John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 2: Religious and Scriptural / The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, Classified

by Dougal Graham

The History of Moses

The finding of Moses.

Exodus ii. 1.

Moses was the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and was born in Egypt. In consequence of the decree of Pharaoh for putting the male children of the Hebrews to death, his mother seeing that he was a goodly child, hid him three months. At length when she could no longer hide him, she made for him with her own hands a little cradle of bulrushes, which she daubed with slime and pitch to keep out the water, and having put the child into it, she laid it among the flags by the edge of the river Nile. She then left his sister at a little distance from the spot to watch the cradle. A short time after Jochebed had left her child, the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe herself in the river, and when she saw the little ark, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold the child wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrew’s children.” And the sister of the child, who had seen all that had passed, came to the princess, and said to her, “Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go:” and the maid went and called the child’s mother. And the woman took the child and nursed it. And we read that the child grew under the tender care of his mother, and that she took him when he was old enough unto Pharaoh’s daughter, who brought him up as her own son. And she called his name Moses, which, in the Egyptian tongue, means one saved out of the water.

As the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses was educated in a magnificent and princely manner, yet Moses did not forget his own people, or his father’s house. In his visits to his own people, Moses saw and pitied the miseries which they had to bear from the cruelty of King Pharaoh. He saw their sufferings, and could no longer be happy in the court of Egypt, among the enemies of his people and of their religion. His faith made him more proud of the name of Israelite then he had ever been of being called the adopted son of King Pharaoh’s daughter. Once more among his own people, he found it very difficult to see with patience all that they had to bear; and on one occasion we read that he saved a Hebrew from the hand of an Egyptian who was smiting him, and slew the Egyptian. When Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. And Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian, and lived several years with Jethro, who gave him one of his daughters for his wife.

The burning Bush.

Exodus iii. 1.

One day, when Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush. And Moses said, “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” Then God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. And the Lord commissioned him to deliver his people Israel. But Moses was afraid when he heard what God commanded him to do; because he thought himself unworthy of such an office, and unfit for it. But it pleased God to assure him, that he would be with him, to guide and protect him.

The Plagues of Egypt.

Exodus viii. 1.

Now Moses and Aaron went as the Lord commanded them, and told the people all that the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did wonders before them. And Moses and Aaron went in and said to King Pharaoh, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.’” And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” And from that day Pharaoh made the children of Israel work harder than they had ever done before, desiring that they might no longer have straw given them to make their bricks of, but that they should from that time be obliged to find their own straw, and at the same time get done as much work as they did when they had straw given them. Then when God saw the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, he commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he took his walk by the river, and to take his rod in his hand, and to smite the waters of the river before him, which should all be turned into blood. And the fish that were in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Seven days did this sad change in the waters last; but still Pharaoh would not listen to the voice of Moses and Aaron. Then God told Moses to stretch forth his hand over the river, and over all the waters, and to bring frogs over all his people: and Moses did so; and frogs came over all the land of Egypt, as the Lord said. Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may so sacrifice unto the Lord.” But no sooner did the Lord hear the voice of Moses, and take away this evil from Pharaoh and his people, than the king forgot what he had suffered, and would not let the Israelites go. Great and dreadful were the plagues that the Lord brought upon the land of Egypt before the King would let the children of Israel go. At one time, he covered the whole land, both man and beast, with the most disgusting kind of insects—at another, he sent grievous swarms of flies to torment them—now, he sent mighty hails, and thunderings, and rains upon the land, which were exceeding terrible, filling the hearts of the people with fear—then, he destroyed all the first-born of the land, both man and beast.

The Passover.

Exodus xii. 3.

On the evening before the Passover God commanded that every family of Israel should slay a lamb, and sprinkle the door-posts before the houses with the blood of the lamb; that so, when the angel of the Lord came down to destroy the first-born of Egypt, he might know the houses of Israel from those of Egypt, and pass over them, and save those that dwelt in them from death. This lamb was to be called the Passover, because God should pass over those houses whose doors were sprinkled with its blood. This was the last supper which the children of Israel were ever to eat in Egypt, even the feast of the Passover. They kept up this feast every year, in order that they might remember the night when the Lord smote the Egyptians.

The passage of Israel through the Red Sea.

Exodus xiv. 15.

We now see the children of Israel, delivered by the almighty power of God from Egypt and from Pharaoh, travelling towards the land that God had promised to their fathers. The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light. When they had thus got as far as Pi-hahiroth, which borders on the Red Sea, they lifted up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians marched after them. So hardened was king Pharaoh’s heart, that scarcely had the Israelites gone out of Egypt before he was sorry that he had let them go. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them, and passed after the children of Israel, and overtook them by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth. Then the children of Israel were sore afraid, and cried unto the Lord. The Red Sea before them, the Egyptians behind, they saw no hope of safety; and they were full of anger against Moses, for having brought them out of Egypt. But the Lord said unto Moses, “Lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” And the angel of the Lord, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them, and came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. But that foolish and wicked man Pharaoh, still set himself against God, and madly pursued the Israelites into the midst of the sea. But so soon as the Israelites had passed over on dry land, and safely reached the shore, the Lord said unto Moses, “Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled against it; but the Lord overthrew them in the midst of the sea, and the waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them: and Israel saw their dead bodies upon the sea shore. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Israel fed from Heaven.

Exodus xvi. 1.

We read in the Bible, that after they had crossed the Red Sea, they came into the wilderness of Chur. While travelling onwards through the wilderness of Sin they suffered from hunger, and murmered against Moses and Aaron. But again God heard their cries, and sent them bread from heaven to eat. The Lord said unto Moses, “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day—at even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread.” And in the morning there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar-frost, on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, “It is manna.” And Moses said, “This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.”

Moses Smiting the Rock.

Exodus xvii. 1.

We now find the children of Israel travelling from the wilderness of Sin, and, according to the commandment of the Lord, pitching their camp at Rephidim. There being no water here, we find those stubborn and rebellious people, saying unto Moses, “Give us water that we may drink; wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, and our children, and our cattle, with thirst?” The Lord had shewed them signs and mighty wonders in the land of Egypt—he had delivered their children from the sword of the destroying angel, when all around them was anguish and dismay—he heard them when they cried and groaned under the lash of the oppressor, amid the brick-kilns of Egypt, and emancipated them from the same—he opened a passage for them in the mighty waters at the Red Sea, when about to fall a prey to the rage and fury of Pharaoh king of Egypt—moreover, he had given them bread to eat in the wilderness when they hungered for the same; and was still able to give them what they now desired. But they, instead of praying to the Lord that he would once more condescend to look down with compassion upon them, and grant them their request, reproached, and murmured against Moses, the servant of the Lord. And Moses said unto them, “Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?” Moses tired of their complaints and discontent, felt that he could do nothing with the people under his care; but knew that the Lord could either quench there thirst, or put a stop to their rage. He, therefore, cried unto the Lord, and said, “What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.” Nor did he cry in vain, for the Lord said unto him, “Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Thus did God open streams in the desert—he clave the hard rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth—he brought waters out of the strong rock, so that it gushed out like rivers: and this he did although his people had sinned against him, and provoked the Most High in the wilderness.

The Law given from Mount Sinai.

Exodus xix. 10.

Now the children of Israel encamped before Mount Sinai. Then God desired that the people would put away all their usual employments, and spend the next two days in preparing to appear before him. And on the third day Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke; because the Lord descended upon it in fire, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount. Then Moses went up and heard God himself speak the Ten Commandments which we have in the twentieth Chapter of Exodus.

The Israelites worshipping the golden calf.

Exodus xxxii. 1.

Now Moses was forty days and forty nights in the mount with God; and the people had began to wonder what had become of him, and to be tired of waiting and looking for his return. Although the glory of the Lord still rested on the mount, and the presence of the Lord was clearly there, they pretended to think that God and Moses had left them, and they said one to another, “Let us make us gods which shall go before us.” And they made them a golden calf, and said, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.” And they worshipped the golden calf which they had set up, although God had positively forbidden them to make any graven image to worship, or the likeness of any thing in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. But so evil were their hearts, so ready to wander from God, so quick to forget his mercies, that having been left only for a few short days to themselves, they set up a golden calf to worship. And the Lord said unto Moses, “Go, get thee down; for thy people have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it: let me alone that my wrath may consume them, and I will make of thee a great nation.” But Moses loved the people of Israel; and he prayed earnestly for them, unto the Lord his God. And the Lord who is abundant in mercy, graciously heard his prayer; so as not to destroy them altogether in a moment. And Moses went down from the mount, and as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, he saw the calf, and the dancing; and his anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and break them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made them drink of it. And he stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. Then Moses, by the command of God, desired the sons of Levi to take their swords and go in amongst the people, and kill them: and they did so; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand. And to the rest of the people Moses said, “Ye have sinned a great sin; and now will I go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.”

Nadab and Abihu burnt by fire.

Leviticus x. 1.

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, “This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, “Carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” So they carried them, as Moses had said; And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto his sons, “Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest ye die.”

The Spies return from surveying Canaan.

Numbers xiii. 1.

The children of Israel were thus wonderfully led by the Lord throughout all their journeys, until they arrived safely on the borders of the land of Canaan. There God desired Moses, to send men to search the land of Canaan. And Moses sent twelve men, one man from each of the tribes or families of Israel, and said unto them, “Go, see the land what it is, and the people that dwell therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and searched the land; and they came to a brook or valley, afterward called Eshcol. And so beautiful were the fruits they found in this fertile valley of Eshcol, that they cut down there a bunch of grapes so large that two men were obliged to carry it between them on a stick: they took also of the pomegranates and the figs. After forty days spent in searching the land, they went back to Moses and Aaron, and all the people, and shewed them the fruit of the land; and they told them that such were the fruits of the land of Canaan, and that it was certainly a land flowing with milk and honey; but in other respects these men gave a very evil account of the land itself, and a very frightful one of the people that dwelt there, whom they called giants; saying, “That by the side of them they seemed to themselves as grasshoppers.” But two of the children of Israel, named Caleb and Joshua, who were of the twelve who had been sent into the land, declared unto all the people that what the others had told them was not true. But the people would not listen to Caleb and Joshua, nor believe what they said; for their hearts were exceedingly perverse towards God. And the anger of the Lord was exceeding great against the children of Israel; and because they had acted in this wicked manner, God said they should not see the land which he had promised them; no, not one of them should enter that land, excepting his servants Caleb and Joshua; but that the rest of the people should die in the wilderness, and that their children should wander there, until all those who had now and so often before sinned against the Lord had died and were buried. Then God said to this wicked people, “Turn you, and get you into the wilderness, by the way of the Red Sea.” Now Moses told these sayings to the people of Israel, and they murmured greatly.

