Who to me doth strength afford.
Grace, peace, joy, gladness, consolation, a firm faith, and good assurance, together with an ardent love to God, I wish to you, my most beloved wife, Lijsken Dircks, whom I wedded before God and his holy church, and thus took to wife, according to the command of the Lord; may consolation, gladness and joy be increased and multiplied to you my dear wife.
I earnestly pray the Lord, that he will comfort you, and remove from you that which is too grievous. I well know, my chosen lamb, that you are in great sorrow on my account; but lay aside all sorrow, and look to Jesus the Captain and Finisher of our faith, and let us henceforth walk in all righteousness and holiness, as children of peace, and let us make good use of the time of grace, and consider what great mercy the Lord has shown us. O my dear wife, remember how faithful a God we serve; he will not let us be confounded. Remember how faithfully he led the children of Israel with an outstretched arm, from Pharaoh’s house of bondage, and out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and remember how they had to prepare themselves, before they could go out, and how they did eat the paschal lamb with unleavened bread. They had to eat the paschal lamb standing, and the unleavened bread which they had, they bound up in their clothes, and began to go out to the wilderness. And the angel of the Lord went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, and thus he gave them light. But when they were closely pressed by Pharaoh and his host, the people began to murmur against Moses; for they had not firm confidence in the Lord, that he would lead them out. But the Lord told Moses, what he would do, and how he would show his power on Pharaoh and his host; and he commanded Moses, to take the rod and smite the sea; and when Moses smote the sea, it dried up, and the waters were divided, and stood like walls to the right and to the left, so that they went through the sea on dry ground. Pharaoh followed with his host, and was drowned, with all his lords and people; but Israel passed through unharmed, and praised and thanked God, that he had delivered them from Pharaoh’s house of bondage. But they were not yet in the promised land; they came into the dreadful wilderness, where there was no bread. The bread which they had brought from Egypt, was but a small quantity; it was the unleavened dough which they had bound up in their clothes, when they left Egypt. Then they were troubled, because they had nothing to eat; but the Lord fed them with bread from heaven.
So also, my most beloved wife, we have not gained all, when we have confessed the truth, separated ourselves from the world, and renounced all lusts and desires; but we must also fight against the enemies, that is, we must here contend against emperors and potentates, and the princes of this world. We must suffer in this world; for Paul has said that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 1 Tim. 3:12. We must overcome the world, sin, death and the devil, not with external swords or spears, but with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and with the shield of faith, wherewith we shall be able to ward off all sharp and fiery darts of satan, and with the helmet of salvation on our head, and with the breastplate of righteousness, and our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. If we are thus strengthened with these weapons, we shall get through the wilderness with Israel, and overcome and withstand all our enemies: they shall be confounded, who fight against the truth. 2 Tim. 3:8. Now, when the children of Israel were out of the wilderness—the dreadful and horrible wilderness, where the serpents spewed fire,—after they had been wandering forty years through it, had passed through so many dangers, and taken so many cities and countries on this side of Jordan; they nevertheless were not yet in possession of the promised land, for they had not yet crossed the Jordan; however, the Lord showed Moses the promised land from afar. O my dear wife, I have also seen the promised land from afar; I hope soon to come into the beautiful city of which John writes; which is greatly adorned; her foundations are twelve precious stones, and her walls and streets are of pure and clear gold; and the city has twelve gates, each gate of one pearl; and there is no night there, for the Lord her God lightens her, Rev. 21. And the Lord told Moses, that he should not lead the people into the promised land; but Joshua brought them into it, and the Lord led them over Jordan dry-shod, and commanded them to keep his commandments and laws, and he should drive out their enemies from before them. But when they transgressed his commandments and laws, the Lord delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they were defeated by them. After they had passed over Jordan, they still did not have the promised land, which flowed with milk and honey; but they had to take it by sheer force, destroy all their enemies, and burn the cities with fire. So must also we take the promised land by force; for Christ says that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Not until now have I known what it is to contend; no one knows it better than he who has tried it, such is the subtlety with which they come to seduce us.
Know, that I received your letter through my mother. I read it with tears. I thank you, that you so affectionately comfort me thereby, and I rejoiced when I heard that you are so well contented.
Let me inform you, my chosen and beloved wife Lijsken, that I have been before the margrave. He had with him two Dominicans, two judges, and the clerk of the criminal court. He asked me whether I had changed my mind yet, and added that he had prevailed upon these two good men or lords, to try and win my soul, if I would repent. I replied that I would not forsake my faith, since it was the truth. They then asked me what my faith was, I said to the monks: “Ask the Margrave, I have confessed my faith to him; ask him.” They tormented me much, but I would not tell them anything. They asked whence I knew that it was the truth—whether God had spoken orally with me. When they could get nothing else out of me, my confession was read, namely, that I had no regard for the sacrament. I said: “No, it is nothing more than a god of bread.” The priests were angry, because I thus despised their god. They all wished to talk with me. I said: “I will not hear you, nor talk with you; but let my brother come here to me, and I will talk with you, and confess our faith.”
They then asked me whether I was not strong enough in my faith, since I appealed to my brother.
I replied: “Yea, my faith is strong enough; but that you may not pervert our words.”
They then said: “We shall not pervert your words.”
I said: “I know you and your roguery well.”