¶ The deliueraunce of the ryghtous, commeth tho∣row wysdome.
CAPI. X.
[ A] WYsdome preserued the fyrst man, whom God made a father of the worlde,* 1.1 whē he was created alone, brought him out of his offence, toke hym out of the moulde of the earth, & gaue hym power to rule all thin∣ges.* 1.2 When the vnryghtous wente awaye in his wrath from this wysdome, the brother∣hed perysshed thorow the wrath of murther. Agayne, when the water destroyed the hole world,* 1.3 wysdome preserued the ryghtous tho∣rowe a poore tree, wherof she was gouerner her selfe. Moreouer when wyckednesse had gotten the vpper hande, so that the nacyons were puft vp with pryde, she knewe the rygh∣tous, preserued him fautlesse vnto God,* 1.4 and layed vp sure mercy for his children. She pre∣serued the ryghtous, when he fled frome the [ B] vngodly that perysshed, what tyme as ye fyre fel downe vpon the fyue cyties: Lyke as yet this daye yt vnfrutefull, waste, and smokyng land gyueth testimony of theyr: wyckednesse: yea the vnrype and vntymely frutes yt grow vpon the trees.
And for a token of a remembraunce of the vnfaythfull soule, there standeth a pyller of salt. For all such as regarded not wysdom gat not only this hurte, that they knew not the thynges whiche were good, but also lefte behynd them vnto men, a memoriall of theyr foolyshnesse: so that in the thynges wherin they synned, they coulde not be hyd. But as for such as take hede vnto wysdome, she shal [ C] delyuer them from sorow.
* 1.5When the ryghtous fled bycause of his brothers wrath, wysdome led him the ryght waye, shewed hym the kyngdome of God, gaue him knowledge of holy thynges, made hym ryche in his laboures, and broughte to passe the thynges that he wente aboute. In the disceytfulnesse of such as defrauded hym, she stode by hym and made hym ryche. She saued hym from the enemyes, and defended him frō the disceyuers. She made him strong in battayll, and gaue hym the vyctorye, that he myght know, how that wysdome is stron¦ger thē al thynges.* 1.6 When the ryghtous was solde, she forsoke hym not, but delyuered him from synners. She went downe with him in to ye dongeon, and fayled him not in the ban∣des: tyll she had brought him the sceptre of ye realme,* 1.7 and power agaynst those that oppres∣sed hym. And those that had accused hym, she declared them to be lyers, and brought hym to perpetuall worship.
She delyuered the ryghtous people and fautles sede, frome the nacion that oppres∣sed [ D] them.* 1.8 She entred into the soule of the ser¦uaunt of God, and stode by him in wonders and tokens agaynste the horryble kinge. She gaue the rightous the rewarde of their laboures, and led thē forthe a merueylous waye: on the daye tyme she was a shadowe vnto them, & a lyght of starres in the nyght season.* 1.9 She brought them thorow the redde see and caried them thorow the great water. She drowned their ennemyes in the see, and brought them out of the depe. So the rygh∣tous toke the spoyles of the vngodly, & pray¦sed thy holy name, O Lorde, and magnyfyed thy vyctoryous hande with one accorde.* 1.10 For wysdom openeth the mouth of the dom, and maketh the tonges of babes to speake.