¶ A consolacion and comforte to the people. The ••ru••e and profet of the worde of God.
CAPI. LV.
COME to the waters all ye, that be [unspec A] thrusty, and ye that haue no money. Come / bye, that ye maye haue to eate.
Come / bye wyne and mylcke / without any money / or money worthe / wherfore do ye laye out youre money / for the thynge that fedeth not, and spende youre labour a∣boute the thynge that satysfyeth you nat. But herken rather vnto me / and ye shall eate of the beste, and youre soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse. Enclyne [unspec B] youre eares, and come vnto me / take hede, and youre soule shall lyue. For I wyll make an euerlasting couenaunte with you, euen the sure mercyes of Dauyd.
Beholde, I gaue hym for a wytnesse amonge the folke / for a Prynce and cap∣tayne vnto the people. Lo, thou shalte call an vnknowen people: and a people that had nat knowledge of the, shall runne vnto the: because of the Lorde thy God / and the holy one of Israell, whiche gloryfyeth the. [unspec C] Seke the Lorde / whyle he maye be founde, and call vpon hym whyle he is nye. Let the vngodly man forsake hys owne wayes, and the vnryghtuous hys owne ymagyna∣cyons, and turne agayne vnto the Lorde / so shall he be mercyfull vnto hym: and ••o oure God, for he is redy to forgyue. For thus sayeth the Lorde, my thoughtes are not youre thoughtes, and youre wayes are not my wayes / but as farre as the heauens are hyer then the earthe / so farre do my wayes exceade yours / and my thoughtes yours. And lyke as the rayne and snowe commeth downe from heauen / and retur∣neth not thyther agayne / but watereth the earthe / maketh it frutefull and grene / that it may geue corne and bread vnto the sowet
So the worde also that commeth out of [unspec D] my mouthe shall not turne agayne voyde vnto me / but shall accomplyshe my wyll and prospere in the thynge wherto I sende it. And so shall ye go forthe with ioye, and be led with peace.
The mountaynes and hylles shall synge with you for ioye, and all the trees of the felde shall clappe theyr handes. For thor∣nes, there shall growe Fyrre trees, and the Myrre tre in the steade of breers. And thys shal be done to the prayse of the Lorde / and for an euerlastynge token, that shall nat be taken awaye.