IAcob the sonne of Isaac, borne of Rebecca in the yeare of the world 2108. his Father being threescore yeares of age,Gen. 23. Simple for innocence. was a perfect man and rig [...]eous, dwelling in Lents; not given to pl [...]a [...]ure and hunting, as his elder bro­ther, elder by nature, not by grace. For the elder shall serve the younger, saith the Lord. Why? not for that Iacob had so deserved,Jacob be­loved, not of merit, Rom. 9. but of grace. but GOD had so appo [...]nted. Wherefore when he thus by the determi­nate will of God, and heavenly dispositi­on, which ordereth all things whatsoever, had got his brothers birth-right,Gen. 25. and his Fathers blessing,Gen. 26. his parents considering that the slippery dayes of carnall copula­tion did approach,Gen. 27. and warily fearing his Brother Esau, for that he conceived mur­der in his heart, & instituted a birth-day for his divelish purpose, sent him from Ber­saba [Page] to Mesopotamia to Laban his mo­thers brother, there honestly to take a wife, and quietly to live. For matrimo­ny,A caveat for mari­age. without consent of Parents, and due consideration of either partie contracted, as it breedeth their disquietness, so it pro­voketh Gods displeasure. Iacob therefore, after long travell, being placed with his Vncle Laban, and serving him foure­teene yeeres in labour and paine (albe­it bee was the Childe of promise,Trouble & paine are destined to the Elect. the Blessed of the Lord, borne of a Free woman, and that which is more, his Vncles bone and flesh, and Lord of Ca­naan: An exam­ple for children. not arguing with himselfe as the worldly Children of this earth, saying, Shall I which am a free and wealthie mans sonne bee made a servant? Shall I be a drudge in my kinsmans house, be­ing sent to marry, and not to serve?) had given him by Laban to Wife for his good service (by which GOD blessed that little that Laban had before) his two daughters,A godly note for servants. Lea first, then Rachel, with their handmaids, Bilha and Zil­pha: of whom, according to the promise made to him in Bethel, that his seed [Page] should be multiplied, hee begat twelve sonnes, twelve godly Fathers of the earth.

• Ruben.
• Simeon.
• Levi.
• Juda.
• Dan.
• Neptalim
• Gad.
• Aser.
• Isachar.
• Zabulon.
• Joseph.
• Benjamin.

Thus he being blessed of the Lord,Mans life is but a pilgri­mage. as well in Children as in substance, re­turned againe to his native Countrey, hee and his Children, there to live, and there to die. But behold the divine pro­vidence of God! after three and thirty yeeres expired, he was removed from Canaan to Gosen in Egypt, by meanes of his sonne Joseph, chiefe Steward of Pha­raohs land, whom his brethren heretofore had sold. Where, when he had lived 17. yeeres, and seene his family encreased exceedingly, to his great joy and com­fort no doubt, especially all the other Countries about being plagued with a great famine, and he by Gods mer­cy not greatly feeling the same,God alway provideth for the righteous. percei­ving also his troublesome pilgrimage drawing to an end, called his Sonne [Page] Joseph unto him, and said, If I have found grace in thy sight, oh put thy hand under my thigh (for in this order they tooke an oath in Jacobs time) deale mercifully with me and truly, bury me not in Egypt, but let me sleep with my Fathers: Where no­ting his sure faith in the promise of God made to his Fathers, willed him to looke for Canaan his hoped inheritance, and not to trust in Pharaohs land. To which his request, when Joseph his loving son obe­diently did condescend, Jacob taking a little more strength unto him, and sitting up,Parents ought to tell their children Gods bles­sings. desirous also to shew forth the great goodnesse of the Lord in preserving him and his, said: God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz, in the Land of Canaan, and blessed me: saying, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and cause thee to mul­tiply, & wil make a great number of peo­ple of thee, and will give this Land unto thy seed for an everlasting possession. Thy sonnes, Manasses and Ephraim, I take as mine own, their own brethren shall be called after their name, As I came from Mesopotamia,That is, shall be ūder their tribes. Rachel dyed in the Land of Canaan, and was buried by the way to Ephrata, the same is Bethlehem.

[Page]Then Jacob, albeit somewhat dimme for age, beholding Josephs two sonnes, said: What are these? To whom Joseph answered: They are my sonnes which God hath given me. O bring them to me, said Iacob, and let me blesse them: I had not thought to have seen thy face Ioseph, yet lo God hath shewed me thy seed.

God, in whose sight my fathers Abra­ham and Isaac did walke: GOD which hath fed me all my life long unto this day,Christ.and the Angell which hath delivered me from all evill, blesse these lads, Counted as one of his chil­dren, not that they should pray unto him being, dead as Eckius gathered. God hath mercy on whom he will. By saith Ja­cob divi­deth the Land, a yet but hoped for and let my name be named on them, and the name of my Fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and that they may grow into a multitude in the midst of the Earth.

Then as Joseph lifted his Fathers hand from Ephraim, to Manasses the el­der, Jacob said: Let it be, I know wel my sonne, he shall also be a great people, but his yonger brother shal be greater: in thee let Israel blesse and say, God make thee as Ephraim & Manasses. After this he fain­ting said: Behold Joseph, I die, God shal be with you, & bring you again to the land of your fathers. Moreover, I give unto thee a portiō of land above thy brethrē, which [Page] I conquered by sword and bow of the A­morites. And come you hither also, O my children, that I may tell you what shall come on you in the last dayes: Gather yee together, and heare ye sonnes of Iacob, hearken unto Israel your Father.

Ruben my fi [...]st borne, my might, my strength, Begotten in my youth. excellent in dignity and power, unconstant as water, thou shalt not excell, because thou didst defile my couch.

Simeon and Levi,Levi had no Tribe, & Simeon was under Juda. Jud. 1. Brethren in evil, who in your wrath slew a man, & in your selfe­will digged down a Wall: Cursed be your wrath, for it was shameless, & your fierce­nesse, for it was cruell. I will divide you in Iacob, and scatter you in Israel.

Iuda,Blessings of Juda a worthy captaine. thy hand shall be on the necke of thine enemies. Thy brethren shall stoope unto thee: as a Lyons whelpe shalt thou come up from the spoile: thou shalt couch as a Lyon, and as a Lyonesse; who shall stir thee up?A noble Prince, Christ.2. The Scepter shall not depart from thee, nor a law-gi­ver from betweene thy feet, untill Shiloh come: all Nations shall seeke after him. 3.A fertile Land. Thou shalt binde thy Asse Fole to the Vine, and the Asses Colt to the best Vine; thou shalt wash thy garment in [Page] wine, and thy cloake in the bloud of grapes: thy eyes shall be red with Wine; and thy teeth white with Milke.

Zabulon, thou shalt dwell by the sea side, and thou shalt be an Haven for ships: thy border shall be unto Zidon.

Isachar, thou shalt be a strong Asse, couching down between two burdens: And thou shalt see that rest is good, and that the Land is pleasant, and shalt bow thy shoulder to beare, and shalt be subject unto tribute.

Dan, thou shalt judge the people, Judge 13.14.15.16. as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan thou shalt be a serpent by the way, an Adder by the path, biting the horse heele, so that his Rider shall fall backward. Then Jacob foreseeing in his minde the great calami­tie that should betide his posterity, com­forting himself, and resting in gods pro­mise, cried out with heart and minde: O Lord, I have waited for thy salvation.

Gad, an hoast of men shall overcome thee, but thou shalt overcome at the last. Josh. 1.21.

And what shall I say to Aser? his bread shall be fat, Num. 33. and he shall have pleasures for a King.

Neptalim is a hinde, sent for a present, Judg. 4.5. [Page] giving goodly words.

The bles­sing of Jo­seph. Encrease of familyIoseph is a flourishing Bough by a Wel­side, the small boughs shall ru [...] upon the Wall. The Archers shot against him, and hated him: but his bough was made strong and his Armes strengthned by the hands of the almighty God of Iacob. Out of him shall come an Heardman, a stone in Israel. All these things shall come from my Fa­thers God which hath helped thee, All things come of God. and blessed thee with blessings of the Heaven, with blessings of the deep beneath, with blessings of the breast and wombe. The blessings of (me) thy father, that I give thee, are stronger than the blessings that I had of mine elders. Untill the end of the hils of the world they shall be on thy head.

Benjamin shall ravine as a Wolfe, in the morning hee shall devoure the prey, and at night divide the spoil. And now when I shall be gathered to my people, Not for the holi­nesse of the place, but for memory of Gods promise. bury me with my father, in the cave that is in the Field of Ephron the Hethite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the Field of Ephron the Hethite, for a possession to [Page] burie in, where as were buried Abraham and Sara his wife, and Isaac with Rebec­ca; and there I buried Lea. The Field, and the Cave that is therein, was bought of the Children of Heth.

When Jacob had made an end of com­manding all that he would unto his sons, having lived one hundred forty and seven years, he plucked up his feet into the bed, and quickly died.A token of a good conscience. Then Joseph fal­ling upon his Fathers face, and kissing him with teares, caused him to be embal­med by Physicians, to the space of forty dayes, and mourned for him threescore and tenne dayes. Who departing from Egypt into Canaan, with noble men of the Land in Chariots, and horsemen, bu­ried him in the place which Jacob had ap­pointed.

THis is the copy of Rubens testa­ment, concerning all the things which hee gave in charge to his children before he died, in the 125. yeare of his life. Two yeares after the decease of Joseph, his children and childrens chil­dren came to visit him in his sicknesse, and be said unto them.

My children, I die, & goe the way of my Fathers. And seeing there his brethren, Iuda, Gad, and Aser, he said unto them; Lift me up, my brethren, that I may tell you and my Children the things that I have hidden in my heart, for I am hence­forth drawing to my long home.Death is our long home. Then standing up, he kissed them, and weeping said; Harken my brethren, and you my children, give ear to the words of your fa­ther Ruben, mark what I give in charge to you. Behold, I command you this day before the God of Heaven, that ye walke not in the ignorance of youthfulnesse and fornication, wherein I overshot my selfe,Fornicati­on pla­gued. Gen. 15. and defiled the bed of my Father Jacob. For I assure you that the Lord did ther­fore strike me with a sore plague in my [Page] flanks the space of 7 moneths, & aPrayer and re­pen [...]nce stayeth Go [...] wrath. I had perished if my Father bThe blessing & prayer of a father to god for his chil­dren of what be­nefit. Jacob had not prayed to the Lord for mee, because he was minded to have slaine mee. I was thirty yeares old when I did this evill in the sight of the Lord, and seven moneths was I sick to the death,Note: In repentance the heart is to be con­sidered, not exter­nall action. and with a free heart did I seven yeere penance before the Lord. I drank no wine nor strong drink: no flesh came within my mouth,The eight Instruments whereby man work­eth & the effect of them. I tasted not any fine bread: but I mourned for my sinne, for it was great, and there shall none such bee done in Israel. And now my sonnes heare mee, that I may shew you what I saw concerning the seven spirits of error in my repentance. Belial giveth seven spirits against a man, which are the wel­springs of youthful workes: and seven spi­rits are given man in h [...]s creation, wher­by all his works are done. The first is the spirit of life,1 Life. wherewith is created his be­ing. The second is the spirit of seing,2 Seeing. wher­with cometh lusting. The third, the spi­rit of hearing,3. Hearing. wherwith cometh learning. The 4^th is the spirit of smelling,4 Smelling. where­with cometh delight, by drawing in of [Page] the aire, and by breathing of it out againe. The fift is the spirit of speech,5. Speech. wherewith knowledge is made. The sixt is the spi­rit of Tasting,6 Tasting whereof cometh the fee­ding upon things that are to be eat [...]n and drunke, and through them is engendered strength, because the substance of streng [...]h is in meat. The seventh is the spirit of seed and generation,7. Seed, & of what property. wherewith entereth in the lust of pleasure.

For this cause it is the last of creation, and the first of youth, because it is full of Ignorance, and Ignorance leadeth the yonger sort as a blind body into the ditch, and as an ore to the stall. Among all these is the eight spirit, which is of sleep,8 Sleep, & of what property. Eight spi­rits of er­rour, & of what pro­perty. with whom is created the wasting away of Nature, and the Image of Death. With these spirits, are mingled the spirits of errour. Whereof the first is the spirit of lechery,1. Leche­ry. who lieth within the nature and senses of man. The second spirit of unsa­tiablenes,2. Glutto­ny. lieth in the belly. The third spi­rit of strife,3. Envie. lieth in the Liver & in choler. The fourth spirit is of bravery and gal­lantnes,4. Bravery that the party may seeme comely by excesse. The fifth is the spirit of Pride,5. Pride of what pro­pertie. which moveth a man to minde o­ver [Page] great things, or to think well of him­self. The sixt is the spirit of lying or vain gloriousnesse,6. Vaine­glory, in what it consisteth. in boasting a mans selfe, and in desire to file his talke concerning his own kindred and acquaintance. The seventh is the spirit of unrighteousnesse,7. Unrigh­teousnesse. which stirreth up the affections that a man should perform the lustfull pleasures of his heart. For unrighteousnesse wor­keth with all the other spirits, by taking guile unto him. Vnto all these spirits is matched the eight spirit,8. Wilful ignorance. which is the spi­rit of sleep or sluggishnesse, in errour & i­magination, and so the soules of young folkes perish; because their minds are darkned and hidden from the truth,Discom­modities of igno­rance. & un­derstand not the law of the Lord, neither obey the doctrine of their Fathers, as be­fell to me in my youth. But now my chil­dren love the truth, and that shall preserve you,Ringlea­ders to fornicatiō Harken to your Father Ruben, and let not your eyes 1. run a gazing after wo­men,1. a greedy eye. neither bee ye 2. alone with a Wo­man that is married;2. Close company with wo­men. neither doe ye seeke about 3. what Women are doing For if I had not seene Bilha bathing her selfe in a secret place,3. B [...]sie questions. I had not fallen into that great w [...]ckednes. But my mind ra [...] ­so [Page] so upon the naked Woman, till it suffe­red mee not to sleepe till I had committed abhomination. For while my Father Ja­cob was away at his Father Isaacks, and I in Gader hard by Euphrata, a house of Bethlehem, Bilha fel 4. drunken,4. Drun­kennesse. and as she lay asleepe uncovered in her chamber, I went in so, and seeing her nakednesse, wrought wickednesse with her: & leaving her asleepe went my way. By and by an Angel of God bewrayed my wickednes to my father Jacob, Nothing so secretly done, but it shall be open. who comming home mourned for mee, and touched not Bilha any more. Therefore looke not upon the beautie of women,A godly caveat. neither muse you up­on their doings, but walke ye with a sin­gle heart in the feare of the Lord God, busying your selves about some worke, and keeping your selves occupied either in learning or about your flockes,Labour a preserva­tive from for­nication. untill such time as God give you such wives as he listeth, lest you doe suffer as I have done. I durst not looke my Father in the face to his dying day, nor speake to any of my brethren for shame. My conscience bi [...]eth me even yet still for my sin.A guilty conscience is a great burden. But my Father comforted me, and prayed for me unto the Lord, that his wrath might [Page] passe away from me, as the Lord him­selfe shewed, unto me. Therefore from that time forth, I was kept from sinning any more. And you my children likewise, keepe ye that I shall tell you, and you shall not sinne. For Fornication is the destruction of the Soule,The fruit of forni­cation. 1. Destru­ction of the soule. 2. Idolatry. 3. Short­nes of life. 4 Ignomi­nious shame. separating it from God, and making it to draw unto Idols, because it leadeth the minde and understanding into errour, and bringeth men to their grave before their time. For whoredom hath undone many men: & although a man be ancient or noble, yet doth it shame him, and make him a laugh­ing stock both before Belial, and the sons of men. But Ioseph, Josephs chastity rewarded. because he kept him­selfe from all Women, and cleansed his thoughts from all fornication, found fa­vour both before the Lord and men. The Egyptian Woman did much so him, by using the helpe of witches, and by offering him slaubar sauces: but the purpose of his mind admitted no noysome desire. For this cause the God of our fathers delive­red him from all death, both seen and un­seen. For if fornication over-rule not your minde, neither shall Belial prevaile against you. Women are hurtfull things, [Page] my sonnes,Properties of unchast women. because that when they want power and strength against a man, they worke guilefully to draw him to them by traines: & whom they cannot overmatch in strength, him they overcome by deceit. For the Angel of the Lord which taught me, told me of them, that they be overma­stered by the spirit of fornication more than men be, and that they be ever practi­sing in their hearts against men, first ma­king their mindes to erre by decking of themselves; then shedding their poison in­to them by sight, and finally catching them prisoners by their doings: for a wo­man is notable to enforce a man. There­fore my sons flie fornication,A note for garish attire, and wanton lookes. charge your wives and daughters that they trim not their heads, and will them to chasten their lookes: for every woman that dealeth de­ceitfully in these things, is reserved to the punishment of the world to come.An exam­ple of this mischiefe, Gen. 6. For by such means were the watchers deceived before the floud: as soone as they saw them, they fell in love one with another, & conceived a working in their minde, and turned themselves into the shape of men, and appeared to them in their company­ing with their husband: and the woman [Page] by conceiving the desire of them in the i­magination of their minde, brought forth Giants. For the Watches appeared to them of height unto heaven.Teachers infectious company corrupteth the minde Therefore keepe your selves from fornication: and if yee intend to have a cleare minde, keepe your selves from all Women, and forbid them likewise the company of men, that they may have also cleane minds. For although continuall companyings do not alwaies worke wickednesse, yet breede they incurable stings to them, and to us everlasting shame before Belial, because that fornication hath neither understan­ding nor godlinesse in it,Envie ac­cōpanieth fornicati­on, shame followeth. and all envious­nes dwelleth in the desire thereof; and for that cause shalt yee envie the Children of Levi, and seeke to be exalted above them, but ye shall not be able to compasse it:Gen 4.9. for God will avenger them, and you shall die a dangerous death: for unto Levi and Iuda hath the Lord given the soveraignty, and unto mee, and Dan and Joseph, hath hee granted to be Princes with them. Wher­fore I charge you, heare Levi: for he shall know the law of the Lord, & deale forth judgement, and offer sacrifices, for all Is­rael, till the full time of Christ,He pro­phecieth of Christ. the chief [...] [Page] priest because the Lord hath spoken it. I charge you by the God of heaven, that e­very of you do deale faithfully with his neighbour,Faithful dealing with neigh­bours. and flicke unto Levi in hum­blenesse of heart, that ye may receive bles­sing at his mouth:Gen. 5.49. for he shall blesse Isra­el and Juda. God hath chosen Juda to bee the King of all people, wherefore worship you his seed, for he shall die for you in bat­tels both visible and invisible, and shall raigne over you world without end.

