Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/31

Rh In short, as far as in xis lies, we teach repentance from the word of the Lord, in order that we may subdue those carnal lusts which war against the soul, 1 Peter 2: 11, crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts, Gal. 5 : 24, refrain from conformity to this world, Rom. 12: 2, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, Rom. 13: 12; that we "love not the world, neither the things that are in the world," 1. Jn. 2: 15; "put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him," Col. 3: 9, 10; yea, cast off the old Adam with his whole natirre and deceitful lusts, such as pride, avarice, ujichastity, liati'ed, envyings, gluttony, drinking, idola- try, and put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, whose fruits are faith, love, hope, righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost, Eph. 4: 22; Rom. 14: 17; Gal. 5: 16; be patient in suffering, merciful, compassionate, chaste, sincerely hating and rebuking all sin, and entertaining a sincere love and zeal for God and his word. I repeat it, that this repentance, which we teach, must be sincere, fruitful and acceptable to the Lord, according to the instructions of his word. He that receives this repentance in sincerity, and abides therein unto the end, may rejoice and thank God, for the end thereof is eternal life. But he that rejects it and does not desire it, let him take warning that the end thereof is eternal death. Beloved Sirs, Friends and Brethren, do for once truly and sincerely lay it to heart, what it is, and what the consequences will be, willfully to transgress the commands of the Lord and haughtily sin against the word of God. Adam and Eve did but once eat of the fruit of which the Lord had forbidden them, therefore, for Adam's sake the earth was cursed. In the sweat of his face he was doomed to eat his bread all the days of his life. Eve and her daughters must bring forth in pain, and be in subjection to their liusbands. They were driven from Paradise, and with all their race, .doomed to return to dust, from whence they were taken. Here also there was no forgiveness nor consolation of grace to be obtained. But the Eternal Word, God's Eternal Son must needs come from high heaven, assume human nature, suffer hunger, temptation, misery; the cross and death, as the scriptures teach. Oh, beloved Sirs, if this single transgression was so great before God, what will become of those who so proudly, all their days, despise the holy word, covenant, will and commandment of the Lord, who do not confess their sins and transgressions, though they are full of iniquity from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet. Cain was cursed and became a vagabond upon the earth as long as he lived, because he so enviously slew his innocent brother Abel. Alas! what will become of those, who, at the present day without compassion or justice, persecute, plunder and murder the pious Abelites, who with fervent hearts seek Christ and eternal life?

The ancient world was drowned in the waters of the flood, because the sons of God looked upon the daughters of men, that they were fair, and took to themselves vdves of all which they chose, and also because they would not be reproved of the Spirit of God, V for every imagination and thought of their hearts were evil continually. Reflect upon the lusts with which the marriages of the Avorld at the present time are contracted, yea, like dumb beasts; how the Holy Ghost ^ is reviled, slandered and grieved, and how they all walk in their" perverted ways which lead to hell, yea, to eternal damnation and death.

Sodom and Gomorrah, with the sm-round- ing cities, on account of their pride, wanton- ness, cruelty, and al)ominable crimes, were burned up with the fire of the furious wrath of God, and cast into the abyss of hell. Alas, alas, what will befall those miserable men in the great and terrible day when the Lord will appear in his glory, whose pride, excess, debaxichery, pomp, tyranny, blood- thirstiness, adultery, fornication, and papal abominations, no heart can conceive, no tongue express, no jsen describe! Rom. 1 : 24. Koran, Dathan and Abiram, though they were of the seed of Abraham, and some of