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Let us now continue with the reading from the ancient text of the Apocrypha books, titled, “The Wisdom of Solomon.”“Not that Thou wast unable to bring the ungodly under the hand of the righteous in battle, or to destroy them at once with cruel creatures, or with one rough word: But executing Thy judgments upon them by little and little, Thou gave them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a naughty generation, and that their malice was bred in them, and that their cogitation would never be changed.” “For neither is there any God but Thou that careth for all, to whom Thou might show that Thy judgment is not unright. Neither shall king or tyrant be able to set his face against Thee for any whom Thou has punished.” “Forsomuch then as Thou art righteous Thyself, Thou orders all things righteously: thinking it not agreeable with Thy power to condemn him that has not deserved to be punished. For Thy power is the beginning of righteousness, and because Thou art the Lord of all, it maketh Thee to be gracious unto all. For when men will not believe that Thou art of a full power, Thou showest Thy strength, and among them that know it, Thou makes their boldness manifest. But Thou, mastering Thy power, judgest with equity, and orders us with great favor: for Thou may use power when Thou wilt.” “Therefore, whereas Thou do chasten us, Thou scourges our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that, when we judge, we should carefully think of Thy goodness, and when we ourselves are judged, we should look for mercy. Wherefore, whereas men have lived dissolutely and unrighteously, Thou has tormented them with their own abominations. For they went astray very far in the ways of error, and held them for gods, which even among the creatures of their enemies were despised, being deceived, as children of no understanding. Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, Thou did send a judgment to mock them. But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God.”“But Thy providence, O Father, governs it: for Thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves; showing that Thou can save from all danger: yea, though a man went to sea without art. Nevertheless, Thou would not that the works of Thy Wisdom should be idle, and therefore, do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.”