Ruben having given his Children the foresaid charge, and blessed them, dyed: Then they put him in a coffin, & carrying him out of Egypt, buried him at Hebron, in the double Cave where his Fathers slept.

THe copy of Simeons words which hee spake unto his sons at his death in the hun­dreth & twentieth yeare of his life, in the which Joseph died. For they came to visit him upon his death-bed, and he sitting up, kissed them, saying.

Hearken my Children, heare me your father Simeon, whatsoever I have in my heart. I am my father Jacobs second son, and my mother Lea named me Simeon, because the Lord heard her prayer.Gen. 29. I be­came very mighty. I went through with my doings, and was not affraid of any thing. For my heart was stout, my mind unmoveable, and my stomack undiscou­rageable: for hardiness is given of the highest into mens soules and bodies.Hardiness of whom it is. In those daies I envied Joseph, Gen. 37. because my father loved him: I hardened my heart a­gainst him to kill him, because the prince of errour sending forth the spirit of envie, so blinded my mind, that I could not take heed to spare my father Jacob. But his God,Man pur­poseth, God dis­poseth. & the God of his fathers sending his angell, did rid him out of my hands. For while I went into Sichem to carrie fare [Page] for our flockes, and Ruben into Dotaim, where all our necessaries were laid up in store: our brother Juda sold him unto the Ismaelites: & therefore when my brother was come againe, he was sorry, for he in­tended to have conveied him selfe againe to our father. But I was angry with Ju­da, for letting him goe alive, and bare him grudge five moneths after: howbeit God letted me, and restrained the working of my hands; for my right hand was halfe withered up for vii. dayes together. Then did I perceive (my sonnes) that that be­fell me for Josephs sake: whereupon I re­pented soon after, and besought the Lord to restore my hand, and I would abstain from all rancor, envie, and folly. For I knew I had conceived a wicked thought against the Lord, and against my Father Jacob, Envie de­sc [...]ibed. for my brother Josephs sake whom I envied.

Now therefore my children keep your selves from the spirits of error and envy. For envie overruleth the Blindeth the mind. mind of eve­rie Man, suffering hindreth [...]stenance him not to eate or drink in rest, or so do any good thing, and is alwaies egging him to Provo­keth mur­der. slay the party whom he envieth, and Pineth a [...] mens prosperity pining away at [Page] his prosperitie. Two yeares together I punished my soul with fasting in the fear of the Lord. For I knew that the way to deliver me from envie,A remedy against en­vie. was the feare of the Lord. If a man flie unto the Lord, the wicked Spirit flieth from him, so as his minde becommeth meeke, and of spitefull he becommeth pitifull, bearing no grudge towards such as love him, and so his en­vie ceaseth. And because my father saw me sad, he asked me the cause of it. In whom I lied, saying: I have a pain in my stomach for I was sor [...]iest of all my bro­thers, for that I had been the cause of Jo­sephs selling into Egypt. And when I came into Egypt, and was put inward by him as a s [...]te, then perceived I,Gen. 42. that I was justly punished, and I was not sorry for it. But Joseph being a good man,Joseph mercifull to his bre­thren. and having Gods spirit in h [...]m, and being full of pitie and mercy, minded not to doe mee any harm, but loved me as well as the re­sidue of my brethren.Gen. 50. Therefore my chil­dren keep your selves from all spite and envie, and walke in singlenesse of minde, and good conscience, after the example of your fathers brother, that God may give you grace, glory, and blessedness, upon [Page] your heads as you see in him. Of all the daies of his life, he did never cast us in the teeth with it, but loved us as his owne soule, and more than his owne Children, honouring us, and giving us riches, cat­tell and corne abundantly. You therefore my children, love yee one another with a good heart,A sure to­ken of good. Properties of Envie. 1 Corrup­tion of life. 2 Distem­perature of body. 3 Small sleep. and put from you the spirit of Envie; for it maketh a Mans sou'e to grow savage, marreth his body, bree­deth wrath and war in his thoughts, set­teth his bloud on fire, driveth him out of his wits, and suffereth no reason to beare any sway or rule. Moreover, it taketh a­way his sleep, disquieteth his minde, and maketh his body to tremble. For even in sleep some spice of imagined malice gnaw­eth him, cumbring his soule with Spi­rits of mischiefe, making his body ghast­ly, and his mind affrighted with trouble, and appearing unto men, as it were with a pernicious Spirit, and powring out of poyson.Gen. 39. Therefore was Joseph faire of face,A token of a quiet minde. beautifull and comely to behold, be­cause no wicked thing dwelt in him, for he had a countenance cleare from cumve­rance of mind. And now my children let your hearts be meek before the Lord, and [Page] walke right before man: so shall ye finde favour both with God & man: and beware that ye fall not to whoredome. For whore­dome is the mother of all naughtines,Effects of whore­dome. se­parating a man from God, & sending him to Belial. For I have seene in Enochs writings,Gen. 49. that you and your children shall be corrupted with whoredome, and do Le­vi wrong by the sword. But they shall not prevaile against Levi, because he shall fight the Lords battels, and take all your tents, and very few shall be divided in Levi and Juda, Parents. teaching not their Children, are guilty. Commodi­ties of concord. for hee shall be your Cap­taine, as my Father Jacob prophesied in his blessings. Behold I tell you all these things aforehand, that I may be cleare from the sin of your soules. Now if you put from you all enviousnes, and all stiff­neckednes, all my bones shall flourish as a rose in Israel, and my flesh as a Lil [...]ie in Jacob, and my savor shall be as the sent of Libanus, & my holy ones shall be multipli­ed as the Cedars for ever, & their boughs shall spreade out in length for evermore. Then shall the seed of Canaan perish together with all the remnant of Amalek. Exod. 17. All the Cappadocians shall perish, and all t [...]e Sethians shall likewise be destroyed. [Page] Then shall the land of Cham faile, and all the people goe to wreck. Then shall the Earth rest from trouble, and all men un­der Heaven from war. Then shall Sem be glorified, when the great Lord God of Israel appeareth upon earth as a man, to save Adam in him. Then shall the spi­rits of errour he troden under foote, and men shall reign over hurtfull fiends:Ioh. 1. then shall I arise again in joy, and blesse the highest in his wonderful works: for God taking a body upon him, and eating with men, shal save men. And now my children obey Levi, and you shall be delivered by Juda: The fruite of obedi­ence. and advance not your selves above these two tribes, for of them two shall the saving health of God spring unto us.Gen. 49. For the Lord shall set up, of Levi the prince of priests, and of Juda the King of K [...]ngs, God & man. So shall he save all the Gen­tiles, & the off-spring of Israel. For these things sake I charge you to command your children,A note for Parents. to keepe these things tho­roughout all their generations.

And Simeon making an end of these his sayings and commandements, to his children, slept with his fathers, when as he was of the age of an hundred & twenty [Page] yeares. And then they laid him in a coffin of wood that rotteth not, that they might cary his bones againe into Hebron: & they conveyed him privily in the warte of the Egyptians. For the Egyptians kept the bones of Joseph, in the Kings treasure. For their inchanters told them that whensoever Josephs bones were carried a­way, there should be such a plague of miste and darknesse among the Egyp­tians, as one brother should not know a­nother, no not even by torchlight: and Sy­meons children bewailed there Father ac­cording to the Law of mourning, & conti­nued in Egypt till the day of their depart­ing thence under the hand of Moyses.

THe Copy of Levies words, namely which hee spake to his children concerning all the things which they should doe; and which should happen unto them, untill the day of judgement. Hee was in health when he called them unto him, for he knew before when he should die. So when they were come together he said unto them.

