The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles Part 41

3 Above all, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, which he spake concerning equity and long suffering, saying,

4 Be ye merciful, and ye shall obtain mercy; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; as ye do, so shall it be done unto you; as ye give, so shall it be given unto you; as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; as ye are kind to others, so shall G.o.d be kind to you; with what measure ye mete, with the same shall it be measured to you again.

5 By this command, and by these rules, let us establish ourselves, that so we may always walk obediently to his holy words; being humble minded:

6 For so says the Holy Scripture; upon whom shall I look, even upon him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at my word.

7 It is, therefore, just and righteous, men and brethren, that we should become obedient unto G.o.d, rather than follow such as through pride and sedition, have made themselves the ring-leaders of a detestable emulation.

8 For it is not an ordinary harm that we shall do ourselves, but rather a very great danger that we shall run, if we shall rashly give up ourselves to the wills of men, who promote strife and seditions, to turn us aside from that which is fitting.

9 But let us be kind to one another, according to the compa.s.sion and sweetness of him that made us.

10 For it is written, The merciful shall inherit the earth; and they that are without evil shall be left upon it: but the transgressors shall perish from off the face of it.

11 And again he saith, I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like the cedar of Liba.n.u.s. I pa.s.sed by, and lo! he was not; I sought his place, but it could not be found.

12 Keep innocently, and do the thing that is right, for there shall be a remnant to the peaceable man.

13 Let us, therefore, hold fast to those who religiously follow peace; and not to such as only pretend to desire.

14 For he saith in a certain place, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

15 And again, They bless with their mouths, but curse in their hearts.

16 And again he saith, They loved him with their mouths, and with their tongues they lied to him. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.

17 Let all deceitful lips become dumb, and the tongue that speaketh proud things. Who have said, with our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?

18 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise saith the Lord; I will set him in safety, I will deal confidently with him.

CHAPTER VIII.

He advises then, to be humble, and, follow the examples of Jesus, and of holy men in all ages.

FOR Christ is theirs who are humble, and not who exalt themselves over his flock. The sceptre of the majesty of G.o.d, our Lord Jesus Christ, came not in the show of pride and arrogance, though he could have done so; but with humility as the Holy Ghost had before spoken concerning him.

2 For thus he saith, Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed; For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground;

3 He hath no form or comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

4 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

5 And we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of G.o.d, and afflicted.

7 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastis.e.m.e.nt of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

8 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

9 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

10 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare this generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

11 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

12 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

13 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

14 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

15 And again he himself saith, I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out their lips, they shake their heads, saying; He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him, let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him.

16 Ye see, beloved, what the pattern is that has been given to us. For if the Lord thus humbled himself, what should we do who are brought by him under the yoke of his grace?

17 Let us be followers of those who went about in goat-skins, and sheep-skins; preaching the coming of Christ.

18 Such were Elias, and Eliaxus, and Ezekiel, the prophets, And let us add to these, such others as have received the like testimony.

19 Abraham has been greatly witnessed of; having been called the friend of G.o.d. And yet he steadfastly beholding the glory of G.o.d, says with all humility, I am dust and ashes.

20 Again of Job, it is thus written, That he was just, and without blame, true; one that served G.o.d, and abstained from all evil.

Yet he accusing himself, said, No man is free from pollution, no, not though he should live but one day.

21 Moses was called faithful in all G.o.d's House; and by his conduct the Lord punished Israel by stripes and plagues.

22 And even this man, though thus greatly honoured, spake not greatly of himself; but when the oracle of G.o.d was delivered to him out of the bush, he said, Who am I, that thou dost send me? I am of a slender voice, and a slow tongue.

23 And again he saith, I am as the smoke of the pot.

24 And what shall we say of David, so highly testified of in the Holy Scriptures? To whom G.o.d said, I have found a man after my own heart, David the son of Jesse, with my holy oil have I anointed him.

25 But yet he himself saith unto G.o.d, Have mercy upon me, O G.o.d, according to thy loving kindness; according unto the mult.i.tude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

26 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

27 Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest; and be clear when thou judgest.

28 Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

29 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

30 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.