times the alterations of the turning of the sun, and the change of seasons: the circuits of years, and the positions of stars: the natures of living creatures, and the furies of wild beasts: the violence of winds, and the reasonings of men: the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots and all such things as are either secret or manifest, them I know. For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me : for in her is an understanding spirit, holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good, quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good, kind to man, stedfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits. For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness. For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her. For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness. And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets. For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom. For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it. For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom. OCTOBER 16. signs and wonders, and the events of seasons and times. Therefore I purposed to take her to me to live with me, knowing that she would be a counsellor of good things, and a comfort in cares and grief. For her sake I shall have estimation among the multitude, and honour with the elders, though I be young. I shall be found of a quick conceit in judgment, and shall be admired in the sight of great men. When I hold my tongue, they shall bide my leisure, and when I speak, they shall give good ear unto me if I talk much, they shall lay their hands upon their mouth. OCTOBER 16. Ebening, WISDOM VIII. WISDOM reacheth from one end to another mightily: and sweetly doth she order all things. I loved her, and sought her out from my youth, I desired to make her my spouse, and I was a lover of her beauty. In that she is conversant with God, she magnifieth her nobility: yea, the Lord of all things Himself loved her. For she is privy to the mysteries of the knowledge of God, and a lover of His works. If riches be a possession to be desired in this life; what is richer than wisdom, that worketh all things? And if prudence work; who of all that are is a more cunning workman than she? And if a man love righteousness, her labours are virtues: for she teacheth temperance and prudence, justice and 6 fortitude: which are such things, as men can have nothing more profitable in their life. If a man desire much experience, she knoweth things of old, and conjectureth aright what is to come: she knoweth the subtilties of speeches, and can expound dark sentences: she foreseeth Moreover by the means of her I shall obtain immortality, and leave behind me an everlasting memorial to them that come after me. I shall set the people in order, and the nations shall be subject unto me. Horrible tyrants shall be afraid, when they do but hear of me; I shall be found good among the multitude, and valiant in war. After I am come into mine house, I will repose myself with her for her conversation hath no bitterness; and to live with her hath no sorrow, but mirth and joy. Now when I considered these things in myself, and pondered them in my heart, how that to be allied unto wisdom is immortality; and great pleasure it is to have her friendship; and in the works of her hands are infinite riches; and in the exercise of conference with her, prudence; and in talking with her, a good report; OCTOBER 17. I went about seeking how to take her to me. For I was a witty child, and had a good spirit. Yea rather, being good, I came into a body undefiled. Nevertheless, when I per ceived that I could not otherwise obtain her, except God gave her me; and that was a point of wisdom also to know Whose gift she was; I prayed unto the Lord, and besought Him, and with my whole heari 1. said, Morning, WISDOM IX. OCTOBER 17. GOD of my fathers, and ordens, end her out of Thy of my O holy hea glory, that being present she may labour with me, that I may know what is pleasing unto Thee. For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and she shall lead me sober things with Thy word, and ordained man through Thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which Thou hast made, and order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judg-ly in my doings, and preserve me in ment with an upright heart: give me wisdom, that sitteth by Thy throne; and reject me not from among Thy children: for I Thy servant and son of Thine handmaid am a feeble person, and of a short time, and too young for the understanding of judgment and laws. For though a man be never so perfect among the children of men, yet if Thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded. Thou hast chosen me to be a king of Thy people, and a judge of Thy sons and daughters: Thou hast commanded me to build a temple upon Thy holy mount, and an altar in the city wherein Thou dwellest, a resemblance of the holy tabernacle, which Thou hast prepared from the beginning. And wisdom was with Thee: which knoweth Thy works, and was present when Thou madest the world, and knew what was acceptable in Thy sight, and right in Thy commandments. OCTOBER 17. her power. So shall my works be acceptable, and then shall I judge Thy people righteously, and be wor thy to sit in my father's seat. Fr what man is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is? For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are be uncertain. For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon mary things. And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us: but the things that are in heaven who hath searched out? And Thy coun who hath known, except Thou giv wisdom, and send Thy Holy Spe from above? For so the ways di them which lived on the earth wer reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto The and were saved through wisdom. Evening, WISDOM X. OCTOBER 1. of his fall, and gave him power to righteous went away from her in h rule all things. But when the anger, he perished also in the fury | wherewith he murdered his brother. For whose cause the earth being drowned with the flood, wisdom again preserved it, and directed the course of the righteous in a piece of wood of small value. Moreover, the nations in their wicked conspiracy being confounded, she found out the righteous, and preserved him blameless unto God, and kept him strong against his tender compassion toward his son. When the ungodly perished, she delivered the righteous man, who I fed from the fire which fell down upon the five cities. Of whose wickedness even to this day the waste land that smoketh is a testimony, and plants bearing fruit that never come to ripeness and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an unbelieving soul. For regarding not wisdom, they gat not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good; but also left behind them to the world a memorial of their foolishness so that in the things wherein they offended they could not So much as be hid. But wisdom delivered from pain those that attended upon her. When the righteous fled from his brother's wrath, she guided him in right paths, shewed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things, made him rich in his travels, and multiplied the fruit of his labours. In the covetousness of such as oppressed him she stood by him, and made him rich. She defended him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those that lay in wait, and in a sore conflict she gave him the victory; that he might know that godliness is stronger than all. When the righteous was sold, she forsook him not, but delivered him from sin: she went down with him into the pit, and left him not in bonds, till she brought him the sceptre of the kingdom, and power against those that oppressed him: as for them that had accused him, she shewed them to be liars, and gave him perpetual glory. She delivered the righteous