I Levi was bred and borne in Charran, Levi h [...]s birth and count [...]ey, Gen. 34. and afterward came with my father into Sichem. I was at that time but young, a­bout 20 yeers old, when I helped my bro­ther Simeon to revenge our sister Dina against Hemor. Now as we were [...]eeding of our flocks in Abelmuel, the spirit of the understanding of the Lord came upon me, & I saw all men undermining their own waies, and how unrighteousnes had builded her selfe a fortresse, & wickedness sat upon the throne thereof. And I was so­ry for mankind, & besought the Lord to save them. Then there fell a sleep upon me, and I saw a very high mountain: It was the mountaine of Aspis in Abelmuel. And behold the heavens opened, and the An­gell [Page] of God said unto me, Levi, come hi­ther;Christ and went from the first heaven to the second, and there saw the water han­ging betweene the one and the other. And I saw the third heaven much brighter than them both: for the height thereof was infinit.Christ. And I said to the angell, what mea­neth this? And the Angell answered me, Marvel not at these things, for thou shalt see foure heavens yet brighter, & without comparison when thou commest up to them. For thou shalt stand by the Lord, & be his Minister, and utter his secrets unto men, and preach of the deliverer of Israel which is to come by thee and by Juda the Lord will appear to m [...]n to save all man­kind in them. Thy life shall depend upon the Lord, by him shalt thou have thy fields, vineyards, fruits, gold, and silver. Therefore harken as touching the seven 1 heavens. The lowest is most lowring, because it is neerest to all the unrighteous­nes 2 of men. The second hath fire, snow, & yce, prepared by the Lords appointment against the day of Gods rightfull judge­ment. In it are all the spirits of vengeance 3 for the punishing of the wicked. In the third are the powers of hosts orda [...]ned a­gainst [Page] the day of iudgement, to take ven­geance upon the spirits of error and Be­lial. In the fourth above these, are the 4 saints: for in the higher places dwelleth great glory in the holy of all holies above all holinesse. In the next unto this are the 5 angels that do serve in Gods presence, and seek his favour in all the ignorances of the righteous. They offer to the Lord the sweet savor of a reasonable service, a sacrifice without bloud. In the other that is under this, are the Angels that bring 6 answers from the Angels in Gods pre­sence: In that which is above it, are the 7 thrones and potestates, wherein is con­tinuall offering up of hymnes unto God. Therefore whensoever the Lord looketh upon us, all of us are moved; yea, and e­ven heaven, earth, & the bottomlesse deep are moved at the sight of his greatnesse, but the children of men being witles, shall sin and provoke the highest unto wrath; Now therefore understand that the Lord will execute iudgement upon the children of men. Because that men will still con­tinue in unbeliefe and unrighteousnesse, even when the stone shall cleave asunder, the sunne be darkned, the waters dryed [Page] up, the fire quake, & all creatures be trou­bled at the fainting of the invisible Spi­rit, and the spoiling of hell in the passion of the highest: therefore shall they be con­demned to punishment. The highest then hath heard thy prayer to separate thee from unrighteousnesse,A minister what hee should be of himself not righ­teous. Mat. 5. End of the priest­hood pro­phesied. Christ his passion prophesi­ed. and to make thee his sonne and servant, and a minister in his presence, a lanterne of knowledge to lighten Jacob throughly, and to be as a day sunne among the children of Israel, and unto thee and thy seed shall the power of blessing be given, till God visit all na­tions in the bowels of the mercy of his Sonne for ever. Neverthelesse, thy sons shall lay their hands upon him to crucifie him, and for this cause is wisedome and understanding given unto thee, to give thy children knowledge of him, because that if they blesse him, they shall be blessed, and they that curse him shall perish in his sight. And the angell opened me the gates of heaven, and I saw the holy Temple, and the highest sitting on the throne of glorie,Christ. and he said unto me: Levi I have given thee the blessings of the Priesthood, till I come my selfe to dwell in the midst of Israel. Then the angell brought mee [Page] downe to the earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, saying: Execute vengeance in Sechem for Dina, and I will be with thee, for God hath sent me.Gen. 34. And at that time I slew the sonnes of Hemor, as it is written in the tables of Heaven. And I said unto him, Lord I pray thee tell me thy name, that I may call upon thee in the time of my trouble. And he answered,Christ our redee­mer. I am an Angell which excuseth Israel, that he might not be stricken for ever, be­cause all wicked spirits he in waite for him. Afterward being waked as it were out of sleep, I blessed the most highest, and the angel that excuseth the ofspring of Is­rael and all righteous men. And when I came to my Father, I found an Aspe of b [...]sse whereupon the hill took the name of [...] is, which is hard by Gebat on the rig [...] side of Abila. And I laid up these say­ings in my hear [...] and I counselled my fa­ther an [...] my brother Ruben to perswade the sons of Hem [...]r to bee circumcised,The zeale of a Mini­ster. be­cause I was z [...]lously grieved for the ab­omin [...]ion which they had wrought in Israel For first fall I killed Sichem, Gen. 34. & then Simeon killed Hemor, and after this came our brethren, who smo [...]e the Citie [Page] with the edge of the sword.Gen. 34. When my fa­ther heard of it hee was angrie, because they had received circumcision,Gen. 49. and were killed afterward, and therefore he dealt otherwise with us in blessing.The man­ner, not the doing rebuked. For wee sinned in doing it against his will, & he fell sicke the same day. But I knew then the Lord intended evill to the Sichemites, The sin of the Siche­mites. be­cause they had heretofore purposed to have done the like unto Sara, as they did unto our sister Dina: Raped Di­na. but GOD letted them. And they persecuted our father A­braham (as then a stranger) & caried away his cattel,Persecuted strangers. and furthermore did beat Jeblao very sore, who was born in his house. After the same manner dealt they with all oth [...]r strangers,Gen. 12. taking away their wives from them by force,Ravished their wives. & driving the men themselves out of their country. For which cause the wrath of the Lord came upon them in the end. And I said to my fa­ther: Sir bee not offended, for God will bring the Canaanites to nothing before thee, & give their land unto thee, & unto thy holy one after thee. For from henceforth Sichem shall be called the city of fooles, be­cause that as men do scorn fools, so have we scorned them for their working of fol­ly in [Page] Israel in taking away our sister for to de­file her. Then came we into Bethel, Gen. 35. and there when I had sacrificed threescore and ten dayes together,The mini­sterie de­scribed. I saw the thing again as I had seen it before. And I saw seven men in white rayment, saying unto me, Vp, put on the Stole of Priesthood, the crowne of righteousnesse,Exod. 28. Levit. 8. the Reasonal of understanding, the Robe of truth, the Brestplate of faith, the Mitre of holiness, and the Ephod of Prophecie. And so every of them bringing something with him, did put them upon me, saying, Be thou hence­forth the Lords Priest, thou and thy seed for evermore. The first of them anoin­ted me with holy Oyl, and gave me the Scepter of judgement. The second washed me with cleane water, and fed me with Bread and Wine, that is to wit, with the most Holy of Holies, and clothed me with a glorious Robe downe to the ground. The third did put upon me a Silken gar­ment like to an Ephod. The fourth gir­ded me with a girdle like to Purple. The fift gave unto me an Olive bough, very full of fatness. The sixt did set the Mitre of Priesthood upon my head. The seventh filled my hands with incense, to the in­tent [Page] I should execute the office of a priest unto the Lord. And he said unto me, Le­vi, unto three principall things is thy seede appointed of God: namely, to be a signe of the glorious Lord that is to come,The three blessings of the fa­mily of Levi. Christ prophe­cied. & he that believeth shall be the first. The great lot shall not fall upon him, the second shall be in Priesthood, and the third shall have a new name, because a King shall rise up in Juda, and renew my priest­hood, according unto the figure of the Gentiles, among all nations. But the comming of him is unutterable, as who shall be the Prophet of the highest, born of our Father Abraham. All the plea­sant things of Israel shall be given unto thee & to thy seed, and you shall eat all that is faire to see to,A distri­buting ex­cludeth the sole receiving of the Sa­crament. and thy seed shall distri­bute the Lords Table, and of them shall be high Priests, Iudges, and Scribes: for in their mouth shall the holy things be kept. When I awoke, I perceived that this vision was like the other, and I laid it up in mine heart, and shewed it not unto any man living upon the earth. The first two dayes I & Iuda went to our grand­father Isaac, and he blessed me according to all the sayings of the visions that I had [Page] seene, but he would not [...]o with us unto Bethel. But when we came to Bethel, my father Jacob saw in a vision concerning mee, that I should be their priest before the Lord. And he arose in the morning, and tithed all things to the Lord by me. Then came we to Hebron to dwell there, and by and by Isaac called me to expound the law of the Lord acc [...]rding as Gods angell had shewed it to me,Exod. 29 Levi. 1.2, 3. and he taught mee the law of Priesthood, Sacrifices, Burnt offerings, [...]ir [...]ings, Free-will offerings, and offerings for health. Eve­ry day he taught me understanding, and called upon me continu [...]lly before the Lord, saying, My son,An exhor­tation for Ministers. A minister may be married. Levit. 21. He must come with a pure mind to ex [...]cute his office. Levit. 1.2, 3, 4, give no care to the spirit of fornication, for he will follow thee and defile the holy things by thy seede. Therefore take thee a Wife in thy youth, such an one that hath not any blemish nor uncleannesse, nor is of the kindred of the Allophytes or of the Gentiles. And before thou enter into the Holies, wash and like­wise ere thou sacrificest, & also when thou hast done, offer unto the Lord the fruites of the twelve trees that are ever green, as my father Abraham taught me to do: and the fruite of all clean beastes, and of clean [Page] soules offer thou in sacrifice. Likewise offer up thy first-born of all things, and the first fruits of thy Vine, and sprinkle thy Sacrifices with Salt. Now therefore my Sons, keep ye all the things that I command you: for whatsoever I have heard of my Fathers, that have I told unto you. I am clear from all the wicked­nesse and sin which you shall commit to the end of the world.A comfort for godly parents. Prophecy of the de­struction of Israel. The Realm plagued, whose Mi­nistery is wicked. Ye shall work wic­kedness against the Saviour of the world, and ye shall seduce Israel, stirring up much evill against him from the Lord, and dealing wickedly with him, so that Jeru­salem shall not continue, by reason of your naughtinesse. The Veil of the Temple shall be rent in sunder to discover your foulnesse, and ye shall be scattered as prisoners amongst the Heathen, and be scorned, cursed, and trodden under-foot. Neverthelesse, the House which the Lord shall choose, shall be called Jerusalem, as the Book of Enoch the righteous contain­neth. Therefore when I was twenty and eight years old,Gen. 36. Levi his progenie. I took a Wife, whose name was Melcha, and she conceived and bare me a son, & called his name Gershon, because we were but strangers in our land: [Page] for Gershon signifieth vanishment. Now I knew of him that he should not be of the chief degree. The second was Caath, who was born the five and thirtieth year. I saw a vision Eastward, how all the congregation stood up aloft, and therefore I called his name Caath, which signifieth the beginning of greatnesse and learning. The third was Merari, who was born in the five and fiftieth year of my life:Exod. 6. And because his mother was hardly deli­vered of him, she called him Merari, which is as much to say, as my bitterness. And in the threescore and fourth year of my life, was my daughter Jochebed born in E­ [...]pt: and so was I honorable among my [...]rethren. Also my son Gershon took him a wife, which bare him Lybni, and Schimi. The sons of Caath were Amram, Ysh­var, Hebron and Uziel: and the sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. An the fourscore and fourteenth year of my life, Amram took unto wife my daughter Jochebed, because that be and she were born both on one day.Levi made Priest at 18 years. I was eight year old when I entred into the Land of Ca­naan, and eighteen year old when I en­tred into the office of Priesthood. At eight [Page] and twenty yeares [...] a Wife,Married at 28. and at fourtie yeares [...]ld I en [...]red into Egypt, and behold ye be [...]ow my childrens chil­dren in the third generation. Joseph died in the hundreth and tenth year. And now my Children, I warn you feare the Lord your God with all your heart,A note for Parents. and walke plainely in all thinges, according to his Law. Moreover, bring up your children in learning, that they may have under­standing by reading the law of God, without ceasing all their life long. For whosoever knoweth Gods law,Blessings of the learned Minister. shall be honoured; and go wheresoever he will, be shall be no stranger▪ also he shall have more friends than his forefathers had, [...] many shall be glad to serve him, and [...] heare the law at his mouth. My sonnes, deale rightfully upon earth, that you may finde Heaven, and sowe good things in your minds,Wise­dome a precious jewell. that you may finde them in your life. For if ye sowe evill things, ye shall finde and reape all manner of combrance and trouble. Get yee wisedome i [...] the feare of God: for if captivitie come and Cities and Countries be destroyed gold and silver and all possessions perish but none can take away the wise man [Page] wisedome, save only the blindnesse of un­godlinesse and sinne.Sin blin­deth wise­dome. Commo­dities of wise­dome. For his wisedome shall become a shield to him among his e­nemies, and make a strange countrey to be as his owne home, and cause him to find friendship in the midst of his foes. If he teach and doe such things,Christ his death, and spiteful­nes of the Jews, pro­phesied. Mat. 27. he shall sit with Kings, as did our brother Joseph. And truly my Children, I know by the writings of Enoch, that in the end ye shall doe wickedly, laying your hands most spitefully upon the Lord, and through you your brethren shall be confounded, and made a scorning stock to all nations. How­beit our Father Israel is cleare from the wickednesse of the high Priests, which shall lay hands upon the Saviour of the World. The Heaven above the earth is cleane, & you be the lights of the heathen, as the Sun and the Moone. What shall all the heathen do, if you be overdarkned with wickednesse,Ministers what they are. and bring cursednesse upon your country folke, for whose sakes the light of the World is put into you, to inlighten all men withal? this light of the World shall you most wilfully steal, and teach commandements contrarie to the righteousnes of God. Ye shall purloin the [Page] Lords offering,The wic­ked Priest­hood and their mi­sery de­scribed. 1 Sam. 2. and filch away pieces of it. Before you do your sacrifices unto the Lord, ye shall steale away the choicest things, and eat them disdainfully with Harlots, teaching Commandements of covetousnesse. Ye shall defile maryed wo­men, and inforce maidens in Jerusalem, you shall match your selves with who [...]es, and Harlots, you shall take the daugh­ters of the Heathen unto wife, purifying them with unrighteous purifying, and your mingling shall be like unto Sodom and Gomorrha, and ye shall be swoln with wickednesse in the Priesthood, insomuch that you shall most disdainfully and spite­fully laugh the holy things to scorn, not only vaunting and boasting your selves against men, but also being puffed and swoln up with pride against the Com­mandements of God.A Prophe­cy of their destructi­on. For this cause shall the Temple which the Lord shal have cho­sen, be undoubtedly left desolate in un­cleannesse, and you your selves become captives to all Nations, and be loathed and abhord among them, and receive end­lesse shame and confusion, through Gods righful judgement: and all that see you shall shun you. And were it not for our [Page] Fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, A prophe­cy of Christs persecuti­on. Mark the right por­traiture of the Shave­ling gene­ration. there shoulh not one of my seed be left upon earth. Furthermore I know by the Book of Enoch, that ye shall goe astray by the space of threescore and ten wreks, and defile the Priesthood, stain the Sacrifi­ces, destroy the Law, despise the sayings of the Prophets, frowardly persecute righteous folk, hate the godly, abhor the sayings of soothfast men, and call him Hereticke that goeth about to renew the Law by the power of the Highest:Christ and his mem­bers. and in the end ye shall kill him out of hand, as you think; not knowing that he shall rise again, and so shall ye receive his inno­cent bloud wilfully upon your own heads. For his sake shall your holy places be left desolate, which you shall have defi­led, even by utter forswearing, and your dwelling shall not be clean, but you shall be accursed among the Heathen, and de­spair shall vex you, till he visite you a­gain, and mercifully receive you through faith and water.Ergo faith & the ho­ly Ghost justifieth, and not merits. And forsomuch as ye have heard of the threescore and ten weeks, hear ye also of the Priesthood. For in e­very Iubilie shall be Priesthood. In the first Iubilie the first anointed into the [Page] priesthood shall be great, & talke to God, as to his father, & his priesthood shall be full of the feare of the Lord, and in the day of his gladnesse he shall rise up unto the 2 salvation of the world. In the second Iubilee, the anointed shall be conceived in the heavinesse of the beloved sort, and his priesthood shall be honourable, and he shall be glorified amongst all men. 3 The third priest shall be taken up in sor­row, 4 and the fourth shall be in griefe, be­cause the multitude of iniquities shall be laid upon him, and throughout all Israel every man shall hate his neighbour. The 5 fift shall be held fast in darknesse, and 6 likewise the sixt and the seventh. And in 7 the seventh shall be such abhomination both before▪ God and man, as I am not able to expresse. Howbeit that the doers thereof shall not be known. For this cause shall they be in captivity & corrup­tion, and their land and substance shall be destroyed, but in the fifth weeke they shall retu [...]ne into their desolate country, and renew the Lords house. In the seventh weeke, shall come idolatrous priests, co­vetous warriours, unrighteous scribes, and filth [...]e abusers of men, children, and [Page] beasts. After that the Lord hath sent ven­geance upon them in the priesthood,Christ & his true mnistery described then will God raise up a new Priest, unto whom all the Lords word shall be ope­ned: and he shall execute true judgement upon earth many dayes, and his starre shall arise in heaven. As a King shall hee shed forth the light of knowledge in the open sunshine of the day, and he shall be magnified over all the World, and be received and shine as the Sun upon the earth, and drive away all darknesse, and there shall be peace upon all the earth. In his dayes the heavens shall rejoyce,Christ lighneth the world. Baptisme of Christ propheci­ed. the earth shall be glad, the clouds shall be mer­ry, the knowledge of the Lord shall bee powred out upon the earth as the waters of the Seas, and the angels of glory that are in the Lords presence shall rejoyce in him. The heavens shall be opened, & out of the temple of glory shall sanctification come upon him with the Fathers voyce, as from Abraham the Father of Isaac, and the glory of the highest shall be spread out upon him, and the Spirit of understan­ding & sanctification shall rest upon him, whereof he shall give abundantly and mightily to his children in truth for ever­more, [Page] and there shall none succeed him from generation to generation,No Priest­hood shall succeed Christ. Priesthood of Christ how bene­ficial. world with­out end. In his Priesthood all sin shal come to an end, and the unrighteous shall cease from their naughtiness: but the righteous shall rest in him, and he shall open the gates of Paradise, and stay the threatning sword against Adam, and feed the Lambs with the fruit of life, and the spirit of holiness shall be in them. He shall binde up Belial, and give his own children power to tread down hurtful spirits,Christ our propitia­tor. Christ gi­veth pow­er to his to tread down spi­rits. and the Lord shall re­joyce in his children, and accept them as his beloved for evermore. Then shall A­braham, Isaac, and Jacob be glad, and then shall I and all Saints rejoyce. Now my children ye have heard all. Therefore choose un [...]o you either light or darkness, either the Law of the Lord, or the works of Belial; and we answered our Father, saying: We will walk before the Lord according to his law. And our Father said, the Lord is wit­ness, and his Angels are witnesses, and I am a witness, and you your selves are witnesses of the words of my mouth. And when we had answered, We will be witnesses, Levi rested with this charge gi­ven unto his children.

[Page]And stretched out his feet, and was put to his fathers, when he had lived a hun­dred and seven and thirty years, and they laid him in a coffin, and buried him after­ward in Hebron, besides Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

THe Copie of all the sayings of Juda, which he spake unto his Children at the time of his death: when they were come to­gether before him, he said unto them.

