contemptible) let such a one depend upon this, that the same authority which appear'd in my letters, when I was absent, will appear in fact, when I am present.

I will not boast of any thing done without my province, but confine myself within that line by which God has mark'd out my bounds, and in which you are included.

I don't assume to myself the credit of other men's labours in another province, but hope, that when your faith is increased, the bounds now prescribed will be enlarged by you yet farther;

but this I do, and shall do, to make them drop their hire, who are so bent upon hire: and then indeed they will be as they pretend to be, like me.

since many glory in outward advantages, I will glory too.

If I must be compell'd to glory, I will glory on the account of my sufferings.

I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.

but he said to me, "my favour is sufficient for thee: for my strength is shown to be perfect by thy weakness." with pleasure therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may be seen to dwell in me.

for in what were ye inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? an injury I hope you will easily forgive.

This is the third time I purposed to come to you; but I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours, but you: since it is not expected children should lay up for their parents, but parents for their children: on the contrary,

yet I fear when I do come I shall not find you such as I would, and that you will find me such as you least desire: I am afraid there are among you debates, envyings, animosities, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, arrogance, tumults:

and I am afraid, God will humble me when I come again among you, and I shall bewail many who have formerly sinned, and have not yet repented of their impurity, their fornication, and dissoluteness.

I told you once before, and now being absent I write to forewarn you and all that have sinned, that when I shall arrive, I will not spare them;

that he might deliver us from the vices of this present age, according to the will of God, even our father: to

you make me apprehensive, that the labour I have bestowed upon you will be all in vain.

I have confidence in you, that, through the Lord, you will be of the same mind with me, so that he who troubles you shall fall under the censure he deserves, whoever he be.

I say then, conduct yourselves by the spirit, and you will not then gratify the animal passions.

but let every one bring his own work to the test, and then he will have matter of glorying in himself alone, and not in another.

be not deceived, God will not be mocked: for what a man soweth, that shall he also reap:

having predetermin'd to adopt us by Jesus Christ to be his children, according to the good pleasure of his own will,

for he has discover'd to us the secret of his will, that out of his meer good pleasure, he had purposed in himself,

but whatever is unjustifiable will be brought to light: and that will show them to be unjustifiable.

wherefore be not imprudent, but consider what is agreeable to the divine will.

not doing your work meerly out of regard to their presence or their pleasure, but as the servants of Christ, in hearty obedience to the will of God:

As to the state of my affairs, and health, Tychicus our dear brother, and faithful minister in the Lord, will very particularly acquaint you with them.

he who has begun this good work in you will bring it to perfection against the appearance of Christ. it is but just

is it not however some advantage? since in either way, whether it be occasionally, or professedly, Christ is preach'd; which is now, and always will be matter of joy to me.

for I know that this shall turn to my deliverance, thro' your prayers, by the spirit, which Jesus Christ will supply me with,

without being under any the least apprehension from your adversaries: this will be to them a sign of their ruin, and to you of salvation, by the divine appointment.

for there is no one that is so dear to me as he, and no one will more sincerely interest himself in your concerns.

I sent him therefore with the greater dispatch, that I might have the less disquietude, by the satisfaction you will find in seeing him again.

Let us therefore, who have been instructed, have this in view: and if you are sollicitous about any thing else, God will reveal even that unto you.

who in the. end will be ruin'd, who place their religion in sensuality, their glory in that which is their shame, and fix their thoughts upon this earth.

it is he, that will change our vile body into a like form with his glorious body, by displaying that power which is able to subdue all things unto himself.

practise what I have taught, what you have learnt of me, what you have heard me preach, and seen me practise. this do, and the God of peace will then be with you.

For this cause, ever since we heard of it, we incessantly pray for you, requesting that you may be endued with respect to the knowledge of his will, with all wisdom and spiritual discernment:

but he that does wrong shall be punish'd for his injustice: for no regard will be shown to the external characters of men.

As to what relates to me, you will be inform'd of it by Tychicus my dear brother, who is a faithful minister of the Lord, and serves him with me.

