Take heed, beloved, lest His many kindnesses
lead to the condemnation of us all. [For thus
it must be] unless we walk worthy of Him, and
with one mind do those things which are good
and well-pleasing in His sight. For [the Scrip-
ture] saith in a certain place, " The Spirit of the
Lord is a candle searching the secret parts of
the belly." ' Let us reflect how near He is, and
that none of the thoughts or reasonings in which
we engage are hid from Him. L is right, there-
fore, that we should not leave the post which
His will has assigned us. Let us rather offend
those men who are foolish, and inconsiderate,
and lifted up, and who glory in the pride of
their speech, than [offend] God. Let us rever-
ence the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was
given for us ; let us esteem those who have
the rule over us ; ^ let us honour the aged 3
among us ; let us train up the young men in the
fear of God ; let us direct our wives to that
which is good. Let them exhibit the lovely
habit of purity [in all their conduct] ; let them
show forth the sincere disposition of meekness ;
let them make manifest the command which
they have of their tongue, by their manner ■* of
speaking ; let them display their love, not by
preferring 5 one to another, but by showing
equal affection to all that piously fear God.
Let your children be partakers of true Chris-
tian training ; let them learn of how great avail
humility is with God — how much the spirit of
pure affection can prevail with Him — how ex-
cellent and great His fear is, and how it saves
all those who walk in^ it with a pure mind.
For He is a Searcher of the thoughts and de-
sires [of the heart] : His breath is in us ; and
when He pleases. He will take it away.