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ECCLESIASTICUS,

In Continuation from Page 84.

The works of God in heaven, and in earth, and in the sea, are exceeding wonderful and glorious, yet God himself, in his power and wisdow, is above all.

Of the Elements.

The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven with his glorious shew.

The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the Most High.

At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof.

A man blowing a furnace, is in works of heat, but the sun burneth the mountains three times more; breathing out fiery vapours, and sending forth bright beams, it dimmeth the eyes.

Great is the Lord that made it, and at his command it runneth hastily

He made the moon also, to serve in her season, for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.

From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.

The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing,being an instrument of the armies above, shining in the firmament of heaven.

The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.

At the commandment of the holy one, they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.

Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness hereof

It compasseth the heavens about, with a glorious circle, and the hands of the Most High have bended it.

By his commandment, he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth quickly the lightnings of his judgment.

Through this the treasures are opened, and clouds fly forth as fowls.

By his great power he maketh the clouds firm, and the hail stones are broken small.

At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind bloweth.

The noise of the thunder maketh the earth to tremble, so doth the northern storm and the whirlwind; as birds flying he scattereth the snow, and

the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers.

The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.

The hoar frost also, as salt, he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it lieth on the top of sharp spikes.

When the cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into ice, it abideth upon every gathering together of water, and clotheth the water as with a breast plate.

It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.

A present remedy of all, is a mist coming speedily, a dew coming after heat refresheth. By his council he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.

They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof, and when we hear with our ears, we marvel thereat.

For therein be strange and wondrous works, a variety of all kinds of beasts and whales created.

By him, the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.

We may speak much, and yet come short, wherefore in sum, he is all.

The Lord is terrible, and very great and marvel

lous in his power.

There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but few of his works.

For the Lord hath made all things, and to the godly hath he given wisdom.

of Dreams.

The hopes of a man void of understanding, are vain and false, and dreams lift up fools.

Whoso regardeth dreams is like him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind.

The visions of dreams, is the resemblance of one thing to another, even as the likeness of a face to a face.

Of an unclean thing what can be cleansed? and from that which is false what truth can come ? Divinations and soothsayings, and dreams are vain, and the heart fancieth, as a woman's heart in travail.

For dreams have deceived many, and they have failed those who put their trust in them.

Content.

Better to live at home with content, than sojourn in grandeur.

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