from God our father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

for both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all deriv'd from one: for which cause he is not asham'd to call them brethren, saying,

Let us therefore fear, lest any of us by rejecting the promise of entring into his rest, should be excluded from it.

Whereas 'tis we who have believed that shall enter into rest, as he said, "wherefore I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest." which is different from that rest, at the beginning of the world, when the work of creation was finished.

of which in a certain place relating to the seventh day, 'tis said, "and God did rest the seventh day from all his works."

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

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,

For every high priest is appointed to officiate for men in religious matters, offering gifts and sacrifices for their sins: being chosen from among the people. that as he himself is surrounded with infirmities,

this was Jesus, who while he was in a mortal body, having offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries, and with tears, to him that was able to save him from that death, was heard so as to be delivered from his fear;

Therefore omitting for the present the principles of the christian doctrine, we shall proceed to something more sublime, without mentioning those fundamental articles of repentance from destructive vices, and of divine faith:

For this Melchisedec was both king of Salem, and a priest of the most high God; 'twas he who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

'tis true they of the race of Levi, who assume the office of the priesthood, have a right by law to take tithes of the people, that is, of their brethren, though they all issued from Abraham:

but he who was not of their pedigree, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him to whom the promises were made.

This appears still more clear from another priest's arising like Melchisedec,

and indeed we wanted an high priest of such a character, one that is holy, innocent, undefiled, one that is separated from sinful men, and exalted above the heavens; one who was under no necessity,

they shall no longer instruct every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

For if the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkled on the unclean, can cleanse them from external impurities;

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the holy spirit offered himself a spotless victim to God, purify our souls from deadly sins, to serve the living God?

for Christ is not entred into a sanctuary made by human art, such as is only representative of the true one, but into heaven itself, to appear from henceforth in the presence of God on our behalf:

let us draw near with sincerity, in full assurance of faith, having our consciences purified from guilt, and our bodies washed with pure water.

and truly, if that had been in their view, they might have had an opportunity of returning to the place from whence they came.

concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the grave; from whence, in a figurative sense, be may be said to have been recover'd.

for you should consider how he endured such opposition from sinners against himself, lest ye be tired out, and quite despond.

but if you were exempted from that discipline which others are subject to, then are you bastards, and not sons.

'tis true, all correction at first is far from appearing agreeable, yet afterward it produces the agreeable fruits of virtue in those who are exercised thereby.

Take care that you be not deaf to him that speaketh: for if they did not escape, who disregarded the oracles pronounc'd on earth, much less shall we escape, if we turn away from him that delivered the oracles from heaven:

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."

May the God of peace, who has raised from the dead our Lord Jesus (who by the blood of the eternal covenant is become the grand pastor of

such a man must not expect any answer from the Lord.

every thing that is valuable, every gift that leads to perfection is deriv'd from heaven, it descends from that original light, which knows no change, no shadow, or decline:

have not you made an arbitrary distinction, don't your judgments flow from a vicious principle?

from the same mouth shall blessing and cursing proceed? this ought not to be practis'd, my brethren;

such wisdom is not derived from heaven; but is terrestrial, sensual, demoniacal.

but wisdom deriv'd from heaven is first dispassionate, then pacific, equitable, and obsequious: full of beneficence, and all social virtue, free from partiality, and hypocrisy.

Surrender therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

As for you, my brethren, bear your sufferings with constancy, till the advent of the Lord. the farmer, from the prospect of a golden crop, patiently expects the showers of the spring and the autumn.

the prayer that proceeds from faith, shall save the sick; the Lord will raise him up, and his sins that may have been the occasion, shall be forgiven.

My brethren, when any of you deviates from the truth, whoever sets him right, may be assured,

that the retrieving of a sinner from his erroneous habits, is saving a soul from ruin, and cancels a multitude of sins.

and were answer'd, that it was not they, but we, who were concern'd in the events which they predicted, events which have been now represented to you by those, whom the holy spirit from heaven inspired to preach the gospel to you: a secret which the angels desire to penetrate into.

