But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are 8 ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our 9 flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For 10 they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no 11 chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Exhortation to WHEREFORE lift up the hands which hang down, and 12 watchfulness: the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, 13 lest that which is lame be turned out of the way: but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no 14 man shall see the Lord: looking diligently, lest any man fail of the 15 grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: lest there be any fornicator, or profane 16 person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For 17 ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought and to a holy worship of God, from the excellency of the Christian dis pensation. By that of SINAI (the old) salvation cannot be expected; in that of SION (the new) of which Christ is the author, God shows it carefully with tears. For ye are not come unto the 18 himself propitious. a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust LET brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to 13 Various exhortations. entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with 3 them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whore- 4 mongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be with- 5 out covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee:" so that we may 6 boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Remember them which have the rule over you, who have 7 spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, 8 and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: 9 for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the 10 tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought 11 into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with 12 his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore 13 unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we 14 no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us 15 offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good, and to communicate, 16 forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them 17 that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for 18 we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored 19 to you the sooner. Prayer for their Now the God of peace, that brought again from the 20 prosperity. dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in 21 every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen. AND I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of ex- 22 Conclusion. hortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know ye, that our brother Timothy is set at liberty: with 23 whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have 24 the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. 'Grace 25 be with you all. Amen. 237 1 THE CATHOLIC EPISTLES. THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 1 twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. trials. Of faith. to sin. Of patience under MY brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers 2 God not the tempter temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith 3 worketh patience: but let patience have her perfect 4 work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of 5 you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in 6 faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that 7 he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is un- 8 stable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he 9 is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower 10 of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a 11 burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: 12 for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is 13 tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is 14 drawn away of his own lust, and enticed: then, when lust hath con- 15 ceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 'Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and 16 every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of 18 his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. WHEREFORE, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, 19 slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the 20 righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and super- 21 fluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Our lives must be of God. Bur be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, 22 governed by the law deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of 23 the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his 24 way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But 25 whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, 26 and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father 27 is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Reproof for respect of persons. MY brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus 2 Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For 2 if there come unto your assembly, a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, and ye 3 have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool, ' are ye not then partial in yourselves, and 4 are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved breth- 5 ren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? but ye 6 have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the 8 scripture, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," ye do well; but if 9 ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet 10 offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, "Do not com- 11 mit adultery;” said also, "Do not kill." Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 12 For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy; 13 and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Good works always 7 WHAT doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he 14 accompany true hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If 15 faith. a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 'and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and 16 filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is 17 dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have 18 works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest 19 well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain 20 man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father 21 justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith 22 made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, "Abraham 23 believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness," and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man 24 is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the 25 harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is 26 dead, so faith without works is dead also. Of the government 3 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we of the tongue. shall receive the greater condemnation: for in many 2 things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits 3 in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which, though they be so great, and 4 are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a 5 little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity! 6 So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things 7 in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed, of mankind: but the tongue 8 |