JAN GERRITS, BURNT AT THE HAGUE, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, THE 15TH DAY OF DECEMBER, A. D. 1564.
A testament by Jan Gerrits, made while imprisoned at the Hague for the testimony of Jesus Christ, in December, A. D. 1564.
Grace and peace from God the heavenly Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, be with you. Amen.
My dearest and much beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, I inform you that I have received your communication, which I have read with great joy; for its object is, in the first place, to incite to steadfastness in the faith, and to a perfect end, and this through Jesus Christ, wherefore I entreat the heavenly Father with all my heart and mind, that not only I, but all the godfearing may attain to an upright end, according to the will of God, as I hope. For I have suffered stripes and great pain, and this, according to the words of John, for the brethren. 1 John 3:16. I desire to suffer not only this, but also, if it is the will of God, to die for his name, word and truth, no matter what kind of a death it may be; for I should not have thought that it should last so long; but as not a hair of my head can be hurt, without the Lord’s permission, I want to await the end with him, in patience, as behooves a Christian.
Therefore, my much beloved brethren and sisters, it is my heartfelt request that you and all the godfearing will entreat the Lord for me your weak brother, that I may receive the end of my faith; for the prayer of the righteous avails much, and is effectual. 1 Peter 1:9. They use every artifice to rob me of the beautiful treasure which I have received from God; but I trust to the Lord, that he will preserve me.
In the second place, dear brethren, it is a great joy for me and the Lord, to learn that the vineyard of the Lord is enlarging, and that its branches are spreading wide, bringing forth upright fruits of the most high God, which I have so long desired. Hence I thank my and your God, that I hear what you have written, and rejoice that the light is rising in every nook and corner, and shines over every mountain, as I hear from many friends, who come to comfort me in my bonds. Therefore, my dear friends, be diligent, every one according to the gift he has received from God, and put it diligently out upon usury, so that you may get much gain, and may hear these words of the Lord: Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter in to the marriage of the Lord. Matthew 25:21.
Thus, let every one build up the house with lively stones, that it may become a glorious priesthood, and that they may offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5. We may always be of good cheer in the Lord, for his power is so great with those who fear him, that all death, devil, hell, fire and sword, must yield to him. All this cannot hinder those who are built upon Christ; for we can do all things through him who makes us worthy, and through his love everything is overcome, and it casts out fear (1 John 4:18), as I can indeed say; for when I was brought into the King’s hall, and stood there almost an hour, before the lords came, and saw how everything was being put in readiness to torture me, I again and again thought in my mind: O Lord, unless thou now succor me, I am utterly lost; and I prayed him to give me a mouth to speak to his praise and glory, and to close it against everything tending to blaspheme his holy name and that of my neighbor.
While I thus spoke and they were getting ready to torture me, I felt neither fear nor apprehension; however, they handled me in a very severe and fierce manner, so that the president said: “Why will you not tell the truth?” Ans. “Because Christ spoke nothing but what tended to the glory of his Father, and what concerned his own divinity; about all other things he was silent. And I want to do the same; wherever his honor and the doctrine of his commandments are concerned, I do not want to be silent either before emperor, or king, or duke, or count.” Instantly the order was: “Handle him without gloves; a drowned calf is a small risk.” Behold, my dear brethren and sisters, how unmercifully they treated me. Nevertheless, the Lord was with me, blessed be his holy name; I had no control of myself, but the Lord directed my mouth, so that they could obtain nothing according to their will. See, my dear friends, how faithful the Lord is; him that trusts in him he does not suffer to be confounded. Sir. 2:10.
Hence I write again, always be of good cheer in the Lord, and admonish one another at all times, for Peter deems it expedient and profitable to help bear one another’s burdens, and this in love; for whether one member suffer; all the members suffer with him; or whether one member be honored, all the members rejoice with him. 2 Peter 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12:26.
In the third place, I let you know that my wife has been here, and brought me your kind greeting, which I was very glad to hear; as also that she desires to follow that which is best, according to her feeble ability. For she confesses that the life which she has hitherto led is evil, as we may indeed all confess that ours also was unprofitable in times past. Tit. 3:3. Hence I entreat you, my dear brethren, that you would exercise a watchful care over her, and admonish her to a better life, and this in love; and if you should be able to accomplish anything, and write it to me, it would greatly rejoice me. If you write to me before I offer up my sacrifice to God, send your communication to my aged mother, or to N., and I shall get it. Moreover, I gave her some spices, namely, a nutmeg, three or four hands full of ginger, and some cloves, that she should give them to J. C., or to some one else, that they should be cut up in pieces and properly distributed around, as a perpetual greeting, and this in the Lord. Here upon earth, an eternal adieu in Christ, peace and farewell, in case this be the last opportunity, before we all meet in the presence of Christ, and there see one another in his glory. Amen.