Wis 11:12 For a double grief came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.

Wis 11:13 For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feeling of the Lord.

Wis 11:14 For whom they respected 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 pa.s.s, they admired.

Wis 11:15 But for the foolish devices of their wickedness, wherewith being deceived they worshipped serpents void of reason, and vile beasts, thou didst send a mult.i.tude of unreasonable beasts upon them for vengeance;

Wis 11:16 That they might know, that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same also shall he be punished.

Wis 11:17 For thy Almighty hand, that made the world of matter without form, wanted not means to send among them a mult.i.tude of bears or fierce lions,

Wis 11:18 Or unknown wild beasts, full of rage, newly created, breathing out either a fiery vapour, or filthy scents of scattered smoke, or shooting horrible sparkles out of their eyes:

Wis 11:19 Whereof not only the harm might dispatch them at once, but also the terrible sight utterly destroy them.

Wis 11:20 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 all things in measure and number and weight.

Wis 11:21 For thou canst shew thy great strength at all times when thou wilt; and who may withstand the power of thine arm?

Wis 11:22 For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that falleth down upon the earth.

Wis 11:23 But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend.

Wis 11:24 For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for never wouldest thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it.

Wis 11:25 And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will? or been preserved, if not called by thee?

Wis 11:26 But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.

Wis 12:1 For thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things.

Wis 12:2 Therefore chastenest thou them by little and little that offend, and warnest them by putting them in remembrance wherein they have offended, that leaving their wickedness they may believe on thee, O Lord.

Wis 12:3 For it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our fathers both those old inhabitants of thy holy land,

Wis 12:4 Whom thou hatedst for doing most odious works of witchcrafts, and wicked sacrifices;

Wis 12:5 And also those merciless murderers of children, and devourers of man's flesh, and the feasts of blood,

Wis 12:6 With their priests out of the midst of their idolatrous crew, and the parents, that killed with their own hands souls dest.i.tute of help:

Wis 12:7 That the land, which thou esteemedst above all other, might receive a worthy colony of G.o.d's children.

Wis 12:8 Nevertheless even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thine host, to destroy them by little and little.

Wis 12:9 Not that thou wast unable to bring the unG.o.dly under the hand of the righteous in battle, or to destroy them at once with cruel beasts, or with one rough word:

Wis 12:10 But executing thy judgments upon them by little and little, thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a naughty generation, and that their malice was bred in them, and that their cogitation would never be changed.

Wis 12:11 For it was a cursed seed from the beginning; neither didst thou for fear of any man give them pardon for those things wherein they sinned.

Wis 12:12 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 made? or who shall come to stand against thee, to be revenged for the unrighteous men?

Wis 12:13 For neither is there any G.o.d but thou that careth for all, to whom thou mightest shew that thy judgment is not unright.

Wis 12:14 Neither shall king or tyrant be able to set his face against thee for any whom thou hast punished.

Wis 12:15 Forsomuch then as thou art righteous thyself, thou orderest all things righteously: thinking it not agreeable with thy power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished.

Wis 12:16 For thy power is the beginning of righteousness, and because thou art the Lord of all, it maketh thee to be gracious unto all.

Wis 12:17 For when men will not believe that thou art of a full power, thou shewest thy strength, and among them that know it thou makest their boldness manifest.

Wis 12:18 But thou, mastering thy power, judgest with equity, and orderest us with great favour: for thou mayest use power when thou wilt.

Wis 12:19 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.

Wis 12:20 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:

Wis 12:21 With how great circ.u.mspection didst thou judge thine own sons, unto whose fathers thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?

Wis 12:22 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.

Wis 12:23 Wherefore, whereas men have lived dissolutely and unrighteously, thou hast tormented them with their own abominations.

Wis 12:24 For they went astray very far in the ways of error, and held them for G.o.ds, which even among the beasts of their enemies were despised, being deceived, as children of no understanding.

Wis 12:25 Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, thou didst send a judgment to mock them.

Wis 12:26 But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of G.o.d.

Wis 12:27 For, look, for what things they grudged, when they were punished, that is, for them whom they thought to be G.o.ds; [now]

being punished in them, when they saw it, they acknowledged him to be the true G.o.d, whom before they denied to know: and therefore came extreme d.a.m.nation upon them.

Wis 13:1 Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant of G.o.d, 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;

Wis 13:2 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 G.o.ds which govern the world.

Wis 13:3 With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be G.o.ds; let them know how much better the Lord of them is: for the first author of beauty hath created them.

Wis 13:4 But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let them understand by them, how much mightier he is that made them.

Wis 13:5 For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the maker of them is seen.

Wis 13:6 But yet for this they are the less to be blamed: for they peradventure err, seeking G.o.d, and desirous to find him.

Wis 13:7 For being conversant in his works they search him diligently, and believe their sight: because the things are beautiful that are seen.

Wis 13:8 Howbeit neither are they to be pardoned.