all offer up a voluntary hymn, and shall praise him that made them,
together with the angels, and spirits, and men now freed from all
bondage.

7. And now, if you Gentiles will be persuaded by these motives, and
leave your vain imaginations about your pedigrees, and gaining of
riches, and philosophy, and will not spend your time about subtleties
of words, and thereby lead your minds into error, and if you will apply
your ears to the hearing of the inspired prophets, the interpreters
both of God and of his word, and will believe in God, you shall both be
partakers of these things, and obtain the good things that are to come;
you shall see the ascent unto the immense heaven plainly, and that
kingdom which is there. For what God hath now concealed in silence [will
be then made manifest,] what neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard,
nor hath it entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath
prepared for them that love him.

8. In whatsoever ways I shall find you, in them shall I judge you
entirely: so cries the End of all things. And he who hath at first
lived a virtuous lift, but towards the latter end falls into vice, these
labors by him before endured shall be altogether vain and unprofitable,
even as in a play, brought to an ill catastrophe. Whosoever shall have
lived wickedly and luxuriously may repent; however, there will be need
of much time to conquer an evil habit, and even after repentance his
whole life must be guarded with great care and diligence, after the
manner of a body, which, after it hath been a long time afflicted with a
distemper, requires a stricter diet and method of living; for though
it may be possible, perhaps, to break off the chain of our irregular
affections at once, yet our amendment cannot be secured without the
grace of God, the prayers of good men, the help of the brethren, and our
own sincere repentance and constant care. It is a good thing not to sin
at all; it is also good, having sinned, to repent; as it is best to have
health always, but it is a good thing to recover from a distemper. To
God be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of An Extract out of Josephus's Discourse
to The Greeks Concerning Hades, by Flavius Josephus

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