Therefore desire with a sorrowful heart for the Lord, and say: Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake. Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. Ps. 25:4–9. Therefore, my dear friends, repent sincerely, and confess your sins before the Lord with all your heart; the Lord is found of them that are of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Is. 66:2. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God; that you may be exalted in eternity. 1 Pet. 5:6. Herewith I commend you to the Lord; may he guide you into all truth.
My dearly beloved friends, lay it to heart, for it is done out of sincere, ardent love, which I have for your souls, because I am certain and assured, that there is no other way by which we can be saved; hence I warn you out of a pure heart, and it will never be found otherwise. Therefore, though some have much to talk or say, they do this because they do not want to take upon them the cross of Christ, and be persecuted for it, as Paul says (Gal. 6:12); but [let us] take for an example, that we are to follow Christ’s steps, and that all the Scriptures constrain us, to submit ourselves to and prepare for suffering, even as also Paul says: “If we suffer with him, we shall also rejoice with him; and as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ; and we also read that all the holy men of God were tried by many tribulations and sufferings (Judith 8:25), and how that they would joyfully receive sufferings; yea, that they greatly rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of God; but those who do not truly love the Lord want to be exempt from suffering, and love this temporal life more than their Lord and God, although Christ says: Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it forever. Mark 8:35. Not that we must all die for the word of the Lord; but the mind must be in such a state, that we would rather die, than once knowingly and willingly transgress one of the Lord’s commandments; hence Christ says: “He that loveth aught more than me is not worthy of me.” Matt. 10:37.
Therefore, my dearest friends, whom I love with all my heart, do not regard what men say, but look only to Christ Jesus, how he went before us in tribulation and suffering. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your power and strength; yea, though the whole world should rise up against and assail you, no one can harm you, if you have God for your Father, and if you have true love to God and his saints; for love can do all things (1 Cor. 13:7); but where there is no true love, there will soon be confusion, when persecution and distress come (Matt. 13:21); but for him that commits himself to the Lord, and is possessed of love, nothing is difficult; had I not experienced this myself, it were impossible for me to know that it is so easy. Hence Christ says: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:30. Yes, dear friends, thus I am still minded, and I so love my Lord and God, that if I could save my life by a thought, and would know that it did not please the Lord, I would rather die than think such thought. Not that I am boasting; the Lord well knows how vile I have shown myself before him; but it is through the great grace and mercy and love shown us that we are elected to his heavenly kingdom. Eph. 2:7. Now only do I feel within me the inexpressible grace and mercy of God, and his love, and how we therefore ought to love him in return (1 John 4:19); yea, this grace and love are so great before my eyes, that my sorrow is turned into joy.