theyr backes towarde the south, thorowe the waye that is full of peryll and trouble, by∣cause of the lyon and lyonesse, of the cocka∣trice and shotynge dragon. Yea the Mules bare youre substaunce, & the Camels brought your treasure vpon theyr croked backes, vnto a people that can not helpe you. For the E∣gyptians helpe shall be but vayne and loste. Therfore I tolde you also that youre pryde shoulde haue an ende. Wherfore goo hence and wryte theym this in their tables, and note it in a boke: that it maye remayne by theyr posteritie, and be styll kepte. For it is an obstinate people, vnfaythfull chyldren, chyldren that wyll not heare the lawe of the Lorde.
They dare say to the Prophetes: Meddle [ C] with nothyng, and vnto the sothsayers, tell vs of nothyng for to come, but speake frend∣ly wordes vnto vs, and preache vs false thin∣ges. Trede out of the waye, go out of ye path, turne the holy out of Israel frō vs. Therfore thus sayth the holy one of Israel: forasmoch as ye haue cast of youre beautie, and comfor∣ted your selues with power and nimblenesse, and put your confidence therin: therfore shal ye haue this mischiefe agayne for your destru∣ction and fall, lyke as an hygh wal that fal∣leth bicause of some ryft (or blast) whose brea¦king commeth sodeynly.
And your destruction shall be as an erthen pot, whiche breaketh, no man touching it, yea and breaketh so soore, that a man shall not fynd a sheuer of it to fetche fyre in, or to take water therwith out of the pyt. For the Lorde God, euen the holy one of Israel hathe pro∣mysed thus: With styll syttynge and reste shall ye be healed, in quietnesse and hope shal your strengthe lye. Notwithstandynge ye re∣garde [ D] it not, but ye wyll saye: No, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thus are we constrayned to flee vpon horses. And therfore shal ye flee, we must ryde vpon swift beestes, and therfore your persecuters shal yet be swifter. A thousande of you shall flee for one, or at the most for fyue, which do but on∣ly giue you euil wordes: til ye be desolate as a shyp mast vpon an hye mountayne, and as a beaken vpon an hyll.
Yet standeth the Lorde waytynge, that he maye haue mercye vpon you, and lyfteth hym selfe vp, that he maye receyue you to grace. For the Lorde God is ryghtous, hap∣pye are all they that wayte for hym. For thus (o thou people of Syon, and ye city∣zens of Ierusalem) shall ye neuer be in he∣uynesse, [ E] for doubtlesse he wyll haue mer∣cye vpon the. As soone as he heareth the voyce of thy crye, he wyll helpe the. The Lorde gyueth you the breed of aduersitie, and the water of trouble. But thyne in∣structer fleeth not farre frome the, yf thyne eyes loke vnto thyne instructer, and thyne eares harken to his worde, that cryeth after the, and saythe: this is the waye, goo this, and turne neyther to the ryght hand neyther to the lefte.
Moreouer yf ye destroye the syluer workes of your ydolles, and caste awaye the golden copes that ye dect them with (as fylthynesse) an saye, get you hence: Then wyll he gyue rayne to the sede that ye shall sowe in the earthe, and gyue you breed of the increase of the earthe, so that all shall be plenteous and aboundaunt. Thy catell also shall he fede in the brode medowes, yea thyne oxen and Mules that tyll the grounde shall rate good fodder, whiche is pourged with the fanne. Goodly ryuers shall flowe oute of [ F] all his mountaynes and hylles. In the daye of the greate slaughter when the towres shall fall, the moone shall shyne as the sunne, and the sunne shyne shall be seuen fold and haue as moche shyne as in seuen dayes besyde.
In that daye shall the Lorde bynde vp the broosed sores of the people, and heale theyr woundes. Beholde, the glorye of the Lorde shall come frome ••arre, his face shall burne that no man shall be hable to abyde it, ••is lyppes shall wagge for verye indigna••ion, and his tonge shall be as a consumynge fyre. His brethe lyke a vehement floude of water, whiche goeth vp to the throte. That he maye take awaye the people, whiche haue tourned them selues to vanitie, and the bry∣dle of erroure, that lyeth in other folkes chawes.
But ye shall synge, as the vse is in the [ G] nyghte of the holy solemnitie. Ye shall re∣ioyse from your hert, as they that come with the pype, when they goo vp to the mounte of the Lorde, vnto the rocke of Israell. The Lorde also shall sette vp the power o•• his voyce, and declare his terrible arme, with his angrye countenaunce, yea and the flame of the consumynge fyre, with earthequake, tempest of wynde and hayle stones. Then shall the Assirians ••eare also, bycause of the voyce of the Lorde, whiche shall smyte hym with the rodde. And the same rod whiche the Lorde wyll sende vpon him, shall moue the hole foundacion: with trompet, with noyse of warre and battayle to destroye. For he hath prepared the fyre of payne from the be∣gynning, yea euen for kynges also. This hath be made depe & wyde, the nourisshing therof is fyre and wod innumerable, which ye brethe of the Lorde kyndleth as it were a match of brymstone.