Page:Suppressed Gospels and Epistles.djvu/110

 7 And above all, he with his holy and pure hands, formed man, the most excellent; and, as to his understanding, truly the greatest of all other creatures; the character of his own image.

8 For thus God says; Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness; so God created man, male and female created he them.

9 And having thus finished all these things, he commended all that he had made, and blessed them, and said, increase and multiply.

10 We see how all righteous men have been adorned with good works Wherefore even the Lord himself, having adorned himself with his works, rejoiced.

11 Having therefore such an example, let us without delay, fulfil his will; and with all our strength, work the work of righteousness.

A virtuous life enforced from the examples of the holy angels, and from the exceeding greatness of that reward which God has prepared for us.

THE good workman with confidence receives the bread of his labour; but the sluggish and lazy cannot look him in the face that set him on work.

2 We must therefore be ready and forward in well-doing: for from him are all things.

3 And thus he foretels us, behold the Lord cometh, and his reward is with him, even before his face, to render to everyone according to his work.

4 He warns us therefore beforehand, with all his heart to this end, that we should not be slothful and negligent in well-doing.

5 Let our boasting, therefore, and our confidence be in God let us submit ourselves to his will, Let us consider the whole multitude of his angels, how ready they stand to minister unto his will.

6 As saith the Scripture, thousands of thousands stood before him and ten thousand times ten thousand ministered unto him. And they cried, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of his glory.

7 Wherefore let us also, being conscientiously gathered together in concord with one another; as it were with one mouth, cry, earnestly unto him, that he would make us partakers of his great and glorious promises.

8 For he saith, a Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that wait for him,

1  We must attain the gifts of God by faith and obedience, which we must carry on in an orderly pursuing of the duties of our several stations, without envy or contention. 24  The necessity of different orders among men. 33  We have none of us anything but what we received of God: whom therefore we ought in every condition thankfully to obey.

HOW blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God.

2 Life in immortality! brightness in righteousness! truth in full assurance! faith in confidence! temperance in holiness!

3 And all this has God subjected to our understandings:

4 What therefore shall those things be which he has prepared for them that wait for him?

5 The Creator and Father of spirits, the Most Holy; he only knows both the greatness and beauty of them,