these are vices which draw down the divine vengeance upon unbelieving nations;

children, obey your parents upon all occasions, for that is graceful in a christian.

who by obstructing our endeavours to save the Gentiles, continue to fill up the measure of their enormities; for which consummate vengeance is falling upon them.

but Timothy, upon his arrival here from you, brings us the agreeable news of the perseverance of your faith and charity, that you always make honourable mention of us, and that you desire to see us as ardently as we do to see you.

how can I be sufficiently thankful to God upon your account, for all the joy, which by your means we have been affected with,

so that your way of life may stand fair to the world, and prevent your being dependent upon any man.

whilst they flatter themselves with peace and safety, destruction shall fall upon them, like the pangs of a woman in travail, and they shall not escape.

maintain an intire affection for them, upon account of their office, and don't form any brigues against them.

pray upon all occasions.

We are oblig'd, my brethren, to render thanks to God continually upon your account, as it is but just; since your faith still improves, and your mutual love is always increasing.

As for you, my brethren, the favourites of the Lord, we are oblig'd to render perpetual thanks to God, for having chosen you from the beginning, in purifying you by his spirit, upon your believing the gospel.

pretending to be doctors of the law, tho' they neither understand what they advance, nor upon what it is founded.

however the women may be saved by educating their children, and persevering themselves in faith, in charity, in holiness and chastity. this may be depended upon as true.

let them be first examin'd, and if they are without reproach, let them enter upon their office.

meditate upon these things, be wholly employ'd about them, that your proficiency may appear to all.

Let none be put upon the list of widows, but such as are at least threescore years of age, and have been married but once:

don't receive any accusation against a pastor, but upon the deposition of two or three witnesses.

which some having obtain'd, have revolted from the faith, and brought upon themselves variety of piercing pains.

Charge those that are rich in this world, not to be elated, not to depend upon their perishable wealth, but upon the God of life, who furnishes us with every thing in plenty for our enjoyment;

especially when I reflect upon the sincerity of your faith, and the attachment your grand-mother Lois first show'd, and then your mother Eunice, examples which I am persuaded you will follow.

be not therefore asham'd of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me who am a prisoner upon his account. but share with me in the afflictions, which attend the gospel, supported as you are by the power of God,

For this I was establish'd the herald, the apostle, and doctor of the Gentiles. this has drawn upon me the evils I suffer.

to preach the word with assiduity upon all occasions: reprove, censure, exhort, with the most tender persuasions.

be you then entirely upon the watch: be insensible to toil: perform the work of an evangelist, and discharge your ministerial function.

Admonish them to be subject to princes and to magistrates, to obey their orders, and to exert their virtue and loyalty upon all occasions.

I writ this upon the presumption of your compliance, being persuaded that you will even do more than I mention.

for we were receiv'd into the communion of Christ, upon condition of inviolably maintaining the hope we had at the beginning even unto the end,

so that there is not a creature that is concealed from his view: but all is naked and open to the eyes of him of whom we speak. Having then so great a high priest,

if they shall fall away, to re-instate themselves by repentance: seeing, as far in them lies, they crucify the son of God afresh, and expose him to open shame.

for the earth which drinks up the frequent show'rs that fall upon it, and produces plants fit for the use of him that cultivates it, is stiled heavenly land:

but that which bears thorns and briars, is look'd upon as lying under a curse; whose end will be to be burnt.

but we desire that every one of you may shew the same concern, continuing to discharge the condition upon which your hopes are founded: that ye be not unactive,

"surely I will heap blessings upon thee, and will give thee a numerous posterity."

which office he could not discharge here upon earth, where priests are already establish'd, who offer gifts according to the law:

Our high priest then has obtained a priesthood so much the more excellent, as he is the mediator of a better alliance, established upon better promises.

the holy spirit showing thereby, that the way to the holy of holys, was not yet open, while the first tabernacle was standing.

by a new and living way which he has first open'd for us, thro' the veil, that is, thro' his flesh;

by faith Jacob when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff.

was not our father Abraham treated as just, in consequence of his actions, when he had attempted to sacrifice his son upon the altar?

on the contrary, he heaps his favours upon you. wherefore 'tis said, "God defeats the proud, but is gracious to the humble."

