By me Clement Hendrickss, unworthy prisoner in the Lord.
The second letter of Clement Hendrickss.
Grace, peace and mercy from God our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ his only beloved Son, who gave himself for us, out of great love, to deliver us from the bond of death; this fervent love, with the power and strength of the Holy Ghost, I wish you my very dear and beloved N., as a token of gratitude, and for consolation and strength, now and forever. Amen.
Further, my very dear and beloved, beloved by God, the heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, out of true Christian, brotherly love I cannot well forbear to write your love briefly as to how it still is with me in my bonds. I cannot thank and praise the Lord sufficiently, that he so comforts me in my tribulation, and that my mind is still fixed to fear the Lord with all my heart all the days of my life, according to my weak ability. Furthermore, very dear and beloved, I poor and unworthy one have undertaken to write you a little, though I am unfit to do so; but it is done out of true Christian, brotherly love; hence accept it from me in good part.
O my very dear and beloved, what a beautiful consolation it is to us, that Christ says: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:10. Christ also says: Whosoever doth not take up his cross, and follow me, is not worthy of me; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Luke 9:23,24. Paul, further, says all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3:12. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Ps. 34:19. Therefore, my very dear and beloved, the prophets suffered, yea, Christ himself, and also all the pious witnesses of Jesus Christ even unto the present day. Hence, let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that, when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. Luke 12:35–37. Hence, my dear and much beloved, what a beautiful comfort this is to us! For it is written: “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.” 1 Cor. 2:9. He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matt. 24:13. And Esdras saw upon the mount Sion a great people, whom he could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs. And in the midst of them there was a young man of a high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and was more exalted; at which he [Esdras] marveled greatly. So he asked the angel, and said: Sir, what are these? He answered and said: These be they that have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God: now are they crowned, and receive palms. Then he asked the angel: What young person is it that crowneth them, and giveth them palms in their hands? And he answered and said: It is the Son of God, whom they have confessed in the world. 2 Esd. 2:42–47.
Behold, my dear and much beloved in the Lord, what is our life? It is even a vapor, or as a smoke that is driven by the wind, not knowing whence it cometh, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Jas. 4:14. But our dying is nothing less than an introduction into eternal life, to reign with God and Christ. Christ says: He that believeth in me is passed from death unto life. John 5:24. If we die through him, we live in him, for God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; and Abraham believed in him, and all believers live in God. Matt. 22:33; Jas. 2:23. Though they suffered death, they were the friends of God, so that he says: He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of my eye. Zech. 2:8. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth you not, because it knew him not. Therefore, my dear and much beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:1–3. We know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, that we may be clothed upon with it. 2 Cor. 5:1,2. Yea, saith Paul, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ; whether it be comfort or tribulation, it is all for our salvation, if we suffer as the saints suffered, that is, for the testimony of the word of God. 2 Cor. 1:5,6; Revelation 6:9. Paul further says: If we suffer with him, if we die with Christ, we shall live with him. 2 Tim. 2:11,12. He further says; that our earnest expectation is nothing less than the manifestation of the sons of God, that is, we desire and long so greatly for the appearing of our Lord in the clouds, that we may be caught up to him in the clouds, and become like him. Rom. 8:19; Matt. 24:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:17. While we are in these tabernacles, we are burdened; for we would rather be clothed upon with the immortal and heavenly glory with which Christ shall glorify us. He that hath wrought us for this selfsame thing is God, who hath given unto us the earnest of the faith, through faith and trust in his Son. 2 Cor. 5:4,5.
Hence, my dear and much beloved, even as it is also written; Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are temporal, but at the things which are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16–18. Herewith I commend you to the Lord; may he bless and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and upon us all, and be gracious unto us. Num. 6:24,25. Greet the brethren much in my name, where it is convenient. I will commend you all to the Lord until the appearing of our Lord. The peace of the Lord be with you now and forever. Amen.
Written in bonds, on Christmas Monday, by me,
Clement Hendrickss,
Unworthy prisoner in the Lord.
Third Letter of Clement Hendrickss, to his father and mother.