Part 329 (2/2)
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to them that love him. Let no {427} man say when he is tempted, ”I am tempted of G.o.d”: for G.o.d cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own l.u.s.t, and enticed. Then the l.u.s.t, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death. Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
PURE RELIGION
Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of G.o.d. Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion {428} is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before our G.o.d and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
FAITH AND WORKS
What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, ”Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled”; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. Yea, a man will say, ”Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will shew thee my faith.”
AN UNRULY TONGUE
Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment. For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. Behold, the s.h.i.+ps also, though they are so great, and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the steersman willeth. So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a forest is kindled by how small a fire! And the {429} tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by h.e.l.l. For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of G.o.d: out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.
THE PEACEABLE SPIRIT
Who is wise and understanding among you? let him shew by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war {430} in your members? Ye l.u.s.t, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures. Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of G.o.d. Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying? But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore the scripture saith, G.o.d resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Be subject therefore unto G.o.d; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to G.o.d, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.
Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbour?
RICH AND POOR
My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
RUINS OF THE TEMPLE OF JUPITER AT CORINTH.
Corinth was one of the richest cities of the Mediterranean in the time of Paul. It was called by the poets ”the city of the two seas.”
The ”Acrocorinthus,” or Citadel of Corinth, crowned with fortifications and temples rose abruptly two thousand feet above the level of the sea.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing; and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, ”Sit thou here in a good place”; and ye say to the poor man, ”Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool”; are ye not divided in your own mind, and become judges with evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not G.o.d choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves 'drag you before the judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme the honourable name by the which ye are called? Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, ”Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” ye do well: but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. For he that said, ”Do not commit adultery,”
said also, ”Do not kill.” Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to him that hath shewed no mercy; mercy glorieth against judgment.
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