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ALL happiness to you my sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us, in peace.
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Having perceived abundance of knowledge of the great and [*145:1] excellent [*145:2] laws of God to be in you, I exceedingly rejoice in your blessed and admirable [*145:3] souls, because ye have so worthily received the grace which was [*145:4] grafted in you.
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For which cause I am full of joy, hoping the rather to he [*145:5] saved; inasmuch as I truly see a spirit infused into you, from the [*145:6] pure fountain of God:
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Having this persuasion, and being fully convinced thereof, because that since I have begun to speak unto you, I have had a more than ordinary good success in the way of [*145:7] the law of the Lord which is in Christ.
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For which cause [*145:8] brethren, I also think verily that I love you above my own soul: because that therein dwelleth the greatness of faith and charity, as also the hope of that life which is to come.
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Wherefore considering this, that if I shall take care to communicate to you a part of what I have received, it shall turn to my reward, [*145:9] that I have served such good souls; I gave diligence to write in a few words unto you; that together with your faith, [*145:10] knowledge also may be perfect.
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There are therefore three [*145:11] things ordained by the Lord; the hope of life; [*145:12] the beginning and the completion of it.
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For the Lord hath both declared unto us, by the prophets those things that [*145:13] are past; and [*145:14] opened to us the beginnings of those that are to come.
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Wherefore, it will behoove us, [*146:1] as he has spoken, to come [*146:2] more holily, and nearer to his altar.
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I therefore, not as a teacher, but as one [*146:3] of you, will endeavour to lay before you a few things by which you may, on [*146:4] many accounts, become the more joyful.
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Footnotes ^145:1 Honestarum.
^145:2 Aequitatum, Dikaiumatun, righteous judgments.
^145:3 Spiritibus, Disposition.
^145:4 Natural, Gr. emfyton. See chap. xix. emfyton dorean didaxes: which the Lat. Int. renders. Naturale donum Doctrinae. Comp. Jam. i. 21.
^145:5 Liberari: Gr. at videtur suthenai.
^145:6 Honesto from the Gr. kales.
^145:7 Comp. Psalm 119, 33, viz. either by preaching or fulfilling the same.
^145:8 Vid. Annot. Vos. in loc.
^145:9 Talibus spiritibus servienti. Usser.
^145:10 Gnusis.
^145:11 Dogmata kyrioy, Constitutions of the Lord.
^145:12 Viz. faith and Charity. See before.
^145:13 Namely, which we are to believe.
^145:14 That is, which are to be hoped for, and end in love.
^146:1 Given us to know.
^146:2 Honestinus et Altius: he more honestly and highly.
^146:3 Like yourselves.
^146:4 In many things.
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