Ecclesiastes.

God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. All things have I seen in the days of my vanity : there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose, and for every work. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hands of God.

Ecclesiasticus.

Envy not the glory of a sinner for thou knowest not what shall be his end. Delight not in the thing that the ungodly, have pleasure in ; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave. Great travail is created for every man, and an heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother's womb, till the day that they return to the mother of all things. Their imagination of things to come, and the day of death trouble their thoughts, and cause fear of heart; from him that sitteth on a throne of glory, unto him that is humbled in earth and ashes; from him that weareth purple and a crown, unto him that is clothed with a linen frock. Wrath, and envy, trouble, and unquietness, fear of death, and anger, and strife, and in the time of rest upon his bed his night sleep, do change his knowledge. A little or nothing is his rest, and afterwards he is in his sleep, as in a day of keeping watch, troubled in the vision of his heart, as if he were escaped out of a battle. When all is safe, he awaketh, and marvelleth that the fear was nothing. Such things happen unto all flesh, both man and beast, and that is sevenfold more upon sinners. All bribery and injustice shall be blotted out: but true dealing

shall endure for ever. Prosperity and adversity, life and death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the Law, are of the Lord: love, and the way of good works, are from him. Error and darkness had their beginning together with sinners; and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein. The gift of the Lord remaineth with the godly, and his favour bringeth prosperity for ever.

Job.

Knoweth thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? Tho' his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall perish for ever. They which have seen him shall say, Where is he?` He shall fly away as a dream, and not be found; yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. The eye also which saw him shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold

From the same.

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers. He accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of his hands. He will not lay upon man more than right. Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore, they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have if we pray unto him? By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. In a moment

shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

From the same.

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any : he is mighty in strength and wisdom. He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, terrors shall make him afraid on every side. A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall pre