O my flesh, my blood, I beseech you by the bleeding wounds of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, be patient in your tribulation, that you be not found as one who would fight against God, but rather say with Mary: Behold, Lord, be it unto me according to thy will. Luke 1:38, For at the very hour of meeting, the hour of separating was known to the Lord, and he in his fatherly mercy has foreseen and chosen you, also to suffer tribulation and pain now for his name’s sake. And though, my chosen lamb, I now experience greater joy, because my pilgrimage has come to a close; yet I beseech you, be of good cheer in the Lord, and receive it in patience and sorrow. Humble your heart, and endure it. Sir. 2:2. O I know that your grief is very great. O if it were God’s will, and I might die for you, yea though I were to taste a two-fold death for you, I should not shrink from it, since it does not come hard to me. O then I should certainly have the assurance that you should not be deceived by strange lovers (Jer. 2:25), nor by the noon-day devil, nor by your own flesh; however, I trust nevertheless from the bottom of my heart, that you will follow the footsteps of my faith, that is, to adhere to the truth unto the end. O, the reason of my writing and my last and great request is, that you adhere to what God, out of great grace has given you. O do not yield nor waver on account of your great grief, or because of any conflict that may arise, not known to you as yet; but in all your concerns pray with confidence to God the merciful dear Father; he will not forsake you, I am sure of it. Eph. 6:18. And though, my dear chosen lamb, we shall now be separated for a little while, we shall meet each other again hereafter in the resurrection of the dead, and shall forever be with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:17. O then our small sorrow shall be changed into eternal, unspeakable joy, and all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and we shall hear the words: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world.” Is. 25:8; Rev. 7:17; Matt. 25:34. O my dear lamb, comfort yourself with these promises, and with the words of the Gospel, where Christ himself says: Blessed are they that weep now; for they shall be comforted. But woe unto them that laugh now, for they shall weep. For the time shall come when they shall cry out: O ye mountains and hills, fall on us, and cover us from the face of the Lord. Matt. 4:5; Luke 6:25; Hos. 10:7.
O then it will be at an end with all our persecutors, executioners, and rackers, and with all destroyers; yea, then shall be fulfilled the word of the prophet Isaiah, where he says: O ye destroyers, think ye that ye shall not also be destroyed? and ye despisers, think ye that ye shall not also be despised? When ye shall have made an end to destroy an end shall also be made with you. Is. 33:1. But unto you, my flesh, my blood, and unto me, and all saints, shall the Sun of righteousness arise, and happiness and eternal prosperity shall encompass us. O my dear sheep, [flock], how gladly would I comfort you and come to your aid in your tribulation; but it cannot be at this time. But I sincerely pray you, remember my words which I spoke to you in times past, and follow them, this I pray you, and let them be a perpetual foundation stone. Further, I cordially entreat you, and this for the eternal salvation of your soul, that you live in quiet and bring up your child (my own offspring), in the fear of the Lord, as I trust you will. Once more, my dearest, chosen lamb, I entreat you from the bottom of my heart, and my inmost soul, remember frequently what I said to you in times past, and also wrote in some measure, namely, that you adhere all the days of your life to that which you voluntarily so willingly accepted, since it is the true ground, foundation, and way to eternal life. O there shall never be found another, than this way of the cross, and if it should be withal the will of your merciful, dear Father, to prove you with his fatherly rod of the cross, that is, with bonds or imprisonment, I pray you for the sake of the eternal salvation of your soul that you will not fear our enemies; for it is impossible to write or express, how God the merciful, dear Father comforts those who have entirely committed themselves to the Lord; so that I should not have thought that I could have such a heart and mind, so that I almost wondered how they could depart from the word of God; but they forgat the comfort of the future glory, and became heedless, and the oil of righteousness and love failed their earthen vessels. Matt. 13:43; 25:3.
Hence, my faithful, dearest flesh and blood, be warned, that you may not, through slothfulness and heedlessness, find yourself deceived with the heedless, foolish virgins. Therefore be watchful in the spirit, and give diligence still from day to day, to put off more and more (Eph. 4:22); for, my dear lamb, it is necessary that you watch, since not all shall enter into the promised land, who have gone out of this present spiritual Egypt and Sodom; and this because of the power and might of the old serpent, who does not rest nor pause day or night, but goes around the camp, seeking whom he may find drowsy; whom resist stoutly in the faith take upon yourself a valiant and believing heart.
Furthermore, dearly beloved lamb, it is my request that you conform to all humility, and be little in your own eyes, and mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Rom. 12:16. Always be ready and anxious to hear the word of God, and remember the words of Christ: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:20. O my dear lamb, have fervent love for the church of God, and forget not to communicate of that which the merciful, dear Father has given you. Remember that mercy glorieth against judgment, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Jas. 2:13; Hebrews 13:16. But I know, my beloved lamb, and have confidence in you, that you will herein follow the teaching of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. Matt. 6:1. Herewith, my dearest, I take farewell and leave from you, my flesh and blood, on this earth, and commend you into the hands of Almighty God, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is able to preserve and build up you and your child (Acts 20:32), and to strengthen you in every distress, even as he is faithful, and will do it, if you, my dear lamb, only continue in his statutes and laws, and do not become weary in the way of the cross, though it be full of anxiety and hardship for you. O that you, my dear lamb, could take courage and praise and thank your God, that you are found worthy also to suffer for his name. O think of the words of the wise man where he says: Having been a little chastised, we shall be greatly rewarded; for God trieth his chosen as gold in the furnace. Wis. 3:5,6.
