The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles Part 44

6 Let us therefore come to him with holiness of heart, lifting up chaste and undefiled hands unto him; loving our gracious and merciful Father, who has made us to partake of his election.

7 For so it is written, When the Most High divided the nations; when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations, according to the number of his angels; his people Jacob became the portion of the Lord, and Israel the lot of his inheritance.

8 And in another place he saith, Behold the Lord taketh unto himself a nation, out of the midst of the nations, as a man taketh the first- fruits of his flour; and the Most Holy shall come out of that nation.

CHAPTER XIV.

How we must live that we may please G.o.d.

WHEREFORE we being apart of the Holy One: let us do all those things that pertain unto holiness:

2 Fleeing all evil-speaking against one another; all filthy and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, youthful l.u.s.ts, abominable concupiscences, detestable adultery, and execrable pride.

3 For G.o.d saith, he resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

4 Let us therefore hold fast to those to whom G.o.d has given his grace.

5 And let us put on concord, being humble, temperate; free from all whispering and detraction; and justified by our actions, not our words.

6 For he saith, Doth he that speaketh and heareth many things, and is of a ready tongue, suppose that he is righteous? Blessed is he that is born of a woman, that liveth but a few days: use not therefore much speech.

7 Let our praise be of G.o.d, not of ourselves; for G.o.d hateth those that commend themselves.

8 Let the witness of our good actions be given to us by others, as it was given to the holy men that went before us.

9 Rashness, and arrogance, and confidence, belong to them who are accursed of G.o.d: but equity, and humility, and mildness, to such as are blessed by him.

10 Let us then lay hold of his blessing, and let as consider what are the ways by which we may attain unto it.

11 Let us look back upon those things that have happened from the beginning.

12 For what was our Father Abraham blessed? Was it not because that through faith he wrought righteousness and truth?

13 Isaac being fully persuaded of what he knew was to come, cheerfully yielded himself up for a sacrifice. Jacob with humility departed out of his own country, fleeing from his brother, and went unto Laban and served him; and so the sceptre of the twelve tribes of Israel was given unto him.

14 Now what the greatness of this gift was, will plainly appear, if we shall take the pains distinctly to consider all the parts of it.

15 For, from him came the priests and Levites; who all ministered at the altar of G.o.d.

16 From him came our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the flesh.

17 From him came the kings, and princes, and rulers in Judah.

18 Nor were the rest of his tribes in any little glory: G.o.d having promised that their seed shall be as the stars of heaven.

19 They were all therefore greatly glorified, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness that they themselves wrought, but through his will.

20 And we also being called by the same will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, neither by our own wisdom, or knowledge, or piety, or the works which we have done in the holiness of our hearts.

21 But by that faith, by which G.o.d Almighty has justified all men from the beginning; to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.

CHAPTER XV.

We are justified by faith; yet this must not lessen our care to live a virtuous life, nor our pleasure in it.

WHAT shall we do therefore, brethren? Shall we be slothful in well-doing, and lay aside our charity? G.o.d forbid that any such thing should be done by us.

2 But rather let us hasten with all earnestness and readiness of mind, to perfect every good work.

For even the Creator and Lord of all things himself rejoices in his own works.

3 By his Almighty power he fixed the heavens, and by his incomprehensible wisdom he adorned them.

4 He also divided the earth from the water, with which it is encompa.s.sed: and fixed it as a secure tower, upon the foundation of his own will.

5 He also by his appointment, commanded all the living creatures that are upon it, to exist.

6 So likewise the sea, and all the creatures that are in it; having first created them, he enclosed them therein by his power.

7 And above all, he with his holy and pure hands, formed man, the most excellent; and, as to his understanding, truly the greatest of all other creatures; the character of his own image.

8 For thus G.o.d says; Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness; so G.o.d created man, male and female created he them.

9 And having thus finished all these things, he commended all that he had made, and blessed them, and said, increase and multiply.

10 We see how all righteous men have been adorned with good works Wherefore even the Lord himself, having adorned himself with his works, rejoiced.

11 Having therefore such an example, let us without delay, fulfil his will; and with all our strength, work the work of righteousness.

CHAPTER XVI.

A virtuous life enforced from the examples of the holy angels, and from the exceeding greatness of that reward which G.o.d has prepared for us.

THE good workman with confidence receives the bread of his labour; but the sluggish and lazy cannot look him in the face that set him on work.

2 We must therefore be ready and forward in well-doing: for from him are all things.

3 And thus he foretells us, behold the Lord cometh, and his reward is with him, even before his face, to render to everyone according to his work.

4 He warns us therefore beforehand, with all his heart to this end, that we should not be slothful and negligent in well-doing.

5 Let our boasting, therefore, and our confidence be in G.o.d let us submit ourselves to his will, Let us consider the whole mult.i.tude of his angels, how ready they stand to minister unto his will.