Study Desk

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

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

for Jesus Christ himself has already suffer'd for our sins, the innocent for the guilty, to bring us to God: who, tho' he died with respect to his body, was rais'd to life by that spirit,

Since then Christ has with respect to his mortal nature died for us, arm yourselves with this reflection, that he, who is dead with respect to sensuality, has renounced sin;

so that for the future he does not pass the rest of this life in gratifying his sensual passions, but in conformity to the divine precepts.

on the contrary, rejoice at the share you have of sufferings, as well as Christ: that you may likewise triumph, when he shall appear in his glory.

for now is the time when God will begin his judgments with his own church. now if he begins with us, what will the conclusion be to those who do not obey the divine gospel?

let those then, whom God calls to sufferings, by virtue recommend their souls to him, as to a creator, who will make good his promise.

refer all your disquietudes to him, for you are the objects of his care.

It is thus his divine power has given us every thing conducive to life and piety, by making us acquainted with him, who has called us by his illustrious power;

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."

for whilst this good man was among them, it daily pierc'd his virtuous soul, to see and hear of their detestable behaviour: this consider'd,

but he was rebuked for his transgression: for an ass, as dumb as it was, spoke with an articulate voice, and reprimanded the extravagance of the prophet.

but the proverb is exactly verified in them, "the dog is return'd to his own vomit: the sow that was wash'd, is wallowing in the mire."

"where is the promise of his coming? for since our fathers are dead, the state of things is the same it has ever been since the beginning of the world."

but the heavens and the earth now existing are kept in store by his Logos, reserv'd for the conflagration of doomsday, when the impious shall be involv'd in perdition.

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.

As for us, in consequence of his promise, we expect a new heaven, and a new earth, where justice shall reside.