He that violated the Sabbath is stoned.

Numbers xv. 32.

On one occasion some of the children of Israel found a man gathering sticks upon the sabbath day. And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, “The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.” And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Bid them make fringes in the border of their garments, throughout their generations, and put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue; that they may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto their God.”

The earth swalloweth up Korah.

Numbers xvi. 1.

Now Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, took men; and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, “Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?” And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face; and he spake unto Korah, and all his company, saying, “Even to-morrow, the Lord will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him. This do; take you censers, Korah and all his company; and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord to-morrow, and it shall be, that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy.” And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron. And Korah gathered all the congregation against them, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” But Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces, and entreated the Lord to spare the congregation. And the Lord commanded Moses to speak unto them, and say, “Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” So Moses spake these words unto them, and they obeyed him, and departed from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Moses said unto them, “If these men die the common death of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me; but if the Lord open the mouth of the earth, and swallow them up, and all that pertaineth unto them, then ye shall know that these men have provoked the Lord.” And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking these words, that the ground clave asunder under them; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah. And there came out fire from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. Then the congregation murmured against Moses, saying, “Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” And the Lord was angry with the children of Israel, and smote them with a plague; which, however, was stayed by the intercession of Aaron.

The Brazen Serpent.

Numbers xxi. 6.

The children of Israel being obliged to take a longer journey than they expected before they were permitted to enter the promised land, murmured against the Lord and against Moses. Then the Lord in his anger sent fiery serpents among the people, which bit them; and much people of Israel died. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. The children of Israel continued their journey towards the promised land; none of them, however, who had left the land of Egypt, save Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, were permitted to enter it, for having sinned so often against the Lord. Even Moses the servant of the Lord, though permitted to see it from the top of Mount Nebo, was not permitted to enter; but died in the land of Moab, when he was an hundred and twenty years of age. And the children of Israel wept for Moses thirty days.

FINIS.

---

THE HISTORY

OF

JOSEPH & HIS BRETHREN,

EMBELLISHED WITH CUTS;

TO WHICH IS ADDED,

THE LIFE, JOURNEYINGS, AND DEATH

OF THE

APOSTLE PAUL.

GLASGOW:

PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.

---

The History of Joseph & his Brethern

JOSEPH’S FIRST DREAM.

In Canaan lived a man of righteousness,

Whom the great God in love was pleas’d to bless

With twelve sweet sons, one Joseph called by name.

Whose worthiness we’ll to the world proclaim.

Being endued with blessings from above,

He gained the favour of his father’s love,

Now while his brothers hated him, behold!

He dream’d a dream, which unto them he told;

Saying, “As we were binding in the field

Our sheaves of wheat, it was to me revealed

That mine arose upright, and yours around,

Stood making low obedience to the ground.”

These words of his, they did anger breed;

They say, must you reign over us indeed?

The like of this was never known before,

Thus for his dreams they hated him the more.

HIS SECOND DREAM.

Soon after this as Joseph sleeping

Free from the toils and troubles of the day,

He dreamed a second dream, and told the same

Unto his brothers, as to them he came;

Saying, in sleep appeared before my eyes,

The sun, the moon, the seven stars likewise,

All making their obedience unto me,

With meek and humble humility.

He told it likewise to his father dear,

Who chid him, saying, what is this I hear?

Must I, thy mother, and thy brothers too,

Be all obliged to bow the knee to you,

Low on the earth, as if you reigned and ruled:

’Tis very hard that aged parents should

A meek and lowly veneration pay

To you who ought to honour and obey.

HE IS PUT INTO A PIT.

This very paragraph will clearly show

How they did seek young Joseph’s overthrow,

His father sent him to the rural plain,

Where with their flocks his brothers did remain.

When afar off young Joseph they espied,

Behold, here comes the dreamer now, they cried

Let us conclude to take his life away,

And cast him in a pit without delay,

Then see how all his dreams will come to pass:

But Reuben, Reuben pitied him, alas!

And hid him in the pit, there to remain,

Till he might safe conduct him home again.

What mortal man is able to express,

Poor Joseph’s grief when in the wilderness

He lay confined? no doubt his present fears

Caused his youthful eyes to flow with tears.

HE IS SOLD INTO EGYPT.

While in the pit young Joseph lay confined,

They sat them down to eat, and ere they dined

Some Ishmaelites from Egypt passed by;

Then Judah made his brothers this reply,

“What shall it profit to us now, I pray,

If we should take this precious life away?”

They all consented to the same with speed,

For loth they were to see their brother bleed.

Then from the lonesome pit the child they drew,

And sold him to those trading merchants, who

A score of silver pieces for him paid,

And then to Egypt he was soon conveyed.

When Reuben found him not, how did he grieve

The rest contrive their father to deceive,

By staining Joseph’s coat with purple blood,

Which caused poor Joseph many a weeping flood.

TEMPTED BY POTIPHAR’S WIFE.

When Joseph to the land of Egypt came,

One Potiphar a man of noted fame,

Bought him with silver and preferred him straight

Making him steward of his whole estate.

On whom his mistress cast her wanton eyes,

And he reproved her, and said, be wise,

And cast, henceforth, these idle thoughts away—

How can I do that wicked thing, I pray?

Now finding her entreaties would not do,

She went to seize him, but away he flew,

Leaving his garment in her hand also:

Now from that time she proved his mortal foe:

She said, my lord, (when he returned at night,)

Thy Hebrew strove with all his might,

To mock thy lady, but was ne’er the near,

I cried, he fled, and left his garment here.

CAST INTO THE DUNGEON.

No sooner had she made this false report

Of Joseph’s coming in so vile a sort,

But Potiphar immediately he flew

Into a sad and cruel passion too,

And cast him into prison where he lay

Till the chief butler and the baker, they

By Pharaoh’s strict command were sent to be

Confined from their former liberty.

The baker and the butler both, we find

With dreams one night were much disturbed in mind,

When they to Joseph did themselves apply,

He told them what their dreams did signify;

One he restores unto his former place,

The other, he must die in sad disgrace;

The butler must his former place supply,

The baker by the laws be doomed to die,

HE IS MADE LORD OF THE LAND.

Still Joseph lay confined in prison fast,

Until two tedious years were gone and past.

At length Pharaoh dreamed, but none in the land

Could his dream interpret or understand.

Then the chief butler to the king did say,

“I needs must own my faults this day:

In prison lies a Hebrew servant there,

Who will the truth of all your dreams declare:”

Then from a prison to a palace straight,

Joseph was brought, and Pharoah did relate

His dreams, and did full satisfaction find,

Which eased the grief and anguish of his mind:

He gave such satisfaction to the king,

That from his royal hand he drew a ring,

And gave it Joseph, saying, “Thou shalt be

Next to myself in royal dignity.”

His Brethren going to buy Corn.

Behold the dreams of Pharoah did fortell,

A mighty famine, which at length befell;

Joseph in Egypt was head ruler over all;

But when his brothers came, and seemed to fall

Before him, straight his dreams came in his mind

Yet he spoke rough, and seemed most unkind:

You’re spies said he, they answered, no,

We are true men, my lord, pray say not so,

Sons of one man, we twelve in number were,

The youngest now under his father’s care

Remains at home, the other he is not.

He knew them, yet his anger seemed hot,

And for three days they were in prison cast,

Confined they lay, yet Joseph came at last,

And laid upon them all a strict command,

To bring their young brother out of hand.

THE CUP IN BENJAMIN’S SACK.

When they had eaten up their slender store

Jacob he needs must send them down for more;

But knowing that his youngest son must go,

His eyes with melting tears did overflow.

With presents then they did return again,

And Joseph doth them kindly entertain.

When he his brother Benjamin beheld,

His bowels yearned, his heart with joy was filled;

But here’s a grief which did them all surround,

The nightly lord, his silver cup was found

On Benjamin; this made them sore afraid,

That for that crime they would be captives made:

Then to the house of Joseph they returned,

Judah he pleaded, till his bowels yearned,

To be a captive in his brother’s room,

Lest he should see his father’s threatened doom.

JOSEPH DECLARETH HIMSELF.

“My lord, hear thy servant now I pray,

Our father, when we brought the child away

Expressed such grief and sorrow for his sake,

That if he stay, his aged heart will break:

Seeing his tears, which fell like showers of rain,

I promised then he should return again.

Therefore, my lord, pray let him go, for I

Am loth to live to see my father die.”

Joseph from tears could now no longer hold:

He said, “I am your brother whom you sold

To Egypt, when on me your anger fell;

And is my father yet alive and well?”

Then on each other’s necks they wept amain.

Their cries were heard, from tears could not refrain

“O fetch my father hither,” Joseph cried,

“That for the family I may now provide.”

JACOB’S JOURNEY INTO EGYPT.

The sons of Jacob Pharaoh did command,

To take both food and waggons from the land

Of Egypt, to fetch their father straight;

They did, and poor old Jacob’s joy was great

He said, still as his spirits did revive,

It is enough, Joseph is yet alive,

The son for whom I mourned, therefore I

Will go and see him now before I die.

Then on his journey still he doth proceed,

And in the land of Goshen, there indeed

Joseph did meet him, whom he straight did bring

Into the royal presence of the king.

When Jacob before king Pharaoh stood,

His age one hundred and thirty years, a good

Old man was he; Pharaoh gave to his race,

The land of Goshen for a dwelling-place.

JOSEPH VISITS HIS FATHER.

When Joseph knew his pious father lay

On his sick bed, to him he hastes away,

Joseph he brought Manasseh and Ephraim,

Placed them before his father’s eyes now dim,

At sight of them, cries Jacob, “Who are these?”

“My sons,” says Joseph, “from between my knees.”

When near, he kissed them, and with sweet embrace

Admires his GOD before his Joseph’s face.

These boys of thine which were in Egypt born,

They shall be mine, not orphans or forlorn.

Manasseh he blest, commended to his GOD,

Bids him to mark the steps that Abraham trod,

Displeased was Joseph to see his elder son

Put by, and the younger the blessing won;

But Jacob replied, “Son, I know it well,

For Ephraim shall unto great nations swell.”

JACOB BLESSETH HIS SONS.

Jacob he calls his first born, Reuben, near,

Weak as the water from the fountain clear;

Simeon and Levi, men of cruelty,

They smote a man, and caused him so to die.

Judah’s bright sceptre shan’t from him depart

Till Shiloh come rejoicing every heart.

Zebulun’s a small port where tall ships may pass,

Issachar well resembles the couchant ass.

Dan as a judge will do his people right,

Gad by a troop at last will win the fight;

Asher his bread is fat, and of a dainty sort,

Naphtali’s a hind loosed for the hunter’s sport.

