Salomon 15
The voice of the faithful, praising the mercy of God by whose grace they serve not idols.
BUT thou, o our God, are gracious and true, long suffering, and govern all things by mercy.
Though we sin, yet are we thine: for we know thy power: but we sin not, knowing that we are counted thine.
For to know thee, is perfect righteousness, and to know thy power is the root of immortality.
For neither hath the wicked invention of men deceived us, nor the unprofitable labors of the painters, nor an image spotted with divers colors.
Whose sight stirs up the desire of the ignorant: so that he covets the form that hath no life, of a dead image.
They that love such wicked things, are worthy to have such things to trust to, and they that make them, and they that desire them, and they that worship them.
The potter also tempers soft earth, and fashioned every vessel with labor to our use: but of the same clay he makes both the vessels, that serve to clean uses, and the contrary likewise: but whereto every vessel serves, the potter is the judge.
So by his wicked labor he makes a vain god of the same clay: even he, which a little afore was made of earth himself, and within a little while after goes thither again whence he was taken, when he shall make account for the lone [solitary, unaccompanied, without companion]* of his life.
Notwithstanding he cares not for the labor he takes, nor that his life is short, but he strives with the goldsmiths, and silver smiths, and counterfeits the coppersmiths, and take it for an honor to make deceivable things.
His heart is ashes, and his hope is more vile than earth, and his life is less worthy of honor than clay.
For he knows not his own maker, that gave him his soul, that had power and breathed in him the breath of life.
But they count our life to be but a pasttime, and our conversation as a marker, where there is gain: for they say we ought to be getting on every side, though it be by evil means.
Now he that of earth makes frail vessels and images, knows himself to offend above all other.
All the enemies of thy people, that hold them in subjection, and most unwise, and more miserable than the very fools.
For they judge all the idols of the nations to be gods, which neither have eyesight to see, nor noses to smell, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to grope, and their feet are slow to go.
For man made them, and he that hath but a borrowed spirit, fashioned them: but no man can make a god like unto himself.
For seeing he is but mortal himself, it is but mortal that he makes with unrighteous hands: he himself is better than them whom he worships: for he lived, but they never lived.
Yea, they worshiped beasts also, which are their most enemies, and which are the worse, if they be compared unto others, because they have none understanding.
Neither have they any beauty to be desired in respect of other beasts: for they are destitute of God’s praise, and of his blessing.
Salomon 16
The punishment of idolaters. 20 The benefits done unto the faithful.
THEREFORE by such things they are worthy punished and tormented by the multitude of beasts.
Instead of the which punishment thou hast been favorable to thy people, and to satisfy their appetite, hast prepared a meat of a strange taste, even quails,
To the intent that they that desired meat, by the things which were showed and sent among them, might turn away their necessary desire, and that they, which had suffered penurie for a space, should also feel a new taste.
For it was requisite, that they which used tyranny, should fall into extreme poverty, and that to these only it should be showed, how their enemies were tormented.
For when the cruel fierceness of the beasts came upon them, and they were hurt with the strings of cruel serpents,
Thy wrath endured not perpetually, but they were troubled for a little season, that they might be reformed, having a sign of salvation, to remember the commandment of thy Law.
For he that turned toward it, was not healed by the thing that he saw, but by thee, o Savior of all.
So in this thou showed our enemies, that it is thou, which delivers from all evil.
For the biting of grasshoppers and flies killed them, and there was no remedy found for their life: for they were worthy to be punished by such.
But the teeth of the venomous dragons could not overcome thy children: for thy mercy came to help them, and healed them.
For they were pricked, because they should remember thy words, and were speedily healed, lest they should fall into so deep forgetfulness, that they could not be called back by thy benefit.
For neither herbs nor plaster healed them, but thy word, o Lord, which heals all things.
For thou hast the power of life and death, and lead down unto the gates of hell, and bring up again.
A man indeed by his wickedness may slay another: but when the Spirit is gone forth, it turns not again, neither can he call again the soul that is taken away.
But it is not possible to escape thine hand.
For the ungodly that would not know thee, were punished by the strength of thine arm, with strange rain and with hail, and were pursued with tempest, that they could not avoid, and were consumed with fire.
For it was a wondrous thing that fire might do more than water, which quenches all things: but the world is the avenger of the righteous.
For some time was the fire so tame, that the beasts, which were sent against the ungodly, burned not: and that, because they should see and know, that they were persecuted with the punishment of God.
And some time burnt the fire in the midst of the water above the power of fire, that it might destroy the generation of the unjust land.
In the stead whereof thou hast fed thine own people with Angels food, and sent them bread ready for heaven without their labor, which had abundance of all pleasures in it and was meet for all tastes.
For thy sustenance declared thy sweetness unto thy children, which served to the appetite of him, that took it, and was meet to that that every man would.
Moreover the snow and ice abode the fire and melted not, that they might know, that the fire burning in the hail, and sparkling in the rain, destroyed the fruit of the enemies.
Again it forgot his own strength, that the righteous might be nourished.
For the creature that serves thee which art the maker, is fierce in punishing the unrighteous: but it is easy to do good unto such as put their trust in thee.
Therefore was it changed at the same time unto all fashions to serve thy grace, which nourishes all things, according to the desire of them that had need thereof,
That thy children whom thou love, o Lord, might know, that it was not the increase of fruits that feeds men, but that it is thy word, which preserves them that trust in thee.
For that which could not be destroyed with the fire, being only warmed a little with the sun beams, melted,
That it might be known that we ought to prevent the sun rising to give thanks unto thee, and to salute thee before the dayspring.
For the hope of the unthankful shall melt as the winter ice, and flow away as unprofitable waters.
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