I wish to us both the crucified Christ for the protector and guardian of our souls; may he keep us in all righteousness, holiness and truth unto the end. And he will preserve us as his sons and daughters, yea, as the apple of his eye, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Hebrews 3:14. Hence, let us trust in him, and he will never forsake us, but preserve us, as he has preserved his own from the beginning of the world, and will let no temptation come upon us, but such as is common to man. Heb. 13:5; 1 Cor. 10:13.
The Lord is faithful, says Paul; he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us fit to suffer a short, transient affliction for his name, through his beautiful promises, which he has given us and all those who remain steadfast in his doctrine. We may suffer here a little, but we shall be greatly rewarded. Wis. 3:5.
My dear, beloved husband in the Lord, you have partly passed through the trial, and have remained steadfast, eternal praise and glory to the Lord for his great grace! And I beseech the Lord with tears, to make me also fit, to suffer for his name; for all his chosen lambs are appointed thereto, since he has redeemed them from among men, to be the first-fruits unto God. Rev. 14:4. Yea, we know, as Paul says, that if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. 2 Tim. 2:12,11. Hence, let us not despise the chastening of the Lord; for, whom he loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, as Paul tells us. Heb. 12:5,6. Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace and glory; with which he will glorify us, if we adhere to it unto the end. The grace of the Lord be with us.
A LETTER FROM JEROME SEGERS TO HIS WIFE.
The grace, joy, and peace from God the Father, and the loving kindness and love of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion and consolation of the Holy Ghost, strengthen, console and confirm and keep us, both in all righteousness and holiness unto the end. To him be praise forever and ever. Amen.
I wish to my chosen wife in the Lord, and to me, eternal joy, and the imperishable and incorruptible life, and may he grant, that we both adhere unchangingly to his divine word and eternal truth, unto the end; which he will also do, since he has promised it to us, if we continue faithful in what he has given us, and are willing to contend for it for his glory, even as he contended for our salvation, and was obedient to his Father unto death. If we also continue thus faithful unto death, we shall receive the crown of life, and inherit eternal life with him, and he will never forsake us; for the Lord will or can do nothing contrary to his word, for his word shall never pass away. Matt. 24:35. And he has so faithfully promised to keep us, if we do not forsake him; so that no one shall pluck us out of his hand; he will keep us as the apple of his eye, yea, as his sons and daughters. For, behold, my beloved, how faithfully he preserved those who faithfully served him; even as Noah was preserved in the ark, as Lot was led out of Sodom, as Jacob was preserved from his brother Esau, who sought to kill him, and as Joseph was preserved from his brothers, the sons of Jacob, Joshua and Caleb from all the heathen, and entered into the promised land, David before Goliath; Susannah before the false witnesses: Daniel from the lions; and many other examples too lengthy to recite. Hereby we may perceive, how faithfully he preserves those who sincerely fear and love him, and how ignominiously they fall who forsake him, as we may see from the beginning of the world, how it perished, on account of its wickedness, and how Lot’s wife was punished. Esau could not find his birthright again, and the whole house of Israel perished in the wilderness. See, my beloved wife, all this the Lord permitted to happen not only for the sake of those who had sinned, but also for our sakes, that we should see, how Christ is with the righteous, and preserves them, and how he forsakes and brings to nought the ungodly; for Paul says: “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.” Rom. 15:4.
Hence, let us diligently take heed, that we seek, fear and love the Lord from the bottom of our heart, faithfully serving, and not forsaking him; for Christ says: “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth” (Luke 11:23); even as we daily see how mightily he preserves those who trust in him, and how soon they fall who forsake Christ, and put their trust in man. Therefore, my beloved wife in the Lord, let us trust in the Lord Almighty, constantly look to Jesus, the Captain and finisher of our faith, always keep the crucified Christ before our eyes, faithfully follow him as he went before us, and patiently take up our cross, always remembering the words of Christ, where he says that they shall kill us, and will think that they do him service; and remembering that this is told us beforehand, that when it happens to us, we may not be offended; for the servant is not greater than his lord. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. John 16:3. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness, but unto us, the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18. Hence, let us always remember the words of Christ: Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven, and before his holy angels. Matt. 10:32,23. Let us firmly trust in him, and he will not forsake us; for he does not forsake his own, but he prayed his heavenly Father, that where he is, he will that we shall be with him. John 17:24.
Hence, let the world call us heretics and Anabaptists and condemn us as much as they please; for Paul says: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is ever at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things! Now, if God so loved us, when we were yet enemies, how much more shall we be preserved from wrath, seeing we are justified through his blood: for being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Rom. 8:33,34,32; 5:10,1–5.
My dearly beloved, let us therefore firmly trust the Lord, and patiently wait for his promises, even as the husbandman waits for his fruits; and let us not forsake him, and he will not forsake us. I have committed us both and also the fruit into his hands, to do his divine will with us, that his name may be glorified thereby, and that it may tend to the salvation of our souls, and to the consolation and joy of all that fear the Lord, and I firmly trust him, and doubt not, that he will preserve us as his sons and daughters, yea, as the apple of his eye. Know, that I rejoiced greatly, when I read your letter and that you write, that you pray the Lord with weeping eyes, to make you fit to suffer for his name. My beloved, be not anxious, but pray the Lord with a humble heart, to give us what is best for our souls, which he will doubtless do, and will not tempt us above that we are able. May he keep us in all righteousness, holiness and truth, unto the end.
Know also, my beloved, that they greatly tortured me, to find out the midwives where our sisters lay in child-bed; but the Lord, who kept my lips, was stronger than all their tortures. Eternal praise and glory be to the Lord, who does not forsake his own. They obtained no names from me, save one or two, which they had read to me from a letter, and which I told them, to see what they would say. But they asked me whether I was making sport of them, and tortured me still more, demanding that I should tell them concerning the women, and others, or they would torture me till the next morning, and stretch me a foot longer than I was. They told Gileyn to rack, and his assistant racked vigorously, and Gileyn poured my body full of water. They had me lying stark-naked on the bench, with nothing but the shirt to cover my shame. I was bound to the bench with four cords, so that it seemed to me, as though my head and legs were severed; but they obtained nothing more, praise and glory be to the Lord. When they released me, two or three of them had to lift me from the bench, and dress me; yea, it would not have been possible to endure the pain without the help of the Lord. They told me to consider the matter, and become a good son of the Roman church, and that I should indicate all those whom I knew, or they would deal more severely with me. I replied that I had not erred, and would far rather die than forsake my faith. They then said that they would come again; but they can do no more than the Lord permits them. John 19:11. Eternal praise to the Lord, who has made us fit for this, may he further fit us to become children of his Kingdom. Amen. My beloved wife, I commend you to the Lord and to the word of his grace.