Let none be put upon the list of widows, but such as are at least threescore years of age, and have been married but once:

such as have been recommended by their good actions, by the education of their children, by their hospitality, by their officiousness to the faithful, by relieving the afflicted, and by the practice of every virtue.

for some have already revolted to paganism.

The vices of some men are so notorious, they prevent any inquisition: others don't discover themselves till they have been ordain'd.

which some having obtain'd, have revolted from the faith, and brought upon themselves variety of piercing pains.

O Timothy, keep what is deposited in your care, avoiding the prophane empty declamations and objections of a spurious science, which some have profess'd,

when I call to mind your affliction, it makes me ardently desire the exceeding pleasure I shall have in seeing you:

yet I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have confided, and I am persuaded he is able to keep what I have committed to him against that day.

You know that I have been abandon'd by all the Asiatics, by Phygellus and Hermogenes among the rest.

As for you, my son, strenuously acquit yourself of the charge you have receiv'd from Christ Jesus.

they have deserted the faith themselves, and debauch'd the faith of others, by maintaining, "the resurrection is already past."

of which they wear the appearance, but disclaim its influence. have no intercourse with such.

But be you attach'd to the doctrine you have learnt, with which you are intrusted, considering by whom you have been instructed:

I have struggled in a glorious cause: I have finish'd my career: I have stood to the faith:

I have nothing more to do, but to receive the crown of virtue reserv'd for me, which the Lord, the just judge, will give me in that day: and not only to me, but to those also, who have long'd for his appearance.

Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

gravity; let your doctrine be sound and inoffensive, that your opponents may be ashamed, and have nothing that is ill to say of us.

that being justified by his favour, we should have the inheritance of eternal life, according to our hopes.

This is a secure rule, and what I would have you constantly maintain, that they who have believed in God, should take care to be examples of virtue, for that is commendable and useful to mankind.

When I shall send you Artemas, or Tychicus, endeavour to meet me at Nicopolis: for I have determined to winter there.

and thank my God for the account I have of your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love you bear to all the saints;

so that the christian faith, which you have in common with us, displays itself to the observation of all good men about you.

Wherefore, tho' I have a right by virtue of my character, to prescribe what is fit:

I have sent him back, therefore receive him as one that I tenderly love.

I would have kept him with me, to assist me in your stead during my confinement for the gospel.

for the Lord's sake, brother, let me have this satisfaction: refresh my heart for his sake.

for to which of the angels did he ever say, " thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be his father, and he shall be my son?

Therefore we ought to give the greater attention to the things we have heard, for fear we should abandon the gospel.

wherefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, they do alway err in their hearts; and they have not known my ways.

Whereas 'tis we who have believed that shall enter into rest, as he said, "wherefore I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest." which is different from that rest, at the beginning of the world, when the work of creation was finished.

for if Joshuah had given them rest, David would not afterwards have mentioned another day.

which shows that the people of God have a sabbath still to come.

who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. for we have

he might have the greater compassion for those who sin through ignorance or mistake. and for the same reason

Wherefore Christ himself did not assume the character of an high priest; but it was confirm'd by him that said, "thou art my son, to-day have I begotten thee."

On this head we have many things to say, not easily to be comprehended, because of your prejudices.

such solid nourishment is only fit for such as are arriv'd at their full growth and strength, whose senses have been exercis'd in distinguishing what is good, and what is prejudicial.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned, and have received the heavenly gifts, communicated by the holy spirit,

and have known by experience the truth of the divine promises, and the miracles of the age that was to come; it is impossible,

for God is too just to his promise not to regard your piety, and the love which you have shewn to the christian religion by the assistance ye have given to the saints, and still continue to give.

but imitate the example of those who by faith and patience have obtain'd the inheritance that was promis'd to them.

that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to deceive us, we, who have no other refuge to fly to, but to maintain our present hopes,

might have strong consolation to serve as a sure and stedfast anchor to the soul: till it arrives within the veil,

without father, without mother, without genealogy; his days have no beginning, and his life no end; but like the son of God, he was a perpetual priest.

'tis true they of the race of Levi, who assume the office of the priesthood, have a right by law to take tithes of the people, that is, of their brethren, though they all issued from Abraham:

If therefore the Levitical priesthood, concerning which the people received a law, could have given perfection, what further need was there that another priest should rise, to be named after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron?

What we have said amounts to this; we have an high priest, who sits in heaven on the right hand of the throne of the divine majesty.

for if the first alliance had been without defect, there could have been no occasion for the second.

not according to the alliance that I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they have not kept my alliance, wherefore I have rejected them, saith the Lord.

for then must he have suffered several times since the beginning of the world, when in the consummation of the ages, he has appeared once for all to expiate sin by offering himself as a sacrifice.

for then they would not have been repeated, because they who sacrificed being once purified, would not have been conscious of wanting any further atonement for their sins:

Wherefore, my brethren, since by virtue of the blood of Jesus we have the liberty of entring into the holy of holies,

Let us stedfastly maintain the hope which we have avow'd, since he is faithful that has promised:

don't you think then that he deserves a much greater punishment, who hath despised the son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith be was sanctified, to have been justly shed, thereby offering an indignity to the spirit of grace?

for you were passionately affected for those who were in bonds, and were pleas'd at the seizing of your goods, knowing that you have what is more excellent and lasting.

don't therefore quit that resolution you have, which will be attended with so great a reward.

the just shall have life by trusting in me, but if he revolt, he will be the object of my displeasure.

