# Another Letter Of Jacob The Chandler, Written In Prison. · Page 3 of 4 [Previous page: ANOTHER LETTER OF JACOB THE CHANDLER, WRITTEN IN PRISON.](/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: ANOTHER LETTER OF JACOB THE CHANDLER, WRITTEN IN PRISON.](/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison/part-4/) Therefore, dear brother, exercise yourself in the Scriptures, and give up a part of your temporal business, that through habit your mind may be practiced in discerning good and evil; for temporal business is a great hindrance to spiritual gifts, for thereby the thoughts are filled with anxiety, and become widely scattered. Hence, dear brother, remember that the apostle says, that bodily exercise profiteth little; for it profits the body, but not the spirit. The Lord has blessed you much according to the flesh, so that you are not urged by necessity. But godly exercise is profitable unto all things, for it profits the spirit and the body, since it cares for both, remembers the inner man, and does every thing that tends to his salvation. Such is the nature of godliness; and it does not neglect the body, but knows how to use the temporal things with moderation. And it casts its care upon the Lord, knowing that he cares for it. Hence the apostle says, that it has the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Therefore, dear brother, if you be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth; and be not like a mole, whose mouth is always digging and rooting in the earth, and which, moreover, is so blind, that he hardly sees the heavens. Not, dear brother, that I say, that you are so; by no means, for I have a better confidence concerning you. But when we thoroughly examine ourselves, we find ourselves to be of such a nature, that we are earthly-minded, and blind in divine things; and though we are enlightened through Christ Jesus, that we have obtained sight in divine things; and been renewed through him, we nevertheless sometimes follow too much our innate nature, by which nature faith must sometimes bow and show its back, for it is crushed down by the innate nature, which through unbelief and want of confidence toward God still bears its fruits, whence it comes that men make shipwreck in the faith; for when two vessels that are enemies to each other meet on the sea, one is seen to vanquish the other. Thus also, faith and unbelief coupled with man’s nature, are enemies to each other, so that they conquer each other. Hence, if we do not by faith firmly resist with the inner man, we shall in the course of time be overcome; for unbelief has much support, in the first place, from Satan, who works in the children of unbelief (Eph. 2:2), in the second place, from our own flesh. Therefore consider, dear brother, if a city is betrayed from within, how great resistance must be made, before the enemy can be put down, and the city possessed in peace. Thus also must we show great diligence, before we overcome all these enemies. In the first place, our own flesh, which is prone to all evil, for it lusts against the Spirit. Gal. 5:17. Hence we must observe how prudent the kings of this world are. When they feel that their enemies begin to bestir themselves, they make provision and strengthen themselves, to resist those enemies. But we, who like kings and men, ought to be prudent in that which is good, and simple as children in that which is evil, when we feel that our enemies begin to bestir themselves, go to meet them; but it is not done through faith, but through unbelief, namely, when we feel that our own nature, which is earthly minded, is not content with a fair profit, but would rather have still more—for it loves money, and hence will not soon be sated therewith—we meet it—we set up two or three additional looms and do not rightly consider how hurtful it is to our faith, and how widely our thoughts are thereby scattered; so that we become much more concerned with temporal, than with the spiritual things; and thus the spiritual gifts decrease, while they ought to increase, and we have no desire to offer our hand to the flock of Christ, and to feed it with what we have received from the Lord. Truly does the apostle say: Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Timothy 6:6,7; Heb. 13:5. And now, dear brother, though we think, I do not seek to lay up treasures, I do not want to keep the gain for myself alone, consider also, that we are not for ourselves, for we are servants of a great king. Now, if you were a king, and had servants, and appointed one to be your chamberlain, and another to be your halberdier; suppose the chamberlain should forsake the office in which you wished him to serve you, and should want to be a halberdier; consider whether you would be well satisfied with that servant. Thus also, dear brother, the Lord has appointed you his servant, that you should serve him with the spiritual gift which you have received from him; and if you want to forsake that, and exercise yourself with that which is temporal, to serve him with it, consider whether you will thereby please the Lord. And if you will assign as a reason, that it is not your office, know that they must not all be teachers who exhort the church; this is no rule laid down in the Scriptures. Therefore; my dear and much beloved brother, take heed to yourself, and surrender yourself to the Lord, and stay with the church; this I pray you with all my heart, that the little flock may remain together. I hope the Lord will help and keep you 779 until the proper time, if you seek him with all your heart; lay it to heart, this I pray you. I should have written you more concerning it, but there is no opportunity. I hope to write you another letter, if the Lord grants time; you may also lay that to heart. Herewith I commend my dear brother to the Lord, and bid you a cordial adieu. Receive my letter in good part, for it has not been written only for your sake; I wish that it might be read by M., or at M’s., and by all our ministers. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_779) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: ANOTHER LETTER OF JACOB THE CHANDLER, WRITTEN IN PRISON.](/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: ANOTHER LETTER OF JACOB THE CHANDLER, WRITTEN IN PRISON.](/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison/part-4/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison/part-3/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Another+Letter+Of+Jacob+The+Chandler%2C+Written+In+Prison.+%C2%B7+Page+3+of+4&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AAnother+Letter+Of+Jacob+The+Chandler%2C+Written+In+Prison.+%C2%B7+Page+3+of+4%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison%2Fpart-3%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-another-letter-of-jacob-the-chandler-written-in-prison--b00013-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+16th+century+%28source+section%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)