Don't, my brethren, treat one another with detraction. he that reflects upon his brother, and censures his brother, reflects upon the law, and censures the law: if you censure the law, instead of obeying it, you set up for a judge.

there is but one legislator, and judge, he that has the power of life and death: who art thou, to pass sentence upon another?

As for you that are rich: weep, and lament the miserys that are falling upon you.

considering, that it was not by such perishable things as silver or gold, that you were releas'd from those vain rites and customs impos'd upon you by your fathers,

who was destin'd before the creation of the world, tho' 'tis of late only that he has appear'd, upon your account:

for the eyes of the Lord are upon the virtuous, and his ears attend to their prayers, but the wicked he discountenances."

if you suffer indignities in the cause of Christ, you are happy: for the glorious spirit of God rests upon you.

take care therefore not to suffer upon the account of homicide, or thievery, or for any criminal, or pragmatical practices.

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

may the divine favour and felicity be poured upon you, by the knowledge of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

we our selves heard this voice, that came from heaven, when we were with him upon the holy mountain.

As there were false prophets among the people of Israel, there will likewise be false doctors among you, who by introducing pernicious sects, and by renouncing the Lord, who bought them, will bring upon themselves swift destruction.

since he did not spare the old world, having preserved only eight persons, including Noah, that preacher of virtue, when he brought the deluge upon the impious world:

As for those who have renounc'd the pollutions of the world, by their owning Jesus Christ for their Lord and saviour, if they are prevail'd upon to be entangled therein again, their last state is worse than the first.

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.

the Lord does not delay the accomplishment of his promise, as some do imagine. but he waits with patience upon our account, as being unwilling that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

I write to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven you upon the account of Christ.

we know that a true christian will not commit such a sin, for he that is the child of God keeps upon his guard, so that the wicked spirit does not approach him.

be upon your guard, that we may not lose the fruit of our labours, but that we may receive our full reward.

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.

My beloved, as I was strongly bent upon writing to you of our common salvation, I thought it necessary to write to you at present, and exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once delivered to the saints.

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."

as soon as I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead: but he laid his right hand upon me, and said, "Fear not; I am the first and the last:

but I say to the rest that are in Thyatira, who do not follow this doctrine, and have not been initiated in the depths, as they are called, of satan, I will put upon you no other burden, but what you have:

remember therefore what thou hast received and heard: observe it and repent. if therefore thou art not vigilant, I will come upon thee as a thief, thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write, "THESE things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth what no man can shut; and shutteth what no man can open:

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for tho' few in number, you have kept my word, and have not renounced my name.

him that overcomes, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more: I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which descends from heaven from my God: even my new name will I write.

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.

round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting, cloathed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

and I saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof."

and no one in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look therein.

and I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, nor to look therein.

and one of the elders said to me, weep not: behold, the lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the throne.

and they sung a new song, saying, "thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation;

and every creature which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, "blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb for ever and ever."

Then I saw the lamb open one of the seals, when I heard one of the four animals with a voice like thunder, say, "come, and see."

They cried with a loud voice, "salvation from our God who sits upon the throne, and unto the lamb.'

and another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne.

and the angel took the censer, and having filled it with the fire of the altar, he cast it upon the land: and there was a noise of thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, which fell upon the earth: and a third part of the earth, and a third part of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grass.

And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning like a flambeau, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.

and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the land; and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Then I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, invested with a cloud, a rainbow was upon his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.

he held in his hand a little book open: his right foot was upon the sea, and his left foot on the land.

Then the angel which I saw standing upon the sea, and upon the land, lifted up his hand to heaven,

And the voice which I heard from heaven, spake to me again, and said, "go, take the little book that is open, from the hand of the angel who stands upon the sea, and upon 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.

then the four and twenty elders, who sat before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

and there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a WOMAN invested with glory like the sun: the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

And there appeared another wonder in heaven, it was a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Then I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads, and ten horns; upon his horns were ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

all that dwell upon the earth will worship him, whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the lamb, that was slain.

again I looked, and I saw a white cloud, and there was sitting upon the cloud one like the son of man, having a crown of gold upon his head,

then the seven angels, who held the seven plagues, came out of the temple, cloathed in pure white linen, wearing upon their breasts girdles of gold.

THEN I heard a terrible voice from the temple, crying to the seven angels, "go pour out the VIALS of divine vengeance upon the earth."

Immediately the FIRST went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisom and grievous ulcer upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon those who worshipped his image.

The SECOND angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.