ANOTHER LETTER FROM RAPHEL VAN DEN VELDE, WRITTEN TO HIS WIFE.
I Raphel, your husband, imprisoned for the Lord’s sake, wish you my dear wife and sister in the Lord, much grace, mercy and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true Father over all kindreds that are in heaven and upon earth; that he would grant you, according to the riches of his goodness, to be strengthened with might by his holy Spirit in the inner man; and that Christ Jesus may dwell in your heart by faith, and be rooted in through love; and that he may abide with you unto the end of your life, to the salvation of your soul. Eph. 3:14. This I send you, my dear sister in the Lord, as a testament and affectionate adieu.
My dear and in God beloved wife, for a sure token of the love which I have had to you, I could not forbear to send you a letter, for I think that the parting is very near at hand. But, my very dear and beloved wife, it is not a writing of divorcement,[342] as Israel wrote a writing of divorcement, for the hardness of their hearts; that I should thus leave you, my love. Oh no! for this leaving is done for the love of God, for the parting must take place for his name’s sake. For, my dearest (always next to God), it is he that joined us together, and it is he that parts us again, which I willingly accept from his hand, for my mind has never been in a better condition in this respect, than it is now, the Lord be thanked. And I now commit you, my dearest, and your child, to the Lord, as to a faithful Father; cleave faithfully to him, this I pray you my dear wife; and he shall, without any doubt, provide for you in soul and body. For Peter says: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us by his glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Pet. 1:3,4. For if we remain entirely faithful to him, so that we keep ourselves unspotted from the world, he will be a faithful Father unto us, who will provide for us, for it is he that giveth food to all flesh, and the eyes of all wait upon him, says David, and he gives them their meat in due season. James 1:27; Ps. 136:25; 124:27.
Thus, my dear and beloved wife, I now commit you and your child to the Lord, by faith, to confirm the covenant which we made with the Lord, even as Abraham by faith delivered up his son Isaac to the Lord, and Jephtha his daughter, to prove and confirm his promise thereby. Thus I also, out of love, deliver you and my child over to the Lord, hoping and trusting that he will well provide for you, if you remain obedient and faithful to him.
Herewith I bid you, my dear and in God beloved wife, a final adieu, till we see each other in eternal joy; the Lord grant his grace, that this may come to pass. And I greatly and heartily thank you for your faithful, willing, and obedient service and love shown me in all subjection and kindness towards me; and, my love, I thank you (God shall recompense you for it) for your pious and good conversation and walk with me, whereby my heart was often relieved, comforted and rejoiced, which truly causes me yet the more to trust in God, and which is also a sure seal in my heart that we have walked unworthily in the love and fear of God before the Lord, according to our weak ability; and once more I thank you, my dear wife, for all the kindness and friendship shown me, and heartily entreat you by the great love of God, if I have grieved you in anything, or done amiss to you in any wise by word or deed, that you will readily forgive me; this I pray you in this letter, with many tears. I know nothing against you, my love, but what I gladly forgive you; may the Lord forgive us all our sins.
Further, my dear wife, I cannot forbear to write your love briefly also, though it is done with many tears, to comfort and rejoice your heart, and this by the word of God, for this must now be all our comfort, even as the prophet David says: “O Lord, unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction.” Ps. 119:92. And as also the prophet Jeremiah says: “Thou knowest, O Lord, that we suffer reproach for thy sake; but thy word sustains us, since we have received it; and thy word is the joy and comfort of our hearts.” Jer. 15:15,16. Hence, my dear wife, we must have our delight in the word of the Lord, and meditate upon it day and night (Ps. 1:2), even as a rich man has his delight in his treasure, meditates upon it, and often counts it to rejoice his heart. Hence, David also says, we must meditate upon the law of the Lord with delight, and we shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, v. 3. Hence I pray you, my dearest, be patient in all wherein you are tried by God, and do not grieve too much, but think that it has been so ordered by the Lord, that we must part now; and console yourself thereby, though it is grievous for you, and goes contrary to our flesh, will and desire, we must nevertheless be patient: and if we suffer willingly, we shall be richly rewarded; but woe to us, if we do not suffer willingly, nor are willing to be patient, though it is hard for the flesh. O my love, it is a little matter to be patient, so long as it goes well with a man—that cannot be called patience; but to be patient when it goes ill with one, and then to be able to preserve moderation, this is certainly a great power of faith. Hence, my dearest, I pray you once more, that you would be patient, and thank God with resignation of heart, saying: “Lord, thy will be done;” but, O Lord, strengthen my faith and confidence, that I may never become faint-hearted, disconsolate, despairing or doubtful concerning thy promises, but may trust God, for his promises shall never fail; he is much too faithful that has promised it, and there will never be any failure on his part, for he will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will always with the temptation make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Heb. 10:23; 1 Thess. 5:24; 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Hence, my love, be patient and endure it willingly, and pray the almighty God, with whom all things are possible, that he will cause the sorrow and trouble that have come upon you on account of my bonds, and because we must part, to melt, diminish and vanish away; and that you may henceforth only be concerned as to how you can in all things please the Lord best, and spend the time of your life in the fear of God, and also care for your child; the Lord grant you grace, that this may come so. Cast your entire care upon the Lord, and always hope the best of him; for we must know that if we forsake much for the name of the Lord, we shall receive much again; and that if we suffer much for his holy name, we shall also rejoice in much, when the Lord shall come in his glory: for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Matt. 19:29; 2 Cor. 5:10. Therefore, dearest, let us always seek to excel in all good works, and let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap without ceasing. And let not your heart be afraid, or moved, nor become weary in the way of the Lord. Though the waters become bitter, murmur not; and never turn back to Egypt with your heart, as Israel did. When they began to think of the flesh-pots which they had left behind, and because the waters were bitter, they wanted to choose themselves captains, and return to Egypt. They said to Moses: “Hast thou therefore brought us into the wilderness, to destroy us here, except thou have rule over us? How finely hast thou brought us into a country that floweth with milk and honey!” Hence the wrath of the Lord arose over them, and he destroyed many of them. Ex. 15:23; 16:3; Num. 11:4; 14:4; 16:13.
