Furthermore, I pray you, my dear and much beloved wife, that you do the best with my children, to bring them up in the fear of God, with good instruction and chastening, while they are still young; for with the rod their back is bowed, and they are brought into obedience to their parents. Hence it is written: He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod; and he that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he that loveth him instructeth him betimes. Sir. 30:1; Prov. 13:24. For instruction must accompany chastisement: for chastisement demands obedience, and if one is to obey, he must first be instructed. This instruction does not consist in hard words, or loud yelling; for this the children learn to imitate; but if one conducts himself properly towards them, they have a good example, and learn propriety; for by the children the parents are known. And parents must not provoke their children to anger, lest they be discouraged; but must bring them up with admonition and good instruction. Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21.
Thus, my dear and much beloved wife, do the best with them, this I pray you; and take heed to yourself, that you may receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul, 1 Peter 1:9. And do not faint because of the tribulation which we must suffer, but remember how the innocent lamb, Christ Jesus, had to suffer from the beginning in the faithful. Hence the Lord says: “He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye.” Zech. 2:8. To Paul he said: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And Paul said: Who art thou, lord? He said: I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest. Acts 9:4,5. Not that he persecuted Christ according to the flesh; for the latter had died, before he persecuted: but he persecuted the Christians, in whom Christ lived according to the spirit; for they do not live to themselves, but Christ lives in them. Rom. 14:7. Hence, when they suffer, they do not suffer for their own name, but for the name of Christ; for if they lived to themselves, they would not be in trouble, for the world would love them; but because they are not of the world, and because Christ has chosen them from the world, therefore the world hates them. John 15:19. Hence Peter says: If ye suffer for the name of Christ, happy are ye: for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 1 Peter 4:14. For they are comforted by the same Spirit, so that we know: As the sufferings of Christ abound in them, so their consolation also aboundeth by Christ, namely, if they suffer with him, they shall also rejoice with him; for their light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; because they look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:12; 2 Cor. 4:17,18. Hence Paul says: I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; for we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, where mortality will be swallowed up of life; for there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither any heat, for God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 5:1; Heb. 11:10; 2 Cor. 5:4; Rev. 21:4; Is. 25:8.