Therefore, my dearly beloved lamb, let the trying of your faith work patience, and let patience have her perfect work (Jas. 1:3,4), and remember the words of the wise man: A patient man is better than a strong man; and he that ruleth his spirit (mark) than he that taketh a city. Prov. 16:32. Further, the prophet Jeremiah says: It is good and a great thing, to be patient, and that one that is forsaken wait for help of the Lord. Lam. 3:36. Hence possess your souls in patience for a little while yet, this I beseech you from my inmost heart. Luke 21:19.
O my dearly beloved lamb, once more I entreat you, acquit yourself valiantly. O if you love me (as you abundantly do), follow the footsteps of my faith; for the time is fulfilled, the days are spent, my years are ended which I lived in this wilderness amidst many dangers. I have not run or fought as uncertainly; hence I rejoice in the spirit, that God the merciful dear Father has been with me, so that I have fought the fight, and finished my course. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of eternal life which God, the merciful, dear Father, shall give me, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 1 Cor. 9:26; 2 Tim. 4:7,8. And I shall now enter into the precious land, which I have tasted and seen by faith, wherefore my inner man, has a desire for it, so that I am not afraid of my enemies, nor shrink back from Jordan, which though it is most terrible to behold in the eyes of some, we are certain and assured that our faithful God of Israel will be with us, and will make it ready with his strong arm, so that we shall pass through unharmed, and thus encourage the young valiant Israelites. In short, to all who want to fear God from the heart we are, through the grace of God, a savor unto eternal life; and those who hate us, a savor of death. 2 Corinthians 2:16. Adieu, my flesh, my blood; under the altar I hope to wait for you all. Rev. 6:9. Let my blood be a perpetual testament and memorial unto you. Farewell, until we meet in eternity. Amen.
O keep valiantly, I pray you in the way of righteousness; for I testify unto you with my blood, before God and his angels, that it is the true road and highway, yea, the true grace of our God, on and in which you stand. 1 Pet. 5:12. The grace of God be with you. Amen. The 24th of October, five o’clock A.M., A. D. 1564.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM MR. JELIS MATTHIJSS TO HIS WIFE.
My dearly beloved chosen wife and sister in the Lord, I wish you folks much strength and comfort from God the merciful dear Father, through the consolation of the Holy Ghost, whereby he comforts all afflicted, sorrowing hearts that are oppressed for his testimony, even as is the case with you at this present time, so that it troubles you greatly though you have been so much taught by the Holy Ghost, that you well know that it is the will of our Lord and Master to whom we have bowed our knees, to serve and be faithful to him in every distress, tribulation and temptation; for he has chosen and called us both to the end that we should keep his name amidst much tribulation and pain, and should not become weary of these few stripes and fatherly chastenings (Job 5:17); for thereby he makes us true heirs of his heavenly kingdom, if we receive them in resignation and patience, and are exercised thereby; to which may the merciful, dear Father strengthen us with the power of his Holy Spirit. Amen.
Further, my dearly beloved wife, since I presume that your heart is much troubled and sorrowful on my account, and you, as I believe, would like to hear and know how it is with me, I cannot forbear to write you a little about how it went with us. I did write to you on our last night (as I thought), and asked the bailiff whether I might write a little yet to my poor, sorrowing wife. He said, “yes.” But we were not allowed to go up stairs again, and had to remain in the kitchen; and Huyge would not consent to my writing, except he might hold it, and hand it to the bailiff, as I think he has done; yet I hope that you will yet get it. Further, my dear lamb, know, first of all that my purpose is still unchanged, and I am ready to await in patience all that God the merciful, dear Father and the enemies of the truth will impose upon me. Further know, you folks, that we had not heard of any trouble of the flesh; but in the evening, about nine o’clock, Huyge came up stairs with his wife, saying: “Mr. Jelis and Willeboort, come down; there is somebody that wants to speak with you.” Then our women, especially Maeyken, began to cry and weep greatly. I asked him whether we were not to come up again, to which he gave me but little reply. Hence I immediately divested myself of my cassock, and put on my old jacket. I then kissed my blood, namely, the child, took off my hat, and briefly addressed myself to God, the merciful, dear Father, that he would preserve the child all the days of its life; my heart experienced some sadness over it, but it did not last long. When I came down, the stadtholder was standing there, and a short time afterwards also the bailiff came, and catching sight of me said: “Well, Mr. Jelis, the time has come,” or some such words. I then stepped up to him a little closer, my heart being quite joyful, and said to him in a very friendly manner: “My lord, I have known you for eight or ten years, and looked upon you as an honest man; how comes it that you want to take us in this manner by surprise? We certainly have not heard a word of it.”