Therefore Solomon says: “Beware of murmuring, which avail nothing, for though we had spent all that we have in the world, and the Lord would prove us with poverty, as he did Israel, our anxiety could avail us nothing. Hence we must cast our care on the Lord, who cares for us; for he permitted Israel to suffer hunger, to prove them whether they loved him or not, and to try whether they should be patient. Hence my dear wife and sister in the Lord, always possess your soul with patience, and you shall overcome with all the pious witnesses of God, and inherit salvation, and say with the prophet Baruch: “O Israel, happy are we; for God has revealed to us his will.” Bar. 4:4. Even as Moses says: “O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency!” Deut. 33:29. Therefore, my much beloved sister in the Lord, though we must suffer for his sake, we must nevertheless possess our soul with patience, and remember that the apostle says: “That it is acceptable with God, to suffer for well doing.” 1 Pet. 2:20. Notwithstanding that the world does not deem it acceptable, as Paul says: “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness: but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God;” which power God works in them by his Spirit, to the comforting and strengthening of their minds, so that they, by their God, leap over a wall: and, with Caleb and Joshua, devour their enemies as bread; and, with Jael, drive a nail (that is, the enemy of the house of Israel), through Sisera’s head, with the hammer of the divine word (Judg. 4:21); and, with David, overcome, with the stone, Christ Jesus, the giant Goliath, that is, the devil and Satan, who fights against Israel (1 Sam. 17:50); and say with the apostle Paul: “Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57. And he further says: “Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” 2 Cor. 2:14. They also say with David: “The Lord is my life and strength.” Ps. 27:1. As the prophet writes: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Is. 40:31.
Hence, my much beloved wife and sister in the Lord, the world cannot partake of this comfort, because they do not believe in the Lord and thus deem the word of the cross foolishness, as is written: “We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” 1 Cor. 1:23. But they that believe and will be saved regard it as the power and wisdom of God, that they are worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord, as did Peter and John, when they had been scourged by the Pharisees. Acts 5:41. Hence Peter writes: “What glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called.” 1 Pet. 2:20,21. Paul also writes: “Those of old time had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy.” Heb. 11:36–38.
See, my dear and in God beloved wife, how the world cannot become a partaker of this grace, since it does not esteem the Lord worthy to suffer for his name; for no one can suffer for the name of the Lord, except he have through faith obtained power to become a child of God. John 1:12. Hence, my cordially beloved sister T. H., let us never be grieved by what we must suffer for the name of God, but willingly and lovingly endure it, and look to the reward; for such as seek to live unto the Lord, and to promote his glory, and do not seek their own, but much rather what is to the praise of the Lord and to the edification of their neighbor, O what glorious promises of salvation are theirs, and what great riches are promised them! Romans 24:8; 1 Cor. 10:24; Matt. 10:22. But we must know that if we would come to honor, we must first suffer, for thus it has been from the beginning with all the righteous children of God. Hence John writes that the Lamb was slain from the beginning. Rev. 13:8. Not that Christ himself was slain according to his flesh from the beginning; for Paul says that Christ appeared in the end of the world, to put away the sins of many by the sacrifice of himself. Heb. 9:26. But he was slain from the beginning in righteous Abel; and thus he still daily suffers in all believers; hence it is evident that they suffer for his name, whereto the world is unworthy yet, for they do not have Christ, and hence they cannot suffer for his name; hence their suffering is nothing but vexation, for the sorrow of this world worketh death. 2 Cor. 7:10. But godly sorrow worketh to salvation, whether it be outward or inward; if inward, that one is sorry for sin, it is to amendment; if outward, because one suffers for the name of Christ, it is to consolation, for Paul says: “As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2 Cor. 1:5. Therefore Peter says: “If ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye.” 1 Pet. 3:14. He further says: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” 1 Pet. 4:14. O my dearest, consider what precious words these are, for us to whom these promises, without any doubt belong. For though Christ by the Spirit of God cast out devils, yet, according to their saying, he had to do it by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Matt. 12:24.