Charissime et suavissime Frater,
Intentissimo amore te diligo, multum tui
recordans in itinere meo, optando et precando ut quam primum viscera
misericordiae crucifixi Iesu Christi, tui gratia iam ante 6000 annos commota,
menti tuae appareant: ut gustare et tunc videre possis, quam vehementer te
Filius Dei amaverit et hucusque amet, et ut sic confidere possis in eo omni
tempore, vitamque eius in te et in carne tua sentire. Cave tibi a peccato
incredulitatis, et si nondum vicisti illud, fac ut proximo die illud vincas,
per sanguinem Iesu Christi. Ne differ, quaeso, credere tuum in Iesum Christum;
sed potius promissionum eius quae pertinent ad miserandos peccatores, coram
facie eius benigna sic mentionem fac, ut non aliter possit quam praestare tibi,
quod multis aliis praestitit. O quam multus, quam magnus, quam ineffabilis,
quam inexhaustus, est illius amor! Ille certe iamiam paratus est ad auxilium,
et nihil potest illum offendere nisi incredulitas nostra. Crede igitur. Fratrem
tuum Carolum et Hall, nomine meo saluta multum; et admonete vos invicem ad
credendum, et tunc ambulandum coram facie Domini akribw'v et ad pugnandum
contra diabolum et mundum nomimw'v,et ad crucifigendum et conculcandum peccatum
omne sub pedibus nostris, quantum nobis datum est per gratiam secundi Adami,
cuius vita excedit mortem prioris Adami, et cuius gratia antecellit
corruptionem et damnationem prioris Adami.
Dominus tibi benedicat. Permane in fide,
amore, doctrina communione sanctorum, et breviter, in omni quod habemus in novo
foedere. Ego sum et maneo
In Agris Southamptonianis, Tuus
indignus frater,
Die 8vo Maii, 1738 Petrus
Böhler
(I love you greatly, and think much of you
in my journey, wishing and praying that the tender mercies of Jesus Christ the
crucified, whose bowels were moved toward you more than six thousand years ago,
may be manifested to your soul: that you may taste, and then see, how
exceedingly the Son of God has loved you, and loves you still, and that so you
may continually trust in him, and feel his life in yourself. Beware of the sin
of unbelief; and if you have not conquered it yet, see that you conquer it this
very day, through the blood of Jesus Christ. Delay not, I beseech you, to
believe in your Jesus Christ; but so put him in mind of his promises to poor
sinners that he may not be able to refrain from doing for you what he hath done
for so many others. O how great, how inexpressible, how unexhausted is his
love! Surely he is now ready to help; and nothing can offend him but our
unbelief. . . .
The Lord bless you! Abide in faith, love,
teaching, the communion of saints, and briefly, in all which we have in the New
Testament. I am
Your unworthy brother
Peter (Böhler)
