My dear wife, if we should consider suffering, we would never get out of it; but we must look beyond it to the eternal reward. I joyfully comfort myself in the Lord; do so also. The Lord might have taken me from my bed and you would have had to content yourself; how much more now, for you know not how long you will remain here? Therefore do as the Lord counsels you; be always ready for his appearing, and you shall be able to overcome all things, to those that overcome everlasting rest is promised. Rev. 21:7.
A firm faith, a sure hope of the eternal reward, and a burning love to God and our neighbor be with you and me, and us all. Amen. Matt. 21:21; 1 Peter 4:8.
Write to me immediately how you are, and I shall be the more comforted if you comply with my request. Pray; the Lord will be entreated; this I now experience. Pray together all of you, that the will of the Lord be done in me and in us all. Amen. Matt. 6:10; 7:11.
A testament of John Clæss to his brothers and sister after the flesh.
Know, my dear brothers, Cornelis Clæss, and Gerritt Clæss, and my dear sister Adriaentgen Clæss, that I affectionately desire of you, that you turn to the Lord, and forsake all your pride, covetousness, and all wickedness, as also all bad company, and be quiet, and associate with the good. Search the word of the Lord, and ask him for his Holy Spirit, and the same shall instruct you in everything which is needful for you. This will come to pass, if you deny yourselves and forego your own will; for the Lord says: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Therefore die unto all your lusts, and you shall never die, for the wages of sin is death. Col. 3:5; Rom. 6:23. But ask God for his Holy Spirit, who will so change your minds, that you will hate evil and shun it. O my most beloved, hate that which is evil, and love the good, and God, who alone is good, will be with you. But if you will continue in your wicked sensuality, I testify to you from the mouth of the Lord, that you will condemn yourselves. Rom. 8:13. But I am persuaded better things of you, though I thus speak. Heb. 6:9. O, keep what the Lord hath made known to you, namely: “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them,” and it will be well with you, and you shall prosper in every good thing. To this end may the good God help you, through Jesus Christ his beloved Son. Amen.
Another Testament of John Claess, to all his Kindred.
Be it known to you, dear brothers and sisters, cousins and relatives, and all my kindred, that I do not suffer as a thief, murderer or evil-doer, but for the ordinance which the apostles of the Lord taught and instituted, namely the ordinance of the holy church, made fifteen hundred years ago, which Jesus Christ enjoined upon his dear disciples, and sealed with his blood, and which the apostles preached and taught, and confirmed with their blood. 1 Pet. 4:15; Mark 16:15; Heb. 9:14; Acts 2:14; 7:58; 12:2. My dear friends, do not be dejected or cast down on my account, because men say that I died as an Anabaptist and heretic. There is but one baptism given, and that upon faith; before faith God has not commanded baptism. Now some one might ask: What! ought infants not to be baptized? No; but they are nevertheless saved through the merits of Jesus Christ, and are baptized in his blood; for it is written: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Cor. 15:22. This is done through pure grace, without any sign. Acts 15:11. But my dear friends, the Lord has commanded to preach the Gospel, and they that believe it, are to be baptized. Mark 16:16. He also commanded that the believers should observe his Supper, in remembrance of him, in such a manner as he instituted, and the apostles practiced it. Matt. 26:26; Acts 2:42. Besides these, he did not command them anything; no mass, no infant baptism, no auricular confession, nor any other outward worship. But he commanded to love God alone, to obey his word, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Luke 10:27. O where are they to be found who do this? Search the word of God; there is no Christian who does not know this. You cannot maintain thereby, what they teach, namely, that you should continue in the holy church. You must know what the holy church is, namely, the assembly of believers born by the word of God (1 Pet. 1:23); for you well know that no one can come into this world without being born, so no one can come into the future world, unless he is born again as Peter declares: “not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” John 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:23. O well for him who is born of it! they that are thus regenerated, practice the true baptism and the true Supper. They also separate themselves from all who teach a scandalous doctrine, or live disorderly; they do not destroy their bodies, for this is not taught in the word of God; but they avoid their company until they repent (2 Thess. 3:6); for they are the Christian church, the community of the saints; they have forgiveness of sins; for there is none other name given in heaven or on earth whereby they can be saved, but the name of Jesus; that is, through his merits. Acts 4:12. They believe and live only according to his ordinances. He did not kill those who did not believe in him, neither did his holy church do this. But he and his own have been slain from the beginning, and thus it shall continue. Rev. 13:8. By this you shall know who are his own. Not those who boast of his name, and maintain their cause with the sword; but those that live according to the example of their Lord, and confirm their cause with the word of God, which is the sword of the true believers. 1 Pet. 2:21; Eph. 6:17. Now some might say: What has become of the forefathers, who did not know better? We leave this to God. It might also be said that the Lord promised to be with us even unto the end of the world. Matt. 28:20. He is always with believers—but never with unbelievers—namely, with his word and the right use of his signs, that is, baptism and the Supper, and will always be with those who walk aright, and live conformably to his word.
Dear friends, at the time of the apostles there arose seven different sects among them, but the true doctrine was therefore not to be rejected. Now, though many wicked miscreants have arisen under the Gospel, the word of God has not depreciated: he that would be saved must submit to it. Romans 9:6. In the time of the righteous Tobit all Israel worshiped golden calves, which king Jeroboam had caused to be made; he [Tobit] alone adhered to the Lord his God, and did what he had commanded him.
Friends, look not to the multitude, but to the word of God, which will not deceive you. “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm; but blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord.” Jer. 17:5,7. I trust in this, that he prays to his Father, not only for those who were with him, but also for all them who shall turn to him through the word. John 17:20. May the good Father, through his only Son Jesus Christ, give you a true understanding, that you may henceforth learn to know him. 2 Tim. 2:7.