I was my fathers fourth son,Juda his exhortati­on. The duty of chil­dren. and my mother called me Juda, saying, I thank the Lord for that he hath given me a fourth sonne. I was swift of foot and painfull in my youth, and obeyed my Father in all things, and blessed my mother and my mothers sisters. And when I came unto mans estate,Valiant­nes of Juda: the gift of God. my father Jacob praied over me, saying: Thou shalt be a King and pro­sperous in all things. Behold, God gave me grace in all my workes both abroade, & at home. Vpon a time I saw a Hind,1 and ran after her, and caught her, & made good meate of her for my father. Also I outran the Roes, and overtook all things 2 that were in the fields, insomuch that I caught a wild Mare, and tamed her. I plucked a Kidde out of the mouth of a 3 Beare,The man­hood of Juda. & taking him by the pawe over­threw him, and rent asunder all wilde beasts that turned upon me, as if I had [Page] 4 been a Dog. I encountered with a wilde Boar, and overrunning him tare him in 5 pieces. In Hebron a bastard Lyon leapt upon a Dog, and I catching him by the tail, flung him away by and by, and be 6 brast asunder. In the borders of Gare a wilde Bull was feeding in the fields, and I took him by the horns, and swinged 7 him about, and finally killed him. There came two Kings of the Chananites armed, upon our flock, and much people with them, and I alone running unto the flock, stept to King Sur, and striking up his legs, overthrew him, and so slew him. 8 Also I killed another King named Tha­phes, sitting on his Horse, and so scatterd 9 all their people. I overtook King Achor a Giant on Horse-back, shooting forward and backward: and throwing a stone of threescore pound weight upon his Horse I overthrew him and killed him, and figh­ting two houres with Achor, at length I c [...]ave his shield, and maimed his feet, and finally slew him. As I was pulling off his brestplate, behold eight of his friends assailed me, whereupon I filled my hands with stones, and flinging them at them with a sting, slew four of them, and put the o­ther [Page] foure to flight. Also our Father Ja­cob slue the Giant Beelisa King of all the Kings,The vali­antnes of Jacob. who was mighty and huge, of the stature of twelve cubits. By reason whereof feare fell upon them, and they left their fighting against us. For this cause my father was carefull of me when I was in battaile with my brethren. Hee saw in a vision concerning mee, that the Angell of strength followed me every where, to the intent I should not be ever­come. The second handsell was a greater battell to us, then that which wee had at Sichem: in so much that in fighting vali­antly with my Brethren, I chased a thousand men, and slue of them two hun­dreth persons & foure of their Kings, and following after them, skaled the walls of their citie, & there slew two Kings more, & so we delivered Hebron, & led them all a­way as prisoners. Then the next day we went to a strong walled, & unapprochable citie, called Areca, which threatned to kill us. Therefore I & Gad went to the east side of the city, and Ruben and Levi unto the West & South side. They that stood upon the wals supposing there had been no mo but Gad & I, did set fire upon us [Page] while in the mean time my brother that lay in stale, brake out upon the other two sides, and skaling the wals with ladders, entred the citie ere our enemies wist it, & so we won it by the Sword, and set fire upon the Lower, and burnt it up with 10 such as were fled into it. As we returned, the men of Thaffie lay in waite for our prey, and took it with our children. But we followed them to Thaffie & slew them, and buried their City, spoiling all that 11 was in it. And while I was at the waters of Gureba, we fell upon the men of Jobel, that came against us in battaile, and slue and spoiled both them, and also their com­plices, that came to their aide from Se­lon, so as we gave them no respite to re­turne againe upon us. The fift day after, there came men from Machir to fetch a­way our prisoners, whom we met in bat­tell notwithstanding that they were a mighty boast, and slew them before they could get up to the place that they came 12 from. And when we came to their City, their women tumbled down stones upon us from the top of the hill whereon their ci­ty stood: but I & Simeon coasting to the back side of the towne, got unto the higher [Page] places, and destroyed the whole city. The next day it was told us that the cities of two Kings came against us with a huge Hoast. I therefore and Dan faining our selves to be Amorrheans and Fellowes 13 with them, went into their City, and ta­king the entrances in the dead time of the night, did set the gates wide open to our brethren that came after us: by meanes whereof we destroyed them & all that they had, & when we had sacked the city, one did cast downe the three wals thereof. Then went we to Thamua, which 14 was the refuge of all the Kings for their wars. Where being angry for a hurt that I tooke, I charged upon those that stood above me: but they threw downe stones out of slinges upon me, and shot ar­rowes at me, & had killed me, but that my brother Dan reskued me. Therefore we came running upon them in a rage, and put them all to flight: and they passing by another way, went and sued humbly un­to my Father, who made a Covenant with them, so as we did them not any more harme, but received them into league with us, & delivered them all their prisoners. Then builded I Chamma, & my [Page] father builded Rambahel. Twenty years old was I when this warre was made, and the Chanaanites were afraid of me, and my Brethren. I had much cattell, & my chiefe heardsman was Yran of Odel­lam, in whose company I saw Bersa King of Odellam who made us a feast, & with much intreatance gave me his daughter Bethsue to wife, which brought me forth Er, Anan, and Sylon, of which three God slue two Childlesse. For Sylon lived, of whom some of you be the Children. My Father and we made eighteene yeares peace, with his brother Esau and his chil­dren. When the eighteen yeares were past after our coming out of Mesopo­tamia, in the fortieth yeare of my life Esau our Fathers brother came upon us with a great strong Hoast, & was slaine by the Bowe of Jacob, & conveyed away dead unto Mount Seir. Wee also follow­ed upon the Children of Esau, but his city was very strong with high Walles, and gates of yron and brasse, so as we could not enter into it, howbeit wee did shut them up within it, and besieged it. Now when they shewed not themselves abroad in twenty daies together, I put my Hel­met [Page] upon my head, and in fight of them all set up a ladder, and skaling the wals, slue four of their noble men with a stone of the weight of three talents. The next day Ruben and Gad went and slew three­score others. Then they offered peace, and wee by our Fathers advise, received them into tribute. And they gave us two hundred quarters of corne, five hundreth bates of oile, and a thousand & five hun­dred measures of Wine, untill we went downe into Egypt. After this my Sonne Er married Thamar, of Mesopotamia, the Daughter of Aram. Er & A­nan slaine for not u­sing the benefit of lawfull mariage. Now Er was a very wicked Impe, and doubted much of Thamar, because shee was not of the land of Chanaan. Therefore the Angel of the Lord slew him the third night after his mariage, when he had not yet accompanied with her, by reason of his mothers subtle­tie, and so died in his naughtinesse, for she was loth that he should have had any children by her.

When Anan was marriageable, I gave Thamar unto him, and hee likewise of a spite accompanied not with her, notwith­standing that he lived a full yeer with her, and when I threatned him, then he com­panied [Page] with her, but yet by his mothers commandement he let his seed fall upon the ground, and so also he died in his wic­kednes. I minded to have given her unto Sylon also, but my wife Bethsue would not suffer mee. For she spited Thamar be­cause she was not of the daughters of Cha­naan as her selfe was. Now I knew, the of-spring of Chanaan was mischievous, but yet did youthfull fancie blind my heart.Fornicatiō a fruit of drunken­nes. And as I beheld her powring out wine, I was deceived with drunken­nesse, and fell in love with her.

Vpon a time while I was away, she maried Sylon to a woman of Chanaan:Gen. 38. which her deed when I understood, I cursed her in the bitternesse of my soule, & so she died in the wickednesse of her sons. A two years after these things, as I went to sheare my sheepe,An intole­rable cu­stome of the Amo­rites. Thamar decking her­selfe live a Bride, sat her downe at the gate of the City. For it was the custom of the Amorites, that their brides do set them selves forth at the gates of their cities,Apparell, Beauty, & wine pro­voketh whore­dome. by the space of 7 da [...]es together, to be abu­sed by fornication. I therefore being drun­ken with the waters of Horek, knew her not, by reason of wine, insomuch that her [Page] beauty together with the attire in decking of her selfe deceived mee, and thereupon turning aside unto her, I said, shall I come in unto thee? and she answered, what wilt thou give mee? and I gave her my staffe, and my Gyrdle,Fornicatiō is charge­able. and the Crowne of my kingdome. Vpon my companying with her, she conceived: afterward I not knowing my self to have been the doer thereof, would have put her to death for it. But she having kept my pledges in store, shamed me with them: and when I had heard my owne words of her in secret, which I had spoken to her when I lay with her in my drunkennes,Happy are they that can cease from do­ing ill. I could not put her to death because it was of the Lords doing, but I touched her not any more to my dying day. For when I had done this abhomination in Israel, lest she might worke wyles with me, I sayd I would fetch my pledges again of her: but when I enquired for her, the townsmen said there was no bride in the city, because she came from another place, and had sit there but a little while, & she deemed that no man knew of my going in unto her. Afterward we came into Egypt to Ioseph, because of the dearth. Six and forty years [Page] old was I when we came hither, & three­score & thirteen yeares have I lived here. And now my Sonnes heare me your fa­ther in all things that I charge you with­al, and keepe you all my sayings, in doing all manner of Righteousnesse before the Lord, and in obeying the commande­ments of the Lord God, and walke not after your own lustes, nor after con­ceits of your own mindes,It is sinful to any man to glory in his felicity in the pride of your hearts, neither glorie in the workes of the strength of your youth, because it is sinfull in the sight of the Lord. For in as much as I gloried in my battailes, and upbraided my brother Ruben with Bilha my fathers Wife,See what it is to up­braid men their vice. because no face of any beautifull woman had yet deceived mee, therefore the spirit of fondnesse and forni­cation fel upon me, so that I was overta­k [...]n both in Bethuse the Chanaanite, and in Thamar the Wife of my owne sons. And I said unto my father in Law, I have made my father privie to the mat­ter, & therefore I will take thy daughter to my wife. Hereupon he shewed me an in­finite masse of gold in his daughters be­ [...]alf (for he was [...] king) & decking her with Gold and Pearl, willed her to poure out [Page] wine to us at the Supper. The beauty of the woman, and the wine together dazled mine eyes, and voluptuousnes did so dar­ken mine understanding, that I fell in love with her,Children that marry without consent of parents plagued. Discom­modities of wine. 1. Blind­eth under­standing. 2. Servant of lechery. and brake the commande­ment of God, and of my fathers, & tooke her to wife. According to the intent of my heart, the Lord paied me home for it: for I had no joy of the children that I had by her. Now therefore my Children be not drunken with wine, for wine turneth a Mans understanding away from the truth, and kindleth in him the fire of lust, lead [...]ng his eyes into errour, insomuch as wine is a servant to the spirit of lechery, to further the feeding of the mind with vo­luptuousnesse, and so these twayne be­reave a man of all power.Fruite of drunken­nes. A drunken man is shamelesse For if a man drink wine till he be drunken, he traineth his minde unto the filthy thoughts of le­chery, and kindleth the body to carnall copulation. And if desired occasion serve, sinne is wrought without shame. Such a thing is wine my sons, for a drunken man is ashamed of nothing. Behold, it made both me & Thamar do amisse, so as I blushed not at the multitude in the ci­ty,Example but went aside unto her in the sight of [Page] all men, and committed a great sinne in discovering the uncleane privities of my own sons. Through drinking of wine I was not ashamed to break Gods Com­mandement, in taking a woman of Cha­naan to Wife. Wherefore my sonnes, he that drinketh wine had need of discretion, & the discretion that every man ought to use in drinking of wine is,Who ought to drinke wine. that he be a­shamed to over-drink himself. For if he passe that bond, he forgoeth his under­standing, & cleaveth to the spirit of errour, which causeth the drunken man to talke filthily,Properties of a drun­ken man is filthy talk & wicked deeds. Discom­moditie: of whore­dome. & to do wickedly, & not to be asha­med, but to boast of his lewdnes, thinking it to be good. He that committeth whore­dome is bereft of his libertie and becom­meth a bond-slave of lecherie, and cannot get out of it again, after the same manner that I was made naked. For I gave over my staffe, that is to say, the stay of my tribe; & my girdle, that is, my power: & my crown, that is, the glory of my king­dome. H [...]wbeit repenting these things, I forbare all wine and flesh unto mine old age, and was utterly unacquainted with all mirth And the Angell of God shewed me that women should from time to time [Page] over-master all men, as well Kings as captives, and bereave great men of their glorie. For the poverty of a poore man is a greater fence to him than is the strength of a mighty man.Four noi­some Spi­rits follow drunkēnes 1. Concu­piscence. 2. Heart burning. 3. Lechery 4. Cove­tousnes. Therefore my children keep measure in drinking, for there are in it foure noysome spirits, that is to wit, of concupisence, of heart burning, of le­chery, and of filthy gaine. If yee drinke wine merrily in the feare of the Lord with shamefastnes, ye shall live: But if ye drink without regard of shame & feare of God, then turneth it to drunkennes, & dishonesty stealeth in.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. And if yee drink none of all, then shall ye not sin, neither in slanderous words, nor in quarrelling, nor in railing, nor in breach of Gods com­mandements, neither shall ye perish be­fore your time. For wine discloseth the secrets of God & man unto Strangers, like as I bewrayed the secrets of God and of my Father Jacob to Bethsue the Chanaanite, which God hath forbidden to bee disclosed. Also wine is a cause of warre and sedition. Moreover I charge you my sons that you love not money, ne look upon the beauty of women, for mo­ny & womanly beauty made me to over­shoote [Page] shoote my self in Bethuse the Chanaanite. And I am sure that these two things shall corrupt mine of-spring, and mar the wise men of my linage, and hurt the king­dome of Juda, Obedience to parents how pro­fitable. which God hath given me for obeying my Father, for I never repi­ned at my father Jacobs commande­ments, but did whatsoever be willed me. And Abraham the Father of my fathers blessed me to fight for Israel, & so did Isaac blesse me likewise: & I know that the kingdome shall stand by mee, but I have read in the boks of Enoch the righteous, that ye shall work wickednesse in the lat­ter daies.The dis­commo­dites of covetous­nesse. Therfore my Children keepe your selves from lecherie and covetous­nes, and give ear unto your father Juda: for those things withdraw men from Gods law, & blind the understanding of their minds, & teach them Fill of Pride. pride, neither suffer they any man to shewe mercy Merciles to his neighbour; they bereave his soule Disqui­ets the soule. of all good things, & hold it downe in paines and sorrowes, also they disappoint him of his rest & sleepe Con­sumes the body. and consume his flesh. F [...]nally, Con­temnes Gods holy word. they hinder Gods sacrifices, neglect his blessings, disobey the spea­king of the Prophets, and are offended [Page] at the word of godlinesse: for these two passions are contrary to the commande­ments of God. He that serveth them can­not obey God, because they dazell mens minds,The cove­tous & le­cherous cannot feare God. Idolatry the fruit of cove­tousnesse. and walke abroad as well a nights as of dayes. My children, covetousnesse leadeth men to Idolatry. For through doting upon money, he calleth them gods which are not, and compelleth the infected party to growe most vilely out of kinde. For monies sake I lost my children, and had not the penance of the flesh, and the humbling of my soule, & had not the pray­ers of my father Jacob been, I had died as now without Children. But the God of my fathers being mercifull, and full of pitie and compassion, knew that I sinned through ignorance. For the prince of er­ror had blinded mee, and I overshot my selfe as a fleshly man, and being corrup­ted with sinne, knew not mine owne in­firmitie, but thought my selfe to be invin­cible. Know ye therefore my sons, that two spirits doe waite upon a man:Two Spi­rits waite upon a man. that is to wit, the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of errour, and in the middest be­tweene them is set the Spirit of under­standing of the minde, whose propertie is [Page] to incline which way it listeth: the things that belong both to truth and untruth, are written in the breast of man, and God knoweth every whit of it, and none of all mens works can bee hidden at any time from him, because all the privities and secrets of mens hearts are written before the Lord, and the spirit of truth beareth witnesse of all things and accuseth all, and he that sinneth hath a burning in his heart, and cannot lift up his face to his Iudge. And now my children love ye Levi, that yee may abide, and exalt not your selve [...] above him, lest yee perish. The Lord hath given unto me the Kingdome, and unto him the Priesthood, and hath pu [...] the Kingdome In resp­ect that heavenly things are better then earthly, not in externall rule & go­vernment. under the Priesthood Vnto Levi is given the Priesthood, an [...] unto Juda the Kingdome, and God hat [...] put the kingdome under the Priesthood Vnto me he hath given the things tha [...] are upon the Earth, and unto Ergo iure divino, the Pope can challenge no earthly power. him th [...] things that are in heaven. As farre as th [...] Heaven surmounteth the earth, so far [...] doth Not in power and rule, but in the excel [...]ē cy of the office ap­pertaining to God. the priesthood surmount the kingdom that is upon the earth. For the Lo [...] hath chosen him above me to approch u [...] to him, and to eat of his table, and to tak [...] [Page] the firstlings of the children of Israel, and thou shalt bee as a Sea to him. For like as in the Sea both the righteous and un­righteous are in danger, and the one sort are caught Prisoners, and the other sort are inriched: even so shall all kinde of men be hazarded in thee, some sinking in misery, & other some floting in prosperi­ty. For in thee shall raign great whales,Tyrants & wicked men de­scribed and prophe­sied. which shall swallow up men as fishes, and bring free mens sons and daughters into bondage. They shall take away Mens Houses, Lands, Cattell, and mo­ney by force, and wrongfully they shall feed ravens & other greedy fowles with many folkes flesh, and they shall prosper and flourish in naughtinesse, and be exal­ted through covetousnesse, and there shall be false Prophets like stormes, which shall persecute all righteous men.Mutuall discord is a plague for ty­rants. But the Lord shall set them together by the eares among themselves, & there shall be conti­nuall warres in Israel, and my kingdome shall be knit up in strangers, till the savi­our of Israel come,Christ prophe­sied. even till the comming of the God of righteousnesse, that Jacob & all nations may rest in peace, and he shall maintain my kingdom in peace for ever. [Page] For the Lord hath sworn to me, that the kingdome of me and of my seede, shall ne­ver faile world without end. But I am very sorry my Children,Note this ye that seeke after witches for lost goods. for the filthi­nesse, & trechery, & idolatry which ye shall worke against the Kingdome, by follow­ing Witches and Conjurers, by vowing your Daughters to deceitfull Divels, by making them inchanters,The mise­ry of Jeru­salem. charmers, and Strumpets, and by intermedling your selves with the abhominations of the heathen, for the which things the Lord shall bring upon you Famine famine, & Pesti­lence. pesti­lence, death and Death & Sword. sword, wrathfull Besiege­ment. be­siegement, & Devou­ring dogs. devouring dogs, reproach Daily re­proche. of friends and foes, losse & Losse & paine of eyes. paine of eies, slaughter Slaugh­ter of chil­dren. of your children, ravishings Ravi­shing of Wives. of Wives, spoile of your goods, the bur­ning Burning of the Temple. of your temple, the desolation Desolation of the country. of your country, and the Cap­tivity. A remedy for these. First, Repentance. Obedience captivity of your selves among all nations, which shall geld some of you, to make Eunuches for their wives, but if ye returne to the Lord with hearty repentance & humility, & walke in all the commandements of God, he will visite you with mercy, and loving­lie [Page] deliver you from the bondage of your enemies. After this shall rise among you a Star out of Jacob, and a man shall spring out of my seed, which shall walk as the Day-sun of righteousnesse among the children of men, in peace and meeke­nesse, and righteousnesse, and no sin shall be found in him. The heavens shall open upon him, to pour out the spirit of bles­sednesse upon him from the Father, and he shall shed out the spirit of grace upon you, and you shall be his children in truth, walking in his flest and last Commande­ments. This is the off-spring of the most high God, and the well-spring of life to all flesh. Then shall the Scepter of my Kingdom shine bright, and out of your root shall spring the vessel of planting, in whom shall grow up the Rod of righte­ousnesse unto the Gentiles, The most heavenly benefit of Christ his second coming. to judge and save all such as call upon him. After this shall Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob rise up again to life, and I and the Princes my brethren, shall be your Scepter in Israel: Levi first, I next, Joseph the third, Ben­jamin the fourth, Simeon the fift, Isa­char the sixt, and so all the rest. And the Lord hath blessed us. Levi shall be [Page] the messenger of my presence, Simeon the power of my glory, Reuben Heaven, Issachar the earth, Zabulon the Sea, Jo­seph the Mountains, Benjamin the Ta­bernacle, Dan the lights, Neptalim the Dainties, Gad the Day-sunne, and Aser an Olive-tree.A sweet comfort for the godly Christian. Matth. 5. And there shall be one peo­ple of the Lord, and one tongue, and there shall be no more the false spirit of Belial, because he shall be cast into endlesse fire. They that are buryed in sorrow, shal rise in joy:Note. and they that were poor for the Lords sake, shall be made rich. They that suffered penury, shall have plenty: and they that were weak,The bles­sed estate of the e­lect after death. shall be made strong, they that died for the Lords sake, shall wake up unto life, and run in Ja­cob: yea they shall run skipping and leap­ing, and they shal flie as Eagles for joy. But the ungodly shall be sorrowfull, and the sinners shall mourn, and all people shall glorifie the Lord for ever. There­fore my children, keep all the law of the Lord, for there is hope for all such as walk aright. A hundred and nineteen years old doe & die in your sight. Let none of you bury me in costly Cloaths, nor rip my belly, for so will Rulers doe, [Page] but carry me back into Hebron with you. With these words Juda dyed: and his Children doing in all things as he com­manded them, buried him with his Fa­thers in Hebron.