people and blameless seed from the nation that oppressed them. She entered_into the soul of the servant of the Lord, and withstood dreadful kings in wonders and signs; rendered to the righteous a reward of their labours, guided them in a marvellous way, and was unto them for a cover by day, and a light of stars in the night season; brought them through the Red sea, and led them through much water but she drowned their enemies, and cast them up out of the bottom of the deep. Therefore the righteous spoiled the ungodly, and praised Thy holy name, O Lord, and magnified with one accord Thine hand, that fought for them. For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of them that cannot speak eloquent. ОСТОВЕР 19. Morning, WISDOM XI. HE prospered their works in the went through the wilderness that was not inhabited, and pitched tents in places where there lay no way. They stood against their enemies, and were avenged of their adversaries. When they were thirsty, they called upon Thee, and water was given them out of the flinty rock, and their thirst was quenched out of the hard stone. For by what things their enemies were punished, by the same they in their need were benefited. For in OCTOBER 19. stead of a fountain of a perpetual blood, for a manifest reproof of that commandment, whereby the infants were slain, Thou gavest unto them abundance of water by a means which they hoped not for: declaring by that thirst then how Thou hadst punished their adversaries. For when they were tried, albeit but in mercy chastised, they knew how the ungodly were judged in wrath and tormented, thirsting in another manner than the just. For these Thou didst admonish and try, as a father: but the other, as a severe king, Thou didst condemn and punish. Whether they were absent or present, they were vexed alike. For a double grief came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past. For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feeling of the Lord. For whom they rejected with scorn, when he was long before thrown out at the casting forth of the infants, him in the end, when they saw what came to pass, they admired. But for the foolish devices of their wickedness, wherewith being deceived they worshipped serpents void of reason, and vile beasts, Thou didst send a multitude of unreasonable beasts upon them for vengeance; that they might know, that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same also shall he be punished. For Thy Almighty hand, that made the world of matter without form, wanted not means to send among them a multitude of bears, or fierce lions, or unknown wild beasts, full of rage, newly created, breathing out either a fiery vapour, or filthy scents of scattered smoke, or shooting horrible OCTOBER 19. sparkles out of their eyes: whereof not only the harm might dispatch them at once, but also the terribee sight utterly destroy them. Yea, and without these might they have fallen down with one blast, being persecuted of vengeance, and scattered abroad through the breath of Thy power: but Thou hast ordered a things in measure and number and weight. For Thou canst shew Thy great strength at all times when Thou wilt; and who may withstand the power of Thine arm? For the whole world before Thee is as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that fal eth down upon the earth. But Th hast mercy upon all; for Thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend. For Thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which Thou hast made: for never wouldest Thou have made say thing, if Thou hadst hated it. And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been Thy will? or been preserved, if not called by Thee? But Thou sparest all: for they are Thine, O Lord, Thou lover of souls. Ebening, WISDOM XII. OCTOBER 19 FOR wher, might estime worthy en OR Thine incorruptible Spirit is | which Thou esteemedst above all lony of God's children. Nevertheles even those Thou sparedst as men and didst send wasps, forerunners of Thine host, to destroy them by litte and little. Not that Thou wast unable to bring the ungodly under the hand of the righteous in battle, of to destroy them at once with cruel beasts, or with one rough word: bat executing Thy judgments upon by little and little, Thou gavest them place of repentance, not being igno rant that they were a naughty ge neration, and that their malice was bred in them, and that their cogita tion would never be changed. For it was a cursed seed from the be ginning; neither didst Thou for fear them of any man give them pardon for those things wherein they sinned. For who shall say, What hast Thou done? or who shall withstand Thy judgment? or who shall accuse Thee for the nations that perish, whom Thou hast made? or who shall come o stand against Thee, to be revenged for the unrighteous men? For neither is there any God but Thou that careth for all, to whom Thou mightest shew that Thy judgnent is not unright. Neither shall ting or tyrant be able to set his face gainst Thee for any whom Thou hast punished. Forsomuch then as Thou irt righteous Thyself, Thou orderest all things righteously: thinking it lot agreeable with Thy power to jondemn him that hath not deservid to be punished. For Thy power s the beginning of righteousness, and because Thou art the Lord of all, it maketh Thee to be gracious unto all. For when men will not believe that Thou art of a full power, Thou shewst Thy strength, and among them that know it Thou makest their boldbess manifest. But Thou, mastering Thy power, judgest with equity, and orderest us with great favour: for Thou mayest use power when Thou wilt. But by such works hast Thou taught Thy people that the just man should be merciful, and hast made Thy children to be of a good hope that Thou givest repentance for sins. For if Thou didst punish the enemies of Thy children, and the condemned to death, with such deliberation, giving them time and place, whereby they might be delivered from their malice: with how great circumspection didst Thou judge Thine own sons, unto whose fathers Thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises? Therefore, whereas Thou dost chasten us, Thou scourgest our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that, when we judge, we should carefully think of Thy goodness, and when we ourselves are judged, we should look for mercy. Wherefore, whereas men have lived dissolutely and unrighteously, Thou hast tormented them with their own abominations. For they went astray very far in the ways of error, and held them for gods, which even among the beasts of their enemies were despised, being deceived, as children of no understanding. Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, Thou didst send a judgment to mock them. But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein He dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God. For, look, for what things they grudged, when they were punished, that is, for them whom they thought to be gods; [now] being punished in them, when they saw it, they acknowledged Him to be the true God, Whom before they denied to know; and therefore came extreme damnation upon them. OCTOBER 20. Morning, WISDOM XIII. SURELY vain are all men by na, and could not out of the good things that are seen know Him That is: neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the workmaster; but deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which govern the world. With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let them know how OCTOBER 20. much better the Lord of them is: for ated them. But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let them understand by them, how much mightier He is that made them. For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the maker of them is seen. But yet for this they are the less to be blamed: for they peradventure err, seeking God, and desirous to find Him. For being conversant in His works they search |