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a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily entangleth us, 2 looking to Jesus, the leader on to faith, and also its perfecter; who, for the joy which was set before him, endured the cross, and despised its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him who endured such opposition of sinners to himself, lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds.

nevertheless afterward it yield. eth the peaceable fruit of righte ousness to those who have been exercised by it.

12 WHEREFORE lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees; 13 and make straight paths for your feet, that the lame be

one

not turned out of the way, but
rather be healed. 14 Follow
peace with all men; and the ho-
liness, without which no
shall see the Lord: 15 looking
diligently lest any one fall short
of the favour of God; lest any
root of bitterness springing up
trouble you, and by it many be
defiled; 16 lest there be any for-
nicator, or any profane person,
as Esau, who for one meal sold
his birth-right. 17 For ye know

4 YE have not yet resisted to blood, contending against sin: 5 and ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to you as to sons, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by him: 6 for whom | the Lord loveth he correcteth, that afterward, when he desired and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." 7 If ye endure chastisement, God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom his father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, of which all others are partakers, then ye are spurious, and not lawful sons.

9 Have we then had fathers of our flesh, who corrected us, and we gave them reverence: and shall not we much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they indeed chastened us during a few days, as it seemed fit to them but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastisement secmeth for the present to be joyous, but grievous:

to inherit the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place for change of mind in Isaac, though he earnestly sought it with tears.

18 For ye are not come near to the mount which might be touched,* and which burned with fire, nor to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 and to the blast of the trumpet, and to the sound of words; which sound those who heard, entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (for they could not bear what was commanded; "If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned;" 21 and [[so terrible was the sight, that]] Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and tremble:") 22 but

* Conj. " might [not] be touched." See v. 20.

ye are come to Mount Sion, ( some have unknowingly enterand to the city of the living tained angels. 3 Remember God, the heavenly Jerusalem,t those who are in bonds, as if and to myriads of messengers bound with them; and those from God, 23 to the general who are cruelly treated, as beassembly and congregation of ing yourselves also in the bothe first-born that are enrolled dy. 4 Marriage is honourable in heaven, and to God the judge among all, and the bed undefilof all, and to righteous men ed: but fornicators and adulwho are made perfect, 24 and terers God will condemn. to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh a better thing than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him who speaketh. For if those escaped not who refused him when he uttered oracles on earth, much less shall we escape, if we reject him speaking from heaven: 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven."+ 27 Now this expression, "Yet once more," signifieth the removing of the things shaken, as of things which are made, that the things which are not shaken may remain.

5 Let your manner of life be without covetousness. Be content with such things as ye have for God himself hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor utterly forsake thee." 6 So that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man can do to me." 7 Remember those who preside over you, who spake to you the word of God: whose faith imitate, considering the end of their behaviour.

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and to the ages. 9 Be not carried aside by various and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be strengthened by the gracious gospel, not by meats, which have not profited those who have attended to them.§ 10 We have an altar from which they who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought CH. XIII. 1 LET brotherly into the sanctuary by the highkindness continue. 2 Be mind-priest, as a sin-offering, are burnful of hospitality: for by this ed without the camp. 12 Where

28 Wherefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us hold fast on favour, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For even our God is a consuming fire.

The writer describes a state present, not future: the state of believers under the gospel, as opposed to Israelites under the law, not the state of the virtuous in heaven.

The Christian church, figuratively represented by the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem. The shaking of heaven and earth denotes convulsions in the political and moral world; and, as the writer explains it, the abolition of the Jewish dispensation, to make way for the aionian kingdom of the Messiah. See Acts. ii. 19, 20.

Gr. in which, those who have walked, have not been profited.

fore Jesus also, that he might | I more especially beseech you sanctify the people through to do this, that I may be shortly his own blood, suffered without restored to you. the gate. 13 (Let us therefore go out to him without the camp, bearing his reproach: 14 for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.) 15 Through him therefore let us offer up the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips which render thanks to his name. 16 But to do good, and to distribute, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

20 NOW the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, who is the great shepherd of the sheep in the blood of the aionian covenant, 21 make you perfect in every good work, that ye may do his will; working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ: to whom be glory to the ages [of ages]. Amen.