THE Copie of Isachars words. He calling his children about him, said unto them,The ex­hortation. Ye children of Isachar hear your Fa­ther, and hearken to the words of the beloved of the LORD. I am Jacobs fift son in the reward of mandrake. For Ruben brought Mandrakes out of the field, & Rachel meeting him,Gen. 30. took them of him. Thereat Ruben wept, and at his noise my mother Lea came out. Now the Man­drakes were sweet sented Apples, which the Land of Aram bringeth forth in high countries, by the water vallies. And Ra­chel said, I wil not give thee these apples, because they shall help me to children. Now there were two of these apples: and Lea said, doth it not suffice thee, that thou hast gotten away the husband of my virginity, but that thou wilt have this al [...]o? She an­swered, Let Jacob lie with thee to night, for thy sons Mandragoras. Lea said unto her, Doe not boast nor brag: for Jacob is mine, and I am the wife of his youth. And Rachel answered, How so? was he not first handfasted unto me, and served he not our Father fourteen years for me? [Page] What shal I do to thee? For many are the wiles and policies of men, and guile goes forward upon earth. If it had been otherwise, thou shouldest not have seen Jacob in the face at this day. For thou art not his wife, but wert guilefully put to him in my stead. My father deceived me, and conveying me away that night, suf­fered me not to see him. For had I been there, this had not come to passe. Where­fore take the one Mandrake, and in lieu of the other, I grant thee him for one night: and Jacob knew Lea, who conceiv­ing bare me, and called my name Issa­char, because of the hire. Then an Angel of the Lord appeared unto Jacob, and said that Rachel should bear but two sonnes, because she had forsaken the company of her husband, and chosen continency: and if my mother Lea had not given the two Apples for his company, she should have born eight children, whereas by reason of that she bare but six, Rachel two, and be­cause God visited her in the Mandrakes. For he knew that she greatly desired to company with Jacob for Issues sake, and not for lust of pleasure: for she layed up the Mandrake, and delivered it unto [Page] Jacob the next day, and therefore God heard Rachel in the Mandrakes, because that although she had a mind [...] unto them, yet she ate them not, but offered them to the Priest of the most High, which was in those dayes, and laid them up in the Lords House. Therefore my Children,The godly life of Issa­char, & his true deal­ing. when I came unto mans state, I walked with an upright heart, and became Bay­liff of Husbandry unto my fathers, and brought them the fruits of their Lands in their due seasons,An exam­ple for godly chil­dren. and my father bles­sed me, when he saw how I walked plainly and simply.A pattern of a vertu­ous life. I was no busie body in my doings, I was not hurtfull nor spitefull to my neighbour, I rayled not upon any man, neither dispraysed I the life of any, that walked in singlenesse of minde. By reason hereof, when I was thirty years old I took a Wife, because labour had consumed my strength. I never knew the pleasures of a woman through wantonnesse, but my labour made me to sleep soundly, and my father did alwayes rejoyce of my simplicity. For whatsoe­ver pains I took, first of all I offered all the first fruits and the first ingendred cat­tel unto the Lord by the Priest, and then [Page] gave my Father the rest, and the Lord doubled his benefits in my hands. Yea, and Jacob himself perceived well that God wrought with my plain dealing. For unto every poor man, and to every man in adversity, gave I of the fruits of the earth with a single heart. And now my children hearken and walk in single­nesse of minde, for I know that the Lord is very well pleased with it.With a plain dea­ling man the Lord is pleased. The single-hearted man coveteth not gold, under­mineth not his neighbour, lusteth not af­ter diversity of meats, desireth not shift of apparel, nor behighteth himself long time, but only hath an eye to Gods will, and the spirits of errour can doe nothing against him.A single-hearted man de­scribed, who and what he is. For he cannot skill to enter­tain a fair woman, lest he should defile his own minde: wrath overmastereth not his wit, envie melteth not his soul, neither doth his minde run covetously upon gain. For he leadeth an upright life, and beholdeth all things with a single eye, excluding all hurtfulnesse of worldly errour, lest he should oversee any of the Commandements of God. Therefore, my Children, keep Gods Law, and hold fast plainnesse: walk on in innocency, [Page] and be not too inquisitive into Gods se­crets, or of your neighbours doings,Learn you children of the earth. but love God and your neighbour: pitty the poor and weak, bow down your back to Husbandry, and labour in rilling of the Earth in all manner of Husbandry, offering presents to the Lord with thanksgiving, who blessed the earth with encrease, and a new spring of fruits, as he blessed all holy men from Abel to this day: for there is none other portion given thee, than of the fatnesse of the Earth, whose fruits come by pains taking: for our Father Jacob blessed me with the be­nefits of the Earth, and the firstlings of fruits. Levi and Juda are glorified of the Lord among the Children of Jacob. For God hath planted himself in them, giving to the one the Priesthood, and to the other the Kingdom.Obedience and plain dealing commend­ed. Therefore obey ye them, and walk plainly as our Fa­ther Jacob did. For unto Gad it is given to destroy the temptations of Israel. My Children, I know that in the last dayes, your Children shall forsake plainness, and cleave to covetousnesse, let goe innocen­cy, and follow lewdnesse, leave Gods Commandements, and stick unto Be­lial, [Page] give over husbandry,A Plague for diso­bedience. 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,The inno­cency of Issachar. A godly pattern to follow. 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,Hearken you Land-Lords. and given my bread to the poor.Learn you wealthy of the earth. 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 [Page] 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 charge that Zabulon gave to his Children, in the hundred and fourteenth year of his life,His exhor­tation, when it was given. Gen. 30. 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,The love of Zabu­lon towar [...] Joseph. 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 [Page] upon me my Brethren, have pity upon the bowels of our Father Jacob. A good conscience refuseth no triall. Love be­tween bre­thren is as a precious ointment. 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.Mutuall love is mutuall safety. 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 [Page] of my brothers taking money for Joseph, A figure of the tre­chery and covetous­nesse of Judas, read Matth. 27. 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,Juda care­full for his Brother. but had an eye unto the pit, because he feared lest Simeon and Gad should step there and kill him: [Page] 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,Reuben his love toward Joseph. 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. Mark the wicked policy of the un­godly. 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 [Page] 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.Zabulon his exhor­tation. 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.Compassi­on is to be shewed as well to beasts as men. 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,The un­mercifull punished▪ both they and their children. 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: Fishers Boats fi [...]st invented by Zabu­lon, but God gave the wis­dome. Gen. 49. and whereas many others were drowned in the Sea, I a­bode unbu [...]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 mas [...] in the boat, and fastned a sail to the midst of the wood, [Page] and coasing along the shore in it, I fished for my fathers houshold, till we came into Egypt: The sin­gular com­passion of Zabulon. 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.Note. For hee that giveth his neighbor, receiveth the things multiplied of the Lord. Five yeares did I fish, giving to every man [...]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.Zabulon his mercy in giving food. Now will I tell you what I did, I [...]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.A mercy­full deede to clothe the naked. 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 [Page] mercy.Inward compas­sion wan­ting ability serveth. 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 weepi [...]g and my heart yerned upon him for compassion:A rare ex­ample of a mercifull heart. You therefore my children have earnest and inward mer­cy towards all that are in m [...]sery, that God having pitty upon you may be mercifull to you likewise.God dwel­leth [...]n a mercifu [...]l heart. 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 m [...]n sheweth to his neighbour, so much w [...]ll God shew to him againe, Now when we came down in [...]o Egypt. Joseph minded not our evill dealing with him,Joseph re­warded good for evill. 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 ki [...]dred, and troubleth the minde. For he that is mindfull of harm past, hath not the bowels of mercy.He that is mindful of injuries, is not mer­c [...]full. Marke the water, and see how it washeth away the sand when the stones and timber are removed asun­der [Page] And if a brook be drawn into many streams,Apt simi­litudes. the earth sucketh it up, and it cometh to nothing: and so shall you, if you be divided among your selves.An exhor­tation to concord. 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.The end of discord is misery. 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, [Page] 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 Z [...]bulon. But as for the wicked,The state of the wicked at the latter day. 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 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.Heart and outward profession must be, consociate. Lies & an­ger school-masters of evill life, Selfe-love thinketh himself as good as o­ther. I l [...]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 te [...]c [...] 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:Desire of preroga­tive enti­seth to murther. Thou art his son [...]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 spitefulnesse which counselled me to devoure Joseph, as the [Page] Leopard devoured a Kid.Man pur­poseth, but God dis­poseth. But the God of our Father Jacob did not put him into my hands, nor suffer me to finde him a­lone, that I might dispatch two Scepters in Israel by committing that wickednesse. And now my children, I tall you of a truth, that unlesse you keep your selves from this spirit of lying and wrath, and love truth and long sufferance, ye shall perish. Wrath is blind, my children, and no wrath­full man looketh truth in the face,A wrath­full man lively des­cribed. because that although they were He ac­counteth his Parents as enemies. his Father and mother, yet doth he hold them all his ene­mies. Though he be his brother, yet he He knoweth not his brother. knoweth him not: though he be the Lords He obey­eth not the Minister. prophet, yet obeyeth he him not: though he be a He re­gardeth not the righteous. righteous man, yet he regar­deth him not, and though he be his He consi­dereth not his friend. friend, yet he considereth it not. For the Spirit of wrath besetteth him with the snares of error, blinding his naturall eyes, and dimming the eyes of his minde by falsehood, and giving to him a sight of his own making. And wherein blea­reth he his eyes? In hatred of heart, for he giveth him a self-willed heart against his brother, to spite him, and envy him. My Sonnes, wrath is mischievous, for it be­commeth [Page] a soul to the soul,The pro­perties of wrath. and subdu­eth the body to it self by overmastering the soul, and giveth power to the body to work all wickednesse. And when the soule hath wrought, it justifieth the thing done because it seeth not.

