age and through obedience he offered him up in sacrifice to God, upon one of the mountains which God showed unto him.

11. By hospitality and godliness, Lot was saved out. of Sodom, when all the country round about was punished with fire and brimstone: the LORD thereby making it manifest, that he will not forsake those that trust in him; but will bring to punishment and correction those who decline from his ways. For his wife, who went out with him, being of a different mind, and not continuing in the same obedience, was for that reason set forth for an example, and became a pillar of salt unto this day. That all men may know, that those who are double-minded, and distrustful of the power of GOD, are prepared for condemnation, and to be a sign to all generations.

12. By faith and hospitality was Rahab the harlot saved. For when the spies were sent by Joshua the son of Nun to search out Jericho, the king of the country knew that they were come to spy out his land, and sent men to take them and put them to death. But the hospitable Rahab received them; and hid them under the stalks of flax on the top of her house. And when the men that were sent by the king came unto her, and asked her, saying, There came men unto thee to spy out the land; bring them forth, for so hath the king commanded; she answered, The two men, whom ye seek, came in unto me, but presently they departed and are gone; not discovering them unto them. Then she said to the spies, I know that the LORD your God hath given you this city for the fear of you, and the dread of you, is fallen upon all that dwell therein. When therefore ye shall have taken it, ye shall save me and my father's house." And they said unto her, It shall be as thou hast spoken unto us.

Therefore when thou shalt know that we are near, thou shalt gather all thy family together upon the house-top, and they shall be saved; but all that shall be found without thy house shall be destroyed. Moreover they gave her a sign, that she should hang out of her house a (line of) scarlet

(thread): showing thereby, that by the blood of our LORD there should be redemption to all who believe and hope in GOD. Ye see, beloved, that there was not

only faith, but prophecy also in this woman.

13. Let us, therefore, be humble-minded, brethren, laying aside all pride, and boasting, and foolishness, and anger; and let us do as it is written. For thus saith the HOLY SPIRIT; "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in the LORD, to seek him, and to exercise judgment and righteousness." Above all, remembering the words of the Lord JESUS, which he spake, teaching us gentleness and long-suffering. For thus he said: "Be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy: forgive, that it may be forgiven unto you. 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 show kindness, so shall kindness be showed to you. what measure ye mete, with the same shall it be measured to you." 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.

u

With

Fanciful as the illustration here given may seem, it was a favorite notion of many of the early Christian writers. JUSTIN MARTYR, in his Dialogue with Trypho, p. 338, says, "The sign of the scarlet thread, which the spies, sent from Joshua the son of Nun, gave to Rahab the harlot in Jericho, commanding her to hang it to the window by which she let them down that they might escape their enemies, was in like manner a sign of the blood of CHRIST, by which those of all nations, who were once harlots and sinners, are saved, receiving forgiveness of sins, and sinning no more." IRENEUS, Hæres. iv. 37, makes the same use of the history. "So also Rahab the harlot, although she condemned herself as a gentile and guilty of all kinds of sin, did yet receive the three spies, who were searching the whole land, and hid them in her house, that is to say, the Father, and Son and Holy Ghost. And when all the city in which she dwelt had fallen in ruins, at the sound of the seven trumpets, Rahab the harlot was at the last saved, with all her house, by faith in the sign of the scarlet thread; as the LORD also said to the Pharisees, who received not his coming, and set at nought the crimson sign, which was the passover, the redemption and deliverance of the people out of Egypt, saying, the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of heaven before you." COTELERIUS [Patr. Apostol, annot. in loc. Clement.] refers to many other passages of the same kind.

Jer. ix. 23. 1 Cor. i. 31.

Luke vi. 36-38. Matt. vii. 1, 2–12.

For thus saith the holy word, "Upon whom shall I look, but upon him that is meek and quiet, and trembleth at my words."

14. It is therefore just and holy, men and brethren, that we should become obedient unto God, rather than follow those who through pride and sedition have made themselves the leaders of a detestable emulation. For we shall undergo no ordinary harm, but exceedingly great danger, if we shall rashly give ourselves up to the wills of men, who are urgent in promoting strife and contention, to turn us aside from that which is good. Let us be kind to one another according to the compassion and sweetness of him that made us. 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." And again he saith, "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like the cedars of Libanus. And I passed by, and lo, he was not: and I sought his place, but it could not be found. Keep innocency, and do the thing that is right; for there shall be a remnant to the peaceable man.