Joseph’s a bough laden with pleasent fruit,

Near to a well, whose branches sap recruit:

Benjamin like a ravenous wolf doth slay,

Devours his prey, then bears the spoil away.

JOSEPH’S LOVE TO HIS FATHER.

Filial affection’s to old Jacob good,

When Canaan’s land lay destitute of food,

Then Joseph kind his aged father fed,

When thousands daily starved for want of bread;

His love expressed with mind sedate and calm,

Then with rich spices did his corpse embalm;

When breathless lay upon a bed of down,

He treats blest Jacob, father of renown;

Falls on his clay and with a kind embrace,

Salutes the late most venerable face

Of Pious Jacob, now growing stiff and cold.

It must be so when life is charged to mould,

Plenty of tears did from his eye balls flow,

To show mankind he did his duty know,

That nought’s too much to pay a parent dear,

From children that the awful GOD do fear.

JACOB’S FUNERAL.

When seventeen long years Jacob had dwelt,

Behold, the fatal hand of death he felt:

To Joseph he commits the special care

Of his great funeral, and tells him where

He would be laid, which was fulfilled at large,

According to the tenor of his charge;

For having yielded up his vital breath,

He dropped into the frozen arms of death.

Numbers of mourning coaches out of hand

Prepared were; thus to his native land

He was conveyed a sleeping-place to have,

Near to the borders of his father’s grave.

Upright he was, and just in all his ways;

Pray now observe the number of his days,

He was, when he dropt off this earthly stage,

One hundred and forty-seven years of age.

THE
LIFE OF ST. PAUL.

Saint Paul, though not one of the twelve, yet for his great eminence in the ministry of the gospel, had the honour to be styled an apostle, particularly above all the rest that were not of the number, and hath justly the next place to St. Peter allotted to him, both in regard they were so conversant in their lives, and inseparable in their deaths. He was born at Tarsus, not only of Jewish parents, but originally descended from an ancient Jewish family of the tribe of Benjamin in Judea, where he had his education, which was a flourishing Academy, whose scholars (as Strabo testifies) excelled those of Alexandria, and even Athens itself. In the schools of this city, he was brought up from his childhood, and became an excellent proficient in all the polite learning of the ancients, yet at the same time he was brought up to a manual trade, as even the most learned of their Rabbins were, for enabling them to get a livelihood if occasion required it; it being a maxim (especially amongst the Jews,) that he who teacheth not his son a trade, teacheth him to be a thief; for learning of old was not made an instrument to get a maintenance by, but for the better polishing the mind; so that the learned among the Jews were frequently denominated (as Drusius observes,) from some one or other handy-craft trade, as Rabbie Judah, the baker; Rabbie Jochanan, the Shoemaker, &c.

Having at Tarsus attained to a great perfection in the liberal arts and sciences. He was sent to Jerusalem to be instructed in the knowledge of the laws; and for the better accomplishing him in that study, was put under the tuition of Raban Gamaliel the son of Simon, (the same probably that took up our Saviour in his arms.) He was an eminent doctor of the law, one of the families of the schools at Jerusalem, and a person of principal note and authority in the Jewish Sanhedrim, in which that grave and prudent speech, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, which he made on behalf of the apostles and their doctrine, took great effect. At the feet of this great doctor St. Paul was brought up, as he himself testifies; and by his instructions he soon advanced to that degree, that he gained himself a reputation above all his fellow scholars. Moreover he was a strict professor of the sect of the Pharisees, which of all others amongst the Jews, was the severest and most magisterial; and the professors thereof, generally great applauders of themselves for their sanctity, despising and censuring all others as reprobates, and unworthy of their society, and presuming (as Josephus writes) to govern even princes themselves. With the fiery genius of this sect, our apostle was too deeply infected, which made him a most zealous persecutor of the Saints; so that when the blood of the martyr Stephen was shed, I (saith he with sorrow after his conversion) was standing by, consented to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. Nay, of all the apparators, and inquisitors, employed by the Sanhedrim, to execute their warrants; upon those upstart heretics, as they called them, who preached against the law of Moses, and the tradition of the fathers; he was the man that strove to be the forwardest. In this zeal to execute his office, as he was on his way to Damascus, with some other, of his fellow officers, breathing out vengeance and destruction against the poor Christians, their was on a sudden a most glorious light shot full upon him, and the rest that were with him, so that they fell to the ground in great amazement, and at the same time a voice from heaven was directed to him, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” to which, amazed as he was, he answered, Lord who art thou? the voice replying, that it was Jesus whom he persecuted, and that it was hard for him to kick against the pricks. He again desired further instructions; Lord, said he, what wilt thou have me to do; upon which he was bid to rise, and go to Damascus, and there expect what should be further revealed to him; rising from the ground he found his sight gone. In this plight being led to Damascus, he was there three days fasting, and probably then he saw that celestial vision mentioned by him, wherein he heard and saw things past utterance, and those divine revelations, which gave him occasion to say, that the gospel he preached, he was not taught by man, but had it revealed to him by Jesus Christ. The three days being expired, Ananias, a devout man, and one of the seventy disciples came to him, according to the command he had received from our Lord, who appeared to him, to go and enquire for one Saul of Tarsus, and having laid his hands on him, told him his message, upon which his sight was restored to him, and the gift of the Holy Ghost conferred on him; presently after he was baptized, and made a member of the church, to the great joy of the rest of the disciples, that he should become not only a professor, but a preacher of that faith, which he so lately was a bitter persecutor of. His stay at this time at Damascus was not long, for being warned away by a vision from heaven, he took a journey into Arabia, where he preached the gospel for three years, and then returned to Damascus, where the unconverted Jews eagerly sought his ruin, endeavouring to seize him, but he escaped through the help of the disciples, and the rest of his friends who were zealous for his safety.

Thus far we have made an entrance into the life and acts of this great apostle, with which there is scarcely any thing equally memorable in history, nor could the further prosecution thereof have been omitted, but that all the travels of this apostle in the pursuance of his ministry, from the time of his conversion to the last of his being at Rome, with the most principal transactions, and the severest accidents that happened to him therein, are already related in the exposition of the map of the voyages of the apostles, and more particularly those of St. Paul, in which, for avoiding needless repetitions, the sequel of his life may not unfitly be referred. We shall therefore make some enquiry into the time and occasion of the several epistles wrote to the several churches; as also unto the time and manner of his death.

When he went from Athens to Corinth, it is said he wrote his first epistle to the Thessalonians, which he sent Silas and Timothy, who returned during his stay, and before his departure he wrote his second epistle to them, to excuse his not coming to them as he promised in his first. Not long after at Ephesus, he is said to have written his epistle to the Galatians; and before he left Ephesus, he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. Moreover, he sent from thence by Apollos and Silas to Titus, whom he left in that island to propagate the faith, and had him made bishop thereof, in which he gives him advice for the better execution of his episcopal office. At Macedonia, whither he went from Ephesus, having by Titus received an account of the church of Corinth’s present state of affairs, he sent by him at his return, when he was accompanied by St. Luke, his second epistle to the Corinthians; and about the same time he wrote his first epistle to Timothy, whom he had left at Ephesus. From Corinth he went to Macedon, whither he sent his epistle to the Romans, by Phebe, a deaconess of the Church of Cenchrea, not far from Corinth. Going thence to Rome, he sent his epistle to the Phillipians by Epaphroditus, who had been sent from them with relief, not knowing to what straits he might be reduced by his imprisonment at Rome. In the next place, he sends by Tychicus his epistle to the Ephesians. Not long after, (if not about the same time) he wrote his epistle to the Colossians, and sent it by Epaphras, his fellow-prisoner for some time at Rome. As for his second epistle to Timothy, there is some dispute about the time of his writing it; only it seems probable by authentic authors, that it was written after the Philippians and Ephesians. As for the epistle to the Hebrews, it is not known when, or from whence written, and rather conjectured than certainly known to have been St. Paul’s. Tertulliah judgeth it to be written by Barnabas; but the most received opinion is, that it was St. Paul’s, but written by him in Hebrew, and so sent to the Jews; but for the better publishing it to the Gentiles, translated into Greek, some say by St. Luke, and others by St. Clement, for the style of whose epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians is observed by St. Jerome to come very near the style of this epistle, and to contain a purer vein of Greek than is found in the rest of St. Paul’s epistles.

Our apostle having been now two years a prisoner at Rome, is at length set free, and soon after departs to visit other parts of the world, for the further divulging the gospel, but into what particular parts is variously conjectured; some think into Greece, and some parts of Asia, where he had not yet been; others will have it that he went preaching, as well into the Eastern as Western parts of the world; for in his epistle to the Corinthians it is said, that Paul being a preacher both Eastward and Westward, taught righteousness to the whole world, and went to the utmost bounds of the West. That he went into Spain, may be gathered both from his own words, as intimating so to do, and also from the testimony of other authors, as Theodoret, who writes, that he not only went into Spain to preach, but brought the gospel into the isles of the sea, and particularly into our island of Britain; and more particularly in another place, he reckons up the Gauls and the Britons amongst those people to whom the apostles, and especially the tent-maker, as he calls him, had divulged the Christian faith.

Farther mention of St. Paul we find none till his next and last coming to Rome, which is said to be about the 8th and 9th years of Nero’s reign; and he came in the fittest time to suffer martyrdom he could have chosen; for whereas at other times, his privilege of being a Roman citizen gained him those civilities which common morality could not deny him, he had to do with a person with whom the crime of being a Christian weighed down all apologies that could be alledged; a person whom lewdness and debauchery had made seven times more a Pagan than any custom or education could have done. What his accusation was, cannot be certainly determined, whether it was his being an associate with St. Peter in the fall of Simon Magus, or his conversion of Poppæa Sabina, one of the Emperor’s concubines, by which he was curbed in the career of his insatiate appetite. Neither can it be resolved how long he remained in prison, what the certain time of his suffering was, and whether (according to the custom) he was first scourged; only Barentons speaks of two pillars in the church of St. Mary, beyond the bridge in Rome, to which both he and St. Peter were bound, when they were scourged.

It is affirmed that St. Paul and St. Peter suffered upon the same day, though different kinds of death. Others will have it that they suffered on the same day of the year, but at a year’s distance; and others affirm that St. Paul suffered several years after St. Peter; but all agree that Paul, as a Roman, had the favour to be beheaded, and not crucified. His execution was at the Aquæ Salviæ, 3 miles from Rome; and he is said to have converted the three soldiers that guarded him thither, who also suffered for the faith. Some of the fathers add, that upon his death there flowed from his veins a liquor more like milk than blood, the sight whereof (saith St. Crysostom) converted the executioner.