Therefore he that is wrathfull,A wrath­full man worketh three wayes, 1 By ser­vants. 2 By riches 3 By him­self. if he be a man of might, hath trebble power in his anger. One, through the help and furthe­rance of his Servants: Another, of his riches wherethrough he perswadeth and overcometh his unrighteousnesse: and a third of the nature of his own body, which of it self worketh evill. And though he that is angry be a poor man, yet hath he his naturall power doubled. For the said Spirit do [...]h alwayes further his wic­kednesse, by causing his deeds to be matched with lying. Wherefore consider the power of wrath how vain it is. For he is bitter in speech, and walketh at Satans right hand, that his deeds may be wrought in untrustiness and lying.Two in­struments of wrath; bitter speech: violent hands. For Satan doth first of all sting him by speech, and when he hath once pricked him forward, be strengthneth him by deeds, and troubleth his understanding with bitter nips and losses, and so provoketh his minde to ex­cessive [Page] wrath. Therefore when any man speaketh against you,Remedy against wrath is forbearing of words. be not moved to an­ger: and if he praise you as good men, be not puffed up, nor changed into voluptu­ousnesse and sternesse of countenance. For when a man heareth a thing that mis­liketh him, first it tickleth him and sting­eth his mind, so that he thinks he hath just cause to be angry. Now therefore my chil­dren, if ye fall into any losse and hinde­rance,The effect of impati­ence. be not out of patience, for the spirit of impatience maketh men to lust for the things that is forgone, and to be angry for the want of it. Beare your losses willing­ly, and be not out of quiet for it: for unqui­etnes engendereth anger and untruth: and it is evill to have a double face. Anger and untruth talke one to another, to trouble the understanding. And when the mind is cumbred with disdain, the Lord depar­teth from it, and Belial getteth the domi­n [...]on of it. Therefore my children, keepe the Lords commandements and lawes, eschew untruth and hate it, that the Lord may dwell in you, and Belial fl [...]e from you. Speak every of you the truth to his neighbour, that ye fall not willingly into incomberance, and so shall ye be in quiet, [Page] and ye shall have the God of peace, war shall not prevaile against you. Love the Lord all your life long, and love ye one another with a soothfast heart. For I am sure that in the latter daies ye shall depar [...] from the Lord, and walk in naughtines,He pro­phesieth their wickednes. work [...]ng the abhominations of the Gentiles, and haunting wicked women in all lewdnes by the working of deceitfull spirits in you. For I have read in Enoch that Sathan is your prince, and tha [...] all the spirits of fornication and pride, shall ply themselves in laying snares for the chil­dren of Dan, to make them sinne before the Lord. But my children, stick ye unto Levi, and looke upon him in all things. The children of Juda shall snatch away o­ther mens goode like Lyons through covetousnesse.A note for covetous­nes. For this cause shall ye be led away with them into captivity, and there receive all the plagues of Egypt, Repen­tance ob­taineth mercy. A prophe­cy of Christ his humani­ty. and all the malice of the heathen: whereupon [...]e shall returne to [...]h [...] Lord and obtaine mer­cy, and he shall bring you into [...]is holy place, and proclaim peace to you The Lor [...]s saving health shall spring up unto you out of the Tribes of Juda and Levi He shall make warre against Belial, and give our [Page] young men the victory in revengement. He shall deliver the imprisoned souls of the Saints from Belial, Christ lively des­cribed. and turn your unbelieving hearts to the Lord, and give everlasting peace to such as call upon him. The Saints shall rest in him, and the righteous shall rejoyce in the new Jeru­salem, which shall glorifie GOD for ever. Jerusalem shall no more be wasted, nor Israel led into captivity, because the Lord shall be conversant among men in the midst of it, and the holy one of Israel shall raign over you in lowlinesse and poverty, and he that believeth in him shall certainly reign in Heaven. Now my Children feare the Lord, and beware of Satan and his spirits. And draw neer to God, and to the angell that excuseth you: for he is the Mediator between God and man to set peace in Israel. Christ our mediator. Christ as­sisteth us in all tem­ptations. He shall stand against the Kingdom of the enemy, and therefore will the enemy labour to over­throw all that call upon the Lord: for he knoweth, that whensoever Israel decayeth, then shall his enemies Kingdome come to an end. But the said Angel shal streng­then Israel, that he come not to an evill end. At that time shall Israel depart from [Page] iniquity, and the Lord shall visit such as doe his will in all places of Israel, and a­mong the heathen his name shall be, The Saviour. Therefore my children, keep your selves from all noysome dealings, and put from you wrath, and all untruth. Love truth and mildnesse, and look what you have heard of your father, deliver it over to your children, that the Father of Nati­ons may receive you. For he was sooth­fast, long suffering, meek, lowly, and a teacher of Gods law by his own works. Therefore depart from all unrighteous­nesse, that ye may stick to the righteousnes [...] of the Lords Law, and bury ye me by my Fathers. In saying these things he kissed them, and slept the sleep of the world. And his sonnes buried him, laying his bones by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And like as Dan had prophes [...]ed to them, that they should one day neglect Gods law, and estrange themselves from the off-spring and native Countrey of Israel, so came it to passe.

THe copy of Neptalims Testa­ment, concerning the things which he discoursed at the end of his time, in the hundreth and two and thirtieth year of his life. At the comming of his Children together in the seaventh moneth, the fourth day of the moneth, he being yet in good health, com­manded a sumptuous feast, and great chear to be prepared. When he awoke in the morning from sleep, because he was even at deaths doore, he praised the Lord that had strengthned him, and began to speak to his children, in this wise:

My Children, give eare to Neptalim, hearken to your fathers words I was borne of Bilha, and because Rachel dealt craftily in putting Bilha to Jacob, His birth. in her owne stead, and Bilha was delivered of mee in Rachels lap, therefore was I called Neptalim. Why he was called Neptalim. And Rachel loved mee because I was borne on her lap, and shee kissed me when I was a little one, saying: God let me see a brother of thine out of mine owne wombe after thee. By rea­son whereof, Joseph was like to mee in [Page] all things according to Rachels request.Why Jo­seph was like Nep­talim. Now my mother Bilha was the daughter of Rotheus, the brother of Debora, Re­becca's nurse, and was born the self-same day that Rachel was born:his family. for Rotheus was a Chaldean, of Abrahams kindred, a worshipper of GOD, freeborn and a noble man. Howbeit forsomuch as he was taken prisoner, Laban bought him, and married him so a bond-woman of his, called Eve, who brought him forth a son, whom he named Zeliphas, after the name of the Castle wherein he was ta­ken. Afterward she bare Bilha, calling her, her new hasty daughter, because she was fond of the Dug as soon as she was born.The swift­nesse of Neptalim. Gen. 49. And because I was as swift of foot as a Stag, my father Jacob appoin­ted me to run of all messages and errands, and blessed me by the name of Stag. For as the Potter knoweth what his ves­sel shall contain, and tempereth his quantity of clay thereafter:God his wisdome in creating us, lively set forth. so the Lord maketh a mans body proportionable to the spirit that he will put unto it, and fli­teth the spirit to the ability of the body, so as there is no inequality or oddes be­twixt them: for all the Lords creatures [Page] are made by weight, measure and rule. And as the Potter knoweth the use of eve­ry of them to what things they be meetest, so the Lord knoweth the body, how farre forth it is fit for goodnesse, and when it beginneth in evill. For there is not any Creature reasonable, nor unreasonable, which the Lord knoweth not, for he hath created all men after his own image: and as mans strength is, so is his worke: as is his will, so is his worke: as is his forecast, so is his doing: as is his heart, so is his mouth: as is his eye, so is his sleep: and as is his minde, so is his talke, either of the Law of the Lord, or of the Law of Belial. And looke what diversity is be­tweene light and darknesse, or between sight and hearing, the same diversity is there in man and woman. Neither is it to be said, that there is any bitternesse in a­ny thing either of the face, or of other like things, For God hath made all things good in their order or degres: he hath set the five wits in the head, and knit the head to the neck, and covered it with hair for his glory. Moreover, he hath assigned the heart to wisdome, the bell [...] to the avoidance of the stomach, [...] [Page] health, the Liver to anger, the gall to bitternesse, the spleen to laughter, the kid­nies to craftinesse, the loins to strength, the ribbes to comelinesse, the seed to lusti­nesse, and so forth. So my children doe all things in order,All things must be done in time and order. and in the feare of God, neither doe ye any thing disorderly in scorn, or out of due season. For thou canst not command the eye to beare,The reason. nei­ther canst thou doe the works of light in darknesse. Therefore haste you not to mar [...] your doings through covetousnesse, or to beguile your own souls with fond talke. For by holding your peace with a cleane heart, ye shall be able to keep the will of God, and to cast away the will of the divell: the Sunne, Moon, and Stars, break not their order, neither break you Gods law in the order of your doings. The Gentiles by going astray and by forsaking the Lord, have changed their order, and followed stocks and stones, and spirits of errour. But do you not so (my children:) know ye that your onely one God is the Lord in the skies, on the earth, in the Sea, and of all creatures, for he is the m [...]ker of them. And be not like Sodom, which altereth the order of her Nature: [Page] likewise the waters altered the order of their nature, and they whom God cur­sed in the flood, making the earth desolate and fruitless for their sakes. My children,Neptalim prophe­sieth the misery of his chil­dren. I say these things, because I have read in the holy writings of Enoch, that you also shall depart from the Lord, and walk in all the wickednesse of Sodome, and the Lord shall bring thraldome upon you, so as you shal serve your enemies, and be pin­ched with all manner of tribulation and pain, till God consume you every one: and when ye be made few and small, ye shal turn again, and know the Lord your God, and he shal bring you again into your own land, according to his manifold mercy. And it shall come to passe, that when they shall be come into the countrey of their fa­thers, they shall forget the Lord again, and deal wickedly, so as the Lord shall scatter them all over the face of the whole earth, till in the mercy of the Lord come a man that poureth out mercy and righteous­ness upon all m [...]n both far and neer.A Vision. For in the xl. year of my life, upon mount Olivet toward the east side of Jerusalem, I saw, the Sun and Moon stand still, and behold. Isaac my fathers father said to us, Come [Page] hither apace, and every one of you take hold, according to his strength, for the Sunne and Moone may be caught. And we came running all togeth [...]r, and Levi caught hold of the Sunne, and Juda jumping up caught told of the Moon, and were both of them lifted up with them. And when as Levi became as the Sunne, a certain young m [...]n delivered him twelve boughs of Palm tree, and Juda shined as the Moon, and twelve beams or rayes were under his feet, and Levi and Juda running together, beheld one another. And behold there was a Bull upon earth that had great horns, and Eagles wings upon his backe, and we would have caught him, but we could not: for Joseph stepping before us, caught him, and moun­ted aloft upon him. And behold, there appeared unto us an holy writing, say­ing: the Assyrians, Medes, Elamites, Ga­lathites, Caldees, and Syrians, shall hold the Scepter of Israel in thraldome. And again, a seven moneths after, I saw our father Jacob standing in the sea of Jamma, and us his Sonnes with him. And be­hold, there came a ship sayling by full of [...] flesh, without Mariner or Pilate. [Page] Vpon the ship was written Jacob, and our Father said to us, Let us go to our ship: When we were within it, there rose a sore tempest, and a mighty gale of winde, and our father who held the stern, flew away from us, and then we being tossed with the storm, were carried into the sea, and our ship was filled with water, and wea­ther- [...]eat [...]n, and torn on all sides. Then Joseph fled out in the boat, and we all were divided upon twelve boards, and Levi, and Juda was among us, so were we scattered on all coasts, and Levi being clad in sack­c [...]oth, prayed unto the Lord for us all. As soon as the tempest was allayed, the ship came quickly to land, and behold our Fa­ther Jacob came, and we rejoyced all to­gether with one minde. I told my father these two dreams, and he said to me, these things must be fulfilled in their time, and Israel must indure many things. Then said he further to me, I believe that Joseph is alive, for I see that the Lord doth alwayes number him with us. And he said, thou livest my sonne Joseph, Remorse of consci­ence mo­veth open confession. but yet I see thee not, neither seest thou Jacob that begat thee: truly he made us to weep at these words of his, and my vowels [Page] glowed within me, to bewray unto him that Joseph was sold, but I was afraid of my brothers. Behold, my sons, I have shewed you the last times, and all things that shall be done in Israel. You there­fore command your children to be help­full unto Levi and Juda. For by Juda shall health and welfare spring up unto Israel, and in him shall Jacob be blessed. For by his Scepter shall God appeare, and dwell among men upon earth, to save the flock of Israel, and to gather the righte­ous from amongst the Heathen. My chil­dren if you do well, both men and angels shall praise and blesse you, and God shall be glorified by you among the Gentiles, the Divell shall fl [...]e from you,By doing well, God is glori­fied, men bless [...]d, & the divel v [...]nquish­ed. the beasts shall stand in awe of you, and the Angels shall receive you. For like as if a man bring up his children well, the child giveth and endeavoureth alwayes to be mindefull and thankfull: So of good works there is a good remembrance with God. But as for him that doth not good, him shall men and Angels curse, and God shall be disho­noured through him among the Gentiles, and the Divel shall possesse him, as a pe­culiar vessell and instrument, and all [Page] beasts shall overmas [...]er him, and the Lord shall hate him. For the commandments of the law are of two sorts, and are fulfil­led in work. For there is a time for a man to company with his wife, and a time to forbear her, that he may give himselfe to prayer. There are two commandements which breed sinne, except they be done in their due order, and so it is in the rest of the commandments. Therefore be you wise and skilfull in the Lord, knowing the order of his commandements, and the laws of all things, that God may love ye. Ha­ving commanded them many other such things, he prayed them to conveigh his bones to Hebron, and to bury him by his Fathers. And so eating and drinking with a merry heart, he covered his face and died. And Neptalims children did all things ac­cording as their Father had commanded them.

