Part 176
My dear little children, it is true, it is true I say, you are yet too childish, the oldest as well as the youngest, to understand the holy Bible, and also that which I shall teach here; but I hope you will delight in reading in it frequently, and to have others read it to you. I also trust that your understanding will increase from day to day and that you will yourselves discern good and evil, and will wisely learn to know who are the true believers, and who the unbelievers; which are the children of God, and which are the children of the devil and the world; who bear the name of Christ justly, and who unjustly. I therefore write in this hope, and to acquit myself of the duty of fatherly instruction, which is still to be discharged towards you, and to the fulfillment of which much is lacking on my part, since I am taken away from you too soon, fully to discharge it. Nevertheless, I cannot forbear, through love, to offer and send you this from afar, my dear children, if peradventure I must shortly go with David the way of all this mortal earth. 1 Kings 2:2. Hence I instruct, enjoin, and counsel you after my departure, as many patriarchs and holy fathers did to their children, that you will be of good cheer and courage in patience, and that you will follow the ways, commandments, laws, and ordinances of the Lord, and do his whole will. Always do what is right and good; love honesty, modesty, courtesy, shame-facedness, virtue, praise (Phil. 4:8); and whatsoever is Christian-like and of good report, that do and think on it, and you will be holy and Christians. Then you shall have everlasting life and the beautiful heaven, that you may be with God and his angelic host, with all the elect of God, in eternal rest and joy of your souls; and you shall then not have to fear the second death, the fiery lake, eternal fire, the wages of sin, disinheritance from Christ’s kingdom, or exclusion by Christ. Matt. 25:10.
My dear children, lay this to heart. As soon as your little understanding can comprehend it, think of returning from the old rebellious man into the new man (Matt. 18:3); of the heavenly regeneration of water and of the Spirit (John 3:35); of the grace of God and improving the right time (2 Corinthians 6:1,2); of living peaceably with all men, if it be justly possible and lying in you (for the other half of peace lies with the other party); and also of holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, or enter into Christ’s kingdom. Rom. 12:18; Hebrews 12:14.
This, my dear children, is my careful counsel and command to you, after my decease.
ARTICLE II.
_The first foundation of virtue, or instruction concerning the beginning of wisdom in childhood.--Government of children._
Behold, my dear children, since you are still children in understanding, young in years, and little fitted for the knowledge of God, I now show you for the first, how you may attain to the foundation of virtue, and the beginning of wisdom, that is: Give good audience, and cry earnestly for wisdom, and ask for it; and gladly receive all good instruction from those who advise you for the best. For, behold, thus Sirach teaches: Keep only with such as fear God, whom thou knowest to keep God’s commandments, who are minded as thou art, who have compassion on thee, if thou stumble; and abide by their counsel (he says, abide by their counsel), for thou shalt find no more faithful counsel, and such an one can often see something better than seven watchmen that sit above in a high tower. Sir. 37:12. Again: The true beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline. Wis. 6:17. And again: Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. Prov. 12:1. Again: The ears that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. And he that refuseth correction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. 15:31,32. Moreover: He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. 10:17. Again: A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. 17:10. Behold, my dear children, open your ears, and receive instruction, and you shall become wise and honorable; if not, you must remain unwise, ungodly, worldly and in error, as follows here: Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction; but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored. 13:18.
Again: He that hateth to be reproved is already in the way of the ungodly. Sir. 21:6. Again: An ungodly man will not be reproved, but excuseth himself by the example of others in what he doeth. 32:17.
Behold, my dear children, what excellent instructions these are. Here you hear good counsel, how you can attain to virtue. And this you can do without many stripes of the rod, if you but attend to words, and fear your people in all they command you. Be very obedient to the people with whom you live, and beware of your innate evil nature, your wildness, your foolishness and childishness. Abandon that for which you are chastised; else you will have to be severely beaten without ceasing; for this belongs to foolish, froward and disobedient children, as follows here:
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Prov. 22:15. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 29:15. Again: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” 22:6. “Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” 23:13,14. Again: “Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their youth. Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and do not spoil them.” Sir. 7:23,24. “He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod, that he may have joy of him in the end. He that chastiseth his son, shall have joy in him, and shall rejoice in him among his acquaintance.” 30:1,2.
Behold, my children, this is what is said with regard to disobedient children. Thus must children be brought up by godfearing parents, the good with words, the evil with rods. Thus did Tobit with his son; thus was Susannah from her youth brought up in the fear of God; and to Abraham it was counted for righteousness that he should admonish his children to the fear of God after him. Sus. 2; Tob. 1:9; Gen. 18:19.
In short, this is the conclusion: Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. And, ye parents, be not bitter against them, lest they become dull, shy, or discouraged. Col. 3:20,21; Eph. 6:1.
