THE prince of this world would fain carry me away, and corrupt my resolution towards my God. Let none of you therefore help him; rather do ye join with me, that is, with God. 2 Do not speak with Jesus Christ, and yet covet the world. Let not any envy dwell with you; no, not though I myself, when I shall be come unto you, should exhort you to it, yet do not ye hearken to me; but rather believe what I now write to you. 3 For though I am alive at the writing of this, yet my desire is to die. My love is crucified; and the fire that is within me does not desire any water; but being alive and springing within me, says, Come to the Father. 4 I take no pleasure in the food of corruption, nor in the pleasures of this life. 5 I desire the bread of God which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, of the seed of David; and the drink that I long for is his blood, which is incorruptible love. 6 I have no desire to live any longer after the manner of men; neither shall I, if you consent. Be ye therefore willing, that ye yourselves also maybe pleasing to God. I exhort you in a few words; I pray you believe me. 7 Jesus Christ will shew you that I speak truly. My mouth is without deceit, and the Father hath truly spoken by it. Pray therefore for me, that I may accomplish what I desire. 8 I have not written to you after the flesh, but according to the will of God. If I shall suffer, ye have loved me: but if I shall be rejected, ye have hated me. 9 Remember in your prayers the church of Syria, which now enjoys God for its shepherd instead of me. Let Jesus Christ only oversee it, and your charity. 10 But I am even ashamed to be reckoned as one of them; for neither am I worthy, being the least among them, and as one born out of due season. But through mercy I have risen to be somebody, if I shall get unto God. 11 My spirit salutes you; and the charity of the churches that have received me in the name of Jesus Christ; not as a passenger, for even they that were not near to me in the way, have gone before me to the next city to meet me. 12 These things I write to you from Smyrna, by the most worthy of the church of Ephesus. 13 There is now with me, together with many others, Crocus, most beloved of me. As for those which are come from Syria, and are gone before me to Rome, to the glory of God, I suppose you are not ignorant of them. 14 Ye shall therefore signify to them that I draw near, for they, are all worthy both of God and of you: Whom it is fit that you refresh in all things. 15 This have I written to you, the day before the ninth of the, calends of September. Be strong unto the end, in the patience of Jesus Christ. IGNATIUS TO THE PHILADELPHIANS. CHAPTER I. Commends their bishop, whom they had sent unto him, warns them against division and schism.