I have sent him with Onesimus a faithful and beloved brother, who is of your city: they will inform you of what passes here.

the whole will of God. for I can witness for him, that he is ardently concern'd for you, and the christians of Laodicea,

and such is the will of God, that you should be holy, and avoid licentiousness;

for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we must believe that God by Jesus will raise the dead, and assemble them with him.

for the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and by the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God, resound the summons: they who died christians shall rise first:

he that has called you, is faithful, and this he will effect.

by which you may be assur'd, that they will be punish'd by the divine justice, and that you shall be rewarded with the kingdom of God, for which you suffer;

and then the lawless will be discover'd, whom the Lord will extirpate by the spirit of his mouth, and at his glorious advent, will intirely abolish him,

who by the instigation of satan will make his parade with various arts, with fallacious signs and prodigies,

wherefore God will suffer a spirit of delusion to work them into the belief of a lye:

but as for you, the Lord, who is faithful, will establish you, and protect you from the malicious one.

and we have this hope in the Lord, that you will still continue to observe the directions we give you.

such a charge will produce that charity, which arises from purity, from a good conscience, and a sincere belief:

If you represent these things to the brethren, you will appear to be a true minister of Jesus Christ, brought up in the institutions of faith, and the true doctrine to which you were attach'd.

take care how you behave, and what you teach. persevere in these duties: for by the practice of them, you will save both yourself, and those who hear you.

as for young widows, don't admit them: for being impatient of religious restraint, they will be marry'd:

we ought to think that sufficient. but they who will be rich, expose

whose advent HE will in his own time display, WHO is perfectly happy, who alone is omnipotent, the king of kings, and the lord of all that bear rule;

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.

consider what I say, and the Lord will give you understanding in all things.

he will renounce us likewise: tho' we are diffident, he is still faithful, and will not retract his word.

discountenance such as hold vain irreligious discourse; for they will grow bold in impiety,

and their doctrine will spread like the gangrene. Hymeneus and Philetus are such:

Take notice that in the latter days difficult incidents will arise;

for men will be selfish, avaricious, vain, proud, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,

but they will be stop'd in their career; for they shall be expos'd to the world for impostors, as those magicians were.

and those who will live like Christians, shall generally suffer persecution.

as for these impious impostors, they will go on from bad to worse, seducing others, and deluding themselves.

for the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine, but get teachers of their own corrupt taste, to sooth their ears that itch for flattery:

as for me, my blood will soon be pour'd out, and the time of my departure draws nigh:

I have nothing more to do, but to receive the crown of virtue reserv'd for me, which the Lord, the just judge, will give me in that day: and not only to me, but to those also, who have long'd for his appearance.

only Luke is with me. take Mark and bring him with you; because he will be useful to me in the ministry.

and the Lord will deliver me from every malicious design, and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. to him be glory to endless ages. amen.

'tis true he was formerly useless to you, but now he will be useful to us both:

I Paul give it under my own hand, I will repay it; not to say, that you owe your very self to me.

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

for to which of the angels did he ever say, " thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be his father, and he shall be my son?

"I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."

and again, "I will put my trust in him." and again, "behold, I, and the children which God hath given me.

then he that enters into divine rest, will indeed rest from his works, as God did from his.

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

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

by him that said to him, "the Lord has swore, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

nor for that reproach, which was made to our fathers, where 'tis said, "behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new alliance with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:

but this is the alliance that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

for I will pardon their iniquity, and their sins and their trangressions will I remember no more."

then said I, lo I come, as in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God."

he immediately adds, "lo, I come to do thy WILL, O God." he abolishes the first to establish the second:

in consequence of which WILL we are sanctified by the oblation which Jesus Christ has made once for all of his own body.

"this is the alliance that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their mind will I write them:

he adds, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

for we know who it is that has said, "vengeance belongeth unto me, I will repay." and again, "the Lord shall revenge his people."

don't therefore quit that resolution you have, which will be attended with so great a reward.

only wait but a little while, and he that is to come, will come without delay.

the just shall have life by trusting in me, but if he revolt, he will be the object of my displeasure.

whose voice then shook the earth: but he has promised to do it now, saying, " yet once more I will shake, not the earth only, but heaven too."

Marriage is every where honourable, and that state is innocent: but the licentious and adulterers God will punish.

let your morals be free from avarice, being contented with what you have: for he hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

so that we may boldly say, " the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

the sheep) make you perfect in every virtue, to the accomplishment of his will: effecting that in you by Jesus Christ, which is agreeable to him: to whom be glory thro' all ages.

If any of you is deficient in prudence, let him ask it of God, who liberally gives to all without upbraiding: and he will give it.

but partiality is iniquity; and the law will convict the offender of transgression.