A LETTER FROM JEROME SEGERS TO THE BRETHREN AND SISTERS.

The eternal joy, peace and grace of God the Father; and the unfathomable mercy, favor, and love of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been sent through grace, by God the Father, to the salvation of all those that are born again with him, through his imperishable word or gospel, and do his will; and the deep and unspeakable consolation, power, strength, and communion of the Holy Ghost, who is sent by both from heaven, to the everlasting consolation, joy, and gladness of all true, penitent and obedient children of God, who have amended their life, and thus have risen with Christ, through his gospel, into newness of life. May this only God strengthen you all in his eternal truth, and uphold you with the mighty word of his grace in all righteousness, holiness and truth unto the end, and keep your understanding, and your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. To him be praise, honor, glory, might, power, and strength forever and ever. Amen.

My dearly beloved and chosen brethren and sisters, and all lovers of the unfeigned and eternal truth, I wish you the true, penitent faith, which works by love, and avails before God, and a pure, chaste and holy conversation and walk in the fear of God, and an ardent love to God our heavenly Father, and your neighbor, and to his eternal, clear and unchangeable truth. And I pray the Lord for you day and night without ceasing, that he will open the eyes of your understanding, and enlighten your hearts with knowledge, that you may know that it is the truth, and that he will strengthen you with his divine word, and confirm you in the faith, that you may walk in this truth, in all humility and meekness, being a light to all men, and may continue steadfast unto the end. I also pray the Lord, that he will keep you from all ravening wolves, that have gone out from us, and will yet rise up among you, who will not spare the flock, and from all false, heretical and satanic teachers, who rise up under the name of Christ, and come forth in a semblance of holiness, as though they were sent by Christ, while they have proceeded from and are sent by the devil. Acts 20:29; 2 Cor. 11:15.

Therefore, my dear brethren, be vigilant, watch and pray; for it is very necessary; and remember after my departure, that I warned you from prison against false prophets. Thus, with the help of God, I have briefly written to you, and with Peter exhorted you, well knowing that shortly I must put off my mortal clothing and sleep with my brethren and sisters in Christ. Though you are yourselves taught and strengthened in this present truth, I nevertheless deem it profitable to admonish you yet a little more, if haply thereby some one may be bettered, edified and strengthened, the name of the Lord be praised and thanked, and I be remembered, how I have been an example unto you in that which the Lord gave me, and have walked among you in all humility. Tit. 2:7.

Hence I admonish you now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, and beseech you with Paul, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this evil, wicked and perverse world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Rom. 12:1,2; Eph. 5:17.

O my dear brethren, I earnestly beseech you, that you will all amend your lives, and forsake the world and its lusts, and will look to the life of Christ, how he walked before us; for John says: “He that would boast of Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 2:6.

Behold, my dear friends, it is not enough that we are baptized in the name of Christ, that we are called brethren or sisters of Christ, and bear the name of Christians. O no, all this cannot save; for John says: “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.” John 3:7,8,10. And Christ says: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14. Again: “If a man love me, he will keep my words and commandments; and he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” John 14:23,21. For John says: “He that saith he loveth God, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4. And you know that a liar has no part in the kingdom of God. Rev. 21:8. Therefore, be not Christians with the mouth, nor with the tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18. For it is utterly in vain to bear the name of Christ, so long as we are not conformed to him in word, work and thought; for Paul says: “Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.” Rom. 8:29. If he then has called and predestinated you, use diligence that you become conformed to him, so that you may be found true Christians in deed when you come into the tribulation in which we now are; for though we are in it now, to-morrow you may also be in it. Therefore watch and pray; for you know neither the day nor the hour; and be diligent to please the Lord; for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Cor. 5:10.