Chapter 14

1How we must live that we may please God . WHEREFORE we being a part of the Holy One, let us do all those things that pertain unto holiness:
2Fleeing all evil-speaking against one another; all filthy and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, youthful lusts, abominable concupiscences, detestable adultery, and execrable pride.
3For God, saith he, resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
4Let us therefore hold fast to those to whom God has given His grace.
5And let us put on concord, being humble, temperate; free from all whispering and detraction; and justified by our actions, not our words.
6For he saith, Doth he that speaketh and heareth many things, and that 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.
7Let our praise be of God, not of ourselves; for God hateth those that commend themselves.
8Let the witness of our good actions be given to us of others, as it was given to the holy men that went before us.
9Rashness, and arrogance, and confidence, belong to them who are accursed of God: but equity, and humility, and mildness, to such as are blessed by him.
10Let us then lay hold of his blessing, and let us consider what are the ways by which we may attain unto it.
11Let us look back upon those things that have happened from the beginning.
12For what was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because that through faith he wrought righteousness and truth?
13Isaac 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.
14Now what the greatness of this Gift was, will plainly appear, if we shall take the pains distinctly to consider all the parts of it.
15For from him came the priests and Levites, who all ministered at the altar of God.
16From him came our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.
17From him came the kings, and princes, and rulers in Judah.
18Nor were the rest of his tribes in any small glory: God having promised that thy seed (says he) shall be as the stars of heaven.
19They 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.
20And 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:
21But by that faith by which God Almighty has justified all men from the beginning; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.