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,

it is by him that you believe in God, who has raised him from the dead, and invested him with glory, that your faith and your hope might be in God.

from a principle of conscience. what glory is there in suffering corporal punishment for real offences? but if you meet with ill usage for doing your duty, and bear it with constancy,

leaving an example for your exact imitation, he who never offended, and from whose lips no fallacy was ever utter'd,

he himself cancel'd our sins by the crucifixion of his body, that we being set free from sin, might live in the service of virtue. it is by his bruises that you were healed:

" He that desires to live in prosperity, must restrain his tongue from detraction, and his lips from uttering falsehood:

thus baptism, which corresponds to the deluge, does now save us, not as it is a cleansing from external filth, but as it is an engagement to lead a divine life, from the belief of the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

for to this end was the gospel preach'd to those, who are now dead, that after having suffer'd the loss of this frail life from men, they might enjoy an immortal life with God.

to exhort you to feed the flock of God, which is among you: to take care of it, voluntarily, without reluctance, not from any view to sordid gain, but out of real affection;

by which we have receiv'd the most inestimable promises, that thereby you might become partakers of the divine perfections, after having escap'd from the corruption of a sensual world.

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.

but he that is destitute of them is blind or short-sighted, having forgot he was purified from his past sins.

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.

for he received this honourable and glorious testimony from his father, when the voice broke out from the magnificent splendor, in these words, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

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

from the prophet's OWN MOTION; but the holy men of God spoke by the IMPULSE of the holy spirit.

By their artful discourses they will make you the tools of their avarice; but their condemnation has been a long time advancing, and their ruin is far from lingring.

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.

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.

This then is the commission we have from him, to declare unto you, that God is light, and in him there is no darkness.

but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have society one with another, and the blood of his son Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.

if we confess our sins, as he is faithful and just, he will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all iniquity.

My brethren, I don't prescribe you any new commandment, but the antient precept which you had from the beginning: and that is no other than the word which was originally delivered.

he that loves his brother, abides in the light, and will be secure from stumbling.

I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked spirit. I write to you, little children, because ye have known the father.

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked spirit.

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.

they went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that it might be manifest, that they were not all of us.

adhere therefore to what ye have learnt from the beginning. if you adhere to what ye have heard from the beginning, you will still persist to own both the son and the father.

but as the unction which ye have received from him, abides in you, you don't need any instruction: being then fully instructed by his unction, which is true and not fallacious, adhere to what that has taught you.

since you know that God is the source of virtue, you know that every one who has virtue, derives it from him.

he that lives in sin, imitates the devil; for the devil was a sinner from the beginning. for this purpose the son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

In this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: he that does not practise virtue, and fraternal benevolence, is not of God.

for this is the doctrine that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

as for us, we know, that we have passed from a state of death to that of life, because we love our brethren: he that does not love his brother, is in a destructive state.

by this you may distinguish the spirit of God: "every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is from God.

and every spirit that does not own that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not from God." this is that anti-christian spirit which you have heard was to come, and even now it appears in the world.

we are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. by this we distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of imposture.

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

for our love of God consists in the observation of his precepts: precepts that are far from being grievous.

dear children, keep yourselves from idols. AMEN.

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God the father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ the son of the father, in consequence of your sincere piety, and social virtue.

It was a great satisfaction to me, to see the conduct of your children, was so agreeable to the directions, we received from the father.

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.

Of these did Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesy in these words, "see! the Lord is coming with ten thousand of his saints,

These are murmurers, complainers, who pursue their own passions: their language swells with flattery, which they offer to the personages of men from a prospect of gain.

Now to him that is able to keep you from falling, and make you appear in his glorious presence, without defect, and full of joy:

JOHN to the seven churches which are in Asia: favour and peace be with you from him WHO IS, WHO WAS, WHO WILL BE; and from the seven spirits who are before his throne;

and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth: unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins by his own blood,

and I turned to see from whence the voice came that spake to me. and turning about, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent.

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.

and there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon, to banish peace from the land, and to make men kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

and I heard a voice from amidst the four animals say, " a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; but don't touch the oil and the wine."

"fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb:

and I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud vioce to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

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

for the lamb who is in the midst before the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.