale them abroad to all men with a good heart And if ye have not wherewith to succour the needy out of hand yet have compassion on him with inward mercy I know that my hand forslowed not to give to him that wanted and to spend the time with him insomuch that I have walked above vii furlongs with such a one weepiâ—g and my heart yerned upon him for compassion You therefore my children have earnest and inward mercy towards all that are in mâ—sery that God having pitty upon you may be mercifull to you likewise For in the last daies God will send his mercy upon the earth and wheresoever he findeth inward and hearty mercy there will he dwel For looke how much mercy man sheweth to his neighbour so much wâ—ll God shew to him againe Now when we came down inâ—o Egypt Joseph minded not our evill dealing with him but when he saw me it made his heart yerne whom look ye upon my children and learne to forget the harm that is done to you Love ye one another and do not one of you thinke upon anothers ill dealing for that breaketh unity and displeaseth all kiâ—dred and troubleth the minde For he that is mindfull of harm past hath not the bowels of mercy Marke the water and see how it washeth away the sand when the stones and timber are removed asunder And if a brook be drawn into many streams the earth sucketh it up and it cometh to nothing and so shall you if you be divided among your selves Therefore divide not your selves into 2. heads for all things that God hath created have but one head apiece He hath given a man two shoulders two hands and two feet but yet do all the members obey one head I know by the writings of my fathers that in the last dayes ye shal depart from the Lord and be divided in Israel following two Kings working all abomination and worshipping all manner of Idols and your enemies shall take you prisoners and you shall sit among the heathen in all misery tribulation and sorrow of mind and afterward you shall remember the Lord and repent and he shall turn you again for he is mercifull and full of compassion and thinketh not upon the lewdnesse of the children of men because they be flesh and the spirits of errour beguile them in all their doings After this shall God himselfe raise up unto you the light of righteousness and wholesomeness mercy are in his punishments He shall redeem all men from the bondage of Belial and all the spirits of errour shall be trodden down and he shall turn all nations to the following of him and ye shal see God in the shape of man for God hath chosen Jerusalem and God is his Name neverthelesse by the wickednesse of your words you shal provoke him to wrath and ye shall be cast off till the time of full finishing And now my children be not sad for my death neither be ye out of heart because I leave you For I shall rise up again among you as a Captain in the middest of my Tribe among as many as have kept the law of the Lord and the commandements of their father Zâ—bulon But as for the wicked God shall bring everlasting fire upon them and destroy them for ever I return to my rest as my fathers have done now fear you the Lord your God with all your strength all the dayes of your life As he had spoken these words he fell asleep to his singular benefit and his sonnes laid him in a Coffin and carrying him back again unto Hebron buried him there with his fathers The Testament of Dan made to His children at his death concerning anger and lying The Serpent with weapon and Dan declare The intent of those men that wrathfull are The Testament of Dan. THe copy of Dan his words which he spake unto them in his last daies in the hundred five and twentieth yeare of his life he called his tribe unto him and said Yee Children of Dan heare my sayings and give heed to the wordes of your Fathers mouth I lâ—ked in mine heart and shewed in my whole life the thing that is good for truth joyned with right dealing pleaseth God well I have hated hurtfull things as lying and anger because they teâ—câ— a man all manner of naughtinesse I confesse unto you my Children this day that I was glad in my heart at the death of Joseph that true and good man and rejoyced of the selling of him because our Father loved him more then us For the spirit of spitefullnes and pride said unto me Thou art his son â—eo as wel as he And one of the spirits of Belial wrought with me saying Take this sword and slay Joseph with it and when he is dead thy father shall love thee This was that spirit of
of his is stark lewdnesse Another man loveth ungraciousnesse and he is lewd likewise and although he could finde in his heart to die for the compassing of his evill yet it is manifest that he is double faced and his doing is altogether starke naught For his love being but lewdnesse doth as it were cloak his evill with a good Name whereas the drift of his doings tendeth unto a wicked end Another healeth doth open wrong pilleth and polleth is covetous and pitieth not the poor He also hath a double face and all this is stark naught for in being niggardly towards his neighbour he provoketh Gods wrath and denyeth the highest in not pitying the poor He despiseth and spiteth the Lord which is the commander of the law he suffereth not the poor to rest he defileth his own sent to make his body gay he killeth many and pâ—â—ieth few this is the part of a double faced person Another committeth whoredome and fornication or vexeth many men piteously with his power and riches and yet abstaineth from meats his fast is naught for he doth