THe Copy of Gads Testament, and of the things that he spake to his Children, in the hundred and seventh year of his life, saying: I was Jacobs seventh son, and skilfull and strong in keeping of sheep. I kept the flocks by night, and when there came any Lion,Gad a good and valiant shepheard. Leo­pard, Wolf, Beare, or other wilde Beast upon our Ca [...]tel, I ran to it and killed it. Joseph also did feed sheep with us about a thirty dayes, who being tender, fell sick by reason of overmuch heat, and went home to Hebron to his father, whom he lodged by himselfe, because he loved him▪ And Joseph told our father, t [...]at the sons of Bilha wasted his goods at Z [...]lpha, and made havock of them, without the know­ledge of Juda and Ruben. For he knew that I had rescued a lamb out of a Bears mouth, and killed the Bear, and that be­cause the lamb could not live (which thing grieved me) we killed it also and ate it. He told our father of it, and our brothers were greatly discontent [...]d with his do­ing, even to the day that he was sold into Egypt, and the spirit of hatred was in me, insomuch as I could not finde in my heart to hear Joseph speak, or to see him, [Page] because he had rebuked us openly,Gad hated Joseph for his com­plaining to his fa­ther. for eat­ing the lamb without Juda. To be shor [...], he made our father believe whatsoever he told him. But now I acknowledge my sinne, my children, that I was often in minde to have killed him, for I hated him from my heart, and I was utterly with­out compassion towards him, and the cause of this my great hatred towards him, was his dreams:2. For his dreams. Therefore I would have devoured him, as an Oxe eateth up grasse from the earth. And for that cause I and Juda sold him to the Ismaelites for 30 gildernes, of the which we kept away ten privily, and shewed the other xx to our bre­thren. And so covetousnesse perswaded me to wish his death. But the God of our Fathers delivered him out of my hands, to the intent I should not do such wickedness in Israel: and now my children give eare to the words of truth, that ye may live righteously, and keep the law of the high­est, and not go astray through the Spirit of hatred, for that is evill in all mens do­ings. Whatsoever another man doe h [...] that doth the hater mislike and abhorre. If one keep the law of the Lord, he prai­seth it not: if one feare the Lord, and deal [Page] righteously, him he loveth not, but dis­praiseth the truth, he envieth him that or­dereth his wayes aright, he embraceth backbiting, he loveth scornfulnesse: and because that hatred hath blinded his minde, he doth to his neighbours as we did to Jo­seph: therefore my Children keep your selves from hatred, because it committeth wickednesse even against the Lord; for it will not hear the words of Gods com­mandement, concerning the loving of a mans neighbour, but sinneth spitefully a­gainst God. If a brother offend, by and by it blazeth him abroad, and is hastie to have him condemned and killed, or punished for his offence. And if the offender be a servant or bondman, it accuseth him to his master, and deviseth all means that may be to persecute 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.A compa­rison. 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 [Page] 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,The pro­perty of hatred. because it abideth with lying, speak­ing continually against the truth, ma­king a great adoe of small matters, over­shadowing the l [...]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 t [...]ings upon experience, to the in­tent you should eschew hatred, and stick to godly love. Righteousnesse driveth out hatred,A righte­ous man described. 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 [Page] 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 lo [...]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 t [...]ought of minde.Love con­sisteth in deed, in word, and 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 [Page] 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.Envy no mans prosperity. It may be per­chance your profit. 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 [Page] 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,A poor man how he is rich. 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.A prophecy of Christ. 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 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 wayes for a man to walk in. 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,Two mindes in a man. of good & of evil. 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 [Page] 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 divel [...]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,Diverse sorts of double fa­ces. and that deed 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.The cove­tous mans wickedness described. 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 [Page] 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 p [...]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,God abi­deth with the plain dealer. 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 [Page] and such as pretend but one face are ta­ken for offenders,The pre­posterous judgement of the world makes not good or bad. at the hands of such as beare two faces, yet are they righteous before GOD. F [...]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,Other kindes of double fa­ced men. 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 hidde [...] [Page] 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,Aser his righteous living. 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 fo [...]low the truth wi [...]h one single face. For they that are double faced shall be double punished.Double fa­ced, 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 righte [...]usnesse. And know the An­gels of the Lord from the Angels of [Page] 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,A prophe­cy of C [...]rist his humanity. untill the Highest do visit the earth, eat [...]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 [Page] 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.

MY sons and my brethren, hear ye Joseph the well-beloved of Isra­el. My children hear your Father. I h [...]ve known in my life Envy and Death, with the which my brethren would have de­stroyed me. For they hated me,Josephs afflictions. 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,God help­eth in di­stresse. 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 [Page] my life, by reason of a shamelesse woman, which entised me to do naughtinesse with her, through the flam [...] of voluptuousnesse burning about her breast. I was cast in prison for her: I was beaten and mocked for her, yet the Lord caused the Keeper of the Prison to be moved with mercy to­wards me. He forsaketh not them that feare him,God never forsaketh his. neither in darknesse, neither in bonds, neither in tribulations, or ne­cessities. God is not ashamed as man, neither dreadeth he as men, neither sha­keth or shrinketh he for fear as earthly men. He is present in all places, and in their most grievous sorrowes he comfor­teth his. He goeth away for a season, to try the thoughts of their minde. He found me trusty in ten Temptations:Joseph constant in tempta­tions. and in e­very one I was constant and preserved. For sufferance is a great medicine, and causeth much goodnesse.Sufferance what it is. How often did the Egyptian threaten my death? How often was I punished, and yet the woman cal­led me again? How often did she threaten me to die, because I would not have to do with her? She said unto me, thou shalt have governance of me, and all that be mine, if thou wilt give thy selfe unto me, [Page] and obey my desire,A present medicine in tempta­tion. and thou shalt be Lord over us. But I remembred the words of my father Jacob, and entring into my chamber, made my prayer to the Lord, and fasted seven dayes:Not from meat, but from wan­ton fare. yet I appeared unto the Egyptian, in the self same estate of body, as if I had lived in pleasures and delights. For they that fast for GOD, re­ceive beauty of face. When I had wine given unto me, I drunk none: and fa­sting three dayes, I took my meat daily, and gave it to the sick and needy, and early I awaked unto the Lord, and wept for Metemphetica the Egyptian, because she was evermore troubling of me.A crafty practise of a woman. She came unto me in the night, as though she would have visited me. And first truly because she had never a son, she fained to take me as her son. And I prayed to God to send her a sonne: untill which time she embraced me, as though I had been her sonne, and perceived not the cause. And for a conclusion, she drew me to have done fornication with her, and I remem­bring my self, was sorrowful to the death. And when she was gone out, I came to my self, and sorrowed many dayes: for I perceived her deceit and errour. And I [Page] spake unto her the words of the most high God, if peradventure she might be turned away from her pernicious concupi­scence.Flattery the Divels sweet bait. Many times as to a holy man she spake flattering words to me, not without deceit, lauding my chastity be­fore her Husband, which would utterly have destroyed me: both manifestly and secretly she said unto me, Fear not my Husband, for he is perswaded of thy cha­stity. For if so be that any man shewed him of thee and me, he would not believe it.A token of a zealous heart. For because of this thing, I covered me with sackcloth, and layd me flat up­on the Earth, and prayed unto Almighty God, that he would deliver me from this woman of Egypt. When she could doe nothing this way,Hypocrites are of all religions for luere. she came unto me a­gain armed with other reasons: th [...]t is to say, that she would fain learn the word of God of me, and began to speak after this manner. If thou wilt have me to forsake mine Idols, follow my desire, and I will perswade my husband the Egyp­tian to go from his Idolatry, and we shall walke in the law of thy God.Double fa­ced men GOD ab­horreth. I made an­swer to these things: GOD will have none to worship him with uncleannesse, [Page] neither hath he any pleasure in adulte­rers: and she held her peace, desiring to fulfill her concupiscence. And I fasted and prayed, that God might deliver me from her. Again at another time,Note the fruit of lust. she said unto me: If thou wilt not do adultery with me, I will kill my Prince, and so by the law I shall take thee to my Husband. When I heard that, I rent my garment, and said: Woman, I pray thee be asha­med of these things before GOD, and feare God, and do thou not such an abo­minable thing: Neither despayre utter­ly, that thou drown not thy self in thine own evil: for if thou go about, I shall utter and declare the thoughts of thine iniquity. She fearing these things, pray­ed me that I would not bewray her naugh­tinesse, and so departed. Yet again, she went about to beguile me with gifts, sending unto me all things that men have need of, and she sent me meat strew­ed about with Inchantment. And as the Eunuch brought it in, I beheld and saw a terrible fellow giving me a sword with the dish, and I perceived that she went about to deceive me. And when he was gone, I wept, and touched not that meat, [Page] nor any other of her sending, for a good while after. A day after that, she came to me and said, What is the matter that thou hast not eaten of the meat? And I said unto her, because thou hast poysoned it. Therefore thou shalt know that I will not come unto Idols,Joseph did first ad­monish & not pro­clame. but only unto God. Now understand therefore, that the God of my Father by his Angel, hath shewed thy mischief unto me, and I have kept the meat to thy shame, if perchance thou mightest repent, or learn that the malice of wicked doers prevaileth not against them that worship the Lord in chastity. And I took and did eat before her, say­ing: The God of my fathers, and the An­gell of Abraham shall be with me, and then she fell down at my feet and wept. Then lifting her up,The Name of God, & fear of in­famy, pric­keth the conscieece: Note this. I exhorted her ma­ny wayes, and she promised unto me, that she would never do such iniquity af­ter that day. Yet because her heart was mourning, and did burn toward me in adultery with sighes comming from the depth of her stomacke, she cast down her countenance. The Egyptian her hus­band perceiving her, said, Wherefore hol­dest thou down th [...] face? She answered, [Page] I am even sorrowfull at the heart: and he comforted her that was not sick: yet again she entred in to me (her Husband being without) and said: I am strangled or choaked: either I will break thy neck, or else drown my selfe, without thou wilt obey me. And I perceiving that the Spirit of Belial troubled and vexed her prayed unto the Lord my God, and said thus: wherefore art thou vexed and trou­bled, all blinde in sinne? Remember thy selfe, for if thou do kill thy self, the concu­bine of thy husband called Secon, envy­ing thee, shall beat thy children, and destroy the memory of thee from the earth. And she said unto me: Have done, have done, I perceive that yet thou hast some care for me: I have even enough that thou de­fendest my life and my childrens. I have good hope in time to come, that I shall obtain my wished desire. And she perceiv­ed not that for the love of my Lord God I said so, and not for her sake. Whatso­ever he be, that followeth the concupiscence of his most filthy and pernicious desire, is made servant unto the same, as this wo­man was. And if he hear any good thing in the passion wherein he is overcome, he [Page] draweth the same to his pernicious or filthy desire. I say unto you my Sonnes, that it was about six of the clocke when she went from me, and I fell upon my knees, praying to God all that day, with the night following.A remedy against tē ­ptation. And about the break of the day I arose weeping, that I might once be de [...]ivered from this Egyptian woman. Finally, she caught me fast by the garment, drawing me to have gone to bed with her. Then perceiving that she waxed mad, and that violently and with strength she held my clothes, I let my clothes slip from me, and fled away.

Then sh [...] complained to her husband of me, which put me in prison in the Kings house. The day following after, I was sore beaten and cast in prison. And when I lay bound in fetters, this Egyptian Woman waxed sick for sorrow, and har­kened how I lauded GOD, being in a House of Darknesse. For I rejoycing, with a glad voice, glorified my God, one­ly that by such occasion I was delivered from the Egyptian woman.Note a subtile woman. Yet she left not to stand hearkening, & said, Have done, and take the offer which I put unto thee, and fulfill my desire, and I will deliver thee [Page] from thy Bond,Josephs singular chastity. and bring thee out from the darkness: but all that could perswade me nothing, insomuch that in thought I was not inclined to any desire of her. For God loveth him better which fasteth in chastit [...], being in a prison of darknesse, then him which taketh his pleasure with voluptuousnesse in a chamber of honour & riches. For if a man live in chastity and desire glory (if God perceive it to be expe­dient for him) he giveth it unto him, as he hath done unto me. Many times as though she had been sicke, she descended unto me unlooked for, and heard the voice of my praying, and stood the more still. But when I heard her sigh I held my peace,A proper­ty of a Harlot. for in her house she stripped her self naked, breasts, legges, and arms, where­by she might have kindled me into the love of her. For she was very fair, and gloriously adorned to have deceived me, but God kept me from her works. There­fore my Sonnes, behold what sufferance with prayer and fasting doth.The com­modity of praier and sufferance. And there­fore if you love Soberness and Chastity in Sufferance and Humility of the heart, the Lord shall dwell in you, for he loveth so­briety: and when the most High doeth [Page] dwell in a man, although he chance to fall into envy, or into bondage, or slander, the Lord which dwelleth in him will for his chastity not only deliver him, but also exalt him, and glorifie him, as he hath done me, for he is alwayes with him in word, in deed, and thought.

Josephs lowlinesse in prospe­rity.My Children, ye know well how my Father did love me, and yet I was never the prouder thereof in my heart. For though I was a childe, I had ever the fear of God in my minde. When I grew unto age, I moderated my selfe, and honoured my brethren whom I feared. I held my peace when I was sold, because I would not have the Ismaelites to know my flock and kindred, how I was the son of Jacob, a man of great strength and power. Therefore have you in your deeds the feare of God, and honour your Brethren, for all men that observe the Law of God, are loved of him. Then I came with the Ismaelites to a certain place called In­doclep, and they demanded of me what I was: and I said (because I would not reprove my brethren) that I was one of their houshold Slaves. Then said the chief of them, thou art no slave: for thy [Page] countenance doth shew thee what thou art. And he threatned me unto the death,An amia­ble coun­tenance a token of a liberall mind. yet for all that I said againe I was their slave. But when we came into Egypt, they began to strive who should have me for the money that was paid: and they a­greed that I should abide in Egypt with a Merchant of their faculty untill such time as they had made their Merchan­dise and returned again: and God gave me in the fight of the Merchant, that he gave me the charge of his house, and the Lord blessed him by my hand, for the Lord gave him plenty of Gold and Silver, and I was with him three moneths and five dayes. In this time, passed by Memphitica the wife of Putiphar in great glory, and she cast her eyes upon me (for the Eunuches had shewed her of [...] & she shewed her husband of the Merchant whi [...]h was made rich in the hand of a young man being an Hebrew, A cove­tous heart like Acha [...]. and she sayd they had [...] [...]im out of the land of Chanaan, therefore do now judgement upon him, and that the young man to be your steward, and t [...]e God of the Hebrewes shal blesse you, for grace from heaven is in him. Putiphar her husband perswaded with these words [Page] caused the Merchant to be sent for, and said unto him: what do I beare of thee, that stealest souls out of the Land of the Hebrewes, in selling of Children? The Merchant fell down upon his knees, and prayed him, saying: I beseech thee Lord, shew me, for I know not what thou sayst. He answered againe. Where gates [...] thou this Hebrew childe? and he said, the Ismaelites left him with me, untill they came this way again. When he had said so, Putiphar said, bring the young man hither: and I being brought in, did reverence to the Prince of the Eunuches, for he was the third man in dignity with Pharaoh, and Prince of all the Eunuches, and he had wife, children, and concubines. And when he had taken me apart, he said, Art thou [...]ond, or art thou free? I answe­red, bond. And he said unto me, whose bondman art thou? I answered him, the Ismaelites. And he said again unto me: how came it to passe that thou [...]ast made their bondman? And I said: for they bought me in the land of Chanaan: yet he did not believe me, saying: truly thou [...]iest, and commanded me to be beaten. Memphitica his Wife spied me [...]eaten, [Page] at a window, and sent unto her Husband,A token of mercy, if it were not for an ill end. saying, Thy judgement is unjust, for thou doest punish wrongfully the young man that is stolen. But because I changed not my word, yet again was I beaten, and commanded to be kept at his commande­ment, till such time as my masters came.