He was buried about two miles from Rome, in the way called Via Ostiensis, where Lucina, a noble Roman matron, not long after settled a farm for the maintenance of the church. Here he lay but indifferently entombed for several ages, till the reign of Constantine the Great, who in the year of our Lord, 318, at the request of Sylvester, bishop of Rome, built a very sumptuous church, supported with a hundred stately pillars, and beautified with a most rare and exquisite workmanship, and after all richly gifted and endowed by the emperor himself. Yet was all this thought too mean an honour for so great an apostle by the emperor Valentinian, who sent an order to his Præfect Salustinus, to take that church down, and to erect in its room one more large and stately, which, at the instance of the Pope Leo, was richly adorned, and endowed by the Empress Placidia, and doubtless, hath received great additions ever since, from age to age.

Thus was brought up, became converted, and a preacher of the gospel, and thus was put to death and buried, this great apostle of the Gentiles, superior in learning and natural parts, and not inferior in zeal to any of the rest of the apostles.

---

THE

LIFE AND DEATH

OF

JUDAS ISCARIOT,

OR THE

LOST AND UNDONE

SON OF PERDITION.

GLASGOW:

PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.

---

THE LOST
AND
UNDONE SON OF PERDITION.

---

It is to be observed, that the Scripture makes mention of three Judases; the first is Judas Maccabeus; the second Judas the son of Joseph, the reputed father of our Lord; and third, Judas Iscariot, the son of a Tanner, living in repute at Joppa, or Japho, a beautiful sea-port on the west of Canaan, about thirty-four miles North west of Jerusalem, from which it was seen, as it stood on a hill amidst a delightful plain. Here Peter restored Dorcas to life, and received the messages of Cornelius. In the time of the Antichristian war of the Croisades, or Crusades, Lewis of France, and Godfrey of Boulogne, and others, repaired and adorned it; but in these unhappy times, what was one year a beautiful city, was oft in the next a heap of ruins. At present, and for ages past, it hath but a bad harbour, and is remarkable for nothing but ruinous remains of antiquity. This Judas who betrayed our Lord, was his mother’s first child, who dreamed that the child in her womb would prove both a thief and a murderer, and bring her and her generation to shame and disgrace: which so terrified her, that she was like to go distracted; but her husband strove to pacify her, bidding her leave it to God the wise disposer of all things, who may take it away in its infancy or endue it with more grace than ever to be guilty of such dishonourable actions.—This somewhat quieted her, and she was soon after delivered of a lovely male child; but under his left breast was the following curious marks viz. a cross, a gallows, two daggers, and several pieces of money: this likewise terrified his mother, who concealed it from her husband, determining, as soon as she was able, to go to a magician and know the signification of these surprising marks. The child being circumcised, and she purified, according to the old Jewish custom, she dressed herself in disguise, put a veil on her face, and taking with her a kinswoman, went to the magician’s, and being introduced to him, she related her dream, her fears and the marks upon her son, desiring the interpretation of the dream, and the signification of the marks.

The magician replied, I am no interpreter of dreams, neither do I justly know the signification of marks; and the whole of your story appears as strange to me, as it can be amazing to you; but if you can tell me when the child was born, I will calculate its nativity, and see what it pretends. He then called for pen, ink, and paper, and sitting down, calculated his nativity; and when he had finished it, he shook his head, and his countenance waxed pale; which being perceived by Judas’s mother, she said unto him, do not deceive me, but tell me true, hide nothing from me, whether it be good or evil.—Then, said the magician, to your sorrow, I have seen the rules of the planet that reigned predominant at your son’s birth, that he would prove a thief and a murderer, and what is worse, he will, for lucre, betray the Lord of Life; for which act he will afterwards despair of mercy, lay violent hands on himself and come to a shameful end.—These words pierced the mother’s heart, who wringing her hands, wished she had never been born, rather than to have been the mother of such an unhappy child; and asked the magician what she could do to prevent the bringing of shame or disgrace on her family? He told her he knew no way of prevention, but by laying violent hands on it, which might be now easily done in its infancy and in a manner so as not to be discovered. To this she replied, that she would not for ten thousand worlds commit such an act of violence on her son; for if her husband had the least suspicion of it, he was so fond of Judas, that he would never be reconciled to her any more; yet for the sake of her family, she would by some means or other prevent it without destroying it; and then told the magician, that if she had a small boat made like a shell, with a cover to go down close that no water might get in, and a little vent to let in air at the top, and room in it to lie soft and easy, she might without danger send him down the river Jordan, and so commit him wholly to the protection of providence, which might conduct him to some distant shore, into the hands of some tender persons, and thereby preserve his life; and if he afterwards commits those base actions the shame will fall on his own head, as no one will know from whom he is descended. The magician highly commended her for her invention, and said he would procure such a boat for her; and she promising him a good reward for his assistance, returned home. After she was gone, the magician sent for one Rot, a very cunning Artist, a Joiner by trade, who undertook to make the boat, drawing out with his pencil, the form of it, carried it home with him, wrought upon it in private, and having soon finished it, brought it to the magician’s house, who paid him largely for it, and sent a servant to the house of Simon, who told Judas’s mother, that the matter which his master and she spoke of was now finished. She understanding him, went next morning to the magician’s house, viewed the boat, and liked it well, saying it was very convenient for the end intended, but seemed perplexed how she should do it privately, and keep it from discovery, as death was the consequence thereof. Her kinswoman begged her to leave that to her, and all should be safe enough; for we will feign the child sick for a day or two, in the meantime we will make some inquiry in the city for the dead body of some poor male child which we will buy of its parents, and have it privately brought to our house to be buried; in the meantime we will dispatch your son to sea, and make him believe the other child to be his, and that he died during his absence; so having it buried, the matter can never be brought to light.

The mother liked the contrivance, and going home with a promise Of a great reward, and her friendship for life, she swore her servants to secrecy, and then said she, we must act in this manner. When your master comes home at night, I shall put on very dejected looks, and When he asks the cause, I shall tell him that Judas is not well, and that I am apprehensive of his death, which you must all testify and confirm. She accordingly put this scheme into practice at night, when her husband did all he could to comfort her, telling her that they were young, they might, be parents of many children: and going up stairs to see the child, the maid then pinched its neck till it was black in the face, and thinking it in convulsions, gave it over to death. As soon as he was gone out in the morning, the mother and kinswoman took the child and went to the magician’s house, in order to put the child to sea. They put on him many warm and rich garments, with an upper coat of oil, that no water might penetrate it; and the magician, on a piece of parchment, wrote the following words:

MY NAME IS JUDAS.

which his mother sewed round his neck and put him into the boat, and shut down the cover. At parting with the child the mother was almost distracted, wringing her hands and weeping bitterly, but being comforted by the magician and her kinswoman she was at last pacified, and desired to go home, as she could not bear to see the child put into the water, so she and her kinswoman departed home. The magician then took the boat and carried it down to his own garden, at the foot of which ran the river Jordan, and putting it in where a strong stream ran, it was soon carried out of sight.

The mother when she got home fainted away, but was revived by being informed by her maid servant, that during her absence they had almost brought the matter to a close, having found a neighbour’s male child, who had died the day before, and was just of the same age as Judas, for whose body they had given the parents a small sum of money, and paid the expense of burying a coffin full of bones, by way of a blind: and the only thing that remained was to deceive her husband, and get this child buried under the sanction of Judas’s body.

The father coming home at night, and finding his wife in tears, soon guessed the dismal cause; and inquiring of the servants, they with dissembled grief informed him, that the child died in the morning soon after his departure. The man was much affected with the loss of his child, and thinking to prevent his wife’s grief by the sight of the body he had it removed to a kinsman’s house, and in a day or two interred it from thence, supposing it to be his son Judas.

By this time Providence had conducted Judas, alive and well, unto the coast of Iscariot, a kingdom in Palestine, where Pheophilus the king often used to recreate himself, in beholding the ships pass and repass at sea. It happened that the very day that Judas was cast on the coast, the king and his nobles came on that diversion, and as they were standing on the top of the rock, looking into the sea, the king espied a little boat floating upon the water, and thinking it to be a chest of some wrecked ship, he ordered a servant to put out a boat and fetch it; which being done, and brought to the king, he ordered it to be broken open; when to their great surprise, they found a lovely babe, who look’d up, and smiled in the king’s face. Then said the king to the child, welcome as my own child; and expressed much joy in being providentially sent to preserve the babe’s life, and taking it up in his arms, said if thou wert a child begat by me, I could not esteem or value thee more. Then he espied about its neck the aforementioned parchment, viz:

MY NAME IS JUDAS.

Well, said the king, as thy name is Judas, I will now double name thee, and then called him Judas Iscariot, because he found him near the coast of that name. He was then brought to court, treated as the king’s own child, and at a proper age educated well, and at last became a man of learning and genius and behaved himself so wisely, that the king made him his principal steward.

Judas being arrived at this rank, still coveted greater, and remembering the queen one day said, that if the prince, her son died, Judas should be her heir, he therefore set about contriving to kill him, accordingly he professed great love and friendship for him; and one day being walking together, Judas took occasion to quarrel with the prince, and maliciously slew him, thinking all would go well with him if he was dead.

Behold the serpent, which the king

Long nourished in his breast,

Grown warm, strikes forth his baneful sting,

And robb’d him of his rest.

Though none accused him of the murder, yet his conscience so stung him, that he soon quitted the kingdom, leaving all his pomp and finery behind him, and changing his name, took upon him the mean employ of a servant, wandering about from place to place, until at length he arrived at Joppa, the place of his nativity; here he soon got a place in a nobleman’s family, where he behaved so well as to gain the esteem of his lord and lady, and all that knew him. One day it happened that as his lady was walking abroad big with child, she longed for some fruit, which she saw in Judas’s father’s garden, bidding him go and buy her some. He took the money, but was resolved to steal the fruit; and going to the garden, broke down the fences, which as he was doing his father came out, and seized him for the robbery; and Judas to extricate himself from the hand of justice murdered his father upon the spot, and immediately escaped to Theba, a city about seventy-six leagues distance. Here he continued four years, in which time the noise of the murder being blown over, he returned back again, and got another place in a nobleman’s family, where he lived sometime, till his own mother accidentally seeing him fell in love with and married him.

About five years after they had been married, one morning in bed Judas’s shirt bosom lay open, when she saw under his left breast the marks he was born with; upon which she waked him in an agony, and told him the whole story of his birth, and the part she had acted therein. Judas heard this with wonder and astonishment, and on his part confessed to her the many crimes he had been guilty of; after which she desired him to depart from her, and seek mercy of God in another country; protesting she would never be carnally known to him any more.

