And if you, my child, thus betake your heart with all humility to the Lord, and unceasingly cleave to him with prayer and supplication, he will delight in you, and abundantly give you the fear of God, and the knowledge of wisdom. For the fear of God is a tree of life, and his branches flourish forever, and his fruits are righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and his leaves serve for the healing of the nations; but none eat of the fruits save those that are born again of water and of the Spirit; who, through baptism in Christ Jesus, have buried the old Adam with all his carnal lusts; who renounce the devil, hell, death, the world and all its false appearance, and henceforth walk according to the holy will of God the Lord, with all the elect children of God, whose names are written in the book of eternal life. Hence fear God from the heart; not as the world does, who profess that they know God but in works they deny him, being abominable unto God, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Tit. 1:15. But God has chosen him a peculiar and holy people, zealous of good works, to do his will. 1 Pet. 2:9; Tit. 2:14. Hence we must above all, as I have written before, diligently fear the Lord with an humble heart. Perfect and upright was Job, fearing God, and eschewing evil; for to depart from evil is understanding. Job 1:1; 28:28. Hence serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Ps. 2:11. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; it is a good understanding; and he that doeth according to it, his praise endureth forever. And then the wise man also says: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way. Prov. 8:13. He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord; but he that is perverse in his ways, despiseth him, and falleth in the snares of death. 14:2. For where one suffers in the fear of God, for the name of the Lord, there are wealth and honor; and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and is in the depth of the heart only with the faithful, and dwells only with the chosen women, and is found only with the righteous and the faithful. The fear of the Lord is true religion; it keeps and makes the heart good, and gives joy and gladness; for he that fears the Lord shall prosper, and when he needs comfort, he shall be blessed of the Lord. The fear of the Lord prevents sin; for he that is without fear cannot please God. Eccl. 1.
Hence, my child, when it goes well with you, watch, and continue steadfast in the fear of the Lord, and be not proud, for a haughty spirit goes before a fall. Prov. 16:18. Therefore have God always before your eyes in all your ways, and seek to please him with an upright heart; and God shall be with you, and have compassion upon your weakness, and wink at sin when it comes upon you unawares through ignorance or misapprehension. But presumptuous sinning and obstinacy are an abomination before the Lord, and he will not leave unpunished such as thus lightly esteem his words. Therefore take heed to yourself, that you be not a slave of sin. And give not your mouth to lying; for the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul. Wis. 1:11. There is more hope of a thief, than of a man accustomed to lie; for they are every man’s enemy. A lying child is always hated, and whatever they speak, their words are not hearkened to, and men hold them in derision. The devil is a liar from the beginning, and abode not in the truth. Hence all the ungodly are called children of the devil. When they speak lies, they do according to the nature of their father the devil, who has always continued a liar, wherefore he was also cast out of heaven. Hence, my child, always speak the truth, for the same maketh not ashamed, whether it be for or against you. Always say just as it is; for though you have erred in something, yet if you speak the truth, it will be overlooked more readily, than if you sought to cover it by lying; for lies ultimately are made manifest and come to light, and then the liar must with shame hear words of reproach, which is an abomination before God and men. Hence Paul says: Lie not one to another, but let every one speak the truth from the heart with his neighbor; for liars shall have no part in the kingdom of God.