Christians, remember what God is, and that He looks not only on your works, but also on your very thoughts and intentions, and that you are not able to hide anywhere or anything from Him.
Remember, that He preserves your life, health, and strength, and that whatever good fortune you may have in life, He has bestowed it all on you. And so thank Him at every hour for the mercy He has shown you, love Him with all your heart, revere Him, obey Him in all things, and call on Him for help in your every endeavor. When He helps you, then all your deeds and efforts will bring you benefit and will meet with success.
Remember, that the Heavenly Father sent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the world. Believe in Him, and submit to His Divine teaching which is revealed to you in the Gospel, and portrayed here in brief, so that you may fulfill the vows that you made to God at Baptism, and inherit eternal life, and not be called a Christian in vain.
On Sundays and feast days come to church, and falling down with reverence before God, be mindful of all the mercies you may ever have received from Him. Thank Him for them with all your heart, and as a sign of your thankfulness, promise to live as He has commanded you. This is a sacrifice most pleasing to God.
Honor the sovereign foremost as the authority appointed by God, and submit to him in all things. Honor your spiritual pastors, your father and mother, and all elders and virtuous people, and obey their useful counsels. Try to be virtuous not only in your person, but counsel your wife, children, and in every good and God-pleasing deed. Avoid not only doing what is bad before them, but even saying it, lest you accustom them to evil. Thus God’s blessing shall rest on your house.
Always remember that you were born into this world so that you may do good to all insofar as possible on every occasion.
Love not only those close to you and your benefactors, but even your enemies, so that you might thereby pacify them, correct them, and make them good people. And so do not fight with anyone, and do not curse; and though someone may have offended you, try to endure it as far as possible, and at the appropriate time do him good. Have compassion on also your cattle, which God gave you to serve you.
Avoid not only impure deeds, but even words, so that you may be a pure and undefiled man not only in your deeds, but also in your words.
Do not steal anything from anyone, and take nothing, and be content with what you earn by your own labors. Be diligent and avoid idleness. For as diligence is pleasing to God, so idleness on the contrary, as a source of every evil, is a sin very offensive to God.
Never lie, but always tell the truth. For all falsehood and deceit is the most harmful of all vices, and the customary work only of the devil.
Do not become drunk, for God turns all the more away from a drunkard, since a drunkard is more quickly able to do every bad deed than a sober man.
When you observe all these things, then God Who is compassionate will be merciful to you not only in this life, but He shall glorify you in the next with the glory with which His Saints are glorified, and all men shall love you.