Judas full of grief and remorse of conscience, left Joppa, and wandered about like a pilgrim, till he heard of a mighty prophet, called Jesus of Nazareth, in the land of Judea, who wrought many miracles, and wonderful works; to him he went, and liking his doctrine and seeing his miracles, he begged of our Lord to be admitted one of his followers: Our Saviour chose him to be one of his disciples, and gave him the charge of what money or provision he carried about with him. There is no evidence that his religious instructions, or his preaching the word, or miracles, were inferior to those of his brethren: but covetousness still reigned in his heart. Notwithstanding all this Judas could not forget his covetousness, for when Mary Magdalene brought a box of costly ointment, to anoint our dear Lord’s feet, at the house of Simon the Leper, Judas was highly offended thereat, because the value thereof was not put into his bag. But our Lord knowing his covetous and wicked heart, sharply rebuked him; at which he was so enraged, that he in revenge premeditated, and put into execution, the worst action of all his life, and going to the chief priests and elders, he said unto them, what will you give me, and I will betray him they call Jesus into your hands? And they agreed with him for thirty pieces of silver; or £3, 8s. 5d. English money.

The love of money is a rock

Which causes care and trouble,

And he that hasteth to be rich,

He makes his sorrows double.

Money’s a most alluring bait,

Conducive unto evil,

For this base Judas sold his God,

Himself unto the devil.

When our Lord was instituting his last supper, he said unto his disciples, I have chosen you twelve, but one of you is a devil. And again, Verily I say unto you, one of you this night shall betray me, and he it is unto whomsoever I shall give a sop: then giving a sop unto Judas, he said unto him what thou dost do quickly. With the sop the devil entered into Judas, and he went out from amongst them.—Judas then went to the chief priests, and received the thirty pieces of silver; so taking with him an armed band of men, to apprehend his master, He led them to the Garden, of Gethsemane where Jesus was wont to retire for his devotion; he went telling them, that whomsoever he should kiss, the same was he, hold him fast. There our Lord beheld his adversaries coming with burning torches and lanterns, and weapons to apprehend him; then spake he to his disciples, and said, “Rise let us go; behold he is at hand that will betray me.” And while he was speaking, came Judas the traitor, saying, Hail, Master, and kissed him. For it is written, that it was the manner and custom of our Lord Jesus towards his disciples, that when at any time he had sent them out, at their return again, he would receive them with a loving kiss. Then they laid hands on the Lord, and bound him as a thief and a murderer, and led him away to the high Priest and Elders, who asked him many questions; to which our Lord gave them no answer, but stood like a lamb dumb before his shearers. And here let us behold our Lord Jesus, how patiently and meekly he receives that false and treacherous kiss from that unfaithful disciple, whose feet he had vouchsafed to wash with his own hands, and whom out of his unspeakable charity he refused not to feed with the precious food of his blessed body. Consider likewise how meekly he suffered himself to be taken, bound, struck, and furiously dragged away, as if he had been a thief, or the most wicked person in the world, void of power to help himself. Contemplate also the great sorrow and inward affliction he had of his disciples, who fled and left him in the hands of those ravenous wolves. And on the other side, consider the grief of their hearts, since the cause of their leaving him was not the perversity of their will, but the frailty of their weak nature: for which they heartily mourn and sigh, like poor orphans that know not what they do, or whither to go; and their sorrow was so much the greater, as they knew in what villanous manner their Lord and master would be treated and abused. Nevertheless, the whole assembly, though they found nothing worthy of death in him, one by one passed the following sentences on him.

---

JERUSALEM’S
BLACK TRIBUNAL;
OR THE
BLOODY SENTENCE OF THE JEWS,
AGAINST
OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR,
JESUS CHRIST.

---

CAIPHAS.
Better one man should die, than all perish.
JEHOSOPHAT.
Let him be bound, and kept fast in chains.
RAPHAR.
Let us put him to death.

FAREAS.
Let us banish him, or he will destroy our country.
DIARRHIAS.
He is worthy of death, because he seduceth the people.
RABINTH.
Guilty or not, let the seducer die.
LESSA.
Let us banish him for ever.
CHIERIES.
If he be innocent he shall die, because he stirreth up the people.
PTOLEMEUS.
Guilty or not guilty, let us sentence him to death or punishment.
TERAS.
Either banish him, or send him unto Cæsar.
LEMECH.
Punish him with death.

POTIPHARES.
Let him be banished for seducing the people.

The mob also cried out to Pontius Pilate, if you let this man go, you are not Cæsar’s friend; therefore, crucify him! crucify him!

---

THE
SENTENCE OF DEATH
PASSED ON
JESUS CHRIST
BY
PONTIUS PILATE.

---

I Pontius Pilate, Judge in Jerusalem under the most potent Tiberius, happy and prosperous be his reign, having heard and known the accusation of Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jews brought bound, to pronounce his sentence; seeing he, by presumptuous expressions, called himself the Son of God and the King of the Jews, and said he would destroy the Temple of Solomon. Let him be condemned to the cross with the two Thieves.

Thus was the Lord of Life condemn’d,

On Calv’ry’s mount to die,

As Moses’ Serpent so was he

There lifted up on high.

’Twas not for sins that were his own,

He there shed forth his blood,

But that such sinners vile as we,

Might be brought near to God.

Let us obey the gospel call,

Now while it is to-day,

Lest ere to-morrow Death should cry,

To judgment come away.

---

MISERABLE AND AWFUL END OF THE TRAITOR JUDAS.

Now Judas, the Traitor, had no sooner seen his master condemned by the Jewish council, than his conscience upbraided him; he brought back the thirty pieces of silver, and confessed he had betrayed his innocent master. But the Jewish rulers replied, that that was none of their business, he might blame himself. And he threw back the thirty pieces of silver and went out and hanged himself; but the rope breaking, or the tree giving way, he fell and his body burst asunder, and his bowels gushed out. Then the Jews, as they thought the price of blood was not fit for the Treasury, they, as agents for Judas, gave it for the Potters-field to bury strangers in.

Tho’ Judas ’mongst the Apostles was

And with them took his part,

His awful end proved him to be

A traitor in his heart.

---

On the Evening after our Lord’s resurrection he appeared unto ten of the apostles, Judas being dead, and Thomas absent: he renewed their mission, and breathed on them, as a token of his sending the Holy Ghost. After giving them repeated proofs of his resurrection, he just before his ascension gave them a formal commission, saying, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” After they had witnessed their master’s departure to the heavenly mansions, Peter proposed, that one who had been a constant witness of his marvellous sufferings and conduct, should be chosen to fill the room of Judas. The disciples chose Barsabas and Matthias for the candidates. As the office was extraordinary, and perhaps the votes equal, the final determination, which of the two should be the apostle, was left to the decision of God by the lot. After prayer, the lots were cast, and it fell upon Matthias: he was therefore numbered with the eleven apostles.

On the day of Pentecost, a feast appointed to commemorate the giving of the law, the Holy Ghost, in the shape of cloven tongues of fire, descended on each of them; rendered them bold and infallible in preaching the gospel; qualified them with power, to speak in every language, to discern men’s tempers, and to confer the miraculous influence of speaking with tongues on others, by the laying on of hands.

Learn hence a lot’s a sacred thing,

Let’s not it vanity use,

Since God thereby has oft thought fit,

To choose and to refuse.

Let’s be content with what’s our lot,

Since God to us it gave,

Let’s pray that Christ may be the gift,

Greater can’t sinners have.

Correspondent to the twelve patriarchs, or twelve tribes of Israel, our Saviour, in the second or third year of his public ministry, first appointed, and then sent forth twelve of his followers, whom he named Apostles. These he sent out by two’s,

SIMON PETER, and ANDREW his brother;

JAMES the son of ZEBEDEE, and JOHN his brother;

PHILIP, and BARTHOLOMEW;

THOMAS, and MATTHEW;

JAMES the son of ALPHEUS, and JUDE his brother;

SIMON the Canaanite, and JUDAS ISCARIOT;

MATTHIAS, succeeded Judas after the resurrection of our Lord.

---

ASCENSION

OF

OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

---

Touching the wonderful ascension of our Lord Jesus, it behoves thee, pious reader, to awaken thy heart, and render thyself with more than ordinarly attention to all that is here said or done, relating to this subject, if thou desire to feed thy soul with heavenly comfort, and reap the spiritual unction, which plentifully flows from the devout contemplation of so divine a subject.

On the fortieth day after the resurrection, our Lord Jesus, knowing that his time was now come to depart from this world, and to pass hence to his Father, taking with him the holy patriarchs, prophets, and others, who after his resurrection were in the terrestrial paradise, and blessing Enoch and Elias, who remained there still alive, he came, to his apostles, who were gathered together on Mount Sion, which was the place where he made his last supper the night before his passion. There were likewise with the apostles at this place, the blessed Virgin, and many other disciples; and our Lord appearing to them said, that he would eat with them before he departed from them, as a special token and memorial of the love he bore them. And as they were all eating, being full of joy and spiritual comfort at this last refection of our Lord Jesus, he said to them, “The time is now come in which I must return again to him that sent me: but you shall remain in the city till you are clothed with the virtue descending from above; for within a few days you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, as I before promised you. After which, you shall be dispersed throughout the whole world, to preach my gospel, baptizing all that shall believe in me, so that you shall be my witnesses to the utmost confines of the earth.” He likewise reproved them for their incredulity in not believing them who had seen him rise, that is the angels. This he chose to do at the time he was speaking to them of preaching his gospel, to give them to understand, that they ought to have believed the angels, even before they saw him, much sooner than they ought to be believed by those to whom they were to preach, who, nevertheless, would believe them (the apostles) though they should not see him, (Jesus Christ.) And this he did, that by knowing their fault they might remain humble; shewing them at his departure how much he admired that virtue, and that he recommended it to them in a singular manner. They asked him concerning many things that were to come to pass; but he would not resolve them, inasmuch as it was not necessary for them to know the secrets of God, which his father had reserved in his own power, to fulfill at his own will and pleasure. And thus they continued discoursing and eating together, with great comfort and satisfaction, occasioned by the presence of their Lord; yet their comfort was mixed with some grief, by reason of his departure from them. For they loved him so tenderly, that they could not hear him speak of leaving them without heaviness and sorrow.

