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chapter 17
1
For
thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore
undisciplined souls have erred.
2 For while the wicked thought to be able to have
dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of
darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay there exiled from the
eternal providence.
3 And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure
sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly
afraid and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.
4 For neither did the den that held them, keep them
from fear: for noises coming down troubled them, and sad visions appearing to
them, affrighted them.
5 And no power of fire could give them light, neither
could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.
6 But there appeared to them a sudden fire, very
dreadful: and being struck with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they
thought the things which they saw to be worse:
7 And the delusions of their magic art were put down,
and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.
8 For they who promised to drive away fears and
troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of a fear worthy to be laughed
at.
9 For though no terrible thing disturbed them: yet being
scared with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they died for
fear: and denying that they saw the air, which could by no means be avoided.
10 For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth
witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth
grievous things.
11 For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the
succours from thought.
12 And while there is less expectation from within, the
greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.
13 But they that during that night, in which nothing
could be done, and which came upon them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept
the same sleep.
14 Were sometimes molested with the fear of monsters,
sometimes fainted away, their soul failing them: for a sudden and unlooked for
fear was come upon them.
15 Moreover if any of them had fallen down, he was kept
shut up in prison without irons.
16 For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or
a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity
from which he could not fly.
17 For they were all bound together with one chain of
darkness. Whether it were a whistling wind, or the melodious voice of birds,
among the spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water running down with
violence,
18 Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling down, or the
running that could not be seen of beasts playing together, or the roaring voice
of wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the highest mountains: these things
made them to swoon for fear.
19 For the whole world was enlightened with a clear
light, and none were hindered in their labours.
20 But over them only was spread a heavy night, an
image of that darkness which was to come upon them. But they were to themselves
more grievous than the darkness.
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