Now faith is the foundation of our hopes of happiness, and the persuasion we have about things not evident to our senses.

and truly, if that had been in their view, they might have had an opportunity of returning to the place from whence they came.

concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the grave; from whence, in a figurative sense, be may be said to have been recover'd.

You have not yet resisted unto death, striving against sin.

have you forgot the exhortation which is address'd to you, as to children? "my son, despise not thou the chastning of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

when our natural parents corrected us, we gave them reverence: is it not much more reasonable to be in subjection to the father of spirits, in order to have life?

for you know that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: not being able to make Isaac to retract, though he importun'd him with tears.

be not unmindful of hospitality: for thereby some have unknowingly entertained angels.

let your morals be free from avarice, being contented with what you have: for he hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Remember those who have the rule over you, who have preach'd to you the word of God: imitate their faith; consider their conduct, and the exit they made.

for the mind is better improv'd by the gospel-dispensation, than by the distinctions about meats, in which some have been so uselesly vers'd.

We have a victim, whereof they, who still serve at the tabernacle, have no more right to eat,

for we have. no settled corporation here, but are in expectation of that which is approaching.

Pray for us, for we trust we have a clear conscience, and desire our virtuous conduct may appear to all the world.

Pray, my brethren, favourably receive this exhortation, which I have writ to you in brief.

have not you made an arbitrary distinction, don't your judgments flow from a vicious principle?

it will be said, "you have a speculative faith, but mine is practical. where is your faith, if no effects appear? as for me, my actions will vouch for my faith.

you would not obtain it, because you wickedly request to have your passions gratified.

and your gold and silver by rust: that rust shall convict you: that rust shall corrode your flesh like a caustic, which you have treasur'd up against the last days.

hark! what a noise there is of hire, of which you cheated the labourers, who gather'd in your harvest! the cries of the reapers have reach'd even the Lord of the celestial militia.

you have liv'd on the earth in voluptuousness and luxury: you have indulg'd your selves as in a day of sacrifice:

you have condemn'd the just, you have put him to death, though he did not oppose you.

we pronounce those happy, who have so endur'd. you have heard of the constancy of Job, you know with what success he was crown'd by the Lord, who is all mercy and compassion.

the prayer that proceeds from faith, shall save the sick; the Lord will raise him up, and his sins that may have been the occasion, shall be forgiven.

confess then to one another the offences you have committed, and pray for one another, that you may be healed; the fervent prayer of a virtuous man has great influence.

whom though you have not seen, you love: and though he is not now the object of your view, yet you believe in him, and triumph with such a laudable transport, as cannot be express'd:

and were answer'd, that it was not they, but we, who were concern'd in the events which they predicted, events which have been now represented to you by those, whom the holy spirit from heaven inspired to preach the gospel to you: a secret which the angels desire to penetrate into.

You that have purified your souls by the holy spirit, in obeying the gospel, which obliges you to an undisguised benevolence, let your hearts be mutually affected with the most disinterested ardour;

which is without any mixture, and will make you thrive. Since you have tasted how good the Lord is,

but at present have obtain'd it. I exhort you, my dear brethren, as strangers and travellers to avoid all sensual passions, as destructive to your

adore the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready to show with modesty and respect to every one that asks it, what ground there is for the expectations you have:

who being ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God, where angels, dominations, and potentates have been subjected to him.

for the time past of your lives may suffice, to have liv'd in conformity to the Gentile customs, in impurity, licentiousness, sottishness, in dissolute festivals, and the criminal rites of idolaters.

as good economists of the different dispensations of God, communicate to one another the gifts you have receiv'd.

on the contrary, rejoice at the share you have of sufferings, as well as Christ: that you may likewise triumph, when he shall appear in his glory.

by which we have receiv'd the most inestimable promises, that thereby you might become partakers of the divine perfections, after having escap'd from the corruption of a sensual world.

for if you are possess'd of these virtues and improve therein, they will prevent the knowledge you have of our Lord Jesus Christ from being useless to others, and unprofitable to yourselves.

and thus you will have a free admittance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Besides, we have the more authentic accounts of the prophets, to which you do well in giving your attention, as to a lamp shining in an obscure place, till the day dawn, and the morning-star arises in your hearts.

But as for these, they have no more reason than brute beasts that are naturally made for hunting, and slaughter: so these who calumniate what they do not understand, shall receive the reward of their iniquity by perishing in their own corruption.

their eyes are inflam'd with adultery, and unextinguishable vice: they insnare the souls of the inconstant. their minds are practis'd in the arts of avarice: an execrable race, who have deserted the right way,

As for those who have renounc'd the pollutions of the world, by their owning Jesus Christ for their Lord and saviour, if they are prevail'd upon to be entangled therein again, their last state is worse than the first.

for it had been better for them, not to have made any profession of the gospel, than after they have embraced it, to abandon the holy injunction, that was delivered to them.