ANOTHER LETTER OF JELIS BERNAERTS TO HIS WIFE.
The grace and peace from God the Father, and the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, by which Spirit we are all baptized into one body, of which Christ is the Head, and we members together, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, and he is the Savior of his body, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against or withstand it, if we remain firmly united in love among ourselves, and do not suffer ourselves to be deceived, but hold fast the faith in Christ Jesus, and do not neglect the grace given us of God through Christ Jesus, his only begotten Son, our Lord, unto whom be praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving now and forever. Amen.
After all heartfelt greeting written to you my beloved wife and sister in the Lord, of whom I am now deprived through the bonds in which I now am for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the faith in God, which I hope to seal with my blood and death, and thus to enter into rest with all the saints of God under the altar—which altar is Christ—and wait for all my fellow-brethren and sisters, where we shall be gathered together and remain forever and ever, and thus be in everlasting joy, where parting will be heard no more, but we shall reign forever with God and the Lamb, and all the saints. There neither sighing nor weeping shall be heard any more, but all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes; our tribulation shall be turned into joy and gladness, our weeping into laughing, our parting into eternal gathering, where there will be nothing but joy and gladness. “For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:9. Therefore let us be of good cheer, and patient in tribulation, knowing that we must through much tribulation and suffering enter into the kingdom of heaven; and let us continue instant in prayer, and firmly persevere with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, that he will always comfort, strengthen and stablish us, so that we may always be steadfast in all tribulation and suffering that may befall us; in which suffering he will not leave us without comfort; for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ. 2 Cor. 1:5.
Now, my most beloved, we may be of good cheer, and have good courage, and rejoice in hope, that we have obtained such glorious promises, and expect so un-hoped for a salvation. For we who sometime were far off, are now come nigh; yea, we who sometime were strangers and foreigners, are now become fellow-citizens with the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, and are thus framed together unto a holy temple, even as Peter says (1 Peter 2:5): Ye also, as lively stones, be ye built up a spiritual house, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; for he loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father (Revelation 1:5,6); even as Peter also writes in his first epistle, second chapter: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the virtues of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Verses 9 and 10. For we must know that we were without God in the world, when we served the lusts of our flesh, and walked according to the course of this world, whose friend we were, yea, what is more, we were praised by the world; but, alas! despised by God; for, even as James says: Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4. Then we were of those who had not obtained mercy of God; for, even as Christ says: Ye cannot serve two masters: ye must hate the one, and love the other. Matt. 6:24. And if we renounce the world, and forsake our own life, to live no longer according to the will of our flesh, but according to the will of God, he will have mercy upon us; and turn us from lies to the truth, from darkness to the light, from the serving of idols to the worship of the living God. Then we who were not a people, become the people of God, and can proclaim all the virtues and glorious benefits which the Lord has shown us, having also adopted us as his children; for it was such a people, converted and changed into newness of life, to whom the apostle Peter wrote: “Ye are a chosen generation,” etc. And observe, my beloved, that he commences his epistle as to a people who were scattered abroad every where for the faith in Christ Jesus; hence it need not surprise us, though we are dispersed, scattered, apprehended and put to death; for thus, as you may hear and read, it has been from the beginning, and will be made unto the end, since darkness does not love the light.
Thus, my most beloved, let us not fear; God is our Leader; and if God be for us, who can be against 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? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is arisen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. This we know, yea, what is more, we know that he preserves us as the apple of his eye, and has said: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” So that we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me,” (Heb. 13:5,6), even as he has also admonished us, not to fear them that can kill the body; since after that they can do no more. But let us fear him who has power to cast soul and body into hell. Even as he also says through the prophet: “Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass?” Isaiah 51:12.
Hence, my most beloved, fear not that which may befall you yet: neither be without comfort: but be of good cheer out of bonds, and be patient in tribulation, even as I am by the help of the Lord, in my bonds; and let us firmly continue in faith and love, and say with St. Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written; for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Rom. 8:35–37.
Therefore, my most beloved, have good courage, and be of good cheer and patient in all your tribulation, and stand firm in the faith, steadfast unto the end, so that, even as we are now separated from each other by much tribulation and suffering, we may meet in the day of resurrection, and thus rejoice forever with one another, and reign with the Lord and all the saints, and all the angels of God, forever and ever. Amen.
To this end, may the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you, and me (and all that love the Lord and keep his commandments) through the power of his Holy Spirit. Amen. Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you.
A LETTER WRITTEN BY JELIS BERNAERTS TO BRETHREN AND SISTERS, AFTER HE WAS SENTENCED.
Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of his Father; to him be praise, honor, glory and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen Gal. 1:4; Revelation 5:13.