3 contest with sin resisted to blood. And have you forgotten this exhortation which speaketh to us as to children

6

7

'My son slight not the correction of the Lord,

Nor faint when reproved by him;

For whom the Lord loveth he reproveth,

And chastiseth every son whom he receiveth. *”

If you endure correction God dealeth with you as sons. 8 For what son is there whom a father doth not correct? Now if you are without correction, of which all are partakers, you 9 are indeed bastards and not sons. Well then: we have had fathers of our flesh who have corrected us, and we have reverenced them; shall we not much more submit ourselves to 10 the father of our spirits, and live? For they indeed for a few days corrected us as they thought fit; but he for our advan11 tage, that we may partake of his holiness. Now all correction seemeth, for the present, not to be matter of joy, but of grief; yet afterwards it produceth the peaceful fruit of right12 eousness to them who are exercised therewith. Therefore lift 13 up the hands which hang down, and the knees which are fee

ble, and make straight tracks with your feet, that that which is 14 lame may not be sprained, but rather healed. Follow peace with all men, and that holiness without which none shall see 15 the Lord, watching diligently that none fall short of the favour

of God-that no root of bitterness spring up and occasion 16 trouble, and many be defiled by it-that there be no fornicator, nor profane person like Esau, who for a single meal sold 17 his birth right; for you know that afterwards when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no way to change his father's mind,† though he earnestly sought it with 18 tears. For you are not come to a mountain which might be touched, and to blazing fire, and to gloom, and darkness, and 19 a turbid tempest, and to the sound of a trumpet, and a sound of words, the hearers of which entreated that the discourse.

* Prov. 3. 11, 12. The Greek word urania properly signiLes a change of mind and that it was his father's mind is evident from what follows. It is frequently used to express a change of one's own mind from evil to good, and then means reformation.

20 might not be continued to them; for they could not bear this threat, "And if even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be 21 stoned or pierced through with a dart."* And so awful was

the appearance, that Moses said, "I am exceedingly terrified 22 and tremble:"+ but you are come to mount Sion, and to the

city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to my23 riads of angels-to the general assembly and congregation of first born, enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and 24 to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which 25 speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that you do not reject him who speaketh. For if they did not escape who rejected him who gave forth oracles on earth, how much less 26 shall we who reject him who is from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth, but he hath now announced, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth but the heaven also.”‡ 27 Now this expression, "Yet once more" signifieth the removal of the things shaken, as having been made, that the things which are immoveable may remain.

28

As we have therefore received a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have gratitude by which we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and holy awe: for our God XIII. is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue. Be 2 not unmindful of hospitality; for by this some have unknow3 ingly entertained angels. Remember them who are in bonds, as if you were bound with them; them who suffer ill-treat4 ment, as being yourselves in the body. Let marriage be held in esteem by all, and its bed be undefiled: for whoremongers 5 and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be free from avarice. Be content with what you have; for he hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor will I ever forsake thee.§” 6 So that we may say with confidence, "The Lord is my help7 er, I will not fear what man can to do me." Remember your leaders, who spake to you the word of God. Observing care8 fully the issue of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus 9 Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. Be not led

* Ex. 19. 12, &c. Josh. 1. 5.

See Deut. 9. 19.

Hag. 2. 6.

away by various and strange doctrines, for it is better to have the heart strengthened with favour than with meats which have not profited those versed in them, We have an altar from 10 which they who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, the blood of which is carried

by the chief priest into the holies for a sin offering, are burn12 ed without the camp. And therefore Jesus, that he might by his own blood sanctify the people, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us then go out to him, without the camp, bearing his re14 proach. For we have no abiding city here, but are seeking 15 one to come. By him therefore let us offer up continually to

God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips, praising 16 his name; and forget not beneficence and contribution: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey your leaders 17 and yield to them, for they are watching over your souls, (as they who must give an account) that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for this would be unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, being desirous of conducting ourselves honourably in 19 all things, and I exhort you to this with the more earnestness, that I may be restored to you the sooner,

20

Now may the God of this peace, who raised from the dead the shepherd of the flock, who is great by the blood of an everlast21 ing covenant, namely, our Lord Jesus, perfect you in every

22

good work, that you may do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for the ages of the ages. Amen.

Now I beseech you, brethren, bear with this word of ex23 hortation, for I have sent it to you in brief. You know that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he come soon, I will see you.

24

Salute all your leaders and all the saints. They of Italy sa lute you.

The favour be with you all. Amen.

THE CATHOLIC EPISTLE

OF THE

APOSTLE JAMES,

I.

2

JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, Greeting.

Count it, my brethren, all joy when you fall into divers 3 trials, knowing that the trial of your faith operateth to produce 4 patience. Let patience then have a full effect, that you may 5 be perfect and complete, deficient in nothing. And if any of you wanteth wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it will be given him. But 6 let him ask with faith, without wavering, for he who wavereth

is like a wave of the sea, raised by the wind and tossed about. 7 Let not therefore such a man think that he shall receive any 8 thing from the Lord. A man unsteady in his mind, is unstable in all his ways.

9

Let the brother who is in low circumstances glory in his 10 exaltation; and him who is rich, in his humiliation, because 11 he shall pass away like a flower of the grass. For the sun riseth with its scorching heat, and withereth the blade, and the flower thereof falleth, and its beautiful appearance is gone. Just so will the rich man be blasted in his pursuits.

12

Happy the man, who endureth a trial! because having stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which the 13 Lord hath promised to them who love him. Let no one when tempted say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be 14 tempted by evil, neither doth he tempt any one. But every 15 one is tempted by his own desire, when allured and ensnared. In that case desire having conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when grown up, produceth death.

16 Be not led astray, my beloved brethren: Every good do. 17 nation, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down

from the father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor 18 shadow of turning. Of his own will he hath impregnated us 19 with a word of truth, that we may be a kind of first fruits of

his creatures. Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man 20 be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath 21 of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Therefore hav

ing thrown off all the filth and scum of wickedness, receive 22 with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your 23 souls; and be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiv

ing yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word and 24 not a doer, he is like a man viewing his natural face in a glass.

For having viewed himself, and gone away, he instantly for25 got what manner of person he was. But whosoever hath looked carefully into the perfect law of this liberty, and continued therein; he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work, 26 shall by his doing be happy. If any one among you think

eth to be religious without bridling his tongue, he is but de27 ceiving his heart. Such a one's religion is vain. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and father is this, to take the oversight and care of orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world. II. Do not, my brethren, exercise this belief of our glorious 2 Lord Jesus Christ in partial regards for persons. For if there should come into your assembly a man in splendid dress, having his fingers adorned with gold rings; and there should 3 come in also a poor man in mean apparel; and

you should pay respect to the man in the splendid dress, and say to him, sit thou here in an honourable place; and say to the poor man, 4 stand thou there; or, sit here below my footstool: have you not actually made distinctions among yourselves, and become 5 ill principled judges? Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and 6 heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them who love him? But you have treated the poor with disdain. Do 7 not the rich domineer over you? Do they not drag you to tribunals? Do they not revile that honourable name by which 8 you are called? If you fulfil a law which, according to the