And what can we think of his blessed Mother? May we not devoutly imagine that, sitting near him, and hearing what he said concerning his departure, she was moved with the tenderness of her motherly affection; and that overcome with grief, which suddenly seized, and oppressed her blessed soul, she inclined her head towards him, and rested it upon his sacred breast! For, if John the Evangelist at the last supper, took this freedom, with much more reason may we suppose her to do the same on this doleful occasion. Hence, then, with tears, and many sighs, she spoke to him in this manner: “Oh my beloved son, I beseech thee not to leave me; but if thou must depart, and return again to thy heavenly Father, take me, thy afflicted Mother, along with thee!” But our blessed Lord endeavoured to comfort her, and said, “Grieve not, oh beloved parent, at my leaving you because I go to my Father; and it is expedient that you remain here a short time longer, to confirm in their faith, such as shall be converted, and believe in me, and afterwards I will come again, and take you with me, to be a partaker of my glory.” To whom again, our Lady replied, “My beloved Son, may thy will always be fulfilled in all things, for I am not only contented to remain here during thy pleasure, but also, to suffer death for love of those souls, for which thou hast so willingly vouchsafed to lay down thy life: this, however, I beseech thee, be thou ever mindful of me.” Our Lord then again comforted her, with the disciples, and Mary Magdalene, saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled, nor fear ye any thing, I will not leave you desolate; I go, but will shortly return again to you, and will remain always with you.” At length he bid them remove from thence, and go to Mount Olivet, because from that place he would ascend into heaven, in the presence of them all: saying this, he disappeared.

His holy Mother, with the rest of the company, without any delay, hastened to the said mount, about a mile distant from Jerusalem, as he had appointed them, where our Lord again soon appeared to them. Behold on this day we have two different apparitions of our Lord. Thus being all together, our Lord embraced his holy Mother, and she again embraced him in a most tender manner, taking leave of each other. And the disciples, Mary Magdalene, and the rest falling down to the ground, and weeping with tenderness, kissed his blessed feet, and he, raising them up, embraced all his apostles most lovingly.

Let us now, pious reader, diligently consider them, and devoutly contemplate all that is here done; and amongst the rest, let us behold the holy Fathers, who being there present though invisible, joyfully admire, and inwardly praise the blessed Virgin, by whom they received so great a benefit as their salvation. They behold with pleasing admiration, the glorious champions, and leaders of God’s hosts, the apostles, whom our Lord Jesus had chosen from among all others, to conquer and subdue the world, and bring it over to the belief of his holy doctrine.

At length, when the mysteries were all fulfilled and completed, our Lord Jesus began gradually to raise himself up before them, and to ascend by his own virtue and power into heaven. And then the blessed Virgin, with the rest, fell down and devoutly worshipped him. And our Lady said, “O my beloved, I beseech thee to be mindful of me,” and with this she burst into tears, not being able to refrain, when she reflected on his departure, yet was she full of inward joy, to see her blessed Son thus gloriously ascend into heaven. His disciples also, when they beheld him ascending, said, “Thou knowest, O Lord, that we have renounced all things for thee, wherefore, we beseech thee not to forget us, but be ever mindful of us, for whom we have forsaken all.” Then our Lord lifting up his hands, with serene and pleasing aspect, crowned with glory, victoriously ascended into heaven, but first blessing them, he said, “Be stedfast, and fight courageously, for I shall always be with you, even to the end of the world.”

Thus, our Lord Jesus, ascended into heaven, fulfilling that which the prophet Micah had said long before his ascension; And their King shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them. So that they all followed him with unspeakable joy, and never-ending felicity.

And Michael, the prince of God’s celestial host, going before, carried the joyful tidings of their Lord’s ascending, at which the whole heavenly court of celestial spirits came forth to meet their Lord, and with all worship and reverence, they led him with hymns and songs of jubilation, repeating with inexpressible joy, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Having paid their due reverence to the Lord, and ended the joyful canticles, which related to his glorious Ascension, the angels began to rejoice with each other. And what tongue can express, or mind conceive, that which passed between them at this happy meeting? The blessed spirits began to congratulate them on their arrival, saying: “Ye princes of God’s people, you are welcome to our eternal habitation, and we rejoice and are glad at your arrival: you all are gathered together, and wonderfully exalted with our God; Alleluia. Therefore rejoice and sing to him who so gloriously ascended into heaven, and above the heaven of heavens: Alleluia.”

To which the Fathers again joyfully replied, “To you, princes of God’s people, Alleluia: Our guardians and helpers, Alleluia: Joy and peace for ever, Alleluia: Let us sing and make mirth to our King and our Saviour, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Now we joyfully enter into the house of our Lord, Alleluia: to remain for ever in the glorious city of God, Alleluia. As sheep of our Lord’s pasture we enter his gates, Alleluia: With hymns and canticles, Alleluia: For the Lord of power is with us, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.” For according to the prophet, The Lord is ascending in shouts of joy, and the Lord in the sound of a trumpet.

Our Lord Jesus ascended visibly for the greater comfort of his mother and disciples, that they might see him as far as they could. And behold a cloud received him out of their sight, and in an instant they were present in heaven! And as the blessed Virgin and the disciples were looking still up to heaven, two angels stood beside them in white garments, who began to comfort them, telling them not to look longer after his body, which they saw ascend so gloriously into heaven, for that they should not see him any more in that form till the day of Judgment, when he should come to judge the quick and the dead. They bid them return into the city again, and there to expect the coming of the Holy Ghost, as he himself had told them. His blessed Mother spoke to the angels, desiring them to recommend her to her blessed son; who profoundly inclining to her, promised gladly to fulfil her commands. And the apostles and Mary Magdalene recommended themselves in the same manner. After this, the angels departing, they went according as they had been appointed into the city, unto Mount Sion, and waited there the coming of the Holy Ghost.

FINIS.

---

THE

WIFE OF BEITH:

BEING

AN ALLEGORICAL DIALOGUE.

CONTAINING

NOTHING BUT WHAT IS RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE.

GLASGOW:

PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.

---

THE
WIFE OF BEITH.

In Beith once dwelt a worthy wife,

Of whom brave Chaucer mention makes

She lived a licentious life,

And namely in venereal acts

But death did come for all her cracks;

When years were spent and days out driven.

Then suddenly she sickness takes,

Deceased forthwith, and went to heaven.

But as she went upon the way,

There followed her a certain guide,

And kindly to her he did say,

Where mean you, dame, for to abide?

I know you are the wife of Beith,

And would not then that you go wrong,

For I’m your friend, and will be leath

That you go through this narrow throng;

This way is broader, go with me,

And very pleasant is the way;

I’ll bring you there, where you would be,

Go with me friend, say me not nay.

She looked on him, then did speer,

I pray you, Sir, what is your name?

Shew me the way how came you here?

To tell to me it is no shame.

Is that a favour ’bout your neck?

And what is that upon your side?

I knew you by your colours first,

Is it a bag or silver sack?

What are you then? where do you bide?

I was a servant unto Christ,

And Judas likewise is my name.

Forsooth indeed you are to blame:

Your Master did you not betray?

And hang yourself when you had done?

Where’er you bide I will not stay

Go then, you knave, let me alone.

Whatever I be, I’ll be your guide,

Because you know not well the way.

What would you me, where do you dwell?

I have no will to go with thee:

I fear it is some lower cell,

I pray thee therefore let me be.

I know your way it is to hell,

For you are none of the eleven:

Go haste you then unto your cell,

My way is only unto heaven.

That way is by the gates of hell,

If you intend there for to go,

Go, dame, I will not you compel,

But I with you will go also,

Where smoke and darkness did abound,

And pitch and sulphur burned still,

With yells and cries hills did rebound,

The fiend himself came to the gate,

And asked him where he had been?

Do ye not know and have forgot,

Seeking his wife could not be seen.

Good dame, he said, would you be here,

I pray you then tell me your name?

The wife of Beith, since that you speer,

But to come in I were to blame.

I will not have you here good dame,

For you were mistress of the flyting,

If once within this gate you come,

I will be troubled with your bitings

Cummer, go back, and let me be,

Here are too many of your rout,

For women lewd like unto thee,

I cannot turn my foot about.

Sir, thief, I say I shall bide out,

But gossip thou wast ne’er to me,

For to come in, I’m not so stout,

And of my biting thou’st be free:

But, Lucifer, what’s that on thee,

Hast thou no water in this place?

Thou look’st so black, it seems to me

Thou ne’er dost wash thy ugly face.

If we had water for to drink,

We should not care for washing then,

Into these flames and filthy stink,

We burn with fire unto the doom:

Upbraid me then, good wife, no more,

For first when I heard of the name,

I knew thou hast such names in store,

Would make the devil to think shame.

Forsooth, Sir thief, thou art to blame,

If I had time now for to bide

Once you were well, but may think shame,

That lost heaven for rebellious pride,

Who traitor-like fell with the rest,

Because you would not be content,

And now of bliss are dispossest,

Without all grace for to repent,

Thou mad’st poor Eve for to consent

To eat of the forbidden tree;

(Which we poor daughters may relent

And made us almost like to thee;)

But God be blest who passed thee by.

And did a Saviour provide,

For Adam’s whole posterity,

All those who do in him confide.

Adieu, false fiend, I may not bide,

With thee I may no longer stay;

My God in death he was my guide,

O’er hell I’ll get the victory.

Then up the hill the poor wife went,

Oppressed with stinking flames and fear.

Weeping right sore with great relent,

For to go else she wist not where:

A narrow way with thorns and briers,

And full of mires was her before,

She sighed oft with sobs and tears,

The poor wife’s heart was wonderous sore,

Tired and torn she went on still,

Sometimes she sat, and sometimes fell,

Aye till she came to a high hill,

And then she looked back to hell,

When that she had climbed up the hill,

Before her was a goodly plain;

Where she did rest and weep her fill.

Then rose she to her feet again,

Her heart was glad the way was good,

Up to the hill she hy’d with haste,

The flowers were fair, where that she stood

The fields were pleasant to her taste.

Then she espied Jerusalem,

On Sion’s mount where that it stood

Shining with gold light as the sun,

Her silly soul was then right glad;

The ports were pearls shining bright,

Glorious it was for to behold,

With precious stones give such a light,

The walls were of transparent gold.

High were the walls, the gates were shut.

And long she thought for to be in

But then for fear of biding out,

She knocked hard and made some din.

To knock and cry she did not spare.

Till father Adam did her hear;

Who is’t that raps so rudely there,

Heaven cannot well be won by weir.

The wife of Beith that you speer,

Hath stood these two hours at the gate.

Go back, saith he, you must forbear,

Here may no sinners entrance get.

Adam, quoth she, I shall be in,

In spite of all such churls as thee:

Thou’rt the original of all sin,

For eating of the forbidden tree:

For which thou art not flyting free,

But for thy foul offences fled.

Adam went back and let her be;

Looking as if his nose had bled.

Then mother Eve did at him speer

Who was it that made such a din?

He said a woman would be here,

For me, I durst not let her in.

I’ll go, said she, and ask her will,

Her company I would have fain;

But aye she cried and knocked still,

And in no ways she would refrain.

Daughter, said Eve, you will do well,

And come again another time

Heaven is not won by sword or steel,

Nor one that’s guilty of a crime.

Mother, said she, the fault is thine,

That knocking here so long I stand:

Thy guilt is more than that of mine,

If thou wilt rightly understand,

Our misery thou didst begin,

By thee thy husband was deceived.