the commandements with an evil conscience and that is a double faced dealing which is altogether naught Such manner of folke are right Swine and Hares for they seem to be half clean but in very deed they be utterly unclean You therefore my children become not like them neither beare you in one hood two faces the one of goodnesse and the other of naughtiness but stick all only unto goodness for in goodnesse doth God rest and men like wel of it Shun naughtiness and kill the Divel in your good works for they that are double faced serve not God but their own lusts because they seeke to please Belial and such as are like themselves Now though plain dealing men and such as pretend but one face are taken for offenders at the hands of such as beare two faces yet are they righteous before GOD Fâ—r many in killing wicked persons doe two works at once namely good by evill but indeed the whole worke is good because that he which hath rooted out the evil hath destroyed it Some man hating his neighbour mercifully blameth him for his advoutry or theft such a one is double faced but yet is the whole work good because he followeth the Lords example not respecting what seemeth good when it is evill in deed Another will not make merry with Rioters lest he should be stained by them and defile his own soul This man also is double faced but yet is all his doings good and he is like a Roe or a Stagge which in a common wilde berd seem to be unclean and yet are altogether clean because he walked in the zeale of the Lord shunning and hating those whom God willeth to be shunned in his Commandements and so killeth be evil with weldoing See therefore my Sonnes how there are two in all things one against the other and the one hiddeâ— under the other Death succeedeth to life shame to glory night to day and darkenesse unto light All righteous things are under light and life therefore doth eternall life overmaster death It is not to be said that truth is untruth righteousness unrighteousness or right wrong because that as all things are under God so all truth is under light I have practised all these things in my life and not strayed from the truth of the Lord but sought out the Commandements of the Highest to the uttermost of my power and walked with one face in goodness Take heed therefore my Children to the Lords Commandements and foâ—low the truth with one single face For they that are double faced shall be double punished The spirit of errour hateth the man that fighteth against it Keep the law of the Lord and regard not evill that seemeth good but have an eye to the thing that is good indeed and keep the same returning to the Lord in all his Commandements and resting upon him for the ends whereat men doe aym doe shew their righteâ—usnesse And know the Angels of the Lord from the Angels of Sathan For if ye cleave to wicked spirits your souls shall be tormented of the wicked Spirit whom ye serve in wicked lusts and worke But if ye quietly and cheerfully acquaint your selves with the Angel of Peace he shall comfort you in your life time My children become not like the Sodomites which knew not the Angel and perished for ever For I am sure that you shall sinne and be delivered into the hands of your enemies your land shal be laid waste and your selves shal be scattered into the four corners of the earth and be despised as unprofitable water in your dispersing abroad untill the Highest do visit the earth eatâ—ng and drinking as a man with men and breaking the Serpents head in pieces without noise He shall save Israel and all the Heathen by water being GOD hidden in man Therefore tell your children these things that they neglect not Gods Law written in the Tables of heaven For the time will come that they shall give no credit to the Law of the Lord And you falling unto naughtiness shall deal wickedly against God giving no heed to his Law but unto mens commandments For this cause shall ye be scattered abroad as my Brothers Gad and Dan which were not acquainted with their own countrey tribe and tongue Neverthelesse the Lord shall gather you together again in faith for the hope of his mercy for Abraham Isaac and Jacobs sake When he had so said he commanded them to bury him in Hebron And he died sleeping a good sleep and afterward his sonnes doing as he had willed them carryed him back and buryed him with his Fathers The Testament of JOSEPH made to his Children at his death concerning Chastity and Patience Let Joseph teach thee Love and Chastity So shalt thou have A long blessed life Void of all strife Even to thy grave The Testament of Ioseph MY sons and my brethren hear ye Joseph the well-beloved of Israel My children hear your Father I hâ—ve known in my life Envy and Death with the which my brethren would have destroyed me For they hated me and God loved me they would have killed me and the God of my Fathers kept me they put me into a pit and the most high brought me out again I was sold as a bondman and the Lord made me free and his strong hand helped me I was kept in hunger and the Lord himself nourished me I was left alone and the Lord comforted me I was sick and the Lord visited me I was in prison and the Saviour made me glad I was fastned in Chaines and the Lord unbound me He pleaded my cause in the accusations of the Egyptians and not only delivered me from Envy and Deceit but also exalted me insomuch that Putiphar chief Steward of Pharaohs house did lend me ladging where I was in jeopardy of my life by reason of a