Therefore, my dear lamb, I beseech you once more, though you are humble, humble yourselves still more; though you are clean, cleanse yourselves yet more; yea, though you have become holy, sanctify yourselves yet more and more, that you may be found pure and blameless, the children of God, in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, so that I may not have labored in vain with you; for though I am to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand, yet I joy and rejoice in my heart, on your account, and of the others whom I have begotten in my bonds, who in time past were unprofitable to the house of God, but are now useful and profitable, whom I love for the truth’s sake, and desire that they shall also have a part herein, hoping that it will also rejoice them in the spirit and faith, for an assurance and confirmation of all your minds in Christ Jesus. John 15:3; Rev. 22:11; Philip. 2:15; 2 Tim. 4:6; Phil. 10:11; 2 John 1,2. Hence, my final and affectionate request to you all is, that you love one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, namely, by the living, powerful and saving word. John 13:34; 1 Pet. 1:22,23. And remember the words of Paul our fellow brother, where he says: The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience; yea, it is the bond of perfectness. 1 Tim. 1:5; Col. 3:14. O how blessed is he who is truly girded about with this bond; for he does not live unto himself, but unto his Lord; and he observes the words of Christ in everything, also where he says: “Be merciful, as your heavenly Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:36.
Hence, my dear sheep, I beseech you yet, by the mercy of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and also for the sake of the eternal salvation of your souls, that you forget not to do good and to communicate; for the administration of this service supplieth not only the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; for by such offerings God is pleased. 2 Cor. 9:12. Remember also the words of the wise man, where he says: “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Proverbs 19:17. He further says: “He that giveth unto the poor shall suffer no sorrow; but he that turneth away his eyes shall decrease.” 28:27. “The righteous useth his wealth to life, but the wicked useth it to sin.” 10:16. He also says: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” 11:24. Tobit, also, commands his son to remember the poor, saying: “Turn not thy face from the poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee. Wherever thou be able, help the needy. If thou hast abundance, give alms accordingly; if thou have but little, give according to that little with a faithful heart.” and he adds: “For alms deliver from death, and blot out sin.” Tob. 4:7. With regard to this, also Sirach says: “Alms maketh an atonement for sin.” Sir. 3:30. Alms also preserve the giver in everlasting habitations; wherefore Christ commanded: “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” Luke 16:9.
Christ has well said: “For the poor always ye have with you.” John 12:8. Hence he shall say at his righteous day: All that ye have done unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto me. Matt. 25:40. From this it follows, my dear sheep, that the words of Paul will also be verified, namely: He which soweth sparingly (here) shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully . . . for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:6,7. My affectionately beloved sheep in the Lord, though I thus write, I nevertheless know that you are taught of God and his Holy Spirit, and that this will do more for you than all I can write; yet, from heartfelt Christian love, I write it to you; for the reason, that you may remember the former times, when you were so diligent in all manner of unrighteousness, sparing no expense in the way of numerous costly banquets or feasts, yea, in pomp and display, which God abominates. O think once, my dear sheep, what delight you then took [in these things]. O, should you now not give the much more diligence in the things which God has commanded you, to lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. O we should be able now to spare a bit of money occasionally, to give to poor saints, just as easily as we formerly could provide large amounts, to spend in unrighteousness. O my dear, beloved children, I do not write this to oppress your hearts, but that your love may increase yet more and more from day to day: For you know not how much time you will have yet, or when robbers may get possession of your treasure. Further, my faithful sheep, it is my fatherly request, that you live together in peace, harmony and unity. Help to bear in love one another’s burdens, since you know not how long you will live together; and remember that you are called children of peace, since your King and Prince is the King and Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6); hence you must be found children of peace, as I also trust you are, though I thus write.
Herewith I will commend you to the great Shepherd of the sheep, who, I faithfully trust, will keep you under the shadow of his wings; if you only continue in his statutes and commandments, and depart on no account out of his hand, then I am certain that no one shall pluck you out of his hand. Once more I beseech you, and this by the wounds of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and also for the sake of the eternal salvation of your souls, that you will take to heart my letter and faithful admonition written at the close of my life; and do not let it lie unused among you after my departure, nor look upon it then as a dead history or fable; but receive it as a testament, and let it be a perpetual memorial to you, and remember me by it, how I was an example unto you, according to my weakness, and follow my footsteps which I trust to walk before you through the power of my God, namely, to adhere to the truth unto the end, to testify to you and to all who seek to fear God with a pure heart, that this is the true grace of our God, as Peter says, yea, the sure road and highway to eternal life; wherein you now stand. 1 Pet. 5:12; Ps. 25. Hence, let no one divert you from your present purpose, or cause you to waver, but give more and diligence to make your calling and election sure. O, if you do these things, my dear sheep, you shall never fall; but an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10,11. Watch rigidly therefore in righteousness all the days of your life; for it is necessary indeed. I also kindly request that you receive this prescription in love; for I have certainly written it out of Christian love. Herewith I want to bid you all adieu, until in eternity. Amen.
Furthermore, my affectionately beloved sheep in the Lord, as regards how it is with me and my fellow combatants, know that it still tends to the promotion of the Gospel. Know also, that the Lord faithfully succors me in my conflict and defense, and has given me strength to gain the victory, and delivered me out of the mouth of hell, and the teeth of the lions. I believe I have been in combat with them ten or twelve times; the others, however, they did not torment so much. In short, I hope that the fight is fought, the course finished, the life [faith] kept. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of glory, which, I hope, no creature shall ever take from me; for faithful is he that has begun this good work in me; he will doubtless help me finish it, according to the good purpose of my heart, so that I may pass through Jordan unharmed. Philip. 1:6. May God grant us his grace. Amen.
Communicate this among yourselves, commend it to God, meditate upon it diligently, understand it wisely. O, if you do this, it will be evident that you seek your salvation and esteem my letter.
Finished the 6th of October, in the twenty-third month of my imprisonment. Once more, my dear children, valiantly adhere together to the cross of Christ, and do not depart from it.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM MR. JELIS MATTHIJSS, WHICH HE WROTE TO HIS WIFE.
I wish unto my flesh and blood, strength of spirit and a steadfast mind in all her tribulation and severe distress. Amen.
My dear and beloved wife, whom I wedded before God and his church, as the time of my departure is now at hand, may you people know that my heart and mind are concerned about you, being indeed desirous of writing you something, but having so ill an opportunity for it, because it stands thus with us that we are now watched and guarded by eight or ten servants, so that I feel little strength of spirit in me, to write anything to you, love, as it comes upon us so unexpectedly, since we had not heard a word. Willeboort, my faithful comrade, had partly undressed already, when our host and hostess came upstairs, saying: “Mr. Jelis and Willeboort, come down.” When we came down, we saw the stadtholder, and the bailiff also came and upbraided us with this, whereupon I had a few words with him. In short, my dearly beloved chosen flesh and blood, I shall now go the way of all the prophets and witnesses of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, in which I greatly rejoice and am of good cheer at the present time; yea, I find such joy and comfort in me, that I cannot well describe it to you, and I do not as yet experience the least fear; but am concerned most about you, because of the excessive grief which oppresses you, but I trust to my and your God, that with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, through the consolation of the Holy Spirit, whereby he will comfort you. 1 Cor. 10:13.