Eve went back where Noah was,

And told him all how she was blam’d,

Of her great sin and first trespass,

Whereof she was so much ashamed.

Then Noah said, I will go down,

And will forbid her that she knock;

Go back, he said, ye drunken lown,

You’re none of the celestial flock.

Noah, she said, hold thou thy piece,

Where I drank ale, thou didst drink wine,

Discovered was to thy disgrace,

When thou wast full like to a swine:

If I was drunk I learned at thee,

For thou’rt the father and the first,

That others taught, and likewise me,

To drink when we as had no thirst.

Then Noah turned back with speed,

And told the Patriarch Abraham then,

How that the carlin made him dread,

And how she all his deeds did ken.

Abraham then said, now get you gone,

Let us no more hear of your din

No lying wife as I suppone,

May enter in these gates within.

Abraham, she said, will you but spare,

I hope you are not flyting free;

You of yourself had such a care,

Denied your wife and made a lie;

O then I pray you let me be,

For I repent of all my sin,

Do thou but open the gates to me,

And let me quietly come in.

Abraham went back to Jacob then,

And told his nephew how he sped,

How that of her he nothing wan,

And that he thought the carlin mad.

Then down came Jacob throu’ the close,

And said, go backward down to hell:

Jacob, quoth she, I know thy voice,

That gate pertaineth to thy sell

Of thy old trumperies I can tell,

With two sisters thou led’st thy life

And the third part of these tribes twelve,

Thou got with maid’s besides thy wife:

And stole thy father’s bennison,

Only by fraud thy father frae;

Gave thou not him for venison,

A kid, instead of baked rae.

Jacob himself was tickled so,

He went to Lot where he was lying,

And to the gate he pray’d him to go,

To staunch the carling of her crying.

Lot says fair dame, make less ado,

And come again another day.

Old harlot carle and drunkard too,

Thou with thine own two daughters lay,

Of thine untimely seed I say,

Proceeded never good but ill.

Poor Lot, for shame then stole away,

And left the wife to knock her fill.

Meek Moses then went down at last,

To pacify the carling then;

Now, dame, said he, knock not so fast,

Your knocking will not let you ben.

Good Sir, said she I am aghast,

When that I look you in the face;

If that your law till now did last,

Then surely I had ne’er got grace:

But, Moses, Sir, now by your leave,

Although in heaven thou be possest

For all you saw, did not believe.

But you in Horeb there transgres

Wherefore by all it is confest,

You got but once the land to see,

And in the mount was put to rest,

Yea burned there where, you did die.

Then Aaron said, you whorish wife,

Go get you gone and rap no more;

With idols you have led your life,

Or then you shall repent it sore.

Good Aaron Priest, I know you well,

The golden calf you may remember,

Who made the people plagues to see,

This is of you recorded ever;

Your priesthood now is nothing worth,

Christ is my only priest and he,

My Lord who will not keep me forth,

So I’ll get in, in spite of thee.

Up started Samson at the length,

Unto the gate apace came he,

To drive away the wife with’s strength,

But all in vain it would not be.

Samson, says she, the world may see,

Thou wast a Judge who proved unjust,

Those gracious gifts which God gave thee,

Thou lost them by licentious lust.

From Dalila thy wicked wife,

The secrets chief couldst nor refrain,

She daily sought to take thy life,

Thou lost thy locks and then was slain,

Tho’ thou wast strong it was in vain,

Haunting with harlots here and there.

Then Samson turned back again,

And with the wife would mell nae mair.

Then said king David, knock no more.

We are all troubled with your cry.

David, quoth she, how cam’st thou there,

Thou might’st bide out as well as I:

Thy deeds no ways thou can’st deny,

Is not thy sin far worse than mine,

Who with Uriah’s wife did lie,

And caused him to be murdered syne?

Then Jonas said, fair dame content you,

If you intend to come to grace,

You must dree pennance and repent you,

Ere you can come within this place.

Jonas, quoth she, how stands the case?

How came you here to be with Christ?

How dare you look him in the face?

Considering how you broke your tryst?

So Jonas then he was ashamed,

Because he was not flyting free,

Of all his faults she had him blamed,

He left the wife and let her be.

Saint Thomas then, I counsel thee

Go speak unto yon wicked wife,

She shames us all and as for me,

Her like I never heard in life.

Thomas, then said, you make such strife,

When you are out, and meikle din,

If ye were here I’ll lay my life,

No peace the saints will get within,

It is your trade far to be flyting,

Still in a fever as one raves,

No marvel though you wives be biting,

Your tongues are made of aspen leaves.

Thomas, quoth she, let be your taunts,

You play the pick-thank I perceive,

Tho’ you be brother’d ’mong the saints,

An unbelieving heart you have

Thou brought’st the Lord unto the grave,

But would’st no more with him remain,

And wast the last of all the lave

That did believe he rose again.

There might no doctrine do thee good,

No miracles make thee confide,

Till thou beheld Christ’s wounds and blood,

And putt’st thy hands into his side;

Didst thou not daily with him bide,

And see the wonders which he wrought?

But blest are they who do confide,

And do believe, yet saw him not;

Thomas, she says, will ye but speer,

If that my sister Magdelene,

Will come to me, if she be here;

For comforts sure you give me nane.

He was so blythe and turned back,

And thanked God that she was gane;

He had no will to hear her crack,

But told it Mary Magdalene.

When that she heard her sister’s mocks,

She went unto the gate with speed;

And asked her who’s there that knocks;

’Tis I the wife of Beith indeed.

She said, good mistress, you must stand

Till you be tried by tribulation.

Sister, quoth she, give me your hand

Are we not both of one vocation;

It is not through your occupation,

That you are placed so divine,

My faith is fixed on Christ’s passion,

My soul shall be as safe as thine.

Then Mary went away in haste,

The carling made her so ashamed,

She had no will of such a guest,

To lose her pains and be so blamed.

Now good Saint Paul, said Magdalene,

For that you are a learned man,

Go and convince this woman then,

For I have done all that I can;

Sure if she were in hell, I doubt

They would not keep her long there,

But to the gate would put her out,

And send her back to be elsewhere.

Then went the good apostle Paul,

To put the wife in better tune,

Wash off that filth that files thy soul,

Then shalt heaven’s gates be opened soon.

Remember, Paul, what thou hast done,

For all the epistles thou didst compile,

Though now thou sittest up above,

Thou persecuted’st Christ a while.

Woman, he said, thou art not right,

That which I did, I did not know;

But thou didst sin with all thy might,

Although the preachers did thee show.

Saint Paul, she said, it is not so

I did not know so well as ye,

But I will to my Saviour go,

Who will his favour shew to me.

You think you are of flyting free,

Because you was rapt up above,

But yet it was Christ’s grace to thee,

And matchlessness of his dear love.

Then Paul, says she, let Peter come,

If he be lying let him rise,

To him I will confess my sin,

And let him quickly bring the keys,

Too long I stand, he’ll let me in,

For why I cannot longer tarry,

Then shall ye all be quit of din,

For I must speak with good saint Mary.

Peter, said she, let Christ arise,

And grant me mercy in my need;

For why I ne’er deny’d him thrice,

As thou thyself hast done indeed.

Thou carling bold, what’s that to thee?

I got remission for my sin;

It cost many sad tears to me,

Before I entered here within.

It will not be thy meikle din

Will cause heaven’s gates opened be,

Thou must be purified of sin,

And of all sins must be made free.

Saint Peter then, no thanks to you,

That so you were rid of your fears,

It was Christ’s gracious look, I trow,

That made you weep those bitter tears.

The door of mercy is not closed,

I may get grace as well as ye,

It is not so as ye supposed,

I will be in in spite of thee.

But wicked wife, it is too late,

Thou should’st have mourn’d on earth,

Repentance now is out of date:

It should have been before thy death,

Thou mightest then have turned wrath

To mercy then, and mercy great,

But now the Lord is very loth,

And all thy cries not worth a jot.

Ah! Peter, then, what shall I do?

He will not hear me as I hear,

Shall I despair of mercy too?

No, no, I’ll trust in mercy dear;

And if I perish, here I’ll stay

And never go from heaven bright

I’ll ever hope and always pray,

Until I get my Saviour’s sight.

I think indeed you are not right,

If you had faith you could win in;

Importune then with all your might,

Faith is the feet wherewith ye come.

It is the hands will hold him fast,

But weak faith may not presume;

’Twill let you sink, and be aghast

Strongly believe, or you’re undone.

But, good saint Peter, let me be,

Had you such faith, did it abound?

When you did walk upon the sea,

Was you not like for to be drown’d,

Had not our Saviour helped thee,

Who came and took thee by the hand,

So can my Lord do unto me,

And bring me to the promised land.

Is my faith weak? yet he is still

The same and ever shall remain;

His mercies last, and his good will,

To bring me to his flock again;

He will me help and me relieve,

And will increase my faith also,

Of weakly I can but believe,

For from this place I’ll never go.

But Peter said, how can that be,

How durst thou look him in the face.

Such horrid sinners like to thee,

Can have no courage to get grace;

Here none comes in but they that’s stout,

And suffered have for the good cause;

Like unto thee are keeped out,

For thou hast broke all Moses’ laws.

Peter, she said, I do appeal,

From Moses, and from thee also.

With him and you I’ll not prevail,

But to my Saviour I will go;

Indeed of old you were right stout;

When you did cut off Malchus’ ear;

But after that you went about;

And a poor maid then did you fear.

Wherefore, saint Peter, do forbear,

A comforter indeed you’re not;

Let me alone, I do not fear,

Take home the whistle of your groat:

Was it your own, or Paul’s good sword,

When that your courage was so keen,

You were right stout upon my word,

Then would you fain at fishing been;

For at the crowing of the cock,

You did deny your master thrice,

For all your stoutness turned a block,

Now flyte no more if ye be wise.

Yet at the last the Lord arose,

Environed with angels bright,

And to the wife in haste he goes,

Desired her soon pass out of sight.

O Lord, quoth she, cause do me right,

But not according to my sin;

Have you not promised day and night,

When sinners knock to let them in.

He said thou wrests the scriptures wrong

The night is come thou spent the day,

In whoredom thou hast lived long,

And to repent thou didst delay;

Still my commandments thou abus’dst,

And vice committedst busily,

Since now my mercy thou refus’dst,

Go down to hell eternally.

O Lord, my soul doth testify,

That I have spent my life in vain;

Ah! make a wand’ring sheep of me,

And bring me to thy flock again.

Think’st thou there is no count to crave,

Of all these gifts in thee was planted.

I gave thee beauty ’bove the lave,

A pregnant wit thou never wanted.

