those antient rebels in the time of Noah, when the divine forbearance waited, till the ark was quite finish'd, in which only eight persons were saved by means of the water.

for the time past of your lives may suffice, to have liv'd in conformity to the Gentile customs, in impurity, licentiousness, sottishness, in dissolute festivals, and the criminal rites of idolaters.

but they will be call'd to account by him, who is ready to judge both the living and the dead.

as good economists of the different dispensations of God, communicate to one another the gifts you have receiv'd.

but whoever suffers as a christian, let him not be asham'd, but rather give thanks to God upon that account.

I formerly writ to you a short epistle, by Silvanus, I think, a faithful brother, to declare and testify to you, that the true dispensation of God is that to which you are attach'd.

for if you are possess'd of these virtues and improve therein, they will prevent the knowledge you have of our Lord Jesus Christ from being useless to others, and unprofitable to yourselves.

knowing that I must soon leave this tabernacle, as our Lord Jesus Christ has signify'd to me.

for, the information we gave you of the powerful advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, did not proceed from any artfully contriv'd fables, we our selves having been spectators of his majesty.

many will follow their destructive maxims, and by their means christianity will be traduc'd.

since he deliver'd that just man Lot, who was grieved at the enormous practices of the licentious;

I say, the Lord will deliver those, who fear him, from their affliction, and reserve the wicked to be punish'd at the day of judgment.

when their language swells with vanity, by applying to the sensual passions of the licentious, they allure those who were escap'd for a while, from such deceivers:

but they are wilfully ignorant, that the heavens were originally form'd by the divine Logos, and likewise the earth, which was separated from the water, and still subsists upon it.

But there is one thing, my brethren, you ought to be appriz'd of, which is this, that "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

expecting, and vehemently desiring the day of the Lord would come, when the heavens all on fire shall be dissolv'd, and the elements shall melt with intense heat.

that the patience of our Lord is for your advantage: as our dear brother Paul, according to the information he receiv'd, has writ to you,

Concerning the Logos, the author of Life, we declare what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have consider'd, and what has been the object of our touch.

he that says he is attach'd to Christ, ought to regulate his conduct by his example.

for what the world is so full of, sensuality, avarice, and pride, is not deriv'd from the creator, but is the offspring of a vicious world.

As for you who have receiv'd the unction of the holy spirit, you know the whole affair.

and you know that he appear'd to abolish our sins; and that he was himself without sin.

this is the proof of the divine love, Christ expos'd his life for us: and we ought to expose our lives for the brethren.

besides, 'tis a commandment we have receiv'd from him, that he who would love God, must love his brother also.

for he that is a true christian, overcomes the world: by obtaining faith, we have gain'd a victory over the world.

it appear'd by the water, and by the blood, who he was, even Jesus the Messiah; not by the water only, but by the water and by the blood: besides, the spirit is a witness too, now the spirit is truth itself.

and now, my lady, I beg our love may be mutual, since what I write, is no new prescription, but what was originally enjoin'd.

now love consists in the practice of the divine precepts. this is the precept you have originally receiv'd, as the rule of your conduct.

greater joy I cannot have, than to hear that my children are attach'd to the truth.

for they set out upon account of the gospel, and refus'd to take any thing of the Gentiles.

for which reason, when I come, I shall animadvert upon his conduct, and the malicious aspersions he casts upon us: not contented with this, he will neither receive the brethren himself, nor suffer those who are better inclin'd, to do it; but drives them out of the church.

Now, I would call to your remembrance what you once were inform'd of, that when the Lord had delivered the people from the land of Egypt, he afterward destroyed those that were disobedient.

raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame: wandering lights, to whom is reserv'd the thickest darkness for ever.

to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the impious among them, of all the impious actions they have committed, and of all the injurious expressions, which impious sinners have utter'd against him."

for they assur'd you, there would be impostors in the last days, who would follow their own impious passions.

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to shew to his servants things which must shortly come to pass; this he signified by his angel whom he dispatch'd to his servant John:

who publish'd the divine message, and gave his attestation to every thing that he saw concerning Jesus Christ.

Happy is he that reads, and attends to the words of this prophecy, and observes the matter therein contain'd: for the time draws nigh.

the conceal'd meaning of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and of the seven golden candlesticks, is this: the seven stars signify the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which you saw, signify the seven churches.

thou hast suffer'd, hast patience, for my name's sake thou hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, I will sup with him, and he shall afterwards be entertain'd by me.

he that sat, appear'd to the sight, like a jasper, and a sardine stone: and there was an arch like a rain-bow, round about the throne, which had the appearance of an emerald.

the first animal was like a lion, the second animal like a calf, the third animal appear'd like a man, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle.

the four animals had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they never ceas'd day and night, crying, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, WHO IS, AND WHO WILL BE. and when those animals gave glory,

And I beheld, and saw before the throne, in the midst of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb which seem'd to have been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

I look'd, and there was a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth like a conqueror, to gain conquests.

