hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me; and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also should come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. CHAP. XXXIX. GODLINESS. EXERCISE thyself unto godliness. Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the gra ce of God, we have had our conversation in the world. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And be shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season : his leaf also shall not wither: and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. awav. An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is a burning fire. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Behold. the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. The heavens and the earth are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. CHAP. XL. our GOVERNMENT OF THE THOUGHTS, LANGUAGE, AND PASSIONS, KEEP thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. How can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. If thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy month. The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. In many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath., A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment. Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. Grievous words stir up anger. Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon thy wrath. With a furious man thou shalt not go. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober. Put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. CHAP. XLI. GRACE. THE grace of God bringeth salvation. We believe that, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. |