ming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be
no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. Of his own will
he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures.

PURE RELIGION

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the
wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore putting
away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with
meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be
ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto
a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth
himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man
he was. But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty,
and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that
worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. If any man thinketh
himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but
deceiveth his heart, this man's religion {428} is vain. Pure religion
and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.

FAITH AND WORKS

What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have
not works? can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked,
and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, "Go in peace,
be ye warmed and filled"; and yet ye give them not the things needful
to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it have not works,
is dead in itself. Yea, a man will say, "Thou hast faith, and I have
works: shew me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will
shew thee my faith."

AN UNRULY TONGUE

Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive
heavier judgment. For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth
not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body
also. Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they
may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. Behold, the ships
also, though they are so great, and are driven by rough winds, are yet
turned about by a very small rudder, whither the steersman willeth. So
the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold,
how great a forest is kindled by how small a fire! And the {429}