THE

EPISTLE OF JAMES.

This Epistle was written by James the Less, called the brother of our Lord: he was the son of Cleopas (otherwise called Alpheus) and Mary, sister to the blessed Virgin.

He was bishop of Jerusalem.

It is addressed to all the churches of Christ, and to all be lievers generally.

It is supposed to have been written a short time before his death, or about the year of our Lord 61.

It contains five chapters.

CHAP. I.

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

2 My brethren, esteem it a cause for joy when your constancy and the sincerity of your faith is tried;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh [is the means of bringing forth] patience.

4 But let patience have her full triumph over such

trials, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double-minded [doubting] man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the believer of low degree rejoice that he is by faith exalted to an equality [in the faith] with his brethren:

10 But the rich, in that he is made humble: because he is brought to the knowledge, that as the flower of grass he shall pass away.

11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a 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.

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 For when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it hath risen to a height [filled up its measure] bringeth forth death. [Rom. vi. 21.] 16 Do not deceive yourselves, my beloved brethren.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

18 Of his own will are we regenerated [born anew] by the gospel of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures [called before the Gentiles].

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath :

20 For the wrath of man, however used under a pretext of zeal for religion, worketh not the righteous purposes of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, 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 be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass :

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he

was.

25 But whoso studieth the perfect precepts of the

gospel, [being free from the bondage of the law,] and continueth in the practice thereof, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and yet putteth not a proper restraint upon his tongue, that man deceiveth his own heart, his religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

CHAP. II.

1 MY brethren, let there be no undue regard to the person or appearance of men in the exercise of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

2 For 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 ;

3 And ye 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:

4 Are ye not then partial according to your own ideas, judges who reason ill?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, 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?