See, my dear children, learn here what is becoming to you; see here, with what heavy duty of instruction and correction Christian parents are charged with regard to their children.
Those who neglect their children in regard to this discipline, and are too indulgent toward them, may remember the terrible example of evil recompense exhibited in Eli, the priest, who for this reason, by the hand of God, fell from off his seat backward, and brake his neck. 1 Sam. 4:18. Hence it is a grievous matter badly to bring up froward children, concerning which Sirach says: He that is too indulgent with his child lamenteth his stripes, and is terrified as often as he cries. A wanton child becometh willful, like a wild horse. Cocker thy child and he shall make thee afraid: play with him, and he will bring thee to heaviness. Laugh not with him, lest thou have sorrow with him, and lest thou gnash thy teeth in the end. Give him no liberty in his youth, and wink not at his follies. Bow down his neck while he is young, and beat him on the sides (he says beat him on the sides) while he is a child, lest he wax stubborn, and be disobedient unto thee. Instruct thy child, and suffer him not to go idle, lest thou be brought to shame through him. Sirach 30:7–13. Behold, what a solemn charge the believer has concerning his children, and also those that are committed to him as his own children. Hence, dear lambs, endure kind correction, and be afraid of words, and you will not have to suffer this severe cruelty: otherwise you must suffer it, as has been heard.
Behold, my children, in these holy instructions in correction I acquit myself of my duty towards you; and in all this I admonish you not only in your youth, but also in your riper years, to give ear to the advice of the wise and pious, and always to love the Christians, God’s dear children, the holy church, which by all men is considered a heresy, because they so firmly hope in the living God. Acts 24:14. Learn to know early in the Scriptures this living God of them that believe; for, says the apostle Paul, he that cometh to God must believe that there is a God, and that he will greatly reward those who, through the strait gate, seek him with such hardships, on the narrow way of tribulation. 1 Tim. 4:10; Heb. 11:6.
ARTICLE III.
_Brief instruction concerning God, to learn to know him by his written name, glory, handiwork, wonderful deeds, voice, omnipotence, omniscience, by his being the terrible enemy of his enemies, and the faithful succorer of the pious, etc._
Mark, beloved, my simple children, this in the God of your father, the God of all the faithful, from the beginning of the world until now, the God of Abel, the God of Noah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, the God of Jesus Christ, and of all the saints. And this is the God that is not made or worshiped by any man or by human hands, but the God that was from everlasting and before all things, and shall be forever, the God of whom and by whom all things are created and made, yea, heaven, earth, sea, and all the works that therein are, were made by his word, Spirit and omnipotence. This our God is good to the good, and very terrible to his enemies. His power extends over all kingdoms and kings, and he is the Lord of lords. There is none like unto him. Thou art great, and thy name is great, and thou canst show it by the deed. Who should not fear thee, thou king of the heathen? Thou shouldest certainly be obeyed. His name is Governor, Lord, Lord Sabaoth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, and of the fathers; this is his name. His name is Wonderful, Counsellor, Power, Giant, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, his government abideth upon him forever. Is. 9:6,7. His name is Immanuel, that is, God with us. 7:14. It is not possible fully to express his name; hence, for the completion of his impossible, unmentionable, inexpressible exalted name, he is further called Jehova, Shadai, Addonai, and by other names. Besides his general appellations, he is also called: Righteous, Merciful, Gracious God, Truth, Light, Right Hand, Holy consuming Fire.
See, my dear children, here you have heard of your father’s God, of his eternity without beginning and without end, and of his glorious and exalted names in the Holy Scriptures. There follows further now, of his glorious, incomprehensible, unmeasurable greatness, glory and the invisibleness of his divine shape, form and image; for God is a Spirit. Think, how great he must be: heaven is the throne and the earth his footstool. Acts 7:49. He sees, hears, and is, everywhere, and in all places; for thus he says through Jeremiah: “Am I a God at hand, and not afar off? Can any hide himself in secret, places that I shall not see him? Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:23,24. And in another place the Scripture declares: “He spanneth heaven with his three fingers.” Is. 40:12. When he walks, the mountains tremble, and the foundations of the earth quake. When he manifests himself, or permits himself to be heard, he causes fear and terror to come upon all men, as we read in Ex. 3, that the thorn-bush seemed to burn as a flame of fire, when he called Moses to him, to make him a prince over Israel, to lead them out of Egypt. And again, when Moses, while receiving the law of God, spoke with God on mount Sinai, the mount smoked, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And the voice of the trumpet waxed louder and louder, with thunders and lightnings, which frightened the people. And also Moses was terrified, and trembled. No one was permitted to touch the mount; no one could endure his voice, save Moses, however, with fear. Ex. 19. Thus does God show himself, says Moses, that his fear should be before your eyes, and you might not sin. Well may Moses say: “The Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.” Deut. 10:17.
