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Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lorde Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.
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My brethren, count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuers tentations,
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Knowing that ye trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
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And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect & entier, lacking nothing.
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If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men liberally, & reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.
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But let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for hee that wauereth, is like a waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caried away.
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Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord.
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A double minded man is vnstable in all his waies.
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Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
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Againe hee that is rich, in that hee is made lowe: for as the flower of the grasse, shall he vanish away.
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For as when the sunne riseth with heate, then the grasse withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies.
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Blessed is ye man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, hee shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him.
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Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not bee tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.
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But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence, and is entised.
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Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
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Erre not, my deare brethren.
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Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
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Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
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Wherefore my deare brethren, let euery man be swift to heare, slowe to speake, and slowe to wrath.
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For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.
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Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, and receiue with meekenes the word that is graffed in you, which is able to saue your soules.
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And be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing your owne selues.
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For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
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For when he hath considered himselfe, hee goeth his way, and forgetteth immediately what maner of one he was.
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But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe of libertie, and continueth therein, hee not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the woorke, shalbe blessed in his deede.
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If any man amog you seeme religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.
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Pure religion & vndefiled before God, euen the Father, is this, to visite the fatherlesse, and widdowes in their aduersitie, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world.