A Letter From Jacques Mesdagh.

Hence, my dear sister, let us always take diligent heed unto ourselves, to walk in Christ’s footsteps unto the end, according to our poor, weak ability; and when they persecute and afflict us for the truth, let us also commit vengeance293 unto him who will judge righteously, and before whom all things are naked and opened (Heb. 4:13): and, as Christ himself teaches us, pray for those who persecute and afflict us, that they would repent, and turn from all 690this wickedness to the truth, so that they might also all be saved, and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, says Paul, 1 Tim. 2:3,4; for he is longsuffering, and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet. 3:9.

But now they will not repent nor turn from all evil to the knowledge of the truth; for they still delight in persecuting the people of the Lord, and in shedding innocent blood, even as the prophet Isaiah says: Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Is. 59:7,8. And Paul also says: Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their tongues: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes (Rom. 3:13–18), as may be seen and heard in every direction, so that it is lamentable that so many are deceived, and walk in the broad way; erring so deplorably from the true way of truth which leads to life everlasting; and, what is more, those who want to turn to the way of truth, they would gladly prevent from it were they able. But they shall exceedingly rue it hereafter, if they repent not; but alas! it will be too late then, when they shall say to the mountains and rocks: “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:16,17; Hos. 10:8; Luke 23:30. And they shall (says Isaiah 2:19) go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty; when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. And in John’s Revelation it is further written: “In those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them; and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image: and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 9:6; 14:10,11; 20:15. Then they will get their reward for having thus lorded it over the little flock, and lived after the thoughts of their wicked hearts, and tormented and persecuted the people and slain those who desired to live, according to their weak ability, according to the word and doctrine of the Lord. But they who have suffered for the truth and the word of God, shall then be much better off and happier than those who have persecuted them, and inflicted tribulation and suffering upon them, and lived in wickedness and iniquity; for when the Lord will begin to say to them, “I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity,” there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; “for not every one,” Christ further says, “that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Luke 13:27,28; Matt. 7:21.

O my affectionately and greatly beloved sister, let us always well see to it, and take good heed to ourselves: that we always do the will of the Father, according to our weak ability even unto the end, so that we may not hear with the others: “Depart from me, all ye that work iniquity,” and thus with them receive reward in the fiery lake which will burn with fire and brimstone; which is the second death (Revelation 21:8); but that we may enter into the kingdom of heaven with all the elect children of God, where it will endure forever and ever. All that we have suffered here, and this for a short time, for the name of the Lord, namely, persecution, tribulation, or affliction, will then in no wise be to our detriment. Matt. 5:11,12.