This, I, Maeyken Wens, your mother, have written, while I was in prison for the word of the Lord; the good Father grant you his grace, my son Adriaen. Write me a letter as to what your heart says, whether you desire to fear the Lord; this I should like to know. But you must write it better than the last two letters were written; the one which Maeyken Wils brought however, was good.
Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:19.
THE FOURTH LETTER FROM MAEYKEN WENS, WRITTEN TO HER SON.
O my dear son, though I am taken from you here, strive from your youth to fear God, and you shall have your mother again up yonder in the New Jerusalem, where parting will be no more. My dear son, I hope now to go before you; follow me thus as much as you value your soul, for besides this there shall be found no other way to salvation. Thus, I will now commend you to the Lord; may he keep you. I trust the Lord that he will do it, if you seek him. Love one another all the days of your life; take Hansken on your arm now and then for me. And if your father should be taken from you, care for one another. The Lord keep you one and all. My dear children, kiss one another once for me, for remembrance. Adieu, my dear children, all of you. My dear son, be not afraid of this suffering; it is nothing compared to that which shall endure forever. The Lord takes away all fear; I did not know what to do for joy, when I was sentenced. Hence cease not, to fear God, because of this temporal death; I cannot fully thank my God for the great grace which he has shown me. Adieu once more, my dear son Adriaen; ever be kind, I pray you, to your afflicted father all the days of your life, and do not grieve him; this I pray all of you, for what I write to the oldest, I also mean to say to the youngest. Herewith I will commend you to the Lord once more. I have written this, after I was sentenced, to die for the testimony of Jesus Christ, on the fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1573.
By me, your mother, who gave you birth in much pain, as a memorial to you. Preserve well this the adieu which your father wrote your mother when she had been sentenced, and the adieu of your mother.
Maeken Wens.
Fear not them which kill the body.
THE FIFTH LETTER FROM MAEYKEN WENS, WRITTEN TO JAN DE METSER, MINISTER.
Love God above all; he it is who is, and shall be.
The rich grace and peace of God the Father, and the love of Jesus Christ; may he be your comforter. Though we must now die, we are better off than you who remain in this vale of tears; however, one must bide the time with patience till the Lord comes. O my brother in the Lord, I would so gladly have written you a short letter, but my time has slipped away, although I have been confined long enough. But I am such a poor writer; hence you must excuse me, and think, if you were invited to a table somewhere, would you not certainly be satisfied with that which was prepared? So you must also be satisfied with my writing, for I do not have much, and hence I cannot give much. And now I can also not write much, because I have been sentenced; nevertheless I was so full of joy, that I should not be able to express it with the mouth, the Lord be forever praised for the great grace he has shown me, who has feared so much. O what a strong God we have, compared with what we see the wicked have. O let us have good courage; we shall devour our enemies like bread. I go before you to-morrow; the Lord grant you strength, that you may come to me, as I trust you will. But, my dear brother in the Lord, always watch, for the Lord will come as a thief in the night, when we least expect it, for this was my experience; it is good then, that a man be not sleeping. But, dear Jan, I should have written you more, but my time of delivery came on speedily, hence my flesh begins to tremble somewhat; however this is the nature of the flesh. I will herewith commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. Farewell, my dear friend Jan. I have written you this the night I was sentenced, that you might have something from my hand, for old acquaintance’ sake. Take my simple letter in good part, for I would not have thought that I could write you so much yet after I was sentenced. I will now bid you adieu here in this world; but I hope that we shall see each other up yonder in the New Jerusalem, where parting shall be no more. However, I hope that before this letter shall have been read, I shall have entered into rest by the help of the Lord; and I also hope to be an epistle which shall be read of all men. 2 Cor. 3:2. Adieu, adieu, dear friend. Greet your dear wife much in my name, and tell her that if she has seen aught in me which did not edify her, not to follow me therein; but if she has seen anything that was edifying, to follow that which is best. This is the good wish of my heart, written to you on the fifth day of October, 1573. My fellow prisoners also greet you much.