Behold, my dear children, this great God alone is worthy to be feared, who can kill soul and body. Sirach says: The whole heaven everywhere, the sea and the earth tremble; mountain and valley quake, when he visiteth them; and shall he not see thy heart? Sir. 16:18.
Again: God is witness of all thoughts, and knoweth the conscience of every heart, and heareth every word. For the circuit of the world is full of the Spirit of the Lord (he says that the circuit of the world is full of the Spirit of the Lord), and he that knoweth the voice is everywhere; therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things cannot be hid. Wis. 1:6. Yea, my dear children, he knows who serves him in appearance and in the sight of the eyes, and who with a sincere heart. For the wisdom of God is great, and he is mighty, says Sirach, and beholdeth all things; and his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth well, what is done in righteousness, and what is hypocrisy. Sir. 14:18. I say he is worthy that men should fear him, keep his commandments, love him, be very small and humble before him, and this is what he requires of his people. Read Mic. 6, the law of Moses, and the Gospel of Christ. For he would have obedience, and not the pomp and deceitful semblance of sacrifices, as is exemplified in Saul, 1 Sam. 15:22. “Will ye not fear me, saith the Lord, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, that it cannot pass it?” Jeremiah 5:22.
Ah, ah, dear children, how good is this fear of the Lord, for it is the beginning of wisdom. It is the root of wisdom, and its branches flourish forever. Wis. 1:20.
This fear of the Lord driveth out sin; for he that is without fear cannot be justified. Wis. 1:21. For by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. Proverbs 16:6. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death, 14:27. For those that fear the Lord, my children, walk in the right way; but he that feareth him not, or despiseth him, departeth from his way. 14:2.
Hereby, and by the vain boasting or thinking of having the fear of God, you may perceive the fear of God, and know those who fear him [and them that fear him not].
Read who are the truly godfearing; Ps. 1:2; 119:120; Sir. 2:17; 15:1; 16:2. Therefore, the fear of God is the sum and conclusion of all books. Read Eccl. 12:13. And as you have now heard of the great glory of God, which is well worthy that men should fear him on account of it, so I will now briefly show that he is also a most awful, terrible and inexorably stern avenger and enemy towards his enemies; and, on the other hand, a faithful succorer of his afflicted friends, as is written in Exodus: “I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” And again: “Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:5,6.
Notice also the wonderful deeds of God in Egypt, on Pharaoh, who afflicted the children of Israel; how God afflicted the Egyptians in return, visiting their land with manifold plagues. Ultimately, how God delivered his people out of it, made a dry passage through the Red Sea, separated and protected them from Pharaoh by the dark pillar of cloud, and terrified Pharaoh and his host with a heavenly noise in the air, and drowned them all in the Red Sea, as a God of great power. Now when Israel had passed through the Red Sea, and was in the wilderness, king Amalek came to afflict them, whom God himself resisted, however, through Joshua, and the enemy and his people were discomfited and destroyed. Thus, again, in the days of Joshua, God fought with hailstones, and Israel with the sword; and sun and moon for their benefit stood still the whole day, as long as the battle lasted. Josh. 10. Yea, God also fought from heaven against Sisera, and the stars in their courses fought. Judg. 5:20. Again, at another time, when Samaria was besieged by the Syrians, God fought for Samaria, and terrified the enemies with a noise in the air, as the noise of chariots, horsemen and hosts, in the night, so that they fled and left everything behind them. 2 Kings 7:6,7. Thus read also of Zerah the Ethiopian, with his host of a thousand thousand, of whom not one escaped. 2 Chron. 14:9 Thus also, the children of Ammon and Moab, from Syria, afflicted Israel; and God fought for Israel, while Israel stood still and he ordered it so that the enemies destroyed one another. 2 Chron. 20.
In like manner we read concerning Gideon, that God so ordered it that the enemies, the Midianites, fell upon one another with their swords, and destroyed themselves, through the direction of God. Judg. 7:22.
Behold, my dear children, what an awful, inexorable enemy of his enemies, and faithful and victorious protector of his friends he is; for when his people went to battle with God’s consent, though they had neither bows, arrows, shields nor swords, God fought for them and gained the victory. No one could harm this people, save when they departed from the commandments of the Lord their God; then God delivered them into the hand of the enemy. We have a God that helps, the Lord Sabaoth, who delivers from death; thus extol the saints the help of God. When the people of God, in former times, were encompassed and assailed with war, and by wicked nations and kings, and then cried with confidence to this their God for protection, behold, their God only sent an angel to their assistance, who was able to direct all, and turned not away from thousands. Read 2 Kings 19:35; Is. 37:36. Read further 2 Macc. 11:10. We further read of five angels of God, armed and upon horses with bridles of gold, and what great execution they did. 2 Macc. 10:29. God sent two angels to Sodom, for the destruction of the wicked, and the preservation of the good. And other such examples; read 2 Macc. 12; Judg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:20; 17:52; 2 Chron. 20:23.
