| Great are thy judgments ( O' Lord ) and thy counsels cannot be expressed therefore do men error, that will not be reformed with thy wisdom. For when the unrighteous thought to have thy holy people in subjection, they were bound with bands of darkness and long night, shut under the roof, thinking to escape the everlasting wisdom. And while they thought to be hid in the darkness of their sins, they were scattered abroad in the very midst of the dark covering of forgetfulness, put to horrible fear and wondrously vexed for the corner where they might not keep them from fear: because the sound came down and vexed them: yee many terrible and strange visions made them afraid.
No power of the fire might give them light, neither might the clear flames of the stars lighten the horrible night. For there appeared unto them a sudden fire, very dreadful: At the which ( when they saw nothing ) they were so afraid, that they thought the thing which they saw, to be more fearful. As for sorcery and enchantment that they used, it came to *derision, and the proud wisdom was brought to shame. For they that promised to drive away the fearfulness and dread from the weak souls, were sick for fear themselves, and that with scorn. And though none of the wonders feared them, yet were they afraid at the beasts which came upon them, and at the Hissing of the serpents. In so much that with trembling they swooned, and said they saw not the air, which no man yet may escape.
For it is a heavy thing, when a mans own conscience beareth record of his wickedness and condemneth him. And why? a vexed and wounded conscience, taketh ever cruel things in hand, fearfulness is nothing else, but declaring that a man seeketh help and defense, to answer for himself. And look how much less hope is within, the more the uncertainty of the matter for the which he is punished. But they that came in the mighty night: slept the sleep that fell upon them from under and from above: sometime were they afraid through the fear of the wonders, and sometime they were so weak that they swooned withal: for an hasty and sudden fearfulness came upon them. Afterward, if any of them had fallen, he was kept and shut in prison but with out chains. But if any dwelt in a village, if he had been an *herd or husbandman he suffered intolerable necessity: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.
Whether it were a blasting wind, or a sweet song of the birds among the thick branches of the trees, or the vehemence of hasty running water, or the great noise of the falling down of stones, or the playing and running of beasts whom they saw not, or the mighty noise of roaring beasts, or the sound that answereth again in the high mountains: it made them swoon for very fear. For all the earth shined with clear light, and no man was hindered in his labor. Only upon them fell a heavy night, an image of darkness that was to come upon them. Yee they were unto themselves the most heavy and horrible darkness. |
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