< Page:Suppressed Gospels and Epistles.djvu
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THE SECOND EPISTLE OF
CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS

CHAP. I.

That we ought to value our salvation; and to show that we do by a sincere obedience.

BRETHREN, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ as of God: as of the judge of the living, and the dead; nor should we think any less of our salvation.

2 For if we think meanly of him, we shall hope only to receive some small things from him.

3 And if we do so, we shall sin; not considering from whence we have been called, and by whom, and to what place; and how much Jesus Christ vouchsafed to suffer for our sakes.

4 What recompense then shall we render unto him? Or what fruit that may be worthy of what he has given to us?

5 For indeed how great are those advantages which we owe to him in relation to our holiness? He has illuminated us; as a father, he has called us his children; he has saved us who were lost and undone.

6 What praise shall we give to him? Or what reward that may be answerable to those things which we have received.

7 We were defective in our understandings; worshipping stones, and wood; gold, and silver, and brass, the work of men's hands; and our whole life was nothing else but death.

8 Wherefore being encompassed with darkness, and having such a mist before our eyes, we have looked up, and through his will have laid aside the cloud wherewith we were surrounded.

9 For he had compassion upon us, and being moved in his bowels towards us, he saved us; having beheld in us much error, and destruction; and seeing that we had no hope of salvation, but only through him.

10 For he called us, who [1]were not; and was pleased from nothing to give us being.

CHAP. II.

1 That God had before prophesied by Isaiah, that the Gentiles should be saved; 8 And that this ought to engage such especially to live well; without which they will still miscarry.

REJOICE, thou barren, that bearest not, break forth and cry thou that travailest not; for she that is desolate hath many more children than she that hath a husband.[2]

2 In that saying, Rejoice thou barren that bearest not, he spake of us: for our church was barren before children were given unto it.

3 And again; when he said, Cry thou that travailest not: he implied thus much: That after the manner of a woman in travail, we should not cease to put up our prayers unto God abundantly.

4 And for what follows, because she that is desolate hath more children than she that hath a husband; it was therefore added, because our people which seemed to have been forsaken by God, now believing in him, are become more than they who seemed to have God.

5 And another Scripture saith, [3]I came not to call the righteous but sinners (to repentance). The meaning of which is this; that those who were lost must be saved:

6 For that is, indeed, truly great and wonderful, not to confirm those things that are yet standing, but those which are falling,

7 Even so did it seem good to Christ to save what was lost; and when he came into the world, he saved many, and called us who were already lost.

  1. ↑ Were not his disciples.
  2. ↑ Isaiah liv. 1.
  3. ↑ Matt. ix. 13.
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