¶ Of vnhappy and wycked chyldren. No man can hyde hym selfe from God. An exhortation to the re∣ceyuynge of instruction.
CAPI. XVI.
[ A] DElyte not thou in the multitude of vn¦godly chyldren, and haue no pleasure in them, yf they feare not God. Trust not thou to their lyfe, and regarde not theyr labours: for one sonne that feareth God, is better then a thousande vngodly. And better it is better for a man to dye wtout chyldren, then to leaue behynde hym suche chyldren as are vngodly. For by one that hath vnderstā¦ding, may a hole city be vpholdē, but though the vngodly be manye, yet shall it be wasted thorow them. Many such thinges hath mine eye sene, and greater thinges then these haue I herde with myne eares.* 1.1 In the congrega∣cion of the vngodlye shall a fyre burne, and amonges vnfaythfull people shal the wrath be kyndled.
The olde gyauntes obteyned no grace for [ B] their synnes which were destroyed, trusting to their owne strengthe.* 1.2 Neyther spared he them amonges whom Loth was straunger, but smote them and abhorred theym bycause of the pryde of theyr wordes. He had no pity vpon them, but destroyed all the people that were so stoute in synne.* 1.3 And for so moche as he ouersawe not the sixe hundred thousande that gathered them selues togither in ye hard¦nesse of their hert, it were maruell yf one be∣ing hardnecked shold be fre. For mercy and wrath is with him:* 1.4 he is both mighty to for¦gyue, and to poure out displeasure. Lyke as his mercy is great, euen so is his punishmēt also, he iudgeth a mā accordīg to his workes The vngodly shall not escape in his spoyle, and the long pacience of him yt sheweth mer∣cy, shal not byde behynd. Al mercy shal make place vnto euery mā accordyng to the deser¦uyng of his workes, and after the vnderstan¦dyng of his pylgrymage.
Saye not thou: I wyl hyde my selfe from God, for who wyl thynke vpon me from a∣boue? [ C] I shall not be knowen in so greate a heape of people, for what is my soule among so many creatures? Beholde, the heuen, yea the heuen of heuens, the depe, the earthe, and all yt therin is shall be moued at his presēce: the mountaynes, the hylles, and the founda∣cions of the earth shal shake for feare, when God visiteth them.
These thynges dothe no hert vnderstand, but he vnderstandeth euerye herte, and who vnderstandeth his wayes? No man seith his storme, and the most part of his workes are secrete. Who wyl declare the workes of his ryghtousnesse? Or who shall be hable to a∣byde them? For the couenaunt is farre from some, and the tryinge oute of men is in the fulfyllyng. He that is humble of hert, thyn∣keth vpon suche thinges: but an vnwise and erroneous man casteth his mynde vnto foo∣lysh thinges.
My sonne harken thou vnto me, and lerne vnderstandyng, and marke my wordes with [ D] thyne hert: I wyll gyue the a sure doctryne, and playnly shall I instruct the. God hathe set his workes in good ordre frome the be∣gynnynge, and parte of them hathe he sun∣dered frome the other. He hathe garnysshed his workes from euerlastyng, and theyr be∣gynnynges, accordynge to theyr generacy∣ons. None of them hyndered an other, ney∣ther was anye of them disobedient vnto his worde. After this, God loked vpon the erth, and fylled it with his goodes. With al maner of lyuing beastes hath he couered the grounde, and they all shall be tourned vnto erth agayne.