FROM CHRISTIAN PASTORS, TO THOSE WHO, UNDER THEIR CARE, HAVE COMMENCED A
RELIGIOUS LIFE: IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE SCRIPTURES.
To them who have obtained like precious faith with us, through the
righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
We thank our God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer
of ours, making request for you with joy. Being confident of this very
thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto
the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is meet for us to think this of you
all, because we have you in our heart. For, ye remember our labour, how
we exhorted, and comforted, and charged, every one of you, as a father
does his children; and we were with you in weakness, and in fear, and
in much trembling; and our exhortation was not of deceit, nor in guile;
neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know; nor of men
sought we glory, neither of you. But we were gentle among you, even as a
nurse cherisheth her children; so being affectionately desirous of you,
we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only,
but our own souls also, because ye were dear unto us.
Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the _children of God_. For you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein, in times past, ye walked
according to the course of this world according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience; among whom _we all_ had our conversation in times past,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for
his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together,
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. For ye
_were_ as sheep going astray, but now are returned unto the shepherd and
bishop of your souls.
Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk worthy of
the vocation whereby ye are called. For ye were sometimes darkness, but
now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of the light. If then ye
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above,
not on things on the earth. For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. And this is
the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith. Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of
God? And Jesus saith, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
man cometh unto the Father but by me. If a man love me, he will keep my
commandments, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and
make our abode with him. This is my commandment, that ye love one another
as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends—Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I
command you.” If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. For
every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of
him. And by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love
God and keep his commandments. For _this is the love of God_, that we
_keep his commandments_. And we have known and believed the love which
God hath towards us.—God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth
in God, and God in him. Know ye not that your bodies are the temple of
the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God? And ye are not
your own, but are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your
bodies, and in your spirits, which are his.
_Search the scriptures_, for in them ye have eternal life. For the
entrance of that word giveth light, and giveth understanding to the
simple. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of
the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandments of the Lord are
pure, enlightening the eyes; more to be desired are they than gold, yea
than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honey comb. Let the
word of God, therefore, _dwell_ in you _richly_, teaching and admonishing
one another, in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace
in your heart to the Lord.
_Pray without ceasing_; in _every thing_, by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
_But of the times and seasons_, ye need not that we write unto you, for
ye know Him that hath said, “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work, but the seventh day is
the sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Blessed is the man that doeth this,
and the son of man that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it. And if
thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, and from doing thy pleasure
on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,
honourable, and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding
thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, then shalt thou delight
thyself in the Lord. Exhort one another daily while it is called to-day,
lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; not
forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.
_Be not conformed to the world_, but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your minds. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. Love not the world, neither
the things of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him. No man can serve two masters, for either he will
hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other.—Ye cannot serve God and mammon.—Hear now what the Lord
saith; “He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of
me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me;
and whosoever doth not _bear his cross_ and come after me, cannot be my
disciple.”
_Beloved, believe not every spirit_, but _try_ the spirits whether they
be of God; for they are not all Israel, that are of Israel; for many
walk, of whom we have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,
who are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose
glory is their shame, who mind earthly things. Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
_doeth_ the will of my father which is in heaven.—Ye shall know them by
their fruits.
In all things show yourselves a pattern of good works, that they of
a contrary part may have no evil thing to say of you. Be not wise in
your own conceits, for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to
the humble. For the wisdom that cometh from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Be kindly affectionate one
to another, in honour preferring one another. Be not desirous of vain
glory, provoking one another, envying one another. How can ye believe,
which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour which cometh
from God only. Be content with such things as ye have, for godliness with
contentment, is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it
is certain we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment, let us
be therewith content. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they
be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God,
who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be
rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.
Let your _conversation_ be as becometh the gospel of Christ. Let no
corrupt communications proceed out of your mouth; neither foolish talking
nor jesting. Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an
account thereof in the day of judgment; for by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Speak evil of no
man, let your speech be always with grace, that ye may know how to answer
every man. Bear ye one another’s burdens; have compassion one of another,
be pitiful, be courteous. Your adorning, let it not be that outward
adorning of wearing gold, or of putting on of apparel, but let it be the
hidden man of the heart; even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is, in the sight of God, of great price. And whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report,
think on these things.
Wherefore, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset us, and let us run with patience, the race that is set
before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith,
who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For ye
have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out
of the way, for in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is
able to succour them that are. Trust in him at all times; pour out your
heart before him; and he will be very gracious at the voice of your cry:
when he shall hear it, he will answer. And he will feed his flock like
a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in
his bosom. And forget not the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto
children, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint
when thou art rebuked of him.” For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth,
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. For our light afflictions,
which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory.
For ye are not come to the mount which might be touched, and that burned
with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and a tempest; but ye
are come unto mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to
God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Having, therefore, these
promises, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation
and godliness.
Therefore, dearly beloved, our joy and our crown, so stand fast in the
Lord, our dearly beloved. For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
And what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy
wherewith we joy for your sakes, before our God. For what is our hope,
and joy, and crown of rejoicing? are not even ye in the presence of the
Lord? For the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of an archangel, and with the trump of God. Then we shall be caught up
together to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall be ever with the
Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to the
only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both
now and ever. Amen.