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Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a

crown of life.

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New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a

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I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

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HERE is the spring where waters flow,
To quench our heat of sin;

Here is the tree where truth doth grow,
To lead our lives therein.

Here is the Judge that stints the strife,
When men's devices fail;

Here is the Bread that feeds the life
That death cannot assail.

The tidings of salvation dear

Come to our ears. from hence;
The fortress of our faith is here,
And shield of our defence.

Then be not like the hog that hath
A pearl at his desire,

But takes more pleasure in the trough
And wallowing in the mire.

Read not this Book in any case
But with a single eye;

Read not but first desire God's grace

To understand thereby.

Pray still in faith with this respect,
To fructify therein,

That knowledge may bring this effect,
To mortify thy sin.

Then happy thou in all thy life,
Whate'er to thee befalls;

Yea, doubly happy shalt thou be,
When God by death thee calls.

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THIS Evangelist, we are told, was born at Nazareth, the place where our blessed Saviour resided, and was the son of Alpheus and Mary kinswoman to the blessed Virgin. His occupation was that of a publican, or tax-gatherer to the Romans, an office detested by the generality of the Jews. After his election to the apostleship, he continued with the rest till the ascension of his great and beloved Master: after which, for the first eight years at least, he preached in different places of Judea; then travelled into several parts, preaching the Gospel, especially Ethiopia, where he suffered martyrdom at a city called Naddabar; but by what kind of death is not certainly known, though the general opinion is that he was slain with an halberd.

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THIS Evangelist was descended from Jewish parents, and supposed to have been converted by some of the apostles; perhaps by St. Peter, whom he constantly attended in his travels. But, however this be, he preached in Italy and at Rome, where he wrote the Gospel which is called after his name. We are told by Eusebius that he was sent by St. Peter into Egypt to preach the Gospel; and, having planted a Church in Alexandria, the idolatrous inhabitants entered it while he was performing divine service, and binding his feet with cords, dragged him through the streets to a precipice near the sea, leaving him there in a prison for that night. The next morning they dragged him about in the same manner till he expired, and afterwards burned his mangled body.

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