Ост. 29. A Morning, ECCLESIASTICUS X. WISE judge will instruct his a prudent man is well ordered. As the judge of the people is himself, so are his officers; and what manner of man the ruler of the city is, such are all they that dwell therein. An unwise king destroyeth his people; but through the prudence of them which are in authority the city shall be inhabited. The power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and in due time He will set over it one that is profitable. In the hand of God is the prosperity of man: and upon the person of the scribe shall He lay His honour. Bear not hatred to thy neighbour for every wrong; and do nothing at all by injurious practices. Pride is hateful before God and man: and by both loth one commit iniquity. Because f unrighteous dealings, injuries, ind riches got by deceit, the kingtom is translated from one people to another. Why is earth and ashes proud? There is not a more wickd thing than a covetous man: for such an one setteth his own soul o sale; because while he liveth he asteth away his bowels. The phyician cutteth off a long disease; and e that is to day a king to morrow hall die. For when a man is dead, he hall inherit creeping things, beasts, And worms. The beginning of pride when one departeth from God, and his heart is turned away from his Maker. For pride is the begining of sin, and he that hath it shall pour out abomination: and therefore the Lord brought upon them strange Calamities, and overthrew them utterly. The Lord hath cast down the thrones of proud princes, and set up the meek in their stead. The Lord hath plucked up the roots of the proud nations, and planted the owly in their place. The Lord overthrew countries of the heathen, and Ост. 29. destroyed them to the foundations away, and destroyed them, and hath made their memorial to cease from the earth. Pride was not made for men, nor furious anger for them that are born of a woman. They that fear the Lord are a sure seed, and they that love Him an honourable plant: they that regard not the law are a dishonourable seed; they that transgress the commandments are a deceivable seed. Among brethren he that is chief is honourable; so are they that fear the Lord in His eyes. The fear of the Lord goeth before the obtaining of authority: but roughness and pride is the losing thereof. Whether he be rich, noble, or poor, their glory is the fear of the Lord. It is not meet to despise the poor man that hath understanding; neither is it convenient to magnify a sinful man. Great men, and judges, and potentates, shall be honoured; yet is there none of them greater than he that feareth the Lord. Unto the servant that is wise shall they that are free do service: and he that hath knowledge will not grudge when he is reformed. Be not overwise in doing thy business; and boast not thyself in the time of thy distress. Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself, and wanteth bread. My son, glorify thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to the dignity thereof. Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own life? The poor man is honoured for his skill, and the rich man is honoured for his riches. He that is honoured in poverty, how much more in riches? and he that is dishonourable in riches, how much more in poverty? Ост. 29. Ebening, ECCLESIASTICUS XI. OCT. 20 WISDOM he, and waching, and this is the portion of ISDOM lifteth up the head of waxeth rich by his wariness and maketh him to sit among great men. Commend not a man for his beauty; neither abhor a man for his outward appearance. The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things. Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, and exalt not thyself in the day of honour: for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and His works among men are hidden. Many kings have sat down upon the ground; and one that was never thought of hath worn the crown. Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; and the honourable delivered into other men's hands. Blame not before thou hast examined the truth: understand first, and then rebuke. Answer not before thou hast heard the cause: neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk. Strive not in a matter that concerneth thee not; and sit not in judgment with sinners. My son, meddle not with many matters: for if thou meddle much, thou shalt not be innocent; and if thou follow after, thou shalt not obtain, neither shalt thou escape by fleeing. There is one that laboureth, and taketh pains, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behind. Again, there is another that is slow, and hath need of help, wanting ability, and full of poverty; yet the eye of the Lord looked upon him for good, and set him up from his low estate, and lifted up his head from misery; so that many that saw it marvelled at him. Prosperity and adversity, life and death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law, are of the Lord: love, and the way of good works, are from Him. Error and darkness had their beginning together with sinners: and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein. The gift of the Lord remaineth with the godly, and His favour bringeth prosperity for ever. There is that his reward: whereas he saith, I have found rest, and now will eat con tinually of my goods; and get be knoweth not what time shall come upon him, and that he must leave those things to others, and die. Be stedfast in thy covenant, and be ceversant therein, and wax old in thy work. Marvel not at the works of sinners; but trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labour: for it is an ey thing in the sight of the Lord on the sudden to make a poor man r The blessing of the Lord is in thi reward of the godly, and succeİF He maketh His blessing to floureSay not, What profit is there of my service? and what good things si I have hereafter? Again, say L I have enough, and possess C things, and what evil can cont me hereafter? In the day of pros perity there is a forgetfulnes ef affliction: and in the day of se tion there is no more rememtriace of prosperity. For it is an ca thing unto the Lord in the day death to reward a man according t his ways. The affliction of an ba maketh a man forget pleasure: in his end his deeds shall be diste vered. Judge none blessed beze his death: for a man shall be known in his children. Bring not every za into thine house: for the dereita man hath many trains. Like as a partridge taken [and kept] cage, so is the heart of the prod; and like as a spy, watcheth be f thy fall: for he lieth in wait, l turneth good into evil, and in th worthy praise will lay blame ap thee. Of a spark of fire a heap coals is kindled: and a sinful d layeth wait for blood. Take heed a mischievous man, for he worke wickedness; lest he bring upon the a perpetual blot. Receive a strangst into thine house, and he will dis turb thee, and turn thee out of that own. OCT. 30. Morning, ECCLESIASTICUS XII. Ост. 30. HEN thou wilt do good, know | yet take good heed and beware of thou be thanked for thy benefits. Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence; and if not from him, yet from the Most High. There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that giveth no alms. Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner. Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he overmaster thee thereby: for [else] thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done unto him. For the Most High hateth sinners, and will repay rengeance unto the ungodly, and keepeth them against the mighty day of their punishment. Give unto the good, and help not the sinner. A friend cannot be known in prosperity and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity. In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved but in his adversity even a friend will depart. Never trust thine enemy: for like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness. Though he humble himself, and go crouching, Ост. 30. HE thou hadst wiped a lookingglass, and thou shalt know that his rust hath not been altogether wiped away. Set him not by thee, lest, when he hath overthrown thee, he stand up in thy place; neither let him sit at thy right hand, lest he seek to take thy seat, and thou at the last remember my words, and be pricked therewith. Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come nigh wild beasts? So one that goeth to a sinner, and is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity? For a while he will abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry. An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood. If ad versity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first; and though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee. He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance. Evening, ECCLESIASTICUS XIII. E that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him. Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken. The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also. If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee. If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it. If Ост. 30. he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou? And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to scorn: afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee. Beware that thou be not deceived, and brought down in thy jollity. If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee. Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten. Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication | friends: but a poor man being down will he tempt thee, and smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets: but cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison. Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep. Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon Him for thy salvation. Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbour. All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like. What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly. What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor? As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness so the rich eat up the poor. As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor. A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his Ост. 31. is thrust also away by his friends. When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men jastify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spake wisely, and could have no place. When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds: but if the poor man speak. they say, What fellow is this? and if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him. Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty a evil in the mouth of the ungodly. The heart of a man changeth countenance, whether it be for good or evil and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. A cheerfu countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; and the fo ing out of parables is a wearison labour of the mind. Morning, ECCLESIASTICUS XIV. LESSED is the man that hath is not pricked with the multitude of sins. Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord. Riches are not comely for a niggard: and what should an envious man do with money? He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth for others, that shall spend his goods riotously. He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods. There is none worse than he that envieth himself; and this is a recompence of his wickedness. And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly; and at the last he will declare his wickedness. The envious man hath a wicked eye; he turneth away his face, and despiseth men. A covetous man's eye is not satisfied with his portion; and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul. A wicked eye envieth [his] bread, and he is a niggard at his table. My son, according to thy Ост. 31. ability do good to thyself, and gre Remezber that death will not be long coming, and that the covenant of tis grave is not shewed unto thee. I good unto thy friend before thou de and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him. Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good des overpass thee. Shalt thou not le thy travails unto another? and ty labours to be divided by lot? Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul; for there is no seeking of dais ties in the grave. All flesh wareh old as a garment: for the covena from the beginning is, Thou shalt d the death. As of the green leav on a thick tree, some fall, and sent grow; so is the generation of fash and blood, one cometh to an ey and another is born. Every work rotteth and consumeth away, the worker thereof shall go withal Blessed is the man that doth med tate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding. He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets. Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways. He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors. He that doth lodge near OCT. 31. her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls. He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are. He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches. By her he shall be covered from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell. Ebening, ECCLESIASTICUS XV. HE that feareth the Lord will do good; and he that hath the knowledge of the law shall obtain her. And as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin. With the bread of understanding shall she feed him, and give him the water of wisdom to drink. He shall be stayed upon her, and shall not be moved; and shall rely upon her, and shall not sbe confounded. She shall exalt him above his neighbours, and in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth. He shall find joy and a crown of gladness, and she shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name. But foolish men shall not attain unto her, and sinners shall not see her. For she is far from pride, and men that are liars cannot remember her. Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, for it was not sent him of the Lord. For praise shall be uttered in wisdom, and the Ост. 31. Lord will prosper it. Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell Nov. 2. Morning, ECCLESIASTICUS XVI. profitable children, neither delight in ungodly sons. Though they multiply, rejoice not in them, except the fear of the Lord be with them. Trust not thou in their life, neither respect their multitude: for one that is just is better than a thousand; and better it is to die without children, than to have them that are ungodly. For by one that hath understanding shall the city be replenished: but the kindred of the wicked shall speedily become desolate. Many such things have I seen with mine eyes, and mine ear hath Nov. 2. heard greater things than these. In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled; and in a rebellious nation wrath is set on fire. He was not pacified toward the old giants, who fell away in the strength of their foolishness. Neither spared He the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for their pride. He pitied not the people of perdition, who were taken away in their sins: nor the six hundred thousand footmen, who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts. And if there be one stiffnecked among the people, it is marvel if he escape un |