And his wife said unto him, Wherefore do ye keep in captivity the noble Childe?Note a flattering woman. it were more almes to let him goe, and to beat you. She would fain have spied me in desire of sin, and I knew nothing of this. He said again to Memphitica, it is not honest among the Egyptians, to take away another mans goods before he shew him of it. He said that of the Mer­chant and of me, when I should be im­prisoned. After that, xxiiii. dayes, the Is­maelites came, and they hearing that Ja­cob my father was heavy for me, fa [...] unto me, wherefore is it that thou saidst thou wast a bondman, and now we [...]now that thou art the sonne of a great-man in the land of Canaan, and thy father sorrow­eth for thee in sackcloth.A good nature. Then I could fain have wept, yet I refrained my selfe for shaming of my brethren, and said, I know if not, for I am a bondman. Then [Page] they took counsell amongst themselves, whither or to whom they might sell me, lest I should be found in their hands, for they feared Jacob lest he should be reven­ged of them: for they had heard that he was mighty both to God and man. Then said the Merchant to them, Redeem him now from the judgement of Putiphar: they hearing this, went and asked for me, saying: that they had bought me for mony, & he delivered me. Memphitica spake un­to her husband to buy me, for she said, I hear say they would sell him.Thus the Righteous be bought and sold. And they sent an Eunuch to the Ismaelites, & desired to buy me, and when he could not bargain with them, his returned & shewed his Lady that they asked a great price for the childe: she sent again another Eunuch, saying; Al­though they aske two besaunces of gold, see that thou spare not for money, but buy the childe and bring him to me. He paid 80 golden Crowns for me, & said to his Lady that he paid 100 and I perceiving this, held my peace, lest the Eunuch should have been searched: Behold my sonnes what I have sustained: love one of you a­nother, and with continuance cast out from among you deceitfull minds, for God de­lighteth [Page] in the concord of brethren,Concord between brethren pleaseth God. & hath pleasure also in the love & choice of a pro­ved heart. For when my brothers came out of Egypt and knew me, I gave them their money, and never gave reproach unto them, but comforted them,Josephs mercifull heart de­clared. & after the death of Jacob I loved them more aboundantly, and all that ever he commanded me I did very gladly, and they marvelled because I suffered not them to be troubled for a small cause, for all that was in my power I gave them. Their children were reputed to me as mine own, and mine own children as their servants. Their life was my life, and their sorrow was my sorrow, and all their infirmity or disease was mine, my Land was their land, my counsel was the coun­sel of them and I never exalled my self a­bove them in pride for mine own worldly glory, but was amongst them as one of the least. T [...]erefore my sons if ye walk in the Commandements of the Lord, the Lord shall exalt you and blesse you in ric [...]s p [...]rpetual.A promise for them that pray for their enemies. And if any man will do ev [...]ll to you, with meeknesse look that ye pray for him, and God shall deliver you from all evill. For behold and see, that for my long sufferance the Daughter of [Page] my Lord was given me to wife,God pro­videth for his Elect. and there was given to me with her an hundred ta­lents of Gold, for God made them to serve me, and gave me beauty that I should be as a flower above them that were faire in Israel, and he kept me unto mine age both in strength and beauty, because I was like to Jacob in all things.Josephs dreams. And what dreams I have seen, my children now heare. There were xii. Harts feeding, and nine were divided abroad in the earth, al­so I saw how that of Juda was a Virgin born having a white silken robe, and of her came forth an immaculate Lamb: And on the left hand of the said Lamb, was as it were a Lyon, and all Beasts made against him,Christ prophe­sied. and the Lamb over­came them, and trod them under his feet, and in him joyed the Angels, the men, and all the earth. These things shall come to passe in their time, that is to say, in the lat­ter dayes. Therefore my Sons keepe the commandement of the Lord, and honour Juda and Levi. For of them, to you shall spring the Lamb of God, which by his grace shall preserve all Gentiles and Is­rael. The Kingdome of him is a King­dome eternall, which shal never passe. For [Page] my Kingdome shall be ended in you, a [...] the keeping of an Orchard, for after the harvest it shall appear no more. I know right well that after my death the Egyp­tians shall trouble you: but God shall re­venge you, and bring you to the promised land which he share to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But carry my bones with you: for in so doing, the Lord shal be in the light with you against the Egyptians, and Belial shal be in darknesse with the Egyp­tians. Also carry wi [...]h you your Mother Zilph [...], and [...]igh unto the valley, neer unto Rachel bury her. When he had said these words, he stretched forth his feet, and slept the sleep of all the World. Then they imbalmed him with spices, putting him in a Chest in Egypt, after he had lived 110. years, who saw Ephraims Children unto the third generation. For unto Ma­chir the sonne of Manasse [...], were children born on Josephs knees. After this all [...] of Israel bewailed him, and all the Egyp­tians with a great mourning. For he had compassion of Egypt as of his own proper members, and assisted them both with his labour and counsell, and did them good at all times and seasons.

THe Copy of Benjamin [...] words, which he uttered to his Chil­dren, being of the age of an hundred, and twenty years. He kissed them and said: As Isaac was born in the hundreth year of Abraham, so was I in the hundreth year of Jacob: and because Rachel dyed at my birth, I sucked her Bond-woman Bilha. For after that Rachel had born Joseph, she was barren twelve years. And when she had prayed to the Lord in those twelve years, she conceived and bare me: for my father loved Rachel ex­ceedingly, and wished to see two Sonnes by her, and therefore I was called Benjamin, Benjamin what it sig­nifieth. that is to say, the sonne of my dayes, or the sonne of my sorrow, because my Mother dyed in the birth of me. When I came first into Egypt, and that my brother Joseph knew me, he said to me: What sayd they to me Father, when they had sold me? I answered: They stained thy Coat with bloud, and bringing it to him said: See if this be thy Sons coat or no. And my Brother also sayd unto me: Truly when the [Page] Ismaelites took me, one of them strip­ping me out of my coat, gave me a thin shirt to put on, and lashing me with a w [...]ip, bade [...]he run.Josephs distress re­venged by God. And as he went aside to hide my garment, a Lion met him, and flew him, and his partners being afraid, sold me is their fellowes. You therefore my Children love the God of Heaven, and o­bey his commandements, following that good and holy man Joseph, and let your mind be set upon goodnesse, as ye know that mine hath been. He that hath a good minde looketh rightly upon all things. Feare God,Temptati­on sha [...] not overcome them that fear the Lord. and love your neighbours, and then although the spirit of Belial tempt you to all naughtinesse to trouble you, yet shall it not get the uppermost hand of you, no more then it did of my brother Joseph. How many folk would have killed him, and yet God still defended him? For he that feareth God, and loveth his neighbour, cannot be wounded of the aiery Spirit Belial: and he that is shielded with the fear of the Lord, is safe from harm both of man and beast, and cannot be overcome because he is helped by the love of God, which he hath towards his neighbour: for Joseph be [...]ought our father Jacob to pray [Page] for my brethren to the Lord, that he would not lay unto their charges, the mischief that they had devised against him. Whereat Jacob cried out, O son Joseph, Joseph a­right fi­gure of Je­sus Christ. thou hast overcome my heart. And there­withall embracing him, he kissed him two hours together, and said: In thee shal the prophecy of Heaven be resembled to the full, concerning the Lamb of God, and Saviour of the world, that the unspotted s [...]all be delivered for the wicked d [...]ers, and he that is without sinne, shall die for the sinners in the blood of his testament, to the salvation both of the Gentiles and of Israel, and he shall dash Belial and all his servants. My Children [...] upon the end of that good man, and follow his mercifulnesse with a good minde, that you also may have a Crown of glory upon your heads. A good man hath not a dark eye,A good man, for he is mercifull and pitifull to all men, yea though they be sinners, and have devised mischief against him: and he that doth good, overcommeth evill 1 by the defence of goodnesse,1 Overcō ­meth evil. and loveth 2 the righteous as his own soul.2 Loveth the righte­ous. If another 3 man be honoured, he envieth it not:3 Envieth not. if a man be enriched, it grieveth him not: [Page] If a man be strong 4 or valiant,4 Praiseth the valiant. he prai­seth him, and believing him also to be chaste, he defendeth 5 him that hath the feare of God.5 Defen­deth him that fear­eth God. He worketh together with him that loveth God, and if a man forsake the 6 Almighty,6 Admo­nisheth the Sinner. he warneth him to re­turn again. Whosoever hath the grace of the good spirit, him doth he love as his own life. He 7 pitieth the poor,7 Pitieth the poore. The ex­ample of a godly man converteth Sinners. succour­eth the weak, and praiseth and honour­eth God. My children if ye have a good minde, evill men shall stand in awe of you, and unthrifts shall for very shame be con­verted to goodnesse. So that covetous men shall not only depart from their nig­gardlinesse, but also give of their aboun­dance too the needy. If ye be good doers, both unclean spirits shall flee from you, and shrewd beasts shall shun for feare of you. For where the regard of good works is in the minde, there darknesse flyeth a­way. For if he doe wrong to any holy man, he is sorry for it: And if a holy man receive wrong, he p [...]tieth the doer, and putteth it up with silence. And if any man betray a righteous soul, and the righte­ous pray for his betrayer, the betrayed is not a little disgraced, and the Righteous [Page] becommeth much more notable afterward, as did my Brother Joseph. The guile­full spirit of Belial hath no power over a good mans minde:The pro­perties of a righte­ous man. for the Angell of peace guideth his soule. He looketh not affecti­onately upon corruptible things, [...]e [...]a­keth together riches in the desire of voluptuousnesse. He is not delighted with pleasures. He grieveth not his neigh­bour, he stuffeth not himself with meat, neither wandreth he in the pride of his eyes: For the Lord is his portion. He taketh no glory for giving good counsell: he passeth not how men dishonour him, neither can he skill in any fraud or guile, untruth, strife, or slanderousnesse: for the Lord dwelleth in him, and inlightneth his mind, and he rejoyceth before all men in a good time. A good minde hath not two tongues; one to blesse with, and another to curse with: one to slander with, and a­nother to honour with: one of sorrow, and another of joy: one of quietnesse, and ano­ther of trouble: one of dissimulation, and another of truth: one of poverty and another of riches: but it hath one only dis­position, pure and uncorrupt towards all. It hath no double sight nor double hearing. [Page] For in all things that he doth, speaketh, or seeth, he knoweth that the Lord behol­deth his heart, and therefore he cleanseth his minde, that he may not be found faulty, before God and man. But all the works of Belial are double, and utterly void of simplicity. Wherefore my children shun the naughtinesse of Belial: for at the first he delighteth those that obey him, but in the end he is a sword, and the father of seaven mischiefs. For when the minde hath once conceived by Belial, it brin­geth forth first envy, secondly desperate­nesse, thirdly sorrow, fourthly bondage, fifthly needinesse, sixthly trouble somness, & seaventhly desolation: and for that cause was Cain tormented with seven punish­ments by God,Disobedi­ence the father of seven mis­chiefs. 1 Envy. 1 Despe­ration. 3 Sorrow. 4 Bōdage. 5 Needi­nesse. 6 Trouble. 7 Desola­tion. An exam­ple of Cain. for in 7. yeares together God brought every yeare a new plague upon Cain. Two hundred years he suf­fered, and in the nine hundredth year, the earth was made desolate with the Floud, for his righteous brother Abels sake. In seven hundred years is Cain judged, and Lamech in seventy times seven: for they that are like Cain in spightfulnesse, & hatred towards their brethren, shall be punished with the same punishment for [Page] ever, as he was. You therefore my chil­dren eschew malice, envy and hatred to­wards your brethren, and cleave to good­nesse and lovingnesse. He that hath a m [...]nd clean in love, looket [...] not upon a woman in way of lechery. Fo [...] he hath no defi [...]ing in his heart because the spirit of the Lord resteth in him.An apt si­militude to a mind resisting sinnes. For as the Sun is not de­filed by shining upon a puddle or dunghill, but doth rather dry up and drive away the stinke: even so a pure minde striveth a­gainst the uncleannesse of the earth, and overcommenth it, but is not defiled it selfe. And I perceive by the sayings of the righteous Enoch, that there shall be evil deeds among you. For you shall defile your selves with the fo [...]nication of S [...] ­dom, and perish all save a few, & multiply inordinate lusts in Women, and the reign of the Lord shall not be among you, for he shal take it away suddenly. Ne­verthelesse the Lords Temple shall be made in our portion,A prophe­cy of the nativity of Christ. and it shall be glorious among you. For the Lord himselfe shall take the Kingdome upon him, and the twelve Tribes shall be gathered together there, and all Nations shall resort thither, untill the most High send his salvation [Page] in the visitation of his onely begotten. And he shall enter into the first Temple,Of his passion. and there the Lord shall suffer wrong, and be despised, and be lifted up unto a piece of timber. And the veil of the Temple shall be rent asunder,Matth. 27. Of the comming of the holy Spirit. and the Spirit of the Lord shall come down upon the Gen­tiles, poured out as fire: and rising up from the grave, he shall ascend from earth to Heaven.Of his as­cension. He shall remember how base he hath been upon earth, and how glorious he is in heaven. When Joseph was in E­gypt, I longed to see his person, and the form of his countenance. And through the prayers of my Father Jacob, I saw him awake in the day of his full and per­fect shape. Now therefore my Children, know you that I shall die. Wherefore deale every of you truly and rightfully with his neighbour, worke ye justly and faithfully, and keep ye the law and com­mandement of the Lord: for that doe I teach you instead of all Inheritance: And give you the same to your Children for an everlasting possession. For so did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they gave us all these things for an Inheritance, say­ing: Keep the Lords commandements [Page] till he reveale his saving health unto all Nations. Then shall ye see Enoch, Noe, A prophe­cy of the last com­ming of Christ. Sem, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, rising at his right hand with joyfulnesse. Then shall we rise also every of us to his own Scepter, worshipping the King of heaven,The re­surrection & judge­ment des­cribed. which appeared on earth in the base shape of man. As many as beleeve in him, shall rejoyce with him at that time. And all these shall rise again to glory, and the residue unto shame. And the Lord shall first of all judge Israel for the unrighte­ousnesse committed against him, because they beleeved not in God that came in the flesh to deliver. Then shal he judge all Nations, as many as believed not in him when he appeared upon earth, and he sh [...]ll reprove Israel among the chosen of the Gentiles, as he reproved Esau in the Midianites, that seduced his brethren by fornication and Idolatry, who were estran­ged from God, and fell away from the Inheritance of the Children, because they feared not God. But if you walke in holinesse before the Lord, ye shall dwell in Hope again in me. And all Israel shall be gathered to the Lord, and I shall no [Page] more be called a ravening Wolfe, for your Robberies sakes, but I shall be cal­led the Lords Workm [...]n, which g [...]veth food unto such as doe good.A prophe­cy of the nativity of Christ. And in my seed shall be raised up the Beloved of the Lord, whose voice shall be heard upon the earth, and he shall give new know­ledge, and enlighten all Nations with the light of understanding, and shall come up to save Israel. He shall take from them as a Wolfe,Christ described. and give to the Synagogue of the Gentiles, a [...]d continue in the S [...]na­gogue of the Gentiles to the worlds end. H [...] shall be among their Princes as musical melody in the mouths of all men, and his doings and sayings shall be writ­ten in [...]oly books. He sha [...]l be the Lords Dearling for evermore.Christ wi­peth away our sins. And as concern­ing him my Father Jacob taught me, say­ing: He shall ame [...]d the defaults of thy Tribe. And when he had ended t [...]ese say­ings; he commanded his Children to carry his bones out of Egypt, and to bury them in Hebron, by his Fathers. So Benjamin dyed in hundred and five and twenty years old, in a good age, and they put him in a Coffin, and in the fourscore and eleventh [Page] year before the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt, they and their brethren con­veyed their Fathers bones privily againe into the Land of Chanaan, and buried him in Hebron, at the feet of his Fathers, and returned again out of the Land of Cha­naan, and dwell in Egypt, till the day of their departure thence all together.