y sons
and daughters, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
loved us, in peace.

2 Having perceived abundance
of knowledge of the great and
excellent laws of God to be in you,
I exceedingly rejoice in your blessed
and admirable souls, because ye
have so worthily received the
grace which was grafted in you.

3 For which cause I am full of
joy, hoping the rather to be saved;
inasmuch as I truly see a spirit
infused into you, from the pure
fountain of God:

4 Having this persuasion, and
being fully convinced thereof,
because that since I have begun to
speak unto you, I have had a more
than ordinary good success in the
way of the law of the Lord, which
is in Christ,

5 For which cause brethren, I
also think verily that I love you
above my own soul; because that
therein dwelleth the greatness of
faith and charity, as also the hope
of that life which is to come.

6 Wherefore considering this,
that if I shall take care to
communicate to you a part of what
I have received, it shall turn to
my reward, that I have served such
good souls. I gave diligence to
write in a few words unto you;
that together with your faith, your
knowledge also may be perfect.

7 There are therefore three
things ordained by the Lord; the
hope of life, the beginning, and
the completion of it.

8 For the Lord hath both
declared unto us, by the prophets,
those things that are past; and
opened to us the beginnings of
those that are to come.

9 Wherefore, it will behove us,
as he has spoken, to come more
holily, and nearer to his altar.

10 I therefore, not as a teacher
but as one of you, will endeavour
to lay before you a few things by
which you may, on many accounts,
become the more joyful.

CHAPTER II.

That God has abolished the legal sacrifices,
to introduce the spiritual righteousness of the Gospel.

SEEING then the days are
exceedingly evil, and the
adversary has got the power of this
present world we ought to give the
more diligence to inquire into the
righteous judgments of the Lord.

2 Now the assistants of our
faith are fear and patience; our
fellow-combatants, long suffering
and continence.

3 Whilst these remain pure
in what relates unto the Lord,
wisdom, and understanding, and
science, and knowledge, rejoice
together with them.

4 For God has manifested to us
by all the prophets, that he has no
occasion for our sacrifices, or
burnt-offerings, or oblations:
sayi