Master, quoth she, it must be granted,

My sins is great give me contrition:

The forlorn son when he repented,

Obtained his father full remission.

I spared my judgments many times

And spiritual pastors did thee send;

But thou renewd’st thy former crimes,

Aye more and more me to offend.

My Lord, quoth she, I do amend,

Lamenting for my former vice

The poor thief at the latter

For one word went to paradise.

The thief heard never of me teaching,

My heavenly precepts and my laws,

But thou was daily at my preachings,

Both heard and saw, and yet miskaws.

Master, quoth she, the scriptures shows,

The Jewish woman which play’d the lown,

Conform unto the Hebrew laws,

Was brought to thee to be put down,

But nevertheless thou lett’st her go,

And made the Pharisees afraid.

Indeed, says Christ it was right so,

And that my bidding was obey’d,

Woman, he said, I may not cast

The childrens’ bread to dogs like

Although my mercies yet do last,

There’s mercy here but none for thee.

But, loving Lord, may I presume

Poor worm, that I may speak again,

The dogs for hunger were undone,

And of the crumbs they were right fain,

Grant me one crumb then that did fall

From thy best childrens’ table, Lord,

That I may be refreshed withal,

It will not help enough afford.

The gates of mercy now are closed,

And thou canst hardly enter in

It is not so as thou supposed,

For thou art deadly sick in sin.

’Tis true indeed, my Lord most meek

My sore and sickness I do feel:

Yet thou the lame didst truly seek,

Who lay long at Bethseda’s pool,

Of many that thee never sought,

Like to the poor Samaritan,

Whom thou unto thy fold has brought,

Even as thou didst the widow of Nain

Most gracious God, didst thou not bid

All that were weary come to thee,

Behold, I come! even overload

With sin, have mercy upon me.

The issues of thy soul are great,

Thou art both leprous and unclean,

To be with me thou art not fit,

Go from me then, let me alone.

Let me thy garments once but touch,

My bloody issue shall be whole,

It will not cost thee very much,

To save a poor distressed soul,

Speak thou the word, I shall be whole,

One look of thee shall do me good,

Save now, good Lord, my silly soul,

Bought with thine own most precious blood

Sweet Lord my God, say me not nay,

For if I perish here I’ll die.

Poor silly wretch, then speak no more,

Thy faith, poor soul, hath saved thee;

Enter thou in unto my glore,

And rest thro’ all eternity.

How soon our Saviour these words said,

A long white robe to her was given;

And then the angels did her lead,

Forthwith within the gates of heaven:

A laurel crown set on her head,

Spangled with rubies and with gold:

A bright white palm she always had,

Glorious it was for to behold;

Her face did shine like to the sun,

Like threads of gold her hair hang down,

Her eyes like lamps unto the moon,

Of precious stones rich was her crown.

Angels and saints did welcome her,

The heavenly choir did sing, rejoice;

King David with his harp was there:

The silver bells gave a great noise.

Such music and such melody

Was never either heard or seen,

When this poor saint was placed so high,

And of all sins made freely clean;

But then when thus she was possest,

And looked back on all her fears;

And that she was come to her rest,

Free’d from all sins, and all her tears,

She from her head did take the crown,

Giving all praise to Christ on high,

And at his feet she laid it down.

For that the Lamb had made her free,

Now doth she sing triumphantly,

And shall rejoice for evermore,

O’er death and hell victoriously

With lasting pleasures laid in store.

---

CONCLUSION.

Of WIFE OF BEITH I make an end,

And do these lines with this conclude,

Let none their lives in sin now spend,

But watch and pray, be doing good,

Despondent souls do not despair,

Repent, and still believe in Christ,

His mercies, which last for evermore,

Will save the souls that in him trust.

FINIS.

---

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

Use of ‘Mr’ and ‘Mr.’, ‘St’ and ‘St.’ is sometimes inconsistent even within a Chap-book. This has not been changed.

Several missing opening quotation marks have been inserted; many missing closing quotation marks have been inserted.

Four occurrences of the French word mele have been replaced by mêlée.

Except for those changes noted below, all dialect in the text, all misspellings, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

The Life of John Knox.
[Pg 5]: ‘and licentions lives’ replaced by ‘and licentious lives’.
[Pg 12]: ‘neqhew of’ replaced by ‘nephew of’.
[Pg 13]: ‘I require I of your’ replaced by ‘I require of your’.
[Pg 18]: ‘and Dominician’ replaced by ‘and Dominican’.
[Pg 21]: ‘throughtout all’ replaced by ‘throughout all’.
[Pg 24]: ‘professsor of’ replaced by ‘professor of’.
The Life of Alexander Peden.
[Pg 20]: ‘of the visons’ replaced by ‘of the visions’.
[Pg 20]: ‘I tell the, woman’ replaced by ‘I tell thee, woman’.
[Pg 24]: ‘was buired in’ replaced by ‘was buried in’.
The Life of Mr Donald Cargill.
[Pg 3]: ‘chapter of Ezekial’ replaced by ‘chapter of Ezekiel’.
[Pg 11]: ‘are will- to quit’ replaced by ‘are willing to quit’.
[Pg 20]: ‘motion buing put’ replaced by ‘motion being put’.
[Pg 23]: ‘interpersed among’ replaced by ‘interspersed among’.
The Battle of Drumclog.
[Pg 4]: ‘deal of Aven’ replaced by ‘dale of Aven’.
[Pg 12]: ‘born by his men’ replaced by ‘borne by his men’.
[Pg 12]: ‘was born along’ replaced by ‘was borne along’.
[Pg 18]: ‘the plumb of’ replaced by ‘the plume of’.
[Pg 21]: ‘born upright by’ replaced by ‘borne upright by’.
[Pg 23]: ‘was born off’ replaced by ‘was borne off’.
An Elegy in Memory of Sir Robert Grierson.
[Pg 14]: ‘The Caneronians’ replaced by ‘The Cameronians’.
[Pg 19]: ‘to the revoluton’ replaced by ‘to the revolution’.
A Wedding-Ring Fit for the Finger.
[Pg 6]: ‘damnally sinful’ replaced by ‘damnably sinful’.
[Pg 13]: ‘by her alineation’ replaced by ‘by her alienation’.
[Pg 20]: ‘2. Choose not’ replaced by ‘3. Choose not’.
[Pg 21]: ‘toast on the sea’ replaced by ‘tost on the sea’.
The Pilgrim’s Progress
[Pg 1]: ‘PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.’ inserted after
‘GLASGOW;’ (present on every other Chap-book Title page).
[Pg 3]: ‘the warth to come’ replaced by ‘the wrath to come’.
[Pg 24]: ‘to Christianna’ replaced by ‘to Christiana’.
Divine Songs.
[Pg 8]: ‘Great God, with’ replaced by ‘1 Great God, with’.
[Pg 15]: ‘4’ replaced by ‘5’, and ‘5’ replaced by ‘4’.
[Pg 18]: ‘those in pla’ replaced by ‘those in play’.
[Pg 22]: ‘My God, who’ replaced by ‘1 My God, who’.
The Plant of Renown.
[Pg 16]: ‘is the deisgn’ replaced by ‘is the design’.
Honey from the Rock of Christ.
[Pg 7]: ‘dost on-Christ him’ replaced by ‘dost un-Christ him’.
Sins and Sorrows before God.
[Pg 3]: ‘in ever hour’ replaced by ‘in every hour’.
[Pg 5]: ‘melts and flow in’ replaced by ‘melts and flows in’.
[Pg 23]: ‘ancient petriarchs’ replaced by ‘ancient patriarchs’.
A Token for Mourners.
[Pg 6]: ‘this propossition’ replaced by ‘this proposition’.
[Pg 9]: ‘borne chistisement,’ replaced by ‘borne chastisement,’.
[Pg 9]: ‘which a see’ replaced by ‘which I see’.
[Pg 9]: ‘It It is meet’ replaced by ‘It is meet’.
[Pg 9]: ‘borne chastisment.’ replaced by ‘borne chastisement.’.
[Pg 10]: ‘have done inquity’ replaced by ‘have done iniquity’.
[Pg 11]: ‘is epen to hear’ replaced by ‘is open to hear’.
[Pg 13]: ‘man complain, a man for’ replaced by ‘man complain, for’.
[Pg 16]: ‘through nnbelief’ replaced by ‘through unbelief’.
[Pg 17]: ‘that has oppointed’ replaced by ‘that has appointed’.
[Pg 23]: ‘fron iniquity’ replaced by ‘from iniquity’.
A Prayer Book for Families and Private Persons.
[Pg 5]: ‘all frowardness and’ replaced by ‘all forwardness and’.
[Pg 6]: ‘we shoud bless’ replaced by ‘we should bless’.
[Pg 7]: ‘our dail bread’ replaced by ‘our daily bread’.
[Pg 7]: ‘didst make things’ replaced by ‘didst make all things’.
[Pg 10]: ‘making the angry’ replaced by ‘making thee angry’.
[Pg 13]: ‘to or hearts;’ replaced by ‘to our hearts;’.
[Pg 16]: ‘his geneneration’ replaced by ‘his generation’.
[Pg 20]: ‘their frowardnes’ replaced by ‘their forwardness’.
[Pg 23]: ‘said by’ replaced by ‘If said by’.
The New Pictorial Bible.
[Pg 2]: missing ‘1’ inserted before ‘The Creation of Light.’.
[Pg 3]: missing ‘3’ inserted before ‘Woman formed.’.
[Pg 10]: ‘with s right hand’ replaced by ‘with his right hand’.
[Pg 18]: ‘kept, — daughter’ replaced by ‘kept, the daughter’.
[Pg 19]: ‘his diciples came’ replaced by ‘his disciples came’.
[Pg 19]: ‘they hat mourn’ replaced by ‘they that mourn’.
[Pg 22]: missing ‘41’ inserted before ‘Jesus is accused’.
Lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
[Pg 5]: ‘there innocence did’ replaced by ‘their innocence did’.
[Pg 8]: ‘on the alter’ replaced by ‘on the altar’.
[Pg 11]: ‘on a time sod’ replaced by ‘on a time sold’.
[Pg 11]: ‘to which Esa’ replaced by ‘to which Esau agreed.’.
[Pg 16]: ‘Upon there return’ replaced by ‘Upon their return’.
[Pg 19]: ‘there approaching’ replaced by ‘their approaching’.
[Pg 22]: ‘in there rebellion’ replaced by ‘in their rebellion’.
The Life and Death of Judas Iscariot.
[Pg 24]: ‘their to expect’ replaced by ‘there to expect’.
The Wife of Beith.
[Pg 18]: ‘ever hop and’ replaced by ‘ever hope and’.
[Pg 19]: ‘When yon did cut’ replaced by ‘When you did cut’.