When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they maintain'd.

my Lord, answer'd I, you can tell. and he said to me, these are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

then leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany, where he stay'd that night.

upon which the disciples said to one another, much surpriz'd, how came the fig-tree to wither away so suddenly?

I won't, said he: but afterward be chang'd his mind, and went.

but they seiz'd his servants, beat some, killed one, and stoned another.

so seizing upon him, they turn'd him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

Jesus reply'd, did ye never read in the scriptures, " that very stone which the builders rejected, is become the principal stone of the angle, this the Lord effected, and it is marvellous in our eyes."

and whosoever shall stumble at this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, he shall be entirely crush'd.

others seiz'd his servants, outrageously abused them, and slew them.

when the king was informed of this, he was greatly incensed, and having order'd his forces to march, he put those murderers to death, and laid their city in ashes.

but upon the king's coming in to see the guests, he observ'd one there without a wedding garment: and he said to him,

they answer'd, Cesar's. then said he to them, render therefore unto Cesar, the things which are Cesar's: and unto God, the things that are God's.

About that time the Sadducees, who say there is no future life, came and propos'd this question,

master, said they, by the law of Moses, in case a man die without children, his brother is oblig'd to marry his wife, in order to perpetuate his brother's name.

now there happen'd among us seven brothers, the first married but died without issue, leaving his wife to his brother:

the same happen'd to the second, and the third, and so on to the seventh.

Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who prey upon the estates of widows, under the pretext of making long prayers; therefore ye shall be punish'd with the greater severity.

wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who ransack sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is gain'd, ye make him deserve Gehenna much more than your selves.

wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, but neglect those more important matters of the law, justice, mercy, and fidelity: these were the things ye ought to have practis'd, without neglecting however the other matters.

and say, if we had liv'd in the time of our forefathers, we would not have been accessory with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.

so that you maybe charg'd with all the innocent blood shed upon earth, from the blood of Abel the just, unto the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

ye shall hear likewise of wars, and rumours of wars: take care not to be disturb'd: for these things must happen, but the end of the Jewish age is not yet.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, mention'd by Daniel the prophet, stand about the holy place, (let him that readeth,

remember, I have forewarn'd you.

I declare unto you, the present generation shall not cease, till all these things are pass'd.

for as at the time that usher'd in the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying themselves and their children, till the day that Noe entred into the ark,

therefore be ye also prepar'd: for the son of man may come at an hour you least expect.

afterwards came the other virgins likewise, and cry'd,

now he that had received five talents, immediately employed them in trade, and gain'd five talents more.

accordingly he that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents: besides those, there's five talents more, which I have gain'd.

he also that had received two talents, came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents: here are two other talents which I have gain'd besides them.

his lord answered and said unto him, thou vile slothful wretch, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scatter'd:

and the number of the horse of that army were two hundred millions: for I heard them number'd.

and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and all that is therein, the earth and all that is therein, the sea and all that is therein, "that the time should be no longer defer'd."

but when the seventh angel should speak, and the trumpet should sound, the mystery of God should be accomplish'd, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

the inhabitants of the land will rejoice, and triumph over them, they will send presents to one another; because the two prophets had gall'd the inhabitants of the land.

but after three days and an half, the spirit of life from God enter'd into them: they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them.

saying, "we give thee thanks, O Lord God almighty, who. art, and who wast; because thou hast assum'd thy great power, and hast reigned.

the nations were enrag'd, but the time of thy vengeance is come, and the time when the dead are to be judged, when thou wilt reward thy servants the prophets, the saints, and those that fear thy name, small and great, and exterminate those who have corrupted the land."

the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, call'd the devil or satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were precipitated with him.

then I heard a loud voice, which cry'd in the heaven, "the time of salvation, and power, the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ are now come: for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, is cast down.

they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word to which they gave testimony; for their lives they expos'd to the last.

but to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place, where she is to be maintain'd for a time, and times, and half a time.

which so enrag'd the dragon against the woman, that he went to make war with the rest of her race, who keep the commandments of God, and bear testimony to Jesus.

he perform'd great wonders, so as to make fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men.

he had power likewise to animate the image made for the beast, so that the image was made to speak, and as many as would not worship the image were order'd to be killed.

he likewise obliged all, both small and great, rich and poor, the freeman and the slave, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and order'd,

and I heard a voice from heaven, which was like the noise of many waters, or like a great thunder-clap: I heard too a sound like that of a harp, when touch'd by the hand of a musician.

and a new song was sung before the throne, and before the four animals, and the elders: and no one could learn that song, but the hundred forty four thousand, who were ransom'd from the earth.

these are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins: these are they who follow the lamb wherever he goes: these were ransom'd from among men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the lamb.

harvest of the earth is ripe." so he that sat on the cloud, stretch'd out his sickle to the earth; and the earth was reaped.

so the angel stretch'd out his sickle to the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the divine vengeance.

and the grapes were press'd without the City, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the horse-bridles: for the space of sixteen hundred furlongs.