Grace and Perseverance
(Hebrews 12:1–3)

1Thou therfore my sonne, be stronge thorow the grace which is in Christ Iesu. 2And what thinges thou hast herde of me by many witnesses, the same commytte thou vnto faithfull men, which are apte to teach other. 3Thou therfore suffre affliccion as a good soudyer off Iesu Christ. 4No ma that warreth, tangleth him selfe with wordly busynesses, & that because he wolde please him, which hath chosen him to be a soudyer. 5And though a man stryue for a mastrye, yet is he not crowned, excepte he stryue laufully. 6The hussbandman that laboureth, must first enioye the frutes. 7Consydre what I saye. The LORDE shal geue the vnderstondynge in all thinges.

8Remembre that Iesus Christ, beynge of the sede of Dauid, rose agayne fro the deed, acordynge to my Gospell, 9where in I suffre as an euell doer euen vnto bandes: but the worde of God is not bounde. 10Therfore suffre I all for the electes sakes, that they also mighte optayne the saluacion in Christ Iesu with eternall glory.

11This is a true sayenge: Yf we be deed wt him, we shal lyue with him also:

12Yf we be pacient, we shal also raigne with him: Yf we denye him, he also shal denye vs:

13Yf we beleue not, yet abydeth he faithfull, he can not denye himselfe.

The Lord’s Approved Workman

14Of these thinges put thou them in remebraunce, and testifye before the LORDE, that they stryue not aboute wordes, which is to no profit, but to peruerte the hearers. 15Study to shewe thy selfe vnto God a laudable workman, that nedeth not to be ashamed, deuydynge the worde of trueth iustly. 16As for vngoostly and vayne talkynges, eschue them: for they helpe moch to vngodlynes, 17and their worde fretteth as doth a canker: Of whose nombre is Hymeneos & Philetus, 18which as concernynge the trueth haue erred, sayenge, that the resurreccion is past allready, and haue destroyed the faith of dyuerse personnes. 19But ye sure grounde of God stondeth fast, and hath this seale: The LORDE knoweth them that are his, and let euery ma that calleth vpon the name of Christ, departe from iniquyte.

20Not withstondynge in a greate house are not onely vessels of golde and of syluer, but also of wod and of earth: some for honoure, and some to dishonoure. 21But yf a man pourge himselfe from soch felowes, he shalbe a vessell sanctified vnto honoure, mete for the LORDE, and prepared vnto all good workes. 22Fle thou the lustes of youth, but folowe righteousnes, faith, loue, peace, with all them that call vpon the LORDE with pure hert. 23As for folish questions and soch as teach not, put them fro the: for thou knowest that they do but geder stryfe. 24The seruaunt of the LORDE ought not to stryue, but to be gentle vnto euery man: apte to teach, one that can forbeare 25the euell, one yt can with mekenesse enfourme them yt resist: yf God at eny tyme wyl geue them repentaunce for to knowe the trueth, 26and to turne agayne from the snare of the deuell, which are holden in preson of him at his will.