Are you pious Christians? Then consider what Christ Jesus suffered for us poor sinners; the Lord for his servants, the Master for his disciples, the Shepherd for his sheep, yea, God for men. 1 Peter 4:1; John 10:11; Ezek. 34:23. O deep humility of the Master, that he would serve his disciples, and give himself unto death for them! John 13:5. O great grace of the Lord, that he would suffer so much for his servants! O infinite righteousness of the Shepherd, who would give his life for his sheep! John 10:11; 17:9. O unspeakable love of God to us poor mortals, that he would redeem us by his own precious blood! This every Christian should at all times remember, and feel grateful to Jesus Christ for these benefits, not only with words but also with works. But, alas! some have gone so far, that they can indeed talk of Christ, that he suffered and atoned for us, and are desirous also of partaking of the redemption purchased for us with the blood of Christ; but they never once think of suffering with Christ Jesus, though they nevertheless hope to be glorified with him. But it is a faithful saying, says Paul, that if we are dead with Christ, we shall also live with him; if we suffer with him, we shall also rejoice with him forever; if we deny him, he also will deny us. 2 Tim. 2:11,12; Rom. 6:23; Luke 12:9. Let all apostate Christians, who return to the Roman Babylon, from which they had separated, and make friendship with the whore whom they had hated bear this in mind. What shall we say to such unstable persons? How can men who once knew the truth be so blinded as to depart from Christ Jesus their only Savior, and return to the infamous accursed whore of Babylon, the mother of all unrighteousness, and queen of all the children of unbelief and cursing, who has become their comfort and protection, yea, their idol. Woe unto such perverse men, who depart from righteousness, from light to darkness, from life to death, and go from Jesus Christ to antichrist, seeking consolation from Satan, and not in God. Woe unto such fearful ones, who fear those who can kill only the body, more than God, the Almighty Lord, who can cast both body and soul into eternal damnation. Revelation 21:8; Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:4,5. Woe unto such, that they were ever born unless they remarkably amend their ways and go out of Babylon; for the Scripture says not in vain: “Go ye out of the midst of Babylon, my people, and touch not the unclean thing, that ye be not partakers of her plagues, or sins.” Is. 52:11; 2 Cor. 6:17; Revelation 18:4. These are the clear words of the Lord; Who can blot them out? Who can endure the stings of a guilty conscience? Let him begin as he may, he will find it a hard undertaking, and shall not be successful in it. Acts 9:5; 5:5.
Here also no excuse will avail, as is clearly shown in the parable of the wicked servant, who, out of fear, had buried his Lord’s pound into the earth, but was not heard when he wanted to excuse himself to his lord. Matt. 25:26; Luke 19:22. By this wicked servant we understand all the fearful, who are not fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and relish and seek all earthly things more than heavenly things. They may excuse themselves as ever they will, their excuse shall not avail, but eternal damnation will be their recompense; for every tree which does not bring forth good fruit, shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. There must be fruits; leaves alone will not avail. Matt. 21:19. Christ is our example; he practiced and taught. He taught his disciples to suffer and endure, for he himself suffered and endured; hence Paul teaches us to look unto Christ Jesus, saying: “Consider him (Christ Jesus), ye Christians, that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” Heb. 12:3–10; Prov. 3:11; Revelation 3:19.