Behold, my dear children, the faithfulness of God towards his people, and his terribleness to the wicked, as has been heard; and this is only a moderate portion, much still remains to be told of so many examples contained in the holy Scriptures, and left for our confirmation, that we might hope in this God, suffer for his sake, and obey him. However, it must be understood with a due distinction of times and laws, as regards the ancient warfares of Israel, the taking of revenge on enemies, fighting and killing in the time of the law, and previous to it, which then was done by the will, command, permission, and also, help, of God, under the Old Testament, but now, in the Gospel and New Testament, it must not be so, and is now plainly prohibited, by the word and example of Christ, himself God and the Son of God, whose word must be heard. Prohibited, I say, plainly and clearly enough, not by men’s commandments, but by God himself; his people are denied and forbidden all revenge, and commanded to commit all vengeance unto God; not to resist evil; to give to him that taketh away the cloak also the coat, and to turn to him that smiteth thee on thy right cheek the other also, and the like; yea, to love one’s enemies, to pray for your persecutors, and to flee from them from one city into another. Matt. 5:39; Rom. 12:17; 1 Thess. 5:15. And they that are thus afflicted shall be blessed, and greatly comforted of God, with the promise of eternal life. In short, not to fight at all, and yet to fight, but this no longer with iron, steel, stone, wood, or any carnal weapons, but with spiritual weapons mighty before God. 2 Cor. 10:4. Read, my children, what weapons and warfare Christians now wield, as is plainly and very clearly set forth. Eph. 6. Christians have no other warfare at the present time. For, understand, the prophecy is fulfilled which said with reference to this time, that such people have beaten their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles, rest from their works, and truly observe the spiritual Sabbath. Is. 2:4; Mic. 4:3; Ex. 20:10,11. Hence Christians may now not wage war any more. However I refer you to ancient warfare and God’s succor, as these are a demonstration and proof to you of the greatness and the terrible deeds of God; in order that you may learn to know, fear and obey him in whose presence the earth shakes, and the mountains tremble; for the disobedient toward his word, will and commandment shall find no hiding-place from his face when he shall appear with his angels, in flames of fire, to execute vengeance on all the disobedient. 2 Esd. 16:9.
Therefore, my children, learn to know and shun sin; for because of sin souls are damned forever.
ARTICLE IV.
_What sin is, and whereby sin became sin; and what are and will be the wages of sin, before God, or God’s punishment of sinners hereafter._
What sin is, is clearly shown by the holy Scriptures. The prophet Samuel said to Saul, when the latter had transgressed the commandment of the Lord: Disobedience is as the sin (mark, sin) of witchcraft. 1 Sam. 15:23. John says: All unrighteousness is sin. 1 John 5:17. James says: To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Jas. 4:17. (Mark what sin is). Paul says: Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Rom. 14:23.
From this and the like, my children, learn to know sin; as Paul says: By the law is the knowledge of sin. I had not known sin but by the law. The law causes sin to become exceeding sinful; for when it says: Thou shalt not covet, sin takes occasion, and works in us all manner of concupiscence. Rom. 3:20; 7:7,13. From this we also perceive, whereby sin became sin, namely, by the command and prohibition of God.
Every one who transgresses the things which God has commanded, commits sin, and it is also called sin, and punished as sin, fully and abundantly, in both Testaments. The tree of knowledge was not unclean for Adam, except through the commandment; his transgression was also called sin. As regards the punishment for this sin, read Gen. 3:14. The heathen daughters and wives were not unclean for the Jews, save through the commandment of God, who would not have it. Concerning the punishment, read Judg. 3; Num. 25. The sanctuary, or ark of God, which was certainly clean, was not unclean for any tribe, to touch or bear it, except through the commandment. Num. 4:17. The gods of the heathen were not unclean for Israel, save through the prohibition and proscription of God, also the commandment and the punishment. 1 Kings 15.
Behold, thus you can perceive whereby sin becomes sin, namely, through the commandment, and the transgressing of the commandment; for where no commandment is, there is no sin, for without the law sin was dead. Rom. 4:15; 7:8. For sin, or sinful action was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Rom. 5:13.
Now, dear children, as soon as you know sin, learn to shun it as you shun fire; for if you approach sin, it will embrace you; but the stings and wounds thereof cannot be healed. Sir. 21:2,3.