22 NOW I beseech you, 17 Obey those who preside brethren, bear with this word of over you, and submit your-exhortation: for I have written selves: for they watch for your a letter to you in few words.* benefit, as those who must give 23 Know that our brother account that they may do it Timothy is set at liberty: with with joy, and not with grief: whom, if he come shortly, I for this would be unprofitable will see you. 24 Salute all those to you. 18 Pray for us: for we who preside over you, and all trust that we have a good con- the saints. They of Italy salute science, desiring to behave our-you. 25 The favour of God be selves well in all things. 19 But with you all. [Amen.]t

May we not conjecture that n is wanting before dia Bgaxwv, when it would read thus: "for even [not] in few words have I written an epistle to you. This seems better to agree with the connexion, and (if this epistle be alluded to) more agreeable to the fact.

+"The epistle to the Hebrews is the first of those books which are distinguished by Eusebius, as having been disputed in the primitive ages of Christianity, and which, therefore, are not to be received as of equal authority with the rest. This epistle, however, which contains many important observations and many wholesome truths, mingled, indeed, with some far-fetched analogies and inaccurate reasonings, was probably written before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, for it contains no allusion to those calamitous events. But by whom it was written is uncertain. Origen says, that no one can tell who was the author of it. It has been ascribed to Paul, to Barnabas, to Luke, and to Timothy: but if Origen, the most learned and inquisitive writer in the third century, could not discover the author, it is in vain for us to af tempt it; and we must be content to remain in ignorance." Im. Ver. note.

THE GENERAL EPISTLES.

THE EPISTLE OF JAMES.

CHAP. I.

1 JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

the herb he will pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, than it withereth the herb, and its flower falleth, and the beauty of its appearance perisheth: so also the rich man will be blasted in his pursuits.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials; 3 knowing that the proof of your faith worketh patience. 4 And let patience have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting no-ceive the crown of life, which thing.

5 Now if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea, moved by the wind and tossed about. 7 Let not therefore that man think he will receive any thing from the Lord: 8 he is a man of a divided mind, unsteady in all his ways.

9 Now let the brother of low degree boast in his exaltation; 10 but the rich, in his depression for as the flower of

12 Happy is the man who endureth trial: for, when he hath been proved, he will re

[the Lord] hath promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say, when he is tempted, "I am tempted of God:" for God cannot be tempted by evils, nor doth he tempt any one. 14 But every one is tempted, when he is ensnared and allured by his own evil desire: 15 but when desire hath conceived, it beareth sin and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

:

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift, and every perfect benefit, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness,

nor shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will he regenerated us by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his

creatures.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger 20 for the anger of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay aside all defilement, and abundance of wickedness, and receive with meekness the word implanted in you, which is able to save your souls.

22 BUT be ye doers of the word; and not hearers only, deceiving your own-selves. 23 For if any one be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and immediately forgeteth what manner of man he

was.

not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring in gorgeous apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile apparel; 3 and ye regard him who weareth the gorgeous apparel, and say, "Sit thou there in a good place;" and say to the poor man, "Stand thou there," or, "Sit [here] under my footstool;" 4 do ye not [thus] make distinctions among yourselves, and form your judgments from evil reasonings?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren: hath not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to those who love him? 6 But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and draw you before the judg ment-seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that honourable name by which ye are called?

8 Now if ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture,

25 But whoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth in it, [he,] being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer" Thou shalt love thy neighof the work commanded, will be happy in his deed.

bour as thyself," ye do well: 9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of showing disrespect to all.

26 If any one seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 The religion which is pure and undefiled before our God and Father, is this; to take 11 For he who said, " Do not care of orphans and widows in commit adultery," said also, their affliction, and to keep" Do not commit murder." one's-self unspotted from the Now if thou commit no adul tery, and yet commit murder, thou becomest a transgressor of

world.

CH. II. 1 My brethren, hold

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