15. Let us therefore hold fast to those who follow peace with godliness, and not to such as with hypocrisy pretend to desire it. For he saith in a certain place, "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."a And again, "They bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart." And again he saith, "They loved him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.' "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? 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." d

* Isa. lxvi. 2. * Ps. xxxvii. 35-37. b Ps. lxii. 4.

d Ps. xii. 4; xxxi. 18.

y Ps. xxxvii. 9 Prov. ii. 21.

Isa. xxix. 13.

• Ps. lxxviii. 36, 37.

e

16. For CHRIST is theirs who are humble, not theirs who exalt themselves over his flock. The sceptre of the Majesty of GoD, our Lord JESUS CHRIST, came not in the pomp of pride and arrogance, although he was able (to have done so); but with humility, as the HOLY GHOST had spoken concerning him. For thus he saith: "LORD who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? We have declared before him as (if he were) a child: as a root in a thirsty ground. For there is no form in him, nor glory. Yea we saw him, and he had no form nor comeliness: but his form was without honor, marred more than the sons of men. He is a man in stripes and sorrow, and acquainted with the endurance of infirmity. For his face was turned away; he was despised, and esteemed not. He beareth our sins, and is put to grief for us; and we did esteem him to be in sorrow, and in stripes, and in affliction. But he was wounded for our transgressions; and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray: man hath gone astray in his way; and the LORD hath given him up for our sins; and he opened not his mouth through his suffering. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away and who shall declare his generation; for his life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people he cometh to death. And I will give the wicked for his tomb, and the rich for his death. Because he did no iniquity, neither was guile found in his mouth. And the LORD is pleased to purify him with stripes. If ye make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the LORD is pleased to lighten the travail of his soul, to show him light, to form him in understanding, to justify the just one who ministereth well to many: and he himself shall bear their sins. For this cause he shall inherit many and

JEROME, who translated this Epistle into Latin, appears to have read καίπερ πάντα δυνάμενος, although he was able to do all things. HIERON. ad Isa. c. lii. Opera, Tom. III. p. 382.

f See note (B) at the end of the Epistle. Isa. liii. according to the Septuagint.

shall divide the spoil of the strong; because his soul was given up to death, and he was numbered with the transgressors: and he bare the sins of many, and was given over for their sins." And again he himself saith; "But 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 head, (saying,) He trusted in the LORD, let him deliver him, let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him." h Ye see, beloved, what the pattern is which hath been given unto us. For if the LORD was so hnmble-minded, what should we do, who are brought by him under the yoke of his grace?

17. Let us be followers of those also, who went about in goat-skins and sheep-skins, preaching the coming of CHRIST. Such were Elijah and Elisha, and Ezekiel the prophets, and moreover those who have received the like testimony. Abraham was honored with a good report, and was called the friend of GOD :* and he, steadfastly beholding the glory of GoD, saith with all humility, I am dust and ashes. Again, of Job it is thus written, "Job was just, and blameless, true, one that served GOD, and eschewed all evil." m Yet he, accusing himself, saith, "No man is free from pollution, no, not though he should live but one day."n Moses was called faithful in all God's house, and by his conduct the LORD punished Israel by stripes and plagues. And even this man so greatly honored, spake not greatly of himself, but when the oracle of GOD 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 of a slow tongue." p And again he saith: "I am as the smoke of the pot." a

18. Again, what shall we say of David who hath

" Job xiv. 4. Septuagint.

Thus CYPRIAN, Test. ad Quirinum, 1. iii. c. 54. "Apud Job; Quis enim mundus à sordibus? Nec unus, etiamsi unius diei sit vita ejus in terrâ."-JEROME, on Isai. liii. and on Ps. li. quotes the passage in the same manner.

• Num. xii. 7. Heb. iii. 2.

P Exod. iii. 11; iv. 10.

These words are not found in the Pentateuch.

Hos. xiii. 3.

See Ps. cxix. 83.